Two in two days!? Wow, I'm on a roll. (Well...might be because this chapter was for the most part typed up :P) Well my lovely readers, here is Predatory. I hope you like it.

Warning: There are some gory details concerning the death of Tailgate in this one.

This girl does not own Transformers, (but the OC's are mine bwahaha! The realm of Cybres is mine) but she wishes she did, because, frankly, that'd be awesome!

My Characters-Trans Counterparts Mentioned in this chap.

Karrick- Bumblebee

Silver Greyman (Silverstar Ivorra)- Arcee

Healer- Ratchet

Jailbreak- Tailgate

Shadoweaver-Airachnid

Isabella Ivorran- Elita One

Risktaker-Cliffjumper

(Human Counterparts: Same first, different Last)

Jack Wheeler- Jack Darby

Miko Tanikawa-Miko Nakadai

Rafael Cortez-Rafael Esquivel

Chapter 12

If The Night is Burning

Jack POV

"Where is everyone?" Arcee asked as she walked in.

I looked up from my tinkering.

"Sick," I said, speaking around a screw in my mouth, "Raf's home with the flu and Miko's got a nasty cold. Swears she got it from Raf,"

My guardian walked over to me.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Tinkering," I replied, pulling down on the wrench, "Wasn't feeling too good earlier…found this helps,"

"Maybe you should go home then?"

"I'm fine," I dismissed as I took the screw out of my teeth and picked up the screwdriver, twisting the tiny metal piece into the frame.

"You look a little pale,"

"Haven't had the chance to go outside," I admitted, "If I don't feel good, I don't want to go out, simple as that,"

"Why are you tinkering then…if you don't like doing anything when you don't feel good?"

I didn't look at her as I answered.

"Just feels right when I build," I said, "Something Mom said I've always done…kinda a family trait she told me,"

"From her?"

"No,"

"Then your father then,"

I closed my eyes, gripping the wrench hard as I yanked it down to tighten a bolt.

"It was him then," she nodded, "I've never seen him…did he leave? I hear some…"

"Look, I kinda don't want to talk about that," I growled tersely, "It was a long time ago…before I was born and I don't feel comfortable talking about it so please…"

The wrench snapped in two and clattered to the floor.

I tossed the mangled halves back into my backpack.

"Great," I sighed, "Just great,"

"Maybe you just need a break," Arcee suggested, "Ratchet says there's a no risk energon signature…you want to come?"

I looked up.

She had never offered before.

"Sure," I answered, getting up from my spot on the floor and following her to the Groundbridge.

"We're ready," she told Jolt, who nodded and pulled down the levers.

And we walked through.

The first thing I noticed…was that there were mosquitoes galore.

I smacked at one. Then another…

"I really wish I would have packed some insect repellant," I growled, smacking yet another mosquito from my neck.

Sure, I brought my survival kit, that Mom made me carry everywhere…

"You never know when you might need it," she had said.

But I had completely forgot the insect repellant!

"The mosquitoes out here on this routine recon are the size of vampire bats!" I complained, swatting at another bug, "and they drink as much blood!"

I gave a low snarl as I smacked another mosquito…and again missed horribly.

"Quite the outdoorsman, aren't you Jack?" Arcee smirked.

"You wouldn't be making fun of my survival kit..." I started.

"Maybe,"

"I may not have stinger-proof metal skin, Arcee," I said with a slight grin, "But in a pinch…I can use my multi-function pocket knife and magnesium fire-starter to cook up some freeze-dried mac and cheese!"

"You have your tools," Arcee said, holding up what looked uncannily like a radiation scanner, "I have mine,"

"Fine then, you're not getting any of my Mac and Cheese,"

"And why would I want that?" the femme snorted.

"Because it's good, and Mom would have a fit if she knew I had it…" I smiled guiltily.

"Yeah, I've seen your mother's menu for you…tofu huh?"

I shuddered violently as a beeping noise emitted from the scanner. Arcee looked at it and frowned.

"That's odd…" she started, "Ratchet's satellite scans were accurate…but subterranean energon deposits don't cause this kind of surge,"

She started forwards again, I followed close behind. The femme suddenly stopped, nearly causing me to crash into her.

"What happened here?" I asked, surveying the land and noticing a deep rut in the earth.

"Crash landing," Arcee said, "Stay behind me, low and close,"

The two of us came closer and closer to the ship, finally stopping and looking at the scarred and scratched metal.

