Look what I found! Another old story I thought I had posted here ages ago, when I really hadn't. Whoops. This one isn't going to turn into a series, but if you want more Dawn, I just started "Light of Dawn", which is going to be a long story.

What luck. What luck! Why did she keep getting herself in these situations?

Dawn would have never thought that in such a big city she would bump into any giant robots again, but there she was, running for her life, trying to find someplace to hide.

She had only met two of those robots before and of course the one who had a grudge against her was the one she had come across. Starscream, she hadn't forgotten the name.

It had been nearly the same situation as the last time. Dawn had taken a shortcut home one evening, accidentally found a robot having a menacing conversation with some wealthy looking man and decided that she had to do something to ruin the robot's day.

The difference being that this time she hadn't been seen yet. As far as the robots were concerned, she had died when the café had collapsed and she wanted to keep them thinking that.

Dawn had stayed out of sight and planned what to do. One lamppost had been standing alluringly right behind the robot and of course she hadn't been able to resist. She had extended her hand and knocked it over with her powers, enjoying the clanging sound it had made when it hit Starscream on the head.

Keeping herself from laughing had been the hardest part, especially when the confused robot had clearly tried so hard to find an explanation to what had happened and just hadn't been able to. Even the human who had been afraid of him, was giving him an odd look.

Dawn had decided not to push her luck and flown a tin can she had found on the ground over their heads, so she could've snuck away while the robot was looking the other way.

Unfortunately she hadn't considered one possibility.

"There! Someone's there!" the man had looked in her direction just as she had sprinted out of cover.

Dawn couldn't believe it. Whose side was he on exactly? Thanks to him, she was now running as fast as she could, around a corner and into a desolate street without an inkling as to what to do.

She could already hear the heavy thudding as the giant robot came after her. It was only a matter of time until he too would turn around the corner and see her. She was pretty sure he would recognize her and the thought didn't ease her mind.

The only thing standing out on the street was a large red and blue truck, and as it caught Dawn's eyes, she noticed a bit of good luck for change. The door was open. She didn't hesitate, knowing it was her only chance, and jumped in, closing the door quickly behind her.

She got down on the floor, trying to make herself as small as she could. Attempting to stay completely silent seemed to be impossible when her heart betrayed her by beating louder than ever. It soon became meaningless, though, as the truck startled her by roaring its engine to life and starting to move on its own.

It took off fast, making Dawn lose her balance. She pulled herself up to the driver's seat and saw that at least they were going away from the pissed off robot. Then her mind returned to the obvious problem.

How was the truck moving? Was it some kind of a police set up? Maybe it was radio controlled and she was going to get arrested for car theft.

"H-hello?" she felt absolutely stupid, but what else could she do? At the speed they were going she couldn't even jump out.

For a moment it was quiet, then a deep, rumbling voice made her flinch. "You are surprisingly calm."

Dawn hesitated. Was that something a police would say? She doubted it. "Who are you?"

"My name is Optimus Prime."

What kind of a name was that? "You… helped me."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I would like to ask you something first."

"Um… sure."

"How did you bend that lamppost?"

Dawn froze, suddenly facing the subject she had never spoken to anyone about. She had always feared that the wrong person might find out about the powers she had and she'd be imprisoned and studied like a lab animal.

The dragging silence didn't go unnoticed by her strange savior. "I wish no harm to you", the pleasant baritone voice assured. "I am merely curious. I have never before seen a human do something like that."

For some reason Dawn wanted to trust the voice, though the way he had used the word 'human' seemed odd to her. Maybe the burden she had been carrying alone for so long had become too much for her. She played with her fingers nervously, finally concluding that it was pointless to deny what the other one already knew.

"I can control metal."

"That's…" the voice sounded surprised. "…a useful skill these days."

"Tell me about it", Dawn actually felt a little bit relieved. "It's not even the first time I saw that Starscream creep and judging by the way he was talking to that man, he hasn't improved his personality from the last time."

