AN: OMG, another chapter! I actually really want to get this story completed before or on the day that I uploaded it on here. *w* Though with the ending I have in my mind atm it might have a continuation somewhere. So, yes, at this point I am doing BARRICADE/MILES. But I left it open so I could let myself take it back haha.
Reviews: Thanks to all who reviewed! (Minimus Prime, Noella50881, MissShelz, shadow-dog18, Iwanita, 1Timberwolf, GabrielsDoubt, MissMary, souh, Kit Williams)
Kit Williams: Mwahaha, another poor soul converted to Miles/Barricade!
AN2: Yes, this now is including ROTF, if you couldn't guess from the Fallen appearing, but I am taking more than a few liberties with that plot line... They will go to Egypt, but I probably won't have Jetfire or Simmons appear because I have no need for them in the storyline yet. As for the Matrix of Leadership coming into play, I'll probably have it be needed to start the sun harvester since Primes all have one but the Fallen probably wouldn't. Or something like that, I need to rewatch the ending of ROTF.
AN3: So, yes, at this point I am doing BARRICADE/MILES. But I left it open so I could let myself take it back haha.
Chapter 55
Playing Possum
Miles' birthday had finally arrived, but that wouldn't be celebrated until later on in the day. Optimus had offered to let him get out of helping around base because of it, but Miles would have been bored with everyone else working anyway, so he had lined up with everyone else to get their jobs from Will. He, Prowl, Epps, and Barricade had been slotted to help Ratchet for the day, and the Medic requested that they take some supplies and equipment to the human Medbay. Which was all well and good, none of them minded. Anything too heavy for either of the organics the Cybertronians could carry. It didn't even bother them that most of the stuff had to be carted upstairs because that's where the storage was.
But as Miles followed Barricade back down the steps to go get more boxes, he lost his balance and tilted forward, falling down the stairs. Luckily for him he was near the bottom when this happened, and Barricade had gone first, giving him something to land on.
Barricade grunted from underneath Miles, "There, this is your present, me saving your stupid aft from yourself."
Miles was too busy recovering from his mini heart attack to make a retort, but laughed breathlessly. It was always amazing how scary falling down a few stairs could be, and he was thankful for the body beneath him that softened the blow.
The ever familiar holoform of Barricade, surprisingly human and yet not at the same time. He certainly felt human, though the texture of the shirt and pants were the same, which was something that they all needed to work on because a cotton tee and blue jeans felt vastly different. Always just something a little too off in the eyes, sticking out even in broad daylight, and that wasn't even because they were more often red than anything else. A smug smirk, the look that too often accented that face whenever it came to Miles.
He could feel Barricade's affectionate amusement slipping through the bond, underlying traces of the small panic that had matched his own for a split second, the bond always sending echoes back from one side, and a mixture of relief and happiness from being able to catch the teen before he damaged himself too seriously.
Later, when Miles had a talk with Optimus, he wouldn't be able to really explain what made him move.
It had just been so easy to just lean forward a bit; press his lips against surprisingly soft simulated ones, and closing his eyes, making the moment seem even more right. But then reality settled into Miles like the weight of ten bricks in his stomach, dragging it down as he slammed his side of the bond down.
For a second, Miles could only stare down into red eyes, and dimly he couldn't help wondering who was more surprised by his actions, Barricade or himself. Or maybe whoever was playing audience to them because they weren't in private, and that thought sent a burst of oh fuck shooting through Miles' veins, the teen scrambling up off Barricade and leaving the Medbay like Shockwave himself had risen from the grave and made a move towards him.
Epps stared after Miles in disbelief, while Prowl watched Barricade to see the ex-con's reaction. Barricade just sat up slowly, a calculating look in his simulated eyes as a pink darted out to lick fake lips. That, Prowl knew, could just be an instinctive reaction, seeing if a taste was left behind. But he wasn't sure what to make of the calculated look, and before he could get a good idea on what it might mean Barricade's holoform dissolved.
"I…" Epps trailed off before he even got started, looking at Prowl helplessly. "Who actually saw this happening?"
"It's obviously not that surprising, because I haven't glitched yet. So I, at least, have predicted the probability of one or both getting such emotions for each other and the outcome."
"Yeah? Well I think I'm gonna glitch." Epps muttered sourly, going and sitting on the stairs. "I'm too old for this crazy shit."
"Nothing 'crazy' has happened yet, Robert." Prowl pointed out helpfully.
Epps shot the SIC a dark look, "It's Barricade. And Miles. Of course something crazy is going to happen."
Prowl had nothing to say to that, because the soldier was most likely right.
