#tfa underground city au

[yes-i-write-fanfiction]

I saw an ask about a TFA AU where the idea was that there were already TechnoOrganic transformers on earth, and since Rise of the Beasts is coming up soon I had a few ideas.

The TechnoOrganics of earth are not fully united together, instead they've formed clans with different ideologies and practices. Each clan is either named based on either the animals they turn into or the legends they inspired for example the TechnoOrganics in Greece are called the Olympia.

The TechnoOrganics have a secret system of tunnel networks running through the earth to make sure they can travel vast distances without being spotted, they started the tunnels when humans began to become civilized.

Despite being technooraganic they are as strong as cybertronian Transformers, and due to their organic halves don't suffer as much from Cybertronian diseases.

Lastly the TechnoOrganics have a tendency to be brutal in a fight, due to their animalistic nature sometimes overwriting their programming.

Rather than their tribes being based on nationality or geological location, the techo-organic's tribes are based on what their alt mode is based on; avians, felines, canines, reptiles, primates, water dwellers, insects and so on. There are some big, major tribes and then a lot of minor ones that belong to one of the big ones.

Once every year, representatives from each clan gather and discuss various topics though any clan member is free to go and visit the other clans if they so wish. There are also various underground cities where all different kinds of techno-organics gather though few actually settle down in these. They have no currency, instead they trade.

[smileforsmilez]

TFA Underground City AU Part 5 (Decepticons)

Megatron

- The warlord couldn’t comprehend how such a meager little Autobot could best him, HIM- in battle. There was no way any Autobot could’ve known about his blind spot. Unless this little Prime was the next Magnus-to-be but not even Ultra Magnus knew of his blind spot. He wasn’t familiar with the fighting style either. It was a mixture of that repulsive Autobot training and something more. He’s fascinated by the masked Prime even more by it.

- He tries spying on them but he was found out sooner than expected, by the scout no less. He swore those blue optics zeroed on his spy cam the moment he entered the room.

- He has a certain fascination towards the Tunnels Mechs, stories of them only grow rarer by the era and he’s seen the Tunnels Mechs aided both Decepticon and Autobot at rare moments. Moments such as a pair of mechs catching Starscream from falling, an arm pulling the Autobot Medic out of firing range, so on and so forth. His respect stems from such events and Shockwave’s personal recount when he was allowed through one of the tunnels just once to get out of a collapsing building. They might’ve been foolish to allow outsiders through their tunnels but they had reason for it. Would anyone have stopped them from keeping their planet alive?

- He wonders where were they now and what happened to them to simply be erased from history. He’s wondered before if Cybertron could survive without both the All Spark and the Tunnels Mechs.

Starscream

- He doesn’t care too much about those tunnel dwellers but like any other sensible Decepticon he has some level of respect for their efforts, the Autobots would truly be fools if they had rid of them.

- A mech he knew long ago was a Sea Jack. Kind fellow, dead fellow.

- He hadn’t expected whatever relation he had with Skyfire would save him after he was gone. Certainly not in the form of two Sea Jacks saving his aft after his wing was shot off. “ We owed him.” Was all they had said before disappearing again.

- He never told anyone what he knew of Sea Jacks or any Tunnels Mech. Personally, “ It’s our secret, Star”

Lugnut

- He had once thought of them as cowards for not taking up arms to fight the war. Strika had been the one to tell him what they were truly doing and after Megatron unofficially approving of their efforts, he has some respect for them.

- He had killed an Ice Mech once and unfortunately injured dozens more, he had mistaken the slightly larger civilian frames for a regular Autobot’s. He didn’t know, he truly didn’t until a frost covered pickaxe came flying at his biggest optic. The injury made his new optic itch still, unable to integrate properly into his frame.

- He’d been more careful with badgeless mechs since.

- The Autobot Prime had removed his badge some time before the Elite Guard showed up so he’s not sure how to react to that.

Blitzwing

- He doesn’t know anyone who was a Tunnels Mech. The stories seemed rather a bit far fetched in his opinion. It was rather absurd to think mechs could be living beneath Cybertron.

- It became more plausible when the Prime broke out of his ice so smoothly. Of course he knew the ice doesn’t kill mechs. But the way he moved showed a familiarity to the cold substance. Each hack with that axe was precise, he knew exactly where to hit to shatter an entire chunk with one hit.

- The hummel proved insecticons were real so why not Tunnels Mechs.

Blackarachnia

- She’s never heard of these tunnel dwellers before joining the Decepticons. She didn’t get why these bots were respected or special in any way. It’s not like only they knew how to run the cores and temperatures on Cybertron....oh shit, they are the only who knew.

- Is the planet going to die? Can they be replaced? Autobot society is so screwed up.

- Can they be recreated? Apparently not. There were too many details and specifications to be able to recreate anything like them. Word has it that they fled the planet after some sort of event during her academy years. She recalled how upset Optimus had been one cycle, he wasn’t even talking anymore. She brushed off the memory, like he’d actually know anything about the Tunnels Mechs.

- Giving up on the Tunnels Mech stories mostly due to how vague they were, she focused on her own goals.

- She’ll have to decide something one day when she sees Optimus again.

Shockwave

- His time as a senator had been one of the reasons he was still standing. It had given him the chance to meet the fabled Tunnels Mechs.

- They had foolishly allowed him passage and he sought to make note of the routes and use them for the Decepticon cause. “ Cybertron’s chaging.” His guide had told him as he walked down the passage. He waited for anything else but was met with silence. The silence was broken once again by a humm, soon joined by several voices as they sang in Whisper, the rhythm of their work as they moved reminded him when he had visited Megatron in the mines all those years ago. “ Goodbye, Senator.” The guide mutters before leaving.

