It was well past dark when Alexis stopped sparring. As she sparred with Blurr, Jetfire and Scavenger decided to have a sparring match. It was quite difficult to spar with Jetfire and Scavenger sparring too, but she managed. She had to. She knew that Blurr was working his hardest and after two days of practice and some human defense lessons, she was able to get Blurr down.
When Blurr was down, she felt energized. She went over to the other two and began to help Scavenger in getting Jetfire down. Jetfire thought at first it wasn't fair but he quickly realized that in battle, when an Autobot got their opponent down, they go and help their friends.
When Jetfire finally collapsed, Alexis could hear cheering from the on lookers. She smiled at her triumph and turned to see who was in the room. She wasn't surprised to see Starscream, Hotshot and Sideswipe but it did surprise her that everyone was there, even Optimus and Red Alert.
"Well how did I do coach?" she asked looking at her trainer.
"Well done," he said. "You did a classic 'help your teammates' strategy."
"Yeah," Jetfire said. "I was quite surprised that you even attempted to go after me."
Blurr stood up and walked over to Alexis. He placed a hand her shoulder. "I'm even impressed."
"I figured it'd be a good idea to help Scavenger out."
"But why did you choose him over me," Jetfire whined a bit.
"For one reason. He's my trainer," she giggled.
"So Jetfire, you've been treated like the enemy," Hotshot said.
Alexis walked over to Optimus. "What brings you in here?"
"There's news from Cybertron," Red Alert answered. "A few hours ago, one of Cybertron's moons left orbit."
"How could a Moon leave orbit?" questioned Jetfire.
"I'm not sure," answered Optimus.
"The Moon is Unicron," Starscream said. "It has to be. Any idea where it's heading?"
"Red Alert has lined its trajectory," Optimus said. "It's on its way here."
"Unicron is heading to Earth," Alexis said. "This can't be happening." She felt she would start crying. How could this be happening? First she's turned into a Transformer, her mother having a hard time accepting her new life and now Unicron coming to Earth.
Starscream walked over to her and placed an arm around her shoulder. "We won't let him hurt anyone here on Earth."
"This planet is too special to let anyone harm it," Sideswipe said.
"What's up with you?" Blurr asked.
"I love this planet so much. I'm starting to think of it like home."
"Sideswipe," Jetfire said. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we all love this planet. It's the most beautiful planet by far."
"Jetfire is right," Scavenger said. "We all like this planet."
"We must be ready for when Unicron attacks," Optimus said. "I'm sending a message for backup."
"But sir," Jetfire said. "If they warp right from Cybertron to here, the Decepticons will know."
"I don't care. The Decepticons is no longer part of our problem. We have a much bigger problem then them or saving the Mini-Cons."
"Do what you need to do," Red Alert said. "We're behind you one hundred percent."
------
The next day Alexis was down by the lake, staring at it. She needed to warn the others. The boys hadn't been around since she became a Transformer. She figured it had a lot to do with helping her mother and school.
"I'm surprised you're still here," Optimus said as he came into the room.
"Optimus. What do you mean?" she asked turning to him.
"It's morning and I figured you'd go into town and warn Rad."
"Huh? You don't mind."
"No. We're monitoring Unicron's movement and it'll take him at least a week to get here. So you have time to visit your friends and your mother before she leaves."
Alexis felt her spirit lift up. She quickly wrapped her arms around him for a hug. Optimus for the moment was stunned but after a few seconds, his arms wrapped around her. When she let go, he saw her smile.
"Thank you," she said.
"What's going on?" Starscream asked.
"Starscream," Alexis said. She ran over to him. "Optimus just gave me permission to see my friends."
Starscream looked at Optimus. "What about Unicron?"
"He won't be here for at least a week. I'll leave you two alone." Optimus walked towards the mouth of cavern.
Starscream didn't want to ask but he had to know. "You know about my feelings?"
Optimus turned back. "We all do. I have been meaning to talk to you about that."
"About what?"
"When you first came to us and started to hang around Alexis a lot, I started to have my suspicions. I had a feeling you two cared about each other and I can tell you right now, I didn't like it. But as time went on and we learned Kiaudica is living in Alexis, I no longer could try to interfere."
"Who else knows about this feeling of yours?" Starscream asked a little rough.
