Bumblebee sighed impatiently, kicking dust. Standing on top of a cliffside, just above the road. "What are we doing, I thought we we're going for a drive?" He complained to his older brother.
Mirage rolled his optics, getting up from the ground. "The whole drive up here, you were bi... freaking out because I don't have an Earth based vehicle." Mirage spoke with his heavy accent, full of annoyance.
"Yeah, you need to find one..." Bumblebee nervously spoke, as Mirage gave him a very unamused glare.
"What do you think we're doing, up here?" Mirage poked the yellow youngling in the chest.
"Uuuuh..."
"I'm a spy, you're a scout, we do one job that's very important." Mirage raised an optic ridge at his younger brother.
Bumblebee stared blankly at his brother, unsure of what the assassin was talking about.
"Reconnaissance." Hearing the roar of an engine, Mirage turned his helm back towards the road. "Perfect."
Soundwave soared just within the clouds, the cool air was refreshing to his systems. Lazerbeak chirped, playfully diving at him as he flew. Soundwave veered out of his pets way, with a laugh. "Hey, don't get too cocky. You knock me out of the sky, you're in big trouble." he scolded playfully, as Lazerbeak dove below the clouds for a moment. Lazerbeak suddenly flew back up, almost knocking Soundwave out of the sky. "Lazerbeak what did I just say!?" Soundwave hissed regaining control of his flight. Lazerbeak sent out a warning alarm, notifying his master of the Decepticon presence below. "Lazerbeak return." Soundwave quickly collected his precious pet. Before banking down a small distance from the Decepticon location. Inches away from the ground, Soundwave transformed, his visor quickly hiding his face, as he walked to the cliffs edge. Zooming into the pit below, he could tell it was a Decepticon energon mine.
"Can we hurry it up here. Lord Megatron will be sending a squad to come pick up the first load, in a few moments, we need it stacked and ready." Soundwave recognized the familiar voiceprint, his visor enhanced, locking onto the quirky Decepticon Medic.
A sinister laugh from behind, didn't even make Soundwave flinch. He almost rolled his optics instead.
"I see you must be missing being on the winning team, Soundwave." Starscream's venomous tone mocked the young mech. "I'm sure Megatron would be happy to welcome you back, with an iron fist."
Soundwave turned himself around to face the Seeker. *Primus, you're irritating...* stepping towards the cowardly Commander.
"Now, now, Soundwave. Let's not get testy." Starscream's worry was quickly replaced with a wicked smile, as he fired a missile at the violet mech.
"We're under attack, quick defend the energon." Knockout quickly ordered the Eradicon guards.
Starscream gasped, as the unphased Soundwave continued to approach him. "What?!"
Soundwave lowered his smoking and panel, waiting for the seeker's next cheap move.
Starscream decided to play it smart, transforming his servo into a blaster, he fired at the ex Con.
Soundwave quickly dodged all fire, leaping backwards. To the edge of the cliff, the Eradicons below fired, hitting Soundwave in the back.
Starscream cackled, swinging his claws at Soundwave.
Soundwave blocked the claws, using his huge arms, he knocked the Seeker Commander off balance. Taking the opportunity, to tackle the cunning mech to the ground. Starscream stuggled in the brawl, only managing to sink his claws in twice.
Pinning the Commander in place, Soundwave drew his sword, ready to destroy the seeker.
Eradicons quickly scurried up the hill, surrounding Soundwave, at gun point.
"Give up Soundwave, you're outnumbered!" Starscream coughed up energon.
Soundwave did not care, placing his blade on Starscream's sensitive neck wiring. "Don't be a fool, you're not invincible!" Starscream's voice shook with fear. "Lord Megatron will be here shortly with the Nemesis. If he sees you, you'll be dead on sight."
Soundwave's tentacles silently slithered underneath the surrounding soldiers. Pressing his blade down, he drew energon from the hysterical Seeker. The Eradicons took that as their cue to fire. Soundwave flicked his tentacles, causing every soldier to fall. Some shooting each other by mistake. The sound an unfamiliar engine, came in within audio receptor range. As more Cons from below rushed up the cliffside.
Soundwave looked up from the Seeker, seeing a racing red sports car, racing towards them. It took a jump off a nerby boulder, transforming.
Soundwave quickly leapt off the seeker, clearing the way for the familiar youngling. *Mirage?*
Mirage landed directly beside his older brother. "I'll take care of scream fest. You wanna take care of his friends climbing the wall behind us?"
Soundwave didn't have time to question his youngling brother, as shots rained down on them both. Nodding, he quickly released Lazerbeak, before leaping down the cliff.
Mirage quickly, leapt out if the range of fire, as the dazed and confused Eradicons fired at the him. Starscream growled, as the youngling sliced and diced, all the soldiers around him. Firing a missile, to hopefully distract or injure the lethal youngling. Mirage quickly grabbed an Eradicon, using it to shield him from the missile.
"Lord Megatron, Soundwave and Mirage, are attacking the scheduled energon mine! I repeat both brothers are here!" Starscream called his leader, as he picked himself up.
"What's the matter screamer, can't handle the heat by yourself?" Mirage taunted, taking out the last Eradicon that surrounded them.
"Mirage, how dare you continue to live!" Starscream hissed, aiming his blaster at the youngling.
Soundwave slid down the cliff, using his arms, and tentacles, to wipe out most of the Eradicons scaling it.
"Looks like we've got company." Breakdown noted, standing beside his partner.
"So it seems." Knockout thoughtfully replied, as Soundwave hit the bottom of the cliff, creating a dust cloud around him.
"You protect the ready to ship energon, while I deal with the traitor." Breakdown, venomously smirked, leaving the medic's side.
"Breakdown, Soundwave is not an easy target, don't bite off more than you can chew!" Knockout warned the blue mech, that went to challenge the bioluminescent mech.
Soundwave emerged from the dust, challenging his new opponent.
"You dare to show your face around the Decepticons?" Breakdown hissed firing a shot from his shoulder cannon.
Soundwave blocked the blast with his shield like arm.
"Oh yeah, right you're the faceless traitor, with no spark." Breakdown taunted, transforming his servo into a hammer. "Let's see if we can crack that pretty little visor." The blue mech charged at the Communications Chief.
Soundwave dodged the first few swings, before blocking the rest with his arms. The impact of the hammer was painful to the touch, but Soundwave ignored it. Using one of his tentacles, he struck the attacking mech in the chest hard, throwing him off balance. Using his other tentacle, Soundwave grabbed the blue mech, flailing him through the air. Smashing him into the ground hard enough to cause the Earth beneath them to crack. Electrocuting the mech until unconcious, Soundwave tossed the unconscious husk, at a few Eradicons daring to challenge him. As Soundwave made his way over to the blue mech, he tapped into Lazerbeak's feed, seeing his little brother battling it out with the cunning Seeker. A little distance from the battle, he could see Bumblebee hiding behind a bolder, watching the battle.
Turning his attention back to the blue mech laying in pain on the ground, Soundwave aimed his blaster at the mech's spark.
"Soundwave, no!" Knockout cried out, grabbing the young mech's full attention.
Soundwave walked away from the downed mech, intimidatingly walking towards the worried Medic. "Easy Soundwave, you don't want to start something you might regret." Knockout backed himself into a full mining cart. "Remember, Lord Megatron is on his way." Knockout nervously spoke, drawing out his buzzsaw.
Soundwave did not care to listen to the doctor's spiel. The sight of Knockout's buzzsaw, sent chills throughout his frame. As Knockout fired it up, Soundwave took a very insignificant step back, the sound of the saw sickening to his core.
Knockout smirked seeing his partner get up, behind the young mech. "What's the matter Soundwave, you don't like my surgical equipment?" Knockout teased, as Breakdown got closer. "I'm not not as precise as Shockwave. But I can certainly open you up."
Soundwave had enough of the medic's taunting, raising his arm to strike down the mech.
"Gotcha!" From behind, Breakdown quickly wrapped his arms tightly around the young mech. Preventing him from harming the doctor.
"Now prepare for surgery." Knockout grinned, pressing his buzzsaw into Soundwave's side.
Mirage tumbled across the dirt, rolling onto his peds. His frame was covered in dirt and energon, as claw marks riddled his frame.
"Give up yet youngling?" Starscream smirked, as Mirage stood himself up.
"What because you scratched me!" Mirage pretended to be shocked, to mock the cocky seeker. "How ever will I survive, you scratched my paint!" Mirage continued to tease as he approached the Air Commander. Quickly hooking his sword into the grey mech's chasis.
Starscream hissed in pain, as the blade pressed into him further. "Megatron will be here any moment, you'll be scrap metal."
