Barbequed 'Gators: The First Cut

by Age of the Geek Baby

You've read the finished product, but are you curious to see what may have been posted? This is the first draft, so to speak, of Barbequed 'Gators. Come and take a look at what it originally was. I think the differences are minimal, but what do you think?

Disclaimer: I do not own, at all. Wish I did, but I don't.
Warning: Language, AU, OOC

A/N: This is the original version of Barbequed 'Gators, what I had first considered posting. I've posted this out of curiosity, since I want to see what you, the readers, thought about the changes that differences between the two. This, the 'original', and the 'revised' one, the first one I posted.

Word Count: 15,517
Published: 9 August 2009
Status: Complete

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Prologue:

Before time began, there was the Cube.

We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life.

That is how our race was born.

For a time, we lived in harmony, but like all great power, some wanted it for good, others for evil.

And so began the war, a war that ravaged our planet until it was consumed by death, and the Cube was lost to the far reaches of space.

We scattered across the galaxy, hoping to find it and rebuild our home, searching every star, every world.

And just when all hope seemed lost, message of a new discovery drew us to an unknown planet called...

Earth.

But we were already too late.

-Optimus Prime, Transformers(2007)-

Chapter One:

Qatar- The Middle East

Sitting amongst the soldiers, Sirius quietly listened to them talk. They had found him in the desert on their latest mission. It wasn't hard for him to fake amnesia for the majority of their questions. He really had no idea how he had ended up in the desert. And since he didn't have his wand, he figured that it was better to make friends than to try and put up a fight. Even though he had been introduced to all of them, he only remembered three of them. Lennox, Fig, and Epps. Listening to Fig and Epps talk, he couldn't stop himself from grinning.

"Oh, God, five months of this. I can't wait to get a little taste of home. A plate of mama's alligators etoufee." Sirius grin turned into an amused smirk. He could practically hear the man drooling.

"You've been talking about barbecued 'gators and crickets for the last two weeks. I'm never going to your mama's house, Fig. I promise." Snorting softly, Sirius knew that he would have agreed at one point, but that had been before he had lived off of rats and garbage for nearly a year. Barbecued 'gator and crickets sounded appetizing compared to some of the things he had been forced to eat.

"But Bobby, Bobby, 'gators are known to have the most succulent meat." Shaking his head, Sirius wondered if the two had this same argument before.

"I understand." They definitely had the same argument before.

Listening to Fig speak in Spanish, he wondered if he should make an effort to learn the language. Hearing Epps speak in mock Spanish, Sirius gave a particualarly mischevious smile as he decided that it would be worth the effort to learn the language just for the aggravation value.

"English, please. English." Sirius sat back for what looked like a good argument, but Lennox chose that moment to intervene.

"English. I mean, how many times have we... We don't speak Spanish. I told you that."

"Why you got to ruin it for me, man? That's my heritage." Sirius gave an amused smile as Fig abruptly switched back to Spanish. Lennox's tired look and response told him that this wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last, that he had asked Fig to speak in English.

"Okay. Go with the Spanish. Whatever." Another soldier with glasses, sitting next to him quickly entered the conversation and changed the subject.

"Hey, you guys remember weekends? Huh? The Sox at Fenway. Cold hotdog and a flat beer." All the talk about food was starting to make him hungry. Sirius idly wondered how long it would be before he was able to get something to eat when they finally landed. He was startled when Fig suddenly invited him into the conversation.

"Perfect day. Black, you got a perfect day?" Thinking about it, Sirius came up with two answers.

"Yeah. Running wild with my friends before Pettigrew betrayed us and got my best friend and his wife killed. That used to be my perfect day. Now though, my perfect day would be spending time with my godson. Take Prongslet out and just spend the day doing anything and everything he wants. Of course, Lily probably would have killed me and James would have funded the entire thing if they were still around." Sighing, Sirius wondered how Harry was doing. When he had fallen through the Veil, the look of absolute terror in wide emerald eyes had broken his heart. That was the last thing he had seen before he found himself being shaken awake in a desert.

As if sensing his dark thoughts, Fig turned the focus onto Lennox. "What about you, Captain? You got a perfect day?"

Seeing the goofy smile, Sirius had an idea what the man was going to say before he said it. "Ahh, I just can't wait to hold my baby girl for the first time."

He was right. James had worn that same look as he thought about holding his son when he was born. The good natured taunts and Lennox's response had Sirius grinning again. The man was definitely a first time father.

"He's adorable."

"That's too cute."

"Shut up!"

When they finally landed, Sirius decided that he really liked the group of soldiers that had found him. The base commander didn't do more than order him to listen to Lennox's orders, preoccupied with dealing with a more serious problem than the lost British man with amnesia, no pun intended. After getting him something to eat, Lennox dropped him off with Epps so he could go and speak with his wife and see his baby girl. The man was practically giddy with excitement, not that Sirius blamed him. Everytime he had visited his godson, before he had wound up in Azkaban, he had been giddy with excitement.

As night fell, Sirius followed Epps to where he would sleep for the night when there was a sudden swarm of activity as armed soldiers moved to surround a helicopter that just landed. The sudden sound of weapons going off had Sirius on his guard. When Epps took off in a sprint, Sirius was right on his heels. He might not be able to do much, but he would do what he could.

"They bombed the antenna farm. We're under attack."

Seeing Lennox trying to help a kid get under cover, he grabbed the kid, freeing Lennox to fire at the mechanical monster that was destroying the base. Ducking under a tank with the kid, he took a closer look at what was attacking them. It was nothing like he had ever seen. Nothing real anyway. It actually kinda reminded him of the muggle 'anime', Gundam Wing.

The robotic suits piloted by teenage kids, although vastly different to what he was actually looking at, still reminded him of what was currently blowing things up. The main difference that he could place was that the robot was living, sentient. It was not being 'piloted' by something or someone else. Sirius was suddenly very grateful that Harry wasn't there with him. The poor boy had enough problems dealing with Voldemort. He didn't need to deal with giant alien robots in a different world as well.

Department of Mystery, London, England

Terror gripping his heart, Harry watched in horror as Sirius fell through the Veil. He didn't even realized he had screamed, or that he was moving until he felt someone try to grab him. He yanked away from their grasp and darted towards the Veil, his hand reaching out in a desperate attempt to grab his godfather. His fingers had barely brushed the fluttering material when a sensation that was like a cross between Floo and a Portkey gripped him. The last thing he heard before everything went black was someone screaming his name.

Qatar- The Middle East

Resting against what seemed to be an abandoned tank, Sirius wiped at the sweat that trickled down the back of his neck. Listening to the soldiers talk, Sirius got a sinking feeling when Fig spoke about his 'mama' having the gift, and how he had the gene too. He may not be a Seer, but Sirius knew to take Fig seriously. His godson was the subject of a prophecy, he knew better than to ignore another person's premonitions. When he heard Epps say that the radio was fried, Sirius felt a chill go down his spine. Things were going to get bad.

"Mahfouz. How far do you live from here?"

"Not far. Just over that mountain." Sirius snorted quietly. It really wasn't that far, but he knew from experience that things could go straight to hell in moments. He could only hope that they would reach the village before something happened.

"Do they have a phone?"

"Yes."

"Alright boys, let's hit it."

Getting to his feet, Sirius once again found himself grateful that Harry wasn't here with him. His godson really didn't need to deal with any more shit than he already was. Then again, Harry may have found this to be a better alternative than dealing with Voldemort.

Tranquility

Groaning, Harry slowly opened his eyes, wincing in pain as he tried to sit up. After what felt like an eternity, he finally managed to get himself into a sitting position, only to groan as he noticed his surroundings. He was in some kind of rundown building, possibly a warehouse. It was night, but he was able to pick up the slightly muffled sound of a train. Given how close it was, he knew he was at least near the tracks, if not at some kind of train station or yard. Ignoring how his body ached, Harry forced himself to his feet and stumbled almost drunkenly to an opening that seemed to lead outside.

Staggering, he latched onto a nearby pole to keep from falling. Looking around, he blinked in surprise as he saw something large standing up and sending out some kind of signal into the sky. What really bothered him though was that he could sense something from the direction of the giant robot thing. Hearing barking dogs, as well as someone running, he forced himself to start moving away from the sound. Which unfortunately, led him back into the very warehouse he had just left. He was just starting to wonder if he should start panicking when an empty yellow Camaro came to a stop in front of him after chasing away the two dogs that had cornered a teenager. The driver-less car was also the source of the warm presence he had sensed earlier.

