Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter took so long, but i am in the middle of moving. My mom, little sister, and I will be moving this weekend from Mariposa to Jamestown! I'm really excited, but it's been exhausting since our escrow kept getting postponed for over five months...but it's finally happening! :)
Also, as I hope you are all aware, the Supreme Court has finally declared gay marriage legal! We FINALLY won after a long struggle for acceptance and equality! :)
Anyway, enjoy the chapter! :) Trying to decide if there will be a sequel once this story is finished.
When I finally came too, everything was quiet. Except for the rain.
I hate the rain.
Barricade was upside down and I was still strapped in the seat. I fumbled with my shaky hands to undo the latch until I finally heard the click. That probably wasn't too bright. I landed right on my head.
"Scrap." I groaned, rubbing my now worsening headache. My throat was hoarse and I coughed. I was completely sore and I felt blood on the side of my head. I crawled through the broken glass to make it outside of Barricade's alt form.
Barricade!
He hasn't said a word or made any movements since we were blind-sided by that Decepticon, whoever it was.
"Barricade? Are you okay?" I asked through the pain. I still received no reply. "Barricade?" Nothing. "Damn it."
Luckily the passenger side window was broken, hence the glass, and I was able to pull myself out with much effort, earning myself cuts on my arms and knees I hissed at the stinging. The rain was still pouring, which made looking around slightly difficult. I tried to stand, which was a terrible idea. My body halted from pain and forced me back to my knees.
I tried to remember what exactly happened before the wreck. There was the explosion, so it wasn't an accident. But before that, there must have been something to help me figure out who it was that did it. I pushed these thoughts aside for now. My first priority was making sure Barricade was okay.
"Barricade, come on! Wake up, please!" I called to him. Now that I was outside his vehicle form, I got a clear view of the extensive damage on him. He didn't look good. He was covered with dents and broken glass.
"What's going on here?" I asked to myself. I didn't know anymore.
"Sam!" I heard a shout. I turned around and saw a familiar rescue hummer racing towards us.
"Ratchet!" I called, grateful that he was here.
"Are you alright?" he stopped and transformed, kneeling next to me while running scans. "You have a fever!"
I nodded. "Please, help Barricade!"
"I don't need anyone's help. I'm fine. Just focus on the kid will you?" I heard and irritated groan coming from the cop car.
"Barricade!" I was happy, he was okay.
"I see." Ratchet said. "Well then if you're okay, transform."
I could've sworn I saw a nervous sweat drop from the cop car.
"I knew it! You're so injured you can't even transform!" Ratchet shouted at him.
"Shut up, old timer!" Barricade shouted back. I let out a hopeless sigh. This really isn't the time to be doing this. Megatron's returning, and that Con could still be around-
I froze.
That Con that attacked us. Is he still here? I looked around, but saw nothing but rain. I stood up without thinking. Suddenly, the pain in my head grew and my vision began to swim. I fell to my knees.
"Sam!" I heard Ratchet's voice.
"Damn it!" Barricade growled as he tried to transform.
"Barricade, don't! You'll only injure yourself more!" Ratchet yelled at him.
"I'm fine, old timer!" Barricade snapped. He let out a yell and managed to completed his transformation and was at my side immediately. "Sam, can you hear me?"
I lifted my head slightly to look at him, but I was too weak.
"Barri-cade?" Damn it. I hated this. I hated feeling weak. It forced me to rely on others.
"Frag, her temperature is rising!" Ratchet exclaimed. "We have to get her out of here."
I shook my head, which only worsened the pain. No! I didn't want to leave. That Con is still here. My twins could be in danger.
My twins! Were they okay?
"Sam? What's going on?" I heard Sunstreaker's voice in my head.
"Are you okay?" Sideswipe.
"Huh? What is-?"
"You opened up your side of the bond, love." Sideswipe.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Damn it, I knew we shouldn't have left you alone like that!" Sunstreaker.
I smiled a little. I must have opened the link by mistake when I was freaking out.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me, just focus on your mission, will you? You two can't afford to be distracted right now."
"Don't lie to us, femme!"My eyes widened slightly as Sunstreaker's sudden outburst.
"Sunstreaker's right, Sam. Something happened, we can feel it. And Barricade won't answer his comm. link." Sideswipe.
"It's nothing we can't handle. Besides, Ratchet's here with us. We'll be...fine." Scrap, my vision was still swirling. I feel dizzy. I can't give up, though.
"Sam!" They both shouted. I had no choice, I closed the link. I couldn't worry them like this. They needed to focus on the mission.
"Sam, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Ratchet asked.
