" - And that's what happened".
Smokescreen flashed an innocent smile at Prowl, who sat behind his desk, frowning.
Smokescreen didn't like approaching Prowl for yet another permit to take to weapon specialist Ironhide for a new blaster, but it couldn't be helped.
Prowl was not only Smokescreen's younger brother, but also his superior officer, which the former sometimes took advantage of.
Prowl rubbed his brow. "Smokescreen, that's the third blaster you've lost this month in a poker game". He crossed his arms. "I can't keep giving you permission for a new blaster just so you can bid it in a poker game".
"Come on, Prowl, I have to have one. It's not like I lost that game on purpose".
"You have an addiction, Smokescreen!"
Smokescreen mirrored his brother's glare. "I'm not the only one with an 'addiction'. What about you?"
"I don't have an addiction".
"Oh yeah? What about your doughnuts?"
"I'm not addicted". Prowl said evenly. "You can't go a day without making a bet".
"How about this - I bet I can go longer without making a bet than you can without a doughnut".
"See! You just made a bet!" Prowl pointed out.
"That one doesn't count". Smokescreen replied. "So, what do you say?"
"Fine", Prowl sighed, handing Smokescreen a permit. "We'll see how long you keep it".
"And we'll see how long till you crack". Smokescreen said, turning to leave the office.
Smokescreen doesn't think I have the willpower to win that bet? Who does he think I am? Prowl thought, reaching into his desk drawer to pull out an Energon doughnut.
Prowl had just pulled the doughnut out when he became aware of Smokescreen standing next to him, smirking.
With a sigh, Prowl handed Smokescreen the doughnut.
Later, Prowl sat on the couch in the rec room with his twin brother, Bluestreak.
"I know you can outlast Smokescreen, Prowl", Bluestreak was saying. "Don't worry about it. No Autobot has more willpower than you do".
Prowl just continued sitting with his arms crossed, pouting.
Smokescreen entered the rec room. "Hey you two", he said. "I just got back from patrol, thought I'd treat myself". He waved a doughnut in Prowl's face. "It's Energon-jelly filled".
"Smokescreen, that's mean". Bluestreak said.
"He can take it". Smokescreen said. "Well, I'm heading to the wash racks".
Smokescreen gave Prowl a firm pat on the head before leaving. After a moment, Bluestreak watched as Prowl stood and headed for the wash racks.
Prowl quietly went into the wash racks where he could hear Smokescreen singing in one of the stalls.
Prowl winced. Smokescreen couldn't carry a tune in a bucket.
Luckily, the water's temperature dial was on the outside of each stall. Prowl reached over and turned the water in Smokescreen's stall all the way to the cold side.
Smokescreen hated cold water.
As Smokescreen started yelling at the top of his vocal processor, Prowl left the wash racks, a satisfied smirk on his face.
The door to Prowl's office flung open, revealing an enraged Smokescreen standing in the doorway. Prowl looked up from his reports.
"Oh, hello, Smokescreen", Prowl said, suppressing a grin. "How was your shower?"
Smokescreen jabbed a finger in Prowl's direction. "I know it was you".
"What was me?" Prowl asked, feigning innocence.
"Don't give me that, Prowl", Smokescreen snapped. "You know I hate cold showers".
"Hey, you started it".
Smokescreen slammed the door closed, rattling the stack of data pads on Prowl's desk.
Prowl then broke down in a fit of laughter.
As Smokescreen stormed toward his quarters, he nearly ran into Cliffjumper.
"Smokescreen, I was just on my way to remind you about the poker game tomorrow night". Said Cliffjumper.
"That's tomorrow?" Smokescreen asked, slapping his forehead. "I completely forgot!"
"You'll be glad to know Mirage said he could make it". Cliffjumper said.
Smokescreen laughed. "My pigeon! You know I'll be there!"
Cliffjumper went on his way and Smokescreen continued toward his quarters, then froze.
Oh no. The bet he had with Prowl, he couldn't lose!
There was only one thing he could do. He had to make Prowl lose the bet before tomorrow night. But how?
