Chapter Text
To say that Killerwatt expected to end up here would be a lie. Frankly, he expected to be back on the move by now, as was typically the case for Electra’s entourage. Show up to the biggest race around, win, move on to the next. Pick up some routes during the downtime just to have something else to do.
Killerwatt had nearly short-circuited then and there when Electra made the announcement. For…reasons frankly unknown to him, they’d decided to take up permanent residence at this yard. The other components had been just as confused, but took it in stride nonetheless.
Now, Killerwatt was watching as Electra spoke with Momma in the center of an empty shed, discussing accommodations. Nearly the entire building would have to be refurbished, updated with the appropriate technologies and resources to accommodate an electric engine and four components. Killerwatt had inquired what exactly they would be doing , since the next race would be quite some time from now, but Momma had reassured that she’d find some way to fit them in—find some routes they could run. And if she couldn’t, she’d make some.
All of them had been rather… surprised, at such outright hospitality, even after the rather chaotic outcome of the Championship, but had accepted nonetheless. Electra with far more grace and dignity than the components, of course, which Killerwatt couldn’t help but admire, as he always did. He’d just managed to deliver a grateful, albeit very awkward and probably very stiff nod.
The five of them had been allowed to stay temporarily, after the crash, while Electra recovered from their rather severe injuries. Wrench had adapted to the unfamiliar repair shed as quickly as any other, thankfully, but the crash had done quite a number on everyone involved. Killerwatt had never been so stressed out in his life worrying about Electra during that debacle, and even now, they were still recovering from the more extreme injuries. Even if they hadn’t decided to stay, they probably wouldn’t have been in the condition to participate in whatever race they normally would have gone off to compete in. It was relieving, to know he wouldn’t have to worry about them getting any more racing injuries for a while, but that didn’t mean there was a shortage of things for him to be concerned about.
Namely, the stressors of their new environment. The trains in this yard were a rambunctious lot. Plenty of the yards they’d visited for races were, but they’d never exactly stayed for any lengthy amount of time in those places. Killerwatt had initially worried that Greaseball and Rusty might be potential threats he would have to worry about, especially after the race and everything that happened during it, but Electra and Greaseball seemed to have found some strange solidarity in their loss—and in their mutual injuries. Rusty, meanwhile, still seemed wary of Electra, but at least still treated them politely. Momma’s influence in his upbringing was certainly evident.
While Momma and Electra continued to meander around the shed and talk, Killerwatt followed close at Electra’s heels, hands tucked politely behind his back. He took the time to mentally catalog all the members of the yard—listing them in his protocols by “Likelihood of Threat.”
The other engines were arguably the biggest threats, mainly because they were the ones most likely to be a threat to Electra’s physical well-being, and therefore Killerwatt’s biggest concern. Greaseball having seemingly bonded with Electra because of the crash pushed her down the list a bit, but Killerwatt was still concerned her temper could be something to look out for. Momma was fairly unlikely to be a problem, and Rusty…even if he held a grudge, he probably wasn’t likely to act on it. The Champion Engines could be a potential problem, so he’ll have to keep an eye out for them, for sure, but perhaps Electra’s newfound bond with Greaseball will alleviate some of the potential danger from them.
As for the rest… Dinah and Pearl seemed to hold no significant ill will towards Electra—although there was some lingering awkwardness with Pearl. The other coaches weren’t likely to have a reason to try to start any trouble, but the fuel trucks were another story. Slick was arguably the biggest threat between them, mainly due to her involvement in the crash, but Momma had informed Killerwatt earlier that Slick was “grounded”, and he hadn’t seen even a glance of her anywhere, so she was likely out of commission for a while and thus not an issue. Killerwatt still put her at the top of the list, regardless.
Before he could finish, however, Killerwatt was snapped out of his thoughts by Electra calling his name. Glancing up at them, he gave a small incline of his head to indicate he was listening. “Yes?” He asked, hoping he hadn’t missed an order while he was preoccupied with his thoughts.
Electra gestured to the space before them with a sweep of their arm. “What do you think?” they asked, looking at Killerwatt expectantly. He blinked at the unexpected question. That was something new about their dynamic, now, that still sometimes surprised him. In the years he’d spent as Electra’s bodyguard, they’d come to trust his judgement on things, and on occasion would ask for his opinion on certain matters—although these occasions were very rare.
