Soundwave walked over to the monitors, logging into them, he immediately began wiping it clean from human computer viruses.
"Thank you, they've been popping up constantly!" Ratchet gave a sigh of relief.
"They're not going to pop up anymore." Soundwave replied, tapping away at the keypads. "I'm going to activate all of the bases cameras, and boost the proximity sensors, so we have complete surveillance."
"You're the Surveillance Chief. You do what you do." Ratchet joked with the emotionless mech.
"Primus, there's a lot of scrap here." Arcee was helping Optimus rummage through their ships salvaged items, behind the medic and her mech. Sorting through damaged crates of supplies. "Bumblebee will be happy, here I found another one of his toys." Arcee tossed a small soot covered ball to the Prime.
Optimus caught the ball, examining it closely. "This isn't Bumblebee's..."
"Mirage's?" Arcee raised an optic ridge, knowing the red youngling refused to play with any toys, even as a sparkling.
"No." Optimus replied cleaning the soot off the familiar ball.
"Do you recognize it?" Arcee's confusion only continued to grow, as the Prime examined the grey ball.
Optimus didn't reply, only rolling the ball towards the monitors. He smiled as it lit up with blue lit Cybertronian text.
Soundwave looked down feeling something hit his ped. Bending down he picked up the glowing little ball. "Twelve." The young mech read the ball, turning himself towards the Prime and femme.
Optimus warmly smiled, getting up from the floor. "You've kept it all this time?"
"It's the only thing I managed to keep, that day Mirage and we're recruited for Shockwave's program." Soundwave replied, examining the ball.
"How have you managed to keep it all this time?" Optimus asked, stopping in front of his nephew.
"The day Shockwave captured us, my mother was rushing me to pack up my belongings, as we were being hunted by Shockwave. She packed the rest of my stuff in a crate and sealed it, so I put this in my storage compartment." Soundwave looked up at his Uncle, his optics full of sadness.
"You were moving all the time? That's why I lost contact with you and your mother." Optimus mused over the young mech's information.
Soundwave flashed a small smile. "She wasn't happy about that. Especially with you being unknown to Mirage being sparked. But she did mention you often."
"It was to protect you from Shockwave, he hunted you before Mirage was even sparked. I understand your Mother's actions." Optimus replied sympathetically.
"The last thing she told me, just before she was killed, was to find you." Soundwave mentioned, fidgeting with the ball.
"And you fulfilled your Mother's wishes." Optimus smiled, placing a servo on the young mech's shoulder.
Soundwave exhaled, looking into the Prime's optics with a smile.
"I'm surprised Shockwave allowed you to keep such a toy. What with him, pulling you apart to install upgrades. He was bound to find it on your person?" Ratchet raised an optic ridge, folding his arms.
"You're correct, Shockwave did find it. But I was allowed to keep it, as it was educational." Soundwave simply replied to the medic.
Optimus chuckled to himself, remembering that was the excuse he used, so Soundwave's Mother would allow the sparkling to keep the gifted toy.
"Alright, alright you won again." Bumblebee transformed, as the racing red Ferrari did donuts around him. The scout lowered his doorwings, as the Ferrari screeched to a halt, spraying him with dirt and rocks. "You done?"
"Alright I'm done now. But come on you cannot have a victory without a celebration." Mirage's thick Italian accent jeered at the scout.
Bumblebee only rolled his optics at his older brother, brushing the dust off his yellow frame.
"Okay, I'll stop boasting. What would you like to do, brother?" Mirage sighed calming himself down.
"Can we do some training?" Bumblebee eagerly asked the assassin.
"Primus help me..." Mirage facepalmed with a groan. "You seriously want me to continue to aid you in your training, after all I've put you through?"
"Yes, I will do better I promise." Bumblebee replied with enthusiasm.
"Look, there was a reason your Mother forbid it. Maybe we should continue to acknowledge her wishes." Mirage replied with a sigh.
"We don't have to today, I am a bit tired from all the racing. Plus in the end my Mother understood the reasons for my training. She would want me to be prepared for the war." Bumblebee mentioned to his big brother.
"Fine, we start tomorrow, only on the basics. If I am not busy." Mirage replied, reluctantly agreeing to offer basic training.
"Thank you!" Bumblebee hugged his incredible brother. Before drifting into deep thought.
"What's the matter with you?" Mirage questioned.
"Nothing, I just realized it's been almost a whole cycle since my mom's been gone." Bumblebee sadly mentioned.
Mirage really didn't know what to say. He was surprised so much time had passed by. Spending months being a hostage in Decepticon hands, then the couple months that passed by with Soundwave joining with the Autobots. It had almost completely been a whole year, since Elita was tragically murdered by his servos.
Drooping his doorwings, Mirage apologized to his little brother. "I'm so sorry Bumblebee..."
"It wasn't your fault Mirage, Megatrong tricked you. Megatron was still going to offline mom, even if you did nothing." Bumblebee reminded his guilty older brother.
"Sure Bee." Mirage sighed looking away from the scout.
"Do you ever miss your mother?" Bumblebee asked, catching the red youngling off guard.
"What?" Mirage waited for the yellow scout to repeat himself.
"Do you ever miss your mother?" Bumblebee repeated his question.
"I guess so, I don't know." Mirage shrugged, unsure of how to answer the scout question.
Bumblebee quirked an optic ridge at his brother. "You don't know? Who was your mom anyway?"
Mirage pressed his doorwings tightly against his back. "I don't know..."
"How do you not know, don't you remember her?" Bumblebee asked curiously, concern lingering in his tone.
"No I don't really, as a sparkling I think I was just beginning to create memories, the day Soundwave and I were captured. I remember her voice print, but nothing else." Mirage shrugged to his curious brother. Walking back down the canyon.
The Scout followed his older brother through the canyon they had raced through. "Optimus said he knew her quite well, and Soundwave probably has a few captured moments of her, he could show you." Bumblebee suggested, playfully punching the red assassin.
"Hmm, I never thought to ask about her. She's never really crossed my mind before." Mirage rubbed the arm his little brother punched. "Anyway we should get back to base before Ratchet sends out a search party." Mirage said, transforming.
"Don't you think the younglings have been out for quite some time now?" Ratchet thought aloud, turning away from the monitors.
"Dude, they're younglings, the most trouble they're going to get up to, is racing around to see who's the fastest." Sideswipe scoffed to the concerned medic.
Before Ratchet could snap at the silver twin, the monitors began to pulse a green light, with an alarm.
"The hell is that, we getting attacked?" Ironhide asked totting his canons.
"Proximity sensors are boosted, and fully operational. Mirage, and Bumblebee are entering the base." Soundwave replied, tapping away at the keypad in front of him.
"Is it going to go off every time one of us returns?" Ironhide asked lowering his canons.
"No, I'm programming our life signatures into it, so it doesn't alarm everytime we approach." Soundwave replied, as the younglings entered the main room.
"Before you ask, we only raced in the canyon, out of sight. We had no contact with humans, or any Decepticons." Mirage grumbled, walking past the old medic.
"Well thanks for the report." Ratchet scoffed at the moody red youngling, turning his attention to the joyful youngling. "Did you have fun?"
"Yes I did Ratchet, even though I didn't win one race." Bumblebee replied, shrugging with a smile.
"That's alright, you can't win at everything." Ratchet patted the young scouts shoulder.
"Not unless your a mutant super soldier." Sunstreaker joked, elbowing his twin trying to get him laugh.
"Shut up Sunny..." Sideswipe just grinned sheepishly, gesturing his helm to Mirage and Soundwave who both glared at them.
"I won against Jazz the other day though." Bumblebee boasted, making Jazz smile.
"I've never been known for my speed, I like the chill side of things." Jazz chuckled at the yellow scout.
"So what are you up to?" Mirage asked, sitting himself on a large crate next to his brother.
