Sorry for the long periods of time between updates. Last semester, I was taking four 400-level courses and a 200-level art history course. One of the few things that I got out of that semester was shot nerves. Sometimes, I wished that I could put an axe in my head (that's how stressed I was.) Anyway, here's the next chapter. I do not own Transformers, they belong to Hasbro…and any other people who own them.
Elsewhere, Shockwave was studying the fossils that the Predacons had brought back from Griffin Rock. Airachnid was drugged heavily, with her body strapped to the berth. Shockwave was heavily disappointed in the femme that she had engaged in combat like she did, and nearly getting killed in the process. Airachnid's spines were removed, and there were tubes pumping energon into her systems. Once she was well enough, she'd go back into the Predacon breeding program. Until then, she'd had to rest on the berth until then.
Starscream was also at the base, and he was staring at the lamia. He was just thinking of how Airachnid used to look, and how she now looks. He couldn't help but wonder how she used to look like before Arcee singed her fur. I wonder how she'd used to look like when she had fur? Wondered the Seeker. Skystalker would say on how beautiful she looked like with fur, and how soft it was against one's protoform. Starscream had volunteered to mate with Airachnid after she grew her fur back (and after she was drugged up, of course.)
A tall and slender mech walked up to Starscream, as the seeker tilted his helm a little. "Hello Soundwave" said Starscream to the tall mech. Just like Breakdown, Knockout, and Megatron, Soundwave had changed as well. He had a pterodactyl head on his chassis, large pterodactyl wings attached to his back, and his armor was a dark purple with a leathery feel, with darker purple spots on it. The pterodactyl's eyes were golden yellow orbs within the head, with purple irises. Laserbeak just stared at his former master as he watched from Shockwave's computer.
Deeper within the cavern, Hun-Gurr was dreaming of Arcee. She was caressing him, and he was licking at the base of her wings. "Oooooh, Hun-Gurr" she moaned. "Mmmm, Arcee" said Hun-Gurr in his sleep "A femme like you would be a wonderful mate to a Predacon like myself. How about becoming my queen?" "Be your queen? Then, you should call me 'Predaqueen'" said Arcee.
As Hun-Gurr slept, Skystalker and Vertebreak were watching Hun-Gurr moan and wag his tail. "Just what is he talking about?" asked Skystalker as he listened to Hun-Gurr's sleep talk. "He's dreaming of the femme that we met at the island. You should have seen her, Skystalker. She's hotter than Airachnid," said Vertebreak. Skystalker looked at Vertebreak, but said nothing.
Hours later, Airachnid groaned as she woke up. Liquids leaked out of her mouth as she stared at the ceiling. She was in a semi-conscious state, as her tail flopped around on the berth. Her spider legs twitched as they tried to grab on to something, but what was unknown, even to the lamia.
"So, you're awake," said Shockwave as he approached Airachnid. One of Airachnid's optics lazily moved to look in Shockwave's direction as he continued, "Since you were nearly offlined by the femme Arcee, it is most logical that you stay here in the base from now on. You're to breed with other predacons in the confines of your room." Beyond the two, Starscream was watching Shockwave talk with Airachnid.
Early the next day, Arcee yawned as she stretched her limbs in a cat-like manner as she woke up for the day. Predaking's claws were around her, holding the femme to his stomach. Looking up, Arcee saw Predaking's wing, shading her with its large wingspan. Extending her tail, Arcee tickled Predaking's wing. The predacon laughed in his sleep, as he moved his claws from her stomach. Arcee got up, and left Predaking as she went to get her morning energon.
Arcee walked into the main center of the base, as Ratchet was working on the Ground Bridge. She passed him as she went to the energon stockpile, and she picked out three energon cubes. "Arcee, we don't have enough energon. We have to conserve what we have left," said Ratchet. Arcee sighed, and then said, "Ratchet, you know as well as I do that I'm lactating, and I need extra energy for me to fly." Ratchet sighed, and then said, "I'm sorry Arcee, but with our current energon shortage, we can't spare any extra energon. You need to produce less sparkling energon. I'm afraid that even the sparklings need to be placed under our energon restrictions."
