Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jun was out of his seat the moment the final bell rang, laughter bubbling out of him as he bolted from the classroom. His sneakers slapped loudly against the hallway floor as he tore past lockers and doorways, dodging other students with practiced ease.

He was grinning by the time he reached the stairs.

He hit the first floor in what might have been record time, finally slowing to a walk only when his lungs began to burn.

“Hey! Jun, wait up!”

He rolled his eyes but glanced over his shoulder as Vance and Lavi came stumbling down the stairs behind him, nearly tripping over each other.

“Yeah?” Jun called back, “What do you want?”

They caught up quickly. Vance stopped in front of him, breathless but grinning wide, “There’s something we wanna show you.”

“Y— yeah!” Lavi added, popping up behind Vance. He looked… off. Nervous, even. His hands fidgeted at his sides, eyes darting away for half a second too long.

That alone put Jun on edge.

“What for?” Jun asked, head tilting suspiciously.

“It’s a secreeeeet~,” Vance sing-songed, wiggling his fingers. Lavi let out a weak, nervous chuckle.

Jun hesitated, “Well… I guess if it doesn’t take too long.”

“Great! Come on!”

Reluctantly, Jun followed them out of the school.

.

The moment they reached the construction site, Jun’s stomach twisted unpleasantly. The half-built structure loomed overhead, skeletal beams stretching skyward, unfinished and dangerous-looking.

A bad feeling crawled up his spine.

“Well?” Jun snapped, stopping short, “What are we doing here?”

“Not far now,” Vance said breezily, already climbing over a metal beam and heading up a ramp toward the building’s interior.

Lavi slowed, wringing his hands together, “Are you sure about this, Vance?” he asked quietly.

“Oh, stop being such a baby,” Vance scoffed without looking back.

Lavi winced but trailed along.

Jun sighed, eyeing the beam warily before following them.

They reached the third floor before Vance finally turned around. The grin was still there, but the sun blazing behind him cast his face in shadow, making it look wrong. Unsettling.

Jun swallowed hard. He glanced down — way down — and felt his stomach flip.

“So… what is it you wanted to show me?” Jun asked, voice tight, eyes flicking between Vance and the open edge.

“Why don’t you come see for yourself?” Vance said, pointing.

Jun hesitated — then stepped closer.

The instant he looked down, something yanked hard at his hoodie.

Jun yelped as his feet slipped to the very edge, barely hanging on, arms flailing wildly as he dangled over the edge, suspended only by the hood clenched in Vance’s fist.

“Hey! What the hell?!” Jun screamed, body rigid with terror.

“Here’s the deal,” Vance said calmly, almost casually, “You’re gonna tell us about that robot we saw. And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“I don’t!” Jun gasped, sweat prickling his skin, “I swear, I don’t know anything!”

Vance shook him violently.

Jun screamed as he heard fabric tear, his stomach dropping as his body sank lower.

“V— Vance! Stop, you’ll drop him!” Lavi yelps from behind, “You’re taking this too far, man!”

“Oh, what?” the larger boy huffs, “Are you gonna go cry to your mommy about it?”

Lavi makes a hurt noise, before stuttering, “I— I’m serious! This is dangerous!”

“Shut up!” Vance barks, giving Jun another shake, “I’ll do what I want!”

Jun can hardly focus on the arguing going on behind him with the loud pounding of his heart in his head.

His heart drops when he doesn’t just hear, but feels a few threads give way, his whole body sinking just an inch lower.

“Van— Vance, please!” he begs, “I promise I don’t know anything, I promise!”

“Still lying? We’ll see how you’ll feel about telling the truth after I—” he gives another good shake and gasps when a loud RIIIP rings out and he finds himself stumbling backwards as the weight suddenly disappears.

And Jun?

Jun screams.

The world lurched violently upward as his body dropped, the air tearing past his ears in a roaring rush. His stomach twisted painfully, that awful weightless feeling making his vision blur as the ground rushed closer far too fast.

He notes something that makes his heart drop.

There’s a broken metal pipe sticking out of-

The impact was not sharp at first. It came with a heavy, bone-rattling jolt that knocked the breath from his lungs in a strangled gasp. Then came the pain — white-hot and overwhelming — as something punched through his side with sickening force.

Jun screamed.

His body hit the ground hard, his head snapping sideways as his vision exploded into sparks. The scream tore itself from his throat before dissolving into a wet, broken wheeze.

For a few seconds, the world didn’t exist.

Just ringing.

Then pain came crashing back in like a wave.

Jun sucked in a breath and immediately regretted it. Agony flared through his ribs, sharp and deep, radiating outward with every tiny movement. His side burned fiercely, a pressure there that felt horribly wrong, like his body had been split open and forgotten.

He whimpered, a small, broken sound.

His fingers twitched uselessly against the sand as he tried to move, only for his vision to swim and darken at the edges.

“— told you —! —— far!”

Jun forced his eyes open, blinking through tears. Vance stood a few feet away, face pale, eyes wide with something like shock. Lavi hovered beside him, hands shaking violently.

“Oh god!” Lavi shrieks, “Oh my god!”

Vance backhands him, looking shaken, “Shut it with the screaming! Someone might hear you!

“Wh— what?!” Lavi rounds on the larger boy, grabbing him by the front of the shirt and continuing to scream as he shakes him, “This is all your fault! What were you thinking?!”

“Shut up! Look, he’s fine!” Vance points a finger Jun’s way, frowning, “I’m getting out of here before someone finds us and gets us in trouble.”