"Optimus?" Miles called, trotting up to the Prime as he sat in bipedal mode, soaking up some solar energy.
Optimus lazily flicked a side mirror to catch the sun and shine it in the teen's face, indicating he was at least listening. He could tell that something was bothering the teen without even needing to scan him. It had almost been a straight year in the presence of Earth's dominant species, and the Prime was getting better at reading them. It was always easier when an organic was like Miles and Sam though, the two often wearing an expression that revealed what they were feeling. He had a harder time telling with experienced soldiers like Epps and Will.
"Do you know where Sam is?" Miles asked.
"He is currently on patrol with Bumblebee." Optimus replied, popping his passenger side door open for Miles to climb in. "I can take you to him, I am not busy."
And for once Optimus wasn't, taking the time to enjoy himself and take a break from his near constant work. He had come out and transformed into his bipedal mode, got a wash from Will, Fig, Graham, and Trent, and then had just idled in the same spot, allowing himself to dry off and drift into a light recharge.
Even if he was busy, he would have offered. The Prime had decided he didn't pay nearly enough attention to the Civilian organics on the base, and while it was hard to ignore Miles and Sam, he wasn't exactly bonding or having one on one chats with the two either. There was also Maggie, Mikaela, Glen, Trent, and Will's wife that he needed to talk to more.
Miles climbed in without another word, making himself comfortable. The Prime slid the seat belt around the teen for him, doing it before he could protest or try to himself. Most just opted to go without inside of a Cybertronian, but he wasn't one to allow that. A quick scan told him that Miles' scan was elevated and his stress indicators had risen. The heart rate was easily explained since he had seen the teen running, but the stress indicators weren't.
"Would you like to share your problems with me?" Optimus offered, starting to drive.
Miles looked out the window, "It has to do with Barricade."
It was common knowledge among everyone by now that Miles was head authority on the ex-con, no matter that Groundhog was now around or the fact that the two weren't even of the same species and had known each other for less than a year. Still, Optimus could try.
"Barricade is now one of my mechs, if you recall." Optimus pointed out, trying to indicate that as Barricade was now an Autobot he was a bigger concern for the Prime than he ever had been before.
"I kissed him."
Oh. "Well, I think Sam would be a better help with this than I would be."
Miles snorted, giving Optimus' dashboard an amused look. The Prime groaned internally at his own reaction.
"Or… you could tell me why you kissed him."
"I dunno."
If he had been in his alt mode, Optimus would have shuttered his optics in disbelief. Since he was in bipedal mode he just slowed down a bit, as if that would better help him to understand.
Optimus cleared his throat, careful to keep the confusion out of his tone. "Then how did it happen?"
"Ratch asked us to carry some junk to the human Medbay, and most of the storage is upstairs. Of course Barry ended up carrying most of the stuff I was supposed to anyway, but I did some of the work, so it was both of us going up and down the stairs, and Prowl and Epps were there too, but that doesn't actually matter at all. So on about the fifth trip we're going down the stairs and I end up slipping because I'm stupid, but it was okay because Barricade was there in front of me and it wasn't like I was that high up, though even with Barry as padding the landing still hurt a bit. Then he said that saving my 'stupid aft' was his present to me, and I could feel him through the bond, and I just-" Miles had to cut himself off to breathe, because all of what he had already said was done in one breath that just couldn't last any longer. "I kissed him. And then I ran."
Optimus could hear the rising edge of hysteria to Miles' voice, and he felt bad for the teen. He was trying to think of what he could say to soothe his worries, because while he knew and understood that a fresh bond could cause a mech or femme to react to something stronger than they originally would, like Miles kissing Barricade for rescuing him. Or the teen actually had feelings for the ex-con, and if that was so he was all Sam's, because Optimus had no idea what to say to that.
:SKYWARP AND THUNDERCRACKER ATTACKING! SKYWARP HAS SAM!:
Bumblebee's voice came on over Optimus' radio loud and clear, filling the silent cab with the desperation that the Scout had spoken into the comm with. Optimus knew that Bumblebee would have sent the message to everyone, and immediately scanned for the Scout and the intruding mechs, attempting to get to where they were quickly.
"What?" Miles asked, eyes wide. "How the hell are they on base?"
"The virus."
Now that they knew that the virus had escaped detection from Barricade and Bumblebee and gotten into Teletran's main frame they could get rid of it, but it was too late to stop it from causing any damage. The virus had allowed one of the Decepticons to reprogram Teletran without being taken, deleting the scrambler that had been put in that would have stopped Skywarp from warping on to or around base, and turning off the sensors that detected intruders in the first place.
