Payback

Many people wish that they can do something amazing. Most want to be known for great feats or accomplishments. Me, I don't such things….All I want is a little payback, and just for myself but for the one who saved my life. The one that put her life on the line for mine. Now she is lying on a gurney thanks to me…..no,... thanks to that deceiver, that monster, that bitch! The one that started all of this….I won't let this happen again...this has to end. Death is too good for her….I have something else in mind. I hold onto my satchel strap a little tighter as a sinister smile crosses my face.

When this all began, I was a simple colonel at a top secret facility. Our job was to provide support and supplies to curtain kind of individuals. These individuals are not the kind you see everyday….in fact to can call them larger than life. I say this because several of them stand at the height of a small building and it was my job to communicate with them. I have done this job for about decade now and I have even grown close to a couple of them over the years. It took some time to get used to it because not only are they giant but also biomechanical. What i'm trying to say is that these beings are giant living robots…...from space. On top of all that, they also able to transform into vehicles to blend in on earth. They are called the Autobots and I'll tell you something, it still blows my mind every time I see them. They all have ranks and positions just like us. There is an old medic that usually doesn't want to be bothered…..I think his name is Ratchet. Hey, if he wants to be alone let him. His vehicle form is an ambulance, which means that he sometimes helps to bring in wounded during or after a mission. We have an ex scout that is now at the warrior rank. His name is Bumble Bee but everyone just calls him Bee for short. Once and awhile the other soldiers and I on the base challenge him to a race around compound since his vehicle form is a muscle car. Bulkhead is the biggest of the bunch and he knows how to throw his weight around. He chose a sturdy jeep as his alternate form. He can found out by the yard usually coaching impromptu wrestling matches with the boys. Thanks to Bulk I was undefeated five weeks running.

Then there is Arcee, one of the most amazing bots you could ever meet. She is strong willed, agile, fast, smart, and can really kick some ass, even on her own. Perfect marriage material right?...Well that ship has sailed because she has someone. She isn't with another bot though...nope, she is with a human…...sort of. It's complicated but she is with a man that was born human on Earth but somehow became some kind of hybrid between our species. Something to do with cyber voodoo or some shit. Hell, I can't understand all of it. The guy's name is Jack or something and pops up around here from time to time. He isn't a bad guy at all, in fact he is downright pleasant. It seems that being a hybrid and an earth ambassador takes a lot of his time so he isn't on planet much. Jack and Arcce's relationship is a bit of a secret so they have to downplay it around others. Me an Arcee get along great but I only know about her and Jack by accident…...Walking down the right corridor at the right time to see them in the middle of …. hmm….let's say it was a public display of affection. They explained thing to me and I promised not to tell because i'm no snitch. You would think that would be obvious considering I'm in charge of the top secret facility….Well…...I was anyway.

One evening, the Autobots had all left except Arcee. She was supposed to be waiting for an incoming shipment of energon which I believe they need to live like humans need food. I notice that she is a little dusty and tell her that have a garage and that I could buff her finish a bit. She looks at me and wags her finger. She tells me "Sorry, only Jack is allowed to do that" to which i shrug my shoulders and lean against the watchtower railing. We hang around the watch tower and talk a while and get on the subject of old friends. I told her of some childhood friends that had enlisted with me and had served in this unit with me. I told of some of our good times and the bad. She chuckled as I told her of the pranks that we played on the officers of the base back when I was just a normal grunt. He became more somber when I lost them in a fight with the Decepticons. Decepticons are violent transformers that care only for conquest. That is when she looked to the night sky and told of her old partners that had both been lost to the Decepticons. The most recent one being an Autobot named Cliff jumper and he was killed by Starscream which was the Decepticon's Second in Command. Ash she told me what happened to her first partner, her eye became colder and had lost its usual glow. Her first partner was tortured to death, right in front of her. The one that had done this took delight in making them both suffer. She killed him with a grin and thought nothing of it. The name of this Decepticon was Arachnid. I place my hand on her

Some time had passed we noticed that the shipment was later which it rarely is so I try and raise them on coms but no reply. We look at each other and I grab binoculars. As I start to scan the horizon a voice comes over the radio "Cornell… we've been hit. She is coming your way." I grab the radio and ask who is coming but all i get is static. In the distance I can hear a pair of chopper blades but it isn't of ours. Arcee hears them and jumps to her feet. She readies her blaster for a fight as she tells me "I know that chopper...and it isn't one that you want to see." Arcee contacts her base to send backup asap. I hit the base alarm causing the troops to gear up for a fight. Sadly, this facility does not have a large garrison but they can still put up a fight. The sound gets closer as troops fall in near the tower. I order them to dig in and get the 50cals in position. "We have one tank and I want it front and center!" I yelled down to them.

