Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's Notes: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter released. As you'll see, with everything taking place within these pages, it took more time than usual to write out. I hope this meets all your expectations and more. I don't have an estimate for when the next installment may be coming, but I can guarantee it will be worth the wait.

In the meantime, I will be working on an update or two for my other fic, Unexpected Allies. I hope you'll take the time to check out the poll on my profile in regards to that story.

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Four

The more that Demolisher thought about the events that had occurred during the battle, the less convinced he became that Tidal Wave's attack against Shockblast had been intended to safeguard him. While Demolisher had been able to maneuver and look out the rear of the ship's glass-domed hatch to see who had rescued him, the big guy hadn't been positioned at the right angle to know who the pilot was.

The hard-edged bot was soon made curious enough to want to research this. He was standing in front of a terminal in Autobot headquarters (it was fairly easy for him to access Decepticon files from here) when Scavenger found him. Demolisher briefly glanced over at the sound of Scavenger's entrance, then went back to reading the report on the monitor. At his companion's inquiry, he said, "Just reading up on Shockblast." He quickly explained what had happened out on the battlefield, then paused before adding, "Is there something you needed?"

Scavenger sighed. "Just to say that Optimus now has everyone working double-time to get our security grid up and running. Even some of the Decepticon soldiers that Megatron abandoned out there have agreed to chip in... He was wondering if you might want to help out."

Demolisher gave a short, dry laugh. "Construction -- not really my strong point."

Scavenger hesitated, then said lightly, "Well, you could always lend a hand when it comes to the heavy lifting."

Demolisher turned away from the console, fixing Scavenger with such a bewildered look that the seasoned vet asked what was on his mind. With another short laugh, Demolisher said, "I'm not used to being treated like part of the team... The Autobot team, that is." A pause, and then, "Why are you being so nice?"

Scavenger casually crossed his arms. "For one thing, because I don't discriminate. Never have. It doesn't matter who belongs to what faction. It doesn't determine what kind of viewpoint they have." Scavenger shifted his weight. "And for another, your actions as of late clearly define where you stand. There's not many who would have the courage to go against Megatron in the way that you have."

Demolisher nodded, remaining silent for a bit before saying, "Tell Optimus I'll be out in several minutes."

Scavenger voiced his acknowledgment and moved to depart. In the next second, Demolisher turned back to the monitor and continued reading. He was almost through the report of Shockblast's military record when an item of particular interest caught his optic. Demolisher skimmed through the paragraphs quickly, barely surprised when they provided further evidence that Shockblast was psychotic.

According to the report, Shockblast had, almost thirteen years prior, participated in a failed mission against a remote Autobot colony independent of Cybertron. When it went south, he had hijacked the emergency shuttlecraft and fled the scene before any of the other troops could make it safely back to the ship. As a result, all but two of the other Decepticons from that day had paid with their lives.

One was Thrust, a military tactician who'd later betrayed his entire race to Unicron and subsequently perished for his treachery.

The other was Tidal Wave...

*****

Removing the Decepticon marks from her wings was quite simple, especially given the equipment that Rodimus had at his disposal. There were a number of tools that Alexis could have utilized towards this end.

Scorpinok, on the other hand, didn't fare so well at this task. After he'd spent several minutes rubbing at the symbol on his chest with a rag doused with paint thinner, he'd discovered that it seemed to be permanently etched in. He even mentioned as much to Alexis, idly telling her that Megatron had used some paranormal abilities to mark him.

She abandoned her task long enough to look over at Scorpinok as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, with a soft sigh. Under her inquiries, he said, "I don't think there is an easy way to get rid of it. Quite possibly, my only option is to have my whole chest plate replaced. With all the welding that that would entail, it hardly seems worth it."

Alexis looked down, and was shortly idly touching the purple faction symbol that was still there. "So you're okay just leaving it?"

Scorpinok shrugged. "It's hardly a sign of allegiance. Megatron's a fool to actually assume that it would be."

She remained silent for a moment, her thoughts turning to something that she'd avoided thinking about until now. Without looking up, she said, "I should thank you for helping me... What Megatron and Sideways did -- trying to turn me into something I'm not -- was horrible. I can only hope that I one day get a chance for payback."

Scorpinok studied her for a few seconds, sensing that there was something more on her mind by her expression. "But?"

Alexis lightly shook her head. "It bothers me that Megatron is probably someone I'm never going to be able to peg. Every time I think I have him completely figured out, he throws me for a loop." She paused, reaching up to rub at her face. "He's cruel and selfish, when you take into account what he did, but... I don't know. It seemed like he genuinely feels something for me."

