Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Cover Me ❯ The Staredown ( Chapter 10 )

Cover Me

By Black Dragon Queen

Author's note: I HATE FINALS! I made it through them, but I still hate them! Well anyway, I managed to get out chapter ten in between studying for my finals and failing said finals... I hope everyone likes it!

PAIRINGS REVEALED THUS FAR:

Wheeljack x Ratchet, Past Prowl x Jazz

Font Index:

“Speaking”, `Thinking', “-Radio Transmissions-”, “Cybertronion”

~*~

Chapter Ten: The Stare Down

He was staring again.

Just sitting there... Looking oh so innocent- staring at him. Now anyone would get annoyed at being silently stared at. Many who have been victimized by this particularly annoying deed would usually turn to yell at the person doing said staring to stop, or at the very least leave the premises and away from the evil doer. He did not have the wonderful option of leaving however and thus the current stand off. It also didn't help that the humans had left for wherever it was they went during the day, leaving the two cars just sitting there… staring at one another. Normally a stare down would last several minutes, an hour if the two opponents were particularly good at it.

Seeing as this was a stare down between two giant, alien robots however, the stare down had so far lasted several days. It was also ten times as nerve wracking seeing as neither even said one word to one another. As one of them had a tendency to never really speak unless completely necessary and the other just didn't like his unwanted companion period, the conversation was entirely nonexistent to say the least. So they sat there; one staring and one being stared at in utter silence. Time passed. The post was delivered. A few cars traveled up and down the small roads of the neighborhood as housewives, and the occasional house-husband, went about their Thursday afternoon, doing errands such as getting grocery's or picking up the little ones from their morning preschool. A bird called in the distance.

And he continued to stare at him. It was inevitable that he would finally snap, the pressure of the past few days weighing down upon him like a two-ton asteroid and the continuous staring finally getting the better of him. “Will you just stop staring at me!” Barricade finally shouted at the yellow camaro that was currently parked in the drive as close to the entryway of the garage as possible. “What is there to look at? I look no different than yesterday! Or are you just enjoying the sight of me in ruins?” he finally asked crossly.

“I'm just ensuring that you stay put, and out of trouble.” The last part was muttered under Autobots breath.

“Trouble?” Barricade asked incredulously with a cutting laugh. “What more trouble could I possibly be in? I'm damaged over eighty percent, stuck in my alt-mode in this sorry excuse of a med bay, surrounded on all sides by,” he shuddered, “humans and the only other of my kind around for miles are my own worst enemies! How could I possibly get in more trouble?” Bumblebee just stared at the Decepticon once again, disbelievingly. “Damn you!” Barricade screeched.

“Will you keep it down!” `Bee hissed sharply. “It's the middle of the afternoon! There are still humans around!”

“SO WHAT?” Barricade's screeching was near hysterical. “Who gives a frag about the humans?”

“I knew we should have left you in that garage to rot!” `Bee bellowed.

“Oh, ho, ho! The little yellow bug's true colors are finally revealed at long last!” Barricade scoffed spitefully, “wonder how kind, gullible Prime feels about that one!”

“Don't you be all righteous with me, `Con! You and your kind would have done that and more!”

“Oh! Oh no! I've gone and done it now, haven't I? I've managed to piss off the poor little bumbling bee! Whatever shale I do?” Barricade said in a horribly faked high-pitched voice before dropping to a threatening growl. “Well don't take offense when I say, buzz off bug!”

“What the hell is your problem?” `Bee screeched, forgetting his own worry about any humans in the vicinity. “You owe us your life you ungrateful paper weight!”

“If it meant not having to stare at your ugly visage every day, I would have chosen death!” Barricade declared furiously.

“Do you think I'm happy about this? Having a `Con literally in Sam's own back yard? I would love nothing better than to tow you're aft back to that parking garage in the city!”

“Then why don't you?” Barricade snarled. “Kindly move out of the way and you never have to see me again!”

