#.and not optically centered like i thought

[kriegertops]

This is a very long one:

I was going down a tumblr rabbit hole and came across and old Binoe page that had A LOT of Krashlyn content from 2019-late 2022. And I came away with a few observations:

1) Ali and Ash were deeply in love. The pics, videos, events, comments to each other, just their sheer history together is overwhelming, and they looked happy, affectionate and just in sync thruout. This idea that Ash was in an unhappy marriage is ridiculous. Bc nothing she ever posted indicated anything close to that.

2) The early Sloane months were adorable, and their captured family moments were so cute and loving. They absolutely doted on that child. She was the center of their world, and they documented so much of her cuteness, and it reminded me of how fun Ash was during this time, and I *briefly* remembered why I liked her back then.

3) I hadn’t realized that makeup artist Alex had been with them for so long- I thought she was new once they got to NY. But no- she was there on their wedding day and before. Also, forgot how close both A’s were to all the Gotham girls when they first got to the team, and how tight Midge was with the whole family.

4) I was reminded of how much soccer connected them, and how it dominated their lives.

I eventually had to stop scrolling bc I got sad seeing how they used to be.

So what in the heck happened?

1) I think Ash was not at all prepared for retirement. She didn’t really line anything up that would be sustainable employment, and not having that identity as an athlete was overwhelming. I’m guessing she had some mild/severe bouts of depression, and despite having an adorable family, she realized it wasn’t fulfilling her. That probably led her to be mean and resentful of Ali, which progressed into outright anger, and bc she’s at her core a narcissist, she blamed Ali for her own sorry situation.

2) there’s been so much talk of, how did Ali not know things were so bad? Well, after all those YEARS together, Ali probably assumed they would work it out. Even after ash moved out, she might have still had visions of repairing her family. Trust me, no mom willing concedes 50% of their time with their kids without a hard core fight. I think Ali was willing to do the work- she just couldn’t give it everything bc she was trying to f’ing retire.

3) those women had a TIGHT group of friends. For years, very formative years. Megan loved Ash. They were effusive abt their friendship. Reliving all their posts back and forth again signified how telling it is that almost NONE of their friend group publicly supported ash. National teammates, club teammates, outside soccer friends (makeup Alex), preschool families- they all gave her the heisman. They didn’t engage in SM, didn’t post pics, really just dumped her like a bad habit. Divorces happen in friend groups- it can be kinda awkward, but they’re grown adults who can make their own choices. And they all very clearly chose a side. And you wouldn’t do that as a friend unless what you saw was behavior so egregious and abhorrent that you couldn’t in good faith support it. And that’s exactly what happened. Ash recently posted something abt friends who chose her over optics, clearly indicating anger at those old friends. Her and Pinoe were at the same event this week, yet no public pics or any indication they interacted. I’m assuming they did, but in the past we’d see evidence of it. She goes on and on abt her new friend group, but it has to hurt a lot that she lost her old tribe. And people that know both her and Sophia- like a Glennon or Foudy, have given the couple no play at all.

4) While I have absolutely ZERO empathy for Ash, I do think she’s gotten herself into a situation that has lots of complications and might not end the way she expects. How do two self involved love bombers stay together once the newness wears off and they are in the mundane realities of everyday life? Ash has 17+ years left of raising kids. And once the kids are doing events and activities, she won’t be able to bail for a week at a time. And eventually she’s going to need to find work. Courts don’t like parents who don’t pull their weight. I think they got caught up in their infatuation, are bonded over their us vs them mentality right now, and once their feelings come back down to earth, it will be a different reality for them. I don’t really care- I don’t wish them any luck. I just think they have an uphill battle.

And my last musing after all this was about how much deep respect and awe I have for Ali. She was served a complete shit burger in the middle of her retirement season. When she should have been riding high, enjoying her last professional soccer games as a player, she was thrown into the worst chaos a person can be in. I will detest Ashlyn forever for putting her in this situation, and not having the maturity to wait it out with Sophia, and let her former wife have her moment. I think back to that Pinoe game where she and Sophia paraded around and my blood completely boils for Ali. I don’t know what happened between them, but the intentional cruelty and vindictiveness Ash showed is so disgusting, it defies logic. I am so thrilled that Ali has moved on, is thriving and has shed this dead weight from her being. I can’t imagine what she’s gone thru, but to see her unbothered and smiling now is just wonderful. I wish nothing but happy things for her!

Okay, I think that’s it! Thanks for reading my dissertation 🤣

Thank you for this anon!!! I appreciate the time you took to write this cause damn this is long😂🔥 I agree though with your thoughts on the situation and honestly the more we find out the more obvious it becomes that Ashlyn is nothing but a narcissistic cheater and Ali’s a warrior and queen who deserves happiness!

[desdraculass]

i think one of my fave scenes in ep 6 was claudia's lil "massa this massa that" thing. I thought it was funny cuz thats the kind of shit I (jokingly) pull on my white friends and family. And like was she wrong???? No.

But, i think lestats response was interesting. Like, initially i got the vibe that he recognizes the significance of the connection between louis and claudia due to their race and that he knows how bad their (all 3 of them) situation looks/is and potentially feels bad/insecure abt it (esp since it could be seen as claudia exploiting a sore spot in his and louis' relationship). Cuz like, claudia aint really wrong. But after another watchthru I think the scene directly, after when he's with antoinette and he's all like "i need you, you're just like me, you make me laugh" an all that, comes across as very "i need you cuz you're white, you're like me cuz you're white, and i dont gotta think abt/deal with race when im with you cuz you're white." (his poor white boy feelings lmaoo)

which like hmmm interesting esp cuz a possible interpretation is that dude is still at (or near) square one when it comes to his consciousness of how race impacts the people (esp those he cares about), which after like 23+ years or something is kinda oof, but like to be expected cuz it's lestat we're talking about here. But also, since we dont know what all kinda convos him and louis have had, it could also just be an unfortunate consequence of his race, personality, lack of racial awareness, and the fact that the just loves digging himself into deeper holes (see, i.e., him bringing claudia home from the train - reminiscent of catching a runaway slave imo) that makes it like a sucks to suck bud, maybe you should think abt the impact of your actions more, situation

[mylasteverlution]

Disco Elysium has a lot of fascinating fictional technology but I have been rotating the radiocomputer in my mind for months now. From what I can gather, they operate in a way very similar to modern cloud computing. It doesn't seem like the mainframes we interact with have any processing capability. Instead, they use antennas to process "on air":

SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "Alright, well... All radiocomputers perform operations up on air, so in order to gain more processing power you need to invest in a *good antenna*."

The only information we get about what "on air" really means is from the same conversation with Soona:

YOU - "Wait, what's 'on air'?" SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "On the *front*. The unified front of radiowaves, licensed and controlled by Lintel in the East-Insulindic region." SOONA, THE PROGRAMMER - "It's all around us," she waves her hand, "that's what 'on air' means."

The nonspecific language used here really invokes cloud computing to me. I think there are two main possibilities for how this could work, one being much more likely than the other.

The more likely answer is that information is sent to and from the in-game equivalent of data centers, which would host massive computers with processing capabilities. I'm not sure what their processors would look like, but they'd almost certainly be analog (the lost Feld tape computers are most likely the in-game equivalent of early digital computers).

The significantly less likely (but more interesting) answer is that in-game radio waves are somehow capable of processing information on their own. I have no idea how this would work, and as far as I know there's no real-world analog. But it's clear the world of Disco Elysium has some crazy things happening with radio waves (see how they interact with the pale), so I'm not ruling it out entirely.

The filament memories are like hard drives, but my guess is they would function more similarly to an optical disc (CDs, DVDs), which use patterns in the disc to encode information that's read using lasers or light. The filaments glow inside the mainframe, so it's not a huge leap to assume they're read using light.

The amount of thought put into radiocomputers is so fascinating. As far as I can tell, their version of the internet has been wireless from the get-go, which makes perfect sense! Antennas and other wireless radio technologies would have to be pretty damn powerful to communicate across and force dimensions on the pale. And you have to assume huge amounts of government money has gone into funding their research and development for those purposes. The technology of radiocomputers is so tailored to the world of Disco Elysium, and it's been a lot of fun trying to untangle how exactly they would work.

[lunarmoves]

dappled sunlight filters its way through the thin curtains of the window by the kitchen sink, warming your hands as you rinse off a few spoons. a pot set on the stove bubbles away with a soup you’d prepped not long ago, a savory smell saturating the air. your phone plays a gentle melody that you find yourself humming along to, lost to your thoughts with nothing to distract you from them. 

well—temporarily, that is. 

a light weight rests atop your head and you’re loathe to admit it makes you jump a little before you register golden hands coming up behind you. snaking under your arms so they can rest on the edge of the sink and tap gently away. 

“are you done yet?” sun asks, a tinge of impatience lining his voice. his voice cracks through the gentle atmosphere of the kitchen like a bolt of electricity. it makes a wry smile tug at your lips. wherever sun goes, exuberance is sure to follow.

you chuckle. “almost. soup’s just gotta simmer for a few more minutes. did you pick out a movie?” 

“ages ago,” he groans, his head shifting to instead nestle itself on your shoulder. one of his rays pokes you in the neck slightly before he retracts it. he watches you run a sponge over one of your kitchen knives. “moon thinks you’ll like it. it’s one of those comedy horror movies. willy’s wonderland?” 

“sounds fun," you say lightly. the knife gets rinsed off before you set it into the nearby dish rack. and before you can even wipe off your hands, sun suddenly wraps his arms around your midsection and pulls you backwards away from the sink. it's a movement so fluid yet jarring that you can't help the surprised laugh that escapes your lips. "sun! i said a few more minutes!"

"and a few minutes is all we need!" sun declares dramatically as he spins around a few times with you, aimless in his direction and unrelenting in his persistence.

you can't help the silly grin that spreads across your face, your movements limited as sun traps you against the front of his chest. he twirls around the little kitchen space, narrowly avoiding the counters' edges. it makes you giggle to yourself, dizziness lightly brushing itself against your senses. his hands eventually move to rotate your body around so that you're properly facing him. he wraps one arm around your lower back and grasps at your free hand with his other one in a gesture that makes your heart traitorously skip a beat.

you are tucked into his lithe body, the crown of your head barely reaching the center of his chest. he takes advantage of his height to trap you there, both your bodies pressed together like two pieces from the same puzzle. his warm arm holds onto you tightly—steadfastly. his grip on your hand is unwilling to let go for even the smallest of moments.

you manage to crane your head back to look at him and the wide grin taking up the lower portion of his face. something mischievous sparks within his white optics—where you can just faintly see his ringed pupils. "what are you doing?" your voice is bright and breathless with your laughter.

"isn't it obvious, my dear?" his smile widens as his head twitches slightly to the side. you can see his pupils dart over to the counter where your phone lays and it finally registers in your head that an upbeat song has started playing from its speakers. "we are! dancing! do try to keep up!"

that is all the warning you get before he absolutely sweeps you away. he leads you in a swing-style dance, rocking the two of you side to side in swooping gestures that has your heart bouncing all over your chest. you laugh and shriek when he gets a bit too close to the stove or a sharp corner, but he's quick on his feet and spins the two of you away in deliberate steps.

you can hear the click-click-click of his rays spinning and extending from his face plate, feel the gentle vibration of his voice box as he laughs alongside you. he croons out the words of the song in your ear and it makes the apples of your cheeks hurt from how much you're smiling.

you are not able to keep up with his rapid footsteps—his long legs make him easily able to overtake your own. you stumble and trip a few times, saved only by the tightness of his grip, until he eventually just squats down slightly and tightens his hold across your lower back. you are given not a single warning and you yelp as he lifts you up. your feet dangle off the ground as he hoists you so that your face is level with his own and your chests press together like they could become one. effortlessly and with not an ounce of hesitation.

he takes control completely with this new position and you are forced to simply let yourself be swung about like some kind of doll or stuffed animal as he prances and spins around your apartment. his face presses itself in the crook of your neck, eyes upturned into crescents and his smile bright enough to rival the, well, actual sun.

"sun, the soup! the soup!" you eventually manage to get out between loud laughs, the hand you have wrapped around his shoulders patting him rapidly. you nearly forgot in the whirlwind that sun is, only reminded after you caught a glimpse of the kitchen doorway when sun spun the right way in your living room. your stomach has started to ache and you know if you don't calm yourself down soon it will become unbearable as all extended bouts of laughter do.

"fret not! it has already been turned off!" sun says cheerily as he rocks side to side, making his way around the small coffee table positioned in the center of the living room. the glow of sunlight shimmering through your open windows causes him to be bathed in gold—like he has been touched by midas' hand. and it is utterly gorgeous.

"when did you do that?!" you ask breathlessly, moving to press your cheek against his face plate. it's cool against your skin that has warmed from all the prior movement. sun doesn't mind the contact if his spinning rays are any indication.

in lieu of a response, he only offers you a wink and a stretch of his smile in a sly grin. you huff out some more laughter that turns into a giddy, high-pitched sound when a new song starts playing and sun goes off again with replenished fervor. shouting the words and jumping about with you in his tenderly-tucked hold.

and well... by the time sun's had his fill of dancing and you've had enough of the dizzying twirls and aching laughs, the soup has long gone cold. you can't bring yourself to be upset about it.

[in1-nutshell]

Hi!! ❤️🇻🇳 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) love from Vietnam for u writing~

*Mention: A lil kill and violence here ಠ_ಠ*

So, I was cooking, and then...my mind come an ideal for Shattered Glass Au ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

What happen when Megatron Daughter meet SG!Megatron!!

I images that, SG and Origin world got a portal connect two world together.

What reaction when Buddy first see SG!Megs? I think she gonna be scared and hid in her room.

What reaction when she saw SG!Megatron is a great patient, loving dad toward her just like OP?

Will she get close to him and call him "Dad"?

(I think SG!Megs gonna teary when he hear her call him that 🥹, I'm not cry...)

Because SG!OP very violence, to make SG!Megatron fight him in Cybertron.

OP decide to kidnap and kill small sparkling Buddy infront of SG!Megatron.

SG! Megatron: I'm happy...cause you still alive in this world, lil one...

(I'm not crying 🥲...nope...)

And what punishment will happen to Megatron when SG!Megatron hear he, himself in this world abused Lil Buddy while he supposed to cherish and protect her, not be her nightmare 🥲

SG!Megs: I'm sorwy...

Buddy: Not your faul...dad...

SG!Megs: *Tear split out of his eye* I'M NOT DERSERVE YOU!!! WOAHHHHH!!!

Oh!

Oh...

Oh...

Prepare any tissues at hand, they will be used.

This is my interpretation of SG! TFP, it may change in other works if the plot needs it.

Hope you enjoy!

Megatron's daughter with the opposite personality meeting SG! Megatron

SFW, Platonic, Familial, Hurt and Comfort, mentions of violence and death, nothing graphic though, Cybertronian reader

TFP

It was a normal day on base.

Buddy was watching a movie with the kids on the projector.

Bee and Smokescreen had just gotten back from patrol.

Arcee was talking with Optimus and Ratchet about something.

The Wreckers had managed to get Magnus to throw a lob after days of pestering.

Truly a lovely day.

Until the portal spawned in the center of the base.

“Oh, not this again!”--Buddy

Buddy shields the kids with her frame.

“What do you mean again!”--Miko

“Trust me this has happened more times than I would like to have! The travel is awful and the lands are worse!”--Buddy

“And that’s story to tell for another time!”--Ratchet

“How do we stop it?!”--Wheeljack

“You don’t! You either get sucked in or something—”--Buddy

BANG!

The light disappears.

“—something comes out.”--Buddy

There in the middle of the bases floor were three mechs sprawled out, groaning from their rough landing.

Three very familiar looking mechs…

Oh no…

The kids could feel Buddy shake at the sight of the newcomers.

The three mechs stood up and scanned their surroundings.

There was no doubt that they were Megatron, Starscream and Soundwave.

They had different paintjobs with similar frame structure, but that wasn’t what Buddy was focusing on.

She was focusing on the blue optics staring at her.

The blue optics she once looked into when she was a sparkling.

The blue optics of Megatron.

Buddy and SG! Megatron staring at each other.

Optimus and Ratchet immediately get in front of her.

Starscream and Soundwave stand up slightly in front of their leader who was just starting to stand.

Tense silence.

Megatron holds eye contact with Prime.

“We do not mean you any harm.”--Megatron

“And how do we know this isn’t a trick Megatron?”--Ratchet

Megatron looks at Starscream and Soundwave.

All three drop their weapons, surprising the Autobots.

“Megatron?”--Optimus

“As I said before. We do not mean you any harm.”--Megatron

“You are not our Megatron, am I correct?”--Optimus

Megatron nods.

“We come from an alternative universe. You seem to know my name as Megatron. This is my loyal Second in Command, Starscream.”--Megatron

“Two words I never thought I’d hear in a sentence.”--Smokescreen

“And my third in Command Soundwave.”--Megatron

“Hi!”--Soundwave

Almost everyone visibly jumps back.

“Did—did he just speak?”--Wheeljack

“Yeah? I talk all the time!”--Soundwave

“Sometimes more than usual Soundwave.”--Starscream

“Yeah. Sorry about that one time Screamy.”--Soundwave

Starscream shakes his helm fondly as Soundwave scratches the back of his neckcables.

“We come from a world that is near opposite to yours.”--Megatron

“How do you know that?”--Ratchet

“Our chief scientist, Shockwave was experimenting on the latest relic we managed to acquire from the Autobots. There was no telling what they were going to do with such a relic. Shockwave had enough time to tell us some of the basics before the blast came through.”--Starscream

Optimus nods at the new information.

“How are you guys getting back home?”--Smokescreen

“Shockwave was making a failsafe in case something like this happened. In theory we should be back in a couple of hours. But seeing as he was halfway done with it when the flash came in… a week at most.”--Soundwave

Megatron turns to Prime.

“Will you allow my mechs and I a place of refuge until then?”--Megatron

Prime thinks before agreeing.

Optimus in turn begins to introduce himself and the rest of the team.

He named Buddy last.

This certainly had gotten a reaction from the three Cons.

“This is Buddy, our archivist and technical support of the team.”--Optimus

All three mechs stare a bit at Buddy.

Soundwave kneels down and gently pats Buddy’s helm.

“It’s--it’s good to see ya kid.”--Soundwave

He stands back up, making room for Starscream to kneel.

He offers her his servo to shake.

Buddy shakes it hesitantly.

Starscream just smiles.

“Pleasure to meet you Buddy.”--Starscream

Buddy took the first step towards this Megatron.

It wasn’t the fact that he took a step backwards that surprised her the most.

It is his optics.

Fear.

Sorrow.

Regret.

Hope.

What happened to him?

Buddy slowly approached the giant and held out her servo.

Slowly he grabbed her servo.

It was shaky.

Nothing like the strong death grips she had grown accustomed to.

After the exchange it was settled that the three Decepticon’s would stay until their Shockwave got them home.