"I'm just doing calibrations on the security systems for the base." Soundwave replied, continuing to stare up at the monitors.
"So boring stuff..." Mirage rolled his optics.
"Sure Mirage." Soundwave sighed, trying to focus on the calibrations. "You know, I could show you how to do it, so Ratchet and I don't have to do it all the time."
"That sounds incredibly intriguing, but I already know how to." Mirage sarcastically replied, hopping off the crate. "What's this?" The red youngling asked, swiping the small grey ball that rested on the ledge of the monitor keypad.
"It's mine." Soundwave finally turned his helm to his curious little brother.
Mirage chuckled juggling the ball in his servos. "Since when do you collect toys?" the spy smiled as the ball lit up with Cybertronian text, as he tossed it in the air.
"I don't. I've had that since I was a sparkling." Soundwave replied, catching the ball before his brother could.
"Hey!" Mirage pouted as the ball was confiscated from him. "Well what's it do?" the young assassin was still curious to the glowing text.
"It just tells you how many times it's rolled, or been tossed." The Communications Chief sighed, showing the ball with text on it.
"That's pretty neat." Mirage tilted his helm thoughtfully.
"What's that, what does it say?" Bumblebee asked, walking over to the hybrid brothers.
"It's a ball with numbers on it." Soundwave replied, holding his toy out of both of the younglings reach.
"We're all playing nicely right boys?" Arcee said, quirking an optic ridge at the defensive young mech.
"Yes..." Soundwave sighed, lowering his arms to the younglings view level.
"I was joking Soundwave. Boys look but don't touch." Arcee placed her servos on her hips, warning the younglings not to touch, the violet mech's precious toy.
"Where's it from?" Bumblebee asked, obeying his Aunty he took a step back.
"Um Cybertron. Optimus gave it to me when I was a sparkling." The bioluminescent replied to the scout's question.
"Optimus gave it to you?" Mirage was shocked by what his brother said.
"Yes I did, but that was before you were even sparked. And before I was Optimus Prime." Optimus answered, approaching the small group.
"Optimus, you knew Soundwave and Mirage's mom, right?" Bumblebee queried turning his attention to his father.
Optimus tried to keep a happy tone, as he answered his youngling scout. "Yes I did, I visted them regularly. Until I lost contact with them, just as the war broke out."
"Mirage said he doesn't remember anything about his mother, except for her voice print." Bumblebee mentioned, making Mirage droop his doorwings.
"That's completely understandable. He was a fairly newly sparked sparkling." Optimus replied understandably.
"Can't you show him a capture of her?" Bumblebee asked looking up at his father.
"No, I don't have one Bumblebee. Sorry Mirage I apologize." Optimus apologized to the young assassin.
"This isn't necessary." Mirage mumbled, uncomfortable with the topic, he quickly retreated down the hallway.
"Is he going to be okay?" Bumblebee asked, turning to his Father.
"Yes of course youngling. Do not worry Mirage will come around." Optimus reassured his youngest son.
"Not that he wants me to, but I'm going to anyway. I'm going to go speak to him." Arcee thought aloud quickly leaving the main room.
"It's quite a beautiful view isn't it?" Arcee mentioned, stopping beside the red youngling.
"Compared to the war torn horizon of Cybertron. I suppose." The young assassin shrugged, continuing to look straight ahead at the Nevada desert.
"So what's eating you today? You can't tell me you're not used to Bumblebee's twenty questions, by now?" Arcee casually changed the subject.
"Although highly annoying. It does not bother me." Mirage snorted, rolling his optics.
"If not that, then what?" The femme continued to question the youngling.
The youngling drooped his doorwings, as he prepared to explain. "It's almost the anniversary of her death. It should be me that's rusting. You, Bumblebee, and Optimus both forgive me. Your sister hates me, I don't really blame her. Yet all I feel is guilt, as all I can do is apologize." Mirage exhaled, closing his optics.
"Mirage, I know you feel incredible guilt, no matter how much we tell you it's not your fault. But you have to realize the good you did, you saved countless lives that day. You also gave Bumblebee a voice, a part of his mother is always with him. Elita made sacrifice, you showed her mercy by ending her quickly. Megatron would not have done that." Arcee placed a caring servo on youngling's back. "I'm not asking to get over it. I'm asking you to look at the good."
Mirage sighed, sitting himself down on the edge of the cliff. "I miss her. We didn't get off to a good start, but once we understood each other, she tried her best to help me through my life. I just wish we had more time together."
The cobalt blue femme smiled, sitting next to the youngling. "She sure gave you a hard time, but once you became her youngling. If any dared to comment about you in an ill manner, she was a force to be reckoned with."
"Do you think my real mom would hate me?" Mirage asked, tossing a pebble off the cliff.
"Why would she hate you?" Arcee quirked an optic ridge.
"Because I remember nothing about her. Not even what she looked like." The youngling sadly confessed to the femme.
"I don't know her, but I highly doubt she'd hate you just because you don't remember her. You were a barely functional sparkling, it's understandable." Arcee replied, wrapping an arm around the youngling's shoulders. "Don't feel embarrassed because you don't know. Mirage ask your brother about her. Soundwave can probably describe her better then anyone else in this base." Arcee playfully pulled the youngling into her side.
"I guess I thought he'd be upset if I asked him, cause he remembers watching her perish." Mirage exhaled resting his helm on the femme.
"Soundwave doesn't bite you know. Plus as much as it's a touchy subject, talking about it, might bring both of you some closure." Arcee replied resting her helm on the youngling's.
"I guess. And hey Soundwave has a face again, how do you know he doesn't bite?" the youngling challenged, pulling out of the femme's grasp.
"Funny stuff kiddo." The femme rolled her optics, getting back up to her peds. "Talk with your brother, communicate. You two need to sharpen your communication skills." Arcee mentioned in a teasing manner.
"You know it's ironic, Soundwave's a Communications Chief. But he hates communicating." Mirage chuckled following the femme into the lift.
Arcee chuckled, shaking her helm with an optic roll.
"So what did she look like?" Bumblebee continued to press on about the hybrid brothers creator.
"If my memory serves. She closely resembles Soundwave's look." Optimus replied, gesturing to bioluminescent.
"Femme bot Soundwave, that would be interesting." The twins thought aloud.
"Uh I don't know what you two are fantasizing. But Soundwave's with Arcee." Mirage teased, as he and Arcee passed by the twins.
"What the frag?!" Sideswipe cringed.
Sunstreaker cringed with a scoffed "He doesn't go with my colour scheme."
Soundwave just rolled his optics, shaking his helm, continuing his work on the monitors.
"Sorry to disappoint twins." Arcee smirked, hugging her mech.
"Trust me, we know he's yours." Sideswipe replied to the femme.
"Yeah it was bad enough hearing you two last night." Sunstreaker teased, making his twin snicker.
"Oh for the love of Primus. We literally did nothing, you eavesdropping freaks!" Arcee hissed almost pulling Soundwave away from the monitors.
Soundwave quickly raised his servos, as the femme unintentionally pulled his frame off course. He did not want to hit any wrong buttons. "Hey, Arcee... I'm doing sensitive work..."
"You two are sickos you know that." Arcee continued to hiss at the approaching snickering twins.
"Please, Arcee..." Soundwave gently patted the femme's clasped servos around his waste.
"Oh, I'm sorry Soundwave. I didn't realize I was moving you." Arcee quickly released her hold on her mech.
"Geez Arcee, don't be pushing bots around now." Sideswipe sarcastically teased the femme, while following his twin.
"Please Soundwave's lighter than a newborn sparkling." Sunstreaker scoffed, walking by the monitors.
"That's not even accurately correct." Soundwave calmly replied to the golden twin's remark.