“What about your plea for sanctuary?” `Bee sneered. “I thought you were on the run from that cross-wired jet.”

“I can take care of myself,” Barricade growled.

“Oh and you've done such a bang up job so far!”

“As the humans so innocently say, screw you!”

Bumblebee fell back on his tires in shock at the double meaning that Barricade threw at him. As a race where the single turn of a screw could literally mean life or death that was not something ever said lightly.

“Damn your spark!” Bumblebee's tolerance finally reached the breaking point and he shifted into reverse and backed up and out of the way of the growling `Con. “You want to leave and get turned into little metal fragments, then be my guest.”

Barricade hesitated, startled that the all-righteous Autobot was actually giving in. The little bug would have gladly watched him leave without any remorse or guilt that he was essentially sending him to what could be certain doom. Apparently the little bug wasn't as caring as he let on. Barricade looked out at the world on the other side of the garage's threshold and watched as humans went about their day happily oblivious to the dangers of the world that constantly surrounded them. He looked once more at the camaro and mentally smirked, “no.”

“WHAT?” `Bee screeched utterly dumbfounded.

“I think I'm quite comfortable here,” and to prove his point, he sank down and rested his entire frame on his tires, sinking a good ten inches.

`Bee was completely gob smacked. “WHAT?”

“Regrettably however, the accommodations are sadly lacking in scintillating conversation.”

The `Bot couldn't believe his audio sensors. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

“Come now, I'm a Decepticon. Would you suspect anything else?”

`Bee glowered at the `Con. “I warn you now, that won't work with me.”

“Indeed?” Barricade was now wholly amused.

“Will you please just leave?” the `Bot groaned, completely had it with the `Con.

“Well I think I'm beginning to see the appeal this place has, so I may just stick around.” Barricade chuckled darkly.

“Slag it!”

The two once more sat there, staring at one another. The afternoon just drifted by and soon the familiar rumble of Ron Witwicky's car pulled up to the house. Two young humans instantly jumped out and quickly made their way to the garage. “Afternoon!” Mikaela smiled as she set her bag down on the workbench and Sam quickly made his way towards his “car” and greeted the disguised Autobot.

“Oh look, the house is still here,” Ron muttered as he wandered up to the group and stared at the two with that parent look that made every child suddenly lament each and every wrongdoing they had ever done in their life. “Then I'm going to go get a cup of coffee.”

The four watched as the older Witwicky male made his way into the house and Barricade tracked the man's movements to the kitchen. “Was he expecting the house to have moved in the last five hours?” he asked curiously. Three laughs answered him and Barricade growled sulkily.

“He was kidding,” Sam explained to the embarrass mustang.

Barricade just rumbled in embarrassment. “Well how should I know whether or not you're joking? Human humor is odd enough as it is!”

“It's something you get use to,” Bumblebee told him and Barricade could only snarl in response.

“I don't want to get use to it,” he muttered.

“Well, since you're on Earth now I think it'll be a little unavoidable,” Mikaela grinned as she suddenly disappeared under the mustang.

“HEY!” Barricade expressed very forcefully, for Decepticons never squealed. “Watch what you're doing down there!”

Mikaela's voice chuckled out from underneath him. “Oh calm down,” she suddenly reappeared. “Well, I can fix a few more things but your shifting mechanism is way beyond my comprehension.”

“You mean that I'm-”

“Stuck!” Mikaela chuckled at the exaggerated groan the left the `Con. “Sorry, but until further notice, you're stuck as a patrol car.”

“Oh Primus, I'll be stuck like this forever!” Barricade bemoaned.

“Now don't say that,” Sam told him. “I'm sure that you won't be that way forever. Optimus just said `not now' since the other Autobots are on their way; he never said `never'. I'm sure that Ratchet will manage to fix you up eventually.”

Barricade groaned again louder than before. “Like I said, I'll be stuck like this forever!”

Even `Bee chuckled at the Decepticons melodramatics. “Look at it this way; it's not the end of the world.”

