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Some headcanons about my favorite aliens (TFP)

Orion tease Megatronus about the shape of his helmet.

Megatronus constantly teases Ratchet about his height. One day, as revenge, Ratchet unscrewed his legs while he was asleep.

Before the war, many well-known Decepticons and Autobots were on the Senate's “elimination list.” Naturally, both Optimus and Megatron topped it.

Most bots either deactivated or completely removed their reproductive systems during the war. They did it to install new upgrades, make the frame faster, stronger, and remove an unnecessary component that was draining body energy. For some, those systems were severely damaged.

Ratchet sing serenades under Orion's window, maneuvering on the Cybertronian equivalent of a motorcycle while playing guitar.

Orion tells everyone Alpha Trion found him in a dumpster. In truth, he was discovered in an abandoned temple deep in a forest, feral and surrounded by a pack of cyber-wolves. When Ratchet asked why he keeps spreading the dumpster story, Orion replied "Jazz and Ariel find it funny" - "Because the three of you share half a processor between you"

Ratchet and Ironhide welded Jazz to the ceiling at least once.

Ratchet ran away from home to study in Iacon. He didn’t return until after he’d earned his medic’s license.

When Ratchet introduced Orion to his family as his partner, every single one of them threatened him to treat Orion well.

Miko loves learning foreign languages. In the future, she'll either become the best pilot in the world, one of the most renowned linguistics experts — or both.

She has three dads — a caring one, a crazy one, and a strict stepdad who doesn’t know he’s her dad yet.

Arcee is obsessed with anything shiny.

Ratchet used to call Orion “dolly”

During the war, Megatron put a bounty on every Autobot medic. As for Ratchet, he ordered him taken alive or, if killed, to bring him his hands.

Jack runs a food blog. At first, it was supposed to be just a fast-food blog — but Jack quickly realized he gets enough of that at work. Optimus suggested he explore traditional dishes from different countries and turn the blog into that instead. They are researching this together.

One of his followers asked why he chose that particular topic for the blog, and Jack, without thinking, said, “My dad suggested it…” Then he just "Wait! no — I meant this one dude... "

Soundwave plays a video game on the Nemesis mainframe. He has a nemesis in-game with the username “Needawrench12.3/4.” It's Raf.

During the game, Soundwave tries to use typical insults like "I'll fuck your mother". And when Raf reads this, he looks at Ratchet and writes back "Your dick won't last."

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“You were a wonderful experience…”

“You were… everything…”

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Addendum to the post about the stolen video camera.

Orion loves to bring stray animals home. Especially if they look very pitiful. Small, wounded, just meowing pitifully.

Ratchet, Ariel, Orion, and Jazz live together. So decisions like whether to keep a stray are made collectively.

In half of the cases, Ariel supports him (often to make fun of Ratchet), Jazz always supports him - just for fun (but he secretly likes animals. Except for the razor snake he stumbled upon when he climbed through the window to get home. Ratchet had a good laugh then).

Ratchet always grumbles and protests — but somehow, he ends up being the animals’ favorite. Plus, he can never resist the pitiful look his beloved Orion gives him. He treats them and takes care of them whenever Orion’s not home.

Jazz has a dedicated folder with videos of every animal Orion’s ever brought home.

One of the earliest clips shows Orion carrying in something that looked like a mechanical hybrid of a rat, a lizard, and a parrot. The creature was missing one optic, battered, with chunks of armor gone—yet it was still growling

Orion held it up insistently in front of an unimpressed Ratchet, insisting, “But it looks just like you!”

From off-screen, you can hear Ariel laughing, already wheezing and rolling around somewhere behind the sofa — she hid so that a wrench or any other object that might fall under Ratchet's servo wouldn't hit her.

The video camera was shaking - Jazz himself could barely contain his laughter, but he had to record everything for future generations.

Next shot: a scratched-up and disgruntled Ratchet trying to patch the creature up. The creature hisses at him, Ratchet hisses back. Orion’s standing nearby with a guilty look, holding the medkit. Jazz is cooing at the creature and reaching out a finger—only for it to try and bite him. Ariel’s voice offscreen: “We’ve decided to name it Ratchet Junior. The resemblance is phenomenal.” A cup flies at the lens. The video cuts out.

Next shot: Orion tending to Ratchet’s scratches with gentle precision. Jazz pokes Ratchet in the cheek. Ratchet tries to bite him. The creature is fast asleep in a makeshift cage.

