I fought the law (and the law won).
"(...) I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the law won (…)"– Bobby Fuller Four "I fought the law"1).
Warnings: Violence, explicit language, explicit content.
Timing: Post season 2 finale, in my very own Beauty of the Beast Prime timeline.
Rating: T to M.
Pairings: none, at least not romantic one.
Disclaimer: Transformers Prime © Hasbro. Story's plot and OC's © me. There may be some OC's that aren't mine – they belong to their respective creators.
oOo
Nemesis. Past.
Megatron stood proudly on Nemesis' bridge, glaring moodily into the wall of screens. He looked as if he was contemplating something, but since he stood like that for a while now, some would risk guessing that the Mighty Megatron simply recharged with his optics open.
They would be proved wrong when agitated Starscream busted into the bridge, making the Decepticon Leader snap from his own little world. The massive mech turned slowly but gracefully to face his overly animated Air Commander.
"Master. Terrible news!" Starscream screeched before his One True Lord and Master could ask why he was panicking. Starscream learned that it was better to have a good reason to disturb the ex-Gladiator.
"You mean: more terrible news." Megatron corrected the slim Vosian.
Lately the war wasn't going as planned. Not on their end at least. Autobots didn't complain. Decepticons suffered a number of military disasters that were most humiliating. Most of their grief was caused by their enemies, and some by their own doing. Megatron wasn't sure what pained him more: Prime besting him or his own mechs' epic failures?
"No, this is worse, it's not just military." Starscream shook his head.
"What is it then?" Megatron braced for another dose of bad news. He wasn't even taking his anger on Starscream anymore. He was too tired.
"It's B'lahr 39 2), Master, we were cyberforming it." Starscream started.
"I take it that we do not cyberform it anymore?" Megatron sigh a heavy vent.
"No, Master, Autobots raided it. We just received a report about that."
"Why did you even bother to tell me this?" The larger mech glared at the smaller one. He'd receive a report about it anyway, so why would Starscream want to tell him personally?
"It was a first phase and the personnel were consisting of technicians mostly, with the bare minimum of the military." Starscream explained.
"The technicians go through boot camps and basic military training." Megatron remained.
"Yes Master, but it didn't seem to change anything in this case." Starscream continued. "When the Autobots attacked, our soldiers settled up stronghold while the technicians simply ran. They didn't even bother to activate their weapons."
"WHAT?" Megatron's optics turned round.
"B'lahr 39 wasn't all that important but after the news of what happened reached the bulk of our forces the morale took a nose dive." Starscream sagged his arms and hung his helm. It was truly depressing. Their recent bad fortune was one thing, but this was just... it was too much.
Megatron glared at his SIC for a moment deciding what to do next.
"Get me Barricade." Finally the Tyrant barked an order.
Starscream didn't wait, he was gone before Megatron could do as much as take a vent.
oOo
Barricade dragged himself to the Bridge. He wasn't in a mood for military business but Megatron's orders were to be followed immediately and without questions. The only two mechs who'd have the right to delay or discuss the orders were both 'Waves and neither really did that... Well, almost, they sometimes asked additional questions. But that was them. Anyone else risked finding themselves of Megatron's Fusion Cannon's working end.
"Megatron?" He asked approaching his Leader. He was told that he was expected on the Bridge, but he was not told why. As far as Barricade knew it could have been either something he said or done, or something was to do. Or say.
"Barricade. Planet B'lahr 39." Megatron said calmly but there was fire in his optics. Barricade learned long time ago to always be wary of that fire; it meant that Megatron was either excited or furious. And the angry scowl excluded excitation.
Barricade recognised the name instantly; it was one of the newest failures of their faction, not to mention humiliation, and the humiliation factor was delivered by their own mechs. Autobots attacked, the Decepticon crew was severely outnumbered and the soldiers stationed there organised defence in one of the buildings while the technicians simply high tailed leaving the soldiers to their own fate. Being defeated by superior enemy forces is not a shame, but being abandoned by own people? That was instant morale death.
"What with it?" He asked not knowing what he was expected to do with that defeat.
"The technicians that ran. They are being accused of desertion and cowardice in the face of enemy." Megatron cleared out. "You're a law enforcer. Haul them back to be tried."
"Isn't that a case for the D.J.D?" Barricade asked. Sure he was a cop but this was the kind of a field that fell into Tarn and his marry bunch's expertise… although 'field' wasn't the word he found the most fitting in this case, he saw it more as a 'yard' or graveyard to be more exact. If it fell under martial law it instantaneously became D.J.D's competence. And the D.J.D. didn't take it kindly to be relieved of their duties without asking for it.
Barricade's authority as a law enforcer included widely understood criminal activity stretching from categories such as lowly disobedience, vandalism and in rare cases malicious vagrancy; and ending with serial murders (though he never really had to track a serial killer himself).
"They're still occupied at the moment." Megatron explained knowing why Barricade asked. "They will not mind you going after the deserters."
"They're still recovering?" The law enforcer asked lifting one opticbrow.
"Yes." Megatron nodded once and did not elaborate.
He didn't have to anyway. It was not a secret that recently Tarn and his team were besieging a small Autobot outpost. There was but one Autobot there but he or she had plenty of weaponry and energon and thus could wait for a long time. For Tarn it was but a play, a way to pass some time and he was in rather good mood. Perhaps he wouldn't even wait for long and ordered retreat, leaving the Autobot confused about what just happened. But at the moment he was taking his happy time to mess with them and Tesarus had a 'brilliant' idea. So the entire D.J.D stood in a line, turned away and bared their aft protoforms at the defender with Tarn roaring as loud as he could: "BEHOLD! I honour thee most highly!"2) The defender responded in the only possible way they could by opening fire. Now the D.J.D were recuperating after having their bare protoforms shot at… well, parts of their protoforms anyway.
"I see, in this case I will leave immediately." Barricade sighed.
"Yes, but first, Soundwave." Megatron turned to his trusted TIC who stepped out of the shadows lingering on the Bridge. "Soundwave, dispatch one of your assistants to help Barricade with this task."
Soundwave nodded, he wasn't the most vocal of all mechs and as the time passed, he was speaking less and less. Everyone suspected that one day he'd just become completely silent, but for now he was still speaking when it was necessary.
"Frenzy." Soundwave called one of the twins; his voice was deep and vibrating. "Operation: incarceration."
"On it boss." Frenzy answered and presented his twin brother, Rumble, with gesture that could only be described as 'obscene' to which the other mech replied with making a rude noise. Barricade sighed deeply and prayed to Primus to give him strength to endure.
Fade out.
So yeah, this is how the two started to work together, Rumble and Ravage joined much later.
1) I am actually familiar with the song due to The Clash (I've heard it first time performed by them), but the song isn't Bobby Fuller Four's song either, it originally was a song of the Crickets. When it comes to covers, obviously The Clash's is my fav version but I also enjoy it in Green Day's version. But there are so many covers for this song that anyone can find their fav version without problems.
2) B'lahr, the same planet that Fulcrum was stationed at… in fact, that's the same time he was stationed there, and he's one of the ones that Barricade is after. Fulcrum never mentioned that there were others but I imagine that cyberforming would require more than just one technician, especially cyberforming performed not with the help of Omega Lock. For the reference see MTMTE issues 7 and 8… mostly 8.
3) Inspired by The Black Adder, ep. "The Black Seal". Meaning I was inspired by that episode, not the D.J.D.