Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Eight

Until Red Alert came to wake her with the announcement that he was finished seeing to his other patients, Alexis wasn't sure how long she'd been offline. Wearily, she sat up, cradling the youngling in her hands, and responded to the medic's slightly annoyed remark with, "I know I'm not that badly hurt, but Starscream insisted I get it repaired anyway. I'm not about to argue with him just now."

Red Alert sighed, stepping away momentarily to retrieve whatever tools he'd need. For a long while, he and Alexis were silent while he worked on her, but she eventually broke it by tentatively saying, "You must have heard by now what happened…"

For several seconds, Red Alert stopped what he was doing, frozen in place. The glance that Alexis threw at him showed her he was wearing a blank expression, but it was gone almost as quickly as it came. He sighed again, resuming his work. "I have," he said quietly. "And, as I've said to everyone else who's brought it up, I'm inclined to think that this Alpha Q may have somehow gotten ahold of Megatron's remains. What else could make Tidal Wave believe such a lie?"

Alexis bowed her head, her gaze focusing on Starxis even as the youngling turned his head to look up at her. "Well, we know that Alpha Q is looking to restore life to someone. Couldn't that…?"

Red Alert shook his head, cutting her off. "There are ways to restore a Transformer to life once he or she has passed on, in a manner of speaking, but imbuing them with a vast amount of Energon is not one such method… Megatron's lifeforce would have fled his body just moments after he died. He could be revived if one were to place a brand new spark inside him, but it would essentially no longer be him."

Alexis nodded to display her understanding. "Different spark, different personality," she murmured thoughtfully. After a short silence, she said, "Well, who's to say that's not what we're looking at? For all we know, Alpha Q could have done just that."

Red Alert shook his head again. "If that were the case, it wouldn't make sense for Alpha Q to steal as much Energon as he has thus far. He would only need a small fraction of what's been taken if it's Megatron he's looking to restore to life…" At this, the medic froze once more, his optics widening as his own words sparked an idea he didn't much like.

Alexis was hit with the same realization at the same instant. After a second or two, she began shaking so badly that Red Alert was forced to withdraw his hands once more. "No," she said, sounding a touch hysterical. It was perhaps a normal reaction given that last time around, Starscream had come quite close to dying because of Unicron. "It's even more improbable that that monster could be back, right?!"

Red Alert looked downwards briefly, then hesitantly said, "That might make sense if Unicron has devised a new means of growing in power and is stealing from us to do so. For all we know, he may have contracted this Alpha Q into helping him just as he'd done with Sideways." The medic glanced briefly at Starxis before gazing back at her. "But then, according to our little friend here, the purpose of these thefts is to restore life to someone. And I doubt that's something that an omnipotent being like Unicron even needs… Remember, we defeated him, we didn't kill him."

Alexis took a moment to let that sink in, then nodded her agreement and took a deep breath to try and calm herself. Seeing this, Red Alert asked lightly, "Okay, now if we're both done getting sidetracked, it will only take me a couple minutes to finish up."

Alexis nodded again and did her best to stay still while he finished patching her shoulder. When he shortly gave her a clean bill of health, she went on to say, "Do you think Optimus would mind if I stepped outside for a short while? I think the fresh air might do me good right now."

Red Alert looked up from the workstation where he'd moved towards to clean and replace his tools. Though he appeared hesitant to grant her permission, he still said it would be fine so long as she didn't wander too far away and would be prepared to come back at a moment's notice if needed.

The last thing that Alexis expected, as she neared one of the airlocks (mostly utilized by human deep sea divers, camera-rigged submersibles, or a couple of aquatic-ready Transformers who'd wanted to go exploring, when Ocean City was underwater), was to suddenly be accosted. She had just got the inner door opened when a noise from the corridor behind her drew her attention, and she turned to see Ironhide watching her with the angered expression he'd been wearing ever since he'd discovered her origins.

When he spoke, it was in a surprisingly quiet tone, but it gave her an inkling of just why he was so riled. "Tell me -- is it common for human females to want to avoid fighting at all costs?"

Alexis blinked, thinking, Is that really his explanation for what happened out there today?! Out loud, she said, after taking a moment to regain her composure, "Just because I fell back on a peaceful solution, it doesn't mean I'm not a capable soldier. Not all of us fight our battles in the same way, Ironhide."

He gave a short, dry laugh. "Fine. If you think you're capable, how about proving it?"

Alexis stared at him for a long moment, then, narrowing her optics to mere slits, answered, "I don't have to prove anything to you."

Ironhide smirked. "Then I'd say you just confirmed I'm right," he said, infuriating her with the smugness in his tone.

It took Alexis everything she had to maintain her calm and collected veneer. "I am not going to get into this with you," she said simply, then turned, stepping through the threshold and moving to the outer door to open it.

She had just twisted the locking mechanism in the center of the outer door and pushed it open when a laser blast struck the wall just inches away from her head, setting off a shower of sparks. This drew a frightened chirp from the youngling perched on her right shoulder; she would guess later on that Ironhide had acted too quickly for Starxis to provide a warning that this was coming.

