When Arcee entered the alleys, the dark feeling that crept into her from the entrance had encompassed her completely. She felt it strongly the moment she rolled her tires into the dark and narrow passage. She couldn't describe what it was she was feeling, nor was it something she could display or even truly see. All she knew was that the feeling of something dark was consuming her and it made her frame cold. There was something in these alleys, something ungodly.
Cybertronians did not possess the ability to smell, but they could trace odors floating around in the air with an accurate knowledge of what it was. There were multiple foul odors in this place, trash, mold, bacteria, sweat, rot, urine and fecal matter, vomit, alcohol, semen, and blood...lots of blood, far greater than any of the other substances. Yes, the cities of Earth were often beacons for violence, but this went beyond any slum Arcee had seen.
"This place...The place is a..."
"Hellhole?" Another voice came from nearby.
Among the many unfortunate souls that lived in this alley, one stood among them and spoke to Arcee. He was an older man with a dark complexion, similar to Agent Fowler. Like many of the other vagrants, he was unkempt and unclean and judging from the odor of his breath, intoxicated, if only slightly.
"Yeah, you got that right, mama. This place is a real shit show. Home sweet home, I guess."
He walked to to Sadie, Arcee's holographic rider.
"Now, why would a sweet little thing like you slum it up in a dump like this?"
Arcee wasn't intimidated by this man, but she was uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her. She could see the lecherous nature in his eyes.
"Normally, I'd tell a wanderer like you to beat it before you bring trouble to these alleys." He said as he scanned Sadie's figure. "But you look like the fun kind of trouble. So wassup, you lookin' for a party, lady?"
Arcee wasn't going to waste time with this creep.
"I'm looking for someone."
"For who, a friend of yours? You got friends right here. Ol' Bobby's here to show you a good time, baby."
"For God's sake, Bobby." Another voice said. "Would you get a hold a yourself, man?"
An older human male walked up to the first vagrant.
"Oh, piss off, Gareb. I'm just talkin' with the lady."
"You're about get yer foot run over. Go sleep it off, ya' drunk. Can't handle your booze worth shit." Gareb said as he pushed Bobby away.
"Fuck you, Gareb." Bobby casually said as he dragged himself from his fellow man, much to Arcee's relief.
"Sorry, Lady. Bobby's a world class asshole at the best of times. He's even worse when he's drunk."
Arcee appreciated that this man, Gareb, didn't seem to want anything from her. He got a good look at her, as in her avatar and her alt.
"Nice bike." He commented genuinely. "Why bring it to a place like this?"
"Like I told your friend, I'm looking for someone."
Gareb sighed as if he had been used to this.
"Look, lady, I don't know if your friend came through here. But if he did, chances are he's not lookin' for a friend."
"I never said he was my friend."
Gareb looked guarded all of a sudden.
"Hey now, if you're lookin' to start trouble..."
"I'm not looking for trouble, I'm looking for answers. Maybe you can help me."
"Listen to me...biker lady, I'm tellin' ya' that this isn't where you want to be snoopin' around in. People come here askin' questions and bad stuff happens to'em. This ain't the place to look for stories."
"Why, because of Spawn?"
"Spawn?" Gareb asked in ignorance that seemed real. "That your friend's name? Hate to tell ya', but ain't no one here by a name like that."
"What about Al?"
Just like that, Gareb's eyes became wide and every vagrant within an ear shot took notice of the name Arcee said, even Bobby from earlier. Several homeless men got up and ran deeper into the alleys, clearly afraid of the name. Bobby came back around, but he didn't look too thrilled with Arcee as he was earlier.
"Who are you, hm?" Bobby asked with hostility, now gripping a glass bottle with clear intent. "You another mob guy, huh? Or are you just another baby murderin' psycho?"
Arcee looked around and she saw another old man, watching her closely. He looked exactly the way Jack described the sagely man who had taken him to Spawn. He looked at Arcee with an expression that was a little too knowing for her comfort.
"You should leave...now." Gareb said. "You're gonna bring trouble to these alleys and we've seen enough of it. Go on, get out of here."
"I'm not going anywhere."
Bobby held the bottle in a threatening manner.
"Girl, you best get your ass outta here like he said. We don't need no more mafia war shit in here. We don't bother nobody and we ain't gon' be pushed around by nobody."
"Take me to Al."
"We ain't gon' tell you again." Bobby threatened.
"I'm warning you... "Gareb said, clearly afraid for his life. "There's more of us here than you. We're tired of people coming in here and raising hell for no reason. You need to leave. Don't make us force you out."
"Take me to Al or I'll raise hell or my own."
Both of them were clearly reluctant to get violent, and they were both afraid of Arcee at the thought of her being a "mob" guy. But whatever fear they were holding on to, they let it go and were ready to go toe to toe with her.
"Gareb, Bobby."
They stopped and looked behind them. The old man had finally stepped forward.
"Old man." Bobby said in surprise.
"The both of you go elsewhere." He said. "I will handle this intruder."
"She's lookin' for Al, Cogs." Gareb said. "She's trouble."
"I know." He said without taking his eyes of of Arcee's avatar. "Leave now. Things may get ugly."
Gareb and Bobby silently debated with themselves if they should leave, but ultimately did as told. The old man waited for them to be out of sight and out of earshot before confronting Arcee. When he turned to face her, he looked at Sadie, but Arcee couldn't help but feel like he saw through her.
"What are you?" He asked.
Arcee rumbled, fearing this old man knew more than he let on.
"What's that suppose to mean?"
The old man stared at Arcee and Sadie, sizing them up.
"You have the appearance of a woman and you are indeed a mortal being of this plain."
He looked away from Sadie and put his eyes squarely on Arcee.
"But you are not of this world."
Arcee couldn't believe it. She was made? That never happened before. How did this guy know she wasn't human? How much did he really know? And what was his deal? Arcee could tell that there was something more to this old man.
"I'll ask again." He continued. "What are you? Where do you come from? And why are you here?"
"I'm here to talk to Spawn." She answered.
"Why?"
"I have a bone to pick with him."
"You seek confrontation with the Hellspawn?"
'Hellspawn?' Arcee thought to herself.
"Then you seek your own death, outsider." He continued. "The Hellspawn is not one to be bothered with grudges. There are corpses in these alleys that serve as proof of that."
"I didn't come here for a fight. I just want answers. Give me that and I'm gone from this place. Trust me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be."
The old man did not answer at first. He was clearly taking in Arcee's reasoning, trying to make sense of her.
"The answers you seek go far beyond your understanding."
"Spare me the cryptics, old man. I've seen way more than most."
"Wherever it is you come from, you know nothing of the Hellspawn or the darkness that created him. Mere mortals have no business meddling with the affairs of his kind."
"So...He's not human."
Neither said anything. Both were in an silent standoff with each other, unwilling to budge.
"Listen, old man." Arcee began. "I need to see this Hellspawn."
"Tell me why?"
"Because..."
Arcee hesitated, unsure if she should reveal any part of the truth.
"A friend of mine sought him out and now...he's scared out of his mind. If I don't get some answers, he'll stay that way."
