Chapter 24:

Maeve's fingers were numb, and the rest of her body was quickly following. She rubbed her hands against her arms and brought her legs closer to her chest in a failing effort to keep warm and ward off hypothermia. All she wanted was for Barricade to answer her. It was agonizing, waiting every second for his answer.

I'm waiting for an alien to answer me over an alien bond. Wow, Maeve, you've officially reached conspiracy theorist bullshit level. What's next, little green men are real and you're gonna be abducted to Roswell? She shook her head, trying to push away the sarcastic thoughts in her mind. She didn't look up, and consequently never saw Skywarp and then Thundercracker both glaring at her with growing suspicion and unease.

:What is it?: Thundercracker asked softly, his vocal tone echoing with disquiet, his optics solely on the human femme.

It took Skywarp a moment, as he tried to gather his thoughts. :She has a bond with one of our own.:

Thundercracker gave Skywarp a horrified look. :She is organic! There is no possible way she could have a spark bond with a Cybertronian. It is impossible!:

Skywarp cycled his vents softly before answering. :No, Thundercracker, it is possible. Extremely unlikely, but possible. Don't you remember the old stories?:

Thundercracker felt a familiar tingle in the back of his processor as he struggled to remember. He waved a hand to Skywarp to continue, hoping more information would help stimulate his memory banks.

:There were stories that expeditions to organic planets encountered Guardian bonds so strong that they became something akin to our spark bonds. As if a mech had found a sparkling, or sparkmate in terms of how strong the bond was. A bond so strong that nothing could break it except offlining, a bond so strong that even an organic could communicate with one of us when they do not even possess a spark. A bond so strong that a mech and organic could feel exactly what each were experiencing, feeling, thinking. I thought they were simply stories told to keep the younglings in line as an example of the taboo... now I am not so sure.: Skywarp sent to Thundercracker, his words soft and contemplating, as he stared down at the human. Slowly, understanding flitted across his ruby optics.

So, this was why Barricade had fought so valiantly for her. This was why Barricade had tried so hard to keep her from the Seekers. This... this was why Barricade had abandoned the Decepticons, and their cause. Skywarp had assumed it was because of the shard within her, and perhaps that had been the reason Barricade had had in the beginning. But now... Skywarp could see it clearly. The human and Barricade had developed one of those strong Guardian spark bonds, one that was so rare that it was still considered a myth amongst their species. One that was still taboo.

Skywarp cycled his vents deeply. This was entirely unexpected, and he did not like it. This changed everything. And if he admitted to himself, it was rather disgusting. Who could have known that Barricade of all Decepticons would have created a taboo Guardian spark bond with a meat-bag? It unnerved Skywarp.

Thundercracker stared in horror at the woman. How in the fragging planet-eater's Pit has this dirty fleshling created a spark bond? Disgusting!

Revulsion flowed through Thundercracker's lines as he finally remembered, and accessed the old files Skywarp had mentioned. Of course. How could he have forgotten?

An involuntary shudder blasted through his systems as he remembered the destruction of those planets. They had been destroyed because of Cybertronians who had disobeyed, who had fallen for the taboo, who had broken their strict laws. He had been just a sparkling at the time, as well as Skywarp and Starscream, but he remembered distinctly the massacre of mechs and organics who had dared to break a Prime's command. His creators had distinctly told him that he was never to allow himself to become like the massacred mechs and their organics. Thundercracker had always kept their advice at the back of his processor, and since he had become a Decepticon when the war between the two factions had broken out, organics meant nothing to him.

The widespread massacre and destruction were just one tragic incident of many that had led to the war that now plagued them all and had devastated their once peaceful planet and their colonies.

While Thundercracker and Skywarp had their little discussion, Maeve finally got her much-awaited answer.

:Thank Primus. I was beginning to think that you'd never access the slagging bond.: Barricade's obvious relief flooded through her.

:I don't even know how this is all possible, Barricade. This is so bizarre. You have a lot of explaining to do.:

She swore she could hear his deep laughter resonating in her ears. A tiny smile crept across her face.

:I do indeed, but not now. Where are you? Are you with Prowl? Are you all right?: While Barricade's voice was filled with worry, she was comforted just hearing his voice. Until she actually contemplated his words, that is.

