Transformers: Rangers

THE CYBERBATS: SPACE CASE, HOOLIGAN, AND SKYJACK

An awful little goon squad, these Decepticons are basically freelance grunts shared by Galvatron, Megatron, and Megastorm- but just as frequently the heirs can’t even find them, since they tend to move constantly and vanish without warning. Small but fast and vicious, these little bats aren’t exactly the most reliable mecha in the game, but they make up for it with enthusiasm and speed.

And INCREDIBLY wild coloration. They refused to give up their jet paintjobs when they became techno-organics.

They also raised Nightscream, so someone actually looked at these three goblins and went yeah, okay, I’ll let them raise a baby.

Starscream is probably the character who’s changed the most from my initial ideas for the characters in this AU - becoming a tall, lanky noblemech as opposed to a little goblinbat (though I used the goblinbat designs elsewhere) Unlike much of the cast, Starscream has opted not to take a techno-organic form. He’s....functionally a sort of knight, sworn to service, who’s been placed in Megatron’s service, though he’s not particularly fond of her behavior and thinks (accurately so) that she’s a childish brat- which is absolutely fine, because he’s also a childish brat, just a more stuck-up one.

He’s a master swordsmech and in theory had big plans before he was stuck on a planet with a charge he doesn’t care for as punishment. Now his plans mostly involve trying to find excuses to sneak offworld and reclaim what social and political power he’s lost, or just half-heartedly doing whatever Megatron’s decided this week. He changes paintjobs a lot, but favors blues.

Much less of a “NYA HA HA DIE MEGATRON” type and far more just being like :) when her plans backfire or collapse due to her own hubris (or his inaction- can’t have TOO bad of a reputation, after all.)

Senator Soundwave is a well-respected Autobot, a powerful force urging for alliance and peace with the Decepticon forces.

Naturally, she’s also a spy and manipulator for the Decepticons, thoughs he seems to have little love for Megazarak or his heirs. When she arrives to check up on said wayward heirs, she also takes the opportunity to gauge the Autobot rangers stationed on the planet and take advantage of their hospitality.

Optimus has a particular way of sussing things out, though.

She doesn’t mind terribly. He’s smart enough to know that accusing her with no solid evidence is a poor idea, and knows that she’s smart enough to have been playing this game since before he existed. Soundwave rather likes Optimus, given his self-control and restraint, and his leadership qualities.

When she leaves, instead of repairing any sort of communication, she ensures that it continues to be virtually impossible to get messages off the planet, but other than that she’s content to just wait and see how this all shakes out. Maybe some of Megazarak’s awful brats will actually learn a thing or two and be a worthwhile leader.

The Decepticon heirs seldom agree on anything, and often try to sabotage each other...but for once, something is up enough that all three of them are in agreement. As far as they’re concerned, they have no connection to this child, and even if they did, they wouldn’t say how.

Optimus doesn’t press it too far, though. For one, he really doesn’t feel blameless in this, but also...he wouldn’t a single one of these jerks to *hold* a baby, much less raise one. Nightwatch is his regardless, by choice, and that’s what matters- that he’s willing and wanting to raise a mechlet.

The bundle peeps and croons as eyes peer down at it. It’s a bucket- a damn bucket, of all things, stuffed with a blanket and stuffed in the blanket is pale, silvery protometal, still so fresh as to sport visible seams and metallic lines over circuitry, a smattering of pale blue and grey blooming across the soft mesh. Optimus, Moonracer, and Prowl are all standing there, staring down at the bundle, too confused to know what expressions to even make- right now their faces sit somewhere between concern and wonder and genuine distress.

Optimus is very still, save for the twitch of his altmode’s tail, wrapped about his neck. He keeps forgetting to breath, so his breath comes in irregularly, deep and a bit desperate, but it feels almost good, the burn in his vents to match the whirling heat of his spark, going too fast and too hard.

The sparkling makes a little warble of a sound, still sleepy as it’s big yellow optics stare upwards.

Optimus struggles with the simultaneous wave of nausea and a desperate desire to snatch the little thing out of the blankets and into his arms.

“Oh.” Moonracer starts laughing, that sort of nervous-hysterical laugh of someone who usually can deflect with humor, and is suddenly lost for anything else to do in this situation. Then she swears, a few times, and Prowl- who is completely lost for what to do, slaps a hand over her mouth without thinking. “Mmph!”

“Don’t curse in front of the- uh- this- ch.” Prowl has to stop and swallow before she can get it out. “Child.”

Moonracer shoves her hand away. Optimus still hasn’t moved. He can’t quite look away. The sparkling is waking up more, now, and wriggling- it has little finials that wiggle on either side of it’s head, and chubby little partially-formed hands, and it’s optics are so yellow and so bright and it’s squeaking, peeping in that sharp, metallic way that sparklings do to attract attention and call caretakers-

“It’s a sparkling, it’s not like it understand me when I say fu-” Moonracer starts, smarmy, and-

“Moonracer!” Prowl hisses, sharply.

