/Remix's P.O.V/
"Oh come on!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms up in the air in annoyance.
"I told you, this game should be called 'Chase Always Wins'" Heatwave commented, and I rolled my optics in annoyance.
"He is undefeatable." Boulder commented, as he was secretly rooting for his best friend.
Out of the corner of my optic, I saw Blades and Blurr helping Smokescreen with his steps.
"Hey, Smoke-A-Nator. C'mere." I told the white bot, who slowly and shakily made his way over. "Ever played?"
"Yeah, but what—"
"Great! Try to beat Chase!" I told him, putting him in my place.
"Nobody's been known to beat Chase, 'Mix. You know that." Blades commented and I smiled.
"You never ~know~" I sang, earning a very amused look from my best friend.
"Okay, so what's so special about this game?" Sam asked, obviously hearing the conversation before. "I've still a little tricky with Cybertronian games." I learned down towards her pointing to each piece as I explained.
"Okay, so look at Chase and Smoke," I told her, pointing to each piece as I explained. "The circles are the king, triangles the queen, and the cubes are the knights. It's a Cybertronian version of your chess. Now, Chase is a grandmaster. Who's about to lose."
"Remix, do you see this? Checkmate in 8 moves! He's amazing!" Chase exclaimed as Smokescreen had just beat him. Nobody has ever beat him. I then looked to Blurr.
"He doesn't like to walk with help, but he does it because he wants to be close to you. He knows that it's hard for him, but he doesn't want to be recognized as a failure or let you down. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your boyfriend's a genius." I spoke softly so Smokescreen didn't hear us.
"He's not my boyfriend." Blurr crossed his arms in annoyance and I smirked.
"Say whatever you gotta say to make yourself feel better." I teased the speedster, who rolled his optics at me.
"Smokescreen," Blades walked up to the bot. "I really think you should have an aleumr alqanuniu." Smokey groaned in annoyance.
"I already told you I don't want an aleumr alqanuniu!" He exclaimed, getting quickly irritated.
"Oh really?" A white muscle car drove up, quickly transforming. "That's not like you."
"Mirage?" Smokescreen asked, stepping slightly towards his brother. "What're you doing here?"
"I'm doing you a favor, little bro. You've been talking about your aleumr alqanuniu since you were fifteen. Why the sudden change?" He asked and Smokey rolled his optics.
"Oh, let's see. No place to party, no music, no formal paintjobs, no 'father figure' to do the first dance or a significant other to dance with either." He expressed, raising a digit to each thing he listed.
"We could turn the bunker into a ballroom. And Miko has a stereo that can be played throughout the whole firehouse. I have some extra formal paintjob polish. No answer on the father figure or significant other…. But that's still three out of five problems solved." Mirage commented, trying desperately to come up with a solution for the last two things.
I saw Blades elbow Blurr in the stomach, causing him to hit the copter-bot in the back of the head.
"Ow!"
"You deserved it!" Blurr whisper-yelled to the older mech. I rolled my optics in annoyance.
"That's still two problems not solved, Impatiens." Smokescreen called his brother some nickname. "You really think that I would go through with this just because you said so?" Smokescreen narrowed his optics at Mirage.
"Look," Mirage stepped towards Smokescreen. "It's a coming of age tradition. It's a custom. It's for all carriers! And you should be proud of that fact." Mirage stated and that's when Smokescreen blew up.
"Exactly! Why the hell would I want a carrier celebration when my so called 'father' hates my gears just because I'm a carrier! He won't even talk to me! So, let me be clear. I. do not. Want. An aleumr alqanuniu. I will never want one. I do not want to be recognized for being a carrier. It's. Stupid. I shouldn't have to celebrate being a carrier just because society says I have to! There will be no celebration. Am I clear?" Smokescreen was in Mirage's face and he nodded very slowly.
"Crystal…" He mumbled and Smokescreen started to walk away, very slowly, on his crutches. We watched him until we couldn't see him anymore and Mirage sighed in defeat.
/
A bit later, Heatwave wasn't exactly happy with Blades, Mirage, Blurr and I.
"So, you four thought that Smokescreen just had to have an aleumr alqanuniu just because of the customs?" Heatwave asked us, arms crossed. Each of us were sitting on a giant box that were used as chairs for us, Heatwave standing in front of us.
"To be fair, Uncle Heatwave…. Blurr wasn't exactly into it." Blades commented, looking to the younger bot. "Sorry for dragging you into this."
"And trying to persuade you to asking Smokes out of a first date because of the aleumr alqanuniu…..." I added.
"Hang on…..." Heatwave thought for a moment. "You two," He pointed to Blades and I. "Wanted Blurr to ask Smokescreen out because of his aleumr alqanuniu?!" Heatwave yelled, causing the both of us to flinch. "Of all the scrap-brained ideas! Are you two insane?! I've let your two's antics slide in the past, but this?! Have you seen Smokescreen?! He's upset. He refuses to talk to any of you with the exception of Blurr. he is recovering from physical trauma. I expect more from you two." I looked down, ashamed that I disappointed my father-figure.
"We're sorry, Uncle Heatwave…." Blades mumbled, equally ashamed.
"I bet you are." Heatwave commented, sarcastically. "And to prove that you are, you two have curbside duty for a month." I eyed him in shock.
"But Heatwave, we—" I tried to say, but he shot me a look. "…We'd be happy to."
"And you'll be doing everyone else's chores during that month." Heatwave added.
"But Uncle Heatwave, we have—" Blades began to say, but Heatwave shot him another one of his famous looks. "…We'd be happy to."
