Starxis
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Chapter Eleven
It didn't take Hot Shot and Wheeljack long to reach the entrance to the caves, but a problem presented itself once they'd descended into the depths -- they didn't know which way Thrust and Starscream had gone. While they could send a message to the latter, it would be very hard to pinpoint his location given that all the tunnels pretty much looked the same.
Shortly after they'd begun their exploration, Wheeljack suggested that Hot Shot relay a message to the remaining Autobots to explain the situation. "Perhaps one of them would know the layout of this particular region."
Hot Shot nodded, feeling odd at the prospect that he and Wheeljack were working side by side once more. After all that had happened between them, he'd never imagined that they'd find some common ground. Detaching his comlink and setting it on a nearby ledge, Hot Shot set it to transmit a live video feed.
Back aboard the Autobot shuttle, all those gathered on the bridge were alerted when the broadcast appeared on the main monitor. It didn't take long for Hot Shot to explain what had happened; the news that Thrust was in league with Unicron caused something of an uproar amongst the Autobots.
Looking up at the screen with one hand resting on Starxis' head, Alexis asked after Starscream. Focusing on her, Hot Shot answered with, "He's got a headstart on us… I wouldn't worry though, Alexis. If he catches up with Thrust first, he should be able to hold his own until Wheeljack and I get there." Hot Shot paused, then added, "Has there been any word from Megatron? Did we convince him?"
Optimus sighed, briefly looking downwards. "We haven't heard anything, Hot Shot. I'm not yet sure what that means."
Wheeljack chose to chime in at this. If he had any qualms about helping the Autobots, he didn't show it; perhaps the fact that he had once been one of them made him much more receptive to the idea of the alliance. "You have to keep in mind that Megatron's pretty livid right now. Maybe once he calms down…"
"Let's hope that he leans in our favor," Hot Shot said in response. Turning back to look at his friends on the bridge, he added, "So, how goes the evacuation?"
"For the most part, okay," Optimus answered. "There have been some problem areas where the officers in charge are against pulling out, but they know better than to defy orders that came directly from me."
"I hope that means you can spare Scavenger, Hoist, or Jetfire soon. We could use some help down here… Unless one of you knows the intricacies of this place." Hot Shot took a step to the right, allowing a view of the tunnel behind him just in case.
While the Autobots continued the conversation, a comment by High Wire went unheard by everyone but the three kids near him. The small bot was still speaking in English, but seemed to have evolved beyond halting, broken phrases. "I recognize that place," High Wire said softly.
Startled, Rad, Carlos, and Alexis turned to look at the Mini-Con, even as High Wire continued with, "We must go there." Before any of the kids could form a response, High Wire moved to quietly walk from the bridge. As if inspired, Grindor and Sureshock soon moved to follow him.
Concerned by this, the kids got to their feet and hurried out to the corridor after their Mini-Con friends, with Starxis hot on Alexis' heels. Rad effectively stopped the three bots by calling for them to wait, or so it seemed. High Wire turned to look at the humans, almost instantly saying, "Come with us."
Taken aback, Rad sought answers. "What is that place? Why do you need to go there, and why would you need us?"
High Wire tilted his head to one side, appearing slightly confused by one or more of the questions. Still, he answered with, slipping back into the realm of vague responses, "Birth place of the Mini-Cons… You… Must see."
For the next few minutes, no matter how much Rad, Carlos, and Alexis tried to get something further out of him, High Wire seemed either unwilling or too impatient to answer their questions. Eventually, Rad gave in, though he reluctantly said, "We shouldn't head out without at least telling Optimus."
"We can't," Carlos put in. "He'd never agree to let us go out there with so many of the Decepticons hanging around. They have to be looking for Thrust too, which means they're likely to be everywhere."
Alexis turned to look at High Wire, asking, "How important is it that we go exploring? Birth place or no, now's not the best time to take a trip down memory lane."
High Wire seemed to be adamant when he repeated, "You must see…"
Alexis blinked, looking to Rad and Carlos for a decision. Despite their misgivings, not a one of them could deny how important this seemed to be to High Wire. Their comments on what bad timing this was only seemed to get a rise out of the diminutive bot, leaving no question in their minds that they'd best adhere to the request. Any more fuss would likely alert one of the Autobots, which could prove disastrous as they'd never agree to this venture.
