Gravity
Disclaimer: Good day ladies and nonladies-and whatever the hell category fans fall under-lol. Here is a sequel to the fic "Mnemonic" for your reading pleasure-at least I hope for your reading pleasure anyway-that will take place a little bit after season one-and an AU fic again! Am I abusing the AU? LOL. I may very well be.
"The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches."
-Unknown Quote
"A sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier times."
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
By: VampireQueenAkasha
"Now, there's nothing louder to me than the silence."
-Arcee, Transformers Prime
Who Are You?
It was amazing how long time had passed since he had been gone.
Arcee never spent too long thinking about how she faced Barricade on the battlefield every day; his face was no longer innocent the way it had been when she first found him in that human scrapyard, devoid of all forms of malice and hatred that was brought on by war and corruption. Now he looked at her with wicked intent, never once hesitating to take shots at her. Though she noticed it seemed to lessen somewhat, it wouldn't stop and it wouldn't change anything.
He was her enemy.
However, there was a small fraction of good in this-she at least found herself able to lay optics on him all the time and see that he was still alive and safe, even if she had to continue shooting at him constantly. Nothing was going to change this and Arcee knew she had to just put it aside. Eventually in time, it became much easier for her to deal with. Soon, she found that she almost stopped thinking about him entirely.
Barricade was different though.
He visited Knock Out in the infirmary with a deeply troubled look on his faceplates. The Decepticon medic smiled back at him cheerfully, in the middle of cleaning empty containers and putting them back in shelves.
"Barricade!" he greeted, "What brings you to my lair?"
Barricade frowned at him. "Medic, I am rather troubled by an occurrence that has happened during recharge."
Knock Out's smile disappeared slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I had a dream," Barricade explained, seemingly uncomfortable for the moment; he shifted on his feet a bit, "I had dreamed of the Autobot Arcee without just reason or logic." He tilted his head at Knock Out and looked annoyed. "Why do you feel that is?"
Knock Out smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't say for sure without a viable reason," he replied, "Perhaps you are dreaming of multiple ways of slaughter?"
"Not...entirely."
Knock Out returned his attention to the cleaning of his containers. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. After all, even the great ones dream of aft every once in a while."
"Every megacycle for the past stellar cycle?"
Knock Out paused in his work, optics mildly widening. Fortunately, Barricade couldn't see the change in reaction in his features. The past stellar cycle-equivalent to seven and a half Earth months-had passed since Barricade's memories were corrected. There was no way his central processor was trying to remember her, even when Barricade was not. He was precise in his calculations, there was no reason at all for it to...
He knotted his optic ridges and turned, smiling half-heartedly at the other Decepticon.
"Not to worry, Barricade," he assured him, "It's probably just work-related stress." He walked to one of his cabinets and pulled out a glass of liquid Energon. "Take some of this. It'll help clear your central processor."
Barricade still seemed doubtful, but nodded. "Your advice is certainly a warming reprieve..." he quipped as he turned and left the infirmary.
Knock Out watched him go with a mildly concerned murmur before returning to his task. He would have to keep an optic close on Barricade for a little while until he was sure nothing strange or out of the ordinary would happen.
Because if Barricade started to feel any connection with Arcee at all once more, things would become problematic.
O
Arcee and Bumblebee joined Jack and the other two to a water park early that morning in Las Vegas per the permission from their parents. It hadn't been easy for Miko and Raf's family; they were not made aware of their existence the way Jack's mom was; Miko and Raf's parents were assured that they would only be gone the day. Ratchet wasn't happy about using the ground bridge to warp them to frivolous locations, but he decided that it got them out of his way and was satisfied with that.
Once they returned, Arcee took a drive alone and through the Nevada desert, caught sight of the moon overhead. It was nice to get out for a little while every so often. However, being alone sometimes made unwanted thoughts cross her processor. Occasionally, an image of Barricade would pass through her mind and she would gun her engine harder to be rid of them. It was becoming much more simple lately, much to her relief, but she secretly yearned for the past that she knew she couldn't have.
As Arcee passed an abandoned gas station, she suddenly transformed and her hands shifted into blasters. She frowned and looked around the darkness of the abandoned area, getting the sensation that someone was close by.
