Inferno and Red Alert X
C.M.D: Well, I'm back... Several months after the fact. Moving was... an adventure. Between unpacking, I've had to deal with: broken water heaters, leaking sinks, ruptured plumbing, delayed appliance deliveries, power outages... The list of problems just seem to keep growing, and honestly, it's supremely annoying. Creative work has been on a hold obviously. I wish I could say I was abundant in chapters, and that the kittycon/autodog artbook was available for release right now, alas, looks like it may be another month or two before it can be launched. I have to wrap up the colouring and compiling phase, then print a proof, before I make any big announcements. So, I'm off schedule (yet again) but not down for the count! In the meantime, please enjoy the little bit of writing I have managed to eke out in-between my IRL drama. :D
Title: Inferno and Red Alert X
Rating: T
"RUN AWAY?!"
Trailbreaker winced as Inferno's vocalizer rose in pitch, glancing at the two autodogs from his spot on the couch. The argument had begun the instant the Enforcer had left their home and had only grown more heated as the kliks dragged on. Moonracer held her stance in the doorway, blocking access to the front door, with crossed arms and a fierce scowl. Her son stood an inch from her, fangs bared and fists shaking at his sides in barely restrained emotion.
"Aye can't believe ya nev'r told meh-"
"Ya nearly got kicked out of school, Inferno, and half the town thinks you're a ruffian!," Moonracer interrupted with a low growl. "Don't you think that's enough trouble for a stellar cycle? You're a grown mech now; think about your graduation, your future!"
"An' Red Alert is SIXTEEN!," the german shepherd bellowed back. "What 'bout his future?! His health an' safety! Let meh out!"
The femme only widened her stance as the youngling rushed at her, servos pressed against the walls tightly. "So ya can do what exactly?! Ya don't even know where he is and I won't have my only pup running wildly about the fields like some slagging beast," she argued.
"Aye'd have known how ta find him if ya had told meh four days ago he was missin'!," Inferno snapped back, his servos slamming on the wall, just above his carrier's own.
"You're not leaving-"
"Like SLAG Aye'm not-"
"O-okaaaaay...," Trailbreaker started awkwardly, walking up and grasping his cousin's shoulders. With a firm, but gentle, pressure, he pulled Inferno a step away from the dalmatian, giving them each a sympathetic look. "I know we all got some heat under the collar but squabbling here ain't helping a poor youngling nor soothing hurt sparks. Let's all just take a moment and have a good, deep breath, hmm?"
Moonracer bit hard on the inside of her cheekplate, arms still stretched wide, though she fidgeted for a moment on her pedes. Under the darker autodog's servos, Inferno also writhed, helm snapping upwards in disbelief at the older mech's words.
"Are ya really condonin'-?!"
"How 'bout we go and stretch our legs a bit? Yeah?," Trailbreaker hastily suggested, smiling brightly as he cut Inferno off. "Get some fresh air and some new sights?"
"Trailbreaker, I just told him he wasn't leaving!," the femme growled exasperatedly.
The karelian nodded his helm in understanding, his servos still resting on the younger autodog's shoulders. "Okay, okay, I understand," he replied. "...but, he has been holed up in here for a good portion of a week and it'd be best for his spirit to get about a little, don'tcha think?"
"So he can pace around the yard," Moonracer quipped dryly.
"Ah, momma Moon," the dark mech imposed with a slight whine, "The yard ain't getting out so much as it is strutting around the perimeter of a holding cell. Say, why not lemme take young 'Fern into town? I gotta go to the grocer's to gather a couple fixings for dinner; he can be my extra set of hands as I keep an optic on him. It'll be a good bit of exercise!"
It seemed as though the teal autodog wanted to protest the idea, but Inferno was already grabbing the shopping bag off the hook and rushing for the door again. This time, Moonracer stepped to one side, arms folding across her chestplate as she glared sullenly into the floor.
Grabbing their coats, Trailbreaker eased past the femme slowly, pausing to touch her back for a moment. "Things'll be alright, momma Moon. We'll go down to the shop for a few and when we get back... Well, we'll get this worked out proper," he whispered to her kindly. "He's just got a big spark, ya know."
"...just go," Moonracer responded, as equally hushed.