Next shot: Jazz’s voice narrating, “Today Orion and Ariel went on an expedition east to check out some ruins. So Ratchet and I are babysitting Ratchet Junior.” The camera pans to a grumpy-looking Ratchet sipping something ominously and glaring across the table at the creature—which now looks much better, though still missing one optic.

Ratchet’s voice: “We are not calling it Ratchet Junior.”

“Then what?”

“Nothing. It’s staying here only until it’s healed. After that, it can go wherever it wants.”

“Ugh, you’re so cruel! Don’t listen to him, Junior, you can stay as long as you like.”

Jazz’s servo appears on screen, reaching toward the creature—only to get bitten. The camera tumbles, showing just a chair leg as we hear Ratchet’s evil laughter and Jazz’s pained groans.

A muffled thud. Then the creature’s one-eyed face appears in the lens, licking it. Panicked shouting. Running. Cut to static.

Next clip: Ratchet’s face fills the frame—looks like he’s holding the camera himself this time.

“Today it’s just me and the creature. Jazz took off again—no idea where or for how long. Ariel wrote that they found some ancient frescoes at the ruins, so we probably won’t be hearing from Orion any time soon. Hopefully the creature escapes by then.”

The camera swivels to reveal the beast fast asleep. Video cuts out.

Next shot: the camera switches on to an empty, silent frame—just a steady view of the entrance to the dwelling.

Suddenly, a clawed paw appears. Then half of the creature’s face. A soft knock—then another, irregular rhythm as it taps the camera with its paw, then its snout. Still, no sign of the bots.

The door creaks open. Ratchet steps inside, his posture heavy with exhaustion. He closes the door behind him and slowly sinks to the floor, leaning back against it with a quiet, weary sigh.

A soft thump.

The creature appears in the frame, padding over to him. It rubs gently against his leg. Ratchet casts it a tired, disgruntled look and half-heartedly waves it away—but it stays, pressing closer.

Another sigh. He scoops it up, cradling it awkwardly for a moment before his hand starts to stroke its back.

He rises to his feet. Walks offscreen.

Only his footsteps remain, fading into the distance.

Then—silence.

A while later, the door opens again—Orion and Ariel come in, tired but happy. Ariel walks up to the camera and picks it up. Offscreen, the sound of running footsteps.

“Ariel, Ariel! Come here. And bring the camera!” “What is it?” “Just hurry!”

The camera is snatched—there’s a few seconds of floor blur, followed by a soft squeal and laughter. Ariel lifts the camera: Ratchet is sleeping on the bed, the creature curled up on his chest.

Orion’s hushed, delighted whisper from behind the camera: “Look, look!” He points at the creature. Around its neck is a tag. The name on it: Hatchet. Orion squeals with glee. Ariel giggles behind the camera. The video cuts out.

Final shot: Ratchet still asleep, Orion curled up on one side, Ariel on the other. Hatchet dozing contently on his chest. Silence. The video ends.

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Key to recovery AU

I found an old movie I watched in childhood and realized it wasn't as good as I remembered — but then I thought, what if it’s actually but Megop?!

Warning: English is not my native language, so I apologise for any mistakes

So, the plot. After the original Thirteen Primes repelled the external threats to Cybertron, and Primus began creating the Cybertronian, the Primes parted ways. Some joined their creator-father in the core of Cybertron, others ventured into the stars, and a few remained to guide and protect the Cybertronians.

One of those who remained was Megatronus Prime, the strongest among the Primes. Over many cycles, he built the city-state - Kaon. The people of Kaon, much like their ruler, were stern, warlike, and stubborn but full of nobility and a deep desire to protect their planet.

In all things, Megatronus Prime was aided by his loyal servant Sentinel, and his strength lay in the disciples who were destined to one day succeed him as Cybertron’s Protector. One day, while walking the streets of Kaon with his retinue, the Prime encountered a sparkling named D-16 and decided to take him in as a student and raise him into a mighty warrior.

Years passed. From the distant stars, an ancient threat returned—the Quintessons. The energon sources began to dry up and the Primes who had remained on Cybertron and founded their own states separate from Kaon began to vanish or perish under mysterious circumstances.

During the battle against the Quintessons, Megatronus’s disciples began to suspect that someone among the Cybertronians was aiding the enemy from within. Suspicion fell upon the fortress of Iacon, once ruled by Alpha Trion, who had vanished, leaving his young student Orion Pax, in his place.