Ohhh, boy. Barricade was not going to like her answer. At all. :Uh... I'm not sure, no and no.:

A quick flash of wrath and then suspicion. She wondered if she'd ever get used to feeling his emotions.

:Why are you asking if I'm with Prowl?: She asked, a little confused. Couldn't they talk over their twin bond?

A pause, and then she could feel a slight hint of sadness and barely concealed confusion coming from Barricade.

:I... I'm in stasis lock. Like your comas. I've tried reaching out to Prowl, but either he's in stasis lock as well, or... he can't hear me through the stasis lock, which makes no sense because you can.: His voice was fraught with worried tension as he babbled, and Maeve found herself worried as well. She hoped the Autobot medic was doing all he could to help Barricade and Prowl.

He better be helping, or I'll kill him myself. She thought to herself darkly, clenching her uninjured hand into a fist while a scowl danced across her lips.

:Maeve, where do you think you are?:

:Mountains, somewhere. Probably still in Colorado. I don't really know, Barricade. It's just really freaking cold, and uh: She looked down over the edge of the mountainside and swallowed hard. :I'm really high up, and I don't know how the hell I'm going to get down.:

She could guess Barricade's next question.

His voice was quiet, but deadly in its tone. :Are you hurt? Who is with you?:

Sighing, she rubbed her hands together again in an effort to get warm before she answered. :No new injuries, just frozen like a freaking popsicle.:

She could feel his relief over that, besides the "frozen popsicle" comment, and then the suspicion returned again. :Stop avoiding the other question, Maeve. Who has you?:

No use in hiding it anymore. She let loose a deep sigh, shutting her eyes tight. :Skywarp and Thundercracker. Grabbed me when I was running to you at Animas Forks.:

Her eyes went wide as a sudden rage filled her, and she swore she could hear Barricade let loose a strangled yell, twisted with several different emotions starting with anger, and ending with... unbridled fear.

:Do not tell them anything, Maeve!:

"Human, I will tell you this only once. If you continue to speak to Barricade over your bond, I will kill you. He will find only small remnants of your fleshy body, and I will enjoy his pitiful screams when he finds your tattered bloody remains." Thundercracker's dark and twisted voice echoed towards her, bringing her crashing hard back to earth.

The mech leaned down towards her, his optics snide and cruel in their intensity while his mouthplate turned to a dangerous sneer. She couldn't help the terrified squeak that escaped her as a cannon powered up, its heat resonating towards her. She scooted as far back as she could in the space between the two boulders, but a small part of her wished she could get closer to the warmth emanating from the weapon. She was so cold.

She looked at Skywarp, and her heart froze with fear as he had the same look as Thundercracker upon his metallic features. A small naïve part of her had hoped that with his supposed caring earlier that he might have disagreed with Thundercracker.

By the look on Skywarp's faceplates, it was very clear to her that he agreed with the other Seeker.

She was, as Barricade would say it, slagged.

At Animas Forks, Ratchet was trying desperately to keep the Decepticon Barricade as stable as he could, while also trying to do the same for Prowl as he waited for Fireflight to take them back to the secondary base in Arizona. Caring for two injured mechs, one almost to the point of offlining, was hard work, and Ratchet had been forced to enlist Arcee and Ironhide into helping him. Or at least, attempting to help him.

Still, Ratchet was the Chief Medical Officer for a reason, and this was not the worst or second worst or even tenth worst battle injuries he had seen and cared for. Barricade and Prowl would survive.

As long as Fireflight got there soon to medevac them. Barricade's spark was perilously leaning towards the edge of no return, and Ratchet's able hands worked frantically to stabilize him. Energon pooled around the Decepticon's body, and Ratchet swore at himself for not replenishing his subspace supply of energon drips. He had lapsed in his medical duties, and now when he needed an energon drip the most, he found he had none.

Fireflight, where are you?

William Lennox, having discovered the All Spark shard which Maeve had dropped to the earth, had told the Autobots immediately of his discovery. Optimus Prime had initially been relieved at the fact that Starscream would be denied what he had wanted for so long, but his Matrix had sent him a few irritating beeps that had sped to the forefront of his processor. His Matrix hummed softly, quietly sending him subtle hints. He soon realized that the shard Major Lennox held had no strategic or important value.

Which meant that Maeve was still very much in danger.

