Mirage shifted in the berth waking in the darkness, his cyan blue optics being the only source of light.
"Hungry?"
Mirage gave a small click as he used the slumbering femme to pull himself up to his peds. Seeing his glowing big brother standing next to the berth with a full bottle. "Ga!" He squealed in excitement, making Soundwave quickly shush him.
"Shhh!" Soundwave grabbed his side as he got a small sharp pain.
Arcee opened one of her optics, just enough to see the sparkling using her as support, while he stood on the berth. She smiled as Mirage happily bounced, babbling away while Soundwave tried to hush him.
"Come here." Soundwave waved for his brother to come towards him.
Mirage gurgled, climbing over the femme, to Soundwave's dismay.
Mirage squealed as he was suddenly grabbed, getting held up in the air by the playful femme.
"Gotcha!" Arcee teased as the sparkling giggled madly.
Soundwave tilted his helm, watching with a smile. He could see Mirage was definitely beginning to act like his age. As he did not retaliate against the playful action, instead laughing with joy as the femme continued to play.
"We're going to wake the entire team. Sparklings have no volume control." Soundwave chuckled at the femme.
"Alright, alright. Mirage shhh..." Arcee quickly brought the sparkling against her frame. Rolling over, to sit on the edge of the berth.
Mirage playfully smacked the femme's arm while babbling playfully.
"Feed him, and he should quiet down." Arcee laughed handing the sparkling to her mech.
Soundwave took Mirage, putting him in the crook of his arm. "I'm sure he's already woke someone else in this base." The mech chuckled feeding the hungry sparkling the bottle.
"Haven't heard anything from the wall, so I'm not worried." Arcee shrugged with a yawn. "You were already awake? We've only been recharging for a little while."
"Yes I was, I knew Mirage would need to have energon. I will recharge once he's settled." Soundwave replied to the tired femme.
"At least you're feeling better tonight." Arcee sighed staring at the new scars on her mech's frame.
"Yeah, not getting much pain, but sadly the stain is permanent." Soundwave exhaled sitting next to the femme.
"Each of us have scars, some are visible, but most of them are internal. Each scar tells a story." Arcee began, placing a servo on her mech's leg. "It's the invisible scars that seem to hurt the most. When you're ready to reveal them, some may try to cover them up. But we will be here to heal them, not hide them." the femme spoke reassuringly towards the violet mech.
"I appreciate the help, but I've managed to hide my scars for deca cycles. I don't really plan on writing a story with them." Soundwave smiled, trying to make a light hearted joke.
Arcee smiled, as the young mech removed the bottle from the sleepy sparkling. "Let's get some more rest, before someone else tries to wake us." the femme laid back down, changing the subject.
"Agreed" Soundwave nodded following suit, keeping his brother close to his spark, as he settled next to the cobalt blue femme.
After a good few hours of recharge, Mirage woke up. Crawling out of the snoring couple's grip, off the berth, and out the door.
Optimus's optics blinked open to the feeling a small barely noticeable frame sitting on his chest. His royal blue optics locking onto his youngest son.
Mirage giggled as his father sat up, causing him to slide down into the mech's lap.
"Good morning little one." Optimus yawned, stretching his back. "Hmm, no Soundwave chasing after you?" The Prime mentioned, grabbing hold of his sparkling as he stood up.
Mirage didn't really acknowledge his father talking to him, as he babbled hugging the arm that held him.
Optimus made his way towards the main room. Stopping at the end of the hallway, he noticed that the violet mech was not present in the main room. "Hmm..." The Prime was slightly suspicious that the bioluminescent mech wasn't awake already. Peeking his helm in the couple's room, he could hear the quiet snores from the femme and her partner. Optimus could see the femme holding her mech as they recharged, with a smile Optimus left the couple alone, walking back towards the main room with the sparkling in hand.
"Wave?" Mirage curiously clicked at the mech carrying him.
"Yes, you must have tired him out last night. We're going to let him recharge a little longer. It's not often your big brother recharges that late." The father explained to his youngest, while fixing a bottle of energon.
"Wave tired?" Mirage babbled, watching his father get the bottle of energon.
"Yes, that's alright though. We can watch the sunrise together, what do you think?" Optimus smiled at the red sparkling.
"Ga!" Mirage chirped happily at the Prime.
The Prime nodded, making his way to the lift. As they met the top of the base, Optimus walked towards the edge of the cliff.
"Wave Prime?" Mirage asked looking up at his father.
"One day hopefully. Right now Soundwave is just training." The Prime smiled at the sparkling, as the sun began to rise. "Maybe one day you will be choosen to be the next Prime."
"Me Prime." Mirage giggled, bouncing in his father's arms.
Optimus chuckled at his sparkling, he knew at this stage in Mirage's life cycle, the sparkling was not mature enough to make the decision of whether or not he wanted to become a Prime. But he hoped Mirage would keep his optimistic attitude towards the Prime position in the future.
"Hungy!" Mirage whined reaching for the lingering bottle in his father's servo.
Optimus shook out of his thoughts, quickly feeding his sparkling the bottle. "Sorry little one, I'm not used to you being so hungry. I forgot I had your energon." the Prime noted his sparkling was behaving like Bumblebee when he was of similar age. Thinking for a moment, Optimus realized sparkling Mirage was not going through the stresses of intensive training and violent mutations and experiments. Although still very much a part of the sparkling's programming.
"Primus this planet sure is gorgeous." The familiar voice print of the mother, caught the Prime's attention.
"It certainly is." Optimus agreed as the bioluminescent femme stopped next to him.
"Xan!" Mirage chirped excitedly, accidentally spitting out energon onto his father's arm.
Xanthia chuckled while the Prime laughed rolling his optics. "Here I'll take him." Xanthia said grabbing her messy sparkling from the red and blue mech.
"Thank you." Optimus thanked the femme as he wiped the energon off his arm.
"I thought you'd be out on Prime patrol with Soundwave, I am shocked you're up here." The deep metallic blue femme mentioned, feeding the rest of the bottle to her sparkling.
