He didn't think he'd have to return to Mission City, but here he was, high above the nearly leveled city. Starscream didn't know what brought him back, but something within his spark urged him to return. Megatron had been dead for nearly a whole month and not a single Decepticon had responded to his call, aside from Barricade which was a refusal. As far as Starscream knew, Barricade would only refuse his summons because he had bigger ships to tend to.

         'What self-respecting Decepticon would ignore a call to action?' Starscream complained, though he had little room to do so as he had no plan as yet of what to do. Of course, that was partly why Barricade ignored his summons, knowing very well that the Seeker had no idea what his next move was. He might be a brute but the mech was still intelligent.

     Making another pass over the slowly rebuilding city, Starscream's scanners reacted to a small pulse of energy. It wasn't anything all too powerful, but the signature was clearly Cybertronian, and it was moving. The mech spluttered as he also sensed Barricade, who sent a private messaging link shortly after.

         :Starscream.: He greeted huskily. :I see we've both sensed something unsettling.:

         :The only thing unsettling here is Megatron's death bed.: The Seeker huffed, though didn't really mean his words of mourning. :What are you here for, to join me?:

     There was a rude snort from the other.

         :No. If you don't know why I'm here than you're hopeless.:

     The police car turned a corner after being parked in front of a condominium. Starscream observed as the interrogator stalked an unsuspecting human femme. He corrected himself as another ran to catch up after tying her shoe. The energy signature was concentrated on the smaller one's wrist, where a bracelet sat. The creature adjusted it, the energy spiking as her fingers ran across the center, its shallow glow dulling as her touch left it.

         :It's not a piece of the Allspark.: Barricade informed. :I've been monitoring the fleshling for nearly four Earth weeks now. It doesn't know what it has.:

         :Humans never do.: Starscream chuckled. :How shall we get it?:

     His use of 'we' didn't surprise the grounder, if anything it pleased him that he had roped Starscream into his little hunt already. Since separating from Bone Crusher, before Optimus could murder the both of them, Barricade had remained dormant in Mission City, until the strange signal appeared on his radar five days after the incident. Since then, he monitored the area regularly instead of baking in a junkyard. To avoid suspicion, he even forced himself through a human car wash, so his alt. form didn't seem too dirty as a city cop. His target noticed him only once, but she paid no mind as the other human femme ushered her to wherever they idled themselves to go. 

         :From what I've gathered,: the disguised Decepticon informed, :this human doesn't belong in this city. Its origin is a small farm in Wisconsin. It plans on leaving tomorrow.:

         :Then we capture it tonight!: Starscream cackled, but Barricade's opposing silence suggested a separate plan, and likely better.

         :I had a different plan already set up.: 

     His silence after suggesting another plan enraged the 'Con in the sky. 

         :Well? Spit it out!: He demanded.

     Another long pause before Barricade explained in a painfully slow manner.

         :Following the human to this place of origin may allow for an easier capture. The other human lives here, so will not be accompanying it.:

     It was a long flight to Wisconsin from Nevada (3 and a half Earth hours). Going by highway was even slower (taking nearly 27 Earth hours). How Barricade believed the Autobots wouldn't sense this strange energy before he arrived was a mystery to Starscream. Then again, Barricade was already in Mission City when he sensed the strange bedazzlement on the human femme's arm. Starscream had come to Mission City because his spark sensed some imbalance. Having nothing else to do, he listened to the darkened glow in his chest plating. 

         :Since you have a shorter travel time, it will make this plan all the better.: Barricade interrupted Starscream's thoughts.

         :I never said I had agreed to this ridiculously slow plan.: Starscream answered haughtily. :But, out of curiosity, what did you have in mind?:

     Barricade knew he had captured Starscream's interest. He merely had to keep the Seeker interested in his plan for as long as possible. 

         :You follow the human's flight back to Wisconsin,: the police car chuckled, :wait for me there and monitor that device on its wrist. Try and figure what it is, exactly.:

     Not knowing what it was on the femme's wrist was certainly frustrating. The possibility of finding that out himself was intriguing. Starscream could take the credit for that, and if he figured out what the device really was, he could take action before Barricade arrived and use it himself. The fleshling had no idea of the power she might be wielding, but neither did the two stalking her. It could be nothing worth investigating in the end, just a useless output of energy from their fight in Mission City. It didn't read as any energy output from the Allspark, and it didn't seem alive according to his scans. Its reaction to the human's touch was certainly intriguing, however. Starscream didn't think anything remotely Cybertronian could grow stronger in an idiotic human's clutches. 

         :A sound plan,: Starscream hummed, :but how will I know you will actually show up?:

     Barricade's pausing was beginning to make Starscream wonder if he was really doing it on purpose. For all he knew, the Decepticon could be monitoring what may be an important conversion between the two pests. Alas, unknown to him, Barricade was just ignoring him.

         :The human leaves tonight.: The Grounder informed again. :I will begin my journey when the second drops her off at the airport.:

         :Until then you will keep watch over both of them.: Starscream chuckled darkly. It wasn't an order, just an observation of the obvious. :I look forward to working with you, Barricade. Perhaps I will even make you the Second in Command once I have called enough to create an army.:

     The Police car knew Starscream had called no one, or at least, no one would listen to his summons, so was not all too worried about being Second in Command. However, he did know the traitorous Seeker would likely do a thorough job of finding out what this strange energy source was, wanting to take the credit for himself. Out of all the Decepticons who could have come to Mission City, the interrogator was glad it was Starscream. 

          He was easier to manipulate.

     Marissa looked behind her, spying that police car again. She swore it was following her and Jesse but there were so many police cars she doubted it was the same one every time. She had questioned her sister about the strange markings on the side, but Jesse only said it was likely a custom job.