“It may as well be,” Barricade sulked.

Mikaela shook her head as she turned back to the others. “As I said, there's still a lot that could be worked on but yet again, I find myself lacking the tools.”

“OH NO!”

“NOT AGAIN!”

“What? What's the joke?” Barricade asked the female human who was now the only one still in the garage.

“Oh, they're just being stupid,” she muttered. “LOOK! Tomorrow is Friday and I could use those tools if I'm going to work on him over the weekend!”

“But, but, it's stealing,” Sam protested.

“Oh, now it's a problem?” Mikaela responded in disbelief. “You've both done it before.”

“BUT YOU MADE US!” Sam protested as he quickly jumped into `Bee's cab and slammed the door. He cracked the window down, however, so he could still be heard. “And the first time was life or death so we had to!”

Barricade by now was completely intrigued as he watched the girl advance on the other two and was more than a little surprised when Bumblebee started backing away from her. The mustang pulled forward, ever so slightly exiting the garage. “Exactly what is it that everyone is talking about?”

“GET BACK IN THE GARAGE!” Mikaela suddenly shouted. “We can't afford to have you spotted!”

“Oh what are the odds that the other Autobots are going to spring a surprise visit now of all times?”

“True,” Mikaela smirked before whirling towards the camaro who was trying to back into the street unnoticed. “OH NO! You two are going to get me those tools from Ratchet!”

“Ratchet has actually been allowing you to use his tools?” Barricade asked in disbelief.

“Well, he doesn't really know,” Mikaela muttered.

“Really?” Barricade was becoming more and more amused as time went on.

“It doesn't matter because we are not going back there!” Bumblebee announced. “I can't leave him alone! Who knows what he could do!”

“What, afraid he'll run us over?” Mikaela asked archly.

“Indeed! Could you imagine the damage that would do to my bumper?” All three of the others looked back at the Decepticon; or more specifically at the indented sunken hood and the smashed roof of the mustang. Barricade made an exaggerated sniff. “I, at least, still look better than the bug.”

“WHAT?”

“Enough!” Mikaela shouted halting any impending arguing the two Cybertronions were about to have. “How about we compromise? You two head back and get the tools, and I'll stay in the house and ensure that Sam's parents stay there too. How's that?”

“But,” `Bee tried to protest.

“He's a car!” Mikaela screeched. “He can't even access his weapons! What is he going to do?” There was a sudden poke at the back of her legs and Mikaela screamed as she jumped almost a mile high and whirled around.

Barricade's headlights had disappeared and his small, sharp grappling hooks once more reached out to poke the girl in the leg. “I may be a car, but I can still aggravate you beyond belief,” he chuckled.

“YOU SEE!” `Bee shouted. “He can't be trusted!”

“Oh it was a JOKE!” Barricade shouted back. “You said I needed to gain a sense of humor!”

“THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!” `Bee argued. “Now do you understand?” he now directed to Mikaela. “I can't leave him alone for one nanosecond! Who knows what he may do!”

“YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS!” she screeched back at him. “You two! Go get those tools! And you!” she turned and pointed an accusing finger at the patrol car. “You get back into that garage and behave yourself before I decide to siphon your gas!”

Barricade quickly retreated back into the garage and sent out the signal to close the door behind him.

~*~

The garage was very boring. There was absolutely nothing to do. Barricade had gone into recharge at least three times already and had rebooted himself only an hour later. He was beginning to understand the saying “cabin fever” because he was going stir crazy. With a sigh he once more did a scan of the area. Three humans all accounted for in the house's “living room”. Primus, he was bored. He even wouldn't have minded if the bug returned and stared at him some more, anything to alleviate the boredom.

With a sigh, he sat there thinking. This was why he had asked Soundwave if Frenzy could accompany him on the mission to Earth. The little chatterbox was crazy, but at least he was entertaining. The thought of his lost partner sent a sad jolt to his spark and Barricade was silent for a moment in remembrance. Frenzy had been a diligent `Con, and very eager to please. Not that he missed the little hacker, not one bit… Well, he wasn't about to admit it to anyone, let alone the Autobug.

