Chapter 18
I do not own anything from Transformers.
Barricade and Gabby's POV this chapter, and back to Optimus next chapter.
Barricade carefully pried the receiver from Gabby's shaking hands, and pressed the button.
His optics stayed steady on Gabby as he spoke with Orianna.
"Orianna?"
There was a moment of silence and then Orianna answered, "Barricade? I hope you are doing well."
"I am and thank you. Your mother is very upset, and cannot tell you the news, so I will do it," he said gently getting an appreciative look from Gabby.
"Please…."
"Your father has been captured by humans who are trying to create a replica of you. If you enter Earth's atmosphere they will try to shoot you down. Until myself, your mother, and the rest of the Autobots get this resolved, it is in your best interest to stay in space," Barricade explained.
There was quiet for a moment as Orianna processed the information given to her.
"How much danger is my father in?" She asked.
Gabby sniffled a little as Barricade said, "Unfortunately, we don't know, but we are working on freeing him. Please do as we say."
"Why are the humans trying to replicate me? I don't understand," Orianna answered confused.
"Were you able to defeat Unicron?" Barricade asked instead.
Again, quiet. "No," her voice came through with regret. "He is held up, but he will be back on course soon."
"The humans thought you were destroyed, and unsuccessful. That is why," Barricade answered with a bitter voice.
"I see…. I can help!" Orianna came through the receiver.
Barricade looked over at Gabby who still shook her head "no."
"Orianna, your mother does not want you to be in danger, and we cannot afford to lose you. Please heed our warning," Barricade insisted.
Barricade watched as the other Autobots and humans stood outside of the door waiting for her response.
After another moment, "May I speak with my mother again?"
Barricade handed over the receiver to Gabby who was much calmer than a few minutes ago. She gave him a look of gratitude, and said, "I'm here."
"I will take your advice for now, mother, but if father is in danger, and you are not successful on your mission, I will land on Earth," Orianna warned.
Gabby nodded as tears threatened to fall again, "I know you will, my brave girl."
"I can help," Orianna repeated.
"Right now, Orianna, please do as we say," Gabby said.
"I will, and please be careful," Orianna answered.
"I can't wait to see you," Gabby said starting to shake again.
Barricade knew Orianna smiled through the receiver. "Me too!"
Barricade watched as Gabby sobbed slightly when Orianna signed off.
He turned to see the glowing eyes of the Autobots, and a few humans watching him with looks that he could not decipher.
Not liking being the center of attention, he pushed his way through the crowd that was gathered, and deactivated his holoform, and transformed into robotic mode.
Still not saying anything else, he walked out of the bunker, and into the desert.
He knew it would be faster in vehicle mode to just get away from the rest of them, but he just walked for a while in the dark.
He had Orianna to thank and curse for his current situation, and knew death would have been easier. Yet, she spared him and never really said why. He wanted to know what his fate would be, and knew no matter how much he tried it would never be the only human that he would ever give a damn about.
That is why it was a curse, and a sin that it would be the Prime's and the human's daughter who brought him back from the dead.
He stopped as he came upon a pile of rocks. Crying out in frustration he easily smashed the rocks with his claws.
He stood, and looked up at the night sky, and wondered how he could get off this planet once and for all, and forget about Gabrielle Ryan forever.
This wasn't right, not one of them should ever love a human form. Not one. But he did, he loved her, and he knew even if he ever left Earth she would continue to haunt him.
He was not one of them, and nor would he ever be. Optimus Prime and the others could be all about justice, fairness, and fighting evil all they wanted to, but that was not him. He was not an Autobot anymore, he was a Decepticon, and he would never go back, not even for Gabrielle Ryan.
Barricade sunk down to the rocks he just smashed, and found his optics wandering into the night.
He welcomed the darkness of the Earth desert. It was quiet except for the occasional coyote cry, and insects buzzing around him. Everything was so much simpler not so long ago.
Megatron came to Earth to conquer it, and that was it. He would continue to spread Megatron's message and the people of Earth would become their slaves, and they had a new home they could rule.
Then, Megatron was defeated not once but twice. Barricade and the rest of the surviving Decepticons spread. Then one by one they were picked off, and he was the last one.
Then, a human blonde crashed into him, and he has never been the same. He has stood by and watched as she loved another, the Prime of all things.
Gabby was different, and Barricade knew it from the first moment he laid eyes on her.
He swore after the debacle with Thunderwing that he would never hurt her again, and he kept his promise.
