Sky Dancer
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Chapter Two
Over the next couple days, it was amusing to see Alexis' reactions as she got more and more used to her new form. At various points, Starscream would see her looking at either her hands, legs, or even the pulsing light in her chest (beneath a solid glass enclosure) that functioned as her heart, as if she were seeing each of them for the very first time. More than likely, this was her way of acclimating herself with the gears and circuitry that made up her new body.
Her childlike wonder was a sure sign that she didn't regret her choice, and maybe never would.
About thirty-six hours past her transformation, Alexis nevertheless surprised Starscream when she requested a training session so she could try out her new weapon. When he nodded his agreement, the two of were shortly squaring off in a clearing some distance from her house.
Alexis reached up to grasp her right wing that was stretched out from her frame, willing the weapon to detach from her body. Within moments, she had both interconnected wings standing upright beside her. The angle of them and the rounded arch at the front center point made it look very much like the boomerang-like device that she'd had in mind.
The interesting thing about her specialized weapon was that it could be used for close combat in addition to throwing. There were two niches, part way down the left and right wings, that Alexis could use as handholds so she could wield this device as a sort of quarterstaff as well.
As he approached her, holding his wing sword in a mock defensive way, Starscream had to admit to being impressed with the thought she'd put into this. With the proper training, it was likely she'd make quite the formidable opponent in battle if one ever came about.
Still, it was hard to be serious in a sparring session, even if he was going slow and adopting various attack stances to give her an idea how to counter, when you kept focusing on how attractive your partner was.
Alexis growled softly when she picked up on Starscream's latest thought towards this end. Lowering her weapon, she said, in an equally angry and flirty tone, "Would it kill you to keep your head out of the clouds for more than ten minutes?!"
Starscream gave her a wry smile, dropping his sword to his side and stepping closer. "I can't help myself," he responded in a playful voice. "That's what you get for asking the one who adores you most to train you…" He paused, placing his sword back where it belonged before moving closer and catching her around the waist. "But I will say that you handle yourself pretty well, my little sky dancer."
Alexis blinked, feeling herself grow warm at the unexpected moniker. She didn't know what had inspired Starscream to think it up, but she had to admit that something felt right about it. For a couple seconds, she cast her optics downwards, testing the name in her mind to see how it sounded. Sky Dancer…
Starscream laughed, knowing instantly by her tone just where her thoughts were going. He'd told her a long time ago that he was useless when it came to picking a name for someone, but this one, however unintentional, had just seemed to come naturally. And, given the gracefulness she'd displayed in her fighting style (coupled with her vehicle mode), it certainly suited her.
If any doubt had existed in her or Starscream's minds about assuming this moniker, it was laid to rest when the youngling who'd been watching them spoke, causing both his adopted parents to laugh at his candidness.
"Starxis like Sky Dancer…"
The primary reasons behind the establishment of the Transformer cities on Earth lay on the shoulders of one Kicker Jones (it was a nickname given in response to the type of tantrums he'd thrown as a child, but it fit his hotheaded behavior as a teenager just as well) as much as on those of Alexis and her human friends from a decade prior.
Shortly after Alexis and her friends (Rad, Carlos, Billy, and Fred) had left Earth with the Autobots on their own shuttle bound for Cybertron, e-mails had been sent out to each of their (unsuspecting) parents to provide the location of a highly-advanced technological base utilized by Optimus Prime and his men during their stay on the planet. This was done in an effort to put each family at ease and let them know that their missing children were alright and/or in safe hands.
It had been Billy's parents who had contacted his aunt and uncle (Miranda and Dr. Brian Jones) to have a look at this establishment themselves, setting into motion the groundwork that would forge an alliance between humans and Transformers.
By the time Alexis and her friends were brought back to their native planet, Dr. Jones' (a brilliant scientist to begin with) imagination had been given enough of a workout that he'd requested a meeting between himself and the Autobot leader at the first opportunity. As fate would have it, this led into another set of humans (a number of scientists and a few skeptical army soldiers) being taken to Cybertron, and the Transformers on the metallic planet had gone to great lengths in the interim to establish air processing units all around Cybertron to simulate oxygen and make the air breathable for their next guests.
Since Miranda was pregnant with Sally at the time, she had had no choice but to stay behind, though she did allow her husband to go on this journey, as well as take their five-year-old son along for the "adventure." Though, in retrospect, it probably hadn't been such a good idea to take such an impressionable boy to a world filled with veritable giants. But then, nobody might have anticipated just how Kicker would have reacted.
As Alexis would hear it, the five-year-old Kicker was terrified of both Autobots and Decepticons alike, primarily because of their size. Despite his father's attempts to placate him and assure him that these beings meant no harm, Kicker had developed a habit, during the two-week stay on Cybertron, to run away and find some place to hide. Most times, he would be found easily and returned to his father for a few brief hours before pulling the same stunt again.
