#rte shockwave

[rte-continuity]

music talks || origin

warning for TFOne spoilers

Glory and Gore

but in all chaos, there is calculation

RTE was a regular Cybertronian; no name, no importance, just another bot in the crowd. When the Quintessons showed up and drove the populous underground, the rat slipped away, finding the thrill of life scavenging and dodging alien eyes. They made their way on the surface by uncovering now-abandoned homes and mines and hoarding the resources to resell to those in Iacon. [Their story connects here to Bluescreen, which can be its own post if we decide!]

Things settled after the Primes ran the Quintessons off the planet, or at least, that was what the rat assumed as the invaders disappeared for stellar cycles. But things changed below the surface. The scavenger didn't recognize this Sentinel Prime, didn't trust him-- though it was none of their concern as long as their trading business kept up. The Cybertronian government had always been so-so at best, anyway. Then business slowed. The resources didn't dry up, but the energon the rat traded for suddenly became harder to come by... and gradually, so did contact with the Iacon bots.

The scavenger could sniff out just about anything they wanted, and now they wanted answers. Unfortunately, they got those answers the hard way, when the supposedly defeated Quintessons returned and caught the rat off guard.

The Resistance

(who's gonna stand up, who's gonna fight?) the voice of the unheard (who's gonna break these chains and lies?)

They onlined in dim lighting, unclear how they were alive, much less where they'd ended up. They got answers soon enough when another bot entered the lab, a towering figure like a deer with a single optic glowing in the low light. The rat only stared back at him, curious, not concerned, and he told them what happened.

"Everything you probably know is a lie."

It was, of course-- even what little the scavenger cared to know. Sentinel was no prime but a power-hungry murderer who'd sold out Cybertron to the invaders while letting the people believe he was their last standing savior. He hoarded the energon for the Quintessons, worked the people nearly to death, paraded himself around like he was Primus himself. A fraud, somehow even worse than his predecessors, who were hardly perfect and even barbaric at times (the empurata victim standing before them was proof of that) but at least attempted to protect their own.

The rat didn't like it. The deer-- Shockwave-- said there was hope, in the form of the High Guard who'd been chased out of Iacon by Sentinel and had operated from the shadows to take him down ever since. They couldn't afford risks, couldn't keep enough energon for their ranks, but that was where the rat came in and why Shockwave had repaired and enhanced them. They'd made quite an impression over the cycles, and if they wanted to help the cause, they could put their scavenging abilities to good use.

That's how they became RTE-09. An unconventional name, but one given to them. The experimental designation, the repairs built from a creaturelike frame similar to Shockwave's, and their (for all intents and purposes) imprinting on the deer bot all made RTE see Shockwave as their brother, and Shockwave simply went with it. Perhaps he enjoyed the companionship, even allowing the rat access to his lab without threatening them for the inevitable mess they'd make of his things. RTE would only talk to Shockwave for several stellar cycles, finding it hard to trust anyone else for a while.

That didn't stick, of course, especially once they warmed up to the High Guard's leader who occasionally visited the lab. Starscream was a highly skilled seeker, and led as best he could with Soundwave and Shockwave to help him-- but at spark, he was still a scientist and poet. He hadn't yet let war break him, hadn't yet been corrupted. He was an odd bot, to be sure, but he still appreciated everything around him, especially the creatures, and that extended to RTE. Even though they were perfectly sentient, RTE was happy to get the pet rat treatment for completing a task well-- that being headpats, mostly. Starscream was a good friend, a good bot, and RTE never lost sight of that in him despite what his future held.

This Means War

you've gone too far who do you think you are? is this what you came for? well, this means war

But in their spark RTE wasn't satisfied. They'd come to know a lot of Cybertronians through their business, and they hated doing so little to help them. They hated what Sentinel was doing. They hated being helpless against the invaders acting like they owned the planet. So when a group of cogless bots turned up saying they could change things, they had proof, they could take Sentinel down, RTE was all audio receptors, even towards the one who beat Starscream within an inch of his spark. They didn't trust D-16, not completely, but he was right, and he was doing something about it.