Knees threatening to give out under him, he slumped against the car, not caring at the moment that he had no idea what it was. As soon as he touched the vehicle, a tingling sensation swept through him. It felt like what happened whenever he touched someone with magic, only much more powerful. Catching a glimpse of flashing lights and the sound of sirens, Harry once more fought against his exhaustion and stumbled as quietly away as he could, ignoring the sensation that the car was watching him go. He rather not talk to anyone until he at least had a vague idea of where he was and what was going on. Especially since the voices he heard, while speaking in English, were not British.

Chapter Two:

Qatar- Middle East

"Let's hope this telephone line works." With the village just in sight, Sirius couldn't help but agree with Lennox's sentiment. When he heard Fig shouting a heads up, dread clung to his spine in an icy grip. Whatever had caused the tower to fall, meant that their luck had just run out.

Epps shout of surprise had Sirius whirling around just in time to see Lennox narrowly avoid being skewered. Sand flew as the soldiers opened fire on an enemy they couldn't really see. For a moment, silence fell as Lennox ordered for quiet. It was long enough for the sand to settle and Sirius to see a giant robotic scorpion skewer one of the soldiers on its tail. Scrambling in the sand, Sirius sprinted as best as he could in the sand. Once again helping the small boy to keep up so Lennox had his hands free. Reaching the village, he quickly found some cover near Fig, Lennox taking the kid to find his father and a phone.

Studying the thing, his first thought of it looking like a scorpion was accurate. It really did look like a scorpion, except for the small matters of it being a mechanical monstrosity and the missiles it was firing. Noticing the orange smoke, and hearing Lennox's order to 'laze target', Sirius hoped that whatever was coming would be more effective than the bullets that they were currently shooting at it. Never before had he wished for a wand more than in that moment. He would like to see how it would have lasted against a blasting hex, or even an Incendio.

Cursing, he dove out of the way as a stray missile blew up a little too close for comfort. Ignoring the ringing in his ears, he looked around for Fig, eyes widening as he saw the downed man. Crawling towards him, he put to use the small amount of muggle first aid he knew, courtesy of Lily. Putting pressure to the wound, he stared into pained brown eyes.

"Hey man, don't even think you can bloody well die on me. How the hell am I gonna help you feed barbecue 'gators and crickets to Epps if you aren't around? 'Sides, I need you to teach me Spanish." Continuing to keep pressure on the gaping wound, Sirius kept up the one sided conversation, relieved that Fig was focusing on his voice to keep conscious. Hearing Lennox shouting Fig's name, Sirius raised his voice to get the man's attention.

"Over here! We're over here." Sirius didn't move until the medic pushed him aside. Keeping out of the way, he made himself useful by helping to grab the broken piece of tail. The scorpion was no where in sight, but Sirius was relieved that the thing was injured and unlikely to show up again.

It wasn't long before Sirius found himself helping to carry Fig as Lennox flagged down the helicopter. Sirius tried not to think about what would be waiting for him once they arrived in the States. Even though he wasn't a soldier, let alone American, he would still be accompanying Lennox's team as they were flown back to the States to be debriefed. He could only hope that Sirius Black was not a wanted murderer in this world, for he was positive that he was in another world. After all, he wasn't dead.

Tranquility

Staring up the truck's undercarriage, Harry wondered just how many times he had narrowly avoided death in his short existence. There was the night his parents were murdered, the troll in first year, Fluffy, his encounter with Quirrel and Voldemort, that wasn't including his run in with Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. He wouldn't count that one though, since he couldn't be sure that Voldemort would have killed him. Then his second year he nearly died when crashing into the Whomping Willow, his run in with Aaragog and his children, that one probably at least counted as two, and then when he fought the Basalisk. That had to count as three, since he was nearly crushed before he ran into the Basalisk, and than the giant snake had almost glared him to death not to mention being bitten. Fawkes saved him from dying then. Plus Dobby, he couldn't forget the eccentric house elf. The elf had nearly killed him with that bludger.

Third year, he avoided death three times. Once, when the Dementors swarmed the Quidditch field, a second time when he nearly had his soul sucked out by Dementors, and because of the time travel, he wasn't sure if he should count his encounter with Moony once or twice. Fourth year, he had a lot of near death experiences. The Triwizard Tournament counted at least three times. The Hungarian Horntail, having to swim to the bottom of the lake, and encountering the giant spider as well as blast-ended skwert. He'd have to add another near death experience just for having to deal with Hagrid's skwerts. It certainly felt like he was courting death everytime he had to care for them. Then came Voldemort's resurrection. He avoided death several times with each killing curse he dodged. Plus his encounter with the fake Moody.

And this last year, he avoided having his soul sucked out during the summer. The run in with the cenetaurs and Grawp, although he maybe shouldn't count that one, then again maybe he should. The battle in the Department of Mysteries definitely counted, since he was fairly sure he ducked at least two spells that would have killed him. And he could always count his trip through the Veil as well, since it really could have led to his death.

So, one near death experience before he started Hogwarts. Three for his first year, maybe four if he counted the Devil's Snare or the chess game. At least four for his second year, possibly five or six. Third year, if he counted his double encounter with Moony as one, his total came to three. Fourth year, he had three for sure, plus at least another four. Fifth year, his total came to at least four. That would bring his total of near death experiences to a minimum of twenty-two. And if he added the last few minutes, he had nearly died a grand total of twenty-three times.

He was brought out of his morbid train of thought about how many times he had flirted with death when two bright blue 'eyes' looked down at him from a metal face. Blinking, Harry suddenly realized that he was no longer underneath a truck, but staring up at a giant robot being thing. He could also sense its concern through its warm presence.

"Are you injured?" The deep rumbling voice definitely had a hint of concern in it, so he wasn't imagining things.

Closing his eyes, he slowly counted to ten before opening them again. The robot was still there. He really wasn't hallucinating. Sighing he carefully sat up. When he found Sirius, he was going to punch the man. It was entirely his fault that he was even counting how many near death experiences he had. Well, it wasn't entirely Sirius' fault. It was mostly Voldemort's. But since he doubted he would run into Voldemort, he couldn't deck the evil megalomaniac, which left him with Sirius once he found the man.

Eyes widening, Harry suddenly burst out laughing. He wouldn't have to deal with Voldemort unless the Dark Lord followed him through the Veil. So, after decking his godfather, he would give the man a hug. Giant alien robots seemed like a vast improvement compared to dealing with Voldemort and the unwanted title of 'Saviour of the Wizarding World'. A definite improvement from having to deal with his fame and the double standard the Wizarding World had for him.

Staring down at the laughing human, Ironhide wondered if his appearance had caused the teenager to have a mental breakdown. The little human had suddenly appeared in front of him, barely giving him enough time to slam on the brakes. Afraid he had killed the human, he quickly transformed. The human was lying flat on his back, seemingly dazed as he stared at something he couldn't see. A quick scan revealed that the human was alive, and seemingly uninjured, but he wasn't a medic.

"Are you injured?" He asked the question as soon as he realized that the human was looking at him. The bright green eyes went wide before closing. He was beginning to worry that the boy had passed out when the stunning green orbs were revealed again and the little human let out a sigh before sitting up. When he started to laugh suddenly, Ironhide really began to wonder if the boy had hit his head and required medical attention. Just as suddenly as the boy started laughing, he stopped.

Realizing that it had been at least ten minutes since he had first slammed on his brakes, Ironhide was torn on what he should do. He needed to meet up with the others, but he couldn't just leave the possibly injured human. His guilt at being responsible for his injuries was only intensified when he realized that the boy was nothing more than a youngling. Coming to a decision, he quickly transformed back into his alt mode, opening the passenger door.

"Get in."

His laughter dying in his throat, Harry stared rather helplessly at the large robot that was radiating worry and guilt. The large being had asked him if he was injured and he had laughed, which only made the big guy worry even more, as well as made him feel guilty. He was just about to open his mouth and say something, anything, when with clicks and whirrs the truck that had ran him over loomed in front of him, the passenger side door open.

"Get in." Deciding not to argue, and feeling guilty about making the large being worry, Harry carefully stood up and climbed into the cab. The door shut behind him with a quiet click as he fumbled slightly with the seatbelt. The truck roared to life as soon as he was buckled in. Still exhausted, despite having slept for the day after he found an abandoned building to sleep in, Harry found himself slipping into a light doze. He didn't wake up again until he felt the truck come to a stop and the seat belt release itself. Seeing the open door, Harry needed no further prompt to climb out of the vehicle.

