Back on Cybertron, Strongarm sat in her husband\u2019s\u2026no, it was her office while Prowl was away. She is acting as Captain of Praxian Law Enforcement and will not let her mind change on that subject. In any case, she sat in her chair and waited for the officer she called in. After a few minutes, he did. He was a tall mech that transformed into a black and white police issue Ford Mustang Saleen S-281E. Like many a Praxian, his alternate mode\u2019s front served as his chest. He had window wings, instead of full door wings. The doors themselves served as arm protection and the front wheels were located on the top of the shoulders. The rear wheels were located on the back of his hands. The rest of the car’s rear served as his legs while the roof folded onto his back. His helmet design was pointed at the top and he had a goatee. \u201cYou wished to see me, ma\u2019am?\u201d asked the mech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSit down, Barricade,\u201d directed Strongarm. Barricade sat at the seat in front of her desk. \u201cI\u2019m not happy, Barricade,\u201d rumbled Strongarm, \u201cnot happy at all.\u201d She moved to the front of her desk. \u201cAsk me why.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d muttered Barricade, genuinely confused, \u201cwhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy what?\u201d asked Strongarm. \u201cBe specific.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy are you not happy?\u201d sighed Barricade, a little miffed that he had to play this with Strongarm when he had perps to nail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour methods make me unhappy,\u201d remarked Strongarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHave you gotten complaints?\u201d asked Barricade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA few complaints,\u201d explained Strongarm, \u201cI can handle. What I can\u2019t handle are frequent complaints on police brutality caused by you, according to eyewitnesses! We can\u2019t have the people scared of stepping out onto the streets when police are on patrol!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid I do something illegal?\u201d grumbled Barricade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d said Strongarm in a low growl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you saying we shouldn\u2019t get criminals off the street?\u201d asked Barricade, his voice going up a tad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCommon sense and the law require that I answer no,\u201d hissed Strongarm, showing her irritation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re supposed to be slamming criminals in prison!\u201d snarled Barricade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re supposed to be protecting the public and serving its greater good!\u201d shouted Strongarm. \u201cStarting with assuring people that law enforcement is on its side! We can\u2019t scare people into falling in line!\u201d Strongarm then ran her hands down her face. \u201cBarricade, a police station and its crew\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre like a machine?\u201d finished Barricade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was going to say clock, but yeah,\u201d remarked Strongarm. \u201cIt only functions properly when all the parts mesh together. To do that, all parts must be properly maintained and kept clean. No rust, no corrosion at all, just smooth sailing.\u201d She was about to continue, but Barricade\u2019s attention had been drawn away outside. \u201cBarricade, look at me when I\u2019m talking to you! Didn\u2019t your mother teach you how to pay attention?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomeone\u2019s getting mugged right outside the station!\u201d reported Barricade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat will be dealt with!\u201d snarled Strongarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith the rookies you have here? No way,\u201d dismissed Barricade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not authorized to arrest the perp!\u201d shouted Strongarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomeone with experience has to stop him!\u201d roared Barricade as he moved for the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStay where you are or you\u2019re fired!\u201d threatened Strongarm. Barricade stopped. \u201cMove away from the door,\u201d ordered Strongarm. Barricade stepped back. \u201cGet over here now,\u201d snarled Strongarm as she tapped her foot. Barricade was not pleased at losing a perp. The air was still and the room was quiet, but Strongarm wasn\u2019t intimidated. He finally stopped in front of her. The mugger was taken in by the new guys. \u201cI\u2019m not happy with your methods,\u201d said Strongarm quietly, \u201cnot happy at all. You pull anymore police brutality on anyone; you will be forced to turn in your badge and gun. Clear?\u201d She motioned for Barricade to whisper his response in her audio receptors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCrystal clear,\u201d Barricade hissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDismissed,\u201d directed Strongarm. Barricade left and Strongarm sat back down at her desk. She ran her hands down her face and sighed. Her door chimed again. \u201cEnter,\u201d she groaned. A femme with an alt mode and a build like Prowl\u2019s came in. She was born as Silverstreak, but recently changed her name to Bluestreak. She had a cylinder of Energolisis on her hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThought you might need this,\u201d offered Bluestreak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you, but I\u2019m not tired,\u201d sighed Strongarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re lying,\u201d observed Bluestreak, \u201cbut I appreciate the sentiment. It\u2019s my shift now, go ahead and talk to Sideswipe.\u201d Strongarm nodded, took the Energolisis and walked out of the office. Bluestreak was in charge as the nighttime police chief. Strongarm finished her Energolisis once she reached the door. She put the cylinder into the waste disposal near the door. Once outside, she transformed and put her holo-form on. Her holo-form was a heavyset pale woman with brown hair in a bun and police clothes. She cruised the Cybertronian streets and then commed Sideswipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey!\u201d called a surfer-dude voice. \u201cthis is Sideswipe, here for any last minute homicide cases!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaccadam’s Old Oil House, five breems,\u201d directed Strongarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEr, all right boss,\u201d replied Sideswipe. The call ended as she made her way to the greatest diner on Cybertron, Maccadam\u2019s Old Oil house. The greeter let her in and a waitress named Lickety-Split led her in. She had wheels for feet and a helmet design that made her almost like Sailor Moon, she just didn\u2019t have the long pigtails. She led Strongarm to a table that had a red mech that transformed into a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador. His helmet had something on the front so whenever he drives his head into another bot\u2019s, he\u2019d leave a big dent. His vehicle mode\u2019s front connected to his waist where the license plate would be. The roof and windows had turned 180\u00b0 from the front and had become the robot\u2019s back. The rear had split in half, folded down so the rear bumper became the robot\u2019s knee pads. The feet came from the old split. \u201cHey, boss bot!