Nathan stood at the edge of the dunes, his optics shielded against the sudden, violent surge of luminosity from the transceiver tower.
BWOMMM.
The pillar of azure light, which had been a steady beacon, suddenly expanded into a blinding vertical corridor that lanced through the clouds and into the ionosphere. The air around the tower began to crackle with static discharge, the sand beneath it vitrifying into glass from the sheer thermal output.
It's starting, Nathan calculated, his internal sensors adjusting to the massive gravitational flux. I dealt with T-24 just in time.
Had the other sergeant been present for this event, Nathan's secret involvement in the Space Bridge injection would have been broadcast to the entire Decepticon network. Instead, the only witness to the breach was a silent beach and a pile of buried scrap metal.
The light reached a critical threshold, warping the air into a shimmering veil of violet energy. Then, with a thunderous atmospheric snap, four massive silhouettes materialized within the light.
"Decepticons! Establish a perimeter! Let this primitive world tremble!"
"Gah, the humidity is clogging my intake filters. Where are we?"
"Bonecrusher, you simpleton, we are on an island. Did you purge the mission data before the transit?"
"The sand... it's irritating my joint-servos. I'm going to slag this entire beach!"
Nathan watched from behind a jagged rock formation, his processors recording the newcomers. Even without their terrestrial alt-modes, their "protoform" chassis designs were unmistakable. These weren't mass-produced T-series drones; these were the veterans of the Kaon pits.
At the center of the group stood the silver-grey titan himself. Soundwave.
Nathan didn't hesitate. He stepped out from the shadows, lowering his head-casing in a gesture of absolute fealty. "Lord Soundwave. Welcome to Earth. The anchor was stabilized according to the Doctor's precise coordinates."
Soundwave's crimson optics locked onto Nathan. The Spymaster didn't speak; he initiated a high-speed data-sweep, scanning Nathan's chassis and ID-signature.
"T-22," Soundwave's voice was a textured montage of digital clips. "Efficiency: Noted. Loyalty: Verified. Withdraw to the secondary perimeter. I will summon you when the tactical map is finalized."
"Understood, Lord Soundwave."
Nathan didn't need to be told twice. He transformed into the Silver Fox interceptor and performed a low-altitude vertical lift, relocating to the island's central peak. He needed distance. Standing among these high-tier warriors was like being a lamb in a den of wolves. One erratic spark from Bonecrusher could end his mission before he even reached the mainland.
From his vantage point on the ridge, Nathan watched Soundwave brief the squad.
"The objective remains unchanged," Soundwave broadcasted on a secure frequency that Nathan's sensors barely intercepted. "Locate the High Protector. Maintain total stealth. Starscream is a compromised variable—avoid his search grids at all costs."
"By your command, Soundwave," Barricade replied, his spiked flails clicking against his hip-plating.
The squad was a perfect tactical unit. Barricade for reconnaissance; Blackout for heavy air-support; Brawl for armored demolition; and Bonecrusher for frontline chaos.
Soundwave paused, his mono-eye pulsing as he looked at Bonecrusher, who was currently trying to kick a palm tree over. "Brawl. A change in protocol."
"State it, Lord Soundwave."
"You and Bonecrusher will deviate from the primary search. Establish a deep-cover stasis site on the mainland. You are the reserve kinetic force. Do not engage unless signaled." He turned to the other two. "Barricade. Blackout. You will handle the primary search for NBE-1. Your experience is required for the infiltration of the human military-industrial complex."
"Understood," Barricade rasped, his combat mask sliding into place.
Nathan watched as the four veterans launched from the island, streaking toward the horizon in their protoform flight-modes. He noted a small, spindly shape detaching from Soundwave's chest and latching onto Barricade's back.
Frenzy, Nathan identified. The master of data-subversion. If anyone can find Megatron in the Section 7 archives, it's him.
He felt a pang of envy. Having a member of the Mini-Con Legion as a personal asset was the ultimate force-multiplier. Information was the only true currency in this war, and Soundwave held the bank.
Once the island was silent again, Nathan descended from the peak, landing softly on the vitrified sand.
"Lord Soundwave."
"Scalpel has provided a favorable diagnostic of your performance, T-22," Soundwave stated, turning his massive frame toward the Seeker.
"I live to serve the cause, Lord Soundwave," Nathan replied, his vocalizer projecting a tone of humble military ambition. "With your arrival, the return of the High Protector is a statistical certainty."
He was laying the groundwork. Soundwave valued loyalty above all else—loyalty to the mission and to Megatron.
"The Doctor informs me you seek a systemic upgrade," Soundwave noted, his optics narrowing. "A reformatting into a High-Tier combatant?"
Nathan's internal temperature spiked. This was the moment. The payment for the Space Bridge, the execution of T-24, and the betrayal of Starscream.
"I seek to better serve the Empire," Nathan said, his voice steady. "A Mid-tier frame has limitations. If I am to act as your operative within the Seeker Vanguard, I require the structural integrity and processing speed to match the veterans."
He wasn't just asking for a new coat of paint. He was asking for a total systemic overhaul.
"The resource-cost is significant," Soundwave buzzed. "But the necessity for a reliable agent within Starscream's inner circle is higher. I will authorize the reformatting."
Nathan bowed his head, his optics glowing with a fierce, red light. Finally. The drone is dead. Long live the Elite.