Noting that he was in an alley of some sort, his attention was diverted from his surroundings as he saw the yellow Camaro and two slightly older teens. He vaguely recognized the taller male, but his attention was focused on the yellow robot that seemed to have wings. He recognized his presence, his aura, his 'core', for lack of a better word. It was exactly the same as the yellow Camaro he had seen when he first arrived.

His attention was drawn away from him as the biggest robot knelt in front of the other two teenagers and spoke. "Are you Samuel James Witwicky, descendant of Archibald Witwicky?"

"They know your name." She had whispered the words softly, but Harry still heard her from where he stood slightly hidden behind the robot that had almost killed him. He really did need to find out his name.

"Yeah." Hearing the hesitation in the taller teen's voice, Harry wondered if it was mean of him to secretly enjoy the fact that he was for once, not the center of attention.

"My name is Optimus Prime. We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron." Harry gave a mental cheer that he had been right about them being giant alien robots.

"But you can call us Autobots for short." Turning to look at the robot that had once been an ambulance, Harry felt a shiver go down his spine. He suddenly had a very bad feeling that he wasn't going to always like the red and yellow alien robot.

"What's cracking little bitches?"

"My first lieutenant. Designation, Jazz."

"This looks like a cool place to kick it." Watching the smallest of the five do a fancy looking trick before sprawling onto a broken down car, Harry gave a sad smile. The silver mech reminded him strongly of Sirius. His core gave off a similar warm and fun loving vibe as his godfather. He was so distracted by the thought of how his godfather would like Jazz, he only barely caught the comment Optimus made on how they learned 'Earth's languages on the World Wide Web.' Ah, the wonders of Internet.

"Our medical officer, Ratchet." Staring at the yellow and red mech, Harry slowly began to inch back. Now he knew why he had gotten the chills when he saw Ratchet. The mech was a medic, something that never ended well for him. He had barely been able to escape Madam Pomfrey, how the hell was he going to manage to avoid or escape a giant bloody alien robot?

"The boy's pheromone level suggests he wants to mate with the female." Harry hid a smile. That had to be embarrassing for the two teens. Even in the dark, he could see the faint blushes they had.

"You already know your guardian, Bumblebee."

Listening to Bumblebee use the radio to speak as he danced around, Harry felt his grin widening. The 'core' felt younger than the others, which had Harry thinking that the yellow bot was the equivalent of a human in their late teens or early twenties.

"His vocal processors were damaged in battle. I'm still working on them." Noticing the disgruntled note in Ratchet's voice, Harry knew that the medic had to be itching to properly 'heal' his patient.

Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he felt and heard the humming energy. It turned out to be his would be killer. "You feeling lucky, punk?"

"My weapons specialist, Ironhide." When Optimus said his name, their was a note of warning in his voice. Finally having a name to go with the large black mech, Harry wondered when he would be noticed.

"I'm just kidding. I just wanted to show him my cannons." Snorting, Harry quickly slapped a hand over his mouth as everyone turned to look at him.

"Ironhide, who is this?" Suddenly seeming to remember his presence, Ironhide turned to Ratchet.

Eyes widening, Harry quickly spoke to divert the attention from himself by asking the question that seemed to be bugging the other two teenagers. "Why are you here?"

That seemed to do the trick as Optimus spoke. "We are here looking for the All Spark. And we must find it before Megatron."

"Mega-what." Rolling his eyes, Harry spoke up.

"Megatron. Let me guess, he wants the All Spark so he can somehow use it to take over the world and wipe out human kind." If he was right, Harry was definitely decking Sirius as soon as he saw his godfather again. Ironhide and Jazz chuckled at his statement.

"Got it in one kid." Harry groaned, glaring darkly up at Ironhide as the weapons specialist chuckled at him.

Glancing at the older teens, Harry noticed that they didn't seem to understand how bad the situation was. Optimus seemed to notice as well since he did something that suddenly had the them standing in a hologram of some sort. It was remarkably like the pensive he had the misfortune of entering.

"Our planet was once a powerful empire, peaceful and just, until we were betrayed by Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. All who defied them were destroyed. Our war finally consumed the planet, and the All Spark was lost to the stars. Megatron followed it to Earth, where Captain Witwicky found him." Listening to Optimus speak, Harry stared at the destruction before him. Eyes going flat, Harry tried not to think about just how similar Megatron and his Decepticons seemed compared to Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

"My grandfather."

"It was an accident that entertwined our fates." Harry snorted at that. He highly doubted that it was a mere accident that led to Sam's grandfather finding Megatron. His parents were dead because of a prophecy, even if he hadn't heard its contents, it was obvious that Voldemort had heard enough of it to attempt to kill him.

"Megatron crashed landed before he could retrieve the Cube. Captain Witwicky accidentally activated his navigation system. The coordinates to the Cube's location on Earth were imprinted on his glasses."

"How'd you know about his glasses?"

"eBay." Choking back a laugh, Harry was highly amused by the thought that a pair of glasses that could decide whether or not Earth was destroyed were for sale on eBay.

"If the Decepticons find the All Spark, they will use its power to transform Earth's machines and build a new army." Eyes widening, he stared at Ratchet as he fully comprehended the importance of the All Spark. The Wizarding World may see him as nothing more than an emotional, bratty teenager with a short temper that had a knack for DADA, that didn't mean he was. He barely even heard Optimus speaking, or the comment that the girl made.

"And the human race will be extinguished. Sam Witwicky, you hold the key to Earth's survival."

"Please tell me that you have those glasses."

He barely heard them speaking since he was busy trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the thing that brought life to Cybertron, that probably kept the planet alive, was somewhere on Earth. Not to mention the fact that the Decepticons wanted to use it to create an army of what would probably be children. Eyes hardening, Harry silently vowed to do anything and everything in his power to keep the Cube, the All Spark, from falling into the hands of the Decepticons.

Somewhere Over The Atlantic

Watching the others examining the tail, Sirius stayed as far away from it as he could. The fact that it could be hurt was a relief, but he would have felt a lot more confident if he had a wand. Some of the stronger fire spells he knew would undoubtedly do a lot of damage. He was not happy about being unable to defend himself. But as he watched the tail suddenly arch forward and nearly stab Epps, he started to think that maybe he should sit this fight out. Giant alien robots were not his area of expertise, no matter how many episodes of Gundam Wing he had watched. Or how much he agreed with Lennox about them being wicked.

Chapter Three:

Tranquility, Sam's House

Sitting in Ironhide's cab, Harry pondered everything he had just learned. He was fairly sure that his conclusion that the All Spark/Cube brought life to Cybertron was right, but he couldn't be positive unless he asked. And he needed to be sure, especially since he got the feeling that Optimus Prime would rather see the Cube destroyed than in the hands of Megatron. It would mean the extinction of his race, but it would also prevent any future generations from living in a war torn world or being used as weapons.

"Ironhide, the Cube is what gave you and your world life, isn't it?"

Startled by the perceptive question, it took Ironhide several minutes to think of a response. "Yes, it is. The All Spark is the reason that we aren't mindless drones, nothing more than machines. The All Spark gives us our Sparks, what you humans would call souls. The Cube is what creates Sparklings."

"Megatron will use it to give Earth's machines Sparks of their own, essentially creating an endless army as long as he has a supply of machines to bring to life. It won't matter how many you can destroy, Megarton would simply replace them with the Cube. If he gets the Cube, there would be no stopping him from conquering the universe, not unless there's an uprising in his ranks. You will be fighting a lost war the moment he gets the Cube, won't you?" Noting the dull eyes, Ironhide carefully considered the small teenager, knowing that the boy would know the truth even if he lied.

"Yes, but we will not let the Decepticons get their slaggin' claws on it." Ironhide knew that the boy heard the silent, 'even if we have to destroy it', by his bowed head and sorrowful expression. The petite human really did understand the war that they were fighting, which had him wondering just what had forced the boy's eyes to reflect a wisdom well beyond his age. The youngling shouldn't feel like a harden war veteran, one that had seen far too much.

"You never did tell us your name." The comment was spoken casually, but it got the desired result Ironhide wanted. It had the green-eyed human smiling sheepishly and no longer lost in dark thoughts.

"My name's Harry." Ironhide noted how the boy seemed to subconsciously flatten his bangs over a thin, lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead as he gave his name. He didn't comment on it, nor on how the teen didn't give a last name.

"As soon as we stop, I'm going to have Ratchet examine you."

"I'm fine Ironhide, just a little bruised when I fell. I tripped and landed flat on my back before you could hit me. I'm lucky you have such a high frame, you drove right over me."

