A/N: I do not own Transformers, only Katie. Also, I would like to thank all favoriters, followers and reviewers, and I will be responding through P.M.

However, one I am going to do here, as it was, I am guessing, anonymous.

PepperCornPie: Thank you so much! I will try to incorporate your ideas soon, and they have also sparked inspiration in later episodes. And I am glad you like it so far!

XXX

Jack burst through the door as the engine flared once more, hair askew as Katie appeared behind him, clutching onto his jeans as she rubbed her glazed, dull eyes, still in her pajamas with her knotted hair falling limp around her shoulders. "Are you crazy?" Jack managed to demand, eyes wide with incredulity. "You'll wake up my mom!"

"Get your helmet, it's go time!" she demanded, rolling forward in between short engine bursts.

"Ah, it's Saturday!" Jack griped, hanging his head slightly as Kate merely dropped cross-legged onto the floor, head resting against the cool doorframe as she allowed her eyes to slide shut.

"You can watch cartoons back at base with Bumblebee," she informed, impatiently rolling forward once more.

"Cartoons, I'm sixteen!" he grumpily scoffed, bending down and lifting Katie into his arms before backing into the house.

"And leave a note for your mom!" the 'cycle yelled after them as he closed the door. "She worries!"

XXX

Floor vibrating slightly with each step, the red and white Autobot medic slowly traipsed over to one of the many workstations set up with his many tools, a look of relief settled across his war-hardened features. "Thank goodness for peace and quiet," he thankfully murmured to himself, bending down over a rather large microscope and peering through with ease. "Houseguests can be such a bother." Twisting the knob on the side of the device, he quickly engrossed himself in his work, examining the unidentified purple slime on the slide with care.

A loud, metallic clang echoed from the far corner of the room, the sound bouncing off of the walls and startling him from his observations. Jumping out of his hunched position and glancing around with widened, bright optics, he quickly searched his surroundings, scanning every crevice and crack as he mentally crossed out possible causes. Eventually merely shaking it off as an over-active imagination, he shook his helm in exasperation and returned his now dimming optics to the scope.

Hollow clicking filled the air, resembling pattering footsteps on a pipe, and he once again leapt from his work, nearly knocking the equipment over as he narrowed his optics. "…Optimus?" he slowly, quietly called out, knowing that the commander and his small charge were due to arrive any second. Turning stiffly from the table, he spun around, facing the entry tunnel. His stance immediately took on one of an alert defense, and his glowing blue optics widened and brightened in disbelief.

"By the All-Spark!" he managed to exclaim, stepping back as a scope-like monster lunged at him, the opening glowing a sickly purple as its four stick-like legs clattered and clicked against the concrete. Lunging sideways right as the bug-like monster leapt, he side-stepped it's well-aimed attack, causing it to land, instead, between the various monitors on the table. Seemingly angered, the purple glow fluctuated to a deeper hue, and it jumped once more, springing off of the table and projecting itself on top of the unsuspecting Autobot. He quickly batted it away, and its legs hooked onto the railing a few feet above its head, an inhuman shriek rising from its core. He screamed as it released the bars, falling onto the platform used to access the human's balcony.

Wielding the first weapon he could grasp, a metal pole, he quickly swung the make-shift baseball bat at the creature, which successfully evaded his blind attacks. Jumping over the flying metal rod, the seemingly possessed tool scampered sideways to the worktable, seeming to laugh in sick pleasure as it easily slashed one of the equipment into two even pieces.

"I needed that!" Ratchet shouted out, scowling in fury though quickly retreating as it once again advanced. He backed against the stairwell, dentas bared in dread as it sprung, flying toward him. Optics squinted and hand in front of his face to protect himself, he quickly braced himself for the impact. Opening his optics once more as a canon fired, he sighed in relief as a blue blast knocked the beast away in midair, sending it flying across the room.

Slumping against the stairs and platform as Optimus shifted his blaster into his hand, the medic let out a sigh of relief, Katie peeking around her guardian's pede as she stared on in shock, eyes wide and mouth agape. The creature sparking on the floor, limbs jumbled and body twitching, the two new arrivals advanced.

