(Y/N) needed the drive out of base. There had been to many close calls. First her cover was almost blown by Arachnid. She was fortunate Arcee was too stubborn to listen, knowing the femme was prone to lies just to get on everyone's nerves. That wasn't the most concerning, however. 

     Miko dubbed him Nemesis Prime. All (Y/N) knew was that it would have been her worst nightmare come true. She had hidden from the entire team. Not even Ratchet could find her throughout that day. She claimed to remember something about M.E.C.H., something horrible, and in truth she did. The lie within the truth was that she remembered being a victim to something, not that she was part of it. She panicked and swore to never remember her past if this monstrous group was involved. She wished she could forget it.

         "You okay?" Bulkhead asked, having been the one who volunteered to drive her. Ratchet had decided that if she had been out of the base's range already and hadn't been tracked by Knockout or even Soundwave for that matter, then she was most likely able to leave. 

         "Yeah," she admitted after her usual long pause, "I just- I just want to be normal. I bet I had a nice house, white picket fence. And a poodle."

         "I'm sorry, but sometimes things happen." Bulkhead was never one for encouraging words, but he tried his best. "At least now you have us!"

     (Y/N) smiled at the thought, but these last few instances were to close for comfort. The Autobots were nice and all, but if they knew she was actively sabotaging them they'd throw her with the rest of the scrap. An ironic thought to think that the Decepticons were her only safe place anymore. More so now that Arachnid had gone rogue, and M.E.C.H. was coming very close to finding out too much about Cybertronians. She needed to find a way to tell Soundwave about this development, though a rather moot point now that the Optimus Prime look-alike was in government storage. 

     The woman was also partially afraid of Fowler. If he dug too deeply within his government's files, at some point he'd find a lead connected to her. Not as enlisted, but a hostage case. Her file may state deceased, but the face was still the same.

         "Hold up," the big lug slowed his pace, "I've got an energon signal."

         "Living?" (Y/N) inquired.

         "Thank Primus, no, but it just might be an uncovered mine!" 

     She was thankful for the new topic, though Bulkhead was reluctant to let her climb down with him considering this hole was a little too perfect to be natural. It was argued whether she should stay in his subspace or not, but (Y/N) won with a look of defiance and the threat to tell Ratchet it was his fault she was taken on his little joy ride with Wheeljack. For Bulkhead's sake it was agreed that she'd say she crept on board since she was less likely to earn a verbal beat down. (Y/N) wasn't sure it was the wisest idea when they watched in mild horror as the Decepticon war ship began to loom over them.

         "Scrap!" Bulkhead tried to climb back up, but it didn't take any sabotaging skill on (Y/N)'s part to make him slip and fall to the packaged energon below, leaving him unconscious.

     (Y/N) winced, huffing at the hair in her face before realizing she couldn't feel her ankle. It had been giving her trouble since twisting it when Ratchet had taken the Cybertronian equivalent of a drug (AKA Synth-En), and she had never quite gotten it readjusted properly. Now it was twisted at an odd angle but had no feeling. She decided to count her blessings and didn't bother to right the twisted appendage as they were lifted into the cargo hold of the Nemesis.

     Relieved to find not a single soul ready to move the energon elsewhere, (Y/N) made it her mission to find Soundwave, exiting the room. She wasn't sure if contacting him would be wise, then again going to look for him while Bulkhead was onboard might also be quite unwise. He may be a clumsy fool, but he was a caring fool too. He certainly cared for Miko, and the thought of them being completely unknowing of his whereabouts didn't sit right by her. She was safe, he was not. 

         "You're developing a conscience?" (Y/N) asked herself as she looked to the door now hiding the unconscious being. It was certainly a thought; one she wasn't particularly fond of. Maybe remaining with Orion Pax for so long did begin to change her thinking. Was she not meant to be a Decepticon as he so wisely said? She thought a while longer before shaking her head.

         "No, I'm losing sight of my goal."

         -/Indeed/-

     Megatron's voice forced the human to straighten, but she relaxed upon seeing Soundwave. Why she would be so welcoming of his presence, he had not the slightest clue.

         "I was looking for you." She stated, earning silence as the usual response. "Bulkhead is just behind the door, and unconscious. He was investigating an energon signal and I happened to be with him for a drive. He failed to climb back up when the war ship came above us, falling after slipping on the rock wall."

     The mech pointed at the twisted limb she was gingerly trying to keep from placing her body weight on. 

         "A consequence of his inability to climb." She answered, looking to the still numb foot. "I feel no pain at the moment, a result of how it was twisted. It's been a dilemma since the Synthetic Energon delivery, but I have not given it much thought."

     Soundwave found it peculiar, his servo falling back to his side. (Y/N) peered at his own pede, which had scorch marks and a large gash. It was not twisted like hers, but clearly pained the mech as he kept it from holding his own weight.

         "Perhaps it is best we both see your local CMO." She suggested, this time earning a nod before being cradled in Soundwave's servo. "What will be done about Bulkhead?"

     The silent TIC wasn't quite sure. If he alerted Megatron, then the ex-Wrecker could be considered offline already. He doubted the mech could do any real damage to the war ship, considering he was rather dimwitted and didn't know anything about the Nemesis' schematics. The worst he could do was destroy a computer or two, but those were easily repaired. Vehicons were easily replaced if Bulkhead destroyed any along his little escapade. Of course, this was all speculation until he woke up. 

         "With team Prime's current condition," he heard (Y/N) begin, "it would not be beneficial to keep him around the war ship. Simply eliminating him would be wise before he wakes. A hostage situation would certainly be ideal if there was anything of importance in the Autobot's possession. For instance, the Spark Extractor."

