#8- The Itsy-Bitsy Spider, part 1

Timeline: EomE 1

Type: 3 Part one shot

Summary: A search for Energon goes wrong when Arachnid appears

Eric sighed as he rested on a large rock. Beside him, Maya was chatting happily with Miko. The Japanese girl was sitting on Bulkhead's shoulder, probably put there to keep her from running off while. Arcee was a couple of steps away, holding a Cybertronian tracker in her servos, scanning for Energon. Eric had no idea where they were, as he couldn't quite crack the Cybertronian glyphs yet. Plus, the groundbridge had a way of throwing off his natural compass.

"How much further?" Miko whined.

No one answered, the silence punctuated by the rustling of the birds in the trees above.

Finally, Arcee spoke. "About twenty miles or so."

Miko groaned.

Maya shook her head. "A friend of ours trekked through the entire Sahara Desert during the peak of summertime. On foot. A few hours won't kill you, especially when you've got yourself a giant pair of metal feet."

"Besides," Eric added. "Seeing raw, crystalized Energon for the first time is gonna be totally worth it."

"Pffff. It's cool but it's nothing like seeing the spark chamber of your enemy being ripped out while he's still alive."

The four sane people glanced at each other woordiley as Miko cackled.

"You, uh," Eric cleared his throat. "You need to lay off the Red Bull or something."

"Or stay home while the Autobots fight the battles." Maya muttered under her breath.

The group became silent as they continued on their trek through the heavily wooded area. While Bulkhead, Arcee and Miko stuck to the ground, Eric and Maya leapt form branch to branch as a form of advanced scouts.

Though Eric noticed that his sister took it a little less seriously than he did.

And when he says a 'little less seriously' he means not at all.

"Hey Eric?" Maya whispered. Eric landed on the branch as he glanced over at his sister. Maya broke out in a silly grin as she hung upside down. "What am I?"

"Maya, this isn't funny." He said while snickering.

"Oooooh coooommmee oooonnnn, Brooootheerrr." Maya said in a very, over-the-top slow voice. Eric was on the verge of a full-out laughter when the wind changed.

Both Everton siblings froze as, with the shifting wind, the hairs on the back of their necks standing razor-straight. As though a switch had been flipped, every sense became instantly sharper. Eric glanced at Maya, a silent conversation passing between them, happening in the span of half a second. In sync, as though rehearsed, the two dropped from the trees in front of the Autobots. Arcee didn't look too shocked but Bulkhead squealed a bit. The female quickly silenced him as she took in the siblings' expressions.

"What is it?" She asked lowly. Eric, his heart thundering as it sent a wash of adrenaline through his body in preparation of a fight, glanced around skittishly. His eyes were lingering on anything that moved, anything that looked like the shadows were too deep or unnatural. He didn't hear the question but thankfully Maya did.

"Don't know. But we need to go."

The answer was low, almost drowned out by the deafening thadump, thadump, thadump of his heart.

Even the soft rustling of the trees seemed far too loud.

"Are you sure? It could be nothing." Oh, how he envied the naivety that Miko possessed.

"Positive. The wind…..it's shifted." Now it seemed that Arcee and Bulkhead noticed the change.

"What?"

"Miko…."

"Come on Bulk…."

"Miko…" Eric's heart felt like a hummingbird on a sugar-high, panicked as it tried to get out of a cage. The air felt…...suffocating, heavy, thick. His tongue felt like sandpaper as he, Bulkhead, Maya and Arcee formed a tight-circle.

And Miko was still talking!

"Miko." Maya hissed. "Shut. Up!"

That did the trick as the Japanese girl slammed her mouth shut. WIhtout the constant chattering from the ponytailed girl, the silence that surrounded them seemed more oppressive. But….Eric's ears pricked up atht he distant sound of scuttling.

Getting closer…..

And closer…..

And closer….

"Sister…"

"Yeah." Maya whispered. "I hear it too."

Bulkhead was the next to speak. "You don't think that's…..her do you?"

Eric didn't know who 'her' was, but he had a feeling as the stereotypical evil laughter echoed through the woods that it probably wasn't a long-lost friend of the Autobots. Almost as though the thought was perfectly timed, the two Autobots servos shifted to blaster and wrecking ball respectfully.

"Who is that?" Maya asked lowly. The scuttling grew even louder

It was right on top of them.

Arcee had only time to whisper, "Arachnid" before all hell broke loose.

There was a barely, indistinguishable 'thwap'' and suddenly, Mike was screaming as she flew off her perch. It all happened in a heartbeat as the warriors reacted. Eric turned, as Bulkhead shouted the girl's name, just in time to see the same thing happen to Maya. Though, he saw everything happen in slow-motion.

He saw the weblike substance shoot out, wrapping around his sister in a cocoon.

He saw Maya's eyes widen in terror as she realized something was happening that she was pretty sure she didn't want to happen.

Eric tried to reach out to her, to grab ahold of her, as she turned towards him, her mouth opening to shout his name.

It was like whoever pressed slow-motion button pressed the fast-forward button.

In a heartbeat, Maya was yanked from where she was standing and when Eric blinked, she was gone. Her screams echoed.

"Nooooo!" he shouted.

"ARACHNID!" Arcee growled.

Eric didn't realize he was running until a branch hit his fac,e but he didn't care. His focus was zeroed in on the creature that had his sister. And Miko too.

He saw the…. thing scuttling around the trees that towered above them with ease, with Miko and Maya dangling from their little web cocoon. It was funny later when he recounted it, but in the moment, it was terrifying.

Before he knew it, as he was preparing to leap over a giant log, Arcee soared over him. He continued, but watched in fascination as Arcee quickly cleared the distance between the spider bot. Though she didn't get far, as she was thrown back with a thump. Bulkhead appeared out of nowhere, going in for a t-bone but the spider-thing was too agile, launching herself upwards. Eric skittered to a halt as he watched the thing disappear in to the upper foliage.

"MAAAAYYYYYAAA!" Eric shouted though his lungs ache from running so hard. He went to leap upwards, to start climbing the trees after his sister (and Miko) when Arcee stopped him.

"Don't."

"Why not?" he growled. Arcee groaned as she sat up, clutching her midsection where her ribs would be if she was human.

"Because, Arachnid is far too skilled even for you. She thrives on the hunt, which will happen if you try to hunt her down."

Eric was speechless, mostly because he was trying to catch his breath. He glanced back where his sister and Miko had disappeared.

"Alright…..." Eric relented with a sigh. He turned back to the silver-and-blue female and dark green male. "What do we have to do?"