If you've seen Transformers One, you know the rest. RTE was captured with Starscream (Shockwave in this continuity was a bit more eager to help Orion get them back) and saw everything play out. They saw Sentinel supposedly offlined, celebrated it, even-- but in the back of their processor, there was something off about their new leader, even as they continued to agree with him. Something shifted in his spark when his friend (really, his sparkmate, RTE thought) became a Prime.

RTE never forgot how they felt about that last interaction between two leaders, even as new transformation cogs and enhancements corroded all of Cybertron's memory files over the stellar cycles to come. They'd always believe in the Decepticon cause, in stopping the corrupt government the Autobots upheld. But they'd also always see something different in Optimus Prime, and the Decepticon who stood directly against him.

Rise Up

and we follow the path that we believe in no we're not gonna stop until we reach it oh all you need to know is that we're holding on we rise up from the dust and claim our throne

[iholli]

the only problem with SG is the color palettes. my god some of them are so bad. Primus help me.

anyway. yeah you probably shouldn't insult the rat in front of their conjunx. yeah he's probably going to bite you. you should uh. you should leave while RTE tries to calm him down.

[kookaburrabugle]

IRISH LEADER HINTS AT POSSIBLE DEFECTION FROM FINE GAEL TO SINN FEIN AS HE SAYS HE BELIEVES THERE WILL BE A UNITED IRELAND IN HIS LIFETIME

POLITICAL DESK IRISH TAOISEACH* LEO Varadkar’s sudden belief in the inevitability of a United Ireland has sent shockwaves around Dublin, and the Irish Parliament based in Leinster House. Mr Varadkar, who until recently had always seemed to be less than enthusiastic about the prospect of a United Ireland, revealed his current thoughts on RTE** radio. It took some fans by surprise, it…

[iholli]

oh RTE is absolutely kicking back to watch the show. they're yelling encouragements to whoever is currently losing. this shit is great. they've got a video comm open with Shockwave so he gets some entertainment while he's stuck on Cybertron. if he's not busy, Soundwave is providing dramatic background music. Starscream is trying really hard not to laugh. Knockout has given up trying to intervene cause he's tired of buffing out dents and he's telling them to fight like they mean it. it's never a dull moment on the Nemesis, baby! sorry your entire team is full of idiots, Megs. diversity win.

wait omg okay now I need this

🪶 for Bluescreen and Blitzwing lmaooo 👉👈

ask game

LMAO I'll be real with you I just thought Blueblitz sounded neat. I got nothing for theme except the very vague but distinct vibes that they would NOT be friends (and hence obviously people would ship them)

We've talked about it in dms but I don't care, the world must know. Bluescreen is friends with RTE. Has been for a while. Then RTE ends up dragging what is going to soon become Blitzwing out of the trash, and Bluescreen is curious enough to help fix him up... until RTE starts kissing him. Then the judgement happens. RTE, bestie, that is a Quintesson thang, why would you put your tongue inside of it? Ew.

All in all, they just straight up do not vibe. Sure, Blitzwing is Lugnut's friend, but he's also mean to Lugnut, and that is unacceptable. How dare he insult him! Baby you can do so much better. Bluescreen is ready to fight this motherfucker on SIGHT every single time, and the only thing holding her back is RTE. Sometimes. Rarely. I wouldn't be surprised if RTE thought it was funny as fuck and grabbed some popcorn instead. (Obviously Bluescreen wouldn't hurt him seriously, that's still her friend's conjunx, however terrible said friend's taste in mechs is.)

Don't make them work together though. They'll spend the whole time fighting and get nothing done, and probably break a bunch of machinery on top of that. Just a downright awful idea for a teamup (Megatron is probably crying at this point because there is just NO efficient way to sort all these losers into teams without property damage and criminal charges even he can't support).

And now perhaps I'm answering your ask with screenshots of the very messages that we sent each other about this topic. For context.