"Now, what could have caused that?" Ratchet grumbled, staring at the heap on the floor as the pair drew closer. Kate jumped forward, the two Cybertronians not bothering to put an end to her adventurous curiosity as she slowly slid closer to the smoking critter, around a foot away. Optimus leant forward, battle mask still engaged as his optics narrowed.

"I-" He was cut off as, without warning, it once again sprang into action, limbs untangling and the violet glow fluctuating once more. "Katie, move!" he quickly shouted out, optics brightening in panic as he lunged forward, hand outstretched. The tool shrieked out, bunching its metal limbs underneath it and sprang before anyone could say a word. Flying toward the small toddler, it angled its blades to strike her on impact, hissing and chittering evilly as it seemed to swell in anticipation.

Helpless as they watched the scene unfold, both Autobots tensed and gasped in horror as Kate shrieked in alarm, unable to do any more. "Bad bug, no!" she shouted out in despair, eyes glinting in panic as she swiveled away from the monster. Arms over her face and back to the predator, she balled up slightly, eyes squinted close.

However, right as it drew near, it seemed to caterwaul in alarm, metal plates quaking and shivering as smoke wafted from in between the cracks in its joints and plating. Without any prior indication other than that, it suddenly exploded, giving a last feral hiss as the gears and plates seemed to separate, flying across the circular room and bouncing harmlessly off of the walls and items, colored cables draping over bars and cabinets. Simultaneously, a loud, whooping alarm resounded through the base, lights flashing a sickening red as the high-pitched tone rose and fell, piercing their ears and audios. All of this happened within three seconds, leaving the three in the room awestruck and confused.

Optimus quickly darted to the small girl, effortlessly sweeping her into his palm as he stared down at her with a bland expression, Ratchet darting to the monitor.

"Optimus!" he quickly called out as he deactivated the sirens. "I'm getting a very high radiation level, unlike anything I have ever seen! Radiating from-" he suddenly stopped, optics wide and frightened as he turned to stare at his leader's charge, who was helplessly curled into a tight ball in his hand. Optimus looked to the medic, seemingly unphased.

"While I have no insight on what may have caused the destruction of the beast, I do believe I know what caused it to revive: Dark Energon.' He grimly revealed, optics bright in grim realization as he brought the small girl closer to his chest, seemingly subconsciously.

XXX

"If the residue found by Arcee on Cliffjumper brought your broken equipment to life," the leader began, tone neutral though understanding as he pieced together the information. "It would stand to reason, that the very same substance brought Cliffjumper back from the dead." He finished, closing the metal panel on the airtight container to hide the item from view. Katie looked up to him in shock from his hand, still frozen and traumatized from her surely near-death experience.

"That would account for his life signal inexplicably coming back on line, but, Dark Energon? It's so scarce as to be virtually nonexistent!" Ratchet explained, looking up at the semi as he shrugged slightly, shaking his helm. "What would it be doing on Earth?" he vaguely wondered, rubbing his chin slightly as he glared at the ground.

"It was transported," Optimus spat, tone suddenly hard as Katie jolted in surprise, looking up at him in confusion. "By Megatron."

"For what purpose?" Ratchet questioned, a hand rising dismissively as his optics brightened.

"To conquer this planet, by raising an army of the undead." The Prime sadly, dreadingly informed. Ratchet laughed dryly, a look of disbelief crossing his features as his tone turned smug.

"Well," he began, weight shifting to one side as he cocked his helm as he rolled his bright optics, sparing a second to glance down to the seemingly frozen child in his leader's hand. "Megatron will need to break quite a few toaster ovens. I mean, where on this world would he find that many Cybertronian dead?"

They turned their attention to the entry way as three familiar vehicles roared into view, engines revving as they appeared from the shadows. All three pulled to a stop, the three humans climbing off of or out of their own guardians, laughing wildly as they looked to each other in amazement. Bulkhead's chest rattled slightly, a loud thump resounding from the compartment. "Ah," he muttered in confusion, reaching in a slight gap and pulling out a long, black leather case.

"Sor-ry!" Miko sing-songed, cringing slightly as she accepted the case. "Must have left that in the back seat!"

"Autobots," Optimus started, moving toward the portal that was the groundbridge. "Prepare to…" he slowly trailed off as he glanced down to first his own charge, who had shifted against him to look up at him better, and then the three other humans standing awkwardly to the side.