Prowl walked into the rec room after returning from a confrontation with the Decepticons. He caught sight of Smokescreen lounging on the couch with a data pad.
"Make any bets while I was gone?" Prowl asked his brother.
"Nope". Smokescreen replied. "You can ask around if you don't believe me".
Prowl made no comment.
"You look like you've had a rough day", Smokescreen said. "Why don't you get some Enjex?"
"That's where I was going". Prowl answered.
Prowl went over to the Enjex dispenser and noticed something sitting next to it.
A box of donuts. Energon-cream filled.
Smokescreen watched Prowl stare at the box with a conflicted look on his face.
To Smokescreen's disappointment, Prowl shook off his craving, got a cup of Enjex and left the room.
Prowl closed the door to his quarters and leaned on the door. He could do it. He just had to hold out longer than Smokescreen, his brother couldn't go much longer without making a bet.
Still, Prowl had earned a reward. His battle plan had worked perfectly this afternoon during the Autobots fight with the Decepticons.
Prowl's eyes wandered toward the desk.
Nobody would ever know. In fact, no one knew he even had them.
Prowl rushed over to the desk and yanked the bottom drawer open.
What in the world?!
His secret stash of doughnuts was gone, replaced with a note. Prowl picked it up and read it.
Dear Prowl,
I took your secret stash and hid them to help you beat Smokescreen, I thought you might break into them sometime and Smokescreen would find out. You can thank me later.
-Love, Bluestreak
PS, you've got this!
Prowl sat down on the floor. It was true, twins knew each other too well. Of course, Prowl was touched that Bluestreak was trying to help him, but he needed one, just one!
Prowl shook his head.
Get a grip, Prowl, you can do it. I just need to be patient, that's all. I just need patience, nobody is more patient than me…I just need to be…I just need…
Prowl jumped up and ran from his quarters.
"I JUST NEED ONE!"
Bluestreak walked out of the wash racks and nearly ran into Prowl.
"Bluestreak, tell me where you hid them". Prowl begged.
"Sorry, Prowl, I can't", said Bluestreak. "If I tell you, you'll lose the bet. And you don't want Smokescreen gloating about winning that bet do you? You know he'd never let you forget it".
"Okay, don't tell me. Just bring me one. Just one doughnut, Blue. Please?"
"Nope, sorry". Bluestreak walked past his twin but Prowl grabbed him by the arm.
"Please Bluestreak! No one will ever know! It'll be our secret! That's what twins are for, right?"
"No, Prowl!"
As Bluestreak made his way down the hall, several Autobots stopped to stare at him as he was dragging Prowl, who was holding onto Bluestreak's right leg.
So, pleading didn't work. But Prowl was a trained hunter, he'd find Bluestreak's hiding place. He looked all in the storage room, the security office, the rec room. Nothing.
Prowl thought for a moment. Bluestreak would more than likely hide them somewhere he didn't think Prowl would look.
An idea hit him.
But he couldn't look there, could he? On the other hand, he was second-in-command, he had a right to go wherever he pleased.
Prowl tapped on the door to Optimus Prime's quarters.
"Prime, are you in there?"
Silence, which meant the Autobot leader was out, lucky for Prowl.
Prowl cautiously opened the door and looked around. Let's see, the storage closet maybe. Nope, nothing there. The desk drawers? No doughnuts.
Prowl crawled under the bed.
"Prowl, what are you doing?"
Startled, Prowl banged his head under the bed and crawled out.
Optimus Prime stood in the doorway.
"Oh, Prime, I was, uh, doing a security check. That's right, a security check".
Optimus surveyed his second-in-command. "Prowl, is everything okay?"
"Oh of course!" Prowl exclaimed, standing in front of Optimus. "Everything is fine! Everything is great! Everything is awesome!" Prowl flashed a large smile.
Optimus cleared his throat. "Good. Perhaps you'd better do the night check".
Optimus watched Prowl leave the room, peeking under anything he came across.
Strange.
Smokescreen grumbled to himself. The poker game was tonight, and still Prowl hadn't cracked. Smokescreen had placed a box of doughnuts everywhere Prowl would go, and his brother would just stare at the box and walk away, never touching it.
