Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Disclaimer: Don't own Transformers; Hasbro does. Nor do I own the song used in the chapter, which many of you (if not all) may not be familiar. Anybody wishing to listen to it will be able to find it on Youtube.

Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoy this latest installment; it was much fun to write.

The next chapters will be a while in coming, since I will be on vacation to Arizona as of tomorrow. While I will be spending near two weeks there, I hope to get a substantial amount of writing in and may just be posting more than one chapter next time. :)

Chapter Nine

Later on, Scorpinok was never sure if things would have turned out differently, had he not suffered a moment of hesitation. For a few seconds, all he could was stare at the imprisoned Decepticon leader in pure disbelief, though he didn't relax his hold on the sword still aimed at Cyclonus' throat. It was pure luck that the eccentric bot was in enough of a trance that he didn't think of fighting back at that particular moment.

Scorpinok steeled himself in the next instant, as he recognized that allowing Megatron to revive would not be a good thing. The last thing he or Alpha Q needed right now was for a proverbial X-factor to enter the game. Moving swiftly, Scorpinok advanced towards the Decepticon leader, and ruthlessly drove the sword straight into Megatron's chest, about where his spark chamber should be located.

In the next second, Scorpinok breathed a sigh of relief, as he felt the crisis had been averted given that the hum in the air instantly died. After another second, he turned to regard Tidal Wave and Cyclonus once more. The former had rolled over in order to get a better view, his hand still pressed to the gaping wound on his chest, and the look on his face would suggest his spark had just been slashed to ribbons as well.

By contrast, Cyclonus was almost comical as he squawked out, "Scorpinok, what have you done?!"

"Eliminated a problem, that's what," Scorpinok answered in a deadpan tone, making a move to withdraw the sword and get back to business; the sooner he finished carrying out what Alpha Q had ordered, the better. However, Scorpinok was surprised when the weapon didn't budge, and he shortly turned back to look, simultaneously giving another tug.

This, too, failed to yield results, leaving Scorpinok deeply perplexed. Surely, the sword could not have gotten wedged in something that would make it impossible to remove. He adopted a more forceful stance, trying once more to pull the blade loose, while keeping his senses on high alert in case Cyclonus tried to attack him.

Scorpinok wasn't given a chance to reason out why this wasn't working before the hum returned at full blast, and a glowing pink light appeared around the sword where it was planted in Megatron's chest. At the same instant, a rumble shook the floor beneath Scorpinok's feet, frightening him in its intensity. Before he even realized what was happening, the sword's hilt was yanked from his hand, and Scorpinok looked up in fear and disbelief as the weapon was entirely absorbed within Megatron's chest, or, perhaps, spark.

Scorpinok stumbled back, barely registering that Cyclonus was cackling nervously and that Tidal Wave was chanting over and over, as some sort of bizarre mantra, "Megatron lives!" As the tableau before him continued to unfold, Scorpinok registered in some part of his mind that the blade had to have been forged entirely of Energon. If that was what Megatron had been using to regain his strength and come back to life, then injecting a healthy dose of said substance straight into his spark had been a terrible mistake.

A flicker of movement off to the left caused Scorpinok to look briefly in that direction, to see that Sideways had entered the chamber at some point to watch the proceedings. Currently, the rogue bot was watching Megatron with great interest, with a smug look in his optics that enraged Scorpinok. How dare he regard this as fun and games! Scorpinok thought furiously, then turned his attention back to the Decepticon leader when a sudden quake swept through the chamber in which he was standing.

The hum in the air seemed to reach a fever pitch in the same moment, and it wasn't much longer after this that cracks began to develop in the organic lining that had been Megatron's tomb for the past decade. In seconds, the lining began to shatter, as if it had instantly grown brittle and was as hard as plastic.

Curiously enough, Megatron's form seemed to have been altered in the process. His outlined structure, as it had appeared in the biologic wall, had told Scorpinok that his vehicle mode was a battle tank and while he was heavily armored and bulky, he had very little in the way of weaponry.

However, the version of Megatron that emerged was somewhat slimmer, for lack of a better word, and was sporting a set of cannons, one on each shoulder. Furthermore, the color of his armor, had Scorpinok asked Cyclonus or Tidal Wave in regards to this, had gone from gray and green to a nice polished silver and blue. And the set of alien jet wings attached to Megatron's back suggested his vehicle mode has also been altered.