"Roll out?" Arcee humorously offered, a hand on her hip as she smirked up at him. He shuttered his optics slightly before moving toward her, gently holding out the small child in his palm. The femme took her with slight trepidation, looking first to the toddler and then to the leader as he glanced at all three Autobots.

"Remain here," he finally finished, a hand waving dismissively through the air. "Ratchet, you will come with me." He commanded, beckoning with his helm for the Autobot medic to follow. "Arcee, we will be out of communications range for some time, so I am putting you in charge." He revealed.

"Dude, you're biggest!" Miko pointed out from beside Bulkhead's pede. 'You should be the boss!'

"He, ah, never picks me," the green wrecker awkwardly responded, a hand raising slightly to heighten his point.

"Optimus, with all due respect," Arcee called out, causing the titan to turn as he and Ratchet neared the groundbridge. "Playing bodyguard's one thing, babysitting's another!" she indignantly cried out, frustration leaking into her tone as she motioned to Katie, who was gently gripping a metal plate near her shoulder with one hand, the other in her mouth. "Besides, Ratchet hasn't been on the field since the war!'

"My pistons may be rusty but my hearing is as sharp as ever!" said medic irately informed, glaring in her direction as he entered the coordinates.

"For the moment, it is only reconnaissance," he gently informed, stealing a glimpse at his charge as she stared up at him with a gaze that clearly said 'what in the world is he going on about?' Ignoring the incredulous, lost stare, he returned his attention to his second in command.

"Then why do I hear an edge in your voice?" she challenged, optics narrowing as she tilted her helm downwards a fraction.

"Arcee, much has changed in the last twenty-four hours," he reminded, tone sharper than normal as his optics narrowed slightly. "And we all need to adapt." Turning to the red and white medic, who was barely concealing his own alarm and shock, his optics brightened. "Ratchet, bridge us out." The medic nodded without looking his way, only having to pull the giant lever jutting from one of the monitors. The bridge filled with the greenish-blue light in the same fashion as the other times it had been activated in the humans' presences, not bothering to transform as they merely walked through, seeming to vanish in a flare of yellow.

"Okay, chief, so, ah," Jack awkwardly began, clapping his hands together in front of himself as he glanced to the blue femme, who was staring down at his sister in seemingly bewilderment. "What's on the activities list?" She glanced down to him with a bland stare, scowling angrily.

"I'm going on patrol," she revealed, turning and marching toward the entry tunnel.

"But Optimus told us to stay," Bulkhead dutifully pointed out, raising a servo slightly as she approached him.

"When you're in charge, you can call the shots." She irately reminded, reaching up and grasping his servo. Flipping it palm-side up, she carefully lowered Kate into it, his nervous expression changing to one of horror as the small child glanced up to him in confusion. "'Bee, with me!" she demanded, motioning for him to follow. He whirled in protest, throwing back his head as he resignedly moved towards her.

Patting part of his arm, she spared the wrecker a backward glance. "Bulkhead, you're in charge." And with that, the pair transformed, speeding out of the base.

"So, ah," he began, shrugging, while taking care not to throw the hyper-active toddler across the room. "What's on the activities list?" Before anyone could respond, a loud whine reached their ears, fluctuating in volume and pitch as Miko turned the knob on the giant amp.

"What about… Band practice!" she cheerfully exclaimed, raising her guitar into the air as she tilted her head. Bulkhead seemed to panic slightly, quickly stomping over and placing his leader's charge onto the balcony.

"But, we're not a band!' Raf weakly protested, hands clapped over his ears as Katie skipped to his side, grabbing hold of the hem of his sweater.

"Why so antisocial? Come on, Raf!" Miko coerced with a laugh, moving over with her instrument in hand. "You play anything?" He seemed to freeze for a moment, blinking owlishly, before he gave a shy smirk, bending over and grasping his treasured laptop.

"Keyboard?" he mischievously offered, smirking. Miko beamed, pigtails bobbing as she jumped.

"Laptops and samples, good!" she praised, smiling widely as she wheeled around to face Jack. "Jack?"

"I sometimes mess around on the harmonica?" he hesitantly revealed, a hand sheepishly going to his head.

