Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long for an update, but as you'll find out, this was not an easy chapter to write. The good news is that I do foresee the next installment getting done a lot quicker. :)

The poll I've had going on my profile page has been closed, for those of you who would like to view the results. A new poll will be up sometime next week. And now, on with the show:

Chapter Sixteen

As far as Starscream was concerned, the next hour seemed to pass in a blur. Though he'd been reluctant to leave Alexis' side, he had been ordered out of the med-bay by Red Alert and Optimus both; the latter wanted Starscream present for a short meeting in the conference room.

Acting under the assumption that Megatron may have seen everything, it was agreed that extra measures be taken to protect their teenaged ally. And, since none of the Autobots had any clue on the status of Megatron's forces or the probability of success on the Decepticons' part should they stage an attack on the city this very evening, a mutual agreement was reached that Kicker should bunk down in Ironhide's room for the night. For extra security, Jetfire and Scavenger would be close by in case of an emergency.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Optimus asked Starscream to stay so that they could talk privately, though it took a moment for the Autobot leader to actually speak. Either Optimus was nervous about having this conversation or he had been struggling to find the right words.

Tilting his head downwards, Optimus said quietly, "What I did to Sideways was nothing more than a serious lapse in judgment, regardless of how much I viewed him as a threat at the time... Past indiscretions aside, I would never condemn anyone to die. Not even if it were Megatron. And yet…"

Starscream tentatively jumped in when his companion trailed off. "You think it would solve many problems, if Megatron were taken out."

Optimus nodded solemnly, remaining silent for a long moment, then abruptly said, "I'm sorry about Demolisher… I can't imagine how much it must have hurt, when you learned what he had done." After a short pause, Optimus continued with, "If there were anything I could do to make this easier…"

Starscream sighed, crossing his arms and feeling uncomfortable. It was one thing to share his deepest thoughts and emotions with Alexis or Demolisher, but he didn't feel quite as at ease doing so with Optimus. In a guarded tone, he answered, "Thank you for your concern, sir, but you don't need to worry about me… I haven't forgotten how 'persuasive' Megatron can be."

Optimus let out a breath. With an unreadable expression, he quietly said, "I'm glad to know that you don't view Demolisher as a lost cause." After a short pause, he added, "I hope that he proves to be as strong as you once were. It's the only way he's going to break free of Megatron's hold over him."

Starscream bowed his head, remaining silent for so long that Optimus felt free to go on with, "Too many times, I've seen friendships torn apart in the name of war. I hope for your sake that that's not what we're looking at here."

Starscream looked back up, feeling inclined to speak as he began to see what Optimus was searching for. "One of the more common traits amongst Decepticons is the tendency to be a lone wolf. Everyone's more or less out for themselves, and the chances of forming emotional ties are slim to none." He sighed, looking at Optimus. "I was lucky to find someone who totally disarmed everything I once thought was important… I'd like to think that Demolisher's done the same. He said in his recording that he would never do anything that would directly hurt either Alexis or I, and, unless proven otherwise, I'm inclined to believe him."

Starscream paused, then went on with, "Sooner or later, Demolisher is going to have to make a choice between Megatron and me. And I'd like to think that the friendship we've built will mean something when that comes about."

Optimus nodded, a reassured glint in his optics. For a moment, he said nothing, then abruptly changed the topic again with, "Alexis is quite remarkable, to have accomplished half of the things that she has… I can't imagine how hard it must have been for her, to give up what she has for you and Starxis."

Starscream gave a very faint smile. "It was no contest… The lifespan of humans is so short compared to how long many of us have been in existence." He paused, looking up to meet Optimus' gaze. "I don't think I could ever have borne losing her."

"As could I," Optimus answered, making Starscream regard him with wide optics. Optimus gave a short laugh at his soldier's reaction, saying in a light, reassuring tone, "I mean nothing threatening by that, Starscream. My own feelings for Alexis… Well, to be honest, I'm quite fond of her. I'd say that she may be the closest I'll get to family, at this point in my life."

Starscream was poised to respond when Optimus' comlink suddenly buzzed to life. The message that came from Jetfire effectively put an end to the conversation. "Good news, sir… Hot Shot and I have just heard back from Dr. Jones. In the hours since we've spoken last, he's put together some rough schematics on how to establish some security grids for us. He says he's going to spend the night collaborating with Red Alert, but odds are looking good that he may just have solved our problem."

Optimus breathed a sigh of relief, responding with, "It's about time we had some good news, Jetfire. Thanks for the update."

"There's one more thing, sir," Jetfire answered, an odd note in his voice. "Dr. Jones got to thinking, and it occurred to him that, seeing as our moon base wasn't wiped clean, there may be some Energon left at Mars and in the Asteroid Belt. He thinks it might be worth us having a look… And that would mean we'd have to take Kicker into outer space."

Optimus hesitated, sharing a troubled look with Starscream. "I'm not sure that would be a good idea, Jetfire. Aside from not wanting to push Kicker into anything, we have to take into account that Megatron could be watching our every move. It would be too dangerous to hand him a golden opportunity."

