(Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers; just Dagny, Anwen, and any other OC's I've added into the story.)
(Authors Note: Salutations dear readers, fellow writers, fangirls, fanboys and TF fans of every genera, faction and universe! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my latest creation! I hope you've been enjoying it so far because I've been having a lot of fun writing it for all of you (and myself). Now, as I've mentioned before, if you're a little confused on some of the other characters I've added to the story, it's because they're from my other Bayverse FF, Bleu Lambos. Anwen makes a cameo in this chapter as well, but she's not the main character of this particular story; however she is the main character in my other story. So if you haven't already read Bleu Lambos and you're interested in reading more about Anwen, feel free to check it out. In the meantime, we're finally going to see a little bit of Barricade in this chapter. Hooray! He'll be a more prominent figure as the story progresses, but for now, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. Until next time, stay safe, stay sane, stay positive, stay cozy, and stay awesome!)
(Warning: this chapter contains some graphic content that some viewers may find disturbing. You have been warned.)
"English/French"
'Mental thoughts'
"Flashbacks"
'Sarcasm' (or emphasis)
{Cybertronian}
::Sparkbonds::
:Speaker talk:
::Comm. Link::
*:Phone calls:*
Chapter 3
Barricade was many things: a Decepticon scout, an infiltrator, a warrior. He'd seen his fair share of battle throughout his existence thus far, and while he'd grown up believing in the Decepticon cause, he recently began to question it during these last few months. More so after his comrades decided to strike a deal with a group of human terrorists and work alongside them as a means to further advance their agendas and (hopefully) take down the Autobots and their allies. After all, humans were expendable.
Granted, Barricade had absolutely no love for humans as they were quite repulsive with their fleshy organic bodies, primitive technology, and disgusting habits. But working with them was just insulting by his standards. He understood that it was far better for them to be killed rather than to waste their own resources and soldiers/vehicons; but some days he wondered if all this destruction and fighting was even worth it anymore. In truth, he grew tired of this ongoing war and hated always being on the move and having to blend in among these filthy organics. But despite having to maintain his disguise eighty percent of the time and never recharging in the same place, he especially hated scrounging around for energon like a starved cyberwolf. As pathetic as it was, Barricade had to admit that he was a bit envious of the Autobots as they were structurally, physically, and emotionally better off than he and his fellow Decepticons were. Not to mention that they actually had an organized command chain and a competent leader.
He sneered: Starscream was no leader. He was unhinged, untrustworthy (even by Decepticon standards), and quick to submit when his back was to the wall. He was a liar and a coward: The two things Barricade despised above all else. At least Megatron wasn't a coward. A liar, maybe; but only if he could use said lies to his own tactical advantage.
Yet, despite Megatron's demise and his vehement dislike of his current 'Commander', Barricade willingly continued to follow his leadership and fight for the Decepticons. At this point, it was too late for desertion. Knowing how ruthless his comrades were, he'd be hunted down, captured, and killed; but it would not be quick and painless. Oh no. He would be tortured, starved, and humiliated. Of course, he'd eventually offline, but only when there was nothing left of him to break and he was nothing more than an energon smear on the ground. No. He had to fight to stay alive.
At the moment, he was engaged in combat with Mirage and Bumblebee. Despite being rivals with the young Autobot scout, he had to admit that his reflexes were impressive; however, he was still an Autobot and therefore, must be terminated.
Firing shots at the younger mech, he managed to clip him on the shoulder. However, as his attention was focused on the scout, Barricade unfortunately failed to notice that Mirage had activated his cloaking shield and was now silently approaching him from behind: Like an assassin coming in for the kill. In one fluid motion, the Autobot sank his twin blades deep within the Cons back and jerked them downward, tearing through his armor like parchment and damaging his protoform. To make things worse and add insult to injury, he then slapped a stun grenade onto his back and jumped out of the way before it went off, rendering the Decepticon unconscious.
How humiliating.
XXXXX
While the field medics worked to stop her bleeding, Dagny Stone blankly stared up at the bunker ceiling and tried to distract her mind from the pain she was currently in. Out of curiosity and sheer stupidity, she glanced over at her injuries and was horrified to see chunks of flesh missing from her limb, while shards of shrapnel and bone protruded through the exposed muscles and torn skin. Yes, she was used to blood, death, and decay from her upbringing, but the sight of her own bones sticking out of her skin was enough to make her nauseous. Glancing over at the field medics, she quietly asked, "What are the chances of me keeping my arm?"
The older of the two emitted as sigh as he looked upon the young brunette, "Honestly, I can't say at this point as it's difficult to tell. Right now, we're just trying to keep your bleeding under control until transportation arrives to take you and the other critical patients over to the hospital for extensive treatment."