Alexis spun on her heel and reached out to grip the sides of the doorframe in fright, fearful of how close her "partner" had come to hitting Starxis. Mentally ordering the youngling to climb down onto her back so he'd be out of the line of fire, she said, in a low dangerous tone, "You don't want to start this, Ironhide! Back down now!" In some part of her mind, she knew that the sound of that single shot would be sufficient to raise alarms in the command center; it wouldn't be very long before she and Ironhide were found, so she'd just have to hold out until then.

Yet, when her "partner" drew his sword, Alexis knew this was going to get deadly and fast. Quickly, she backpedaled, making her way through the outer door as quickly as she could before detaching her quarterstaff weapon and bringing it to the forefront. She was just in time, as Ironhide pursued and took a swing at her which she sufficiently blocked. Quickly, Alexis shoved the quarterstaff towards Ironhide while his weapon and hers were still interlocked; it was sufficient to knock him off balance.

In the next instant, she pivoted with the intention of making a run for it and/or taking to the skies so he'd be unable to follow. It didn't help that she and Ironhide were underneath a massive overhang that made it impossible for her to go airborne at the moment. Alexis hadn't gotten far when she heard Starxis suddenly screeching at her back, digging his claws further into her metal chassis and making her pivot once more to see what had happened.

The fact that Ironhide was holding a patch of brown fur, undoubtedly yanked from her adopted child, in no way helped matters. In some part of her mind, Alexis knew it had to have been an accident, as Ironhide had undoubtedly tried making a grab for her. However, if there were anything that would have incited Alexis' anger to immeasurable heights, it would have been the notion that Starxis was being harmed.

With an angry cry, Alexis raised her quarterstaff once more and dove towards Ironhide, all thoughts of merely getting away from him instantly banished from her mind…

*****

It had been a very long time since Cyclonus had been subjected to a good fight. Like Alexis, he had wanted to escape to the outdoors following his time in the med-bay. It was, perhaps, a quirk shared by any and all aerial Transformers, the desire to be in view of the sky and knowing they could go flying if it suited them.

At the time he caught sight of Alexis and Ironhide, just seconds after they emerged from beneath the overhang, Cyclonus had been seated on one of the highest spires of Ocean City, enjoying the view. Once he realized that the two were engaged in battle, he sprung into action, going airborne and soaring in to get a closer look.

As he settled in for a landing on an overhang overlooking the fight, Cyclonus gave a delighted cackle. There was truly nothing better than viewing two soldiers on the same team going at it! The last time he had bore witness to such a thing was when Starscream and Megatron had gotten into a scuffle, a little over a decade prior.

Cyclonus didn't know (or care) what had instigated this, nor did he know Ironhide and Alexis well enough to recognize why either of them was so cheesed off. All he cared about, as a gleeful spectator, was that Alexis seemed to have the upper hand, and Cyclonus couldn't resist adding his own unique commentary.

"You go, girl!" Cyclonus called out, mildly surprised when Alexis didn't provide any indication that she'd heard him. "Kick his aft!"

Ironhide, on the other hand, did appear to be listening, and he turned to regard Cyclonus with widened optics. Even this momentary distraction proved to be his undoing, as Alexis swiped him across the chest with her weapon; the edges of her quarterstaff-like device was sharp enough that it left a good-sized scratch along Ironhide's chest plate.

Ironhide retaliated a second or two later by getting a grip on Alexis' weapon and fighting to get it away from her. Despite her attempts to yank it free of his hands, Alexis soon got the notion that this was fruitless. Once more, she shoved the quarterstaff in her "partner's" direction, catching him off guard and striking him in the stomach area. In the same instant, Alexis released her hold on the weapon and swiftly followed up that attack by throwing a punch at Ironhide's face.

Somewhere over the course of several minutes, from the beginning of this scuffle to now, Alexis' anger at her "partner" had overwhelmed her. What had begun as a reaction to the threat Ironhide posed to her child's well-being was currently lost under the heat of all that until-now suppressed fury. Right now, all she could seem to concentrate on was the nerve her "partner" had in, time and again, challenging her capabilities and how she'd now love nothing more than to prove him wrong.

Somehow, Alexis had managed to get Ironhide in a headlock and was vaguely aware that Cyclonus was still "egging" her on in the background, when the fight was forcefully brought to an end.

When she felt someone grab her around the shoulders and a second pair of hands snaked in to pry her arms away from Ironhide, Alexis only then registered that Optimus was present. The sight of the Autobot leader standing several yards in front of her and fixing her with a dark, infuriated expression was sufficient to take the last vestiges of the fight out of her. Even as she registered that Cyclonus had wisely fallen silent at some point (and maybe even made himself scarce so he wouldn't have to answer for his actions), Alexis relaxed enough to allow Hot Shot and Red Alert to separate her and her "partner."

Bowing her head under the weight of Optimus' stare as a rush of shame descended on her, Alexis could only think, What have I done…?!

*****

Among its many uses (such as being a good source of power and medicine), Energon could also be refined to make a good alcoholic beverage, as far as the Transformers went; the same substance could very well be toxic to humans. And right now, Starscream and Demolisher had decided that a few rounds of High Grade, such as the most potent drink was called, would serve them well at this point.

The two of them were currently sequestered within one of the lounges in Ocean City. There had been some concern, before they'd started on this binge, on what Optimus might do if another raid came about and they were incapacitated, but that worry was long gone after only an hour.

