Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mega Trucker rapped his knuckles against the door frame. Mega Ambler didn’t look up. 

“Hey, uh, you wanna grab a drink? It’s lunch time.”

Mega Ambler continued staring intensely at Phoenix's slack face, still and unmoving. Mega Trucker was about to repeat his question, when Ambler finally answered, "I'm not hungry."

Mega Trucker leaned against the frame, a hand on his hip. “What does your fuel gauge say?”

Ambler took a slow glance. 12%— no, it just dropped to 11%.

"Above 20%." Ambler lied tonelessly. "I'll fuel later."

Instead of taking the hint and leaving him alone, Mega Trucker stayed. “Well you can't just stay in there, you'll rust. Aren't you afraid to rust?”

It was a poor attempt to lighten up the mood.

Ambler ignored him.

Mega Trucker left with a heavy sigh. 

Before Ambler refocused back on Phoenix, he heard his friend snitch to someone else: "He won't leave the room."

But that is a problem for another day. Right now, Phoenix Fire needed him. And he'll be right here. 

When the sound of knocking came again, Mega Ambler ignored it. 

It had only been two weeks since their last battle. Everyone came away with varying severities of bruises and scars littered across their frame. 

But they made it through. They had won. They were alive. 

Healing took time. Some longer than others. 

Blue Cop’s visor had been cracked, now fixed. His left optic a little dimmed. His right arm was dislocated, now back in place.

Wild Guardy’s shield and sword were shattered, now restored. He had a limp, but he hid it well.

Shadow X’s blades were fractured, now replaced. He could still turn invisible and fly.

Heavy Iron gained another permanent scar. Black Hook had one down his back. Both nursed their wounded egos until one of them thought it as a champion’s glory. 

Mega Trucker’s shield survived with a crack— but the forearm behind it hadn’t fared as well. Still, he could dance. That mattered more.

By now most of them had recovered from the injuries, with the help of the Metal Brace quickening the self healing. 

Dents have been buffed out. Tarnished plating cleaned and polished. Downcast optics were brightening again, recognizing their perseverance in a hard-won victory. A silent testament to their resilience as a united front. 

Things were returning back to normal. 

Except there was one mech whose optics remained dark and unresponsive. 

Phoenix Fire.

At first they thought he was simply unconscious, needing a little more time to recover. 

But when hours stretched to days and days bled into weeks, they had to accept that this was not a case where someone lacked the energy to wake up. 

This wasn’t a matter of strength or patience. 

Phoenix Fire had fallen into a coma.

Initially they had intended to leave him in the Metal Brace, and let self healing do its job. But something wasn’t quite right. Even when they were gravely injured, they could still feel each other within the brace, a faint but unmistakable bond stringing them together, through the good and bad. A quiet hum in the background. That link of awareness. Their energies would sync together like they do in battle, and within the brace, it allowed them to transfer their power through their fallen members.

They healed faster that way.

But when Phoenix laid inside the brace, no one felt him. 

Even when they were all sealed inside the brace, or just one at a time, no one felt his presence. 

It was like he was never sealed at all. 

After a stressful and chaotic day of confirming and reaffirming that Phoenix had a pulse, that his core was still spinning, that his frame was still rising and falling with faint vents, that his body was still warm because his systems were running and he was still alive, they came up with a compromise. 

They compromised by having Phoenix on a repair berth during the day, allowing Ambler to monitor his stats. Ambler would give him potent, daily doses of the Healing Pulse. By night, Phoenix would return to the brace, allowing him to rest inside, while hopefully the passive healing properties of the brace would do its job.

But the hollow void continued to haunt them. Someone was missing and they could all feel it.

It was deeply unnerving.

Ambler dedicated himself tirelessly into treating him.

Even though he had only ever been a paramedic, who specialized mostly in emergency treatments, not coma patients.

“Mega Ambler?” Blue Cop called to him. 

So it wasn’t Mega Trucker. 

That doesn’t mean he would budge though. 

When Blue Cop realized it didn’t matter who was trying to get his attention, he added, "Shadow X hurt himself and Edo isn't here."

Ambler twitched. A flash of annoyance sprinted across before a stab of regret impaled him. Shadow X needed him. He couldn’t selfishly blame the chopper for taking his attention away from Phoenix. 

Shadow X had the tendency to get himself in trouble, but a lot of times he would come out unscathed. Blue Cop would chide him and knock a fist against his head, which was really just a light tap, as a warning the little bot would heed to, until he didn’t. 

Ambler told himself this wouldn’t take long. He would fix up whatever injury Shadow X managed to inflict on himself, and return to Phoenix. Either way, as the medic of this team, the only medic, he had a responsibility to fulfil— to all of them. 

He nodded to show he had heard him, and began to rise. But his movements were stiff and his optic was glassy with fatigue. His scanner fed him information he couldn’t process coherently. 

He glanced up, barely seeing Blue Cop at the door. But it was clear he looked worried. 

Now Ambler really hoped Shadow X didn’t do anything stupid.  

Each step took effort he did not have enough strength for. 

Maybe he should’ve refueled. 

When he finally reached Blue Cop waiting beside the door, he felt weak with exhaustion. He braced himself against the door frame, barely holding on. He really only had himself to blame. But if he had to crawl across the garage to fix Shadow X, he would. 

He glanced up to see Mega Trucker standing right in front him.

Ambler was about to push him out of the way, tired of seeing his friend looking at him like that, when something collided with the back of his helm. 

He toppled over, his world blipping into darkness. 

He woke up lying on one of the repair platforms. 

Which was odd, considering he was usually the one standing over them, looking down at someone else lying in it.

His mind was scattered across places, as flitting thoughts wandered and dissipated across his processor. 

He found the will to consult his HUD for damage. His memory banks groggily offered him that there had been no recent fights. Nothing severe for him to gain injuries from. 

Moments later his injury report flickered into place. No external wounds. No torn plating. No fractures. Just one recent cranial impact logged under non-critical damage.

Mega Trucker’s apologetic face floated to mind. 

Ambler groaned.

If they wanted to knock him unconscious, Ambler thought rather distastefully, they should’ve used anaesthetics. He had three on each thigh.   

Then he realized Mega Trucker wasn’t the culprit. Even if the strength seemed to suggest it was. The pain radiated from the back of his head. Mega Trucker had stood in front of him. The force had been too precise.

Blue Cop. 

He also found his fuel gauge has been refueled to above 60% instead of running on single digits.

He groaned again, feeling sick despite it all. He felt like he was forgetting something else.

Phoenix Fire. Ambler remembered with a painful jolt to his core. 

He shot upright instinctively— and caused a sudden wave of nausea to overwhelm him. He clattered back down, landing heavily on the platform. He clutched his helm as pain blossomed, no longer a localized throb as the massive headache pounded behind his optics. 

This hasn't happened before. Was it a virus?

In a moment of delirium he thought Blue Cop had infected him with one to keep him under. 

Logic returned a few moments later, reassuring him that he was simply out of his mind for thinking so. That was not how viruses worked.

And where would they even source one to begin with?

The headache continued bludgeoning his processor, throbbing painfully.

Approaching footsteps announced a coming visitor, so he turned his head to watch his assailant enter the room. 

"Good morning, Mega Ambler." Blue Cop said pleasantly. "You're up early."

"You’ve tricked me." Ambler peeled his hand away from the back of his helm, to give Blue Cop the full blast of his glare. “And gave me blunt force trauma.” 

"A necessary evil, as we've all agreed." Blue Cop said apologetically, but he was in no way cowed by him. "Phoenix Fire needs a full and functional medic. You were on the verge of stasis. We did what we had to.”

Before Mega Ambler could rebuke him, three quick raps against the door caught his attention. 

Mega Trucker poked his head in. “It’s Wash Day. Today’s your turn.”

Mega Ambler was about to wave him away, intent on telling them to skip his turn and give it to someone else. But Mega Trucker and Blue Cop were suddenly coming onto him. Before he could twist away, two pairs of hands latched onto his arms, and he was heaved to his pedes, then half dragged outside. 

Blue Cop was shorter than him, but his firm grip was unrelenting. Surely Mega Trucker had enough strength to hold him by himself, but it seems like they weren’t taking any chances. He was quickly escorted out of the maintenance bay, and no amount of dragging his feet slowed them down.

“Wait, I need to—” He tried to say, though he knew his excuses would fall on deaf audials.

“Later, it's Wash Day,” Blue Cop repeated. “Your frame is turning black.”

A wild exaggeration. 

He glanced at his reflection on the way out and… perhaps Blue Cop was right, he wasn’t as white as he should be. 

But at the very most, he was just a little grey. Light grey. 

“I’m getting deja vu.” Mega Trucker said. “It’s the black ambulance all over again. Is your tire gonna fall off?” 

Ambler glared resolutely ahead. Now that was uncalled for. 

Getting hosed off against his wishes was not the worst thing he’d been subjected to this morning.

Getting hosed off by two mechs holding him down like he would suddenly drive away— that was not something he wanted to experience again. 

When they arrived outside, with Mega Ambler manhandled and clutched securely between them, Jun had offered to clean him normally— with a wiping cloth and a spray bottle. But his captors declined the help. 

“Takes too long,” Mega Trucker had explained.

Instead, Mega Ambler was made to transform into his ambulance mode, then live through the most aggressive, but thorough scrub down of his life with minimal grunts.

It didn’t hurt of course, but they were nowhere gentle like the humans. 

It was like they knew he was going to speed off the second a chance presented itself, so they were doing this as quickly as possible. But at the same time, they also wanted him to come out polished and sparkling. 

In the end, they achieved both under a record breaking fifteen minutes exactly. (With Jun timing them from the side.)

He came out wet, disgruntled, but otherwise, pristine.

As he transformed back to root mode, water dripping everywhere, he snatched the offered towel from Mega Trucker, and stalked off to dry himself, using what’s left of his dignity. 

There wasn’t much routine at Edo’s garage. But one thing that remained constant throughout the hectic chaos of their lives was how they spent the weekends. 

For instance, Saturday meant Wash Day. It also meant Movie Night. 

The mechs staying in the motor centre tonight weren’t that many. Blue Cop, Mega Trucker, Buffalo Crush, Shadow X, and surprisingly, Wild Guardy. The film that won the movie poll this week was Sonic the Hedgehog 3— Shadow X’s choice. The disinterested returned with Jun inside the Metal Brace, leaving early when the boy came to pick them up. 

As he passed into the garage, clean and finally dried, he declined the offer to watch the movie with them. Mega Trucker stood up, yanking on his arm, looking ready to argue. And frankly, Ambler was so close to initiating a shouting match himself, a fist fight even, if Mega Trucker thought violence could make him stay. But Blue Cop rose as well and pulled at Mega Trucker’s shoulder, shaking his helm.

The others were either staring at them or looking literally anywhere else. 

No one was watching the screen.

The tense stare-down was suddenly accompanied by the booming swell of studio fanfare as various production logos gleamed and spun on the dark screen, one after the other. 

Mega Trucker had an intense gaze, and a harder grip to match. Ambler glared back with a severe look. Daring him. 

“Mega Trucker,” Blue Cop began, hand still clasped on his shoulder.

Mega Trucker huffed loudly, looking away first. He released his arm, hands fisted tightly by his sides.

“Don’t stay up too late,” Mega Trucker told him gruffly, not glancing back as he turned away. He dropped heavily onto the floor. 

Mega Ambler massaged his arm, glaring resentfully at his back.  

“There, happy? I didn’t start nothing.” Ambler heard him mutter as he stalked away. 

Blue Cop’s chiding went unheard as the movie played its crisp soundscape, special effects blaring noisily, drowning out their voices.

He slammed the button for the sliding door panel, letting it grate down to shut them out completely. 

Ambler was slowly dragging himself back to Phoenix’s side when he thought he heard someone talking. The noise came from the deepest section of the garage. He wouldn’t admit he ran, but in his haste he had almost tripped over his pedes to see—

Dexter sitting across Phoenix Fire, who remained unconscious and immobile on the berth. 

Dexter turned around, spotting him. He was sitting on the other maintenance platform, with his back to the door.

Immediately Ambler felt foolish, to even think that Phoenix would suddenly wake up like this. Years of medical experience told him it was unrealistic. Irrational. Impossible. The ugly resentment at reality turned its sharp edges inward. A dark feeling clawed at his core, leaving deep grooves that throbbed with every vent he took, but he kept his face otherwise neutral. 