"..I see." She tried to keep herself calm so as to not stress about her current situation. As she sat in quiet contemplation, a soft *meow* alerted her of Morticia's presence as she pitifully cried in her carrier, to which a familiar voice then answered:
"Bonjour, little one."
Glancing to her left, Dagny couldn't help but emit a sigh of relief at seeing Anwen Bleu and her puppy safely sitting beside her and comforting her cat.
*meow*
"I know you're scared , but you're safe now, and your Maman (Mommy) is going to be alright," she gently assured and stuck her finger through the carrier gate, to which she then began scratching Morticia's soft, furry head, causing her to loudly purr. "So, what's her name," Anwen curiously asked, to which the brunette gave her a smile:
"Morticia."
"Morticia…that's a fitting name. Was she named after Morticia Addams from the Addams Family?"
"Yep," she replied with a curt nod. Of course, when she first named her cat, she also thought said name would be ironically funny, considering that her father is a mortician. Of course, she purposefully left out that little detail as now wasn't really the best time to bring up her family's grim professions. Regardless, the name suited her 'purrfectly'. With a slight tilt of her head, she then asked, "What's your puppy's name?"
"Kenobi," Anwen replied with a smile, to which Dagny's doe eyes lit up:
"Kenobi? As in Obi-Wan Kenobi?"
"Oui (Yes)."
"That's awesome."
"Merci (Thank you)."
She gave her a nod and winced as a surge of pain coursed through her shoulder and arm. "Hey, Anwen?"
"Hm?"
"I know this is a lot to ask on such a short notice, but do you think you could look after Morticia for me while I'm in the hospital? I don't really know anyone else on our floor, and I'd feel more at ease if she was being looked after by a fellow animal lover and Star Wars fan," she added with a smile, to which the young ginger returned the kind gesture.
"I'd be happy to look after her for you."
"...Thank you," she replied with another pained wince, to which Anwen gently placed her hand on her (left) arm in a comforting gesture:
"Of course. By the way, do you want her to stay over at my unit or should I stay at yours to make her feel more comfortable?"
"Mine would probably be best since all of her supplies are there, but she'll be fine to leave alone while you're at work or in your own apartment at night."
"Sounds doable. Do you have your key with you so I can use it to get in?"
Dagny nodded and gestured to her bag beside the carrier, "It's in the front pocket."
Unzipping said bag, Anwen retrieved Dagny's keys and smiled when she saw that they were attached to a black cat pom-pom keychain. Seeing the amused look on the young ginger's face, she casually added, "..It's so I can find them easier in my bag when they're not attached to my lanyard."
"Ah, I see. Clever."
"Thanks."
XXXXX
-Later-
After the battle ended, Barricade was hauled off to the brig by Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, who then placed him on the berth and left him in Ratchet and Ironhide's care. The CMO had set up a makeshift medical station in order to mend his injuries, while the weapons specialist was there in case he woke up from stasis and tried to attack.
Of course, as a precaution, Ratchet had deactivated Barricade's weapons systems and even had him strapped down to the medical berth. However, that didn't stop ol' Hide from keeping his cannons at the ready should the Con try anything deceitful.
"I gotta ask ya something, Ratchet," the weapons specialist spoke up, prompting the CMO to answer:
"Ask away."
"Why in the Pit are you wasting your time fixing up this damn Decepticon? I mean, it's Barricade for Primus's sake: he'd have no problem offlining any of us if given the chance."
In response, Ratchet carefully deactivated the scout's pain receptors so he wouldn't feel any discomfort during surgery, to which he then vented out a sigh, "Decepticon or not, he's still a living being who requires medical assistance. As a doctor, I swore an oath to help all those in need, no matter their alliance, species, or background. If we were to simply let him bleed out and succumb to his wounds, then we'd be no better than the Cons."
"Hmph, I suppose I can see the reasoning behind your answer. But make no mistake, if he breaks free and tries attacking you, I'll put a bullet in his helm."
"If he attacks, he'll receive a dose of electricity from the restraints I hooked him to; so you can just put your guns away for the time being," he assured with a smirk, to which the weapons specialist rolled his optics and dismissed his cannons…for now.
(Another Authors Note: Hello again dearest readers and fellow TF fans! So, I hope this chapter was enjoyable and gave you all a glimpse into Barricade's perspective. Now, I understand the movies want to give him an 'All Autobots Must Die' mentality, but I'd like to think that it's a wee bit more complex than what's portrayed on screen. Now, I'm also going to be featuring him in my other story, Bleu Lambos, but he's not one of the main characters in it; however, that doesn't mean he's not important. He is, but that's why he and Dagny have their own story ;) Regardless, thank you all for taking the time to read this latest chapter :) Stay tuned for chapter four and if you've read or have been reading Bleu Lambos, stay tuned for chapter 47. Until next time, stay safe, stay sane, stay comfortable, and stay awesome!)