CHAPTER 3: Bipolar
Several system warnings were what greeted Barricade with when he came out of stasis. He definitely felt like slag, though he knew he couldn't complain. He had expected much worse after all.
"Ah. It zeems zat you are finelly online." A voice drifted through his audio processors. It was thick with a foreign accent.
When the decepticon hunter onlined his blood red optics, he was met with the visage of the tiny docbot, Scalpel. As he took a quick survey of his surroundings, he noted that they were in some kind of old storage facility. Probably one of the dilapidated old structures that littered the yard.
No light filtered from the high windows, confirming what his inner chronological systems were telling him. It was still the early hours of the morning. The sun wouldn't rise for a while. The only source of illumination came from several fluorescent lights.
"You have recovered quite qweekly. All ze wounds have healed on zey're own quite vell, actually." The tiny doctor's tone sounded curious.
"Your self-repair systems vill be more zen enough to compensate for ze rest of your injuries."
Scalpel continued to talk as he skittered over his chest plates, tapping at various welds that were now in place, each warning message clicking off as the bot finished making a few more repairs.
With Barricade so deep in thought, the doctor only received an occasional grunt in response.
"From vat I can tell, you should ve back to battle capability before midday."
If black and white mech was human, he would have supposed that he had blown his situation over the top. However, he knew his systems records didn't lie.
Going over the data that was stored in his memory banks, there was no doubt.
He knew he had been heavily damaged when the yellow scout had left him. How could he have recovered at such an exponential rate?
Scalpel did not miss the confusion showing on Barricade's faceplates.
"Quite curious indeed… iz it not?" He tittered, as though he could read what was on the larger bot's processor.
Barricade growled and sat up, ignoring the soreness he felt. He was a decepticon soldier, after all. He had been forced to fight in worse conditions before, even when he was close to a forced stasis lock, numerous times before. This was nothing.
"I'm sure zat you are quite aware zat ze zcout would never 'ave left you in zat junk yard unless he was sure zat you would deactivate. After all, you are ze one zat tried to offline 'iz charge." He chuckled again.
The black and white mech was quickly tiring of the doctor's beating around the bush. He wanted answers.
He glared at Scalpel, "Get on with it!"
The outburst did nothing to faze the spider-like bot. His only response was a sly look in his optics, and words that would make Barricade's systems stall for a moment.
"We would have indeed lost you to ze matrix were it not for zat."
One spindly digit pointed in a direction behind the larger mech.
Barricade turned his head, surprised to see Starscream, of all mechs, holding something small in his servo.
A human.
A dark-haired human femme. Somewhat similar to the one he had seen with Ladiesman217, but this one was different.
Oh, so much more different.
His scanners beeped in confirmation.
While the two humans he had previously been chasing had barely detectable trace amounts of cybertronian radiation on them, this one had something else.
Something that was definitely a clue to getting what they had come for in the first place.
She radiated traces of all-spark energy.
"The large amounts of trace suggest that this human has been exposed to the all spark itself." Starscream concluded. "That could be the explanation for your swift recovery. Getting in such... close proximity with you when you were so damaged must have triggered a transfer of the residual energy. Enough to exponentially speed up your repair but not to heal you completely."
The scientist within him was quite intrigued with the development of events. That part of him wanted to postpone the race for the cube to run tests on the human.
"How did she come in contact with it in the first place? You would have thought that these idiotic humans would have had enough sense not to reveal such a powerful artifact to such a pitiful femme." Barricade contemplated, disgust evident in his tone.
The girl was barely sixteen years of age. Not even an adult.
Glitching humans.
"Indeed." Starscream consented, sharing the hunter's sentiments. "But what matters right now is that she must know where the cube is located. If we move quickly, we will be able to get to it before the autobots do." His lust for power was stronger. He was decepticon second-in-command once more.
Barricade tensed slightly. If they had the cube in their possession, they could defeat the autobots for good, and Cybertron would be theirs to rule.
Something in his spark stirred.
After countless millennia of war...
Starscream turned to Scalpel, a look in his optics seemingly asking a silent question.
"Ze human haz recharged for long enough. I do believe she vill vake up zis time."
