Author's Note: I am so sorry I haven't updated in all this time. I was soo busy with school work. You'd be too if you had Tarantulas for your chemistry teacher. No, really, I am convinced that my chemistry teacher is the source of all evil. Anyway, new chapter. By the way, I saw 'The Two Towers' and am now officially pissed at Peter Jackson. Stupid director never read the books! Remember Faramir, the guy I said was a lot like Silverbolt? Well they completely ruined his character in the movie. He was supposed to be the ideal man, the hope that there is some 'spark of goodness' left in the world of man. Instead they made him all evil and corrupt. Like... Silverbolt becoming Jetstorm! Waaa..... _ (takes deep breath) Okay that was my rant.
Chapter 17
Dinobot sniffed at the air and immediately shuttered, shaking his head to get rid of the smell.
"Disgusting," he gave a low growled, "and for once it is not the vermin."
"Do you detect something?" Silverbolt, who was once again in beast mode and in the air, called down.
"Most likely someone," the raptor gestured for his companion to come down. Silverbolt landed, and Dinobot lowered his voice. "I have reason to believe we are being tracked."
His companion's wolf muzzle twitched as he, too, discovered something. "There is a fell scent in our midst," he agreed. "In fact, I believe there are two."
"How very observant, Fuzor," the two Maximals whirled around finding themselves face to face with Rampage and Tarantulas. Both were fully armed.
"What have we here? Two little Maximals who lost their way?" the Trensmetal spider chuckled at his own humor.
"A good solar cycle to be terminated," Rampage laughed in his spark-chilling voice.
"Only for you, villain," Silverbolt bared his teeth as he landed, immediately transforming to robot mode and locking two feather missiles on the two Predacons.
"Don't falter yourself, hero," Tarantulas rolled his optics, looking incredibly board. "You're only bait. I have a much bigger prize in mind. Good to see you again, Taratron," he addressed Dinobot. "How tragic your predicament must be; to believe that you killed your own sister, discover that she is indeed alive, only to loose her to the truth of your betrayal."
Dinobot only growled in reply, which the spider calmly ignored. "I only wish she were here so that you could witness as I exterminate her once and for all."
"Well you know what they say," came the soft feminine voice, "be careful what you wish for." The four bots present turned just in time to see Blackarachnia stride onto the field, and Tarantulas regarded her carefully.
She stood tall an proud with her head held high. Her hands were folded under her chest, and she radiated a aura of confidence. There was no trace of anger or fear on her fair features. He would have never admitted, but there was something about her current demeanor that unnerved him. During their usual confrontations, he was the one in control. She could act tough and sarcastic, but he could always feel her fear. Now it was gone.
Blackarachnia's body rose as she levitated herself between the Predacons and Silverbolt and Dinobot. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she spoke without looking at either of them keeping her optics focused on Tarantulas and Rampage the whole time.
"Anárion, Taratron, get out of here; this is my fight."
From the corner of her optic, she saw that Silverbolt was about to object, but Dinobot placed a claw on his shoulder.
"It is her choice," the raptor told him.
"Let her fight alone against those monsters?" the Fuzor demanded shocked and angry. "Are you mad? She will be terminated!"
"I doubt it," Dinobot shook his head. "I have faith in that she knows the extent of her strength and who she is up against." He pulled the reluctant Silverbolt away to a small hill overlooking the clearing. "We will not interfere," he called down to her, "but should you ask for our help, we shall not abandon you."
Blackarachnia scowled at this. "Better late then never, I suppose. At least I can count on Silverbolt," but it was hard to ignore the hurt look that passed over her brother's face. She turned her attention to the two Predacons, starting with Rampage. "I don't have time to deal with you this solar cycle. Go find Depth Charge to play with or something," she waved her hand in a sign of dismissal, but X wouldn't have it.
"Nice try, lady, but we have a score to settle too, remember?" he smirked, referring to the incident right after she became a Trensmetal 2.
Blackarachnia shrugged. "Okay I get it: you like getting your tailpipe kicked and having your circuits all over the canyon walls. Fine with me."
With a single thought, the crab went flying back into the mountain side. Rampage's optics widened in surprise, but he didn't get a chance to react before the next assault. The invisible but powerful force of Blackarachnia's mind took hold of him again, bringing his massive body crashing into the ground with devastating effects. From their positions on the hill, Silverbolt and Dinobot could feel the ground tremble under the shock wave from the Predacon's impact.
"I do not understand," the Fuzor shook his head in astonishment. "How is she able to accomplish this?"
"Thorough her mind and strength of will. Rampage's mind is unfocused, thus he's hardly a match for her."
"What about Tarantulas?"
"That is a far more dangerous battle," the former Predacon admitted. "Tarantulas had knowledge of her abilities before she did, and he has a psychological advantage as well. We can only hope that he under estimates her." They fell silent looking back down at the battlefield.
Blackarachnia levitated herself to float less then a meter from where Rampage fell. With a flick of her wrist, she picked him up off the ground. By this point, the crab was nearly incoherent due to the amount of damage he accumulated. The female floated closer to him.
"Did you get the point yet, slag heap?" she sounded dead serious but there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "In case you didn't..." Another swift motion and Rampage went flying into the distance, crashing several miles away. He didn't rise again.
Once the screams of the Trensmetal crab faded, she turned her full attention on Tarantulas. She opened her palm, and his gun was wrenched out of his claw. It hung in the air in front of her as she circled it slowly, observing it as if there was some fascinating secret to be unlocked. Then her crimson optics glanced back at him.
"An interesting weapon," she commented, once again deliberately echoing his words. "I wonder if you've ever experienced its effects." She turned the weapon on him, cocking the gun with a mental tap.
"Witch! You wouldn't dare!" but he didn't sound very confident of his claim.
"You're right," she agreed throwing the weapon aside and out of his reach. "Primus forbid, I become anything like you. This battle will be fought on a different field."