re_alignment | [audio] [the Game has Changed]

[The initial assessment of the situation hadn't taken long. No guards, a strange place - this wasn't the mine he'd made into his home, not in the least - a small winged lizard creeled at him and then vanished into thin air. His shotgun on a table, with a holster. That was handy. The remnants of a life that apparently just left like the organic sitting strewn about.

Then, there was the communication network. He studied it for a good, long while. Someone here bore a face that was and wasn't his. And they were revolting.

Measures needed to be taken.

The Link transmission opens with a sharp electronic pop, and the voice on the other end is Barricade's, but rougher and colder.]

This is the Lord High Protector. Any Decepticons within transmission range - I require a sitrep on the current location and your status. I also require the last known whereabouts of the imposter Barricade.

I should not have to remind you that you ignore these orders at your own peril. By the Allspark, I shall feed you to the Autobots myself if you fail me.

That is all.

[The transmission cuts out immediately after. Anyone in Solus Prime's temple might catch sight of the 'Lord High Protector' in the halls, though. Barricade, though not with the face he was upgraded to... and without legs, wheeling himself through the halls in a battered chair, now-holstered shotgun slung across the back.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I didn't know you were so into role-play, Barricade.

Lord High Protector sounds like it has potential, however. What are we guarding?

[... What?

He just about splutters in confusion (no one addresses him so informally anymore, no one!), but manages to maintain his calm. Think. You heard this voice. Match the name to it.]

Skids. You are one of his associates. Where is he?

One of whose associates? Barricade?

[His optics narrow.]

Is this a trick question? You are Barricade.

My memory isn't that bad.

[...]

OH! Wait, sorry. Lord High Protector Barricade.

[Well. That's a start, at least.]

Better.

You are an associate of my imposter. I saw as much. I seem to have woken in his quarters and would very much like to find him.

[To return a couple shotgun slugs to him.]

I know you are no soldier of mine so I cannot order you. But we could perhaps make a deal. You said you have problems with your memory.

...

[Okay. He'll play along.]

Got it. So there are two of you, and you're trying to track your insidious double down before he can ruin your reputation for being a terrifying tentacle monster.

...

[You do know how to make his life interesting, at least.]

I'm listening.

He is a traitor to the cause and must be dealt with.

In exchange for information on his last whereabouts, I am willing to attempt to restore part of your lost memories. You are obviously familiar with what I can accomplish as a... 'terrifying tentacle monster'.

[Of course he never said anything about not taking a long look around in Skids' head... or not making it hurt.]

Oh?

And what has he done that is so bad?

[If they were going to be 'punishing' Barricade, he figured he ought to get on top of just what was guilting the pointy robot.]

[Except wait.]

Barricade.

Barricade, all games aside, can you really do that?

This mech has abandoned his own faction, masqueraded as its leader, and fraternized with the enemy.

For that he deserves no less than death.

[In truth, everything guilts the 'imposter'. But this particular version of the pointy robot feels no such compunctions. He's more concerned with the threat presented to his reputation.]

I am not playing games. And I can.

You think I cannot simply because my imposter is too much of a coward to?

O...kay...

And who has he been 'fraternizing' with?

[He didn't realize Barricade even did fraternize. There was plenty of flirting, yes, but he figured that was just how the ex-decepticon made friends.]

But why...

Why haven't you offered this before? Why now?

Does it matter? They are all Autobots. They are all the enemy.

[Even if it was all just empty flirting - which he's certain it isn't - it's bad enough to him. Being overly friendly with the wrong people made you a target.]

Because I have not been here before.

[If nothing else did before, that sounds like Barricade has gone too far.]

The enemy? Even if the war is over? You've told me before, yourself...it wasn't worth fighting anymore. Your Cybertron was dead.

And anyhow, its not like all Autobots could be your enemy. I'm not even from your universe.

[Theoretician logic.]

...

You.

Haven't.

Have you?

[Nope, everything clicks into place.] But you can't be a new Barricade...not if you know about the old one. Not if you know about me.

Cybertron is dead. My troops are not. The Autobots are not. Not yet, but they shall be for their crimes.

You are an Autobot.

[Oh, that was the wrong thing to tell him.]

Your quaint network contains archives of old transmissions. Did you believe I would not check it to gain my bearings on this place? That I would not notice him, and your conversations with him?

I am, but I haven't committed any crimes against you.

Even if I had, I wouldn't remember them.

On top of that we're supposed to be starting over, here. Unless your name is Tarn, which it isn't.

[That hadn't gone well, and he still feels bad about voting to give Tarn a chance. With Barricade, though, its harder to accept that he might be bad.]

So how come you're using his device, then? Acolytes hand those out standard issue. Did you wake up in the junk pile?

...

Do you have a Glyph?

[audio] [the Game has Changed] - Ninth Transmission

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