Scorpinok leaned forward, regarding her in all seriousness. "All that matters is how you feel. You still have two beings out there who you love with everything that you are. Taking the mind wipe into account, any emotions you might have generated towards Megatron were a lie. As you said, he is selfish. And if that was his idea of earning your affections, then he's quite foolish as well."

Whatever he imagined in response, Alexis somehow doubted it was for her to look up at him sharply, her optics blazing, after a brief moment. "Yeah, well, you're a fine one to pass judgment," she said, shortly cluing him in on just what she was angry about. "Maybe now would be a good time for you to explain your own actions -- the day you and I first met, specifically... Why would you tell Ironhide about who I was? Did you know it was going to cause problems between the two of us?"

Scorpinok tilted his head downwards slightly, an ironic smile playing at his lips. "It's funny," he said softly. "I'd been trying to figure that out myself for several hours after the fact." He paused, then, noticing she was looking at him in expectation, said, "Bear in mind, I owed you, your team, nothing. It was a simple job. Get the Energon and get out. As far as I was concerned, the Autobots were nothing but obstacles."

Scorpinok looked up, meeting her optics with his own. "Then, there was you." He paused again, then continued with, "I think it was a combination of things. I'd known in advance that you'd sacrificed one life for another, but meeting you in the flesh made me really focus on what that meant. You reminded me very much of..." He hesitated for so long here that Alexis suspected he'd been about to say Nebulina, but he continued with, "My people... And it's something of a habit of mine to act as an instructor. There had been numerous young ones who'd wanted to learn to fight and I'd trained some of them."

Scorpinok sighed. "And lastly, I'd come to learn from experience that keeping some secrets are never good... What I did was in part because my old instincts were kicking in. Telling the truth was geared to help Ironhide as much as you." Off of the incredulous look she gave him, he said, "His prejudice was hurting both of you, and it only would have gotten worse if left unchecked... And I think you could say that your relationship with your partner has improved as a result."

Alexis blinked, looking downwards once more and remaining silent while she processed this. The more she thought about it, the more she began to believe that Scorpinok was right. Clearing her throat, she said simply, "Thank you."

Scorpinok nodded once in response, and both of them remained silent while Alexis worked at removing the other faction symbol. Once she was finished, he grabbed her attention by saying, "I estimate that it would take us about ten hours to make it to Cybertron. I was thinking that perhaps, if you flew ahead of us at top speed, you'd make it there in three. I imagine you'd love the chance to be reunited with those you care about, and you could get the Autobots ready for what's coming. Otherwise... there's no telling how they'd react if they saw Unicron's head approaching the planet."

Alexis didn't even hesitate; she had every suspicion that Kicker and Ironhide would be alright in her absence. "Point the way..."

*****

For as eager as Ironhide was to meet one of his traveling companions, he sure did a good job of playing it cool once he was in the company of Rodimus, Elita, and Chromia. Mostly, it was due to excitement over meeting one of Cybertron's former military leaders who he'd heard numerous stories about, but also partially because he didn't feel entirely comfortable chatting it up with Chromia with her "father" present.

An answer to this dilemma thankfully presented itself when Elita announced that one of the coolant tanks in the lower recesses of the ship was acting up again. When Rodimus made an offhand remark that they needed to see about trading for the components to permanently fix it, Ironhide jumped in by saying that perhaps there might be something onboard the shuttle he, Kicker, and Misha had commandeered that would be useful.

It proved even more fortunate that Chromia had some knowledge of engineering; she volunteered to accompany Ironhide back to his ship to have a look. Making the return trip, without Alexis, was no challenge, as Rodimus had merely flown in close enough that Chromia and Ironhide would have no problem literally jumping over to the adjacent craft.

As they were walking down the corridor towards the engine room, Chromia was as cool as could be, seemingly oblivious of her companion's nervousness. It showed how focused she was, and her mind was wholeheartedly on the task at hand. Ironhide even wondered if she'd ever dealt with being the object of someone's attention. He surely hoped she wasn't adverse to the idea of making friends, or something more.

Not a word was spoken between them until they'd arrived at the engine room and she'd swiftly opened up a panel on the first coolant tank they came to. Her powder blue optics roved over the inner workings of the device before a very slight smile came to her face and she wordlessly dug out the tool kit she'd brought along.

Ironhide moved into a position opposite Chromia as she got to work at removing the needed components, then nervously spoke after a few brief moments. "I take it that this is what you need," he said, realizing how lame he sounded even as he voiced it.