"Autobot or Decepticon?" I asked.

"Can't tell," Arcee replied, "Wait here,"

She switched out her servo for her blaster and snuck aboard the ship.

I did as I was told and waited. I pulled out a tiny piece of deep red metal, streaked with blue and silver in my pocket, fingering it.

Mom had told me Dad tinkered when he was younger and that I had to have gotten it from him. She told me that he had made her a good luck charm at one time…but she had lost it sadly.

I wish she would have kept it.

The metal flake I had, she said, came from one of the old vehicles her parents had given her when she was my age. I think she said it was from some sort of bike. She joked that she was attached to that bike like I was to Arcee.

I had laughed.

I put the flake back in my pocket, noticing a flicker of deep blue and bright pink next to the ship.

Arcee!

She staggered and placed a servo on the ship.

She looked like she was hurt…

"Arcee!" I cried, running over to her.

The femme's optics were unfocused, like she was remembering something…and by the look on her faceplate…it wasn't a good memory.

Arcee POV

A reddish glow, shackles upon my wrists, and a Decepticon coming over to me. She raised a talon and sliced, blue energon spatters the wall.

Jack POV

"Arcee?" I asked, "What's wrong?"

"I know who this ship belongs to," she said, shaking as she tapped her comm. link, "Arcee to Base, I need a Groundbridge ASAP,"

"Wh-wait, why?" I demanded, "Who's ship is this?"

I looked at her.

"Who?"

She ignored me and tapped her comm again.

"Base do you read?" she asked, fear spiking her voice.

Static.

"Scrap!" the femme hissed, walking off, "Comm. link's dead…the ship's got to be transmitting a high frequency scrambler pulse…"

"Arcee?" I asked softly as I followed, "L…ok, you're kinda freakin' me out here…"

"Wait. Here," Arcee ordered, walking off.

As soon as she'd gone, I pulled out the pocketknife. Now against a 'Con (which I kinda figured the ship belonged to) it wasn't much…maybe if I threw it high enough I could hit the 'Con in the optic?

A twig snapped and I jumped.

Something moved in the trees!

"Arcee…" I whimpered.

The branches shifted and shook again.

I backed up until I hit a tree.

Another shake…and something charged out, leaping at me!

I let out a shriek as I hit the ground…I opened my eyes…

And started laughing.

My Decepticon…was a little chipmunk.

"Here's what my epitaph will say: Here lies Jackson William Darby, son of June Darby…he was devoured by the evil, terrifying monster by the name of Theodore brother of Simon and Alvin," I chuckled.

I started laughing uncontrollably as the chipmunk hopped off and I stood up, brushing myself off.

Well…I better go find Arcee.

I started in the direction that my partner went…and found her in the same position that she was when she exited the ship.

Optics unfocused…faraway look…

Arcee POV

I had seen the scratches on the trees…the deep holes in the ground…

I am in a prison cell on Cybertron, arms restrained. I struggle to break free, to get away, I am interrupted by the sound of footsteps.

I look up to see a figure enshrouded by shadow, the gleam of baleful violet optics all I see.

A weapon unsheathes! It's right above my faceplate!

Got to pull away! Can't move my helm far enough! Cold, cold metal pricks against my faceplate…

Screeching metal, searing pain!

"NOOOOO!"

I jerked out of the memory, venting heavily.

Jack POV

"Arcee?" I asked softly.

She didn't answer, instead her frame folded into her alt.

"Climb on," she growled.

As soon as I did and put my helmet on…Arcee drove away from the ship as fast as she could.

"Arcee!" I cried as we kept getting closer and closer to a ravine.

Arcee didn't stop, she built up speed and ramped over the ravine, causing me to shut my eyes as we landed.

The femme came to a stop and I dismounted.

"Ok, was that really necessary?" I demanded.

Arcee ignored me and tried to comm. Base again…with little success.

"Look!" I cried, exasperated, "I've seen danger before! What's the big…"

"Wait here," Arcee ordered, cutting me off, "I mean it this time!"

I grit my teeth.

"Ok, first you shut me out," I growled, "And now you're ditching me?!"

Arcee transformed and glared at me.

"I thought I was your partner!" I snapped.

"No, Jack, you're a kid!" Arcee retorted, "You're only here because this was supposed to be no risk! Got it?"

And with that, she transformed and drove off.