Optimus had taken the shard, and placed it within his subspace, the only place where it could be kept safe. He noted the dismal look upon Major Lennox's face and knew that the woman's fate weighed heavily upon the human soldier.

Optimus, wishing to comfort one of his dearest human friends, instead took a step back. When they returned to base, he would speak to the Major in private. It would only embarrass them both for Optimus to show any sign of caring here in the open, where Decepticon eyes could easily be eavesdropping.

The CMO cycled his vents softly as he leaned back, letting his hands fall gently to his sides. Barricade was as stable as he was going to get. Ratchet had patched as many injuries as he could, and the once rushing flow of energon had stemmed to an irritating drip-drip-drip on the frozen ground. Barricade's energon levels were far below acceptable standards, however.

An alert flooded across Optimus' internal visual screen. Fireflight was preparing to land.

Optimus signaled to his Autobots, urging them to fade back into the night shadows as Fireflight came down through the atmosphere. It was a violent landing, and Optimus silently wondered if taking off would hurt the injured mechs even more. He pushed the thought away. Getting Barricade and Prowl to the secondary base at Canyon Diablo was better than leaving them here in this Primus forsaken wilderness.

Ratchet and Ironhide had already gingerly placed the injured Prowl in Fireflight's cargo hold when something happened that no one, human or Autobot, had expected.

Barricade shot up violently from his place in the frozen dirt, his arms thrashing, his optics wide with terror, as his deep voice expelled a wordless cry across the battle-scarred landscape. To the humans, it was bone-chilling. Chaos erupted around his broken frame.

"Ironhide, grab him!" Ratchet yelled frantically, as they rushed towards the black and white Decepticon.

The large black Topkick roughly grabbed Barricade, pushing him down into the dark cold earth, trying desperately to hold the thrashing Decepticon still before he could hurt himself even further than he already was. Ratchet hurriedly scanned Barricade, wondering how in the frag the 'Con cruiser had awoken. For how far he had been in stasis lock, it should have been impossible for Barricade to have broken through it.

'Should have' being the key words. Ratchet found himself fleetingly wondering if that fragging Guardian bond Barricade held with the human was stronger than they had anticipated. The old medic shuddered visibly as a memory vid of a long-ago massacre on a distant colony inadvertently activated. He shoved it away, grimacing.

Barricade gasped as cold attacked him, sending his tactile sensors into a frenzy. He was awake, he was out of that fragging nightmare where the Autobot Jazz had been his only companion. Agonizing pain sensors sent critical reports to his central processor as he tried to think clearly. Maeve! He had to tell the Autobots, he had to send them to her. Frag it, he had to save her! She was as good as dead with Skywarp and Thundercracker, those slagging Seekers. Barricade desperately struggled against Ironhide's strong grip, and tried to speak, but only a raspy metallic tone escaped his vocal outputs. His clawed hands clenched into fists, as his quadruple optics showed his frenzied fear.

Optimus' optics widened in surprise, much like his Autobots' had, as Barricade rushed back to life. He ran back to Ratchet and Ironhide, prepared to offer any help Ratchet needed.

Ratchet knelt beside the wide-eyed and half-crazed Decepticon. He lifted a hand, as part of his wrist transformed into a small white light. Ratchet raised the light towards Barricade's optics and swept it back and forth, watching as the light affected the 'Con's optics. The CMO kept scanning, and lifted his other wrist, quickly analyzing the data and punching in a few codes in an effort to figure out how it had happened.

He still didn't understand how the Decepticon had woken from such a deep stasis lock, though a terrifying suspicious wonder flitted deep within his processor. However, his focus now was on keeping Barricade stable. He dropped his hands and touched a gentle hand to Barricade's shoulder.

"Barricade." Ratchet spoke with a low and smooth tone, aimed at getting the Decepticon to acknowledge him. "Barricade, I need you to focus on me, now."

Barricade could barely hear Ratchet's voice, his panic overcoming his systems. He still couldn't speak. Slowly, Ratchet's low and steady tone grabbed his attention. He focused on the lime green Autobot and tried to steady his frantic spark. He quickly analyzed his vocal outputs, wondering why they weren't working. A quick self-repair routine later, which resulted in nearly excruciating pain from his energon loss, Barricade tried to speak.

