Inferno and Red Alert VII
C.M.D: This might seem a bit off to be posting here... since the other chapters are back in Tooth and Claw, but... I'm almost at my 50 chapter max and I still have a few stories to wrap up that started over there. So, I'll be dropping the remaining chapters in here to keep at my limit. Any new stuff will just be one-shots though, as previously planned.
Title: Inferno and Red Alert VII
Rating: T
"We're home," his carrier announced as they walked through the front door.
Red Alert held back for all of three astroseconds before plunging through the doorway after her, slamming the door behind them and searching the area frantically for any danger. He nearly wet himself when a yellow blur grabbed him suddenly from behind.
"Hello, ma'am," Cheetor chirped, right on the tail end of the doberman's scream.
"Cheetor!," the femme exclaimed. "I wasn't aware you'd be here..."
"So sorry, ma'am. I cleared it with my parents and I did explain myself to your husband, so I hope you don't mind that I'll be spending my spring break here," the dalmation beamed, releasing the poor autodog he held captive finally. Red Alert fixed his clothing, glaring sullenly at the yellow youngling.
His carrier gave an aggravated sigh, rubbing at her temples. "Well, thank you for letting me know, Cheetor. Red Alert, please keep our guest company while I go get dinner started," she ordered, hanging her purse up and heading off to the kitchen.
"B-but, mom-!," Red Alert began to protest, biting the rest of his words back as his carrier did not stop in her stride. Venting heavily himself, the white autodog looked toward his companion, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Aww, Reddy," Cheetor purred, bouncing into the spastic youngling's personal bubble, "Don't give me that look. I'm harmless! Besides, Si is busy doing an errand for your dad so I'm bored. Wanna play some checkers with me or something?"
The doberman pouted again, wrinkling his brow in mild disdain. It wasn't that he hated the yellow autodog, just that Cheetor was so loud and bright and talkative- definitely a personality better suited alongside his brother. "Just checkers, right?," he questioned, still scanning the taller youngling for any anomalies.
"Promise!," the dalmation grinned, giving the scout's finger sign of oath.
Red Alert sighed again. "Fine...," he mumbled in consent, still releasing a yip as Cheetor dragged him to the living room excitedly.
xxXxXxx
His pedes thundered down the stairs as he rushed for the door, pausing to grab his house key and coat.
"Inferno!," Moonracer called from the kitchen, "Where are you going?"
"Jus' out for a bit, momma," the german shepherd replied, glancing over a shoulder plating as he opened the front door. The femme stepped into the kitchen's doorway, just as Inferno stepped out onto the patio, hiding his lower body from view.
"Since when do you go 'just out'?," Moonracer questioned, suspicious.
The youngling shuttered his optics in sincere confusion. "Aye mean... Aye ain't leaving town, momma. Aye was jus' gonna walk 'bout, stretch meh legs, maybe git a shake. Aye know it's been a while, but..."
The femme sighed. "No, no, you're right. I don't know why I'm pestering you. You've always been such a good boy, Inferno." She waved her dish towel at him, smiling. "Go, enjoy your time out. Oh, an' please pick up some milk an' eggs before you come home."
"Sure thang, momma!," Inferno promised, blowing the dalmation a kiss, hurrying out the door the rest of the way and off of the patio. He put a manila folder and belt in his mouth, holding it by the denta, as he slipped his coat on; glancing at his house as he hustled up the regular path, before he darted between some bushes and rounded his way to the creek in the back.
Clasping his items in one servo once more, Inferno paused, staring at his house quietly for a klik. It didn't feel good lying to his carrier, but the german shepherd wasn't sure she'd understand. Red Alert was a dear friend -a person with a bright future ahead and the processor to match it- he needed a chance to look over these application forms too! And the fact that the doberman hadn't responded to Inferno's texts in the last couple nights wasn't at all part of his anxious desire to run by the other autodog's home. Shaking his helm, the red youngling made his way along the creek, walking over wobbly rocks and fresh-budding grass. As he went, the german shepherd pondered on how quickly the school year had gone by since Red Alert had transferred to his town.
