Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

HERO FACTORY
MAKUHERO CITY

At the Merak 9 Mining Center simulation, the three rookies jumped over a boulder and continued their run against the XPlode and Rotor hologram as Stormer looked and analyzed them from the side. The hologramatic villains shoot out their weapons again at the hero, damaging their cover. Furno looked at his two friends at both of his sides, looking for a suggestion to pass the usual ‘Stormer’s Test’ as they called it.

“Any ideas to get out of this one?” Furno said while ducking his head to another blow at their cover. Surge shook his head while ducking too. “Alpha Leader told us we couldn’t use our weapons against them, so…..no, not really,” he said in his usual tone as another blast made their cover lesser and lesser. “I believe that’s the entire meaning of the test, Surge” Breez retorted to him “I think we should split u-” Furno interrupted her before she could finish “Wait,” he said holding up his hand, shutting the two “Do you hear that?” He says a recognizable yet terrifying sound could be heard as pebbles started to levitate off the ground and in a tornado: Rotor’s Blades. Soon the heroes could say an ‘oh no’ as they were sucked in the vortex tornado with the dust and rocks as they couldn’t get a handle on the situation, the hologram of XPlode positioned himself with their back turned on them and shot out his spikes, causing a chain explosion in the vortex, blowing off the rookies.

The three rookies laid on the ground defeated, all groaning in pain, some adjusting their circuits. The hologramatic XPlode and Rotor disappeared and Stormer appeared in the Training Sphere with his usual stern expression and folded arms. “Well Furno, I didn’t know you were sick with incompetence,” he said at the red rookie as he got up on his elbows “But now I’m worrying your incompetence could be contagious for Natalie and Mark,” he said gesturing for the other two that were getting up, painfully.

Furno groaned to himself while he got up face-to-face with Stormer, both in pain and annoyance. “Why does it matter if I can’t beat this version of XPlode and Rotor?” he said with a bit of anger in his tone “I beat them alone the other week, so why does it matter if I can’t defeat a hologram of them?” he finished as Stormed glared a little bit more as the other two rookies reached the two “One: That time you had your bike. Two: You didn’t defeat them both, XPlode tossed Rotor away and escaped, which means you never defeated XPlode and maybe defeated Rotor. And third: unlike you, villains learn from their mistakes and find a new way to blow you and your core to bits. So to answer you shortly, yes, it does matter rookie” he said as he now turned to all the three rookies “As for all of you,” he said addressing them “You could have easily defeated them, even without weapons” The three rookies looked at him a bit puzzled as if waiting for him to continue, like three kids watching their parents in confusion when they tell them numbers after 10 exists. He sighed as he explained in his usual tone “You could have split and ran in three different directions, the villain wouldn’t have been able to fight all three of you and would concentrate their fire against two of them while the third one could have dropped that load of pillars on them, which I specifically put in the simulation for you to destroy.” he explained, scolding them.

He sighed rubbing his optics “I swear I don’t know that mister Makuro saw in you three I-” Before Stormer could finish, an alarm blurred in their systems, as it told them to go to their Mission Manager, Stormer sighed and looked at the rookies opening the door of the training sphere “Well rookies, looks like I’ll need you three after all”.

—

Zib was typing on his tablet with Quadal hovering near him as Stormer and the three rookies arrived at the Mission Control where he was and stopped behind him, the Mission Manager turned around to the Alpha Leader.

“Stormer, I know you only have your three rookies available, but I think this will be the perfect mission for them,” he said to him as Stormed looked at him with a puzzled expression “What do you mean? What’s the mission?” he asked the senior mission manager. Zib touched a few buttons on his tablet and activated the big monitor of the center “Lucy sent me this distress call from a ship that was traveling to Makuhero City, take a listen” he said as the four heroes closed in as the recording began.