Ironhide hummed softly, agreeing that the teen really had been lucky. He would still ask Ratchet to look the boy over, but discretely. He was sure that Harry had been quick to assure him that he was fine because he didn't want to deal with a medic, which led him to believe that the teen had spent too much time in an infirmary. The thought of the boy injured and in pain had Ironhide itching to shoot something, preferably the one responsible for Harry being in that state to begin with.

Further conversation was prevented as Ironhide came to a stop. They had finally reached Sam's house, the trip having felt longer than it actually was, but Ironhide figured it was more because of what they had talked about then the actual distance to the house. As Harry climbed out of his cab, Ironhide silently opened a private communication line with Ratchet.

=Ratchet, can you scan Harry without him noticing? I nearly ran him over and want to make sure he isn't injured aside from the few bruises he claims he has from the fall.=

-You ran him over?-

=Not on purpose. He stumbled out of an alleyway seconds before I would have passed it. My sensors told me that I didn't hit him, but I want to be sure that he isn't hurt.=

-Fine, but you had better tell Optimus why another human child knows of our existence.-

Remembering the little girl that had asked him if he was the 'tooth fairy', Ironhide wisely decided not to mention that encounter. He already knew that Optimus would short out his audio receptors once he told him exactly how Harry came to be in his company. At the moment, he wouldn't say anything until after they had found the Cube. Optimus had enough to worry about without the knowledge that he had convinced a child to help them fight a war that wasn't his. And Ironhide was fairly sure that something Optimus had either said or done had Harry determined to help the Autobots, regardless if they wanted his help or not.

Stretching, Harry gave a slight wince of pain as he pulled on soar muscles. Feeling a tingling sensation spread across his skin, Harry forced himself not to turn around and shoot a glare at Ironhide. The truck had obviously asked Ratchet to check him for injuries, and he wouldn't have noticed either if he wasn't so sensitive to his surroundings. He gave a resigned sigh when he felt Ironhide's Spark pulse with relief. He would forgive the mech, since he really was worried about him, but only just this once.

"Hi, I'm Mikaela. How did you wind up dragged into this? I mean, I ran into Sam when he was attacked and Bumblebee saved us. So, what happened to you?"

"Harry. Just a bit of bad luck. Bullets for brains over there needs to get his visual sensors checked since he ran me over. He might need to get his circuitry checked as well since he decided that he should add kidnapping to his hit and run." Harry kept a straight face as Mikaela stared at him. He even managed not to smile as Ironhide gave what could only be described as a squeak as Optimus suddenly loomed over him, looking decidedly dangerous.

"He ran you over?!" Wide-eyed, Mikaela looked at him as if he was a ghost. Unable to hold it any longer, Harry began to snicker.

"It isn't as bad as I made it sound. I was crossing the street when I tripped and landed on my back, a split second before Ironhide would have hit me. He had just turned a corner when I had started crossing the street. Just bad timing really. Fortunately, his frame's so high off the ground he stopped right on top of me without giving me a single scratch. He had me come along with him since I think he wanted Ratchet to scan me for injuries, and it wasn't like he could drop me off at a hospital. I also wasn't really responsive, so he probably thought I had a head injury."

"You started laughing like a maniac. You either had head trauma or had a mental breakdown at my appearance."

Snorting, Harry gave the truck a dry look. "It was neither. I was simply counting the number of near death experiences that I had. When I realized that number twenty three could be added as nearly being ran over by a giant alien robot, I decided to laugh instead of cry. It made me feel better anyway." It wasn't the real reason, but close enough to the truth that he didn't feel bad about lying.

Realizing that the Autobots were now entering Sam's backyard, Harry followed Mikaela with equal parts amusement and annoyance. For really advanced giant alien robots, they were being rather stupid. Sam's parents were clearly still awake, and would most likely freak out at the sight of the Autobots. Standing back, he silently watched as a harassed looking Sam tried to talk them into leaving his backyard. When the small Chihuahua peed on Ironhide, Harry had to bite the inside's of his cheeks to keep form laughing. He had to tell Sirius about the small dog 'leaking lubricants' on an alien robot. His godfather would undoubtedly do the same as Padfoot once he stopped laughing long enough to change into the Grim looking dog.

Shaking his head, Harry watched as the Autobots did 'recon' instead of hiding. It had barely been a minute since Sam had went inside when Optimus lifted both him and Mikaela up to Sam's bedroom window. Ignoring the others, he swiftly scanned the room for a backpack or eyeglass case. Sam was beginning to panic when he couldn't find either in his room when he heard shifting metal. Looking out the window with the two older teens, he groaned.

"This isn't hiding. This isn't hiding. This is my backyard, not a truck stop."

When Optimus poked his head back into the window, Harry was tempted to snap at the Autobot leader, but Sam managed to convince him to back off so they could look. Unfortunately, Rachet managed to fall down, taking out some power lines on the way down as well as causing the house to shake in resemblance to an earthquake. The lights went out.

Hearing Sam's parents getting closer to his room, Harry finally lost his patience when Ratchet shined a light into the room. Darting to the window, he pushed Sam out of his way so he could glare at the Autobots.

"Turn that light off now." Hearing Sam's dad starting to count, Harry snarled before grabbing Mikaela and pulling her over to hide in a corner as Sam moved to open his door. Just before the door opened, Harry whispered to the girl. "Just go with it if I talk."

Only paying partial attention to Sam trying to get his parents to leave, Harry tried to figure out what had him on edge. He was trying to pinpoint each of the Autobots' Sparks when the conversation caught his attention.

"Oh for Pete's sake! You are so defensive! Were you... masturbating?" Eyes widening, Harry barely kept himself from choking in shock. Sam's mom did not just ask that question.

"Judy." "Was I mastur-" "Zip it, okay?" "No, Mom."

"It's okay."

"No, I don't masturbate." "That's not something for you to bring up. That's a father-and-son thing, okay." "Father-son thing."

"That's okay. I mean, you don't have to call it that word if it makes you uncomfortable. You can call it... Sam's happy time or..."

"Happy time?"

"...my special alone time..."

"Stop." "Mom." "Judy, stop."

"...with myself."

"Mom, you can't come in and..." "I'm sorry. It's just been a weird night. I've had a little bit to drink."

Blushing, Harry nearly fell over when the ground shook again. Getting fed up, Harry stood up, dragging Mikaela with him as he cleared his throat. "Hi, I'm Harry. And this is my cousin Mikaela. We're friends of Sam."

Relieved that they had avoided getting in trouble, he followed Sam into the kitchen, amused when Mikaela commented on how Sam's mom was nice. He agreed, the woman felt nice. Seeing Sam with the glasses, he gave a sigh of relief, only to frown darkly when he heard the doorbell. Moving out of the kitchen, he kept out of sight for the moment as he watced Judy confront what seemed to be the man in charge.

"Good Lord! They've got to get their hands of my bush!"

"Drop the bat ma'am, I am carrying a loaded weapon." Moving forward as the man forced Judy to lower the bat, Harry was ready to interfere when Sam's mom growled at the man.

"You better get those guys out of my garden or I am going to beat the crap out of them!" Grinning widely, Harry quietly slipped into the room to stand next to Sam's dad. Judy defintely was a woman you didn't mess with.

His grin disappeared as Sam and Mikaela entered the room and the man gave Sam a wide, friendly smile that reminded him too much of Umbridge. He wanted something, and they weren't going to like it. When the man asked for Sam to go with him, Harry knew that things were about to go to hell. And he was proved right when the man scanned Sam with a machine that began to beep loudly.

"Bingo. Tag them and bag them."

Resisting the urge to fight, he allowed himself to be handcuffed and led from the house, smiling as he heard Judy yelling at the man leading Mojo away. "If you hurt my dog, I'll kick your ass!"

His smile vanished though when he was placed into the same car as Sam and Mikaela, ending up in between the two. He was now positive that this had to do with the Autobots. Face going blank, he completely tuned out the conversation around him as he tried to find Ironhide's Spark. If he could find the weapons specialist, he would be able to sense how far away the Autobots were from them. He registered that Ironhide's Spark was nearby just a moment before the machine that Simmons had used began to beep rapidly. Harry had barely braced himself for impact when the car came to a jolting stop, only to be lifted up into the air. The roof tore off and the car fell about six feet.

"Oh, you assholes are in trouble now. Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Optimus Prime." Harry gave a slight smile. It was a good remark, especially when Optimus growled down at the two agents as the other agents moved to surround the wrecked vehicle, aiming their guns at the Autobot leader.

"Taking the children was a bad move. Autobots, relieve them of their weapons."

Feeling four Sparks coming from behind them, Harry grinned widely as he heard Ironhide's cannons whirr to life, his voice an intimidating rumble. "Freeze."