Starscream, the eldest of Megatronus’s disciples, called for Iacon to be seized by force and for the guilty to be punished. Although others, Soundwave and D-16, warned against such action. Sentinel sided with Starscream . Thus, D-16, along with a group of warriors, secretly infiltrated the fortress and unlocked one of the city gates, allowing Kaon’s army to enter.

During the battle, D-16 took from Orion a silver ornament — a pendant crafted in a complex, symmetrical geometric shape. Its glowing blue lines were sharp and distinct, reminiscent of alien runes or a technological circuit.

Optimus and his retinue were taken prisoner by the guard after the battle. Starscream demanded to know who among the Iaconians had been aiding the Quintessons and why, but he found no evidence. Still, he decided it would be beneficial to unite Kaon and Iacon into a single state, and so he resolved to take Orion as his Conjunx. This, however, pleased neither Orion and the bots of Iacon.

Some time later, news of Iacon’s capture reached Megatronus Prime. Enraged, he arrived in the city, scolded each of his disciples, and offered his apologies to Orion.

To calm their mentor’s fury and atone for their actions, each of his disciples gifted him one of their war trophies. D-16, following Starscream’s advice, presented an ornate chest ornament, which Megatronus gladly put on.

The idea of a marriage between one of his disciples and the young ruler of Iacon, his elder brother’s student, appealed to him. But instead of Starscream, he proposed that D-16 marry Orion Pax.

The young warrior is so flustered he cannot utter a word. His mentor and elder comrades burst into laughter.

But the laughter turns into screams of pain as Megatronus’s armor begins to burn and smoke - the source, the chest ornament gifted by D-16. The warriors rush to aid their mentor, but it is too late. He is dead. Starscream accuses D-16 and Orion of murdering their teacher and aiding the Quintessons.

D-16 fled, taking Orion with him...

to be continued (maybe)

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I was looking for something to watch this morning, browsing through the Transformers franchise list, and this idea came to me

I love when the same character meets versions of themselves from other universes. So, imagine a room full of Optimus Prime. But along with them are their partners. And none of them are Megatron

G1 – Optimus and Elita One (or Ironhide)

TFA – Blackarachnia (or Prowl)

TFP – Ratchet

Armada – Jetfire

IDW – Shockwave

EarthSpark – Starscream

Bay – I don't really know. Could be almost anyone. Even Cade.

TFO - Jazz

and so on for each universe

And a bunch of Megatrons are standing on the side just like WTF?!

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Random dialogues from the pre-war era. Damn Transformers have taken up residence in my head and aren’t even paying rent

Ratchet to Jazz: Sometimes I imagine welding your face to the bumper.

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Orion: Ratchet and I were walking down the street when some guy smashed into my bumper

Jazz/Ironhide: What did Ratchet do?

Ratchet: Does anyone need a new hand?

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Jazz: That’s Ratchet. He’d call Primus a bitch and do it looking them straight in the optics.

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Ariel: Orion, Alpha Trion looking for you. And he’s got that grim look again.

Orion: He’s looked grim since the day he found me. But I’m sure it’s not about me.

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Alpha Trion: Orion Pax!

Orion: Uh-oh. Full name. You’re mad

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R: Optimus, we're old. OP: Yes. R: No, you don't understand! Old like Kup when we first met him. OP: … R: Why are you silent? OP: Only you. I'm younger R: …‘throws down the wrench’

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gijinka pliers :)

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Alpha Trion, I am... seeing someone....

tfw when ur son is dating that FREAKING gladiator and not the respectable doctor 😰😰

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A few scenarios of how Ratchet and Orion (Optimus) might have met. Most of them are absurd and not serious, but they make me laugh

Number 1. Ratchet got into trouble because of drunken antics or a fight with other students at the academy, or he accidentally destroyed a monument to a famous bot on the academy grounds. So his mentor chose a peculiar form of punishment for him (another version – expulsion from the academy).

Ratchet will have to “babysit” the reclusive ward of the Chief Archivist, who can barely function in social situations and has only ever interacted with Jazz, Ariel, and a few bots in the archive.

Ratchet takes him for a ride on his motorcycle (the Cybertronian equivalent), but along the way they run into the guys he fought the day before—the ones who got him punished. They challenge him to a race. He accepts, completely forgetting that Orion is riding with him. He only remembers when he wins the race after pulling off several incredibly dangerous stunts and nearly crashing. When the realization hits him, he thinks he’s done for. But no:

Orion, grinning like a madbot “That was incredible! Can we do it again?” Ratchet, a bit shell-shocked but clearly warming up to the little weirdo “Not a word to anyone!”