Within minutes, the three kids were suited up and were exiting the shuttle with their Mini-Con partners and Starxis in tow…
The more time that went by with no announcement that Thrust had been captured, the angrier Megatron got. A report from Wheeljack had indicated that the tactician had escaped underground, but all of the men dispatched to that area were coming back empty-handed. While the caves beneath Cybertron were huge and far-reaching, it still added to Megatron's rage that Thrust had not yet been taken into custody.
Eventually, Megatron's gaze was drawn to the indentation in the floor where Starscream had lodged the Saber, and this brought the issue of Unicron to mind. There was no doubt in the mind of the Decepticon leader now that this new enemy existed, especially given what Thrust had had to say. And yet…
How dangerous could this Unicron actually be? Megatron mused. It's true, he did generate a black hole that devastated my forces, but if that's all he's capable of, then there should be no further problem. Like Optimus, Megatron was drawn to the conclusion of keeping his troops separated into small manageable groups to lessen the chances of them being picked off in large quantities.
The other thought that put Megatron at ease was that he did have a good-sized number of the Mini-Cons on his side. With all those miniature, power-enhancing bots working for him, shouldn't it be easy for the Decepticons to overwhelm their enemies, no matter how powerful?
As before, Megatron stubbornly refused to consider joining forces with the Autobots. Despite the setbacks, he still felt confidant that he'd be able to wrest control of Cybertron away from the opposing faction. Then, and only then, he'd focus his army's attention on destroying Unicron…
The endless search through the tunnels proved to be frustrating, though the fact that he was able to catch sight of Thrust several times from a distance kept Starscream from totally giving up hope. For a while, it seemed that the tactician would never cease running, whether he was aware that he was pursued or not.
As he descended deeper into the depths of Cybertron, Starscream began to notice something odd about the tunnels. Where the upper levels reflected the mechanical nature of the planet, these lower ones were a mix of electronic and organic material. For a few seconds, he even stopped to examine the walls, curious at the fact that the biological substance seemed fused with the steel and wires.
Then, he heard the sound of Thrust's voice echoing from further down the tunnel, and Starscream abandoned his examination to move quietly in that direction. As he got closer, the words became clearer and indicated that the traitor was looking for Sideways.
Starscream hesitated once more, but very briefly. He'd suspected that Thrust had escaped down here to meet up with Unicron, and this revelation somewhat confirmed it. While disturbed at the prospect that Sideways and Unicron had been hiding in the underbelly of Cybertron this whole time, he was nevertheless determined to put a stop to whatever it was they were planning.
Detaching his wing sword and holding it at the ready, Starscream advanced towards the area where Thrust was, the latter making no effort to keep his voice down. Given the semi-organic nature of the tunnel, Starscream's approach was masked until one foot landed on a bare patch of metal, and a loud clang echoed through the enclosure.
Instantly tense, Thrust spun to face Starscream, the Shield and Blaster tightly gripped in each of his hands. When he made a move to raise the gun, Starscream took a threatening step forward; it instantly became clear to Thrust that the jet would be on him before he had a chance to defend himself.
Reiterating the words that Thrust had once thrown at him, Starscream said, "So, what's it like being a traitor?"
Gulping nervously, Thrust knew instantly that his only option was to try to talk his way out of this. He'd do anything at this point to ensure his own survival. "It's not too late for you to join us, Starscream," he said, effectively banishing all fear from his voice. "Just think, this would be your best chance to exact revenge… Throw in your lot with Unicron, and I guarantee you'd see Megatron suffer a slow, painful death."
Starscream hesitated, thrown by this claim. He'd known that Thrust had betrayed them all, but had the tactician really lost his mind to the extent that he expected someone else to do likewise? "What's this about, Thrust?" he asked, making it clear that he was ready to attack if his "companion" tried anything funny. "Why ally yourself with someone who threatens to destroy every single one of your kin?"
"For incredible power. What else?" Thrust answered with a short laugh. "When all is said and done, Unicron and I will be the only ones left standing to rule the universe!"
Starscream stared across at the traitor in disbelief, though he didn't relax his stance. Of all the things he could have felt at this juncture, he never expected pity to be one of them. Thrust had truly gone insane if he believed that Unicron might actually favor him, above all the other Transformers. After all, hadn't Sideways proven he was more than willing to double-cross Thrust if it served his own ends?
Starscream didn't fully understand why Sideways would help dismantle the Hydra Cannon if he had indeed aided in building it, but he couldn't deny that Thrust was more than likely being used by the rogue bot. Why should Unicron do any less?