Scorpinok's questions over how Megatron could have possibly changed his shape were lost when the Decepticon leader was fully freed. The fact that Megatron's hands soon curled into fists and that he was staring across at Scorpinok with hooded red optics sealed the latter's belief that nothing good could come of this.

With an immense amount of fury displayed on his features, Megatron's gaze traveled briefly to Tidal Wave and then Cyclonus before coming back to Scorpinok. If there had been any doubt in the latter's mind that he was in trouble, it was cast aside by the first thing to pass through Megatron's lips. "You have no clue just how big a mistake you've made, Scorpinok," the Decepticon leader said darkly.

"How…?" Scorpinok started, only to bite the words back a second later. The fact that Megatron knew his name could only mean that the latter had heard every word that had been said. For a moment, he stood frozen in place, then realized that fighting would probably be a better idea. This idea was compounded when Megatron raised one hand, and the same sword that Scorpinok had been wielding moments ago flashed into existence in the grip of the Decepticon leader.

Scorpinok instantly transformed into his scorpion mode and scuttled forward, using one claw to swipe the blade from Megatron's hand. Simultaneously, he struck with his tail; the stinger was soon planted deep in Megatron's left shoulder.

Scorpinok's near-fatal mistake was hesitating for a few seconds, surprised when this action seemingly failed to cause Megatron any pain. While the former was frozen, Megatron reached up with his free hand and savagely ripped the stinger loose, then instantly maneuvered to get a more solid grip on the front of Scorpinok's frame. Much to the shock of his opponent and the three spectators (even Sideways was astonished), he then lifted Scorpinok completely off the ground and threw him all the way across the cavernous chamber.

Scorpinok was by no means light, and this show of strength on Megatron's part would have gotten him just as dazed as when he crashed into the far wall. Switching back to his bot mode, he gave his head a brisk shake to clear it, staring across at Megatron with growing dread. Even as the latter spoke, Scorpinok was thinking, I hope you're watching this, Alpha Q. If things continue to go south, it might call for a drastic change in plans!

Flexing his arms, Megatron took a step forward, an amused smile playing at his lips. With a cheerful laugh, he said, "I have never felt more alive than right now. For that, I thank you, Scorpinok." After a slight pause, he added, "It has been far too long since I've been engaged in battle. Let's see just how skilled an opponent you are. I'd hate for this to be over with so quickly."

Scorpinok drew in a deep breath, shifting slightly into a crouched position that would allow him to rise to his feet as quickly as possible and saying a silent prayer that all his skills as a warrior would not fail him now. In the next instant, he got up and started to move, very much determined to regain the upper hand.

The results, however, turned out to be quite disastrous…

Given that the new base defenses had proved to be a resounding success, Optimus had seen no problem in allowing Alexis and Starscream a well-deserved evening off. Soon after they'd been granted this opportunity, the two jets and Starxis were on their way to the home on the mainland that they'd barely had time to take advantage of.

As she settled onto the futon on the second story balcony next to her loved ones, Alexis delighted in being in Starscream's company, alone (save for Starxis), and being allowed an uninterrupted view of the evening sky.

Repositioning so she was reclining against Starscream and sighing when he began lovingly teasing her "hair," Alexis said softly, "The stars look beautiful this evening."

Giving a short laugh, Starscream briefly turned his gaze skyward. There had been countless occasions where he'd spent hours studying the constellations; even as a youngling on Cybertron, prior to being drafted as a soldier, he'd taken great delight in watching the heavens. "Maybe so," he answered, fixing his optics back on her. "But I can think of one thing far more lovely that I'd rather be looking at."

Alexis lightly smacked the hand resting beneath hers, once it registered just what he was talking about. "Oh, you…"

This only caused Starscream to smile widely. "Don't complain," he said in a soft, flirtatious tone. "You should be flattered to know you're the most beautiful thing in my universe."

Before she could say a word, her child chimed in with, "Starxis think so too."

