Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus vignette set in the last minute of the Movie.. This is absolutely me wanting to revisit my versions of these characters that I have spent 100s of 1000s of words on, but you only need to have seen the Movie to be able to read (and hopefully enjoy!) this.

Probably best viewed as the opening to a larger fic. It is extremely unlikely that said larger fic will ever manifest, but these couple of scenes aren't so much about achieving conflict resolution as they are about achieving good intentions--i.e. scene-setting.

-----

Dawn

In the midst of chaos and his own bewilderment, Rodimus Prime had a peculiar intense focus on what needed to be done—an effect of the Matrix of Leadership. With Unicron blowing up around them, he ordered everybody to transform and roll out.

His relief at seeing not one but two humans was all Hot Rod though. He called them into his cab, barely waiting for them to be seated before hurtling off in a direction that came by instinct. "Spike, I can't say how good it is to see you!"

"I feel like you've got the better story here, but I've had one hell of a ride, all right." Spike Witwicky kept a steady eye on his son as he talked. "Daniel gets the credit... Saved my life back there!"

Rodimus picked up on Spike's cue: the boy was looking glassy-eyed as he stared through the window at their race against Unicron's disintegration. "Good job, Daniel—now hold on!" Whatever instinct had been navigating him had worked... Unicron's optic lay ahead of them. A quick scan behind told him everybody was still following; he just hoped this larger vehicle mode hadn't sacrificed any of his acceleration.

He shouldn't have doubted the Matrix: in seconds he was going faster than he'd ever driven as Hot Rod, smashing straight through the optic cover and into the refuge of space. He wished the Matrix could run to some sort of shuttle mode, but his momentum was more than enough for escape.

"We're safe now, Daniel," Spike was still encouraging his son. "We're out!"

"Yeah," the boy said shakily, slowly coming back to himself. "What... what *happened* to you, Hot Rod?"

"Not really sure, Danno, but it seems to have worked." As their distance increased, Rodimus could see the chain reaction across Unicron who was in his death throes. The other Autobots were also evacuating the area, falling out of control through space but out of the danger zone. The explosions climaxed in a blaze of light, making both humans cry out and shield their eyes.

"It was the Matrix, wasn't it?" asked Daniel once he could see again. "Did you open it?"

"Yeah... Looks like we just made it through our darkest hour."

Shock crossed Spike's face but he masked it quickly. "Good, because I could do with a dawn."

Rodimus was also ready for things to lighten up, and when Daniel asked again what happened, he rashly played up to him, wanting to pitch the kid some inspiration.

"Galvatron had the Matrix, remember? I ran into him inside Unicron, managed to get my hands on it and boom! All this light comes out and Optimus Prime's voice says: 'Arise, Rodimus Prime!' Then—"

"Wait, you're a Prime now? Does that mean you're Autobot leader?"

"Whoa there. I wouldn't go that far..." Crisis management abated; context and ramifications suddenly flooded his processor. Rodimus dropped the topic like a hot poker and sought some other urgency. "Spike, when did you last eat?"

"Don't ask," the human groaned. "Fortunately, my suit's water bladder was full, but that's just one gallon of H₂0 over the past, what, forty hours?"

"Good news: we packed human food rations, and some of them were still salvageable from the crash on Junkion, so you'll be able to get some sort of meal soon. Some spare clothing too, but it's seen better days."

"Don't suppose you've got any diaper cream stashed? These suits were *not* designed to be worn this long. It's pretty gross in here."

Daniel had started shaking again, but at Spike's exaggerated tone, he managed a laugh, leaning away from his father. "Gotta say, Dad, you smell really bad."

"We're gonna have to get Hot R—I mean Rodimus Prime—some industrial strength air freshener, huh? He gets this snazzy new interior and I stink it up first thing."

The boy gave something between a chuckle and a sob. "Sorry... I don't know why I'm crying. I'm happy, I just..."

Spike rubbed Daniel's exo-suited shoulders. "We've been running on adrenalin and it's wearing down. I'm feeling pretty shaky myself."

"You're not the only one," Rodimus murmured. The Junkion ship had held together through the battle and now it was steadily scooping up the Autobots adrift in space. Rodimus didn't fancy *falling* the whole way to Cybertron, but he also wasn't sure he was ready to face his fellow Autobots and a fresh round of questions. What *did* happen now? He fervently regretted mentioning the name 'Rodimus Prime' to the humans; that had already burnt one bridge to being Hot Rod.

