Disclaimer: Blondie and I do not own Transformers or any of its canon characters. However, we do own our OCs, including our unique interpretation of Rodimus, Depthcharge, etc.

Theme Song: What Do You Want From Me? by Forever the Sickest Kids

Rodimus looked at his best friend with an all too familiar deadpan expression. "You're insane."

"No, I'm brilliant," Fastback smirked. "You know you're gonna be laughing just as hard as the rest of us."

"Yeah, just because you're the son of a Prime doesn't mean you need to be soooo boring," Breakdown grinned and replied jokingly.

"I don't know," Skyquake said, still a bit apprehensive about the whole situation. "My carrier'll kill me when she finds out."

"What? You scared, big guy?" their techno-organic companion, Depthcharge, grinned.

"Of my carrier? Pit yes. She may look sweet but she'll put the fear of God into all of us given the chance."

Fastback scoffed. "At least Darkstorm isn't a sniper. Get her mad, you just have to run. Get my carrier mad and nowhere's safe."

"And yet you're the one that's planning this entire thing," Skyquake replied pointedly.

The Praxian shrugged. "Eh, what can I say? I like living on the edge. Besides, it's not like she's the one we're going after here. She won't hear about it for a cycle or so, and even then no one will know I planned it." Fastback pointed at everyone present. "Because no one knows anything about anything, right?"

Depthcharge and Breakdown both nodded solemnly whilst Rodimus and Skyquake seemed to pause. "If my creators ask who did it, you know they'll make me talk," Skyquake said.

"Thou shalt not lie, remember, Fastback?" Rodimus crossed his arms.

"Oh no I'd never ask you to lie per say . . . just strongly suggest that it wasn't your idea and leave it at that."

The tall orange and red youngling vented wearily, running a servo down his facial plating. He knew he should have been used to Fastback's mischievous pranks by now but still… at times it could be ridiculous. If he didn't know any better, he would think he was raised by the twins… both sets.

Fastback snickered at his best friend and nudged the bucket by his side with a pedde. "How about we set to work, eh?"

"Sounds good to me," Breakdown grinned a bit evilly. "Ah, I can't wait to see the look on my sire's face if it's him that gets it."

"You are terrible," Skyquake frowned. "What'd he ever do to you?"

"All those voors of him fussing over mine and my sister's paint job, that's what," Breakdown rolled his optics before handing Skyquake a bucket of feathers and obnoxious neon paint. "Here, you're a Seeker. Fly up there and drop it on my command."

Skyquake took it reluctantly as he grumbled, "Mech, I still don't know how I got suckered into this."

"Because you're a good guy and you want to see this just as much as the rest of us," Fastback smiled as be picked up his own bucket, filled with super glue.

"No, it's because we're too idiotic to say no," Rodimus muttered under his breath. "If I had any sense, I'd leave now."

Depthcharge smirked. "What? The goody-two-shoes son of the Prime afraid to have a little fun?"

"No!" Rodimus glared. "I just… What if it's Aunt Darkstorm? She doesn't deserve this."

Skyquake nodded. "Yeah, my carrier's too kind to be pranked."

"But my sire and the rust bucket have it coming," Breakdown replied. "Sides, if I see her coming, you can just distract her and lead her to safety, all right?"

"I… I guess so."

Everyone was interrupted as they heard heavy footsteps approaching the medical bay. "Scrap," Breakdown cursed as he ran to turn off the lights and hide.

All the others on the ground scrambled to their respective positions whilst Rodimus moved much slower, hanging his helm as he did so. He was a fragging idiot for listening to them. He froze however as a familiar voice called out into the dark.

"Ratchet?"

It was his sire, Optimus Prime. Rodimus ran over to the others to warn them but it was too late. Before they could hear the Prime speak, they had already set their plan into motion. He could hear his sire stumble due to the barrage of feathers and paint before eventually tripping, landing on the pile of super glue. He struggled, trying to break free.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he loudly demanded. "Show yourselves!"

The others stood there, frozen.

"Frag, we're doomed," Skyquake whimpered.

"Show yourselves now!" Optimus angrily demanded. The sheer authority in his tone caused them to obey. The lights were dimmed before even with the lack of light, the Prime's optics narrowed as he observed the mechlings, especially when he saw his son among them.

"Optimus, we can explain!"

"It was an accident!"

"Yeah, we weren't aiming for you!"

"If we knew it was you, big O, we wouldn't have done this…. Uh, our bad."

"Rodimus." Rodimus winced when he heard his sire's tone. "What is the meaning of this?"