Mirage scoffed with a laugh. "Don't make me ground you for good. You think I give a scrap about him?" Mirage quickly turned his attention behind him, seeing the Decepticon war ship settle above his brother. "Scrap."
"That's right, Soundwave will definitely be scrap metal." Starscream chuckled venomously.
"Yeah, why don't you take the brunt of it!" Mirage used his might to swing his hooked victim, tossing Starscream into the pits below.
Soundwave swung his peds furiously, as he was cut into.
Knockout only laughed, as energon poured out of the young mech. "Kicking your peds, like a sparkling having a fit, will not save you."
"Hey Knockout, our Lord has arrived, to finish off the procedure." Breakdown gestured to the furious warlord on the approach.
"Hmm, our master shall be pleased, for capturing the traitor." Knockout replied, looking over his shoulder, to see Megatron.
Soundwave took the distraction as an opportunity, grabbing the medic with his legs, he used the awkward position to pull himself out from Breakdown's vice grip. Releasing Knockout from his legs, slamming down onto his back. Staring up at Breakdown, who got ready to smash him with his hammer. Starscream yelped as he smashed into Breakdown's back, Soundwave rolled quickly out of the way, as both tumbling mechs smashed into the Medic.
Jumping to his peds, Soundwave quickly ran back towards the cliff his brother waited on.
"No!" Megatron screamed, furiously firing his fusion canon at his son.
Soundwave transformed, dodging the line of fire. "Let's go Mirage!" Soundwave yelled, flying over his brother.
Mirage transformed following the aircraft. "We're just going to retreat?"
"We can't let this get out of hand, more than it already has." Soundwave replied, as Lazerbeak returned to him.
"Ugh, Bumblebee let's go!" Mirage growled driving past the boulder the scout hid behind.
Bumblebee transformed following the Ferrari, and Reaper. Looking in his mirrors, seeing Megatron flying hot on their trail. "We've got company, and they're not happy!"
"Soundwave!" Mirage yelled, dodging as Megatron fired at them.
Soundwave quickly drew up a ground bridge, banking left, he rerouted his flight path, to behind the two younglings. "Go quickly!"
Mirage slowed down, making sure Bumblebee got through safely first.
Megatron fired a shot, hitting Mirage on target.
Soundwave fired at the Warlords flight vehicle, distracting him just long enough for Mirage to get through the bridge.
Megatron growled in frustration transforming, flying into Soundwave, he tossed the Reaper jet to the ground.
Soundwave hit the ground hard, his jet mode doing summersaults across the dessert ground. He transformed halfway through the crash, painfully tumbling across the ground, sliding to a halt in front of the bridge.
"I've waited for this moment to terminate you, for too long Soundwave!" Megatron hissed, walking towards his downed son.
Soundwave painfully shook, as he lifted himself off the ground.
Megatron lifted his canon to fire, only to be hit by a blast from another canon. "What?!" Megatron hissed, scanning for the culprit.
Optimus quickly helped Soundwave up, taking him under one of his arms. As he threatened Megatron with his canon in the other.
"I see you're well off, at stealing kin, and kills Optimus!" Megatron venomously hissed at the unimpressed Prime.
"You're no father to him, just as you are no brother to me." Optimus growled, walking through the bridge.
As the bridge shut, Megatron cackled madly to himself. "Oh Optimus, family has always been your weak link."
"What the frag were you thinking, engaging a whole Decepticon operation!?" Ironhide scolded, the injured brothers sitting on a medical berth.
"It was not on purpose, I did not intend to engage the enemy." Soundwave hissed in pain, holding his bleeding side. "I was doing reconnaissance, and was about to report the activity, when Starscream decided to interrupt me."
"And what's your, excuse for putting yourself, and your little brother in danger?" Ratchet glared at the roughed up youngling.
"Bumblebee did not engage any Decepticons, I had him hide quite a distance away, on stand by to call for back up. I engaged the Decepticons, to help Soundwave out." Mirage explained, as Ratchet scanned both him, and Soundwave.
"I'm disappointed. Bumblebee I told you to call, if there was an issue, you disobeyed my orders." Optimus looked at his yellow youngling.
"I'm sorry Optimus, I got caught up in watching the fight break out. It won't happen again." Bumblebee apologized for his disobedience.
"You two also have comlinks. If you had called for back up, you would have escaped with lesser injuries. There's no excuse." Optimus scolded the two hybrid brothers.
"We got a little scratched up, we're not bleeding gallons of energon." Mirage scoffed folding his arms. "Ow!" Mirage hissed receiving an elbow in his side, from his older brother.
"You're right, sir. I will finish the transmission next time." Soundwave sighed, admitting to his wrongful actions.
Optimus nodded at the young mech, turning his gaze to the red youngling.
Mirage sat in annoyance, he acknowledged his mistake. But did not care to apologize for it. "We were absolutely fine. If we didn't have Bee with us we would've taken that energon mine."
"I highly doubt that, Megatron had his whole war ship there. And he came after us!" Bumblebee argued, not wanting to be the reason for the failed mission.
"It wouldn't have been the first time his colossal metal ass chased us down. Our main priority at that point, was to keep you safe. Soundwave and I could've easily taken care of Megatron." Mirage shook his helm at his younger brother.
"Mirage, although you and Soundwave are highly capable warriors. We are no longer on Cybertron. Therefore we cannot afford to take unnecessary risks." Optimus spoke sternly towards the unruly youngling. "You put the human life forms at risk, there is a nerby population. We have to consider Megatron will stop at nothing to destroy us."
"Taking down Megatron, would have been a service to this planet. It wouldn't have been an unnecessary risk." Mirage shook his helm in disagreement.
Before Optimus could reply, Soundwave got up suddenly, pinning Mirage against the wall. "Shut up Mirage!" Everyone gasped at the sudden actions taken by the masked mech. Soundwave gave a small wince of pain, as his injured side tore open with his erratic movements, causing a steady flow of energon to bleed down his frame.
"Soundwave, please don't move like that, you risk your biomech being exposed." Ratchet warned, seeing the mech's internal biomech through the incision. He did not dare to attempt to repair the defensive mech.
Mirage quickly dismissed the warnings that flared in his processor. He resisting the erge to counterattack his clearly upset brother. Staring into his own reflection off his brother's pitch black visor.
"You know nothing about Megatron! You think he's an easy kill, but he's not! Why do you think Prime has struggled for so long to destroy him!" Soundwave pressed his youngling brother into the wall.
Ratchet, and Optimus exchanged concerned gazes. As Soundwave continued to give Mirage a what for.
"You've only dealt with a fraction of his power, and that was with me doing most of his bidding against you!"
"Soundwave, please calm down." Arcee calmly asked, grabbing her frustrated her partner's arm.
"No, Mirage needs to understand this isn't a game! We're not invincible, no one is! But if we continue to take unnecessary risks, we'll be dead a whole lot faster." Soundwave moved his arm away from the femme's grip.
"You're afraid of him." Mirage said, making Soundwave turn his full attention back on him.
"Excuse me?" Soundwave dared for his brother to repeat himself.
"You're afraid of Megatron, Soundwave." Mirage repeated himself. "He's broken your mind with fear."
Soundwave shook his helm, releasing the youngling to slide onto the berth. "Megatron knows we want him eradicated. He uses our vengeful, uncoordinated, attacks against us." Soundwave walked past the shocked members of the team Prime.
"Soundwave you're injured and heavily bleeding, you need to be patched up." Ratchet called after the unresponsive mech.
"I'll get him." Arcee sighed, chasing after her mech.
Mirage was silent, mulling over his brother's words. Locking optics with his disappointed father. Mirage quickly followed after the femme.
"What are we going to do with those two?" Ironhide shook his helm.
"I do not know the answer to that old friend." Optimus replied.
"Why's Mirage so mean?" Bumblebee pouted, glaring at the hallway.
"Aw Mirage has always been a grumpy gears, you know that Bee." Jazz replied to the yellow youngling.
"I liked him better when he was a sparkling." Bumblebee grumpily folded his arms.
"As much as Mirage was a fun playmate for you, when he was a sparkling. He was still a little killer, with the desire for action." Sunstreaker playfully told the scout.
"He was a lot easier to handle though." Bumblebee rolled his optics.
"Mirage is becoming a young mech, you'll become one, one day to. And don't worry, you'll be confused, grumpy, and challenge everyone around you. But you'll mostly bug the hell out of Mirage. Just like Mirage does to Soundwave." Sideswipe chuckled, holding the youngling's shoulders.
"It seems to be an unwritten rule between brothers..." Sunstreaker glared at his annoying twin.
"Why don't you make yourselves useful, and help clean the energon with me." Ratchet grumbled throwing cleaning cloths at the four young bots.