“Hero Hotline please state the nature of your crisis,” the recorded voice of the call center operator of the Alpha team said as it began.
“This is Transport Ship Q-2010, our ship was traveling towards Makuhero City but we exited the light jump mid-way through, and something turned off the power of the ship,” the caller said in a panicked yet calm voice, definitely male.
“Understood sir, we’ll send a hero team to assist you in the repairs and case of any injury of the crew, we received your coordinates now and will send help….sir?....sir?”
Zip ended the recording and looked at the team “This is where the call ended and Lucy wasn’t able to reconnect with them” he said “The Transport Ship was transporting an entire load of energy batteries for the Hero Factory to use in the Quaza Chamber”.

Breez chimed in “So without it, we wouldn’t be able to recharge our cores?” she asked with a bit of worry in her voice, but Zib shook his head “We still have enough batteries for a few days, but if the shipment doesn’t arrive soon enough, we will end our supply” he stated “Stormer” he said as he looked at the Alpha Leader “This is a perfect mission for the rookies: they won’t be in any danger in the ship, yet the mission still has incredible importance” Zib said as if waiting for his answer.

Stormed thought about it and looked back at the rookies, who were all ready to go on a mission, more like skipping another one of his tests, but it wouldn’t matter which of the two. He looked back at Zib and with his usual cold tone “Prepare me a Hero Craft”.

Chapter Text

HERO CRAFT
SOMEWHERE IN SPACE

Stormer stood silent as the team almost arrived at the coordinates that Zib gave them, he didn’t think much of the mission, but ... .neither he did that one time and…he shook his head to end the trail of thoughts, turning to the three rookies behind him. “Listen up, rookies” he began in his usual cold voice “Zib might have said that there is no danger on this mission, but that doesn’t mean that your guard won’t be at 100%. I want every one of you on your best behavior for the medical tendings of the crew, understood?” he said as the rookies all nodded with a small ‘yes sir’.He nodded back at them and continued piloting “Breez do you have the medical equipment?” he asked as the green rookie took out a metal briefcase with a hero symbol on it “Right here, Alpha Leader” she said, trying not to show any emotion, probably to try and get Stormer’s best behavior.

“I still don’t understand,” Surge said out loud “If the energy was cut off how did they call the Hero Factory? And why did they end the call before giving any information?” he asked, but after that, the craft stayed silent for a while until Furno spoke up “They probably used their last energy to call us, a ditch effort that gets used a lot,” the red rookie said to him as they continued their approach.

The Hero Craft soon arrived at the coordinates but they saw nothing in the vastness of space. “Lights, kid,” Stormer said as Furno turned on the lights of the Hero Craft in front of them and they finally found their target: the ship was very big, definitely a cargo ship, and it could fit at least 50 hero crafts inside it. The rookies were left in awe at the deactivated and turned-off ship, while Stormer looked at it as if it was the most common thing in the universe, which it was.

“Communication is down, sir,” Furno said behind him “I can’t connect to them to make us land” The rookies all looked at Stormer who didn’t even bother turning around, already maneuvering the ship to a cargo bay, which was also completely dark “We make the landing ourselves, kid,” he said as he landed the ship, shaking the rookies who were standing up a little in the landing, as he turned around he looked at them “Always”.

The four heroes descended from the Hero Craft from the platform, Stormer looked around the hangar, seeing no crew member, but it could also be for the very dim light of the room. He then turned around to speak directly to the rookies “Alright rookies, we need to find the crew and restore the energy” he said “Breez and Surge you’ll check the cargo, if any of those containers are damaged, the whole ship will blow up” he ordered the two rookies who nodded, Surge a bit more hesitantly which gave him an elbow on the shoulder by Breez. Stormer then turned to Furno “The kid and I will go to the bridge of the ship and try to locate any member of the crew…if they’re still alive”.

Chapter Text

Stormer and Furno were walking down the dark hallways of the ship, closing in on the bridge of the ship. The two heroes moved into the darkness, sometimes stumbling on metal parts of the ship that fell out of place.