How had he missed that spring break was upcoming? Before long, it would be graduation...
Inferno smiled, glancing at the folder merrily, giving a small yip as he realized belatedly that Red Alert's belt was slipping from his grip. He caught it after a short flail, coiling it around the folder and pressing both tightly to his chestplates. It would be pretty awful if he dropped his friend's stuff into the creek. Picking up his pace, Inferno rushed through the thin, wooded area, not wanting to get distracted again. A few kliks later, the german shepherd was drawing up to the doberman's house, slowing down and keeping out of sight. It turned out to be a good decision. To his surprise, he heard laughter and vocalizers; general sounds of merry-making.
Crouching at a bush, Inferno inched forward several more feet, peeking into the sloping yard leading up to the house. His optics locked on Red Alert with lightning speed, tail perking in joy as he took in the sight of the shy doberman, wrapped in a plump sweater and nursing a mug between his two servos while he poured over a book. It was the strange yellow youngling, with sharply-pointed ears and spotted plating seated beside the doberman, that froze the red autodog in place, optics flared brightly in confusion. Caught in morbid curiosity, he watched as the stranger and Red Alert worked together, jotting down notes in a notebook in pleasant camaraderie, before the cat-like mechling said something with a broad grin, drawing a reluctant smile from Red Alert. The doberman's companion noticed and gave an excited shout, smothering the white youngling in an over-eager hug.
Red Alert squawked, flailing, but not actually fighting to free himself. At the ruckus, Sideswipe came outside, carrying a tray of food and a couple board games under one arm. He pulled on one of the stranger's ears as he plopped on the opposite side of his brother; the yellow youngling letting Red Alert go with one final tug on his cheekplates. Sideswipe's mouth moved silently, the smaller doberman sticking his glossa out at the black autodog, good-naturedly swatting away the third youngling's servo as it tried to ruffle his ears. All in all, the trio painted a pretty picture together.
Ears drooping a bit, Inferno backed up carefully, making sure to not trip or draw attention to himself. He obviously wasn't getting anywhere near Red Alert this orn and the german shepherd would not cause trouble for the white youngling. It was the first time he'd seen Red Alert happy outside of the red autodog's presence...
xxXxXxx
Red Alert hurried off the interstate bus and into the knee-length wild grass on the side of the highway, determined to make the mile long trip back to Yuss in under a few kliks. Clambering off of the bus came Sideswipe and Cheetor next, the black youngling jogging to catch up with his brother.
"Red Alert... Red!," he shouted, "Would you slow down already!"
"No," the anxious autodog replied shortly, clutching his pharmaceutical bag tighter to his chestplates as he increased his stride. "You left me alone at the pharmacy. In the city!"
Sideswipe groaned. "I told you already: I went to the bathroom and Cheetor tagged along without me knowing. You always spend your time obsessively watching the pharmacists count out your pills for insurance, anyway, You weren't going anywhere."
Cheetor bounced up to the taller doberman's side, his expression sincerely confused. "Why do you go so far to the city for a prescription refill to begin with? Doesn't Yuss have a pharmacy of its own? Or can't you get them mailed in?," he asked.
His mechfriend grunted, starting up another little jog as Red Alert worked himself up into the world's fastest speed walk. "Yeah, that'd definitely be a slag lot easier on everyone but Red Alert's finicky about this kinda stuff. He won't ever use a hospital or pharmacy close to home and he'll never give out our address for prescription mail-in services. He says that it keeps his business less traceable this way, while giving him a chance to make sure nothing gets tampered with or whatever," Sideswipe grumbled in explanation, "We've had to take him to clinics across Iacon to get his medication in the past; sometimes, mom would even take him to a town outside the city limits when he was having a particularly bad episode."
