Title:Out of the Ashes

Timeline: G1, ties loosely in with IDW's Megatron Origins comic series

Disclaimer: Transformers property of Hasbro. Use of characters and situations purely as fan appreciation, no profit is to be made.

Description:Mirage, son of two Cybertronian senators finds all his world turn to ash in one day. Being so bent on revenge, can he aid the Autobots in their time of need?

Notes:Redscale is a character designed by another, used in tribute to them for beta-ing this and another Mirage fic that is coming up. There are four parts in total to this story.

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Chapter One

Mirage walked away from his group of friends, who didn't even notice him leaving. He was getting more and more disillusioned with them, he still enjoyed the individual company but when they got together in a group things became different. With all the recent rumoured upheaval he just didn't agree with the majority of the new things they had been 'experimenting' with. He had seen the 'matches' on the screens but it just seemed barbaric to him, rather than entertainment. Mirage transformed into his alternate shape, a sleek and fast 4-wheeled vehicle, just as slim and nimble as he was in his robotic form. He drove to the shooting range for a couple of shots, the marshal waving him in. He quickly transformed and pulled out his usual pistol, taking aim. He was somewhat of a regular there, always shooting the targets, always hitting each target directly in the centre.

"Lucky shot, Mirage!" a voice called from behind him, during his second round of shots. Mirage ignored the newcomer and hit the next moving target head on.

"I'm talking to you Mirage," the voice demanded.

"And I'm ignoring you Dire," Mirage responded, hitting the next three targets in quick succession.

Dire towered behind Mirage. His shadow completely enveloped the smaller mech, it was hard to believe they were brothers. Dire made to grab the weapon, but Mirage stepped expertly out of the way and swung the gun down in his hand, then held it out, "Fine, have a go." He was used to avoiding confrontations of might with his brother.

Dire scowled at his younger brother and snatched the weapon. Dire shot off several rounds, all of them hitting wide before admitting defeat and stopping.

"Like I said, lucky shot," Dire mumbled.

"What are you doing here Dire? Your little 'sport' get bored of you?" Mirage teased. Mirage knew his brother was courting one of the local girls, not very successfully at that.

Dire scowled at the smaller mech and went to grab him, but Mirage was too quick and deftly shied away, holding up his hands in submission.

"Mother called me and instructed me to come find you," Dire replied, clearly annoyed at being the errand boy, but no one went up against their mother and lived to tell the tale.

Mirage nodded, "Ok, lets go then, must be important for her to call us both in." The unspoken words of at the same time left in the air between them.

---

Mirage walked through the door of his home and bowed to his mother. She motioned for the maid to leave and embraced her youngest son, "Mirage, I'm glad you have returned, I was getting worried."

"Worried? I was just training."

"Yes I know, but you are not built like your brother."

Mirage feigned a smile. Of course, he knew was too small to be considered an effective asset to the sentinels, but that didn't mean he couldn't learn some of their tactics. Beat sitting around reading missives all day.

Dire cleared his throat and his mother embraced her older son warmly as well. Dire was well on his way to becoming an officer of the guardians.

"You have called us here Mother?" Mirage interrupted, there was no way he was getting into that conversation again.

"Yes yes, I'm sure you have heard the rumours, of dissention in the worker crews on some of the worker planets?"

"The mass automation and rebellion you mean?" Mirage added.

His mother gave him a pained look before continuing, "Yes, the issue has spread and I fear it will come to Cybertron, there is talk of a new group of mechanoids coming from these ranks. The main instigators have been arrested, but I fear that will not be the end of it. The prison is just too full at the moment, I fear things may escalate beyond control."

Mirage said nothing, he did not realise things had gotten so bad. He had heard rumours of the security detail arresting some of the mechs involved in the fighting syndication but very little since. It would take some time to process all of the individuals. Dire listened raptly to his mother, this was a prospect of showing off his new skills, making his parents proud of him.

"I do not know what the senators will do, they have attempted to hold in the insurrection but I fear we have only made it worse." A loud rumble was heard in the distance, his mother looked at them in fear, "It has already begun."

Mirage quickly grabbed his mother and spared a glance at his brother before turning the pair invisible.

Dire ran off towards the sentinel barracks whilst Mirage looked for a place to hide his mother. He lead her to the basement and shed the invisibility. He went to leave but his mother grabbed his arm, "Your father, he is with the senators now. Be careful Mirage!"

Mirage nodded and shut the door on his way out. He ran, as fast as he could. He heard a plane above him and watched as his brother disappeared in the direction of the council chambers. As Mirage reached the crest before the chambers, what he saw stopped him in his tracks. Legions of mechs were swarming the area, and in their lead was a battle scarred mechanoid with glowing red eyes; one who Mirage thought to be called Megatron. The guardians towered above the mob, firing wildly, killing hundreds, but there were so many of them. Mirage looked to the tower and saw the senators urging the sentinels and security troops, but could not hear what they were saying. Mirage felt pained, this was not his home. He saw Dire land on the opposite rise, equally crestfallen by the situation. Mirage met his eyes.

"Come, brother, lets join them. Look what the sentinels are doing, they are slaughtering them! I did not sign up for slaughter," Dire sent through their private comm-link.

Mirage saw it from another perspective, "You don't know that."

"I can see with my own eyes."

Mirage looked again at the scene, he saw the bodies piling up and winced in pain, he felt conflicted. Out of the corner of the area he saw a figure approaching. Large and heavily armoured, it could only be one mech, Sentinel Prime. Mirage knew that things must be worse than they thought if Prime was there, alone.

