Chapter 14

So, who is going to be the hero here? Barricade or Optimus? Neither? Hmmmmm We shall see.

I do not own the Transformers.

Deserae scanned Gabby again and shook her metallic head.

"Amazing," she murmured.

"What?" Gabby asked.

Deserae stopped her scan and looked at Gabby who was lying on a gurney.

"The fusion between our body chemistry, and yours. It seems to be that your sparkling has a DNA make up, but it is not the usual human link that I have seen before coming to Earth."

"So, what are you saying? That this is an all new breed of human, mech, or what?"

Deserae shrugged and said, "Both and, have you heard of anyone else on Earth bearing a spark?"

Gabby shook her head and lay back against the pillow.

"It is just amazing that this was able to happen. Besides, your daughter looks completely human except her eyes, and her spark glows beneath the skin and the breastbone. Her brain functionality is accelerated, but seems to be developing nicely. All organs are well rounded and developing in what a normal human would look like. Her blood pumps through the spark as if it were a regular human heart. The only thing is…."

Gabby worried for a moment about the baby, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Deserae shook her head, and said, "Well you know she is basically sucking you dry, but she seems to realize that and slows down when she needs to let your body catch up. That is why your sickness spells are on and off. That is amazing in of itself as she realizes that is she is hurting her mother, and will stop when needed."

Gabby's eyes widened and she sat up. She looked over at Barricade who was in vehicle mode quietly in a corner. A snowstorm was raging outside as Gabby could hear the gust of winds shake the facility.

"I knew I had a smart kid," Gabby said looking down at her ever-growing abdomen.

"Well, what she did to me was not so smart, but I forgive it, because there is a lot of potential there," Thunderwing commented in holoform from a distance.

Gabby looked down and back up to the Decepticon, she would not hold back defending her daughter.

"Who says that wasn't smart? You? Maybe you should have kept your hands to yourself," she said in defiance.

Deserae gasped a little. This was the first time Gabby was standing up to Thunderwing in a while.

Thunderwing was in front of Gabby in a moment in holoform, and said, "I would watch my mouth if I were you, Mrs. Prime."

Gabby flinched at the words, but kept her stance. "When it comes to my child, I will watch nothing. It was obvious that she sees you for who you really are even from the womb. Not that we don't already know."

Thunderwing growled and suddenly grabbed Gabby's neck. Not expecting that Gabby's hands immediately began to flail as her breath left her lungs. Thunderwing was not squeezing hard, but enough to make Gabby panic.

Deserae got over her shock, and said, "Please, my love, we need her alive!"

Gabby could feel the baby starting to move, and she said through, "You better let go!"

Before the baby could again, defend its mother, another holoform slammed into Thunderwing pushing him away from Gabby.

Gabby and Deserae both yelped in surprise, and Gabby almost fell to the ground from the force. Deserae was able to grab her in time.

Both human and robot female watched in horror as the holoforms started wrestling around on the ground.

"Barricade stop!" Gabby yelled. She knew he could never defeat Thunderwing in any form.

Both holoforms suddenly disappeared, and Gabby saw Barricade transform into robotic mode.

Deserae had repaired the door that had taken damage from Gabby's baby, but Barricade crushed it, and walked out into the snow.

Gabby felt a blast of cold air hit her, and she shivered as she only had on sweats and a sweatshirt.

Gabby watched as both mechs were now in robotic mode, and Thunderwing was three times the size of Barricade.

"You dare betray me?" Thunderwing roared charging his cannon at Barricade.

Gabby could hear the whirring of the missile launchers from his as well.

The snow swirled around both mechs, and despite the situation, this was the first time Gabby was able to see outside. She tried to look for any kind of landmark, but could only see trees and maybe a road.

Barricade then launched himself on top of Thunderwing trying to rip his helmet off.

Deserae stood with her guns pointed at the mechs, but Gabby knew she was waiting for a clear shot at Barricade.

"I work for no one!" Barricade yelled. He was only able to break off a piece of the horn before Thunderwing took him and threw him out of Gabby's sight. Gabby had to cover her ears at the sickening sound of Barricade hitting the side of the facility.

Deserae turned to Gabby and said, "Stay here, or you will lose your life."

Gabby held her hurting back as she ran to her room, and grabbed her jacket. She ran and hid behind the door as Barricade fought the pretender as best he could, but Gabby knew he was losing.

She looked for a way to escape in the snow, but could only see woods all around her. There would be no way she would survive in this weather long. She felt defeated. Here was her chance and she could not take it.

She realized then this was not Barricade's signal, and now she had no idea how to escape, and where Optimus was.

Then she looked around as another sickening crash shook the ground around her.

The mechs were still distracted, and she heard a shot that made chills run down her spine.

Thunderwing had set up several computers, and Gabby sat down in front of them. She looked around again, and typed in the codes she needed to get through to the Pentagon and then to NEST to get to Optimus.

Gabby cried and tried to get the computer to hurry. She almost cried in joy as the codes were accepted.

Suddenly, Optimus Prime appeared on the screen in holoform.

"Gabby!' He cried out.

"Optimus! I'm in Siberia in some kind of military facility!"

"I know. I'm coming for you."