"I was going to, but Mirage was the only one awake. Soundwave was recharging so soundly, I wouldn't forgive myself if I woke him from such a much needed recharge." Prime replied to the mother.
"Wow I am so happy he's getting a good recharge. He wasn't in the main room when I woke, only Ratchet was awake. That's why I figured you were on patrol with Soundwave." Xanthia explained as Mirage finished the bottle.
"Hmm, well I should go on patrol anyway. Soundwave and I can do training later, there's no set time for our training sessions." Optimus sighed walking back towards the lift.
"Is there actual training, or are you boys just enjoying each other's company." Xanthia playfully teased following the mech.
"I enjoy Soundwave's company. But the majority of the Prime apprenticeship is mental. Soundwave has a great foundation of combat training. But he lacks the mental experience of Autobot and Prime integrity. I'm slowly teaching him the ways of the Prime." Optimus admittedly replied as the lift reached the ground floor.
"That's understandable, he definitely needs it." Xanthia nodded, as they walked into the main room.
"Good morning Optimus, I thought you and Soundwave had already left on patrol." Ratchet greeted the red and blue mech.
"Good morning old friend. Soundwave is resting, I'm going on a solo patrol." The Prime replied walking towards the base exit.
"That's unheard of." Ratchet snorted in surprise at the Prime.
"Indeed, please do not allow the others to disturb Soundwave's rest, during my absence. I will be back soon." Optimus told the medic, before transforming driving out of the base.
"Hmmm, that may be a challenge. But I am sure Soundwave will wake before the twins do." Ratchet thought aloud.
"Ratch!"" Mirage squeaked, happily bouncing in his mother's arms.
"Yes little one, hello." Ratchet smiled, greeting the cheery sparkling.
As a few more hours passed Arcee opened her optics, looking at her internal clock. She could see it was mid morning in Earth time. She noticed she was holding her mech closely. As was her mech, with her. She softly chuckled, listening to his soft snoring. Arcee quickly realized that Mirage was no longer in the berth. She did not worry to much, as she knew Optimus would've been up to block the sparkling from leaving the base.
Arcee found it odd her mech was still recharging though, usually he was awake before even the Prime. "Soundwave?" She called softly shifting herself.
Soundwave gave an uncomfortable whine, as his optics screwed tightly shut. While Arcee carefully slipped out of his hold.
"Hey sleepy are you alright, it's almost noon?" Arcee said as she sat up next to the violet mech.
Soundwave's optics blinked open, taking a moment to understand what Arcee had said to him. He gasped jumping out the berth in a panick. "Are you serious!?" his side flared with pain again but it wasn't enough for him to complain about it.
"Yes, why are you panicking?" The femme asked laughing at her mech's reaction.
"I'm late to go on patrol with Optimus. I can't believe I over recharged!" Soundwave quickly tried to collect his groggy processor.
"I'm sure Optimus understands. After all you of all mech's need that kind of recharge." Arcee said trying to ease her mech's panic.
"It's irresponsible though." Soundwave continued, making his way to the door.
"Soundwave calm your gears, you're fine, no one's going to lock you up in the brig because you over recharged." Arcee sighed, escorting her mech into the main room.
"Good morning Arcee, Soundwave. It's great that you finally got some much needed rest." Ratchet greeted the young couple.
Soundwave blinked in surprise at the medic's greeting.
"Yeah tell me about it, this little one wanted to play in the middle of the night." Arce chuckled as Mirage toddled up to her.
"I thought I heard him giggling last night?" Ratchet scoffed with a chuckle, as the femme scooped up the sparkling.
"Are you alright Soundwave, you seem kind of zoned?" Xanthia asked approaching her eldest son.
"Yeah... where's Optimus?" Soundwave asked slightly nervous.
"He kept Mirage company until someone else was awake. Then he went on patrol a little while ago." Xanthia replied to the young mech.
"He wasn't upset?" The violet mech raised an optic ridge.
"Why would Optimus be upset about?" Ratchet asked confused.
"I over recharged..." Soundwave was beginning to think his femme was right, he was overreacting.
"Pah, he was happy you were. He checked on you earlier, but saw you were recharging quite soundly. Optimus didn't dare to disturb you, as he knew you needed the rest. He said you can do a later patrol with him." Xanthia explained to her son.
"That was kind of him..." Soundwave didn't really know what to say. He knew if he ever pulled that on the warship Megatron would have never let him recharge again.
"Cee, Cee!" Mirage chirped as Arcee bounced him playfully in her arms.
"You're full of joy today aren't you?" Arcee cooed giving the sparkling a small tickle.
"It certainly makes a difference in his mood, when you're not pushing a sparkling to be anything other then a sparkling." Ratchet scoffed as Mirage squealed with laughter.
"We don't completely go by that rule though." Xanthia raised an optic ridge at the medic.
"No, but we do allow Mirage the choice to go on a mission, or stay at home. We also do not force training or upgrades upon him." Ratchet retorted to the mother. "Like I said before, you keep Mirage from what he's programmed to do, he will resent you and make eveyone around him go through hell."
"Mother..." Soundwave shook his helm as he got a sudden wave of dizziness. "I understand you want to shield Mirage from that life. But unfortunately it's just the way we are, we can't change it. But we can help him be a sparkling." Soundwave held both his mother's shoulders.
"Xanthia take this with a modicum of relief, that your sparkling is capable of defending himself from danger. No sparkling could ever defend itself from a Con, but Mirage can." Arcee tried her best to explain the good that comes from the mutant sparkling.
"I know, I just don't like it. It's very unnatural to me." Xanthia sighed as her son let her go.
"Mother everything about us is unnatural. We're mutant Cybertronians, stopping us from being what we are is just impossible. Please understand that we don't send Mirage out, because we're desperate for extra soldiers." Soundwave continued trying to ease his mother's thoughts.
"We would never send a sparkling or youngling out unless they were extremely trained and capable. Hence why we send Mirage out before Bumblebee, Bee has little to no experience in combat. Where's Mirage has trained from the beginning." Ratchet said as the scout entered the main room.
"I would be okay to fight if I was trained." Bumblebee groaned, rolling his optics at the medic.