The dragoness stared at the medic for a very long time, then placed all three cubes back without letting the medic know that she didn't any energon. If her sparklings had to be placed on an energon restriction, then Arcee had to prepare her body…for the ultimate sacrifice.
"…And that's what Ratchet said" said Arcee to Predaking. Predaking stared at his mate. "Isn't there some other way?" asked Predaking. Arcee shook her head, and then said, "Not until we find more energon. With all the predacons that we faced on Griffin Rock, I'm not sure how long until we gain a much needed energon supply. Until then, I have to go on this fast to restrict what my body can do." Predaking looked at the sleeping sparklings, then back to his mate. "I'm worried on how much the sparklings will suffer because of this," he said. Arcee's faceplates fell as her wings drooped, as she said, "So am I, so am I."
Days went by, and Arcee was rarely seen out of her room. Ratchet gave Predaking two cubes as he said, "Remember, one is for Arcee." When the medic turned his back, Predaking placed the other cube back with the others. He took his cube back to his room, where he consumed it, before taking the empty cube back to Ratchet. The sparklings kept on chirping for their creator to nurse them, but she refused to nurse them. Jambi kept on crying from thirst, as Viginti's wings refused to keep her aloft.
Arcee eventually gave in when the sparklings refused to keep quiet, and she allowed them to nurse. The femme winced as the sparklings bit down hard on her, suckling hard on their mother. It didn't take too long for Arcee to become dry, as the sparklings began chirping once again. "I'm sorry, Jambi and Viginti, but there is no more," said Arcee as she lied down to sleep. The sparklings looked at each other, then back at their mother. The both of them wondered why their creator was becoming more neglectful with each passing day.
Two weeks passed since Ratchet told Arcee about the energon restrictions, and the effects were becoming very noticeable. Jambi and Viginti were very skinny and lethargic. Arcee had to resort to walking on all fours. Her reproductive systems had shut down, and her breast energon production was at a minimum. "I'm glad that you can consume energon once again," said Predaking as he handed Arcee her energon. "So am I" she said as she drank half the cube. The femme forced herself to stop when she got to the halfway point, and then pushed the cube away. "Are you sure that you don't want to consume the other half?" asked Predaking. Arcee nodded, and then said, "I have to. If I resume, then I'll produce more energon and my reproductive systems will come back online. I have to keep energon consumption to a minimum." "I wish that you didn't," said Predaking as he looked at the sparklings. Their growth had stopped when Arcee began restricting on how much energon she should produce, so they were lacking the proper nutrition. It wouldn't take long for the three femmes to enter stasis lock.
Predaking looked back at his mate and asked "Are you sure that the sparklings have to be in stasis lock? We could always run away and find energon crystals for ourselves." Arcee shook her head, then said "With the Predacons increasing in number, it's getting harder and harder to find energon. If the sparklings are in stasis, at least they'll be quiet. Primus forbid that the Predacons find our base and they hear the sparklings."
There was a loud banging at the door as Ultra Magnus said "Predaking! Arcee! We need you in the control center. Optimus' orders." Predaking looked at the door, then back at his mate and said, "I hope that it's not another battle. I don't see on how you could fight like this." "I'll be fine," said Arcee as she struggled to get to her legs. Even though he had a stern look, Predaking was worried about his mate.
"We have found another energon mine where we could raid" said Optimus to the Autobots. The Autobots looked a little bit on the skinny side, but it was hardly noticeable. "It is heavily guarded, but we have to get the energon. Ratchet has told me that we don't have enough spare energon to do repairs, and we have to reduce our rations to half a cube if we fail. Autobots, transform and roll out!" called out Optimus as the Autobots transformed and followed him into battle. Predaking and Arcee followed them on all fours through the Ground Bridge.
Once the bridge closed, Ratchet went to the surveillance video. He hadn't seen Jambi or Viginti around the base lately, so he'd thought that he'd try to find them. He flipped through the channels until he came to Arcee and Predaking's room. The video was blurry, but he'd thought that he saw something in there. "Hmmm…" said Ratchet before he left the controls and went to investigate.
