Optimus sighed, his fingers on his temples as he struggled to keep his temper with Smokescreen, who stood before him. The Autobot leader was in complete disbelief. How could Smokescreen just blindly take Jack into a battle situation when humans were so fragile? He looked up at the rookie with disappointed and slightly angry optics.

Smokescreen visibly shrunk under the Prime's gaze. His door-wings were low into submission as he looked away from the Autobot leader, his arms dangling at his sides. All the other Autobots had left the main room, because they knew the situation.

Optimus sighed. He never liked lecturing or punishing the younglings of the base. It was natural for them to mess up every once in a while, but they needed to learn from their mistakes. And what Smokescreen did was very reckless. He let out a breath, and then opened his mouth to speak. "Smokescreen. I am very disappointed in you. What you did was a sheer act of recklessness. Jack could have perished in the hands of the Decepticons because you brought him along with you to have a little fun."

Smokescreen breathed out, blinking as he looked at the floor. He knew this was going to result in punishment, but he had no idea. "I know, Optimus… I just, wasn't thinking I guess." He muttered, sadness and a bit of fear overwhelming his spark.

Optimus could see Smokescreen's sadness and he felt his own sweep overhead. "Aside from Jack's safety, yours was also at risk. You should have known better than to try to take on Megatron without assistance from us. It would have been devastating to see another perish at such a young age. I can clearly see you wish to earn my trust, but that was CERTAINLY not the way to go about it, Smokescreen."

Smokescreen nodded once again, listening to his lecture intently. "I'm sorry, Optimus..." He muttered again, sighing.

Optimus exhaled and walked over to the medical berth next to the wall, sitting down wearily. "I know you are sorry, but I do not believe I can trust you not to be as reckless as you were again." Optimus looked up and locked optics with the new recruit, "I must deliver a punishment for these actions. Do you not believe so?" He set the Starsaber down on the floor, watching Smokescreen with stern optics.

Smokescreen looked back to Optimus, watching him sit down and set the Saber aside. He nodded, but did not move. "I'd guess so…" He told him reluctantly, shifting his weight to his other ped. He didn't exactly know why he was sitting down, though.

Optimus could see the confusion in Smokescreen's eyes. Was he not warned of how younglings were punished on base? Well, he would find out then. This was not going to be easy.

"Smokescreen, I'm going to need you to come here." He ordered, resting a hand on his thigh and leaning back slightly.

Smokescreen looked at him still, and he didn't say anything as he slowly made his way over. He moved to where he was in front of him, not to the side of him like he should be. He really wasn't aware of the punishments around here.

Optimus sighed. Yes, Smokescreen didn't know of how things worked around here, but surely he had heard of this punishment. "On this team, the punishments for our young comrades are quite different than what you're accustomed to." He took a hold of Smokescreen's upper arm so he couldn't run off when he told him of how he would be punished. "Smokescreen, have you heard of a spanking?"

Smokescreen's baby blue optics flicked to Optimus's servo holding onto his arm. Nervously, he looked up at Optimus as he spoke. Upon hearing what his punishment would be, his optics widened slightly and his denta gritted in agony. Not even answering, Smoke began to backup as he twisted around, trying to get away. Apparently he did know about spanking; and that it was not fun.

Optimus didn't release Smokescreen from his tight grip, even as the younger one struggled and twisted around. This had to be done. He moved Smokescreen to his side with some effort, and then tugged the recruit over his knees.

Smokescreen made a whine of fear and displeasure, kicking his legs a little and trying to push himself off of the Prime's lap. He would do everything to try and get away, and having his servos free was an advantage to him.

Optimus frowned and pressed a hand down on his back to keep him still. "Smokescreen, cease this behavior unless you wish for me to add on to your punishment." His voice had changed from stern, to booming and commanding. "You are not going to get out of this punishment by these means." He punctuated his words by swatting Smokescreen's aft firmly with his free hand.

Smokescreen's face got hot out of embarrassment, his optics scared. He guessed he better listen to Optimus, because he wasn't sure if he could even get mad at all. He sure did sound mad though. He jumped a little whenever he was smacked, his jaw dropping slightly as he ceased all attempts to get away, soon realizing his efforts were getting him nowhere but probably worse spanking. He gave a shaky sigh, hiding his face from Optimus's view as he braced himself for this…

Optimus stayed as emotionless as he could, but he couldn't stop remembering the fear he pushed back when he saw Smokescreen at the mercy of Megatron. It reminded him of the countless executions of sparklings and younglings, courtesy of Megatron. He wouldn't be able to take another younger one perishing under his watch. That's what drove him to this punishment. He brought his hand down once more, his hand making a loud pop that echoed through the main room.

