ATE: Dun, dun, duuunnn! Wait! The fact that I updated so soon is a good thing! I worked all day yesterday and late into this morning at 3:30 AM just to finish this chap. And I was so excited to get it done too! I would like to thank Diamond White, 4elementsfan4621, Mistress Megatron, Sailor Shinzo, Crystalmaiden62, kaitamis, and Crazygal217 for their reviews on chap 10. You guys encouraged me to get this chap up as soon as it did and I have a feeling you all are going to love it. This chap will cover the events of Episode 36: Mars.
Declaimer: I don't own Transformers or Transformers Armada. I only own my OC Valerie
Chapter 11: Mars
Alexis, Rad, Carlos, and I were standing on a cliff while we watched Starscream running around in a rage as he slashes at the boulders around him with the Star Saber. It was horrible seeing how much anger he had as he yelled out battle cries. Was he liked this because of whatever happened when the Autobots invaded the Decepticon base? No one has told me what happened, but I thought of asking Jetfire when I got the chance. All I knew was that we had a lot more Mini-Cons than what I remembered.
"What's his problem?" Rad asked, his hands placed on his hips.
"No clue, dude." Carlos replied, sounding just as clueless as I assumed he was.
I looked over at Alexis and I saw the concerned look on her face as she watched Starscream. I couldn't help but wonder why she was so concerned about him but then I realized something. Did she like Starscream? That's another thing I'm going to have to ask about.
Starscream continued running but suddenly he stopped in place and seemed to be staring at something.
"He stopped." Rad stated.
"Maybe he's gonna puke up his lunch." Carlos guessed.
"Carlos!" Alexis exclaimed.
I tried to get a good look at what Starscream saw, even going as far as squinting my eyes a bit before I spotted what it was. It looked to be a field of flowers. I didn't even know they were there at all. After awhile Starscream eventually went over to a boulder and sat on top of it. He looked kind of depressed. The Mini-Cons that formed the Star Saber separated and stood in front of him with another Mini-Con that I've never seen before. Alexis started walking away from us.
"Hey Alexis, where are ya going?" Rad asked.
"And what're you doing?" Carlos asked.
Alexis didn't say anything and I realized that she was going over to Starscream.
"Hey, that's dangerous!"
"Yeah, Starscream is a little out to lunch right now. Uh, look out!"
"Oh, relax." Alexis stopped in front of the ex-Decepticon and stood there looking up at him. I watched as she talked to Starscream (the Mini-Cons running away at some point), but I couldn't tell what they were saying. Eventually Starscream got up and started walking away and I went up to her to see that she looked disappointed. "Jeepers. You go out of your way to try and help somebody - and all they do is bite your head off."
"Are you okay, Alexis?" Rad asked after he and Carlos joined us.
"Yeah, what's going on?" Carlos asked.
"I'm fine, you guys. But I don't think Starscream is." She told us. "He's gonna do something drastic."
"Wha?" Rad and Carlos seemed confused by what she said, although I wasn't sure what she meant either.
We all decided to head back to the base and when we were inside I pulled Alexis to the side in order to talk to her.
"What is it, Valerie?" She asked me.
"I saw how you were looking at him and I couldn't help but wonder…" I trailed off.
"Wonder what?"
"Do you like Starscream?" I asked quietly.
I watched as Alexis' face turned red and she averted her gaze to the floor.
"I-I guess so…" She said quietly.
"Then don't you think you should tell him? At least at some point?"
"Eventually." Her face returned to normal and she looked up at me with a smirk. "But I could say the same thing for you. When are you going to tell Jetfire that you like him?"
"Alexis!" I felt my face heat up when she mentioned Jetfire. How did she managed to make my question backfire on me?
"Well?" She pressed.
I was saved from having to answer when I heard the sound of loud footsteps coming down the hallway. I turned around to see that it was Jetfire.
"Speak of the devil." She whispered. "Hey, Jetfire!"
"Hey, you two." Jetfire stopped near us before getting down on one knee.
"I-I'm going to go outside now." I stuttered before heading back out.
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Jetfire watched Valerie leave quickly and he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong.
"What's wrong with Valerie?" He asked, turning back to Alexis.
"She's just nervous about tonight." She answered. "You're coming to her performance, right?"
"Sure I am! And I came here to ask you about that as well."
"Oh?" He could tell that Alexis was interested on what he had to say. "What is it?"
"Well…uh…" Why was it that he suddenly felt nervous? He was supposed to be the confident one here! "I was thinking of giving her something after her performance and…uh… I don't exactly understand human customs when it comes to something like this."
"Oh, I see! Don't worry, Jetfire! I've got you covered." Alexis went into a nearby room, only to come out with some red flowers. Jetfire quickly looked them up and realized that they were roses. "This is what you should give her after her performance. I only put them in this room in order to hide them from her. Just don't tell her about them and you'll be fine."
"Okay! Thanks, Alexis." He said.
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I held a hand over my heart that was racing in my chest in order to calm it down. My face was warm from how close I was to Jetfire and it didn't help that Alexis was there and we had just been talking about him. I'll admit that I like Jetfire, but I wasn't sure if he felt the same way about me. I was too scared to tell him. But then I felt a little depressed when I remembered yesterday when he told me how sparkmates were predetermined by Primus (I learned that he was basically the Transformer equivalent of God). He told me he was still looking for his sparkmate and I almost wished I were a Transformer instead of being human. He probably didn't have any feelings for me.
"Whatcha doing, Skydancer?"
I turned around to find Jetfire behind me. I felt my face heat up and bit and turned back to look at the sky.
"Just gazing at the sky." I told him. "It looks so peaceful today."
"Yeah, it does…" He agreed.
I could hear him moving around before sitting down next to me on my right. Out of the corner of my eye I saw that he had one leg hanging off the side of the cliff while the other one was bend close to his chest, which he rested his arm on in a casually relaxed way. His optics were gazing off into the distance and something about his pose seemed so…thoughtful and a little lonely. It made me feel sympathetic and if he were human (or the size of one) I would've given him a hug or something. Maybe I was reading too much into it. But then I couldn't help but wonder what he would look like if he were a human.