The karelian inclined his helm forward in recognition of her release, continuing on out the door and picking up his pace to reunite with the wayward german shepherd. Optics dimming, Moonracer shuffled forward and shut the door upon their exit, before mutely heading to the kitchen.
xxXxXxx
Inferno was already marching into the grocery store before Trailbreaker had managed to catch up.
"'Fern...," the bigger mech huffed, "'Fern, c'mon, slow down a bit and talk to me?"
"What for?," the german shepherd hissed, grabbing a basket out of the rack and stomping off down the nearest aisle. His violent jostling caused a few townsfolk to turn about and look at him curiously; attention that the youngling dutifully ignored. "Ya clearly agree wit' mama an'-"
A dark servo grabbed his arm, slowing his pace gently. "Now, that's a mighty harsh judgment to cast," Trailbreaker said neutrally, as dark blue optics turned to glare up at him. "I never said a word about being on auntie's side but I don't think rushing off is a good idea either. Momma Moon is right: what would ya have done?"
Inferno knocked his cousin's servo off aggressively, squaring up with the larger autodog as his emotions got the best of him again. "Aye could have gone after him! Found him an' brought him back ta meh home, where he'd actually be safe for once! Then he wouldn't be out in that whole wide world, lost an' p-probably hungry an' scared an-an'-"
"And, what?," Trailbreaker interjected softly. "He's quite young, 'Fern. Your friend is beholden to his parents' guardianship, whether you like it or not."
That fact gave the red mech some pause and he took a step back as his temper was quick to flame out. "T-that... Aye'd've...," he mumbled disjointedly.
The karelian laid a servo on his cousin's back, gently pushing him into a stroll as he focused his entire attention upon the youngling. "Inferno, I get that you're worried about this Red Alert, but ya gotta admit that ya don't know much about him," he continued, as they rounded into the next aisle. "Ya didn't even know that there's nearly a two year gap between ya both."
"...A-aye know, b-but...," Inferno protested quietly.
Trailbreaker smiled sadly. "You still care. I understand, 'Fern. You have a great, big spark; too big for a small town like this, still caught in old rutted ideals. You're gonna go real far once you graduate this year," he replied, looping an arm around his cousin's shoulders. "But momma Moon isn't against you. She's just worried you'd get hurt ...or worse... if ya took off in a blind search. I mean, this is all new information to you. Do you even have enough insight into his life to know where he'd go in times of trouble? Or the places he'd stray the furthest from out of fear? How would you have found him, even before he'd skipped town?"
The words were spoken kindly, not with accusation. All the same, they stung and Inferno flinched in the face of his own shortcomings. The fact that Red Alert hadn't come running to him first was just an extra gouging wound in his spark.
The karelian could only watch as his cousin deflated before him, tightening his hug as a sigh escaped. "If things were a lil' different, perhaps we could have helped the pup. Now? I just don't-"
"Oh! Trailbreaker, what a pleasant sight fo' these old optics!"
The pair turned at the interruption; Inferno going rigid as an elderly femme hobbled up to them, at her side a terribly familiar, green youngling.
"Afternoon, Mrs. Gidget," Trailbreaker greeted, glancing quickly at his mute cousin. Inferno was struggling real hard to keep the animosity off of his face as he stared at the other student, but still he managed to grit out a polite greeting to the old autodog. "I hope the orn has been serving you well."
"Bett'r now that I've seen yer gentile face," the elderly femme returned with a bright smile, folding her cane under two servos to help balance herself. "But not as good, I'm afraid. Ya see, I was hoping to run into dear Inferno here. It seems my grandson did him wrong and he's looking to apologize."
The green mechling looked the absolute opposite of remorseful, yet he didn't protest as his grandma pushed him forward. "I'm... sorry," he forced out, the scowl darkening the healing dent on his olfactory sensor.
"Fo'?," the oldest autodog pressed.
The other youngling looked like he was sucking on spoiled boltberries this time. "F-for slandering your mama. A-and you," he hastily added, his lip components becoming more puckered, "And trying to get ya in trouble with everyone else. It weren't 'right' and I made a big disgrace out of myself for doing it."
Inferno was cycling heavy intakes now, and Trailbreaker could see this face-to-face turning ugly quickly without intervention. "Well, that's a mighty fine thing of you to do, sincerely expressing your regret for unkindly actions," he said, smiling neutrally at the smaller autodog. "I hope this humbling lesson sticks with you, and I applaud you on your bravery. How's 'bout y'all have a gentlemech's shake on it and let bygones lie."
