Decepticon

Detroit City, Michigan

The modified Lamborghini Aventador made its way through an intact part of the city, past abandoned shops, cafeterias and other empty buildings. The engine dulled and the car transformed, into Lockdown. The streets were eerily silent, and Lockdown looked over his shoulder before going into the alley way next to him. There, he picked up communications from Starscream.

"Lockdown! Is the data damaged? Are you functional?" Starscream asked, full of false concern, anxiety and impatience. Lockdown sighed.

"I'm here, Starscream, the data's fine."
"Then why have you stopped MOVING?!"
"Just basking in the moment." Lockdown said sarcastically, unimpressed at Starscream's impatience.

There was a long pause, where Lockdown was sure either Starscream had died or forgotten about him. However, this thought was short-lived when the enraged Starscream spoke again.

"You IDIOT! That data's worth more than you are...send it immediately!" Lockdown paused.
"Calm down. Transmitting now." Lockdown began transmissions through the secure Decepticon circle. He wondered where Starscream had disappeared to, perhaps back to Siberia to update his leader, Megatron.

There was a longer pause at the other end of communications, and then Starscream spoke again, this time with a tone of amusement. "Hmmm...the Autobots have taken over an abandoned Sector 7 facility in the Pacific...I believe you've given us our next target."

Lockdown extended and retracted his hook. "And to think you doubted me." He said. He would have to wait for the human air transport to arrive before continuing his objectives. The Decepticons had begun collaborating with like-minded humans since the execution of the Fallen in Egypt. Lockdown did not love or hate working with the humans: he just found it necessary at the time. And he knew, in the future, he would have to work for them once again.

Kuril Islands, North Pacific between Russia and Canada

Lockdown had parachuted from the air transport and landed safely on one of the many dusty roads leading to the deconstruction site. He could see in every direction ash grey or red brick buildings, and cranes, some fallen apart. Starscream had given him next to zero intel of what to do, only that Mirage, an Autobot, had been situated to patrol here.

Lockdown transformed and drove down the road. There were no signs, no traffic indicators, or anything to say it was not a dusty track, but a road. Lockdown entered a courtyard, surrounded with piles of rubble and a damaged crane, but no sign of his quarry. He shifted back into vehicle mode and drove down yet another rough, dusty track, entering a courtyard surrounded on all sides by intact grey buildings. Lockdown pinpointed a powerplant around two miles away from his current position, and then ground to a halt, wheels screeching.

Across the courtyard, in front of a set of concrete pipes, sat a red-burgundy Ferrari 458 Italia. Lockdown watched the other car carefully, but it didn't activate or transform. Lockdown transformed and extended a hook. "Starscream, come in. I need intel on Mirage, and I need it now!"

Silence. Lockdown suddenly kicked off, slamming his hook into the nearest building and ripping debris off it. The bricks clattered at his feet and he punched with his left handed, being whipped into fury by Starscream's ignorance.

"Looking for me, amico?" Came the unmistakable Italian accent.

Lockdown whipped around to meet one of Mirage's wristblades and be sent sliding backwards. Lockdown felt Energon run down his face for a second time and glared at Mirage. The Autobot had burgundy armour and assassin-like face armour with twin wristblades on both arms. Lockdown extended his hook for the fight, which never came.

Mirage transformed with a piercing sound, whirling into Ferrari form, Italian number plate appearing in the back as he accelerated away. Lockdown roared and jumped into his alternate form and gave chase, dodging the plasma grenades. Dust was kicked up from the road as Autobot fought bounty hunter in Stealth Form.

Bullets and missiles were exchanged as both battled on the edge of a cliff. In the dust and confusion, Mirage disappeared down another road towards a deconstruction site with a massive crane.

Lockdown found his bearings and one again gave pursuit, too enraged for words. A garbled transmission came from Starscream as Lockdown entered the deconstruction site. "Find out wh-t you- from -irage."
"Shut up." Lockdown growled, forward rolling out of vehicle form. As far as he was aware, he was the only Decepticon on the island. No sign of the other assets Starscream had mentioned.

Mirage was waiting for him, arms folded. Lockdown stopped dead just a few metres away from the Autobot warrior, raising the assault rifle.

Mirage just disappeared, faded into nothingness right before him, and Lockdown lowered the assault rifle. He wasn't even sure Mirage existed. He did not noticed the air shift behind him until Mirage reappeared and sliced him through the back with a wristblade. "Amico, that's why they call me Mirage, huh?"

Lockdown was getting tired of Mirage's self-assured attitude to fighting, and his ridiculous accent. The Autobot seemed too quick to be Cybertronian, but Lockdown had known Cybertronians who were quicker. He had even been taught by one of these agile Cybertronians a long time ago, so he knew how to dodge, parry, and land unexpected blows on his enemy.

