#Shockwave as an actual Decepticon soldier

[loyal-logik]

// This part of the series is OLD, but I do think that this is one of my fave rewritten scenes since my editing (it’s sort of from Shockwave’s perspective so I’m posting it here). Full chapter is on my AO3. It goes into Megatron and Shockwave later sparring ;) and some sexual tension lol. 

  Shockwave had witnessed many of the gladiator fights, he had even aided in repairing some of the soldiers that had made it out alive. Medics were not so common on this side of the war—no doubt leashed by the Autobots, or many of them remained neutral to the war. That had its benefits considering they helped no matter what symbol remained upon a ‘bots chassis.   However, it was rare for Megatron, himself, these days to take part in them. Yes, he’d grown to fame taking down mechs within the pit, but his days as a gladiator were long gone, now prioritised by leadership. Alas, seeing the spectacle was surely something, and someone always had to run their mouth off, didn’t they? If anything, it would stand for a reminder why Megatron was the one leading, and they weren’t. It also helped some of the soldiers become more eager to serve and fight. Good for morale, Shockwave supposed. Good for a show, too. Entertaining and being charismatic was something Megatron excelled at.     It was easy to see that Megatron was confident. He had learned how to fight in the pits of Kaon, and Shockwave presumed earlier on he learned how to fight elsewhere—although he was not familiar with those intimate facts. He’d seen his prowess on the battlefield, but this was something different. No weapons. Just hand-to-hand combat. It was brutal, primal even, Shockwave considered. And yet, even he found himself unable to turn his optic away.   Easily things could turn for the worst. He had seen soldiers who were winning suddenly die. He had seen how the crowd egged their fighters on, and how that fuelled the fighters adrenaline even more. It was contagious, in a sense, or at least to most of the ‘bots it was. Shockwave was not like most Cybertronians. He had found some of it outright barbaric. But when Megatron was involved? Everything changed. There was no doubt that he had a presence in the ring.    Today was an interesting case. Someone had the cogs to challenge Megatron. A grave mistake in Shockwave’s optic. There were little who could best the Decepticon warlord. There was a reason why he’d earned his place in these pits, and why no one questioned his strength. But some cocky, young Decepticon thought it was a bright idea, and it had the crowd roaring for more. How could Megatron deny them what they wanted?   The crowd fell to a hushed whisper when Megatron raised his hand, standing from his seat at the top of the arena. “You do realise that this could mean your death, soldier,” he said, his optics watching the other eager mech in the ring.   On the floor, a few cyber-metres away, there was the other opponent, unconscious. The pseudo medics took him and dragged him from the pit. Megatron took a few more steps, moving closer to the soldier. Blood was covering his face, and he was covered in sweat and grime from the arena. Dust, metal scraps, and anything else that remained. There was no organic material on Cybertron, but the floor was still covered in filth.   “Is our mighty leader scared?” asked the boisterous Decepticon. The crowd grew rowdy, cheering Megatron on to join the fight. Others were quiet, awkward and anxious, perhaps even scared that they would earn their own death for even considering Megatron be scared.   The mech spat oil onto the floor from his mouth before looking back up, as if to prove a point.   “Megatron, I don’t advise this. He is not worth your time,” Starscream said, placing his hand onto Megatron’s shoulder. It was shrugged off. He scowled, his optics rolling as he folded his arms. “Fine, if you wish to waste your energon on him.”   Megatron smirked. “Starscream, for that, you will join me in the pit after I show this mech what a real gladiator is.” It was easy to see Starscream stiffen, but Megatron continued down the steps, reaching the arena’s ground. The Decepticons before him moved from his path, parting like a wave for him to come through.   “Is he insane?” Starscream huffed, looking at his fellow officers for support. He was given none, so unsatisfied, he sat himself back down, huffing. Megatron wasn’t being serious when he suggested them fight, was he? He would not be made a mockery in this despicable ‘sport’. It was a waste of energon! And a waste of their soldiers. How could no one else see that?   Approaching the middle of the ring, Megatron gripped the chain around his neck. “You forget yourself, soldier. I learnt how to fight in the pits of Kaon themselves. You think you can best me?”   Shockwave felt an antennae twitch as Megatron spoke, taking that symbol around his neck. The Decepticon mark that they all wore on their armour somewhere, wrapped around his neck on a chain.   The shorter mech readied his shoulders. “You’re all bark and no bite,” he hissed. He then saw the red optics darken. It only made him more ready. He was pumped for the fight. He wanted to show all the other Decepticons that he was just as strong and powerful as their leader was. A foolish thought.   Cracking his neck, Megatron smirked, readying himself. “Sound the bell.” Immediately, the bell in the arena chimed, the crowd getting steady. “Today, Decepticons, you will remember your place. Beneath your leader!” he roared, the crowd getting rowdy now. Fists went in the air, and he grinned, his fangs showing to the other mech. It had been such a long time since he’d exercised his skills. He was looking forward to his.   The young mech, who was already weakened from his fight before, came hurtling his way, and he dodged him with ease, taking the back of his collar and forcing him to the ground. He stamped a heavy pede onto him, the mech growling and trying to get it off. “Is that it? You call yourself a Decepticon soldier!? Don’t make me laugh.”   The mech hissed, clawing at Megatron’s leg. “Get off me!”   “You’ve had enough? Already?” Megatron teased, the crowd laughing. He’d barely even got a chance to break a sweat. He lifted his pede, but he then stomped it back down, hitting the mech on the neck and breaking it. He screamed and gurgled, blood coming from the back of his throat and bubbling down his lips.   “Th-that’s… n-nnnnot a fair f-fffight!” the fallen mech gurgled, coughing on his own blood. He heaved, and crowd went silent once more.   “Oh, it wasn’t?” whispered Megatron, looking back up. He motioned for the medics to take him away. “So, you want a fair fight, do you?” he asked the crowd. “Well, who do you think could best me? Who do you think could at least hit me!?” he laughed. The crowd roared with different names from the Decepticons, some of them volunteering themselves or their friends.   “Oh, that’s right,” he jeered, turning to the Seeker in the stands. “Starscream, I believe you owe me a challenge, and this crowd the right to see your oil spilled.”   Starscream stiffened, his wings twitching. No! He couldn’t be serious! He looked to the cheering crowd. He would not be humiliated in front of his fellow peers. But what choice did he have? The crowd was already calling out for him to join. This was barbaric! A sport for animals, not Cybertronians!   He seethed to himself, knowing that no one would help him out of this. He had been victim to Megatron’s wrath already, but he would not stand to be humiliated before so many of his followers.   Fine, he would fight, and he would win! He stood, keeping his chin high. “Does this mean that the Mighty Megatron actually admits I can best him?” he laughed. He then soon growled, “It’s about time.”   Stepping down to the ring, he disarmed his weapons, knowing this was hand-to-hand-combat only. He placed them into Skywarp’s care, who was sitting down in the bottom row. He knew he wouldn’t do anything stupid with them.   “Today is a special day, my fellow Decepticons,” Megatron announced. “Today, you will see that it is not only soldiers who need to be put back in their place, but your precious commanders, too.” The crowd roared with excitement now. They loved a fight, especially when it was someone higher than them getting beat down.   He smirked, looking back to his second-in-command. “Starscream,” he nodded, “are you ready?” He was going to enjoy beating the absolute pulp out of this mech. Sure, he could do it any time he wanted to, but with everyone else watching? This was just too precious.   “I was born ready!” hissed the Seeker. He placed his hands out, his pedes planting to the ground. He wasn’t a fighter in the pits of Kaon, but that meant nothing! He could beat Megatron. Hell, he was giving him the best opportunity right now, wasn’t he? To give him everything he’d ever wanted. And if he won, he’d own this crowd—quite literally.   How confident Starscream was, Shockwave noted. Soundwave was beside him, silent as ever, and Thundercracker was on the other side, shaking his head.   “Idiot. He’s never going to win,” the Seeker muttered. “I don’t know why he even tries.”   At least one of the Seeker’s had sense and reason. Shockwave had already noted that Thundercracker had more reason than the others, he was also far more calmer. But there was a sense of satisfaction that went through Shockwave’s circuits, knowing how much of a mistake Starscream was making. He stood no chance.

KEEP READING 

[bloominglegumes]

judging earthspark s3

contains spoilers!!!

(my own opinion + not that serious :))

not in order bc i sketch-wrote these down while watching first but guys im so im so .head in hands

-15 pts for the character development, relationships, ideas, etc set up in s1 that were thrown out in s2 and s3. war trauma, immigrant experience, ghost aftermath, individuality, healing process, autobot guilt, byebye. so much character assassination still happening

+1 for following through i guess

+1 shockwave 'all are dead' comic cover reference and having him react to it

+5 every appearance of frenzy and laserbeak. theyre professional hecklers i love them

-1 bc of how the art direction was already established having 2d handdrawn effects but obv their animation has been toned down, there are quite a few instances of 3d smoke made to look like 2d shading which is not necessarily bad on its own but doesnt feel like it fits here

+1 rage virus had nice potential for bringing simmering resentments to surface,, wish the show delved deeper into the characters thoughts + fallout

-1 megatron's va sounds like he was given direction to hold back somehow on his delivery ?? idk it just feels like forced gentleness compared to earlier performance like his lines don't fit him

-2 animation lacking feeling of weight, movements are stiff, unnatural esp for huge guys made of metal. how in the world did twitch push megatron over

-2 fight choreo is more generic and plain,, characters tend to fight in similar ways when they wouldnt, considering different sizes, abilities, personalities etc,, everyone is just tossing each other around

-2 teasing us with breakbee and then actually setting it on fire and then killing bumblebee's personality too and while we're here thrash and mo as well

+1 escape room ep overall was kinda fun. i like the idea of leaning into twitchs big sister role but like u dont have to water down the others when highlighting one character?? the maltos are kids, but theyre not like.stupid

+1 optimus pushing megatron down to protect him and megs glancing down where optimus' hand is on him. someone in story room is pushing megop

+1 prowl being a skilled Hater on entrance

+1 "organics" (derogatory)

-1 optimus tells prowl that the war is over in defence of megatron but literally theyre fighting decepticons again two seconds later so make up your mind earthspark

-5 what are the autobots and decepticons even fighting for at this point? let's shoot them into space so we don't have to worry about that conflict anymore except megatron but he's our friend so don't think about that trust us this is earthspark our show was formed on the basis of being the aftermath of the war hasbro im going to kill you

+1 constructicon mention

+3 prowl being huggable and pickuppable (+1 optimus, +1 elita, +1 arcee)

+1 "terran thrash" "terran nightshade" "stygi-terran" "clan malto" can't tell me thats not objectively cute

+5 blaster feature

+2 megop being deeply embarrassing about robby's weird girlfriend

+5 dramatic megop fight. intense music, personal arguments, falling through the ice sinking to the bottom of the lake together, if i'm going down you're coming with me etc i love it

-1 grimmy not having a single speaking line?? am i tripping

+1 thrash throwing the hat perfectly onto prowls antler tip

-2 duller lighting and colours overall </3 my guy was seriously looking grey in ep 6..,.