Optimus made it to the battle area in no time at all, going so fast that he would have been breaking any and all organic road rules had he actually been on the road. Bumblebee was desperately trying to fend of Thundercracker, the larger mech having the upper hand as long as he was in the air, while Skywarp just watched, holding a squirming Sam in servo with a lazy smirk.
His first reaction was to transform, but the Prime wasn't confident enough to do that with Miles inside of him, because unlike Bumblebee he didn't see if he could transform with an organic inside of him for fun. This left him open for attack from Skywarp while Miles fumbled to unbuckle and open the door.
But instead of attacking Skywarp swooped down and grabbed the Prime's alt mode as best he could, before warping out of there.
Ten miles away from the base in a surprisingly wooded area, considering just a few miles away there was nothing but desert, there was a popping noise as Skywarp came into appearance with the Prime and the organic who had killed his leader.
Skywarp dropped Sam on the ground without any warning, and Optimus transformed as quick as possible, tilting to the side so Miles would fall out. Miles scrambled to his best friend's side even as Sam staggered to his feet, grabbed his fellow teen by the shoulders, and dragged him behind a fallen tree. The two ducked behind the tree, leaning their backs up against it as Sam tried to keep himself from throwing up.
Neither teen needed to look to know that Optimus would kick Skywarp's ass. But nothing was going as it should, because Megatron's voice rang out into the clearing.
"Decepticon's, assemble!"
Both teens listened in horror to the sound of Megatron transforming, and then the sound of three more jets flying in and transforming. The ground shook as all the extra weight landed on it at the same time, and Sam had to put his hands over his mouth to keep from retching. Miles shuffled so he could peer over the fallen log, heart falling when he saw that Optimus was surrounded.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, brother." Megatron taunted in Cybertronian, before the Decepticon leader tsked. "Make it easy on yourself and give us the organics."
"You'll never get them!"
Megatron growled, "How dare you speak in their filthy language to me when I speak ours to you!"
"This is our home now, Megatron."
"Our home is Cybertron!" Megatron snarled, "But this disgusting little planet can be used for one thing. My Master tells me that one of the ancient sun harvesters has been hidden away on this world. We could harvest this sun to get our Energon! You must realize as well as I do that the supply we have now will not last us forever. A little coercing and the organics can tell us where it is. The Allspark knew, but Witwicky destroyed it!"
"You'll have to go through me to get them!"
"That can be arranged."
Miles watched Optimus slide his battle mask down and draw two glowing swords, getting in a battle position. He had to close his eyes and turn back around, because he couldn't bring himself to watch anymore.
"I'll take you all on!"
He couldn't stand to watch Optimus try to take on all the Decepticons, see Megatron stand back and laugh even as the Prime managed to kill one of the Seekers he was so desperately going up against. It was all a game to Megatron, the Decepticon leader wasn't even worried that his once brother might win and it made Miles sick. He didn't need to see to know how confident Megatron was, to know how impossible it was for Optimus to win.
"Oh, God!" Sam said from beside him, obviously watching the battle before them even if Miles couldn't. "Miles, we have to help!"
Miles pressed his hands to his face, because how the hell were they supposed to help the Prime? They couldn't, they would just get in the way. Megatron was determined that he get Sam, if not both Sam and Miles. He'd probably be okay with just Miles if that was his only option, and thank God none of the Decepticons knew about Epps and Will being like the teens.
And then Miles knew. With sickening clarity, he knew that Megatron and his Decepticons would kill Optimus. That when the last Prime fell, Megatron's master would rise. Would rise and come to destroy Earth, and without Optimus none of them would be able to stop him.
He felt more than heard the Prime get knocked to the ground, and he desperately tried to tell him to stay down through his mind, no matter that after Skyfire he could no longer use comms. Try to tell him to stay down and play possum.
Sam watched on in horror as Optimus managed to take down Skywarp and another mech. He didn't think Skywarp was dead, but there was no way he was getting back into the fight looking like that, and Optimus had managed to kill two out of five of the mechs he was up against, only having two left to go through with Skywarp out of the count. Out of all of them he could only recognize Skywarp and Megatron.
He watched as Optimus was batted to the ground, and it was really unfair that one of the two mechs he still had to go through was taller than him, and the fact that the other was Megatron.
"OPTIMUS, GET UP!"
Sam couldn't help but yell in encouragement and horror, watching the Prime as he narrowly avoided a plasma blast to the chassis from the mech he didn't know before jumping back on to his feet. He glanced to his side, becoming instantly worried when he saw that Miles was just staring off into space blankly, because that was a huge difference from how he had been hiding his face in his hands just a minute earlier.
"AUTOBOTS, THERE THEY ARE!"