She looked up at him for a second, but Ironhide couldn't tell what she was thinking from the blank expression. "That's right," she said flatly, without breaking stride.

Ironhide shifted his weight, mentally telling himself to cool it and/or think of something that might give her a hint he was interested. Still, the best he could come up with was, "This is a pretty fascinating life you have."

Chromia must have thought he was being sarcastic, given her antagonistic response. Without looking up, though she appeared slightly tense, she said firmly, "Don't pretend to be interested. Somehow, I doubt that living and working as a merchant would be appealing to most soldiers."

Ironhide blinked. After a few seconds, he said, "That's a little biased of you. Not all of us are only focused on fighting."

A tiny, amused smile came to her lips. "That almost sounds like a challenge… Sure you want to make a bet that I might be wrong?"

Though he was mentally screaming at himself not to do it, Ironhide said simply, his optics blazing, "You're on."

Chromia truly looked surprised when she glanced up at him, but she recovered in no time. Regaining her composure, she said coolly, "Okay." She paused for a moment, clearly mulling this over, then said, "If you can excel at something that doesn't give you even the remotest benefit in battle, then I'll be the first to admit defeat." Seeing a telling glint in his optics, she added, "And engineering skills don't count…"

*****

If there was one thing that the Autobots could be sure of, after the many centuries spent at war, it was that the calm could shatter at a moment's notice and it could take mere seconds to tear lives asunder.

Both Optimus and Starscream had been uncertain if Megatron would dare show his face in the vicinity of Cybertron again so soon. While the Decepticon commander would almost surely have been apprised of the security grid that was being established, he and his troops would still be outnumbered if they showed.

But then, several things were working in Megatron's favor: it was not known just how many Terrorcons he had at his disposal or where precisely he would strike. And, he still had Sideways working for him, whom the Autobots had no chance of keeping track of without Kicker.

Bearing all those factors in mind, Optimus knew that this would likely be the deadliest of battles. When he gathered all his most seasoned warriors (Demolisher as well) together for a brief private meeting, he even said as such. "I want you all to take as much care as possible. The last thing I want to see is that any harm befalls even one of us."

Demolisher said nothing, but given his expression, he had to be affected to some degree to be regarded as part of the team and to know that his Autobot comrades cared more than he'd thought possible. Standing next to the hard-edged bot with Starxis perched on his shoulder, Starscream voiced his concerns over who had been missing during the previous firefight. "That may be why Megatron chose now to call for reinforcements," the jet went on to say. "I don't know what happened, but it looks like Scorpinok definitely may no longer be with him. Alexis -- I'm not so sure about."

Much to everyone's surprise, the youngling chose to chime in. "Starxis would like to know," the little guy chirped out. When this caused Starscream to turn his head and fix his adopted child with startled orange optics, Starxis continued with, "Can read Megatron's mind. Want to know about Mommy." After a short silence and most likely in answer to Starscream's thoughts on the matter, the youngling added, "Will hide during battle. Will be safe."

Starscream sighed, showing he was giving in by the way his shoulders slumped. It couldn't be too hard to draw Megatron (or even one of the other Decepticons) to wherever Starxis chose to hide. After a few more words shared between him and his comrades, Starscream was heading outside; the others said something about wanting to gear up for the coming fight. No sooner had he done so than a message sounded through his comlink, calling for aid in the northern-most quadrant of the grid. Fortunately, it wasn't far away from where he was standing, and Starscream soon took to the skies, holding Starxis against his chest in a way that concealed the youngling from view.

Once near the battlefield, Starscream swooped in close to the ground to deposit Starxis at a place that the youngling could safely hide for the duration. With that accomplished, he went to back up the Autobot troops who were giving their all to defend the towers from the attack. Looking around, the jet spotted Cyclonus, Tidal Wave, some random Decepticons who he didn't know, and a large number of the Terrorcons.

It didn't take very long for Starscream to spot a problem. As he went airborne, soaring towards Cyclonus, he idly mused that the Autobots really needed to have more aerial soldiers on their side. It would certainly help even the battlefield if the Autobots were a little less limited against their flight-capable enemies.

In retrospect, his decision to take to the skies probably saved his life.

The explosions came so suddenly that almost no one had time to react. Starscream alone had barely registered the loud booming sounds before the strong shockwave hit him. With his equilibrium thrown off, he actually found himself on a collision course with the ground, but was fortunately able to right himself just in time. Even as he hurriedly maneuvered to get out of the line of fire (though it probably didn't matter seeing as the Decepticons almost immediately turned their attention to the next group of towers), Starscream turned his gaze towards the ground, almost freezing as he took in the carnage of the scene below.