Smokescreen frowned deeply, his optics half closed as he thought about how embarrassing this position was for him. What made it worse was the fact that it was Optimus Prime who was busting his skid plate right now. He kept the bottom half of his legs up off of the ground, which this made it easier to get comfortable. His door-wings were low, out of fear, embarrassment, and partly from the sting that set on his aft. It really didn't feel too good after just two hits.

Optimus's steel hand didn't cease and it swung down again and again, making loud metallic clangs that got louder as the force of each swat increased. Smokescreen started to grit his denta, closing one optic while keeping the other open. He moved his ped, trying to distract himself from the pain that was growing.

Optimus wasn't enjoying this one bit, but he knew what he had to do. He adjusted Smokescreen's position, getting a clearer aim at the underside of Smokescreen's backside, and batted away at the sensitive, tender sitspots, so that this lesson would come back to him when he sat down.

Smokescreen's optics both opened whenever Optimus moved slightly. They went wide when he started hitting his sitspots. Tears formed in his optics, but he blinked them away. His servo shot back there when the great Autobot's arm was in the air. Smokescreen's servo was in the way, and wasn't going to move unless it was for him.

Optimus's mouth quickly formed a frown. He took the recruit's servo and pinned it to his back. "Smokescreen, I do not wish to add any more than I have to, but if you are going to keep resisting, you're only going to make this much worse for yourself." Optimus sternly swatted the area where Smokescreen's aft met his thighs in fine pain sensors to make his point. "Do you understand?"

Smokescreen took in a deep breath and let it out as his arm was pinned. He wasn't going to respond, but whenever Optimus started swatting the very sensitive spots, his optics instantly watered up as he replied frantically, "Yes s-sir!"

Optimus swatted both sides of Smokescreen's rump. "I believe that maybe a few extra swats will be required at the end of your punishment." He stated and continued with the painful slaps to Smokescreen's sitspots and aft.

Smokescreen tried to hold in a whimper, but failed. A soft whimper slipped by, his optics were now closed in efforts to keep both the tears and yelps of pain in.

Optimus sighed as he continued. "I am not doing this to embarrass you, Smokescreen." He began softly, but not ceasing in the battering. "I am merely punishing you to keep you safe." He finished the sentence with a couple harsh smacks to the sensitive spots on his backside. "You must learn from these mistakes and a sore aft for a few days should be more desirable than perishing at Megatron's hand."

Smokescreen's bottom lip trembled, trying to hide his face more as the tears came rolling. He was going to respond, but he didn't because he knew his voice would sound pathetic and watery.

Optimus wished he could cease the punishment here and now, but he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to, he had to wait for the right moment. And even then, the recruit had earned more than he should, so he would have to stretch the punishment longer than he had intended. The Prime couldn't help but feel bad for Smokescreen. Yet still, he pressed on. He began moving down from the sitspots and landed three sharp slaps to each of the youngling's thighs.

Smokescreen cried out, kicked his right leg out all the way, the pain forcing more tears out of his optics. They spilled down his cheeks; unable to stop himself from begging. "O-Optimus! Please..." He muttered, his thighs feeling like they were on fire.

Optimus tightened his grip slightly and started swatting the underside of Smokescreen's aft. He didn't respond, just continued with the punishment with a slight grimace on his face.

Smokescreen's crying was turning into mild sobbing, as the tears became more frequent and his door-wings started to shake a bit from the crying. "P-Please..." He whispered once more, squeezing his optics shut as tears fell from the corners of them.

Optimus could sense that the sense that Smokescreen was reaching his limit, but now that the punishment was coming to an end, he needed to clarify that the recruit wouldn't attempt that reckless stunt again. "Do you promise never to pull something like that ever again?" He inquired while increasing the force of his swatting.

Smokescreen nodded his head up and down, his stomach heaving as Optimus hit even harder. "Y...yesss!" The rookie whimpered, sobbing harder that when he first had started. Which, in this case, was more than mild.

Optimus nodded in response and pressed down on Smokescreen's back. He gave the young one a few more hard smacks on the most sensitive areas on Smokescreen's backside to serve as the swats that he had earned, though the recruit probably did not know this; and with one final WHACK across the aft, which made Smokescreen's frame jerk forward, the punishment was over.

The final blow made him cry out in agony, and then he sobbed even harder than before. Tears were all over his face, and he couldn't control the shudders raking his body. The rookie still hid his face from the Prime, not wanting him to see it. Though Optimus was probably looking towards the back of his helm, the very young bot, which still had a lot to learn, just lay there. His face was turned away from him.

Optimus rested his hand comfortingly on Smokescreen's back. He didn't want to see the damage he'd no doubt caused to the youngling's backside. Smokescreen's sobs stabbed into his spark like a knife and he just moved his hand up and down the race car's upper back. "Shh... It is alright, the punishment is over." He rumbled comfortingly, his voice soft and caring.

