"Let us return to base, if the Decepticons return, the door is open to the temple" Optimus said knowing the cons would be searching around for Mirage.
Soundwave needing no command, didn't wasted no time in creating a bridge that lead back to the base, the green swirl illuminating the room.
Everyone ran through except for Mirage Soundwave and Optimus, Mirage stood quiet a distance away from the bridge, watching the others dissapear through it, Soundwave stood to the side of the bridge and waited for Optimus and Mirage to go through, while Optimus was about to go through but turned his attention to Mirage.
"Mirage are you coming?" Optimus asked, stepping away from the bridge towards the red mech.
"I... will..." Mirage sighed thinking about going back to the cons for a while.
"Mirage?" Soundwave called waiting for his brother to enter the bridge.
"I understand you are not completely comfortable, with returning back to base, are you thinking other wise Mirage?" Optimus spoke with an understanding tone, towards Mirage.
"I just... nothing important... I'm coming" Mirage said forgeting about Shockwave, knowing if he returned empty handed the cons would not take kindly to that.
Mirage quickly walked through the bridge, wanting to talk no futher about his second thoughts, Soundwave watched his brother go through, then followed Optimus through when they got into the base Mirage was already trying to hide behind the bigger bots and out of site of Prowl.
"Mirage you don't need to hide we know you're here" Prowl sighed catching a glimps of the smaal red mech hiding behind the wreckers and twins.
"Hi Prowl..." Mirage nervously greeted walking out from behind the taller mechs with his wings pressed against his back.
"Welcome back Mirage!" Hound happilly greeted picking up a hugging the small red mech to death.
"Houd... I was only gone... for a day!" Mirage struggled to get words out as he was being crushed by Hound.
"I know but given the situation you were in, it seemed like forever!" Hound said putting Mirage back on the ground.
"I won't hug you, but I'm just as happy you are back Mirage" Ratchet said with a smile walking over to the small red mech.
"Thanks, I don't know yet weather it's a good thing I'm back" Mirage sighed looking at Prowl.
"You're very welcome, as long as you follow the rules, and not break all the protocols all in one go" Prowl replied with a a sigh and small smile.
"Yeah I'll try" Mirage laughed rolling his optics at the officer.
"Mmhmm I'm sure you will scout" Prowl teased recieving another optic roll from the small mech.
"Sorry Mirage, but that's the way it's going to be, having to earn eveything back, I apologize" Optimus apologized, feeling guilty for striping the spy from his ranks.
"Yeah ok Mirage is back we you all saw him, Mirage can I speak with you alone please" Soundwave impatiently spoke, trying to get Mirage in the hallway so they could speak.
"Uh sure" Mirage replied following Soundwave into the hallway, just as shocked as the others at his brothers impatiens in his tone.
"What's the matter Soundwave?" Mirage asked looking up at the communications chief, as they stopped dead middle of the hallway.
"What were you saying back in the temple, before Optimus asked to speak with you, it seemed like something important you wanted to tell me" Soundwave sighed in a calm tone.
"Right... um... well..." Mirage mumbled trying to gather words to discribe what he was.
"Aaah Sideswipe!" Bumblebee squealed trying to squirm out of the silver twins headlock.
"Umm..." Mirage's attention was quickly distracted by Bumblebee's bleeping and Sideswipe's playful laughs.
"Mirage are you going to tell me or what?" Soundwave sighed throwing his helm back in annoyance.
"Mirage save me!" Bumblebee chirped, running and hiding behind the red spy with Sideswipe in chase.
"Sorry guys, Bee come on let's not bug them, they're trying to talk" Sideswipe apologized trying to shoe Bumblebee away from Mirage.
"Not a big deal, he's a kid he didn't know" Soundwave chuckled watching Bumblebee and Mirage give eachother a very connected gaze, as Sideswipe herded Bumblebee back into the main room.
"Alright Bee, come get me!" Sideswipe playfully spoke giving Bumblebee a playful poke.
Bumblebee didn't respond he kept his gaze on Mirage, who did the same keeping his gaze on him.
"Bee hello?" Sideswipe called waving his servo at Bumblebee, trying to regain the younglings attention.
"Mirage hello?" Soundwave called giving Mirage a small kick, ending his little brothers focus on the sparkling.
"What?" Mirage jumped looking back at Soundwave.
"Oh nothing, you were just in the middle of telling me something!" Soundwave growled starting to get very impatient.
"I'm not... like... you... whatever, it's nothing important" Mirage looked away, and spoke quickly hoping Soundwave didn't understand what he said, but knowing Soundwave he'd alter the audio he just recieved so he could understand.
"What do you mean, I know we're nothing alike" Soundwave replied trying to look in his brothers optics.
"Bumblebee is something bad going on with Mirage and Soundwave?" Optimus asked looking in the direction, Bumblebee who was still focused on Mirage was looking.
"Nothing seemed tense when I chased Bee over there" Sideswipe mentioned after waiting a moment for Bumblebee to respond.
"No...not like that... nothing... whatever" Mirage sighed walking away into his room, feeling stressed, not wanting to explain what he bearly understood himself to his brother.
"Mirage?" Soundwave called after, in concerned at his brothers uncomfortable behaviour.
"Soundwave what's going on, is something wrong cause Bee was staring at Mirage for quiet a while" Arcee asked when Soundwave reentered the main room.
"Mirage was fixed on Bumblebee as well, we weren't arguing, it was just Mirage was telling me something in the temple, but Optimus unintentionally interupted him, and now he's acting odd, and not explaining anything" Soundwave replied to the femme with a mixture of confusion and concern.
"It's been a long day for him, he's probably a little grumpy and tired, we should probably all get some rest" Ratchet suggested as he placed a few datapads in a file.
"Yeah alright, I suppose it would be best if we did" Optimus agreed escorting Bumblebee to bed.
"Dad?"
"Yes little one?" Optimus answered, sitting Bumblebee on his berth.
"Why does Mirage hide?" Bumblebee buzzed watching Optimus step back and take a breath.
"You've asked me that before, I think he turns invisible..."
"Why does Mirage hide who he is?" Bumblebee reworded his sentence, recieving a shocked confused look from his father.
"What do you mean little one, Mirage is a silent moody young mech and he does not hide that one bit" Optimus said giving a small chuckle to the youngling, who shook his helm at Optimus.
"That's not what I meant" Bumblebee shook his helm at the prime.
"Then what?" Optimus sighed, sitting next to Bumblebee on the berth.
"He must not know of his true self yet" Bumblebee bleeped thinking aloud.
"I do not understand youngling?"
"Mirage is differen't, unlike a normale Cybertronian, like me" Bumblebee explained, getting an even more surprised look from Optimus.
"Are you sure, how do you know Bumblebee?" Optimus asked showing great interest in what Bumblebee was trying to tell him.
"I can feel he is, if you look close enough, on some occasions you can see him with his own aurora, it's not the icy blue like mine, it's more of a sapphire glow but he hasn't learned how he works yet, but I will help him learn" Bumblebee added getting a smile from Optimus.
"That's amazing Bumblebee, now you can help lead Mirage" Optimus joyfully said, rubbing Bumblebee's back.
"you aren't going to let Prowl and Magnus send him away again are you?" Bumblebee whirred looking up at Optimus with big sad optics.
"No of course not Bumblebee, he has a right to stay here just as much as you and I" Optimus said giving his youngling a hug, before standing up and walking towards the door.
"Promise?"
"I Promise, now rest little one, sounds like an exciting day ahead of you" Optimus smiled leaning against the doorframe.
"Goodnight" Bumblebee returned the smile, and rested himself on this berth, as Optimus left down the hallway.
