DISCLAIMER: I do not own this franchise I am only using it and some of its characters as a base universe for this story.
Chapter 16- Facing fears
POV: Twinwave
" " Normal talking
": :" Bumblebee talking
(Note: This chapter takes place during season 1 episode 12 of TFP "Predatory, I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes.)
You know for once it was kinda peaceful in the base, the guardian trio was retrieving their kids, leaving me stuck at base with Optimus and Ratchet.
Ratchet was in his usual grumpy mood hunched over his work and Optimus, well I didn't exactly know where he'd vanished off to but I knew he'd be back in time to greet the kids.
"Ratchet, do you know when everyone's going to be back?" I asked, I'd been waiting silently and patiently for them to get back for what felt like a millenia. "Soon." he replied, clearly not happy I'd disturbed him. I sighed again and went back to waiting for them.
You know because of convenient timing, when I heard the trio's engines incoming the alarm went off. "What's it this time?" I waited for Ratchet to make sense of the situation. "Optimus, I'm detecting a subterranean energon deposit serge." Ratchet said turning his helm to Optimus who'd just magically reappeared into the main base room.
"Arcee. You and Twinwave are going on a routine recon, Jack may come go with you because it will be no-risk." Optimus said, Arcee and I both nodded our helms before heading towards the ground bridge. I scooped Jack into my servo, "I don't think you wanna get left behind." he nodded and we followed Arcee into the swirling vortex.
When the three of us popped through on the other side, we were in a pine forest. I looked up, the sky was covered in grey clouds and there seemed to be an eerily mist covering the tree tops. "Let's get going." Arcee said, pulling out a device that I assume Ratchet handed her while I grabbed Jack.
She turned it on and started walking toward the thinned treeline. I set Jack down and caught up with Acree. "I wonder what caused the serge?" Arcee shrugged, "Probably the Cons digging it up." She replied. I shrugged and continued walking with her.
There was a faint buzzing around us, "Probably some bugs." I thought about not paying too much mind to them. Jack on the other hand was not handling them well, "Ah! Really wish I'd packed some insect repellent. The mosquitoes put here on this routine recon are the size of vampire bats." Jack said, swatting at the tiny creatures as we descended a small hill. "And they drink just as much blood. Ah!" He continued as he hit his arm.
We'd come to a stop behind Arcee as she read the signals on her device. "I don't understand why they like you so much, they aren't bothering me." I said, watching Jack swat away some more of them. "That's because you're made of metal and I'm made of flesh." Jack replied, hitting his arm again.
"Quite the outdoorsman aren't you, Jack?" Arcee said sarcastically, turning her helm to watch swat a few more of the mosquitoes away, she smiled a little. "You wouldn't be making fun of my survival kit." Jack retorted, "Maybe." Arcee teased. "Mmm I'm pretty sure that's what was happening." I teased both Arcee and Jack a little.
"I may not give stinger-proof metal skin Arcee and Twinwave, but in a pinch, I can use my multi-function pocket knife and magnesium fire starter to cook up some freeze-dried Mac and Cheese." Jack said patting his hip where the fanny pack with his listed tools was.
"You have your tools. I have mine." Arcee said raising the device, I rolled my optics a little. "And if worse comes to worse Jack, Ratchet will bridge us back to base using our coordinates." Jack shrugged. He was about to speak but Arcee's device started beeping, "That's odd." She muttered looking at it. "Everything alright Cee?" I asked, giving a slightly concerned look.
"Well Ratchet's satellite scans were accurate. But subterranean energon deposits don't cause this kind of surge." She said looking straight ahead and started walking. "Then what did?" I wondered, Arcee didn't reply so me and Jack started speed walking to try and catch up.
Arcees device beeped again and we stopped, we were just a half a kilometer from where we'd last taken a break. "Uh Arcee." I said tapping her so she'd look up.
"What happened here?" Jack asked, finally catching up with us, "Crash landing. Stay behind us low and close." Arcee said following alongside the gouges that were left in the dirt from the ship's landing. "Geez, and I thought I did a bad landing job." I muttered as we walked, looking down the trail of broken trees and kicking up dirt.