Gabby ducked as another explosion rocked the facility.

"What is going on there?" He asked.

Gabby saw the desperation on his face. She touched the screen, and started to cry.

"Barricade is trying to protect me. Him and Thunderwing are fighting!"

Optimus cursed in his language.

"Just hang on we are on the way!"

Gabby looked around still no one in sight. Things had suddenly gotten quiet which scared her more than the noise.

"Hurry…"

"Be brave. I love you," he whispered. His holoform hand came up to the screen.

The baby started to move again, and Gabby doubled over in pain.

"Gabby?"

"I'm ok," she said taking deep breaths.

Then she heard the cock of the human gun at the back of her head. She turned wide-eyed to see Deserae pointing the Glock at her from behind.

"Gabby!" Optimus yelled through the screen.

"Don't you dare touch her!" He yelled through the screen.

Gabby turned back to Optimus, and said, "I love you!"

Deserae still holding the gun at Gabby's head hit some buttons on the keyboard, and said, "Bye, bye Prime."

Optimus's voice echoed through Gabby's head as Deserae pulled Gabby to her feet, and escorted her to the door.

"I want you too see what is going to happen to your other boyfriend," she said with a sneer.

Gabby could barely see through her tears as the snow covered her hair and face. The wind chill was nothing Gabby had ever felt before.

She lowered her head in defeat as she spotted Thunderwing holding Barricade prisoner.

Barricade and Gabby exchanged final looks.

He was sparking all over his body, and energon leaked from his mouth and around his faceplates.

"Let this be a warning to any other Decepticon who ever thinks of betraying me," Thunderwing said lowly.

Thunderwing looked down at Gabby. "Watch and learn my dear."

Gabby flinched as the shot echoed through the trees. Birds took off flying in fear, and she could hear other unknown animals cry out.

The wound went clear through Barricade's abdomen. Thunderwing let go of Barricade's arms, and began to laugh.

Barricade was still in a kneeling position.

Gabby felt the fresh tears for her friend.

Barricade looked over at her, and said, "I'm sorry Gabby. I tried."

Then he fell face first into the snow with a loud crash. Gabby watched in horror as his optics flickered.

"Nooooooo!" she screamed in grief and fell to her knees.

Barricade was gone! He was really gone. She had no one to help her anymore.

She put her head into her hands, and cried for her friend. The Decepticon saved her life, and there was nothing she could do to save his.

Deserae picked a grieving Gabby up from her kneeling position to a standing one, and said, "Prime is close, we need to move."

Thunderwing nodded and said, "We go to our other location."

Gabby still grieved, but wondered what or where the other location was.

Gabby also grieved that Optimus would not get here in time again.

Thunderwing transformed and opened the cockpit.

"What about her medical supplies?" Deserae asked a little concerned.

"We will worry about that later, Deserae! The Prime is close, I can sense him," he roared.

Gabby stumbled as Deserae escorted her past a severely injured Barricade. His optics blinked a couple of times at her.

"'Cade," Gabby whimpered. She tried to struggle out of Deserae's grip to go to him one last time, but Deserae was just too strong.

Gabby grieved even more as she was placed into the cockpit, and strapped in. Thunderwing did not say a word, and neither did Deserae.

Before Gabby could catch her breath they were again in the air, and going to God knows where.

She watched as Barricade's smoking body got smaller and smaller.

Optimus pulled up two hours later and transformed into robotic mode.

His anger was overwhelming his circuits. He knew they were gone, and he had no idea how to get Gabby back at this point.

His revenge on Thunderwing would be swift, and powerful.

He knew Deserae was female, but now his revenge on her would know no bounds.

Ratchet immediately went to a dying Barricade, and Optimus ordered Wheelie to look around the facility to get any clues as to where they were going.

Wheelie was grieving as well that they did not make it to Gabrielle in time, that he was practically blowing his circuits cursing the situation.

Optimus kneeled down to Barricade and looked him over, and shook his head in sadness.

"I tried to save her," Barricade said softly. "I had a plan, but it didn't work out."

Optimus nodded, and said, "I know, my friend."

Barricade stopped Ratchet from working on him.

"Do you know where he took her?" Optimus had to ask.

Barricade nodded, and his optics flickered once more. "Yes, back to the United States, he has some intelligence there too."

Optimus narrowed his optics. Betrayed by the humans again, he thought angrily.

Barricade got very still, and Optimus thought he was lost along with the information, but he stirred and coughed up energon.

Ratchet sat back and shook his head in defeat. Wheelie transformed, and placed his small hand on Barricade's finger.

"Florida…..near Cape Canaveral. After the child is born, he planned on meeting the rest of the army there."

Optimus lowered his head, and knew Barricade was done.

"Thank you, 'Cade," he said. A wave of genuine sadness overwhelmed him for the Decepticon who cared for only one human on this planet.

"Get her Optimus, she awaits you," he said. "Tell her I'm sorry."

With that, his optics went flickered again and went dark.

Each Autobot grieved over their fallen comrade. A Decepticon who was once an Autobot, but turned to the dark side. Yet, he showed a human female friendship that would have lasted forever, which still made him an Autobot in her heart.