Post by Miss Mandy on May 17, 2008 16:42:40 GMT -5
Part 1
“You sure we ought ta be doin’ this Red?” Inferno said warily to Red Alert as they made their way to the coordinates they had been given. The way Red actually sped up instead of stopping or even slowing was Inferno’s answer. Once again he tried to talk some sense into his partner, “Red, think about this, will ya? Can you think of a reason to trust a Decepticon?”
The Cherokee came to a standstill as did the fire engine that had been following it. Red sagged on his suspension a bit and then started to drive off. Inferno was incredulous. Usually he was able to stop Red Alert’s outbursts to a minimum, or at least to the point that he did not harm himself, but this time he failed miserably. Red was like the proverbial dog with a bone and would not let go of this crazy idea. Once again he tried to reason with the Security Director.
“Red! Stop! How do you know this isn’t a trap?”
Without stopping, Red calmly replied, “It’s an unusual request for a Decepticon.” A roar from his engine and a cloud of dust was a clear sign to Inferno that there would be no more discussion about the matter.
~*~*~*~
All of this had started a few weeks ago when he had gone back to his and Inferno’s quarters to find a stray datapad on the berth. He automatically assumed it was a note from Inferno, but upon inspection he quickly decided that it was the Lambos pulling another one of their ridiculous pranks. Remembering the time they had put a love letter from Starscream in his quarters, he was sure that this was nothing more than a variation on a theme, but this one hurt far worse. It was too personal and it was taking things too far. In a fit of rage, Red Alert stormed into the common room, ran over to Sunstreaker and clocked him one in the jaw. Unfortunately for Red, the warrior and his brother took offence at Red’s actions and a terrible scuffle soon ensued. Punches were thrown, curses were shouted and furniture broken and knocked over. Onlooker’s mouths dropped open as a blur of gold and red whirled about the room.
“How dare you! How dare you make a joke of such things!” Red threw a few punches that landed on Sunstreaker’s helm. Sideswipe grabbed Red and put him in a headlock. The smaller mech, however, proved to be wiry and managed to squirm loose, turn on his captor and pummel his chassis.
Sideswipe growled, “What the slag are you talking about you crazy glitched fragger!?” Truly, the twins were mystified as to Red’s sudden attack. They had been on good behaviour; well, as good as they could be at least. Red did not answer, but continued to fight. It took Ironhide, Prowl and Inferno to break it up with each mech holding one of the fighters. All three continued to struggle to free themselves so they could continue their fight. Sideswipe wanted to do so because his brother had been attacked, Sunstreaker wanted to simply because he wanted to, Red wanted nothing more than to exact some form of revenge on the twins for the hurt that they had heaped upon him.
Optimus stormed into the room, a scowl on his faceplates, “I demand to know what this is about, NOW!” He looked at Red Alert, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe in turn.
The tone of Optimus’ voice got everyone’s attention and Red wanted run and hide. He hated feeling everyone’s optics on him and knowing that they were secretly snickering or comming one another and gossiping about their Security Director’s fragile mental state.
Sideswipe pulled loose from Prowl’s grasp and sneered, “We don’t know. Why don’t you ask Captain Paranoia over there! Me and Sunny were just sitting here minding our own business when he came flying in the room and tore into Sunstreaker!”
Sunstreaker said nothing, he was too busy glaring at Red Alert and swearing silently what he would do to the idiot mech.
“Is this true Red Alert?” Optimus’ features had softened slightly and his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at the Cherokee. He had obviously come out worse in the fight with dents, scrapes and a few tears in his armour. One of the horns on his helm that held most of his sensors was sparking intermittently.
Red’s head dropped and he muttered, “Yes, sir, it’s true.”
Optimus whuffed quietly, “You three, come with me.” He moved out of the common room and went to his office with the three troublemakers in tow. Optimus considered Red Alert as he walked. It wasn’t unusual for Red Alert to fly off the handle at something small but it was unusual for him to actually turn physically violent. He ushered them into his office and motioned for them to sit, which they did, although Sunstreaker did so reluctantly.
“I want to know what this is about. Red Alert, since you started it, would you care to begin?” Optimus raised optic ridges at his Security Director and waited patiently.
“I did not start this! They did!” He unsubspaced the datapad and flung it on Optimus’ desk. The CO picked it up and read it then pinched the bridge of his nose. Of all the things the twins could have done...
“Sideswipe, Sunstreaker? Would you care to explain yourselves?” Optimus handed Sunstreaker the data pad and then pinned them both with a look that promised divine retribution if they didn’t come up with a good explanation.
Sunstreaker read the datapad with Sideswipe looking over his shoulder.