"I've considered that," Jetfire said. "But the odds would be in our favor. It would only take fifteen minutes, tops, to venture to both locations. All Kicker would need to do is see if he senses anything. And you could have as many as the Autobots as you think is necessary along for the ride to ensure that he stays safe."

Optimus gave a deep sigh, weighing all the options and reluctantly admitting that this scenario might work. If he did put together a sizable task force, they just might complete this mission before Megatron could even get organized enough to mount a successful attack and/or kidnapping. "Very well," he conceded. "I'll talk to Kicker about this in the morning…"

Once Red Alert had finished patching her up, Alexis had expected that she'd be able to leave the med-bay. So it came as something of a surprise when Red Alert stated he wanted her to stay overnight for observation, to be sure that all her systems were functioning properly.

Alexis' next surprise, as she was settling in for the night, was that her two partners came to check up on her; Kicker was riding on board Grindor (upgraded from a skateboard to a motorized hoverboard) at a suitable height so he could see her.

Seating himself in a chair next to her bunk, Ironhide said in a conversational tone. "How are you holding up?"

"Doing just fine," Alexis answered, her gaze shifting from Ironhide to Kicker and back again. "What are you two doing here?"

Ironhide gave a sardonic grin. "You didn't honestly think we'd turn in without checking in on how our partner was faring, did you?"

Kicker shifted his weight, saying, almost awkwardly, "Planned or not, it was great of you to take a bullet for the big guy… You totally rock, Alexis!"

Wearing an uncertain smile, Alexis quietly thanked him, one of her hands moving unconsciously to rest over her healed stomach. Undeterred, Kicker went on with, "I mean it! And frankly…" The teenager paused momentarily, an eager look in his eyes that kind of threw her; Alexis was not used to see him looking so vibrant. "It felt good, taking such an active role and sticking it to this Sideways character… I'm starting to know how you felt back in the old days. It must have been quite a rush, knowing that you held power over these giant alien robots under the right circumstances."

Alexis pursed her lips, fixing Kicker with a concerned gaze. "It was never about gratifying myself with an adrenaline rush," she said in all seriousness. "I did it because I came to call the Autobots my friends, and I wanted to help them in any way I could." She paused, then went on with, "Promise me that you won't get carried away. You can do far more good by helping those in need than by seeking some form of excitement. I know that this rush may feel good, but it's nothing compared to the feeling you get from knowing you did the right thing or accomplished something momentous."

Kicker nodded, though he looked pretty skeptical as he did so. Alexis opted to let it go; odds were he'd learn in time that she knew what she was talking about. Giving a slight sigh, she said, "Thanks for guiding me and Ironhide today, Kicker. We could never have pulled it off without your help."

Kicker gave an ironic laugh after a few seconds spent in thought. "Not to be all cliché, but are we going to do the Three Musketeers thing?"

"Three Musketeers?" Ironhide asked, wearing such a quizzical expression that it made his partners laugh. Once Alexis laid out a basic explanation for him, he shrugged slightly and stuck out one hand, tentatively saying, "Promise to always look out for one another?"

Alexis offered a small grin, extending her hand to rest on top of his. After a second, Kicker had Grindor move in closer so he could do likewise. "Cliché it is," the teenager said slyly, earning a laugh from his larger partners. "All for one and one for all…"

When he had the battleship in his sights, Scorpinok would never have imagined that he'd be so glad to see it, or to be back in Megatron's reach. Given that one of the airlocks slid open as he and the Terrorcons at his heels were circling the ship, he gathered that the Decepticon commander had been on the lookout for him. Even as he swooped in, Scorpinok briefly wondered what had happened to the port side cannon.

Shortly after he'd entered the ship, Scorpinok heard Megatron's voice over the coms, summoning him to the bridge. Moving at a leisurely pace, Scorpinok's thoughts drifted back to his encounter with Rodimus. For what little he'd told to his assailant and the two unnamed femmes, he was surprised that they'd let him go so quickly.

All thoughts of Rodimus fled from Scorpinok's mind at the moment he entered the bridge, two of the jaguar Terrorcons trailing behind him; the rest were more or less huddled against the exterior of the ship. Once the collected Energon had been deposited back at Unicron's remains, Scorpinok had taken the time to forge some more Terrorcons to add to the main force.

Megatron, however, didn't entirely seem pleased when Scorpinok told him that the ranks of their army had been doubled, or perhaps he just wasn't reading the Decepticon leader's blank expression right.

After a second, Megatron blinked and looked towards one of the jaguar bots behind Scorpinok. In the next instant, he rose to his feet, stepping down from the platform where his throne was centered. Scorpinok watched him curiously as Megatron stepped over to the nearest jaguar and casually laid one hand on its head as if he were about to pet it.

Megatron looked up at Scorpinok a moment later. "Tell me," he said cryptically. "Is it very difficult to forge this army of yours from within Unicron?"

Taken aback, Scorpinok answered in a somewhat halting manner. Later on, he would curse himself for being so quick to answer; the last thing he should have done was take away some of his own usefulness. "It's… not hard at all, Megatron… All you would need to do is patch in to Unicron's processor. With the… the right amount of Energon and an image of what you wanted to create, you could forge just about anything."

