Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's Notes: Sorry it took me so long to get through this one chapter, but the writing just took off once my current semester in school ended. I will hopefully have another chapter ready before the holidays are over. Hope you enjoy this installment.

To Independent C -- This story has at least twelve more chapters to it past this one, and I do have a sequel planned set in the Cybertron universe. Stay tuned.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Even if the emotional abuse inflicted upon Kicker by his father hadn't been a factor, the conversation was certain to be tense given that Dr. Jones was still pretty furious over his son's and Misha's recent actions. Having to ask for a huge favor, even if they did have Red Alert backing them, was causing the two teenagers some undue stress.

Their fears were soon given merit, what with the way that Dr. Jones began ranting when told by Kicker that all Energon collected on Earth needed to be given up. "You cannot be serious!" Dr. Jones shouted. "You've got a lot of nerve asking that after what you've put me and your mother through! The answer's no!"

Kicker recoiled, his face turning white as an indication of how scared and helpless he felt. It wasn't until this moment that Misha fully understood just how much of a toll the years of abuse had taken or of how afraid Kicker was of his father. She took a step closer to the boy at her side, catching his hand in hers and giving it a firm squeeze.

The subsequent look exchanged between her and Kicker gave the latter all the courage he needed.

Red Alert looked prepared to intervene, but Misha told him with a single gesture to keep quiet for the time being. Taking a step forward with a look of determination and maintaining his grip on Misha's hand, Kicker said heatedly, "What I put you through?! How does that compare to what you did to me?!" A slight pause, and then, "You owe me for all that time where you never gave me a choice! You don't get to say no."

Kicker barely comprehended his father's response before his anger reached unimaginable heights. Amazingly, he was able to keep his voice calm when next he spoke, in spite of all the rage boiling away inside him. "I am not a little kid anymore, nor am I being rash or immature!" Kicker said firmly. "Unlike you, who's so reluctant to hand over your precious Energon that you can't see the big picture."

Kicker paused to throw a glance at the adjacent monitor to make sure that Alpha Q or anyone on Optimus' team weren't in danger from Sideways, then took another step forward, his brown eyes blazing. "I was given my abilities for a reason, Dad, and it wasn't to satisfy your own ends! The Autobots are the ones who need it most now, for the purpose of ending a war before it goes any further. If this is what my gift was truly meant for, to help them gather enough Energon specifically for this very day, then there's no arguing with that!"

Misha took a couple steps forward as well, so she was once more standing directly beside Kicker. While it was still unknown just who or what had imbued Kicker with this ability, she couldn't argue with the possibility that this was the reason for it. Strange, she mused, that this moment may have been predestined for more than a decade. After all, if I'm not mistaken, Alpha Q and Scorpinok's planet was destroyed after Kicker received his abilities. Out loud, she said, "We wouldn't be asking if this wasn't of the utmost importance, Dr. Jones. But we don't have much time to waste. The sooner we implement this, the better."

At this, Red Alert chose to throw in his own two cents to help move things along and said simply, "You're the only one in Ocean City who has the expertise to reconfigure the tower and quickly. We need your help, Dr. Jones."

For a moment, Dr. Jones said nothing, then the hardened look left his face, and his shoulders slumped. He gave a deep sigh, then softly said, "Very well." He leaned forward slightly, and his next statement indicated he had activated the internal coms system of Ocean City. "Miranda, Sally, can you meet me in the communications room? I'm going to need your help with something…"

*****

Once he'd viewed Optimus' team disappear inside Unicron, Sideways' initial impulse was to tail them. A second later, he stopped in his tracks, then turned his gaze skyward as he realized that the Autobots would not have come here without some insurance, especially after the latest incident on Cybertron. They had to have brought the boy with them this time. Odds were he'd not be able to get near Optimus or Alpha Q without being detected.

As Snowcat's declaration resounded in his head, Sideways turned back to regard the soldiers around him, and it wasn't too much longer before he had an alternate plan gestating inside his head.

*****

As Scorpinok had predicted, he was able to turn a handful of the Terrorcons to the Autobot team. This proved very useful in taking down the first group of Decepticons they came across, but thereafter, it was discovered that these were the only drones they were going to get. Battling their way through the tunnels yielded a bunch more Terrorcons who'd been shot through the head and effectively decommissioned. No doubt Megatron had ordered such an act to keep Optimus and his soldiers from gaining too much ground.

Nevertheless, Alexis was quite pleased that they progressed through Unicron's massive frame with almost no hassle. That was yet another benefit of the aid provided by Alpha Q; the Decepticons had been caught unawares enough that they'd been unable to get ahead of her and her friends.

It wasn't until they were nearing the massive chamber that made up Unicron's stomach cavity that a message came to them from Kicker. "Stay alert, Optimus," the teenager stated through the Autobot commander's com-link. "You're getting close to Sideways."

