A/N: Just so everyone is aware, we're not doing the Michael Bay thing where all the Autobots looked exactly the same when they got to Earth and only got colors and different appearances after they landed. That's not real in literally any other TF media and I will never accept it. Even in the Bumblebee movie, they had unique colors and shapes on Cybertron. On to the story!
He knew exactly when and where the others would make landfall. The humans watched from below. Bumblebee assured them it was all going according to plan. He didn't say it in as many words, but Midge was starting to get a feel for what he was saying before he even said it.
Flaming balls of metal shot over their heads, and the best they could do was stare agape. He wasn't exaggerating when he said they'd rain down from heaven.
Midge leaned over from the driver's seat and he felt heat of her body against his dashboard. Sam flinched and Mikaela's fingers clasped around his.
Twenty minutes later, they were meeting up with those flaming orbs. Bumblebee had driven them back into the city where they now stood. Above the trio hovered the form of a robotic man twice as big as him, and it was his leader, Optimus Prime. Midge fell on her buttocks, shocked into a stupor by the sheer enormity of the machine she bore witness to. He rolled his neck from side to side as though he'd been in the same position for a long time.
Bumblebee and his brothers in arms followed Optimus' example, reforming into standing 'bots. Ratchet's unsightly shade of fluorescent yellow clashed with his flashing red lights, but other than that he thought everyone had a pretty nice vehicle form. Bumblebee was elated to be with his brothers in arms again. They had spilled oil, energon, and lubricant together. He couldn't feel safer having them nearby.
"Are you Samuel James Witwicky, descendant of Archibald Witwicky?" The great, hulking red and blue form of his boss 'bot was hunched so close to them that they could probably smell his fuel lines.
Bumblebee moved forward, an unfinished metal servo coming up behind the redheaded woman to lift her back onto her feet. "Thanks," she mumbled, but the Camaro shook his head and ignored the way his fuel tank flipped.
"Yeah," Sam said dumbly. His mouth was stationary, not even his tongue moving to form the words. He gestured to her, deadpan expression on his face. He gulped. "Margaret, she also... she's my sister." He jerked his thumb back to point at her. His mouth continued to flop open, but he said nothing.
They were surrounded by the alien mechs, five of them including Bumblebee himself, so he could understand why they were a little in shock.
"Uh, hi. You can call me Midge." She hesitantly greeted the 'bot, eyes wide and voice warbling lightly. Bumblebee was really hoping his boss and his favorite human would get along. "You're huge."
"My name is Optimus Prime," he said evenly. He kept his hands loose and in front of his body to show his intent was not to harm them. "We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron."
Ratchet supplies helpfully, "But you can call us Autobots for short." His gaudy neon paint now had a jagged red stripe and a few new adornments.
Sam parrots him quietly, trying the word on his glossa — tongue, Bumblebee corrected in his thoughts — as he gazed at them all. "Autobots."
"Wow," Margaret breathed, spinning around to take in the whole crew. The yellow bot puffed out his chest just enough for it to be noticeable as her eyes scanned over him.
"What's cracking, little bitches?" The silver, smoothly contoured 'bot said from behind them, swaggering toward the three little beings in the center.
"My first lieutenant. Designation Jazz." Bee found Optimus' poker face impressive when his introduction was accompanied by a back flip from Jazz.
"This looks like a cool place to kick it." The silver Pontiac hopped backwards onto the front of an old pickup, crossing his legs.
Sam stared at him, unsure what to make of Jazz. "What is that? How did he learn to talk like that?"
Midge couldn't keep the laughter down, letting out a tremulous giggle at the humorous display. "I like him. He's funny."
Unfurling to his full, standing height, the leader of the Autobots explained. "We've learned Earth's languages through the World Wide Web." He then turned to the second-biggest machine in their group. "My weapons specialist, Ironhide."
"You feeling lucky, punk?" The chromed-out giant of a 'bot spun out his big guns, the barrels whining as he took aim at the humans. Bumblebee knew he wasn't going to hurt them, but they didn't know that yet. He silently waved at the bigger 'bot to lower the guns and Optimus took the words right out of his inoperable vocal processor.
"Easy, Ironhide."
With a gentle whir, he pulled back his shoulders and let the ominous gruffness leave his voice, and what remained was his raspy British accent. "Just kidding. I just wanted to show him my cannons."