He was in front of the doors to Predaking's room when he overrode the lock system. The doors opened and Ratchet went inside. He saw half a cube of energon and… "Primus" said Ratchet as he saw Jambi and Viginti. They were very skinny and weren't moving. The medic ran up to them and checked their vitals. They were online but barely. Not thinking of any consequences, Ratchet took the sparklings. They needed emergency medical help immediately.
Ratchet watched the two sparklings consume the energon that he prepared for them. They devoured the entire cube, and once they finished, they looked up at him asking for more. "I'm sorry, but we don't have much energon left," said Ratchet. Viginti tried to flap her wings and fly, but she struggled to even stand. Jambi managed to get on her four legs, but they wobbled before she fell over. Ratchet knew that this was bad; the sparklings were malnourished.
"Ratchet, come in! We need a Ground Bridge immediately!" said Optimus over the comm link frequency to the computer. "Ok, I'm opening up the bridge. When Predaking and Arcee come through, I want to have a word with them," said Ratchet as he opened up the bridge. Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Ultra Magnus, Optimus, Smokescreen, and Predaking came running in before it closed. "Where's Arcee?" asked Ratchet. The Autobots looked at each other, then looked at Ratchet as Smokescreen said, "She didn't make it."
Ratchet just stared at him as he said, "You mean, she offlined?" "Worse" said Bulkhead "She was captured. Arcee was on the battlefield when she tried to fly away from them. She tried to fly away from Skystalker, but her wings gave out and she crashed. Skystalker picked her up by the neck in his mouth before he flew away. Predaking tried to fly after him, but he flew a short distance before he crashed as well. We watched the Predacons retreat with Arcee through a Ground Bridge. That's when Starscream and Soundwave came flying in and began blasting us."
"Doc, I managed to secure the energon," said Wheeljack over the comm link frequency. "Bring it back to base, Wheeljack," said Ratchet before he turned his attention to Predaking. "Predaking, just how much energon is a nursing predacon femme supposed to have?" asked Ratchet. "What makes you ask that question?" asked Predaking. "I found Viginti and Jambi. The both of them are seriously undernourished," said Ratchet.
"So…you found out" said Predaking. All of the Autobots looked at Predaking as he continued, "A nursing predacon femme needs a minimum amount of two energon cubes a day. In Arcee's case, she needs at least three cubes since she can fly. When entering combat, she needed to consume a lot more since her energy weapons drain a lot of energy." "Just how much energon did she consume today?" asked Ratchet. Predaking sighed, and then said, "Since you began enforcing energon restrictions…Arcee stopped eating. Her body began screaming for energon, but she ignored it. This caused her to produce less energon for the sparklings, and it forced her reproductive organs to go offline. When food is scarce, nursing predacon bodies undergo severe stress. Arcee was just preparing her body for the energon shortage. The lack of energon that her breasts were producing wasn't enough nourishment for the sparklings. They began starving, and then they began showing signs of entering stasis lock. The only other alternative for a nursing predacon femme is to devour her own offspring, but Arcee refused to consider that possibility."
"Why didn't you feed her? We're not in a 'starving until we offline' situation" shouted Ratchet. "I tried, Ratchet. I tried, but she refused to eat. I saw her sleeping a lot more, but I never saw her eat," said Predaking. "Then, why didn't you tell me that she was starving herself? I could have prepared something to inject into her. I could have prevented Arcee from entering combat" said Ratchet. "I wanted to, but Arcee told me that she wanted me to pretend that she wasn't starving. She was scared if you ever found out what she was doing to herself and the sparklings," said Predaking.
Arcee groaned as she woke up. She tried focusing her optics, but she was too dizzy to focus them. A heavy cloud of exhaustion overcame her as she entered a dreamless world of sleep. She thought that she heard a low sinister voice snicker, but she wasn't sure.
Beep…beep…beep…beep Arcee heard as she blinked a few times. She was in a dimly lit place as she tried to grasp what was going on. "I see that you are awake," said a monotone voice as Arcee looked up, then her optics widened in fear. Shockwave was looming above her, with his cold red optic staring down at her. Arcee tried to push herself up, but no matter how hard she tried to move, she was unable to. The dragoness looked down, and she saw that she was strapped to the table.