+1 "romantic entanglements have hobbled many a soldier. ask optimus." thank u es writers

+1 "there are no implications. there are only facts." banger

+1 multiple pronouns used for the shapeshifting quintesson i just thought it was fun

-1 thrash's character being largely reduced to That One Kid

-1 might just be me but the whole plot with the fake girlfriend was just weird as hell ?? what purpose does it have in robby's character development,,,

-1 dot and alex being less compelling as caring responsible parents. like they're still nice,, but the way they've been written just feels less careful

-1 that movie and confession scene sorry i know it was on purpose but i could not handle the secondhand embarrassment

+1 mole-bots tbh i thought they were going to pull scraplets but they were fun

-4 starscream neglect. where is the justice. nothing but a silhouette all season and then finally all he does is go crazy and get pulled back to jail??wtf

+1 quintesson ship entrance

-1 generic character body language/performance

+1 weird al yankovic going so hard

+1 saving civilians

-2 quintus powers being suddenly able to save the day when they need it because plot

-2 how the chaos terrans are not written

-1 environments are sometimes not that fitting for the action taking place there?? like for the final fight i know theyd need a lot of space for the titan but seriously just a green grassy field and blue sky come on?? give us some artistry,..,.

-1 slightly weird voice effects for quintesson characters but that might just be me

+1 sharkticon pit plucked right out of g1 movie i love it

+1 mo being so polite "mr optimus" "ms elita" "mr prowl sir" sweetheart

+5 what the fuck do you mean "i appreciate you, megatron"

+1 hard confirmation prowl is a hugger

+1 epic titan fusion

+1 prowl being nice. dialogue with bee in that scene felt kind of in your face but it was cute

-1 arresting starscream. girlie was probably starving in there

+1 "little bird"

+1 i'm just happy to have an animated prowl having so much relevance to the main story again.tfa prowl i miss u every day

-2 tarantulas never being seen nor heard from ever again. he had an awesome design, fantastic voice acting, super well written just for hasbro to be cowards

-1 again for just dropping pretty big story points from season 1 for unclear reasons. like i said,, current state of earthspark works fine as a kid's show alone but after how mature and well-handled season 1 was it feels like watching the tv spinoff series to the actual thing. sorry but like zero integrity to the shows basis and values and what the original writing had set up for the world and the characters

[mychlapci]

cybertronian pregnancy but it's like. in the chest, bc Near Spark. Anon, I hear you gasp! The body changes are the best part! I'm hearing you. Eggs IN the boobs. Bc why can't an alien do that. Eggs in boobs, and they also just Gain Mass to cushion them. Insert airbags joke. Eggs making them warm and achy and needing gentle rubbing from anyone who's kind enough to offer. I need shockwaves massive titties to be full of an ungodly amount of eggs all the time, constantly birthing more decepticons to raise as soldiers. I need bumblebee going from flat to Busty and being so into the attention he suddenly gets that he hops on the continuously pregnant train. I need prowl Not Being Pregnant (sorry) but his boobs are so huge naturally that everyone always thinks he is. Bots trying to give him a friendly rub down in the wash racks and he's just like THE LIGHTS MAY BE ON BUT NOBODY IS HOME. Quit That. Nobody believes him tho. They're all like, ok obviously he's just super paranoid and hiding his eggs after they're laid. And also a bimbo bc REALLY prowl, they're so massive you just look silly insisting you're not pregnant! However. There is, deep in records, photos of Actually pregnant Prowl. He is such a medical outlier in sheer boobage that he gets put into a study on anomalous pregnancies. Pics of him weighing his huge tits on a scale to show that he's like. 15% boobs by weight (yes I had to Google. On average a boobed human is like 3.5% boobs by weight I'm pretty sure). And somewhere in there is Springer :3

Somehow the records are discovered, and while no one claims he's pregnant again, they all REALLY wanna make him so. I need Springer to have to ban those pics, ostensibly bc STOP JACKING IT TO MY CARRIER DURING WORK HOURS, but actually bc he feels. Some type of way about them, which he doubly hates bc unborn him is IN the boobs he wants to bury his face and spike in. WTF he wants to go back!!!!

man that's crazy. Listen, as long as the eggs still come out of the pussy I'm still game. if they come out the nipples that's not hot anymore but it's crazy so i'll allow it. Either way, can't get the thought of Prowl being a clinical case during carriage out of my head. he's soooo pregnant his swollen titties have to be propped up. or else he'll be dragged forwards with their massive weight...

[koukouture]

I think everyone has their own Transformers continuity living inside their head so here's mine:

(technically I have two I but think this one is more interesting)

Okay first of all I'm flipping things a little- experienced leader and soldier Optimus and a younger, more inexperienced Megatron who's a prodigy. Do you see the vision??? Optimus who leads by example and wisdom vs Megatron who has the fire of youth and wants to revolutionize everything but lacks experience and humility.

For this hypothetical universe- Orion Pax is a police officer and Megatron is an aimless youth who recently earned his freedom from the Gladitorial scene via a sponsor (Starscream but I'll get to that later) On that- Megatron has his name already because it's a nickname he got during his gladiatorial days and now he's just kinda rolling with it lol. Orion is kind to a fault but undeniably wise and is set for a promotion to chief of his precinct and Megatron is the rookie who gets to shadow him.

(Note: The age disparity isn't extreme like Orion isn't Megatron's dad it's more of a senior/junior or older brother/younger brother type situation. I don't like these two having such a large gap between them because they're yk rivals. Equals. That doesn't work when there's a power disparity. And I think Megatron's rough life has made him quite mature anyways)

They work together for a time and the most interesting part of this whole thing (at least in my opinion) is that Megatron is the much more effective fighter. So it becomes this cute buddy cop thing for a while where Megatron is the brawns and Orion is the brain which will eventually parallel how Megatron becomes the weapon or instrument of destruction while Optimus is the reason or guiding light.

So when they inevitably have their disastrous split Orion is actually horrendously outmatched and dies. But you know, Optimus rises from the ashes and his strength as a Prime gives him just enough leverage over Megatron.

This will lead to Optimus shutting down his emotions- not necessarily becoming cruel or cold but just very distant as he believed that his kindness made him weak. Megatron meanwhile isn't exactly kind- but he has compassion and conviction. He's a good public speaker and a relatable figure to many people who are oppressed. That is how he rallies people to his cause.

What's interesting about Starscream in this AU/continuity is that he's almost Megatron's mentor. Starscream is a noble who sponsored Megatron's last fight and essentially bought him his freedom. Why? Starscream is a hedonist- everything he does is in pursuit of his own pleasure and enjoyment. He frees Megatron because even as a gladiator he was outspoken and it entertained Starscream. He joins and funds the Decepticons because he enjoys the revolution and carnage. He helps Megatron initially because Megatron's ideas entertain him. Starscream doesn't actually believe in anything; that's why he's chosen to be a follower. As for his eventual and inevitable betrayal of Megatron- he does so because he felt like it. I think the moral dilemma of "what does it mean to have a "good" reason?" is very interesting because is chasing after your own pleasure hollow or is it a worthwhile endeavor? (yes it's because of final fantasy Zenos sue me)

To parallel Starscream we have Shockwave who is a nihilist. Shockwave also believes in nothing and joins Megatron's side on a whim because the Decepticons approve and would fund his inhumane experiments. My running idea here is that Shockwave was originally a pretty upbeat, cool guy who was also after his own pleasure but eventually fell into depravity which may or may not be an indicator of where Starscream ends up.

I don't have much on the Autobots for this continuity, however I will say that Sentinel and Optimus are at odds for a while as the last two Primes. Sentinel is much more morally ambiguous and desperate while Optimus is more firm in him beliefs. It's this odd inversion of Orion and Megatron's dynamic where Sentinel is spineless and impulsive and Optimus is one again the voice of reason. But you can't exactly say that Sentinel is wrong- he is willing to do anything to survive which has earned him his status as a Prime while Optimus wants to minimize sacrifice. It's this push and pull of "you cannot save everyone" and "I have to try and save everyone." Yes, even though Optimus tries to shut down his emotions he is still incredibly sympathetic and not as unfeeling as he's like himself to be. Sentinel is the same but only suppresses his negative emotions and tries to put on a brave face for the Autobots. So when Sentinel dies and Optimus becomes the last Prime standing and the sole leader of the Autobots they take a blow to their morale.