He turns tail and runs off, leaving Lavi standing there, shaking. The taller boy looks over at Jun, hesitating before approaching and dropping to his knees.

“Are— are you okay?” he stutters, eyes glistening, “I’m so so sorry!”

“It hurts,” Jun gasps, reaching for his side, “I don’t wanna die— I—"

It’s only then that Lavi seems to notice the growing red splot on Jun’s side, his eyes going wide.

“Holy shit!” the boy shrieks, “oh my god oh my god oh my god ohmygod! What— what do we do?!”

“Get—” Jun coughs, struggling to speak over the pain radiating throughout his body, “Get help, please.”

Lavi nods, suddenly crying as he jumps to his feet and takes off running.

“I’ll— oh god, I don’t have my phone—” the greenette sobs, “Don’t— don’t you worry, I’ll get help!”

Then he was gone too.

Jun was alone.

The silence pressed down on him, broken only by his own ragged breathing and the faint drip of blood onto concrete. Every breath felt like knives in his side. His body trembled uncontrollably, shock creeping in fast and cold.

All Jun can hear is his heart, all he can feel is pain, all he can think is—

“Hello, Jun!” a bright voice interrupts him and he startles, gasping as pain shoots through him, “Are you done with school yet? I’m boreddd~.”

It’s Shadow X, he notes blearily, his eyes widening.

“Guys!” he yells into the Metal Breath, his eyes suddenly burning.

“Guys, I need help,” he begins to cry before he can stop himself.

“Jun?!” multiple voices chorus, before Blue Cop’s face pops up on the watch.

“What’s going on?” he asks, the hologram looking around worriedly, “Is something wrong? Are you okay?”

“Blue Cop!” Jun sobs out through tears, wishing at least one of his friends were here with him, “It hurts! It hurts!” he cries.

“What hurts?” Blue Cop sounds exceedingly concerned, looking at him worriedly, “Talk to me, bud.”

“I— he dropped me!” he gasps, vision beyond blurry, “I fell! I fell and I think I got stabbed and it hurts!”

“Stabbed!?” Blue Cop roars, pupils tiny.

“Not— not stabbed,” Jun sniffles, “I don’t know the word but— but a pipe, I think it stabbed through my side.”

“You got impaled.” Mega Ambler appears before him, expression neutral, “Can you move? Can you check if you are bleeding?”

Jun tries to move and has to bite down on his lip to stop himself from screaming when overwhelming pain courses through him. A choked cry escapes him, “No! No, it hurts to move! An— I can’t tell but my sto— stomach feels wet.”

“Not good,” Mega Ambler hums, “Where are you? I— that is, we can try to help.”

“Uhm—” for a moment, he does not remember, freezing cold fear shooting down his spine, “The—" he swallows thickly, tasting copper, "The construction site not too far from my— my school.”

Mega Ambler hums, nodding, “We are on our way, please try to stay conscious.”

Jun nods, taking deep slow breaths, riding through the pain as it continues to course through him.

And then he startles upon realizing that it doesn’t hurt as much as it did before.

“Guys?” he gasps out, tears and snot streaming down his face and into his mouth, “I— why does—” he feels his breathing pick up, “I’m scared!” he sobs.

“Hey, hey, hush,” an orange blurr with a deep voice appears, “You’ll be okay, kid. Blue Cop, Mega Ambler and Shadow X are on their way.”

“It doesn’t hurt,” Jun gasps out, feeling panic wash over him, “Why doesn’t it hurt?!”

“Sounds like the adrenaline kicking in finally,” Mega Ambler grumbles, “That’s normal, you’re okay.”

“I—” his breath hitches, breathing fast, his head suddenly spinning, “I don’t— I—”

“Hey, woah, it’s okay, you’re okay!” A red blur appears, pupils so small they were barely visible, “Please calm down!”

Darkness creeps up the corners of his vision and Jun cries out, hands curling into fists as he gasps for air.

“What is ——— on?!”

“— believe — panic ——ck.”

The world goes dark.

.

“I found him!” Shadow X yelps out, transforming mid-sprint and skidding across the dirt to a stop beside the boy. Dust kicks up around his landing as he drops to one knee, optics snapping down to Jun’s crumpled form.

“Is he okay!?” An understandably worried Blue Cop exclaims, his voice crackling through their connection as Shadow X leans closer, his core spinning faster at the sight of Jun lying so still.

“Checking,” he answers, reaching out with a tentative servo to poke Jun’s shoulder. There’s no response. His servos hesitate, hovering uncertainly. “I— I don’t know, he won’t wake up!”

“Scrap.” Mega Ambler’s voice reaches him, sharper than usual, “Can you check if he is breathing?”

“Right! On it!” Shadow X says quickly, lowering himself fully to the ground beside Jun. He shifts to the boy’s side, positioning himself so he can see Jun’s chest clearly. For a terrifying second, there’s nothing — no movement, no sign of life.

And then, much to his relief, he sees it.

Jun’s chest quickly deflates before rising again, shallow and uneven, but unmistakably there. Again. And again.

“He’s breathing!” Shadow X announces, his voice pitching upward with relief as multiple sighs echo through the link.

“We are almost there!” Blue Cop informs them all, urgency underscoring every word.

No less than twenty seconds later, the distant wail of sirens grows louder, overlapping and converging. Shadow X finds himself wishing he could grin, his servos buzzing with nervous energy.

A moment later, Blue Cop and Mega Ambler arrive in their robot forms, skidding to a halt on either side of Jun.

