Lesser evil
Chapter 14
Influx
Pregnant.
He had to Google the word to find out what it meant.
Images of small humans and time tables showing varied developments and then the videos.
Oh Primus, the screaming and then a blue gray fluid covered blob being removed from either the groin or being pulled out of a swollen belly, then more screaming.
He shuttered and dimmed his optics as a wave of nausea overtook him.
NO, Slag no.
Cybertronians did not reproduce like that.
They didn't technically reproduce at all.
Replicate was a better explanation and without the cube, wasn't possible.
He heaved, gas from his fuel tank filling his mouth and he forced himself to swallow the burning fluid back down.
Barricade reached out, steadying himself on the nearby trailer. He was pulsating, chest rising and falling with each forced intake of cooling air. An error message flashed across his HUD and despite being firmly grounded the dimmed world blurred and spun around him.
A yellow arm caught him before he hit the gravel and he purged all over the Insects chest. The corrosive fluid seeping in against the moving gears that he now had a close up view of.
He was literally in the arms of his enemy.
He purged again.
The blues and pinks of partially processed energon tainted with streaks of gasoline a violent clash against the bright yellow and black paint scheme of Bumblebee. On instinct he shoved his still active, but dim energon blade into the supporting arm. There was a yelp of pain and the arm pulled away.
"D-don't touch me."
Barricade wavered for a few moments then crashed to the gravel. The rocks felt chilled against his heated panels and he was fairly certain the ground was not spinning like his sensors insisted.
Off lineing his optics fully Barricade curled up, digging trenches in the gravel lot and forcing a fair amount of dirt into his armor.
Pregnant.
He would have rather had the spark leach.
One of his hands found its way onto the plates above the new life and he could detect the tiny gaps in his armor the growing bulge had caused.
This was not what he wanted.
At all.
The internet provided all sorts of information on gestation and reproduction and Jerry Springer going on about You Are Not The Father. This was all too new. He had no idea how to even figure out how long he would be stuck with this thing growing in him.
Did he even get to keep his pro nouns or would he have to start referring to himself as a she?
"You should return to the base with me, after I drop Sam and Mikaela off at college."
Barricade powered up his optics to glare at the mech sitting next to him.
"You need a medic and the little one inside you needs you to consume more energon then we can attain out here."
There was logic there.
Not that he normally cared about what others thought he needed. But the stab of truth made him see it.
He needed help.
But not from them, even if he was no longer a Decepticon he wouldn't go running to the Autobots for help.
Not now, nor ever.
"No."
The yellow one slumped a little.
"Then what, Cade? We as a species need you and the new one to survive. You're the only one of us who's ever managed to get knocked up."
The words triggered a memory from the Pit of I don't care. A single thought that rose from the black depths of his core to send a chill down his spark.
The femme project.
With the all spark gone they had no way to make new mechs. So Starscream had tried to alter the programming of some prisoners to see if it was possible to make a female version of a Transformer. All that he managed was some sad sorry wrecks with twisted frames and burnt out sparks.
But the idea was sound or so Shockwave had said. They needed to do something because with the death rate as it was, it would become more and more of an issue and it got Starscream doing something mildly constructive.
Build a few brood mothers and keep them churning out offspring to fill the ranks.
Barricade shuttered.
He never liked the idea, even more so now.
And going to the Autobots like this? Optimus knew they were low on numbers, what would stop him from forming a similar program?
"Barricade?"
The black mech lowered his helm as his fingers continued panning over the barely detectible rise in his midsection. There was a life there. It was hard to grasp the concept of a new, not reformatted or restarted mech, but a never before known being who, according to the internet, was made from pieces of him and Blackout.
His spark tugged at the thought of the helicopter. How would Blackout take it?
He sunk the thought and pushed it away.
Blackout would utilize him for what he needed, maybe not in the same fashion that Starscream would, but the mech only ever had his own intentions at heart.
He felt a pressure on his shoulder panel and jerked his attention to the yellow 'bot that pulled his hand away quickly.