Anyways yeah that's all I got because if I say anything else stupid shit will come out of my mouth and I will also never shit up

[robotlcangel]

ES SPOILERS

I can’t say I liked it, at all, I do really like aftermath and spitfire (she needs to be at least slightly different from twitch) I also liked some of the jokes, it really is disappointing that Robby and Mo are are the main focus when they ain’t really all that interesting, it feels really desperate to make you like Robby and Mo and think that they’re cool, it also felt like the autobots (and their parents) were kinda shoving the Terrans into being super soldiers instead of letting them be kids, nightshade and several other characters are given like 2 minutes of screen time which is really disappointing all of the siblings but nightshade, was given at lest a episode focusing on them except for nightshade, and the world feels really real empty like where are the rest of the mechs, especially when only one new legacy character was introduced and it was cosmos and HE LITERALLY DID NOTHING his only purpose was to be a weird Al cameo and nothing else, Starscream felt soooo flat in season two and I’m fine with he being evil I actually was excited I really wanted to see Megatron getting jumped by both autobots and decepticons, but no he was just generically evil, the said “letting us free from our oppressors” but then he committed child murder and didn’t give one fuck about his deception’s after he got power, he was sooooo boring and generic, at this rate I don’t think we will ever see a Starscream redemption or him just being happy in general

I think the con’s could and should be evil but not this flavor of evil like team skull from Pokémon type evil like their main goal is just to kill megatron and cause problems for the autobots, and I think it would be super interesting if a good amount of autobots joined them, and at lest make one of the Terrans a con sympathizer (best option is nightshade imo) and have them get ostracized from their family and even have said Terran decide to leave their family because they are being ostracized, and join up with the cons 🗣️🗣️ bonus points if Alex and Dottie are the most disapproving, I feel like the maltos should at least some internal conflict but them always being 100% cool with most things makes them feel boring, and obviously they can still love each other but something more interesting needs to be going with the maltos then self doubt and starscream, ik i already said this but omg Robby and Mo need to be secondary characters and not the super main focus, and get rid of those goofy power rangers suits.

The Terrans also had sooo much Plot armor it’s insane like no way can hashtags can beat SHOCKWAVE it’s ridiculous it’s blasphemy, it’s outrageous,

Over all it was really stupendously disappointing I was so damn excited I didn’t sleep, and all for nothing 😔😔😔

(Sorry if this post is a little incoherent I’m super fucking sick rn I’ll definitely post more of my thoughts later🗣️🗣️🗣️)

I officially count this season as non canon.

I might even do a rewrite because I have so many ideas it’s making me tweak

[rowiewritesstuff]

Is it alright for a tfp soundwave X cybertronian assassin reader? the reader could be a neutral or an autobot anything that can make your process easier :)

TFP Soundwave X Assassin Cybertronian Reader

sorry if it seems rushed I'm trying to get these asks out as soon as I could ahhhh

You didn’t care who you worked for as long as you got paid in energon or supplies. Autobot or Decepticon, you didn’t care. Most times, however, it was Decepticons paying you a hefty amount to track down traitors. Megatron saw you as one of his most loyal soldiers, even if you weren’t a Decepticon.

While you were a bounty hunter, you weren’t without morals. There were many occasions that you wouldn’t take a bounty- anytime there was an NAIL you’d let them go.

You were often paid by the silent second in command, the one that Megatron trusted the most. You loved it when Soundwave was the one to show up to give you the contracts. While you wouldn’t admit it, you had a huge crush on him. You’d actually liked him since he was a senator on Cybertron, being a secretary to Sentinel at the time. When the war struck you decided to part ways with either side.

You shook your head. “Dammit, Firebuster…” you sighed. Firebuster had been an acquaintance, but you still dreaded killing him. He’d helped you out once or twice- but energon is energon.

The silent mech just nodded at you. He felt bad giving you this contract but Megatron had ordered it. Soundwave could tell you didn’t want to take it, too. Before he could let his feelings get the better of him he opened a groundbridge to the Nemesis and left.

Firebuster was a tough one to track and would be an even tougher bot to fight. He had the ability to light himself on fire for a few cycles. He was an incredibly strong Decepticon- one who just didn’t want to fight in the war.

When you’d found him, you tried to make it quick so he wouldn’t feel pain. Unfortunately the old con was too quick and managed to dodge the attack. For at least an hour you both exchanged blows and snarky remarks. Even though you were both fighting you clearly showed great respect towards each other. 

Firebuster managed to get you down onto your knees and placed his blaster to your helm. You were shaking from exhaustion and you just looked into his optics. “Good fight, Buster.” A small grin raised onto your faceplate. 

“Yeah, it was. It was an honor to get to battle you.” Firebuster allowed a small smile before he frowned again. “Any last words?”

You thought for a moment. “Nah, not really. I’m just glad you’re not that aft Shockwave.” 

Firebuster fired up to kill you and you gently closed your optics. A loud whooshing sound came from behind Firebuster and you both turned to look at it. A large group of Vehicons ran through with Soundwave leading the charge. 

You and Firebuster looked on in confusion. Why were they here?

You were quickly dragged away as Soundwave rushed to fight the already weakened Firebuster to the death, quickly offlining him. Your vision began to fade as your wounds leaked more, and soon you fell into stasis. 

Soundwave panicked when he saw your life signal begin to dwindle. He knew you were hurt badly. He quickly went to his Lord with the stats of your well being on his visor. 

Megatron ordered a rescue mission- he knew that Firebuster would be trouble, and you weren’t as expendable as the Vehicons. 

When Soundwave saw you at Firebuster’s mercy he saw blue. He quickly rushed in to end the traitor. It was only a few moves before Firebuster’s innermost energon coated the dirt below. 

Soundwave gestured to the crews to clean up the mess so no prying human eyes would know the truth of their existence on this planet. Within a blink the stealthy Decepticon barged into the medbay where Knockout was working on you. 

Knockout turned to grab a tool when he bumped into Soundwave’s slightly larger frame. “AH! Scrap, Soundwave! We need to get you a fraggin’ bell!” Soundwave’s silence made Knockout shiver. “They’ll be fine. It’s much worse than it looks- they’ll probably be back up on their pedes in a few stellar cycles.” 

Soundwave was relieved. He ended up doing most of his work in the medbay (which caused a sudden decrease in patients for Knockout). 

You woke up to the almost soundless typing next to you. Soundwave was leaned over in a chair, focused on the datapad before him. You smiled gently and reached over to his servo, holding it.

Soundwave looked over to you quickly and stood up. He pointed at your wounds and presented a question mark on his face. 

“I’m fine, Sounds. I don’t feel too bad.” You began to get off of the berth but you were pushed back down. Soundwave’s visor turned a deep red as an X appeared on it. 

“Don’t- move. Rest- doctor’s orders!” He clipped together. You sighed and laid back.

“Just for a day or so- then I have to get back to work. Bounties won’t offline themselves, after all.”

Soundwave then said something that shocked you. A quiet, almost unheard ‘no’. Your eyes widened. You hadn’t heard that voice since before the war.

“Soundwave… you spo-” a digit covered your derma. He looked at you and nodded. He moved closer to hold you gently in his arms. 

“Stay… with me.” He mumbled. You became the one without words as you just nodded and held him closer. 

You were soon branded with the Decepticon insignia, and fell into their ranks as the fourth in command. You and Soundwave remained close, and when the war ended in victory you became officially conjunx.

[sayuricorner]

Neglected Decepticon Heir AU - One-shot: The Birth of Ironshard

Warning: English is not my first language so sorry if it’s a bit confusing! ^^’

Here we go with a one-shot from my TFG1 AU: Neglected Decepticon Heir AU! ^^

This one-shot will be about Ironshard's creation and how he ended up in Starscream's and Soundwave's care!

If you had any question regarding the AU don’t hesitate to ask! ^^

And if you want to use this AU go ahead, just don’t forget to tag and credite me please! ^^

------------------------------------------------------

Cybertron; Iacon; Decepticons's headquarters:

Starscream was standing in the throne room alongside Shockwave, a scold on his face.

The whole Decepticon army was present on Megatron's order for an “important announcement”.

This just made the SIC snort in disdain, he bet the fool came up with another stupid plan against the Autobots which will fail.

How pathetic! If Starscream was the Decepticons’s leader they would have won this blasted war long ago! 

He was keeping on rambling in his thoughts until Megatron finally appeared with Soundwave, to the Seeker’s confusion the Decepticon tyrant was holding something small wrapped in a purple fabric. 

Megatron walked toward his throne and turned around to stand face to face with his army before speaking in a booming and authoritarian voice.

“-Decepticons! Today a new step to our future victory against the Autobots has been made! With a few of our mechs I managed to infiltrate the depths of Cybertron to Vector Sigma right under those blasted Autobots’s noses and to bring to this world one important advantage to our cause which will ensure our enemies’s inevitable downfall!”

Blah blah blah! How many times Starscream had heard Megatron say that?

For all his great eloquence and strength, the old fool still had to give concrete results!

“-And so Decepticons! I present to you all the heir to the Decepticons’s throne!”

…

Wait what?

Starscream could only stare in shock with wide eyes as Megatron unwrapped the fabric revealing a little Sparkling in a black and purple armor, staring at the whole room with big red confused optics.

“-Behold Ironshard! The future leader of the Decepticons!”

WHAT?!

—-----------------------------------

“-A SPARKLING?! THIS SON OF A GLITCH CREATED A SPARKLING WHILE WE ARE IN A WAR AND STRUGGLING WITH ENERGON RESSOURCES? WHAT WAS HE THINKING?”

To say that Starscream was angry was an understatement.

Megatron could have done so many things during his infiltration mission to Vector Sigma: he could have created more soldiers, attacking and taking over Vector Sygma from the inside and gaining a big advantage over the Autobots or even steal the Allspark which was within Vector Sigma.

But noooooooo! Instead Megatron decided to pick the most wasteful option and by connecting his spark directly with Vector Sygma had created a Sparkling!

A Sparkling! A fragging Sparkling! Another mouth to feed when energon ressources aren’t high!

“-Starscream, we heard you ranting about it the 10 first times! And honestly, it’s becoming annoying!”

“-Oh don’t waste your vocal processor TC! You and I know dear Screamer is only pissed because now there’s a “Megatron Jr” around his chances to be “the new Decepticons’s leader” are now thinner!”

Starscream throwed a dark glare at his trinemates.

Thundercracker looked very annoyed while Skywarp was grinning at him as if his trineleader’s outburst was the funniest thing existing.