The thought of Frenzy suddenly reminded him of something and flipping down the door to the glove box he looked at the little piece of metal that rested there. Well, it certainly beat trying to count the cracks in the floor again.

~*~

“Please tell me that's the last of it!” Sam groaned as he and Mikaela removed the various items out of `Bee's trunk.

“I think this should do it,” Mikaela smiled back at him. “How did you manage it this time?”

Sam grunted as he lifted a particularly heavy object. “You know, the moat Red dug out came in really handy. We managed to get in through the back. I don't think the other Autobots even realized that we were there.”

Mikaela looked as puzzled as she felt. “Moat?”

“`Red'?” Barricades voice floated from the garage. “As in `Red Alert'? When did that idiotic mech show up?”

“That is none of your business!” `Bee snapped and Barricade would have shrugged his shoulders had he been able too.

“Now, let's see what we can do, shall we?” Mikaela asked rather cheerfully as she took her new treasures into the garage.

“Oh Primus, save me from the well intentions of little humans,” Barricade groaned sarcastically.

“Oh suffer through it,” Mikaela smirked as she once more scuttled beneath the mustangs undercarriage.

“I would just let her do whatever it is she wants to do,” Sam mocked whispered to the `Con. “It's safer that way.”

“I heard that,” Mikaela deadpanned and all three of the males chuckled.

“Speaking of `safe', I think I have something for you Ladiesman217.”

Sam was instantly curious and Bumblebee was instantly suspicious. “What are you up to `Con?” he asked warily. The Decepticon said nothing but did swing his passenger door open once more for Sam. “SAM! I forbid you to get in!” `Bee instantly commanded.

Sam froze and he raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. Even Mikaela had popped her head back up to watch the proceedings. “You forbid me?”

`Bee was instantly recanting his statement as he folded under the combined stares. “No, Sam. I didn't mean it that way!”

“Oh go blow it out your exhaust!” Barricade growled angrily. “We all know exactly what you meant!”

“Honestly `Bee,” Sam said sadly. “I can't believe you still don't trust him after all this time.”

“No! I mean yes! I mean-”

“Oh just shut up before you really mess it up!” Barricade told him haughtily. “Besides, I just need the boy to retrieve what's in the glove box.”

Sam turned to the `Con puzzled and glanced into the small lit compartment, startled at what he found. “A watch?” he asked in astonishment as he reached for the small digital item.

“Indeed,” Barricade stated. “It was originally for my partner, Frenzy.”

“The smaller mech that kept showing up at odd times?” Mikaela asked surprised. “The one we decapitated?”

Barricade cringed at the reminder. “Indeed. It's a portable tracking beacon. That was suppose to help us in keeping a better tab on each other incase we were separated across the whole planet. However, since he is gone, I decided that it might be more constructive for you to have it. Thus why it is disguised as a watch.”

Sam was completely flabbergasted by the gesture and glanced down at the watch. “Are you serious?”

Barricade released a small chuckle. “As a heart attack.”

Sam stared at the watch in shock. It was a gesture that he would have thought the Decepticon incapable of. Clearly, `Bee thought so too. “How do we know this isn't a trick?” Bumblebee demanded. “How would we know that that thing isn't sending out a signal to Starscream right this moment?”

Barricade sighed in frustration. `He really can't be that dumb, could he?' he thought irritably. “Think a moment,” he said out loud. “Why would I want Starscream to find us? He's the one responsible for this whole insane situation! Besides, check your transmitters. It's receiving, not sending.”

`Bee checked his scanners and realized that Barricade had been telling the truth. That the watch was only receiving. “I still don't like it though,” the `Bot muttered.

“Well, I do.” Sam announced as he fastened the watch. “Thank you Barricade.”