Only a few fizzles and chirps came out. He narrowed his eyes, and waited until his internal viewer reported his vocal injury as 100% contained and healed.

"Ratchet." His voice was raspier than normal, but far better than the frizzled grunts that had earlier plagued him.

Ratchet was trying desperately to keep the patches to Barricade's chestplate injuries steady and secure, which was becoming significantly more difficult as the Decepticon writhed about on the ground beneath Ironhide's steel grip.

"You must stay still." Ratchet soothed, as best as he could.

Barricade cycled his vents as he suddenly stopped writhing about. His scarlet quadruple optics stared at Ratchet with a calculated intensity. He could feel his systems beginning to fail again as his energon levels dipped far below acceptable levels.

Only his taboo Guardian spark bond with Maeve had awoken him. Only the terror he had felt at learning that she was being held hostage by Skywarp and Thundercracker, Starscream's pit-spawned minions, had awoken him.

He had to tell Ratchet. He had to tell Optimus Prime. He could see the Autobot Leader standing close to him, and finally getting an arm free from Ironhide's grip, he reached out to the Prime, a clawed hand reaching towards the Prime with a desperation that Optimus clearly saw.

Barricade's quadruple optics stared at Optimus with hopelessness and fear, his pleading clear for Prime to see.

Barricade struggled to whisper, his sensors sending up even more critical warnings, "Maeve. You must save her. She is with Skywarp and Thundercracker, and they haven't taken her to Starscream. She is close... very close to here. Only a few miles north. For all of us, you must find her before the Seekers take her to Starscream. They know we have a bond, and Skywarp will use her for experiments before Starscream kills her. She holds the key... Find her, now, for Cybertron and our people."

His optics went black, his mouthplate falling slack, as stasis claimed Barricade for its own once again.

The Autobots stared at each other with surprise.

"And just what the slag is that supposed to mean?" Ironhide exclaimed, his hands on his hips and his optics sharp as he glared at Optimus Prime.

Optimus' optics narrowed. "We are going to find out."

:Optimus to Blaster.:

:Blaster here.:

:Priority, scan an area at least fifty miles around us. Look for Seekers, and a human. I do not care what you use, human or Cybertronian technology, Blaster, but you must find them immediately. The human's life depends upon it, and you.:

At the Arizona base, Blaster fought the sudden anxiety that fell upon him. The task that Optimus asked of him wasn't an easy one. Still, he swallowed his fears and kept his voice steady as he responded, :Affirmative. When I have coordinates, I will send them to you, immediately.:

Optimus muttered a quick thanks and then turned back to the situation in front of him. Ratchet looked frantic, as he hovered over the Decepticon. Barricade, in warning them, had put his health and life in even more danger.

A slight sigh rustled through Optimus' vents as he looked up towards the ink black night and bright white stars and moon. The wind in this small alpine valley slowly wisped across the broken buildings and grass.

Optimus shuttered his optics, lost in his thoughts. Once again, adding to his endless counts of wishes, he prayed to Primus that all their problems would fix themselves in the best possible way. Opening his optics, the stark white moon staring down at him, the "Man in the Moon" giving off a deeply goofy smile, Optimus knew that nothing would come easy. Nothing ever had in the seeming eternity they had spent fighting this slagging war.

"Help me get him to Fireflight, Ironhide. We need to get him back to base now!" Ratchet ordered, and Ironhide swiftly did what he was told.

The old soldier swallowed his natural revulsion at carrying the wounded Decepticon and lifted him gently. With Barricade safely within Fireflight, Ironhide stepped back. He found himself wishing that the deadly Decepticon would live... not just for Prowl or the woman to also survive, but because of the battle that Ironhide had witnessed here in this derelict human ghost town.

Seeing Barricade fight all of the Seekers, all on his slagging own, had garnered him some respect from the gruff soldier. Ironhide found himself thinking that if Barricade could survive, he would be a welcome addition to their team.

He nearly slapped himself after that thought. Like Barricade would ever help the Autobots.

Ratchet turned to Optimus. "You must contact me exactly when you find that woman. I don't have a good feeling about the condition you will find her in." He spoke softly, and Optimus nodded. He feared much the same.

"Good luck, my friend." Optimus responded softly, and Ratchet nodded curtly before he stepped in Fireflight's hold. Within moments, the Aerialbot had taken off, and soon was a small distant light in the night sky.

