Learning curve bonus chapter
Where is everyone's favorite fire truck?
Red Alert wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it on his own camera. The one he put in storeroom A32 after the twins latest prank. The very camera he just happened to check the feed on. The one no one knew was there. The one Inferno and Firestar definitely didn't know about. Otherwise they might have picked a more private place.
The security director felt like every bit of energon he had ever digested was about to make a reappearance as he watched. So far they weren't doing anything to serious, but he knew it was just a matter of time before they were interfacing. He knew Inferno's style. His hand shot out as if it had a mind of his own and turned off the video feed.
He knew his lover had been spending a lot of time with Firestar since the femme arrived. He had just assumed that it was nothing more than two old friends catching up. But, what if they weren't just 'old friends'?
There was a time, a few breems ago actually, that Red Alert would have sworn that Inferno would never do anything to jeopardize their relationship. Not after the fire truck had worked so hard to pursue him. To get Red to trust him. He now knew how horribly wrong he was. A coldness settled in his tank. Reaching over to his comm he knew what he had to do.
“Red Alert to Prowl.”
“Go ahead.”
Red drew air into his intakes and steeled himself for the questions he knew would be coming shortly. “I need to put in a request for new quarters. Just for me.”
There was a long pause before Prowl said anything. “I see. Is there a reason?” Prowl was nothing if not direct.
“Yes. I'd rather not go into it yet.” Red knew his friend wouldn't pry.
Prowl said nothing and started typing. “Room B47 is free. You can have that one if you want.”
Red almost felt like smiling. That room was two doors down from the twins and just around the corner from Prowl and Jazz. “Yeah, that's fine. Thanks, Prowl.”
“No problem. Just let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do,” Red did smile. He knew Prowl sincerely meant that when he said it. “Red Alert out. Wait,” a thought had just occurred to him. “Actually, could you or Jazz take over the security room for a while? I would prefer to move my stuff before the shift change. Less witnesses and all. I don't want the rumor mill to start up quite so soon.”
“Sure. Jazz will be there in a few. Prowl out.”
Red was returning for the last box when Inferno returned. They stared at each other across the room for what seemed like an eternity. “Red, baby, what's goin' on?”
“I'm leaving,” he responded simply. He congratulated himself on how calm he sounded when on the inside he was anything but.
“I don't understand,” Inferno sounded genuinely confused. He glanced around the room and noted that yes all of Red's belongings were gone. It was almost as if he had never been there in the first place.
Red felt his spark clinch. Did Inferno really think Red, the fragging security director, would not figure it out at some point. Was Red really that gullible when it came to the fire truck? Red cycled air through his vents as he realized that yes he had been that blind.
He was about to explain it to Infe with really small clear words when Firestar popped her head into the doorway. “Hey guys, do you want to....what's going on?” she asked as she noticed all of Red's belongings were gone.
“Firestar, could you give us a moment?” Inferno asked.
“Actually, stay. This concerns you as well,” Red smirked at the “deer in the headlights” look that crossed Firestar's faceplates. At least someone was catching on. “Do you remember when the twins managed to paint Prime's office that lime green color?”
“What does that have to do with this?” Inferno asked. His voice was rising in anger. “Does Prime want you to baby sit those two every joor now? Those idiots are older than you for Primus' sake!”
It was the insult to the twins that finally snapped Red's self control. “Don't you dare speak about my brothers that way!” Both Inferno and Firestar took a step back at the anger in Red's voice. “If they hadn't pulled that idiotic stunt I never would have put a camera in that storeroom.” Not as smooth as he wanted to bring up the subject, but effective. Both looked stunned.
“What...what storeroom?” Firestar seemed to find her voice first. She moved further into the room and went to stand next to Inferno.
“A32.”
They at least respected him enough to not pretend they didn't know what he was talking about. “Red, I...”
Red held up his hand to stop whatever Inferno was about to say. “I don't want to hear it. Maybe later, but not now.” With that he simply walked away.