Then one day, Kicker had had the misfortune to stumble into a damaged area (a not yet repaired section of the planet that had been ravaged in the final days of the war) of Cybertron. As Optimus was searching for him, the floor beneath the boy had given way, plunging him down into one of the lower chambers. By the time the frantic search party located him roughly an hour later to find him unharmed and tangled in some wires at the ceiling of one massive underground room, the poor boy was near hysterics.
It had taken some time after that incident to believe Kicker hadn't been hallucinating when he'd claimed to have seen some strange light in the otherwise dark chamber and that a soft lilting voice had spoken to him with promises of a great destiny.
Alexis didn't fully understand what had happened to Kicker that day, but it became apparent in the months that followed that the boy had developed some kind of ESP. On the return voyage to Earth, Kicker would become agitated when the shuttle passed by some random planet or other, and was near excitable when he'd viewed his homeworld from space. The five-year-old's incessant proclamations of some abundant energy source hidden deep beneath Earth's surface soon got all bystanders curious enough to want to investigate.
The resulting drilling operation had turned up a glowing yellow stone that was soon to get Optimus, Starscream, and any other present Transformers awfully excited once they identified it. Until that moment, Alexis had never heard of this "mineral" known as Energon, but, as she had learned, it had been thought by her giant friends to have only been indigenous to Cybertron.
To make a long story short, this Energon substance was currently nonexistent on the Transformers' own planet (the supply having been completely exhausted over the centuries) and could be used as a power source and/or valuable commodity for a number of things. Aside from its medicinal qualities (as far as the Transformers went), this substance went a long way when it came to providing power for even the most insignificant electrical device, let alone what it could do for the standard human household.
Thus, the alliance between humans and Cybertronians was fully forged, and the plans for the Transformer cities on Earth were put into production. Thanks to Kicker, the giant alien bots knew just where to place each of their colonies for the mining operations that were due to follow. And not all of them were centered on Earth; there were other such bases located on Mars, the moon, and even in the Asteroid Belt.
As wonderful as this all was, Alexis only wished that it hadn't come at the expense of a young boy's state of mind. If Kicker hadn't liked being near the Transformers on their planet, he was even more disconcerted when they came to live and work on his own. Subsequently, the fear he'd felt as a child developed into anger as he got older. Even at fifteen, it seemed that the one thing that drove him was the desire to escape the "giant metalheads," as Kicker often called them out of spite.
The memories of all this were weighing heavily on Alexis' mind as she and Starscream were flying back to Ocean City, two days following her transformation. They had known that their time together, alone, would be limited, but they had not quite been prepared for when Hot Shot had sent out a radio message requesting that Starscream come back. Even so, Alexis was growing increasingly nervous, the closer they got to their destination.
Tilting slightly on her axis, she sent out a telepathic message to her companion. How do you think everyone's going to react once they see me?
Starscream gave a short laugh. After the initial shock wears off, I imagine they'll come to accept you as one of us. A short pause, then, I just hope I don't have to fight anyone for your affections…
If she'd been in her bot form, Alexis would have smiled at that. You have nothing to worry about there. My heart belongs only to you.
I'm sure you mean your spark, Starscream responded. Sensing her confusion, he went on with, Heart is a human term. And it's not what your life source is anymore. Noticing that she was banking towards him in a playfully angry manner, he moved to avoid her, then laughed at the comment she threw his way.
Smart aleck…
The rest of their flight to the city was spent in silence, save for the occasional chirp from Starxis, who was flying slightly above them. As they came in for a landing near the front entrance, Demolisher was the first bot around to greet them.
Though perplexed at seeing that Starscream wasn't alone, the otherwise hard-edged Demolisher nevertheless greeted his friend by knocking fists with him. In the years following Megatron's death and the end of the war, the two bots had rekindled the kinship they'd once felt for each other. "Welcome back, Starscream," Demolisher said amicably. "It's good to see you once more."
"Same here, Demolisher," the red and white jet said in an equally-friendly tone. "How has life on Earth been treating you?"
Demolisher bowed his head, pausing a moment before admitting, "Guard duty has to be the most boring assignment ever… I don't see how I'm going to stand this for another four months."
Starscream offered a slight smile. "Anything's bearable so long as you have someone to talk to… Tell you what -- I'll stop by to keep you company at any opportunity I get."
Demolisher gave a small grin as well. "I'd appreciate that," he responded, then turned to look at the azure and pale yellow jet on the bridge a few yards away that had yet to transform. "So who's your friend…?" he started to say, breaking off when he saw that Starxis was standing near the other vehicle, nuzzling the nose of the plane with his head.