What none of them knew was he was in contact with Unicron, and he knew he was coming. He was thrown off course, but he was still coming.
Lockdown would be here soon. If Lockdown knew what Barricade was doing…..
Barricade sensed the human vehicle, and knew who it was coming for him.
…
Gabby drove the old jeep that Ratchet had gotten her, and insisted she would be safe as she tried to locate Barricade.
She was easily able to see his tracks into the desert, and knew it had to be her and her alone that had to speak to him.
Bee protested not liking leaving her alone with him, but she said she would call for help if she needed it.
Deserae offered to come with her, but she told everyone no. This was between her and Barricade, and she needed to speak to him.
The Autobots would always have their bias towards Barricade no matter what he did that was right.
She thought of Optimus and his reluctance to work with the Decepticon, but he begrudgingly knew that Barricade had saved Gabby on numerous occasions, so it was only fitting that he had to give in.
Gabby smiled slightly as her lights reflected off the shiny metal of the decepticon, and she slowed the jeep to a stop.
Red Optics turned to her, but he made no attempt to move or even acknowledge her. She knew he was already upset at her for lying to him, and then he put that aside for a moment to speak to Orianna for her. How could she ever make it up to him? What could she do for him that he didn't already speak, but she never gave back?
She turned off the jeep, and she opened the door to the cool night desert air. Her hair blew softly in the breeze, and she could feel the slight taste of dust hit her tongue from the wind.
The silence of the desert was almost deafening, save for the metallic movements of Barricade.
She walked over to him, and felt absolutely no fear in her heart. She was the only one who could see through the façade of who he really was. Most of it he brought on himself, and she knew that, but she also knew what was deep down in his spark.
It was funny to her that the creatures he despised the most, there was one who could see him for what he really was.
"What do you want?" He asked sharply.
Gabby flinched a little, but stood her ground. "I wanted to say thank you for doing what you did. Orianna will be safe because of you."
"She will come to Earth. She will be too worried about her father, " Barricade answered.
Gabby nodded sadly. "I know she will, but I had to try."
Barricade looked to her, and his optics narrowed. "Why did you come here? It wasn't just that."
"Too apologize," she answered softly.
Barricade shook his head as metal creaked upon metal. "You pointed a gun at my spark and threatened to kill me."
Gabby didn't want to but she was defensive. "I guess we're even now."
Barricade's optics narrowed again, and he sat there for a moment as he processed what she was saying.
"I guess so," he answered.
"'Cade…we need to work this out," Gabby said after a moment.
"What is there to work out? You have told me many times where and who your loyalties stand with, and I have respected that. I am only here to set the humans straight, and then I will find a way off this planet forever, and away from you," he answered.
Gabby didn't want to say it nor did she want to feel it, but the words stung as he said them.
Gabby looked up to him as he spoke again. "I will not be your toy Gabby. You are only there for me when it is convenient for you. I am tired of your games, and I am tired of these fights, and I am tired of this planet. It has been nothing but sparkache from the moment I set foot here. I will help free the Prime, and defeat these humans, and then I am gone."
"I would never ask you to leave," Gabby said sadly.
"Yes, but you would never want me to stay either," he answered.
"That's not true. You are my friend, and I don't care what the other Autobots think, including Optimus," she said.
Barricade laughed bitterly. Instead of saying anything else to her, he suddenly transformed into his vehicle mode, and took off into the night.
Gabby could only watch through tears as the taillights got dimmer and dimmer.
She stood there standing in front of the headlights of the jeep for a while taking deep breaths and trying to calm her nerves.
This has been going on for years now, and she was trying to find some peace between her and Barricade, but she knew he would never change, and she would never change.
"Gabby?" Deserae called through her radio.
Gabby jumped a little startled at the voice that came through the sudden silence of the desert.
"I'm alright. Barricade took off, and I am on my way back," Gabby said.
She got back into the jeep and took a few more deep breaths. She turned around and was jostled around by the uneven terrain for a moment.
She thought of Optimus as she drove back, and could hope and pray he was alive and unharmed despite losing energon.
Gabby looked into her rearview mirror and could see car lights coming up on her fast.
She tensed for a moment and began to reach for the radio, but deep down she knew who it was.
The mustang pulled up beside her to give her a signal, and Gabby relaxed putting the radio back on the seat beside her.
They had a big day tomorrow. They would be planning an attack.
She began to wonder if it would start a war.