"What's wrong, Skydancer?" He suddenly asked before turning to look at me.
I lowered my gaze and felt my face heat up from being caught staring at him.
"N-nothing! I mean-yes! No-no-"
"Whoa! Calm down and take a deep breath there!" I did what he did told me and I found that it calmed me down a bit. "Now why don't you start tell me what's wrong."
I sighed.
"I-I'm extremely nervous about tonight." I told him. "I have a lot of butterflies in my stomach."
"Butterflies?" He asked confused. "You were eating insects?"
"No, no! It's just another way of saying you're really nervous. No actual butterflies involved."
"Oh. I watched you practice last time and you did just fine! So you have nothing to be nervous about." I looked at him and saw that he was gazing at me. "Plus you've gotten a little more confident ever since you met us."
"You really think so?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah. If it helps try thinking of some happy thoughts."
I smiled.
"Thanks, Jetfire."
"No problem!"
I suddenly remembered what I wanted to ask Jetfire.
"What happened yesterday when you guys invaded the Decepticons' base? Starscream seemed really mad earlier."
"Oh, that." Jetfire said a slightly sour tone. "Starscream didn't get his chance to take down Megatron so he's being a total aft about it."
"'Aft?'" I asked.
Jetfire's optics widened in surprised as he realized what I was talking about.
"Don't tell Optimus I said that in front of you! He won't be very pleased!"
"What's so bad about that word? You've said some weird words in the past, like 'slag', 'glitch', and 'frag'"
"Oh, Primus." He groaned. "You really kept track of those words I've said?"
"Yeah. They were weird words so of course I kept track. I don't understand what's so bad about them."
"For Cybertronians those words are considered curse words. That's why they're bad. And it's bad enough that I let you say the ones you did, and that's not even all of them. Just don't go repeated them around the others."
"Oh. I didn't know they were that bad."
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(Later)
"What is it? What's going on?" Optimus asked as the alarm bared in the background.
Everyone as in the command center as Alexis sat at the human size monitor as she typed at it. Rad, Carlos, Billy, Fred, and I all stood around her in order to see the screen. The Autobots (and ex-Decepticon) stood by as they waited anxiously for the answer they were seeking.
"We found another Mini-Con, Optimus." Rad answered. "It's a new one."
"A new Mini-Con!"
"You serious?" Carlos asked. "Where is it, Alexis?"
"Hang on. I'm trying to find out, but something's not right." Alexis told him.
"What do you mean?" Rad asked, leaning in a bit.
"Well, it doesn't look like Earth's surface."
Hot Shot and Red Alert turn to Starscream.
"The moon?" Starscream asked. I turned around to see that Hot Shot and Red Alert were looking at him as well. "Is it at the Decepticon base where Megatron is?"
"No, it's not." Alexis answered. "It looks like it's -"
"Totally bizarre." Rad exclaimed. "What is it, Alexis?"
"It... It looks like Mars! That new Mini-Con's on Mars."
"Mars?" Billy asked.
Sure enough, the monitor showed that the Mini-Con was on Mars.
"I'm not surprised." Optimus said.
"But that's in outer space." Fred stated.
"Hey, guys, can I come with you, pleeaasse?" Carlos begged, his hands clasped in front of him as he looked at the Autobots with a puppy dog face (the one that a lot of people used whenever they begged).
"We can't go into outer space." Scavenger told him.
"For starters, neither of us can even fly." Hot Shot added.
"But we can't abandon the Mini-Con." Optimus stated.
"Sometimes you just gotta go." Billy told them.
"I gotta go." Fred added.
'Oh, god…' I thought.
"Scavenger's right, you guys." Rad stated. "The only ones that can make the trip to Mars right now are Jetfire and Starscream."
"Yeah. I can handle this on my own. Outer space, no probs." Jetfire said, his confidence obvious as he spoke. "All I have to do is find the Mini-Con before the Decepti-dummies, right?"
"Hmmm…" Optimus said thoughtfully.
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Carlos, Billy, and Fred walking off somewhere. Where were they going? I turned back to what was going on as Hoist went up to Jetfire with the Skyboom Shield in his hands.
"Here ya go." Hoist said, handing Jetfire the Skyboom Shield. The Vice Commander took it without a word.
"Wait a minute!" Starscream exclaimed, running up to Jetfire. "I'm going, too. Megatron will be there."
"Oh, who said you could come? Why don't you just follow orders for once, huh?" Jetfire asked, looking at the ex-Decepticon before he started walking off. "You're just gonna slow me down, anyway."
"C'mon, Jetfire, why don't you take 'im?" Hot Shot suggested.
"I don't need the trouble." Jetfire continued walking down the hallway in the direction of the launching dock. His right arm was extended and it seemed like he was waving it in a dismissive fashion when in reality he wasn't moving it at all.
I looked at Starscream to see that he was staring at Jetfire's retreating form, all the while growling quietly. I was surprised when he followed after him. I went back over to the monitor where Alexis and Rad still were and I watched from the footage as Jetfire walked confidently into the launching dock.
"Okay. I am ready to roll." Suddenly he stopped and looked down. "Aaah…"
"Is there something wrong?" Alexis asked.
Alexis switched to another camera feed, but nothing prepared us for what we saw.
Monitor screen then changes to Fred, Billy, and Carlos wearing spacesuits.
"Hey! Hahahaha! Hello!" That's right. The monitor showed Fred, Billy, and Carlos were wearing space suits (complete with their helmets) as they waved at us. No wonder Jetfire stopped; they were standing in front of him.
"Yikes." Alexis said dully, scratching her head in a slightly annoyed way.
"At least they're wearing helmets this time." Rad said pointedly.
"So this is why they ran off." I added.
The rest of the Autobots laughed and I couldn't help but giggle a little myself.
"C'mon, you gotta take us with you, man!" Carlos said to Jetfire.