With a self-satisfied smirk Sunstreaker casually said, “I don’t know who did this, but I’m happy to claim the responsibility.”
Sideswipe added, “Yeah, because it was a stroke of sheer genius.” The cruelty and personal nature of the datapad appealed greatly to Sideswipe.
“You fragging liars! You had to do this! It’s just the kind of thing you two enjoy!” Red was about to overheat he was so angry.
“You need to get to the medbay and let Ratchet reformat your glitched aft! We. Didn’t. Do. It!” Sunstreaker was slowly rising out of his seat, preparing to attack Red Alert. Optimus saw what was about to happen and stood. This simple movement was enough to get their attention.
“Red, is there any way that this is not a prank?” Optimus took the datapad back, looking it over carefully. The runes on the pad had been handwritten, not typed in. The small, neat and even writing did not resemble any of the other Autobots.
“Let me look at it again.” Red took the datapad from Optimus and looked it over carefully. He ran a few scans and his findings surprised him. Decepticon energy signatures, leftovers lines of Decepticon encryptions and the faint (so faint it was almost impossible to pick up) spark signature of his daughter. With a look of shock on his face he leaned back in his chair and then uttered something he thought he would never say.
“I... am sorry. I was wrong.”
Sunstreaker then snarkily commented, “Oh, wow, Sideswipe, I think we need to record this moment for posterity!” Sideswipe snickered.
“You are both dismissed.” Optimus glared at the two as the retreated from his office. Turning his attention back to Red Alert, he sat again and waited for Red to speak.
“I don’t know what to do.” Red Alert looked at the datapad without really seeing it.
Optimus knew that one of Red Alert’s most desperate wishes was to bring his daughter back into the Autobot fold and he worried that he would read more into this request than there was. After a moment, Optimus sighed. “I trust you to use your better judgment.”
“Yes, sir, I will do.” Red looked at the datapad one last time, studying it, burning it into his memory and then erased it. “Thank you, sir.” Red Alert stood, nodded at Optimus and left for his quarters.
Optimus watched as the Cherokee left his office and hoped against hope that Red Alert would do as he said and use common sense instead of emotion to come to a decision.
“You sure we ought ta be doin’ this Red?” Inferno said warily to Red Alert as they made their way to the coordinates they had been given. The way Red actually sped up instead of stopping or even slowing was Inferno’s answer. Once again he tried to talk some sense into his partner, “Red, think about this, will ya? Can you think of a reason to trust a Decepticon?”
The Cherokee came to a standstill as did the fire engine that had been following it. Red sagged on his suspension a bit and then started to drive off. Inferno was incredulous. Usually he was able to stop Red Alert’s outbursts to a minimum, or at least to the point that he did not harm himself, but this time he failed miserably. Red was like the proverbial dog with a bone and would not let go of this crazy idea. Once again he tried to reason with the Security Director.
“Red! Stop! How do you know this isn’t a trap?”
Without stopping, Red calmly replied, “It’s an unusual request for a Decepticon.” A roar from his engine and a cloud of dust was a clear sign to Inferno that there would be no more discussion about the matter.
~*~*~*~
All of this had started a few weeks ago when he had gone back to his and Inferno’s quarters to find a stray datapad on the berth. He automatically assumed it was a note from Inferno, but upon inspection he quickly decided that it was the Lambos pulling another one of their ridiculous pranks. Remembering the time they had put a love letter from Starscream in his quarters, he was sure that this was nothing more than a variation on a theme, but this one hurt far worse. It was too personal and it was taking things too far. In a fit of rage, Red Alert stormed into the common room, ran over to Sunstreaker and clocked him one in the jaw. Unfortunately for Red, the warrior and his brother took offence at Red’s actions and a terrible scuffle soon ensued. Punches were thrown, curses were shouted and furniture broken and knocked over. Onlooker’s mouths dropped open as a blur of gold and red whirled about the room.
“How dare you! How dare you make a joke of such things!” Red threw a few punches that landed on Sunstreaker’s helm. Sideswipe grabbed Red and put him in a headlock. The smaller mech, however, proved to be wiry and managed to squirm loose, turn on his captor and pummel his chassis.
Sideswipe growled, “What the slag are you talking about you crazy glitched fragger!?” Truly, the twins were mystified as to Red’s sudden attack. They had been on good behaviour; well, as good as they could be at least. Red did not answer, but continued to fight. It took Ironhide, Prowl and Inferno to break it up with each mech holding one of the fighters. All three continued to struggle to free themselves so they could continue their fight. Sideswipe wanted to do so because his brother had been attacked, Sunstreaker wanted to simply because he wanted to, Red wanted nothing more than to exact some form of revenge on the twins for the hurt that they had heaped upon him.