"Ironhide is doing a good job with you. Slow and steady, if you don't get a good foundation of basic training you'll never gain the true concept of fully being trained." Ratchet scoffed to the young scout.
"It's just not fair that a sparkling gets chosen to go on a mission before I do." Bumblebee grumbled while the medic handed him energon.
"Bumblebee bitterness isn't going to get you far either. Have patience, you will be on missions soon." Arcee told the grumpy scout.
"Sure..." Bumblebee rolled his optics, he didn't hate his brother, but he resented him for having elite training.
"Bumblebee, I know what it's like to be on the sidelines. To be on the back burner while those that could seem less capable are out on missions." Soundwave pulled the scout towards him.
"You were the best bot in the Con army, I don't believe you." Bumblebee shook his helm in disbelief at the Communications Chief.
"It's true though. I was an Elite super soldier, but I was nothing more then a glorified maintenance bot. I went on a few missions granted at that, but was locked inside the warship the majority of the time. While drones that were lesser then me did missions I could've gotten done easily. It wasn't fair, but I didn't dare complain about it. I did the jobs given to me and proved that I was highly capable of getting things done. Yes they were minor victories but they got me noticed." Soundwave explained to the young scout. "Now I am with the Autobots and on the field. And because I did not practice often, having little experience on the field. I am less capable than Mirage. I know I am highly trained, I just never had to use it until now. I don't complain about it though, I work harder at practicing my skills, so I am able to fight when needed." Soundwave continued to teach Bumblebee a lesson in warrior patience.
"I guess that makes sense..." Bumblebee sighed defeatedly.
"Don't be in a rush to get on the battlefield. You're young, and have already seen scarring moments in the war, don't ruin your psyche because you want to be a hero." Soundwave gave the scout a pat on the back, before looking over at his sparkling brother.
Mirage stared intently at him, Soundwave wasn't sure if his little brother fully understood everything he was saying. But he could tell by Mirage's expression, he definitely understood the last bit.
Bumblebee blinked in surprise at the violet mech. His mother told him that when they were on Cybertron. And every bot here was trying to say the same thing. It took Soundwave's explanation to finally understand why he was being put on the back burner. "I understand Soundwave. I will continue my training."
"Good." Soundwave smiled, with an expression of pain on his faceplate, as his side flared again.
"Bee, Bee!" Mirage squealed reaching for his youngling brother.
"He's happier then usual." Bumblebee smiled as the cobalt blue femme placed the sparkling down.
"Take advantage of it, play a game before he finds his grumpy gears." Arcee snorted as the sparkling ran over to the scout.
"I think we'll just skip the puzzles, and find some toys to play with." Bumblebee sheepishly led Mirage towards the couch where the toys were kept.
"Arcee, you want to run me through a daytime patrol?" Xanthia asked the young femme next to her.
"Sure thing, I can take you to the nerby town." Arcee agreed to the patrol with her mech's mother.
"I will meet you outside." Xanthia smiled, looking over at her sparkling playing with the scout. "Be good Mirage, behave yourself." The mother called out before exiting the base.
"I'm sure he'll be good." Ratchet shrugged, going back to his work.
Arcee turned her attention away from the playing young. Her optics focused on the exhausted looking slender mech. "You don't look good Soundwave." The cobalt blue femme placed a gentle servo on her mech's arm.
"I'm fine, I think my frame is just adjusting to the fact that I actually over recharged." Soundwave shrugged placing a servo on the femme's smaller one.
"Sure, I won't be long. If you're not feeling well, let Ratchet check you out alright?" Arcee said with concern. The multiple encounters with the Warlord Soundwave might have missed something the Tyrant planted on him.
The young mech gave a weak smile, giving a gentle squeeze to his femme's servo. "I promise I will."
Arcee nodded, giving her mech a quick peck on the cheek plate, before exiting the base.
"Aaaw isn't that sweet." Sideswipe teased as he and his twin entered the room, with Jazz in tow.
"Sweet like regurgitated energon..." Sunstreaker retorted, plopping himself on the couch.
"I thought you gave up on playing with Mirage, lil Bee?" Jazz chuckled as he approached the youngling and sparkling.
"He's not grumpy so far. And he seems to have a more sparkling personality." Bumblebee replied to the grey mech.
"That's a first, you think it'll stick?" Sideswipe scoffed handing both his twin and Jazz an energon cube each.
"Hopefully, we've got enough moody bots on our team." Jazz replied raising an optic ridge at the golden twin.
"I'm not the moodiest one here at least." Sunstreaker scoffed folding his arms.
Soundwave sighed tiredly, trying to figure out something to occupy his tired mind. Trudging into the med bay, he figured the CMO would probably put him to work.
Ratchet continued to run maintenance on the med bay monitors as the young mech entered the med bay. "Something I can help you with young mech?"
"Is there anything I... help... with... help you with?" Soundwave replied with slurred speech.
Ratchet turned around to face the young mech that was usually well spoken. Narrowing his optics at the dizzy looking bot. "Can you say that again, I didn't catch that?"
"Can help... I... help... you... I... can... help?" Soundwave replied barely able to focus on the red and white mech in front of him.
"What the frag was that?" Overhearing the young mech's broken sentence Sideswipe looked over towards the med bay.
"You certainly can Soundwave. I have found my one medical berths to be loose and faulty, if you could just sit on it. I can see where it's wobble is." The medic lied, escorting the violet mech to the medical berth.
Soundwave sat on the berth with out a second thought, which was very uncharacteristic of him. He almost seemed zoned out.
"How was your recharge last night? You seemed to have gotten a much needed rest." Ratchet asked pretending to inspect the berth, but actually scanning the violet mech's frame.
"Good... prob... ably...too long..." Soundwave tiredly replied, continuing to slurr.
Mirage could feel something was wrong with his big brother. Ignoring the toy Bumblebee had given him, he watched intently as Ratchet examined Soundwave.
"Soundwave have you felt any pain since Megatron attacked you yesterday?" Ratchet asked as he continued scanning the young mech's frame.
"Yeah... not much... but... figured it would... go away." Soundwave replied watching as the CMO examined him.