- When he returned to infiltrate the Autobots the sight of the sealed tunnels devastated him. Every single entry was completely sealed. He tried opening one at Rodion but was greeted with a mountain of dead frames just rusting there, they were trying to escape.

- The discovery was broadcasted throughout the Decepticon network, caught on by a few Tunnels Mechs who were secretly among them and spread to every known Tunnels Mech network until it reached the Tunnels Mechs travelling at the edges of the universe and back to the ones on Cybertron.

The news of what happened to the Tunnels Mechs were intercepted by a rather hated enemy to all of Cybertron. They wanted to use this opportunity to invade Cybertron now that the primary system protecting its core has been eradicated.

[cyber-phobia]

I sorta have this tfa au idea based on several fics I read about underground cities in Cybertron and I thought what if Optimus was actually the son of one of these underground societies. Like they specialize in keeping Cybertron stable in their own way. All I can think of is Optimus being known as the Child of House Pax in the underground city beneath Iacon. Rodimus would be his amica as a fellow tunnel dweller from the undergrounds of Nyon, he's from House Igneous. Just a thought.

That would be an interesting read! Cybertron is very big on their underground cities. What would be the role of the Decepticons?

[bittercoldbrew]

PLEASE tell me about the alien plant girls im so gay for anthropomorphic fem plants

omg thank you SO MUCH for asking and i apologize in advance for the infodump because i have been thinking about these alien plant people for literal years now, i love them so much. I first started thinking about these guys a little after TFA, because of an oc i was working on for a lil star wars fic that i have mostly abandoned by now--so sorry to the like 3 people who were reading my sidon ithano fic but tlj/tros really killed whatever passion i had for the franchise for a good long time :/ but Mando is great so i've been thinking about them'st again...

anyway i am sticking this under a cut because a) im very attached to these characters and if someone steals my shit i will kermit and b) sweet jesus this got so long, i am so sorry

in the SW universe at least, these plant people (that i still for the life of me cannot settle on an actual name for) were the primary inhabitants of a dwarf planet way out in wild space; they had a pretty symbiotic relationship with a race of sentient insectoid people (basically human-sized bees) who could travel between the planet and their home on one of its three moons (affectionately called the Honey Moon). what the plants didn’t know was that the bees were also able to travel to different planets, and had been doing so for a couple centuries before everything went to shit--but we’ll get to that in a bit.

the plant people weren’t particularly interested in the galaxy around them--they had a decent understanding of astronomy and cosmology, but little cultural interest in journeying to the stars. since the planet was pretty small and distant from the galactic core, it was pretty rare that a visiting ship would even pass them by, and scanners didn’t register them as genuine life-forms separate from the natural flora, so even if someone happened to end up out there it’s not the sort of place anyone would really choose to land. on rare occasions, a pirate or smuggler would try to hide out on what they thought to be an unoccupied planet, and would return to the Outer Rim with tales of mobile, sentient trees and bizarre, organic cities found on some uncharted world; likewise, occasionally a plant person would turn up at the local bar with tales of crashed space-ships and strange aliens that seemed almost like people. neither would ever be taken seriously.

the plants aren’t a particularly verbal people. they understand spoken language (a somewhat-modified Basic, at least, which is what the bees speak hmm i wonder where they picked that up from) and many can talk, but most don’t really bother learning to do so. mostly they rely on an ESP-like combo of pheromones and body language, highly attuned to the point that it’s essentially a kind of telepathy. i think i mentioned in the tags on that post that my character Antheia is sorta kinda a jedi? for these people, force sensitivity tends to manifest as an extra-extra-sensory-perception that causes you to be hyperaware of every living thing in your environment, not just the other sentient ones.

this made her uhhh extremely off-putting as a youth, easily distractable and often disinterested in the other people in the small community she grew up in, where she was already pretty disliked to begin with. there’s quite a lot of diversity among the plant people (a wide variety of skin tones/textures and body types, though few if any secondary sex characteristics; four limbs are most common, though occasionally some have two or more sets of arms; different types of leaves/vines/blossoms/etc in lieu of hair), and though they have a barter-based economy there’s still a lot of classism that’s mostly based around lineage (and thus evinced by one’s appearance and the traits one manifests). to protect (or attempt to bolster) those lineages, prospective parents can apply for a spot in a nursery, where their offspring are propagated and tended--mostly just through infancy before going to live with parents, though sometimes longer, and the very high class have private nurseries that will do all the rearing so they don’t have to.

But, on very rare occasions, certain wild plants will spontaneously develop sentience, and even more rarely will survive on their own long enough to find their way to a community. Hundreds of years ago (or “before the bees could speak”, which is their version of “once upon a time”), these spontaneous growths were revered and cherished, and whoever was first to encounter one would see it as a great honor to be responsible for their care and upbringing. now, with a much more striated society, these “weeds” (derogatory) are considered inferior, feral, dangerous. fortunately for Antheia, the man who found her, tangled in marsh reeds under the light of the Honey Moon, didn’t buy into any of that bullshit. he was a really sweet dad, very attentive and doting on his increasingly-strange adopted daughter; they were very close. but the older she got, the more her unusual ability developed, and the more he realized he was well out of his depth to help her understand that part of herself. eventually, she’s sent away to a kind of temple/convent for other people like her, where she’s trained to hone and control her extra senses, rather than be overwhelmed by them.

many years later, the sudden appearance of several large starships in their atmosphere turns their society on its head. it turns out, the bee-people have been traveling to other planets, forging alliances, brokering deals; they claim they just want to facilitate inter-planetary trade. Antheia is among the first to mistrust these invading aliens and their fleet of well-armed droids who seem hell-bent on mining their planet (which is, apparently, rich with cortosis, which--thank you wookiepedia--is apparently capable of repelling lightsabers and blasterfire alike). She flees her convent, joins up with an underground network of resistance fighters, discovers that her hyperawareness makes her a truly formidable force on the battlefield, and helps lead her people in defending the sovereignty of their home. And then things take a turn for the worse...but we don’t need to get into that right now.

