Grimlock and Ronaldo packed up camp and continued heading westward, soon reaching a valley by foot, and eventually coming across a town that was in decent enough condition for looting, the signs read "Gallagher" and the houses could have been in better condition, but at least some of the food storages were intact, and while it wasn't much of a replacement for Energon, there was some motor oil laying around in a few of the garages for the Dinobot's consumption.
(( Huge post incoming. TL;DR version: The United Nations Directorate Forces are now going to be appearing more often. Also, Morrigan. )) A single, errant snowflake floated through the clear New York skies, wobbling in the gentle breeze. Its tranquil journey came to an end when it landed in a cup of hot coffee, disintegrating instantly. The woman to whom the coffee belonged found it quite troubling indeed that the tiny fragment of ice had traveled as far as it had, only to die such a gruesome death at her expense. She drank the coffee, snowflake remnants and all, anyway. It was good coffee, probably among the best left in the world, though she was not much of a coffee person; but it was cold out, and her trenchcoat only provided so much warmth. She tidied up her spot on the cafe's patio, condensing her plate and mug and ramekin and silverware into one neat pile of leftover scone crumbs and coffee drips, left a generous tip, and left. She had a meeting to catch, after all. The city that had never slept was not handling its Xanax well. The once-bustling streets were mere shadows of their former selves, comparatively vacant. They were still frequented by taxis and private vehicles, but there were never traffic jams any more, except for when a military convoy had trouble making its way around a corner. The woman had never lived in New York, but she couldn't help but feeling a little mournful about its current condition. It wasn't the New York she had been promised, to say the least. She knew she was nearing her destination when the traffic she passed became increasingly more military in nature. Trucks full of soldiers with blanched uniforms rumbled through the middle of intersections, while main battle tanks clattered down streets that had never before borne the burden of the belligerent tracks. The complex arose in the distance, marked by the row of war-worn flags fluttering outside: The United Nations Directorate Headquarters. It was the same old UN Headquarters, but the extra word made a lot of difference. It meant that they called the shots. She headed directly for the General Assembly building, and nearly made it to the door before a guard accosted her. He was young, with an unkempt beard. The white UNDF uniform did not give her any clues to his country of origin, but his accent did- he was a Praguer. "Hey, you!" he called, raising one hand as he approached and keeping the other on his rifle. "You can't go in there." "I think I can," she replied, slowly removing her sunglasses. She watched his pupils expand the instant he made eye contact, his breath becoming shallow. "I... I n-need to s-see your cred-credentials, first," he stammered, losing his composure. She took a step towards him, and he reciprocated, the two coming face to face. She smiled deviously, and the soldier offered her a dumb grin in response. He was completely and utterly captivated. "Maybe you'd like to see something else instead, hmm?" she cooed. "I... I mean, I would..." She leaned forward, her cheek brushing against his, and whispered an empty promise into his ear, in Czech. Afterwards, he immediately ushered her into the building, assuring the other guards that he had verified her credentials. Once they arrived at the assembly hall, she bid him farewell with a kiss on the hand, which nearly rendered him unconscious with pure ecstasy. He staggered off towards the nearest restroom, and she slipped into the assembly hall, wondering if she should maybe entertain his fantasy after all. It would require further deliberation, for sure. "Further deliberation on Resolution 28B will be postponed until the next session," said Germany, the Commerce committee chair. "It has been preempted by an emergency session on behalf of the Security Council." The politicians grumbled in frustration, shifting with agitation within the confines of their desks. A man entered the hall and took a seat at the front of the hall, underneath the UN seal, his crisp white uniform gleaming in a room full of dark suits. He was old, but he had a dignified attractiveness that the woman appreciated- he reminded her of a Kenyan Sean Connery. "The Security Council has requested this session in response to complaints lodged by you, General Abraham Uguzu," said China with some degree of annoyance. "But after we received those complaints, the Forces under your command have been summarily shamed in their duty." Russia leaned over her microphone, a frown permanently wrinkled onto her face. "You failed to defend our research outpost in Krasnoyarsk." "Furthermore, you allowed the theft of the prototype weapon Barbatos," added France. "And your inaction led to both the loss of CVN-77 George H. W. Bush, which was then configured into a nuclear weapon and detonated on US soil by Unknown Origin Actors!" snarled United States. "Why should we hear your complaints? It is within the Council's reason to dismiss you from duty!" Uguzu remained unshaken. "It is true that these were failures," he replied. "But I am not responsible." "If you're not responsible, then who is?!" roared United States, slamming his fist down next to his microphone and filling the room with feedback. "If it were within my power to intervene in these tragedies, I would have," replied Uguzu. "But I was operating according to your protocol. In each scenario, I acted with all of the power that I have been given. If any parties find my response unacceptable," he continued, raising his voice while rising from his chair, "Then the Security Council themselves must be held accountable!" This sent the hall into chaos. Delegates and diplomats shouted condemnations and approval alike. A fistfight very nearly broke out between the North American benches. "If the Forces are to defend humanity, we must have the authority to do so! We cannot be constrained to protocol when lives need to be saved!" "Then what do you want? New protocols?" asked China. Uguzu raised a finger, which he pointed forwards into the audience, at no one in particular. For a moment, the woman thought he had pointed at her, but she was certain her back-room perch rendered her all but invisible to him. "No. The Forces need autonomy above all else. I hereby call for the powers currently granted to the Security Council to be transferred to the United Nations Directorate Forces in their entirety." "Unthinkable!" shouted China. "Impossible!" asserted France. "Ludicrous!" yelled Russia. "Absurd!" screamed United States. "Greece votes yes on this proposition," said a young woman standing at her bench. "Morocco gives their approval," seconded a man across the aisle. "Algeria supports these measures." Soon, Uguzu's supporters outnumbered the Security Council, and then the Commerce committee, until entire continents had sided with the general. Germany stood up and delivered the news. "With a vote of 182 to 11, the proposition to grant the powers of the Security Council to the United Nations Directorate Forces has been carried. We will now begin further deliberations on the allotment of these powers and the Anti-Extraterrestrial Armament plan." The woman smiled, pleased to see things take such a dramatic turn. She didn't care for politics, but she had a strong interest in the future of this world, and wanted to ensure that the powers that be could set things straight. Uguzu was a variable she had not expected, but he had done her far more good than harm. After all, seduction wasn't a team sport. She left the assembly hall and was greeted by her guard from earlier, who had been patiently awaiting her return. He was completely enthralled, which did not surprise her. "You're with the UNDF, right?" she asked, despite already knowing the answer. "Yes, my lady," he gasped. "Then we will have a lot to talk about." "Y-you m-mean..." he stuttered, before passing out from joy once more. "Oh, I just love you to death," she whispered, hefting him onto her shoulder. The promise was anything but empty.
Unknown to the security council, a new figure was observing the building from several blocks away and yet being completely aware of all that happened, a humanoid who seemed human at least from a distance, dressed in a black trenchcoat. "So... this is what happens when you place all that power into one hand," He snarled, "Let's see how long she can hold the cards before they scatter all over the floor."
In the distance, a steady rumble grew in volume. Birds fled their treetop perches en masse, and a cloud of snow and dirt rose from the valleys to the southwest. Something was coming.