"Uhuh, and did Arcee advise you should get those injuries examined yesterday?" Ratchet asked reading over his scans.
Soundwave nodded with a shrug. "But... that's every time... I get... a little... scratch."
"Well you didn't get a little scratch, Megatron dug his claws into you as a desperate attempt to murder you. As much as you thought it was just another scar, you've been internally leaking this entire time." Ratchet facepalmed in frustration.
"Oh..."
"Yeah oh, next time you get injured, get a quick exam. It takes two minutes of your life to do a quick scan that can save your life." Ratchet scolded the disoriented young mech.
"I felt fine..." Soundwave tiredly replied trying to keep his optics open.
"You're lucky you woke up. Your emergency systems kept you alive." Ratchet rolled his optics, placing a servo on the young mech's chest plate, he slowly guided the young frame to lay down on the berth.
"Why?" Soundwave asked, he could no longer comprehend a full sentence anymore.
"Because I have to cut you open, drain the energon pooling your systems, and stop the leak, so you don't bleed out and offline." Ratchet bluntly replied to Soundwave.
"Uuh why'd you say that to him, isn't Soundwave going to lose his mind because you're cutting him open?" Sunstreaker pointed out to the medic.
The CMO sighed putting the violet mech into stasis. "No, he hasn't comprehend half of what I just did because he's so out of it. I am not concerned." Ratchet scoffed to the golden twin.
Mirage perked up hearing the familiar engine of a semi truck enter the base. Pushing himself up off the ground, he quickly toddled towards the transforming mech.
Optimus smiled picking up the red sparkling that greeted him. "Hello little one."
"Wave?" Mirage replied with a concerned, pointing towards the med bay.
Optimus followed his sparkling's gesture, seeing the old medic operating on the slender young mech.
"What happened?" Optimus asked standing a small distance away from the operating medic.
"His over recharging wasn't a coincidence. Soundwave has been internally leaking since yesterday morning. He's lucky to still be functional." Ratchet replied draining the sangria purple energon out of the unconscious young mech.
"Why is it when Mirage and Soundwave bleed, they bleed Dark Energon?" Sunstreaker asked walking up behind the Prime.
"Dark Energon is lighter in colour." Ratchet casually replied, trying to look for the leak inside the violet mech.
"Okay, well what the frag flows through their veins?" Sunstreaker groaned rolling his optics.
"Energon." Ratchet said turning on a light to see better inside the cut open mech.
"Are we really doing this?" Sunstreaker sighed folding his arms.
"Does it matter what flows through their veins?" Ratchet growled pulling his energon covered servos out of the mech's side.
"No, I'm just curious." Sunstreaker replied sincerely to the CMO.
"On the scanners right there." Ratchet pointed over to the monitor next to the medical berth.
"It's just giving me his spark beat." Sunstreaker said reading the monitor.
"Red, dark, tox-en, and the same stuff that flows through you and I." Ratchet groaned welding Soundwave's side shut.
"That's quite the concoction, how the hell are they still alive?" Sunstreaker snorted in surprise.
"I don't have an answer for, but it's quite remarkable." Ratchet replied cleaning the energon off his servos.
"Primus what the hell happened?!" Arcee gasped rushing over to her mech's bed side.
"He refused to take your advice. He was internally leaking since yesterday morning. Next time just drag him into the med bay." the grumpy old medic replied to the cobalt blue femme.
"I told him to get checked out! But to be honest he was acting normal." Arcee growled narrowing her optics at her waking mech.
"Normal? I can beg to differ..." Sunstreaker raised an optic ridge at his twin.
Sideswipe gave a "don't you dare" look while shaking his helm at his brother.
"What are you on about Sunny?" Jazz curiously glared at the golden mech, as he and Sideswipe walked over to the med bay.
"Nothing..." Sunstreaker quickly shrugged, while his twin gave him an evil glare.
"Is it always an argument for my boys to get a check up?" Xanthia scoffed joining the small group in the med bay.
"Primus, stubbornness must be a strong trait you've given your sons, because I have to get an armada to hold them down if I want to do a simple scan!" Ratchet retorted to the concerned mother. "Luckily he was so out of it I easily found the issue."
"Perhaps, thank you for repairing him doctor." Xanthia sighed staring at her unconscious son.
"I don't need thanks, I just need the patient to have a processor!" Ratchet hissed glaring at the sheepishly smiling violet mech.
"I'm sorry, I honestly thought it was just a slash wound..." Soundwave tiredly sighed, as his femme helped him sit up.
"Dammit Soundwave!" Arcee snapped, giving her mech a smack in the back of the helm. Causing the twins to desperately try and hide their giggles.
"Ow! What?!" Soundwave hissed rubbing the back of his helm.
"Slash wound! You're not an imbecile Soundwave!" Soundwave quickly backed away from Arcee, the upset femme continued to shout backing him into the wall the medical berth sat against. "You were in so much pain, I told you to just get it looked at, it takes moments for a quick scan, it's like you have a death wish, for Primus sake's!" Arcee shouted at the cringing young mech.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry! I will see Ratchet the next time I get injured!" Soundwave cried out, shielding himself with his arms.
"Alright Arcee he gets the point now, I think I need you for every stubborn patient I get." Ratchet scoffed, pulling the femme away from the medical berth.
"You're lucky to have such a caring femme, young mech." Xanthia gave her eldest son a pointed glare.
"Caring, or explosive?" Sideswipe joked elbowing his twin.
"Shut up!" Arcee hissed making the twins leap away from her.
"I'm very lucky, I just need to take her advice when it comes to seeing a medic." Soundwave nervously chuckled, hopping off the berth.
"Soundwave?" Optimus finally was able to call the young mech's name after all the commotion.
Soundwave flinched before quickly realizing the voice belonged to the Prime, Soundwave turned his helm to face the Prime. "Yes sir?"
"Are you okay to do patrol later today?" Optimus asked, placing the squirming sparkling down on the ground. "We're going to be investigating Decepticon mining operations, there's a possibility of Megatron's spacebridge being hidden in one."
