Part 2: Caught in a web

"Oh, my, my!
Do you have a guest in your arms?
Such a cute little thing,
With all those golden curls.
Tell me, tell me my darling, just how much you love her.
Maybe I will slaughter your precious pretty girl!"
-Miku Hatsune – 'Rotten Girl, Grotesque Romance'

Knock Out smirked.

He had an entire plan set out. He knew it was fool-proof; it would prove beyond a doubt that he loved Breakdown more than anyone else ever could! Every little step was planned out and he knew just who he could start off with.

Airachnid.

But first things first, he had to track her down.

The medic roamed the halls of the Nemesis, asking a Vehicon every now and then where the femme was, only to get some non-specific answers. He turned a corner and wasn't sure whether to scowl or smirk at the sight.

Airachnid was talking to Soundwave, who was standing silently as usual. The femme chuckled and then turned on her heel and started to walk away, towards Knock Out. Her hips swayed as she walk, almost as if she were trying to attract the attention of every mech that was present.

Hehe. Such a whore.

"Hey, Airachnid!" The medic called out, plastering on a fake smile and walked towards Airachnid. "I was looking everywhere for you!"

She raised an optic ridge. "Knock Out." She placed her hands on her hips. "What is it? It better be important."

"Commander Starscream had asked me to investigate the energon that was collected in one of the lower bays, lazy slagger that he is and considering the amount of energon in said bay, I thought I could use some help." Knock Out lied. This was step two; find a way to isolate Airachnid. "And since Breakdown's off on a mission and the Vehicons would most likely just make things worse, I decided you were the best choice. After all, with your abilities, the whole thing will be over and done with faster than you can say 'Oil leak'! So, what do you say?"

Airachnid smirked, her bizarre optics glinting a little in amusement. "Oh? So a mech such as yourself can't do such a simple task, so you have to ask me to help?" She chuckled. "Fine. It's not like I have anything better to do at the moment."

Knock Out smirked, dark intent filling it.

***

The two Decepticons arrived in the lower bay, the entire room filled with energon cubes, boxed and ready for use. Knock Out had to stop himself from laughing out loud that his plan was working like a charm so far.

Next was step three…

"Let's get this over with, Knock Out." Airachnid sighed, walking further into the room. "What should we start off with exactly?"

"Well, I would think that we should check where the energon came from specifically. It could help with finding reserves in the future." He started off. "So… what do you think of Breakdown?"

The femme looked over her shoulder with a quizzical expression. "Why are you asking?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could get to know each other a little better while we did this, don't you think?"

She merely shrugged and turned back to what they were doing. "If you insist." She said, examining the cubes of energon with a critical optic. "And if you must know, I find Breakdown to be completely pitiful and a pathetic excuse of a mech… yet…"

Knock Out scowled, only just barely trying to cover it up again. "Yet…?" He quietly took his energon prod out of his subspace, creeping towards the unknowing femme.

Airachnid chuckled. "There's something endearing about him. Like a turbofox that's had a leg cut off and is out in a storm; it's a mere pest, with a simplistic mind… but there is still something that just… draws you in."

"I know the feeling. Happens all the time." Knock Out checked the voltage on the prod, making sure it was at a high enough setting.

"Is that so?" Airachnid put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah. You'd be surprised." The medic waited with bated breath as he prepared to strike. "I just think there's one problem, Airachnid."

"And that would be…?"

Knock Out thrust the electrified end of the prod forward, straight into the middle of her back. She howled with pain as her frame crackled with electricity, the air turning a pale blue as volts danced across her.

The prod was pulled away and Airachnid limply collapsed to the floor, a quiet pained sigh leaving her lips as she fell into unconsciousness. Knock Out stared at her still frame, his expression showing a small demented mirth.

"He's MINE."

***

Knock Out hummed to himself as he arranged the tools on his cart. He had about a klik or two to have everything ready for the procedure, so he had to hurry up if he wanted to be ready on time.

There. Perfect.