If the german shepherd had any reservations about the action, he was certainly quick to thrust out his servo first; forcing the other youngling to mimic him or else be judged as an unrepentant instigator. It was a short shake all the same, and the instant it ended, the femme was grabbing her grandson back by a yank of his tail.
"These pups can be so heat'd these days, can't they, Trailbreaker?," she sighed, faint optic sensors rolling in unspoken exasperation. "I'm glad we w're able to reconcile with yer family, alas, it seems my grandson won't be able to extend the same courtesy to that poor lil' city pup... How dreadful all that business is. Gone missing and all. I hope he's found safe and sound soon. His family are probably beside themselves in fright!"
"I am certain they are, ma'am," the karelian responded, gently grasping his cousin's shoulder once more. He nudged the german shepherd to restart their stroll, even as he fixed his best smile on his face. "Well, I'd hate to appear rude and rush off on you, Mrs. Gidget, but we have a few items to collect for dinner later and we'd hate to keep momma Moon waiting too long. You have a great afternoon and best wishes to the family."
The older autodog hummed, readjusting her cane as she too took hold of her grandson's arm. "Yes, o' course, musn't keep yer dear mother waiting. Thank you kindly for yer sweet words and Primus bless you boys both. Come along, Pulley," she urged, guiding the green youngling down the other end of the aisle. "We gots to gath'r some more corn nibs and rice for the shed. Yer so careless sometimes, honestly..."
"But I didn't do it!," the so-called Pulley snapped unhappily. "It's not my fault some animal broke into that ol', dilapidated storage box! Why are ya always blaming me when something goes awry?!"
Trailbreaker only shook his helm minutely as he and Inferno moved on. "Strange mechling... He better get some sense real soon," he commented lowly, "Or else he's gonna come away with more dents than that smarting one on his face, for the rest of his life."
Inferno did not reply. His ears were perked upright, listening to the fading squabbling of his fellow classmate and the old femme.
xxXxXxx
It was quiet upon the house; a veil of silence tucked into the corners and crannies of every room, enough so that even the ticking of the old kitchen clock was barely discernible among the shadows. The void of audial disturbance was so profound that the figure took extra precaution as it slid down the banister, every step made softer than a passing breath. The dust barely stirred as it touched bottom ground, slithering, it moved fluidly to the kitchen, bypassing every obstacle and sensitive floorboard with unexpected familiarity. Under the dim beams of moonlight pouring in through the sheer curtains, the silent creature reached under the fridge, yanking out a tiny sack and tip-toeing for the back door.
The bolt groaned for half an astrosecond, forcing the being to freeze, retreat, and return with a tea towel in servo. This time, the lock turned with little sound; the knob equally as muffled beneath the clothe. The tea towel was tossed to the side as the old wood swung open, the shadow creeping over the threshold and slowly easing the door behind itself.
It jumped almost a foot in the air as it spun around to find another mech standing there; a dark servo flashing forwards to muffle any sound the sneaking entity might have made.
"I was beginning to think I had made the wrong assumption," Trailbreaker greeted in a low hush, looking the youngling over slowly before removing his servo.
Inferno was on the defensive at once. "What're ya doing out here?!," he hissed, glancing uncertainly back at the dark house. "Where's mama?"
"Still asleep," the older autodog replied, letting his cousin to scurry around his hulking form. "Ya were awfully quiet since we came back from the store. More so than usual. I could see those gears turning in your big helm there, so I guessed ya might try a stunt like this. I didn't tell momma Moon though, on the chance that I was mistaken. Can't say I'm too surprised to be right."
The german shepherd glanced between his relative and the porch staircase as a scowl formed on his face, inching ever so closer to the first step. "Well, ya ain't stoppin' meh now. Red Alert's still somewhere around here; Aye'm sure. Aye ain't givin' up 'til Aye know he's safe!."
Trailbreaker released a soft chuckle. "I figured ya'd say that," he announced, reaching under the porch chair and pulling out a backpack. It was at least five times larger than the pitiful sack Inferno carried, and was stuffed close to bursting. At it's presence, the red youngling gave his cousin a quizzical look.
"I packed us some supplies," the karelian smiled, already sliding the straps over his arms. "Now let's go find your friend."
