Sky Dancer
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Author's Notes (please read): First off, it is mentioned at one point in this chapter that Sideways remembers seeing Alexis/Sky Dancer somewhere before. For those of you who may not recall, Sideways was present when Scorpinok was observing a still photo of her.
Secondly, I don't know how many of you are familiar with the show, but I am taking some liberties with the character of Rodimus. As far as this story goes, he will have a different background (more on that later) and will not have Prowl and Landmine as his fighting companions. Kudos to you if you can guess who the two substitutes battling alongside Rodimus are.
I don't know how long it may take to write the next installment of the story, but hope this satisfies for now. In the meantime, check out a new poll I have going on my profile page.
Enjoy!
Chapter Fifteen
Perhaps the hardest part of the plan was having to pretend (save for Kicker) that they had no clue that Sideways was lurking about. There was no better way to catch the rogue bot off guard than by lulling him into a false sense of security. Also, so far as their invisible assassin was concerned, he hadn't yet been identified, and Optimus wanted it kept that way for the time being.
The Autobot commander was currently stationed within the command center, studying each of the three screens before him that were cycling through different areas of Ocean City. Far as he could tell, nearly every single one of the soldiers under his command were doing their best to keep themselves distracted.
Optimus gave a soft sigh when he caught sight of Alexis and Starscream engaging in some quality time in the corridor outside their room. Had he been human, it was likely he would have been blushing at their shows of affection. But with the slight embarrassment also came a feeling of regret; it had been a long time since he'd seen two of his own people so much in love, and he wished that he could allow them more time to be together. Yet, with this new war in full swing, there was only so much that he, as a commander, could do.
Optimus gave another sigh, softly saying to himself, "I hope that, once Sideways is out of the picture and our new defenses are established, things will start getting back to normal." After a short silence spent deep in thought, Optimus remembered that he should check in with the one soldier who wasn't currently present in the city. Leaning over the console and pressing the com button, he said, "Scavenger, how are you coming on your end?"
The response was so long in coming that Optimus wondered if the broadcast had even been received. He was about to try again when Scavenger's voice suddenly sounded from the speaker. "I'm almost done. I just need about another fifteen to twenty minutes and then I'll be on my way back." A short pause, and then, "Can you patch me through to the med-bay? I may need Red Alert to walk me through the rest of the process on how to set this thing up."
"Will do," Optimus answered, typing in a few commands on the keyboard and wondering if the signal strength at Scavenger's location may be weak. Perhaps so, if the seasoned vet couldn't open up a direct channel to Red Alert on his own.
With that task done, Optimus let out a deep, calming breath, willing himself to look as relaxed and oblivious as possible for whenever a certain invisible assassin came for him…
Navigating his way around the interior of Ocean City wasn't quite as easy as Sideways had hoped it would be. Sure, he had ventured inside once before, but his purpose that time had been to simply penetrate the mines in the deepest recesses of the colony. Even then, he'd exited through one of the airlocks near that level.
The other thing that was slowing him down was the weapon he had snatched from the Autobots. While Sideways had figured out how to make the sword transparent, he couldn't will it to become intangible as well. So long as it was in his possession, he couldn't very well resort to walking through walls. In addition, he had to keep setting it down every so often, as he couldn't maintain his solid state for longer than ten minutes (he had gotten a little better at extending the time) and had to "recharge" accordingly.
Thus, he was forced to search through the city, level by level, for his prey, relying heavily on stealth. He might have sought help from Alpha Q as to where he should be looking, but his so-called employer had proven very uncooperative as it was.
This part of the job was so tedious (Sideways was forced to halt several times to avoid detection from some roving bot or other) that he greatly hoped the end result would be worth it.
Thus, Sideways was glad when he finally caught sight of Optimus through a pair of open, sliding double doors; it was fortunate that Jetfire was stepping from the room when he was or Sideways might not have been allowed a peek inside.
For a long moment, Sideways remained where he was, silently watching Jetfire pass him by and disappear down the way he'd come. He had to strongly resist the urge to chuckle at how easy it was to go undetected, even as he mused that there were some great benefits to go along with his current state. Perhaps he'd think twice about having Alpha Q fully restore him to what he'd been, once Megatron was taken care of.
Once Jetfire was out of sight and safely out of hearing range, Sideways cautiously moved towards the sliding double doors. He stopped briefly at the adjoining corridor, looking left and right to ensure that no one else was nearby, then stepped towards the doors opposite the hallway he'd come from. As they slid open with a soft hiss, indicative of a pressure plate set in the floor before them, Sideways gleefully mused, This is almost too easy.
Sideways had barely moved towards the Autobot commander, so eagerly fixed on his goal, when the sounds of laser fire and the revving of a car engine reached him from off to his left. Startled, Sideways turned his head in that direction, simultaneously taking a step back. It was fortunate that he moved when he did, or else he might have been hit by a stray laser beam.