Smokescreen's calves came up to meet his thighs, which were burning, but he didn't touch them to it. He just kept them from making him unbalanced. He didn't respond, he just continued to sob on the Prime's leg.

Optimus finally couldn't stand watching Smokescreen cry like that. He lifted the younger mech off his lap and quickly drew him in for a comforting embrace. He didn't seem to notice the increasing warmth in his chest where the Matrix lay within.

Smokescreen felt an emotion deep within his spark. An emotion that was un-named... An emotion that he felt when he was a sparkling. And now was dusted off and coming back. Smokescreen passed it off as nothing as he was curled up in his lap and cried on the Prime's chest. He pressed himself against the larger and much older bot, still crying.

The warmth was becoming hard to ignore. And it was not only the warmth that was increasing, but this feeling. As though the Matrix was thrumming with another's spark beat. It was strange.

Smokescreen started feeling the same feeling. It was comforting his spark. Like... Some other bot was sending waves of comfort to him. But the only one doing that was Optimus. How could that be?

Optimus opened his optics with a shocked look as all the pieces slid into place. The Matrix was sensing a family bond. But, how was it possible?! He slowly drew Smokescreen away from his chest and inspected him carefully.

Smokescreen looked at Optimus's shocked optics, tears still rolling down his face. He didn't know what Optimus was doing, and why the feeling in his spark was increasing. Smoke sniffed, his lips curled in a wince as he tried to contain the agony and coolant leaking from his optics.

Optimus could see it. He could see parts of himself in Smokescreen. He saw Orion Pax's ambition and his mate's recklessness. And Smokescreen's optics. He never noticed that they were almost identical to his own. But he thought his sparkling had perished during the evacuation! Could it really be? Well, there was only one way to find out. Drawing a deep breath, he opened a long lost bond deep in his spark, and spoke, sending waves of affection and comfort. "My dear mechling? Is that you?"

Smokescreen still wondered why he was being stared at. He felt... These emotions of remembrance in his spark from somewhere. Then he heard within him, 'My dear mechling? Is that you?' His tear filled optics opened wider, looking Optimus in the optic as more tears streamed. He sent back through the spark bond, "S-Sire?" He didn't move, just started crying again.

Optimus was beyond overjoyed and he again wrapped his arms around his child as though he would disappear from his arms once more if he let go. "Oh, my darling child. You have no idea how much I've missed you." He rocked his sparkling back and forth as happiness swarmed in his spark.

Smokescreen's shoulders shook as he cried, pressing himself against his newly found father. A smile creased his lips, moving to where one leg was on either side of Optimus's, sitting on his lap as he pressed his whole front to his Dad's. He buried his head into his neck.

Optimus rested his head onto Smokescreen's shoulder, sending endless waves of fatherly love and affection to his son. "Please, do not ever leave me like that again." he pleaded.

Smokescreen nodded in agreement, wrapping his arms around Optimus. "D-Don't worry about that... I won't..." He muttered, the tears starting to cease. Even though his aft still burned, he tried to ignore it. But it was hard. Whenever there was a bit of silence, he groaned at the continuing throbbing pain in his backside. A small noise of agony slipped past his lips, his frame shuddering as he fought the urge to rub his smarting aft.

Optimus frowned and ran a hand over Smokescreen's helm. "Don't worry. The pain will fade. I am sorry I had to punish you in that manner, but I saw no other way. I care for you very much and I must keep you safe."

Smokescreen sighed, nodding in understanding. Reopening his optics, he gave a small smile that Optimus couldn't see. "I'm just glad that I know that you're my father now." He said.

"I am also glad I have found you. From here on out.. I will always protect you." Optimus separated from Smokescreen and took the young one's chin in his hand gently. "Always." He sent affection and protectiveness over the treasured spark bond.

Smokescreen smiled, beaming at his words. The smile stayed for a bit then was gone. He looked Optimus in the optic for a second, then looked away but didn't move his face from Optimus's hold. "I... I'm sorry I disappointed you." He said in a shaky voice, gritting his teeth and looking down, squeezing his optics shut as a single tear squeezed out of the corner or each optic.

Optimus sighed. "We have a clean slate now. The fact that you did wrong has been erased. You are forgiven." Smokescreen nodded, reopening his optics to look at him. "O-Okay…" He said, not smiling yet.

In an effort to cheer Smokescreen up, Optimus suddenly dawned a small smirk. "You have so much of your mother in you; I'm surprised you didn't bring all three of the humans. And she would have done it." He chuckled as he thought about it. Smokescreen smiled then, laughing a little at his remark.

Optimus chuckled and stood, setting his son on the floor in a standing position. "Would you like to her more about your mother over some Energon?" he offered, a fond smile on his face.

Smokescreen smiled again, nodding. "Sure." He replied. Optimus beckoned Smokescreen to follow, looking forward to spending some quality time with his son.