Chapter 14
Thank you for reviewing and your positive comments. :)
-00-
Barricade pinged Prowl about the disguised Autobot. Prowl responded with, "I'm on my way to your location."
"Is the insect with you?"
"I would prefer you not to call Sam an insect. An insect is a small life form with six legs, two or more antennae, and does have a thorax."
"Then a dog then. They have four legs." Barricade said.
"Dogs walk on four legs, brother."
"Pets. That's all they are."
"Brother, please! They have intelligence. You wanted adventure. What better way than a new planet to call home?"
"I despise humanity. I still will."
Barricade's last words must have struck Prowl in the spark because he was silent for the longest time. "I'm pulling up now."
Barricade saw Prowl's alt-form pull up with Sam sitting in the driver's seat. Barricade would've narrowed his optics at the insect sitting in Prowl's seat. If he drove the insect around, he'd be in the back seat, handcuffed. He couldn't stand any hand prints nor anyone touching him. These insects had greasy hands.
"I must go back to base, but you will have to take Sam with you until I return."
"What?" Sam and Barricade yelled, "ARE YOU SLAGGING KIDDING ME!"
"No! Keep your slagging voices down." Prowl ordered. At least he wasn't going to glitch now. These two were like siblings, almost! "Primus! What'd I get myself into?" Prowl asked, knowing the God wasn't going to answer in the conventional methods. "Look. Primus forbid that something should happen. I happen to like Mikaela as well." Prowl said. "But you need to know that Sam can help you look in places where you haven't and he wants to help."
"Fine! I'll take the in-boy." Barricade said.
Prowl opened his driver's side door and Sam slid out of his seat.
-00-
Sam gingerly walked to Barricade, feeling that same fear he had when he first met him. Prowl left them to sort out their differences.
Sam stared at Barricade's imposing alt-mode for a long time. "Let's get something straight, fleshing." Barricade grumbled. "You don't touch anything! You don't leave your disgusting oily fingerprints anywhere on my leather seats, dashboard, center console, ANYWHERE! Do you understand, fleshing?"
"Yes." Sam muttered.
"What? What was that?" Barricade hissed.
"Yes sir. Perfectly clear." Sam repeated in a louder voice.
"Good! You will sit where I want you to. You may have been the Autobot's trophy boy, but your life means nothing to me! I am a Neutral. I do not care for your species. The only reason I do not kill your species is because of Prowl and my own processing thoughts! Do not think that I will be so lenient either." Barricade opened his backseat door. Sam stood there, looking put out. "Well! I don't have all slaggin' day! Hurry up!"
Sam walked over to Barricade's open door and got in before he changed his mind. Sam didn't make another comment even when the seatbelt slid over his chest and into the slot. Barricade sped out of the parking lot and into the traffic, making a car slam on his brakes. Sam's eyes widened when the driver honked on his horn. "Stupid Fragger!" Barricade cursed, making Sam jump in his seat. He looked at the driver who rushed toward the cop car. Sam saw the man's anger in his eyes and looks. Sam sunk into his seat, trying to make himself smaller. It wasn't his fault when the guy pulled around the cop car, glaring at Sam. Basically, Sam was being blamed for Barricade's driving.
Sam saw a shimmer in the driver's seat and Barricade's holoform fizzled into sight. The man's reflective glasses reflected everything as a mirror. Sam noticed the grey-brown hair, light tanned skin, and possibly, dark eyes. Barricade looked at the driver before turning on his sirens and going after the man. Sam wanted to grab something, anything. Barricade sped up to the man and didn't stop. Sam's eyes widened when he saw what Barricade had planned. Ramming into the car's rear-end, Sam felt the belt tighten against his chest, preventing him from tilting forward and hurting himself. Sam wondered if Barricade felt any pain from the impact. Then Barricade stopped as the car careened into a bunch of parked cars. "What-"
"Be quiet, Fleshing."
The man didn't emerge from his car and Barricade scanned for life. There were none. Sam saw a bunch of people running toward the wreck and Barricade sped away from the wreck, his sirens blaring. "One down, ten to go." Barricade growled.
"Ten what?" Sam asked.
"None of your slaggin' business!"
"It is my business when it's Mikaela!" Sam snapped.
"Very well then, fleshing. If you must know, that is one of Soundwave's minions. A human sympathizer. I took care of the vermin issue." Barricade said, dislike lining his voice. "Anymore 'annoying' questions?"
