Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Noah was coming back from a mission with the GI Joes. He missed his family- His Ma, Kris, even Mirage, the autobot friend he had made a few months back. Well, maybe more than a friend. Noah didn’t know any cybertronian courting rituals, and frankly, he’s too scared of Optimus to ask. Arcee was off the table- she doesn't seem to like him OR Mirage! And Mirage is one of her kind! Maybe Bee. He mused. Bee mentioned someone named.. Charlie, I think? That he was close with. Noah pursed his lips. No, that wouldn’t work either. Bee sounds like he talks about Charlie in more of a sibling manner, if anything. 

The car rolled to a stop. Noah grabbed his bag, and thanked the taxi driver- paying him, and got out of the car. Taking in the sound and the city of Brooklyn, New York he sighs, a small smile quirking up on his lips. The taxi drives away behind him. Noah missed being home. The JOE’s had assigned him on a two-month long mission, thankfully not in Peru, but still away from home. No matter how much Mirage begged with him, or called Noah’s commander- that was fun to explain, he wasn’t allowed to come along. His commanders had also forbidden him to use the walkie-talkie to talk to Kris. “It could interfere with our signals”, they told him, which he decided was fair. But still, he doesn't know if his little brother is okay or not! Are the sickle cells clotting up again? Is he eating enough? Has Ma been spending time with him, or working shifts, as usual? 

That was one of the reasons Noah took this job, after all. So his Ma could work less. Noah had practically raised Kris since he was a toddler. Dropping out of trade school to focus on his brother was one of the hardest things Noah had ever done, but he wouldn’t trade it for anything. Well, he mused. Maybe enlisting right after. He frowned. He wouldn’t have taken Reek’s offer to steal the Porsche if he had a job, and he didn't have a job because his old commanding officer in the Navy called his would-be-employer back. But again, he wouldn't have done it any other way. That’s how he met Mirage, and the rest of the autobots after all. Climbing up the stairs of his apartment and entering inside, the sense of home just washes over him, and he relaxes, just a bit more. He can hear Kris playing video games- probably Mario again- from his room, and Noah rolls his eyes. Setting down his bag near the couch, he calls out to Kris. “Yo! I’m headed to the garage for a bit! You okay on your own?” He gets an affirmation in response. “Okay. Love you, Tails. Radio if you need anything”. Unzipping his backpack, Noah pulls out his walkie-talkie and turns it on, then walks out the door to the garage. 

He missed Mirage. Which is a weird thought to think, because he hasn’t even known the mech for a year. Shaking his head, he opens the door to the garage. “Yo Mirage!” he calls. He hears the whirring of fans and vents, and the creaking and shifting of metal as Mirage transforms. “Noah!” Mirage calls, finishing his transformation sequence with a little hop. “My man!” he throws out a fist for a fist-bump. “Bro, your mission lasted FOREVER!” he groans. Noah laughs. “It was only two months! That shouldn't be a long time for someone with a lifespan as long as yours!” he jokes, nudging mirage’s hipplate with his elbow gently so as to not injure himself. Mirage frowned. Crouches down to Noah. “Don’t joke like that.” Noah looks up at him. “Huh?” “Don’t joke about your lifespan like that.” Mirage reiterates. Noah rolls his eyes. “I’m serious!” Mirage exclaims, tapping the top of Noah’s head. “You humans have such a small lifespan! If you go on one of these missions, and don't come back-” Mirage cuts himself off, and resets his vocalizer. “Who would make fun of Prime with me?” “Aight that's too far” Noah says, pointing a finger at Mirage. Mirage just hums. 

Mirage’s radio flickers to life. “Mirage”, Optimus Prime calls. “Is the Diaz boy with you?” Mirage huffs out some air. “You’re going to have to be more specific big guy.” he chuckles. “But yeah, Noah’s with me.” Prime hums through the speaker. “Bring Noah to the warehouse we have been using as base. There’s something that arrived addressed to him.” Noah furrows his brows. “Wait, why would a package addressed to me be at your warehouse? Isn’t that place abandoned?” Optimus warbled again through the speaker. “Both of your presences are requested immediately.”