Sprawled out on one of the settees with a near-empty decanter held loosely in his right hand, Starscream turned his head languidly in Demolisher's direction when the latter spoke. "You know, I don't think I ever once asked Tidal Wave how he felt, about losing Megatron," Demolisher was saying in a slurred tone. Had Starscream been sober, he might have found it amazing the hard-edged bot was able to sit upright given the way he'd been knocking them back. "Maybe, if I had done so, this wouldn't be happening now."

Starscream shifted slightly to make himself a little more comfortable. "You can't blame yourself for what the big lout did, or what he was coerced into," the jet responded, raising his head to take one more small swig. "I think Tidal Wave would have gotten suckered either way." There was a slight pause, then Starscream continued with, "What about you, Demolisher? You've barely talked about how you've been taking Megatron's death, since it happened."

Demolisher hesitated, staring into the empty carafe he held in one hand and wishing he hadn't run out; he wanted nothing more than to get completely drunk right now. The fact that he was still able to think in a semi-legibly manner told him he hadn't had enough. Still, the alcohol he'd imbibed thus far went a long way towards loosening his lips. "It was hard to take at first," he said. "But I've since realized there was no other way to deprive Unicron of his power source… And now…" He paused, then lifted his head to look at Starscream. "It could just as easily have been you who died that day. I'm glad you're still here, Starscream. If I'd had to choose between you and Megatron, knowing what I know now, you'd win hands down."

Starscream paused, slightly thrown by this admission. "You really wouldn't want him back, if such a thing were possible…?" he said, vaguely aware of a faint screeching sound from somewhere in the distance.

Demolisher shook his head, looking somewhat tipsy even as he did so. "Nobody could have done a better job at keeping the peace between the two sides like you have… That, and I don't think I've ever had someone I'd truly call a friend until you. Cyclonus is good for playful banter and all, but…" Demolisher paused, then went on with, "And to be honest, I don't exactly miss being yelled at or smacked around by Megatron when he was in one of his moods… which was quite frequently." There was another pause, during which he and Starscream noticed that the faint screeching from somewhere outside this room seemed to be getting louder. With wide optics, Demolisher asked, "Whazzat…?"

Starscream was silent for a few seconds, his head clearing a little as he began to recognize the source of the shrieking; he had heard it enough times before. He quickly sat up straight on the futon, putting one hand to his head as it began to spin. When he started to feel better, he looked up and spoke a single word, in a questioning manner. "Starxis?!"

This question was answered when Hot Shot entered the lounge, looking quite irate and holding a rather frantic youngling firmly in both hands. Upon seeing Starscream was here, he loosened his grip on Starxis, allowing the little guy to run to his adopted father. "It's about time," Hot Shot said in an irritated tone, even as Starscream set about calming Starxis down. Making a wild gesture to his chest plate, which appeared to be badly scratched up, Hot Shot continued with, "Remind me never to separate Starxis from you or Alexis again…"

Starscream's expression melted into confusion, and his head cleared even further at the mention of Alexis. Before he could say a word, Hot Shot took in the sight of the empty High Grade bottles and the state that he and Demolisher were in, and this seemed to add to the agitation the impetuous bot was experiencing. "Perfect!" Hot Shot spat out. "As if we needed the two of you getting intoxicated on top of everything else!" There was a slight pause, then, "If Optimus sees you both like this, he's going to be even more steaming mad than he already is…"

Starscream cleared his throat, exchanging a glance with a blurry-opticed Demolisher. "What's going on, Hot Shot? When I left Alexis in the med-bay, she was…" He froze, blinking once as all the worst-case scenarios began to run through his head. "Is she okay?!"

Hot Shot's next words caught both Starscream and Demolisher completely off guard and necessitated another thirty minutes of explanation (hampered somewhat by the fact that some parts needed to be said more than once for the latter's benefit). "Other than beating the slag out of Ironhide and being sentenced to a night in the brig along with her partner, she's perfectly fine…"

*****

Replenishing the ranks of the Terrorcon army was no challenge; Scorpinok had seen to it once he'd decided he was done with his contemplative study of the girl. What did prove to be an ordeal was the argument with Alpha Q that followed. Ordinarily, Scorpinok had no problem following the orders given by his sovereign, but only so long as they were within reason. And right now, Alpha Q's demand that they commence with another raid straightaway was beginning to open Scorpinok's optics to the madness that had taken hold of his companion.

Kneeling before Alpha Q with his head bowed, Scorpinok easily slipped back into his role as advisor, wondering how many times he'd tried to instruct Alpha Q on what it took to be a great ruler. But then, the bot before him was still young, and was far removed from the other monarchs that Scorpinok had seen in power on their home planet through the ages.

Quietly, Scorpinok said, hoping that he'd get through to the young ruler, "Have I not taught you patience and to develop a good strategy before leaping into the thick of things?" When no answer was forthcoming, Scorpinok went on with, "Forgive me for saying, my liege, but I fear you have gotten too embroiled in your own goals to treat this situation with the rationality and subtlety that it deserved. And now, it may be too late to negotiate a peace treaty with our Cybertronian cousins."

