I got this idea from reading Hexenadler's No One Left Behind.
Optimus was walking down the corridors of the Autobot Academy with a fellow Autobot, who had a similar body type to that of Sentinel, only he was light blue and yellow and didn't have an enormous chin.
"You're seriously going to Archa Seven, but that an organic planet," said the Autobot.
"I know Dion, but according to Sentinel, there's a huge cache of energon there, and Elita wants to see a Decepticon, and I can't stop either of them from going."
"You're smarter than this Optimus," said Dion. "Why not just inform Ultra Magnus?"
"And get them kicked out of the Academy, I can't do that."
"All three of you will be kicked out of the Academy if you're discovered, and better kicked out than being offline."
"Don't you think you're over exaggerating, Dion," said a voice behind them.
The two mechs turned and saw Elita approaching them.
"I'm being serious, Elita," said Dion. "None of you knows what you're going to find out there."
"We're going to find a boatload of energon," said Sentinel as he approached them and placed a servo over Elita' shoulder. "It's not too late for you to join us."
"Someone's going to have to cover for you while the three of you gallivant off," said Dion narrowing his optic said, Sentinel. "And I still very much against this."
"You worry too much."
"I worry about the safety of my sister," said Dion.
"I'll be perfectly fine, Dion," said Elita. "I've got Sentinel and Optimus watching my back."
"I have full faith in Optimus, but Sentinel is another matter. Honestly, I can't see what you see in him."
"Well, don't blame us when we begin spending all that lovely energon," Sentinel smirked as he made his way to the shuttle with Elita in tow.
Dion looked at Optimus. "Just promise me you'll look out for my sister."
"I promise, nothing is going to happen to her."
Several cycles later, both Optimus and Sentinel had just escaped from the explosion caused when they were forced to detonate all the energon in the Decepticon warship and were forced to leave Elita behind.
Optimus had just searched for her signal, but there was no trace of it, and Sentinel blamed him for everything.
"I have to make a judgement call," said Optimus pushing him off of him.
"So you're willing to abandon your friends?" Sentinel glared.
Optimus didn't say anything and began making his way towards the ravine. "We should at least bring back a shell; I owe Dion that much."
Sentinel went with him but gave him the silent treatment and continued to glare at him. Optimus knew that there wasn't any other choice, but that didn't make the guilt he felt any easier. He can only imagine what Dion would say to him once they returned.
Optimus began swinging his axe to break apart the rock and knew from every single swing that the chances of finding her shell were slim. Not to mention there were still those giant spiders to contend with, but he had to find her.
Optimus then stopped when he heard a sound. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Sentinel asked, finally talking to him.
They then heard screams.
"Elita!" they gasped.
The two immediately began pushing away the rock and found themselves in a cavern. They could see more of those giant spiders standing around, and in the middle was Elita, but something was different.
"Elita!" Optimus yelled, dashing towards her swinging his axe to scare off the spiders.
"No, don't look at me!" Elita yelled.
Optimus approached in his optics widened because she had been mutated. She now both strongly resembled those spiders that attacked them; the most shocking thing was her head. She now had an extra pair of optics which were burning red, and mandibles were sticking out from the sides.
"What is that thing?" Sentinel stared as he joined him.
"That's Elita," said Optimus.
Sentinel's optics widened. "We should take her offline; it would be a mercy."
Optimus stared at him. "Is your processor malfunctioning? This is Elita we're talking about."
"That thing is no longer Elita," said Sentinel backing away.
"I'm not leaving her behind, not this time," said Optimus bending down to pick her up.
"Just keep that being away from me," said Sentinel.
Optimus now his optics and looked at Elita. "I'm not going to leave you."
"You also did," Elita glared.
They soon returned to Cybertron; Elita was immediately taken to the infirmary and had been put under strict quarantine. Optimus and Sentinel were brought before Ultra Magnus to answer the charges of their trespassing and then was more than happy to put all the blame on him. After seeing what happened to Elita, Optimus took full responsibility. As such, he had been kicked out of the Academy.
He then went to the infirmary to speak with the Medical Chief First Aid, who had been monitoring Elita's condition. She was currently sitting completely alone on a slab been scanned from head to toe.
"Apparently, she attempted to use her powers to mimic the powers of the organics that attacked her," First Aid explained. "Unfortunately, it resulted in her getting affected by their venom causing this mutation."
"Is there anything you can do?" Optimus asked.
First Aid sighed. "We have never ever seen a condition like this; in fact, we have never seen a techno-organic before. I have absolutely no idea where to start, but it's not just her outer appearance that has changed. Her processor is filled with that venom, and I believe that it is affecting it. To be blunt, she's more Decepticon than Autobot."
Optimus looked at Elita, and then a split second later, this collided with his face, knocking him on the floor. He immediately looked up and saw an angry Dion looking down at him.
"You promised you would look after her!" he roared.
Two Elite Guard shock troops immediately grabbed him before he could hit him again.
"Dion, I'm sorry," said Optimus sincerely.
"You promised!"