Even as Demolisher started to piece together the inklings of an idea, Starscream stepped towards the other jet, placing one hand gently on the left wing even as he turned to face his friend. "May I introduce the new and improved Alexis," Starscream said in a formal tone. "Or, as we agreed upon last night -- Sky Dancer."
Taking that as her cue, Alexis (Sky Dancer) transformed, and was soon standing shyly before Demolisher in her bot form with both of Starscream's hands resting on her shoulders. For a long moment, it seemed that all the hard-edged bot could do was stare at her in a state of shock, then he took a couple steps forward.
"How…?" Demolisher started to say, only to break off and start again. "This shouldn't be possible."
"Starxis made it possible," Alexis answered, looking down at the youngling that was now cupped within her giant hands. Demolisher had known of the wish for some time, along with most of the Autobots she had befriended as a young girl, but perhaps he had not expected to have seen it utilized in this manner.
After a long while, Demolisher's expression melted from shock into something like jubilation. Like many others, he had known that Alexis and Starscream had had feelings for each other, but he'd never imagined that anything would come of it. How great it was then, that the two of them should be given a real opportunity to be together and to be happy. Relaxing his stance slightly, he said, in an even tone, "Congratulations."
Despite the fact that Starscream and Alexis were causing quite the stir among the population of Ocean City, the news failed to reach Hot Shot and Kicker, who were sequestered within the communications center for a private, heated conversation, by the time the two arrivals found them. Alexis wasn't sure just what Kicker had done now that had Hot Shot so riled, but she did catch something in regards to an excessive amount of graffiti.
Before she could learn more, Starscream knocked at the door even as he opened it to draw attention to himself and Alexis. Still looking quite infuriated, Hot Shot turned in their direction, starting to say something about asking not to be disturbed. However, when he caught sight of Starscream, he broke off and was visibly making an effort to calm down when he caught sight of her.
For a long moment, Hot Shot stood there in silence as he scrutinized Alexis in her new form, though he did warn Kicker to stay put when the rebellious teenager got to his feet. Surprisingly, Kicker did as he was told for a change, though he still looked quite sullen.
Alexis wasn't sure just what clued Hot Shot in, but he did eventually question if it was her. Feeling equally as timid as she had with Demolisher, she nodded, and the subsequent glance that Hot Shot threw at Starxis (perched on Starscream's shoulder) seemed to answer any questions as to how.
While Alexis got the impression that Hot Shot was happy for her and Starscream (if the look in his optics was any indication), Kicker couldn't be counted on to be so obliging. "You have got to be joking!" the hotheaded teenager blurted out, staring at Alexis with wide eyes. The reaction was to be expected, given his dislike of the Transformers, but it still stung. "It's bad enough they've taken over our planet! Why would you want to join these metalheads, Alexis?!"
Hot Shot's optics narrowed, as he shifted his gaze back to the boy at his side. "That's enough, Kicker!" he said sharply. Despite his impetuous nature, Hot Shot was also known for being patient, but it sounded as if he was being sorely tested. "You're already on probation for that stunt you pulled the other day. Don't make it worse!"
Kicker shot a seething expression in Hot Shot's direction, but simply crossed his arms and said, "Whatever… Can I go now?" Scary as it sounded, the teenager's temper and brash attitude almost reminded Alexis of Megatron in a way.
She almost laughed out loud when she heard Starscream's voice in her mind. Primus forbid, he said, referring to the overall creator of the Transformers. The last thing we need is a hormonal teenage version of Megatron…
Hot Shot sighed. Bowing his head, he said, "Yeah, you're good to go… But watch yourself, Kicker! You step out of line one more time, and being grounded by your mother will be the least of your worries!" Once Kicker had left the room, Hot Shot shook his head and muttered, "I don't know what we're going to do with that kid…"
Alexis took a step towards the commander of Ocean City, drawing his attention. Out of curiosity, she asked, "What exactly did he do?"
Hot Shot sighed again. "Spray-painted a few choice words at various parts of the city. It wouldn't be such a big deal if he hadn't gotten High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock to help him… Up until three months ago, I had thought that those three were too mature to be influenced in this manner. You'd think they were reckless adolescents themselves, the way Kicker's got them behaving now."
Alexis' optics widened, showing her surprise. She, too, had expected more of the three Mini-Cons (diminutive bots that had been created by Unicron as a means of exploiting the war between the Autobots and Decepticons) that she, Rad, and Carlos had befriended when they had been Kicker's age.
Before she could say anything, Hot Shot looked up at her with a smile, seeming to shake off all his worries. "I'm sorry you had to witness this… Allow me to say congratulations, Alexis. Welcome to the team."
Alexis smiled warmly. "Thank you, Hot Shot… And I was hoping you'd contact Optimus on Cybertron," she said shyly. "If he'll let me, I'd like to start training as a soldier."