"If Megatron's glare could knock you out of commission. A gust of wind could knock you down." Sunstreaker snorted, walking towards the base exit with his twin. "Ow!" Sunstreaker yelped bouncing his helm off the floor. As he was hung upside down, in the air, by his ped. "Hey freak show, could you release me from your creepy ass appendage!"
"Watch it Sunshine. The only freak show here, is you freaking out!" Mirage hissed, warning the incredibly rude twin.
Soundwave slightly tightened his grip on the golden mech's ped. Refraining from wrapping the golden twin entirely with his tentacle, and crushing him with it. Glaring angrily at the twin instead.
"So does this mean free shots at Sunny?" Mirage grinned aiming his dart rifle at the golden twin.
"Shut up brat, you're the side show!" Sunstreaker hissed, struggling in the bioluminescent mech's grip.
"Soundwave, put him down. Mirage stop it!" Optimus sternly said lowering the young assassin's weapon.
Soundwave obeyed the Prime, releasing the rude, cocky, twin. Allowing the golden mech to drop to the ground, landing on his helm.
"Ow, you over grown walking monitor!" Sunstreaker hissed getting up from the ground, ready to beat the scrap out of Soundwave.
"Now, now Sunshine!" Ironhide quickly grabbed hold of the angry twin, seconds before he could hit the young mech.
Soundwave stood still, unphased by the flailing, angry mech, inches away from him. *Make my day...*
Hearing Soundwave's open threat, through their spark bond, Optimus pulled the young mech away from the restrained golden mech. "Sunstreaker your comments were uncalled for. Go do your patrol rounds!" Optimus quickly signaled the weapon specialist to guide the angered twin to the exit.
"Go on then out'cha go!" Ironhide shoved both twins down the exit tunnel. "You know what I will join you two!" Ironhide transformed, threateningly driving towards the reluctant twins.
"Alright alright!" Both twins quickly transformed peeling out of the base with Ironhide.
"Soundwave..."
"My actions were immature, and uncalled for. I do apologize Optimus." Soundwave said before his Uncle could scold him.
"I'm glad you realize..." Optimus tried to reply before the young mech interrupted him again.
"But I cannot promise it won't happen again. I'm no longer a tredmat for everyone to walk all over. I will stand up for myself if necessary." Soundwave stated, surprising many of the bots around him. "I will try to refrain from taking physical actions. But I've always said my actions speak louder then words." he turned himself back to the monitors.
Hearing the bioluminescent mech's open threat, Ratchet glared at the Prime, feeling like he just heard the Decepticon come out of Soundwave.
"Soundwave I know you're upset at Sunstreaker, he was being unreasonable." Optimus sighed before his red youngling chimed in his thoughts.
"Sunstreaker has his good moments. But given his quick arrogant temper is his main source of thinking, he ends up sounding like Air Raid at times. He and I have clashed enough times to prove it." Mirage stated his opinion on the golden twin. "I've also put him in his place in the past. With a his past opinions on Soundwave as a Decepticon, still fuelling in his stupid processor. Soundwave can merely put Sunstreaker in his place, and humble his aft."
"Instigating fights, and inflicting violence among teammates is not to be tolerated. Do you understand?" Optimus sternly told to the passive aggressive young mech and his younger brother.
"No." Mirage snorted folding his arms.
"Mirage, quit being difficult!" Ratchet hissed at the argumentative youngling.
"No, instead of punishing us for not taking scrap from other bots. How about you punish the ones that go out of their way to inflict it harm!" Mirage challenged the old medic.
"I have to agree with Mirage. So we're just supposed to let Sunstreaker terrorize Soundwave with our servos tied behind our backs?" Arcee argued what the Prime said.
"No, Mirage you know your retaliation against those who have mocked you, has always backfired on you, and caused significant, if not, dire injuries to those who dare to mock you." Optimus spoke with frustration building in his tone.
"Woah, wait a fragging second!" Mirage retorted, waving his servos.
Soundwave narrowed his optics, remaining silent as the argument pressed on. He was surprised at how judgmental the Prime, and medic, were being towards him and his brother.
Ratchet quickly cut off the angry youngling. "Mirage you know damn well, you and your brother, with your..."
"I can't believe this. You two are judging us, because of what Soundwave, and I are!" Mirage hissed, waving a digit at both the CMO and the Prime.
"This is insane, can you not see the double standards here?!" Soundwave finally spoke up.
Optimus shut his optics exhaling deeply. "We are not trying to be unfair to you two. We are just cautioning you to not go overboard with protecting yourselves against arrogance. You have a tendency to not know your own strengths."
"I'm going to assume that wasn't supposed to be offensive. But whatever, I get it, don't you think my past mistakes haunt me? I don't want to repeat them, I'm more cautious now." Mirage relaxed his stance, folding his arms once more.
"I'm also not one to always physically cause harm. I prefer to take those who mock me, down with my wit." Soundwave added to his little brother's words.
"Primus, okay we're sorry boys." Ratchet sighed, realizing the two brothers were right to a point.
"We did not mean to come off as offensive. But we're glad you understand our concern." Optimus placed a servo on his eldest youngling's shoulder. "I will be talking to Sunstreaker when he returns. Just remember to not escalate, keep your argument to a minimum. And remember what's normal to you, is stronger then the one that caused the grief." Optimus reminded the two confident hybrid brothers.
"Sure Optimus..." Mirage sighed exiting the base.
"Let's go to another planet they said, make sure your team is made up of mostly young guns they said. It'll be fun!" Ratchet grumbled to himself, going over to the monitors. "I can take it from here Soundwave. Take a break." the medic gestured for the young mech to leave the monitors.
Soundwave surprisingly didn't argue, stepping away from the work area. "Arcee..."
"Arcee, Jazz, I would like you to patrol the human populated area. Make sure the Decepticons are staying clear of that area." Optimus Prime asked, overpowering Soundwave's attempt at speaking.
"Yes Optimus, of course." Both the femme and grey mech responded happily.
"I chose you both, as I expect you two to be the last to transform, or alarm any humans of your presence." The Prime told two preparing to depart.
"Understood Optimus, you can count on us." Jazz replied giving a thumbs up.
Arcee softened her optics, seeing her mech's saddened optics. "Hey, I'll be back soon, alright?" She grasped Soundwave's servos, with a smile.
Soundwave looked into the femme's kind optics, flashing her a quick smile.
Arcee gave a gentle squeeze before releasing the slender servos. Transforming with the Porsche, leaving the base with the cool mech.
"Soundwave?"
Soundwave tilted his helm, seeing the yellow scout that tugged at his arm. "Yes?"
"Can I show you something?" Bumblebee asked, tugging the mech towards the hallway.
Soundwave's optics darted around uncomfortably, looking for an escape. Feeling a small nudge from behind, he leapt forward past the youngling.
Optimus smiled at the young mech that glared at him for an answer. "Go on, I think you'll like what he has to show you." The Prime gave the bioluminescent mech another small nudge forward.
Soundwave defeatedly allowed the scout to guide him down the hallway, down a large corridor, and into a large empty room. Standing at the entrance of the room, Soundwave scanned the room.
"So what do you think?" Bumblebee smiled looking up at the slender mech.
"Well, it's an empty room. It's all enclosed well, the walls are of high quality, and quite resistant to damage." Soundwave walked the perimeter of the room.
Bumblebee happily followed the violet mech. "Does that mean it would be a good training sim?"
Soundwave did one more once over scan of the room. "Yes I believe so. But we lack the needs to build a functional training simulator." Soundwave held his chin in his servo, as he pondered. "Unless, we take the technology from our crashed ship, using it to remake it into a worthy simulator."
"Let's do it!" Bumblebee's bubbly enthusiasm made Soundwave visibly jump.
"Perhaps we should ask the rest of the team first. There may be better uses for the remaining ship components." Soundwave said to the yellow youngling.
