I am the law.

Barricade, Iaconian police officer and investigator. Step aside, citizen, this is police business. ((TFP/Aligned AU blog, in which the war hasn't happened yet. Linked with copsiaconprowl.tumblr.com. Please read the rules page!))

[capaxauctoritas-blog]

"Did you see that?"

“Yes… Yes, I did.”

Whatever disagreements they had with Barricade could be tabled for now. The situation had just gotten considerably more critical. Out of the corner of their optic, Nyon had seen something– just a flash of violet light, really– that caught their attention. Whatever it was, it left a lingering trail in the air, an unmistakable pale blue wisp of ozone.

Whatever it was knew that they had seen it. Wordlessly, the DJD officer turned their back to Barricade– with the assumption that he would do the same, allowing the two of them to cover each other’s blind spot.

“This area is known for… unusual events. We must be cautious.”

[copsiaconbarricade]

Barricade moved at the other’s silent suggestion, back struts all but touching Nyon’s. He pushed aside some lingering thoughts of their misunderstandings, quickly shifting one servo into a blaster as the other moved to steady it. Whatever the light had been, he could tell it wasn’t blaster fire itself by its movement, but... whatever had made that sort of light was still concerning.

He was not stranger to, well... strange happenings, or at least stories of them, but things outside of what an average bot might consider the norm still unnerved him in person.  At that though, he tried to get a look between the buildings within his sight for any further signs of movement.

“What sort of unusual events are we talking about here?”

[copsiaconbarricade]

Halloween-y, horror and dark sentence starters for your sentencey needs.

"Can you help me hide a body?"

"I won't help you hide a body!"

"There are pumpkins everywhere!"

"What's the knife for?"

"Drop the gun."

"What do you want from me?!"

"Help!"

"Let go!"

"Ssssh, stop screaming."

"I won't have you screaming much longer."

"I can't breathe!"

"Don't touch me!"

"What happened to your face?"

"They're coming."

"We gotta hide!"

"Get down!"

"Can they see us?"

"Blood has such a strong smell."

"Oh my god, there's blood everywhere!"

"...Is that an arm?"

"Oh my god, I think that's a brain."

"Are those... corpses?"

"Smells like corpses."

"... B-behind you."

"Keep running, I'll always find you."

"I'm terrified."

"It's just me, it's just me... But we aren't alone."

"I think... I think there's blood on your face."

"Did you hear that?"

"Come out, make this easy for both of us."

"Run little rabbit, run."

"Can you not hear that?"

"Did you see that?"

"This place is creepy."

"Why did we go to a graveyard on Halloween?"

"Oh my god, are you hurt?"

"What happened to your arm?"

"I'll untie you, we gotta be quick."

"I'm sorry it had to end this way."

"You'll never see them again."

"Pumpkins are cool."

"You think you can escape me?! Think again."

"We can't stop them!"

"Rest in peace."

"BOO!"

[capaxauctoritas-blog]

“Gladiator’s league?”

The curious question was immediately followed by a laugh, hollow and devoid of any genuine mirth. Whatever kind of delusions had been impressed upon Barricade were certainly something. They seemed like a sparkling’s fantasy.

“I assure you, Megatron was never in charge of any league. As I understand it, Megatron abhorred the practice of gladiatorial matches, and his participation in them was forced, at best. So, you’ve forgotten about what happened at the senate building? Where the Prime usurped his message, made it palatable for the corrupt and powerful?”

Apparently so. Nyon clicked their glossa disapprovingly.

“Are you under the influence of any illicit substances, Barricade? Although I will admit, this is quite advanced, even for drug-induced psychosis. Perhaps I will have to consult Praxus for his expertise.”

[copsiaconbarricade]

The Prime? Barricade briefly wandered if they were talking about Zeta, though he was sure he would have heard if he and Megatronus’s political agendas were suddenly aligned. And he had heard of nothing strange happening at the senate building either. He might have been called if there was a disturbance beyond the usual arguments.