Out loud, and paying scant attention to a few foreign thoughts that were coming to mind, Starscream said, "I would rather die than follow your lead, you sniveling coward."
Thrust paused, briefly debating his chances of overpowering Starscream and getting away from here. Salvation came in an unexpected form, as a feminine voice, resonating with shock, sounded from the opposite side of the cave: "Starscream!"
Both bots turned their heads towards the origin of the voice; one set of optics immediately filled with alarm, the other, with malice. Though neither had expected this development, it was soon to have a devastating affect on the outcome of this confrontation.
"Alexis!" Starscream blurted out, simultaneously thinking, What's she doing here? So startled he was to see her and Starxis (and the two boys and three Mini-Cons), he literally forgot he should be keeping close watch of Thrust.
Alexis was just as troubled; she'd not expected to stumble upon this scene when she'd agreed to accompany High Wire, Sureshock, and Grindor down here. She was briefly distracted when Starxis suddenly moved to leap in front of her, almost protectively, his head turned towards Thrust as he hissed at the giant bot.
The events of the next twenty seconds seemed to play out with painstaking slowness, as if time had been greatly decelerated. Barely registering that High Wire was speaking once more behind her ("Must see…"), Alexis was overcome with fear when Thrust teleported slightly away from the distracted Starscream. She wasn't sure what inspired the tactician's decision, but a second later, the Blaster had been raised -- and it was pointed right at her, Rad and Carlos!
Her alarmed thoughts must have been what alerted Starscream to this, for he turned to look at Thrust with a sharp gasp. In the same instant, Starxis tensed, and began whining slightly for some unexplained reason; it almost looked like the youngling wanted to move, but was undecided as to whether or not he should.
A look of panic came to Starscream's face as Alexis watched him. "No!" he yelled out, making a move towards Thrust. It was perhaps the wrong thing to do, given how tense the tactician was.
Thrust was surprisingly quick when he whirled to face Starscream, shouting out a warning for the latter to keep back. Unfortunately, the Blaster was brought around to aim at the jet when Thrust moved. Later on, Alexis was never sure if it was accidental or intentional, but the gun's trigger was pulled in that same instant.
Watching in horror at the tableau unfolding before her eyes, Alexis screamed out her friend's name, as the laser blast hit him in the stomach area, burning instantly through the metal and wires until the beam emerged uninterrupted from his back. A look of pure agony contorted Starscream's features, and, though she hadn't thought it possible, his optics took on a slightly glazed appearance. She had seen this once before with Hoist, who'd been lucky enough to have survived, but this time around, it seemed much more appalling.
The beam was powerful enough that it simultaneously sent Starscream flying down the corridor until he hit the far wall. Though Alexis lost sight of him after that, she clearly saw a ball of fire take his place. She barely had time to guess that the laser blast had hit something behind the wall to cause an explosion before she began to scream once more, when she saw the flames coming towards her and the boys.
One of Alexis' last sights, in these few terrifying seconds, was of Starxis looking at her with anxious green eyes. The fact that the youngling wasn't even trying to make a run for it told her that there was maybe not even any time for that.
And that's when her life got much, much weirder…
With a slight cry, Alexis opened her eyes, feeling a sense of emptiness until she began to get her bearings. Blinking in confusion, she raised her head from her pillow (what was she doing back at home?!), looking around her bedroom as if she were seeing it for the very first time.
After a long moment, Alexis sat up in bed, and her wild gaze was drawn to the window. She had a perfect view of the mountain in the distance from this vantage point, where the Autobot's base was, and she watched it intently for a minute or two as if hoping to see one of the Transformers out and about.
At this point, Alexis started to notice that some things were off about her surroundings, not the least of which was that there was a doll resting on the mattress beside her that she'd not had since she was seven. Alarmed, she got to her feet, and the glimpse of herself in a mirror told her she was impossibly little more than a child.
It was unclear to Alexis just what her next move would have been, had the door not opened and her Mom entered the room, carrying a bowl of chicken soup. With wide eyes, Alexis' Mom said, "Sweetie, what are you doing out of bed? I told you that you needed to rest if you wanted to get over that nasty cold."
Alexis looked up at her mother, denying the reality of this. "Where am I?" she asked, her voice bordering on hysteria. "Where's Starscream? And Starxis…? How did I get here?" she continued, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
Alexis' Mom regarded her daughter with sympathetic eyes. "Oh, did you have a bad dream, baby?" she responded. Without waiting for an answer, she set the soup bowl on the dresser, then moved to embrace Alexis. "It's okay. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real, and it can't hurt you now."