That’s when the sparkling starts to cry. A keening, sharp note that cuts through the air and makes audials itch. Moonracer and Prowl jerk backwards, startled, wide-eyed, and Optimus’ taught self-control breaks and he reaches into the bucket and scoops the sparkling up and out. It cries and kicks tiny incomplete legs and Optimus tries to soothe it, sighing deep and whispering. “Ohhh no no no, shh, it’s okay-” tucking the little figure to his shoulder, and it clutches at his fur. “-it’s okay, there, there.”

It cries until it gets ahold of his tail, and then it soothes itself by nuzzling into fur. There’s no evidence of who left it here, where it came from. Moonracer notes that it certainly looks like Optimus, and given the activities of the last summer...well, it’s source is obvious! Prowl notes that they need to report this. That’s when the argument starts, between them.

Optimus barely pays attention, experiencing a terrifying mix of absolute panic, and a strange sort of contented exhaustion. The sparkling is not happy unless it’s using some portion of his tail as a cuddly toy, and he paces around with the wriggling, soft thing. It’s too young to be out like this- too young to be exposed and without a dedicated carrier or incubator. Curled up, it fits in both his hands readily, and it has no plating yet, feeling delicate and downright fluid. He’s trying not to think about indiscretions months ago, about white fur and sharp claws and rich purrs, and about the fact that the little thing in his hands looks so much like him already.

But he winds up thinking about it anyways.

And you know what? It’s okay. He holds them up. Prowl and Moonracer’s argument has petered out, and it’s stopped crying- though Optimus fears he might start instead.

“All right, then.” He sighs. Finally he has a name for the emotion that’s squeezing his spark, welling up in his throat. He’s enamored. He’s utterly in love and devoted and attached to this little unformed blob of protometals, in a matter of minutes. “You can be mine. You’re left on my doorstep, after all….you can be mine.”

I love this enthusiasm! It’s right out the gate!!!!! Oh man, though...between these three, how to choose? How can I possibly pick who t-

actually it’s pretty easy for me oh no

KISS: Megatron

“Hah! I’m flattered.”

MARRY: Megastorm

“Wait- me? You have met my siblings, yes? My larger, more vicious siblings? Better poised to take over our creator’s empire? Me? I...thank you?”

KILL: Galvatron. I’m not gonna be able to handle that dude kissing OR in matrimony sorry Galvy.

p-por que los dos?

Nightwatch ran into Nightscream by accident, and immediately decided that they were going to be best friends forever! Even if they weren’t supposed to be hanging around, what with Nightscream being raised by the Decepticon-aligned Cyberbats.

A disastrous trans-universal crossover event puts Optimus’ need to protect and nurture into overdrive when *two* different Orions show up (from mine and @drawma-king‘s Transformers: Toku AU and @thenamesblurrito‘s Transformers: SNAP AU and suddenly having to figure out what to do with two younger versions of apparently yourself alongside your kid being like I KNOW I SAID I WANTED A BROTHER BUT I DIDN’T THINK YOU’D JUST FIND SOME is. A lot.

Hey everyone! I’ve been...doing basically nothing oops. But I did do some Shattered Glass renditions of the cast! And if nothing else, they’re all very yummy new flavors.

Optimus: Goes from ‘upstanding young man’ to ‘filthy ditchwater bastard’ - SG Optimus also ran away from potential responsibility, but prefers to block out his connection to the Gods with impulses, drink, and wandering ceaselessly. Do not give this man your wallet. You will NOT get it back. Someone please get him a bath.

Prowl: From cherry to grape, Prowl’s cold, cool attitude becomes the thrill-kill excitement of the hunt of a professional assassin and bounty hunter. Meanie! Moonracer is her secretary and keeps all her appointments and gear in order.

Moonracer: Coming in spearmint and bubblegum, Moonracer goes from excited, competitive little showoff and troublemaker to a meek, submissive secretary. Poor lil bubblegum goat....

Galvatron: This dude just lilac. SG Galvatron is the crowned prince, and heavy is the helm that wears the crown- he struggles to should the responsibilities laid on him by his position and need to protect his siblings and his people. A far cry from standard Galvatron, who is just a raging dick.

Megatron: Manipulative, aggressive, all flipped around and turned into high-performing medic with a spark of gold! SG Megatron has an unfortunate tendency to be a little too trusting and hopeful of people, though, and there’s only so many second chances you should offer.

Megastorm: Green Apple? Strawberry? Whatever! Megastorm is surreptitious and tries to avoid direct confrontation...so his SG Counterpart is a loud, eager champion on the battlefield! Complete with energon-pink deco!