As much as he wanted to snap back, the Decepticon SIC knew that Skywarp wasn’t wrong.

For all his barking about potential resources problems, Starscream’s anger was actually about Megatron’s spawn’s own existence, or rather about the meaning of the spawn’s existence.

For a long time he planned and plotted to get rid of Megatron and take his rightful place as the leader of the Decepticons but now an official “heir” existing made his plans to be leader harder.

Why in Primus’s name does the universe always seem out to get him?

A noise from his com broke Starscream from his reflection and the seeker quickly picked up.

“-What is it?” He asked, annoyed.

“-Starscream: must come to Megatron’s quarters immediately: Megatron’s orders!” Soundwave’s robotic voice resonated through the com.

“-Very well! Tell “Lord Megatron” that I’ll be here soon!” Starscream answering with a tone drowning in sarcasm.

The seeker quickly closed his com and begin to walk through the door when he heard Skywarp laughing behind him.

“-Good luck Screamer! Don’t get too much on Megatron’s nerves!”

Starscream just sighed, and he was sure he also heard Thundercracker sighing at the same time, at his trinemate’s behavior before keeping walking toward Megatron’s quarters.

Whatever the old fool could have wanted with him, it couldn’t be any worse than everything happening today!

—-----------------------------------

“-YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!”

He took back what he said earlier: it was worse!

“-You hear me right!” Megatron stated.”My heir needs to be taken care of and taught the Deceptions way to become a worthy leader in the future! But I have a war to win, Autobots to crush! I have no time for such trivial matters! That’s why you and Soundwave will take care of Ironshard and make sure he is properly educated!” 

He couldn't be serious? Him? Starscream? Taking care of a Sparkling?

It was outrageous!

“-Understood. Task accepted.” Soundwave stated in his emotionless synthetic voice.

“-Excellent!” Megatron replied, satisfied. ”Make sure he becomes a warrior worthy of the name! Make him strong! Ruthless! A worthy heir to the Decepticon cause and to my throne! I leave the details to you!”

“-Lord Megatron you can’t be serious?” Starscream whined.”I’m the second in command, I have way more important duties to do! I don’t have time to take care of a Sparkling!”

“-Are you refusing a direct order, Starscream?” Megatron asked.

“-No, no! Of course not.” The seeker quickly said.”I’m just saying that I don’t think it would be reasonable or even practical for me to raise your heir while being the second in command and the air force commander at the same time!”

“-And I don’t care about what your opinion is! You will raise my heir into a perfect Decepticon and that final!” Megatron told with a point of irritation in his voice.

“-But Megatron this is ridiculo- Ack!”

Megatron suddenly grabbed Starscream’s throat in a firm grip, the tyrant looking now angry.

“-I think I haven't been clear Starscream: I ORDER you and Soundwave to take care of MY HEIR and to ensure his education to teach him the Deception way to make him worthy of being the future Decepticons leader and unless you want a reminder of who give the orders in this army, you will do as I command!”

He then squeezed his grip making the Seeker agonize in pain.

“-Am I being clear?”

“-Y-yes… Cr-crystal clear…” Starscream articulated with difficulty.

Satisfied with the answer Megatron dropped Starscream on the floor.

“-Good! Now leave! I have a war to win and you and Soundwave have an heir to look after!”

“-... Yes, “Lord Megatron”!” The SIC said, his voice full of venom while rubbing his sore throat before leaving with Soundwave.

—-----------------------------------

Starscream’s mood was sour when he and Soundwave, with Laserbeak on Soundwave’s shoulder, got to Ironshard's “nursery”, well, if you could call it a nursery.

The room, bathing in darkness with only a little light barely illuminating the center of the room, was sparsely decorated, with only a makeshift crib and playpen.

The sound of machinery could be heard in the background in a constant “hum” and the air thick with the strong smell of oil.

Not really a decent room for a Sparkling’s nursery, then again, with the war going on and the energon ressources problems they were facing, the Decepticons didn’t had good accommodations in a long time. So, it was not surprising that this wouldn’t be any different for a Sparkling’s room.

Said Sparkling was in the “crib” looking at the two adult Cybertronians with big round curious red optics.

The Sparkling, Ironshard Starscream recalled, in Megatron's hand looked tiny, but now Starscream could look at him closer the Sparkling seemed bigger than the few Sparklings he had seen in Vos back on Cybertron before the war.

Then again, considering who his creator was, Starscream can guess it was pretty normal for a grounder Sparkling to be bigger than a Seekerling of the same age.

Still, this was not changing the ridiculousness of the situation!

“-This is preposterous! I’m the Decepticons SIC and air commander! I should be planning for the next battle against the Autobots, not be some kind of… of glorified nanny for a scraplet!”

“-Megatron’s order: non-negotiable!; Ironshard: heir of Megatron and future of the Decepticons!; Ironshard's upbringing: primordial for the cause!”

The Seeker sneered at the TIC with scorn.

Of course Soundwave would defend Megatron's orders and his “little project”, what expecting else from one of Megatron's favorites lapdogs?

A series of clicks and chirps get his attention and Starscream looks down to see Ironshard looking at him and doing a “pick me up” motion.

“-Oh no! No no no no! Nope! Absolutely not! If you think for one moment that I will indulge you with cuddles you’re wrong!” 

The Sparkling only insisted harder, he even began to whine in a tone which looked like a demand.

Soundwave made a disapproving sound as if it was to criticize Starscream’s behavior.

“-Don’t start with me Soundwave! We have been ordered to take care of him and educate him to become “a Decepticon worthy of the name” not to coddle him and being all mushy-mushy, we are not bleeding-spark Autobots!-”

“-”Starscream! Soundwave! The Sparkling is climbing the crib!” Laserbeak’s alarmed screams startled them both.

They quickly turned their heads, their optics went wide in alarm at the sight of Ironshard having climbed the crib…

And begin to dangerously tumble.

Starscream and Soundwave both let out a panicked scream and the Seeker quickly throws himself to catch the Sparkling before he could fall.

In a panic frenzy, Starscream examined the Sparkling from head to toe for any injuries and loudly sighed in relief once he was sure Ironshard was fine.

He heard behind him Soundwave letting out a relieved sigh and Starscream then turned back his attention toward a bubbling Ironshard with an angry scowl on his face.

“-WHAT THE FRAG WAS THAT YOU LITTLE GLITCH?! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT AND THEN MEGATRON WOULD HAVE SCRAP ME TO DEATH FOR THAT! SERIOUSLY DID YOUR CREATOR FRAGGED UP SOMETHING DURING YOUR CREATION AND MADE YOU-”

The little Sparkling, completely oblivious of the Seeker’s anger, took profit from Starscream having brought him closer to him to give him a hug and let out happy content chirps which made Starscream stop dead his angry diatribe to look at the Sparkling for a few seconds realizing something in a very big confusion.

Did… Did the little scraplet voluntarily climb the crib to push him to hold him in his servos so he could cuddle him? 

Oh that cunning little!- 

The seeker let out a big frustrated, tired sigh.

“-Online for not even a solar cycle and you're already as stubborn as your sire!” 

The Sparkling only cooed and kept snuggling against the seeker’s platting.

“-Query: beginning of operation: Sparkling caretaking?” Soundwave interrupted his thoughts.

The Seeker started at the TIC before sighing and narrowed his optics at him.

“-Very well! But let’s be clear, Soundwave! If we’re to raise him, we’re going to do it on my terms so he will not become some foolish brute like his creator! So like this when I’ll be the Deceptions leader he will!-” Starscream paused for a few seconds, thinking of what he just before his faceplates morphed in realization, his optics staring at the Sparkling.

Yes, of course! Why didn’t he think about this earlier?

He is going to raise  the heir of the Decepticons’s throne, the future of the cause, a blank canvas he can shape into his vision!

Well, sure Soundwave will participate in the upbringing but the main thing here is a Megatron will have no part in it!

He will have no say, no influence, not even a little input, the old fool preferring focusing on the war rather than educating his own heir into becoming a Decepticon leader, leaving to Starscream total free reign to raise the scraplet-no! Ironshard how he wants and turning Megatron’s so-called legacy into his own!

And when Starscream will finally dethrone Megatron and take his rightful place as the Decepticons leader, he will then make Ironshard HIS heir and secure HIS legitimacy and legacy!

Yes! YES! THAT WAS IT!

With this plan, he will crush Megatron in every way possible! This will be his greatest victory against him!

It was perfect!

A sly smile appeared on Starscream’s face, he then cradled Ironshard in his arms, making sure the Sparkling was comfortably settled.

“-Well little one, looks like I’m going to be stuck with you! So, let's see what we can make of you, shall we?” He said as he tickled Ironshard’s chin with one of his digits.

The Sparkling giggled and playfully grabbed the digit, an action which made Starscream’s expression slightly soften before he quickly recomposed himself.

“-Hum-hum… Well let’s begin with those lessons! Listen closely, Ironshard. Lesson number 1: Always watch your back, especially around your dear old sire!”

Soundwave just sighed at the scene, Laserback on his shoulder just started at the Seeker with annoyed optics.

This co-mentorship is not going to be easy. 

[anony-man]

Read it here under the cut or over on ao3!

Chubformers drabble #127!

Characters: Starscream (& trine - G1)

Word count: 1.8k

Megatron was gone again, which meant Starscream was in charge.

Technically, the boastful seeker’s claim to leadership while Megatron was away only applied to those willing to follow along, which was no more than the few bored Cons with nothing better to do and his loyal command trine, but Starscream was going to milk it for all of was worth while it lasted. Their beloved leader was away for the time being, and as the second in command over all of the Decepticon soldiers, it was only right that he see himself to his temporary duties.

The throne had never looked so good as it did with Starscream warming its seat, and he stood by that claim. The flier sat perched with one pede crossed over the other and his servos folded behind his helm as he overlooked the working bots below him. It was another day of simply sitting around and waiting for Megatron to return so they could plan another failure of a mission against the Autobots, and while he had at first been tempted to take matters into his own hands and finish the job himself, Starscream had quickly grown busy with much more important tasks.

