Chapter thirteen: Stronger Than Ever!

Steamed up metal lay everywhere, soft and heavy breaths bellowed in the silence,.. or so it seemed. One could almost assume them dead, if not for their breaths and the steady stir that brought them all back to the waking world.

"Augh! What happened? A rolladon stampede?" Dozer groaned heavily, barely lifting his head.

"Not exactly.." Revvit said, coming up toward them, then looking over to his right. They all turned their attention in that direction, to find Ty lying motionless nearby.

"Rev,.. Is he..?"

"No, Skya,.. He is alive.." The reptool interjected quickly. "But he is in worse shape than before.. We have been patching you all up as best we could in the dark of night, but we could only get so much done. My hope is that, once you've all eaten,.. We may bring you into the garage so we can make the more permanent repairs. Ty will have to be last.. unless he shows signs of waking.. hopefully soon."

"Ok Rev,.. sounds good." The cranasaur nodded intently, sensitive to the distraught tool, who still stared at the red T-trux.

"So.. what now?" Dozer asked.

"First thing's first.." Revvit answered, hopping up onto Skya, as she slowly lifted herself off the ground on her treads. "We check your systems and get you all up on your treads again."

"And you just want us to wait around until then?" Dozer complained. "Are you crazy?!"

"Relax Dozer.." Skya spoke up firmly. "Revvit's got a point.. I mean,.. We all saw what those things did to Ty.. and then experienced it first hand… It's no wonder he can't stand those guys."

"That's what I said!" Dozer cranked, as Revvit came to him next with Ace and Waldo already there.

"Regardless.." Skya emphasized. "We need to take it easy for a while and make sure our systems are repaired properly, before we get too caught up in our daily lives again. Believe it or not.. those Razoraptors sure can do some damage."

"-Right.." Revvit agreed. "Which is why.." He hopped down off of Dozer to scurry towards two piles.

"We have gathered piles of parts for repairs, and Ore for you to eat, while we make our repairs." The Rotilion explained.

"Sounds like a sweet deal to me." Ton-Ton admitted.

"Eh, whatever, let's just eat already." Dozer grumped.

XXXX

A light groan, and optics barely flashed an opening to see. Dragging a heavy head up darkness appeared all around him.

'Where am I?' His thoughts wondered. Suddenly the whole scene burst into color, bringing back the same place in which they'd just escaped.

"Here.. again?" The T-trux groaned, his body beginning to ache just at the sight of it. He doubled over at the wave of pain that crashed down on him, wondering if he'd even survive it. But then a voice he knew faded in.. and he looked up.

"No,.. I will not let you give up.." Revvit's determined voice told his other self, lying listlessly on the ground before him. Watching his little friend taking a leap of faith through the jaws of a raptor, made his heart skip a beat,.. But the energy inducing supercharger he'd picked up on the way down again, gave him a hope he now realized had helped him succeed. Watching the past recreated before him, his own triumph became clear, as the brilliant blue nearly blinded him with the echo of his own mighty roar!

XXXX

Everyone froze, and Revvit whipped around to look, when a heavy groan rang out. Ty shifted, and seemed to roll off his side. Planting his treads on the ground, he slowly stood up; minding himself gingerly for fear of aggravating any wounds he may have had.

"Ty?" Revvit addressed him slowly, cautiously approaching. Ty looked up at hearing his name, a soft recognition in his optics as he barely stood at all.

"-ihn.. How's it going." He managed to say, giving an illusion of ease that was heavily shrouded by his lack of energy.

"Huoh! I am very glad to hear you say anything like that again." Revvit sighed, everyone else joining him in that. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a mountain was dropped on my head and the Dumps all pounded me at once." The T-trux answered, rather quickly.

"I imagine you do feel that way.." Revvit had to admit.. "But at least that Supercharger had sustained you long enough to get back here in one piece with the rest of us."

"If it wasn't for you,.. I probably wouldn't have made it back in one piece." Ty returned, as a part of his tread came off; clattering to the ground. "Well,.. Ya know.. sort of in one piece." He followed up soon after.

"This is rather surprising.." Revvit began, strolling closer to Ty.

"Why? You said it yourself, those Razoraptor things are a nuisance." Waldo spoke up curiously.