“Jun!” Blue Cop exclaims, immediately kneeling at the boy’s other side. His pupils shrink to pinpricks as his servos hover just above Jun’s body, afraid to touch, afraid not to.

He suddenly rounds on Mega Ambler, “What do we do!?”

“Well,” the ambulance hums, stepping closer and scanning the wound, “The most important thing is to stop the bleeding by adding pressure, but...”

Both cardbots look at him with wide eyes, “But...?”

“It is imperative that the force used isn’t too strong or it could cause further internal damage.”

“Oh stars,” Shadow X whimpers, bringing a servo up to his faceplate, “We need to add pressure but we might hurt him further, nooooo.”

“For the first time in my life,” Blue Cop whispers, voice tight, “I wish I were smaller and weaker...”

“Shadow X,” Mega Ambler pipes up, making the helicopter jump. His optics widen slightly as he looks at the younger bot, “You are the smallest and physically weakest of us all, I think it would be best if it is you who does it.”

The bot whines, not even noticing the backhanded compliment, servos shaking as the weight of responsibility sinks in, “Oh man, you’re putting a lot of pressure on my back here, man.”

With a nervous ex-vent, Shadow X crawls closer, carefully positioning himself over Jun. He uses two digits to press down around the small portion of metal visible at Jun’s side, applying pressure as gently as he possibly can.

He flinches when Jun twitches beneath his touch, a small, pained sound escaping the boy.

“I’m so sorry, buddy,” he whispers, voice barely audible, “It’s— it’s for your own good. You’ll be okay, promise.”

“What now?” Blue Cop asks, glancing to Mega Ambler, who stands nearby with a servo resting against his chin.

“We would preferably get him to a hospital,” the bot hums.

“Can’t we just remove the rod and then you heal him up?” Shadow X pipes up, doing his best not to shift or shake.

“It’s not that simple, at least not with organics,” Mega Ambler explains, “I believe his organs have been damaged, which my powers cannot fix. It would only patch up the outer layers and leave him with internal bleeding.”

“That sounds bad,” Mega Trucker rumbles through their connection.

“Indeed,” Mega Ambler ex-vents, “In general, it would be preferable to keep the pipe inside of him until we can get him to the hospital.”

“But how do we do that?” Blue Cop huffs, beginning to pace in short, agitated steps.

Everyone falls silent, the only sound Jun’s quiet, laboured breaths and the distant echo of sirens.

“We... Couldn’t you remove or cut off the pipe and take it with you?” Phoenix Fire pipes up at last, breaking the stillness.

“Well...” Mega Ambler considers, optics flicking back to Jun, “I suppose we could, if we are exceedingly careful about it.”

“I would say it’s worth a try, but...” Blue Cop worries, stopping his pacing, “What if something goes wrong?”

Nobody answers immediately, sitting in tense silence.

“I think we should do it,” Shadow X says finally, voice shaking but resolute. “I can’t— I— we need to do something to help him!”

The rest of the cardbots respond with quiet hums and murmured agreement.

“Alright! It is settled,” Mega Ambler announces, kneeling down in front of Jun, “We will try to lift Jun and the pipe.”

“Alright!” “Okay!” the others chorus back.

They spend several tense moments repositioning. Shadow X shifts his servos from pressing directly down to carefully cupping Jun’s abdomen, applying pressure on either side of the wound instead. Once everyone is in place, they still.

Blue Cop, very very gently, scoops Jun up, lifting his limp frame just enough for Mega Ambler to reach beneath him and secure a grip on the pipe.

“On three!” Blue Cop says.

“One.” Servos lock in place.

“Two.” Optics narrow, every movement calculated.

“Three!”

The trio move together, slow and deliberate. The pipe slides free with a gritty scrape, sand cascading down in a sudden torrent. Every bot freezes.

A moment of stillness passes then a collective ex-vent follows as Blue Cop and Shadow X slump slightly in relief.

“Good work, everyone,” Blue Cop says, his optics squinting as Mega Trucker cheers and Phoenix Fire offers praise.

“Indeed, we are about halfway done,” Mega Ambler proclaims, “All we need to do now is deposit him and the pipe in my carriage.”

“I can hold the pipe,” Blue Cop immediately volunteers.

Mega Ambler nods, lowering the metal carefully so Blue Cop can take it. Once secure, the ambulance steps back and transforms, the doors on his back opening wide.

Blue Cop and Shadow X exchange a brief nod before carefully carrying Jun over and placing both him and the pipe inside.

“Alright,” the ambulance says, doors closing with deliberate care, “I’m off.”

“Please be careful,” Blue Cop says, transforming and pulling alongside him.

“Watch out for potholes!” Shadow X adds, wringing his servos.

Mega Ambler ignores that last comment and speeds off.

.

On their way to the hospital, they pass an ambulance with its sirens blaring in the opposite direction. They think nothing of it.

Chapter Text

There are moments of vague light and sound, but he is far from the surface.

Sinking, sinking—

and then, after what feels like an eternity—

Jun comes to slowly to the steady, rhythmic sound of beeping.

He groans, the noise rough and unfamiliar in his own ears, and carefully peels his eyes open — only to immediately squint and hiss as harsh light stabs straight through his skull. His eyelids flutter shut again on instinct.

For a few seconds, he does nothing but breathe, chest rising and falling as the fog in his head slowly thins. His body feels heavy. Wrong. Like it doesn’t quite belong to him.

When the light finally stops feeling like he’s staring directly into the sun from ten meters away, he opens his eyes again and lets them wander.