The bases of three adjacent grid towers were now engulfed in flames, burning with such intensity that it was amazing that they were all still standing upright. Catching sight of two dozen fallen soldiers, Starscream swooped in to investigate, silently thanking Primus that Starxis had been nowhere near this cataclysm.

Much to his shock, Starscream discovered that many of the troops were either seriously injured or dead. Swiftly, he activated his comlink, barking out that medical aid was required in his quadrant and to report that part of their security grid was gone. Even as Optimus questioned frantically over the coms what had happened, a flicker of movement caused Starscream to look up.

Almost instantly, the jet activated his laser cannons, but found that it wouldn't do any good when the instigator gave a loud, ironic laugh and faded from sight.

It took Starscream no time to work out an answer. "Sideways," he responded to the Autobot commander. "He got past us. He planted some explosives."

Optimus' next words were slow in coming, perhaps demonstrating just how in shock he was. More than likely, the thought of how useful it would have been to have Kicker present for this battle was once more crossing the mind of the Autobots' leader. "Thanks for the heads up, Starscream. I'll make sure everyone out there knows to keep an eye out for such a thing around the towers."

Starscream was barely listening to this speech, as he had just then caught sight of a familiar figure in the distance. After a second or two, he absently gave an acknowledgment of what Optimus had said, thinking it was all he could do not to take off right then and there. Looking around at the wounded soldiers kept him grounded, though just barely; it wouldn't be right to leave them like this.

But when a medical team did show up, then Megatron was all his…

*****

Though Demolisher had no qualms when it came to facing down Shockblast, Sideways, one of the lesser Decepticons, or perhaps even Megatron, the same could not be said for the soldiers he'd spent an ample amount of time working alongside. So, when faced with Cyclonus and even though he had the eccentric bot in sight of his laser rifle, Demolisher couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.

Even worse, Cyclonus knew it.

Though the eccentric bot knew that he would likely get chewed out by Megatron if he was seen, he drifted in for a landing on the rooftop where Demolisher had positioned himself. A second later, the latter lowered his rifle so it was pointed at the ground.

Cyclonus spoke first. "I bet you could still come back if you wanted to."

Demolisher kept his face blank. "I could say the same to you, Cyclonus. Why would you stay with Megatron after what he did?"

The eccentric bot bristled slightly. "I'm flying again, aren't I? Things aren't all that bad," he said testily. "And name's Snowcat now."

Demolisher gave a single acknowledging nod. "Snowcat," he said quietly. After a moment of silence, he added, "I'm not coming back. I don't expect you to understand, but I'm not."

"What happened to you?" Snowcat asked with wide, bewildered optics.

Demolisher bowed his head slightly, knowing his comrade well enough to recognize that Snowcat would not open fire. "I found something more important than swearing my allegiance to an insane dictator," he said simply. "Think about that."

Before another word could be said, the sound of missile fire from above caused Demolisher to glance upwards, just in time to see that a blue and gray Cybertronian jet was soaring in and taking shots at him. Swiftly, he leaped backwards to avoid the missiles, and when he looked at Snowcat, it was to see that the eccentric bot was taking off after the jet as it veered off.

Though the two were a great distance away, the fact that Demolisher raised the volume on his audio receptors allowed him to hear Snowcat warning the other (Thundercracker) against doing something like that again. At this, a small smile pulled at Demolisher's lips; it was nice to know that, in spite of everything, his former comrades would likely not do anything to harm him.

When he averted his attention to another area of the battlefield, just lucky enough to catch sight of an altercation between Shockblast and Tidal Wave, Demolisher silently mused that perhaps he could return the favor…

*****

If Megatron had had any indication of the bad history between two of his elite warriors, he surely would have made an effort to keep them away from each other. As it was, the squabbling between a certain escaped prisoner and a dim-witted colossal Decepticon was getting steadily worse.

Tidal Wave was nevertheless in his element, perfectly content in following his leader's orders to take down the towers. So, it certainly came as a surprise when, as he was prepared to open fire on one of the structures, a powerful laser blast glanced by his left arm, opening a shallow gash in his chassis. Tidal Wave blinked in surprise, then turned his head, scowling when his optics landed on Shockblast.