Optimus stopped in his tracks, as did everyone with him, keeping his voice down when he responded. "How close?"

Kicker took several seconds to answer; more than likely, he was checking their location against Sideways' position. "He's about two thousand feet above you and holding. If I'm right, that puts him either at the very top of Unicron's stomach or the chamber above it. I'll let you know immediately if he gets any closer."

Alexis took a few seconds to process this, then exchanged a worried look with Optimus. "I don't get it," she said softly, a tinge of fear overtaking her. "Why would he be staying still?"

Scorpinok hesitated, leaning forward slightly to peer into the next chamber before withdrawing. "I don't know, but we may have another problem…" Off of the quizzical looks his companions were giving him, he said, "If Unicron were still in his planet mode, I'd have no problem guiding you all to his spark chamber from here. But, with Megatron having transformed him… We either need to find another route, or the group will have to split up. Those of us who can fly have the only chance of quickly making it to the tunnel that will lead us there, and we'd only be hindered in transporting those who can't." A pause, and then, "Helping our ground-based companions towards this end could leave us all open to an attack."

Optimus remained silent for a beat, clearly thinking this through, before saying, "I can't say I like the idea of splitting up… That means that Kicker would have to watch out for two separate teams. There'd be more of a risk that he'd slip up."

Rodimus tilted his head downwards a notch. "Maybe so, but that is a risk we'd have to take," he said gruffly. "The point of this is to take down Megatron as quickly as we can. We don't have time to debate the issue at hand." He turned to look at Scorpinok. "You'd have to point the rest of us in the right direction once we enter the chamber. We'll climb to the nearest tunnel if we have to."

Optimus gave a resigned nod, but added one condition. "Ironhide, you're with us. One of the fliers will be able to ferry you without incident."

When she entered the enormous cavern, Alexis kept her gaze fixed on the space above her, her senses on high alert in case of an attack. Kicker may be able to sense Sideways, but any one of the other Decepticons could be lying in wait, hidden within the gloom. Though nothing happened, she still remained very much on edge and only glanced downwards for brief intervals so she'd be able to follow her silent teammates across the cave.

If anything, the fact that they moved in stealth did nothing to settle her nerves; the quietness was only adding to the tension. Nevertheless, it wasn't long before they reached the far end of the chamber, and she looked to Scorpinok when he silently gestured towards the third tunnel about 250 feet above them, which was unfortunately just out of range of any grappling hook guns they might have on hand. Any higher, and they likely wouldn't have been able to see it through the shadows.

Alexis let out a breath, exchanging a look with Starscream that showed her fellow jet just how nervous she was. He offered her a reassuring smile as though to say that everything would be fine, inspiring her to swallow her fear.

Optimus sent a whispered transmission out to Kicker to verify that Sideways hadn't moved, causing Alexis to once more wonder what the rogue bot was waiting for. But she quickly set it aside when she saw both Optimus and Starscream take to the air, and she unconsciously made a move towards Ironhide.

The sound of a powerful weapon being fired had barely reached her before Alexis caught sight of two laser beams lancing through the darkness, each with a different trajectory. Her scream caught in her throat, but she found a second later that it needn't have mattered. Starscream's reflexes were such that he was able to see the blast coming in an instant and take measures to sidestep it.

Optimus wasn't so lucky.

Though the Autobot commander was able to dodge the beam to ensure it wouldn't hit him dead on, it still cut through his shoulder joint and glanced by his right leg. With a yell of pain, Optimus dropped from the air, at the same time that a third laser beam appeared directly above him.

All this happened so fast that Optimus didn't have time to avoid the second volley, nor did any of his comrades have time to help him, and this shot punched through his leg, eliciting another agonized yell from him.

Jetfire, Starscream, Demolisher, and Bluestreak didn't hesitate before returning fire, though it was impossible to see who had attacked them and target accordingly. In the same instant, Alexis, Rodimus, and Ironhide were moving to Optimus' side. The femme jet had to bite back her fear when she saw that the commander's right arm had been almost completely severed, and his left kneecap had taken a serious hit as well. She didn't have to be a medic to recognize that the latter injury meant that Optimus wouldn't be up for walking any time soon.

Ironhide was quick to name the instigator; there was only one Decepticon who could inflict this much damage with a single shot. "Shockblast."

For an instant, Alexis was at a loss over what to do, as she met Optimus' optics with her own, though it did reassure her when he said that the injuries weren't life-threatening. They couldn't all stay put for very long, but leaving the Autobot commander hurt and vulnerable wasn't an option either.

Before Alexis could say a word, she was surprised to see Elita swiftly approach the fallen commander, kneeling next to Optimus and quickly surveying the damage. A millisecond later, Elita was removing some clamps and a soldering iron from a compartment at her side, muttering something about Optimus making a foolish attempt to downplay the severity of the wounds.