Standing in the nearby shadows, Sideways cocked his head slightly to the left, his curiosity roused by this statement. Blinking several times in quick succession, he wondered if he'd been wrong in his belief that Alpha Q had been looking to wield Unicron as a weapon. If that were the case, then a peaceful resolution with Optimus Prime and the Transformers would surely be impossible; the last thing the Autobots and/or Decepticons would want was for Unicron to come after them, in any form.

If anything, Alpha Q seemed to be enraged by his subordinate's show of defiance, if the statements issued by his multiple personas was any indication. The spindly bot's interior heads (save for Nonchalant, who for some reason or other remained silent) were so collectively against this that it scarcely mattered which one was speaking. "We have no need of a truce with those we are stealing from," Alpha Q said in a strict tone. "We will not run the risk of being betrayed and having the Transformers take Unicron away from us! Our efforts will all be for nothing if he is destroyed!"

After a slight hesitation, Alpha Q continued with, "When I took the throne, you swore an oath of loyalty to me and me alone, Scorpinok. Do not dare think of going against me on this!"

Scorpinok sighed, seeing no option but to back down. "Very well, your Excellency," he replied. He may not like this turn of events, but nothing good could be gained by pressing the issue. He'd just have to be patient and look for different angles to hopefully bring an end to this conflict before it got even further out of hand. "Tell me what it is you wish me to do…"

*****

Under any other circumstances, Alexis might not have minded being confined to the brig for a full twelve hours, but being stuck in a cell parallel to Ironhide's after the scuffle they'd just gotten into was grating on her nerves. Before leaving the two of them to their own devices, Optimus had said simply that they shouldn't expect any visitors for the duration and advised them in his sternest, angriest tone that they'd do well to work out whatever the problem was.

Seated on the steel bunk affixed to the wall, Alexis bowed her head just seconds after the Autobot commander had stepped out of sight, feeling downright ashamed of herself. Sure, her initial instinct to put Ironhide down was that of a mother protecting her child, but she should have known better than to let it go any further than that. There was no excuse for allowing her irritation over her partner's attitude to get the best of her.

Alexis shivered ever so slightly when she suddenly heard Starscream's voice in her mind, and she lowered her head even further to prevent her partner to see the turmoil in her optics. What in the world happened, Alexis?! Starscream was asking, his voice sounding slightly slurred. Hot Shot said you beat up Ironhide!?

Alexis dimmed her optics, fighting to keep ahold of herself; she felt bad enough as it was. I made a mistake, was all she offered by way of a reply. After a long pause, she asked, How's Starxis?

He's fine… I noticed he was bleeding a little, but he seems to be healing okay. Did Ironhide do something to him? Is that what started this?

Alexis sighed softly, feeling cold inside. Yes, she reluctantly answered. But it's not what ended it… She paused again, wondering at the odd note in his voice before realizing just where she'd heard such a tone before. Are you drunk? she asked, and would have followed it with an ironic laugh had the situation not been so serious. When he answered yes, she answered simply, Seems we both need a time out then… Don't worry about me, Starscream. I'll be alright… I'll see you tomorrow when we're both feeling better.

If you're sure… he started, only to have Alexis cut him off.

I'm sure… And we shouldn't be talking like this anyway. It kinda goes against Optimus' mandate that Ironhide and I aren't to have any outside contact.

Starscream gave a short laugh, proving that he was clear-headed and reasonable enough with his next statement. Good luck working things out with him then… See you in the morning.

Alexis sent out one last telepathic message, though she was never sure afterwards if Starscream received it or not. Thanks. I love you…

Past that, Alexis didn't know how long it took to work up the nerve to actually look at Ironhide. Once she raised her head to gaze into the cell across the way, she found that her partner was lying on his side on his own bunk with his back to her. Unsure if he was awake or not, she proceeded with periodically calling out his name in the hopes of getting his attention.

It seemed that Alexis might be wasting her time until Ironhide suddenly flopped over onto his back, looking downright irritated as he fixed his gaze on her. "What?!" he barked out, making her cringe with the amount of anger in his tone. "I'm trying to sleep here!"

Alexis' guilt over what she'd done was gone in an instant at those words, to be replaced by a rush of anger. When she spoke, she saw fit to work in what counted as profanity amongst the Transformers; it was likely Starscream would be swelling with pride if he could hear her now. "Too bad, you slagging aft!" she shouted, causing Ironhide to regard her with widened optics. "You asked for this when you chose to pick a fight with me!" She paused for a second or two to allow that to sink in, then continued with, "So, why don't we start with… you have no right to pass judgment on me based on where I came from!"

For a moment, it seemed that all Ironhide could do was gape at her, but he eventually answered with, "And you think you have a right to pretend you're just as worthy as the rest of us?! This Scorpinok had it right -- you're not one of us! You couldn't possibly know what it takes to be a warrior!"

Had Alexis not been deprived of her weapons prior to being thrown in confinement, it was likely she would have killed him for that remark. Trading Cybertronian profanity for human-based ones, she said, "God, how dense are you?! In case you hadn't noticed, humans have their own military unit just like the Transformers! One way or another, I was going to become a soldier. I just decided it was going to be among you and your people!"