Alexis slightly shook her head, not wanting to believe that. It couldn't have been a dream, could it?! It was far too vivid… They… They were real! I know they were! The thought of Starscream and Starxis and the fresh memory of what had occurred prior to her waking up brought a sudden, sharp ache to her heart, causing a whimper to pass through her lips. This isn't happening! Somebody tell me they're not gone!
As the minutes wore on, with Alexis' Mom doing everything she could to console her upset daughter, the less Alexis began to believe what she was telling herself. If not for the fact that she could hear someone else's voice reaching her as if from some far off point, calling her name over and over, she didn't know how long she might have remained trapped within this delusion (as she would later come to call it).
And yet, when she awoke to yet another different locale than the one she'd started in, Alexis began to wonder if she'd forsaken one dream for another. (For all she knew, she could still be asleep and imagining all this.)
Aware that her tears were flowing freely, Alexis raised one hand to wipe them away, but was surprised when she met with resistance. Opening her eyes fully allowed her to see that she was wearing her space suit and helmet, both seemingly undamaged from the explosion. Either she'd somehow made it out of that tunnel intact, or she was having the most vivid dream.
"Starscream," Alexis whispered, weakly raising herself up from the floor. Taking a look around told her she was in an area that was similar to the corridor she'd been roaming through. However, this place was much more cavernous, and, while it seemed to be of the same consistency as the organic material from the tunnel, there was no sign of the electronics inherent from Cybertron.
The sound of Rad's voice gently calling out her name made Alexis turn to focus on him. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, which only increased when he saw she'd been crying. Though not a word was spoken between them, Alexis instinctively knew what Rad must be thinking. Looking downwards, she said softly, and was caught off guard when the words caused her heart to start hurting anew, "He's gone… They're both gone."
Though Rad was probably only looking to comfort her when he said he was sorry, it only made her feel worse. Biting her lip to stave off more tears, Alexis sat up, putting one hand to her chest as if that would ward off the pain she was feeling. Despite herself, she couldn't stop the rush of memories that came with this realization, of the countless moments spent in either Starscream's or Starxis' company. Each one hurt more than the one preceding it.
At last, Alexis pounded the floor with one fist, startling Rad by shouting out, "No!" As she followed this by beginning to cry profusely, he leaned in and pulled her close, for lack of what else he could possibly do given the situation.
Ironically, it took the sound of Carlos' voice to inspire Alexis to pull herself together. "Uh, guys… I hate to interrupt, but… Where the heck are we?"
At those words, Alexis lifted her head and began to look around in greater detail, briefly hating that she couldn't readily dry her eyes. After a moment, she could only answer with, "I don't know… Well, here's a better question -- how did we get here, wherever here is?"
Rad got to his feet, reaching out a hand to help Alexis up. "The only way to find that out may be by exploring." When she made no move, he said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed… If you're not up to joining us…"
Alexis looked up at him in silence for a few seconds, then reached for his hand. Once she was on her feet, she wrapped both arms tightly around herself as if trying to keep her grief contained. "I'll be fine," she said firmly, even though she wasn't sure she really believed it. Nevertheless, she followed Rad and Carlos' lead as they moved off
And yet, it felt like she'd stepped right into another nightmare, the moment she and the boys rounded the corner and discovered the colossal Tidal Wave standing right in front of them. So startled she was that, when she stumbled back, she wound up flat on her behind. For a few seconds, she could only scoot away from the giant Decepticon in a fright, until her mind registered that he wasn't moving.
The longer Alexis and the boys stared at Tidal Wave, the more they began to see that something was wrong. For one thing, the enormous Transformer was propped against one wall of the corridor (angled in such a way that he was facing them), and the fact that his head was drooping and his optics weren't lit up suggested he wasn't even conscious.
The next thing they noticed was that Tidal Wave seemed to be "grafted" into the wall. The organic material, impossible as the prospect was, appeared to be fused with his metal frame; in some areas, it even looked like Tidal Wave's chassis was being consumed by the biological tentacles surrounding him.
Alexis was the first to voice what was on the minds of the three kids. "Is he dead? What happened to him?!" The last they had seen of the giant bot, he was still very much alive and kicking.
