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the_cybercatTitle: Swindle's New Job
Universe: G1
Rating: PG
Characters: Swindle and the Constructicons.
Warnings: A little Constructicon 'snuggliness.' Otherwise none.
Notes This ficlet is probably how the 'Substitutes' story will begin. Swindle becomes a Constructicon, heralding several other 'alterations' in gestalt composition. There is much written in my head and in draft!
Swindle's New Job
"So this is what Devastator’s new schematics look like," Hook said crisply.
"Scrapper will be assuming the role of head and shoulders. His thoughts will guide you, as have mine, and Devastator's decisions will be essentially be his."
A murmur went through them. Congratulations were mumbled, and several hands clapped Scrapper firmly on the shoulder and back - although there was a subdued note to their actions, and the smiles were grim. A nervousness was apparent on Scrapper’s part, and a barely suppressed melancholy within the others.
Undeterred, Hook continued. "Longhaul will continue as lower torso, and in the role of central coordinator - in other words, remain as he has been. I hardly need to tell you that Longhaul will process your perceptions and send data to Scrapper, to inform the decision making and coordinate Devastator's subsequent actions."
There were a few chuckles, but they were muted. Again the guarded smiles. Was this really the right way to go? wondered the other mech in the room.
He could leave now, make it on his own. After all, had that not been the original objective? Was it not what he had strived for, ever since arriving on this planet and in the miserable situation he'd landed up in?
But no - he couldn’t. Not at the moment, anyway. That much had been painfully obvious.
And he could not, he absolutely could not go back to the place from which he had recently come. Oh no, those bridges were smouldering ruins. Avenue closed. Barred. Vorboten.
He had to give this a go. There was no other option.
"Scavenger and Bonecrusher will remain as right and left arms respectively, and owing to the previous experience of ou ... I mean your newest colleague, there is no need for Mixmaster to alter his role as left leg."
And now they were all looking at him. And he relaxed, because the looks were far from unwelcoming, and although their smiles were still twinged with sadness, he sensed through his new and rudimentary connections a resolution, a determination that the new arrangements would work; a solidarity, and a strength which was alien to him, and unnerving - yet at the same time, strangely reassuring.
Hook nodded to him. "Welcome Swindle," he said. "Welcome to the Constructicons and - uh - as Devastator’s new right foot!"
..............
They hugged him tightly in turn, saying words of welcome and wishing him well. He sensed only encouragement. Again there was that ‘tough resignation,’ the feeling that somehow this plan would forge ahead. Yet the melancholic mood still lurked; and now Swindle sensed, very strongly, that it surrounded Hook’s departure, and that this did in fact exceed the pleasure from having him join the team.
Doubt swept through the ex Combaticon again with depressing fervour. What if what happened with them happens here? (There’s nowhere else to run.)
Swindle pulled away from Scavenger. "Look,I uh - what if this doesn’t work out?" he said. "Wouldn’t it be better if Hook kinda - stayed?"
Exchanges passed between them, of which Swindle was not yet sufficiently initiated to decipher. But he sensed fragments of agreement with what he had said, and of their own doubts, which only increased his growing paranoia.
Hook took control, fixing all of them with a ‘look’ which left Swindle in no doubt as to why he had been the head for so long.
"It will work!" He said. "I have seen to it that it will. In fact, Devastator will be - improved."
He fixed them all with a steely glare. "Confidence, Cohesion and Trust!" he went on. "Have we not always lived by this? I see no reason for it to be otherwise now - and I would have thought ...." his optics flared, not unlike Megatron's, "that a demonstration to your new colleague was more important than lamenting what cannot be changed!"
His voice had turned cold, authoritative, and with just a touch of anger. It seemed the medic had made up his mind and Swindle felt, from what he sensed to be long habit, the rapid acquiescence of the others. But there was something he still had to know.
"Look I just gotta ask you one thing, Hook. Why are you actually - going?"
There were sharp intakes around him. The strength seemed to go out of Hook. His face turned a greyer shade, and he turned away.
A ripple of almost overwhelming emotion went through the others, and Swindle shuddered, tears pricking his optics. He did not really know why he reacted this way because there was - as before - no ill will directed to him, no rejection and - now - no doubt about their faith in him.
"Swindle!" Scavenger pulled him close. "I’ll tell you later!" he whispered. "It just ain’t a good time to bring it up right now. That’s all!"
Universe: G1
Rating: PG
Characters: Swindle and the Constructicons.
Warnings: A little Constructicon 'snuggliness.' Otherwise none.
Notes This ficlet is probably how the 'Substitutes' story will begin. Swindle becomes a Constructicon, heralding several other 'alterations' in gestalt composition. There is much written in my head and in draft!