Killerwatt surveyed the room. According to Momma, it had been the home of a large group of diesels long since scrapped. The place still smelled of their fuel, something that would likely take quite the effort to erase, but it was expansive, more than enough to host all five of them. “It should be a sufficient amount of space,” he answered, nodding. “We can order the appropriate equipment, although refurbishments will likely need to be done to the building itself. I trust that’s no issue?” Killerwatt said with a turn towards Momma.
“Won’t be if I have a say in it,” she answered, smiling. “I’ll work it out with Control. You just get settled. Make yourselves at home, radio if you need me,” the steamer said with a soft smile that felt highly unusual, in Killerwatt’s opinion. It was nice, though.
Once Momma left, closing the door behind her, Killerwatt was surprised again by Electra calling out to him. He turned to face them, and found them standing almost right up against his back, looming down over him. Killerwatt’s code suppressed his instinctual urge to flinch, at least.
“You’re thinking about something,” Electra observed, raising an eyebrow. It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” Killerwatt replied, wondering briefly if he should be worried. “I was attempting to catalog the members of this yard who may have been the biggest potential threats.”
His distant worry vanished as Electra smiled at him—a sight that captivated his entire attention immediately.
“Always so dutiful, aren’t you?” They asked, hooking a finger under his chin to tilt his head back further. They leaned down, closer to his face, and Killerwatt swore he could feel one of his circuits spark at the residual static electricity that lightly struck him at the engine’s touch.
“It’s what I’m programmed to do,” Killerwatt answered matter-of-factly, despite the slight heat that rushed to his face.
Electra simply smirked knowingly at him, and without another word, leaned down to bring their lips to his. Killerwatt leaned into the kiss, drifting closer despite the charge that instantly passed from Electra to him at the contact.
When they pulled away, Killerwatt blinked up at them, and they simply chuckled in response. “I don’t recall you being programmed to do this ,” they replied, amused.
There it is, yeah, Killerwatt was definitely going to short-circuit right here and now.
He tried to steady himself, clasping his hands behind his back once more as he met Electra’s sharp, piercing gaze. “No,” he replied, offering a small half-smirk and another tilt of his head. “But I enjoy it.”
Electra hummed in response. “As much as I do enjoy our alone time,” they muttered, eyes never leaving his, “it would be best if we called the others in to get acquainted with our new living space,” they admitted, finally pulling back. Killerwatt had to physically hold back from chasing their touch. He gave a brief nod, then pressed his radio button.
“Killerwatt to components. Electra has requested your presence. Report to shed D-03,” he relayed, getting a chorus of affirmatives in response.
Moments later, the door to the shed was sliding open, and the other components came rolling in. Wrench taking the lead, with Volta in the rear. They fell in line beside him as Electra approached, glancing over each of them. Once they were seemingly satisfied, they gave a nod, and the components dispersed to explore the shed. Electra rolled off to one of the side rooms—likely what would become their bedroom in the next few days, while Killerwatt lingered behind to watch the others mill about. A ping to his counter-threat protocols alerted him about a presence just behind him, and he turned just in time to see Joule with an arm raised, clearly having planned on slinging it over his shoulder while his back was turned. Hm. His programming shouldn’t be getting set off by the other components like that—he’ll have to talk to Wrench about seeing if it had malfunctioned, somehow.
Joule seemed just as surprised as Killerwatt did, but followed through nonetheless, an arm coming to rest around him. “So,” she began, with a smirk that spelled trouble, “how did you two enjoy checking out the new accommodations? ” She teased, raising her eyebrows at him.
Killerwatt rolled his eyes. He and Electra’s relationship was far from a secret from the other components— it was almost impossible to have secrets among the five of them, anyways— but it didn’t spare him any of the teasing. In fact, Killerwatt was willing to bet it made it worse.
“Oh, leave him be, Joule,” Volta cut in. “Momma left ten minutes ago. I doubt even they would have had time to do anything between her leaving and us arriving.
“Gotta christen the place somehow,” Joule replied, grin only widening. Killerwatt gave an exasperated sigh, burying his head in his hands as his face went flush with embarrassment. He could hear Wrench laugh from somewhere off to the side. At least everyone was in high spirits.