Alexis blinked, caught off guard by the fact that Elita possessed some medical skills and was dedicated enough not to let anything deter her. But, given the speed with which the latter had acted in sealing the broken fuel lines, this was surely the case. Quite surprising, considering that Elita, Chromia, and Rodimus had come to rely on a CR tank to heal themselves with little effort.

For an instant, Optimus seemed just as bewildered. But then, Alexis imagined he was not used to having someone come to his aid so quickly and efficiently. The spell was broken when Elita looked towards Rodimus and said with a sigh, "I've done what I can… He should be fine until we can get him back to Red Alert."

Optimus let out a deep breath, but took a few seconds to find his voice and regain his sense of authority. By this point, the four Transformers who'd been firing upwards had ceased shooting as there'd been no more sign of an attack. For all they knew, Shockblast had vacated the area. "You all need to continue on towards Megatron."

Ironhide appeared to be the most hesitant when he said, "We can't just leave you here."

Optimus gave an exasperated groan. "You have to. We don't have time to waste, even less so now than before. Someone will have heard the commotion just now." He looked around the immediate area, spotting an alcove nearby where he'd be able to conceal himself.

Alexis tilted her head upward a notch, activating her comlink in a slight panic. "Kicker, where's Sideways now?"

"He's moving away from you, heading upwards," Kicker answered, putting her greatly at ease. A short pause, and then, "Okay, he's stopped again. Some distance above his previous location. I'm not sure exactly where that places him inside Unicron, but I'll keep you posted."

Optimus was about to direct his team members to help him over to the alcove and trust that he could take care of himself when Elita spoke. "I'll stay," she said firmly. When this drew a protest from the Autobot commander, a soft growl escaped her lips and she pointedly responded, "Don't be such a stubborn mech! I am not one of your loyal troops who will respond to any and all orders you dish out!" In answer to the surprised look in his golden optics, she added, "Unless you can shoot left-handed, it wouldn't hurt to have someone nearby as backup."

Alexis blinked, looking from Elita to Optimus and back again. Given his look, it was clear he was bewildered at being challenged in such a way, but there was no arguing with the logic in the other femme's words. Optimus gave a consenting nod, and it wasn't long before he and Elita were safely sequestered/hidden within the adjacent compartment.

Seconds later, the remaining fliers and the groundlings were making their way up to two separate tunnels, with the Terrorcons accompanying the former group…

*****

Activating Unicron's internal sensors was really no challenge, but actually locating the infiltrating group of Autobots was a different story, as none of the troops he'd reached over the coms seemed to know just where they were. Megatron had even thought he'd accomplished it at one point until he'd seen (via the freestanding view screen) that he was only seeing three enemy bots, all unknown to him. Nevertheless, he did activate a few of Unicron's defenses to keep them busy; his view of the ensuing firefight allowed Megatron to identify them as Rodimus, Bluestreak, and (surprisingly) Demolisher when they shouted out to each other by name.

Suspecting that this small group of groundlings was no threat, Megatron closed down the view screen, though he did broadcast orders to a handful of his own troops to head them off.

When he finally did locate Starscream and the others, Megatron was struck speechless for a moment. He'd not expected that they would have brought the girl with them, after everything that had recently transpired. But, he thought with an amused tinge, it seems as though the fools believe they'll be able to adequately protect her here.

Though slightly curious at the fact that there was no sign of Optimus, Megatron elected not to waste his energy in trying to pinpoint the location of the Autobot commander. Even if Optimus was lucky enough to make it to Unicron's spark chamber, he'd have a surprise or two in store for him.

Megatron studied the view screen for a moment more, silently musing that there'd be some benefits to getting the femme he'd named Storm Bringer back in his ranks. Among other things, she'd prove to be his best defense against those he called enemies. With this in mind, Megatron began to hatch a plan to recapture her…

*****

Aboard Rodimus' shuttle, Kicker was dividing his attention between keeping an eye on Sideways and watching two nearby monitors showing that his family was hard at work in initiating the transfer. Near as he could determine, his little sister was negotiating with the Omnicons at each colony to ship all the collected Energon to Ocean City, while his parents, with some assistance from Red Alert, were working at reconfiguring the grid tower.

Shifting his attention back to Sideways, Kicker tried unsuccessfully to quell the edginess trying to overtake him. Sensing his mood from the look on his face, Misha gave his hand a squeeze and offered a warm smile when he turned to look at her. "It'll be okay," she murmured. "Just relax. We're making progress."

Kicker let out a sigh, intending to do just that, when he felt something… odd. He didn't have the words to describe the sensation, but the way he turned to look towards Unicron on the main monitor in a panic told Misha that something was up. With a hint of worry, she tilted her head slightly to the side, giving voice to a single name. "Sideways." When Kicker didn't answer right away, she asked, "He's on the move, isn't he?"