A faint smile appeared at Megatron's lips, undoubtedly arousing Scorpinok's curiosity to new heights. Interesting, the commander thought. Perhaps, if our plan to capture the boy fails, I just might be able to follow Optimus' example… Still, it wouldn't hurt to have as much insurance as I could get.

Megatron began to look at each of his men in turn, speaking rapidly even as he did so. Not a one of them had been informed of Sideways' current status; the last thing that Megatron wanted was for one of his troops to slip up and mention this to Scorpinok. Gesturing towards the latter, he stated, "Demolisher, you stay here and watch over the battleship, as well as our guest. Scorpinok, I wish to take the Terrorcons out on a special mission, if you'd be so kind to arrange for them to follow my orders. You can retake command of them upon our return."

Scorpinok gave a consenting nod after a long tense moment, inspiring Megatron to turn to his remaining two soldiers. "Cyclonus, Tidal Wave, you're with me. Now move out…"

Contrary to what Scorpinok believed, Rodimus hadn't let him get away completely unscathed. It hadn't been very hard for the latter to plant a tracking device on one of the Terrorcons as the group was fleeing. The predatory bot wasn't even aware that the tracer had been fired at it and was latched magnetically onto its belly.

When Rodimus and his companions viewed Megatron from a distance, as the Decepticon commander and his army were vacating the battleship, that was the moment that they fully realized that Scorpinok had been telling the truth.

Seated on the bridge of his own (cloaked) vessel, Rodimus crossed his arms, his expression letting his companions know that he was deep in thought.

The cornflower femme was as brash as ever when she said, "It would be easy for us to take them down while they're still unaware of us."

Rodimus looked over at her. "You really need to learn to control that temper of yours, Chromia." He paused, leaning forward and rubbing at his face. "You don't know what this Megatron is capable of. I do… Scorpinok was telling the truth about how much trouble he's in."

"But…" Chromia started to protest, only to be cut off.

Rodimus fixed her with a stern gaze. "I'll not put you or your sister at risk by attacking him, especially if we happen to miss. Am I making myself clear?!" He turned to look at the viewscreen, a distant look coming to his optics as he murmured, "The Decepticons nearly killed you and Elita once. I won't give them a second chance to do so."

Elita swung her own chair around so she was facing Rodimus. She was the perfect contrast to her sister with her serene nature, though she still possessed a fire all her own. "So what are we to do?"

Rodimus sighed, leaning back and crossing his arms once more. "We wait for an opportunity to speak to Scorpinok alone. And hopefully, learn more about his agenda before we determine whether or not he can be trusted…"

Some time after Ironhide and Kicker had left, Red Alert had dimmed the lights in the med-bay and retreated to his office, making Alexis promise she would signal him with the call button he'd given her in case she needed anything. She didn't know how long she lay awake in the darkness, simply listening to the soft hum of her own biorhythms, before she discovered that she was not the only one having trouble sleeping.

With a wide smile pulling at her lips, Alexis shifted slightly on the bunk, remaining silent for a bit before sending out a telepathic message. You know, for someone who said I should learn to control my emotions, you sure have a lot of trouble following your own advice.

Starscream gave a short laugh, then answered, Well, in my defense, I've never been in love before. And this is the first time you've taken a serious injury.

Alexis lightly bit her lower lip. Okay, I'll give you that. She paused, a warm feeling washing over her at the thought of him being so concerned. But you have to understand that things are going to happen, whether you like it or not… Just try not to overreact each time, okay?

She heard him sigh through their telepathic link. I'll try. A pause, and then, I don't think I've said yet how proud I am of you. Over the past couple weeks, you have proven to be quite brave and resourceful, Alexis. Congratulations on accomplishing so many great things in so short a time. I don't know how long it may have taken Kicker and Ironhide to come around otherwise, for starters.

She smiled warmly in the darkness, shifting once more on the bunk. Thank you for believing in me, she responded. I don't what I'd do or who I'd be without you by my side, Starscream.

Mutual, he answered, in a loving tone that made her melt. Let's never find out. There was another short silence, broken when he said, You know, Optimus raised an interesting point during our meeting… If Starxis hadn't been a factor, would you have been content in having me become human? Provided we could have found some alternate means other than the wish, that is?

Without hesitation, Alexis answered, As long as it meant we could be together, I would have chosen just about anything. I love you, Starscream. Always and forever…

Perhaps the best part of Sideways' partnership with Alpha Q was that it would undoubtedly only be a short time gig. Anything longer than a week, and he just might be liable to kill his spindly companion.

As he silently entered the battleship where Alpha Q had said Megatron would be (through an airlock that had conspicuously been left open), Sideways mused that he was glad to be away from the pest. Even being cooped up with the persona known as Spazz, who apparently was too dumb to know how to open up a portal, for a full twelve hours while the other heads were "recharging" was quite annoying. Until that instant, Sideways hadn't thought that the Alpha Q even slept, in a manner of speaking.

It came as an unpleasant surprise to know that Megatron wasn't currently present at the battleship, as Sideways learned by silently observing a chitchat between Scorpinok and Demolisher. Apparently, the Decepticon leader, likely accompanied by Cyclonus, Tidal Wave, and the Terrorcons, was off staging another raid on one of the Autobots' bases.