"Maybe just show them to us next time? Instead of pointing them at us, I mean. They're really cool." The way she said it with that beaming smile, he knew she was being sincere. Even Ironhide seemed to melt at her kind demeanor. It warmed his spark to see her among his most trusted companions, being friendly with them.
Sam puffed out a breath, relieved, and looked back to Optimus, who motioned to the fluorescent medic on his left. "Our medical officer, Ratchet."
Ratchet's nose bounced up and down and he smelled the alley. "The boy's pheromones suggest he wants to mate with one of the females." He stopped there, but he sent Bumblebee a dubious look while he continued to sniff the air and kept his stare otherwise locked on the auburn-haired woman. The yellow scout pretended not to notice.
Optimus continued the introductions, gesturing back to the Camaro. "You already know your guardian, Bumblebee."
He chose that moment to mime a boxing match, showing off a little bit for his human friends as he played a hip-hop beat on the radio. "Check on the rep, yep. Second to none."
"Bumblebee, right?" The younger Witwicky repeated, looking up to the yellow 'bot. "So you're my guardian?"
He nodded happily at the boy, then doing the same toward his sister. Hopefully he'd be understood, but it was only a hope. It was difficult to communicate with them, like this. Difficult to communicate with all humans except for one that just seemed to get him.
"Not just yours, doofus," the oldest translated easily. Midge pushed her brother lightly, a playful smirk gracing her lips. It turned gentle when she turned it on Bumblebee. Too quickly, she looked down, hiding her eyes from him along with her beautiful smile. He wished he could see it again.
"His vocal processors were damaged in battle. I'm still working on them." A sudden cough was torn from his lungs. Ratchet's medical scanner was pointed straight at his throat, the ticklish feeling causing him some minor irritation.
"Hey!" she shouted, her short legs stomping their way to Bumblebee, putting her body in front of his stabilizing servo, almost as if she was shielding him with her small form. Bumblebee did not laugh, which deserved a pat on the back.
The joy was sapped out of him when Mikaela brought up a more serious topic. "Why are you here?"
"We are here looking for the All Spark." Optimus leaned in, his energon blue optics narrowing. "And we must find it before Megatron."
"Mega-what?" The question from her brother made Midge roll her eyes, crossing her arms over the half-unbuttoned jacket. It was the only piece of clothing not stained with her blood, he believed it was called.
"Megatron, you moron. Try listening for a change."
The Autobots' leader pressed a servo to his temple, engaging a holographic interface that displayed a vision of their homeworld. He encased the trio of humans in a memory of his, the spires Megatron put in place rising from the stony soil. "Our planet was once a powerful empire, peaceful and just, until we were betrayed by Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. All who defied them were destroyed. Our war finally consumed the planet, and the All Spark was lost to the stars. Megatron followed it to Earth, where Captain Witwicky found him."
Sam looked to his sibling, a finger pointing between them. "Our grandfather."
"It was an accident that intertwined our fates. Megatron crash-landed before he could retrieve the Cube. He accidentally activated his navigation system. The coordinates to the Cube's location on Earth were imprinted on his glasses."
"Wait, wait, wait." "Hold on. Just how do you know about his glasses.
"Ebay." Optimus blinked his optics, deadpan. He could see the next bout of annoyance rising on Midge's features. Eyebrows raised in indignation, she opened her mouth and questioned him in a deceptively calm manner.
"You put our family's priceless heirlooms up for sale... on Ebay?"
"Now listen, Margaret-"
"No, you listen!" She said, her pointer finger settling in the middle of his rib cage and pushing him back. "I am so disappointed in you right now. If dad knew about this... You're lucky we have bigger fish to fry."
"Your quarrel can wait." Ratchet's grumbling voice put an end to her tirade. "If the Decepticons find the All Spark, they will use its power to transform Earth's machines and build a new army."
"And the human race will be extinguished," Optimus finished as he stood, his gigantic figure casting them in shadow. "Sam Witwicky, you hold the key to Earth's survival."
Two mechs each line up on either side of their leader. Hydraulics hiss while they bend into place and metal clunks against concrete with every step. Surprisingly, the Earthlings seemed at ease around the titans after less than 24 hours of exposure.
"We'll talk later, Sam. This can't wait." Midge smiled, but she looked angry still to Bumblebee. Her arm pulled back to pat his back and he winced when she made contact. "You better not have sold them yet."