Rad shook his head. "I don't know, Alexis." A pause, then, "Come on, let's keep moving…"
The nightmare they were in seemed to get worse as they continued down the corridors. They stumbled upon Scavenger and a Decepticon soldier they had never seen before after about walking another five hundred feet, in the exact same state as Tidal Wave, if not more severe. Around the next bend was Sideswipe, his form almost unrecognizable as he had been almost completely absorbed within the wall.
The chamber that Rad, Carlos, and Alexis stumbled into next almost defeated them. With heavy hearts, they let their gazes drift among the countless bodies trapped within the walls and even the ceiling. It was hard to determine just how many of the Transformers (Autobot and Decepticon alike) were entombed here, but all of them were showing varying degrees of decay.
"How could this have happened?" Carlos asked, in complete shock, even as his eyes came to rest on Megatron on the left wall. It seemed strange to see the Decepticon leader so silent and still for a change. "Tell me this isn't real!"
Rad turned his gaze from the ceiling, squeezing his eyes shut and attempting to banish the sight of Optimus' lifeless form from his mind. When he opened them again, he almost immediately wished he hadn't. Feeling sick, he said quietly, "We're in the future."
Both Alexis and Carlos turned to look at Rad questionably, then followed his gaze. What they saw instantly convinced them that their friend had to be right, and made them feel equally nauseous. Carlos even dropped to his knees and put one hand against the floor, taking deep breaths to try and calm himself.
Five sets of what could only be human skeletons were laid out not far away from where the horrified kids were standing.
"We're in the future," Rad repeated. "And from the looks of things, Unicron's killed us all…"
They might have continued to believe this, had not a soft groan reached their ears from the far end of the cavern. Instantly, Carlos was climbing to his feet, once his eyes alighted on a familiar form. "Hot Shot!" he yelled out, running towards the only bot who seemed to be left alive here.
Rad was quick to follow suit, but Alexis hesitated, her gaze reluctantly drawn to Unicron's many victims. It didn't take her long to search through the sea of faces, desperate to find the one she most wanted to see. Her hopes were soon dashed, once she confirmed that Starscream (or Thrust, for that matter) was nowhere to be found here.
Oddly enough, this brought another ache to her heart. There could be only two explanations for this. 1) Either Starscream had escaped the devastation that Unicron had wrought, or 2) , much as she hated to admit it, he hadn't survived being shot by Thrust. Dejected, she looked downwards, and would have surrendered to her grief once more had something strange about this situation hit her. With wide eyes, Alexis turned back to look towards the ceiling, soon confirming what she'd barely noticed the first time around.
Not one of the Mini-Cons was present in this tomb!
After a moment spent pondering this, Alexis hurried after Rad and Carlos, coming to a halt just a few feet away from where Hot Shot was. Unlike the other Transformers, he was laid out flat on his back, atop some sort of twisted organic pyre. At first, the fact that Carlos kept calling out his name and getting no response made the three kids fear he might be dead too.
But then, Hot Shot turned his head in their direction, which was punctuated by the grinding of badly-oiled gears, and the kids could see that his optics were very badly lit. When he spoke, it was in a tired voice. "Who's there?" When they didn't answer right away, he went on with, "Please say I'm not alone… I don't want to be alone."
Carlos tilted his head up a notch. "You're not alone, big guy," he said in his most reassuring tone. "We're here."
Hot Shot's optics brightened ever so slightly, perhaps so he could focus on them better. However, his response caught them off guard. "Who are you?" Rad, Carlos, and Alexis exchanged glances, each of them wondering how he could not recognize them. Hot Shot seemed not to notice or maybe even care that they were confused, for he continued with, "Never mind… It's good just to have someone to talk to again. I don't know how long it's been since the last few went away."
Alexis took a step forward, saying, "What happened here, Hot Shot? Where are we? Where are the Mini-Cons?" At her words, Rad and Carlos jumped and began to look around; apparently, they'd not readily noticed that the diminutive bots were missing either.
Hot Shot's lips twisted up in a slight scowl. Turning his head so he was looking back up at the ceiling, he said tiredly, "They're gone too… He took them back once the battle was over. And why not? They'd served their purpose." Hot Shot groaned, arching slightly like he was in pain. "We were all being used right from the beginning, and we didn't know it."
"Used by who?" Carlos blurted out. "We don't know what you're talking about!"