It was extremely tense around the base.

Starscream, strangely, got along well with some of the bots. This just surprised them when they found this Starscream to be way more tolerable than the one they knew.

For one, he wasn’t trying to kill Megatron ever second.

Starscream was surprised to hear his counter part wanting to do that to his leader.

He would never try and do that to his Megatron!

He was also caring to others, which was another shock to the team.

Bumblebee trips on a stray cube, slightly skinning his knee.

“Oh! Here let me.”--Starscream

Starscream pulls out a mini mesh kit to fix the joint.

Confused Bee noises intensifies.

Soundwave got along best with the kids and younger Bots.

It was only natural.

There almost wasn’t a second where he wasn’t making some sort of noise, whether it be music or talking, much to Ratchet’s dismay.

It was rare to hear him go silent.

He has mixed feelings about his counterpart’s silent but deadly behavior.

Mainly because he can’t stand so much stillness, ironic being the master spy he was.

Soundwave and Miko jamming out to some rock ballads.

Ratchet looking with horror from afar.

“Oh Primus… there’s two of them now…”—Ratchet

Megatron stays mostly by Prime’s side as the two would have nice talks.

He was the slowest to be integrated into the group.

He did ask about his counterpart, but he noticed that no bot would outright talk about his alternative whenever Buddy was in the room.

There were always side glances towards Buddy’s direction.

Worried glances.

One thing each of the Decepticons noticed fast was that Buddy was never left alone with any of them.

Usually, she was accompanied by a bot or two.

But whenever Megatron came, it almost doubled in numbers.

Soundwave was the one who brought it up one day as he plopped down next to her.

“So, Buddy… how’s your Megatron doing? I mean why haven’t we seen him with you?”--Soundwave

“We aren’t exactly… on talking terms Soundwave.”--Buddy

“How come?”--Soundwave

Buddy looks over at Soundwave and the other Con’s nearby.

“I think you might want to sit down for this.”--Buddy

They quickly sat down by Buddy, as some of the other bots sat down close by.

She knew why, but she continues.

She took a vent in before telling them her story from the beginning.

From the moment Megatronus found her.

From the times she remembered being in Orion Pax’s care.

From the times she was snuck into the gladiator quarters.

From when she met Soundwave and the minicons.

From the Senate meeting.

From the last time seeing Orion and Ratchet.

From when the war started.

From when the training had begun.

From when Megatron left, leaving her to control the army.

From Megatron’s return with the Dark energon.

From Megatron’s worsening training and ideals.

From Megatron’s second death and her having to take care of the army once more.

From Starscream’s ideals and the pushing.

From Megatron’s return.

From The Slash.

From the worse training to date.

From Soundwave snapping.

From Soundwave giving Buddy away to Prime.

The Decepticons had gone silent.

Soundwave was the first to reach out for a hug.

It felt familiar, yet different.

Starscream was the next.

Who knew Starscream could give out good hugs?

Then Megatron…

After a pause he asks if it was okay to hug her.

Buddy had leaped into his open arms before he could finish the sentence.

She buried her faceplate into his neck cables hugging tightly.

Megatron hugged tight too but minded his strength and size.

He gently stroked her back.

“I’m… I am so sorry Buddy.”--Megatron

Buddy lightly hiccupping in Megatron’s neck cables.

“I am so sorry little one.”--Megatron

Buddy finally faces Megatron.

“It—It wasn’t your fault. You had—had nothing to do with my Megatron’s actions.”--Buddy

“…”--Megatron

“…Something happened to my alternative, didn’t it?”--Buddy

“…Yes…”--Megatron

That was when he told her about his Buddy.

From when he found her in the alley.

From raising her with his friend Orion Pax.

From meeting Starscream and Soundwave.

From the Senate meeting.

From the last time she would see her uncle Orion storm out of the chamber.

From the time Nemesis Prime had arisen.

From the time she had been a shining beacon of hope amongst the soldiers.

From the time she disappeared.

From the time Soundwave and him found Prime holding her by her neckcables, struggling out of his grip.

From the pleas.

From the last ‘love you’.

From the blast of the cannon.

From holding his daughter’s offlined corpse in his servos.

From moving to Earth.

From the continuation of the war.

Buddy only hugged him tighter.

He needed it.

They both needed this more than anything.

It was at that moment the light came through.

It was time for them to leave.

The Cons saying their good-byes to everyone.

“If you ever end up in our universe, wouldn’t recommend it, feel free to ask for any of us! Maybe we can show you the base!”--Soundwave

“I’ll keep that in mind.”--Smokescreen

“Thank you again for your hospitality.”--Starscream

“You’re welcome Starscream.”--Optimus

The Cons turn to Buddy, each giving their own long hugs.

Megatron and Buddy give the longest hugs.

“Stay strong little one.”--Megatron

“Same to you, big guy.”--Buddy

Megatron and Buddy give each other one last look before the three walk to the light and vanish just as fast as it came.

They both knew that the alternative couldn’t replace the other, they lost to time. But it still felt good knowing that somewhere in the universe, one was alive and well.

[primus-why]

Another A/B/O AU...

... this time TFA!

Okay some rules this time are:

Alphas can mate with Betas to produce offspring-- with the exception of cross-factional pairs. And you will only ever produce the same frametype as the creators.

Betas and Betas can mate to produce offspring-- but again, they have to both be civilians or both be warframes. They will only produce offspring of the same frametype.

It's very rare for Alpha pairings to reproduce. Same rules above apply concerning frametypes.

Omegas are rare in that anyone can reproduce with them, and thus their offspring can be any frametype. Contrary to a popular myth, the sparkling's frametype is random and not automatically based on whomever the sire/carrier is.

Generally the majority of Decepticons are Alphas, and the majority of Autobots are Betas. A Beta!Decepticon or Alpha!Autobot is not rare but still pretty uncommon.

Omegas have not been seen for generations, and it's believed they've been wiped out. The deaths of Omegas on both sides is partially what kicked up the war, as it now became much more difficult to procreate. Especially for Decepticons, being mostly Alphas.

All mechs regardless of secondary status go through a reproductive receptivity cycle-- the horny time we usually call "heat" or "rut". (But since I couldn't think of a 3rd word for a Betas cycle, we'll call it "RRC" or just "cycle" across the board lol)

Surprise, surprise! Optimus Prime is, in fact, an Omega. He doesn't know that, though...

See, Omegas have been out of the picture for so long, they don't really teach about them anymore in the Academy. Obviously some folks like Ultra Magnus and Ratchet are old enough to remember, as are many of the Decepticons. But generally speaking, Optimus believes he's just a Beta with an abnormally persistent cycle.

Optimus' status is only known to a few-- thanks to the standard examination all new recruits undergo, only some of the older medics and Ultra Magnus himself were aware. The Magnus took great care to not place Optimus on the front lines whenever possible, as he did not want to risk the Cause losing something so precious as an Autobot Omega.

However, at the same time he did not disclose Optimus' status to anyone else-- he knew it would likely result in his peers treating him differently, or worse, the Council might vote to sequester him to a breeding center. No, Optimus himself couldn't even be aware-- Ultra Magnus was worried he'd fall prey to the old stigmas which claimed Omegas were inherently weaker or incapable. Perhaps that was hypocritical of him, since he had been avoiding using Optimus in battles, despite the young Prime being one of the most skilled and capable Bots at the Academy...

Perhaps that's why when the incident on Archa-7 happened, he took the opportunity to all but banish Optimus from Cybertron. Repairing space bridges kept him out of the direct line of fire; nothing ever seemed to happen all the way out there. What's more, Ultra Magnus wouldn't have to continue fabricating reasons why one of the Academy's top students was not being placed in more active roles. Optimus would also be spared the scrutiny of re-evaluation, wherein his status would likely have been disclosed to the Council and everyone in the upper ranks... as well as Ultra Magnus' favoritism.

Yes, Ultra Magnus had thought he was in the clear. The young Prime still had a part to play in the Great Autobot Machine, but not until things had quieted significantly. One day, Optimus would have the chance at a normal civilian life while their planet rebuilds, and Ultra Magnus would have the medics disclose his status so he could decide his own future without the pressures of wartime. For now, all he needed to do was ship the Omega somewhere, far away from prying optics, with a medic who could be discreet and a parting reminder to not be a hero.

... A lot of good that did him.

Some additional notes of who-is-what:

Alphas include*: Megatron, Sentinel Prime, Lugnut, Strika, Ultra Magnus, Bulkhead, Starscream, Blitzwing, Drift

Betas include*: Shockwave, Blurr, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Jazz, Blackarachnia, Prowl, Jetfire and Jetstorm, Rodimus Prime

*but are not limited to

[graceofagodswrath]

Omg your Humans are space orcs/deathworlders + Transformers is just *d e l i c i o u s*. My complaints are pretty much the same, it seems that most humans on the franchise are just manufactured to be hated or simply annoying for being so useless. I want transformers to realize just how hard we have to work to simply stay alive *in our own planet*, with the sheer amount of diseases and poisonous animals and predators and weather and so much more, I want them to wonder how such seemingly fragile beings became the dominant species, how can we be so resilient yet so delicate... I'd like a transformer that particularly hates/is disgusted by humans to swap places with us for like a day or so, the first one that comes to mind is Starscream, I want him to get a glimpse at the daily fight for survival here on Earth and can't help but develop a tiny speck of respect for humans, not that he would ever admit it, even to himself, that he's secretly more mindful of where he steps when there are humans around ever since.

I literally just gave a rundown about this to a friend in a drunken rant the other night, so I am so ready for this.

Starscream wouldn’t be my first pick, based solely on the fact that I haven’t psycho-analyzed him the same way I have others, but imma do my best ~

For situation-sake so my writer brain doesn’t kill itself over context, imma do this in the form of Headcannons. Let’s say Starscream gets stuck in a human body and has to exist as such until he magically gets put back. Until then, he’s stuck with a human who is aware of what he is (vague gn oc/reader, up to whoever. Writing from the viewpoint of “one of us”).

(Also y’all can input any Starscream here cause imma write him in his basic form: whiney, stuck-up, clever little cunt).

- Bro is flabbergasted. Disgusted. Horrified. Out-of-his-mind losing it. Keeps praying to primus it’s a drug-induced hallucination or a dream.

- Wakes up on the soft cushions of a… couch? The word pops up in his head. He knew the basics from his overviews when their war traveled to earth. He brought his servos- No. Hands, up to his face, inspected his new honey, fleshy digits. The detail was too vivid to be a hallucination. Colors were both muted and bright. Starscream found himself automatically trying to adjust his optic intake. But nothing happened. Of course. Because fleshy organics can’t manually adjust their own sensory inputs.

- He curls his lips, and is instantly hit with the feeling of muscle contorting. Skin and flesh was an entirely different sensation from mesh and plating. It made his plating- damnit no, skin crawl. Another sensation trailed up the center of his back, spine and shiver popping up in his mind.

- Even the way his psyche worked was different. Like a new plane of existence. Thoughts were unorganized, uncalculated. Like something that squirmed out of his grasp as he tried to keep hold. Everything felt simplified, yet the awareness and sensations were overwhelming. His entire presence felt… hypocritical.

- Sounds distracted him from his insightful, yet horrific reverie. His gaze drifted to another area of the room, half-built walls sectioning it off, but with flat slabs atop. Counters. A face pops from behind the half-wall. Human eyes catch his, and the creature pulls its lips back to bare its teeth. To smile. Even though humans and cybertronians had similar facial anatomy, the little creatures were so ugly that it was hard to recognize similar expressions.

- “You good bud?” The thing asks. Starscream felt his new face twist into his casual sneer, one laced with aggravation and disgust.

- “Good? Is such a thing possible when you’re a skin bag of flesh and bones?” The humans only response was to broaden their grin.

-“Glad you haven’t lost the attitude. Means you’ll make it out alive.” The nonchalance threw the ex-cybertronian for a loop.

- “You… know me?” That grin turned into a smirk that made the non-energon in his lines boil.

- “You’re Starscream, second-in-command to Megatron, lord of the deceptions, yada yada yada… yeah I know who you are.” They leaned back against the wall, eyes boring into the deception. Starscream found himself wondering if human eyes were always so disturbingly piercing.

- “Wonderful.” He shoved the unsettled feeling to the back of his head, determined to figure out a solution and still be in control. “Then you can explain how and why I am in this disgusting organic form.”

- The smirk disappeared into an odd expression Starscream had never seen before. The human flattened their lips and pursed their… cheeks. It looked entirely stupid. But something in the back of his head whispered apologetic.

- “I’m not sure on the exact details, but I can tell you it won’t last long. I’m basically your caretaker until it wears off.”

- Instinctually, Starscream’s brows raised. “That’s it? Is this some new human weapon, cruel imprisonment within one your fleshy bodies?”

- The human tilted their head back and laughed, once again taking Starscream off guard. Their casual presence was so different from the fight-or-die everyday lifestyle that gripped his species.

- “Nope. Just a random accident that you’re the unfortunate victim of.” At the con’s bewildered stare, the human pushed their mouth outwards, changing the pitch of their voice as they said, “aww, poor baby. Don’t worry, you’re safe with me.” Then they whirled around and walked into the other room.

- Man is flabbergasted. Is out of his element and cannot function. Cue him trying to stand and do normal things, and bust his ass because the different sensations hitting him all at once. Organic nervous systems feel very different from techno ones.

- First thing he starts doing is eating and drinking. It takes a couple hours, but his “babysitter” eventually gets him to try something. Water first, of course (he refused any organic foods). The con is disgusted, but moderately pleased that the tasteless liquid isn’t slimy or thicker like he expected. It’s actually rather soothing to his human body.

- The first food he willingly tries is melon. Honeydew to be precise. Refused to touch meat, as the idea of eating actual organic flesh was unfathomable. He was pleasantly surprised to find the flavor of the fruit likable. Humans don’t taste things the same way cybertronians do. Whereas energon has a more electrical charge to it (to put it in human words), Earth flavors were smoother. Discovers he has a huge sweet tooth (as his “babysitter” put it).

- His human guardian took this opportunity to drag him out of their home and go shopping for more consumables. Let him pick things he found somewhat pleasing, but chose most others. Lots of fruit to try and other non-meats. Went in to try the other types of fruit. Has a preference for honeydew, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, and grapes. Really likes (loves but won’t admit) pineapple and raspberries. The sour/sweetness is similar to energon. Citruses like oranges and mandarin are also similar, but he prefers more sweetness than straight sour. Kiwi is also a treat.

- (I headcannon that energon is similar to sour patch kids and skittles, super sweet and sour with an electric tang and texture. So all transformers would be immediate sweet lovers as humans because of the similarity).

- Hates anything dull or flavorless. Don’t try to feed this man spinach, he’ll call you grass-eating fleshbag.

- Drinks water only because he has too (stupid human body), but once he discovers those liquid flavors he can put in, it’s all he uses. Tried juices when he found out they were liquids derived from the fruit he likes. Got excited when it tasted almost like energon and tried to only consume juice from then on. His guardian explained that humans couldn’t only exist on juice, but of course he tried to argue that all he needed was nutrients in liquid. He then discovered smoothies. Nearly did the same thing until he actually tried them. Hated the thickness and gritty texture.

- A couple days go by and his guardian decides it’s time to get him tf out properly. Man is lounging around all the time. If he’s not on the couch making fun of human entertainment and politics, he’s following his guardian meatbag around and demanding answers for his current predicament.

- So his guardian starts small. Hauls his ass outside for a jog. This is where things really get interesting. Starscream is unaware of how human bodies work. When his guardian begins a slow run, he gets confused. Why would you run when you can walk fine? Where were they going? Leads to an explaination of exercise, which results in the con doing his usual snide shit of “you force yourselves to go through training otherwise your bodies become slow and unusable? How unsurprising.” And they’re like “yes and nooo, it’s so we can stay strong and get stronger as time goes on. Staying strong allows us to do cool things.”

- Cool things like what? Well his guardian gets an evil idea in their head. Starscream hates running. Hates using his legs and having nothing to do with his arms. Don’t even get them started on the tantrum he threw when he started sweating (fluids exiting one’s body? Horrifying).

- So his guardian introduces him to swimming. The con is a jet in his natural form, and the closest he’ll get to that as a human without a shit ton of equipment will be the water.

- Problem is the man has to learn to swim first. And willingly get in the water. Stays on the edge of the lap pool the first few times, watching with his nose turned up at the humans swimming.

- However, he starts to slowly dip his toes in the water. The sensation is… interesting. It’s not dislikable on human skin. In fact, on the hotter days it’s very soothing, like when he drinks water (finds out he can’t drink this kind tho, chemicals and bodies in it and such).

- Eventually he gets in, staying in the shallow area. His guardian helps him learn how to swim. It feels humiliating, learning to kick and tread water, while watching human children do it with relative ease. It feels strange to use his body in such ways. But with his guardian constantly reminding that none of his cybertronian peers knew or will know of his situation, AND their constant praise, he finds it in himself to continue.

- The praise he receives from his guardian is also something he’s not used to. As well as other humans willing to help him learn. It apparently wasn’t uncommon for many adult humans to not know how to swim or do other things, and gave him more confidence to learn. He’d never admit it, but he tried harder to learn just to hear the praise from others. It felt nice to be treated kindly. Better than nice. But again, he’d never admit it. He’d just respond with a clever quip. Never did anyone hear a thanks (but most quickly figured out he was grateful from the obvious burning red on his copper-toned neck and ears).

- Weeks drag on, and to distract himself from the impatience of going back to his normal, Starscream becomes an excellent swimmer. He finds it is like flying, the way the water holds up his body. When he holds his breath and dips under the surface, he can almost imagine his rocket boosters on his pedestal holding him aloft in the sky.

- From the work it took, he gained a slight appreciated for how his human body worked. At first he thought it was a hindrance. But as he worked with the others, he began to have an understanding that unsettled the cybertronian part of him.

- Humans were incredibly versatile. After he began to improve greatly at swimming, he asked about other activities humans did for exercise. The resulted in learning that humans didn’t always “exercise” to become strong. Many did it for fun. It was a hobby to them, and the exercise was a great benefit. It kept their minds clear, it kept their bodies healthy, and it satisfies a part of them that he was only beginning to discover.

- Starscream was aware of human creativity. It’s what had made their species a slight hindrance when they aided the autobots in the war, but because of their size, they were seen as nothing but bugs. Pests at the most. But as the con experienced this small bit of human life, he began to understand there was more to them than he’d like to admit. There was this drive to do things, to push themselves beyond their current capabilities.

- He learned of skills that human no longer needed but still learned to take pride in for fun. Swimming was only a base skill. There were humans that attempted to swim across the oceans just to see if they could, even with the high chance of death. Beyond swimming, there was running across land for days on end, jumping off cliffs and diving in spectacular ways, gliding across the sky’s on flimsy metal pipes and fabric, and so much more. Their adaptability to any environment was envious.