"Hey it's Soundwave's mess though!" Sunstreaker complained, receiving a glare from the Medic.
"Soundwave please stop, you're not well." Arcee pleaded, grabbing the visored mech's servo. "I know you don't like medics, but please let me at least look."
With a sigh, Soundwave stopped in his tracks. Allowing the femme to examine his frame.
"Thank you." Arcee thanked her mech, lifting his arm out of her views way. Examining the slender mech's almost healed wound. Running a digit over the incision, Arcee could tell it was still causing him pain. Soundwave flinched away from Arcee's examining servo. "It's healing alright." Arcee thought aloud, getting out from under the mech's arm.
Soundwave was unmoving, silently staring ahead down the hallway. "You know he didn't mean it. Mirage was just heated because he was finally able to battle again. His spark was pumping, the first thing that comes to his mind, is take down the one that kept you from him."
"I know, I just feel he's see's himself like he's invincible. I'm afraid he's going to end up dead." Soundwave replied, turning his helm to the cobalt blue femme.
Arcee smiled at her mech. "Soundwave, I hate to say this, but Mirage is more experienced in the field then you are. He's lived on the streets fighting for his life, getting shot at from both sides. Before we took him back in. Then we sent him back out to fight. Yes he can be a cocky little shit sometimes. But when he went on countless solo missions, successfully completing each one, he proved his metal."
"I know, I tricked him into doing a mission with me, when he was on the streets. It was the quickest, and easiest mission I ever did. After he returned to you guys. Megatron blamed me for Mirage's success in destroying us, because I let him escape Shockwave's training program. But instead of letting me out to accomplish missions, he kept me in just so I could fail." Soundwave emotionlessly replied. "I still feel trapped."
Arcee placed a servo on her mech's chest plate. Looking past the bioluminescent mech, seeing the red youngling standing quietly. "I know someone who understands how you feel."
"I'm sorry I slammed you against the wall." Soundwave sighed, not even turning around.
Mirage walked forward, stepping beside the femme. "I probably deserved it. I was being insensitive."
"You're right though." Soundwave looked down at his little brother.
"I am?" Mirage raised an optic ridge at his masked brother.
"I'll leave you two to talk." Arcee kindly left the two brothers.
"Maybe you're not right about the mission." Soundwave cocked his helm.
"Yeah I got that, when everyone was giving me angry glares." Mirage rolled his optics.
"Are you always that driven on missions?" Soundwave raised an optic ridge from behind his visor.
"Uh yeah, if you were flip, flopped, between a sparkling and youngling. Wouldn't you be ambitious to get back into battle?" Mirage questioned his older brother. "Your visor is still on, by the way."
Soundwave reluctantly dematerialized his visor, revealing his saddened optics. "Not really."
Mirage furrowed his optic ridge. "Soundwave, what's going on with you?" Mirage was suspicious of his brother's defeated personality. It was as if the mech's fighting spark was being slowly drained from him.
"You heard what Arcee said. I'm not a fighter, I'm inexperienced. That's all, I am better at using my processor rather than my fists." The mech unconfidently replied to his his brother's suspicion.
"That's not completely what she said." Mirage snorted shaking his helm. "First of all, you're not inexperienced, you are highly skilled, you just haven't seen enough. Yes you may be better at thinking then brawling. But if I recall, once I figured out my mobility functions when I was sparkling. Shockwave focused on my combat training, while he took you out of it, because I was a distraction. Shockwave didn't put you through a lot of combat training, he locked you up in a study room for the majority of my training." The youngling explained, making Soundwave's self doubt change to interest. "You're a highly capable warrior in the field, you've almost bested me a couple times. You just need to get more exposure, and find your real power."
"You're kind to say that, little red. But I'm not sure if I am capable achieving what you believe I am." Soundwave smiled at his little brother, with hopeless optics.
"Soundwave, you don't need to fear him anymore. I know you're scared of him. I am to. But I don't let it consume me." Mirage gazed into his big brother's optics. "I know I got to live most of my life, at the luxury of the Autobots. You're right, I know nothing of Megatron's full extent of cruelty. I only saw a fraction while we were growing up." Mirage shivered at the horrid memories of innocent younglings being exacuted by his evil Uncle. "If I could've switched places with you, I gladly would've, in a sparkbeat."
"Mirage, I made the right choice for you. I wanted you to escape Megatron's tyranny, to have a better life. You didn't completely get a perfect life, but it's better then being in Megatron's ranks. I would never wish for anyone to grow up under the control of Megatron." Soundwave shook his helm in disagreement. "Yes I fear him terribly, especially now. I'm so sorry it took me so long to break from his manipulation. But it won't consume me, I'm working on it." The bioluminescent mech tried to reassure his young brother.
"You promise?" Mirage asked, not totally convinced.
Soundwave smiled, holding the youngling's shoulders. "I promise."
"Arcee, you said you were bringing Soundwave back to get repaired." Ratchet groaned at the lone femme.
"I was going to, but he let me examine his wound. It was almost completely healed." Arcee replied shrugging her shoulders.
"Primus..." Ratchet rolled his optics.
"How come we had to clean up his energon, if he's feeling just fine?" Sunstreaker once again brought another complaint about cleaning.
"Sunstreaker, let it go man. Soundwave would've done the same for you." Jazz said to the complaining twin, before the medic could yell at him.
"Come on Sunshine, let's go on patrol, before you blow a gasket." Sideswipe quickly guided his moody twin to the base exit.
"Can I come with Sides?" Bumblebee eagerly asked, knowing the twins would be a little less driven to attack Cons then Mirage.
"Sure, as long as you can keep up!" Sideswipe challenged, transforming peeling out of the base with his twin.
"Hey!" Bumblebee quickly transformed, following the two corvettes.
"Primus, you two are going to scrape all these tire marks off the floor!" Ratchet yelled after the escaping sports cars.
"Optimus I know we've been here for a very short amount of time. The Cons have been here a whole lot longer. Don't you think it's about time we investigate Megatron's plans to conquer this world?" Arcee asked, approaching her leader at the monitors.
"I do..." Optimus continued to gaze at the monitors in front of him.
"You seem uncertain?" Arcee gazed up at the monitors as well. "I know it's a bit difficult with the Nemesis always cloaked in the sky. But if we question the right Con we'll get answers."
"Getting the information would prove to be a difficult task. With Soundwave on our side, I have no doubt Megatron has gotten Shockwave to update the warships cloaking systems, before he left for Earth." Optimus sighed.
"Okay, but between Mirage and Soundwave, if they hit another Decepticon energon pick up. Once the ship gets low enough, if Mirage snuck on, with his cloaking. I think we could get a decent amount of information." Arcee said, hoping to ease her leaders skepticism.
"That sounds incredibly risky, even for me. What happens when the ship takes off, with Mirage stuck there?" Ironhide snorted joining in the conversation.
"I'm stuck where now?" The familiar accent, gained everyone's attention.
"We're discussing our potential plan, of how to gain Decepticon knowledge." Arcee explained, smiling at the entering hybrid brothers.
Soundwave gasped, as Ratchet lifted his arm, examining his frame. "Ummm..."
"Your arm looks pretty singed. Also, just because your exoskeleton healed, does not mean your biomech is intact. Even Shockwave isn't that advanced." Ratchet scoffed, scanning Soundwave's problem areas.
"Actually he is. How do think I am able to speak?" Mirage retorted, plopping himself on a crate next to the monitors.
"Mirage I know you're referring to your voicebox repairing itself. But you were a newly sparked sparkling when you were in that program. Any work Shockwave put into Soundwave, had a higher effect on your biomech. That is why you're way past any of our advancements." Ratchet replied reading his scans. "Soundwave's biomech only allows him to function with major trauma, long enough to find time to get repaired. In other words, probably a few days, nothing repairs itself to completion. By the way go sit down Soundwave." Ratchet pointed the bioluminescent mech to the medical berths, continuing to read his scans.
Soundwave looked to his femme for an answer. She smiled reassuringly, gesturing for him to obey the old medic.
Soundwave hesitantly made his way to the medical berth, with the CMO in tow.
"Okay, so what's the big plan to raid the Cons?" Mirage asked, changing the subject.
"We're thinking if the ship makes another energon run. You slip aboard, and siphon the Decepticons oftheir schemes." Jazz answered, sipping energon.
Mirage shrugged. "Simple enough."
"But we don't want you to get stuck, if they take off. You can't fly." Ironhide added.
"Hmm, it wouldn't be the first time I jumped off a ship." Mirage sheepishly replied.
"We would not like it to end that way. You would be unable to predict the ships location in flight. We still need to remain discreet, and unseen by the public eye." Optimus shook his helm at the red youngling.
"Stupid, weak, humans..." Mirage rolled his optics, grumbling under his breath.