Mirage fought for the higher ground, disappearing into thin air again. Lockdown looked around in frustration, heading twisting this way and that. He had killed or debilitated the Autobot leader, and yet he couldn't take down one soldier. It brought shame upon him. He heard soft footfalls up the ramp onto a semi-deconstructed building behind the crane, and followed. Mirage materialized with his back turned to him, and Lockdown rushed him.

Mirage jumped as Lockdown's hook passed under him, and as he came down again, Lockdown drew his assault rifle one handed and shot into Mirage's armour. The Autobot was sent sprawling to the floor and Lockdown lowered the gun in victory, as smoke rose from his adversary's armour and his weapon. "You're finished, Mirage." Lockdown said with a tone of finality in his voice, raising the hook.

"Lockdown, extract what information you can from the Autobot nuisance, and then end his pathetic life. Make sure you get rid of him, one less imbecile to worry about!" Starscream warned over the communication, before it went dead.

Lockdown seized the down Autobot and slammed him into the crumbling wall nearby, wrapping the hook around his neck. Mirage extended one of his wristblades, and Lockdown snapped in and slammed it into the Autobot's right shoulder joint, leaving him suspended. Lockdown broke the other wristblade for good measure as Mirage bled Energon.

"Now, Autobot, tell me about this island. Who is here and what are you up to?"
"This is our main base of operations...after you and your sporcizia destroyed Detroit." Mirage snarled.

Lockdown ripped armour off Mirage and brutally slammed the hook into the Autobot's face, nearly shattering the optics. Mirage groaned, and glared at Lockdown. "Who are your assets?" Lockdown said forcefully.

Mirage didn't answer. "Who are your assets?" Lockdown roared.
"Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Ratchet...they will all tear you apart after you're finito with me."
"Who else?"
"Who do you think, friend?" Mirage's optimistic attitude was unnerving and annoying the bounty hunter.
"Who ELSE?!"
"Look behind you."

Lockdown turned around to see a red Autobot with a tank turret for a chest. Only one name came to mind: Warpath. The Autobot walked forward, heavy footfalls making the unstable building shake. Lockdown glared back at Mirage, who smiled a broken smile. Lockdown scanned the armour, and left the Autobot for dead, jumping down onto the ground that Warpath also walked upon.

"You better turn and run, Decepticon fool. You can't face me. I'm Warpath, you are just irrelevant."
"I am no Decepticon, and I am more than relevant: I am your end."

Warpath immediately detected the threat and fired a round from his chest cannon. The shot hit Lockdown dead centre and threw him back, burning pieces of his armour trailing away from him. Lockdown hit the floor on his back, got up. and transformed, not giving Warpath the chance to pursue or attack again. He had received what he came for, and had a new target.

Lockdown stopped in the shadow of several old industrial buildings, one of which was marked by a faded and scarred Sector 7 insignia. Sector 7 was the predecessor of NEST, who had been based in the Hoover Dam in Colorado. They had found and imprisoned the Decepticon leader Megatron in his Cybetronian form, and later the Allspark, a giant cube that was a life and memory essence of all Cybertronians. Sector 7 wrongly imprisoned Bumblebee, but was later freed as S7 decided to work with the Autobots.

S7 was shut down for many reasons: for its secrecy, for its methods of operation, and mostly for its incompetence. From this, NEST had been formed, an alliance with the Autobots to hunt down any remaining Decepticons on Earth. This seemed to succeed, as many Decepticons, even those who held no intend to kill, were hunted down and executed. Demolishor, Sideways, Override, Duststorm, Tankor, Dead End, Dirt Boss, Ransack, Reverb, Brakedown, Skystalker, Divebomb, Brimstone, Crankstart, Oil Pan, Sunspot, Chopsaw.

Depthcharge and Sonar had managed to escape, and they were offline, in stasis lock, plus a multitude of other Decepticon assets who had renamed themselves to avoid detection through communications. But the Autobots had not gone without losses. Arcee and Elita 1 had been killed at the battle of Egypt, while a number of other Autobots went 'missing', namely Springer, Knock Out, Rollbar, Dune Runner, Nightbeat, Wideload, Skystalker, Sandstorm, Trailcutter and Tracker.

Lockdown transformed and reported back into Starscream. "I have secured the information you needed, Starscream."
"Good, Lockdown. Hmm...it seems there is a big facility on the other side of the island, beyond the deconstruction site you're situated in. Sector 7 dug in for an extended stay before being shut down. Prime and his inner circle are here...but no mention of the other assets."

"You'd better add Warpath to the list. And next time, send someone either expendable or heavily armoured." Lockdown warned. Starscream laughed evenly through the comm.
"Report back to these coordinates, stay in vehicle form. Our army will be mobilized...after Crowbar completes his next mission."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Then you will be called in. Starscream out!"