((A/N: Challenge from previous chapter is still in effect. :) Enjoy the chapter! This is based on Predatory, found in Season 1 Episode 12… I was listening to Airachnid's theme song while I wrote this lol.))
Chapter 9: Predatory
"You don't understand…" Jack murmured, in his alt-form with his arms crossed, refusing to meet the optics of his old friends. "I'm… I'm not the same anymore… Ravage… I was Ravage… And you never told me!" Jack cried, looking at Optimus Prime with accusation before looking away again, shutting his optics.
"Jack…" Arcee attempted to reach out for him, but Jack pulled away, trying his best to ignore the pained look on his best friend's face… Miko and Raf weren't present, and, for that, Jack was grateful. He couldn't take Miko's exuberant attitude right now, nor Raf's questions.
His wounds having been repaired by Ratchet, Jack now refused to let any of the Autobots close to him, refusing optical contact as all of his old companions stood around him, unsure about whether or not they should try to comfort him… The majority of the Autobots didn't know that Jack was actually the long-deceased Ravage, with the exception of Optimus Prime and Ratchet.
"Jack." Optimus Prime now spoke in his usual calm, but saddened tone. "Jack. I brought you here, as a human because it was the only way to save your life… I wanted you to be able to regrow as normally as you possibly could… To make your own decisions on the war without your bond to Soundwave influencing you."
Jack looked up at the warlord, denta bared and a snarl rumbling from within his chassis, the surrounding Autobots automatically tensing and getting into defensive stances until they realized who it was, forcing themselves to relax again.
"You should've told me! Soundwave suffered all this time because of you!" Jack shouted angrily, shaking as he attempted to keep himself calm, Ratchet getting frustrated now as Arcee vented. "No offense, Jack… But I don't think Soundwave is capable of suffering." She stated softly, Jack glaring at her. "You have no idea! I-I felt Soundwave! I felt his pain… My pain as you slaughtered my siblings! When you killed me!" He shouted, tears in his optics now as he backed away from them. "I don't want anything to do with you!" He cried, Arcee placing a servo on his arm. "Jack… Come with me." She ordered softly, giving him a tug and leading him to the ground bridge controls before opening the ground bridge. "Jack and I are going scouting." She informed the others, leaving with her friend before any of the others could protest, groundbridge shutting behind them.
"I don't think that was wise." Ratchet stated gruffly, arms crossed over his chassis… In reality, his gruff exterior was hiding the guilt he felt… After all, he had been the one to gut Ravage on the battlefield all those eons ago." he vented softly.
Optimus Prime stared at the closed groundbridge. "Jack's reaction is understandable." He responded slowly. "Once transferred back into his own frame, Jack and Ravage's personalities would clash… Soundwave must've been aware of that." He stated as he looked around his Autobots. "Right now… Arcee is the only one that will be able to reach our Jack."
/*/*/*/*/*/
Jack emerged with Arcee out into a dark, foreboding forest, and transformed to his panther mode when the blue two-wheeler transformed to her motorcycle and set off driving amongst the trees, Jack hesitating for a brief moment before running alongside her and slightly behind, easily keeping pace.
"How's it feel?" The femme finally asked, pulling Jack from his thoughts as he glanced at her as he dodged a tree before answering. "How does what feel?" He asked in a neutral tone, calming now that he was running off his previous anger… Arcee must've known that, from the times that she would go for a drive whether she was hurting or angry. "Being… One of us." Arcee responded.
Jack fell silent, jumping a fallen tree and waiting for Arcee to go around before speaking again. "Different… A lot different." He responded. "Confusing… Fulfilling."
Arcee transformed and nodded, looking down at the cybercat that had once been her human partner, Jack Darby… But she believed that it still was. She opened her mouth to speak when the scanner in her servo beeped and she looked at it, frowning. "Hm. That's odd. Ratchet's satellite scans were accurate, but subterranean energon deposits don't cause this sort of surge." She murmured, beginning to walk again.
