A/N: To Anonymous: Oh sorry! I don't mind your username! Anonymous sounds cool.

Chapter 9

Allegiance

Even after Megatron and Optimus reached the landing strip, the two femmes were still grappling each other and fully intent to rough-arm the other.

"Airachnid! Enough!" Megatron bellowed roughly, grabbing one of the spiderbot's shoulders and yanking her off of Arcee. Optimus had done the same with the blue femme in question, a disappointed expression on his face. Both Arcee and Airachnid were leaning towards each other as though intent to tackle each other all over again, but once the two leaders pulled them back, they gave up their fight and relaxed their stances.

"Arcee, I expected better conduct from you," Optimus scolded with a shake of his head. He was honestly a bit surprised at her extremely careless action. Arcee sighed in tiredness.

"I'm sorry, Optimus," she relented. She left it at that, being too tired to say anything else.

"I am not the one who needs an apology," Optimus hinted. Airachnid smiled at this until Megatron showed his disappointment.

"The both of you," Megatron ordered Airachnid, the latter's grin falling right off.

"I'm sorry. Airachnid," Arcee said after a prolonged hesitance. Airachnid seemed to be for all intents and purposes, glaring at her hand. Suddenly, she sighed as her shoulders dropped she and shook hands. The both of them squeezed hands more firmly than necessary but they let go after what looked like a veiled hand wrestling match.

"I apologize," Airachnid replied, sounding as if she meant the complete opposite. Both mechs would have to have a talk with their respective soldiers. All four of them made their way back into the ship's interior and towards the command hub. On the way there, both Optimus and Megatron confronted their own comrades on the matter.

"Airachnid, behavior such as that was uncalled for," Megatron scolded. He was walking to her left with his hands folded behind his back. "We try our best not to be the aggressor in words or actions," he continued, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say. Airachnid sighed exasperated as if bothered by his speech.

"I'm not like the rest of the decepticons!" she retorted hotly, but not loud enough to attract attention from anyone besides whom she was speaking to. "I don't know if you've forgotten, but Arcee," she jerked her finger towards the blue femme a small distance forward who was talking to Prime. "She killed my mentor! He had raised me since I was a protoform!" She seethed. Megatron's stern expression lightened up at the mention of Tarantula.

"Airachnid. I am truly sorry for what happened. But she," Megatron said, nodding his head towards Arcee, "Is not the RC that you know," he explained. Airachnid closed her optics, trying to will the image of away of her offlined teacher and someone akin to a father. Megatron had explained before that the two Autobots before them were not the same ones the Decepticons had sworn to destroy.

"This isn't easy for me," she admitted. She and Megatron were just reaching the command hub, and she rested her hands on an unoccupied section of the dashboard. "I was raised in Iacon. It's difficult to not hold grudges. And her presence doesn't help me at all!" she said in anger with clenched fists. Megatron sighed inaudibly, conscious of not showing his irritation. He was glad she had Breakdown. If it wasn't for him, she probably would have made some wrong decisions in the past.

"I know it's difficult. Believe me, I know. It is both uplifting and unsettling to see someone as one could have been," he said knowingly. He looked to Optimus' direction and then back down to her. "Go and relax with the rest of your comrades. No patrol for you today, that's an order," he finished. He turned to regard her for a second before walking off towards the command hub.


It wasn't long until the beep, signalling an incoming transmission.

"Put it on the line," Megatron said shortly. A crackle was heard as the static noisily displayed as the channel aligned with the ship's. After a few tense seconds, RC's face icon appeared. Megatron glowered at the display, even though there was no live face to express his dismay at.

"How did you get this channel?" Megatron demanded evenly. What was she even doing attempting to contact them?

There was no answer. Instead, text scrolled across the monitor.

"I have information that may be of use. Bring the Autobot leader," Soundwave recited the text that had scrawled across.

"This just gets better and better," Megatron commented sarcastically. Standing up straight after leaning to see the display, he crossed his arms behind his back. "I'd rather we just overlook this. But it may be information of import," he decided, nodding to Soundwave, who commed Optimus' frequency.