There was concern in the blue optics and all at once he hated it, then relished the companionship then wanted to smash the face until the colors flickered out.
What was he supposed to do now?
"I don't know."
The words were barely over a whisper.
Everything was swirling around him. Not just the sensors that where failing to adjust to the change in programming the little one was causing, but his world, his wants and aspirations.
One second he wanted to rip the newly sparked from his chest and go back to Blackout and beat him with it. The next there was a warm smolder in his spark when he thought about the new spark. How the he could feel the tiny movements and wanted nothing more then to protect and care for the little one. How if anyone even thought of hurting it, he would destroy them.
It had only been moments since he'd found out about it. Yet he wanted to protect it so much the thought of it coming to harm sickened him. Everything he'd read so far indicated that this… this new spark would need protecting and care and more everything then he ever had to give to anything
Then the abject horror of what Starscream would do if he ever found out chilled the smolder. His partner wouldn't be of his choosing, Blackout was bad enough, but the traitor wanted flyers, jets, like him. The thought of Starscream touching him, trying what he and Blackout had done that night on the mesa made his spark run cold.
Yet the worst part was that the tin can would turn it around and make it about him. That somehow the femme project had been successful. That this was yet another reason the Decepticons should be led by him.
His talons etched lines into the dirt. What of the little one? The screamer would want warriors. The thought of carrying it for however long then slapping a blaster into its hand and sending it off to war screamed at a set of sensibilities that had been installed when the program activated.
He couldn't do that.
The thought of seeing this mech, this little one, killed so quickly made his spark sink and moisture gather at his optics.
Primus, he had gone soft.
And… and pregnant.
The mustang turned his face to hide the welling moisture. There was no hope at all for his return to the Decepticons. He would not do that.
He would not condemn the new life to the death that promised.
Any new life he created would make his own choice to fight, or not to.
It was the least he could do.
It was why he was fighting after all. To have an option other than what is decided for you.
There was a pressure on his shoulder. When he looked up, Bee pulled his hand back again. The yellow Autobot was sitting near him and at his lack of a response returned his hand to Barricades shoulder. Rubbing small circles on his heated plating, not saying anything.
It helped. Disgustingly it helped sooth the tempest raging inside him.
In the last 5 minutes his life had changed eternally.
There simply was no going back.
To the Decepticons.
To Blackout.
And here was this stupid, aft headed, pit scorned, peace loving Autobot trying to comfort him.
His bark of laughter echoed off the trailers and died in the depot lot.
Bumblebee paused and let his hand fall away from his chassis.
"We should go, the trucks should be coming in soon. Do you want me to go get Mikaela?"
He could drive on his own, now that he wasn't trying to counter the program, things had settled down. The world wasn't tilting at strange angles via his sensors at least.
"Yes."
The bug pulled away and transformed. Heading for the hotel where the humans were stashed. Barricade waited until the taillights were out of view and transformed. Enacting his sensor jammer, he headed out in the opposite direction.
He was still a black mustang and was visible to the human eye or optic, but not to sensors.
He appreciated the insect.
That was bad enough.
But he needed to think, to do, to drive until it made sense.
Because he really wanted it to make sense.
And he was the one who had to live with the decisions he derived from it.
The mustang tolerated the traffic and passed the onramp to the Interstate. It was a toll road on the south side of Chicago that he couldn't take it anyway. Past a Wal-Mart and a Safe way, his wheels took him to a subdivision where the houses sat measured intervals apart and were of three or four basic designs. They were nice, he supposed, even with the for sale signs posted in almost all of the manicured front lawns.
Ideal suburbia, intended for families.
The thought sent a stab through him.
An image of him and Blackout and the little one crept into the corner of his consciousness. No mater how well he knew the mech was no good for him, he couldn't get him out of his processor.
The fragging over pulsed blender motor was stuck there and Barricade wanted him now more then ever. The easy smile and dark laugh, the sheer power that he wielded and yet only harmed those he wished to inflict harm on.
