Cheese n Crackers

Now-

June Darby is a badass but she’s also a hilarious character.

On her second episode of being aware of the Autobots’ existence, the woman actually implied that she intended to hit on TFP’s Optimus Prime. Wore heels and everything! And she admits this to her teenage son with the smuggest little grin on her face. 😂

Look, after being on this Hellsite for a minute, I’m not gonna deny that there are many people who would do this—but the fact that it happened in the show is FUNNY. The writers actually put that joke in there!

The more-serious point is: June Darby does not hesitate to look at these giant, alien robots and decide that she will treat them exactly as she would treat human beings.

There’s no real hesitation or adjustment period, just a brief moment of awe in the Autobot base before she just nods and decides “well, these people are part of my life now”—even with the caution that she expresses because of the kids’ involvement in a space civil war.

She meets Arcee, learns her name, and immediately smiles and thanks her for protecting her family. Arcee is then 100% part of that family.

She plans to flirt with Optimus, then stops in the middle of an angry rant about the kids’ well-being in order to rationally explain to him why she is so upset.

She ships Bulkhead and Arcee.

She yells at Ratchet like he’s another staff member in the ER.

She addresses Bumblebee with the soft mom voice and face after he saves her and Raf from a tornado.

The only time she throws a serious barb is right after Raf is almost killed, when she’s chewing the team out for endangering children. But honestly? Swap the Autobots out with human versions, and she’d be giving the same lecture.

So, upon meeting a younger version of Optimus Prime (who might relatively be around Jack’s age at the time of Wheeljack’s return to the Aligned reality), she would not hesitate to treat him like she would a human of that age.

Jack’s face-palming in the background because, whether it’s wearing heels to flirt with the TFP version or looking at the TFA version like-

June Darby is always going to be sweet with any Optimus Prime, and that’s a fact.

So, if TFA Optimus is introducing himself to her like, “Hello, ma’am—it’s very nice to meet you. My name is Optimus Prime. But, uh- A different one from the one you know. Obviously.”

June would immediately smile and say, “It’s very nice to meet you, Optimus.” And then, yeah: she’d totally make a comment like the one you wrote with zero hesitation because she’s June.

And we see in TFA that Autobots can blush.

My first thought is when TFA Bumblebee does it back in “Home is Where the Spark Is” when Prowl tackles him during a game of Twister.

I don’t know how to make sense of it logistically or biologically, but they can do it! 😂

So, TFA Optimus would have a silent meltdown while Jack put his face in his hand.

Only June would see TFP Optimus mimicking Jack’s reaction in the background because he just knows how June is at this point and—though the context is different—he’s commiserating, and it would be enough to make her cackle.

And…

Wow, was that animation beautiful.

[EVERYTHING BELOW THIS IS A SPOILER BECAUSE I HAVE NO IMPULSE CONTROL]

And the love story was genuinely sweet, with Hana’s more earnest and outspoken kindness with the father’s quieter and warier version. They both want to learn, and they both want a place where they belong and are willing to work for it.

Like, it doesn’t take long—but you root for them, and you get why the father was so hesitant.

I was just left waiting for it to inevitably go wrong. It was kinda like Up in slow-motion, y’know?

“Aw, this guy’s so sweet—but he’s not on the cover, so what’s gonna happen to him?”

Her not going to the hospital when she gets pregnant because of the unique nature of the children and instead learning how to do things from books, and him doing everything he can to help her with this guilty look on his face despite the joy they both feel? That was an ouch.

But I love how, from the start, the father insists that he wants their daughter to grow up and be whatever she wants to be. That’s his priority, and Hana wants her to get their without hardships—so they both agree (as parents should) to watch over her until she gets wherever she wants to be.

The father disappearing right after the Ame is born, and the body of a wolf with human eyes being found in a storm drain? That was gutting, especially since there was nothing Hana could do as his body was placed into a garbage truck.

Like, OW.

Is making me watch this revenge for all of my recent Ask Responses? Well-played, if so.

Yuki being ravenous and energetic as a child while Ame is quiet and frail kinda makes you expect the opposite of what comes at the film’s end.

Yuki transforms into her wolf-form all of the time and seems completely out-of-control while Ame sits quietly and politely, letting Hana work.

Even as Ame starts to transform, he sits calmly while Yuki chews everything to shreds.

Hana is a super-mom. Taking care of two kids by herself with no income, juggling how to deal with two sides of them and keeping the secret even as they get sick or wound-up, and putting up with stress and exhaustion and fear all with a smile?

Legend.

The fantasy elements brought into a modern world is all done so believably. It’s so good.

The apartment, child protective services, and the move to a more isolated home for their safety?

Yeah. It makes sense.

And again, it’s Yuki who is excited by the whole wilderness environment while Ame is scared.

Hana gets to work, and she repairs a broken-down mountain home and starts farming—learning as she goes, uncovering some beautiful architecture during her repairs, and getting help from a neighbor as she seeks an income.

Mr. Nirasaki is grouchy and blunt—but he goes out of his way to help this single mother, and he gets a little gentler as time goes in and Hana learns from him. He’s a gem for that.

I honestly love how it’s the community elders who start to take a shine to Hana first.

So many movies show that it’s the older, more-established residents who take the longest time to accept new people—and it was an awesome breaking of that trend.

The Nirasaki family and all of these older farmers just gradually get used to Hana, decide “okay, she needs help”, and move.

And once the elders and farmers accept her, everyone else starts to like her too—and most of her friends are much older.

Their behavior is explained because they’ve had young people move there, get fed-up, and leave—but Hana’s determination breaks that trend, so they accept and help her.

And behind the scenes, Mr. Nirasaki is the one who is fondest of this new arrival.

It’s great.

She also starts teaching her kids about how to survive as “wolf children”. She tells them not to transform around other humans or risk scaring them, and to act with humility around animals. She’s trying to find a balance between the two halves in this new life she’s making, even though she does feel that the kids will eventually choose.

Yuki seems to take pride in her wolf half and take to things naturally, while Ame struggles much more and prefers to be home with his mother—especially once he starts reading, and he learns that wolves are often portrayed as evil and killed.

Then, it’s Yuki who decides she wants to go to school—even though she’s the one who is the most-likely to expose the secret to the world.

Then, it’s revealed that—when Hana’s field is the only one not dug-up by boars—it’s the children who have been protecting the farm.

And when Hana gives so much of her harvest away to the struggling community, they all respond by pitching in a little bit of what they have—which gives Hana a great deal, in the end.

Even with all of the stress you feel for Hana because of the wolf children, it’s such a feel-good time because she’s finally starting to manage in a way that’s not detrimental to her health. She has people who are willing to look out for her.

I think it’s the winter scene that breaks the final straw that will build to the end of the film.

Ame gives hunting a try and succeeds, resulting in a boost in his confidence where he feels like he can do anything, but it’s the scarf tied around his neck that trips him and he almost drowns in a stream. Yuki sees her brother, as a wolf, fall and nearly drown in a stream (though he does shift back as he struggles) while Hana is too far away to help them—and while she saves him as a wolf, Yuki probably sees just how dangerous the wild is. Meanwhile, Ame learns how dangerous the human part of him is and decides that he has to learn how to survive on his own because he won’t always be able to count on his mother.

Yuki keeps pushing to go to school, doing all that Hana asks and agrees to never transform. When she’s six, Hana finally agrees to send her—and Yuki thrives as she makes friends and becomes more-integrated in the human world. She does struggle due to her unique interests, finding that other girls aren’t like her—and she begins to try and adapt herself in order to fit in.

Hana repeats the father’s words, telling Yuki so that she should just be whatever she wants to be—but Yuki is adamant that she not be strange, so Hana supports her as she changes.

I feel like this was an impossible situation. It sucks that Yuki felt like she had to change in order to fit in and that she ends up rejecting the wolf entirely when it brought her so much joy as a child, but children can be cruel and she was a little girl who desperately wanted to make this work.

Meanwhile, Ame is still with his mother—and having become more in-tune with his wolf half, he tries to learn more. Hana tries to help him with this, taking him to a nature park that has a timber wolf—but the wolf is elderly, and was born in captivity. This lonely wolf being the first “real wolf” Ame ever sees upsets him and makes him wish that he could have known his father—but Hana takes a job at the park anyway, so she can learn enough to teach Ame more about nature.

Ame proves resistant to the idea of going to school, as he tends to be more of a loner—like his father—and he gets picked on. Yuki protects him when she can, but she’s in a different class. He eventually stops coming to school altogether, which strains his relationship with his sister. He prefers to spend his time with the timber wolf.

Yuki, who is well-adapted go living as a full human at this point, finds struggle yet again when a new student smells fur on her and she admits that she has no dog at home. This student’s observation makes Yuki self-conscious, and the new student—Sōhei—keeps pushing her as she evades him. As she gets more stressed, she tries to avoid him while repeating a calming mantra Hana taught her—but he gives chase, and she partially transforms when he eventually corners her and she lashes out. This scars his ear, but he tells everyone that he was attacked by a wolf instead of revealing her secret—preventing his mother from taking her rage out on Hana and her family.

But when Yuki worries that she will be chased out of the school for what happened due to the suspicion of her classmates and apologizes in tears, Hana is quick to comfort her. And Sōhei, who has some assholery to make up for after he grabbed Yuki during their altercation, starts leaving Yuki’s schoolwork and even food at the door every day—and Yuki and Sōhei become friends, even though she is confused by this.

Hana gives Sōhei a friendly little mom-talk that is all smiles, asking him why he told everyone it was a wolf who attacked him and if he hates wolves.

It’s really sweet, and kinda funny within the context.

It’s also cool because Sōhei is just as quirky as Yuki was when she was a kid, being fascinated by scars and very energetic as well as quick to act on his emotions, and I think that his friendship will be good for her overall—showing her that she doesn’t have to be like everyone else.

Ame continues to drift away. He doesn’t tell Hana much about it, and he starts taking lessons from a “master” up in the mountains—a fox, who does not like humans and who has agreed to educate him about how to live in the wild.

What I also like about this movie is that there’s no judgement towards Hana when Ame stops going to school.

Mr. Nirasaki tells her that many brilliant people stop attending school, and his daughter(?) is curious about where Ame goes but doesn’t press the matter.

It’s not made into something huge that anyone is shamed over. It’s just accepted that Ame has his own interests.

And Hana doesn’t worry about this too much, when she meets Master Fox. She even gives him some food and thanks him.

Hana is cautious when it comes to her children’s safety, but nothing but supportive as they strive to find their way in the world.

And we see that Ame becomes more lively and happy as he grows into the wolf, how he has something to teach Hana and she is passionate about what he’s learning. He tries to share that passion with Yuki, to convince her to learn from Master Fox as well, but Yuki is focused solely on her human life and doesn’t want to derail it—and she wants Ame to return to school with her and be a human, not a wolf. She tells him that she’s decided to never transform again.

That’s where the strain returns and becomes painful, and they eventually lash out at each other physically. This does cause Yuki to transform in order to keep up with Ame, and they injure each other badly while Hana is pretty much helpless to do anything about it. In the end, Ame is the one who wins the fight—and Hana is worried and scared when he turns red eyes on her.

I think that’s when Hana first starts to feel genuine concern about the idea of Ame choosing the wolf over the human.

It’s only after this scene that she starts to restrict him in any way, and—given what happened—it’s understandable.

Yuki has chosen humanity, Ame has chosen the wolf—and they argue about this, because neither sibling wants the other one to choose a different path and they don’t understand why this has happened. But they have. They’ve made their choices and found separate versions of happiness, and it’s difficult—but that’s what usually happens when you grow up.

Two years later, there’s still strain. The children still sleep in the same room, but… Ame remains distant and makes frequent trips to Master Fox, and Yuki is finishing elementary school and about to move into a dorm. They’re dividing.

Master Fox gets hurt, and Ame—who is ten, at this point—tells Hana that someone has to take his place when he dies and protect the mountain.

Hana obviously panics, but then she realizes that a wolf is an adult at ten and that Ame has made his choice—and even though she pleads with him not to go, it’s obvious that she knows he will.

She just wants to put it off as long as she can, because—as previously stated—he’s telling her all this while standing before her as boy who is only ten. She’s not just going to let this young child run off into the woods and live there forever.

Ame does stay briefly, even though this does strain his relationship with his mother—and it’s clear that he still cares for Yuki, as he tries to warn her to stay home before a terrible storm hits. He knows it’s coming when the weather report fails.

And then, Ame leaves. Hana goes after him, like any mother should—and she chases him through the storm. She goes to all of their usual spots and even Master Fox’s den, but she can’t find him. She falls and hurts herself, and she chases a shadow in the woods on the chance that it will be her son—only to find herself facing a mother bear, at one point. It’s such a painful thing to watch.

This woman is just stumbling and staggering through the wilderness in pouring rain, trying to find her youngest child, and then—as if life could not get worse—she actually falls off of a cliff.

And still, all she can think about is her son—because she imagines him lost in the cold, and she wants to protect him like she always has.

She’s forgotten the “until then” of her promise with the father, that they’d watch over their children until they found their way—whatever that way was. That eventually, she’d have to let go.

But I think you can forgive her for that. She’s fully-human, and this is her ten year-old child. There’s no way she’d be prepared to just let him go.

Meanwhile, Yuki and Sōhei are left alone in the school when everyone else evacuates. Sōhei convinces Yuki to hide and stay there even when a guard looks for them, with a plan to “live there forever”—and he expresses that he can’t wait to grow up. He later tells her that his mom remarried and became pregnant by her new husband, and how it’s been expressed that he will no longer be needed once his half-sibling is born. So, Sōhei plans to run off and live as a “lone wolf”—and Yuki offers him the same argument that she once offered her brother, that he’s too frail.

Sōhei tells Yuki that he’ll train so that he can survive on his own, and her face drops. I like to think she’s imagining her brother in this moment, and trying to figure out how to stop what she might view as history repeating itself. She doesn’t want to lose her best friend, not like—as she likely knows—she’s losing her little brother.

She tells him that she was the wolf who attacked him, and she transforms partially to let him see—but he just tells her that he always knew and never told anyone, and never will.

It’s this moment that I think is the best in the film when it comes to the children, because it’s like what Hana and the father had: just one person who doesn’t make them have to choose between their two halves, who knows the risks of the truth but accepts them as they are.

Yuki left scars on Sōhei, and he always knew this—but he still cares about her, and he accepts both parts of her: the girl and the wolf. It’s just a shame that Yuki doesn’t do the same, and that she’s still shown to always value the human more—never finding a balance.

Back in the forest, Hana is unconscious and she has a vision of the children’s father. They embrace, and he apologizes for everything he’s endured and assured her that he was always watching her—and he tells her that she did well, raising both of their children. He tells her that Ame will be fine, that she was right before: as he wants to be, he is an adult now.

Ame carries Hana out of the woods and lays her down close to the school, then he transforms into a fully-grown wolf. Hana laments his leaving, feeling like she hasn’t done enough when Ame clearly seems to believe she has—but he goes without a word, vanishing into the wilderness. He does, however, howl—and that, Hana accepts as his ‘goodbye’. She tells him to “take care and live strong”, realizing he’s found his way.

They part ways in understanding.

And Yuki leaves to attend middle-school, leaving Hana in the house she rebuilt with the farm she started—doing well, but on her own. Every once in a while, she hears howls from the mountain—and like she does for most of the film, she smiles.

…

…

…

Ratchet is wide-opticed as he shuts the television off and glances at the rest of the viewing party.

Usually, he doesn’t care much for these “movie nights”—or, at least, he pretends not to—but the professor really needs to label these things!

Sari is crying. Bumblebee and Bulkhead can’t physically cry, but they look close. Optimus keeps clearing his throat and blinking. They’re gonna have to watch Prowl for a few days in case he wants to go and live in the mountains.

