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kzele · 53 minutes ago

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Optimus:

"Smokescreen. I vow that once Cybertron is restored and society is back in place, the Mithril Sea will be among the first to be reformed. I was unable to be of much help to those areas when the War started, and so I. . .hope to change that once there is peace."

". . .Optimus, you don't have to make a big vow to me about it. I trust you. Growing up there made me a pretty good judge of character. I wouldn't have jumped at the Autobots if I thought you weren't serious with your ideals, let alone Chromia, and she's waaayyy harder to impress than me."

Ratchet

"Awww, relax Ratch. I'm perfectly fine, the ore-eating didn't happen that often. The babying is totally unnecessary."

"Epepep! I am this team's medic and what I say, goes. It only takes one bad bit of unfiltered ore to trigger a long-term infection. Now, Optimus has given me permission to ground you until I clear you of every possible disease that you could've gotten. YOU can shorten the time by telling me about everything you even looked at while you were living there so I know what tests to run."

Arcee

"The MITHRIL SEA?! The one on Cybertron's top ten cesspit list?!"

"Yep, that's the one."

"I never would have guessed. You seemed so perky and happy to be here. . .I really misjudged you, didn't I?"

"Hey, I thought you already apologized for that. Besides, why wouldn't I be happy to be here? Knowing where I used live, you know Earth's practically a picnic for me. Optimus Prime's team being here just makes it ten times better already."

Bumblebee

"Your sister, does she know she know you made it out of Iacon alive?"

"It's not like I could send her any messages on a Decepticon prison, Bee."

"Right, right. So, you don't know if she made it, either. And if she made it, she DEFINITELY doesn't know you're alive. . .Wow, that really sucks."

" . . .Yeah."

Bulkhead

"Really? You don't have any accent at all! I thought you were some Iacon hotshot."

"Nope. Actually, I learned to cover my accent real fast around those guys. It was one of the few things they could pick on when it came to me."

"Uh-huh. Lemme guess. They didn't like a street kid being there with them?"

"Got that right. Didn't matter, though. Like I said, it was one the FEW things that they could get away with. You should have seen what I pulled on them when they really tried something."

Ultra Magnus

"Um, sir? Thanks for not making a big deal out of where I grew up. I appreciate the concern but it gets a bit much. Ratchet nearly blew a gasket when he found out."

"Ratchet is merely doing his duty as the team's doctor. As Optimus' second, I am doing mine by not coddling you. Besides, as the former leader of the Wreckers, I am well-accustomed to our best soldiers coming from extreme circumstances. It would explain you sister's competence, as well."

"You met Chromia? I don't remember her saying that."

"The mission we met on was perilous. She likely didn't want to worry you, but she handled it well. Well enough that I offered her a place in the Wreckers, as a matter of fact. Knowing what I know now, it's clear WHY she turned it down."

Wheeljack

"Lookin' a little restless, kid. Thinkin' about your sister?"

"Am I that obvious?"

"Being obvious isn't a bad thing, 'specially around people who're SUPPOSED to look out for you. So, what do you need today? Sparring and talking or driving and talking?"

"Do you think we could go with sparring? I was just racing out with Bee and I still feel. . .tense, you know?"

"I know."

Could you give ideas of what the bots' reactions would be to Smokey's less-than-privileged past in your AU? These are my thoughts that you can expand on, if you want.

Optimus: feels terrible that he couldn't give more relief to places like Mithril so younger bots wouldn't have felt pressured to sign up. (Energon was getting scarcer all the time but that still rings a bit hollow as an excuse in his audials.) Also glad that his words gave someone a little more hope. Knows/knew Chromia a little but didn't know her as a person much outside of Prowl's recommendation. Hopes he can see them reunite after the War.

Ratchet: wants to scan thoroughly for anything that might have escaped his initial check-ups. Especially after he hears about Smokescreen having to consume ores and raw materials. Primus, he hadn't expected a shiny Elite Guard graduate to be from such an underdeveloped area. Ratchet's not blind, he knew those areas existed but there had been no outward indication that their recruit had had such hardships. Will def keep a closer eye on him to make sure he isn't masking any other potential problems.

