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Optimus was sitting with Rodimus in a local café that had only recently opened, enjoying some energon sweets while catching up with the young Prime. Ever since peace had been established, Cybertron had been very quiet.
Rodimus idly spun his drink between his hands, watching the movement of the energon inside the glass.
"I'm glad things worked out with Megatron, Optimus. It's good that he agreed to sign the peace treaty."
Optimus nodded slightly, holding his cup with both hands.
"Yes, things have been quite calm since then… too calm."
Rodimus looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Is that Optimus Prime saying he misses the chaos?"
Optimus quickly shook his head.
"No. I just… can't help but wonder how long it will last. This peace feels unreal."
"Come on, for once everything went right. No one betrayed anyone, no one tried to conquer the planet, no one—okay, maybe let's not keep talking about that. Why don't we change the subject?"
A small waiter drone floated over, placing another plate of sweets in front of them.
"Additional order confirmed. Enjoy your stay."
Rodimus smiled.
"Relax, Optimus. Enjoy life. Just think—no missions, no chases, no explosions…"
Optimus carefully set his cup down.
"Rodimus…"
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever felt that when everything is calm… something is about to go wrong?"
Rodimus looked at him for a few seconds, thoughtful.
"Yeah. Usually when someone makes a terrible decision."
"Romantically speaking."
Optimus doesn't respond immediately.
Rodimus glances at him with a slight smile.
"What?"
Optimus sighs softly.
"Not all conflicts are resolved with clear strategies."
Rodimus leans forward.
"Oh, we're entering emotional territory. This is getting good."
Optimus hesitates for a moment before speaking.
"I think… trusting someone, even after everything… is a decision that defines who you are."
Rodimus watches him in silence, then smiles.
"Yeah. I guess you're right… although sometimes it also defines how bad your decisions are."
Optimus is about to respond when the lights flicker. The waiter drone freezes in place—and not just the drone. Optimus looks around; everyone except Rodimus is completely still, as if frozen.
Rodimus frowns.
"Okay… this is not normal."
Optimus slowly stands up.
"Stay alert."
Rodimus looks at his drink, shakes it, but the energon doesn't move.
"…yeah, that's definitely not normal."
A white light begins to surround them, expanding outward.
"What's happening?"
Optimus steps forward.
"Rodimus—"
Both of them are engulfed by the light, and a bright flash leaves them completely disoriented.
****************
When they finally regain consciousness, they find themselves in an empty place. There is absolutely nothing—like being in another dimension.
Rodimus is the first to react, looking around.
"…Okay, this is new."
Optimus slowly gets up, scanning every possible direction.
"I detect no structures or identifiable energy sources. But we are clearly in some kind of alternate plane."
Rodimus crosses his arms.
"Great. So either it's a trap, or someone brought us here. The question is—why? Guess we'll have to find out."
Rodimus turns in place.
"Hello?"
No response—only the echo of his voice.
"Does this place come with instructions, or do we just walk around until something happens?"
Optimus steps forward.
"Whoever is responsible, show yourself."
No response. Only silence.
Rodimus leans slightly toward Optimus.
"…what if we did something that brought us here?"
Optimus looks at him.
"We didn't do anything."
Rodimus insists.
"Are you sure?"
Suddenly, a bright light manifests in front of them. It's so intense that both Optimus and Rodimus are forced to shield their optics.
Rodimus squints.
"Okay… that's definitely someone."
The light begins to take shape. Optimus immediately straightens his posture—he recognizes it instantly.
"Primus."
Rodimus blinks in disbelief, looks at Optimus, then back at Primus.
"Is that really him?"
Optimus nods.
"Yes. It is."
Rodimus straightens abruptly.
"Okay! Okay, okay, okay, this is serious."
He quickly adjusts his posture.
"I was not prepared for this."
Primus says nothing. He simply watches them.
Rodimus, trying to whisper:
"Is he… mad?"
Optimus, equally quiet:
"Probably."
Primus takes a step forward. Rodimus can't help but tense up.
"Yes. I am."
"And the two of you are going to explain…"
"what exactly you think you're doing."
Rodimus looks at Optimus, confused.
"Yeah, what exactly are we supposed to be doing?"
Optimus, without looking away from Primus:
"I don't know."
Rodimus sighs.
"Great. So we're in trouble and we don't even know why."
Primus closes his optics, taking a deep breath like someone who has had this conversation far too many times.
"Of course you don't know why."
"That's why you're here."
****
Both Optimus and Rodimus are once again engulfed in white light. Suddenly, they are no longer in the empty void—instead, they find themselves in a large room with a massive screen, surrounded by bots cheering and applauding. It looks like some kind of television show, like the ones humans watch.
"Optimus, where are we supposed to be?"
"I don't know, Rodimus. Stay alert."
Suddenly, a loud crash echoes in front of them. Bright lights flood the stage, music starts playing, and the audience gets excited. Optimus and Rodimus realize they are indeed on some kind of stage.
"…Okay, is this a show?"
Rodimus looks around.
"We have an audience? Why do we have an audience?"
Optimus remains alert.