First Aid immediately placed himself between the two mechs. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down for the patients."
"Calm down?" Dion roared. "My sister has just been mutated, and now she's at the mercy of anyone wanting to dissect her."
"We don't do that here, and I promise we'll do everything we can to help her."
"This isn't over!" Dion roared as he was escorted away.
Optimus looked at Elita. "Can I see her?"
"We determine that her condition is not contagious, but her state of mind makes this complicated."
"So, you going to keep her in quarantine forever?"
"Sadly, I believe that incarceration will be the worst thing for her, but I can't let her out on the streets either. It's for her protection more than anyone else, but I promise I will look for alternatives."
Optimus looked at him. "If there's anything else I can do, don't hesitate to ask."
First Aid nodded and left Optimus, standing there looking at Elita.
First Aid made it to his lab and found Ultra Magnus waiting for him.
"Ultra Magnus, sir," said First Aid looking rather surprised. "I hope that I haven't been keeping you waiting."
"It's perfectly fine First Aid; I merely came to see the condition of Cadet Elita-1," said Ultra Magnus.
"For starters, she's calling herself Blackarachnia," said First Aid. "Physically, she's fine apart from the mutations, but her mental state is the major issue. Additionally, I believe that indefinite consolation would be the worst thing for her."
"By all reports, you say that she is closer to Decepticon than Autobot," said Ultra Magnus. "Letting her roam free could be disastrous for anyone around her, and I'm afraid I can't in good conscience allow her to roam free."
"Is there a way for her to be monitored continuously while not endangering the public while giving her some freedom?" First Aid asked.
"Perhaps," said Ultra Magnus.
Optimus was looking at Elita, or rather Blackarachnia. Changing her name was not exactly inspire confidence. However, Dion was right; this was his fault. If he had known this would have happened to her, he would never have abandoned her.
"Optimus," said a voice.
Optimus turned immediately saluted as Ultra Magnus was standing directly behind. "Ultra Magnus, sir. I'm sorry I didn't see you."
"It's quite all right," said Ultra Magnus and looked at Blackarachnia. "First Aid has been informing me of her situation, and I may have a solution that would guarantee her freedom while being monitored and putting fewer Autobots in danger. However, if I give this the green light, I must have your reinsurance that you will take full responsibility for anything she may do."
"If it helps her, sir, I will do anything; I owe her that much," said Optimus.
"Very good, though I do warn you won't be a very glamorous job."
"I think at this point she would be happy for any job, sir. Though whether she wants anything to do with me, I can't say."
"Then I think you best discuss it with her."
Blackarachnia wasn't in the very best of moods; thanks to both Sentinel and Optimus, she was now a techno-organic freak. So when Optimus entered her ward, she had to resist the urge to attack him.
"What do you want?" she said, not looking at him in the optics.
"Elita, I—"
"I'm not Elita-1 anymore, thanks to you," she said bluntly. Optimus just remained quiet, waiting for her to speak. "So what happened to both you and Sentinel?"
"I've been kicked out of the Academy," said Optimus.
"And Sentinel?"
"He's on probation, but I suspect that nothing will come out of it."
"Figures that he would be the only one of us not to suffer," Blackarachnia huffed. "Have you seen Dion?"
"He punched me in last I saw he was being dragged out of the medbay by shock troops."
"So, what's going to happen to me now?" Blackarachnia asked. "Am I going to stay in here and become some sort of experiment?"
"Ultra Magnus thinks he has a solution, a way to get you out of isolation and at the same time keeping you isolated as many bots as possible."
"What's the catch?"
"I have to take full responsibility for your actions."
"Meaning I'll probably be under your command; the universe has a funny sense of humour."
"Elit—I mean Blackarachnia, I know that there's nothing I can say or do to make things right, but at least let me try. I know we can work through this together."
"Which I had your optimism," Blackarachnia huffed and then looked at him. "But if working under you is a small price to pay for freedom, then I guess I'll take it."
Optimus smiled. "You won't regret this."
Blackarachnia was a few cycles away from being discharged from quarantine when an old friend from the Academy visited her. Her name was Moonracer, and she had a similar body type to her original one, except her helmet resembled that of a racer, and her paint job was silver.
"Hello, Elita," Moonracer smiled.
"It's Blackarachnia now," she corrected.
"You'll always be Elita to me." There was an awkward silence between the two of them. "So, I hear you will be working with Optimus."
"As part of his new maintenance crew, not the job I envisioned when I joined the Academy. However, it was that or stay in here for the rest of my life."
"Just so you know, I decided to leave the Academy myself," said Moonracer.
Blackarachnia looked her astonished. "Why?"
"Because if they're going to kick bots like you end Optimus out while keeping bots like Sentinel, then I don't want to be a part of it."
"What are you going to do?"
"I was thinking of becoming a reporter; that way, I'll be able to keep the Elite Guard honest. Which they're going to need if Sentinel ever joins up. Just promise me you'll stay out of trouble. Dion has disappeared off the grid, and I don't want to lose any more friends."
"I'll try, but I make no promises."