"W-We… were going to prank one of the medics," Rodimus answered hesitantly.

Optimus' frown deepened before he vented. "All of you, return to your creators and explain what you have done. Rodimus, I trust you will assist me in removing all of this from my frame?"

"Y-Yes, sir," his facial plating lowered.

Fastback gulped, his own helm tilting to look at the floor. "W-we're sorry, sir."

Optimus nodded, but his stern countenance remained. "Go back to your creators. We shall discuss this incident at a later date."

"Sure. Whatever you say," Breakdown conceded before smiling helplessly at Rodimus. Skyquake gave him a similar expression before he too left while Depthcharge simply mouthed good luck.

Rodimus' optics met Fastback's before he vented and went down to retrieve the supplies needed to clean his sire up.

Once his son knelt beside him, Optimus began to speak, "Rodimus, you are the oldest and so you need to set an example for the others to follow. This is not good behavior even for a youngling. You should have dissuaded the others and yourself from committing such a spiteful action."

Rodimus vented once more, his cerulean optics offlining. "I'm sorry, Sire… It won't happen again."

"Rodimus, look at me," Optimus' gaze softened, seeing his son's sorrowful and truly repentant state. His son hesitantly meet his gaze. "I love you still but you must learn to control yourself and the others. I won't be here forever and when I am gone… someone must lead them."

"I… understand."

"As for Fastback-" Optimus raised a servo, or attempted to seeing as he was still stuck to the ground. "I know this was his idea. Whose else could it be?" Rodimus closed his mouth, weakly nodding. Optimus continued. "As for Fastback, his creators and I shall have a talk to him about this. His mischievous spirit will get himself into serious trouble one cycle if left unchecked and you, as his best friend, must help him to see that."

"I'll try, Sire," Rodimus replied softly, silently praying that the others were having a better time with their creators, as futile a wish as it was.

Darkstorm and Bumblebee glared down at their son. Dawnbringer looked on, her optics visibly filling with pity. If it was any other mech, she couldn't care less but… this was her beloved twin.

"You did what to Optimus?" Darkstorm asked, red optics flashing dangerously.

Skyquake gulped and hesitantly began to explain.

"Paint, feathers, and super glue?" Alana sighed and shook her head. "Depthcharge, what has gotten into you?"

Depthcharge's usual demeanor of machismo and bravado fell as he saw his carrier's disappointed gaze. "I-I'm sorry, Mother…"

Seaspray crossed his arms. "You'd better be sorry. Optimus deserves your respect, Depthcharge, not your jokes."

Depthcharge winced, nodding. "Yes, Father. I know… and I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me."

"Obviously," Emusa glared deeply as she crossed her arms and looked down at her son. Calypso bit her bottom lip component, seeing the positively livid expression on her carrier's face and the upset and slightly disappointed one of her sire's. "And what is this I hear about you looking forward to the look on your sire's face if it was him?"

Breakdown felt an involuntary shudder go down his spinal plating. When he looked up, he felt like bolting when his carrier slowly bent down to her son's level. "You're not answering my question, Breakdown."

"O-Oh, did I say that? It must have been a mistake," Breakdown stammered.

Knock Out's gaze was comparable to a glare. "I certainly hope so."

"Y-Yeah! I said I umm… was looking forward to seeing the look of fire, not sire… you know, on that one movie?" Breakdown replied. "B-Besides, it was all Fastback's idea! I was forced there against my will."

"Yeah," Calypso said, trying to defend her frightened brother. "It's Fastback's fault. He-"

"Whether it's that Praxian's fault or not, you still participated. And don't you dare give me that scrap about you being forced to do anything. You're the farthest thing from a pushover I've ever seen," Emusa said.

"Sire, Carrier, please. It wasn't his fault!"

Another fierce glare from their carrier silenced Calypso. Emusa vented before turning to her sparkmate. "I'm leaving his punishment to you. I'm afraid I'll be too merciful."

Knock Out pointed to himself, optics wide. "Me? I don't know what to do."

"We've been creators for several voors now. Think of something!" Emusa threw up her arms in frustration before stomping out of the room.

Breakdown glanced up at his sire, lip components trembling. "P-Please don't hurt me… I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean what I said."

The mech's optics darted between his son and the direction Emusa had gone before leaning down to Breakdown. "Just eh . . . look terrified for your life next time she comes in here or you leave the room, deal?"

Breakdown's optics filled with coolant as he darted forward and embraced his sire's leg. "D-Deal… I'm so sorry."

Knock Out knelt and returned the gesture. "Just don't do it again, I think that's the gist of what your carrier is trying to say." Breakdown weakly nodded.

