Mercifully for Optronix, the drive back to the scrapyard didn't take too long. He wanted to track down the escaped convicts as fast as possible. Optronix dropped Sparkplug's tow truck somewhere out of the way, and transformed. The walls around the edge of the scrapyard weren't very tall, but the secluded location should prevent anyone else from seeing him.

"So, what should we start looking for?" Sparkplug inquired.

"Our first priority should be building a disk drive able to read this." Optronix answered, pulling Teletraan's data disc out of subspace.

"Hmm..." A contemplative look crossed Sparkplug's face. "Can I see it for a second?"

Optronix bent down, and handed the disc over to Sparkplug. The disc, which had been the size of a quarter in Optronix's hands, was bigger than Sparkplug's head.

Sparkplug spun the disc around in his hands. "Just as I thought, it's not much smaller than a Laserdisc."

"Laserdisc?" Spike repeated.

"It's what came before the CD." Sparkplug answered. "I should have one or two Laserdisc players lying around here. We could probably jury-rig them to read this."

"So that's the disc drive sorted." Optronix stated. "But we still need a computer powerful enough to read it."

"There are a few boxes of computer parts in the back. You said you knew how to build computers, son?"

Spike rubbed the back of his neck. "A little. Just how to solder all the wires and stuff together."

"The coding won't be too advanced." Optronix stated. "I can take care of that on my own."

"Then I say let's get to it!" Sparkplug said.

The three proceeded to get to work. Sparkplug found a box of hard drives tucked back in a corner of his shed, while Spike collected the rest of the parts and sought out the soldering iron.

After Sparkplug sat down the box of hard drives in front of him, Optronix proceeded to take each one out of the box, and connect them to his own systems. Clearing the data off the drives went smoothly enough, binary was one of the few things that was universal. He also found a radio to replace the one broken in his fall to Earth.

After the drives had been formatted, Spike had arrived with the soldering iron, and the box of parts, wearing thick rubber gloves and safety goggles. Finally, Sparkplug got back with a Laserdisc player, and the three set to work.

Several hours of work later, enough for nightfall to have arrived, the computer that would become Teletraan One's new home began to take shape out of the countless bits of spare parts. Optronix had taken a flatscreen television and attached it to the computer. Sparkplug finished connecting the disc drive, and the internet router, and took a step back.

Optronix ran a scanning beam over the computer, and nodded. "Everything seems to be order. Sparkplug, Spike, would you care to do the honors?"

"Absolutely!" Spike answered. He ran over to the disc drive, and hit the button to close the tray. Sparkplug, meanwhile, found the power button, and pressed it.

The heat sinks and fans spun up, and electricity began to flow through the machine. The screen turned on, and the speakers began to crackle and pop.

"H-hello, annnnd th-thank you for activating-ting the Teletraan One back-up disc." Teletraan's smooth and calm male voice filtered out from the speakers. However, his words slurred and stuttured in some places.

"Hello Teletraan One, it's good to hear your voice." Optronix greeted.

"And yourssss as well." The AI returned. "W-where are we?"

"We're on Earth, homeworld of these humans." Optronix gestured down to Sparkplug and Spike. "They helped to bring you back on-line."

"Then you have my thanks."

"Listen, Teletraan, we're in a dire situation here. The Alchemor is destroyed, I have no contact with the other Autobots, and the prisoners are free to run unchecked on this world." Optronix explained.

"I see. And am I correct in assuming that you plan to capture the escaped?"

"That's correct." The Autobot nodded.

"Then we should waste no time. The humans' internet is large, but should prove a proactive place to start."

"You can't search the entire internet, that's impossible!" Sparkplug said.

"Teletraan One's speciality is data analysis." Optronix looked down at the human. "If anyone could sift through that much data, it's him."

"Excellent news, Lieutenant!" Teletraan one announced. "By distributing my processes into the internet, I have already located an escapee, as well as a surviving Autobot!"

"Really? Who are they?" Optronix inquired.

"Several traffic cameras have captured footage of a speeding muscle car. Based on the available physical data, and by tracking the descent vectors of those thrown from the ship, I believe this prisoner is Sideways."

"Sideways..." Optronix shook his head. "Out of all the bots..."

