He knew he had always been the one cursed to be the odd one out.

The mech's optics silently tracked the movements of those around him as his fingers nervously twisted beside him, calculating and then recalculating the possibilities of the chance that anyone would be able to jump him at this distance.

Finding the chance to be below fifty percent, he decided that it would be best to remain where he was- "Red! How many times do I have to tell ya, don't stand there!"

The red and white mech turned around to see a slightly red mech strolling casually towards him. Where one hand once was, there was a soft, thrumming noise of a cannon warming up. The pale optics glowed just barely with life, the setting as low as anyone dared to make it without going blind.

"I know. But I was just calculating the possibilities, and I decided that I have fast enough reflexes, that if anyone ever did jump, I would be able to move out of the way in time."

As he spoke, he ducked just in time to miss what would've been a stinging blow to the head. "See?"

The other grimaced. "You're too trusting, Red. And one of these days it's gonna get you killed."

The blue optics flashed slightly. "I am not too trusting!"

In a chorus, the mechs in the room spoke, "Yes, you are."

One of the mechs sitting in the corner held up his fingers, "Let's see: One, you don't walk with your back against a solid wall if you're passing through a crowded hallway. Two, you say there must at least be three mechs for a hallway to be crowded- that's two more above the regular. Three…"

Red Alert sighed as he waved a hand. "Yes Prowl, I know."

Prowl broke off his list, before his pale optics turned to the mech standing at least an arm's length away from him. "Jazz, what do you want?"

"Just wanted you to know that we've got a problem with the twins."

Interest perked the room. The twins, besides Red Alert, were two of the more trusting mechs they had ever met. A mech with a red cross painted boldly on his shoulder spoke, "What's the matter, Jazz?"

Despite the fact that he was a medic, and thereby none would touch him, the mech kept a careful vigilance of his own invisible bubble. It was better safe then sorry after all.

"They started fighting each other-" An rare occurrence, seeing how the two depended on each other to make sure they stayed safe "-and neither side will break down and admit it's their fault."

"That isn't something any of us can handle. Each to their own problems."

"Yeah, but I know that with Cliffjumper gone, and him being the most trusting mech, I was hoping that I could convince Red to get close. They don't feel threatened by him."

"Well I feel threatened by them." Red Alert bit out rudely, "They'll take any chance they have at tearing me apart."

Inferno nodded from beside him, as Red Alert scuttled away from his 'friend'.

All knew the law. If they were close enough to shoot, then they were too close.

Jazz shrugged. "Yeah, well, I'd rather not get anywhere near that close. Besides, you often do such things…" Jazz looked at him, slightly hopefully, and Red Alert sighed miserably.

Everyone's right, I really am too trusting. "Very well, Jazz; I'll go take a look, but no promises on whether or not I'll say anything."

Behind him, he could hear Inferno groan softly. He could feel the optics going heavenward for patience as the crew stared at one of the most trusting members of the Ark.

Red Alert scurried out of the room, ready to duck and dodge any blows that came his way. They let him pass unmolested, for which he was grateful.

The door slid open to an empty hallway, and he rushed down it, auditory receptors straining to catch even the slightest sound that might alert him to some one jumping out of the shadows-!

Red Alert went rolling as an energon knife cleanly pierced the metal decking. The attacking minibot whirled, an almost crazed look in his optics, before he jerked the knife up into subspace. "Hello Red; I see your reaction timing hasn't gotten any worse."

"Bumblebee. I see that your knife work remains the same." Red Alert warily countered.

The minibot shrugged, even as he began sliding back into the ducts that oftentimes served as the Ark's second set of passages. "I'll get you one of these days. I don't trust you; you're much too innocent to be what you really claim to be."

Red Alert's teeth bared in an appropriate paranoid gesture. "That's what you think."

An echoing growl, and the minibot was gone. Red Alert's shoulders slumped as he stared upwards, before he shook his head. Bumblebee had long since been considered crazy, and that was the main reason he wasn't liked.

Only the soft tap of metal on metal warned him to turn, grappling with empty air. A curse arose from the emptiness. "Mirage." Red Alert hissed. This one…this one he was certain was a traitor, along with the rest of the crew. Only Cliffjumper refused to see that the mech was a traitor, much to Red Alert's sorrow.

The minibot had to grow up sometime, however, even if that sentence was mostly applied to the Lamborghini. There were still times he had to wonder why he had been promoted to Chief of Security, though his track record was nearly perfect.

"Red Alert."

It was a daily ritual. Each of the Ark's crewmembers would randomly jump each other to make certain that vigilance and paranoia kept running strong. Not that anyone really needed any jumping. The very knowledge that the enemy could reach into the CPU and reprogram them into blindly obeying was paranoia enough-

It was absolutely terrifying, loosing First Aid, and his entire gestalt to the enemy through that. They had retaliated; found a way to counter, but every day it was getting harder to hold out against the enemy.

"What do you think you're doing, Mirage?" Red Alert hissed angrily, attempting to keep the Noblemech pinned down.

Mirage threw him off, and escaped down the hallway, either seeking easier prey, or looking for Bumblebee. Crazy OP's mechs. "Bumblebee is in the vents!"

There was no answer, but Red Alert had the pleasure of seeing a grill float down to rest against the wall. With a smirk, Red Alert turned to continue down the hallway when Wheeljack's voice began to scream down the hallway. "It's going to blow! It's going to blow! Everyone, duck for cover!"

Red Alert's optics widened as the engineer sprinted past him, even as he dove for one of the conveniently placed blast rooms.