White.

White walls, white ceiling, white curtains. Everything looks painfully clean, barren and sterile.

Jun considers sitting up to get a better look around, but the moment he tenses even slightly, pain explodes through his side like a lightning bolt. He sucks in a sharp breath and immediately abandons that idea.

“Bad idea,” he mutters, then winces again as his throat burns.

With a tired sigh, he settles back into the mattress, eyes drifting aimlessly around the room in search of something —anything— interesting. He finds nothing.

“Well, this is no fun,” he grouches, voice hoarse and scratchy.

He pauses, frowning faintly. Why does it hurt so much just to talk?

He hopes it’s not from screaming his lungs out.

Only much later will the memory resurface — crying, sobbing, begging for help between gasping breaths — but for now, the thought slips away, leaving him staring blankly at the wall for a long, quiet moment.

Time passes strangely after that.

A moment.

Then another.

Eventually — after what Jun assumes must be hours of waiting (it is, in reality, only twenty minutes) — something changes.

The handle across the room jiggles.

Jun startles, instantly regretting it as pain flares again, and turns his head just in time to see the door open.

A woman dressed in shrubs steps inside. Her blonde hair is pulled into a loose bun, a clipboard tucked under one arm. Her eyes flick from the paper up to him behind square glasses.

She blinks.

“Oh! Oh— you’re awake!” she gasps, adjusting her glasses as relief spreads across her face.

She closes the door behind her and approaches, her steps light, a gentle smile settling into place.

“Jun Grant, yes?”

Jun stares at her for a second, brain sluggish, then nods.

“Would you like anything?” she asks, head tilting slightly, curious and kind.

“Oh, uhm… water, please,” he croaks.

She nods immediately and slips through the small adjoining door — probably the bathroom. Jun hears glass clink, water running, then silence. Moments later she returns, glass in hand.

She stops beside the bed, her smile faltering as she looks him over more closely.

“Do you need help sitting up?”

“Oh. Yeah. It hurts when I try,” he admits.

She nods, “Alright.”

She sets the glass down, steps closer, and carefully helps him sit up, bracing him and arranging the pillow behind his back. It takes a bit of shuffling, but he’s upright soon enough, mercifully without too much pain.

“Thank you,” Jun mumbles, taking the glass and gulping down the water greedily. The coolness soothes his aching throat almost immediately.

When he’s done, she takes the glass back and sets it down with a soft clink. Then she looks at him — really looks at him — and her expression grows serious.

“I’m afraid we need to address your injuries now. Is that okay?”

Jun blinks, caught off guard, then nods.

“Yes, so,” she continues gently, “I’m sure you’ve noticed we have you connected to quite a few devices.”

Jun glances at the beeping monitor to his left, then the IV bag hanging on the right, and nods again.

“We’re monitoring your condition and giving you fluids. You also received a blood transfusion while you were still asleep.”

“Do— have my parents come to visit?” he asks quickly, interrupting her.

She blinks, then gives him a soft, sad smile, “Yes. They arrived a few hours after your surgery—”

“Surgery?!” Jun lurches forward, eyes wide, immediately regretting the movement.

“Yes,” she says firmly but kindly, “As I was saying, they were informed of everything, including the treatment plan.”

Jun slumps back against the pillow, “Okay… that’s good. But why’d they leave?”

She studies him for a moment, “Jun, what day do you think it is?”

“Thursday,” he answers without hesitation, “I left school, got hurt, and ended up here. A few hours passed. My parents should’ve stayed longer.”

“Oh, buddy,” she murmurs, “Your parents stayed until closing.”

His eyes widen.

“Today is Friday,” she continues gently, “It’s a little past noon.”

For a long moment, Jun can only stare.

“W— what?” he whispers, “I’ve been asleep that long?”

“Yes,” the nurse confirms, “Almost a full day.”

The words sink in slowly, heavily.

Jun looks down at himself, at the blankets tucked around his legs, the faint outline of bandages beneath his hospital gown. His hands curl slightly in the sheets.

“I… almost died, didn’t I?” he asks quietly.

The nurse hesitates just long enough to be noticeable.

“You were very lucky,” she says at last, “But you’re here now. And you’re stable.”

That doesn’t feel as comforting as it probably should.

Before Jun can respond, there’s a knock at the door.

“Oh— perfect timing,” the nurse says, turning, “I’ll be right back, okay? Try to rest.”

She steps out, leaving Jun alone again with the beeping machines and the weight of everything crashing down on him all at once.

He stares at the wall, heart pounding.

Surgery.

A whole day gone.

His parents crying somewhere without him awake to see it.

And then—

A familiar chime.

Jun startles, eyes snapping to his wrist.

The Metal Breath flickers to life, projecting a tiny hologram that jitters with barely contained energy.

“Jun!”

Shadow X’s face fills the projection, optics wide.

“You’re awake! You’re really awake!”

Before Jun can even respond, the image shifts, Blue Cop appears instead, optics bright with relief.

“Jun,” Blue Cop says, voice thick, “You scared us half to death.”

Jun’s lip wobbles.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, tears welling despite himself, “I didn’t mean to…”

“Hey. No,” Blue Cop says immediately, “None of that. You don’t apologize for getting hurt.”

More faces appear.

“You did good, kid,” Mega Trucker rumbles, “We're very glad.”

Jun swipes at his eyes with the heel of his hand, trying and failing not to cry.

“…Are you guys here?” he asks quietly.

There’s a pause.

Then Blue Cop smiles with his eyes — soft, unmistakable.

