Title: A Fascination With Oddities
Content: Nothing overt, just some mild suggestive material.
Characters: Blacharachnia and Mirage
Verse: TFA AU
Prompt: 3. Scenario: lovers against adversity. Two (or more) characters who pursue a relationship despite the fact they're really not meant to.
Notes: Written for prompt #3 at tf_speedwriting. I struggled to figure out a rare pairing that would fit this prompt, and my daughter gave me 'Blackarachnia/Mirage' and my f-list thought that was a brilliant idea. Alrighty then! These prompts were for the week of April 14-20, 2012 and each one is only allowed 120 minutes for writing, editing and posting. More notes at the end.
Blackarachnia paced around the lab. That fool, Optimus, had destroyed her chance to remove her hideous organic mutation and regain her true form. The foolish Dinobots would do anything she asked, especially Grimlock, and she wondered if she could ask them to kidnap bots for her to experiment on. She had Meltdown's notes, and she was sure she could reconstruct the genetic modifier that had gotten destroyed by Optimus and his gang of idiots. Raging, she lost herself in thoughts of retribution and revenge.
Meanwhile, Optimus was receiving an incoming call from Ultra Magnus.
"Optimus Prime," Ultra Magnus greeted him.
"Ultra Magnus, sir!" Optimus responded.
"I give you grave news, Optimus. A…advocate for civil liberties is preparing to land on your planet, what was it called?"
"It's called Earth, sir," Optimus answered.
"Earth, right. This advocate is concerned that the Dinobots are not properly aware of their rights as Cybertronians, so he is coming to educate them."
"I'm confused, sir. Does this advocate know that the Dinobots were created here on Earth?" Optimus asked.
"Indeed he does, Optimus, but that is not stopping him. You and your team are to extend him every courtesy and give him whatever assistance he requests." Ultra Magnus instructed.
"Yes, sir, Ultra Magnus, we'll do our best."
"I know you will. His designation is Mirage. Ultra Magnus out."
Optimus pressed the button to terminate his end of the comm line and turned to his team.
"Well," said Prowl serenely, "nobot can ever say we have had a boring existence here."
Optimus had dropped his face into one hand. "Prowl…"
"Yes, Optimus?" Prowl asked.
"Would you be kind enough to escort this advocate out to Dinobot Island when he arrives?" Optimus wanted to know.
"Of course, Optimus."
"Thank you, Prowl. Now, who's heading out for patrol?" Optimus said.
That was all that was done until Mirage called them, four days later. Optimus and Prowl met him in a wooded glade on edge of Lake Erie, where access to Dinobot Island would be an easy hop on a ship.
"Welcome to Earth," Optimus greeted the blue and white mech that came down the ramp, "I'm Optimus Prime, and this is Prowl."
"My name is Mirage. It's my pleasure to meet you," the mech greeted them.
"I will be escorting you to meet the Dinobots, Mirage," Prowl said.
"Good. Let us go now," Mirage said.
Prowl looked over at Optimus, who replied, "Captain Fanzone has arranged for a ship to take you out to the island, Prowl. It's waiting for you at the dock."
"Thank you, Optimus. Mirage, shall we go?" Prowl asked, courteously.
"That would be quite acceptable, thank you, Prowl," returned Mirage.
Prowl led Mirage down to the dock where the ship was waiting for them. It was a police ship, and the official reason was that they were going out to check on the Dinobots for the protection and safety of the human population. The Autobots (specifically Prowl) were consultants to that effort.
When they arrived at the island, Mirage stopped Prowl.
"I appreciate your concern, but I need to see them without you, first."
"But…they know me, and they'll listen to me," Prowl protested.
"Exactly why I must go without you," Mirage replied.
Prowl subsided and allowed Mirage to leave the ship by himself. He gave Mirage directions on how to find the Dinobot's home in the bowl of the extinct volcano that dominated the center of the island. Then he watched Mirage make his way to the forest that encircled the volcanic crater. Once Mirage was out of sight, Prowl dropped into a meditative pose to help pass the time until Mirage came back or called him.