"Give me those." Watching the guns fly into Jazz's hand, Harry finally allowed himself to relax. There was minimal chance now of someone getting hurt. Optimus knelt down on his hands and knees, bringing his face closer to the two agents standing in their seats as the other Autobots surrounded them with weapons drawn.

"Hi there." Harry frowned as he heard only the faintest trace of fear in the man's voice. Something was wrong, and he was glad to hear that Optimus had picked up on it as well.

"You don't seem afraid. Are you not surprise to see us?"

"Look, there are S-Seven protocols, okay? I'm not authorized to communicate with you except to tell you I can't communicate with you." Red flags immediately went up in Harry's mind when he heard the word authorized. S-Seven was definitely some kind of secret organization, whether or not it was connected to the government had yet to be seen.

"Get out of the car." While the words were growled at the agents, Harry followed the order anyway, rubbing his wrists after Mikaela uncuffed him. He would have done it himself if he had something to pick the lock, but he didn't. Giving Mikaela a smile he landed lightly on his feet after jumping out of the car.

"You good with handcuffs too, now, huh?" Annoyed, Harry rubbed his temples as he growled at Sam.

"Bloody hell, quit with the drama. If I had a bobby pin, I would have picked the locks myself. So what if she has a juvie record? My godfather was framed for mass murder and spent almost thirteen years in prison before he escaped. Just because his record says he's a homicidal maniac doesn't mean he is."

Stressed, Harry made his way over to Ironhide and rested his forehead against the cool metal of his leg. The reality of the last couple days had finally decided to sink in and he felt like the child that he was. He was close to reaching his breaking point and wanted nothing more than for Sirius to hug him and tell him that everything would be alright, like he had one night during the summer when he was worried about being expelled. The others had told him that Dumbledore would take care of it, that he didn't need to worry, refusing to let him show anything but a confidant face.

Taking a deep breath, Harry forced his fear back and steeled his nerves. He couldn't break down just yet, not until the Autobots had the Cube in their possession. He had vowed to help them and he would be useless if he broke down now. With one more deep breath, Harry straightened his back and stood tall, moving away from Ironhide as he turned to join Sam and Mikaela.

He turned just in time to see Simmons get hit in the back of the head with what appeared to be a gas cap. As the man reached a hand to rub the spot, Bumblebee began to spray some type of liquid onto the man. It actually looked like the yellow mech was taking a piss on Simmons head. Eyes dancing, the snickers he had held back broke free once Optimus spoke. "Bumblebee, stop lubricating the man."

He was sitll snickering as he helped Sam and Mikaela handcuff the men in a chain. Listening to Simmons and his second in command complain, Harry knew that Sector Seven was part of the government. They wouldn't threaten a federal offense if they weren't capable of seeing it through. Hearing the approaching helicopters, Harry cursed himself for not searching them for cell phones. They had called in reinforcements.

Climbing into Optimus' hand with Sam and Mikaela, he tightly latched himself onto his shoulder as he ran through the town, quickly ditching the helicopters that were following them. He almost lost his balance as Optimus hid from sight underneath a bridge. Just as the helicopters were about to pass beneath them, Mikaela fell, Sam barely keeping her and himself from falling completely. Grabbing Sam's arm, he tried to pull them up, only to get dragged off as well. Grabbing onto Sam, he gave a soft grunt of pain when his shoulder collided with Optimus' foot. The collision slowed their fall just enough for Bumblebee to transform and snag them mere feet before they would have hit solid cement.

He had barely regained his footing when Bumblebee was shot by a harpoon with cables. Ignoring the agents that were ordering them to get down on the ground, he darted towards Bumblebee, screaming for them to leave him alone as he tackled one of the agents. It took four agents to hold him down and another two to get a strong enough grip on his arms that they were able to drag him away. He was brought in front of Simmons at the same time as Sam.

"Happy to see me again? Put them in the car with their other criminal friend." Able to clearly feel Bumblebee's fear and pain through the mech's Spark, Harry didn't notice that he had tears silently streaming down his cheeks. With a snarl that would have done Moony proud, Harry tore his arm free and decked the man as hard as he could. The pain in his fist wasn't even noticed as he watched Simmons stagger and nearly fall. He didn't get a chance for a second blow as he was forcibly lifted and shoved into a car with Mikaela, Sam pushed in after him. Staring at Bumblebee through the window, he tried his hardest not to break down into sobs.

His ability to sense others was a double-edged blade since for some he could sense their emotions as well as their presence. His ability as an empath was one of the reasons why he had found it so difficult in trying to learn Occlumency. Snape's annoyance, disdain, and utter dislike of him had made it next to impossible to concentrate, let alone focus enough to shield his mind. He now wished that he could shield his mind, if just to lessen the intensity of the fear and pain he could feel coming from Bumblebee.

Nellis Airforce Base

Glad to be on solid ground again, Sirius forced back his fatigue as he followed Epps and Lennox away from the plane. They had barely gotten a few yards away when a man in a suit ran up to them after getting out of an SUV that suddenly came to a stop.

"Captain Lennox, we need you and your team to come with us right now! Let's go!" The man grabbed Lennox's bag from him and jogged towards the SUV. Following Lennox, Sirius wondered if he would be able to take a shower and change into some clean clothes soon. Epps had already said he would let him borrow a clean uniform until he had a chance to get some clothes of his own.

It turned out that whoever they were going to meet was important, since they were allowed to take quick showers and change into clean clothes before being bustled onto a helicopter. He actually looked like a soldier in the uniform, but clearly wasn't with his long hair and no hat. He did make an effort not to stick out more than he already did by tying his hair back in a tight, if short, braid. Epps even dug out a spare hat for him to wear to help hide his long hair, which was definitely against regulations. A quick lesson in how to salute, and he was as ready for where they were going as he was going to get.

Hoover Dam

Sliding out of the car, Harry moved towards where he saw a group of soldiers standing at attention. They were just about to start walking when he recognized a familiar presence. Darting past Simmons, who was sporting a dark purple bruise on his left jaw, Harry tackled the man at the very end of the line. Landing on top of him, he ignored startled blue eyes and punched him hard across the jaw. Not nearly as hard as when he hit Simmons, but still hard enough. As soon as that was done he wrapped his arms around his neck and buried his face into his shoulder.

"You stupid git. Bloody bastard. I thought you were dead." Giving a choked sob, he bit his lips as he tried to keep himself from crying. He had refused to allow himself to think that Sirius could be dead, but the fear and worry had still been there. When warm arms wrapped around him tightly, he nearly did break down.

Snapping off a salute, Sirius gave a silent sigh of relief when the man spoke with Lennox. He was about to follow Epps down the bridge when a small blur slammed into his chest, knocking the air from his lungs even as he landed flat on his back. He was barely able to stare at his godson in shock before Harry landed a mean right hook on him. Sitting up on his elbows, he nearly found himself flat on his back again as arms wrapped around his neck and a face was buried into his shoulder. Bringing himself into a full sitting position, he just barely caught what was being mumbled into his shoulder. Wrapping his arms tightly around his godson, he took a moment to just hold him before he stood up, Harry dangling from his neck.

"Pup, it's alright. I'm here, I'm alive. Damn Prongslet, that was one hell of a punch. Did it make you feel better?" One arm supporting his weight, Sirius used his free hand to soothingly stroke Harry's back and hair. Lennox and his men were staring at him, but Sirius didn't mind. He was more intent on calming Harry down.

"Stupid git. I'll feel better if you let me punch you again Siri." He smiled, only to hiss in pain as he stretched tender flesh.

"I don't think so. You definitely got that right hook from your mother. She laid your father out flat once when he said she looked fat while she was pregnant with you, Emeralds. The look on Prongs' face was hysterical. Want me to carry you?"

Sirius didn't get a verbal response, but he took the legs wrapping around him as a yes. Still stroking the shaking back, he rocked ever so slightly. His godson had finally reached his breaking point, and he was only grateful that he was there to hold him. Moving towards Epps, he shrugged his shoulder to get Harry to look up. Once his godson did, he spoke.

"Pup, I want you to meet someone. This is Robert Epps. He and the rest of his team found me while I was in the desert. Epps, this is my godson Harry. How did you end up here?"

"I was ran over by a giant alien robot, kidnapped and taken to his leader, and then kidnapped by a secret government group called Sector Seven. Did you know, I've now had twenty four near death experiences. Getting ran over by a giant alien robot was number twenty three and number twenty four was nearly falling to my death off of the leader of the giant alien robots. I've actually probably had more than twenty four near death experiences, but I'm not sure if they would count. And I think I might have missed a few. Does it matter if I missed some?" Wrapping a hand around the back of his neck, Sirius gave a relieved sigh as Harry quit his babbling, giving him a chance to speak.