When there was no reply forthcoming, Alexis sighed and decided she just might be better off to give him something to mull over. "Humans are not and have never been as useless as you like to think, Ironhide. Take it from the one who coerced a Decepticon tyrant into a peace treaty and played a part in taking down a vengeful god like Unicron." With that said, Alexis turned away and lay down on her bunk with her back facing him, already in anticipation for when he'd take the initiative to continue their conversation…

*****

Seeing as they were now "lacking" four of their troops, Hot Shot, in anticipation for another attack, had sent a special request to an old friend on Cybertron to provide temporary aid until they could get back on their feet. Much to his relief, the request was accepted, and the new temp was transported to Ocean City within the hour.

Still, telling Optimus what Starscream and Demolisher had gotten themselves into was the hardest thing that Hot Shot had ever had to do, as he'd not wanted to add to the stress generated over the past twelve hours. And yet, there was no other way to explain Scavenger's presence here on Earth.

Currently, Hot Shot and Scavenger were meeting privately with the Autobot commander, just moments after the latter had finished debriefing Kicker and Misha on the events at Desert City. While Optimus did get even more irritated in light of this revelation, it was tempered by what Scavenger (as one of the oldest living of the Transformers) had to say, once he'd been told all details of the raids thus far.

"Scorpinok…" Scavenger murmured thoughtfully, his brow furrowed as if he were trying to recall a distant memory. After a long moment, he added, "I think I know that name… If I remember right, he used to be a resident of Cybertron, a very long time ago. He and a group of others were driven away from the planet once the war began, because they had no taste for bloodshed… This is based on what I've heard. I don't recall ever actually socializing with him."

"Seems this Scorpinok's conviction on that point has since dwindled," Hot Shot commented. "He seemed to have no trouble setting Tidal Wave loose on us, or attempting to kill one of our rookies all on his own."

Scavenger hesitated, thoughtfully rubbing at his chin with one hand. "That might make sense, if he is acting under someone else's orders. Odds are, it's Alpha Q that's running the show." Scavenger paused, then added, "Unfortunate as it may be, sometimes even the most honorable soldier can't go against what his superior wants."

Optimus gave a deep sigh, and had barely thanked Scavenger for his input when an alarm began blaring around them to announce that yet another raid was currently taking place. Despite his surprise over how quickly this one had been initiated, let alone that it was happening in the dead of night, Optimus was quick to organize any and all of his elite team members that weren't otherwise "occupied."

It was perhaps unfortunate that the only present aerial soldier that Optimus had to draw upon was Cyclonus. While Jetfire was already stationed in Plains City, the colony that was currently being targeted by Alpha Q's army, it wouldn't be fair to ask him to take on Scorpinok and Tidal Wave all by his lonesome should they be airborne.

What was perhaps even more unfortunate was that Starscream and Demolisher had not thought to include Cyclonus on their binge. While it wouldn't have been a good thing for one more member of the Transformers to be laid up in this way, it might have guaranteed that Cyclonus wouldn't do anything stupid or rash during said fight.

Ever since Tidal Wave's startling claim that Megatron still lived, Cyclonus had been given more than enough time to do nothing but mull it over, while he'd been waiting for Red Alert to fix him. Consequently, he'd eventually been plagued with doubt and curiosity over what proof the big guy had been offered.

Despite the fact that his spark wasn't fully in it, Cyclonus did busy himself with blasting away at the metallic raptors hovering over Plains City, though it was somewhat difficult to see them given how dark it was; there was no moon out this evening. Had anyone been listening, they might have questioned why Cyclonus wasn't his usual self and why he wasn't whooping or cackling in delight.

Cyclonus was so distracted that it was lucky he was able to avoid Tidal Wave's taking a swing at him. A second later, the eccentric bot had transformed from his vehicle mode, and quickly backed up when the big guy threw another punch. "Watch it!" Cyclonus squealed. "We're on the same side, you big lugnut! Or did Scorpinok steal your memories along with your common sense?!"

Though this got Tidal Wave to stop his attempts to knock Cyclonus out of the sky (again!), the big guy looked slightly uncertain as to whether or not this was the right course of action. Briefly, he looked downwards, and Cyclonus followed his gaze, to see how the battle was progressing. Looking back up, Tidal Wave said, "Need Energon to resurrect Megatron…"

Cyclonus could scarcely believe his audio receptors. "Get a clue, Tidal Wave! Scorpinok led you to believe that Megatron's still alive to use you!"

The big guy tilted his head slightly to one side. "Tidal Wave is not lying. Has been given proof." A slight pause, then, "Have seen Megatron with own optics."

Cyclonus hesitated, the doubt he'd been feeling increasing greatly at this proclamation. For the longest time, he said and did nothing, simply staring across at Tidal Wave in the darkness. At last, he transformed back into his copter mode, and readied his laser guns to fire a shot. Tidal Wave looked prepared to retaliate when Cyclonus suddenly wheeled around 180 degrees and banked forward towards the ground.

Even though Cyclonus might have been rationalizing his actions by telling himself that going with Tidal Wave and Scorpinok following the raid may be the best way to unravel the deception (if indeed Tidal Wave was being duped), it made no difference to the Autobots at ground level he was shooting at.

As far as Optimus, Hot Shot, Scavenger, and Jetfire were concerned, Cyclonus had just officially declared himself a traitor…

*****

Following her declaration of past accomplishments designed to arouse her partner's curiosity, Alexis was surprised that Ironhide remained silent as long as he did. However, she was so determined not to make the first move that she chose to leave him to his own thoughts. If need be, she could always request to Optimus the next morning that she and her partner be given some more time to work out the conflict between them.