"You've…" now the mystery voice was sounding really surprised. "How much do you exactly know about the situation?"

Dawn shrugged, though she didn't know why when there was no one there with her. "Not much."

She told Optimus what had happened at the café. He listened quietly, sighing heavily at the end. "You are more caught up in this than is safe for you. Let's just hope Starscream didn't see you properly."

Dawn was worried about something else too. "Do you think he's still coming after me?"

"No, he won't risk having to fight me alone. He'll probably tell no one to avoid the shame."

"I don't get it", Dawn shook her head. "What's your place in all of this? Who are you really?"

"I will show you", the voice promised. "Once I've found a suitable location."

Dawn was getting nervous again. She still didn't know how the car was driving itself and where the owner of the voice was hiding.

"Do you see the mark on the steering wheel?" Optimus asked her and she nodded, looking at it curiously. "It's an Autobot insignia."

"What does it mean?"

"You are safe around anyone with that insignia."

They started slowing down and Dawn saw they had come to a dark junk yard. When they came to a stop, the door opened by itself and Dawn climbed down.

"Stand back", the voice cautioned her. Dawn took a couple of steps back and prepared for anything. Or so she thought.

Dawn could feel her jaw dropping as the truck she had just been in started changing. Right before her disbelieving eyes it transformed into a robot, just like the others she had seen, but even bigger.

"You're one of them", Dawn breathed shocked as the huge robot knelt down in front of her.

"I am the leader of the Autobots."

Dawn didn't know how to react. She had a strong urge to flee, since now she knew why he had found her power so interesting. She just didn't know if he was trying to benefit from it.

She studied the face plates and bright blue optics, noticing the difference to Starscream's red optics. There was still a stubborn voice in the back of her head that wanted her to trust him. She gave in to it just a little bit.

"Okay", she took a deep breath. "I'm still listening."

"Thank you", Optimus nodded and gave her a brief smile. "I will tell you what you want to know."

"How about some basics first. What are you exactly?"

And Optimus told her. She heard all about Cybertron, the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons and Megatron, of whom he especially warned her about.

"If he ever heard of your abilities, he would stop at nothing to get you to either work for them or at least make sure you never could work against them."

"They would kill me", Dawn stated what hadn't been said directly.

"Yes", Optimus said bluntly. "They value no one's life, but their own. Humans are nothing to them."

"How many of them are here, in this city?"

"We don't know."

Dawn scratched the back of her neck thoughtfully. "That's too bad. Obviously I don't want them to find out about me, but…" she placed her hands on her hips in a determined stance. "…if I come across them again, I can't just do nothing when people are getting hurt."

"Like with Starscream just now?" Optimus gave her a quizzical look and Dawn grinned guiltily.

"Erm, that might've been just payback."

Optimus smiled again, warmly this time, though he tried to hide it by turning his head away. "I know a couple of Autobots who would really like you."

Dawn got a thoughtful look again. "I think I'd like to meet them."

"Are you sure?" Optimus asked, serious again. "You might be putting yourself to more danger by coming with me."

"It… I don't know, it just feels right", Dawn shrugged, looking at the Autobot's feet and feeling a little ridiculous. "I have to have these powers for some reason, I might as well try to use them for something good. And... my gut is telling me that I can trust you."

"Besides", she lifted her head to meet the piercing, blue gaze, and a small smirk brightened her face. "You already said I'd be safe around any Autobot, right? So what's there to worry about?"

"Well, there are certain individuals… but never mind that now", Optimus stood back up. "Are you ready to go?"

"Just uh… one thing."

"Yes?"

"I'd like to keep my powers a secret for now, if that's alright?"

"As you wish."

"Thank you", Dawn smiled relieved. "Let's go then."

She watched amazed as Optimus transformed back into a truck, feeling her heart pounding with nervous excitement. If there were such things as life changing moments, the decision to go with him was surely one of them. She couldn't wait to see where that decision would take her.