Chapter 2

Alexis had come to Ocean City to get an update on how things were going from Optimus when the Decepticons had attacked it. She'd made a run for the main building when the fighting had started but hadn't reached the place in time. A stray piece of friendly fire had hit the pavement in front of her and been broken up, blocking her way. When she had tried to get around it she had heard someone yell out. "Starscream!"

The name being uttered had startled her, since she knew better than anyone that the robot named Starscream was dead. She'd turned her head upward, and had, much to her surprise and confusion, spotted the jet transformer in the sky. As she'd stood there, staring in shock the being that had been addressed as Starscream had turned and froze when his optics locked onto her. Then the two had stood imobile for a moment, staring, before he'd turned away and vanished.

Once the Decepticon was gone she had continued to stand there in disbelief at what she'd just seen until Hotshot had rushed over to her to make sure she was all right.

"I'm fine," she told him, though she looked shaken.

"All right," he said. "But let's get you out of here. The battle made the roads a little unstable and I don't want you getting hurt."

The woman nodded. "Yes, get me out of here," she said.

Hotshot went into vehicle mode and she climbed inside. As he drove away from the mangled part of the city, she asked. "Where is Optimus?"

"Why?"

"I need to talk to him," she responded. "Please take me to him."

"Okay," he agreed changing direction. "He's in the main building."

"Then I want to go there," she said. "There's something I need to talk to him about."

It was no longer about getting an update on things, that wasn't important anymore. That had actually completely left her mind. She had a much more important subject she was going to talk to him about.

Starscream.

Optimus Prime was in the main building talking to Kicker's father when Hotshot entered with Alexis. When the woman got out of the car and Prime spotted her he greeted her with. "Alexis, it's nice to see you-"

Alexis wasn't there for formalities. 'why didn't you tell me?" she cut him off.

The autobot looked at her in confusion. "Tell you what?"

"Why didn't you tell me about Starscream?" she demanded. 'You knew he was alive but you failed to mention this to me."

Hotshot shot his leader a look. Optimus stared at the frustrated woman staring up at him with a look of anger mixed with disappointment. He took a moment to come up with an answer that would satisfy her. He knew Alexis and Starscream had shared a special relationship in the past and she'd been the most broken up when he'd died.

"I.." he paused a moment. "I just didn't want you to get hurt."

"How would telling me Starscream was alive hurt me?!"

"Because he doesn't remember any of us," Hotshot spoke up. "Megatron wiped his mind. "

"I knew that if you found out you would try to talk to him," Optimus finally added. "He would not recognize you if you did..."

Alexis folded her arms. "You don't know that, Optimus."

"Alexis," Optimus said slowly. "Like Hotshot said. Megatron used his new found power to completely wipe Starscream's memory clean of any of his past. He's not the same Starscream anymore. If you had tried to talk to him he would have hurt you. I know you're having a hard time believing that, but it's true."

Alexis was having a hard time believing it but she didn't tell him that. She kept her focus on demanding answers. "Whether that's true or not you still should have told me," she shot back, testily. "Starscream was my friend and I have a right to know things when it concerns him."

"I know that, Alexis," Optimus told her. "and I'm sorry for not telling you, but-"

"There is no but!" she cut him off. "I don't know where you got the idea that you know what's best for me but you need to just stop that kind of thinking. If you keep doing things like that I won't be able to trust you anymore." she paused a moment before continuing. "Actually this incident makes me question everything I know about you. "

"Alexis."

The woman turned away from him. "No, Optimus" she said. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. In fact I don't think I even want to be here anymore." she started for the door without another word.

Once she was gone Hotshot looked at his leader. "I think she means it, Prime."

Optimus didn't argue. He was sure she did. With that thought came another one. Now that she knew about Starscream she just might do exactly what he'd been worried about. He would have to have someone keep an eye on her.

Megatron stood before the other Decepticons who had returned defeated from their battle on Earth and began to chew them out for their incompetence.

"How are we ever going to accomplish our goal if you keep failing?" he snapped at them, pacing in front of the soldiers. "This continued incompetence has to stop!"

While he continued to rant Starscream's mind had begun to wander. It kept returning to the woman he'd spotted back in Ocean City. Something about that woman had seemed familiar but he was having a very hard time figuring out why.

"Starscream!"

Starscream was jerked out of his thoughts when he realized his superior was looking at him. "Sir?" he said.

Megatron frowned at him. "Are you listening to me?"

Starscream wasn't about to admit he hadn't so he simply said. 'Yes, sir."

The other Decepticon's face gave off the impression that he had a hard time believing that but, instead of chewing him out for it he simply said. "Eyes on me, soldier this is very important."

"Yes, sir." he said in a softer voice.

Megatron, satisfied with that, continued his tirade and as he did so starscream's mind once more returned to the woman. I've never seen that woman before in my life so why does she seem so familiar? There's just something about her, like I should know who she i she-"

"Starscream!"

He looked back at Megatron who had his arms folded. "Something on your mind?" he growled. "Because it's obvious you haven't been paying attention to anything I've said so why don't you just share it with the rest of us?"

Uh oh. He was in trouble. Something told him if he did let everyone know what he was thinking he'd only make the situation worse. Thinking quickly he began to speak.

"Well, sir, I was just thinking that maybe the reason we failed in our mission was because we didn't come prepared. The Autobots seem to have more power than we what with their ability to Power Link with one another and use the Energon Stars," he explained quickly. "If we could think up a way to prevent either of these things from happening then-"

"Then we could crush them into dust," Megatron finished for him, thoughtfully. "Yes, that is the biggest problem here. You are right, Starscream, we really should come up with a better plan of attack, to ensure they cannot take that course of actions."

Starscream felt relieved. His answer had satisfied his master. he had just avoided a harsh punishment with his quick thinking.

Megatron dismissed the decepticons then, allowing the trio to exist the throne room so he could plan his next move against the Autobots.

Once they were out of the room Demolisher stopped Starscream in the hall to talk to him. He'd noticed the look on the jet transformer's face inside the room and had easily figured out he had not been thinking about the battle at all, well not for the same reason's he'd mentioned to Megatron anyway. Something else had been on his mind.

"Be honest, Starscream," he said. "Nothing you said in there to Megatron had anything to do with why you were so quiet. Your mind was on something else completely, wasn't it?"

Starscream looked at the other Decepticon without a single word. While Demolisher might not tell Megatron anything Starscream said to him, he did not trust him enough with it anyway. The tank transformer just might change his mind and do just that. It was best to simply keep it all to himself, as he wasn't even sure why he'd even begun to have these strange flashes of memory.

"You're not going to tell me anything, are you?" Demolisher asked after a moment. Starscream merely stared back at him, his mouth closed. The other Decepticon sighed. "I should have figured. You never talk to anybody anymore, except for Megatron. Sometimes I wish you could still remember things."

Starscream had to ask, as doing so might help him find out something about the woman he'd seen. "What kind of things, Demolisher?"

His companion looked as if he were about to give him an answer but before he could Cyclonus called out to him. "Hey, Demolisher, why are you hanging around with Mr. Amnesia? It's pointless to say anything to him, now come on, we have work to do!"

"I'm coming!" Demolisher called to him. He looked back at Starscream and said. "I'm sorry, we'll have to talk about this later." before he rushed off to join the other decepticon.

Starscream watched him run off, feeling disappointed. Somehow he knew Demolisher would not bring up the subject again any time soon, which meant he wouldn't learn anything about the past he could no longer remember. At least not from anybody in the base anyway. No, if he wanted to find out anything he would have to go elsewhere for the information.

Maybe that woman would be able to give him the answers he was looking for?