"Aww, Red Alert," Cheetor cooed as they drew up to the smaller autodog, "I swear we weren't trying to trigger you. We care about you!" The yellow youngling reached out to try and yank the other doberman into one of his usual hugs, but Red Alert jumped forward with a squeak, whirling around so he could keep an optic on the offending appendages without obstruction.
"Good grief," Sideswipe stated loudly in exasperation, reigning in the rest of his volume as he realized they were starting to wander onto Yuss' lonely, main street. Instead, he fixed an annoyed look towards his triplet. "It's just a hug, Red. From Cheetor. He isn't going to hurt you."
"I don't doubt that," the spastic youngling scowled in return, shifting awkwardly about as he tried to find a place to walk that would allow him the best position from which to keep both Cheetor and the rest of the street within his sight lines. He finally settled on Sideswipe's right side, secure between storefront walls and a living shield between himself and the dalmation. "But," he huffed, continuing to his brother's disdain, "Given how long you two abandoned me, I don't trust where his servos have been!"
Sideswipe shuttered his optics dumbly at the statement, while a dawning expression of realization made itself known on the other autodog's face, causing Cheetor to snort. "What the slag are you going on about, Red Alert? We went to the bathroom!"
Red Alert turned his helm away sourly, his frown deepening. "The usual excuses and cover-ups. We all know a public space wouldn't be much a deterrent if someone is feeling especially frisky. Not when he has a 'specialty'," the white doberman replied, looking at Cheetor pointedly.
The yellow autodog was nearly bent over now, a fist in his mouth to stifle his laughter, as Sideswipe's face flushed a deep magenta. He grabbed Red Alert's arm, glancing around the sidewalk to make sure they weren't being watched, before hissing into his triplet's face. "What the frag, Red Alert?," he seethed in embarrassment and indignation, "Who told you about slag like that?! You're too young to be talking like that!"
Red Alert scowled, pulling his arm out of his brother's grip with a little yank. "Did you forget that I aced all of the mandatory health and biology courses, while you and Sunstreaker barely scrapped by? And for your information, Sunny did," he answered snidely, bottom lip component jutted forward an inch in his upset state. "He told me you caught Cheetor giving an upper classmech head in the athletic department at the start of our first year, and then a couple months later you two were dating."
The black doberman stepped away from his triplet in a hurry, pale with sudden disgust. "By Unicron's ball bearings!," he cursed under his breath, wiping his servos on his jeans hurriedly. "That fragging Sunstreaker! I'll kill him! I can't believe he told you about that."
The white autodog rolled his optical sensors mutely, unimpressed by his sibling's exaggerated reaction. "Yeah, well, the only ones unaware of what you two do is mom and dad," he mumbled flatly. "You're really not that vague about it."
Sideswipe stiffened in horror. "Did you see?!"
It was Red Alert's turn to go rigid now, a wash of magenta covering him from ears to pedes, his face twisted in an odd expression of revulsion and fright. "P-primus, no!," he squeaked out, "N-no, eww, no! Oh Primus..."
Cheetor wasn't attempting to hide his laughter at all by now, on the brink of tears as he clutched his gut. "Y-your f-faces...!," he wheezed, barely able to cycle a full intake before he dissolved into raucous chortles again. "Oh, S-sweet Solus... G-guys, guys, c-c'mon..." He forced himself up to full height, patting Sideswipe's chestplates affectionately, before leaning forward and winking at the smaller doberman.
"Ohh, Red Alert, thank you for that. I haven't had such a great laugh in ages," Cheetor said, wiping at the corners of his optics even as a couple chuckles slipped out still. "Whoo... Ah, so, yeah," he grinned, "I can promise you right now that me and my servos were a good five feet or more away from your brother while we were in the washroom. No funny business took place out of your sight."
The anxious youngling appeared disbelieving at the dalmation's statement, but aside from a muffled yip, he did not resist as the other autodog bounded over to his side, pulling him into a one-armed hug and rubbing their ears together.