[seachranaidhe]

Ex-RUC officers' claim dismay at RTE platform for killer's belated 'collusion' claims

Ex-RUC officers’ claim dismay at RTE platform for killer’s belated ‘collusion’ claims

A decision to broadcast the allegations of a rogue, murderous ex-RUC officer has prompted the detectives who brought him to justice to speak out for the first time.

UDA-UDR-UVF Spot the difference? Answer: There is no difference

Sectarian killer John Weir sent shockwaves through the RUC when he confessed to murdering Catholic chemist shop owner William Strathearn in Ahoghill, Co Antrim in 1977.

[iholli]

sorry if you've explained before, but how/when did you and blitzwing get together? :3

AWAAAHHHH THANK YOU FOR ASKING 🥺🥺🥺 I'm always happy to talk about my BlitzRat !!! and I haven't made a whole lore post yet cause well. I'm still obsessing over plot holes, I fear 😔 but THIS I can answer >:3c I have. so much yapping. please enjoy the yap session 💖💖💖

it had been kind of a given between them for years, by this point-- RTE and the Quintesson drone that unsettled everyone else. they'd found what was left of him during the second Quintesson war (after Sentinel Prime's defeat and the rise of the Decepticons), drawn to the spark he somehow possessed, and for the next few years RTE tried to repair or at least patch the severely damaged frame. he never made it easy, assuming it was all just to get information on the Quintessons, and RTE was so busy fighting and scavenging that there wasn't a lot of time to work on their little project.

until he wasn't just a project, and they weren't really the enemy anymore.

Blitzwing-- who hadn't picked his name yet, and was usually just referred to as "drone" or more commonly "Sparkfire,"-- understood first. the sense had been there for a while, but he actually put it together when RTE came back from scavenging one day, covered in someone else's Energon and carrying a piece they'd desperately needed to keep the drone online. they fought tooth and nail to get it and wouldn't stop at anything to make sure their... companion? stayed alive. RTE still wasn't sure why their spark was so attached to the drone, even after a few years, at least until Blitzwing put it on the table for them-- what did Cybertronians know about romance?

at least one (probably several) conversation with their best friend later (rip Bluescreen she did not know what she signed up for), it made sense to RTE. they were awkward about it at first. they'd never even considered having a partner, much less a conjunx. too busy with war, it wasn't really of interest, and who could possibly be a good match for RTE anyway? but Blitzwing-- he'd never shied away from them. the connection had always been there, RTE's spark knew it. not just wanting to keep him alive for something beyond information; it was the constant banter, the way they bonded over music, finding an odd comfort in each other, encouraging the tendencies that made everyone else a little nervous even among Decepticons, yet looking out for each other too.

there wasn't really a specific moment. they talked about it a lot, or at least in what ways they communicated. sorting out feelings, understanding each other especially with the culture differences, finding how much really made sense together. they'd already been inseparable-- it was more like learning a suitable label existed.

by that time the Quintessons had been driven off Cybertron for good and the focus had shifted fully to civil war. fighting one enemy rather than two made everything easier, including using Starscream's favor to get ahold of a protoform. RTE had held out for that for a while. their drone could be maintained, but not truly fixed-- and he deserved better than a broken, mass produced frame. Spark transfer was simple enough though Knockout oversaw the process anyway to be safe, with Shockwave gone on his mission. Blitzwing was a Seeker with a name now. but he had to learn how to fly again, and RTE was beside him every step of the way.

there's a canon event moment for every variant of Rat, where they're haloed by something like starlight and the respective partner has this moment of knowing, this "it really is you" realization. for BlitzRat, this was it-- RTE helping Blitzwing learn to fly again, in this completely new form, he finding his stabilizers and trying to keep up with them across their little expanse of upper atmosphere. and the scavenger, the happiest he'd ever seen them, lit up by the stars when they circled back to him-- Blitzwing knew. they'd been together already, sure, but that moment erased any doubts (really for both of them) that their sparks were meant for each other, that perhaps he'd even been given a spark for this purpose-- so RTE would find him.