"Hold your fire until I give the order!" The second I said that, the chopper buzzes past the tower which knock me off balance. As it reaches the center of the yard Arcee begins to tense up. It looks as if it was about to land and suddenly the seam split, panels shift, and the propellers retract. The chopper begins to become more of a humanoid form as it touches down. I can hear the low hum of Arcee charging her blasters. Then release their safeties because there is now a Decepticon in the middle of the yard. She looks at Arcee and asks her with a smile "Did you miss me?".

Part 2

"What do you want Arachnid? Actually, I don't care because you won't be getting it here anyway. Now, I suggest that you leave before I scrap you."

"Arcee, you wound me. Is that the way to talk to an old friend?" She says while placing her hand on her chest.

"When were we ever friends!? Was it after or before you killed my partner!?" Arcee states in a growl. "I won't ever forgive what you have done…..NEVER!"

"Water under the bridge my dear. I see you have made new friends…..new bonds for me to break" she said with a sneer.

"I raise my hand and address Arachnid directly "Excuse me but I believe that you heed my friend's warning before things get….loud out here. I would hate to ruin someone so well built." Arcee shoots me a look to which I reply "What? You expect me to lie?"

"Well aren't you sweet? Maybe I can let you live." Arachnid says as she blows a kiss in my direction. "Don't mind Arcee, it's just that she is a little jealous of the complement. Now back to the matter at hand. I'm not leaving here without the stockpile of energon that you are hiding underground. You can be a sweetheart and give them to me peacefully or we can get...as you said…. loud." She then presents her weapons.

"I'm sorry we couldn't come to an agreement but we are soldiers and we don't surrender. Not even to beautiful fembots." I turn to my men and command them to open fire, weapons free.

A barrage of gunfire is unleashed as she leaps out of the way. While in the air, she is able to hit Arcee in the face with something that looks a lot like some type of webbing. For the time being Arcee is out of the fight. Arachnid is swift as she slides be one unit and knocks an entire stack of cargo crates on top of them. With that unit down she moves on to the 50cal emplacements. She hits the guns with webbing and smashes to gunners out of the way with one hand. The tank prepares to fire on her as she is making a break for cover. She pops back out and has now become a spider, which explains the webs from before. With her webbing, she clogs the barrel of the tank. When it fires, the explosion was enough to completely dislodge the turret. In spider form she speeds through the yard and leaps onto the remaining unit. With brutal precision, she ends them like the others. An entire base of men and equipment, dispatched in a matter of moments.

Arcee has now been able to free herself from the webbing and see the carnage that has befallen the base. "Arachnid!" She yells as she charges. She runs toward the decepticon while firing her blasters. Arachnid transforms back and sweeps Arcee's leg thus throwing her to the ground. The sudden drop had left Arcee somewhat dazed, which left her open to attack. It was at that time Arachnid started to close in on her. Seeing this, I jumped down from the catwalk and picked up a grenade launcher from a fallen soldier. I take careful and let one shot fly. The grenade hits the Con dead in her back throwing her forward. Taking advantage of this, I launch a couple more of which she dodges easily. Unbeknownst to her, Arcee was back up and had gotten behind her. With a swift kick to her back, Arachnid hits the ground face first. As Arcee came closer to her foe, Arachnid shoots a web at her quickly pinning her arms to her sides. The con then proceed to walk towards me with a wicked smile on her face. I raised the launcher but it was completely empty. "Shit" is all i could say before she reached down and grabbed me.

"I think that I will have to put your new pet down Arcee. It bore its teeth at me and needs to be punished."

"No!" Arcee stumbles to her feet and tackles Arachnid which causes her to drop me. The con then angrily grabs arcee and flings her into a wall where she proceeds to beat on her repeatedly.

"Arcee Arcee Arcee...you had to go and make me mad. Now I have to punish you again." she grabs Arcee's leg and swings her into our refueling Depot. Each one of those 3 tanks hold hundreds of gallons of fuel. Arcee tries to break the webbing but can't. She begins to look more desperate when she notices her surroundings. That is when Arachnid raises her weapons and fires into the depot causing it to blow. All I could do is watch as I see he was engulfed in flames and I can hear her scream in pain. Arachnid decides to turn her attention towards me again and prepares to fire.

Just then, a light appears from nowhere and it startles blasted bug. This causes her to make a hasty retreat. When I look back, the other Autobots are standing there with weapons drawn. "Arcee is there! You have to get her out!" I scream out to them. They respond quickly, Bee grabs Arcee and Bulkhead puts out the flames.