In the interim, Alexis's thoughts eventually began to drift and she found herself wondering if there was a way for her to get her own temper under control. The last thing she (or anyone else) needed was to have another incident like the one from earlier this evening.

She was just starting to muse that asking Optimus or Starscream how they had managed to suppress their own emotions while in battle might be a good starting point when she heard Ironhide shifting on his bunk and speaking for the first time in several hours.

"There's no way you could have gone head to head against someone like Megatron and lived to tell about it," Ironhide said, making Alexis turn to look at him. He was now lying on his side facing her, head leaned against one propped up hand. "Word has it he'd have just as soon have squashed humans as look at them."

Alexis maneuvered so she was lying on her back, encouraged that her partner sounded a lot calmer now. "That may be so, but even Megatron, for all his faults, wasn't entirely lacking in restraint. If he'd really wanted to, he would have made it a point to take out my human friends and I a long time ago." She paused, then went on with, "In either case, I had a little help in ensuring that Megatron and I would be able to speak on even terms without him being able to harm me." Noticing an odd flicker in Ironhide's optics, she quickly said, "That doesn't change the fact that I'm still the one who got through to him and helped put an end to the war… You can ask any one of our superiors if you don't believe me."

Ironhide remained silent for a bit, his optics cast downwards towards the floor, as if he needed time to fully process this. Without waiting for him to formulate a response, Alexis chose to kick off in a new direction, deciding she was done with subtleties and may as well get to the root of the problem. "Are you even aware of how alike you and Megatron are, Ironhide?"

Ironhide recoiled at these words, looking downright offended. "Are you nuts?!" he blurted out. "I'm nothing like him!"

Alexis shook her head vehemently. "You're everything like him!" she countered in a loud, angry tone. After a slight hesitation, she said, "For starters, let's look at this superiority complex you seem to be suffering from…" When he started to deny that he had such a problem, Alexis cut him off. "Then explain why you have very little regard for me and Kicker, or any other humans, for that matter. Even in this last battle, you were more concerned about taking Scorpinok down than actually safeguarding those you were charged to protect."

Alexis paused once more, rubbing at her face with both hands and feeling suddenly weary. "The reason Optimus assigned you to work with Kicker and I was because he hoped you might learn from the experience. Instead, all you've been doing for every battle, Ironhide, is going against everything the Autobot team stands for," she said. She waited another moment to give that enough time to sink in before adding, "I'm starting to wonder if Optimus maybe gave you too much credit. Unless you decide you'd rather be blacklisted entirely from being a soldier, then you need to start thinking about someone other than yourself!"

Ironhide was silent for so long following this declaration that Alexis eventually averted her gaze to look up at the ceiling, wondering if anything she'd said had penetrated that thick metal skull of his. She was even prepared to dim her optics and maybe try to get some sleep when he suddenly spoke.

"How'd you manage it?" Ironhide asked, and went on to offer some clarification off of the look she gave him. "How'd you go from being human to becoming one of us?"

Alexis regarded him with widened optics for a moment, caught off guard by the notion that he was actually interested in learning more about her and where she came from. After a moment, she gave a very slight smile, thinking, Maybe there's hope for you yet, Ironhide.

This belief was compounded as the remaining hours of their confinement ticked on towards morning, and Ironhide seemed to have enough questions to keep the conversation going. His curiosity about Starxis, her relationship with Starscream, and the part she'd played in bringing down Unicron, to name a few topics of interest, was a nice switch from him treating her like the enemy.

Until Alexis and Ironhide heard the sound of the main door sliding open, followed by the clang of heavy footfalls entering the ward, they'd both lost track of what time it was. By the time Optimus (looking extraordinarily on edge) appeared in the space separating their two cells, both recruits were sitting up straight on their bunks with blank expressions.

Optimus silently looked from Alexis to Ironhide and back again as if expecting one of them to say something on what had transpired the night before. When they remained silent, the Autobot commander gave a deep sigh and quietly said, "I hope the two of you realize just how disappointed I am. The situation was bad enough with Alpha Q's unprovoked attacks on our bases and then turning some of our own soldiers against us…"

Optimus paused, then went on with, in a tone that made both trainees feel ashamed, "I will not tolerate two of my own troops resorting to battling each other." He looked towards Alexis, directing his next statement to her. "I especially expected better of you, Alexis, than to sink to your partner's level." After a short silence, he said, "I am willing to forgive the transgression just this once… You can be assured that, if the two of you continue to behave like children, you will no longer have a place on my team. Is that understood?"

Ironhide and Alexis nodded solemnly and offered quiet words of apology. The tension surrounding their commander seemed to be alleviated just a little at this. As he moved to the control panel to shut down the electromagnetic fields of the cells, Optimus quietly began to fill the two rookies in on the other surprising developments that had come about while they'd been confined.

It was hard for Alexis to be ecstatic over the revelation that Scavenger was back on Earth with all the bad news that was overshadowing it. No wonder Optimus isn't in the best mood, she mused, feeling even more guilty about her own part in the day's events.

