Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's Notes: I know I said this chapter would be focusing on Sideways' second attempt on Optimus, but decided the story needed both some followup to the issues raised in the previous installment and some lead-in to what's coming. sorry this chapter's so short, but the next few will more than make up for it.

Sorry in advance for the cliffhanger at the end. :)

Chapter Fourteen

Shortly after Alexis and Ironhide had gone after Kicker, Optimus, feeling incredibly weary, adjourned the meeting. As his soldiers began to file from the room, Optimus absently instructed Hot Shot to head to the command center for surveillance duty. Prior to shutting down the broadcast from Cybertron, he simply told Dr. Jones, "I'd appreciate if you'd contact me once you've drawn up plans for the new security measures."

Following this, Optimus zeroed in on the scene taking place on the bridge, raising the audio so he could listen in. The revelations put forth by Kicker did nothing to put him at ease and made Optimus wish he could have it out with Dr. Jones over the treatment of his son.

After a long moment, Optimus lowered the volume and turned away with a sigh, expecting the room to be empty by now. So, he was more than surprised to see that Scavenger was still present, watching him with an unreadable expression. The latter was quick to get in the first word, intuitive as ever.

"Don't even think about blaming yourself for something you had no control over," Scavenger said simply.

Optimus let out a deep breath and rubbed at his face, moving over towards the counter so he could lean against it. After a short silence, he said, "I never imagined that Kicker's animosity had little to do with us." He looked up at Scavenger. "I've known for some time that humans aren't flawless, but this is the last thing that I would have expected."

Optimus paused, sighing again. "This situation couldn't be any messier… It's not like we have the right to reprimand Dr. Jones for his treatment of his own son…"

Scavenger tilted his head slightly to one side and calmly advised, "There's nothing to be done about it now, sir, in either case. What's done is done… All that's left is to focus on repairing the damage." Scavenger hesitated, crossing his arms. "We just have to remember that, regardless of what he can do, Kicker is still just a kid. We'd do well to be mindful of his needs and wants."

Optimus nodded absently after a brief moment. "You're absolutely right," he answered. "And it's perhaps even more imperative that we do everything possible to protect him from Megatron. If Kicker winds up in the Decepticons' hands, the damage will be far worse."

Scavenger remained quiet for a couple seconds, then softly said, "As concerned as I am for Kicker's welfare, I'm even more concerned about where this ability of his came from, especially given what's happening now… Unicron certainly had both the means and the motive to have bestowed this 'gift' upon the boy."

Optimus grew silent upon hearing this, the turmoil he was feeling at this possibility reflected in his optics. At last, he looked towards the monitor; upon verifying that Kicker was still with Alexis and Ironhide, he sent out a broadcast to the two trainees, requesting that the boy come to see him…

Shortly after Optimus' message had come in, Kicker had said, after some assurance from his guardians that he was free to make his own decisions, that he was fine with going to see what the big guy wanted. Nevertheless, Ironhide insisted on accompanying him, and the two soon left Alexis to her own devices.

After some thought, Alexis made her way over to the coast, where she settled in among the sand dunes facing Ocean City. It seemed unlikely that there'd be another attack, but she dared not wander too far just in case. After a moment, she completely dimmed her optics, losing herself to the sound of the waves, seagulls, and the gentle breeze blowing around her.

She didn't know how long she would have remained in this reverie, if left to her own devices. As it was, the unmistakable sound of a jet engine drawing near her location made Alexis light her optics to confirm that Starscream was indeed coming to join her.

Smiling at the jet and youngling she loved as they came to curl up next to her, and Starscream draped one arm across her shoulders, Alexis said, "It's nice to finally be allowed a quiet, peaceful moment, huh?"

Starscream gave a barely noticeable nod, gently pulling her against him and doing his best to banish all dark thoughts from his mind. He didn't want to focus on anything except being next to her. Alexis, however, had other ideas.

Softly, she said, her gaze focused on Starxis as the youngling came to perch on her upraised knee, "I wish we'd known before now that Kicker was hurting so much. The Autobots might not have given him so much extra grief for his actions that way."

Starscream sighed, resting his chin against her hair. After a short silence in contemplation, he answered, just as softly, "I guess sometimes, you just expect parents to do right by their children." He tilted his head so he was looking down at her. "Speaking of which… You never told me if you'd contacted your own parents, after…"

Alexis sighed, snuggling closer to him. "While I was on Cybertron, I had Rad put me in touch with them." She paused, a pained look coming to her optics. "I was hoping for, I don't know, that they'd at least be happy for me. As it is… Let's just say their reactions hurt. I got the impression that they didn't want to see me like this."

After a couple seconds, Starscream responded by brushing his lips against her brow, then reached towards Starxis with his free hand, smiling slightly as the youngling arched his head to press against Starscream's palm. In case there was any doubt, he said to Starxis, "You can be assured that Alexis and I would never knowingly do something to hurt you."