"U-uh... yeah... Yeah!," Inferno gaped, slapping a servo over his own mouth as his volume spiked suddenly. His tail began to kick up a stream of wind instead, unable to completely stamp out his excitement. Trailbreaker's grin broadened; a servo rising to his lip components as he gestured to remain quiet, taking lead and walking quickly from the yard.
That lasted for maybe half a klik before the german shepherd caught up.
Unspoken, the role of leader switched and Trailbreaker followed at Inferno's lead. Together, they moved around the dark town, creeping past silent homes and black windows. It wasn't until they'd reached the elderly Mrs. Gidget's farm and stepped into the brush growing wild beyond her plot, that the pair dared to speak again.
"...is there any reason we're heading this way?," Trailbreaker asked, genuinely curious as to what was going on in his cousin's helm.
"The, uh, ol' manor is ov'r this way," Inferno explained distractedly. His helm was swaying back and forth as they walked, optics squinting to peer through the poor lighting.
The dark autodog hummed in acknowledgement. "Yes, I recall. Some past colonial property or the like. It's been abandoned for decades though, and besides, the local Enforcers did a sweep of the area already," he pointed out.
"They would have driven up an' had a quick walk through," Inferno corrected. "In daylight no less. Red Alert isn't so careless. He'd be layin' low somewhere when the sun is up, prob'ly in a spot less likely to be check'd."
Trailbreaker's brow furrowed. "That's keenly unwise. The black manor is about ready to fall apart."
"It's a lot bett'r than gettin' caught. Red would weigh the risks beforehand; he ain't gonna do nothin' stupid, but he would take advantage of everyone's laziness."
"And you're absolutely sure he's there?"
Inferno paused in his step at the question, before powering on, sweeping away tall grass and stinging saplings. "...No," he confessed. "But Aye jus' gotta be sure. Mrs. Gidget was sayin' an animal broke inta her shed an' ate the dry grains. Our neighbour mention'd misplacin' an ol' campfire pot an' flint. That sounds too coincidental ta not be on purpose. Aye think Red took those thangs; enough ta survive, wit'out drawin' too much attention ta the thefts."
Trailbreaker cycled a deep intake. "And you believe he's at the manor 'cause it's close to the village, without being easily surveyable from afar," he commented thoughtfully.
Inferno nodded, a small smile tugging at one corner of his lip components. "Yeah. It'd be jus' like Red ta find himself a safe an' good place ta hide wit'out sacrificin' resources in the process. Or...," he added, a touch of uncertainty reaching him, "Aye hope that's the case."
The karelian didn't know how to respond to the sudden doubt in his cousin; instead, a tense silence fell between the two hiking autodogs. They each took it as an opportunity to try and puzzle out more details from their shadow-laden surroundings, passing through a thicket of young trees. "Wait," the dark mech spoke first, grasping the other's arm and pulling them to a sudden stop. He pointed, before the youngling could voice his questions, index finger circling the outer edge of the bush.
The buds had only begun to show on the thin branches, and yet a small cluster had lost their tips; bits of finer, more delicate twigs snapped clear off the bush and laying in a misshapen pile just under the furthest reaching limbs. Crouching, Inferno ran a servo lightly over the grass, searching intently.
"Buds still hold some colour. Clean break. Possibly somethang big," he mumbled.
Trailbreaker was squatting beside him, watching as his cousin continued to lightly churn the top soil.
"Aye'm not sure if-." Inferno cut himself off as something lighter rolled to the surface. Intakes stalling, he pinched it free from the dirt, holding it up to the spots of moonlight filtering through the canopy to get a better look.
"It's corn, alright," the karelian agreed to the silent remark. "Looks like we're in the right heading. Let's keep going."
The pair rose to their pedes and eventually made their way out of the small forest, coming out onto a thicket-filled field; an acre across, stood the fore-mentioned manor. Three storeys high, it once would have been a glorious sight to behold: twelve thousand square feet of carved wood, boasting hundreds of arched windows and rounded corners, with a frilled patio wrapping around two-thirds of its perimeter on both the first and second floor. Sadly, the glass was smashed in all the windows, the patio fencing was damaged and missing in large chunks, and the entire wooden exterior was covered in wild growth and a clouting layer of streaky grime. Even parts of the roof and supportive columns looked heavily chewed up or had collapsed entirely. Under pale lighting and dark skies, it appeared extra ghastly. Trailbreaker looked to his cousin and, at the other's firm nod, he reached into his pack to pull out a small hatchet, with which he began to chop at the overgrowth to clear themselves a path straight for the house.