Alexis chuckled, gently patting Starxis' head, before saying, "You're sweet. Both of you." She paused, snuggling closer against Starscream, before saying, "So, where do you think we go from here? If there's not going to be any more raids…" She angled her head to look at him. "Do you think Optimus might be taking Ironhide and me back to Cybertron to continue our training?"

Starscream bowed his head slightly, giving a deep sigh. "I honestly don't know," he replied. After a very brief silence, he added, "If that's the case, then maybe we'd better make the most of our time together."

Alexis smiled warmly. "What did you have in mind?" she asked, and was surprised when he actually moved to stand while she was speaking.

Once he was on his feet, Starscream turned and extended a hand to Alexis to help her up as well. Wordlessly, he pulled her close, ignoring her inquiries into what he was up to. She got her answer a second later when he maneuvered her hands so one was resting on his shoulder and the other at his waist. He soon positioned his own hands in the same way, and Alexis couldn't help but laugh at this point.

Even as they began to softly sway to some silent song, she said, in a decidedly amused tone, "Where in the world did you learn to dance?"

He offered a secretive smile. "You'd never believe me if I told you," was all he said.

Alexis giggled slightly. "So, either you learned it sometime before we first met… or you and Demolisher have found something interesting to do in your spare time."

Starscream burst out laughing, then fixed her with a playfully angry look. "Thank you so much for putting that image in my head," he answered. "Now Demolisher's going to wonder why I won't be able to keep a straight face around him."

Alexis responded with a silly grin. After a long silence, she abruptly said, "We should have some music… Or better yet, a song that's suited to us specifically." Off of the curious, slightly bewildered look he gave her, she added, "Come on, it would be romantic. I'll even let you pick."

Starscream blinked, sighing softly. Yet, for all of her sometimes outlandish demands, he could never deny her anything. It didn't take him long to patch into the nearest Internet signal and do an extensive search of what counted for Earth-based music. With that accomplished, he sifted through them all until he found one that might be suitable, then focused back on her and tentatively said, "Until the End of Time, by Jordan Hill…?"

Alexis furrowed her brow. "Don't think I know that one…"

Starscream hesitated for an instant, then pulled away and went to the stereo system that was set up a couple feet away. After downloading the song and setting it to play, he returned to Alexis' side, resuming to dance with her.

The lyrics of this ballad, accompanied by a haunting melody, had a significant effect on her. They sounded so perfect, it surprised her; she'd not quite expected Starscream to hit it on the first try.

Looking at you
I can't believe
That it's true
That I've got someone who's crazy over me

Here and now
I am sure
That I've found
What true love is and what a love should be

When you hold me, then I know
That's where I belong
And I don't want to let you go
Nowhere in this world I'd rather be.

You and I,
We can't deny
Heaven's here between your lips and mine.

I promise I,
I will never say goodbye
It's you and me,
Until the end of time.

It's just enough,
All I've ever dreamed of,
The love I've prayed for
Before I go to sleep.

Just in time
I never thought
I would find
Another reason
To give all of me.

When you hold me, then I know
That's where I belong
And I don't want to let you go
Nowhere in this world I'd rather be.

You and I,
We can't deny
Heaven's here between your lips and mine.

I promise I,
I will never say goodbye
It's you and me,
Until the end of time.

Oh, you are the air that I breathe
I've seen all that I need to see
Finally I know
Love is what used to be when
I don't and I won't have to spend
Another night alone.

As the song played, Alexis had stepped close to Starscream, laying her head on his shoulder, as they continued to sway in time to the rhythm. And, as the closing chorus echoed around them, she was scarcely aware of when she and the jet she loved went airborne, completing their dance together in mid air…

In all the eons he'd been in existence, Scorpinok had never been exposed to the level of brutality that he suffered at Megatron's hands. In just under five minutes, he had sustained more injuries and become much more battered than he had ever remembered being in his long life.

Lying on the floor and shaking badly (though he wasn't sure if it was due to pain or fear), Scorpinok turned his gaze upwards, peering at Megatron with his right optic through the large gap in his visor. There was some difficulty in speaking given that his lips had been crushed and/or distorted under the incessant blows, but Scorpinok managed it somehow. "Megatron," he said weakly. "You win."

