The Touch Part 31

The sounds of Megatron and Soundwave's heavy footsteps could be heard by the three bots in a dark room, one of them completely bound and gagged, his body surrounded by injuries, the most severe concentrated on the fingers of his hands, bent at an unnatural angle, an injury caused by torture.

Megatron's eyes glowed bright red as he saw the Mafia leader chained to the floor, completely vulnerable and pathetic. He glanced at his own subordinate Dreadwing, who held his sword in his hand just in case, but his mood worsened when he noticed an unknown bot leaning against the corner of the room with his back to the wall, his weapon also leaning against the same wall a few feet away, seeming to exude a strong tension, but it wasn't enough to bother him.

Without taking his eyes off the police officer, Megatron couldn't help but wonder in his mind who this man was. "Dreadwing, who is this guest of yours?"

"His name is Barricade, thanks to him we were able to defeat the Kaon Mafia, the credit for our victory goes to him." Dreadwing summarized, causing Megatron to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Even though he's a cop, I can attest that he fights like a true warrior."

Megatron mentally processed the information Dreadwing gave him. If his subordinate was praising Barricade as a warrior, it meant he was recommending him for high Decepticon rank. Something he had to take into account, knowing Dreadwing's profile, as he was very strict by nature. "Barricade, right? Since you probably already know my name, may I ask what your true intentions are?"

"I simply wish to clean the filth from the streets I protect. Many bots die because of their lack of commitment to justice, so if it is necessary to break the rules to achieve my goal, I don't care about the consequences." Barricade crossed his arms, feeling a little oppressed by the aura Megatron radiated with his presence. He hid the feeling perfectly so as not to show weakness, but he couldn't help but feel dwarfed by the grandeur Megatron exuded, it was not the aura of a charismatic political figure, it was the aura of a gladiator who delights in the blood of his enemies, something simple criminals, assassins or mercenaries could not replicate. "You said yourself that you intend to change the current government to give Cybertron the freedom its people deserve. If you really keep your promises, I don't mind working for you."

Megatron still remained neutral, but he was interested in Barricade's way of thinking, someone like him, who could be considered an Autobot, demonstrating a rejection of how weak and flawed the laws he was supposed to follow were. "I want you to answer me one question. If you are committed to breaking the rules and acting according to your ideals, you understand that killing a murderer does not reduce the number of murderers in our world, the number remains the same. So what is your conclusion?"

"It's a pretty simple solution, killing one killer doesn't really change the number of them in our world, so I only need to kill one more to make a difference." Barricade looked into Megatron's eyes without wavering in his conviction, understanding what the Decepticon leader wanted him to answer, for fighting the government is doing questionable things for the sake of a future. "Killing ten, twenty, or fifty murderers and criminals makes no difference to me, but it does to people trying to live normal lives. I'm fully aware of how hypocritical I am, but if that's the only way to make a difference, then so be it, even if it means destroying everything to create a new beginning for all people."

Megatron smiled, a slightly dark smile, relishing the idea of having Barricade and his fighting skills at his service. "From the way you speak, I gather you have enough determination to be a true warrior. I share your frustration with our government."

Barricade never considered himself a warrior, but this was the second time that day that he was considered one. It is someone who does not follow the code of honor or anything like that, where morals or rules are just obstacles to achieve a concrete goal. He had this mentality because he was used to seeing criminals fight dirty, so he decided to do the same to kill more and more criminals as much as he could. Because of this, he did not see himself as a true warrior, so he was surprised when others compared him to such a title.

Noting Barricade's surprise, Megatron decided to continue proving his point. "A true warrior is one who is willing to kill, but more importantly, willing to lose his life without regret. In that sense, you would make a great gladiator." He took only one step and extended his arm for a handshake. "If you so desperately wish to see a Cybertron free of these vermin, then do as I command and witness the new Cybertron the Decepticons will build."

Dreadwing felt satisfied that Barricade was finally accepted by Megatron as a potential Decepticon, now more than ever they were even stronger than before.

Megatron turned and looked at the chained Mafia leader, noting his contempt for him. "Worms like you need to learn to keep your head down in my presence." He slapped him with the back of his left hand, but with more than enough force to send him flying against the wall, releasing the gag. A humiliation for the pride of the biggest criminal in the city of Kaon.

"Fuck... Cough, cough, cough... You're... Pathetic." The Mafia leader taunted, spitting his Energon from his mouth, struggling to stay on his knees, looking at Megatron as if it were nothing, trying not to show fear, not knowing that this was practically dooming his life. "You think you... can make a difference? You're nothing but shitty idealists... a stupid dream... It's worthless! Very soon... You and your Decepticons will be going to hell."

Megatron smiled in mockery and contempt, his gaze reflecting a mesmerizing and menacing scarlet red. "Dreams are only the childish desires of those who lack the strength to follow their ideals. What I desire is not a dream, but a goal that will be achieved, even if I become the enemy of all Autobots, or even if it is necessary to burn this world to rebuild it, my plan will be completed one way or another." He drew his retractable sword and sliced him in half in one perfect motion, causing the Mafia leader to open his eyes wide at the sensation before his body split in two on the ground. "Weak bots like you do not deserve to live for the new tomorrow I will build."

Barricade, after seeing the murder Megatron committed, simply closed his eyes, only to take in Megatron's sentence and its true meaning. "Now I understand when you mentioned getting rid of the weak." He caught Megatron's attention with his words. "That's what weakness means to you, then."

"Peaceful times breed weak men, but hard times breed strong men. The weak are not those who cannot defend themselves, but those who abuse weak people who cannot defend themselves. The government has weakened our people by stealing our freedom and our rights. The mobsters in this city and others are no different from the government." Megatro drew his sword back to its safe position and looked at Barricade, then at Soundwave, who watched in absolute silence. "The other Mafia organizations will know that Kaon is no longer under their control, but they will know that the city now belongs to the Decepticons."

"Barricade, the criminals who belong to the Mafia in this city will be useful for my plan, Soundwave will explain it in more detail, so don't worry. Now, when the High Council is finally defeated, you can get rid of all the criminals as you see fit." He ordered, seeing Barricade frown for a moment, still unsure of his true intentions towards the criminals, something he would soon discover and soon applaud when he understood how these criminals could be controlled. "Soundwave, now more than ever, we must hurry with our other plans. Contact the Constructicons, we will need your skills, they have the engineering and mechanics to complete the final step of my plan."

"Are you planning on creating an army?" Barricade asked, trying to understand Megatron's true intentions.

"I have something better than an army, an entire people who believe in me, but I must be prepared if the High Council decides to act against me and my followers. I will give you the most detailed information at my headquarters." Megatron put his hands behind his back. He looked at Dreadwing with some anticipation. "So, what would be in my interest, Dreadwing?"

"In our operation, we rescued dozens of kidnapped Minicons, I think some of them might be useful." Dreadwing informed, seeing the curiosity in Megatron and Soundwave's eyes.

"Minicons... this is a very pleasant surprise after all." Megatron confessed, knowing the immense potential of a Minicon when connected to a Cybertronian.