NOTE: There are many different avenues to take for the Dinobots. They can be G2 dolts or other uni's versions of them as anti-social, smarter and more capable horrendous war devices. I am using a blend of this. I think having them smarter and more nuanced makes for better stories. TF wiki has the 411 on all the possibilities. Enjoy!
The Diego Diaries: Talkies (dd3 181)
-0-Diego Garcia, Earth
The downed humans stood up brushing themselves off as they watched the big formats standing before them talking to Prime. They weren't strictly humanoid in configuration. They appeared to be relative in image to dinosaurs with horns and stegasaurus-like plates on some while pteradon-like helms dominated one other. One of them, a big mechanism that appeared to resemble a lizard-like being with small hooked claws on his wrists turned to look at them.
Fulton stepped back automatically along with all the other humans with him in visceral reaction to the menace of the beast.
Prime noting this stepped forward. "Grimlock, you made it."
"Me, Grimlock did. Optimus Prime needed us. We heard your call."
"Good, Grimlock. We used to live on this planet and to here the first of our recovered people came. But now we have a colony on the next planet over. That is where we are going now." Prime watched him as Grimlock turned to the others to confer off line.
"Where is this colony, Optimus Prime?" Grimlock asked glancing over his big shoulder.
"That way," Optimus said nodding to the sky. All five Dinobots turned to look, then turned back to him.
Swoop who stood quietly gazing at individuals he hadn't seen in eons nodded. "I will come with you."
Prime glanced at him. "I am glad, Swoop. What we have to establish is chain of command. Are you here to work for me or are you going to go off on your own when you want to?" Prime looked from one to the other. "You cannot be renegade here. We have a city with nearly a million residents and a highly organized command structure. Our army could use you but only if you give me your word to the Matrix that you will obey orders and follow me."
They looked at him then each other. Grimlock looked at Prime again. "I lead the Dinobots. I'm the boss of my unit."
"You are an Autobot unit and I am the Prime. You must pledge your allegiance to my command and the Matrix or you cannot come to Mars where we live," Optimus said.
Fulton stood on the bank nearby where he had climbed after getting dumped on his butt when the formats landed. The conversation was perplexing and the robotic figures before him, five malevolent figures of a type he'd never seen before including one that seemed capable of flight were not respectful of Prime at all. He'd never seen that from anyone other than Decepticons.
Ironhide stood beside Prime, his canons in full view and the others stood around the group with their own weapons casually at servo.
Fulton noted that as well; this, the first time that a fight might seem possible between soldiers and newcomers. Prime had asked Fulton to pull everyone out in the vicinity and blockade the airspace over the island long enough for the retrieval. He was just told that 'special circumstances' bots were on the way and there would have to be a negotiation before Prime would be able to take them away.
It'd been foreboding and Fulton stood nearby ready to duck at the slightest sign of danger. Danger appeared to him to be imminent.
-0-Earlier
Optimus Prime stepped down from Silverbolt and walked to the beach where John Fulton was waiting for him. Kneeling, they conferred. Prime had explained to him that the protoforms heading their way were unique among Cybertronians. These mechanisms were formatted to copy organic figures from a faraway world, dangerous figures that bore a great resemblance to the prehistoric monsters that had once roamed the Earth.
They were anti-social, some more than others and as close-knit a unit as any on either side of the war. They were also contemptuous of Prime which made them dangerous beyond the norm. If they didn't obey his commands and acquiesce to his leadership, they wouldn't be allowed to run around without limitations.
How they would react, Prime didn't know. Most of the Autobots found them difficult and some of them such as Sludge not worth the effort to them if circumstances required them to be rescued. Unless things had changed, they were a big question mark for the bots on their side.
Five big mechanisms stood before Prime gauging him even as they talked together off line. It was silent. The breeze was warm and gentle, the waves very slight along the ocean's edge. Overhead, the sun was bright and the sky deeply blue with puffy clouds moving along slowly.
Then the big mech who claimed leadership nodded. "We will come with you for now, Prime."
"Not good enough, Grimlock. You have to swear on the Matrix that you will serve my command and not go off on your own."
Grimlock turned as Slag shook his helm. "I don't want to promise anything to the cowardly Prime. I don't like anything and I don't like you, Optimus Prime."
Optimus regarded him levelly even as he noticed the ramping up in the demeanor of his crew. It was 'Wrecker light', microscopic but noticeable. Springer stepped closer in the most causal way to cover Drift reaching down to pick up Fulton and his adjutant. Drift stepped back and moved to place them on higher ground farther away. Turning back with a grin, the big white and red mech walked to his spot again, his arms hanging loosely by his sides ready to grab his swords should the need come.
