Transformers Prime: Time War
is a Transformers fanfic by PhoenixKnight13. It follows a group of Autobots, Decepticons and Predacons led by Smokescreen in the Prime universe after the Predacons Rising movie.
Basically, Megatron sets out to alter the timeline, leaving Smokescreen and his team stuck in the past until they find a way to stop him.
Now has a sequel, Transformers Prime: The Rebirth.
This fanwork provides examples of:
- Alas, Poor Villain: Ever-loyal Shockwave is killed by Megatron himself. Predaking even lampshades it.
- Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Temporarily. When Smokescreen is seemingly killed, a burst of energy erupts from the Well of Allsparks and envelops him, sending him to an astral plane similar to where Optimus met Alpha Trion in the Transformers Prime series, where he meets Optimus. Optimus then complements Smokescreen on all the ways he's grown and matured, and tells him he's ready for the next step in his journey, if he wishes to take it.
- Ball of Light Transformation: Near the end of the story, Smokescreen returns inside a sphere of light, before rematerializing as a Prime.
- Because Destiny Says So: Averted Smokescreen becomes a Prime, but only because he actively makes the decision to do so in order to go back and help the others.
- Big Damn Heroes: Past!Optimus, suddenly appears out of a groundbridge portal and tackles Present!Megatron in order to save Knock Out.
- Call-Back:
- Several nods are made to the Transformers Prime television series.
- Knock Out mentions Orion Pax.
- Smokescreen mentions Optimus's speech detailing Cliffjumper's status as deceased to Wheeljack.
- "Megatron...BE GONE!"
- Came Back Strong: Smokescreen's ascension to Prime apparently vaporizes him and he reappears in the void. After Optimus explains what he's achieved, he's sent back down to the mortal plane to save the day.
- Dawn of an Era: The underlining theme of the story, in contrast with the Predacons Rising film's End of an Age theme.
- Despair Event Horizon: At the beginning of the story it's clear that Megatron has gone over this line following the events of the Predacons Rising movie.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Part of Megatron's reasoning (or so he claims) for going back in time is to prevent many of the deaths which occurred in the original timeline.
- Family-Unfriendly Death: See Impaled with Extreme Prejudice.
- For Want Of A Nail: Megatron believes his injecting Dark Energon into his spark was what set off a long string of events that ultimately end with him becoming incapable of joining with the Well of Allsparks.
- Heel Realization: After being defeated by Prime!Smokescreen, Megatron realized what a fool he'd been, shunting everyone away out of pride, leaving him to revel in his loneliness. You know it's genuine when after everyone returns to the future, he tells Smokescreen outright that he won't cause anyone any more trouble.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Both Airachnid and Shockwave suffer this at Megatron's hand.
- Killed Offscreen: Present day Starscream gets killed by Predaking and the Predacons. However, the event is not seen, only mentioned in the past tense.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: Past!Soundwave (as always) is a lot more dangerous than he lets on. Also, the fact that he saw through present day Megatron's deception, orchestrated the Autobots rescue of Knock Out, and freed the Megatron of the past.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Megatron apparently fought, defeated and captured his younger self without much effort.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The "team" that stands between Megatron and control over the timeline, a Cloudcuckoolander ex-Decepticon, a Trigger-Happy Wrecker, a pair of Blood Knight Predacons, all being led by a Kid-Appeal Character simply because he's the closest thing they have to a leader.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Directed at the villain, Smokescreen gives a rather concise yet epic one to Megatron.Smokescreen: That's your problem Megatron. You still think everybody else is expendable!
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Predaking goes on the warpath after Wheeljack is hurt protecting him, Darksteel and Cliffjumper from an explosion.
- Running Gag: Knock Out getting smacked for being, well Knock Out.Knock Out: Hey! Why does everyone keep hitting me?
- Sudden Principled Stand: Knock Out much to the shock of everyone present, stands between Smokescreen and Megatron during the battle for the Space Bridge. He even flat-out refuses an order to back down.
- Time Travel: Megatron uses a machine created by Shockwave go back into the past. Whereupon a small band of Autobots, led by Smokescreen are inadvertently dragged along with him.
- Trapped in the Past: Smokescreen, Wheeljack and Knock Out along with Predaking and Darksteel are unintentionally pulled through a time portal. They wind up in the very first episode of the television series, where they have to fight Megatron as he attempts to change history.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Averted, the fates of Starscream, Airachnid, and Shockwave after the Predacons Rising film are revealed.
- You Can't Fight Fate: This is Wheeljack's attitude throughout most of the story, believing things like Cliffjumper's death are inevitable.