Blackout could protect them. The chopper had always come to his aid, why wouldn't he now?
Because he had nothing to offer in return.
Just the new spark.
It already meant the world to Barricade, but to Blackout?
The road wove around a park with swing sets and slides and he turned down a cul-de-sac. Heading to the last house, a magnificent brick building over looking a man made pond with a fountain in the center spraying water in a circular rain. Barricade didn't care for the sound when he hit the curb and crossed the front yard. The house next to this one had never been finished. Wood structures sat graying in the fleeting sunlight a testament to the time left out in this planets weather.
He pulled around to back porch, transformed and sat down.
His processors buzzing as he poured over everything.
Bee, Blackout, the new life and how it could be handled by the Autobots or Decepticons. His thoughts chasing themselves until darkness crept into the shy, the sunset reflecting off the pool of water and no lights turned on in the houses when the ambient light sunk low.
Alone he couldn't take care of this new life.
As much as he wanted Blackout, he couldn't risk it.
He needed help, horror of horrors that it was to even think that.
But he did, he couldn't even get gasoline on his own and he was a fool if he thought he could scrounge up enough old home oil or hack a power line and get enough for not just him, but for the little one.
It wasn't only about him anymore.
The little one needed him to make the right decision.
His comm. had been beeping incessantly ever since he activated the jammer and Barricade relented.
Transmitting just his co-ordinates and shutting out the connection again.
Bee was on his way.
He tried to not feel relieved by the fact the Snot-a-bot was coming.
There really was only one way for this to work out. For him to take care of the little one and to not end up part of some scheme to make more.
He just had to think it through, to weigh options. To see for himself there was no other way.
Bee clunked as he went over the curb and Barricade didn't bother to look up from his little pile of misery he had made himself when the yellow one rounded the corner of the house.
The humans exited and the bug transformed. Sam and Mikaela flopping down on a bench that was made into the porch railing as Bee positioned himself next to him.
"I will return to the Autobots with you."
Voice contorted with his conflicting thoughts, his helm sunk lower into his supporting hands and his internals were a tight knot.
"Barricade it's not the end of the world."
He snorted at the females words. She was designed for this, he wasn't and it might as well be the end of his world.
"I have a request."
Static crept into the voice and he looked up to see the unwavering blue optics close enough for him to smash.
"Can I get a copy of the codes?"
Barricade shook his head. This mech had slag for timing.
"Why?"
"ZTZTZTttttttzzz"
Barricade cocked his head at the Autobot, who looked rather embarrassed at the moment.
The female huffed and stood up.
"Because he wants to be a legal adult so he can claim he sired the new spark. That way none of the other Autobots would try to, oh jeezz I don't know, try to get with you."
It struck a cord, deep within him. If he had to pick one mech to have sired a new spark with, it still would have been Blackout.
Now that he was giving up any and all hope to ever be even on the same faction as him, the idea that he carried apiece of him with him was comforting.
And they wanted him to throw that away too?
Anger flooded in where confusion and fear had once resided. His talons unsheathed and he flung himself at the mech. Grabbing the arm thrown up to protect the yellow face and jerked it too throw Bee off balance.
He would never say the new spark was half Autobot.
Ever.
Bee stumbled and the Autobot's foot crashed through the wooden planks of the porch. Fists flue forward and connected with the yellow helm and chest in quick succession. The last punch knocking the entrapped Autobot to the planks of the porch that collapsed under the immense weight. Suddenly freed, Bee flipped and rolled, ripping rents into the turf as he got his feet under himself and stood up, offering up his hands in surrender. A tone issued out of his radio beeps going high to low. His hands gesturing in time with the beeps and all saying calm down with out speaking.
"Barricade! Stop! God I said that all wrong."
The female was at his knees while the male dashed to stand behind his dented protector.