"I suppose this was a scouting mission you were supposed to do before you were captured?" Jack asked, tranforming to bi-pedal mode and looking up at her with slightly saddened yellow optics, Arcee giving a nod before starting to walk again, Jack following after her, moving at a trot to keep up with the bigger femme.
Jack heard the scanner beep again as Arcee stopped and looked up, the simbiote coming up beside her, frowning at the deep groove in the terrain, like something had torn into the ground… For as far as he could see. "What happened here?" He asked, looking around at the fallen trees.
"Crash landing…." Arcee answered slowly before she looked down at him. "Stay behind me. Low and close." She ordered before continuing on, following along the mark the crash had left behind, Jack frowning deeply and glaring at her back. "I'm not weak anymore, Arcee." He said, obeying her anyways, following close behind her.
The two moved at a crouch amongst the trees, Jack behind Arcee as he stopped for a moment, his superior scent picking up on something strange. "Arcee… I smell something." he stated slowly, looking around through narrowed yellow optics.
When Arcee didn't respond, Jack frowned and looked up at her, only to see that she was staring at a massive space ship, half buried in the ground where it had come to a stop, and Jack growled softly from where he crouched… Something smelled, and looked, off about the massive spaceship.
"Autobot or Decepticon?" Jack muttered, mostly to himself as he studied the ship, looking for any sort of insignia or marking that might give away which faction it belonged to… He found himself uncaring about either one. If it was Autobot, then they were both fine… But if it was Decepticon, he would be fine, but Arcee would be in danger… At the thought, even though he was still angry about his past being kept hidden, Jack felt his spark clench… He couldn't let anything ever happen to Arcee.
"Can't tell." Arcee responded, transforming her servo into her blaster and glancing at him. "Wait here." She ordered, going to stand when Jack grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "No way am I staying here. You either let me come, or I go off on my own search." He answered, transforming to his cybercat mode, looking up at the Autobot femme, optics daring her to deny him. Several moments passed before she ex-vented in irritation. "Fine. Stay close." She ordered.
Nodding, the two companions slowly made their way towards the ship, Arcee moving at a half-crouch, Jack like a stalking wild cat, yellow optics searching for danger, scenting the air and listening for anything that might hint at an impending attack… Again, that strange scent reached his olfactory sensors and he growled lowly, the smell somewhat familiar, although it niggled at the back of his processor. "Arcee… Something smells familiar." He growled.
Arcee paused just outside the boarding ramp to the ship, glancing at him. "Is that Jack, or Ravage talking?" She asked seriously… Jack had instincts, but Ravage's had been honed by eons of war, and he would no doubt recognize the scent of several enemies or foes… Thought Jack wasn't as familiar with the Decepticons he had fought beside in another lifetime.
Jack scented the air again. "I don't know… It's familiar, but I can't place it." He answered, hackles rising. "But I don't like it… Whatever, or whoever it is." He answered, Arcee nodding. "Trust your senses, and keep your optics open." She ordered, slipping around the corner and into the ship, Jack following into the damp darkness quietly.
Heading inside, Jack was startled when Arcee stumbled back and out of the space ship, not stopping until she was outside, supporting herself against the side of the ship. "A-Arcee?" He demanded in concern, transforming and following her. "Arcee?" He demanded, worried now when he saw that the femme's optics were unfocused, and he immediately recognized it… It was a feeling he had had several times over the time he had first spent with Soundwave… A memory purge. "Arcee? What's wrong?" Jack cried when Arcee seemed to snap out of it.
Arcee looked down at him before shutting her optics, conflicting emotions on her faceplates. "I know who this ship belongs to." She whispered, and Jack could detect an undertone within the statement, but it was gone before he could identify if it was fear… Arcee couldn't be afraid… She's never afraid!
"Arcee to base! I need a groundbridge, ASAP!"
Jack was pulled out of his thoughts at the statement, frowning up at his companion. "H-Hey!" He protested, frowning up at her. "Why? Who's ship is this?" He asked, both curious as well as concerned… Arcee was acting strange. Had things changed since he had been in the ranks of the Decepticons? Or was she more affected by whatever she saw in the ship more than he had first realized?
