When the two Sister leaders left, Arcee was still smiling at the Hanger doors.
"Hey Arcee. You feeling okay?" Smokescreen asked as moved closer to her face. Arcee scowled at him then pushed him away.
"What are you talking about?" She demanded.
"Well, you've been smiling for the past couple minutes. You never smile for more than several seconds. A minute if it's a really good day." Smokescreen continued.
"What? No! I smile." Arcee replied.
"Nah, the kid's right." Wheeljack said. "You never smile this much."
"Yeah, well...I guess that Elita and Chromia coming here just makes me really happy okay?" Arcee responded. "They're family."
"Say, Arcee, how did you meet Elita and Chromia?" Bumblebee asked.
Arcee looked at Bumblebee. The day she met Elita One and Chromia? That was so long ago...
"Somebody help me!"
"Arcee?" Bumblebee asked again. Arcee looked at the other Autobots. She then looked down at her pedes.
"It was...during the first days of the war." Arcee began. "The Decepticons had just sent out the call announcing their existence and goals. They had also threatened anyone who didn't join them."
"I remember that day. I signed up to join the Autobots the minute the monitor shut off." Smokescreen said.
Arcee nodded. "The small town I lived in was made up of a femme dominated population. They had decided to remain neutral in it all. However, we provided the Autobots with a small but steady supply of Energon from our stores. We had more than enough to share...but the Cons knew it too. And of course they wanted it all. They contacted our town, demanding Energon, but we refused."
Arcee paused with a hurt look on her faceplates.
"Arcee? What's wrong? What happened after that?" Jack asked.
"The Decepticons attacked us." Arcee continued. "We didn't have any weapons or training. It was a massacre."
Arcee remembered it all clear as day...
Large, dark mechs without faces shot femmes at all directions. Everyone was screaming and trying to run. Little Arcee looked at it all from the window of her family's home. She was still a youngling. She didn't understand why this was all happening. Then she heard the door of her room slide open. Arcee tightened her grip on her favourite toy before a red and pink femme rushed over and picked young Arcee off the ground and ran out of their house.
Now they were outside. The dark mechs were still shooting at everything and everyone. Arcee watched helplessly from the arms of the femme carrying her.
Arcee saw another dark mech, he turned towards them. He lifted his arm blaster and pointed it at them. Arcee closed her optics. She felt herself fall to the ground.
When she opened her optics again, the red and pink femme was face down on the ground. A pool of blue liquid forming around her midsection.
"Carrier? Carrier?" Arcee had asked, nudging the downed femme. When she didn't move, Arcee began to cry out.
"Carrier! Carrier? We still have to go! You said! We have to leave together Carrier!" Arcee had cried. The dark mech was now making his way over to Arcee. She looked up at him as he pointed his blaster at her face.
"Somebody help me!" She screamed. Then...the dark mech was gone. He had been thrown aside into a wall by a fierce punch.
Now standing in the dark mech's place was a tall pink femme. Another mech tried to sneak up behind the femme, but he was shot in the back by a light blue femme.
The pink femme smiled at the young blue and pink youngling.
"Are you alright little one?" She asked.
"Yes, but my Carrier isn't." Arcee replied pointing towards her Carrier on the ground. "Can you help her. She said that we were going to leave together."
The pink and blue femmes looked at young Arcee sadly. "We are so sorry sweetspark. But I'm afraid that we cannot."
Arcee looked up at them. "Why not?" She asked as the pink femme picked her up.
"Because she can't run anymore dear." The blue femme answered simply before they began to run. "But don't worry dear. We can still help you. What is your designation?"
"I'm Arcee."
"I am Chromia." The blue femme replied.
"And I am Elita One. Don't worry, we'll get you out of this little one."
TheAutobots looked at Arcee in shock.
She went through all that at such a young age.
"Arcee..." Jack began. "I, uh..."
"What happened next?" Smokescreen asked quietly.
"The Autobot forces sent to save our town took care of the Cons. Elita and Chromia took me and other survivors to an Autobot refugee camp." Arcee answered.
Medics tended to the wounded. Energon rations were being passed around. Arcee sat alone, quietly in a corner.
"What's wrong Arcee?" Chromia asked as she walked up to her with an Energon cube in her servos.
"I wanna go home! I want my Carrier!" Arcee exclaimed. Chromia smiled sadly as she sat down beside Arcee.
"I'm afraid that you can't have either of those things anymore dear." Chromia told her quietly. "Your home isn't safe. Your Carrier can't run or talk anymore. Also...she's lost, and we won't be able to find her."
Arcee looked up at the older femme as Chromia handed Arcee the Energon cube.
"But don't you worry little Arcee. You'll be fine I promise." Chromia assured her before getting up and walking over to Elita.
The people of Arcee's town stayed at the refugee camp for many long cycles. Elita One and Chromia had stayed there for a while as well. The surrounding areas were still being held by the Decepticons.
During the time they were on site at the camp, Arcee would sneak over to their quarters and look inside.
Most of the time they were just talking with one another. Sometimes however, they would be practicing their fighting skills. High kicks and fierce punches. Flips and jumps. Little Arcee had been amazed by their talents.