Bumblebee blinked, before spinning around running out of the room, calling his father's name. "Optimus!"
"No, Bee, I meant later..." Soundwave facepalmed, as the youngling disappeared out of sight. Sighing Soundwave released Lazerbeak, allowing his surveillance drone to fly freely around the large room. "Are you getting slower, or do my optics deceive me?" He teased his beloved pet, watching him fly around.
Lazerbeak chirped playfully diving at his master, before kicking into a higher gear of speed.
Soundwave chuckled ducking as his drone flew faster.
Just as Lazerbeak rounded another corner, on the straight he flew even faster. Inches away from the entrance.
Optimus happily followed his youngling son into the large room. Upon entering, he was beamed hard, in the helm, by the surveillance drone that tumbled to the floor after the impact.
Soundwave gasped, wincing, as he watched his pet colide with the Prime.
"Ow!" Optimus hissed rubbing the side of his helm that was struck.
"I'm so sorry Optimus!" Soundwave briskly jogged over. Lazerbeak chirped, flopping on the ground, in a daze. Soundwave promptly picked up his drone, tossing him back into his torso.
"That was hilarious!" Bumblebee laughed, as his father shook off the pain.
If there was a moment Soundwave envied his little brother's invisibility ability, it was now. "Sir are you alright?"
"Yes I am. It was an accident, no need to apologize." Optimus replied with a small chuckle. "I was hoping you would agree that this area would make a great training facility." the Prime stated, gesturing to the empty room.
Soundwave cleared his throat, facing the open space. "I believe if we use the rest of our destroyed ship. We can make a durable training simulator. But I do not want to proceed, until I get confirmation that the remainder of the ship can be used for spare parts."
"I believe Arcee and the twins salvaged the components Ratchet was most interested in. I give you permission to go ahead on the project." Optimus shrugged, giving a small smile to his nephew.
"Thank you sir. I will go collect the components." Soundwave nodded in acknowledgment, materializing his visor. He quickly created a ground bridge.
A speeding Ferrari suddenly emerged from the bridge. Mirage screeched to a halt just inches away from the masked mech. Transforming angrily pointing a digit at the bridge bringer. As the bridge shut behind the red youngling. "What the frag Wave!?"
"I need you to help me." Soundwave casually replied, stepping aside to create a new bridge. "Come on." He brushed past his angry brother, walking towards the bridge.
"Can I come with?" Bumblebee eagerly asked the exiting mech.
Soundwave stopped in his tracks with a deep sigh. "Maybe next time." Quickly making his way through the bridge, with Mirage angrily in tow.
Bumblebee drooped his doorwings, as the bridge disappeared.
"Come on Bumblebee, you can help me." Optimus said, guiding his youngest back into the main room.
"Why couldn't I go with them?" Bumblebee asked, stopping in front of the three organized junk piles.
"There's a possibility there might be hostiles lurking around the ship. Mirage and Soundwave do not want to put you in harms ways." Optimus simply explained. "You can help me sort through these piles."
"But I can handle it." Bumblebee argued, kneeling down in front of the piles of scrap.
"Honestly Bee it's safer for you to stay here, if they became under attack." Ratchet scoffed, overhearing the confersation.
"AKA, you'll get in their way, and distract them from dealing with the Decepticons swiftly." Bumblebee sadly sighed, drooping his doorwings.
"Bumblebee it's not like that. Arcee would get in their way, hell even Ironhide would, and he's a highly capable warrior." Ratchet tried to reassure the young scout.
"I wish I could fight like them, so I could be more useful." Picking up a burnt up data pad, Bumblebee shook off the soot, seeing if it was functional.
"Don't beat yourself up little one. You're still young, you've just begun to learn." Optimus warmly smiled at his son.
Soundwave snorted with a chuckle. "So you beat up Sunny huh?" Tearing off a badly contorted panel off the ship.
Mirage rolled his optics, helping his brother tear off panels. "Yeah, on multiple occasions. But the most memorable fight was a few cycles ago, when I found out you were still alive. Sunstreaker kept saying you weren't worth looking for, that you were nothing more than a vicious killer, and a snitch."
Placing the bent panel on the ground, with a sigh, Soundwave stared at the exposed circuitry in front of him. "Well I was, a feared killer, being the eyes and ears of the Decepticons. I absolutely was a snitch, I won't deny that."
Mirage lowered his doorwings, softening his gaze. He knew his older brother was right.
"The only thing you knew about me, was the youngling you grew up with. I had changed, but when I got that first call from you cycles ago. I wanted to abandon the Decepticons right then and there, and find you." Soundwave turned his helm to face his little brother.
"Why didn't you?" Mirage was curious.
"I was afraid to I suppose." Soundwave shrugged, turning back to the ship.
Mirage nodded in understanding. Cybertron was still fairly fresh into the war at that time, Megatron was trying to take control over Cybertron completely. Loosing Soundwave to the Autobots then would have given him a greater excuse to seek and destroy the more heavily guarded Autobot bases.
Prying off another panel with his sword, Mirage stood back, a tingling sensation jolting through his frame, as the panel fell to the ground creating a small dust cloud.
Soundwave looked at his brother from the corner of his optic. "You alright?" The bioluminescent mech mentioned, while gathering the pried panels into a pile.
"Huh, no, what?" Mirage quickly refocused on their task, ignoring the odd sensation coursing through his frame.
Soundwave cocked his helm curiously at his little brother.
"What?" Mirage raised an optic ridge, placing his servos on his hips. "What are you looking at?"
The Communications Chief narrowed his optics, from behind his mask. Wondering if the desert heatwaves were making his brother look smaller. "Nothing, let's just grab these panels. Whatever mechanics are salvageable, are already back at base." Soundwave shrugged picking up half the pile of panels.
"Sure, what ever you say, Chief." Mirage playfully saluting.
Rolling his Optics, Soundwave opened a bridge up, Mirage following him through with the rest of the panels.
Optimus, Ratchet, and Bumblebee all visibly jumped. Hearing the crash of metal hitting the floor, down the hallway.
"What the hell was that?!" Ratchet grumpily hissed, looking up from the relic he was dissecting.
"I would assume Mirage and Soundwave have returned." Optimus said, pushing himself up onto his peds.
"I hope you know, your bright idea, to mix our technology, with the humans. Means we're not going to be able to use it?" Mirage grumbled following his older brother into the main room.
"Perhaps you should treat a training simulator, as a training sim, and not an actual enemy on the battle grounds..." Soundwave retorted, going over to the salvage piles.
"If I can't increases my skill by giving it my all in a training simulator, how am I supposed to better my skills in the field?" Mirage replied with a grin.
"Mirage, you make my head hurt." Soundwave shook his helm.
"No trouble out there?" Optimus asked the arguing hybrid brothers.
"No trouble, just dust." Mirage replied wiping the dirt off himself, onto Bumblebee.
"Hey!" Bumblebee giggled waving the dust cloud away.
Hours went by, into the late hours of the night. Working on one of the collected panels, that lay on the floor. Hearing the footfalls of peds walking towards him, Soundwave looked up from the target he was creating. Seeing the golden twin enter the large room he was working in.
The twin held his servos up in surrender. "Before you get all high alert on me. I'm here to apologize." Sunstreaker said approaching the working mech. Stopping in front of the focused mech Sunstreaker sighed apologetically. "Look Soundwave, what happened earlier was my fault. I need to hold my tongue more often, and stop being close minded about you."
Soundwave stood up, standing across from the golden twin. "Given the bad reputation I had before I joined the Autobots. I do not blame you for being skeptical of me, what horror stories you heard about me were all true."
Sunstreaker gulped nervously, as the masked, bioluminescent, mech walked around the panel.