"Yeah, we wanna go into space too!" Billy added.
"Quit wasting time! Get out of his way!" Alexis scolded.
"Is that a no then?"
"Aww, please?" Fred begged.
"No!" Alexis, Rad, and I said at once.
"Awww, but I wanted to be like a rocket man, man." Carlos said.
"Yeaahh, uhh, sorry to disappoint you." Jetfire told them.
"Well, at least bring us back a souvenir." Billy insisted.
"Like a Mars rock." Fred added.
"Yeah, I'll...uh… see what I can do." Suddenly Starscream walked past Jetfire. "Huh?"
"Out of my way!" Starscream demanded. "I'm taking off first."
Starscream transformed before anyone could stop him.
"Hey! Who's he think he is?" Jetfire exclaimed before taking off after him.
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After chasing after Starscream to through space Jetfire eventually spotted the red planet known as Mars.
"Man, where did that nutcase Starscream get to now? Ah, well, forget him. The Mini-Con is what matters right now." Jetfire said, making his way to the planet's surface. He found a place to land and released his Mini-Con partner, Comettor, so that he could look for the Mini-Con they were searching for. "There you are, little one. Off you go!" With that Comettor transformed and started driving away. "Find that Mini-Con as quickly as you can. We're all counting on ya, and the clock is ticking for all of us." Comettor bleeped in response. Even thought he couldn't understand what his Mini-Con partner said to him, Jetfire had a feeling that he said something along the lines of 'You can count on me.' The shuttle mech looked around him. "But still, I wish I knew where Starscream was." Suddenly he saw a planet storm heading in his direction. "And there's a storm coming in."
'And this mission has suddenly gotten a little more difficult.' He thought. 'I just hope I can make it back in time.'
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The screen on the monitor got blurry with white flurries (that rhymes) and it prevented us from seeing what was happening. I felt worried about Jetfire.
"Come in, Jetfire." Alexis said. "Do you read me? Over."
"Yeah, I'm reading you but you're breaking up real bad." I heard Jetfire's voice answer us. Even as he spoke his voice was breaking up due to the interference.
"We haven't got anymore data for you, except for the Mini-Con is there. You're on your own."
I couldn't hear the first bit Jetfire said because of the all the static. "I'm not making out what you're saying."
"Come again? Over."
"What did he say?" Rad asked.
"He's too far away." Alexis said.
"Err, uh... Somebody - help me!" Fred cried.
"What's the problem?" Rad asked.
I turned to see that Fred was trying to scratch his nose…with his helmet still on!
"My nose is itchy... and I can't scratch it!" How stupid could he get. I bet that he wasn't even smarter than a fifth grader.
"So why don't you take your helmet off?"
"Oh, would you goofs be quiet. You guys shouldn't have put on those spacesuits in the first place." Alexis stated.
"But if I can't touch my face, how am I gonna eat my lunch? Huh?"
Optimus laughed in amusement. I guess he found it funny.
I turned back to the monitor that was still had the white flurries and I couldn't help but worry about Jetfire. I then thought of something. Would I be able to talk to Jetfire like he's done with me recently?
'Jetfire? Can you hear me?' I asked. I felt anxious. Would this even work?
{Skydancer? Is that you?} I heard his voice ask in my mind. His voice was loud and clear that it was like he was standing next to me.
I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
'Yes. It's me.' I told him. 'What happened? We just suddenly lost contact with you here.'
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'That'd probably be because of the storm I happened to run into on Mars.' Jetfire stated.
He was struggling to get through the storm that was raging all around him. It was hard to walk through it due to all the wind he was resisting and even though he was using his right arm to shield his face, he could barely see anything through all the dust and rock flying around him.
{How bad is it, Jetfire?} Valerie's voice asked him. Hearing her voice at the moment was something he was really grateful for and in a way it encouraged him to continue moving forward.
'Bad enough to be compared to a blizzard or sandstorm back on Earth.'
{Were you able to hear what Alexis said to you about the Mini-Con?}
'I wasn't even able to understand a single word. Could you tell me?'
{Alexis said that we couldn't find anymore data on the exact location of the Mini-Con.} He could feel her disappointment through their connection. {I'm sorry we couldn't be able to help you any further.}
'It's fine, Skydancer. It might not be enough to go by, but it's better than nothing.' He reassured her.
Suddenly Jetfire saw the blast of someone trying to shoot at him, causing him to stop where he was.
"What's that?" He asked as he looked up.
Jetfire could barely make out the form of something huge. Thinking quickly he decided to use the cover the storm provided him to get away before he could be hit again. He wasn't going to take any chances.
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The footage on the monitor never changed, but at least I knew Jetfire was alright.
"Ah, wonder what's going on with Jetfire." Rad asked.
"I sure hope he's okay." Alexis said.
"I hope Starscream's not doing anything stupid, either." Hot Shot said.
"Huh?" We all turned around to look at Hot Shot.
"I mean... Heh, heh. I hope he's doing okay." The yellow Autobot added.
The others laughed lightly.
"Errr…" Optimus sounded like he was thinking.
"Jetfire's going to be okay." I said.
"How do you know?" Alexis asked, turning around to face me.
"I just have a feeling that he will, that's all." I told her. "Gut instinct."
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Jetfire managed to get away just in time for the storm to pass over and was instantly glad to be able to see where he was. Just as he continued forward he suddenly spotted Comettor, followed by the three Mini-Cons that made up the Star Saber. Star Saber! If they were here, then that meant Starscream was nearby!
"There you are! I have a feeling you couldn't find the Mini-Con, but do you know where Starscream is?" He asked.
The Mini-Cons bleeped before running off in the direction they came from. Jetfire knew that they wanted him to follow and he went after them. Eventually they came the three Mini-Cons he was following bleeped just as they ran around the corner, along with Comettor.