Kiss the Sky and Define Dancing capture this moment on the BlitzRat playlist 💖

[iholli]

I actually keep completely forgetting Shockwave and Lugnut hate each other which is so so much funnier with RTE

like Megatron signs off an update call with Shockwave like "thank you for the continued excellent work, my loyal follower" or some shit

RTE absolutely despises the whole thing especially cause they disagree with Shockwave on the loyalty to Megatron. however they are not one to miss an opportunity to antagonize Lugnut, who they hate even more.

RTE leaning over to Lugnut with the biggest, shit-eating, rat-who-got-into-the-yogies-bag grin on their faceplate: hey. hey Lugnut.

Lugnut, growling already: what.

RTE, pretending they don't notice Blitzwing trying to hide a smirk in the background: Megs likes my brother better than youuuu~

and Megatron just rolls his optics and leaves when they start fighting cartoon cloud of dust and fist style lmfao he ain't dealing with all this.

[iholli]

Hehehe hi rat i have some blitzrat questions for you:

💕 What reminds you two of each other! It can be something super small or so random that makes 0 sense but it makes sense to yall

💕 What nature scenery is perfect for yall 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

💕 Who is more likely to do something really stupid and the other has to hold them back or does the other just go 🤷 oh well

💕 FAVE THINGS TO DO TOGETHER!!!!!!!!

💕 Uhhhh idk tell me a fun fact pretty please lol 💕💓💕💓💕

AWWWAAAAAHHH BESTIE ASKING ME ABOUT MY BLITZRAT ??? ILYSM THANK YOU 😭😭😭 that gif is sooooo cute too aw

💕 What reminds you two of each other! It can be something super small or so random that makes 0 sense but it makes sense to yall

💜 really the answer for both is music-- I don't mention it as much but honestly it's very interwoven with their relationship and both of them associate music with each other 💖

the music in question is technically from their respective species (Blitzwing's originally Quintesson), so I can't exactly tell you what songs lmao; however when he onlined the first thing Blitzwing heard was RTE humming an old-world Cybertronian tune, and one of Blitzy's conjunx ritus for RTE was sharing a traditional Quintesson song with them. a lot of their early bonding involved music, and they still connect in a lot of ways through song (and dance, in Blitzwing's case)! it's really important to both of them and their relationship 💖

💕 What nature scenery is perfect for yall 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

💜 does a distant boardwalk carnival count ?? it's the perfect way to end a day of adventuring-- looking out at the bright lights across the water, listening to the music, musing about human inventions, all while snuggled up together 💖

💕 Who is more likely to do something really stupid and the other has to hold them back or does the other just go 🤷 oh well

💜 the answer is they do the stupid thing together and then argue about whose bright idea it was when it goes exactly as expected 😂😂😂 however RTE is WAY more likely to do stupid shit, Blitzwing would be the one to hold them back.

sometimes.

maybe.

...probably not.

💕 FAVE THINGS TO DO TOGETHER!!!!!!!!

💜 EVERYTHING hehe !!! getting out of work and into fights, sneaking out to explore and go on long flights (or long drives with RTE perched on Blitzy's tank mode), and when it's all said and done nothing beats curling up together in the nest to watch whatever human movie Blitzwing wants to see.

and biting. they really like biting each other. it's a sign of affection. they're so fucking weird /extremely pos 💖

💕 Uhhhh idk tell me a fun fact pretty please lol 💕💓💕💓💕

💜 kinda goes with the previous but I think Blitzwing is ABSOLUTELY a chronic yapper. he just doesn't get the opportunity to really do so. I however love listening to yapping and RTE similarly is happy to let Blitzy talk at them for hours. they love perching on his shoulders or resting their head on his lap and just listening to him, always flicking their audials so he knows they're paying attention!

on that note, RTE technically partakes in Seeker body language, being a flier themself, but since they have audials rather than proper wings their version of the language is communicated with ear twitches. it's more or less the same as traditional Seeker body language but more minute. Blitzwing knows the movements exactly, for obvious reasons, however Starscream and Shockwave both know most of the movements as well! Blitzwing meanwhile can participate in traditional Seeker body language, however his nature as a triple changer makes some of the movements include his tank cannons involuntarily. so he kind of has his own movement language too!

