With the crisis averted, and justice found, the city returned to ordinary life, but somehow better. A new comradery and unity seemed to now radiate amongst the populace now, and it made the prime smile whenever she saw examples of it. She saw a massive decepticon defend two young protoforms from a falling billboard, a couple of colonists help an old autobot with some heavy packages, and she even heard whispers of another autobot/decepticon couple having formed, though she did not know who. Even autobots like bumblebee, ratchet, road rage, hound, skids and others who were well known and had chosen to live with the humans had come to city to aid in reconstruction. On theirs and the councils advice, snowstorm had chosen to reopen relations with the humans and allow them access to the city again. She realized that as refugees on their world, she had no right to refuse their aid and companionship.
Snowstorm was nervous, as now, a few weeks after the dam battle, a celebration and honoring of her was to take place. To take her mind off of it in the preceding days, she chose to visit and inspect the new prison facility. Unlike the incarceration cells of the security force, this was unfortunately the first permanent detention center in the city. At present it had 9 inmates: there was of coarse flamewar, who remained in solitary confinement. Shatter and dropkick, who had survived the dam battle, had also been repaired and locked up. Decepticons steeljaw, scatterspike and ramjet, as well as neutral beast-bot terrorsaur and mini-con despensor were also discovered to be collaborators of flamewars. Unfortunately the final inmate was long haul, who had been pulled up from the river floor and revealed as another conspirator. By virtue of the discovery of purged security videos and his own confession, he had aided flamewar in securing the dam as a base. On her orders, he had persued a romance with the maintenance officer treadbolt, and passed what info she had to flamewar. Though he did not aid or want it, as he had developed real feelings for the autobot, flamewar murdered treadbolt to secure her position and he reluctantly dumped her frame in the river. He then posed as the security guard of the dam to ward off intruders. He admitted he had no idea of her horrific agenda, thinking she was just looking to remain off the grid. He believed the many megaplexs he saw were a single bot associated with her. Despite his supposedly sad story, he was still an accomplice and prime had him imprisoned all the same.
As no evidence, that could be found, pointed to shockwave having contributed to flamewar's operations yet, prime chose not to hold any charges on him. Though he had an infamous past, he would be allowed a chance at a clean start in the city like all autobots and decepticons. As the science guild, who had been giving the task of disposing or recycling the clones, were best equipped for it, she had shockwave turned over to them. She was fairly confident that they would take good care of a fellow bot of science. The dam and lab had been fully stripped and under constant guard. Paranoid about what secrets may yet still be hidden, she insisted that routine checks for anything further in the facility be conducted.
She had returned to the command center and waited in an empty hall to be called out to the stage in front of the building. She felt ridiculous looking, as additional paint applications had been added to her armor for the occasion, per the request of pyra magna and other religious members. The markings were apparently invocative of the past primes and considered sacred and hallowed; how could she have refused under the circumstances. The crowd, she was told, was practically the entire city pollution, which she found shocking; even human representatives were in attendance. Tailgate and the decepticon scrapmetal finished prepping her on the proceedings before rushing out to wait to give her the exit signal. Lost in her nervous thoughts, the introduction speeches by windblade and jazz sounded like distant mumbling. She also did not register the approach of another bot from the other end of the hallway until they were right upon her.
"greetings prime" the bot spoke cordially
Startled, she jumped back; the bot before her was purple and black and, being a few heads taller, peered down at her. She then realized by his face, or lack thereof, that it was shockwave, rebuilt by the science guild. They, or he, had obviously got in an interesting design with his reconstruction. From his files, his original frame was boxy and standard, with one hand and one weapon/laser tool appendage. This new bot before her had a far more foreign and repellant visage. He was thin and lanky, and both hands bore three long pointed digits. He had chosen to still bear his decepticon symbol, which was imprinted proudly on his chest. His head was now stretched longer but still bore no features save for the single red optic peering at her and his audio receptors where now long and curved like horns. If one was seeking an appearance of a bot to not trust on first fight, this was it.
"I see you have noticed my reformatted form. I find it quite appealing don't you"
Somehow every word he spoke to her seemed to have some sort of condescending tone.
"yes, very efficient" she managed a smile
"I wanted to thank you personally for granting my pardon prime"
"not at all, you were at the time more a prisoner of flamewar after all"
"of course"
"damn, with a face like that I can't read him at all" the thought to herself
"will you be remaining with the science guild? I'm sure with your talents you would be welcome"
"I do not believe we share the same interests. I believe I will pursue my own itinerary for the time being"
"which would be?"
"ah ah, spoilers" he chirped
Realizing the bot may very well be looking to start more trouble and had been playing her, she readied to threaten him right back when she heard the sound of applause and saw tailgate waving her down.
"I'll leave you to your celebrations, until next we meet, prime..."
With that he turned and walked down the hall, but turned back to look at her over his shoulder before vanishing into the darkness.