"But the Decepticons no longer have the tactical advantage of flight, over us." Optimus said, receiving confused gazes from most of his team.
"This would not be a solo mission. Out of all of us, Soundwave has the advantage of flight. If the ship were to take off with you still in it, Soundwave could tail it, having an emergency ground bridge, on stand by."
"That mission will have to be on stand by, until I repair... Soundwave!" Ratchet hissed in frustration, attempting to get the violet mech to lay down on the medical berth.
Soundwave's frame stayed rigid, as the old medic attempted to lay him down. Ratchet shook his helm, lifting the mech's large arm, to examine the closed incision. Soundwave responded by flinching away, putting his arm back down, hiding the incision from the CMO's view.
"For the love of... will someone please help me out!?" Ratchet threw his servos up in frustration.
Mirage snickered at the Medic's struggle, to get his older brother to cooperate.
"Is this really necessary?" Soundwave tensed up even more as Optimus came over to aid Ratchet.
"Soundwave if you cooperate, I will gladly tell Optimus off." Ratchet quirked an optic ridge at his nervous patient.
"That'd be funny to see." Mirage chuckled to himself, positioning himself a small distance away from the med bay.
"Bu... but... you haven't even told me my diagnosis!" Full of panic, Soundwave ducked away from both mechs reaching servos.
"Soundwave please, you have minor internal damage..."
"Minor, I'll be fine!" The panic in the young mech's voice continued to highten.
"That left untreated, will cause major functional issues." Ratchet finished his sentence, grabbing his EMP.
Soundwave backed himself into the wall, noticing the Medic grabbing the EMP. "Please no!"
"Soundwave if you do not allow me to preform the simple procedure. You are forcing me to use unethical methods. It's for your own health and wellbeing." Ratchet sighed lowering the EMP he held.
"We need you in top shape." Optimus pulled the young mech forward on the berth. "If you're not well, your brother will have no safety net. Putting him in grave danger, do you think you can do this for him?" Optimus held his nephew still, keeping the mixed coloured optics, locked on his royal blue ones.
While Optimus distracted the nervous young mech, Ratchet attached a tube, full of vapour that would induce stasis.
Soundwave could barely react, before slowly falling into stasis.
Optimus carefully lay his limp nephew down on the berth. Backing away, allowing the CMO to begin the surgery.
Mirage cringed at the sight of the medic opening up his brother's side with a laser. Seeing Ratchet pull out his brother's damaged biomech, made him want to attack, and protect out of instinct. A gentle servo grabbing his own, made him visibly jump.
"You don't have to watch you know." Arcee pulled the youngling's attention onto her.
"I'm not... I'm just..." Mirage couldn't give a clear response as he was fixated on the operation.
"Mirage, do you believe Soundwave will be capable of doing the up coming mission?" Optimus asked, moving his frame to obstruct the youngling's view.
"Uh yeah. I mean, I guess it depends on what Ratchet says. Why?" Mirage raised an optic ridge at his father.
"I do not wish to force Soundwave into something he's not comfortable doing." The red and blue mech calmly explained.
"Soundwave kicked tailpipe today, I didn't see him falter once. He's perfectly capable." Mirage folded his arms with a sigh. "Why are you all acting like Soundwave's a fragile drone, that will crumble at the sight of Megatron? He proved his strength on Cybertron, he just need more exposure in the battle field."
"Well that exposure to the battle field is in a hold until he's recovered." Ratchet mentioned, finishing his weld on Soundwave's side.
"How is he Ratch?" Arcee didn't waste any time, putting herself beside her unconscious partner.
"He's fine, like I said he had minor internal damage. I just wanted to thoroughly check over him, to make sure the Cons didn't plant anything in him." Ratchet replied putting his surgical tools away.
"If I recall, Soundwave's the one that did the implanting for Shockwave, not Megatron's simpletons." Ironhide gestured with his helm at Mirage.
"Yeah, lets not get into that!" Mirage hissed at the weapon specialist. Not wanting to relive his brother's most evil moment. "Soundwave was being used as Megatron's test subject for dark energon. He had no control."
"You told me he wasn't infected with it?" Ironhide cocked his helm at the moody youngling.
"You have no fragging idea what Shockwave injected us with when we were in his project. But anyway, I said Megatron said that, I'll let you know when I believe what bucket head spews out of his mouth." Mirage retorted, shaking his helm.
Soundwave leapt off the medical berth, fully ready to attack, making Arcee jump in surprise. Ratchet resisted the urge to scream at the freshly operated on mech.
"You're good Soundwave." Mirage emotionlessly said, as he sharpened his blades.
Optimus grabbed hold of the off balance, teetering defensive, mech.
Hearing his little brother's voice print, Soundwave immediately lowered his defence. A lot of optics were on him, as he tried to recollect his foggy thoughts. Feeling a soreness come from his side, his memory quickly recollected. "Ratch did... he... you... preformed surgery?" He stumbled in the Prime's grip, looking at the busy medic.
"I sure did. How do you feel?" Ratchet barely looked up from sterilizing his instruments.
"I'm feel good... I feel... good?" Soundwave replied in confusion, the stasis vapour still clouding his processor.
Mirage playfully punched his big brother's arm. "Good, then you're up for patrol tonight?"
"...patrol... tonight?" Soundwave raised an optic ridge at the red youngling.
"Soundwave, you're recovering from surgery, if you're not fully aware by nightfall. You are not being forced to do patrol." Ratchet said, giving the youngling a pointed glare.
"What?" Soundwave drunkenly swayed, giving the medic a puzzled look.
"Uuuuh..." Ratchet raised an optic ridge at the high young mech.
"Is the mission scheduled, or do we just go on patrol and find the opportune moment?" Mirage rolled his optics at the both mechs.
"Since the Cons just reloaded their energon stocks, I highly doubt they'll do a pick up, anytime soon." Arcee mentioned, looking up at their leader.
"In other words we're doing patrol for the time being, until the Cons run low on their energon reserves." Jazz added to the femme's point.
Optimus sighed, looking to the weapon specialist. "That would seem to be our only option at the moment."
"Well that ship is constantly running, it must burn through a lot of energon." Ironhide shrugged, making Soundwave snort with a laugh. "What's so funny?" Ironhide grumpily narrowed his optics at the bioluminescent mech.
"I dunno I think this... important?" Soundwave chuckled, sending something to the monitors.
"The ships energon fusion capacitor, allows the maxamized consumption of energon by a thousandfold. It could be weeks before they do another pick up." Ratchet read off the Nemesis energon intake study Soundwave threw on one of the monitors.
"Hmm, can we afford to wait that long?" Ironhide asked.
"We cannot. We continue to do routine patrols, and jump at any chance to board the ship." Optimus replied, his tone still unsure.
"So are we on tonight?" Mirage asked the violet mech again.
"If you say so." Soundwave shrugged still dazed, as Arcee approached him.
"Good, I'll join you two." Arcee said, inviting herself on the night patrol.
"Ugh, why do you have to come with?" Mirage grumbled protesting the femme's joining.
"Because I know the rules of the roads, and sending out our two super soldiers by themselves should be pretty self explanatory." Arcee retorted the complaining spy.
Mirage rolled his optics in reply. "Fine, whatever..."
"Alright, well I am going to do a little patrolling of my own, see if I can find any potential Con landing zones." Ironhide announced, walking to the base exit.
"I'll join you Hide." Jazz said, hopping over to the large old mech.
"Fine, but don't be bitching about the dirt roads. You guys chose the sporty look, not me." Ironhide transformed into a very large black pick up truck.
"Don't worry, I'm not a big complainer." Jazz replied, transforming following the truck out of the base.
Arcee glared at Mirage, as they both made their way over to the couch. "You know you're going to get old faster, if you keep scowling like that." Mirage stood himself on the back of couch, as he teased the femme.
"Shut it." Arcee snapped, pushing the spy off the couch, making him fall backwards onto the floor.
"Hey!" Mirage quickly jumped back up to his peds, resting his arms on the couch.
Optimus followed as his nephew began to walk forward. Soundwave wondered over to the vacant couch. Staring blankly at the furniture, still feeling off from the stasis vapour, during his surgery.
Mirage smirked, he could tell his brother was still quite drunk from the stasis vapour. "This is worth capturing for later." Mirage snickered, starting a capture file so he could embarrass his big brother later.
"Soundwave sit down." Sitting herself at one end of the couch, Arcee gestured for her dazed mech to sit on the couch.
"Okay." Soundwave made his frame go limp, almost falling through his uncle's servos.
"Careful now." Optimus gently guided his dazed nephew onto the couch.
Soundwave sat only for a moment, as his frame slid down onto his side, resting his helm on Arcee's lap, with a drunken chuckle.