"Unicron's fragging beard...," Sideswipe groaned, wiping his servos over his face, still in shock at the conversation that had just transpired. "Why you gotta go around running your mouth like that, Red Alert? That's so... so..."
"Well, I don't really care to be associated with your... private activities, either," his triplet murmured in displeasure, smacking Cheetor's servos as the exuberant youngling began pinching his cheekplates and cooing at him next.
"Sorry, sorry," the dalmation apologized, settling for looping an arm with the smaller autodog instead. Red Alert sighed softly, resigned into allowing the contact or risk being bombarded with some other variant of invasive display of affection.
Rubbing his optics one last time unhappily, Sideswipe vented heavily himself, finally turning to the pair. "Alright, let's just forget this little 'discussion' took place. Sound good? And I hope you refrain from letting mom or dad in on your piece of intel."
Red Alert gave his brother an incredulous look. "If I did that, I'd have to spend even more time alone with you two," he retorted, scandalized at the thought, "I'm not increasing my risk factor of accidentally seeing the pair of you being intimate."
"Sweet slagging Solus Prime!," the black autodog hissed, clapping his servos over his ears. "Zip it, Red!"
Cheetor chuckled, bouncing forward, dragging a startled doberman along with him. "Hey, I got an idea! Let's head on over to that diner place across the street. Your dad was telling me they had some killer shakes and I could go for a bite after our lil' city adventure," the yellow youngling beamed innocently, twisting around as he walked so he could look at each of the brothers as he spoke. "It's not like we've got anywhere else to go. Right? Right? And Sideswipe can regal us with all of his latest and greatest in his mediocre videogame achievements while we eat!"
Sideswipe slowly onlined one optic at the casual suggestion, fixing his cheeky mechfriend with a small scowl. "What the slag do you mean 'mediocre'?," he questioned sternly.
The dalmation's grin nearly split his face in two as he bared his fangs at the taller youngling impishly. "Well, we all know that you don't hold a candle against my gamer skills, so-"
"Oh, really now?," Sideswipe shot back, a devilish grin of its own climbing up his cheekplates.
Red Alert gave his arm an experimental tug, relieved when it slipped out of Cheetor's grasp without much resistance; just as he was equally perturbed by how quickly the other two autodogs had started up with their odd flirting once again. "Sideswipe. Cheetor...," he sighed aloud.
He was ignored.
"Well, maybe some of us are a little busier these days and can't waste time so freely."
"Oh! Excuses now! Is this what I'm hearing?"
"I'll show you a real good excuse. When we get back, I'm-"
It happened so quickly. The hardware store door opened outwards with a violent swing, catching Cheetor in the back. Caught off-guard by the assault, he lost his balance and toppled forward, knocking down the two doberman in a comical domino effect. Red Alert lost grip on his pharmaceutical bag in the fall, it's paper body unable to hold out against three Cybertronian frames jostling it roughly and tearing, scattering numerous pill bottles out across the sidewalk and street.
"Frag! Red Alert, get them!"
"S-slag, they're rolling off! Sorry, Red Alert!"
Red Alert whimpered as Sideswipe shoved him off first, followed by Cheetor jumping over his frame with a quick apology as the two younglings hurried to catch his runaway prescription, leaving the smaller autodog laid out on the sidewalk still. Forearm stinging from where it had gotten scrapped during the tumble, the white doberman was just starting to push himself up when he felt a warm servo grasp his own gently.
"P-primus, Aye'm so-sorry, Red!," the familiar vocalizer spoke up, drawing him up toward its gentle resonance "M-mama always says Aye gotta open doors more softly 'lest Aye hit 'bots with 'em."
His spark was pulsing like a million fluttering wings as his optics onlined to see the concerned face of his dear friend Inferno. Entranced, he couldn't help but to trace the strong lines of the german shepherd's frame: blue optics so deep as to wrap one up in their depths, the broad shoulders covered in a flattering flannel shirt, sloppily unbuttoned near the top to draw attention down the strong neck to an even stronger torso. And beneath it all, a kind and warm spark that the anxious youngling wished he could burn himself against.
