Disclaimer: *wipes dust away* One year since an update. Oh wow. I, Shadow Katakura, can blame nothing but life. :| Hopefully I get back in the swing of things and hopefully DragonScouter will not make you wait as long as I have. Let's get straight to the chapter since you all have been waiting so long. And so I will not get hit in the face with random objects for making you wait so long.

Dragon and I: *blows confetti*

Livid.

That was the only word that could possibly describe what I was feeling right now. When I fell into recharge tonight, I entered a familiar black space that promised a meeting with Alpha Trion. I planned on giving him a peace of my mind since I was pretty sure he knew about Pandimala switching sides. What I didn't expect was for Pandimala to be right in front of me instead of the big guy.

If you can't tell, happiness is far from what I felt when I saw her.

I let out a battle cry and rushed at 'Mala, wrist blades drawn. She quickly drew her broadswords to block my attack. I didn't let her get on the offensive. Anger fueled my attacks and each swing was with more ferocity than the last.

"You." CLANG! "Are." CLANG! "A Fragging." CLANG! "TRAITOR!" I managed to break through her defense and sliced her chest. I let out a battle cry and kicked her to the ground.

"Shadow wait!" Pandimala tried to explain as she slowly got up. "I can explain myself and my actions!"

I shook my helm. "A bit too late for that, don't you think so? 'Con scum."

Just as I was about to prepare myself for another fight, a voice said, "Lower your weapons Shadowstalker. There is much we both have to explain to you."

I looked behind 'Mala to see Alpha Trion walking up to us. I stared at him and 'Mala before slowly lowering my blade, choosing to glare at them both instead. "Explain and quickly."

Alpha Trion stepped forward and bent down to me and Mala's level. 'Mala cautiously stood up and moved beside me once she saw that I wasn't going to attack her.

"As you know Shadowstalker, I told you and Pandimala that you have to separate back on Cybertron in order for you to continue the mission I gave you upon entering this world." Alpha Trion began. "I did not tell you how though. I left it up to you to figure out. It seems Pandimala did, as I hoped she would."

I narrowed my optics and turned to 'Mala. She smiled sheepishly. "We both know that I am more of a Decepticon fan than an Autobot fan. And I knew that with your loyalty to the 'Bots and your relationship with Cliff would make this decision harder for you. So I took it upon myself to make the decision to trade sides. Unfortunately, in order for my plan to work..."

"I had to be in the dark." I whispered as realization finally set in. "You didn't betray us." I looked up at my bestfriend who looked relieved that I finally knew the truth.

"We have been best friends since forever Shadowstalker." Pandimala smiled. "I could never betray you. It tore me apart to see the pain I put you all through."

"But it had to be done." I chuckled. I face palmed. "I am so dumb! How could I ever think you would betray me?!" I yelled to the heavens as a wide grin spread across my face. "SHE DIDN'T BETRAY ME! WOOOOO!"

Alpha Trion smiled. "I am glad to see that things are good between you two now. However, Shadowstalker you must not let any of the Autobots know. Including Clffjumper."

I nodded. "Understood." I then frowned. "So while 'Mala's on the Nemesis trying to get the 'Cons to go towards peace, what the slag am I suppose to be doing on my end?"

"Well, Dreadwing is on Earth now." Pandimala said thoughtfully. "He's a good example to start with should the need to convince the 'Bots that all 'Cons aren't completely terrible comes up."

"Shadow?"

I looked around at the sound of Cliff's voice. He must be trying to wake me up. Around me, the black space started to flicker. I turned to 'Mala and Alpha Trion with a smile. "I believe it's time we part ways. Good luck on your side 'Mala."

"Trust me. I'll need it." 'Mala grumbled.

Light flooded my senses and I slowly opened my optics. Cliff, of course, was sitting beside me on my berth. He was shaking me gently trying to wake me up. I smiled, in a truly good mood for the first time in days, and pushed him away. "I'm up you big lugnut."

"About time sleeping beauty. I swear you can sleep through anything." Cliff shook his helm.

"Not true." I pouted.

He chuckled before laying a quick kiss on my lips. "It is very true, my dear Shadow. Now let's go to the main room and see what crazy misadventure awaits Team Prime today."

"Lead the way." I smiled.

Cliffjumper stood up and offered me his hand, er, servo. I'm trying to get used to Cybertronian terminology, but having my human memories in a metal body does not help at all. Anyways, I let Cliff pull me off my berth and hand in hand, we walked to the main room. The kids were on a field trip today, so we had the entire base to ourselves.

"There's da happy couple." Jazz's visor lit up as he smirked at us upon our entry.