"No." Sam said, crossing his arms against his chest. "But I didn't ask to-"
"Good. Then we're even!" Barricade interrupted. "Another thing: We aren't friends, partners, brother's in arms, pals, comrades, or amigos. We are enemies! I will not hesitate to shut you up if you get in my way again!"
"What is he talking about?" Sam thought. He didn't remember anything about getting in Barricade's way. "I didn't get in your way." Sam finally said.
"You are now."
Sam frowned and breathed a nervous sigh. He hadn't thought of that way and Sam noticed the red light and unclasped his seat-belt. "Excuse me." Sam said softly that Barricade couldn't hear him. Sam waited until Barricade stopped at the light. He then opened the door and left the car. "I'm sorry." Sam said walking to the sidewalk, his heart beating against his chest. There had been a constricting, but heavy heart feeling now. He felt worried about Mikaela. He walked down the road, ignoring the fact that Barricade, stuck in traffic wouldn't be able to get to him. Instead, he walked at a brisk pace, looking for a place to sit down and nurse his wounded pride or heart. Sam found a diner and walked into the diner. He sat down in a booth and the waitress walked over to him to take his drink order. He ordered a coke. If Ratchet found out about his coke, he'd have a fit. Ratchet wasn't anywhere around and he couldn't wait to have his caffeine fix. Well, deserved that is. When the coke was brought to him, he thanked the waitress. He wasn't hungry for food.
A man matching Barricade's face slipped into the booth. "Don't try that again. I can find anyone on this planet and leaving me like that won't solve anything." Barricade said in a low voice. "You know all I have to do is tell my brother what you've done and he would've dragged you back to base to sleep in the brig."
"Well-go ahead. It's not like I haven't been there before." Sam slurped the last of his coke, paid the tab, and went outside. He wasn't in the mood. Barricade walked over to him.
"You know," Barricade began. "I used to help find people. I did all the time as an enforcer before the war. Finding people had been my job before the war. And if you're going to spend time sitting here sulking, it won't do any good for Mikaela. You are sulking because of what I said in the car. You are being stubborn! So, get in the car and I'll forgive you."
Sam turned around and looked at him. Barricade still had his 'ways' of convincing the weak and gullible. That was still the 'Decepticon' way. Sam didn't want to 'get in the car' like an obedient little lackey. "No. I'm not riding in the backseat like a criminal!"
"I-"
"No. You're going to listen to me and listen good-" Sam didn't get to say it because Barricade grabbed his arm and took him over his knee. "Hey! What are you doing!" Sam cried out when an elbow applied pressure to his back. It wasn't a painful pressure. Just a reminder of how strong Barricade was and what could happen. Sam saw people staring at him and Barricade. "Nothing to see here, folks. Just an ignorant brat who needs his place." People dispersed. "Now, Sam. Think carefully before you move or say something you're going to regret. Think very carefully. I'm much stronger than you and I could snap your back easily. I'm not going to tolerate back sass or any inconsiderate behavior. Optimus and his team might have, but I will not have it my presence. I am skilled at tracking and the more time we spend here, the farther Mikaela goes without rescue. Think very carefully on how you reply to me, Sam. I won't hesitate to show all the people walking around me what police brutality means."
"Barricade?" Sam asked. "What are you doing? You're doing something illegal."
"Oh, Sam. If I had my baton out and I beat you with it, they'd know I was abusing the law. Here I am, teaching someone the values of abiding the law."
"But you're doing it the wrong way!" Sam protested. "I'm not a-" Sam felt the pressure increase. "Stop!" He said desperately. "Please?" He added. The pressure decreased.
"Sam?" Barricade asked.
"Fine. I'll do whatever you want." Sam said in a voice that sounded far away. That was where he wanted to be. Far from here with Mikaela. No where near any Cybertronians. They had made his life unbearable. He decided once he had rescued Mikaela, they were going to Singapore. Somewhere far from them all.
Barricade released Sam, but kept a tight grip on his arm. Leading Sam back to the imposing car parked, Barricade opened the backseat door and pushed Sam into the car. Sam buckled his own seatbelt. He couldn't stand having something slithering over his chest anymore. Barricade wordlessly got into the front seat, his engine growling before reversing out of the parking space. He sped away from the diner and the onlookers.
Sam stared out the window, his mind full of worry, nerves, and he was feeling exhausted. Sam did not want to fall asleep! Barricade would kill him for sure. He stayed awake with the thoughts of Mikaela being alive.
-00-
Thank you for reading and don't forget to review.