Even as he registered out of the corner of his optic that Optimus had turned away from the monitors at the sound of that same laser fire, Sideways' gaze locked on an off-road jeep with a cannon mount closing on his location. For a few seconds, he was sidestepping the path of the beams and wracking his CPU over what he had done to grab someone's attention when he noticed that there was a human (decked out in full body armor) crouched on top of the jeep's cab. Given the gestures that this human was making in Sideways' direction, the rogue bot was soon speculating that, as impossible as the prospect seemed, there was someone in this city that could see through his disguise!
Sideways threw a quick glance in Optimus' direction, feeling a wave of fury descend on him. Quickly, he raised the gun attached to his right arm, firing wildly at the Autobot commander, but was disappointed when Optimus dodged out of the way. It certainly didn't help that the laser beam was made visible as soon as it left him. So much for the element of surprise! he thought furiously, going on to muse that he'd better clear out. Much as he desired to finish what he came here to do, he dared not risk getting nailed and potentially killed by the encroaching Autobot/jeep for his trouble.
Sideways hurriedly secured the sword and transformed into his motorcycle mode, intent on making a hasty retreat. However, he began driving straight towards the jeep and its human passenger, which, going by the boy's expression when Sideways caught a glimpse of his face through the helmet's glass visor, undoubtedly caught both by surprise.
Feeling mischievous, Sideways leaned back heavily on his rear tire, prompting the front one to lift off the ground. Initiating a burst of nitro, tilted at that angle, allowed him to go airborne just long enough to let him jump on the jeep's hood and wheel his way across the length of the vehicle at a great speed, coming dangerously close to the human boy in the process.
And, though he suspected that the human wouldn't be harmed in the fall, Sideways still took a sick pleasure at seeing the boy thrown clear of his position on the cab by the wind shear…
Though Megatron was initially pleased by the work that Tidal Wave had done, it was soon cast aside when it was discovered just where the colossal Decepticon had gotten the materials to construct the throne. Once Megatron learned, courtesy of a throwaway, curious comment from Cyclonus, that one of the battleship's more essential cannons had been partially dismantled, it kicked off a round of angered shouting.
It was fortunate that Tidal Wave's size spared him a beating from the Decepticon commander, but the colossal bot nonetheless was looking downtrodden from the verbal thrashing he was receiving. With his head bowed, the big guy stated, during a break in Megatron's rant, "Tidal Wave is sorry."
Had Demolisher not entered the bridge, more than likely having been drawn by the commotion, and asked what was going on, it was uncertain how long it might have taken for Megatron to find something to distract himself. Focusing on the hard-edged bot, Megatron let out a deep breath, willing himself to calm down and mentally reminding himself that he could always get Scorpinok to fix the cannon, by any means necessary.
With a small, wry smile, Megatron said, "It's about time you joined us, Demolisher. You've been awfully quiet over the past several hours."
Demolisher cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable now that he was the center of attention. "Forgive me, Megatron," he said in a quiet, compliant tone. "I needed time to…"
The fact that Megatron rose to his feet and began to descend from the platform where the throne was centered made Demolisher break off mid-sentence. As he began to advance on the hard-edged bot, Megatron said, "You know, Demolisher… I'm almost inclined to think that you'd rather not be back here with us, where you belong." A pause, then, "I'm aware that you spent far more time in Optimus' camp than Cyclonus and Tidal Wave ever have… Perhaps, if you share some secrets with me, I may begin to trust you more."
Demolisher had known that this demand would have been thrown at him sooner or later, but he would have much preferred for it to have come later. Now that he and Megatron were standing face to face, he was back to feeling awfully intimidated and wishing he'd never ventured in here.
Some of Demolisher's reluctance must have shown in his optics, and, if anything, it increased Megatron's fury exponentially. With an enraged cry, Megatron abruptly reached out and closed one hand around Demolisher's head, startling all three of his soldiers when he actually lifted the hard-edged bot several feet off the ground. Given the way Demolisher was shaking, it was clear that it was taking some effort on Megatron's part to maintain this one-handed grip.
"Megatron…" Cyclonus squawked out, taking a step forward. He was stopped when the Decepticon commander threw an infuriated look his way.
"Do not even think about interfering, Cyclonus!" Megatron barked out. Looking back at Demolisher, he said, "It must have taken the Autobots several years to build that city of theirs out in the ocean… I'm curious as to how they even knew where to place this colony. Or better yet, how is it that the Energon was even discovered on Earth?"
Cyclonus tried once more to get a word in edgewise, if only to take the heat off Demolisher, but another look from Megatron effectively silenced him.
Much as he hated the idea, Demolisher knew the only way to get Megatron to cool down and/or back off was by telling him what he wanted to hear. Feeling a twinge of guilt, Demolisher said, "There… There's a boy, a human on the Autobots' side… Somehow, he's able to sense it… He told us where to construct each of our mines."