"Just a kid?" I asked.

I clenched my fists, feeling an electric rush go through me.

"I'll show her who's the kid," I growled as I started in the direction she went in.

I stopped at the edge of the ravine and looked down.

"Yikes, wouldn't want to take a nose dive in that," I shuddered as I carefully lowered myself down and climbed back up the edge.

Arcee POV

After I had gotten away from Jack, I stopped and transformed. I switched my servo for my blaster and started scouting out the area. If it is Her…and not some 'Con who stole her ship…then 'Lita…we'll have our revenge.

The monster had captured a friend of ours and tortured her…

We found Firestar's body a few weeks after her disappearance. Elita and Chromia had nearly gone mad with grief and had tried to murder the femme who mutilated our friend…

We never did.

I looked around and froze.

A stump in front of me…

It was steaming with green a-a-acid…

I ran down an old, broken road. There were buildings in the distance, they were beautiful before the War. I dodged yet another stream of gunfire.

"Arcee to Delta Team, requesting rendezvous coordinates, do you copy?" I asked through my comm.

"Arcee," a familiar voice said, "You lost again? Your sense of direction could use some improvement,"

"So does your aim, Tailgate," I retorted, "If you had tagged that sniper back at the artillery depot…like Elita told you to…I wouldn't have had to break rank and engage the enemy hand to hand!"

"From the sound of things…I'm guessing you came out ahead?" he asked cheekily.

I stopped

"Try waiting up for me this time, and I'll give you the blow by blow, that is…if 'Lita doesn't scrap you first," I teased, "What's your position?"

"About half a click from the depot due north. Think you can find it, partner?"

"Trust me, Tailgate," I snorted, "My navigational abilities are…"

I felt something ram into me, hard. I fell onto a building wall and couldn't move.

"What is this?" I thought.

Another piece of material covered my eyes and I didn't see any more.

When I came to, I was shackled from the ceiling and my feet were entangled in the same stuff that caught me in the first place. I grunted as I struggled to get free.

"Piece of advice," A female voice purred, "Make yourself comfortable,"

She walked in front of me and I took her in…the elaborate helm, the violet optics, the extra appendages above her…

A sound of a blade unsheathing caught my attention. She stalked closer to meone of her talons raised and placed on my cheek.

"You're going to be here awhile," she hummed.

She scraped her talon across my cheek…and acid bit into the smooth metal.

I shook myself out of the memory.

That was many millennia ago, Arcee, you can't dwell on the past. It's not…

A soft, eerie clinking noise got my attention. I slowly turned around. I knew that sound…and I didn't like it.

And there, stalking through the trees…

Was Her.

"My first local," I heard her say as I quietly climbed up a tree for an ambush, "Time for humankind to feel my sting,"

She shifted out of her bipedal form and into that horrible spider-like one. I remember when I first came to this planet and saw one of them…I didn't handle it very well.

She crept closer and closer to the tent where I bet a human was staying. She paused…and lunged at the tent.

"Not on my watch," I growled, leaping out of the tree and tackling her.

We both tumbled, yelling and fighting, down a steep hill. We hit the side of a cliff, I hit first and she bounced off me, tumbling to a stop a few meters away.

She growled darkly to herself and got up. I shook my helm to clear it before getting into a ready position.

Recognition flared in her optics.

"Arcee," she hummed, "Small universe,"

"Too small, Airachnid," I spat.

"You're still holding a grudge?" she scoffed, stalking closer, "The war's been over for megacycles!"

"Tell that to the Decepticons," I snarled, settling in a fighting stance.

"These days I travel solo in pursuit of my new hobby," Airachnid purred.

I shuddered as I remembered the ship…and the heads…

She used to take only the more striking parts of a mech or femme…

Firestar's spark was what she stole before. The only one like it for many planets…and Airachnid wanted it for a trophy. Why it caught her fancy…I'll never know. Firestar was one of our fiercest fighters outside of 'Lita and Mia.

"I got a look at your souvenir case," I finally ground out.

"You mean my trophies?" she asked innocently, "I collect endangered species…of course…the aren't really endangered…"

She threw me a wicked smirk that made my energon freeze.

"Until they meet me," she finished, "And I have a slot reserved for human,"

Not on your life!

"Not gonna happen," I growled, charging forwards.

I tackled her and raised my fist to hit her…she caught me with her extra legs and threw me back into the cliff.