ANYWAY.

my other oc, Shoal, is from the same planet but not even remotely star-warsy; either from a different time period well before the droid incursion, or just like an AU of my own stuff, idk. but she’s great, i love her deeply even though i dont really know what i even want to do with her yet. i mostly just was thinking about what a normal, average person in this world would be like, but then i got too attached. she’s also one of the spontaneous “weeds”, a semi-aquatic plant girl that washed up on a sandbar that occasionally connects a small island with the mainland when the tide is out. she was sort of “found” by multiple people at the same time, since they were making their way across to go trade goods at the mainland market, so to avoid the confusion of who should be responsible for her, she’s just sort of raised by the village as a whole. they name her Shoal, since that’s where they found her (it started as a joke, but then no one could agree on anything else to call her so it just sort of...stuck).

she grows up without realizing that it’s a pretty unusual upbringing. as a teen, she gains the reputation for the island’s best fisher (it helps that she can breathe as well underwater as above, and she’s always been a good swimmer). one thing that’s pretty consistent among all the plant people are their teeth--they all have long, sharp incisors and canines because sexy and also as more of a defense mechanism than a dietary one. they don’t eat much, typically absorbing nutrients from the sun/water/air/soil (mud baths are such a beloved experience, like for the most part they are very dignified people but find them some good mud and they will wallow for days) but when they do it’s pretty meat-heavy. they don’t really enjoy the process of eating very much, especially because they don’t have much gut bacteria so they typically have to swallow some stones to break up their food and nobody wants to do all that. but, at least in the coastal towns near where Shoal grew up, fresh-caught fish is considered a delicacy, and they can trade for quite a lot in return.

as she gets older, though, she starts getting restless. she loves her village, but it’s all she’s ever really known. also, it is so hard to even consider dating when literally everyone your age is practically your sibling, i mean, yeesh. so one day she just packs her bags and says her goodbyes and waits for low tide, then sets off to find her own way in the great wide world. she stops wherever she can, sees everything she can, but eventually settles down working at a tavern in a medium-sized town that’s mostly acclaimed for being a crossroads between bigger and better places. she likes it there, likes getting to know lots of new people and hearing about someone else’s travels more than she actually liked traveling herself. after a few years, the tavern-keeper retires and decides to leave the place to her, and she finds she’s become a permanent fixture in this new community. that’s really all i have for her so far, and i have no idea whether i’ll ever actually do anything with this character lol, but still she is very precious to me so i hope i find a story she’d be a good match for sometime soon.

[leatherjacketjacker]

(I'm sorry your weekend was disappointing. :( Tell us about an AU you have for Raoul.)

((...I’m literally drawing a blank right now. I have very few AU’s when it comes to characters, and most of the ones involving Raoul just shove him into a different TF universe besides G1.))

((One of the TFA ones involves him discovering one of Headmaster’s hidden mecha projects [abandoned since he’s in jail], and using it to fight in underground Robo-Rumble’s to win some easy cash...then suddenly finds himself as an accidental hero when he uses it to stop another TFA human villain mid-heist, while the city thinks he’s an Autobot Optimus sent back to Earth from Cybertron!))

((This sucks. He can’t earn cash as a ‘noble hero’, and now the Robo-Rumble won’t accept him as a fighter!))

((But then again, his neighbourhood’s never been so peaceful since ‘WindWinder’ decided to hang out there...))

[smileforsmilez]

Ice Mechs :

- Known for their capability to withstand sub zero temperatures and working closely to the Cold Cores. Ice mining is their profession and export as well as mining for frozen energon crystals that form within or close to the ice.

- Their frames are the biggest among the tunnel dwellers, more commonly their height sometimes rival Ultra Magnus himself. Most frames are indeed heavy duty, like freightliners, trucks, etc. They specialize in durability and strength.

- The most notable community would be the ones beneath Iacon, they are the closest allies with the Core Smiths of Nyon and a few Sea Mech communities

- They have a notable accent thick with glyphs spoken in Old Cybertronian or otherwise sound Norse to humans.

Core Smiths :

- Some are capable of withstanding most metal melting points and work closely with hot spot areas before the war. Are the original forgers and blacksmiths of Cybertron before the factories and cold constructs became more common.

- Majority are in fact racer frames. Their slim frames allow them to work on the most delicate details of their craft. Speed, accuracy and detail are their specialty. Their tolerance to a number of toxins is due to the hazardous environment they grew to get used to since the factories were built right above them.

- The Core Smiths were the first to start dwindling when the council introduced new methods to develop protoform frames. The last known city belonging to these Smiths were that of Nyon before the evacuation order.

- Their accent borders between Irish and Scottish.

Sea Jacks :

- The smallest of the tunnel dwellers, less than half their population are minicons. They’re the best when it comes to some of the denser and wilder environments any other normal mech would’ve perished. Traders by heart and excellent navigators by instinct. 

- Their duty is to monitor, rehabilitate and record the mechanical on the planet. The eco system of the planet is just as important for Cybertron’s balance as any other natural part of it. The world beneath the Rust Seas are filled with more life than anyone on the surface would ever know of.

- Their small frames are capable of adapting to numerous climates given time but they especially thrive around the equator. These mechs specialize on adapting and were the first to leave the planet when the council was starting to pressure them.

- Routes and maps were charted in unrivalled detail by the Sea Jacks and are sought for by both sides. When they started leaving the planet, they left secret routes for the other communities to escape and left details for which colonies would suit their respective clans.

