A/N: I will be doing my own world-building about the Dynasty of Primes and The Matrix of Leadership here borrowing from other continuities and my own ideas. As we haven't learned how it works in the ROTB-verse.

CHAPTER 11

"You're my son now."

Optimus' words rang through Dylan's head long after their talk. No one had ever called him that, certainly he'd never been referred to him like that before... But that was another story. Dylan hadn't expected Prime to attach to his role as quickly as he did - but he appreciated it. But felt a little nervous...

He was not used to this kind of attention, affection, or kindness. It was so clear to him that Optimus had wanted a kid, because who else would put up with him? He figured. But others had started to see him differently now too... Bumblebee started parking outside of school and staying there. And Mirage seemed to hesitate to take him out on his stunts.

About two weeks after the declaration, Mirage finally clued him in. "You realize by acknowledging you as his son, he's basically recognized you as his heir?"

Dylan looked confused. "Heir to what?"

So he'd gone to Optimus when Mirage explained what it meant, and the leader had sighed. What did they mean by his "heir"? Instead of answering right away, Optimus sat him down and opened his chest to reveal a large, golden sphere surrounded by two metal bars.

The mech leaned in and began his explanation as the blue glow emanated from it. "Dylan... This is the Matrix of Leadership... It is as old as my planet itself. And has been in my family for generations," Dylan's eyes widened, but Optimus prevented him from reaching out to touch it. "Prime is not just a title in my culture it is a family name. It is typical for a Prime to have several sparklings... And when the time comes that his time as leader of our planet is coming to an end. The Matrix will chose which of them is worthy to carry take the actual mantle. Rather than simply the name. Of Prime."

Dylan's eyes widened - so that meant... "Wait, you had siblings?"

Optimus paused a moment, but nodded his head. "Megatronous."

Bombshell. Dropped. Dylan leaned back in the seat as Optimus cleared his throat. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see where this was going. "It's why the war started. We both agreed our father's horrific treatment of other Cybertronians needed to be stopped," Optimus explained. "We were divided into Castes - and many were suffering... Perishing. But while I wished to solve it through change, and true understanding... Megatronous..."

He paused a moment. "Megatronous had too much of our sire in him. He wished to bring about change through fear, and terrorism. With his friends from the Gladiatorial ring he frequented," A chill ran up Dylan's spine. "He was our sire's favored child. And heir apparent. So when the Matrix chose me..."

"He was pretty insulted."

The Prime nodded in the affirmative, as he vented out quietly. But Dylan didn't understand, how could he be Optimus' heir apparent? He wasn't even Cybertronian! They lived for millennia. He'd love to be a hundred if he were lucky... "I can't be your heir, I wouldn't live that long," Dylan managed. "I'm not even your biological kid."

Optimus shook his head. "That does not matter. What matters is my words reflected how I felt. The Matrix will recognize this," The Prime seemed so sure of himself. "You are right. The day may never come where you carry the mantle. It may be your child, great grandchild, or even your descendant. But if our connection continues... You now have entered our line of succession."

Dylan felt a little nervous, this was something he hadn't considered. But he felt so safe with Optimus and could see the fear in his optics. The Prime had obviously been worried that in telling him Dylan would be scared off. "So that makes me... What some sort of Prince now?" Optimus straightened. "And one day if you die and I'm old enough I'd basically inherit the Autobots?"

Optimus seemed to look away. "I know it is asking much of you to accept that," Optimus explained honestly. "I had hoped that we could broach the subject later. But I understand my brethren wish to keep part of the future of our culture and society safe."

Dylan only had one thing to say: "I don't deserve that. I'm just... I'm nobody," Dylan explained honestly. "Optimus I don't think -."

Optimus held up a servo. "You do not decide that. You are worthy of being my son. If you weren't I would not be doing this," Optimus explained. "And this would not happen overnight. When you were adopted I would teach you things. Both you would need to know, and that will help you."

Dylan shifted a little, nervous as he thought about it. On one hand he wanted to run away screaming. But on the other hand, he had come to realize something when Optimus had said that. He wanted Optimus to be his dad. The mech treated him with more kindness and understanding that he'd ever seen. Real compassion... Maybe even love, but Dylan wasn't sure since he hadn't experienced that before.

Could he not accept this part of it in order to be happy for once in his life? Dylan had never been happy before, but he was now. But something bothered him. "... What if I don't want to be a leader?"

