A/N: I had such a crazy day at work today, so reading all your comments and reviews really helped me not be depressed, so thank you! As I said before, if you log in to review I will reply personally ^_^ Also if you are a Knockout fan, check out my short oneshot featuring him called Road Rash, you can find the link in my profile.

The bridge of the Nemesis was deserted except for a few Vehicons at their stations and Soundwave at his console. Slim digits danced over the pressure pad, information scrolling too rapidly for the optic to follow. Soundwave didn't need to read the data to know what it contained. The Autobots had dispersed, their signals scattered across the northern continent. One by one the signals vanished. He knew the bots were still online, they were hiding. Who could blame them? Optimus was dead, their base was destroyed, now all that was left was a slow lingering death from energon starvation or a quick pain filled death at Megatron's servos.

He didn't move as the door opened, Megatron and Starscream entering the bridge. The Vehicons on duty saluted then went back to work.

"I just don't understand, Lord Megatron." Starscream's voice held none of the whining tone so prominent before his return and reinstatement as second in command. "I know the signal was faint but it was there last night. Now it's gone."

"I will not be satisfied until I have his corpse before me." Megatron nodded to Soundwave as he passed. "I will not allow the Autobots any shred of hope."

"Of course my Lord. I will have the Eradicons search the rubble again. Their base was rather thoroughly destroyed."

"Take Knockout with you."

"Eh- . . . Okay."

"Drag him if you have to, but I want confirmation. Soundwave, do you have a fix on the others' coordinates."

Soundwave tilted his head slightly to look at Megatron and pulled up the map. Four locations glowed on the screen. Kansas, Ohio, Minnesota and New England.

Megatron nodded. "Good job. Optimus' singal?"

Soundwave looked back at the map. Zooming it in he pointed to the mesa where the base had been. Megatron grunted in displeasure.

"He has to be there, my Lord. If he got caught in the explosion then he might be buried under the rubble."

"If he's still alive, I want him brought here."

A thrill went through Soundwave's circuits at the threat implied in those words. Having Optimus on the Nemesis when he'd lost his memory was one thing. It was going to be quite another to actually capture and imprison the Prime. Wounded or not, the bot was a menace.

"Of course my Lord. I shall go at once."

The door closed marking Starscream's exit. It was silent for several long moments, just the clicking of digits and the soft hum of the ship.

"Soundwave, make sure you track the medic. If the others are injured they will try to get in contact with him."

Soundwave stepped back from the console and lightly touched Lazerbeak who immediately disengaged from his chest. The mini-con hovered at optic level for a moment before tilting its wings in acknowledgment. Soundwave watched it leave and turned to look at Megatron who was grinning.

"Open the space bridge, there is someone I need to speak with."

###

Starscream landed in the midst of the rubble, the three Eradicons following suit. It was raining, the few fires still burning hissing and crackling. Metal popped as it cooled and the whole area smelled of burnt plastic and wiring. It was disturbingly reminiscent of some of the battle zones on Cybertron.

"Hurry up Knockout!"

There was a clatter of falling rock and a curse.

"Why am I even here? Scrap!" The red and white con slid into view nearly tumbling aft over heels as he climbed down the steep slope. "If this is some kind of joke-"

"Shut up already." Starscream stomped his foot ready to hit the medic. Again. "Lord Megatron wanted to make sure that Optimus is indeed dead and if not we are to take him back to the fortress."

"Oh please, look at this place." Knockout waved his servos in the air. "No one could have survived this."

Starscream narrowed his optics and advanced on the medic who tried to back away without getting caught in the debris. "Need I remind you that Lord Megatron himself survived being at the center of a space bridge explosion? We cannot afford to be lax when it comes to our enemies. If Optimus is indeed alive then we will bring him before Megatron. If he is offline then I will bring his head back as a trophy for Lord Megatron."

"R-right."

Starscream raised an arm smirking as the medic flinched and ducked. "Eradicons, start moving that rubble."

He and Knockout watched as the Eradicons methodically cleared the main staging area. After several minutes Knockout started to fidget.

"There's nothing here Starscream."

"Go make sure."

Throwing Starscream a dirty look, Knockout picked his way through the piles running his sensors over them. He let out a low whistle as he came across a pool of energon. It was decaying rapidly in the rain, but he could tell it was still fairly fresh. Less than twelve hours old.

"Well someone was here and they were definitely injured." He motioned Starscream over. "There is a large pool of energon here. There is a trail of it going this way. Whoever was injured left sometime last night or early this morning. Look at this."

He pointed to a section of metal beam. "There are traces of erergon from here to here. My expert opinion is that someone was impaled by it."

"So either Optimus was able to get himself out or-"

"Or he had help."

Starscream scowled. "Lord Megatron is not going to be happy. Can you track the energon trail?"