"Harry, I want you to close your eyes, rest your head on my shoulder, and count lions. Don't quit counting until I tell you to, okay?" A softly mumbled yes was given before he felt Harry's breathing begin to even as he rested his cheek against his shoulder. Seeing Epps' concerned face, Sirius gave a lopsided, if pained, smile.

"This was bound to happen. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't snapped sooner. I've only recently entered his life, and still haven't managed to gain custody over him even though I should have had him since the night his parents were murdered. The poor kid is famous because he isn't dead in certain circles and is treated like some grand hero. If he doesn't act like an adult or the hero he is seen as he's criticized. It started when he was eleven. He's had to deal with too much shit since then, including having three of his teachers nearly kill him, another try and use his fame to boost his own, and the last one try and make him out be an attention seeking brat that's insane and delusional. That's only part of the crap he's had to deal with." Face going dark, Sirius scowled as he thought about some of the other things Harry had to deal with.

"Damn. How old is he?"

"Pup will turn sixteen at the end of July." Carding his fingers through Harry's hair, he tried not to think of what would have happened to his godson if he hadn't followed him through the Veil. He had a lot of time to think while locked up in his childhood home/prison for the last year, ever since he had found Harry with tears in his eyes a week after he had come to Grimauld Place. His godson was being molded into a weapon, the self-sacrificing nature he had was carefully crafted by Dumbledore's manipulations. With him out of the picture, Dumbledore would have been the one to pick up the pieces when Harry finally broke. He didn't even want to think about what the man would have done.

"He's just a kid." Glancing at Epps as he walked, Sirius gave a bitter bark of laughter.

"He is, but it's next to impossible to treat him like one. Because of a mistake I made, as well as trusting the wrong person, Harry ended up going to Lily's sister. He was never suppose to go to her, she hated Lily. From the little that Harry's told me, they treated him as their own personal slave and constantly belittled him. He grew up thinking his parents were drunks that died in a car crash until he was accepted into the same boarding school that we went to when we were eleven. He's never had the chance to act like a child so he reacts negatively when he is treated like one. I've barely managed to convince him that it's alright for him to show fear, weakness, around me."

"So how should I treat him? I don't want to mess up what you're trying to do by saying the wrong thing around him." Keeping in step with Epps as they began to reach the elevator that would take them down to the bottom of the dam. Sirius carefully considered his response.

"Don't treat him like he's glass about to break. If he asks you a question, don't lie to him or sugarcoat the answer. If you don't want to answer it, tell him straight and give him a reason why, other than because he is a child. He also picks up on emotions easily, so if you're pissed off about something, he'll know, and probably think it's about something he did. Don't out and out say you're not mad at him, just give subtle hints as to what has you angry, annoyed, frustrated. His bastard of an uncle might not have beat him, but whenever anything went wrong he somehow found a reason to blame Harry and would punish him accordingly, either locking him in a cupboard or withholding food. I'd tear the bastard apart with my bare hands if it didn't do more harm than good. Harry's far too forgiving for his own good."

Reaching the elevator, he stood in a back corner with Epps. He may have growled half of what he said, but there wasn't any real anger behind his words. He had learned to quickly let his anger and frustration go around his godson, especially after he realized that Harry was a partial empath, only picking up on the emotions of seemingly random people or beings. Once things calmed down, he would teach Harry the small amount of Occlumency he knew, as well as how to meditate. It would help him, and maybe he could teach Harry how to change into his Animigus form. That would be interesting to see.

Noticing the large purple bruise on Simmons' face, he gave a soft snicker just as the elevator came to a stop. Following Simmons, he listened to the man speak, content to let Harry rest against him since he probably knew most of what was about to be said.

"All right, here's the situation. You've all had direct contact with the NBEs."

"Wait, what the hell is an NBE?" Sirius was fairly sure that he wasn't the only once confused by the term.

"Non-Biological Extraterrestrials. Try to keep up with the acronyms." Bristling at the condescending tone, Sirius bit out a sarcastic comment.

"Why don't you use a simplier one, like B.A.R.? Big Alien Robot or Big Arse Robot. It's simple, descriptive, and easy to remember."

Simmons ignored his remark as they were led down a tunnel. "What you are about to see, is totally classified."

"Compared to what, partially classified? We're running a top secret operation, but you don't have the clearance to know more?" Sirius would have made another sarcastic remark when he caught sight of the frozen, giant ass alien robot. Arms tightening around his godson, he held him even closer as he took in the savage looking mech.

"Dear God, what is this?" Sirius silently echoed the question in his own mind. What in Merlin was that thing?

"We think when he made his approach over the north pole, our gravitational field screwed up his telemetry. He crashed in the ice, probably a few thousand years ago."

"No, he was looking for Santa because he didn't like the coal that he got for Christmas." Sarcasm, thy name is Sirius. Hearing Epps and Lennox snicker, Sirius was glad that at least someone appreciated what he was trying to do.

Banacheck continued speaking as if he hadn't interrupted him. "We shipped him here to this facility in 1934."

"We call him NBE One." Sirius rolled his eyes at Simmons. Really, and he thought wizards could be unoriginal.

"Well, sir, I don't mean to correct you on everything you think you know, but that's Megatron. He's the leader of the Decepticons." Eyes widening at what the kid said. Sirius groaned. He was standing in front of the alien equivalent to Voldemort. He was distracted from the rest of what was being said when Harry suddenly went rigid in his arms. Worried, he was only too happy to follow Simmons away from Megatron and into an observation room that looked out over a giant cube that was definitely alien.

Latched onto his godfather, Harry drifted in a state of just existing. Completely unaware of his surroundings, he basked in Sirius' protective presence, secure in the knowledge that his godfather would keep him safe. He wouldn't have been able to close his eyes and just exist otherwise. When he felt a mixture of worry and dread, he stretched out his senses and went completely rigid as he felt a dark Spark so tainted by insanity, he could feel it even though the being it belonged to wasn't truly awake.

Struggling not to panic, he focused on the arms that held him tightly, using the positive emotions he felt for his godfather to push away the insanity that was trying to consume him. It felt even worse than Voldemort's presence, but if he could fight the Dark Lord while utterly terrified, then he could keep calm in the presence of the tainted Spark. When he finally grounded himself, he opened his eyes just in time to see Simmons putting a phone in some kind of box.

And then he felt it. The sheer power of it hummed through him, making his magic purr in response. Feeling hyper-sensitive, he squirmed out of Sirius arms and looked closely at the box that had everyone's attention. And he felt it, the tiny Spark and its pain. How the taint that had nearly overwhelmed him completely corrupted the small Spark and drove the tiny being beyond insane. It was just a mindless being bent on causing only destruction, unable to think past the bloodlust that consumed it. It was with silent tears that he watched Simmons pull a trigger that electrocuted the insane mech and put it out of its miserable existance.

"Gentlemen, they know the Cube is here." He had been right, the massive source of raw power he had felt was the Cube, which meant the tainted Spark had to be Megatron. The Decepticon's close proximity to the Cube for such a long time had to have tainted the All Spark's energy, or at least anything the energy brought to life. His Spark was powerful, strong enough to overwhelm the tiny Spark he had felt in the small phone.

With everyone running to arm themselves, Harry darted away from the group to find Bumblebee, the yellow mech's pain was like a homing beacon. Bursting into the room that was the source, he found Bumblebee being kept cold so he couldn't function. The Cube's energy boosting his own magic, Harry barely even blinked as the men in the room were thrown back away from him and Bumblebee.

"The Cube is here, but so is Megatron." A cannon humming with energy was pointed at the men that were slowly getting up.

"Ignore them, we have bigger problems. Megatron's waking up and we need to get the Cube out of here. Come on." Bumblebee was just starting to stand up when Sam showed up with the others.

"Quit gawking and show us to the Cube. Siri, do we have anything we can arm ourselves with that are effective?"

"Sabot rounds. They burn hot enough to pierce their armour." Glancing at Epps, Harry nodded, his mind already whirling with various plans to get the Cube away from Megatron and into the Autobots' hands. He was about to speak when he saw the Cube for the first time. It was huge. His worry about how they were going to move it disappeared when it began to shrink in Bumblebee's hands until it was no larger than a small box.

"We need to leave, now."