Triumph over their sworn enemies was the biggest goal, of course, but fueling the fight was a very close second. No mech could last long without precious energon to fill there bellies, and while Megatron was off looking for ways to one up Optimus Prime, Starscream stayed loyal to their cause—the Decepticon cause, that is.

As Starscream sat atop the throne (or his throne, as he had been calling it all morning), he drummed his fingers against the armrest and observed his quiet companions standing before him. They watched the entrance with their backs to their commander, awaiting Shockwave’s return, but the air of annoyance that emanated from them both was hardly affected.

Starscream claimed to take his faction’s needs seriously, and did so before all else… supposedly. In Megatron’s absence, he had not only seen to it that everything was in order amongst his soldiers, he had also gone out and found not one, but two new sources of fuel. It would last them weeks, if not months, and the proud commander had still been patting himself on the back for it hours after.

No amount of turned-up noses or scowling faces had put Starscream off of parading his findings right into the labs, and while he couldn’t spare precious hours working away at grinding the florescent crystals down into a drinkable source of fuel, he knew plenty of bots who could. It was the only downside of leaving Shockwave on Cybertron, as he now had to wait twice as long for his newly acquired (and newly discovered) resources. Alas, despite having earned his right to a moment of silence spent basking in the afterglow of his achievements, there was always something—or someone—there to spoil it. He supposed it was a blessing that this time, at least, it wasn’t Megatron.

“I still can’t believe you’re actually going to drink that stuff,” Thundercracker said, shaking his helm as he turned back to look at his commander. “Are you even sure it’s edible?”

His poorly concealed worry was cut short by a sharp jab in the side from Skywarp, who was still snickering to himself about the whole ordeal.

“If our great new leader wants to try some unidentifiable slag he found somewhere, let him try it,” he said. “Maybe it’ll knock some sense into that—“

“Silence, both of you!” Starscream snapped. “That unidentifiable slag’ is a fresh source of energon. Believe me, I would know.”

If the obnoxious air quotes weren’t bad enough, his insistence on calling the disgusting mix of chunky crystals and slime during a brief energon retrieval certainly was. Starscream was in no mood to hear any kind of criticism about the great thing he had done, and his trine apparently didn’t get that.

“My days spent in one of Cybertron’s top academies weren’t for naught, I’ll have you know,” he continued. “I have a knack for sourcing the best energon out there, and that’s something you two idiots could learn from.”

Their argument was cut short by swinging doors and an entourage of Decepticons marching in, their arms full of trays stacked high with the glowing energon cubes. Its murky colors were far more unappealing in a diluted liquid form. Regardless, Starscream didn’t hesitate to snatch one off of the nearest tray after rising from Megatron’s throne and meeting his soldiers at the bottom.

It was finally time to put everyone’s doubts to shame, and he couldn’t bear to wait a minute longer.

“Just look at this rich new fuel,” he said, lifting the cube to the light and giving it a swirl. “It’s a fantastic find, and yet you fools are stupid enough to pass up the opportunity of trying something great!”

No amount of bragging seemed to change the sour stares of onlookers, and for good reason. Starscream’s new findings slapped against the sides of the container rather than sloshed, and unlike the thin liquid and pleasant glow to their go-to for fuel, its dark color and ominous appearance made it look much less appealing. Nevertheless, Starscream took his self-appointed role very seriously, and this strange discovery that likely should have been left behind closed doors in the darkest level of their base was instead presented for the brave bots still willing to stick around and see.

“Never mind your insolence, all of you,” he spat, bracing one servo on his hip while he brought the cube to his lips with the other. “I’ll simply have to show you all what you’re missing after I savor this delicious fuel for myself.”

Much to everyone’s surprise, Starscream did just that. The slimy, sickening substance that clung to the sides of the cube peeled itself free as he tilted his helm back and opened his maws wide. The tip of his tongue stuck out over his chin as he poured it out in its entirety, then snapped his jaw shut with a smack of his lips. His throat bulged against the huge mouthful, and Starscream was hardly free from straining to swallow it down, but after a few seconds of tense silence, he was successful.

The stubborn seeker’s face was twisted into a look of disgust, but despite the waver to his words, he kept his attitude up and held the empty cube high.

“You see?” he shouted, pausing only to choke back the belch that crept up his throat. His cheeks flushed pink against the embarrassing sound, but his rant wasn’t over. “All of you—urrrp—guh, you… idiots. You fail to trust me, your leader, yet here I stand, healthy and fed. The future of the Decepticons is in my servos, and I—!”

Another noisy belch interrupted his dramatic speech, but instead of brushing it aside and continuing on, Starscream stopped in his tracks. His empty cube clattered to the floor as he slapped a servo to his mouth, his optics going wide.

“Eating your own words,” Thundercracker said with a sigh, “what a surprise.”

There was no rebuttal this time, much to both his and Skywarp’s surprise. The command trine crept closer as Starscream’s expression turned more frantic, and around them, the Decepticons who had lingered long enough to witness whatever mess he was getting himself into did the opposite.

“Ah… you good?” Skywarp asked, extending a tentative servo out to their commander. “You look kinda…”

Purple, he was going to say. Purple like something sick and dying, though, not purple like him. Starscream’s complexion had taken on a similar hue to the fuel he had so recklessly drank, and it wasn’t pretty. They needed a medic now, and that was clear enough. Before either stunned seeker could so much as suggest leaving their stunned leader alone to succumb to whatever ailment he was suffering, however, things took a turn for the worst—or the stranger, depending on who you asked.

Their fears may have been blown out of proportion before, but the only thing being blown up now was Starscream’s… well… everything. The poor seeker’s cheeks puffed up wide before anything, and the unmistakable dribble of that nasty fuel he’d drank stained his chin in thick, regurgitated streaks as he gurgled and shrieked. Both Skywarp and Thundercracker scrambled for cover as Starscream all but inflated like a balloon, his belly bloating up into the shape of Cybertron while his arms and legs were left to helplessly wave in the air.

“Grhggg!” he shouted, his cheeks too puffed to allow for coherent words. “Mrrrphh!”

“I think he says we should get a medic,” Thundercracker said, risking a few steps back to poke at the bloated mesh of Starscream’s belly. Oddly enough, it was soft to the touch. “I’m not liking the looks of this.”

“What, and spare him the chance to reap the consequences of his actions?” Skywarp spat. “And I thought I was the dumb one.”

It was true, Thundercracker had to admit. Starscream looked pretty funny flailing around like that. Still, most mechs didn’t just… expand.

“It’s not hurting him,” he said, “but it can’t be comfortable.”

“Serves him right for drinking unidentified fuel,” Skywarp shrugged. “Isn’t that right, oh great and powerful leader, Starscream?”

The poor, bloated seeker was given another poke to his expanded belly, but not one nearly as gentle as Thundercracker’s had been. He wobbled on his pedes and waved his servos, both of which hardly moved from the amount of fat that had expanded from his middle. He was as big as a shuttle now, and fatter than any bot should ever be. Still, at least he was still standing…

…or not.

As Starscream frantically waved his servos and tried to speak around the fat of his cheeks—and his tongue, and everything, really—, he started to wobble in place. Neither of his trine seemed all that willing to help him out, of course, which meant poor Starscream was left to topple to the floor to squirm on his back and struggle all the more.

“Hah!” Skywarp snorted. “He’s kinda cute like that, don’t you think?”

“Much more tolerable, that’s for sure,” Thundercracker said. “You wait here with him. I’ll go find Hook.”

Thank Primus for mechs like Thundercracker, Starscream thought to himself. It didn’t make up for this embarrassing display, or the fact that the entirety of the Decepticon faction would know by nightfall how ridiculous a leader he really was, or even that Skywarp couldn’t stop laughing long enough to help him back up!

So maybe his new little discovery wasn’t all it was cracked up to be… he knew one thing, though, and that was that despite it all, he still made a much better leader than Megatron ever would be. All he had to do now was get back up on his pedes, find a cure for this fragging mess, and get rid of all traces of the little oopsie moment from this morning. Megatron needn’t know a thing about this whole experience.

Really, Starscream hoped Megatron never learned a thing about this.

[sonicasura]

TFP x Knack, Ratchet would probably have a robot aneurysm trying to figure out Knack, Bumblebee would definitely become brother #2 (with the tfp kids probably adding to the sibling numbers), Optimus would be dading all over the place, and Miko is probably bombarding him with questions, but what about the Decepticons? I imagine they'd be appalled by his existence, or try to snatch him. They'd probably get their scrap rocked though.

They found out about Knack right after the kids joined as he became quite well known after the first game. Miko and Raf are fans to put it simply so a discussion about our hero was bound to happen in base. The bots were immediately perturbed considering Knack's chest looks a bit too much like a Spark Chamber. (Imagine seeing someone with their heart, a very vital organ, exposed if I have to describe it.)

Ratchet already had difficulty trying to use relics and sunstones since these power sources are a bit tricky to handle unlike others. So Knack is a bigger walking conundrum for him. Anyway, the bots decide to ask Fowler a favor as Optimus' believes the chest orb keeping our hero together might actually be Cybertronian in origin.

I figured the Doctor needed a bit of a break from dangerous first greetings for this one. He wasn't expecting a government agent to show up at his home so suddenly. Nor for Fowler to reveal the Autobots' existence to him, Lucas, Charlotte and Knack. However Optimus believed the group would be at risk of Decepticon due to his greatest creation.

One analysis by Ratchet later, Knack is officially the first youngest unconventional Sparkling in Cybertronian history after their eons absent. Bumblebee is officially no longer the baby of the group and takes it in stride whenever the golem's present. Knack gives him more opportunities to act like any normal young person than just a soldier.

Optimus is absolutely running on fatherly behavior however there's actual foundation to this. Knack's chest orb isn't just Cybertronian in origin but has a solid connection to the original Primes. This makes him kin to Optimus in a mystical way. It isn't uncommon for the gentle giant to teach Knack about Cybertron's history.