Megatron's surprise at this revelation was so great that he relaxed his hold, allowing Demolisher to drop unceremoniously to the floor. It took Megatron a few seconds to regain his composure, and, when he did, he gazed down at the soldier before him. "How interesting," he said thoughtfully, mind adrift with all the possibilities linked with this information. Had not a more pressing question been weighing on him, he might have pushed Demolisher for more information on this particular subject.
Megatron shifted his weight, crossing his arms as he watched Demolisher maneuver into a seated position. "Perhaps you'd also enlighten me on something which Cyclonus doesn't seem to know," the Decepticon leader said in a light, much more casual tone. "This girl -- the one that Starscream is apparently enamored with… Who is she, and where did she come from?"
Demolisher tilted his head to look up at Megatron, hesitating for a bit as this question had caught him off guard. After a moment of indecision, he decided there would be no harm in answering truthfully; what danger could there be in telling Megatron of Alexis' origins?
Clearing his throat, Demolisher answered, "She is… She was… one of the humans on the Autobots' side, during the first conflict." Demolisher paused, deciding in an instant that it might be unwise to tell about Starxis and the wish that the youngling had granted for Starscream. "I… I don't know how she managed it, but she discovered a way to become one of us."
Megatron, though he didn't let it show, was even more floored by this pronouncement, his thoughts inadvertently turning to the human female he'd had previous dealings with. While it explained Optimus' protective attitude towards her, Megatron's curiosity was aroused by Starscream's apparent feelings. Had there been something between them, even ten years ago? he wondered. Is that what inspired her to want to join our ranks?
Though he wasn't sure just why, Megatron suddenly found himself even more intrigued by this girl. Focusing back on Demolisher, he gave a slight chuckle and said, "I imagine you know some of the access codes or frequencies that the Autobots operate on. Perhaps you could tap into their surveillance feed for me. I'd like to see what Optimus and his troops are up to right now."
Demolisher's expression once more melted into that reluctant look, inspiring Megatron to flex his hand in a semi-threatening manner. "Don't make me ask twice, soldier," Megatron said in a low and dangerous tone, though still with an alluring note. "You'll not like how I retaliate to a second show of defiance…"
After his cover had been blown, Sideways had retreated to the skies overlooking Ocean City. Surveying the exterior of the colony (he'd left the sword at ground level, in a safe place to ensure it went undetected), he wracked his processor for a secondary course of action. Near as he could tell, there seemed to be no sign that the human boy was looking for him, but then, Sideways couldn't see every nook and cranny of the city from this angle.
He was never sure if he remained lost in thought for several minutes or several hours, but Sideways' ruminations towards a workable Plan B were cast aside when he noticed that Optimus was currently wandering around the exterior of the city. For a moment, this caused Sideways to grin deviously and praise his good fortune. His chances of seeking out and eliminating Optimus inside the colony hadn't been looking as good as before, especially when that human boy could have been lurking around any corner.
Sideways was about to swoop in when he saw signs of movement in the areas that Optimus had just passed through. For a moment, the rogue bot couldn't make sense of why Hot Shot was tailing the Autobot commander at a distance and hiding behind panels whenever he could, but Sideways eventually chalked it up as Optimus' men being on edge following the attempt on their leader. Near as Sideways could determine, there had likely been a difference of opinion between Optimus and the soldiers under his command on how to deal with the situation.
This belief was substantiated when Optimus caught Hot Shot shadowing him. Though Sideways wasn't near enough to hear what was being said, he could tell by their body language that the Autobot commander wasn't taking kindly to being watched like this and was likely ordering Hot Shot to return to some duty or other.
Sideways watched Hot Shot for a moment after Optimus had walked away and was hardly surprised to see the impetuous bot activate his comlink to broadcast a message to someone. A quick glance over the visible parts of the city didn't reveal anyone else, but Sideways got the impression that there had to be other Autobots around who were secretly keeping tabs on their commander.
After a moment, Sideways cautiously moved in even closer, making a beeline right for Optimus. It didn't matter if he had his sword or not; he could always rely on his own firepower to finish the job. Yet, it caught the rogue bot off guard when Optimus suddenly stopped in his tracks and tilted his head slightly to look skyward.
This caused Sideways to halt as well, wildly wondering if he'd somehow been detected before mentally telling himself not to be so foolish. Surely, Optimus couldn't see him.
At this point, Sideways was near enough to hear what Optimus said when the latter began yelling; the words surely suggested that the commander suspected his invisible attacker was in hearing range. "If there's someone out there, then show yourself!" Optimus was shouting. "I have little time or patience for games!"
As you wish, Sideways thought with a hint of glee, taking aim with both his guns. However, the sound of another voice yelling out -- calling for Optimus to get down -- caused Sideways to recoil. Though he did fire, his weapons had been pulled off center just enough to ensure he would miss.