Alexis looked down at the floor, blinking rapidly and thinking back to Optimus' statement that the Mini-Cons hadn't come into existence until some time after the war had began. Though she didn't like the idea, Hot Shot's words seemed to be implying Unicron had had a hand in this. Looking back up, she said in a shaky voice, "The Mini-Cons… He created them, didn't he?"
Rad turned to gaze at her curiously. "What…?"
Alexis bit her lip. "Unicron," she said simply. "He made them." This raised much more questions than it actually answered, and Alexis went through them all in her head in quick succession. Why would Unicron do this? Did he mean to give the two factions something to battle over? If so, why would he want them to keep fighting? And if he's been around that long, why would he wait until now to make his move? Did the fact that the Autobots sent the Mini-Cons away from Cybertron ruin his plans somehow?
Once her thoughts on the matter ceased, Alexis cast one more look around the "crypt." Though she'd hoped to gain some clues to what she was missing, there were none to be found here.
Hearing Carlos yelling out in alarm made Alexis turn back to gaze at Hot Shot. "No!" she said aloud, seeing that the light in his optics had completely died away and he had grown as still and silent as all the other Transformers in this place.
Rad, Carlos, and Alexis were barely given a chance to mourn Hot Shot's passing before a flash of white light came to fill the entire room, nearly blinding the three children in its intensity. When it cleared, they were startled to find themselves in a completely different locale -- or rather, the one they had started out in.
Alexis quickly looked up and down the corridor, but didn't see any sign of Starscream, Starxis, or even Thrust here. There was not even any sign that the walls had been blemished by the flames. At second glance, there proved to be something just as odd about this scene as the tableau in the future. Spread throughout the tunnel were numerous rounded patches of the same organic material; if Alexis didn't know better, she'd have said they looked like egg sacs.
This assumption didn't seem all that unfounded, as, a moment later, one of the sacs at ground level began to split open. She watched as the sides fell away towards the floor, revealing a familiar tiny bot crouching in its place.
The rest of the "eggs" seemed to be following suit, leaving the three kids to look around in wonder. After a few seconds, Alexis whispered, recalling High Wire's words back on the shuttle, "The birth place of the Mini-Cons…" Much as their journey to the future had confused her, she was even more astounded by the revelation that they now seemed to be in the past.
When enough of the diminutive bots had been released from the organic pods, every single one of them rose to their feet and began to march. Here, Alexis noticed something wrong with them -- not one set of optics was lit up, no matter which face she looked at. Typically, this should have been impossible; they shouldn't even be moving if there was no indication they were even conscious.
She was quick to voice this to Rad and Carlos; the former came up with an alarming response to this. "They're nothing more than drones," Rad said, looking fully bewildered even as he voiced this. "If what Hot Shot -- future Hot Shot, that is -- said was true, then Unicron would have created the Mini-Cons simply to do his bidding. He wouldn't have wanted them to have minds of their own."
Carlos looked over at Rad, running one hand through his hair. "Then how did they turn out that way?" he started to say, only to find that his friend's attention had been grabbed by something.
Rad blinked once as he spotted a familiar form among the sea of tiny robots. Without a second thought, he began to run after High Wire, temporarily forgetting just where they were. Calling out the bot's name, he simultaneously reached for his friend's shoulder.
Surprisingly, this was sufficient to make High Wire stop and turn, though his optics were clearly as dark as those of the other Mini-Cons. For a moment, the tiny bot just stood and faced Rad, though offered no other response to indicate that he was just as much a drone as his many brothers.
After a long moment, High Wire turned back around and continued walking; it seemed that he and the other Mini-Cons were only intent on making their way to Cybertron's surface. Dejected, Rad watched his friend march off, barely aware that Alexis and Carlos had come to stand at his side.
Throwing a glance at the equally mindless Sureshock and Grindor as they too shuffled by, Alexis said, "I'm sorry, Rad. I know this is the last way you wanted to see them…"
Rad bowed his head, thinking this through. After a long while, he said quietly, "This can't be how it turns out… We had to have been brought here to witness this for a reason." He looked up at Alexis. "I refuse to just leave it this way." With that, he took off running after High Wire once more, ignoring the protests of his two human friends.
The instant that he had the Mini-Con in sight, Rad began yelling out, hoping beyond hope that he wasn't wasting his time. "High Wire, you have to listen to me! I need you to fight it! You can't let Unicron control you like this!"
There was no indication that the words were having any effect, but Rad didn't let that deter him. "I know that you and the others don't want to be anyone's slaves, High Wire! That's why you were so grateful to the Autobots for helping you escape Cybertron!" Rad paused, then went on with, "You have to get off this planet, or you'll never be free, High Wire!"
