#rte 09

[iholli]

art imitates life (me doing this constantly with my Blitzwing figure)

[rte-continuity]

music talks || origin

warning for TFOne spoilers

Glory and Gore

but in all chaos, there is calculation

RTE was a regular Cybertronian; no name, no importance, just another bot in the crowd. When the Quintessons showed up and drove the populous underground, the rat slipped away, finding the thrill of life scavenging and dodging alien eyes. They made their way on the surface by uncovering now-abandoned homes and mines and hoarding the resources to resell to those in Iacon. [Their story connects here to Bluescreen, which can be its own post if we decide!]

Things settled after the Primes ran the Quintessons off the planet, or at least, that was what the rat assumed as the invaders disappeared for stellar cycles. But things changed below the surface. The scavenger didn't recognize this Sentinel Prime, didn't trust him-- though it was none of their concern as long as their trading business kept up. The Cybertronian government had always been so-so at best, anyway. Then business slowed. The resources didn't dry up, but the energon the rat traded for suddenly became harder to come by... and gradually, so did contact with the Iacon bots.

The scavenger could sniff out just about anything they wanted, and now they wanted answers. Unfortunately, they got those answers the hard way, when the supposedly defeated Quintessons returned and caught the rat off guard.

The Resistance

(who's gonna stand up, who's gonna fight?) the voice of the unheard (who's gonna break these chains and lies?)

They onlined in dim lighting, unclear how they were alive, much less where they'd ended up. They got answers soon enough when another bot entered the lab, a towering figure like a deer with a single optic glowing in the low light. The rat only stared back at him, curious, not concerned, and he told them what happened.

"Everything you probably know is a lie."

It was, of course-- even what little the scavenger cared to know. Sentinel was no prime but a power-hungry murderer who'd sold out Cybertron to the invaders while letting the people believe he was their last standing savior. He hoarded the energon for the Quintessons, worked the people nearly to death, paraded himself around like he was Primus himself. A fraud, somehow even worse than his predecessors, who were hardly perfect and even barbaric at times (the empurata victim standing before them was proof of that) but at least attempted to protect their own.

The rat didn't like it. The deer-- Shockwave-- said there was hope, in the form of the High Guard who'd been chased out of Iacon by Sentinel and had operated from the shadows to take him down ever since. They couldn't afford risks, couldn't keep enough energon for their ranks, but that was where the rat came in and why Shockwave had repaired and enhanced them. They'd made quite an impression over the cycles, and if they wanted to help the cause, they could put their scavenging abilities to good use.

That's how they became RTE-09. An unconventional name, but one given to them. The experimental designation, the repairs built from a creaturelike frame similar to Shockwave's, and their (for all intents and purposes) imprinting on the deer bot all made RTE see Shockwave as their brother, and Shockwave simply went with it. Perhaps he enjoyed the companionship, even allowing the rat access to his lab without threatening them for the inevitable mess they'd make of his things. RTE would only talk to Shockwave for several stellar cycles, finding it hard to trust anyone else for a while.

That didn't stick, of course, especially once they warmed up to the High Guard's leader who occasionally visited the lab. Starscream was a highly skilled seeker, and led as best he could with Soundwave and Shockwave to help him-- but at spark, he was still a scientist and poet. He hadn't yet let war break him, hadn't yet been corrupted. He was an odd bot, to be sure, but he still appreciated everything around him, especially the creatures, and that extended to RTE. Even though they were perfectly sentient, RTE was happy to get the pet rat treatment for completing a task well-- that being headpats, mostly. Starscream was a good friend, a good bot, and RTE never lost sight of that in him despite what his future held.

This Means War

you've gone too far who do you think you are? is this what you came for? well, this means war

But in their spark RTE wasn't satisfied. They'd come to know a lot of Cybertronians through their business, and they hated doing so little to help them. They hated what Sentinel was doing. They hated being helpless against the invaders acting like they owned the planet. So when a group of cogless bots turned up saying they could change things, they had proof, they could take Sentinel down, RTE was all audio receptors, even towards the one who beat Starscream within an inch of his spark. They didn't trust D-16, not completely, but he was right, and he was doing something about it.