"I'm an accomplished killer, a reputable spy. I've assassinated mechs that supposedly went missing in action by Autobot standards. I've even assassinated high council members. I'm all that you think I am and more." Soundwave finally stopped inches away from the golden twin. "I'm a feared by both Autobots and Decepticons. But I choose to put my reputable skills, wether they're bad or good. I choose to dedicate them to Optimus Prime's use. I serve him now, the Autobots is where my loyalty lies. Wether you believe they do or not. I'm not proud of my past, but I want to make things right."
"Uuuuh, thanks for the information. I totally believe you're dedicated to the Autobots." Sunstreaker nervously smiled, staring back into his reflection.
"You understand what my brother is saying, right?" Mirage's voice came out of no where, suddenly landing beside the two.
"Primus!" Sunstreaker jumped in surprise, while Soundwave calmly turned his helm towards his suddenly appearing brother. "Where the frag were you?!"
"Answer the question first..." Mirage gave the twin an emotionless glare.
"I understand what he's saying. I will do my utmost to be a little less judgmental, and rude towards you both. If I continue to be an ass, I deserve whatever comes to me..." Sunstreaker sighed, rolling his optics defeatedly.
Mirage relaxed his stance. "I was up in the rafters." The red youngling pointed up towards the ceiling.
"Huh... alrighty then short stuff." Sunstreaker narrowed his optics, noting the youngling looked unnoticeably smaller. "What the hell are you two doing in here?" The twin quickly changed the subject, before the youngling could get angry.
"We're building a training simulator, and sparring grounds." Soundwave simply replied, going back to his work.
"Awesome, finally something to do!" Sunstreaker excitedly cheered.
"It'll be a while, before it's fully operational. I've got to attempt to make it Mirage proof." Soundwave mentioned, picking up another panel.
"That's alright, the cons won't disappoint. We can still beat on them, for the time being." The golden warrior shrugged, with a smirk.
"Yeah if you're lucky, when this is all finished, maybe Soundwave will verse you one time." Mirage grinned mischievously at the twin.
"Hmm, yeah I'll stick to beating on my brother. Speaking of which, I got to go find him." Sunstreaker quickly made his way out of the construction room.
"So is your hidden talent, being creepy, and terrifying?" Mirage joked, helping the young mech move a large panel across the room.
Soundwave snorted, a small smile creeping behind his mask. "Ha, no. I just give them what they want."
Mirage gave his brother a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"
"Everyone has a far fetched imagination of what you are in their processors. I'm seen as a murderous monster, and so are you. We throw a little of that their way, then draw it back, by proving our control and loyalty. Putting our so called, evil powers towards good." Soundwave simply explained, placing the panel down onto the ground.
Mirage shrugged, placing his half of the panel on the floor. Yawning he blinked his optics tiredly, feeling that odd sensation go through his frame again.
"It's late, why don't you get some recharge little red." Soundwave removed his visor, giving a warm smile to his tired little brother.
"Yeah, he's not the only one that needs it." A familiar femme's voice echoed in the room.
"Sounds overrated to me." Soundwave joked, hoping to get a rise out of the femme.
"Very funny, you taking over as the Autobot jokester are you now?" Arcee snorted wrapping her arms around her mech's slender waist, softly kissing her partner.
"Bleh, gross, I'm out." Mirage cringed at the passionate couple.
Arcee chuckled, rolling her optics. "Oh Mirage, you'll understand the feeling one day."
"No thanks, I'm perfectly fine without an attachment!" Mirage called over his shoulder, as he made a hasty escape.
Later after every bot retreated to their own quarters, to rest. Mirage recharged restlessly, causing enough of a commotion to wake his fellow youngling across the room.
"Ugh, Mirage, can't you settle down?" Bumblebee groaned, tiredly sitting up in his berth. Sighing he grabbed one of his toys, tossing it at the restless sleeper.
Mirage shot up in defensive mode, after getting hit with a toy.
Bee stood next to his brother's berth in shock. "Holy scrap, Mirage you're getting smaller again!" Bumblebee announced, to his brother's horror.
"What!?" Mirage leapt out of his berth, feeling slightly foggy in his processor. Looking down at his own frame, then looking back up to compare his size to Bumblebee's. "Oh hell no, not again!" the red youngling quickly stumbled out of his room, bouncing off a couple of walls, storming into the CMO's room.
Ratchet gasped, his optics going online as he felt a small frame leap on top of him. Lifting his helm, looking down his frame to see who sat on top of him. "Mirage?"
"You said this wouldn't happen again!" Mirage glared grumpily at the medic. Standing up on his peds, showing how small he had gotten, to the medic. "Can you fix this please!?" Mirage pleaded to the old medic.
"Mirage, you're reverting again?!" Ratchet held the youngling as he got out of his berth.
"Yeah, I got that!" the youngling hissed as the medic carried him to the med bay.
"What's going on?" Soundwave asked, following the medic down the hallway, with Bumblebee in tow.
"Mirage is reverting back into a sparkling, again!" Bumblebee answered for the medic.
"What, how?" Soundwave asked, clearly as confused as everyone else.
"I'm not certain. It shouldn't be happening at all, I don't believe it's the relic." Ratchet replied, placing the red youngling on one of the medical berths.
"Then what's causing it Ratch?" Bumblebee asked curiously.
"I'm guessing it's something to do with Mirage. something is happening, Shockwave must have planted something in you." Ratchet explained, scanning the grumpy youngling.
"Please do something to stop it!" Mirage pleaded, his optics filling up with tears.
"Soundwave, you were there, what did Shockwave do?" Ratchet quickly put Mirage into stasis, to calm his panick.
"I arrived a little while after Shockwave captured him. I have no idea if Shockwave operated on him prior to the relic being involved." Soundwave replied helplessly to the CMO.
"Well whatever is happening, it seems to be aggressively activating faster. It's barely been a day since Mirage reverted back to his actual age." Ratchet began frantically scanning the red youngling.
"Last time, he wasn't his accurate age. It took a few months for him to revert back into a sparkling then. Perhaps the closer he is to his actually age, the faster the revert process is." Soundwave thought aloud, stepping out of the medics work space.
"Since Mirage was his original age this time, he's being reverted back to a sparkling, almost immediately." Bumblebee added to Soundwave's theory.
Ratchet sighed turning to the bioluminescent mech. "I can't believe I'm saying this. But your insane theory may be correct. And if it is, I need to know what your mission objectives were when Shockwave decided to revert him."
The young mech looked uncomfortable with the request, but willingly gave the needed information. "My... The objective, was to revert Mirage into a sparkling, so the Decepticons could complete the raising of their second super soldier. Shockwave explained that Mirage was corrupted by the Autobots, therefore he fought against us willingly. But his theory was, if Mirage could get a restart, being raised under the Decepticon influence, his loyalty would willingly fall to them. Therefore they tasked me with raising my little brother." Soundwave explained the best he could.
"That was a stupid move, by the cons. Didn't you originally release Mirage when you were in the program?" Ironhide scoffed approaching the three bots.
"Well I suppose it was..." Soundwave sheepishly replied.
"It's a fail safe!" Ratchet gasped, making everyone around jump.
"What do you mean Ratch?" Bumblebee asked curiously.
"Knowing Shockwave, he wanted a failsafe incase history repeated itself, which it did. He somehow knew Soundwave was likely to release Mirage from capture. Getting him back to us Autobots, meant we would try our best to return Mirage to his former youngling self. If that was accomplished, Shockwave's failsafe device would revert him back to a sparkling, for easier capture." Ratchet exclaimed, doing a more intense scan on the red youngling's helm.
"That makes no sense. Mirage encountered Shockwave before we left for Earth, he wanted him eradicated." Soundwave shook his helm in confusion.
"Yes but clearly Shockwave did not know his failsafe required accuracy, as you explained moments ago." Ratchet waved a digit, as he went to retrieve the relic.