I flipped back up to my pedes and started shooting as fast and hard as I could. She dodged and leaped into the trees, making it harder to get a clear shot.

She shot some webbing at me, tying my blasters together. I yanked hard on them and forced her out of the tree. As soon as she hit the ground, I activated my blades and cut the webbing away before starting to shoot at her again.

She shot at me and I leaped upwards, grabbing onto a tree branch and swinging from it, coming down on top of her and pinning her to the ground.

I pointed my blasters at her, charging them.

This time, you won't get away.

"This is for Firestar," I growled, aiming at her spark…

When I heard a faint crumbling noise.

The two of us looked up and I gasped…

As Jack came skidding down the slope.

Airachnid took this distraction and smacked me across the faceplate with one of her legs.

I staggered for a bit…and she pinned me to the wall with that awful webbing of hers.

"ARCEE!" Jack yelled, running towards me.

Airachnid hissed and Jack froze, eyes a bright electric blue color as he backed away slowly.

"Big spider," I heard him squeak.

Almost immediately a different scene painted itself over the one before me.

Instead of Jack, it was Elita as she backed up from the monster. She was torn between running and fighting…and the running was starting to win.

Her crystal blue optics turned to me, fearful.

"ARCEE!" she shrieked, tears streaming.

No, Jack shrieked.

I struggled, freeing my blaster, and clocked the spider with one shot.

The shot femme crashed to the ground, her 'legs' curling in like a real spider's do once it dies.

"I told you to wait for me!" I growled.

"Well partners don't ditch partners!" Jack retorted as he grabbed the webbing and started to pull, desperately trying to free me.

"How eerily he reminds me of 'Lita," I thought before glaring at him.

Jack POV

"Get this through your head…" Arcee snapped.

I ignored her and kept pulling.

"You're not my partner! You're a liability!"

"I don't believe you!" I grunted as I pulled the webbing out and glaring at Arcee, "I can see it in your eyes. You're afraid Arcee!"

The blue optics dimmed slightly and I knew I struck a sore spot.

"And you're never afraid!" I continued, "When you're afraid…I'm afraid,"

Arcee's optics went dim and I realized she was having another flashback.

Arcee POV

"You know…for an Autobot…your resilience is quite impressive," Airachnid smirked.

I kept my silence.

"In fact," she continued, "I'm guessing that no matter what I do to you…you'll never crack. Am I right?"

I glared at her. You got that right glitch.

"That's what I thought," she purred, turning to the door, "Bring him in,"

The door opened and two Vehicons brought in an unconscious red and white mech…

"Tailgate?" I asked hoarsely as they hooked him up to the shackles next to me.

He gave a low, soft moan.

"What have you done to him!?" I demanded.

"Not much…yet," Airachnid smirked, "Just tell me what I want to know or…well…you're a smart 'Bot. I think you can imagine what happens to Tailgate next,"

"I don't know the attack coordinates!" I answered.

Her optics narrowed and she stalked towards Tailgate.

"I SWEAR UPON THE ALL-SPARK!" I shrieked hysterically, "IT'S THE TRUTH!"

"We shall see," she purred and I struggled to free myself.

She raised a talon.

"No…please!" I begged.

Tailgate's optics onlined for an instant, pure cyan blue as he looked at me.

"'Cee?" he croaked.

Right as Airachnid's talon slashed across his neck cables and down the side of his frame, his energon spurted out and spattered all over me.

"TAILGATE!" I shrieked.

I came back to the present.

"You're right, Jack, I am afraid," I snapped as Jack looked up at me, "Of losing you!"

He stopped, looking up, a spark of joy and love appearing in his eyes…like he needed to hear that I cared about him.

"You sure have trouble hanging on to your partners…don't you?" Airachnid growled with a slight slur as she stalked towards her prey.

That made me feel a little better…knowing I hit her hard enough to make her slightly punch-drunk.

"We both know what happened to Tailgate…but I've recently picked up some Decepticon radio chatter regarding the passing of Cliffjumper!"

My vents stuttered slightly. Jack looked up at me. I rarely talked about Cliff to him…but he knew it was a sore spot for me.

"At some point, you have to ask yourself, Arcee: Is it them? Or is it me?" the Spider purred.

"Do you get it now, Jack?" I snarled, "Airachnid's not interested in me…she hunts indigenous species…and she's on Earth! That means humans!"

Jack stepped backwards.