"So..." The old man said, suddenly understanding. "You're here on behalf of Jackson Darby."
Arcee tensed up, causing Sadie to grip her handlebars. She didn't like that this guy figured out why she was there.
"The boy should not have come here. He was warned not to return. You should heed that warning and leave before you become tainted as he has."
"I can't leave. If I don't bring something back...my friend isn't gonna get better. So either take me to Spawn or get out of my way."
The old man pondered to himself, thinking of what he should do.
"I will take you to him...But I cannot guarantee your safety."
"If he's wants to go, that's fine with me."
"It shouldn't be, but very well. I am Cogliostro."
Unusual name, Arcee thought.
"...Arcee."
"Follow me, Arcee."
Cogliostro led Arcee and Sadie deeper into the darkness of the alley. The femme may have stood her ground, but she was uncertain about what she would come face to face with. But it really didn't matter. This was for Jack and she had to do what she had to do. But she needed to make sure she kept herself online. Getting scrapped by this Hellspawn wouldn't do her partner any good.
As they left the entrance, the clown faced man stepped into the alley and watched them. He was unhappy with Cogliostro taking Arcee to Spawn. He was even more unhappy that she was even there. He was absolutely pissed that she was there because of the kid. The clown man wished that Billy Kincaid had just killed him when he had the chance.
Suddenly, he heard something above him. When he looked up, he saw something large moving on top of the buildings.
"For fuck's sake, another one? That kid's bringin' a lotta goddamn problems to us."
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The deeper they went into the alleys, the darker they became. Were it not for Arcee's enhanced optics, she might not have been able to see in front of her. Most of the odors began to lessen as she continued, though, most likely because the others wouldn't come this deep in the alleys. But the scent of blood was stronger than ever. This was the Spawn's stomping grounds, Arcee realized.
Cogliostro stopped and turned to Arcee. He was giving her a chance to turn back, but she wasn't going to take it. Seeing her stick to her guns, Cogliostro kept on.
"Hellspawn." He called without turning away from Arcee.
"What is it, old man?" A deep and dark voice answered from somewhere above.
"There is...someone who wishes to speak to you."
"I'm not lookin' for conversation."
"She insists."
There was a pause and then...he appeared. He dropped from above them, almost out of nowhere. His form knelt upon landing, giving Arcee very little to make out. But when he stood straight, she began to see what Jack described to her. Shadows and the color red, the glow of his green eyes, the sounds of chains rattling, this was who Jack had met up with, who saved his life, who sent him back scarred mentally, who haunted him even as he slept. His form was not the size of Arcee, had she transformed. But still, she felt his intent, his darkness.
"And what the hell does she want?"
"She would tell better than I."
Spawn sized up Arcee, while she stood her ground. He was the size of a normal human being, but Arcee couldn't help be feel unsure if she could take whatever Spawn was. Jack may not have seen any kind of real combat expertise from this being, but he possessed some kind of power that went against nature. He made Jess Chapel lose his mind. Arcee didn't want to know if he could do the same to a Cybertronian like her.
She could only see the outline of his masked face and the glow of his eyes. They were not like Cybertronian optics, powered through energon. The glow was much more sinister. He narrowed his eyes, as if he too saw through her. She realized that like Cogliostro, he was looking at the bike and not Sadie.
"You're not human." Spawn stated plainly.
"What from I can tell, neither are you, 'Hellspawn'." Arcee replied.
Now, his defenses were up. Just as Jack described, his cape moved as if it were alive, expanding itself like a bat spreading his wings. Suddenly, without taking his eyes off Arcee, an edge of his red cloak shot forward like a blade and went straight through Sadie. The avatar disappeared and Arcee transformed herself. No point remaining in disguise when she had a fight on her servos.
Spawn jumped back as Arcee stood tall and cast her shadow over him. Not to be outdone, he jumped up on a ledge a structure on the building wall, expanding his cloak and his chains threateningly. Arcee armed her blasters and had them on Spawn before he could strike at her again. Cogliostro watched in silence, but for the first time in centuries, he was shocked by what he was seeing.
"Just what the hell are you?" Spawned demanded to know.
"You first, creepy." Arcee answered back.
"Who sent you? Are you another mob cyborg like Overt-kill? You lookin' for payback for Tony Twist?"
Arcee didn't respond to the name she didn't know.
"Or did Jason Wynn send you?"
Arcee didn't answer that either.
"Or...are you with the clown. Is this him fucking with me again?"
"No." Cogliostro answered for her. "She is no agent of Malebolgia. She a mortal being of this realm. Of that, I am certain."
Arcee got tired of these questions that confused her.
"Malebolgia, Tony Twist, Jason Wynn, I don't know any of these people."
"Then why are you here?!" Spawn shouted, fed up with this as she was.
"I'm here for you, Spawn! I wanna know who or what the frag you are!"
Spawn and Arcee stared each other down for a full minute before either said anything. Cogliostro was the first to speak.
"Spawn"
Spawn turned his head to face him.
"She is here because of Jackson Darby."
Unfortunately, that did not settle Spawn as Cogliostro had hoped. He turned back to Arcee, with a much more hostile look than before. Arcee was not quick to react when a pair of chains darted forward and bound her two blasters together. They wrapped tightly enough that it hurt Arcee and it hurt even more when they suddenly jerked upward, lifting her above where Spawn was perched. Another corner of the cloak shot forward and wrapped around Arcee's neck, binding it tightly. Somehow, this clothe cape was strong enough to cut off the circulation of energon from her neck lines. She began to gasp as Spawn pulled her closer.
"Spawn." Cogliostro called. "Stop this."
"Shut the hell up, old man." He spat before turning back to Arcee. "You...What the hell do you want with Jackson Darby?"
Of course, Arcee couldn't answer. Spawn intended to apply some pressure to her to dissuade her from lying when he released her throat.
"Better question, who do you work for that wants him?"
"Spawn, listen to me." Cogliostro cut in. "She is here to help Jackson Darby."
"Bullshit!" Spawn angrily yelled. "What good does coming here for me do Jackson? What do you have planned for him? Tell me, or I will tear you limb from limb!"
Spawn then loosened his grip on her and tossed her back to the ground. She hit the concrete hard, but was not really hurt. However, she struggled with the static pain in her voice box. She groaned to get her voice back. She was not prepared for such an attack. Spawn was much stronger than he appeared. She heard the sound of chains rattling and looked to see them dangling below him in a threatening gesture.
"You have five seconds to answer me, woman." He said coldly.
Arcee stood up, but didn't arm her weapons. If they were going to fight, she needed to be the one to catch him off guard this time. For now, she answered his questions.
"I'm Jack's guardian."
Spawn stared her down for a second and then turned to Cogliostro. Neither were sure of the answer.
"What the hell do you mean 'guardian'?"
"It means, I protect him."
Arcee didn't have to see more than his eyes to know that he didn't believe her. His condescending laugh didn't help.
"Protect him, you say? That's funny...Tell me, where the the hell were you six years ago when a child killer was going to make a pin cushion out of him?"
Arcee hated when someone doubted her ability to protect her partner. Airachnid often did that. She thought for a moment and realized that Jack's kidnapping was before she met up with Cliffjumper and came to Earth through Shockwave's space bridge.