"-No,.. uh..not that.." Rev corrected himself. "I mean,.." He turned back to his large, red friend. "Ty, you seem a lot more alert than you ever have been recently.. does that mean you are feeling better?"

"Maybe not better.." Ty answered.. "But at least I'm alive."

"And we're glad for that." Skya said, and even with the silence; the nods from the other trux showed their agreement.

"And.. now that you are awake,.." Revvit began again, coming to then hop up onto Ty's tread. "We can also begin assessing you for more extensive repairs.."

"That'd be after you eat as well." Hector reasoned, gesturing to the ore pile next to him.

"-Right." Revvit agreed, hopping off Ty again.

Bending down to eat amongst his friends, the tools all watched for a moment, an uplifting atmosphere like the rising sun filling all of them as they began their work.

"Now Revvit, I still say we need to be careful around Ty." Waldo reasoned, as they searched through the pile of parts. "He may be feeling more like himself now,.. But we should still be careful so we don't set him off until we're sure he won't do that anymore."

"I.. agree, Waldo.." Revvit admitted, turning to him over his shoulder. "And we will. We will have to be patient with him, until he's fully healed from all he has been through.. But I think that supercharger may have been just what we needed to boost him back up to where he needed to be in order to defeat the fears he has developed towards those destructive creatures."

"I don't doubt it." The wrenchtool shrugged. "But now I'm certain he'll be back to normal in no time. Til then we just gotta keep an eye on him til we're sure."

"-Yes." The rotilion agreed. "Now, let us get our bits busy."

"-Actually, I need to be heading off." Hector said, raising a corrective foot.

"What? You mean you aren't going to stick around to help with the repairs?" Revvit asked abruptly. "We could always use another tool."

"Thanks little brother,.. but I gotta be going." Hector politely declined. "I've been here longer enough anyway. You know I can't stay in one place for very long. No matter how great it is."

"You know, Rev's right. You're more than welcome to stick around." Ty said, turning from his meal. "Believe it or not, there's no shortage of crazy adventure when you're around a group like us."

"I believe it." Hector nodded thoughtfully. "And knowing Revvit, I'm sure there's plenty of it. And it is tempting, but there's still so much more to explore. And besides.. I don't really know how I'd fit into your group on a daily basis anyway. I'm ok with living a life that constantly changes.. And I don't mind wandering back this way once in a while."

"Well you're always welcome." Ty replied. "Especially after all you've done for us, and, more specifically, me.. After all, you've.. kinda just saved my life, like, twice now."

"Believe me, it was my pleasure." Hector nodded in a deep bow similar to what Revvit does from time to time. "After all, any friend of Revvit's is a friend of mine.. Or.. I guess the other way around in this case." Ty just chuckled but again was cut short by the pressure on his systems from his weakened state.

"Well, stay travels to you, Hector." The T-trux told him.

"And to you.. in your adventures.." Hector bowed again. "And recovery as of now.." He finished turning to Revvit. "See ya 'round, brother." He said, embracing his near twin.

"And you as well, Hector." Revvit answered in releasing him.

"Thanks." The green and yellow tool smiled turning to leave.

"-uh..and be careful out there.." Revvit followed up quickly. "Especially on your way out of the Flatirons,.. We are not completely certain that those razoraptors are gone yet. They could still be around ready to attack."

"Don't have to worry about me.. I got this." Hector answered, turning back to glance over his shoulder.

"That is what I worry about." Revvit sighed, knowingly. And Hector just lightly chuckled before taking off away from them.

"Well then, I suppose the rest of us will be getting our bits busy." Revvit stated, turning back to the tools gathered around in a circle with him.

"Looks like it." Ty smiled, and again an optimistic feeling washed over the tool when returning one.

XXXX

Roar! Ty's head smashed through some rocks, scattering the pebbles around the other trux.

"Excellent!" Revvit announced grandly. "It seems a few days of repairs and last couple weeks of rest and relaxation has finally brought you up to full strength again, Ty."

"Great, but.. I couldn't have done it without you." Ty said, looking down on his friend thankfully.

"-really? You think so?" The reptool answered, taken aback by this response.

"Well.. yeah." The T-trux shrugged. "After all, if you hadn't given me that supercharger during the raptor attack.. I never would've found the strength I needed to stop their attack."

