A/N: Wow, 201 reviews! Thanks guys! They really keep me going! And the twists aren't done yet, not by a long shot. In fact the biggest one comes right now.

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CHAPTER 37
Unsettling Truths

Tony continued to try and process the fact that Ironhide was his Father. He already had the feeling something was very wrong here, but he didn't say anything. All he knew was simple facts, Jason had been so calm. Even when he'd freaked out about his Mother sleeping with Ironhide, he had seemed so calm. Tony hadn't taken his eyes off of Jason, but he knew something was up. "Where are we really going?" Jason's head turned to Tony "You stopped heading to the border an hour ago, now we're headed north." Jason turned his head towards the road, didn't say a word "This isn't even about ME is it?" He asked.

For the first time, perhaps in his entire life, Tony heard a faint chuckle from Jason. "And here I was, thinking you were an idiot." Jason shook his head "Tony, Tony, Tony. You're a smarter human than I gave you credit for." Tony's eyes widened slowly "You and your Mom, were a good cover. Now, imagine my luck... Finding this out." He noted.

"You're... You're not human?" Tony asked.

And just like that, Jason had disappeared from the driver's seat. The holoform appeared again, but this time, it made Tony's skin crawl. He was much older, his eyes a deep, blood red color, he looked an awful lot like Ironhide, and it was that revelation that made his blood freeze. "Oh my God, but you're-You're-" Tony began to choke out "How?" He asked.

"I see that your Father told you the story, did he? Or was it, PROWL?" The Decepticon made a "tsk tsk" noise with his mouth "Tony, Tony, Tony. Ironhide didn't shoot me in the head. Are you kidding me? It'd be all over the news on Cybertron, and Ironhide would've been executed for treason." The mech tapped the side of his steering wheel "He shot me in the chest, and me? I escaped, to where else?" He then added "But here." He noted.

"Back then?" Tony asked.

"Of course not, I was in the war as every Cybertronian was. I came here not long after I met your Mom." The Decepticon snarled, he shook his head slowly "It was a pain in the aft moving here. Creating all those fake documents. The fake institutions, the fake birth certificate." He then turned to Tony, shaking his head "I actually DID love your Mother, I was ready to reformat for her." He shook his head "But then, she betrayed me, apparently with my own fragging SON." He noted harshly.

"But you tried to sell me for DRUGS, I heard you!" Tony replied.

The laugh that came next was low, cold, and completely psychotic. "I was selling you to another Decepticon." Tony turned to the mech slowly, his eyes wide with horror "You heard me... Surely you don't think I had NO idea what you were. No... I've known for as long as I've known YOU." He peered at Tony, stroking his cheek, Tony cringed back "You're worth more than you probably could comprehend." He noted.

"What do you want from me?" Tony asked, his throat going dry.

"I want you to shut up." The mech growled a little, Tony cringed a bit "You'll find out what I have planned for you in due time. But for now, be glad you've lived this long." He tapped the side of the wheel a bit "But if I'm correct, your Father has put a tracker on me already. Which means he and that Prime are well on their way. Meaning the fun should begin soon enough." He dropped a comm into Tony's lap "Why don't you do me a favor and turn on your comm link for me? I know there's a code to it, unlock it." He noted.

Tony stared at the mech, his Grandfather quietly, and did as he was told. Once done, the mech violently ripped the comm out of Tony's hands, put it up to his lips, and grinned. His voice changing now, back to the voice he was sure haunted Ironhide for years. "Hello, Ironhide." He stated slowly "I hope you're tracking us, because that's what I'm counting on." There was silence "Come on, Hidey, talk to Daddy." he added coldly.

"No... Not you. You're dead, Mathius."

"I'm afraid so, you see, Ironhide, a shot to the chest doesn't kill someone." Mathius stated, his voice cold and edgy "Though these days, as I understand it, you like to spread the lie I was killed by a shot to the head. Rich, quite rich, really." He snickered "Tell me, Ironhide, how does it feel to know that this entire time I've been tormenting your son? Has it HIT you yet." He shook his head "Jason Pearson never existed." He added.

Ironhide was dead silent for a moment, clearly deeply unsettled. "If you hurt him, a shot to the head will be FAR more than just a story." Ironhide stated darkly "Put him on the line, I know you want me to follow him. I know how your twisted processor works." He paused a bit "If you want me, Mathius. I want more than your word regarding his safety." He stated flatly.