“I don’t understand,” Furno said breaking the silence “We should have at least met someone while walking to the bridge” Stormer didn’t look back at him but responded to him while they continued walking, as much as he hated him (he didn’t hate him, he was just frustrating), the kid asked good questions “Maybe they’re all on the bridge” he said “Packed up all in only one place so it’s easier to find them when we, the hero team arrive” he finished explaining. Furno spoke up, questioning Stormer a little “Easier for us to find. Or for something else?”

At that Stormer stopped and turned around with a puzzled glare “What are you trying to say, kid?” Furno looked back at him “I can believe that a ship ran out of power, but this one was cut off of its power source” Furno explained “Something broke it, which still makes me ask the question Surge asked before: how did they call us?”. Stormed glared at the rookie, until he heard a little buzz to their side. Furno couldn’t see it, but Preston was grinning under his mask.

He Walked over to the red small metal insect on the wall with a light on its back, pinching it in his two fingers, trying not to crush it for the fun of it ”Well kid looks like you’re right” Stormer said “This little bugger is a Fire Termite: Nasty little things who travel in space and consume metal. It probably ate the wrong wire and boom, the whole ship was left without energy” Furno glared at him “That thing alone can do all of this? There has to be a swarm of them” he said to the alpha 1 leader which Stormer retorted to “Even if it was a swarm, and first of all don’t you use that tone with me rookie” Stormer said crushing the bug between his finger “they aren’t intelligent enough to eat somebody, they see us raw, uncooked, might I even say disgusting to look at…well what do you know, the bugs and I have the same taste for you” He finished, rewarding himself with a glare from Furno “Now lose the attitude, kid” He said beginning to walk again in the direction of the bridge as Furno rolled his eyes and started to follow him.

—

Breez and Surge forcefully opened the door of the dark shadowy room as it made a loud creaking and metal slid across the floor. Their red and yellow electric eyes look around the room trying to find anything in the dark. Surge lit up the room with his weapon, the electric bolts staying still like a sword to light up anywhere near them.

As the two rookies looked around the room they found the large containers and barrels around the room, secured by metal straps to ensure that nothing exploded.

“Seems fine by me,” Surge said as the two approached the gigantic shelves that towered over them with ease, with a bit of spook in his voice. Breez knelt with a scanner in her hand as she moved it around the room, tracking all of the electric energy inside the barrels.

“Yeah, it seems so to me too, but I don’t wanna jinx it,” Breez said, getting up and looking around the room. “I’m picking up some voices,” she said, hearing the sound in her ear systems, she waited a moment before replicating the sound, scaring Surge a little when the weird mechanical noise came out of her mouth.

Suddenly a small buzzing came from the room as Breez opened her hand and a Fire Termite flew down onto it, looking up at her with a bit of amazement if it could have.

“A Fire Termite?” Surge questioned, “That thingy there, did all of this?” Breez just looked back at the small mechanical insect “I used their audio and I created a variation of it that resembles its mother” she said nonchalantly.

“But Fire Termites don’t have a mother,” Surge said to her, she just shrugged and looked back at him “It doesn’t, but I made it believe I am, and since they’re not intelligent enough to think logically, it does think I’m its mom”.

Suddenly the small insect started chewing and biting small pieces of her metal fingers, though it didn’t last for long as it was zapped and deactivated by another of Breez’s energy outings. She knew this was happening more frequently with her body and she had a saddened look as she put the small insect down on the ground.

“Still trying to control that, huh?” Surge said, trying to somewhat comfort his friend. Breez just nodded it off before looking back at him “Let’s just try to find the other ones, they’ll be scattered around the ship” she said “Could be a dozen or two” as she picked up her weapons from her back, but the two rookie heroes stopped and widened their optics when they heard a loud buzzing of many Fire Termites….didn’t seem like a dozen or two.

—

Stormer and Furno opened the door to the bridge after forcing it open, they brought out their weapons and looked around the dark room, as the giant front window of the ship let them see the space in front of them.

