It was very quiet on the nemesis. The corridors lay in a marvelous silence, and nowhere was a Decepticon to be seen. And how was it, for the whole crew had assembled in the command center and squeezed around a table to attend the event there.
Four Decepticons had sat at the table and looked suspiciously. Soundwave had discovered a card game of the meatballs, on which Megatron immediately showed great interest. So they sat here: Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave and Barricade, each with 5 cards in the hand. This card game called poker. Megatron liked the bluff. Through him, he could trigger uncertainty in his opponents. Their use was days. The number of days in which the winner, the losers, was allowed to compete. The fact that Megatron had been persuaded to make such an effort was a surprise to most of the spectators. He seemed to be very confident of his victory, and although poker was a gamble.
They had almost reached the agreed maximum amount. Soundwave has been out for a long time. Megatron had changed the rules, which changed the use slightly. So Soundwave would escape the “punishment” because he no longer offered. But Starscream and Barricade could not help it. If they had a higher value than their leader, they could scare him for days. Who would not want this? Especially Starscream could hardly wait.
Megatron looked at his hand. Looked quite well. A “straight flush”, a street in a uniform color. It was almost impossible that his teammates had a higher value. Still, he looked at her suspiciously. Barricade betrayed a slightly nervous expression in his face, while the Air Commander maintained his earnest gaze. No nervousness or superiority penetrated the outside.
“Good, I’ll be up for ten days,” Megatron announced. Now he fixed his optics exactly on his opposite, which however relatively casually went along. Then the two looked at Barricade, who could hardly hold back his uncertainty. The former Highprotector waited for him to give up and get out, but to his surprise, he did not. Instead he announced loudly:
“I go with!” The self-esteem that had been missing in the whole game had appeared abruptly. Barricade had blown the whole game … or was he doing it now? That would not bring him much anyway, because now the cards would speak.
The three players laid their cards open and as Megatron’s gaze fell on Barricade’s blade, he tore his optics in amazement. He actually had a “Royal Flush”, meaning a street ending in a color on an ace. The highest value. Triumphantly the winner leaned back and a wide grin appeared on his face.
In Megatron anger arose. How had he been able to fall asleep on the bluff of this scoundrel? Even when his optics hit Starscream’s hand, which was only a “two-pair,” the fact that he was the third-most bad hand, this fact could not improve his mood a bit. And then when a comment from the crowd fell, the anger in Megatron was no longer curbed.
“Lord Megatron, maybe you should not have flown on the bluff.”
The leader shuddered at him, scraped his weapon, and shot the Decepticon, who had given the comment, his head. The crowd, as well as Starscream and Barricade twitched. The fact that they were very close to the angry Megatron caused nervousness in them. The Air Commander knew only too well that his opponent often omitted his anger from him.
“Does anyone else have to reveal their opinions?” Megatron’s optics were aimed at Starscream.
“You perhaps, Starscream?”
“No, of course not, Master,” he said, with a mixture of awe and nervousness in his voice. He hated the former highprotector to be so submissive. But if he wanted to continue, he had no choice.
Megatron rose as a fury and pushed through the crowds toward the exit of the command center.
“The game is over. Get back to work again. ”
“Yes, Lord Megatron,” replied the crowd in chorus, scattering. Starscream, Soundwave and Barricade were still the only ones at the table, changing a nervous look. They knew that Megatron was now very angry, and he would surely not let himself be commanded by one of his subordinates.
When Barricade collected the cards again, his optics remained attached to the Air Commander’s hand. He could not resist a grin.
“Say, Starscream. Why did you go with them all the time, even though you had such a bad hand? ”
He had caught sight of himself and avoided his gaze.
“It does not matter to you!” He finally said irritably and stamped angrily from the headquarters.
The two remaining Decepticons looked at him confused.
“I know why he did it,” Soundwave said after a while. Barricade’s optics looked at him expectantly.
“Oh yes?”
“The temptation to command Megatron was just too big for him.”
“Right. He has been dreaming of Megatron for some time now. But that he tries it with this bad hand. ”
Angrily stamped Starscream through the aisles of the nemesis.
“I would just like to tell Megatron the opinion, but anyone who angered him and did just that has no chance against his anger.”
“You want Lord Megatron to really get the opinion?”, Suddenly a voice rang behind him. Starscream drove around and discovered Barricade not far from him.
“What do you want?” The Air Commander asked irritably.
“You meant you wanted to tell Lord Megatron your opinion directly into the optics. I might have something for you. ”
“Oh yes? And that would be? “Starscream did not seem particularly interested.
“Have you ever heard of a grief box?” Barricade asked, grinning. His opposite looked only at him without understanding.
“No. What’s this?”
“Soundwave explained it to me. The mincers build a box, scribble some junk anonymously on a piece of paper, and throw it into that box. ”
“Aha and then?”
“That’s it. More does not happen, I believe. ”
“And how am I to tell Lord Megatron my opinion?”
“We can give him the box then, so he gets your opinion, but do not know who they are from.”
“I’m not really convinced of these meaty parties. Just as little as this poker. We have never been worried about such things. ”
“I’m not really sure of it, but maybe it’ll work out.”
After a short time Barricade had a dice-like metal box, which had a small slot, and set it up in the corridor. Above it was a sign, with a brief explanation of what this box was for.
Starscream looked at him skeptically.
“Good and how are things going on now?”
“Since we do not have any paper or pencil, I have put together some smaller metal plates and brought a portable, small laser. Then you can burn your opinion on the metal plate and then throw it through that slot. ”
Barricade handed his counterparts the metal plates and the laser. Starscream did not have to think about it for a long time and immediately began to use the box, while Barricade gave him some space. It was not long before the first metal plate was in the box.