Arcee ran up ahead to scout while I stayed close to Jack, she was ducked beside a tree when we arrived. I bent down to get a better look at it. The ship had dirt piled up on the side of it, trees were crashed and broken everywhere around it.
"Autobot or Decepticon?" Jack asked, "Can't tell. Wait here, Twinwave comes with me to my bed back up if there's survivors." Arcee said, transforming her blaster. I nodded and pulled out one of my swords, "Becareful Jack, scream if you need us." I said before following behind Arcee.
Her and I walked slowly toward the ship, checking behind and to the sides of us making sure we weren't being ambushed. "Stay close to the side." Arcee whispered, I nodded as we made our way up the hill of dirt, keeping close to the side of the ship.
Arcee ran lightly toward to clear to hatch of the ship, I stayed behind watching my back and hers for anyone incoming. "Clear." She said, keeping her blaster pointed forward. I slid next to her taking out my other sword, we stepped inside and followed the hallway as silently as we could.
I checked my left and right as we came closer toward some hallways. Something caught the corner of my optic and I stopped, nearly dropping my sword. "Arcee. I know who's ship we're on." I gasped a little. "What do you mean Wave?" She asked, stopping I pointed to in front of me and on the walls. Heads, of different species and sizes encased in glass littered it.
"Arcee, Jack. He might be in trouble if Arachnid gets to him first." I said turning my helm to her. "Cee!" I said running over and putting one of my swords away, she looked like she was going to faint. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder to support her weight. "I-I'm fine, we need to get out of her." She said brushing me off. I nodded and followed her out.
I turned around and got one last look of the dark interior of Arachnid's ship, looking for the red glow of her optics in the dark.
I turned around and ran outside, Arcee wouldn't be taking to see this ship again lightly. "Arcee? What's wrong?" I heard Jack ask as I neared them. "I know who this ship belongs to." She said grimly, "Twinwave, is she okay?" Jack asked as Arcee called us a ground bridge. "She'll be fine, we've just both got some bad memories on this flying death trap." I replied.
"W-wait why? Whose ship is this?" Jack asked Arcee again, she didn't pay any attention to him, as she tried calling base again. "Scarp. Com link's dead. The ship's got to be transmitting a high-frequency scrambler pulse." Arcee said walking away from the ship, Jack and I trailed after her. Jack was running in an attempt to catch up.
"So we're stuck out here with her? And here I was thinking today was going to be peaceful." I muttered. Wait here with Twinwave." She said, walking up head.
"Is she okay?" Jack asked me again, I shook my head "I don't know but that ship's a Cons, a really bad one. Arcee and I are just making sure you don't get hurt." I replied. "No!" Arcee screamed up head, "Arcee?" Jack yelled, running after her. "Jack wait!" I yelled following behind him.
"Arcee?" Jack asked as we approached her, she was kneeling in front of some tracks. She shook her helm and transformed, "Climb on." She said to Jack. I followed suit as he put his helmet on. Soon Arcee was speeding off in front of me, Jack screaming as they flew past trees. "I know Arcee, I'm scared too." I thought of running to catch up to them.
I jumped over the ravine and skidded to a stop next to them on the other side. "Look, I've seen danger before. What's the-." Jack was asking Arcee when I got to them, she'd already pulled a few meters away from him. "Wait here. I mean it this time." she said coldly, maybe a little colder than she'd wanted.
"Okay first you shut me out, and now you're ditching me and Twinwave? I thought I was you partner." Jack said as Arcee transformed. She towered above him, "No, Jack, You're a kid." She said shaking her helm, "You're only here because this was supposed to be No-risk. Twinwave you have to stay with him, make sure he's in your sight at all time." Arcee said before she retransformed and flew over the ravine.
"Now you're assigning me a babysitter!" Jack said, throwing his arms up in the air. I shook my helm, "I'm not your babysitter, I'm your personal guard until we find the Con and neutralize them. Remember we have to stay here." I said, looking at Jack.