"Do I look like I do country?" the teen glared, hands on her hips. "Just… Cover yourself in fake blood and jump around screaming." She firmly instructed, a hand circling in the air as she thought. "Bulkhead! Percussion!" she revealed. "We'll go for a big industrial sound!" Her gaze landed on the youngest of the group, who was staring up at her with a blank expression.

"What does she do?" she curiously questioned, stooping down and narrowing her eyes as she looked the small child over, giving her an experimental poke. Jack scowled.

"You are not dragging my baby sister into this. It is there that I draw the line," he unyieldingly stated, quickly marching over and ushering his sibling away from the odd teenager. Katie glanced back, giggling wildly.

"You's weird!" she gleefully exclaimed, a happy, innocent smile lighting up her face as she twirled in place, hands swinging. Miko scowled.

"Am not! You are!" she retorted, sticking out her tongue.

"Not! You," Kate raised a hand, pointing to her. Miko ignored her, rolling her eyes and frowning slightly as she reared back her hand and struck the guitar strings, causing her three companions to grimace and cover their ears, a pained expression on their faces.

"Anyways, and D.Y.I., we're a band! You just gotta learn the songs. This one's a ballad, My Fist, Your Face!" she cheerfully exclaimed, strumming a few chords. Jack, Katie and Raf grimaced, nearly buckling over as the over-excited girl kicked out a foot, sinking to her knees as she strummed the instrument.

Lights turning a green hue as a loud blare resounded over the 'music', if it could be called such, causing Bulkhead's closed optics to fly open. "Woah, woah," he instantly shushed, waving a hand through the air.

"Come on!" Miko drawled, allowing the guitar to hang from the strap. "You can't handle raw power?"

"The proximity sensor!" he all but shouted, hands out to his side as he looked to each. "Quick! Hide!" Their eyes widening, Jack snatched Katie's hand in his own as Bulkhead stepped forward, dragging her behind his pede as the other two followed. Pressing against his pede as the elevator door slid open, Raf peeked around, instantly jumping back as the same agent from before stormed towards the railing, a furious scowl plastered onto his face.

"Prime!" he roared out, hunching over the metal bars as he glanced around.

"Agent Fowler!" Bulkhead exclaimed, struggling to stay still as he pulled his pedes together, further hiding the four humans. "He's not here… Nobodies here… Accept me, of course," he nervously laughed out, optics bright in distress as he grimaced.

"Well, where did he go?" the man demanded, a hand in the air as the four hidden children struggled to remain out of sight. "Wait, don't tell me, he's out pancaking a mini-mall!" he stormed a few feet further down the railing, the wrecker sliding slightly to face him. "Now, I don't know what language you 'Bots speak on your planet, but Prime promised he would handle the Decepticons!"

During the small tirade, Bulkhead slid his foot to the side, catching the cord strung from Miko's guitar, resulting in her being yanked to the side, Jack and Raf desperately attempting to pull her back onto her feet s she hopped. The electric guitar buzzed, strings rubbing against the wrecker's pede and causing it to squeal.

"…And blowing a crater in the middle of Nebraska is not what the word 'handle' means in English. So, you tell Prime-" He cut off, eyes roaming to the ground as the high-pitched, sliding squeal once again met his ears. "Since when are you 'Bots electric?" he suspiciously questioned, straightening.

Bulkhead's optics brightened drastically and widened, his head snapping up in horror as the agent caught on to their scheme. Still struggling with her guitar, Miko froze, Jack shrugging and Raf face-palming dramatically, Katie simply stifling a giggle as her own electric blue eyes glittered with excitement. Jack sighed resignedly, simply tiredly rubbing his eyes before motioning for them to follow, taking his sister's hand.

"Hey," he awkwardly began as the small group moved around the giant's foot, giving a small wave. "How ya doing?"

"Contact with civilians!" Fowler ranted, ramming his hand against the metal rail with a dull 'cling'. He glared at the green Autobot. "Team Prime has really gone off-book this time." His eyes roamed the assembled humans, and his eyes widened as they landed on the youngest, clutching her brother's pants leg as she shyly glanced at the man. "Wait, don't tell me," he sarcastically drawled. "You're running a daycare center!"

"O-kay," Bulk dreadingly grumbled, attempting to find a way out of the precarious situation.

"We're… Interns!" Jack suddenly exclaimed, grinning as he swung a bent arm out in front of him.

