A/N: Okay, now it's time for the story's second time skip! :) Originally I was going to go forward a little less in time. And show Michael's first day of Kindergarten. But I realized jumping ahead only a year seemed pointless especially with the preschool chapter. So I changed my mind. But the bits with Michael at age seven ARE going to be longer than the last group I think.

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CHAPTER 6
Inevitable

It was hard to believe what two years could do to a child. Though there was no doubt Michael was still cute and adorable, he had grown a few inches, and had begun to develop even further. Every day of school, since had begun public school at the local elementary school, he had come home learning something new. And that was the unique thing about Michael: He loved school, and learning in general. Around the time he turned six he became openly interested in what his family did and shadowed them. Whether it was watching Ratchet examine a patient, or Optimus filing data, the seven year old was always anxious to see a little more.

That wasn't to say he hadn't grown in other ways either however. The boy had taken to video games, mischief making, and even prank pulling whenever the twins would let him in on one of them. He may have matured a little bit, but the seven year old was still a little boy, the Autobots often reminded themselves, and all of it was normal behavior. Or well, as normal as it could be for a seven year old raised by robots that could easily step on him. That particular morning, however, Michael had turned the tables on the twins, something he by now regretted. "Sides! Put me down!" Michael giggled as he was held upside down by the mech's holoform "I'm sorry."

The red mech stared down at the seven year old, his held tilting to the side. The mech was covered from head-to-toe in pink paint, while Sunstreaker had immediately freaked out, and rushed off to clean himself of his own pink paint. "You get a few years on you and think you can just get away with pranking the best, huh?" Sideswipe asked in gentle mockery "I'm half tempted to find the closest Sharkticon pond-"

"You wouldn't." Michael smirked.

"Oh, and what makes you say that?" Sideswipe raised an optic ridge.

"Because you love me." Michael smirked wider "And besides, those are on Cybertron!"

Sideswipe grinned at the young human, knowing that both responses were true. He carefully set the boy on his feet, and put his hands on his hips accusingly. "You're lucky we love you too. Because if we didn't I might just bridge back just to find one." He carefully messed up the boy's hair in response "Rather than what we'll do to you now."

Michael's eyes widened as he looked up at the mech, who had an evil grin on his face. "What's that supposed to mean?" Sideswipe started to head off from Michael "Hey, come on, Sides! I'm just a little kid, you can't do anything to me." He crossed his arms.

"Yeah, that may have worked when you were five." Sideswipe chuckled "But we've taught you too well now."

Michael blew a bang of his blond hair away and watched the mech go. He knew that he was right, even with the cute factor still present, he was developing into his own personality. And that ultimately meant that the cute factor only got him so far with the Auobots. "I don't know if I should lecture you, or be impressed." Michael turned as Optimus appeared before him "You do know that was not a very nice thing to do, don't you?"

Michael shrugged innocently, allowing his father to scoop him up into his hand. "C'mon Daddy, it's their fault." Michael crossed his arms, smiling wide "They did teach me too well. I mean, I pull off just as many pranks as them now." Optimus raised an optic ridge "Harmless, I swear, I learned my lesson when I put the tack on Mr. Collins' chair."

Optimus let out a deep, reverberating chuckle as he placed his son upon his shoulder. There was no need to punish him, as the prank had, after all, been harmless. Yet he still could not help but lean his head over and gently rub his cheek against the boy's. "My little soldier." Optimus began "What am I going to do with you?"

"Sides suggested sharkticon bait." Michael replied jestfully.

Optimus shook his head a bit, uncertain of how to take that. Even if he knew the twin had said it jokingly the mental image was less-than-pleasant. "That is not a punishment I would ever allow." He replied in a teasing manner "Now, do tell, did you ever get that homework done that you were assigned?" Michael frowned "What have I told you before, youngling?"

"I know, daddy. I'll go get it." Michael sighed "Stupid math."

"Go to your Uncle Wheeljack if you need assistance." Optimus noted "He has proved an excellent math tutor for you in the past." He explained.

Optimus gently set his son down, allowing Michael to quickly rush off down the hall. He heard footsteps, and turned to see Ironhide making his way up beside him, putting his hands on his hips. "We are gonna have our hands full with that one when he hits puberty." Ironhide snorted quietly "Primus help us if he can already pull a fast one on the terror twins."

"Indeed."

Ironhide smirked. "Hard to believe he's already seven, ain't it?" Ironhide mused "Feels like just yesterday we were bringin' him home." He looked over at the leader calmly "Now we're worryin' about 'im becoming a little terror 'imself."