Miko fully believes our relic hero should be a wrecker. Knack is a gentle sweetheart but we can't forget how much damage he can cause even if accidental. She convinced him to play Cybertronian games with Bulkhead in her stead and hasn't regret it since.

The Decepticons definitely want to capture Knack upon discovering his existence. I don't think any of them see our hero as an abomination though. Megatron and Starscream do hate that he was made by a human. (Prime's organic xenophobia isn't as bad as Animated.)

Considering Knack can grow up to 32 ft in size(TFP Optimus is 30 ft while Megatron is 35), utilize sunstone/relic energy, and incorporate other material to bulk up... He absolutely beat the shit out of the cons. Look at the second and third giant bosses in Knack 1 then tell me otherwise.

Megatron/Soundwave/Predaking will fair better than the other Cons but our hero definitely give them a run for their money. Those three and Shockwave also want Knack alive instead of dead. Our hero is still Cybertronian in origin so he should be on their side, not helping organics.

Soundwave's claim on Knack has to do with his cassettes as Lazerbeak is the only one he has left. Predaking believes the golem could be Predacon in origin and thus kin to rule over. Shockwave is pretty obvious considering the mad emotionless scientist he is.

But yeah, Knack definitely added a lot more reason for both factions to continue fighting.

[transingthoseformers]

I had some cast ideas for my other fan continuity idea, Transformers: Resistance, which is about Elita leading the last Autobots on Cybertron against Shockwave while Optimus and Megatron are missing.

(This is just a concept)

.

Autobots

Aerial/Elita One — Former general, jet alt

Chromia — Ex-Wrecker(?), van alt

Greenlight — Scientist, Lancer's conjunx, ? alt

Lancer — Scientist, Greenlight's conjunx, ? alt

Firestormer — Former civil defense, firetruck alt (Firestar; I changed her name because there's seversl other fictional characters, including a Marvel one, named Firestar).

Moonracer — Kid sniper, car alt

Alpha Trion — Old librarian, ? alt

Scrounge — Some guy they found, monowheel alt

Steelwall — An ex-Decepticon, he defected to the Autobots when the war was still an actual war. T-rex alt (RID15 Grimlock; the guy's actual name was canonically Steelwall)

.

Decepticons

Shockwave — Scientist and everybody's boss in Megatrln's absence who's in denial about Megatron's "death", siege howitzer alt

Acid Storm — Jet alt

Ion Storm — Jet alt

Nova Storm — Jet alt

Drift — Car alt

Flamewar — Baby-faced fanatic soldier who could be an actual child, motorcycle alt

Tarn — Political commissar, tank alt

Predaking — Shockwave's abnormally created technically-son, dragon alt

Airachnid — Former poacher and a serial killer, spider alt

I had some other possible Decepticon ideas; Bitstream? Hotlink? Nacelle? Sunstorm? Dreadwing? Skyquake? Howlback? Glit?

There should propably be more Decepticons than Autobots, even if they also have drones or something. And they do need at least one doctor. I'm really unsure about the amount of Decepticon jets and beastformers, because if those are all Decepticons it could make the Autobots seem racist or something. Steelwall is also an ex-Decepticon after all...

Also all or most of the jet alts are all different from each other.

I'm trying to have all kinds of people on the Decepticon side, not just all evil.

So far it makes sense considering who we know was on Cybertron plus additions

I don't have many ideas other than it might be a good idea to pick at the maximals for characters, mayyybe? Especially considering how rid15 totally modeled some of the decepticons off of previous beast wars iterations

[moonlight-tmd]

I absolutely love the au where bee is a con!! if you don't mind, do you have anymore info on it? I'd love to know more on bee's own reputation and conjunx lol!

That is not a thing i expected to pop off. Oh well. This is an old idea i had like few months back that i just remembered. It's not really an AU, more like a continuation from the present.

So for short introduction- Bee is one of the counselors to Megatron, he's more of a "give ideas" guy than the one to make them work. Blitzwing, who he's been dating back on earth, is now his Conjunx and got himself his own fleet of soldiers to command. Basically Elite Guard. Bee is known to be very kind and caring but also merciless and strict when needed. He's either feared or loved among the lower status folks. He was the one that helped Megs work out the laws for the workers since he has experienced it himself. On free cycles he plays video games like always, he hangs out on videocall or in person with Longarm/Shockwave(depending on which the transformer is feeling like that cycle). If he's not doing that or working then he's spending time with Blitzwing in their apartment. They have a knack for watching romcoms from earth on evenings. They love each other very much. <3

Anyway, oh boy- a text wall!

As i said it all happened because the others basically neglected their friendship with him. They ignored or didn't notice when he was genuinely feeling bad or upset. He learned that the Autobot Council basically screwed the 'cons over from Blitzwing when they were dating- he met up with Megatron in secret and discussed few things, Blitzwing was so surprised when he saw him at the 'con base wearing the Decepticon insignia.

And so, Bee had few arguments with his team before he disappeared for good and the 'cons gained advantage after advantage and before they knew it they were arrested in their own base and taken hostage along with Sari. Megatron got the Allspark and won the war and now Cybertron's laws are being reformatted, there are few questionable changes but overall it's not that bad- truth be told but denied, it's actually better than what the Council had going on.

The next thing they know is that they are being de-armed and set free to do their job as repair bots. Sari couldn't bring herself leave them alone so she tagged along. She was about 24 i'd say when they arrive at the construction zone in New Iacon, they overhear the coversation and recognise one of the voices- they couldn't believe when the small dark cybertronian turned to them. It was Bee, his paint was matte black with shiny yellow with orange gradient stripes. His frame was different from the yellow one they knew, his alt mode was a Lamborghini. He had heels like Prowl and his horns were bigger, kind of making his helm look like a V shape. And he had doorwings. To add to it all the Decepticon Elite insignia proudly shined on his chassis and his deep lavender optics matched its color. (think Elite Guard symbol but Decepticon, it's really just to show high-placed status of the one wearing it.)

He was oddly cold to them, even corrected Ratchet when he called him 'kid'- "It's 'Sir' to you, old bot. And so is to everyone else in the facility." The others asked him questions but stopped when Bee ignored the first few and just kept talkign about what they will do here. He led them to their temporary quarters before going off somewhere.

The job would be long to be sure, they were building a space bridge gate from scratch- they had supplies assigned and more of them coming soon promised. In the first few cycles there were no issues, Bee was always on topic and polite, which was weird to see. He seemed cold whenever he spoke with them- which is why when one of the guards started talking crap to Sari for being slow and weak, Bee seemed to materialize out of this air behid the guy. He only said 3 words when the guard looked at him, petrified. "My office. Now." He wasn't angry, he spoke in a cold tone with an uncanny calm expression, optics locked on the big 'con guard. Which maybe made it more scary. He only glanced at Sari breifly before walking away, presumably into his office. What surprised them the most was how scared the guard seemed in that moment, like he just insulted Megatron himself.

It was then another guard spoke up, a femme this time. It was she that told the group that guards that mistreat workers end up without jobs and that Bee is a high ranking advisor to Megatron. And that this place is a future orphanage. Bee was strict but with a kind Spark, a respect well earned. For that and for what he did with some of the laws. They never expected Bee out of all people to be so concerned about the law n stuff. It was odd enough to see him sit by his desk signing datapads in his office.

They knew Bee was raised in an Carequarters(orphanage) with awful staff so knowing Bee was in charge of building and almost running the facility they were working on warmed their Sparks.

On all construction sites, it's bound for accidents to happen- one of the heavy-duty workers dropped a metal pillar from the upper scaffolding and Prowl was about to get hit. But Bee pushed him out of the way, unfortunatelly damaging his stabilizer. He even asked if Prowl was fine before being concerned about himself. Prowl helped him to the medbay and they had a little chat; Prowl didn't expect Bee to do that, he asked few question and Bee straight up scolded him for thinking he would be a tyrant and told him that not all of the 'cons are bad, just rough on the surface.

Then there was an accident where the weakly supported ceiling crashed on one of the constructicons. Bee was speeding down the hallway to the repair crew's quarters- they were just talking about Bee when Ratchet said something that might have been offending- "Ratchet!!" Bee yelled as he bursted thru the door- Before the medic could say something let alone apologize if Bee had some 'someone insulted me' senses, "Accident in the front hall! Medic needed- NOW!" All in a worried but stern tone. It was enough to make him grab his medical kit and rush down the hall after Bee. After that Ratchet was put on Medic duty and didn't have to work with the rest of the repair crew.

When Bee was speaking with Optimus one time he noticed a worker having troubles with lifting some materials they had no issue carrying last cycle. He left Optimus mid-conversation and came up to them to ask if eveything's alright. The big bot did say he was feeling a bit under the weather and Bee send him to get checked out in medbay and that he was off-duty for the rest of the cycle. Then he came back to Optimus and resumed the talk just like nothing happened. It only showed that Bee cared a lot about everyone.

The Bulkhead got the offer to paint the play area since it was finished. Of course for a hefty pay bonus. The play area was in a dome, in the middle stood a bronze statue representing earth's tree with swings hanging and a tunnel thru it. Prowl was also artistic in a way so he also got to paint it- the final result was a beautiful mural of a flowery meadow with a forest all around the room. And the higher you looked, there were clouds, stars and even planets near the glass ceiling. The two deemed the work as a success, seeing Bee with that childish smile again as he looked around with wonder was worth more than any of the sights from the most beautiful galaxies.

The moment the facility was finished, Bee gathered all the workers and gave a speech even Optimus was jealous of- He thanked everyone and said how grateful and happy he is to be building a better future for everyone along with them. Everything was perfect- but then the alarm rang and the Autobot rebellio bursted thru the wall and started taking everything apart. And wouldn't you know, it was the old friend Sentinel who led the pack. He tried to get Optimus to join him before being pulled into a fight with Bee who had a staff similar to the ones the guards had. Sentinel and few others were arrested(again) and the rest of the rebellion fled. Don't worry they got caught by another fleet of soldiers further away from the facility.