“We’re right outside,” he says, “And we’re not going anywhere.”

Time blurs after that.

The next few days pass in a haze of nurses checking vitals, doctors explaining things Jun only half-processes, and his parents never straying far from his bedside. The pain ebbs and flows, dulled by medication and rest, and little by little, the tight, suffocating fear in his chest loosens its grip.

Eventually, the beeping machines are silenced one by one.

Eventually, the IV is removed.

Eventually, a doctor smiles and says the words Jun has been waiting to hear.

He’s cleared to go home.

Jun walks slowly — carefully — his parents flanking him on either side as they guide him through the hospital doors. The air outside feels different — cooler, fresher, real. He squints a little in the sunlight, adjusting.

The parking lot stretches out before them.

Jun’s gaze flickers, casual at first — then softens.

Parked along the edges, spaced just far enough apart to look normal to anyone who doesn’t know better, are familiar shapes. A truck here. An ambulance there. A very conspicuous helicopter resting low and still.

Jun’s lips twitch upward into a tiny, tired smile as they pass.

He doesn’t wave. Doesn’t speak.

But he hears the way engines idle just a second longer. The way one vehicle subtly shifts position, another pulls out behind them as they leave the lot.

He also notices —quietly, fondly— how they follow just far enough to be seen… and then, one by one, peel away before his parents could ever question it.

By the time they reach home, Jun is exhausted in a way that sinks straight into his bones.

They’re barely inside the house when there’s a knock at the door.

His parents barely have time to react before it swings open.

“Jun!”

Uncle Edo bursts inside like a force of nature. The moment his eyes land on Jun, his face crumples.

“Oh— oh, kid—!”

He crosses the room in three strides and scoops Jun up into a crushing hug, lifting him clean off the floor as he sobs openly, shoulders shaking.

“I was so worried,” Edo cries, voice breaking, “You scared the scrap outta me, you hear? I didn’t know— when they told me—”

Jun laughs weakly despite himself, arms awkwardly wrapping around Edo’s shoulders, “I’m okay,” he says softly, “I’m here.”

Edo clings to him for another moment before finally setting him down, scrubbing furiously at his face with his sleeve and trying —and failing— to regain composure.

Before leaving, Edo crouches a little to meet Jun’s eyes, his expression warm and relieved.

“Drop by my place when you’re feeling better,” he says with a smile, “Your friends have missed you dearly.”

Jun nods, energy sparking through him despite his exhaustion, “Ok!”

Not long after, his parents usher him upstairs, voices gentle but firm. They help him change, guide him into bed and smooth the blankets around his shoulders.

“You can go tomorrow,” his mom says quietly, brushing his hair back, “If you’re feeling better.”

Jun nods obediently, too tired to argue.

They linger a moment longer, then leave him alone in the dim room.

Jun waits.

Counts their footsteps fading.

Then he lifts his wrist slightly.

“Guys,” he stage-whispers, “I’m gonna come over to Edo’s tomorrow. Promise!”

The Metal Breath flickers to life.

“Please make sure you are healthy first,” Blue Cop says, appearing immediately.

Jun rolls his eyes.

“I agree with Blue Cop,” Mega Ambler replaces him.

Shadow X pops in last, optics flipping into bright upward arrows, “Hope you feel better soon!”

“Alright, guys,” Jun yawns, stretching carefully beneath the blankets, “Good night!”

A chorus answers him — "Good night"s, "Sleep well"s — overlapping warmth filling the quiet room.

The projection fades.

Jun settles back, eyelids heavy.

Just as he starts to drift—

“We missed you, buddy.”

Blue Cop’s voice is soft, lingering.

Jun smiles.

And this time, when sleep takes him, it’s gentle.

The next morning, Jun wakes up sore.

Not hurting, exactly — just achy in that deep, lingering way that reminds him his body went through something it really didn’t appreciate. His side twinges when he stretches, and he hisses softly through his teeth, careful not to push it.

It doesn’t matter.

He’s awake, he’s home, and he has somewhere to be.

Jun is out of bed and downstairs in record time. He wolfs down his breakfast, barely tasting it, nodding enthusiastically at every concerned question his parents throw his way.

“I’m feeling better,” he insists between bites, “Really. See? Totally fine.”

They don’t look convinced, but after a long look and a mutual glance, his mom sighs and pulls him into a tight hug.

“Be careful,” she says firmly.

“I will,” Jun promises, hugging back just as tightly, “I swear.”

With one last wave, he steps outside.

Cool morning air hits his face and then he sees it.

A giant grin splits across Jun’s face as his gaze locks onto the familiar shape parked in front of the neighbor’s house.

Blue Cop.

Without thinking, Jun breaks into a run.

He ignores the sting in his side, ignores the sharp reminder that he probably shouldn’t be doing this, and barrels across the sidewalk anyway. The door pops open just in time and he hops inside, breathless and laughing.

“Please don’t run while you’re still healing,” Blue Cop sighs, vents releasing a soft gust of air that ruffles Jun’s hair, “You could have tripped and gotten hurt!”

“Oh, don’t be like that!” Jun says, patting the dashboard as the engine hums to life, “You sound like my mom — all worried and stuff.”

“Still,” the bot replies, voice oddly flustered, “It is my responsibility to ensure your safety.”

Jun snickers, settling back into the seat and buckling in properly this time.

“Relax,” he says cheerfully, “I’m okay. See? Still in one piece.”

Blue Cop doesn’t answer right away. The car eases onto the road, smooth and careful, like he’s hyper-aware of every bump and turn.