one more hehe, this one's about their conjunx fragments-- an idea I absolutely stole (with permission) from bestie trinemate Two 💖 it's similar to wedding rings in concept, but they literally exchanged parts of their frame! however, you might notice the fragment from Blitzwing doesn't match up with his current colors--

-- that's because the fragment came from his original frame, when he was just a Seeker!

the triple changer thing is actually super new, in Cybertronian terms. it's been only 50 years or so. he's literally always been like this, as far as his personality, it's just a new look!

after Bumblebee almost killed him, RTE was able to recover Blitzwing's spark and a few other parts including the wing with the fragment they'd given him; there wasn't enough to repair Blitzy and he needed a new frame built from scratch. he was intended to just be a Seeker again but well. Blackarachnia had other plans, and two other dead triple changers to play around with. so, that's why there's a color difference!

this turned into several fun facts. I love yapping when the braincell hits. thank u for asking<3

[iholli]

Megatron sees things.

He talks to himself. Day in, day out. It's hard to tell whether he's addressing another 'con or just having a conversation with someone who's no longer there. His tone is the key, although it's getting hard to tell the difference.

He gets harder to approach for anything. If you ask him a question, on a good day, he might answer with a distant "oh, sure, B-127" before realizing. But you're not sure who that is unless you were on the Surface that night.

On a bad day, he lashes out. Shouting something about "I was happier before, this is all your fault, Pax" at best. At worst you can see, when he grabs you, the look in his eyes that he gave Sentinel once. The look of a dog backed into a corner, who doesn't want to bare his teeth but has no other choice because he's been hurt and hurt and hurt.

RTE's seen that look one time. When they got sick of Megatron turning those teeth on Starscream. Megatron who was yelling about Orion Pax again, his synthesizer crackling with static like he was barely keeping himself together. One of his more clear moments. Maybe you should've joined Iacon's new prime, Starscream, since you take such issue with how I run things. You've always been such a coward, haven't you? Running to hide instead of taking action like I did.

Starscream wasn't even trying to stab him in the back, not entirely, not yet. He was still trying to help. For all the good it did him.

RTE stepped between them before Megatron could grab the seeker. Snarled at him, real teeth visible. Don't touch him. He's only trying to help you. You're not experienced yet. This is hard for all of us.

For a second something like recognition dimmed the red optics, his shoulders falling just slightly. Who was he seeing? It didn't matter-- the lights came back up, Megatron's servo nearly crushing RTE's neck cables, bringing them close enough to his faceplate that they could see the vulnerability beneath the anger in his optics. A dog backed into a corner.

Don't tell me what to do. You're no prime.

RTE took the beating for Starscream, and he helped them limp to Shockwave's lab, the seeker tucking his wings as he sat beside his friend. Apologizing while their brother welded the gashes in their plating and buffed the crushed metal of their vertical stabilizer, at least as best he could. They didn't have Knockout yet.

It's not your fault, Screamer. He just... sees things. He doesn't see us.

[iholli]

🧸 GIB (grabby hands)

do you remember sending me this lmao it's been. so long. I didn't know what to do with it all this time 😭😭

🧸 first moment of comfort: when was the first time they made you feel safe or loved?

when Shockwave had to leave.

as we've established, Shocker and RTE are siblings. they stay close, even as they disagree on loyalty to whomever, and always encourage each other's nonsense anyway.

it happened after the one, and only, time RTE tried to defend Starscream, after Megatron became more abusive towards his second in command and RTE finally jumped in the way and had words with the leader they didn't follow. it didn't end well for the seeker or the scavenger, and while RTE didn't regret their choice immediately, they paid for it.

Shockwave really only made sense for the Cybertron mission because of his alternate root mode. he'd blend in with the Autobots well enough, but he wasn't a spy. He wasn't particularly convincing to others, and generally not a people person anyway. but Megatron gave him an order and Shockwave was happy to follow it.

