#earthspark damus au

[transingthoseformers]

I picture OP finding the Tyranny empty. But it's not the horror show the Autobots expected to find. All the corpses and body parts are gone. The blood stains have been scrubbed and bleached as close to oblivion as the mechs inside could manage. And the ships log is interesting... since the last log was signed Damus.

Nickel's horrified and traumatized being on an organic world. She definitely wants to protect the Sparklings though. Tarn feels unworthy to approach the munchkins. Just he doesn't deserve to touch something so innocent. I feel like they'd be observing but would intervene to protect the kids.

The Maltos are protecting the Terrans as their own young. And Dot is clearly willing to take on anyone for her children.Well given the Cybersleved children and their link it's not suprising. But they're treating their partly-organic and inorganic offspring the exact same way, with love, kindness and firm discipline tempered by compassion and the reasons for the rules.

Megatron being close to the family has Damus uneasy. This is however a very different Megatron than any thing he's ever seen. There's a closeness but Megatron's admitting his mistakes.

The GHOST mess at whatever stage in the timeline he shows up, has Damus deeply concerned and Nickel triggered halfway to the Pit and back.

It would be interesting if one of the human kids and one of their Terran sibs were searching for an escaped Fluffy Ears and stumbled into Nickel having a panic atack. Poor Fluffy Ears just wanted to be Nickel's friend. The kids are trying to help her when Damus arives. They think the minibot is af new sib since she's curled up and they can't see her badge. Damus leaves cradeling an exausted Nickel but he got the story of how the Terrans came to be. He told the children the black box consortium murdered her home planet of Prion. One of them asks for his name and he tells them it's Damus.

The kids mention meeting Damus and Nickel to Dot and Bee. Dot and Bee however doesn't realize until Megs stops to visit that Damus was Tarn's actual name. And he was unmasked. Heck he might have changed his paint job and optics back to their original colors too. Plus Nickel no one knows who she is, and the kids weren't warned about Damus.

Ohhhoh they thought they were prepared (or at least as prepared as they thought they could get). They expected so many horrors, and they ended up finding one of the most oddly terrifying things: nothing :)

From what I know, I don't think (?) The autobots have interacted much with the DJD, so they're getting that feeling of being out of the loop the entire time.

y e a h Nickel isn't all that happy.

aWWW CALLING THEM THE MUNCHKINS YES

Plus, when was the last time Tarn was around a youngling?? That's right. He's not so sure about being around the kids.

oh Damus

This entire thing is such a trip for them, especially since they haven't had the last couple of decades of context regarding the cybertronians on earth, humans, and well yeah the Terran stuff.

Dot is ABSOLUTELY prepared yep yep

Damus has so many 💫opinions💫 about Megatron's life/connection with the Maltos (a lot of mecha and humans probably do)

Oh I can exactly see the not so nice comparisons that Damus and Nickel are making regarding GHOST (from my pov in analyzing the timeline, I'm imagining Nightshade in all their green glory so definitely after s1-1/3rd), and they're right for that.

So Nickel's freaking the fuck out because yeahhh. It would be funny as hell if technically it was Fluffy Ears who discovered Nickel, and well that's how the kids meet her and Dams. okay that also is funny that they assume she's another surprise child

Oh Damus providing context, that's definitely gonna have consequencesssss

The kids don't see a thing wrong with this, after all Damus and Nickel didn't seem like an immediate threat and it didn't click that they were decepticons (and even then, the kids probably would've still tried to be friendly.) Hell, Dot, Alex, and Bee don't even see anything wrong until they mention it to Megatron— and that's when you can practically hear his energon pressure skyrocket.

Damus sounds so pretty with his original optic and paint job colors.

[transingthoseformers]

ES Tarn angst:

Imagine his team is down to him and Nickel. Like he's just done. The Nuke's run completely dry and he's not able to find replacement T-Cogs. He's been forced into sobriety and he's had to face his life without his cruches. Megatron's Quiting in this universe ripped off the rose colored lenses. He had to compare the Cause's actions to the Functionist's actions. He's not liking what he's seeing. Mostly he just wants to ask Megatron "Why?"

Exactly yes yes

Tarn has run out of vices to turn to, and he has to sit down and look at everything. Everything he's done, everything the decepticons have done, everything Megatron has done, just. His entire life has gone swirling down the drain and he has to build a new one. One less reliant on Megatron and the Decepticon Cause™️ (which, Tarn is only now learning aren't two in the same)

Now it's just Tarn and Nickel. Damus and Nickel.