“Hey.” Dexter said quietly, like Phoenix was simply asleep. Like if he spoke any louder Phoenix would jolt awake from the noise. The excavator was holding a small book between his fingers. 

“...Hello Dexter,” Mega Ambler greeted. They hadn’t really interacted much, other than the occasional patch for scratches here and there. Out of all the mechs, Dexter was the most careful. The least accident-prone. So much unlike Mega Trucker, who frequented his makeshift med-bay, offering poor excuses and loudly proclaiming that it wasn’t his fault. 

He only knew Dexter and Phoenix enjoyed each other’s company, but he wasn’t sure how close they were. 

He never really asked. 

“I was just reading this to him,” Dexter held up the book. He lifted the cover to show him. It had an ombre orange background fading to yellow, with a pair of black wings that spanned the entirety of the cover.  

“I’m not really sure what this is about, but so far there’s a weird creature in the garage that eats only Chinese food…” Dexter turned the book around to check the page he was on.

“... and ‘Aspeerin’…?”

“Aspirin,” Ambler corrected. “It’s a pain relief medication.”

“Ah,” Dexter nodded, staring down at the page. 

Mega Ambler stood there, not knowing where to go. 

“I was picking up on what Mega Trucker was reading to him,” Dexter explained, still looking at the book. “So I don’t really know what’s going on.”

“I see.” 

“I could read from the start if you like?” Dexter offered, glancing up. 

A kind offer. “I’ve read some of the chapters.”

He left out the part where he dropped the book when the chapters continued looking bleak.  

“Oh,” Dexter said, looking curious now. “Is it any good?”

“I’m not sure, I didn’t finish it.” Ambler admitted. 

“Huh,” Dexter rubbed his chin. “I wonder where Mega Trucker found this though. Doesn’t seem like something he’d read.”

Dexter looked up. “No offense to your friend.” He added. 

“None taken, I gave it to him.” Ambler said. “I borrowed it from Theo, but he didn’t want to keep this book anymore.”

Theo had mentioned a termly reading list from his old school. This book had been one of them, where they had to read the story and write a report about it. Theo had emphasized the importance of dabbling into fiction, telling him how imagination and wonder festers from reading literature. 

Though a meaningful and symbolic read, Theo said he didn’t enjoy the book very much. And after reading it himself, Ambler thought he understood why he didn’t want to keep the book. 

He didn’t want to either.

“So you don’t know how the story ends?” Dexter asked.

“No.”

“Ah well. I was hoping someone knew. Maybe I can ask Theo?”

“I’m sure he’d be happy to answer.” Ambler said. “But why do you want to know the ending before you finish the book?”

Dexter shrugged. “I know Fleta Z says ‘spoilers’ take away the emotional impact of an ending, but I’d appreciate something like a…” He waved his hand randomly.  “A heads-up, you know what I’m saying? I want to know what I need to brace for.”

Wouldn’t that be nice, Ambler thought. A spoiler for reality he wasn’t ready for, so he can brace himself for it?

“I get your meaning.”

“Yeah,” Dexter nodded. He patted the empty spot on the berth he was sitting on. “Want to hear me read the story anyway? We can get spoilers later, and I’ll tell you if it’s a good ending if you want.”

Ambler nodded silently, joining him. He wasn’t sure about hearing the spoiler, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be spared from it either. 

Eventually he’d have to accept it. Even if it tore him apart in the end.

Dexter opened the book again, reading where he left off. 

Dexter wasn’t the most colorful narrator, but Ambler listened to him until the mechs outside announced the movie credits rolling. 

They joined the others in the inspection bay, the area with the most empty space. They transformed, docking side by side. He found himself sandwiched between Dexter and Mega Trucker. 

The lights were switched off as they wound down for the night.

In hopes for a better morning.

Chapter Text

The next week before Movie Night started, Mega Ambler discreetly pulled Buster Gallon aside. 

He handed over the schematics, hands still smudged with graphite and ink residue. 

The tablet he borrowed from him had started glitching two nights before. After displaying a solid blue screen that faded to black, the tablet never switched on again. 

He had to redo the blueprints by memory, redraw them by hand, and finalize the design in ink. 

It was barbarically primitive, but he had limited options and not a lot of time. 

He’d spent nights assembling them— referencing plans from old scanning blueprints, and reconstructing concepts adapted from organic equivalents.

The site that hosted the open-access archive of medical references had been taken down long ago. He hadn’t managed to save a lot of the medical files prior to Machina’s destruction. His copy of the documents that mattered had corrupted along with the tablet. What he would’ve done to have them here now. 

He was by no means an engineer. But hopefully his extensive research and late night readings made up for it. 

“This is what I need,” Ambler said, sliding the papers across the workbench.

Buster Gallon looked down at the papers, then up at him.

“What for?”

"Monitoring." He didn't elaborate further. 

Buster Gallon raised an optic ridge as he scanned at the components list. “I don’t have the parts for this.”

Ambler flexed his digits, willing his hands to stop shaking. His wrists were so stiff. As were his fingers. He would probably have to submerge them in oil for an hour.

“Then find them.”

It came out sharper than intended. His own voice made him flinch.

“That was uncalled for. I apologize.”

Buster Gallon was silent as his optics flitted over his posture— the slump in his shoulders, the jitter in his hands. Ambler knew what he saw. Buster Gallon didn’t point them out.

"Don't worry about it," Buster Gallon patted his shoulder reassuringly. His grip wasn’t firm, but it grounded something in Ambler’s unsteady frame. 

"I'll see what we can do."

A few days later…

“I’m back!” Mega Trucker called as he approached them, hefting a crate full of salvaged parts. “Buffalo Crush is on his way with the second load.”

He set it down heavily on the workbench, and cracked his back struts. 

“We found a pretty decent scrapyard. Black Hook and the others are still combing it.” Mega Trucker added, wiping his hands on a rag. He balled it and flung it back, landing the lump on the table behind him.

Ambler blinked. “Black Hook?”

Mega Trucker nodded. “Yeah. He and Heavy Iron are staying a little longer. I wasn’t expecting them to come, but Buster Gallon mentioned what you were trying to build. That was enough.”

At a loss for words, Ambler looked down at the crate instead, and began sorting the circuit loops and frame-stabilizers into separate piles for cleaning.

He reached for a cleaning rag that was no longer there. Then he spotted the dirtied cloth discarded carelessly behind Mega Trucker. He sighed, leaving the table to find another.

Hidden behind the piling scrap of components, Buster gallon snickered. 

"First time their rivalry benefitted us.” He was also sorting the materials on top of the makeshift workstation. Cleaned items labelled and placed aside. “They're competing to find the most useful components. Heavy Iron’s winning so far."

“You should’ve seen them,” Mega Trucker added. “Day one will always live in my head rent free.”

“I wish day one can be wiped from my head forever.” Buster Gallon said miserably. “I had to supervise and show them what we're looking for. What a dreadful experience…”

Ambler had been asleep during their first few days of scavenging. After rushing the schematics, triple-checking for errors and making adjustments to the dimensions, he allowed himself to be sealed back into the Metal Brace, too tired to make a fuss. Mega Trucker had never looked so relieved. 

In other circumstances, Ambler would’ve stayed up just to spite him.

During this time he had only been summoned briefly to administer the daily Healing Pulses, before returning inside almost immediately. As always, Jun had to wake up extra early to make a trip to Edo’s shop before heading to school on time, but the boy didn’t complain once. 

Ambler hadn’t really appreciated how far Jun had come, how much he had matured. 

Blue Cop and Wild Guardy entered the bay. 

"Buster Gallon," Blue Cop greeted. He saw the rest of them. "Mega Trucker, Mega Ambler." 

Buster Gallon glanced up. "You got what I need?"

"Not yet.” Wild Guardy said. “But Crest says it should arrive in less than a week."

"Good, that's good," Buster Gallon nodded, returning his attention back to the table. Then he groaned, fishing out an empty canister from the crate. 

“Alright, either the Capt’ is getting blinder with age, or Buffalo Crush needs some new optics.” He muttered. “Because this is not a power cell.”

While Ambler would’ve liked to check on Phoenix Fire properly before he passed out inside the brace, Dexter had assured him they’ve got it covered. Something about a timetable where they took turns looking over Phoenix during the day. 

Being a medi-bot has its perks— enhanced recovery time being one of them. After regaining his energy two nights later, he made Blue Cop add his name to the roster. 

Except Blue Cop had the audacity to assign him a partner during the shift.

“I don’t need supervision,” Ambler narrowed his optics, squinting at Mega Trucker’s designation signed next to his. “I’ve watched over Phoenix on my own before. Almost every night for the past month.”

“And that worked wonders for your insomnia, hasn’t it?” Mega Trucker’s voice called.  

“This is ridiculous,” Ambler said, ignoring him. “No one else has this.”

“Dexter does.” Blue Cop said. 

“With who?” Ambler demanded, scanning the time table again.

“Fleta Z.” 

It was true. “They don’t count.”

“Why not?”

Ambler was not having this conversation. “They don’t. And I don’t need Mega Trucker to babysit me.”

“Not negotiable.” Blue Cop said. “You’re not watching over Phoenix Fire on your own.”

“You’re power tripping, Blue Cop.”

“Maybe. But if you want to do this, you’re doing it with a partner or not at all.” 

Ambler fumed silently. He slapped a hand onto his helm. “Fine, assign me with someone else.”

“Who?” Blue Cop asked.

“Shadow X?” Mega Trucker suggested.

“No.” Ambler glared. “Buster Gallon.”

Blue Cop mulled this over. “I’ll check with him. But if he’s busy—”

“Then you’re stuck with me, pal.” Mega Trucker finished. 

“Wonderful.” Ambler said flatly.

“So what does this thing actually monitor?” Buster Gallon asked casually.

“His vitals.” Mega Ambler said, not looking up from the data pad. Buster Gallon managed to repair the tablet, but the files saved on it were gone. Not that they need it anymore. 

Originally he had planned on reading the bookmarked articles he saved earlier in the morning. He had several tabs open on the browser, but his optics were glazing over the words.

He had just delivered the second dose of Healing Pulse to Phoenix Fire. After a full month has passed, they’ve decided to up the dosage— one in the morning and another at night. 

It was incredibly draining, so Ambler sat hunched on the repair berth across where Phoenix Fire laid, waiting for the energy to return to him. Buster Gallon was tampering with the machine, making final adjustments before leaving it for the day.

The machine was almost fully assembled.

“That’s it?”

“What more do you think it should detect?”

“Well for one, I can see you've got this spot for isotope storage.” He tapped the lead-lined container on the side. “What kind of vital needs radioactive stuff to detect, Ambler?”

In all honesty, he had hoped no one would noticed that.

Unfortunately he couldn’t invent something quick enough on the spot. Buster Gallon was onto him.

“Alright, that’s it. You tell me what this is for, right now.” Buster Gallon pointed at the machine. 

“It’s a scanner.”

“That’s not the whole story.”

“...”

Buster Gallon sighed, rubbing circles on his helm. But when he looked up again, he had an unreadable expression. “Explain yourself or you won’t like what’s coming.”

“If you’re planning to knock me out,” Ambler gave him a dead look. “Blue Cop already beat you to it.”

“No, I’ll just destroy the scanner.”

“You wouldn’t.” Ambler tried to hold his voice steady. 

“Try me,” Buster Gallon said calmly. “Don’t make this difficult, Ambler.”

“I’m making this difficult? You’re threatening to wreck my scanner.” Ambler spat. “I’m not trying to hurt Phoenix.”

“Obviously not,” Buster Gallon agreed. “But something is off here. And I don’t know what’s wrong because you won’t tell me or Mega Trucker. Though, I do know it’s related to this scanner.”

Ambler exvented uneasily. Buster Gallon waited. 

“...I just need to confirm something.” Ambler said stiffly.

“Go on.”

His grip on the tablet tightened. “I need to check his processor activity.”

“...Okay.” Buster Gallon said slowly. “But doesn’t the one in your eye do that already?”

“It doesn’t log live data,” Ambler explained. “I can see structure, not activity.”

“So you’re just …checking the activity? To determine the level of consciousness? Predict recovery?”

Ambler nodded.

“You’re lying.”

Ambler twitched. Now Buster Gallon looked more certain in his claim. 

“You just gave yourself away again. If that were true, you wouldn’t have made half the fuss about keeping this a secret.” Buster Gallon had him in a corner. “So how about you really start talking?” 

When Ambler remained silent, he rubbed his head in frustration. “Ambler, please. I won’t break the scanner. But please talk to me.”