Number 2. Orion was having a bad day. He was coming down the stairs from the Archive because Alpha Trion had decided that spending a day off shut in a room reading was unacceptable, so he made him go for a walk.

At the bottom of the stairs were Ratchet and his friends. Someone had ticked him off, and he threw a wrench and it hit Orion instead. Orion tumbled down the stairs and landed right at the medic’s feet.

After that, Alpha Trion had to stand outside Orion’s room, trying to coax him out of the closet he was hiding in. Ratchet felt a little guilty, so he offered Orion his professional services. Alpha Trion had to pull Orion out of the closet by the legs, because this was a potential friend for his babyboy ahem student.

Number 3. Orion and Ariel were running away from some guys they'd beaten at gambling (the guys were cheating). Instead of running through the streets like normal bots, they decided to escape across the rooftops.

Ratchet and Ironhide were walking out of the bar. Orion misjudged his jump and couldn’t make it to the next rooftop. So he went into free fall—straight onto Ratchet.

Many centuries later, when someone asks Ratchet how he met Optimus “He fell on me from the sky.”

June: That’s so sweet, I never took you for a romantic.

Ratchet: No, I mean he literally fell on me.

June: …Oh.

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How exactly did Knock Out and Breakdown meet?

I've been thinking for a long time about how these two freaks met. So I have a few ideas about it.

There are two options: either they met before the war (with several sub-versions), or after the war.

Today, I'll explore one scenario of their meeting before the war

Knock Out was a medical student who was sent for practical training at a construction site. In truth, the project required at least two or three trained medics, but the lives of the construction workers (from the lower castes) didn't concern the officials and aristocrats of the higher castes too much. So they sent Knock Out along with a few other students who were considered expendable

The reason: Knock Out was born in one of the colonies beyond Cybertron, but studied on Cybertron. Because of this, he was treated as an outsider

He wasn't exactly thrilled about the situation, but the internship was mandatory for all students. Had he refused to complete the assignment, it would have seriously affected his grades and risked expulsion from the university

I'm almost certain that Knock Out has mysophobia, or something similar. So working at a construction site, even in the role of a medic, would have been his worst nightmare

Breakdown was one of the construction workers. He was a bricklayer. He also helped demolish old buildings, clean up, and transport construction materials. So he was almost always covered in grime

Breakdown worked together with Bulkhead (I adore that bun — they were best friends before the war)

Knock Out's first day was a disaster. Right off the bat, the construction site supervisor yelled at him, angry that instead of getting experienced medics for a long-term assignment, he'd been sent a mere medical student for just a few months

But they kept him there anyway, because anyone with medical knowledge was better than nothing

That same day, a minor accident occurred — some of the cables used to lift building materials snapped and fell on a few bots who didn't manage to get out of the way in time

Among them was Breakdown. For him, it was love at first sight

For Knock Out, it was a battle with a panic and nausea

Still, he pulled himself together and got to work. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries, so he was able to repair them relatively quickly

The whole time he was doing it, he was chattering — he chatters a lot when he's nervous. Mostly he comments on the injuries, his actions, and everything he sees around him

"this joint isn’t a joint anymore, it’s a modern art piece", "I’ll fix it now… or break it completely. Either way, it’ll look fabulous", "risking my manicure and everything"

Breakdown kept staring at him in silence the whole time. He didn’t even hear what Knock Out was saying. And when it was his turn, Knock Out thought he had a head injury. So he leaned in to take a closer look. The close proximity made Breakdown’s processor overheat, and he promptly passed out

When he came to, the doctor was gone, and he was back in his quarters. He was terribly embarrassed — but he really liked the doctor

He heads straight to the medbay, despite all the warnings from Bulkhead

Meanwhile, Knock Out was scrubbing the entire medbay, making sure not a single speck remained, and he was in no mood for visitors. He simply threw them out, saying not to come unless they needed actual medical help

Breakdown, feeling down, goes out for a drink with his friends. During the outing, he comes up with a brilliant idea — he needs to get injured to see the handsome doctor again. Bulkhead thinks it’s a ridiculous idea and tries to talk him out of it

But it doesn’t work, so he just tries to minimize injuries and constantly brings him to the medbay

All that time, Breakdown never dared speak to Knock Out. Only once did he manage to say something — but it was a terrible attempt at flirting, and the builder nearly died of embarrassment

After that incident, he wasn’t seen at the medbay for a long time

Before the war, there was a caste system on Cybertron. Although I haven't found a detailed description of this system, I'm almost certain it was based on the ancient Indian varna system, with influence from the social structure of ancient Rome. So, in short — you couldn't change your caste, and you couldn't marry or have romantic relationships with someone from a significantly higher or lower caste in the hierarchy