"Listen! Please! We know there're not many of you left and that this is a big deal. But if you go to the Autobots and say it's a Decepticon they might not like it. Why would they help you raise more mechs they have to fight? If you say it Bumblebee's then they'll accept it and they'll leave the matchmaking out of it because they'll respect the fact your with Bee."
He glared and she threw in.
"Even if you're not really 'with him', with him."
He turned to glare at the Autobot still locked in a semi crouch then to the small flesh creatures that the mech protected.
The Autobots would protect their own, would honor the 'relationship' he had with Bee. The sentimental fools.
And that 'relationship' with Bee would prevent anything like the femme project from even getting started.
That had been his lasting concern with rejoining either faction. He didn't want to be a brood mare.
And he would always know that the new spark was Blackouts.
Even if he never told anyone.
"You would do that?"
The yellow helm nodded and he felt the tension flow out of his system. Draining him until he felt empty. He was empty, the gas the human had given him had been used up already and he abruptly sat down on the wrecked porch.
He knew what would happen if he returned to the Decepticons and what Bee was offering was much, much better then what he'd hoped for.
Not that he'd hoped for much.
"Fine, I will go along with it."
Bee nodded again and walked up to where Barricade sat. Positioning himself next to the Mustang and opening an information port on his upper arm.
He opened up his onboard codex and found the universals he had downloaded from Crank all those vorn ago. Barricade let out a single interface line, the brilliant white cord sneaking out of a gap in his armor near his elbow tracing its way to Bees open port.
He had helped out dozens of mechs get free of their creators and he never thought he would still be doing it, thousands of vorn later on a planet so far from Cybertron.
To an Autobot no less.
The transfer took only a few moments and a reboot from Bee.
A silkily sweet human voice came out of the Autobots speakers.
"But I, I don't feel any different."
He snorted and retracted the interface cord.
"Wait till a hot aft comes along, and then tell me you don't feel different."
"So that's it then? I mean one download and he's a man, err 'bot or whatever?"
Sam was leaning on a section of undamaged rail with his arms crossed and an odd analyzing look on his face.
"Oh what, did you wake up on your 18th birthday feeling like the world changed because suddenly you were a 'man'?"
The female had returned to the bench and swatted at the male.
"No, I felt like a man waking up after the first night I slept with you."
Sam caught Mikaela's hand as she swatted at him again and pulled her close to kiss her. Falling slowly onto the bench with him overtop of her.
"HAY, YOU GUYS! ZZZTztztztzzZZt Get a room, why don't cha?"
Barricade felt the electric snap as Bee hacked the homes security system and cleanly broke the lock on the sliding door behind him.
"I don't know Bee it's not our house and…"
"ZZtttzzzztztz A lovely 4 bedroom 3 bath home in upscale Dumont's Park. New construction, be the first to own this wonderful property with views over looking a maintained lake. ZtztztzzZZZtt"
"Ok, Ok."
Laughing they got up and went into the open door that Bee closed behind them. Lights flicked on and cast sparkling reflections off the now dark water. The sound of the fountain and cicadas and farther away, traffic washed over the black mech, his hand finding its way onto the slight rise in his midsection.
He would go along with Bee because it was more important for the little one to survive then it was for him to be happy.
Not that his happiness had ever really been a consideration.
Ever.
Bee stomped out onto the sloping lawn that ended in a stonework retaining wall against the shore. The bug paced back and forth a few times before positioning himself away from the house and the recently planted trees to get a clear view of the sky.
His comm. chimed and Barricade opened the channel finding that he was patching into a encrypted frequency that rendered him mute, but could hear as Bee sent out a request to Optimus Prime.
:: Prime here. Bumble Bee you're late on the status update. Sam's parents have called twice. ::
His tank rolled at the voice and he cursed the large red mech long and hard before remembering that he could only listen in. Bee's shoulders were shaking in silent laughter and he failed to respond right away.
:: Bee? ::
:: My apologies Optimus. We are fine, if detoured and delayed. We have encountered Barricade. ::
:: What were his last known co ordinates? Bee, do not engage him, he may be damaged but do not underestimate him. ::
There was a pause and Barricade felt smug hearing the almightily Prime say that.