Ambler felt the beginnings of a tremor, and gripped the ledge of the berth to stop it. He shook his helm, looking at the ground. 

“I’ll promise not to tell the others?” Buster Gallon begged. “Come on, Ambler. Please. This is really worrying.”

The edges of the berth began to dent. 

“...If the scan comes back flat, then it confirms what I’ve suspected.” Ambler said quietly. “Phoenix… He would never wake up.”

Ambler exvented shakily.

“And it would be horrible to let his systems deactivate slowly one by one…” Ambler continued, putting the tablet down before he crushed it to pieces. He gripped his hand into a fist to stop it from trembling. “So I’ll have to find a way… to euthanize him.”

Buster Gallon’s vocalizer clicked uselessly. Ambler heard him reset it twice.

With shaking hands, Ambler buried his face into them. 

They lapsed into silence, with the sound of Ambler’s pained vents filling the empty repair room. He tried to keep himself under control. Buster Gallon’s footsteps came closer, and an arm wrapped around his shoulder. 

They remained silent for a little longer. 

When Buster Gallon spoke again, his voice was quiet. “And you’ve been carrying this alone for how long?”

Ambler hesitated. Rebooting his vocalizer to rid it of any static, he spoke into his hands, unable to look up. “I didn’t want to say anything uncertain. The others are upset enough.”

Buster Gallon squeezed his shoulder. “I wasn’t asking about them. I’m asking you. You have friends here, Ambler. You didn’t have to do this alone. You shouldn’t have to carry this alone.”

“...I know.” Ambler nodded, finally glancing up. And saw Mega Trucker frozen at the door.

The truck was stunned, and stuck at the entrance, a face of utter shock.

A few other expressions flashed across his face, too quickly for Ambler to see with his blurred vision. But then it settled into a fierce look.

Ambler knew instantly, with that look on Mega Trucker, it did not bode well.

The next second Mega Trucker was making a beeline for him. Ambler barely had enough time to stand. In three strides Mega Trucker had already tackled him, colliding into him roughly. Ambler wheezed as the truck squeezed him in a crushing hug, lifting him off the floor.

“Shut up.” Mega Trucker hissed into his shoulder, clutching onto him tightly. Ambler’s frame creaked ominously. “I know you haven't said anything yet but shut up.”

Numb, Ambler nodded belatedly. His vocalizer failed him.

“You’re an idiot,” Mega Trucker continued in a grumble, voice wobbly. Ambler spat static as he was squashed harder. “You’re a bloomin’ idiot. I hate you so much.”

Again, Ambler nodded. The hug loosened a little, letting him vent properly. 

They stayed like that for a while.

Ambler let his helm knock into Mega Trucker’s. A silent apology. 

Another pair of arms came around him. 

“This burden isn't just for you to bear.” Buster Gallon murmured quietly from behind.

Ambler dimmed his optics.

“Let us share the load.” 

The scanner was ready.

When Ambler entered the maintenance bay, Buster Gallon and Mega Trucker were already there. He didn’t try to kick them out. 

After setting up the device, they gathered in silence, waiting for the dark monitor to load. 

Phoenix’s unconscious frame laid on the repair berth as usual. This time hooked and connected to the machine. 

Words cannot describe how wrong it looked on him.

Phoenix Fire had always followed instructions during medical check-ups, trying his best to stay still. He doesn’t always succeed. 

Needless to say, Phoenix was the most polite patient he ever had, but also one of the most fickle. Neither of them were fans of annual antivirus updates— Phoenix didn’t like receiving them, and Ambler did not enjoy administering them to him. 

Sometimes with how much squirming Phoenix did, Ambler had often been tempted to drug him with anaesthetics. 

And it was worse when Phoenix was actually injured. No amount of casting can impede his movements. If anything, healing welds that need to be held in place would break open, mere moments after they’re applied because Phoenix forgot he wasn’t supposed to move around.

Ambler had threatened to tie him to a berth until he recovered, because the little idiot kept reopening his wounds. 

How he wished Phoenix would give a sign of movement now.

Ambler stood rigidly, keeping his face neutral. He had his arms crossed but his finger was tapping nervously. An anxious habit he thought he got rid of long ago. Mega Trucker probably noticed, and Buster Gallon would’ve heard it, but neither called him out on it. 

A thin green line stretched across the screen.

Flat.

Unmoving.

He tried to be patient. The log could still be loading. 

Buster Gallon shifted behind him, uncertainty radiating from his field.

“Let it run for a little longer.” Mega Trucker spoke for the both of them.

They continued staring at the dark screen, as it refreshed to reveal another flat line. 

And another.

He dug his digits into his arm. The pain dulled in comparison to the hollow feeling within his core. The deep grooves engraved into it burrowed further. It burned. It stung.

Ambler dimmed his optics. 

But the machine beeped once— a soft, faint noise. 

Ambler’s gaze snapped to the screen. 

A pulse blinked into place. 

Followed by another. Fluctuating. 

Ambler collapsed onto the floor, relief flooding through his frame. Buster Gallon scrambled after him with a shout of alarm. 

Immediately Mega Trucker fell to the floor with them, looking between them in panic. “Wha— what? What’s wrong? Ambler?”

Mega Trucker glanced back at the screen, checking, uncertain. Hopeful. Unsure. He turned to Ambler with a fretful look. “That’s good right? That screen—?”

Buster Gallon also frantically checked the screen again, just to be sure.

Ambler nodded quickly to reassure them, unable to speak. He didn’t trust his vocalizer.

He kept his gaze locked on the steady pulses fluctuating across the monitor, fearing they would vanish if he looked away. 

“He’s there,” Buster Gallon said for him. He squeezed Ambler’s shoulder, grounding him. “He’s still there.” 

The tight suffocating pressure in his core began to fade. Not all at once, but enough for him to finally breathe.

Unfortunately all he could do now was wait. 

A dark cloud has lifted, but it’s still pouring. 

Waiting for something to happen was agonising.

Mega Ambler left the garage that afternoon, first time without anyone dragging him out. Mega Trucker would’ve been proud. 

He found Blue Cop outside, folding paper. A table had been brought out, and two empty chairs left behind. 

Blue Cop spotted him and waved him over. A small stack of coloured sheets sat next to him.

“Anna was teaching Jun how to make origami.” Blue Cop explained, stacking the chairs and moving them out of the way. A few paper crafts— origamis were littered on the table. 

One was on the floor. Ambler picked it up, examining the intricate folds and symmetrical design. Half finished. Likely Jun’s handiwork.  

“Paper cranes.” Blue Cop continued. “There’s a story— if you fold a thousand cranes, you get a wish.”

Ambler hummed.

“I know it’s just folklore. From Japan even, not Korea.” Blue Cop held out a neatly folded crane. Ambler was rather impressed. “I thought it was fun. One a day. For sincerity. Or more if you want.”

He offered Ambler an A3 sheet. “I can show you if you like.”

Edo wasn’t exactly thrilled to find the growing litter of large paper crafts around his work space. It showed on his face but he never said a word. Both mechs tried to keep their paper cranes contained. 

Each morning, after administering Phoenix’s daily Healing Pulse, Ambler would join Blue Cop outside. 

Wordlessly, a fresh stack of colourful paper would be passed to him.

Some were plain. Some had floral patterns. Some were glossy. Some were lined with metallic foil. Some were silver and gold, like Phoenix’s flaming badge. 

Eventually they’ve mastered folding cranes, and no longer needed the video tutorial. So Blue Cop showed him another recording on how to make paper stars. Those were trickier. The paper had to be pre-cut into thinner strips, curled into shape, and slid into thin crevices from the folds. Then delicately compressed to make it ‘puff’ into a star shape.

Apparently they were also rumoured to grant wishes.

After watching the video several times, they attempted it too. Ambler used a pair of welders to tuck the ends in cleanly. He succeeded in his second attempt, albeit a little misshapen. His third looked much better.

Blue Cop squashed his paper stars for the first few attempts. He tried and failed Ambler’s surgical method. Blue Cop gave up on stars and returned to cranes.

Ambler continued doing both. 

As another month passed, paper cranes and stars piled away, stored in a flooding corner of Edo’s garage. 

Phoenix continued to sleep.

When Ambler folded his thousandth crane, he didn’t tell anyone he’d made a wish.

He wasn’t sure who or what he wished at. Maybe Deus Machina. Or perhaps some other form of higher power. But he wished earnestly, placing what little faith he had in his beliefs, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited…

Until one morning, he started folding again.

Blue Cop tried to ask him why. 

"It didn't work. It must be because you helped me fold the other half.” Ambler said. “I'm going to try again."

Ambler had never considered himself superstitious, and perhaps that was the problem. He didn’t put enough belief in his wish. He wasn’t earnest enough.

“I only did less of a quarter of yours, I don't think—"

“I know you’re trying to help,” Ambler interrupted gently, but firmly. “But let me try this. Please.”

After a moment of silence, Blue Cop nodded and stepped away.

At first he made two hundred more. But he got worried and his hands did another hundred.

Then five hundred.

Sometimes Blue Cop joined him at the table, attempting the little stars again. Although Ambler was focusing soley on making the cranes, he made sure to keep their crafts separate. 

At some point he moved his craft station inside, nearer Phoenix Fire, at the deepest section of the repair centre. He wasn’t sure if it did anything.

Blue Cop didn’t join him as much now.

Ambler didn’t stop folding until he was sure over half of his new cranes were his own. 

And to be safe he made it to a thousand.

Then just a few hundred more.

Finally… he made another wish. He wished long and hard. He prayed someone heard his pleas, if not his wish.

Surely his efforts meant something.

Briefly he wondered if he should make another thousand more. Perhaps he could wish for this wish to be granted sooner.

Behind him, Phoenix's digit twitched, but it went unnoticed.

Day One of Dumpster(site) Diving for Scanner Components...

“Is this a power cell?” Buffalo Crush held up another empty metal cylinder for him to see.

“No, that's a canister,” Buster Gallon said in a dead voice.

Buffalo Crush picked up something else. “And this?”

“No!” Buster Gallon cried. Then he saw what Buffalo Crush was holding. “But put it there!”

Buffalo Crush’s optics glinted, spotting something. He held it up. “Is this a power cell?”

“THAT’S THE SAME CANISTER!!”

Chapter Text

Mega Trucker picked up another stray paper crane from the floor. 

“You said it would help him.” 

“I read one article,” Blue Cop stressed. “They said origami helps with relaxing.”

“Well he's stressing himself out over these stupid cranes, what do we do now?” Mega Trucker muttered gruffly. 

He placed the crane on a shelf, along with the rest he found across the garage. “I think we should confiscate the paper. Or hide them.”

Blue Cop shook his helm. “I can't bring myself to. They’re…his lifeline at this point. It’s not about the paper anymore.”

“He’s not okay.” Mega Trucker huffed, pointing deeper into the garage where Ambler rotted away inside. “He’s turning it into a full time occupation.”

“I know,” Blue Cop said. “Letting this fester into an obsession is not sustainable.”

“It’s already an obsession.” Mega Trucker grumbled. “...Should we burn the cranes?”

“No.” Blue Cop snapped to his head towards him, horrified. “Absolutely not.”

“Then what?”

“We need to divert his attention elsewhere,” Blue Cop rubbed his chin. “Something unrelated to Phoenix Fire. Something that can’t circle back to him. That way we’re truly taking his mind off of him.”

“That makes sense…” Mega Trucker nodded. He snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it.”

Blue Cop eyed him warily. 

“Get the gang together, Blue Cop.” Mega Trucker began ominously, cracking his knuckles. “It’s time we do things my way.” 

“We have been doing things your way.” Blue Cop reminded him.

“Then we need to take things up a notch.”

“I feel concerned.”

“Don’t be.” Mega Trucker reassured, slapping a heavy palm onto his shoulder, squeezing roughly. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”

Blue Cop did not feel reassured.

“Right, up you get.” Mega Trucker posed himself behind Ambler. 

“What do you want now?” Mega Ambler held off the annoyance in his voice. “I fuelled already.”

Having just delivered a heavy dose of Healing Pulse to Phoenix Fire, he was one step away from collapsing. But he was determined to give him a second dose, once he found the energy to.

Then finally he could give a third dose, before Jun sealed them in for the night.

“No, I'm not here to drag you out for fuel,” Mega Trucker circled round to face him, pointing a finger between his optics. “I'm your medic now.”

Ambler thought he misheard. 

“ You're my medic.” He repeated. 

“Damn right,” Mega Trucker nodded, fully serious. “I'm diagnosing you.”