A servo caressed her backside as she tilted her head to find Starscream stroking her. Arcee hissed as the seeker snickered, then said "You're in no conditions to make any threats to me, femme. You're weak and defenseless." Starscream looked to the tubes that were attached to Arcee as an IV drip continued to pump energon into her systems. He then looked back to the femme and said "Shockwave told me that once you're healed, you'll be ready for breeding." He lowered his helm and, while gripping Arcee's head, gave her a forced kiss.
Arcee widened her optics in fear, as Starscream slowly pulled himself away as he began stroking her under her chin. A growl came from behind the seeker as the mech turned around to find Hun-Gurr standing behind him. "Are you forgetting that Shockwave promised me that I'm the first to mate with the femme? She's everything that I've dreamed of," said Hun-Gurr. Starscream huffed, and then said, "Just don't ravage her body too much. I want to have a little fun with her."
Five months had passed since Arcee had been captured, and she was reduced to nothing more than a breeding pet. A special shock collar was placed around Arcee's neck as she walked on all fours to the Hyperevolution chambers. Arcee thought back to some of the previous conversations that she had with Shockwave…
Arcee was struggling to escape the chains that had her trapped in the cave. Shockwave came in with a serum that would drug her heavily as the femme hissed at him. "Release me, you piece of scrap," she hissed. "And let you go where? The Autobots and your mate have given up looking for you. Plus, your two offspring are offline without having a creator to nurse off from" said the scientist. Arcee widened her optics as Shockwave continued, "Yes Arcee, I know about your two sparklings. I have created some sky spies to investigate your flight patterns. I saw your two femmes play with each other whenever you took them into the forest to play. You care deeply for those two as much as you care for Jack. My sky spies have recorded him frolicking and hunting in the forest and desert. If you try to run away or refuse to be a domesticated femme, I'd hate to see what would happen to Jack. I've been meaning to test the Primal Drive on a human, and he seems like the perfect test subject. Of course, if you become a domesticated predacon, I'll change who will be the first test subject for my experiments."
Arcee had no choice but to accept Shockwave's blackmail. A lot more predacons were resurrected ever since she's been captured, and she'd been forced to mate with them all. Shockwave had removed the developing predacons from her womb to place in Hyperevolution chambers to speed up development and growth. To make matters worse, she'd been degraded to a lowly house pet for the Decepticons. Shockwave took every precaution to offline her weapon systems, leaving her defenseless.
"Ah, Arcee, just the femme that I wanted to see" said Starscream as he walked up to her. Arcee stopped moving, and looked up at him. He had a leash with him and an energon prod. The femme looked away as she said, "Are you really going to do this again? You know how much I hate that." "Of course I do, I just love to make you act like those stupid pets that the humans have" said Starscream.
He knelt down and attached the leash to Arcee, and then he stood up and yanked hard on the leash. Arcee yelped, as Starscream said, "Now, sit." Arcee sat, then Starscream said "Beg." She begged, as Starscream told her to lie down.
Starscream continued to give commands to degrade Arcee. She hated to be degraded in such a way, but she had no choice. If she were to attack Starscream, he'd rat her out to Shockwave, and the scientist would hunt down Jack and experiment on him. "Now, we come to my favorite trick," said Starscream, "You lead." Sighing, Arcee walked in front of Starscream on all fours. He walked behind her; leash in servo and the energon prod in the other.
The femme yelped when Starscream kicked her, and said "Oops, how clumsy of me." Arcee knew that this was no accident; Starscream would often kick her hard in her aft. He would also step on her tail hard, or on her pedes, both of which caused her intense pain.
The two of them walked around the base, with Starscream kicking and stepping on her, until they came back to her room. "In you go, back into your kennel," said Starscream as he opened the door. She looked in, and then Starscream zapped her with the energon prod. She screamed, and then began walking in, with Starscream giving her one last kick to her aft. When the door closed, she wept.