Whiz—BOOM!!
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
The sudden transition from flight to a saturation strike caught Bumblebee off-balance. He veered left and right, his velocity dropping as he navigated the wall of lead and fire.
Seeing that the Autobot hadn't been pinned down, Nathan—operating as Skygnaw—frowned and loosed another four rockets. The abandoned cars in the lot took the brunt of the impact, either shredded by the explosions or sent flying as Bumblebee smashed through them like a kinetic battering ram.
The rhythmic thud of explosions caught the attention of Barricade at the perimeter. He shot a quick glance over his shoulder but didn't break his stride, continuing his predatory march toward the two humans.
BOOM!
"Cursed Decepticon!!"
Despite his evasive maneuvers, the shockwaves from several rockets slammed into Bumblebee's frame. After shrugging off a flurry of machine gun rounds, a spark of irritation flared within the Scout's processors. He skidded and transformed, metal groaning and expanding as he hit the ground running in his bipedal form.
Realizing there was still a significant distance between him and the aerial Decepticon, Bumblebee shifted his arm into its weapon configuration: a heavy Plasma Cannon.
Rat-tat-tat!
Nathan had just emptied a magazine and was waiting for his internal systems to cycle more rounds when he saw Bumblebee's arm level at him.
"Not good!"
A primal sense of danger flared. Nathan executed a desperate tactical roll, narrowly avoiding a searing bolt of blue plasma that scorched the air where he had stood a microsecond before. Before he could counter-attack, Bumblebee fired again, forcing him into a frantic scramble.
BOOM!
A nearby sedan was vaporized by the plasma blast. Nathan emerged from the smoke looking battered, his shoulder pods rising for another four tracking rockets.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
He looked down at his leg; the armor plating was warped and smoking just from the aftershock of the plasma. Seeing the sheer destructive output of the Scout, Nathan's desire for a "test fight" evaporated instantly.
He didn't stay to repair the damage. He saturated the area with suppressive fire, forcing Bumblebee to take cover while he backed toward the open clearing. Nathan had only initiated this fight to gauge his combat effectiveness; he never intended to fight to the death.
In Cybertronian warfare, raw stats often trumped skill. As a High-Tier unit, Nathan was physically outclassed in speed and strength by an Elite unit like Bumblebee. If the Scout closed the distance to a melee, it would be a death sentence.
Strictly speaking, this was only Nathan's second real fight since his awakening, and his first as a High-Tier warrior. While he appeared to be holding his own, he knew he was walking a tightrope. Bumblebee was practically ignoring the machine gun fire, whereas one direct hit from that plasma cannon would leave Nathan terminal.
"Time to go..."
As Bumblebee closed to within fifty paces, Nathan dumped his remaining dozen rockets in a single, massive salvo. Without waiting to see the result, he leaped into the air, transforming into the Silver Fox interceptor and punching his afterburners.
The rockets roared toward Bumblebee, detonating in a blinding chain reaction.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
VROOM—
Even before the smoke cleared, the yellow Camaro burst through the screen of fire. Aside from some singed paint, the Autobot was largely unscathed. To save time, Bumblebee had dumped a significant portion of his Spark energy into his shields to tank the hit.
His original plan had been to neutralize the "extra" Decepticon quickly before rescuing Sam. He hadn't expected this unfamiliar Decepticon to be so pragmatic as to flee the moment the pressure ramped up—unlike the fanatics he'd fought back on Cybertron.
While Nathan retreated to the clouds, Barricade had successfully cornered Sam and Mikaela in a corner of the lot.
"Mikaela, listen to me! Run! Just go!" Sam screamed, shoving her toward an opening. "It wants me! It won't follow you!"
Mikaela didn't move. She gripped Sam's arm, her eyes wide with terror as they backed away from the towering black shadow.
"Look at this... a touching display of organic sentiment," Barricade sneered, his vocal processors grinding with mockery. He stepped toward them, his metallic fingers flexing. He decided to "soften" his prey—perhaps by snapping their legs to ensure they couldn't scurry away again.
"You ugly, inferior creatures, you—"
SCREECH—SLAM!!
"What?!"
Before Barricade could move, the yellow Camaro lunged from the shadows like a golden bullet, slamming into the Decepticon's side and sending him tumbling through a stack of crates.
The driverless Camaro performed a sharp U-turn, skidding to a halt in front of the teenagers. The doors swung open automatically.
Sam looked at the car that had been "haunting" him, then at the monster climbing out of the debris. He gritted his teeth and looked at Mikaela.
"Get in! Get in the car!"
"What is this, Sam? I don't want to—"
"TRUST ME!"
Sam didn't wait. He grabbed her arm and pulled her into the seats.
THUD!
The doors slammed shut. The steering wheel spun wildly, the gear shifter snapped into drive, and the Camaro roared out of the lot, leaving a cloud of acrid exhaust for the recovering Barricade.
"CURSE YOU! WHO IS THAT?!"
Barricade stood up, his sensors immediately cross-referencing the energy signature.
"BUMBLEBEE!"
Barricade's optics burned red. He and Bumblebee were both scouts, but their rivalry went back to the war on Cybertron. He had once been lured into an ambush by this very scout and nearly extinguished by Optimus Prime. To have his mission interfered with by the same Autobot on this new planet was intolerable.
At that moment, Nathan—having circled the area from above—spotted Barricade. He transformed and landed, finding the police cruiser shaking with rage.
"Damn it, Skygnaw! It's an Autobot! It's Bumblebee!" Barricade snarled. "Call in your flight squad! Get the Decepticons mobilized! We catch them NOW!"
Blinded by hate, Barricade didn't wait for a response. He shifted back into his police cruiser form and tore off after the yellow streak in the distance.
Los Angeles Suburbs. Twilight.
Inside the Camaro, Sam was constantly looking out the rear window. "Faster, faster! It's gaining on us!"
He didn't know what this yellow car wanted, but the police robot behind them definitely wanted them dead. Mikaela was huddled in the passenger seat, her hair a mess, her breath hitching.
"Oh my god, we're gonna die! We're gonna die!"
"No, we're not!" Sam yelled. "This car is... it's special! Trust me!"
"Sam, look out! THE WALL!"
They had veered into an old oil refinery. The road ended abruptly at a massive brick wall. Sam braced himself, grabbing the handle on the roof.
"Hold on!!"
The Camaro didn't slow down. It smashed through the masonry, bricks showering the hood as it leaped into the interior of a massive warehouse. Barricade followed suit, crashing through the same hole without losing a beat.
Inside, the chase became a deadly game of cat and mouse. Bumblebee drifted around industrial distillation towers and oil tanks, weaving through narrow gaps. Sam and Mikaela were tossed around the cabin like ragdolls.
The "police car" was staying right on their tail, closing the gap inch by inch.
Bumblebee knew he couldn't keep this up. The aerial Decepticon could arrive at any moment. To save his ward, he had to stop running. He had to finish this.