As the recovery team spoke, the heavy-lift helicopter hovered above the crowd, and the pilot triggered the release of the cables binding Optimus Prime.
Thud—
The massive frame slammed into the ground, kicking up a storm of dust.
The moment Optimus's body hit the pavement, news of his death spread like a wildfire through the upper echelons of the United States government. Anyone with eyes could see that the planet they called home was in deep trouble—or at the very least, those who had dedicated themselves to hunting Decepticons were.
John Keller, the superior of the NEST task force, hurriedly convened a national security meeting aimed at defending against a large-scale Decepticon invasion. He had to move fast. With President Mitchell busy campaigning for votes across various states and Clarice nowhere to be found, the other two cabinet members were indifferent, leaving Keller to handle this world-ending crisis alone.
In reality, Clarice was not missing; rather, after learning yesterday that Optimus Prime had been killed by Skygnaw and Megatron's alliance, she felt utterly betrayed. She had traveled overnight to the Alaskan borders to demand an explanation.
"Ms. Clarice, we've arrived."
A motorcade came to a halt on a stretch of tundra in the extreme northern district of Alaska. Inside Clarice's private vehicle, the security officer in the passenger seat immediately hopped out to open the rear door.
"Right, I understand."
Clarice opened her eyes, revealing an exhaustion she couldn't hide. Dark circles framed her eyes, and her usual poised, professional demeanor had vanished. Led by her security officer, Clarice began walking toward a direction where vehicles couldn't travel.
During her time collaborating with Skygnaw, Clarice hadn't been idle; the locations of Base One and Base Two were well-known to satellites and the troops deployed around the northern military restricted zone. Of course, this was partly because Skygnaw hadn't bothered to hide them.
At the entrance of Base One, Clarice watched silently as guards poured into the giant metal gate. Unable to contact Skygnaw, she had to come in person. Before long, a guard jogged out and whispered into the security officer's ear.
The officer nodded and waved him away. Once the guard left, he reported to Clarice: "Ma'am, the underground base is completely empty."
"What!" Clarice was stunned. "What do you mean? How can that be?"
"The guards say that after a full sweep, they haven't found a single..."
The reality finally dawned on Clarice. Every Decepticon, including Skygnaw, had vanished as if they had anticipated her arrival. Not a single resource had been left behind.
"Damn you, Skygnaw!" Clarice cursed, her beautiful face momentarily twisting with venom. She felt more than ever that Skygnaw's quick agreement to cooperate was merely a ploy to use her to evade the Autobots and NEST while he waited for a chance to resurrect Megatron. Now that Optimus Prime was dead, he had vanished without a trace, even abandoning the Aura Group that supplied his resources.
"Wait, Aura Group!"
Clarice clapped her hands together. Ignoring the urge to further curse the Decepticon who had deceived her, she ran back to her car and pulled a dedicated mobile phone from the rear armrest. "This is Clarice. Connect me to the Miami branch of the Bureau of Investigation, immediately."
"Yes, ma'am. Please hold."
Ring... ring...
"Ms. Clarice, good afternoon. This is the branch director..."
As Clarice issued her orders, she didn't notice a mechanical, periscope-like eye peering from behind a rock near the convoy. It tracked her movements like an automated security camera.
Mojsa, Egypt
Night fell over Mojsa, where several towering pyramids stood with an air of absolute authority amidst the vast desert. They were as they had been a million years ago: desolate and heavy. In the silence of the night, an assault craft suddenly materialized.
It hovered over one of the pyramids before transforming into a thirteen-meter-tall, terrifying robot.
Thud—
Landing on the steps of the pyramid, Skygnaw reached down and pressed a hidden switch.
Creak—
With a low rumble, the pyramid automatically split open, revealing a long corridor. This was a base—a secret facility unknown to the world. In fact, it was a temporary base constructed by Onslaught and a clone squad of Constructicons.