And Wheeljack looks like he’s in physical pain as the outro song plays and emphasizes “don’t rush growing up”, because it’s not like this film could twist the knife in any more than it did.

Ratchet, being the self-aware ol’ fart he is, will get why Wheeljack is visibly affected.

It’s the same reason why he’s so affected.

Hana’s constant struggle to do all she could for her children and protect them, doing more than most do and still never feeling like she’s done enough? That’s how Wheeljack’s been since he arrived in TFA: doing more than anyone ever would have asked him to, and yet still feeling as though he’s never done enough.

If Wheeljack just asked any of the young TFA Crew, they’d tell him to his face: he’s done more than enough, he’s the parent none of them ever had and more than they felt they deserved before he assured them that they did. He’s the one who watches over them and protects them, guiding them and holding them accountable but letting them grow into their own people.

“… I get that he had to go, but why’d he just leave his mom?” Bumblebee asks, frowning. “If I had a parent like that growing up, I’d have stayed with them as long as I could’ve.”

“He had to follow his own path,” Prowl tells his teammate. “He wasn’t doing well among the humans and thrived in nature, and he had to do what was best for him to grow—even if that meant disappointing his mother. They both knew that—but he alone knew that longer he stayed, the harder it would have been for both of them. In the end, what he did was kind.”

“Oh, that was not kind,” Bulkhead protests. “Just leaving her screaming and crying like that? He didn’t even say ‘goodbye’!”

“Yes, he did,” Prowl argues. “He howled. He said ‘goodbye’ to her as a wolf, that was the whole point—it showed her that he had found his way, it resolved both of their feelings.”

“And he’s still around,” Optimus tries to mediate between the two. “You saw, at the end—he’s on the mountain, not with her but… with her? I bet he still watches over her.”

“It just stinks that he left,” Bulkhead insists, and Bumblebee nods in agreement.

Sari frowns, seeming a touch uncomfortable as the whole debate goes on and the young ‘bots talk about how the “wolf children” each chose sides of themselves and did various thing for whatever reason in the film.

Ratchet’s getting a processor-ache, just listening to all of the ridiculous bickering.

Then, Wheeljack cuts in.

He tells them that the problem wasn’t with Hana or the children, but with the world.

The world was what made it so that the kids had to choose between two sides of themselves at all instead of finding a balance.

He understands that it was more realistic that way, that the film shows how Hana even seemed to struggle with the fact that her children couldn’t have it both ways after what happened to their father in a world that wouldn’t accept their true nature and adapt to them.

The movie is all about how they have to decide to adapt themselves somehow.

If Wheeljack had his way, no one would have to choose between halves.

They could be whole.

And Sari looks up at him, and she smiles.

So do all of those young ‘bots.

And Ratchet? Ratchet sighs and shakes his head.

Wheeljack’s optic twitched—and around the lab, the other members of the team and the Sumdacs watched with wide eyes or optics.

Bumblebee actually raised a servo to cover his mouth, beating Prowl to the punch.

“What I mean to say is that you should probably be out in the field,” Bulkhead quickly tried to recover. “Y’know, helping Prime and the others hunt the Decepticons. Leave the space-bridge to the experts.”

Wheeljack still seemed upset for some reason.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) for Bulkhead, Optimus intervened before the discussion could continue.

“Bulkhead.” The Prime placed a servo on his shoulder. “A word?”

“What?” Bulkhead asked as the Prime led him aside. “I’m just saying-“

“I’m not sure if I want Wheeljack anywhere near a Decepticon right now,” Optimus quickly cut him off, and Bulkhead blinked before his optics widened. “You get what I’m saying?”

“… He’s doing a lot better,” Bulkhead tried, though he couldn’t make himself sound any more certain than he felt. “Besides, it’s not like you’ll be going after Megatron or Shockwave. Fighting’ll probably be good for him, let him blow off some steam.”

“I’m so not sure about that,” Optimus protested quietly, then he sighed. “I’m not sure… So, I’d just feel a lot better if he was here. Besides, you should probably start mending some bridges—figurative ones, that is.”

Bulkhead blinked again. “Whaddya mean?”

“I mean, you didn’t tell any of us that you were good with this stuff,” Optimus said, gesturing to the recovered space-bridge materials. “Don’t you think Wheeljack might be wondering why you two haven’t been working together all this time to get him home?”

“I told him I read about this stuff back on the farm,” Bulkhead tried, though he was growing increasingly uneasy.

He didn’t want to talk about this.

He didn’t want to talk about space-bridges and Wheeljack together, not then or ever.

“But you didn’t tell him you were the best in the field, Bulkhead. That’s different, and you know it,” Optimus chided, then his face fell as he looked away. “He’s been away from home for so long now, and he’s taken some real heavy hits recently. I’m worried. You know that he doesn’t like to just… say things. When it got bad, we had to corner him and push it out.”

Huh. Wheeljack had been away from his home for a long time, hadn’t he?

But his home was a bad place! It was probably a good thing that he got away for a little while—especially since his team back home clearly didn’t know how to help him.

Well, this team was still learning—but at least they were trying their best! They were taking care of him... Weren’t they?

“Hm.” Bulkhead glanced over at the Wrecker, who was apparently being reassured about something by Professor Sumdac. “… You really think he might be mad at me?”

“I don’t know. I just-“ Optimus sighed again. “I just think he should be here. Let him see the science.” He crossed his arms. “When this is all over, we promised we would get him home. He has to know that he can trust you to help him.”

Bulkhead hadn’t thought about it like that.

He was suddenly very worried.

“Oh, geez.” Bulkhead cringed. “Prime, I-“

A string of beeps rang out, and Wheeljack glanced at Prowl’s scanner when the he brought it up before looking at Optimus. “Just got a hit on Lugnut.” He gestured to the door, his optics narrowed. “Let’s get movin’.”

The Prime frowned. “Didn’t you want to-?”

“Eh, leave it to the experts.” Wheeljack waved it off as he turned away, and he was the first one on the lift. “Come on.”

Optimus, Prowl, Bumblebee, and Ratchet hesitantly followed him, leaving Bulkhead standing there as the lift lowered and left him and the Sumdacs behind.

“… Scrap,” the green mech whispered.

He didn’t want to talk about Wheeljack and space-bridges together.

He didn’t want to send his friend back to a dark and dangerous place where no one was trying to help him get any better.

He didn’t want to say ‘goodbye’, to lose one of his teammates forever.

But he also didn’t want to hurt his friend, to make Wheeljack think that he wanted to hurt him and keep him trapped.

So, what was Bulkhead supposed to do?

He wasn’t really an expert in the sort of bridge that Optimus said needed fixed, but he needed to figure it out—and quickly.

…

As the team (minus Bulkhead) raced down a highway just outside of Detroit, Optimus had a bad feeling.

Wheeljack had been doing better recently, but the Prime was more conscious than ever of the care that had to be taken with the Wrecker’s weighted mind.

He had hoped to ease Wheeljack back into the fight, and to let him get some work in on the space-bridge himself.

Unfortunately, it didn’t look like that was going to happen. They were on the hunt for Lugnut, so… pretty counterproductive.

At least it wasn’t one of the Starscream clones or Blitzwing. Count your blessings.

“Signal’s moving due north, and we’re closing in fast!” Optimus reported after checking his scanner.

Ever since Professor Sumdac had rendered the Decepticon signal-dampeners useless, a whole new dimension had been added to the Autobot assignment on Earth.

The hunted could become the hunters, and vice versa. It was exhilarating, but they couldn’t let it go to their heads.

“Well, it’ll be nice to have the element of surprise for a change.” Bumblebee remarked dryly, driving side-by-side with Prowl to the Prime’s right.

Wheeljack and Ratchet were to the Prime’s left, with Optimus and Ratchet at either side of the Wrecker.

“The signal’s slowing down,” Optimus noted, then his frame tensed. “Now, it’s heading due south!”

“He’s heading right for us!” Bumblebee shouted as they all skidded to a halt and transformed.

Prowl’s optics narrowed. “So much for ‘the element of surprise’.”

Lugnut was dropping out of the sky, his right fist reared back with his Punch prepared for detonation as he let out a loud yell.

Optimus got ready to move, but then he heard the should of shifting metal at his side.

Blast!

A beam of blue light flew up and struck Lugnut’s servo, detonating the Punch.

An explosion went off in the air above the Autobots, a burst of orange, red, and blue before plumes of gray smoke filled the sky.

Lugnut dropped down onto the pavement on his back, groaning in pain before his optics closed and he went still. His right servo was charred and damaged, smoke rising from it.

“Nah.” Wheeljack lowered his cannon and shifted it back into a servo. “I think that still surprised ‘im.” The other Autobots looked at their Wrecker with wide optics, and he looked at them with a raised optic-brow. “So… what’d you think of the fireworks?”

“You are actually insane,” Bumblebee decided, then he grinned. “But that was awesome!”

“Hair-trigger reflexes, and a crack shot,” Prowl remarked quietly as Wheeljack drew a set of extra-large stasis-cuffs from his storage compartment and started to walk over to the fallen Decepticon. “No more pulling your punches, then?”

“If that’s alright with you,” Wheeljack said as he cuffed the Decepticon’s wrists. “Thought it was about time, even if I am a little extreme.”

“Well… it gets the job done,” Optimus said, still taken aback. “It’s just rather intense.” He managed to raise an optic-brow. “You’ve really been holding back, haven’t you?”

“Heh.” Wheeljack turned back to face him, giving a small grin. “It’s funny: I wasn’t really thinkin’ about it until that day with Blitzwing, y’know? Most of our problems were caused by humans, or I was tryin’ to deal with all of you bein’ scattered and scramblin’ or hurt.”

“Or you were hurt yourself,” Prowl added, and the Wrecker looked away awkwardly. “Or -well- in the water.”

“Yeah…” Wheeljack cringed. “Gotta love all the water battles.”

“So…” Optimus blinked. “We didn’t have an opportunity to see you fight like you do back home until that day with Blitzwing, when you were protecting Bumblebee and Ratchet.”

“Hm.” Wheeljack shrugged. “And look at how that turned out.” He sighed. “But… you took the PG-grade censorin’ the wrong way, figured I was coddlin’ you. Maybe I was.” He looked at his teammates with a frown. “But while I’m not plannin’ on tellin’ you too much about where I’m from in any kind of detail… not yet… I guess you could say I’m done tonin’ my fights down.” He gestured to Lugnut. “‘Cause they’re fightin’ to kill, so… someone here has to be ready to make that same call, if it comes down to it.” He shook his head. “And even if you eventually hafta see it happen, I never want you fellas to hafta do it yourselves. It’s not about bein’ kids versus adults or even soldiers… You’re never ready for the first time you snuff a spark.”

The Wrecker’s words ushered in a quiet.

What he had said, the openness of it all—that was very… different, for Wheeljack. The team’s Wrecker played his cards close to the chest, let pressure inside build up until he collapsed in on himself like a dying star becoming a black hole.

Telling them what was on his mind, it seemed like progress—like he was improving.

And Optimus felt a rush of protectiveness.

He already understood why Bulkhead tried to avoid any affiliation with sending Wheeljack back to his reality, but he briefly—traitorously—thought that the idea wasn’t so bad.

Ultra Magnus had ‘bots on it, right?

Why did it have to be them? Because they were his team, because they’d do it right?

Of course.

But… why did it have to be them?

And why did it have to be him?

“… He’s not wrong,” Ratchet agreed at last, and Optimus snapped out of his thoughts to glance at the field-tech in surprise.

“Ratchet?” Bumblebee asked, confused—and Prowl rested a servo on his shoulder.

Whatever the field-tech meant, whether it was something that he’d seen in others or actually experienced himself, it was left there.

And Optimus just let it be left there.

Ratchet was a field-tech, after all. He’d been there to heal, not hurt. It was probably just something patients spoke about.

Like Omega Supreme, maybe.

Ratchet wouldn’t blame himself for all of the lives his charge took, would he?

Optimus couldn’t dwell on it for long.

No one could.

Wheeljack was frowning like he had something more to say, then he blinked as there was a loud chirp over the comms.

:Bulkhead to Prime,: a familiar voice spoke quietly across the channel. In the background, someone was yelling “you got a problem?” amidst metal clangs and grunts of pain. :I think we’ve got a problem.:

“… And y’know, I was actually havin’ a decent day.” Wheeljack sighed, his shoulders sagging.

Lugnut groaned behind him, and the Wrecker deadpanned as he raised a foot before letting it swing back to kick the Decepticon’s leg.

“So… what do we do with him?” Bumblebee awkwardly gestured to Lugnut. “I mean, we can’t just leave a Decepticon out in the open—cuffed or not.”

“Our friend’s more important,” Optimus said.

Wheeljack glanced to the side, eyeing the river, then he looked back at his teammates. “… Sure looks like he could use a bath, doesn’t he?” The other Autobots blinked. “What? You guys are waterproof, right?”

“You are actually going to the Pit,” Bumblebee told him, shaking his head.

Wheeljack smirked as he grabbed Lugnut’s arm. “Never took the dark stuff, so that’s fairly unlikely. However, if I come back with purple optics and a ton of upgrades, just do me a huge favor and shoot—m’kay?”

“Wait, what?” Optimus asked, confused.

Wheeljack looked him dead in the optics, his face neutral. “What.”

…

…

…

As it turned out, finding Bulkhead and his “problem” was harder than expected.

At the tower, the rest of the Autobots could only find a really confused Sari and a frantic Professor Sumdac working on a new plasma dynamic thruster by himself.

The professor did, however, mention Mixmaster and Scrapper—which Optimus could instantly tell rubbed Wheeljack the wrong way.

Those two plus Bulkhead equaling a frightened Sumdac… shouldn’t have been a trend.

But it was.

So, Wheeljack was in a really bad mood.

“For frag’s sake, you’d think he’d learn,” the Wrecker grumbled as the team patrolled the town, searching for their friend.

It was the early hours of the morning, and—as always—having no stasis just made Wheeljack’s disposition worse. He was tired, he was worried, he was frustrated, and he was hurt.

Recovering, thankfully—but still hurt.

And just when he’d been showing progress…

One step forward.

Better not let the Wrecker take two steps back.

“Bulkhead’s always been one to see the good in others,” Optimus reminded him gently. “Even when they don’t choose to act on that good, he wants to see the very best in them.”

“But he has to know he can’t see things just because he wants to,” Wheeljack protested, his engine revving a big as he got worked-up. “I mean, those two are bad for him! They push him around, make him pretend to be somethin’ he’s not so he doesn’t get left behind! He has to know that it’s not right, by now.”

“And if he doesn’t, we’ll help him,” Optimus said quietly. Patience was easier to manage, now that he knew more about his friend and could try to interpret his words. “Because that’s what we do, for our teammates.”

Wheeljack huffed, then he sighed. “He better not have gotten himself into trouble.”

“If he has, then we’ll just help him with that too,” Optimus said, and he snorted as the Wrecker huffed again.

“Shuddup,” Wheeljack insisted, but his voice lacked any bite.

“We’ll find him,” the Prime assured his friend, relieved by the hope that he’d managed to ease his mood. “Don’t worry.” They suddenly came upon a gas station, the pavement around it covered in oil and the premises surrounded by flashing police cars. “… Okay, worry a little.”

“Oh, ya think?!”

…

There were calls coming in from all around the city. Wherever there was oil, the Constructicons—joined by a new, smaller, and nastier third member—were there to take it.

Captain Fanzone also informed the Autobots, after they found him next to a toppled transport truck, that Bulkhead was A) chasing after the three thieves on his own and B) still defending his so-called “friends” with claims that the trio was “good” but “misprogrammed”.

The Autobots always seemed to be two steps behind, missing the ‘Cons and Bulkhead—a dilemma which could only improve Wheeljack’s rapidly sliding mood, obviously.