“…Just try not to scare us like that again,” Blue Cop finally adds, quieter than before.

Jun’s grin softens.

“I’ll try,” he says sincerely.

The city rolls past outside the windows, sunlight glinting off metal and glass, and for the first time since everything went wrong, Jun feels something close to normal again.

.

The moment Blue Cop pulls into Edo’s workshop and the engine winds down, the space seems to move. A shadow drops from above, metal clanging softly—

Shadow X lands directly in front of the hood with a dramatic thud, optics bright and wide.

Before Jun can even laugh, movement blurs at the edges of his vision. Mega Trucker barrels in from the left, Phoenix Fire from the right, their footsteps heavy and hurried. Mega Ambler hangs just off to the side, already watching, visor faintly glowing.

The door pops open and Jun hops out—

—and is immediately bombarded.

“Jun! Are you okay?”

“Hey! You really came!”

“Good to see you, bud!”

Voices overlap, hands hover uselessly, optics flicker and scan. Jun just grins, bouncing on the balls of his feet despite the dull ache in his side, nodding enthusiastically as questions are thrown at him from every angle.

“Yeah! I’m fine —really— hi— Shadow, you scared me—”

A white shape pushes through the crowd.

Jun barely has time to register it before a large hand scoops him clean off the floor.

“Hey!” he squawks, instinctively grabbing onto a finger, “Watch it!”

Behind him, Blue Cop lets out a distinctly wounded noise, optics flashing as he trails after Mega Ambler in a hurry. The ambulance sets Jun down on a sturdy metal table with careful precision.

“Please be careful with him!” Blue Cop blurts, hovering anxiously over Ambler’s shoulder.

“It is just a checkup,” Mega Ambler replies calmly, visor sweeping over Jun as scanners hum to life.

The workshop goes quiet.

Cardbots crowd in close, forming a loose ring around the table. There’s a nervous energy in the air — too many optics trained on one small human, too many systems waiting for bad news.

The scan finishes.

Mega Ambler’s shoulders slump.

“You are close to healthy,” he says, nodding once, as if confirming it for himself.

The reaction is immediate.

Shadow X throws his arms up with a cheer, nearly clipping a light fixture. Mega Trucker whoops loud enough to rattle tools on the walls. Phoenix Fire lets out a relieved laugh, shoulders finally easing.

Blue Cop doesn’t wait another second.

The instant Ambler steps aside, Blue scoops Jun up, holding him close and lifting him until they’re nearly face to face.

“You okay?” he asks, voice tight, “And please be honest.”

“Jeez, calm down,” Jun says, rolling his eyes half-heartedly as he pats Blue Cop’s plating, “I’m not dying.”

Mega Ambler’s voice drifts in from the side, far too casual.

“According to the medical files,” he says, “you almost did die.”

The room freezes.

Shadow X and Blue Cop both make sounds that can only be described as shrieking.

“You WHAT?” Blue Cop’s optics shrink to pinpricks as he clutches Jun to his chest, begining to mutter up a storm of: “No— no, never again, never, no—”

“Deus Machina!” Shadow X cries from beside them—

—and then Jun is abruptly stolen from Blue Cop’s arms, the cop yelping and grasping at nothing but air.

Shadow X smushes his faceplate against Jun’s face, optic display glitching with pixelated tears.

“Why didn’t you tell us?!” he cries, pulling Jun tight and curling protectively around him like a shield, “Why would you hide that?!”

Jun blinks, trapped between metal arms and far too much concern. He tries to shove Shadow X away, fails, and eventually just sighs, slumping a little.

“This,” he mutters under his breath, “is why.”

The chaos doesn’t stop all at once.

It stutters.

Shadow X is still wrapped around Jun, muttering apologies and half-coherent scolding under his breath. Blue Cop hovers inches away, pacing in tight, anxious loops, optics flicking from Jun to every nearby surface as if danger might reappear out of thin air. Mega Trucker and Phoenix Fire stand frozen, unsure whether to intervene or give space, while Mega Ambler watches silently from the edge of the group.

Eventually, Shadow X loosens his grip.

Just a little.

“Oh,” he says, optics flickering as if he’s only now realizing how tightly he’s holding on, “Uh. Sorry. I think I— yeah. Maybe a bit too much...”

Jun slides down onto his feet again with a small oof, adjusting his jacket and rubbing at his side, “You think?”

Shadow X laughs weakly and takes a step back, hands raised in surrender, “Okay. Okay. Not hovering. Totally not hovering.”

He hovers.

Blue Cop clears his throat — then does it again.

“I will… be over here,” he announces, stepping back approximately two meters. He stops. Steps forward one meter. Stops again, “This distance seems… acceptable.”

Mega Trucker snorts.

Jun looks around at all of them — really looks this time. The tight shoulders, the optics that haven’t quite dimmed, the way every single bot is angled toward him even while pretending not to stare.

“…You guys are being weird,” Jun says fondly.

That earns him a few embarrassed noises.

Mega Ambler finally steps in, placing himself solidly between Jun and the rest of the group — not blocking, just grounding, “He is cleared for light activity,” he says evenly, “Excessive hovering is not medically necessary.”

Shadow X gasps, “That sounds dumb.”

“It is not,” Ambler replies.

There’s a pause.

Then, almost on cue, everyone tries to act normal at the same time.

Mega Trucker turns a full ninety degrees and pretends to inspect a wall. Phoenix Fire starts talking about a nonexistent engine issue. Shadow X drifts upward and perches on a beam, legs swinging as he very pointedly looks anywhere but at Jun.