"Base do you read?" Arcee demanded, ignoring Jack as she turned away, pacing. "Scrap!" She growled when she received no answer. "Comm link's dead." She stated, more to herself than Jack. "The ship must be transmitting a hypersensitivity scrambler pulse!"
Confused and slightly creeped out, Jack followed after her at a trot, more than concerned now. "A-Arcee? Ok y-you're kinda freakin' me out here!" Jack stated, stopping when Arcee did, the femme still not looking down at him. "Wait here." Arcee ordered in a strange tone before she transformed and sped off, leaving a confused simbiote behind.
Huffing, Jack sat down on his aft, trying to figure out what the slag was going on with Arcee, and what had she seen in the ship? Slag her orders! He muttered inwardly, transforming and racing off after her.
/*/*/*/*/*/
Arcee transformed again, looking around at the gouges in the trees around her, frowning deeply… She knew exactly who the ship belonged to, and it frightened her… She looked behind her to make sure that Jack had listened to her… She knew he wouldn't be safe with the owner of the ship either, so she didn't want him involved in her hunt… Besides, this was… personal.
Crouching in the dirt, Arcee studied small indents in the ground, which only proved that she was correct… These marks could only be made by one Decepticon, as far as Arcee knew, and she looked up into the distance, narrowing her optics… The tracks weren't that old.
Unbidden, a second memory purge came to her.
*Memory*
Arcee hung from stasis cuffs, struggling to get free. "Ugh!" She gasped, her pedes stuck together by thick webs… The room was dark, but light came from directly above the two-wheeler, blinding her to everything else around her.
Hearing the sound of someone approaching, Arcee looked up, pale purple optics staring back at her from the shadows, light reflecting off of black and gold armour… The sound of a blade of sorts reached her audios, and then servo reached towards her, clawed digits following her faceplates as the Autobot attempted to turn away.
Arcee felt it touch her faceplates and dig into the soft protoform. "Nooooo!"
*Memory Ends*
Arcee came back to herself, still crouching in the dirt, spark pulsating rapidly as she tried to process her flash back, push away the emotions it was invoking within her, shaking her helm lightly.
"Arcee?"
The blue and pink Autobot jumped at the sound of Jack beside her, glancing at him before turning away again and transforming. "Follow me." She ordered, driving away into the forest, the cybercat following after her quickly.
/*/*/*/*/*/
Jack raced after his comrade, leaping over logs, concerned with just how fast Arcee was moving, jumping a small cliff and tumbling helm over pedes on the other side, rolling to his pedes and glaring at Arcee. "Really? Was that really necessary?" He demanded in frustration, hackles slightly raised.
"Arcee to base." Arcee stated, ignoring Jack as she drove forwards a little more. "Scrap."
Having had enough, Jack let out an irritated growl. "Look, I've seen danger before, what's with-" He couldn't finish when Arcee interrupted. "Wait here… I mean it this time." She ordered, her tone making it clear that there was no arguing.
Jack snorted. "So first you shut me out and now you're ditching me?" He demanded, anger and hurt pouring into his EM field as the femme transformed back to bot mode and turned towards him. "I thought I was your partner!" He added, taken aback by the look Arcee gave him. "No, Jack. You're a kid. I only brought you here because this was supposed to be no risk…" She crouched to look into his optics. "And I wanted to be with you again." She added softly, faceplates saddening before returning to the firm expression she had been wearing since they had discovered the ship. "Got it?"
Without waiting for a response, Arcee had turned around, running and transforming before vanishing amongst the trees, her engine sounding for a couple moments before that, too, vanished.
Jack frowned and walked over to the edge of the cliff, looking down as pebbles fell, echoing off the walls as they disappeared into the unknown depths. He snorted before he moved back several paces and ran, jumping for the other side, grabbing on and pulling himself up. "Nice try, Arcee." He smiled as he hurried off in the direction she had gone.
/*/*/*/*/*/
Arcee sped through the trees, alone now and transformed once she was far enough away from Jack, standing up to her full height replacing her right servo with her blaster as she began to search, wary of her surroundings as she went… Not wanting to be jumped.