"That works to." Arcee shrugged with a smile.
Soundwave gasped his optics widened staring up at the femme's face. "You're soooo pretty!"
Arcee turned her helm away, trying to hold her outburst of laughter.
"This is fantastic." Mirage giggled continuing to film Soundwave's drunken state.
After a few seconds of regaining her composure, Arcee patted her mech's helm. "Thank you, that's very sweet of you to say." The femme tried to hide her chuckling. "I've got it from here Optimus, thank you." Arcee smiled up at the chuckling leader.
"Alright, call me if you need assistance." Optimus replied, making his way back over to the Doctor.
"He's quite the handfull." Ratchet shook his helm with a grin.
"So he is. Why's he acting like that?" Optimus curiously asked the medic.
"Shockwave never preformed any of his surgical procedures humanely. Always doing them with a conscious hostage. I believe this is Soundwave's first time having stasis vapour." Ratchet replied, organizing his surgical tools. "He could be having a reaction to it. It doesn't seem to be negatively affecting him, besides making him a goof. The only thing he can do, is sleep it off."
"Arcee?" Soundwave grinned at his femme.
"Yes Soundwave?" Arcee smiled locking optics with her mech.
"Arcee?"
"Yes Soundwave?"
"Arcee?"
"Yes?"
"Arcee?"
"Yes?!"
"Arcee?"
"What?! Arcee hissed impatiently.
Mirage cringed at the femme's optic twitching.
"Arceeeee?"
"What!? What Soundwave?! For the love of Primus, what the hell do you want!?" Arcee finally blew her temper.
"I love you!" Soundwave giggled madly, making Arcee sigh heavily, relaxing her annoyed expression. "Love you to. Now close your optics." she said, gently rubbing the violet mech's back.
"Why?" Soundwave quizzically looked at the cobalt blue femme.
"Shhh..." Arcee placed a servo over Soundwave's face, shushing the mech.
"Now I can't see." Soundwave's muffled chuckle, only made Arcee want to bang her helm against a wall.
"Optimus, you can have him back now." Arcee called over her shoulder.
"Soundwave's finally hilarious, and you can't handle the goofy." Mirage laughed, teasing the irritated femme.
"I live with the twins, I think I get enough of my daily dose of goofy from them." Arcee replied, throwing the youngling an annoyed glare.
Optimus rounded the couch, stopping infront of the femme. "What's the matter Arcee?"
"Can Ratchet knock his aft back out, I'm going to lose my mind. Soundwave won't shut up! He's more annoying then the twins!" Arcee threw her arms up in annoyance.
Optimus cocked his helm, looking down at the recharging violet mech. "I don't understand, he looks quite content?" he gestured to the slumbering mech in the femme's lap.
Arcee looked down at her lap, seeing the recharging mech. "Oh, never mind." sighing with relief, she rested her back against the couch.
Mirage pulled himself up the couch back, hanging over the femme's shoulder. "That's no fun, wake him up!" he reached over Arcee to poke his big brother.
"Beat it! You wake him up, and Soundwave won't be the only one needing surgery today." Arcee quickly slapped the youngling's servo away.
"Aw come on, it was entertaining." Mirage laughed, trying his luck at poking his brother awake.
"Come on Mirage, let's go." Optimus playfully plucked his youngling off the back of the couch.
"Hey, no!" Mirage giggled madly while Optimus held him upside down, walking towards the base exit.
"Have a good drive. Hey if you see the twins, tell them they've got some more cleaning to do!" Ratchet said, watching the leader and youngling drive out of the base.
"Finally recharging?" Ratchet casually asked, standing next to the couch.
"Thankfully. You know, I figured I would've seen Soundwave to act like that, after a forced night of drinking high grade with the twins." Arcee snorted with a chuckle.
"He had a mild reaction to the stasis vapour. Making it last longer then usual." Ratchet shrugged, looking at the slumbering young mech.
Soundwave unconsciously shifted onto his side to get more comfortable.
Arcee gently placed her arm over her mech. Sighing, hoping her partner was going to get a peaceful rest.
Soundwave giggled running after a small grey ball that lit up with blue colours of Cybertronian text.
"Orion, you didn't need to get him a new toy." A metallic deep blue femme with red bioluminescent grooves, said to the mech sitting beside her.
"I wanted to, it's a pretty neat toy." Orion grinned as the violet sparkling toddled up to him.
Soundwave crawled up the visiting mech's leg. Placing the ball on his lap, before sliding back down to the floor. "Play?"
"Oh be honest, you just wanted to play with the toy without looking silly." The femme laughed at the red and blue mech, eagerly sitting himself down on the floor so he could roll the ball for the sparkling.
"It's educational, it tells you how many times it rolled." Orion sheepishly smiled at the femme.
"Does it now?" the femme raised optic ridge, while her sparkling happily returned the ball to the mech.
"Here see, what's it say Soundwave?" Orion asked, gesturing to the lit up text on the ball.
"Six!" Soundwave squealed, playfully smacking his servos on the mech's.
"Very good!" Orion excitedly praised the sparkling. Showing the mother the ball for proof.
"You're certainly taking to Orion's reading lessons, aren't you little one?" the bioluminescent femme, playfully picking up her giggling sparkling.
Soundwave shrilled with laughter, as his mother playfully spun around. Orion smiled at the mother and son. Picking himself up from the floor, walking into the kitchen area of the Cybertronian house. Preparing a bottle of energon for the giggling sparkling.
Soundwave giggled, leaping out of his mother's arms, down to the floor.
"I'm going to get you!" the femme playfully threatened her bioluminescent sparkling.
"No can catch!" Soundwave quickly toddled behind the couch.
"No, no, no. Brat!" Soundwave's mother tried to catch her sparkling, before he could get behind the furniture.
"Behind the couch again?" Orion Pax asked, standing beside the annoyed femme.
"He knows it's nap time." The metalic blue femme rested her servos on her hips. "You get out from behind that couch, right now young mech."
Soundwave poked his helm out from his hiding place. "No!"
"Soundwave, I'm going to count to three. If you don't get your little aft out here by the time I hit three, you're going straight into your room without saying night night to Orion!" The femme sternly told her mischievous sparkling. "One, two..."
"No mommy!" Soundwave quickly exited out from his hiding spot.
"That's what I thought." Soundwave's mother quickly scooped her sparkling up into her arms.
"No nap!" Soundwave grumpily whined, squirming in his mother's arms. "No tired!" he began to cry, his blue and red mixed coloured optics filling with tears.
"You know he only kicks up a fuss, when he knows you're about to leave." The femme sighed, looking at the red and blue mech beside her.
"I will be back soon, little one. It's only a short shift in the Archives today." Orion replied, giving the fussy sparkling the bottle.
Soundwave took the bottle, drinking hungrily, staring up at the mech with tear filled optics.
"Thanks for doing that." The femme thanked the mech for making the bottle for her sparkling. Walking the caring mech to the door.
"Can I get you anything for when I return?" Orion asked, as he stepped outside the door.
Looking past the kind mech, she narrowed her optics. Seeing her sparkling's father across the street, conversing with the one opticed scientist.
Orion Pax gave a confused look at the femme, before following her gaze to his older brother standing across the street. Sighing he turned back to the mother. "Don't let him get to you."
"I'm not going to, I should be saying that to you. The next time I see you you'll be a Prime. I'm proud of you." The femme scoffed, looking back at the red and blue mech.
"I just don't understand why Megatronous has become so wicked and cruel." Orion sighed shaking his helm.
"He selfishly demanded to become the next Prime. Before then he flat out refused to acknowledge his own sparkling. He's just sore, because everyone around him that has a processor, sees through his selfish mirage." The femme gestured to the sleepy sparkling in her arms. "He's not fit to lead. He wants brute force, and punishment to any who oppose him."
"I know..." Orion sadly replied, staring at the tired sparkling.
"You're going to be late." The femme smiled.
Orion shook out of his deep thoughts. "I will see you two later." Quickly transforming, driving off down the street.
"Bye bye." Soundwave tiredly waved as the mech drove off.
His mother smiled down at her sparkling with a sigh. "Alright little one, lets put you down for a nap." The femme turned around to walk back into her home.
"He's grown quite a bit." Hearing her sparkling's father's voice, the femme's smile quickly turned into a look of anger.
"Yes he's nearly a youngling now. But you wouldn't know that, he doesn't exist right?!" she turned, glaring angrily at the gunmetal grey mech. "I see you're hanging out with Cybertrons finest criminals." gesturing to the one opticed mech standing behind the large mech.
"Shockwave is a mech of science. Many fear the world of science, so the label criminal is placed upon him. All fear what they don't understand." Megatronous sneered at the femme.
