Savior (Such a Beautiful Thing 2/12), an Avalonverse ficlet
Title: Such a Beautiful Thing: Savior (2/12)
Universe: G1, Avalon AU
Characters: Hound, Mirage
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Notes: written for houndxmirage's Three's A Charm Challenge. thanks to minibot_love for the beta work.
The Towers were falling.
The attack had been largely unexpected, though hardly unprovoked. The nobility had spent its time looking down on the revolutionaries, mocking them and their goals or discounting them altogether. It had been almost inevitable that the Decepticons-a most fitting title, in the end-decide to take down the most visible symbol of the division between the classes and eliminate their loudest opponents in one strike.
The nobles had never had a chance.
Crystal shards rained down around the hiding place Mirage and Mirrorcloak had ducked into. They were both battered and bleeding energon from damaged lines, but they were still functional. If they could just stay hidden until the battle was over, they stood a chance of surviving this massacre. Mirage held Mirrorcloak tightly and prayed that neither of them would make a sound that would betray their presence.
Regrets ran through his processor as they hid, in a litany of things he should have done differently. He should have defied his progenitor and gone to the military academy. He shouldn’t have agreed to the bond-promise with a femme he didn’t even like, let alone love. He should have gone on the tour of Cybertron when his old tutor offered to take him. He should have gone back to the confectioner’s shop to find that guide again.
It was strange how, even as his family and acquaintances were being deactivated around him, he fixated on that last idea. The guide hadn’t been a truly attractive mech, though he had a rugged charm and kind optics. They hadn’t even really spoken to each other or even exchanged names. Yet somehow, not meeting the mech again was somehow one of his greatest regrets.
“Oh, Primus, they’re coming!” Mirrorcloak hissed, breaking him out of his thoughts. “They’re going to see us and-”
“Hush!” Mirage did his best to keep his tone soft and still quiet the frantic femme.
Despite his effort, the Decepticons still stopped directly in front of their hiding place. With a sinking spark, Mirage counted four sets of legs. All of them were heavily armored and one mech had a rifle in a holster along one leg. Even if that was the only weapon between them-unlikely as that scenario was-it would be more than enough to pierce their more delicate armor and deactivate them.
“Did any of you hear that?” The question reinforced the idea that they would not be escaping.
“I did!” The second Decepticon sounded far too excited. Mirrorcloak whimpered and clung to Mirage more tightly.
“Quiet, both of you!” The third Decepticon’s voice was commanding. Most likely the leader, though that knowledge probably wouldn’t help them. “Brawl, Blast Off, find her.”
“Can we keep her?” the second Decepticon asked as two of the larger mechs moved toward their hiding place. “I’ve always wanted a little femme to keep chained to the foot of my berth.”
“Shut up, Vortex,” the leader snapped. “Megatron said no survivors. And nobody else cares about your sick fantasies.”
When she heard the exchange, Mirrorcloak clawed her way out of Mirage’s arms and launched herself out of their hiding place. It was all the blue and white mech could do not to go after her and pull her back. If they didn’t know about him, remaining hidden would be the only way he would make it out. He ached to know that Mirrorcloak’s panic prevented her from doing the same.
He watched in horror as she ran into the waiting arms of the largest of the Decepticons.
“Well, that was too easy.” The Decepticon’s voice was far too calm for the situation, lacking almost any inflection at all. It was almost as chilling as the other mech’s excitement. “How disappointing.”
“Quit complaining and take care of her.” The leader sounded like he was losing patience. “We’re not being paid to have fun out here.”
“Aww, can’t we play with her for just a little while?” Mirrorcloak screamed at Vortex’s words and he cackled at her reaction. “This one would be so much fun!”
“No.” The command was very final, and Mirage was strangely grateful that Mirrorcloak wouldn’t be subjected to whatever plans Vortex had for her. “Blast Off, take care of her. Brawl, see if she has any friends in there. Vortex, do something useful for a change and fly recon.”
The energon froze in Mirage’s lines as Brawl moved closer to his hiding place. As soon as the larger mech bent down, everything would be over. He offlined his optics, unwilling to see his deactivation coming.
“Nobody here, boss.” Brawl’s words were shocking enough that Mirage almost brought his optics back online. Primus had obviously granted him some sort of mercy and he was unwilling to allow a physical reaction to undo it.
“All right. Let’s get moving. Megatron’s calling for reinforcements on the southern edge of the city.”
There was a clatter of metal hitting the ground-what was left of Mirrorcloak, most likely-and the sound of heavy feet walking away. Mirage stayed still and silent, thanking Primus for his salvation. Even after the sounds of the Decepticon’s footsteps had been drowned out by obvious combat, he didn’t move.
“It’s all right, you can come out now.” The voice was kind and naggingly familiar. Mirage brought his optics back online and saw the guide he had met in the confectioner’s shop looking back at him. “Are you hurt?”
For a brief moment, everything that had just happened was blocked out. “I remember you!”
The guide looked at him in concern. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” Carefully, Mirage crawled out of his hiding place. “I’m fine now.”
“Then let’s get out of here. I’m not armed enough to take on any Decepticons right now.”
Mirage nodded. This was not how he had expected to ever meet this mech again, but the universe worked in strange ways. He would not take it for granted again.