Quietly, Sideways settled onto the floor and set his sword down, though he did keep one hand on the hilt so that it wouldn't turn visible.

Leaning his head against one fist, Sideways gave a soft, bored sigh as he watched Scorpinok heckling Demolisher about Megatron's lack of faith in him. "It must kill you that your leader doesn't think you any more worthy than being assigned guard duty. Tell me, was it worth betraying the Autobots when Megatron doesn't hold you in any higher regard than they did?"

Demolisher growled, indicating that Scorpinok had struck a nerve. "Don't presume that you know anything about me!" he barked out. After a slight pause, he said, "I'm no fool. I know that earning back Megatron's trust is not going to come easy, but I will do whatever it takes!"

Sideways resisted the urge to laugh, seeing right through Scorpinok's petty attempt to create conflict amongst the Decepticon soldiers. Even Demolisher's desire to go back to being a straight-up obedient minion was cause for amusement, and Sideways began to watch the exchange with a small amount of interest.

A moment later, Sideways was disappointed, as Scorpinok gave a small chuckle and answered, in an amused tone, "Relax, I was just having some fun with you… Now, why don't we try to get along, Demolisher? That would be the mature thing to do."

Demolisher bristled, his optics narrowing at the fact that Scorpinok was calling him immature. Though he much preferred to argue the point, he decided in an instant that he would not give his "companion" the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him. "Just leave me alone," Demolisher said in a heated tone, deliberately turning his back.

Scorpinok chuckled again, but the look in his optics indicated that he was abandoning the conversation. Seeing this, Sideways gave an inaudible sigh, settling back against the wall behind him and resigning himself to waiting until Megatron returned.

When she awoke from an uneasy sleep the next morning, the last thing that Alexis had expected was for all of Ocean City to be abuzz with activity. That may have even been what roused her -- the raised voices she could hear outside the doors to the med-bay, as well as the distant sound of many construction machines and tools at work.

She must have inadvertently pressed the call button in her hand, for Red Alert was at her bedside an instant later, asking if she was okay.

Relinquishing the call button to him, she said, even as she propped herself up slightly, "I'm fine." Making a gesture in the direction of the ceiling, she asked, "What's going on?"

Red Alert gave a very soft sigh. "Our good friend, Dr. Jones, is nothing if not inventive… After we finished with our schematics, very early this morning, he announced he would be coming to Earth with a sizable task force to oversee the construction." Red Alert paused, giving a slight smile. "They've been hard at work, at all the cities, for the past three hours or so. I'm surprised they didn't wake you before now."

Alexis blinked, hesitating a moment before asking after Kicker. While she wasn't surprised that the teenager had been making every attempt to minimize contact with his father (it would apparently take time for the wounds to heal), it did startle her when she learned of the mission that Optimus hoped to accomplish and that Kicker had already agreed to join the Autobots on this venture into outer space.

Red Alert studied her for a moment to gauge her reaction, offering a quick reassurance that it would be fine and that they'd be taking every precaution to ensure the boy's safety. "Optimus wanted you along for the ride as well, if you're feeling up to it, Alexis. You should be fully healed by now, going by the diagnostic I performed an hour ago."

Alexis hesitated for a second, then made a move to sit up straight. After assuring herself that there was no lingering pain and that her systems seemed to be functioning normally, she informed the medic that she felt perfectly fine. As she moved towards the door, she asked, "Do you know if Starscream's been asked to come too?"

"He has," Red Alert answered. He was prepared to say something further, but broke off when she suddenly turned to look at him, an alarmed expression on her face. It took him a moment to guess what she might be concerned about. "You're worried about Starxis -- what might happen to him if Megatron and company show up."

Alexis nodded. "All things considered, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable having him along on this mission, however short it is… Got any tips on how to maybe get the little guy to get over this separation anxiety?"

Red Alert bowed his head slightly, a worried look coming to his optics. He knew how much Starscream and Alexis cared for the youngling, but couldn't see any easy way to accomplish what she was asking. Tentatively, he said, "Short of putting Starxis on an IV drip for a sedative, I don't know what to tell you."

Alexis shook her head. "I'd considered that once -- under different circumstances, mind you -- but decided I didn't want to take the risk that he'd have a bad reaction to it." She paused, rubbing at her face. "I'll… I'll just see if I can work out a solution on my own."

The medic offered her a reassuring, though shaky, smile. "Well, whatever that happens to be, I wish you all the luck… Optimus wants to head out within the next hour once the team is fully assembled."

Alexis shortly thereafter excused herself, making her way from the med-bay up to her and Starscream's quarters. It wasn't long before she was in the company of those she loved, and it took mere seconds before Starxis picked up her thoughts on the matter.

The youngling was soon hovering before her with anxious green eyes, and Alexis soon raised one hand for him to settle into. Gently petting his head with her free hand, she said softly, "I don't want you to see you get hurt, Starxis. Maybe nothing will happen today, but I don't want to take that chance. And sooner or later, it is going to get too dangerous to have you with us during a battle."

