AN: Woohoo, this is done. Night!

Miles looked down at the no name Ex-agent, and was happy he hadn't eaten anything for awhile. The man was practically unrecognizable, and Miles almost thought he was dead, except for the occasional raspy breath he would drag in.

"Did you have to be that enthusiastic about it?" Miles asked, shifting a bit as Barricade untied him. The 'con had dissolved the holoform by this point, having forced down the wall and brought in his bipedal form. He was using his claws to just cut through the rope.

"Are you really complaining?"

Miles thought about that. He thought of what the 'con had done to nameless, what he had probably done to Stue, what he had probably done to Shaun and Steven, and what he had probably done to any of the others. Then he thought about what might have happened to Sam, to any Cybertronian on Earth, and to himself. He finally decided that no, he wasn't going to complain.

"No, but was it really necessary to break the wall down with your big form?"

"Bipedal mode, and I had to get it in here somehow. There's no door big enough for me."

Miles thought about groaning, but decided he should just stick to rolling his eyes. He heard Sam groan off to his side, and perked up. The teen was finally awake, after all of that ruckus.

"Sam, you're awake, finally!"

"Mil-" Sam cut himself off, and Miles turned to look at his friend to see why. Sam was staring up and way from him, eyes wide in horror.

"Hello, LadiesMan217." Barricade rumbled, leaning his bipedal form closer, and holding up a claw.

Sam screamed.

Sam was beyond confused. The last thing he remembered was being taken by the Ex-agents and shoved in the back of a trunk with Miles. He didn't remember being tested on, and wasn't awake when they had been brought into the matress warehouse.

Now the Ex-agents were gone, and Barricade was there instead. Barricade. The Decepticon had practically tried to kill him, or that's what Sam had taken it as. And here the 'con was getting in a row with his best friend, Miles.

From what he could understand of it, Barricade had been the one to save them. Where was Bumblebee, Optimus, Ironhide, or even Ratchet? How did Barricade even know they had been taken, and why had the Decepticon even come for them?

He did guess at a few things. That Miles had known Barricade for awhile with the way his friend was acting, and that somehow Barricade tolerated the teen. He could only assume that maybe, if Bee hadn't know that Miles had known about them for awhile, that Barricade was the one Miles had met and learned everything from. How, why, where, and when?

Sam knew practically nothing. The only thing he knew for sure was the kink in his neck that was starting to develop it from swiveling it so fast. Miles was on his right, and he would swivel his head right when his friend spoke. Barricade was on his left, and he would swivel his head in that direction when the 'con spoke.

Swivel left. "I didn't ask for you to involve the insect and their precious little medic."

Swivel right. "You involved me. I just furthered that involvement. You never told me I couldn't.

Swivel left. "Yeah, and now the insect is involving me. Soon as he realizes he's failed at his Guardianship he contacts me for help. And who finds you? I do."

Swivel right. A groan. "God, we both know that you actually like the fact that you found us first, because now you can brag and rub it in his face like an aft."

Swivel left. Irritated growl is heard. "That is besides the point, fleshling. Last time I checked, I shouldn't be performing heroic acts for pathetic organics whenever an Autobot calls."

Swivel right. Extreme deadpan. "It's not very heroic if you go on like this, Barry."

Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Bumblebee, and Ratchet had just entered the mattress warehouse. They saw Miles and Sam. Sam sitting on one of the mattresses and looking completely lost, and Miles standing with an exasperated expression on his face as he stared up at the only Decepticon in the entire building. Barricade was staring right back at the tiny organic. Ratchet was quick to react, pulling out a wrench and tossing it at Ironhide's helm just before the Weapons Specialist could fire.

Ironhide growled, but stopped. Optimus looked mildly surprised, and Bumblebee just shook his head, going and picking up Sam from the bed. The Autobot Scout scanned his Charge, while Ironhide and Optimus both watched him like hawks. Barricade didn't even react.

"Let's just see where he stands." Ratchet said in Cybertronian, looking directly at Optimus. The Prime hesitated for a moment, before nodding. Ironhide appeared absolutely gobsmacked by this.

"See that, Barry?" Miles asked, "None of them are going to stop you. Not the big black one with the cannons, or the one I think is Prime. Not Bumblebee or Ratchet. If you hate where this could go so much, then leave. We both know you have a way better chance of surviving this way, but if you hate it then go. It's as simple as that."

There was only silence for a moment, and Ratchet picked his way over to examine the Ex-agent and make stock of the injuries. Bumblebee was occupied with Sam, pulling water out of a compartment and giving it to the teen. Both of the Autobots ignored their Prime and Weapons Specialist, both of whom who were watching Barricade and Miles. They also ignored the Decepticon and the teen.

"You should go and get checked by the Medic, fleshling."

Was the only thing Barricade said, and Miles grinned. The mech wasn't leaving, or fighting the teen on it. He didn't respond, but to Miles that just meant he was being stubborn. The teen had won.

Miles turned to look up at Optimus and Ironhide, "Hi, I'm Miles."

Ironhide looked between the organic and Barricade, then Barricade and Bumblebee, and then Barricade and Ratchet.

"What's going on here?" He growled.