"Is this where he is?" Jetfire asked as he rounded the corner. He turned his head and spotted Starscream sitting on the ground as he leaned against the rocky wall of the valley they were in. It was quiet as he had a stare down with the ex-Decepticon, but it was Starscream that was the first to look away. He made his way over to him. "There you are. I've been looking for you. Here." Jetfire stopped in front of Starscream and held his hand out to him. "Give me your hand."
"Just save it. I want to be left alone." Starscream said.
"Tch. Still as stubborn as ever, I see." He pulled his hand away seeing as the mech in front of him didn't want his help.
"Your mission is to rescue the Mini-Cons! So do it!"
It was quiet as Jetfire just gazed at Starscream, his patience wearing thin already.
"Look, why don't you just…get up off your butt and do your job like you're supposed to. Help me get that Mini-Con back to Earth."
"That's your job." Starscream snapped. "My purpose here is to bring down Megatron! You can't possibly understand the humiliation that I've suffered!"
'That's it! I've had enough of this slag!' He thought
"You know what, you're right. I don't understand. And I don't want to, either!" Jetfire leaned down and grabbed Starscream's left arm before pulling out a pair of handcuffs from his subspace. He bound the ex-Decepticon's left wrist with one end before closing the other end around his own right wrist.
"What do you think you're doing to me?"
"I'm busting ya for the crime of disobeying orders." He told him, raising his right arm to show him that he handcuffed himself. "Sorry."
"You can't be serious! Get these off me now!"
"No can do. Like I said, you're busted. I'll decide everything you do from this point on. It's for your own good and you know it."
Starscream growled. "You'll pay for this."
Jetfire dragged Starscream with him as they flew away from Mars. He was going to take him back to base before he would even think of continuing this mission.
"I've placed Starscream under arrest and I'm bringing him in from Mars immediately." He said, communicating with the others back at the base.
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"And the Mini-Con?" Rad inquired.
"It'll have to wait." Jetfire answered.
"What? Are you nuts?" Sideswipe protested."We're gonna need the Mini-Con to-"
"That's enough." Optimus ordered. "Go ahead and bring Starscream in right now. It's time that he learned a little lesson. Isn't that right, kids?" He asked, aiming the question at us.
"Aheheheh…" Alexis laughed nervously. Why was she laughing like that?
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"C'mon, Starscream. Quit struggling." Jetfire said as they continued flying away from Mars.
"Will you just leave me alone?" Starscream asked in an annoyed tone.
"Listen to me, I know the Decepticons are used to fighting for themselves, but Autobots aren't like that. We function as a team." He explained. "If one member isn't obeying orders, then the whole group will fall apart. Right? Everyone has to do their part. Everyone has to help just the same."
"I must have Megatron."
Jetfire sighed before looking down at Starscream. "You know what, I've had enough." He looked ahead. "I'm taking you back to Earth and don't try to stop me."
"Hold on a sec!"
"Save your breath."
"I see him."
"Who, Megatron?" Jetfire said Megatron's name in a mocking tone.
"No, the Mini-Con!"
"What?"
Jetfire looked at Starscream in shock. It was quiet for a bit before his 'partner' spoke.
"Over there." He said. "On that asteroid."
Jetfire started approached the asteroid, dragging Starscream along with him. It was when he spotted the panel that he know that the ex-Decepticon was right!
"I see it!"
"You're going to rescue him, aren't you?"
Jetfire looked at Starscream, a smirk forming behind his face mask.
"Lemme tell ya my…personal motto." He started.
"Huh?"
Jetfire looked forward towards the asteroid. "VICTORY IS MINE!" He shouted before using the boosters underneath his feet to fly closer to the asteroid "Ignite!" Jetfire spotted where the Mini-Con was and started flying over to it. "There it is! Okay, Starscream, when we fly over, you grab it."
"You're asking me? Okay."
"Careful…" The shuttle mech muttered to himself as Starscream tried to reach for the Mini-Con, but he couldn't get it.
"Get…me a bit…closer." Starscream told him.
Jetfire complied, boosting a bit forward to get closer.
"Easy…" He watched as Starscream touched the panel, causing the Mini-Con to activate. "Huh?"
Suddenly something started shooting at them and they screamed.
"Ah!" Jetfire exclaimed as the blast sent them away from the Mini-Con. "Decepticons!"
Jetfire managed to catch a glimpse of who was shooting at them, only to have his optics widened when he saw the huge form of Tidal Wave. He could hear the huge Decepticon laughing maniacally as he continued shooting at them. They two flyers tried to get away and Jetfire mentally cursed as he realized the mistake of handcuffing both of he and Starscream together.
"Ugh! I can't move like this!" He growled in frustration.
"Well, then take these cuffs off me before they get us both killed!" Starscream yelled.
Jetfire looked back at him.
"If I could do that, I would've done it already."
"Fire!" Starscream suddenly yelled at the Mini-Con.
"Huh?" What was Starscream thinking? Jetfire looked back at the Mini-Con and saw that Tidal Wave was getting closer to it. He heard the Mini-Con bleep as it turned his head to look at Starscream.
"I said fire!" Mini-Con bleeped again, as if wondering what Starscream meant. "We Autobots will protect you! The Decepticons will use you as a tool for war! Trust me!"
"Keep talking, Starscream. That's the way." Jetfire muttered. He was surprised by what the ex-Decepticon was doing.
"Don't become a Decepticon! Save yourself!" He continued pleading. "Take it down! Fire! FIRE!"
Mini-Con bleeped before shooting a yellow beam at Tidal Wave, which hit it's target successfully. Jetfire and Starscream started flying over to the Mini-Con and the latter managed to grab a hold of his arm as they passed by before flying away.
"Do it, Starscream!" Jetfire urged as he opened his back compartment. As soon as the Mini-Con was placed inside he closed his back compartment in order to keep the it safe. "Nice work. Rescue mission accomplished."
"Heh?" Starscream gasped in surprise.
"What is it?" He asked.
Jetfire looked ahead and his optics widened when he saw Megatron, who happened to have the Requiem Blaster in his possession.
'Oh, Primus. Here we go again!' He groaned mentally.