[transingthoseformers]

You know Nickel was his Rabbi/spiritual guide/councilor to get him to look at the facts squarely. Nickel who looked at her bois and went "they're monsters but their family."

Imagining this pair crashing the Tyranny on Earth and a major stink happens. Then the issue of the malto-bots/Terrans complicates matters a great deal. Not to mention their linked to their Cybersleved siblings.

Yessss yes she wassss

Nickel and the DJD had just the most interesting dynamic because they cared about her, and she cared about them.

The second that the Peaceful Tyranny is in Earth's orbit you know everyone is just Panic! Panic! Revolution! And I so so very much want to know what Tarn and Nickel think about the Terrans, their human family, and Megatron's role in their lives. I wanna know what they think about the GHOST situation and, depending on when in the timeline we're dealing with, Mandroid.

[transingthoseformers]

If Damnus showed up in Earthspark i picture him showing up before the second half Mandroid GHOST shenanigans hit off. Nickel's worked up to tolerating the Maltos and Fluffy Ears without panicking. They're chiling keeping a protective optic on the Maltos but mostly laying low and keeping themselves to themselves.

Then the shit bits the fan with the portal and the mindcontrol and Tarn gets involved. And The Voice comes into play. There's a reason why he's feared. And Nickel is treating the injured.

Ooo ok!

She's making progress!!!

The Maltobots have gained a new protector

I like to imagine Damus and Nickel get attached to the rest of the malto family too🥰

Oh no

Oh no not the mind control, Tarn, oh no

[transingthoseformers]

Damus looks at mandroid. "Fraging Unmaker, What is wrong with you?! Scorpanok in a fever dream couldn't have managed to concoct such an abomination. And tou did it to yourself!" Every adult non controlled Deceptacon is "yep checks out." Everyone else capable of thoughtis "who's Scorpian dude?"

The great thing is that most of the Cons wouldn't recognize Damus and Nickel is an unknown as a recent convert.

Starscream and the Waves are the only ones who would know/remember Damus was Tarn's OG Designation.

Cue someone yelling "do your thing! Do your thing!" Damus is reluctant to use the Voice because internal angst and wory since he's holding at least one Malto-bot at this poin. The powers are originally touched based.

Cue some unintentional slapstick as he's trying to get the child to someone safe so he can use the Voice.

gODDAMN Damus!

Any questions about Scorponok will be answered after shit goes down, Tara might be able to help (ohhhoh I get the vibe Tara has opinions about Scorpy, whether they're positive or negative)

Sdfgh "dO YOUR THING" so many mecha will be confused because well they don't recognize him as Tarn (plus I'm betting there's still mecha who think about the DJD as this division absolutely draped in myth— after all, they never saw them for themselves)

Ohh oh no "but what about the baby??". He doesn't want to hurt any of the newbuilds!

Unintentional slapstick our beloved

[transingthoseformers]

What would Alex Malto consider a classic? Because i feel like that's the vibe for Damus to accidentally hit.

You see

I don't know

But I highly suspect it's an old pop song of some kind

[transingthoseformers]

Starscream's response to the what the fuckening when Tarn, who's unmasked and orange, foisted a unconscious child into his arms. Ok checks out, very sensible option removing the child from the battlefield. Time to Vamoose!

Poor Damus when Mo and Robby save the day with their [Redacted]. He really didn't feel worthy of that. Nickel is so protective of the two of them after that. A bit of her faith in the universe is restored by Mo and Robby.

Yep yep!

The fact that he's without mask and he's orange again is probably? A good sign in Starscream's opinion.

Mmm yes the [Redacted], our favorite

Mo and Robby saving the day has gotta mean so much like yes yes.

Nickel is slowly but surely adjusting regarding her trauma from what happened at Prion, and the maltos are doing what they do best: being wholesome and adopting mecha into the complex family

[transingthoseformers]

Damus can just with word or a hum go "frag you and all of your equiptment." Mandroid "the hell!?"

Oh yeah the EM feild equivalent of flat affect would be messing with him for sure. And Mandroid not having one. Damus islike what kind of abomination against science and natureare you?

Sfgh yes

Exactly

Mandroid will not be happy

Yep yep Mandroid would freak the fuck out of Damus like not even Scorponok could come up with whatever s1 finale Mandroid was (is it odd I actually really like his s1 finale form? It's just the right amounts of creepy and fucked up). Scientific method, never heard of her!