"Get her to the ER stat! We don't have time to waste!" Rachet yells to Bulkhead. We have a special med bay made just for the autobots just in case they take a hit. Bulk lays her down on a gurney and Rachet comes in to diagnose her condition. It is several hours before I was allowed in.

"How is she Doc? Is she going to be ok?" I ask with a heavy heart.

"I don't know yet…...It must have been quite a blast to do this to her. Her vitals are very weak and her spark has dimmed. I have done what I can….it is up to her now."

"Have you told Jack yet?" I asked Ratchet. He simply shakes his head. "Wouldn't know how at this point."

Lowering myself down to the gurney and just look at what Arachnid had done. I grit my teeth and ball up my fists….."She will pay for this..…All of it…...I Swear, She will pay."

Part 3

Walking into my office I ask the computer to contact MR. M. A Hollow display shines into the room.

"Mr. M here. It's been a while. What can I do for you?" Says a masked figure.

My gear…is it ready to go? I'm going to need it for a solo mission ASAP.

"Wait, what's going on? I thought you gave this stuff up….and for good reason may I add… "Sounding startled.

A close friend got hurt and the con that did it is getting what's coming to her.

You almost died the last time you when out. You still have all the scars for Christ sake…

"M, you know me and I wouldn't ask you if I really didn't find it necessary." A stern look crosses my face. "Now…Are you going to get my gear ready to move or not?"

Yeah….. I can have it ready in a couple hours. Got to replace some parts first but I'm going to have to call him in. He says with a solemn voice.

Good. I'm on my way to the facility. Update me on my communicator if anything comes up..

Will do… see you when you get here…Mr. M out.

I hopped into a Humvee headed for another base about an hour out from ours... After driving for what seemed like an eternity I turn off of the main road where an underground road opens up in front of me. I head inside to talk to 'M' to see how his progress was. The problem is that this place is a mess due his constant tinkering.

Hey M! Where are you?

We're over here! By my spare hover turbine…

Oh man don't tell me he is here. I whisper to myself as I want around the turbine to see a large familiar irritating shadow….Yep that's him alright…

Hey there Pal, nice to meet you. Names Swindle. When you need something that goes boom, Think Swindle… Heard you guys needed some parts so I brought a lovely assortment for you guys to look over.

"What is he doing here?" I asked M grabbing his arm….I have enough on my plate without his antics.

You do know I'm standing right here right? That's kinda rude you know. He says as he crosses his arms.

You're a con. What do I care if I hurt your feelings?

I'm just simple merchant pal…sure a rich simple merchant with a tons of high tech equipment but still ….. You get my point. If you have the money then I got what you need. That reminds me that stuff out friend here picked out isn't cheap.

Sorry…. Your right… it's been a hell of a day and it about to get worse. I run my hand through my hair.

Oh, you never did tell me who you're hunting down this time. I need to make the right calibrations before you head out.

I look at M with eyes full of murderous intent…I'm going after Arachnid.

M drops his tools…..Ar you nuts?! She is like the hardest one to kill other than megatron.

She hit Arcee, pretty hard. Now she her condition is critical. I told Jack I would look out for her…..and I failed. So im going to make sure that bitch gets her's.

Swindles kneels down and says " I can't help but overhear that you are soing after curtain spider…..Am I right?"

Yeah. What is it to you?

Well, it so happens that that fembot ruins several deals of mine and stole a lot of my equipment to boot. Fair to say that she has made my list. So let me tell you what I'm gonna to do. Everything is on the house and I will throw in some upgrades for your gear. Got some of them from a human associate on cybertron. Plus I will give you something special from my personal stock… Tell me, do you plan on killing her?

Of course I am. Why wouldn't I?

Because that's too quick and she needs suffer for the things she has done. You following me here my little friend?

Yeah I follow. How am I supposed to accomplish this feet?

You will do it and in style with a little help from your old pal swindle. Even if you can't trust me, you can trust that I don't like someone messing with my business. The bots got learn a lesson.

Well, alight then….. We're going to get this bitch. I said as I punched my open palm.

That's what brings here to the middle of nowhere. As stand on the ridge of a canyon I scan the area.

Maverick to base Are you sure she is around here M? Unless she can transform into a boulder, all I see are rocks.

There are several tunnel systems in that canyon so there ae plenty of places for her to hide. Anyway, Swindles informant says that she can be found flying in and out of there often. Also, how come you get to have the cool call sign?

Because I earned it. Now is everything ready?

Good to go over here.

Swindle, are you in position?

Yeah, I'm ready but can we just get this over with already? I have buyer looking for some shield generators and I don't want to keep them waiting.