Fighter-bomber.

fighter-bomber.

(tap for higher res!)

I was inspired by early concepts of tfp Starscream...HE WAS SO BUFF DANG truly a second in command. I adore the design they went with, but buff Screamer just hits different ykyk

He was too op ig, he wouldn't let Megatron's sadism slide and would kick his ass instead of whining to Knockout lol

I love the sparkling children au but like maybe with a twist, where the kids are also combiners and can form a gestalt together? Or at least show signs of it? Image the headache of trying to find the sparklings and finding a larger incredibly frightened gestalt sparkling that just formed for the first time.

Love this concept so much. Don't mind me as I take it and run with it.

Gestalt Trio

After everything, the team were near certain there was nothing the sparklings could do to throw them for a loop. However they were sorely mistaken.

Ratchet had spent some of his time messing with the artifact that changed the sparklings in the first place, but it had revealed nothing at had not acted every since the initial transformation. All they gathered from the thing was that it could obviously make an organic Cybertronian and vice versa. They didn't know if the children all being changed at once into sparklings had any effects... until an incident in base confirmed once theory that had been floating about in Ratchet's files.

The sparklings had all been playing together with Optimus watching over them like a hawk. The Prime had been hesitant to take his optics off his young at all after the numerous incidents revolving around them. As such when all three seemed to freeze up at they came into contact with each other, Optimus noticed immediately. He wasn't concerned at first as his sparklings didn't seem to be in any pain. But then he watched in complete shock as they seemed to begin joining. The three began to combine, their frames working slowly to adjust and compensate for differences in frame type.

The rest of the team gathered around in awe as over the course of an hour, the trio of sparklings changed, their frames slowly melding into one another, taking time to click together like a puzzle before the new combiner came online. The combiner sparkling immediately began screaming in terror, the melding of three young minds unable to fully comprehend their shared body.

The team were on them in an instant. Optimus collected the combiner sparkling who despite being made of three different frames still ended up only coming up to Arcee's hip at best. He sang to the sparkling, reaching across his bonds to all three of his little ones to soothe the newly formed combiner. Ratchet took scans at rapid fire speed, quickly compiling a basic file for the combiner sparkling and seeing where the three merged into one. Bee and Smokescreen joined the song, trying to add familiar voices to the tune for their sibling to hear. Arcee, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Ultra Magnus mainly did their best to not be in the way as the rest of the team worked.

Eventually the combiner sparkling calmed enough for the team to get a good look at them.

The combiner had Miko's wings, Jack's active T-cog, and Rafael's data cables, although every part of the combiner's frame was heavily armored, likely due to Jack's influence. The combiner had sensory panels on their helm which could have come from Miko or Rafael and was largely covered by thick plating. Their coloration was a mix of bronze, purple, and blue, somehow managing to look pleasing to the optics despite being a rather clashing set of colors in the shade the sparklings had them.

When asked for their designation, the team discovered that the combiner sparkling had access to Jack's knowledge, allowing them to speak and understand in a way that little Rafael and Miko couldn't. It took a little longer for the combiner to understand and process everything due to the age differences between the combiners different components, but soon enough they answered.

Bumblebee: What is your designation?

The Combiner Sparkling: We are... we are Atlas

Optimus: A fine designation for a fine bot.

Atlas: We feel strange.

Ratchet: You should. You just combined for the first time. It will feel strange for a while until your systems settle into your new form.

Atlas: Are we stuck like this? We don't want to be together forever.

Wheeljack: Nah! Don't you worry kiddo! Combiners can come undone whenever they want!

Altas: We can?

Arcee: Absolutely. From what I have heard, you just need to let go.

Atlas nodded at this but did not disengage from their form, instead opting to get a feel for their shared frame. The team quickly found that Atlas had a completely unique personality forged from the personalities of the sparkling trio.

Atlas was a very easy sparkling, never needing to be waited on to be content. But Atlas was very clingy, always wanting to be near an older bot even if they weren't actively being interacted with. Atlas was generally very calm and controlled, but did have bursts of energy when something of interest happened or they felt the urge to interact with others. They could also be rather protective, often trying to stand in front of Optimus as if their small frame could keep any harm from coming to him. This behavior also extended to the rest of the team, but when they could, Atlas stayed with their Sire.

Atlas's interests also varied, swapping rather wildly for a while until it seemed to settle. Atlas's interest in medicine remained, but it was more subdued due to two of their components not caring for the craft. They remained interesting in the skies, but were not as compelled to feel the wind in their wings. To them their wings were a tool to be used to take care of their family, they were useful but not essential to their being. They did find it hard to focus on occasion, likely due to Rafael's influence, but beyond that they were fairly stable and participated in activities all their components enjoyed.