“Clear,” Furno said as he lowered down his weapon to look at the Alpha Leader, though Stormer didn’t lower his weapon at all, turning quickly to point his weapon to a shadowy corner “I accepted better from you, Rookie,” he said while Furno rolled his eyes “Now come out with your hands up slowly”.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the voice said, and they recognized it as the voice of the bot who sent the distress signal, when he came out of the shadow he looked like a normal bot with one huge detail: his metal was bitten off and tore out all around his body and his hands weren’t there anymore, instead there were only two sharpened poles that were supposed to be his arms, as his orbs were empty, with his eyes being taken out of them.

The two heroes had a startled reaction to the sight but the bot quickly shook his “arms” and approached them “Don’t worry I’m a crew member” he said as he lowered his arms. The two heroes looked at each other before Stormer nodded to Furno and the two lowered their weapons.

“Alright, we’ll believe you for now,” Stormer said “Who are you? Where is the rest of the crew? And what happened to the ship this isn’t just a malfunction” Stormer said in his usual military tone at the blind and handless bot, who didn’t move a muscle, not intimidated by him. He looked…at peace.

“My name doesn’t matter, not anymore,” he said as he sighed “I was the bait, for them to feed more,” he said to the two heroes who looked confused, with a hint of worry.

“Bait? Bait for what?” Furno said as suddenly, they heard a loud buzzing sound coming from the corridors as the two backed away and pointed their weapons at the source of the sound.

“It’s them, or him...I never understood it” the bot said, turning his head to hear the sound, before turning to the two heroes as much as he could “He spared me to get more food, and the others were spared from this waiting. waiting alone with him, with the guilt of taking someone else down with you” just then the rumbling and buzzing was revealed to be a long and gigantic swarm of Fire Termites who flew around the room, circling the bot, starting to envelop him. He was able to say a small apology or thank you, the two couldn’t hear it for the buzz. When the swarm got off his body, there was nothing left of the bot, not the skeleton nor the sensors, as the bugs began to swarm around the room.

“This isn’t possible,” Stormer said while pointing his weapon at the flying termites who were in the thousands “They don’t have the mind to eat somebody alive, they don’t have coordination,” he said while the two heard a booming yet distorted buzzing voice talk.

“They do if somebody is their hive mind if somebody tells them what to do if somebody…is them”

The termites moved into a cone and started to create a form with their bodies: the form was humanoid but it was far larger than them, it was skinny yet full of tails or pointy tentacles on its back, and the face was a circular sphere with a bright orange light in the middle created by the tails of the fire termites.
When the termites stabilize their body they look down at the two heroes with their arms open.

“Who are you?” Stormer said to the creature, his previous concern now becoming anger against that…thing in front of them.

“I am …” The creature said as the light in his or its face, gleamed brighter “...the Hive….and you” he continued while extending its tentacles “Are food”.

Chapter Text

“You really had to do that, didn’t you?!” Surge said as he zapped some of the Fire Termites with his weapon as he and Breez were running off through the hallways of the ship. Some of the bugs would get close sometimes and eat away a few parts of their armor.

“It’s not my fault, Surge” Breez said as she shot one of her weapons and swung her arm to take off some of the termites on her “They shouldn't act like this”.

The pair of rookies continued to run across the dark ship, the part of HIVE that detached from him, still chasing them since they ran out of cargo.

“Any ideas on how to get these things off?!” Surge said while the two were running out of options where to run to.

Breez thought momentarily, letting some of the termites hit her shoulder parts and mask as she was lost in thought. Her eyes lighted up with an idea, and she shook off the mechanical bugs, looking at Surge. “How about your Speedster mode?” she said while waiting for his answer.

Surge’s eyes widened behind his mask, but then thought about it for a moment “Alright alright it might work” he said as he zapped away other termites “But where do we go? They’ll just follow the hallways”

“We’ll go back into the cargo, fix the systems there, and call for back up to the Hero Factory, and if we’re lucky we can also get Alpha Leader and Furno’s attention” she responded to him waiting.