"Time moves far too quickly, old friend." Optimus nodded, turning around "Now come, I must discuss strategy with you while we both have a spare moment."

...

Michael groaned as he stepped out of school the next morning. It had been another long day, but then again, after Kindergarten, and entering the real grade school years, it always felt that way. The first grader shifted his backpack over his shoulder slightly, and waved goodbye to a few friends while scanning the parking lot, though none of the Autobots seemed to be in sight. "Hey, kid." Michael turned around, seeing a man standing by one of the walls of his school "You're the one that gets picked up by the red truck all the time, arentcha?"

Michael tensed up a little bit, turning his head. His father had always taught him to no talk to strangers, especially not with a family like his. The man stepped forward slowly, and placed a hand on his shoulder. The way he dressed seemed to give Michael a bit of a warning flag, the coloring of the purple and blue just seemed so familiar, and the grin the man had did too. "Sorry, not allowed to talk to strangers." Michael stated "My daddy says so."

Michael slowly shrugged the man's hand off, and for a brief moment, the man grimaced. Shifting his sunglasses slightly, he shook his head. "That's a smart thing to tell your kid." He noted "But here's the thing. If that mech in the red truck is your daddy..." The words struck Michael hard, as he turned to the man "Then I'm going to need for you to come with me."

As Michael made a move to walk away, he felt a tight grip on his arm. He grimaced a bit, tugging back as he was yanked forward. "Hey! You're hurting me!" Michael shrieked.

"Is he or not?"

Michael thought quickly, and made an attempt to kick the man in the groin. It was an act of self defense that he had been taught, and when it didn't work, he couldn't help but show his confusion. "That would have been smart, if this wasn't a holoform." He explained, pulling Michael over and looking at the back of his backpack which read "MICHAEL PAX" "There's my answer." He smirked.

Michael felt his body tense further, he didn't like this man, he didn't like him at all. The man carefully released his arm, and wrapped his own around the boy's shoulders tightly. Though Michael tried hard to fight back against the grip, he soon found it was useless. "Come on, kiddo." The man told him calmly "Be smart and move those little feet of yours. If you're nice, none of your little friends have to be hurt."

That grabbed Michael's attention, he didn't need to be told what was happening now. This was a Decepticon's holoform, and this, this was a kidnapping. Though he could have screamed, he could feel the sound caught in his throat for the sheer terror he was experiencing. Having no choice, he allowed himself to be lead away to the rear of the school before they had some distance from any other humans. The mech stopped near a shrub, and quickly yanked his backpack off, tossing it to the ground. "W-What are you going to do to me?" Michael blubbered, tears filling his eyes "I-I-"

"Shut your slagging mouth." The mech snapped "I'm not here to hear a sparkling's pitiful whines."

Within moments Michael could hear footsteps, and a large, blue and purple mech approached. He was only slightly bigger than a human adult, yet clearly, still intimidated the cornered human. Before he had much time to make another noise, he had been hoisted underneath the mech's arm, which wrapped tightly around him. "P-Please..." The mech titled his head towards the boy "My daddy won't like it..." He shook his head.

"No he won't." Rumble stated as he began to carry the boy, keeping himself within cover "Why do you think we're doing it?"

Rumble carried his prisoner a good distance before he arrived at the designated meeting place. He set the boy down in front of his master, Soundwave, who regarded the human boy slowly. The child understandably quivered and sobbed in the presence of the tall, menacing third-in-command, looking as if he could soil himself at any moment. "Well, did I get the right kid?" Rumble asked "Or are we going to have to do this again?"

"Rumble: Successful." Soundwave noted calmly "Human: Will come with Soundwave." He then added "Positives of such action: No harm to other humans." There was a pause, and then he spoke again "Negatives: Death of all, including sparkling."

The mech extended his hand, and Rumble carefully pushed the human forward. When the boy continued to stand there, Soundwave simply took the quivering for into his hand carefully, making sure the grip around his waist was not too tight. Rumble returned to his chest compartment, which he carefully held Michael too. "Human: Prepare for long journey."

At last, Michael found the courage to let out a horrified scream as the world became smaller and smaller bellow him. But even he knew it was already too late, no one would hear him, and by the time the Autobots knew he was gone, he'd be in Megatron's hands.

...

A/N: Yes, i know, kind of an evil way to kick off Michael's seventh year. But then again, it can't be all sunshine and roses the whole story, right? ;)