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“So what's this about, bossbot?” Mirage questions, transforming from his altmode and setting Noah down gently. “Becuase my man here-” he points at Noah, who shrinks slightly under the gaze Optimus looks at him with, “Just got back from one of those GI JOE missions, so he’s a little tired, and honestly I’d prefer him to be resting than doing whatever this is.” Mirage stops, and looks around the warehouse. “Wait a minute..” a smile starts to grow across his faceplates. “Noah!” he calls, startling the human. “Bro, this is the place we met you!” Noah blinks, and looks around. “Huh..” he murmurs to himself, eyes glancing around. Now that mirage mentioned it, that rafter did look familiar.. “I guess it is.” 

The Prime grunts softly, and the pair look behind them as they see some of the other Autobots walk in. Bee, Arcee, Wheeljack, and even some new bots Noah has not met before, like a primarily white bot, with orange stripes and piercing blue optics. “Ratchet.” The prime hums. “Good to see you, old friend.” The new bot- Ratchet, hums, and glances around the collectment of various colored bots, before he spots Noah. 

“You.” he growls, crouching down so his helm is in Noah’s face. It’s oddly similar to how he met Prime. “Are a human.” Noah blinks. Ratchet narrows his optics. “Are you another one of Bumblebee’s?” he asks, whether to Noah or himself, Noah doesn't know. He hears the voice of the radio click on from somewhere behind him. “Not Mine, not yours”, sings Maroon Five out of Bee’s radio system. Ratchet hums. “Well he’s definitely not Primes. Too scrawny.” Noah blanches, then quickly fixes his expression in case the bigger mech sees. One Republic follows next, with a nice beat in the background adding to the words “Just a mirage.” Ratchet looks away from Noah who breathes a sigh of relief, and quickly turns his gaze to Mirage. 

“Really?” he hums. “You, of all mechs, found a human companion?” Mirage gawks. “Ratchet! My mech!” he throws out a fist for a fistbump, and Ratchet stares at it unamused. Mirage pulled it back, doing a little jump. “All good, not hurt!” Ratchet stares Mirage down. Mirage shifts on his pedes. “Yeah, Noah’s mine.” Ratchet hums again, then leans in and squints at Mirage. “Your plating looks different.” Noah freezes. “And I know that I wasn’t the one who did that, it would have been logged.” Ratchet straightens up to his full height, and looks Mirage in the optics. “So who did.” 

Noah speaks up, hesitantly. “That was me.” he says, raising a hand slightly. Ratchet’s gaze slips to him again. Noah barely flinches under the gaze. Geez, these robots have better death stares than some of my old commanders… “He uh, I had to rebuild him.” Ratchet opens his intake to speak, but Arcee cuts him off. “And we're very thankful that you did, Noah. Truely, thankful.” she says with a slight disdain. Noah shrinks slightly. Yep, Arcee definitely didn’t like him. Mirage nudges his shoulder gently with his hand. “Prime, why are we here?” Arcee asks. 

The Prime hums. “I have received a message from the Maximals.” Those who went to Peru straightened up a bit. Prime places a servo against his chest, where the matrix and his spark lay. “It is able to be shown. I don’t know how they got this information,” His optics slide over the assorted bots, lingering on Noah- who stiffens- and back more against the other bots. “But Primal said that the information could be trusted.” The assorted bots hum, shifting from pede to pede, and whisper indistinctively to each other in cybertronian. Bee’s radio starts playing, a female voice who Noah recognizes as an artist his Ma used to listen to, Tina Turner, comes out. “Let’s dance!” 

Chapter Text

The bots decide that if something will be playing, they may as well sit down and get comfortable. After the third mini-earthquake as the bots would sit down without a care, Mirage gently scoops Noah up so that way he does not feel the tremors of the other autobots sitting down. He places Noah on his shoulder as he gently sits down, and then places Noah in his lap. “Wh- Mirage!” Noah exclaims, being handled by the giant mech. 

“Don’t want you getting squished!” Mirage smiled, his faceplates lifting a bit. “I mean, you’re what, five feet tall? Optimus here is 28 feet tall! You could get trampled so easily!” Noah grumbles, but it is nice of Mirage to make sure he is safe. Bee smiles at Mirage, and sits down next to the mech. 

Once all of the bots are seated, Optimus opens his sparkchamber. The Matrix of Leadership starts to glow, and it projects itself on the wall across from them. 

Optimus Primal: (voiceover) “There’s a legend that precedes the dawn of our civilization.”

The autobots blink. “It’s like a movie.” Noah whispers, and Bee cheers quietly with a few beeps. He always loved drive-in theaters. Prime had forbidden him a while ago, but jokes on their leader! The Matrix is playing information like one!