The jab at his state of mind pulled him from confusion back to anger again. Again, he wasn’t sure if the other was referencing his place of origin or not, but a part of him assumed. He didn’t like the suggestion, as despite some unsavory rumors to the contrary, he had never had a problem with substance abuse.

He frowned again, this time flashing a little denta in a snarl. “Don’t condescend to me, detective. And don’t throw around baseless accusations either.”

“I don’t know how Megatronus felt about the league before, but it’s certainly given him a leg up in politics now,” he continued, throwing up an exasperated servo. “But if you’d rather not hear any more of my delusions about this, I should probably get back on patrol.”

[capaxauctoritas-blog]

A gladiator’s sigil.

Either Barricade was amnesiac, or he had gone quite mad.

Nyon tilted their helm curiously as they looked Barricade over. Megatron, perhaps, had started as a gladiator, and recruited some of his greatest warriors from the same stock, but the Decepticons had been a ragtag crew of individuals from all the lower castes. They had certainly never been defined as being just gladiators.

But Barricade should have known that. And what was this talk of “the force?”

The police force, of course. Nyon momentarily shuttered their optics as a swath of memories flickered to the forefront of their processor. Although they had not been in the same precinct, the two of them had a shared history in law enforcement. They both knew the power– and responsibility– of law enforcement.

Or so Nyon had thought.

“You’re not a gladiator. Neither am I. We are Decepticons.”

A beat.

“Who are you that do not know your history, Barricade? You seem to have forgotten a large chunk of it. Perhaps it would be easier to find out what you do remember. Are you familiar, then, with our lord, Megatron?”

[copsiaconbarricade]

Barricade folded his arms across his chest, satisfied for now that other officer was feeling a bit more inquisitive than violent for now. He thought this was the officer he knew, at least. Something was definitely not right about them though.

He had never heard of a decepticon before, and he certainly wasn’t one. But Nyon seemed to associate the symbol  on their chest with whatever they were, instead of the gladiators. He was sure he would have noticed if the group had started calling themselves by another name. He might not live in Kaon anymore, but he wasn’t that disconnected from the area.

He was still frowning. “I haven’t forgotten anything. And I am familiar with Megatronus. He runs the gladiator’s league, and it’s been doing quite well now that they have a more official presence in the world.”

He pause. “But as I said, I am not affiliated with them.”

[copsiaconbarricade]

∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

( ͡͡ ° ͜ ʖ ͡ °)

[imperatoria]

“Got it in one,” Prowl said. He shifted his weight onto his other leg, hip sliding to the other side. “And it seems like I just booted out my home universe for the time being. So why not show me around?”

[copsiaconbarricade]

Interesting. He would have to find out how all of this inter-universal travel worked someday. But he didn’t feel like questioning it too much, especially not today; a lot of it might fly over his head, anyway.

Barricade grinned again, resting his servos on his hips. “I’m glad you caught me off duty. I’d be happy to.”

He took a look at their surrounding briefly in consideration. He wondered just how different it was wherever he came from. “Is there anything in particular you might like to see? Things might not be the same here.”

[copsiaconbarricade]

∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

( ͡͡ ° ͜ ʖ ͡ °)

[imperatoria]

“You are, perhaps, one of the more better looking Barricades I’ve run into between the universes,” Prowl commented coyly.

Who said he couldn’t flirt? He could - he just didn’t see the point of it. But this pink-opticked mech caught his attention. Prowl leaned in, door-wings flaring in display, a smirk playing on his thin lips.

[copsiaconbarricade]

One of them. That was an interesting choice of words. Perhaps he’d unknowingly taken a step into the multiverse again, or... the opposite had occurred. 

In any case, this bot’s actions didn’t escape his notice. It looked like ways of expressing interest could cross universes. He didn’t back down when the other leaned in, a small grin gracing his own faceplates.

“Ha, well thank you. Good to know I’m not too hard on the optics,” he replied, doing a little appraisal of his own. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, himself, some aspects of the stranger were familiar. The boldness in approach was a new one, though. “I’m going to guess that you are a... Prowl, perhaps? Correct me if I’m wrong, of course.”