Smokescreen noticed Prowl and Bluestreak approaching.
"Where are you two going?" he asked.
"On patrol". Prowl replied. "I don't suppose you have anything better to do than wander around".
"Hey, I had a patrol this morning, Cranky-Pants". Smokescreen said as Prowl brushed past him. "Hey Blue, keep an eye on Prowl. I don't want him sneaking into a doughnut shop. He's doing good, hasn't had a doughnut in three days, must be hard. He hasn't had any Energon-Jelly, Energon-Cream or just plain doughnuts, have you?" Smokescreen saw Prowl flinch. "You like the Energon-Cream, don't you? I like them, too. You know, you've been working hard lately, I think you've earned one. Maybe you'd like to call off the bet?"
"No". Prowl almost growled.
"Are you sure?" Smokescreen asked. "I happen to have one right here". He held up a doughnut. "Nobody's going to laugh at you if you call off the bet".
"Is there some reason you would like to call off the bet?" Prowl asked. "Maybe you want to play poker?"
"N-no! Why do you ask that?" Smokescreen stammered. "I'm not the one having withdrawal".
Prowl wheeled around and glared at him. "Smokescreen, I - "
"Let's go, Prowl". Bluestreak said, giving his twin a shove. "He's just trying to mess with you".
Well, it almost worked. Smokescreen would just have to hope Prowl - or Bluestreak for that matter - didn't catch him playing poker tonight.
"Looks like I beat you again, Mirage!" Smokescreen said.
"Hey, didn't you have a bet with Prowl?" Mirage asked.
"Oh, yeah. Well, he won't know we played". Smokescreen said. "And I know neither of you will blab, right?"
"I won't". Said Cliffjumper.
"Well…if he asks me then -" Mirage began.
"You can't tell anyone!" Smokescreen snapped. "Do you think I want him to know I lost the bet?"
"Well, you did". Mirage pointed out.
Smokescreen slammed a deck of cards down in front of Mirage. "Deal". He growled.
Unknown to Smokescreen, Prowl sat in the security office looking at a monitor in the rec room, watching the poker game unfold.
"Oh, Smokescreen", Prowl muttered, taking a swig from his oil mug. "You little cheat".
Early the next morning, Smokescreen was startled to open his eyes and find Prowl leaning in his face.
"What are you doing in here?!" Smokescreen yelped, seeing Prowl was standing on his bed.
"You lost!" Prowl yelled. "You were playing poker last night so you lost the bet!"
"P-poker? How did you know? If Mirage squealed - "
"No one told me, I saw you on the security monitor '. Prowl said, beginning to jump up and down on the bed. "You lost the bet and didn't want me to find out!"
"Now wait a minute, little bro", Smokescreen said, holding his hands up. "I wasn't betting, I was playing poker, that's different".
"You were gambling, that's the same thing". Prowl argued, increasing his jumping. The vibrations from Prowl's jumping up and down caused Smokescreen to roll out of the bed and onto the floor. "You. LOST!" Prowl then jumped off the bed, landed on Smokescreen and then ran from his brother's quarters.
"There mine! All mine! And no one can stop me!" Prowl was yelling.
Smokescreen sat in stunned silence as he listened to Prowl running down the hall and yelling.
"Out of my way!"
"Prowl, what's going - ?"
"OUT OF MY WAY!"
"Prowl, could you -?"
"NOT NOW!"
Smokescreen shook his head. That crazy kid. One thing was for sure, Smokescreen wouldn't be making any more bets with Prowl anytime soon.
Later that morning, Bluestreak walked into the rec room to find Smokescreen playing a game of poker with Hound and Wheeljack. Prowl was sitting on the couch, a doughnut in each hand, a box on his lap and two empty boxes on the floor in front of him.
Bluestreak smiled. Everything was back to normal.
"Hey, Prowl", Smokescreen called over his shoulder. "Did you leave any of those for the rest of Cybertron?"
"Shut up!" Prowl yelled.
Yep, everything was back to normal.