The `Con said nothing and Mikaela gave a small tug on Sam's sleeve. “Hey, there's still some dinner left. Your mom made meatloaf. Let's eat before we get back to work.”

Sam allowed the girl to pull him back into the house but not before he turned back to the two cars in his drive. “Be good,” he growled before disappearing into the building.

Barricade huffed. “What does that boy expect? I'm a Decepticon.”

“That contraption of yours better not do anything!” Bumblebee growled. “I swear if anything happens to him-”

“Oh don't worry, your precious human is safe from me,” Barricade snarled before mentally chuckling. He wasn't about to tell the fuming `Bot that the watch also worked as a two way radio that he could access at anytime with his own, private activation code. After all, there was no need to upset the youngling further.

“He better be! Don't forget, you owe Sam your life, `Con,” `Bee growled angrily.

“And he owes me his, so I'd say we're about even!” Barricade retorted just as heatedly, the whole conversation starting to grate at his nerves.

“No, I don't think so seeing as I stopped your aft before you could actually do anything back under that bridge!” Bumblebee retorted triumphantly, remembering how he had managed to sweep the `Cons legs out from underneath him during the search for the All Spark.

“I'm not speaking about the battle we had back then, you ignorant half wit,” Barricade growled and now Bumblebee was confused.

“Then what are you speaking of?”

Silence.

“Did you ever wonder what exactly the order was that Starscream commanded that I refused to obey?” Barricade suddenly asked out of left field.

“Does it matter? Starscream's an idiot, I would think all his orders would be idiotic,” `Bee responded indifferently. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“This one wasn't. This one was actually a well thought out order.”

Bumblebee was beginning to grow irritated at the circling conversation and huffed in frustration. “Well then, what was it?”

“I was ordered to give him classified information that I had obtained during the war that he no longer could acquire on the web.”

The Autobot nearly shot him on principle. “Oh for Primus' sake, will you stop speaking in circles?” he cried out in irritation. “What information? What did he want to know?”

“This is why I made that watch,” Barricade finally explained after a rather long pause. “He wanted to know where Sam was.”

~*~

Optimus was confused.

His data pads were missing. How was this possible? There were over a hundred of the slagging things. “What the?” He looked around the entire hanger but there wasn't a small glowing square in sight. Maybe `Hide was right when he said there were gremlins on the base.

Optimus shook his head. “No, no, no. This is impossible. They have to be somewhere. There are no such things as gremlins.” Making his way out of the main hanger, he began a thorough investigation of all the other buildings. Well at least the ones that he could fit in. He would have to get Sam or one of the other humans to examine the smaller buildings. He was walking past one of the farther outbuildings before he suddenly froze and backtracked, literally walking backwards, and peered back into the building.

There was a lone boxcar situated in the middle of the room looking very out of place. Everything else that Optimus knew had been stored in there had been removed, leaving the just the box in the interior of the building… save the three idiots patrolling said box. Optimus just stared at his fellow Autobots. “What in name of Primus are you three lug nuts doing?”

“Prime! You're just in time! Help us guard the box!” Ironhide called out to him and held out an I-beam joyfully. “Now that you're here, we can watch all four sides.”

Optimus stared at the beam being offered to him. “WHAT?”

“Optimus,” Ratchet piped up. “It's official. There must be an intruder on the grounds. More of my tools have gone missing.”

Optimus stared at him flabbergasted. “So you decided to lock yourselves in one of the storage houses?” he asked in astonishment.

“Oh don't be so obtuse,” Ratchet retorted. “We have collected each and every item that holds any amount of significance and are laying in wait.” Both Ironhide and Red nodded enthusiastically at Ratchet's statement.

Optimus could feel his jaw dropping as he turned to look once more at the old boxcar. “Please don't tell me you put all the data pads in there.”

“First thing that went in!” Red Alert stated proudly.

Optimus stared at the box and did a quick calculation of all the things that the three stooges would have put in there. He groaned at the sudden realization that he was now going to have go digging for his notebook.

“Slag it.”

-TBC