“Their signals are moving all around the city with great speed,” Prowl reported. “Whoever is leading this chase, they are efficient and they are taking steps to not be caught.”

“There just had to be a new ‘Con with the slimmest shred of intelligence,” Wheeljack muttered. “It must be my spark-day.”

“There aren’t many places left for them to go,” Optimus reasoned. “Detroit’s oil supply is almost completely dried-up.”

Wheeljack suddenly transformed and landed on his feet, and the others transformed as well before they turned around to look at him. The Wrecker glanced down, his brow furrowed, then he looked up at them with a smirk.

“You know how you hit a movin’ target?”

“Naturally,” Prowl replied. “You don’t aim where it is, you aim-“ He blinked, then he nodded in understanding. “Where it’s going to be.”

Ratchet raised an optic-brow. “You think you know where they’re going?”

“Prime said it himself,” Wheeljack said, gesturing to Optimus. “Detroit’s oil supply is almost completely dried-up.” He crossed his arms. “So, where would they go for more?”

“… The refinery,” Optimus realized.

Wheeljack nodded. “Bingo.” He cringed. “And suddenly, all I can hear is what my team back home would say if they knew I was gonna go within a hundred klicks of that place.”

“What’s that?” Bumblebee asked, perplexed.

Wheeljack turned away, strangely stiff. “Well, uh…” He sighed. “… Remember, Wheeljack: blasters and fuel-pumps don’t mix.”

“There’s a story there,” Ratchet decided, a little concerned as he gazed at his teammate.

Wheeljack nodded sharply. “Yeah.”

The Wrecker suddenly transformed and drove off, and the others quickly transformed in order to follow him.

…

As the Autobots drove along the freeway, another call came in from Bulkhead.

There were no words, just grunts of pain and the sounds of metal striking metal.

Bumblebee tried to reach out to the green mech, but there had been no response.

Not from him, at least.

:He’s got an open comm-link!: A voice shouted.

Another replied. :Not for long.:

And just like that, the signal went dead.

So, naturally, Wheeljack decided that it was time to completely ignore all road safety laws.

And Optimus felt his Energon-pressure rising as he, Prowl, and Ratchet chased after the Wrecker. Bumblebee was managing to keep up with Wheeljack, but the Prime could see the surprise written all over his frame.

Wheeljack was fast.

“Wheeljack, come on: you’re the one of us with no siren!” Optimus shouted. “You need to slow down and drive alongside the group!”

“Bulkhead’s in trouble!” Wheeljack protested, not reducing speed at all. “He might already be hurt! We gotta get there, now!”

Prowl was suddenly going much faster.

Ratchet seemed to notice this, then he sped up.

Optimus wasn’t sure what they were thinking, but Wheeljack talked to them a lot more than he talked to the Prime. He increased speed.

Maybe Bulkhead wasn’t the only teammate in trouble.

Maybe Optimus had been right, and it was too soon.

He just hoped, pleading with the Allspark, that it wasn’t too much.

…

Wheeljack was already angry when he learned about Mixmaster, Scrapper, and some brand-new fragger messing with Bulkhead and tearing up the city.

He was even angrier when the team arrived at the refinery to find a shaken Professor Sumdac holding a plasma dynamic thruster, the human quickly explaining that the Constructicons were trying to blow up the refinery and that Bulkhead had only played along with them to protect him.

So, Bulkhead had learned his lesson from last time—but now, he had been dealing with a hostage crisis.

“Reminder: where are we, with me outright killin’ ‘Cons?” Wheeljack asked quietly, leaning slightly to the side so that he could address the question to Ratchet.

The field-tech glanced at him. “Not fans, but they’re technically not on Elite Guard record. No need to report it.”

Wheeljack nodded, his eyebrows raising. “Oh, that’s convenient.”

“And that’s a headache.” Ratchet sighed, and Wheeljack managed a smirk.

That smirk vanished when Bulkhead suddenly ran up, swinging… Mixmaster, attached to his wrecking-ball… and they all had to leap back to avoid getting crushed.

Wheeljack felt his fried nerves start to fray.

“Pretty convincing act!” Bumblebee remarked as Optimus clutched Professor Sumdac to his chest, trying to shield him.

“Sorry, guys!” Bulkhead shouted as he started to spin Mixmaster above his head again. “Can’t help it! Someone’s making me do this!”

Wheeljack blinked, raising an optic-brow, then he noticed a little red dot on his friend’s helmet.

What the-?

“You got that right,” a voice remarked, and Wheeljack glanced behind Bulkhead to see two figures approaching: Scrapper, and the smaller Constructicon that Fanzone reporter. It was the small one who had spoken, and Wheeljack hated him already. “I’m the boss around here, Dirtboss! Now, clamp that jaw and dent their fenders so that we can finish this job!”

Bulkhead charged, but Optimus sprayed him in the face with one of his fire-extinguishers and blinded him—knocking him off-balance and sending him and Mixmaster falling.

Scrapper charged, his drill ready, but Bumblebee used his heel-wheels to zip around the larger mech and leap over him before he could land a blow. “Strike!” He ducked another swipe. “Swing and a miss!”

“Will you slag that annoying little pipsqueak, already?!” Dirtboss demanded.

Bumblebee’s optics narrowed. “Who are you calling ‘pipsqueak’, short-stuff?!”

Scrapper tried to strike Bumblebee again, but the smaller mech leapt back and blocked two more blows with his sparking stingers.

“Bumblebee, watch the sparks!” Prowl warned him. “There’s oil everywhere!”

Bumblebee blinked. “Right! Blasters and fuel-pumps don’t mix!”

Hearing that, Wheeljack cringed. “Oh, that’s not gonna go away any time soon…”

The Wrecker blinked as Bulkhead recovered and ran at Optimus, trying to strike him while the Prime evaded and tried to reason with him.

“Bulkhead, it’s me: Prime! I don’t wanna hurt you!”

“I-I know!” Bulkhead replied shakily. “Neither do I!”

Wheeljack’s optics narrowed and turned on the new Constructicon.

“Alright, that’s enough,” he decided, then he turned and marched over towards Bulkhead. “I apologize for this in advance.”

“Huh?” Bulkhead blinked as Wheeljack dropped onto a crouch, then he yelped as the other mech swept his legs with a kick and sent him falling to the oil-slicked ground.

“Hold ‘im down!” Wheeljack shouted, and Optimus complied as Ratchet ran over. “Get that thing outta his head, and get him loose from that piece of scrap.”

“Hey!” Mixmaster complained.

Wheeljack shot a glare at him, then he turned his gaze on ‘Dirtboss’. “I’ll deal with this.”

“Oh, looks like we’ve got ourselves a real tough guy.” Dirtboss raised his servos mockingly as the Wrecker strode towards him, then he crossed his arms. “You think I’m scared of you and your fancy moves, you big ballerina?!”

“You just don’t know when to shut up, do ya?” Wheeljack asked, his fists clenching. “A lesser ‘bot might say it was a Constructicon thing, but I think you’re just assholes.”

Scrapper disengaged from Bumblebee and Prowl, who were also protecting the professor, and went to charge at Wheeljack.

One glance from the Wrecker halted the ‘Con in his tracks, and Wheeljack simply raised an optic-brow and waited.

Scrapper just looked at him, then he frowned and stepped back before turning and running off into the refinery.

“Hm.” Wheeljack tilted his head, then he turned his glare on Dirtboss again. “Now, you: you just had to take it a step further, didn’t you? That little bug of yours… You like head-games, huh?”

“What’s it to ya?!” Dirtboss asked as the Wrecker arrived, the smaller mech resting his servos on his hips.

Wheeljack took a deep vent, then he gave a small smirk as his foot swung back. “Heh. I’m glad you asked.”

CLANG!

The rest of the team—including a recovering Bulkhead, who was working to free himself from Mixmaster—looked up with wide optics.

Dirtboss soared through the air with a guttural scream and disappeared over the top of the giant oil drum, and they heard a loud-

SPLASH!

“What’s it to me?” Wheeljack asked, resting his servos on his hips. “Motive.”

“Well, that’s the very last time we leave him unsupervised,” Bumblebee said dryly as Bulkhead spun Mixmaster around to try and release his wrecking-ball. “You realize that’s TWO ‘Cons we have to fish out now, right?!”

Wheeljack snorted as he glanced back at the others. “We? I can’t swim.”

“… We hate you.” Bumblebee deadpanned.

Wheeljack chuckled. “I know.” He suddenly blinked. “Uh, Bulkhead-“

Mixmaster suddenly came loose and went soaring through the air.

Scrapper, who was standing by the massive oil-drum, yelped as his friend crashed into him—and their scraping armor caused a spark.

The oil-slick ground burst into flames, and Wheeljack’s optics widened.

“Okay, we need to move!” He looked at his teammates—then he glanced back at the Constructicons as they managed to stand up, with Scrapper’s servo wedged in Mixmaster’s chest cavity. “Come on, let’s go!”

Scrapper looked up, surprised, then he frowned again as he went to step towards the Autobots.

“Whaddya doing, ya moron?!” Mixmaster reeled back, and Scrapper snapped his gaze to his partner. “We’re not going with them! Let’s get unstuck, grab what we can, and beat it!”

“But-“ Scrapper glanced at the Autobots again, then he looked back at Mixmaster. “… Right.”

As the duo staggered off, still stuck together, Wheeljack shook his head before looking at his team. “Let’s get outta here.”

“No, we can’t. We have to try and suppress this fire,” Optimus disagreed, stepping forward with his fire-extinguishers.

Wheeljack watched him try to suppress the fire warily. “Prime, it’s spread too far. It’s gonna hit that container, and it’ll all go up—us with it!”

“Dude, what happened with you and fuel-pumps?” Bumblebee asked, looking at him with some real concern.

Wheeljack looked at him, frustrated. “It was my second time on Earth, okay?! How the Pit was I supposed to know what the fraggin’ fuelin’ stations looked like?!”

“Okay, Wheeljack’s right!” Optimus’s narrowed optics had gone wide. “We can’t contain the fire! That tank’s gonna blow!”

“But perhaps we can transport it!” Professor Sumdac ran up, his latest creation still propped-up on his shoulder.

“The plasma dynamic thruster!” Bulkhead exclaimed. “Great thinking, professor!”

“Wait!” Bumblebee interjected. “Isn’t that the thing that sent Megatron transporting randomly around the galaxy?!”

“Well, yeah,” Bulkhead replied as he took the device in his servos and started to tinker with its settings. “But I think I can reprogram it for a shorter distance.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing!” Was all Bumblebee had to say to that.

Bulkhead finished his adjustments, and he watched as the device began to glow.

He went to throw it… then, he stopped.

And Wheeljack blinked before reaching out to catch the device as it was tossed his way.

The Wrecker looked down at it, then he looked up as Bulkhead gave a small grin. “Lob it.”

Wheeljack blinked again, then he gave a short chuckle as he turned to the oil container and wound up his arm. “Heh. Alright, then.”

The plasma dynamic thruster went soaring through the air, and it landed on the platform at the top of the container… right as Mixmaster and Scapper arrived there, having scaled the back of the giant tank.

Wheeljack’s optics widened when he saw them, then he sighed. Typical. “Oh, for Pit’s sake-“

A blue orb formed around the tank just as the fire reached it, teleporting it out into Lake Erie.

The Autobots watched it drop, then Wheeljack got down on one knee to shield the professor as the tank detonated with force that shook the ground and a blast that lit up the night sky.

When he looked back at the site, he couldn’t help but frown at the thought of the annoying Constructicons. At least it was quick.

Still, he thought he had Scrapper for a moment there—whatever that would’ve meant.

Wheeljack was shaken from those thoughts when Bulkhead sighed in relief. “It’s over.”

“Not quite,” Optimus disagreed. “We still have a Decepticon to haul away… A big Decepticon.”

“Who we dumped in Lake Erie to keep him out of trouble,” Prowl added.

Bumblebee crossed his arms. “So, again: that’s two ‘Cons to fish out.”

“Make that one.” Ratchet was checking his scanner. “That third Constructicon, he had to be made with an Allspark fragment. Now, I’m not getting any reading in range.”

“How hard did you kick him?” Optimus asked, bewildered, and Wheeljack shrugged.

He had a bad feeling. He didn’t like the idea of Dirtboss being left unaccounted for.

“Hey, Wheeljack,” Bulkhead spoke up, and the Wrecker looked at him. “Nice lob.”

Wheeljack’s frame immediately tensed at that, then he managed a grin. “Heh. Thanks.”

He didn’t know why Bulkhead looked so sad.

…

Unfortunately, Dirtboss wouldn’t be the only ‘Con who managed to give them the slip.

When the Autobots returned to the site of their earlier entanglement just before dawn, after returning Professor Sumdac to the tower… Lugnut was gone, as was his signal.

So, the team returned to the Plant in the early morning—drained and empty-handed.

Bulkhead transformed at the front door and watched as Prowl, Bumblebee, and Ratchet made their way towards their rooms.

Wheeljack lingered for a moment, looking at the hole in Bulkhead’s helmet before regarding him with a frown. “Better get that patched, once Ratchet’s rested-up.” He raised an optic-brow. “And, you-… You just let me know if you wanna talk about that—alright, Bulkhead?”

“I’m okay,” the green mech told him. “And, uh… You didn’t have to -y’know- apologize in advance. I’m glad you stopped me.” He shifted awkwardly. “And… that you kicked him.”

“Heh.” Wheeljack grinned. “Same here.” He grew serious. “We’ll find him, alright? He’s not gonna get away with this, any of it.”

“I know,” Bulkhead said. “So, uh… Thanks.”

The Wrecker nodded. “No problem, pal.”

And there was more that Bulkhead wanted to say, a lot more—but he didn’t.

He just watched as Wheeljack yawned and stretched, then the Wrecker was gone—off to some well-earned stasis.

Only Optimus was left.

“… You’re right, Prime,” Bulkhead said after a moment. “I didn’t tell him.” He looked at his leader, feeling nothing but guilt. “I mean, I-… I wasn’t really thinking about it—like, trying to keep it from him. But once I did start thinking about it, I just-… I know he has to go home, but I didn’t wanna be the one who sent him there.”

The Prime blinked, then he frowned. “What do you mean, Bulkhead?”

“I don’t wanna be the reason why he leaves,” Bulkhead explained awkwardly. “And… I don’t wanna be the reason why he might get hurt again, once he does.” He looked away. “He’s doing a lot better, now.”

Optimus blinked again, then he sighed. “And you wonder if, once he goes home, that might all go away.” He shook his head. “Bulkhead, you won’t be the reason why he leaves. You’ll just be the one who opens the door, and… it’ll be his choice of whether or not he walks through.” He grew a bit more stern. “But we promised we’d get that door open. He gets that choice, we don’t make it for him.”

“I know.” Bulkhead nodded. “But… I dunno. I guess I just don’t want things to change.” He crossed his arms. “Things are still crazy, but it feels like they’re just starting to be okay—not just for us, for him too.” He looked at Optimus, frowning. “We didn’t just say we’d get him home. We told him that we’re his team, that we’ll be there for him.”

“And we will be,” Optimus insisted. “But that can mean something different than you think. I thought we should keep him in the lab to give him more time, and I got scared when he got really upset—but he was just tired and worried about you, and he took care of Lugnut and Dirtboss with no problem.” He raised his shoulders. “You were right. He was okay, and he needs to blow off some steam—and we took a big step last night, talked about how he’s going to be fighting from now on and not… coddling us, with what he does on the battlefield. He’s just going to do what he has to.”

Bulkhead grew surprised. “Really?”