“You are?” Ambler repeated flatly. 

“Yes,” Mega Trucker said. “I diagnose you with Movie Night.”

“I think you mean prescribe.”

“Same difference, Ambler.” Mega Trucker dismissed. “So are you walking or am I carrying you bridal style?”

“I'll walk,” Ambler relented, unwilling to have a repeat of yesterday. 

When Mega Ambler got ushered into the main repair bay, he saw the sky outside. 

“It's still afternoon,” He realized aloud. Checking his chronometer, he turned to Mega Trucker with a puzzled look. “Three o'clock is not night time.”

“Shut up and sit down, will ya.” Mega Trucker lowered himself next to Buffalo Crush, leaving the spot empty beside Blue Cop. Ambler settled between them. 

His chrono also read Wednesday.

“So which movie won the poll?” Shadow X poked his head around Blue Cop, looking at Mega Trucker. 

Today’s movie group consisted of its usual suspects— Shadow X, Blue Cop, Mega Trucker and Buffalo Crush.  

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” 

Shadow X blanched. “What? Did Lilo and Stitch lose again? How do they keep losing?”

He flopped to the floor dramatically. “Who nominated this movie? It's boring old princesses.”

“I did.” Blue Cop said a little stiffly.

“Well in that case, I take everything back. Princesses are cool.” Shadow X backtracked quickly. “Awesome choice.”

Halfway through the movie, Shadow X sprung up and stood in front of the group, blocking the screen. 

“Guys, guys, hear me out—” Shadow X began, but paused too long for effect. “What if— get this, Snow White and the Seven Cardbots?”

“There's twelve of us.” Buffalo Crush pointed out. “I counted.”

“But not all of us fit those seven names, yeah? Personality wise.” 

“Right.” Mega Trucker said. “So who's who?”

“Ok ok,” Shadow X began excitedly. “Jun can be Snow White. Ambler is obviously Doc, because, Doc. And you can be Grumpy.”

“Why am I Grumpy?” Mega Trucker complained. 

Shadow X snickered. “You wanna be Dopey?”

“No, you're Dopey.” Mega Trucker sneered.

“No Grumpy, I'm Happy.”

“Who's Sleepy then?” Buffalo Crush asked. 

Phoenix Fire. Mega Ambler thought humourlessly. 

Shadow X paused, then shook his helm. “No one, because you're Hungry.”

“What?” Mega Trucker huffed incredulously. “Why does he get a name change?” 

“Because he's nicer to me than you are,” Shadow X told him. He turned to Blue Cop. “I was gonna say you're Doc since you're the leader, but Ambler got dibs okay? Doctor privileges.”

“It's fine, Shadow X.”

“But I'll make it up to you. You can be…” Shadow X trailed off. “Wait, so who's the last one again? Doc, Grumpy, Dopey, Hungry, Sneezy, Happy and who?”

“Bashful.” Blue Cop supplied. 

“You can be Bashful.”

Blue Cop sighed. “Thank you, Shadow X.”

“No problemo. And if you change your mind, Sneezy is still up for grabs.” Shadow X winked. “ Or we can change your name to Bluey.”

The short interruption meant they had to rewind the movie. 

Unfortunately they ran into a tiny problem with the playback— a controller was rather difficult to operate, when your fingers were thicker than the device itself, and the buttons even smaller.

The movie group continued sitting on the floor as Mega Trucker fiddled with the remote, trying and failing to rewind to where they were watching.

“How— and I mean how did humans evolve to make things like this but not have a slider for playback?” Shadow X bemoaned. Then he shot up from his spot. “Stop! You just missed it!”

“Alright, calm down,” Mega Trucker gritted, rewinding back (too much) again. “I'm trying my best.”

“Well your best ain't good enough!”

Mega Trucker spun to face him, waving the remote dangerously. “You try this with big fat fingers!”

“So you do know you're fat!”

“Shadow X,” Blue Cop said warningly. 

Mega Trucker focused back on the display.

“...Just messin’ with him, that's all.” Shadow X mumbled, sitting back down. But when Blue Cop’s glare softened, Shadow X cupped his hands in front of his mask and called, “Hurry up, will ya!”

Mega Trucker growled, but it was unclear who he was growling at. “ Who designed this nightmare ?!”

Ambler stood. “Let me try.” 

Mega Trucker turned around with a look of defeat, handing him the remote. 

But instead of messing with the awful interface and tiny buttons, he left the controller on a nearby desk. From his wrist, he pooled out his medical cord and connected it to the display monitor. 

He transferred his custom interface into a temporary folder and installed his controls, mirroring the screen with his HUD. When the files loaded, he paused the video, inserted the exact timestamp, and brought them back to the very moment Shadow X blocked the screen.

Satisfied, he hit play and removed the folder. Unplugging from the monitor, he turned around to find four blank faces staring at him.

After a moment of silence, Buffalo Crush started clapping vigorously.

Blue Cop blinked. “Wow.”

“No way— did you just hack into the TV with your cable ?” Shadow X breathed, optics round with awe.

“That's freaky.” Mega Trucker pointed, impressed and horrified. “Didn't know you're into that, Ambler.”

“You're welcome.” Ambler said to him instead, returning to his seat on the floor. 

Although they missed the scene again, the rest of the movie played smoothly without further incident.

Mega Ambler knew of the growing litter of cats and kittens as Dexter continued to collect in various strays. Usually they'd surround him on the floor or trail after the excavator like a walking carpet, following his pedes with each step, so they often stayed at the yard outside with him. 

Initially the other bots had worried about stepping on the little creatures and crushing them if they weren’t careful. Fortunately, most strays bolted at the sight of mechs other than Dexter and Phoenix. It turned out to be an unfounded worry. Besides, Dexter always stayed at a certain spot within the yard during feeding time, so most loitering felines would stick to that area. 

Until today, when a cat appeared inside the garage without warning. 

Mega Ambler wasn’t sure when it had slipped in. Its soft paws cushioned its steps, and it wasn’t until Mega Ambler thought someone was watching him that he glanced down, to see not Jun the human but a calico staring into his soul. 

He recognized its tricolor coat, with its patches of white, black and orange. His HUD confirmed it was indeed a calico.

It looked familiar. 

And it was stationed really close to his pedes. 

Now the worry wasn’t so unfounded. He held himself still, hoping the feline would leave on its own, lest he stepped on it if she moved at the same time. 

Except the cat stayed and sniffed at his pedes. Then, with surprising boldness, swatted at him. A faint pin-prick sensation from its tiny claws.

Mega Ambler tilted his helm. "You're a brave one aren't you?"

The calico bolted. 

Ambler watched as the cat ran towards a shelving unit near the wall, disappearing under it.

Moments later, an excavator on all fours entered the bay as well.

" Calliope! " Dexter's voice shout-whispered, peeking under crevices and gaps. 

"Have you lost your cat?"

"Kind of," Dexter replied quietly, shining his headlights under another shelf. "She's more like Phoenix's since she favours him."

"Want some help?" Ambler asked, crouching already. 

"Yes please," Dexter breathed. "But this one is really skittish. Hates loud noises. And strangers…”

“Alright.” Ambler murmured. He lowered himself to the floor, and angled his optic beneath the shelving unit where Calliope disappeared under.

She wasn't there.

Teleportation? Ambler wondered briefly. Stranger things had happened.

He turned his helm and spotted her under the next shelf though. A narrower gap this time.

He straightened and waved Dexter over.

"Oh no." Dexter groaned quietly when he saw the cat for himself. "She won't come out until she feels like it, and our hands don't fit."

"Can you lure her out with food?"

"I can't, but Phoenix can." Dexter said remorsefully.

Ambler eyed the various large scale machines stored around the bay. "Would it be dangerous to leave her here?"

"It can be," Dexter murmured, still staring longingly under the shelf. "I just don't want anything to happen to her."

"Should we get Edo?" Ambler suggested. 

"...Maybe as the last resort." Dexter said quietly. “Let’s try food first.”

Dexter hurried off, leaving Ambler with the calico. 

He crouched down to stare at her. Calliope stared back. 

It probably wouldn’t work but he beckoned the little cat with his finger, wiggling at it. 

Calliope inched closer to sniff at it, before becoming disinterested, looking away. 

Ambler slowly retracted his finger, and by some miracle she came after it. 

When Dexter returned with an open packet and a can of tuna (possibly for further bribery), Ambler found himself cradling Calliope in the palm of his hand. 

Dexter looked relieved, but also rather dejected, like he was betrayed. Not too far from the truth.

“At least she’s not under the shelf anymore…maybe she can smell his scent on you.”

“His?”

“Phoenix Fire,” Dexter clarified. “I’ve never seen her approach someone unfamiliar on her own. I think she smells him on you.”

Ambler looked down at the tiny creature loafing in his palm. A small and warm weight, vibrating faintly like it had an engine of its own.

If the calico had mistaken his presence for Phoenix’s, that meant Mega Trucker might be right about him staying in there too much. 

Not that he’d ever admit it aloud. 

“Here,” Ambler offered, trying to return the cat. But as he pushed his hands towards Dexter, Calliope leaped, scaling up his forearm, before finally settling onto his shoulder. 

The second attempt to remove Calliope landed her on his head.

“I don’t think she wants to stay with me.” Dexter sighed, dropping his hands. “She likes to play favourites.”

Calliope purred as if she agreed. 

Jun, Anna and Fleta Z were doing dream interpretations. The others listened in with various levels of attention and interest.

“If you dreamt about your teeth falling out,” Anna read from her phone, with the screen mirrored on the display TV for everyone else. “It symbolizes feelings of loss and lack of control, or fear of change.”

Jun scratched his head. “Huh. I guess it makes sense now, I have that dream a lot before tests. Especially for math papers.”

“And the maths paper is tomorrow.” Anna said. “Did you revise, Jun?”

Jun scratched his head harder, laughing nervously. “I will…tonight!”

Anna didn’t look impressed.

“I’m sorry you dreamt of that last night,” Fleta Z said. “It must’ve been terrifying.”

“It was! But I’m fine now.” Jun reassured him with a bright smile, his impending doom forgotten. “Have you guys dreamt of something similar? Since you guys don’t have teeth.”

“I don’t think so…” Shadow X said. “But I sometimes dream that I could fly.”

“But you can fly.” Mega Trucker reminded him.

“I mean without my propellers!” Shadow X added hastily. “Like floating!”

Anna opened a new tab on her browser. “Flying is actually a really common dream! Here it says flying symbolizes freedom, liberation, and overcoming obstacles in your waking life.”

“...Or a desire to break free from limitations, achieve personal growth, or gain a new perspective.” Fleta Z finished, reading from the screen.

“I dream of food and fuel back on Machina.” Buffalo Crush said longingly. 

“Who would’ve guessed.” Buster Gallon sighed. “I wonder why.”

“Eating in a dream symbolizes nourishment, a call to your inner strength for guidance, protection, and encouragement.” Anna supplied.

“I might be wrong, but I think we may be reading a little too much into that.” Buster Gallon pointed out.

Buffalo Crush nodded. 

“What about you, Blue Cop?” Jun asked. “What do you dream about?”

“...I used to dream about falling.” Blue Cop admitted. 

Mega Ambler subtly sat up straighter, listening intently now. He had placed himself at the far end of the room, where he used to people-watch without attracting attention from others. 

He had recurring dreams of falling. Though he hadn’t looked into dream interpretation to resolve it.

“Dreams about falling are quite common too,” Anna said. She read off the screen again. “Loss of control, fear, anxiety or insecurity. It can be a sign of feeling overwhelmed.”

“Is there a different interpretation?” Ambler asked.

Eyes and optics turned to look at him, like they were surprised he spoke. Suddenly Ambler felt as if he should’ve stayed silent.

But deep down he knew he had been growing distant, so the reaction was far from unjustified.

“Yes there is,” Anna said, looking down at her phone again, regaining everyone’s attention. “Dream interpretations depend on the context and your personal feelings. This other blog says it can indicate a sense of helplessness or inadequacy. Do you remember where or what you were falling from or falling into? There are a few pages about falling into water or from a high height.”

“I don’t remember.” Ambler lied, unwilling to elaborate further. He saw Mega Trucker giving him a worried look, which he ignored.

“That’s okay!” Anna said warmly anyway. “Did you know that the feeling of falling when you fall asleep or when you wake up is actually related to your muscles? It’s like a sudden, involuntary muscle twitch, but I don’t remember what it’s called…”

“Are you referring to the hypnic jerk ?” Ambler read off from the minimized browser on his HUD. “It seems to match your description.”