Bumblebee sent him a data burst of information, and sent the same to Optimus. Ironhide's engine gave a starteld rumble, and for once it was obvious what expression Optimus was wearing even behind his battle mask. Ratchet smirked, already having seen what the Prime and Weapons Specialist were seeing.

"Kittens?" They both asked in disbelief.

Miles froze in mid-walk, having been walking over to Bumblebee and Sam. Somehow, somehow, he had actually managed to convince the 'con that there were none.

Barricade snarled, "You said there weren't any pictures!"

"Oops?"

"Why the hell didn't you tell me that Barricade kidnapped you?" Sam asked, tossing his shoe at Miles. Sam sat on Ratchet's leg, the medic thoroughly scanning him. Bumblebee sat beside them, and Miles was on the floor in between Bumblebee and Barricade. Opposite them was Ironhide and Optimus.

Miles rubbed his arm, "Well, he mentioned that he had scared you, and banged you up a little. On top of that he was on the opposite side of what you went with, so I dunno."

"I still don't get why'd you trust him if he told you exactly what he did to Sam." Ironhide stated, glaring at the 'con. He wasn't going to trust him that easily.

"I've caused Sam way more mental trauma then Barry ever could. More physical damage, too."

"What mental trauma?" Bumblebee questioned, peering between the two teens.

Sam shivered. "Clowns."

"Last time I had any say about what happened at one of his birthday parties, too." Miles sighed, trying to stifle a grin.

"That's why he refused to go to the circus with Mikaela." Bumblebee said, Miles and Sam nodding.

"I still hate you for that, Miles."

"I didn't know he'd set your hair on fire and then laugh!"

Ratchet snorted, and Bumblebee looked thoroughly amused. Ironhide had given up understanding anything that was really going on. He had been in fight mode, not think mode.

"Well, Miles, it is an honor to meet you. You have already met Ratchet, my Chief Medical Officer, a senior officer, and trusted friend. Bumblebee, our youngest, and one of our best scouts. He's also Samual's guardian. This is Ironhide, our Weapons Specialist, another senior officer, and my body guard. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, twins and two of our finest front liners, are back on base, along with Jazz, my TIC. Jazz is currently in what you humans would call a coma, however."

"So that's why you had to go? The others were coming in?" Sam looked up at Bumblebee, and the mech nodded.

"More of you? That's cool." Miles grinned, leaning against Barricade's leg.

"You will be getting to meet them soon. As well as Captain William Lennox and Sergeant Robert Epps." Optimus responded, and both Miles and Sam looked at him.

"What?"

Miles was involved now, and therefore the government had to know. So Sam had taken Bumblebee, and Miles had taken Barricade, Optimus leading the way back to the area they used as base. It was also so Ratchet could get Barricade on base, and drag the 'con off to deal with his oh so tender touches. They did stop at Miles house just to grab Brightspark and Softspark, and leave a note telling his parents that they should talk to Sam's parents.

Besides getting Miles situated, there was also the matter of the Ex-agents and informing the government of them, and getting them taken care of. Barricade had done a number on all of them, but hadn't killed a single one. The 'con had muttered something about not wanting to listen to the complaints if he had, though it was more likely that he didn't want their organic liquids everywhere.

Getting this done had taken awhile, and had to be done before they could leave the mattress warehouse. Sam had never been so happy that they were walking wi-fi connections, and the fact that Bumblebee and Ironhide kept food and drinks stashed away in small compartments for their humans.

NEST base was still in Nevada, but a couple hours away from Tranquillity in a more secluded spot. The base was still in the process of being made into a base, mainly just large hangars sitting there and called different things at the moment. There weren't that many organic members of NEST on base yet, and most of the humans on base consisted of construction workers, or were only stationed there for a bit.

People like Will, Epps, and Fig, who the 'bots could regularly talk to, were a treat. Ironhide had already claimed Guardianship over Will, and his whole family through him. Sarah Lennox, the Captain's wife, and Annabelle Lennox, their daughter.

Not long after arriving on base Barricade had been dragged off, Optimus had gone to get the official work concerning Miles out of the way, and Sam had been put to bed. Miles was taken hostage by Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, Will and Epps not even getting a chance to meet the teen yet. The two soldiers had just been sent on their way instead.

Barricade glared out the open hangar door as Ratchet worked on something in his back. From here he could see Sunstreaker, Ironhide, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee gathered around Miles and the two kittens. The teen was sitting in Sideswipe's hand, gesturing wildly and talking away happily. Ironhide had Softspark, and Bumblebee had Brightspark. Sunstreaker was staring down at the teen, standing close to his brother. The vain mech was still iffy about all the organic substances on Earth, having only been on the planet not even a full day.

A rough tug on some wiring caused him to hiss in pain, but he also got the hint. Ratchet was asking without asking, and in this situation it would be better to answer the medic. Ratchet had apparently taken it upon himself to be a busybody, most likely because he was normally around mechs like Optimus Prime, Prowl, and Ironhide, and that didn't just stop at the Autobots now Barricade had claimed Decepticon Neutrality. Still supporting the Decepticon side, but not going to harm any Autobots.

"I had them first." He grumbled obligingly.

Ratchet took a moment to respond, busy with some part of the 'con. "Now who is that really defining? The kittens or Miles?"

Even if Barricade could have answered that, he wouldn't have.