That’s roughly what Bulkhead would always say after each visit to the medbay — though that didn’t stop him from having a ‘friendship with benefits’ with one of the scientists from the local lab (Wheeljack), and sharing with him all of Breakdown’s romantic misadventures

Throughout all this time, Knock Out was completely miserable because of the situation, counting the days until it would all be over. He dreamed of escaping this place as soon as possible and never coming back

The medbay was terribly equipped, the tools were outdated, and there was always a shortage of medications and spare parts — or they were expired. The furniture and equipment were arranged in a horribly inconvenient way, and he couldn’t move them on his own because everything was too massive and heavy for just one person

Although the builders were quite attractive bots but the dirt, noise

During yet another construction accident, Bulkhead was seriously injured and ended up stuck in the medbay for a long time

Breakdown kept visiting him all the time. Sometimes he tried to talk to Knock Out, sometimes he just sat in silence

During one of these visits, Knockout was trying to move a massive wardrobe, but could barely budge it. Breakdown saw this and decided to help. Knockout was surprised, and for a few seconds they stood in awkward silence. Finally, Breakdown dared to speak

— Do you need help? — …Yes, please. — Where to? — To the left, by the window.

These were the first words they ever exchanged. Breakdown beamed with happiness. He moved the cabinet where Knock Out had told him and asked if any more help was needed. Knock Out hesitated, but then asked him to move a few more pieces of furniture

Breakdown didn’t manage to finish everything. He had to leave because his shift at the construction site had started, but he promised to come back and help later

After that, he really did help reorganize the medbay. After a few visits, they even managed to have a conversation

They became comfortable around each other

From time to time, Wheeljack would stop by the medbay. These were very interesting visits. Explosive. They added work and stress for Knock Out

But it contributed to the development of the relationship between Knock Out and Breakdown. They both took a disliking to the scientist

Breakdown started coming to the medbay almost every day — sometimes as a visitor, and sometimes as a patient

Gradually, their affection grew and became mutual. Knock Out decided to teach Breakdown the basics of medicine — at least so he could treat minor injuries

Breakdown told Knock Out about the construction site and brought him a worksite radio so he wouldn’t get bored

After work, Breakdown would invite Knock Out to the local bar to have a drink and chat with other bots. He hadn’t yet dared to ask him on a real date, so he always dragged Bulkhead along, who occasionally brought Wheeljack. Those evenings were the most interesting — and the most traumatic

At the bar, the radio often broadcast speeches about resistance and rebellion against the caste system, the Senate. About injustice and cruelty. Because of this, many arguments arose

Finally, Breakdown dared to ask Knock Out on a real date. He was so nervous that he mixed up his words and, instead of giving the gift, he smashed it

Knock Out agreed

The date took place at the top of an unfinished structure, with a beautiful view of the city and the sky. But it was quiet and enchanting

Aside from the terrible music performance by Bulkhead and Wheeljack, who helped Breakdown prepare everything

But they quickly left and gave the couple some time alone

They had a few more dates

Breakdown introduced Knock Out to the other builders. The older ones didn’t exactly approve of the relationship because of the status difference, while the younger workers supported them — questioning all that caste-system nonsense

Knock Out still hated everything related to dirt, but it was no longer a phobia that sent him into a panic. He had grown used to life on the construction site, to the noisy and messy builders who had accepted him. Although he still scolded them every time they came to him dirty — unless it was an emergency. He was also quite skilled at throwing a circular saw

But the internship period was about to end. Knock Out, who had once dreamed of it, now wished he had more time here

When the day came for him to leave, he promised Breakdown that after finishing his training, he would come to work at their construction site. Until then, they would keep in touch from afar, and he’d visit as soon as he had the chance

But it wasn’t meant to be. Knock Out never finished his training because the war broke out, and he joined the Decepticons, while Breakdown joined the Wreckers. They lost contact, and a lot of time passed before they would meet again

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A few of my headcanons about my favorite weirdo in Transformers — Agent Fowler

Warning: English is not my native language, so I apologize for any mistakes in the text

He was born and raised in New Orleans in the late 1960s (so during the events of the show, he’s around 40–45 years old)

His parents died when he was a child (during Hurricane Betsy), so he was raised by his maternal grandmother

She was an old eccentric who practiced voodoo and claimed that one of their ancestors had been a close ally of Marie Laveau

