Chapter 20:
Barricade was struggling with his emotions as he clutched a hand to a tall thin pine tree, staring out into an open abandoned town site. The tree snapped within his sharp grasp, and he swore to himself. He let go of the broken piece and let the wood slam to the ground. He was still so angry with himself and yet trying to justify his actions.
He had left Maeve in an alpine meadow above the town of Silverton. He had every intention of returning to her, but first he would deal with those damn Seekers. He had to leave her, for he knew that if Starscream found her that Maeve's very life was in danger. Barricade couldn't allow that to happen. He hadn't wanted to leave her there in that meadow, unconscious, but he had no choice. He could not allow Starscream to know where she was, and he couldn't put her in danger. To battle the Seekers, he had to leave her.
I am not abandoning her. This is for her own good, Barricade told himself firmly.
Still, he wanted to go back and retrieve her. He wanted her with him. Without her, Barricade felt strangely alone, even more so than he had when he had deserted Prowl.
So noble, aren't you, just like the Autobots. An organic holds you in her clutches, weakling. You are no longer fit to be a Decepticon, traitor, a little voice hissed within him. Barricade shuddered at the sadistic and taunting tone of his own thought. He rested his helm lightly against another pine tree and allowed his twisted and tortured thoughts to flow through him. Conflict swirled through his central processor. He no longer knew what he was.
All he knew was that Maeve was the only thing that mattered to him anymore. The Decepticon nature that he still knew had recoiled and hissed inside him at the betrayal, at his obsession with the organic.
I'm such a fragging mess; he sighed to himself.
His spark was in agony; like arcs of searing hot flames within his spark chamber, burning him. He could feel Maeve's fear and pain that Barricade had supposedly abandoned her. She was afraid, and he could feel her physical pain like it was torture. He also felt a touch of anger from her, as well as disbelief. His spark twisted just as much as her heart did.
Slaggit. I should have waited until she woke, at least I could have explained my actions... but by then it'd be too late. I only hope she can forgive me, Barricade thought to himself as he lifted his helm, his scarlet optics reflecting his inner turmoil. Hoping an organic could forgive him! Primus, "fragging mess" didn't even begin to describe him.
He gazed to the dark purple sky, as night fell upon the Colorado mountains.
He hadn't abandoned her, but it felt that way to her. And apparently to his brother. Prowl had sent him a hurried message not to abandon the woman. Prowl's surprise, fear and a touch of outrage flowed through their spark-bond.
Like I could abandon her, Barricade huffed to himself, rolling his optics. As much as Barricade felt that he was not right for her, he also knew that the Guardianship link was too pronounced for him to simply abandon it, and Maeve. He didn't have a death wish, for Primus's sake. He may have entertained the idea of abandoning her, but he had known that it was not a viable option. He had left her there in that alpine meadow so the Seekers wouldn't find her, so they wouldn't take her from him... and so the Decepticons wouldn't doom this world like they had Cybertron. It was that simple.
Now, she felt like he had abandoned her. Primus. The pain in her heart echoed in his spark. Frag. He tried to ignore the lingering painful sensation. Barricade had to be prepared for the Seekers, physically and emotionally. He couldn't allow Maeve's fears or anger to interfere with what he had to do. By his calculations and quietly eavesdropping on the Decepticon communications frequencies (masking himself as best he could from Soundwave's ever vigilant scanning for eavesdroppers), they would find him within a few human hours, under the cover of darkness and the pale twinkling of the stars and moon.
Barricade had driven to a sparsely populated area of the San Juans north of Silverton, close to a ghost town called Animas Forks. It was a deserted area, one where few humans lived. It had taken him awhile to drive the dirt road to the abandoned town of Eureka. After having reached Eureka, he had had to transform to reach the area around Animas Forks, as his Saleen alt form couldn't drive over the 4x4 road. He was lucky that the humans who generally visited the area as tourists, 4x4 adventurers and hikers, were gone as he transformed while the twilight fell into darkness. Paranoia settled over him still, he had quickly ran to the area around the old ghost town.
He had deliberately chosen this area for its remoteness.
Now he hid within the pines below treeline, waiting for the Seekers to find him. A few hours passed quickly. The only light around was from the moon and his red optics.
His self-repair nanobots had allowed him to turn off his energy signature in Silverton. He had waited until he had arrived near Animas Forks to finally turn it back on. He was as ready as he could be.