"You followed my call. You are here in my solar system. You will obey my command by oath on the Matrix or you cannot stay, Slag," Prime said evenly. "That is how it is. Take it or leave it."
Grimlock turned to Slag and shoved him. "I make the decisions. You follow me."
"Because I want to and only when I want to. I, Slag do what the frag Iwant!" he said hotly to the bot he often clashed with. "You can't tell me what to do."
"I do tell you, Slag. I'm the leader. You will obey me.I say we go to Autobot City and live. We will obey the Prime. If you don't agree then you fight me now." Grimlock loomed over the smaller Slag but that bot didn't give ground. The punch that landed on Grimlock was swift and hard.
Grimlock roared and slammed his fist into Slag's chest pushing the bot backwards. Everyone watching stepped back, their weapons coming up to point at the two battling in the sand before them. The other three Dinobots stepped back watching the fight almost impassively. As they did, Swoop transformed and rose upward on the light breeze, flying away into the sky.
Fulton watched Swoop with extreme surprise, not noticing that Trailbreaker had knelt down before him, his gun pointed at the ground ready to use. Swoop disappeared into the sky but the fight didn't end. It continued as the two behemoths slammed each other, wading into the surf as they clashed. Standing knee deep in water, the two fought, fire enveloping both for a moment as Slag exhaled molten flame onto Grimlock.
They traded blows, then Slag stepped back seething as he glared at Grimlock. The conversation inside must have been intense as Grimlock pointed at the bot with jabbing thrusts of his servo as he argued some silent point with the raging horned format standing before him.
Slag was an extraordinary appearing Cybertronian and Fulton took in his format with wide eyes. Slag was huge and bore a large metallic helmet appearing device pointing upward from where it was attached to his back. Three gigantic curved horns protruded from it and they looked deadly. His yellow optics blazed with fury and he was extraordinarily fast for a huge mechanism. But he looked much smaller than the one he challenged.
Grimlock was a big fragger, Fulton thought as the sound of his own heart beating in his ears almost blotted out everything else. That bot was huge but not as tall as Prime. He was vast in the scope of danger he exuded and didn't appear to be the kind of bot who was afraid of anything.
He'd called out Prime, calling that giant cowardly. He still felt the shock reverberate. It was hard to detect from the features of Grimlock's helm what he was really made of. He had amber optics but a rather featureless face, a ton of menace and apparently a low IQ. Fulton looked at all of them and felt a sinking sensation of foreboding about future trouble.
The conversation ended and the two walked back to Prime. "Slag is getting over it. Anyone else needs to speak to me about what we do?" Grimlock asked looking at the others.
Sludge, himself deeply scornful of Optimus looked at him. "I think Grimlock leads. But Sludge loves Autobot Cause. Sludge will follow Optimus Prime even if I hate you."
Prime smirked slightly. "Thank you, Sludge."
"You're welcome," Sludge said with his customary good manners.
Springer felt a smile creep onto his face. He had a lot of experience with the Dinobots and thought them lost to the universe forever, which in and of itself would have been the easiest solution. Sludge and Slag hated Prime. They thought him weak and cowardly. But Sludge was a true Autobot and Slag was a slagger. They would make due.
"Make an oath on the Matrix," Prime said calmly.
Grimlock glared at his troops. "Me, Grimlock take an oath on the Matrix to follow Optimus Prime." He looked at the others. "Me, Grimlock say you swear, too."
The others glared back then looked at Prime. "I, Sludge, swear."
"I swear, too," Slag said reluctantly. "I still say Grimlock should lead. The strongest should lead."
"What about Swoop?" Ironhide said glancing at Snarl who was looking sourly at the group around him. "What about you, Snarl?"
Snarl glared at Ironhide, his anti-social tendencies clear on his face. "What about Snarl, Ironhide?" he mimicked, his servos itching to blast the big Autobot to pieces. No one in the Dinobots enjoyed battle more than he and it was all he could do to rein in his anger.
"Me, Grimlock say you agree," Grimlock said glaring at Snarl.
Snarl looked at him for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I agree. For whatever good it will do."
A cry split the silence as a big mechanism landed transforming back to root mode. Swoop looked at Grimlock. "What do we do?"
"Swear on the Matrix for Prime. Me, Grimlock tell you so."
Swoop looked at him, then Prime. "I swear."
Prime looked relieved. "We are leaving here and going to Mars. We will help you settle in there. All you have to do is walk with us to Silverbolt. With him, you can hitch a ride to Autobot City."