"I'm fine. I was talking to the twins. They were worried about me." I replied. "That Con that attacked us is still here, Cade."
He nodded. "I know. And I think I know who it was."
"Who?" The sound of a sports engine racing towards us caught my attention.
No! It couldn't be! Please no!
A familiar gleam of silver moved so fast through the rain.
"Sideways!" I gasped. My body shook, I was paralyzed. Out of all the Cons that could show up, why'd it have to be him?
"Sam, here!" Barricade's voice snapped me back when he handed me both of my guns.
"When did you-?"
"I swiped them when no one was looking before I left the base to meet you. I figured you would need these." He smiled. I smiled back.
"Thank you, Barricade!"
"Ep, ep, ep! You are not going to fight Sideways in your condition!" Ratchet scolded.
"I'm not saying she should duke it out with him. But she needs to be able to defend herself, right?" Barricade pointed out. Ratchet didn't answer him right away. He knew I would at least need to be able to protect myself.
"We still need to get out of here! Neither of you are in the condition to fight!" Ratchet said.
I nodded. Neither me or Barricade are fit for battle right now, and Ratchet is better off the field than he is on.
Ratchet transformed and I head towards the passenger door.
"Let's go Cade!" I said.
"Neither of you are going anywhere!" I heard Sideways shout.
The silver sports car screeched to a halt a few yards in front of us and took out his sub-spaced gun.
"I'm here to collect my two trophies, and I don't intend to leave empty handed." He aimed his weapon at us.
I growled as I readied my guns and aimed them at him. They may be small, but their Cybertronian technology packs a punch. Barricade took out his gun and Ratchet transformed, taking out his saws.
Sideways laughed. "Really, is this the best that the Autobots can offer? A medical officer, an injured traitor, and a sick little human girl? This is so pathetic, it's almost insulting."
I cocked both of my guns and aimed them.
"I wouldn't get too cocky if I were you, Sideways. You're outnumbered three to one." I growled.
His smirk was unsettling. He knew something we didn't. Was this all a part of his plan?
"I don't think so. Don't get ahead of yourself, girl."
Suddenly, a screaming engine flew past us at such high speed, I had to brace myself to keep from falling over.
A screaming jet? Don't tell me- The jet transformed midair and landed next to Sideways. Starscream.
"What a treat! An injured traitor and his pet, so weak and vulnerable. Easy pickings!" Starscream sneered. I've always hated this Decepticon more than anything. The very sound of his voice sent chills down my spine. But now that Sideways has made an appearance, it's a close tie between the two.
My thought were cut off when Ratchet stepped in front of Barricade and I, his saws at the ready.
"Barricade, you and Sam get out of here. I can hold them off long enough for you two to escape. I've already alerted Optimus. Backup is on the way." Ratchet said, never taking his optics off of the Cons in front of us.
"But Ratchet, you can't hold them off by yourself!" I shouted to him. Surely he knew this. He must be stalling. But there's no way I'd leave him.
"Sam listen to me. I promised Nina I would protect you with my spark." He looked at me with dead serious optics.
"Ratchet." I whispered.
"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too. I-" he paused, "I couldn't live with myself."
"No Ratchet! I'm not leaving you!" I knew he was totally serious. But I also knew that if he stayed, he wouldn't make it. "I already lost my mom! I can't lose a father too!"
That seemed to have gotten to him. His optics were sad, but they were determined as well. He smiled.
"I promise you, Sam, you won't lose me. I'll come back to you." his expression hardened again and looked to Barricade who was strangely quiet this whole time. "Barricade, take Sam as far away as you can. There is a checkpoint down the way. There will be others waiting for you. Go now!"
Barricade nodded, saying nothing. I kept looking to Ratchet, not making a move. I wasn't going to leave him. I wasn't. A large hand picked me up and I screamed.
"Come on Sam, we have to go." Barricade said as he transformed. I ended up on the passenger seat and the seatbelt buckled securely around me.
"No Barricade!" I tugged at the seatbelt. "No we can't leave him! We can't!" I banged on the window. "Barricade!" My voice got high pitched. My head was pounding. Every part of my body was pulsing with pain. My throat was so dry that I didn't think I could keep screaming, but I did.
"Ratchet! Ratchet, don't! Please!" I tried to scream to him, but he continued to face the Cons as if he didn't hear me.
Barricade's tires squealed and we sped down the road. My body gave up struggling and my voice had finally given out. I was so weak, and I hated it more than anything.
"You better be okay, Ratchet." I murmured to myself. Even though I was sure Barricade heard me, he didn't say a word.