His injuries were still worrisome, but he had to send a message to Starscream and his Seekers... that Maeve was Barricade's, and Barricade's alone. She would not become some Decepticon experiment, or a disposable organic.
Maeve was his.
Barricade's fierce protectiveness over the woman flowed through him, conquering his doubts, conflicts and fears. He hoped she was all right as he monitored the Seekers entering the state. Within the human hour, they would arrive at his location. He would prove to them then that they would never come close to Maeve, nor acquire the shard of the All Spark that she held.
If it came to it, he would die trying. He knew his brother was getting close to Maeve. He could feel it. Prowl would keep the woman safe, if he died out here in this Primus-forsaken abandoned human town in the middle of nowhere. He didn't want to die, slaggit he wanted to live, but as Barricade searched within himself, he knew he was content with his spark merging with the Well if it meant that she was safe. Barricade cycled his vents deeply and sent one last message to his brother over their spark-bond.
:Prowl, I await the Seekers. Find Maeve and keep her safe. I've left her in the human town of Silverton. The Seekers believe she is with me... if I offline, please, tell her I never abandoned her. I can feel her fear that I have, but I swear to you that I have not. I only tried to keep her safe, so Starscream could not find her. Brother, if I offline, I shall see you again at the Well. Keep her safe and become her Guardian if I am gone. Do not follow me, and do not take her anywhere close to where I am.:
Barricade walked out into the abandoned town from his hiding spot amongst the pines, his energy signature blazing, and waited for Starscream and his twisted merry band of Seekers.
The doctor at the clinic had been astonished when he examined Maeve. How the woman was still standing was a mystery to him. Maeve had told the man that she had been in a car accident, which was pretty much true, but the doctor hadn't believed her. He had given her a long lecture on domestic violence, which Maeve had merely sighed at. He had forced her to take oxygen for her altitude sickness, which had helped somewhat. She was no longer feeling like she was going to throw up or that her lungs were going to explode. At least that was an improvement.
The doctor had examined her wrist, and she was lucky that it didn't require surgical repair. The fracture was clean, small and easily fixable with a cast. Maeve sighed in relief when the doctor had placed the cast on her wrist. The doctor told her she also had a minor concussion, which wasn't a big deal, but that the cut on her head required some stitches. After stitching the wound up, the doctor also bandaged her ribs, made sure that she had no internal bleeding, and prescribed some heavy duty prescription narcotics, giving her a few trial prescriptions that he had on hand as well as a prescription to fill.
The doctor had also noticed the black bruise that covered the entire left half of her chest, surrounding the stark white three-inch scar below her collarbone.
"What is this?" He muttered to himself, as Maeve struggled not to cry out as he pressed his fingers against the bruised skin. It felt like an electrical current running through her chest, and then suddenly the doctor cried out in shock.
"What the hell?" He exclaimed, drawing his hand back. The doctor was suspicious. Whatever this injury was, it had just shocked him with quite the electrical current. The doctor shook his hand, as if it would help take away the sharp stinging pain running through his fingers. He gave a wary look to Maeve, who refused to meet his eyes. She hadn't realized that her injury had hurt him.
Let him think the bruise was from the car accident that she had claimed. Or a DV case. Like it mattered anymore. He had said nothing after that and left the room. For an hour or so, she had blissfully slept in one of the few rooms the clinic had. When she awoke, she was groggy at first but slowly got her bearings back. She felt better than she had in days.
A nurse came in and gave her some paperwork to fill out and advised her to take it easy. Maeve snorted, earning her a withering look from the nurse.
Fat chance of being able to take it easy, lady. You have no idea what the hell my life has turned into, Maeve thought bitterly, but told the nurse she would try as she took the clipboard of paperwork from the nurse. After filling it out, Maeve slowly got dressed. While she was still in pain, she felt refreshed. That small amount of sleep had been total bliss.
She had been discharged, and Maeve was standing outside in front of the clinic with both of her bags, the receptionist inside giving her a suspicious look through the large windows.
Maeve sighed as she looked around the street. She had no idea where the nearest pharmacy was, and with the way the doctor and receptionist had acted towards her, she didn't want to stay anywhere close to the clinic.
Paranoia began to creep through her. How long until the warrants reached this small town? The last thing she needed was for some doctor to report her. So, she began walking. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't much care. The meds that the doctor had given her had taken away the pain but also clouded her mind. The cool air of the night attacked her, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms. That was the least of her worries.
