Disclaimer: See Prologue
A/N: So here comes part of the actual story, please enjoy, and tell me what you think (And, as always, constructive critiscm is greatly appreciated)
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As it was 'holidays' it took a while for Barricade to track the boy down. He knew that the youngling would not be far from his charge, and the youngling was the least likely to kill him on sight.
He rolled up to the campsite full of these 'teenagers' as they called themselves. The Autobot obviously noticed him and transformed immediately into a fighting stance. The children screamed, but were shushed by the boy and the girl that were the youngling's adopted charges.
Barricade slowly transformed, and then placed his weapons on the ground.
Glancing down at the discarded weapons, the Autobot changed into a more relaxed stance, but continued to show his gun as a warning. "You're defecting?"
"Yes"
"How do we know you're not either a spy for the rest of the Decepticons or if you are going to return to being a Decepticon as soon as the others come to Earth?"
Barricade was impressed by the young woman's bravery, talking to him in that manner.
"Simple. You don't"
Bumblebee made a movement as it to raise his gun.
"But I'll tell you why I'm defecting, and you make your own decision from then." Barricade continued, watching as Bumblebee returned to his relaxed pose.
"Before the War, before the factions were created, I was a Warden. Not like your jail wardens, but a warden of the sparklings that spent time in, well I guess in your language it would be called a nursery."
During the war, it became common knowledge that the Autobots had the Allspark, and rumours began to fly." Barricade sighed, shuttered his optics, before opening to continue, "That is when Megatron issued the order. The rumour was that the Autobots meant to destroy it to stop the war. Whilst he could not physically stop this, he came up with a plan to – dissuade – the Autobots from destroying the Allspark. He gave the order to kill all femmes, younglings and even sparklings…"
"You're telling me Megatron ordered the death of all Cybertronian women and children?" The boy asked, his voice a mixture of shock and disgust.
Barricade nodded. "There were 23 of us guarding that day. They stormed the building and at that moment I forgot about the war, I think the others did too. There were 23 of us, a mixture of Autobots, Decepticons and some who had yet to choose a side. I can guarantee they would have all become Autobots if they had lived."
Barricade sighed again, "We all stood shoulder to shoulder preparing to fight and die for those younglings. It is ingrained in our make–up. Like your medics take a Hippocratic oath, when we swear in as sparkling guards, we receive the programming that ensures that we will protect the younglings – to the death. And we did.
"One by one we fell, until there were only two of us remaining. I remember my thoughts. That I just needed to hold out for a few more minutes, and then my older brother would be there with the rest of the Autobots, and he could take my sparkling brother and the other sparklings to safety.
"That was my last thought, before I was knocked off line. When I came back online I knew I had failed. Yes, I had managed to hold them off, but not in time for my brother and the Autobots to come. I knew it in my spark, I knew Jammer was dead.
"There was one small consolation though," Barricade smiled, " A single sparkling had survived. I had been online just long enough to protect him, and he was taken to the Autobot base and protected more heavily than any 'bot in history." Barricade finished his speech looking at Bumblebee, willing him to understand.
"Megatron did that – Killed your brother, and all those other sparklings, and you stayed in Decepticon ranks?" This time there was no shock in the boy's voice, just complete disgust.
Barricade nodded, both in response to the question and in agreement with the sentiment. "Yes I stayed, but not out of choice. I tried to defect. I tried. But Megatron knew he had lost any loyalty he had over me that day, but he didn't deactivate me. Instead the threatened to deactivate the youngling. I told him he was bluffing, but he replied with a 'Why do you think I let him live?" So I worked, I scouted. He wouldn't deactivate me, and he wouldn't let me deactivate myself, or he would kill the youngling. Maybe I was wrong to put a youngling's life above all else but what else could I do? That is who I am," Barricade glanced down at the paint job of his alt mode, "I am a officer, I am a warden and it is my job to protect younglings."
"Why are you here? Why are you defecting now?" The girl asked.
"Megatron is dead. And I want to help my brother."
"How do you plan to help him?" Bumblebee seemed to have found his voice at last.
Barricade shrugged, "I am compatible." At their blank faces he elaborated, "You are bringing him back aren't you? My exoskeleton is compatible to Jazz's"