33- Crossfire.
It was a normal day when the Decepticon warship flew over a cliff of Tarroco Island, heading for the ocean of the Orange Archipelago. Fortunately for the Decepticons, there was no boats nearby to see it. Meanwhile, inside its bridge…
"If it pleases you, lord Galvatron, once Soundblaster discovers a means of decoding the remainder of the Iacon database, as we know he will, I would suggest the deployment of an underutilized asset."
"And what asset would that be, Airachnid?"
"I believe that my superior tracking skills would expedite your quest, to recover the remaining relics." She explained bowing to him.
"Noted."
"You are a gracious audience, my lord. Soundblaster." She saluted before leaving the bridge.
Once he was sure she was gone, Galvatron turned to Soundblaster. "Remind me of her trustworthiness."
Soundblaster replayed one of Airachnid's phrases when she was in command of the Nemesis. "I believe we must consider the possibility of a future without Galvatron."
At the same time, Dreadwing was in the ship's weapon storage, checking the weapons.
"Dreadwing." Galvatron called from one video terminal.
Dreadwing turned at him and bowed. "I am at your beck and call, lord Galvatron."
"I wish to entrust you with a task I would normally reserve for myself. That is if you wish to prove yourself worthy of becoming my first lieutenant."
"That pose belongs to Airachnid."
"She will be missed." Galvatron answered, so Dreadwing understood what he was referring to. "And I suggest you bring backup. She can be a handful, especially when cornered."
Sometime later, Dreadwing, Airachnid and Breakdown walked through the same island's forest, already at night.
"Am I the only one here who considers this to be overkill on lord Galvatron's part? I mean: dispatching two of his most proficient warriors to track down one unconfirmed energon spike when he could just simply send a scout team when we were passing above it." Airachnid admitted.
"Galvatron knows me and Dreadwing here will get the job done." Breakdown said.
"Actually, I was referring to Dreadwing and myself."
That started to get Breakdown mad, but Dreadwing stopped him.
"Breakdown, remain on task. This must be a unified effort."
"Indeed, Breakdown. I know we've never seen eyes to eye, but that doesn't mean we can't…patch things up." Airachnid provoked winking him an eye.
"That's it!" Breakdown shouted, flying off the handle.
"Don't." Dreadwing begged.
Knowing that Breakdown would charge at her, Airachnid changed to her spider form and fired a web to Breakdown, covering his head. Breakdown tried to take it off, but it was too glued that he fell to the ground. Airachnid climbed to a tree as Dreadwing started to shoot at her with his gun. She moved through the trees dodging the shots and started to fire webs at him. Dreadwing dodged the first two shots, but the third one caught him and trapped him against a tree, but his last shot cut the tree where she was standing, making her fall and hit a few branches. That made her lost one of her spider legs during the fall. Breakdown finally removed the web from his head, activated his turret and fired at Airachnid, who jumped from tree to tree, getting away. Of course, Breakdown went after her with a battle cry.
"Breakdown, don't be a fool. Release me." Dreadwing demanded.
But Breakdown didn't listen. He continued following her, jumping above the rocks he found, until he found an energon trail. He followed it until he found Airachnid lying on the floor, looking hurt.
He laughed as he walked toward, pulling out his hammer as she crawled back. "Easy prey."
Breakdown raised his hammer, ready for the final hit. But when he did, he found his hammer hooked by other webs, and no matter how hard he pulled, the webs didn't break. That was all a trap made by Airachnid, even the hurt acting. The last thing Breakdown saw was Airachnid's spider claw striking him, causing him to scream in pain. The scream was too loud that caused some flying pokémon to take flight, even Dreadwing, still stuck, heard it.
"Breakdown, what is your status? Breakdown!"
Someone else was approaching the same place. A Chandelure was using his flames to light up the place, and revealed Breakdown's hammer hanging from a web, alongside the whole body of Breakdown, shattered in pieces. But the Chandelure wasn't alone, he was with a small squadron of Team Alien.