Feeling furious once more, Sideways turned his gaze to an overhang some distance behind the Autobot commander and was highly displeased to see that the meddlesome human had appeared out of nowhere to once more save Optimus' life.
In the next instant, Sideways recovered enough to maliciously think, You may be able to see me, kid, but I very much doubt you can provide much aid against an all-out barrage. Refocusing on Optimus, Sideways let loose with as much firepower as he could muster, designed in such a way as to keep the commander from running for cover as much as to ensure that one of the laser beams would hit its mark.
Sideways' ploy seemed to be working until a stray laser beam came close to hitting him. Though he didn't cease his attack, he was startled enough to shift his gaze in the direction that the shot had come from. Much to his surprise, several of Optimus' men (consisting of Hot Shot, Jetfire, Starscream, the jeep/mech that Sideways had encountered earlier, and a vaguely familiar femme that he couldn't remember where he'd seen before) had come to stand on a separate overhang off to the west and were all firing wildly in his general direction.
Sideways only suffered a few seconds of incomprehension before returning his gaze to the human boy. Sure enough, he saw that the teenager was speaking into some sort of communication device and directing the counter-attack. A brief glance back at Optimus showed Sideways that the commander had found some means of shelter while he wasn't looking, and this served to infuriate the rogue bot once more.
Sideways cursed out loud, fuming for a second or two before focusing on the one thing he knew to be true. I'm never going to get anywhere if that human keeps getting in my way!
Without a second thought, Sideways repositioned his right gun and fired off a single round. He was never entirely sure afterwards, but it seemed as if the sight of that one laser beam caused nearly all the beings around him to freeze in their tracks.
It was nothing short of sheer luck that the boy started moving as swiftly as he did; even so, he missed getting hit by mere inches. The laser beam tore into the concrete of the overhang just behind him, creating enough of a tremor that it knocked the human off his feet.
Optimus was up and running towards the overhang before Sideways was even aware he was moving. "Kicker!" the Autobot commander yelled out; Sideways chuckled softly at the realization that this must be the boy's name. Aware that the Autobots off to the west had ceased their attack, Sideways shifted his weight in mid-air, content to just watch for a moment and see how this drama played out. "Kicker!" Optimus repeated as he came to a halt just below the balcony. "Are you alright?!"
Kicker sat up after a few seconds, looking quite shaken as he peered over the edge of the overhang to meet Optimus' worried gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine," the boy answered, trying but failing to keep the tremor of fear out of his voice. Kicker gulped nervously, lifting his eyes to look directly at Sideways. "He's still out there," the boy announced. "We still have a chance of taking him down!"
Optimus bowed his head slightly; whatever he said in response was spoken so softly that Sideways couldn't hear it. Still, the rogue bot got a sense of what was going through the commander's processor when Optimus suddenly turned and studied the skies with a surprising amount of fury in his golden optics.
"Kicker is not a part of this!" Optimus shouted out. "It's me you're after! Now come and get me, you coward!" Before Sideways could react, Optimus abruptly started running, putting such distance between himself and the boy (though also moving down an alcove off to his left) that there was no doubt in the rogue bot's mind as to what was going on. Clearly, the Autobot commander was seeking to draw as much heat away from this Kicker as he possibly could.
Sideways only hesitated for a moment before moving to pursue Optimus and resumed firing at the commander when the latter emerged from the opposite end of the alcove. The next thing that caught the rogue bot off guard, however, was when Optimus came abreast of the Warp Gate, raising the gun he held in one hand and firing wildly in the direction that Sideways' shots were coming from while hurriedly keying in some commands and/or coordinates on the control panel.
When Optimus subsequently went to stand on the platform, Sideways swiftly fired off one last shot that was sure to be fatal, but the Autobot commander had warped away to some unknown locale before it connected.
For what seemed like forever, Sideways could only stare silently at the spot where Optimus had been, trying to reason this out. At last, he moved towards the control panel and typed in a few basic commands to find out the details of that last transport. Overall, Sideways was no computer genius, but he had learned more than a few tricks from Unicron; such skills came in handy when he saw the information had been encoded. More than likely, Optimus had not wanted any one of his allies, namely Kicker, to be able to follow him, but Sideways was able to bypass the encryption to find out a location.
After returning to where he'd left his sword and retrieving it, Sideways used the Autobots' own Warp Gate to travel to the same locale, finding it fortunate that none of the other Autobots seemed to have realized yet that Optimus had vacated the city…
Finding an alternate planet to collect Energon from was quite easy. Once he'd re-engineered as many Terrorcons as he could, Scorpinok had set out for a solar system near where Unicron's remains were. Once there, he took his time exploring one planet after another, trying to determine which one would be easiest to pillage from; the Terrorcons were very useful for sensing just how much Energon was at each one and how deep underground the deposits were.
