Author's note. In this Chapter, Cyclonus manages to have another mishap and the kids get some new perspectives.

Also check out my new story co-written with Mrs Bumblebee, it's about what might of happened if Hotshot didn't manage to save Rad from Megatron. It's called Chains and Collars, check it out and tell me what you think about it.

With thanks to xJusAnotherDreamerx and Mrs Bubmlebee for thier ideas which I have used. Remember, I'm always open to suggestions.

Enjoy and please review.

Continued from last chapter.

"Now my little pets" Megatron said briskly. "I'm going to leave you with your guardians for a while."

Turning to his men, he said.

"Report to the throne room when you are done."

"Yes sir" his men all chorused and with that Megatron departed, striding away. When Megatron was gone, the three Decepticons stared down at the humans in their hands. The kids grinned back up.

"So" Demolisher began. "What now?"

"Do what you wish" Starscream said turning his back on Demolisher and Cyclonus. He paused to disengage his Minicon, and then strode off, Alexis held tight in his hand.

Demolisher glanced back down at his charge who smiled back.

"Hmm" the large Decepticon mumbled thoughtfully, flexing the hand that wasn't holding Rad. While this was happening, Carlos grinned up at his guardian.

"So what's happening with you, big guy?" Carlos asked.

"I'm going go for a spin" Cyclonus said gleefully, bending to out Carlos on the ground and then transforming. The helicopter beside Carlos opened one of his doors and said.

"Hop in, kid."

"Sweet" said Carlos as climbed in. After strapping himself in, he called.

"See you later, dude."

"Enjoy yourself" Rad called back with a grin as Cyclonus took off with a cackle. In a matter of minutes, they had disappeared in a cloud of dust thrown up by the helicopters rotors. Seeing that Demolisher was still looking thoughtful, Rad said.

"So, what shall we do together?"

"Humph" was Demolisher's reply and he set Rad down onto the ground. As Rad pumped his arms wildly as he started to float upwards, Demolisher disengaged his Minicon. The Minicon kindly rushed over and pulled Rad to the ground.

"Thanks" Rad said gratefully, holding onto the Minicon's arm. As Demolisher pulled out a blaster, he said, apparently in response to Rad's question.

"I'm doing some more target practise."

Demolisher pushed a button on a remote got into position. Instead of the hovering targets, live holograms of Optimus, Red Alert and Hotshot appeared. These holograms were crouching behind a rocky out-crop and had their guns aimed right at Demolisher. The Decepticon got into position behind his own out-crop and looked like he was about to get started but suddenly paused.

Waving a hand at his Minicon and Rad, he said "Go back a bit, you're in range."

Both Rad and the Minicon obediently went back until Demolisher looked satisfied. He then turned back to focus on his targets. It was strange for Rad to watch holo's of his friends get ready to fire at Demolisher. The teenage boy suddenly felt a rush of sadness, he missed his Autobot friends and hated the position he had put them in. He didn't like to think what would happen when Optimus and Megatron met, it probably wouldn't be pretty.

And Rad was starting to think...it was such a shame. Back on Earth it had seemed much more simple, the Autobots were the good guys trying to save the Minicons from the Decepticons who were the bad guys. Of course the Autobots were still the good guys but...were the Decepticons such total bad guys?

Megatron had hurt them, man-handled them and humiliated them which didn't add up to many brownie points. They were made to wear collars and take naps and were supposed to obey Megatron's every whim.

But on the other hand the Decepticons had made the effort to get them some proper food. And though it was cool to wear spacesuits, it was nice not to have to wear them all the time. And while the Autobots were more fun and likeable, like Leader-One had said, the Decepticons weren't all bad. Starscream seemed to possess a dry humour, Cyclonus was all bark and no bite while Demolisher was gruff but well-meaning.

And Megatron? Well, if the kids considered Optimus as almost a father figure then Megatron was something of a...stern Uncle? Megatron certainly wasn't your cardboard cut-out villain, he seemed much more complicated than that. Rad wondered as he wanted Demolisher dodge shots and return fire, was it possible that him and his friends could be friends with both the Autobots and the Decepticons.

What Rad didn't know as he mulled over these thoughts, Alexis was thinking along the similar lines. The young girl clung to the red Seeker's hand as he strode along, his Minicon Swindle in his alt mode of a racing car following by his master's heels. She looked up at her guardian whose face was expressionless as he marched across the grey surface of the moon.

Starscream seemed to want to put as much space between himself and the target site as possible. She wondered, was he going to be silent the entire time they were together? He definitely wasn't nearly as talkative as Cyclonus or Demolisher. And so it was that when he suddenly spoke, she jumped slightly in his hand.

"So" he said. "I hear you're going to entertain us later."

"Apparently" she answered to which Starscream muttered. "That should be interesting."

Thinking about their acts later reminded Alexis of something.

