Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Author's Notes: I know I said it was going to be a while before the next installment was posted, but things change. I had intended for this chapter to be the first of a three-chapter arc on the upcoming battle sequence, of which the first stages would have been placed at the end of this one, but decided to break it up a little.

Of the upcoming battle, I will say that there will be some surprises in store for a number of characters, one of which will not be featured in this story for much longer. check out the new poll on my profile page for a chance to guess who will be leaving.

Until then, enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Six

The longer that Optimus listened to Alpha Q speak, the more he began to believe that the spindly bot's intentions were honorable. The only sour moment of the meeting was when Starxis, positioned on Alexis' shoulder, had started having a fit. Amidst his whining and/or screeching, the youngling spoke to Alpha Q, "Head hurts! Stop thinking so much!" But such a problem was easily solved; Optimus shortly excused Starxis and his adopted parents from the room.

In any case, the meeting ended with Optimus and Alpha Q declaring a truce and promising to work together to take down Megatron. Shortly thereafter, the Autobot commander excused himself and began making his way back out with the intention of "visiting" Rodimus' ship.

Though he was disappointed to learn that Ironhide was no longer on board this particular shuttle, Optimus elected to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the three bots who were present. Odds were that Ironhide had made himself scarce as a means of delaying the "talk," but it would be dealt with soon enough.

Optimus started by looking around at the CR tanks and several other gadgets present on the bridge, then went on to say, "Seems the years since you've left Cybertron have been generous, Rodimus."

The latter nodded, his arms crossed in a cavalier manner. Catching a slight edge to Optimus' words, Rodimus said, "That they have." He paused for a moment, then continued, "I imagine I let down more than a few commanding officers back in the day, but I don't apologize for taking off…"

Optimus bowed his head slightly, cutting off his companion before anything further could be said. "And I'm not going to raise an argument about it." After a moment, the Autobot commander looked back up and added, "I know it was you who took out Megatron's jamming device, during one of the recent battles. I only wish to say thank you, Rodimus, and that there's no hard feelings."

Wearing a slight smile, Rodimus said simply that he was welcome, expecting that this would conclude the conversation between him and the Autobot commander. So, he was definitely surprised when Optimus shifted his weight and went on with, "Alexis… Sky Dancer, that is… She had told me about what you've been up to, that you make your way as a merchant now." When Rodimus offered an acknowledgment, Optimus hesitantly said, "To be honest, I feel that getting Unicron away from Megatron is not going to be a simple task, and we could use all the help we can get. I was hoping that you might know a few Transformers willing to lend a hand, with all the colonies you've been to."

Rodimus was silent for a brief moment, then abruptly nodded. "Of course," he said in an even tone. "I'll contact them as soon as I can."

Following this short exchange, Optimus looked towards Chromia and Elita, instantly getting the impression that the latter must be shy given that she was looking towards the floor. He quietly said that it was nice to make their acquaintance and was taking his leave within seconds.

An instant later, Rodimus was turning towards Chromia to make preparations to fly within radio range of the desired colonies. So lost in their own thoughts, none of the three noticed when Elita tilted her head up slightly, a sparkle in her optics as she watched the Autobot commander depart…

*****

After departing Rodimus' ship, it didn't take Optimus very long to gain admittance to the one commandeered by Kicker and Ironhide. He even saw fit to punch in an entry code on the keypad by the airlock, so that those on board would not have much forewarning that he was coming.

Six pairs of eyes and/or optics came to focus on Optimus with varying degrees of anxiety at the instant he entered the bridge. For a moment, the Autobot commander waited to see if Kicker or Ironhide might say something, apologetic or otherwise, then started things off by saying, "If the two of you weren't so needed in the battle to come, I wouldn't hesitate to either lock you in the brig for an extended period or hand you over to your parents to face the consequences… But I will say that, when this is over, both of you are going to be in a heap of trouble."

Misha started to say something in their defense, but a look from Optimus effectively silenced her; she imagined that she was in just as deep, especially when it came to Brian and Miranda Jones. Kicker, on the other hand, wasn't deterred so easily. "We were just trying to help."