Soundwave's expression lit up, finally fully understanding the medic's explanation. "Is the relic going to work permanently this time?"
"I have to go through Mirage's processor first, and flush out the bug that's been causing all this havoc." Ratchet replied, waiting for his scan results to load.
"But Mirage is reverting quickly." Bumblebee pointed out in a panic.
"I can see that!" Ratchet hissed in frustration.
"Hey shouldn't you be recharging?" Ironhide raised an optic ridge at the yellow youngling.
"Uuummm..." Bee grinned sheepishly at the weapon specialist.
"Come on lad. Let's get you to bed, you can see what happens tomorrow." Ironhide began escorting the scout down the hallway.
Soundwave squinted his optics with worry, seeing his brother was nearly a sparkling. "Bumblebee's right Ratchet, we should use the relic now. It will at least pause the revert."
The CMO sighed defeatedly, handing Soundwave the relic. "Fine, do it. I need to focus here for a moment, so I can pinpoint the problem."
Soundwave eagerly took the relic, using it on the youngling lying on the medical berth. It did not transform his brother back to his original age, but merely paused the sparkling processes.
"Ah ha, found it!" Ratchet cheered quickly grabing a scalpel.
Soundwave cringed turning away as the medic sliced his little brother's helm open.
"What's happening?!" Optimus and Arcee both jogged over to the med bay, with Ironhide in tow.
"I decided to wake Prime, Arcee just got up and followed." Ironhide announced upon arrival.
Soundwave sighed. "Mirage was being reverted back into a sparkling again... Primus I'm getting tired of saying that..." the violet mech began to explain to the three. "But Ratchet has found the source of the revert, and is currently voiding it from Mirage's processor.
"He's so small again, why did this happen so quickly?" Arcee asked looking at the tiny youngling get operated on.
Taking a deep breath, Soundwave explained the reasoning behind his little brother's reverting process. While the old medic removed Shockwave's virus chip. Optimus and Arcee nodded in understanding, as they all patiently waited for the old medic to finish his work.
"Alright I've removed the virus chip. Now let's hope this works this time." Ratchet took the relic handed to him.
"What, no, not now!" Ratchet cursed shaking the relic.
"What, what's the matter Ratchet?" Arcee asked the panicked medic.
"The relic is depleated, there's no more power!" Ratchet hissed, angrily placing the relic down on a table.
"Well what the hell does that mean for the kid?" Ironhide asked, trying to keep his tone calm enough, to not upset the CMO further.
"It means, Mirage is stuck at whatever age he is now." The old medic replied with disappointment.
"Well he doesn't look like he's reverted too far, Ratchet..." Ironhide tried to be encouraging to his friend.
"Soundwave your idea to hit Mirage with the relic, stopped him from reverting further." Ratchet praised the young mech.
"But it cost him the ability to remain fourteen cycles." Soundwave sadly replied.
The old medic finished a scan of the red youngling. "Well even if that is so. Mirage is only a couple cycles younger than Bumblebee." Ratchet retracted his scanner back into his arm.
"Grand, he'll be thrilled about that." Ironhide sarcastically remarked.
"I'm sure he'll be thrilled he isn't a sparkling. And he'll never have to be one again." Ratchet quirked an optic ridge at his old friend.
"Pah, he is a sparkling..." Ironhide gestured to the red youngling laying on the medical berth.
"Bee is six cycles now, Mirage is four now. He only reverted back by a deca cycle." The CMO hissed pointing a digit at the weapon specialist.
"Aaw he's at the stage when he was still innocent, and timid." Arcee cooed happily with adoration.
"Innocent, and timid?" Ironhide snorted folding his arms, while the Prime made his way past him. "All I remember is Mirage barely speaking to anyone, yet somehow gaining an attitude. While escaping the base, to look for this guy!" Ironhide scoffed gesturing to the bioluminescent mech.
"That's because Mirage barely knew how to speak, they didn't teach that to little sparklings in super soldier training! And If memory serves, the twins were mainly at fault for teaching him attitude, and colourful words." Arcee rolled her optics in a huff.
"And if my memory serves, you're the one that taught the twins that!" Ratchet smacked the black and silver mech on the helm with a wrench.
Optimus sighed kneeling next to the medical berth, as the young assassin began to come out of stasis. Looking up at his son's older brother standing on the other side, Optimus smiled. "It will nice for you to be here to help raise your brother. He will be a lot less stressed not having to search for his big brother."
"I honestly wish I wasn't the only one to get the chance to watch him grow up..." Soundwave sighed sadly, looking at the shifting sparkling.
Optimus sadly nodded in agreement. Knowing Soundwave was talking about his and Mirage's mother.
Arcee softened her optics sympathetically, gently grasping her mech's servo in her own. "Maybe you can teach him about her."
"Perhaps..." Soundwave replied unsure of the femme's suggestion.
Mirage opened his optics, sitting up, holding his helm with one of his servos, getting a wave of dizziness.
"Easy little one, you're alright." Optimus helped his sparkling sit up.
Mirage blinked looking around his surroundings, seeing all the familiar faces around him. Locking his cyan blue optics, with the cyan blue and blood red mixed ones. "Mission?"
"Yes, we are just waiting for the opportune moment." Soundwave replied to his little brother.
"Come on Soundwave, we're not going to ship off a sparkling into the battlefield." Ironhide hissed at the confused violet mech.
"What do you mean, he was fine killing full grown Decepticons when I captured him as an even younger sparkling. What difference does it make now?" Soundwave argued the weapon specialist's remark.
"Let's not get into it right now. Let's all get some rest, before the morning hits." Optimus stood back up, quickly changing the subject before an argument broke out.
Both Ironhide and Ratchet shrugged heading back towards their quarters.
Arcee and Soundwave followed the two old mechs down the hallway.
Mirage hopped off the medical berth, eagerly following his big brother.
Optimus followed all the bots down the hallway, stopping in the scout's doorway.
Bumblebee shut his optics, pretending to be recharging. But the Prime knew the youngling was faking.
"Bumblebee, everything is alright now." Optimus said, sitting himself on the youngling's berth.
"Mirage isn't a sparkling?" Bumblebee sat up, wide awake.
"Technically yes, Mirage is only a couple cycles younger than you. But he's old enough to transform and know what's happening around him for the most part." Optimus answered his yellow son.
"I thought Ratchet fixed him?" Bumblebee was confused as to why his brother was again younger than him.
"The relic is depleted. Ratchet didn't get the chance to use it after Soundwave paused the revert." Optimus tried to explain his youngling's confusion.
"Oh..." Bumblebee sighed, before suddenly perking up. "Will Mirage be more friendly now?"
Optimus chuckled softly at the scout's question. "I'm not certain, we will just have to see in the morning." The Prime stood back up, making his way over to the door.
"Is he still assigned to that mission?" Bumblebee asked one more question before his father could exit.
"Mirage is the only one qualified for the mission to be completed successfully." Optimus was not going to lie to his son. Although he would rather not send any of his young team members out on any risky missions.
"How come he gets to go out on missions and I don't?" The youngling was clearly waiting for the moment to ask this question.
"Bumblebee your time will come, there hasn't been any missions to give besides patrol. Once we get that information we can plan our next move." Optimus stepped out of his son's room. "Goodnight Bumblebee."
Months went by with nothing more then a couple of small battles over energon. The Decepticons were making the best effort to not land their war ship, clearly having a good understanding of Soundwave possibly boarding to gather information. The mission was canceled by Optimus, after Soundwave suggested he tries different methods of gaining information. To Agent Fowler's dislike, a few of the Decepticon Eradicons felt it was a wise idea to check out the human population, but the sight of Ironhide's truck was enough to send them running. But just a sighting was enough for Optimus to send out more patrols around the huma populated area.
Soundwave was masked, his visor busy with encryptions, while his digits tapped away at the monitors keypads.