"Red Alert. The others have guest on their own. They won't say anything until you say something." Optimus turned back and left.
Starscream moved away from Alexis. "I can't believe that he knew about us."
"What's wrong with that?" she asked coming up behind him, placing a hand on his arm.
He turned to her. He looked into her optics. "You don't mind that he knows."
"No." Was the answer she gave. "As much as I want to be with you. I need to let Rad and the others know about Unicron. How long will the transformation last?"
"About twenty four hours."
"I'll be back, this time tomorrow."
She went to move away from Starscream but he quickly grabbed her arm, pulling her to him. She couldn't mutter a word as his lips slammed down on hers. When she pulled away, she cuddled her head against his chest.
"You could come with me," she said.
"It's best for me to stay here. Megatron may try to attack."
"I'll miss you. But I do need to see my family and friends."
"I'll miss you as well. For the next twenty four hours will be strange without you."
"You've gotten use to me being here fast."
"This is your home now."
"As it is yours."
Starscream moved her away from him. "You better get going. Someone will drive you down the mountain?"
"I'll take Sureshock." She smiled and quickly kissed Starscream. She moved away from him and started to descend into the water. She felt a tingling sensation at her feet. The further she moved in the water, the more the sensation went up her body. When she was completely immersed in water, she thought of being her human self. She felt her body start to change. When it was complete, she quickly swam to the surface.
She swept her wet hair out of her face and looked at Starscream. She did not take her eyes off of him as she swam out. She could even sense Kiaudica's thoughts too.
"Mental note, make sure there's a towel down here for me to dry off. Now I have to go put on dry clothes."
"Let me take you back up," Starscream offered.
"Thanks. It will be faster that way."
As he did many times before, he knelt down, placing his hand to the ground allowing Alexis to climb into his hand. When she was sitting in the palm, he moved to head up to the main part of the base.
"This is strange. I guess I'm getting used to seeing you at your level."
Starscream laughed. "I feel the same way. It's different seeing you human again."
------
Alexis, on Sureshock, went zooming down the mountain. She couldn't wait to see Sandy or her mother. She knew her mother was still packing up last minute things before leaving the state. She knew her mother had Optimus send up the belongings that she wouldn't need and placed them in the base somewhere, though she didn't know where yet.
When she got to her mother's home, she went to the back, allowed Sureshock to transform then walked into the house. She found her mother, listening to soft music looking at a picture.
"Mom," Alexis said.
Mrs. MacDonald turned at the sound and gasped. "Alexis?"
Alexis ran to her mother and hugged her. "I've missed you."
"I thought..." but then it hit her. Mrs. MacDonald remembered Alexis was able to be human once the sample of the Pool of Transformation arrived. "What are you doing here?"
"As much as I want to visit," Alexis began as she looked up. "Everyone on Planet Earth is in grave danger and there is nothing I can say about it."
"What do you mean in danger?"
"There is a stronger and bigger enemy on its way to Earth as we speak. He had Sideways steal the Sky Boom Shield and the Star Saber Sword out from underneath us. Sideways is working for him."
"What can I do to help?" Though she didn't like what her daughter had become, she needed to be supportive. It wasn't her fault or Alexis's that she became a Transformer.
"I'm not sure if there is anything you can do. You are the first I've seen." Alexis looked up and saw the wall clock. It was almost time for Rad and the others to be in school.
"Mom. I have to go. I have to tell Rad the news pronto before school starts. I'll be back as soon as I tell them." Alexis stood up from her mother's embrace and ran out the front door. Sureshock, before Alexis opened the door, transformed and waited for her.
On the way to the school, where she was going to meet up with the guys, she couldn't stop thinking about Starscream. It hadn't been an hour since she left the base and she was already missing him. She figured the others were missing her too.
When she got to the school, she saw Rad and Carlos just getting to the school gate. She quickly sped by them and tapped their shoulders. Both of them jumped. They turned and saw Sureshock driving away towards the park.
"Was that Alexis?" Rad asked.
"It sure looked like it. 'Cause that was Sureshock," Carlos said.
"Then that must mean..."
"The sample from the transformation pool has arrived. Let's see what she wants."
"Hey wait we have school to deal with."
