Energon leaked from a gash on his helm into one cracked optic, dripping slowly to join an ever widening puddle at his feet. Both arms were chained above his head, causing his shoulders to burn with a dull fire. His chin rested on his broken windshield.

He wasn’t sure how long it had been since they’d dragged him down to the brig, how long the torturous interrogation had lasted or how long since they’d finally left. One of the first steps of a successful interrogation, he knew, was to disable the subject’s chronometer. Removing awareness of time bred paranoia.

The door opened but he kept his head down, optics powered off as footsteps drew closer. He tried not to let the tension show in his body, tried not to press back into the wall as though it might mercifully swallow him whole. The footsteps stopped right beside him and he gritted his cracked dental plates against whatever pain was surely about to commence. Gentle hands reached up to his wrists and…released the shackles? His good optic snapped on and stared into empty air, even as he felt the hands move to his other wrist.

“…Mirage?” His voice was hoarse and ugly, even to him.

“I apologize for not coming sooner,” the spy replied, remaining invisible. “I had to wait for the shift change. As it is we have precious little time before the new guards arrive.”

The other wrist was released and he rubbed the chaffed metal, considering the spot where he assumed the other was standing.

“Mirage…what’re ya doin’?” he whispered. There was a disembodied hiss of air through vents, akin to what this planet’s primitive organics might characterize as an exasperated sigh.

“I’m helping you escape, Ironhide.”

“How’s come?” he asked suspiciously. “Ya don’t think Ah’m the traitor, like ever’body else?”

Another “sigh,” louder this time.

“Ironhide, I know that you are not the traitor, now please! We must go swiftly if we are to go at all.”

“Go where?” the visible mech demanded, still not moving. This time the sound that escaped Mirage’s systems was almost a whine.

“Ironhide…I’ve made arrangements. You’ll be safe. Astrotrain is waiting to—”

“I knew it!” he cried. “Yer the real traitor! Yer a Dec—” An invisible hand clamped over his mouth, cutting him off.

“Ironhide!” Mirage hissed. “I may be a Decepticon, but I am offering you a chance to escape with your life and I suggest you take it. Stay here and you’ll be deactivated within the cycle, I promise you that.” The hand slowly withdrew. “So, what will it be?”

Ironhide glared through his one good optic and silently weighed his options. He may have despised the Decepticons but if it was a choice between them and death, they were certainly the more appealing option.

“Let’s go,” he grumbled.

“Excellent, now—” Mirage was cut off by a cry from the door and suddenly the tiny cell was filled with Autobot guards rushing to tackle Ironhide and pin him to the ground.

“Trying to escape, traitor?” The warrior’s spark froze at the unfeeling voice of the Prime himself.

“No…I…Mirage unlocked me! He’s the real traitor!” he tried to explain.

“Mirage?” Prime echoed. The massive leader turned his head to see Mirage step into the doorway, acting as though he’d only just arrived. Mirage spared Ironhide only the briefest glance before laughing at the accusation and the tiny room shook with the Autobot leader’s malicious cackle as he joined in.

“You really expect me to believe that Mirage would betray us? You’ll have to do better than that.”