I blushed slightly at his words. Hearing Cliff and I be referred to as a couple always makes my spark do a little happy dance in my chest. This constantly reminds me of my love for the mech, even though he's the biggest handful that ever walked this planet.

"Optimus," Ratchet spoke up, causing all of our attention to go to him. "No word yet from Bulkhead. But I am detecting some rather curious subterranean frequencies."

"Of earthly origin?" Optimus asked.

"I do not yet know what they are, but I do know where." Ratchet pressed a button and the location of the frequencies appeared on the monitor.

"The coordinates at which we last encountered Megatron." Optimus narrowed his optics.

"And Airachnid." Arcee piped in.

"And Airachnid's insecticon." I couldn't help but steal Ratchet's line.

"Ratchet, prepare the ground bridge." Optimus requested. "All of you with me. We do not know how many insecticons Airachnid actually has under her rule."

"Let's squash some bugs." Cliff gained the all too familiar trigger happy look.

Arcee and I shared a look before shaking our helms in unison. Ratchet had the groundbridge up and running in no time and we all gathered around it. I grinned as I waited for the line.

"Autobots, roll out!" Optimus commanded.

"Never gets old." I smiled as I followed him into the ground bridge. I slowed down to a walk on the other side. My optics widened. The show did not give the insecticon horde its credit. There's A LOT of them.

"Holy slag." I breathed.

"We are in all likelihood witnessing the launch of a mission to terminate Megatron." Optimus observed.

"I can't think of a reason to stop that even if we could." Arcee commented bitterly.

"But we can stop Airachnid." Optimus slid his battle mask over his mouth.

Unfortunately the shink sound of his mask sliding in place combined with our blasters warming up gave up our element of surprise. Airachnid turned around slowly before a smirk crossed her face.

"Rear guard, engage the Autobots." She commanded as her smirk grew.

Scrap.

A small group of insecticons turned around and flew towards us. I shielded myself as they started firing on us. A cloud of smoke grew around us. I heard the rev of an engine and knew Arcee had gone after Airachnid. Once the smoke cleared, I started firing on the insecticons but not before noticing alot more of the bugs follow after Arcee than in the show.

"Frag." I cursed. "She's gonna need backup!"

"Go afta ha!" Jazz yelled, his accent thick. "We can handle da bugs!"

I nodded before transforming and driving after Arcee. I stayed on the cliff above her, a plan forming in my processor. I pushed myself to go faster so that I could catch up to the insecticons.

"I wonder am I still afraid of heights as an Autobot?" I muttered.

I was almost neck and neck with the bugs. I used the cliff as a ramp and transformed mid-air. I grunted as I landed on the back of one of the insecticons. I quickly grabbed on to the little antenna-like things that stuck out of his head. Not a moment too soon as the bug tried to throw me off his back.

"Bug scum!" I scowled as I sliced in to the bug, exposing various cables and a lot of energon. He shrieked and started to fall. I quickly jumped from his back to the one in front of him. I heard an explosion in front of me and saw that Arcee had took out two by making them slam into trees. I sliced through the one I was riding on and quickly flipped in the air.

I transformed mid-air and grunted as I hit the ground. Behind me I heard an explosion and the shrieking of a dying bug. I smirked internally and sped up so I wouldn't lose Arcee. When I caught up to her, she was standing on a cliff waiting.

"Nice backup there." She complimented.

"Thanks. Let's catch this spider glitch, shall we?" I breathed as I caught my breath. Then I realized Cybertronians didn't need to breathe. I glanced out in to the clearing in front of us and saw a hole. Arcee and I walked towards it.

"Underground. That's not a surprise." Arcee grumbled.

"Experienced Autobots first." I gestured to the hole.

Arcee deployed her blasters while shooting me a look before jumping into the hole. I sighed. "Down the rabbit hole Alice went." I deployed my cannon before following her.

The hole wasn't that deep. It didn't take long before Arcee and I landed on the ground. I looked around and said, "This is the last place we saw Megatron."

"Seems like she decided to stay and make a base out of it." Arcee looked around before slowing walking forward, blasters at ready. I followed.

"So besides back-up, why are you here?" Arcee asked, while still looking forward. "Something suppose to happen that I don't know about?"

"Not at all." I shook my helm. "You're not the only one with a grudge. Though I admit, the TV version of her does not do her justice. She's as sadistic and evil as they come."

"You're telling me." Arcee snorted.

We came upon an opening. Arcee put a finger to her lip. The universal signal for "be quiet". I nodded and slowly we walked inside. Hundreds of insecticon pods were gathered in here. I kept my cannon ready as I looked all around me. There was somewhere I was suppose to be looking. Where was it again?