RTE didn't see it that way. they argued in circles with Shocker about it, but he was loyal, and he would do as Megatron asked. RTE knew it was to get back at them for defending Starscream, especially with Soundwave right there and much more capable of the task from a safe distance. why would their brother need to go undercover in a spark-threatening situation for possible years when he couldn't really even talk to bots he saw every day?

meanwhile, Blitzwing (who was still only partially online) was a captive audience, and RTE vented at him for hours, going back and forth between pacing around the lab and actually working on the drone's circuitry. he was starting to trust RTE a little and felt less inclined to make the repair process more difficult on purpose, and listening to the scavenger rant made Blitzwing scoff.

"Do you not think your brother is capable?"

Blitzwing hadn't talked much to this point-- a sarcastic comment here and there, if anything, and RTE paused their work to look at him.

"If the Autobots and their new Prime are as clueless as your intel says, he'll be fine."

RTE was mostly surprised the drone was listening to them, at least enough to respond. "It's not about that."

"You're mad about Megatron making an excuse to get back at you, but you're more worried he's going to get your brother offlined."

Was the scavenger really so easy to read? Maybe they spent too much time with their project. "Of course I'm worried. Shocker's not a spy bot."

"Best case, he works around any problems. Worst case, he blasts his way out. You Decepticons all operate the same."

"Fine talk from the stolen Decepticon tech."

"Fix my cannons and I'll show you what blasting out of a problem looks like!"

yeah, they've always been like this lmfao. but in their spark RTE felt a warmth towards Blitzwing for his words, and observance. maybe he didn't have much choice to be present but he didn't have to learn to read between the lines like that, or say something to help the situation. it was... comforting, in an odd sort of way.

[iholli]

had RTE Continuity WaveWave on the brain for a minute now. here.

how before & during TF One era they were such an item, how RTE had been their brother's wingman forever because by Primus that's RTE's otp, how the Waves were already the best in the Guard under Starscream, and with the two putting their heads together they'd have been unstoppable

how Megatron made them feel disconnected bc they suddenly had to choose between loyalty to each other or to him, because they both believe in his ideals. and they hesitantly split apart for the "greater good" of the Decepticon cause, becoming more like enemies in order to serve Megatron, and be better than the other, for that hierarchy

how they went separate ways and during the TFA era Shockwave had his little fling with Blurr,,, RTE never let him live it down ("you're never allowed to be a smart-aft about Bee again, traitor" /lh) but always hoped their brother would find his way back to Soundwave who hasn't been quite as much fun since the split

how Shockwave in his panic about being discovered ("it was not logical to send me as a spy, I am a scientist, but that is what Lord Megatron ordered") called Soundwave, the only one who picked up, and that got his head on straight enough to take action himself. how Soundwave tried to get to Shockwave before the Autobots did.

just. them.

[iholli]

GIB RTE 🐀🫵🏻 hell yeah i love these questions mmmm yap fodder

Which canon character annoys your OC?

Which canon character doesn’t respect your OC whatsoever?

Who would probably have a crush on your OC? (Blitzwing excluded, that one's obvious!)

Is there someone your OC liked at first, but then grew to dislike?

Did your OC bear witness to anyone’s full character arc?

What is the worst thing your OC does in their story?

YAP FODDER... tysm bestie omg yay 😭💖💖💖

💜 Which canon character annoys your OC? || Which canon character doesn’t respect your OC whatsoever?

I'm putting these together because it's mutual-- RTE and Lugnut HATE each other. RTE absolutely CANNOT fragging stand all of Lugnut's Megatron hero worship, even more so then Megs himself, and Lugnut not only dislikes RTE in turn but 1000% believes they're some kind of traitor. they hang around Autobots all the time, they don't respect Megatron's orders, AND they help Starscream all the time, and he's a traitor!

...honestly it's probably for the best, I feel like they'd be a lethal combo against Autobots if they actually got along.

💜 Who would probably have a crush on your OC? (Blitzwing excluded, that one's obvious!)