"Six years ago...Sorry, hadn't come to this planet yet."
There was no real need to hide her origins from Spawn at this point. Spawn narrowed his eyes again and laughed just as he did before.
"Aliens...that's good." He said incredulously. "I don't have enough shit to deal with, now the universe has to throw goddamn aliens in the mix. Someone out there must enjoy pissing me off."
"So, you are from another world." Cogliostro stated. "How did Jackson Darby end up involved with a being from another planet?"
"He sat on the wrong bike and got roped into a conflict with others of my kind, ones that don't care about humans. His life was in danger so I became his protector."
"There are more of you?" And intrigued Cogliostro asked.
"I don't care how many of you there are." Spawn cut the conversation short. "You say your Jackson's protector. Then why the hell did you let him come back here in the first place?"
Again, the accusing tone of his voice angered Arcee.
"He went behind my back. I would've never let him come to this slag pit of an alley, had I known what he was up to."
"Seems not knowing almost got him killed." Spawn commented very condescendingly.
"Hey, listen to me you fraggin' creep..."
"No, you listen to me, whatever the fuck you are! If it weren't for me, your friend would've ended up with a bullet in his head. I saved him from that fat bastard six years ago. And you let him slip by you to come back to this hellhole and nearly get himself killed. You should've kept him away from these alleys. If you're his guardian like you say, then you shouldn't even be here. You should be with him, protecting him."
Even though she left Jack in the care of Smokescreen, Arcee hated that she agreed with Spawn.
"Instead of trying to solve whatever mystery you think is down here, go back and look after your kid. And never come back here. Consider this your only warning, Marvin."
Spawn pulled his chains back up and stood straight, waiting for Arcee to leave. But she hadn't gotten any closer to figuring this out then yesterday. But she had a feeling that a fight with this being in this alley with so many humans would not go her way. Still, she didn't want to leave without any answers for Jack.
"Look...Spawn. I just want to help Jack get past whatever happened here last night. He's scared."
Surprisingly, Spawn didn't seem to have a retort to that.
"He's just wants to know who you really are...He wants to know who saved him."
Once again, Spawn didn't reply maliciously. He was quiet, like he was thinking. Maybe, he would give Arcee the slightest bit of information.
"The truth...The truth wouldn't do a damn thing for him...He shouldn't have been here to see what he saw. He didn't belong here...and neither do you."
Spawn turned his back and jumped into the darkness of the buildings.
"I want you out of my alleys." He yelled from the void.
Arcee was left standing there, defeated. She hadn't learned a thing and Jack was no better off.
"What he says is true, Arcee." Cogliostro stated. "The truth is far more disturbing than you can imagine. If you knew, if Jackson knew, neither of you would find comfort in the truth. Jackson will have to live with what he saw for the rest of his life. I'm sorry...There is nothing Spawn nor I can do for him."
Cogliostro took his leave and Arcee reluctantly transformed, forming Sadie again. Nothing good came from tonight. She left Jack in the servos of a less than ideal rookie and gained nothing from the risk. Come tomorrow, Jack would still be afraid, still withdrawn. Her only option would be to comfort him as best as she could and hope that time would heal his scars.
The worst of it was how Spawn had criticized her as Jack's guardian. Some of his words struck deeper than she had wished. She didn't like that he was right about her letting Jack slip through her digits and going back there in the first place. She didn't like this Spawn guy one bit. But he made a point and she had to make peace with that.
But she had to wonder why. Why was Spawn so critical of her abilities at all? What did he give a scrap about how she handled someone he took pity on and didn't care for when he returned? Who was Spawn to even tell her how to handle her partner, even if he did make some good points?
"I don't get this guy." She said to herself.
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Arcee was nearing the entrance of the alley where she had met up with Cogliostro. She felt very defeated with her lack of any new information. She was tempted to go back and try her luck with Spawn again, even if it might end with another fight. But the truth was, she'd had enough of these alleys. She couldn't take being in this place any longer. On top of that, she really didn't want to see what else Spawn could do. What little she saw was enough to unnerve her. Plus, it wasn't everything Jack described. He was holding back and she was reluctant to see how much. She turned the corner and contacted Ratchet through the comm link. He had to have been worried about her this whole time.
"Ratchet, do you copy?"
"Arcee...Thank Primus, I was beginning to worry. Are you alright? Have you been harmed?"
"I'm fine, Ratchet. I'm just about ready to come home."
"Well, that's certainly good to hear. Any longer and I would've had to send Optimus to come get you. Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Yes...I did."
"And did you get the answers you needed?"
Arcee's feelings on the matter caused Sadie to lower her head.
"Afraid not, Ratchet."
Ratchet didn't answer for a second.
"I see...And what does that mean for Jackson?"
Arcee didn't want to think about what this meant for her partner, at least, not until she got back home.
"We can discuss this when I get back to base. Right now, I just want out these alleys and out of this city."
"Alright, then. When you reach the original coordinates I sent you to, contact me again so I can open a bridge."
"Copy, that."
"And...I'm sorry, Arcee. I know you wanted to help Jack by going there. I was too."
But, Arcee wasn't going to give up just yet.
"We'll figure something out, Ratchet. But it's been a long..."
Arcee then noticed that the alleyway that led to the exit was abandoned, not a single vagrant in sight.
"Arcee...Arcee?"
Arcee looked around, trying to find any movement beside rats and insects. She only now realized that Cogliostro was the last person she had seen on her way out.
"Arcee, what's going on?"
Arcee then heard a muffling voice above her. She looked up and saw something unexpected...and unwelcome.
"Ratchet, I have a situation." She said as she deactivated Sadie and transformed.
"What kind of situation?"
Gareb, Bobby, and about twelve other homeless men and woman hung from the walls of the buildings, encased in sticky cocoons.
"Airachnid." She said through her teeth.
"That's my name."
Arcee turned to see the Decepticon femme in her spider form behind her. She had gotten there without making a sound, Airachnid's specialty. After the night she'd had, this was the last femme Arcee wanted to deal with. As always, the glitch stared her down with that same smirk on her face that Arcee had grown to hate with a passion.
"What the frag are you doing here?"
"The truth? I was waiting for you, well, you or Jack."
That wasn't good. Jack may not have been there, but the fact that she was there for him didn't sit well with Arcee.
"Why?" She asked coldly.
Airachnid took her bipedal and began walking away from Arcee, running her claw against a building as she looked up at her captured prey.
"Do you know that my Jack was here a long time ago? Well, long for a human, anyway."
Arcee really hated the way she named Jack as hers.
"Yes...I do."
Airachnid removed her servo from the wall and examined her claws without giving Arcee much attention, a mocking gesture.
"Earth news is very interesting, so much death and violence and war. Seems the thing this species is most talented at is killing each other. It's all very entertaining."
"Get to the point, Airachnid." Arcee ordered.
The femme looked to Arcee, amused by her impatience.
"Something happened here the night before, a battle that involved an explosion of one of these...pathetic little structures. I was intrigued since such conflicts don't normally occur in cities such as this. But then the man who reported the event spoke of the history of these alleys and mentioned my favorite little human's name."