- It nearly terrified him, the thought of what if humans were the same size as cybertronians. What if they could acutally measure up to other species of their universe? They could do anything. They would be a real threat. Or the greatest ally any race could ask for.

- His lid has been flipped.

- Eventually he wakes up back in his habsuite in his normal body. The euphoria that rushes through him at the familiarity his nothing he’s ever experienced before. Checking his info screens, he discovers no time passed. As if he had dreamed all of it. But when he looks to his desk in the room, he sees it.

- Starscream picks the item up, inspecting it, and feels his spark skip a pulse. It’s a small ring and chain, attached to two metal objects. Both in the shape and color of a pineapple and raspberry.

[callsign-relic]

Hi, I saw your requests are open, and I was hoping you'd be ok with writing my request. I have been having a bit of a hard time, and I was wondering if you could write a Megatron fic for comfort. I'm usually a bit of a spitfire, but I'm just overwhelmed and exhausted. I'd prefer TFP Megatron, but I'm pretty flexible. Absolutely no pressure to write this, and I hope you have a great rest of your day! :)

Hi! So you did submit this while my requests were closed, but seeing the topic at hand, I wanted to get this done for you anyway. Thank you for being my first TFP Megatron request! This was actually very fun for me to write! To anyone who has read TF Exodus, I hope you’ll appreciate the little callbacks I make to it here and there >:)

I hope this could make you feel a little better anyway though, and I hope things improve for you soon :)

Warnings: SFW, GN!Human!Reader

“What’s the matter with you?”

The sudden question makes you perk your head up from your seat. You were sitting hugging your knees on the command module of the Nemesis’ hull, though you might as well have been somewhere else entirely with how lost in your thoughts you were. You look upwards to find Megatron gazing down at you from above— standing tall with his arms behind his back, gazing at you from only the bottoms of his optics, not with his whole helm. His muted grey frame stuck out sorely against the vibrant purple hue of the Nemesis’ command center.

“Wh— What?” You stammer, the mech’s question not fully processing in your head before you blabber out a response. Megatron doesn’t repeat himself, he merely continues to stare down at you as you gather your bearings. Despite the mech’s infamous impatience, he seems oddly content in allowing you to correct your misspeaking.

“Nothing,” you finally reply, even if you can’t make eye contact with him as you do. “Sorry to distract you. Keep going.”

Gunmetal grey flashes in your vision, and you realize that the very end of one of Megatron’s claws is suddenly beside your face, turning your head to face him. To your surprise, he’s bent down at the waist to level himself with you, yet still he has his helm raised just so that he’s still looking down at you.

“I asked you a question,” he begins, and despite the fact that he sounds like he was scolding you, his tone is… soft. Like he didn’t want his voice to ring too loud over your human ears. “And you will answer.”

Being scrutinized in such a manner, you couldn’t even think up a decent excuse. You were left stuttering under his gaze once more, and it’s only when you huff out a sigh that you mentally say ‘screw it’. “I’ve just… felt overwhelmed,” you answer, and Megatron’s digit slowly pulls away from you as you go on. “I know as the only human here I’m not expected to do much. But still, I want to pull my weight around here. I guess I’ve just been overworking myself in the process and…” you trail off. Seeing Megatron’s unchanging expression doesn’t encourage you in the slightest, and you turn your head away once more. “It’s stupid,” you mutter, “You’re dealing with so much more anyway.”

And for a while, it’s silent. Only the sound of the Nemesis’ engine roaring in the distance and the hull’s computer module’s fill your ears, and you’re sure that you’ve overshared. Not to mention the low purr of Megatron’s own idling engine, humming before you as if to mock you. Tears well up in your eyes and you make to curl into yourself once more—

Until suddenly, Megatron extends a hand, and scoops you up from behind.

You shout as you’re lifted high into the air, centering yourself in the middle of the mech’s palm as he raises you toward his faceplate. You quickly turn your gaze away from the rapidly descending floor over to Megatron, but unscrunch your face at the sight.

He almost looked… gentle.

Like a mech who has truly lived through several millions of years of war. You take note of the rough scars running down from his eyes and mouth. The typically harsh crimson glow of his optics didn’t burn you as they so often did before. No, rather they glowed down upon you with an oddly warm feeling.

“My pet,” Megatron begins, voice no higher than a low rumble you can feel resonate through the metal of his palm, “I know much of pain. Of working tirelessly, only to feel as though your efforts are fruitless. But what is it that I encourage every Decepticon to do?”

He actually pauses, and it hits you that he’s expecting you to reply. Awkwardly, you look to the side for a moment and shrug. “To… keep working and follow your orders?”

“To fight,” The warlord corrects you, and you blink as you’re taken aback. With his free servo, Megatron closes out the computer module you had been sitting on and suddenly starts to make his way out of the main hull, lowering you down towards his chest. Where he was going, you weren’t sure, but the rock of his arm beneath you and the sound of his heavy pedesteps almost relaxed you. “Though it was millennia ago, the Decepticons were originally formed to fight against our oppressors on Cybertron. The oppressors of not only the lower castes, but of every sentient being on Cybertron— the High Council.”

“I… I think I remember reading about that,” you remark, taking the chance to sit cross legged in his palm. Though the constant rocking motion of his arm was nice, you were only human— you didn’t want to get nauseous. “Soundwave was digging through some old files when he was trying to decode the Iacon database. The title interested me so I asked him to send it to me. Though, it was only in Cybertronian, so I couldn’t understand it very well.”

Megatron lets out a huff above you— or was it a laugh that he breathed out? “Originally, I did not necessarily condone the actions of the first Decepticons. Inspired by my words, rogue Cybertronians launched attacks over key parts of our planet. First, it was Six Lasers Over Cybertron. Then, it was Uraya. Polyhex. Stanix. Blaster City. The Sonic Canyons. All less than a cycle apart.”

As he went on, you found your jaw dropping. Countless Cybertronians cities bombed, not even under direct orders from Megatron? “Then finally, Altihex. All done without my awareness. And you know what that did?”

You shake your head. You couldn’t even muster up a squeak.

A smile curled itself at the ends of Megatron’s dermas, and you could see the rows of his sharp teeth flash from behind. “It got the Council’s attention,” he finishes. “It was from there that I learned that people do not listen to mere words. People listen to action, and it is through action that progress is made.”

You look down to stew over his words, but again, Megatron raises you back up to his face. He takes your head by your chin with the tip of his finger and raises it to face him. Once you lock eyes, he turns his gaze forwards— behind you— and you turn your own head to look where he’s facing.

Two thick iron doors slide open, and the sound of rushing wind blasts past you. You’re pushed forwards by the sudden impact, and you feel as though you might fly off of Megatron’s hand right there. But the force behind you stops in an instant, and you pick yourself up to find that Megatron has raised a servo before you to block the harsh winds as he lowers you back down to his chest. The titan of a mech continues forward, even as you look up at him in gratitude— though he raises his voice to allow you to hear him over the altitude.

“Your situation is dire, little one,” his rough voice declares, “thrust into an alien world, trying your hardest to keep up… it’s a monumental task, to climb so far if only to stand upon the shoulders of giants.”

You finally sit back down properly, only this time not bothering to cross your legs. Slowly, Megatron lowers the wall of his other hand, but as you think you might get cast away to the winds again, you notice the mech pull his thumb in towards you. You grab onto it, and wisely so, as with his now free hand the warlord gestures grandly out towards the main deck.

There, you see it. The endless sea of pure white clouds beneath you, brightly reflecting the light of the sun which was just starting to dip beneath the clouds. The sky was encompassed in a deep blue, though where the sun was beginning to settle down, soft hues of pink, orange, and purple were soon to follow.

“The world is yours to take, little one,” Megatron’s voice rings out over it all. “It will be mine to conquer, and yours to make the most of.”

[lets-try-some-writing]

Someplace Peaceful

In the peace of the forest, Bumblebee has a chance to think and enjoy a few small comforts.

(Enjoy the Bee angst)

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙

“Sire! You’re here!” Bumblebee shot to his pedes, his door wings fluttering in excitement as his Sire appeared in the clearing, breaking the silence of the forest. Light shone through gaps in the techtite trees and distantly the rustling of solarium bushes and other flora comforted Bumblebee’s spark, easing its anxious spin. He didn’t know why he was so unsettled, but everything was so much calmer now that his Sire was there.

“Are you having fun?” Optimus smiled and dropped to a knee, brushing aside copper bladed stem growths in order to allow Bumblebee to run into his arms. Bumblebee laughed as he did his best to wrap his small arms around his Sire’s far larger frame. Everything was right with the world now. The strange feeling of wrong that had settled in his mind vanished as Optimus’s powerful arms encompassed him, shielding him from any danger imaginable.

“Yes! This place is so pretty!” Bumblebee grinned as various mechanimals chirped and chattered beyond the edge of the glade. He gestured to the sunny clearing, smiling widely as his optics took in the countless fragile flowers all tinted green and red from the copper that coursed through them. A stream ran somewhere nearby, adding a gentle undertone to the perfectly serene atmosphere.

It was safe, it was secure. While it had been odd before, with his Sire beside him, it felt like home. He could hardly contain his excitement as he took his Sire’s servo, doing his best to get a grip on one of Optimus’s far larger digits.

“Come sit here! This is my favorite spot!” There was one large techtite tree in the center of the clearing, its long winding branches shifting in the gentle breeze. Bumblebee hurriedly urged his Sire on, pointing gleefully toward a nook within the base of the tree just large enough for him and his Sire to sit against. Optimus smiled and obliged, bending down a bit so Bumblebee could comfortably hold his digit.

He was quick to settle down and eagerly watched as his Sire did the same. The metallic leaves of the techtite tree brushed against one another softly, creating a quiet chime that could have lulled Bumblebee into recharge if it weren’t for the presence of one of his Primary Caretakers.

“I thought you might appreciate this place.” Optimus spoke softly, breaking the reverie that had fallen over the area. Bumblebee appreciated it, the unsettling feeling returned whenever it was quiet for too long. His frame felt somewhat cold despite the rays that had beat down on him but a moment earlier. It was strange, he didn’t like it.

“Really? How come?” Bumblebee questioned curiously as he clambered up his Sire’s thigh to sit on his lap. Optimus seemed bigger than he remembered, but then again, Bumblebee was a very small bot to begin with. He didn’t question the extra bulk on his Sire’s frame, not when Optimus’s optics glinted, cycling in on Bumblebee fondly before turning toward the landscape.

“This is where I grew up. These forests shielded me throughout my youth.” As if sensing Optimus’s words, a technohawk flew above, cawing in victory as it flew past. Bumblebee gawked in awe, his door wings once again aflutter as he tried to ignore the strange creeping cold. It was starting to get uncomfortable.

“What did you do here? Did you play games?” Bumblebee settled on asking as Optimus picked him up and rearranged him more comfortably on the Prime’s lap. His Sire’s frame rumbled in contentment and Bumblebee couldn’t help but purr happily in response, his helm butting against Optimus’s torso since he couldn’t reach the Prime’s helm. Optimus laughed lightly, and it was one of the most comforting things Bumblebee had ever heard as it sent all worries about the chill fleeing from his mind.

“I did. I was fond of climbing the trees and playing in the solvent stream on the cycles that it was not guarded by the mechanimals of the deep wood.” His Sire’s field was gentle as it wrapped around Bumblebee, comforting and as soft as the comforter his Nurturer made for him when he was small. 

“I like collecting the rocks and chasing the glowing things.” Bumblebee exclaimed, quickly looking around and pointing toward several glowing insects fluttering merrily across the clearing, moving from flower to flower. Their wings were wide and almost crystalline, coming in every conceivable shade and hue. No two insects were the same, and they created a soft multicolored glow as the light in the sky began to fade, making way for dusk.

“Those are Polyhexian cog-moths. They only appear during a very specific time of the vorn. It is said that they symbolize good times to come.” His Sire held Bumblebee a little tighter, his digits running along his helm fondly. Bumblebee made a short chortle, a mix between a chirp and a purr without meaning to. Optimus merely smiled again, his field continuing to sink into Bumblebee’s very protoform. It chased away the cold.

“I like them. I wish I could live in this forest like you did.” Bumblebee added as he watched the moths from within his Sire’s arms. They glittered like jewels in the light of the nearest star. The forest was so very peaceful. He wanted to stay. Things would be even better if his Nurturer were there as well, hopefully with a snack and a song. He always liked it when his Sire held him and his Nurturer sang.

“It’s so calm here. Why did you leave?” His question hung in the air for a long moment, and for a brief nanoklik, Optimus’s field flared in sorrow. Concerned, Bumblebee turned away from where the moths still glowed and looked up to where the shade of the tree now darkened his Sire’s face.

“I had to grow up eventually, my little warrior. Primus had plans for me.” Optimus ran his digits between Bumblebee’s door wings comfortingly, but his smile was dimmer now. Bumblebee ran through the potential reasons why his Sire could be upset in a worried frenzy, but nothing seemed to make sense. Perhaps his Sire didn’t want Bumblebee to have to leave the forest? It was a possibility that could be probable.

“Does that mean I need to leave here too?” Again he asked a question, and once more, Optimus remained silent for a worrying length of time. Bumblebee’s spark flared in momentary fear as the cold caused his digits to twitch. Something was wrong. He couldn’t place it, but it was wrong.

“Soon, yes. But you will go somewhere better.” Optimus quickly noticed Bumblebee’s growing fear and drew him tight against his chassis. Bumblebee squeaked at the sudden movement but settled in quickly as his Sire basked him in his field with even more ferocity, once more chasing away the cold.

“There’s somewhere better? Have you ever been there?” He asked with wide worried optics. He didn’t want to leave his Sire. Was that why Optimus was so sad looking? Was it because Bumblebee had to leave?

“You have many questions today, dear one.” His Sire noted in a gentle whisper, his optics distant and his expression edging into a frown. Bumblebee deflated, his door wings falling and his helm coming to rest against his Sire’s chassis in regret. He hadn’t meant to make his Sire sad about anything.

“Sorry.” He mumbled as he felt his Sire’s powerful spark from where it was hidden behind layers and layers of armor. Sometimes Bumblebee wondered if his Sire ever took any of the armor off. It had to be heavy.

“Never apologize for curiosity. I will gladly answer your questions.” Optimus’s voice climbed a chord higher and his expression was forcefully brightened. It seemed strained, although Bumblebee was not entirely sure why he thought so. Optimus was smiling, that was a good thing right?

“I have only seen a glimpse of the place you will soon go, but I know it is sacred.” The light faded a little more as Bumblebee tilted his helm in confusion. Somewhere better than the forest that was sacred? Was he going to go to a sacred forest or something? 

“Is it a temple? Temples are pretty and the incense smells nice, but they are really boring.” Bumblebee’s face scrunched up in a frown as he recalled the last time he had to go to a temple. The service was nice enough, but there wasn’t much to do and his Nurturer constantly had to remind him to be quiet when Optimus had to get up and do whatever rite was on the agenda.

Optimus, seeing Bumblebee’s expression, laughed lightly before his gaze darkened once more.

“No, you will go to no temple. Instead you will go…” His Sire gazed out at the encroaching darkness, his optics uncertain and strange. Bumblebee felt the ghost of a memory play in his mind, a recollection of his Sire covered in energon, watching on in horror as a city burned. The memory passed as quickly as it came, and Bumblebee could only cling to his Sire in the hopes that whatever was happening wouldn’t come near him where he was safe.

“Someplace peaceful.” The Prime settled on saying, prompting Bumblebee to reach up, and with all the power in his small body, clamber his way up to touch his Sire’s face.

“Will you be coming with me?” He asked quietly, a little afraid of the answer.

“I do believe I will join you soon enough. But there are still a few loose ends that I must see to.” Optimus leaned in, the crest of his helm touching Bumblebee’s in a comforting manner. It eased his worries, but the presence of his Sire no longer fully drowned out the chill that was infecting his limbs. Distantly, Bumblebee was sure he should be afraid. However, he felt no need to react, at least not with more than the mild fear that already weighed down his spark.

Soon, he was going to go somewhere else. His Sire had told him as much. What reason would his Sire have to remain behind if the place was better than the forest? Bumblebee could only think of one possibility, and he dearly hoped that the temporary separation was the cause of his Sire’s sorrow. Distance could be rectified, Bumblebee could always stay behind if he needed to.

Although, a part of his processor not enthralled with the world around him told a different tale. The chill was spreading. He would be going somewhere, and he did not think it would be too long now.

“Oh, I get it. Nurturer would probably be worried if you didn’t bring him as well. Just don’t take too long getting him alright? I don’t want you to leave again for too long. Megatron might get you.” Ratchet always got worried when Optimus left him alone. Bumblebee didn’t want his Nurturer to be upset. It made sense that his Sire would be a little late to follow Bumblebee if he needed to get Ratchet. 

That had to be the reason he looked so sad. It made sense, and the answer resonated with his spark in a way that was momentarily unsettling.

“Ratchet will come all in good time. From what I have divined, he still has much to do on his own. But do not concern yourself with Megatron. He won’t harm me, Bumblebee.” His Sire ran his digits along the crest of Bumblebee’s helm yet again. However this time it was not quite as comforting. The world around him was still lush, but the fading light seemed to make things seem different, less… right.

Worry sat heavy in his spark chamber, and all he could do was lean ever closer to the mech who kept him steady all throughout his life, hoping that his fears were misplaced and that everything would be alright.

“He’s hurt you before.” Bumblebee found himself murmuring as memories returned to his mind. Images of a burning world, black skies, and countless unhonored and unburied dead. The lush forest broke in a mess of glitches and pixelation, revealing what his mind told him was the truth. He whimpered and clutched at his helm as the sight faded and the forest returned. He didn’t want to see. He didn’t want to believe.

“He won’t be able to any longer. A hero struck him down.” His Sire gently pulled Bumblebee’s servos away from his helm, and joy swiftly overcame everything else as the world returned to the equilibrium Bumblebee needed. There were no burning cities here. His vocalizer did not burn. Red optics did not glare down at him as he bled out on the ground. He was safe with his Sire.

“Someone actually stopped him? That’s amazing! Who was the hero?” Bumblebee exclaimed, his focus entirely on his Sire as day faded to night. The leaves of the tree glinted as the sunset painted them gold and the copper growths glinted and shone. Warm winds caressed Bumblebee’s frame, and he couldn’t help but sigh in relief as Optimus answered.

“A young warrior serving directly under me. It was our final battle against Megatron, and despite being mortally wounded, he took up my blade as Megatron tried to strike me down.” Optimus did not smile as he spoke, instead his optics glinted with unshed tears, his gaze glued on Bumblebee as he listened with rapt attention.

“And with strength far eclipsing that of any Prime, past or present, he drove my blade through Megatron’s spark chamber, ending his life and saving mine.”  Bumblebee smiled, but it was a soft thing. It felt… wrong to laugh or cheer. His Sire held him as though he were the greatest gift in the world even as he told the tale of the death of the one mech who served as Cybertron’s boogeyman. His focus was off, his attention diverted.