"Yes sir, I will be ready." Soundwave nodded, as he got a glare from his femme.
"Arcee, I would like you to lead a secondary stealth team, and do the same, we will leave once it's dark." Optimus turned to the moody cobalt blue femme.
"Sure Optimus." Arcee sighed trying to conjure up a stealthy team in her mind.
"Excellent we get to beat the scrap out of some cons!" Ironhide excitedly put his fists together as he entered the room.
"Ironhide I need you and Ratchet to scout out for new energon mines. Our energon supply is adequate at the moment, but we have a full team, and young ones that consume quite a bit." Optimus Prime quickly redirected the weapon specialists excitement.
"What, Optimus you can't be serious?!" Both Ratchet and Ironhide complained.
"You two are old friends, I'm sure you can succeed at this small mission." Optimus tried his best to hide his chuckle.
"Who will run operations from the base?" Ratchet asked hoping to be excused from the mission.
"Whoever stays behind at the base will." Optimus simply replied to the CMO.
"Fine..." Ratchet groaned in defeat.
"Energon duty... I could be hunting for Cons..." Ironhide grumbled grabbing himself some energon.
Arcee visibly jumped as something suddenly landed on her ped. Looking down at her ped, she spotted Mirage trying to climb her. "Would you like up?"
Mirage nodded eagerly, reaching up at the cobalt blue femme.
Arcee picked up Mirage who eagerly hugged her helm as soon as he was close enough. "Alright, love you to kiddo." Arcee chuckled prying the little servos off her helm.
"So who's your stealth team, hmm? You know I am free..." Sideswipe grinned at the femme.
"I'll think about it. My options for a stealth team dwindle here on Earth." Arcee quirked an optic ridge at the twin.
"That's right, so I'll take that as a yes." Sideswipe grinned as he raced out of the base with his twin.
Arcee groaned shaking her helm. "I'd rather put you on the team, then have those two goofs blow our cover." The femme sighed to the red sparkling she held out in front of herself.
Mirage babbled, smiling at the cobalt blue femme.
"He is an option." Soundwave's voice came from behind Arcee.
Arcee exhaled, cradling Mirage in the crook of her arm. "I know, but I was planning on bringing your mother, and I kinda don't want her to give me an evil stare the entire time." the femme said turning around to face the violet mech.
"Who else is there though?" Soundwave snorted gesturing to the room.
"Jazz is good, I think the smaller the team the better. So Jazz, Xanthia, and myself should suffice." Arcee shrugged hopefully.
"Geez won't Sideswipe be disappointed?" Soundwave teased his unamused femme.
"Very funny, but the twins get sparkling sitting duty. Let's just hope the base doesn't catch on fire while were gone." The cobalt blue femme snorted, as Mirage changed his position, wrapping his arms around her neck.
Soundwave cringed. "You sure leaving them in charge of Mirage snd Bumblebee is a good idea?"
"Not at all, but Bee is mature enough to know better most of the time. Which is pretty sad, considering the twins are adults." Arcee scoffed rubbing the little sparkling's back. "Primus you're quite affectionate. Where's our grumpy, bitter, self loathing Mirage?" the young femme chuckled looking down at the sparkling snuggling her.
"Hopefully delayed until he's a youngling." Bumblebee retorted, as he approached the couple.
"That seems to be the case so far. So you might just get lucky." Soundwave chuckled at the youngling scout.
"What were you two doing earlier?" Arcee kindly asked the scout.
"We were drawing, well, Mirage was scribbling." Bumblebee replied with a shrug.
"Aw that's great Bee." Arcee smiled at the youngling.
"Bumblebee, time for training." Ironhide said walking past the three.
"Already?" Bumblebee asked in surprise.
"Yes, the day is wasting away. And I have a mission to go on in a few Earth hours. So move your little aft into that training room, double time!" Ironhide replied clapping his servos.
Bumblebee didn't hesitate any longer, quickly running past the weapon specialist, down the hallway, towards the training room. Ironhide walked calmly to the training room shortly after.
"So how was your patrol this morning?" Soundwave asked as his mother came over to them.
"It was great, beautiful place. Arcee showed me the human territory. Although I had to stay a certain amount of altitude to not spook the humans." Xanthia said stopping next to Arcee.
"Yeah its a bit difficult to monitor the town when you're a jet." Soundwave shrugged in agreement.
"Xanthia are you up for a stealth mission tonight?" Arcee asked the older femme beside her.
"Yeah I can't see why not." Xanthia nodded to the young femme. "Is this little one joining us?" Xanthia cooed at her sparkling in the cobalt blue femme's arms.
"Uuuh... I wasn't planing on it..." Arcee replied in confusion.
"I'm surprised you didn't consider him, since Mirage is built for stealth missions?" The bioluminescent femme said looking over at her equally surprised eldest son.
"It crossed my mind, but I figured you, Jazz, and myself were capable enough." Arcee mentioned shooting a confused gaze at the violet mech.
"I have faith in your choices, I will be ready when it's time to go." The mother replied to the younger femme.
"Wait why the sudden change of spark?" Soundwave asked his mother what Arcee was thinking.
"Soundwave, I am just trying to except that Mirage has been fighting this war longer than I have whether he's been a sparkling or youngling. I see that now. I will never agree with it, but I understand." The bioluminescent smiled at her eldest son.
"I never thought it was ethical to have a sparkling fighting our war. But his capabilities have won us many battles, and saved lives. Now having Soundwave on our team, I am less inclined to put Mirage on the frontlines." Optimus mentioned to the mother.
"I don't really think I..."
"Soundwave, can you help me over here please?" Ratchet interrupted the young mech, calling the violet mech over to the base tunnel.
Soundwave didn't hesitate to aid the medic, secretly thrilled to not have to continue the conversation with the Prime and his mother. "Yes sir?"
"I need you to hold this up while I weld it." Ratchet told the bioluminescent mech to hold up a metal strut.
Soundwave lifted the strut up, holding it up as the medic welded it together with an arched strut. "Foundation for the ground bridge, it's looking good sir."