\u201d called Sideswipe. \u201cWhat\u2019s the word?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot until after we order,\u201d remarked Strongarm. She turned to Lickety-Split. \u201cJust a straight cube of Energon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll have a cube spiked with motor oil,\u201d ordered Sideswipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cComing up, cous!\u201d confirmed Lickety-Split. She zoomed off and left the two alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow will you tell me what\u2019s going on?\u201d hissed Sideswipe. \u201cThis secretive wigging out isn\u2019t like you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe offices back at the station have been bugged,\u201d replied Strongarm in a whisper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d yelped Sideswipe in the same whisper. \u201cWe do the bugging! We\u2019re the police!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy office, too!\u201d continued Strongarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, the question is, who shall bug these self-same buggers?\u201d joked Sideswipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something else,\u201d muttered Strongarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomething more bugging you?\u201d asked Sideswipe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWill you be serious for a cycle?!\u201d hissed Strongarm. She then inhaled. \u201cLook, I have to take you off the Tarkana case. I wasn\u2019t supposed to tell you and Sunstreaker until tomorrow, but what will the higher ups do, take away my retirement fund when it\u2019s worth 10 chips on the cube?\u201d Sideswipe then realized the whole situation. He may act like an idiot, but that was a spectacle to hide his investigative abilities. Only a select few knew about it, his twin brother being chief among them. There was something or someone that didn\u2019t want him poking around in the business with Optimus\u2019 secretary, so they thought that removing him and Sunstreaker from the case would get them to stop. Strongarm never said anything about investigating on the sly, and she was counting on him to notice that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay, Strongarm,\u201d he answered. \u201cYou want me and Sunstreaker back on the garage killing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat would be perfect,\u201d replied Strongarm. Lickety-Split came back with their orders and so they drank their Energon and traded war stories about how they brought the end of the Decepticon run Praxian internment camps. Strongarm had finished her story and Sideswipe was in the middle of his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo there I was,\u201d he continued, \u201cstrapped to a dissection table with Knock-out about to cut me open and with Lugnut watching. Just as Knock-out was about to start, Lugnut told him to wait\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust so he could monologue?\u201d asked Strongarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust so he could monologue!\u201d confirmed Sideswipe. \u201cAnd you know what he would say at a moment\u2019s notice. \u2018The Decepticons shall crush you unworthy Autobots! The glorious Decepticons shall wipe out your tyranny! The universe shall praise our hallowed name!\u2019\u201d He was about to continue when their comms units chimed in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll units, this is Bluestreak,\u201d said the caller. \u201cWe\u2019ve got trouble near the station. Barricade got into an argument with Sunstreaker and now they\u2019re fighting it out. I don\u2019t think Barricade\u2019s holding back. He\u2019s about to kill Sunstreaker!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn our way!\u201d replied Strongarm and Sideswipe. They paid for their Energon, transformed once they got out of the diner, and sped towards the police station. Time was of the essence, and they used every ounce of speed they had. Once they arrived, they saw Barricade over a battered Sunstreaker. He was built like Sideswipe, only yellow and had Thor like helmet wings. On top of that, he had missile launchers on his shoulders. Barricade was about to punch through Sunstreaker\u2019s Spark chamber before he decided to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI had that guy in the bag,\u201d he growled, \u201cuntil you tackled me and let him get away! You kept going on about how punishing criminals as they\u2019re being arrested is wrong! And yet that coddling has allowed them to escape again and again and again and again and nothing changes! And so, for interfering, you shall pay with your Spark!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd,\u201d shouted Strongarm as she and Sideswipe raised their guns, \u201con top of being fired, Barricade, you\u2019re under arrest for excessive force and attempted mech slaughter. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court shall provide one to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you fragging serious?!\u201d roared Barricade as he carelessly tossed Sunstreaker aside. \u201cWe\u2019re supposed to punish and enslave any and all criminals! Society will never change unless we take control!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not what an Autobot would say,\u201d snarled Strongarm. \u201cNow, are you going to come quietly, or do I have to risk going too far?\u201d Barricade said nothing, he just charged at Strongarm and got into a grappling match with her. A poor move, there\u2019s a reason she\u2019s called Strongarm. She managed to get out of Barricade\u2019s hold and get him onto the ground. \u201cYou really should have taken the easy way,\u201d she snarled. A couple of police bots came to the scene. \u201cTake him in,\u201d ordered Strongarm as she slapped stasis cuffs onto Barricade\u2019s wrists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Autobot way is wrong!\u201d shouted Barricade as he was led away. \u201cAll it does is coddle other bots!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTell that to the judge,\u201d remarked Strongarm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Back on Cybertron, Strongarm sat in her husband\u2019s\u2026no, it was her office while Prowl was away. She is acting as Captain of Praxian Law Enforcement and will not let her mind change on that subject. In any case, she sat in her chair and waited for the officer she called in. After a few minutes, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,100],"tags":[146,337],"class_list":["post-1200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles","category-transformers-mobian-chronicles-arc-2-shockwaves-rise","tag-sonic","tag-transformers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1200"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1200\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1201,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1200\/revisions\/1201"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}