Temporary 'home' [open to any Autobot or ally]

[heroindisguise]

Characters: Optimus, Read Alert, Mirage, any Autobot who wants to tag along.
Content: The Autobots regroup after the skirmish and decide what to do next. Luckily, the deserted Autobot base is where they expected it to be.
Location: Autobot base - Iacon.
Time of day: Late evening
Warnings: none.
Status: (Active/Finished?) Active

Comments

[hidingnotlost]

The roads of Cybetron were smooth, and his alt form held his injuries stable, making travel easy. It felt good to be following Optimus again, an Optimus that was sure of himself and unafraid to take charge. Mirage hoped it would last. He had a sense of direction with things as they were now.

Mirage transformed near the center of their ranks, walking up to the front where Optimus was waiting for him. "Yes sir, my self-repair systems have been working as we traveled."

The concern and friendliness Optimus showed made forgetting that they weren't actually familiar with each other easy. "Of course. I will comm you if I run into trouble, or to give the all-clear."

With that, he transformed once more and zipped off toward the base. Once again he attempted to activate his electro-disruptors, and found they actually functioned this time. Invisible and silent. Just as he liked. The building loomed ahead, and on the periphery of the exterior wall, he shifted into bipedal mode to explore the perimeter first.

[scientificlife]

The Autobot base had proven to be the best possible choice as far as patching Jazz up went, the sniper, his scientist double, Jazz, and Chromia having set up camp while the injure mech was repaired. Perceptor helped where he could but he was out of practice while his double was much more capable, so the majority of the repairs he left to Percy. Instead he aided Chromia with scouting, allowing the femme to venture deeper into Iacon while he himself stuck close to base, keeping an optics on the perimeter as well as the two inside

[hidingnotlost]

Not much time had passed before Mirage came upon the scientist-gone-sniper. He recognized Perceptor immediately, but still hesitated to reveal himself or approach too close right away.

It could be a trick, or maybe this, like Optimus, wasn't the one he knew. maybe this one was evil, or crazy, or trigger-happy? Well, only one way to find out.

"Perceptor?" He asked as non-threateningly as possible, remaining invisible. If this was a Perceptor that knew a Mirage, he wouldn't be too alarmed by the disembodied voice.

[scientificlife]

The sniper startled slightly as his name was spoken, instinctively reaching back for his rifle before he paused and it was lucky for the invisible mech that he was able to put two and two together quickly enough.

Disappearing spark signature. Someone that he couldn't see speaking his name. The answer was pretty much smacking him right in the face.

"Mirage?" he asked after another brief moment, optics darting one way then the other as his target optic attempted to locate the others exact location. "...I should have guessed upon your initial approach to the base."

Now, question was, was this his reality's Mirage?

[hidingnotlost]

Luck had nothing to do with it. Right after he'd spoken, Mirage had moved, taking a few steps to the side and crouching. No way was he going to let anyone triangulate his position based on his voice and shoot him. He was too smart for that.

It seemed an unnecessary precaution, however, and Mirage slowly stood, then let his cover drop, becoming visible once more. "I did not realize my progress was being tracked."

Well, this Perceptor looked like his, but he was having a hard time imagining how a Perceptor might differ. It had taken quite a bit of examination to see any difference in Optimus.

[scientificlife]

"Optimus' announcement would be the reason for me doing that," Perceptor murmured as he took a half step back, frame tension just a touch as the other bot finally made himself visible. His targeting optic immediately did a breakdown of the blue and white mech, vitals appearing first and foremost.

The sniper's helm tilted to the side as his optics dimmed to a slight narrow, blatantly looking Mirage over in a once over.

"...If I may inquire...what is your Cybertron like?"

[hidingnotlost]

Mirage didn't care that Perceptor was looking him over, because he was doing the same. There had to be some key difference he was missing...

Well, what a question!

"A husk. An Insecticon swarm is all that still lives there," he reported coldly.

A soft smirk crept up on his face. "Who else is with you?"

[scientificlife]

That small bit of information was exactly what Perceptor was looking for.

"A swarm that kept you and the other Autobots at bay until the Wreckers appeared, yes?" he inquired, optics flickering some before he relaxed just a bit, fairly certain now that this was, in fact, the Mirage he knew.

"Another version of myself and two bots from the same universe, Jazz and Chromia. Jazz was injured upon arrival here and we have been using the safety of this particular place in order to repair him."

[hidingnotlost]

Relief flooded Mirage's frame at Perceptor's continuation of his story. After a moment of hesitation, the spy stepped forward, grasping Perceptor's forearms in a warm gesture. "It's good to see you." As nice as the Autobots he had been traveling with were, it was nice to see someone he was genuinely familiar with.

"Perhaps they might be from the same universe my companions are from," he pondered, taking a step back from the scientist. "Is this place secure, then?"

[scientificlife]

More relief flooded him as Mirage stepped forward and grasped his arms, Perceptor lifting a hand to return the gesture as a faint, flicker of a smile touched his lip components.

"You as well. I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one from our world here," he said, shaking his helm a bit before curiosity took over his expression. "Your companions are from another reality?" Then that most likely meant... "Optimus as well?"

And here he had been hoping.

"Yes, as secure as it can be with four bots on guard," he said with a nod, glancing back at the base. "Optimus mentioned Decepticons but we have yet to see any."

[hidingnotlost]

"Yes. I am the only one of our world that I have met thusfar, though they are all very similar in appearance, for the most part, with a few varying personality differences." Like that off-the-wall Red Alert they were traveling with...

"Optimus is very accepting, but no, he is not ours. We had thought we were the other's at first, but he became confused by my optics. He was convinced they were supposed to be 'Autobot blue'." Still a strange concept.

Which reminded him... He sent out a transmission to Optimus Prime.

// We are not alone, but it is safe. //

"Yes, we encountered Shockwave, Megatron, and... something else, it seemed to be an odd variation of an insecticon, but much smaller. None were from our world."

[heroindisguise]

Optimus returned the transmission with a hint of surprise, but audibly relieved.

//Thanks, Mirage. We really can do with some good news. We'll head inside right away.//

Turning towards the other 'bots waiting around outside, he gestured with one arm. "It's clear! We can go in."