"Smart, not wanting to use the bond. After all, I'll be listening in either way. After all, it works three ways." Mathius shoved the comm at Tony "Say hi to Daddy." He noted.

"Dad, I-I'm okay, in a lot of pain and confused, but I'm okay..." Tony knew that was what Ironhide wanted to hear "Mind telling me why I'm staring at the-" He began.

Mathius ripped the comm link from Tony's hands violently. Shaking his head, he smirked a bit. "There you go, your proof. Really, Ironhide, I went through all this trouble to get him back and get to YOU. Do you really think I'd kill him so quickly?" He shook his head slightly, he paused for a moment "Oh, son, you really have forgotten how I work, haven't you?" He asked.

"This was your plan from the beginning." Ironhide snarled.

"Yes, you are just THAT predictable, son." Mathius chuckled lightly, shaking his head "Who knew that walking out on that idiot human woman would make revenge SO easy." He smirked quietly "I mean, I knew that Tony was half-and-half. I always had. But the luck of him being yours. I really had just planned to keep him until you divulged THAT little factoid. Now, he's a pawn in this game." He added.

"Your conflict is with me, not Anthony." Ironhide stated quietly "Please, Father. Don't HURT him."

Mathius smirked widely, he turned to Tony, who shifted uncomfortably. "I guess you shouldn't have slept with his Mother, eh? Did you know I actually liked her, Ironhide? The one woman I cared about, and she was human." His optics flashed with anger "After shooting me in the chest, that was the lowest blow you could deal me." He added, taking a deep breath "I think it's about time YOU knew how that felt Ironhide." He added.

"If you so much as lay another hand upon him, I will rip your spark out!" Ironhide barked.

"Better move fast then, Ironhide. Because my hand... Might. Just. SLIP." Slowly, but surely, Mathius crushed the comm link in his hand. Tony shrank back slightly as Mathius turned his head slightly. "Afraid? Good, you should be. Because now that my secret's out." Mathius stroked his cheek, sadistically "There is nothing holding me back, Anthony." He chuckled coldly.

Tony could only wonder in horror what that could possibly mean.

...

"I thought that Ironhide's Father was DEAD?" Michael asked as he leaned against Prowl.

Both Ironhide and Prowl's holoforms eyed one-another. There was a loud sigh between them both. "That was the official story, as he could not be found. Unfortunately, he had some friends in high places that protected him." Prowl noted, Ironhide stared at Ironhide who looked flustered "I should have told you, I know that Ironhide, but it was to protect you." He explained "How was I supposed to know he'd find your son through this series of events. There was a one in fifty billion chance, at least." He noted.

"The problem is he now does have Tony, and I'm afraid of pursuing him." Ironhide admitted "There's no telling what my Father will do, and worst of all, he WANTS me to. Primus only knows why. This was not his original plan, he might have known Tony was half-and-half. But he had no clue he was MINE." He shook his head "I'm starting to think he MIGHT have honestly thought he was his. Hence why he insisted that he belonged to him." He added.

"So basically, he's got even more of a vendetta against you than ever." Michael noted.

"And when it comes to my Father, that is a VERY dangerous thing, Michael." Ironhide stated quietly "The police cannot get involved, my Father will cut them down, all of them. Not only is he insane, but he's EXTREMELY powerful." He explained "If we're going to get Tony out of there, it has to be the doing of the Autobots. Which means I have to play his game, and fall for whatever trap he has set." He noted.

"Even if it means you could-" Michael began.

"If I offline today, then so be it." Ironhide stated quietly "I'd rather die than see Tony be murdered by him. Tony has a lot of life to live, I've lived a long, full life." Ironhide slowly loaded his cannons "So whatever happens tonight, whether we both come home, or not. I will do what I must." He turned to Prowl "Are you coming with me as back-up? I know Prime is already on his way." He explained.

"Time to finish the job that should have been done far too long ago." Prowl nodded slowly.

Activating the homing beacon, Ironhide took his first steps forward. Nerves building up throughout his body. This was going to end, and it was going to end tonight. The terror that his insane Father had brought about for vorns, and most of all, Tony's suffering.

...

A/N: This originally started to come to a head VERY differently. But at the end of the day, I thought this was the more climactic and dramatic route. Especially after I decided Tony was Ironhide's son. Hopefully, I explained it all well enough. :)