Optimus was grieving, although Bumblebee did not yet know what.

“That warrior, you said he was wounded…” His vocalizer rang out softly, momentarily shifting into binary tones that felt just as familiar as his usual voice. It did not unsettle him even as Optimus’s expression fell and true sorrow settled on his face. His Sire’s optics were always very expressive. Bumblebee could see clearly just how much his Primary Caretaker was hurting, and he had a feeling there was very little he could do about it.

“Is he alright now?” Bumblebee settled on asking as tears began to fall from his Sire’s optics. Optimus never cried, and in Bumblebee’s living memory, the Prime had only shed tears once over the loss of Elita-1 and the city of Rodion. All he could do was reach up and wipe his Sire’s tears away, allowing Optimus to nuzzle against his servo as he did so. 

“He will be soon. Even as we speak, he is being relieved from his suffering.” Optimus managed a grim and sad smile that left Bumblebee more concerned than ever before. This felt more and more like farewell, and while he knew deep in his spark that he would indeed have to leave soon… his Sire was reacting as if they might never meet again. That couldn’t be right. Optimus didn’t need to cry.

“That’s good. I want to meet the warrior who saved you and cut down the slagmaker himself!” Bumblebee tried to lighten the mood even as the last of the nearest star’s light faded, leaving only the glowing veins of the flora around them to light the area. Stars shone above, and faintly Bumblebee recognized several constellations he had never been able to see with his own optics due to smog and smoke. 

“Next time I will protect you Sire! Do you think I can convince the hero to teach me how to fight once he’s all better?” Bumblebee threw his arms in the air even as Optimus continued to hold him tight against him. The Prime did not smile, despite Bumblebee’s efforts to try and cheer him up in an attempt to ignore the creeping cold that now climbed his limbs.

Why was it so cold?

“Perhaps.” His Sire murmured into the night, his optics locked on the constellations above as he began to hum a soft tune. Bumblebee followed his gaze before his attention returned to the Prime. The tune was sad yet comforting, a slight trill in Optimus’s vocalizer giving away sorrow so spark deep that even a Prime could not fully suppress it.

“You seem sad Sire. Is something wrong?” Bumblebee at last found himself wondering aloud. Optimus merely shook his helm, an obvious lie.

“No, I merely missed you. The battle tired me, and your absence has hurt my spark.” Memory flashed across Bumblebee’s optics, showing his Sire reaching out to him in desperation, his optics wide and horrified. Then, as quickly as it came, it faded. Bumblebee sat still in his Sire’s arms, finally starting to sense the creeping chill for what it was.

“I am glad to be with you now, at least until you must go on your way.” Optimus’s words broke Bumblebee from his grim reverie. He reached out, grasping at his Sire’s digits until the Prime brought his servo close enough for Bumblebee to cling to. His Sire’s digits smelt like soot and plasma, just like they always had. It was a small comfort.

“I don’t want to leave you alone to be sad. Being sad and alone is terrible.” Optimus’s other servo came to support his back as Bumblebee curled up tightening against his Sire. He didn’t want to be alone in the place that he was soon to go. He wanted to stay, if only for his Caretakers. Optimus was already so sad. He didn’t want to think about how hurt Ratchet would be when Bumblebee finally left.

“Your presence lessens my sorrow, my sweet Bee. Stay with me a while, and when the dawn comes, then go on your way. I believe it will not be long until I shall soon follow.” The clearing was silent, with only the faint rustling of leaves to break the quiet of the night. Bumblebee found then that he could no longer feel the tips of his digits, nor his pedes. It was becoming harder to move, and faintly, he sensed his thoughts starting to slow.

"I'm going away for a long time aren't I?" His voice called out into the darkness, far older and far wiser than he remembered it being. Static laced his glyphs, but he knew the voice that spoke was his own. It was the voice that he would have spoken with if Megatron had not taken it from him.

"Yes." His Sire answered simply, his words coming out in a broken croak. Bumblebee understood now.

"Will Nurturer be fine?" He questioned as he gazed at the stars above, doing his best to relish in the comfort of his Sire’s touch while it lasted. He didn’t want to look at the clearing, what brief glimpse he managed showed him that his little paradise was breaking down. The forest was falling away and darkness creeping in. Only the skies remained constant.

"With time." Optimus reassured solemnly. They both knew Ratchet would suffer greatly at this loss. Bumblebee could only hope that in the end, his Nurturer would be able to move on.

"What about you?" He glanced toward his Sire, watching as the branches of the techtite tree glitched in and out of existence. It would not be long now.

"We shall meet again soon enough." A memory came to his mind yet again. Megatron stood in front of him, grinning madly as he drove a blade through Bumblebee’s spark chamber. Optimus screamed from where he struggled to his pedes. The rest of the team watched in horror as he fell. And later, as he dragged his dying frame up using what little time he was afforded by the cybermatter, they stared in awe as he dealt the finishing blow.

Faint pain emanated from his chassis as he remembered. He touched his chassis plating on instinct, feeling the remnants of the wound. Optimus was quick to press a kiss to the crest of his helm, a gentle confirmation of what he now knew to be true.

"That hero... did he fight well?" Tears fell from his optics as he sniffled, his door wings dipping down. His Sire hummed cradled him as if he were still a sparkling, the Prime’s frame serving as his final safe haven as the artificial world around him crumbled to pixels and code.

"He did. He was by far the greatest warrior I've ever had the honor to fight beside." Bumblebee managed a faint smile as Optimus’s knowing optics bore into his own. Bumblebee had fought well. He had done good.

“Could you sing me a song?” He made his final request as the chill crept ever closer to where his spark fluttered, weakening even as he felt no pain. He didn’t want things to end like this, but…

At least there was a goodbye.

“Gladly.” Optimus rocked him gently, the Prime’s voice calming like a brook on a sunny cycle. Bumblebee didn’t want to leave, but he allowed himself to smile as his spark flared in affection and love, both his Caretakers reaching out to calm him. Within a klik, a song played in the darkness, the voice of his Sire ringing out clearly. Ratchet’s voice joined the chorus before long, and with what time remained, Bumblebee felt both his Sire and his Nurturer pressed against him, their arms wrapping around his small frame with all the love in the world.

Their adoring song followed him as the chill took its toll and darkness fully claimed him.

━━━━━━

“Sir, it’s time to begin disengaging.” Arcee alerted in the relative silence of the Nemesis’s medical bay. Ratchet wanted to hiss as he frantically continued running through programs, algorithms, and life support systems in an attempt to keep his sparkling alive for a klik longer.

“His processor activity is halting. It won’t be long now.” Ultra Magnus remarked calmly as he looked over Ratchet’s shoulder at the readings. Ratchet snarled and swatted at the commander before he acknowledged the beeping of Bumblebee’s life support, a warning of what was to come.

“No! There must be more time! This can’t be it! I just need more time and I can-!” Ratchet flew toward the console, pulling at wires and desperately trying to work through tears. There wasn’t enough power, and Bumblebee was too weak to survive being put into stasis. He needed Cybertronian medicine, he needed his students and an immediate spark transfer or else-

“That’s enough. Let his last memory not be of fear.” Optimus shattered any illusion Ratchet had of completing his task successfully as the Prime’s voice cut through all else. Optimus turned from where he sat at the edge of Bumblebee’s berth, his processor connected to their sparkling’s. The Prime did not look up, the vacancy in his gaze far more telling than any words could hope to be.

The wounds were too much. The cybermatter had been a temporary fix, a bandage over a stab wound. Bumblebee’s spark chamber was irreparably damaged, at least with their current materials. He was only hanging on by a thread, and despite Ratchet’s best efforts, it had reached the point where there was little he could do but try to keep Bumblebee calm. The team all knew that this was the end for him. It was the only reason Optimus had been allowed to perform a psychic patch in the first place.

“Optimus, do you want us to leave?” Bulkhead placed a servo on the Prime’s shoulder. Ratchet felt his servos shake as Optimus nodded once, his gaze never leaving Bumblebee’s prone frame. The team were quick to comply with Optimus’s wish, each of them filing out of the room quietly. Smokescreen lingered a moment, but he too turned and left after sensing the tension in the air.

Only once all was silent, did Optimus speak.

“He has asked for a song.” Ratchet felt his spark break as his Conjunx looked up for the first time, a few silent tears falling from his optics as he held out another connector. Ratchet bit back a sob as he stepped forward and accepted the connector, staring at it through vision blurred with tears.

“Come, sing with me. He deserves to have us both by his side.” Optimus grasped his servo, squeezing it gently. Ratchet could sense how his Conjunx’s servos shook minutely too. This was it, their last goodbye to their precious sparkling. 

Ratchet reset his vocalizer once and then interested the connector into the port at the back of his helm, lifting the protective plating to reveal it. He did not move as his vision changed and the world fell away. He could still feel his frame distantly, but he did not hesitate to join Optimus within the flickering memory of the forest of Helex and settle down to cradle their little one a final time.

Bumblebee’s form flickered along with the memory, his consciousness fading fast. However as Ratchet wrapped his arms around both his Conjunx and sparkling, he put all his spark into singing their song. Optimus’s deep rumbling voice joined Ratchet’s similarly gruff one in a strange symphony that lasted until Bumblebee smiled and the program collapsed.

Ratchet was thrust back into his frame harshly, and all he could do was gasp in agony as his mind reeled from the rejection. Bumblebee’s life support screeched, its systems blaring before it fell silent. A nanoklik later, Bumblebee’s exposed spark flared once more and then puttered out, his frame succumbing to the wounds afflicting it. 

“I’m so sorry Bumblebee. I’m sorry I couldn’t fix this.” Ratchet reached out, pressing the crest of his helm to Bumblebee’s lifeless frame as tears blurred his vision. He choked, an ugly sob building in his throat as he ran his digits along the grooves of his precious sparkling’s face. The face he would never again see light up in joy.

“Primus has called him home… and I do not believe he will be alone for long.” Optimus placed a servo on his shoulder, pulling Ratchet’s attention away as he straightened. His spark burned with the loss of their sparkling, and it only hurt more as he registered both the words and the fact that Optimus was walking away.

“Optimus? What are you-?” Ratchet called out in bewilderment as the Prime halted in the doorway, his expression stone cold.

“There is work to be done. He must be laid to rest, and soon the Allspark must be recovered.” Ratchet was never a mech to be angry at Optimus for long, but with his spark feeling as though it were torn asunder, rage pooled where the mark of their sparkling had once lain. Their sparkling was dead and Optimus was already off to war. They won at the cost of their most precious gift. Did he have no sympathy? No love?

“Can’t you take a moment to feel! Our sparkling is DEAD and you are already discussing our next course of action?!” Ratchet burst out, his field flaring in distress and rage. So many vorns fighting, so many lost lives. Yet still Optimus marched ever on with the same brutal outward apathy he regarded all losses with. Could he not spare a mere moment to grieve?

“Our battle has not yet ended. Hate me if you must, but until the cycle my frame is returned to the ground of our homeworld, I must continue on.” The Prime replied after a moment’s hesitation, his optics flashing as though he were viewing something far off. Frag the Matrix and its visions. Ratchet wished he could tear the accursed relic out of Conjunx’s chassis if only so that Optimus would take the time to grieve like the rest of them.

“Grieve as you will. I must speak to Wheeljack.” Without another word, Optimus turned and left, his usually open bond to Ratchet shut down tight. The door closed behind him, and all Ratchet could do was turn and lean over Bumblebee’s frame, clutching the edge of the medical berth as he was left totally and completely alone. 

There was no comfort to be found amongst the dead. But Ratchet did not move as he again reached out to run his digits along the already graying crest of Bumblebee’s helm.

“Forgive me Bumblebee…”

[legionofpotatoes]

All other criticisms of modern Star Wars aside, the thing that gets me the most is how every single story is being written to fit into some Avengers-level grand finale that just isn't laying a solid enough foundation to make it worth the wait. Regardless of whether the individual stories are good or bad, what makes them fall so short, imo, is that there's usually no real payoff within their own runtimes (unless you count cheap callbacks or loose promises of More, which you shouldn't)

Like, I already knew halfway through Ahsoka that we were in for a cliffhanger and it's just like...alright, guess we'll see how this ends in about 5 years? Even Mando, which had a great first season and was poised to stand on its own two feet and ride off on a rootin' tootin' bounty huntin' adventure, has ultimately become yet another dusty path on the road to the current Big Plot with an indeterminate due date. That's not deliciously addictive media, it's a dry-ass carrot on a spindly little stick, lol

Of course, this is a problem that many franchises are happily getting cozy with lately because everybody wants to have their own Infinity War / Endgame moment, but I guess it seems a bit more egregious with Star Wars because, ironically, it used to work best because it had less overall focus. Like, sure, we had concurrent movies, animated series, and games, but they were always happy to do their own things and tell their own stories with definitive conclusions. Now it all has to funnel into the Big New Plot and, man, I honestly just can't bring myself to care when it feels like an endless waiting game

I definitely need to get around to watching Visions at some point because, every time it pops up, it sounds like the lifeblood that Star Wars sorely needs atm

Yeah the setup-and-payoff a-to-b type dramatic clarity that seemed so entrenched into the very bones of cinematic grammar - up to around the emergence of streaming, wink wink nudge nudge - is sorely missed in star wars atm. sure maybe downsized writers rooms fidgeting with limited series formats instead of doing actual seasonal TV has something to do with it, but even that is probably such a small piece of the larger issue that spins all this longform storytelling bullshit ferry wheel around.

Another part is certainly chasing the MCU business model of it all like you said. Carrot on a stick is verbatim how I've often described these things myself, the endless promise of another promise of another promise instead of forming a complete thought with a beginning and an end. servicing the plot before story at all costs. another part still is reverence towards the aesthetic trappings of the source material instead of its themes, trying to nail the exact texture of tatooine's huts and dial in the perfect balance of lightsaber choreography and pay homage to a thousand iconic shots before articulating something true in the text.

And like it's an endless laundry list, this confluence of capital-I Issues both industry-scale and creatively-driven that seem to be flaying the skin off the bones of whatever star wars even "is" nowadays. no one can answer that in the context of billions of dollars made off toys and storylines centering around this one moment in fictional history about sons and fathers and empires and rebellions. so they just keep twisting in the wind filling in any gaps within that period. I don't know nonnie, it's all so bleak. ahsoka and obi wan and even mando tbh. as charming as season 1 was, it truly felt like it coasted on its incredible restraint to avoid muddying its aesthetic with cameos, and lucked into effective storytelling as a result of that utterly unintentional alchemy. that's obviously well and truly gone now as its true optics have reared head.

what star wars is by itself is such a pointless discussion, right? andor argues it's a perfectly functional heightened universe that can support incredibly nuanced and dramatically charged stories of grassroots rebellion and the bureaucratic strain of fascist regimes. visions argues it's a world beholden to the force, an endlessly mutable and elegant metaphor that can support infinite monomyths and fairy tales. both are equally fantastic at executing on their takes, despite being in diametrically opposite extremes of interpreting the source. so it's not really about that at all, why the other stuff sucks this bad.

they're just bad at the craft of it, that's really it. whether it's auteur worship or business decisions rotting that fish down, it still rots all the same. maybe the new writers' guild contracts can shift the winds a little, because I was so securely done with star wars and then the aforementioned 2 shows came and affected me. so, so profoundly that I'm back on the hook again. like a lil sucker!

[leefl00f]

Gentle claws surprisingly go well with Dronelings 

By Leefloof and SisterPaw125

Summary: The Doormans decide to go to the biannual tournament as an early birthday gift for Uzi, only for things to take a drastic turn.

ft. Nori, Uzi, Khan, N, J, V, Worker Staff

Note: Inspired by RainStormRiddle's "Arena of Death," this fic includes slight changes and there may be some inaccuracies compared to the original. Also if you find this RainStormRiddles, please ignore my cringe fic/j, this fic is just a silly what-if made for fun. (٭°̧̧̧꒳°̧̧̧٭) (Uzi is also 6-7 years old here bc I said so)

Enjoy! ✩°｡⋆⸜(˙꒳​˙ )

Warning(s): None, this is a sfw tickle fic, don’t like keep scrolling 

DNI N$FW/F3T!$H accounts!!! 🚫🔫

Words: 6,391

⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆ ⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆ ⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆

It was an ordinary day on Copper-9. The Doorman family was currently waiting in line for the arena. The arena was a popular form of entertainment among workers and it wasn't uncommon to wait in line for hours. 

Nori was holding Uzi as the droneling had fallen asleep over time, clutching her favorite stuffed cow tightly. Nori looked up to see the enormous stadium in front of her as they moved forward to the booth.

"Khan, I’m starting to have second thoughts. Are you sure Uzi’s old enough to watch the arena games? They can be a bit...scary for dronelings her age," Nori hesitated, adjusting her arms to ensure Uzi didn't slip out of her grasp.

"I'm sure she can handle a few bloody fights. Besides, my father took me to these fights when I was her age. She'll be fine, I promise. Three tickets, please."

Eventually, the Doormans made their way to their sitting area for the fight. Thanks to Khan being an important figure, they had the best seats in the whole arena, first row. Nori placed Uzi in her own seat as the couple sat side by side. The adult gently shook the droneling awake in time for the event to begin.

“Uzi, rise and shine my little bat.” Nori whispered gently 

The droneling let out a small yawn as she began to stir from her sleep. She rubbed the sleepiness out of her optics as she opened them. Once she was fully awake, Uzi's eyes widened as she realized where she was. The child looked around to see the arena packed to the brim with workers, the center of the stadium filled with sand, and lights shining brightly from the dome above.

Uzi immediately leaned against the edge of the safety walls, clutching her plushie, as she looked around in awe. She had heard many things about this place from her peers at school, about how violent the fights were. From the way it was described, she knew that her parents would never allow her to watch something like that. But here they were, she never thought that she would be watching the games in the arena before.

“Wow! Are we actually in the arena?!” Uzi asked excitedly, turning her head to look at her parents.

“Of course, Uzi. We figured you’d be old enough to watch these matches!” Khan chuckled.

“So consider this an early birthday gift.”

“Thanks, Dad!” Uzi beamed as she turned her head back to the center of the arena.

As the child continued to look around, one of the nearby speakers came to life, static spewing out as it turned on. Startled, the little drone turned her head towards the sound in surprise.

“Ladies and gentlemen, workers of all ages! Welcome to the biannual Champion Tournament!” The voice blurted out 

The crowd wildly cheers, yelling and screaming with joyful excitement. Confused, Uzi turned towards her mother hoping she knew what was going on. 

“Mom? Who was that?” Uzi asked 

“That’s the announcer. He and his other friends are supposed to tell us what’s going to happen next.” Nori explained

“Now, you all know it wouldn’t be a proper championship without our warriors for the warmup! Who’s ready to see some action?!”