- Their accent is mostly on the Southeastern side but part of their adapting programming allows them to learn and adopt other accents and languages smoothly, allowing for them to remain unseen flawlessly.

Extra Notes :

- The clans are lead by heads of house. Each clan has their own respective head of house.

- Optimus belongs to House Pax, a noble and humble clan that has led the Ice Mechs as a whole for eons.

- Rodimus belongs to House Igneous, aka the mad house, aka the house of flames, aka Pax’ BFF

- Wasp is actually the son of a Sea Jack and is fluent in Whisper as his creators were.

[smileforsmilez]

Tunnels Mech lore :

-As keepers of Cybertron’s older and far hidden history, their stories can be found carved all over the tunnel walls and passed down through word of mouth. Alpha Trion has a small collection of books, yes books not data pads, he hid somewhere on Cybertron as well as a few written things by both Optimus and Rodimus during their time with him.

- In the earlier days of the war, there had been an unspoken rule not to interrupt any tunnel system or passage to let the Tunnels Mech do their work. Even the Decepticons knew well of this rule.

- A few Tunnels Mech had joined the Decepticons when the council was starting to try to replace them, they never revealed who they were unless to each other.

- Some Tunnels Mechs had been victims of empurata during the war, mostly the ever wandering Sea Jacks. They either offlined themselves or lived on off planet when they started leaving, looking for better places where their gifts can be accepted.

- Because of their extreme attention to detail, Core Smiths have rumors of being able to fix an empurata before to near perfection. It was also why the council targeted to rid of them first.

- There is a way to find out if someone is a Tunnels Mech but only they know.

Ice Mechs

- They have incredibly chilled breaths. One huff can leave frost on glass.

- Most wear mouth guards or masks to hide it.

Core Smiths

-When their frame heats up at a certain degree, gold patterns will start to show.

- The patterns are part of the frame, they can be painted over but they do burn through paint when they heat up.

Sea Jacks

- Middle segments of their fingers and tips are decorated with black patterns. These signify the bloodline and individuality of a Sea Jack. Some may have similar patterns but different positions.

- They have sensors at the very tip of their fingers. They can measure and detect air currents, sea currents and vibrations along surfaces.

( Yes, Wasp is a Sea Jack)

[smileforsmilez]

Tfa Underground City Au

Chapter 3

" And then they were back to normal, like nothing ever happened." Sari told the bots the next day. " Meanwhile, I'm stuck riding home with no dry clothes and an Autobot who's car mode doesn't have a heater!" She gives a small sniff, wrapping the blanket around her closer with one hand as the other held the warm mug of cocoa.

" You showed a lot of courage and ingenuity, Sari." Optimus told her. " And hopefully, you'll stop...backfiring soon." Human biology was still taking time for him wrap his processor around, he can only hope it isn't anything bad. He knows some bots can't handle the cold, extreme temperatures could kill a bot if they weren't built for it.

" And what about you, Optimus?" He blinks out of his thoughts, Sari had finished her rant and all attention turned to him. " Bulkhead said you weren't....yourself yesterday. Fanzone says it was like you were possessed or something. What happened?"

" Yeah, bossbot." Bumblebee joined in. " Also, who's the new guy at the med bay?"

" How did you-" Prowl began.

" I saw him on the floor this morning, he's huge!" The minibot held back a chirp. He couldn't let anyone find out he could smell the bot.

" There's a new guy in the med bay?" Sari asked curiously.

" Optimus found him trapped in ice, way deep in a cave...in Lake Erie." Bulkhead emerged from the corner with a concerned look. " Ratchet says he's stable but he's in forced stasis right now."

" I though there was something down there." Bumblebee mutters.

" Really?" Prowl asked him skeptically.

" Call it a hunch." The minibot insisted with a smirk, a bit of fang poking out. Prowl refuted with his own remark and soon Bulkhead had to diffuse the situation while Optimus managed to slip away.

" Going somewhere, Prime?" Ratchet asked before Optimus could step outside. " Do you realize who you brought in yesterday?"

" I do." He answered after a stroke of silence. Ratchet waited for the Prime to add anything, his blue optics giving off an icy feel to it as he stared back at the medic. " Just- Please keep him alive." His frame sagged with a low sigh, helm hanging low as he stepped out for patrol.

" Of course," The medic mutters low to no one in particular. He heads back into the base, passing by Bulkhead discussing something with Sari in the living space and Prowl meditating in his room. He slows down halfway to the med bay upon hearing a series of clicks and chirps. Quietly, he started to approach the entrance, a small shadow cast on the wall. Battle protocols spring to life as he activated his magnets, lowering himself to a defensive position.

The chittering noises continued, it sounded far too arranged to be random and listening closely it sounds more like a sentence or several sentences. Is it talking? That didn't matter because whoever it was, it's an insecticon of all things. Those things aren't supposed to be on Earth, much less in the med bay of their base. From the size of the shadow, he's hoping it to be pretty small. He wanted to call Optimus or Prowl to be safe but froze immediately at what he saw right then.

Bumblebee stared back at the medic with wide optics, all the noises he made muted by Ratchet's presence. He opened his intake to say something, anything to explain himself. Ratchet flinched and only then he realized his mandibles were still sticking out from the extended corners of his lips. He covers his servos over his intake immediately with a silent gasp, folding the mandibles back into its place behind his first set of jaws. 

" Kid?" Ratchet finally spoke, he looked like he was deciding whether or not he was hallucinating. Bumblebee took a few steps away from the bot on the ground, optics darting frantically between them.

" I can explain!" The minibot says quickly with a hint of his glossa making a small clicking noise. He stays there, trying to make himself smaller than he already is as Ratchet cycles his optics. " I was just curious, honest! I wasn't doing anything and I didn't touch any of your tools. I just..."