Mirage walked through the dense vegetation until he reached the crater, where he began to climb up the steep sides. Despite the grade of the slope, he was able to easily achieve the lip of the crater, where he found the Autobot holographic emitter that gave the crater the appearance of dense vegetation. He clicked it off and gazed down into the crater's floor.
The three Dinobots were lying on the ground, stretched out in their animalistic forms, absorbing the heat from the yellow star that lit this planet. Mirage carefully picked his way down the slope and approached the Dinobots.
"Hello?" Mirage called.
The largest of the three flipped himself onto his feet and roared. The smaller one also clambered to his feet, while the third one took to the air. Mirage raised his hands.
"I came on a peaceful mission. Please, hear me out!"
The leader flipped into his mech mode and growled, "Me, Grimlock, no like strangers. Why we Dinobots listen to you?"
"I mean you no harm," Mirage replied, "I just want to make sure that you know your rights as Cybertronians and that you're not being abused or hurt in any way."
Grimlock growled, "We Dinobots been hurt before. We not be hurt again."
"Did another Cybertronian hurt you?" Mirage asked.
"Cybertronian? What you mean, like him, Prowl, or him, Optimus? They no hurt us, we Dinobots can protect ourselves. No, we hurt by him Meltdown, but him Prowl helped get rid of him Meltdown," Grimlock said.
Mirage took a moment to decipher what the mech had said, then asked, "I think I understand. Did Prowl ever hurt you?"
Grimlock peered down at the smaller mech and announced, "Me Grimlock no like you OR questions. Me take you to boss lady!" So saying, he grabbed Mirage and strode toward a cavernous opening in the wall of the crater.
Mirage struggled briefly against Grimlock's hold, but was unable to break free. They entered the gloom of the cave, followed by the other two Dinobots, Mirage still held in Grimlock's arms.
"Well, well, what have we here?" The femme's voice was a shock to Mirage. He twisted around, trying to see her, but was unable to do so.
"Me Grimlock bring present!" The big mech announced.
"Yes, you did. Thank you, Grimlock, that was very thoughtful of you." The voice came from above them, and Mirage tilted his head back to look up…into the multiple eyes of a giant spider. He shuddered, and she laughed, a cruel edge to the laugh that send shivers down his struts.
"Why, boys, you brought me a present, but you didn't wrap it for me! That's too bad, I guess I'll have to wrap it myself."
Mirage squeaked as he was pulled from Grimlock's arms and spun around and around. When he stopped moving, he was immobilized from his pedes to his neck, a white-ish cocoon wrapped all around him.
The large spider pushed him into a container and transformed into a slender femme bot.
She walked back to the Dinobots, who shuffled their feet bashfully. She reached up and slid her finger along Grimlock's jaw.
"Thank you, boys. Go play in the sun for a while, I've got things to do with my present."
Without protest, the Dinobots shuffled back outside, casting looks back at the femme. Once they were gone, she turned back to Mirage and walked up to him.
"Well, aren't you a fascinating find! Whatever are you doing here?"
Mirage answered the question seriously. "I am here to make sure the Dinobots know their rights under Cybertronian law."
The femme laughed, "Their rights? They're dumb brutes, they have no rights."
"That's not true. Everyone has rights under the law, even those sparked on different planets." Mirage was steadfast.
She exploded at him, "DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT RIGHTS!" She moved away, air moving rapidly out her vents in an attempt to cool her body. She paced away from him.
"Rights? Those dumb beasts? When I was ABANDONED, left for dead, and the only way to defend myself was to try and take on a spider's abilities. How was I to know that trying to take on an organic's abilities would fuse the abilities to my CNA and make me a freak. Do freaks have rights under Cybertronian law? Would anyone defend me? Why are you wasting your time on those idiots, when people like me are thrown to the junk heap?"