Kicker grew pale, then said in a near whisper, his tone terrified, "I can't sense him anymore."

Misha blinked, uncomprehending for an instant, then replied, "What are you talking about?"

Kicker threw a quick glance at Red Alert, then focused wholeheartedly on her. "I mean I can't!" A long pause, and then, "He must have known I was here somewhere… He must have used Unicron to get rid of the Energon coursing through him, so I'd be unable to track him!"

Misha paled as well after a couple seconds, turning frightened brown eyes towards Red Alert to see that the medic looked equally as scared. At least they could take some consolation that the ship they were on was cloaked and that Sideways, unless he was extremely lucky, would not be able to find them.

An instant later, she snatched away Kicker's handheld comlink device, activating it and broadcasting a tense message to the Autobots stationed inside the dark god…

*****

When the whispered warning from Misha came in, Alexis was shortly feeling even more fearful, though she wasn't sure if that fear was more directed towards Optimus' well-being or her own. Either way, it was laid to rest when Scorpinok noted that Sideways would likely not be able to disguise the heat signatures he'd be putting off. Shortly thereafter, Scorpinok ordered the Terrorcons to alter their vision to be able to detect thermal images and keep a close watch for anything out of the ordinary.

Yet, even as she was willing herself to relax, Alexis was given even more cause for concern when the walls around Jetfire, Scorpinok, Ironhide, Starscream, and herself suddenly came alive, sprouting a mass of organic tentacles which shortly began reaching for her and her comrades. She had seen this defense of Unicron's before, but she'd not expected that it would be something that Megatron would remember or learn how to utilize so quickly.

With a short yelp, Alexis leaped backwards to avoid the tentacles reaching towards her, even as she registered that her companions were already taking measures to deal with this obstacle. After a second or two, she began grasping for her personalized weapon, mentally reminding herself to stay calm.

Before she could fully reach around, however, Alexis was caught off guard when some more tentacles (which she hadn't seen descending from the ceiling) swiftly wrapped themselves around her arms, effectively holding her still and helpless in an instant. Briefly, she turned her gaze upwards, her fear reaching new heights when she saw a hole forming in the ceiling above her. Unless something was done quickly, she'd surely be snatched away before anyone even realized she was in trouble.

Desperately, Alexis called out for the comrade nearest her, voice filled with terror and anxiety, and praying that his reaction time would be fast enough to save her. Realistically, she knew that there were security measures in place to prevent Megatron from brainwashing her again, but the prospect of it still terrified her.

"Ironhide!"

It was fortunate that her partner had drawn his sword to deal with the tentacles, though he did suffer a split second of surprise when he looked her way. In the next instant, Ironhide surged towards her even as she was lifted off the ground by a small fraction, quickly assessing that he wouldn't have time to cut her loose. Swiftly, he wrapped one arm firmly around her with his hand curled around her left shoulder, simultaneously planting his sword in the wall with the hope (if his expression was any indication) of keeping them both grounded for a few tenuous seconds.

Without tearing his gaze from hers, Ironhide yelled out for Starscream. At this, Alexis tilted her head briefly to look towards her fellow jet, standing at the opposite end of the tunnel, at the same time that he was turning to regard her and Ironhide. Much as she feared, Starscream still had his hands full with Unicron's defenses; there was no guarantee he'd be able to reach her in time. Gazing back down at her partner, she murmured in a terrified tone, "Don't let go of me."

Ironhide grunted as the two of them lurched upwards an inch or two, and he threw a glance at the wall to see that his sword had slid slightly loose of its niche. The blade, it seemed, was just sharp enough to cut through the wall at an angle; it wouldn't take much for him and Sky Dancer to lose their anchor.

Even as Ironhide thought this, he could both feel and see the tentacles around her arms grow taut, exerting even more pressure. After a brief moment, he completely dimmed his optics, wondering just how good his odds would be in besting Megatron face to face. Feeling his own feet fully leave the ground, Ironhide speculated that the Decepticon leader might not even show him any mercy, and the only thing he'd have to look forward to would be a fatal shot to his spark chamber.

Still, he wasn't about to abandon Sky Dancer either way.

Ironhide had so completely surrendered himself to whatever his fate might be that it shocked him immensely when he and his partner were suddenly released. Before he could fully realize it, he was flat on his back on the floor of the tunnel, with Sky Dancer sprawled awkwardly over him. Ironhide lit his optics back up, exchanging a bewildered look with her.

Alexis wanted to weep with relief, though she didn't fully understand just what had happened or why she'd been set free. Before she could work this out, she became aware that Starscream was suddenly in front of her, extending a hand to help her to her feet. Until that second, she hadn't seen that the organic tentacles flooding the corridor were inexplicably gone. Once standing up straight, she was in her beloved's embrace, head inclined against his shoulder.

