Chapter 11 partners in partially illegal activities.

Red-Alert looked over the criminal who was putting himself firmly in his personal space with disdain.

The mech was leaned over the counter as much as possible, light blue plating with one single optic for a face bore into him like he could see his internals.

The constant scrutiny made his plating crawl and he thought the need to run away. The mechs alt-mode was clear from his frame and he wondered how they stopped a helicopter from just escaping, he would have to ask Rung later and add it to hi files.

'Yes we are room-mates. Now can you please summon Rung. It's very important!' he barked, Whirl eyed up the bag and made a quick grab for it, he missed and the shocked expression on Red-Alert's face made him cackle on the inside.

The bot acted as if he had just gone for his spark and Whirl slowly reached out for the bag again, keeping optic contact.

'I CAN SEE YOU! Do you honestly think going slowly will help you!?' Red-Alert shrieked as he realised that Whirl was still trying to go for his bag, acting like a feline.

'Shhhh, I'm trying to be sneaky.' Whirl whispered. Red-Alert felt his optic ridge twitch and pulled the bag away, smacking the offending claw and Whirl let out a small shriek of indignation

'Shoot, well sometimes that works.' Whirl grumbled as he gave up trying to slowly grab the bag.

'When has that 'ever worked?' Red asked.

'Sometimes, never actually seen it work myself but if I ain't seen it means that it 'might' of happened somewhere else so sometimes.' Whirl explained like it was simple science.

'That's not how the word 'sometimes' works.' Red-Alert protested, trying not to get sucked in to the logic of this strange mech.

'So what's gotten you so wired up, come on you can tell your ol' buddy Whirl.' the one optic mech cooed. Ignoring the angry and uncomfortable expression on the other mechs face.

'I will only tell that information to Rung, I can trust him.' he muttered, this mech was clearly insane or glitched or something! And he was not going to tell his worries to someone 'unstable' he just hoped Rung would show up soon.

'Hey can I ask a question?' Whirl asked resting his oblong head on his claws.

'You just did.' Red-Alert dead-panned before he realised what he'd said and chortled to himself, Whirl tilted his head.

'What?' he muttered confused as he replayed the conversation in his head, one klik, two klik, three klik. Ooohhh!

'Oh hardy har, no really it's about Rung.' he explained and Red-Alert's attention was back on him, an optical ridge raised minutely.

'Go on?' he asked and Whirl inwardly grinned.

'He's got a new patient, big, BIG guy, managed to crumble poor Docs servo.' he explained and Red-Alert nodded he had noticed the bandage as soon as the doc came home and had investigated him thoroughly.

'Yes, no matter what I tried he would not tell me much about his new patient..I believe his name is Fortress Maximus?' he asked and Whirl nodded.

'Yeah, yeah. Now see the doc's a special little guy, he treats me like...well like a person and I wanna look out for him, buuut as you probably know that Doc has a duty of care that'd put the best of the best to shame.' Red-Alert felt suspicion rise in his processor and he crossed his arms defensively.

'What is it you want? Uhm, Whirl was it?' he asked and the prisoner's optic glowed a bright sickly yellow.

'For a little co-operation, I can see what I can find out inside and you can find out stuff at home about what this Maximus guy did and we can see if the Docs in over his fragile head.' Whirl finished, he could hear loud footsteps and groaned.

'Ol Magnus is on his way, look, if you wanna help Doc then come visit me in visitation sometime, think of it as a secret mission to discover Fort's secret past.' he said blinking his optic rapidly before scurrying to the back.

Red-Alert was confused as to what had just happened but decided he would analyse what Whirl had said after he had found Rung and sorted out the problem at home first.

Rung found Red-Alert sitting in the waiting area by reception after he had gotten a comm from a frazzled femme.

'What brings you here my friend?' he asked as Red-Alert looked up at him, a scowl on his face. Rung sighed before taking a deep vent.

'Four, three, six, six, eight, alpha Prime. That was the code for today right Red-Alert.' he finished, his friend sighed and finally smiled at him.

'Finally, you have to see this, I couldn't stay there anymore when 'he' kept appearing.' he proclaimed as he fished out some data pads from his messenger. He handed them one by one to Rung.

'Four thirty, he first appeared, I wrote it off as him just doing his job, five thirty he's back and again maybe he's just getting some equipment but then why didn't he get that equipment on his first round and then again six thirty, seven thirty, on the DOT!'

By this time Rung was struggling to hold all the data pads and he waited till Red-Alert was finished to step in.

'But Red-Alert I left a note on the- oh my. I forgot to write the note.' he groaned 'the janitor for our floor is doing rounds and checking electrical wiring, that's why he's continually walking up and down, he's checking the cables.' he explained and he saw the gears in Red's processor take in the new information.

'Oh...well that explains it, but Rung you never forget such crucial information, what happened?' he asked and Rung actually blushed.

'I uh, must have been pre-occupied this morning.' his entire processor had been focused on today's meeting with Fort Max.

Red-Alert stared at his friend and confidante 'well this is strange of you, I mean I'm glad you take such pride in your work but this is extremely inconsistent.' Rung hung his head.

'My sincerest apologies my friend, my new patient needs all of my attention right now but I shouldn't have put you in a position of worry.' he apologised and Red-Alert's optics flickered.

'Your new patient, Fortress Maximus?' he asked, Whirl's little speech coming back into his processor. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to collaborate a little. For Rung's sake of course!

'Well yes, he's special, not that my other patients are not, its just.. sometimes- I see what kind of mech he is beneath the pain and anger, there's something about him that makes me want to help him more than anything! Oh dear I'm not making sense am I?' he uttered as he handed the data pads back.

Red-Alert shrugged as he packed his 'evidence' away 'no your not, maybe you just need to talk about it. I can order us some of that special calming oil tea you like. I set up a secure way of receiving mail last night.' he said happily, he had stayed up most of the night cycle perfecting a way so that there home would never be on a data base longer than needed for packages to arrive safely.

'Sounds wonderful.' Rung smiled 'well I'd best be going, my next meeting will be starting soon.' Rung said as he waved goodbye to his friend.

'See you at home.' Red called as he commed a shuttle back to the staff quarters.