At the fourth planet, Scorpinok found that he'd really lucked out. There seemed to have been a mining system already established. A quick look around didn't reveal any sign that the planet was populated, and, while Scorpinok was wondering why this establishment was seemingly unattended, he cast his misgivings aside long enough to lead the Terrorcons inside.
While waiting for the predatory bots to collect a sufficient amount of the mineral, Scorpinok decided that now might be a good time to initiate a transmission to Alpha Q. With a light sigh, he lowered his visor over his optics, activating the communication screen.
Amidst cheerful statements over the fact that they were able to talk once more, Alpha Q was soon asking what news Scorpinok had for him. The latter cleared his throat and responded, "Megatron does not know just how many Terrorcons have been brought online… I can afford to send perhaps five or six of them to your location for you to make use of."
Alpha Q seemed quite pleased by this news, and responded with, "It will not be much longer before Megatron is eliminated, but the closer we get to our own ends until then, the better. I thank you, Scorpinok. I hope that we will soon be able to talk face to face once more."
Scorpinok bowed his head slightly. "As do I, my liege." After a slight pause, he terminated the communication, certain that all had been said that needed to be.
The jaguars and falcons that had accompanied Scorpinok here had by now finished with their tasks and were milling around, looking at him either lazily or in expectation. Wordlessly, he began walking from the mines, the Terrorcons rising to their feet and following without question.
The last thing that Scorpinok expected, just after he'd stepped through the entrance, was to suddenly have the barrel of a laser pistol pressed against the right side of his head. After a second of bewilderment, he silently criticized himself for automatically assuming this world was uninhabited. Whoever had built these mines was still here and clearly not happy at being swindled.
Scorpinok turned his head slightly, so he could see his assailant out of the corner of his optic. He was surprised to see that it was another Transformer, nearly the same height as Scorpinok himself. This unknown bot was red and yellow, with what looked like an elaborate flame design painted onto his chest plate.
"Mind giving my friends and I a good reason not to kill you now?" the unknown Transformer said in a deep, gruff tone, making a slight gesture off to his right that had Scorpinok's gaze traveling in that direction. Much to Scorpinok's surprise, there were two more bots present -- one a light fuchsia pink, the other cornflower blue and white -- and both femmes from the look of it; they too were armed and looked just as incensed and hostile as their companion.
"Please," Scorpinok said, vaguely aware that a few of the jaguar Terrorcons behind him were whining due to the fact that they couldn't easily exit the mines with him standing in the way. "I meant no harm."
Scorpinok's attacker clenched his metal teeth together. "Then I suggest you return what doesn't belong to you."
Scorpinok gulped nervously. If he returned to Megatron empty-handed, then odds were good that the Decepticon leader just might kill him. And if he had to waste time seeking out another planet and collecting from there… Well, he wasn't sure just how much leeway Megatron might give him; the less of a delay there was, the better.
Hoping that the risk he was taking would count for something, Scorpinok said desperately, "Then you might as well shoot me now… I'd rather die at your hands then his. At least your way would be merciful."
Scorpinok's assailant was definitely taken aback by this, given the way that he withdrew the gun by a few inches. Before the latter could react, the cornflower femme jumped in, a surprising amount of fire in her voice. "Don't listen to him, Rodimus! It's a trick!"
The one called Rodimus looked her way with a reprimanding gaze that seemed sufficient in getting her to back down. Shifting his attention back to Scorpinok, he said simply, "You have five minutes. Whatever you have to say in your defense, make it good."
Scorpinok let out a deep breath, heartened by the chance that he was being given. In the next instant, he began to speak, praying that his story would earn their sympathy and convince them to let him go…
Wherever Sideways had expected to end up on the other end of the Warp Gate, he couldn't say that the surface of Earth's moon ranked very high on the list. Nevertheless, it didn't take him very long to shake off his surprise and begin to look around. He didn't see any immediate sign that Optimus was in the area, leading him to think that the Autobot commander had bolted from this spot to make it harder for anyone to find him.
After a moment, Sideways went airborne, deciding the search would go faster if he resorted to gliding. From that height, it didn't take him long to spot Optimus in the middle of a crater off to the northeast.
As he soared closer, Sideways' imagination began to go into overdrive. It would undoubtedly take the rest of the Autobots some time to catch up with their commander, which meant that Sideways could likely resort to playing a little cat and mouse game. Why make this quick when it would be so much more enjoyable to build the suspense?
Just before reaching Optimus, Sideways once more set his sword down. This game would be far easier and more enjoyable so long as he didn't have it in hand. At least then, he wouldn't have to worry as much about maintaining his solidity.
Getting a small thrill from the fact that Optimus was looking remarkably tense, Sideways swooped in behind the Autobot commander. When he was just a few feet away, he stopped, remaining silent for a long moment before giving a soft chuckle that sounded explosively loud in the still air.