“A vile god so large and so powerful that it consumed entire planets as fuel. Few believed such a thing could be true… until the day we saw Unicron with our own eyes.”

Noah shuddered. Yeah, seeing the world-eater was pretty terrifying. Mirage frowns at the human in his lap. It was terrifying for Mirage, and he was a good ten feet taller than Noah! For a human to go through that.. Sometimes he regrets dragging Noah into this war. 

 “But he didn’t just come for our planet. He wanted our greatest technology. The Transwarp Key. And he sent his most powerful henchmen to collect it. Scourge.” 

Prime’s battle mask sheathes on his face, optics narrowing. Scourge. His fists clench. He’s glad he killed that mech for what he did to Bee. 

[Apelinq is seen fleeing away from some Terrocon scorpions, with the Transwarp Key on his mouth. Before the scorpion attacks, it is killed off by Optimus Primal. Airazor then kills some other scorpions with her fire breath. Cheetor & Rhinox enter the scene.]

Bee’s radio chatters again. ABCDEFU by GAYLE plays from his radio as he scowls. The others in the room agree. The Terricons were formidable foes, driven by power and anger and fear of Unicron. 

Cheetor: More enemies are landing! We won't be safe for long! 

Airazor: Do we have the key? 

Apelinq: You must take it. Keep it hidden so that it never falls into the hands of Unicron. 

Optimus Prime bows his head slightly to the fallen warrior. Although they had never met, if Primal was a descendant of his legacy, then Apelinq must have been a great leader to his clan. 

Optimus Primal: But Apelinq, we can fight! 

Apelinq: No! Protecting our Transwarp Key is all that matters! Go! Use it to escape! 

Airazor: What will you do? 

Apelinq: I'll hold him off. Buy you some time. 

Optimus Primal: Then I'm staying with you. 

Noah frowns. This is oddly reminiscent of Bee and Optimus, the way that they would stay and fight for each other without a second thought. He wonders, are they more like a father and a son, or a brother and brother? Noah catches Mirage looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and shakes his head slightly. Mirage nods, and goes back to watching the tape. I guess it would be difficult to tell. He thinks of Kris again. I guess it’s the same thing with us, after all. 

Apelinq: This is my fight. Listen. If Unicron were to get the key, it could open a portal through time and space with no end to the worlds he could destroy. It is now your time to lead the Maximals, Optimus Primal. 

The beat before Apelinq calls his son’s name hits hard and soft for everyone in the room, no matter if they are parents or not. Optimus glances at Bumblebee out of the corner of his optic. To imagine leaving his pseudo-son.. Optimus sombers up. He would. To protect him and others, The Prime would risk his life and sacrifice himself. 

[With the Transwarp Key in his hands, Primal leads the Maximals away to a ship. Meanwhile, Apelinq turns to the darkness of a forest, with Scourge's eyes glowing red.] 

Scourge: So you are this planet’s great warrior? Mmm, you have such a beautiful world filled with an abundance of life. [completely emerges from the forest] Savory. My master grows hungry. Give me the Transwarp Key and he will spare your home. 

Arcee snarls, “Like that would ever work.” Wheeljack shushes her, invested in the film. The way that the Matrix can project something like a movie, and sound seems to be coming from everywhere and nowhere. It's fascinating. 

Apelinq: We'd rather die than let him reach other planets. 

Scourge: So be it. [as Apelinq attacks, Scourge blasts him, gaining the upper hand] Benefits of serving the almighty Unicron. [welds Apelinq's Maximal symbol to his shoulder] They never learn. 

Bumblebee beeps angrily. Taking someone’s faction crest HURT! He would know! It rips a wielded piece of metal off of your body, scraping the paint! Sure, it normally means someone was dead, but the point still stands! 

Apelinq: You're too late, Scourge. Your master will be trapped in this galaxy forever. 

Scourge: [sees the Maximal ship taking off] No! 

Mirage silently cheers. He wants to pump his fist in the air, but one look from Noah (ignoring the one from Optimus), he puts his servo back down. He smiles at the projection anyway. He and Cheetor may have gotten off to a rough start, but the cheetah maximal was a really cool mech! He even chuckles at Mirage’s jokes!! 

[Meanwhile on the ship...] 

Airazor: His sacrifice will be our oath. To preserve the key. No matter the cost. 