"Shoot... A-aye prob'ly knock'd ya rightly," Inferno mumbled contritely, grabbing Red Alert with two servos this time and standing him up on his own two pedes. "Aye am so, so sorry 'bout that, Red. Lemme help ya git yer things."
Red Alert felt himself snap back into his own frame at the offer, the earlier rush of humiliation and anxiousness flooding back in, amplified by his mounting terror as the world around him slowed to a crawl. He watched, unable to break the lethargy, as the german shepherd bent over and collected two orange bottles from the gutter; deep blue optics drawn unconsciously to the white sticker label on their sides, the black font dictating his name in ridiculous size. He felt his neck cables clench violently, strangled by fear and the nausea twisting knots in his tanks, barely able to utter out a trembling "No" as he stretched a servo forward in desperation for the incriminating items.
How could he have forgotten they were not the only two there on the sidewalk?
"BASTARD!"
Red Alert was sent tumbling a second time as his brother shoved past him, charging into Inferno and sending the both of them rolling out into the street. The white youngling fell hard on his chestplates, choking on his intakes as he flailed sporadically.
"S-Sideswipe!," Cheetor called, jogging up to Red Alert. "To the slagging pit! Red! Red Alert, are you okay?!" The dalmation grabbed the doberman by the elbows, yanking him into an unsteady stand, before turning his own horrified attention to the pair of autodogs tussling in the street. "Sideswipe! What the frag are you doing?!"
The black youngling wasn't listening though. "I told you to stay away from him! Now you're taking his stuff?," he bellowed, forcing Inferno beneath him as he punched him. He was pulling back for a second swing when the german shepherd bucked violently, unseating the doberman and throwing him off.
"Aye ain't hurtin' Red!," Inferno shouted back, equally as outraged. He faced Sideswipe as he leapt to his pedes, servos curling into fists at his side. "All ya do is control him! Yer the one that's doin' 'im harm!"
Sideswipe shouted wordlessly as he tackled the taller youngling again, the both of them tussling roughly to keep upright, blows flying at every open opportunity. Cheetor attempted to race over and yank the doberman away as nearby townspeople were quickly clambering outside at the ruckus, but he was only shoved back for his efforts; the black youngling hitting the country autodog in the gut twice, hard.
"Sideswipe! Stop!," Cheetor called out, inching back to the sidewalk fretfully. Three burly mechs were gunning it across the street now, one of them in an Enforcer's uniform. "Oh slag... Slag, slag, slag, slag!," the dalmation hissed, bouncing in place in his nervousness. "Oh we're in such deep slag. What- R-red Alert! Red Alert, come back!"
But the white youngling wasn't stopping. He tore past the yellow autodog in a mad dash to flee, his paranoia absent as his pedes flew across asphalt and then broken brush, carrying him further and further into the wilds surrounding Yuss. Any lingering doubts or fears had been abandoned back there on the sidewalk, leaving only the confirmations of his own worthlessness and toxic effect to remain, ringing like a gong in his helm. And the worst of it... the knowledge that his dearest friend knew exactly what a broken, useless piece of trash he really was. Through the stream of tears cascading down his face, Red Alert continued to run, wishing he could run away from everything for good.
xxXxXxx
Red Alert couldn't recall how he'd gotten home; the several kliks following the fight in Yuss' center were a blur to the youngling that should have terrified him on its own. Unfortunately, it was the last on a long list of things tormenting him just then. Holed up in his room, for away from everyone and everything, the doberman struggled through repeating panic attacks; his sensitive hearing catching every shouted word from downstairs as the orn wore on. He could not be coaxed out of his room for dinner and the food remained untouched at his door as night crept upon the house. Trembling periodically, Red Alert watched the digital lines alter on his alarm clock, bit by bit, until the display read three a.m.