Optimus spun around in an instant, raising his gun and firing off a shot in the same instant that Sideways switched back to his intangible state. It took the rogue bot everything he had not to laugh at this sight, especially when Optimus began looking around wildly with wide optics.
Sideways' little game went on as such for the next several minutes; it was definitely entertaining to watch the Autobot commander get more and more nervous with each second. However, even though Optimus had to be feeling a great deal of fear, it was pushed aside by anger, once it registered with the commander what was happening.
"How long are you planning to keep this mindless game up?" Optimus yelled out. "Why not show yourself, coward? Or are you afraid to let me know who you are?"
Sideways hesitated for a moment before deciding that he might as well bite. What did he have to lose by revealing himself? Though he did turn visible, he still maintained his ghost-like state. Giving a chuckle to draw Optimus' attention, he said dryly, "Call me someone looking for a little payback."
Optimus' optics grew even wider. "Sideways," he murmured in a near inaudible tone. After a slight pause, Optimus seemed to recover enough from his shock to add, "How are you alive?"
Sideways chuckled again. "Let's just say that Unicron has a knack for bringing the dead back to life… The only difference is that I wasn't quite as fortunate as Megatron." To prove the point, he raised one of his guns, inspiring Optimus to fire at him first. When the shot passed right through Sideways, the rogue bot said, "Nice try… But fighting against someone who can become insubstantial at will is not going to work."
A slight pause, then, "Are you ready to suffer the same fate at my hands that I did at yours?" Without waiting for an answer, Sideways cocked his head to one side, as an inconsistency with that statement hit him. "Though I doubt you have a higher power at your back that would consider resurrecting you…"
Optimus hesitated, then asked, "You had every opportunity to finish me, during the raid on Ocean City. What stopped you, Sideways?"
The rogue bot laughed once more, but saw no problem in answering. "My employer's goal was for me to target and assassinate Megatron during said raid. When I went after you instead… Let's just say there was a conflict of interest."
For a moment, Optimus seemed to be trying to figure things out before tentatively asking, in a hard tone, "I'm guessing that would be Alpha Q."
A wry look came to Sideways' optics. He wasn't sure just what reasoning had led Optimus to this conclusion, but it proved that the Autobot commander was not and never had been dim-witted. "I'm impressed. You actually got it on the first try." Sideways paused, his attention diverted momentarily when he suddenly caught a flicker of movement on the horizon, though still a good distance away.
Looking back at Optimus, Sideways said, even as he faded from sight. "Well, it seems your soldiers are about to crash the party… Let's finish this, shall we?"
If Optimus responded, Sideways didn't catch it as he was already soaring away, for the purpose of retrieving his sword. Now that his little cat and mouse game was over, he would very much like to finish this in the most gratifying way possible. Nothing would be more satisfying than to see the look on Optimus' face when the blade penetrated his spark.
However, as Sideways found out, Optimus wasn't going to go down easily. As the rogue bot moved back in, he saw that the commander was firing wildly at the air all around him. For a few seconds, Sideways attempted to get in close while evading the shots but soon found that this was futile. And, while the rogue bot could return fire, there was no guarantee that it would hit the mark.
Before Sideways could even blink, he suddenly came under fire from a separate source. Looking around, he saw that one of Optimus' troops had impossibly already arrived on the scene. Soaring out of the path of the shots, the rogue bot cast a glance towards the approaching group in the distance; given that they were still a ways off, it was likely that they had had one of their own use the Warp Gate to get to this location ahead of them.
Vaguely aware that Optimus had ceased firing (perhaps out of surprise over seeing the newcomer), Sideways looked towards the azure/pale yellow femme when a voice suddenly sounded through her com-link. Even as Sideways recognized the voice as belonging to that human boy from earlier, the femme was being told where to concentrate her fire.
Not again! Sideways thought with a groan, finding himself dodging laser beams for the third time that day. About two seconds later, he began to look around, wildly thinking, How is the boy seeing me?! He's not even here!
Sideways got his answer almost an instant later, as he spotted a white sphere of sorts with a camera lens hovering nearby, trained on the area that he and Optimus were currently occupying. Enough of this slag! he thought furiously. With a soft growl, he advanced towards the camera, swiping at it with the sword with such force that the sphere was nearly sliced in half.
Sideways quickly put one hand to the orb to slide it free of the blade, then focused his attention on the femme. As he anticipated, she soon ceased her attack, though she was also staring at the ruined camera, now floating freely through the air, with a great deal of surprise.
Sideways didn't know or care what she was so shocked about, but he now saw a perfect opportunity to get Optimus to drop his guard long enough for Sideways to move in for the kill. Quickly, the rogue bot closed the distance between himself and the femme, then fired off a near point-blank shot at her lower stomach.
At that close range, the shot tore apart her chassis and even damaged some of the circuits and wiring just beneath it. The cry of pain that left her lips and the way she recoiled, pressing one shaking hand to the wound, was, to Sideways, quite satisfying.
