I took some liberties with the protoform thingy and I might be completely wrong, but hey... it's fanfic :P

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Barricade's optics were flickering weakly and the stomach wound looked terrible. It was a miracle he had lived to make it so far. Ratchet stared at the Decepticon, shocked by the extent of the injuries. He had Barricade hooked up to a monitor and an energon feed, but the repairs would be extensive. So far he had removed the body armor to get to the basic structure underneath, and there were places almost shredded to pieces even under armor that had shown just moderate injuries. Using a forced access into Barricade's core, he placed the command to revert the body shell to its protoform completely.

It was a painful process, for patient and medic, and only because Barricade's voice box had given out did no one hear him scream.

Barricade was a tough 'bot to take down. His armor was remarkable, as was his survival instinct, and he was armed to the teeth. His weapons had long since been taken away or locked down. And the unarmored body looked vulnerable and weak in comparison.

"He's in a very bad shape, Optimus," the medic told his leader.

Prime nodded. He could see that. He had seen it the moment he had laid optics on the motionless form in the desert. Starscream had fled, but now they knew he was back on Earth and their vigil was doubled. He must have been come across Karr's signal somehow and it had lured him back.

Ratchet had worked out a shield that would let the Stealth disappear from Starscream's radar, so to speak, but Nick wasn't so easily made invisible. Ratchet was reluctant to play surgeon on a human and test the implant, and Nick wouldn't let him anyway.

For now MacKenzie had bigger problems anyway.

Lennox had contacted the US government and was currently in Washington. Ironhide, who usually accompanied the captain, had remained here on the basis that Barricade was still a security risk, even if he was more dead than alive. Epps and the team were at the Autobot base, preparing, waiting. Bumblebee was with Sam, afraid that their young friend might become a target of the Decepticon because of his involvement in destroying the Allspark and Megatron.

As for Karr, his superficial injuries were repairing themselves slowly. His molecularly enhanced skin behaved almost like Cybertronian skin, able to repair itself when given enough time and energy. Ratchet had patched up the worst parts. Nick had been with him, but now the human stood next to the repair table Barricade lay on. His face was pale, a slightly pinched look to it, and while his injuries had to be painful, he showed no sign of them. Sometimes Optimus wondered about his past once more. He had read enough about the man, but to see what a secret branch – one of many the US government apparently had – had turned a fellow human being into, someone who hid his injuries, who functioned even under great duress and pain, who suppressed emotions and became cold and unyielding… it was frightening. In many ways, Nick had the mentality of a Cybertronian warrior like Ironhide or even like Barricade.

"I have to take him off-line and I'm not sure he has the necessary will and power to survive," Ratchet went on. "His spark is weak."

"Try," Prime only said.

He wouldn't let anyone die, even Barricade. All life was sacred. The Decepticons were Cybertronians, too. Megatron had been his brother.

Meeting Nick's cool gaze, he wondered what the human could feel of Barricade, but he would never ask, knowing he would never get an answer.

Ratchet nodded. He might not like working on a Decepticon, but this one had shown sides that were unlike the Barricade that had joined Megatron millennia ago and more like the one he had been before the war.

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The pain was somewhere far away and nearly forgotten. Pain was an old companion. Sometimes he had greeted it as welcome and necessary, to remind him he was alive. Instead of the pain there was now a strange sense of loneliness. Wherever he was, he was alone. He couldn't see, but he could feel and he could hear.

He felt a cool surface.

He heard a voice talking to someone.

The voice blurred. The pain was still far away, but another voice rang through the confusion that was still inside of him. It was the familiar voice again. The voice told him something. Before he could will his body to respond to the voice, it faded. Tiredness washed over him. He felt so fatigued.

He drifted into nothingness again.

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//He's dying//

//I know// Nick murmured, watching the silver spark flicker.

//We could hold him//

He shot his partner a surprised look. Karr had so far not offered a single friendly remark toward Barricade, let alone propose they help the Decepticon.

//And then? If he survives, he'll be a prisoner again//

Karr, weakened and exhausted from his injuries and the recovery, sighed softly. He was close to shutting down. Nick brushed over the inky darkness that was his partner.

//Rest//

They could ponder this later.

//And you?//

//Soon//

Karr sent another sigh, but he curled up and shut down, following Nick's request.

Nick himself sat on the floor, legs pulled up, arms wrapped around his knees. His eyes were on the motionless, stripped-down Decepticon. Ratchet was still working, up to his elbows in lubricants, energon and other liquids.

Nick felt along the thin link to Barricade, saw the flickers more pronounced, noted the deep wounds and old scars.

Did he want to live? And if he survived, would he ever be free?

Closing his eyes, he let his head sink onto his knees. He was tired, hurt, and at the end of his emotional rope.

Two minds were bound to him. One by his implant and a trusted partner of twenty years. Karr was the closest thing he had. He was the only one who knew every dark little corner of his mind and his soul. They were one in so many ways.

Barricade was an intruder, grasping for a straw, needing Nick to replace a lost partner. He was an alien, completely different mind. He despised Nick's kind, but still needed this one human.

::I could save you:: Nick sent, facing the weak light without Karr for protection hovering right behind him. ::The question is, do you want to be saved?::

No difference came the garbled reply. None

::The Autobots are trying to keep you alive::

A futile cause

::No. I might die with you, Barricade. I'm not ready to give up::

There was rough, cold laughter, though it was so faint, Nick barely picked it up. No

::You connected yourself to me, Decepticon! Cutting these lines will affect the implant. I'm going to keep you in this world, no matter what!::

Another dark and throaty chuckle. You have guts, human. The more we bond, the harder it will be for you to be free

::This is already a badly tangled triangle. I no longer have a 'get out of it free' card:: Nick felt incredibly tired.

Barricade was silent and the silver spark sputtered noiselessly. Nick watched it, aware that if Barricade gave up, he would be facing a dark hole where he had been.

Not an option.

::Do you want to live?:: he asked again.

There was no answer, just the presence of the dying spark.

Nick scrubbed a hand over his face and lay back on the bunk. With Barricade incommunicado and Karr recharging, there was only one option for him, too.

Closing his eyes, MacKenzie slipped into a mixture of recharge and human sleep, the implant shutting down functions he wouldn't need right now.