In the next few chapters I'm afraid some of the characters might seem a bit OOC. When writing a story like this sometimes it's hard to keep them exactly true to their nature...well at least for me anyways. I do hope you continue to enjoy it besides this!
The next day found Brie still angry with Jazz and as a consequence she was ignoring him. Jazz for his part seemed unaffected by it, though Barricade knew better. The saboteur never retracted his visor for Brie anymore and she didn't seem to care. In fact, she seemed as if she wouldn't care if he disappeared or not. Quite frankly as amusing as Barricade found it he couldn't allow it to continue.
"Are you ever going to speak to him again?" he asked suddenly, surprising Brie. Jazz had decided to be the one to retrieve their Energon, wanting to ease the tension and allow her a brief break from him. Brie shrugged slightly as she looked away.
"I don't know. Right now I don't have much to say to him," she replied coolly. Barricade was aware of her annoyance with him but he didn't care. As long as she was safe she could stay slagged off at him until the end of time.
"When can I leave? I'm tired of being cooped up without my friends," she suddenly asked. Barricade sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.
"We've told you that they've wanted to visit you. You've been the stubborn glitch that refuses to see them," he growled. Brie stared at him, speechless. She hadn't heard him talk to her like that since she had first changed. Before she could say anything the door opened and Jazz strolled in, three cubes of Energon in hand. He stopped as he sensed the tension in the air, glancing from Barricade to Brie and back again.
"What did Ah miss?" he asked flatly as he moved to hand Barricade his cube. The ex-Con said nothing and Jazz shook his head as he turned to Brie, surprisingly hesitant. He extended the cube and vented softly as she took it without a word. He walked over to sit on the couch beside her, his spark sinking as she discreetly moved as far from him as she could.
"Nothing important," she replied as she sipped at her Energon. Jazz shook his head and leaned back, exchanging a look with Barricade.
::I simply told her the truth. She's acting like a spoiled little glitch,:: Barricade said suddenly over a private com link. Jazz vented softly.
::Ah see that she took it well,:: he replied with a wry smile. Barricade merely chuckled and Brie huffed softly in annoyance. She knew that they were talking about her.
"Brie how would ya like ta go out fer a bit?" Jazz asked suddenly, surprising both Brie and Barricade. Brie immediately turned towards him, her face lit up with happiness, and Jazz smiled. Barricade was silent for a moment, hesitating on what he had to reveal. He knew that it would slag Jazz off but at the same time it needed to be done. They needed as many mechs and femmes to help keep Brie safe and as much as he hated to admit it the two frontline twins were damn good at their jobs.
"Actually can that wait for a bit? We're going to have company shortly," the ex-Con said. Brie instantly looked disappointed and Jazz frowned as he turned his attention onto the other mech.
::What kinda company and why didn' ya say somethin' 'fore I got her hopes up?:: he demanded. Barricade shrugged slightly.
::You didn't give me a chance. I didn't know you were going to say that. Perhaps we need to work on our communication skills,:: he replied. Jazz snorted softly.
::That's an understatement. Who's comin'?:: he asked, refusing to be sidetracked by Barricade's attempt to engage him in the witty banter that was the trademark of their odd friendship. Barricade straightened and crossed his arms over his chest as he fixed a sudden piercing and no nonsense look on the saboteur.
::The twins,:: he said calmly. Jazz's response was anything but calm.
"Are ya outta yer slaggin' mind?!" he snarled as he jumped to his feet. Barricade remained sitting, unfazed by the smaller mech's anger. He knew that Jazz wouldn't try anything with Brie in the room.
Brie jumped, nearly spilling her Energon at Jazz's sudden movement and shout. She watched anxiously as he began to pace, growling and glaring at Barricade as if to make him rust away. Barricade seemed almost bored by the whole thing and Brie wondered just what exactly was going on now.
"Ah thought we agreed that they weren' ta be around her!" Jazz snapped as he came to a stop in front of the nonchalant ex-Con. Barricade shrugged.
"Circumstances have changed," was all he said. Jazz stiffened, as if restraining the urge to reach out and deck Barricade. In the end it was the chiming of the doorbell that prevented him from doing so and Brie was startled when she found herself pulled up from the couch and tucked behind Jazz as he assumed a defensive stance in front of her.