Much to his surprise, this didn't stop the Decepticon leader from driving his fist into Scorpinok's face more. The latter grunted in pain, taking a moment to shake off the effects of the blow before desperately stating, "I said, you win!"

Megatron smirked darkly. "I'm sorry. You must be under the impression that that means something to me… You tried to kill me, Scorpinok. Only fair that I should return the favor, with interest." With that said, Megatron raised one leg and promptly began to bring his foot down on Scorpinok's right arm.

Drawing on a hidden reserve of strength, Scorpinok raised his hand and seized Megatron's foot before it could connect, using every bit of power he had left to try and defend himself. It all proved fruitless; Megatron was far too strong. In seconds, Scorpinok's arm was being mangled just as badly as his face had become.

Scorpinok began shaking again, this time out of pure fear. He'd already died once, because of Unicron, and he had no desire to go through that again, especially since there was no guarantee that Alpha Q could (or might even want to) bring him back.

When it all boiled down, Scorpinok would cite fear as his reason for doing what he did next.

"Please," Scorpinok managed to get out through his broken lips, wincing when this caused Megatron to stomp down harder on his arm. If anything, this action increased Scorpinok's desperation, though it took a few seconds before he could continue. "This wasn't my idea," Scorpinok said, turning his gaze briefly to Tidal Wave and Cyclonus, who had come to stand just behind Megatron.

Surprisingly, Cyclonus looked a little disconcerted by Scorpinok's current state, which was compounded when the eccentric bot nervously said, "Megatron, don't you think the poor guy's suffered enough?"

Megatron scoffed. "Don't be silly… Why, I've barely gotten started," he said ominously.

Scorpinok gulped nervously. "I was just following orders, Megatron!" he blurted out, praying that it would count for something and possibly save his life. "It was Alpha Q who wanted this done, not me!" As soon as the words left him, Scorpinok almost instantly wished he could take them back, though it did serve a purpose in getting Megatron to ease up ever so slightly. Scorpinok dimmed his optics, disbelieving that he'd sunk to this level once more; this would count as the second time (in the past decade alone) that he'd been reduced to betraying Alpha Q.

Megatron hesitated, slightly thrown by this admission. In the next instant, he wondered how he could not have seen that Scorpinok had to be Alpha Q's lackey. And, if that were the case, then perhaps he was wasting his rage on the wrong being.

Megatron backed up a step, saying simply, "You'd better not be lying to me."

Cyclonus stepped forward, making a half-hearted attempt to give Megatron back the sword he'd lost during the scuffle. "It's true, sir… There's this freak with, like, four heads who's behind all this." When Megatron failed to respond, Cyclonus went on with, "Scorpinok is telling the truth."

Megatron gave a dark, amused chuckle. "Well, he'd better be…" The words had barely left him before Megatron dropped to his knees and raised one hand which shortly began glowing with an unnatural purple light. Even as he pressed his hand to a shield-shaped plate in the center of Scorpinok's chest (causing the latter to grunt in pain), Megatron said, "Welcome to my team…"

As the light died away, Scorpinok cast his gaze downwards, startled beyond belief when he saw that a Decepticon insignia had just been emblazoned onto his armor. He spent a few seconds studying it before turning his gaze back to Megatron, wondering, How in the world did he do that?!

Cyclonus (and maybe Tidal Wave) likely had to be wondering the same thing, but Megatron didn't have the patience to satisfy their curiosity. Instead, the Decepticon leader redirected his attention, seeming for a moment to be staring into empty air. Then, he spoke a name that startled the two companions standing behind him. "Sideways," Megatron growled in a loud voice. "It's time to show yourself!"

Cyclonus was so on edge by the time that Sideways actually stepped silently from the shadows that he reflexively fired a shot or two at the rogue bot, and was even more startled when the laser blasts passed right through him. "What the…!?" Cyclonus started to say, only to be cut off by Megatron.

"Sideways is now nothing more than a ghost, gentleman," Megatron said in an amused tone. "A fitting punishment for one so duplicitous." To the rogue bot, he added, "For a time, Sideways, you almost had me convinced that an alliance between us would be doable. But you've shown that you can't be trusted any more now than you could when we first met." Megatron gave a bitter laugh. "I hope you enjoy your life as a phantom. You're going to be stuck that way for a very long time to come."

