Title: Take Me To Your Leader
Fandom: Transformers G1/Bayverse xover with The Walking Dead
Author: FuziPenguin
Pairing/Characters: Ratchet, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe; Rick, Shane, Lori, Daryl, Glen
Rating: PG
Word Count: 463
Summary/Warnings: Written for the Crossover prompt from Wrench of Inspiration #17 at twins_x_ratch. See below the cut for more details on the scenario (spoilers for the ending of season 1 of The Walking Dead).
Disclaimer: This is a piece of fiction. No harm was intended in the creation of this work. All rights belong to the original creators.

The Scenario: This takes place not long after the end of Season 1 of The Walking Dead and prior to the events of the first Bayverse movie. Transformers scouts are still searching for the AllSpark; Bumblebee lands on Earth seeking a signal. His original reports indicate that there are no sentient lifeforms left due to some sort of plague. He eventually stumbles across several groups of humans, and he follows them for a short while, recording their language and learning what happened. Ratchet is sent to interact with one group of humans and to offer what medical assistance he can; Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are his guards. Optimus and the rest of the Ark crew are waiting in the distance. I picture the G1 descriptions (i.e. Sideswipe is red, Sunstreaker is yellow, etc). And then... first contact:

"So. From outer space. Up there?" Rick asked, one finger pointing upwards towards the sky.

"Uh huh," Sideswipe said, nodding.

The officer took off his hat and scrubbed a hand through his hair, shaking his head. "This is just… I mean… zombies. And then giant alien robots." The man's wife, Lori, came up behind him and gripped his hand tight.

"We're a little overwhelmed," she said.

"That's understandable," Ratchet said, his optics turning back to their normal color and indicating that his scan of Glen was complete. "We're a little overwhelmed as well. We never expected survivors. Our scout told us that all the population centers had been overrun."

"They were," Shane said, still eyeing the many weapons on the red warrior carefully. "I doubt there's more than a thousand or two of us worldwide. And we're all scattered, generally on the move."

Ratchet carefully lowered his hand, and Glen stepped off, nodding respectfully at the medic. "Learn anything?"

"You are certainly a fragile species. But highly resourceful," Ratchet commented, surveying their small mobile camp.

"We get by," a surly Daryl remarked, standing on the edge of the camp with his crossbow at the ready. He and Sunstreaker kept exchanging glances; Daryl obviously still didn't trust the Autobots, and Sunstreaker was still nursing his wrist where a lucky arrow had penetrated deep enough to nick a cable.

"You're very squishy," Sideswipe added, his head tilting to the side with curiosity as one of his fingers poked Rick in the side.

Rick stumbled back a few steps while Ratchet whapped Sideswipe upside the head.

"You'll have to forgive him; he's little more than a sparkling," Ratchet said, glaring at Sideswipe. The large warrior merely grinned and shrugged, moving to stand next to Sunstreaker.

"So what now?" Rick asked, brushing himself off from his accidental nudge.

Ratchet shifted on his knees, joints hissing and creaking with the motion. "Our leader, Optimus Prime, would like to speak to you. We wish to help."

"Help?" Daryl scoffed. "The last guy that 'helped' locked us inside an exploding building! Why should we trust you?"

Ratchet's head tilted to the side before his optics lingered over the RV sitting several feet away. There was a twitch in one of the curtains as the medic's gaze swept over the vehicle.

"I can understand that might be difficult. We would never force you to do anything. However… you must consider your options."

"What options?" Shane asked, his hands moving through the air with no little exasperation.

"Exactly."

Rick, Shane, and Lori exchanged glances. Glen dared to move closer to Sideswipe, eyes admiring the gleaming metal.

"So you guys can transform? Into cars?" Glen's voice floated across the clearing, and Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Think I can guess his vote," Daryl muttered.