Optimus turned to focus on the hotheaded teenager, looking downright furious. "Which you could have accomplished better by staying put," he said sternly. A pause, and then, "We needed you and Ironhide with us on Cybertron, once Megatron got it into his head to place a call for new recruits. For one thing, you're the only one who can tell us where Sideways is at all times, Kicker."

Optimus went on to explain about the disaster with the grid towers, simultaneously filling them all in on Demolisher's fate. Looking towards Ironhide at the conclusion of this speech, he added, "Even just one more soldier at our disposal might have made a difference, maybe would have helped us avoid a near catastrophe. Think about that next time before you fly off half-cocked."

Optimus hesitated for a moment to let that sink in, then averted his gaze once more to focus on the three Mini-Cons gathered around the central console. Addressing them each in turn, he said in a low tone that indicated he wasn't happy about the part they'd played in this scenario, "As for you three… We're going to have a serious talk later..."

*****

It had to be sheer luck that there was no sign that another attack was imminent as the day wore on. Once all matters had been taken care of and Alpha Q had agreed to stay where he was for the time being, the majority of the group, Scorpinok included, had made their way back to Cybertron to either get updated on pressing issues or begin strategizing for their plan of attack. Or, in Kicker and Misha's case, face the music where his parents were concerned.

Upon their return to the metallic planet, Starscream and Alexis had made their way back to the observation booth, though they were granted permission to venture directly into the med-bay by Red Alert within seconds. As the medic told them as he was leading them towards a separate room at the rear of the infirmary, Demolisher's spark and memory core had needed to be transplanted into a protoform almost equal in size to the hard-edged bot's former body.

"I would have brought him online right away," Red Alert went on to state, "but I thought you both might want to be here for when he woke up… I did a routine scan of his memory once it was transplanted. Fortunately, the majority of it is still intact, but there will still be some blank spots. I couldn't tell you offhand what he will or will not remember of the past decade."

Alexis nodded in response and offered a quiet thank you. In moments, both jets found themselves face to face with a generic Transformer body spread out on a solitary bunk, not unlike the initial form Alexis had worn following her conversion. If not for Red Alert's claim, she would have had a hard time connecting this bot before her to the Demolisher she had grown to like and respect.

Once Red Alert had initiated whatever needed to be done to awaken Demolisher, he quietly said that he'd leave the three of them to, in a sense, get reacquainted and left the room.

The seconds that ensued seemed to drag on, as the two jets waited with growing anticipation. Demolisher's systems seemed to whir to life with painstaking slowness, and it took time for his optics, now a rich shade of bluish-purple, to light up. He blinked several times, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, before his face melted into an expression of uncertainty.

Getting the impression that Demolisher may be unsure if he was alive or dead, Starscream let go of Alexis and stepped forward, laying his hand on one side of the bunk and smiling ever so slightly when his friend turned to look in his direction. "Welcome back," Starscream said softly. After a slight pause and seeing that Demolisher still looked confused, he added, "What's the last thing you remember?"

Demolisher was silent for a long while, then hesitantly raised one arm and turned his gaze towards it. Perhaps he'd wanted to confirm that he was still functioning, if not unchanged. With a deep sigh, he said, a slight weariness to his tone, "I would have never pegged Tidal Wave as carrying such a grudge."

Under Starscream's inquiries, Demolisher went on to explain what that meant. "At least now I know not to try to get between Shockblast and the big guy… provided that they're both still alive."

Starscream's smile widened slightly, and he reached out to clasp Demolisher's hand in his own. "I'm going to hold you to that," he warned. "If you ever scare me like that again, I'll make you wish you had gone offline today."

Demolisher chuckled slightly, at which point Alexis shifted her weight, prepared to clear her throat as a means of making her presence known. She soon found that she needn't have bothered; Demolisher must have seen the flicker of movement, for his gaze turned in her direction. She had to resist the urge to laugh when his optics grew wide at the sight of her.

She offered a very abbreviated version of her rescue by Scorpinok and the alliance with Alpha Q, with the promise that the tale could be told in greater detail later. With that out of the way, Alexis took a few hesitant steps towards the bunk, smiling slightly when she saw Demolisher make a move to sit up straight. Softly, she said, "Thank you for trying to save me from Megatron. I owe you one, Demolisher, whether the attempt worked or not." She paused, raising one hand to touch her brow; her next words caused him to laugh out loud. "And I do forgive you."