Thankfully, Killerwatt was spared from any further teasing by Joule and Volta darting off to go inspect the kitchen, while Wrench sat down to make some adjustments to her wheels. Killerwatt busied himself with casing the shed, noting points of entry, exit, structural weaknesses that would need to be fixed, and picking out locations to place additional security measures.
Just as Killerwatt finished surveying the area, the door slid open again, catching his attention. Momma slipped inside, waving at the lot of them, although she glanced around curiously.
“Where’s Electra?” She asked, noting the engine’s apparent disappearance.
“Investigating the premises,” Killerwatt answered, approaching. “I trust our requests were greenlit?”
“Yep. Told you there wouldn’t be any trouble. That’s actually not why I swung by, though,” Momma answered with a small smile. Killerwatt blinked in confusion. What other reason would she have to come back here? Did she have something she forgot to tell Electra, before?
“Why, then?” Killerwatt asked, brow furrowed. She didn’t seem concerned, so it likely wasn’t anything serious, at least.
“I wanted to invite you all to my place for dinner tonight,” Momma said, her smile brightening into a full grin. “Help properly welcome you to the yard,” she elaborated.
Killerwatt paused. Dinner? Food served almost no purpose to Electra or the components—being electric, they had no real need for it. The only thing they really got out of it was the taste. Although if the purpose of such an event was primarily social, as Momma had suggested, Electra may be interested—if nothing else, then for a reason to be showy. If it’s being hosted by the steam engines, though…they’ve never really been interested in choosing to spend their free time in the steamers’ company.
“I will relay your invitation to Electra,” Killerwatt finally replied, to which Momma beamed at him with a smile that still felt too warm, too blinding.
“I’d appreciate it,” she responded, before saying her goodbyes to the four components and slipping back outside.
Killerwatt looked over his shoulder to find the other components gathered around him. Silence hung over them as they processed what just happened.
“She really wants us there?” Wrench asked, uncertain.
“Why else would she have bothered?” Joule pointed out, folding her arms. “Besides, it’s Electra , who wouldn’t want them at their party?”
Volta hummed. “True. But things are still tense from the race…is this really a good idea?” He wondered aloud, looking to Killerwatt. Joule and Wrench followed suit, their eyes locking on to him.
Killerwatt considered it. He ran calculations in his head—comparing the list of potential attendees with his new list of potential threats. The risks were high, but ultimately, the decision came down to Electra. The components all looked off towards the door they’d disappeared behind earlier. A silent understanding passed between the four of them, and Killerwatt nodded before rolling over to the door. He had a job to do, after all.
When knocking on the door returned no answer, Killerwatt frowned. He didn’t want to knock again and risk being an annoyance, but he had to get Electra’s attention. Taking a breath, he straightened his posture before calling out, “Electra? It’s Killerwatt.”
Still no response. Now beginning to grow concerned, Killerwatt weighed his options. The part of him driven by his programming wanted to throw open the door and make sure Electra was unharmed, potentially fight off any dangers that had somehow managed to go unnoticed, or make sure their injuries hadn’t suddenly decided to worsen. Another part of him wanted to hang back, to give them their space. Another part of him still wanted to knock again.
After standing there deliberating, Killerwatt braced himself for a potential reprimand, then placed his hand on the door handle. Just as he was about to try it, though, the door came open on its own, to reveal Electra standing just inside the doorway. They looked down at him with eyes widened in surprise, as though they also hadn’t expected him to be standing there.
“Killerwatt?” They asked, searching his expression, eyes analytical. “You look disconcerted. Is something wrong?”
“Ah—sorry,” Killerwatt answered, looking aside. “I didn’t want to intrude, but you weren’t answering the door,” he admitted, his outstretched hand falling back to his side.
Electra looked taken aback for a moment. “You knocked?” They said, voice genuinely confused.
“Yes…?” Killerwatt replied, now also just as confused. “I also called your name. I received no answer.”
Electra stared at him for another long moment, before a realization seemed to dawn on their face. They hummed, raising their hand to point at their ear. Ah. Right. The crash had left all three individuals involved with some hearing loss. Electra had it the worst, between them. Wrench had been working on it, but the damage had been severe, and she’d had to order some parts that wouldn’t be able to be shipped in for quite a while. Killerwatt grew frustrated with himself for forgetting. He’ll need to keep that in mind going forward.