RC waited, sitting at the base of a tree. She had one leg bent at the knee and drawn up to her chin, while her other leg lay flat. She was studying the ground with no apparent purpose in mind as her helm rested on her knee-joint. After a few more moments of scratching at the ground with a finger, the peculiar sound of something similar to a crashing wave of water sounded. The Ground Bridge materialized, and out stepped the Autobot leader from another universe.

Even though he wasn't the same Optimus that was feared by 'Bots and 'Cons everywhere, she couldn't shake the impulse to stand anyway. Optimus' red and blue frame walked forward until he was a respectful distance from her.

"I was told you hold important information. But why summon me?" He asked, confused as to the circumstances. RC looked away from his optics momentarily, then disconnected from her waist a small capsule.

"I came to tell you what Optimus is planning," she said teresly. "He's going to call the Autobots scattered around the universe here to Earth." Optimus' optics widened in suprise before he frowned in concern...and suspicion.

"What is your motive for telling me this?" The Prime asked after a pause. "I am grateful, however, there must be a way you gain from this. RC looked away again, glancing around as if trying to catch something with her optics before once again looking at Optimus.

"The Prime that I served under," she began, steling herself to continue. "I joined him because he said he had the means to restore Cybertron," she confessed. Optimus could see the anger and even the pain hidden in that look.

"He lied. He wouldn't be so focused on subjagating other worlds if he was intent to revive Cybertron. Soon, he even stopped talking about it, like it wasn't important. So I am not going back to the Autobot base. I'm leaving."

"Why not join the Decepticons?" Optimus offered. "Their forces can offer protection." At this, she snorted in amusement.

"I've done too much wrong to be among the decepticons. After the war, if i'm still alive, my record could get me offlined for my crimes," she whispered, looking at the ground. "Here," she said, offering the capsule device. "This contains the code to the Autobot base's Laser Shielding."

As RC was naturally much shorter than he, he kneeled down to accept the device.

To his shock, RC held his face in her hands and quickly kissed him. She placed the device in his hand while he was still recovering from being startled.

"I wasn't lying when i said you look good in red and blue," she commented with an unidentifiable tone. Without hesitation, she turned and drove off after shifting into motorcycle form. Optimus stared at her retreating form until he could no longer see her in the dense wilderness. Blinking, he slowly stood and looked down at the device in his open palm. Clicking his audio receptor, he commed the Nemesis for a GroundBridge.


Cliffjumper was very tired. He knew this, because he felt very sluggish. Not only in body, but in mind too. Ever since Arcee and Optimus had appeared. Did that mean it was possible to return to where he needed to be? He really hoped so. And the only way to get out would be to contact them somehow. When he had first arrived here, he was actually found by Megatron, as his good luck would have it. He offered him hospitality on his ship, but it was Cliffjumper that suggested he act as a double-agent within the Autobot base, after he was briefed on the situation of this backwards dimension. Even if this wasn't his world, he wanted to help somehow. And if the autobots were evil here, then he would simply think of them as the Decepticons. Megatron had warned him that he would never call from the ship, as it would be too dangerous, and it would compromise Cliffjumper's safety.

So Cliffjumper would have to call the ship. Only thing was, Goldbug had not only eyes at the back of his head, he had eyes on the back of other peoples' heads, figuratively speaking. But frag it, he as Cliffjumper. What was life without some risk.

"Goldbug, i'm gonna look for RC," he announced to the ever silent communications scout. Goldbug turned his head from the teletraan-1 monitor that he was typing from to nod. Even though Goldbug could speak, he just never did after his upgrade from his frame when he was Bumblebee. Cliff was glad that he never had a reason to annoy anyone here. He and that evil Optimus were probably the only ones Goldbug respected. Cliff did a small goodbye gesture before shifting into his red muscle car and speeding down the tunnel and out into the road. It was time to comm the ship and hopefully get out of this crazy reverse world.

A/N: The next chapter will have action and some communication between Breakdown and Airachnid. I didn't know how to add to this chapter without forcing the interaction. Oh, and RC will show up later again.