He counted the trail of Autobots behind him as they were drawn into the ship: Kup, Arcee, Springer, Jazz, Cliffjumper and Bumblebee. It was almost twice the number they'd started with, which was a much-needed reversal of recent trends. He focused on that, letting exultation break through his apprehension as it was his turn to be pulled inside by deft Junkion hands.

"Hot Rod, exciting and new; Come aboard, we're expecting you!"

Rodimus felt a renewed appreciation for the Junkion leader as Wreck Gar's impromptu serenade distracted some of the stares. At least he didn't have to meet any optics yet, staying in vehicle mode while Spike and Daniel climbed out. "Whoever knows where the supplies got to, Spike's gonna need food, drink and disinfecting."

"Preferably privacy too" Spike put in. "Daniel, you need something to eat as well, and make sure you keep warm."

Bumblebee, Arcee and Springer escorted the humans away, though not without backward glances as Rodimus transformed. Immensely self-conscious, he turned to the Junkions first. "Thanks, Wreck Gar... all of you. That was a huge fight to sign up to, but we wouldn't have got through it without your help."

Wreck Gar saluted and the Junkions struck absurdly serious poses behind him.. "Wherever there is injustice, you will find us. Wherever there is suffering, we'll be there. Wherever liberty is threatened, Autobots will find Their Junkion Amigos!"

"And Amigos forever we'll be!" Jazz was unable to resist joining in and was rewarded by a delighted bear hug from Wreck Gar which spun the former moonbase commander around, laughing. "I don't know where you guys come into this, but you're all right!"

It broke the ice, and Rodimus managed to glance round at the others, carefully keeping his optics moving. Smiles were breaking out, small reunions rippling through the bridge, along with dazed celebrations of survival. "This is the best view I've had all day."

Kup clapped him on the shoulder and pointed outside. "Second best isn't too shabby either." The curve of Cybertron lay ahead of them; wounded but still there. "Are we landing?"

Rodimus shrugged, awkwardly looking between Ultra Magnus, Jazz and Wreck Gar as he replied. "Makes sense to me."

Ultra Magnus simply nodded, but Jazz continued helping him out. "Cliffjumper and I haven't been coolin' our tyres out here for six months to turn back now!"

"Price is right, come on down!" Wreck Gar directed his crew, and Rodimus seized the excuse to step to one side, out of the way.

Kup followed him, but his expression was supportive rather than worried. "Care to tell us what happened in there?"

The question wasn't loud, but those closest looked curiously round for Rodimus' reply, so he summed it up in one word. "Matrix."

"You've got it safe?" Ultra Magnus asked, the first words he'd spoken since Rodimus came aboard.

"Yes." He badly wanted to add 'sir' to that, but this felt nothing like the senior officer and rookie exchanges they'd had before. For one thing, he was on an eye level with the towering Commander now. For another, Magnus looked... out of it. Detached.

"That's good."

Yeah, Rodimus thought. Nobody knew how to handle this.

At least Jazz always rose to the occasion in awkward situations; he filled the silence by giving the Junkion pilots a bearing for Iacon. Unicron had focused his attack on the lone populated city: Polyhex, the Decepticon base, leaving the old Autobot headquarters relatively unscathed. On their approach, Jazz started calling out landmarks, and soon there was a flurry of "Do you remembers?" going around the older Autobots.

By the time they landed, the poignancy was so tangible that when these veterans glanced to Rodimus, ready to let him disembark first, it was easy to wave them ahead. "Go on, you've waited long enough."

He ended up being one of the last to leave the shuttle, letting him relish the moment without anybody else watching. He had never actually set foot on Cybertron before and the thrill of walking through Iacon's ruins was undeniable. Rather than being a ghost city, Iacon seemed to welcome him in, its streets a map of dreams and ideals. Too late, he regretted not disembarking with Springer and Arcee, to share this experience with friends, but he settled for grinning to himself.

On Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 1:56:47 PM UTC+1, Velvet Glove wrote:
> Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus vignette set in the last minute of the Movie. This is absolutely me wanting to revisit my versions of these characters that I have spent 100s of 1000s of words on, but you only need to have seen the Movie to be able to read (and hopefully enjoy!) this.
>
> Probably best viewed as the opening to a larger fic. It is extremely unlikely that said larger fic will ever manifest, but these couple of scenes aren't so much about achieving conflict resolution as they are about achieving good intentions--i.e. scene-setting.
>
> -----
>
> Dawn
>
>
> In the midst of chaos and his own bewilderment, Rodimus Prime had a peculiar intense focus on what needed to be done—an effect of the Matrix of Leadership. With Unicron blowing up around them, he ordered everybody to transform and roll out.
>
> His relief at seeing not one but two humans was all Hot Rod though. He called them into his cab, barely waiting for them to be seated before hurtling off in a direction that came by instinct. "Spike, I can't say how good it is to see you!"
>
> "I feel like you've got the better story here, but I've had one hell of a ride, all right." Spike Witwicky kept a steady eye on his son as he talked.. "Daniel gets the credit... Saved my life back there!"
>
> Rodimus picked up on Spike's cue: the boy was looking glassy-eyed as he stared through the window at their race against Unicron's disintegration. "Good job, Daniel—now hold on!" Whatever instinct had been navigating him had worked... Unicron's optic lay ahead of them. A quick scan behind told him everybody was still following; he just hoped this larger vehicle mode hadn't sacrificed any of his acceleration.
>
> He shouldn't have doubted the Matrix: in seconds he was going faster than he'd ever driven as Hot Rod, smashing straight through the optic cover and into the refuge of space. He wished the Matrix could run to some sort of shuttle mode, but his momentum was more than enough for escape.
>
> "We're safe now, Daniel," Spike was still encouraging his son. "We're out!"
>
> "Yeah," the boy said shakily, slowly coming back to himself. "What... what *happened* to you, Hot Rod?"
>
> "Not really sure, Danno, but it seems to have worked." As their distance increased, Rodimus could see the chain reaction across Unicron who was in his death throes. The other Autobots were also evacuating the area, falling out of control through space but out of the danger zone. The explosions climaxed in a blaze of light, making both humans cry out and shield their eyes..
>
> "It was the Matrix, wasn't it?" asked Daniel once he could see again. "Did you open it?"
>
> "Yeah... Looks like we just made it through our darkest hour."
>
> Shock crossed Spike's face but he masked it quickly. "Good, because I could do with a dawn."
>
> Rodimus was also ready for things to lighten up, and when Daniel asked again what happened, he rashly played up to him, wanting to pitch the kid some inspiration.
>
> "Galvatron had the Matrix, remember? I ran into him inside Unicron, managed to get my hands on it and boom! All this light comes out and Optimus Prime's voice says: 'Arise, Rodimus Prime!' Then—"
>
> "Wait, you're a Prime now? Does that mean you're Autobot leader?"
>
> "Whoa there. I wouldn't go that far..." Crisis management abated; context and ramifications suddenly flooded his processor. Rodimus dropped the topic like a hot poker and sought some other urgency. "Spike, when did you last eat?"
>
> "Don't ask," the human groaned. "Fortunately, my suit's water bladder was full, but that's just one gallon of H₂0 over the past, what, forty hours?"
>
> "Good news: we packed human food rations, and some of them were still salvageable from the crash on Junkion, so you'll be able to get some sort of meal soon. Some spare clothing too, but it's seen better days."
>
> "Don't suppose you've got any diaper cream stashed? These suits were *not* designed to be worn this long. It's pretty gross in here."
>
> Daniel had started shaking again, but at Spike's exaggerated tone, he managed a laugh, leaning away from his father. "Gotta say, Dad, you smell really bad."
>
> "We're gonna have to get Hot R—I mean Rodimus Prime—some industrial strength air freshener, huh? He gets this snazzy new interior and I stink it up first thing."
>
> The boy gave something between a chuckle and a sob. "Sorry... I don't know why I'm crying. I'm happy, I just..."
>
> Spike rubbed Daniel's exo-suited shoulders. "We've been running on adrenalin and it's wearing down. I'm feeling pretty shaky myself."
>
> "You're not the only one," Rodimus murmured. The Junkion ship had held together through the battle and now it was steadily scooping up the Autobots adrift in space. Rodimus didn't fancy *falling* the whole way to Cybertron, but he also wasn't sure he was ready to face his fellow Autobots and a fresh round of questions. What *did* happen now? He fervently regretted mentioning the name 'Rodimus Prime' to the humans; that had already burnt one bridge to being Hot Rod.
>