A soft sizzling sound reached the Autobot's audio receptors and she turned to look, blue optics falling on a tree trunk that had been split, a green fluid on it, eating into the organic insides of the tree, smoke rising from it.
*Memory*
Arcee ran through the wreckage. "Arcee to Delta Team, requesting rendezvous coordinates, do you copy?" She commed as she ran through the rubble of what had once been one of the largest cities on Cybertron, now little more than the perfect image of the destruction of the war.
"Arcee, you lost again?" A voice came over the two-wheeler's comm, causing her to smile. "You're sense of direction could use some improvement." The mech's voice continued, Arcee shaking her helm as she ran, a smile on her faceplates. "So could your aim Tailgate." She responded in an amused tone. "If you had tagged that sniper back at the artillery depot, I wouldn't have had to break rank and engage the enemy hand to hand." She added, hopping over a toppled pillar.
"Well… From the sound of things, I'm guessing you came out ahead?" Tailgate asked, Arcee slowing in her run as she felt the need to be more cautious now. "Try waiting up for me this time and I'll give you the blow by blow. What's your position?" She asked.
Silence fell for barely a klik before Tailgate was speaking again. "We'd be half a klik from the depot due north." He answered. "Think you can find it, partner?" He teased, Arcee snorting. "Trust me, Tailgate, my navigation abilities are way-Ah!" She cried out when something hit her with such force she hit the nearby base support for a bridge, stuck in place, unable to speak as the webbing covered her mouth and kept her from getting free.
Arcee heard someone approaching and had just enough time to see a black and gold spider with pale purple optics approach before her optics were webbed over as well, leaving her in total darkness.
-Later-
Arcee onlined in a dark, damp room, servos in stasis cuffs and keeping her suspended from the ceiling, her pedes still webbed together to make them almost useless.
Fighting against the webbing and cuffs in frustration for several moments, Arcee let out a frustrated and helpless gasp when a voice spoke up from behind her. "Word of advice… Make yourself comfortable." It taunted as the spider femme walked around in front of her, watching her helpless struggle with an amused smirk.
"You're going to be here a while." The spider continued, reaching out a sharp digit for Arcee's face, the femme attempting to turn away, the digit following her movements and digging into her protoform, cutting a long scratch into it beneath her optic, the protoflesh hissing angrily with the venom from the talon.
*Memory Ends*
Arcee came back to herself, still staring at the tree trunk, still hissing with the venom eating into it… And she realized that if the venom was still so visible, then Airachnid was close… VERY close.
Looking up, Arcee ran up a small hill, optics following a sudden movement as she saw a very familiar black and gold spider making it's way towards a tent, which no doubt held some unsuspecting humans… Without thinking twice, Arcee charged her hated enemy, anger boiling up as she ran, crying out with anger as she jumped at the femme, sending them both flying through the trees and down a cliff, Arcee's back hitting a rock wall.
The spider femme recovered and approached as Arcee got back up to her pedes. "Arcee~" The hated voice purred. "A small universe."
Arcee glared at her hated enemy. "Too small, Airachnid." She growled, fists clenched as she took up a defensive stance, Airachnid moving around in front of her. "You're still holding a grudge?" Airachnid taunted, placing a servo to her chassis. "The war's been over for megacycles."
"Tell that to the Decepticons!" Arcee responded angrily.
Still smirking, Airachnid continued to move around Arcee in a half-circle. "These days I travel solo, in pursuit of my new hobby." She responded in a sickening tone, Arcee glaring in hatred, remembering how she had entered the strange ship, and found the heads of various creatures being suspended in 'trophy' cases. "I got a look at your souvenire case." She responded coldly.
Airachnid was still for a moment before speaking again. "You mean my trophies." She responded, moving closer now. "I collect endangered species. Of course, they aren't really in danger until they meet me." She stated, halting her advance. "And I have a slot reserved for human." The sadistic spider-femme added.
Optical ridges lower, Arcee clenched her fists again. "Not going to happen!" She responded, charging her oldest enemy, pouncing onto the spider femme, landing on top of Airachnid and straddling her hips, lifting her fist to punch when Airachnid's eight spider-like legs grabbed her and tossed her back against the cliff face again, Arcee crying out.