Cardbots lacked muscles, but he supposed a close match could be an involuntary reset of joint gyros within their limbs. It wasn’t impossible.

Anna did a quick search of her own. She looked up again. “Yes, I think so!”  

Ambler nodded, crossing his arms. He blended back into the sanctuary of his corner as someone else asked for another dream interpretation.

The morning after he delivered the first dose of the healing pose, Dexter caught him outside, inviting him to meet the rest of the cats. 

He knew Mega Trucker had been involved in some sort of scheme to get him out of the garage as much as possible. He suspected that everyone was in on it. 

Yesterday Blue Cop and Shadow X dragged him out for a short patrol when usually they’d let him skip it. 

Fleta Z invited him and the others for a flute demonstration, followed by archery, that turned into a tutorial lesson where everyone had a go, even himself. 

Buffalo Crush and Buster Gallon somehow managed to convince both him and Black Hook for a ride in the sky. Though it counted more as floating high above the garage, since he was unwilling to stray too far in case of emergencies. Black Hook's patience lasted around ten minutes, agitated that they weren't doing any actual flying.

It was… a unique experience.

He knew he didn’t owe anyone his participation. He could reject each and every advance and invitation. But he was also aware how destructive it was to linger inside, to fold his life away into countless cranes. 

It was hard to stop, but more difficult to continue when he couldn’t even lay a finger on the paper.

Ambler knew they were helping him. He knew he needed it too. 

He may lack a viable license, but his medical degree was undeniably solid. (Tuition fees paid off with money he scammed long and hard for.) Isolation was not a solution to his problems.

Ambler accepted the offer.

“As you already know, the calico on your head is Calliope.” Dexter eyed the cat loafing up there. His shoulders were occupied by two cats each, and more strays littered at his pedes. 

“As in the Greek Muse?” The moment Calliope spotted him, she claimed his head as her throne, and hissed at any other cats coming too close. Ambler (and Calliope) allowed the curious ones on the ground to sniff at his fingers. Instead of hugging his knees to his chest like Dexter, he had adopted a lazy slouch. 

“I think so, I actually just heard the name in passing,” Dexter said, wiggling a digit playfully at the kitten, tempting it to swipe at him. “Anna was talking about Greek Mythology with Fleta Z a while back.”

“You know what she was the muse of?” Ambler asked.

“I… don’t, actually.” Dexter admitted. “I just thought it was fitting, since she’s a calico, and Calliope sounded similar.”

“Epic poetry.” Ambler supplied, eyeing the massive collection of calicos at their pedes. No wonder Calliope looked familiar. If it weren’t for the way Calliope always bolted towards him, aiming for his head, he wouldn’t have recognized her from the sea of replicates. “Any more Greek names in here then?”

“Not really.”

“You mentioned Phoenix naming one of your strays?” Ambler prodded the head of a ginger tabby, before gently stroking his finger down its back. 

“You’re petting him.” Dexter nodded towards it. “Amber.”

“Amber because he’s yellow?”

“Maybe?” Dexter phrased it like a question but he didn't sound unsure.

Ambler hummed. He didn’t press for it.

His HUD highlighted the various strays with their respective breeds and coat names as they walked across his peripheral vision— several calicos with their tricolor coat of white, black and orange patches; a few “torties” and their distinctive chaos of interwoven black, brown and orange; alongside the assortment of tabbies with orange or black stripes. 

A shorthair with black fur and a white underbelly pawed at Dexter’s pedes. 

“Don’t tell Edo, but this little guy is new.” Dexter whispered. He glanced to the far left, where Edo was talking to Jun. “If anyone asks, he’s been here all along.”

It may be obvious that the new addition was the only bicolor (black and white) in this growing herd of strays (of mostly ginger and black), but if someone needed some convincing (gaslighting), he would be happy to help. 

“I didn’t see anything.” Ambler replied smoothly.

Dexter’s optics glinted. “You wanna name him?”

“I’m not very good at naming things,” Ambler shook his head. Calliope protested at the jostle with a hiss, claws digging into his helm. Ambler winced a little, gently prying her off and nudging her into his palm instead, petting her apologetically. “Or cats for that matter.”

“Funny, that’s what Phoenix said too.” Dexter said. “Take your time, I’m sure one will come to you.”

“Alright, maybe I’ll borrow this naming logic,” Ambler murmured, despite seeing no pattern on how Phoenix or Dexter named their strays. “Calliope the calico. Amber the ginger tabby. Cabbage the other calico. Toffee the tortie. Smokey the grey coat. Snowy the black coat.” 

Ambler sighed. “Did you two name him for the irony?”

“Yes.” 

“You’ll give the poor thing an identity crisis.”

“I won’t show him a mirror.” Dexter laughed quietly, covering his mask. A habit he picked up from Anna or Jun. “He doesn’t need to know.” 

“What should I name you then?” Ambler asked the bicolor when it pawed at him. Calliope hissed at him when she saw. The bicolor backed off with dignity. 

Dexter welcomed the bicolor into his palms instead. “Whatever you need it to be.”

Chapter Text

“You again.” Mega Ambler murmured as Calliope manifested near his pedes, catching him before he registered the second dose to Phoenix Fire.

After a brief stare down where neither moved, he caved first, crouching to the ground, holding out his hand. Without hesitation, Calliope leaped into his palm and settled down with a contented purr. 

“You’re breaking Dexter’s heart, you know.” Ambler told her, straightening. “Though ours is called a core.”

Calliope licked her paw, uncaring.

“I’m not Phoenix Fire.” Ambler continued. ”He has two optics. I have one.”

Calliope wrinkled her nose. 

“He's red and black. I'm red and green. Mostly white. I don't believe we look similar?”

Calliope kneaded at his palm. 

“Are you perhaps colorblind?”

A quick browse informed him that cats were not completely colorblind. Rather, they had dichromatic vision, a lesser range than humans and their trichromatic vision. He supposed it could explain why Calliope mistook him for Phoenix, other than his scent.

Despite the calico showing no sign of listening or interest, he found himself elaborating further. “I'm an ambulance. Not a firetruck.” 

He lifted her to his shoulders to free his hands. She opted for his head, perching there with enviable balance.

“Not sure if you can tell the difference. You're very small.”

Calliope batted his helm. 

“I apologise. It was not meant to offend.”

Something stirred within his core as Calliope purred on top of his head, the miniature engine rumbling away, sending faint vibrations.  He felt compelled to bring her to Phoenix. 

“Perhaps this will clear up any confusion…” 

They strolled deeper into the garage where Phoenix Fire laid. He found Mega Trucker fallen asleep sideways, half sat up in an awkward slouch. It looked far from comfortable. Yet, the truck snored like a chainsaw.

With a quiet sigh, he left Calliope on a desk as he maneuvered the sleeping truck onto the spare repair berth close by. With grunts of excretion, Ambler heaved the heavy limbs onto the platform, while Mega Trucker stirred with an incoherent grumble, before slipping back into deep recharge, snoring even louder. 

He turned to retrieve Calliope, only to find her sitting on Phoenix’s chassis. 

Ambler approached them quietly. Calliope’s head turned to glance at him, and back at Phoenix. 

“You see,” Ambler gestured. “I’m not him.”

Ambler lowered down to the repair berth, looking at Phoenix as well. 

Two months have passed. Little progress had been made. 

Mega Trucker and Buster Gallon told him to have faith, have patience, and persevere— when really it was only a matter of infinite hope. 

Soft paws landed on his thighs, so he looked down at Calliope kneading him again.

Perhaps she never mistook him for Phoenix.  

Ambler reached to pet her, but Calliope took that as an invitation instead, and jumped onto the back of his hand, darting upwards. Scaling up his arm, she loafed on his shoulder, nuzzling into him with a rumbling purr.

His core warmed a little more. 

With a renewed sense of tenacity, Ambler braced his hands over Phoenix’s broad chest, preparing for the second dose of their daily Healing Pulse. “We'll get him back.”

Penguin Lessons. 

That was the film that won the movie poll. Black Hook had been the one to nominate it. Yet ironically the pirate was a no-show— his whereabouts unknown. 

Shadow X had been very determined to put on Lilo and Stitch instead, but Buffalo Crush wanted to watch the penguin movie, and so did Dexter and Fleta Z. A quick re-voting took place, and Shadow X was once again, denied his movie. 

“We’ll put it on next time, no voting needed.” Blue Cop soothed him as Shadow X crossed his arms with a small huff.  

“You’re spoiling the lil’ brat...” Mega Trucker warned, shaking his head. Shadow X mimicked him mockingly, while Blue Cop denied nothing. 

It was interesting how they were still calling their afternoon film sessions “movie nights”, though Ambler doesn’t comment on it. 

The movie depicted a penguin essentially waddling into the life of a teacher, who unwillingly adopted said penguin after rescuing it from an oil spill. The protagonist ends up smuggling the penguin across borders and bringing it home with him, even into the classrooms he taught in. The penguin integrated itself into the school community, gaining popularity quickly as the school mascot. 

Despite their extraordinary time together, their friendship did not last. 

The film was meaningful, but the ending left a bitter buzz within his core.

Ambler retreated into the deeper end of the repair shop with Dexter, whom Blue Cop assigned as his monitoring buddy for the next two hours. They picked up where they left off with the Skellig.

A few nights prior, during their last monitoring session together, Dexter told him that Theo urged them both to finish the novel instead, and avoid spoilers. He promised the ending would be worth reading. 

Though halfway through the current chapter, Dexter paused, sighing heavily. He closed the book, staring at the floor. 

Ambler glanced at him questioningly. 

“Sorry… I don’t think I’m in the right headspace for this right now.” Dexter admitted, putting the book down.

The chapter they were going through was rather bleak. But Ambler thought he could see where the author was going now. Things were improving. It was hard to see at first, when his own gloom tainted his interpretations.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Ambler asked. 

Dexter remained silent for a while. 

“I’m here.” Ambler told him. “As a medic, or as a friend.”

Dexter glanced at him with a hesitant look. “I know you’re already…carrying a lot.”

Ambler sat a little straighter. “As a medic, I care about your wellbeing.”

“And as a friend, I care about yours.” Dexter said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea….” 

Ambler said nothing for a moment. “Do you have someone else you can talk to?”

Dexter shrugged, optics still fixed on his knees. “...There’s Fleta Z, and he’s really kind and always listened. But we’re not as close. I used to tell Phoenix everything. Now…”

Dexter trailed off, and Ambler didn’t push for it. 

During their time together Ambler realized Dexter didn’t really look at Phoenix Fire. Although Dexter was facing towards him the whole time, his optics never lingered long on the fire truck's frame. He always looked at something else, like the page he was on, the cover of the closed book, the far wall, or at Ambler himself. And when his optics did come close to Phoenix, Ambler could tell he wasn’t looking anywhere near his face. He filed that detail away in his processor. 

“...Do you think he can hear us?” Dexter murmured, still looking anywhere but at Phoenix Fire.

“I don’t know.” Ambler admitted honestly. “But I hope so.”

The bicolor still needed a name. When he mentioned this off-handedly to Mega Trucker, the news floated to Blue Cop, which was overheard by Shadow X, who happened to be behind him. The chopper relayed such information to an uninterested Heavy Iron, who was parked in close vicinity near the Black Crew. Then Buffalo Crush told Wild Guardy, who passed that to Crest as well. Of course, this was mentioned to Jun, Anna, and Theo, whom Crest thought were already aware. When Anna asked, Fleta Z apparently knew about this a while back, but was told the naming honour was reserved for Ambler instead. 

Suddenly the entire garage and beyond knew about the nameless bicolor, except Edo. (And  hopefully it stays that way.)

So it was only natural that the others wanted to name the bicolor too, in exchange for their silence.

Democracy demanded a discrete voting poll when Edo left the garage to meet his client. Ambler agreed to it, being partially to blame for the news spreading like a wildfire. 

Blue Cop pulled out a blank whiteboard.

“Rules,” Blue Cop began. “You can vote for all the names you want, but you can’t vote for your own submission.” 

Everyone nodded their agreement. 

“Dexter has the right to remove any inappropriate names.” Blue Cop added, looking at Shadow X. The chopper gave him an innocent look. 

“Any names?”

“Penguin!” Buffalo Crush suggested eagerly. “In honour of Penguin Lessons.”

Blue Cop wrote that down, pinching the small marker between his fingers.

“I don’t think the penguin was called Penguin,” Buster Gallon mused. “But it fits. Black and white.”

Penguin gained a pretty popular vote of five. 