Alexis reached towards her adopted child as well, gently stroking the fur at his back and warming inside as he began purring. Both of you are my family now, she thought gently, causing her musings to inadvertently turn to her earlier conversation with Misha and Hot Shot. Feeling Starscream tense beneath her at the turn her thoughts had taken, Alexis shifted her weight, peering across at him and feeling almost as bewildered as he was.

Tilting her head to one side, Alexis softly said, "I guess after the whole thing with Tidal Wave turning on us and going head to head with Scorpinok, I kind of forgot about it." She paused, studying his face in hopes of finding something other than amazement there. When no other emotion presented itself, she asked, "I'm not saying the timing is very good right now, but we can't honestly expect this new war to last forever… Maybe we could one day think about a new addition to our family."

Starscream bowed his head, unsure just what to say in response, though his thoughts on the matter did give her some hint as to what he was feeling. He had never before considered welcoming an infant Transformer, or sparkling (as they were called), into his life. And Starxis didn't make for a very good example of how much time and devotion a sparkling would need; the little guy had been born with fully ingrained instincts and a self-sufficient nature.

Alexis broke the silence by lightly saying, "Scary subject, huh?"

Starscream offered a faint smile. "It is if you have no clue what you'd be in for."

Alexis hesitated, reflecting on what she knew of these sparklings. The Transformers were not a race that procreated by any conventional means, and the odds of Misha finding a way to make such a thing possible were likely slim to none. That being the case, the best that she and Starscream could hope for was a brand new Transformer, imbued with a spark from the Iacon chamber, to raise as their own. "Have you ever been around any sparklings? Do you at least know what they're like?"

"Just once," he answered. "And long enough to know they can be quite demanding, and helpless. It takes time for them to learn how to move and communicate… And that's not even considering the learning process when it comes to selecting a vehicle mode and transforming." Starscream paused, taking a moment to think this through, before adding, "I decided early on that I didn't have the patience or tolerance to devote my time to such things."

Alexis pursed her lips. "That was then," she said hesitantly. "What do you think now?"

Starscream looked down once more, feeling conflicted. He wasn't sure his views on the matter had changed at all, but he still had to be mindful of Alexis' feelings. It wouldn't be fair to deny her the opportunity just because he didn't know where he stood. And who knew, maybe his spark would melt once the prospect became real and he was actually holding this new little being in his arms.

At this point, Starxis surprised his adopted parents by moving over onto Starscream's chest, looking up at his father with twinkling green eyes. "Get sibling?" he asked, the hopeful note in his tone causing both his parents to laugh in delight.

Starscream went back to stroking the youngling's head, feeling his reservations begin to dissipate even more. "You can count on it," he said softly…

By the time Kicker and Ironhide arrived back in the conference room, Optimus was ready with an audio recording of his one and only encounter with Unicron. Optimus would have had the video to go with it, but he wanted Kicker to be focusing on the voices rather than the faces.

Optimus turned to face Kicker with a sigh, once he realized the boy was present. Noting that Ironhide was standing to the right of the boy's spot on the balcony, he softly said, "Let me start by extending my apologies. If I'd known what your father was putting you through, I would have stopped it." Optimus paused briefly, gazing at Kicker with sympathetic optics. "I have to ask if your mother was even aware of this."

Hesitantly, Kicker shook his head. "I don't believe so," he answered. "I never got a chance to talk to her, and I doubt that my Dad would have said anything."

Optimus lowered his head a notch, saying gently, "Then perhaps it's time she was made aware. It could pave the way to allowing you and your father to reconcile."

Kicker nodded absently, crossing his arms in a self-protective manner. It was unclear as to just what he was thinking or feeling about possibly patching things up. After a short silence, he asked, "Is that why you wanted to see me?"

Optimus blinked, forcing himself to focus on the real reason for this meeting. Clearing his throat, he said, "Actually, it's not… I know it's a sore subject, but I wanted to talk to you about the day you received this ability of yours." A slight pause, and then, "You said someone had spoken to you -- someone who implied that they were giving you this power." Optimus shifted so his hand was hovering over the control panel. "I'd like you to listen to a recording and tell me if the voice sounds familiar to you."

When Kicker nodded, Optimus went ahead and started up the recording, turning to gauge the boy's reaction to the conversation. Undoubtedly, the teenager recognized the voices of both the Autobot commander and Megatron, but surprisingly, there was no obvious recollection of Unicron's. After a few minutes of listening, Kicker shook his head. "Whoever I heard that day, his tone wasn't nearly that callous." Kicker looked towards Optimus, appearing curious as there'd been nothing in the abbreviated audio clip to clue the boy in on who the third speaker was. "Who am I listening to anyway?"

Though relieved to know that Kicker's abilities had not been Unicron's doing, Optimus still felt a tad apprehensive at not knowing just who had been behind it. "That would be Unicron," the Autobot commander said wearily, rubbing at his face.