The crowd cheers as two gladiators step into the ring, ready to begin the match. One of the warriors had two long ponytails, and the other had short, puffy hair. They both take their stance, waiting patiently for the signal. Suddenly, a loud horn is blown, and the gladiators began to exchange blows.

The crowd erupts in excitement, cheering for their chosen player to emerge victorious. Uzi jumps up and down, trying to get a better view of the fight. However, by the time Uzi manages to prop herself up on the safety barrier, the match is already over, with the victor raising their opponent's tag.

Realizing that she has missed the match, Uzi sadly slumps on the ledge. 

"Aw man, I missed it," Uzi groans.

Nori places a reassuring hand on the droneling's head, ruffling her purple hair in the process. She understands how much Uzi wanted to see the action, it wasn't easy being the smallest drone at her age.

"Don't worry, my little bat. You'll get your chance. Besides, there are many matches to go before the special round," Nori says, offering comfort.

"Special round?" Uzi repeats, tilting her head slightly.

"That's where the ravenous disassembly drones are pitted against each other. You'll definitely enjoy that part," Khan says with a smile.

As the gladiators leave, a new pair emerges, and the speaker turns on again.

"Round two! Start!"

The pair fought and soon enough another winner was determined as the crowd cheered for them. This went on for a while. A pair of gladiators emerged and fought, with one ending up as the winner. Uzi started to get a bit bored; this wasn't as exciting as she thought it would be. Her parents, on the other hand, kept getting more and more excited as the match went on.

Eventually, the final round began and everyone was practically on the edge of their seats. Uzi slowly tuned out the cheering as she began playing with her toy, her focus shifting from the final match to the animal.

The final match seemed pretty intense compared to the previous one. The crowd died down quite a bit, with everyone holding their breath in anticipation. Then the fight ended, and the crowd went wild. Especially Nori, who jumped out of her seat.

“Wooo! Yeah! That’s what I’m talking about! Let’s go!!” Nori cheered as she shot her arms up in the air.

Not expecting the sudden action, Uzi jumped as she lost her grip on the cow plushie, causing it to fly in the air.

The stuffed animal immediately fell back down as soon as it had been thrown up. Uzi panicked as she rushed to catch it, only for the toy to land on the soft sand of the arena with a squeak. Unfortunately, no one had noticed the toy as the chosen warrior was being escorted to the waiting area, preparing for the murder drone match-up.

"Oh no! Daisy!" Uzi exclaimed.

She leaned over to see where her precious toy was before quickly making a run out of their seating area, unbeknownst to Nori and Khan.

Thanks to her small size, Uzi easily sneaked through the crowd unnoticed. Once she reached the lobby, she frantically looked around for a sign. Luckily, she spotted the one she was looking for: 'Arena Grounds'.

After a bit of following, she reached the 'Employees only' area. However, as luck would have it, the door leading to the arena was locked. Uzi was about to give up when she heard footsteps approaching. She quickly hid behind a nearby chair and watched the scene unfold.

"I hope those murder drones behave this time," one of the staff members sighed.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want another worker to lose an arm or worse," another said as they unlocked the door with their keycard.

As the workers entered, one turned to their colleague with concern. "Are you sure pitching N and J together is a good idea? I heard N and V are a thing now."

"He's been doing well so far. Sure, he and V have been collecting metal pieces and surrounding themselves with it, but they wouldn't risk punishment."

"Yeah, You're right. Not like last time."

The workers passed by a droneling in hiding and went their separate ways. Just as the door was about to close, Uzi quickly dashed into the room.

-Back in the audience section-

Everyone was eagerly awaiting the big event after the staff had prepared the arena grounds for the disassembly drones. Khan and Nori watched with excitement as they began munching on a bag of nuts and bolts they bought earlier.

"So, Mrs. Psychic, who do you think will win this time?" Khan asked, leaning in beside Nori, eagerly awaiting her answer.

"I'm putting my money on N."

"Are you kidding? N never wins a round. I'm sure one of the girls will beat him, as usual," Nori deadpanned, giving her husband a knowing look.

"Come on, honey, at least give the poor guy a chance."

"Every time I thought he would win, the opposite happens. Besides, we're not betting on anything! We're only here because we wanted to show Uzi the Murder Drones for the first time."

Just as Nori mentioned them, the lights in the arena dimmed and the overhead lights illuminated the center. The show was about to begin. Nori turned her attention back to the arena as the speakers came to life once again.

"Attention, audience! The moment you've all been waiting for is about to start in three minutes. Please remove any items on the edge. The safety field will now be activated."

Just as the announcement was made, a blue light began to flicker and cover the center of the dome.

“Today, we are going to pit J and N against each other. After that, we'll see who comes out on top: Worker or Disassembly Drone?”

Nori grinned and practically jumped in her seat with excitement.

“It's finally happening! Aren't you excited, my little bat?” Nori asked.

No response, had she fallen asleep again?

“Uzi? Machine gun?” Nori turned her head towards Uzi's seat to wake her daughter up, only to find it empty.

“Uzi?” Nori looked under the seat to see if the droneling had hidden there, but there was no sign of her.

“Little Bat?! Sweetie?!” Nori's voice now held more panic.

She started to panic. Where was Uzi? When had she left? How had they not noticed? As she frantically searched for Uzi, Khan noticed his wife's distress.

“Nori? Is everything alright?”

"Not really! Have you seen Uzi?" Nori replied as she continued looking for their daughter.

Khan's core dropped as he heard that question.

"She's not next to you?!"

"No! Khan, where did she go?!"

As the parents panicked, a staff member took notice of their distress.

"Excuse me, is everything okay here?" the worker asked.

Both parents turned their heads towards them with saddened and panicked faces.

"No!" Nori whimpered.

"Our daughter is missing! We can't find her!" Khan explained as he tried to calm his wife down.

Now understanding the situation, the staff member nodded before taking out their walkie-talkie. It would give the stadium a bad name if the wealthiest patrons were to sue over their missing kid.

"Can you give me a description of what she looks like so we know what we're looking for?"

Nori was the first to speak.

"Um, she has short black overalls with brown boots. Oh! And she has a pink toy cow with her at all times, you can't miss it!"

The worker nodded again before putting the device over their mouth to inform the others that they had a situation.

"Alright, guys, I have a Code Yellow here. Wandering child, black overalls with a pink toy cow," the worker radioed.

There was a brief silence before the radio buzzed back to life. "Copy that," came the response.

The worker finished speaking and glanced over at the parents, offering them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Doorman, she'll be in good hands," the worker reassured them.

The parents returned a smile of their own as the staff member turned and left. Nori slumped back in her seat, resting her head in the palms of her hands, feeling ashamed that they had lost their daughter. Khan continued to comfort her as they silently hoped that Uzi was somewhere safe.

Suddenly, the sound of chains could be heard as the cage bars were lifted. Two Disassembly Drones appeared out of nowhere, quick and precise. They flew around the arena for a moment before landing on opposite ends in their fighting positions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, workers and dronelings alike, please give our two murder bots a big round of applause!"

The crowd goes wild at the sight of the disassembly drones. N flinches at the sudden loud sounds surrounding him, J only scoffs at the crowd before shifting her focus onto her squad mate. Her pupils replaced with an X, as N did the same.

There is a moment of silence before the female takes the opportunity to strike first, lunging at N and aiming her claws at his head. Fortunately, he is able to block the blow in time with his arm, yelping in pain before retaliating with a claw attack of his own. J quickly moves out of the way and pushes the male away from her. She unfurls her wings and boosts herself up into the air, with N following suit.

As the two circled each other in the air, the Doormans grew increasingly worried. It had been fifteen minutes since the staff had formed a search party, and there was still no sign of their daughter, Uzi. Despite their desire to continue watching the match, their processors were more concerned about their missing child.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the same staff member they had met before returned. Khan approached them, hoping for any sign of their Uzi, but the worker's expression told a different story.

"Well? Have you found her yet?" Khan asked, his voice trembling.

"Please tell us you have," Nori added, looking up with hopeful optics.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Doorman, but we searched everywhere and found no sign of her," the worker replied.

Nori looked down, panic setting in. "What?! No, no, no! This can't be happening! Oh, Robo-God, I'm a terrible mom!" she wailed.

Khan gently took hold of one of Nori's hands as he began to stroke it softly. With his other hand, he gently tilted Nori's head to face him. Digital tears started to stream down her face as she sniffled.

"Hey, look at me. It's going to be okay. We just need to stay calm or else we'll only make things harder," Khan reassured her.

"Maybe she just fell asleep in a corner somewhere. You know how small she is. I'm sure she's somewhere safe and sound-"

"Hey, isn't that a kid?!"

The entire arena turned to look, and to their surprise, they saw a tiny droneling quickly walking alongside the wall. Nori and Khan's cores sank as they realized it was Uzi in the arena.

Nori swiftly dashed towards the edge and leaned over to get a better view. Uzi was walking towards her plushie, completely unaware of the danger she was in. Nori waved her hands frantically, trying to get Uzi's attention.

"Uzi! Get out of there now!" Nori shouted at the girl.

"That kid's going to get herself killed!"

"Hey! You're not supposed to be in there!"

"Quick! Someone call the trainers!"

But no matter how loudly they shouted, Uzi couldn't hear them. The disassemblers quickly realized that something was wrong as they heard the panicked crowd.

N turned his head to see what the commotion was all about, only to find a small worker in the ring. That was strange, as they usually set the match after defeating their opponent. Curiosity got the best of him, and he dove towards the worker to get a better look.

Uzi walked over to where her plushie was and picked it up, brushing off the bits of sand that covered it. She hugged it tightly, causing the toy to squeak.

"You're safe now, Daisy. I'll never treat you like that again," Uzi said with a smile as she hugged the plushie.

As Uzi turned around to leave, something suddenly landed in front of her, kicking up some dust. Uzi coughed and tried to fan the dust away. Once it settled, she noticed a pair of legs in front of her. Slowly, she looked up, examining the body until her gaze reached the figure's face, only to see a big glowing X. It was clear that this was not a worker.

The youngling let out a yelp of surprise and took a step back, only to trip and fall onto her back. Uzi stared at the creature with hollowed eyes filled with fear.

She had only heard about the murder drones in school. They were taught that these creatures would often brutally kill workers to obtain oil for survival or simply for their own amusement. Her classmates were terrified of them, but she had always been fascinated by murder drones. She never expected to encounter one up close like this.

However, this was indeed a murder drone, and murder drones killed workers for food. So the only thing on her mind right now was how she was going to die.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the murder drone approached closer. She sniffled, then closed her eyes tightly and clutched her plushie, preparing for the worst.

The creature growled before leaning its head closer to the girl, sniffing her hair. It let out a chuff before leaning back upright. The girl opened her eyes and looked up at it. The X on its visor was replaced with two yellow pupils as the male looked at her with curiosity instead of murder.

Slowly, it reached out to touch her with one of its claws, causing her to flinch. However, as soon as the tips made contact with Uzi's cheek, the claw retracted and was replaced with a gentle hand. It stroked its thumb across her cheek gently, as if trying to examine her.

Uzi calmed down as the disassembly drone continued its strange behavior, but the peaceful moment was interrupted by the crowd's screams of horror as they tried to get the drone's attention away from the girl. Khan just stared, unsure of what to do. But before he could act, Nori climbed over the fence.

"Uzi! Get away from her, you—! Hey! Khan, what are you doing?! Let go of me!" Nori shouted as Khan and a couple of others dragged her away from the railing.

"Nori! Stop! Please! We can't do anything! The safety field—" Khan was interrupted as his wife whipped her head around to glare at him.

"That's our kid, Khan! If you think I'm just gonna sit there and do nothing, you have another thing—" Nori was cut off by an ear-piercing shriek.

She turned her head towards the source, only to be met with a grey blur flying back up towards the other disassembly drone. Her optics hollowed as one of the cameras focused on the male figure, revealing Uzi in his arms.

"Uzi!!" Nori shouted.

The bastard had used the time they were distracted to get Uzi. Nori couldn’t do anything but shout out in distress as N carries the droneling away. Nori tried everything in her power to get free from the workers, but they held her firmly.

-Meanwhile…-

Uzi curled herself into a tiny ball, attempting to make herself as small as possible. She was still frightened, although not as much as before. The Disassembly drone was surprisingly kind, soft, and warm, which for some strange reason, made her feel safe.

Before long, they arrived to the other murder drone, who happened to be female. The male disassembly drone began making various chirping and trilling noises, and the female drone followed suit. This continued for quite some time, almost as if they were engaged in a conversation of sorts.

"Look, J! I found a worker!" N beamed as he held out the droneling for her to see.

"They're a bit small though..."

J gave a low hum, bending down to look at her from head to toe before leaning back upright with her hands on her hips.

"Hmm, seems like it's a droneling. And it looks like the area's getting more brutal then. Eat her," J flatly stated as her gaze went back to N.

N gave a surprised look at his squad mate. He held the small worker to his chest again, as if protecting her.

"What! Are you crazy?! It’s a baby!" N exclaimed.

"Why else would they put her in here? Besides, it'll show the crowd that we're as heartless as they think we are," J stated as she grinned maliciously.

"Eat her, N. That's an order.”

N looks at J with disbelief. Can she really be serious? N looks down at the droneling. It's so tiny. This must be a mistake, but he can't defy his boss's orders. N notices how much the little droneling is shivering, and it twisted his core in agony. He could never bring himself to harm something so young and small.

“Alright J, sorry little buddy.” N gave a pained expression as his pupils were replaced with the same terrifying X as before.

Uzi looked up at the disassembly drone, her optics hollowed. She now saw that his visor had transformed back into the terrifying X, his mouth was now agape, revealing rows of dangerously sharp teeth.

She immediately began to struggle, twisting and turning in an attempt to break free. However, when she glanced down at the ground, it became clear that struggling was futile. The droneling was positioned too high, and any wrong move could result in her death. She turned her attention back to N, who was now dangerously close, and watched as he lunged his head towards the crook of her neck.

Uzi let out a horrified, high-pitched scream as the disassembly drone made contact. The crowd gasped in shock. They knew murder drones were cruel, but this was monstrous. Nori stopped struggling when she heard Uzi's scream. She looked up to see the creature had bitten her.

Both parents' hearts shattered, especially Nori's, as she roared in grief and anger. Overwhelmed with sorrow, she struggled even more, shaking the group around like ragdolls. But just as she was about to break free, she heard a sound she never expected to hear again in a million years: Uzi's giggle.

"Ehehehehehe! Hehehey, that tickles!" the girl giggled.

The disassembly drone ignored her and continued to move towards her face, nuzzling every reachable inch, causing her to squeal.

"Eheheheek! Nohohoho!"

The droneling squirmed in the creature's grasp, even pushing its face away in an attempt to escape the disassembly drone's affection.

"Aw, aren't you just the cutest thing? I might just eat you up!" N cooed as he moved down to Uzi's tummy and playfully pretended to 'munch' on it. Uzi's giggles turned into louder screams.

The crowd, especially J, looked bewildered by the sudden change in events. J snapped out of it and gave N a stern look. She flew closer to the two, causing him to stop his ticklish assault on the child.

"N! What on Copper-9 do you think you're doing?! You're supposed to be eating her, not playing!"

"Sorry, boss. I don't know what happened! I guess my parental instincts took over?"

N hung his head in shame, looking down at the ground. J huffed and snatched Uzi away from the male disassembly drone, surprising him and bringing him back to his senses.

"We still have a job to do, N! And this is free food we're talking about. If you're not going to take the chance, I will!" J stated angrily, positioning Uzi to bite her.

"Ugh, why am I always the one who has to do everything myself?"

J glared at him before turning her attention back to the droneling. N was right about one thing - she was small for her age, but that wasn't going to stop J from eating her. The female droneling displayed an X on her visor, signaling her impending demise. J succeeded as Uzi gasped in fear, trying to make herself as small as possible. Then J lunged at the same area N had targeted.

 N was about to reach out to stop J from harming the girl, but to his surprise, Uzi started giggling again.

"Eheheheh!!! Stohohop!!" 

But J didn't stop; she nuzzled and kissed the droneling affectionately wherever she could reach, causing the droneling to lightly kick her legs. After some time, J suddenly stopped tickling the girl as she went limp in her arms.

"What just happened? What did this child do?" J asked herself and looked towards N.

"I told you! It's like she hypnotized us!"

J huffed out of frustration as she realized what this meant - they had accepted the droneling into their squad as their own. It made sense, considering it was almost mating season for them and, after finding their mate, they would seek out a shell for their new baby. Since there were no baby shells available, they had chosen option two: adoption.

"What do we do now?" N asked, tilting his head at J.

"I don't care. You can keep her though," J said, throwing Uzi back to N.

"Wait, really? Thank you, J! Come on, little buddy, let me show you to V!" N smiled as he flew back towards the cage, with J following suit, knowing that she'll have to deal with a very confused and possibly angry V.

Meanwhile, the crowd died down as the two flew back into their respective cages. Nori was the first to snap back out of it as she broke free from the other workers' hold. She and Khan turned to face the employee, who flinched at the sudden movement. They couldn't blame the two for their reaction either; it wasn't every day that a disassembly drone takes off with your kid and decides not to kill them.

Nori grabbed the staff member by the collar and violently shook them, yelling, "What. Was. That?!! Where are they taking my baby?! What are they going to do to her?!! Why didn't the Disassembly Drones kill her?! Aren't they monsters?!!"

Nori was about to spew out more questions before Khan reached out to firmly but gently grabbed her shoulder.

"Nori, calm down! You're going to hurt them at this point!" Khan pleaded

Nori lets the poor worker go as they tried to recollect themselves. Once they did, they straighten themselves up to look at the couple. 

“Phew, I think I know why and where they took your child.” 

Nori and Khan perked up as they looked at the worker. They turned around and started to walk towards the staff only door. 

“Follow me.”

-Meanwhile in the cages…-

 N had arrived at the cages, where all the DDs that the arena had were kept. Each cage housed a squad of drones to prevent them from feeling lonely. However, there were exceptions to this, such as mates and rivals.

On the left side of the room, V could be seen cleaning herself inside a cage. She appeared rather bored. N quickly flown over and entered the cage.

"V! You won't believe what happened!" N exclaimed happily as he landed near his mate.

V looked up from her work, wearing a lazy smile. "Did ya finally manage to beat J in a fight?"

"Well, about that—" Before N had a chance to explain, J interrupted as she nudged N to make some space for herself in the cage.

"No, he didn't. However, there was an incident. A droneling managed to get inside the ring."

V became interested at the news, her bored expression turning into one of malice as her sharp fangs became visible. She sat up to listen attentively.

"Oh? Did ya put the brat out of its misery? Tear it apart in front of the crowd?"

"Worse..."

N proudly showed Uzi to V, just as he had done with J.

"She's been accepted into the squad!" N exclaimed victoriously.

V's eyes widened as she jumped to her feet. Of all the things that could have happened today, this was not on V's list. 

“What?!” V exclaimed 

"Here! Hold her for a bit too!"