Optimus looked as though he'd never thought about that. But his answer was immediate: "Dylan, you can be whatever you wish. Especially as the single child in my line," He explained with softness. "I would find a suitable candidate and pass it on if need be."

"Can you even do that?"

"I'm sure I could if I needed to," Optimus replied. "The Matrix takes my own wishes into account as well as my successors. If I wish for you to follow your heart, I have no doubt it will respect it."

Dylan was silent for a moment - Optimus was willing to break even tradition like that? Dylan nodded his head a little. "Then I guess I could be OK with it... I mean, as long as I have a say," Dylan explained. "It's not like I'm not honored... Just surprised."

Optimus ran a finger through his hair and nodded. "If we are ever going to move forward or rebuild eventually change is what we need. Including choice;" Optimus explained. "I will talk to the others about giving you more space and not scaring you about things you don't need to think of... Not for a long time."

As Optimus stood and turned however, he stole one glance back. "Know this, however. I have come to care for you as my own. You are part of my legacy. Whether you, or one of your descendants succeeds me," Optimus explained quite honestly. "You may think you are nothing... But you would be very wrong in my optics."

And then four words that changed everything: "I love you, Dylan."

Dylan contemplated his words as he was left alone in his bedroom.

Optimus had just said he loved him.

That scared Dylan more than anything, no one... No one in his entire life had ever said that, but after close to two months - Optimus had chosen to not only fully embrace him, but tell him those three words. Dylan wasn't sure what he was thinking earlier, he was happy... But could he learned" to be loved? To actually hear those words and not feel as unworthy as he did now?

The Prime, he now knew, had taken such a gamble on him - and why? Before those words he'd been so sure it was because Prime wanted a child. But having one meant more than it would to the average human, or Cybetronian. Optimus was doing this for more than a missing piece of his spark.

He loved him, and for the first time in his life he felt scared and angry about it.

Not for the reasons one would think. He had cried tears of joy for a few minutes after all, but because it made him realize how screwed up his life had been. He asked himself for the millionth time what he'd done wrong. Why had his biological father hated him? Why did it take a literal alien from outer space taking pity on him in a storm for him to find someone who genuinely cared?

Why was this the first time someone had said that to him?

Dylan had decided to handle this the same way he handled any time something scared him. Running away. Optimus didn't love him, he told himself, this had to be a trick. He was going to get hurt again, and he didn't want to feel that. So he'd stuffed what he had into a bag and had snuck out just in time to find...

Bumblebee.

Dammit, of course his so-called "bodyguard" had seen it coming. "Great, I thought I could do this way easier," Dylan replied. "What, do you guys run scans on me or something? Know anytime I move at night?"

Bumblebee frowned at the boy, then puts his hands on his hips. Dylan wasn't sure for a moment if he was disappointed or annoyed. But eventually, the voice he used over his radio answered that. "You can't run away just because you're scared," Bumblebee explained to him. Scared? How the heck did this mech know that!? "You're still in danger..."

Dylan shook his head annoyed. "I can't stay here Bumblebee. I don't know what I was thinking," Dylan explained as he turned around. "It's great that you guys want to keep me safe and help me... But I didn't know Optimus would get this attached. I thought it was just... Talk. It always is."

His voice was distant at that point, but it was the truth. He'd been hopeful the Prime might keep his word for a while, but the "L" word of course changed everything. "Optimus cares about you. That's a good thing," Bumblebee insisted. Dylan simply rolled his eyes, flustered without a doubt. "This isn't just about protecting you... We care about you."

Dylan knew that. "And that's what scares me," Dylan admitted as he turned around. "No one's ever cared about me in my life. So why you guys? Why now? How do I even know you're not bullshiting me like the rest? If I walk away, I save myself. But if I stay here..."

Dylan's voice trailed again, what would happen if he stayed here? He'd probably just be cast aside eventually, he always was. Bumblebee's optics softened as he crouched to look his friend dead in the eye. "I was lost too. We all were before we found each other," Dylan turned to stare at Bumblebee, surprised by his words. "You are one of us now."

Dylan remembered what Optimus had said about the days before the war. He remembered what Mirage had said about his and Bumblebee's past... And he thought about how in some, strange way, how Bumblebee's justification made sense. With one servo, Bumblebee gestured for him to return. "C'mon back home, kiddo," He encouraged. "Before you give your father a heart attack!"

