Nemo
Author's Note: Well, this is a long-awaited request by Warm as Fire who made a very interesting one to write a fic themed somewhat on Phantom of the Opera or Titanic. Well...eheh...I did come up with something, though highly A.U. I thought of a fic where the war between the two sides didn't happen.
"God made woman beautiful and foolish; beautiful, that man might love her; and foolish, that she might love him."
-Unknown Quote
"One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter."
-James Earl Jones
By: VampireQueenAkasha
~O~
Beundre
Cheers were given that day.
The Ministry of Science was applauded in the streets of Iacon for their success in creating a more conserving source of fuel for Cybertronian life. Something that would last for a very long time and preserve energy sources on the planet. Most of everyone in the city had arrived to offer their praise for such an achievement. Ultra Magnus and Sentinel Prime shook hands with Perceptor and the other members. Shockwave was among them.
Among the crowd, Red Alert yelled to Moonracer over the cheering. Chromia and Hot Shot were with them. "You think Sentinel's ego might swell that chin up any bigger?"
Moonracer laughed. "Could be a close call!"
Ultra Magnus smiled and gestured to the crowd to be still. The cheering died down slowly and when it did, the mech spoke. "Let us all give thanks to our very own Ministry of Science for their dedication and hard work," he announced.
In the crowd, Hot Shot whooped and clapped, the sound echoing. "Yeah! Score one for smart guys! Yeah!"
Ultra Magnus curled his lip and arched an optic ridge with dismay, taking no mind to the collective giggles around him before he continued. "To this day, we will create a lasting fuel source," he announced, "One that will guarantee our survival!"
Once again, cheering was made from the crowds. Shockwave regarded each and every thrilled face and taking a deep intake, his chest rising and falling with the action. It was difficult to determine whether or not the presence of so many was a personal problem. Chromia and Moonracer only smiled when their optics fell on him.
"That Shockwave's a piece of work, huh?" Moonracer said, chuckling.
Chromia smirked sidelong at her. "I especially love his smile," she quipped.
Red Alert gave Chromia a push, though she was smiling too. "Come on. Don't be mean." She turned to go. "Let's get moving before the crowds swamp us."
The four made their way through the crowds and Red Alert returned to the Iacon Infirmary for work. She approached her locker and started to gather her tools, but something fell from it and onto the floor with an audible clinking sound. Red Alert frowned curiously and looked down before bending to pick up the object; it was a small hand-made metal flower. She could see that each detail was carefully considered and the metal bent and woven.
She tilted her head with a small smile before gathering what she needed and walked to her laboratory. Hook was already there with his face buried in a microscope and he didn't look up when she entered the room. He was one of the oldest of the staff at the infirmary and a no-nonsense Cybertronian.
"You're late," he said.
"Yeah, sorry," Red Alert replied, rather sheepishly, "My friends dragged me to the ceremony in the city square."
Hook exhaled through his intakes before glancing up. "What do you have there?" He indicated the flower in her hands.
Red Alert furrowed her brow and ran her fingers over the object. "I found it in my locker."
"Hm." Hook shrugged his shoulders and walked around the lab table. "I thought you and the hot shot security bot weren't hitting it off."
Red Alert gave him a look. "Rodimus is sweet and all, but he's not one to do oddly romantic things like this," she argued. Her gaze softened somewhat and she seemed distracted by a fleeting thought before setting the flower down on a counter behind her.
"If it's not him, then guess you got yourself a creepy little admirer," Hook murmured, shaking his head as if the concept disgusted him.
Red Alert laughed and then, seemed rather touched by the thought. Hook watched her skeptically for a moment before arching his optic ridges. "Are you going to stand there and fantasize or are you going to get to work?"
"Yes, of course." Red Alert smiled with embarrassment and nodded before walking out of the laboratory.
O
Maccadam's Oil House was alive with cheerful mechs and femmes, sharing high-grade and having a good time. Soundwave was sitting at the counter, seemingly in discussion with another bot that appeared to take the shape of a jagged two-wheeled vehicle. His head was also encased in a container of green liquid. Red Alert had to admit that he looked somewhat unsettling and was relieved when he stood up and walked passed her without so much as a second glance. She joined Chromia and Moonracer at a table and drinks were brought to her.
"Red!" Chromia greeted with a smile, "It's about time you showed up!"
A little music started playing, performed by Jazz and Blaster.
"Well, what have my especially active friends been up to?" Red Alert asked, giving the two knowing looks.
Chromia and Moonracer gestured around them. "Well, the two of us were just talking about you, actually."
"Really?" Red Alert took a drink of her cup. "Are my audio circuits bleeding?"
"We've decided that as your friends, it is unhealthy for you not to consider a relationship," Moonracer told her, in a playfully serious voice, "You are working too hard and I am going to make it my sworn duty to get you unraveled in the berth with a mech."
Red Alert gave her a funny look, but couldn't resist her smile. "Please, do me a favor and don't help me."
