Hello. My name is Mirage. Let me tell you of a story I was quite involved in, but never fond of, going back on the memories. There were two twins in specific (only different by color, head shape, personality, and voice) who gave the entire Autobot faction a run for their cyber coins. And to these Wrecker trainees, just because a war is going on doesn't mean you can't have fun. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, the dynamic duo of the Autobots. Students of Ironhide and Bulkhead. And the first Autobot pranksters. Oh, the tricks they did to everyone. The pranks they pulled. Funny to them, annoying to us.
It all started when the two finished their training just one month after Bumblebee became practically the son of Optimus Prime. I was their first victim. The brothers noticed me playing hide and seek with the other rookies, and allowing Prowl to be it. I was scary good, because of my invisibility. I never lost a single game of hide-and-seek because of it. But that backfired when I slipped on some oil the twins spilled in the hallway when I didn't notice! They obviously seen me when I was still visible!
Mirage: WHOA!!!!
Once I slipped and fell on my backside, I slid down the hall, hearing the twins' chuckles and laughs behind me.
Sunstreaker: HAHAHAH!!!! We got him now!!!
Sideswipe: Oh, he's not done yet! Wait until he gets into a little something I hid at the end of the hallway. (snickers)
I had no idea I was the victim of a vat of paint at the end of the hall!!!
CRASH!!! CLATTER!!! SPLASH!!!! SPLOTT!!!
Mirage: Euuuugh . . .
Then Prowl came in, wondering what the noise was. He ran to me and crossed his arms, leaning over my face, like the rest of my body, covered in unmistakable paint.
Prowl: Found ya.
Mirage: 😤 Grrrrr. Sideswipe. Sunstreaker!!!
Immediately, the twins zoomed away, with their laughs echoing in the halls. And if you think it stopped at me, oh no, they were everyone's problem! They drew on Ratchet's face while he was asleep!! His reaction was not pleasent to our hearing.
Ratchet: 🌋 SIDESWIPE!!!!! SUNSTREAKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They filled Kup's guns with confetti instead of ammo while we were training. He was clearly annoyed while everyone laughed at him.
Kup: Grrr. Twins.
They even engraved a "Hit me" on poor Bluestreak!!! Tracks kept hitting him for weeks!!!
Bluestreak: Oww!! Hey! Stop it, you guys!! Hey!!!!
Tracks: Ha! Sorry! Too much fun!!! Hahahaha!!!
Bluestreak: (whimpers)
It took hours for Ratchet, Gears, Grapple, Hoist, and Wheeljack together so they could buff it out!!! Everyone heard his screams, for he never had a doctor's appointment before! It's like a little kid around five going to get a flu shot! Gears had to hold him down so he couldn't squirm out!!
Bluestreak: (like a child) Oww!!! Owowowowow!!!!
Wheeljack: It'll be okay, Bluestreak.
Bluestreak: (wailing) You guys are killing meee!!!! (sobs)
Ratchet: (continues buffing the engravement out) Just hold still, Bluestreak, so we could get this off.
Bluestreak: (in pain) AUUOOOWWW!!!!
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker: (snicker in background)
Everyone was furious. From sparklings (minus Bumblebee) to even Ultra Magnus and Elita-One. Optimus had a fair share of pranks too, but he's not one to be affected by these pranks.
Optimus Prime: Autobots . . . it seems that . . . our little trainees are, uhh, how should I put it? (shrugging) Just . . . kidding?
Kup: (sarcastically) Oh, I'm sorry. Could you repeat that again? Because I got confetti IN MY AUDIO RECEPTORS!!!!!
Ratchet: Because of those two, I got marker-ink all over my face!!
Bluestreak: Oh, you think YOU GUYS had it all rough?!?! Those two–!! Th–!!! THEY ENGRAVED "Hit me" ON MY BACKSIDE!!!!!!
There was unrest in that hour. Optimus held Bumblebee close, comforting him during all of this chaos. Then, hiding in the shadows, that sight gave Sideswipe his best prank yet. But little did he know . . . he's overzealous with this one and will not think twice about it, either.
Sideswipe: Bro . . . (grins) Another prank came to my brilliant mind.
Sunstreaker: Since when are you EVER brilliant?
Sideswipe: (frowns) Just follow me.
But their final prank . . . oh boy, it was personal. Simple, but VERY personal. Ever heard the phrase "taking candy from a baby"? Think who they'll do that to. I'll give you three guesses.
Sideswipe: Look, bro. I know it's a lot more degraded and simple compared to the other pranks we had, but we pranked practically everybody else except Bumblebee!
Sunstreaker: (concerned) I dunno, Sideswipe. He's like a son to Optimus. Maybe we should just lay low. We got everybody else. I began to notice in that room the consequences that happened after each of our pranks.
Sideswipe: They were funny, though, right? (smiles)
Sunstreaker: At the moment. But not this one.
Sideswipe: Oh, come on, Sunstreaker. Trust me. (blinks innocently)
Sunstreaker: Those two words coming out of your chatterbox are making me think otherwise.