Coming face to face with Starscream in the upper levels of Ocean City proved to be easier than Alexis thought it would. He was just emerging from his sleeping quarters with Starxis perched on his shoulder when she found him. For half a minute, she and her fellow jet just stood watching one another, simply reading each other's thoughts as a means of making sense of the events that had transpired since they'd parted ways.

At last, Starscream just wordlessly stepped forward and pulled her close, holding her to him in a comforting embrace. Simultaneously, Starxis moved over onto Alexis' shoulder and cuddled up against her neck, gently nuzzling her. After a few seconds, Alexis sighed and rested her arms against Starscream's back, moving slightly closer as she did so and feeling grateful that she'd get no reprimand from him.

In what she would later come to realize was a downright ironic statement, Alexis whispered, "Things can't possibly get any worse than this past day, right?"

Starscream gave a short laugh, tightening his grip on her ever so slightly. "I certainly hope so," he said softly, pressing his face against the russet filaments attached to her head…

*****

As Cyclonus had hoped, Scorpinok had displayed no problem in allowing him to tag along following the latest raid. Once they arrived at their destination, the eccentric bot had been slightly disturbed by the realization he was looking at Unicron's remains, as the dark god was now healed enough to have taken on a recognizable shape.

Scorpinok had silenced Cyclonus' squawks of protest by simply saying that Unicron had been permanently deactivated and did not pose any threat. Cyclonus had reluctantly accepted this, especially when Tidal Wave advanced to venture inside with no signs of fear. The notion that the big guy had been here before and seemingly had no reason to worry about being harmed was sufficient to put the eccentric bot at ease.

Past escorting Tidal Wave and Cyclonus to the chamber where Megatron was being "held," Scorpinok seemed to have no interest in entertaining his companions and shortly left them to their own devices.

Cyclonus almost couldn't believe his optics when he saw Megatron, fully intact, imprisoned within the lining of Unicron's stomach. After a long moment of listening, he decided there was no mistaking the faint hum in the air that indicated Megatron's spark was still active and pulsing with life. Slowly, Cyclonus turned to look up at Tidal Wave, saying simply, "You were telling the truth…"

The colossal Transformer looked back at Cyclonus, seeming slightly irritated by the remark. "Tidal Wave would not lie about something this important."

Cyclonus backed up a step, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Take it easy, big guy," he said in a more cheery tone, beginning to feel more like his normal self. Though it niggled at him that Megatron was still so weak when more than enough Energon had been taken that should have revived him, the eccentric bot reasoned that he could always quiz Scorpinok on what was up with that.

But for now, Cyclonus was completely caught up in the rush of doing whatever it took to obtain more of this power source. So long as he was doing what he loved best, being swept up in the heat of battle, it scarcely mattered just whose side he was on…

*****

There was much relief to be had among the Transformers of Ocean City when Red Alert announced to all those gathered in the conference room that the new base defenses were ready to be installed, just three hours after Alexis and Ironhide's stint in the brig had ended. There wasn't a single one among the group, Kicker as well, who wasn't looking thankful following this announcement.

The task of establishing all the turrets was put into effect within the hour, at Desert, Plains, and Jungle City. It helped to this end that Scavenger's vehicle mode happened to be a bulldozer; it cut down on the time it otherwise would have taken to dig the trenches.

Surprisingly, Misha, who'd been asked to stay at Ocean City until her true home could be declared safe, came up with a rather interesting idea of using Energon to power the new weapons. "It would guarantee we wouldn't have to worry about running out of energy, when we have a limitless source at our fingertips," she had said. Optimus proved to be very much in agreement and thanked Misha for her suggestion.

To have some insurance that Alpha Q wouldn't be able to see what they were doing, Alexis, Starscream, and Starxis were sent with Red Alert and Scavenger to each location. Though the two jets idly watched this construction project as it got underway, they still took the opportunity to carry on a conversation.

"I hope this means that things will finally be getting back to normal," Alexis said, catching Starscream's gaze with her own.

He reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "As do I… If all goes well, this might mean that we won't have to worry about Alpha Q, Scorpinok, or their army again. Past that… Well, who knows what Tidal Wave and Cyclonus are going to do…" Starscream paused, then added, with a warm smile, "I hope Ironhide never forgets what you said to him last night. I'd almost bet you could talk anyone under the table if you set your mind to it."

Alexis chuckled lightly, causing his smile to widen. "It's just a matter of finding the right words and the right opportunity," she said modestly. After a moment, she went on with, "In the meantime, maybe you could help me conquer my own faults…?"

Starscream sighed, knowing from her thoughts just what she was driving at. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not anything that can actually be taught. Learning how to control your emotions is something you'd have to figure out for yourself." He hesitated, looking towards Red Alert and Scavenger as they worked. "And, Primus willing, you may soon get every opportunity to work at it with no danger of what might happen if you fail."

Alexis merely smiled at that remark, then looked over at the youngling on her shoulder when he spoke, causing both his parents to laugh heartily with his statement and how sure he sounded. "Alpha Q go bye-bye," Starxis said…

*****

As the Transformers on Earth had hoped (and a certain youngling had predicted), Alpha Q's forces were put through the wringer when they next came knocking. The turrets proved to be sufficient in making short work of the predatory bots, taking many of them out even before they could touch down on the ground. With Alpha Q's army decimated, Scorpinok and the two Decepticons he'd turned to his side didn't dare stick around to likewise get slaughtered or merely taken into custody.