Noah’s smile slips, just slightly. Right. He had forgotten for a moment that this wasn’t a movie, it was life. Life that the Maximals had lived. He remembers Elena telling him those same words, when Primal had offlined Airazor. “No matter the cost.” 

[Cut to Scourge standing in front of Unicron.] 

Unicron: You let them slip away with the Transwarp Key? Scour the universe and find the Maximals have gone. When you acquire the key, use it to bring me to you. 

The autobots grimaced, Wheeljack especially. He was a fighter, a warrior for the autobots first and foremost, but a scientist second. His servos twitch. What he would have given to hold the item, or see the datapad that Elaina had punched the deactivation code into. 

Scourge: Yes, my lord.

Unicron: Once I have the key, I alone will reign supreme!

Chapter Text

[Unicron then proceeds to devour the Maximals' home planet, with shards of the destruction fly up to make the title card. We then open in New York City in the year, 1994. Inside an apartment, a man is testing out an electronic device.] 

Everyone blinks quickly at the sudden mood change and switch. Bee starts nodding his helm along to the tune of the song as Noah slinks deeper into Mirage’s lap and Mirage gets more and more smiley as we see the man on the screen. 

Noah: All right, baby, come on... All right, show me the money, show me the money... 

Noah: Here we go! Here we go. 

Mirage cheers, letting out a big “WHOO!!” as we see Noah's face for the first time. He’s so happy to see his human. Like, of course he sees him every day, Not day, his traitorous processor reminds him. Noah has a job now. He’s barely around anymore. Did you forget he was just gone for three months? 

Mirage shoves that thought out of his mind. No need to dwell on it. Noah is sitting in his lap now, and he glances back at the screen and wait- has Noah always had that many freckles? 

Kris: (via walkie-talkie) Yo, Sonic, breakfast ready yet?

Noah: (via walkie-talkie) I ain't your butler, Kris. 

Kris: (via walkie-talkie) Come on, man! No names over the airwaves. It's Tails.

Arcee glances over at Mirage out of the corner of her optic. That explains why Mirage calls Noah ‘Sonic’ a lot. Airwaves. Kris Diaz is a smart kid. 

Noah: (via walkie-talkie) Oh, my bad. Christopher Diaz from 974 Wilson Avenue, Apartment 2C, Brooklyn L-- 

Kris: (via walkie-talkie) No real names! They’re listening!

Noah hunches in on himself slightly. They did know. The JOE’S did know, even over walkie-talkie airwaves. Bee winces slightly, making a few concerned beeps and Optimus nods solemnly. 

“I agree, Bumblebee.” The large mech speaks. He turns to Noah. “We had a friend once, a human like you. His name was Samuel. Soundwave-” Noah furrows his brows at the unfamiliar name. Mirage leans down and whispers in his ear, “I’ll explain later.” Optimus Prime continues speaking. “Soundwave was able to find the stream between Samuel and I, and had him captured by the Decepticons for a while.” 

Noah opens his mouth to say “What is a decepticon?” but quickly closes it when he hears Bee shake his head and warble softly, optics dimming slightly. Optimus Prime nods. 

“I know, Bumblebee. I miss him too.” 

Noah: (via walkie-talkie) Ain't no secret government agency's worried about us, "Tails". Now get your behind out here while it's hot.

Breanna: At least they got that going for 'em. Here, I ironed this for you.

Noah’s face softened slightly. It was just him and his Ma for the majority of his life, and then Kris came along. He doesn’t blame his Ma at all for working many shifts, and barely being at home, no matter how much Mirage tries to tell him otherwise. 

Noah remembers looking down at the bundle of cloths that was once Kris, and vowing to support his family, to support his Ma, and to never let Kris be alone. Not like he was. 

Noah: I already ironed it.

Breanna: Like you cooked those eggs?

[Noah looks down at the eggs. They are burned.] 

Noah can feel his face heat up slightly. Cooking was never one of his best skills. 

Noah: What do you mean? They're just seasoned.

Kris: Oh, come on!

Noah tenses slightly when Kris comes on the screen, and he wills himself to relax. It was months ago, he reminds himself. Kris has better healthcare now. I can support him now. He glances at Mirage. 

He has someone else to care for him now. 

Noah: Come here, bro.

Kris: I can't get past Bowser.

The autobots who don't know the Diaz’ do a search for Bowser. Ah! It's a video game that humans like to play. Not an actual person. 

Breanna: Well, good morning to you, too. Drink this and take your medicine, all of it.