"Dire don't!" was all Mirage said, but he knew it was already too late. Dire soared and dived at the first of the guardians, hitting the exact spot he needed to in the mid section. The guardian staggered and swayed before finally starting his decent, the crowd of mechanoids all scampered as fast as they could from the falling guardian. When it hit the ground with a resounding thud the group cheered wildly. Mirage saw Dire land in front of Megatron and bowed. Megatron held up his staff weapon and the crowd quietened. He spoke, but the words did not reach Mirage's ears, as he was too busy running as fast as he could towards the tower. He needed to get his father out of there.

"Mirage, stop!" his father's voice resounded in his head.

Mirage stopped, "I can get you out of there."

"No, you can't."

"Don't make me leave you, father."

"You have to. Now Mirage, I need you to find Alpha Trion, he is our final hope. He made his way out the east entrance an hour ago, but we have heard nothing from him since. Find him Mirage, let the sentinels do their jobs."

"I will," Mirage responded.

"Goodbye Mirage, I am proud of you."

Mirage heard the faint click of the communication channel being closed. He didn't bother to try and reconnect, but spared one final glance at the tower. He saw Sentinel Prime approach Megatron and challenge him; Mirage fought down the urge to disobey his father before running off in the other direction.

---

Mirage spied a purple figure slinking through the shadows. He made a parallel journey through the crowd, being careful not to cause too much attention to himself. Mirage noticed that Alpha Trion was heading into a section of the mob that was more dangerous than the others. These mechanoids were wearing a new badge rather than the usual symbol, this one more pointed and seemed more menacing. Mirage lept over the two mechs in front of him and grabbed Alpha Trion by the shoulders, cloaking them both in invisibility.

Alpha Trion spluttered in protest until he saw it was Mirage. Mirage forced them into a crouch, hiding from the eyes of the latest Decepticon... Dire!

Dire scowled at the mob before pushing his way further up the front, calling orders to the 'troops' telling them where to aim. Mirage held Alpha Trion close, waiting patiently. They were kicked as the mob pushed forward but they remained in place. After another resounding thud indicated that the last of the guardians had fallen, Mirage turned the pair invisible, bearing the blows as the mob surged forward. They waited until the mob had mostly run into the chambers before standing up. Without saying anything Mirage grabbed Alpha's arm and lead him through the outskirts of the mob. They had just about reached the end when a figure appeared in front of them. Rather large, the mech was blue, with a visor over his eyes.

"Alpha Trion, I have been searching for you," the mech drolled, his duotonic voice rough.

"Ah but have you, young Soundwave?" Alpha Trion queried.

Soundwave gave him a stern look through the visor, "Lord Megatron will be pleased."

"'Lord' is it now?" Alpha Trion added.

Soundwave ignored him and made to grab the mech, but Mirage already had Alpha Trion's arm. He glared at the Decpeticon before turning the pair invisible again, a serious strain on his already worn out body.

"I will find you Alpha Trion, no matter where you run to."

Mirage and Alpha Trion ran. They ran further than they needed to but still they kept running. Mirage felt the strain of his disruptor before it whined and disabled, causing him to fall to his knees.

Alpha Trion laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Just a little bit further, young Mirage."

At that moment, Mirage remembered his mother, hidden away in the basement of his childhood home.

"She is already taken care of, Mirage," Alpha Trion smiled.

Mirage spared a glance back in the direction they came. His father would surely be dead by now. He silently followed the older mech to a warehouse, and was struck with awe at the vast interior. He didn't know Alpha Trion well, to Mirage he was just another one of the senators, like his parents.

Alpha Trion smiled at Mirage, "Sit up here young man, I fear you are in need of repairs."

Mirage did as he was told, wincing slightly as the senator opened up his panelling and fiddled with the disruptor internals. Alpha Trion flipped the panel shut, "Good as new."

Mirage continued sitting on the bench, "Alpha Trion, what exactly just happened?"

Alpha Trion glanced at the young mech. He had watched Mirage grow up, and saw the great potential in the young mech. He knew that whoever Mirage decided to follow would have his full loyalty.

"You have heard the rumours, no doubt," Mirage nodded in reply, "One of the prisoners sought his trial early, it was thought he was not part of the main group; an innocent, you might say, but it was a trap. He was sent there for one reason – to let the others out. He killed everyone in the chamber. Though what you saw today was only part of the force, part of those that will join the cause."

"What was the mech's name, the one that destroyed the chamber?"

"He is one, like your brother, who can fly. His name is Starscream, " Alpha Trion paused, looking Mirage directly in the eye, "Time will come when you will have to choose a side."

Mirage gasped in shock. He hadn't thought of it like that, this was war. He met Alpha Trion's eyes, "I can't," he said simply, before slipping off the bench, transforming and driving away. On his way out he noted several mechs carrying another in their arms, but he was too busy to take further notice of it.

---

Mirage rolled up to his former home, his home in ruins. the Decepticon symbol sprayed on the walls. He stared at the ruins in shock. Scanning the house, he noted a weak signal from the back area of the rubble. Carefully, he picked his way across the mess and felt horror as he saw his mother, lying splayed. She saw him, relief plain on her face, and then sagged on the pins holding her in place. Carefully Mirage pulled her down, his emotions getting tighter and tighter into a knot.

A figure blocked the light behind him. Mirage didn't bother to turn around, still clutching his mother close.

"Dire."

"Mirage!"

Mirage placed his mother on the top of the rubble carefully before turning around.

"So, little brother, it has come to this."

"So it has."

"I've been looking forward to this a long time," Dire exclaimed.

Mirage said nothing and simply waited for his brother to make the first move.