Chapter Text
Frankie watched the Mor-bot overhead from a building as it raced down the streets with the rescue bots in hot pursuit. As she watched their trajectory, she realized something horrible.
“They’re trying to get to the water!” She said in shock at her realization as she closed her helmet.
She joined the team again and followed the Mor-bot and Cody quickly as they reached the docks.
She lined herself up beside the Mor-bot’s cab, it was a dangerous stunt, but what else could she do? Her best friend was trapped in there!
Cody’s eyes shifted off course and he stared at the girl blankly as she prepared to phase through the robot. “Someone’s trying to invade the cab.” He reported monotonously. The Mor-bot rolled his eyes on the screen. “Blast.” He complained. “Shove her over!” He commanded. “Yes sir.” Cody replied. He shifted the steering wheel and collided with Frankie’s bike. “Unh!” She exclaimed. She tried to hold on, but her bike tipped over and skidded on its side. She saw the edge of the docks coming up and with a sinking feeling from the sudden motion and failure, let go of the handle bars.
The bike fell into the water with a loud splash and she skidded on the wooden planks, luckily shielded by her suit. Though she was mostly okay, she felt throbbing in her left shoulder and hip from when she fell and there was a slight ringing in her ears.
She immediately popped up her head and shoulders as soon as she stopped and looked out onto the water. She couldn’t see them, they must have gone under already.
“Frankie! Are you okay?” Boulder exclaimed as Heatwave switched modes and speed off on the water. She didn’t answer and dove into the water hurriedly.
“Frankie!” She heard Boulder call from above the water, but she was focused on other things. She kicked her legs as hard as she could. Water started to fill her helmet.
I shoulda waterproofed this.
But now was not the time to think about her mistakes, the Mor-bot was in her sight, about twelve feet away and that gap was quickly widening. She knew that there was no way she could close that gap, but she had to try. For Cody.
She tore off her helmet and with all her strength, she swam as fast as she could. She grew more and more frustrated as the Mor-bot continued to become farther and farther away. Her face grew hot and tears flew out of her eyes and into the water, and as she felt herself beginning to run out of oxygen. In defeat she reached out to the Mor-bot desperately as it left her sight.
Now that saving Cody was out of her control, she had to swim up to the surface to breathe. She changed her trajectory and as soon as she did a horrible pinching sensation burned through her left thigh. She whimpered at the sudden pain, letting out some of the little air she had. As tears ran down her face, she decided to push through the pain. She had to get to the surface.
She swam as quickly as she could as the pain spread through her leg. She forced herself to hold her breath, holding back gasps and whimpers as pain shot through her leg. As she began to gain progress, her vision began to dim.
No! No!
Her ears felt like they were being blocked, she could barely hear her own desperate thoughts.
No! Please!
Her lungs ached as she fought with the urge to breathe and her legs were beginning to give out. She felt lightheaded and she could hear her heartbeat racing in her ears.
I have to get out!
She continued to fight her way to the surface. The more she swam, the further away it looked. She reached out to it desperately with both arms as her vision went dark. She released her breath and her body went limp as she began to sink to the ocean floor. The last thing she saw was the sun burning her eyes and bubbles rising in the water above her.
......
She heard muffled speech and ringing in her ears. “Ugh.” She groaned as she stirred. She slowly blinked open her eyes under the burning white lights and squinted as a group of blurry people began to clear up in her line of vision.
“Frankie!” Her father exclaimed. He immediately wrapped her in a hug. She heard a low thud from the impact. “Ezra, be gentle. She just woke up.” Anna said. Doc jumped and held her at arms length with a worried expression on his face. “I’m so sorry. I was just so worried about you. Are you okay?” He asked. Anna walked closer to them and sat on the edge of Frankie’s bed. She tried to speak, but her voice got caught in her throat. She hadn’t spoken in a while and her throat hurt from drowning. She cleared her throat softly and tried again.
“My head hurts, but I think I’m okay.” She said. Her voice came out as a raspy, unstable croak. “How long was I unconscious?” She asked. “About three days.” Anna replied. Frankie paused. Her head began to fill with memories from the other day. She bit her lip from the stress of the memory of watching the Mor-bot drive off into the distance.
She avoided her parents' eyes and looked down at her lap. She decided to ask a question. She feared what the answer would be,
“Were they able to get to Cody?” She asked.
A heavy, uncomfortable silence filled the room. Through her peripheral vision, she could see Ezra and Anna give each other a look. “Are you sure you want to know now? You just woke up and that situation was so frightening. It might be best to take things slowly.” Ezra rambled. She could hear anxiety in his voice, which made her upset.
She continued to look down at her lap and balled up her hands into fists. “I want to know. He’s my best friend.” She replied sharply.
Ezra sighed and Anna held his hand as he spoke.
“The Mor-bot has gotten away Frankie. Heatwave and Blades are still out looking for him. Chief Burns has already reported him missing.” Ezra sniffed and his words became choked. “I’m so sorry.” He answered.
Frankie gasped sharply and just barely above a whisper. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her biceps tightly in each opposite hand. Her stomach lurched at those words, she couldn’t believe it. They had really failed to get him back?
She grunted, fruitlessly attempting to hold back her cries. She hated crying, but she couldn’t hold in the tears that escaped her eyes and raced down her face. She sunk down and held her chin to her chest.
“No! No! This can't be happening! Please tell me it’s just a cruel prank!” She begged. “I’m sorry Frankie, but it’s true.” Anna said softly.
She remembered skidding on the docs and swimming far behind the Mor-bot. If she had just been faster, or more careful, she could’ve saved her friend.
At this point, she was so distressed that she didn’t even think about holding back.
“It’s my fault! It’s my fault! I should’ve done better to protect him. I- I-” She gulped down the lump in her throat that had begun to block her speech. “I failed him!” She cried out. Anna immediately rushed to her side. “No, no. You didn’t. You did the best that you could. The crime that the Mor-bot committed was out of your control.” She said as she rubbed circles on her back. Frankie jerked her head up and turned to Anna. Her eyes were bright red and her face was soaked in tears as they fell like rain off of her face.
“No! I froze up when the Mor-bot broke in! I fell off of my bike and I couldn’t catch up to them! If I had taken better precautions he wouldn’t have gotten kidnapped!” She insisted. She gasped, hiccuping suddenly from crying so hard. She brought her knees up to her chin and hugged them close to her chest.
“But I didn’t and now, he’s gone.” She said softly.
Doc came to her side and held her in his arms while she cried. “He’s gone daddy. He’s gone!”
That horrible reality reminded her of what Cody told her happened on Captain Ambrose's ship all those years ago.
That terrible nightmare was coming true.
She was going to grow up without her best friend.