A spring thunderstorm was lashing Tranquility, and a particular despicable Sergeant was staring out the windows of a conference room in Tranquility Police headquarters, watching the heavy rain fall on his city as lightning flashed across the midnight sky.

Behind him, a well-dressed man in a black suit, with a horrid pea green tie, sat at the mahogany conference table, leaning back in the dark plush chair. The look on the man's face was cross, and he pushed his silver wire-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose. On the mahogany table, a speakerphone sat, a red light glowing softly from it. It was the only light in the dark room, besides the occasional bright light from the flashes of lightning outside. Deep thunder crackled above them, shaking the room ever so often.

"General, I assume there is a damn good reason you have deigned to stoop into my business as Liaison to the Autobots and why you have attempted to eliminate the warrants against the traitor McWilliams." Director Theodore Galloway's tone was low and snide, as he sneered at the phone with visible disdain and hatred.

The National Security Advisor to the President, and the loathed Liaison to the Autobots on Earth, had flown from D.C. to Tranquility after he had received news from his informant inside of NEST of a woman who had fraternized with the enemies, as well as a call from one of his family members inside Tranquility Police Department.

The idea of a female human traitor to the Decepticons had intrigued him and ensnared him. Here was his chance.

With his own goals of using this information to aid in his quest to get those frustrating and damnable Autobots off of his planet and disable NEST for good; he had gleefully canceled his plans of a vacation retreat, and had thrown himself into the task of finding the pathetic traitor. After landing at Tranquility airport, he had been escorted to the Tranquility Police Department, where upon he had met the utterly contemptible Sergeant Blair.

They had smiled and embraced upon meeting, as family members often do.

"So, this officer was one of yours?" Galloway had asked his first cousin, while Blair had nodded with a deep frown, and barely concealed rage emitting from his eyes.

"She's a no-good rotten bitch, corrupt to the core. She doesn't belong on this police force, and she's running around with a Decepticon. She belongs in a federal prison, or even better, one of those black sites like the CIA or the NSA run. She's a damn traitor, Theo. I don't like her, never have, and have suspected her of being a traitor since she relocated here from Mission City a few months after that battle with the aliens that the DOD covered up."

That had caused Galloway to lean forward, his eyes sparkling. "Mission City?"

Blair had nodded, as he snarled, "Yeah, Mission City. The bitch was right in the middle of that damn battle you told me about. A lot of her file from then has been completely redacted by the DOD, but I swear, she knows something, and we'd better find out what the fuck it is, and soon."

Galloway had grinned, and Blair had then ruthlessly encouraged the Director to go after Maeve using any means necessary.

Now, Sergeant Blair was standing like a stone in front of him, watching the rain pound the glass windows relentlessly while Galloway himself was attempting to figure out how in the world the General had learned of his attempt to find the woman.

General Morshower had been less than pleased.

"Galloway, the Chiefs of Staff and I are agreed – you have, for the last time, overstepped your bounds. The state and federal warrants for Maeve McWilliams have so far been quarantined to Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. These warrants will expire at six in the morning eastern standard time and be declared in the public forum as null and void, as well as a regrettable mistake. You are on very thin ice, and you do not deserve nor require an explanation from us. You are, from here on out, a thorn in our sides. You'd better curb your behavior, Theodore, or you'll find your ass kicked out an airplane again, this time without a parachute." The General's tone was acidic.

Sergeant Blair whipped around from his post at the window, his own face betraying his feelings of rage. Damn you, D.C.!

Galloway stiffened from the cold rebuke, and a few trembles coursed through his body. Almost immediately, though, he started turning wheels in his head, thinking how to turn this situation around to his benefit. For now, he would have to admit defeat to the Chiefs of Staff and the General. After that, however... he held up a finger to Sergeant Blair, implying for him to wait and not speak.

"I... I understand, General. The warrants will end. I apologize for my reckless actions. I merely thought-"

"Don't think, you bumbling idiot. We've dealt with your screw-ups and mistakes for too long." The General growled over the phone line.

Theodore Galloway struggled not to retort angrily and swallowed the harsh words which he wished to speak. "Yes, sir."

"Director Galloway, if I were you, I'd make yourself scarce before the press gets a hold of your name being attached to this deplorable attempt at ruining a perfectly good law enforcement officer's reputation and career. Good night." No one could miss the General's tone of finality, or threat.