If you've seen Transformers One, you know the rest. RTE was captured with Starscream (Shockwave in this continuity was a bit more eager to help Orion get them back) and saw everything play out. They saw Sentinel supposedly offlined, celebrated it, even-- but in the back of their processor, there was something off about their new leader, even as they continued to agree with him. Something shifted in his spark when his friend (really, his sparkmate, RTE thought) became a Prime.

RTE never forgot how they felt about that last interaction between two leaders, even as new transformation cogs and enhancements corroded all of Cybertron's memory files over the stellar cycles to come. They'd always believe in the Decepticon cause, in stopping the corrupt government the Autobots upheld. But they'd also always see something different in Optimus Prime, and the Decepticon who stood directly against him.

Rise Up

and we follow the path that we believe in no we're not gonna stop until we reach it oh all you need to know is that we're holding on we rise up from the dust and claim our throne

[iholli]

the only problem with SG is the color palettes. my god some of them are so bad. Primus help me.

anyway. yeah you probably shouldn't insult the rat in front of their conjunx. yeah he's probably going to bite you. you should uh. you should leave while RTE tries to calm him down.

[iholli]

hate when I'm getting ready for bed bc I have work in the morning and my brain goes you have to draw actually or you will die

[iholli]

RTE hears about Valentine's Day but takes all the gift heart symbolism completely literally and presents Blitzwing with somebody's spark chamber. he likes it, of course. 💖

[iholli]

eepy thoughts bc I should've been asleep an hour ago (but I took a nap earlier so it's fine)

RTE and organic rats. they encounter one in a back alley one day and they're just so taken by the little creature. can you believe it, Blitzy? the humans have turborats too! somehow they're even cuter! look how funny they are, why do they boggle their optics like that to indicate happiness?

but then they start figuring out most humans don't like rats very much. and they start getting protective. RTE can hear a rat in distress a mile away, the human in question hears them storming through the city, and it was at that moment they knew they fucked up !!! RTE stands between the organics they like and the ones they don't, digital optics blazing in the darkness. "If you know what's good for you, human, you'll start leaving scraps for the little ones or you'll be scraps for me."

just, this 40 foot tall menace of a robot with organic rats climbing all over them, bruxing away. RTE can't mimic the action exactly but their engine purrs back. 💖

[iholli]

Second one teehee!

Does your OC find it easy to empathise with their enemies? Or do they see it as important to dehumanise them in order to combat them with sufficient determination?

Is your OC particularly skilled at flirting? Have they had to practice this or does it just happen naturally?

Who was your OC's first crush? How do they feel about it now?

Does your OC have a healthy sense of their own worth and value? Or do they see themselves as failing to live up to their original potential? Perhaps they are convinced of their own sinful or inadequate nature?

gets hit with a sliver of development braincell and picks up all my old unanswered asks while I am awake enough to do so

💖 Is your OC particularly skilled at flirting? Have they had to practice this or does it just happen naturally?

💖 Does your OC find it easy to empathise with their enemies? Or do they see it as important to dehumanise them in order to combat them with sufficient determination?

depending on the situation, it's probably the latter. for the most part RTE sees very black and white in battle-- Decepticons who fight for the cause, and Autobots who uphold their corrupt leadership structure. shades of gray don't matter. RTE fires indiscriminately, they're here to bring chaos, baby!

if by flirting you mean "trying to be smooth on purpose and instead just saying something equal parts stupid and. kind of mean" RTE is a pro! they can't do it on command. by accident, sure, but don't let them try on purpose. words are hard. better to let actions, and songs, do that kind of talking!