A very low growl was issued from beneath Sideways' faceplate at the conclusion of Megatron's speech, and all gathered in the chamber could tell by his posture that he was seething with rage. "You'll pay for this, Megatron," he said in a dangerous tone.

A cruel smile came to Megatron's lips. "What are you going to do, Sideways?" he sneered. "Haunt me to death?" He waited a moment for an answer that wasn't forthcoming, then turned away. Reaching down with one hand, he callously pulled Scorpinok to his feet in spite of the latter's cry of agony. To the heavily damaged bot before him, Megatron simply said, "Suck it up, soldier! It's time to pay your former master, Alpha Q, a little visit…"

As Scorpinok had hoped, Alpha Q had bore witness to Megatron's awakening. The longer he had remotely viewed the events that transpired, the more he began to realize that staying put would be a grave mistake. In the time allowed, from the moment Scorpinok had saved his own hide through betrayal to when Megatron and his court made their way to Alpha Q's domain, the spindly bot had been frantically making preparations to try and salvage the situation.

When the far wall was blasted apart to allow Megatron, Scorpinok, Tidal Wave, and Cyclonus entry into Unicron's spark chamber, Alpha Q silently prayed that all his efforts wouldn't be wasted. Even as he spoke, he made some last minute adjustments, sending commands up to the dark god's processor through the cable hooked into the back of his head, praying he had timed everything just right to ensure his own survival.

"Welcome, Megatron," Alpha Q said in a conversational tone, causing his "visitors" to stop and regard him curiously. Turning his gaze towards Scorpinok, he did his best to hide his unease at his subordinate's current shape. "Still intent on taking what's not yours, I see."

Megatron sneered, tilting his head in Scorpinok's direction. "On the contrary, your little lapdog here gave you up… That kind of treachery and backstabbing always makes for a good Decepticon soldier." He paused, taking a step forward and holding his brand new sword at the ready. "How does it feel knowing you're about to lose everything?"

Alpha Q lowered his head slightly, simultaneously bringing his interior facet, Brainiac, to the forefront. "Don't underestimate me, Megatron," he said in a reprimanding tone. "This isn't over yet."

Before anyone could even think to react, Alpha Q suddenly wheeled around and began to move at a faster pace than any of his three Decepticons visitors had thought him capable of. However, Megatron quickly shook off his surprise and lunged forward, reaching for the cable hooked into the back of the spindly bot's head. "You're not going anywhere!" he growled, seizing hold of the cable and feeling a wave of satisfaction when this halted Alpha Q in his tracks.

Megatron's triumph, however, only lasted for two seconds.

Alpha Q was on the move again, disappearing into the passageway at the far wall, before Megatron fully realized that the cable had been disconnected. Turning towards his men and angered that they were just standing there gawking, he barked out, "Get after him! If he escapes, all the rest of you are going to pay!"

Cyclonus needed no further incentive than that, and he shortly took off after Alpha Q at a run. As the distance between he and the spindly bot began to close, Cyclonus said a silent thanks that he was the faster of the two of them. He so did not want to discover just what Megatron had in mind with that last statement.

Cyclonus' chance at victory went out the window just moments before he would have been upon Alpha Q. At the last instant, a wall had abruptly slammed down from the ceiling, in the space separating him from the spindly bot. Cyclonus didn't even have time to stop before he crashed into the barrier with enough force to ensure he fell backwards onto his behind.

In the next moment, Cyclonus looked up at the wall in fright; if it had come down even a millisecond later, he would likely have been squashed beneath it. He barely had time to praise his good fortune before Megatron caught up, pounding the barrier with one fist in anger at having been denied his prize when he was so close.

Nevertheless, blasting through this wall proved to be remarkably easy; it didn't take long for it to fall under the combined firepower of Megatron, Cyclonus, and Tidal Wave. Shortly thereafter, the three Decepticons continued their pursuit of Alpha Q, with Scorpinok following meekly behind them. Sideways, too, was trailing them, though at a more leisurely, slightly impartial pace, deciding it might be intriguing to see how this drama played out.

