Ghosts of the Present (Rescue Bots AU)

2. Crashing the Party

Chief Burns' hands gripped Chase's wheel a little tighter as they pulled out of the parking lot of the lab, his eyes moving over the dashboard and focusing on Chase's face on the screen peering back at him.

"Chief, you seem to have something you wish to say." Chase murmured softly, his brows furrowing a little in concern. "Is there something you need to tell us about?"

Chief Burns sighed, leaning back in the seat. "...Yes, I do."

He looked out into the trees as they passed them, the lights shining from town that was left abandoned against the townsfolk's wills. "...The townspeople know."

Chase's optics widened just a little, and then Heatwave's face appeared as well. "You mean they know we're aliens?"

"Yes... You see... When you left... It wasn't just like you vanished."

"We didn't mean to disappear, Chief!" Blades whimpered.

"I know, I know..." Chief assured, "It's just... I don't know how to explain it, I-"

Boulder cut in, "I think I see it, Sir..."

The four bots slowed and then stopped in front of the statues settled in the center of the roundabout. There was the Horace Burns statue of course, but standing on all four sides of it, like sentinels guarding him from harm, were four other statues, each of them being one of the bots.

Chief felt a tension in Chase's chassis as he paused in front of his own likeness, and then whispered the words etched into the plaque settled at the bottom. They all had the same message, but each one was specific to that bot.

"In remembrance of Chase, a hero on a planet not his own that gave up his life to save those of the citizens of Griffin Rock, Maine..."

"We...Died?" Blades whispered, reaching out and feeling the plaque with a finger.

"I don't know how to explain this, Bots." Chief Burns rubbed his eyes, "But we all saw your bodies, your sparks go out. Optimus told us there was nothing more that could be done... We told the townsfolk when we had a memorial service because it didn't feel right for them to not know who really saved them all that day."

He sat up straighter again, "We all said our goodbyes...But then this evening you all just-"

"Showed up out of nowhere. Alive and well."

Chase nodded slowly, as if understanding now why his partner had been so shocked to see him.

"That being said...The townsfolk, and your partners, are in for a serious shock when we show up at that Power Plant. I just...wanted you all to be prepared."

"Understood, Sir." Heatwave mumbled, and then his engine revved. "Alright Team, let's go have a chat with our Velgroxian visitors!"

"What do you know about them?"

"Velgrox and Autobot interactions have never been the good kind." Boulder informed, "They invade peaceful civilizations and feed off of them like parasites, but are rather cowardly when they encounter races that put up a fight. They acknowledge us as a superior species because of our size and strength."

"They'll attack one of us probably, but never a group." Heatwave added, "So now that we're here, getting the townsfolk back should be much easier."

Chief Burns sighed, "Let's just hope we're not too late..."

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The group paused at the edge of the Power Plant, looking out through the trees. Long, thick tendrils snaked up the sides of the building, reaching up to a large flying saucer settled on the roof.