The line clicked off, the glowing red light dying in the darkness, and Sergeant Blair shook with rage.

"What do we do now, Theo?" Blair's voice was coupled with wrath and hatred for what he perceived to be useless bureaucrats in Washington D.C.

Galloway grinned a wicked smile, his white teeth showing in the lightning that hit the ground less than a mile from the building they were in. A deep crack of thunder rustled through the building. The two scheming men ignored it.

"Don't worry. I have a plan. And it involves hiring some old friends of yours to do some intelligence work on where that woman is and whether the Autobots are involved. We need to go to your place."

Sergeant Blair relaxed, as he listened to his first cousin. They walked out of TPD headquarters and were soon on their way to Blair's home. Revenge would be theirs, and it would be sweet.

Skywarp was brooding. He didn't quite know what to do with the human in his possession. Truth be told, he wished to take her back to Starscream, and hoped he be allowed to do experiments on her Guardian bond before that slagging Dr. Scalpel had a go at her.

However, he also knew that there was much more to her than Starscream knew, and he could not yet allow Starscream access to her. Not if the sparklings were to survive. Starscream was notoriously short-sighted, and he would kill her before they had a chance to get the information from her, that much he was certain. The sparklings had to survive. His sparkling had to survive. It was all he had left besides Thundercracker...

Skywarp grimaced. His course of action was clear. They had to regrettably release her.

A sudden smile rushed across his mouthplate. They had to release her, yes, but not before they placed a tracking and listening device within her. Skywarp wanted to hear everything she did and know where she was at all times. It had to be undetectable to the Autobots. For that, he turned to Thundercracker, who stared at Skywarp with amusement.

Now what idea does he have in mind? Thundercracker thought to himself.

:We are going to release her.:

Thundercracker nearly protested, but Skywarp held up his clawed hand, a wicked smile upon his mouthplate.

:Thundercracker, we are going to release her, on one condition. She will wear one of your tracking and listening devices beneath her skin. And when the time is right, we will grab her again, and the sparklings will stop dying. We need to be ready for the information she holds, and we are not quite ready now. But soon...:

Thundercracker's optics softened, as he thought of Skywarp's request. It was reasonable, and it meant that the human femme would not escape them forever. He nodded, and quickly grabbed a few things from his subspace, swiftly and expertly creating a device to be inserted through Maeve's skin.

Maeve watched them with increasing interest, as her breath escaped her into an icy fog. What the hell were they doing?

She soon found out.

Her screams of pain echoed throughout the frozen mountain air as Thundercracker inserted a tiny metal thing, which looked curiously like a microchip, between her shoulder blades. It was excruciating, his talons ripping open her skin, her bone-chilling screams escaping her mouth as the device buried itself deep beneath her skin, and microscopic metal tendrils attached themselves to her spinal cord. For good measure, she was shocked a number of times from the little device, and the All Spark shard within her chest reacted with burning agony within her as if it too protested the intruder. She could hardly breathe as white light and stars overcame her vision.

It felt like eternity, until finally the pain abruptly stopped, and she collapsed upon the boulder, exhausted, tears staining her cheeks and ragged sobs erupted from her.

Thundercracker's sharp face came within her blurry vision, his mouthplate set in a sadistic smile. "Now, little human, you will listen very closely. The device within you can kill you. If you so much as breathe a word of what is within you, that little beauty will cut your spinal cord and you will be paralyzed, if not killed. It also can send out electrical shocks if it even believes you will betray what it is. You are to be silent, little human, about what we have done to you. You will explain the scar as a result of Skywarp dropping you upon that boulder you lie upon. We can easily extract the shard from you, as you know, and be none the worse for wear. So, listen, little human, and listen well... you will die if you speak a word or try to warn the Autobots about that little scout within you. Do you understand, Maeve?"

Her head swam, as another spasm of pain rushed through her. It was the little metal scout within her. What a fitting name... she thought briefly, before she was shocked again. She gasped from the pain, gripping the hard boulder beneath her so sharply she felt a fingernail tear off from the pressure, and more tears escaped her. She nodded quickly, and the electrical spasm ended as quickly as it had begun.

What have they done to me? She thought, before she slipped into darkness.