Arcee: well, frag. She thought he was just another one of those glory-happy, sheltered rookies who'd never experienced hardship before; the kind that either fell to pieces the moment they were in trouble or died stupidly bringing everyone else with them. But then, he hasn't fallen apart in the MIDST of any battle, only afterwards when he feels he's screwed it up. Can't imagine why he's as enthusiastic as he is with all the hardship he knows is yet to come.

Bumblebee: yikes. Bee can't imagine what it'd be like to willingly separate from family and then have all that happen. Iacon's fall happened ages so that means she's spent all this time thinking her sibling's dead and now that Smokey's outta stasis, he's prob having similar uncertain thoughts. Not to mention Alpha Trion. . .Welp, he and Bee might not be real siblings but maybe he can substitute. There's not many bots left that are around his age or racers. Now the count is up to two. Until there are more, let's make it as fun as they can!

Bulkhead: feels like he can relate better to the newbie. After all, Bulkhead was low class, too. A laborer, one of the expendable types. Back when he thought he was getting replaced, part of his insecurity was that a high class "Elite Guard" fancy-pants was gonna leave him holding the short end of the stick. It's nice to see a street kid get so far up in training and get a real education that Bulkhead wasn't able to get. Wishes he'd seen the faces on the bullies when they got shown up. Bet they would've turned tail at the thought of Megatron, let alone mouthing off to 'im.

Ultra Magnus: many of the toughest mechs under his command came from bad circumstances. They were better at handling the pressure on average. Smokescreen is no different in that respect, but it's still impressive that someone so young managed to get the discipline he did. Not happy about the stealing but is glad he managed to get out while he was young. Magnus knows all too well that it rarely stops at just stealing and that the older and/or less skilled ones are often forced to prove their worth with more drastic actions.

(May have asked or considered asking Chromia to join the Wreckers??? And she either didn't consider it an option or refused because Wreckers often don't come back and she couldn't do that to him??)

Wheeljack: it's nice that the kid is so tough and spunky. He's a Wrecker, they consider surviving with sanity intact (mostly) a badge of honor. Not to say the kid isn't crazy but it's the fun kinda crazy. The type that gets back up and keeps on truckin'. On the flip side, he'll have to check in on him to make sure Smokescreen's not holding back the emotional stuff til he explodes. As a newbie, he doesn't have the best support yet among the team. Will keep an extra eye out for news of Chromia and also the Axelators. Knows a potential recipe for vengeance when he sees it. People that use others always get the most offended when the tables are turned.

@kzele you know me well to ask that question. This is gonna be fun!

Optimus Prime

To say he's emotionally reeling would be an understatement, as well as the only admittance you could pry from Optimus' mouth.

Places like the Mithril Sea were locations Optimus longed to improve. Not only was it a hotbed for cutthroat activities and an economic nightmare, but most younglings in the Mithril Sea only reached Bumblebee's age before dying preemptively due to gang wars and overdoses*. It was also the place where down-on-their-luck veterans went, usually never seeing a familiar face again. To learn that Smokescreen, a youth so bright and eager, hailed from the Sea was both Spark-breaking and inspiring.

Smokescreen's recollections of the Sea, while casual and occasionally nostalgic, hurt to hear. Knowing that he willingly gave up portions of energon for the War (my fault), that he struggled to survive during the War with his sister gone (my fault), and that he was desperate enough to actually enlist in the Elite Guard (I am so, so sorry, Smokescreen), Optimus can't help but feel guilty. If he'd been more patient, considered that the Mithril Sea might have had some younger 'Bots willing to risk it all for the Autobot cause, then Smokescreen would have never had to suffer like this.

Optimus finds small comfort in knowing that his words gave Smokescreen such hope. At least the young mech had something to guide him as the War stretched on.

The name Chromia rings a few bells. Optimus recalls Prowl's reports of the young femme's missions, and it was rare for his captain to lie about a younger recruit's skills. Because of this, and the fact that Prowl had to direct operations in Praxus, he never got to meet Smokescreen's sister. The last he'd heard, she was being transferred to Ironhide's unit when they abandoned Cybertron.

