AN: Chapter 4! Mikaela will be brought in eventually, along with Sarah, Annabelle, Ron, Judy, Glen, and Maggie. A week has passed in the storyline now!
Reviews: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! (shadowhaseo, Jacqueline Walker, BrowneyedShamer, Autobot Firekat, MagnusPr1m3, and TeridaxII)
"C'mon, Barry! What's so bad about joining the others for a few minutes?" Miles asked, looking at the Decepticon.
Barricade was hidden away in what had been dubbed as his hangar, resting in his alt form and trying his best to ignore the teen. He had talked to Optimus once, seen Ratchet twice, and that had been about it. He would occasionally leave the hangar to drive around in the sun, and grab some Energon if he was low.
It had been a week since Miles and the 'con had arrived on base, and six days since Miles had made the bet with Bumblebee. He doubted Mikaela would break up with Sam by the end of this day and the next, but that didn't mean he was going to wait to work on making the Decepticon act friendly.
The only reason Sam and Miles were still at the NEST base was because Optimus had asked Miles to work on assimilating Barricade with the rest of them, and Sam stayed to give his best human friend some company. However doing what the Prime asked was easier said than done, no matter how long Miles spent trying to engage the 'con into an actual conversation, or annoy him out of hiding. He spent about two hours every day trying to do so, though after so long he'd eventually be chased away or the 'con would ignore him completely.
But Miles didn't have patience to deal with that attitude forever.
"I don't even want to be around you, much less the Autodolts and their little organic pets." Barricade growled in reply, and that was probably when Miles decided to save his patience for another day.
"You know what, Barricade?" Miles asked, though he didn't expect the 'con to respond. "You're just a loser. At least the Autobots are actually living. You're just surviving, and only because everything's being handed to you through the Autobots. Maybe I won't understand why you don't think happiness through Autobots and organics is good enough, or if you just refuse happiness altogether. I know I won't ever understand why you're so against imprinting on me. Maybe I won't understand what you went through, or ever know what you did before the war. But I do understand that if it was a contest, the Autobots would be winning, and you'd be losing. What's the point of just surviving when you could be doing so much more? That's just… pathetic. And it's sad that an organic has to be the one brave enough to tell you this, because the Autobots are just walking on eggshells around you!"
And with that the teen left, not bothering to stay long enough to see if he had gotten through to the stubborn 'con. The 'con was too stunned to do anything for a moment.
Miles walked in to the rec-room, sitting next to Sam. Bumblebee, Ironhide, Will, and Epps were also in the room. Will and Epps were playing some game together, Will kicking his subordinate's ass thoroughly. Ironhide sat near the two soldiers, alternating between watching them, or joining in on the conversation between Sam and Bumblebee.
"Didn't think your 'Barry time' was up yet." Sam commented, glancing at his friend.
"Got peeved and skipped out." Miles replied, shrugging.
"About time." Ironhide grunted, "Couldn't figure out how you could be in the same room as him anyway."
Miles gave him a sour look, "I thought Ratchet was going to beat that out of you?"
"Mech can try." Ironhide smirked.
"More like since Ratchet isn't here he's going to say what he wants so he can still feel like he wears the pants in his relationship." Will said, grinning.
Ironhide growled, but said nothing to disprove what his Charge was saying. He had learned that if he went against Will, the soldier would tattle on him in retaliation. It was one reason he liked him so much. Will had been the first human to not be slightly afraid of him, being a war hardened soldier and the head of a Captain no less. When Ironhide did something he didn't agree with, he told the mech. Or used the trump card, Ratchet.
"Speaking of relationship, when's yours and Mikaela's next date?" Miles asked, looking at Sam. "Mom said she had a cute idea for you to do."
"You didn't know? We broke up two days ago while you were having your Barry time. I told Bee to tell you since I was going to bed." Sam replied.
Miles gaped at Bumblebee, "You bastard!"
Bumblebee shrugged, doing his best to appear innocent, while Sam just blinked at his friend. He didn't think it was that much of a big deal.
"It's not that big of a deal. I mean, I saw it coming. Just as long she didn't dump me for Trent I'll be happy." Sam grinned, "Oh, and she says she's going to smack you for learning about the 'bots in a non-threatening manner."
Miles just grumbled, glaring at Bumblebee. Bumblebee just smiled back, there was no way he actually planned to tell Sam, but a bet was a bet and Miles had needled him into agreeing. Why, he didn't understand, but he could at least try to make it a draw.