In the next instant, hearing Optimus call out the femme's name (Sky Dancer) in alarm made Sideways refocus on the Autobot commander and remember what he was here for. Noticing that Optimus was moving towards his injured warrior, Sideways swooped in to intercept him. Before the commander could even recover from his momentary panic, Sideways was ruthlessly driving the sword through the desired mark.
Sideways kept his gaze fixed on Optimus' face for the next several seconds, keeping the blade wedged where it was, as the world around them seemed to melt away. If the one called Sky Dancer said anything, Sideways didn't hear it. Nothing could have torn his attention from the shocked look in Optimus' golden optics, even as the light in them began to gradually die away.
When Optimus' optics had completely gone dark, Sideways withdrew the sword and backed up by several feet, feeling an enormous wave of satisfaction when the Autobot commander crumbled to the ground. Given that he could see no light radiating from the gaping wound in Optimus' chest, it was clear that his spark had been extinguished.
Sideways gave a very soft chuckle, wryly thinking, Farewell, Optimus Prime…
The rogue bot was unaware that Sky Dancer was moving until she suddenly appeared in his field of vision. With one hand pressed firmly to her injury, she dropped to her knees by Optimus' side, shouting his name in alarm and with a definite tremor in her voice. When she saw that the Autobot commander was indeed dead, a loud sob escaped her lips.
After a long moment, Sky Dancer looked upwards, her optics displaying an equal amount of sorrow and anger. Given the way her gaze darted back and forth, she was no doubt searching for Sideways, looking for all the world like she wanted to shoot to kill.
Sideways gave another soft chuckle, making sure she couldn't hear him, then turned his gaze to the Autobots approaching in the distance. Much as he would have loved to stay to see everyone's reactions, he dared not take the chance that they might have additional cameras with them that would allow the human to pinpoint where he was.
With that in mind, Sideways soared skywards, thinking that he could contact Alpha Q to open a portal for him once he was a good distance away from the moon…
Once they had the devastated form of their leader in their sights, it took Jetfire, Hot Shot, and Ironhide everything they had not to break down and/or remember that, if everything had gone according to plan, that none of this was real. Still, it was a little hard to be convinced of that given the way that Alexis was grieving; perhaps she wasn't sure that this was all an illusion.
Even as Hot Shot moved towards Alexis and put his hands around her shoulders in a comforting manner, Jetfire and Ironhide proceeded to put on what they hoped was a good show, in case Sideways was still lurking around.
Despite the fact that there were no tears staining her face, Alexis still made a gesture as if she were wiping some away. When she looked up at Hot Shot, she repositioned just enough to allow him to see that she'd been wounded. For a moment, he stared at the injury with something like shock, then abruptly activated his com-link and said, "Red Alert, you may want to get the med-bay ready." Since he wasn't sure if Sideways was still in the area or not, he continued with, "Sky Dancer's been hurt."
At those words, Alexis made a move to get up. Even as she stated that she was fine, a shower of sparks suddenly jetted from her wound, and a wince crossed over her face.
Hot Shot offered her a gentle smile and said, "Why not let our resident medic be the judge of that?" After a slight pause, his smile faded and he began to look around with an air of nervousness. Focusing back on Alexis, he added, in a near whisper, "We need to know if Sideways is still here or not. Are you up to doing a little recon?"
Alexis hesitated, then gave a slight nod, going airborne and beginning to turn in a circle to allow the camera she'd been outfitted with to provide Kicker with a good view of the region back on Earth. For good measure, in case they were still watched, she shouted out, "You're going to pay for this, you coward! Come on and show yourself!"
After she'd made two revolutions, Kicker's voice came through her comlink to say, "It's safe, Alexis. I don't see him out there anywhere… No view on the nearby satellites either. I'd say he's gone."
Alexis breathed a sigh of relief. After a split second, she began to drift downwards towards the moon's surface, taking care not to inflame the area where she'd been shot. Looking at her three companions in turn, she said simply, "We're clear."
Jetfire stood up straight; Alexis found it amazing that he was able to switch from "grieving" over Optimus' prone form to appearing calm and collected so quickly. "Okay," he said, activating his comlink to tell Scavenger to get ready to transport them back. He kneeled once more, retrieving a signal beacon from one of his compartments to attach to the lifeless form at his feet, then looked off to the left. "You can come out now, sir," Jetfire said in his loudest tone to guarantee he'd be heard.
Until she saw the tarp that had been made to blend in perfectly with the moon's surface tossed aside, Alexis would never have been able to pinpoint just where the real Autobot commander had been hiding. It was a good thing that Sideways hadn't been closely studying the lay of the land to notice the deviation.
Optimus rose to his feet, gathering the tarp in his arms before looking at the prone form on the ground with an air of discomfort. Alexis supposed it could be disturbing to see that a duplicate of yourself had been killed so violently.
