Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, unless I happen to be asleep and dreaming.
This fic is going to a collection of one-shots which represent what I think are the answers to all the plot-holes and unanswered questions in the Transformers movie-verse. I have no idea how many of these one-shots there are going to be, and updating is going to be erratic (basically each fic will be posted after the plot-bunny has hit and I've found time to write it) so please don't bug me for updates and feel free to suggest your own ideas.
Why wasn't Barricade in the battle of Mission City?
(And why was Bonecrusher was in ROTF? – Did anyone else notice him in Egypt?)
Barricade drew back into the shadows as Optimus Prime took one last look around, before transforming and heading onwards towards Mission City. The Decepticon waited until Prime was out of sight before moving cautiously towards the metallic corpse strewn on the highway. Bonecrusher may look offline, but the Saleen had been attacked by plenty of mechs he had thought spark-dead. Once he was sure that it was safe, he approached the other Decepticon. Not wasting any more time, Barricade quickly started patching energon and coolant lines, after checking the mech's spark was still alight.
Barricade once again thanked Primus that he had at least some medical training. He had been half way through the course at Iacon's Medical Academy when the war had broken out; therefore he was the most qualified medic in the Decepticon army.
Once he had Bonecrusher stabilised, Barricade ran a quick scan to ascertain the damage. The mine clearer's CPU was completely trashed of course (what do you expect with having your head ripped off?) and his fork-arm had been ripped off, but otherwise the mech was in fairly good condition. Barricade did a quick internet search, before taking up as much of Bonecrusher's weight as possible and heading west. His web search had flagged up an abandoned warehouse only 1.5km from their current position.
Five minutes later (and rather large amounts of scuffed paint, on both their parts) Barricade had his comrade securely hidden. The cruiser started to work on the damaged CPU, glad he had persuaded Megatron to make all the Decepticons frequently back-up their memory files all those vorns ago. The former Lord Protector hadn't originally seen the point, but Barricade had argued that it was much easier to get new parts than it was battle experience; especially enough experience to take on some of the trickier Autobots.
:: Barricade! Get your aft here now!::
The comlink interrupted Barricade's work, Megatron's harsh voice ringing in his audio receptors. He vented air, similar to a human sigh, but left his patient to follow his orders.
The Saleen had only taken a couple of steps, reaching as far as the warehouse doorway, when a sudden, painful surge to his spark brought him to his knee-plates. Surges continued to roll through his chassis, filling his HUD with error messages.
#Error – connection to 845329R-721 failed#
#Attempting connection to 845329R-721#
#Error – connection to 845329R-721 failed#
#Attempting connection to 845329R-721#
#Error – connection to 845329R-721 failed#
#Attempting connection to 845329R-721#
#Error – connection to 845329R-721 failed#
With every failed attempt to connect, another surge rolled from his spark and through his frame. Systems began to overheat and Barricade could feel the coolant rushing around his lines. He knew what this meant:
Frenzy
Barricade and Soundwave had been friends before the war, and had even tried having a relationship; however, they hadn't quite been compatible. Even so, the cruiser was one of the very few mechs Soundwave trusted, with himself and his cassettes. So when Megatron had needed at least one of the tiny mechs with the crew of the Nemesis, which would follow him on the path of the All-spark, Soundwave (who needed to remain behind to co-ordinate all the Decepticon teams) had entrusted Frenzy's care to Barricade.
The cassettes, Frenzy especially, were made small and slim to allow infiltration; however this meant they had only the most vital components. Therefore, they had to be connected to a larger mech to ensure their survival. The caretaker provided protection (both physical and mental), energon feeds and transportation.
The system provided excellent spies and saboteurs, but the downside of it was that it required at least a partial spark-bond. The bond wasn't as closely linked as between spark-mates or twins, more like a creator or brother bond. Soundwave had trusted Barricade enough that the communications mech had allowed what was essentially his child to form such an intimate connection to the shock trooper. A connection which allowed the caretaker to monitor their charge, but also caused great pain when severed. Which was now happening to the Saleen.
Barricade's last thought, before the heat and pain running through his systems forced him into stasis lock, was:
I'm sorry Soundwave. I failed.
Reviews are not required, but definitely are appreciated.