Barricaded -- Chapter 13
Title: Barricaded -- Chapter 13
Rating: T
Continuity: AU Movieverse with G1 influences
Warnings: Reprogramming
Chapter 13
“You're serious? There was nothing?”
“Nothing at all. Not a bit of what we didn't already know. He joined up about ten years ago, registered as Smokescreen and Prowl's brother. Other than that, his history is blank. Empty. Nothing.”
Sunstreaker frowned at his computer screen where the information Sideswipe had managed to track down. It was, at best, minimal. Exactly what his Twin had said. “You're sure? There's nothing at all about before he joined?”
“Not a single fragging thing! It makes no sense! How could he not exist at all?”
“... Unless he did? And... Red Alert was here. He's... he's the one with all access to the records. Besides Ratchet, but if they were in cahoots...”
“Cahoots? Really? But... you have a point.” Sideswipe tilted his helm to the side, frowning, like his brother, at the screen. “Hey, he seemed really... adamant about not sparring. And... he was nervous about us having seen him...”
“Training room records.”
“Mech, you read my mind.”
“Duh. Twins, remember?”
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
The security tapes of the training rooms were actually incredibly easy to find and access. They were available to anyone who had the codes.
Finding a video of Bluestreak was a little more difficult. He used the rooms as often as anyone else, but about half the time he spent meditating with either Prowl or Smokescreen. The rest of the time was spent on the firing range.
Yet, the Twins spent hours pouring over the footage, seeking just one instance of him sparring with someone.
And finally, they found it.
“Yes!” Sideswipe cheered, pausing the vid-feed on his screen, freezing the small image of the gray gunner and his opponent, Smokescreen. “Sunny. Found it!”
Sunstreaker wheeled his chair over to his brother's monitor. “Play it.”
Sideswipe did as asked, clicking the correct button and settling back to watch. A moment later, he was leaning forward, staring with wide optics at the screen. For both Smokescreen and Bluestreak were attacking each other viciously, claws outstretched, faces contorted in snarls. They tore into each other, talons ripping through armor and wires and tubes. Energon spattered on and around them, though neither faltered in their attack.
And it looked... familiar.
Sunstreaker was the first to get it. “They look like Barricade. Both of them.”
Sideswipe frowned. “They do. What the frag?”
The video ended shortly, with Ratchet storming in and yelling at them (from what they could see and what they knew - the videos didn’t have audio). Bluestreak laughed - laughed! - and wiped an energon-stained hand over his forehelm. Smokescreen's doorwings were twitching with suppressed giggles.
Giggles! While they were stained with each other's energon, missing half their armor, wires spilling out, lines sparking. Laughing! Smiling!
“This... it doesn't make sense.”
Sideswipe nodded in agreement. “Hey, wasn't Barricade one of the first mechs on Earth?”
“Hm. I think so? You think you can find his records?”
“Possibly.”
An hour later, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were still frowning at the screen.
“Look here, Sunny.”
“Wait, wasn't he killed in battle? How... Where did you get this?”
“Ghost files. Barricade surrendered. Then they changed it, marked him as KIA.”
Sunstreaker trapped his chin thoughtfully. “What about Bluestreak? When did he join up?”
“Years before they changed it. And Smokescreen was entered in about then as well.”
“Any more ghost files?”
“Nope. They've been overwritten, if there were any.”
“Slag.”
Sideswipe cocked his helm to the side. A slow grin spread over his face, “Not quite. It's been quite a few years, but... Sam.”
“Sam?”
“Sam.”
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Hey, guys,” the man said, the skin around his eyes folding as he smiled. He had aged well - Ratchet had claimed it had something to do with the AllSpark and the human's exposure to it - but the years were beginning to show.
“Hey, Sam!” Sideswipe greeted with a smile. “We've... got a couple questions?”
Sam raised an eyebrow, but nodded and smiled. “Okay. How can I help?”
“Well, we...”
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe exchanged a glance. “We want to know what the deal is with Barricade's records.”