"Sorry," the latter said in a mocking, childish tone, deliberately throwing Tidal Wave's earlier excuse back at him. "Guess I missed." With that, Shockblast turned his attention to some Autobots on the ground when they started firing at him.

Though Tidal Wave was shortly forced to do likewise, the anger that broiling inside him was a sure indication that this matter was far from over…

*****

On the opposite end of the battlefield, Megatron was watching the proceedings from high up in the air, wearing a smug smile as he viewed each and every one of his soldiers (at least those that he could see) giving their all to carry out his orders. Though he half expected not to have to participate in this endeavor, he still had his sword drawn and he was on high alert for anything. After all, either Starscream or Optimus would undoubtedly want to come after him.

Megatron wasn't sure if the girl was back in their company or not, but he got his answer when he heard someone yell out his name and turned to see a very livid red and white jet. Starscream looked so angry that it was amazing he halted for as long as he did, holding his fighting stance. "Where is she?!" the jet all but shouted, his voice shaking with rage.

Megatron wasn't the least bit intimidated, but he did raise his own sword. With a wry smile, he answered, "Not with me, that's for sure." When Starscream responded by accusing him of lying, Megatron said simply, "Now what reason would I have for doing that?" A pause, and then, "If you want to find her, you should ask our dear friend, Scorpinok, wherever he may be… I'm surprised she hasn't returned by now. It most likely suggests that Scorpinok and Alpha Q are now holding her prisoner."

Starscream hesitated, thrown by this admission. But, he soon set it aside when a single thought in regards to the current situation came to mind. Starxis would be able to tell him later what the truth was.

Advancing slightly and gripping his sword in readiness, Starscream said in a low, dangerous tone, "Then that means that you have no one to hide behind now, Megatron."

Megatron adopted his trademark wry smile at that. "Oh, please," he answered in a downright patronizing tone. "On average, you could never hope to win against me, Starscream. Save yourself the trouble and give up now before you humiliate yourself again."

As Megatron had anticipated, Starscream advanced towards him with an angry cry, and the Decepticon commander was more than ready to counter the blow. However, Megatron was startled when his optics locked with the jet's, and he saw a resolve in Starscream's face that he'd not ever seen before.

At this, Megatron began to feel a tad apprehensive, which was compounded when the jet stated, in a downright livid tone, "That's enough, Megatron! In all the time I've known you, you have done nothing but belittle whatever talents I have as a soldier! You have done so for the last time." Shifting his stance to continue the attack, Starscream said, "Allow me to show you just how wrong you are…"

*****

After his little spat with Tidal Wave, Shockblast had made a point of keeping away from his colossal comrade, though he hoped that this did settle whatever grievance the big guy had with him. Had he been asked, Shockblast would have said that he'd never seen Tidal Wave before earlier today; he had never been good with faces and had no way of connecting the colossal Decepticon to something that had occurred more than a decade ago.

That matter aside, Shockblast was having the time of his life sticking it to those wretched Autobots by taking out one tower after another. Such a feat was easy for him; as someone who'd chosen an aerial Cybertronian-style cannon as his alternate mode, any one of his shots contained five times more punch than that of those around him. Back when he'd had a Mini-Con boosting his power, he had definitely been a force to be reckoned with.

Being on high alert, Shockblast was able to easily sense a laser bolt originating from the ground coming at him and he banked left to avoid it, having a good chuckle over how idiotic these Autobots could be in thinking they could take him down.

Seeing another tower in his peripheral vision, Shockblast veered off in that general direction, simultaneously lowering his altitude to fire off a shot at the base. For a few tenuous seconds, he halted, shifting his position from left to right to ensure the uninterrupted laser volley took out the entire base of the tower and caused it to start collapsing.

In retrospect, that short moment in which he stopped was most likely what led to the deadly events that followed.

With the task accomplished, Shockblast activated his boosters to start moving again, only to be startled when he was forcibly stopped after a few inches. For an instant, he puzzled over this, then turned his head to try to figure out what was holding him in place.

Even as Shockblast took in the sight of the red laser bindings wrapped around both his wings, he felt himself starting to be dragged downwards. Facing forward and saying a silent thanks that at least the tower was not collapsing in his direction, Shockblast switched off his boosters and twisted around as much as the bindings would allow to get a sense of who was attempting to capture him.

As bad with faces as he might be, Shockblast still was able to recognize Demolisher; it was hard to forget one of the ones who had testified at the trial that resulted in his imprisonment. It also didn't take long to recognize that the hard-edged bot must have some magnetic couplings engaged to hold him to Cybertron's metal surface, so that he could easily draw Shockblast in.