"Did you find something, Chandelure?" His trainer, a female soldier, the leader of the squad, asked. Then she looked at the remains of the Decepticon and immediately turned on the com-link of her forearm. "Alpha Recognition Team to Misbelwy. Our scouting has yielded unexpected results, and a familiar face." She called looking the head of Breakdown.
Not far from there, inside a cave, Darkscream was climbing up a wall in order to grab a tiny remaining piece of energon.
"How is it that I have been reduced for seeking energon scraps merely to survive?" He grunted as he plucked the piece from the wall.
Naturally, Darkscream fell to the ground. Then, at the same time he saw a strange shadow getting inside the cave, he heard a strange noise. He went to investigate and saw something digging: it was some kind of giant robotic insect with six legs, a lone abdomen, some spikes on his body and a head with a red visor with two large jaws (the Insecticons from Fall of Cybertron and Rise of the Dark Spark).
"An Insecticon." Darkscream recognized. "On Earth?"
The Insecticon took out a bigger fragment of energon.
"You there, scavenger. Deliver that energon to me." Darkscream ordered walking to the bug, but it simply looked before continuing its search. "You dare turn your back on a superior lifeform? I am commander Darkscream."
Darkscream smacked on the creature's back a little, but was enough to get the Insecticon mad, because it tried to strike Darkscream with its claws. He dodged the attacks and ran into a hole, trying to get away from the jaws of the creature.
"Fine! Keep the energon! I hope you choke on it."
The Insecticon roared at him, but suddenly stopped attacking. It pulled the head out of the hole and walked toward a bunch of rocks, where Airachnid was on top of it.
"Yes, minion. Approach me, obey me, worship me." She said, making the Insecticon to bow before her and offering her the energon, which she picked. "You shouldn't have."
"What?! You reject a commander but grovel at the feet of that wrench?" Darkscream said in disbelief getting out of the hole.
"Darkscream, don't get your turbines in a twist. After all, the beast and I are somewhat related. You might even say we are of one mind." Airachnid revealed as the Insecticon got up and looked at him, but it didn't look like it was still mad.
"Why are you here? Decepticons never return to stripped mines."
"You are not the only rogue Decepticon in need of energon." She answered, showing her damaged spider leg leaking energon.
"Was it a running with the Autobots or did Galvatron invited you on one of his field trips?"
"Galvatron was otherwise engaged, but you should see his lackey."
"You know, Airachnid, as fellow outcasts we should consider putting aside our differences. With this creature under your control and at our disposal we might employ it to terminate Galvatron, allowing us to rule the Decepticons."
"Together?"
"We would simply need to lure Galvatron here, away from his support systems, so that we might catch him."
"With his guard down. An intriguing proposal, if ruling Decepticons or spending any length of time with you were of the slightest interest to me." Darkscream was speechless from Airachnid's answer. "Of course, you had me at terminate Galvatron: payback would be sweet."
"However, you wish to spin it."
"I would need to ensure my assassin is up to the task. Perhaps a test run is in order."
"What? I thought we were partners." Darkscream said, starting to fear what Airachnid's intentions were.
"Eviscerate him!"
The Insecticon shrieked before advancing at Darkscream, with horror on his face. Moments later, at the Autobot base, Ratchet detected something on his terminal.
"What is it?" Wheeljack asked.
"A high-frequency signal, with an embedded message." Ratchet answered.
"Don't tell me is him again." Sideswipe said surprised as he entered the room.
"Darkscream." Ratchet nodded. "I have obtained information of extreme interest to you. Bring medical kit."
The Autobots looked each other, thinking what could it be. Darkscream was lying against a rock, leaking energon from an injure. He saw the ground bridge appear in front of him, and Sideswipe with Wheeljack jumping out of it with guns ready.
"Clear!" Wheeljack signaled after checking the area, so Ratchet came out with his tools.
"Make it fast." Ratchet demanded to Darkscream.
"It would appear that like myself, Airachnid has gone rogue." He started.
"What's it to us?" Sideswipe asked.