Later that day, they saw Optimus feeding Bumblebee what a sparkling needs most: energon. If you have kids, or a baby relative that you watch over, and you have to feed it, that's what Optimus is doing. Bumblebee was sitting in a special chair Ratchet made for him similar to those seats little kids have to eat at the table. No other sparkling was THIS spoiled. And this is where Sideswipe and Sunstreaker saw Optimus alone with Bee. (chuckles) And believe me, even Ratchet thought it was funny!
Optimus Prime: Okay, Bumblebee. Here comes the energon! (has tiny cube in hand) (makes plane noise)
Bumblebee: (giggles and eats cube)
Sideswipe and Suntreaker: (stifles laughter)
Optimus Prime: Don't tell Elita or . . . practically anyone else, that I do this. But, I'll be right back. I have to take a call. Uncle Magnus is giving me a report on a mission. Now, I want you to stay here until I come back. Okay?
Bumblebee: Yes, Papa.
As Optimus Prime left to answer a call from Ultra Magnus, the twins snuck in to "watch" over Bumblebee.
Sideswipe: Hey, buddy. It's your cousins, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.
Sunstreaker: (whispers) Sides, please, don't.
Sideswipe grabbed a small energon cube on his left and was doing the exact same thing as Optimus.
Sideswipe: You want this, huh? (smiles)
Bumblebee: (excitedly) Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh!!!
Sunstreaker: Bro . . . no!
Just as the energon cube was going towards Bumblebee's mouth–
Sideswipe: (pulls it back to him) Psych! Haha!!! (eats energon cube) Ooh, yummy!
The little Bumblebee was shocked, confused, surprised, and VERY sad. You ever say "here comes the airplane" to a little kid? That's what Sideswipe did, but he tricked the little guy and ate it himself.
Bumblebee: (begins to whimper, tears form)
Sunstreaker: Uhhh (gulps) S–S– Sideswipe?!
Sideswipe knew the face that was forming on Bumblebee all too well. It's the one thing he feared, for he knew nothing could compare to it: the face he makes before he screams and cries. Then that's when Sideswipe figured out that something Sunstreaker said turned out to be true: he shouldn't have done this.
Bumblebee: (whimpers a little louder)
Sideswipe: (in absolute fear) Oh no . . .
Then . . . it happened!!!!!!!! The little tyke's cries were so loud the lights were starting to burst!!! I saw this happen when I was going to get the rest of the paint out of my joints!!! There isn't one person on Cybertron who hasn't heard Bumblebee's cries!!! Even Megatron himself, all the way in Kaon, heard it!!!!
Megatron: Aggh!!! What is that peculiar sound?
Soundwave: Audio receptors: failing!!! Volume of sound: too high to measure!!!!
Starscream: Gaaagh!!! Did someone trip your new sound-based alarm, Shockwave?!?!
Shockwave: Nnnghh!!! No, Starscream!!
Back at the Autobot base, Optimus was only a couple feet away from Bumblebee and his cries could be heard from the door's thick steel!
Optimus Prime: Gah!!! My audio receptors!!! What is that noise?!?! Wait. I recognize that voice.
The twins, who were suffering from Bumblebee's cries, have surprisingly heard Optimus rcognizing the sparkling's cries. Once the crying died down, so did Sideswipe's confidence.
Sideswipe: (trembling and petrified with terror) Oh, Primus!!! What will Optimus do to us?!?
Sunstreaker: To you, ya mean!!!
But before Sunstreaker could take another step, a large axe slashed through the door of the room Optimus was in.
SLASH!!!!!!!!!
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker: AHHHH!!!!
Then the owner of the axe that slashed through the door was Optimus. His optics glowing with fury as such nobody's ever seen before. The axe of Zeta Prime looked like it was ready to kill. Nobody didn't need that much to know Optimus Prime . . . was COMPLETELY TICKED OFF!!!!!!!!!!!
Optimus Prime: (intimidatingly low voice, almost bloodthirsty) What . . . happened?
Bumblebee: Sideswipe rude!! (sobs)
Sunstreaker's courage was lost like anybody else's if you are in the mercy of an enraged Prime. So, he did what any coward would do . . .
Sunstreaker: It was him! I was just trying to stroll peacefully down the hall when I saw my mean brother Sideswipe trick Bee! Then I came in to stop him, but it appears I was too late!
Sideswipe: (mumbles) Tattletale!
Optimus Prime: Sideswipe. (the rookie freezes) What you have done was unnecessary, cruel, and deceptive. If I was any other Autobot, I'd say you'd rather be a Decepticon. For those are their ways, not ours. You know better.
Sideswipe was in absolute shame. But he didn't expect Prime to hold in his anger, especially for someone who loved Bee like a son. Heck, I'd be ticked off if someone did that to MY kid.
Optimus Prime: But I promise, I will not harm you.
Sideswipe: (gasp) You won't?
Optimus Prime: Of course not. (kneels down) But let me give you a request.
Sideswipe: Anything.
Optimus Prime: (whispers intimidatingly into audio receptor) Do it again, and I will have your head. (Sideswipe gulps)
If there was a lesson to learn here, it's not only to not pull off pranks if they hurt others, but also NEVER get on a Prime's bad side. Any other Prime, there'd probably be some casualties. But with Optimus, you'd have to do it twice to make him go berserk.