Ironhide broke the silence by asking, "What the slag?! Why would Megatron just give up?"

Scorpinok drew their attention by stepping forward, wearing a wry smile. "Because he didn't." A slight pause, then, "He's not the only one capable of controlling Unicron. Alpha Q beat him at his own game."

Alexis angled her head to gaze at Scorpinok, a look of appreciation present in her optics. Scorpinok responded to the questioning look that soon appeared in the blue depths by saying that it wasn't something that would give them a great edge. "Whatever Alpha Q can do, Megatron can counter, and vice versa. At best, Megatron now knows that he can't use Unicron to assault us without having it overridden within moments," Scorpinok stated.

Alexis let out a sigh, grateful nonetheless for the save. Softly, she said, warming when her words caused Starscream to tighten his grip on her ever so slightly, "Thank you."

Scorpinok gave a small nod of acknowledgment, then abruptly tilted his head to the side, the smile vanishing from his face. A couple seconds later, Scorpinok said, even as he turned to face the far end of the tunnel, "Don't get comfortable yet! Alpha Q says there's about a dozen Decepticons headed our way right now." He began moving to one side of the corridor, barking out a warning for his companions to seek cover from the line of fire soon to come…

*****

If there was any one thing that Optimus was unaccustomed to, especially in the midst of a battlefield, it would be moments of complete and utter silence. He partially understood the reasoning behind it as fear of being overheard and attacked, but he hadn't heard anyone come or go from this chamber since his team had departed. And, it was doubtful that Sideways was near, as the distinctive hum given off by him that Optimus had heard during the previous assaults wasn't present either.

Giving a soft sigh and deciding that the silence was getting to him, Optimus glanced over at the femme seated next to him, noting that she looked as tense as could be with the way she was gripping the laser rifle in her hands. Conversation, it seemed, might benefit them both; it would also serve to get his mind off the residual aches and pains he was experiencing.

Optimus said softly, causing Elita to look his way with a start, "I wouldn't have expected you to possess some medical skills…?"

Elita caught the questioning note in his voice with no trouble, and she tilted her head downwards a notch. Returning her gaze towards the outer chamber, she said quietly, "I deemed it necessary some time ago, CR tank or not. Chromia thinks I'm foolish for it, but I'd rather be prepared than be sorry." There was a short pause before she glanced back at Optimus, perhaps thinking that more of an explanation was in order.

"There was one day -- more than 2,000 earth years ago -- where my father, Chromia, and I were delivering an Energon shipment to a remote outpost, manned by a small group of neutrals. Should have been simple; all we wanted in exchange was a component to better defend our ship." Elita paused for a beat, then continued, "Problem was, the interested party got greedy. When they upped the price, Father started arguing with them. Said he wouldn't pay more than what was initially agreed upon."

When she hesitated, Optimus raised his optics to study her face before prodding, "I'm guessing it ended badly."

Elita nodded. "The short version is that Chromia was badly shot. She's extremely lucky that she wasn't instantly off-lined. In the time it took for Father and I to incapacitate the others and get her back to the ship… I thought for sure we were going to lose her." Another pause, and then, "I never wanted to go through that again."

A short silence ensued, broken when Elita abruptly looked over, her gaze sweeping over his shattered knee before moving on to his face. "So, as far as injuries go, how does this one rate? Worst you've had or not?"

Optimus was quiet for a moment, slightly surprised by the question. But then, he reminded himself that he and Elita had only just met. She wasn't someone who had been there in the many centuries of the war, and it was doubtful that Rodimus would have shared many stories of the "good" old days.

Oddly enough, it was refreshing to have someone to tell tales to and for the first time at that. Whatever Alexis knew of Transformer history, very little of it had been told to her personally by Optimus. Letting out a breath, he replied, "No, it's not." He hesitated, unsure if she'd want the grisly details until she prodded him for it. "I once had a bomb literally go off in my face. Was sentenced to the infirmary for a full month, in great pain for most of it, while the damage was repaired." A pause, and then, "I'll always be grateful to Red Alert for the large part he played in the reconstructive surgery."

Elita winced at the thought of it. "Ouch," she commented lightly, causing him to chuckle. After a short silence, she opened her mouth to say more, but was cut off when the sound of something crashing down, just yards away from their position, caught her attention. With a cry, Elita started to raise her gun, inwardly cursing herself for getting so distracted so as to not notice that one of the Decepticons had been creeping up on them.