"Megatron!" Starscream exclaimed. He stopped flying and Jetfire had no choice but to stop. "Now I will finish him off for good!"
"No chance. We have to turn back." Jetfire told him.
"Stand and fight, you coward." Megatron demanded, aiming the Requiem Blaster at them.
"I will fight him."
"No way. We're leaving."
Jetfire held the Skyboom Shields in front of him, only to have it starts glowing. He noticed that the Requiem Blaster and the Star Saber did the same thing as well.
"Huh?" He could hear Starscream's confusion.
"What's going on? What is this?" He asked in shock.
"And now the moment we've all been waiting for!" Megatron announced.
Suddenly a glowing golden ball of light started to grow in the space that separated them from Megatron and it started getting bigger and bigger. It eventually got so bright that Jetfire was surprised that he managed to get himself and Starscream away as they escape.
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"Jetfire! Starscream!" Alexis called. "What's the matter - what's happening out there?"
"Was there another storm?" Billy asked
Alexis turned to Billy.
"No, I think something else happened."
"What, Decepticons?" Hot Shot asked.
We were all quiet as we waited for an answer. I started getting worried, but suddenly I felt the familiar reassurance inside my mind as I heard the sound of static coming from the speakers.
"Jetfire here. Over."
We all sighed in relief and I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"What just happened?" Alexis asked.
"Everybody relax. We had some trouble, but we're okay now." Jetfire told us."We managed to rescue the Mini-Con and we're on our way back to you."
"And Starscream?" I could hear the concern in Alexis' voice.
"Who? Starscream? Uhhh, I don't know anyone by that name."
"Very funny." Starscream's voice said as Jetfire almost finished his sentence. He didn't sound amused.
"Hahahaha!" I started giggling as I heard Jetfire laughing at his own joke. Even Hot Shot sounded a little amused by the joke as well.
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(Later)
"A mysterious power, you say?" Optimus asked as he stood in front of Jetfire in the launching dock after his Vice Commander had explained what happened.
"That's right." Jetfire confirmed.
"Until we know more about it, let's keep this to ourselves. We wouldn't want to cause unnecessary alarm."
"Yes, sir. I'll have a word with Starscream and let him know not to say anything."
"Good."
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Alexis, Rad, Carlos, Billy, Fred, and I came into the launching dock. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Starscream sitting on the floor leaning against the wall as Red Alert walked away from him. I could see the other Mini-Cons surrounding the new on as they conversed with each other. I went with Carlos, Billy, and Fred as they ran up to Jetfire.
"So what was outer space like?" Carlos asked excitedly.
"How was Mars?" Billy asked.
"Can you scratch your nose in outer space?" Fred asked, But then he seemed to realize something. "W-wait, do you have a nose?"
"Right here, brainiac." Jetfire answered, pointing at his face mask where I assumed his nose would be in a jabbing motion. I was suddenly reminded of when I had felt his face while he was asleep and I couldn't help my face from heating up slightly. He soon stopped and stood up straight. "You shouldn't be so eager to show off whatcha don't know."
"Sooo, did you bring back a souvenir?" Carlos asked.
"Uhhh, sorry, guys." Jetfire shrugged his shoulders. "The souvenir shops on Mars were all…closed."
"Awwww!" I could hear the disappointment in the boys' voice.
"Will they be open tomorrow?" Fred asked.
I face palmed at his stupidity. Jetfire must've noticed what I did.
"Why'd you hit yourself, Skydancer?" He asked me.
"I didn't hit myself." I told him.
"Oh."
I looked over at Alexis and saw that she was talking to Starscream before he walked away. She looked a little disappointed but then she seemed to spot something on the ground and pick something up.
"Hey, Carlos!" Alexis called out.
"Huh?" Carlos looked over at Alexis and he suddenly beamed. "Hey, what do you got there?"
We all ran over to where Alexis was and we saw a huge rock that seemed to sparkle in the light. I realized in my excitement that it was a rock from Mars! Then that meant that Starscream left it there.
"I got a rock! I got a rock!" Fred exclaimed excitedly.
I picked up a small piece of rock big enough to fit in the palm of my hand and admired the texture. It was like any other rock you would find on Earth, except there was the obvious different that could be clearly be seen. It had a few tiny green stones embedded in it, which added to the stone's uniqueness.
I felt an indescribable emotion coming from Jetfire and turned around to see him gazing at me. Just by looking at his gold optics I could tell he was happy and I smiled. I went over to him and as I got closer he lowered his hand so I could climb on and I did so before he lifted me up. He wrapped his fingers around my body protectively as he left the launching dock and down the hallway towards the exit. I could see that the sun was setting and I knew I had to get going soon.
"Thank you, Jetfire." I told him as he placed me on the ground.
"No problem." He replied. "Good luck with your performance. I'll see you afterwards."
At this I was confused. He'd see me afterwards?
"How?"
"You'll just have to wait and see, Skydancer."
(Later)
I eventually made it to the studio, where everyone (including myself) got ready for the performance that would be starting in about half an hour. My hair was put up in a bun so that it didn't get in my way as I danced and I was dressed a pale pink tutu, the outfit I would be performing in.
Inside your heart I see the truth
Inside your smile I see a shining dream
Inside your body lies a hidden bravery
The wall before your eyes has turned into nothing
I stood up before going over to peek at the audience from behind stage. I couldn't help the nervousness I felt. This was my first performance and Alexis, Rad, Carlos, Billy, and Fred were here to see it. What if I messed up? Then all the practice I've done outside of lessons would've been for nothing.
I finally understand the reasons to why we met
If I open my ears a little bit
I felt a hand land on my shoulder and turned around to see Ms. Sanders. She gazed at me in concern as if she could sense my nervousness. Did she know what it was like to feel as nervous as I was right now before my performance.
"It's okay, Valerie." She told me. "It' common to feel nervous the first time you perform. You'll do fine."