[transingthoseformers]

I'm more thinking bots are being mind cotroled and unaffected Tarn is like "What the fuck?!

S̴̛̳̠̭̪̀̅̆̇͂̅̿͊́͝t̴̢̨̲̻̰̭̟͕̙̹̹̞̳̲͈̪̅̈̓̏͝o̶̧̲̯̼̥̜̗̗̤̿̓̐̽͆͋̆́p̴̨̛̩͎͔̜̯̠͈̟̺͙̱̝̪̯̙̚ ̶̧̛̗̗̳̩̦̫̩̋̔̿͑͑̿̍͊̀̆̉̓̏̕t̴̡͙̟̀̐͌̈̊̉̔̉̐͂̊͛̂͠ẖ̶̢̡̧̨̜͓͇̘̪̝̬̘͈̍͜ą̵̧̨͓̯̟̗͓̖͚̥̝̞̘̄͜t̴̲̼̟̱́̈̅̑ͅ! (Stop that!)

KOs them into a hard reboot. He's not sure what's going on but he and Nickel are protecting the children, and albeit begrudgingly their human sibs. While shot is going down.

Dfg

Yes

Holy fuck would that be an interesting scene, also because the mind controlled bots are so fucking silent and creepy. Mandroid uses them like puppets rather than trying to make them convincing and it would freak Damus the fuck out

extra points if we factor EM fields into this and Dr Meridian's control messes with those too, imagine field based uncanny valley effect (I've thought about that before but for CYLAS! or well the idea of him straight up not having one and it being super off-putting for the mecha around him)

Now Mandroid, on the other hand, would be so perplexed by Tarn. I don't think he has much experience with outliers (we know that Skywarp and Ion Storm were forced to work with him for a while, there were the bot battles, plus his adventure into the spacebridge where time got all tangled up and melted together, I feel like he's encountered a few? Outliers, but none quite like Tarn), so he's gonna try to puzzle his way around this.

[transingthoseformers]

Oh Damus is totaly huming either Fur Eliese by Beethoven or some he heard the kids huming that he thought was clasical music but wasn't. Like it was some piece clasic rock or something.

Okay that would be hilarious as hell if the latter, imagine him finding out that no it's not actual classical music

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Who is Damus manging to hand the kiddo off to? Cause yeah it's probably one of the Waves yelling do the thing!

I imagine once he's no longer holding the child he's huming or saying something using the voice to destroy the comteol mechanism or stun the controlled bots and fighting Mandroid and his abominations in ernest.

And there is a great what the fucking hapening since only Tarn the DJD Boogieman can do that and this is not The Purple the badge is my face nightmare.

What do you think he's huming or saying? Cause I think Damus wouldn't go for Tarn's anthem and sacrilegious use of the Eymperin Suite.

hmmm okay difficult idea but I'm gonna suggest he hands the kiddo off to Starscream, Skywarp, or Ion Storm once they arrive??

Starscream's probably having his own emotions seeing fucking Tarn there and proceeding to immediately get his hands full of child (probably Twitch or Thrash ngl)

Also yessss that would be so cool, plus Tarn probably hasn't fought like honest to got really fought for a long time (hunts don't count considering how one sided those typically are) in such a long time

I originally read that as "a great what the fuckening" and I'm rolling with that. They're so confused considering how much people associated that with Tarn. The fear they will feel is going to be so interesting, I wonder how many mecha will make it their priority to GTFO (methinks Starscream, who recognized him pretty immediately, took the kid and absolutely got out of there.)

I think it would be so cool and symbolic if Damus chose an earth musical piece??

[transingthoseformers]

I'm loving how the blog both has an earthspark Tarn and an earthspark Damus. One if he rolls up with his team leaving GHOST riding the tiger by the tail. The other if he and Nickel are the only survivors of the DJD becauae Tarn had a nasty case of cyberflu so stayed in orbit on the Tyranny with his medic when Pharma Snaped. Let's say Pharma dropped an exceptionally virulant red rust plague and blew the mines.

I

Hgjhh yes.

Two very different paths with their own interesting consequences

Also goddamn pharma he were done with this shit wow

On one path, Damus goes through a whole path of questioning himself before arriving on earth.