Pausing a moment to listen, the youngling finally pulled himself out of his little nest in the closet, padding on weak legs to his berthroom door. He checked obsessively every step of the way -opening his door, grabbing the cold dinner off the floor, tip-toeing downstairs, entering the kitchen- but things remained silent and uneventful. Leaving the fridge door open, Red Alert spun slowly about the kitchen, heading uncertainly for the pill bottles stacked neatly on the counter.
He hated these, the autodog thought distantly, twisting the cap off of one. They made him so sick...
The youngling held the bottle over the sink, tilted sideways slightly, his servo shaking as a set of phantasmal claws clutched his throat.
Everyone liked him better when he took these pills. No one thought he was burdensome or a freak.
A sob broke free just then and with it a came a flood of sorrow crashing through Red Alert, forcing him to fold over the sink, the prescription bottle still held aloft by indecision. Things were supposed to get better in Yuss. Why did it all just get worse?!
"Red Alert?"
The soft call of his name made the white youngling jump in terror, dropping the prescription bottle into the sink as he scrambled for a weapon. His fingers found the cutlery storage block nearby, sliding the largest knife free from its housing. At the same moment he brandished his weapon towards his attacker, the kitchen light was flicked on, dazzling Red Alert with its blinding light.
"Red... Red Alert. It's me. Cheetor. Please, put the knife down," the intruder pleaded gently.
"N-no!," the doberman croaked out, squinting against the brightness, trying to get his optics to adjust quicker, "N-no, you're l-lying!"
"Red Alert...," the supposed 'Cheetor' continued, in that slow, patient tone, "I've taken six years of judo straight. I can easily disarm you right now but I do not want to hurt you or trigger another one of your episodes."
The statement gave Red Alert pause -long enough for his optics to acclimate to the brighter room finally and see that it really was Cheetor standing across the kitchen from him. A wave of vertigo hit, causing Red Alert to drop the knife and lean against the counter heavily, weak with nausea. Quickly, the dalmation crossed the room, grabbing the knife and putting it somewhere out of sight, before pouring Red Alert a glass of water and fishing one of the remaining pills from the sink. The white youngling gulped the water down greedily but when the capsule was pressed into his palm next, all he could do was stare at it mutely.
"...Red, how long as it been since you stopped taking your medicine?," Cheetor questioned in a hush, as the kliks dragged on.
He wasn't going to answer, Red Alert told himself, but the tears had welled up at the inquiry until twin rivers of coolant were flowing down the smaller autodog's face again; his denta clacking as they fought to muffle his sobs. "I-i get sick. Th-they're su-supposed to m-make it better b-but they j-just make ev-everything worse!," he wheezed, glaring at the pill quaking in his servo, "I-i hate t-them!"
His companion said nothing; plucking the medicine out of his palm and drawing the weeping doberman into a hug. Red Alert stayed that way for a klik, awkwardly shrugging the arms off as he got his intakes under control. He was the furthest from being okay but the tears had ebbed some and he could not stand the crawling of his plating as he maintained contact with Cheetor. Reminded that he was not alone, the trembling youngling turned to the dalmation, shuttering his optics at the puzzling sight that met him.
"...why are you dressed, Cheetor?," Red Alert mumbled in confusion, scanning the yellow autodog for a third time.
Cheetor was dressed in a shirt and pants, clean and unwrinkled as one would expect from sleep, with a thick hoodie slipped on and a hat pulled over his helm. The smaller autodog's optics snapped to the doorway in sudden epiphany, finding a packed dufflebag sitting in the kitchen doorway.
"You... you're leaving," the doberman continued, perplexion turning into guilt. "It's-"
"Yeah, you caught me," Cheetor smiled falsely, "But don't go thinking it's your fault, okay, Red Alert? I just... I just forgot some things back home, that's all."