My future is calling me
I will soon be on my way, and I'll transform my own two hands into wings
I won't lose to anyone, you'll see
I'll surpass the heartache and I will become stronger
I glanced back as I watched as more piled into the auditorium. I sighed, knowing that my parent wouldn't be here to see me perform tonight. What if my friends didn't come or didn't make it?
Behind your back the path still remains
Inside your eyes I see passion swirling
Within your voice you show me the way
Risks will always continue to call you and me
I suddenly felt reassurance and felt guilty that Jetfire picked up on it. Thinking of him I suddenly remembered what he told me yesterday. He said that he had something to tell me later on tonight and I couldn't help but wonder what it was.
Eternity is boring and will last forever
It will never stop for just one second
It was strange. One minute I was behind stage and then I was standing in front of the many people sitting in the audience who came. I spotted my friends sitting in the crowd among a group of men sitting around them, noticing that one of the men was holding some roses. Something about them seemed familiar, but I wasn't sure what it was.
My future is waiting
I'll still take one step forward, because I believe there's still some good intent
I won't lose to anyone, you'll see
I'll surpass all of this and someday we will transform
The other students in my ballet class were with me and I took a deep breath before I started dancing.
My future is calling me
I will soon be on my way, and I'll transform my own two hands into wings
I won't lose to anyone, you'll see
I'll surpass the heartache and I will become stronger
As I danced I thought of the time when Jetfire first saw me dancing, the time I've spent with my friends and the Autobots, and when Jetfire took me flying. I thought of the peace I felt whenever he would hum the Cybertronian Lullaby to me and I thought of when I first met Astera. And then I realized I haven't messed up.
My future is waiting
I'll still take one step forward, because I believe there's still some good intent
I won't lose to anyone, you'll see
I'll surpass all of this and someday we will transform
Before I knew it I was hearing the thundering applauses of many people resound in my ears and I knew that the audience liked the performance. I felt happy knowing that I didn't mess up or hesitate.
We'll surpass this and become stronger
I went off the stage with everyone else so that we could get ready to leave. I had just gotten out of my outfit and was taking my hair down when Ms. Sanders came up to me.
"You did wonderfully, Valerie. I could tell that you had confidence in yourself as you danced tonight. I'm so proud of you." She told me, a smile on her face. "You've come a long way in since you started."
"Thank you, Ms Sanders. I've…had a lot of friends that encouraged me and helped me through all of this." I said, thinking of my friends, both human and Autobot. But there was one of them that really helped me out the most and I smiled when I thought of him.
"And I must say that they did a good job in doing so. I should probably let you go now. Have a good rest of the evening."
"You too."
I watched as she left and I decided to do the same after gathering my things.
(15 minutes later)
I came into the entrance area where I found there were only a few people talking to others, but I didn't see my friends anywhere.
'Where could they be?' I thought.
"There you are! I was looking for you!"
I turned around to where the voice came from and was surprised to find the guy I saw with the roses standing behind me. I was finally able to get a good look at him since I wasn't able to before. He was tall and easily towered over me (I only came up to his chest). His dark reddish-brown hair was slightly shaggy with his bangs swept to one side while a few strands got in front of his eyes, which I was surprised to see where a golden yellow color. As for his outfit he wore cargo pants, a gray wife beater and a white jacket with some red accents he wore over it. He looked young and I assumed that he was somewhere in his 20s. But overall he was attractive. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment due to the fact that I was staring and tried to look away from him in my shy awkwardness, but something would always draw my eyes back to him. Was it because he felt somewhat familiar?
"Y-you were looking for me?" I asked.
"Yep! I got these for you." He said, his voice sounding familiar to me.
He suddenly hand me the roses he had and I felt my face heat up again. I didn't even know him and yet he gave me roses.
"T-thanks… But who are you?"
I watched as the man's face changed to express mock hurt.
"What? Are you telling me you don't recognize me, Skydancer?"
I felt myself tense up. Did I hear right?
"What did you call me?"
"You heard me!" He smirked, seeming to enjoy my confusion. "After all, I was the one who gave you that nickname in the first place."
My eyes widened in surprise. No wonder his voice sounded familiar! But how…?
"Jetfire…?" I asked quietly, feeling unsure.
"Yep! About time you figured it out."
"B-but how…? You're…human."
"Well, to make a long story short, Red Alert finally managed to finish his little science fair project and installed one in each of us so we could have human forms. Say hello to the holoform."
"So those other men you were sitting with were the others?"
"That's right, Valerie."
I turned around when I heard the familiar voice behind me and found the men I had seen earlier along with my friends and I knew they were the Autobots. It was strange seeing them as humans. And strangely enough, I could figure out which one was which.
Optimus' holoform had the appearance of someone in their early 30s, with neat bluish black hair and gold eyes. He wore blue jeans with a red button-up shirt.
I immediately spotted Hot Shot, who looked to be 16 with blue eyes and messy blonde hair. He wore jeans and a yellow T-shirt, which he wore over a long sleeve red shirt. He was slightly muscular, showing that he obviously wasn't a boy, but at the same time he wasn't an adult either.
Standing next to Hot Shot I could see Sideswipe. Like Hot Shot, he looked like he was 16 and was slightly muscular. His eyes were blue and he had neat black hair. He wore tan Capri pants and a blue dress shirt. Strangely enough something about his appearance reminded me of Daniel Radcliffe.
Next I spotted Red Alert, who appeared to be in his early 30s like Optimus. He had brown hair that slicked back and he wore glasses over his redish brown eyes. He wore black dress pants and a blue button-up shirt with a tie.
Funny how I spotted Blurr right away. He appeared to be in his late 20s with red eyes, which he wore a pair of sunglass that were tinted slight to the point that you could still see his eyes behind the shades. His hair was dark brown and was slightly spiked. As for what his clothes he wore a long sleeve blue shirt and cargo pants.
I was surprised when I saw Starscream's holoform since I didn't expect him to come (I almost wondered how Alexis or anyone for that matter convinced him to come). Like Blurr, he appeared to be in his late 20s with shaggy black hair that was slightly spiked and orange red eyes. He wore black jeans and a white jacket that he wore over his red shirt.