I want to make a joke about Bumblebee. bestie you know where that's coming from.

legit answer I kinda want to say Starscream, like, way pre-TF One, cause he couldn't differentiate "do I actually Like them or am I just reacting to someone actually giving a fuck" yk ?? and they're still two peas in a pod, idk. otherwise it's gonna be Astrotrain but I genuinely don't have an actual in canon answer for this 😂😂

💜 Is there someone your OC liked at first, but then grew to dislike? || Did your OC bear witness to anyone’s full character arc?

RTE has been around since the beginning of actual franchise canon so. everyone LMAO. BUT the reason I'm putting these together is because the answer is D-16, of course aka Megatron.

everyone knows RTE always has been, always will be a Starscream loyalist. but they can respect someone who's willing to be loud and dramatic and bring the fucking smackdown, and that's what D-16 did the first time RTE ever encountered him. and like Shockwave and Soundwave, RTE did just kind of nod and go along with Dee kicking Starscream's aft. I mean, he literally asked for it, and he was kind of weirdly into it, so whatever. it's Starscream. this is pretty status quo, he's fine, and the mission is still fuck up Sentinel Prime. and then Dee stood up for his friend to Sentinel-- THE Sentinel Prime, the most powerful bot on Cybertron-- without flinching. Respect. kid's intense, but damn, that was cool.

RTE was actually good with Megatron initially. sure he was a lot less chill with everything than Starscream, but RTE still got away with whatever they wanted, as long as the mission was complete, and that's really never been an issue. plus the little fanbot wanting everyone in his club to have his idol's logo is, yk, pretty wholesome, honestly. sure buddy, I'll get matching tattoos with you and the squad, Megatronus Prime was cool as fuck, purple is my color, etc etc.

then all of the... trauma started to come out more and more in the form of abuse, with Megatron turning a lot of the cruelty on Starscream especially. RTE can turn a blind optic to a lot of things, and Megatron was still for the most part focused on the mission and otherwise fine to be around. but hurting their best friend, the bot they have followed since the Primes fell, for no real reason and in such a way RTE began to struggle to see the difference between Megatron and Sentinel himself...

RTE tried to stand up for Starscream once and once only. it didn't end well. and when Megatron gave Shockwave the spy mission on Cybertron RTE took it VERY personally that he'd endanger their brother, of all 'cons, like that. they're still extremely sore about it. needless to say RTE lost respect for Megatron the more he lost himself to, well, becoming Megatron.

modern day canon [none of them quite remember the time around TF One; everyone has bits and pieces but not a clear picture], they're largely neutral towards each other, or at least Megatron doesn't give a damn what RTE gets up to, and they don't care to report it to him. RTE is uninterested in his goals and wants Starscream in charge so they can focus on taking down Cybertronian government, not... whatever weird Earth vendetta plan Megatron is about, here. the scavenger is a Decepticon, and Megs isn't all bad, no question about it-- I mean, look at all the shit he puts up with-- they just... can't shake this feeling, like Megatron is the scarred surface of someone RTE used to like better. someone they can almost see when Optimus Prime is around. strange, isn't it?

💜 What is the worst thing your OC does in their story?

I mean they did actively try to kill Bumblebee for the first two seasons or so of TFA so depending who you are that's gonna count ig

(RTE is a Deception scavenger, you can take your pick between the general likely mass murder, the cannibalism, and whatever other terrible shit 'cons get up to LMFAOOOOO. there's no actual answer for this either RTE is just casually bad across the board 😂😂)

[rte-continuity]

Identification: RTE-09

Known as: RTE / Ratty / Rat

Pronouns: They / them

Affiliation: Decepticon

Vehicle form: Space shuttle

Height (root mode): 36 ft

Function: Scavenger

Voice claim: None currently

RTE-09, usually known as simply RTE, is a loud, snarky Decepticon who's always more interested in wreaking destruction than following orders (their mantra is essentially "you didn't say it was an order"). They take the deception part of their allegiance a bit too literally, as RTE is constantly wiggling through loopholes and manipulating other bots in order to do whatever they want-- something they only get away with due to their effectiveness as a 'con. RTE truly is an intelligent bot, only somewhat held back by their short fuse and constant desire for chaos.