"It's a good so far, human technology doesn't make its construction easy. But I've already gotten the programming done. After the struts are up, we just need to test it. Just one of my many projects, and it's needed, we can't just depend on you for transport all the time." Ratchet sighed finishing the weld.
"I don't mind, that's what I was mainly used for. But I do appreciate the fact you are building a bridge." Soundwave shrugged, following the medic to the next strut. "What other projects do you have?"
"I'm working on replenishing that relic, so we have youngling Mirage." Ratchet sighed welding the next strut.
"I can work on that, if you'd rather just focus on this project?" Soundwave suggested to the CMO.
"Go for it, it would help me, and Mirage. Although he's seemed to have settled into his sparkling form." Ratchet chuckled walking to the next section.
"Yes he is, but I will admit I miss having him as a stubborn youngling." Soundwave laughed pulling up the next strut.
"I know a few bots that would disagree with you." Ratchet snorted jokingly.
"I know, but it's not fair to him. His processor must be full of confusing and repressed memories, for every time he was reverted back into a sparkling." The bioluminescent mech sighed watching his sparkling brother play with both femmes.
"I never thought about it that way. I hope you can repair the relic for your brother's sanity." The CMO exhaled sadly shaking his helm.
"I will do my best, it's been a while since I've done a science project." Soundwave replied, following the medic back into the main room.
"Well just do your best, if it doesn't work perhaps we can find another way." Ratchet said trying to reassure the young mech.
"That's true, but I am hoping that's not the case." Soundwave said as the medic handed him the relic.
"Please don't accidentally use it on yourself if you get it working." Arcee joked approaching the CMO and violet mech.
"Don't plan on it. I am trying to help Mirage not make more work for everyone." Soundwave laughed opening up the relic. "Where's the energon you drained from me?"
Ratchet cringed with an optic roll. "Right here, what in the Allspark are you going to do with it?" the CMO shook his helm, placing the tub of sangria purple energon.
Soundwave didn't reply, placing the relic in the tub.
Both Arcee and Ratchet exchanged looks while the relic was submerged.
After a few moments the energon began to bubble, then illuminated causing the whole tub to glow.
"What are you doing now?" Jazz asked as a flash of light flooded the room.
After the light died down, Soundwave looked back into the tub. The hum of the relic followed by its glow told the young mech it was functional again.
"Primus, I am surprised that that concoction didn't melt the relic." Ratchet said in amazement.
"Well judging by my scans its functional but slowly melting itself, if we're going to use it, we need to do so fast." Soundwave replied to the medic's comment.
"What's going on?" Xanthia asked bringing the red sparkling over to the med bay to investigate.
"I just said that, before we were blinded!" Jazz whined following the Prime to the med bay.
"Soundwave reactivated the relic, so Mirage can be a youngling again." Arcee replied to the curious bots.
"We only got one shot, and time is of the essence." Soundwave announced, waving the relic.
Mirage clicked looking around curiously while the adults stared at him intently.
Xanthia sighed sadly, placing her sparkling on the medical berth. She knew she would probably have to earn her youngling's trust and attention, as he has only known her as a sparkling, in a vulnerable state of mind. "Quickly now Soundwave."
Soundwave wasted no time using the relic on his innocent baby brother. Another flash of light blinded the room once more.
As the light died down it revealed an empty medical berth, no sparkling, no youngling, no Mirage.
"You killed him!" Jazz gasped as panic began to grow in everyone.
"No, no, no I didn't!" Soundwave shook his helm frantically as the relic disintegrated in his servos.
Mirage stood behind the panicked group with folded arms, watching all the adults lose their minds.
"Hey Mirage, you're a youngling again?" Bumblebee said as he walked up to his brother from the hallway.
"Yeah, thankfully." Mirage smiled at the yellow scout.
"What's the matter with them?" Bumblebee asked raising an optic ridge at the group of adults freaking out.
"I thought it would be funny if I appeared behind them, but instead of looking around they went straight to panicking." Mirage shrugged to his little brother.
"Well you look well at least, you're not exactly the age you were originally, but at least you're a youngling again." Bumblebee commented on his older brother.
"Yeah I don't mind that I am four cycles older then you. As long as I don't get reverted again." Mirage sighed with a shrug.
"Rstchet said he removed every piece of Shockwave's virus, he even double checked. I don't think you'll have to go through that torture again." Bumblebee reassured the youngling spy.
"You're a youngling again?" Ironhide scoffed approaching the two younglings.
"Thank the Allspark I am." Mirage snorted happily.
Ironhide looked over in the med bay full of panicked bots, narrowing his optics and tilting his helm. "What the frag are you all freaking out about?!" Ironhide gruffly shouted at the group making them all turn his way.
"Mirage is..."
"MIRAGE!" The group of adults quickly ran over to the optic rolling spy.
"Do none of you have observation skills? Soundwave?" Mirage said as he was hugged tightly by his mother and Arcee.
"I was so convinced I killed you I didn't think to observe the whole room!" Soundwave hissed giving a sigh of relief.
"Prime!" A gruff human voice quickly diverted everyone's attention.
"Yes Agent Fowler?" Optimus Prime answered walking over to the monitors.
"Do the Cons fancy themselves as chemists?!" The gruff man said to the Prime's confusion.
Optimus narrowed his optics in confusion. "No Agent Fowler, why?"
"Because the Decepticons have raided a nuclear weapons department, and made off with quite a few deadly trinkets! You better find them and rid of those weapons or we're all going to be dead!" Agent Fowler growled at the Prime.
"The Cons are surely long gone by now." Ratchet mentioned to the Prime.
"Agent Fowler send the coordinates of where the raid took place. I will send a team to investigate the surrounding areas." Optimus quickly asked the angry human on the monitor.
"Here, but please make this your number one priority, no human can safely deal with this issue." Agent Fowler warned ending the call.
"The twins are already out on patrol Optimus, until we can get out there I'd send them." Arcee mentioned to the Prime.
Ratchet wasted no time pulling up both twins signatures, starting the call for the Prime.
"Sideswipe Sunstreaker, head towards these coordinates and investigate the surrounding areas for Decepticons. Do not engage Decepticons are carrying sensitive harmful weapons." Optimus quickly informed the twins.