" You're an insecticon." The medic states blankly.

" I...half, actually." He corrects the medic with a nervous chuckle. The silence grows as the medic steps into the med bay slowly with a soft sigh. He kneels down to the big bot on the floor since none of their medical berths were big enough, checking the vitals silently as the minibot rubs his servo nervously. He wasn't sure what he should be doing next. He could run but where would he even go? " I just wanted to know why he and bossbot smell different." He says ever so quietly. " I thought they were like...from a different hive or something. I, uh, don't know a lot of insecticons other than my carrier." He trails off.

" Does anyone else know?" He blinks at the sudden question as Ratchet finally turns to him. He shakes his head passively. The old medic ran a hand over his face plate, shoulders sagging with a low sigh. " They're not insecticons, Bumblebee." He tells the hybrid with an even voice.

" Then what?" He inquired. Wasp had a different smell too, but he thought the green minibot had been a Decepticon spy. Imagine how surprised he'd been to think he'd literally sniff out a 'Con. The only problem being the 'Cons he met on Earth smelled different too, Starscream and Blitzwing had individual scents like any other bot he's met. Optimus and the stasis bot were similar somehow, he couldn't tell what but it was there. They weren't insecticons but they do belong somewhere. " Ratchet, who is this?"

[smileforsmilez]

TFA (Underground City AU)

Optimus is part of an underground society of tunnel dwellers. Beneath certain cities like Iacon, Nyon, etc, are a network of underground tunnels and settlements who are in charge of keeping Cybertron running from the inside and the residents informally known as Tunnels Mechs. The most notable efforts being keeping the global temperature of Cybertron stable enough to be habitable and monitoring the natural energon supplies all over the planet. There are the Ice Mechs, Core Smiths, Sea Jacks.

-Tunnels Mechs are keepers to a majority of Cybertron’s lore and culture before, during and after the war. They even have their own form of communication known as Whispers by outsiders.

-Deep within the layers of the planet, numerous environments thrive and are monitored by both the tunnel mechs and the Autobot Commonwealth. 

-Old Autobots and Decepticons alike have some degree of respect for any Tunnels Mech as they refused to join either side of the war to keep the planet functioning and alive. Their workload tripled when the Autobots sent away the All Spark through a space bridge portal. The council has been making efforts to slowly replace the Tunnels Mechs and their roles since before the war and so sought out to completely rid of them with their tech.

- Knowing the council was going to get rid of them, the Tunnels Mechs either left the planet completely or integrated into normal society. Their frames share numerous similarities to civilian frames, making them impossible to track down.

-Optimus and Rodimus will be amica endurae in this au as they’re both Tunnels Mechs, Ice Mech and Core Smith respectively.

-Optimus is known as Orion Pax in the tunnels.

[smileforsmilez]

TFA Underground City Au Chapter 1

The cold thin air carried the echo of tinkering axes, the rattling of pulley chains and a low whistle. The melody carries on with the rhythm of their movement, matching each strike on the icy surface. He vents a breath of frost, blue optics wanders the area hazily.

" 'Rion, c'mere!" His finials flicked at the direction of the gruff voice, helm turning just in time as big hands wrapped around him and soon he found himself face to face with a very big war frame. " Yer still too little to even hold an 'axe, little Pax." He stares back at the yellow optics of the war frame and smiled. He vents a sigh and lifts the little mech over his shoulder kibble. " Let's get you back to yer creators, kid."

Optimus wakes up from his recharge wearily. He sits up from his berth and stretches his limbs lightly before moving to leave the room. He pauses as he briefly glances over the wing piece, he should probably put that away at some point, and picks up his axe. Twirling the weapon in his hand, he smiles at the familiar weight of it and subspaces it before leaving the room.

The cool morning air greeted him as he stepped out of the base for his early morning patrol at 5 a.m. local time. Snow covered the ground around him, filling his vision with the familiar pure white view. He took a moment to really let it all in, closing his optics as snow slowly piled over the tip of his helm cap. The sensation filled his frame with a sense of longing and a certain calmness took over as he relaxed. Adding winter to the list of things he enjoyed about the planet.

The drive was relatively peaceful, watching the lights of the buildings light up one by one as the sun has barely risen, humans doing their morning chores and getting ready for the day. Soon, more vehicles fill the roads as they all rush to their destinations. It was like watching the world 'wake up'. By the time he reached back to base, Prowl was already awake and refueling with Ratchet.

" Morning, Prime." Ratchet greeted him as Prowl muttered his own " Good morning,"

" Good morning." He replies with a smile beneath his mask.

" How was patrol?" Prowl asked him.

" Uneventful, thankfully. Snow's a bit thicker today so you might wanna be careful while driving for your patrol later." He informed the ninjabot, receiving an acknowledged nod in return. " Where's Bumblebee and Bulkhead?"

" Bulkhead's helping Fanzone out to get around for the day. Bumblebee's sleeping in." Ratchet sipped his warm fuel.

" Video games." Prowl deadpanned and the medic snorted. It was a typical habit of the young bot these days, Sari wasn't exactly helping him curb that habit either. The ninjabot later leaves for his patrol while Bumblebee finally wakes up after sleeping in for several hours, just in time for Bulkhead to return after picking up Sari from Sumdac Tower.

" Alright, here we are, kid." Fanzone stepped out of the green truck, Sari already heading to the couch with a new video game to play with Bumblebee.

" Woah, Speed Rush 3?" The yellow minibot whistled. " I tried getting this game two days ago but they sold out! How?" He asked the girl with a click of his glossa, a habit he's always had when he's curious.

" I have my ways." The red haired girl shrugs before plugging it into the console. " I get first player!"

" Aw, come on!" Captain Fanzone sighed with exasperation, kids these days are all the same. Bot or not.