[gymratiisms]

It’s sexual sunday! Invade my muse’s privacy with all the dirty, naughty questions!

On anon or not! I DO NOT CARE!

[capaxauctoritas-blog]

Nothing about this was right. Barricade looked too nice, too clean, and he had never been one to apologize under any circumstances. On the contrary, the Decepticon enforcer had been much like themselves– enough so that Nyon had considered suggesting them for service in the Division.

Slowly, the officer circled the smaller bot, servos folded behind their back as they scrutinized him. Nyon didn’t know exactly what to expect; while Barricade had never been the most zealous of Decepticons, he did not seem like the type to abandon the cause, and especially not one to wipe the sigils from his chestplate.

One arm unfolded from their back, reaching up to tap upon their own chestplate with a slender digit. The Decepticon emblem was not flashy, but it was there, etched into the green metal of their frame.

“This sigil. Or have you forgotten, Barricade? Amnesia does not explain the fact that someone– either you, or an accomplice– has removed your emblems. Bad taste doesn’t begin to cover it; treason, perhaps, is a more apt term.”

[copsiaconbarricade]

Barricade continued to watch the other warily, turning just a bit to follow their movements around him. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into Nyon, but he didn’t want to make any sudden movements just in case things were about to escalate.

He looked at the symbol they pointed at then. It was unfamiliar, and he definitely could not recall a time that he had anything like it painted on his frame. Barricade’s expression of perplexion quickly morphed to anger when treason was mentioned, though. Such things had been suggested about him in the past due to his origins, and he wasn’t about to take that sort of accusation lightly.

“I don’t know what you’re playing at, Nyon, but I had hoped that I’d been on the force long enough not to deserve that sort of-”

Something clicked in his processor then. He had seen that emblem before. “Wait, wait,” he cut himself off, pinching between his optics in more confusion as he thought. “That’s a gladiator’s sigil. Why would I have any sort of allegiance to the gladiators? I’ve never even fought in the pits.”

[copsiaconbarricade]

∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿

( ͡͡ ° ͜ ʖ ͡ °)

[capaxauctoritas-blog]

"Enigma? What are you doing here?"

The utterance of that name– as unfamiliar now as it was– brought the officer to a screeching halt. With deliberate slowness, Nyon’s helm pivoted back to look over their shoulder.

Barricade was not supposed to know that name.

“… That is not my name,” They spoke lowly, dangerously, as they turned around to face the mech completely. “What are you doing here, Barricade? And where are your sigils?”

[copsiaconbarricade]

Barricade frowned, optics narrowing a bit in confusion. That was definitely how the bot had introduced themself when they had first met. However, they didn’t actually work in the same precinct, so perhaps they had decided to go by another designation now.

“My... apologies,” he replied carefully, taking note of the other’s tone. He normally wouldn’t take another officer as a threat, but something felt... strange here. He hadn’t known Engima well, personally, but something about their demeanor felt off all the same. 

“I can refer to you by whatever name you like now, but... What do you mean by sigils? If you’re talking about a badge, we both know those are holographic.”

[madmud2730]

Barricade by gyaro

[copsiaconprowl]

((While I’m at it, I’ll just mention my headcanon for Megatronus in the COPS: Iacon universe

Megatronus’s rise to fame and power in this universe was far more gradual, evolving over the course of his lifetime. As his stature in the gladiatorial arena grew, Megatronus slowly took over the entire practice of arena fighting, transforming it into a formal, semirespectable league of fighters.

Now, as the league’s owner (and reigning champion, of course), Megatronus is surprising the Cybertronian establishment by muscling his way into politics. Though his philosophy– namely, that the Autobot establishment is deceiving its citizens on a number of matters– is cause for concern for many Autobot leaders, the fact that Megatronus’s political presence has remained nonviolent has assuaged fears of a rebellion.

For now.))

[tailblinking]

Times were tough when Prowl joined the undercover stripper division.

