#archforce

Transformers: Mosaic #557 - "Loyalty Rewarded"

Originally posted on November 15th, 2010

Story - Zac DeBoard Art - Kei Tomoe Letters - Franco Villa Edits - Juan Pablo Osorio “Chopper” design - Andy Short Whirl design - Paul Vromen

deviantART | Seibertron | TFW2005 | BotTalk

Later revised and annotated for Transformers: The Lost Seasons

wada sez: The last of three Sunbow-version-of-Animated-character strips. On the Machine Wars Starscream color scheme used for Scrash, DeBoard said on Seibertron: “I believe Scrash's coloring was a way to differentiate between he and Skyquake (even though they were pretty much consdered to be the same character), as well as being a shout out to MW Screamer.” Onslaught’s seeming death here appears to be an choice, as he’s alive and well later in the Sunbow timeline—but Cattleprod points out that the Combaticons first appeared reduced to personality components after a failed coup, so presumably this is intended to lead into that, with Onslaught just heavily damaged but alive. The blue character is an OC based on the Diaclone helicopter who, in later official sources, would variously be given the names "Fumes", "Rotorbolt", and "Skyklik"—the creators of The Lost Seasons apparently used a common fan-name at the time, "Chopper". I've tagged him as Rotorbolt, because of the Wreckers connection. On the strip’s ending, DeBoard said: “Personally, I love ol Luggy and I just assume that while his body may have been destoyed, his spark survived....like they put it in a machine like they have a Garrus 9 or something.” He explained the strip’s plotting as follows: “Again, this is just "in my head" but Megs was probably obsessed with The Autobots on The Ark (at least for the moment) and didnt bother to take attendance, so to speak, and therefore didn't notice Lugnut. Another thing to keep in mind is...we were kinna working within a set continuity and trying to fit stories and characters where we can. Obviously Lugnut wasnt in G1 originally so it's a tricky thing to do. I just kinna thought it was a pretty neat way to introduce him and explain his "absence" from the show. Believe me, I try to take all of this stuff into account when I write, but if I overthink it, I'd never get anything written! Hehe. As for the faces of the "transplanted characters. It seems to be harder to translate the facial features of the TFA bots into a G1 style (for instance, I felt Lockdown's face in the Drift mini was just horrific), but I think Lugnut came out very well in this. [...] We are floating around some more stories featuring G1 Lugnut so hopefully he will be fleshed out more in later stories. Personally, I hope to bring his personality closer to the fanatic he was in TFA, which is what made him one of my favorite characters. With the space limitations of the Mosaic, we really didn't get to do a lot of it (though it was more prevalant in the script).” This strip evolved from an earlier script of DeBoard's, which went unused: “Unfortunately, I realized there was already a Mosaic piece essentially telling this same story. This one however was set in the G1 universe”—I’ve reproduced the full text below, alongside the usual Italian translation. The earlier strip with a similar idea was “False Saviour”, in case you were wondering.

Dear Universal Understudy,

I have indeed met this particular bot, but I’m afraid I may have to, as you humans say, pull back the curtain a little on this one. For you see, like most characters one might encounter in your theme parks, this is not actually Megatron, merely one of Universal Studios’ many Team Members. And what Team Member it may be playing Megatron from day to day may vary, especially park to park. However, I am glad to report that Universal has been mindful of representing Cybertronians in their parks, and each one is played by actual Cybertronian actors. I’ve actually had the opportunity to get to know several of these actors outside of their roles and I must say they are all fantastic bots. One I simply have to highlight is Archforce, a magnificently talented actor who has sadly struggled to find steady work with his true passion: the theatre. Why, I once saw him play the titular role in Landshakespeare’s MacBot, and it was one of the most electrifying performances I’ve ever seen. And I saw Alchemist’s original production of Agamemcon.

First time writing a fanfiction in a long while. The fanfiction passage is based after @artsy-hobbitses humanformers au Ties That Bind. I will say that editing and rewriting the passage changed the route a lot, especially when learning about how her characters would react and what positions they’re from. I might post the first draft later on. Or maybe a later part of the scene. We’ll see.

EDIT: I also thank artsy hobbitses for giving me details on how the characters would react and why.

Context: What leads to this scene is when Serah Santos codename:Sureshot, once the Autobot base’s primary caretaker, forager, and gardener, gets assigned as a scout alongside her friend Wardina codename:Windcharger. However, on one of their first missions, Windcharger gets captured along with some fellow Autobots. Serah singlemindedly forgets to call for help, and runs to save her friend.