Dylan still wasn't sure he was ready to call Optimus, or anyone that yet. But he still felt compelled to follow Bumblebee back inside before Optimus came back from the patrol that he knew the Prime to be on. "Bee, can I ask you a question? I mean, answer it best you can... Anyway," Bumblebee turned and nodded to him as he asked. "It's not... A lie, right? Optimus really cares about me the way he says he does?"

Instead of an actual answer, Bumblebee used his memory banks to reply with a sound clip: "I am trusting you to protect him, Bumblebee. I know I've only known Dylan a short time... But I have not felt as connected to another being as I have him," Optimus said. Dylan's eyes widened into saucers at that. "I know he doesn't believe it... But I believe we were meant to find each other. I feel it in my spark... It was not an accident."

Dylan stood there, left alone again to contemplate the words.

General Hawk hated that he had to keep coming back.

But all the same, today it was necessary, especially with the information he had. Under one arm, he had papers that ordered a full restraining order against Eugene Logan. While he also brought news: they'd uncovered some things about Dylan's mom at last, and he was the one that had to deliver the news. Away from Dylan, of course, the less he knew about what the Decepticons wanted, the better. So he'd specifically asked to meet with the Prime while both their kids were in school.

Taking a deep breath, Hawk stood in their debriefing room with Optimus. As they had decided to keep who knew limited information, lest Mirage run his big mouth. "Dylan's mother was Special Agent Matilda Logan," Hawk told the mech as he threw a file down on the table. "And I was right, she's Sector 7... Old Sector 7. Higher up than the typical chain of command. Only retired when she got pregnant with Dylan."

Optimus nodded. "Does she still function?" He asked curiously.

"No, she died giving birth. That's how Dylan ended up with her ex-husband... She had been fighting for full custody," Hawk explained rather bluntly. He didn't look too happy about what he had to say next. "But the point is she was looking for your Maximal friends. Long before anything that happened in Peru, or Brighton Falls."

Optimus shifted uncomfortably. "They knew of our presence all along?"

Hawk nodded, though he seemed unsure. "Very little though. They knew that there were aliens on Earth, and that they'd been there for a long time. But no idea about Maximals, Autoobts, Terrorcons, and Decepticons of course," That certainly made sense. "But she did find something I think will answer all of your questions."

As he opened the file, Optimus stepped back, optics wide. Was that... It couldn't be. But it was. He was looking at a Transwarp Key. But unlike the Maximal's, which had been split into two - this one was complete. "Impossible..." Optimus breathed. "My ancestors lost the Transwarp Key on Cybertron millennia ago. When my "grandfather" used it to begin a pilgrimage to the stars from which he never returned."

"You knew there was more than one?"

Optimus shook his head. "It was a fairy tale, a bedtime story."

Hawk frowned, he shook his head. "Well, all I know... Is that everyone else who knew its location has either been killed, or gone missing over the last year," Optimus' optics shot toward his human ally. "In all the places that we've seen the Decepticons showing up... Damn it, if only we knew... Could have made a connection."

Optimus was silent. "And now Dylan is the last one standing, I assume?"

Hawk nodded. "I don't know why they'd go after the kid though. There's no way he knew about any of this," The General surmised. "Has he... Said anything that would indicate he even..."

"Not a word." Optimus replied. "And I fear what this means..."

Hawk looked at Optimus with considerable concern of his own. "Do I even want to know?"

Optimus turned his head, and considered all that he had just learned. Considered the fact that Megatron was now on Earth, and must have been hunting the key... It could only mean one thing. "My home is lost... When I left Megatron had control of Cybertron - full control. If he is now hunting the Transwarp Key," Optimus explained. "It means either Cybertron is dead, or the last of the Autobot rebellion on Cybertron has fallen."

Hawk frowned. "Optimus, I'm so sorry..."

Optimus would mourn later though, after all - there were worse things to consider. "I made peace with the loss of Cybertron a year ago... When I destroyed the key to strand Unicron," He admitted. It had been a long-overdue peace, to be honest. But still... "My fear is that if Megatron wishes to find another key... It could only be to do one thing..."

Hawk didn't like the sound of that. "Like what?"

The look in Optimus' optics said everything. "Using it to bring his army... Or what remains of it, here," Optimus explained. Hawk's face paled as he did. "General Hawk, I believe it is time we began to exhaust our efforts. And find exactly where this picture was taken. It is the head start we desperately need."

Optimus refused to let Megatron destroy Earth too.

A/N: Annnddd now everyone is on the same page. Let the race to find the second key begin!