part four

Barricade watched from the door as Megatron prepared to interrogate Prowl again. Megatron smirked as he took a seat across from the hanging Autobot. "You know, I think I'm going about this the wrong way." he said conversationally. "Here I have been thinking that physical pain is the way to break you. Obviously, I've been mistaken all this time. I've been wasting precious resources trying to break your body, when the obvious choice is to break your mind."

For the first time in his captivity, Prowl spoke directly to Megatron.

"You tried that once."

Barricade had to hide a smirk.

Megatron didn't even flinch. "I misspoke, then. I'm going to break your soul."

He stood up abruptly and pointed his fusion cannon at Barricade. Barricade froze, uncertain. Prowl didn't even flinch.

Megatron smiled. "I'm going to make you a deal, Autobot. You tell me everything I want to know, and I'll spare his life. I'll even let you go back to your little Autobot friends, if that is your wish." He leaned in closer, his nose almost touching Prowl's. "Or maybe you'd prefer to stay and be Barricade's pet. I'll let you stay with him. He'll take such good care of you, you know."

Prowl merely looked at him. "You're bluffing."

"Am I?"

"Yes, you are." Suddenly Prowl's optic darkened, turning almost black. Barricade took a step back. Megatron shifted slightly. "You are bluffing, because if you hurt him, jacking will be the kindest thing I do to you."

Crimson optics paled. Megatron lowered his fusion cannon. "So – you do have feelings for my assassin." he mused. "Let's see if those feelings are reciprocated, shall we?" He stepped away from Prowl and motioned Barricade forward. The assassin took a step towards them.

"Kill him."

Barricade froze. "My lord?"

"You heard me, Barricade. Kill him." Megatron ordered coldly. "I want you to walk up to him and slit his lines. I want to watch him slowly bleed to death."

Time seemed to stop. Barricade stared at Prowl, processor whirling through half-formed thoughts and brief, discarded plans. The Autobot, on the other hand, was not looking at him. Blue-black optics were fixed entirely on Megatron, his fingers curling convulsively around his chains. Barricade's wings twitched.

"No."

Megatron growled. "NO?"

"No. I won't kill him." Barricade said stiffly. "There's nothing to be gained by his death."

"There is everything to be gained!" Megatron screamed, backhanding Barricade across the face and sending him sprawling across the ground. Prowl's chains rattled, but neither paid attention. Megatron bore down on his subordinate, optics narrowed.

"Everything we could possibly need will come from his death!" he snarled, kicking Barricade in the torso. "The Autobots will be helpless! They will fall beneath our might! All with the death of this one insignificant tactician."

"Can't be that insignificant if you want him dead that badly." Barricade gasped, struggling to get his intakes working.

"Megatron!"

The shout from Prowl was enough to distract the warlord. Barricade drew his gun and fired blindly. The lucky shot slammed into his leader's chassis, knocking the bigger mech back and into the far wall. He slumped to the ground, unconscious. Barricade forced himself to his feet and staggered towards Prowl. An energon dagger appeared in his hand, and with one fluid motion, he cut the chains that bound him.

Prowl fell to the ground in a crouch, then straightened as well as he could. "So, where are we going now?" he asked smoothly.

"Out." Barricade grunted. "Megatron will wake up soon enough, and you need medical attention."

"I won't argue there." Prowl examined himself. "I have enough energy left to get us as far as we need to go."

Barricade nodded. "Go." He grabbed Prowl's uninjured arm and together they took off down the halls.

/-/

Hook watched the entire thing from the monitor room. He heard Prowl's defense of Barricade, saw the way Barricade half-dragged, half-guided Prowl through the hallways of the base.

The Autobot wouldn't last very long, he knew. He had lost too much energon, sustained too many damages. Eventually, his condition would send him into spark arrest and he would die. Barricade would be throwing away his life for nothing.

Hook knew Ratchet's reputation. Maybe, just maybe . . . .

With a small smile, he flicked a switch, and took down the entire security system.

/-/

The pair skidded to a halt as the lights went out. "What's going on?" Prowl demanded.

"Someone took down our security." Barricade responded quietly. "Primus bless you, Hook."

Prowl merely gave him a look, but he didn't say anything. He simply let Barricade guide him out of the base. For a brief moment, freedom was so close he could taste it.

Barricade slammed into him, and they both hit the ground hard. Prowl had to bite back a cry of pain as he landed on his already severely damaged doorwings. Barricade grunted, then fired his weapon again. Before Prowl had the chance to orient himself, Barricade had grabbed his arm, pulled him to his feet, and they were running again.

It didn't escape Prowl's notice that Barricade was no longer running quite so fast, was just a tiny bit uneven on his feet. There was only one logical conclusion.

"You're hurt."

Barricade grunted. "It's nothing."

"Not nothing." Prowl attempted to stop, but Barricade wouldn't let him. "Will you at least allow me to assess the damage?"

"No. There's no time."

Prowl glanced behind him. Soundwave was standing there with a smoking gun in his hand, visor dark as he watched them go. He turned his focus back to Barricade.

"No argument there."