Carrying her two bags was a challenge with her broken wrist in a cast, and she had to stop often just to get a slight rest. Exhaustion still claimed her, no matter how blissful her sleep had been. Maeve felt like she was going to collapse every few feet, but she kept going. Her determination burned through her veins, even though sleep threatened to overcome her.
I'm never complaining about not getting enough sleep ever again, she thought dryly as she slowly walked the small town's idyllic streets.
After walking three blocks, Maeve stopped to take a longer breather. Night was fast approaching. She still had to find a phone that she could use, to call her team; and a place to stay the night. A small sign across the street caught her attention. She stood; her eyes transfixed on the brightly colored neon sign. Liquor. She hesitated, fighting with herself and her demons.
"Fuck it," She mumbled to herself, as she briskly walked across the street. With what she had been through, she needed a stiff drink, and she didn't care anymore. Five minutes later, she was walking out of the store with a small bottle of cheap rum. She had to conserve her cash, and it was the only thing that sounded remotely appealing. Walking to the side of the store, she quickly opened the bottle and drank some. Four or five shots, by her guess. Too much in too little time, she knew.
The warmth of the alcohol spread quickly through her. It felt wonderful, creating a blissfully numb feeling. Her body didn't hurt anymore, her cravings utterly fulfilled. She took another swig and winced at the sharp taste. She generally drank hard liquor with a chaser. Maeve sat wearily upon the sidewalk, tempted to place her still aching head, which the bliss of alcohol refused to comfort, within her hands.
I've turned into a common drunk, Maeve thought with a whimsical smile. She sighed. Her head was already beginning to swim and twist even more than it had. She remembered how drinking at high altitude wasn't like drinking at low altitude; you didn't need as much alcohol at these elevations to get completely smashed. Besides that, she was on heavy prescription meds, and had a concussion.
Oops. Well, if I die, at least I'll be drunk.
Maeve shut her eyes and smiled to herself. It wasn't remotely funny, the possibility of the alcohol interacting fatally with the drugs and the concussion, but she found she didn't care. She was in a fatalistic mood, and she knew it. She didn't even want to stand up, but she had to find shelter before night fully fell. It took her a few moments to convince her body to move. Maeve sighed as she twisted the cap on the rum bottle, and placed it in her duffle, surrounded by clothes so that it couldn't break easily.
Standing, Maeve stretched before she grabbed her bags. She almost fell as the alcohol fully hit her. Her knees were weak, and she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her.
"Oh great, now I can't walk. Fan-freaking-tastic. Maybe I'll just go ask the liquor store owner if I can sleep on his floor and cuddle with the wine bottles..." She grumbled to herself as she tried to lift her bags and keep her balance at the same time.
Suddenly, she heard a semi truck's engine, as well as several high-powered vehicles coming her way. She turned to look down the small town street and dropped her bags in surprise.
"My god."
Prowl was at the front of the convoy to reach his brother. He had ignored the curious looks and stares of the humans in several of the small towns they had passed. Now they were reaching their destination. The small town of Silverton was quiet, with only a few people out and about as the temperatures dropped quickly. He was mulling over several plans on how to defeat the Seekers and ensure the survival of his brother and the woman. He also wondered how in the world he was going to prevent his brother from severing the guardianship link.
He was deep within his thoughts when Blaster informed him that his brother's energy signature was registering in a place far off the beaten path, near an abandoned ghost town in the high mountains of southern Colorado. Blaster also told Prowl that Barricade's energy signature was not weak or intermittent as it had been, but now burning bright.
Barricade, what in the pit are you doing there? Prowl thought to himself, curious as to why his brother had led him to Silverton, and yet now his energy signature was blazing bright in a ghost town miles away. The Autobot convoy passed through the small town, as the few humans along the narrow street stared in surprise.
Thank Primus the Elder Twins aren't with us. All this attention would go to their heads, and we'd never hear the end of it. Prowl allowed himself an inward smile at that random thought.
A woman caught his optics. A woman that Prowl knew, thanks to his brother and the tiny amount of time Prowl had spent near her. Prowl slammed to a halt, his tires screeching on the asphalt as the rest of the Autobots tried desperately to stop in time behind him.
:What the frag, Prowl?: Arcee shrieked over the comlink, Prowl wincing in response to her shrill tone.