The last of the colors faded from Mirrorcloak’s plating as he followed his guide out of the ruins.
Universe: G1, Avalon AU
Characters: Hound, Mirage
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Notes: written for houndxmirage's Three's A Charm Challenge. thanks to minibot_love for the beta work.
The Towers were falling.
The attack had been largely unexpected, though hardly unprovoked. The nobility had spent its time looking down on the revolutionaries, mocking them and their goals or discounting them altogether. It had been almost inevitable that the Decepticons-a most fitting title, in the end-decide to take down the most visible symbol of the division between the classes and eliminate their loudest opponents in one strike.
The nobles had never had a chance.
Crystal shards rained down around the hiding place Mirage and Mirrorcloak had ducked into. They were both battered and bleeding energon from damaged lines, but they were still functional. If they could just stay hidden until the battle was over, they stood a chance of surviving this massacre. Mirage held Mirrorcloak tightly and prayed that neither of them would make a sound that would betray their presence.
Regrets ran through his processor as they hid, in a litany of things he should have done differently. He should have defied his progenitor and gone to the military academy. He shouldn’t have agreed to the bond-promise with a femme he didn’t even like, let alone love. He should have gone on the tour of Cybertron when his old tutor offered to take him. He should have gone back to the confectioner’s shop to find that guide again.
It was strange how, even as his family and acquaintances were being deactivated around him, he fixated on that last idea. The guide hadn’t been a truly attractive mech, though he had a rugged charm and kind optics. They hadn’t even really spoken to each other or even exchanged names. Yet somehow, not meeting the mech again was somehow one of his greatest regrets.
“Oh, Primus, they’re coming!” Mirrorcloak hissed, breaking him out of his thoughts. “They’re going to see us and-”
“Hush!” Mirage did his best to keep his tone soft and still quiet the frantic femme.
Despite his effort, the Decepticons still stopped directly in front of their hiding place. With a sinking spark, Mirage counted four sets of legs. All of them were heavily armored and one mech had a rifle in a holster along one leg. Even if that was the only weapon between them-unlikely as that scenario was-it would be more than enough to pierce their more delicate armor and deactivate them.
“Did any of you hear that?” The question reinforced the idea that they would not be escaping.
“I did!” The second Decepticon sounded far too excited. Mirrorcloak whimpered and clung to Mirage more tightly.
“Quiet, both of you!” The third Decepticon’s voice was commanding. Most likely the leader, though that knowledge probably wouldn’t help them. “Brawl, Blast Off, find her.”
“Can we keep her?” the second Decepticon asked as two of the larger mechs moved toward their hiding place. “I’ve always wanted a little femme to keep chained to the foot of my berth.”
“Shut up, Vortex,” the leader snapped. “Megatron said no survivors. And nobody else cares about your sick fantasies.”
When she heard the exchange, Mirrorcloak clawed her way out of Mirage’s arms and launched herself out of their hiding place. It was all the blue and white mech could do not to go after her and pull her back. If they didn’t know about him, remaining hidden would be the only way he would make it out. He ached to know that Mirrorcloak’s panic prevented her from doing the same.
He watched in horror as she ran into the waiting arms of the largest of the Decepticons.
“Well, that was too easy.” The Decepticon’s voice was far too calm for the situation, lacking almost any inflection at all. It was almost as chilling as the other mech’s excitement. “How disappointing.”
“Quit complaining and take care of her.” The leader sounded like he was losing patience. “We’re not being paid to have fun out here.”
“Aww, can’t we play with her for just a little while?” Mirrorcloak screamed at Vortex’s words and he cackled at her reaction. “This one would be so much fun!”
“No.” The command was very final, and Mirage was strangely grateful that Mirrorcloak wouldn’t be subjected to whatever plans Vortex had for her. “Blast Off, take care of her. Brawl, see if she has any friends in there. Vortex, do something useful for a change and fly recon.”
The energon froze in Mirage’s lines as Brawl moved closer to his hiding place. As soon as the larger mech bent down, everything would be over. He offlined his optics, unwilling to see his deactivation coming.
“Nobody here, boss.” Brawl’s words were shocking enough that Mirage almost brought his optics back online. Primus had obviously granted him some sort of mercy and he was unwilling to allow a physical reaction to undo it.
“All right. Let’s get moving. Megatron’s calling for reinforcements on the southern edge of the city.”
There was a clatter of metal hitting the ground-what was left of Mirrorcloak, most likely-and the sound of heavy feet walking away. Mirage stayed still and silent, thanking Primus for his salvation. Even after the sounds of the Decepticon’s footsteps had been drowned out by obvious combat, he didn’t move.
“It’s all right, you can come out now.” The voice was kind and naggingly familiar. Mirage brought his optics back online and saw the guide he had met in the confectioner’s shop looking back at him. “Are you hurt?”
For a brief moment, everything that had just happened was blocked out. “I remember you!”
The guide looked at him in concern. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” Carefully, Mirage crawled out of his hiding place. “I’m fine now.”
“Then let’s get out of here. I’m not armed enough to take on any Decepticons right now.”
Mirage nodded. This was not how he had expected to ever meet this mech again, but the universe worked in strange ways. He would not take it for granted again.
The last of the colors faded from Mirrorcloak’s plating as he followed his guide out of the ruins.