"Screw the school. Alexis is down here for a reason and not just for leisure. If she was, she would have showed up after school." Carlos began to run off after Alexis
"Fred and Billy are already inside," Rad called after his friend. Then he decided to follow.
When they were in the park, they saw Alexis sitting on a bench.
"Hey girl. What's up?" Rad asked going up to her and giving her a hug.
"Major problems," she answered.
"What kind of problems?" Carlos asked.
"For starters Sideways showed and had stolen the shield and the sword."
"How could he have done that?" Rad asked with concern.
"He's not working for Megatron. In fact he's working for a much larger Transformer named Unicron."
"Who is he?"
"Remember when we were trapped in the computer and we were chased by some sort of planet."
"Don't remind me. The Autobots didn't believe us."
"That was Unicron. When he transforms, he's bigger than a planet. But the worse part is Red Alert has tracked him to be coming here. He's undercover as a Moon."
"You're serious," said Carlos.
"Dead serious. I only have until tomorrow morning to be human before I'm back to my new normal self. I wouldn't be down here this early if I wasn't."
"We should head to the base and see what's going on," Carlos suggested.
"We can't. My Mom would have a cow if she knew I skipped school again. Besides we have a major test this afternoon."
"Here's what we'll do," Alexis said. "I'll be with Mom. After school we'll head to the base, with Billy, Fred and Sandy. She's part of this now."
"Ok. We'll meet you at your Mom's," Rad agreed. "Come on Carlos. We have to get going."
"Rad. Has anyone been in my locker?"
"No."
"Good. The combination is 5-30-12. Empty it and bring it with you."
"Got ya."
Rad and Carlos then quickly left for the school. Alexis stood up, sat on Sureshock and headed back to her mother's.
------
Starscream was sitting in his quarters almost going out of his mind. Alexis had only been gone for a couple hours and he was going crazy. He stood up, heading out for a walk. He walked into the command center where Ironhide and Powerglide were talking.
"You seem bored," Ironhide said as he noticed the red jet approach him.
"You would be to if your friend wasn't around."
"Yeah I know what you mean there. I miss Chromia but there isn't anything I can do. Having a love life can be burden while in the middle of a war."
"This planet is amazing," Powerglide said. "I've taken a quick flight around the town. Sometime I'll go into the lake and take a look from ground level."
"I don't think you're the only one," Starscream said.
"I don't know why," Ironhide said. "But you definitely are not the same bot I knew when you were on Cybertron. You don't sound as cocky as you use to. And you don't snap as much either."
"Well you can thank Alexis for that. If it weren't for her, I would not be here."
"Yeah we've heard. Is it true that Kiaudica is still alive but lives in Alexis?" Ironhide asked.
"Yes. I found a rock on Planet Mars, which turned out to be infected rock from Cybertron, and gave it to the kids. With Kiaudica inside, made a reaction to the rock and transformed Alexis into a Transformer."
"Amazing," Powerglide said. "Any idea how much rock is around this solar system?"
"None."
"Alexis to Autobot base. Come in."
Starscream felt his spark lift as he heard Alexis's voice. He went over to the comlink and pushed the button to speak.
"Starscream here. Go ahead."
"We're going to be coming over after school. I already told Mom, Rad and Carlos. Billy and Fred were already in the school. Could someone be waiting around three o'clock to take everyone up."
"Of course. Who's all coming?"
"Mom, the guys and perhaps Sandy."
"I'm surprised you're coming back so soon," Ironhide said.
"I know. But it will be easier to talk with the guys if we're there."
"We'll see you when you get here." As much as Starscream wanted to talk to Alexis more, he knew he shouldn't. He turned off the comlink. "I better inform Optimus."
------
After school, just as planned, Rad and the others went to Mrs. MacDonald's home. She already knew what Alexis was planning to do.
"What is this all about?" Billy asked. "Rad said something about Unicron but I don't quite understand."
"That is what I'd like to know," Sandy said.
"Sandy it will be more difficult for you to understand. That is why we're heading to the base to talk about it. Someone should be waiting outside for us."
Alexis opened up the door and found a red van waiting.
"Who's he?" asked Rad.
"Ironhide. Him and two others arrived four days ago."