Yet, his attention was on the woman in front of him, her dark red hair flying in the slight breeze. She was dressed in an unzipped dark blue light jacket, black tank top and midnight blue jeans, with a duty belt attached, and a golden-bronze police badge attached to a necklace rested against her chest. Her hazel eyes were bright with surprise as she dropped the two heavy bags she carried onto the concrete sidewalk she stood on. She stared at him with astonishment, as if she couldn't believe he was actually there in front of her.
He received his brother's last spark-bond message at that moment.
Prowl hurriedly sent a response, :She is safe, my brother. But you will not die tonight!:
Maeve stared at the Autobot convoy. She didn't immediately recognize the black GMC Topkick, or the bright green emergency H2 vehicle, the reddish-pink Ducati 848 motorcycle, or the red and blue Peterbilt semi-truck.
But the car in front of her, a police edition of the Dodge Charger, that had just screeched to a halt in front of her, looked greatly familiar. As she analyzed the vehicle, and recognized the Tranquility decals, she knew it could be only one thing. Or rather, a certain mech.
"Holy shit," Maeve exhaled.
"Well, that's one way of responding to my presence." Prowl spoke in his vehicle form, with amusement.
Maeve startled when his words burst forth from the cruiser and nearly fell backward onto her butt. She struggled to stay upright as her face showed her surprise at his comment. She wasn't expecting Prowl to respond to her, especially in public. She looked nervously around her for anyone watching, but she was the only one on the street for blocks. She warily looked back at Prowl, then onto the vehicles behind him.
She stared at each one, goosebumps appearing on her skin as she sized each one up. When her eyes fell upon the Peterbilt semi-truck, and she actually truly stared at it, Maeve knew. These were also mechs, and she was becoming more and more suspicious that they had been there at the destruction of her home and the chaos that followed.
The motorcycle's bright reddish-pink color was familiar, while the rescue H2 had the color and markings that she swore she had seen on the mech who had thrown a wrench at Ironhide. Speaking of Ironhide, the black GMC Topkick revved its engine intimidatingly as she stared upon it. Her uneasiness grew. At least the psychotic Camaro wasn't in this lineup.
Her uneasiness reached intolerable levels as she gazed upon the Peterbilt. Those flames... they looked suspiciously like the flames on the mech named Optimus Prime, who had allowed her and Barricade to leave. She was certain now, these were the mechs who had been at her home when it was destroyed.
That black Topkick had to be Ironhide, the mech who had deliberately missed her when he shot his cannon. Why were they here? Were they here to kidnap her and take her to the Feds? Paranoia burned through her veins, as her heart beat ever faster.
She couldn't help the suspicious look that crossed her face, one that Prowl certainly noticed. His Charger form inched forwards towards her.
"Maeve, you must come with us. Do not be afraid." He tried to keep his voice as soothing as possible.
She let loose an uneasy giggle. "Uh, yeah, Prowl, I'm totally going to go with you and that one," She pointed to Ironhide, "who destroyed my home and shot at me. Are you insane?"
Prowl harrumphed, and if he could have, would have sent a withering look to Ironhide. Of course, Maeve would hesitate. How could she trust Ironhide after what he had done?
"I promise you he won't hurt you. He'd not only have Barricade to deal with, but he'd also have me to deal with as well." Prowl kept his tone light and upbeat, and then his tone turned sorrowful. "Maeve, you must come with us."
A sudden cold breeze caused Maeve to shiver, as she hesitated from answering Prowl. She bit her lip hard, wincing when the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. The alcohol she had drank caused her head to swim, as she tried to make the best choice. She shook her head in desperation to clear the uncertainty, one which Prowl misinterpreted as her saying no.
"Maeve, please." Prowl's voice took on a tone of desperation, as he inched forward again. "Barricade is in deep trouble, and we must find him." He didn't vocalize his next thought, for your sake and mine. Yet, he knew, instinctively, that she had heard his deepest thought.
Maeve startled at that, her eyes widening in surprise. "What?"
Prowl sighed, "The Seekers, Starscream, they are coming for him."
"Shit." Maeve whispered as she stared down to the concrete. She couldn't freak out. Starscream, that bastard of a mech, was going for Barricade, the one who was her Guardian and yet who had abandoned her. Swirling with emotions, she put a hand to her head and fell to her knees on the concrete. The sharp pain twisted through her, attacking her nerves with clarity.
