Power Struggles Chapter 3
Hello!! I'm back from computer crashes and summer finals. Now I just have to get through Fall. Have a new chapter and many apologies for not updating sooner (hopeful puppy look).
Hound felt an odd mixture of relief and trepidation when the Ark came into visual range. He was happy that he would see Mirage as soon as the other's shift was over. However, he wasn't as happy about the conversation he planned on having with his lover and hoped it didn't ruin their evening. The conversation he had with Trailbreaker an hour before had been educational to say the least.
“I don't think Mirage likes me very much,” Trailbreaker had finally admitted after growing tired of changing the subject each time his tenacious friend mentioned the noble.
Hound was so surprised by that statement he almost swerved off the road. “Why do you think that, 'Breaker?” True, Mirage didn't seem to like many of their comrades, but the spy never made a point of openly disliking them either. The worst he could be labeled was indifferent.
“I....” Trailbreaker trailed off. He was having trouble vocalizing his feelings in a way that would make sense to Hound. How do you explain acting like spoiled younglings fighting over a toy? Especially when the “toy” was your best friend.
“'Breaker, has Mirage said something to you?” Hound prompted. An uneasy feeling had settled over him. If anybot knew how to verbally cut a mech down it would be someone from the Towers. Hound knew, from the little Mirage would say about his past life, that some nobles almost made it a sport to destroy others. He just never thought his lover would be one of those.
Trailbreaker vented a sigh and stopped to transform back into his root mode. After Hound had done the same, Trailbreaker replied. “I don't think he was happy that you were coming with me on this trip. We kinda had a sorta argument when you went to get energon,” Trailbreaker almost winced. His voice had the same tone it had when he had to explain to his creators why there was high-grade in his room vorns before he old enough to legally drink it. If he recalled correctly his mother had the same look on her faceplates as Hound now sported.
“What kind of 'sorta argument' did you two have?” Hound asked. Was this issue a lot worst than he had assumed?
After venting another sigh Trailbreaker launched into an explanation of what happened in the rec room the previous day. He took great care in being as truthful as possible. As tempting as it was to paint Mirage the sole villain and himself the innocent victim, the strategist just wasn't the type to do that. Besides, that could have easily backfired.
“I see,” was all Hound said after the explanation was finished. After processing what was said for a few more moments he spoke again. “Look, 'Breaker, it's not like you planned to invite me to go camping the exact same night 'Raj was off duty. Right?”
At this Trailbreaker nodded emphatically. “I swear if I knew he switched with Smokescreen I never woulda...”
Hound held up his hand to halt his friend's explanation. “But you didn't know and that's okay. You know I have enough room in my life for both of you right?” At least, he thought those two knew that.
Trailbreaker nodded again. That was something he should have never doubted. Hound wasn't the type to dump a friend as soon as he got a lover. Trailbreaker just lost sight of that fact for awhile.
“When we get back, I'm going to talk to Mirage about this and see if I can get it straightened out,” Hound sounded like he was speaking more to himself as he transformed and pulled back onto the road home.
I just hope that doesn't make this worse, Trailbreaker thought to himself as he did the same.
Mirage wasn't sure what the twins had done to anger Red Alert. From the angry jabbing the Lambo was directing at his terminal's keyboard all shift the spy was sure he didn't wanted to know either. He did know the twins would be avoiding their brother for the foreseeable future if they had an sense of self-preservation.
He did manage to hear the security director mutter a few times about some request Prowl had better sign off on or else. That mildly piqued his curiosity, but he didn't want to remind Red Alert that he was in the room by asking what the other meant. Instead, he did his best to clock watch without looking like that was what he was doing. His shift was up in ten minutes and he wanted nothing more than to speak with Hound.
As soon as the two campers had gotten within range of the Ark Mirage had messaged Hound that he indeed managed another shift change. Hound had sounded happy, but there was an undercurrent in his tone that couldn't be placed and worried Mirage a little. And a worried Mirage became an imaginative Mirage. He had spent the last twenty minutes, when not clock watching or Red Alert watching, running through various scenarios in his head. His mind was currently playing out the one where Hound tells him it's over and rides off into the sunset with Trailbreaker. That fantasy was in a sub folder of his CPU labeled “worst case”.
He was pulled from his musings when the door slid open and Fireflight tumbled in looking absolutely desolate. “Hi, Red Alert. I know I'm early but I got into a fight....” the young jet paused when he realized the security director wasn't alone. “Hi, Mirage.”
For his part, Mirage wasn't surprised to see Fireflight. The entire Ark knew the security director had started giving the Aerialbot lessons in safety, and everyone had gotten used to seeing them together. Red Alert was also the first person Fireflight went to with a problem he couldn't take to Silverbolt.