Alexis paused, sighing softly as Starscream's hands came to rest on her shoulders. The thoughts she was getting from her fellow jet told her he felt the same. Looking down at her adopted child, she said, "We need you to be brave now. Your father and I aren't going to be gone for very long… Can you do that for us?"

Starxis still looked quite anxious, but Alexis took it as a good sign that he hadn't embedded his claws into her chassis. For a long tense moment, the youngling remained silent, then chimed in with, "Promise to be back?"

Alexis gave a gentle, reassuring smile. "You have our word. Thank you, Starxis." She paused, quickly learning from Starscream's thoughts that Kicker's mother and sister had returned to Ocean City as well, perhaps to visit with the family member they'd left behind. "Are you okay staying with Sally and Miranda until we get back?"

"Yes, Mommy," Starxis chirped out, making Alexis and Starscream feel a rush of love and pride for him…

One of Megatron's reasons for wanting the Terrorcons with him on this voyage was that he hoped that they too might be able to sense if Sideways was near, in case the assassin came for him while he was out in the open. In either case, Megatron was surprised, as he and his troops were hidden in the shadows of Earth's moon trying to formulate a plan on how they might get the boy, when one of the jaguar bots reported that there was some residual Energon left in the mines.

Given that the Terrorcons seemed anxious to begin collecting what they could, Megatron dispatched half of them to complete this task. Following this, Megatron cast a glance towards the ruined command center, then turned towards Cyclonus. "Do you think the communications panel in this base might still be operational?"

Cyclonus shrugged, reaching up with one hand to scratch at his head. "It might be," he said hesitantly. "Why do you ask?"

Megatron sneered at how simple-minded his soldier was. "It may provide us an opportunity to listen in on the Autobots' broadcasts. What better way to stay a step ahead of them, Cyclonus?"

Cyclonus nodded after a brief moment, then turned towards the building with the intention of leading Megatron inside. "Right this way, sir…"

There was something disconcerting (to Starscream and Alexis both) about the discovery that they couldn't hear each other's thoughts, once Starxis had left their company. Still, the two jets determined, prior to their arrival at the Warp Gate, that it would be something that they'd have to get used to, especially if the point was to get Starxis used to the idea of being apart from them. To ease the tension, Alexis even joked that maybe it was time they started getting a little mystery back in their lives.

As Alexis found out upon arriving at the Warp Gate platform, this task force was quite sizable for such a simple mission, which reassured her and had her thinking that perhaps they would come through unscathed. Other than Optimus, Hot Shot, Jetfire, Scavenger, and Ironhide, there were four extra Autobots milling about who she only knew by name. Kicker was present as well, decked out in his battle armor and riding aboard Grindor in his hoverboard mode.

Optimus sent out a quick broadcast to Red Alert to ask if the satellites near the Mars and Asteroid Belt colonies were in position, then turned towards the troops gathered around him. "Everybody ready for this?" When he received an affirmative from each and every one of them, Optimus sighed and moved towards the platform, directing Jetfire and Scavenger to join him as the first to be transported.

Once on Mars, each of the Autobots was quick to move into formation to build as strong a perimeter as they could. Thus, Kicker was the last one to be transported, with his two guardians closely flanking him.

Though he knew what was expected of him, the teenager seemed a little distracted, gazing anxiously towards the sky as if he expected an attack to be imminent. Alexis watched him silently for a moment, then quietly urged, "Not to rush you, Kicker, but it would be better if we accomplish what we came here to do as quickly as possible."

Kicker let out a deep breath. "Right," he answered, directing Grindor to move forward after a moment; it soon became clear to Alexis that their teenaged ally had picked just the right Mini-Con to utilize on this trip.

The group slowly made their way in the direction of the ruined colony, all of the Autobots remaining silent so that Kicker would be able to focus on what he was sensing. Still, it wasn't until they were nearly on top of the ruined base that the teenager reported that there was barely any Energon left in this area. "Little enough that it would only take three or four Omnicons about an hour to collect it all." He looked up at Optimus. "Sorry if you were expecting more."

"Don't worry about it, Kicker," Optimus answered gently. "We should just be glad that there's any left at all." He hesitated, then activated his comlink to contact Red Alert. "We're getting ready to move to Asteroid City," he told the medic. "Any sign of Megatron?"

"No, there's not," Red Alert answered after a long moment. "But be careful, sir. The Decepticons could just as easily have slipped in under the radar. There are a lot of places to hide out there."

Optimus sighed, looking over at his soldiers. "Starscream, Jetfire, you two go first and scout the area. Once you're sure it's clear, signal the rest of us."

Alexis exchanged a look with Starscream just before her fellow jet warped away. Once he was gone, she turned her attention towards Kicker; the teenager, catching the sign of movement, was soon looking back at her. Dropping to one knee, she asked softly, "How are you holding up? Doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Kicker answered, though there was a note of agitation in his voice that worried her.

Alexis cast a glance over her shoulder to see if anyone was in earshot, then looked back at the boy, dropping her voice even lower. "Kicker, if something's bothering you, it might help to get it out there." She paused, waiting for an answer that wasn't forthcoming, then continued as a possible idea hit her. Perhaps there were some bad memories of being in outer space associated with what his father had put him through as a kid.