He hopes that she still functions, and that he can see the brother and sister reunited.

Ratchet

As chief medical officer, Ratchet is exercising his power to order Smokescreen's aft to the medbay for a solid day to run diagnostic scans and check-ups. It doesn't matter how well he was when they found him: the Mithril Sea is known for sicknesses, and - WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ATE RAW MATERIALS FROM THE SEA?! THEY HAVE NO CLEAN PROCESSING PLANTS THERE, YOU COULD HAVE HAD AN INFECTION AND STILL BE SUFFERING FROM IT!!

Ratchet's swearing and grumbling is the only way he can operate without resorting to physical violence as he tends to a (remarkably) healthy Smokescreen. He's beyond astounded and flabbergasted to learn of Smokescreen's history as a native Mithrilian. Most of the older recruits from the Sea showed signs of malnourishment just in the dullness of their plating alone, never mind the weak frames they sported. It's why he and countless other medics had them recommended as snipers; not only were their optics the sole healthy thing about them, but one recoil from any weapon heavier than the rifles was liable to throw out the 'Bot's shoulder.

Still, that does explain the young mech's light fingers. He'll also have to ask about those Axelators. Ratchet could care less about the methods he took to survive, but if even one of those 'Bots had had a serious illness, Smokescreen might be unknowingly carrying it.

Smokescreen's sister sounds like a reliable femme. Ratchet will have to thank her for all the hard work she put into raising him; he doubts Smokescreen would have graduated the Elite Guard as healthily as he did without Chromia's care.

Ratchet will also be examining her health record - once he's made sure Smokescreen's fine and won't go eating Earth minerals when they're low on energon.

Arcee

Frag. Frag, frag - you know what? Infinite frag. How is it Arcee keeps putting her pede in her mouth with this kid?

For months she'd thought Smokescreen was your typical, wide-eyed youngling eager for the glory of War. Her peer Sideswipe had been like that, even though he was ahead of her by only a few courses (given his gladiator history though, that was to be expected.) Smokescreen's attitude, in hindsight, might have reminded her of the crimson warrior. It's still no excuse for how long she treated him like a glass doll that would break on the field - especially since he'd never been stupid enough to fall apart in battle or get any of them killed, sans his accidental shot at the energon leak from his escape pod.

That doesn't fully explain his personality, though. Arcee would have thought his experience in the Mithril Sea would have hardened Smokescreen. Made him standoffish, or bitingly rough with others due to the notorious hardships swarming the Sea. Taking into account all he's been through since then as well, it's a miracle Smokescreen's as perky as he is.

Y'know, day after day, Arcee's beginning to see just why the Matrix chose him...

Bumblebee

So...Smokescreen has a sister, who probably thinks he's one with the AllSpark due to Iacon falling millennia ago, Smokescreen himself might be thinking the same, and to top it all off his mentor died in the fall. Even though Bee is an orphan, he has no idea how Smokescreen's holding it all together, because if the roles were reversed, he'd be screaming or passed out by now.

And that's not even getting into how he grew up in the freaking Mithril Sea.

Kaon might be the worst place on Cybertron, but Primus is the Mithril Sea horrible on its own. Street gangs, black market deals, rust cloud storms that carry disease - Bee heard about all the things associated with the place. To just think that Smokescreen, let alone Chromia (he thinks he might have met her in passing once, but he's not sure anymore), survived to adulthood is incredible and miraculous all at once.

And...Smokescreen might have lost it all. No wonder he didn't bring any of it up right away; it's gotta be eating him up inside.

Maybe, since they're so close in age (comparatively speaking at least), Bee wonders if he can substitute until they learn about Chromia's fate. Besides, if he can play little brother to Smokescreen, maybe he'll feel better. If nothing else, they can have fun while waiting to see who else survived the Exodus.

Distraction might not be the noblest thing, but if it keeps dark thoughts out of Smokescreen's head, Bee's all for it.

Bulkhead

Bulk's a little speechless. He thought Smokescreen was an Iaconian by birth, but this whole time he was actually from one of the working class areas? Now he just feels bad that he'd thought Smokey was a high and mighty upper-class 'Bot eager to take his place when they first met.