"I don't recognize this place, but it appears to be some kind of simulation."
"Yeah, sure. A simulation with fans."
Rodimus smiles at the audience, who cheer even louder.
Suddenly, an overly enthusiastic voice echoes throughout the entire place.
"Ladies, gentlemen, and entities from all dimensions!!!"
The audience goes wild.
"Okay, Optimus, I admit it—I don't like this."
The voice continues.
"¡¡¡Welcome to another episode of—!!!"
"QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS: MULTIVERSAL EDITION!!!"
A dramatic theme song starts playing as clearly recorded applause fills the room.
A platform rises at the front of the stage. Standing on it is Primus, illuminated by a spotlight. Whistles and cheers erupt as the audience chants his name.
"Thank you, thank you! It's a pleasure to be here for yet another eternity—"
Primus pauses, then mutters:
"—though I'd rather not be."
Laughter erupts.
"Optimus… you interact with him more. Does he always do that?"
"…no."
Primus cuts them off, pointing at them with a microphone.
"And here we have our special guests!"
The giant screen behind them shows dramatic images of Optimus Prime and Rodimus.
"We all know them, right?"
The audience cheers in agreement.
"Two leaders! Two symbols of hope! And two experts in making TERRIBLE romantic decisions!"
The audience bursts into laughter and applause.
"Hey!"
Optimus has to hold Rodimus back.
Primus ignores this completely.
"Let's begin with everyone's favorite segment!"
The screen begins showing multiple images.
"Multiverse Live!"
"That's right, dear audience—we're about to see how these two bots never learn their lesson, no matter the universe."
On screen appears a younger Optimus, before becoming a Prime, looking at Megatron with absolute trust.
Rodimus points.
"Oh look, that's you."
Optimus nods.
"I noticed."
The next image shows Megatron furious, yelling at the younger Optimus, accusing him of using him to impress the council and become a Prime.
"Wow, that's intense," Rodimus mutters.
"So that's how Megatron left me in that universe."
Meanwhile, Primus addresses the audience.
"What we have here, dear audience, is what I call Blind Trust. Result: predictable chaos. Optimus believes Megatron will share his perspective—and is proven wrong."
The audience boos.
"I know, I know—but let's continue."
A new clip shows another version of Optimus dramatically holding Megatron's hand.
Rodimus comments:
"Okay, but there's tension here. This has potential."
The clip continues—Megatron lets go and falls into the void, abandoning Optimus, who shouts after him.
"Wow. Still intense."
The audience laughs at Rodimus' comment, while Optimus covers his face.
"Exactly! But what about you, young one? Let's see how you do."
The screen changes to Rodimus and Getaway.
"Hey—hey—HEY, I did not sign anything for those images to be shown!"
The clip shows Getaway speaking badly about Rodimus and his leadership.
The audience boos.
"Okay… that looks bad," Rodimus admits.
The next clip shows Getaway attempting to remove Rodimus from leadership.
"OKAY, THAT LOOKS WORSE."
Rodimus covers his face, now understanding Optimus' earlier embarrassment.
The audience laughs and applauds.
"And here we have a case of misplaced trust… resulting in betrayal."
"Hey! There are also parts where we're happy!"
"True, dear audience. Despite everything we've seen, our guest still chose to pursue a romantic relationship with the individual in question. Let's look at the happy moments."
A clip shows Rodimus smiling—for two seconds—before Getaway throws a cube of energon at him and tackles him.
"Okay—okay, that clip… that clip is out of context. It looks bad, but it's not what it seems."
"WHAT CONTEXT AM I MISSING?" Primus shouts.
The audience laughs.
Optimus, now tired of the situation he found himself in, finally decided to question what was happening.
"Primus… what are you trying to prove?"
The atmosphere shifts slightly. Primus' presenter smile drops, replaced by a much more serious expression.
"That it is not a coincidence."
He points at the screen, now showing MANY versions of both of them repeating the same pattern—no matter who they are with, something always goes wrong.
"It is a cycle. One you have been repeating for… far too long."
The entire place falls silent. Not even the background music or the audience can be heard anymore.
"A cycle you have been repeating for… far too long."
The screen now shows the image of the Thirteen Primes.
Primus sighs.
"Even they were involved in this kind of situation."
Rodimus can't help but comment:
"Wow… sounds like a generational problem."
Primus stares directly at both of them.
"More like an emotional problem."
"Well… that sounds worse," Rodimus admits.
Optimus sighs, narrowing his optics.
"I believe I speak for both Rodimus and myself when I say that we believe in second chances."
A glass shattering is heard somewhere in the background.
The audience bursts into laughter.
Primus slowly closes his optics, taking a deep breath.
"…I need a vacation."
The same voice from before echoes again.
"Dear audience, we'll be taking a commercial break. Stay with us for this special episode of QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS: MULTIVERSAL EDITION!!!"
Music plays and the audience applauds as Optimus and Rodimus are once again engulfed in white light.
*****
When it fades, they are now seated on couches, with Primus sitting in front of them. They are still in the same place, but the stage setup has changed slightly.