Darkscream though about something. "She's planning to retaliate against…mankind and some pokémon species. I can provide you with her current location."
"I don't believe you." Ratchet declared.
"Why wouldn't you? I directed you to the location of the Decepticon space bridge, so you could rescue Orion Pax, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but then you helped Team Alien steal Bumblebee's T-Cog." Wheeljack reminded.
"So? He got it back, didn't he?"
"If you want to know my opinion, doctor, this is not of our interest."
"I agree with you this time, Sideswipe." Ratchet nodded, scowling as the three Autobots headed back to the portal.
"I admit! Aligning myself with those treacherous humans and their creatures was a colossal error in judgment, but I am alone, I do what I must to survive!" Darkscream cried as he tried to get up, but the pain made him fall to his knees. "But I have paid the price: I am now the one missing his T-Cog."
That made the Autobots turn at him.
"You're grounded?" Wheeljack asked.
"You have no idea of how disgraceful has this been for me. Specially to move around the planet: I had to use some of those pokémon which the humans call Lapras and Wailmer and tied them up like some raft to move from one region to another when I can. Thus of little if any threat to you, but Airachnid and her Insecticon intend to…"
"An Insecticon?" Ratchet asked concerned.
"You mean there's one here, on this planet?" Sideswipe asked too.
"How?" Wheeljack added.
"And I would have asked, but I was too busy squeezing through a narrow crevice trying to keep the vermin from chewing my leg off! While Airachnid watched."
Meanwhile, Dreadwing returned back to the Nemesis and explained to Galvatron what happened.
"The reason for our inability to locate Breakdown's signal is all too clear. But how is it that you are unable to recover his remains?" Galvatron asked mad.
In that moment, Soundblaster's terminal started to sound.
"What is it?"
Soundblaster went to check it out, revealing to be a calling from Airachnid.
"Heard from Breakdown lately?" She asked through com-link.
"Trace the communication." Galvatron ordered, and Soundblaster nodded.
"Galvatron, truly? You sent simple henchmen to terminate a high-ranking officer. I thought you reserved that honor for yourself."
"Is that a challenge?"
"An invitation. And since Soundblaster is no doubt tracing this signal you know where to find me." Airachnid finished before the transmission ended and Soundblaster located her position.
"I'll be back."
"Allow me to accompany you." Dreadwing offered.
"You already had your chance." Galvatron said before leaving the bridge.
Dreadwing suspected that Galvatron might be heading into a trap. Meanwhile, Ratchet was showing everyone what Darkscream told them.
"The coordinates Darkscream provided are within an abandoned Decepticon mine." Ratchet showed.
"Hold on. You just fixed him up and set him on his way?" Arcee asked in disbelief.
"(Have you forgotten that he tried to destroy my T-Cog?)"
"What were we supposed to do, taking him back here?" Sideswipe retorted.
"Not that I wouldn't jump at any chance to put Airachnid down, but she isn't the only one who almost robbed me of a partner."
"Have you forgotten, Arcee, that it's your desires for revenge which allowed both Darkscream and Airachnid to take advantage over you when you faced them? There are moments for dialogue and moments for action." Elita reminded her.
"And you weren't there, Arcee. Screamy was weak, defenseless." Wheeljack defended.
"And learning of the Insecticon could prove highly tactical. Darkscream's intel has proved credible in the past." Ratchet pointed out.
"Sure! When he wasn't busy stabbing us in the back." Arcee snarled.
"Without the resources we possessed on Cybertron, we lack ready means of capturing and imprisoning our enemies. Nonetheless, I do not condone the termination of any defenseless lifeform." Optimus stated.
At the same time, Galvatron arrived to the position where Airachnid was, flying through a storm. He entered inside a big hole that lead to the mine, transformed and landed. Airachnid appeared from behind a boulder.
"You don't waste time." Airachnid saluted.
"Your stay of execution has come to an end."
Galvatron pulled out and aimed his fusion cannon at her, but immediately, the Insecticon jumped above him. Galvatron managed to lift and throw the creature off of him. The Insecticon recovered and roared at him.