But that didn't matter- everything Bee was working hard for was ruined. The beautiful area was a ruin covered in dust and gunpowder. "Bee? Are you o-" "What are you staring at?! Get back to your quarters!" He had snapped before retreating to his office to cry his Spark out. The call to Megatron was hard to make, but it was even harder to answer Blitzwing's call after he was done speaking with the Warlord. They called each other at the end of each cycle, this was the first time Bee didn't answer. And he didn't answer them until Blitz was assigned to go aid him with security and arrived at the place the next cycle. He comforted his hummel as he cried- a small conversation between them happened, which Sari managed to overhear when she was passing by Bee's quarters.

From then on, whenever Bee was present on the construction-again zone Blitzwing was always near. Another worker told them about gossips that they were Conjunxes. Later Sari confirmed when they were speaking in private.

And so the construction works go monitored by a lot of guards and soldiers- few of them seemed to recognize the crew from earth but they never mentioned it- whether that was intentional or an order from Bumblebee they may never know. Blitzwing is there for Bee on every step of the way, and even his old friends had few cases to reassure him.

The carequarters are finally finished and Megatron himself comes thru the newly-built space bridge for the final check-up before grand opening later. Bee is very happy and does compliment his workers- he said how good of a job the repair crew has done right in front of them. Once the grand opening is held and done, Optimus and his crew are about to leave- but not before Bee catches them to talk. "Actually... it's just Bumblebee." He says with a smile when they call him 'sir'. he wishes them safe travel and leaves to get the facility going. Upon entering their ship, they are met with a stack of boxes and a note saying "A bonus for fast work!" signed with a cartoony earth bee doodle. Each of the boxes were signed for different crew members. In the end, Bee hasn't changed much.

Later down the timeline he and the crew regain contact after few of other projects Bee was in charge of. Bee gives them better stuff and gifts and invites them to a grand gala. He and Sari have a proper reunition then, he cannot apologize enough for leaving her like that. There is a happy ending after all.

And that's it. I don't have any more info on this. The well is dry. Feel free to ask about anything else.

Lol, on the side note; this Bee's theme song would be Little Girl Gone by CHINCHILLA. (The "Say that again i didn't quite hear ya" song)

[artsy-hobbitses]

What does look like everyday life apart from war and fighting in Decepticon HQ? Autobots seem for me more like family/group of close friends and among Decepticons there is Soundwave with their companions but what about the rest? And how Megatron treats his soldiers (generally, not only the main cast)?

Megs actually treats his (loyal) soldiers pretty decently. He's an okay boss to work for like, 75% of the time, he's a HARD taskmaster, but a fair one who compensates you properly---you're talking to an ex-manual who used to be part of a union after all. Note that almost ALL the Decepticons' armor is actually made BY him with his own two hands (he became a good metalsmith during his time in the pit having to craft his own armor and helping his partners with theirs), and he sits down and talks with them to get to know them better/figure out what they want. (The exception is Starscream, who was one of the earliest members of the rebellion and whose armor was a prototype designed by Senator Shockwave)

So he's not an asshole boss PROVIDED you stay loyal to his cause. He can flip a switch from warm and understanding to cold and remorseless, though note that even with his warmth, there's a strong presence of danger lurking underneath, like a lion choosing to sidle up to and affectionately headbonk you, and you knowing full well it could rip off you head if it wanted to on one wrong move.

His soldiers' loyalty and dedication to him are not without merit as such. Their fervour can blind them to other atrocities he commits.

Generally the Decepticons feel more emotionally detached and 'professional' compared with the Autobots, because they are, by design, a military force (The Autobots function more as a very hands-on NGO), and there's always a businesslike air among them/a bit of a cutthroat environment in that aspect. Because Meg can flip on a switch and they know what happens to traitors, friendships tend to be more surface-level compared with the Autobots (except for Soundwave and Co who are a little bonded family unit of their own) since you don't know who's going to defect and who might be mysteriously gone tomorrow, and you're left questioning if you ever knew your team mates at all.

Most of the time they mainly see each other during meetings and training sessions, and don't really engage with each other beyond that.

[mychlapci]

The real reason Shockwave is taking such careful notes in that wifey Sentinel au is because he needs to test all of that stuff out to see if it’s worth stealing for the decepticons! He’ll need a handy agent to test all of the hypnosis and conditioning out on, of course. And dear agent Blurr is probably one of the biggest security risks to his secret—the mech is as intelligent as he is fast, and has almost caught Shockwave out of his disguise at least once now. It’s only logical to kill to birds with one stone by testing the program’s viability and removing his greatest obstacle.

That dangerous intelligence will have to be the first thing to go. “Longarm” recommends a brand new show to one of his agents to assist the Autobot High Council with refining their new technology. Agent Blurr, of course, quickly finds that it’s his favorite show. Sure a silly show about attracting a mech is a bit low brow for him, but it’s very relaxing not to have to think so hard, Longarm Prime, sir! Soon Shockwave notices Blurr can’t stops staring at him, blushing and even stammering. “Longarm” reports that the program can, in fact, instill specific mechs as targets of desire to the council and is rewarded with a tape just for Blurr!

Blurr loves it, of course. So relaxing! No need to think at all, just to laugh and feel soooo good as he watches his show. Mechs don’t like it when their toys outsmart them, mechs don’t need intelligent bots. They want dumb, ditzy, cute little wives! Blurr finds himself trying out this “playing dumb” thing and loves the results! Longarm Prime is such an attentive boss, always willing to help his poor, silly agent. Patting him on the head, the shoulder, the aft as he sends Blurr on his way. Charge simmering. Soon it’s hard to remember it was an act at all.

And Shockwave is very pleased with his adoring results. This method of programming mechs might just the edge the decepticons need to defeat the autobots for good! …but a little more testing can only be beneficial, right?

Yeah... The autobots are slowly developing very effective hypnosis, with promising results so far, there’s no way that Shockwave can pass up on the opportunity to see how it works for himself. Megatron could use something like that in the future, either re-programmed to turn enemies fully docile, or used as is, to turn their enemies into good wives and mommies who’ll give life to the next generation of decepticon soldiers.

The hypnosis works so well on Blurr.... he slowly turns ditzy and dumb, wearing a cute little skirt around Longarm to try and get him to touch his ass, which Longarm does just to see how he’ll react... Turns out, direct physical contact actually makes Blurr dumber faster.

It’s only a matter of time until Blurr is waddling around with a Huge baby bump...

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Mosaic - Fragments Zac DeBoard

wada sez: Just three scripts today, shared by Zac DeBoard in 2010. Most of Zac's credits on Mosaic strips are actually for editing, on various Seeds of Deception or The Lost Seasons stories—but you may remember I already shared an unused script of his, which ultimately evolved into "Loyalty Rewarded". Here are the rest!

"Fallen Star" (Star Upper) [2010-03-5, 2010-06-24]

Zac sez: "Another TF story set post BW. Featuring Star Upper! [...] I always thought this would make a good Mosaic piece cuz he so obscure. Unfortunately the concensus among those who read it was that he was too obscure. Haha."

A cage fighting match is about to take place.  The building is a seedy bar with a large cage in the middle with tables set around it on various levels with steps leading to the higher levels. On one side of the ring is a four armed alien of indeterminate origin, entering the other, is a technorganic being wearing an Austrailian Bush Hat, this is STAR UPPER.

(Star Upper's monologue)

I am the Galactic Fighting Champion.  My days are spent living a lavish lifestyle, and my nights are spent bustin heads.

(One panel could show Star Upper in a hot tob of sorts with 2 femmebots, wearing his hat and perhaps even a gold chain. think Bender from Futurama...and another panel would show him beating up on the four armed alien)

But I yearn for something more.  

I was once a promising member of an elite team of Maximal Agents.

(Here maybe we could show Star Upper with members of the Pack)

Fate had other plans for me.

(We'd show an image of Star Upper arguing with Lio Convoy)

Star Upper finishes off the alien with a tremendous uppercut.  He replaces his hat and walks away with a sad look on his face.  He is bored and lonely.  He recieves a communication.

"Agent Star Upper."

STAR UPPER: "Sir!"

"The Predacons have openly declared war on the Imperium.  We need every available mech for the war effort, therefore we nare reactivating your commision effective immediately.   Return to Cybertron ASAP!  Your planet needs you!"

STAR UPPER (saluting): "On my way sir!"

(Monolugue resumes)

My name is Star Upper.

I am a fighter--

--a soldier

but most importantly--

--I am a Maximal!

"Renegades Rising" (Bug Bite) [2010-03-05]

Zac sez: "Another unused script…I think this one was deemed "Too convoluted" for a TF:M."

wada sez: Oh he ain't kidding. This strip is based entirely on the Timelines prose story "Withered Hope", which starred the e-HOBBY exclusive set of "G1 GoBots". Honestly, "Withered Hope" is a pretty good story by Fun Publications' standards, but it opened a Pandora's box of GoBots/Transformers crossover material from the club which caused a bunch of arguments on the TFWiki, so who's to say if it's good or bad. Bug Bite, Spoons, and Crasher all had pretty faithful updates from Fun Publications and Hasbro, as listed below, while Cop-Tur was kind of a nameslap on a Club-exclusive Mini-Con. Bad Boy and Treds are the exceptions as nonexistent toys; in the e-HOBBY set, they were redecos of G1 Powerglide and Warpath respectively, so the Universe updates of those toys are natural choices from a stylistic standpoint.

CAST

BUGBITE (Based on Games of Deception Bugbite)

BAD BOY (Based on Universe Powerglide in "Bad Boy" colors)

SPOONS (Based on ROTF Deadlift)

CRASHER/FRACTURE (Based on ROTF/Universe Fracture with a more "Crasher-like" head)

COP-TUR (Based on TF Club Cop-Tur)

TREADS (Based on Universe Legends Warpath)

(*If references are needed for the characters I can provide links)

In a run-down lab on Cybertron, the being known as Bugbite has finally reunited with his old allies.