> He counted the trail of Autobots behind him as they were drawn into the ship: Kup, Arcee, Springer, Jazz, Cliffjumper and Bumblebee. It was almost twice the number they'd started with, which was a much-needed reversal of recent trends. He focused on that, letting exultation break through his apprehension as it was his turn to be pulled inside by deft Junkion hands.
>
> "Hot Rod, exciting and new; Come aboard, we're expecting you!"
>
> Rodimus felt a renewed appreciation for the Junkion leader as Wreck Gar's impromptu serenade distracted some of the stares. At least he didn't have to meet any optics yet, staying in vehicle mode while Spike and Daniel climbed out. "Whoever knows where the supplies got to, Spike's gonna need food, drink and disinfecting."
>
> "Preferably privacy too" Spike put in. "Daniel, you need something to eat as well, and make sure you keep warm."
>
> Bumblebee, Arcee and Springer escorted the humans away, though not without backward glances as Rodimus transformed. Immensely self-conscious, he turned to the Junkions first. "Thanks, Wreck Gar... all of you. That was a huge fight to sign up to, but we wouldn't have got through it without your help."
>
> Wreck Gar saluted and the Junkions struck absurdly serious poses behind him. "Wherever there is injustice, you will find us. Wherever there is suffering, we'll be there. Wherever liberty is threatened, Autobots will find Their Junkion Amigos!"
>
> "And Amigos forever we'll be!" Jazz was unable to resist joining in and was rewarded by a delighted bear hug from Wreck Gar which spun the former moonbase commander around, laughing. "I don't know where you guys come into this, but you're all right!"
>
> It broke the ice, and Rodimus managed to glance round at the others, carefully keeping his optics moving. Smiles were breaking out, small reunions rippling through the bridge, along with dazed celebrations of survival. "This is the best view I've had all day."
>
> Kup clapped him on the shoulder and pointed outside. "Second best isn't too shabby either." The curve of Cybertron lay ahead of them; wounded but still there. "Are we landing?"
>
> Rodimus shrugged, awkwardly looking between Ultra Magnus, Jazz and Wreck Gar as he replied. "Makes sense to me."
>
> Ultra Magnus simply nodded, but Jazz continued helping him out. "Cliffjumper and I haven't been coolin' our tyres out here for six months to turn back now!"
>
> "Price is right, come on down!" Wreck Gar directed his crew, and Rodimus seized the excuse to step to one side, out of the way.
>
> Kup followed him, but his expression was supportive rather than worried. "Care to tell us what happened in there?"
>
> The question wasn't loud, but those closest looked curiously round for Rodimus' reply, so he summed it up in one word. "Matrix."
>
> "You've got it safe?" Ultra Magnus asked, the first words he'd spoken since Rodimus came aboard.
>
> "Yes." He badly wanted to add 'sir' to that, but this felt nothing like the senior officer and rookie exchanges they'd had before. For one thing, he was on an eye level with the towering Commander now. For another, Magnus looked... out of it. Detached.
>
> "That's good."
>
> Yeah, Rodimus thought. Nobody knew how to handle this.
>
> At least Jazz always rose to the occasion in awkward situations; he filled the silence by giving the Junkion pilots a bearing for Iacon. Unicron had focused his attack on the lone populated city: Polyhex, the Decepticon base, leaving the old Autobot headquarters relatively unscathed. On their approach, Jazz started calling out landmarks, and soon there was a flurry of "Do you remembers?" going around the older Autobots.
>
> By the time they landed, the poignancy was so tangible that when these veterans glanced to Rodimus, ready to let him disembark first, it was easy to wave them ahead. "Go on, you've waited long enough."
>
> He ended up being one of the last to leave the shuttle, letting him relish the moment without anybody else watching. He had never actually set foot on Cybertron before and the thrill of walking through Iacon's ruins was undeniable. Rather than being a ghost city, Iacon seemed to welcome him in, its streets a map of dreams and ideals. Too late, he regretted not disembarking with Springer and Arcee, to share this experience with friends, but he settled for grinning to himself.
>
> Their informal walking tour culminated at Iacon's Great Dome, which had been Autobot command quarters for much of the war. Realising an opportunity, Rodimus caught up to Ultra Magnus. "Can we have a word inside?"
>
> That drew everybody's attention, and the entire party watched them go up the steps and disappear into the building.
>
> Springer broke the hush. "That's going to be awkward."
>
> "He's going to return the Matrix back to Ultra Magnus." Arcee's voice wavered between relief and worry.
>
> "Yeah... and Magnus is going to refuse."
>
>
>
> As apprehensive as Ultra Magnus was, he took strength in passing through this doorway again. Over millions of years of war, this had been a stronghold for the Autobots, a place where plans and hopes were made. The dome was a shell now, rooms and equipment long stripped away in the scavenging of famine, but this was still a homecoming and he felt privileged to have it.
>