Epps broke the silence, and did so loudly. "YES I FINALLY BEAT YOUR FUCKING WHITE ASS! HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW, WILLEH? SUCK IT!"
Will groaned, while Ironhide snorted and Sam snickered. Epps always celebrated his win fairly loudly, especially when it was at a game he sucked at. When the Sergeant started to do a victory dance, however, Sam broke out laughing. Will tackled Epps back to the ground, the two wrestling around for a bit. Miles and Sam chose sides, Miles rooting for Will while Sam rooted for Epps. Ironhide picked his Charge, and Bumblebee sided with Sam.
Everything stopped when Barricade walked in, Epps pinning his Captain to the ground and the two staring at the 'con in shock. Bumblebee and Sam did the same, while Ironhide eyed the 'con warily. Miles was surprised for a split second, before he grinned broadly.
"Well look who came out of hiding! I don't see a shadow, so does that mean you'll be staying?" Miles asked.
Barricade simply stared at him, the humans being the only ones in the room who picked up the reference.
"Look up Groundhog's day." Miles said to Barricade, though Ironhide and Bumblebee looked it up as well.
"That's ridiculous." Barricade growled, and Ironhide found himself agreeing with the 'con. For once.
"So's all that growling, but you don't see us organics commenting on it." Miles replied, ignoring the look that Sam gave him.
Miles was testing Barricade, and Barricade knew it. That Barricade had actually come to join them was a huge step, but he'd need to make another one for it to work. He'd have to be able to put up with the crazy organics and Autodolts alike. Barricade was stubborn, though, and he wasn't ready to be called pathetic by a tiny little organic who didn't understand how easily he could be killed.
Barricade cast his optic around the room, before deciding that the corner near Miles would be the safest place for him to stay. He wasn't too surprised that he could feel almost everyone and mech in the room looking at him, but he was surprised that Miles wasn't one of them. Instead, the teen was glaring at everyone and mech staring at the 'con.
"What?" Miles asked, "No one stares at you when you come in the rec-room, and it's not stare at Barry time, so take a picture or leave. And Bumblebee, I win."
Barricade would only spend an hour in the rec-room, before retreating back to his hangar. Miles would feel triumphant for the rest of the day, and the one after that.
The next day found Barricade and Miles with Optimus, the 'con going over his Decepticon Neutral status in more detail. It also revealed Bumblebee's holoform in full use, morphed into a well-endowed teenage girl in a maid's uniform. All three watched as Bumblebee's holoform paraded past, Sam following and trying to look anywhere but at Bee.
"Miles, I would like you to explain something to me." Optimus said, glancing down at the tiny organic.
"Yeah, boss 'bot?"
"Why did you decide to have Bumblebee change the appearance of his holoform and wear a maid's uniform if he lost the bet?" Optimus asked, "In your culture it might be embarrassing, but to ours it is not, and would not embarrass Bumblebee in the slightest to look like that."
"I'm helping him." Miles responded.
This time both Barricade and Optimus stared at Miles, and the teen decided he should probably clarify.
"Sam and me have been best friends since pinky swears and double dares. All throughout that Sam has been straight as a rod." A pause. "And I know that you guys don't have genders like we do, but I know Sam, and hell I think the same thing, all of you are just guys to me, and Bumblebee has only been using a male holoform, I asked. If Bumblebee has any hope Sam needs to realize that he could like Bumblebee that way, and using a female holoform in a slightly skimpy outfit is the best way to reach any teenage male's mind. After this Bumblebee should be able to pick whichever is more comfortable for him, as this should do the job. I mean, did you see Sam's face when Bee came out in that? I wish I would have had a camera."
Barricade and Optimus continued to stare at him for a moment, before the 'con turned to the Prime. "You're right; he is smarter than I was giving him credit for. And if it means watching the insect fumble, this should be entertaining."
Optimus merely nodded, grin hidden behind his battle mask. Miles' indignant "Hey!" only made him grin more. The Prime was happy with the newest development, Miles seemed to have needled the 'con enough into spending some time in the rec-room the day before, and the 'con was out more today. Mikaela and Sam had broken up, and while he was happy that it was by then mutually terminated on both ends, he was even happier that Bumblebee would now have a chance. He saw the young Scout as family; all of them did, and he wanted Bee happy.