Of course. Airachnid's obsession with Jack would bring her here if she knew that happened.
"I must say, I didn't think that humans were capable of creating a hunter like this Billy Kincaid. 28 victims that the public knows of? Not bad, for a human. Although, hunting defenseless younglings is hardly a sport in my opinion."
"So, you know about Jack and these alleys." Arcee stated.
"And to think...Billy Kincaid almost made it so that I would've never met Jack. Granted, I'd still have my ship along with all my trophies. But then, I'd have never known the thrill of hunting my most beloved prey of them all. So, I decided to pay these alley a visit, see the place that almost took my Jack away from me when he was just a precious little boy. Adorable picture, by the way. Have you seen it?"
Arcee tried to make sense of it, but she didn't understand why Airachnid would care to come to the alleys just because Jack had been there before.
"So you came here to what, sight see where Jack was almost killed?"
Airachnid hummed in amusement.
"I heard about the explosion and thought you might've been involved, you or one of the Autobots. A battle like that taking place where Jack was almost a victim as a child, that's quite the coincidence. So, I've been waiting for one of you to show up. I was hoping that Jack would come back here as well."
Had she heard the news report the day of the incident, Airachnid would've been there when Jack foolishly went behind Arcee's back. His actions were reckless in more ways than one.
"It's funny. There are so often these human aircrafts in the sky, looking for fugitives, that no one payed any mind to my alt circling these alleys, waiting for you to arrive."
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but Jack isn't here."
Airachnid looked genuinely disappointed to hear that.
"Aw, that's too bad." She feigned sadness before bearing her fangs at Arcee. "I guess I'm just going to have to settle for you instead."
Arcee was at a huge disadvantage. With all the humans in the alleys, she couldn't use her blasters. On top of that, the alleys were horribly narrow and hindered her movement, while Airachnid's spider form allowed her to move more easily through the tight space. As if she read Arcee's mind, Airachnid took her spider form once again.
"Let's play, shall we, Arcee?"
Arcee shifted her arm blades and took her stance.
"Scrap." She said to herself.
Allowing Airachnid the first move, the spider-femme blasted a line of web at Arcee. But Arcee jumped up into the air and kicked at the walls to leap forward, a move Miko referred to as "Rockman X" style. She landed behind Airachnid, but was quickly hit with another line of web. But Arcee had cleverly held her bladed arms up to take the line and quickly cut away at it once they were bound. She leaped forward to cut Airachnid but the femme smirked and fired a blast upwards at one of her captives, Gareb being the unfortunate target.
Arcee stopped and quickly shifted her blaster, firing at the blast to set it off before it got too close. She managed to save Gareb, but with her attention pulled, Airachnid rushed her with a claw to her chassis.
"Ugh, glitch!" Arcee shouted.
Airachnid laughed in response before clawing Arcee's face, forcing her to jump back.
"Looks like I've got the advantage here, Arcee. If only you Autobots learned to stop giving a frag about these humans."
Arcee ran for Airachnid again, but she responded by firing more blasts at her, to which Arcee jumped along the walls to evade. But again, she let herself be distracted, looking behind her to make sure none of the stray shots would hit any bystanders. Thankfully, there were no humans behind her, as far as she could see.
But she felt something at her pede and looked to see she had gotten webbed.
"Oh, no." She said.
Airachnid leaped forward from under her, still holding the line from her palm and went past Arcee. Before she could cut the line, she was yanked and dragged further into the alleys, hitting every dumpster, banging walls, and crashing into rusted firescapes as she was pulled. She was eventually pulled back into the darkness she had just come from and out of sight. Gareb and Bobby had watched the whole thing unfold, trying to figure out just what the hell was going on.
"You know, there was a time when the worst thing we dealt with around here was crackheads." Bobby asked.
"I need a goddamn drink." Gareb responded.
Bobby tried to loosen himself, but to no success, so he gave up.
"You think she gon' run into him?" He asked.
"She's damned if she does."
"And what about the blue one?"
"She was damned the moment she stepped foot in this hellhole." Gareb said grimly. "Just like the rest of us."
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Arcee was dragged into a more open section within the alleys before she was release. She groaned as she got back on her pedes, shaking her helm from what she endured. She looked around and felt the darkness of the alleys creeping back into her. She did not want to be back in the core of this place.
"Sorry for the rough ride. Well, not really." Airachnid's voice was heard. "But I was getting bored in that narrow passage and wanted a real fight. Now you have a little more room to move and no pesky humans to get in the way."
Arcee armed her blasters, but she had no idea where Airachnid was. She scanned the area nervously, fixing her blasters on different locations. Suddenly, another line of web came from the shadows and pulled at one of her blasters. Left open, Airachnid, who was now bipedal, shot forward and drove one of her spider legs into Arcee's shoulder and pinning her to a wall.
"Argh!" Arcee yelled.
Quick to respond, Arcee slashed at Airachnid with her arm blade, but she pulled her leg from Arcee and jumped back to evade. Arcee charged her with both blades out, slashing at her with everything she had. The femme was able to dodge all of her attacks and brought two of her legs down onto Arcee's shoulders. Forcing her on her knees, Airachnid jumped over her and quickly turned to kick her in the helm.
The blow was strong enough to knock Arcee far enough and nearly into stassis lock. It took effort to stand back up, but she was knocked back down with several energon blasts in the back. Airachnid laughed as the smoke obscured Arcee, but she could still see her silhouette lying on the ground.
Arcee worked up the strength to roll on her back and fire at Airachnid with both blasters. But she quickly took her spider-form again and evaded every blast before disappearing in the shadows once more. Arcee stood up and searched the darkness for her opponent.
"I told your partner before, Arcee, I don't like to be bored. And you're making this far too easy for me."
Two web lines shot out behind Arcee and got her in the winglets. She was yanked back and Airachnid jumped into her, embracing her with both arms. Locked around Arcee and holding her in place, Airachnid raked her claws across her chassis. Arcee cried out in pain Airachnid left a deep x mark on her frame that was now leaking energon.
"That looks like it hurts, Arcee."
Arcee headbutted Airachnid and broke free, shifting back her blades and attempting to swing behind her. But Airachnid was too quick and moved away in time, simultaneously stabbing Arcee's lower side with her leg. She only managed the end, but it was still deep enough that when it was pulled, Arcee staggered backwards as energon leaked heavily. The injured femme fell to one knee, clutching her side to stop the leak. She was beginning to feel fatigued now and was also beginning to panic.
"I really fragged myself this time." She berated herself. "Coming here alone was a bad idea."
Airachnid did not attack, relishing the position of power she held.
"I must say that this is quite disappointing, Arcee. You're just not fighting as viciously as you normally do. Has the love between us faded?"
Arcee didn't even have the strength to respond to that...unsettling comment.
"Oh, well. I suppose the anticipation overshadowed presentation in this instance. It was quite the thrill to watch your rage blind you over and over again. But I guess even you've grown tired of the same thing."
Airachnid drew all of her spider legs and began to approach Arcee with the intent to finish her very clear. Arcee was prepared to make a move, even if she didn't have one. She was not going to be offlined in this alley of all places.