Moonracer laughed and shrugged her shoulders. "Well it seems everyone is getting committed these days," she pointed out, "Just take a look at Lugnut." She gestured to the large, violet mech in a corner who was speaking rather loudly to a few others. "Even he's found the perfect female for himself."
Chromia arched her optic ridges. "A female perfect for Lugnut?" She shuddered in disgust. "That's a disturbing thought."
Red Alert produced the flower to them. "Well, I don't know why, but I found this in my locker," she said; she gave them a look, "Surely this isn't your idea of a joke, is it?"
The two looked intrigued now, grinning.
"Not at all, Red Alert," Moonracer said, taking the flower and studying it, "You just found this today?"
"Yes."
Chromia smirked and murmured thoughtfully. "Oh my, I suppose there is one out there who so admires our little Red," she mused, "But why would he do something like this instead of approaching her? What do you think, Moony?"
Moonracer grinned. "Perhaps her hard-working face scares him?"
Red Alert took the flower and laughed, giving her a playful shove. "Oh, stop it!"
The three laughed together for a few moments before Chromia tilted her head thoughtfully. "So who do you think it's from?"
Red Alert made a thoughtful sound. She tried to think of why someone would give her this, but nothing came to mind. Rodimus was insistent at times, but it wasn't like he was able to do things like this. She really couldn't come up with a reason.
Just then, Moonracer and Chromia looked beyond her.
"Oh dear, here comes Rodimus," Moonracer said, surreptitiously, "Life's too short..."
Sure enough, Rodimus approached the table and gave a not to the two femmes in front of Red Alert before looking down at her. "Hey, I heard you had a rough day at work," he told her, with a smile, "Maybe I can get you another drink."
Red Alert smiled halfheartedly and held up her cup to him. "No thanks," she said, politely, "You know how it is for me; one and done."
"Ah." Rodimus scratched the back of his head. "Right. I forgot. Sorry."
Chromia and Moonracer snickered at each other. He was really flopping horribly. Rodimus gave them a dirty look and noticed Red Alert rising from her chair.
"I should get back home," she told them, "I have a surgery to do in the morning."
"I'll walk you." Rodimus offered.
Red Alert didn't see the necessity since her apartment complex wasn't far, but shrugged her shoulders and started walking. Rodimus followed her and they started off down the street. He smiled down at her and casually kicked a stray metal ball bearing in the road.
"Hey, you know they're having a banquet tomorrow," he said, "Maybe you and I could..."
Red Alert smiled at him somewhat. "I'm not exactly the femme you could take with you. But Arcee's been dying to have you ask her on a date for a while."
Rodimus looked surprised. "Arcee?"
"Yeah," Red Alert said, "She is rather stunning."
Rodimus frowned thoughtfully. "Beauty isn't everything."
"No. But to mechs in high status, it always is."
"And who says you're not beautiful?" Rodimus stopped and she did as well.
Red Alert was still smiling, though she seemed rather content with her responses. "Rodimus, you and I are friends, remember?" she told him, "I'm a working-class femme. I don't have the looks that my friends do."
He chuckled. "Now come on, Red. You can't..."
His voice faded out as Red Alert suddenly sensed optics on them. She frowned and peered down a ark alleyway, but saw no one. She squinted somewhat to see if she could make out any shape or form, but it seemed that it was just a matter of her imagination.
"Hey, Red?"
Red Alert looked up at Rodimus in surprise. "What?"
"Are you okay?"
She smiled and shook her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thought I saw someone."
Rodimus murmured thoughtfully and knotted his brow, looking in the same direction that she was. "I don't see anyone."
"I'm probably just tired." Red Alert rationalized, rubbing her forehelm with one hand. "I should just recharge early tonight."
"Yeah," Rodimus agreed, "I should do. They're going to need me double-time at the city gates. No doubt word got to the Thetacons about the Ministry of Science's recent success story. They're going to want a piece of it."
The Thetacons were an isolated tribe of Cybertronians who Red Alert was told consisted of criminals, old war soldiers and barbaric savages. Personally, she had never met a Thetacon to have a real opinion of them, but they were fighting with Ultra Magnus for equality and a better lifestyle. Their rations were always so limited, so Red Alert could see why they would be out to cause trouble to get what they wanted and needed.
"Okay, I guess I'll see you later?" Rodimus said.
Red Alert smiled. "I guess you will."
The two went separate ways, transforming and riding off down the streets. Red Alert returned home and prepared for recharge; she took a long-needed shower and had something soothing to drink before sitting down in front of her mirror. The flower she had retrieved rested to the side and she studied it before looking back at herself in the mirror. It was so peculiar that she would receive such an offering, even if it may have been a simple prank. Why would anyone admire her from afar? She didn't think of herself as beautiful. Who had the time for such things?
Still, the offering-albeit a small one-did put a smile on her face.
O
Note- Well? What do you think so far? Beundre is Danish for "Admire".