[lazarusarchived-deactivated2017]

“the last of us” inspired sentence starters

change pronouns/ect if necessary

“i sell hardcore drugs.”

“we need help.”

“you’re gonna be okay.”

“believe in the fireflies.”

“got enough ration cards to last us a few months.”

“be careful.”

“i am the romantic type.”

“don’t leave me to turn.”

“it’s gettin’ close to curfew.”

“going outside the wall is suicide.”

“you mumble in your sleep.”

“i hate bad dreams.”

“it’s called luck—and it’s gonna run out.”

“are you still breathing?”

“we’re shitty people.”

“our luck had to run out sooner or later.”

“don’t touch me.”

“she’s infected.”

“just fucking go.”

“i can’t swim.”

“does it sound like i know how to whistle?”

“i’m a pretty good shot with that thing.”

“let’s get the hell outta here.”

“goddammit—i’m clean!”

“i owe you nothin’.”

“there’s one inside.”

“it’s the normal people that scare me.”

“you of all people should understand that.”

“i can handle myself.”

“once upon a time, i had somebody i had to look after.”

“you don’t need to worry about me.”

“fuckin’ hunters.”

“i’ve been on both sides.”

“so–you kill a lot of innocent people?”

“you sacrifice the few to save the many.”

“i don’t think they saw us.”

“trust me, it ain’t easy.”

“damn it—spores.”

“somethin’ on your mind?”

“you make every shot count.”

“just so we’re clear… it was either him or me.”

“how’d i do?”

“yeah, well, i was tryin’ to kill you.”

“you’re bleeding.”

“we can help each other.”

“i saved you!”

“you wanna hear a joke about pizza? …never mind, it was too cheesy.”

“how is it you’re never scared?”

“what are you scared of?”

“i’m scared of ending up alone.”

“it’s all your fault!”

“thanks for not blowin’ my head off.”

“you survived because of me.”

“you lay your hands on me again, it won’t end well for you.”

“you still remember how to kill, right?”

“hey, hey—are you hurt?”

“i guess we’re both disappointed with each other, then.”

“what do you want from me?”

“i can’t get infected!”

“you are treading on some mighty thin ice here.”

“i’ve lost people, too.”

“you have no idea what loss is.”

“everyone i’ve ever cared for has either died or left me.”

“sounds like runners.”

“can you walk?”

“stay the fuck back!”

“i think we’re safe.”

“you’re a better shot with that thing than i am.”

“don’t sound so disappointed.”

“you handled yourself pretty nice back there.”

“i believe that everything happens for a reason.”

“you’re just a kid.”

“i can protect you.”

“i’ll come back for you.”

“you’re a fucking animal.”

“you have no idea what i’m capable of.”

“i’m gonna teach you how to play guitar.”

“another city, another abandoned quarantine zone.”

“is this everything you were hoping for?”

“we don’t have to do this.”

“i ain’t leavin’ without you.”

“i guess you can’t escape your past.”

“hands in the fucking air!”

“i pretty much lost everything.”

“no matter what, you keep finding something to fight for.”

[copsiaconbarricade]

((Most of my posts on here are pretty old, but I’ve started a couple of new accounts recently and now that I’ve been bitten by the TF rp bug again, I’m considering dusting off this blog. Just a note to anyone who sees this or gets a follow!))

[copsiaconbarricade]

((Whoops I should probably get around to actually using my blogs again at some point :T))

[copsiaconbarricade]

Well, well, well. Nice to see you again, Barry.

Ah, Swindle, I wish I could say the same. …I would say that I’m surprised to see you out of prison, but that’s not true either.

[copsiaconswindle]

Barry, baby, you know there’s no prison that can hold me forever. I’m a free spirit, no ball and chain.

How’s Prowl? Still a blockhead?

[copsiaconbarricade]

Prowl is just as serious and professional as ever, which I’m fairly sure answers your question. *He’s not about to admit that Swindle’s description wasn’t far from the truth.*

And as for prison, I’m aware it couldn’t “hold” you. You were released, after all. As you often are.