         "Mission City is weird like that." She had claimed.

     With all the talk about giant robots and aliens, Marissa had to agree; Mission City was weird. Some woman had sent her story to a magazine about how her car's steering wheel attacked her. Marissa only read it because she was bored in Jesse's salon, but it was an amusing read after Game of Thrones became too heavy to read any further (until later that same night, causing a headache at 3 A.M. from reading in the dark). It wasn't even a full month as the woman had promised her sister, but she couldn't take any more of the crazy drivers, idiotic pedestrians and conspiracy theories. She couldn't wait for her flight that night.

         "Coffee," her sister yawned, having been convinced (more like dragged) to get out of bed earlier on a Saturday morning, "and you're buying after dragging me out from under my plush covers at O-cursed-thirty in the morning."

         "7 A.M. is not O-cursed-thirty." Marissa huffed. "It's a normal Saturday morning."

         "For you!" Jesse huffed around another mouthful of air. "Gosh- you're too old for Saturday morning cartoons anymore, what do you need to get up so early for?"

         "I always make mom and dad their tea and coffee on Saturdays." The youngest explained. "That and unlike you, I can actually keep an animal alive. Those goats don't feed themselves, and no chicken is going to lay their egg in the collection basket anytime soon."

     Before Jesse could utter another 'for your information' spiels, Marissa watched with suspicious eyes as the police car passed them. She could have sworn the mustached driver had locked eyes with her, tinted window lowered by a fraction. He passed by without doing much else, the taller sibling poking her sister's arm.

         "You and those police cars. What did you do to be so wary of them all of the sudden, buy some drugs?"

     Pushing her sister away, the youngest huffed.

         "No, it's just odd to see so many. I know this place basically became a danger zone but it's still weird when you're used to the one cop that comes for Sunday brunch. I'm not used to seeing so many." She looked behind her to see that Jesse had caught sight of something above. She pointed up with a grin.

         "Bet you won't see that at home!"

     Marissa looked up, watching as a military jet passed by, almost like it was following the police car from earlier, but it veered off to the left while the ground-based vehicle remained on its straight path.

         "No and thank the heavens." The early riser shook her head. "That thing could break the windows with just one Sonic Boom."

     Finding the coffee shop the two had been enjoying for the past few weeks, Marissa gladly paid for two large cups and a bagel for herself. They stepped outside to enjoy the early morning sun, Marissa's small wallet immediately getting snatched from her exposed hand. She hollered for the hooded figure to stop or for someone to stop him, but the crowd of people merely let him pass like he was some VIP on the Red Carpet.

         "Hold this." Marissa ordered with a sour expression. Jesse, now wide awake, took a moment to register what her sister was about to do before trying to convince her to stop. 

     The spry girl couldn't hear her after bolting for the thief, dodging other pedestrians like a matador against a bull. Jumping up on a bicycle rack, she caught a glance of the grey hoodie that stole her wallet. The guy must have been truly desperate if he was willing to steal a duct tape wallet from a smaller woman. 

         "Easy pickings" She remembered her sister state, and Marissa guessed it had some truth to it. However, this thief didn't take into account the amount of muscle a farm girl has compared to a pickpocket in a big city. She ducked under a couple holding hands, scraping her knuckles against the concrete before lunging at the thief, who cried out in alarm as he toppled over a fire hydrant, dropping the wallet. He moaned, clutching his stomach where the metal chunk hit him during his fall. 

     Marissa received dirty looks, but she only returned them. A pair of cops on foot came up to her with suspicious looks, hands clearly a little trigger-happy as they itched the taser holsters. The still groaning man coughed up bile while the woman explained he had stolen her wallet, showing her ID and Driver's license as proof. The two cops apologized for assuming she was the instigator, cuffing the thief and collecting her information. 

     Jesse caught up to the younger woman, out of breath, but mostly from concentrating on not spilling two coffees and a bagel onto the ground.

        "How on-" she coughed, "how on Earth did you do that?"

         "Uh- years of having to catch runaway horses, cows, goats and chickens?" (Y/N) shrugged.

         "You should be a cop or something with legs like that." Her sister chuckled, waving at the two who were shoving the guy into a police car. Apparently, they had called for assistance. Marissa didn't think the guy was that dangerous, but maybe the two cops didn't have a vehicle nearby.

         "I'd have to study away from home." She shook her head, taking her coffee and bagel. "Let's go back to the coffee shop. I saw a charity at their front door, so I was going to give them a dollar or two."

         "That's why you kept your wallet out like an idiot?" Jesse huffed, earning an eye roll from her sister.

     Barricade watched the two, the younger placing a five-dollar bill in the little metal box marked for some Christian organization. Apparently, it was to help those affected by the 'terrorist attack'. 

     It was amusing to watch the woman launch herself into what could have been a potentially armed man. Clearly, she had used the element of surprise to sweep him off his feet, though she didn't come out of the situation unscathed. Her knuckles were bleeding enough that the human behind the table offered a wrap of gauze to go around her hands.

         'Nothing from the device.' He hummed to himself, monitoring it closely. If it could have demonstrated its power, then would have been the proper moment, though a lame excuse for a chase. The human male was clearly inferior to the muscled pedes of the female. From what the police car had observed, usually the male of the human species was superior, but obviously there were outliers (not to suggest Barricade took any interest in the human species, but boredom and dormancy is cause for most of his observations). 

     He watched a while longer as the two creatures, most likely related as they shared similar characteristics, continued their leisurely walk. It didn't surprise him when the shorter of the two glanced toward him again, as she was strangely observant, but she shook the strange feeling of being watched off like every other time. 

         Observant but stupid.