"You're lying," Red Alert whispered, unable to stop the trembling of his bottom lip component. "I-i heard you and Sideswipe fighting... a-about me... Y-you can't stand me. Just li-like everyone e-else." All afternoon, he'd heard his name tossed back and forth by angry vocalizers as they ranted; his parents together, then his parents against Sideswipe, and lastly, Sideswipe and Cheetor as they hissed in the berthroom next to his. They all thought he couldn't hear a slagging thing but Red Alert picked up enough to know that he was the cause of everyone's strife yet again. Him and his glitch.
Cheetor stiffened at the words, his expression twisting in pain and horror. "Can't-? Primus, no! Red Alert, no!," he cried out, "You're not the reason I'm going. I- hang on!"
Cheetor fumbled quickly, rifling through his pockets until he pulled out a cellphone -Red Alert's phone. A fresh wave of panic flashed through the doberman; processor racing, he tried to recall if he'd used his phone at any point in the orn and came up with nothing, just as his servos confirmed his pockets were equally as empty.
"You dropped it earlier today. I...," the yellow youngling hummed awkwardly, "I tried to catch up with you but, by the pit, you are fast! It's still locked, promise, I... It's buzzed quite a bit all afternoon though."
Cheetor held the mobile out towards the smaller autdog, where Red Alert snatched it back almost immediately. Before he could analyze it though, the dalmation was speaking again.
"Sideswipe says he's protecting you but he's not, is he, Red? I mean, you've known me for years, you have all my contact details memorized, and I've never been added to your contact list. Yet this mech is. There must be something special about this stranger for him to be granted such a privilege," he said, a knowing grin pulling at the corners of his mouth temporarily. Red Alert was disheartened to see it fall again so quickly. "I tried talking to Si about you... ya know, about growing up and stuff, without giving away your secret, but..." Cheetor hesitated, overcome with misery. "He won't listen. He's... changed. I mean, you probably know, being his brother and all. He's just, so withdrawn, aggressive... He hasn't quite been himself since your brother was convicted and he's just getting worse. He, uh, he spends more time obsessively looking over Sunstreaker's case files than with me. But I mean, I'm just being silly, putting so much value in a youngling romance. It's not like these things last."
It looked as though the taller autodog would cry. 'That's not right,' Red Alert wished to protest, 'You and Sideswipe match each other perfectly.' His glossa was cemented to the bottom of his mouth though; his lip components glued just as such.
Rubbing under his olfactory sensor quickly, Cheetore reset his vocalizer loudly, glancing off to the side. "Anyways, I should get going... I had hoped to head out when everyone, yourself included, was asleep to save you the worry," he said.
"...t-the first interstate bus from Yuss isn't until seven a.m," the doberman managed to mumble out.
Cheetor smiled half-sparkedly, optics shifting back to the white youngling. "I know, but there's a second interstate bus leaving at five thirty a.m from the city's terminal line. I can walk it; it's not far."
Mutely, Red Alert watched as the yellow autodog collected his things, zipping up his hoodie and slinging the dufflebag over one shoulder. "Hey, Red Alert...," Cheetor started softly, his back to his companion, "Don't let others make you do things you don't want to. Not even family. You're more capable than you give yourself credit for. And as for no one caring... Well, people who don't care wouldn't be crazily texting you all orn like that country mech did. I think you should re-evaluate some things; take a couple risks. I won't be able to shove you of your bubble from time to time any more."
And with that, Cheetor headed for the front door, leaving as silently as he had come. The dalmation had never been big on goodbyes. Fingers shaking in time with his spark, Red Alert finally tapped at his cellphone's screen, optics brightening in shock. Dozens upon dozens of messages flooded his inbox, and even a couple missed calls were noted in the logs. All from Inferno.
The back door slammed loudly in the house as Red Alert tore off into the night, disappearing into the small forest at the end of the property.
C.M.D: Be kind; give me your mind~ REVIEW, please?