(BUGBITE'S MONOLOGUE) The so-called "Great War" between the Autobots and the Decepticons has more victims than anyone realizes.  

The destruction and chaos that stemmed from the war and the Dark Sciences that emerged as a result began to affect other worlds and eventually entire dimensions.

(Maybe show an image of either Jhiaxus or Shockwave in a lab)

Our home-dimension is on the brink of total destruction thanks to these Cybertronians.  A group of our race was sent to this other reality to research the chaos and hopefully save our world.

(Here we could show an image of the "Gobots" that arrived in Axiom Nexus...Pathfinder, Smallfoot, Road Ranger, and the afore mentioned Renegades)

We failed.

Most of us were killed but those that remained found a new cause.

(Here, we'd show the "Guardians" being killed...maybe by Megatron's crew)

Revenge.

Hidden among the cybertronians, we have taken new bodies, and, in some cases, new names.  

Staying undercover, we gathered all the information we needed.

And finally, it is time to strike.  The Transformers....this entire universe will remember us.

And the Renegades will reign supreme!

"Clarity" (Beast Wars Megatron) [2010-06-23]

Megatron is back on Cybertron.  The Beast Wars are over, but thanks to the miracles of transwarp science, he had found his way home before the Maximals who had imprisoned him.

(MEGATRONS INTERNAL MONOLOGUE)

I had planned for nearly every occurance.

For every betrayal...

(here would be a scene from the early Beast Wars eps where Dynobot first joins the Maximals)

I had a new recruit

(here would maybe show Inferno bowing to "his queen" or maybe Rampage submitting to a gloating Megs)

I was able to turn my enemies schemes into personal victories (maybe a panel referencing Tarantulas' rebuilding and Megatrons discovery of the Nemesis)

But in the end, there were things even I could not predict (maybe Dynobot turning on Megs in Nemesis) and Rhinox crashing thru in the Autobot shuttle.

The Beast Wars, like the Great War before it was plagued with the chaos of organic life.

The chaos of individuality.  

Organics born with no programming to guide them.  They will destroy our world....

unless I destroy them first....

I made a deal with my old mentor.  He would help purge my body of its organic contamination and he would gain the power inherant in its form.

(this panel would show Megs and Cryotek in his  body from Theft of the Golden Disk.)

I quickly betrayed him and used his rescources to create my transformation virus.

(This panel would show the newly Transmetal Dragon Cryotek shorting out and going into stasis.  Megatron would then have him taken away by drones...early versions of his Vehicons maybe?)

All too soon I have brought order to chaos.

All are one at last....there is nothing to stand in my way.

(Megatron is seen in his control cloak, with his Beast Machines style form.  In the background, the Autobot shuttle containing the Maximals can be seen)

[brytnoter]

Found a couple of Soundwaves in the charity shop today!!! 14cm and 8.5cm

Long story below cut

This old lady in the shop was trying to wrestle with their joints to get them to sit down on the display shelf and was being very vocal about it. She called them transformers, and I suddenly had giant eyes activated and found myself near her asking too see them. AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY TRANSFORMERS!!!!

She knew because she knows Bumblebee's name and he was there. I was so happy that she even knew one of their names and I asked to look in the box.

The poor things were all bent funny, some transformed, some half transformed, I had to look at each one individually because it was just a box of shapes (even though I saw a couple faces looking up at me)

I recognised:

Bumblebee (Bumblebee live action movie version)

A vehicon from tfp (they made toys of those?!?!!)

Megatron, but I don't know which series

tfp SOUNDWAVE <3333333 (with removable lazerbeak)

Some kind of Optimus that was all curled up in vehicle mode and upside down

Some kind of one eyed, one-arm-is-a-gun Shockwave, and I had to reassure the woman that that's how he looks

I knew they were all transformers toys because even the ones I didn't recognise had the alliegance stickers on them. You'll be pleased to know Decepticons outnumbered Autobots 5 to 1. >:¬)

The shop woman said she was trying her hardest, but some that she couldn't make sense of had ended up in the bin. SO OF COURSE I ASKED TO SEE THOSE. I was like what if MY FAVOURITES ACCIDENTALLY ENDED UP IN THE BIN !!!!

My friend who was with me, who hasn't watched any series, but who listens to me infodump about Transformers (and in turn I listen to her infodump about chinese danmei yaoi fantasy novels) SAID THAT THE BIN IS WHERE STARSCREAM BELONGS ;_____; NOT MY FAV!!!!

(The bin was clean btw)

Anyway, I rescued a second smaller Soundwave (also prime) from the stuff that came from the bin. I didn't recognise anyone else from the bin but they were all in unsellable condition, and there was also a bunch of unrelated weapon toys in there as well. Normal guns used by normal human soldier toys, toys who were also 14cm tall, and for a transformer to wield them they would have to be pretty big guns.... or prety small transformers......

So now I have two soundwaves added to my collection. The taller one is very noticeably used, stickers peeling off a little, too stiff to transform, worn, etc but still very loved. MY DECEPTICON ARMY GROWS!!!!!!!

[whatudottu]

You know, sitting here thinking about TFP humanformers I have rather found it difficult to come up with an idea for a human Predaking, seeing as how his entire schtick as a predacon lead him to being depersonified and marked as a beast before folks realised he could transform.

I mean, these are just humanformer ideas based on Predaking KEEPING his canonical treatment rather than making Predaking and changing the dynamics that way. It does involve some uh... dehumanisation under the cut to keep with the theme, so keep in mind if you DO read, but those parts are mainly in the 'struggling to come up with a concept that isn't racist' section.

The first ideas that I had for him would probably to make him into a super soldier, and sure it works but- if you attempt to 'discipline' a super soldier the way Starscream tried to do so with a predacon's beast mode, I think you'll be walking away with broken shins (aka not walking at all). Another idea was to bring a fucked up 'shockwave inspired' element that would lead to the amp 'beast' comparisons to be made, but the more 'beastman' version of this idea is VERY DELICATE to work with (read: comparing a human to an animal is VERY HISTORICALLY and still PRESENTLY a not great thing to do) but also doesn't quite FEEL that predacon to me; predacons are emphasised to be ANCIENT not that they are extant animals, so if Shockwave has done anything to beastify a human I think insecticons may be that unit of humans.

No, I think that for a human to be considered a beast without being racist about it would be to turn predacons from 'animals' to 'monsters', to Frankenstein's monsters. Though I thought of I think a vague Frankenstein comparison before, I will bring up that many others have also seen some modern Prometheus allegories between Shockwave and Predaking. I was mainly inspired by my [insert number here] rewatch of OSP's Frankenstein episode and especially the particular eye colour Adam was depicted with, but the basic idea of being a dead person brought back to life with the best pieces carefully selected by someone wholly dedicated to the craft of science (irrespective of Frankenstein's dropout status) plus how the monster is almost universally feared? Come on, this is the 'in' I needed if I wanted to keep the general fear of the unknown with Predaking and the Decepticon High Command.

And what better show to introduce a character that is this compilation of ancient human DNA and real corpse than a show that has previously introduced ZOMBIES and will later introduce VAMPIRES!?

If Shockwave shows up, after 3 seasons worth of knowing what a zombie is and that it's a real possible thing to happen - in addition to the fact your own fucking leader stuck a shard of 'zombie making' juice into his chest/bloodstream/whatever the humanformers version of Megan would do - with a creature visibly made up of the dead with eyes of something very non-human, would you welcome them with open arms? Adam Frankenstein certainly wasn't, not even from his own dad which Predaking can at least attest to actually having SOME sort of decent relationship with Shockwave.

In a way, it modifies the predacon fossil scavenger hunt to be 'global graverobbers' which in a humanformers setting might actually be 'go to this great battle and recover the bones of not only our but our enemies bones to provide a human base' which could EMPHASISE the monstrosity of Predaking's nature as a melting pot of old friends and foe mashed together into one fucked up super soldier. In a canon parallel this mixture of gene sequences and cadavers would still influence Knock Out and Starscream to think turning the corpse of C.Y.L.A.S. into their own super soldier would still be a good idea, having something else besides the dark 'energon' (if it is not still energon) fuck up the experiment and make a tech-modified human into some kinda fucked up vampire. Heck, with this old post of mine comparing the looks of the new predacons to the two big blue (dead) bots, this humanformers concept for Predaking can persist and continue to be used by Shockwave to create Skylynx and Darksteel, not made of battles long passed but of the freshest bodies the scientist would have access to.

But I guess canonically there has only ever been 2 zombie hordes throughout the entirety of TFP, if you consider the horde in Thirst to be very hungry vampire thralls instead (considering they were killed rather than revived, I'd place them under 'vampire'), so perhaps not a lot of bots can go 'this is terrifying' and not a lot of evidence that Shockwave can gather about why they are at this level of hesitancy; it's not a simple fear of the unknown, it's the type of fear from experience. But I have a trick up my sleeve!

BOOM, Altered Loyalties baby; human edition, of course.

This might deserve it's own post but essentially, a humanformers 'Shockwave's Monster' Predaking would have a lot more precedence for being a Unicron made monstrosity if the threat of Unicron damned creatures exist as a background constant. A threat to base verse to their position on Earth, a threat in humanformers because the dead outnumber them. All the while, Shockwave stands beside a being created from those very same dead that may or may not have risen from the corruption of WHATEVER it is within the Earth's core, only to announce this is a very new SUPER SOLDIER!? Zombies are one thing with their durability and their hordes, but this creature - this DEMON - stands there with advance agility, enhanced endurance, and superior strength!?

To later find that it - that HE - is not merely a walking corpse, but an intellectual, sends shivers even down Megatron's spine. Megatron, the head of one of the last remaining shreds of humanity, staring at the undead being not only made to be harder, better, faster, stronger than him, but capable of intelligence in much the same way as the poetic ex-gladiator.

He WILL NOT go extinct.