Note: This is a one-shot ficlet. A 'what if?' scenario.

Red Alert had just stepped out of the ship to assess the new recruits when his gaze landed on a lanky orange and white mech in the crowd. "Please tell me he's just coming to see us off," the security director mumbled over and over to himself as he watched the mechs and femmes in the line gather around the mech in the dorky glasses.

Clearing his intakes, Red Alert announced the start of signups for the quest. Mechs and femmes stepped aboard, until only the orange mech was left on the platform.

"Hello. I would like to sign up!"

"Of course, you would," Red Alert grumbled to his datapad. Just what they needed. At this point, he figured he had two choices. Say no, and disappoint a god, or say yes, and have an army of Primus-loving acolytes demanding retribution the moment they realized he'd LEFT the planet.

"Look, Pri… er, what was your name again?" the security director asked. Honestly, how could anyone be expected to remember such an understated name, when his true designation was the first thing they thought of?

"It's Rung. As in ladder," the cheerful, lightly-armored mech said, holding a box out in front of him.

"And what's in the box?" Red Alert asked, leaning forward to peer at the contents.

"Model ships. It's a hobby of mine," Rung insisted, lifting one of them out to show him.

~Primus builds model ships? That is so slaggin'… CUTE! No, Red Alert. Don't show emotions. You have to turn him down.~ "I'm afraid we're at full capacity, Pri… er, Rong," Red Alert informed him.

A frown crossed the smaller mech's delicate face. "Really? I was so hoping to join your quest. It's been such a long time since I've left Cybertron," Rung sighed.

"What's going on here?" an unexpected voice asked. Glancing up, Red Alert was amazed to find that Rodimus and Ultra Magnus had managed to drive up without him even noticing.

"Sirs! Pri… er, Wrung would like to join our quest. I've already informed him that we're at full capacity," the security director stated, pleased to see that Ultra Magnus was nodding along with his words.

"Indeed. We couldn't possibly take him…" Ultra Magnus began to say, only to be boldly interrupted by their captain.

"Seriously! Of course, he can come along! Best quest ever!" Rodimus shouted, clapping the little orange mech on the shoulder. In doing so, the model ship fell out of his hands to shatter into several pieces on the walkway. "Oops."

"It's no trouble. I've got it," the smaller mech insisted, stooping to begin to collecting the pieces.

"Are we late?" a new voice asked.

Red Alert hid his face behind his datapad, biting back a groan. Could this day get ANY WORSE?

"WHOO-HOO! This is going to be the BEST QUEST EVER!" Rodimus shouted, waving his arms in the air.

"We are going to get lynched," Red Alert groaned, even as Mortilus stepped forward to help Primus gather his model ship pieces. Solomus and Epistemus, on the other servo, had begun a rather serious discussion about something Red Alert couldn't even begin to understand. As such, they paid him little mind as they walked right by him, and onto the ship.

"Thank you very much. I'm Rung, a psychiatrist," the lanky orange mech said, holding out his servo.

"I'm Censere, a priest of Mortilus. It is a pleasure to meet you," the elaborately-caped mech said, shaking his hand.

"Would you like to share a room on this trip? I would love to get to know you better," Rung said, smiling happily up at the taller mech.

"That sounds delightful. It's always nice to meet a new friend," Censere replied.

"Right, cause you DON'T know each other," Rodimus snorted, getting an elbow in his side for his comment.

"No, we just met," the pair echoed, giving him confused looks.

"Riiiiiight," said the captain, rolling his optics. "Well, I'm Rodimus Prime, and I'll be your captain for the duration of this quest."

"Lovely to meet you," said Rung.

"Delighted," Censere agreed.

"Let's get this quest started!" the captain announced, waving the mechs onto the ship.

Red Alert and Ultra Magnus found themselves standing on the platform, alone. "Please tell me that Rodimus did not just invite four members of the Guiding Hand on our quest," Red Alert begged, his fingers tightening on his datapad to the point of nearly cracking it in half.

"He did," Ultra Magnus sighed. "Prowl will not be happy about this."