"Wha…?" he asked.

"YOU!" I screamed, "RUN!"

Airachnid shot another layer of webbing at me.

Jack sprinted away, faster than I'd ever seen him go, and he climbed back out of the shallow valley.

I heard her laugh.

"And that's why I prefer to work alone!" she cackled, slamming one of her legs into the rock inches away from my faceplate, she tilted my chin upwards to look at her, "It's so sad when bad things happen to those close to you. But don't get me wrong…"

She released my chin.

"I fully intend to snuff out your spark," she growled, "And believe me…I will make it hurt! But that won't compare to the pain you'll feel knowing I'm adding your human to my collection,"

"Go to the Pit," I snarled.

"Remember this Arcee," she growled, slashing my cheek again…where she did oh so many years ago, "Elita One isn't here to save you now. It's no secret that she's on this planet somewhere…with that sparkling of hers either,"

I glared at her.

The only one who knew that truth was me. I was the one who sent her here…so how…

"Him," I breathed.

"That Cortical Psychic Patch got a lot more than just the Prime's location out of you," Airachnid hissed.

She hopped back down to the ground.

"Once I'm done here with your human…I'm going to go on a Great Hunt for the Lady Prime and the Prime Heir," she smirked, "Oh don't worry...You'll see your precious family again…well…their heads anyway,"

She turned to look at Jack who had just made it to the top.

"But right now…I have a human to catch," she cackled as she stalked off.

No…No! NO!

"JAAAAAACCCCKKKKK!" I shrieked.

Jack POV

"JAAAAAACCCCKKKKK!" Arcee shrieked…

And then it cut off.

I jammed my fist in my mouth as I ran.

This was not good! Not good at all! What am I gonna to do?

"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!" was the thought that kept running through my head.

I looked back…and gave a sharp yell as Airachnid crawled out of the valley.

"That's the spirit, Jack!" she called, "Play hard to get!"

"Faster! FASTER!" a voice shrieked, "You must move faster or she will kill you!"

No kidding!

I spotted a log not too far away and I leaped over it before sliding under it.

"Please don't let her find me," I prayed, "Please, please, please,"

Arcee POV

I struggled against the webbing, letting out a scream of frustration…

She pulled away from Tailgate's body and I watched…unable to do anything.

I felt tears come and I wept.

Her talons inched closer to my faceplate…

And the door exploded.

"AIRACHNID!" Elita roared, storming in, 'Bee and Cliff behind her, "RELEASE MY SISTER!"

Airachnid hissed as Elita shot at her.

'Bee shot at the 'Cons and Cliff came towards me.

"Lady Prime…" he started, "Now would be a great time to help?"

'Lita deactivated her blaster and came to me, hand on her spark.

"Are you alright?" she breathed, cutting me down.

I collapsed into her frame, feeling the gentle, strong pulse of her spark…of the sparkling's spark…beneath my servo.

"I couldn't save him…" I wept.

"Cliffjumper!" 'Lita ordered, looping an arm under mine.

"I COULDN'T SAVE MY PARTNER!" I wailed.

I flashed back to present day.

"Jack…I'm sorry," I whispered, "I never should have never looked back, I should have..."

Cliffjumper POV

"C'mon, 'Cee," I growled, "Don't let the creepy spidercon win!"

"Arcee, you're better than that," Tailgate added, "You can still save him!"

Primus and Prima had allowed the mech to come and help me on this one…seeing as we were her partners all those years ago.

Arcee leaned her helm against the rock.

"No!" Tailgate yelled, "ARCEE YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP GOING!"

"Keep driving!" I cried, "KEEP DRIVING!"

As if she heard us…her helm snapped up.

"Kept driving…" she breathed.

Tailgate and I looked at each other…stunned.

"Well," I started, as she transformed and struggled forwards, "Looks like she heard us,"

"Ya think?" Tailgate snarked, "C'mon 'Cee! You can do it!"

Suddenly, the webbing snapped and Arcee shot forwards!

"YES!" Tailgate and I chorused, "ATTA GIRL!"

Arcee shot away up the hill and Tailgate smiled.

"Well, looks like my time is up," he sighed, turning towards me, "You keep her out of trouble, Cliff,"

"It's Arcee," I deadpanned, "Trouble finds her,"

"Ain't that the truth," Tailgate laughed as he faded from view.

