Episode 7: Seeing Double
Barricade was very excited today, his cousin Makeshift was visiting for the summer. Makeshift was a kind but sometimes troublesome mech. He would often like to scare people and even play pranks with his shape-shifting powers. But he was a good mech at spark and friendly to anyone. He wore dark plating that was so dark he looked like a shadow with white optics. Barricade had been waiting for him to come but he hadn't showed up at his house yet.
"Where could he be?" Barricade thought deciding to find him.
Barricade walked around to ask if anybody had seen him. Unfortunately younglings were not able to transform as they were young. Their T-cogs only activate when they are much older kids and also adults. Barricade walked around but there was still no sign of him. But up ahead was Starscream who was going the same way he was.
"Hey Starscream, have you seen Makeshift yet?" Barricade asked.
Starscream turned around to him with a smirk on his face. Barricade looked confused.
"No, not yet!" Starscream said keeping the smirk.
"Are you okay?" Barricade asked.
"Yes...I just...saw something funny!" Starscream said walking away.
"Oookay!" Barricade said continuing the search.
Barricade wondered why Starscream was acting strange. A few minutes later he saw Cliff cleaning up random trash from his frontyard.
"Hey Cliff, have you seen Makeshift?"
Barricade notices that Cliff is using the same smirk Starscream used.
"No, but he might be here soon!" Cliff said continuing to pick up trash.
"Okay...why are you smirking?"
"No reason!" Cliff said dumping the trash into his trash can.
Barricade walked off puzzled. Cliff never liked picking up trash. Something was going on. Later he saw Bumblebee walking home with a new basketball he just bought. Barricade ran around in front of him and grabbed his shoulders.
"Bumblebee, something strange is going on!"
"Like what?"
"Why have I seen Starscream and Cliffjumper using the same smirks on me?"
"Don't know! Mabye they learned it from each other!"
"Oh, well have you seen Makeshift?"
"No, but I want to meet him soon!"
"Alright, I'll see ya!"
Barricade leaves to still find Makeshift. He walks all the way to the local library. There, he gasped when he sees Starscream again, this time he's not smirking but instead simply smiling while reading. Barricade then sees Knock Out over by the romance section. He was smirking. Barricade face-palmed.
"Knock Out, why are you smirking!" Barricade asks coming towards him.
But Knock Out only looked at him, then walked away leaving the book behind. Barricade gasped.
"Knock Out, did you hear me?" Barricade said following him.
Knock Out disappeared behind a big shelf of books. But when Barricade walked around to the other side, Optimus is seen instead for some reason with his battle mask over his mouth.
"Optimus? Why are you wearing that?" Barricade asked.
Optimus looks at him and also walks away. Barricade follows him, only to bump into Starscream knocking them both on their afts.
"Ow, watch it officer!" Starscream snarled getting back up.
"Starscream? Where's Optimus?" Barricade said.
"Optimus? He's not here, but Soundwave is." Starscream said.
"Not even Knock Out?"
"No, what's wrong with you?"
"I don't know, I must be seeing things! First I see you walking around and smirking, then I see Cliffjumper smirking while cleaning his frontyard, then I run into Bee who seemed to be normal. Now I come here and see you again. But Knock Out grins at me and leaves and I follow him. Instead of finding him, I see Optimus who also walks away, and now I'm seeing you yet again!" Barricade explained nearly running out of breath.
"Hmm, that is strange! But I've been here all day! Cliff hates cleaning and Knock Out and Optimus were never here!" Starscream said. "But what about Soundwave?"
The two thought for a moment, then they see Soundwave who is just leaving. The decide to confront him. Once outside the library, the run towards him.
"Soundwave! See anything strange lately?" Starscream asked.
"...No...why?" Soundwave asked nearly nervously.
Barricade could sense the nervousness in Soundwave's words. He gritted his teeth.
"Wait a minute, YOU'RE NOT SOUNDWAVE!" Barricade snarled.
"He's not?" Starscream asks.
"I am too, how could you accuse me of an imposter" Soundwave snapped back.
"I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE, BUT YOU BETTER CHANGE BACK INTO YOU'RE NORMAL SELF BEFORE I CLOBBER YOU!" Barricade threatened.
"I AM SOUNDWAVE!" He snapped back again.
"PROVE IT!" Starscream snarled. "Bring out the tentacles!"
"The WHAT?" Soundwave said in alarm. That did it.
Barricade lunges at "Soundwave" and the two get into a brief brawl that Starscream tries to break up.
Starscream swipes at "Soundwave's" face-screen and suddenly the mech screams in pain ending the brawl.
"BARRICADE IT'S ME, MAKESHIFT!" The mech yells.
"WHAT? MAKESHIFT?" Barricade said in disbelief.
Once Barricade got off of him, Makeshift changes back into his real body stunning Barricade and Starscream.
"I was just joking with you the whole time!" Makeshift explained.
"So, you were Starscream, Cliffjumper, Knock Out and Optimus?" Barricade asks.
"Yeah, but that was the real Bumblebee." Makeshift said.
"Oh, well, I'm glad to see you but, don't do that, you had me worried you were never going to show up." Barricade said.
"Well, I thought I'd try out a little prank before showing myself, that ended pretty well didn't it?" Makeshift said squinting his optics.
"Sorry for the attack! But you really fooled me!" Barricade laughed nervously.
"It's okay, but now I have 5 slash marks across my face...Starscream!" Makeshift said squinting his optics at the mech.
"Sorry!" Starscream said rubbing the back of his head.
"At least it's not noticable with my dark plating." Makeshift said.
Just then the real Soundwave came up with Bee in tow.
"Why have I been hearing my name so many times?" Soundwave asks.
"Long story!" Starscream said.
End of episode 7!
To be continued...