The thicket was dried out, having been dead for quite some time before the winter, and the brittle branches fell away with barely any force. It made for a quick journey up to the manor. "How do we approach this?," the older autodog asked softly.
Inferno scanned the dilapidated building, barely able to distinguish between doorway and shadow away from the moonlight. "There," he eventually answered, pointing. "Jus' und'r the ivy, after the porch. Light's shinin' through, which means the wall is crumbl'd there."
"Alright," Trailbreaker replied, stepping forward.
The german shepherd stopped him. "No, wait. Let meh go first," he insisted. "If we run inta Red... Aye don't want him ta git scar'd an' run off. He could git hurt."
The karelian didn't argue; merely took a step back and let his cousin head up to the wall of ivy first.
If the outside looked horrible, the inside was even worse. Bits of plaster rained down as the make-shift plant curtain was pushed to one side, the unseen bones of the house groaning faintly in the distance. The interior walls were exposed in random spots, allowing a few rays of moonlight to peek in here and there, but not enough to illuminate anything of real value. Immediately, Inferno reached into the little sack looped around his belt, when light bloomed behind him. Alarmed, he turned about -and sighed in relief when he realized it was just Trailbreaker, a camping lantern held in his servo.
"Sorry," the older mech chuckled. He adjusted the lantern's flame, bringing it down to a less piercing glow. "Ya got something to light your path?"
The youngling held up the flashlight he had packed. The dark autodog nodded, turning his helm about to study their new surroundings. "Let's take a side of each room," Inferno whispered suggestively. "Look for signs of someone campin' here."
"Lots of troublemakers sneak off here, 'Fern," Trailbreaker returned, "How will we know the difference between them and your friend?"
"Tidy spaces, thangs out of place but not super obvious, um, hidden supplies," the german shepherd mumbled.
"Okay. Just take it slow. Who knows what may give way while we're here," the other autodog said.
They gave each other one last look and then split off, heading for opposite corners of the room. Snippets of wind blew beneath the cracks in the floor and ceilings, soft sounds of squeaking joints and crumbling material reaching their ears from some unspecified portion of the deteriorating house. But aside from the standard cacophony of an ancient abode, there was no other noise to be heard. Nothing indicative of other life existing around them. The two autodogs met together at the doorway for the next room, and in matching stride, they passed through the moldy archway, continuing their search. There was nothing of interest to be seen among the debris and abandoned furniture half-way through its rotting phase, just more trash -glass bottles, cygstick remnants, wrappers and even half-used spray cans- tossed about haphazardly by the local younglings from one of their many stints of rebellion. Room by room, Trailbreaker and Inferno went, until they'd scoped every inch of the first floor and found themselves at the foot of a staircase leading upwards.
"Inferno, wait," Trailbreaker called worriedly, as the german shepherd placed his pede on the first step. "I don't think that's a good idea."
The youngling looked over his shoulder at his cousin with a disapproving expression. "We can't stop now. Aye know Red Alert is here; Aye can feel it in meh spark! We have ta go upstairs!"
"Look at that wood, Inferno! It's growing fungus, and this banister?" The dark autodog gave it a gentle poke in demonstration, the carved railing wobbling precariously. "For all we know, the whole thing could collapse under you at any moment. Or you'd try to stabilize yourself against the rail and it'd snap clear off, throwing you to the floor. You're gonna end up injured or dead, 'Fern."
"Aye don't care!," Inferno hissed, climbing up another step hastily. The wood gave a little pop as he did so. "Aye ain't goin' back 'less Aye know for sure that Red ain't here. Now ya can eith'r help or stay, but ya ain't stoppin' me, 'Break'r."
The older mech looked unhappy with the ultimatum, but he gestured for the younger mech to continue anyway; easing onto the staircase himself while Inferno climbed higher. There was more lighting here on the second landing; grime-ridden glass knocked free of their panes and not as much fauna having grown so high, giving the whole area a ghoulish appearance. Inferno turned his helm slowly, lost in thought as he studied the wide open doorways on either side of him.