The human froze, his face pale. “Oh.”
Rating: T
Continuity: AU Movieverse with G1 influences
Warnings: Reprogramming
Chapter 13
“You're serious? There was nothing?”
“Nothing at all. Not a bit of what we didn't already know. He joined up about ten years ago, registered as Smokescreen and Prowl's brother. Other than that, his history is blank. Empty. Nothing.”
Sunstreaker frowned at his computer screen where the information Sideswipe had managed to track down. It was, at best, minimal. Exactly what his Twin had said. “You're sure? There's nothing at all about before he joined?”
“Not a single fragging thing! It makes no sense! How could he not exist at all?”
“... Unless he did? And... Red Alert was here. He's... he's the one with all access to the records. Besides Ratchet, but if they were in cahoots...”
“Cahoots? Really? But... you have a point.” Sideswipe tilted his helm to the side, frowning, like his brother, at the screen. “Hey, he seemed really... adamant about not sparring. And... he was nervous about us having seen him...”
“Training room records.”
“Mech, you read my mind.”
“Duh. Twins, remember?”
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
The security tapes of the training rooms were actually incredibly easy to find and access. They were available to anyone who had the codes.
Finding a video of Bluestreak was a little more difficult. He used the rooms as often as anyone else, but about half the time he spent meditating with either Prowl or Smokescreen. The rest of the time was spent on the firing range.
Yet, the Twins spent hours pouring over the footage, seeking just one instance of him sparring with someone.
And finally, they found it.
“Yes!” Sideswipe cheered, pausing the vid-feed on his screen, freezing the small image of the gray gunner and his opponent, Smokescreen. “Sunny. Found it!”
Sunstreaker wheeled his chair over to his brother's monitor. “Play it.”
Sideswipe did as asked, clicking the correct button and settling back to watch. A moment later, he was leaning forward, staring with wide optics at the screen. For both Smokescreen and Bluestreak were attacking each other viciously, claws outstretched, faces contorted in snarls. They tore into each other, talons ripping through armor and wires and tubes. Energon spattered on and around them, though neither faltered in their attack.
And it looked... familiar.
Sunstreaker was the first to get it. “They look like Barricade. Both of them.”
Sideswipe frowned. “They do. What the frag?”
The video ended shortly, with Ratchet storming in and yelling at them (from what they could see and what they knew - the videos didn’t have audio). Bluestreak laughed - laughed! - and wiped an energon-stained hand over his forehelm. Smokescreen's doorwings were twitching with suppressed giggles.
Giggles! While they were stained with each other's energon, missing half their armor, wires spilling out, lines sparking. Laughing! Smiling!
“This... it doesn't make sense.”
Sideswipe nodded in agreement. “Hey, wasn't Barricade one of the first mechs on Earth?”
“Hm. I think so? You think you can find his records?”
“Possibly.”
An hour later, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were still frowning at the screen.
“Look here, Sunny.”
“Wait, wasn't he killed in battle? How... Where did you get this?”
“Ghost files. Barricade surrendered. Then they changed it, marked him as KIA.”
Sunstreaker trapped his chin thoughtfully. “What about Bluestreak? When did he join up?”
“Years before they changed it. And Smokescreen was entered in about then as well.”
“Any more ghost files?”
“Nope. They've been overwritten, if there were any.”
“Slag.”
Sideswipe cocked his helm to the side. A slow grin spread over his face, “Not quite. It's been quite a few years, but... Sam.”
“Sam?”
“Sam.”
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Hey, guys,” the man said, the skin around his eyes folding as he smiled. He had aged well - Ratchet had claimed it had something to do with the AllSpark and the human's exposure to it - but the years were beginning to show.
“Hey, Sam!” Sideswipe greeted with a smile. “We've... got a couple questions?”
Sam raised an eyebrow, but nodded and smiled. “Okay. How can I help?”
“Well, we...”
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe exchanged a glance. “We want to know what the deal is with Barricade's records.”
The human froze, his face pale. “Oh.”