On the other path, well, he hasn't started questioning himself and is still trying to be both loyal to Megatron and McMurderman (to some degree)

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Mood I devloped a taste for 70's rock Fleetwood Mac, Springsteen, Meatloaf, Bonjovi, U2 cause of my Dad.

Didn't realy start to listen to contemporary rock alt and metal untill college. On the bright side my musical tastes range from gregorian chant, to clasical, to jazz standards and swing, to clasic rock, to alternative, to country, to power and symphonic metal, to weird world new age music. Other than the metal and the country most of this I can thank my dad for.

Bulavard of Broken Dreans so fits this Damus. Though serious shout out to the person who put Hey Jude in the Tags. The Beatles put a lot of classical compasition elements into their songs. I can totally see it fooling a Damus who's analyzing the music without ever hearing the lyrics.

Yepppp yeppp, i can see Damus listening to the instrumental versions of a lot of songs while working on something tbh

[transingthoseformers]

Ok Alex and Dot would be mid thirties to early forties so how about Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams?

Dang the American Idiot album came out when I was in highschool. 2004 well shit.

It somehow seems appropriate for Tarn.

This is how I learned I actually hear this song every day because ~parent~ and it never clicked

And you're pretty right on that! It fits especially our earthspark Damus here!

[transingthoseformers]

Exactly exactly

Both options would be so crunchy, because in that earthspark Overtarn au it's the former, because I'm obsessed with the idea of making Tarn work with the humans involved with transformers and seeing them understand what it's like to work with the purple bastard rather than as just another antagonist. I want these fuckers to learn the things about working with Tarn that most mecha don't know about, I want to see this mech try and/or fail to be professional.

But the latter would be such a fascinating idea especially since Megatron did retain his decepticon insignia within his GHOST badge, and it seems like the war was still going for a little bit after he defected.

I can see Tarn's psychology here on the idea of it being a ruse, and Tarn would be so so insistent on it when legit all the other decepticons in Earthspark are immediately tired of it because they know but they don't want to burst Tarn's bubble because consequences. Tarn and his various delusions can be fascinating, because he's such an example of twisty logic (ie, look at tfp au Tarn and the much more serious path he went down)

I can see it being a massive thing when Tarn realizes that no, Megatron honestly defected and is working against the decepticons and there's no hidden agenda in what he's doing (wait I'm remembering Soundwave in the beginning of Echo Garden back when I read it, and something similar very well could happen here)

Overlord is here exactly for the reason why you think, he's here to start shit and do what he wants when he wants to.

We could see Tarn working with Overlord, we can see him working against Overlord

Is this when I mention I've been doing a post s1 earthspark plotline with Overlord as a major antagonist? With the autobots + Megatron, the decepticons, what's left of GHOST, and Tarn working together to defeat him?

I've been thinking a lot this year about Tarn minus the DJD for a variety of reasons because we know in canon he didn't always lead the DJD (see: Skids's flashbacks of Grindcore and Damus's time as the Commandant), and also because well we see that in Cyberverse and the situation in Cyberverse makes me wonder a lot about Tarn if he was a lone wolf situation. And if you know anything about wolves it's that lone wolfs Aren't All That Right.

Wouldn't it be cool if Earthspark would have Megan Guiglione be a new Anti-Cybertronian activist taking Mandroid's place (if he's really gone) as a major antagonist in S2? And then, there'll be a buildup revolving around Megan about her true intentions and there comes the big plot twist that she is, indeed, OVERLORD ALL ALONG?? 😱😱😱 (This plot twist may not work for those who have read ROTW for they may already know what's coming, but it might work well for other viewers who haven't read the IDW comics. UvU✨👌)

I think we've talked about this on this blog before, and it's still an interesting concept! Though I don't know if Overlord would use the exact same cover name or a different one

I, honestly, hope Mandroid is gone to let us have a different main antagonist, and Overlord's avatar here would be a fascinating part of IDW to put in

But I'm so so so sorry but when I see the names Megan Guiglione and Overlord put together I think about @cuppajj 's take on her/him which is a hell of a lot less serious than you're thinking, because I still have not read the Wreckers saga I can't not imagine the squishy face every time I hear the name

That'd be so fascinating for Earthspark because it's an interesting way to introduce Overlord into the show, and once you introduce Overlord into the show wow will that drive us who knows IDW up the wall (positive)

Overlord would look so fucking beautiful in the earthspark style, and it'd be amazing to see all the evidence stack up and see how the Maltos figure out there's more to Megan than meets the eye