“Well, now we wait as the box arrives and in a few days, we give it to Megatron.”
“And no matter what I write. Lord Megatron has no idea that I was. ”
“Exactly.”
“Maybe this was a good idea.”
Barricade waited until it calmed down. In the last few hours almost the whole crew had become aware of the cummerbord and had tried it. Now he wanted to look at the results, because why should only Megatron see them? After all, he only had the key. Barricade went quietly to the box, put the key in the lock, and was instantly buried under metal plates that were firing from the box. Yes, very many Decepticons found this idea seemingly good.
Barricade twisted with the plates into an empty and rarely visited room and began to read. There were different things. Some seemed to take this matter seriously. They actually counted things that disturbed them.
“Too little free time.”
“More rights for soldiers!”
“We do not want to be cannon fodder anymore!”
Questions also came inside.
“Why do we die like flies and the Autobots have little losses to complain about?”
“When will I get my salary increase?”
“Was that what you said, Lord Megatron?”
“Why did you look at me so funny yesterday?”
“Why were you crashed into the ground in the ice at the time? Did your aggression problem make you fly right? Have you been blinded by the ice? Could not you choose a better landing place? ”
“I have spark pain. I need a psychologist! ”
Barricade had already exaggerated these remarks, but what he found afterwards surpassed even these comments. He knew that only one could have written these records.
He searched the whole ship for the wanted one and finally found him in the command center. Megatron stood in the middle of the room and enjoyed the view. Starscream was not far from him and staring holes in the air. As quietly as he could, Barricade joined him and tapped him on the shoulder. This drove around.
“What do you want?”, Starscream asked irritably.
“I need to talk to you. It’s about the box. ”
At these words, the Air Commander’s face relaxed slightly, and the two Decepticons left the headquarters.
When they were far enough away, Barricade took out the plates and held them face to face with his counterpart.
“So I did not mean that with the Kummerkasten.”
Starscream looked at the objects before him unimpressed. “What’s wrong with them?”
“I never said you were to offend Lord Megatron.”
Barricade began to read a few things:
“Megatron is too stupid to die. He always needs Optimus Prime to make it. ”
“Megatron has an IQ of 16.”
“Megatron’s master has failed. Well, like the master, so the student. ”
“Megatron’s head would be ideal for football.”
“The sight of Megatron’s face is just as pleasing as the ripping of my sparks.”
“If Megatron and Optimus were hanging over a deadly slope, I would opt for Optimus.”
Starscream gave him an angry look.
“Why did you just stole my opinions from the box? You said that was anonymous. ”
“Normally yes, but what you wrote does not fulfill the intentions of a grief box.”
“That you’re so excited about it. This is my opinion and thus basta! ”
The Air Commander grabbed the plates and hurried to the box.
“Well, if this will be a good thing,” thought Barricade.
Despite Starscream’s views, Barricade decided to hand over the griefbox the following morning to Megatron. He did not know if the Air Commander had thrown further insults into the box, and he was not very interested. Because if this were the case, Megatron could already think of who they came from.
The entire crew of Nemesis had gathered in the command center. They were anxious to see how their Lord would react to the questions and concerns. Many of them were in safety, since they had thrown nothing wrong in this box. Others, however, knew what they had written and that Megatron would not be so enthusiastic about it. For this reason, they held themselves close enough at the door to take a quick escape in an emergency. Starscream had also come in. Barricade already knew that he was going to get his collar and could not resist a grin.
When he handed the box to his master, he seemed confused at first.
“What is that?” He asked.
“A grief box. The garrison has thrown his worries there, in the form of metal plates. ”
Megatron looked blankly at his subordinate. “What do you trouble me with these stupidities?” There was a slight rage in his voice.
“This is not stupidity, Lord Megatron. So everyone can give their opinions, anonymous, of course. ”
“Your opinions do not interest me!” The former Highprotector pushed Barricade out of the hand, which opened on the ground on the ground and spread the metal plates. The scout did not take that moment. He would make Megatron discover these opinions. He picked up one of the plates and began to read aloud.
“The rooms in which we are allowed to stay are much too small.”
He grabbed another one, but his master gave him no attention.
“Lord Megatron, did you often fall as a Sparkling?”
In these words, the person concerned showed an emotion of rage, but Barricade did not keep it from going further.
“Lord Megatron, did you ever have a girlfriend? If so, it has been too long ago. You have no idea what feelings are. ”
The rage in his optics grew.
“When will I get vacation? My last was when you died through the Allspark. ”
“Nobody gets a holiday here! Leave is superfluous! “Shouted Megatron angrily. And then the scout reached for an insult written by Starscream. A grin flitted across his face as he saw that this fool had actually written his name on it. Did not he know what “anonymous” meant?
“Megatron should be an aggression therapy. Lined Starscream. ”
“What?” The angry voice of Megatrons sounded. It was precisely these words that barricade bored with joy.
“Megatron always leaves his anger at others, because he can not cope with them. Lined Starscream. ”
A light twitch ran through the optics of the leader.
“Megatron is too hard to beat Optimus, so he’d rather have killed jazz.” “Starscream.”
The twitch grew stronger.
“Megatron can only be used as a lightning arrester. Lined Starscream. ”
It was clear how the rage was about Megatron’s face.
“The only useful thing about Megatron are his weapons. Lined Starscream. ”
Before the scout could finish the last word, a terrified scream echoed through the whole center. “STAR CREAM!”
In the time Barricade had thrown a crushing glance and had now escaped to the exit, shrank and knew what to do. With a panic scream, he stormed out, closely followed by Megatron, who cursed and fired after him.
And Barricade? He stood calmly on the bridge and enjoyed the show. With a nasty grin he looked after the two. This day would surely go into the glorious history of the Decepticons.