Atlas's interactions with Optimus remained stable, never wavering much. They followed him around to satisfy their various components desires to be near him while also remaining somewhat independent to keep Jack's part of their processors pleased. With Arcee they were quieter and tended to drag her into more games rather than just enjoy her company. With the wreckers Atlas played their games, but they were calmer and often ended up ending the game after one of their components got too stressed or stopped caring. With Bee and Smokescreen they behaved similarly, enjoying their elder siblings attention but losing interest rather quickly because of their components varying opinions. With Ratchet they merely watched him work before wandering off, growing bored far quicker than their eldest component would normally.

Soundwave was baffled but ultimately intrigued by Atlas when he dropped by later in the day to care for Rafael. He found it harder to connect with the combiner, but swiftly came to care for Atlas all the same. Atlas held a bit of Rafael and so Atlas was under Soundwave's protection. Starscream didn't even stutter when he saw Atlas and instead did his best to take the combiner flying to get them used to their frame. Optimus objected to this and Starscream had to steal Atlas for a bit and toss them from the rafters to get them to fly.

He got banned from base for a week afterward.

When Atlas finally did disengage, the sparkling trio were left a little disoriented but overall content. They were bound together and they were pleased, even Rafael who was hardly old enough to understand seemed to get the gist of their new bond. The team were still a bit concerned over the whole thing, but knowing that the sparklings could come together into a semi-competent form if needed brought them a degree of peace. Atlas was not grown by any means, but they were able to think clearly and come up with basic plans, a huge improvement from having two sparklings who could hardly function without supervision and one too small to really take care of the other two.

you know the meme right? you know it right?

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.

During early 3rd season, Smokescreen finally lets it slip what actually happend after the base got blown up and that he almost became a prime. Bonus points if he also offhandly mentions how young he actually is (I always headcannoned that he was just a sparkling at the beginning of the war, but had his frame ubgraded cause cybertron needed soldiers).

Cue most (if not all) of team prime being geniuenly horrified that one of their teammates was by all means, both human and cybertronian, a child all this time(and maybe the older bots blaming themselves for not realising just *how* young Smokey was).

Maybe some Dad!OP becoming protective of him? And Ratchet slowly developing a soft spot for the (literal) kid.

Sorry for any typos

What a lovely little request! I do love me some fluff with ever so slight angst involved! (No worries on the typos front, I have seen far worse in my requests)

Child Soldier

During the height of the war there were a great many things that slipped past Optimus's notice for one reason or another. There were also a solid handful of amendments and rules he was forced to make in order to preserve the lives of as many of his Autobots as possible. One such order he gave and forgot about due to its relative irrelevance in regards to the overall war effort was the treaty he made in regards to sparklings and younglings.

After the last wave of sparklings emerged and were nearly wiped out, Optimus took as many as he could and to save them from being damaged further, issued the order to have them trained and put into larger frames. It was not a decision he made lightly, but it would be best for the sparklings as it would help them blend in among the regular foot-soldiers and keep them safe from targeting. Not to mention he could safely put them in secure guard positions in strongholds to give off the appearance of strength while fully grown bots went off the war.

In the end Optimus and most of high command forgot about the issued order once the stress of the war took more of their attention. The order fell by the wayside and all Autobot high command remembered about it was that there were hundreds of young recruits unfit for battle stationed at secure locations for their own safety. And once Cybertron was abandoned, the order was forgotten altogether as every bot was required to be mature or die.

As such when Smokescreen turned up originally, Optimus and Ratchet were the only ones who became vaguely interested in his behavior. It was like searching through a fog in their memories, but somehow they had this never ending feeling that Smokescreen was... young, very young. His abilities in battle were not exemplary and spoke of excitableness and rashness reserved for the young, but his skills were sufficient enough for it to be overlooked. His personality also seemed to fluctuate slightly in the manner of sparklings, shifting between serious and childish depending on the overall mood in the room. He was intelligent and showed great potential to apply it, but his attention was diverted too easily and his focus quick to be shaken. It was... off-putting. But nevertheless, the elder members of the team shook it off and chalked Smokescreen's oddities up to their own paranoia and Smokescreen's inexperience.

Of course then there was the destruction of the base and the subsequent battle that followed once Optimus was repaired. What happened between Optimus and Smokescreen was never spoken of aloud after the matter. On Optimus's end it was because it no longer mattered, the issue was resolved and he was restored. And for Smokescreen he simply never mentioned it because there were other things to worry about at the time, including but not limited to getting used to the new base and adjusting to all that had changed. However after things had settled down and the team were well acquainted with their new accommodations, Smokescreen brought the event up rather casually, not realizing the implications of his words until it was too late.

Bulkhead: It sure must be nice to fly, right Prime?

Optimus: It is a new experience to say the least, one I would not have had without the forge of Solus Prime.

Smokescreen: And to think I could have gotten wings if I'd become Prime that day.

Ratchet: *choking on his drink* You could have been wHAT?!