"Soundwave, it's our shift now." Arcee popped her helm into her mech's veiw.
Soundwave hearing a bleep come on the monitor, he moved his helm around the femme's, but Arcee ended up blocking his few again. "I'm just... trying to... get this... fine!" Soundwave rolled his optics walking away from the monitors.
"You're going to work yourself to death, you know that?" Arcee shook her helm at the grumpy violet mech.
Following Arcee to the base exit, the bioluminescent mech rolled his optics behind his visor. "I'm just trying to get some answers for us..." Soundwave suddenly clutched his chest after getting a sudden jolt.
"What was that all about, are you alright?" Arcee asked stopping by the exit tunnel.
"Yeah, I'm not sure what that was?" Soundwave replied, looking over his shoulder to see his little brother grabbing at his chest uncomfortably.
Mirage didn't think much of it and went back to playing with Bumblebee.
"Let's go." Soundwave quickly led the way out of the base.
After a few minutes of travelling towards the human town. Arcee decided to break the silence. "What were you so interested in, before I pulled you away from the monitors?"
"Agent Fowler recently allowed me to interact with the human orbital satellites. I was beginning to scan the Earth's orbital field. I thought I saw a blip pop up within the galaxy." Soundwave replied over the comlink.
"Is that good or bad?" Arcee replied angling her mirror to view the Reaper flying above her.
"Didn't get a chance to figure that part out..." Soundwave replied coldly.
"Oh please you don't need the monitors to do that, you're Soundwave." Arcee scoffed mentally rolling her optics.
"True, but that blip disappeared as soon as it showed up. It might have just been a glitch." Soundwave sighed, veering up to gain more altitude as the human population came into view.
"What about you?" The femme pressed on, activating a human hologram as she entered the town.
"What about me?" The reaper flew the same path, the motorcycle drove below.
"Looked like you had a surge of pain in your chest, earlier." Arcee continued to speak over the comlink.
"It's nothing to worry about, it wasn't painful. Are you picking up any life signatures?" Soundwave flew off course, separating from Arcee's driving path.
"Nothing, you searching the east?" Arcee replied sitting at a red light.
"Yes, I'm going to let Lazerbeak search the perimeter of the town." Soundwave replied releasing his surveillance drone.
Back at base, Mirage followed his yellow brother, and the grey mech to the base exit.
"Woah little bud where are you going?" Jazz turned around, halting the red youngling.
"I'm go with?" Mirage replied innocently.
"Your shift is later with Soundwave." Jazz smiled waving a digit at the small youngling.
"Soundwave should be thrilled about that, he barely wanted to move for Arcee ." Bumblebee snorted sarcastically.
"Let's go Bee, before Ironhide yells at us for still being here." Jazz chuckled transforming.
"See you later Mirage." Bumblebee smiled, transforming, following the Porsche out of the base.
"Don't you take one more step towards that exit!" Ratchet threatened continuing to stare at the monitors.
Pressing his doorwings against his back, Mirage halted with a grumpy groan. Walking over to the old medic. "Go with me?"
Ratchet sighed at the youngling's broken speech. "Primus, again we've had no time to teach you proper speech."
"He's just a sparkling Ratch, they all talk like that. He'll learn on his own, just like he did before." Ironhide shrugged at the Medic's comment.
"As long as he's not learning from you, I agree Mirage will be fine. I guess his broken speech makes him see more innocent." Ratchet snorted, plucking the small youngling off the floor.
Mirage didn't reply to any of the comments the older mechs said. Silently staring into the ancient optics, with his bright cyan ones.
"You never spoke much to begin with." Ratchet sighed, smiling at the youngling.
"Train?" Mirage tilted his helm at the red and white medic.
Ratchet sighed placing the small youngling back on the ground. "Ironhide you want to take him to the training sims."
"Fine, come on Mirage let's go scrap. Just don't wreck it up too bad, your brother just finished building it." Ironhide said, guiding the small red youngling down the hallway.
Ratchet spun back to the monitors as a blip appeared on the galaxy wide scanner. "The hell is that?" Ratchet narrowed his optics on the unidentified signature.
Soundwave felt another jolt in his spark, while receiving a proximity alert. That alert confirmed there was an unidentifiable signature nearing the Earth.
"Soundwave are you picking up an unidentified signature?" Ratchet's voice came over the Reapers comlink.
"Yes, I am..." Soundwave quickly began to look into the tracking of the signature, but lost it's signal.
"I just lost the signature." Ratchet said in annoyance.
"Same, it appeared earlier but I figured it was a glitch as it did this earlier." Soundwave replied over the comlink, while Lazerbeak returned to him.
"It could be anything, I'll notify Optimus. I'll monitor until you return from patrol." Ratchet ended the call.
"I've found no Decepticon signatures, how about you Soundwave?" Arcee asked as soon as the medic ended the call.
"Nothing, but that odd signature popped up again, even Ratchet detected it. It's getting closer to Earth." Arcee listened to her mech's words with concern. "Should we head back then?"
"May as well, I've got another shift tonight with Mirage." Soundwave replied banking off towards the town border.
"I know Mirage is at the age of being able to transform, I know he's capable of defending himself. But should we reconsider, with this thing coming our way?" Arcee asked following the reaper.
"It'll be fine." Soundwave replied almost in a hostile tone, he was tired of everyone trying to withhold Mirage from what he was trained to do.
"I know Mirage, along with you are probably tired of hearing that. But you got to understand we have a deep care and concern for our teammates. Especially our inexperienced young ones, that shouldn't ever be involved in any war." Arcee replied keeping a calm tone for the time being.
"But Mirage isn't inexperienced, he's a highly trained super soldier. War is what we were created for, it's what we, especially Mirage, excels at." Soundwave calmed his hostile tone, replacing it with stern enthusiasm. Transforming he landed in front of the mountain wall, where the base hidden door was.
Arcee transformed at the end of the road, walking towards the tall slender mech. "Soundwave, you and Mirage aren't just war machines. You're an incredibly intelligent young mech, you have so much more to offer. I wish there was a way to show you that."
"Arcee, I had a life before my training. Keeping in mind it wasn't a long joyful one. But I knew what happiness was. I had the privilege of being raised by a loving mother, and an Uncle that visited often he cared for me like a father, and still does." The bioluminescent mech radiated guilt and frustration. "What did Mirage get, he was sparked, and practically lived in a crate for the first few weeks of his life because we had to keep moving. He did not develop enough to know what anything was, he did not even get to learn what play was. He got tested on, operated on, beaten, shown nothing but hate. Making sure all of that was the first memory imbedded in his learning processor."
"Soundwave." Arcee sadly sighed at the upset young mech.
"Yes you guys found him, raising him as your own, trying to teach him family and regular sparkling activities. But from what I have heard from you, his raising was not easy. It was like dealing with a nuclear bomb with a hair pin trigger. You guys held him back from what he was trained to do, because you tried your best to protect him like a regular sparkling. But he was nothing but a sociopath, that attempted to find a meaning to his life. He knows nothing but killing." Soundwave was in a such a blind rage he barely noticed the femme grab his arm.
"Soundwave, one day you and Mirage will see that you're more than your training. You were not created just for war. You are an intelligence officer, a member of our family, and the flame to my spark. You may have had the privilege of developing a personality before learning to kill. I just want you to realize Mirage has his training as a personality, but over the cycles Mirage was slowly beginning to come out of his shell, and see past his training. He's developing a personality slowly. You're here to help him along with it now, it may even develop faster since you're with us now." Arcee held both the mech's arms, giving a warm smile at the blackened visor. "Quit beating yourself up. You're here, Mirage is here. You're both together again, show him he's more then a super soldier."
Soundwave defleated, exhaling deeply. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. You're right, I need to start focusing on the positive. And stop dwelling on my past, and what Mirage didn't have."
