Chapter Ten: Cliff Jumping

"WHAT THE SLAG!"

The outraged cry startled many from their work in Iacon Capital. Optimus Prime was no exception.

Optimus fell out of his chair, sitting on the ground dazedly. "What was that?" Bulkhead spoke his thoughts.

"That," Megatron sighed from the doorway, "Was Sentinel."

Optimus used his desk to hoist himself up. "Sentinel? Minor?"

"The drill sergeant?" Bulkhead asked.

Megatron nodded. "He comes here every other month to report to the head of his department," he explained.

"So why did he shout?" Optimus frowned.

Megatron sniggered. "He was probably the victim of a prank... again."

Bulkhead opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a red mech appearing in the doorway. He was about half Optimus' height, with two horns on his head.

"Who-?"

"Hide me!" the red mech cut Optimus off. He ducked underneath Optimus' desk, somehow fitting in the small space.

"Cliffjumper, what did you do now?" Megatron sighed.

Cliffjumper poked his head out from underneath Optimus' desk. "Jazz and I may have pulled a prank on Sentinel..."

Optimus chuckled. "So you're the famous Cliffjumper Jazz is always telling me about!" Optimus smiled, "It's nice to finally meet you!"

Cliffjumper blinked. "Oh, Optimus Prime!" he seemed genuinely surprised to realize that Optimus was standing there.

"Please, call me Optimus."

"Ok!"

Megatron rolled his optics. "So what did you do, exactly?"

Cliffjumper turned to regard the Lord High Protector. "Hey, Megatron!" Megatron simply grunted, wanting an answer to his question. Seeing this, Cliffjumper started, "Jazz and I were bored and decided to prank Sentinel."

"But what did you do?" Surprisingly, it was Bulkhead who said that.

Cliffjumper flashed an impish grin. "We placed a bucket on top of his door filled with periwinkle paint."

Megatron howled with laughter. Optimus and Bulkhead, who didn't know Sentinel personally like Megatron, simply smiled with mirth. Cliffjumper was laughing as well, not ashamed to pat himself on the back.

Their laughter was cut short as they heard stomping and cursing from down the hallway. "I'm not here!" Cliffjumper ducked underneath the desk.

After a minute a blue and orange mech stopped in the doorway. He had periwinkle paint dripping from his head and upper torso down his body. Sentinel simply growled, "Where is he?"

Optimus frowned. "Where's who?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Prime!" Sentinel burst out. Optimus looked taken aback by the disrespect.

"Sentinel, just tell us who you're talking about," Megatron sighed.

Sentinel turned to glare at Megatron. "That little red fragger!"

"I need a name."

Sentinel looked ready to throttle Megatron. "Cliffjumper, you idiot!"

"Who's Cliffjumper?" Bulkhead made his presence known.

Sentinel glared at each of them, searching for deceit. He found none. Sentinel spun around, storming out of the room. But he paused in the doorway. "If you see him, tell him he's on cleaning duty for the next thirty solar cycles!"

Sentinel stomped out of the room and down the hallway. Once Cliffjumper was sure Sentinel was gone, he emerged from under Optimus' desk.

"Thanks, guys," Cliffjumper sighed in relief. He then frowned. "I hate cleaning duty..."

Megatron raised an optic ridge. "Maybe you should refrain from pranking Sentinel next time, then," he said flatly.

"What are you, my creator?"

Megatron's optics narrowed, and Optimus intervened before things got ugly. "Alright, let's just settle down!"

"'Settle down'? Cliff, what did you do now?" a feminine voice asked from the doorway.

All four mechs turned to face the blue and pink femme. She was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Arcee! You'll never guess what I did!" Cliffjumper grinned.

"No. That's why I asked you."

Cliffjumper seemed immune to her snark. "I dumped periwinkle paint on Sentinel!"

Arcee laughed. "I'm surprised you're still online!"

"He hid under my desk," Optimus explained flatly.

Arcee then seemed to notice the others in the room. "Optimus Prime, it's an honor," she bowed her head slightly.

Megatron looked slightly envious. "What about me?"

Arcee gave him a sidelong look. "Megatron, we've met."

Megatron smirked. "I know. It should still be an honor," he teased.

Arcee rolled her optics. She decided to just ignore Megatron and looked over at Bulkhead. "And your name would be-?"

"Bulkhead, Optimus' personal body guard."

Optimus groaned softly at the reminder. Not that he didn't like Bulkhead, he did. It was just that having a body guard made him feel a bit like a sparkling with his creator.

"Nice to meet you," Arcee said smoothly.

"Cliff!" a frantic voice wailed from down the hallway. All five Cybertronians in the room shared a befuddled look. Faster than they could blink, a black and white blur knelt behind Cliffjumper. "He's after me!" Jazz cried.

"Who, Jazz?" Optimus sighed.

"Sentinel!"

"Well gee, do you think the paint had anything to do with it?" Cliffjumper deadpanned.

Arcee snickered. "You mechs are all insane."

"No argument here." Jazz stuck his head out for a quick smile before hiding behind his friend again.

"JAZZ!" Sentinel shot by the door, not stopping.

"Wow," Bulkhead said, optics wide.

Megatron laughed. "As... interesting as this is, I have somewhere I need to be," he announced. Megatron strode out of the room, leaving the others in his wake.

"He has a point, we have jobs to do," Optimus pointed out.

"Come on, Jazz. Let's go hide somewhere else!" Cliffjumper and Jazz proceeded to exit the room with their backs firmly pressed together.

Arcee raised an optic ridge as they vanished down the hall. She shook her head, deciding to just let it go. "I'll see you around," Arcee smiled at the two remaining mechs before leaving the room.

Optimus stood there for a minute before he sat down with a sigh. "Now I actually have to work..."

Note: Animated Sentinel Prime premiered this chapter.