Primus stares at them.
"Alright. Now that we've reviewed hundreds of your bad decisions across multiple realities…"
"Anything you'd like to say in your defense?"
Optimus answers without hesitation.
"Every being has the capacity to change. Denying that would go against everything I stand for."
The audience lets out an "awww."
Primus does not share the sentiment.
"What a nice speech. Did you rehearse that, or does it come with the leader package?"
The audience laughs.
"It is not a speech. It is what I believe."
"Yes, but it doesn't explain why you keep tripping over the same stone."
Rodimus jumps in to help.
"Hey, there are also versions where it works."
Primus goes completely still.
Slowly, he turns his head toward Rodimus.
Rodimus immediately regrets speaking.
"…Excuse me?"
"Well… it doesn't work work… but it's not all bad."
Primus snaps his fingers. The screen lights up again.
"Perfect. Let's analyze the moments where it works."
A clip shows Optimus and Megatron having a calm conversation.
"See? Not all bad."
The image zooms out—revealing Megatron has a metal rod impaled through him, energon pouring from the wound.
"Okay… now I need context as to why they were calmly talking while Megatron is dying," Rodimus says, completely confused.
Another clip appears, showing Rodimus seemingly on a date with Getaway.
"Okay, that doesn't look bad! That's me! I'm happy!"
The clip continues—Rodimus turns around, and Getaway immediately tries to poison his energon.
Primus says nothing. Instead, he covers his face with his servos.
Rodimus quickly tries to defend himself.
"Okay, everyone makes mistakes… he doesn't do that anymore," he adds in a whisper, "I hope."
Optimus intervenes.
"Primus… if this pattern exists, perhaps it is not a mistake. Perhaps it is part of who we are. To believe… even when we shouldn't."
The audience goes "awww."
Rodimus adds:
"Besides, if no one believed in anyone… what would be left?"
"PEACE! STABILITY! LESS THERAPY FOR ME!" Primus snaps, before continuing. "Do you have any idea what it's like for me to watch you—my creations—make the same mistakes in every possible universe? Do you enjoy suffering?"
A brief silence follows. Rodimus glances at Optimus.
"It's not just 'I can fix him.' It's… 'I want to believe not everything is broken.'"
The audience reacts with a more sincere "awww."
Primus hesitates. For a brief moment, he almost softens—
Suddenly, the screen shows Megatron stealing the Matrix of Leadership and fleeing, leaving Optimus behind.
The audience bursts into laughter.
Primus immediately snaps back.
"NO! NO! NO! I AM NOT FALLING FOR THAT AGAIN!"
He stands up and begins pacing in circles.
"This is not nobility. This is… this is—"
"EMOTIONAL SELF-SABOTAGE WITH A HEROIC AESTHETIC!"
The audience laughs and applauds.
Optimus smiles slightly.
"You call it sabotage. I call it hope."
Primus stops pacing and looks at him from head to toe.
"I call it UNRESOLVED THERAPY."
The audience laughs.
Rodimus takes the opportunity:
"Is it always like this?"
The audience cheers.
Primus immediately snaps:
"DO NOT ASK THEM! THEY ENJOY THIS!"
Primus drops into his chair, exhausted.
"Look…"
"I am not asking for perfection."
"I am just asking… for once… JUST ONCE…"
He points at them.
"Choose someone who has not tried to destroy you."
"…that significantly reduces the options," Optimus replies.
The audience applauds.
"Yeah, the universe is complicated," Rodimus adds, crossing his arms.
"IT IS NOT THE UNIVERSE, IT IS YOU!" Primus snaps.
A small portal opens beside him. Unicron pokes his head through. Music plays. Applause sounds.
"I agree."
Primus doesn't even turn around.
"No one called you. Go back to whatever hole you came from."
"But I'll stay. This is entertaining."
Laughter.
Primus slowly stands again, breathing deeply.
"Fine. Last attempt."
He looks at them with divine intensity.
"Will you change? Did you learn your lesson?"
A long silence.
Optimus and Rodimus look at each other.
"…We'll try," Optimus says.
"No promises, but we'll try," Rodimus adds.
The audience reacts with a dramatic "ohhh."
Primus closes his optics, counting mentally.
"One…"
"Two…"
"Three…"
"I need a vacation."
"A vacation?" Rodimus asks.
"Yes. No Primes. No questionable emotional decisions. No 'I can fix him'—" he looks directly at Optimus, "ESPECIALLY that."
Laughter.
The announcer voice returns.
"Thank you for joining us in this episode! Don't forget to tune in next week at the same time!"
Optimus and Rodimus are once again enveloped in white light.
When it fades, they are back in the café.
Rodimus looks around.
"…Do you think he was right?"
"…Probably," Optimus replies, taking a sip of his energon.
******
Back in the show, Primus remains seated. Unicron is still there.
"Why are you still here? No one invited you."
"I came for the chaos."
The audience applauds.
"Is this your fault?"
"I destroy planets. They destroy their emotional stability on their own."
Everyone looks at Primus.
"I'm going to need another eternity."
Laughter and outro music play as the credits roll.