Authoress POV

Airachnid stalked through the woods. For the first time in a long time…she had lost her prey.

No matter…she'd search until she had found…

A pale, faint, light blue glow came from a rotted log not too far away. The femme cocked her helm walking towards the light. Something was there…

She stopped as she passed over it…ah, there you are! She could hear the human child's ragged breathing as it sped up.

This would be fun.

She bent down, her helm inches from his face, his brilliant, royal blue eyes blazing in fear.

"Hello Jack," she purred.

The boy shrieked and darted out of the log, she tried to pin him…but fear had lent his feet wings and Jack sprinted away. Unknown to the femme…it had nothing to do with fear. This was raw ability of the boy, his mother's gift racing through him, slightly slowing down time and making it appear that he was moving faster than a normal human being.

The spider shot some webbing at him, trying to trip him up, but Jack dodged it gracefully, like he had done it before.

"Keep going, keep going…" he thought to himself.

He skidded to a stop, almost going over the edge of the ravine.

"It's times like this I wish I could fly," he muttered as he climbed down the rocky face, sprinted to the other side and climbed back up…

Right as Airachnid came into view.

Jack ran towards the ship, watching as Airachnid leaped over the ravine with ease.

"Not fair!" Jack groaned as he ran.

He finally stopped and hid behind a tree, panting. Jack pulled out his knife...and tossed it to the ground in disgust.

"Who am I kidding?" he growled as he started running again…this time towards the ship.

Maybe he could find something in there to fight with…

"You're making this too easy, Jack!" Airachnid called, "And I do not enjoy being bored!"

"You're bored!?" Jack hissed as he ran down the slopes and ventured towards the ship…

"Now…" Jack heard his pursuer pout, "Where could you have scampered off to?"

Jack pulled his head back against the ship. Not even daring to breathe, just in case it'd alert Her to where he was.

Jack POV

I opened my eyes as the femme passed me and I let out the breath I was holding. I couldn't stay here…she'd find me.

I started backing up the gangplank of the ship, looking around for some sort of weapon. I backed into something…something glass…

Slowly, I turned around…just to face a very grotesque head.

I screamed and fell backwards, tumbling down the ramp before landing on my feet. I am not going back in there anytime soon!

I stumbled away from the ship, climbing up the rut in the ground it made when it crashed…and I heard Airachnid down at the entrance of the ship.

"If you wanted a tour, Jack, all you had to do was ask!" she purred, "Did you spot the empty space?"

No…why?

"I hope you like it…it's where you'll soon hang your head!"

I bit back another scream as I tripped and tumbled down the side of the rut.

My foot splashed in something and I looked down at a dull, oily blue substance with a rainbow sheen.

"Energon," I whispered.

And it was leaking from the ship…

My eyes followed the stream…finally landing on a thruster.

Bingo!

Hmmm…energon is flammable…isn't it?

I remembered when the adults gave us Autobot 101 class…

First rule: don't bother Ratchet.

Second rule: Energon...makes a very nice boom.

I picked up a stick, and started work on lighting it on fire.

There was a clinking sound, I looked up, startled, and quickly started working on the stick again…

For there on the roof of the ship…was Airachnid.

The stick didn't want to light!

"C'mon, come on!" I snarled, "Light! Please light!"

Nothing.

I gave a frustrated yell and dragged the flint down to light the stick up.

A blaze of blue flame shot onto the stick and the flint snapped in half but I didn't care. I had a flame!

I hurled the stick as hard as I could towards the energon puddle in the thrusters…conveniently located next to Airachnid.

The energon sparked and caught fire. Airachnid's optics widened in horror.

"JACK!" she shrieked…but I was already running as the ship blew itself to pieces.

The shockwave knocked me off my feet. I lay there, stunned for a moment…and I started laughing.

I couldn't stop…maybe it was because of the fact that I had just survived a horrible game of hide and seek…maybe it was the fact that the enemy that traumatized my guardian was gone…

I didn't care.

I didn't have to run.

I got up and started to head back to where Arcee was last.

Something caught my foot. I looked down just to see white, fibrous material pinning it to the ground.

"No…" I whispered, "NO!"

I looked up…

A fiery silhouette glared at me through the branches of the trees…and shot another web at me, pinning me against a tree.

Airachnid leaped down and ran her searing metal fingers across my neck…as if she were deciding where to cut. I closed my eyes leaning my head as far as I could…

Right as a blue and pink blur rammed into her, knocking the Decepticon flat.