"The kid's right. We stay here, we're screwed with Megatron in the other hangar. Mission City is twenty-two miles away. We're gonna sneak that Cube out of here and we're gonna hide it somewhere in the city. But we cannot make a stand without the Air Force." Seeing that Lennox was taking charge, Harry ignored him for a moment so he could speak to Sirius.

"I'm sticking with Sam and Mikaela. You stay with Lennox and Epps. I'm not going to let them get themselves killed."

"Fine, just don't get yourself killed either."

Harry didn't do more than nod as he took the Cube from Sam and crawled into Bumblebee's backseat. Just holding the Cube made his bones ache as its power surged through him. They had barely made it away from the dam when he felt Megatron's anger. The large mech had broken free. "Step on it Bumblebee, Megatron's no longer a Popsicle."

"What, how do you know?"

"I can feel them Sam. Optimus and the others are getting closer to us. See, there's Optimus now." And it was true, Optimus and the others passed by them only to pull a u-turn as soon as they were clear of their armed escort. The chances of them surviving the next hour had just gone up, no matter how slightly.

Chapter Four:

Mission City

Gripping the Cube tightly, Harry focused on the various Sparks he could feel, his eyes widening as he twisted in his seat to see a police cruiser and some type of construction vehicle speeding towards them. Sam's frantic whispers of 'no' only further confirmed what his senses were telling him. The two vehicles were Decepticons. Seeing the larger one transform, Harry closed his eyes as it crashed through the middle of a bus. He could only hope that no one died, but knew that it would only be wishful thinking. His thoughts were confirmed when he felt the dark Spark closest to Optimus vanish, as well as the faint tinge of sorrow that Optimus felt at having to take a life, even if it was inevitable.

Pulling into the city, they made a brief stop to pick up radios and only drove a couple blocks when they came to a stop again. Climbing out of the car, Harry started hissing curses as he realized that the jet they had just painted a large target for in green smoke was not the Air Force but in fact a Decepticon. He wasn't the only one to realize it as both Ironhide and Bumblebee quickly transformed.

"It's Starscream!"

Snarling, Harry shoved the Cube into Sam's hands before shoving both teens behind a car just as Ironhide shouted a warning from where he and Bumblebee supported a Furby delivery truck to take the brunt of the explosion.

"Incoming!"

The force of the explosion flung him off his feet and into the side of a building. Dazed, it wasn't until he heard Sam screaming Bumblebee's name that he snapped out of it, just in time to duck as a tank fired upon them. Struggling to his feet, he made his way over towards where Sam was helping Mikaela when he felt Megatron's tainted Spark, as well as the intent he had of destroying the Spark closest to him.

"No." The word was whispered, but it didn't matter as his magic pulsed through him and he disappeared with a resounding crack, reappearing on Jazz's chest just in time to hear Megatron's voice.

"No! I want two!" Metal groaned beneath him, but it didn't matter as once again Harry felt his magic surge through him and felt the sensation of being squeezed tightly before finding himself on the outskirts of Mission City, as far away from the battle as they could get without actually leaving the city. He was still sitting on top of Jazz's chest, the sleek mech looking utterly confused. Still able to feel the various Sparks, as well as the Cube, Harry quickly scrambled off of the smallest Autobot. Megatron's Spark screamed of anticipation and excitement, which didn't assure Harry at all as he felt him getting closer to the Cube.

"Jazz, quickly transform. We need to get to the Cube before Megatron does." Seeming to decide that questions weren't important at the moment, Jazz transformed into the sleek silver Porsche in a whirl of metal and clicks. Diving into the passenger seat, the car was already moving before the door had slammed shut.

Using the All Spark as a homing beacon, Harry quickly directed Jazz through the various streets. They were almost there when Harry felt Optimus and the Cube right next to each other before Optimus moved away and closer to Megatron. Urging Jazz to drive even faster, they came to a stop just meters away from where Megatron and Optimus were fighting. Harry was out of the car and running to Sam in seconds. Taking the Cube from him, he shoved the teenager into a crater before Megatron could squash him beneath his clawed hand.

Ignoring Optimus shouting for him to put the Cube into his chest, Harry surged forward and shoved it into Megatron's, screaming as the energy from combining the Cube and Megatron's Spark surged through him. Even when Megatron fell over dead and the Cube was no longer held in his hands, Harry still felt the energy coursing through him and intertwining with his magic. With one last hoarse cry, he collapsed to his knees and was only saved from falling flat on his face by large metal fingers carefully wrapping around him. He caught a glimpse of Optimus concerned blue optics before everything went black.

Rushing forward, Sirius carefully took his godson into his arms, his body sagging with relief as he noted Harry's steady breathing and strong pulse. When he had heard the unmistakable sound of apparation, Sirius had felt his heart stop. The only thing that had kept him from full out panic was the current threat to his life, which had forced him to deal with the present situation. Once Sam had been sent away with the Cube, Ratchet and Ironhide providing cover for him, he had helped Mikaela to finish hitching Bumblebee to the tow truck so she could get the both of them away from the direct line of fire. Of course, she showed up minutes later with Bumblebee, the yellow mech killing the tank and saving their arses.

He had then been too busy trying to take out the helicopter to really consider where his godson had vanished to. Once he was dead, they moved to provide cover fire for Optimus and for a second time, he felt his heart stop as he caught sight of Harry taking the Cube from Sam and pushing the older teen into the safety of a crater, saving him from being crushed. When he had seen Harry lunge towards Megatron, Sirius had stopped breathing all together as he heard his godson's scream, even with all of the explosions and gunfire going on.

Hugging Harry close, Sirius was roused into moving by Lennox and Epps. Still cuddling his godson close, he found himself seated in the silver Porsche and driving out of the city minutes later, the other Autobots in front of or behind them. It actually looked like Bumblebee was sitting on where a trailer would be hitched on the flame decaled big rig.

"Bloody hell Pup, are you trying to kill me? What were you thinking, shoving the Cube into Megatron's chest? Were you even thinking? I could lock you away somewhere and you would still manage to find yourself in a dangerous situation. Then again, you would kick my arse if I tried. If I didn't know you Emeralds, I'd swear you were trying to give me a heart attack." Sighing, he slumped in his seat and shook his head. He really shouldn't blame Harry, it wasn't his fault that they ended up involved in an alien robot war.

"Ya do know he can't hear ya, right?" Slightly startled by the voice coming from the speakers, Sirius glared.

"Which is exactly why I'm talking. Harry will be feeling guilty enough over killing Megatron and destroying the Cube when he wakes up. He doesn't need to feel even more guilt knowing how worried I was. I'm venting my worries and frustrations now so I can be there for him when he wakes up. He'll need me to be calm, and I'll bloody hell will be before he wakes up."

"Can I help?" Silently considering the offer, Sirius wondered if the silver Autobot could help him calm down faster.

A good shag, destroying a room with liberal use of curses, a bottle of Firewhiskey, or taking a long drive on his motorcycle usually had him calm again within a few hours. The first three options were out, since he wouldn't ask Jazz to help him find someone for the first, he didn't have his wand for the second, and getting piss drunk was a bad idea when he didn't have a hangover cure handy. His last choice was probably the best idea. Feeling the wind in his hair would help to relax him, which he could accomplish by sticking his head out the window while Jazz drove. It was better than pacing and ranting to himself.

"Yeah, you can. Take me for a bit of a drive. I'll ride with my head out the window. It won't be exactly the same as my motorcycle, but the wind in my face should help me relax. Getting drunk wouldn't be the smartest thing to do right now, since I'm not sure how long Pup will sleep. An hour or two with the wind in my hair and the scenery flying by will really help. I just need someone to watch over Harry just in case he wakes up before we get back, someone he would recognize."

"Ironhide. He's been around Harry the longest. Plus, I think he likes the kid."

"Fine. If something happens to Harry though while in his care, I'll turn him into scrap." Eyes like shards of ice, the underlying growl in his words would have even made Snape think twice about pissing him off.

Watching as Ratchet repaired and reattached Bumblebee's legs, Ironhide made sure that his cab was warm, but not too warm to make the teen sleeping in his backseat uncomfortable. He had believed Sirius when the man snarled how he would be turned into scrap if something was to happen to his godson while Jazz took him for a ride so he could calm down. Once the man had been sure that he would protect his godson, Sirius had quietly explained that it would be best if he was calm when Harry woke up. Ironhide had silently agreed with that reasoning. With no more inminent threat to his life, Harry now had a chance to fully process everything that happened in the last few days. Ironhide wasn't sure how the youngling would react, but he had a feeling that it would be rough for the teen he had ran over.