"I will leave you two to get acquainted." Airachnid said as she climbed to the top of a rock.
"Bow before Galvatron, your leader."
The Insecticon didn't listen to Galvatron's command and charged at him.
"I said bow…" Galvatron repeated, but the bug grabbed him by the head and threw him.
Galvatron recovered, just when the Insecticon tackled him against the wall. Airachnid smirked, seeing that everything was going as planned. The Insecticon tried to bite Galvatron with its jaws, but he managed to push it back and sending it flying with a shot of his cannon. Unfortunately, the bug used the impulse to change to its alt form: a flying bug, and charged again. Galvatron was about to fire again, but a web blocked his cannon suddenly, caused by Airachnid. That allowed the Insecticon to smash Galvatron against the wall two times before tossing him high in the air. Next, it flew and made a gash on Galvatron's left shoulder, causing him a lot of pain and losing some energon. It circled around and shot him back to the ground. Airachnid smiled, seeing Galvatron's fall was about to arrive. Her creature charged again, but this time Galvatron pulled out from his other hand his gladiator bowler and hit the Insecticon with it, sending it at the other side of the cave and surprising her.
"You and your beast would do well to remember: I honed my skills in the pits of Kaon!" Galvatron said retrieving his bowler and pulling out his sword.
Both Galvatron and the Insecticon charged at each other, clashing into a push-the-other-back fight. At the same time, a ground bridge appeared at the cave's entrance, and almost the Autobots present at base in that moment (Optimus, Elita, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Arcee and Wheeljack) emerged from it.
"Procced with extreme caution." Optimus instructed.
Galvatron blocked the Insecticon's claws with his sword. He sliced it, but it jumped over him. Galvatron tried to slice again, but the creature jumped on the wall and tackled him.
"Finish him!" Airachnid ordered, not aware that the Autobots were above her, watching.
"Whoa. Scream never mentioned Galvatron." Wheeljack recalled.
"It would seem Darkscream orchestrated this convergence, in the hope that all his enemies would destroy each other on his behalf." Optimus analyzed.
"And we fell for it." Sideswipe said.
"Well, you can have whatever's left of Galvatron. Airachnid's mine." Arcee said jumping and changing to her alt mode.
"Arcee, no!" Elita asked.
As the combatants continued their duel, Arcee returned back to robot form and tackled Airachnid, throwing her against the wall.
"You." Airachnid said.
Arcee pulled out her wrist blades and went for her rival. Galvatron continued blocking the Insecticon's attacks and trying to slice it, until he could kick it against the wall, knocking it temporary. He noticed Airachnid was missing, but spotted the Autobots over him.
"So many surprises today!"
"Elita, go after Arcee. We'll take it from here." Optimus reassured her.
The Insecticon crawled on the wall behind him and jumped to him, but Galvatron sliced back. As for Airachnid, she tried to get away as she fired webs at Arcee, which she dodged. Arcee pulled out and fired her weapons, forcing Airachnid to drill a new tunnel. Arcee fired inside of it before going after her through it, right when Elita One jumped down and intented to follow them, but it was harder for her since she was taller than Arcee. Back with Galvatron, he hit with his bowler the Insecticon's head, pushing it back, and took the chance to grab two of its legs. He kicked the beast back, ripping the legs in the process. He dropped them before charging again and strike with his sword. That slice cut the Insecticon's head, making the body collapse, dead.
"Let that be a warning to anyone who dares cross a gladiator of Kaon! Be they Decepticon…" Galvatron proclaimed triumphal, until the Autobots jumped down and surrounded him, aiming their guns. "…or Autobot."
Galvatron took only two steps before collapsing, the fight had consumed all his strengths.
"It would seem that I'm unarmed and at your mercy. So tell me Optimus, do you intend to take me alive, or end this here and now?"
After a pause, Optimus answered by aiming his cannon at Galvatron. But before he could fire, a rain of shots came from above them: it was Dreadwing and a squadron of flying Decepticons.
