just a personal headcannon
So like, what if Autobot subgroups (ie the Wreckers) had their members undergo a slight plating/armor upgrade when they’re conscripted? Since most clean-up squads are sent on suicide missions, they’re often gonna be in places that are dark and have shit visibility- so, imagine the Wreckers being fitted with strips of biolights along certain angles and portions of their armor so they glow in the fuckin’ dark. This not only produces a weak source of light, but also prevents the bot for being mistaken as an enemy mech. So, when they’re shipped off on missions, they know who’s who based on the way their lights are positioned and the color they glow.
Since these upgrades are limited only to specific squads or groups of chosen mechs, it’s a fairly uncommon trait that many are unfamiliar with outside the rankings of the inner subgroups themselves. Imagine the lights go out in Swerve’s one day, and suddenly Perceptor is decked out in blacklight and glowing red as he shines in the dark, utterly unfazed but hella eye catching as the lights show off his angles and faint features while everyone else is just staring slack jawed. Whirl even has his own lights in shades of blue and green; Drift has only a bare few left from before his armor upgrade.
god picture them on the dance floor