     She held useful ideas, Soundwave knew, but the original idea of eliminating him was rather unexpected. Not just a few Earth minutes ago she was questioning herself and her decisions. Now she was willing to suggest the termination of the Autobot Bulkhead? Peculiar indeed.

     They arrived at the medical officer's medical bay, Knockout exclaiming how their visit was such a pleasant surprise. He asked how (Y/N) came aboard, and she simply answered with a flat 'I was found'. Knockout already knew that meant she wasn't going to elaborate. She was far too much like Soundwave in the aspect that if she didn't want to give information, she won't. The medic was just glad she spoke more. It made things less awkward. 

     Of course, his first priority was Soundwave's pede, though the red sports car would take a glance at the human's dangling, twisted appendage as she sat at the edge of the counter.

         "Doesn't that hurt? Or do humans have the ability to shut off their pain receptors?" He questioned, mildly disgusted.

         "I'm sure it will hurt once you correct it." She explained. "However it twisted caused something to pinch and therefore cut off whatever nerve would allow for the registering of pain."

         "I'd ask why not keep it that way but clearly it will not do well for you to walk around like an Autobot without his T-cog."

         "Yes, I heard you had quite the interesting chase."

     Knockout guffawed, beginning his gloating and egotistical vent of his easy taking of the Sky Boom Shield. Soundwave was rather irritated by it, but he soon realized (Y/N) was just as irritated when Knockout finally finished with his pede. The doctor had not been at the top of his performance of late, which is understandable when his Amica Endura had recently been disposed of by the traitor Arachnid. It was supposed to be quite the opposite way around, but Breakdown had developed an inferiority complex after his unfortunate run-in with M.E.C.H. 

     That was his undoing.

         "I could twist it back into place or I could just cut it off and provide a new one." Knockout half joked as his servo transformed into a saw blade. "Personally, I'd welcome the upgrade. Don't worry the color would match your optics."

         "Thank you doctor," and the human woman declined politely, making Knockout mutter of how ungrateful she was apparently being. 

     Knockout, of course, had to transform to correct her pede to be in the correct position, activating his holographic form. It clearly pained her after the correction, as she said, but the only revealing of such was the blood running down her lip and the increase in breath and heartbeat. She licked it clean before breathing deeply and nodding to the now transformed Knockout, getting up carefully.

         "It will heal on its own." She informed, stepping onto Soundwave's thin servo as he cradled her once more. "Thank you once again, doctor."

         "Oh please." The medic huffed. "Just use Knockout. You'll wear the title out."

     The two left, and Soundwave monitored the cameras surrounding the cargo hold. Bulkhead had yet to wake. Still, what to do with him remained in question. He was not paying much attention to the human femme in his servo until she shifted suddenly, and he saw that she was staring at his visor. This was an odd occurrence, as she had never done it before. He wondered if perhaps her old traits were beginning to surface after being in solitude for so long. For once she had a reason to be curious and inquisitive. It would be of no surprise to him if she asked about his visor and voiceless presence. He wouldn't answer, as was the normality.

         "How are they?" 

     Soundwave realized he had miscalculated.

         -/Fine/- came a clip from Knockout's monologue about his chase with Bumblebee.

         "Good." she nodded and turned back around.

     She was alluding to her plants, of course. Soundwave informed her of the truth, they were indeed fine. 

     He then stopped and thought a moment. Turning a blind eye to the Autobot's presence would result in his escape, but if he escaped with (Y/N), then that would put her in a better position to be trusted by the Autobots. With this in mind he continued his path.

         "There are a couple other developments that I will make quick notes of." His current companion spoke once more. "Firstly, Starscream and Arachnid are both very much alive, though the Seeker is grounded. I'm sure you knew of Arachnid, but Starscream I was not as sure."

     And she'd be correct. Not much was known of Starscream after Arachnid attempted to abandon him.

         "Secondly, M.E.C.H. had been very active for a while, and had managed to make an Optimus Prime look-alike. They used Starscream's T-cog to even give this puppet the ability to transform. It was ultimately destroyed, and the body of M.E.C.H.'s leader, Silas, is MIA. It's a rather moot point by now but I thought you may want to know for future reference. They may try something again."

     Soundwave decided it would be wiser to send her back to the Autobots if she was earning intel such as this. M.E.C.H. was hardly of any importance anymore, but Starscream without his T-cog? Now that was worth looking into.

         "I'm also thinking it might be better to have Bulkhead be sent back to the Autobots." 

Soundwave halted his path again, flicking his attention fully to the human in his servos. She was still staring ahead, even after he stopped.

         "It is ultimately yours or Megatron's choice, but to have me be rescued or somehow escape would put my standing with the Autobots at risk. I can't leave here un-scathed again if I am to stay for any longer of a time."

     He gave no answer, not even a movement, for a long time. No one passed by, of which both were thankful, but this reading of each other's minds was becoming far too consistent to be coincidental anymore. She had done it on the mountain, but those were obvious things easily answered or commented on. It was after she had come back from Unicron's very spark chamber did this synchronized state of being truly manifest. At least, that's what he believed.

     Instead of making a response, Soundwave nodded, changing his direction and soon setting her on the floor by the very exit where they had crossed paths. He straightened and began to walk off, guessing she probably knew his choice.

         "Thank you," (Y/N) began, the receding mech pausing for a moment to listen, "for considering my position." 

     He turned by a fraction to peer back at the smaller being, and nodded, before disappearing through a groundbridge.