Arcee narrowed her optics at something and I followed her gaze to an insecticon pod. Airachnid's reflection showed. Scrap.

"Down!" I yelled.

Airachnid opened fire from her place on the wall. Arcee and I dodged the shots and took cover behinds pods. Once she stopped, I turned around and fired shot after shot with my cannon. I didn't stop until I heard Airachnid's scream and the sound of her hitting the ground. Arcee and I slowly got up and walked towards her. She looked up at us with a grin.

"When you extinguish my spark, make it hurt." She said. Her grin widened, showing her fangs. "You know I would extend that same courtesy to you. Both of you."

"We're not like you." I growled.

"Very well." Airachnid shrugged before lunging at us.

Arcee and I jumped in the air to dodge her. We flipped in the air before landing on our feet. She landed in front of Airachnid and I landed behind her. I just so happened to land behind the stasis pod, which I gestured to. Arcee, thankfully, caught on. I traded my cannon for my blades just in case things didn't go as planned. Airachnid attacked Arcee, who blocked her attacks with her blades. Arcee crouched before she jumped in the air and performed a roundhouse kick. The thing was, Airachnid wasn't knocked into the pod. She was kicked in the air.

"Of course things didn't go as planned." I scowled.

I jumped in the air when Airachnid started coming down. Once I was above her, I let out a battle cry and kicked her down into the stasis pod. She stood up and one of her spider legs activated the pod.

"What?!" She screeched. "NO!" But it was too late. The pod closed around her, clipping one of her legs as it did.

I landed in a crouch beside Arcee and we watched Airachnid's face freeze inside the pod. Arcee's struggle against the spider-bot were over. But I unfortunately knew that Airachnid's appearances were far from over.

"Should have snuffed her spark." Arcee stared at the pod long and hard.

"You're stronger for this." I laid a servo on her shoulder and smiled. She returned it.

"Arcee?! Shadow?!"

I turned towards the entrance. Cliff, Jazz, 'Bee, and Optimus ran towards but stopped once they saw Airachnid.

"Well slag." Jazz couldn't help but comment.

"You've been busy." Bumblebee added.

"You can say that again." I chuckled.

"Ratchet, requesting a ground bridge." Optimus spoke into his com-link.

Cliff walked up behind Arcee and I and shook his helm. "What am I going to do with you two?"

Arcee and I shared a look before laughing. What would he do with us indeed?

Arcee, Ratchet, Optimus, and I stood around Airachnid's stasis pod. Ratchet was examining it before turning to us. "Stasis. She deserves worse."

"I intended worse." Arcee shook her helm. "More times than you know."

"You are stronger for the choice you made." Optimus assured her.

HONK! HONK! HONK! HONK!

All attention went towards the base entrance as Bulkhead came speeding in. I chuckled quietly, knowing the day he had. He transformed and whipped his head towards us. "Guys! You are not gonna believe the day I had!"

At our deadpan looks, he turned towards Airachnid's stasis pod and his optics widened. "You too, huh?"

"Well 'Bots, it's been a long day." I started to walk towards my quarters. Well, Cliff's quarters. "See you all in the morning!"

I heard of chorus of "Goodnight!" from behind me and I smiled. I found myself in front of Cliff's door and let myself in like I had done many other nights. There he was sitting on his berth cleaning out his cannons. I locked the door behind me, announcing my presence.

"Hey babe." Cliff greeted with a smile.

"Hey." I smiled. I walked over to sit next to him on the berth just as he finished cleaning his cannons. He transformed his cannon back into his servo. He smirked before quickly pulling me into his lap, causing me to yelp.

"Lugnut." I grumbled.

"You love this lugnut." He grinned.

"That I do." I grinned, pulling him in for a kiss.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he wrapped his around my waist. I smiled against his lips. How exactly did I end up so lucky again?

"I love you." Cliffjumper pulled back and smiled at me. "My Shadow."

"I love you too." I returned the smile. "My Cliffjumper."

"Spending the night?" Cliff asked as he pulled me down with him as he laid back on his berth.

"What do you think?" I snuggled into his side.

Cliffjumper chuckled, his chest vibrating against my back. He turned the light off and so began one of our many nights of sleeping in each other's room. A perfect ending to my day.

And the end. Again, I'm so sorry for the lateness of this chapter! *facepalms* I'm slowly reviving my will and motivation to write so hopefully you don't have the wait this long ever again. Next chapter belongs to Dragon and it will be Flying Mind. Should be fun with 'Mala on the Nemesis.

Dragon and I: Until next time! *throws confetti randomly*