"What were you thinking, Fastback?!" Plasmarift paced in front of the young mech, who seemed wise enough to just keep his mouth shut for the time being. She paused for a moment, turning to face him. "Are you trying to give me a spark attack?"

His servos fiddled. "I-I'm sorry."

"Was last time not enough? Why-" She paused as a servo rested on her shoulder plating, looking to it then up to its owner. Silverblaze nodded away from Fastback, to which Plasma nodded in agreeance. She walked to the wall, then turned to face the mechs again.

Silverblaze knelt in front of Fastback. "Son, you have no idea what we would have given when we were your age for the peace you and your friends have. Why do you do things like-" Blaze's serious demeanor broke for a split second, replaced with a smile, before he quickly recovered. "-like pranking Optimus?"

Fastback looked down, saying nothing.

"Fastback, there is no wrong answer here. I really want to know."

The young mech vented before looking shyly at his sire. "Y-you might want peace, but . . . I dunno. It's so boring here, nothing ever happens."

"So you prank bots to find something to do?"

"No, not really. I just . . . I hear you and the Wreckers talking about the war and traveling through space, then I have to go to my quarters and study. Nothing ever happens except studying, studying, and more studying. Why couldn't I have been born during the war, so I could help you fight, instead of being stuck here?"

Silverblaze vented, an unnaturally sad look entering his optics. He weighed his words for a moment before responding. "Fastback, listen to me. The war was forced upon us. We never wanted it, and we certainly didn't want to be anywhere near it. Given the choice, I'm sure we would have all traded our right arms to be here, with a new Cybertron and peace." He vented again as he saw Fastback's expression was unchanged, as was his position. Blaze put a servo on his shoulder plating. "I see that you have a warrior's spirit, and I greatly admire it. But conflict will arise soon enough, and I'm sure you'll be old enough to help when it does. But for the time being, let's keep things quiet on the homefront, okay?"

Fastback's countenance had faltered, if only slightly, but it was enough to tell his sire that he'd received the message. He nodded.

"Good. Now why don't you go to your quarters for a while and think about our little talk?"

The young mech obeyed without further prompting. Once he had exited the room Plasma approached her sparkmate. "That's it? He could have gotten in more trouble, Blaze. Next time he may very well get in serious trouble."

Silverblaze turned to her, venting as he did so. "Plasma, I was exactly like him when I was his age, at least in processor. He has a spark that wants to protect his family, but when there is nothing to protect it from he gets bored and finds excitement. It'll pass soon enough."

"You'd better be right." She brought a servo to her spark. "I can't handle much more of this 'excitement'."

Silverblaze gently embraced her, hoping to calm her. "I know, Plasma. Trust me, I'll talk with him, as I'm sure Rodimus will too." Despite the tense situation, Blaze smiled. "The young Prime's good for him, even if his helm is too thick to realize it right now." He vented. "And when the time comes, Fastback will protect everyone he cares for like we once did as warriors."

"But what if he-"

"He'll be fine. He comes from a line of fighters, after all. His pride alone won't let him fall young." Only after he finished did Silverblaze realize just how cold he sounded. Desensitized to the violence, or just facing facts? He vented. "But I'll keep him safe for as long as I'm online."

Plasmarift had no response, so the couple were content to remain silent, embracing for a while longer.

Later, Optimus and Rodimus showed up at their quarters. Optimus politely knocked. When Plasmarift answered, Optimus asked, still politely, "May we come in?"

She blinked several times, as though processing the situation, before stepping back and gesturing inside. "Of course."

Optimus nodded gratefully before stepping in, Rodimus following. Once inside, he began, "Plasmarift, how is Fastback faring?"

"He's em . . . apologetic. And he feels bad if he got Rodimus into trouble." Her gaze turned to said young mech. "I'm sorry as well if you get in trouble because of him."

"It's fine, ma'am," Rodimus said. "I accept my responsibility. As the oldest, I should have convinced him and the others to stop what they were doing." His composed gaze faltered. "I… do hope he isn't in too much trouble."

Silverblaze entered the room, quickly taking his place by Plasma's side. She vented as she glanced to him then looked back to Optimus and Rodimus. "Let's just say he's lucky his sire understands his mindset, but he's not getting off easily." Her optics locked on Optimus. "I am soooo sorry. I honestly don't understand why he feels the need to seek fun in such . . . troublesome ways."

Optimus smiled softly as he shook his helm. "Younglings will be younglings, after all. I am more concerned about Fastback's safety in the future more than my previous predicament." He vented. "While his spirit is admirable, it can lead him into danger."