"There's a definitive difference between science, and torture." The femme turned around to walk back into her house.
"Shockwave has been observing your sparkling for some time now. He believes it's a perfect candidate for an upcoming project of his." Megatronous said, making the femme stop in her tracks.
"This is your son, not just some sparkling. I will never allow any of my children, to ever be in one of Shockwave's twisted science projects." The bioluminescent femme spun around to face her sparkling's father.
"Orion Pax, has taken you to, I see." Megatronous smiled evilly at the femme.
Soundwave looked up at his father's evil smile, as his mother yelled angrily. The smile frightened him so much, he began to cry, hiding his face in his mother's chest.
Looking down at her crying sparkling, the femme sighed. "Get the hell out of here. You're not welcome here." walking into her home, locking the door behind her.
"Megatronous?" Shockwave looked up at the gunmetal grey mech.
"Hold off on your project Shockwave. I believe she will be offering us two candidates, in the near future."
Soundwave cried louder, hearing the mechs voices outside the door.
"Shh, it's alright Soundwave. I won't let them take you." Soundwave's mother held her sparkling tightly against her chest.
Soundwave tiredly opened his optics, hearing random voices in the room. Moving his helm, he could see the holo vid was playing. Yawning, he blinked tiredly.
"Hey there sleepy head." Arcee cooed to the waking mech.
Soundwave exhaled sitting himself up, next to his femme. "How long was I out for?" he asked still feeling foggy from his recharge.
"Well it's dark outside now." Arcee replied, switching the holo vid show, to the outside camera feed of the base entrance.
"Wow... did I miss anything?" Soundwave blinked.
"Yeah, you missed this drunken fool bugging the hell outta me. But I am sure Mirage will torture you later, with the footage he captured." Arcee jokingly replied getting up from the couch.
"What did you just say?" Soundwave watched his femme walk off snickering.
"Don't feel bad Soundwave. It was only completely hilarious to us, and probably incredibly humiliating for you." Sunstreaker teased the violet mech, as he and his twin sat down on the couch.
"I wish we'd stuck around to see it in person. Thanks for showing us the capture, Mirage." Sideswipe chuckled, thanking the red youngling standing behind them.
Soundwave narrowed his optics at his little brother.
"I can send you the video." Mirage sheepishly smiled, lowering his doorwings.
"How fast can you run?" Soundwave casually asked, turning his helm to face the holo vid.
"Pretty fast." Mirage continued to smile sheepishly. "Should I start running?"
"I would."
"Alrighty then..." Mirage casually walked down the hallway.
"You little scrap heap!" Soundwave leapt up from the couch, chasing his laughing little brother down the hallway.
"Is anyone gonna make sure they don't kill each other?" Jazz gave a worried look, as the two brothers disappeared down the hallway.
"I'll go, Jazz you over exaggerate, you know that?" Arcee sighed, following the brothers.
"You were hilarious, you should really watch for yourself!" Mirage taunted, sprinting towards the lift.
"You better hope I don't catch you!" Soundwave threatened, just missing Bumblebee as he stepped out from his room.
Mirage opened the lift activating it. The lift raised slowly, he quickly began jumping off the walls, quickly scaled the lift.
Soundwave climbed into the lift as it just about disappeared above. Staring up at his escaping brother. He quickly transformed, flying straight up the lift, gaining on his little brother.
Mirage yepled as he was struck by the Reaper.
Flying out of the base, with the youngling hanging onto his ariel form. Soundwave transformed a few feet above the base, flinging his brother off of him.
Mirage flailed in the air for a moment, free falling down back down to the base. Landing on his peds, near the edge of the cliff.
Soundwave tackled his brother, sliding them both inches away from the edge.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" Mirage cried, as half his frame hung over the cliffside.
Soundwave rolled his optics, pulling his brother away from the edge. "Did you really think I would drop you?"
"No." Mirage nervously laughed, cycling his whirring vents.
"But I am going to torture you." Soundwave smiled mischievously.
Mirage's optics widened, quickly rolling onto his stomach, pushing himself up off the ground.
Soundwave sorted with a laugh, tickling his little brother's sides, before the youngling could stand up. Mirage shrieked with laughter, falling back onto the ground.
"Soundwave... s...s... stop!" Mirage withered with laughter, while his big brother continued the tickle torture.
"Sorry what was that?" Soundwave grinned playfully, tickling the youngling even more.
Mirage giggled madly, trying to shield himself from the tickling digits. "W...w...wave!"
"You going to kill your brother by tickles?" Arcee chuckled, standing behind the tickling mech.
"I guess I should let him ventilate." Soundwave laughed, hearing Mirage's vents, cooling fans kick into high gear.
Mirage's optics were blurred with tears of laughter. Weak from laughing, Mirage lay limp on the ground.
Soundwave smiled at his little brother. The youngling cycled his vents, tiredly trying to keep his optics open.
"Is the mighty Mirage tired, from the tickle attack?" Arcee cooed teasingly.
Soundwave scooped the exhausted youngling up into his arms. Smiling as Mirage attempted to protest being cradled in his arms. "Mirage has always powered down into a recharge, after tickle torture. It's been like that since he was a sparkling."
"That would've been helpful to know, fourteen cycles ago, when the brat refused to go to bed no matter what." Arcee scoffed, following the mech to the lift. "I guess it's just you and I on patrol tonight?"
"I'm not that tired." Mirage squirmed in his brother's arms. "And you don't have to carry me!" Mirage leapt out the caring arms.
"And he's regained his strength." Soundwave shook his helm. Pressing the button to activate the lift.
"Your greatest weakness is tickles, that's adorable." Arcee teased the youngling.
"Shut up, why don't you try tickling drunky, ow!" Mirage rubbed his helm after receiving a smack from his older brother.
"I'll keep that in mind." Arcee grinned at her mech.
Soundwave rolled his optics stepping off the lift.
"Where are you going?" Arcee asked as the lift slowly went down.
"We're going on patrol right? It's easier for me take off from up here." Soundwave replied walking to the cliffs edge.
"That makes sense." Mirage shrugged, as the lift shut the ceiling doors.
"You're alive." Jazz joked, as the femme and youngling walked towards the base exit tunnel.
"Soundwave can't take me down, why do you think he's not here." Mirage replied, making Jazz gasp in shock. "Primus, you're so gullible." he chuckled transforming into a Ferrari.
"We're going on patrol, Optimus. I've got Soundwave and Mirage." Arcee said transforming, following the racing red Ferrari out of the base.
"Mirage slow it down, there's a speed limit." Arcee called driving up beside the sports car.
"I know, Optimus went over it with me earlier." Mirage sighed, slowing down. "Soundwave you know how to down their molecular masking field?"
"I'm not positive. Like Optimus said, There's no doubt Shockwave upgraded the warships systems, so I couldn't give you guys the upper hand." Soundwave replied over the comlink.
"Woah, are you two planning on raiding Megatron's warship wether or not it's in flight?" Arcee asked in a hostile tone.
"We were, but if Soundwave doesn't think it's possible. There's no reason to, this is just a regular patrol." Mirage simply replied.
Soundwave flew above the two wheeler, and sports car. His dark violet colour, barely making him visible in the night sky. An hour went by, as they all continued driving, and flying in the uneventful night.
"I say we wrap it up boys. It's nearly the middle of the night." Arcee said pulling over.
"Aw, can't we rough up another Decepticon mine?" Mirage begged the femme, even though he already knew the answer.
"I'm pretty sure you two did enough today. Soundwave?" Arcee mentally rolled her optics at the youngling's stupid request.
Soundwave opened a ground bridge in front of the two. Transforming, landing next to the two vehicles.
Both the femme and youngling drove in, Soundwave followed suit, closing the bridge behind him.
"You look disappointed." Optimus commented on his red youngling's, unimpressed demeanour.
"Patrol was boring." Mirage replied, flopping himself onto the vacant couch.
Arcee walked over to her leader, grabbing some energon. "Nothing to report, Optimus. Unless you count Mirage freaking out, because bugs were hitting his windshield."
"I didn't freak out. This planet is literally just dirt, and bugs!" Mirage hissed, complaining about the new planet they lived on.
"You'll adapt eventually. But right now, you need to get yourself to your berth, time to recharge. " Optimus said walking over to his red youngling.
"Recharge, why?" Mirage challenged, clearly not wanting to go to bed.
"Mirage please don't argue, just go lay down in your berth. If you can't recharge, you can write up a report, for the Decepticon encounter you had today." Optimus firmly told the young assassin, pointing him down the hallway.
Mirage pressed his doorwings against his back. "Ffffiine..." he grumbled, trudging into his shared bedroom, while Optimus and Ratchet escorted him.
