When We Seared The Sky

Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty
Tempting Fate

Alexis eyed the rocket launcher in her hands apprehensively, her green cores filled with mingled emotions. Fear was predominant; although she remembered what Starscream had said about it being the enemy, she could not help but feel it. It flowed through her veins with her blood, rushing to her head and to every part of her body, making her heart pump faster and the fine hairs on the back of her neck rise when she shivered. Now she knew what was coming, and she did fear it.

Ironhide had been patient with the four frightened humans as he taught them how to wield the weaponry that they were meant to be using against the Decepticons – well, she had certainly been frightened. Sam, on the other hand, had been incredibly excited when he had been handed an M16 assault rifle, and had picked it up extremely quickly, whilst Jade had been issued with a standard M9 pistol.

Mikaela had been chosen by the weapons specialist as a stealth attacker; the plan was that she would hide in the upper parts of the warehouse and use a sniper rifle to take out the Decepticons’ sparks should they enter the base. A determined expression had appeared on the brunette’s face as she loaded the dangerous-looking gun.

However, Alexis’s once-guardian had given her a weapon with even higher firepower.

She knew exactly why, and he had not made any attempt to hide it. He feared that the Decepticons would be after her in particular, because of what she meant to Starscream – Starscream, who had betrayed them. Like Autobots, Decepticons did not take betrayal lightly, and Thrust would exact his revenge in the cruellest way possible.

So instead of the lightweight sidearm that Jade had been given or the long-distance rifle that was now in the hands of Mikaela, Alexis was in possession of the same weapon as Sam – but with an M203 grenade launcher attached to it.

She weighed it in her hands, trying to get her fingers familiar with the feel of the bulky weapon and her mind to process the digits and letters that each gun had. Like Ratchet, she had never enjoyed the thought of war, and had not really approved of her father’s career in the Air Force when she thought about it later on in her life. But she realised now that sometimes violence was necessary, for the greater good. The Autobots had learnt that the hard way, and now she would too.

“Weapons do not become you,” a voice suddenly rasped, and she almost dropped the gun in shock.

Turning around, she faced Starscream with a proud look on her face. “How so?” she asked, hoisting the gun into her thin arms a little more comfortably. “I think it looks quite good.” She raised her chin slightly and narrowed her eyes at the challenging comment, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

Starscream stepped forward into the room, his red eyes analysing the gargantuan cannons that hung from the walls, and the neat lines of grenades and flares that Ironhide kept in his stores. “You are not built for war,” he said simply, with an almost sorrowful note to his voice as he gestured towards her willowy body. “Humans are too fragile for combat against the likes of our race. Not a young one like you, anyhow. The humans performed quite admirably at Mission City, but many fell.”

Alexis put the gun down carefully and sighed, tucking a loose strand of light brown hair behind her ear. “Maybe,” she said heavily, before she looked up at her enormous guardian. “Starscream… the Decepticons will try to kill you, won’t they? Because you betrayed them…” She trailed off, watching for any reaction in his expression.

There was no fear in his eyes to see. “I welcome death,” he said softly. “It would mean an end to this.”

She stared at him, shaking her head slightly. “Don’t say that,” she scolded, a hand creeping to her mouth at the mere thought of it. “Why would you want to end it now?”