Nemesis

"Shockwave managed to do one thing right before his little sience project killed him" Megatron said evily to his medic standing beside him.

"With the dark energon coursing through that autobots veins, you will be able to control him slowly bringing him to his death, finally punishing Soundwave for his betrayal" Knockout snickered pulling up Mirage's dark energon flow up.

"This is my sience project now Shockwave" Megatron hissed with an evil smile as he watched the flow viciously eating at the spys processor on the monitor.

Base

"Mirage take it easy please, and lay down so I may scan you, properly..." Ratchet sighed escorting Mirage to the medical berth with the help of Soundwave.

"I'm just a little tired... that's all..." Mirage sighed laying down on the berth.

"You're more then just tired Mirage" Soundwave said overly concerned for his brothers wellbeing.

"Mirage please stay laying down" Ratchet said as Mirage tried to get up off the medical berth.

"I'm fine..." Mirage sighed after Ratchet scaned him, he sat up on the berth as Soundwave guarded making sure he didn't hop off the berth.

"No, no you're not..." Ratchet gasped reading the scan results on the monitor.

"Whatis it Ratchet?" Optimus asked holding his very upset youngling in his arms, taking a few steps closer to the med bay.

"The dark energon in his body is somehow now out of control, and now is eating away at Mirage's processor, causing him a slow death" Ratchet answered sadly to the prime as he looked Mirage over.

"Or in control..." Soundwave thought out loud catching the medics attention.

"Care to explain what you mean by that Soundwave?" Ratchet asked curious to the seekers outburst.

"Back on Cybertron, do you not remember Megatron had control over the dark stuff" Soundwave said almost in a snappish tone.

"Yes of course I remeber how could we not, he had your help in order to get to that point" Ratchet growled back at Soundwave.

"And I regret that!, while he had control of it then, he very much has control over it now!" Soundwave continued his excited tone at the old medic.

"Enough, fighting will most certainly not help cure Mirage of his new illness!" Optimus finally stepped in ordering the two to stop bickering.

"Soundwave are you suggesting that Megatron is controling the dark energon within Mirage?" Prowl curiously asked the faceless mech.

"Yes that is exactly what I'm trying to say" Soundwave hesitantly replied to the officer.

"Butthe dark stuff is inside you too, why isn't he effecting you then?" Arcee asked her question.

"Because I've had it since on Cybertron, and have it long enough that I have full control over it, fresh dark energon is greatly and easily manipulated by a strong manipulator, such as Megatron who has a large strong amount of dark energon, enough to control any fresh source it has corrupted" Soundwave gave his research and explination to the autobot team.

"So Megatron is causing this, why?" Arcee continued to ask questions at the mech.

"Mirage has caused a major blow to thier ranks and strength, he knows Mirage is my brother, therefor this is a very good way to cause me great pain, getting back at me for betraying him" Soundwave sighed as he felt another wave of pain come from his brother.

"Well can we do something to stop it?" Sideswipe and Sunstreaker asked with great concern for their adopted brother.

"No it's impossible to stop, unless the source of the control is neutralized" Soundwave sadly answered before Ratchet could.

"And Megatron is nearly impossible to find him and his heavily cloaked ship" Arcee grumbled in frustration.

"This is now a race against time autobots, and any chance we have at getting on the ship shall be taken" Optimus announced after coming back in the room from putting Bumblebee in his room to settle down.

"Soundwave boys, I suggest you Bulkhead and Wheeljack go on patrol and try and find any trace of that brute" Prowl told the mechs and they eagerly obeyed and left the base with no hesitations.

Mirage followed the group of mechs, and got as far as the begining of the enterance tunnel before Optimus called his name.

"Mirage, please stay here, no need of more harm to you friend" Optimus called from where he stood with Hound Ratchet and Prowl.

Mirage stood at the enterance with confusion clouding his mind he couldn't remember why he walked over to the base enterance, so he continued to stand still without a word.

"Mira..."

"Just leave him for a moment Optimus" Prowl said stooping the prime from calling the confused mech over.

"Why, he needs help?" Optimus question his officers odd behaviour.

