Disclaimer: Transformers are the property of Hasbro and anyone they sold them to. Historical references are based on "Official Prequel" novels written by Alex Irvine. Burger King's © Italian Chicken Sandwich and PepsiCo's © Pepsi Throwback also appear throughout because of the appearances of products/signage used in the movies. All original characters appearing in this story, as well as the plot itself, are the intellectual property of the author. Unauthorized use without the permission and/or acknowledgement of the author is expressly forbidden, (i.e. if you want to use them, ask first and give credit where due.) No infringement is implied or intended. No financial gain has been received.

A/N: "VVVVVBREAKVVVVV indicates change in POV. This is written visually because it is how it appears in my head as if it was the next story in the Transformers Movieverse. If Hasbro/Dreamworks happen to notice it . . . well, let's talk! Anyway, hope you enjoy it, and please note this is going to take a while because the main OC keeps growing up and getting herself in all sorts of trouble when I'm not writing this story. Tracy

Children of Megatron

by

Tracy N. Lutz

Prologue:

2004

The surface of the sample seemed to be alive with electromagnetic activity. Similar, he would say, to the electric currents present in the brain.

The knob clicked the microscope to an even greater magnitude. After scanning the surface for any unusual activity, Dr. Alistair Carlisle happened on something he never expected to see in a technological sample; the units, cellular in design, appeared to be destroying an apparently damaged unit, and replacing it with four smaller units.

This was extraordinary! If this could be replicated, it would be the end of cancer, or could revolutionize amputations and paralysis. Maybe this could help him walk again.

The sounds of the phone ringing in the front of the lab and the soft murmurs of his assistant faded to white noise. Likewise, he ignored the sounds of the servos grinding as the other technicians built, tested, rebuilt and re-tested their various artificial body parts.

This was amazing! He had to get this latest discovery recorded. The voice activated recorder clicked on with his first words.

"Findings indicate that these chips harvested from NBE1, although decidedly technological in origin, appear to have remarkable regenerative tendencies. Further analysis is needed to determine if these tendencies can be translated into biological cells, or combined with damaged cells to replace or repair them.

"Next step in this research will be to introduce living biological cells into the environment with these harvested technological units to determine how they will interact."

"Dr. Carlisle!" his assistant finally interrupted.

"What is it Alicia?" he asked, quite annoyed.

The look on her face was one of utter shock and woe. If he wasn't so interested in the activity happening under his microscope, he might have noticed she was fighting tears.

"It's your sister and niece.

"There's been an accident. You need to get to the hospital to act as next of kin."

That brought him up short, next of kin? They would only need him for that if Mary was unable to. This had to be really bad.

For the first time since he was assigned to this project, he lost his focus on work.

He backed his wheelchair out from under the desk he was working at and maneuvered it around to face Alicia. "Call my car," he said. "Please make sure to log my last observations for me. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Yes sir, and Dr. Carlisle?"

He stopped his chair on his way to the door. He didn't bother to turn around.

"I'll pray for your sister and niece."

Alistair Carlisle didn't respond. He maneuvered the joystick to continue his progress toward the garage, and his only remaining family. God seemed disinterested in him or his family from his point of view.

VVVVVBREAKVVVVV

He was trapped. There was something painfully hot dripping onto his face plate and slowly leaking into his left audial and optic. He couldn't see or hear out of them and he couldn't move to get out from under the drip.

His right optic was blurry and he heard a strange sound that reminded him of the wails of newly spawned hatchlings. Desperately, he tried to move and screamed out when his struggles were met with pain. His legs were pinned somehow, crushed, and so was his left arm. He could move the hand and elbow, but it was securely caught by the upper arm.

Finally, he saw the blurry shape of a head before him. The rescuer was making soothing sounds in a language he never heard before. The limbs attached to the head moved to put something soft and malleable around his shoulder and over the damaged side of his face. He felt a piercing sensation in his upper arm that soon began to numb it. Suddenly, he heard a sound he came to identify as Ratchet's saw, and then felt the searing pain as it was applied to his upper arm above where it was pinned.

He screamed out in his own pain and heard the strange wailing sound match it.

Jerking upright, the image went black and the pain disappeared. He looked around in confusion and saw the worried faces of Optimus, Jazz and Ratchet looking down at him. He was lying on the floor of the recreation area; several others paused in their activities to look at him in concern.

"Is he alright Ratchet?" Optimus asked worriedly.

"I don't know," he answered in confusion. "These readings are odd; his central processors are showing damage to both legs and left arm, optic and audial, but direct scans of them indicate full functionality.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was caught in a total cybernetic lock with someone who was experiencing those injuries."

"How is that possible?" Jazz asked in confusion. "As far as I know, he isn't a twin nor is he unified, unless he has been holding out on us.

"So, did you go out and get unified before you left the planet and not tell anyone Bumblebee?"

Bumblebee looked down at his legs and ran a diagnostic. They were completely functional, so he tried to move them. When they responded to his commands, he felt relieved and searched for his left arm. It, his optic and audial all appeared to be fine, so he climbed to his feet. He swayed dangerously until Ratchet and Optimus caught him and held him steady.

"No," he was finally able to answer Jazz. "No twin or unified."

"Did you have an offspring before you left?" Ratchet asked

"No . . ." he started to answer before his vocal processor went out again.

"This is just too bizarre, let's get him to the med bay so I can run more diagnostics," Ratchet ordered.

Slowly, they helped the wobbly mech through the hatch and into the corridor. Without understanding why, he broke free and grabbed at the ledge of the window to look at the stars. Inextricably, his gaze was pulled toward a specific arm of an unfamiliar spiral galaxy.

I will find you, he swore from his spark. Primus help me, I will find you and you will never know that kind of pain again.