Surge thought about it for a second before nodding and looking back at her “Alright, let’s do this” he said as the weapon in his hand, split into two identical pieces that were attached to his back, behind his shoulders. The three rookies all had three different modes for their weapons, being the latest generation: they had a standard, which was the one they used when using their weapons. They had Melee, which was the mode used for hand-to-hand combat. And finally, there was the boost mode, which allowed the three a general boost through their bodies, harnessing their defections. For Surge, he could harness the extra electricity he produced in his body as a propeller and turbo.

As soon as Surge was ready, Breeze placed her weapons back onto their positions behind her arms as she jumped into his arms. Surge caught her in a bridal style as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Surge activated his booster and six stripes of electricity came out of his back as he ran away at extreme speed away from the insects.

He ran fast until he found a wall, he turned around and pressed against it, using it as a jumping boost to change his running direction, straight toward the fire termites. The two rookies ran through the termites, those who tried to approach them or notice them fast enough were electrocuted. Surge ran away enough from what was left of the part of the swarm. The two rookies found their way back to the cargo, Surge settled Breez down as they pushed the door to close, buying them more time.

“Alright that was the easy part,” Breez said looking at Surge, electricity still running through him “Now we need to restore the power AND contact Alpha Leader…before those things eat us alive” she finished as she started to walk to the panels.

“Way to kill the mood, Natalie…” Surge muttered to himself.

—

HIVE threw one of their spiked tails towards the two heroes, who jumped out of the way to their side, though the tail did smash the bridge control panel.

Stormer raised his weapon and aimed at the termites “Shoot it down, rookie!” he shouted as he started blasting it, while some of the termites were hit, it didn’t seem like HIVE was affected by them. Furno nodded and aimed his weapon at them, blasting the other side of the monster.

HIVE was at first overwhelmed thanks to the firepower and let out a sort of groan as he was forced on one of their knees for it. “Keep him down!” Stormer shouted to Furno, but somehow as if wanting to oppose Stormer, HIVE’s eye glew brighter and he reformed his form as he used two of their tentacles and launched them towards the two heroes, wrapping them around their necks and lifting them in the air, making them stop their barrages of blasts.

“Interesting,” They said as it got up and looked at the two heroes “Food has never been so feisty and fierce, but I suppose there is always a new dish to try,” They said as it got close to Stormer “ I am so very eager to eat every inch of you, especially that energy coming from your chest” they finished as their eye was touching Stormer’s mask.

“O-oh Ye-yeah?” Stormer grunted while the tentacle or tail was slowly eating away his neck cables “Then try this appetizer” he said as he pointed the harpoon of his weapon in the middle of the center of HIVE’s eye and shooting it, piercing the middle of the creature’s ‘FACE’.

HIVE let out a shriek of pain as their vision went blank for a while, Stormer used this opportunity and activated the chainsaw on his weapon and cut the termites that were holding him, he fell on the ground and used that opportunity to slash one of their legs.

Furno saw what the Alpha Leader did and decided to try it too, activating his blade mode and slashing the tentacle off his neck and falling on the floor, running towards Stormer.

HIVE moved one of their arms aggrievedly, back-slapping Stormer and sending him crashing towards Furno, the two heroes both crashing into the wall.

“Damn you’re heavy” Furno groaned as they crashed on the wall, Stormer glared at him and got up from the floor “Not now, Rookie”. They both heard the groan from HIVE as they looked back at them as they used their termites to reform their body, though it was a little smaller, without some details and tentacles “And we have another problem right now” Stormer said as he pointed his weapon.

—

“Breez, you have to hurry before those things find out we are here!” Surge said as he looked down at the other rookie who was using one of the charges of the transport to power up the systems of the ship.

“I’m working on it,” the green rookie said with a bit of frustration in her voice, she had done everything right, why weren’t the systems working??!

“Well, Stormer and Furno may not have much time left, Breez, so hurry up!” Surge said in a bit of an angry and impatient tone, the green bot glared a little and shouted out “I said I’m working on it!” right then a purple spark flew out of her fist as it got through the battery and the wires of the systems, the lights and systems of the cargo lighted up and the two rookies looked at the ceiling with a bit of shock and relief.