The Prime nodded. “Yes. And that’s just what happened, what he did and had to say. It was different than I thought.” He let his shoulders drop. “So… you might think that you building that bridge would take him away and send him to a place that hurt him, and you could be right. If you are, we’ll be there for him.” He took a deep vent. “But you might just be giving him a way to really face all of it, every hurt—and decide where to go, from there. And if that’s the case… we’ll be there for him then, too.”

“… What if I build the bridge, and he’s just gone?” Bulkhead asked quietly.

Optimus gave a small smile. “You really think that Wheeljack would settle for a one-way trip? He’s family, Bulkhead.” He glanced towards the hallway. “He has to go back, but… I think it’ll be a point of personal pride for him, making sure that he can move back and forth.” He returned his gaze to his teammate. “… He’s spent his whole life saying ‘goodbye’—because he’s lost someone, or because he had to escape. I don’t think he’ll say ‘goodbye’ to us by choice, and… he’s stubborn. He won’t give the multiverse the option of denying him that choice.”

Despite himself, Bulkhead huffed out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, that sounds like him.” His face fell a bit. “… You don’t wanna lose him, either.”

“… No,” Optimus agreed softly. “I don’t.” He put on a smile. “Again, I guess we went about things differently. You didn’t wanna help him go… and I think that, somehow, I’ve just made up my mind that he’ll never really be gone.” He straightened his posture. “… One of those ways can works, for now—whatever bumps in the road we might run into, with the science. The other way doesn’t help anyone, Bulkhead—not Wheeljack, and not you.”

Bulkhead sighed. “Yeah. And… you were right, Prime. I really gotta build and fix some bridges, with Wheeljack.” He looked up at his leader. “… He’ll never really be gone?”

“Not a chance,” Optimus pressed. “None of us will let that happen. We’re in this together—all of it, no matter what.”

The Prime sounded so sure.

Maybe it would be enough for Bulkhead to really start believing it.

…

…

…

Bulkhead woke up early the next morning.

Unable to return to stasis, he wandered out into the main area of the Plant—and the large, green mech blinked in surprise as he saw someone.

Wheeljack was sitting on the cement couch, a canister of blue Energon resting on the table.

He seemed to be tinkering with a compartment in his wrist, and Bulkhead wondered briefly if his secret grenade trigger had somehow been damaged. He’d only seen it for the first time in the mine, and the Wrecker’d fallen into the river after using it the second time.

But it was the wrong wrist.

Bulkhead blinked, then he carefully walked closer. Wheeljack was so preoccupied, he didn’t even seem to notice his teammate.

The green mech peeked over the Wrecker’s shoulder, and he saw that the armor there had split to reveal a small, flickering gray screen imbedded in the other mech’s forearm.

“C’mon,” Wheeljack muttered, using his tool to make an adjustment—and he sighed in relief when it turned green and began to clear. “There we are.” He gave a small smile. “Heh.“

“What’s that?” Bulkhead asked without really thinking about it, and his friend nearly jumped out of his armor before looking at him with wide optics. “Oh! Sorry! My bad!”

“Frag, Bulk.” Wheeljack raised a servo to his chest. “Give us a warnin’, will ya?” He shook his head, then he blinked and glanced down at his wrist. “Oh, uh- This? It’s, uh… It’s the visual aid for some of my internal systems. It lets me see where my Energon levels are, shows me the location of the other members of my unit or team are within a certain proximity, displays the locations and levels for whatever substance or energy I’m scanning for in a short range, and lets me access a small personal database.” He raises his shoulders. “These beauties weren’t too common, during the war—mostly used by the medics as health monitors—but I’m crafty, rigged one up myself.” He looked down at the screen. “It got busted, towards the end of the war on Cybertron—and I never bothered to fix it. Pit, I even welded over it once or twice.”

“It’s in you.” Bulkhead’s brow furrowed. “Why wouldn’t you want it fixed?”

“No need for it, by the time I had -well- the time,” Wheeljack replied, and Bulkhead blinked before his expression dropped. “Then, when I was on a team again, my Ratchet had it all covered. No need, again.”

Bulkhead frowned, and he walked around the couch and sat down next to the Wrecker. “… You didn’t want to see who wouldn’t be there.”

Wheeljack blinked, then he huffed quietly before offering a small grin. “Nothin’ gets past you, now—none of ya. Fraggin’ nightmare.”

Bulkhead just looked at his friend, then he looked down at the screen.

Wheeljack: —/\——\/——/\——\/——/\—

Bulkhead: NO SIGNAL

Ultra Magnus: NO SIGNAL

Ratchet: NO SIGNAL

Arcee: NO SIGNAL

Bumblebee: NO SIGNAL

Smokescreen: NO SIGNAL

Knockout: NO SIGNAL

Optimus Prime: OFFLINE

Bulkhead tensed when he came to the name “Optimus Prime” and saw the word where the spark-beat should have been.

Everyone already kinda knew, but that silent confirmation just seemed so final, and it chilled his Energon.

Wheeljack’s Optimus was really gone?

There were more names beneath that name, all with OFFLINE or NO SIGNAL beside them.

He bet there would be dozens, if Wheeljack decided to scroll down to view them all.

“They update on their own, when it happens in a certain proximity or I connect to a database that confirms it,” Wheeljack said, sounding very numb. “So, these are old. Some of ‘em haven’t been updated since long before the war left a dead Cybertron. Others just haven’t changed since I left my Cybertron.”

Bulkhead looked at Wheeljack, his optics wide, then he looked at the names again.

All of those NO SIGNAL names were ‘bots that Wheeljack cared about—his team, his family—and there was a good chance that they were missing Wheeljack, back in his reality.

Back in his home.

Wheeljack’s home always sounded so scary to Bulkhead, and he wasn’t always so sure that the Wrecker was treated well. He was in no hurry to send his friend back there, to lose him…

But if Bulkhead had come to care about Wheeljack so much after only a few stellar-cycles… and if Wheeljack had come to care about the team as much as he did in that same short time… the green mech decided that could not even imagine how much love was carried in those names, pain or no pain with it.

He kept the red names.

He kept them—out of others’ sight, but still in his systems for his hidden access—even know he knew that they were gone.

Whatever they had felt about him, Wheeljack loved them all that much.

And Bulkhead didn’t just feel guilty because he had let his worry get the better of him. He felt guilty because he knew he had been selfish.

What right did he or anyone else have to keep Wheeljack anywhere?

Prime was right, this was his choice—and he wanted to get home.

He deserved to get home.

“Wheeljack?” Bulkhead tried, only to lose his words when he saw that the Wrecker was snapped out of deep thought. “Um…”

“Heh.” Wheeljack shook his head. “I, uh… I should patch you fellas into this thing, get some real use outta it now that it’s workin’ again. Otherwise, it’d just be pointless...” He looked at Bulkead, and he put on a grin just like he’d always do. “What is it, buddy?”

“… I’m sorry,” Bulkhead told him, and that grin dropped. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what I knew about space-bridges.” He gestured to the green screen. “I’m sorry you’re missing your family… and I’m sorry you’re not home.”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere until I finish what I started here,” Wheeljack insisted. “Bridge or no bridge, I’m here now until the fight’s done.”

“Yeah, but there should be a bridge!” Bulkhead argued, looking up at his friend in frustration. “I should’ve started working on one with the professor the day you got here so that it would be ready, and I didn’t! I didn’t, Wheeljack—and now, I’m not even started on one that can move around this universe! Figuring out how to get you back to your reality could take years, and you’re gonna be stuck here all that extra time because of me!” He looked down, that guilt crushing him. “I promise, I’m gonna get you home… but it’s gonna be a while. I’m sorry.”

“Bulk?” Wheeljack sounded surprised, then he looked down at the screen. “Hm.” It was quiet for a little while, then the Wrecker glanced at the green mech with a raised optic-brow. “… Can I be honest with you, for a minute?”

Bulkhead nodded, not raising his head. He couldn’t bring himself to. “Yeah. ‘Course.”

“Home.” Wheeljack gestured. “Like, the idea of it… That’s pretty complicated, for me.”

“Huh?” Bulkhead blinked, then he looked up at his friend. “Whaddya mean?”

“Well, let’s look at it in terms of ‘place’,” the Wrecker began awkwardly. “See… I had a place once, with folks lookin’ after me—then I was on my own for a while. Then, it was campuses.” He looked down, folding his servos. “I had a place I was barely ever in while I was workin’ at Kimia, then I was always on the move durin’ the war. I had a ship for a while, the Jackhammer, but… that blew up.” He shrugged. “I stayed at a base for a time, though -again- we were always on the move with bridges sendin’ us out on our missions—and then I was suddenly back on Cybertron, and… I never fully settled in.” He gave a bitter laugh. “I have never had luck with optimism. I would get my hopes up, then have ‘em thrown in my face. So, to be frank, I was savin’ myself the effort and the pain and just… keepin’ myself ready for it all to go away again at any time.” He looked at Bulkhead, his strained smile dropping away into a forlorn expression. “… Even the team. My family.”

Bulkhead’s optics widened. “Wait, what?”

“All I ever do is lose, and… you know by now that my relationship with ‘em wasn’t exactly the best it could’ve been,” Wheeljack said, being completely genuine, then he looked at his screen. “I miss them, I really do—every day, them and the humans we had with us. I want to get back to my reality to see them again, to let ‘em know I’m alright and that I didn’t just leave ‘em hangin’. I worry that, if I can’t get to ‘em, something will go wrong while I’m not there to help.” He took a deep vent. “But honestly? Every day, it gets a little weirder to try and refer to my reality as ‘home’… ‘cause I’ve come to learn that ‘home’ can’t be a place, not for me.”

“I don’t understand,” Bulkhead admitted.

Wheeljack sighed, still staring at that little screen. “I always lose. Nothin’ ever lasts, but… at times, I can convince myself that I can count on some things better than others. I can risk bein’ optimistic, for them.”

Bulkhead’s brow furrowed again, then he looked at the little screen covered in names.

“Every day, it gets a little weirder to try and refer to my reality as ‘home’.”

What was going on? What was he trying to say?

“Home can’t be a place, not for me.”

Not a place? Then, what was it?

Then, it clicked.

Bulkhead blinked, because that list on the little green screen was suddenly more than just a group of ‘bots Wheeljack cared about: his team, his unit, his friends, his family.

It was the only home that the Wrecker’s ever let himself count on—not a place, people.

His home was made of people.

And… that made sense, to Bulkhead. The Plant wouldn’t be home without the team.

Wheeljack wasn’t missing his reality so much as the people in it. They were his home.

But there was more to it than that.

“My relationship with ‘em wasn’t exactly the best it could’ve been.”

A lot more.

“I should patch you fellas into this thing.”

Because no matter what a ‘home’ was for a person, a ‘home’ could be many things—at the same time or one after the other—and change just like the person could.

Wheeljack was trying to figure out which it was.

So, maybe Bulkhead had been right again. Maybe it was a good thing that he got away for a little while, so he could think.

But all the same, a promise was a promise—and he wouldn’t be neglecting that promise again.

Wheeljack would have his time, but he’d also have options ready when he needed them.

“… We’ll be making the portal on purpose,” Bulkhead said at last, because he felt like he finally understood. “It’ll be a door.” The Wrecker glanced at him. “Doors open both ways.”

“Heh.” Wheeljack’s smile returned, and it wasn’t forced this time. “I suppose they do.” He looked back at his little screen, and Bulkhead watched that smile go away as the Wrecker’s optics gradually went vacant. “… They have to.”

“… It will,” Bulkhead pressed, and he was very careful as he rested a servo on the Wrecker’s back to stir him out of his thoughts. “Count on it.” Wheeljack looked up at him, and the green mech put on a smile. “Optimistic, right?”

Wheeljack blinked, then he grinned. “Yeah.” The panel in his wrist slid shut. “Optimistic.”

The real weight of it all set in on Bulkhead. It was so much bigger than him.

He’d been worried that someone who fell into his world from another would leave someday. He’d never stopped to really consider the fact that Wheeljack no longer just of one world.

He was of two worlds. He had two families.

He was loyal. How could anyone expect him to choose between them, even if his relationship with one wasn’t as smooth as the other?

He loved them both… but that just made it all harder—because if- no, when the space-bridge finally went active and Wheeljack found he could walk between two realities and families freely, what was he supposed to do?

Even if he never let either reality go, where was the Wrecker supposed to go?

What would be home?

In the end, that would be Wheeljack’s choice.

Bulkhead would just open the door.

Now, first off: what do I think will happen when Wheeljack can travel between worlds?

Well, I think he’ll do just that.

He’s got connections in both realities, and he’s loyal to a fault. He won’t leave anyone hanging.

He’ll move back and forth as needed and just whenever he chooses, and—as a result—I feel like the realities will become closer.

They all have something to learn, and they’ll be able to learn a lot from each other.

…

Now, regarding TFP Megatron…

I’ve made a lot of jokes about him fucking off to become a space hermit. I stand by that idea, because that actually seems to happen.

After his exorcism, Megatron drops some wisdom before disbanding his army and just… bailing, in a super-powered body.

We don’t know what’s going to happen when he dies again. We don’t know his plans.

We just know his regrets.

So, I imagine that he keeps his distance.

He knows what he’s done, and he knows that he’ll be brought to justice if he ever returns.

However, he believes he’ll be most useful to his world alive and free—so that’s what he is.

Megatron sets up shop somewhere, and he keeps his watch—only making his appearances to ensure war does not break out again and to get his Energon stock refilled at Space Costco.

Otherwise, he’s just… gone.

He has a lot to think about.

So, if he shows up, it’s because he has to.

Something’s gone wrong, and he’ll sigh and shake his head before blasting off to get involved because he’s Megatron and that was the whole point when he got started.

And when he shows up, if it happens to be at a time when the TFA Cast is visiting, they’ll be in for a bit of a surprise.

Whether Megatron keeps his Unicron power-armor or not, he’s a stark contrast to his TFA counterpart.

TFA Megatron stole his power. He has elite tastes and is always prepared for betrayal. He cares a lot about appearances and being able to play the victim.

TFP Megatron was a gladiator. He gained his own power, and his troops were overall loyal. He wears his scars proudly, and he’s always blunt in his deliveries.

The TFA Cast would likely freeze under the gaze of this titan, with crimson optics and worn armor that’s all sharp edges and battle-scars. He has fangs and claws, and he’ll look down at them with a raised optic-brow and a critical gaze as he quickly puts together exactly what’s happened.

They don’t have lungs, but they’ll hold their breath and wait… and wonder why the TFP Cast isn’t terrified. They have their guard raised, but they look more annoyed by Megatron than anything else.

Then…

TFP Megatron: You seem frightened.

TFA Optimus: Well, uh… We just-

TFP Megatron: I fail to see why. As young and small as you are, you’re still alive. I assume that, given your presence here, your reality is stable. What need do you have to fear me when you managed that?

TFA Bumblebee: Well, our Megatron was a whole lot smaller than you. Like, still huge—but still, Optimus barely managed to take him out!

TFP Megatron: Oh, I see… *slowly starts to smirk* So, young scout: your Optimus Prime actually managed to defeat his Megatron? How very interesting!

TFP Optimus: *shaking his head*

TFA Bumblebee: *confused* Scout? Dude, we were maintenance ‘bots!

TFP Megatron: Maintenance-? *wheeze*

TFP Optimus: *still shaking his head*

It’ll take the TFA Cast a minute to realize that TFP Megatron has adopted a sort of “weird, reclusive uncle” status.

He’s the guy with a shady past who you don’t want to show up at family reunions because he and Grampa won’t stop arguing about politics and at what age children should be trusted with knives, but he is also the first one to have your back in a fight (no questions asked).

He’s there to kick ass for Cybertron and roast his Optimus.

That’s it.

Of course, it’ll take time for the TFA Cast to accept this.

I mean, it’s Megatron—and while he’s not shooting for the oppression of his enemies on Cybertron, he still has moments where you can see the warlord.