-Ironhide, why did you bring Harry with you?- Wincing when he heard Optimus' question, Ironhide quickly steeled himself for what was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

=It was like he said. I ran him over, and couldn't just leave him there when he was possibly injured. I figured that Ratchet would be able to scan him for injuries, since the scan that I did only told me he didn't have anything life threatening. I was going to drive him home after we got the glasses.= Optimus seemed to deflate at his words, unwilling to be angry at him when it was clear he had the human's well being in his best interests.

-Be that as it may, I can't help but worry what will happen when he learns just how important the All Spark was to us.- Ironhide stayed quiet for a moment as he carefully pondered his words. He wasn't sure if the knowledge would ease Optimus' guilt, or just make it worse.

=Optimus, when we were driving to Sam's house, Harry asked about the Cube.=

-What!?-

=He asked if the Cube was what gave us life. Primus Optimus, the kid knew that if Megatron got his claws on the Cube, we would be fighting a lost war. When I told him that we wouldn't let him get his slaggin' claws on it, he just stared at his lap sadly. He knew that we would destroy the All Spark before we would ever let Megatron use it to create an army!=

-What are you saying Ironhide?-

=Harry knew, he knew what he was doing when he destroyed the Cube. From what I heard Sam telling Mikaela before we left, Harry took the All Spark from him and shoved him out of harm's way. He stopped Sam from destroying the Cube, from being responsible for what will essentially be the extinction of our race. Optimus, he knew what he was doing, the consequences of his actions. He chose to not only destroy the Cube, but to kill Megatron as well.=

-Primus. How could I have allowed the children to become so involved in our war?-

=Don't Optimus. Sam had the glasses, and Mikaela was with him when the Decepticon attacked him. Like you said earlier, it was an accident that intertwined our fates. Harry made his choice when he asked about the All Spark. He chose to help us fight our war. Don't you dare blame yourself for involving him in our war. If anyone is to blame for involving him, it should be me. I was the one that ran him over. I was the one that brought him to the alley where he learned about us and our war. I was the one that answered his question about the Cube. If blame is to be laid, then it should be placed on me and no one else.=

-No Ironhide, you are no more at fault than I am.-Content that he had managed to prevent Optimus from blaming himself for the burden that Harry now bore from destroying the Cube, Ironhide searched for a change of topic, only for Bumblebee to provide it.

"Is it possible for a human to sense Sparks?" Staring at Bumblebee, Ironhide was suddenly very glad that his cab was essentially soundproof as both Ratchet and Optimus spoke rather loudly.

"What!?!"

"Is it possible for a human to sense Sparks? When we were driving to Mission City, Harry told me to go faster because, in his words, 'Megatron's no longer a popsicle.' When Sam asked how he knew, he said that he was able to feel our Sparks. He knew that you and the others were coming before you came into visual range Optimus. Is it possible that he can sense our Sparks?"

"I don't know." The admission from Optimus was a bit surprising. It often seemed as if he knew the answer to everything, or at least had a theory. For him to not know something was rare.

"Hmm, maybe his contact with the All Spark made it possible. We do not know how its energy would effect humans." Ratchet's theory seemed valid, but Ironhide quickly discarded it as he remembered the original scan he had done when he had first met the teen.

"No, I don't think it was because he had contact with the All Spark. Sam, and the humans that worked near it, should have been effected as well. At least, Sam should have because he also held it, and for a longer amount of time than Harry. Ratchet, do a scan to check his vitals."

"Why?"

"Just to confirm a theory, and to see if the scan I had performed hadn't been performed incorrectly." As far as Ironhide was concerned, there were only two possibilities. The scan he had performed had a glitch which caused it to present false information, or Harry had a Spark. And judging by Ratchet's wide optics, it was the latter.

"This can't be right. Ironhide, don't move." Doing as he was told, even though he hadn't been moving to begin with, Ironhide waited for Ratchet to run his scans before speaking.

"Ratchet, does he have a Spark?"

"My scans of his vitals says he does, but how? I don't understand, he is clearly human, but he has a Spark. And it isn't that of a newly onlined Sparkling. The Spark is at least as old as he is. A Sparkling in every sense of the word, but he's almost a human adult. I can't explain it, and every scan I've performed to check his vitals show that he has a Spark."

"If he has a Spark, is that how he is able to sense our Sparks?"

"It's possible Bumblebee. But it is still odd. The ability to feel Sparks without any sort of scanning or sensory program only occurs between a Sparkling and their caregivers, siblings, and Sparkmates. I don't think I've ever heard of a mech capable of feeling the Sparks of others that weren't one of those three, not in the way that Harry seems able to. Then again, maybe Harry can sense our Sparks for an entirely different reason than because he has a Spark of his own. We won't know until Harry wakes up and we can question him."

"Which he won't be doing for a while Optimus. His body is recovering from a large shock to his system. It may be because of the energy from the Cube when he combined it with Megatron's Spark. It is possible that his body has shut down to keep itself from being fried while it recovers from the sudden surge of energy. It very well may be several days before he wakes. If he doesn't wake within two days, it would be in his best interest to have him hooked up to an IV and possibly placed in a hospital just in case he takes a turn for the worse."

Staring at Ratchet, Ironhide carefully pondered the teen that was currently sleeping within his cab. "The questions can wait Optimus. It has been quite an ordeal, we should let the youngling rest and recover. We also need to start making preparations of our own. Starscream is still out there, and once he gathers some Decepticons, he'll be back and the slagger will undoubtedly target Harry because he destroyed both the Cube and Megatron. We will need a base, especially if we are to make this world our home."

"You are right Ironhide. We will need a base, and a message will need to be sent out to the others. Until we have made progress in establishing a base, and a message has been sent, our questions for young Harry will have to wait."

The questions weren't going to wait for long. When Jazz returned with Sirius, he brought Keller with him, as well as an injured Frenzy. Ratchet saw to it that Frenzy lived while Keller asked Optimus for help in moving the Decepticons onto trucks to be transported to a ship that would take them out to be entombed in the deepest trench in the ocean. With Sirius back, Ironhide was free to help him, Jazz, and the newly repaired Bumblebee to move the various mechs onto the waiting trucks in a matter of hours. Ratchet was the left behind to work on Frenzy as well as to watch over Sirius and Harry as they waited in the warehouse they had taken refuge in.

As Keller took care of transporting the Decepticons' remains, the Autobots found themselves settling into an old military base that was currently being used to store old, unused, or broken equipment until it could properly be disposed of. Now it would be converted into the Autobots new base of operations. During that time, Ironhide found himself driving Lennox home, having promised both Sirius and Harry to see the man home safely to his wife and daughter. Bumblebee returned to Tranquility to guard over Sam, as well as Mikaela to a lesser extent. The two teens had been involved and as long as Starscream still lived, they were in danger. Maybe not the same amount of danger as Harry, but still in danger. As for the green-eyed teenager himself, he as well as Sirius, lived on the base with them.

It had been decided that it would be safer for the two to stay. Sirius hadn't objected, and once he had woken after nearly three days of sleeping, Harry hadn't seemed to mind either. With Frenzy alive, the idea for the two humans to stay had nearly been scrapped until Ratchet had stated that the small Decepticon was in a self-induced stasis lock as his system went about ridding itself of the numerous viruses it had acquired while he had roamed the Internet. That combined with the fact that the small Decepticon was secured in a reinforced room had been the deciding factor that it would be safe enough for Sirius and Harry to remain with the Autobots on the base.

It had nearly been little more than a week since Mission City when the Autobots found themselves in Tranquility once again. Ratchet was there to check up on Bumblebee, Jazz had come to help boost Optimus' signal, and Ironhide was taking Sirius and Harry to pick up much needed supplies for the two humans. While Ironhide took Sirius and Harry shopping for supplies, Optimus was finally able to send out a message that would hopefully reach all surviving Autobots that were out there.

+With the All Spark gone, we cannot return life to our planet. And fate hs yielded its reward, a new world to call home. We live among its people now, hiding in plain sight, but watching over them in secret, waiting, protecting. I have witnessed their capacity for courage. And though we are worlds apart, like us, there's more to them than meets the eye. I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving Autobots taking refuge among the stars. We are here. We are waiting.+

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A/N: Well, what did you think? This is what I originally intended to post before I added the Maggie/Keller scenes, and as I did that, I started tweaking others and adding a few new ones as well, and soon it morphed into the Barbequed 'Gators that I posted last month and posted the last chapter of today. I am honestly curious about what you, the readers, think. I am currently working on the sequel, but it will be a long time before I will post it. Reviews are appreiciated, and I will love to know what you think about the differences. Thanks for reading.