The team collectively dropped what they were doing to stare at the Prime and Smokescreen as they both just shrugged like it was no big deal. The team had been aware of the fact that Optimus nearly died that day. Bumblebee very nearly losing control of himself in response to his rapidly weakening bond to Optimus confirmed that. But they had never considered the fact that Optimus would have had no one other than Smokescreen to be his successor. It was startling to imagine the rookie being named Prime in any circumstance.

Upon being questioned Optimus pointed out that it was simply logical. At the time he was dying and there was no one else to take on the mantle of Prime. It made perfect sense for Smokescreen to be offered the title since he was there, worthy, mostly willing, and old enough to reasonably handle the Matrix (to his knowledge anyway). Also it would have been foolish for Optimus's body and the Matrix to be abandoned for any extended period of time for a plethora of reasons. And with darkmount and Megatron looming at the time... there was not other viable option but to have Smokescreen take the Matrix.

Upon hearing the comment about how Optimus's saw him as being old enough to be Prime, Smokescreen chuckled nervously and quietly added that he was in fact, not even five hundred years of age. Cue the entire team, Optimus included, pausing to stare at him in mixed confusion, shock, and awe.

Bumblebee: How old are you?!

Smokescreen: Uh, I think around three hundred and eight?

Arcee: You don't know how old you are?!

Smokescreen: Well it didn't exactly matter back on Cybertron. We were all cadets and our age wasn't important since we all had grown frames.

Optimus & Ratchet internally: Frag, the sparkling protection order...

It all came rushing back to the two eldest members of the team with the force of meteor. Smokescreen was part of the sparkling protection order and they hadn't even realized it. Suddenly all his quirks and behaviors made perfect sense. He hadn't been given the chance to develop normally and therefore had matured in body and mind, but not in spark or code.

Guilt hit them both right after, both because they had forgotten about the order they helped issue, and had failed to notice that Smokescreen was a victim/recipient of said order. There was nothing to be done to change Smokescreen's frame or give him back his sparklinghood now, but they could explain and try to treat him better. And so that is exactly what they did.

Optimus: Smokescreen, do you know why you received a frame upgrade so young?

Smokescreen: Hm, no, not really? We all got our upgrades as soon as we reached half a vorn of age. It was normal proceedure.

Ratchet: We issued that order Smokescreen, me, Optimus, and Autobot high command.

Smokescreen: Really? But... why?

Optimus: You were of the last wave of sparklings. It wasn't safe for you or the others. You needed to be protected and blend in, so we did what we had to.

The team were shocked, that is save for Ultra Magnus who had not forgotten about the order and had assumed Optimus recalled as well. Smokescreen wasn't upset at the reveal and accepted the reasoning without any pushback. He understood the logic and was just happy to be alive and well, even if he hadn't had a sparklinghood. And so before the explanation was even finished, Smokescreen wandered off not at all bothered by it.

In the end, whether he liked it or not, the team's interactions with him shifted, especially with Ratchet and Optimus.

Bumblebee began talking on a more brotherly role for Smokescreen. It wasn't really intentional, he just felt the need to be more mature and take the time to get to know Smokescreen better in light of his age. In fact, Bumblebee began taking every opportunity available to him to drag Smokescreen into a game and teach him the things that he should have been able to learn if he had been allowed to grow normally. Before long Smokescreen found himself playing games every time he wasn't on duty for at least a half hour. Often times he didn't even realize he was playing as Bumblebee tended to disguise it under the ruse of work. The scout also began quietly teaching Smokescreen, generally by poking fun at him in the manner of all siblings and helping him to adjust whatever he was doing wrong.

The team found their interactions cute.

Arcee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack took to giving Smokescreen more leeway in his work. Arcee stopped being so strict and quick to snap, Bulkhead ceased any and all hostility, and Wheeljack silently gave Smokescreen a Cybertronian puzzle cube as his way of being nice. Smokescreen was baffled by the sudden kindness and overall leisurely manner in which he was treated, but he did not object to the lack of yelling or the puzzle cube which he spent long hours messing around with.

Ultra Magnus for his part didn't treat Smokescreen any differently, at least not openly. But behind closed doors he and Optimus worked together to keep any possibly dangerous missions out of the rookie's servos. Not to mention more than once the commander quietly took an extra patrol or two when Smokescreen was obviously too exhausted to work any harder or going through a bad day. It wasn't much, but it did show that Ultra Magnus cared, if only out of sheer obligation and a desire to adhere to his moral code.