"Student interns!" Raf continued, holding up a hand as he caught on to what the other boy was getting at.

"Uh, earning extra credit in…" Jack led on, looking to Miko slightly.

"Robotics!" Miko exclaimed at the same time Jack continued, "Auto shop!" Katie blinked slightly, looking up to the three in confusion.

"Huh?" she drawled out, eyes glimmering with confusion as she cocked her head.

"Okay," Fowler tiredly began, sighing deeply as he began descending down the stairs. "Let's move. I'm taking all four of you into federal custody. It's for your own protection." He explained, feet hitting the concrete as he approached. Bulkhead's look of horror turned into one of anger, and he quickly, sharply lifted his foot, bringing it down in between the Agent and the children.

"We're protecting them," he clipped in an irritated voice, optics glowing a bright neon blue as he glared down.

"Is that so?" the man growled out, moving toward the wall. "Well, maybe you can explain that to my superiors at the Pentagon!" he demanded, snatching a landline phone off of the receiver.

"Don't use that phone, it's…" he rammed his finger against the box, crushing it with ease as he stared down in worry. "Out of order."

"This isn't over, big foot!" Agent Fowler cried out, throwing the phone down to dangle from its cord. "Not by a long shot!" He stormed up the stairs once more, disappearing into the elevator as the doors closed. Bulkhead released a long-suffering sigh, shaking his helm in exasperation.

XXX

Katie shrieked in alarm, running from her place by the wall to her brother's side as the lights once again turned a green hue, a different alarm ringing though the base as the monitor screens flashed.

"My ears!" Raf groaned, cupping his hands over them as he cringed.

"It's an S.O.S.!" Bulkhead revealed, squinting at the screen as he leaned forward. "From Fowler!" he finished, shock evident in his voice as he spared the humans a slight glance. "Uh…" Grumbling in confusion, the titan randomly tapped at the screen, a second later causing the data to fizzle into static.

"Did you trace it?" Raf hopefully inquired, stepping forward.

"Location scan was incomplete. Oh, well," he shrugged, walking away from the screen.

"Oh, well?" Jack repeated in disbelief, eyes widening.

"We got help him!" Kate chirped, arms stiff by her sides as she cocked her head, eyes glittering with worry.

"Fowler's a jerk!" Bulkhead defended, turning back and staring at them in disbelief.

"Whoa! Whether you like the guy or not, the Decepticons may have him!" Jack reproached, panic coating his tone.

"And Agent Fowler knows your location!" Raf continued. He suddenly gulped, cowering slightly. "Our location," he choked out, trembling as his voice cracked.

"And did we not just witness how fast Fowler backs down from a 'Bot? The 'Cons will totally make him squeal!" Miko chastised, throwing her arms in the air for emphasis.

"But we lost the transmission. Fowler could be anywhere!" the Autobot once again attempted to persuade the four, leaning towards them.

"Maybe I can narrow it down! About five years ago, the government started micro-chipping their agents," Raf suggested, seating himself on the floor and pulling out his laptop. "Ya know, like owners do with pets!" Typing something in, the three others merely stared down at him in disbelief. He glanced up, defensive.

"What? I saw it on T.V.! Anyway, if I can hack in to the fed.'s mainframe, maybe I can pinpoint Fowler's coordinates!" he finished, returning his gaze back to his computer as he vigorously typed.

"You know how to hack? But you're, like, two years old!" Miko exclaimed, hands out in front of her as she blinked.

"Twelve," Raf corrected, grinning slightly. "And a quarter! Katie's two," he contradicted, not lifting his gaze from the screen.

"Th'ee!" Kate scowled, arms crossed moodily over her chest.

XXX

"Latitude thirty-nine point five," Raf called out, staring at a digital map as he read the listed numbers. "Longitude one hundred sixteen point nine." Bulkhead nodded, yanking the lever down with minimal effort.

"Okay,' he started, turning toward the portal. "Stay here."

"Aw," Miko pouted, throwing her hands down in protest. "Don't break up the band!"

"Uh, Jack, you're in charge!" the wrecker suddenly yelled out, twisting slightly to glance back at the four before running through and seemingly disintegrating.

"I guess we three have the run of the place… Miko?" he glanced around, spinning on his heel as Raf did the same. "Katie?"