"Is it true that Cybertron doesn't have any kind of music and art, Starscream?"

He looked down at her sharply.

"Of course we do" he said frowning. "Why would you think that we do not?"

"Well" she said in surprise. "When I told Megatron I would dance, he hadn't a clue what I was talking about."

"He wouldn't" Starscream said dismissively as he as he reached an area that was fairly free of craters and boulders. He bent down and put Alexis on the ground, in front of Swindle who wrapped his arms around her so that she was firmly on the ground. Starscream remained on one knee as hr looked her in the eye and said.

"What you have to understand about Megatron, Alexis, is that he is very single minded. The only art he knows is the art of war and fighting. If something frivolous and not directly involved with defeating Optimus Prime, he is not interested in knowing about it."

"Oh" was all Alexis said, what Starscream said made sense. But still.

"It still seems strange he didn't know what dancing was" she said with a frown. "I mean, everyone on Earth knows about dancing even if they don't like it or do it."

Starscream smiled as he straightened up and with one fluid movement, detached his wing-sword.

"Perhaps he did once but has long forgotten" was all he said before falling into what looked like a fighting stance.

Alexis watched, as she sat down with Swindle, Starscream perform thrusts and parries. He moved with an incredible fluidity as his glowing red sword cut through the still air. As he went through the motions, Alexis could see how he knew about dancing. Whereas Megatron's fighting style was all about strength and brute force, Starscream's was a graceful speed.

"He's really good, isn't he" she murmured to Swindle who beeped agreement.

After a while, Starscream's technique became more ferocious and he attacked the air with snarls. Alexis wondered if he was imagining cutting down Autobots and the thought depressed her. Of course when she and the boys watched Hotshot practising his aim, he was probably imagining Decepticon targets. It was war for all Transformers concerned.

And that made her wonder, how had the war between the two factions begun? The details were a bit hazy, Optimus had only really explained why the Minicons were so important not why the fighting had started in the first place. Dare she ask Megatron? She didn't want to disturb Starscream while he was busy, she wanted to stay on his good side while he was responsible for her. Maybe when Megatron was in a really good mood, she and the boys could bring the subject up.

After watching the red Seeker for a little longer, Alexis started to get a bit restless. Turning her head, she whispered to the red Minicon.

"Do you fancy going for a short walk?"

Swindle beeped an affirmative and they both got up. Taking Swindle's arm, Alexis set off her Minicon escort. They got quite a bit away before Starscream noticed.

"And where do you think you're going?" he demanded, stabbing his sword into the ground to fold his arms and scowl.

"Just for a walk" Alexis said calmly. "We weren't planning on going far."

"And who said you could go?"

"No one" replied Alexis. "I'm using my own initiative."

"Oh really" he sneered.

"Yes, really" Alexis retorted.

"And if I say you're going nowhere?"

Alexis scowled at him as he smirked.

"Then you're being petty" was her answer.

"Petty, eh" Starscream sneered. "Well, thankfully for you I'm in a good mood so I won't punish you for insolence. Go if you wish but don't go far and don't be too long. Got it?"

"Alright, alright, jeez" Alexis said throwing up her hands in frustration as she and Swindle started walking again. Looking back, she saw Starscream had taken up his sword again and was back into his manoeuvres.

"What a grump" she complained to Swindle who beeped sympathetically. "He's moodier than Megatron."

"I heard that."

She jumped in alarm and turned back to look at Starscream who was eyeing her. Her heart started thudding, would he really punish her? But then he suddenly smirked, an evil smug smirk and she knew he was laughing at her. Tossing her head, she stalked off with Swindle, Starscream chuckling as she left.

"Guys" she thought as she started climbing a crater with the red Minicon. "I'm surrounded by guys."

Carlos's POV.

"Yee hah"

Carlos held on tightly as Cyclonus swooped towards the ground, whooping as he did so. The barren grey landscape may have been boring but the ride certainly wasn't. The helicopter's flying style was fast and erratic and he seemed to have to no regard for personnel safety. Nevertheless, Carlos was enjoying himself immensely.

"Dude, let's go higher" and Cyclonus obliged, it seemed he enjoyed having an audience.

"Woo" Carlos whooped as Cyclonus shot into the air, it felt like he just left his stomach behind. Being in a vacuum didn't seem to affect Cyclonus's manoeuvrability in the slightest.

"Hey, I'm picking something up on my scanner" Cyclonus said suddenly. "Your friends better not have wondered or they'll be in big trouble."

"Maybe it's a Minicon" Carlos suggested as the helicopter abruptly turned to fly in another direction.

"You'd better hope it is cause Megatron will punish you as well" Cyclonus reminded him. "You don't want that, now do you?"

"It wasn't that bad" Carlos said with bravado.