TFP Megatron: What do you mean, “no killing”?

TFP Wheeljack: *tired* I told you already, the kids don’t like that.

TFP Megatron: *confused* Then, how are they still alive?!

TFP Wheeljack: *sigh* Look-

TFP Megatron: It’s best to get them used to it. They’ll thank me later.

TFP Wheeljack: No-

It gets worse when he learns about what the government on TFA Cybertron was like under their Ultra Magnus and the council.

All of the TFA ‘bots question their life choices yet again when the former leader of a darker reality’s Decepticons actually looks horrified.

Then, they have to dissuade him from going to hunt TFA Ultra Magnus for sport.

It’s mostly a principle thing.

He can hold a civil conversation with TFA’s Arcee and Ratchet so long as they keep it civil—but it’s the younger ‘bots and Sari, strangely enough, who bring out a softer side.

Megatron always looks sad for some reason, when he looks at TFA Optimus.

He tends to go easy on TFA’s Bulkhead, Jazz, Blurr, and even Sentinel.

He respects TFA Bumblebee, never explaining why and leaving the young ‘bot bewildered.

The Jettwins and Sari can get away with pretty much anything. It’s astounding.

When the crisis is over, TFP Megatron keeps his ‘goodbye’ short and takes his leave.

No one asks if they should have let him go.

No one chases him.

Maybe they should have. He’s done so many terrible things, and the hurt isn’t gone.

The TFP ‘Cons might get up to some hijinks when left to their own devices, what with all of the backstabbing plots and the ever-present desire to one-up each other, but they’re still a serious threat.

Their structure has been organized so that they can function well without (and, occasionally, in spite of) Megatron—and they’re packing some serious firepower, not to mention the fact that they can clone Predacons. They’re intelligent without (and in spite of) their Megatron, and seasoned combatants.

So, what would Sentinel, Jazz, and the Jettwins think when meeting these guys?

Aside from “holy shit, run”? 😂

Well, let’s see: who’s still alive (or, at the very least, undead) by the end of TFP?

The TFP Decepticons have been disbanded, so let’s… just use our imaginations.

I’ve already discussed Knockout, so we’re just gonna focus on those who didn’t switch sides.

—————

Starscream

Like TFA Starscream, this Starscream can be quite sadistic. He’s one of three ‘Cons to take down an Autobot on-screen; it’s Starscream who gets Cliffjumper, Airachnid who gets Tailgate, and Dreadwing who gets Seaspray.

He’s taken human prisoners, he’s tortured a human as well as many Autobots (including Wheeljack), and he’s crafty. He’s survived being Megatron’s punching-bag and getting his T-Cog stolen while he was unaligned, and he also managed to make it to the end of the series.

This guy has tried to betray Megatron multiple times and almost succeeded in killing him once or twice, he’s managed to hold up the roof of a collapsing mine for a certain period, he’s likely the most-gifted flier we see in TFP, and he just doesn’t die. Like, Megatron keeps coming back to life—but Starscream? You can’t kill him.

He’s also a bit of a loose cannon. He wants to lead the ‘Cons, but he can also take or leave them. He’s merged his spark with Dark Energon and resurrected the dead, he’s mistreated a Predacon, and he’ll cut and run if needed.

This guy is just an unpredictable force to be reckoned with… but he’s also a coward, which is something that we still have going for us.

And just look at the physical difference:

TFA Starscream is a bit more sturdily-built, while TFP Starscream is a living razor-blade who has to land in a special way to keep from impaling himself on his own knees. Our TFA counterpart let himself go crazy with the paint colors while TFP is a bit more grayscale. They are both around the same height, and they both have the heels and the claws.

One of these guys has an Allspark shard in his forehead, keeping him alive. The other doesn’t, but he simply refuses to die anyway.

So, what do our Elite Guardsbots think?

Jazz is probably curious right at first-glance. I mean, he’s always curious—and a ‘Con from another dimension? That’s fascinating. He doesn’t lower his guard, though—he’s a cyber-ninja, and Starscream is always a threat.

Jetfire and Jetstorm are also curious. Their flight abilities come from their Starscream, so meeting another one would be intriguing. They probably want to race him, for kicks.

Sentinel probably underestimates him at first, makes some jokes about this Starscream being “sickly” because he’s thin and bird-like. He’ll learn his lesson quick enough, then he’ll be yelling at the other three to help him.

TFP Starscream is a manipulator and an opportunist, but he doesn’t play around.

He will strike when he sees an opening.

—————

Airachnid

Sentinel will take one look at this spider-‘Con and her army of Insecticons and hit “nope”.

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope!

Not today!

Sentinel is terrified of anything reminiscent of organics, especially spiders—and someone as sadistic as Airachnid makes that fear entirely rational. He’d want “fight or flight”, but he’d just freeze because she is fucking terrifying.

And that terror would probably override any curiosity that Jazz and the Jettwins feel. I mean, Sentinel’s an ass—but they still care about him, and Airachnid’s enjoyment of his fear would make them all want to step in.

Soon enough, they’ll figure out it was a good call. Airachnid is not one to turn your back on.

—————

Shockwave

There’s a lot of bad blood here.

TFA Shockwave, using the guise of Longarm Prime, infiltrated the Autobot ranks and caused some serious damage to the government as chief of communications.

He manipulated Bumblebee and got Blurr sent to the stockade when he was just a cadet, he sabotaged communications, he exposed the space-bridges, he turned Blurr into a cube, he attacked Ultra Magnus and stole his hammer, and he kidnapped Arcee. That’s just what I can name off the top of my head.

TFA Shockwave’s bad news—he’s crafty, and he’s a brilliant scientist.

So, how do we make him worse? Oh, just make him the fucking Terminator.

Like, OH GOOD LORDY!

TFP really said “make him huge, make him operate solely based on logic, and give him a laser-cannon for an arm”. This guy also made the cortical psychic-patch, and then he went and he cloned himself some Predacons.

He is seriously SCARY!

Now, put him in a room with Sentinel, Jazz, and the Jettwins to see what happens.

While the Autobots are just going “holy fuck, holy shit”, TFP Shockwave is thinking.

Like, he’s retired. He fucked off to a secret lab so he could keep restoring the Predacons and doing some other Weird Science—out of sight, out of trouble, and out of mine.

But a pair of Autobots with flyer alt-modes? That makes him quite intrigued.

Sentinel and Jazz have their guard raised as the massive mech approaches. He doesn’t seem hostile, but this is Shockwave.

Then…

“How is it that you came to posses the ability to fly?” TFP Shockwave asks.

Jetfire and Jetstorm blink, then it’s Jetfire who replies: “We were injured and close to the Well of Allsparks, so the Elite Guard had scientists test a scan from Starscream. They made us fly.”

“Mr. Other-Wheeljack says that was wrong, that we were used by the Guard,” Jetstorm adds cautiously. “Everyone seems to agree.”

TFP Shockwave tilts his head, his unblinking optic analyzing them. “… Your usefulness as test-subjects ensured your survival. Had you not been experiments, you would be one with the Allspark.” He gestures. “Given that the Autobots cherish life, their use of the word ‘wrong’ would -logically- be the wrong choice for what happened to you according to their own subjective understanding. The system which made your lives forfeit and your frames raw material to be exploited for science, that was subjectively ‘wrong’. The act of saving your lives was not ‘wrong’.” He rights his head. “The motive of preserving your lives in order to serve a different goal need not change that.”

Sentinel and Jazz are still on their guard, but Jetfire and Jetstorm seem intrigued.

Sentinel and Jazz know enough by now to see that there’s something wrong with what the scientist said. The Jettwins are young.

“You said ‘subjective understanding’,” Jazz says cautiously. “What would be objective?”

TFP Shockwave has an answer: “They were in critical condition anyway, and the experiment was a success. If it had not been, much could have been learned. The next attempt at it would have been made with the information gathered from their experience.”

“That’s not objective.” Jazz’s optics narrow as he steps between the Jettwins and this mech, and Sentinel activates his shield. “That’s just being a sparkless asshole.” He hopes he’s using that human curse right. Wheeljack tends to use it, sometimes. “It was wrong.”

TFP Shockwave just looks at him. “They are alive, aren’t they?”

Because, logically, that’s what the experiment was: killing two birds with one stone.

Putting two young mechs who were already on their deathbeds through pain for science in a procedure that luckily saved them.

They should’ve just been saved.

So, these four visitors decided that they don’t like TFP Shockwave very much.

He’s not hostile, but he’s a bit of a jackass.

At least he makes dragons?

The Jettwins love the Predacons and Jazz finds them very interesting. Sentinel just lumps them in with other organic-like creations and keeps as much of a distance as possible.

—————

Soundwave

Update! The living-boombox revolutionary has become a sadistic eldritch horror who had to be trapped in an alternate dimension!

Sentinel, Jazz, and the Jettwins wouldn’t have had a lot of interactions with TFA Soundwave, but one run-in with the TFP version will be enough Soundwave for a lifetime.

Like, we know that all of these ‘bots would be terrified. Sentinel wouldn’t even try to deny it later, TFP Soundwave’s that scary.

And it would be on-sight.

TFP Soundwave, like his TFA counterpart, is very mission-oriented. But unlike the TFA version, there’s no trying to push the Autobots into his movement. He chose violence.

After Sentinel, the Jettwins, and Jazz are somehow removed from whatever dangerous situation brought them face-to-face with this gladiator, they’re gonna need hugs.

Seriously, help them-

—————

Megatron

Somehow, this would be the most jarring.

You know I’ve made my jokes about post-war TFP Megatron just fucking off to be a space-hermit. I stand by that, as it seems appropriate.

But consider where the Elite Guard’s coming from. Megatron was a horror story told to scare protoforms into staying in their berths.

TFA Megatron won’t stop, not until he gets what he feels he is owed: power, control. He is an elite manipulator who is relentlessness in Cybertronian form. He’s a menace!

Then, there’s the TFP version—who would have been comparable, until the script flipped. He made poor decisions, but he was scary—his own worst enemy, but still a threat.

Then, he changed. He quit.

But still, first impressions:

Scary.

Sentinel, Jazz, and the Jettwins will all be on their guard—but they’ll be intimidated.

They’ve heard the stories. They’re seeing this massive titan of a mech before them.

If TFP Megatron decides they’re dead, they’re pretty fucking dead. That’s just how it is.

But… he doesn’t.

He seems to consider it when he hears the name “Sentinel”, his optics narrowing. There’s a weight to that name in TFP, a blame.

But TFP Megatron looks at these four, and he can tell that they’re just kids—all of them.

And if someone tells him about Sentinel’s mistakes, is he really one to judge?

So, he’ll just roll his optics and carry on with whatever business brought him to the Autobots in the first place. He can prioritize.

And he’ll raise an optic-brow as the two small, young mechs get comfortable far too quickly once they learn he means no harm. They’ll run around him, lifting his arms to feel the weight and asking him a slew of questions.

He might humor them and answer a few, and constructively critique their flying.

Sentinel doesn’t like this one bit and thinks that the former warlord is pulling something, but Jazz lowers his guard after a while.

TFP Megatron is remarkably patient with the young Jettwins, and… that’s a quality worth putting a little bit of faith in.

Then, this Megatron learns how the Jettwins became to flyers in the first place and all of the Autobots have to stop him from hunting TFA Ultra Magnus for sport.

Even if they do agree.

That, strangely enough, wins Jazz and the Jettwins over—and Sentinel, while still very skeptical, stops making jabs and instead seethes in silence.

The blue and orange Prime might ask what the former Decepticon’s deal is, and Wheeljack will just say “he’s retired”.

—————

So, that’s it for named ‘Cons who would still be alive to meet these guys.

As for the Vehicons, I think that these four would be interested to see a uniform force of Cybertronians who served with the Decepticon army—and their individualism would surprise them, especially Sentinel.

But in general, these visitors from TFA would be intimidated by the ‘Cons from TFP. They are larger, darker in character, and not to be trifled with in any case.

These ‘Cons fought their war with armies, clones of themselves and ancient beasts, Relics, and engineered plagues. They can reach into minds and are willing to engage in torture, and they’re organized.

Even as a single force, names forgotten, they are frightening.

And I think that meeting them would make the TFP Crew all the more impressive. With eight Autobots, this team managed to defeat this terrifying adversary.

Major respect points.

And I think that, after all of these encounters, it would be amusing for Sentinel, Jazz, and the Jettwins to come back to the base and see Knockout filing his claws in the main lounge.

Sentinel: So… you used to be a ‘Con?

Knockout: *dry* Oh, no. What gave me away, the optics?

Jazz: *trying to ease the tension* Clearly, you weren’t as bad as some of the other ‘Cons. You switched sides, after all.

Knockout: *snort* Oh, yes—I suppose I wasn’t “as bad”. After all, I held half of the common sense on the Nemesis. If you’re wondering, Soundwave had the rest of it.

Sentinel: Uh… The faceless nightmare with all of the tentacles?

Knockout: Yep! That would be him! *optic-brow raise* How’s he doing, by the way?

Jetfire: He’s haunting another dimension!

Jetstorm: He tried to kill us!

Knockout: *nodding* Ah, so: same old, same old? I figured as much.

Sentinel: *optics wide* Seriously, why are you not in a cell?

Knockout: *deadpan* I broke the Immobilizer over Starscream’s head, and someone had to hold the common sense while Ratchet was busy and Prime was dead. I was simply the best candidate.

Jazz: … Fair enough.

Sentinel: How is that-?!

Jazz: It’s fair enough.

It’s honestly just funny to imagine Sentinel experiencing TFP while Jazz and the Jettwins are on a sightseeing tour.

There are retired ‘Cons just hanging around, metal mythical creatures are being cloned by a war criminal and it’s just allowed to happen, Megatron’s a hermit who drops in at Space Costco, and they have Unicron in a lava lamp.

TFP is just like that.

The lipstick stains are so gorgeous and so on point, you've got it exactly right on how many there were, whoo! Chapter 15 has inspired some absolutely lovely gorgeous art and this is so so so beautiful!!! The lighting and the shading are so soft, like pastels and water colours and it's just so pretty!! The textures and the lighting and the shading are just- gah! Incredible! Awesome gorgeous amazing! It's got such a feel to it that I love!

And the cape!!! Oh my god, the cape!!!!!! The subtle shading and texture, how it swirls around him and consumes Optimus in soft darkness, the effect of it is just so!!!! Amazing!!! And Optimus' hand holding it is such a lovely touch!!! It's small and it's there and it's awesome!!!

And don't even get me started on the colours. Nevermind, actually do. The shades!!! The red and the black and the blue and the pink!!! They work so well together!! The brighter left and the darker right, the way the reds fade into purple is just so oooooohhh!!!! They work!! They work amazingly!! The way they blend and run into each other is just so absolutely wonderfully lovely, I would like to swim in this colour pallette. And the textures of your pen!! It's rough at the edges and gives it such a soft lovely feeling, fuzzy and glowing and warm. Amazing!! Fantastic!!! Brilliant!!!!!

And! And!! And!!! His accessories!!!! The choker and the finial magnets!!!!! The stars are the exact same colour as his optics and they're so bright and wonderful and lovely and those edges of yellow and pink make it stand out so well!! Glowing like fire from within!!! Fantastic!!!!!!! And the spray of them is so dynamic and the shapes, the way they twist and turn with implied movement, awesome amazing incredible lovely wonderful!!! And the choker!!!! The way it glints and catches the eye!!! A subtly different red from his plating, undertoned with black, Megatron's colours, is so so so so so brilliant!!!! It's subtle and intricate and wonderful and beautiful and amazing and you draw it so prettily!!!!