Arcee!

I relaxed as Arcee hit the Decepticon a few times and then sent Arachnid flying a great distance. My guardian came back over to me, and set me free.

"Jack," she started, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," I panted, "Of course…survival kit!"

I pulled out his fire starter and smiled.

Thank you Mom!

There was a drilling sound and both of us looked at the rapidly disappearing femme.

Arcee started shooting, running closer to the hole as she did.

But it was too late.

"AIRACHNID!" the blue femme snarled, pounding the ground harshly with her fist.

She stood up.

"So much for closure," Arcee grumbled.

"Now Airachnid's stuck on Earth…" I sighed, "I'm not so sure that's a good thing…"

"I'm…sorry you had to face my demons today," Arcee apologized, "You were pretty fearless there, Jack,"

I snorted.

"Actually…I was terrified," I admitted, "Mostly for you,"

Arcee gave a slight smile as she put a servo to her comm.

"Ratchet…requesting Groundbridge,"

I heard a slight buzzing sound, I turned around…and finally managed to squish that pesky mosquito.

"Ha!" I laughed, "Got you!"

Arcee shook her helm.

"I need to get my partner as far away from any oversized insects," she finished.

"Partner, huh?" I teased, warmth filling my chest.

"Junior partner," Arcee corrected, "I can still pull rank,"

"'S still a partner," I grinned as the Groundbridge spun up.

Arcee POV

A few nights later, Jack came into the garage, complaining of nightmares…

Well, he didn't actually complain about them…just said he couldn't sleep. But judging by the dark circles under his eyes…a nightmare was what it was.

"You remember when I told you I didn't like to talk about my dad?" he asked, leaning on my side.

"Mmhmm," I hummed.

"I've decided I'm gonna tell you,"

I looked down at him.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He nodded.

"You told me about Cliffjumper and Tailgate," he said, "It's not fair that I keep my secrets from you,"

"Alright then," I shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't know much about him," he admitted, "Mom rarely talks about him…she gets all misty eyed when she does and she goes off and I hear her crying, especially at night,"

"She misses him,"

"It's more like she can't live without him," he corrected, "Every day I notice she gets a little slower…like she's winding down,"

"She must have really loved him,"

"She did," Jack smiled softly, "She said that he was a soldier. A good one. A general actually,"

"A general?"

"Like a Prime," he explained.

"I know what that is, Jack, I've worked with the military before,"

"Right…NEST," he said, "Anyway…he left before I was born, Mom said he had gotten called away. We never heard from him again,"

"That's kinda sad," I admitted, "I see why you're angry,"

"Angry?" Jack asked, "No, I'm not angry at him. I'm just…sad. Mom says that I remind her of him. That I would have loved him. But…I'll never know because he's not here anymore,"

He closed his eyes and I saw a single tear streak down his face.

"I hear Miko and Raf and Amber and the kids at school talking about their dads…and I admit…I'm jealous, Arcee," he murmured, "They know their dads…heck, even Ben does and his is dead. Dusk is adopted by Optimus, so she technically has a dad too. Me…I've got no one,"

I put a servo gently on his shoulder.

"Jack," I whispered, "You'll always have family among us, come to think of it…Dusk and 'Bee both consider you the little brother of their pack,"

"So what would that make you?" he asked.

"Mmmm…your aunt," I hummed, "Optimus is…married I think is the human term…to my sister, Elita. And 'Bee and Dusk are my adopted niece and nephew,"

"I think I like that," Jack grinned before yawning, "Well, I better get back to bed. Mom will be home soon and if she catches me out of bed…she'll make me wish Airachnid was still chasing me,"

"Goodnight, Jack," I chuckled.

"Night…Auntie 'Cee," he teased.

I shook my helm as he walked into the house.

"'Lita…you would have gotten along so well with this boy," I sighed.

I could almost hear her say 'I know'.

A/N Ok, next is Sick Mind. Might take me a while to do it and Out of His Head because they're not typed up from a previous fic. Hope you all enjoyed this. See ya soon!

Title from Ed Sheeran's: I See Fire (I went to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug a few days ago. Awesome movie, iffy based by book. Yes I'm a Ringer, sue me *please don't I'm broke :P*)

Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please R&R! :)

Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)

Máriessë ar mára tecië

Farewell and fair writing

Elhini Prime signing off.