[Skygnaw. The Autobots have arrived.]
[Identity confirmed: Optimus Prime and his primary strike team.]
When the transmission from Soundwave hit his processors, Skygnaw was loitering near the perimeter of a massive military installation. He wasn't surprised by the news.
"The Autobots are here..." Skygnaw's thoughts churned.
In the original timeline, Optimus Prime's squad landed on the very night Bumblebee and Barricade first clashed. This was exactly why Skygnaw had put as much distance between himself and Los Angeles as possible after retreating from the refinery. He had no desire to run into a Prime while still a High-Tier warrior; that would be a quick trip back to the AllSpark.
As for why he was here in Allegany County? He was looking for a ride. Specifically, a way into Sector 7 at Hoover Dam.
Skygnaw hadn't given up on the AllSpark. He had already used its energy to ascend to his current rank, but in this universe, "too much power" didn't exist. He remembered that when Sam and Mikaela were taken to the Dam, they weren't alone on that military helicopter. They were accompanied by a hacker and a female Pentagon analyst—the one arrested for copying classified files.
According to those details, the man leading that convoy would be the Secretary of Defense, John Keller. While the hacker and the analyst were hard to track, Keller's movements were predictable. Belkos Joint Base was the primary hub for high-level federal transport in the D.C. area. If Keller was going to the Dam tomorrow, he was leaving from here.
This was Skygnaw's best, and perhaps last, chance. If he missed this "bus," the AllSpark might be lost or destroyed in the coming battle. He narrowed his optics, focusing on the base. He had already found a hole in their security.
The Pentagon. Interrogation Wing.
Inside a sterile room, Maggie Madsen and Glen were being held by the authorities. A tray of donuts sat on the metal table, and Glen was inhaling them as if it were his last meal. He ate with a ferocity that suggested he wanted to leave this world as a very full ghost.
Only when half a donut remained did Glen remember he wasn't alone. "Hey, Maggie. You want the rest of this?"
Maggie, head down in deep thought, gave a silent shake. She was still processing the translated text: Project Iceman. Sector 7.
Seeing her refusal, Glen shrugged and stuffed the last half into his mouth, licking a smear of jam off his thumb.
Burp!
"Maggie, listen to me," Glen said, wiping his mouth. "I know how this goes. The guys who come through that door next? Good cop, bad cop. My advice? Don't say a word. Don't fall for the trap."
He pointed a powdered finger at the empty tray. "See these donuts? They put them here to see if you're nervous. If you don't eat, you're guilty. That's why I ate the whole tray. Every single one! As long as we keep our mouths shut—"
BANG!
The door was kicked open. Two guards entered, followed by an interrogator. The guards stepped behind the suspects, standing close enough to feel their breath.
The interrogator slammed two thick dossiers onto the table. Before he could speak, Glen's face crumpled into a mask of pure betrayal. He pointed a shaking finger at Maggie.
"She did it! It was all her! I was just at home watching cartoons and playing video games with my brother, and then she just burst in!"
Maggie stared at him, speechless. "Glen, you are a total piece of trash."
"I'm just clarifying the situation, Maggie! I am not going to prison for you! I've never even had a parking ticket!" Glen stood up, gesturing wildly to the guard. "Man, can you believe this? I'm still a virgin! I have so much to live for!"
The guard didn't blink. He grabbed Glen's shoulder and shoved him back into the chair with enough force to rattle his teeth.
"Glen, shut up," Maggie sighed. She turned to the interrogator. "Look, it's not his fault. Just hear me out. Whoever hacked the defense grid was looking for a man named Archibald Witwicky. And a government organization called Sector 7."
She leaned forward, her voice urgent. "Please, report this to John Keller. I've spoken to him before; he'll remember me. If you don't, you're looking for the wrong enemy. You're going to start a war with the wrong people."
Belkos Joint Base.
A sentry stood at the edge of the runway. Suddenly, a shimmer distorted the air in front of him—a ripple like heat rising off the tarmac. The soldier rubbed his eyes and looked again. Nothing. "Must be the lack of sleep," he muttered.
"Perceptive soldier," Skygnaw thought as he crept past the guard post. He slowed his mechanical footfalls, ensuring his weight didn't vibrate the concrete.
His Stealth Module was proving its worth. Unlike his infiltration of the SOCCENT base, where he had to steal data, this was a simple ghost-walk. He avoided the armed patrols and slipped into a row of semi-open hangars near the secondary runway.
He chose a secluded bay and deactivated his cloak. The hangar held only a few aircraft.
"You'll do," Skygnaw whispered, his sensors locking onto a Cloud Hawk multi-purpose military helicopter.
He initiated the scan. In seconds, his internal Transformation Cog mapped the hydraulics and avionics. His Silver Fox interceptor mode shifted into storage, replaced by the heavy, utilitarian frame of the Cloud Hawk.
"Now, the final step."
Skygnaw's chest plating hissed open, and a small metallic sphere dropped into the shadows. Before it hit the floor, it unfolded, limbs snapping into place. A mechanical panther—jagged, black, and predatory—stood in the dark.
Black Panther had been active for only three days, but it was already time for its first field op. Red optics flashed as it recognized its creator.
"Go," Skygnaw commanded. "Find the logs for John Keller. Track the transport manifests for tomorrow."
"Yes, Master."
The panther sniffed the air, its lithe form disappearing into the darkness between the crates. Once the pet was gone, Skygnaw shifted. Metal folded, rotors sprouted, and in the place of a Decepticon warrior sat a perfect, silent Cloud Hawk helicopter. He entered a low-power "sleep" state, waiting for the morning sun to bring his ride to the Dam.
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