💖 Who was your OC's first crush? How do they feel about it now?

well RTE had never contemplated conjunxing or even being interested in the ritus before Blitzwing showed up so. yeah (I have it in my head that RTE like, tried to roundabout ask Bluescreen how to figure out why they were having Feelings lmao rip girl). I think they're just fine about it now LMAO

💖 Does your OC have a healthy sense of their own worth and value? Or do they see themselves as failing to live up to their original potential? Perhaps they are convinced of their own sinful or inadequate nature?

oh bestie this is RTE-09! they're not Primus' greatest gift to Cybertron or anything but they've got it made! RTE is living their best life, they know what they're fighting for, they've got the favoritism of important bots, they get to cause destruction without reservation, and they're spark bonded to the one con even more unhinged than they are. RTE has no qualms about their life! and while they're not necessarily arrogant about their self worth, RTE won't resist the urge to puff their chassis out a bit when they're better than someone they dislike. Starscream is a bad influence LMFAO.

[rte-continuity]

Identification: RTE-09

Known as: RTE / Ratty / Rat

Pronouns: They / them

Affiliation: Decepticon

Vehicle form: Space shuttle

Height (root mode): 36 ft

Function: Scavenger

Voice claim: None currently

RTE-09, usually known as simply RTE, is a loud, snarky Decepticon who's always more interested in wreaking destruction than following orders (their mantra is essentially "you didn't say it was an order"). They take the deception part of their allegiance a bit too literally, as RTE is constantly wiggling through loopholes and manipulating other bots in order to do whatever they want-- something they only get away with due to their effectiveness as a 'con. RTE truly is an intelligent bot, only somewhat held back by their short fuse and constant desire for chaos.

Despite their exterior, though, RTE has a significant softness in their spark for bots they're dedicated to. RTE is fiercely loyal when they choose to be, even if a bot is on the other side of the war. But first and foremost RTE is a master of havoc and cunning with, as Blitzwing aptly puts it, "no chill whatsoever." They're untameable, swearing constantly, barking their opinions at anybody, and always looking for a fight, maybe even with Megatron himself, just for fun. RTE just loves being a Decepticon.

RTE's designation as a scavenger puts them in the war's most dangerous lines, especially during the Quintesson war; RTE returns to the battlefield after the fighting has ended, searching for any still-useful parts and any tech left behind by the enemy. This makes them an obvious target for any cleanup crews and RTE has seen many of their own battles. It's a perk of the job and they wouldn't have it any other way!

The Decepti-Rat doesn't have much opinion of humans; they're largely indifferent to Earth, and not exactly a fan, but if you handed them a particularly chaotic human RTE would be quite entertained. They can respect any creature with as much feral energy as their own!

RTE is closest to their conjunx endura, Blitzwing; the only bot they follow as leader, Starscream; their Creature™ sibling, Shockwave; their third wheel in chaos, Astrotrain; and their best friend, for an Autobot, Bumblebee.

Although RTE is a space shuttle, they're not only smaller than most 'cons, but lighter as well! They're built with a very light frame and picking them up is, well, like holding a couple of grapes.

This works out particularly well because the more RTE likes you, the more time they spend as a shoulder creature. It's also great for scaring other bots to carry around a Decepticon almost as big as you are like they're nothing. Starscream especially enjoys taking advantage of this. (unfortunately it doesn't work with Bumblebee. RTE is still twice his size. yes they have tried. no it did not work out. RTE carries Bee around instead!)

RTE's design is largely inspired by Protogens and the Endeavor space shuttle, though no specific model is used for them. The idea came from shuttle aircraft carriers, hence why RTE is such a shoulder rat to Blitzwing :]

Their design makes them unique among Transformers, particularly their vehicle mode, as unlike the average bot their faceplate remains the nose of the shuttle. Yes, the shuttle can OwO.

RTE does have some struggles with their vehicle mode, particularly getting airborne from the ground, and will usually transform midair instead of dealing with the hassle. Blitzwing often throws them as a boost, just to be funny, and further confuse every bot in the vicinity.

The scavenger's main weaponry is the seeker missile case on their back; while they don't necessarily have precision aim, the spark-tracking missiles do just fine. And if there's collateral, well, who is RTE to complain about more chaos! They can also use the rocket boosters in their pedes and "tail" in close combat.