"Good. And once Smokescreen feels like talking to you three, I expect you to apologize to him." Heatwave commented and I nodded. "I will be talking to Smokescreen, making sure that he gets that apology." Blades sighed, relaxing his head on his arm. "And as for you…" He looks to Mirage, who looked very confused. "You're grounded too."
"I hardly know you." Mirage spoke up, quietly.
"I don't care. You're my son now. I've seen how Stormbreaker treats you." Heatwave gave the slightest smile, but then remembered he was punishing us and cleared his throat. "I talked to Optimus. You'll be staying with us for two weeks. From what I've gathered from him, you're very shy and don't have a lot of human knowledge. I want you to get to know the humans in this firehouse. And try to make it up to your brother. You haven't seen what we have. He's depressed. He hates that he can't walk like he used to." Mirage nodded slowly at that, looking down.
"Yes Sir…." He commented, unable to make eye contact. Heatwave kneeled down towards him, making Mirage look him in the optic.
"Call me Heatwave." He told the bot, who nodded slowly.
"Yes Heatwave, Sir." Mirage responded and Heatwave gave a slightly annoyed expression.
"Close enough." Heatwave then looked to Blurr. "From what I understand, you didn't want any part of this?" Blurr looked at Heatwave, shakily, not wanting to get Blades and I in trouble.
"It's okay, Blurr." Blades told him.
"W-W-Well…. Blades was the one that told me that Smokey should have an aleumr alqanuniu…. But from what I understood, he never really wanted one to begin with." Blurr explained and Heatwave nodded.
"I see…..." He looked at Blades.
"I-I never wanted to get Smokey upset…" Tears welled up in his optics. "I just wanted him to be happy…."
"Hey." Heatwave looked at his middle child, making him look his father in the optic. "Your sparks too good for this world. For any world. You may have done very stupid things in the past, but this? You never asked Smokescreen what he wanted to do for an aleumr alqanuniu. Is that correct?" He nodded silently, not looking at any of us.
"Blurr, we're not mad. It's okay." I reassured him, knowing that his mind likes t tell him other things that aren't true. Blurr still didn't look up at any of us and continued to looked defeated.
"Okay," Heatwave commented, standing up straight again. "I think we're done here. The three of you go to your rooms."
"I don't have a room." Mirage commented and Heatwave sighed, shaking his head.
"Well, I'm going to find a room. And I'm going to put you in it. Blades, Remix, go. Now." He told us, which we gladly obliged. "Mirage, I'll find you a room since you're not exactly Smokescreen's favorite bot right now."
"Don't remind me…" Mirage replied, softly.
"Hey." Aqua wrapped her arm around my back when she saw me walking to our room. "Are you grounded?"
"Curbside duty for a month." I told her and she winced.
"Oooh…. Yikes." She commented.
"Yeah…" I mumbled, knowing I really did screw up.
"Well, you just wanted what was best for Smokescreen. He has been really depressed lately."
"Yeah, but I'm his mentor. I'm not supposed to stab him in the back like this!" I exclaimed, collapsing on our bed, face downwards. "I'm the worst." I commented, though it was muffled.
"No, you're not the worst."
"Tell that to your father." I told her, earning a look from her. "I fucking suck…"
"Remix…" Aqua tried to reason with me, but I quickly sat up and faced her.
"No, I really am the fucking worst. Do you know why?" I asked her and interrupted her before she could answer. "Mirage trusted me to be his mentor. To keep him safe. And I failed at that. I fucking failed, Aqua. I am a horrible mentor. Primus…... I really fucked it up…. I fucked it up big time."
"Hey." Aqua put a servo on my leg. "Nobody said this was going to be easy. Heck, you and Blades are both to blame."
"Yeah, but Blades is used to getting in trouble for things like this!" I exclaimed, crossing my arms. "I'm used to getting in trouble for pouring an entire thing of hot sauce down my throat. Or mixing the worst alcoholic beverages together. Or yeeting myself off the firehouse and breaking my leg!"
"To be fair, both you and Blurr did the last one together,"
"That's not the point! The point is, I'm the one who shouldn't mess up for things like this." I covered my face with my hands. "What the hell got into me?"
"Remix…."
"I hate myself!" I threw my face on my bed again. "I might as well jump off the roof again."
"Do that and Heatwave will have a reason to pound you will a mallet." Aqua sat next to me. "Now get up, you're messing up our bed." I sat him, my legs hanging over the bed, copying my wife. "He believes in you, you know?"
"Who?" I asked and Aqua chuckled lightly.
"Smokescreen."
"How do you know?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"Him and I have talked."
"About what?"
"This and that. Siblings. Relationships. His thoughts…. I'm worried for him." Aqua confessed with a sigh. "He's close with Mirage, but he's worried for him. He wants to be recognized for his talents, but he doesn't know what they are anymore. He looks up to you…"
"I guess we can make that 'looked'" I sighed in defeat. "I feel awful."
"I know. But he'll come around." Aqua consoled me and I gave her a look.
"How do you know that?"
"He told me that if his Dad changed his ways and asked for forgiveness, he'd forgive him. That's just a bit over twenty years of resentment right there. I think you're good." She patted my leg in comfort, standing up. "I'm going to get something to eat. Need anything?"
"A will to live." I responded, no emotion whatsoever.
"Remix." She eyed me, an knowing pregnant wife look.
"I'm joking, I'm fine." I told her and she smiled.
"Good." She walked out of the room, closing the door.
No sooner did she close the door did I fall onto my back on my bed, servos over my face. I allowed tears to fall down my face. I really messed up. I never wanted to hurt him, I just…. I want him to be happy. He hasn't smiled once since the accident. I thought the aleumr alqanuniu would make him smile….
I guess I was wrong.