Their assailant -- a silver and red flier -- was faster, getting off two shots in quick succession. Elita was returning fire before he could get any further, her initial thought being that the shots had gone wide. In spite of her panic, she scored a few lucky hits and registered that Optimus was responding likewise. In no time at all, their attacker fell, though Elita couldn't determine if he was dead or just unconscious.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to look at Optimus after a moment, only to panic anew when she took in the sight of fluid leaking out of a hole in his chest. "Primus, no!" she cried, moving instantly to his side and pressing one hand over the wound in an attempt to stop or slow the bleeding. Though on some level she knew that there was a chance they were still in great danger, she was beyond caring to keep an eye out.

Fixing her gaze on Optimus' face, Elita lightly gnawed at her lip when she saw his optics had grown dim, suggesting he was either about to lose consciousness or that this injury was more life-threatening. She couldn't be sure how close the shot had come to his spark chamber.

Frantically, Elita put one hand to his face, shaking him gently in the hopes of rousing him. "Optimus," she said in a slightly raised tone. "Come on! Stay with me!" After a second or two, she bowed her head, wildly thinking, Stupid! The Autobots are never going to forgive you if their leader dies, Elita!

Elita didn't register it right away, but within moments, she became aware that the ground beneath her was shaking, and she turned her bewildered blue optics upward when a strange noise reached her. Much to her shock, she saw that the whole chamber around her looked to be crumbling, little by little.

Oh, Primus, what now? Elita thought, fearing the absolute worst…

*****

When he saw that his little scheme had failed and heard Scorpinok speak of the reason for it, Megatron couldn't have been more livid. So it was quite a good thing that he was given a worthy distraction within moments.

His first presumption, when the wall nearest his throne was blown apart and before the dust cleared, was that it could only be Optimus. So it definitely came as a surprise when he saw an increasingly troublesome, cyclopean mech enter the chamber with a fully charged weapon pointed directly at Megatron.

If Shockblast hoped to hear Megatron cower and\or plead for his life, he was sorely disappointed. That had to be the only reason why the former was holding his fire. Megatron adopted a wry smile, gaining a new comprehension of Shockblast's level of intelligence. "So, you've gone from being at odds with a single soldier to having a grudge against me as well, have you?" Megatron said in a calm, lightly amused tone.

Shockblast shifted his weight, still holding his cannon at the ready. "Is it that surprising?" he replied in a scathing tone. A pause, and then, "I used to hear so many rumors about what kind of leader you were -- ruthless, smart, charismatic… It's just too bad that meeting you in person dispelled all the hype."

Megatron quickly deduced just what Shockblast must be referring to. "You really are quite the fool," the Decepticon commander stated in a conversational tone. "Or are you just steamed that I didn't take your side in this little squabble?" Megatron gave a short chuckle, his wry smile growing slightly larger. "Respect and trust have to be earned, Shockblast. Mirage has been in my company long enough to gain both. You haven't… And I'd say you're proving you'll be too much of a liability to keep around."

This time, it was Shockblast's turn to laugh, the chuckles presenting themselves in an ironic and greatly humored manner. "You're remarkably calm for someone who's facing elimination," he commented, shifting slightly. He stood poised to say more when something sharp was jabbed into the back of his neck, startling him. A second later, Shockblast caught the sound of the last voice he wanted to hear emanating from behind him.

"And you're remarkably stupid to think that Megatron wouldn't want some extra defense in place with the Autobots lurking about," Sideways stated in a gruff, unamused tone. "That, and I seem to recall telling you that you would be watched, whether you were aware of it or not... How much do you want to bet that I can run you through before you get off a shot?"

Megatron watched Shockblast slowly lower his weapon, chuckling at Sideways' words. For Shockblast's benefit, he said, "Either Optimus or Starscream would have been in for a nasty surprise if they'd made their way in here. Or any other Autobot, for that matter." Megatron paused for a second, all the humor departing from his face. "But now it seems I must decide what your fate will be, Shockblast."

Smiling wryly beneath his faceplate, Sideways said, "Personally, I'd cast my vote for termination. It's obvious that in the long run, our friend here will prove to be more trouble than he's worth." A pause, and then, "I told you that I saw him open fire on the Autobots who'd made their way inside Unicron. My guess is that he was trying to delay them in order to stage this little coup."

Megatron considered this, briefly wondering what side that Snowcat and Thundercracker might fall on before electing to just go with the majority rule and be done with it. He knew what Mirage might say on the issue if present. "Very well, Sideways," he answered. "But make it quick. We don't want to be held up for very long."

Sideways' glee showed in his optics as he pulled back, grasping his sword in both hands in preparation to deliver a killing blow and chuckling as he listened to Shockblast offer up a futile plea for his life.

Problem was, Sideways never got a chance to take the swing…

*****

The reformatting of the grid towers was finished less than twenty minutes after Kicker's proclamation that he could no longer detect Sideways, much to the delight of the two teenagers. Neither Kicker nor Misha had anticipated that it would be implemented so quickly. Plus, Sally had done a good job with her negotiating; all the collected Energon was currently being deposited into a reservoir within the base of the tower.