"What did you do 'Cade?" she asked softly. Barricade shook his head as he stood and strolled across the room to the door. He opened it and Brie couldn't help the small squeak that escaped her as she watched Sunstreaker and Sideswipe step into the room. Sunstreaker took one look at Jazz's stance and despite himself he smirked.
"Did we come at a bad time?" he purred. Barricade groaned as he dropped his head. Perhaps involving these two wasn't such a good idea after all.
Megatron drummed his fingers on the chair slowly, a dark scowl on his face. So far there had been no word from Michael and the Decepticon leader was not a patient mech. If the human had betrayed them then there would be, as the humans said, hell to pay.
"Soundwave, any word?" he growled as the communications officer walked into the room. The mech shook his head and Megatron slammed his fist down in frustration.
"Slag it that chip you planted should have worked!" he snarled. In a far corner of the room, hidden, Mirage smirked slightly. If only they knew just how ineffective their devices were, especially when going against Red's security systems.
"Lord Megatron, you don't suppose the human betrayed us?" Starscream smirked. He was careful not to flinch at the dark glare he received from his leader. If he had been in charge they would have followed the human and simply blown away the Autobots as they took the girl back.
"Unlike you Starscream he knows his place," Megatron snapped. This time Starscream fell silent, seething underneath the rebuke. Oh one of these days their roles were going to be reversed and he would be making the other mech's life a living hell!
"Go keep trying Soundwave. The minute you find something let me know!" Megatron snapped. Soundwave bowed his head in acknowledgment and Mirage watched as he slipped out of the room. He turned to leave and head back to base but something told him to wait. He leaned back against a wall and watched amusement on his face, as Megatron made sure that Starscream remembered just who the leader of the Decepticons was. It was good to find amusement in your work.
"Ah didn' say that ya could be here," Jazz hissed, his visor flashing as he kept his attention fixed on the smirking golden frontliner. Beside him Sideswipe pretended to yawn, as if bored by the whole scene. Brie peered around Jazz then just as quickly ducked back as she saw Sunstreaker's optics shift towards her briefly before focusing back on the livid saboteur.
"Well see here's the funny thing; Optimus asked us to come. Besides, from what I understand this is Brie's quarters," he replied coolly. Jazz's visor dimmed a moment as he commed Optimus. A few seconds later it brightened again in shock and Sideswipe chuckled. It was rare to see the head of Special Ops taken off guard and he made a mental note to use it as blackmail material at a later date.
"No one asked Brie," he snarled. Sunstreaker shrugged slightly.
"Jazz, Optimus made the decision to enlist their help. I suggest you take it up with him if you have such a problem with it," Barricade interjected. Jazz turned his attention onto the ex-Con, who looked almost annoyed by everything.
"Ya coulda said no! Ya know how scared Brie is of that glitch!" Jazz snapped. Sunstreaker's optics narrowed slightly.
"I'll tell you as I told Optimus, I want to make amends. No femme, human or otherwise, deserves to live their life in fear. I'm…ashamed to admit that I acted like a 'Con," he vented harshly. Barricade threw the golden mech an unamused look, which was ignored. Brie in the meantime was peering around Jazz again warily.
"Do you mean that Sunstreaker? I mean it's not just words you're saying this time?" she asked suspiciously. He turned his attention to her and she had to force herself not to flinch underneath his piercing gaze.
"I do, occasionally, admit to being wrong. I was wrong in the way I treated you and I'm…sorry," he said. Brie stared at him before glancing to Sideswipe, who smiled and nodded in encouragement. Jazz snorted softly but before he could speak Brie moved from behind him, though she remained close by his side.
"Thank you Sunstreaker," she said simply. The mech nodded, and then turned his attention back to Jazz. He waited patiently and wasn't very surprised when the smaller mech let loose a particularly vile curse and stalked towards the door. He shoved between the two frontliners roughly, uncaring of whether he scratched up their paint or not and left the room. He was aware of the way Brie's stricken gaze followed him but at the moment he was too angry to care. It was time to take matters into his own hands. He would solve this whole 'Michael' mess and things would go back to normal!
Brie felt a sharp bolt of pain go through her as Jazz left, his whole frame visibly radiating anger and never looking back. She sank back down onto the couch, pushing away the half-finished cube of Energon. She should still be angry at him, not the other way around. So why was she feeling as if she had just ruined everything between them?
