The mission was supposed to be routine. A standard patrol, scanning for Decepticon activity, ensuring no new threats had taken root. The team moved in formation, optics sharp, weapons primed but not raised—at least, not until Arcee spotted movement.

A lone Cybertronian stood in the distance, their frame obscured by the glow of their optics against the shadows. Arcee didn’t wait for confirmation. Without so much as a warning or an attempt at identification, she raised her blaster and fired.

The shot barely missed, scorching the ground at the mech’s pedes. The Cybertronian recoiled in alarm, their optics widening before pure instinct took over. They bolted.

“Freeze!” Arcee barked, already giving chase.

“Arcee, stand down!” Optimus’s voice cut through the comms, firm and immediate.

She ignored him.

The sound of her pedes thundering against the dirt filled the air as she pushed forward, determination burning in her optics. The Cybertronian, still unidentified, disappeared into the thick underbrush of the forest. But Arcee wasn’t about to let them escape.

“Slag it,” Bulkhead muttered, already turning toward the others.

Optimus sighed heavily, optics narrowing as he made the call. “After her.”

The team moved, engines roaring to life as they tore after her through the trees. The dense terrain made pursuit difficult, but they had to stop this before it spiraled further out of control.

Whoever that Cybertronian was… they weren’t just running from Arcee. They were terrified.