Starscream laughed as well, both in response to Alexis' thoughts on the matter and to the realization that, whatever memories Demolisher might have lost, they weren't the most important ones. Clearly, the hard-edged bot still remembered his recent time in Megatron's company and the looming "threat" of Unicron.

At the thought of the latter, Starscream turned serious, shifting his weight to draw his friend's attention. "We are going to be going into battle against Megatron soon. Hopefully bring this whole mess to an end. If you're up to joining us, you might want to select a new alternate mode."

Demolisher hesitated, remaining silent as he looked from Starscream to Alexis and back again. At last, he let out a deep sigh, saying simply, "I'll have a look through the database in Autobot headquarters later, see if something strikes me." He paused, then began chuckling, causing Starscream to regard him with a dubious expression. With a note of humor, Demolisher said, "Well, it seems everyone in the old team is getting overhauled. Megatron, Cyclonus, me… I'd be surprised if Tidal Wave, if he survived, didn't need to be refurbished."

Demolisher paused, then glanced up at Starscream with a wry expression. "What do you say? Care to get new and improved yourself?"

Starscream thoughtfully mulled this over, then said simply, "We'll see…"

*****

One of the first points that was addressed, when the Autobot team convened that evening, along with Rodimus, his girls, and Scorpinok, was aimed directly at Kicker. As Optimus revealed, he had had a talk with High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock. It soon became apparent to all that the three Mini-Cons would be going away, that they were no longer allowed to be around the hotheaded teenager for the boy's own good. Alexis personally was saddened to hear this, but it was abated when Optimus turned and informed her that she'd have a chance to say goodbye if she wished.

When Kicker questioned if he was going to be sent home per the request of his parents, Optimus went on to say that he'd spoken to Brian and Miranda. "They know that you'll be needed for this coming battle and have agreed to let you stay with us for the time being."

Optimus then averted his attention to look towards Demolisher. He was pleased that the hard-edged bot had made such a good recovery and briefly commented on his new choice of vehicle. If anything, Demolisher looked just as brawny as he had before, but he was slightly taller and his armor now had a rich crimson and ebony shade. And the massive rubber tires positioned at his legs and upper arms left almost no doubt that he'd selected a monster truck as his alternate mode.

Off of Starscream's comment that Demolisher, save for a pair of gun attachments, seemed to be lacking in personal weaponry, the hard-edged bot had merely adopted a wry grin and reached up to grasp the metal axles attached to each tire on his arms. A second later, both had been detached from his frame, and Demolisher activated some internal mechanism that automatically covered the tires with a gleaming silver shield of metal. Even as Alexis delightedly mused that the devices looked akin to a set of clubs, Demolisher was saying, "Thought I'd take a page from you and Alexis and work in my own trademark weapon."

Following that exchange, the group really got down to business, and Rodimus kicked things off by taking a step forward and saying, "I have gotten some others willing to help us already en route. They should be arriving in the vicinity of Cybertron very late this evening, Optimus, so you may want to instruct your troops to be on alert."

Optimus nodded. "That's good," he said absently, shifting his gaze towards Starscream an instant later. "I'd talked with a number of troops out on the battlefield today, and I've gotten some conflicting reports that Megatron may have inadvertently gained a few extra members to his team. Some of the soldiers he'd abandoned earlier are now being rumored to have gone with him following the collapse of the tower. I was hoping you might have a look at the surveillance feeds to confirm this."

Starscream nodded, idly noting, "The Decepticons in general may be an unruly bunch, but there is still a sense of loyalty among them. More than likely, it might have been out of concern over Tidal Wave or, Primus forbid, Shockblast, and not because of some unwavering devotion to Megatron."

Scorpinok, who'd been watching the proceedings in silence, chose to cut in at this point. He'd informed them at the start of the meeting (and Starxis had confirmed it) that Alpha Q was watching all this from afar. "So perhaps we could start strategizing on how we're going to get Unicron away from Megatron."

Optimus shifted his gaze towards Scorpinok briefly, then focused on the group as a whole when he provided an answer. "I'm thinking that the best course of action would be to divide into two teams. One group will attempt to get inside Unicron, and the other will be assigned to a fleet on the exterior. The latter group will take care of, or keep busy, anyone or anything that Megatron may throw at us in this manner. We have to assume that he may even have Unicron's own weapons systems at his disposal. Towards this end… Anyone who wants to volunteer may do so."

