Thinking about Ultra Magnus being the proper authority figure that Smokescreen needs and Smokescreen helping Ultra Magnus loosen up and showing that there's more than life to protocols and rules with both of these autobots feeling left out from the rest of the group and talking about their lives before the elite guard. It ashamed they only have a few interactions since I do think they could be a great duo if the writer does anything to deepn and explore Smokesceen dynamics
Okay hear me out.
Now, I cannot stress enough the importance of civilians during a war effort. You need people to make your weapons, armor, medicines, food, so on. It's not easy to do that sort of thing while you're out getting shot at.
So, Smokescreen was as close to noncombatant as you could get during the majority of the war. He was sparked mid-crisis and he's one of the last generation of bots to emerge from the well. He's smart and adaptable and frankly a tactical genius, but he's so fucking young, so he's placed in an extremely important venue with respect to his position but the Hall of Records still probably didn't see a lot of combat.
So, Smokescreen is surrounded by all the knowledge of the planet. Most of his compatriots and fellow guards are making munitions and weapons. A particularly vicious slagger is looking up information on how to make a virus to rival the cybonic plague. Smokescreen figures that they've got that covered, so he goes in a very different direction (and incidentally becomes Noticed by Alpha Trion because of it):
Prosthetics.
They're passable. 7/10. They aren't perfect, he's not a professional prosthetist, he didn't get trained in this, he's got limited resources, but when he figures out how to make his arms transform into blasters, he's in very high demand.
Cut to Earth.
Ultra Magnus is without a hand.
Ratchet isn't a prosthetist either - he was a trauma surgeon before the war, and after that, he was a combat medic. He's got vague knowledge on how to do this shit, but he hasn't had to worry about this sort of thing in a long time. They outsourced prosthetics.
Outsourced to where? Oh, the Hall of Records.
Wait.
(@obligatorytfsideblog you are now hereby obligated to give me your lunch money /j)
man what'd I do 😔
Just now realized why my lunch money has been taken. I may be stupid chat.