"Well of course-"

"Then do it. I'm going back to report this to Megatron."

"Wait-what-"

"I said to track down Optimus. He is badly injured so he couldn't have gone far. Now move it!"

Knockout ducked out of the way and with a parting glare climbed out of the wreckage. Starscream called off the Eradicons.

"Back to the Nemesis. We have to report this to Lord Megatron. You there, you follow Knockout and make sure he doesn't get distracted."

"Yes sir, Starscream sir!"

Knockout muttered a few choice words as he watched the jets head back for the ship. "Why doesn't he track down Optimus? He's the flyer. He knows I hate getting water spots on my finish."

Starscream had been insufferable ever since they'd returned from Cyberton. Of course they'd all been shocked and upset by the destruction of the Omega Lock, but Knockout had never seen this kind of rage from the seeker. On the other hand Megatron seemed almost gleeful, as though he'd foreseen Optimus doing that very thing. But, how could he? How indeed?

Shaking off the insubordinate thoughts Knockout pulled up the map and overlaid the direction the energon trail was heading. "So . . . It looks like you were trying to put some distance between us, hmm? Its not going to save you."

###

Soundwave closed the spacebridge behind Megatron. The massive gladitor's grin wasn't like anything Soundwave could remember seeing. He knew who Megatron had gone to see but he wasn't quite sure why. None of them wanted much to do with the mad scientist who'd been left in charge of Cybertron.

"It's almost upon us Soundwave! Our victory is nearly complete. Shockwave has assured me he has the means to eradicate every last Autobot spark in existence. Has Starscream reported back."

Soundwave nodded and held out the datapad.

"How . . . Punctual of him. Maybe those months scrounging for scraps have taught him the lesson he wouldn't learn from me."

Soundwave remained silent as Megatron scanned through the information. "Well Knockout isn't my first choice to go after him, but it makes sense. He's got the most delicate sensors."

He handed the datapad back. "What about Lazerbeak?"

Soundwave shook his head and pointed to the screen. A map popped up showing a blinking red dot as it homed in on a blinking green dot.

"Yes, I suppose it is a rather long distance to cover. You could have ground bridged him closer, but that might have given us away. I'll await your reports once the medic is found."

Soundwave nodded and turned back to monitor the mini-con's progress. Lazerbeak was still a couple of hours out from the Autobot's location, but the jetstream was helping him conserve energy. He'd have the medic's location by nightfall. Though what Megatron would decide to do then was anyone's guess. Soundwave glanced over at where Megatron was standing looking out at the desert. He appeared to be deep in thought. Not an unusual occurrence. Megatron was a genius. An expert tactician and a masterful manipulator. The first time Soundwave had seen him in the gladiatorial pits he'd just defeated his sixth opponent in a row. The crowds had been screaming for more and Megatron-Megatronus at the time-had worked them into a frenzy with his rhetoric. But it wasn't his charisma or obvious strength that had drawn Soundwave to his side. No, it was the moments like this, when he was quiet, contemplative and at his most dangerous.

Soundwave had witnessed it for the first time after a long battle with an Insecticon that had nearly killed Megatron. Even the crowds had been shocked at the ferocity of the battle. It had been a very hard won victory and Megatron had not engaged in his usual posturing afterward, but had went straight to the gladiator's barracks. It was there sitting on his own narrow berth that Soundwave had watched the gladiator meditate on the battle. He knew that was the case since his unique abilities allowed him to read the electromagnetic fluctuations that every Cybertronian emits. Some called it telepathy, but he knew it was nothing that precise. He could sense the subtle emotional changes and Megatron had been reliving the battle down to the nanokilk. It was then that he knew there was something very different about the gladiator and had worked to prove himself worthy of his notice. So far he had not been disappointed.

He turned his attention back to his console as an Eradicon signal beeped. He gave the go ahead for the report knowing Megatron would want it.

"Lord Megatron sir, Starscream asked me to provide Knockout with back up, but he's stopped and is parked under an overpass. What should I do?"

"That prissy little-" Megatron hissed, then shook his head. "Stay with him. Is it still raining?"

"Yes sir and the temperature has dropped with the elevation, but I don't see-"

"Knockout is very sensitive to weather changes." Megatron ground out. "Just stay with him. If he doesn't get moving in the next hour make him move."

"Sir, yes sir!"

Soundwave cut the communication and looked at Megatron. Megatron vented heavily and shook his head. "Of all the bots to send on a cross country mission . . . Well, maybe it will do the preening little glitch some good to get his mudflaps dirty with some real work for a change. I haven't forgotten his indiscretions when it comes to where his loyalty truly lies."

Neither had Soundwave. It was all safely stored away should the need to retrieve it arise. He didn't forget and he didn't forgive, not when it concerned Megatron and the Decepticon cause.