Alexis shifted her weight, a compassionate look coming to her face. Before she could say anything further, she could hear Jetfire signaling them that the coast was clear. Rising to her feet once more, she made a mental note to talk to Kicker in private, once they were back on Earth.

Establishing a perimeter on the Asteroid Belt was a lot more tricky since the troops couldn't all position themselves on the same rock. Those who could fly even had to assist those who couldn't in moving from one asteroid to another. Just before Kicker, Ironhide, and one of the additional Autobots were sent through to their location, Alexis did her best to banish all negative thoughts from her mind. Quite possibly, she was worrying herself over nothing.

In retrospect, she realized she should have known better than to assume that this mission would go off without a hitch.

The attack came so suddenly, just as Optimus and his soldiers were shifting position to maintain a protective barrier around Kicker, that it almost undid all of their careful planning. Still, it helped to some degree that Tidal Wave, Cyclonus, and the Terrorcons who were swooping in and taking potshots at the Autobot troops had seemingly been ordered to take care not to harm the boy.

Seeing that a stray laser beam was heading towards Ironhide, Alexis swiftly dove towards her partner and pushed him out of the way, simultaneously ducking behind the asteroid nearest her for cover. With wide optics, she looked to see that all the Autobots around her were likewise seeking shelter. However, the attack had commenced so quickly that a select few hadn't been lucky. Hot Shot looked to have been slammed against one of the huge floating rocks under the force of a shot and knocked out cold, there was a huge scorch mark marring Jetfire's right side, and one of the extra troops (a brawny gray and blue Autobot) had sparks shooting out of several damaged areas of his frame.

Optimus quickly reached out for Hot Shot, pulling his unconscious soldier towards him and briskly ordering Jetfire to see to their comrade's safety. In the next instant, the Autobot commander was unholstering his rifle, simultaneously activating his comlink to send a frantic message to Red Alert. Much to his puzzlement, there was no response for a few seconds, prompting him to try again.

When there was no response to this transmission either, Optimus chanced a look past the asteroid he was concealed behind, seeking the satellite that enabled communications from here to Earth. When he saw it was still intact, he began wracking his processor for an answer on why the messages might not be getting through.

A second later, Optimus realized that Red Alert had been watching the video feeds and surely would have transported them back to Earth at the first sign of trouble. He got his answer when he asked Alexis to try to warp out on her own; her attempt to do so failed.

Optimus swore out loud, causing several of his troops to regard him with wide optics. "Megatron's somehow gotten hold of a jamming device. He wanted to make sure that we'd be stuck here and that we couldn't easily get reinforcements," the Autobot commander said, loudly enough to ensure that all those around him could hear. After a couple seconds of indecision or trying to pull himself together, Optimus began silently praying with all his might that there may be a way to turn the situation in their favor…

Just outside the asteroid field where Optimus and his men were pinned down, Megatron gleefully allowed his troops to continue firing for another minute, until he saw that nothing could be gained by letting this stalemate go on indefinitely. He soared upwards slightly, positioning himself at a better angle that might allow him to see if the Autobots might try to escape further into the field, then called out, "All we want is the boy, Prime. If I have to, I will send in the Terrorcons after him, and I very much doubt you'd be able to eliminate all of them before they overwhelm you!"

Megatron hesitated, barely surprised when Optimus or any of the other Autobots didn't say anything in response. "I'll give you five minutes to decide which is more valuable to you -- the lives of your soldiers or one lone human boy. Better hurry and make up your mind, Prime…"

Inside the asteroid field, Optimus peered out several times from around the huge rock that he, Hot Shot, and Jetfire were concealed behind, doing his best to judge just how many of these Terrorcons there were in those brief glances. After determining that their odds weren't looking so good, he let his gaze wander helplessly from one of his soldiers to another. "If anyone has any suggestions that doesn't involve giving up, I'd gladly hear it," the Autobot commander said wearily.

At the neighboring asteroid to Optimus' right, Starscream bowed his head, looking blankly down at his wing sword and the rifle he held and wishing that at least one of the two weapons would be useful in getting them out of this mess. He (and the others) could attempt to take out the predatory bots with laser fire while using the asteroids for cover, but Megatron was likely correct that they wouldn't all be eliminated in time.

To Optimus' left, Alexis turned her gaze towards Kicker, now huddled between her and Ironhide. It pained her to see how scared the teenager looked, at least for the few seconds that the emotion remained on his face. Gradually, it melted into a blank expression, and then into a disturbing look of resignation.

After a couple seconds, Kicker tilted his head to gaze up at her, causing her even more pain by quietly asking, "We're all out of options, aren't we?"

Ironhide surprised all those in hearing range by vehemently saying, "Do not talk like that! We'll figure something out!"

Kicker was disturbingly calm when he turned to look at Ironhide. "We don't have time." A brief pause, then, "Megatron won't hurt me. I'm more valuable to him alive."

Optimus shook his head. "This is not an option, Kicker," he protested.

"What other choice do we have?" the boy countered. "One way or another, Megatron is going to get me. Why should any of you put your lives on the line if you don't have to?"