N quickly plopped the droneling into V's arms, snapping her out of the initial shock.

"A kid?! N, what were you thinking?! J, Why didn't you stop him?!" V angrily asked as she glares at their leader, who only shrugged her shoulders.

She crossed her arms before looking away, a faint yellow blush of embarrassment visible in the corner of her visor.

"I...don't know, to be honest. That thing has a weird charm."

"Not you too, J," V whined.

"Guess I'll have to take care of this tiny pathetic excuse of a worker myself. More snacks for me!"

She lowered her head to look at the child, hissing and baring her fangs at the droneling. However, the droneling did not react. When you've had at least two disassembly drones trying to eat you, you kinda get used to it. V looked at Uzi in surprise before baring her fangs again, attempting to elicit a flinch from her. But once again, she didn't flinch. If anything, it only fascinated her more.

“Ugh, screw it! I’m eating this kid!”

V opens her mouth in preparation of eating the droneling. After doing a quick calculation, V strikes the droneling on the stomach. Uzi instantly shrieks with laughter.

"Ahahahahahahah! Nohot again!! Hahahahaha! Plehehease!!"

The child laughs gleefully as V kisses and munches all over the her belly. V abruptly stops and stares at the droneling, like she just got out of a trance. 

J walks near V with a smug grin.

“I thought you were gonna eat her.” J teased earning a small punch in the arm

"S-Shut it..” V grumbled 

"So, does that mean we can keep her?" N eagerly asks V, waiting for her response.

V hesitates before silently nodding her head in agreement. N excitedly grabs both the female disassembly drone and Uzi, twirling them around and earning a squeal from the little one.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you V! We can finally raise a family!" N exclaims as he nuzzles his mate.

V looks down at the droneling, who looks back up at her. She thinks about N's words and realizes that they had given up on ever having a child. The thought that this small, purple worker could be theirs feels like a dream, a weird one, but one she doesn't mind.

"Yeah, I guess," V smiles warmly as she hugs the droneling alongside N.

J rolls her eyes and walks to her usual corner, not wanting to witness the sight.

"Gross."

The moment was cut short as N and V perked up at a sound outside of the enclosure. Knowing who it was, N quickly placed Uzi under his wing while V went back to cleaning her claws, acting as if nothing had happened before the door opened up.

"This way. Please keep in mind not to touch any of the cages," the staff member instructed as they entered alongside the two parents. Nori and Khan looked around themselves. The thought of giant cages filled with deadly Disassembly Drones alone would give a worker a heart attack, but to see them raise their heads and look at you with hungry eyes was a terrifying experience.

Khan shuddered as he treaded closely to the group. Eventually, they made it to one of the cages, which seemed to be empty. Nori leaned forward to see if she could spot any of the disassembly drones that took her baby, only for the employee to block her with their hand.

“Don’t lean too close, miss. That’s how other workers get eaten,” the employee warned. “They could be at the back. They love dark places, especially when they sleep.”

The employee grabbed a long stick before dragging the metal tip over the bars

"Come on! Rise and shine, you three!"

The group hears a groan as they notice movement in the shadows. Soon, they see three Disassembly Drones approaching them, all lining up near the bars of their cage.

"Alright, guys, no more playing around. Where's the droneling you took?"

The trio looks at the worker before quickly turning their heads away, doing a pretty horrible job of pretending to be clueless.

"Guys, this isn't funny anymore. Give her back now."

They tilt their heads at the worker, still trying to act clueless. Suddenly, N's wing twitches a bit, then it twitches some more. That was strange. The employee focuses on the male worker's wings before realizing they were a bit misshapen. There is only one explanation as to why they were  shaped like that.

"Designation N."

N jolts a bit as he looks over.

"What do you have there?" the staff points to his wing, where a big bulge can be seen, shaking a bit.

N looks at it, then back at the worker. N looks around nervously, pretending he didn't see it.

"Serial Designation N, let the child go. Now."

N stares at the worker, and the worker stares back at him. Neither of them move. As if they were engaged in a silent battle. Eventually, N looks away, turns around, walks over to his corner, and takes Uzi out of his wings. He hugs her tightly as he sits down with his back to the employee.

"Hey! You better give that droneling back right now!" the staff fumes, only for N's tail to wag angrily at him.

"Don't make me use the shock collar!"

N growls at them, his grip on the droneling becoming tighter yet still gentle on the child. Uzi looks at her "captor" before turning her head to look at her parents.

"Hey N? Can you let me go, please? I wanna go back to Mom and Dad," Uzi asks softly, tugging at N's sleeve.

N looks down at the child with disbelief. She wants to go back to her mom and dad? Why? Didn't they leave her for dead? Why would she want to go back to those horrible drones? Besides, she has a new family now, with Mama V, Papa N, and Auntie J, of course. They finally have the child they so desperately wanted, and he won't let anyone take her away so easily.

N looks over to where the group of workers was. He tries to glare at them, but his eyes widen at what he sees. He doesn't see horrible monsters that left their offspring to die. No, he sees a mother and a father with worried expressions.

N looks back at Uzi, chittering softly before biting the back straps of her overalls and carrying her near the bars. V snarls at him, as if telling him to stop, but he communicates with her, making his mate look at the ground. They both made their way towards the bars before N lets Uzi go.

The moment she is let down, Nori immediately wraps her arms around her daughter.

“Oh my baby! You’re okay!” Nori rejoices in relief.

"Don't you ever do that again, Uzi! We thought we'd never see you again!" Khan says as he joins in on the hug.

Uzi hugs her parents back tightly as they kiss and cradle her like she'll disappear the moment they let her go.

“Now please tell me, machine gun, what possessed you to do such a thing?" Nori asks tiredly.

"Daisy fell into the arena and I couldn't leave her behind! I'm sorry," Uzi explained as she lowered her head in shame.

"I know you wanted to save her, but what you did wasn't a very responsible thing. Next time you lose your toy, let us or another adult know. Okay?" Khan smiled as he put a hand on Uzi's shoulder gently. 

"Okay, Dad!"

The employee sighed a breath of relief, glad that the kid was alright and that they didn't have to deal with two wealthy parents suing the place as they opened the door back to the stadium.

"We're glad that your kid is alright, Mr. and Mrs. Doorman. But we have to go now."

"Most certainly! Come on, little machine gun, let's get away from these dangerous beasts!" Khan said as he grabbed ahold of Uzi's tiny hand.

As the family began to walk towards the exit, Uzi suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing the three adults to halt and look at her.

"Uzi? Aren't you coming?" Nori asked.

"I want to say goodbye to my friends," Uzi replied.

"Your friends? Where are they?" Khan inquired.

Uzi turned and pointed to the cage she had been in just minutes ago.

"There."

The adults took a moment to realize who Uzi was referring to.

"Oh no! Absolutely not! We are not risking your life again!" Nori exclaimed, but stopped upon seeing Uzi lower her head in sadness.

 They weren't harming the girl in the first place, it wouldn't hurt if she said goodbye.

"Ugh, just make it quick, okay? And stay outside of the cage," Nori instructed.

Uzi perked up, silently thanking her mother before turning around and running back to the cage. N and V, seeing that their droneling was returning, got as close as possible to the bars before lying on their bellies to be at the droneling's level. Uzi then grabbed their hands and squeezed them as a way to hug them goodbye.

"Bye N, bye V, bye J. I'll miss you," Uzi said.

"Come on, Uzi, we have to go," Nori called.

"Okay, Mama! I'll see you guys again one day!"

She waved goodbye as she ran up to Nori before she picked the droneling up and walked away. N whined as the door finally closes.

-Later on…-

"...and V has this, um, super cool face she makes that's super scary-looking, but she's the sweetest drone ever!" Uzi beamed as she tried to imitate the face V made.

"She does? You don't say!" Nori smiled, listening to her daughter's story.

"Yeah! And, and N was... so warm... and... comfy..." Uzi didn't even finish her sentence before she dozed off.

Nori chuckled before tucking the covers over Uzi and adjusting the toy cow so that it wouldn't slip from her grasp. She gave a kiss on the visor for the night before closing the door to discuss the situation that happened earlier with Khan, wondering if they should let her back in the stadium. Their voices faded as they walked away from the droneling's room.

Suddenly, tapping could be heard from the window, causing Uzi to stir and wake up. She rubbed her eyes as she looked at the glass pane, seeing a large, bright yellow X. Her optics lit up as she knew who it was.

"N!"

⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆ ⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆ ⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡⋆

The end :)

[medtech-mara]

Welcome to my new series of posts about Cyberpunk RED source material! This time we will be putting the CYBER into the PUNK by discussing everything Cyberware.

Today, though we must start with the basics, I wanted to just show the catalog and let you go on our own way, but I felt it was best to open the discussion. I am willing to answer your questions should you have some in the event you want to roleplaying/write accordingly when Phantom Liberty releases.

Welcome to Blue Remedies Health Clinic, My name is Mara Sterling, and I will be your Ripperdoc today? Have you ever used a Ripperdoc before? I notice you don't have any cyberware at all? Nervous? Don't be! We'll go walk through this together.

What is Cyberware?

Cybertechnology can be purchased almost anywhere. Some of the medical procedures are simple: walk-in types of surgery with minor installations taking place in whatever shopping mall clinics(Bodyshoppe, Fashion/Fusion, and Parts N' Programs are three popular chain stores) still exist, or drop-in medical centers (Docs R Us™... or my clinic Blue Remedies Health Clinic in the Wellsprings) These installations are much like getting your ears pierced. You can even have upgrades and improvements plugged into the old hardware for the cost of the new parts, allowing you to start small (called "stripped" or "economy") and add as you go. It is IMPORTANT to note that you CANNOT install cyberware to a critical injury, it has to heal first.

Where can I get my Cyberware installed?

Any Ripper doc if you are brave enough... Joking aside.. Depending on what cyberware you are wanting to install, depends on where you'd likely go. Don't worry I can guide you through this process with telling you where you'd likely get this cybernetic installed. Mall: means you can literally get the installation done in any mall or street corner bio-mod shop; the equivalent of ear-piercing in the 1900s. There are not as many of these as there were in the 2020s. Clinic: means an actual Medtech in a medical surgery clinic. Most of the installation is automated, but it takes a skilled practitioner to use that gear. Most ripperdocs are at this level. Hospital: means the work requires major surgery and a Medtech capable of doing this kind of work. This also requires a full hospital or the nearest equivalent, which is relatively rare. *Benefits from multiple installations of the same cyberware do not stack unless otherwise noted

"I was thinking about getting a a Sigma frame like Panthera, OH or have a dart eye like Optic from Night Raid! That's so cool!"

Unfortunately, there are prerequisites for some cyberware. Rome wasn't built in a night nor was David Martinez, so you will need to build yourself up to such an upgrade as an exo-skeleton like the Sigma frame, but I can't recommend one enough.

How is there such a thing as too much Cyberware?

Besides the obvious answer if you want to see God under the boot of some Maxtac lapdog? then yes. There are limits on how many cyberware slots your body can have. There will be a display how many slots can be used per cyberware type.

Cyberware types? You mean there are more than 2? I thought it was just cyberlimbs or Kiroshis?

There are 8 types of cybernetics available to the open market. However, your Ripperdoc MAY or MAY NOT have special types of cyberware they've crafted themselves, it never hurts to ask. Currently Avaliable: Fashionware, Neuralware, Cyberoptics, Cyberaudio, Internal Body Cyberware, External Body Cyberware, Cyberlimbs, & Borgware (my personal favorite, but watch out!)

Cool, I've picked out what I wanted, lets get started?

Whoa, hold on, choombatta, you picked some heavy hitters there, do you think you can handle it? If you've recently suffered from major traumas, I like to suggest meeting with a therapist first, your humanity is something to treasure and you won't get very far without it... Well unless you are Adam Smasher, were you born with 0 empathy?

Humanity? Therapy? What's all this GONKED shit?

Each cybernetic you install will cost a bit of your humanity, you are giving up some of your human self in place of machine, that doesn't come free. Fortunate for you, therapy does wonders, it can often help you discern what is the psychosis speaking or you, but without it, I'm sure you won't last 6 months on the street before C-Swat comes for you. It's always recommended that if you install heavy cyberware to see your therapist after. It's also a good idea to see your therapist after any traumatic event that has happened to or if front of you. It's not just the cyberware that eat at your humanity.

Annnnnd that's all for this post! Next post we will start going over some actual cyberware, starting with a personal favorite, Fashionware! I really hope to see some of the work you guys make with the new DLC coming out, and armed with this new knowledge about cyberware and cyberpsychosis (soon™)

[melishade]

Attack on Prime: What if Optimus arrived in Episode 1 instead of Episode 5?

Main Story

Peaceful Timeline Pilot

Beloved Timeline Pilot

Summary: After the events of Predacons Rising, Optimus became one with Primus to ensure life would flourish on his world. But instead of eternal peace, he is somehow sent to the world of the Titans: where humans are no longer at the top of the food chain and are only safe behind walls. But instead of being sent to the Battle of Trost, he is sent to the moment where it all began: the fall of Shinganshina.

(Okay, so I have been…feeling like shit lately, which is kind of why I took a break. I needed the break. I had a lot going on. But I'm glad I did. I was really productive when it came to both writing and drawing. I finished this. I made progress on Guren No Yumiya. It's not finished. I wish it was. I made a few art pieces and animatics (poorly drawn animatics but I take pride in them). And I wrote the pilot for the Episode 1 timeline. It's definitely the shortest one out of the ones I've published so far, possibly because I didn't need to do too much set up.

Other than that, Happy Stabby Caesar Day and enjoy!)

"I only ask of this of you fellow Autobots: keep fighting the noblest of fights." Optimus requested.

"You can count on us to keep the peace." Bumblebee reassured.

Optimus gave a small yet bitter smile for his team. He stared a little longer than he thought, doing his best to memorize their faces, knowing that this would be the last time he saw them. The Prime then turned back to the mouth of the well, feeling a strange sensation at how long the drop was. Optimus then activated the jet wings on his back, and he flew high into the sky. The Autobots watched in sadness as Optimus turned around and dove headfirst towards the core of their planet: to Primus himself.

The closer that Optimus got to the center of their planet, the brighter the light of the core had become. It had been eons since he had come to this place to receive the Matrix of Leadership, and now, it was time for him to give it back. He opened his chest, revealing the Matrix of Leadership in all of its glory. As he was almost to the core, he began to think to himself. He was happy. He was happy that the fighting was finally over. He can die happy knowing that he brought back peace and saved the planet that gave him life. He knew his comrades, his family, would keep the peace. He had complete faith in them.

He closed his optics and a small smile formed on his face as he let warm light consume him.

The sounds of thunder caused his optics to snap open. He shot up to a sitting position, looking around frantically wondering what that sound was. It's only when his vision began to focus that he realized that...he was somewhere else. He was...back on Earth? It...it looked like Earth. The sky was slightly cloudy, but the sun was beginning to set, changing the color of the sky from blue to orange. He was surrounded by tall pine trees, and the blades of grass prickled the metal of his dark servos.

Wait...dark? Optimus raised his servo to his faceplate and was stunned to see the older model. The upgrade that he acquired from the forge of Solus Prime had changed the color and the structure of his servos. Optimus looked down at his legs and found that they weren't robust but slender. Even his back felt lighter. Optimus heard the sounds of rushing water and stood up. He followed the sounds to a clear river, traveling down his right side through the forest ahead. The Prime kneeled down to see his reflection, and nearly gasped at the sight of him. He was back in his old form. Optimus couldn't help but touch his audio receptors and his antennae to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. But sure enough, it was there. It was real. He was alive.

But...why? He shouldn't be alive. He should be one with Primus or reincarnated. Did merging with Primus not work? Were the souls of the Allspark still with him? No...no they couldn't be. When he merged them all with his own spark and the Matrix, he could feel their presence, practically hear them all shouting. But now...it was quiet.

Why in the Allspark did this feel like déjà vu?

Optimus gasped when he felt the ground quake and lightning come down from the sky. His gaze followed the direction of the lightning strike and saw that it struck a massive wall off in the distance. The Prime stared in horror at the sight of a massive, skinless, Titan that peered over the wall. Its muscles were just as red as blood. Optimus transformed into his old alt mode and drove as fast as he could towards the wall and the massive threat. When he arrived, he transformed back into his bipedal mode and skidded to a stop to the now destroyed entrance of the wall. Optimus saw the massive bodyseated at the entrances, the muscles and skeletons slowly dissolving into hot steam. Optimus also noticed a figure climbing over the wall, but before he could pursue, the sounds of terrified screams caught his attention. Optimus ran through the destroyed gate and stared in horror at the sight of giant, naked titans lumbering towards humans with permanent expressions of apathy, sadness, and most uncomfortably, glee. These titans picked up the humans running for their lives and started to devour them. Some would be swallowed whole while others would be killed by the strong bite force of these creatures. Blood spewed onto their bodies and onto the ground, creating more panic and terror among the populous.

Optimus gritted his dentas before letting his battle mask cover his mouth on instinct. He pulled out both blasters from his arms and aimed at the titan that was closest to him which was holding a human. He shot the titan through the head, causing the beast to tilt and fall over on its side, hitting the ground hard. Optimus noticed the way the titan body began to disintegrate and turn into steam like the massive pile of skeletons outside. His blasters were good; they were effective in taking out the threat. Optimus started running through the town and shooting down any titans that were in his line of sight. He then spotted a sadistic looking titan with an unhinged smile pulling a woman from the rubble of a wreckage. The long rows of unnecessary teeth scared him, and he saw the way the woman was beating against the hand that was holding her. As the titan reached out with its other hand to snap her spine, Optimus used his blaster and fired at the titan.

===

Eren tried. He really, really tried to pull the roof of the house off of his mom with Mikasa's help. But they couldn't do it. They were too weak. Not even the motivation of the people's screams and the titans invading their home could give them enough of that adrenaline to lift the damn wood off of their mother's back! Where was dad?! Someone help them!

“Then I’ll carry you out of here mom!” Eren swore as blood continued to seep from his wounds.

“Damn it Eren! Why won’t you listen to your mother for once in your life?! Just this one thing!” Carla shouted at him before turning to Mikasa, “Mikasa make him!”

Mikasa’s mouth grew tight as she hung her head and swallowed her tears, continuing to try and pull the roof off of her mother, “I…I can’t!”

Eren saw Hannes! He heard Hannes fly in and his mother call out his name! He felt some hope! Yes! Hannes could distract the titans while they got their mom out! He ignored what his mother was screaming at Hannes as he ran towards the titan coming towards them. C'mon! C'mon! Hannes please buy enough time! Just enough time! But Eren was then taken aback when Hannes’ arm wrapped around him. He was heaved over the man shoulder as he went to grab Mikasa.

"Hey! Hannes! What the hell are you doing?!" Eren screamed at him as Hannes began to run away. He could still see his mother trapped in the rubble and tried to reach out for her. "We can't leave her! Mom!"