She carried a creepy deck of tarot cards and was blind in one eye

She had a pet python (named Cerise) and a collection of carved skulls — no one dared ask where she got them

She was an incredible cook, especially known for her spicy alligator stew, made with gators she caught herself in the river behind the house

When Fowler tells these stories, no one believes him — except Miko and Optimus

But Fowler loved his grandmother deeply, and she loved him just as much. At school, no one bullied him — everyone was too afraid of the old woman. That’s more or less how I imagine her:

Since he was born and lived through the second half of the 20th century in America, he definitely went through a lot of racist crap directed at him and other Black residents of New Orleans. He doesn’t really like to talk about it

Besides the bad things, there were also good ones — the city itself, its architecture, events from his life, and certain moments that became part of history — like the election of Ernest Morial as mayor of New Orleans, which was a landmark event in many ways

After finishing school, he joined the army, and after some time, he became part of the Army Rangers as a pilot

Thanks to that, he traveled to many parts of the world and took part in numerous military operations, exposed to many different cultures, and in the end, he lost faith in any deity — he’s an atheist

In the army, he earned the nickname 'Ducky' because he made several emergency water landings

Every aircraft he piloted was named "Lucky 13". Because - fuck superstition!

I’m sure he knows a lot of compromising dirt — otherwise they wouldn’t have put him in charge of dealing with damn aliens or singlehandedly hauling nuclear stuff across the country

He had a wife. Maybe his grandmother introduced them when he came home on leave. She was sharp-tongued but a good person, and he was a bit odd, still carrying fresh wounds — back then, he looked like a poster soldier

Neither of them planned to have kids, but Fowler wouldn't have minded having one or two

They spent several years together, but separated after an especially dangerous operation — when Fowler was brought home barely alive. She realized she needed a living man, not a cold stone with a name and two dates on it

During one of the operations, he was injured and couldn’t return to active duty — but he was still a valuable asset, now spending more of his time behind a desk, working with paperwork

For a while after that, he drank heavily, sank into depression, and completely lost himself. But then he pulled himself together

And then the kids showed up, and Space Stalin returned with an alien drug, and then Cybertronian Satan nearly destroyed the planet… and a lot more happened after that

Now he’s in the middle of nowhere, accompanied by a wounded cosmic Buddha and Alexander the Great in one body, telling stories about the voodoo once practiced by his late grandmother and gazing at the starry skies of Northern Europe. At least Optimus’s frame was warm, and Optimus himself was a good listener — even if not much of a conversationalist. Life didn’t seem all that bad

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Before Ratchet was expelled from the student dormitory

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I wrote this after watching TFO. Maybe one day I’ll write a full fanfic based on this idea.

English is not my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.

I watched Earthspark, and to be honest, I didn’t like the show that much. There were some interesting moments, but that was about it. My thoughts about Dot are the most conflicted. I love Alex, but Dot... I both like and dislike her. She’s a great character—until Megatron shows up. Not always, but often. I actually liked the idea of her conflict with Optimus, until I learned that she dislikes him just because he’s “too optimistic” and “tries too hard.” I don’t think she’d like me either.

And I really wanted them to have at least one normal interaction, a single honest conversation. But I didn’t see that in the show. And I didn’t find many fanfics that explored that either. So I decided to write one myself.

I also read a few fics where TFO is a prequel to ES, and I thought—why not combine them?

Maybe someone will enjoy this.

Content warning: Optimus uses they/them pronouns.

PLOT

Optimus arrives at the Malto farm in the middle of the night. They wake Dot and Alex. Both are annoyed, but Optimus asks Dot for help. They sound very worried. Dot immediately thinks something happened to Megatron. Optimus says it’s related to him and asks Dot to talk, without explaining anything. This makes Dot extremely suspicious. She fears Optimus is being mind-controlled again, so she tells Alex to check on the other bots and call the older ones to report the situation. Meanwhile, she’ll take Optimus away from the farm and the kids.

Dot gets into the cab and they drive off. At first it’s quiet, but Dot can’t take the silence and tries to get Optimus to talk. After some hesitation, Optimus explains that Wheeljack developed a technology allowing Autobots to create holophorms (holophorms human-like avatars). Dot doesn’t see the issue—she thinks it’s amazing and would love to see Megatron at human size. It would be fun. She could invite him into the house, etc.

