Author's Note: Okay, this was inspired by and is dedicated to Web of Shadows by BlackWolf219. I highly recommend it and his Cyberninja story. If you re Web of Shadows, you will know exactly where this idea came from.
Spider Love
*Eons ago, just before the Cybertronian War*
Things were looking grim for the planet, Cybertron; but some tried to remain optimistic. A doctor from Iacon hadn't been having the easiest time running his clinic, but he kept it running somehow.
The doctor was a purple, yellow, and green mech that, though talented in the medical sciences, was often mocked due to his alternate appearance and transforming abilities. He had altered his form so he didn't take a vehicle mode, but rather he transformed into a giant spider. When in his bot mode, he had six spider-like appendages on his back. He could use them to walk around in a third form he had developed when his legs would be tucked away. But, the appendages had a more practical use. He used them as extra arms when conducting difficult operations.
But the feature that disturbed folks the most was his yellow optics, though the yellow part wasn't what unnerved them. Instead of having only two, he had eight optics. Two were in the normal optic position, while two were located directly above on his forehead and the other four were below the normal placed optics, thus creating two columns of four optics on each side of his face.
Finally, he decided hiring an assistant would be beneficial. It would provide a job, thus helping someone who needed one and provide small economic support, and his paperwork would hopefully be organized better.
Tarantula snapped out of his musings when he heard the doors to his clinic open, even though it wasn't open yet. He gazed toward the doors and all his optics were widened at the sight he be held.
A femme with a black and purple color scheme and two purple optics stood tall before him. She walked, no glided toward him was more like it, and held out a data pad for him before speaking to him in a voice that sent a jolt through his spark.
"Hello," she added a small sweet smile,"Dr. Tarantula, I presume. I'm your new assistant, Air."
"Oh," Tarantula felt stupid for being left speechless by her appearance alone, "Greetings, Ms Air. I'm sure you'll do great. Your resume was the most impressive by a landslide."
Air blushed lightly, "Thank you, Dr. Tarantula."
Tarantula waved a hand through the air and smiled, "Oh, please, call me Tula when there are no patients, ok?"
"Ok, Tula."
Over the first couple weeks, Tarantula and Air became very well acquainted while working side by side. Tarantula had felt a jolt when he first saw Air, but his spark soared as he got to know her. She had been a little shy around her boss, but she came around.
Air had studied to be an archivist or secretary, but her true passion was studying creatures from other worlds, so they had made a connection when Tarantula had showed her his collection of databases of full of information on arachnids.
Air started to understand why Tarantula admired this breed of creature. Arachnids were powerful and adaptable, and each species had some unique trait. The only thing that held them back at times was their size, but not always.
Time passed and emotions evolved into other things. Tarantula had been taken with Air's appearance and then her mind. At first, Air didn't know what to make of 'Tula.' He purposely altered his appearance to something he admired and used it to his advantage despite others opinions.
"Why should I care about what others think of me," Tula responded when Air asked him about it, "I don't know them and I will likely never see them again. Those whose opinions matter to me are alright with what I've done, plus it hasn't altered my business either, so all is well."
His intelligence and wit were very appealing, but what drew her in was his kindness. He never turned away anyone that came to the clinic, whether they could afford the care or not. Tula would make some kind of deal with them and everything would work out in the end. He had even gone to treat gladiators, and Primus knew they had nothing to pay with at all.
They were more than coworkers. They were more than friends. They loved each other deeply and spark bonded during the seasons when injuries were at their least so they could take a small vacation after their bonding ceremony.
Unfortunately, when they returned, all hell had broken loose. The war everyone feared would come was finally here. Two factions rose and began Cybertron's destruction. The Decepticons, led by former Gladiator Megatronus, now simply known as Megatron, and the Autobots led by Optimus Prime.
Tarantula and Air remained in Iacon as neutrals and continued to help anyone who came, whether they be bots or cons. There were the occasional fights, but Tarantula kept them sluggish while treating them so they were easier to pull apart.
Things were as well as they could be, but then war showed no end anytime soon and life is cruel to even the best of beings.
"I've warned before," Sentinel Zeta, an arrogant Autobot commander that had been harassing Tarantula for the past few weeks, was back again, "Either you reserve your clinic for Autobot use only or you close down and leave."
