Joined at the Hip

"Hey, Red!" Inferno drawled. "I'm back! Did y'miss me?"

"Actually, I enjoyed the peace and quiet for a change." Red Alert didn't look up from the monitors. The small mirrored surface that just happened to be at optic level when he was seated told him that Inferno was standing in the doorway with a huge "all's right with the world that has Inferno in it" grin on his face. "How was Colorado?"

"Good, good," Inferno said. "Me an' th' boys had a great time an' we learned a lot. 'Course, I think Streetwise felt a little left out, not bein' primarily skilled in the fire fighting areas, but while we were there I got a line on a couple SWAT courses that I think'll cheer him up an' Groove got the chance to explore some of the countryside so all in all I'd call it a success."

"Good. I expect reports from you all on what you learned."

Inferno chuckled. "I figured," he said. "That's why I had the boys start their reports while we were there. An' I sweet-talked the Academy folks into lettin' me have extra course materials -- not that it was hard -- bein' a walking, talking fire truck has its uses. Couple guys there want to talk to you once you get the chance to review the stuff; I told 'em you're good at crisis management. They're hopin' maybe we can find some ways to help them spot forest fires in the high country sooner, make it easier to stop 'em or at least control the burn."

Possibilities tickled the edges of Red Alert's thoughts. "Let me review the materials," he said. "I've got a few ideas, but I want to be sure about a few things first."

"You got it; I'll get after Hot Spot to get after the boys to upload that info ASAP." There was the scrape of metal on metal as Inferno shifted position. "Speakin' of bein' sure about stuff -- heard you headed out to check the perimeter alarms the other night. Everything ok?"

"Perfectly fine." Red Alert tapped the keyboard, switching views on the external cameras. "Just a routine spot check. I do it all the time."

"Yeah, I know. Just checkin'." Inferno chuckled. "So, how many times did you get asked where I was?"

Stifling a groan, Red Alert turned away from the monitors. "Only about twenty, since everyone knew you were taking the Protectobots to the Wildfire Academy. What I got instead was every possible variation on 'Inferno's gone; are you alright?" ranging from genuine if misplaced concern for my emotional well-being through 'are you going to flip out and kill us all?' Actually, Gears did ask me that directly. I thanked him for being refreshingly honest and told him he'd be the first to know if I did, which seemed to satisfy him."

Inferno grinned and Red Alert scowled at him. "Really, Inferno, it's not funny. It's annoying. We're not spot-welded together."

"Close enough," Inferno said with a shrug. "Been buddies for a long time, people get used to seeing us together."

"I can function on my own!"

"Red, I know that. You know that. But hell, we spend a lot of time together so, it's not unusual that people wonder if they only see one of us."

Red Alert sighed, turning back to the monitors. "I know, I know...I wish you could have talked Firestar into coming to Earth. It would make things a lot easier."

"You an' me both, Red. But, needs must as th' devil drives."

"Excuse me, what?" Red Alert turned back, scowling at Inferno even as he checked his databanks for a translation of the phrase. Inferno grinned insufferably at him.

"Picked that up in Colorado too -- means sometimes, you just gotta do what you gotta do."

"Ah, noted. And I have to get back to work. See you for evening meal?"

"Always, m'friend. Always."