"Maeve, are you all right?" Prowl spoke quietly with concern, and Maeve waved his concerns away. The alcohol burned through her veins as she hyperventilated. Her emotions were bubbling up to the surface, her strong facade crumbling. She couldn't show him her weakness. She couldn't! Yet, it was so hard not to...
"I... I don't know what to do. Prowl, he abandoned me!" She nearly wailed, her strength falling apart, and Prowl winced at the pain evident in her voice and the loudness with which she spoke. Maeve herself winced at how pathetic she sounded.
"Maeve, I promise you that Barricade has not abandoned you. He left you here so Starscream cannot find you. Please, come with me." Prowl's voice was soft, with an air of comfort. A familiar one. Maeve's head snapped back up and she stared at Prowl.
"You're his brother. Do you promise me that he didn't leave me because he didn't want m- to help me anymore?" She whispered, gazing at him with eyes that glistened with barely noticeable tears. She was furiously blinking them away, trying her hardest to bring back her steely resolve and determination, not this weak and pathetic person she found herself being.
"Maeve, I promise you with my twin bond to Barricade, that I am not lying to you. We must find him before the Seekers do. Please."
She shot a look at the other Autobots. "And them? They won't try to kill me or harm me?"
Prowl almost laughed, but spoke sincerely, "No, they will not. I promise you; I will protect you even if they tried, which I assure you with my whole spark that they will not."
"Even Ironhide?" She asked softly, ignoring the outraged grunt from the Topkick.
Prowl felt like he was speaking to a terrified sparkling but kept his annoyance within. "Even Ironhide. He wouldn't want to add more time to his brig time already, so not to worry, he'll behave himself."
:Prowl, you slagger.: Ironhide growled over the comlink, and Prowl struggled not to laugh at Ironhide's irritated tone.
With that, Maeve nodded swiftly. She stood up, a little too fast, and her face went pale as she nearly stumbled.
She felt a tingling invasive feeling throughout her body and then heard a disgruntled snort from the Autobot with the neon green H2. She grabbed her bags, wincing as she moved to the Charger. The passenger door opened for her, and she shoved the bags into the backseat before sitting down in the passenger seat. Prowl shut the door for her, as Maeve tried to get comfortable.
Prowl sped off, the other Autobots following him. They had been quiet during Maeve and Prowl's conversation, but they had been peppering Prowl with questions on their comlinks. Ratchet was especially incensed, after he had analyzed the brief scan he had done of the woman.
:Prowl, the woman is drunk. She is also suffering from some sort of unknown illness in her left chest area. It is concerning to me, as it has progressed far worse from the time I scanned her at her home. There are no human illnesses that explain her symptoms; I worry that it is Cybertronian in nature, especially with how fast it has progressed. Her other injuries were clearly taken care of by one of the human medical doctors, but they are nothing compared to what she faces now.: Ratchet sent on the comlink, his voice clinical but with an underlying tone of worry and disapproval.
:How bad is it?: Optimus asked, and Ratchet cycled his vents.
:Bad enough that the anomaly is causing her heart to work overtime, and her breathing is erratic. Her blood pressure is through the roof, and the alcohol she has drank has exacerbated her symptoms threefold. She is in danger of a heart attack. I am unsure if she will survive long, Optimus.:
:I will keep an eye on her, Ratchet. Keep scanning her if necessary. We must find Barricade, perhaps he will be able to alleviate her symptoms.: Prowl spoke calmly over the comlink, though he worried about the woman himself.
He didn't comment on the alcohol finding. It was interesting, but with what she had been through, he was not surprised. After having spent some time with Barricade at other departments across the country after he had landed on this planet, he knew that many humans relaxed using alcohol. It was not so different from mechs using premium energon to escape their problems and indulge in relaxation. He was a little worried that she was drunk, hoping it wasn't as bad as being energon drunk, but he put the thoughts to the back of his processor.
He was more worried about what her mysterious injury was doing to her. Ratchet was already wondering if Maeve would survive and Prowl himself was worried about whether she would. He could see the black bruises on her chest himself. He swore he saw the bruise shimmer and move. Uneasiness swept through him. This was something he had never seen in his many adventures through the universe. Prowl wondered if his brother had noticed, or if he knew what it was. Prowl couldn't help the feeling that the anomaly within Maeve's chest was dangerous.