:: He is here with me now. He has asked for asylum. ::
:: Bee it could be a trap! ::
:: No, Optimus there's… its… Please bring Ratchet, we will continue to the human collage to drop off Sam and Mikaela. It is a little more then a day's drive, we will meet there, as planned. ::
:: Bee, Stay at ZZZXZHASDUJDmdZZZssstsaz. ::
The signal cut out and Bee shook his helm to clear it of the feedback hash. Dropping the connection Barricade saved the encryption frequency.
Just in case he ever needed to hack the communications.
"He doesn't trust me."
It was the first thing today that made his spark felt all warm and tingly.
"No, but he will. Give him time."
Barricade snorted and doubted the Prime ever would. He would never trust the Autobots and they would never trust him. It was a known factor in his crazy life and he wanted to stay that way.
Bee sat down next to him on the porch and kept looking at him then the darkened water then back at him.
"Do you trust me?"
Barricade shook his helm.
"I trust no one."
He was starting to wonder if that was a lie. He had opted to not kill this mech an awful lot lately. And Bee was the singular reason he was willing to return to the Autobots.
That was trust.
And he'd shown the yellow scrap his spark.
It had taken several dozen vorn for Blackout to convince him he wouldn't plunge a knife into him as soon as he cracked his case.
Sure Bee had wanted to help him and Blackout had wanted to 'face him.
Barricade huffed and rubbed the side of his helm, all this thinking was making his processors ache from continued use. His hands felt heavy and he knew he would have to recharge soon.
All it seemed he did anymore was sleep.
And eat.
And think.
And for all the weakness that he had shown, the bug hadn't left him for dead or stripped him of his usable parts. Or even shot him.
Primus that was weird. He should have been shot already, just to keep up appearances.
His prominent chin tucked against his chest the black mech felt his power waver. He should transform to conserve energy but he had spent far too long on four wheels. It was nice to have to opportunity to actually recharge in his robot form.
Sure it wasn't as secure.
But he knew Bee would make an attempt to stop someone from slicing his lines as he slept. Which should be enough to pull him out of recharge to defend himself.
He leaned over and brought himself down to lie on his side. His helm close to the Insects leg and Barricade paused when an animalistic noise rose out of the house.
His sensors fired up and almost immediately he shut them off.
Stupid organic humans and their mating rituals.
Bee shook his head and shrugged at his glare.
Settling down again Barricade started the recharge sequence. Power dropping, the haze of recharge overtook his systems as a hand started to trace the multitudes of interconnecting panels on his upper shoulder.
The light caresses at first triggering his anti ambush programming making him twitch each time he was touched. Then the fingers danced on the edge of glass in his door wing that made up his sensor net. Unbidden he leaned toward the touch that sent comforting pulses to his wearied possessor and countered the inputs registering about the human's activity in the house.
"I trust you Bug."
He did.
It was horrible.
But he did.
The hand paused for a moment then continued the soothing movements as he dropped fully into a recharge state.
.
.
The world jarred back into focus as he impacted the ground and rolled twice, dirt and turf flying up around him. Barricade came to a halt against the recently planted trees. The supporting lines tangling with his legs preventing him from flipping around immediately as the chirr of rapid transformation echoed between the houses.
Kicking to clear himself of the lines Barricade rolled and got his feet under him.
Bee was pressed against the house, yellow helm even with the gables and there was a solid 4 feet of air between the bottom of his feet and the ground.
The Autobots hands seemed to be grabbing at nothing as he was violently slammed against the house. The brick crumbled and windows broke, the humans screamed and he brought out his fusion cannon and leveled it to where he thought Bees attacker would be.
The air snapped with electricity and rippled in blue, purple waves. He shot 5 rounds in quick succession at the heart of the ripple. The wave flared blight and like a sheet being pulled off a showroom car, the cloaking effect receded revealing their attacker.
Blackout.