It does make him happy, though. If Smokescreen could call the Mithril Sea his home, scrap with the best of them, and still get an education...well, maybe Bulk can at least take some classes when all's settled down for keeps. He'll never have what Smokescreen got blessed with, but if there's still a chance to get some of that, he'll take it.

In the meantime, he's more than satisfied to relate to the kid. And trade stories about growing up in the lower classes. Some of the training days get talked about too, and Bulk's practically rolling from the shenanigans Smokescreen got up to when the others wouldn't take the hint to back off.

Oh Primus, he wishes he could see their faces when they got shown up those times!

Ultra Magnus

Ultra Magnus is not terribly surprised to learn of Smokescreen's upbringing in the Mithril Sea. As a matter of fact, most of the Autobots' best soldiers came from such backgrounds. Having worked with a great deal of them, Ultra Magnus can attest to their excellent performance while under pressure. Dealing with life or death situations constantly has a tendency to bring out the better qualities of survival in a 'Bot.

When taking into account his age, however, Ultra Magnus is impressed by the young mech's discipline. More often than not, it is hard to impress that mindset onto one so young.

The stealing and theft, while disturbing, are understandable. The quality of life in the Mithril Sea was notoriously poor, and it was the only means of survival. However, Ultra Magnus cannot help but be relieved that both Smokescreen's dealings with the Axelators were minor and that he abandoned his home for the Elite Guard at the age he did. He was old enough that, should Smokescreen's situation have become desperate enough to actually join their numbers, he likely would have had to undergo a "rite of passage" that could have entailed a murder. Ultra Magnus has heard of such "trials" in similar locations, and he cannot help but be thankful that happenstance determined he leave when he did.

He recalls meeting with Chromia a few times. Ultra Magnus had worked closely with Prowl, and so the captain had assigned her to some of his field missions over time. He also remembers offering the femme a place with the Wreckers after a particularly rough mission that proved her fighting worth.

Ultra Magnus now understands that the reason for her rejection of his offer stands before him.

Wheeljack

First getting pegged for the Primacy, now this deal about being from the Mithril fragging Sea? Boy, the kid never ceases to amaze.

Most Wreckers end up some form of insane due to the things they witness and have to do, so Smokescreen's level of crazy - specifically the way he bounces back up and straight for the attack, and zero hesitation to flip off the 'Cons - are marks of praise in a Wrecker's optics. Being from Uraya himself, Wheeljack's no stranger to doing dumbaft things to both survive and stave off boredom, so he miiiight get a chance to trade irritation techniques with him.

On a more serious note, Wheeljack also knows how damaging that can be to the processor. He knew many fellow lowly mechanics in his old work days who had massive meltdowns over their lot in life, some even choosing to drive off and disappear somewhere in the canyons and let the mechanimals eat their remains. Now Smokey strikes him as the tough type. The type who power through and vent in a healthier way. But that doesn't mean the mind or Spark completely gets over the ordeal.

So, to make sure things go well for the kid, Wheeljack will occasionally take Smokescreen out for a patrol, usually in the areas with fewer light pollution. He kickstarts the conversations by reminiscing over Uraya, asking for a compare and contrast with the Mithril Sea. Usually that leads to a long talk and a higher spirited Smokescreen.

Other times, if he notices the kid getting antsy or trying to find something to do to occupy himself, Wheeljack will take Smokescreen off to spar and chat. That helps to regulate his emotions - though it doesn't stop his worry about Chromia.

Wheeljack can understand that. He can also understand, having dealt with gangs more, that the Axelators aren't gonna be pleased to find Smokescreen in such good condition, assuming they lived.

Luckily for the future Prime, Wheeljack's an expert handling those types. And he's more than willing to keep a digit on the pulse of interstellar communications for word on them or Smokescreen's sister.

Thanks again, this was awesome!

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*Remember synth-en? I refuse to believe that that's the only Cybertronian drug.

#tfp smokescreen #tf prime #tfp ratchet #tfp optimus prime #tfp ultra magnus #transformers prime #transformers #tfp wheeljack #tfp bulkhead #tfp bumblebee #tfp arcee #tfp chromia #tfp headcanons

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