Miraculously, High Wire stopped in his tracks after a few seconds, as the residual echo of Rad's words died away. Startled, Rad came to a halt just behind the diminutive bot, tentatively saying his name. Both of them subsequently remained frozen in place for so long that it allowed Carlos and Alexis to catch up once more, though they too were struck silent by this display.
Following an indeterminate amount of time, the small gray bot finally turned to face them, and the three kids were slightly startled to see that High Wire's white optics were brightly lit this time. Rad, in particular, was caught off guard; he'd not been sure how good his chances were to influence this outcome.
High Wire tilted his head to one side, appearing curious as he beeped out a single sentence: --Who am I?--
Rad hesitated, wondering if this was a normal for a bot who had just been born and become self-aware? Perhaps so, given the way the Mini-Con was staring at him so intently. Quietly, he spoke High Wire's name. Almost instantly, this caused the room to become enveloped by another white flash.
When she found herself looking up at Starscream and Thrust, and became aware that Starxis was once more at her side, nudging one of her hands with his furry little head, Alexis wanted to weep with relief. She didn't understand how this was possible, but somehow time had been rewinded, to a point before the two Transformers had even been alerted to the fact that she and the boys were present.
Lightly biting her lip, Alexis turned her gaze towards Starscream, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she drank in the sight of him. After confirming that this wasn't a dream by pinching her arm, she thanked God that she'd been given a second chance.
She had no intention of wasting it.
Knowing that it wouldn't be long before Thrust and Starscream became aware that they had an audience, Alexis kneeled down, projecting a mental command to Starxis what to do. With an answering chirp, the youngling began to move forward.
As before, the next twenty seconds seemed to pass by with painstaking slowness, though the outcome was much more positive. Thrust saw Starxis coming at him out of the corner of his optic and, turning slightly, instinctively raised his right arm. He proved to be quicker than the youngling and successfully deflected the little guy before he got too close.
Fortunately, the few seconds in which Thrust was distracted allowed Starscream enough time to move in, though he did throw a startled glance in Alexis' direction. Before Thrust could recover, Starscream grabbed onto the guy's right arm, the one holding the Blaster, in an attempt to get the gun away from him.
Somehow, the struggle between the two large bots wound up with the Blaster being aimed at the ceiling of the cave when it was fired (this time, it had to have been by accident). The laser blast tore through the many levels between their location and Cybertron's surface, simultaneously alerting Hot Shot and Wheeljack (three stories above) when the beam missed them by mere inches.
Starscream's only thought, as the roof of the corridor began to collapse, was to ensure the safety of the kids and Starxis. Though he did throw a brief glance in Thrust's direction as the coward ran off squealing, Starscream still hurried over to Alexis, Rad, and Carlos, kneeling down and cupping his hands together several feet above them, sufficiently shielding them from the falling debris.
It was hard to determine just how long the cave-in lasted, but when it was over, Starscream himself was nearly buried beneath the rubble. It took all of his effort and strength just to shake the massive rocks loose, but manage it he did. With a shaky smile, he dropped his hands to his sides, peering down at Alexis and Starxis to be sure they were alright.
Starscream barely acknowledged that Alexis had tears in her eyes and was looking at him strangely before he turned away, his gaze drawn to the tunnel where Thrust had disappeared. I can't let him get away, Starscream thought, knowing that Alexis would undoubtedly pick it up and that she'd understand. In the next instant, he was on his feet, racing off undeterred even though she called after him to wait and pushing aside the thoughts he was getting from her for the moment.
He was a good distance away before he even started processing the disjointed images he'd pulled from her head. Starscream was caught off guard by each revelation, the instant in which Alexis had seen him "die," the implications of what the future held if Unicron was not stopped, and the origin of the Mini-Cons. Yet, not one of these threw Starscream nearly enough, or cause him to stop in his tracks, as the last thought did.
Once the enormity of it hit him, he turned to look back the way he'd come with an overwhelming sense of bewilderment. What stopped him from backtracking and returning to Alexis' side was the prospect of the uncertain future. He couldn't just abandon his pursuit of Thrust, especially if it meant that he and his fellow Transformers could fall victim to Unicron.
Reluctantly, Starscream continued the chase, though his thoughts kept periodically returning to a single burning question as he moved further into the depths.
She loves me?!