The chase was over all too soon, as Alpha Q hit a dead end and swung around to face Megatron and the others as they came to corner him. With a cruel laugh, Megatron came to a halt (and his men soon followed his example), certain that he'd have his revenge yet. "What do you plan to do now, Alpha Q?" he jeered. "Still think you have a chance at escaping my wrath?"

Oddly enough, Alpha Q didn't look the least bit afraid, causing some doubt to surface within Megatron. Why would he be so calm when odds are great he only has a few moments left?! the Decepticon leader wondered.

Alpha Q answered this with a smirk of his own. "Your arrogance is going to someday be your undoing, Megatron," he replied. "You haven't won anything." He shifted slightly on his axis, and it took a few seconds for those assembled to realize he was looking towards his minion. "I am sorry it has to be this way, Scorpinok," Alpha Q said. "You have no idea how much it pains me to have to leave you behind."

Scorpinok bowed his head slightly, and any of his "companions" who might have expected him to speak were disappointed when he said nothing. Oddly enough, Alpha Q gave an almost indiscernible nod, as if some sort of understanding had passed between him and his associate.

Megatron narrowed his optics and said, "If you think you're getting out of here alive, Alpha Q, you are sadly mistaken."

"On the contrary, Megatron, I already have…"

The words hadn't even fully left Alpha Q before a jolt passed through the chamber in which they were standing. In the next instant, it seemed as if the entire room was splitting apart, as select parts of the ceiling, floor, and walls broke open with a loud rumble. By the time Megatron figured out the chamber had been forcefully divided into two sections (with Alpha Q on one side and the Decepticon leader and his men on the other), the half that was occupied by the spindly bot was beginning to drift away.

Determined not to lose his prize, Megatron took a step forward, then two, maneuvering his brand new cannons in position to fire. Still, he was disappointed when the laser bursts struck some invisible barrier just inches away from Alpha Q and promptly dissipated.

Alpha Q soon began to laugh in triumph. Given time, Megatron might have figured out a way of getting at the pest, but all schemes towards this end were put on hold indefinitely when Alpha Q's half of Unicron's remains (which, if one were watching the tableau from a distance, would be easily identifiable as the dark god's head) began to shimmer and subsequently started to fade from sight.

Megatron had seen such a display before, with a traitorous soldier of his who was long dead, and so had no trouble recognizing it for what it was. Alpha Q had just teleported away in his half of Unicron's ruins. Unfortunately for the Decepticon leader, this meant that he was denied a satisfactory outlet for his rage.

If Cyclonus hadn't resorted to stating the obvious by saying, "He disappeared," Megatron didn't know how long it might have taken for him to direct his attention to Scorpinok. Moments later, Megatron strode towards his newest "recruit," seizing him around the top of his head and roughly positioning it so Scorpinok was looking right at him.

"Where did he go?!" Megatron barked out.

"I… don't know," Scorpinok stammered, and winced when Megatron's fist slammed into his gut. Once he'd recovered from the blow, Scorpinok pleaded, "I swear I don't know! Why would he tell me this information if he truly wanted to go into hiding?"

Megatron considered this carefully, then laughed it off, shoving Scorpinok away to the floor after a long, tense moment. "Very well… Perhaps it's time we forget about that pathetic Alpha Clueless," he scoffed. He relaxed his stance, then turned to look at Cyclonus and Tidal Wave. "Perhaps you'd get me caught up on what's happened over the past ten years… And what of Demolisher, Wheeljack, and Starscream?" he asked, citing the remaining members of his former team and seemingly ignoring that the latter's affiliation had been with the Autobots for some time.

Cyclonus cleared his throat, going on to tell of the fates of the three missing "members" of the team. While it disappointed Megatron to know that Wheeljack had given up his military life and vanished into the cosmos, at least there still existed a possibility of reclaiming the other two.

In response to Megatron's question about the Mini-Cons, Cyclonus said, "They were declared to be free to do what they wished once the war ended. Many of them departed for other worlds as well. I think there's a select few left on Earth, as well as Cybertron, but I'm not sure which ones… And I haven't seen any of our old Mini-Con partners in years. Not even yours, sir."