The side door to the van opened and everyone piled in. Mrs. MacDonald sat in the driver seat with Alexis beside her. Billy and Fred sat in the back with Sureshock on the floor. Rad, Carlos and Sandy were in the very back.
"I'm surprised that you are here and that Highwire and Grindor didn't come," Alexis said as Ironhide drove down the road.
"Optimus thought it would be best for me to go. I can fit everyone comfortably. The two Mini-Cons are too busy in trying to figure out how to help. As to how I knew where to find you, I had Starscream direct me here."
When they arrived at the base, Ironhide drove all the way to the command center. When everyone was out, he transformed.
Carlos ran over to the singed metal door. "What happened?"
"Sideways got into the base. How, I don't know," Optimus said to the kids. "He trapped us in here. We had to burn our way out and we were too late. Sideways and a friend of his already had the Mini-Cons."
"We soon learned that there is a much bigger threat than Megatron wanting the Mini-Cons," Alexis said. "If you were to combine the blaster, sword and shield, they become an ultimate weapon called the Hydra Canon. Unicron is on his way to Earth for the final battle."
"And Unicron," Sandy said. "Is a giant planet that can transform as a huge bot that is larger than a planet?"
"Correct," Optimus said.
"And there is no way to warn everyone," Rad said.
"How will we know when he's here?" Fred asked.
"He's disguised as a Moon," answered Powerglide. "Oh I'm Powerglide and this is Seaspray. He is the second Autobot to ever find the Pool of Transformation."
"Hi, I'm Billy and this is Fred."
"I'm Carlos."
"Rad."
"I'm the newest friend Sandy."
"And this is my mother," said Alexis as she went up to her mother.
"How long does this transformation last?" Sandy asked.
"Twenty-four hours," Alexis said. "Tomorrow morning I'll be back as a Transformer."
"Optimus what are you planning to do?" Rad asked.
"Staying on our toes. Alexis has done a remarkable job with her training and now we're testing her."
"What is your transformation?" Fred asked Alexis.
"I'm a jet like Starscream but not exactly like him."
Rad looked to his friends and then back to Optimus. "Well Optimus we'll do anything we can to help you out."
"Thank you. But right now all we can do is wait. We have about a week before Unicron arrives."
"Do you mind if we stay here?" Sandy asked. "Tomorrow we don't have school. And I'd like to see Alexis in action."
Alexis looked at her friend. "You're crazy."
"I know I am and have been since we've met." Sandy looked to her friend, giving her a big hug. "How about we go to your lounge and have a game or something to past the time away?"
"I'm not sure we should," Carlos said. "We are now on alert."
"Like Optimus said, nothing will happen for a week or so," Sandy said. "And I don't think one day of playing games and watching Alexis train will harm anyone. You guys have been doing this for almost a year now."
Alexis looked at Rad. "Sandy has a point. We have been fighting off the Decepticons and in our spare time, having a good time."
"Last one to the lounge is a rotten egg," Billy yelled running out of the room.
"Hey no fair," Fred whined. He started to run after his friend.
Soon all the kids were running to the lounge. The Autobots laughed at them. Optimus looked down and saw Alexis's mother was standing beside him.
"Why don't we take Sandy's advice and relax for a day," Optimus said.
"Good idea," Hotshot said. "Ironhide, Seaspray and Powerglide will get to see what humans are like."
"I like that idea," Ironhide said. "The problem is which way is the lounge?"
"Follow us," Sideswipe said.
The Autobots left the control room to watch the kids play games for the rest of the day. It was fun seeing Alexis having some fun with her human friends. Even Starscream thought it was good. The kids played games, told jokes and stories and even played pranks on each other. Everyone had a good time.
Each Autobot kept in mind of the danger that was heading to Earth. But until he arrived, there was nothing that could be done. They didn't even know if Sideways had gotten the blaster from the Decepticons or not.
Optimus knew it was going to be tough battle. Lives may be lost but he was going to do his best to keep from having the kids or his men harmed. If it came down to it, he would sacrifice himself to protect the Earth and his men. But he hoped it wouldn't come down to that.
Jetfire knew full well what Optimus was capable of and dreaded the moment that he may turn around and sacrifice himself to save the others. He knew the moral of the men would diminish if Optimus would die in battle. But he couldn't dwell on it too much. He had to keep the faith and think positive that everything would turn all right in the end.