Above the volatile smog of the refinery, a Silver Fox interceptor led a tight formation of four Cybertronian Seekers. Nathan—operating as Skygnaw—had finally arrived with his detachment, but the tactical feed from the ground was grim.
Even from three thousand feet, Nathan's long-range optics captured the brutal efficiency of the yellow scout. Barricade was sustaining critical structural compromise. His heavy plating was fractured, his hydraulic fluid was painting the asphalt, and his primary visual sensors—the cruiser's "eyes"—were dark. It was a one-sided slaughter that sent a ripple of high-intensity warning through Nathan's processors.
The roar of the incoming engines drew Bumblebee's attention. He looked up, his radio-burst buzzing with static as he recognized the high-altitude Seeker from the parking structure. His biometric sensors reported a significant increase in local threat-density.
Below, Barricade felt the vibration of the Seekers' arrival. He was at his structural limit, kept functional only by the high-density rare alloys of his re-engineered frame. He realized that his personal vendetta had led to a total tactical failure.
"Skygnaw!" Barricade roared, his vocalizer glitching. "Intervene! Neutralize the scout!"
Bumblebee didn't hesitate. He accelerated his output, intent on finalizing the decommissioning of the Enforcer before the aerial support could land.
Nathan, however, did not initiate a dive. He circled the refinery once, scanning the hydrocarbon storage units and identifying a secure landing zone on a nearby administrative rooftop.
"Commander," E-13 pulsed as they touched down, "Directive: Shall we engage the Autobot to preserve the Enforcer?"
"Negative," Nathan rumbled. "A direct kinetic exchange with B-127 is a low-probability success vector for units of your tier. We execute a Tactical Diversion via Asset Threat."
He knew Soundwave was likely monitoring the sector via orbital link. He couldn't let Barricade be extinguished, but he wasn't going to sacrifice his own frame for the Enforcer's pride. He needed a leverage point. He needed the boy.
"Identify the biological assets," Nathan commanded. "Sector 4-G. Locate LadiesMan217 and his female companion. If we threaten the asset, the scout will be forced to break the engagement."
Behind a massive distillation tower, Sam Witwicky dragged Mikaela into the shadows. Only hours ago, the idea of touching Mikaela's arm would have caused a total social-processor crash for Sam. Now, it was a matter of basic survival.
"Sam, where are we going?" Mikaela panted, her knuckles white as she gripped the industrial power saw.
"We need the car," Sam whispered, his eyes darting across the pipes. "The yellow one is the only one not trying to kill us."
He peeked around the corner, then recoiled instantly, pressing his back against the cold steel of the tower.
"What—?"
Sam slammed his hand over Mikaela's mouth. "Quiet," he breathed. "The big one. The black Seeker from the garage. It's on the roof right above us."
Mikaela eased her head out, looking through the steam of a venting pipe. Atop the crude oil reservoir stood an eight-meter mechanical nightmare. Skygnaw stood motionless, his crimson optics scanning the refinery with a cold, predatory focus.
Nathan felt a faint thermal bloom near the tower. He turned his head-casing, but the steam from the vents masked the biological signatures. He dismissed it as an atmospheric anomaly and focused on his drones.
"Delta Squad. Initiate the sweep," Nathan ordered.
E-13 and the others fanned out, their rifles drawn as they navigated the labyrinth of pipes. They weren't stealth experts; their heavy footfalls echoed through the refinery like a rhythmic industrial hammer.
"Skygnaw! Respond!" Barricade's voice was a desperate shriek now.
He was pinned against a storage tank, Bumblebee's laser-blade humming inches from his spark-chamber. The Autobot had focused his entire output on the kill, his processors blind to the secondary threats in the perimeter.
Then, a high-pitched scream echoed from the western sector.
"HELP! GET IT AWAY!"
Bumblebee's optics flashed. His radio-burst screeched—a frantic, melodic sound. 'Sam!'
He had assumed the Seeker's hesitation was born of Decepticon cowardice, but he had underestimated the tactical cunning of the new Commander. Nathan had used his drones to flush the asset.
Lennox's team—no, the boy and the girl—were being pursued by E-14. The drone was closing the distance, his heavy footsteps rattling the catwalks.
"Abandoning engagement," Bumblebee pulsed. He delivered a final, crushing kick to Barricade's chest and transformed mid-motion. The Camaro roared toward the western sector, leaving a crippled Barricade in the dust.
On the reservoir roof, Nathan saw the yellow blur approaching. "Detachment Delta: Extraction! Abandon the asset!"
He reconfigured into the Silver Fox interceptor and lanced into the air. He had achieved his objective: Barricade was alive, and he had observed Bumblebee's combat patterns without taking a single hit.
E-14, seeing the yellow car screaming toward him, didn't wait to argue. He transformed and launched into the night sky, following Skygnaw's trail.
Sam and Mikaela collapsed against a crate, watching as the "airplanes" vanished into the clouds.
"They... they fled," Sam gasped, looking at the yellow car skidding to a halt in front of them. "They're afraid of him."
Mikaela didn't answer. She looked at the Camaro—dented, scorched, and smoking—and realized that the "car" was currently bleeding for them.
Bumblebee's engine ticked, a low, metallic wheeze. He had saved the asset, but the Decepticon Commander had won the tactical round. The hunt for the AllSpark was no longer a secret; it was a race.