Chapter 10: New Shift
The next day over at the police station, the enforcer medic was fixing up Prowl after finding him in the alley last night. Some other enforcers were pleased at what he did, others were angry and hated him for it, Barricade was one of them. He stormed in the police station to confront him. Right now, a still badly damaged Prowl layed in the bed seemingly trying to get some recharge while the medic was at break. The sound of the door slamming open and recognizable feet make him scowl. Barricade was already growling.
"What do you want Barricade?" Prowl snarled.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO MESS WITH HIM!" Barricade snarled. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"
Prowl's vocalizer was slightly damaged so he couldn't yell back like we wanted to!
"I was busy beating up a seeker and HE had to come and ruin it!" Prowl tried to yell. "I wasn't worried about Shockwave! But he challenged me!"
"Should've just left while you could, he was going to kill you! I bet he thinks your dead!" Barricade snapped.
"So what? I bet I killed that seeker!"
"THAT SEEKER DID NOTHING WRONG! I ACTUALLY FEEL SORRY FOR HIM, EVEN IF HE DOESN'T LIKE ME!"
"His brothers beat me up long ago!"
"BUT NOT HIM!"
Barricade was desperately trying to hold back a fist he had ready to punch Prowl's face in. But Shockwave had already done that!
"You know what Prowl, if you weren't in that condition, I would rip out your optics and make you eat them!" Barricade threatened coming closer to the berth. Prowl was lying down and unable to get up. All Prowl did in return was clench his fists.
"Go away!" Prowl snarled.
After that comment, Barricade proceeded to leave, but then he went over and squeezed the energon injecting tube that was connected to Prowl giving him energon. Barricade squeezed it hard enough making Prowl gasp by the lack of energon going into his body. Just then the medic opened the doors making Barricade release the tube and walk out. The medic was curious of what had happened apon seeing how angry Barricade was. Barricade stormed out the building and punched the side of it. He started to release a large amount of profanity as he walked. Luckily no one was around to hear it. He transformed and decided to just simply ride around and get his mind off the situation. Little did he know, four certain mechs had been watching him. Meanwhile, Moonstriker was allowed to leave the construction site early to help out at ASTC. Moonstriker stands in front of the large building. Shockwave came down to the front doors to let him come in.
"Hey Moonstriker, I hope you like this place as much as I do!" Shockwave said.
"I bet I will, what will the others think?" Moonstriker asked as they entered.
"Everybody knows you, don't worry!" Shockwave assured patting his back.
Just then Optimus came out of his office to greet them.
"Hello Shockwave, Moonstriker!" Optimus greeted.
"Morning Optimus!" They both said.
"So Moonstriker are you ready to get started, Shockwave and Soundwave will help you out!" Optimus said.
"Yes I am, thanks for offering this!" Moonstriker smiled.
As they went up the elevator, Moonstriker seemed to be worried about something.
"What's wrong?" Shockwave asked.
"I'm just surprised that this elevator could fit my weight! I mean I'm a monster mech!" Moonstriker said frantically looking around.
That statement put them both to silence! Shockwave was trying to find something else to talk about!
"Uh...Moonstriker...I'm sure Optimus can fit on this too and he's probably your weight!" Shockwave said trying to end that conversation.
Once they reached the top floor, Shockwave led Moonstriker to the others. Brainstorm, Cerebros and Soundwave greeted him.
"Hello Moonstriker, it's very nice to see you again!" Cerebros greeted.
"We knew you would come!" Brainstorm said.
"Come on, I'll show you around!" Soundwave said and Moonstriker followed him.
Shockwave began to check out the files that had been delivered to be sorted out and researched on. It seemed like a normal day at work...except Starscream wasn't there. Not once did anybody try to mention him. It would have distracted them from work. However, they did talk about him at break. Moonstriker's job was to simply help sort out files when the others were done using them. At break, Moonstriker sat with Optimus who had been wanting to talk to him. Wheeljack once again came by with the same idea.
"So Wheeljack, how's your monster mech merging going?" Brainstorm asked.
"Well, I made a poll, and right now most of the votes say NO!" Wheeljack said sadly.
"Don't worry Wheeljack, you'll think of something!" Cerebros said.
"I hope, hey Shockwave is that Moonstriker over there?" Wheeljack asked sitting beside him.
"Yeah, why?" Shockwave wondered.
"He's participating in the rally in a few days right?" Soundwave asked.
"Yep, hope he wins this time, he's never won before!" Shockwave said.
"Uh, Shockwave...please forgive me for asking, but I was curious about if you probably killed Prowl!" Cerebros said bracing himself for Shockwave's optic to glow. But Shockwave was calm.
"I probably didn't, even though I wanted to!" Shockwave shrugged.
"I'd like to see them try something out on me!" Wheeljack said bringing out his swords nearly swiping Shockwave in the process.
"Hey watch it!"
"Oops sorry!" Wheeljack put them back behind him.
"Hey Shockwave, Moonstriker would be a perfect mech to continue working here!" Brainstorm said.
"He would? But what department?" Shockwave asked.
"Hmm, what about the building departments. You know, to build certain machines or advanced weaponry. Monster mechs are created with the advanced knowledge of building! It's kinda why they were created. That's what I heard!" Brainstorm explained.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea!" Shockwave said thinking it over as he ended up remembering something Moonstriker had told him awhile ago.
