His glitch was identifying every movement as a Decepticon; and even if he had severely disciplined his CPU into ignoring it, the silence and darkness were eating on him. Especially since he was so exposed. There was no cover for miles-
Red Alert slowed down as his headlights caught a human form. Why didn't I sense anything? He wondered for a moment, then dismissed it as his glitch. Hurriedly he placed up his hologram, and slowed down. He was supposed to be nice to the humans, right?
As he slowed down, he took more notice of the human girl. She was dressed in a elaborate dress, the type that humans would wear on their 'prom' nights. Whatever that is. Maybe its some way for the government to take control by channeling all of the hormones into- Red Alert determinedly strangled the conspiracy theory, stopping next to the girl.
Her pale grey eyes turned to his hologram, and Red Alert asked through the hologram, "Are you alright?"
She nodded, long black hair falling into her face to hide it. Red Alert noticed how she seemed to have an odd red mark around her neck, but dismissed it. "Do you need a ride?"
"That would be nice, thank you."
The hologram leaned over as Red Alert popped open the door. "Where you headed to?"
"My boyfriend left me here after we got into a fight."
Red Alert softened towards the human, and his hologram threw her a sympathetic look. "I can understand how that feels." He hesitated, wondering how best o phrase this, and finally he asked, "Why?"
"Because I didn't believe him again."
"Oh?"
"He's out to get me!" She hissed, suddenly glaring at Red Alert. "Everyone's out to get me. It's all a conspiracy!"
Red Alert slowed from sheer surprise, and the female turned away. "If everyone is out to get you, then why did you accept a ride?"
"Because- I don't know why!"
Red Alert snorted softly, but he said, "I know how that feels."
"You do not-"
"I am declared mentally insane from paranoia." Red Alert said softly, sagging as he drove on. "I do try. I try to keep my gli- insanity under control. But, it's hard."
The girl looked at him, and then she smiled slightly. "I guess that's why I came in the car. Those of a feather will flock together."
Red Alerts hologram nodded, and she looked at him, and then back around at the car. "How do you handle it? The pressure. You're a type of cop even!"
Red Alert sighed, "I don't. Not really. I found a place where my paranoia makes me useful, but… after this is over, in fact, even now, I'm no longer so useful. I'm… I'm just a burden now."
The girl patted his dashboard for some odd reason, as she said, "yeah, but at least you found a place to be for a little time. At least you were liked-"
"Liked? Never. I was always the paranoid security director who always went over the top on everything." Red Alert replied bitterly. "I doubt they would care if I just suddenly disappeared."
The girls face changed, and she said something softly. No human would've caught it, but Red Alert did. "Nobody missed me either."
"What was that?" he asked aloud, wondering if she would repeat it out loud with an explanation.
The girl shook her head. "Nothing."
They made small talk for awhile, Red Alert noticing that she seemed very nervous or scared, he couldn't decide which. But it wasn't a scared aura that was directed at him, more like a terrified aura about what was to happen next. He wondered for a moment if he should scan her, then remembered what the human Sam had said about being scanned. It freaked humans out.
"By the way," Red Alert hesitated, then blurted, "Are you scared?"
"What?"
Red Alert explained, allowing his hologram to show his flush, "You just seem scared." He explained, unable to put a impulse on how he knew. He just did.
"I-I am." The girl said softly. "I'm really scared of moving on. I don't know what the future holds for me. Will it be better or worse then what is here?"
Red Alert suddenly stopped, just out of sight of the city. He knew it was just over the hill, but he had his hologram turn to look her in the eyes. "It doesn't matter. You just have to go forward. No one can predict the future. No once can change the past either. We have to move forward step by step."
A bitter smile curved Red Alerts face, and he proceeded to lay bare his spark for her. Something that he had done for no one else, not even Inferno. He told her of his victories; the calm, peaceful days watching others laze about enjoying the day. He told her of the bad days when he literally wanted to die. When he would hold with a shaking hand a gun or knife and wonder what life after death was like.
But he had a duty. He had sworn to protect the Ark and its inhabitants, no matter how much they hated him. No matter what they said, no matter how they glared. He had sacrificed so much for them. Many things they would never know, like the long nights he spent up, reviewing his plans, scared that they might fail and kill everyone onboard. The hours he spent, cursing himself and reviewing his old plans, searching for the tragic flaw that let even one mech get hurt, and then repeating the mistake to himself over and over again, to make sure that he would never repeat it. The loneliness that resulted, because nobody wanted to get to know him, because he was glitchy and too strict. Red Alert was unaware of the time that passed, as he sat, sharing his life story. But the girl returned the favor. In exchange for his life story, she shared hers.
It was truly a heart warming and soul lifting experience. Two paranoid people, drawn together by some odd fate, sharing their fears, confessing their weaknesses. With each other, they knew the other could understand, in a way nobody else could. They both knew that the other did understand, for they were going through it themselves.