" Do you need a ride back, Captain Fanzone?" Bulkhead offered politely.

" Later, thanks. I need to talk to your boss first." He looked around the Autobot base, they did what they could to clean up the place he'll give them that. Bulkhead takes him to some sort of computer space next to the living space, giant monitors and all.

" Is something wrong, Captain Fanzone?" Low and behold, the Prime himself crouches in front of him to hear him out. The captain couldn't help feel a little intimidated by the Prime's height, the Decepticons were worse, sure but he was still a giant compared to an average human like himself. The fact he never takes off that battle mask just adds to the intimidation. Does he ever take it off?

" The mayor called, needs your help supervising this company from Norway coming over to Lake Erie for the ice this year." He ignores the way the Prime seemed to add more focus on him, as if he said some sort of trigger word.

" The ice?" Bulkhead tilts his head lightly as Optimus' optics seem to gleam at the mention of it without the green bot noticing.

" Ice mining, it's an old trade but an active one. It's mostly for commercial purposes these days. For like, ice sculptures and stuff like that" He informs them and the Prime gave him a thoughtful, amused hum. "I heard there's this camping ground in New Hampshire still uses natural ice to keep cabins cool."

" Oh?" He could feel the Prime smile, looks like the big bot likes ice. " Then Bulkhead should be able to head out first. I'll join you later after I sort out a few things, alright?"

[smileforsmilez]

TFA Underground City AU Part 3 (Optimus, Rodimus, Alpha Trion)

Optimus Prime (aka Orion Pax of House Pax) :

- He’s mostly the same here but he does have a small grudge against both Ultra Magnus and Sentinel. Sentinel for Archa 7 and Ultra Magnus for allowing the council to replace the Ice Mechs with their own system. He also has a habit of whistling and humming while he works, no specific tune.

- He attended the academy out of pure interest, having hopes to bring a better future for the Tunnels Mechs.

- He grew up mostly in the tunnels before being passed over to Alpha Trion for Archivist training where he could start blending in with the surface mechs. Alpha Trion is not a Tunnels Mech, he adopted one and is well versed in Whispers. Eventually Orion joined the academy without Alpha Trion’s knowledge and was already in too deep for the old mech to get him out of it.

- The day the tunnels were sealed haunts him as much as the events of Archa 7 because it meant that officially, the Tunnels Mechs were dead to the council. Alpha Trion and Perceptor were the only ones who’d been against it.

- He has never taken off his battle mask in front of anyone on the surface except Alpha Trion and Ratchet during a much needed medical check-up.

- He is surprisingly skilled enough to go against war frames for an Autobot, that is from experience long before he’s even seen any Decepticon. 

Rodimus Prime (aka Hot Rod of House Igneous) :

- As serious as he is on duty, he behaves a lot like Lost Light Rodimus on his off time.

- Flaming up is something only House Igneous is capable of.

- He visits the Hall of Records often to see Orion through a secret entrance only he, Alpha Trion and Optimus knew of.

- He attended the academy after Orion, with the same hopes for his people. Ever since the factories were built, Nyans were dying fast due to the toxic fumes in releases into the tunnels. He knew the council was trying to kill them off and was the one who believed Orion can make a difference when news of him attending the academy became known.

- When the tunnels were being sealed, there was a grave issue with the main heated cores. The extreme heat and the toxic fumes caused mechs to burn from the inside out and Rodimus watched as mechs burned with their melted insides leaking all over the place. He had to personally seal the tunnel exit when the fumes were starting to rise. It would’ve killed the remaining survivors who barely escaped.

- He keeps in touch with Optimus even after he was expelled.

Alpha Trion :

- He meets Orion as a mechling when he visits the tunnels to see an old friend.

- Orion was passed over to him to begin integration as an Archivist but the boy joined the academy in the middle of training.

- He manages to secure Optimus onto a ship off planet as a space bridge repair crew as he feared the council would kill him if they found out some Tunnels Mechs still lived among them.

- He keeps a personal record of any history related to Tunnels Mechs and sure enough, the council had already begun purging them from public records.

- He was devastated when Optimus went missing and quickly contacted Rodimus to check on him. He sends Rodimus on a repair crew for his own safety but monitored him from time to time.

[smileforsmilez]

TFA Underground City AU Part 4 (Team Prime)

Ratchet :

- He’s known a number of Tunnels Mech throughout his life and it saddened him when more were coming to his illegal clinic at Dead End in secret.

- He mostly treated Core Smiths for their unfortunate toxic circumstances. Sea Jakcs were second with a few wounds they wouldn’t say from where during their daredevil travels to the lands beneath the Rust Seas, it broke him when they suddenly stopped coming in one day. Ice Mechs were a bit of a rarity, he usually had to come to them at one of their entrances because of how shy these large mechs surprisingly were.

- He’d be lying if he said he didn’t owe his life to at least a dozen of these mechs when they helped him during the war. Sea Jacks would keep him from being lost, Core Smiths made sure he always had enough tools in his emergency field kit and the Ice Mechs tend to smuggle him through tunnels when no one is looking to help him reach his destination safely.

- He saved a critically injured Sea Jack once when the tunnels were sealed, his last Tunnels Mech patient. The mech disappeared after he was cleared.

Prowl :

- He’s only vaguely heard of Tunnels Mechs through rumors during and before the war. He respects them well enough for keeping Cybertron alive.

- He asked Yoketron once and the old master told him that he cannot speak of them so openly anymore. He’s told that they are the balance of the war as two sides were destroying the planet, they work to restore it. He told them the three kinds of Tunnels Mechs and their main duties, warning Prowl to not speak of them to anyone.

- He always found Optimus to be suspicious at first, feeling a sort of different aura to him. He almost catches Optimus without the battle mask but Ratchet advised him to forget about it for his own good.