Swindle's New Job
"So this is what Devastator’s new schematics look like," Hook said crisply.
"Scrapper will be assuming the role of head and shoulders. His thoughts will guide you, as have mine, and Devastator's decisions will be essentially be his."
A murmur went through them. Congratulations were mumbled, and several hands clapped Scrapper firmly on the shoulder and back - although there was a subdued note to their actions, and the smiles were grim. A nervousness was apparent on Scrapper’s part, and a barely suppressed melancholy within the others.
Undeterred, Hook continued. "Longhaul will continue as lower torso, and in the role of central coordinator - in other words, remain as he has been. I hardly need to tell you that Longhaul will process your perceptions and send data to Scrapper, to inform the decision making and coordinate Devastator's subsequent actions."
There were a few chuckles, but they were muted. Again the guarded smiles. Was this really the right way to go? wondered the other mech in the room.
He could leave now, make it on his own. After all, had that not been the original objective? Was it not what he had strived for, ever since arriving on this planet and in the miserable situation he'd landed up in?
But no - he couldn’t. Not at the moment, anyway. That much had been painfully obvious.
And he could not, he absolutely could not go back to the place from which he had recently come. Oh no, those bridges were smouldering ruins. Avenue closed. Barred. Vorboten.
He had to give this a go. There was no other option.
"Scavenger and Bonecrusher will remain as right and left arms respectively, and owing to the previous experience of ou ... I mean your newest colleague, there is no need for Mixmaster to alter his role as left leg."
And now they were all looking at him. And he relaxed, because the looks were far from unwelcoming, and although their smiles were still twinged with sadness, he sensed through his new and rudimentary connections a resolution, a determination that the new arrangements would work; a solidarity, and a strength which was alien to him, and unnerving - yet at the same time, strangely reassuring.
Hook nodded to him. "Welcome Swindle," he said. "Welcome to the Constructicons and - uh - as Devastator’s new right foot!"
..............
They hugged him tightly in turn, saying words of welcome and wishing him well. He sensed only encouragement. Again there was that ‘tough resignation,’ the feeling that somehow this plan would forge ahead. Yet the melancholic mood still lurked; and now Swindle sensed, very strongly, that it surrounded Hook’s departure, and that this did in fact exceed the pleasure from having him join the team.
Doubt swept through the ex Combaticon again with depressing fervour. What if what happened with them happens here? (There’s nowhere else to run.)
Swindle pulled away from Scavenger. "Look,I uh - what if this doesn’t work out?" he said. "Wouldn’t it be better if Hook kinda - stayed?"
Exchanges passed between them, of which Swindle was not yet sufficiently initiated to decipher. But he sensed fragments of agreement with what he had said, and of their own doubts, which only increased his growing paranoia.
Hook took control, fixing all of them with a ‘look’ which left Swindle in no doubt as to why he had been the head for so long.
"It will work!" He said. "I have seen to it that it will. In fact, Devastator will be - improved."
He fixed them all with a steely glare. "Confidence, Cohesion and Trust!" he went on. "Have we not always lived by this? I see no reason for it to be otherwise now - and I would have thought ...." his optics flared, not unlike Megatron's, "that a demonstration to your new colleague was more important than lamenting what cannot be changed!"
His voice had turned cold, authoritative, and with just a touch of anger. It seemed the medic had made up his mind and Swindle felt, from what he sensed to be long habit, the rapid acquiescence of the others. But there was something he still had to know.
"Look I just gotta ask you one thing, Hook. Why are you actually - going?"
There were sharp intakes around him. The strength seemed to go out of Hook. His face turned a greyer shade, and he turned away.
A ripple of almost overwhelming emotion went through the others, and Swindle shuddered, tears pricking his optics. He did not really know why he reacted this way because there was - as before - no ill will directed to him, no rejection and - now - no doubt about their faith in him.
"Swindle!" Scavenger pulled him close. "I’ll tell you later!" he whispered. "It just ain’t a good time to bring it up right now. That’s all!"
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no subject
Date: 2011-11-22 02:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-22 02:16 pm (UTC)I like giving Swindle a bit of TLC - he gets a hard time in a lot of fic LOL
no subject
Date: 2011-11-22 04:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-22 11:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-22 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-22 11:53 pm (UTC)It's really interesting, the inter-gestalt stuff. I think Swindle has a bit to go through yet, but I like to think of him making a good Dev right foot - at least for a while! And eventually making peace with his team :D
no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 06:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 06:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 06:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-23 06:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-11-22 08:29 pm (UTC)(you could also post this on gestalt-love if you wanted to? *hintyhint*?)
no subject
Date: 2011-11-22 11:56 pm (UTC)I was indeed intending to put this on GL once I start writing it properly - no worries :-)