The girl was silent for a few moments after they finished, and then she drew the hologram into a hug. Red Alerts hologram stiffened, and the girl murmured, "Thank you. Thank you for listening. Thank you for caring and knowing."
Then, slipped out of the car to take a few steps before she disappeared. Just vanished. Red Alert sat in the middle of the road, stunned. Then, hastily he drew on the internet. When he was done, he rocked back on his suspension axles. "A ghost. I just met a ghost." He whispered, shocked.
"WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH ME?! I know my glitch is bad, but I never thought it would be enough to make me hallucinate human ghosts."
Red Alert hesitated, wondering who the human was, and regretting that he had never gotten her name. "What was your name?" he asked the still night air, but nothing answered.
0o0o0o0o0
Red Alert rolled into base, and stopped. It was oddly silent. Quietly he transformed, heading to the main hanger where Optimus Prime should be. He found it completely deserted. Worried, he turned and began searching the buildings one by one. Nothing. Red Alert stood there, panicking. What is going on? Did they just abandon me-
"Red Alert!" Red Alert turned at the sound of the shout.
Bumblebee stood there. "Bumblebee? But, just last night I dropped you off at the city-" Red Alert said, shocked.
Bumblebees frown grew. "What are you talking about Red Alert? It's been a whole Week since you disappeared! Everyone's been looking for you!"
"A week?" Red Alert repeated, staring at Bumblebee. "That-that can't be. It was just a night! I just gave her a ride, and it was just one night!"
Bumblebee held up both hands, taking a step back. "Calm down Red Alert."
Red Alert stopped and forced himself to calm down outwardly. Bumblebee said softly, "Something happened Red Alert. You've been gone for a week. The entire Arks crew is out searching for you now."
Red Alert stared at Bumblebee, and Bumblebee felt that he had just overloaded Red Alerts CPU. "Ratchet, come in Ratchet!"
"You better be calling me about Red Alert-"
"He's here. On base."
Instantly Red Alerts comm. link was flooded with angry shouts and yells as the Arks crew let him know just how angry they were with his disappearing act. Red Alert stared at the comm. link, and then looked back at Bumblebee. "An entire week?"
Something in Red Alerts voice made more then one mech pause. "You meant to tell me that I've been gone for an entire week? Bu-But, I-I-"
Ratchets voice broke over the comm. link, "Red Alert, calm down."
But Red alert simply stared blankly ahead, thinking about the human ghost he had encountered, and wondering if for a few moments, she had pulled him into her world, a world where he didn't need to worry. A world in which everything was all right.
0o0o0o0o0
"I don't understand it Prime. His levels show that he hasn't ingested energon in a week, yet it's only down as much as if he had been onlined and driving for a night."
Prime looked at Ratchet, concern filling his optics. "And Red Alert?"
"He refuses to speak sir. Bumblebee said that he was babbling about a girl or something, but whatever it was, he's closed up tight about it now."
"I see. We'll have to watch him."
0o0o0o0o0o0
Red Alert sat on the recharge booth, optics distant and thoughtful. He had tried digging up files on the human girl he had given a ride too, but without a name, it was all useless. No information could be found. He remembered her, sitting lonely and scared within him, and it suddenly made a lot more sense. She had known she was dead; she was simply scared of moving on. Moving on to what the humans called an afterlife, whatever it may be. One hand reached up, placing itself on top of the spot where she had sat, and Red Alert suddenly stood up, having to know.
0o0o0o0o0o
Nobody saw as Red Alert vanished, no one thought Red Alert would do so. After pulling the stunt he just had of disappearing for a week, everyone thought Ratchet would have Red Alert strapped to a berth in the medbay, threatening bodily harm if Red Alert ever pulled the stunt again. Red Alert ignored all protocol, and left, despite his glitch shrieking at him to go back.
But he had to know.
0o0o0o0o0o
Red Alert pulled up at the spot where the ghost had disappeared, and scanned the area. Nothing. Just like he thought.
But for some reason, he staid right there, remembering, pulling up on his CPU the memories of the human girl as she listened, as they both touched each other. He sat there quietly; watching as the day turned slowly into dusk, not noticing the frantic pages, or the ever-increasing comm. link calls that went ignored. Slowly he dropped into a recharge, and dreamed-
The human girl was smiling and giggling as she stood in the field of flowers that stretched as far as the eye could see. Surrounding her were people, people she had described to him. She smiled at him and waved, shouting, "It's so much better here! I don't have to be afraid anymore! Thank you!"
Red Alert wanted to ask for the name, but suddenly it became so much less important. The name no longer mattered for her, or even him. She had found it. The place where she could be safe, a place where she could no longer worry. "Goodbye." Red alert said instead, simply, as he slowly woke up-
Red Alert slowly onlined to find that full dusk had fallen. Silently he drove back to base, wondering what he was going to say, wondering how he was supposed to explain his actions.