Despite their exterior, though, RTE has a significant softness in their spark for bots they're dedicated to. RTE is fiercely loyal when they choose to be, even if a bot is on the other side of the war. But first and foremost RTE is a master of havoc and cunning with, as Blitzwing aptly puts it, "no chill whatsoever." They're untameable, swearing constantly, barking their opinions at anybody, and always looking for a fight, maybe even with Megatron himself, just for fun. RTE just loves being a Decepticon.

RTE's designation as a scavenger puts them in the war's most dangerous lines, especially during the Quintesson war; RTE returns to the battlefield after the fighting has ended, searching for any still-useful parts and any tech left behind by the enemy. This makes them an obvious target for any cleanup crews and RTE has seen many of their own battles. It's a perk of the job and they wouldn't have it any other way!

The Decepti-Rat doesn't have much opinion of humans; they're largely indifferent to Earth, and not exactly a fan, but if you handed them a particularly chaotic human RTE would be quite entertained. They can respect any creature with as much feral energy as their own!

RTE is closest to their conjunx endura, Blitzwing; the only bot they follow as leader, Starscream; their Creature™ sibling, Shockwave; their third wheel in chaos, Astrotrain; and their best friend, for an Autobot, Bumblebee.

Although RTE is a space shuttle, they're not only smaller than most 'cons, but lighter as well! They're built with a very light frame and picking them up is, well, like holding a couple of grapes.

This works out particularly well because the more RTE likes you, the more time they spend as a shoulder creature. It's also great for scaring other bots to carry around a Decepticon almost as big as you are like they're nothing. Starscream especially enjoys taking advantage of this. (unfortunately it doesn't work with Bumblebee. RTE is still twice his size. yes they have tried. no it did not work out. RTE carries Bee around instead!)

RTE's design is largely inspired by Protogens and the Endeavor space shuttle, though no specific model is used for them. The idea came from shuttle aircraft carriers, hence why RTE is such a shoulder rat to Blitzwing :]

Their design makes them unique among Transformers, particularly their vehicle mode, as unlike the average bot their faceplate remains the nose of the shuttle. Yes, the shuttle can OwO.

RTE does have some struggles with their vehicle mode, particularly getting airborne from the ground, and will usually transform midair instead of dealing with the hassle. Blitzwing often throws them as a boost, just to be funny, and further confuse every bot in the vicinity.

The scavenger's main weaponry is the seeker missile case on their back; while they don't necessarily have precision aim, the spark-tracking missiles do just fine. And if there's collateral, well, who is RTE to complain about more chaos! They can also use the rocket boosters in their pedes and "tail" in close combat.

[iholli]

I love BBM and I love rewatching it but unfortunately that means I'm thinking about this again

it would completely, irreversibly break RTE to lose Blitz like that. to not even be there, to feel that sudden agonizing pain from a galaxy away and get there too late. they saved him once. they can't do it a second time. but they can hunt down the bot who did this, who escaped what they can only assume was an ambush.

by the time RTE tracks-- hunts down the little yellow Autobot without a voice, he's eliminated two more of RTE's teammates. RTE sees red looking at him. "so, you're the Decepticon killer." the scavenger isn't used to targeting specific enemies; they don't want to get too close to someone this dangerous, and they don't catch him, yet. but Bee spends a very long time looking over his shoulder while RTE stalks him. obsessed with revenge. learning his every move. waiting for the right moment. ignoring hails from everyone, even Starscream and Shockwave. nothing else matters. Blitzwing is gone, nothing. else. matters.

when someone arrives looking for them, the scavenger is standing over Bee, his spark chamber crushed in their teeth, dripping energon while their faceplate glitches like it's been cracked.

it's not RTE anymore. Ratty died with their conjunx, Rat died with Bumblebee's spark. the scavenger only knows the hollow void like their own spark has gone out, and they only appear to follow one order.

Destroy.

I will never canonize angst in my BlitzRat bc I need them to be the most married couple of all time forever but that doesn't mean I don't lay awake sometimes with the devastating potential of "how RTE's story would be different if Bee had actually killed Blitz in BBM"