Alexis exchanged a look with Optimus, then tilted her head to look at Kicker. In a downright serious tone, she said, even as she was shifting to detach her own weapon, "Because as long as there is a chance that we might prevail, then we have to try!" She paused, shifting her attention back to Optimus after some thought. For a couple seconds, she remained silent, her optics showing that she was wrestling over whether or not she should give voice to what was on her mind. Finally, she hesitantly said, "I, uh… I have a really bad idea…"

For an instant, when the boy (perched on some sort of hoverboard) suddenly appeared over the top of one of the asteroids, Megatron was almost convinced that Optimus and his troops were indeed admitting defeat. His lips curled up into a cruel smile, and he shifted his weight towards Cyclonus, prepared to order his eccentric soldier to go forth and bring the boy to him.

Two forms sprang up just behind the human so quickly that Megatron barely comprehended that they were there before they started firing. Caught off guard, he blinked, wondering why any of the Autobots would take such a risk as to be so blatantly exposed to an attack. A second later, he noticed that Optimus' soldiers (Starscream's mate, and the impetuous bot who'd tried challenging Megatron in Ocean City) were huddled together as close as they could get, with the boy directly in front of them.

They were using the very human that Megatron had come to snatch away from them as a shield!

Quickly, Megatron barked out an order to all those on his side to hold their fire. Even as he did so, the remainder of the Autobot troops came to join in on the firefight, blasting away as swiftly and accurately as they could at the Terrorcons.

It didn't take Megatron very long to see that he needed to act fast before he lost a sizable amount of his army. Briskly, he ordered the Terrorcons to take evasive maneuvers and told Tidal Wave to focus on any and all Autobots that weren't protected behind a certain human. With that done, he turned his attention to Cyclonus and stated, in a loud, angry tone, "I don't care what you have to do, but you make sure you get that boy."

Even as his army scrambled to follow his orders, Megatron hung back for a moment, surveying the battlefield to get a feel for how the fight was progressing. Within seconds, he was seeing, in spite of their sudden, surprising tactic, the Autobots were still very much outmatched. If the Decepticon commander was counting right, their numbers had dropped by one, indicating that one of their own was either seriously injured or dead.

Megatron spared a glance towards the jamming device (hidden from sight as far as the Autobots were concerned) that Cyclonus had retrieved from the moon base. While the Decepticon commander still wasn't entirely clear on why the colony in question had needed such a device on hand, he was glad to see that it was still intact. At best, he and his troops still had another fifteen minutes before any of Optimus' men on Earth could figure out the radius of the interference, and send a backup team who would then have to fly in to the rescue.

With that in mind, Megatron focused back on the battlefield, just in time to see that Cyclonus had maneuvered into a position where he had a clear shot at the impetuous bot that the boy was "protecting." The Decepticon commander grinned, saying in a low, amused tone, "It was a nice try, Prime. But it looks like I win…"

Until she felt Ironhide suddenly stiffen against her, Alexis hadn't even seen that her partner had been open to an attack from Cyclonus. In her surprise, the grip she had on Ironhide's back to hold him close loosened by just a fraction, but she recovered in time to redirect the rifle in her left hand and fire off a series of shots at the eccentric bot.

Thankfully, she found that the hit that Ironhide took was nothing more than a glancing blow, and her partner was soon resuming his own attack on the Terrorcons. At the same time, the hoverboard Mini-Con that Kicker was riding on was consistently moving, keeping the boy centered to her left/Ironhide's right.

Though she didn't dare take her optics off Cyclonus, Alexis was still very much aware that she and the other Autobots were in danger of losing. Her last glimpse of the Terrorcons had told her that they were evading the laser fire too well and were slowly inching their way in.

Though she had become quite proficient, during her training, on how to hit a moving target, Cyclonus was much faster and more agile than all the targets she'd practiced with. The eccentric bot, too, was moving ever closer; it wouldn't be very long before he'd be upon her, Ironhide, and Kicker.

Alexis threw a very quick glance at her teenaged partner, feeling an immense pang of regret as she did so. I'm so sorry, Kicker, she thought mournfully, fighting back the fear she felt over him winding up in Megatron's hands.

What happened next was so unexpected that Alexis, for a couple seconds, thought that she had to be dreaming.

Before she could even process that two or three near-deafening shots had sounded from somewhere behind her, there were two large and powerful-looking laser beams passing over her and Ironhide's heads. Even as the shots connected with a large group of the Terrorcons, Alexis blinked, completely stunned as she thought, Those were too big to come from anything other than a ship.

An instant later, Alexis remembered that she should be focusing on Cyclonus. Thankfully, he looked to be just as stunned as she was, and he hadn't recovered nearly as well. Gritting her teeth, she raised her rifle, simultaneously setting the power to its highest level and fired off five shots in quick succession, each laser beam aimed at a slightly different angle than the preceding one

The third shot was the one that effectively did the most damage, as it ruptured Cyclonus' fuel tank; the resulting sparks from a separate injury ignited the tiny amount of gasoline inside, causing a small explosion that significantly damaged the eccentric bot from the inside out. At this sight, Alexis lightly bit her lip, resisting the urge to laugh over this little quirk of Cyclonus' to occasionally use human resources as a power source.