When she was alone, Arcee would try to copy their movements, to little success.
Then one day, Chromia and Elita caught Arcee at the door.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! " Arcee exclaimed. Elita and Chromia merely smiled at her.
"It's alright little one. You were watching us practice weren't you?" Elita replied kindly. Arcee nodded.
"Hmm. Learning to do what we do is gonna take you many stellar cycles Arcee." Chromia replied. Arcee looked down sadly.
Elita crouched down and lifted Arcee's face.
"But you know...you are small and fast. You have the right physique. Don't worry sweetspark. If you really want to, you'll be able master these techniques with ease." Elita told her. Arcee's faceplates lit up with joy.
"Y'know, Elita, we could show her a simple move now." Chromia suggested. Elita looked at her, then back at Arcee.
"Alright. Let me think." Elita said. "Here."
Elita turned Arcee around and then placed her servos around Arcee's arms.
"Like I said before, you are small. That is not a bad thing Arcee, don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Being small may not mean that you're extraordinarily strong, but it means that you are fast." Elita explained. "You have to use that to your advantage. When a big enemy is coming at you, you can dodge them. And then...spread your feet apart please dear. A good stance means that you have good balance and you won't fall over."
Arcee spread her feet apart, and then Elita lifted Arcee's arms up to her helm.
"You never take your optics off your opponent. You keep your guard up. Then...DODGE!" Elita exclaimed and Arcee darted to the left.
"Oh! Very good! Then you have to hit your opponent Arcee!" Chromia added. Arcee looked at her, and then punched the air.
"Faster." Arcee punched faster.
"Faster." Arcee punched faster.
"Excellent. The faster you go the more momentum you'll have. That means that your attacks will be stronger." Elita explained. "You see? I told you that you would be able to master it easily."
"Thank you!" Arcee exclaimed.
"Now, you'd better get going Arcee. I think they're serving rations now." Chromia told her. Arcee nodded at them happily before she turned and ran towards the mess hall.
"That was the first thing they ever taught me. Later that same week they were called back by Autobot Command.
"You're leaving?" Arcee exclaimed.
"Yes sweetspark. But don't you worry, you and your friends are safe here now." Chromia assured her.
"That doesn't matter! I want you to stay here! Or...let me come with you!" Arcee demanded.
"No. You can't Arcee. It is safe here, but not where we're going." Elita spoke. Arcee looked up at her with sad optics.
"But don't you worry Arcee." Elita continued as she picked something off of the table. "I have a feeling that we are going to meet again."
Elita opened her servo to reveal an Autobots insignia charm. "Keep it for good luck...little sister."
"After they left I continued to practice the moves they showed me. When I was old enough, I joined the Autobot Warriors. During one of my missions, I met up with the Sisters along with Elita and Chromia for the first time since the appropriately named Femme Massacre." Arcee continued.
Arcee had just destroyed another Vehicon. She took a minute to collect herself. She took out the charm Elita One had given her so long ago and held for a bit longer before putting it away.
Then another Vehicon grabbed her from behind and threw her into a nearby wall. He was quickly joined by several more Vehicons.
Arcee took out her arm blades and prepared herself for battle once again before the Vehicon who had thrown her fell face first into the rubble covered ground.
Behind him, arm blaster still smoking, was a fiery orange and yellow femme.
A smaller blue and green femme ran towards the other Vehicons from behind her. She took out a small silver rod, pressed a small button, and two long blue Energon rods sprouted from either side of it. She twirled it in the air before running into Vehicon with it.
Another femme, this one yellow and blue, took out a rifle and shot the Vehicons from a distance.
Then two more femmes appeared. They were pink and blue blurs on the battlefield. Shooting kicking and punching the enemy.
When the threat no longer existed, the two femmes stood in front of Arcee with their backs turned.
It was them. Elita One and Chromia. Arcee was sure of it, but she was sure that they didn't remember her. She had been a tiny orphan youngling among dozens the last time they had seen each other.
Then Elita and Chromia turned to her with smiles on their faces.
"I told you that we would meet again little sister Arcee." Elita spoke.
"And after that I was commissioned to join the Sisters Unit." Arcee finished.
"You sure went through a lot." Jack said.
"Everyone on Cybertron during the war went through a lot." Arcee replied. "I smile because I'm happy. I'm happy because I still have family during these times."
That brought a smile to everyone's faces. The Elita and Chromia re-entered Hanger E.
"Okay. We disguised the Courageous as a giant Earth rock. I hope that is sufficient for Agent Fowler." Chromia announced.
"Arcee, if you don't mind, we are ready to scan Earth alt. modes." Elita continued.
"I don't mind. I don't mind at all." Arcee answered.
Here I am with an extra long chapter to make up for the last one!(2000 words go me!)
Tis a snow day up here in Canada. Well, the part I live in anyways. So I have the time to write. Another chapter will come! It might even be today!
This is your last chance to leave suggestions for Elita One and Chromia's alt. modes! Also let me know what you think of Arcee's past!
Comment and review everybody!