Optimus looked back towards Scorpinok. "And I'd like for you to lead the charge once we get inside Unicron. Out of everyone here, you're the only one who's spent an ample amount of time there, and you'd know the layout better than any of us."

Scorpinok gave a single nod. "But be advised that Megatron will have a few tricks to throw at us in this manner as well… That is partially how he escaped being assassinated by Sideways, by making use of Unicron's capabilities."

Alexis shifted her weight, drawing attention by clearing her throat. "On that subject… Alpha Q implied that Megatron could use Unicron to pinpoint his location. Could the reverse be true?" When Scorpinok answered yes and gave her a quizzical look, Alexis went on with, "Megatron's no fool when it comes to little details, nor is Sideways. He would have suspected that I'd return home and that I'd come back with reinforcements. He could easily have moved his half of Unicron to a different locale just to be on the safe side."

Scorpinok hesitated, then abruptly lowered his visor to cover his optics. For a moment, he spoke in a low tone, the words indicating that he and Alpha Q were conversing on this matter. At last, Scorpinok focused back on the Autobots and said simply, following it with a set of coordinates that Red Alert quickly jotted down, "It can be done."

Optimus let out a sigh. "Good," he said, shortly going back to addressing the whole group. "We'll have some time before the troops contracted by Rodimus arrive. I suggest we use that time to get some rest. We'll stage our attack first thing in the morning." He shifted his gaze towards Alexis, then Scorpinok, and added, "At least we can say that we have a big advantage, but it's one that I prefer that Megatron remain unaware of for the time being. If he launches another attack against us, whether on Cybertron or on Earth, I want the both of you to stay well out of sight."

Following the conclusion of the meeting, Alexis was quietly told by Optimus where she could find the three Mini-Cons she'd once considered the closest of friends. While it was true she had drifted away from them over the years, there was still enough of a rapport that it hurt to think that they'd no longer be around. Though Optimus had merely requested that they no longer hang around Kicker, it had been the decision of High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock on what that meant.

In short, the three Mini-Cons had decided that it was time they rejoin their own brothers. Wherever that may be, it wasn't anywhere on Earth or Cybertron.

Starscream accompanied her to the nearby spaceport, but said he'd wait outside while she ventured into the adjacent hangar. Slowly, Alexis wandered through the expansive building, stopping only long enough to glance here and there, until she came upon the three miniature bots.

They must have been expecting her, for Sureshock was the first to speak. "Do not be sad, Alexis. This is a journey that is long overdue."

She dropped to her knees so that her companions could see her better, feeling a touch of irony at the notion that she'd once been about the same size as them. "It's just hard, saying goodbye… It was because of you three, and all the other Mini-Cons, that the Transformers even came to Earth in the first place. You have helped shape, indirectly or not, so many destinies since that day."

High Wire gave a soft sigh. "And once we were free of Unicron's influence, there was only one reason to stay. The bonds we shared with you, Rad, and Carlos kept us grounded when so many of our kind had departed." He paused, then went on with, "But we must be honest. We haven't been needed for some time now. Those bonds have long since faded. You all have grown and moved on. It's time for us to do the same."

"Allow me to speak for Rad and Carlos as much as for myself when I say you will be missed," Alexis said softly, though she realized after she said it that High Wire and Grindor just might go say their farewells in person.

Sureshock shook his head, drawing her attention. "This is not forever… It is just until we get things sorted out. We've lived in the shadow of humans and of our larger counterparts long enough. It is time to figure out who we are, who we'll be, on our own. If anyone could understand that, it would be you, Alexis. You were always the intuitive one." He stepped forward, laying one hand against one of her large metal fingers. "I will always be proud to have called you a friend."

She nodded, then abruptly reached out to pick him up and elevate him so they were face to face. "I will too, more than you know." Alexis paused; there was so much she wanted to say, but that could take hours, and she would need to rest up for the battle to come. Instead, she summed it up with two simple words. "Goodbye, Sureshock…"

*****

Upon their arrival at Unicron's remains, Megatron had ordered that Tidal Wave be carried into the main chamber, not an easy feat considering his sheer size. It had taken at least thirty Decepticons total to transport the big guy without causing him further harm.