Grimlock looked at him. Then he glanced at the others nodding as he did. "Me, Grimlock says we go now." With that, he began to walk toward the base. They did so in the company of six Wreckers.
Prime watched them, then turned to Ironhide. "I want to speak with Colonel Fulton. Please do what we agreed to do with them on Mars, Ironhide."
Ironhide nodded with a grin of his own. "It's done, Prime," he said as he turned to follow.
Prime watched him go, then turned to Fulton. Kneeling down, he grinned. "Welcome to 'special circumstances soldiers', John."
Fulton looked at him with a grin. "Lucky you, Optimus."
Prime grinned and held out his hand. Fulton sat down and the two walked up the bank, heading to the tarmac where the Dinobots were waiting and talking to the Wreckers. A lot of the humans at the base had come out to watch the landings, finding themselves held back by Embassy and base security. When they saw the giant new Autobots. They were glad. The menace of a couple of them was a new experience.
Ironhide walked to Prime and Fulton. "We have the quarters set up and mentors ready, Prime. They'll not be off the radar. Their first few orns will be chaperoned."
"Thank you, Ironhide. I will leave here with Cosmos when he comes. Keep me in the loop," Prime said.
Ironhide nodded, then walked to the group. He spoke to them a moment, then they walked to Silverbolt to enter one by one. The hatch closed and Silverbolt lifted off gracefully, disappearing into the sky almost immediately.
"That bunch looks like trouble, Optimus," Fulton said as he gazed at the sky above.
Prime nodded. "They are feared by the Decepticons. Grimlock should keep them in line."
"You must tell me about them sometimes. I've never seen formats like them before," Fulton said.
"You never will either. Thank Primus they are on our side. Most of the time." Prime grinned. "I think we need to talk about a few things including new developments out there."
Fulton nodded as the two walked toward the communications hangar for a conference.
-0-Autobot City, Mars
They touched down, taxing to the north hangars where the Dinobots would be living. Standing nearby waiting to assist were their 'mentors'. Kappa, Gamma, Omega, Xantium and Zeta Supreme who watched as the elegant figure of Silverbolt transformed and followed the group as they came closer to where the giants stood.
Omega nodded to Silverbolt, his bond. "How was the flight?" he asked, his optics fixed on the wayward children of the Cause, Grimlock and Company.
"It went well," Silverbolt said as he halted next to them with a grin on his handsome face. "I suppose you know each other."
Grimlock, Snarl, Swoop, Sludge and Slag stared up, way up at the giants who looked down at them.
Omega glanced at Xantium who stood with the usual smirk on his face. "Choose, brother."
Xantium reached down and clamped on Slag. Rising back up as he held the startled bot in front of his face, he grinned. "I like the nasty one. I'll enjoy slagging his aft to the Pit if he gives Optimus Prime even the slightest worry. Understand, Slag?"
That bot nodded silently. He hung in Xantium's servo like a rag doll.
Omega reached down to gently take Swoop into servo. "I like this one."
Swoop looked at him with a slight smile on his face. "Swoop likes Omega."
Kappa grabbed Sludge and held him close to her beautiful face. "This one has a bad attitude. I don't like bad attitudes. I hope that's clear. This city is our home and you will live here with all the grace as the rest of us or I'll 'accidentally' step on you. Accidentally."
Sludge looked at her with an unreadable expression. The usual sour anger was missing. It was a good thing.
"That leaves you or you for me," Zeta said with a smile. He reached down and grabbed Snarl who had stepped back at the sight of his brothers getting their afts handed to them by mountain sized bots with attitude. Zeta held him before his face. "I wonder how hard it would be to pull this one's arms and legs off?"
Grimlock ducked but the servo who got him clamped on tightly. Rising up, he looked levelly into the optics of his 'mentor/keeper'. Gamma smiled. "Don't give me one reason to slag you to the Pit, little mech. I have a short temper when it comes to dumb afts."
Grimlock looked at him, then his brothers who were held in the grip of the other giants with the exception of Swoop who sat comfortably in Omega's servo. "Grimlock understand," he said.
The others nodded, too.
-0-Diego Garcia, Earth
"That's their story."
"Wow," Fulton said. "They're genuine worries then."
"Not really. The Supremes are going to 'mentor' them. I do not expect trouble."
"Even from Slag? After all, his actual name is a swear word," Fulton said with a grin.
"Fits him, too," Prime said with a grin.
-0-TBC 2013 (2) edited 5-5-2-19
TFwiki calls them the 'boy band of the Autobots'. I lurve them. :D