“Hello, Fireflight,” Mirage offered the jet a smile. The poor creature looked like he could use one. Mirage was sure when Fireflight said “fight” he meant “argument” given the fact he appeared to have no physical damage. More than likely with one of his brothers since he was here with Red Alert. “Would you like to sit?” Mirage rose out of his chair and nudged it toward the younger Autobot.
“No. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt,” Fireflight somehow managed to look more crestfallen and started to back out the door.
“It's okay, 'Flight. You weren't interrupting. Mirage's shift is over anyway,” Red Alert surprised them both by speaking. That was the most Mirage heard him say all day. And he never heard the Lambo use such a careful tone. It was like he didn't want to frighten the jet into leaving.
Mirage was about to remind him that there was five minutes left when his CPU caught up with his vocals with the command to mute it. Red Alert never let anyone leave a shift early if there wasn't an emergency. Filing both Red Alert's behavior and tone into a sub-folder labeled “That's interesting” Mirage gave both a polite nod and left.
Mirage wasn't surprised to see Hound waiting for him when he made it back to his quarters. And Hound was in his usual spot at the head of the berth. In Mirage's mind that was a good sign. If something was horribly wrong then surely Hound wouldn't be acting so normal. Mirage was now positive that his weird feeling from earlier could be explained by the approaching date.
Mirage flung himself into Hound's arms as soon as the latter stood up. “Hound, I'm really glad you're here,” he whispered, surprised at exactly how deep he meant that statement. He was also surprised that he was clinging to the mech.
Hound was also surprised by the vehemence in which Mirage spoke and clung to him. “Glad to be back, 'Raj. I'm looking forward to spending the evening with you.” Mirage tightened his grip at those words and Hound was sorely tempted to not bring up anything unpleasant, but it had to be done. The scout tightened his own hold and steeled himself to speak further.
Hearing Hound call him by his nickname made made a pleasant heat travel through his frame. A pleasant heat that turned sub-zero at Hound's next five words. “But, we need to talk.”
A/N: Just a small explanation about Mirage's “approaching date” issue. Does anyone have a particular day of the year when things seem to go from sucky to worse? For me August 13 seems to be a horrible day every year. Leading up to that date I can be well on edge. Well, poor Mirage has one of those. Of course, no one knows about it because Mirage is Mirage.
Hound felt an odd mixture of relief and trepidation when the Ark came into visual range. He was happy that he would see Mirage as soon as the other's shift was over. However, he wasn't as happy about the conversation he planned on having with his lover and hoped it didn't ruin their evening. The conversation he had with Trailbreaker an hour before had been educational to say the least.
“I don't think Mirage likes me very much,” Trailbreaker had finally admitted after growing tired of changing the subject each time his tenacious friend mentioned the noble.
Hound was so surprised by that statement he almost swerved off the road. “Why do you think that, 'Breaker?” True, Mirage didn't seem to like many of their comrades, but the spy never made a point of openly disliking them either. The worst he could be labeled was indifferent.
“I....” Trailbreaker trailed off. He was having trouble vocalizing his feelings in a way that would make sense to Hound. How do you explain acting like spoiled younglings fighting over a toy? Especially when the “toy” was your best friend.
“'Breaker, has Mirage said something to you?” Hound prompted. An uneasy feeling had settled over him. If anybot knew how to verbally cut a mech down it would be someone from the Towers. Hound knew, from the little Mirage would say about his past life, that some nobles almost made it a sport to destroy others. He just never thought his lover would be one of those.
Trailbreaker vented a sigh and stopped to transform back into his root mode. After Hound had done the same, Trailbreaker replied. “I don't think he was happy that you were coming with me on this trip. We kinda had a sorta argument when you went to get energon,” Trailbreaker almost winced. His voice had the same tone it had when he had to explain to his creators why there was high-grade in his room vorns before he old enough to legally drink it. If he recalled correctly his mother had the same look on her faceplates as Hound now sported.
“What kind of 'sorta argument' did you two have?” Hound asked. Was this issue a lot worst than he had assumed?
After venting another sigh Trailbreaker launched into an explanation of what happened in the rec room the previous day. He took great care in being as truthful as possible. As tempting as it was to paint Mirage the sole villain and himself the innocent victim, the strategist just wasn't the type to do that. Besides, that could have easily backfired.
“I see,” was all Hound said after the explanation was finished. After processing what was said for a few more moments he spoke again. “Look, 'Breaker, it's not like you planned to invite me to go camping the exact same night 'Raj was off duty. Right?”