A low growl sounded from between Megatron's lips at this revelation. For a long moment, he said nothing, then surprised his companions by asking after his greatest rival, Optimus Prime. In response to Cyclonus' answers, a wry smile began to form on the Decepticon leader's face. "Perhaps it's time that Prime and I got reacquainted… And nothing would be more fitting than by picking up exactly where we left off," he said, turning on his heel and beginning to walk from the chamber.

Megatron was stopped when an almost petulant voice sounded from behind him. "I'm not going…"

Megatron turned his head, fixing Scorpinok with an amused grin. "Oh, I beg to differ, my friend… In fact, I'd say that you just volunteered for, shall we say, an extra special assignment…"

As Alexis had thought, Optimus was in favor of returning to Cybertron now that things had seemed to have quieted down. The morning after her time spent with Starscream at their new home found her assembling with Ironhide, Scavenger, and the Autobot commander at the Warp Gate platform at Ocean City.

After saying goodbye to several friends, not the least of which was Starscream and Starxis, Alexis had stepped up onto the platform next to Ironhide, prepared to be transported back to Cybertron. However, when Kicker came riding up on High Wire at a breakneck pace, she and her companions were given cause for alarm.

Before anyone could so much as question the hotheaded teenager, Kicker removed his helmet and blurted out, "Change of plans! Nobody's going anywhere!" He paused for a couple seconds to take a breath before saying in a rush, "Radar just picked up an attack on Plains City!"

Alexis exchanged a look with Ironhide, then focused back on Kicker. "Relax," she said gently, drawing the teenager's attention to herself. "Hot Shot went there earlier this morning to relieve Jetfire and to help with base repairs. I'm sure he and his team can handle it…"

Kicker looked at her with wild eyes; she was taken aback to see him looking so agitated. "I doubt it, Alexis! Because guess who just showed up!"

Kicker's answer as to who that someone was got all those gathered into an uproar, and it took some time for their teenaged companion to convince them he was telling the truth. Kicker even had to pull up a video feed on his handheld communicator (which all of his Transformer friends had a little trouble making out given how tiny the picture was) as proof.

Once he was convinced that Megatron was indeed back in the game (despite his new form, the Decepticon leader had been addressed by name courtesy of Cyclonus at one point), Optimus was quick to order a resetting of the coordinates on the Warp Gate so he and his team could get out there.

At best, Megatron and his army had only had fifteen minutes to lay siege to Plains City before Optimus and his team made the journey there. Yet, once she emerged on the other side of the gate and got her bearings, Alexis could only gaze around at the scene before her with a sinking feeling.

Where Plains City (marked by a grand stone castle) had once stood, there remained only a hollowed out hole in the ground. In shock, Alexis and her companions strode forward, their attention focused primarily on the damage that had been wrought. When they caught sight of Megatron (and vice versa), the collective moods of the Autobots sank even lower.

Megatron gave a cruel chuckle upon seeing Optimus, seeming in an instant to forget about the soldier whose skull he currently had one hand curled around. Without a second thought, he flung Hot Shot away towards the ground a few feet in front of him.

Alexis gasped when she saw that Hot Shot's optics were completely dark and that his right arm had been completely severed. Her reaction inspired Starscream to pull her into his embrace, as he snaked one arm across her collarbone and held her close.

In the meantime, Ironhide foolishly rushed to Hot Shot's side, dropping to his knees and checking to see if the fallen commander might still be alive. Miraculously, Megatron paid Ironhide no heed; his attention was so focused on Optimus.

Alexis' attention was briefly drawn to the cliffside when she caught a flicker of movement in that direction, and she was caught off guard to see Scorpinok pulling himself up from the side of the chasm, dripping wet, from the sea below. Given the shape he was in, and the fact that there were a number of scorch marks lining the front of his body, it was obvious he had suffered the brunt of Megatron's cruelty as well.

The burn marks attested to the fact that Scorpinok had been hit repeatedly by the laser turrets that had been protecting this base, and likely not by choice; Megatron had probably used the poor guy as a shield. How funny it was, Alexis mused, that she should actually be feeling this much pity for Scorpinok.

In the next instant, Alexis' gaze was drawn to Megatron once more when he spoke. With a cruel laugh, the Decepticon leader let his optics rove amongst the group before stating, "So… Who wants to be the first to welcome me back…?"