“Sorry,” he added as the guilt began to creep in. Electra simply waved their hand—a hint of fondness almost imperceptible in their eyes as they did so. Reserved for him , Killerwatt thought, suddenly feeling heat rush to his face again.
“What is it, then?” Electra finally asked, following him out into the main room.
“Momma returned briefly to inform us that our requests have been approved,” Killerwatt recited. He came to a stop in the center of the room and turned to face Electra again. “And she invited us to dinner at her shed. I suspect it’s an attempt to improve your relations with our soon-to-be neighbors.”
Electra raised an eyebrow, hands on their hips. “I see.” They gave him a knowing, almost expectant look. “And?”
Killerwatt understood the unspoken prompting. “I’ve weighed the risks. It could benefit your image if you attend–Momma at least would certainly be satisfied by your attendance. There is a chance of leftover tensions from the race being a problem, but it is one I am prepared to contend with if necessary.”
“Is she expecting all of you?”
“Yes, although it may benefit you for only one of us to arrive with you, initially. Having a smaller entourage would make you appear more relaxed and approachable, which may help ingratiate you to the others,” Killerwatt informed them, glancing aside at the other components. “It is ultimately your decision, as always.”
“Hm. It could be a good opportunity…” Electra considered. Killerwatt waited patiently, watching the minute changes in their posture as they pondered the invitation. He couldn’t help but take the moment to admire them, their sleek plating and sharp angles.
When they finally spoke again, it was with a definitive certainty. “I have come to a decision,” they announced, turning to address all of the components with a small flourish of their arms. Killerwatt snapped to attention, the other trucks doing the same off to the side. “We’ll go. Myself and one of you will arrive first, the rest of you will follow later.”
The components all nodded, in perfect, programmed synchronization. “Understood,” they intoned.
“That being said, I suppose I’ll have to choose one of you to accompany me,” Electra continued, turning on their heel and rolling a short distance away. Their components stayed put, keeping their eyes on the engine all the while, until Electra came to a stop and turned to face them again.
Glowing blue eyes scanned the four of them, slowly, pointedly. Electra had already made their decision the moment they’d announced choosing to attend the event, this was just for their own amusement, that much was evident. Killerwatt saw Joule fidget slightly with the edges of her leg plating out of the corner of his eye, while Volta kept almost ramrod still, and Wrench shifted her weight.
Electra’s eyes landed on Killerwatt, then, and with a small flourish of their hand, Killerwatt felt an invisible force tug him forward, towards them, before holding him in place in the center of the room. He gave a testing push with his wheels, but nothing moved him. The tingling of electricity in the air was a familiar sensation on his plating, but it still never failed to be almost overwhelming, to have Electra’s full attention on him like this. His eyes meet Electra’s own, and it’s impossible to look away–another tug from that invisible force and he’s rolling towards them again, coming to a stop only a few feet away. He knows Electra’s magnetism, he’s seen it performed on a number of other trucks and coaches, and he’s been caught in it himself on a few occasions, but it never fails to be almost overwhelming when he’s at the center of that electric field. Nor does it ever stop making a rush of warmth flood his body–not only at being chosen by his incredible partner–but at having that strangely pleasant charge surrounding him on all sides, overpowering, intense, inescapable. It stunned him the first few times. It still does, honestly.
Killerwatt took a moment to steady himself. Then, he focused on Electra’s intense stare, and took a deep breath.
“Electra, with all due honor and respect, what the fuck,” Killerwatt asked, hands folded neatly behind his back again.
Electra leveled an expectant look at him, not saying a word. They’re really going to make me say it? When his boss continued to simply stare at him expectantly, the magnetic field almost seeming to press in tighter, Killerwatt sighed.
With a shrug, Killerwatt looked down at himself. “ I …have been chosen,” he said, to himself, feeling very silly about the whole thing.
Electra just smirked at him. He could hear Wrench and Volta chuckling off to the side, while Joule gave an exaggerated round of applause in Killerwatt’s direction. He simply gave another exasperated sigh at all of them.
At least they seemed eager at the prospect of the dinner. Killerwatt had a feeling he was in for a very eventful night.