"What? You remember doing that?" Revvit asked, his brightening tone the result of his amazement.

"-uh.. let's just say I saw myself do it." Ty replied.

"What? You mean like a dream?" Dozer wondered.

"Something like that, I guess." Ty shrugged again.

"Um,.. ok.. I suppose that makes sense." Revvit nodded thoughtfully. "But, I am glad that I could be of assistance."

"If only you knew how majorly you did." Ty said.

"-What do you mean?" Revvit asked, turning his way thoughtfully.

"Think about it.." Ty reasoned. "When everyone else was unnerved by me,.. you still stuck with it. Even though others may have told you to stay back and watch."

"How do you know all this?" Revvit wondered deeply intrigued.

"Well at times believe it or not.. I could hear you.." Ty said. "And I just know how you guys operate. I'm sure when I began to get dangerous, even toward you, Waldo would've said to stay away from me. And Skya would be the one to keep you all from never giving up on me. And knowing you.. you probably wouldn't have stayed away for long, before deciding it's time to do something."

"Dude.. you're good!" Ton-Ton breathed in amazement.

"It's like you just guessed everything that happened these last few weeks." Skya commented thoughtfully, also impressed.

"Just remind me not to get on your bad side from now on." Dozer said.

"Don't worry, Dozer.." Ty assured him. "I'm sure I won't get on that kind of bad side for a while."

"Really? So.. are you saying you're not afraid anymore?" Revvit asked.

"Not enough to let it consume me anymore." Ty replied easily. "I think now I can face them without having to lose my mind."

"Hoh, I am very glad to hear that." The yellow and green reptool sighed. "But I do still hope that we never encounter those dangerous creatures ever again."

"Second that!" Skya and Dozer agreed quickly, then looked to one another as if surprised they'd just jinxed each other.

"Me too." Ty agreed. "But.. since they live so close they'll probably find their way here eventually."

"And we'll be waiting." Revvit said, coming to hop up onto Ty's tread. "Preferably before they shred you all into a pile of scrap."

"Let's hope so." Ty said. "Maybe we can forge some new armor that they can't shred." The T-trux ventured loosely, as they rolled on across the Flatirons toward the garage.

"Yeah.. it's too bad D-Structs knows about those dudes too." Ton-Ton said. "I wonder what he'll do now that we've closed up that canyon."

"My guess is he'll find other ways to get rid of us." Ty said. "But we'll be ready. Cause we're stronger than ever."

"Right on, dude!" Ton-Ton mused.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Ty." Skya agreed.

"Let's just hope he gets what he deserves.." The red T-trux said. "Whenever that may be.."

XXXX

A grumbling groan and he rolled on out of his lair. The grey landscape marking the pinnacle of his mood and the matching pair to his own color scheme.

"Hey.. D-Structs-skkt!" Skrap-It sang when scurrying out after him. "-yap! Uhh..- D-Structs.. am I the only one who hears that.. currring sound?" The skraptool's awful sound effect couldn't deter the grand old T-trux from searching around for the growing sound they were hearing. Suddenly the ground became blades and burst forth at six points around him, releasing a screech that could chill anyone's bones. Swarming around him, the blades barely caught the edges of whatever they touched.

The distraction of all their activity brought a level of confusion as to which to attack first. But eventually that volcano erupted and anything that moved became his target.

"-ih..hey! Watch it, skkt!" Skrap-It yelped, diving away from the T-trux's snapping jaws. "I'm important!" D-Structs roared and threw down his wrecking ball. Smashing three or more of them into a pile, he bashed his head into it to scatter them further and those that remained standing watched. D-Structs came up to roar right at their level, as loudly as he could manage sending them all scrambling to get away. With the bladed menaces gone, the broken down T-trux bumped and jumped back into his cave a few parts less than the trux he was when he came out.

~Razor Thin~

Finally done! You guys, I have been waiting to finish this one for a LONG time. And of course some of that LONG-ness was my own fault. But Ta-da! I did it! Hope you enjoyed the ending and I hope now.. I can finish up some other stories so I won't have quite so many to manage at the same time. And therefore have more time to focus on stories like this one. Blessings to all that read my work both past and present.. and here's to hoping the future fics will go smoothly with each posted chapter. Thx!