Standing back up and transforming her servos into blasters, Arcee opened fire on the black and gold femme, who dodged and jumped up between two trees, shooting out a string of web that wrapped around Arcee's forearms, attempting to pull her from her pedes.
Bracing her pedes in the dirt, Arcee pulled Airachnid from the tree and engaged her side-arm blades, cutting free of the web before opening fire again, Airachnid responding with her own blaster fire that originated from the palms of her servos.
Arcee charged again, jumping up and using a tree to push off of, her pedes smashing into Airachnid's chassis, pinning her to the ground again, blasters engaging as she pointed them for Airachnid's faceplates when the sound of falling pebbles reached her audios and she looked up, optics falling on Jack making his way down the steep hill.
Gasping in horror, Arcee didn't notice Airachnid take advantage and hit her across the faceplates, sending her stumbling backwards, giving Airachnid enough time to get up and shoot her web at the stunned Autobot, who smashed into the rocks behind her, held fast by the webbing.
/*/*/*/*/*/
Having seen what happened, Jack raced towards Arcee in his bot-mode, calling her designation as he ran, Airachnid letting out a pleased hiss and turning towards him.
Jack saw Arcee cut her left arm free and shoot Airachnid in the back, the spider femme slamming into a boulder and laying stunned, optics closed.
"I told you to wait for me!"
Jack ran up to Arcee, ignoring her reprimand in favour of making sure that she was alright. "Well partners don't ditch partners." He responded, grabbing at the web and pulling on it in an attempt to free Arcee.
"Get this through your head!" Arcee responded angrily. "You're not my partner, you're a liability!" She answered, Jack still attempting to free her from the web. "I don't believe you." He answered, voice bordering on anger as well now. "I can see it in your optics… You're afraid, Arcee. And you're never afraid!"
Jack looked up when Arcee didn't answer, frowning when he saw that she had that distant look in her optics and a spark-wrenching expression on her faceplates and he realized that his words must've caused another memory purge… He shook the Autobot, attempting to make her come out of it, venting and slapping her across the faceplates when that didn't work. "Arcee!" That seemed to bring her back to herself as she looked at him. "You're right Jack, I am afraid. Of losing you!"
Startled, Jack looked up at the femme. Had his kidnapping by Soundwave hurt her? Frightened her? Or was it something else? His optical ridges lowered and he looked up at her, feeling a pained pulse in his spark.
"You sure have trouble hanging onto your partners, don't you?" Airachnid spoke from behind them as she approached, an unreadable expression on her faceplates. "We both know what happened to Tailgate. But I've recently picked up some Decepticon radio chatter of the passing of Cliffjumper." Airachnid smirked as she moved closer. "At some point you really have to ask yourself, Arcee… Is it them, or is it me?"
Jack stood stock still beside Arcee, a frown on his faceplates as the spider femme chuckled and looked at him now. "But what is most interesting to me, is that this is Soundwave's partner… Have you taken to borrowing them?" Airachnid asked in a taunting tone, and Jack clenched his fist, glaring at her. "I'm not afraid of you." He answered, the femme laughing. "You should be. You see, Ravage… You're creator and I don't… Get along." She hissed, tilting her head sweetly. "Or do you not remember what happened during the Siege of Praxus?"
Silence fell before Arcee spoke up again. "Do you get it now Jack?" She demanded, remembering what had happened between Airachnid and the Decepticon TIC… Some of the Autobots had been present in the form of spies to see Soundwave inform the warlord of the Decepticons of Airachnid's treachery… And Ravage had been the one accredited, since he had found the evidence. "She's isn't interested in me, she's here for YOU!" She cried, Jack startling. "RUN!" Arcee screamed.
Jack ran, optics widening as he transformed as he ran, landing on the ground on all fours, spark calling out for Soundwave… His creator… He didn't know why Airachnid was here for him, but it was frightening, and he knew that Soundwave would be able to protect him.