Optimus stormed into the room, a scowl on his faceplates, “I demand to know what this is about, NOW!” He looked at Red Alert, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe in turn.
The tone of Optimus’ voice got everyone’s attention and Red wanted run and hide. He hated feeling everyone’s optics on him and knowing that they were secretly snickering or comming one another and gossiping about their Security Director’s fragile mental state.
Sideswipe pulled loose from Prowl’s grasp and sneered, “We don’t know. Why don’t you ask Captain Paranoia over there! Me and Sunny were just sitting here minding our own business when he came flying in the room and tore into Sunstreaker!”
Sunstreaker said nothing, he was too busy glaring at Red Alert and swearing silently what he would do to the idiot mech.
“Is this true Red Alert?” Optimus’ features had softened slightly and his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at the Cherokee. He had obviously come out worse in the fight with dents, scrapes and a few tears in his armour. One of the horns on his helm that held most of his sensors was sparking intermittently.
Red’s head dropped and he muttered, “Yes, sir, it’s true.”
Optimus whuffed quietly, “You three, come with me.” He moved out of the common room and went to his office with the three troublemakers in tow. Optimus considered Red Alert as he walked. It wasn’t unusual for Red Alert to fly off the handle at something small but it was unusual for him to actually turn physically violent. He ushered them into his office and motioned for them to sit, which they did, although Sunstreaker did so reluctantly.
“I want to know what this is about. Red Alert, since you started it, would you care to begin?” Optimus raised optic ridges at his Security Director and waited patiently.
“I did not start this! They did!” He unsubspaced the datapad and flung it on Optimus’ desk. The CO picked it up and read it then pinched the bridge of his nose. Of all the things the twins could have done...
“Sideswipe, Sunstreaker? Would you care to explain yourselves?” Optimus handed Sunstreaker the data pad and then pinned them both with a look that promised divine retribution if they didn’t come up with a good explanation.
Sunstreaker read the datapad with Sideswipe looking over his shoulder.
“Father, it is one of my greatest regrets that you have not had the opportunity to know your grandsparklings. That is why I am contacting you now. I desire for us to meet, all of us, lay aside our arms and our differences even if it is for only a few short hours. Below you will find the coordinates and the date and time. I will be waiting. If you do not show, I will understand, but I do hope you will at least consider it.
Your daughter,
Nightstrike”
Your daughter,
Nightstrike”
With a self-satisfied smirk Sunstreaker casually said, “I don’t know who did this, but I’m happy to claim the responsibility.”
Sideswipe added, “Yeah, because it was a stroke of sheer genius.” The cruelty and personal nature of the datapad appealed greatly to Sideswipe.
“You fragging liars! You had to do this! It’s just the kind of thing you two enjoy!” Red was about to overheat he was so angry.
“You need to get to the medbay and let Ratchet reformat your glitched aft! We. Didn’t. Do. It!” Sunstreaker was slowly rising out of his seat, preparing to attack Red Alert. Optimus saw what was about to happen and stood. This simple movement was enough to get their attention.
“Red, is there any way that this is not a prank?” Optimus took the datapad back, looking it over carefully. The runes on the pad had been handwritten, not typed in. The small, neat and even writing did not resemble any of the other Autobots.
“Let me look at it again.” Red took the datapad from Optimus and looked it over carefully. He ran a few scans and his findings surprised him. Decepticon energy signatures, leftovers lines of Decepticon encryptions and the faint (so faint it was almost impossible to pick up) spark signature of his daughter. With a look of shock on his face he leaned back in his chair and then uttered something he thought he would never say.
“I... am sorry. I was wrong.”
Sunstreaker then snarkily commented, “Oh, wow, Sideswipe, I think we need to record this moment for posterity!” Sideswipe snickered.
“You are both dismissed.” Optimus glared at the two as the retreated from his office. Turning his attention back to Red Alert, he sat again and waited for Red to speak.
“I don’t know what to do.” Red Alert looked at the datapad without really seeing it.
Optimus knew that one of Red Alert’s most desperate wishes was to bring his daughter back into the Autobot fold and he worried that he would read more into this request than there was. After a moment, Optimus sighed. “I trust you to use your better judgment.”
“Yes, sir, I will do.” Red looked at the datapad one last time, studying it, burning it into his memory and then erased it. “Thank you, sir.” Red Alert stood, nodded at Optimus and left for his quarters.
Optimus watched as the Cherokee left his office and hoped against hope that Red Alert would do as he said and use common sense instead of emotion to come to a decision.