Disclaimer: I don't own transformers

(Right, this is my first stab at trying to write Transformers fanfiction so please be nice... it's an AU in the movie verse)

Summary: When Barricade was sent ot watch over some of Soundwave's experimental subjects he never figured he would end up taking care of what would become one of the best scouts in the Decepticon forces, a small mech named Blackout...

Barricade growled as Starscream pushed past him in the corridor, looking a little undignified with stick figures drawn crudely on his shin plates in bright colours.

"Good luck" hissed the annoying mech "You slagging need it…"

Frenzy popped his head out of his compartment in Barricade's chest, nimbly clambering up his partner and snickering at the brightly coloured seeker as they continued down the hall. Barricade rolled his ruby optics and ignored the tiny hacker as he folded himself back into Barricade's chest.

The Decepticon came to a door being guarded by the rest of Starscream's trine. The Decepticon hunter stopped short before letting out a cruel chuckle at their expense earning himself a solid glare from both Seekers "That bad huh?" He asked as he strode through the door into a noisy room.

All noise stopped as the occupants of the room froze and stared at the mech. Barricade felt Frenzy tuck closer to his spark as he criticised the hacker through their partner bond for being afraid of younglings of all things…

The noise suddenly started up again when a Decepticon femme came in slamming the small tray of energon on the table and stalking out looking absolutely furious. Barricade was ignored as the younglings let out feral snarls at each other keen to get a large portion of the energon before someone else did. The Deception Mech looked away in disgust at the sheer thought of the younglings having to brawl for food to stay alive, or as Megatron was once heard saying 'only the strong can survive in my Cybertron.'

The Interceptor turned away, his glowing optics seeking out something to block out the fighting that was encouraged by the meagre resources. He was surprised however to see a youngling, obviously a newer edition to the flock that Soundwave was toying with to groom them into mindless soldiers.

It was a small mech, that was grey in colour vaguely reminding him of a memory that was becoming increasingly fuzzy in the back of his processor. A mech with a red chevron and a grey Praxian frame laughing with a silver, visor wearing, mech sitting around a rec. room table.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts Barricade went back to examing the youngster that sat curled up in the corner, small red optics looking at an object that was curled around the mechlet's hands. The assassin stalked closer to the now scared youngling who curled tighter around the object at his approach.

Deciding to at least try and be nice for once, Barricade crouched down on one knee to address the timid little mech. "Don't you want energon?"

The youngster nodded but then looked down to the thing clutched in his hands before holding the silver object out to him shyly. Barricade's optics widened in surprise, for in the mechlet's hands was a partner drone, much like Frenzy. With a soft growl Barricade cursed Soundwave and his experiments to the pit and back again.

With a let out of his intakes acting as a sigh, he reached into his sub-space and withdrew his extra ration of energon he had stolen from Bonecrusher. He looked around to make sure none of his fellow Decepticons were watching and quickly slid the cube towards the surprised youngling. "Here" he said gruffly.

The mechlet stared at him as if he had suddenly sprouted another helm before deciding not to chance his luck and dived for the energon, the partner of the mechlet giving a soft warble of discomfort and crawling onto the younglings back between a fan of what looked like helicopter rotor blades.

"Am I going to get a designation?" Barricaed asked once the small mech finished, standing up to loom over the corner where the youngster was still huddled with his partner.

The youngling looked around nervously "They call me Blackout because I faint a lot and because when I get angry I short circuit things with EMP bursts"

Barricade hummed to himself and rolled his shoulders, joints whirring "And your partner?"

"Scorponok" said the youngling with a soft smile "What's your name?"

Suddenly the door to the crèche banged open and Bonecrusher stalked in looking more annoyed than usual "Barricade what are you still doing here?" growled his fellow Decepticon clearly weary of the smaller.

"Just leaving" hissed Barricaed right back, ruby optics that had once shown compassion now hardened to that of the infamous hunter.

Without a backward glance to the small youngling, but making a mental note to come back to find out more, Barricaed exited the crèche. "You a-a-are g-going s-s-soft!" grumbled Frenzy as Barricade entered his quarters on the base

"Shut up you piece of tin" the hunter snarled right back as Frenzy popped out and proceeded to torment his partner for the rest of the orbital cycle.