Hearing Penguin, Shadow X had an idea.

“Cow.” He announced proudly. Blue Cop hesitantly scribbled it down.

“Disqualified.” Dexter said quickly, coming up to the board to wipe the characters away.

“What? Why?” Shadow X exclaimed incredulously. “It’s a good name! It’s a cute name!”

“I’m not letting you name my cat Cow,” Dexter said. “You’ll give him an identity crisis.”

“And Penguin won't?” Shadow X huffed. 

“At least penguins have a white belly, like the bicolor.” Mega Ambler reasoned for him.

“Oreo.” Jun said, raising his hand. Blue Cop wrote that down, alongside Tuxedo for himself. 

Oreo got two votes. Three for Tuxedo.

“Oh, and mom wants to submit the name Patches,” Jun added. 

Shadow X clutched his head. “What part of that cat has patches? Disqualified!”

Dexter didn’t disqualify it. “It’s from Jun’s mom.”

“That’s your reasoning?!”

Two votes.

“May I propose Apollo?” Fleta Z piped up. “To match with Calliope.”

Three votes. From Ambler, Dexter, and Anna. 

“Cattle.” Shadow X hissed at Dexter challengingly. To his credit, he didn’t disqualify this one.

One vote from Blue Cop. Mega Trucker followed suit, after an unsubtle nudge from him.

“Can I add Gentlemen?” Anna asked. “Or Gentlecat?”

Blue Cop nodded.

“Think I can override the vote and name the bicolor Gentlemen?” Mega Ambler glanced at Dexter. But before Dexter could reply, Shadow X spluttered dramatically.

“Nuh-uh! If I can’t suggest Cow, what gives you the right to skip the voting altogether?” Shadow X cried. “What democracy is this?!”

“Not a fair one.” Mega Ambler hummed.

“We’ll vote as normal,” Blue Cop spoke up, smoothing his palm over the chopper’s head. “Behave.”

“I’ll show you behave when Cow is on the board.” Shadow X muttered darkly. Despite the wording and unconventional phrasing, it made for an efficient threat. 

“Alright, I was being mean earlier,” Dexter relented placatingly. Cow was now written wobbly across the board. Blue Cop’s handwriting turns out to be, unsurprisingly, unrivalled. “How many votes for Cow?”

Two votes. Blue Cop and Mega Ambler. 

“How many for Gentlecat?”

Three.

“And Gentlemen?”

Five. 

Now tied with Penguin, Mega Ambler gave Mega Trucker a meaningful look.

The truck raised his hand. 

“Can I add a back-vote for Tuxedo?” He asked while maintaining eye contact with Ambler, which changed absolutely nothing.

“I’ll add my vote for Gentlemen.” Fleta Z said, like the gentlemech he was, cementing the final, chosen name. 

“And we have a winner— Gentlemen!” Dexter cheerfully boosted Gentlemen to the air on his palms. The bicolor soaked up the attention from everyone involved, right as the doors for the repair bay slid away, emitting Edo returning to the garage.

It started with a hum.

A faint vibration strung through the Metal Brace, threading across their shared connection. 

Mega Ambler paused in his actions, optics unfocusing. 

His core thrummed, uncertain. But the feeling was unmistakable. He glanced up, looking at Buster Gallon. 

“You felt it too.” 

Buster Gallon nodded.

They were assembling Buster Gallon’s latest blueprint. The leftover materials from the scanner gave Buster Gallon ideas— to build some enhanced form of efficient energy storage. Ambler straightened away from the workbench.

“I’m checking on him.” Ambler said, turning away. Buster Gallon doesn't stop him. He followed him deeper into the garage.

It was Blue Cop’s shift today. Mega Trucker and Shadow X were already there.

Blue Cop turned when he heard them come in. “He’s present again. In the link. You felt it too?”

“Yeah.” Buster Gallon confirmed. “What changed?”

Mega Ambler didn’t waste time pondering. He hooked Phoenix up to the scanner. He unspooled his medical cord and plugged in. 

The readings from the scan and his medical report weren’t very different from before.

“Nothing…” Ambler murmured. He refreshed the scanner and reset the diagnostic. “I’m checking again.”

The readings didn’t differ much either this time.

“I don’t understand…” Ambler muttered to himself. “Nothing in his systems indicates a significant change. He’s still unconscious.”

“Maybe this is a sign your Healing Pulses are working?” Buster Gallon offered. “The fact that we can feel him is a good thing right? Does that mean he’s coming back soon?”

“I don’t know.” Ambler answered, staring at Phoenix’s slack face. 

Everyone was silent. Then Blue Cop shifted, clearing his intake.

“I had a theory,” Blue Cop began carefully. 

Slowly, Ambler turned to consider him. “You had a theory?”

“A suspicion,” Blue Cop amended. “About the Metal Brace.”

Ambler said nothing, waiting for him to continue. 

Blue Cop exvented. “Total Stasis. Have you heard of it?”

“A long term and irreversible suspension of a core.” Mega Ambler said, growing uncomfortable.

“But not termination.” Blue Cop nodded, expression grave. “This treatment is reserved for high risk prisoners that were off the records. For maximum security.”

“Off the records?” Buster Gallon echoed.

“The protocol erases the prisoner’s presence for indefinite containment. The system seals them into cards and blocks any inflow or outflow of energy, so core signatures can’t be detected. In a way, they’re buried so deep that no one can ever find them again.” Blue Cop explained. “It was a way to store without destroying.”

“Where are you going with this?” Mega Ambler shifted uneasily, crossing his arms.

“There aren’t a lot of records for this, but it was said that bonds or core connections created prior to imprisonment will not be nullified, nor muffled. The bond still exists, but it would feel like it’s gone.” 

“...Because the prisoner won’t be released.” Buster Gallon finished.

“Total Stasis is permanent.” Blue Cop confirmed. “It mimics termination without actually going through with it. So I theorize something similar must’ve happened with Phoenix within the brace. His signal was blocked from us.”

“But Phoenix Fire wasn’t a prisoner sealed as a card,” Ambler murmured, confused. “And Jun was still able to summon him out.”

“That’s why I said similar," Blue Cop said. “I don’t fully understand the mechanisms of the Metal Brace.”

“And you didn’t think to share this with us?” Ambler tried to keep the edge out of his voice. “If Total Stasis was really what happened, then Phoenix would be—”

“He didn’t want to raise any false alarms.” Mega Trucker interrupted from the side. “It was just a theory.”

Ambler’s gaze snapped to him. “You knew about this?”

Mega Trucker grunted. “I made him promise not to tell you.”

“You—” Ambler’s intakes caught. He narrowed his gaze, glaring at both of them. “Unbelievable.”

“The Metal Brace is a mystery, Blue Cop knows as much as we do, which isn’t a lot.” Mega Trucker said, to which Ambler scoffed scornfully. 

“Really? I don’t think anyone else here knows about Total Stasis being in the Brace.” 

“I don’t think it is.” Blue Cop admitted. “But what happened to Phoenix Fire might be a similar system to it.”

“But why?” Ambler demanded, not to anyone in particular. “Why would the brace block the energy flow? Why hide Phoenix from us? It makes no sense— we could’ve synced our cores and quicken his healing...”

Blue Cop remained silent with a hesitant look, and Ambler’s gaze grew harsher. “Do you have another theory, Blue Cop?”

“Don’t antagonize him.” Mega Trucker warned. Ambler kept his gaze locked on Blue Cop, who had the decency to look apologetic.

“I’m not sure, but perhaps the brace detected the damage Phoenix Fire sustained from battle, and the brace defaulted to a failsafe…to protect us.”

Ambler wanted to shake him. “What failsafe?” 

“Being in the brace automatically links our energies together. It’s when our cores are most in tune. We feel more being inside the brace. We can sense each other more vividly, because our processors are more in sync. The bond is felt deepest while we’re all inside. Maybe the brace knew Phoenix’s core would drain us all to heal him… so it set up a firewall between us, like Total Stasis.”

“But we can feel him again. Care to elaborate?”

“Ambler…” Mega Trucker began, and Ambler stared him down, before glaring back at Blue Cop. 

“I don’t know what changed either. And we don’t know if Total Stasis was really what happened. There’s too many things that don’t match.”

“But don’t you think it was enough to raise this concern with me? The medic?” 

“You were falling apart.” Mega Trucker said bluntly. 

“You kept me in the dark!” Ambler almost snarled. 

“Look at you right now,” Mega Trucker shot back, frame tense. “I can’t let a suspicion spiral you further!”

“You don’t get to decide for me what I should and shouldn’t know.”

“I didn’t want to!” Mega Trucker’s voice rose. “But you weren’t recharging, you weren’t fuelling, you were barely functioning! What was I supposed to do— watch you rip yourself apart over a stupid theory?”

“Not when this theory involves Phoenix never waking up!”

“Guys— can we please… please stop fighting….” Shadow X said from across the room, voice wobbly, optics wide. At some point he had backed himself to the wall, holding on to support himself. 

Blue Cop’s shoulders slumped, reaching over to Shadow X, who peeled himself off the wall. Mega Trucker shuffled at his pedes, glaring at the floor.

A hand clasped gingerly on his shoulder. Ambler snapped his head to glare at the offender, and watched Buster Gallon slowly remove his hand with a placating expression. He turned his gaze back to Blue Cop and Mega Trucker. A tense silence filled the air.

“...I’m sorry. For keeping this from you. From all of you.” Blue Cop spoke up eventually, looking at Ambler in the eye. “But there’s too many things that didn’t make sense. I don’t want a guess to taint your judgement.”

“But you should’ve said something.” 

“You weren’t the only one keeping secrets,” Mega Trucker muttered. 

Ambler turned on him, optics flaring. “You are not bringing that up.”

“Then you’re a hypocrite, Ambler.” Mega Trucker’s voice hardened. 

“I’m a hypocrite?” Ambler scoffed hollowly. “At least I planned on telling you all if Phoenix wasn’t going to wake up.”

“Were you going to though?” Mega Trucker gritted. “Because as far as I remember, Buster Gallon had to back you into a corner for you to spit the truth.”

Buster Gallon shifted uncomfortably from behind. 

“I wanted to make certain,” Ambler hissed.

“Then you of all people should understand why we didn’t tell you either! You did the same!”

“It’s not the same—”

“How is it not the same?” Mega Trucker laughed, optics blazing. “Tell me, how is it not the same?”

“For all we know, we’re leaving Phoenix in the brace to die,” Ambler spat. “And you chose to keep that from me!”

“We don’t know that!” 

Ambler huffed incredulously, when out of the corner of his optic he saw Shadow X and Blue Cop at the far wall— Shadow X had shrunk onto himself again. Blue Cop seemed to be speaking to him in a low tone, and the chopper shook his head to something he said. 

Guilt tugged on his core, but fury and betrayal had overshadowed everything else he was feeling now.   

“But it's a possibility… What if one day we can't summon Phoenix out?” Ambler pointed furiously at Phoenix’s prone form. “What if he’s trapped in there and I can’t do anything to help? Will you tell me then?” 

“I…I can’t—” Mega Trucker’s intake stuttered as he exvented harshly. 

“What?” Ambler seethed. “You can’t what, Mega Trucker?”

Two rough hands dug into him by the shoulders as Mega Trucker shouted into his face. “I can’t lose you too, you idiot!” 

Ambler wrestled himself out of his grasp, incensed. “So you decided for me, for all of us, that Phoenix is a lost cause? ”

“It’s not like that—” Mega Trucker said angrily, optics wide with shock and hurt, but Ambler wasn’t having any of it. 

“I had to face the fact that if things were the worst, I’d have to put an end to it with my own hands,” Ambler gritted, core twisting. He clenched his shaking hands into fists, digging his digits into his palms. “Don't you understand how hard that is to do? To accept?”

Mega Trucker growled, “Yes I do!” 

“No you don’t!” Ambler roared hoarsely. “And on top of that, I had to figure out how to explain to everyone why Phoenix would never wake up, and what I have to do to end his suffering!”

“What—?” Dexter’s empty voice floated into the garage. 

Everyone turned. 

Fleta Z and Dexter stood at the entrance, frozen on the spot, having just returned from patrol. 

Ambler’s fury dissolved into horror. “Dexter, wait. You haven’t—”

But Dexter’s face crumpled before he could finish. Without another word, he transformed, and tore out of the garage, faster than Ambler had ever seen him move.

“Dexter!” Fleta Z shouted, but he was already gone. 

Cursing, Ambler shoved Mega Trucker aside, transformed, and sped after him.