"It's alright I am here for you. It's okay to vent like that. Now let's get inside before Ratchet starts screaming at us." Arcee replied, dragging the mech into the bases tunnel.
"Ow Ratchet!" Ironhide yelped, as the frustrated medic attempted to stop the energon leaking from the weapon specialist's sizeable wound to his torso.
"Ironhide quit whining, we've had the same rules since the day Mirage arrived, you should know better. Hell even Optimus learned the hard way back on Cybertron." Ratchet hissed restarting his patch job for the sixth time.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. We don't challenge Mirage to a sparring match..." Ironhide groaned with sarcasm.
"You did that?"
Mirage spun around, to see his older brother standing right behind him. "Didn't mean to."
"It was Ironhide's fault. I told him to let Mirage go use the training sims. And the idiot breaks the one rule we've had for cycles. Don't challenge Mirage to a sparring match." Ratchet growled finishing up the patch up.
"I do take the blame. But I can't help myself, I admire seeing the kid in action." Ironhide chuckled getting out the med bay.
"You're lucky I'm not reviving you." The old medic scoffed going back over to the monitors, where the Prime stood watching.
"Soundwave, have you had anymore alerts from that unknown signature?" Optimus asked turning to see the young mech.
"No sir, nothing." Soundwave replied, quickly setting his visor back onto satellite surveillance.
"Could be Megatron, sending his troops into space." Ratchet suggested.
"What for?" Ironhide cocked his helm, as he approached the three.
"Ironhide why don't you just fly on up there and answer that for us all." Ratchet snapped annoyed with the mech.
"You pride yourself on your friendliness don't you?" Ironhide grumbled back at the easily angered medic.
While the two old mechs argued, Soundwave slipped around the grumpy medic to the monitor he was working on. "I believe our best bet is to wait it out unfortunately. If there's more activity from that signature after my night patrol, I will fly into orbit and investigate." Soundwave turned to the tall red and blue mech.
"Soundwave I would like that to be our last option, I do not want to put you at risk, without backup." Optimus sighed knowing that was their best option.
"Would you feel more comfortable if Lazerbeak went instead?" Soundwave suggested.
"I will contact Agent Fowler and see if the human space program picked up the same signature. If so then we'll make the next move to investigate." Optimus replied to the young mech.
"Wave?" Mirage called from behind, poking his brother's leg.
"Yes Mirage?" Soundwave turned towards the small youngling.
"Patrol?"
"I just got back from mine. How about we go do something else for a bit?" Soundwave smiled escorting his little brother out of the group. "Unless you need me to continue monitoring?" the violet mech turned his helm to the Prime.
"Ratchet and I will cover it for now, go ahead." Optimus shook his helm at the bioluminescent.
"Besides training, what else would you like to do?" Soundwave asked, walking his little brother towards the couch.
"Patrol!" Mirage cheerfully replied, making his big brother drop his helm with a sigh.
"Not patrol..." The violet mech rolled his optics behind his visor. Catching a cobalt blue femme out of the corner of of his optic. "Arcee, a little help here."
"What's up?" The femme happily walked over to the hybrid brothers.
"I'm trying to figure out something else to do with Mirage. Besides training and patrol." The slender mech explained to his partner.
"Oh, how about you teach him how to form proper sentences. Spark a conversation with your little brother, talk about something." Arcee suggested to her mech.
"I guess that's something..." Soundwave gave an unsure sigh. Turning to see Mirage hanging over the couch arm, waiting for him.
Arcee blinked as the violet mech leaned into her. "I don't know what to talk about..."
Arcee chuckled softly, grabbing her mech's chest plate, pulling him in closer. "It's your little brother, not an interrogation. Odds are he doesn't know what to talk about either."
Soundwave bent down as he was pulled into the femme's space. "We're programed to fight, not converse."
"Because you're starting to irritate me, I'm going to give you an easy out." Arcee groaned. "The twins are fooling around in the canyon, why don't you go for a walk and meet up with them. They'll have plenty to gab about." The femme released her grasp shoving the mech away from her, before walking away.
Soundwave exhaled, turning around to see his little brother no longer on the couch. "Mirage?!" he looked around confused.
"Let's go!" Mirage called from the base exit tunnel.
The violet mech shrugged, walking over to his impatient little brother. "Guess I'm not the only listener around here. Except you're selective." Soundwave snorted with a laugh, creating a ground bridge in the tunnel, entering it as soon as it appeared.
"What that supposed to mean?" Mirage called following after his brother.
"What, is. Mirage." Soundwave corrected the little youngling, closing the bridge, before removing his visor.
"What you mean?" Mirage was confused at what his brother was trying to say.
"I'm correcting your words. Like you meant to say, what do you mean. Not, what you mean." The violet mech corrected once again.
Mirage only rolled his optics, kicking the small rocks along their pathway.
"Never mind..." Soundwave shook his helm, releasing Lazerbeak, so he may have a little free play.
After an hour of walking through the canyon, without seeing any of the twins. Soundwave tried to pinpoint where that mysterious signature went.
Mirage giggled following the chirping drone. Lazerbeak playfully dove at the red sparkling. Mirage quickly ran to hide behind his older brother's leg, while the drone did a loop. "Soundwave, where you get Lazerbeak?"
Soundwave blinked, continuing to follow the canyon walls. Caught off guard by the youngling's question. "I got Lazerbeak back on Cybertron. Shortly after you escaped training."
"Why?" Mirage hopped out from his cover, walking in front of the slender mech.
"When the facility got destroyed, we went back to search for any survivors. Lazerbeak was a minicon project, Shockwave was creating as an added advantage for any chosen super soldier. When I was searching through the wreckage I knocked over Lazerbeak's incubation case. Breaking it completely, he immediately flew around in a panick, before locking his sights onto me and latching himself into my torso." Soundwave told his little brother of how he met his drone. "Shockwave knew I wasn't preforming at my usual level, after I allowed you to escape. Thinking the companionship of the drone, would help me preform, he allowed me to keep Lazerbeak. And that's how I got him."
"Can I have one?" Mirage asked as Lazerbeak hovered above him.
Soundwave couldn't help but chuckle. "If we weren't on another planet, I would say yes. But it's also something you'd have to ask your father first."
"Oh..." The youngling sadly drooped his wings, walking beside his big brother.
"Maybe one day, you'll get one. But you can always play with Lazerbeak, he likes you." Soundwave tried to make the youngling feel better.
The roar of engines made Lazerbeak chirp in a frenzy. Soundwave quickly grabbed his little brother, standing against the canyon wall as two Corvettes came drifting around the corner.
"The hell was that?!" Sunstreaker quickly transformed, sliding into a defensive position. His twin doing the same shortly after.
"Ow!" Sideswipe rubbed his helm after Lazerbeak rammed into him.
"Lazerbeak return!" Soundwave recalled his pet to him.
"Soundwave?" Sunstreaker quickly retracted his weapons.
"What are you two doing out here?" Sideswipe asked, approaching the two hybrid brothers.
"Was trying to do something other than training, with Mirage." Soundwave replied with a shrug.
"I thought it was you two were supposed to be on patrol?" Sunstreaker quirked an optic ridge at the two.
"Yeah, not until tonight." The violet mech replied, as Mirage kicked up some dust.
"Uuuh yeah, it's dark dude." Sunstreaker scoffed folding his arms. "It's night time now."
"Wow, I was really focused on that scan." Soundwave shook his head in disbelief.
"Patrol now?" Mirage eagerly asked, balancing on his peds.
"Yes Mirage, patrol." The young mech nodded at the red youngling.
"Yes!" Mirage quickly transformed, driving out of the canyon.
"We're heading back to base. Let us know if you need back up." Sunstreaker said, transforming.
"Please they don't need backup." Sideswipe scoffed, transforming and following his twin.