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Post by Ironhide on Sept 18, 2011 20:05:01 GMT -5
Ironhide looked at Barricade, still cradling him against his chest, though he scooted back a bit so he could lean against the wall and so Barricade could rest more comfortably in Ironhide's arms. He then shook his head a bit. ~"Only rumors of mechs bein' snatched n reprogrammed er somethin, somehow enslaved like drones. Dunno much, just what I saw, mechs with white optics throwin' themselves at us like combat drones, mechs who were friends, then some Decepticons later. It was like lookin' inta the Pit itself, no real life er thought in there, n nothin' good either. We'd heard rumors o' somethin' called Combat Control. One o' the Autobots we managed ta get back ta base alive, his optics cleared fer a bit, but he couldn't tell us much, just that bots were bein' chained down n their processors violated, reprogrammed with somethin' that let others take em over. He screamed n his optics went white, then his processor went inta total meltdown n his Spark exploded in his chest."~ He shuddered at the memory, then looked at Barricade, clearly worried and more than a little scared for him. ~"Is that what they did t' ya?"~ he managed to ask at barely more than a whisper.
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Post by Barricade on Sept 18, 2011 20:22:16 GMT -5
~"Sort of..."~ He murmured. ~"I wasn't a Receiver. If I was, I don't think I would've lived very long. I was a Controller, one of five."~ He took in a deep intake of air. ~"The processor meltdown and Spark explosion you witnessed was a self-destruct failsafe. His controller realized where he'd gone, and initiated it. If it makes you feel better, the project was shut down. I'm the only Controller left, and there aren't any Receivers, to my knowledge. The other Controllers were killed, though their deaths were played off as accidents or punishments for something else. Only the main members of the project knew who the others actually were. To the rest of the Decepticons, we were just grunts. The mods are still in. I can still do it, but it's a lot more difficult without my receiving code."~
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Post by Ironhide on Sept 18, 2011 20:39:58 GMT -5
Ironhide closed his optics then, nodding solemnly. ~"Decepticons never did respect free will..."~ he muttered darkly, then looked at Barricade. ~"Who ran this thing n did this t'ya, n why'd they pick you fer this? N if ya ain't one o' the receivers as ya called it, then who the slag was that who talked through ya n threatened ta shred yer processor?"~ Ironhide wanted to know whatever Barricade could tell him, he needed to know everything he could if he was going to help Barricade get free of the Decepticons once and for all, to get his friend back again, and Ironhide was one mech who would stop at nothing, especially when it concerned someone he cared for, someone he loved. It was then that Ironhide realized that he really did still love Barricade, as odd as it seemed, and in that moment, the realization of that showed, both on his face and in how he held Barricade close to him, protectively. His anger was not towards Barricade, but to the ones who had done this to him, the ones who had violated Barricade in such unspeakable ways, and Ironhide was determined to find a way to free his friend of their control and influence, even if it meant sacrificing his own life to kill those responsible.
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Post by Barricade on Sept 18, 2011 20:45:19 GMT -5
~"Megatron is the only one I know of who was in charge, and they didn't pick me..."~ Barricade looked away a bit, ashamed at what he was going to say next. ~"I volunteered, though I didn't know exactly what the project was going to be for. 'N the one you heard speaking was...me. The old me, from the project. My codename was Meta. During the project, I kept the two lives so separate, it was like I was two different bots. I started forgetting what would happen during the missions, and I knew it, Meta had become an entity. I don't know if the same thing happened to the other Controllers. We weren't exactly keen on socializing outside of missions..."~
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Post by Ironhide on Sept 18, 2011 20:53:22 GMT -5
Ironhide's optics closed and he vented softly. He had feared that Barricade would admit to volunteering being part of something so disturbing and insidious, though the fact that he hadn't known what it was, might be the one thing that would save him. This entity, this Meta, was the problem now. ~"Ya didn't like doin' it, did ya?"~ he asked, guessing as to the reason he sought to separate himself from it so completely that this other entity had manifested and taken root in Barricade's processor. ~"N Meta was the one ya were arguin' with, the one ya wanna get rid of, don'cha?"~ he added, guessing about the argument he had overheard nearly a week ago.
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Post by Barricade on Sept 18, 2011 21:03:25 GMT -5
Barricade vented. ~"It was enjoyable over the alternative. Those who didn't make the cut to be Controllers became some of the first Receivers, after the coding was perfected on Autobot prisoners. I kept them separate out of necessity for secrecy. Not all Decepticons embraced the entire project, and none of the five of us wanted to be found out to be a Controller. Plus, you try running the movements of several different bots on the battlefield, reacting that many different ways simultaneously. It's near enough to make a mech loose his mind. But, yeah. I was arguing with him. He hasn't accepted the fact that Combat Control is done."~
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Post by Ironhide on Sept 18, 2011 21:20:30 GMT -5
~"They didn't give ya much choice, did they?"~ he stated more than asked, then shook his head. ~"If ya'd had a choice, a real choice fer yerself... would ya have done it?"~ he asked, hoping Barricade would say no as he looked at the mech in his arms. He wanted to believe there was good in Barricade's Spark, that he wasn't a murderous monster like so many other Decepticons had become, like Ironhide had almost become long ago.