"Don't wake your brother." Optimus said as he walked by his youngling's room.
"My berth is a crib, how the hell am I supposed to fit in that?" Mirage grumpily whispered to his father.
"There's a button on the side, push it for your big, bot, berth." Ratchet retorted, walking past the younglings room, entering his own.
Arcee yawned stretching her arms. "I'm wiped. I know you're probably not tired, since you recharged a little bit this afternoon. But I'm going to go lay down." Arcee tiredly said to her mech.
"I will join you." Soundwave softly grabbed hold of Arcee's servo, gently guiding her to their bedroom.
"Really?" Arcee raised an optic ridge, following the bioluminescent mech into the bedroom.
Soundwave pulled the femme into a loving embrace. "Positive."
"You're certainly full of love, and affection, tonight." Arcee smiled, wrapping her arms around the slender waist. "You didn't get into the stasis vapour again, did you?" Arcee playfully teased her mech, with a mischievous smile.
"No." The violet mech rolled his optics, with a smirk. Sitting down on their berth, Soundwave laid himself down on his back. Allowing the femme to lay across his frame. "Is it that odd for me to show my affection for you?" Soundwave asked, resting his servos on the beautiful femme.
"I suppose not." Arcee rolled her optics teasingly. "I'm kidding, you're always sweet to me." the femme smiled kissing her mech's slender lips.
Soundwave felt his spark flutter, in response to the kiss. Kissing the femme back, he held her tight against his frame, in a loving embrace.
A couple bangs on the wall beside them, made Soundwave release the hug. Arcee rolled off the slender mech. Onto the berth, sighing with a look of incredible annoyance.
Soundwave quickly sat up, in response to the knocking. His spark beating rapidly, as he stared at the wall.
"Hey, we're trying to recharge here!" Sideswipe yelled, from the other side of the wall.
"Yeah, we don't wanna hear you two interfacing all night." Sunstreaker added to his twin's words.
"We weren't even interfacing you twits! You two better mind your own damn business, before I help you recharge, permanently!" Arcee threatened the eavesdropping twins.
"All of you shut the hell up! You don't want me getting up, right twins!?" Ratchet yelled, adding to the commotion.
"No, we're recharging, we're recharging!" The twins panicked, quickly silencing themselves.
"Primus, what a pain in the aft they are, can't even have a moment with my mech." Arcee grumbled rolling her optics. Rolling onto her side to face the glowing mech. "Anyway, forget about them. Relax Soundwave, lay back down." the femme gestured for the young mech to lay back down beside her.
Soundwave quickly denied all the warnings, and alarms going off in his helm. Turning off his defensive systems. He slowly allowed his frame to slide onto his back.
Arcee wrapped her arms around her mech, pulling him into a close embrace. "We should probably get some rest anyway." she exhaled closing her optics.
Soundwave sighed deeply, agreeing with his femme. He relaxed his frame, focusing on the femme loving embrace.
After a few moments of silence, Arcee peeked open one of her optics. Lifting her helm a few inches off the berth, seeing the violet mech's optics closed. The sound of his soft snoring, and steady raising chest, confirmed her partner was recharging. Arcee smiled, laying her helm back down. Closing her optics, snuggling closer to her mech.
Soundwave sighed sadly, as he packed what little belongings he had, into a small crate. Hearing a small whimper, the violet youngling walked over to his sitting mother.
"Shhh... hush little one, it's alright." the deep blue femme cooed, trying to lull her month old sparkling.
Soundwave pulled himself up onto a packed crate beside the femme, standing level with his mother's cradled arms. Staring at his restless baby brother, in the bioluminescent femme's arms. "Is he okay, mom?" Soundwave handed his mother a bottle that sat next to him on the crate.
"Thank you. Your brother is fine Soundwave, he's just a little fussy." The femme replied, trying to hide her annoyed tone. "Soundwave, can you please finish packing your things, we must leave." the cyan blue opticed femme, gently guided her youngling off the crate.
Soundwave hopped off the crate, sadly walking back to his packing process. Placing a few more items in his crate, he picked up his small grey light up ball. "I don't wanna move again!" Soundwave tossed the ball across the room.
Soundwave's Mother stood up with a sigh, placing Mirage down in a small crib. She picked up the ball that hit her ped. Walking over to her upset youngling, kneeling down, placing a servo on his shoulder. "Soundwave..."
Soundwave quickly shook off the caring servo. "Why do we have to move all the time? I wanna move back to Iacon!"
Closing her optics, the femme knew she couldn't tell the truth to her youngling. "I don't like moving either sweetie. But there's a war breaking out, I am only trying to protect you, and your little brother from it." The Mother tried to understand what her youngling felt.
Soundwave's multi coloured optics began to fill with tears. As he locked them onto the ball Optimus Prime had gifted him many cycles ago. "Why do we never see Optimus, I miss him!"
The mother placed the ball in her youngling's smaller servos. "I miss him to. We've moved so many times, he's lost us." the femme replied with deep sorrow. She was being hunted for her children, she would protect them at all costs. Even if that meant stopping all communication with her love life. Hearing Mirage whimpering, the femme stood back up. Placing what toys were left on the floor, in the crate, before sealing it up. "Take the crate, Soundwave, we have to leave." She said, walking over to her sparkling. Picking up the tiny red sparkling, she exhaled deeply. Regretting the fact that she lost the one mech that truly cared for her and her child. Looking into her sparkling's cyan blue optics. She also regretted that Optimus never met his son. Walking out the door, she turned around waiting for her youngling to follow.
Soundwave placed the small ball he had, in one of his storage compartments on his frame. Picking up the crate, he trudged through the door.
"Scrap!" Hearing a jet engine, with a heavy vehicle not far behind, the femme panicked. "Hurry, sparkling, this way." She quickly escorted her youngling son, into a nerby alleyway.
"Why are we hiding mom?" The youngling asked as he was gently pushed behind a scrap dumpster.
"Shh, Soundwave. Don't speak!" The femme quickly hushed the youngling. Peeking around the dumpster, narrowing her optics, she watched as the large one opticed mech transform in front of the house door. Not a second later the Seeker Commander transformed landing next to the mech.
The femme quickly boosted her audio sensors, listening in on the hunting party across the street.
Soundwave climbed up the side of the dumpster, peeking his helm over it. Locking his mixed coloured optics on the scary mechs across the street, at their abandoned house. He did the same as his mother, boosting his sensors to hear the mechs.
"She's not answering." Shockwave said, pulling out some odd device.
"Of course not you fool." Starscream rolled his optics at the scientist. "You waste your time knocking politely. We're hunting them down remember. And that requires force!" Starscream hissed, blasting down the door with a missile.
Soundwave winced, watching the scary seeker blast down their house door.
Mirage was startled by the explosion, he whimpered, beginning to cry in his mother's arms.
Focusing her optics on the scientists hand held device, the femme gasped realizing the device was an energon tracker. "No..." she quickly tried to quiet her sparkling.
Starscream came out of the house annoyed. "They're not here, just like the last time! We've searched halfway around this fragging planet, and still have come up with nothing!"
Shockwave lifted his servo, silencing the seeker. "Not this time." he gestured for the seeker to look at the beeping scanner.
Hearing a sparkling's muffled cries, Starscream's venomous smile grew, as he locked his optics on the alleyway across from the house.
"Scrap!" The femme quickly retracted her frame behind the dumpster, knocking her youngling down.
Picking himself up from the ground, Soundwave could feel his mother's panicked spark through their bond.
"Soundwave take your brother." The bioluminescent femme, placed the sparkling in her youngling's arms.
"Why mom?" Soundwave asked, as his mother quickly guided him to the end of the open alleyway.
"Go quickly, I want you to run." The mother said, looking over her shoulder to see the scientist approaching. "You're a smart little bot Soundwave. I want you to navigate your way back to Iacon." she knelt down in front of her youngling.
"But..." Soundwave looked up into his mother's cyan blue optics.
"Don't stop for anyone, except Optimus, Okay?" The panicked Mother explained as calm as possible.
"Are you not coming with?" Soundwave asked, as Mirage cried louder.
Before the femme could reply, she was shot in the back by an ion cannon. Yelping in pain, catching herself just before she could land on her young. "Go, go find Optimus! Protect your little brother!" She cried through pain. Picking herself up, she brought out her blades. Swinging herself around, she struck the mad scientist down with her blade.
Soundwave hesitantly backed away, watching his mother battle the large one opticed mech.
"Your resistance is illogical. Your youngling will be mine!" Shockwave dodged blades, as the Mother helplessly fought against him. Knocking the femme down to the ground with his canon.