"We're on it Optimus!" The twins quickly replied, ending the call.
"Soundwave I need you to investigate one of Megatron's main mining operations I believe the Cons may possibly hide the stolen weapons there." Optimus turned to the violet mech.
Soundwave nodded simply, quickly exiting the base.
"Mirage go with your brother and monitor the surrounding area of the mine incase the Cons are still in transit." The red and blue mech turned to the youngling assassin.
"Yes sir." Mirage quickly transformed peeling out of the base.
"Xanthia, Arcee, Ironhide you're with me, we're going to meet up with the twins. Ratchet, Bumblebee please contact us if Agent Fowler has anymore information." Optimus quickly gave out objectives to his team.
"Okay Ratch what can I do?" Bumblebee quickly hopped beside the medic.
"I need you to monitor our teammates, keep the updating me on their status." Ratchet quickly guided Bumblebee to the monitor with life signatures. "Check in with them every fifteen minutes or so."
"Sure thing Ratch." Bumblebee happily began working on the monitors.
Soundwave soared through the air just below the clouds, hearing an engine below diverted his sensors. His visuals quickly picking up a red Ferrari. "Mirage, what are you doing following me?"
"I'm covering the surrounding area. So let me know if you need backup." Mirage replied driving off to right, off of Soundwave's flight path.
"I'm not sure if we're engaging them, until Optimus arrives." Soundwave replied coasting himself towards the large cave opening. Transforming, landing in front of the cave enterance.
"It sounds like they're highly sensitive weapons. But knowing the Cons they're probably altering the weapons to their uses only." Mirage replied quieting his engine as he approached his destination. Transforming Mirage quickly pointed his dart rifle to the sky hearing a jet above him. Only seeing a blur disappear over the mountain the mine was located in. "You at the mine already?"
"Yeah, picking up lots of energon signatures. I'm going in, communication may be blocked with comlinks." Soundwave replied to his brother, as he entered the mine.
Mirage looked towards the cave entrance, watching his brother enter the mine. *We can just speak through our bond.* the red youngling suspiciously began to make his way to the top of the mountain.
Soundwave chuckled to himself as he walked through the quiet energon mine. *Sure I'll keep you posted.* creeping around the corner Soundwave met some unoccupied energon mining equipment. His frame and optics illuminating the dark space around him. Hearing wiring of mining drills up ahead, Soundwave quickly pulled out his blasters. Hesitating he thought to himself. "Dumbass, sensitive explosives, energon is just as explosive..." Putting away his blasters, he took out his sword. Making his way towards the sound, Soundwave could make out some chatter in the distance.
Mirage quietly approached the top of the mountain. Hearing engines below, the spy looked down seeing Eradicons returning to the mine. "Scrap..." Mirage quickly put the silencer on his dart rifle aiming at the transforming Cons. *Cons are coming back from patrol, taking them out.*
Soundwave assassinated the second miner, pulling their lifeless husks out of sight. *Don't shoot, unless you're positive they're not carrying the weapons.*
Mirage zoomed in on the two soldiers seeing nothing on them. *They're clear.* aiming his dart rifle Mirage accurately took out both Cons with one bullet. *Both are down.*
"What's your status Mirage, I can't get a hold of Soundwave." Bumblebee's voice came over Mirage's comlink.
"Investigating outside of the mine, Soundwave's inside comlink doesn't work inside. Hold on one sec." Mirage sighed continuing up the mountain. *Wave, what's your status? Fortunately you can't hear Bee's nagging voice.*
Clearing Cons out of my way, not a lot of Eradicons but definitely hear some chatter.* Soundwave replied continuing to walk through the cave.
"He's fine Bee, what's the status on the others?" Mirage replied to the youngling scout.
"Hurry up you grunts, make haste. I prefer to not disappoint our Lord." Starscream hissed at the Eradicons quickly loading a lift with energon.
Soundwave furrowed his optic ridges at the seeker. Scanning the area Soundwave noted the large elevator running out the mountain.
"Starscream!" The Warlords voice boomed through the cave. "Our guest needs your attention."
Starscream grinned eagerly flying up to the upper platform his leader stood on. "With pleasure my Lord." Starscream walked past the warlord and out of sight.
Megatron smirked, seeing the violet mech in the darkness of the cave. "Now, Makeshift..." the gunmetal grey mech said over his shoulder.
"Get away from me! I will never give out our base location!" Arcee's screams echoed through the cave.
"Arcee!?" Soundwave gasped striding out of the shadows.
The Warlords grin grew as he got closer to the lift. Soundwave tilted his helm, stopping in his tracks. *Mirage have you heard from Arcee?*
Mirage took a breath as he neared the top of the mountain. *Yeah they're on their way here they found nothing, but the twins are sure irritating her. So nothing to surprising.* nearing the peak, Mirage noticed a large lift protruding out of the mountain.
Thanks...* Soundwave took a few steps back, quickly scanning for the weapons.
Megatron's grin soon turned into a venomous frown. "This isn't working, Makeshift get down there and use this to your advantage." Megatron hissed handing the pitch black mech a small war head.
"Lord Megatron I can smite him without such accessories." Makeshift scoffed refusing the warhead.
Megatron growled grasping the mech's shoulder in his claws. Ripping the black mech towards him. "Don't get cocky, I will be the one to end Soundwave. Your job is to maim him. And if memory serves, the last encounter you had with Soundwave, ended with you crying in defeat."
"We were younglings my Lord!" Makeshift hissed, wincing in pain.
"Yes, and Soundwave completed his training and was heavily modified. Unlike you, who decided to abandon the program after the invasion. Now do as I say!" Megatron growled shoving the warhead in the mech's servos, tossing the darkened mech down to the pit below.
Soundwave leapt backwards as his old nemesis landed in front of him.
"Soundwave, it's been a long time." Makeshift grinned as he placed the warhead on his hip.