Trailbreaker was beside him less than a klik later. "Which one first?"
The german shepherd pointed to his left, into what appeared to be a large sitting room or study. His cousin nodded and crossed the distance first, disappearing around the frame. It was just as Inferno made to follow that he caught a shadow flit past from the corner of his peripheral; shocked, his helm snapped in the same direction, calling out despite reason.
"Hey! HEY!"
Something was moving, barely visible in the mist and shadows, heading further down the manor hall. The youngling gave chase immediately, still yelling as he followed the spectre. "Wait! Come back! RED! RED ALERT!"
He could hear, faintly, Trailbreaker shouting his own name over his pounding pedes and the sudden creaking of the old house but Inferno ignored them all. His only focus was on the form he could hardly make out, dodging past fallen debris, jumping toppled furniture and squeezing past crooked doors and timbers. For a moment, he lost sight of the spectre entirely, stumbling out a berthroom that it had lured him into in confusion. He was cycling heavy intakes, condensation all down the back of his shirt, looking about dazedly. He saw that was a door across from him, yanked open and revealing a narrow set of stairs up into deep darkness. It seemed the likeliest direction... Perhaps too obvious.
Inferno shook his helm, sticking to the hall instead, moving at a slower pace. He noticed he was heading back to the main staircase, when his cousin barged out of a side room, just as winded and stormy-faced.
"That was completely stupid, Inferno!," he growled, visor dim with his ire. "Running off like that -you don't know what's out here or who! We're heading back n-"
The sound of crunching thundered loudly in the old manor, interrupted only by the scream that followed on its tail. Alarmed, the two mechs bolted for the staircase, unmindful of its weakened state as they rushed back down to the first floor. Dust was still swirling in the air as Inferno hurried into the large dining room, dropping to his knees at the mouth of a giant hole now in the floor. Under the small circle of his flashlight he could just make out the shape of Red Alert laying in the dirt a few feet below.
"Red! Red Alert, Aye'm here!," the german shepherd yelled.
"N-NO!," the doberman shrieked back, the sound of his intakes rising to an unnatural pitch. "NO! NO, STAY AWAY FROM ME!"
"What's going on?!," Trailbreaker shouted as he drew closer, trying to be heard over the other youngling's hysterical wails.
"He's havin' a terror!," Inferno yelled back, jumping up and snatching the lantern from his cousin's servo. "Aye need this. Aye'll be right back!"
And then he was jumping into the shallow hole with the lantern. Light imploded, rushing to fill all the edges beneath the manor's main floor, causing the panic-stricken Red Alert to throw an arm over his face blindly.
"S-STOP! PLEASE! LE-LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANT TO G-GO AWAY!"
"R-red... Red, it's meh," Inferno hesitantly called out, shuffling slowly forward on his knees through the dirt. His fuel tanks churned at the sight of his friend, so lean and covered in grime, shifting wildly in terror while keeping his face hidden; he'd seen field rats in better shape than the poor doberman. The smaller autodog was trying to scramble backwards further under one of the house's support legs, but he was quick to stop with a high-pitched yelp. The red youngling could see why.
The floor had clearly given under Red Alert's weight as he attempted to flee from what he assumed were attackers. A large, jagged piece of wood was piercing the frightened mech's ankle; it could have only felt excruciating for his friend.
Licking his lip components, the german shepherd opened his mouth to speak again, pausing in place. "Red... Red, please, it's meh. It's Inferno. Red, Aye was so scar'd Aye'd nev'r see ya again," he whispered gently over the frenzied intakes and panicked sobbing, holding the lantern up more so the light would pool over the both of them. "Please. Red, Aye'm... Aye'm not here ta hurt ya. Please, c-could... could ya look at meh?"
There was a moment of silence following his plea, white ears twitching sporadically upon the other's helm. For a spark-snuffing moment, Inferno was afraid that Red Alert was too far gone in his panic to be reasoned with, then, he noticed that the antennae were sparking less and less, until the arm was beginning to lower as well. Two pale orbs peeked over a filthy sleeve, wide and terrified as they stared across at the other autodog.
"...I...I-inferno...?," came the tormented whimper.
Inferno could have cried from joy. "Y-yeah...," he vented waterly, "Yeah, it's m-meh, Red. It's gonna be o-okay now. Yer hurt but we'll git ya fix'd up right."