AND HIS EXPRESSION!!!!! AUGH!!!!! The subtle contours of his face, the geometry of it, the way the lipstick stains smear across the edges!!! His optics!!!!! The way they glow and scrunch up and the subtle lines underneath them that convey a kind of tiredness but are overtaken by the joy and contentment of his expression!! And his lips!!! Hell yeah his lips!!!! The gloss of them, the overlay of Megatron's own lipstick, his smile!!!! His lovely as all hell smile!!!!! His expression is so tired and joyful and awed and deeply in love and you communicated that through so many little details that I'm certain I'm missing some because it's so intricate and detailed and you put so so much thought into it and I'm gonna cry!!!!!

@ominous-birdwatcher @ominous-birdwatcher @ominous-birdwatcher LOOK LOOK LOOK AT THIS!!!! It's so gorgeous and pretty and amazing and beautiful and lovely and wonderful fantastic incredible awesome!!! YES!!! YES YES YES YES!!!! HELL YEAH!!!!

I'm so deeply honoured that you made this for me, it's so incredible and I love it so much and you're such a talented artist and you should be incredibly proud of yourself and I'm so glad that you like my story and that it can be a bright spot on your Tuesdays. The final chapter is in progress as I'm writing this, and I hope it doesn't disappoint when I get there. I love the timelapse and seeing your process, there's so many words there but they've kinda dissolved into a high pitched squealing noise.

I’m just kidding—this never crossed my mind, but I’m here for it. It’s fucking funny.

The UltraJack version was “hey, so: what if we accidentally dropped into the multiverse, dealt with all of our trauma, adopted a bunch of kids, and came home married?”. Classic.

This? This is “dropped into the multiverse with my estranged brother’s goth widow and dealt with his constant sarcasm and morning routine for a decade”. That’s a buddy-cop comedy that we have yet to see, and I want to.

Fuck, I’m the writer-

…

…

…

I’ve spoken before about how I think Wheeljack and Knockout would be on decent terms. They worked on the space-bridge together, Wheeljack didn’t really have a lot of exposure to Decepticon Breakdown or Knockout’s various war-crimes, and—I dunno—I think they’d be good.

Wheeljack hears that Knockout saved Bumblebee and fucking knocked Starscream out by breaking the Immobilizer over his head, and he’s laughing his aft off—and that plus working together opens the door for them to get along fairly well.

That doesn’t mean they’re not making snappy remarks and bitching at each other, though. They are, constantly—but it’s all in good fun.

Knockout’s glad to have someone who he can talk to about Breakdown without overwhelming hard feelings, and Wheeljack’s lack of chit-chat makes him a good listener. That, and they work well together—and gang up on TFP Ratchet, who they’re fond of but he makes it too easy.

So, while we can expect bickering and some rare “oh, right—we used to be on opposite sides of the war. ain’t that funny?” moments, we don’t have to worry about them learning to get along.

They’re alright.

But going into unknown territory together, and being stuck there alone for over a decade? It’s gonna be a lot of time together, even with all of the other stuff that’s going on—and they’re good, but they’re not exactly “best buddies”.

They’re VERY DIFFERENT mechs.

Knockout is a former Decepticon medic who was responsible for the entire Nemesis and grew very paranoid because everyone was always hitting or backstabbing each other, to the point where he stuck around as long as he thought they held the advantage after Breakdown died and switched sides the moment he could—and even when the advantage disappeared, he stuck around because he found a healthier environment. He’s a bit self-centered and skittish, but remains a skilled fighter who can have lots of confidence in a pinch. He’s also brutally honest and not afraid to speak his mind, and cares a lot about appearances.

Wheeljack’s -well- Wheeljack: an engineer and former scientist who has buried that shit deep, a Wrecker who tends to play a little rough and put on a well-crafted mask, loyal to a fault, and an introvert who has to get some distance when he’s overwhelmed. He gets injured and disregards it, he’s confident except for when it comes to talking about emotions or being the center of attention, and he’s also blunt and brutally honest but tends to hold back sometimes in order to assess.

There’s also the fact that Breakdown was once a Wrecker who betrayed the cause, and Knockout put a ring on it. There’s understanding given the benefit of hindsight, but Knockout and Wheeljack haven’t talked about everything and there are some things that they likely just won’t talk about. They’re on good terms, but these two are still not trusting each other completely. It’s early.

This is going to lead to bickering, awkwardness, references or explanations that lead the other wide-opticed or confused, and the “roommate effect” where they sometimes find each other to be insufferable for the stupidest reasons.

So, like I said: it’s a buddy-cop thing.

Knockout: So… it appears that we have something in common.

TFP Wheeljack: ?

Knockout: *smirks* Big blue Wreckers with hammers, hm?

TFP Wheeljack: I will actually murder you in your fraggin’ stasis.

Knockout: *sips Energon* I might have been intimidated, but I heard that from Starscream on a tri-weekly basis.

TFP Wheeljack: *worried* You good?

Knockout: *dry* Seeking a more-creative death threat, but otherwise unscathed.

Now, let’s factor in the TFA Crew.

Wheeljack shows up, that’s tricky enough—he’s a war-frame Autobot from another reality, and the alternate of an influential scientist.

But then, there’s Knockout—with his red optics, claws, and energy-prod and buzz-saw.

He pretty much just stands there with his crossed arms and a deadpan on his face as the TFA ‘Bots prepare to take him down, and Wheeljack has to quickly intervene and vouch for him.

TFA Prowl: That’s a Decepticon.

TFP Wheeljack: Well, uh… Kinda? But it’s okay. He’s a good guy who works with ‘Bots, now. *awkwardly pats Knockout’s head* See? Wouldn’t let me do that, otherwise.

Knockout: *visibly resisting the urge to saw TFP Wheeljack’s arm off* Indeed.

TFP Wheeljack: You are not helpin’.

Knockout: Neither are you.

TFA Bumblebee: Okay, okay—just- We just wanna know if he’s going to murder us.

Knockout: *having fun* Debatable.

TFP Wheeljack: Y’know what? Just kill ‘im.

TFA Optimus: *horrified* We don’t just kill people! He would get a trial on Cybertron!

Knockout: *surprised, then smirking because he’s just realized that he’s actually in no real physical danger* Hello, vacation…

And so, it begins! 😂

While Wheeljack gets to be his introverted self, Knockout is shamelessly extroverted.

Like, he knows that the TFA Crew is reasonably terrified of him—but he’ll be hanging out in the main room with them! He’s just kicking back with some Energon, watching TV, maybe reading a data-pad he snagged from this debatably less-grouchy version of Ratchet. He’s good.

And he’ll put on sly little smiles and make eerie remarks to keep everyone on their toes, and he never hesitates to take a jump-scare opportunity. If he can freak them out, he’s going to—and he’s surprisingly good at it. He’s good at escaping, and all of those years he spent on the Nemesis with Soundwave seeing all taught him stealth.

The only ones the ‘Con medic goes easy on at first are Optimus, Ratchet, and Bumblebee.

Optimus gets it easiest because Knockout does recognize that “hey, a Decepticon got him killed the day we met” and he credits TFP’s Optimus with his full acceptance since it was one of the last things the deceased Prime ever did.

Ratchet and Bumblebee get little smiles after the scares, which helps them to calm down quick and adjust to Knockout’s personality—realizing that he’s mischievous but not ill-intentioned. They don’t know that the medic misses their alternates back home—the first Autobot he was ever friends with, and the elder medic who took him in.

Sari just doesn’t get scared of him. He tries to intimidate her away, but she’s too curious—so, the tables turn and he gets squeamish because he’s still not quite used to humans. He likes their culture, but squishy lil’ organics freak him out and he’d rather not be touched with their smudgy little hands. Sari fucking weaponizes this, since Knockout never threatens her for-real and she thinks it’s hilarious to watch him avoid her.

Settling in is rough.

It gets a little easier when Wheeljack starts to settle as well and eventually makes joking little comments like “stop freakin’ the kids out” to further show that Knockout’s just consciously being a nuisance and not actually a threat.

…

Still, they don’t start to lower their guard around him until after the encounter with Lockdown.

Knockout fights well, as he does—but he’s quiet the whole time, clearly bothered by something.

When it’s over, the medic swats Ratchet away from Optimus and takes care of the young Prime’s wounds himself. Cosmetics and mods are a specialty of his—and while Optimus is tense the whole time he’s being worked on, he finds himself with only minimal discomfort as his grappling-hooks are restored and his armor is carefully patched. Even Ratchet has to admire the speed and care with which Knockout handles it.

When Knockout’s done, he steps back and turns to Ratchet—silently gesturing for him to sit down. Ratchet hesitates, but he obeys—and he watches the former Decepticon ensure that the neural link between his arm and the EMP has connected correctly and that it will cause no pain.

“… You didn’t have to do this, kid,” the old field-tech finally says, and Knockout glances at him. “All those data-pads… You actually read up on our biology, didn’t you?”

Knockout scoffs. “Better that than the useless propaganda documents Optimus had to offer.” He frowns and he keeps working. “… Someone who I cared very much about was captured once, and he had a part of him stolen away. He came back alive, but then… he was stolen away from me again. Butchered.” His crimson optics narrow. “I’m afraid that this incident threatened to bring out the worst in me.”

Optimus is speechless.

Ratchet hesitates, then he gives a small grin. “I saw that hit you landed on Lockdown, after Wheeljack went down.” Knockout glances at him again. “… If that’s the worst in you, I don’t think that this team has anything to worry about.”

“I said threatened,” Knockout reminds him. “I can guarantee I’m still rather awful.”

Ratchet chuckles. “Yeah, well… I don’t think I’m gonna worry too much anyway.”

“Hm.” Knockout raises an optic-brow, then he shrugs. “Whatever you say.” He puts on a little smirk. “You might regret it.”

Ratchet just shakes his head.

…

The assembly line, Meltdown, and Nanosec incidents make Knockout re-evaluate.

He’s so frustrated with Bumblebee, and he goes to vent to Wheeljack—who just looks at him with crossed arms and a raised optic-brow.

Knockout: He just seems to think that he’s invincible! And he won’t stop talking about himself and how skilled he is!

TFP Wheeljack: Uh-huh.

Knockout: He has no regard for the outcome of his actions or the danger that he could bring upon himself and others!

TFP Wheeljack: Oh, yeah.

Knockout: He fails to take constructive criticism until lives are on the line, and then he seems to forget what he learned!

TFP Wheeljack: Really, now?

Knockout: And all of the bragging about his appearance and his speed- *pause* Oh. *optics widen* By Primus, I’m insufferable.

TFP Wheeljack: *clapping him on the back* The truth shall set you free. *deadpan* He’s insecure. Ever tell him to shut up, and I will actually fight you in the parkin’ lot.

Knockout: Duly noted. I’m going to head out there to scream, momentarily.

“Blast From the Past” makes Knockout a little concerned about Wheeljack’s behavior, but he’s more involved in arguing with Prowl.

He insists that, while Bulkhead could use a crash-course in spatial awareness and learning to try and control his strength, he should not be made to try and fight like a mech of an incompatible frame design—and to punctuate his point, he suggests that Prowl learn to fight like Bulkhead.

When Prowl goes to argue and say that he can’t because he’s too small and not strong enough, Knockout gives him a pointed look. Prowl’s taken aback, then he nods in understanding.

Bulkhead asks later why Knockout stood up for him. The medic glances at him, then smiles and merely says “I have a soft spot for larger frames”.

…

Halloween rolls around.

Optimus doesn’t know why both Knockout and Wheeljack won’t tease him about the spiders, or why Knockout looks so sad the whole time.

The medic doesn’t dress up, but he is curious about this “Halloween” he’s seen in movies and decides to accompany the trick-or-treaters.

Blackarachnia makes her first appearance, and Wheeljack and Knockout ain’t having it. Between them both having the common sense to see a ‘Con con on-sight, Gay Solidarity, Wheeljack wanting to protect Sari, and Knockout deciding that Blackarachnia being part-spider is enough to activate several layers of fight-or-flight-

Knockout: *twitch* What I’m about to do is actually not personal. I’m working out some things.

Blackaracnia: Uh..?

Knockout: A rogue Decepticon called Airachnid trapped and killed my conjunx, and his corpse eventually became a vampire that turned her into a vampire.

Blackaracnia: *sympathy* Oh. *realization* Oh, frag!

Knockout: *already holding his electro-prod staff*

Wheeljack sends Knockout to help Bumblebee protect Sari while he and Bulkhead hold the Decepticon techno-organic off.

When Blackarachnia shows up anyway, she easily takes Bumblebee down but Knockout doesn’t hold back—and he’s so caught up in other things, he doesn’t even think about it when he picks Sari up to protect her until Optimus arrives.

When it’s over, Knockout gets down on one knee to set Sari down—and she looks up at him with wide eyes as he seems to check her over for any injuries… before he stands up, shakes his hand out, and makes a little grossed-out sound that seems forced. Sari just laughs at him.

…

A very good thing about having Knockout around is that there’s an actual TFP medic is there to help whenever Wheeljack gets hurt.

Sari’s birthday party chokes and dies with the poor Wrecker even getting a concussion, but Knockout is there to lend a hand.

Then, he hears the name “Soundwave” and automatically activates his saw.

Professor Sumdac takes several BIG steps back while Sari is just confused by this.

Knockout leaves Wheeljack to get a look at the toy, his optics narrowed as he gets down on one knee to examine ‘Soundwave’. “Since coming to this reality, I have encountered no familiar faces but many familiar names. Optimus, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Bulkhead, even Starscream…” He looks at Sari. “Soundwave is definitely a name that I could go without hearing ever again.”

“It’s just a toy,” Sari argues. “My dad made it.”

Knockout glances at the professor. “He also made the Dinobots.” He looks at Soundwave again, his armor prickling. “It could be nothing. Just… lock him away at night, and never turn your back.” He glances at Sari again. “And never use your Key on him. We don’t understand it yet, and we saw what happened when the Dinobots were exposed to its mere energy—indirectly… This is not an enemy you want to face. He will never stop.”

“… Gee, Knockout.” Sari deadpans. “You really are just the life of the party, aren’t you?”

Knockout scoffs. “Serves me right, trying to look after the safety of a human for once.”

That’s the first time Knockout openly admits to the fact that he’s grown to care about Sari in any capacity, guised as a bitter remark.

He’s still not used to it.

Humans still make his armor crawl, especially after the CYLAS incident. It’s not easy.

Sari apologizes to him after Soundwave tries to take over the world—and Knockout, recognizing a pattern, will not trust Professor Sumdac.

Certainly not with Sari’s safety, at least.

…

Knockout lets Wheeljack handle Sari during the “oh, gee—guess we’re leaving Earth” moment once Lugnut and Blitzwing arrive.

Ratchet wants him to come and help with the ship while the others hold the Decepticons off, but Knockout ends up awkwardly standing at the shore like… “yeah, about that-”.

Seeing the crisis, he eventually has to intervene and runs across the ice to get right above the ship—and he calls Ratchet to open an airlock before he jumps in. Once the airlock closes and flushes the water out, Knockout is left coughing and shaking on the ground as his systems reject all of the water that got trapped inside.

Ratchet helps him stay sitting up while Sari watches worriedly—and their worry only grows when they learn that this was what Knockout is like after a minute, and Wheeljack was stuck under the water for several minutes.

They team gets their Wrecker and former-‘Con back to shore, and Knockout sluggishly helps with Wheeljack before they sit him down. Ratchet wants them to compare notes, now.

The fact that Knockout, knowing how dangerous it would be, actually jumped into the water just helps to win the team over some more.

That and he told Lugnut and Blitzwing to fuck off.

…

Wheeljack screams when he finds Bulkhead’s severed head. Knockout actually passes out.

Like, he’s the first to elect for dissection in any situation—but he’s still a medical professional and that’s a living severed head. Let him process.

Cue Knockout becoming absolutely obsessed with figuring out how Bulkhead’s head is alive while separate from his body and spark chamber.