Chapter Text

“I'm going after them,” Fleta Z said, heading back for the doors.

“Fleta Z, maintain a visual, but keep your distance.” Blue Cop instructed. “We don’t want to chase Dexter away. I’ll be with you soon.”

Fleta Z nodded sharply, transformed, and took to the skies.

Mega Trucker waved his arm to disperse the flying dust. “I’m going too—”

Blue Cop stepped in his way. “No.”

“What— why?” Mega Trucker blanched.

“You know why.”

The truck spluttered. “You can't expect me to sit here and do nothing! Not when—”

“I’m not. I need you here,” Blue Cop interrupted, gesturing to Shadow X. The little chopper looked even smaller, hunching down with his helm ducked into his knees. 

Shadow X wiped at his face furiously. 

“I’m fine,” He sniffed unconvincingly. His vents hitched. “Just bein’ stupid…”

“You ain’t being stupid kid,” Mega Trucker softened a little and came over, sliding down to the floor with him. He soothed a heavy palm down the chopper’s back, and Shadow X leaned a little closer to him. 

Mega Trucker sighed, turning his helm to Blue Cop, standing near the entrance. “What about you? You going after them? 

“I’m going to get Jun,” Blue Cop said over his shoulder. “If anything happens, at least we can seal them in where they’ll be safe.”

“Right. But you’re really gonna leave Fleta Z to track down the two of ‘em?” 

“Once I get Jun, I’ll meet up with Fleta Z.” 

“But where?”

“They’re heading for the forests," Fleta Z’s voice crackled across their comm channel.

“Copy that,” Blue Cop acknowledged on the comm.

Mega Trucker grunted. “Blue Cop, I know you're fast, but you won't be fast enough to reach them after you pick up Jun. The forest is near the outskirts.”

“I know.” Blue Cop said, transforming. “I'm not going alone.” 

As he sped away, he opened his comm line. “Wild Guardy?”

“Is Phoenix Fire awake? I’m on my way back from Crest’s.”

“No, but we’ve got another situation. I need you to follow the coordinates from Fleta Z. On the main channel.”

There was a pause. 

“On route now. Who are we tracking down? ”

“Dexter. Mega Ambler has gone after him, but I’m worried about them both.” Blue Cop replied. He turned down a sharp corner, tires screaming on the road. “There was a fight in the garage. Fleta Z’s keeping a visual, and I’m heading off to pick up Jun from the Milky Way.” 

“What do you need me to do? ”

“Follow Fleta Z’s signal and track them down on foot if Fleta Z loses visual. Stay hidden and don’t engage unless necessary.”

“Don’t worry seonbae,” Wild Guardy said. “That won’t be a problem. ”

“I know,” Blue Cop found himself calming at Wild Guardy’s confident tone. “That’s why I asked for you.”

Dexter had contemplated on ditching Ambler along the way, only to remember that he wasn’t fast enough. 

He had always been the slowest one, out of them all.

“Dexter, wait!” Mega Ambler’s voice blared over to his private comm.  “Phoenix—-”

Dexter blocked his comm before he finished. He felt terrible immediately, but he wasn’t ready to hear anything he had to say. The medic could understand that right?

Cars and trucks blurred past him as he tore across the road. Everything was so loud. 

Then he realized that ragged noise came from his own overheating vents. 

He thought of turning them off manually— but he’d boil alive. So Dexter muted his audials instead. An unending ringing replaced the grating noise. A lesser evil.

Maybe he couldn’t outrun an ambulance. But he sure could try and run from a sentence that shattered what fragile hope he’d been nursing through the last few months. 

Approaching the forest he transformed, moving onto the earthy terrain to lose him, but Ambler was relentless. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Ambler slipping down a rocky slope from behind, a pained expression plastered on his face as he gripped another rock for support, hands smeared with dirt and grime. 

It was raining earlier, and everything was wet and slippery. Fortunately his own treaded pedes gave him more footing. Guilt gnawed at him when he saw the missing strip of paint left behind on Ambler’s leg when he finally made it up the terrain. 

He thought Ambler would stop following him at some point. As the ground grew more uneven, the stones more sharp and jagged, the slopes steeper, even Dexter found himself huffing with exertion to heave himself up. Exhaustion dragged at his pedes, his arms ached, and everything felt so heavy. He glanced back, and Ambler… Ambler was still there, climbing after him clumsily, but with unwavering determination. 

He felt worse, now knowing exactly how stubborn Ambler could be. Knowing that Ambler wouldn’t stop following him, even if his body was littered in scrapes. 

The words to yell at Ambler to leave him alone scraped at his vocalizer, lodged in place. He couldn’t voice it. He didn’t want to be followed, but he didn’t want to be alone. Everything felt so confusing.

As he climbed the silence felt heavier somehow. He slowly dialed back up his audials, letting the natural whisperings of the forest filter back into his audial feed. 

In the past two months, he and the others realized it wasn’t a simple matter of workaholism. Mega Ambler was the kind of mech that ignored his own pain to prioritize others before himself.

Sticky dirt clung uncomfortably in between the seams of his fingers, and he grimaced at the thought of how much worse Ambler’s would be. 

Those hands shouldn’t be touching the dirt, he thought, an awful feeling clawing at his chest. I’m so selfish.  

But he’s too close to the cave to turn back now. It would make the climb even more pointless than it is.

He knew a better path to it, but he’d been planning to lose Ambler on this unconventional hike. He usually hid in there when things got too much, when he longed for silence. But not complete silence, a different kind of quiet where the calm rustling of leaves would accompany the slow drip-drops of water from the shower of rain, while the distant trickle of a stream duetted the low murmurs of the wind.

When he finally got to the cave opening, he ducked his helm and went inside. He promptly collapsed to the ground when his legs buckled down. The mouth of the cave was shallow, a natural hollow pressed into the side of the hill. It curved just enough to block the outside world. The forest noise dulled the deeper he crawled. When the ceiling got too low, he curled into himself, and listened to the low choir of the forest hum with Ambler not far behind.

Despite being consistently the last to return from patrol, Dexter was faster than he looked. 

Mega Ambler grunted as his hand slid off a loose rock. He tightened his hold on the other one, and grabbed another rock that jutted out from the side. He pulled himself up.

When Dexter cut off from the forest path and veered into a rock slope, climbing up the loose gravel, Ambler had shouted for him.

“Dexter! Don’t! It’s dangerous!”

But Dexter didn’t even flinch at his voice, like he hadn’t heard him. Surely he wasn’t that far away?

He checked his comm. 

His last message still hasn’t gone through. 

He commed him. It failed to connect. He tried to send another message over to the private channel.

[Your message could not be delivered. Retry?]

Ambler sighed, minimizing the tab on his HUD. Still blocked.

He tracked Dexter’s movements, trying to see where Dexter was heading towards. The excavator seemed to know these cliffs. What looked like a cave opening peeked through the tree lines. He watched Dexter go inside.

Hopefully that cave doesn’t lead to anywhere else with more slopes.

Venting hard, Ambler continued to make his way up the incline, gripping stones with shaking servos until he reached the top ledge. He leaned against the opening wall, catching his breath.

Does Dexter do this often? How was he so fast? Ambler thought with a breathless huff. Was this what he meant by a workout in the forest?

He thought Dexter was joking before. Apparently not…

He peered inside, seeing only darkness and a vague outline of the excavator he chased down town and into a forest, and up a cliff. He lingered outside the cave, waiting for the harsh vents inside to slow down. 

“So Blue Cop sent Wild Guardy with you?”

“Yeah,” Fleta Z answered over the comm. He glanced over to Wild Guardy, who had just arrived. The mustang was scanning the area diligently, somewhat resembling the Star Guardian with the intensity of his gaze, but just a little more severe. 

“Well,  Mega Trucker huffed. “I guess he’s the best in business for stalking someone down. Do you know where they went?”

“I think they climbed up a cliff.”

A pause. “They climbed up a what?”

“A cliff,” Fleta Z repeated. 

“Damn.”

“So we’re trying to find another way up.”

“Couldn’t you fly up there?”

“The trees are too close together. And if we don’t want to be noticed it would be best if we do this on foot.”

“Right.”

“How’s Shadow X?”

“He says he’s okay but I don’t believe him.”

A muffled protest sounded over the comm. 

“Hold on, I need’ta mute for a sec.”

Fleta Z heard him make an annoyed grunt. Then Mega Trucker’s voice continued to come through, unmuted and twice as loud. “We can meet up with them when you feel better, yeah? So focus on that, I know you’re small enough to fly through the trees, yes I know you want to help, but no, you’re in no state to do that right now. So breathe.”

Then his voice clipped off, and a beat of silence went by.

“You’re on mute.” Fleta Z told him.

“—oops. Right, sorry ‘bout that.” 

“Tell him to listen to some music if it helps,” Fleta Z said, just as Wild Guardy waved him over. “I need to go. We’ll update the coordinates if we confirm a path.”

“You got it. ”

Once his own vents stopped dragging air in like he was dying, he lifted his helm enough to see the entrance. Light from outside spilled through the edge, dappled by the vines and its leaves.

The forest was still quiet. But he knew he wasn’t alone. 

Mega Ambler was outside the cave. He couldn’t see him there, but he felt him close by. 

But he didn’t come in. 

Dexter appreciated that. It made him feel less alone, while giving him space. Ambler being right outside felt like a silent reassurance that he’ll be here, giving him time. 

He let out a shuddering exvent. 

“Ambler?” He called quietly. His voice sounded so small, even to him.

“I’m here.” Ambler's voice came. He stepped into view. 

“I…I don’t want to come out.” Dexter said, unable to meet his eyes. “Not yet.”

“That’s alright.” Ambler told him. “...Can I come in?”

Slowly, Dexter nodded into his knees.

Ambler approached him, before taking a seat on the flat outcrap. The inside of the cave was cool, after the rain. The dirt here was dry, unlike the wet forest floor, and Dexter felt another pang of guilt making Ambler wait outside all this while.

Ambler hasn’t spoken anything else yet, despite Dexter thinking he would. 

“Phoenix.” Dexter murmured, unable to meet his gaze. He knew he couldn't run forever. His core hollowed at his own words. “He’s gone, isn’t he?”

“Dexter—”

Dexter shook his helm, burying it in his knees. “I knew it.”

“No, Dexter,” Ambler said, a little urgently. “He’s not gone.”

A spark of hope dared to flicker. But he had to stomp it down. “You d-don’t have to lie to me.”

“Dexter, listen carefully. Phoenix is not gone.”

Dexter gripped his knees. “But I heard you in the garage—”

“Let me finish,” Ambler interrupted. “Please. This is a misunderstanding. Are you ready to listen?”

Dexter exvented with a hitch in his vents. “...Alright, yeah.” 

“Phoenix is alive. But still unconscious. What you heard in the garage was a fight between me and Mega Trucker. I said things I shouldn’t have. Did you feel the shift in the bond earlier?”

Dexter nodded. 

“Something changed in the Metal Brace. We’re not sure what. But we can feel him again. Blue Cop has a theory about a firewall blocking Phoenix’s signal from us. But things are still uncertain, and confusing. Maybe the firewall lifted. Maybe there wasn’t even a firewall. We don’t know.”

“I know it’s almost three months.” Ambler continued. “I know Phoenix is still unconscious. I know this is hard. But I also know his systems are still running to keep him alive.” 

“Then…” Dexter began, glancing at Ambler, who gestured for him to continue. “When you said you had to… end his suffering, were you going to—?”

“No,” Ambler said quickly. “It’s not necessary, now that we confirmed Phoenix still had processor activity. But I prepared for it. That’s what we do. Medics. We prepare for the worst, even if it never comes.”

Dexter exvented shakily. “But why didn’t you say anything? Back then?”

“I wasn’t ready to.” Ambler admitted with dimmed optics. “I’m sorry.”

Dexter nodded again. He wouldn’t be ready to hear it either.

“I’m doing everything I can to bring him back.”

“I know.” Dexter said. 

“So we can’t give up now.” Ambler’s hand came on top of his shoulder. “We’ll get through this, like everything else.”

Dexter sniffed wetly. “Yeah.”

“We’ve come so far.” Ambler said. “You’re not alone. We’re not alone.”

“…Thanks,” Dexter said quietly. “I didn’t mean to run.”

“It’s alright,” Ambler said. “You were overwhelmed.”

“You shouldn’t have followed me,” Dexter said miserably, looking at Ambler’s brown servos. “Your hands are ruined now. And your knees.”