As Kicker understood, the Energon would be modified into a laser beam for transport, which should be initiated within moments. Even now, he was listening to Misha transmit a message to Alpha Q to get ready to receive it. "I hope it proves to be enough to bring your planet back," Misha went on to say, before terminating the broadcast and turning to look at Kicker.

She looked so anxious that he was inspired to take her hand in his and give it a firm squeeze, simultaneously offering a reassuring smile even though he too was quite nervous. A second later, both teenagers shifted to look at Red Alert when the medic told Dr. Jones to initiate the transfer in exactly ninety seconds.

After half a minute had passed, Red Alert let out a deep breath and activated the coms to broadcast a message to the fleet engaged in combat on Unicron's exterior. There was a risk that a Decepticon might overhear, but Red Alert had no desire to risk the lives of anyone on his side. And, odds were that the assumption would be that Alpha Q was going to try something to aid in the battle. "If there's anyone in the vicinity of Unicron's head, I need you to steer clear right now! You have less than sixty seconds to get to safety."

Once the message had been sent out, Red Alert gave a sigh and set the main monitor to display an expanded view of the battlefield, idly stating, "Now all we have to do is watch the show."

In tandem, Kicker and Misha turned to look at the screen, their anticipation growing by the second. When they got their first view of a large, bright red beam that appeared through their end of the warp tunnel, Misha let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. At the realization that they'd truly done it, tears began to prick at the corners of her eyes.

Approximately five seconds after the beam began to pour into Unicron's head, Alpha Q's half of the dark god became glowing, every inch of the surface enveloped by a pure red light. As they watched, it grew brighter and brighter, until it almost hurt to look directly at it.

In almost the same instant, Unicron's entire framework began moving at a fractional pace (according to Red Alert), as though the force of the incoming energy beam was too much for it to hold its position. About eight seconds in, the entirety of Unicron's body was visibly shaking, and small fragments of it were crumbling. Not long after that, the com system before them was being flooded with agitated statements from various Autobots who wanted to know what the slag was going on.

When she heard Kicker suddenly gasp, Misha turned her head to look at him, a tiny hint of alarm in her eyes. "What is it?" she said in a sharper tone than she meant to, causing him to look back at her with a start.

"The Energon we just put in Unicron's head… It's starting to reach every Transformer in the immediate vicinity. They're all being infused with a small fraction of that energy!" There was a short silence, in which Misha tried to think if she'd ever seen him look this bewildered and thrilled. "I can sense every single one of them!"

Hearing this, Misha was turning towards a smaller monitor near her, pulling up a rough schematic of Unicron's body and encouraging Kicker to pinpoint just where he was detecting everyone. But, as she found out, this endeavor was easier said than done, as the positions started abruptly changing just seconds after Kicker had begun.

Slightly confused, the two teenagers turned to look at the main screen, and they shortly got their answer. The fragments of Unicron that they had seen crumbling had developed into almost mile-wide craters, as though the body of the dark god was completely destabilizing. Odds were that Alpha Q was using the Energon to recreate his planet and the feat was taking more of a toll than they had realized it would. Lord only knew what was happening to Unicron's interior, but the sudden shifts in locales indicated it was being equally destabilized before any of those stationed inside could comprehend it.

Pale-faced, Kicker forced himself to focus on the few he was sensing who hadn't budged and continued at his task, all the while praying that those he called friends were safe…

*****

When it became apparent to Elita that the chamber is which she and Optimus resided was deteriorating at an alarming rate, she turned away from the Autobot commander in a fright so she was facing outwards into the cavernous room. When she saw craters begin to appear in the floor, she cast an anxious glance at the half-conscious mech at her side, wondering if it was safe to move him.

When a section of the floor near her and Optimus abruptly collapsed, Elita frantically reached for her companion. Her hands had barely touched his shoulders when she saw a beam of pure red light flood into the chamber.

Elita hesitated for a moment, unsure of what she was seeing, until similar beams appeared through some of the other craters. After a few seconds, she began to realize what this was, as her circuit boards and wiring surged with a new wave of energy. Her lips parted slightly in shock; she was not used to feeling this outside of a CR tank.

Elita cast another anxious glance towards the floor (simultaneously noting that their assailant had vanished through one of the craters), then focused on Optimus when she felt him shift beneath her hands. Reminded of the energy coursing through her, Elita turned her gaze towards the wound in his chest, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that at least he was no longer losing fluid.

It wasn't too much longer before she realized that the scorched edges of this injury were diminishing before her optics. Awestruck, Elita turned her gaze towards his knee and then his shoulder, to find that they too were inexplicably being healed. If she had to hazard a guess, she would say that a makeshift restoration chamber had been somehow created, all around them. Odds were that Optimus would be sufficiently healed within moments.