Soundwave cocked his helm. Watching his nemesis's moves intently. *I found the weapon.*
Mirage quickly tried to find a small opening around the lift. *I'm at the top of the lift, trying to get a visual. Don't engage.*
Soundwave looked up at the top of the cave, then back at Makeshit who took that opportunity to lunge at him. *Can't do that, I'm under attack.* Soundwave replied leaning back, dodging the fist.
Soundwave drew his sword, blocking the next blow with it.
Makeshift growled kicking out Soundwave's legs. Slamming the violet mech into the ground, Makeshift quickly pinned young mech to the ground with his servos. "Getting rusty Wave? Spending to much time hiding in the base?"
Soundwave ignored the taunts, releasing his tentacles, they quickly wrapped around the black mech's waist squeezing tightly, Soundwave slammed Makeshift into the ground beside him.
Megatron's anger boiled as Soundwave began to beat the scrap out the shapeshifter.
Soundwave punched the mech's helm numerous times, before slamming him against the wall.
Makeshift's processor was so shook he could barely comprehend what was happening around him.
Megatron began firing at Soundwave out of frustration. "Makeshift if you do not do as I say, I will make sure you're offlined!"
"Lord Megatron we should evacuate!" Starscream nervously advised his leader, wincing at every shot the warlord fired.
"Yeah evacuate you cowards!" Mirage teased, firing at the two mechs below.
"What the frag is this confusion, now you're a youngling?!" Starscream scoffed dancing on the spot as he dodged bullets.
"Makeshift!"
Makeshift groaned in pain his digits reaching for the warhead. Using the wall, he kicked off knocking Soundwave off balance onto the ground.
Megatron fired once more, hitting the violet mech's tentacles.
Soundwave hissed in pain releasing his hold on the shapeshifter. Retracting his tentacles to repair, glaring up at his evil father.
Megatron smirked as Makeshift held the warhead in his servo. Megatron quickly transformed flying out of the mine through the lift.
"Argh, you little scrapheap!" Starscream hissed in pain as he was hit with Mirage's bullets. He quickly transformed following the Warlord out of the mine.
"Mirage!" Arcee yelled seeing the red youngling on top of the mountain, as the Con's emerged next to him.
"You chose the wrong side faceless..." Makeshift said as he coughed up energon.
Soundwave narrowed his optics in confusion at the weakened pitch black mech. He wasn't even using his visor during this battle.
Mirage continued to fire at the escaping Decepticons. "Cowards, why you running!?" Mirage yelled as a massive explosion went off below him, a massive mushroom cloud of flame and chemical smoke shot up tearing through the top of the mountain. Mirage yelped as the ground beneath him crumbled, throwing him into the pit of fire below.
"Shit! Bee we found the explosives, the cons set it off!" Sideswipe gasped over the comlink.
"Arcee, Xanthia no!" Sunstreaker and Jazz quickly grabbed and held back both femmes, preventing them from running into the firery hell cave.
"Ratchet prepare sick bay. Is the ground bridge functional?" Optimus urgently asked over the comlink.
"Functional yes, safe I'm unsure! What's happening?!" Ratchet asked, looking over at the newly structured ground bridge.
"Soundwave and Mirage's vitals are critical Ratchet!" Bumblebee cried out in a panic, pointing up to the life signatures on the monitor.
"Optimus!?" Ratchet hissed trying to get an answer.
"Hostile!" Sideswipe alerted as a pitch black mech limped out of the cave.
"Fragging hell..." Makeshift groaned as all weapons were aimed on him.
"Who the frag is that?!" Sunstreaker hissed cocking his blaster.
"Someone... you... should fear..." Makeshift hissed in pain before transforming flying through the team of Autobots.
"Ironhide!" Optimus gestured for the weapon specialist to follow him into the cave.
Ironhide and the Prime only took a few steps towards the cave, only to see Mirage dragging Soundwave out of the cave.
Mirage drug his big brother's frame out of the smoke, his strength began to deplete as his arms began to shake. Taking a miss step Mirage fell onto his back with Soundwave landing on his stabilizer servos.
"Mirage, Soundwave!" Xanthia cried sliding to her sons side, pulling Mirage onto her, while placing a servo on her eldest son's chest.
Soundwave rolled onto his side, shielding his face with his arms.
"Soundwave!?" Arcee cried examining her badly damaged mech.
Both twins pulled the femme's away from the mutant brothers while Optimus and Ironhide scooped up both both injured brothers.
Ratchet locked onto the team's position and reluctantly fired up the ground bridge. Jazz was the first to arrive in the base. "It works Ratch, but I'd prepare to spend a lot of your time in the med bay."
"I'm a medic Jazz..." Ratchet rolled his optics as the rest of the team entered the base.
"Alright, I'm fine!" Mirage hopped out of Ironhide's arms, landing in a clumsy heap.
"No you're not!" Xanthia growled pulling her youngling up to his peds.
"Shut it, and sit your aft down." Ratchet waved a digit at the red youngling, before he could complain.
Soundwave continued to shield his helm from everyone's view. He slid out of the Prime's arms, weakly trying to stand on his wobbly legs.
"Soundwave!" Optimus held out his arms for the violet mech to grab onto.
Soundwave ignored the Prime, he couldn't see the Prime's kind gesture anyway. Turning his depth sensors on high. With all his might he drunkenly stormed down the hallway. Blindly finding the switch to the elevator, getting in the lift. Soundwave hyperventilated leaning on the lift wall, as it climbed. His spark raced as he materialized his visor, he let out an excruciating painful scream. Denting the wall as his fist hit it trying to relieve the pain. Exhaling heavily as his vision came back to him as his visor settled itself.
All bots turned their helms towards the hallway hearing the pain filled scream echoing.
"Arcee, go check on him, take my medical kit. Optimus bring him down here." Ratchet ordered handing the cobalt blue femme a small medical kit.
Optimus and Arcee quickly made their way to the lift.
Soundwave hid himself in the hanger bay cave. Kicking a rock out of the cave in frustration.
Arcee lifted her leg allowing the rock to travel past her, and hit the Prime's ped. "Soundwave are you alright?" Arcee asked keeping her voice soft, trying to hide her extreme concern.
"I'm fucking fantastic!" Soundwave hissed punching the rock wall.