She slowly made her way around the building before something moved swiftly. She spun around and started to open fire, but it was too late as a heavy form emerged and slammed her in the head, knocking her completely out.
When Arcee awoke, she couldn't move her arms or legs. She looked around in shock and squirmed against a pair of stasis cuffs binding her limbs tight. She was leaned against the wall of the building and looked up as the familiar shape of Barricade loomed over her with a malicious grin.
"Good evening," he greeted, voice laced with a sneer.
Arcee winced and grunted in effort as she struggled to be free.
"There's no use trying to activate your weapons," Barricade told her, taking a casual spot on the ground in front of the Autobot, "The cuffs disable your weapon systems for as long as I see fit." He held up his wrist, revealing an open panel with a bright violet button. "For the moment, you are my captive and unable to call for backup."
Arcee scowled furiously. How did she ever get into these situations?
"For the life of me, I cannot fathom how difficult it truly can be to retrieve your kind," Barricade murmured, shaking his head, "It only took me a few seconds and some stasis cuffs of my own specialty. I honestly believe they are not even trying."
"What the frag do you want?" Arcee demanded, glaring up at him, "Whatever it is, you're not-"
Barricade suddenly slapped her across the mouth; the blow was loud and echoed richly throughout the emptiness of the desert. The blow drew a slightly pained gasp from her and made her pause in mid-rant before glowering up at him with murder in her gaze. Her cheek was throbbing from the blow and she felt a hot trail of Energon trickle down her mouth from her lip. He simply regarded her impassively, not taken by the stormy blue fury staring back at him.
"You will speak when I ask of it," he warned, "Otherwise, I will have my share of pain from you."
Arcee spat out some Energon to the side. "I'm not going to-"
Another slap from him silenced her.
"Now then...I want to know who you are," Barricade said.
Arcee frowned impatiently. "You know who I am."
"No, I know your name but not of who you are."
"Why is that important?"
Again, he slapped her.
"You seem to possess a problem processing information," Barricade said, rather coldly, "Then let me speak it slower; I ask you questions and you answer. When you refuse, then I will hurt you and it will not be pleasant."
Arcee decided to agree. For now.
"Now then, explain to me who you are," Barricade ordered.
"I am Arcee and you know that! I function under Optimus Prime-"
"That is your designation and position. I want to know who you are."
"That IS who I am!"
He started to raise his hand again to slap her, but she quickly interrupted with a fierce shout. "Tell me then because I obviously don't get it!" she spat, squirming against her restraints, "What do you really want out of me?"
Barricade didn't hit her this time. Instead, his optic ridges furrowed and he looked to be in deep thought before answering somewhat quietly. "I don't know of you, yet I dream of you every cycle," he told her, watching her optics widen in shock, "I fail to comprehend the logic behind this as there is no reason for me to dream of anything. I haven't had dreams, even as a youngling, but I do now and you are always in them. Why?"
Arcee felt a sick warmth in her internals, but refused to fall victim to them again. "And how the frag should I know?" she snapped, "We're enemies, that's all I have for you."
"No. There's something else," Barricade said, frowning intensely, "I know there is."
Arcee refused to answer. Why should she? There was no way to fix this.
Just then, Barricade's COM-link was filled with Megatron's voice. "Barricade! Where are you?"
Barricade exhaled and brought a digit to his audios. He spoke calmly and respectfully to his leader. "I am presently engaging in a task, Lord Megatron, though it is of little importance," he explained, "What do you require of me?"
"Return to the ship at once," Megatron ordered, "We will be prepping to leave for Earth's next Relic location!"
Barricade looked mildly annoyed by this.
"Barricade!"
The Decepticon winced and glanced upwards with a frustrated grunt before looking down at Arcee. A small smile lit his lip and he rose, turning to go. Arcee squirmed and struggled for a moment before glaring up at him.
"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded, "You're not leaving me here!"
Barricade started to go, but smirked back at her. "The cuffs will disable in fifteen minutes," he told her.
Arcee watched him transform and ride away into the night. She wasn't sure if Barricade was telling the truth and just planned on leaving her there, but sure enough, her internals registered that fifteen minutes had passed and the cuffs fell from her entrapped limbs. She rose and rubbed her wrist joints a few times, staring furiously in the direction that Barricade had gone.
What was going on with him?
No, what's going on with me?