Mirage was serene. "You have just as many rights as the Dinobots. I would be glad to mediate for you if you would like to negotiate a return to Cybertron. Of course, you'll have to surrender your Decepticon badge and perhaps serve time for crimes against Cybertron, should those charges be proved, but we can helpyou."
"YOU? You can't help yourself off this island. Really, you can't help yourself at all."
"Tell me your name, so I can do some research and see what can be done," Mirage offered.
"My name is Blackarachnia, but it wasn't the name I was sparked with."
"Alright," Mirage said, "do you want to share that name with me?"
"No," Blackarachnia said.
"Well, that's fine. Let me see what I can do. Of course, for that to happen, you'd have to let me go," Mirage said.
She walked over to him and used a finger to trace the vents framing his face. "Such a sweet, charming way you have about you."
Mirage tried to pull away but couldn't go far because of the webbing he was bound with. She laughed cruelly and leaned closer.
"What's the matter, don't you like me?" Blackarachnia asked him.
"Liking somebot has nothing to do with it," Mirage replied.
"Oh, I think it does," Blackarachnia said, flipping into her spider form and partially climbing up behind Mirage, who closed his optics before replying.
"I am at your mercy, as you well know. I am offering to help you, but I can't do anything for you if I'm here and unable to move. I'm merely asking that you release me, so I can be the most effective advocate for you that I can be, and so I can put you in touch with people that can help you."
"Again, such sweet talk. Alright, I'll let you have a chance, but don't disappoint me!" The webbing was sliced open by one of her limbs and Mirage fell to the ground, barely catching himself before he landed on his face.
Blackarachnia flipped into her femme form and watched as Mirage wobbled to his feet.
"I get very upset when somebot disappoints me," she warned him.
"I understand," Mirage said, surprising her by coming closer to her. He reached his hand out to her. "I'll do my best."
Mirage walked out of the forest and hailed the ship. Prowl unfolded from his meditative position and waited for him to come closer, offering him a hand up when Mirage reached the ship.
"How are they?" Prowl asked, concern in his voice.
"You were right. They're quite happy here. I appreciate your time," Mirage answered.
Prowl simply nodded, and they returned to the shore, where Prowl escorted Mirage to his ship. Mirage put out his hand.
"Thank you, Prowl. The Dinobots are really something special, and it's due to your efforts that they are safe. Thank you."
Prowl shook Mirage's hand, "It was the right thing to do."
"Not everyone would be able to see that, but I am glad that you could, and that you did something to help them."
Mirage walked up the ramp to his ship, waving back at Prowl as the ramp closed. Prowl stepped back and watched the small craft rise into the air and head off-planet
What he didn't see was the craft turning invisible and coming back to Dinobot Island and lower itself into the crater. Mirage opened the ramp and turned himself invisible before going into the cave that help Blackarachnia's laboratory. He walked in and smiled. Blackarachnia was still unconscious, as were the Dinobots that had tried to defend her. He had tied them all with cables, just in case, and now he picked Blackarachnia up, carrying her to his ship and stowing her before coming back and releasing the Dinobots from their bonds. Grimlock started stirring as the ship lifted off. He looked around and let out a howl of distress.
"Funny bot steal her!"
Meanwhile, in the ship, Mirage tucked Blackarachnia into a container and initiated the stasis sequence.
"You'll be a lovely addition to my collection, my dear Blackarachnia. I can hardly wait to get you back to Cybertron. Of course, I could remove your organic half; it's not as difficult as you seem to think, but why would I? You're far more exotic this way, don't you think?" He stroked his fingers over the crystal window of the stasis chamber and smiled before making his way back to the pilot's seat for the trip home.
The end!
Notes: I didn't hit this prompt, but the pairing was unusual enough that I wanted to explore it. I ran out of time to do it properly, but I think it's an intriguing idea and needs more stories to explore it further.