Plasma and Blaze looked to each other before the latter nodded. "We're very much aware, Optimus. We just don't know what to do right now. I can train him once he's older, but he's made it quite clear that he's bored. And we have no idea what to do to fix that."

Optimus mused on this before suggesting, "You're right. A spirit like that is not easily broken and… I admit that a studious lifestyle does not suit everyone. Perhaps, letting him do more physical activities will help. Sports, if you will. To occupy his mind and distract him from his other pursuits." He smiled slightly. "Several new basketrek arenas have just opened."

Silverblaze smiled. "Basketrek, now there's a word I haven't heard in forever. That might work though. The decision will lie with him, but something tells me he'll jump at the chance to get out and do something else every now and then without getting yelled at later."

"It worked for Bumblebee when he was a youngling; I am certain it will do the same for him," Optimus replied before pausing. "May I… speak with him?"

Silverblaze tried to hide it, but a small smile crept across his facial plating. "Be our guest."

Rodimus shared a look with his sire to which he smiled and nodded in response. Optimus and his son made their way over to his quarters. Rodimus softly knocked. "Hey, FB, mind if we come in?"

"U-uummm yeah." His voice was uncharacteristically timid.

Rodimus vented softly and walked in as the metal door unlatched. "Hey," he half smiled. "How're you holding up?"

Fastback was rocking back and forth lightly on his berth. His optics shifted to Rodimus though his helm was facing the floor. "I should be asking you that. Your sire was the one who . . . ya know."

Rodimus frowned and opened his mouth before his sire interrupted. "Fastback, while your actions today were far from commendable, my son and I are not angry at you for what transpired."

The young Praxian's optics widened, and he immediately sprung to his peddes and assumed a militaristic stance, facing Optimus. "I-I- Sir, I am sooo so sorry about earlier."

Optimus' soft smile widened. "I'm not Ultra Magnus. There is no need for such conduct around me… but you are forgiven, Fastback." He knelt down in front of the youngling. "I've… heard that you are bored and seek excitement. Is this true?"

Fastback seemed to weigh his words before venting. "I'm surrounded by war heroes, hearing stories about adventure and battles everyday. Then I go home and realize just how . . . slow things are here. Nothing ever happens."

Optimus opened his mouth before hesitating and placing a servo on his shoulder plating. "Fastback, while those stories may seem exciting and filled with adventure and glory, they weren't. War is a bloody and terrible business, not at all like the Wreckers make it out to be. I and several of your dear family members nearly died on several occasions, fighting so that you could live in this peaceful time. Mechs like your school teacher, Drift, were enslaved and treated like drones… Younglings like you were shot down in the streets. And Cybertron was poisoned. No, little one, it was not something to be excited about." He smiled slightly. "But I do understand your need to do something with yourself… That is why I am having your studies lessened so you can pursue activities like say… basketrek?"

As Optimus spoke Fastback had seemed to take interest in his peddes, optics locked on them. Once the Prime finished, though, the young mech's gaze met Optimus'. "Really? Y-you would let me do that, even after . . . today?"

"Does God not teach us to forgive? Besides, I was once a youngling myself and now all too well how you must feel."

Fastback blinked several times before nodding. "Th-thank you, sir."

Optimus squeezed his shoulder plating reassuringly. "As I said before, I am not Ultra Magnus. Just Optimus or Uncle will do." He smiled. "Now, why don't we ask your creators if you and Rodimus can head down to one of the new arenas? I'm sure Bumblebee can teach you how to play. I've heard that he was quite the champion before the War."

Fastback looked to Rodimus, smiling slightly before nodded. "Sounds like fun."

D/N: And here we have it, the lovely new saga. We do hope y'all enjoyed it and feel free to critique it if need be.

Also, if you guys have time, prayer for my family would be appreciated. My grandfather is still in the hospital and my father is still very weak. Just ask that the Lord would be with us.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them" Ephesians 2:8-10

Thank you guys so much for the support you've given us in the past. We love each and every one of you. You are what help us to continue writing.

May God bless you and your day!

Until next time, Dream'sRealm

B/N: Helloooo everyone, and welcome to a whole new set of shenanigans. Not that such things should be a surprise by now, but I still hope we can give you a few curveballs with Rodimus, Fastback, and gang ;D peace restored to Cybertron, a new generation milling about, everyone "settled down" . . . what's the worst that can happen?

/for this week's randomness, who's blonde, has two thumbs, and is another year closer to gray hair as of Friday? This kid~ well . . . not a kid anymore, but ya know . . . yeeee