"I only wish your partner was here. It was always my intention to take his little head right in front of you, just as I did Tailgate. But I suppose this will have to do."
Arcee didn't see a way out of this and it was beginning to seem like the end for her.
"Stay away from him, Airachnid." Arcee managed to say just as the femme stood over her.
Airachnid knelt in front of Arcee and place her hand under her chin, lifting her helm to see her. Airachnid smiled in triumph.
"I don't think I'll do that, Arcee. Unlike you, I don't expect him to be such a let down. The passion between us burns far too hot for him to disappoint me."
Airachnid ran he thumb over Arcee's lips.
"I'm going to enjoy hunting down my little Jack and starting my collection over with him."
Arcee's optics suddenly went wide, but not for Airachnid.
"Enjoy hunting who?" A dark voice came from behind.
Airachnid turned to the voice behind her and was met with a set chains slamming into her. The femme was suddenly pushed up and backwards until she was up against the wall and in the air. She looked down to the the shadowy red cloak of Spawn staring up at her with his piercing green eyes. She was too confused to question who or what he was. She instead lifted her palm and fired two blasts at her new attacker.
Spawn shielded himself with his cloak, protecting him from the blasts, but he also released his chains, freeing Airachnid. She fell to the ground, but landed on her pedes, no worse for wear. Arcee wasted no time getting out from between them. She stood on the sides, still clutching her wound. She tried her best to painfully pinch the metal together to slow down her energon leak. It sufficed for the moment. Once she was content with her band aid solution, she turned her attention back to Airachnid and Spawn. Now, she was about to see what a Hellspawn could really do.
Airachnid stood back up and looked to her new opponent in intrigue. She had certainly never met an organic like this. From her enhanced optics, he appeared human, but there was something different about him. She looked back to Arcee.
"Another partner of yours?" She asked.
Arcee didn't say anything. Airachnid turned back to Spawn.
"You're an odd one, aren't you? That was an impressive trick you did with those chains. Even more impressive that you managed to get the drop on me."
Spawn was unresponsive, intriguing Airachnid even more.
"Quite the attire you wear, very...unique. You clearly set yourself apart from other humans. Tell me, how did you do that with your chains?"
Again, Spawn was as quiet as the grave.
"Silent type, are you? You're the perfect partner for Arcee there. Unfortunately, she clearly has not informed you of the misfortune she tends to bring to those she takes as partners. I'm afraid you've chosen..."
"Shut the hell up!" He shouted.
Airachnid was taken off guard by Spawn's cut off.
"Excuse me?" She asked incredulously.
"I haven't known you for but a minute and I'm already sick of hearing you talk. Now, you're gonna answer some questions for me."
Airachnid couldn't believe the ball bearings on this little fleshy.
"Do you even know what I...
"You mentioned a Jack. Did you mean Jackson Darby?" Spawn cut her off again.
This annoyed Airachnid, but also piqued her curiosity.
"Yes...I did."
"You wish to hunt him. Why?"
Airachnid to smile. She crossed her arm, matter of factly.
"My Jack destroyed some things that were very dear to me, my way off this ball of dirt, and the fruits of my hard work across the galaxy. You could say I've been smitten with him ever since."
Spawn did not respond, once again. Arcee had a feeling he didn't appreciate Airachnid's answer.
"What's your connection to my Jack?" Airachnid asked.
Spawned narrowed his eyes.
"None of your goddamn business."
Spawn then expanded his cloak, which was enough to put Airachnid on defense. She knew this human was different and capable of catching her off guard. Spawn shot out his chains again, but Airachnid was ready and jumped out of the way. Going for her spider form, she fired at him with her palms, but he too jumped backwards and dodged them. With unnatural agility, he jumped up onto the structures of one of the buildings, staring down at Airachnid. She couldn't help but notice at how well he blended in with the shadows, as if he was a a part of them.
She then fired a line of web at him, which caught him in the center of his chest.
"I got you." She said in a sultry toned.
Spawn's cloak came to life and as if the edges were razor sharp, sliced right the the web. Airachnid was caught by surprise at the things this human could do. Spawn shot his cape out again, directly at Airachnid. She jumped out of the way and onto the building walls herself. Spawn followed her with his dark green gaze and began whipping his chains at wherever she landed. But Airachnid, with as great agility as he, dodged them with ease. She was intrigued at how his chains tore through concrete so easily. She then jumped into the air, which Spawn attempted to strike at her with both his chains and cape before she landed. But before they could reach her, she shot her web into an open space in the buildings and pulled herself into the shadows and out of the path of his attack. Once Spawn pulled them back, she was out of sight.
Spawn scanned the area for movement. Airachnid may have been a predator, but the shadows of the alleys belonged to the Hellspawn. Suddenly, two blasts of energon shot from darkness on Spawn's level, but they were aimed at Arcee, not him. Instinctively, Spawn's cloak shot for the femme and wrapped around her frame. Even with her size and weight, she was pulled from out the line of fire with ease, though she was slammed into a wall when he released her. Spawn saw that she was alright and turned his attention back to where the blasts came from.
He turned to see two lines of web stick to him again and before he could cut them, he was pulled from his position and thrown against the pillar between two arched doorways. A third line of web came from the darkness and bound him, along with his cloak to the pillar, holding him in place. Airachnid stepped out of the shadows, smirking at her victory. She took her bipedal form and sauntered towards he defeated foe.
"I must say, human, you put up a very impressive fight, unlike a certain femme I know."
Arcee tried to stand up and shift her blaster. As unkind as Spawn was to her and Jack, he still saved her spark from Airachnid. But by now, even with her wound pinched shut, she had lost too much energon. She didn't have the strength to fight hand to hand and energon blasts would put her into stasis lock. She needed to think of a way to get Airachnid away from Spawn, free him, and get out of there. But even then, she'd be leaving the vagrants and Cogliostro at her mercy. She didn't know what to do.
Airachnid walked up to Spawn in pure curiosity, kneeling to get a better look at him. To his credit, Spawn didn't seem to care at all that he was at her mercy.
"Tell me, strange human." Airachnid began.
She then pinched the top of Spawn's mask.
"Why do you hide your face?"
With that, she pulled his mask off and then recoiled in shock. Arcee reacted similarly. Jack was not lying when he talked about Spawn's face. It was burnt and decayed, as if it were that of a long dead corpse. Arcee was horrified, while Airachnid was disgusted, although intrigued.
"By the Allspark." She said in shock. "You are by far the most unsightly organic I have ever seen."
As if a scientist observing a specimen, Airachnid looked over Spawn's face from several positions.
"Your face...it's as if...it's as if your face has decomposed. You resemble that of an organic who has expired and decayed back into the dirt."
She got very close to Spawn's face, which angered him greatly. She pulled away after a moment.
"Yes, you also possess the odor of the deceased. You even have larvae consuming the rot of your face. Tell me, how does that happen? I've never seen an organic such as you."
Arcee knew what Jack had told her and this only pushed that notion further.
"He's dead." Arcee said to herself.
"You are, without a doubt, the most interesting organic being I've seen throughout my travels." Airachnid said in almost excitement. "It'd be a crime against nature to snuff out something so rare."