"The surprises never cease." Galvatron remarked.
The Decepticons transformed, surrounded the Autobots and aimed their weapons at them.
"Oh scrap." Wheeljack cursed.
Meanwhile, Arcee continued following Airachnid through the tunnel, until she noticed touching something familiar. Both her hands were covered in webs.
"Scrap."
Immediately, a cocoon of webs trapped her and hauled her to the surface, where Airachnid was waiting. She ended dangling from a tree. Airachnid grabbed her head as she readied one of her spider claws, for execute her.
"This may not be the day that I take Galvatron's spark, but it is the day I remove yours." Airachnid decreed, but before striking a missile not only hit her, but pushed her aside before exploding.
Arcee, and Elita, who managed to climb back to the surface at the moment, took a look to who saved her, and surprise: it was Darkscream. Now Airachnid was lying on the floor, hurt.
"How right you were, Airachnid: payback is sweet." Darkscream declared as he fired another missile at her, but she drilled another tunnel to escape before the missile reached.
Meanwhile, in the cave…
"Deliver Galvatron to us and I will allow you to live." Dreadwing proclaimed.
"Never trust a Con! Finish with this, Prime!" Sideswipe encouraged.
"Kick Buckethead's bucket!" Wheeljack added.
Optimus looked to Galvatron before looking at Dreadwing. "Dreadwing, do I have your word?"
After a long pause, Dreadwing retrieved his cannon and the Cons lowered their weapons as answer. Optimus did the same, allowing Dreadwing to help his master to his feet.
"My liege." Dreadwing said as the Autobots went back with Optimus.
"Dreadwing may have given you his word, but I did not. Destroy them!" Galvatron ordered.
The Decepticons and Autobots fired their weapons while Galvatron and Dreadwing changed to vehicle form and flew out of the cave.
"You disobeyed my orders in following me here. You will make a fine first lieutenant." Galvatron complemented to Dreadwing as they flew back to the Nemesis.
The Autobots continued firing until all the Decepticons were shot down.
"Well, that was intense." Wheeljack joked.
There was still a problem: Arcee was still stuck, and now at the mercy of Darkscream, who approached her.
"Now, if there is one thing I despise nearly as much as eight-leggers it's two-wheelers." Darkscream told her, face-to-face.
"Go on. Get it over with."
"Don't think about it, Darkscream." Elita called, making Darkscream to look at her, who was aiming her weapons at him. "Just let us go and we will not take retaliation against you."
"As I recollect, in a similar predicament you once allowed me to live." Darkscream said, preparing his claws.
Arcee closed her eyes, expecting the end, as Elita charged up her weapons. Darkscream used his claws, but not to finish with Arcee, but to cut the cocoon.
"Consider us even." He said as he walked away.
Elita One sighed in relief as she retrieved her weapons seeing Darkscream walk away before she went to help Arcee.
"That was close. I hope this serves as a lesson for you, Arcee: do not ever again jump into a possible trap which your enemy expect you to fall. Remember what I taught you: think before shoot." Elita recalled as she changed on of her hands for a sword and started to cut the web.
"I know. You used to tell me that a lot during our stay on Cybertron." Arcee replied.
Without her noticing, Arcee's answer made Elita put a worried face. "You were one of my best fighters, Arcee, but also the most impulsive one. I hoped when we met again that you already let behind your anguish, so we may act like the old days again."
"Elita, what is Arcee's status?" Optimus called through com-link.
"She is fine, but in need of assist. Darkscream is gone, as well as Airachnid."
"At least Galvatron took care of the other bug problem." Sideswipe pointed out.
Speaking of Airachnid, she drilled to another tunnel, still injured.
"Darkscream. I vow I will have your head." She swore.
Suddenly, she felt a familiar presence. She wandered through the tunnel until she saw another way to a lower cave, so she entered and continued until she reached to a huge chamber. She was surprised by what she found there: an entire Insecticon hive, lying dormant on some kind of stasis pods.
"So my warrior was merely a scout."