“Nothing a healing pulse couldn’t fix. And a high pressure hose to wash out the grit.” Ambler shrugged. “I’ve patched up enough hands to know this isn’t severe.”

“It looks painful.”

“Yours don’t look any better.”

“But I’m used to heavy work,” Dexter countered. “I was a construction worker. Aren’t medic hands more sensitive?”

“We have a finer range of sensor settings so I suppose there’s some truth to it,” Ambler mused. “I dialed down the sensitivity when I climbed. Did you do the same?”

“No.” Dexter shook his helm. “Don’t need to.”

“Interesting.”

Ambler glanced towards the cave exit. “We should head back before it gets too dark. I’m not sure if I know how to climb down a cliff blind.”

“Uh…you don’t have to.” Dexter said. “There’s another path. A walking path.”

Ambler stared at him, probably wondering why they went up the hard way. Dexter hunched his shoulders up with a wince.

“Sorry.”

The return journey down the wooded slope was quiet, save for the crunch of dried leaves beneath their pedes. Some of the trees provided coverage for the dirt beneath, leaving it untouched from the rain. It was approaching Autumn so days were getting shorter, and the night stretched its dark shadow across the sky. Lit only by the moon, it was getting hard to see where to go. Thankfully, Dexter had functional headlights, and knew the way. 

Being in the forest at night with Dexter brought a sense of deja vu. Back when Dexter had been guarding the animals of the wild, he had looked so fierce. That fire in his optics as he fought against him at the abandoned construction site, for the creatures he protected.

He had admired that, even back when he wasn’t sealed. It reminded him of someone else.

Ambler’s optics swept forward when they reached the clearing. Blue Cop was parked at the foot of the slope, and the door opened with Jun stepping out. The metal Brace gleamed under Dexter’s headlights. 

“Dexter! Mega Ambler! You guys okay?” Jun asked, running to meet them halfway. 

“Yeah.” Dexter said. “Sorry about running off. I…just needed some space.”

“That’s fine, I’m glad you’re alright!” Jun smiled warmly. “Let’s go home.”

“Wait,” Mega Trucker’s voice came from the brace. “Lemme out for a sec.”

Jun glanced curiously at the hologram from the brace, but did as asked. 

As Mega Trucker materialized before him, Ambler steeled himself, schooling his features.

“Hey.” Mega Trucker grunted. 

“Hey.” Ambler said, trying not to sound stiff. 

“You guys want some space?” Dexter offered, nudging Jun back to where Blue Cop was.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind,” Mega Trucker said, optics still locked with Ambler’s. 

Dexter gave him a thumbs up. Jun sealed him away, and walked back to Blue Cop.

Mega Trucker’s fists clenched and unclenched by his sides, fidgeting in place. 

“This…this is harder than I thought,” He huffed a laugh, a strained noise. “But still…I need you to hear this before we go.”

“...Alright.”

“It was wrong of me to keep things from you. Even if I thought they were right at the time. And for the record, I still do.” Mega Trucker said. 

“But you’re right, I don’t get to decide what you should know, and shouldn’t know.” Mega Trucker continued. “So, yeah.”

Then something in his expression shifted, not unlike when he received strange messages from Shadow X over the comm. Ambler took a quick glance past Mega Trucker. Blue Cop seemed to be having an animated conversation with Jun, in vehicle form. But strangely, they didn’t seem to be talking to each other.

“Oh and,” Mega Trucker pointed his finger skyward, like he just remembered something. “I shouldn’t…”

He trailed off, looking unsure. 

Then he turned around, cupped his hands over his mask and yelled at Blue Cop’s direction. “ Alright, I can do my own apology! Zip it and stop distracting me!”

Blue Cop and Jun froze. 

“Thank you!” Mega Trucker barked, waving his fist. He turned back to face him, looking twice as lost. “Now where was I…”

“I need to apologize as well,” Ambler cut in. “...I know you’re looking out for me. Even if I don’t agree with your methods. And when Blue Cop admitted what he did, I... turned it on you. That wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”

After a beat of silence, Mega Trucker nodded with a grunt. “You done?”

Ambler blinked. “I— yes?”

He knew Mega Trucker could come off rude at times, but ultimately he meant well. And he did seem to struggle with the apology, so Ambler decided not to hold that against him.

“Right…. I remembered what I wanted to say.” Mega Trucker said, looking into his optics, genuine and sincere. “I was frustrated with you for months. You stopped looking after yourself, and I wondered, how much longer would it take for you to come back to us.

“I took that anger out on you. Back in the garage. That wasn't fair either.” Mega Trucker sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. For shouting. For the secrets. And everything else.”

“Likewise.”

Mega Trucker stepped closer. “And I’m not mad anymore. Just…tired. You?”

“Me too.” Ambler sighed, shoulders sagging. 

Mega Trucker seized him into a hug he saw coming, and Ambler let the tension in his frame bleed out, as he hugged him back just as tightly. 

“I still think you’re a real pain in the aft though.” Mega Trucker muttered into his shoulder.

Ambler found himself chuckling softly. “The feeling is mutual.”

Eventually Mega Trucker released him, albeit a little reluctantly. He nodded to where Blue Cop and Jun were still waiting. “Let’s go home.”

“You promised,” Mega Trucker pointed at him condemningly, the next morning. “You agreed to this. Who else heard him agree to this?”

“Stop dragging everyone into our arguments,” Mega Ambler rolled his optic at him, more exaggeratedly so he could see. “You go on, I have a shift with Dexter.” 

“Blue Cop’s covering you.” 

“Blue Cop can keep you company if you want to sunbathe.” Ambler said, staying seated where he was.

“You should go,” Dexter urged him, taking Mega Trucker’s side. “Take a break.”

Mega Trucker shook his helm. He clasped a hand on the excavator’s shoulder. “You’re coming too, Dexter.”

Dexter blinked. “I am?”

“Dexter can go, I’ll stay with Blue Cop.” Ambler said, waving him away. And feeling petty, he added, “He needs a monitoring buddy.”

Wild Guardy manifested into the conversation. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Ambler gave them all a flat look. Dexter gave him an innocent shrug. 

Which was awfully suspicious.

Mega Trucker shook him by the shoulders, rattling his frame. “Come on, Ambler, no more pushbacks! Up, up, up!”

Ambler made an indignant noise, trying to wrestle out of his grip and failing to stand. “Fine, fine. Then let me, let— let me up. Deus Machina...”

“Where are you taking me?”

“You make it sound like I’m holding you hostage,” Mega Trucker grumbled over the comm. “It’s just a ten minute drive.”

“Isn’t there a spot five minutes away? ” Dexter asked.

“This spot is better.” Mega Trucker said.

“It better be.” Ambler muttered to himself. He had been unwilling to stray too far from the garage, in case of emergencies. The forest was probably the furthest he’d been, but he hadn’t been aware of that at the time. 

Thankfully nothing happened when everyone was away, and Phoenix continued having stable vitals. He had triple checked when they got back. 

So from then on he made sure anytime Phoenix laid inside the repair shop, there would be at least one mech standing post. That was his condition in exchange for agreeing to whatever nonsense Mega Trucker wanted him to commit to. 

It was truly the most unconventional therapy he’d be in.

And he wasn’t even the one conducting it.

The gravel was warm under their wheels as they drove out. They stopped by a deserted park.

The facilities were in repair, where black and yellow tape bandaged the slides and swings in circles. Leaves gathered around the area in loose clutters, swept together by the wind. This area didn’t seem well maintained anymore, but Mega Trucker was right. It was sunny, quiet, and had no humans.

It was better than their other ‘sun-spot’. A little less kept, but nonetheless, brightly lit and perfect for Cardbots in hiding. There might not even be a need to stay in vehicle mode.

Mega Trucker transformed into root mode, and Dexter followed suit. So Ambler did the same.

“Me, Wild Guardy and Blue Cop checked this place out, a while back.” He began, treading towards an empty spot on the overgrown grass. He sat down beneath the biggest tree and laid in its half-shade. “This is a private area, but literally no one comes here. Residents come through from the other way.”

Dexter lowered himself next to Mega Trucker. When Mega Trucker beckoned him over with an impatient look, Ambler relented, lest the truck felt the need to physically impose sunbathing on him in the way he does. 

He was about to dim his optics when he heard a heavy exvent from Dexter. He turned his helm, glancing at him. 

“I… I just feel anxious today,” Dexter said, answering the unsaid question. “It’s nothing.”

Before Ambler could say anything, Mega Trucker beat him to it.

“That’s okay,” He said simply.

“Is it?” Dexter asked.

“Yeah. Being scared is okay. Or tired. Or unsure. Or one million, billion other complicated emotions.”

Mega Trucker pushed himself up on his elbows, and scratched his chin. 

“I’ve decided something,” he said aloud, with more weight than usual.

They both looked at him.

“I’ve decided… that things are going to be okay.”

Ambler arched an optical ridge. “Just like that?”

“Yup. And I’ll hold onto that belief, even when I’m afraid. Or tired. Or lonely. Or—what did I say? All of the above.”

Mega Trucker waved his hand around, gesturing to all the emotions in the air. “And if you’re worried, either of you… you can hold onto me. We’ll carry each other through.”

Dexter and Ambler were quiet for a long time.

Strong feelings of warmth swelled in Ambler’s chest. It sounded so unlike Mega Trucker, until—

“I will punch anxiety in the face if I have to.” 

And, there he was. That’s the Mega Trucker he knew.

“You kind of ruined your inspiring speech with the last sentence.” Ambler told him bluntly.

“Heh. Blue Cop said the same.” Mega Trucker said, confirming his suspicions about a rehearsed pep talk. 

Dexter exvented, frame looking a little less tense. 

“But it's very you.” Dexter reassured, smiling with his optics. 

“Thanks,” Mega Trucker sounded pleased with himself. “I told Blue Cop you guys would like my personal touch. He didn't believe me.”

“Dexter’s just being nice to your feelings.” Ambler said.

“Oh, shut up, you jealous you couldn't write up a speech like mine?”

Ambler chuckled softly to himself. Mega Trucker laid back down on the grass.

“Hey Ambler.” Mega Trucker said after a while.

Ambler didn’t turn his helm to look at him. “What.”

“Stop checking your comms.”

“I wasn’t.” He lied.

“Blue Cop will let us know if it’s an emergency.” Mega Trucker pointed at the sky like Blue Cop was up there flying. “So relax, alright? Sunbathe properly.”

Ambler huffed. He closed down the comm tab. “Fine.” 

But then Blue Cop’s designation popped across his HUD. He immediately accepted the call. The connection clicked in place.

“Mega Ambler?”

“What is it?” Ambler sat up already, Mega Trucker and Dexter also sitting up from the grass.

“He just woke up. ”

Ambler’s core spun with a stutter, vents stalling. 

“Phoenix Fire— he's back, what do we do? ” Blue Cop sounded rattled, a rare occurrence. “ He says he’s still tired and wants to sleep. Should we let him or keep him lucid? ”

“Keep him lucid,” Ambler said, voice firm despite his frame trembling.

He glanced back at Mega Trucker and Dexter, who transformed on the spot. He fell into transformation sequence, sirens blaring to life. 

“We’ll be there in three.”

Yesterday, back in the forests…

“I think this leads up to the cliff.” Wild Guardy pointed towards the slope.

Fleta Z followed his gaze. “Really?”

“It seems like it,” Wild Guardy said. 

“But it’s a walking path.”

“I'm aware.”

“So why did they climb up the other way?” Fleta Z blinked. “When you could just walk up there?”

Wild Guardy shrugged. “Maybe they didn’t know?”

“The path is right here.”

“You didn’t see it at first.” Wild Guardy countered. “Neither did I.”

Fleta Z hummed.

“I’ll go up and check if they’re there.” Wild Guardy began his trek. “Can you stay here until Blue Cop and Jun arrive?”

“Of course,” Fleta Z said. “These trees are too short for me to walk under anyway.”

“Did you just call me short?”

“Not intentionally, no.”

Wild Guardy had managed to weave through the packed forest, and reach a spot near the cave. It wasn’t on the cliff exactly, but close enough to eavesdrop on louder conversations, and leap onto the ledge if he needed to.

:: I think they're alright now. :: Wild Guardy sent over to Blue Cop. :: Things are looking calm. I think they're leaving soon. Tell Shadow X he doesn’t need to come up. ::

“That’s good. Come back down, Jun and I are waiting at the slope.”

Wild Guardy sent his acknowledgement, and crept away, slowly making his descent down from the swaying tree.