If that were the case, she could be thankful that the red and silver mech that had assaulted them was no longer in sight. In addition, whatever had been causing the chamber to fall apart seemed to have halted.

It took only seconds for Optimus' optics to light all the way back up, though he initially looked quite disoriented. Once he recovered his senses, he began to gaze around with a look of wonder before asking, "What's happening?"

Elita let out a deep breath, answering simply, "Something miraculous…"

*****

In the millisecond that Sideways started to take the swing, he was caught off guard when the floor beneath him was suddenly uprooted. The shift was so quick and unexpected that it caused him to fall backwards, so he landed awkwardly on the now ploughed-up ground.

Megatron had barely adjusted to the quakes now rumbling through Unicron's spark chamber before he saw Shockblast suddenly vanish from sight, through a newly- formed hole in the floor. Gritting his teeth, Megatron rose from his throne, advancing quickly towards the edge of the opening, peering down and shifting one of his cannons in position to fire.

However, the Decepticon commander soon found that getting a clear shot at the conniving mech was impossible, as Shockblast was still falling, though it was undetermined if the latter was still disoriented or was using this development as an excuse to get to safety. Simultaneously, Megatron was able to see that all of Unicron's body was being affected by whatever was happening; the deterioration of the dark god's flesh was hitting multiple levels, it seemed.

Megatron turned his gaze towards Sideways, intending to tell his companion to get after Shockblast. What cut him off was that it seemed that Sideways had likewise disappeared through a separate fissure, and, given the way Unicron's body was structured, there was no guarantee that the rogue bot had landed in the same area that Shockblast was occupying.

Looking around with a mounting anger as the room around him continued to crumble, Megatron inevitably came to two conclusions.

1) Impossible or not, this could only be the work of the Autobots.

And 2) there was a possibility that, whatever the meaning of this, the enemy hoped to gain a tactical advantage from it.

With a growl sounding from between his lips, Megatron stated, to no one in particular, "This game is far from over…"

*****

The one consolation that Starscream and his team had, when the world around them was falling apart, was that the Decepticons across the way were having the exact same problem. Putting one hand against the wall to keep his balance, Starscream turned slightly to regard his companions. No sooner had he done so, however, before the patch of ground beneath him gave way, and he was plummeting through before he could catch his wits.

Feeling a needless wave of panic, Alexis took a step forward. But Jetfire was quicker, reaching the edge of the crater a second after Starscream had fallen. Even as Jetfire was kneeling, reaching down into the opening with one hand, he looked her way temporarily and said, "It's okay. He landed in an antechamber directly below the hallway."

Alexis breathed a sigh of relief and watched for a second as Jetfire proceeded to help Starscream out of what she guessed was a rather cramped cavity. Shifting her weight, she looked towards Scorpinok and then Ironhide. Aware that Unicron's framework was still shaking and that she could hear sounds of it crumbling, she took a step towards her partner, her intention being to stay close to him in case the hallway destabilized further.

The ground was uprooted before she could reach Ironhide, pushing her back a few inches. What enabled her to quickly regain her senses and get moving again was that she could hear him yell out, and she knew even without looking that the floor beneath him had likely given way as well.

Alexis barely hesitated before briskly moving forward and, upon assessing that Ironhide had unfortunately fallen into a wide, deep open space, leaped through the new opening. Just as swiftly, she twisted in mid air, her optics focusing on her partner's descending form, and dove after Ironhide, calling his name to catch his attention and stretching out her left arm.

It took only seconds for their fingers to brush one another and even less time before their hands were interlocked. With a smile, Alexis ignited her reverse thrusters, bringing them both to a halt in mid-air. "Gotcha," she said, intending to follow it up by righting herself and getting back to the chamber they'd just vacated.

However, her partner's optics grew wide and he threw a quick glance off to the right before focusing back on her in a panic. "Sky Dancer, look out!" Ironhide frantically warned, causing her to turn her head a fraction.

Later on, Alexis would determine that nothing could have stopped what was about to occur. A second after she'd processed his warning, something slammed into the right side of her head with enough force that she would swear it tore one of the fuel lines at her neck.

Alexis let out a small gasp, her vision almost instantly going blurry, but she did catch sight of a gray and magenta form she would later identify as Snowcat. Though Ironhide would swear to it later, she didn't even feel the second hit. As she subsequently swam in and out of consciousness, she was vaguely aware that she and Ironhide were falling, though she was certain of seeing Scorpinok's face hovering over her, haloed by a oddly soothing red light, just before the darkness fully claimed her…

Next up: Alpha Q's victory is cut short by Megatron's refusal to lose, and the seeds are planted for someone's departure from the story.

If you haven't already, check out the poll on my profile page to guess who.