He was already gone, "Jack!?" I yelled, "I'm down here!" I heard him yell back from the ravine. I ran over to the ravine to see Jack climbing down the side of it. I untransformed and reached one of my servos down in an attempt to grab him, "Grab onto one of my digits and I'll pull you out. Then we can go help Arcee." I said placing Jack back onto solid ground next to me.
"I thought I was supposed to wait with you here for Arcee." Jack retired sarcastically, I retransformed "I've got a feeling she could use some help, now get on." I replied. I bowed letting Jack climb onto my back, I waited until he had a firm enough grip onto my armour before I started running again.
Jack and I jumped over the ravine and started following Arcee's tire marks along the ground. Winding through around trees until I stopped at a stump where her tire marks ended and her peed prints started. "Alright you can get off now." I said bowing, Jack slid down the side of my armour onto the ground. "Why'd we stop?" He asked dusting himself off.
"Well the tracks changed and there's that." I said pointing to the neon green glowing tree stump, Jack walked over to it. There was still a little steam coming off of Airachnid's acid so it must've been fresh. "What is it?" Jack said getting a little too close to the stump for my comfort. "Acid so don't touch." I said putting my servo in front of him to block his path.
"Come on, we're going on foot." I said scooping him up again and walking with Arcee's tracks, making sure to watch where they led and stopped.
Jack and I walked for a moment before we came to a hillside, below us Arcee and Airachnid were engaged in a fight. Arcee was clearly losing because she was currently webbed to the other side of the cliff face opposite to us. "Arcee!" Jack yelled running down the hill to her, "Jack no! You're going to get hurt!" I said transforming and running after him. The hill was too steep for my regular form but my primal form would work fine for getting down quickly and safely.
I was almost at Jack again when I saw Arcee cut herself free and fire an energon beam towards Arachnid, when it hit she went flying a few feet from where she originally stood.
"I told you to wait for me!" Arcee said as Jack approached her, "Well, partners don't ditch partners." Jack replied tugging at the webbing cocooning part of Arcee's legs. "Jack stand back and let me." I said transforming and grabbing one of my swords, I put the tip of the blade at the bottom edge of the webbing and cut up. Releasing Arcee.
"Get this through your head- you're not my partner. You're a liability." She yelled still a little trapped in the webbing, "And you, Wave how could you bring him here? You know how dangerous this is!" She yelled at me this time. "He was coming either way, so I figured it'd be better if he came with back up." I retorted, trying not to sound as angry as I was. I put my sword back in its case.
"I don't believe you. I can see it in your eyes. You're afraid, Arcee, and you're never afraid." Jack said tugging at the webbing again, even though I'd cut her loose she still clung to the wall. "Arcee, don't you dare revisit those memories." I said sternly, taking the rest of the webbing off of her and sitting her down as she had her flashback.
"You're right Jack, I am afraid... of losing you." She said after a moment of silence, we optics were shot with fear. "You sure have trouble hanging onto your partners don't you? We both know what happened to Tailgate. But I recently picked up some Decepticon radio chatter regarding the passing of Cliffjumper." Airachnid said, creeping toward us. "You can stay right there." I said angrily, I pulled both my swords out of their case and held them in front of me in a defence position. "Ha, and if I remember correctly. You have a hard time holding onto your partner's voice." She snickered. My stance faltered a little but I kept my guard up.
"At some point you both really have to ask yourselves, 'Is it them, or is it me?'" Airachnid taunted, still keeping her distance. "Do you get it now, Jack? She's not interested in me. She hunts indigenous species, and she's on earth. That means humans. You! RUN!" Acree screamed to Jack, she was still weak from her flash back that she could only stand.
Airachnid shot two new sets of web casing at us, repainting Arcee and pinning me to the cliff side. She laughed getting close to both of us, and Arcee's Faceplates were almost touching as she gave her speech. "And that's why I know prefer to work alone. It's so sad when bad things happen to those close to you. But don't get me wrong- I fully intend to snuff out both of your sparks." Airachnid had stuck all of her legs into the cliff face and turned upside down.
