Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. I do have some JaAm.

Chapter 13

Optimus Prime was rarely disappointed by his troops. More often than not, he was secretly proud of everything they accomplished in the seemingly never-ending war with the Decepticons. Now, however, disappointment threatened to overtake his entire being. He had failed his brother for the second time in his life.

It had been one thing to learn that an impatient Sam had dragged Bumblebee and Starscream off on a rescue mission. In fact, it was an understandable human reaction. But to know that by leaving the base to join the search effort had resulted in Megatron's kidnapping (or rescue) was a tough blow for Optimus. He should have known that Soundwave, being the tactician that he was, would take advantage of the situation. The Decepticon's plan couldn't have been better executed: humans and Autobots were distracted by various kidnapping attempts, leaving them confused. Then, while attempting to rescue the hostages the base was left practically defenseless, leaving it open for a Decepticon assault.

The news had come only a short time before landing at a small airbase in Texas. The pilots had sent an advance communication to ensure that no personnel would see the Transformers when they unloaded from the cargo planes. Arriving at the main gate only a few minutes after them were Sam and Bumblebee. Optimus let out a sigh of relief. At least those two were safe. But where was Starscream?

"Well, old friend, it looks like you're still in one piece," Optimus said as the yellow Camaro rolled up to where he was standing. "Have you learned anything as to the location of the missing humans?"

Optimus was slightly surprised to see two humans appear from Bumblebee's interior. Somehow Director Simmons had joined up with the duo. Bumblebee, after transforming, only offered his commander a shrug and averted his gaze. Sam quickly spoke up, answering for his guardian.

"We, uh, met some Autobots turned Decepticons who were really Autobots. Starscream is bringing them here, somehow."

Optimus stared at Sam, waiting for a further explanation. The human boy chuckled nervously before restarting.

"Um, yeah. The Autobots were being controlled by Soundwave by a brand on their spark. Some old thing of Megatron's." Sam paused. "That's what we learned."

Lennox and the other Autobots had gathered around to hear Sam's story. The teen reddened from the attention. Even though no one had said anything about his impulsive decision, he knew that everyone here must assume he was just an immature brat for taking off like he did. At the time it had seemed necessary but now-

"By the way," Simmons said, addressing the military officers around him. "These phones? Not good in an emergency situation. The kid's cell phone got better reception than this piece of crap."

"Did you remember to dial your access code before the number?" Epps asked. Simmons froze. "That's what I thought. Don't insult my tech again."

"Bumblebee, what is the nature of this brand?" Ratchet asked. "How does it work?"

The younger Autobot remained silent, only shrugging his shoulders. Suspicious, Ratchet gave Bumblebee a quick scan and sighed. Irritated, he pulled the yellow bot over and studied his vocal processor.

"Well, once again you've managed to make yourself mute. Repairs won't be easy." Bumblebee let out an innocent whine, glad that he hadn't received a more severe reprimand. No doubt that would come when the repairs began.

"You know that Megatron is gone, right?" Lennox asked, ignoring the bickering Autobots above him. "Know anything about that?"

"Only that he's an NBE on the loose. Just like the old days," Simmons said. "We found him before, we'll find him again."

"But this time he isn't frozen in a few thousand tons of ice," Sam snapped.

Lennox and Optimus simultaneously rubbed their faces in exasperation.

"Look, we'll find Megatron. And Mikaela," Lennox added. "Now, where's Starscream?"

There was a loud crash and the ground shuddered. The mech in question had just landed on the base, but not before unceremoniously dumping Cliffjumper and Yellow Rose onto the tarmac. Ratchet, still glaring at Bumblebee, went over to assess the damage on the two, paying more attention to the one that was still online. The others followed, carefully studying the Decepticon brand on his spark.

"What do you make of it?" Ironhide asked. Being the weapon's specialist, he liked to know every new Decepticon weapon so that he could develop a way to defeat it. Ratchet shook his head.

"It looks like nanobots are inserted during the branding process. The brand itself weakens the spark's natural defenses, allowing for the infestation. Whether or not Cliffjumper is even aware of the situation is dubious. My guess is that his central processors are being overrun by the nanos." The medic leaned in closer. "I might be able to remove them all, but there is no guarantee that he'll come out unscathed."

Optimus nodded. "You'll have to try. He is our only link to the Decepticons now."

"Starscream figured out where he came from," Sam quickly said. "We should check there, you know, in case the rest of them are there, too. In Canada, that is. And then Ratchet can do his surgery without all of us just sitting around."

If not for the gravity of the situation, Optimus would have offered Sam a smile. The boy, despite his rambling style, had managed to at least think up a cohesive plan. One that checked a potential lead while allowing Ratchet the privacy he needed (and demanded) for a grueling procedure. The Matrix of Leadership had truly known that Sam was a born leader, even if the human didn't know it himself.

Before giving an affirmative answer, Optimus looked down to check if Lennox was also on board. The major had been able to relate to Sam's dilemma, as his own wife and daughter had almost been victim to Soundwave's scheme. As such, he didn't hold it against the teen for running away without any warning. Catching Optimus' optics, Lennox nodded his approval.

"Starscream, you will tell us the coordinates. Autobots, let's roll out!"

Sam said a silent prayer of thanks as he and Bumblebee headed towards one of the cargo planes. Hopefully, it wouldn't be that long before he had Mikaela and James back where they would be safe and sound.

A/N: Hehe, 'roll out' must be included at least once in every TF fic. Sorry, but it's a basic rule.