Blue Cop lingers the longest.

“You’re… sure you’re okay?” he asks quietly.

Jun steps closer and taps the plating lightly, “Yeah. Promise.”

Blue Cop’s vents release a slow, relieved sigh, “Okay,” he says, “Good.”

The workshop settles into a comfortable hum. Tools whir, engines idle, and the tension finally bleeds out of the air.

Jun sits on the edge of the table, legs swinging gently, surrounded by bots who are definitely not watching him every second.

He smiles.

For the first time since waking up in that sterile white room, it really does feel like things are going to be okay.

Chapter Text

A day later, Jun has just settled into the living room with a blanket and a comic he hasn’t really been reading when the doorbell rings.

Theo and Anna burst in not even a minute after his parents let them through.

They take one look at him —paler than usual, moving carefully, still clearly not at one hundred percent— and both freeze.

Then Anna is on him.

She hugs him hard, arms locked around his shoulders, squeezing tight enough that Jun lets out a startled noise. Pain flares sharply at his side and he stiffens, teeth clenched.

“Ow— Anna—!”

She yelps and immediately pulls back, hands flying to her mouth, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry— are you okay? I didn’t mean to—”

“I’m fine,” Jun lies quickly, forcing a smile even as he shifts to ease the ache, “Promise.”

Theo hugs him next, gentler this time, careful and warm. He lingers for a moment longer than usual before stepping back, his brow furrowed with worry.

They don’t waste much time dancing around it.

“What happened?” Anna demands, planting herself in front of him with her hands on her hips, “Your parents wouldn’t tell us anything except that you were ‘hurt’.”

Jun hesitates, rubbing at the back of his neck, “…It’s kinda dumb.”

“That’s never a good sign,” Theo mutters.

Jun exhales, “Vance kinda…” He trails off, grimacing, “Dropped me. From the third story.”

The room goes very, very quiet.

“—What?” Theo says faintly.

“WHAT?!” Anna shouts.

Jun flinches, “I mean, I landed on a thing and—”

Anna’s face twists, shock bleeding straight into fury, “Why that little bully—”

Theo pulls Jun into another hug, this one tight but careful, his voice low and shaken, “I’m really sorry that happened to you.”

Jun returns the hug awkwardly, eyes flicking between the two of them.

Because there’s something in their expressions now. Something sharp. Focused.

By the time they’re leaving, they exchange a glance at the door. A look. A nod.

They wave, smile too brightly, tell Jun to rest and promise to visit again soon.

As the door closes, Jun sinks back into the couch.

“…That’s not good,” he mutters.

An uncertain feeling settles in his stomach, and this time, it has nothing to do with his injuries.

“So what exactly happened?”

Jun rolls his eyes, sinking a little deeper into his seat. Not this again.

“Just a run in with a bully, that’s all,” he mutters back, gaze fixed firmly ahead of him, though he can feel the Metal Breath watching from the corner of his vision — attentive, unblinking, far too sharp for comfort.

“You mean the one that was terrorising you when we met?” Blue Cop appears beside him, optics dimmed with concern, “The bigger one with his green-haired lackey?”

Jun’s shoulders tense. He hesitates, fingers fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve before he answers, voice quieter, “Well… Yeah, but Lavi didn’t want to do it, it was all Vance’s doing!”

Silence drops like a weight.

“The kid got justice, did he not?”

Jun winces, eyes squeezing shut for half a second.

“Uhm, well…” He swallows hard, throat suddenly dry. “… Not really?”

“WHAT?” Shadow X replaces Blue in an instant, optics shrinking to pinpricks, his rotors whining faintly, “Wha- he- HOW? WHY?”

“He kinda ran off before anyone could blame him,” Jun shrugs, forcing casualness into his tone, “It’s no big deal.”

“No big—” Shadow seems to trip over his own words, static crackling faintly through his voice before it drops into a low, furious growl, “NO BIG DEAL?! JUN, YOU ALMOST DIED!”

Jun flinches despite himself, shrinking back a little, “I— I mean, it’s—” He exhales, tired more than anything, shoulders sagging, “I don’t know, I wish he got in trouble but there’s not much I can do about it so it’s fine.”

Shadow X goes very, very quiet.

Too quiet.

Then — he’s gone. No warning, no snarky remark, no frantic hovering. Just gone.

The room feels colder without him.

Jun’s stomach twists as that same feeling from earlier creeps back in, sharper now, more insistent — like a sign he doesn’t quite understand yet.

Anna and Theo sit two rows back, close enough to hear Vance muttering under his breath.

“I forgot my pen,” he whispers sharply, tapping his desk with irritation. His eyes flick around the room before landing on Theo, “Hey. Lend me one.”

Theo looks at him for a moment —long enough to make Vance scowl— then reaches into his pencil case and offers a pen without a word. Vance snatches it, barely glancing at it before turning back to his worksheet.

Anna doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t need to. She catches Theo’s eye for half a second, sees the glint there, and looks back down at her own paper.

The classroom fills with the soft scratch of writing and the ticking of the clock. Vance writes fast, overly confident, slouched back in his chair like nothing in the world could touch him.

When time’s up, Vance returns the pen with a scowl and the teacher moves down the rows, collecting sheets one by one.

She stops at Vance.

Her brow furrows.

She lifts the paper, turning it over once. Then again.

“This is blank,” she says sharply.