"What's so bad about this guy?" Spike asked.

"Sideways lives to cause wanton destruction and slaughter. There was one time he went on a crime spree in the gambling district in Kaon. He broke into fifteen seperate casinos, and killed everyone inside, employees and patrons alike. He didn't even rob the vaults." Optronix finished. "So, if the escaped prisoner is Sideways, who's the Autobot you found?"

"A VTOL of unknown make and model, according to human databases. Cross-refrencing the color scheme, and matching it to the personnel files, I can say with absolute certainty that the Autobot is none other than Windblade!"

Optronix nodded with approval. "At least it's someone who knows what they're doing. Can you raise her?"

"I will try."

"This is Lieutenant Windblade of the Autobots, identify." The Autobot's voice filtered out of the speakers.

"Windblade." Optronix responded. "It's good to hear from you. What's your status?"

"I'm tailing Sideways through a human settlement. So far, he hasn't done anything but break the local traffic laws, but that's liable to change. If things get nasty, I sure could use some back-up."

"Understood. I'll get the location from Teletraan, and head on my way. See you soon. Optronix out." With that, he closed the channel. "Teletraan, where are they?"

"A moderately-sized city approximately twenty miles northeast." Optronix's systems pinged as he recieved the navigation data. "You should be able to reach it relatively quickly."

Optronix nodded. "I'll help Windblade subdue Sideways. In the meantime, you get to work finding the rest of the escaped convicts, and any surviving Autobots." And then, he transformed.

"Alright, let's go!" Spike began to ran forward.

"Not this time, Spike." Optronix's responded, stopping the young boy in his tracks. "I don't want any humans to get caught in the crossfire, and that includes you and your father. I will be back soon."

With that final statement, Optronix shifted into gear, and rolled out, heading northeast towards Windblade and Sideways.

It took him about twenty minutes to reach the city, but as soon as he entered the city proper, a black and silver sports car shot past at speeds far too unsafe for any driver.

"Eat exhaust, Autobots!" Sideways cackled as he sped off.

Overhead, Windblade kept up with the speeding convict, weaving in between the buildings.

Optronix shifted into high gear, and sped off in pursuit. "Windblade!" He called once he caught up to Sideways, the two running a traffic light and disrupting human drivers in the process. "Can't you get him to stop!"

"I've tried!" The flyer called back. "His vehicle mode's too fast!"

"Then we force him out of it. Teletraan One," He radioed, "is there a secluded area nearby, a place with few humans?"

"Affirmative. Sending the route to you now. Be advised, human news crews are monitoring the situation. The chase is moving too fast for them to track, but they will likely try to pursue."

"Understood. Can you run interference? Make sure any transmissions of us in our bipedal forms don't get out?"

"I can. But I recommend dealing with the situation as quickly as possible."

"Got it, Optronix out. Windblade, we need to herd Sideways to this location." He sent the location to her.

"Roger that." The flying Autobot responded, breaking off.

Optronix proceeded to accelerate into Sideways's right side.

"Pull over!" Optronix ordered.

"Not likely!" Sidways shot left down an intersection, right where the Autobot wanted him to go.

The chase continued as such for some time, Optronix would slam into Sideways, and Windblade would cut him off, herding him out of the city, and into a nearby quarry.

The workers had all gone home for the night, leaving them unwise to the situation that was developing.

Optronix stayed close behind Sideways, chasing the convict into the center of the quarry. Optronix then chose that moment to brake, falling back.

At the moment it looked like Sideways was about to escape, Windblade dropped down ahead of him, in robot mode.

Sideways tried to shift into reverse, and pull away, but Windblade slammed her fist down on Sideways's hood, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"Oh, so that's how it's gonna be? Fine." Sideways growled, transforming. The convict stood to his full height, and threw his arms out, like an animal trying to make itself look bigger. The tires that made up the center of his hands began to spin rapidly, and his fingers turned into spikes attached to the wheels, turning his hands into massive sawblades.

Sideways took the two spinning saws, and brought them together, creating a shower of sparks as he slowly advanced towards Windblade. Windblade drew her swords, and the fans on her wings spun up, creating a massive gust of air, with the intent of pushing Sideways off his feet.