> Rodimus looked like he'd expected a little more structure inside. Visibly gathering himself, he turned to face Ultra Magnus. "Look, the Matrix is still yours." His hands were already going to his chestplate. "What happened back there... it had to happen, but Prime named you Autobot Leader; this doesn't change that."
>
> "Yes, it does!" Magnus said, too hastily. He almost recoiled from the younger Autobot but caught himself. "Hot Rod..." Was that still his name? "*You* opened the Matrix. *You're* Prime now."
>
> "How is fulfilling a prophecy a qualification? Less than a week ago, you suspended me from active duty for—"
>
> "And since then I have proven that I am not suitable to lead! I *had* the Matrix and I *failed*. I lost Autobot city and led my team of Autobots to certain death on Junk before you came through to rescue us. You stepped up. You made an alliance with the Junkions. You marshalled the army to battle Unicron!" The younger Autobot stepped back from the thundering self-recrimination, and Ultra Magnus pressed his advantage mercilessly. "Look at you! The Matrix accepted you in a way it never did with me. Maybe in a way it's never done with anyone!"
>
> "I don't want it." The protest was somewhere between petulance and panic.
>
> "Neither do I. Neither did Optimus. 'Wanting' doesn't come into it." Unconsciously, Ultra Magnus had reverted to the commander lecturing the subordinate, and a flash of Hot Rod's defiance returned to Rodimus.
>
> "Come on, Magnus, I have no experience! Why would Autobots who've served for millions of years follow me? If you don't want it, fine! How about Jazz, instead?"
>
> Ultra Magnus had fiercely regretted that Jazz had been so many light years away from Optimus Prime's deathbed, but they had had enough what-might-have-been's. He composed himself, lowering his voice but speaking no less earnestly. "At the start of this war, we had several Autobots who were veterans with the experience and will to lead. Optimus Prime was a kid who had never been in combat, yet he was the one to *inspire* us. Part of that was his resolve for doing what's right—the kind of thing Kup has told me time and again he sees in you. It was a new era for all of us, and right then, passion meant more to us than experience. We're in another new era now. We may not even be at war anymore—I don't know if there are enough Decepticons left!" He could see the tension draining out of the younger Autobot; for perhaps the first time in their turbulent relationship, he was getting through to him.
>
> "And, yes, part of why we followed Optimus was because he bore the Matrix.. For nine million years, the prophecy has been the beacon of hope for the Autobots—especially when the Ark disappeared. Now you've fulfilled it... Now you're our hope."
>
> The silence between them stretched out, then the new Autobot leader seemed to sag before looking back at him. "I'm gonna need your help."
>
> The shift in attitude was so unprecedented that Ultra Magnus resorted to humour. "The Matrix has made you wiser already, I see." Rodimus was surprised into a smile and Ultra Magnus clasped his hand. "I'm at your service."
>
> "Thanks." Rodimus looked reluctantly at the doorway. "So... do we need to make an official announcement, or what?"
>
> Magnus followed his gaze, belatedly realising that their shouting must have been audible outside, though hopefully not the words. "This is your moment. I'll go out first, rejoin the audience. Then you come out and make a quick speech."
>
> "Right..." Rodimus was looking as jittery as Blurr. "Uh, got any ideas for what I should say, because right now, all I can come up with is: 'We're alive. Let's party!'"
>
> Ultra Magnus did not mean to sigh wearily, but he couldn't hold it back. "Talk about the war ending, and focus on the future. You can keep it short but be positive."
>
> Rodimus nodded rhythmically, which worried Ultra Magnus, but inspiring people was one of the leadership skills he had failed at. Rodimus was going to have recover his bravado on his own. "Take a moment," he advised him, then on an impulse he shook his hand. "Congratulations, sir." Without further ado, he spun on his heel and left the building.
>
> Conversations were hushed and curious faces were raised the moment he was outside; Ultra Magnus was content to disappoint them, strolling impassively down the stairs. When Springer caught his eye with a look to say he had a deadpan remark ready to go, Ultra Magnus purposefully went the other way, falling in behind Jazz and Bumblebee before he too turned an expectant face to the doorway.
>
> It was a minute before the figure emerged, but Rodimus Prime had regained his poise. And if perhaps he had taken Magnus' "keep it short" advice a little too literally, he got the ending right:
>
> "Let this mark the end of the Cybertronian Wars, as we march forward to a new age of peace and happiness. Till all are one!"
>
> All around Ultra Magnus, Autobots began to repeat the mantra, turning to each other and clasping hands as their voices lifted to a peaceful sky.
>
> "Till all are one!"
>
> --------
>
> NB: I'm well aware that the end of the Movie shows Spike still in his exosuit on Cybertron. I just couldn't get past the fact that he's been in that thing for So. Damn. Long. Any other continuity errors are entirely my own sloppiness.
>
> Velvet Glove (Self-indulging. Deal with it.)

On Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 6:56:47 AM UTC-6, Velvet Glove wrote:

> Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus vignette set in the last minute of the Movie.

Oh, what fun! I love a good story that explores unexplored aspects of the cartoon universe.

Let me just get this out of the way now: That whole business with Spike and the exo-suit was gross. I mean, yes, it's likely a very realistic take. But it's still gross!

So, yeah. There's a lot of amazing stuff in this story. I love the exploration of Magnus being named leader by Optimus Prime, but the Matrix choosing Rodimus somehow overruling that decision. (I wonder if Galvatron knew? There are some episodes where he's positively obsessed with Magnus.) It makes for an awkward situation. Who do you listen to? The dying words of the greatest Autobot leader of all time, or some random Quintesson trinket that the Autobots like to carry around with them? Obviously, Magnus is the type to stand down tactfully and not press the issue, but he probably had the *right* to do so. And, I feel like, at least in some episodes, Rodimus just sort of let Magnus take charge of things. He was like the emergency back-up leader.

Magnus really got a raw deal. He never wanted to take charge of things, but he was willing to step up and do so, mostly because Prime asked him to. And then everything sort of fell apart, up to and including Magnus himself. He basically checks out after the mission to Junkion. He gets put back together, but then he just sort of sheepishly hides in the background with Perceptor, and Hot Rod starts doing all the Important Hero Stuff™. It actually would have been better for Magnus if he'd met a hero's death like Optimus. Instead, he gets reassembled and has to face his failure.

I wonder why Optimus stays the same height and configuration with or without the Matrix (same with Magnus), but it grants Hot Rod a much-needed size and strength boost? And is there more than one Chosen One, or is Hot Rod it? That begs the question, chosen by whom? The Matrix itself?

Junkion dialogue is fun to write, isn't it?

Is Rodimus faster than Hot Rod? I have not looked at the Hasbro toy tech specs to verify. Kind of makes sense, though. Bigger vehicle means bigger engine and more horsepower.

I can't decide whether I'm "hearing" the celebrity voices of the film or the third-season cartoon voice actors in my head as I read this. It vacilates between the two.

So, I really enjoyed this a lot. Thank you for sharing it!

Zob

On Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 4:22:28 PM UTC+1, Codigo Postal wrote:
> I like the insight we get here into Ultra Magnus. Possibly he truly did believe he was qualified to be leader, and his demurral before the dying Optimus was mere humility, but his abject failure in the face of Galvatron may have wounded him to his core, and shaken his self-belief. That being said, as Season 3 went on, and he was forced into the role of COO to a capricious and less than ideal Prime, he may have recovered some of that dignity, and consequently come to resent Rodimus for taking what was rightfully his (as seen in his particularly focused hatred of Rodimus while under the influence of the Hate Plague).

Spoiler alert, that isn't *my* Magnus, but it's absolutely a valid interpretation of him and one that more people should explore. (Wait... what does COO stand for? Chief of Operations?) Mine is a genuinely loyal guy, better suited to follow than to lead, and he's probably never going to forgive himself, but I'm also using the matrix as a biiig crutch for his acceptance of Rodimus. I'd forgotten about his Hate Plague behaviour... that was one of the best things about that episode. I never liked the Autobots' near fanatical devotion to Optimus Prime, so I've always preferred Season 3's character dynamic. It's just a shame that the actual development was inconsistent, with Rodimus' evolution as a leader going back and forth depending on the episode--but hey, that's why we do fanfic!

> Favorite part of the story: the shell-shocked Daniel. We've talked about this before on ATT, but scant attention is often paid to the fact that a literal child was forced to grow up in the midst of an interstellar war zone, and must have been traumatized beyond belief. I sometimes wonder if it would be interesting to explore that further in official media.

In one way, shell-shocked Daniel felt a bit lazy, because it avoids any serious characterisation of Daniel, himself, and I want to explore Daniel a bit and get a firm grip on who he is in my personal canon. On the other hand, it was very useful for the plot: I couldn't figure out an organic way for Rodimus to give his account of events to the Autobots, but it made sense for him to be less self-conscious with Daniel, particularly if he's trying to distract the kid. I can explore Daniel more fully in a different scene sometime. For the record, the kid absolutely will never have a 'normal' life and probably has some pretty weird priorities / attitudes, but what he does have is a very supportive, extended family. I think the fandom probably forgets just how much the Autobots contributed to Daniel growing up mentally *balanced* rather than warped.

Thanks so much for reading! It feels very weird but cool to be posting fic again.

