RoboDiamondDragon09: your review was greatly appreciated as always. :)
Airachnid dragged herself out from under the wrecker, and just in time too. The medic had just activated his defibrillators and didn't particularly care if the shock traveled through Bulkhead's frame and into hers. While it wouldn't hurt per se, it definitely wouldn't feel good.
The spider femme moved a little ways off so as not to be in the desperate medic's way. Her optics never left the wrecker's still form. Not long ago Airachnid would have been thrilled to see the autobot so close to death, but now… Wildclaw's death played over and over in her processor, and she had to fight to keep it from taking her under again. As it was Airachnid couldn't stop her vision from causing Bulkhead's form from flickering back and forth between his and her brother's.
She couldn't stop the soft moan from escaping her voice box. Suddenly the ground bridge reopened and Arcee and Bumblebee drove through. They barely had time to swerve to avoid colliding with the wrecker's body. The human girl, Miko's, screams harmonized with Airachnid's own from so long ago. The spider femme couldn't take it. She ran.
A few hours later Ratchet had managed to stabilize Bulkhead's condition, but the wrecker still hadn't stirred. Miko was inconsolable, and refused to leave his side. Currently she was sitting on his chassis with her face tucked into her knees as sobs wracked her small frame.
A crashing sound resonated from deep within the base, and causing Arcee and Ratchet to wince. Miko didn't acknowledge it. As the demolition continued, and the medic's irritation increased, Arcee decided that it would be in everyone's best interest to find and stop the destruction. But, honestly, the femme felt like breaking something herself.
Arcee wandered the halls searching for the source of the racket. She came to the sparing room and heard the commotion coming from within. The motorcycle femme eased the door open and found Airachnid currently in the process of beating the stuffing out of a Starscream training dummy. A pile of mutilated Megatron and Soundwave dummies lay in the corner of the room. Airachnid hadn't touched the ones that resembled herself, Arcee noted with a smirk.
Arcee wasn't all that startled to find Airachnid in the base, having seen her earlier when she'd come through the bridge. The femme was surprised, however, when her rival didn't seem to hear her approach. Arcee stopped a few feet away from the other femme when she realized something was off.
Airachnid's optics were wide open, but unfocused as she mauled the Starscream mannequin. Her lips were constantly contorting and Arcee could just barely make out the words her words. "Should have been me. My fault. Should have been me. My fault."
Arcee blinked slowly. This was unnerving, even for Airachnid. Arcee called out the black and purple femme's name. No reaction. Arcee wasn't sure what made her lash out with her servo and catch Airachnid's wrist. Airachnid's self defense kicked into overdrive. She swiftly made a circling motion and broke Arcee's hold before kneeing her in the stomach and sinking into a defensive crouch.
Arcee was about to pull out her blasters when Airachnid straightened. "Oh. It's just you."
"What do you mean just me?" Arcee asked somewhat offended.
"For a second, I actually thought you were a threat," Airachnid teased. It didn't escape Arcee's notice that Airachnid glanced at her azure paintjob and her optics hardened.
"It's not like you ever defeated me," Arcee scoffed as she faked offense. It was easier this way, the motorcycle femme decided. Bantering back and forth over unimportant matters, and pretending everything was fine. Perhaps one day it would be, but for now Arcee's spark withered just by looking at Tailgate's murderer. But she maintained her façade.
"And you've never beaten me, either," Airachnid countered.
"Only because you always flee," Arcee grumbled.
"Prove it," the spider femme challenged. "Spare with me."
Arcee hesitated for a moment, but the chance to make Airachnid eat her words and inflict a little pain was just too tempting. "I accept."
A few hours later both femmes were bruised and battered, but were highly enjoying themselves. It was an unspoken agreement that blasters were prohibited. The battle brought out their grace as they clashed. But at other times, they tumbled across the floor grappling with each other. Once, Airachnid even hurled a Megatron training dummy at her.
By now though, Arcee was worn out. Airachnid was a seasoned and skilled warrior. Arcee could tell that her own attacks were weakening. Airachnid, sensing victory was imminent, cockily stepped into Arcee's strike zone. The spider femme realized her error as soon as Arcee smiled. Before she could move, Arcee dropped low and swept out her leg to kick Airachnid on the back of the ankle twice. The first unbalanced her, and the second knocked her to the ground.
Airachnid tried to stand, but after a moment of struggling gave up. She was simply too tired. Arcee appeared in her field of vision. "Looks like I win," the motorcycle femme crowed.
"I'd like to see you try to take me after you've been exposed to tox-EN," Airachnid groused from her position on the floor.
"Excuses, Excuses. You were the one who challenged me," Arcee reminded her. She was in a decidedly better mood after her victory, and was feeling less animosity towards the other femme. Ever the good sport, Arcee offered Airachnid a servo, and pulled her to her pedes.
"How's the wrecker faring?" Airachnid asked quietly.
"He's stabilized, but still comatose," Arcee answered only slightly louder.
Arcee thought she saw a flicker of relief in Airachnid's optics before the femme turned her helm away and avoided Arcee's gaze. The spider femme's lips moved to form a single word, but her voice box produced no sound.
"You're going to have to speak up. I don't read lips," Arcee said with a roll of her optics.
"Why?" Airachnid forced out eventually.
"Why what? I'm not a processor reader. Be more specific."
"Why did the wrecker pause to push me out of the way when Hardshell attacked him?" Airachnid choked out.
Arcee shook her helm in amusement. "That's just the way Bulkhead is. He's always thinking of others' wellbeing before his own."
Airachnid closed her optics. He had been far luckier than her brother. There had been no time to save Wildclaw. It had happened too quickly. Besides, there had been no decepticon medics in the area. Just herself, her parents, and the autobots… Airachnid's optics flew open to prevent the memory from flooding her processor.
Airachnid realized that Arcee was staring at her like she was crazy. The motorcycle femme wasn't all that far off in her assumption.
Arcee broke the silence first, "You look dead on your pedes. While the base isn't large, we do have some extra rooms." Arcee made a follow-me gesture before leaving the training room. The femme's pedesteps were the only sounds between the two.
Arcee paused outside an unused room. Airachnid entered, but Arcee stayed in the doorway. It wasn't big by any means. Airachnid turned back to the two-wheeler as the corners of her lip components tilted up. "Thank you, Arcee… For everything."