"You did a good job with your performance." Optimus told me and I could see him smiling.
"Thank you, Optimus." I said. "But where are the Scavenger and Hoist?"
"They weren't able to come since they had to look after the base." Alexis told me. "But I brought Laserbeak with me so they could watch your performance from the monitor in the command center."
I giggled.
"You always were clever, Alexis." I looked at everyone. "I'm glad you were able to come, but my parents weren't able to…"
"How come?" Optimus asked.
"They went on a business trip and won't be back until tomorrow evening."
"I see. I could assign you a temporary guardian for tonight. Would you be okay with that?"
"I guess so-I mean, I'm okay with that."
"Good." He turned to Jetfire. "Are you up to the task, Jetfire?"
"Ready for anything, Optimus!" Jetfire replied. "Hopefully you guys will be okay without me having to hold your hands."
"Just go already. You're starting to get on my nerves with your confidence." Starscream said.
"After all we've been through today, Starscream, you're that desperate to get rid of me so soon?"
I tuned out everything as I gazed down at the roses I held. It wasn't until I felt a hand on my shoulder that I realized that the other Autobots and my friends were gone, leaving me and Jetfire.
"C'mon, Skydancer. Let's get you home." Jetfire said.
Jetfire draped his arm around my shoulders, causing my face to heat up as he led me outside. It was strange. I was so used to seeing him as a transformer, but now that he had a human form (the holoform) it was different. My face had heated up countless times when I've been around him, but this time it was hard for me to look at him without thinking I was going to blush. And to think that I had wondered what he'd look like if he were human earlier today.
I noticed that he was leading me into the forested area and soon realized why when I saw his shuttle form, which was hidden from view if someone was standing outside the studio. It wasn't exactly common to see a space shuttle flying around as it was common to see a car driving on the street. Once inside I sat down in one of the seats at the front, watching Jetfire's holoform sitting down before feeling the safety harness snake around my chest and fastening together.
"How did you do that?" I asked, looking over at him.
"I may be using my holoform but that doesn't mean I can't multitask. I can still control my real form."
He didn't even place his hands on the controls when he went into the air; he was only sitting in his seat acting as if this was perfectly normal.
I glanced down at the roses I held, noticing how beautiful they were. I still couldn't believe I got them and…it made me happy.
"So? What do you think of the flowers?" Jetfire suddenly asked.
"Oh! Um… They're….they're nice." I said.
"Good. Alexis helped me by buying them ahead of time." He paused, as if realizing something. "What's wrong?"
"This is the first time I've ever received flowers for anything."
"The first time?"
I nodded.
"Any other time it was my parents who'd given me flowers, but it wasn't for anything like my performance."
"I'm glad I was the first to give you flowers besides your parents."
My heart seemed to flutter and my stomach seemed to do flips.
"Yesterday you said that there was something you wanted to tell me." I said. "What was it?"
I soon heard footsteps coming over to me before a hand was placed under my chin, tilting my head up so that I was forced to look at Jetfire's face. I felt my face heat up slightly and had no way to hide it. I was distracted by his gold eyes that gazed at me with an emotion that I couldn't discern.
"Your performance was beautiful tonight." I then realized that his face was close to mine that his lips lightly brushed against mine. I felt my heart hammering in my chest and my face seemed to heat up to 100 degrees. "You were graceful enough to be my Skydancer."
Jetfire suddenly pressed his lips to mine and I realized what he was doing! He was kissing me! I felt the hand that was under my chin move until it was placed on the side of my face before the other one did the same on the other side. My mind stated to feel fuzzy and I soon found myself closing my eyes, just giving in. I couldn't believe it. Was this really happening? Was I really being kissed by Jetfire, who was the Autobot Vice Commander, a transformer? Or was this something my mind was making up? It felt real enough. Fantastic would be an understatement of what it felt like. I wanted to wrap my arms around him but I wasn't able to since I was holding onto the roses.
Jetfire then pulled away a bit when he broke the kiss. I opened my eyes just in time to see him bring his face close to me before placing his forehead against mine. His eyes remained closed and I felt his warm breath lightly blow on me as he sighed deeply in content.
"I love you, Skydancer." He said quietly to me. He opened his golden colored eyes and I found myself gazing into them, his right hand lowering until it was on my forearm. "Remember when I told you how every Cybertronians' sparkmate is predetermined by Primus? And how I told you I was searching for my sparkmate?"
"Yes." I said quietly.
"Well, it turns out she happens to be you. You are my sparkmate." He told me. He looked hopeful. "Would you do me the honor by becoming my sparkmate?"
My eyes widened in surprise. He wanted me to become his sparkmate? I remember Red Alert telling me what a sparkmate was and I felt my heart flutter and my stomach do multiple flips. He's literally asking me to marry him!
"Jetfire I…" I hesitated. "…I-I can't. I can't." I watched as Jetfire's hopeful look disappeared and I suddenly felt horrible. "I want to, but I'm too young. I haven't even finished school yet."
Jetfire looked disappointed-no, devastated and hurt as he gazed at me and my heart tightened in guilt for causing him to be like this. It was like he was making me feel whatever emotions he was experience through our connection.
"I understand, Skydancer…" He said, and I could hear the hurt in his voice.
That was the last thing he said before his holoform flickered and disappeared before my very eyes, seeming as if he were never there. I continued staring at the empty spot he had been kneeling in front of me and felt my eyes well up with tear, instantly regretting what I've done. No matter how I tried to justify what I did it still didn't get rid of the guilt I felt. I noticed how completely quiet Jetfire was being as he continued flying to my home. I hung my head, letting my hair get in my face.
"I'm so sorry…" I said quietly.
Jetfire didn't say anything to indicated that he heard my words. Not even the safety harness around me tightened in the slightest bit to reassure me that they reached him and I felt like I was being stabbed in the chest because of the guilt. I knew without a doubt that I hurt him.