He knew what he had done was a major breech in protocol, and judging from how many pages that were piled upon his pager everyone had noticed him gone in seconds. He drove off without a second scan back, not noticing the particularly cold breath of wind that blew after him for a split moment in the way of goodbye-
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Red Alert reentered base, wondering what sort of reception was waiting for him. To his surprise, it was bustling with activity. Silently he slowed, looking up at the security camera. It was destroyed.
Angry now he moved into base, noticing that most of his cameras were destroyed. He chaged in the middle fo the courtyard, storming up to the twins who were with jazz. All three had their backs to him, and Sideswipe was saying, pointing at a datapad- "If we destroy the cameras over here it might snpa him out of it-"
"Snap who out of what twins? Jazz?"
All three froze, and Red Alert snarled, "What do you three think you're doing?"
"Your back!"
Red Alert was tackled from behind as Inferno literally swept him off his feet. "Red, ya don't ever scare me like that again! First ya dissapering for a week, then ya vanishing for another two days- what did ya think ya were doing?"
In Infernos anguish and berating, his accent became so thick Red Alert could barely understand it. But Red Alert simply sighed, whacking Inferno upside the head gently. "Inferno put me down. I need to punish these three-"
"Actually, ya can't. Prime gave the three orders to do whatever they wanted in order to lure you back after you vanished. They sent warnings, then they did it, told you, and you didn't come back." Inferno said, glaringdown at Red Alert.
"Ratchets swore that he's going to weld your skid-plate to the medical berth the second you get back. Prowls also been mightly ticked off."
"How so?" Red Alert asked, a sense of doom falling into the pit of his energon processor.
"Well, he personally threatened to bury you in so much data work you wouldn't be able to even think about moving in cycles to make sure you don't vanish ever again."
Red alert groaned, hands coming up to press against his face. "Honestly, can't I leave you lot alone? I am allowed my own time aren't I?"
Inferno scowled down at Red Alert, "Ya know, if you wanted to rest, ya could've told us. Ya didn't have to disappear for a whole week."
Red Alert said nothing, and Inferno placed Red Alert down, but kept one close optic on his friend. 'What's the matter Inferno, you act as if I'm going to disappear any moment now."
"Red, I took my optics off of ya for a breem. Just a single breem, and ya disappeared for two days. Before that I allowed ya to go escort 'Bee alone, and ya disappeared for a week!"
I wonder if I'm rubbing off on him. It isn't so usual of him to sound as if he's getting paranoid.
"No Red! Ya ain't disappearing on me again!"
Red Alert shook his head, and pointed at the twins. "Every single last destroyed camera. Security room in three breems or I might punish you even harder then what I've already got planned."
The three moved off to find the cameras, and Red Alert stalked to Primes room, Inferno following close behind. Prowl came nearby just as Red Alert was about to enter Primes office. "Red Alert!"
Red Alert turned, optic ridge rising. "Why did you disappear?" Prowl demanded. "I have hd to deal with the pranksters, and since you're the only one who knows how to properly set up the recordings, cameras, and catch them in the act- I've been having to do it alone!"
"Sorry Prowl, I swear that I'm not going to disappear again." Red Alert said softly, optics flickering to Inferno.
Inferno scowled, arms crossing over his chest. "Firestar would be furious with me if I allowed you to die."
Red Alert sighed softly, then turned to Prowl. "I'm going to report in to Prime, and then I'll get back to work."
0o0o0o0o0o0
It took Red Alert nearly a month to settle everything down and get everything running smoothly. Most of the Ark made sure to keep on optic on him all the time as if they thought he would disappear on them once again.
Red Alert had no intention of doing so. It was just too much work. Yet, there were, in the times created by a lull in work or activity, remember the girl, and her own paranoia. He paused, trying to recall her face, and found he couldn't. But he still remembered her, with all his spark he remembered her.
Red Alerts optics off-lined slowly as he dropped into an exhausted recharge. When he woke up, an energon cube with a note was attached to it. Red Alert, here's to being the greatest security director we ever had.
It was unsigned, and Red Alert had no idea who it was from. Cautiously he picked it up, eyeing it. Drink it, don't drink it…Drink it. With a few gulps the cube was downed, put aside, and Red Alert turned back to his job at hand.
SsSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSs
Ahh, it started out as a bunny where Red Alert picked up a ghost, and I ment to make it funny, but something stopped me, and wrenched it this way. The reason why I made her paranoid?
Red Alert isn't the only person who's paranoid, and I think he'd benefit greatly if he got to talk with someone like this. Don't you think so as well.
Tell me how you liked- theirs a little button below calling your name.