Instead, to his surprise, he found himself hurtling straight out the doorway, and out onto a busy street.

For a confused moment, he lay against the cool metal, hearing voices stop, feeling eyes turn to look at him. His optics darted around in fear.

The buildings…were all miraculously undamaged and standing straight and firm. The ground wasn't a broken, weeping thing damaged by bombs and fights. Instead it was smooth and strong, the metal thrumming with lively energy. Femmes and mechs strolled arm in arm together, along with… Are those minibots?

Red Alert stared directly at the tiny beings, before shaking his head. No, they weren't. They were something else… His optics widened as he realized what he was looking at.

The Legendary Sparklings and Younglings. Cybertronian children from before the war, when mechs were rich enough and had enough time to actually create bonds with their creations.

If they so chose. Red Alert couldn't imagine what stupidity went with that sort of thoughts, but even so…

With a low groan he shakily rose to his feet, scanning the area. He was quite literally surrounded by the piercing optics, and the whispering. Get a grip Red, those aren't real barriers. The mental voice that chided him sounded eerily like Inferno.

Red Alert shook his head, before backing up a step. Had Wheeljack's invention created a rip in the dimensions?

Scowling, frowning mechs, garishly painted in black and white began storming out of the crowd. Red Alert nearly whimpered in fear. Police Forces were often brutal.

He turned, and ran straight through the crowd, leaping over a small group of Younglings playing together. Shrieks of surprise echoed behind him, marking his trail into the crowd as he shoved his way through.

Distantly he was aware others were staring at the shoulder-mounted cannon, but he didn't see what was so unusual about it…

Moments later, he realized no one else had such a thing. All of them were brightly colored, certainly, but not a single one had any visible weapons. The cannon would continue to attract stares unless he got rid of it right now.

Internally bracing himself for the pain about to come, Red Alert ripped off the entire set, leaving sparking wires in his wake. Hastily, he shoved the cannon into subspace, and pulled out rubbery bandages to stop the loss of both electricity and energon.

A dark alleyway beckoned to him, promising him temporary respite from the crowd. Hastily, he slid into it, spark pumping loudly. He had to get out of here, he had to get out of here…

A hand descended onto his uninjured shoulder, and he jumped, looking up directly into an expression he had never seen before. The police officer said softly, "C'mon, calm down, we aren't here to arrest you-"

Red Alert's knee came up sharply to slam against the inside of the legs where Ironhide had once mentioned there being a weak point. The officer doubled over, hands clutching at the spot. Red Alert backed up, entire body thrumming with energy. "Oh crap, oh slag, oh no-" He whimpered, before fleeing further down the alleyway.

Behind him, he could hear the officer call for help, but it was blotted out by the other sounds that rumbled from around him.

It was as if the entire city was filled with mechs, unafraid to hide instead of the usual cowering Neutrals.

There was a sharp sound from behind him, and he ducked the device threatening to send him unconscious. The police officer cursed, "You're a fast one, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, after all, everyone's after me, I'm the only sane one left, well, there are several others but they-" Red Alert broke off with a roll to the right as another police officer attempted to get him from behind.

He was surrounded- His head tilted up towards the rooftops, before his gaze went back down to a sewer hole behind the police officer. He had no intentions of becoming their next victim, not by a long shot.

Two looks passed between the officers, one that Red Alert knew only too well. It was a 'He-is-crazy' look. "I'm not crazy!"

"Of course not!" One of the officers said with false cheer, tackling him around the shoulders. "You're going to be joining the rest of your friends, however; somewhere nice and quiet…"

A shock jolted through him as his optics flickered and dimmed, before he knew no more.

-------------

The nurse at the psychiatry ward shook her head sadly as she got a good look at the mech.

He was damaged, dents being the most common. Wherever he had come from, it didn't seem likely that he had an easy life. The officer standing next to the downed body looked slightly remorseful as he shifted from foot to foot. "I know it's a lot to ask of you, but do you know anywhere where he could go? He doesn't seem violent, but he seems to be paranoid…"

"Oh, it's fine dear. Ever since those with Glitches were ordered to be taken off the streets, there's been a large strain on the facilities to get enough rooms… There's still room at Char's Hospital."

The nurse glanced down, frowning again as there was a weak moan from the unpainted mech. "How long did you put him out for?"

"I-I thought for at least five orns…"

The horns on either side of the helm flashed bright blue, as the figure stirred once more, hands attempting to enclose around open air. Then, optics flickered on dimly, staring up at the police officer.

The nurse's breath hissed as she watched the officer's faceplate pale slightly. "Nurse, knock him out now." The flat tone stirred a response as the mech attempted to struggle into a sitting position, optics narrowing even further.

The nurse didn't even have to look as she grabbed a needle, and shoved it into a cable of energon.

The mech twitched once, and went still. The nurse cleared her vocalizer. "I-I think I know a better place to move him, if he's going to be that violent."

"And where might that be ma'm?" The officer asked breathlessly, still stunned by what he had seen in the mech's optics.

"Formally known as The Allspark Well, it deals with those who are more…violent." She was about to go on, but she noticed that the police officer wasn't paying attention. "Is something the matter officer?"

"What?" He shook himself, and attempted to dredge up a smile. "No, nothing."

He didn't dare tell her he had just looked into optics that told him the mech had killed before- "I think he'd be best in solitary confinement."

The nurses head tilted to one side, before she nodded slowly. "I'll…add that to his notes."

a/n: This is a four part fic, come from the bunny farm! And reviews will make me happy, but aren't necessary to the finishing of the fic. But I still love them though.