Arcee spoke up, :Prowl, how would Barricade help her? The Guardian bond only does so much, I doubt it can help the magnitude of the injury she apparently has.:
Ironhide and Ratchet both agreed with Arcee, telling Prowl so. The Charger cycled his vents, catching the human inside his alt form by surprise. Maeve jumped.
"I apologize for startling you, Maeve."
"Uh, it's all right Prowl. Who are you talking to?" She shot a quick glance at the back mirror. "The others behind us?"
Prowl hesitated, and then said, "Yes."
Maeve hugged herself, bringing her knees up on the seat as she stared out the side window. "Ah. About Barricade? Or... me?"
The police Autobot wondered if he should tell her what they were speaking of. It took him only a few seconds. "About you. We are worried about your medical condition and your indulgence of alcohol."
Maeve startled, whipping her head towards the dash, and then took a few deep breaths. She nodded quickly and then turned to stare back out the window.
How in the holy hell did they know about her drinking? Was it that obvious? What the fuck? She was quiet, left in her thoughts, as Prowl continued his conversation with Ratchet and the others. She tried desperately to will herself sober, but she knew only time could cure the alcohol's power over her. Dammit, Maeve, you idiot!
Prowl contemplated how to answer Arcee's inquiry. He wasn't even sure if Barricade knew how far the Guardian bond had gone. But he had felt the Guardian bond over his spark, he had felt it deepen and rise in strength and power. Barricade was Maeve's best "cure".
:I cannot explain it just now. But I believe reuniting Barricade with Maeve will help her. When we return to base, I will have Barricade explain.: There, that should keep them satisfied. True to his thought, the other mechs and femme contemplated this and readily agreed. Now, the Autobot convoy and Maeve sped towards the place where Barricade's energy signature was emanating from.
Starscream laughed maniacally as they neared Barricade's location. He would finally get the woman, and offline the traitorous slagger Barricade. So many years of waiting, and he would finally achieve what he had wanted for so long. The last time he had gone after Maeve, only a few months after Megatron's offlining, he had tortured and murdered her family, with Dead End's help, in order to get what he so desperately wanted.
The woman had claimed ignorance of the shard, and so in turn she had been forced to watch the torture and killing of her sparkling and her mate.
Starscream had reveled in her pain, but was furious that it was not enough for her to give up the shard. The blasted woman had been able to escape from him once, but she would not do so again. That shard was his, and whatever knowledge she carried was also his. She would give him what he wanted, this time. Scalpel had already devised numerous ways to extract any information she had from her brain.
He would not fail, this time, he told himself. She was with Barricade, and Starscream would finally have the two of them right where he wanted. Starscream laughed with indulgent glee, as they flew over forests and mountains. Time. It was time for him to claim what was rightfully his.
Ramjet was the first to notice Barricade, standing on his own in the middle of an abandoned human town. The others settled into an attack formation.
Skywarp cycled his vents quietly. This would be very interesting indeed. The scientist part of him was curious to view the woman that was seemingly so valuable to Starscream, while the glitchy maniac side of him couldn't wait to transwarp and pounce on Barricade when he least expected it.
Starscream laughed again, the psychosis clear for all to hear as he targeted Barricade; a sadistic and gleeful tone echoing through his voice as he ordered, "Seekers, attack the traitor!"
Barricade settled into a defensive position, his optics glaring up at Starscream, who circled above him. A sneer crossed his faceplate as he glared at the mech who was determined to see his spark extinguished. His optics then swept over the other Seekers, and he tensed for a split second before his defensive routines and battle-hardened instincts kicked in.
The other Seekers swooped towards him, and Barricade took a few nimble steps to avoid the missiles they sent towards him while also sending a well-aimed shot towards Ramjet. The Seeker shrieked in pain as the shot hit his left wing, but Ramjet did not drop to the ground. Nor had Barricade expected him to. Barricade knew his own limits, and while he knew his abilities in war were exceptional, he was not infantry. He was not made for a battle such as this, outnumbered as he was. It was a death wish.
One which he readily welcomed.
Barricade primed his weapons, and his mouthplate twisted into a dark smile as the missiles the Seekers had let loose slammed into the earth, bringing down pine trees and scattering spooked animals as explosions rocked the ground. His optics pulsed maniacally as he stared, with his dark smile, up at the Seekers.
And so, it begins.