Airachnid pondered while Spawn said nothing.
"I think...I think I'll keep you. I'm not sure If I would call you a pet, but rather, an oddity for me to observe...and admire. You are quite the enigma and I would really like to figure you out."
Her sadistic smirk returned and Spawn became angry again.
"And since you seem so interested in my darling, Jack, I'll allow you the honor of watching me take his head."
Spawn looked directly at Airachnid with pure hatred in his green eyes. Arcee noticed this.
"You can watch me have my fun with him before that as well. Since I won't get the pleasure of ending his life in front of Arcee there, I can enjoy watching you squirm while I hurt him in ways neither of you can imagine."
Arcee saw his eyes get brighter and she recognized something in him that she had seen in herself. But she didn't have time to think on that right then, because Spawn made his move.
Spawn's cloak may have been bound, but his chains were not. They went behind him and around the pillar, then struck the stone and broke it apart, freeing him. Airachnid was taken by surprise and struck her spider leg at him, but Spawn jumped backwards and vanished into the shadows. She quickly fired away at where he disappeared, but she knew she didn't hit anything.
Now, she was really impressed with Spawn's stealthy abilities. It wasn't often that one could match her predatory skills. She kept her guard up and scanned the buildings around her, waiting for Spawn to make his next move.
"Do you know what hell is?" His voice echoed.
"I can't say that I do, strange human."
"Hell is a place in the afterlife, reserved for those such as me."
"And what are you, exactly?"
There was no answer, not right away at least.
"I'm a sinner, a killer, damned."
Airachnid turned behind her suddenly, hearing the sounds of chains. But there was nothing to her back. She narrowed her optics, wondering if she had really heard anything at all.
"When people like me die, our souls descend into hell. There, we suffer the pain of our sins through an eternity of fire and torment. The demons of hell rip our bodies apart and burn away our flesh...to punish us for those we've cheated, harmed, and killed in life."
"Hm...That sounds an awful lot like the Pit of Unicron."
"Maybe it's the same place."
Airachnid turned again, swearing the voice came behind her. But again, there was nothing there. This was beginning to unsettle her.
"Maybe both our worlds share the same damnation. But then again, I don't remember seeing any robots like you."
Airachnid smirked in amusement.
"Are you saying you've been to this...hell you speak of? And how does a human manage see the afterlife without dying?"
"He doesn't." Airachnid heard the voice behind her.
She turned and saw the Hellspawn jumping towards her from the shadows. Purely out of reaction, she shot forward one of her legs and impaled Spawn right through his chest. Her leg lodged itself into a building and she saw Spawn hanging her from her appendage. Arcee looked on with shock. She couldn't believe she got him.
Airachnid had to admit, she was caught by surprise and if she was honest, she was a little startled. But in the end, this strange human was just that, a human. Though she was still a little unnerved by the way Spawn spoke to her from the shadows, she had herself a bit of a laugh, albeit, a nervous one. Then she noticed that the blood flowing from his wound and around her leg was not red, but green...and glowing. Once again, she was unnerved.
She heard something. She looked to Spawn and saw his mask forming over his face. He lifted his head and stared her dead in the optics. It was as if he hadn't been run through. Spawn's cloak moved faster than she could follow and sliced off the end of her leg with ease. She screamed in pain and back away as Spawn fell to the ground.
"You'll pay for that, little human!"
She looked from her leaking wound to Spawn, who then pulled the leg from out of his body. To Airachnid and Arcee's horror, his gaping wound closed up on his own, his outfit forming over his burnt flesh.
"By the Blood of Unicron, what are you?" Airachnid asked in shock.
Spawn's cape began to expand, his body shrouded his darkness. He didn't even give her an answer. Like a bullet, Spawn's cloak shot forward and collided with Airachnid. She was forced off her pedes and into a wall. It pulled forward, bringing her with it, and wrapped tightly around her limbs, including her spider legs. She was unable to move. Now, she was getting nervous.
"Release me, human." She ordered.
"Human? Heh heh heh...That's funny...Only an alien would look at a monster like me and still call me a human. But I died once before...and hell stripped me of my humanity."
Spawn tightened his cloak around Airachnid's frame, causing her to groan.
"Since I've been in this shithole, all I've been looking for was some peace and quiet. But people like you keep coming here and keep fucking with me."
As he said the last part, his Spawn became aggressive and he tightened his hold even more."
"And every time you do, I have to put you bastards down and pollute my alleys with your stinking corpses. Then the cops show up and act like assholes and it just keeps happening over and over again."
Spawn brought Airachnid closer to him. Though it still wrapped around her tightly, Spawn was shrouded in his cloak and only his mask could be seen between his large collar, raised all the way up.
"But you...you're a special case. You not only came here, all the way from outer space to piss me off, but you threatened Jackson Darby."
Spawn's eyes were like burning lanterns now. Airachnid was beginning to get scared.
"I was going to kill you anyway...But now, I have to make it hurt."
Spawn's cloak opened up and his chains shot out with blinding speed. Each set went and struck Airachnid's bound arms at the shoulder, tearing right through them. Airachnid cried out in pain. His cloak released her severed arms and wrapped around her torso to keep her up. His chains then went around her spider legs, all of them. And with far too much ease, they ripped them right out of her back. Airachnid screamed in excruciating pain as the chains dropped her legs to the ground, next to her arms, before going down to her legs. With no strain at all, her legs were torn from her frame and dropped to the floor.
Energon leaked all over Spawn's cloak and chains and dripped onto the ground where her limbs were discarded. Arcee watched all of this in horror. As often that she imagined the worst ways for Airachnid to be snuffed out, she wished she wasn't there to see it.
Airachnid was weak, moaning from the pain she was in. Spawn lowered her and pulled her closer to where he was almost at arms length. She managed the strength to look at him in defiance. She knew she was going to be offlined, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of begging for her life or even a quick death. Spawn didn't care, either way.
His chains went around her neck and wrapped it tightly. As they began to choke the life out of her, she bared her denta in anger. As a final act of defiance, she spit acid at his face, which covered him from his to to his shoulders. He pulled back from the sudden assault and the unexpected burning it brought. She smiled, knowing it hurt.
Once it stopped eating away at him, he turned back to her, pissed off as he could be.
"That wasn't a healthy idea." He said.
Suddenly, blades began sprouting along links of the chain, cutting into her neck when they reached her. The blades had sliced open her main energon line and she knew it was over. It'd only be a matter of time before she'd leak out. But Spawn was not so patient.
His chain began grinding again her neck, the blades sawing their way through it. Airachnid choked and gagged as the bladed chains cut deeper and deeper into her neck. Then, Spawn suddenly tightened his chains and they tore through it. Her head popped off with a metallic ripping sound and landed on the ground. Her optics were already out. That was it, Airachnid was dead.
Arcee couldn't believe it. After countless battles that always ended with Airachnid burrowing underground and getting away, Spawn had done what she had been trying to do for vorns. He'd offlined Airachnid. But he wasn't done yet.