Kicker's eyes brightened just a little. He'd heard the stories of the Transformers' battle against this all-powerful entity, but he'd never found out what the guy looked like. "Is there a video to go along with this? I wouldn't mind seeing if this Unicron is as scary as he's been made out to be."

Optimus sighed, though he did begin entering commands on the console to reattach the video feed. As he worked at this, he said, "I'd have to dig into the archives for that… As far as this encounter went, Unicron was using one of his followers as a conduit to talk to Megatron and I."

Kicker's eyes widened immensely once he saw the visual, though it took him several seconds to formulate the words. Leaning forward against the balcony railing, he blurted out, in a genuinely amazed tone, "That's him!"

Confused, Optimus and Scavenger both glanced briefly at the picture of Sideways, then focused back on Kicker. "That's who?" the Autobot commander asked, feeling deeply perplexed; he'd not been expecting this type of reaction.

Kicker looked back at Optimus with wide, excited eyes. "The one who attacked you this afternoon, that only I could see… That's him!"

Optimus was speechless for a long moment, his mind reeling; a glance thrown at Scavenger showed him that even the seasoned vet looked downright baffled by this claim. At last, Optimus focused back on the teenager and said quietly, "That's not possible, Kicker…" Before the boy could offer a protest, Optimus went on with, "The bot you're seeing here is dead. I killed him myself…"

Kicker hesitated only for an instant before responding, "And just how many years did you think the same of Megatron?!" He looked back at the image on the monitor. "I'm telling you, this is who I saw!"

Bewildered, Optimus turned back to meet Scavenger's gaze, and the two of them exchanged worried looks. The Autobot commander spoke first, in a slightly bleak tone. "Seems every single one of our old enemies is coming out of the woodwork."

Scavenger tilted his head to one side, thinking this through. "And I'd say this situation just got five times more complicated," he answered, already wondering if Sideways was acting under someone's orders or simply out to settle his own scores. After a brief silence, Scavenger said, sounding a little worried, "If Sideways' plan was to kill you, then it's doubtful that he would have disappeared of his own accord. Which means someone else has to be pulling the strings."

"Megatron?" Kicker asked, causing his three companions to look towards him.

Optimus shook his head. "I don't think so. In every single one of our past battles, Megatron has always been more keen on taking me on himself. He's not the type to send someone else in his stead… There was no sign on Megatron's part that he was removing Sideways from the battle, which might suggest he was unaware our old 'friend' was even present."

Ironhide crossed his arms, looking uncomfortable. "All other mysteries aside, I think it can be agreed that this Sideways is going to try again, right?" When this was met with agreements all around, he said, "Then we need to figure out what we're going to do. How do we fight against an invisible enemy who only one of us can see?"

"Ironhide has a point," Scavenger said, gazing at Optimus. "Kicker can't be on guard every hour of the day waiting for the next attempt. Sideways has too big of an advantage on us, and likely too big of a grudge against you, sir. He's not going to stop until he sees you dead."

Optimus remained silent for a long while, appearing very deep in thought, before saying, "Quite possibly, the best way to beat someone who's holding all the cards is to give him exactly what he wants." Without giving his three companions a chance to respond, he activated his comlink and sent out an equally obscure message. "Red Alert, I'm going to have to ask you for a huge favor…"

When she had received a message from Red Alert to report to the med-bay as quickly as possible, Alexis couldn't have been more curious as to what was up. Even as the medic was hurriedly working to outfit her with a hidden surveillance camera, her partners were bringing both her and Starscream up to speed on what Optimus' plan was.

Once Kicker and Ironhide had finished relating everything, Alexis went to staring towards the floor, feeling greatly overwhelmed as she pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers. "Is there any way to do this without cutting things so close?" she asked wearily.

Keeping focused on his work, Red Alert answered, "It'll be fine, Alexis. You'll have Kicker to guide you the whole time, so long as you keep Sideways in sight of the camera… And when the moment's right, it shouldn't be too hard for you to distract our invisible 'friend' for a minimum of ten seconds. Just do whatever you have to." Red Alert remained silent while he put the finishing touches on the device and tested it to be sure it was working, then told her she could close up the cockpit on her chest.

Starscream lay one hand comfortingly on Alexis' shoulder, providing mental support to encourage her that she could do what was being asked of her. Red Alert took a moment to clean up his workstation, then turned to her and asked, "So, you ready to help save Optimus' life?"

Alexis had barely answered in the affirmative when Kicker drew the attention of his giant friends by saying, even though he was looking skywards, "Guess we're about to find out… He's back. I can feel it."

Drawing in a deep breath, Alexis hopped off the slab on which she was sitting. "Okay," she said in an unwavering tone that made Starscream proud. "Let's give Sideways the ride of his life…"