The medic turned around, pulling the cart along behind him as he approached the berth, where the still-unconscious Airachnid was strapped down to. Her six additional legs were splayed out underneath her and hung over the edge of the berth. The red mech smiled. Just a little more and the fun would start.

Three.

Two.

One.

Airachnid moaned in pain as her optics slowly opened, her helm shifting to face the ceiling. She tried to move her left arm, but found that she couldn't. She looked down and saw the binds and gritted her sharp denta in frustration, trying to break free. "What in the Pit…?" she hissed quietly to herself.

"Oh? You're up now." Knock Out said, smirking when the femme attempted to turn her head towards him. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"You!" She snarled, thrashing around in her restraints more. "When I get out of this, I will rip your spark out and shove it down that wretched throat of yours!"

"I doubt that. I think you'll be staying right here." He snickered, stepping closer to the bound spider. "And before I forget. Don't bother trying to use your extra legs; I deactivated them while you were out."

Airachnid hissed, struggling further as Knock Out grabbed hold of one of her extra legs, studying it closely. "I still wonder why Breakdown would find you interesting… you're just a disgusting irritating piece of scrap that never should have existed." His hand turned into a rotary saw, the buzzing filling the air. "I will NEVER allow you to say anything to him. He's mine! And he's MINE ALONE!"

With that, he brought the saw down, severing the leg in his other hand. Airachnid let out a quick sharp cry of surprise and pain, energon spurting out of the severed limb. She gritted her denta as Knock Out examined the appendage, only to toss it carelessly on a nearby medical berth. "Knock Out, you're insane! I will—"

She couldn't finish her sentence as the red mech severed another limb, throwing it to the side like the other. "Shut up Airachnid. I don't care what you say."

He ignored the femme's grunts of pain as he continued to take away the limbs, energon dripping onto the floor and the berth Airachnid was strapped to. Soon, all of her extra legs were removed and the spider was left moaning quietly in pain, tears bubbling up in her optics and energon spurting from where her limbs used to be. "B-Bastard!" She hissed. "Everyone else will find out about this and what do you think w-would happen then!? You'll be branded a traitor! You'll be Outcast! You'll—"

Knock Out's saw was placed dangerously close to Airachnid's neck, forcing her to gasp. "Shut. It. No one cares if you die or not. After all, didn't you desert us during the war? So that makes YOU a traitor, doesn't it?" He growled, his red optics gleaming with madness. "Actually… I'm sick of just looking at you and listening to you, as the humans say, piss and moan."

The saw started up, panic flashing in Airachnid's optics. She thrashed in her binds frantically, trying in vain to get away. "NO! Get that away from me! STOP THIS NOW! DON'T YOU DAAAAAARRRGGGH-!"

Knock Out brought the saw down once more, the blades cutting into the femme's throat and splattering energon onto him. She screamed for only a brief moment before she was silenced with a loud gurgle. Her frame went limp as the buzzing of the saw finally died down.

The medic pulled the saw away and looked at his handiwork. He smirked as he saw Airachnid's severed head staring blankly ahead, energon pooling around the neck. His optics travelled down to her chassis, where her spark chamber was located. His smirk grew wider.

"Let's see if it's as disgusting as you are."

***

"Breakdown? What's wrong?" Knock Out asked, his optics wide as he spotted his love leaning against one of the walls in the Nemesis.

"Hey, Knock Out." He replied simply. "Well… I think you already know, but Airachnid's gone missing and no one's been able to find her yet."

Pulling a fake expression of shock, the medic placed a hand on his spark chamber. "Really? That is a shame!" Knock Out lied. "Well, I hope that she's found."

"Yeah. She was always… interesting." The blue van shrugged. "I wonder if she's been… deactivated…"

Breakdown's frame slumped further, looking as if he were trying to resist crying. Knock Out walked up to the larger mech and gently took him in a hug.

When the ex-Stunticon wrapped his arms around the Aston Martin in return, Knock Out couldn't help the wide satisfied grin that appeared on his face.

TBC