Airachnid was greatly troubled... Araneon was easy to keep track of, the mechling spending most of his time in his berthroom or the medbay with Knockout and Breakdown. Not something she completely approved of, but she preferred it to Area. Ever since Area had discovered her ability to conceal herself from sight, or become invisible, she had been difficult to track. Near impossible, really, and that bothered Airachnid. Where did Area go when she decided she no longer wanted to be seen? WHO did she visit?
Walking calmly down the halls of the Nemesis, Airachnid considered confronting Blackarachnia. Her sister probably knew more about Area than she herself did, the femmeling was, after all, her daughter... But there was the fact that Blackarachnia was also a scientific phenomenally, and could possibly devise a device that could track the invisible youngling.
Growling lowly, Airachnid dismissed those thoughts. She would never need her sister's help! Her scienctific abilities were considerable, and if she truly cared about where Area went off to in her spare time, she could demand an answer from the young femme herself... But Area had always been the one that concerned her the most, though she'd never admit to such trivial feelings. Area was the more violent, devious, of the twins while Araneon was the more gentle... Autobot of the two.
Airachnid vented softly to herself. Things had been FINE until Blackarachnia showed up, now the younglings seemed to be drawn to the femme they thought was their aunt. Most likely the carrier-creation bond drawing the three to each other, though Area wasn't found with the scientist as much as Araneon was. It was so "mysterious" in every sense of the word, and Airachnid wanted to get down to what Area was doing.
And who she was seeing.
+/+/+/
"I've read them."
Tarn looked up from where he sat at his desk in the bowels of the Nemesis. A room supplied to him by his Lord, should there ever be a time for the DJD commander to need it. It was only used as his cover for when he met Area outside of combat training, and secret. No one knew of it, save himself, his team, Megatron and the youngling before him. Possibly Soundwave as well, but the spy hadn't brought up the young femme to either him nor Megatron. Else he'd hear about it.
"Did you now?" Tarn leaned back in his seat casually, watching the femmeling through crimson optics. "And what did you learn from it?" He questioned.
A smirk spread over the sparkling's faceplates. "Kaon is a fool." She stated, though there was a hint of humor in her tone.
Tarn raised his optical ridges, something hidden behind his mask, as all his other expressions. Most might say that the sparkling had always been sweet until Tarn came along, had they known of his influence, but that was not the case. Tarn had seen the aggression and violent tendencies in the sparkling, and merely... guided it. "And whoever told you Kaon wrote it?" The tank asked.
Area's grin widened. "The way it's written is… Different than any other datapad I've read before. It's like comparing a science script with a fictional. The… Voice is different." The femmeling looked thoughtful. "And Kaon is sophisticated in how he talks, like you, but… Different." She stated.
Nodding slightly, Tarn hummed in thought. "You are correct in your assumptions. Kaon did write it, to help teach Vos when we first took him under our wing. But what brings you to the assumption he is a fool?" The purple mech asked curiously, helm cocking. Kaon was the only other member of the DJD that had met Area, when she had been much younger, and from what he had seen the two shared a bond.
"Because he's wrong." Area responded, sounding exasperated as she tossed the datapad up onto Tarn's desk. "His procedure. Fear only works on certain bots, perhaps for the cowards and traitors you guys hunt down. But what if it was someone like Shockwave? Or Soundwave? Neither of them are capable of feeling. You can't scare a mech that can't feel."
Tarn was silent for several moments, studying the youngling at his side. "And what makes you believe that Soundwave or Shockwave will turn against the cause?" He demanded in a neutral tone.
Snorting, Area rolled her optics. "You're missing my point. If they got cold feet, you can't scare them. You'd need a different tactic." She explained.
Leaning forward now, interest peaking slightly, Tarn tilted his helm to the side. "And just what would you do if they did? If I tasked you with questioning them, how would you go about it?" He demanded.
Area grinned widely. "Soundwave shares a bond with his simbiotes. Not as strong as a spark bond, but not as close as a creator-creation one either." The femmeling moved her servos in a cutely expressive way. She was obviously excited to share her thoughts. "But if manipulating that couldn't work, what of his sensitivity to sound?"
Intelligent. More intelligent than Tarn had ever expected… Good. "Elaborate for me, Area." The tank ordered in a firm tone. Just how intelligent?
"Soundwave has increased sensitivity to different frequencies due to all of the enhancements he has as an Communications Officer. He is able to pick up on pretty much anything." Area paused. "But how would he fare in a small, dark room emitting high-frequencies?"
Tarn rumbled in encouragement. "And Shockwave?"
"Shockwave," Area continued, optics bright with excitement. "Cares only about science. A mech like Shockwave doesn't have loyalties. Just science. Facts." The spiderling paced back and forth a little faster now, seemingly in thought. "Shockwave doesn't care what happens to anyone else, so there is no leverage against him. Unless you keep him from his work. Shockwave would be honest if ever questioned, and wouldn't care about anything so long as he could have what he wanted."
Tarn nodded, understanding where his protege was going with this. "Which is?" He asked, wanting the femmeling to come to all of the conclusions herself.
The black and gold youngling grinned up at her mentor. "The freedom to experiment as he wishes. Undisturbed. Regardless of "moral reasons". Let him experiment on anything and everything." Area stated, smirking and crossing her arms, one hip tilted outwards. "So there. That's why Kaon is a fool." The young femme grinned widely, obviously in humour. "He thinks that only pain and fear can break a mech. There are, in fact, many ways."
Area waited for a response from her teacher, unsure of whether or not she would get any praise from the massive mech currently sitting in silence, staring down at her.
Then he clapped, slow, deliberate claps. Three times, to be precise, but it was enough to know that she had impressed him.
"I'm impressed, Area." Tarn rumbled, his smile hidden behind the mask he had forged so long ago. "Truly, you will be more of an improvement to my team than I had first thought."
Area snorted up at her teacher. "You know your little spark-tricks don't work on me." She stated, helm tilting upwards in a slightly… Defiant way. She had confidence, but she was also bold. Tarn wouldn't hurt her and she knew it, using that to her advantage. As she should.
"Does it not?" Tarn asked in sarcastic amusement, turning away and going through the datapads scattered across the desk top to pick one up. "I have done some studies of my own, Area, and I have discovered something quite interesting."
The youngling perked up at that statement, straightening a little and her crossed arms loosening slightly.
"It's about your powers."
Area's red optics widened as she glanced from her teacher to the datapad, hesitantly taking it. "What about them?" She asked, servos shaking slightly, though not of fear. She had alwasy wondered where her strange powers had come from.
"You are like me, Area."
The youngling's optics widened even more.
"You are an Outlier."