Does spark energy move through the body like fuel or electricity, and is he on a time-crunch to get his body back or else perish? Important!

Or, worse: while Bulkhead is separated from his spark, is he undead? Sparkless, yet alive?

Knockout: *squinting*

TFA Bulkhead: Uh… Whatcha doin’?

Knockout: *muttering darkly* Waiting for you to turn on us, sparkless demon.

TFP Wheeljack: *holds up a spray-bottle*

…

Knockout doesn’t do wilderness trekking or camping, so he’s not there for “Survival of the Fittest” and—thankfully—he doesn’t have LOTS of bad memories return in “Nature Calls”.

He still overhear Wheeljack speaking with Prowl and Bumblebee afterwards, but he can’t bring himself to go into detail about his experience.

What he saw on the Nemesis, the volcano of Dark Energon and so many ill Vehicons, Trypticon, Breakdown and the Terror-‘Cons… It’s too much.

…

Megatron returns.

Honestly, Knockout agrees with Wheeljack—they should’ve figured. He always comes back.

And when he sees this Megatron, he’s not very impressed. This is Not His Warlord, at all.

Megatron notices the look on his face—as well as the red optics and obvious aesthetic—and tries to go on a tirade about loyalty and weakness.

Knockout actually yawns. “Are you done?”

I’m not saying that Knockout has him in a fight.

He doesn’t, he totally gets his ass kicked.

And yeah, it kinda freaks him out that there’s any version of Megatron on-scene. He knows better than underestimate any version of him.

But that doesn’t mean he respects this guy. This is not the same gladiator -turned- revolutionary -turned- warlord he knew back home.

Something about him just feels off.

The one thing Knockout does respect is that he tries to kill Starscream on sight. Finally.

Knockout considers his suspicions towards Professor Sumdac validated, but… finds it difficult to relish in his victory, at the day’s end.

Sari Sumdac is eight years-old and alone.

…

The Elite Guard arrives.

Yeah, that’s fun.

Wheeljack has to AGAIN make sure that none of these alternate Autobots hurt Knockout.

Knockout, at this point, has just kinda accepted it. He brought an Energon smoothie. If it’s his time, it’s his time—and he won’t go out stressed.

The calm demeanor seems to calm the Elite Guard down a bit, until Knockout gets bored and opens his mouth to join in on Wheeljack’s taunts.

They leave pretty quickly after that.

And… Knockout finds himself uncomfortable, as he watches the Elite Guard react to humans.

Jazz is alright, but the others? It’s how he is, and… it’s not pleasant, as an outsider looking in.

He readies his saw the moment Sentinel even looks at Sari wrong. It’s just an instinct.

He’s not exactly comfortable around the girl, but he’ll do whatever he has to in order to protect her.

Also, when Sentinel loses his head (or body)? He may not spill to TFA’s far less charming Ultra Magnus, but he absolutely tells the rest of the TFA Crew and they howl with laughter.

It comes down to it that the Elite Guard is planning a departure, and Wheeljack makes it clear that he’ll stay to watch over Sari.

He tells Knockout that he can still go, and the former Decepticon just raises an optic-brow.

His argument is that he’ll probably be killed the moment the ramp raises. No, thank you.

Additionally, he can’t just show up back home without Wheeljack. Talk about suspicious.

In truth, he doesn’t want to leave Sari either—and he won’t just leave Wheeljack alone.

Thankfully, the matter is resolved.

…

Knockout & Wheeljack when they both show up at the underground racing ring:

Knockout insists that he’s in it for the race. He pretends to forget that Sari Sumdac even lives at the Plant… but the ill-begotten wage is collected and deposited every week without fail, and he’s just as exhausted as Wheeljack.

He also complains that he looks hideous with his colors reversed, though not nearly as bad as his companion. Wheeljack humors him.

And they both feel dread settle over them when they realize that this reality’s Allspark won’t help them. Wheeljack asks what will happen if they die here, and Knockout can’t answer him.

That doesn’t stop Wheeljack from nearly dying in an attempt to protect Bumblebee and Prowl. Sari’s failure to heal him with her Key confirms their fears, and Knockout gets to work.

Ratchet watches in fascination, helping as well as he can but finding himself at a loss in places where Knockout seems to thrive.

Wheeljack will be alright, but the scare rattles the team. They want to ensure that Wheeljack and Knockout are safe, going forward.

And Knockout sighs, leaning back against a table and crossing his arms. He’s not against the idea of a protection detail—he would very much like to stay alive, thank you—but he knows Wheeljack will hardly take it well, and knows why.

“… If you think he would ever take it back, you’re not just wrong—you lack even the most basic pattern-recognition skills,” the former Decepticon drawls, and everyone looks at him. “Back home, this is what Wheeljack is known for.” He frowns. “He’s considered by the Autobots to be a war hero, because he joined the Wreckers with an impossible goal: to bring them home alive.” He looks at his unconscious friend. “It was his great superpower, and his great weakness. He would almost always walk away injured, pulling all of those ridiculous stunts… but he kept taking risks, so he must have deemed them worthwhile.” He turns his gaze to Prowl and Bumblebee. “… You are worthwhile. You won’t ever convince him otherwise, so don’t waste time trying.”

“He’s just going to get hurt, again,” Prowl tells him, visibly frustrated.

Knockout nods. “Certainly. He’s a Wrecker, and… a good friend.” He glances away, sighing. “You can’t change him, so just… try to get him home alive, so that I can patch him up.” He looks at Wheeljack again. “I’ll do my best.”

“… We know,” Bumblebee tells him.

Knockout gives a small smile, nodding. He doesn’t say a word, no one does…

But things change, that day.

…

As Wheeljack is recovering, Bulkhead meets the Constructicons and Knockout isn’t having it.

After Sari nearly loses her head, he gets his saw out—and Optimus quickly tries to talk him down.

Knockout nearly lashes out again after the two mechs return for the Allspark, and all attempts to dissuade him leave Wheeljack his opening.

Knockout has to patch the Wrecker up, again—but neither of them have many regrets.

Prowl goes rogue one day and has Wheeljack fly him to the moon, where the cyber-ninja teams up with Lockdown to track down Starscream.

That day ends with Knockout having to tend to Wheeljack’s wounds again, and the Wrecker seeing to Prowl’s mental health afterwards.

Knockout isn’t the best with that, all things considered—and he decides he’s not the one to talk to when it comes to remorse over killing.

Prowl still comes to find him, anyway—to ask about the war, and how he managed to cope.

Honestly, Knockout doesn’t know how to answer him. He’s a medic and a scientist, but he was always better at taking things apart than putting them back together. He never dealt serious damage to any member of his Team Prime, but he came close and wanted it at times—and he scared them, threatened them, made them struggle and squirm for the thrill of it. He chased that high, the power and freedom he didn’t have on the Nemesis—where everyone was waiting to stab everyone in the back, and the eyes of Soundwave and wrath of Megatron were likely the only things keeping their one doctor “safe”.

“How did you do it?” Prowl still asks.

Knockout still doesn’t know his answer, but he replies anyway: “I had a partner, someone who was… better than me… and truly believed in the cause, the original cause, and wanted to look after the other Decepticons… including me. And with him by my side, I was fearless. It was easy because he made it fun. I could do anything, and he had my back—so, it became a game. A rather dark way of coping with the horrors, I know.” He glances at Prowl. “After he died, it… wasn’t the same, for me. The troopers were kind enough, but I realized… I had lost more than I ever really knew I had.” He looks down. “So, I think that made it even easier… After I lost him, I had nothing left to lose—and why shouldn’t I make everyone else lose something? The war seemed like it would never end, and—even if it did, win or lose—my universe would be left burning all around me… So, why should anyone else get a ‘happy ending’?”

It’s not what Prowl expects to hear.

It’s not what Knockout expects to say.

“… What was his name?” Prowl asks him.

Knockout sighs. “Breakdown.” Prowl nods. “… You aren’t like me. It was never alright.”

Prowl shakes his head. “It was fun.” Knockout looks at him sadly. “And I could have lost any of you, all of you… How did you escape that?”

“I made new connections,” Knockout confesses. “New ties, people worth protecting as I was once protected… and even worth living for.”

“Hm.” Prowl gives a small smile, starting to relax a bit. “How did that start?”

Knockout laughs weakly. “Oddly enough? I-… I was thanked with a smile. It was fake, but… it was more kindness, more of a genuine effort, than I’d seen from anyone since Breakdown.”

Prowl’s face softens.

Slowly, Knockout is becoming more and more a part of this family—slower than Wheeljack, and different, but no less dear to them.

Wheeljack panics when Swindle freezes the technology in Detroit. Knockout’s face just drops, and—before they make their way to Sumdac Tower—the Autobots see Knockout look back.

He’ll never be as open as Wheeljack, physically affectionate and parental—but he still comes to truly care about them and want them safe.

That makes him one of them.

…

The day Sari is left home alone and the team faces the Constructicons, Knockout feels his shoulders raise as Blitzwing takes it too far.

He looks at Wheeljack, and finds that same barely-contained instinct in the Wrecker.

He doesn’t flinch when Wheeljack blasts the Decepticon’s shoulder to protect Bumblebee.

Now, Blitzwing doesn’t seem to register how big of a threat Knockout is with Wheeljack present.

Knockout doesn’t have blasters, but he has his saws and electro-staff. Plenty to work with.

When Ratchet is taken prisoner, it’s almost too easy for Knockout to get behind the Decepticon and ready his staff. As soon as Wheeljack gets Ratchet clear, Knockout delivers powerful electricity to Blitzwing’s back. He’s down.

Knockout removes his staff and looks at Wheeljack, who nods at him with that calm professionalism seasoned warriors have.

The rest of the team looks astonished.

But Blitzwing gets up and scrambles away, summoned by orders they can’t hear.

And the return to the Plant brings the realization that the rest of the team is truly unprepared for Knockout and Wheeljack’s level of combat—any of it. To many of them, death is an unknown.

Wheeljack falters, but Knockout insists that they will have to be ready for what’s coming.

“I was the sole medic for the Nemesis. I was responsible for hundreds of Vehicons,” the medic insists. “On Earth, we were up against less than ten Autobots at any given time—just five or six for the longest time.” His optics narrow. “Those ‘Bots only succeeded against us because every battle left Decepticons dead while they walked away. In the Earth campaign, only one Autobot died and stayed down—while we lost hundreds to them.” He gestures to Wheeljack. “To him… And there was a time where we would have done the same. If you’re not ready to kill to save yourselves and the people of this city, you will lose.”

“We’re better than that,” Optimus argues.

Knockout rolls his optics. “Don’t give me that ‘holier than thou’ rhetoric! I’ve been in the shoes of your enemy!” He looks at his new team, grave. “I’ve seen what happens to the ones they take alive. Please, don’t encourage it.”

“Knockout.” Ratchet sighs. “They’re kids.”

“And we’re their doctors.” Knockout shoots a look at him. “We don’t conduct our surgeries with bandages alone. We need to get Energon on our servos to save their lives.” He looks down. “… I’ve seen what happens. I’ve done what happens.” He looks at the young Autobots, and he shakes his head. “I won’t watch it happen to you, so send me all of the horrified looks you like. It won’t change my mind. I’ve seen them on my enemies as I’ve prepared to cut them down. I’d much rather see them here, while I’m protecting my allies.”

Wheeljack looks at him, frowning, but doesn’t protest the harsh words that cut like a scalpel.

The young ‘bots need to hear it.

…

Capture is a sensitive subject.

Wheeljack’s been the captive far too many times.

Knockout had someone he loved taken from him.

When Bulkhead is taken, they move—but then, Optimus orders Knockout to assist Ratchet and Sari with their ship. He reluctantly agrees, and is astounded to learn it’s Omega Supreme.

He heard the legends on his Cybertron.

When it’s all over and they flee a collapsing space-bridge, with Omega Supreme and Blurr lost along with Megatron and Starscream, Knockoit moves to start tending to Wheeljack—who is visibly injured, his optics haunted.

His Energon runs cold when Sari screams, and he looks back… and sees sparking circuitry…

“Sari, we need to talk,” her rescued father says, then he blinks as his daughter is scooped up and held away from him.

Knockout doesn’t even realize he’s doing it until he’s done it, and he’s holding a frantic little girl in his servos. He looks down at her, seeing the tech beneath the flesh…

Wheeljack takes her from him gently, looking at Knockout sadly before starting to try and tend to the weeping child.

Knockout is at a loss. His first instinct was to shield the girl, in spite of… CYLAS… Silas… his Breakdown, who-…

What’s happening to him?

Regardless of this turmoil, he backs Wheeljack in Sari’s defense—but doesn’t touch her again. He can’t bring himself to.

It’s different.

He knows it’s different.

Still…

And Sari runs up to him after all is sorted out with her father, grinning as she shows him the blasters in her hands and talks about how Wheeljack’s teaching her.

Knockout just looks at her, and she notices.

“What’s wrong?” She asks, her smile falling into a worried frown. “Knockout?”

“CYLAS, you have earned your place at the table.”

“Lord Megatron, I am honored.”

“Knockout's dissection table!”

“Breakdown would be tickled.”

Knockout takes a deep vent, closing his optics, then he gets down on one knee and looks at the young girl… and he puts on a weary smile for her.

“Did I ever tell you my favorite colors?” He asks her quietly.

Sari shrugs. “I mean, I assume red.”

“No.” Knockout shakes his head. “They’re yellow, orange, and blue.” Sari grows surprised, and the medic holds a servo out. She steps on with some hesitation, and he stands. “Now, you little soon-to-be-Wrecker: show me what Wheeljack taught you. I need to be prepared to patch the both of you up should something go wrong.”

“Knockout!“ She complains through laugher, and the former Decepticon snorts as he uses a pointed digit to carefully ruffle her red hair.

Little did he know, he’d actually have to know how to tend to the girl.

After he and Ratchet save Bumblebee following Sari’s unexpected upgrade, the two physicians go to where Sari is on the verge of exploding—and she looks at them with wide, fearful blue optics.

“It’ll be alright!” She tells Ratchet as the old field-tech readies his EMP.

Knockout is disgusted by organics, and techno-organics bring about bad memories.

His servos don’t shake during Sari’s surgery. He’s as steady and diligent as ever.

When Optimus suggests using an uncontrollable Sari against Omega Supreme, he gets a punch in the face and Wheeljack has to set aside his own rage and swiftly haul the kicking medic back.

“I took down a far more competent Optimus Prime on several occasions!” Knockout snaps as Optimus looks at him in disbelief. “So help me, if you lay a digit on that girl-!”

Wheeljack sets Knockout down and grabs his shoulders. The medic is furious, but he blinks when Wheeljack tells him to protect everyone, that that’s his job.

Then, Knockout’s optics widen as Wheeljack steps back and blasts the tunnel entrance shut before driving off to deal with Omega Supreme himself.

He returns to Sari’s side with Ratchet, and the field-tech charges him with protecting the Sumdacs when he leaves.

Knockout is still not fond of the professor, but he’s ready to evacuate them both—or fight off Optimus, if he must.

He dreads Wheeljack’s fate…

But he stands there, his saw ready. He doesn’t put it away when the others return. When Optimus approaches the Sumdacs, it spins.

Wheeljack frowns, holding a servo up. Even he isn’t going that far, he would never threaten the other Autobots.

Knockout holds no such qualms.

“What kinda medic are you?“ Ratchet asks at one point, as he keeps vigil over the Sumdacs with Knockout and Wheeljack.

Knockout glances at him. “One better at tearing than mending, and willing to defend his patients to the bitter end.” He looks down at Sari. “… She wasn’t in control of her own body. He would have taken her autonomy away for sheer ease of victory, as a tactic.” He bares his dentas. “It was wrong.”

Wheeljack glances at him sadly. “Why don’t you take a minute? Go for a drive.”