"Eren! Mikasa!" He could see Carla reaching out for them, "You need to live on!"

Eren gasped when a titan landed on top of their house and dug through the rubble. He saw the titan pull his mother out of the rubble and screamed for her. "STOP!"

Carla slammed her fist on the hand that was holding her. The titan terrified her so much, but she still had to fight. She had to try and fight her way out of this beast's grip. But it was no use. The titan, with that wide, sadistic, permanent smile reached its other hand out towards her. To crush her. She didn't want to die! Please she didn't want to!

Unexpectedly, the titan's head exploded in a ball of blue light, causing Carla to scream and for Eren to gasp in confusion. What...what the hell was that?! Eren realized from the second ball of blue light that hit the titan in the chest that it was an attack. Someone, something, attacked the titan! Carla screamed as the titan body toppled over and hit the ground hard. The grip on the decaying, eroding, corpse loosened, allowing her to scramble out and crawl away using her hands.

"Hannes!" Eren yelled as he slammed his fist onto his head. Eren gasped when he noticed another abnormal titan running up to the house. Up to his mother! "HANNES TURN AROUND!"

"Kid, we can't-!" Hannes froze when he noticed the strange titan and quickly ran back to rubble.

"Ma'am, are you alright?!" a voice called out to her. Carla was about to respond, but froze when she realized what was speaking. She looked up to see a metal titan adorned in red and blue. It had no mouth to speak of, but those glowing blue eyes were scaring her to the point where she started screaming again and scrambling to get away. She tried to get up and walk, but she was sure the titan holding her really crushed her legs! She couldn't get up!

"Ma'am, I will not hurt you!" The titan spoke again, trying to reassure her.

"Get away from her!" Hannes yelled at the titan, still holding the two children.

Carla gasped and swatted her hand at them. "Hannes! Run! RUN!"

The titan noticed them and quickly stood up and raised its foot high into the air.

"Oh shit!" Hannes yelled, preparing to be crushed and eaten. He kneeled down to protect the kids in his arms from the impact, but the titan kicked a four meter class titan in the neck that was right behind them and almost killed the trio, punting it high into the air and over the wall, right back to the outside!

"Huh?" Mikasa could only emit in fear.

"Shit!" Eren bit Hannes' hand, forcing the Garrison to let him go and for him to roll on the ground. "MOM!" He scrambled to his feet and ran to his mother, ignoring her pleas to stay away. He tackled her into a hug and started crying in her arms.

"Eren, you need to go! Go now!" Carla begged her son.

"I swear to you I will not harm you!" the titan swore, causing Eren to stare up in shock. Titans...titans can speak? The titan was suddenly alerted to the sound of screams and saw another human in the grasp of a titan. It pulled out a gun, and Carla instinctively shielded her body on top of Eren's as the titan fired that blue light to kill the titan. The titan then noticed Hannes and seemed to look him up and down, like he was examining him.

"Are you military?!" The titan demanded.

"Y-yes! I-!"

"Get the civilians out of here, now!" the titan ordered. Eren managed to catch the strange symbol of a face on his arm before it suddenly...shifted?...transformed?...into a strange carriage. He rode as fast as the wind into the ongoing chaos in Shinganshina. Was it…going to save the people here? Was a titan actually going to save humanity?!

"What?" Eren muttered wordlessly.

"Can you walk?!" Hannes asked Carla.

"I can't feel my legs!" Carla answered.

"Alright!" Hannes quickly set Mikasa down before carrying Carla bridal style, "We need to get you three to the boat! C'mon! Run!"

"What was that?!" Mikasa asked.

"I don't know, just run!" Hannes ordered.

Eren and Mikasa started running towards the gate to Wall Maria with Hannes following close behind.

Meanwhile, Optimus continued driving his way throughout the walled town, transforming into his bipedal mode to take out as many titans as possible with his blasters. He wasn't sure how to seal the breach in the outer wall, but he knows that if another one is made through the gate in the inner wall, then there would be more consequences and lives lost.

That's when Optimus spotted it. An Armored Titan in a sprinting position, the trajectory towards that undamaged gate. As the titan began running, Optimus drove as fast as he could towards the gate, scaring the humans in his way and causing them to jump out of the way. When he reached the gate, the Armored Titan had almost bulldozed his way through, but Optimus rammed the titan into its side, causing the two of them to crash into multiple houses.

Optimus transformed into his bipedal mode and punched the Armored Titan twice in the face, but the Armored Titan grabbed him and threw him off of it. Optimus easily landed on his feet and skidded to a stop. Optimus noticed the Armored Titan’s had no real expression, its face adorned in armored leaving a permanent expression of stern and intimidating. But the body language of the beast said otherwise. It was afraid of him. It was scrambling to its feet to try and get into a fighting stance to counter attack, but Optimus bolted and tackled it to the ground and the rubble.

The Garrison atop the houses watched in stunned silence at the sight. That Metal Titan was fighting the Armored Titan. Titans were fighting amongst themselves. And from what some had seen earlier, this Metal Titan was protecting humanity! What kind fucked up situation was that?!

Optimus used all of his strength to pin the Armored Titan to the ground, shoving his servo in its face to keep it there. "Stay down!" Optimus grunted when the Armored didn't listen and smacked him in the face hard with its arm. Optimus rolled across the ground and crashed into a few houses. He sat up and watched the Armored shed the armored plating behind its lower legs before bolting towards him. Optimus quickly transformed and drove backwards, leading the Armored further and further away from the gate that was now reopening to take more civilians.

"Go! GO!" A Garrison screamed at the civilians as they ran through the gate.

"Is there still a boat here?!" Hannes demanded, still carrying Carla in his arms, with Eren and Mikasa close behind.

"Hannes, what the hell are you doing?! Get back to your station!" the Garrison ordered.

"Not until I get them to safety!" Hannes shouted.

The Garrison looked annoyed and conflicted but pointed behind him, "Get to the boat before it leaves!"

"C'mon!" Hannes ordered the children as they continued running. Eren couldn't help but look back at the chaos happening behind them. A titan...fighting for humanity? A titan...that saved humans? It was surreal, a reversal of everything he ever knew, and stuff he felt needed to be called into question.

“Eren!” Eren snapped his head to the voice calling his name and gasped when he saw Armin waving to him on the boat, his grandfather seated on the ground with only his hat visible.

“Armin!” Eren called out to him as the four of them boarded the boat.

“What’s going on?!” Armin asked as Hannes set Carla on the ground.

“There’s a Metal Titan!” Eren explained, “And it’s fighting some Armored Titan and stopping it from destroying the wall!”

“What?!” Armin exclaimed.

Optimus skidded to a stop and drove in a circle, tripping the Armored and causing it to slam into the ground face first. Optimus saw cracks form in the Armored face before running and punching it in the face to the ground. Optimus grabbed the creatures arm and used all of his strength to twist it. The Armored had size going for it. It was clearly much bigger than him, but it clearly lacked battle experience. Optimus knew where to press his pedes, where to put more strain to twist. He let out a battle cry before twisting the arm clean off and tossing it to the side. The arm crashed into some houses and two other smaller titans.

Optimus was distracted by that moment of victory when the Armored used the remaining arm to smack him in the chest. Optimus yelled in pain at the sensation, and the Armored used its remaining arm to grab him by the face and slam him into the ground. Optimus could feel pain shoot up his back. He could feel the dirt and debris scratch his paint and metal plating, but Optimus grit his teeth and endured the pain. Optimus transformed his servo into a blaster and aimed it directly at its face. Before the Armored had time to process, Optimus fired, shattering the cracked, armored plating in one go. The Armored yelled in pain, scratching at its face to try and get rid of the energon burning in its muscle. The pieces of the armor hit the ground before it slowly began to erode. Optimus jumped and smacked the blaster in the Armored face, knocking it to the ground. Optimus then used his blaster to blow off the left leg of the Armored, causing it to cry out even louder.

Optimus saw that it was immobile and stood atop it. He aimed his blaster directly at the titan's face. For some reason, he managed to catch tears streaming down that charred face, but the Prime chose to ignore it. There were too many lives currently at risk, and this titan was going to raise that causality count even higher by destroying that gate. He had to make a decision.

Optimus charged his blaster at the Armored's head, blowing it clean off, and leaving nothing but the nape of the neck. Optimus watched the titan body crumble and decay under his pede. The remaining armor eroded, then the muscle, and finally, the bones turned to nothing but dust. Optimus’ pede that was resting on the Armored’s chest ended up hitting the ground once the body was gone. Organic material isn’t able survive the full force of energon based weapons. The enemy was taken care of.

However, Optimus was alerted to the sounds of more terrified screams and turned his helm to the chaos that was still happening and the titans still running rampant across the town. He noticed a human flying towards him with that strange contraption around his waist. "Evacuate the humans! I will deal with the titan threat!"

"Wait-!" Hannes watched the titan run towards the hostile titans in the around Shinganshina. It continued to kill the titans with its guns, without even hitting them in the neck. It was…amazing, awe-inspiring. This titan was able to save humanity from losing Wall Maria. Hannes snapped out of his shock and went right back into the fray, trying to find as many survivors as possible, unaware of the two children atop the walls. A boy carried an exhausted girl on her back and ran along the length of the massive structure.

==

The Survey Corps was having a bad day. Well, they've always had bad days. It was never easy for them.

They had always suffered heavy losses when they came back from their expeditions from outside the walls. But when they returned, and they had given the arm of Moses to the weeping mother, something inside of their Commander Keith Shadis clearly snap. He broke. He broke down in front of everyone and walked away in shame. He had given up. All those years of leading and failing had finally taken its toll on Keith. The next thing they all new, Erwin had become the 13th Commander of the Survey Corps.

Erwin had to go through protocol. Appoint scouts to squad leader positions, inform Zackley about the change in command. It was late and it was quite a bit of work to accomplish, but then...they heard about the wall being breached. About a large Colossal Titan with no skin that was as tall as the wall, kicking the gate in and letting titans inside.

Erwin noticed the way that both Levi and Mike were staring at him, almost like they were judging him. “What?”

"Five minutes after you get this shit show, Shinganshia's under attack.” Levi remarked.

Erwin sighed at that. He supposed that the timing could have been better. "Yes, Levi, the irony is not lost on me.”

"More like a bad omen," Mike added.

The report was a mere hours ago, considering that information had to be transferred by horseback. But the Survey Corps were on high alert. They immediately got their supplies, their 3D gear, mounted their horses, and headed towards Shinganshina.

But Erwin had also heard an extremely conflicting report on the way there, something everyone found to be completely unexpected: the titans were fighting each other. An Armored Titan was fighting a Metal Titan. Both had displayed intelligence, and the Metal Titan had killed the Armored Titan, protecting Wall Maria from falling to the titans. Other reports were still hard to accept, like this Metal Titan wielding guns that could kill titans without hitting the nape of the neck, but a titan protecting humans instead of killing? What could that possibly mean for humanity as a whole?

When they arrived to Shinganshia, the Garrison reluctantly opened the gate to allow them into the walled city. Mike noticed the way the Garrison soldiers were still assisting injured civilians out of the rubble and through the now open gate.

"The Metal Titan's at the exit of Shinganshina, killing titans with his strange weapons," a soldier, Hannes, informed.

"Did you just say he?" Hanji started to grin.

"No," Mike warned them.

"He's been trying to prevent more titans from coming into the city, but we don't have all the resources to get everyone else out," Hannes continued.

"What do you mean by 'he'?" Levi demanded, "There's no way a titan is sentient."

"Check for yourself, but we need help getting people out," Hannes requested, "Some are still stuck in their homes."

Erwin turned to Nanaba. "Help with recovery and evacuation."

"Yes, sir!" Nanaba saluted before addressing her fellow comrades on what to do next. Erwin immediately flew over the ruined houses of Shinganshina, followed by Levi, Mike, and Hanji. The quartet examined their surroundings and was internally horrified. The day that they had all feared: the titans’ invading, had come true. But...where were the titan bodies? The decaying corpses? Where was the corpse of the Armored Titan? They were practically non-existent. There was only rubble and human remains, but nothing else.

"Sir," Mike called out as he pointed ahead, his nose flaring up as he did so. The four of them landed on the houses near the broken gate, and were stunned at the sight. A giant, metal, titan, its torso and arms red and its legs and head blue, stood in front of the damaged gate with a glowing blue gun for an arm. A titan started lumbering through the entrance, but they all witnessed the sight of the gun glowing brighter before firing at the titan before him. The titan was shot in the head, but instead of regenerating, its body began to erode and fade away. It collapsed on the ground before turning to bones, and then smoke.

"Holy shit." Even the captain was taken off-guard by the sight. They had just witnessed a titan kill another titan without even touching the nape of the neck! How?! That was supposed to be impossible.

"I must study him!" Hanji tried to leap forward, but Mike quickly grabbed them and wrestled them back. Hanji yelled in protest, but their cry quickly got the attention of the titan, who looked back at them. Erwin had noticed the being wearing a mouth guard of some kind, and the blue of its eyes mirrored that of the weapon for an arm.

"Hello!" Hanji greeted with a wave.

"Are you the reinforcements the others have informed me of?" the titan asked them. It speaks. It actually speaks! It didn't have a mouth but it spoke a clear and concise sentence!

"Yes," Erwin spoke, trying his best to keep his composure, "My name is Erwin Smith: the Commander of the Survey Corps."

"I am pleased to make your acquaintance; however, I cannot move from my post, Commander," The titan explained, "I wish to aid the humans that need to evacuate the city, but if I leave, more titans may come in and cause more damage. Can you provide assistance in removing the civilians from the area?"

"We are currently working on that, but there is concern about your intentions-!"

"I do not consume humans," The titan automatically replied.

"That was quick." Levi narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"My race requires a different fuel source for consumption," the titan explained as he shot at another titan without even looking, "One that I will need to locate in a different time. For now, I wish to focus my attention on the task at hand."

"I need to take notes." Hanji grunted as they tried to get out of Mike's grip once more.

Erwin did his best to assess the situation with what he had, but he ultimately came to a conclusion. "Assist the others in evacuation."

"Erwin, you can't be serious," Mike said.

"This is an opportunity we can't waste," Erwin whispered to him before turning back to the titan, "If you are truly a sentient being, do you have a name?"

"My name is Optimus Prime," the titan answered.

"A name," Hanji squealed.

"Thank you for your assistance," Erwin said before beckoning his comrades to follow him. They followed him away from the titan, and once Erwin believed he was out of ear shot, he spoke, "Play along for now. We will be stationed here until the wall has been repaired. We need all eyes on him at all times."

Hanji raised their hand. “Can I study him?”

“From afar,” Erwin warned.

“Yes,” Hanji grinned.

“Erwin, we just saw that titan kill other titans,” Levi retorted, “How the hell are we supposed to counter attack if that gun is turned on us.”

“I don’t know,” Erwin answered, “But if we play our cards right, we could have a valuable asset to humanity and the Survey Corps. Mortality rates among troops would be reduced. Knowledge could be shared. Territory could be expanded.”

“Or this titan could let other ones in,” Mike retorted.

“But he’s killing our titans,” Hanji retorted.

“I meant others like him,” Mike clarified, “He smells different from the other titans. He smells like metal, gunpowder, and smoke. Erwin, what if he’s not the only one?”

“…I don’t know how to provide a solution to that,” Erwin confessed, “But I can’t pass up this opportunity out of fear. This is the first time in a long time that humanity has had hope. I’m not going to throw away that chance.”

The others looked at each other with concern before turning back to their Commander.

“Whatever you say,” Levi spoke, “We trust you.”

“Thank you,” Erwin said, glancing back to see the titan at the entrance to the Walls. He could’ve sworn that the titan looked back at them and the two made eye contact. Erwin could feel it in his gut. This was the beginning. This was the beginning of humanity’s counterattack.

(A few notes:

-Again, the shorter pilots out of the other two. Peaceful Timeline and Beloved Timeline needed to set up characters and the weight of time. Episode 1 doesn't need to do that because it's the beginning of the series. -I wanted to show that Reiner was panicked at the sight of Optimus. Not just because he was ill-prepared for a titan like him, but also because Reiner is still not in the correct emotional headspace after the loss of Marcel just hours prior. -Also Bertholdt had to carry Annie and run along the Wall for miles just to find a way to sneak in lol. -Also, also, because of Optimus' lack of information about titan shifters and the situation he's presented with, yes, he would kill Reiner on the spot because he doesn't know. This ultimately ends up eating him alive later down this timeline. -Carla's paralyzed but still alive. I figured Optimus' intervention in Episode 1 would save her life, because fuck fate. Am I right?

Anyway, take a look at my other stuff or the extensions of this timeline posted on my Masterlist and have a good one).

[in1-nutshell]

Hello! If it's okay to request could you do another part of this request (Elita One's twin sister w/ Sg Blackarachnia)?

The reactions/interactions of Starscream's clones;

Or Reactions/Interactions of Dinobots (you can add other bots/cons, Wreck-gar, Soundwave, or other)?

also, if it's okay to make one of them as a separate request?

(PS. I apologize if I’ve been putting in a lot of requests. feel free to reject this. Also, take your time, and thank you so much!)

The Queen is back!

The second part of this request is coming soon, don't worry!

Hope you enjoy!

Elita One's Twin sister reaction from Dinobots and Wreck-Gar

SFW, Platonic, Hinted romance, Cybertronain (techno organic) reader

TFA

Set Pre- Sentinel and Elita reunion.

Buddy needed some space.

She and Megatron had gotten into a petty argument that day.

What was it about? She couldn’t tell you.

She just knew that she was angry and well she was good at holding grudges.

Was fighting with the Decepticon leader the smartest thing to do? Probably not

But she knew Megatron, he wasn’t that kind of mech towards her.

She decided to leave the base at night and go on an evening stroll.

Buddy walking by the docks still a bit fuming.

“Stinkin’ Megatron… and his arrogant, dumb face… and big frame… and lovely red optics… I’m losing it, aren’t I?”--Buddy

“I’m losing it!”

Buddy jumping nearly 20 feet in the air.

“Who’s there?!”--Buddy

Figure on the junk ship waving.

“I’m losing it!”

“…”--Buddy

Buddy swung up to the ship and made her way towards the figure.

She was surprised to see a mech sitting in the center of the pile playing around with the junk.

Buddy asked if he needed help.

He just starts playing with junk.

That’s when Buddy noticed his pede stuck on one of the ships gears.

How wasn’t he in pain!? At least complaining?

“Primus how aren’t you scream?!”--Buddy

“I can scream if you want!”—Wreck-Gar

“Maybe don’t do that.”--Buddy

Buddy pulling on his pede over and over again trying to get it out.

One last pull, Buddy yanked it out landing on another pile of junk.

The mech belly flopping on the junk next to Buddy.