Sideways simply continued, nonplussed by the force of the wind.

Windblade pulled the sword in her right arm up, and brought it down. The sword got caught in the saws, and the spinning blades pulled it out of her grip. Now with only one sword, Windblade was put on the defensive even more.

Optronix saw this, and ran up behind Sideways. Optronix puched Sideways as hard as he could, knocking the escaped convict to the ground, and across the quarry. Windblade took the opportunity to grab her sword, and the two Autobots stood together in a fighting stance, while Sideways got back up to his feet.

"So, what's the plan?" Windblade asked.

"See those power lines?" Optronix pointed to a set of power lines suspended from a telephone pole. "We knock him into those. They should be carrying enough energy to overload his systems and knock him into stasis."

Windblade nodded her understanding, and Sideways charged towards them. Optronix brought up his battleaxe to deflect Sideways's sawblades, causing the convict to stagger, which left Windblade an opening to slash at with her swords.

The swords didn't make contact, but they did force Sideways to jump back. While Sideways tried to keep his balance, Optronix took a page out of Starscream's book, and kicked out Sideways's legs.

Windblade took that moment to transform, and plowed into Sideways as he fell, pinning him to the front of Windblade's cockpit. Windblade stopped in her tracks, but the momentum kept Sideways moving, and he catapulted into the power lines.

"AARRGH!" Sideways howled in pain as the current flowed through his body. Eventually, his leg servos gave out, and he fell to the ground, his systems having shut down to prevent damage.

Windblade and Optronix walked over to Sideways's form.

Optronix pulled a small disc-shaped device from his storage compartment, and threw it onto Sideways. The convict's T-Cog activated, but Sideways himself was still in stasis, leaving Sideways, by all appearances, an inanimate sports car. It wasn't exactly an elegant solution, but it would have to do until they could find some empty stasis cells.

"Well, that wasn't so bad." Windblade said.

"I am simply glad we managed to apprehend him before he could cause widespread destruction." Optronix responded, transforming. He attached his tow hook onto Sideways and shifted into drive. "Let's go, before the humans get here and make things more difficult."

With that, Optronix sped out of the quarry, with Windblade shadowing in the air, and they headed back to the scrapyard.

The two Autobots arrived at their destination several minutes later. While Windblade introduced herself to Sparkplug and Spike, Optronix dropped Sideways in the back of the scrapyard, and joined the others.

"...So there's been nothing from any of the others?" Windblade's voice became clear as Optronix approached.

"Negative." Teletraan One responded. "However, I have tasked several of my other processes with searching the humans' networks for any activity that could be attributed to the escaped prisoners, or any of the scattered Autobots

"We will find the others." Optronix vowed. "In the meantime, I suggest we all recharge. It has been a busy day."

"I hear that." Sparkplug agreed. "Come on, Spike."

"Alright." Spike yawned. "Goodnight, Optronix and Windblade."

The two bots nodded in response, and transformed, just so they wouldn't be discovered in the night.

As he slipped into recharge, Optronix couldn't help but worry. What would tomorrow bring? Where were the rest of the Autobots? Could they really capture all of the escaped?

Right now, the only thing he really hoped, was that the other Autobots were okay...

In the skies of planet Earth, a single F22 with an odd red, silver and black color scheme sat still in the vacuum of space, far higher than any jet was supposed to fly.

The jet transformed, and Starscream stretched his servos and wings. Human vehicles were so cramped, it was a wonder Starscream was able to scan one at all.

Starscream's comm flashed an alert, and he answered.

"Starscream," A smooth and deep voice filtered out, "It's been a whole solar cycle since the signal, report!"

Starscream winced. "Well, my lord, the prisoners rioted as planned, but they failed to dispatch the Autobots. Furthermore, they're scattered across the planet."

"You fool!" The voice boomed. "They were to be your troops, and now they are simply running rampant!? Get them under control, now. I will require a capable fighting force for my arrival, the disk did not lead us there to squander it all!"

"I understand, Lord Megatron!"

"Glad to hear it. I will arrive soon, and then we shall crush all of the Autobots, and their beloved Commonwealth, yes..."