"And, believe me, I will make it hurt. But that won't compare to the pain you'll both feel knowing knowing I'm adding your human to my collection. " she said, turning her helm to Jack. "Stay away from him!" I yelled struggling in the webbing, "Now sit tight and I'll be back for the both of you." She said launching herself off the wall and towards Jack. "Jack!" Arcee screamed.
"Twinwave, cut us loose. Now!" Arcee yelled to me, squirming in the web. "Arcee I can't reach my sword!" I said I struggled, one of my swords was an inch away from my peed. But my leg wasn't long enough for me to reach, I kept trying to stretch my leg out rather but the webbing kept it firmly in place on the wall.
"Jack, I'm sorry. I never should have looked back. I should've kept driving." Arcee said, her voice echoed with sadness. "Arcee it's not your fault, I shouldn't have brought him here even though I knew the risks. I didn't help to save Cliffjumper, I just stood and watched as they took him, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that you're going to lose Jack. That you're going to lose a partner all over again." I said, I started to feel lubricate pooling at the bottom of my optics, I knew this wasn't the time for leaking but I couldn't help it.
Arcee didn't respond instead she transformed and started driving forward, putting metal to the pedal. Her wheels grinding on the dirt trying to get out of the webs gave me an idea. I tranformed and used the claws on my front peeds to try and cut myself free, next to me I heard Arcee's webbing starting to snap as she revved her engine trying to get more power to pull the web off the wall. The hole in mine started to get bigger and pretty soon there was enough room for me to crawl out. "Arcee I- '' I started but she interrupted me, "Twinwave, it's okay. You didn't kill him and you were known to earth, you didn't know who he was yet. But right now we need to find Jack." She said revving her engine again.
"Alright I'm right behind you."I said untransforming and grabbing my sword, I slid it into its case and retransformed following behind Arcee. "Remember the easiest way to find her is to follow the tracks her spider legs leave behind." I said as we drove and ran past the holes that were no doubtedly left by her.
We kept driving, following the tracks that Airachnid had left. Listening closely for the sound of her voice or her pad steps. "Arcee we should-" I tried to start but then an explosion could be heard, "Uh Cee that was over by the ship." I said. We turned our alts and headed towards the ship as fast as we could, Arcee speeding up as we did. Pretty soon she was a kilometer in front of me, "Good, she's going to get Jack." I thought.
I didn't slow down but I kept my pace, when I got to Jack and Arcee. Arcee had just kicked Airachnid and sent her flying through a few trees. "Yikes, that looks like it's gotta hurt." I muttered, jumping down to get to Jack and Cee.
"Jack, are you okay?" Arcee asked frantically, she knelt down and tore the webbing that was keeping him in place. "Yeah, of course. Survival kit." Jack said, smiling a little. "Well I'm glad you're both okay but I believe the spider is getting away." I said pointing towards where Arachnid laid, she was drilling down and away from us. The three of us ran over to the hole, she was already too deep for any of us to get to.
"Airachnid!" Arcee yelled into the hole, I looked too. I watched her drill her tunnel to get away from us, I could see her optics turn back up to me. Her dermas (lips) stretched into a smile, beside me Arcee sighed. "So much for closure." She joked, I smiled "Well you'll get it someday." Arcee smiled back.
"Yeah, now that Airachnid is stuck here on earth. But I'm not sure that's suck a good thing." Jack said, he looked disappointed we didn't finish her off. "I'm sorry you both had to face my demons today. You were pretty fearless there, Jack. " Arcee apologized, "Actually, I was terrified. Mostly for you." Jack replied looking up at Arcee. "Ratchet, requesting ground bridge." Arcee said into her com link.
"I need to get my partner far away from any oversized bugs." She finished, smiling. "Partner, huh?" Jack said a little sarcastically, "Junior partner." Arcee corrected. "I can still pull rank." Jack retorted. I smiled and brought them both in for a hug, making sure to pick Jack up first. "Good, now that we've all made up let's go home. Shall we?" I said guestering to the swirling ground bridge behind us. Arcee and Jack laughed as we made our way through, today had sure been an unwanted trip down memory lane for Arcee and I.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave some feedback for me so I can make it a better reading experience for you guys!
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