“This is fun! Fun! Fun! Wreck-Gar having the best time with new friend!”—Wreck-Gar

“Wreck-Gar? Is that your name?”--Buddy

“Yes! I am Wreck-Gar and I Dare to be Stupid!”—Wreck-Gar

“… well, you’re not wrong I guess.”--Buddy

“And you are?”—Wreck-Gar

“Oh, I’m Buddy.”--Buddy

“Buddy? Buddy. Buddy!”—Wreck-Gar

“Yes, that’s my—”--Buddy

Wreck-Gar stands up and marches around happily.

“I like the sound! Buddy! Buddy! Buddy! Buddy!”—Wreck-Gar

Wreck-Gar gets down on one knee in front of Buddy.

Buddy backs up a bit with the most surprised look on her face.

Wreck-Gar pulls out a little box from his subspace.

“Wreck-Gar! What are you doing?”--Buddy

Meanwhile with Megatron…

Megatron tossing and turning a bit in his berth.

His servos clenched into fists.

Back at the docks…

Wreck-Gar opens the little box revealing two friendship bracelets.

“Buddy, will you make me the happiest bot on this junk pile… and be my Best Buddy for life!”—Wreck-Gar

Buddy sighing with so much relief, slipping the bracelet into her subspace.

“Sure Wreck-Gar, I’ll be your friend.”--Buddy

Back at the Decepticon base…

Megatron sighing so hard he falls back to sleep.

The two talked for a bit more before Buddy decided to start heading home.

Wreck-gar simply waves bye before going back to his junk crafts.

Strange bot indeed.

She continued her walk when she heard a bunch of footsteps heading her way.

Quickly she hid in one of the open cargo containers.

It was fine.

Until they closed the door.

Sure, Buddy could have easily gotten out, but she didn’t want to freak out the human dock workers.

The best ones were hard to find now a days and she didn’t want them to suffer for her mistake. She thought to herself that it would be fine if she stayed there for a bit.

She could go for a nap anyways.

Buddy thought she slept for a couple of minutes max.

Not an entire hour!

Buddy rubbing her helm a bit while sitting in the container.

“Maybe I should get more sleep… Nah.”--Buddy

Buddy looks around the container.

“I should probably start opening the—”--Buddy

SNAP!

Suddenly she felt the entire container go on its side and a short free fall before it hit the ground.

Buddy now truly freaked out kicked the opening, shattering its locks and ran out.

She was not expecting to find herself waist deep in water.

Carefully she wadded to the nearby shoreline.

Once she got to the shore, she panted a bit before looking back at her old container.

The chains that were supposed to be holding the container were rusty and broken.

Maybe they snapped while the ship was out.

Good news for Buddy, the ship didn’t travel too far.

Bad news for Buddy, she couldn’t swim to shore.

The downside to having an organic part.

She figured that she would radio in for help in a bit.

Afterall, she hadn’t been on this island before. Maybe there was a new type of bird or cute animal she had seen in those nature documentaries.

So, she wandered into the bush.

It wasn’t as exciting as she thought it would be, but it was defiantly a nice spot to come to clear one’s mind.

A mighty roar pierced the once tranquil night.

Buddy nearly jumped out of her frame when she heard it.

She turned to run the other way when the roar came back sounding more in pain.

…curse her medical coding…

That thing was going to get her in trouble one of these days.

She carefully trekked deeper into the bush following the sounds of the anguished roar.

Buddy was not expecting other Cybertronians.

Certainly not ones who had animal alt modes.

It did make her feel a bit comfortable seeing other ‘odd’ alt modes out there. Sure, they were techno organic like her, but still, it was nice.

If she remembered the one movie about Dinosaurs correctly the two bots on the side were a Pteranodon and a Triceratops. The hulking figure laying on the ground behind them was a T-Rex.

The smaller ones took notice of Buddy and stood in front of the larger being.

Like they were protecting it.

Buddy raising her servos in the air.

“I mean no harm.”--Buddy

The two dinos look at her confused.

“Umm… I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help.”--Buddy

Dinos look at each other, hesitantly, before making a way for Buddy to come in.

Buddy makes her way to the hulking T-Rex laying on the floor in the pain.

Buddy starts walking around slowly inspecting him.

“My name is Buddy. I’m here to help you.”--Buddy

The mech huffs in pain.

Buddy scans his joints.

“I like your alt modes. Having a car alt mode is overrated.”--Buddy

The mech huffed again, but it sounded more amused.

Then she found the problem.

A thick branch had wedged itself in between some of his important joints.

With one swift motion, she took out the branch.

The mech then stood up testing his joints.

Then he transformed and the others followed.

… Buddy was really hating how small she was right now.

The biggest one looked down at her and patted her back strut so hard she was sure that something came out of place.

Buddy trying to recover from the pat on the back.

“You’re welcome big guy.”--Buddy

“Grimlock better thanks to you! Grimlock strong again!”--Grimlock

“Grimlock? Is that your name?”--Buddy

Grimlock nods and points to the others.

“That Swoop! He flies highest! Other is Slag! He shortest of Dinobots! Me Grimlock the strongest and King of Dinobots!”--Grimlock

Buddy just trying to soak in everything.

Grimlock picks Buddy up and places her on his shoulder.

“Grimlock!”--Buddy

“Buddy now part of Dinobots.”--Grimlock

“Wait what?”--Buddy

The four of them walked further into the bush talking and having good laughs.

They did this until Buddy realized that dawn was fast approaching.

She asked if Swoop could give her a ride back to the mainland to go home.

They weren’t happy that she was going home, but Buddy promised to visit them as much as she could.

This seemed to make them happy enough.

Swoop was careful flying her and landing on the docks before returning.

Buddy walked into the base as the sun was coming up.

Thank goodness everyone was still in their habsuites.

Buddy finally saw her beautiful berth and fell face first on it.

She sighed a bit before finally closing her optics.

Buddy opens her habsuite taking in the sight of her lovely berth.

She smiles as she faceplates on it, sighing, and closing her optics.

SLAM!

Lugnut burst into her door.

“WHAT IS IT!?”--Buddy

“Why aren’t you in the med bay? You are usually there by now.”--Lugnut

“… So, you decided to come to my room and wake me up… because I wasn’t up?”--Buddy

“Umm… yes?”--Lugnut

“…”--Buddy

Buddy gets up from her berth slowly walks up to Lugnut.

“Buddy?”--Lugnut

Buddy swiftly picks up Lugnut over her helm and starts marching down to the main room.

“Buddy unhand me!”--Lugnut

“Quiet Lugnut or I will throw you across the room.”--Buddy

“Hehe, I’d like to see you try.”--Lugnut

Everyone just stares at Buddy holding Lugnut above her helm and throws him across the room.

Buddy turns to everyone.

“I will be in my room for the next four hours. No. One. Is to disturb me unless it is a life-or-death situation.”--Buddy

Buddy turns on her heels and marches back to her habsuite and slams the door.

“…”--Everyone

Starscream looks at Megatron.

“That’s who has your spark in a chokehold?”--Starscream

“Ye—No!”--Megatron

[foibles-fables]

Ooh I also have horizon 3 thoughts/predictions!

I think Vast Silver is gonna be involved somehow maybe to combat Nemesis, or possibly in a dlc like we had Cyan from Frozen Wilds? Since it’s the final game it seems likely they’ll finally have Aloy meet this mysterious elusive AI.

Also thinking Elysium will be the ruins location (like how we had the Alpha’s place in HZD and Thebes in HFW) since we’ve heard about it but not found it yet

I was also hoping to finally explore Oseram territory when looking for these old world weapons, seems Oseram delving could come in handy there. Depends if they’re gonna introduce more new tribes across the sea like the Quen or further explore the ones they have currently, maybe both? Like half the map is across the sea/Quen territory and half is the mainland 🤔

It’s exciting to think about anyway! Can’t wait for your thoughts!

I totally agree about VAST SILVER and Elysium. They're one of the very few oft-mentioned threads left hanging since the beginning of the series. I do think their plot relevance will be connected--VS involved in whatever befell Elysium--but even if they're not intertwined, they'll be integral.

I'm thinking we'll have to befriend VS to be a boon in our efforts against HEPH and/or Nemesis. Given 1) VS's disposition in the Burning Shores datapoint and 2) Elisabet's (therefore Aloy's and Beta's) connection with Anita Sandoval--therefore VS's potential development re: AI and the illegal Turing number--there's a lot there to be explored.

As for Elysium, I'm betting it'll be part of The Claim. Since The Claim was originally intended to be part of HZD, there's an overwhelming chance that it'll be involved in HFW. Petra for ealdorwoman PLEASE. Also, there's hints that point to Elysium being there. It's "within miles of" GAIA Prime, per HZD datapoints, which could put its ruin in The Claim.

As for new tribes--I genuinely hope we don't get any. At all. We already couldn't give all of the existing tribes their due in HFW (where were the Banuk?) and to add more in H3 would be unnecessary bloat, given the scope of what the game has to accomplish.

Related to that last point--and potentially a very, very controversial opinion--I don't think we'll be actually seeing Quen lands. Londra's data at the end of Burning Shores gives us five places to investigate, some we've seen, some we haven't, all in the same geographical vicinity as the regular map. (One of the looks to be near Malmstrom Air Base...HELLO BAN-UR!) Given that we have to deal with HEPH and Nemesis and bringing together all of the existing tribes--to handle the Quen revolution just doesn't fit. Plus the decentralization from the last two games is dissonant, to place half the map there...not to mention some of the continued problematic optics that would come up if the revolution turns into Aloy's Doing. Save that for a future spin-off.

...or, more likely, I do believe a contingency of the Quen will be coming to us as H3's primary human enemy (as the Eclipse or the Rebels). GIVE ME LOYALIST FEDERA.

I personally think the map will be centered on Meridian, extending to the Sacred Land in the east, with a somewhat condensed map of the West to Legacy's Landfall--with new areas of The Claim and Banuk to the north.

[mastersoftheair]

"Masters of the Air details. Part 6-Bombsight and bombing.

"[...] I was brought in to Masters of the Air to teach actors how to look like they knew what they were doing, and the bombardier work would certainly be important to the series.

"[...] The Norden bombsight was being developed in the 1920’s by Carl Lucas Norden, a Swiss engineer, who worked for the US Navy. He developed this sight (eventually the Mark 15 series for the Navy and the M series for the Army) and the autopilot system that goes along with it. The autopilot was needed as it could fly the aircraft more precisely on the bomb run than the pilot could. Just don’t tell the pilot this!

"The Mk 15 Norden sight was a beautiful hand-built and fit device with an analog computer that would calculate the point in space at which to drop the bombs. The Bombardier would input information to the sight in the form of altitude, air speed and the ballistics of the bomb. On the bomb run he would pick up the target with the crosshairs in the optics and engage a motor drive that would keep the crosshairs synchronized on the target during the approach. On the run he would also make fine adjustments to be sure the crosshair stayed on the target for range and drift. When the sighting angle reached the predetermined dropping angle the sight sent an electrical signal to the intervalometer that would drop the selected bombs at the specified interval.

"The mission order would define what bombs were to be used and what the nose and tail fuses were to be used and their delay settings, if any. The order would also specify the aiming point and the interval to be set in to the intervalometer. This would space the bombs across the ground as desired. Maybe you wanted the bombs dropped quickly, right next to each other, to try and put a hole in the roof of the hardened sub pens. Or maybe you wanted to walk them down a long runway. The intervalometer would be set for your ground speed and how many feet apart you wanted the bombs to hit on the ground.

"If you wanted to drop a string of bombs all down a line, like a runway or a front line, then you would want the center bomb of the stick to hit in the middle so you would adjust the trail plate on the bombsight the right amount to drop the first bomb early and have the center bomb right in the middle. This center bomb spot would be the mean point of impact or MPI.

"When I arrived on set at MoTA they had several nose sections with varying amounts of the bombardier’s equipment and controls. They had one real Norden sight head called the hero sight in the hero fuselage. The hero label was attached to the best props where special or close up filming with lead actors might take place.

"The stabilizer is the lower half of the bombsight and contains the yaw gyro for the autopilot. The bombsight head sits on the stabilizer and pivots to keep pointed at the target.

"The hero sight was sitting on a prop stabilizer, and it needed more accessories and work to look as good as the real sight head. I asked if they had a better stabilizer around and they thought so, but where it was seemed to be uncertain. It was eventually located and cleaned up for mounting in the hero nose. It was still missing some items namely the directional panel and an Automatic Bombing Computer or ABC. The ABC was used on the bomb run so they could perform evasive maneuvers and not have to do the run and drift calculations again. I was told that a Norden Bombsight expert in the UK said that they didn’t use the ABC early in the war, if at all. I had to differ with that opinion as it was most certainly used throughout the early war and almost all the way through. Its use dropped off later in the war if anything.

"The ABC is quite visible on top of the stabilizer so I thought the hero sight should have the ABC not only for authenticity but for eye candy too. I asked my daughter, Sydney, to send out the directional panel and ABC set from our museum’s bombsight back home in California.

"[...] Like with the pilots and their own preference for hand positions on the throttles, the bombardiers were given the options of the two different hand configurations bombardiers often used to adjust the sight on the run. The more uncomfortable two-handed method or the single hand. Which eye to use while looking through the eyepiece was also their own decision as this would have been a preference item as well.

"We also taught them how to look over the sight to pick up the target then transition down to the eye piece and to uncage and adjust the gyro for leveling the optics in case this might be of interest to the directors. We went over the control sequence for the bomb bay doors, bomb select and intervalometer adjustments and the bomb run itself.

"[...] The standard procedure for the bomb run was developed early on by the 8th AF which was to navigate to a point where the bomb run would begin. This was called the Initial Point or IP. From the IP it was either a straight line into the target, or evasive maneuvers along this line to the target.

"At the IP, the bombardier would open the bomb bay doors. This would change the drag and the airspeed accordingly. It was up to the pilot to adjust power to maintaining a specific airspeed and altitude which was critical to accurate bombing. The pilot would also re-trim the aircraft so it would fly hands off at which point he would engage the servos of the autopilot and turn control of the aircraft over to the bombardier. The Bombardier would fly the aircraft through the bombsight and its connection to the autopilot.

"The main bombardier actor, Elliot Warren, portrayed James R. Douglass. Elliot was a quick learn and did a great job. He was a pleasure to work with and I really enjoyed his scenes.

"[...]Props made several Norden sights. Rubber ones and some with more detail. One was set up with squibs to detonate when the sight was shot by the actor with his 45 cal M1911 pistol. They were wired and the squibs went off with the sound of the pistol. It looked pretty good on camera.

"It was AAF policy to try and destroy the bombsight so it would not fall in to enemy hands. Some of the manuals actually discuss what should be done to destroy it. I would hope that the large gyro in the sight head was not spinning at its normal 25,000 RPM when the bullet hit the 2-pound rotor, as I would imagine that it would come apart and potentially send shrapnel back at the guy holding the gun!

"The lighting folks would control the instruments and lights throughout the fuselages, like the bomb bay door open light on the bombardier’s panel. We put in a lag between the bomb door handle operation and the door open light coming on. Not an accurate lag as we obviously will not be filming for the actual 20 seconds or so needed to open the electric bomb bay doors. It was a delight to work with the lighting crew and they did magical work especially with the custom made instrumentation.

"[...] Here is a full-on rant about the Norden so you might want to skip out!

"Keep in mind that this is my own opinion. An American who is discussing the Norden sight. Your mileage may vary.

"Recently there has been, what I call a ‘revisionist historians’ view of the Norden Bombsight. In short, this modern interpretation, pretty much lead by Malcolm Gladwell’s TED Talk on YouTube and his book Bomber Mafia, calls in to question the usefulness of the Norden. Basically, saying it was not effective and some of his followers have even been using the term ‘useless’ recently.

"Just keep a few thoughts of this rant in mind.

"The bomb sighting systems we had going into WWII were based on technology left over from WWI. They were simple sights with wires to sight down. They were meant for aircraft speeds and altitudes from WWI. Now skip ahead to the new bombers flying two to three times as fast and at altitudes up to 30,000 feet instead of 3000 feet.

"An all-new system was needed to solve this new complex bombing problem. Sperry was working on it and Norden, who had left employment at Sperry, started his own effort.

"The Sperry and Norden sights were the leaders of synchronous sights going in to WWII. They both were good sights which were constantly being improved. They had each also developed a highly advanced autopilot that the bombardier used to fly the aircraft on the bomb run.

"These were visual sights, so it was necessary to see the target in order to be effective. Not so easy in Europe all year long. Radar and other methods were coming online to help with all weather bombing but there were many limitations in play.

"Results would certainly vary from target to target, and it was a brand new technology made up of gyros to keep the optics level, a mechanical computer to make the calculations, motors to drive the optics. Lots of parts needed to be able to work at 200 degrees F to 50 below, not to mention the complex autopilot system.

"So, my main question is: If this new technology was so bad then what exactly was it that brought the German war effort to its knees?

"The RAF was going after cities and targets at night and the AAF was trying to hit specific strategic targets like submarine production, aircraft and weapons plants, fuel and machine parts to make the weapons work. The very things the Germans needed to wage war.

"What brought this production essentially to a halt?

"I submit that it was the bombing campaign.

"If it was the bombing campaign, then it was likely the Norden and Sperry sights that made it possible. Mostly the Norden as it was chosen as the primary system and the Sperry S-1 sight was discontinued.

"The invasion of fortress Europe was certainly needed to push the Germans all the way back to Berlin, but I would also submit that these efforts were made easier by the results of the bombing campaign.

"There were certainly mistakes and errors all throughout this campaign as there was a massive learning curve in doing something that had never been accomplished on such a scale before. How to amass hundreds to a thousand plus bombers to rally together to attack a target effectively and then get home. The attrition was unbelievably steep in the early years as so beautifully depicted in Master’s.

"Just how do you get back in that bomber the next day and face near certain death once again like they did. Again, as seen in Master’s. Just a few of the wonderful aspects of this series and the history behind it.

"Having a PR campaign about the weapon that would help win the war, like Harold T. Barth created for Norden, was not such a bad thing. If it rallied the troops and home front to keep up morale, then I think it was a good thing. Just open any wartime magazine and look at the full page ads all throughout. Each ad promoting the companies contribution to winning the war effort. BF Goodrich with their new Rivnut or Seeger Refrigerator building bomb racks and feed chutes for the 50's. It was a nationwide industrial and personal team effort to wage this war against the Axis. Norden was one of them.

"Barth said that the sight could hit a pickle barrel from 20,000 feet. When the press asked if this was true Norden replied ‘sure if you tell me which pickle you want me to hit’. Some folks nowadays are taking this literally and complaining that it really couldn’t hit a specific pickle. No kidding. Say it isn’t so. Those bastards!

"To Mr. Gladwell and his followers, I'll ask again: What was it, in your mind, that allowed all of those bombs to take out the German AND the Japanese war efforts? If it wasn’t Sperry’s S-1 and Norden’s M series bombsights, then just exactly what was it?

"Rant over. Flak vest, with crotch protector, and helmet, on."