Following this task, Snowcat had gone to stand at one edge of the chamber, uncharacteristically silent and deep in thought for a change, as he blindly watched Megatron and Sideways at work with Tidal Wave's reformatting. On some level, he would say that the decision made sense; the big guy would benefit from gaining some intelligence.

Snowcat threw a quick glance towards Shockblast, a sneer rising to his face when he saw the latter standing at the far entrance to the room and apparently sulking. I wish you had given us an excuse to eliminate you while en route, Snowcat thought maliciously, his musings turning towards Demolisher seconds later.

Snowcat didn't know if the hard-edged bot was alive or dead, but seeing him get hurt had cut just as deep. With a sigh, Snowcat barely acknowledged that Thundercracker had come over to engage him in quiet conversation, though he did halfheartedly start chitchatting with the Decepticon rookie. Idly, the eccentric bot wondered how long it might be before they returned to the battlefield. After all, Tidal Wave would need time to get acclimated to his new body, and Megatron just might be patient enough to allow for that.

Watching as Tidal Wave's spark was being transplanted into a new, significantly smaller form, Snowcat tiredly mused, thinking back to what Demolisher had said, I wonder if there really is a good reason to stay…

*****

Despite how long the day had been, Ironhide was at the moment too wound up to rest. Though he'd lain on his bunk for some time waiting for sleep to catch him, he eventually decided that heading down to the simulation rooms for a training exercise might be just what he needed to blow off steam.

The last thing he expected to see, shortly after he had gotten underway, was for Scorpinok to be standing silently in the barrack's hallway, gazing out over Cybertron's surface. Though Ironhide was unsure if Scorpinok had heard him, the latter tilted his head up a notch and said aloud, in a tone that indicated he knew he had company, "I'd almost forgotten just how beautiful Cybertron was."

Ironhide furrowed his brow. "Beautiful, huh?" he said skeptically, taking a few steps closer so he too could peer out the window. "Not quite the word I would have applied to it."

Scorpinok adopted a small, wry smile. "Try saying that after you haven't seen it for millions of years."

Ironhide nodded after a moment. "Point taken." He paused for a long while, then tentatively said, "Sky Dancer said you were quite the experienced soldier."

Scorpinok's smile grew slightly larger. "Still am, rookie," he said lightly, without malice.

Ironhide could feel his face burning after a moment. "Right," he said in embarrassment. A pause, and then, "So, maybe you could…?"

Scorpinok turned to face Ironhide, summing it all up with a few simple words. "Lesson number one -- Never be nervous when it comes to asking for help in improving your own skills…"

*****

Like Ironhide, Alexis was also having trouble sleeping, though for her, it was more due to a case of nerves. She didn't know how long she lay awake, wrapped in Starscream's arms, before her fellow jet showed he too was awake by tightening his grip on her.

Without moving, Starscream said softly, "There's nothing to fear. You're back among those who love you, and there is not one among us who won't hesitate to give their all to protect you."

Alexis, too, didn't move; it was comforting enough just to know he was resting on the bunk right behind her without having to look at him. Starscream didn't even have to read her mind to know what she was anxious about; had their situations been reversed, he might have felt just as she did.

Alexis shifted her gaze to look at the vial of nanobots sitting on the nightstand, given to her by Elita just after the meeting with the Mini-Cons. "I know," she answered. "Megatron's not likely to get his claws into me again without a fight. And I shouldn't be nervous about coming face to face with him again, but…"

Starscream shifted his weight and put one hand to her fact, turning her head so she was gazing at him. "Hey," he said gently. "None of that." He paused, the look in his orange optics greatly comforting her. "We'll be alright… And I will kill Megatron before I let him take you away again. You have my word on that."

She hesitated, then offered a reassured smile, willing herself to relax and forget about all the possibilities connected with tomorrow's battle. Whatever the situation, she'd adapt to it as it arose and hopefully make it work in her favor.

To further put her at ease, Starscream leaned closer, resting his face against her neck and whispering something that made her forget everything except being in this moment.

"And when this is all over, then we can concentrate on the future… and on the second child we're going to have…"