Knockout huffs and looks down. “No, thank you.”

Knockout’s trust is simply won, easily broken, and near impossible to regain.

Optimus feels this in the air.

He sees it in Knockout keeping his distance, and watching him with Sari like he’s a monster looming over an infant.

When Wheeljack has his night to talk things out and be comforted, Knockout lingers in the hallway but does not enter the room.

Even Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Prowl receive the cold shoulder. Prowl is the first to escape that icy grip.

As Wheeljack starts doing better, Knockout maintains a distance. The Wrecker advises the others to not push it.

“You can’t fix this one with a spark-to-spark,” he tells them softly, resting a servo over his chest. “Some hurts can’t heal, and this whole thing brought back some real bad memories for him.”

“I reminded him of… a Decepticon?” Optimus asks warily.

Wheeljack sighs. “It’s not that simple.” He looks over at Knockout. “He, um… He lost someone real special to him, and how that loss was handled-…” He looks down, then back at the younger Autobots and Ratchet. “Until we were friends, he didn’t really have anyone to talk to.”

Prowl frowns. “Why you?”

“… Because the one he lost was a Wrecker,” Wheeljack replies, and the others go tense. “An… older brother o’ mine, I guess—at one point. So, just… give him some space.”

…

The Elite Guard returns.

Knockout endures Sentinel’s bumbling attempts to capture Wasp and shady back-alley deals with Lockdown, but… then, Blackarchnia comes into play.

And after assuring that the Jettwins are evacuating a poisoned Wheeljack, Knockout heeds the Wrecker’s warnings and goes after Sentinel. He hears their conversation.

“You should’ve gone offline.”

“Breakdown! Where have you-?!

… Breakdown? What happened to you?”

He’s out of it after that. He doesn’t even notice Optimus rushing in.

But then, he hears Blackarachnia say something about changing Wasp to find a cure for herself—subjecting another being to the same fate, and for what?

“This is the human who dissected Breakdown!

Please, my liege… allow me to return the favor.”

“You can’t fix it!” Knockout finally shouts, stepping forward. Optimus, Blackarachnia, and even a weary Sentinel look up at him in surprise. “That’s not how this works! I’m sorry, but a piece of you was taken away—and it’s never coming back!” He steps forward again. “But that is no excuse to put someone else through the same agony! You have no right!”

Blackarachnia stands and glowers at him. “I have no right?! Who are you, to come here and judge me?!”

“At least you survived!” Knockout snaps, and she steps back. “You-… You’re alive.” Knockout’s face falls as his shoulders sag. “Do you have any idea how precious a life is, in any form?”

“I have no life, like this!” Blackarachnia shoots back. “If I had returned to Cybertron, I would’ve been dissected!”

“I will leave no fiber or fiber-optic unexamined.”

Knockout’s fists clench. “And I’m truly sorry about that.”

“My, my, my. What ever have you been inflicting upon poor CYLAS?”

“Ha! Well, anything that merits the need for a living Petri dish.”

“But that’s no excuse to inflict your own pain upon others,” Knockout tells her coldly. “It won’t heal it.”

“Despite your justifiable lack of regard for his human side, it doesn’t trouble you to watch what remains of your former partner endure your scientific endeavors?”

“… Not really.”

He turns his glare on Sentinel. “But you, you have no right to tell someone you claim to care about that they should be dead. If I could-…” He looks down. “… If he came back in any form, I wouldn’t care. If he was just him, that would be enough.” He closed his optics. “Seeing what you do to each other in this nightmare…”

“Besides, CYLAS once has poor Breakdown pinned to his lab table.

I think my former partner would be pleased to be a part.”

Knockout opens his optics and looks up with a scowl. “I have every right! You pin the blame upon each other, but no one is faultless!” He looks at Optimus and Sentinel. “You shouldn’t have gone to that damn planet in the first place, let alone left her behind!” He looks at Blackarachnia. “And whatever your biological makeup, you shouldn’t have EVER damned anyone else to the same fate! That is what makes you a monster!”

Faces drop.

Wasp interrupts them before they can continue, and then he and Blackarachnia are gone.

With Wheeljack unconscious and unable to talk him down, Knockout avoids everyone for the entire trip home—just silently tending to the Wrecker to try and avoid another snap.

Ratchet helps him with a proper treatment back at the Plant, and then Knockout makes his way to his room.

Before they go, Sentinel and Optimus of all ‘bots awkwardly knock at his doorframe. The medic marches over and glowers at both of them.

“Why, if it isn’t the champions of the techno-organic cause?” He asks dryly, and both grimace. “What do you want?”

“… I’m sorry,” Sentinel tells him awkwardly, and Knockout blinks. “It, um… It sounded like you lost someone in a pretty bad way, and… looking back, I can kinda see that I was… harsh.” He sighs. “But she’s-… She’s not the same. It’s-..:”

“Difficult to accept,” Knockout finishes for him, then he sighs. “You and your… awful color-scheme, just leave me alone.”

He shuts the door.

Blue, orange, yellow…

…

Christmas rolls around.

Knockout has seen enough movies to get the gist of this capitalist fiasco populated by magical elves. When he tells Sari that, she doubles-over and wheezes.

She doesn’t correct him.

It’s… actually a pleasant time of year. For Sari’s sake more than anyone else’s, he lets up on the cold front. It’s just for the holiday, after all. He can put on a façade, so long as no one mistakes it for a crack in his resolve.

That all changes when morning comes and the Plant is empty, save for hordes of miniature Soundwave dolls.

And here, Knockout thought that there was no way for this Soundwave to out-creep his version. Enter mind-control.

Knockout wonders if they should just cut the power, but Wheeljack worries that this will fry processors—so, they go to gather some “friends” for the eventual battle.

He goes easy on Scrapper. He knows what it’s like to try and turn over a new leaf.

If Wreck-Gar touches him, Knockout will assume the fetal position. The mech is too innocent to maim, but GARBAGE.

Then, they’re face-to-face with the controlled Autobots and Soundwave. Knockout insists he won’t go easy on them.

He’s a fraggin’ liar.

The closest he gets is when it seems that Optimus will strike Sari, but then he sees the Prime fight back and hesitate.

The fight ends with the Autobots unscathed, and Knockout tending to their wounded substitutes and Wheeljack.

And… the ice breaks.

No one seems to know why, but Knockout’s finally relenting.

Sari and Wheeljack just silently exchange glances.

…

The visit to Cybertron heightens the stress.

Both Wheeljack and Knockout try to talk Jazz into coming with him, and both of them must deal with Alternate Wheeljack and take on Shockwave—but… the big development is between them.

Seeing the condition of Cybertron, all of the anti-Decepticon rhetoric, Wheeljack is left beyond paranoid—and he is taking all of the corners first, a sword in hand.

Finally, Knockout cracks. “Alright, that’s enough! Why do you always try to protect me?!"

It’s true.

Ever since they arrived in this universe, Wheeljack has taken it upon himself to put his body between Knockout and the alternate Autobots—making himself a shield.

As the others watch them warily, Wheeljack looks back at him in annoyance. "Because you're my teammate, my friend—and this reality ain't safe for you!”

"It's hardly safe for you!” Knockout bites back, then he gestures to a poster on a wall. “And I was a Decepticon!"

"So was Breakdown!” Wheeljack retorts, and Knockout freezes. “… And he was my friend."

Knockout blinks, then he frowns. "He betrayed the Wreckers."

“… I know,” Wheeljack says quietly. “But the last time I saw him, he had the biggest smile on his face. I never saw that smile before.” He sighs. “I can never say that I agree with what he did, but... you want your family to be happy.” He nods. “And he was happy with the ‘Cons… With you.”

Knockout is at a loss. “I-…”

“Hm.” Wheeljack looks at him sadly. “You're not just a teammate or friend. You're family. It's the Wrecker way… And Breakdown brought you in.”

Knockout shakes his head. “He wasn't a Wrecker anymore. Our Bulkhead back home, he-“

“Despite what he thinks, Bulkhead doesn't speak for everyone,” Wheeljack tells the former Decepticon.

Knockout stares at him, then swallows thickly and nods.

He’s been told before, “the Autobots are a family”… but this is the very first time he’s believed that he’s truly been welcomed.

…

Knockout is sent to the moon, during the Endgame, to see if he can help with Arcee and Omega Supreme. The devastation that follows makes the leveling of Jasper, Nevada seem tame.

And when it’s all over, Prowl is gone.

The “family” has been torn apart again.

…

Knockout can’t stay on Cybertron.

That becomes clear very quickly. One look at his frame and red optics, and he’s subject to paranoia at best and violence at worst.

He’s sent back to Earth as soon as possible, with Bulkhead, Sari, and Wheeljack with him. They might pass through an alternate universe on the way out. That’s a trip.

It’s a bad time.

Wheeljack completely shuts down, lost in his mourning—and Knockout goes numb.

One night, he distills some cheap high-grade and drinks his fill—and apparently, he tells the rest of the team everything about his life before the war and Breakdown’s fate. What he did to CYLAS in revenge, as well.

He comes back to his senses in the morning and staggers out of his room, feeling drained—and Bumblebee hands him some pure Energon, a sad look on his face.

One thing that doesn’t change between two realities is sympathy for the loss of conjunx endurae, though they’re rare in this universe. That profound pain is legend.

And Knockout is tired of stifling it.

He sits down on the couch and stares at the Energon, gripping it in his clawed servos as the others squeeze in around him. He’s in Wheeljack’s usual space, and it feels odd.

“… You’re right to fear us, Decepticons,” he tells them softly. “We do terrible things. We can’t even trust each other. All we bring is suffering and death, to everyone around us—even ourselves. That’s our lot in life.”

“I disagree,” Optimus replies quietly. “I think you’ve just been through the Pit, and… that you can change, for the better.”

Knockout huffs quietly. “Optimistic.”

“That’s where my name comes from,” the young Prime admits. “So, that’s not an insult—not to me. I have hope, for you—because, let’s face it… there have been times when you’ve made the right call, and I haven’t.” Knockout glances at him, surprised. “You’re not proof of what we’ve been told about the Decepticons, Knockout… You’re proof that it was wrong.” Optimus huffs quietly. “You’re not the irredeemable monster we feared would slag us in the night if we weren’t perfect… You’re a ‘bot, like the rest of us—fallible, capable of the same joys and same pains… And you’re family, now.”

Knockout nearly drops his canister. Bulkhead makes certain that he doesn’t.

“… Thank you,” Knockout says softly, looking down. “… I miss them.”

Breakdown.

Prowl.

Everyone.

“We know, kid,” Ratchet tells him.

Knockout closes his optics. “… Then, let’s not lose anyone else.” He opens his optics and takes a deep vent, sitting up a little straighter and nodding. “Now, let’s go get the sad sack out of his room—shall we? He is in desperate need of a trip to the wash-racks and a hug. That is my order of choice, but you do as you will.”

That earns some much-needed laughs.

And… things get better.

There’s struggle and hardship, more pain and more loss—but the war ends.

Cybertron is allowed to heal.

And Knockout? Well… he has his family watching his back, and never walks the streets alone.

They seem to worry more than he does, but… it’s their concern that allows him to be confident.

That, and it gets to a point where Knockout just doesn’t care and unloads all of the snark and sass in the multiverse onto anyone who DARES to threaten, mock, or dismiss his family.

Sometimes, the saw still comes out.

Sometimes, Optimus and Wheeljack are both too tired to scold him for it.

…

When the portal finally works, and Knockout and Wheeljack go home, the change there is evident.

They’re completely comfortable around each other, with inside jokes and stories.

And Knockout’s spine is steel. He doesn’t hesitate to stand up for his family, all of them.

Even his brother, that foolhardy Wrecker with a swarm of adopted children he adores.

In… his own way.

*responding to a problem*

TFP Wheeljack, good parent: *rationality first, violence second*

Knockout, wine uncle: *not even trying*

Knockout would also be a gremlin when it came to making UltraJack go canon.

Hey, I don’t make the rules. 😂

Like, do you mean an invincible immortal—he’s a glitch in the Matrix, threats just bounce off and he’s an immovable object? He can be caught, but be can’t be pierced or crushed or destroyed—things will bounce off, break, or fold around him.

What about a Wolverine/Deadpool-type, where the blows land but he bounces back? Horrific injury for trauma points, but then: he heals… once whatever caused the damage is removed?

Iron Giant, where he could get hit by a nuke and vaporized across the planet—and he’ll still come back together, albeit gradually, eventually?

There are multiple types of immortality, each a bit more disturbing when you consider the kinds of things Wheeljack is up against… and what he might be willing to do, once he realizes that he can “bounce back” from hits that’d kill anyone else. That’s another thing to consider, isn’t it?

Because what I’m kinda forming from this Ask is that since Wheeljack is from TFP, where his life is plotted out in a narrative, he can’t really get KOed outside of that narrative he’s been removed from.

It’s like Final Destination rules. He’s not gonna get the axe when it’s not his turn, and it can’t be his turn when he’s not even in the right universe.

But what form shall that take?

Let’s explore each one in the first instance where this probably would have been revealed, okay?

In my series, it’s revealed that The Key doesn’t work on Wheeljack after he takes a hit to his back from Blitzwing to protect Bumblebee and Prowl. That’s the first serious damage he takes, the first instance when he almost died in the TFA reality.

A fire-blast to the spine while shielding two smaller Autobots. Okay. Let’s play this out by each rule set: glitch, Wolverine, or Iron Giant.

Glitch: Blitzwing watches that heat-blast bounce the fuck off of this Wrecker’s back and smack him in his own chest. Wheeljack glances back, utterly bewildered, then looks at Prowl and Bumblebee in complete confusion. “Okay… That’s a surprise.”

Wolverine: Blitzwing watches the blast make contact and blast Wheeljack’s spine apart, causing him to drop. There’s chaos, screaming… Then, Wheeljack’s frame shifts and his armor seals together like it’s brand new again. The white Wrecker winces as he sits up, then seems to marvel as the last aftershocks of pain fade away… before he looks to Blitzwing and his battle-mask slides back into place. “Alright. My turn.”

Iron Giant: Blitzwing watches the blast and the resulting injury and chaos… only for the scattered, scorched fragments of armor to shakily rise from the ground and fly back into place—mending the white Wrecker’s damaged frame back together, piece by piece. Wheeljack sits up after a few moments, a little disoriented, then looks at the Decepticon with a glare. “That your best shot?”

Basically, in every scenario, Wheeljack’s first thoughts aren’t that he’s bulletproof or that he’s healed/repaired. It’s his back, he’s the one who got hit and stunned; he’s probably assuming that TFA weapons are weak-sauce compared to TFP.

Meanwhile, everyone else saw what happened—Bumblebee, Prowl, and Blitzwing in particular got some good seats, particularly of the latter two as far as the ‘Bots are concerned—and they’re kinda losing their minds. WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK?!

After a pretty spooked Blitzwing is chased off, the other ‘Bots fill Wheeljack in on what they saw—and while the Wrecker is still reeling, Prowl still gets to have his frustration over Wheeljack’s recklessness with his own life. And -well- he’s still very much Short Wrecker Dad about the ordeal.

This would definitely make “The Turning of the Tide” far more interesting—because while King ‘Con can launch mental attacks, he can no longer keep Wheeljack down physically.

Nothing can.

And Wheeljack now knows that.

It makes Wheeljack more reckless, more willing to take risks so that the others don’t have to.

*cue more jam sessions*

Because they can’t let Wheeljack get used to this. They can’t. Because they know that he’s going to go home someday, where he won’t be immortal and they don’t trust most of the other team with their Short Wrecker Dad’s safety.

However, when Wheeljack gets home, a part of him is going to be a little uneasy until his first major injury. It’s so fucking dark, but…

He really found his universe, right?

He’s home.