Soundwave looked up, seeing a Cybertronian jet fly over them. Seeing the jet charge up it's blasters, Soundwave quickly began to run away from the fight scene. As shots were fired at him, and his brother. Seeing a large downed building up ahead. Hiding in a nerby pile of rubble from the fallen building.
"Oh good, I love to play hide from the seeker." Starscream evilly cackled, transforming next to the building rubble.
Peeking through the cracked rubble, Soundwave watched as Shockwave ripped off his bleeding Mother's arm. Using it to stab her own blade through her spark chamber. Soundwave gasped, seeing his mother fall to her knees screaming in pain.
Starscream looked over his shoulder watching as Shockwave brutally destroyed the bioluminescent femme.
"No!" Soundwave cried out as his mother's frame was sliced in half. Clenching his chest, as his spark throbbed with pain from his mother's spark being extinguished. Mirage began to wail loudly, feeling the pain as well.
Starscream grinned hearing the cries, he positioned himself in front of the hiding youngling.
Soundwave's optics widened as the shadow of the seeker cast over them. He quickly placed a servo over his brother's mouth, muffling the cries. Starscream wasted no time, trying to claw his way to the young.
Looking behind him, Soundwave saw an opening. Wasting no more time, he crawled to the hole with his crying little brother in his arm. Escaping from the rubble, Soundwave ran quickly only to be struck down by a large canon. Knocking him across the ground, Mirage tumbled out of his brother's arms stopping a small distance away from his big brother.
"Running away is what caused your mother's death. I would advise you don't struggle." The one opticed scientists codly said, as he approached the struggling youngling.
"So weak." Starscream smirked, walking over to the crying sparkling.
Soundwave gasped, jumping up to his peds. Rushing over to Mirage, blocking his little brother from the Seeker Commander.
"How adorable." Starscream chuckled venomously.
"No!" Soundwave hissed, as he was lifted up from the ground by the scientist.
"Grab his brother, we're done here Commander." Shockwave emotionlessly said as he fired up a ground bridge.
"Are you certain, it's quiet a weak excuse?" Starscream raised an optic ridge picking up the sparkling by its doorwings. "Are you sure you want a sparkling, in your projects ranks? You know how are liege feels about weaklings."
"That sparkling has no knowledge, it has no former programming. If I teach it the world of war, and killing, that will be all it knows. Making it the most feared soldier on the battlefield. Simple logic." Shockwave simply explained, while the youngling he carried kicked and swung it's arms, in attempt to battle him.
"Of course it's logical." Starscream scoffed, rolling his optics, following the mech through the bridge. "What the hell do want to do with them now?" The seeker asked, following the scientist through the creepy laboratory.
"We infuse them both with my enhanced concoction. If they survive it's effects, then my conclusion will be correct. The hunt that we've done for cycles, will be well rewarded." Shockwave said strapping Soundwave into a laboratory table.
"You killed her, you killed our mom!" Soundwave cried out in anger, struggling in his restraints.
"Silence. You're mother is gone, you belong to me now!" Shockwave hissed grabbing an infuser full of black liquid.
"Shockwave, you didn't infuse the other younglings with this concoction of yours. Why these two?" Starscream asked, as Shockwave took the crying sparkling from him.
"Because I believe these two are genetically stronger, given they come from the incredible lines of both our Lord and master, and the Prime." The scientist replied, injecting the now screaming sparkling with the toxic concoction.
"Stop, you're hurting him!" Soundwave screamed trying to get out of the berth to no avail.
Starscream held his helm with both servos. "Primus, could you get them to scream any louder!" Watching the sparkling tremble in pain as the toxic serum coursed through his tiny frame. "What the hell is that toxic venom you created anyway?"
"It's a simple mixture, made up of red energon, dark energon, and a fraction of toxen. If my theories are correct, it should have a prolonged effect on them, enhancing their Cyber Nucleic Acid." Shockwave handed the sparkling back to the seeker. Before injecting the bioluminescent youngling with the same serum.
"Primus Shockwave, even a healthy, grown, mech, such as our Lord. Could not even survive such a mixture. Especially with both Toxic and Dark energon. Those are deadly enough just on their own." Starscream cringed as Soundwave convulsed in the berth.
"So they are." The scientist cocked his helm as both the sparkling and youngling passed out.
"All those cycles of hunting them down, only to be wasted." Starscream grumbled in annoyance.
"Let us go!" Soundwave yelled trying to break free.
Mirage only cried louder, making the seeker jump. "Primus, okay so they survived your toxic serum, now what!?" Starscream panicked holding the red sparkling out in front of him.
"Throw them in the holding cells." Shockwave released the youngling from the berth. Grabbing him, he dragged Soundwave down a hallway to the brig.
Starscream chuckled, carelessly tossing the sparkling into an empty cell. Shockwave was about to do the same with the youngling, in a separate cell. But Soundwave wriggled free from the scientist's grasp, quickly running into the cell his brother was thrown in.
Soundwave quickly picked up his wailing little brother, cradling Mirage protectively in his arms.
Shockwave walked over to the cell with no emotion. "Very well then, enjoy your time together while you can." Shockwave said standing in front of the cell with the Seeker Commander.
"Shall I fetch our Lord?" Starscream smirked, at the upset youngling.
Shockwave nodded to a couple of Eradicon soldiers standing guard nerby. Signaling them to enter the cell.
"Hastily Commander. I wish to put them through more demanding physical testing, once he arrives." Shockwave replied, activating the cell energy shield. Locking the youngling and sparkling in a cell, with the menacing Eradicon soldiers.
Soundwave clutched his crying brother tightly, shutting his optics as one of the Eradicons adavanced, kicking him hard.
Soundwave gasped, snapping upright, frantically scanning the dark room around him. The whir of his cooling fans working over time, on his overheated vents echoed. With a deep sigh, he swung his stabalizer servos over the edge of the berth. Looking over his shoulder, seeing his partner peacefully recharging. Soundwave quietly exited his room, walking into the main room, where his little brother sat on the couch half way recharging.
Mirage jolted awake, punching the threat that dared to touch him.
Soundwave cocked his helm, as his little brother unintentionally punched him.
"Soundwave, I'm sorry!" Mirage gasped, shaking off his drowsiness.
"Couldn't recharge?" Soundwave questioned, sitting next to his youngling brother.
"I tried, but I couldn't, I just felt uneasy. But I tried honestly, please don't tell Optimus." Mirage pleaded to his big brother.
Soundwave looked away feeling guilty, knowing his nightmares, transferred it's negative energy, to his brother's spark. "Don't worry, I won't tell him." Soundwave reassured his little brother.
"Thanks. You trying to do base maintenance, before everyone wakes?" Mirage asked, changing the subject. "You know, you don't have to do everything right?"
"Yeah..." Soundwave sheepishly replied, looking up at the holo vid that was playing. "What are you watching?"
Mirage looked up at the holo vid, seeing a different episode of the cartoon he was watching previously watching. "I'm not sure, it was kinda funny though." Mirage shrugged innocently.
"You boys watching morning, human, cartoons?" Arcee greeted the two brothers, entering the main room with the Prime, and Medic.
"No! What's a cartoon?" Mirage quirked an optic ridge.
Arcee only rolled her optics, shaking her helm, as she walked over to the energon stock.
"You two look tired, did you get any rest Mirage?" Optimus questioned his youngling.
"Kind of." Mirage shrugged, his processor wondering in deep thought.
"Something on your mind youngling?" Optimus could see his youngling's mind wondering.
"No, not really..." Mirage replied, hopping off the couch. Hiding behind the wall by the hallway entrance.
Optimus and Soundwave both watched the youngling camouflage himself. While Bumblebee came down the hallway.
"Ah!" Bumblebee yelped as he was tackled to the ground by an invisible force. "Ow Mirage!" Bumblebee moaned flailing on the floor.
"Wanna play hide and seek?" Mirage challenged, reappearing next to the flailing scout.
Bumblebee gave a glare of annoyance, picking himself up off the floor. "No, you have invisibility, you always win..."
"Fair enough, how about a race in the canyon?" Mirage suggested, helping his little brother up.
"Okay!" Bumblebee excitedly agreed to the challenge.
"Bumblebee, energon?" Optimus raised an optic ridge at his youngest.
"Can't I have energon when I get back?" Bumblebee gave a pleading smile to his father.
"Fine, but Jazz goes with you two." Optimus smiled at his younglings.
"Aw come on, he's not even awake. You sent me on solo missions on Cybertron. I think I can handle racing against my little brother, in a hidden canyon." Mirage argued having a chaperone.
"Fine, but this time call if there's trouble." Prime waved a digit at his grumpy, independent, youngling.
"Beat you to the canon!" Mirage quickly transformed speeding out of the base.
"Hey no fair!" Bumblebee transformed, quickly following his brother.