Sorry for not updating any stories lately. I've been stressed about my cat and family business.
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My spark rate sped up and I was getting anxious. When the kids first went through the bridge they were obviously unsettled, but they're organic so it's different on them.
I stepped onto the white path inside the bridge. It felt a little tingly and warm. I reached out to touch the side and it felt the same. It was like a gentle stream in a remote forest with the birds and insects making all the noise of a theme park.
It seemed to go on and on in an endless tunnel of light. Then the space in front of me swirled open into bright forest. I stepped off the path and onto soft ground. A tingling sensation flowed through me then vanished. I looked back to the ground bridge to see it close.
It was really sunny and the forest was alive with noise. When we first meet Airachnid the setting was a cloudy day in a dark forest; completely opposite of this. And there had been no cliffs, I saw one through the trees about a hundred yards off. Jack and I followed Arcee as she headed to the cliff while she waved around a handheld device that detected energon (I think, I could be wrong).
"What are we looking for?" I asked.
"Ratchet picked up an energon signal so we're checking it out", Arcee replied, "No sign of Decepticon activity yet."
"That's good, right?" I said.
"Never know with 'Cons", said Jack.
There was cave opening in the face of the cliff, covered by an overhang riddled with stalactites.
"Hm, foreboding", I joked.
"So what happens?" Jack asked me, "Or was this not shown?"
"I don't think this was ever a setting", I replied, "I don't know what's gonna happen."
Although, I could see dark heavy clouds creeping toward us from above the cliff.
"Well...", I said, "I guess we'll see."
We all walked in together. It was cool and damp. Our footsteps echoed. Everything you would expect in a cave. The tunnel narrowed and me and Arcee were forced to bend down further and further. Eventually, the tunnel opened up into a huge cavern. Jack's breathing could be heard clearly from anywhere. Miko would love the acoustics of this cavern.
"I won't be afraid", I sang, "if my spirit fades. 'Cause when I see your face I know that I am safe."
My voice echoed perfectly, making a soothing sensation.
"Hey, that's pretty good", said Jack.
"Thanks", I said, "usually it's not that good but there's perfect acoustics."
"Katie, are you alright with splitting up?" Arcee asked.
"I guess", I shrugged.
"Alright, Jack and I will go this way and you go that way", Arcee gestured to the tunnels.
I nodded and went my direction. I hadn't realized how dark it was in here; my optics adjusted so I could see clearly.
There was a soft, cool breeze moving ever so lightly through the cavern. It was chilly but it didn't really affect me.
There wasn't much in the cave besides creepy-crawlies; a few caverns with swarms of bats, freaky spiders that look like hair clips, glow-in-the-dark worms hanging from the ceiling, all that freakiness. I'm pretty chill when it comes to all things that are freaky and skitter around, but the worms...yeesh.
The tunnel circled back to connect to itself and then led right back to the main cavern. I waited for Arcee and Jack to come back. Luckily it didn't take too long.
"Find anything?" Arcee asked.
"I don't suppose creepy-crawlies and glow-in-the-dark worms count", I said jokingly holding up a cave spider on my servo.
"Nope", Jack said hiding behind Arcee's pede.
I chuckled and flicked the spider off my servo.
I followed them back outside to find the clouds bubbling up with thunder. I bumped into Arcee, wondering why she had stopped suddenly and why she was in a defensive stance. I looked around her to see what caused the tension.
Vehicons.
There were three. None of the main Decepticons though.
"Uh oh", I mumbled. I took a defensive stance as well, more of out of instinct and fear rather than remembering from training.
"Think you can take one?" Arcee whispered.
"Maybe?" I said uncertain.
She readied her blades as Jack hid.
This was happening. My first fight. I had always felt ready to fight when I was angry at anyone in my previous dimension. I thought I would be able to control my emotions in a fight: hold on to fear to keep you alert and ready to dodge, use anger to keep you in the fight. Right now, fear was the only thing I felt. I couldn't find any anger. I looked at these Vehicons and couldn't be angry at them. They might be clones, but they were in this war as much as any of us.
I'm in this war now too, I thought with dread.
Arcee launched herself at two of the Vehicons, leaving one for me I guessed.
I hesitated for a second before I ran toward the third. I landed a few punches before he easily overpowered me. I traded him a few more and blocked some of his. I brought out my blades and started swiping. He grabbed my shoulders and launched me with a push of his pede. I decided to try something else.
I transformed and ran at him, leaping onto his torso. Something clicked in my mind. My mind went clear: not in a calm peaceful way, but an empty, cold, damp, and wild way.
I bit into his shoulder dangerously close to his neck and clawed his chest. He yelped and tried to grab me. I moved out of the way of his servos and crawled over him, gripping with my claws. I bit onto his arm from behind, biting down harder and harder until I heard a loud crunch. He yowled in pain. I felt liquid oozing from his wounds, it was warm and energized.
I whirled around to his front, leapt onto him, and knocked him down.
His optics went green and he stuttered an agonizing groan, then his optics faded and he went limp.
An overpowering rush of satisfaction surged through me. That empty feeling in my mind vanished and I realized what I had done. I silently scanned his vitals.
Gone.
I saw my tail imbedded in his chest. I pulled it out and inspected it. It had split in four ways, revealing a smaller cream color tip broken apart to replicate barbs and glowing green underneath.
I looked back to the Vehicon's empty, lifeless optics. It felt like all my insides had been pulled out through my throat and only my plating remained like the shed exoskeleton of a bug with a boulder laying in my torso with the wind of a crisp, humid October morning flowing through. I just stood there, trembling.
"Katie?" Arcee asked in a soft voice. I looked to her and back to the Vehicon and back again. I stumbled backwards off the lifeless body. I transformed and numbly stared at him.
"I did this", I mumbled to myself so quietly I could barely hear it as I looked at my hands.
I looked around at another body laying not too far away.
"W-where's the other one?" I asked nimbly.
"He escaped", Arcee replied. I felt her servo on my shoulder as I tried to stop myself from trembling.
"Come on", she said in a calm tone, "let's head back." She then commed Ratchet for a ground bridge.
It opened and we went through with Jack not far behind. I couldn't look up at any of the others in the base when we arrived.
"Did you encounter the Decepticons?" Optimus asked. It was calming to hear his voice, or even be in his presence for that matter.
"Just a few Vehicons", Arcee replied.
"Are you alright, Katie?" Ratchet asked me.
"I'm fine", I said my voice cracking, "I wasn't hurt."
When Arcee finished explaining what happened to Optimus, he came over to me and placed his servo on my shoulder to comfort me.
"It isn't your fault-" he said.
"Yes it is!" I said a little louder than what I was comfortable with. I pulled back and crossed my arms close to my chest.
"I...I'm sorry..." I tried to speak.
"I understand your guilt", he said calmingly, "War can have a heavy toll on anyone."
"I know it's war but I shouldn't be the one to decide their fate", I said, "they're in this as much as any of us."
Again, depression pushing down on me when I thought it was gone.
I felt Optimus' large hand on my shoulder again.
"War is never easily taken", he said, "You are used to watching battles on screen but never witnessed them first hand. I should've been more careful with how you were introduced to it. You are still young, and don't understand everything yet."
Just listen to him I thought He's right.
That evening, I sat at the edge of the cliff staring at the clear night sky. So many stars were shining.
"I can't be everything", I sang, "that you want me to. Fill my mind up with silly dreams is all I seem to do."
Why me? I wondered.