Still, Alexis was pleased that they had succeeded in pulling this off; it was sheer luck that Sideways had been occupied (destroying the camera and attacking her) long enough for the switch to be made. The clone had been generated by the very holo-matter projector that Scavenger had planted here/buried beneath the surface earlier. Red Alert, who'd been assigned to operate the device remotely, had been watching carefully for the right moment to activate it.
It took mere seconds for the group to be transported back to Ocean City, the holo-matter clone as well. Starscream was waiting for them on the other side of the gate, and he shortly swept Alexis into his arms despite her protests, actually carrying her down to the med-bay. "Don't argue," he said en route; given his tone, she got the impression he'd been going nuts when Sideways had shot her. "I'd rather you didn't do anything to injure yourself further."
When Alexis had been laid on one of the slabs in the infirmary, she was slightly surprised to see that Optimus had followed her and Starscream here. Red Alert was shortly injecting her with something designed to ease the pain, then turned to start gathering whatever supplies he'd need to make her better.
Alexis had to smile when Starxis came to settle on her chest, gently nuzzling her face with his furry little head. Softly, she began stroking the youngling's fur with her right hand, murmuring, "I love you too, Starxis."
Alexis looked up at Optimus, positioned to the right side of the slab, when he cleared his throat, in time to see that he was nervously rubbing at his face. "I'm sorry you had to suffer through this, Alexis," the commander said in a soothing tone. "When Sideways did what he did… I can't tell you how close I came to revealing myself and unraveling the deception."
Alexis blinked. "I'm glad you didn't," she answered after a moment. "And we knew going in that there would be some unpredictability involved… The near miss that Kicker went through certainly proves that."
Optimus nodded. "It scared me to death, figuratively speaking, when I thought Sideways had killed him," he said absently.
Alexis pursed her lips, feeling a sense of relief that they'd come through all the close calls more or less unscathed. "At least it still provided you with an excuse to vacate Ocean City… The way this plan was executed, Sideways likely had no idea that he was being duped or playing right into our hands."
Alexis turned her gaze to Red Alert when he returned to her bedside to begin operating on her, causing Optimus to step back to give the medic some space. After a few seconds, she continued with, "By the way, Red Alert, it was clever of you to have another camera trained on Optimus and Sideways. Perfect way to throw him off the scent that I was outfitted with one."
Red Alert had some medical tools poised over her wound, but froze when her words seemed to register. For a moment, he didn't move, then turned to look at her with a great deal of surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked hesitantly. "I didn't send any other camera your way."
This time, it was Optimus' turn to look perplexed. He turned to gaze at the medic. "But… There was another one present. I saw Sideways take it out just before I hid underneath the tarp."
After a moment spent in thought, Red Alert went to a nearby terminal, simultaneously radioing to Scavenger in the surveillance room and providing his fellow soldier with step by step instructions on how to see if someone may have hacked into their feed.
The answer that came back completely rattled all those present in the med-bay, once Scavenger confirmed who the security codes had been assigned to. Starscream bowed his head, deeply hurt by the notion. "Demolisher," he whispered, his thoughts in turmoil at the realization that his friend had betrayed them.
Optimus, on the other hand, was disturbed by a different aspect. To no one in particular, he quietly asked, feeling a sense of dread, "Just how much did Megatron see?"
For a long while after the picture had cut out and the screen had gone to static, Megatron could only stare blankly at the monitor. Currently, he was alone on the bridge, having ordered Demolisher and Cyclonus to leave when their banter had started weighing on his nerves; Primus only knew where Tidal Wave had disappeared to.
At last, the Decepticon leader crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly to the side, a wry smile coming to his lips. "If you think taking me out will be easy, Sideways, then you're in for the shock of your life," he murmured. Megatron hesitated, reflecting on everything he'd witnessed while watching the feeds.
And suddenly, taking a certain human (who could see Sideways no matter the circumstances) away from the Autobots just got a lot more appealing…
Other than Megatron, there was a third party who'd been watching the entire show, even the aftermath. Once it was all over, all four of Alpha Q's personas were abuzz with what they had seen and learned, talking freely as Sideways had yet to return.
The personality dubbed as Spazz was in particular having a fit. "What are we to do?! If we tell Sideways that he has failed once more, then there will be no way we'll convince him to make Megatron his next target!"
Laser Happy was in support of this statement, causing Brainiac to say, "This situation is not without opportunity, my brothers. It would be of greater benefit to us if we were to hide from our assassin that Optimus still lives. Afterwards, it will not matter if or when Sideways discovers the truth. How angry could he be at having his personal vendetta postponed?"
Nonchalant spoke next. "You are quite right. And let us not forget that we will likely have Scorpinok back to provide protection in the event that Sideways attempts to retaliate against us."
"So we are all agreed?" Brainiac asked. When all three of his companions answered affirmatively, he concluded the discussion with, "Then so be it…"