"try to smile prime, this is your day after all. Do try to enjoy it"
His words were full of mockery and a hint of menace. Before she knew it he was gone.
"that is definitely a bot I have to keep and optic on" she thought aloud
Remembering it was her que, she ran out and froze as, to her awe, the wide street before her, full of bots of all makes, erupted in thunderous applause. She waved awkwardly, caught off guard by the overwhelming reaction. She looked down to see those of her colony at the front row, per her request. She had worried that it would be received badly by them, thinking it her way of rubbing her success in their faces. Beyond her wildest expectation, they cheered as well. The bots she thought she had lost; former friends, family, coworkers and people of her home, who meant the most to her, supporting her. Even tempora bore a genuine smile and waved to her, which she happily returned. To the primes left on stage were the council members, and to her right team prime. Flanking the podium were jazz and windblade and for a moment she thought she was meant to step forth. She stopped herself, remembering there would first be a guest speaker to honor her. Not knowing who it was, she was surprised to see soundblaster ascend the stage on his chair and move to its center. Unable to reach the microphone from his support chair, he simply used his natural abilities to amplify his voice to a similarly amplified tone.
"Transformers of new cyberttron; autobots, decepticons, colonists, neutrals and all in between. I have been a decepticon for a very long time; since the beginning. I fought optimus prime many a time, and he is considered the greatest prime to have lived. We have been forced to accept one who did not deserve the honor of being a prime; a nobody from nowhere, who had never held a blaster or given an order. She was without a doubt the worst bot to lead this refuge…"
"what the slag, this is what honoring is to a decepticon!" she thought and scowled
"…and, I believe we may all be the better for it. Optimus prime and others like him were great leaders who commanded respect from their soldiers. We now have prime who has proven herself a leader and who has instead earned ours. Not since the early years of the golden age of cybertron have I seen a prime unite so many varying bots as now. For a better and brighter future, it is clear that it is snowstorm prime who shall guide us there"
Once again the city erupted into applause that shook the earth and sky. Soundblaster moved aside and bid the prime to approach. Nervous but overwhelmed with emotion, she walked forward, returning the smiles jazz and windblade gave her as she passed them. Reaching the front, she reached out and exchanged a heartfelt handshake with soundblaster, who moved back to join the others. She was unsure of what to say, what could be said following a speech like that.
"thank you, thank you so much. Thank you to my team, to the council, and to all of you, for trusting in me even when I didn't trust myself. I truly don't know if being a prime is in my programming but if that means leading and protecting this amazing city and all of you on this beautiful world, than like the many primes before me, I accept that burden and honor with all that I am…"
Having read a certain phrase that had apparently been used as a rallying cry by past primes, she figured she might as well try it.
"till all are one!"
Again, louder and harder than ever the people cheered. She waved, unable to hide the big smile on her face. After some hours the celebration eventually wound down and the other bots on stage came together to conversate. Jazz came up to shake her hand.
"nice touch at the end there" he smiled
"Affirmative" soundblaster added
Choosing to let old grudges die and the future be embraced, the two bots, likely the highest ranking remaining from each side, shook hands, in their minds effectively ending the war. The peace and unity did endure in the coming weeks and life continued as it once was. Snowstorm prime however now had embraced her role fully and whole-sparkedly. She sat with the council again, fully attentive and presiding over the proceedings. However, she did excuse herself, almost by instinct, upon seeing out the window that snow had begun to again fall on the city. The council suddenly realized that once again sitting in the primes seat was an eager looking tailgate.
Dismissing team prime for the day, she went outside to meet her new charges. Two annoyed looking bots waited at the head where the city's main road met the command center. One was Mudflap, a tall, rebellious blue crane bot; he had a history of being an autobot, then a decepticon and finally a rogue. The other was Skipjack, a red, sociopathic decepticon bulldozer. He had a peculiar body build, hunched and with a repulsive head on a long neck; his treads extended past his arms and hung like whips. Rather than legs, his lower half tapered into a single spring-like limb, which he balanced on when standing and bounced on to move. Both now laborers, they were the city workers that she had previously sentenced to additional shifts due to their subpar performances. She had chosen to take both under her command when she partook in the labor.
"alright bots, let's get in a good hard days work"
The two looked at each other with apprehension but, not wanting to argue with the prime, transformed and started into their duty. Content, snowstorm turned to look at the monument that she had personally commissioned be erected in the command center court yard. At its base were inscribed the names of all the bots who gave their sparks in the battle with the megaplex clones. Above was erected a large sculpture of slipstream and bulkhead, hand in hand and both bearing their faction logos. It represented the unity this city would forever more be founded on. She smiled and kicked the snow playfully, ready to do some work, the kind that gave the old Ice Inferno in her peace.
The End, for now.
That's it for now, big thanks to Jackspicerchase on deviatntart whose OC Inspired me to wright this fic. I do have a basic outline for a sequel about "you know who" causing mayhem but I'll wait to see how this is received first. Thanks for reading and please comment and review.