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Post by Barricade on Sept 18, 2011 21:28:08 GMT -5
~"Back then? Yes. Now? Not at all."~ Barricade knew it was the truth. Back then, he was young and stupid, and completely willing to serve Megatron. Now, he was more interested in surviving the war, though if it was time for him to face the music, so be it. ~"I did a lot of dumb scrap in the beginning of the war. If I was the bot I was then right now, you would've prolly at the very least attempted to rend me limb from limb. I made a lot of stupid mistakes, Ironhide. Really stupid mistakes."~
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Post by Ironhide on Sept 18, 2011 21:45:18 GMT -5
Ironhide nodded, accepting Barricade's answer for what it was, the truth. He hugged Barricade close to him, resting his head lightly against Barricade's to show he had accepted that truth and accepted that Barricade had changed, likely for the better. ~"We all make mistakes..."~ he murmured softly. ~"Even me, n I've made some big time slag ups too... believe me."~ He lifted his head then and looked at Barricade, looking into the younger mech's optics. ~"But I know one thing I done I'll never regret, one that wasn't a mistake, one thing in my life I'd do again if I could..."~ he said, bringing his hand up to cradle Barricade's head. He remained quiet for a few moments, just looking at Barricade, remembering the things they had shared so long ago. ~"Only thing I regret about lovin' ya, was the day I lost ya... N after all this time, through all the pain n misplaced anger n hatred ya didn't deserve... I still do..."~ he admitted softly then, closing his optics and lightly touched his forehead to Barricade's. ~"Primus help me, I still love ya, 'Cade..."~ he added in a whisper, closing his arms around the younger mech.
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Post by Barricade on Sept 19, 2011 10:15:58 GMT -5
Barricade reached around Ironhide, wrapping his arms around the larger mech's back, holding onto him as though he was afraid to let go; that letting go of Ironhide meant that he'd disappeared. ~"I don't like what I've done, 'Hide."~ He whispered, pain in his voice. ~"'N I'm scared to move forward. I'm tired of running away from everything, but I can't stop. It's driving me mad..."~
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Post by Ironhide on Sept 19, 2011 10:31:00 GMT -5
Ironhide tightened his arms around the smaller mech, nuzzling his forehead against Barricades and deepening the interaction between their forward sensory array. ~"If ya gotta run, then run ta me. Run away from the Decepticons n come ta me. I'll take care o' ya, I promised I'd take care o' ya. Just... please... stay with me... I... I can't lose ya again, 'Cade... please..."~ he whispered in response, rocking the black and white mech in his arms trying to soothe him. ~"N if it's really what ya want, I'll help get that slaggin' glitch outa yer head, free ya from it, from them, ferever. Whatever it takes, I promise ya, I'll make it happen, somehow."~ he assured the younger mech, virtually clinging to Barricade, though he was fighting the urge to try and interface with him even as his abdominal plates shifted very slightly, unsure and afraid of his earlier reaction to when he had given Barricade much needed life support, afraid of what it meant.
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Post by Barricade on Sept 19, 2011 11:08:30 GMT -5
~"If I try to run...they'll kill me..."~ Barricade closed his optics, calming slightly at the sensations. ~"Soundwave already has plenty of reason to kill me, considering what a great job I did taking care of Frenzy. I'm surprised he's let me live this long..."~ At the slight shifting in Ironhide's abdominal plates, Barricade tensed slightly, his own abdominal plates tightening up.
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Post by Ironhide on Sept 19, 2011 11:22:04 GMT -5
Ironhide opened his optics, feeling him tense up slightly. ~"I won't let em hurt ya, 'Cade. I won't. Soundwave n Megatron can go get slagged, I won't let em touch ya, ever..."~ he assured Barricade, hoping to calm him down if even a little. His expression grew more worried then, bringing one hand around to rest on Barricade's side just at the edge of his abdominal plates. ~"'Cade? What's wrong, what've they done t' ya?"~ he asked, trembling slightly. Something horrible had happened to the younger mech and Ironhide grew Spark sick at the thought of what it could have been, based on how his friend was reacting. Ironhide had always been so careful with him before the accident; was it because of the long years of hatred that made Barricade fear him now? ~"Er is it me yer afraid of?"~ he added, his optics closing, a shudder of guilt rolling through his large frame then.
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Post by Barricade on Sept 19, 2011 14:24:35 GMT -5
~"'S not you..."~ Barricade's voice was nearly a whimper of fear. ~"'S them...The Dreads...They.."~ His vocalizer froze up, memories flooding to the surface, making him shake in Ironhide's arms, flinching at the presence of Ironhide's hand near his abdominal plates. His claws curled slightly against the armor of Ironhide's back, digging in a bit as he gripped the black mech, a keening noise emanating from Barricade.
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Post by Ironhide on Sept 19, 2011 14:48:12 GMT -5
Ironhide shuddered then, his hand slipping around to Barricade's back and holding him tightly, realizing what must have happened. ~"Oh 'Cade..."~ he murmured softly. ~"They... forced ya... raped ya... didn't they?..."~ A shudder of revulsion and rage rolled through Ironhide then, a growl rising in his chest. ~"I'll tear 'em apart... all o' them... I'll kill 'em... I'll Kill 'Em!"~ he said with a vicious snarl, still clutching Barricade against his chest, rocking him, his head lowered to rest against Barricade's shoulder. ~"Vile, repulsive, disgustin', sick, foul, loathsome, evil monsters! They'll never touch ya again! I swear it on my Spark, 'Cade, I'll kill 'em!"~ he swore, shaking with rage as he held Barricade protectively in his arms. ~"Even in my worst rage I'd never..."~ he managed before his voice cut off, the thought of such an act nearly choking him with disgust and maddening fury at what they had done to Barricade.
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