O.C.s are: Danielle Evans, Destroyer, Overseer.

Barricade wants to leave the City, but Dani begs him not to leave. Dani finds out the awful truth that Barricade 'murdered' her parents per Megatron's orders.

Chapter Seven

They arrived at Autobot City around six in the morning. Destroyer, Overseer, and Barricade drove into Barricade's apartment. Barricade transformed into robot mode and looked into Overseer's passenger side. Dani was sound asleep.

"I wouldn't move her." Overseer said.

"I'm not waking her up! I need to go. I'll put you all into danger if I stay."

"It's your choice."

"No." A small voice said. "You can't!"

Dani had awakened and looked up at Barricade through tired eyes. "You can't leave!" She said. "Please? Pierce and I need you."

-0-

Dani's POV

I stepped out of Overseer's form and looked up at him. "Please?"

Barricade bent down and looked at me with all his eyes. "Danielle. Please listen to me. I cannot stay here because I have-"

"I don't care!" I exclaimed loudly.

"Dani!"

I fell silent.

"I did things you would consider appalling! Even the Autobots are appalled at me! So I have to go!"

"No you don't!" I said. "People change!"

"I'm a Decepticon, Dani. My allegiance is to them! I should not have stayed here-"

"You brought Pierce to Autobot City in an effort to save him from his stepfather and stepmother. You protected me against Pierce when he picked on me at school! You're not bad!"

"Danielle Evans! Will you listen to me!" Barricade hissed.

I fell silent.

Barricade looked at me and then to Overseer and Destroyer's Alt-forms. They had fallen into recharge.

"It was me." He said softly.

I didn't understand him when he said that. I looked at him with confusion. "It. Was. Me." He said slowly.

I still shook my head, trying to figure that out. "What do you mean, 'It was me'?"

"I did something horrible and caused their child to become homeless and no parental units."

I frowned. "You made Pierce homeless?"

"No." Barricade said. "You."

I was speechless and shook my head rapidly. "No." I said. "You-" I had the urge to flap my arms, but I kept them down at my side. I forced myself not to flap my arms. I looked at Barricade in shock and then fear. "You..." I couldn't bring myself to say what he did! I just couldn't. The next kind of feeling I felt was a numb sensation. Then I took two steps backwards, away from the Mechs. I kept my look stoic. I couldn't-didn't believe that he did what he did! No absolute way! Not in my life-time! I'm too young to lose my parents! "No." I said softly, my eyes filling with tears. "It wasn't you! You couldn't have." I said in a low voice. I looked behind Barricade and spotted Pierce opening the door to see what was going on. He was leaning a bit on the door jamb. "Barricade?" He questioned.

Barricade looked at him and that's when I left his apartment. I ran out the door, toward to one of the buildings. I knocked frantically on the door, yelling, "Optimus!" The lights flipped on and the door opened, revealing a 'Bot who I didn't know. I ran away from the 'Bot when I saw he wasn't who I was looking for. "Dani!" He called. "Slag!"

"OPTIMUS!" I yelled, running away and then stopping in front of a huge building that blocked my path. The lights flipped on and another 'Bot came to the door. "Danielle!" Red Alert called, when I turned away from him. "Wait!" He transformed into his alt-mode, trying to stop me. I ran toward the main hangar, thinking that was where Optimus might be. I barged in through the human sized door. I stopped as I saw a bunch of Autobots standing around. I stopped momentarily to look at them. "Optimus?" I called, hoping that the Leader was about.

One of the 'Bots walked over to me and bent down. He put his hand next to me and I climbed onto his hand. "Hello, there."

"Hi! I need to speak to Optimus!"

"He's in a meeting right now." The 'Bot scanned me and found me very hyperactive. "You sure are hyperactive. You must have had a good nights sleep!"

"Wait." Barricade said running into the hangar. "Danielle-"

"HE KILLED MY MOM AND DAD! HE MURDERED MY MOM AND DAD!" I yelled and pointed a finger.

Prowl walked into the hangar, wondering who was screaming and finding Dani in such a state, he looked at Barricade.

"Go to your apartment, Barricade. We will discuss this later." Prowl ordered. "Bring Dani to my office immediately." He ordered to the 'Bot holding me.

I sat down in the 'Bot's hand and drew my legs to my body. Unbidden tears flowed down my cheeks. The 'Bot walked into an office where Red Alert, Inferno, and Prowl walked to his desk. Inferno looked at me in sympathy. "Set her down on my desk." Prowl said. "Inferno. Have Colonel Lennox come down to my office."

"Yes sir." Inferno said, dialing the Colonel's cell phone.

The 'Bot lifted me gently and set me on Prowl's desk. Prowl waited patiently while I cried. Then I slowly stopped. "He's coming." Inferno said.

"Good."

Five seconds later, Will walked into the office and the red 'Bot bent down to pick him up. "Prowl? What's wrong?"

"Dani's upset because she found out who murdered her parental units."

"Oh! Danielle! I'm sorry." Lennox sympathized.

"You knew?" I asked, sniffling. "You knew all this time and you didn't tell me?"

Lennox said, "My team and I didn't know anything about Barricade's involvement. All that we knew about was Project Yellow."

I turned to Prowl, "Did you know?"

"Yes." He said. "We knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were not ready to know about your parental units death. You are too young."

"Too young?" I asked. "I'm going to be fifteen years old in another year! Then after that, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. When I'm eighteen, I'm going to leave here and not look back! I'm not going to come back either." I said. "Lennox! I want you to take me home! I changed my mind about staying. I need to have my time to mourn since I didn't have the time to here."

"We'll be glad to take you to my home."

"Thanks. I'd like to go back to my room now." I said to the red 'Bot. "Please?"