The couple talked for sometime. Observing them as best as he could, Skywarp listened to Starscream and Alexis, somewhat fascinated in the way his trinemate treated the human. He could not recall in all his time serving with the Supreme Air Commander, when he had ever seen him so intent on engaging in conversation. On many occasions, Starscream had let him know all that femmes were supposedly good for, most of which were activities that involved more than just one's mouth.

And Skywarp could feel how much Starscream wanted the human. Feel the amorous intent and suppressed sexual chaos, the need and the thinly veiled restraint. And yet all he did was hold her and then watch as she slept, his eyes not wandering off her face nor body.

Keeping the other humans away wasn't a difficult task at all. They remained in the dining area. Two slept while another kept watch, the humans shifting sentinel positions once or twice.

Pushing through the swinging doors into the kitchen, Skywarp caught Starscream's attention.

"It's time to move."

As Alexis was gently woken up by the Supreme Air Commander, she stirred, stretched and lifted her gaze up to Starscream. Her hands reached up to his face as she traced the curves around his nose and mouth, looking at him with astonishment and unshed tears.

"Starscream."

All she said was his name and yet a strange, livening chill went up the back of Skywarp's spine. Backing out of the kitchen and leaning heavily against the wall, his hand went to his chest, a tight pressure building.

Skywarp was given the task of leading the humans as Thundercracker and Starscream cleared a path toward them. Already, hours passed since their journey had started. Between avoiding the increasing Decepticon forces and forced to alter course more than several times, he could see that what once had been a simple task in his processor was going to be anything but.

He actually didn't mind interacting with the humans for the most part. And enjoyed observing Alexis. She was dressed in all black like the rest of her companions, wearing multipocketed pants that accentuated her small frame, a tank top covered by a long jacket that was closed with large snap like prongs and a half-opened zipper. She looked pale and small. Alexis' bright eyes were glowing, her brownish red hair pulled back away from her head, which accentuated the ethereal, fragile appearance.

"How long have you known?" Now taking a break, Alexis moved near him. Her gaze was faraway while her thoughts were obviously elsewhere.

"Not long," Skywarp told the girl. He watched as she stretched and sighed, then breathed out deeply as she settled down on the ground. Arms wrapping around her legs, Alexis balanced herself on her small feet.

"You could have told me," she admonished gently while frowning.

"Starscream would have terminated me if I did."

She chuckled shortly at that. "I should have seen something coming; you have acted a little strange lately."

"How so?" Skywarp asked with interest.

"You haven't been talking as much," she stated simply, chin lifting as she offered him a knowing smile. Standing, her shoulder brushed against Skywarp when she leaned slightly toward his ear.

"I also know that we have reached the limits of our evasion," Alexis whispered. Her eyes wandered over to her friends who were sitting in front of a large log. They were talking quietly and looking at sensory equipment. "And that we are about to be surrounded," she said calmly, gaze lifting up to his own.

His neck jerked and eyes widened at her revelation. Skywarp forgot that she was rather intuitive about such things. And the rather vibrant energy signature of hers that always tugged across his consciousness, should have kept him from forgetting that she wasn't exactly standard issue.

"I can feel them all around," she explained. "I think the others know as well. So what exactly are your plans for us?"

Words not even finished, a small missile whizzed through the air before embedding itself into a tree behind them. Grabbing onto Alexis' arm, he pulled her away. The explosion sounded off behind them as they were shoved forcefully through the air. Protecting her as best as he could, Skywarp covered her with his body, both falling down as he cushioned her fall. Picking Alexis up, placing the girl on her feet, he pulled her along as they caught up with the others.

So humans weren't entirely worthless. That was the conclusion Skywarp came to after the four humans had managed to survive not one, but now three direct encounters with the Decepticon forces.

And his preconceptions about Alexis were off the mark as well. But he had known that the weakened state in which he finally interacted with the femme, could not have been how Starscream saw her. And there had been small revelations of her strength here and there that he had been unable to ignore; faint glimmers of a provocative nature that served to entice.

To watch them fight was also interesting. How they used their size against their opponents as they took them down, trapped them or even evaded them. Since it was the first time to see Alexis' imploder in action, he was enthralled with that as well. Watching the wielder of the weapon use it with such effectiveness, he was stunned by her tenacity and resolve, enamored with her shows of strength and flexibly feminine form in action.

Climbing up a steep hill, six Decepticons lay incapacitated not even a mile behind. Running, fighting, moving and keeping distance, they had no other choice but to engage the enemy. For their time frame of getting out of the area was quickly lessening. If they didn't make it out soon, they would be stuck and at Megatron's mercy.

Distracted in an update from Starscream, it took Skywarp a moment before he realized that the human male designated Rad, was once more placing his hand on Alexis' body. This time as he assisted her up the mound of inclined dirt, his careless eyes hovering for way too long on the girl as he did so.

"Leg go and move along," Skywarp growled while pulling the male's hand off Alexis as he pushed Rad back. "Touch this female one more time and I will rip your arm out of its socket," he threatened, eyes narrowing with his body stretching as he prepared to take the male down.

Rad gulped hard, but stood his ground, his hard blue eyes fixed upon the Seeker that did not waver.