At this Trailbreaker nodded emphatically. “I swear if I knew he switched with Smokescreen I never woulda...”
Hound held up his hand to halt his friend's explanation. “But you didn't know and that's okay. You know I have enough room in my life for both of you right?” At least, he thought those two knew that.
Trailbreaker nodded again. That was something he should have never doubted. Hound wasn't the type to dump a friend as soon as he got a lover. Trailbreaker just lost sight of that fact for awhile.
“When we get back, I'm going to talk to Mirage about this and see if I can get it straightened out,” Hound sounded like he was speaking more to himself as he transformed and pulled back onto the road home.
I just hope that doesn't make this worse, Trailbreaker thought to himself as he did the same.
Mirage wasn't sure what the twins had done to anger Red Alert. From the angry jabbing the Lambo was directing at his terminal's keyboard all shift the spy was sure he didn't wanted to know either. He did know the twins would be avoiding their brother for the foreseeable future if they had an sense of self-preservation.
He did manage to hear the security director mutter a few times about some request Prowl had better sign off on or else. That mildly piqued his curiosity, but he didn't want to remind Red Alert that he was in the room by asking what the other meant. Instead, he did his best to clock watch without looking like that was what he was doing. His shift was up in ten minutes and he wanted nothing more than to speak with Hound.
As soon as the two campers had gotten within range of the Ark Mirage had messaged Hound that he indeed managed another shift change. Hound had sounded happy, but there was an undercurrent in his tone that couldn't be placed and worried Mirage a little. And a worried Mirage became an imaginative Mirage. He had spent the last twenty minutes, when not clock watching or Red Alert watching, running through various scenarios in his head. His mind was currently playing out the one where Hound tells him it's over and rides off into the sunset with Trailbreaker. That fantasy was in a sub folder of his CPU labeled “worst case”.
He was pulled from his musings when the door slid open and Fireflight tumbled in looking absolutely desolate. “Hi, Red Alert. I know I'm early but I got into a fight....” the young jet paused when he realized the security director wasn't alone. “Hi, Mirage.”
For his part, Mirage wasn't surprised to see Fireflight. The entire Ark knew the security director had started giving the Aerialbot lessons in safety, and everyone had gotten used to seeing them together. Red Alert was also the first person Fireflight went to with a problem he couldn't take to Silverbolt.
“Hello, Fireflight,” Mirage offered the jet a smile. The poor creature looked like he could use one. Mirage was sure when Fireflight said “fight” he meant “argument” given the fact he appeared to have no physical damage. More than likely with one of his brothers since he was here with Red Alert. “Would you like to sit?” Mirage rose out of his chair and nudged it toward the younger Autobot.
“No. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt,” Fireflight somehow managed to look more crestfallen and started to back out the door.
“It's okay, 'Flight. You weren't interrupting. Mirage's shift is over anyway,” Red Alert surprised them both by speaking. That was the most Mirage heard him say all day. And he never heard the Lambo use such a careful tone. It was like he didn't want to frighten the jet into leaving.
Mirage was about to remind him that there was five minutes left when his CPU caught up with his vocals with the command to mute it. Red Alert never let anyone leave a shift early if there wasn't an emergency. Filing both Red Alert's behavior and tone into a sub-folder labeled “That's interesting” Mirage gave both a polite nod and left.
Mirage wasn't surprised to see Hound waiting for him when he made it back to his quarters. And Hound was in his usual spot at the head of the berth. In Mirage's mind that was a good sign. If something was horribly wrong then surely Hound wouldn't be acting so normal. Mirage was now positive that his weird feeling from earlier could be explained by the approaching date.
Mirage flung himself into Hound's arms as soon as the latter stood up. “Hound, I'm really glad you're here,” he whispered, surprised at exactly how deep he meant that statement. He was also surprised that he was clinging to the mech.
Hound was also surprised by the vehemence in which Mirage spoke and clung to him. “Glad to be back, 'Raj. I'm looking forward to spending the evening with you.” Mirage tightened his grip at those words and Hound was sorely tempted to not bring up anything unpleasant, but it had to be done. The scout tightened his own hold and steeled himself to speak further.
Hearing Hound call him by his nickname made made a pleasant heat travel through his frame. A pleasant heat that turned sub-zero at Hound's next five words. “But, we need to talk.”
A/N: Just a small explanation about Mirage's “approaching date” issue. Does anyone have a particular day of the year when things seem to go from sucky to worse? For me August 13 seems to be a horrible day every year. Leading up to that date I can be well on edge. Well, poor Mirage has one of those. Of course, no one knows about it because Mirage is Mirage.