"Optimus finding the cons and hunting for Megatron, is near imposible and a huge risk to our soldiers, Mirage is one mech and there is 99% that we will not find Megatron in time" Prowl spoke at a whisper to the prime and the others.

"That is..." Ratchet started before Optimus stopped him.

"Prowl are you suggesting we just let Mirage die?" Optimus held up his servo to the fuming medic and questioned the officers choice of words.

Prowl had no response and gave a sad gaze to the floor, getting a surprised look from Hound and Optimus.

"Mirage is a grand soldier for us, but this time we can't help him without risking the lives of the other teamates to save one" Prowl finally responded.

"Your help is not needed if you think that, Mirage is worth it, yes we have had some trust issues in the past with Mirage, but he has made up for them and has brought the autobots to victories" Hound growled at his so called friend, defending his adopted sparkling.

"No further arguments are needed Hound, we are going to try our best to bring Mirage back to health" Optimus cut in before another argument ignited.

"Prowl I hope you reconsider your choice" Optimus said before leaving the group and going to help Mirage.

Mirage jumped at the feeling of a servo on his right shoulder slowly turning and looking up to see Optimus.

"What's on your mind freind?" Optimus asked the red young mech with a warm smile.

"I don't really know" Mirage shrugged as Optimus escorted him back into the center of the main room.

"Oh well that's alright, I'm not sure of what I am thinking of either" Optimus gave small chuckle trying to cope with the young spy.

"The others just left, why did they leave?" Mirage asked the towering prime curiously.

"They had to go on a patrol shift" Optimus replied to the spys question.

"Oh..." Mirage gave a sigh and watched the ground as they walked over to the couch.

"Is something wrong Mirage?" Optimus asked in respons to the sad sigh that came from the young mech.

"Nope, just feel kind of wierd..." Mirage replied to the Optimus as the towering mech sat him down on the large couch.

"Do need Ratchet?" Optimus asked concern for the young mech flooding him within.

"No I'm...alright siting here..." Mirage said weakly to the prime as chills went through him and his thought process dimmed.

Optimus couldn't do anything but watch his spy slowly die painfully before his optics, Optimus had watched his own son have to go through the same situation enough times to know how Soundwave felt, Mirage was one of the adopted little sibblings of Optimus being the youngest out of the five, back on Cybertron when the abandoned and found sparklings Jazz and the twins, Mirage being the smallest and youngest out of them all, Optimus had been there for the troubled trouble making sparklings and they adopted him as their big brother along with Arcee, Mirage was the smallest youngest and quietest not many words came from the sparkling even when he became a youngling he was of few words, but somehow got along freat with the twins and Jazz.

Optimus watched as the five grew up, and Mirage didn't change his ways, as he became apart of the autobot army he was questioned and teased by the other soldiers many of them calling the young mech a tratior and telling him he was trained by cons and trained to be a decepticon and should join the cons and show his true intentions, Optimus Arcee and the boys tried their best to defend the young silent mech but could not stop the insults and putdowns the spy got regularly, and Mirage took it and did nothing about it, Optimus never knew why the young spy never stood up for himself, was he affraid if he did it would cause more abuse, or was he just to used to the abuse from the training he had.

The Sound of a bot behind Optimus shook the prime out of his thoughts and turned his attention to the mech behind him.

"Recharging huh" Soundwave sighed in a somewhat happy tone as he looked over the couch to see his brother recharging.

"Yes, he felt quite weak when I took him over here, he must be exhuasted" Optimus replied to the seekers comment.

"Optimus I greatly appreciate your concern and care for my little brother" Soundwave thanked the leader.

"No need to thank me Soundwave, I show concern and help for all my soldiers, especially the ones who need it" Optimus replied gesturing to the seekers brother.

"For that I give you my gratitude" Soundwave told the prime receving a smile from the towering mech.

"Come on Mirage... fight it..." Soundwave muttered under his breath after turning his attention back to his ill brother.

"He is much to young to be taken away bye evil primus..." Optimus thought to himself as he watched Soundwave's emotions flood him with fear for his younger brother.