Ratchet didn't mean to, in fact he kept trying to tell himself that he shouldn't, but in the end he couldn't stop himself from fussing over Smokescreen the same way he did with Bumblebee. The first mecha he checked when they came back from patrol were the youngest members of the team. Whenever he noticed Smokescreen struggling he would slip the rookie some energon goodies that he kept in a stash for special occasions. If Smokescreen appeared exhausted or out of sorts, Ratchet would come by and do his best to help the sparkling-turned-soldier without trying to make a big deal out of it. Smokescreen for his part was confused as pit when Ratchet started giving him extra attention, even going to far as to patch him up first and give him little treats on bad days. He didn't understand at all, but still rapidly found himself going to the medic on instinct after a while.

And then there was Optimus who seemed to take it as a personal challenge when Smokescreen shrugged off his age like it was nothing. Before Smokescreen could even comprehend it, his idol and Prime swiftly began fussing over him as a Caretaker would. If he was injured Optimus wouldn't quit bothering him until he went to Ratchet. If he showed signs of distress, Optimus was one of the first to turn up and try to offer his services, be it a listening ear or whatever else Smokescreen might require. The Prime also took to scruffing him whenever he thought about doing something Optimus's considered dangerous. It was embarrassing, but Smokescreen always found himself going limp whenever the Prime grabbed him by the neck guard and pulled him back from whatever he was attempting to do.

It was all little things, a bit odd for Smokescreen but not strange enough to make him feel like a sparkling. At first he wasn't fond of the babying, but he found himself growing to enjoy the little touches the team gave him and the attention he found being given to him. It was nice... and something he didn't know he needed.

On your parental Unicron fic, does Unicron ever really like the Autobots? He tolerates them because they're protecting Unicron's children, but does he ever do more than tolerate them? (Maybe because one or more actually risk their lives for the children?) Or does he continue to just tolerate them and rather harmlessly torment them?

Short answer: Kinda

Previous part here.

Foolish Little Autobots

After changing his children to better survive on their own, it had been Unicron's hope that Primus's children wouldn't need to touch his as often. He should have known better than to expect the soft sparked Prime and the touch starved team he brought to do that. It had been far too long since any of Primus's creations had seen little ones, and that in a way made Unicron somewhat sad for them. They were so long lived, skilled, and wise, not to mention they could do as they wished and live through just about anything. Their greatest enemies were themselves, and if Unicron was honest with himself, he pitied the fact that they couldn't retain the joy his children had because of their limited lives.

Still he tried not to get too sentimental about it. They were still Primus's creations and they could go die and he wouldn't care. At least that is what he kept saying to himself even as he watched his brother's children struggle bitterly to keep his safe.

He watched on as Arcee nearly got blown up time and time again trying to protect his eldest herald. At first he said to himself that he wouldn't step in, especially now that his heralds were adjusted. But watching Arcee come back from such things covered in wounds yet still smiling and comforting his children first... it made Unicron feel a tad guilty for leaving his children's protection entirely to the Autobots. Thus while he still made it a point to harass Arcee, he always kept the roads smooth for her and made life difficult for any trying to tail her.

When is came to Bulkhead and Wheeljack he wasn't as fond of them for a long while. They were unruly and got his second herald into all kinds of trouble. However upon seeing them work to assist her in mastering her abilities and taking her in as a sibling or sorts... he may or may not have opted to give them a bit of leeway. Any children of Primus who would so willingly accept his were worthy of continuing to live, at least so long as they were useful. Thus for them while he did continue to make it rain a lot when they went out, he would guide them toward energon deposits. They were big mecha and they needed extra energon to keep going, and they couldn't very well teach his herald if they were low on fuel.

After them he said he wasn't going to help any more... and then Bumblebee took a hit to the face trying to protect his youngest herald and the fatherly part of Unicron screamed at him. Bumblebee was little more than a child himself and he was getting closer and closer to giving his life for Rafael every day. Unicron wouldn't stand for it, although he told himself it was because then the Prime may refuse to protect his children. Thus he may or may not have begun giving Bumblebee more advantages during battle, just a random rockslide here, a stray bolt there, and so on. Nothing too bit.

And then there was Ratchet. Unicron had no intention of helping him ever because he was crabby and tended to speak poorly of his children. But then OF COURSE Ratchet had to go and give his all to learn human medicine and care for the children during their changes. And OF COURSE he had to go and be sweet with them, singing them songs they couldn't hear and tucking them in when they fell asleep. Thus there was only one real option. Unicron started leaving Ratchet alone when he left base and even led him to points of interest. It was only right, a payment for his kindness toward his children.

Then there was Optimus Prime... Primus's chosen champion who reeked of purity and order. He was everything Unicron hated, and yet he showed so much love and care to his children that by the time Unicron started helping the others, he was contractually obliged to do the same for the Prime. He couldn't let Optimus die now. The Prime was too useful, and so he may or may not have tipped the scales in his favor during conflict, nothing too much, just small things like the weather.

Optimus spoke to him often, thanking him for his kindness with utmost respect. Unicron never talked back, but a small part of him was pleased that Primus's blessed one was willing to thank him for his charity.