Ratchet's bellow was a welcome one to Sam's ears, and he turned back to the fight as he was distracted by it. But it distracted Optimus too, the Prime turning to see how far off his Autobots were when Megatron and the mech he didn't know the designation of grabbed him, Megatron running him through the chassis with his sword.
"OPTIMUS, NO!"
Sam screamed, not even noticing as he felt Miles slump against him, too busy watching as Optimus fell back to the ground, optics dimming until they no showed the telltale blue that differentiated the Decepticons from the Autobots.
"Pathetic." Megatron sneered, "Cyclonus, check to see if his Spark is extinguished."
The unknown mech, Cyclonus, bent to check before nodding. Megatron laughed in triumph, transforming with Cyclonus, the two grabbing Skywarp, and flying off just as Ratchet, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Prowl, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and Trailbreaker arrived and transformed.
Sam moved out from behind the tree, racing to where Optimus' body laid. Ratchet was over by his Prime's side a second later, bending down to check on him.
"No, no, no, no, no, Ratch, he can't be dead! Save him!"
Ratchet ignored Sam, gesturing for Bumblebee to take him away as he examined his Prime. At Sam's words Ironhide had snarled, shooting off a few rounds at the fleeing Megatron and Cyclonus. Bumblebee grabbed his Charge, and Prowl came to stand at the Scout's side. Sunstreaker stood glowering next to Ironhide while his twin looked for Miles. Sam started to get hopeful when Ratchet spent so long checking over Optimus, the Medic's servos disappearing into the hole that had been made by Megatron and doing who knew what inside of him. He climbed on to Bumblebee's shoulder.
Ratchet slumped back away from Optimus, raising his optics to stare at Bumblebee and Prowl in front of him.
"His Spark is gone," Ratchet whispered, staring at all of them in disbelief.
Bumblebee let out a distressed warble, and Prowl just stared at the Medic in shock. Even Ironhide stopped shooting, turning wide optics to the fallen body of his Prime. Sideswipe was too busy realizing something was wrong with Barricade's organic, and Sunstreaker was too shocked to stop glowering.
"He's offlined?" Ironhide's voice was thick with emotion, "That's impossible!"
"His Spark is gone, but he's not dead."
In the place that was everything and nothing at the same time, Miles knew something had changed. This was mainly because he could literally see Optimus, something that had never happened before. He had just known that Sam, Epps, and Will were with him before when they had saved Orion though he'd not had any proof. Now he couldn't feel anyone, couldn't feel Optimus, and he couldn't even access the bond he had with Barricade. But he could see Optimus.
"Where are we?"
Optimus asked, and Miles realized that while he had been staring at the Prime the Prime had been staring right back, clearly confused.
"I think where me n' the others go," Miles shrugged, looking around.
Like before there was no light, but it wasn't dark. It wasn't cold or hot, dry or wet. It just was. And now he could just see Optimus, and he didn't need to look down to know that the Prime could see him as well. There was also a floor, so he no longer felt like he was just floating in complete nothingness. He felt calm, and he couldn't tell if that was because he already knew where he was, had been there before, or had some idea why he was there now. A look at Optimus' faceplates told him that the Prime was so lost he was practically in China.
"You had to die so Megatron's master could rise again. I'm not sure if I'm here because that means we can bring you back so you can kick all their asses or not, but I do know that if Sam, Will, or Epps don't figure out where that sun harvester thingy is before the baddies then we're all royally screwed."
Optimus shuttered his optics, taking in this information slowly. "And how do you know all this?"
"Dunno."
"That sounds about right." Optimus vented softly, sitting down heavily. "So what can we do?"
"Just chillax and wait, boss 'bot. It'll either come to us, or we'll be dragged out of here."
Miles sat down himself, mirroring Optimus' position. Optimus glanced around, but stopped when he realized there was nothing to see. He vented again, not even trying to hide how uncomfortable he was from the teen. Sitting around and doing nothing wasn't on his list of how to take care of things, but there didn't seem to be any other option. Miles was clearly calm about the situation.
"I'm not Sam, but we could still talk about Barricade." He offered finally, because slag it, he could at least do something.
Miles seemed to pale right before his optics at Barricade getting mentioned, "Oh, Primus, if we're dead Barry's gonna kill me!"
Optimus didn't point out that if they were dead Barricade couldn't kill Miles again, because for some reason he could actually see the ex-con managing to do that. He shuttered his optics, silently praying for Miles' sake that they weren't in fact dead. He didn't think he could handle the sight of Barricade defying all the laws of Primus and Unicron and still claim himself as sane. He could barely claim that now.