Kris: Okay.

Breanna: Are you sure you can take him?

Noah: Yeah, uh, hospital's on the way. I got time.

Ratchet blinks. Hospital? Was that like a med-bay? He glances at Noah as well, doing a diagnostic, then brings his optics back to the screen. Why would he need to go to a hospital? 

Breanna: If that lady, that... administrator is there, and she mentions a bill. Just… tell her we're handling it.

Ratchet pauses his thinking. “A bill?” He speaks, turning his head to look at Noah. Noah looks embarrassed. “Y’know, when you go to the doctor and you have to pay to get the medicine you need?” He says. It’s silent as the Autobots in the room turn to look at him. Noah’s embarrassment grows. 

“Or like, because you're taking up so much of the doctor's time, you have to pay them?” 

Silence. Noah’s embarrassed smile drops slightly. This explains so much, Optimus thinks. The way these humans always deny that they are hurt, and refuse medical help for even a simple wound. 

Ratchet is staring the most heavily at Noah. “What is the usual..cost.. Of these bills.” He asks, hiding the slight waver in his voice. Noah doesn't pick up on it. Those close to him do. 

Noah purses his lips. Mirage’s frame above him shakes slightly. “Noah.” He presses. “Noah, how much is healthcare.” 

“Three-thousand per person.”(1) 

It’s silent in the warehouse. Nobody or Nobot speaks. 

The Matrix keeps playing. 

Noah: I will. And after today, I'll be able to help out more.

Mirage presses his derma together. He shouldn’t have to. He thinks, looking down at the human. Noah is young, at least to human standards. Noah shouldn’t have to find jobs, and pay bills, and work paycheck-to-paycheck to keep his family supported. 

Sure, this film was technically the past, but the point still stands!

Breanna: Good luck on the interview. Don't forget to laugh at all the jokes! White people love that shit.

Kris: Ma. Language.

Mirage huffs. “You say worse slag all the time!” he pouts to Noah, who has the decency to look sheepish. “It’s different when it’s my Ma, you know?” 

Breanna: Okay. (kisses Kris’s cheek) Remember I have class tonight, so I'll be home late. Lo quiero.

Noah: I love you. (to Kris) All right, man, we gotta get into the city. Hey, hold up, hold up. Your hand's hurting again?

Ratchet’s optics narrow. 

Kris: No, it's nothing.

Noah: Then let me see. Kris. 

Noah: It's swollen. Sickle cells must be blocking the blood flow again. How long has this been going on? 

“That..doesn’t sound good.” One of the bots says, it's unclear who. Noah shrugs. “It’s a blood thing. The cells block the red blood flow in the hands and feet, and makes the limb swell.”  

Kris: Couple days.

Noah: Yo, look, I told you. You gotta tell me these things. You fighting this alone or are we fighting it together?

Kris: Together.

Noah: Home team?

Kris: Home team.

[Noah, with a business suit, & Kris are seen stepping out of the apartment. They first check on Noah's shady friend, Reek.]

Noah’s face brightens a bit seeing his friend on screen. Mirage makes a face, one that's reminiscent of a feline in a way. He likes Reek- or atleast likes making him squirm. Seeing Reek’s shock when Mirage came back was so entertaining. 

Reek: Two for ten, two for-- stop touching everything. (sees Noah and Kris coming) Oh, hell no! (to Kris) Hey, yo, Kris. What do I tell you about letting your mans come out of the crib looking like a whole square?

Mirage frowns, the corners of his lipplates curing down a bit. He doesn't know that term! “Square”, the search engine tells him “slang for a person who is conventional and old-fashioned.”  He sneaks a glance at Ratchet, and suppresses a snort. 

Yeah, Ratchet would be considered a square. 

Kris: Only so much I could do.

Noah: Yeah whatever bro, look. Here.

Reek: Oooh! My dawg! When are you gonna let me put your skills to work and get you some real money?

Noah: Yeah, says the dude can't even afford cable.

The snarkyness of Noah throws everyone who knows him for a loop. They have never heard this side of the human before. It could also be because they are significantly taller than he is, and slightly intimidating, but still. 

Reek: (mimics Noah) "Says the guy who don't wanna..." (in his normal voice) I choose not to purchase cable? It's my own personal way to protest the vampiric nature of modern day capitalism! (as Noah and Kris leave) Hey, good luck with that interview in that dusty suit!