The white youngling completely dropped his arm, lurching forward as if he was going to throw himself at the larger mech, yet was hindered by his injured ankle. Tears swelled in his optics as he rolled into the dirt instead, sobbing loudly.
"Break'r! Break'r, throw meh the pack!," Inferno hastily yelled back up into the hole. There was a thunk as the backpack was dropped down somewhere behind him. Resting the lantern in a safe spot, the german shepherd grabbed the bag, tearing through it quickly. He found a first aid kit and some bottled water, taking out both. "Red," he called out softly, shyly touching his friend's ankle, "Red, this is gonna hurt for a moment, but Aye promise it's gonna make it all bett'r afterwards. Okay?"
Red Alert could hardly reply, working himself into another frenzy.
"Alright," the red youngling continued to speak, grasping the other's leg firmly. "Here we go. One, two..." He yanked the shard out before he even got to three, holding the doberman down as he thrashed in agony; humming lullabies until the worse of the pain had subsided. When Red Alert had stilled enough on his own accord, Inferno let him go, grabbing a disinfectant swab and wiping the area down just before he wrapped the ankle up in gauze.
"I-inferno," the smaller autodog whimpered, "Inferno, I-i-"
Inferno reached out and pulled the doberman forward into a crushing embrace. "Ssh, Red," he soothed, uncaring about the other's greasy fur rubbing against his cheekplate or the wetness now soaking his shirt. "Don't be scar'd. Aye ain't lettin' ya go. Nev'r again."
"Is everything alright down there?," Trailbreaker called down.
Red Alert jumped in the german shepherd's grasp, a fresh terror beginning to take hold. "N-no. No we're a'right!," the red autodog replied loudly. "Hang on, Aye'll throw the pack an' lantern up. Red Alert is hurt!"
He unwound a single arm to grasp the backpack first, hefting it up into the pitch darkness as his attention focused on his companion squirming wildly against his torso. "It's okay, Red Alert. It's jus' meh cousin. Name's Trailbreak'r. He's good sorts, Aye promise. He won't do nothin' ta ya; he's here ta help me," he whispered gently. "Okay?"
It looked as though the doberman might not take his word about the karelian being a safe person to trust, his lower lip component trembling as some sort of war waged on the inside of his poor friend. It seemed to wrap up quicker than Inferno would have thought though, white fingers curling tightly in the fabric of the other's shirt as he gave the taller youngling a timid nod. Grinning in relief, Inferno reached for the lantern next, holding it up until a dark servo reached down into the hole to take it from him.
"C'mon, Red," he urged, looping one of the white autodog's arms over his shoulder as he turned his back toward his friend. "Climb up. Ya can't be walkin' on that ankle 'til we git it check'd out real good, an' Aye ain't leavin' ya for anoth'r klik in this horrible place."
"B-bu-but-," the doberman squeaked, ears flattening against his helm and cheekplates darkening.
Inferno wasn't taking no for an answer. He reached back and gently grasped the delicate servos hovering above his shoulders, sliding the weak doberman onto his back effortlessly. One larger servo pressed against the others looped around his collar strut, trying to cast a smile back at his silent companion. "Up we go now!"
The german shepherd shuffled into the dead centre of the hole, standing up to full height and accepting the servo that waited to aid him in climbing out. Settling on solid ground, a few metres away from the caved in section, Inferno readjusted his hold on Red Alert, cupping the smaller youngling under his thighs. "Is that good for ya, Red?," he asked quietly, craning to see the other.
Red Alert though was burying his face into the collar of his shirt, his grip tightening on the red autodog. "Y-yes...," he whispered. "T-thank you, I-inferno, so m-much, I-i..."
"Hey, no apologies now, ya hear? Aye'd do this all 'gain in a spark beat," he smiled, resting his helm momentarily against the bowed one at his back.
In the darkness, he couldn't see the tiny smile that blossomed in response of his statement.
"...Inferno," Trailbreaker cautiously cut in, already standing in the doorway leading to the foyer. "C'mon. We gotta get outta here now. There's only a couple more cycles 'til dawn."
Nodding, the german shepherd hoisted Red Alert an inch higher, marching through the deteriorating manor and back out into the cool night air.
C.M.D: Be kind; give me your mind~ REVIEW, please?