Meanwhile, Athaliah codename:Archforce and Barrin codename:Barricade lead the prisoners to a truck to transfer them to a POW camp. Later, Athaliah’s keen feline sense of smell has her find Serah, She notices Serah, whom she’s reunited with a few weeks ago at the Dead End Library, sneaking close to the truck. The grey haired girl sneaks to her sister’s hiding spot, and whispers to her what the fridge is she doing.

After some explanation, Athaliah decides to help Serah, but warns she must only save her friend. But Serah refuses and wishes not to leave anyone behind. Athaliah concludes she’ll help Serah with her goal, but only without blowing her own cover. But no matter how much they try to free every prisoner they could, Serah and the other Autobots and Wardina get captured. Of course, Serah does land a few sling shots onto some Decepticon faces. One of the rocks gets into their eyes.

Now, knowing Serah might be lost again to her forever, Athaliah turns to Barrin to save her sister.

Athaliah slams her fists to Barrin’s torso.

“Hey.” He blocks her fists with braced arms. “Quit it. Ever since we got a new supply of prisoners, you’ve been acting weird.” He grabs her wrists. “What’s gotten into you?!” He swears, he saw Athaliah just sneaking around, just...hiding something or bringing prisoners to different directions than just ‘use the bathroom.’

She grits her teeth, “I fucking told you!” She front kicks him to his gut, leaving him breathless for a second. “I want Serah spared. NOW!!!” And she throws a punch; it didn’t matter if it landed.

It did matter, frustratingly so, that Barrin caught her wrist and flipped her into an arm lock. Curse his fucking cop combat training, though Athaliah.

Barrin fixed his palms onto her elbow and forearm, his boot grounding the young one to her knees,“ That’s enough rookie. You’re not offering a good excuse.” He presses down again for each time she struggles, “and who’s Serah?”

Athaliah thrashes as hard as she can under the lock hold, as though suffocating within an invisible box. She screams and cries; she’s failed her sister again. She’s lost her sister again. She failed, failed, failed! All because she couldn’t properly explain to her why they can’t save everyone but her friend Wardina. She’s just a lousy, lazy, pathetic sister; can’t even intimidate or use the proper cunning needed to convince the lead of Decepticon security. She needs to accept she can’t save her and get away.

Fury and despair stew in her tears, “Serah’s my sister. That’s why I helped her try to save the prisoners.” Curiously, the grip lightens.

“What?” She feels him let go, and now the arms feel so naked. “I thought Maggie’s your sister.”

Legs crumple her posture further to the ground; her claws shuffle through her hair and onto her skull to quell the headache. “Serah...she’s my sister from my manual labor days.” She continues with a growl, at memories from when cops took her away from Serah, “Maggie’s my stinking biological sister.” With a breaking soul kissing the earth that’ll soon welcome her sister, she rises her head, feeling the devastation bleed to make room for anger. Claws cut deep as they can on her armored palms, “It’s a long story. But please.” She looks at him, still tearing with anger and whatever sadness is left. “We’ve only reunited a few weeks ago. She doesn’t talk much about what happened while I was gone.” Legs lift and tread to Barrin with shakiness, “The most I know is she lost our moms from something she regrets.” Claws grip and bury as deep into his arms as they could, “She-she...she told me she and Wardina met when they were both homeless.”

She’s just a failure, these voices scream at her. She starts hitting against his chest with her fists and head, to bring focus against the storm. She yowls, “I’m scared she’ll suffer at the camps alone. Just take me instead.”

Barrin just looks down to the softly sobbing little girl before him, her arms just drooped o her sides, but her head still bumps against his torso. This girl broke so many protocols for a few months old newbie. But...who can blame someone for loving their family, especially when they’ve suffered so much hardship. His heart turned heavy as a cold stone from the last memories he had of his family disowning him. Maybe she feels her ‘biological’ family abandoned the ones she called her own. It’s one thing if an Autobot’s a close family member.

But it’s another when a Decepticon directly helps an Autobot they’re directly related to or love dearly. Fuck, how would Megatron react to this?

Barrin reaches for his comm link and makes a call. He tells the prison carrier containing Serah and her friend to stop driving. He closes the call and pats her now stilling head. “It’s alright. They’ll have a chance to be released soon. Maybe we’ll find away to convince them to join us ‘Cons after we hear everything that happened between you two. Trust me, I’ve seen this before, we’re always ready to welcome family from enemy lines.”

“Wh-what? Really?” Red, slit eyes look to him with surprise and hope.

“Yeeeah, but you’ll have to face Megatron for cooperating with the enemy.”

KINGDOM Leader Megatron (Beast)

"The universe cowered once at the name of Megatron, and it shall do so again!"

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