But Optimus goes quiet again. The silence is heavy and suffocating. Dot senses something is really wrong and directly asks. Optimus explains that they already tested their holoframe and rushed to Dot right after. Wheeljack woke up everyone at the base, and soon Megatron and Elita will have holoframes too—and they'll be looking for Optimus. They say something like, “It’s about my holophorm. I think... we may have something in common,” followed by a nervous laugh and a heavy breath.

They keep driving. Dot is tired of the mystery and asks Optimus to get to the point. Optimus says, “Just a bit further.”

They arrive at a place meaningful to Optimus. They tell Dot to get out. She does and waits, expecting them to transform from truck to bot. But they don’t. Instead, Optimus says they need to remain in vehicle mode to activate the holophorm. They warn her that holoframes are tied to a bot’s psyche—it affects how the holophorms looks, and old wounds may be visible.

Dot jokes that she’s no stranger to wounds and glances at her missing leg. Optimus says they’re activating the holophorm. Dot sees a light shimmer through the windows and the outline of a human shape. She waits. A door opens. A human hand appears. Dot is intrigued and impatient.

Optimus steps out—but stays in shadow, only partially visible in the headlights. Dot notes she expected them to be taller, more massive. Finally, they step into the light. Dot can only see the right side at first. It’s not quite what she expected.

Standing before her is a woman.

(Yes, I love women, okay? And the first Optimus I ever saw was AOE Optimus. Sure, the movies were awful, but OP was a literal armored MILF queen in a bikini—this shaped my perception. And come on, they're alien robots—I doubt they use binary gender.)

Optimus appears as a woman—it’s surprising. Dot asks if that’s what they meant when they said they had something in common. Optimus says no.

They explain that Cybertronians don’t have gender the way humans do. When they arrived on Earth and met mostly men, they defaulted to “he.” Some discussion follows—thoughts, a bit of a lecture about differences in gender perception—and Optimus admits they feel more comfortable in this form. It resembles the body they had before the Matrix.

Dot then asks, “So what’s the actual problem, if it’s not gender?” Optimus sighs: “Right now, you’re Megatron’s only friend.” Dot cuts them off, angry: “Do you think he’s a sexist?” Optimus replies it’s not about that. They continue: “You’re his only friend. You know him as he is now, not as he was. You didn’t witness the events that brought us here. Elita will be furious. And Bumblebee… he was a kid. What happened scarred him deeply. But it’s been so long… I can’t blame Megatron. That situation—it was a lot. But I think he’ll blame himself. And right now, after the whole mind-control ordeal, he doesn’t need that.”

They go quiet again. “Like I said, holoframes reflect our psyche. And well… it’s better if you see.”

Optimus finally steps into the full light. Dot is genuinely shocked.

Optimus has a prosthetic left arm and shoulder. Part of their face is burned—bone is partially visible. Around the prosthetic, there are scars from burns and torn wounds.

Dot is reminded of fellow soldiers who died from injuries far less severe. She begins to understand what they have in common. And she immediately realizes these are gifts from Megatron.

Long internal monologue from Dot. She knew Megatron was once a ruthless general of a brutal Decepticon army. She saw what Decepticons were capable of—why humans sided with Autobots when they arrived. She knew you don’t lead an army in a war older than human civilization without doing terrible things. Bumblebee’s lost voice is proof.

But then she looks at Optimus. There’s no way they deserved this.

She asks what happened.

Optimus says it happened before the war, before Autobots and Decepticons, before Optimus Prime and Lord Megatron. Dot feels another crisis rising.

Their backstory aligns with what was shown in TFO.

Dot listens closely—more internal monologues. Finally, Optimus gets to the part where they were thrown into a pit by Megatron. They say they never held a grudge, not even for that.

Dot interrupts: “You should.”

She says it infuriates her how Optimus always forgives, always stays optimistic. That’s why she found it easier to connect with Megatron—because he doesn’t hide his feelings behind smiles.

Then Dot realizes she may have just made things worse for Optimus. They begin backing toward the truck, nervously saying they’ll try to change the holoframe to look more “normal.” Dot stops them and tries to explain.

Silence again.

Dot asks them to finish the story.

Optimus tells her how they died. Now Dot isn’t sure how to process them anymore. There’s a difference between a war veteran and someone who actually died, someone who’s basically a walking ghost forced to live in torment for millions of years—and who inflicted that torment on others in turn.

Eventually, they just sit together, watching the sunrise. Dot quietly considers therapy.

Helicopter turbines are heard in the distance.

Optimus deactivates the holophorm and transforms. Megatron lands nearby, visibly worried. Both Dot and Optimus calm him down but say nothing about their talk.