'Why won't you answer?' I thought, trying to reach him through our connection. 'Are you blocking me…just like I did to you yesterday?'
As soon as Jetfire landed the safety harness automatically came off and I was a little hesitant to get up even though the door of his shuttle form was open. Eventually I got out and as soon as I did the door closed behind me. I felt saddened as I started making my way out of the wooded area in my back yard and looked back at Jetfire's unmoving form before walking across my back yard to my house.
As soon as I got inside I felt like I was about to cry and quickly went to my room upstairs, rushing into my bathroom and turning on the shower before stripping and jumping under the water. I allowed myself to finally cry for what I did, for hurting Jetfire. It hurt so much. I even promised Astera that I would take care of him and I ended up failing already. He didn't deserve it, but I couldn't go and marry him when I was still in middle school. My parents would say no for sure. But what if I told him that I would when I was older?
'I…I have to tell him.' I thought in realization.
I quickly finished up before turning the water off and stepping out. I wrapped the towel around my body and got my Pjs on when I got in my room. Before heading outside I grabbed a blanket and tightly wrapped it around me the instant I went outside. I shivered from the cold air as I made my way across the yard and before I knew it I found myself standing in front of Jetfire's shuttle form staring up at him.
"Jetfire?" I asked, reaching out to place a hand on his side, only to stop myself and allow my hand to fall to my side. I sighed sadly. "You're probably sleeping right now…"
I turned around to head back inside, but I couldn't make myself leave. So I sat down on the ground facing him, my knees drawn to my chest as I kept the blanket wrapped around me in order to keep me warm. I shivered slightly, but there was nothing I could do about it. If anything, I could consider this punishment for what I said to him. I suddenly felt forlorn and depressed.
"Even thought you're not awake, I wanted to tell you something. I thought about what you said when you asked me to be your sparkmate and decided that maybe…no, not 'maybe'. I promise to become your sparkmate when I'm older and have finished high school." I lifted my head up. "I didn't mean to hurt you like I did earlier. I can say 'sorry' a million times to you, but it doesn't get rid of the guilt I have for what I did to you. It really hurt me knowing that I unintentionally hurt you."
My eyes filled up with tears and I hid my face as I started crying my heart out.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I said, repeating those words over and over like a mantra.
'I wish you could forgive me.' I thought sadly.
Suddenly I felt warm arms wrap around me from behind, causing me to turn my head and gasped when I saw Jetfire's holoform behind me. His golden eyes gazed down at me in concern and I soon found my arms wrapped around him as I cried into his chest, his arms tighten around me as he held me close. I could hear him humming the Cybertronian Lullaby to me and I felt myself calm down as I continued to listen until I was slightly sniffling. Eventually the lullaby ended and I heard him sigh.
"It's okay, Skydancer…" He told me, and I would've smiled in relief for hearing his voice if it wasn't for my current mood.
"I'm so sorry, Jetfire. I'm so sorry for hurting you."
"I know."
"Huh?" I lifted my head to look at him. "B-but how?"
"I heard you talking to me."
"But I thought you were asleep."
"I was trying to, but then I heard and saw you coming out of your house." He brought him hand up and rested it on my cheek. "I accept your terms. I'll wait an eternity if it means I can have you as my sparkmate."
Jetfire pressed his lips to mine as he kissed me. I felt a few stray tears fall from my eyes and he must've noticed since he pulled away and started kissing my tears until they were gone. When he was done Jetfire pulled away to look at me and I saw so many emotions in his holoform's eyes and I knew he really meant what he said.
"Can I…can I slee-I mean stay with you tonight?" I asked.
He chuckled, seeming to be amused about something.
"How about a different suggestion?" He smirked. "I recharge with you inside your house, where you'll be warm?"
Before I knew it I found myself being held in Jetfire's arms bridal style with my blanket wrapped around my body securely before he started walking towards my house. I felt my face heat up. I was used to him carrying me around in his hand as a transformer, but now that he had a holoform things were different. Despite only being a projection he was very human, and if I hadn't known better I would've thought he was 100% human. His holoform was that realistic.
"But what about your holoform?" I asked.
"I'll be okay. As long as I have it recharge like you humans, it'll recharge itself like a battery." He told me.
He soon made it to the back door of my house, making his way upstairs as soon as he got inside and eventually found my room easily. Jetfire went over to my bed and sat down on the side with me sitting on his lap. He held me close and I felt my face heat up slightly.
"Um…Jetfire? Can you put me down?"
"What if I don't want to?" He asked, his gold eyes having a mischievous look.
"Please?"
It was quiet as he continued staring at me. Eventually he ended up sighing.
"How can I resist a face like that? I'll put you down."
Jetfire unwrapped his arms from around me and I was able to get up. I removed the blanket that was wrapped around me and went around to the other side of my bed and pulled the cover back before climbing in. I was about to close my eyes when Jetfire's holoform flickered a bit before showing him without his jacket on and I was able to see his muscled arms. I felt my face heat up when he turned around to face me, catching me staring at him before getting up, only to pulled the covers back and climb in so that he was laying beside me. I scooted closer to him and he more than willingly wrapped his arms around me before I was cradled close to his chest. I was so warm that I started closing my eyes. The last thing I heard before falling asleep was Jetfire humming.
ATE: And this is where everyone says, "It's about time they got together!" The funny thing is that I wrote this when chap 4 or 5 were still being typed up. As for the lyrics in this chap, they are actually written by me since I wrote them for a english fan cover I did for the song Itsumo, which was one of the Japanese ending themes for Transformers Cybertron/Galaxy Force. And before you ask, yes I actually sang the english fan cover, but I think I may have to redo it with a better mic. The english fan cover I did is actually up on youtube and in the video description I have written the lyrics in this chap and the original english translations of the actual Japanese lyrics. Here's the link (without spaces):
http : / www . youtube . com /watch? v=otV -2mBaIj0
Please remember to review. And remember: any ideas you'd like to see in future chaps, feel free to share and I'll give you credit.