- The moment he got the hint, he was respectful to the Prime’s privacy and more fascinated in what kind of Tunnels Mech he was. In short, he lowkey thinks Optimus is cool.

Bulkhead :

- He’s only heard one story of Tunnels Mechs from his creators back on the energon farm. An Ice Mech had rescued his creator during an electrical storm when he was knocked out by the surge of energy, the Tunnels Mech had carried him home and disappeared immediately after. He shared the story with Bumblebee when they were assigned together to the repair crew.

- He always thought Optimus was a pretty good leader given the circumstances and respected his privacy. Every mech has their secrets.

- He caught Optimus singing once. The bossbot has a great voice.

Bumblebee ( He’s part Insecticon in the AU) :

- He’s always been interested in Bulkhead’s Tunnel Mech stories. He wonders how many were still out there. Why were they hiding? What happened to them? Why hasn’t he ever heard of any of them.

- The first time he meets Optimus, he already felt something off about the bossbot. He shrugs it off most of the time.

- The first thing he thought when he overheard the Prime humming while working was “ Is he like me?”.

- When he caught Prime curse something in Whisper, he was even more convinced the bossbot could be an Insecticon.

- He wanted to ask but he needed to be more careful here. The last time he suspected someone to be like him was Wasp and the mech already knew what he was. Wasp isn’t as mean to him as in TFA, he mostly ignores him. They might be similar but they were different, his instincts told him that much. In the end, the green minibot was no insecticon as he hoped.

- Ratchet’s never treated an insecticon(thankfully), he’s just confused why a minibot needed a second set of jaws and seams around his mouth.

- He chirps and clicks when he’s alone.

[smileforsmilez]

Tunnels Mech Character List

Ice Mechs :

- Optimus

- Skyfire

- Tailgate

- Perceptor

Core Smiths :

- Rodimus

- Rosanna

- Yoketron

- Ambulon

Sea Jacks :

- Wasp

- Deadlock//Drift

- Minimus Ambus

- Dominus Ambus

Miners / Warframes taking refuge with Tunnels Mechs

- Terminus

- Impactor

- Brainstorm

- Springer

( I’m open to suggestions is you guys have any)

( I may or may not be getting ready to write this into a fanfic)

[smileforsmilez]

Tfa Underground City Au

Chapter 2

After assigning Prowl, Bumblebee and Sari to a camping trip just outside the city, Optimus made his way to Lake Erie where a group of humans were already working to harvest the ice from the lake. He pulls up behind one of the ice house trucks and transforms, he catches Bulkhead sitting by the river bank with one or two kids, he believes to be brought along with the ice miners. Glancing around quickly, he removes his mask briefly and playfully huffs at one of the truck windows before snapping it back on. He chuckles to himself as he watches the frost bloom over the glass.

" Hello, Captain." Prime greeted him politely.

" There you are. Big Green's already distracted by some kids the ice guys brought along to watch them work."

" I can see that." Optimus chuckles. " Didn't know it was even possible to mine ice at this lake. The climate doesn't seem to be very...suitable."

" That's the magic of the lake, my friend." One of the miners says to him as he walks over to them with two cups of cocoa, handing one over to the Captain, to which he delightfully accepts. " The ice is thicker and stronger than anything we've ever seen, not even the ones at home could compare to it."

" Really?" Optimus received a nod, his head finials twitched as one of the workers started to whistle a tune, another smiled as he recognizes it and starts to sing as he worked. The chorus grew with hums, various baritones of voices and rhythms as even the children were singing along. What caught them by surprise was when a new voice joined in with the beat, they all turned to see who it had been and were amazed by the sight of Optimus Prime himself singing a shanty. Priding themselves to their work, they mined with a newfound energy as they vigorously strike the ice with their pickaxes.

" You know that song, bossbot?" Bulkhead asked with a bewildered look.

" While going through information about your planet, I cam across a few sea shanties and couldn't help myself from there." Optimus explained to the bot and humans present.

" We're honored!" The miner laughed. "You know, regarding the magic of the lake, Lake Erie was always strangely colder than any natural body of water in its environment but during the winter, it freezes over completely and the ice, just look at it." He points out with one of the harvested samples nearby, the fine frost patterns were swirling and spreads over it beautifully shaped like flickering flames. " Isn't it wonderful?"

" It's...really pretty, actually." The Captain admits. " What do you think, Prime?" He turned over to the Autobot in question when he didn't receive an answer. The Prime was much closer than he thought, he was leaning down lower than usual and his optics were wide with shock. " Prime?" The captain takes a half step back nervously as the Prime's optics bore into the ice like he was trying to cut it with his gaze alone.

Finally, the Autobot Commander blinked and rose from his position on the ground. He took long strides towards the lake, taking his axe from his subspace and stepping onto the lake's hard surface.

" Uh, Optimus?" Bulkhead called out with concern, afraid the ice would give way over the weight and the missing pieces that had already been removed. Yet he continued to stride forward, causing a few humans to immediately abandon their tools and jump out of his way.

" Is he malfunctioning?" One of the workers asked with concern as they gave him a wide berth. He stops at one point of the lake, kneeling down on one knee before placing a hand over the hard surface.

" Prime, what's going on with you?" The human captain called out to him. Neither of them has ever seen such a grave look on his face. Bulkhead opted to comm. Ratchet over the situation as the Prime raised his axe high, bringing it down onto the ice. He cuts a perfect wide square into the frozen lake with a precision the ice miners could recognize.

" Bulkhead." The green bot stilled as those icy optics looked his way. The Prime removed his grapple and tossed it at his direction. " Hang onto that and if I yank twice, pull me out." He ordered and dove into the freezing waters before anyone could react. Instinctively, Bulkhead hung onto the line from the safety of the banks.