Optimus says they’ll show the holoframe now, but Megatron must not react dramatically. He doesn’t understand, but Optimus insists. Meg looks at Dot for help, but she too tells him to stay calm. He agrees.

Optimus activates the holophorm.

Megatron struggles to stay composed. He kneels, reaches out a hand. Optimus hugs one of his fingers and reassures him:

“It’s okay, D. Your Orion is okay.”

Dot asks if Megatron has a holophorms. He now looks a little guilty. Dot suspects he also has a similar issue. He activates it.

He has vertical scars from his eyes down to his chin.

Optimus gently touches the scars, clearly feeling guilty. But Megatron grabs both their hands and kisses them:

“These were deserved. Yours were not.”

Dot looks at the two of them and starts mentally going through a list of therapists she could contact. She wonders what scars the other bots carry.

[mountaingutta]

I don’t know if anyone will ever read this. Right away, I want to apologize—English isn’t my first language.

I have this fanfic idea stuck in my head, and it won’t leave me alone. Instead of preparing for exams, I keep replaying it in my mind and constantly adding new elements. A lot of it is based on my own headcanons (just a warning)

So I’m just going to throw this chaos out here. Maybe someone will like it. I’m not sure.

the story is in the format of video camera recordings

It takes place in the TFP universe, pre-war

Jazz and Orion (they were definitely getting arrested at least once every two Cybertronian months), but they always manage to escape. Jazz flirts with a cop (Prowl), and Orion stole a police video camera (I think he’s a bit of a kleptomaniac)

After that, they start filming random moments of their lives, making commentary and jokes.

They live in a rented apartment somewhere on the outskirts of Iacon, on the top floor of a building with a great view. Technically, the apartment is rented by Orion and Ariel (sorry to the OpLita fans, but I see them more as lesbian older sister/gay younger brother or best friends)

Later, Ratchet joins them after being kicked out of his dorm (I’m sure he set something on fire) and almost expelled from the academy

Jazz is like a stray cat—he shows up whenever he wants, disappears for long stretches, always climbs in through the window (which often gets him smacked because they think he’s a burglar), sleeps on the couch, eats everything in the fridge, and vanishes again

There are definitely clips from different protests (viva la revolución). I’m almost certain Orion Pax was an eco-activist, maybe even an eco-terrorist

There’s a video of Jazz and Ariel painting on a sleeping Ratchet

Jazz’s failed attempts to ask Prowl out, which look more like assaults on law enforcement. There are 15,984 of them—Ratchet kept count and showed every single one at their wedding

Moments of Optiratche. Dumb, sweet, tragic

Maybe a scene where Ratchet gets his medical degree. It would either be super wholesome or something would go horribly wrong

Moments from Kaon. I don’t like how Orion was portrayed in the amnesia arc of season 2. The guy started a revolution—even if he was a pacifist, he couldn’t have just been a sweet little librarian. (The history of my country is revolution after revolution, so I know what I’m talking about)

He’s the equivalent of a Venus flytrap. Looks sweet and innocent on the outside, but has a mouth full of teeth and will eat you. Maybe literally

I adore feral Orion/Optimus. And I think growing up in the wild affected his physiology. So I thought—damn, he’s a goldmine for medics and anthropologists

I’m convinced Ratchet wrote a scientific paper titled something like "The Influence of Environment on Frame Type Development." (I swear he’d 100% write a paper about his boyfriend)

He nearly got expelled because his paper didn’t pass political censorship and questioned the society’s imposed narratives (like caste systems, etc)

There’s a video where Jazz is welded to the ceiling (Ratchet got revenge)

And so much more

I think the camera was either destroyed at the start of the war, or it was actively used right up until the moment they left Cybertron.

Maybe it would’ve captured many tragic moments: monologues from Optimus, Jazz, Ratchet, Elita-1, and others. Maybe even final goodbyes before death

Bumblebee’s childhood years—funny moments of him growing up (His first steps, his first word (Optimus—his first word. Ratchet was the one who taught him that)) I’m sure the Autobots were placing bets on it

and then heartbreaking footage after the Tiger Pax incident.

Moments of his recovery

The last thing recorded on that camera would be Jazz telling the story of how they got it, throwing in a few jokes… then saying they’re leaving the planet

They don’t know if they’ll ever come back, or if they’ll see their friends again

And then the recording cuts off. But the very last thing heard is an alert: an enemy attack on the Ark

That’s all for now, but I might add more later.

[mountaingutta]

Horrible memes I created instead of studying