Hot Shot shifted his weight, looking from Alexis to Starscream and back again. While surprised by the notion that these two would agree to be separated again so soon, he nodded in response to her request. And who knew, she might just be plucky enough to make the grade. "I'll tell him when we send the daily status report tonight." After a few seconds of silence, he turned to look at Starscream, regaining his sense of authority. "In the meantime, Starscream, I'm assigning you to surveillance duty in the command center… You did such a good job last time at keeping the peace between the two factions that…"
Starscream nodded before Hot Shot could even finish the thought. "Eight-hour shift, I imagine?" he said. When Hot Shot confirmed this, the jet went on with, "No problem." That means I should be able to keep my promise to Demolisher, he thought, and turned his gaze towards Alexis when she gave a telepathic response.
Better ask for the early morning shift in that case… That would allow you more time to go visit with him.
Starscream smiled at her, moving a step closer and taking her hand in his. Seeing this, Hot Shot excused them; it was likely he would have blushing at their shows of affection if that had been possible.
Once they were alone in Starscream's quarters and seated side by side on his bunk, the first thing that Alexis asked was, "Would you rather I didn't go to Cybertron now, if Optimus does approve the request?"
Starscream raised one hand to rest on her shoulder. With a deep sigh, he said, "I don't think it would matter if it were now or weeks from now. No matter when it comes about, I think I'd always be reluctant when it comes to letting go of you… But I can't hold you back from what you're meant to be either. That wouldn't be fair." A pause, then, "As you once said, a short separation is nothing compared to the lifetime ahead… You'll make a great warrior, Alexis. I know you'll make me proud."
Alexis gave a faint smile, then turned slightly so she was facing him. She put one hand to the right side of his face, drawing him closer until his lips were touching hers. Thank you, she sent out, and felt a rush of love and excitement when she and Starscream repositioned themselves on the bunk, resting side by side…
Saying goodbye to her loved ones (this was the first time she'd been apart from Starxis in a good long while) wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but it was tempered by the familiar faces awaiting Alexis on Cybertron once she'd passed through the Warp Gate.
Of the four Transformers she'd battled alongside in the early days, it was hard to say who was the most elated to see her again -- Optimus Prime (the stoic, compassionate leader), Scavenger (the easygoing, seasoned vet), Jetfire (the playful optimist), or Red Alert (the technical-savvy medic). As Alexis stepped from the platform, she was greeted with either a hug, handshake, or a cordial smile, depending on who she was faced with.
Once she'd settled in at the barracks (Optimus said she could start her training as soon as she felt ready), Alexis was surprised to receive some human visitors as well -- Rad and Kicker's father, Dr. Jones. Though it did feel a little weird at hearing the latter express an interest in her new physiology (though that was the scientist in him talking), Alexis was put at ease when the former extended his warmest appreciation that things were working out so well for her and Starscream.
There was nothing more heartwarming than hearing her oldest and dearest human friend reaffirm the fact that her happiness meant so much to him.
As she settled in that evening, lying on her side on her new bunk and staring at a picture of herself, Starscream, and Starxis with her home planet in the background (taken on board the Autobot shuttle just after they'd departed Earth ten years ago), Alexis couldn't remember feeling more hopeful about the future…
As Alexis had anticipated becoming one of the Transformers, she had made arrangements with Miranda Jones, Kicker's mother, to see about selling her cottage in the aftermath. However, Starscream's thoughts on this matter, in the twelve hours following Alexis' departure for Cybertron, had him thinking there would be a greater benefit to holding onto the property.
Thus, he arranged a meeting between himself, Miranda, and Sally the next afternoon. As he expected, telling them his idea (about rebuilding the house to be more suitable for him, Alexis, and Starxis, and constructing a few drones to help with caring and feeding for the latter) convinced the both of them to abandon the previous plans. Past that, it didn't take much for Starscream to get Hot Shot's endorsement on the scheme, leading to the latter to assemble a team of Autobots (and one or two Decepticons) to aid in the construction.
Just as Alexis was settling in on Cybertron and feeling hopeful about the future, Starscream lay in his own bunk in Ocean City and fantasized over how overjoyed the love of his life might be when she returned and saw the finished product…
Author's Notes: Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Hope you enjoyed this latest installment.
The next chapter will take place roughly two months after the events depicted here, and will get back into what Sideways and Alpha Q are up to. The latter's attacks against the Transformers and the theft of their Energon will soon commence.
Some of the elements in store for our favorite couple will involve Alexis being teamed with Ironhide and Kicker upon her return to Earth (mostly in an effort to keep both out of trouble), as well as the development of an unexpected love triangle. I won't say who else develops an attraction to Alexis at this point, but it will make for some interesting reading...
Hope to have the next installment out soon.