Shockblast cast a quick glance around, instantly feeling thankful that none of the other Autobots were nearby. Clearly, this was a solo mission on Demolisher's part. Still, given the rate at which the laser bindings were shrinking, it wouldn't be long before Shockblast was drawn down to ground level. If that happened, he'd be recaptured for sure.

Shockblast twisted around once more as much as the bindings would allow. While this put Demolisher in his sights, he didn't have a chance of scoring a direct hit. It took a few seconds, but Shockblast did eventually recognize that there was something he could do.

Activating his cannon, Shockblast fired off a series of shots that literally tore apart the ground beneath Demolisher's feet. Swiftly, the former faced forward, igniting his boosters at full force; as he hoped, Demolisher's magnetic couplings were rendered useless, and the hard-edged bot was literally yanked off the ground.

However, much to Shockblast's surprise, Demolisher maintained his grip on the gun that the laser bindings were emanating from, showing just how determined he was. The added weight of the hard-edged bot was sufficient to slow Shockblast down, though not by much.

It still proved enough of an annoyance that it prompted Shockblast to activate his coms, sending out a call for assistance from any Decepticons in range. When he was responded to by either silence or some annoying excuse that a comrade of his was too busy, Shockblast eventually came to the conclusion that he was on his own.

Even in those seconds, Demolisher had recovered from the shock that he was now airborne and resumed pressing the button to shrink the bindings. The best he could do at this point was to shorten them enough to actually detain Shockblast in mid air.

Still, it was unfortunate that Demolisher and his would-be captive were separated by almost one hundred yards.

Shockblast hit on almost the perfect plan to both shake Demolisher and potentially get rid of the bindings at the instant that another tower entered his sights. If he'd actually had a mouth, Shockblast would most certainly have been wearing a devious smile.

Increasing his speed slightly, Shockblast fired off a shot at the bottom left end of the tower that was sure to start it collapsing at an angle. Still, it was unfortunate that absolutely no one was in range of this particular structure; it might have been even more gratifying if one or more Autobots had suffered the same fate that Demolisher was about to.

When he started flying beneath the tower as it toppled in his direction, Shockblast didn't foresee any problem or danger to himself. More than likely, Demolisher would release his hold on the gun in an effort to get to safety and the surety that the device would be smashed to bits underneath the tower would get rid of the laser bindings. In either case, Shockblast was guaranteed to be home free.

Unfortunately, just as that thought had crossed Shockblast's mind, Tidal Wave seemed to appear out of nowhere, directly in his path as he was nearing the midway point.

As startled as he was to see an obstacle, Shockblast was still amazingly able to veer left just enough to avoid the big guy. But an instant later, he was given a clear impression of just how much of a grudge the colossal Decepticon had against him.

Tidal Wave grabbed hold of Demolisher as a means of halting Shockblast in his tracks. In the same instant, the big guy began to back up, deliberately drawing the latter back beneath the tower while getting himself and the hard-edged bot to a relatively safer position.

From the second that Shockblast fired his boosters up to their maximum level in his panic, it was all over. This propelled him forward and caught Tidal Wave off guard just enough that the proverbial game of tug-of-war resulted in Demolisher once more being placed in harm's way.

It certainly didn't help that the falling tower was starting to gain momentum. Looking up, Demolisher didn't even have time to yell at the big guy to let go of him, and his panic was so great that he did something that in retrospect was probably incredibly stupid.

He released his hold on the gun.

The instant that Tidal Wave realized that Shockblast was getting away, he unceremoniously and carelessly dropped Demolisher. Fortunately, the hard-edged bot didn't fall far, landing flat on his back with a small grunt; any higher and the impact would have been worse. With wide optics, Demolisher focused on the big guy to see that Tidal Wave was pursuing Shockblast, and it took only seconds for the colossal Decepticon to seize hold of the gun to halt the latter in his tracks once more.

Vaguely, Demolisher could hear several voices calling his name in alarm, indicating that some of the Autobots had to be witnessing this and that they too were panicked. Shifting his gaze upwards, Demolisher began frantically backpedaling, desperately attempting to get out of the way of the monolithic structure while simultaneously willing Tidal Wave to do the same; he couldn't care less what happened to Shockblast at this point.

But it was already too late for all three of them…

*****

As startled as Megatron by the tenacity his opponent displayed, it was nothing compared to the anger he felt when Starscream actually scored a lucky hit or two. In all of his time working with and observing the jet, he had come to see that Starscream was a plucky fighter, but he also had a weakness in that his own emotions often ruled his actions. And, aside from being imbued with many millennia worth of anger, he had never been good enough to actually best Megatron in a fight.