"Last I checked, this war was being fought over rights. Well, I shall exercise my right of choice. I choose to help anyone who comes through those doors that needs my help, and I choose to stay here because it is an easy enough location to find," Tarantula shot back coolly.
"You are a disgrace to existence, disobeying the orders of a prime and helping those scumbag cons. Have you no pride!"
"I will believe a prime ordered these preposterous demands when he marches over and tells me himself. Until then I'm staying put. Good day to you, Sir."
Sentinel just growled as he stalked away. Tarantula and Air thought the new habit would continue and that Sentinel wouldn't be back to hound them again until next week, but their fragile peace was about to break.
Air had gone out for a walk the next day, but when she drew closer to home, she saw smoke in the sky coming from where her home should be, used to be. She ran the rest of the way and discovered her home in ruins. She called for help as she dashed into to the burning rumble to find her spark mate, prayed to Primus that he was still with her.
She heard a crashing sound and looked up to see Tarantula using his spider legs to push debris off of him. She helped him away from the wreckage and was about to assess the damage when several Autobots leapt out of nowhere grabbed them.
They were taken to the old stadium. Air was forced to sit in the stands next to Sentinel Zeta. She saw the bots that grabbed Tarantula drag him into the stadium and chain him to a pillar.
"Why are you doing this? Can't you see he is injured," Air shrieked, "He has lost his clinic to con bombs."
"Who said cons bombed his clinic," Sentinel looked down at her and smirked.
Air was shocked into silence. Sentinel blew up their clinic. This was his doing.
"What are you going to do to him," Air demanded.
She tried to strike him, but the bots that brought her to the stadium held her in place. She gave up the struggle when she turned to see Autobot soldiers march into the stadium and turn to face Tarantula. They raised their weapons toward him.
Air shrieked, "Why are you doing this to him?"
"Because there is no room in this war striken world for anyone who will not contribute something."
"He healed your soldiers! You're the one that sent them to die!"
"He also healed cons. Cons that should've stayed dead so we might actually win this war someday."
"You're insane! Surely your leader did not approve of such an act of cruelty."
"This is not an act of cruelty. It is an act of war. I shall eliminate that which prevents our victory."
Sentinel raised his hand. The soldiers took aim, just as Tarantula came around. He looked around him and knew exactly what was about to happen to him. He looked at Air and smiled sadly.
"I'm sorry, my Lady Air," he whispered, "I'm sorry I can't stay with you. I will miss you. I will wait for you. And I will always love you."
Air cried as she understood what he said. Sentinel gave the signal. Tarantula fell into darkness and Air heard nothing as she watched her spark mate's body be mutilated by the plasma shots.
When it was over, Air hadn't realized the bots had let go, and she had sunk down to her knees.
"I hope you learned something today, Lady Air," Sentinel sneered, "Unless you have something to offer, then there is no point in keeping you around."
In a flash, Sentinel felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down to see an arm shoved into his chassis, into his spark chamber. Air had fatally wounded him.
"No one is allowed to call me that," she spat venomously, "No one but my spark mate."
Air removed her arm and Sentinel fell to his knees.
"How ironic," she laughed darkly, "If you hadn't killed him, he would have saved you, but then again if you hadn't killed him, I wouldn't have killed you. War is such a funny thing."
The guards and soldiers attempted to kill her, but she had always been fast and agile. She easily evaded their weapons' fire and managed to retrieve Tarantula's remains.
She made the journey to Kaon and signed up to join the cons, but before she officially started her new life, she altered her body to be similar to her spark mate's. She gave herself the spider legs and the alt mode that came with them. She altered her eyes, but in a different way. She added web and acid cannons to her body. She took the best traits of several arachnids.
She worked her way up through the con ranks and one day stood before the Decepticon leader himself.
"What do you call yourself," he asked.
"I am Airachnid, Sir," she spoke with a dark voice that promised vengeance for her lost Tarantula.
The End.
Author's Note: I personally pictured a mech spider bot just as Airachnid is a femme spider bot. it is sort of a nod to Tarantulus of the Beast War series since my oc Tarantula did have mad scientist like qualities but he did it to himself not others. Any further questions just ask.
BlackWolf219, I hope I have done you proud *salute*