While Alpha Q was furious that, for once, the attempted raid was a complete failure, Scorpinok saw an opportunity to rectify an out-of-hand situation. "Forgive me, your Excellency," Scorpinok said. "But I have to stand by my earlier points." Without giving Alpha Q a chance to respond, he went on with, "And I must add that perhaps it was a mistake to target the bases owned by our Cybertronian cousins… If I'm not mistaken, you did see to it that the Terrorcons would be able to sense Energon so they wouldn't have to waste time searching for it…?"

Alpha Q, speaking through the facet dubbed Brainiac, actually sounding intrigued for a change. Sideways, who was once more watching from the shadows, found it curious that the spindly bot seemed to be at his most lucid when in Scorpinok's presence; it spoke volumes about the relationship between this so-called sovereign and his loyal subordinate. "What is it you suggest, Scorpinok?"

Scorpinok tilted his head up a notch, heartened by the indication that the young ruler was willing to listen to alternatives. "Earth is surely not the only place that this Energon can be found… Was there not a supply of it at our own fallen world, for a time?" Scorpinok paused for effect, then said, "I propose we seek out other planets, preferably uninhabited, to obtain all that we need. It would guarantee we would be able to operate unhindered, and I see no reason not to leave our fellow Transformers in peace."

Alpha Q was silent for a time as he carefully considered this, then abruptly reached towards the organic floor with one elongated hand. Before Scorpinok even registered what was happening, his master had forged a sharp-looking broadsword with an ornate green and purple hilt from Unicron's flesh.

Scorpinok began to feel slightly uneasy as Alpha Q held the weapon out towards him in expectation. "My Lord…?" he asked questioningly, unsure of what was happening here even as he reached for the sword.

Alpha Q, or rather, the interior head called Laser Happy, fixed Scorpinok with a stern gaze that suggested it would do no good to argue. "If that is the case, then perhaps we have no further need for Tidal Wave and Cyclonus. And I dare not let them go lest they lead Optimus Prime and the others straight to us."

Scorpinok froze. "Surely, you don't imply we kill them!" he blurted out. "Wiping their memories or transporting them away to guarantee they'll never again find us…"

Alpha Q refused to be swayed from this, countering by saying that neither method was foolproof and that there were ways for the Autobots to extract the information and thus figure out where the invading bots had come from. "I will not have it any other way, Scorpinok… I suggest you carefully consider what your next move will be."

Scorpinok gave a deep sigh, rising to his feet and tightening his grip on the hilt of the sword, his desire for self-preservation, in part, overruling his drive to do the right thing. It was likely, if he did disobey the order, Alpha Q would just eliminate the two Decepticons himself (and Scorpinok as well) and be done with it.

As he stepped quietly into the chamber that was Unicron's stomach, Scorpinok had the blade partly concealed behind his left leg and was doing his best to bury his unease about what he was about to do. He was successful on both counts -- neither Decepticon was clued in as to what Scorpinok was up to until the latter actually struck.

Shocked at having his chest plate nearly sheared in half, Tidal Wave put one hand to the gash that was now leaking vital fluids, stumbling back in such a way that he lost his balance and toppled to the floor. Hearing Cyclonus approaching from behind with a squawk of protest, Scorpinok quickly turned and raised the blade so it was level with the throat of the eccentric bot.

It was fortunate that Cyclonus halted when he did, or he very well would have impaled himself. "What…?" he started, then gulped nervously and finished with, "What do you think you're doing?!"

In a vacant tone, Scorpinok answered, "I'm afraid our partnership must be dissolved, gentlemen. You may not believe me, but let me say I'm sorry neither of you will survive past this moment…"

Cyclonus blinked, disbelieving what he was hearing. There were many things he wanted to ask, such as why or what he and Tidal Wave had done to deserve this. Briefly, Cyclonus turned his gaze to the big guy, and would have laughed at the fact that Tidal Wave was mumbling his own name over and over for some odd reason had the situation not been so grave.

After a second, Cyclonus completely dimmed his optics, steeling himself for the killing blow and saying a quick prayer that it would be painless.

It never came.

Scorpinok was just prepared to act when a sudden rumble, in the ground beneath his feet, caught his attention. Catching sight of a flicker of light out of the corner of his optic, Scorpinok turned his attention upwards, noticing that there were streaks of yellow light (of what could only be the liquefied Energon coursing through Unicron's body) darting across the ceiling.

The dancing lights were so quick and sporadic that Scorpinok didn't immediately figure out they were converging towards the same location. By the time he figured it out, he began to become aware of a soft hum from some feet away that seemed to be getting louder and louder by the second.

Cyclonus and Tidal Wave seemed to realize at the same instant as Scorpinok just what was happening, as all three of them identified the source of the hum and looked towards it. Though they viewed this tableau with varying reactions (disbelief, hope, and fear, respectively), it soon became undeniable to all three what was going on.

Somehow, Megatron was coming back to life…

Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. Feedback is much appreciated, but please don't flame me too hard for this cliffhanger. As of this moment, I don't know how long it will take to get started on the next part as schoolwork is going to be the priority for the next week or two. :)

Next up: Megatron's return and all its repercussions...