On top of that, a betting pool had already been started by Ratchet on how Barricade and Miles turned out. Optimus was personally hoping for Sparkmates, as he hoped the same for Sam and Bumblebee, but he realized he could be asking for a bit too much. Wheeljack said family, Ironhide said friends, and Ratchet agreed with his Prime, thinking they'd be better off as Sparkmates. Ironhide mentioned that he'd get Bumblebee, the soldiers, Sam, Mikaela, Glen, and Maggie in to the pool as soon as possible.
The betting pool on Bumblebee and Sam was pretty old, though it did have a new member. Miles. And he of course had betted on Sparkmate status. Mikaela had originally put close friends, but changed it not long before she broke up with Sam through Ratchet. Everyone and mech else was leaning towards Sparkmates, or close friends/brothers.
"Hey, Ratch?" Epps called, entering the med-bay and looking around.
Bumblebee and Ironhide had decided that a sparring match would be a good idea, and in the ongoing madness both had gotten hurt. Ironhide was stronger, but Bumblebee was quicker and better at hand to hand combat. Ironhide was better at weapons and long range, Bumblebee was better at surprising Ironhide with the things he picked up from human fighting movies and turned into a Cybertronian move. Sam had nearly died laughing when Bumblebee had delivered a karate chop to the back of Ironhide's neck, even yelling out "Karate Chopu!" Ironhide, however, hadn't been nearly as amused, and had tackled the Scout to the ground.
At the end of it Epps had been sent to run and get Ratchet, but when the Sergeant entered the med-bay there was no Medic to be found. Ratchet's med-bay hangar was the only place on the entire NEST base, minus the sleeping hangars for either species, which had four rooms. The main room, where the patients stayed. The storage room, for equipment and extra Energon. Ratchet's office, and then the back room. The back room was said to hold Jazz's body, and a few other things the organics had never bothered sniffing around in.
Both the storage room and Ratchet's office were empty, so Epps headed for the back room, hesitating just outside the door. No human had ever been in the room, but the Cybertronians had never lied to them, just withheld some information. Epps had never talked to Jazz, only knowing him through the stories told by the Autobots, but a soldier's death was a sad one no matter who's it was.
He entered the back room, but Ratchet wasn't there either. The soldier sighed, about to turn around when a silver ped caught his eye. Looking back at the body, Epps noticed that it had been newly painted. Looking around, he climbed on to a table adjacent to the berth that Jazz's body laid on, peering at the body. Ratchet had repaired it completely.
Epps decided that the 'bots probably were planning on bringing the Saboteur back.
That had been a rumor started by Will, and Ironhide had most likely let something slip. Awhile later and Sam revealed something similar from what Bee had accidentally said. They knew about the one fragment of the Allspark cube that Optimus had found, and figured that they might try to use that on the downed Saboteur.
Epps looked that fallen Saboteur over, noticing a small something lying on his face. He didn't think it belonged there, and the soldier climbed over on to Jazz's berth, planning to remove the object. The dead should be honored while looking their best, not by having some random little thing lying on their face. Epps climbed on to Jazz's body, pausing to get his balance.
"Don't get too angry about this, soldier." Epps whispered softly, "Don't mean no disrespect, just want to get that thing off your face."
The idea of walking on a dead body was a little more than disconcerting for him. Cybertronian or human, it was practically the same thing for the Sergeant by now. He wasn't overly superstitious, but if he was going and walking over someone's grave, or their body, he was going to mutter an apology so they didn't get pissed and come back as an evil spirit to haunt his ass.
He reached Jazz's neck, and leaned over his faceplates to pick up the object. It was the Allspark shard. Well, that proved it. The 'bots had been trying to bring their comrade back.
He was startled out of his thoughts by his radio buzzing to life. "Epps, Ratch's been here for the past five minutes. Where the hell are you?"
Will's voice was the one to come over the line, and Epps pulled the radio off his belt.
"Getting a cup o' tea, I'll be back in a minute." Epps replied sarcastically, going and clicking the radio off. Just before he did he heard a weird noise, and he frowned. It almost sounded like metal sliding apart, somewhat like how one of the Autobots would sound transforming. He shut the radio off, sighing. He had told Will it was a cheap piece of shit, but his friend had been unwilling to shell out the money for better ones.
He backed up a few steps, shard in hand. He would put it on the counter next to Jazz's berth, and explain to Ratchet why and how it had been moved. Just as he turned to watch where he was walking, he slipped and fell into a hole, letting out a startled yell. The shard grew hot into his hand, and he dropped it without thinking.
That would be the last thing Epps would remember before blacking out.