Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers in any way. If I did, Screamer wouldn't die and there would be a few more female characters. Story inspired by Skins Thunderbomb.

AN: As some of my longtime readers may remember, I started this story when I first started writing here. I soon took it off so I could focus on Lost Soldiers. Now, I bring it back to you, revised, and I WILL complete it at some point in the future. I am open to suggestions on how this should go after chapter 4 or so. (hinthint)

A Clean Slate

#1 - Not Quite Back to Normal

Just last week, the Autobots had left Earth.

The five children, Rad, Carlos, Alexis, Billy, and Fred, were now forced to continue on with their lives as if the Transformers had never existed. They went through their day with heavy hearts. When they met, they didn't say much to each other. Nothing needed to be said. They had all witnessed the same things.

With the departure of the Autobots, they had lost many friends. Though they had promised to visit, the children knew that one would not be with them when they did come...

-x-

That Thursday, during lunch recess, Alexis sat alone at an empty table back near the corner. Her tray sat in front of her with a tuna sandwich, a container of carrots and celery, apple sauce, a bag of baked potato chips, and a bottle of milk. All of which she hadn't touched. She just sat there, staring at a trinket in her hands.

Alexis was so enveloped in her memories, lightly running a thumb over the crack in her greenish gem, she didn't notice when someone sat down beside her. The other person looked her over as if expecting her to look up. When she didn't, the other spoke.

"Uh, hey Lexy."

Alexis finally did pull away and promptly hid her charm in her pocket at hearing someone call one of her nicknames. It was Renee, one of her girl friends from when before the Transformers came. While they had been there, she had practically ignored and avoided friends that didn't know about the Transformers. The brunette smiled weakly. "Hi Renee," she replied.

Renee smiled back with more enthusiasm. She was about the same age and height but had shorter black hair and brownish green eyes. She had braces with glow-in-the-dark bands on the brackets. She wore a dark gray tank top and baggy jeans and worn sneakers with faded marker doodles on them. "Hey, how've you been?" she asked in a friendly way.

Alexis shrugged. "Okay, I guess." She knew she couldn't tell her old friend the truth.

Renee wasn't convinced. "Yeah okay, so uh..." She paused uncertainly. "Did I make you mad at me or anything?"

"No," Alexis quickly shook her head. "Why?"

"Well... you've been avoiding me and we haven't talked in, like... a year."

Her green eyes widened with shock. "No, I'm sorry," she said and turned to face her. "I really am sorry. I was just... caught up in something."

Renee looked relieved. "So we're still friends?" she asked.

Alexis nodded apologetically and Renee giggled happily as she hugged her old friend. "So, what kept you so busy for a whole year?"

She had hoped that she wouldn't ask yet knew that she would. "It's not important anymore," Alexis said.

"Was it making jewelry?"

"No."

"Then why were you staring so forlornly at that necklace?"

Alexis felt trapped. She didn't want to lie to her friend but she knew she couldn't tell her the truth either. Rad would be upset and so would Optimus... But wait... Optimus wasn't there anymore. None of the Autobots were. Did it really matter anymore? Maybe it didn't...

She sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you everything. But-"

Just then the bell rang and every student that was still there stood to clear their trays and stack them before leaving for their final classes for the day. Alexis spoke quickly to Renee. "Can you come to my house after you finish your homework?"

"Yeah sure," she answered. Then the girls followed the last of the students out of the cafeteria.

-x-

Right in the middle of math class, Alexis remembered that she had left her palm pilot in the old base. As soon as school was out, she searched for Rad and Carlos, wanting them to go with her. She couldn't bear to go back there alone.

They were hesitant at first but finally agreed to go. It didn't take them long to get there and soon, they were outside the base doors. They stood there side by side after parking their bike, scooter, and skateboard. Alexis had put her necklace on again and was gazing up at the door. Despite her efforts, tears welled in her eyes.

Oh Starscream, she thought desperately. I wish there was some way to bring you back.

Just then, the gemstone of her necklace glowed brightly. Rad and Carlos stared at it.

"Estelar," Carlos exclaimed, almost flatly.

"What is that?" Rad questioned.

Alexis couldn't find words. "I... I don't..."

The glowing intensified before flashing and fading back as if nothing happened. They looked at each other, having nothing else to say. The silence became hard enough that Carlos finally spoke again.

"C'mon amigos, let's get outa here," he said. "Something doesn't feel right."

-x-

Darkness.

That was the first thing he saw.

Silence.

That was the first thing he heard.

A groan escaped his throat as he fought to sit up. He was dizzy and felt tingly all throughout his body. His back felt cramped and besides the tingling, his body felt strange.

Wanting to get out of this dark place and find the others, he shakily got to his feet. He held his hands out, trying to find a wall or something to aid his unstable legs. He didn't know where he was or what was going on. His memory was clouded. But he did know that he had been on Cybertron... or at least near his home world.

He suddenly let out a horse yelp as he tripped over something he couldn't see. He hit the cold hard floor, his cry and his thud echoing in the air. Why was there an echo? Where the slag was he anyway?

Finding a vertical surface, he tried to stand again. His optics refused to adjust to the dark when suddenly, he was blinded. The sudden light caused him to fall back. He thought that maybe he had been discovered or someone had just stumbled in on him. He tried to activate his sword but was confused to find that it wasn't there. When he felt for it, he couldn't feel his wings at all.

Panic was taking hold. He was blinking fiercely, trying to make his optics adjust. He thought he heard a voice or two but he wasn't sure.

At last, he could see somewhat better but he had to squint. He was in a large hallway, all the doors were closed. Wait... these halls seemed familiar...

It was then he looked down at himself. He stared, not seeing what he had been expecting to see. Instead of blue and red armor, he saw blue, red, and black material covering his arms, hands, legs, and feet. W-what is this? he thought, not able to find his voice.

He heard voices again and swung his head around, trying to pinpoint them. He was on his hands and knees, readying to pounce if the need arose. He clenched his teeth, digging his fingers into the floor. He was slightly shocked to find that this action hurt more than he expected.

"Hey, how'd he get in here?"

"How should I know? Maybe he figured out the codes."

"Well then he hacked the wrong base 'cuase I'm the new ombre in town."

"Carlos."

He turned around toward the voices, jumping to his feet. He yelled a battle cry as he tried to charge forward but he was still unsteady so fell back on his face. He grunted when he hit the floor and pushed himself back to his hands and knees. "Who are you? What do you want with me?" he demanded, glaring up at the three. He didn't recognize them at first.

The kids' mouths dropped open at hearing his voice and seeing his pale face. It couldn't be him, could it? How could it?

Alexis though was the first to respond. She slow, very slowly, stepped forward, an almost neutral expression on her face. But her eyes gave away her wild hopefulness. "Starscream..." She spoke his name quietly, soothingly, for herself and for him. "Starscream, it's us."

His tension lessened as he studied the children more closely. He recognized their faces then their names came to mind. "Carlos... Rad... Alexis..." He said their names slowly, making sure he remembered right. "What's going on here?" he asked. "Why do you look...bigger?" he added as if an after thought. They did appear a bit larger than he remembered.

Carlos now couldn't help but snicker. "Y'know, I was wondering why you looked pequeño," he managed between chuckles. Rad punched his arm, hard enough to say 'be quiet' but light enough not to hurt much.

Starscream was confused until he stood again and looked the kids over again then down at himself. It was then he realized that... he didn't look much different than they did. He was... a human.

The three children quickly covered their ears when he finally screamed.

AN: Yay for Alexis/Starscream fics!