When Megatron actually stated as much in a heated tone, Starscream leaned in with an angered expression, his sword pressing heavily against that of the Decepticon leader's. "Keep it up, Megatron," the jet snarled, "and you'll see just how 'weak' my emotions make me."

Megatron went on as if his opponent hadn't spoken, a cruel smile coming to his lips. "Perhaps I'm wrong to think that your girl is being held captive by Scorpinok. Maybe it turns out she'd actually prefer being around anyone other than your pathetic, whiny self."

Starscream gave a howl of rage once those words sunk in, and he swiftly pivoted on his axis. Drawing his blade away so quickly caused Megatron to stumble slightly. Before the Decepticon leader could regain his balance, Starscream had completed his spin, laying into the guy with such force that it soon sent Megatron sprawling, though his own thrusters still kept him aloft in mid air.

In a split second, Starscream was driving his sword into Megatron's chest, causing his opponent to yell out in pain. Just as swiftly, the jet removed the blade, maneuvering it into a position that gave every indication he was about to deliver a second, more devastating, blow.

But just then, Starscream's comlink buzzed to life, and the sound of Scavenger's voice halted the jet in his tracks, though just barely. "Starscream," the seasoned vet was saying in an unusually agitated tone. "Wherever you are, you need to zero in on my coordinates and get down here now!"

Through gritted teeth, and keeping his attention fully focused on Megatron, Starscream answered, "I'm a little busy."

Scavenger's next words were just as agitated, but they were enough to sufficiently deflate Starscream's anger. "It's Demolisher… One of the towers just collapsed right on top of him!"

Starscream froze and likely would have remained so if he hadn't suddenly been hit in the stomach and made to stumble backwards. Though he did retaliate by swiping at Megatron in a way to get the Decepticon commander to back off, the jet was soon spinning round and taking off for Scavenger's location as fast as he could.

Megatron watched this with an air of satisfaction for a moment, ironically thinking, What did I tell you, Starscream? You are ruled by your emotions, and you always will be…

No sooner had the thought crossed Megatron's mind than his own comlink buzzed to life and he was shortly given just as much cause to be concerned. "Sir," came the sound of Snowcat's voice, sounding remarkably shaken. "Can you hear me?"

Megatron sneered at the idiocy of that question. "What is it, Snowcat?" he said impatiently.

A loud gulp sounded over the coms, followed by, "It's Tidal Wave. And Shockblast… I think they're dead, sir…"

"What?!" Megatron roared after an instant, unconsciously moving in the direction where Starscream had gone. While it was true that he was harsh and uncompromising where his soldiers were concerned, he had come to regard Tidal Wave as one of his more valuable troops, and Shockblast had potential to make the grade in this war as well. He'd be slagged if he had just lost both of them in one fell swoop.

In seconds, Megatron was following in Starscream's wake, all thoughts of his quarrel with the jet banished from his mind…

*****

Contrary to what Snowcat had believed, Megatron found that at least one of his soldiers was alright upon close examination, though not quite the one he wanted to be. Paying scant attention to the Autobots that were rushing by on their way to the east end of the fallen tower, Megatron crouched down slightly by the rounded edge where the tower met the ground. By sheer luck, Shockblast had somehow avoided getting crushed by mere inches, though he was confined within some sort of ditch.

Upon hearing from Sideways that Shockblast may have instigated this mess by provoking Tidal Wave, Megatron wasn't very inclined to help free the guy.

It was fortunate that the tower remnants were cracked enough that Megatron and his team were able to get a general idea of where the Tidal Wave was at. Shortly, the Decepticon commander had ordered a large group of his soldiers to work at digging out their colossal comrade.

The team moved swiftly enough that Tidal Wave was sufficiently uncovered in minutes, and Megatron grimaced when he got a view of just how bad the damage was. Amazingly, the colossal Transformer was still conscious and turning his ruined, fluid-stained head in Megatron's direction. In a somber tone, almost as though he knew just how dire his situation was, the big guy said, "Tidal Wave is sorry."

Megatron kept his face and tone blank as he responded, "Save your breath, soldier. You are not going to die if I have anything to say about it." Quickly, he turned, barking out orders to Snowcat, Sideways, Thundercracker, and a few other random Decepticons to aid him in getting Tidal Wave out of here and back to Unicron's remains as swiftly as possible.