"He was just trying to help, Warp," Alexis spoke up, frowning as she did so with those green eyes of hers wandering down his frame. Sensing his aggravation and intent, she took a cautious step closer.

"If you need assistance, I shall give it to you," he demanded, ready to grab Alexis' hand with his own, but waylaid when the other male intruded.

"Um, guys?" Sam broke in, pushing the two men apart as he had the audacity to place a hand on the girl before his mate took over. The Mikaela one held onto Alexis' hand as the two females continued their ascent, their heads turning here and there to take in the heated verbal exchange. "How about we keep moving and keep the aggression for what lies ahead," the boy offered with an uneasy chuckle.

Skywarp kept his attention on Alexis while watching her movements, irritated that he had been separated.

"As long as you males remember who Alexis belongs to, and that touching her again without permission will be the ultimate offense that I, nor my Trine will let slide."

"Uh, trying to make it out of here alive," Sam huffed. Poking Skywarp in the chest, his eyes narrowed and then opened wide. Hand going to his thigh, Sam drew his weapon as he ran up the inclined path. Cursing, the boy raced after the females as weapon fire commenced once more.

They were pinned.

Skywarp supposed it was only a matter of time before such an outcome occurred, but seeing how he kept having the inclination to take to the air; he found he was rather bewildered. From the beginning, he could have just warped in and grabbed the female and met up with the Starscream and Thundercracker. But the Supreme Air Commander had been firm, whatever Alexis decided would be how they played things, so leaving the other humans behind was unfortunately not an option.

At the rate they were going, they still had at least four hours to go before they reached the others, but now that they were unable to advance and their options were fading.

"To the right!" Sam yelled. His gun long abandoned, he now held an advanced rifle that had been tinkered with by Autobot engineers and upgraded for human necessity. Shooting small projectiles that exploded on impact, its damage was efficient and violent. Between that, the AllSpark carrier's blaster, the other male's missile launcher and Alexis' imploder, they were managing to keep the Decepticons back, at least for now.

Skywarp was capable of fighting as well, using whatever weaponry he could think of. Unfortunately, he had to limit his attacks while saving them for when they were most needed. The more he assisted in the violence, the weaker the stability of his holo-form became.

"Behind you!" Rad shouted.

Alexis dropped down, barely avoiding an explosion from a Decepticon's flame shooter, leveling her wrist, extreme concentration coming upon her brow, her imploder discharged. The fire extinguished and the Decepticon barreled back. Alexis advanced as she fired again and once more, diving down as she was fired upon by another advancing 'Con.

The other female took care of that Decepticon. Alexis crawled to cover and managed to make it to a large cement road block; Skywarp hastened to her. They were running out of places to hide, forced and corralled to an open highway. Their choices for cover were quickly dissipating as one by one they were obliterated.

"To the right!" Sam hollered again. Taking the moment of relative calm, he motioned erratically with his free hand.

Skywarp and Alexis being the closest to what the male was talking about, they looked in the direction he was pointing. Their gazes leveled downwards; they saw his intent.

"Go, Mikaela," Sam told his mate while pushing her towards their position. Already Alexis was climbing over the railing. Sliding down the cemented hill, she made her way to the bottom. Mikaela followed next after anxiously looking behind for her mate.

"Go, Mika," Sam repeated. "We will be right there."

She did as she was told and Skywarp followed along. The two females were already running when the explosion sounded off, when cement broke off and came tumbling down after them.

"Sam!" Mikaela screamed, stopping mid run as she twisted around.

"Keep moving, they are alive. Now isn't the time for indecisiveness," Skywarp stated evenly. Grabbing hold of her, he forced her forward. He would not allow the female, no matter how close she was to Alexis, or what state her mate was in, to bring harm to the girl he was committed to protecting.

"I can't just leave him," Mika said, pounding against his chest as she tried to shove him away. "Let go!"

Fortunately, a moment later, Sam contacted her and told her to keep moving.

Frowning, Alexis grabbed hold of Mikaela's hand. "We have to keep going," Alexis spoke firmly. "We're still being followed."

Mika shook her head while resolutely pushing long strands of dark hair behind her ears. Wiping off shed tears, she leveled her sharp eyes at the Seeker, animosity breaking loose.

"Fine. Let's go."

It didn't take long to figure out that despite the humans separating, the females were the main target, or that is the AllSpark was.

And by the time he led the two femmes to a momentarily safe haven, surrounded by more danger than ever as the sounds of Decepticon forces filled the air, it was then that Skywarp knew he had to leave.

For his alt-mode had been discovered. He had exactly forty-two seconds before he was found, and in weapons range. Giving what orders he could spare in the time allotted, he expected panic and confusion from the human females, only to receive determination and conviction.

"Go. We haven't come this far to be killed," Alexis assured while grabbing him into an unexpected flash of a hug that had Skywarp's chest constricting and eyes widening as he was momentarily distracted by the rare contact that she instigated. "Stay safe, Warp," she breathed out.

With that his holo-form deactivated while his thrusters kicked on-line as he lifted upwards. Weapons already registering the enemy forces, Skywarp took them down. No longer inhibited by fleshy restrictions, he made his way to his Trine mates, destruction and chaos following in his wake as he terminated with prejudice.