—

“YOU ... .Are a very feisty meal” HIVE said while walking towards Stormer and Furno, their legs making a heavy sound every time they hit the floor. Stormer meanwhile was pointing his weapon at the monster, not letting it get near his rookie.

“I will enjoy tearing that fancy core off your corpse!” HIVE said running towards them, lounging at them, but suddenly the lights of the ship turned back on, though now they were a dark shade of purple, HIVE immediately got affected by the light, crashing on the ground and covering their head with their hands in pain as the light started to burn the termites that composed their body.

“Termites hate light?” Furno questioned while looking at Stormer, both heroes still pointing their weapons. Stormer shook his head “The lights overcharge their light bulbs, making their body explode” he said as they both watched the monster shrieking in agony on the floor, after some seconds they could hear small popping and glass shattering sounds coming from them, the termites were exploding.

HIVE got up with a weak stand and they used one of their tails to destroy the lights of the room, they looked back at the two heroes with an almost glare “This…isn’t over, meals” he growled as it ran away out in the hallways.

“After him!” Stormer ordered but as soon as he took a step, he knelt on the floor clenching his knee, the termites probably had eaten some of his circuits and he needed time to restart them.

“Alpha Leader! Alpha Leader Stormer can you hear us?!” Stormer heard a voice in his commlink in the ear of this helmet, he recognized it as Breez’s as he activated the channel, letting Furno hear it too “Breez? Glad to hear you’re alive” he said as he sighed “I suppose you found a solution to the termites?” He questioned the two rookies.

“Yes…and no,” Breez said through the comm “I activated the lights using one of the power cells of the cargo, but as soon as it finishes the systems will be fried…I can’t turn them on again” she explained in a bit of a sorry tone.

Stormer thought for a moment in his head before speaking “How much until the lights get fried?” he questioned, Breez took a moment before responding “Probably ten minutes, why?” she answered and questioned at the same time.

“That thing that attacked us is going to need more to feed on when the lights turn off” he explained “If we put one of the cargo batteries in the engines, we turned them on, we lure that thing into it and we fried it…we make sure that monster doesn’t have a single fire termite left” he explained to the three rookies.

Breez and Surge were a bit confused about the mention of a ‘thing’ or ‘monster’ as they only met a swarm...Alright, Alpha Leader” Surge said through the comm “How do we lure it?” he questioned.

“You’re going to have to lure it, Surge,” Stormer said “And you’re going to need to be fast”.
—

HIVE was hiding under a fallen-over wall of the ship, shrieking in pain as many of their fire termites were exploding since he was too big to fit under it. Suddenly, the lights of the hallways flickered and sparkled as they exploded and turned off violently.

They looked up as if checking if it was a trick from their next meal, but they waited for a minute and when they saw that nothing was happening, they got out of their hiding place and stood up.

“Finally the meals don’t have tricks up their sleeves anymore” he muttered to himself until he heard a voice down the hallway.

“Hey, Bug freak!” They heard and turned around to see the blue meal that one of their swarms saw as they were standing there with a cocky smirk under his helmet. “Bet you think I’m pretty tasty huh? And you look like you need to eat up something,” he said while tapping his foot.

“Do not play with me, meal” HIVE said while composing their termites “I will be fed by your body”. Surge smirked at them “Sure thing, If you can catch me, buddy” he said as the boost on his back started to light up “Later, one eye!” he yelled as he started to run away at his super speed. HIVE growled at the running meal and took off in their swarm form towards the speedster.

Surge kept running away from them, always seeming too distant for them to reach, he needed more speed, to get this meal, to eat him up until he was nothing but a mess on the ground. They called back their various termites around the ship, no, he called back every single termite around the ship, they needed a meal to eat…now.

Surge looked behind himself and saw the now entire swarm chasing him, he had lost a bit of his confidence but he still ran towards the engines, he put a finger on the side of the helmet as he activated his comms “I got him, like, every single one, are you guys ready?” he said with hurry and panic in his voice. The voice of Furno immediately responded to him “As soon as you pass through the door of the engine room you tell us, Surge, you just need to reach it” Furno said before cutting the comms. The blue rookie just shook his head and focused on running straight.