The five members of the Constructicon squad—Scrapper, Mixmaster, Scavenger, Bonecrusher, and Long Haul—were absolute experts in engineering. Despite being clones, they possessed at least sixty percent of the original team's skills. Between searching for hidden dimensions, they had built a base that was in no way inferior to Skygnaw's Base One—and in many ways, superior.
Under Skygnaw's orders, Onslaught's destination had been Egypt. Their mission: to find the hidden dimension Skygnaw had specified. Indeed, ambition grows alongside power. Now, Skygnaw was setting his sights on the Matrix of Leadership.
He had come here after leaving Alaska to avoid unnecessary trouble and because the Star Harvester was located right here in Egypt. He had completely abandoned the two bases in Alaska, leaving nothing but empty shells.
Step-step-step—
Upon entering the base, he bumped into Dirge.
"My Lord, you truly are a prophet. That woman actually went there."
"Is that so? Show me." Skygnaw smiled. He knew exactly which woman Dirge was talking about.
"This way, My Lord."
Following Dirge to a room in the base, Skygnaw saw the cold expressions of Alice and Blackarachnia. Unlike Alice, Blackarachnia looked as though she was enjoying the drama.
"Skygnaw, is this the human you were working with?" Blackarachnia glanced at him and gestured with her chin.
"Heh, that's the one."
Skygnaw looked up at a holographic projection transmitted to the room. The figure in the frame was Clarice. She was currently screaming and cursing, her foul language unending. She looked like a common brawler, a far cry from the intellectual professional he had first met.
"Fck! Sht! Skygnaw, you treacherous Decepticon! If I ever see you again, I'll make you pay!"
Thud—
Black Panther leaped from Skygnaw's chest compartment. Looking at the human woman daring to curse his master, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. "Master, should I...?"
"Don't mind her, Black Panther. Let her vent." Skygnaw laughed dismissively. The more "high-class" they were, the lower they sank when desperate. As a veteran Decepticon warrior, how could he not uphold the fine tradition of betrayal? He stood firmly on the side of untrustworthiness.
Skygnaw wasn't actually angry; he found it amusing. To him, everything on Earth or in the human world was small-scale—merely a means to provide him with Energon and resources. It wasn't worth his energy. Once Clarice got back into her car on screen, Skygnaw turned and left.
"My Lord, you're back."
Onslaught met him outside the room. He was hesitating, looking as though he had something confidential to report. Skygnaw understood immediately. Anything that made Onslaught act this way—deliberately avoiding Blackarachnia—could only be the "private matter" he had assigned.
"Follow me, Onslaught."
"Yes, My Lord."
Skygnaw led Onslaught to the base exterior. Gazing at the star-filled sky, he remained silent for a moment before asking, "What is it?"
"My Lord," Onslaught looked up at his master. For some reason, he felt that Skygnaw had become unfathomable in the short time they had been apart.
"Onslaught?"
"Yes, My Lord. I haven't had the chance to report yet. Yesterday, the Constructicons and I discovered a strange, giant device inside a pyramid not far from here. Analysis suggests it was built by Cybertronians long ago. It's currently in an inactive state..."
"What about the matter I gave you?" Skygnaw interrupted.
"Apologies, My Lord," Onslaught looked embarrassed. "We haven't found the hidden dimension you described yet..."
Onslaught and the clones didn't know exactly what Skygnaw was looking for, but they were trained to sense any spatial anomalies.
"I see..." Skygnaw nodded, feeling a twinge of disappointment. Was the Matrix of Leadership really a treasure that only revealed itself to the "destined" one? The device Onslaught mentioned was likely The Fallen's Star Harvester—an ancient relic Onslaught wouldn't recognize. Skygnaw had briefly hoped Onslaught had found the sealed space for the Matrix.
Then again, Starscream had searched for ages to no avail. Onslaught had only been here a week; finding it so soon would have been a miracle. If it were that easy, he really would be the "Child of Destiny."
Shaking off the thought, Skygnaw was about to have Onslaught take him to the Star Harvester when his sensors flared:
[ Skygnaw, this is Soundwave. Lord Fallen has arrived in Earth's orbit. ]