An alien had died in these alleys tonight and if word got out, they would be flooded with reporters and investigators and government suits and Spawn would never get his peace. Even worse, if the spider's body ended up in the government's hands, or Jason Wynn's, they could create some very dangerous weapons, ones that could kill him. Spawn didn't want Wynn to have anything to fight against him with when he eventually went after him for his betrayal.
Spawn held his hand up and Arcee saw that it was gloved and clawed, adding to his already inhuman appearance. For a few clicks, nothing happened. Arcee wondered what he was doing. Then, his hand began to glow as his eyes did. A second later, it became engulfed in a green flame.
Arcee pulled back when the flame in his claw ignited. It was bright enough to light up the whole alley and yet, the fire still felt dark. Arcee knew the flame was hot enough to harm, but somehow, she felt as if it was a fire didn't give off any warmth. She wasn't about to get close enough to find out. Spawn stood there with his claw still lit with the swirling, green flame. As it swirled around, it began to grow. Spawn had to lower his hand to his side as the fire got bigger. Then, he pulled his arm back as if he was going to throw the ball of fire like and actual ball. He swung his arm in front of him with him palm opened up. The fire did not leave his hand, but it shot out an equally menacing blaze at what remained of Airachnid.
Arcee felt the heat from where she stood. The moment the flames touched the Cybertronian metal, they began to disintegrate almost instantly. The entire alley was now lit up, almost blindingly. For a brief moment, she was able to see a piece of Airachnid's clawed servo that was not yet touched by the flames. Once the fire spread to it, it turned black and disappeared.
Spawn pulled back his hand and the flame was extinguished, but the fire still burned. After a few seconds, the green of it faded and it became a normal orange fire. She could already see the blaze getting smaller by the second. She didn't notice that Spawn had moved, not until he dropped right in front of her, causing her to ignore her injuries and move away in panic.
Spawn stared up at her. Just as before, only his eyes, cloak, and the sides of his mask were visible through the shadows.
"Your business here is done, alien." Spawn said calmly, but cold. "I've killed one of your enemies...Go your way now, Arcee...And never let Jackson return."
Spawn moved so quickly, it was if he hadn't jumped so much as flowed up to the top of one of the buildings. Arcee looked up to see his silhouette in the night sky, his came flowing to his side, and his deadly eyes looking down at her.
"Or I will come for you."
With that, Spawn disappeared above the building and Arcee took his words to heart. She was not going to spend another nano-click in this Primus forsaken place. And after what she had just witnessed, she wasn't going to push her luck with Spawn either. Arcee transformed and activated Sadie and rode out those alleys as fast as she could.
Cogliostro stepped out from behind one of the walls and watched her depart, sympathetic for the femme.
"I tried to warn you, Arcee. The darkness knows you, now. It will remember you."
And he was right, because standing on another rooftop, having seen the whole thing unfold, the clown man was watching himself. He would remember Arcee...and he hadn't forgotten who brought her there.
"Choir boy's gotta be dealt with." He said to no one. "'Fore he fucks up our whole operation."
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Arcee had made it back to the other alley where she had been bridged and called for another one. She transformed and walked through it, happy to be back home and away from the alleys. But when she stepped back into Outpost Omega One, Ratchet wasn't the only one waiting for her. Optimus was standing before her, not at all happy with her.
"Arcee, I demand an explanation." Optimus ordered.
Arcee looked up at Optimus without the willpower to defend her actions.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I made a mistake."
"That is not a sufficient answer." Optimus sternly replied.
"Optimus." Ratchet interrupted. "She's injured."
Optimus looked and saw that her side was indeed leaking energon, along with the claw marks across her chassis. He only knew of one Decepticon who could leave such an injury.
"What happened out there, Arcee?"
By this point, Optimus had noticed that Arcee hadn't looked at either of them but the one time, keeping her helm to the ground. When he asked his question, Arcee held her arm and he looked closely. She was trying to keep from shaking. This was just like when Jack had returned from the alleys.
"Arcee." He said again, much calmer this time.
"Sir, I..."
Her voiced quivered.
"It's been a long night...I just wanna get home to Jack."
Now it was her that Optimus and Ratchet were concerned with. Whatever Jack saw the night before, she had seen it too. Optimus didn't have the spark to press further.
"Very well, Arcee. However, you must allow Ratchet to tend to your injuries. We will discuss this tomorrow."
Arcee nodded her helm. She still hadn't looked at them. Ratchet walked up to her and led her to the med bay. Optimus watched them go, very concerned about what was happening. He did not doubt the stories Jack had told as a child. He believed in a strange being with strange abilities living in the alleys of Rat City. But while it was one thing for an adolescent human to be frightened by whatever happened there, it was quite another for a adult Cybertronian to be unnerved as Arcee was, especially a hardened femme such as her. The mystery surrounding these alleys and this Sad Man were quickly becoming something Optimus could not ignore.
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Spawn had released the bums from the alien spider's cocoons. They were all unsettled by the whole thing, especially the knowledge of aliens existing. But other than that, they were unharmed. Spawn retreated back into his secluded section of the alleys, where the bums dared not intrude. The night had left him exhausted. He had used up precious ectoplasm to kill off the spider. Now, he was a step closer back to hell. He sat on an old crate to get his strength back.
"Ya' gettin' soft, Spawny." A voice was heard.
Spawn growled lowly. He knew the voice. It was that goddamned degenerate who called himself Clown. He had been an unwanted voice in his ear ever since he had woken up in the alleys.
"I'm in no mood for your shit, fat boy."
Clown tossed the bottle of Jim Beam he had been drinking against the wall in anger.
"I don't give a fat rat's garbage shittin' asshole about what mood yer' in, crispy man! That was some shameful fuckin' shit I just saw out there."
"What the hell are you on about, clown?"
Spawn called him clown, but not by name, by insult.
"I'm talkin' about lettin' the motorcycle bitch stroll out here like she didn't trespass on your turf."
"Motorcycle didn't a damn thing to me, besides wasting my time."
"You shoulda' killed the robot alien lady, Spawn. That's what you do. It's what you are. You're a Hellspawn! A resurrected career killah!"
"Unless you want me to show you what a killer I am, you had better get the fuck away from me."
"Ooooohh, you." Clown said through his teeth as he pointed at Spawn.
Clown walked over to a rat digging through a garbage can and snapped its neck.
"Fuckin' got me stress eatin' over here. Not even gonna cook this bitch." He muttered to himself.
Clown then dug his teeth into the rats corpse and stuffed his face without a care of what he was eating.
"This is all because of your little pet you keep having yer period over, Spawn. That kid is fuckin' with your head, making you think your still human." He said with his mouth full.
Spawn looked at Clown with hostility.
"You better hope the alien biker chick keeps little Jackie boy away from here because if he ever comes back..."
Spawn loomed over to Clown, who turned around and met him head on. Though he was much shorter than Spawn, he glared up at him with a devilish smile.
"What? The fuck you gonna do, char-baby?" Clown dared.
Spawn's cloak expanded, as if ready to strike.
"What, you wanna play with my better half? That didn't go so well for you last time, did it?" Clown boasted.
"Stay away from Jackson." Spawn threatened.
Clown chuckled in response.