There came the sound of another loud shot from somewhere behind her, shortly followed by the sight of an small asteroid slightly above the Autobots' present location being blown to bits. For a few seconds, Alexis wondered at the significance of this, until she suddenly heard Optimus' comlink buzz to life, and the very welcome sound of Red Alert's worried voice rang through.

Optimus wasted no time before he ordered a retreat, making absolutely sure that Kicker, Grindor, Alexis, and Ironhide were the first ones to warp back to Earth…

Confident that Megatron and his Decepticons would not be able to pinpoint just where the shots had originated from, Rodimus settled comfortably into his chair aboard the bridge of his camouflaged ship, adopting a relaxed, lazy pose.

It was quite fortuitous that he and his companions had decided to venture to this location, though it had been in part because they'd wanted to investigate why the tracking beacon they'd placed on one of the Terrorcons had suddenly gone dead. Knowing that there was very little chance that Megatron could have found and disposed of the tracer so easily had prompted Rodimus to want to find out what was going on.

Watching the Decepticons through the bridge's viewscreen, Chromia was, for once, almost shocked silent. "Wow," she said quietly, her gaze focused on Megatron. Her next statement was such an understatement that it had her sister and Rodimus laughing out loud. "He looks mad…"

For a long while after the Autobots had vacated the premises, Megatron was wildly searching for wherever the decisive laser fire had come from, growing all the more angry by the second as he failed to see anything. "Slag!" he said, in such a loud, enraged tone that it should have warned his troops that this was definitely not a good time to get on his nerves.

At least Tidal Wave had blind obedience to use in his defense, as he drifted to his leader's side, carrying the badly-damaged Cyclonus in one of his massive hands. Amazingly, the eccentric bot was still conscious in spite of his severe injuries, and he shortly turned his head in Megatron's direction, the look in his optics showing he was in great pain and likely very dazed.

In any case, the words that passed through Cyclonus' lips were the absolute worst thing he could have said at this point. "Megatron," he said weakly. "Can we go back to the ship so I can get fixed?"

For what seemed like forever, Megatron didn't move or say anything. Then, he slowly rotated in Cyclonus' direction; the eccentric bot was soon getting slightly alarmed by the look in his leader's optics. Before either Cyclonus or Tidal Wave could fully react, Megatron was leaning towards the eccentric bot with an angry cry, wrapping one hand around Cyclonus' throat and pulling him upwards, none too gently.

"Oh, I'll fix you alright!" Megatron growled, tapping into what remained of his Energon-based power source to open a gate to a specific location. Just before he passed through the portal with Cyclonus in tow, he yelled out, in a tone that scared even his oversized minion, "Tidal Wave, take the remaining Terrorcons back to the battleship! And stay put until this piece of slag and I return!"

Once he learned, from quietly spying on Demolisher and Scorpinok as they questioned Tidal Wave on what was going on, that Megatron would not be coming back anytime soon, Sideways could only sigh in annoyance. And, given that the oversized bot didn't have a clue as to where the Decepticon commander had taken Cyclonus (or for what purpose), the only thing that Sideways could do at this point was wait.

A moment later, the invisible assassin was thinking, I'll give it three hours before I contact Alpha Q to find out where Megatron went to. One way or another, I'm not waiting forever, cooling my heels, to get the job done…

Cyclonus was never sure of when exactly he'd passed out, nor of how long he'd been unconscious. As he gradually came to, he rolled over onto his side with a groan. Bringing his optics online a few seconds later allowed him to identify that he was lying in the center of a very familiar biological cavern.

After another moment, Cyclonus eased himself into a sitting position, wondering as he did so why his joints felt so stiff. He raised one hand to rub at the back of his neck, which provided him with his first clue on what had changed. The layout of that part of his frame didn't feel quite the same way that he remembered.

Cyclonus blinked, then maneuvered his arms into view of his optics. Once he confirmed that they had been changed to an altogether different color, he rose to his feet with some difficulty, looking around the chamber for some kind of reflective surface he could look into to discover just what Megatron had done to him.

When he saw, quite literally, his own ruined body lying on the floor a few feet away, Cyclonus stumbled backwards with a startled yelp. For a full minute, he couldn't quite process what he was seeing before realization hit him.

Slag it! Cyclonus thought wildly, wondering if what he'd done, or failed to do, had really been so terrible as to warrant this. Megatron transplanted my spark into a brand new body!

Cyclonus eyed his old body for a moment, his unease growing as he began to see evidence that Megatron had seemingly inflicted further damage. If he had to hazard a guess, Cyclonus would say that the Decepticon commander had wanted to make sure it would be impossible for the eccentric bot to slip back into his more familiar skin.

Cyclonus gave a soft sigh after a long moment, resigning himself to get acclimated to his new frame. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, once he worked out the kinks and got a good feel for how this body would work in a battle.

It didn't take very much longer before Cyclonus began to notice what he was lacking. The more he searched for something to the contrary and came up empty, the more depressed and/or indignant he got. No thrusters, no rotar blades, nothing! At last, he buried his face in one hand, shaking his head from side to side. Oh, Primus… He grounded me!

Next up: the long-awaited showdown between Sideways and Megatron holds some unexpected consequences for Alpha Q, Scorpinok, and Alexis...