This time... It seemed that it wasn't their first attempt to wake her.
"Zuch a pity zat my cerebral probes are not yet fully functional. She would 'ave made an exzellent test subject." The medic mused.
"No matter." The decepticon air commander said, laying the teen on the top of an old metal cargo box.
"Manual methods are just as effective. And much more... enjoyable." A malicious grin set itself on his faceplates.
He raised a servo and slammed it down roughly, barely two feet from the unconscious girl's head.
The reaction was instant.
The femme's eyes flew open and she shot up. Or at least she had tried to, the air commander's servo had her body firmly pinned down.
Breathing in short, quick gasps, the human looked around wildly, her arms swinging frantically.
For a few moments, it was almost as though she was looking right through the decepticon second-in-command towering over her.
"What the... heck?" She breathed when her gaze finally settled on Starscream then shot to Scalpel who was flashing a serrated blade as he stood on top of the servo that was keeping her held captive. He was laughing maniacally to scare the her.
When her eyes widened and she took a deep, shuddering breath, they were expecting her to scream.
But what they got wasn't even close to what they were anticipating.
"Starscream? Scalpel?" She whispered, seemingly bewildered and somewhat out of it. The way the girl had said their names, however, indicated that it was not a question. The Decepticons visibly cringed at look of recognition in the human's eyes, as well as the obvious lack of any substantial fear.
It was disturbing.
"Hey... you're not... supposed to be here..." the human continued a bit sluggishly, despite the lack of any response, sending a confused look and pointing an accusing finger in Scalpel's direction.
"Wait... Barricade!" Confusion turned to panic and she began hyperventilating.
"B-Barricade... was... beat up...-!" Her voice was shaking as well.
Then suddenly, her eyes widened when the she realized who she was talking to.
Something akin to anger flashed on her features and Scalpel had to hop off of his perch when the human began puching weakly at the metal digits that were impeding her movement.
"Where is he?" She hissed in a demanding tone.
"What are-" Starscream was, to his disbelief, abruptly cut off.
"Where the pit is Barricade? I hope you had him patched up, you fragging dorito! Or imma gonna beat the cheese-! 'CADE!"
Anger abruptly flickered to joy at the sight of the black and white mech who was just starting to get up behind Starscream.
The emotions were switching from one to another so fast it was throwing the decepticons for a loop.
"You're okay!" A stupid grin plastered itself onto the human femme's face despite her situation.
She flopped back onto the metal surface, letting out a sigh of... relief? As she did so, shiny metal slipped out of her jacket.
Barricade was not quite sure about how he should react to her obvious display of concern for his well being, as well as the way the human had unceremoniously given him a nickname.
This human had to be seriously glitching. She was in the presence of three cybertronians!
Decepticons for Primus' sake!
The three Cons could only gape at the strange girl, different thoughts racing through their processors.
'What in Primus' name is going on? Who is this human?'
'...Dorito?' Barricade did a quick search on the web.
'Heh. Foolish human. Trying to insult Starscream?...' He almost couldn't help the smirk that was threatening to appear. His mouth twitched.
'Peculiar human. Doez she have zome kind of processor malfunction? How doez she know our dezignations? Unless...'
Starscream swore that he was about to short a fuse. It was all he could do not to offline from a processor overload when he spotted the strangest thing hanging around the human's neck.
The Decepticon insignia.
"What... in... the pit?..."
A/N: Third chapter down! Weeeeeeeee! :D Ash is definitely getting herself into a slagheap of trouble. I quite enjoyed writing this chapter myself, so I do hope that you guys liked it too. :))
Sorry that I got a bit delayed with posting this. My family and I went out of town for two days, and I couldn't post before we left. I just got back actually, and it's... currently just past 4 am. XD
Aaaanyway, now that you've read, please review. Reviews encourage my muse and feed the plot bunny. I'd also like to know your comments and critiques, positive or negative, it doesn't matter. I believe what you have to say will help me improve as a writer. So even if it's a flame, the furnace is open. :D
QUESTION FOR THE CHAPTER: How do you guys think the cons will deal with this kind of situation?
You'll be finding out soon, in chapter 4 of TFBR. ^^
Till then,
See yah. :D
-Moonstone