Hidden Spark on Earth (TFP)

Chapter 21

Taking deep breaths as she pants, Saphira wipes the sweat from her forehead and straightened her back. She looked at Jack and smiled at him. "I guess that could be considered scraplet spray."

Jack rolled his eyes at. "Ha, ha, real funny." He looked around as Miko and Raf hit their tools on a couple more scraplets, making sure they were dead. "Did we get them all?"

"I hope so...now we can try and get the bridge fixed," Saphira said as she takes a deep breath, glancing up at the groaning bots as they lean against the platform.

The autobots seemed exhausted, weak and in pain. It was really hard to see. Saphira wished she could comfort them, but she knew she wouldn't be able to. But, at least she was able to save them from being eaten alive. It was still a bit like a horror scene with the energon leaking on their bodies, the energon streaks on the floor and the only one who could help the autobots was also in need of medical attention.

They all freeze and glance at the hallways when they heard the echoing sound of buzzing, multiple buzzing of more scraplets. Saphira shuddered as the sound echoed from the hallways, she was somewhat glad she wasn't the one that was on the menu, but it was still a horrid sound that the scraplets were making. She didn't think she would be able to get that sound out of her mind.

"These were just scouts," Ratchet said in an exhausted tone, glancing down and closing his optics.

Bumblebee made a whir of despair and laid back down in defeat. "So, the rest of them know we're in here?" Bulkhead said weakly, looking at Ratchet with a worried expression.

"And if we allow ourselves to become their next meal, Arcee and Optimus will never make it home." Ratchet glanced down at the humans as they listen to him while he spoke. "We must get the ground bridge operational."

"Then we can use it to send the scraplets anywhere on Earth," Raf said thoughtfully. "Though...not sure where, as it needs to be without metal, and the scraplets are fast fliers."

"Why not back to the Arctic?" Jack asked, holding up the extinguisher with a smirk. "We already know they don't do cold."

"Sweet!" Miko exclaimed confidently with a smile. "One stop shopping!"

"Do you ever say anything intelligent?" Saphira grumbled with a frown, Miko gave her a glare in response. Saphira looked at Jack and smiled. "That might not be a bad idea...as long as we can somehow convince the scraplets to leave."

Ratchet listened and processed the words the humans were saying and seemed to agree. "Given the body mass of the scraplets, sub-zero temperature should freeze them on contact." He paused as he began to think about the ground bridge. "So, think Ratchet, think!" He reached his hand up to his neck to rub gently. "If the ground bridge is still down, there must be a breach in the energon fuel line."

Bumblebee made a whirring complaint, laying back down with a grimace. Bulkhead groaned a little as he moved his legs. "If we weren't breaching, one of us could get back over there and fix it."

"Where do we find it?" Jack asked, getting a surprised glance from the autobots as the boy looked at them with a confident look.

"And how do we fix it?" Raf added, he too was confident in needing to fix it.

Ratchet smiled at the kids and points towards a tunnel. "The fuel line is down that tunnel..." He than gestures to his desk in the lobby. "There is a welding tool that I found while doing some minor renovations of there. There is a thin sheet of metal. If you find the breach, weld it. And do it quickly! We do not have much time!"

Jack ran up to the first-floor platform to reach Ratchet's desk. He saw the toolbox and ran over to grab it. Saphira waited eagerly so they could go and fix the breach. The boy ran back down to meet them and ran towards the tunnel.