January 8, 2021

3 AM Pacific Standard Time
Blackrock, California

Dropkick shifted his optics left and right. Everyone else looked just as bored as he was. He placed his hands on the table and began to drum out a little rhythm, quiet at first but with increasing enthusiasm as he continued. He was starting to get complex with it, keeping a beat with one hand while alternating the fingers on the other, when Shatter nudged him with her elbow.

"Quit it," she said.

"Fine," he sighed.

There were four Decepticons in the small briefing room, or three, depending on how one counted. Shatter was in charge of base security, and Dropkick was her lieutenant. Across the table was the head scientist, Sunstorm, who had her hands folded nervously. Next to her was a hologram projection of Kiloton, the Earth operations marshal, who was stoic and statuesque, as always. She would have been in the room, but it wouldn't accommodate her size class, so her hologram stood in for her.

"Where is he?" asked Sunstorm, looking towards the door. "This shouldn't take so long."

"Backdraft would have a good reason to be late to his own meeting. Give him time," Kiloton replied.

As if on cue, the door opened, and the base's commander entered, carrying a datapad under his arm.

"Apologies," Backdraft said, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Let's get started. Time's of the essence, here."

Dropkick rolled his eyes, only to be elbowed by Shatter again.

Sunstorm stood up, turned off the lights, and activated the briefing room's display, showing security camera footage of the base's main staging area. Guards were knocked out across the floor, and the heavy blast doors hung open.

"As you all know, the Military Research Bureau's projects here suffered a major security breach yesterday. One of our former test subjects who was scheduled for termination was able to escape."

She advanced the slide, now showing a rotating scan of the subject. He was a young-ish mech with a speeder body-type and a confused look on his face.

"His name is Skids, and he was part of our research in Applied Psychometry. He was instrumental in collecting the data we needed for Harmony. His mental abilities have been… augmented."

"Augmented how," asked Shatter, crossing her arms.

Sunstorm tapped her fingers together and looked up at the ceiling in thought.

"I'll give you the simplest explanation I can. He, um, learns. Very quickly. We started him with logic puzzles, but in the span of a few solar cycles of testing, he had cracked the Trizer Dilemma."

Backdraft held up a hand to stop her. "For all of us who don't know what the Trizer Dilemma is?"

"It would be easier to say that he's very dangerous," Sunstorm explained. "He seems to have learned advanced combat techniques and firearm discipline. He was able to overpower our guards and hack our base's security protocols in order to leave."

"All right, thank you," Backdraft said, and Sunstorm returned to her seat. "Now, you're all familiar with the clandestine nature of our operations here at Blackrock Base. I don't think I need to explain how much of a threat this runaway poses. We're surrounded by human settlements, and the Autobots maintain a sizable force in Mission City. We can't risk being exposed to any of them, so immediate capture and termination of our test subject is the highest priority."

"We can do it, no problem," said Shatter. "Security is itching for an external detail. I can have twenty troopers plus air support on deck in a megacycle." Dropkick nodded with approval.

"That won't be necessary," said Backdraft. "I called this meeting to let Security know that you're off the case."

"What? Why?" huffed Shatter with disbelief, rising from her seat.

"I would assume Comrade Backdraft has an alternative solution," said Kiloton, attempting to defuse the room.

"That's correct," Backdraft confirmed. "A large-scale operation by Security would only attract too much attention. We can't deploy our Seeker team either, as we need them for reconnaissance and patrol. So I've called in a favor with a Party friend of mine. They've put a Justice Division squad on it."

Sunstorm covered her mouth and looked down towards the table. Shatter launched into a tirade of obscenities. Dropkick exchanged a nervous glance with Kiloton's hologram.

"That's enough," shouted Backdraft, silencing Shatter. "Your officers couldn't stop our little runaway within our base. I doubt they'd stop him in the field. We need to resolve this quickly and without any loose ends. Nobody will do that better than the Decepticon Justice Division."

"Do you even know what squad they'll be sending?" asked Sunstorm, looking back up while massaging the bridge of her nose.

"I'll let them introduce themselves," said Backdraft, turning off the room's display while powering up his datapad. He placed it on the table, and its own lower-resolution hologram crackled to life. The shimmering image of a head took form, though the face was obscured with a mask in the shape of the Decepticon insignia. The floating head swiveled back and forth, surveying the small briefing room.

"I see you've instilled a sense of confidence in them, comrade Backdraft," the mech said, his smooth voice loaded with spite.

Backdraft seemed surprised. "What's the meaning of this? I've let them know everything you told me to-"

"It doesn't matter. For some, faith requires a demonstration. Look and see."

Backdraft only managed to gasp before he rose into the air and crashed down onto the briefing room table. A huge, dark figure stood at the head of the table where he once had. Behind it, the door to the briefing room was open, the hallways of Blackrock base illuminated only by dim emergency lighting. Backdraft attempted to rise but the figure surged forwards past Sunstorm and pinned the base commander to the table. Sunstorm dove for the briefing room lights and flipped them back on. The mech was strongly built, heavily armed and armored. Covering his face was the same mask as the hologram's.

"Tell me," he said, looking up from the struggling Backdraft to the room's other occupants. "Are you unbelievers still?"

"You've made your point," said Shatter, gesturing towards her sidearm. "Leave him alone."

"Leave him alone? You see, he called for me. And I answered." The mech pressed Backdraft against the table once more before releasing his grip. "From my understanding, it is you who have failed. Perhaps if different calls were made, I would be here to hunt you."

"Enough of these theatrics," said Kiloton's hologram. "Name and rank."

"Comrade Specialist Damus, sixty-sixth field operations squad," the intruder said, not bothering with a salute.

Kiloton's eyes narrowed. "Is this your first operation on Earth?"

"You don't have the clearance for that answer," Damus replied.

"Are we really going to put up with this clown?" asked Shatter.

"My involvement in your incident is no longer under your control," Damus said, turning to face the security officer. "This is DJD business now. Like all of our business, you won't be hearing about it again."

Backdraft eased himself off the table and found his datapad pushed onto the floor. "See? That's exactly what we need."

"We've already begun tracking your target," Damus continued. "That is all you need to know." He moved back towards the exit, his footfalls surprisingly quiet for his size.

"When should we expect an update?" Backdraft called out after him. The mech turned and raised an index finger towards his own optic, then pointed to Backdraft. He disappeared into the dark hallway outside.

Shatter leaned back against the briefing room wall. "You know, nobody from Security would have tackled you."

Backdraft gritted his teeth. "You sound like someone who wants the kitchen patrol."

"Well, I've got a post to return to," she said, gesturing for Dropkick to follow. The Security officers left, leaving Backdraft, Sunstorm, and Kiloton's hologram in the room.

"I'll guess you've never worked with the Justice Division before," Kiloton said.

"Unlike some of us, I've never needed to," Backdraft retorted.

"My experience felt far more pleasant than this. In any case, it's out of our hands now. Send me a report once you hear from them," Kiloton said as her hologram closed down.

Sunstorm looked up at Backdraft. "They'll kill him, right?"

"Do you expect anything less?"

"No, it's just that… with his level of augmentation, I wanted to… record the results. See what happened."

"Maybe you'll get another chance when that Aurora pet of yours malfunctions."

Sunstorm bit her lip and left. Backdraft checked his datapad, noting the screen had been cracked. He powered it on to check if it still worked. Damus' face emerged in hologram form once more, so he quickly turned the datapad back off. They would make the problem go away, after all. They were very good at making problems go away.