"I don't think I will be in construction forever!" Moonstriker said sitting on his bed.
"Really, then what is that you are really interested in?" Shockwave asked sitting with him.
"Well, I really like to help people, but I'd rather work where, I can be closer to people that I know! And...mabye even someplace without a lot of noise." Moonstriker said.
"I think that's a logically good idea!" Shockwave said. "Would an example be somewhere like where I work?"
"Probably, but I'm sure Optimus wouldn't hire someone like me!" Moonstriker said turning his gaze to the floor of his room.
Shockwave placed a clawed-servo on his shoulder.
"Things take time Moonstriker, what you truly want will come to you when you least expect it!" Shockwave said making Moonstriker smile slightly from his words.
"Shockwave what's wrong?" Brainstorm said waving a servo on his face startling him out of thought!
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, just in thought again!" Shockwave said embarrased.
"Does that happen a lot?" Soundwave asked.
"Sometimes, but I'm used to it becuase I have been having a lot to think about. I just didn't sleep a lot last night. I just...*sighs*...couldn't believe everything that happened!" Shockwave said.
"Yeah, but we need to try and not think about it. It will only put us down!" Wheeljack said. They all agreed.
Later on that evening, Barricade was still riding around thinking about how that seeker felt. He knew Starscream probably wouldn't like him, but he didn't care about that! As he drove through a deserted four-way intersection, he was suddenly circled by four vehicles.
"Huh? What's going on?" Barricade demanded as he could see no way out. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
"Hello Barricade!" The tank mech purred.
"Brawl? Is that you?" Barricade said spinning his tires to he could face him.
"Yes it is!" Brawl said.
Barricade and Brawl were good friends back when they were little, but Brawl moved away and Barricade never saw him again.
"We heard what happened to Prowl!" The ferrari said rolling up a bit.
"You did? Well...he deserved it. The seeker didn't do a thing to him!" Barricade said.
"Exactly, and his name is Starscream!" The red car said.
"Starscream? Why does that name sound so familiar? Huh! Anyways...what do you guys want? I am going to be beaten up?" Barricade said now nervous.
Barricade knew Brawl could easily punch his face in hard enough for it to come out the back. But he was unsure of the other three.
"No, even though at first we wanted too!" The yellow car snickered.
"Let's continue this after we transform!" Brawl said as they all did.
Barricade was surprised to see that Brawl was now towering over him. Barricade turned to the other three.
"Who are you guys?"
"I'm Mirage and these are the twins Sideswipe and Sunstreaker." Mirage said.
"So...what's going on exactly?" Barricade asked nervously turning back to Brawl.
"Well, if Shockwave brought Prowl closely to death, then I'm sure Shockwave is going to try and kill you next time he sees you!" Brawl said.
"We saw you heading into the police station earlier to confront Prowl I suppose?" Mirage asked.
"Yes, the son of a glitch is on his own, frag him to the deepest, darkest parts of the pit!" Barricade snarled.
"I see, so...are you willing to apologize to Shockwave?" Brawl grinned.
Barricade looked at the road. He was the one who started the whole thing. He was the one who had the idea of beating up Shockwave 12 years ago. Barricade wanted to live, but Shockwave was probably going to kill him. But...he thought it was worth a shot to get on his good side...but he probably was going to fail.
"Well, I wanted to tell him to please leave me alone...and that I'm sorry I did all those things. But it probably wouldn't fix anything!" Barricade said sadly. He really meant what he said.
"We will tell him what you want to tell him and see what he says, although we will probably get some profanity in it somewhere!" Sideswipe said.
"Okay!" Barricade said nearly beginning to cry.
"You shouldn't be worried, if Shockwave hasn't messed with you yet, then there is no chance of him wanting to find you. From what we heard, he wanted to kill you, but then he said he was completely done with you and Prowl. But still, watch your back!" Brawl purred.
"I know, okay! Wait, after you tell him, will he come after me first, or are you going to warn me when he's coming?" Barricade asked.
"Oh we won't know when he will try and find you! Like I said, watch your back!" Brawl said as he and the other three transformed.
"See ya later 'cade!" Brawl sneered before he and others took off leaving Barricade alone in the intersection.
Barricade was left to think, little did he know, a purple seeker had heard everything. He transformed into flight mode and zoomed out of view. It was later on that night when the seeker pressed a claw on Moonstriker's doorbell. When Moonstriker opened the door he looked puzzled.
"Oh, hey Soundwave, what's up?"
"I have a message for you from...a little meeting Shockwave's friends had with...Barricade." Soundwave said.
"Oh really, what about him?" Moonstriker's optics glowed.
"Watch..." Soundwave said and flicked on the video of Barricade's talk with the group on his monitor.
At the hospital, Shockwave was talking to Scanner in the waiting room when Mirage came in.
"Uh Shockwave I need to speak with you!" Mirage said.
"About what?" Shockwave asked turning his attention to him.
"It's about a conversation me and gang had with Barricade!" Mirage said.
"What did he do now?" Shockwave's optic glowed. Scanner was also mad.
In the end of both Soundwave and Mirage's explanations, both Shockwave and Moonstriker shared a "WTF" look!
To be continued...