Red Alert wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it on his own camera. The one he put in storeroom A32 after the twins latest prank. The very camera he just happened to check the feed on. The one no one knew was there. The one Inferno and Firestar definitely didn't know about. Otherwise they might have picked a more private place.
The security director felt like every bit of energon he had ever digested was about to make a reappearance as he watched. So far they weren't doing anything to serious, but he knew it was just a matter of time before they were interfacing. He knew Inferno's style. His hand shot out as if it had a mind of his own and turned off the video feed.
He knew his lover had been spending a lot of time with Firestar since the femme arrived. He had just assumed that it was nothing more than two old friends catching up. But, what if they weren't just 'old friends'?
There was a time, a few breems ago actually, that Red Alert would have sworn that Inferno would never do anything to jeopardize their relationship. Not after the fire truck had worked so hard to pursue him. To get Red to trust him. He now knew how horribly wrong he was. A coldness settled in his tank. Reaching over to his comm he knew what he had to do.
“Red Alert to Prowl.”
“Go ahead.”
Red drew air into his intakes and steeled himself for the questions he knew would be coming shortly. “I need to put in a request for new quarters. Just for me.”
There was a long pause before Prowl said anything. “I see. Is there a reason?” Prowl was nothing if not direct.
“Yes. I'd rather not go into it yet.” Red knew his friend wouldn't pry.
Prowl said nothing and started typing. “Room B47 is free. You can have that one if you want.”
Red almost felt like smiling. That room was two doors down from the twins and just around the corner from Prowl and Jazz. “Yeah, that's fine. Thanks, Prowl.”
“No problem. Just let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do,” Red did smile. He knew Prowl sincerely meant that when he said it. “Red Alert out. Wait,” a thought had just occurred to him. “Actually, could you or Jazz take over the security room for a while? I would prefer to move my stuff before the shift change. Less witnesses and all. I don't want the rumor mill to start up quite so soon.”
“Sure. Jazz will be there in a few. Prowl out.”
Red was returning for the last box when Inferno returned. They stared at each other across the room for what seemed like an eternity. “Red, baby, what's goin' on?”
“I'm leaving,” he responded simply. He congratulated himself on how calm he sounded when on the inside he was anything but.
“I don't understand,” Inferno sounded genuinely confused. He glanced around the room and noted that yes all of Red's belongings were gone. It was almost as if he had never been there in the first place.
Red felt his spark clinch. Did Inferno really think Red, the fragging security director, would not figure it out at some point. Was Red really that gullible when it came to the fire truck? Red cycled air through his vents as he realized that yes he had been that blind.
He was about to explain it to Infe with really small clear words when Firestar popped her head into the doorway. “Hey guys, do you want to....what's going on?” she asked as she noticed all of Red's belongings were gone.
“Firestar, could you give us a moment?” Inferno asked.
“Actually, stay. This concerns you as well,” Red smirked at the “deer in the headlights” look that crossed Firestar's faceplates. At least someone was catching on. “Do you remember when the twins managed to paint Prime's office that lime green color?”
“What does that have to do with this?” Inferno asked. His voice was rising in anger. “Does Prime want you to baby sit those two every joor now? Those idiots are older than you for Primus' sake!”
It was the insult to the twins that finally snapped Red's self control. “Don't you dare speak about my brothers that way!” Both Inferno and Firestar took a step back at the anger in Red's voice. “If they hadn't pulled that idiotic stunt I never would have put a camera in that storeroom.” Not as smooth as he wanted to bring up the subject, but effective. Both looked stunned.
“What...what storeroom?” Firestar seemed to find her voice first. She moved further into the room and went to stand next to Inferno.
“A32.”
They at least respected him enough to not pretend they didn't know what he was talking about. “Red, I...”
Red held up his hand to stop whatever Inferno was about to say. “I don't want to hear it. Maybe later, but not now.” With that he simply walked away.