Disclaimer: I own nothing

AN: Sorry about lateness but i think the content makes up for it

Chapter 7

"Ben's been arrested" Sideswipe added quickly. Hot Shot had looked like he was going to go into spasms.

"Don't do that to me! I thought I was going to have to tell Optimus that his grandson got arrested!" Hot Shot yelled.

"No. Ben just blew up half of the motel parking lot going after a rattle snake" Sideswipe tried to reassure him.

Hot Shot sweat dropped. "Why the hell did Koji trust his kid to that guy?"

"We know Rad's safe with him at least. The rattlesnake was a hundred yards away," Sideswipe said.

"Yeah. Rad is with a guy who will make mountains out of anthills and has access to deadly weapons. I feel so much better" Hot Shot said sarcastically.

"Don't forget deadly chemicals" Sideswipe reminded him.

"Can't forget those now, can we?" Hot Shot looked even more worried.

"Well can you do anything about the charges?" Sideswipe asked.

"Why should I?" Hot Shot asked.

"You are the one at the base and will have to put up with Optimus' ranting when he finds out that his grandson is staying with complete strangers because the guy who was suppose to be taking care of him got arrested" Sideswipe said slyly before hanging up.

Hot Shot stared at the blank screen for a minute. Then he immediately set to work looking for away to get Ben out of prison.


"So still no word on weather they're going to release your uncle?" Alexis asked. It had been nearly three weeks since Ben had been arrested and there was still no sign that they planned on releasing him.

"No. They probably would have released him by now if he didn't keep trying to escape" Rad sighed. Ben didn't seem to grasp that the more he tried to escape the longer he'd be stuck in jail.

"He's insane" Carlos stated leaning back against the Saka's couch. (Yes they're at the Sakas)

"Isn't insanity genetic?" Yama asked. He'd been trying to turn Alexis off to Rad for the past three weeks but so far she just seemed to be falling harder and faster.

"Yeah. Good thing Ben's not genetically Rad's uncle" Alexis smiled at Rad. She had noticed that Yama didn't seem to like Rad very much but being her naïve self she thought he was acting the part of the over protective brother.

"Where'd your parent get off to?" Rad asked. As much as he didn't want Saka around, possibly putting it all together; Rad was even more uncomfortable with Saka being off somewhere, planning something. 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer' Rad thought bitterly.

"Mom's shopping and I have absolutely no idea where Dad is" Yama said. His parents had been acting weird since they met Rad. Yet another thing he had against the boy.


"Why, may I ask, did I get a call from the High Desert Police Department?" Optimus asked from behind Hot Shot.

"Oh shit" Hot Shot hissed.

"Hot Shot" Optimus' voice had gone to the warning tone it usually did when one of his 'kids' were involved.

"Ben's been in police custody for about three weeks" Hot Shot admitted.

"THREE WEEKS! WHEN WERE YOU PLANNING ON TELLING ME THIS?" Optimus roared.


While Yama and Alexis were swimming in the Saka's backyard in-ground pool (lucky jerks) and Carlos was napping in one of the lounge chairs Rad decided to look around for something incriminating. His theory that the Sakas were idiots wasn't totally baseless. Saka had kept a yearbook from the high school he taught at in Tokyo. It was identical to the one Rad's father had.

He was just about to put the yearbook back and head out to join the others when his communicator beeped. 'Has Sideswipe finally find away to get uncle Ben out of jail?' Rad wondered. Of course not.

"Rad! Are you insane? Do you know how-" Optimus' voice rang out.

"I found him" Rad interrupted his grandfather's triad.

"What?" Optimus asked.

"I found Hao Saka" Rad said simply.

"How? Where?" Optimus couldn't believe that after thirteen years of searching a teenager could find the guy just like that.

"My scanning program, I installed it on the library's-" Rad's explanation was cut short by a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find himself face to face with his father's worst nightmare.


"RAD! RAD ANSWER ME DAMNIT!" Optimus yelled into his communicator even though he knew it was no use. The signal had gone dead. Plus he doubted Rad would be in the position to answer him anytime soon. Hell he doubted Rad would be physically able to respond anytime soon knowing Saka. Koji hadn't been able to move after the beating he was given right before his father's death.

"Shit" he hissed. The last time he had used language this bad was when T-Ai was pregnant and Koji had been kidnapped yet again by Scourge.

Optimus activated his com-link. "Jetfire! Get me the Autobot brothers and Ultra Magnus!" Optimus sighed before adding "Tell them Rad's been kidnapped".

AN: Like you didn't see that coming. R&R. Sorry if this is kind of late but the damn Internet service is down again.