Ghosts of the Present (Rescue Bots AU)

3. Not Everyone's On Board...

It was so cold... And dark...

Heatwave tried to look around, but all around him were wispy, dark clouds amidst a sea of black and midnight blue. Whispering voices and distant sounds echoed all around him, but there was no ground- at least, none that the firetruck could feel or see.

How had he gotten here? Where was 'here'?

Heatwave wanted to move, to perhaps swim upwards and get out of this darkness, but he could only float in place.

Suddenly something came up underneath him and he felt himself being lifted, and out of the darkness, he saw a pair of glowing optics staring back at him. Whatever had him was massive, but their gaze was soft and gentle.

It's okay... The voice was barely audible, but it was definitely a femme's voice. It's okay...You're going to be safe, I promise...

She looked at them in such a way that Heatwave was used to seeing from Chief Burns whenever he was comforting his children, but then she looked away from him, up and glaring as if she'd heard something that upset her. The darkness had formed arms that Heatwave was now settled in, she was cradling him like a human mother would, defending him from something unseen.

Do not worry... I'm going to protect you...

Heatwave's optics flew open and he sat up, grimacing from the stiffness in his joints. He was on the floor of the Firehouse once more, it had all been a dream... So why had it felt so real? and the femme...What did she mean?

He pushed it to the back of his processor for now. The light of early morning peeked through the windows, but though it had only been a few hours rest, it was still something. A good rest and partial refuel of his systems had given much more energy and less pain upon waking from sleep mode.

Blades and Chase were still curled up and fast asleep in their places on the floor beside him, but where was Boulder? The bulldozer was absent.

Heatwave looked around but then saw Boulder settled in another secluded corner of the garage, his back turned to them. He got up from his place, carefully tiptoeing across the garage floor towards him. "Boulder...?" He whispered, "You okay?"

Boulder looked up from his sitting position, "Hmm...? Oh...Hey, Heatwave..." The bulldozer murmured sadly, and then looked back at the empty corner.

Heatwave was about to ask why an empty corner would sadden the engineer when he realized that it hadn't been empty when they'd last been here... This was where Graham's study table and research folders had been, where both human and bot had worked on his homework and science projects together... Now it was empty.

"Chief said that Graham wasn't on the island during the invasion...It didn't occur to me that he meant he hadn't been here in a long time..."

Heatwave placed a hand on his teammate's shoulder, and then turned as he heard a soft whish, and saw Cody sliding down the firepole. "Hey, Cody."

"Hey..." Cody smiled, "Sorry, I just had to make sure that...you know...I didn't dream it."

"Fair enough."

"Cody..." Boulder looked to the teenager, "...How long has Graham been gone...?"

Cody's expression softened, that sadness returning. "After you all...left, we all dealt with it in different ways. Dad and I focused on my early first responder training, Dani took on a part-time job flying test jet designs... Kade and Graham both just kinda...distanced themselves."

Cody's expression lightened a little, "Graham's was a physical distance; he moved to the Grimsky Tech campus to finish his degree there, but he still calls us over the vid comm every week." He looked to the empty corner, "When he made the decision, he told me that it had just...because too quiet without you guys. Sitting in here all alone and without you, Boulder...It didn't feel right."