Glancing behind him as he reached the top of a steep incline, Jack saw Airachnid coming after him, running over the edge of the incline, Arcee's scream echoing through the forest. "JAAAAAACK!"
Nearly crying with the fear he felt, Jack raced amongst the trees, dodging and jumping over obstacles, yellow optics wide with fear and desperation when he felt a calming presence in his spark…. Soundwave.
Jack latched onto the familiar presence within the bond, wanting Soundwave, calling desperately for him to aid him, and he felt the fear and pain pass through his creator's side of the bond, causing Jack to hurt as well… Hearing those cries for help and the fear and desperation within them brought Soundwave's processor back to the first time he had lost his simbiotes, and Jack felt all of them in the bond, frightened as they felt for him.
Slowing in his run, Jack stood shaking on all fours, optics shut as he felt the combined pain and fear of his siblings and creators, whimpering softly…. It had darkened considerably by now, and the simbiote knew that Airachnid wouldn't take long to catch up with him… But he didn't know what to do, numbed with pain and fear as he felt Ravage nudge at his processor… 'Let me out…' Ravage whispered in his mind. 'Allow us to merge together… We are stronger with our combined knowledge… We both know that you can't do this… We both know that we'll die if you try to fend her off.'
Optics shut tightly, Jack struggled to hold control as Ravage was attempting to pull it away. 'Let me… I will be able to save us… Save Arcee.' Ravage whispered within his mind, and Soundwave must've sensed the inward battle, because Jack was suddenly swarmed with feelings of support-love-hope-strength… And he felt emboldened… No matter what, he would die if he attempted to fight off Airachnid on his own, and so would Arcee… But he and Ravage being merged into one would mean giving up on a part of himself.
Something suddenly landed in front of him, Jack lifting his optics before crying out in pain when something cut into the side of his neck, transforming and bringing a servo up to it, feeling the sticky wetness of energon leaking from a wound and he growled, looking up at Airachnid as she laughed and went to strike again, Jack shutting his optics and letting go…
Airachnid stopped her attack when the mech Arcee had referred to as 'Jack' looked up, yellow optics shining brightly as he bared his denta and let out a roar, causing the femme to take a step back.
Ravage took over Jack as he transformed to his cat mode and pounced, clawing Airachnid across the faceplates and closing his jaws over one of her spider limbs, snapping it in two.
Crying out in both anger and rage, Airachnid shot web at the mech, slamming him against a tree, hissing as she approached him now.
This was the moment that Jack first felt a real emotion besides anger from Ravage… Fear.
'I'm sorry.' Ravage murmured, withdrawing guiltily as Jack felt Soundwave's spike of fear, shutting his optics as Airachnid raised a razor point limb to finish him off, the crash of steel from directly beside him startling the mech.
Opening his optics again, Jack watched as Arcee fought off Airachnid, having somehow escaped from the webbing that Airachnid had trapped her with, relaxing against the tree until Arcee returned to release him. "Jack! Jack, are you hurt?" The blue and pink femme asked as she freed him from the webbing, Jack falling onto all fours and ex-venting in relief. "Thanks Arcee." He murmured, looking up at her with a small smile as the sound similar to that of a drill sounded, causing them both to run to where Arcee had left Airachnid, the spider femme drilling through the ground and vanishing.
"AIRACHNID!" Arcee shouted after her, clenching her fists. "So much for closure." She muttered, glancing at Jack. "Come on… Let's get back to the base, partner." Arcee smiled faintly, glad that she had helped Jack relax from his earlier anger, and that he seemed to have become comfortable with her like they had been before.
"Partner, huh?" Jack asked with a smirk, placing a servo on his hip and cocking his helm at her as they began to make their way out, Arcee comming for a groundbridge. "Junior partner…. I can still pull rank." She responded in a teasing tone, Jack smiling as he pushed feelings of relief-safety-love through the bond, his family responded with similar pulses… Soundwave adding to it. Relief-safety-love…-rescue.
(And that is OVER TEN PAGES! BY FAR THE LONGEST CHAPTER I'VE DONE! :O :O :O Hope you all enjoyed, and don't forget to review! ^^)
