#the team go from big boy to bug girl to eldritch abominations straight from the deep

[lets-try-some-writing]

How would Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus react to the changes that Unicron inflicted on the bots in Altered Reality?

Poorly. Very poorly. Link to original post here

Wheeljack

Wheeljack liked to consider himself pretty open to just about anything. He could get along with almost anyone so long as they weren't an aft and didn't go on genocidal murdering sprees. However even with this open-mindedness, he still very nearly pulled his blasters on the team when he came back from one of his missions after their transformation.

He hardly recognized them, only believing that they weren't ghouls, spark eaters, or something of the like because of Ratchet who managed to convince Wheeljack that they were in fact who they said they were. Even then, Wheeljack refused to go anywhere near the most monstrous of the team for over a week, sticking to Ratchet like glue.

He found that after he calmed, Arcee wasn't all that bad. She was like an insecticon, and therefore in a way familiar enough to not put him on edge. Her emotional state was concerning to say the least, but she was reasonable to be around and he even went out of his way to make her sheathes for her blade like appendages. She appreciated the gesture greatly and very nearly cried when he also presented her with a battlemask that would cover her mandibles and had resemblances to Cliffjumper's helm structure.

It took a little bit to get used to Bulkhead mainly because he was like a mini Fortress Maximus. But once he adjusted to his companion's newfound height and increased weapons systems, he got along with Bulkhead just fine. They talked and raved over Bulkhead's new weapons and overall had a grand time testing them out and enjoying the fact that the changes (for Bulkhead at least) turned out to be for the better. More than once Wheeljack plopped on down on Bulkhead's shoulder, being just big enough to sit comfortably as he stared down at the rest of the team save for Optimus who somehow managed to be taller.

Ratchet was also very easy to adjust to being around. Wheeljack had exactly zero issues with the medic and even offered up some sanding materials if the medic wanted to smooth out the sharp edges of his new armor. Ratchet begrudgingly accepted it and while he never said anything out loud, Wheeljack noticed how the jagged bits of plating had been smoothed enough for the human children to sit on Ratchet's shoulders again. To Wheeljack's surprise, Ratchet even went out of his way to remain around Wheeljack more so than the others. He didn't understand for months until it slipped that Ratchet's ability to note weaknesses was far less debilitating when he was with Wheeljack, hence the medic's desire to remain by his side.

Bumblebee was a lot harder for Wheeljack to adjust to being around. The scout was downright terrifying and tended to make a habit of hanging around in the rafters to watch those below him predatorially. His ominous clicking and biolights were highly distracting and left Wheeljack constantly on edge. He almost tried to blast Bumblebee the first time the scout used clips of his own voice to get his attention. He only stopped in time because Ratchet pulled him back while Bumblebee scurried up the wall like a scraplet and fled into the dark. Overall Wheeljack just tends to avoid Bumblebee unless absolutely necessary.

As for Optimus? He was odd in a way that Wheeljack couldn't quite put his digit on. The Prime was huge to the point of somehow managing to beat Bulkhead in height. Not only that, but his frame was basically pure energy with plating loosely giving it shape. However that wasn't what put Wheeljack off the most, no, it was the untouchableness of the Prime that worried him. Optimus had no field, no face, and no body language so to speak of. He was like a machine, still, focused, and always silent save for the brief waves of emotion he sent out to communicate. It gave Wheeljack a very uncanny valley feel. Optimus was Cybertronian, but he felt so very wrong and unsettling that much like Bumblebee, when possible he tried to steer clear of the Prime.

Overall Wheeljack accepted the changes without too much issue. But Optimus and Bumblebee gave him the shivers whenever they came near.

Ultra Magnus

When Ultra Magnus came to earth and saw the team for the first time, he immediately launched into an attack aimed toward Bumblebee who unfortunately was the first bot Ultra Magnus saw. The commander was quick to be stopped by Optimus in a show of emotion that shocked those present due to how used they had become to his total and complete aloofness. The Prime then picked up Ultra Magnus and held him under his arm like a rag doll and took him back to base without so much as a moment of hesitation.

Once there, Ultra Magnus very nearly had an existential crisis as Ratchet, the team's designated diplomate due to his mostly normal appearance, came to explain. He could hardly believe what was being told to him as Ratchet told the commander all about the changes and what had gone on. But thankfully Ultra Magnus managed a weak nod and did his best to try and not be affected as he made an effort to integrate into the team despite how on edge he was.

Much like Wheeljack, he stuck to Ratchet like glue, not wanting to be around the others initially. However after around three days of adjusting to the general appearances of the team, he slowly began getting to know them all over again.

He adjusted to Bulkhead the fastest due to his previous experiences with larger mecha and found no issue working alongside the wrecker. Size didn't matter at all the Ultra Magnus, and while he found the Bulkhead's consumption of normal and dark energon disgusting, he did not let that show and moved along without issue. In fact he spent most of his time around Bulkhead and Wheeljack just so that he wouldn't need to be too close to Optimus or Bumblebee.

Arcee was the second easiest to understand and get used to. She was startling at first, but with her sheathes and mask from Wheeljack, she was relatively easy to adjust to. She did startle him a handful of times with the brutality she showed in battle and the mandibles that flared when she ate, but beyond that he had few issues with her. Although there was a singular instance where he almost threw her into a wall when he saw her out of the corner of his optic and immediately thought "insecticon".

Ratchet was not difficult at all and in fact Ultra Magus preferred his and the wrecker's company above the rest of the team. Ratchet was the most normal and never object much to Ultra Magnus hovering around nearby. He offered to assist the medic when he could and tended to be the one to catch Ratchet when he got overwhelmed from his ability. He also made an effort to help lessen the medic's pains by keeping mecha out and on patrol, constantly moving and doing things even when there wasn't an order.

Bumblebee took more than a little willpower for Ultra Magnus to even be in the same room as him. The scout terrified him in more ways than one. He was almost the opposite of Optimus when it came to just what made him so frightening. The scout was just too off to be seen as Cybertronian, his frame monstrous and his tendencies disturbing on the best of days. More than once Ultra Magnus when to recharge only to hear the scuttling of Bumblebee in the vents and the eerie mimicked voices of the team as the scout tried to communicate. The commander may or may not have blocked the vent in his quarters and barred the door at night just to reassure himself.

When it came to Optimus, he gave Ultra Magnus a feeling of emptiness that was concerning. The Prime didn't rest, refuel, or show any real emotion. He never deviated from his work aside from the odd moment where he was allowed a degree of emotional range and his frame spoke of both a divine nature and something eldritch and unholy. He was a mess of contradictions and no matter how hard Ultra Magnus tried, he still couldn't help but be frightened when he saw Optimus standing still as stone in the dead of night... just watching or silently working. It was almost like the Prime was but a ghost with no field, face, or notable gestures to help Ultra Magnus figure out what his leader was thinking.

Overall, Ultra Magnus struggled and often focused on remaining with those that were more normal. His mind couldn't handle being around the more terrifying members of the team.