"Oh? Well I guess you won't mind me telling Megatron that, will you" Cyclonus cackled.

"Um, nah you're alright" was Carlos's defeated answer, he really didn't fancy another spanking in so many hours.

A few minutes later, Carlos could make out a spot of colour against the endless dark grey. Cyclonus flew straight towards it. As they got closer, he could make out that it was two figures calmly along. And as they got even closer, he saw that it was Alexis and Starscream's Minicon. They stopped as Cyclonus approached.

"Hey" yelled Cyclonus as he hovered over them. "What do you think you up to?"

"I'm just having a walk with Swindle" she said looking up at the Decepticon.

"Sez who" demanded Cyclonus.

"Say's Starscream" Alexis coolly replied. "He's just over there" and she indicated a point some distance away.

"Oh yeah? Well I think we'll ask him" Cyclonus said and with that he swooped down and grabbed both Alexis and Swindle in each of his hands. With a mad laugh, he headed off in the direction Alexis had indicated.

"Hey" said Carlos indignantly as he saw his friends clinging for dear life. "Don't hurt them."

"Their fine" said Cyclonus dismissively in reply.

Starscream looked up as they approached. In one movement, he reattached his wing-sword and leapt up into the air. Snatching Alexis and Swindle from Cyclonus, he snarled.

"What do you think you're doing with my pets?"

"I found them wondering about so I took charge of them" Cyclonus retorted. "Wait till I tell Megatron you lost them."

"I did not lose them" Starscream yelled in anger. "Unlike you, I knew precisely where my charge had gone and was about to come and get her."

"Sure you did" sniggered Cyclonus as he spun around and took off. "See you back at the base."

Starscream hovered there for a moment, seething before he too took off. Held against his chest, Alexis and Swindle clung to each other. Snapping on his comm, Starscream snapped.

"Demolisher, we're bringing these kids in."

"What wrong with you" came Demolisher's cool reply but he acknowledged the order.

"What's with you guys?" Alexis complained as she felt Starscream growl. "Why can't you just chill?"

"Chill? Chill?"

Starscream almost literally screeched to a halt and brought Alexis up to face level to glare. "Have you any idea how Megatron's going to react?"

"What do you mean, all he did was yell a little at Cyclonus" Alexis said in confusion.

"Cyclonus is an idiot" Starscream scoffed. "Megatron expects....I'm supposed."

Starscream suddenly shook his head, sighing. Alexis looked at him in concern as he looked and stared up at the stars.

"Whenever I screw up, Megatron is always...very disappointed" he said softly, still gazing upwards. "He can be very hard on me sometimes."

There was a long silence as Alexis considered this. She remembered how Starscream had had to fight his own faction to obtain his own Minicon Swindle. It seemed the Decepticon leader wasn't just strict with her and the boys.

"I can see how hard it must be sometimes" she began as Starscream slowly looked at her. "But maybe it's because he can see how...great you can be and pushes you to achieve that."

Starscream didn't answer so she continued.

"It's probably very frustrating, he doesn't seem like the type to give credit and more likely to criticise. And I doubt that's how Optimus would push someone to achieve their potential."

"But it's like you said earlier, about Megatron being single-minded. I think when he does something, he does it the only way he knows how."

"Hmm" was Starscream's response as he considered what she had said. There was another silence then.

"I'd better get you back to base" and he held her against his chest as he took off again. Once they reached the base he took her inside and placed her on that strange panel and waved his hand over it. Her spacesuit disappeared and she was once again wearing the orange jumpsuit and collar.

He picked her up, and with Swindle back in his heel again, set off. They passed a couple of doors and then Starscream entered a room without one and over to a table where Rad and Carlos were sitting. They jumped up to greet Alexis and Starscream but the Seeker simply put the girl down beside them. And then left the room without another word.

The boys stared after him then turned to Alexis.

"What's with him?" Carlos asked, perplexed.

"It's complicated" Alexis began but before she could say anything else, there was a crash outside.

"Careful" came Demolisher's voice as Cyclonus came into view. He was carrying a tall beaker of what sounded like liquid.

"Who left those pipes there" Cyclonus complained as he moved towards some shelves next to the table the kids were on. Unfortunately the tall beaker obscured his vision somewhat, and he didn't see the wrench lying on the ground.

"Woh, Cyclonus, watch what you're..."Rad started to say but Cyclonus at that moment tripped over the wrench. He stumbled, managed to regain his balance and miraculously didn't drop the beaker.

However a large amount had sloshed out and landed right on the kids who yelled and tried to dodge. Unfortunately they didn't make it.

"Oh great" Demolisher said as he looked in and spotted the now dripping, filthy wet kids who stood blinking as him. Cyclonus stood with his mouth open, clutching the beaker.

"Whoops."

Author's note. Next chapter, the kids have a bath and the Autobots plan is put into action. Till next time.