Vance blinks, “What? No, it’s not— I wrote—” He snatches for the page, panic bleeding into his voice as he stares at it. Empty. Completely, unmistakably empty.

The teacher’s face darkens, “You had the entire lesson. Do you think this is funny?”

“I— I did it!” Vance protests, voice cracking as snickers ripple through the room, “I swear I did!”

Anna watches him shrink in his seat, arms folding tight around himself as the reprimand continues.

Theo walks past the scene on his way out, hands in his pockets, expression perfectly neutral — until he’s out of sight.

Then he smirks, fingers closing around the smooth plastic tucked safely away.

The disappearing ink pen slips back into his pocket.

Justice, delivered quietly.

.

Lunch is loud, crowded, and chaotic — the perfect place for accidents.

Anna stands from the bench with her tray, turning just a little too fast.

The soup tips.

It splashes straight down the front of Vance’s shirt, soaking the fabric and splattering onto the table. He yelps, jumping back, nearly knocking over his chair as steam curls up between them.

“What the—?!” he sputters, hands hovering uselessly over the mess.

“Whoopsie,” Anna says, widening her eyes in mock horror as she pulls her tray back, “Sorry about that.” Her tone is sweet, almost convincing, “Think you should go clean up before you get in trouble.”

Vance’s face twists, red creeping up his neck as anger flashes hot and fast in his eyes. He opens his mouth, already drawing breath to shout for a teacher.

Anna leans in just enough for him to hear, a sharp smirk cutting across her face.

“Oh, what? You’re gonna call for help?” She clicks her tongue and shakes her head, “I thought you were too old for that… or are you just a little crybaby that needs help?”

Something in Vance’s expression snaps.

His eye twitches. His jaw tightens, teeth clicking together as his mouth slams shut.

For a moment, it looks like he might explode.

Then he turns on his heel and stalks away, shoulders stiff, fists clenched at his sides, leaving behind a table full of whispers and a slowly cooling puddle of soup.

Anna watches him go, calm and satisfied.

Accidents happen, after all.

.

On the walk home, Vance doesn’t notice the can until it’s too late.

It rolls out from nowhere, right under his foot.

His heel slips, balance gone in an instant, and he pitches forward with a startled shout — hands failing to catch him before his face meets the pavement with a sharp smack.

“Ow—!” He groans, pushing himself up on shaking arms.

That’s when a stray newspaper, caught by a perfectly timed gust, slaps straight into his face.

“Hey— what the—?!” he splutters, ripping it away and looking around wildly.

No one’s there.

A few steps away, completely invisible, Shadow X presses a servo to his faceplate and giggles, optics squinting with delight.

Vance storms off again, muttering under his breath, but the trip home doesn’t get any better.

Trash shifts when he passes — just slightly. A bottle rolls into his path. A wrapper skitters under his shoe. Every few steps something bumps, nudges, or trips him just enough to keep his temper simmering.

He growls, kicking a crushed can aside, “Stupid trash—!”

Shadow X floats along beside him, nudging debris with careful, precise movements, keeping just out of sight and out of reach. Each stumble earns another muffled snicker.

Finally, Vance reaches his driveway.

Relief flashes across his face as he lifts a foot to step onto the concrete—

And then an unseen force shoves him square between the shoulders.

He yelps, stumbling forward and crashing straight into the trash cans. They topple with a loud clatter, lids flying as bags spill open, and Vance lands hard in the mess with an undignified thud.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” he roars, scrambling to his feet.

Garbage clings to his clothes. His hands shake as he swipes at himself, cheeks burning red with fury, teeth clenched so hard his jaw aches.

Shadow X hovers nearby, arms crossed, smug and utterly satisfied.

Mission accomplished.

Nobody hurts his friend and walks away untouched.

.

The next time Shadow X appears on the Metal Breath, he looks entirely too pleased with himself.

His avatar pops up with a lazy spin, optics bright, posture relaxed in a way Jun has come to associate with trouble. There’s a faint hum to him, like he’s barely containing laughter.

Jun squints at him, brow furrowing, “Did something happen?” he asks slowly.

Shadow X exhales through his vents, a soft, satisfied sound, folding his arms behind his head, “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Jun studies him for a long second, unconvinced. The smile in Shadow X’s eyes is sharp and smug and definitely not innocent.

“…Right,” Jun mutters.

Shadow X’s unseen grin only widens.

When Jun is finally cleared to return to school, the classroom is louder than he remembers.

Laughter greets him the moment he steps through the door.

At first, he doesn’t understand why — until his eyes land on Vance.

The bully sits rigid in his chair, face flushed a furious red as the room points and snickers. Even Lavi is laughing, hand clapped over his mouth as he tries —and fails— to hide it.

Jun blinks.

Permanent marker doodles cover Vance’s face. Crude shapes, scribbled lines, and words that make Jun’s eyebrows shoot up. They’re messy and unmistakable, dark ink standing out starkly against his skin.

For a second, Jun just stares.

Then he starts laughing too.

Not loudly — just a small, breathy huff that slips out before he can stop it. The tension in his chest loosens, replaced by something lighter, almost unreal.

Vance notices.

His eyes flick toward Jun, widening as their gazes meet.

The laughter feels sharper then.

Vance lets out a broken sound and jerks forward, burying his face in his arms as he curls in on himself, shoulders shaking.

The room keeps laughing.

Jun’s smile slowly fades as he watches.

Something in his gut twists.

He thinks this wasn’t the only thing that had happened to Vance.

And somehow… Jun suspects he knows exactly who made sure of that.