"You ain't gonna do shit, Spawny. You ain't no hero. You're Malebolgia's little deep fried bitch."
The two were seconds away from tearing each other apart. But then, Clown looked away suddenly, as if he'd heard something. Then, he turned his back.
"Ah, fuck you, crispy." He said as he walked away. "I got other business I gotta take care of."
Spawn calmed himself down and let Clown go his way. But he stopped before he was gone.
"You got a part to play in this war, Spawn. I'm gonna say this one last time...Get with the fuckin' program, before I hafta Violate you a second time."
The Clown left Spawn's area and disappeared into parts unknown. This was why Spawn didn't want either Jack nor Cyan to ever return to these allies. This was a world they didn't belong in. Even in a world with aliens and robots, they were both safer than in these allies. He couldn't let them be consumed by the devil like he was. Unlike him, they were innocent, pure, undeserving of the curse he lived with.
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Ratchet was just about finished patching up Arcee's wound on her side. She had said nothing during the entire procedure. She didn't want to think about the night she had, the things she'd seen. Even though she was free of a shadow that had been looming over her since the death of Tailgate, she couldn't take comfort in it. The only thing that gave her a small amount of comfort was that she was able to figure Spawn out. She still didn't know what he was, if he was really dead, or how he came back. But if she had realized anything during his battle with Airachnid was that Spawn cared about Jack.
Jack said that he claimed to have only saved him out of pity. But the way he moved in on Airachnid when she mentioned his name, the way he looked at her when she talked about killing him, the way he took her out, even calling Arcee out on letting him go to the alleys, that could only have come from someone who wanted to protect someone else. Spawn was harsh, cruel even. He had said some hurtful things to keep Jackson away from the alleys. He may not have been as Jack remembered, but he still wanted to keep him safe, enough to kill someone who intended to hurt him. Maybe with that, Jack could feel a little less afraid.
"You're finished, Arcee." Ratchet said.
"Thank you." She replied lowly without looking at him.
Arcee walked towards the tunnel entrance, ready to head home.
"Arcee." Ratchet called.
Arcee stopped but didn't turn.
"What happened in those alleys?"
Arcee didn't want to talk about what happened, but she gave him the abridged version.
"I saw him...The Sad Man."
"The...Sad Man?" Ratchet questioned.
"The one who saved Jack...Then Airachnid showed up. We fought, I lost...Then he killed her."
Ratchet was left in shock.
"The...Sad Man? He killed her."
"Yeah...Spawn killed her. Put her out of my misery."
Ratchet was about to question her further, but Arcee transformed and rode off back to Jack's home. Ratchet couldn't believe what he had just heard. Airachnid was dead and it was a human that killed her? Optimus walked up beside him, having heard their conversation.
"Do you believe that's how it happened, Optimus, a human killing Airachnid?"
"No."
Ratchet looked at Optimus in confusion.
"Whoever Spawn is...I do not believe he is human."
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How Dare You! By what right do you have to trespass into my realm?
...
You have your souls, your sinners and damned. She is a corrupted femme of Primus. Her spark belongs to me. Her punishment is to be melted down and rebuilt in my Pit, not to burn in your Hell!
Enough, Unicron!
...
The child of Primus expired on Earth, my dominion, and was killed by one of my Hellspawns. Her soul rightfully belongs to me.
And pray tell, what use do you have with a Cybertronian femme from another world?
As she is now a damned soul in my underworld, my intentions with her are not your concern. I have a war to wage with the heavens and she is to play a vital role in my victory. That is all you need to know.
I will not forget this, Malebolgia. You now owe a debt to me and I will see it paid. I promise you this.
...
...
...
Clown...The soul has struck a bargain. She will return to a place familiar to her, to the beginning of her path on Earth. Find her, watch her, send her on her mission, and do not let her stray from her task. She must kill Jackson Darby before he corrupts my General any further. Do not fail me!
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"Hey...Get up, sleepy head."
Her optics opened and she was greeted by a small human with a strange face.
"Sleep well? Good, cuz it's time to go to work."
"Who...who are you?"
The human smiled.
"Hm, I'm the one who's gonna fill in the blanks and tell you what you need to do. You and my boss formed a contract and now you gotta fulfill your end of the bargain."
"Bargain? Contract?...Where am I?"
She looked around and saw the burned down forest she was lying in. She stood up and tried to recollect her latest memory, but her mind was broken and scattered. All this felt familiar to her, this place, this contract the human spoke of. But she couldn't remember her own name. But she knew that whoever she was, she felt different. Her frame was not the same as she remembered.
"What happened to me?" She asked.
"Questions for later, spider girl. Listen, let me ask you somethin'."
She gave the human her attention.
"What you feel when you think about...huntin'?"
For reasons she didn't know, she smiled. She knew what hunting was and for some strange reason, it made her happy.
"I like to hunt." She answered.
"No, shit?" the human replied. "And what about the name, Jackson Darby?"
She knew the name, but not who it belonged to. And yet, the name filled her with mixed feelings. She both hated the name...and loved it.
"Conflicted, ain't we?" the human questioned. "Like you got some kind of raw hatred for the name going up against some perverted thoughts in that metal brain of yours. You hate this kid, but you love to hate him. Ain't that right?"
She felt something stirring in her chassis. His words excited her for some reason.
"I do." She said as much to herself as to the human.
The human chuckled a little.
"Well, that's great. You still got the hots for the kid. Now, all you gotta do is find'em and kill'em."
She couldn't contain herself. She wanted to do it, to find this Jackson Darby and make him suffer.
"Where is he?" She asked.
"It's a long trip...But I know where he is. Little shit wasn't hard to find. Let's go."
The human walked his path and the curious femme followed behind him.
"You're boyfriend's waitin' for us."
7:8:8:2
9:9:9:9
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And there you have it, The Sad Man Chapter 4. Let's get to it, shall we?
In case you're not sure what's happening, Airachnid is now a Hellspawn and Clown is setting her sights on Jack. There's gonna be some time shifting back and forth next chapter and I'll try to keep it as clear as I can.
So, Arcee and Spawn meet, face to face. Unfortunately, she didn't get much except some really disturbing imagery to live with. Although, she did see through Spawn's facade and knows that he does care about Jack on some level. Now, to be clear, he feels responsible for Jack after saving him, but he does not love him like he loves Cyan. Had she gone to the alleys, he'd have been a lot kinder to her.
And we also had the battle between Spawn and Airachnid. If anyone was going to turn the predator-Con herself on her head, it would be Spawn. She didn't stand a chance. But, the whole thing left a mark on Arcee and now both she and Jack are traumatized by what they saw.
Now that Airachnid has come back as a Hellspawn, how do you think the Autobots are gonna do against her? They know about a Hellspawn's weakness. Things are gonna get pretty serious next chapter. Also, fun fact: Frank Welker voiced Malebolgia in the Spawn movie.
Anyways, I know it's been a long road with my Old Nightmare readers and don't worry, that's up next. But I am excited to get back to this and I hope you guy's will be there when it's up. So, until next time, peace out.
Side note: Anyone know how to put images in the text? I really want to put the Spawn logo at the end of every chapter.