Oh, warning now, this is before Red Alert confesses to Inferno, so although they might talk they aren't mates yet.
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"-And that is why, on this planet, the need for speed is considered the most important. We hope to recruit them in the war, at least to help out, and the natives have agreed on one condition." Red Alert looked at Prime, wondering why Primes optics was resting particularly hard on him.
"Red Alert, you and the twins, as the fastest alt-mode vehicles in the Ark, will be racing against the natives."
The pen in Red Alerts hand dropped and fell on the table with a loud clatter. "Me and the…twins?"
"Red Alert, while I know you do not especially like them-"
"They destroy all of my cameras whenever they get a chance too." Red Alert snarled. "Not to mention the tricks they play."
Prime continued determinedly, trying not to let the slight smile break through. "-you must get over that fact, and win the race. The natives' working with us depends on that."
Red Alert sighed. He knew very well that if he complained any further Prime would give him a speech, and he'd STILL have to do it. He scowled darkly at the table, as Prime held his breath. If Red Aelrt dug in his heels too much, Prime knew he would cave in. "Very well."
The entire table breathed a collective sigh of relief. Red Alert turned to Jazz, "Only if Jazz here cleans up the mess he made of the cafeteria by the time I get back. Otherwise you all are going to find some highly embarrassing things floating around in the rec. room."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00
Sunstreaker and Sideswipes jaws dropped. "We have to work with HIM?!"
Prime would have groaned and put his head in his hands if he could of, but the commander of the army didn't. He was sorely tempted to however. "Yes, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker. You three have the fastest forms, and there has to be three."
The twins grumbled as Red Alert ignored them. Red Alert was making a point of ignoring them. They looked at Ratchet, pleading, "C'mon Hatchet!" A tick pulsed dangerously on Ratchet's forehead. "Everyone knows you can't work well with glitches-"
SLAM! Red Alert brought the data pad that he had been pretending to read down so hard that it cracked. "I have had enough of you two." He snarled angrily, nearly shaking in anger. "I have endured enough glitch jokes, pranks, and sneers then you two have probably been alive. If you have a problem with me having a glitch you better keep it to yourselves, for I am sick and tired of mechs like you who have no idea on what a glitch is truly like."
The twins exchanged slightly stunned glances. While they had always joked, they hadn't actually thought Red Alert would take it to spark. "Now, we are going on that stupid race, we're going to win it, and I don't want to see either of you two AGAIN until after you are ready to keep quiet. Got it?"
Without waiting for an answer, Red Alert stalked out of the room, fuming furiously. "What's gotten into him?" Sideswipe asked.
"You two must of hit a sore point." Ratchet said unsympathetically. "And I don't want to hear another word about it from either of you two either. Red Alert has done his job well, despite his glitch."
Sunstreaker muttered angrily, "It was just a joke."
"Well, I'm glad I'm not you during the race."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Inferno didn't have time to dodge as Red Alert stormed through the Ark, hands clenching and unclenching. He found Red Alert nearly tossing him aside, and anyone else who got in his way. Even Grimlock backed down after Red Alert almost trampled his foot. "Whoa, Inferno, what just happened?"
"Red Alert on a rampage is what. Wonder what set him off?"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The day to the race dawned bright and earl. Except in a single corner. Red Alert seemed to of gathered a following of dark clouds, which made both twins wince to look at it. "Sideswipe, I'm unsure if we're going to leave this race alive."
"Nonsense Sunny, I don't think Red Alert will kill-"
The glare shot their way shut Sideswipe up. "Never mind Sunny. I say we're not going to last five seconds after we leave Primes optic range."
Sunstreaker nodded, and then looked back at Prime. "So, it's not a matter of racing the natives now, but racing Red Alert."
"Exactly."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The signal was given, and the race was off. The first thing that everyone noticed was that the twins were keeping as far ahead of Red Alert as possible, which wasn't by much. In five clicks flat they were leaving the natives to eat their dust.
The natives, stunned at first, kicked their own vehicles into high gear, and were soon catching up. Red Alert drove behind the twins, urging them on to greater speeds. The natives pushed their own engines harder, not believing how fast they were going.
They raced towards the middle of the course, where they would have to go over rocky, steep terrain. Red Alert began to slow accordingly, making others laugh at his foolishness. Until they drove right off a cliff. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe barely missed it, and even then they had to turn an amazingly tight corner in order to do so.
Red Alert smirked triumphantly. "Who's laughing now?"
Sunstreaker glared, and would of changed right then and there to fight Red Alert, had Sideswipe cautioned softly, "Easy Sunny. Not yet. We're still in Primes optic range."
Sunstreaker grumbled as he subsided.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
The three came back, first place. All other groups had been destroyed by the long, treacherous course. Either that or being driven insane by the arguing robots. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were still arguing violently with Red Alert when they pulled up.
Ratchet rubbed his auditory receptors, snarling, "Tune it down! We could hear you miles back."
Both groups took down their volume one notch. Ratchet could finally hear himself think.
"Prime, you're great idea has turned into disaster."
"Yes, I know."
A few other vehicles came limping up, the engines spluttering smoke. Red Alert paused in his arguing, to turn and tell them, "You two did really good today in racing."
He walked away, leaving both twins stunned by his sudden change.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
The twins had been talking nearly all night, trying to figure out what had gone on during the race. One point they were arguing with him loudly, and the next, he had complimented them on their driving. "It doesn't make any sense Sunny!" Sideswipe moaned.
Sunstreaker snarled back, "I know it doesn't!"
00o0o0o0o0o00o0
Red Alert smiled. Good, let them crash their CPU's trying to figure that out.
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Ok, this fic went in a completely different direction then what I wanted… Ah, well… XP I'm not feeling very happy, so whatever attempts at humor probably failed miserably in here.