Surge continued to run, not wanting a single termite to get on his body, he finally saw his destination, a metal door with black and yellow stripes around the doorframe, with the words ‘Engine Room’ written on the top of it. He ran as fast as he could, seeing in his systems that he was about to run out of extra electricity to use, he needed to be faster if he wanted the plan to work, as soon as the extra energy was over, he commanded his systems to use his main energy to speed him up, which worked, but at the cost of making him feel light-headed and very much tired.

“NOW!” He shouted in a hurry as he passed through the engine room, HIVE doing the same just moments after him. Surge saw the great leap that was before him as he saw the engine activating to his right. He jumped, and when he did time slowed down for him and him only. He saw the light-blue light of the flame of the engine coming from his right, he saw the millions of fire termites that were behind him, reaching for him that were so closed. He felt hot, hotter and hotter as the flame of the engines grew nearer, he felt himself touching the floor on the other side of the engine as he felt his back being heated up and the screech of the hive.

“MEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-” HIVE could finish the sentence as every single Fire Termite was burned alive as the engines started up. Surge crashed down on the other side of the jump when the other three heroes were sure that the monster was gone, and turned off the engine.

Surge looked up and saw that the hive was no more, no more eating away his precious metal like a leech. For the first time when he was created, he felt like a hero on the front lines, and not just a member of the squad. He felt the spotlight for the first time. He turned himself on his back on the ground as he sighed in exhaustion and relief, he saw the other three rushing towards him before closing his eyes for the fatigue.

Chapter Text

Surge slowly opened his eyes with a groan, when he looked at the ceiling he found himself in the med-bay of the Hero Factory, he sat up on the medical bed and saw Natalie and William at his side, with the green hero updating Stormer that he was awake, at which after the Alpha Leader came to the side of his bed too.

“How long was I-” Surge said before Natalie quickly hugged him in a hurry, squeezing him a little “Oh you big doof I was so worried for you,” she said as some of his internal gear made a bad sound in his opinion “N-Nat-alie” he managed to croak out of his throat before the green bot realized what she was doing and released him from the hug, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Sorry…anyway you were out for almost 5 hours,” She said “We called back up on the ship and managed to bring the cargo here and you to the med-bay, so basically you completed the mission!” she explained to him with a bit of a cheeky smile that a child would make out of joy, or a smile that someone would make to make someone feel better after doing something wrong.

“Yeah, Surge you saved all of us back there, you were a Hero,” Furno said, encouraging him a little, at which Mark felt better.

“Whether he’s a hero or not is for me to decide, Rookies,” Stormer said as he scolded the two rookies, but then he looked back at Surge with a sigh “But yes, you did a very good job out there, Rookie” he admitted “Just don’t use your core energy next time, I wouldn’t want one of my rookies to deactivate under my watch” he said as he exited the med-bay, but not before shouting “And I want you ready for training tomorrow!”

The three rookies laughed a little at the Alpha Leader’s attitude, stern but yet caring for them.

“Okay, now I get what you meant when you said what it feels like getting complimented by Stormer,” Surge said as he looked at Furno “So….do you think I can make the first page on the newspaper or…?”

The red and green duo chuckled a little “Don’t stretch it, Mark” Natalie said as they stayed there with him for a while, making sure he got all of their attention. He may not have been a full-fledged hero yet, but he was their hero, at least for the day.

Chapter Text

The Mysterious giant figure in the black hole watched from a hidden place as the three rookies shared their laugh, watching with both disgusting yet somehow an impressed look.

“So It seems like I’ll need to watch out for all of them and not only this William Furno” He said as he hovered in the darkness watching the scene from his staff “No matter, these rookies will be dealt with, if Not by XPlode and Rotor, nor by HIVE, they will be”

He took one last look at the three before stopping for a moment observing them “I’ll be watching you closely…rookies”.