They had barely left the planet's surface before the sound of a small explosion reached Megatron's audio sensors, and he idly cast a glance downwards to see that Shockblast had maneuvered into a position that had allowed him to blast his way free of the trench. Ironically, the latter complained, even as he moved to pursue the departing group, that they had a lot of nerve in leaving him to fend for himself.

Megatron shook his head, disbelieving that he'd initially thought that Shockblast would prove to be a valuable asset. Unbelievable, he mused. I actually found someone who's even more pathetic than Starscream ever was…

*****

Unlike the Decepticons, who'd been able to easily locate their fallen troops, the Autobots had to rely on Red Alert and his medical scanners to pinpoint Demolisher's location beneath the monolithic structure. While the medic kept his equipment running to continuously monitor Demolisher's vital signs from a distance, the others worked tirelessly, hitting the tower with very focused and short bursts of laser fire to break it into chunks and make it easier to clear away the debris.

Starscream didn't know just how long he and his comrades worked, but he was praying all the while for his friend to just hold on until they could get there. At one point, Starxis had even come to quietly perch on his shoulder; Starscream couldn't even think about asking his adopted child what he had learned from reading Megatron's mind, nor did the youngling volunteer any information towards this end.

When Demolisher was at last uncovered, the jet almost froze, paralyzed with fear. "No," Starscream cried, moving forward and doubling his efforts to clear away the rubble. As he worked, he fought to keep his dread over Demolisher's appearance from overwhelming him. The multiple fractures in his friend's armor, splashed with an enormous amount of different colored fluids, definitely did not look good.

After a minute, Starscream leaned towards Demolisher, grasping his friend's face and turning it towards him, trying to ignore the huge crack running down the center. "Demolisher, "Starscream said in a surprisingly soft, though very shaky, tone. "It's going to be okay now. We got you out." A pause, and then, "You just need to wake up for us, alright?"

Red Alert appeared at the edge of the hole above Starscream, brandishing a medical scanner and a portable homing beacon. It took him a long, tense moment to convince the jet to back off. Once the medic confirmed that Demolisher's spark was still pulsating, though it was dangerously faint, Red Alert hooked the beacon onto the fallen soldier and activated his comlink to transmit a message to those stationed in Autobot HQ. "Dr. Jones," the medic said tersely. "I need you to transport Demolisher and myself into the med-bay, right now!"

Starscream didn't know how long he remained there after the medic and his friend vanished from sight, and it was Optimus who actually had to prompt him to move. As he climbed fully out of the hole, Starscream caught sight of the brown fluid now staining his chest and a sick feeling began welling up inside. Dimming his optics, the jet painfully, almost irrationally, thought, Dear Primus, no! Even you can't be cruel enough to take away two of the people I care most about.

Feeling ill just as much at the thought of not knowing where or in what condition Alexis was as he was about potentially losing his best friend, Starscream didn't immediately register that Optimus was gently suggesting that they all get over to the med-bay to see to Demolisher. After a long silence, the jet nodded, unconsciously moving after the Autobots around him as they started walking.

It took only seconds for every one of them to draw up short, as the unexpected sound of a lone jet engine drew their gazes towards the sky. For those few moments, nobody dared move or speak, though some were wondering if this was a sign of a further attack.

Once the approaching MiG came in for a landing and transformed, Starxis broke the silence, his large green eyes shining with unshed tears. "Mommy," he chirped out in a low, but still deeply joyful, tone, instantly spreading his wings so he could fly towards her.

Alexis' blue optics were shining with an equal amount of emotion as she welcomed the youngling into her hands, hugging him against her chest and bowing her head briefly. An instant later, she looked back up, obviously searching for Starscream by the way her optics latched, almost hungrily, onto him.

Slowly, Starscream moved towards her, almost against his will. He was very much in denial, a part of him certain that this couldn't be real, that she couldn't be here. But he was still able to hear her thoughts, and she his. There were so many emotions dancing across her face, just as there must be with his, as each of them could barely make sense of everything the other had been through, in the short time they'd been separated.

When he was close enough, Starscream hesitated for a long while, then silently reached out to touch her face and felt a strong rush of joy when she reached up with one hand to press his firmly against her metallic skin. In the same instant, Starxis repositioned so he was curled up against Alexis' neck, purring loudly.

There were still many issues to be addressed and questions to be answered, and the future was still so uncertain for both of them. But, Starscream would gladly trade all of that for just this one stolen moment. Wordlessly, he simply put his arms around Alexis and crushed her against him as if he would never let go…