Velvet Glove (whose greatest evolution is how fond I've got of Ultra Magnus after starting my fandom career despising him)

On Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at 11:10:37 PM UTC+1, Zobovor wrote:

> Let me just get this out of the way now: That whole business with Spike and the exo-suit was gross. I mean, yes, it's likely a very realistic take. But it's still gross!

I find that this sort of thing goes one of two ways when you're writing. Either you decide to use artistic licence and gloss over it because nobody needs that mental image... or once you do think about it, you can't get past it, which was what happened with me this time. I didn't intend to write that, but once I tried to put myself in Spike's head and figure out his state of mind after those experiences, I realised that particular logistic and just... that poor, poor man. In my defence, it did provide a useful way of defusing Daniel's shock without getting saccharine.

> So, yeah. There's a lot of amazing stuff in this story. I love the exploration of Magnus being named leader by Optimus Prime, but the Matrix choosing Rodimus somehow overruling that decision. (I wonder if Galvatron knew? There are some episodes where he's positively obsessed with Magnus.) It makes for an awkward situation. Who do you listen to? The dying words of the greatest Autobot leader of all time, or some random Quintesson trinket that the Autobots like to carry around with them? Obviously, Magnus is the type to stand down tactfully and not press the issue, but he probably had the *right* to do so. And, I feel like, at least in some episodes, Rodimus just sort of let Magnus take charge of things. He was like the emergency back-up leader.

*Is* the Matrix a Quintesson trinket? I think I may have had this discussion with you before. It's really unclear where the Matrix comes from in cartoon continuity. Although the Matrix contains memories / history of the Quintesson era, it doesn't seem to be around in Forever is a Long Time Coming. And--is it Call of the Primitives, where they drew something that *looks* like the Matrix to represent Primacron's assistant or something... Damn, I'm very rusty on this. I can't remember exactly what I settled on for my continuity--I'll have to go through my notes again--but I think I theorised that the Matrix became a thing between the 1st and 2nd wars, and acquired its knowledge of the Quintessons from the memories of Autobots who had lived through those events.

Re: the leadership dynamic, here's a Springer quote from a scene I was messing around with yesterday. “I don’t know that much has changed. Matrix or no matrix, Kup’s going to keep looking out for him and it looks like he and Magnus have come to some sort of agreement. Rodimus may be the official leader, but those two won’t let him do anything dumb and they have the experience to see this gets done right.” (Note to self: that doesn't sound anything like Springer.)

Springer's not exactly right but he's not exactly wrong either. In many ways, Rodimus' tenure as Prime is an extension of Ultra Magnus'. For me, the only way to make it plausible for Rodimus to be accepted as leader is if the Autobots had trust in Ultra Magnus and faith in the Matrix. I like to think Ultra Magnus eventually comes to peace and self-recognition with his own *strengths* as a leader, instead of dwelling on the failures. I also like to think that Rodimus will pay a bit more tribute to him than he does in this scene.

> Magnus really got a raw deal. He never wanted to take charge of things, but he was willing to step up and do so, mostly because Prime asked him to. And then everything sort of fell apart, up to and including Magnus himself. He basically checks out after the mission to Junkion. He gets put back together, but then he just sort of sheepishly hides in the background with Perceptor, and Hot Rod starts doing all the Important Hero Stuff™. It actually would have been better for Magnus if he'd met a hero's death like Optimus. Instead, he gets reassembled and has to face his failure.

Ooh, I never thought of it that way. Of course, I think the Autobots might just have been screwed if Rodimus Prime didn't have Ultra Magnus backing him up...
> I wonder why Optimus stays the same height and configuration with or without the Matrix (same with Magnus), but it grants Hot Rod a much-needed size and strength boost? And is there more than one Chosen One, or is Hot Rod it? That begs the question, chosen by whom? The Matrix itself?

Yeah, there's so much that's just sort of accepted about the Matrix but we don't actually know the rules behind it. Scourge was physically affected by the Matrix wasn't he? Anybody else? I don't think I fully pinned down theory as to why Scourge changes, but as far as the Autobots go, it's because Hot Rod is the chosen one. Or maybe not so much the chosen one as the one who was right place right time, i.e. inside Unicron. I really want to demystify the Matrix... In my Universe, a lot of the prophecy is actually a corruption of Alpha Trion's references to his time travel in Forever is a Long Time Coming. That was always a story I wanted to write... Wish I could remember more about it.
> Junkion dialogue is fun to write, isn't it?