:: Uh....Ratchet?:: Bulkhead commed the medic.

:: I was expecting Prowl or Bumblebee to call in.:: He heard the medic grumble. :: What is it, Bulk?:: The medic sipped his fuel as the green bot gave his report, resulting in him spitting it back out again. " He WHAT?!"

[smileforsmilez]

Tfa underground city au extra facts :

- Optimus was trained by a miner who took refuge with the Tunnels Mech before he joined the academy

- Perceptor can use a sniper. Efficiently. (now to kill Sentinel.)

- Wasp escapes the stockades with a few other mechs instead of alone. Including Whirl.

- The Elite Guard are screwed when they get to Earth because 1. There’s Skyfire now, 2. Optimus is done with their bs 3. You just don’t mess with Tunnels Mechs

[smileforsmilez]

List of Tunnels Mech songs and dances, etc

- Carry the 'Axe. A mining shanty that's common among the Ice Mechs as they mine frozen energon crystals. It entails that as one should work with all the spark while being cautious and the final verses encourages the miners to always return home.

- Song of Fire. A lullaby sung across the forges of Core Smiths to their young. (Among all the songs in the forge, this was Rodimus' favourite.)

- Remember Jack. This is more of a short nursery rhyme for young Sea Jacks. Reminding them to mind their manners, watch over one another and to be brave no matter what.

- Stockades Song. This song was written by a poetic Sea Jack named Jetstream who suffered empurata but still had the confidence to write. This song being the most popular for its playfully catchy tune yet grim theme. It's sung regularly among fellow Tunnels Mechs to honour the ones lost to the Stockades merciless ways.

- Ravine Chant. Written by the same Sea Jack, this song has the same playful tone and entails the more optimistic side of being trapped in a deep ravine that's surprisingly rich in wildlife. Sung often during travels.

- Arisen. A very old song said to have originated from the earliest days of Cybertron. They say the song talks of the Tunnels Mechs rising to the surface when the stars call for them. The song is more of a marching song sung while walking.

- Home Once More. Is a song dedicated to a family of Ice Mechs who'd gone missing during an ice wave, leaving the grandparents of the family all alone in their large home. They reminise the days their home would be filled with noise. The three younglings playing around, the soft spoken carrier who cared for them all and their only son, the sire who helps them whenever he can. The song beckons them to return and make their house feel like home once more in soft gentle tones.

- Dream Together. The traditional Core Smith proposal song. For the classiest of mecha to make their move. More modern versions have been made to be shorter and precise but nothing beats the original dramatic flare.

- The Tunnels Path. A dance and song written by a surface mech who fell in love with a Tunnels Mech. He wrote the song in his beloved's point of view, painting her as an enchanting beauty straight out of a fable. Much like an elf to a human. The dance formed around the instrumental song contained moves that would bring out the best of any mech regardless of frame type, practically dedicated for mixed couples. The dance is easy to learn and is performed solely by mixed couples. It represents unity among them and bonds that go beyond the boundaries of the tunnels.

- Flickering Waltz. A dedicated and dramatic dance designed by a Core Smith choreographer out of spite against a surface mech colleague that may resemble the dancing flickering flames. Known by both the surface and the tunnels as a difficult form to master and smugly designed to be much easier for speed frames, especially those who worked in the forge. This dance is a choreographed to say " Kiss my aft." in the most flashy way possible.

- Ribbon Dance. This dance is performed by Ice Mech youths during festivals. Each mech would have a white ribbon with their name written on it. They would hold each other's ribbons in pairs, often switching partners and exchanging ribbons. The ribbons would be returned by the end of the dance and are then commonly given to the mech of their interest. (Optimus would always hide away as soon as the dance ends.)

- Does it matter?. This song talks about how people should be minding their own business. Sometimes the lyrics are changed by the singer to fit the situation but the chorus remains the same. " What does it matter to you?" The tone is more casual and often a little melodic with much sarcasm. ( This song is a favourite for private or quiet mechs)

- Impossible Quarry**. Veiled as a two tales of two different groups of four hunters each, hunting down a legendary beast but ultimately failing in their respective hunts is actually a warning to those who have ambitions to hunt the impossible and is split into two parts :

The first part told of a beast that is described as extremely agile, escaping traps and making its own to get back at the hunters. With a slim frame that's as green as emeralds, described with a faceplate white as ash and locked in an everlasting smile. The beast was said to be a prize many had sought and attempts to kill or capture it have always ended up in failure. The beast was cheeky, always taunting its hunters and was always just out of reach. Until for the first time, it was caught. The hunters had placed a very clever trap, making the beast realize that they weren't playing, not anymore. It made its escape as soon as the hunters let their guard down and the never ending hunt continued for their impossible quarry.

The second part entails of a different beast hunted by a different group. The beast was described as a great calamity as it had slain every hunter who dared crossed its path, a designated sign of bad luck upon the sight of its energon coloured armour. The hunters dreamed of hunting down the great beast to show their clan how strong they were. The beast was extremely strong, it was intelligent to know when to finish a fight or when to run. The first choice usually being the case. But at the time, the beast had been hibernating and was peaceful enough to befriend a small, kind, avianoid. The black robotic bird was then caught by the hunters to catch the beast. The beast, having just awaken from hibernation, allowed himself to be captured. The leader had been close to kill the beast in front of his clan, or so it had seemed. The song ends with the leader of the hunters scarred horribly and the beast continues to live free with his avianoid friend close by his side. And so, no one else dared to hunt the impossible quarry.

**This is written as both an easter egg and a teaser for two of Minecraft's greatest all time players. I watched a few videos and could only sum them up as the impossible quarry. I hope you can guess who.

(If you have any more suggestions you can comment below)