ayngelcat: (Swindle stars)
ayngelcat ([personal profile] ayngelcat) wrote2010-12-21 12:38 pm

Mirage and Swindle: Don't put ideas in my head!

Title: Don’t put ideas in my head!
Universe: G1
Rating: PG13
Characters: Mirage, Swindle.
Warnings: Adult themes, some suggestion of violence.
Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, or any of the characters or scenarios from the series within this story
Prompt: #2 Write an intense scene

Notes So many intense scenes in the headspace! But I wanted to do one not too confined to my AU’s. This explores the idea I always had that Swindle was already copping a hard time from the Combaticons before he sold his associates for spare parts (I always thought that very radical, even for a greedy mech) and that he had a little ‘help’ with that idea, when the chance arose. This scene could have been with Smokescreen, but the muse presented Mirage.

It’s about 580 words! (eeeekkhh)



Don’t put ideas in my head!

The forest hung damp and limp in the sultry air, infused with moist organic scents. A disturbance beside Swindle made him start, powering weapons, thinking his efforts to hide had failed. Instead, the air shimmered, and the blue and white Autobot spy appeared.

“Swindle?”

There was a pause, then Swindle powered down. He gave a bitter laugh.

“Well, well well!” he said. “I am honoured!” His optics flickered, purple and dark. “What do you want, Mirage?”

Water dripped, tinging lightly off their metallic forms. Mirage’s blue optics coasted over the battered jeep, the deeply scored paintwork, the burns on the arms, the crack in the windscreen. One headlight was missing.

The spy frowned. “I – had some concerns,” he said.

Swindle scoffed. “Oh yeah!” he said. “Sure. Well why don’t we cut the scrap, Mirage? I gave your fortune to the Combaticons, you’re about as happy with me as Megatron is with Prime. You may even be here to kill me! But I got a suggestion. Let’s just agree I fragged you over, you got me back, we move on, right?”

Mirage lowered his gaze. “It is true I suffered greatly as a result of your treachery Swindle. But I know you also .... suffered much.”

Swindle turned away, his face dark and bitter. “You have no fraggin’ idea, Mirage! Try millions of years crammed into a box with no body and a bunch of minds who think you sold them out.”

Mirage looked at him unhappily, noting that he limped, and was altogether a picture of pain and unhappiness. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I had no idea they didn’t know - that it was I who alerted Megatron to their rebellion.”

Swindle shook his head. “Oh yeah, they know. Now! But they blame me for being tied up with you. And they wanna take it out on someone. I’m there, you’re not!”

“The copter ...?”

“Him the most.” Swindle’s face was dark, intense. He scraped a filthy hand across it which, Mirage now saw, had one finger missing.

Mirage shuddered inwardly. He had known it was bad, but not this bad. “Swindle – listen to me,” he said. “You should leave, go elsewhere. I can help – financially. You have much talent, I never – thought otherwise. Don’t just stay .....” and get completely broken by Vortex. Mirage didn’t say it.

But Swindle shook his head, his expression bitter, scornful. “You don’t get it do you?” he whispered. “There’s no leave. You think I haven’t thought of that? I wouldn’t get half way off Earth. I’m part of a gestalt. now. You ask your Aerialbot friends what that’s like!”

“We’re - tied up,” he went on. “And I’m stuck with their anger – probably forever, Mirage. Yeah. Probably forever ...”

Mirage sighed. “Then find another way Swindle!” He whispered. “I am sure if some fate were to befall them you would not be tied to their deactivated forms.”

“Oh yeah? And who’s gonna bring that about. You?”

Mirage looked at him long and hard. “No,” he said. “Believe it or not, Swindle I too – am tied, and the slaughter of Decepticons – even if they are your associates – is not in keeping with Autobot objectives. However, Onslaught's mob are – not exactly popular. With either faction. I would not be surprised if an opportunity presented itself, quite independent of anything I may do.

The trees sighed mournfully as a sudden gust of air shifted through them and Swindle gave Mirage a long, hard purple stare. He laughed, bitterly. “Oh yeah. Fat chance of that!” he scoffed.

[identity profile] femme4jack.livejournal.com 2010-12-21 06:03 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I'd like to see this go further!

[identity profile] ayngelcat.livejournal.com 2010-12-21 06:13 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you for reading and for the interest! It is part of larger things and part of prequel to the 'Substitute' AU fic where Swindle leaves the 'Bats and gets replaced!

I love the whole drama surrounding the Combaticons, and especially Swindle :D
artemis10002000: Don't drink water... fish have sex in it (Default)

[personal profile] artemis10002000 2010-12-21 05:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Ooooh! That is very interesting, Mirage giving Swindle the core of the idea that led to the spare parts incident. I reckon after that went so spectacularly wrong, he's going to hate Mirage even more?

[identity profile] ayngelcat.livejournal.com 2010-12-21 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah - Swindle being self interested and unwilling to take any responsibility for anything, that is a likely reaction!

But these two have a strange rapport. Mirage does this out of guilt, and then helps Swindle again later on . Swindle believes he's 'owed' the help, but nevertheless responds at a deeper level to the unusual circumstances of his interests being looked after !
artemis10002000: Don't drink water... fish have sex in it (Default)

[personal profile] artemis10002000 2010-12-21 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
*laughs* That strange rapport between them sounds very fun to explore!

[identity profile] wingzbot.livejournal.com 2011-01-27 10:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Agreed! You have some epic head cannon! XD **excited bounce**!!

I love how you personify Swindle =D The box...does not sound like a popular vacation spot o.o;; **hides Swindle** >.> He and Mirage have a pretty interesting dynamic =D I never really thought much about Mirage's personality, but you've really made the character interesting ^.^

Very clever story! =D Swindle has really been growing on me, the more I see of your views on him! XD <3!

[identity profile] ayngelcat.livejournal.com 2011-01-28 10:05 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks for reading *hugs.* I'm glad you enjoyed. When Swindle tries to do away with his gestalt partners by selling them for spare parts (in B.O.T.), he later blames Mirage! The episode makes matters a great deal worse for him!

It's all part of the 'Substitute' fic prelude in which the Combaticons try and replace Swindle with First Aid :-(