"He'll be back Brie he just needs time to cool off," Sideswipe said as he rolled further into the room. Brie said nothing, her optics downcast. How had she managed to mess everything up so fast?
"Nice place," Sunstreaker said thoughtfully as he eyed the surroundings with his artistic view. He could already envision how to liven it up and he wondered if he could talk Brie or her two walking guard dogs into allowing him to decorate. Barricade shot him a sharp look, knowing that he was up to something. As long as it didn't endanger Brie then he would reserve judgment until the golden mech said something.
"Since Jazz has…temporarily taken leave perhaps we should discuss the business at hand," Barricade said coolly. Brie turned and eyed him curiously. What business could he have with the Twins?
"We'll be keeping a close eye on the human and Brie whenever she's out and about," Sunstreaker said firmly. Barricade vented softly then nodded. Unfortunately there were going to be times when neither he nor Jazz could be close by and as much as he hated to admit it the Twins would keep her safe.
"What human? Did someone else come in beside Michael?" she asked. Barricade hesitated.
"No," he finally replied. Brie frowned.
"Then what are you talking about?" she asked suspiciously. Barricade exchanged looks with Sunstreaker, who shrugged slightly. She could get angry all she wanted. As long as she was safe that's all that mattered.
"Your 'brother', we suspect that he's here because of Megatron," Barricade finally replied. Brie shot to her feet, her optics dark with anger.
"How could you even think of such a thing?" she hissed. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe settled back against the wall to watch the show. She was such a spirited little femme, much different from how she had been when she had first been brought in. Barricade crossed his arms over his chest and fixed a piercing gaze on her, unfazed by her anger.
"It's no coincidence that he suddenly showed up such a short time after the 'Cons discovered our base. How the slagger learned of the human's connection to you still bothers me," he growled. Brie said nothing, her body tensing even more. Her brother, the only family she had left, was being treated as if he were a Decepticon spy! He hadn't done anything wrong!
"Let me talk to him. I can find out," she finally replied. Sunstreaker snorted softly.
"Femme all he's going to do is lie to you. He as much as admitted to the 'Con here that he had been sent to retrieve you," he said in a cool voice. Brie whirled to face him, her hands clenched into fists.
"You don't know anything! You've hated me from the moment you first saw me! So why should you care about what happens to me?" she hissed. Sunstreaker pushed away from the wall, a scowl on his face.
"I admit that my behavior wasn't all that stellar but that doesn't mean I want to see you back in Megatron's clutches to be used as a brood mare!" he snarled. Brie crossed her arms over her chest and found that she was finally unafraid of his temper. It was funny that it took her brother showing up to break through her lingering uneasiness.
"He's my brother. How you would feel if you and your brother were split up for a long period of time then denied the chance to be reunited?" she snapped. Sunstreaker tensed, his optics turning cold and hard. Sideswipe quickly rolled forward to intervene before things could get further out of hand.
"We have been split up Brie, more times than we can count. But we never had to worry about the other betraying us. This Michael is just trying to get you back to Megatron so he can fulfill what he had planned for you…and don't think that he's going to let the fact that you got away from him go so easily," he said darkly.
"Brie, this conversation is over! You will have an escort at all times, and I expect you to at least try to get along with these two glitches," Barricade growled. He ignored the dark glares he received from the two mechs as he kept his gaze fixed on the defiant young femme before him. Brie locked optics with him for several moments before she finally dropped them.
"Fine," she said. She stalked towards the berth room, and then paused.
"Well? Isn't someone going to make sure I'm safe in here?" she mocked. Barricade hissed at her and she shrugged before stalking inside. He vented heavily before turning to the two frontliners, who were now openly amused by her attitude. He shook his head as he spoke.
"Somehow I think her being around you two is going to cause even more problems than we already have."
Mirage slipped back into the base, heading unerringly towards Optimus' office. He was thankful that he had neglected to uncloak himself as he was passed by a livid Jazz, who was heading for an all too familiar part of the base. The spy quickly turned and trailed after him, sending a private com link to Prowl and Optimus. Somehow he had a feeling that Jazz was about to do something that would send him across the line from Autobot…to Decepticon.