It's a lot of work to write! I don't really have the best knowledge base for these pop culture references... especially if you want to keep it feeling contemporary with the G1 cartoon rather than modern day which is what I've done here. There was a *lot* of googling involved, but I was pretty happy with the Love Boat and Three Amigos bits. Price is Right was just plain laziness on my part--they did that one on the show already!

> Is Rodimus faster than Hot Rod? I have not looked at the Hasbro toy tech specs to verify. Kind of makes sense, though. Bigger vehicle means bigger engine and more horsepower.

My writing disciplinary standards: Spends 40 minutes looking up references for Junkion dialogue; "Eh, let's just say Rodimus is faster than Hot Rod. Why not?"

In other words, I have absolutely no idea what the tech specs say. Didn't occur to me to check them. Lazy writing on my part, since I could easily contradict myself elsewhere.

Velvet Glove (who has been writing scene scraps for three days straight and could now do with a Junkion or two to reconstruct them into something with a plot)

Fantastic story Velvet Glove! I love short fanfics like this that really get into the characters' heads and, in this case, give some behind the scenes elaboration to a bit of canon that we all know.

Interesting to learn that your Hot Rod never actually set foot on Cybertron until the end of the movie. Where do you think he was created then? Or have you thought of an answer for that...because speaking as a writer, sometimes it's more satisfying to leave everybody wondering about some of the backstory and details, including yourself, and possibly fill in the answers later (or not!)

Nice work!

On Friday, June 30, 2023 at 2:38:17 AM UTC+1, Sky Raider wrote:
>
> Interesting to learn that your Hot Rod never actually set foot on Cybertron until the end of the movie. Where do you think he was created then? Or have you thought of an answer for that...because speaking as a writer, sometimes it's more satisfying to leave everybody wondering about some of the backstory and details, including yourself, and possibly fill in the answers later (or not!)

Hot Rod and Springer were created in the Orgenon Cluster of course! Why else would they cheer for it at the Galactic Olympics?!

Yeah, I haven't worried about that info here because as you say, it's not necessary, but this story sticks with my personal origin of Hot Rod, from a 15 year old fanfic. I think the only place it's still online is Lexicon, though the formatting is semi-broken. (I've long since lost access to the account). If you care to wade through unspaced paragraphs, it's https://www.transformersfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=4438&chapter=1

Velvet Glove (always liked the irony of the idea that Hot Rod never went to Cybertron until he was leading it)

On Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 10:46:03 PM UTC-7, Velvet Glove wrote:
> On Friday, June 30, 2023 at 2:38:17 AM UTC+1, Sky Raider wrote:
> >
> > Interesting to learn that your Hot Rod never actually set foot on Cybertron until the end of the movie. Where do you think he was created then? Or have you thought of an answer for that...because speaking as a writer, sometimes it's more satisfying to leave everybody wondering about some of the backstory and details, including yourself, and possibly fill in the answers later (or not!)
> Hot Rod and Springer were created in the Orgenon Cluster of course! Why else would they cheer for it at the Galactic Olympics?!
>
> Yeah, I haven't worried about that info here because as you say, it's not necessary, but this story sticks with my personal origin of Hot Rod, from a 15 year old fanfic. I think the only place it's still online is Lexicon, though the formatting is semi-broken. (I've long since lost access to the account). If you care to wade through unspaced paragraphs, it's https://www.transformersfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=4438&chapter=1
>
> Velvet Glove (always liked the irony of the idea that Hot Rod never went to Cybertron until he was leading it)

This was such a great read, Velvet Glove. Thoughtful, conversational, and one of those stories that instantly stays with you. You have a real ear for dialogue, and you really make these characters feel real and alive. It is obvious that you know them well.

Thank you for sharing this with us! I'll read your work anytime. :)

JB

On Friday, June 30, 2023 at 1:46:03 AM UTC-4, Velvet Glove wrote:
> On Friday, June 30, 2023 at 2:38:17 AM UTC+1, Sky Raider wrote:
> >
> > Interesting to learn that your Hot Rod never actually set foot on Cybertron until the end of the movie. Where do you think he was created then? Or have you thought of an answer for that...because speaking as a writer, sometimes it's more satisfying to leave everybody wondering about some of the backstory and details, including yourself, and possibly fill in the answers later (or not!)
> Hot Rod and Springer were created in the Orgenon Cluster of course! Why else would they cheer for it at the Galactic Olympics?!

Makes good sense, I remember Springer's line "let's here it for Orgenon!" well, he sounds like a guy with a vested rooting interest. Everyone cheers for their hometown (or cluster, whatever). Also went back and read that old fic. Again...good stuff! I'll set aside some time this weekend to check out the Polyhex story as well.