Sorry this took so damn long. School started, my laptop crashed, got loner for a few days and I finally got my old one back. I'll try to go back to a weekly update schedule.
Chapter 18
Shockwave was walking through the hollowed halls of the Nemesis. To the untrained eye he was as emotionless as ever, but internally he was enraged. It has only been a few days but so far he had nothing on the traitorous seeker, he tailed him since the day he got the assignment yet he came up with nothing.
Soundwave was probably laughing at his misfortunes right now, or whatever he does in place of laughter. Shockwave wasn't one who shows emotion, but he lets out a few like anger and hatred now and then.
Starscream hasn't done a single thing that warrants suspicion, the only thing Shockwave noticed was that he has been reported heading for the med bay but he doesn't seem to actually enter. Shockwave at one point attempted to put a bug in Starscream's room but failed to realize how advanced the locks are, by the time he was half way there Starscream wasn't far behind. Shockwave barely escaped unnoticed. He realized that if he was going to get anywhere than he needed a new approach.
Shockwave suddenly stopped, he aimed his cannon at the ceiling and fired at a dark mass. The figure fell to ground, he charged his blaster ready to blast the intruder.
"Wait!" the figure yelled stepping out of the shadows revealing it to be Airachnid. "I come in piece."
"You in peace? I do not like being taken for a fool," Shockwave said still aiming his cannon.
"I want to make a proposition," Airachnid said.
"I barely see the logic in aligning myself with vermin such as yourself," Shockwave stated facing his cannon away from the spider.
"What would you say if I told you I could help you stick it to Starscream?" Airachnid inquired.
"What makes you think I need any help?" Shockwave hissed.
"You're not the only one who is good at gaining info and my sources tell me that you've got nothing," Airachnid said smug.
Airachnid's smug expression faltered as Shockwave turned and began walking away, "You are wasting my time with this nonsense."
Airachnid ran after him, "You want Starscream out of the picture as much as I do, if you want to get anywhere you need me!"
Shockwave grabbed Airachnid by her neck and slammed her into the wall successfully pinning her, she coughed roughly from the force of her neck slamming into the wall.
"You dare insinuate that I can't get the job done?! Congratulations Airachnid you have successfully made me angry and do you know what happens to bots who make me angry?" Shockwave asked earning a shake of his captives helm. "Well lets just say that few make it past the experimentation stage. But since you're already a mutated freak do you know what else is left?"
Airachnid began shaking in fear staring into the soul wrenching emotionless optic of this mad scientist, never before have she felt such fear not even to Megatron. She shook her head again.
"Dissection."
Airachnid gulped, Shockwave held her against the wall hoping to instill a little more fear before letting her go. When he felt like he got his point across he let go of her neck and watched as she collapsed to the floor clutching her sore neck.
"Out of my sight insect!" Shockwave said darkly.
Airachnid got the point and scurried away, as she made her escape a new look of determination appeared on her face. She wasn't finished with him yet.
Shockwave watched Airachnid leave, he looked down at his cannon arm staring intently.
"Mutant freaks."
Meanwhile...
Starscream and Knockout were both in the med bay, blueprints of the Nemesis were sprawled across Knockout's work table.
"So, where have you been? We haven't really discussed a plan to overthrow Megatron yet," Knockout said.
"I've been busy," was Starscream's only response.
"Busy with what?"
"I think someone is on to me," Starscream said grimly. "I've been feeling like someone has been watching me and I think someone tried to break into my quarters."
"Wh-what!? Who? How could someone figure us out already?" Knockout sputtered.
"Calm down, I think I finally got them off my trail. I tried coming here a few times but each time I was sure someone was watching me," Starscream said.
"Well if you're sure, back to the matter at hand. Do you have any plans?" Knockout laughed nervously.
"Figures, you go through all this trouble to recruit me yet you have no plan. Did you even think this through?" Starscream questioned.
"You're the master at this, I figured we could come up with one together and I could help set it in motion," Knockout answered.
"Well you were right to do so, anything you would come up with would just end in disaster," Starscream mocked.
Knockout scowled, "How so?"
"To usurp someone as powerful as Megatron it takes cunning, skill and drive," Starscream said.
"Cause you've been so successful in the past," Knockout said sarcastically.
It was Starscream's turn to scowl, "Anyway, I ordered you to get these blueprints for a specific reason."
"And that would be?"
"Sabotage, to make sure this plan works we need to get Megatron alone. Away from his subordinates, mainly his Intel Officers." Starscream explained.
"Then we hit em when he least expects it!" Knockout said excitedly.
"No, the next phase of the plan is to better our odds."
"But its two against one!"
"Has that ever stopped Megatron?"
Knockout was silent consider what Starscream said, his silence showed he agreed.
"So what do you propose we do?"
"We get an advantage." Starscream said simply.
"Hmm well do you have any ideas as to what we'll do for distractions and evening our odds?" Knockout asked.
"Not as of now, during the short period I was gone everything seems to be updated. My previous idea won't cut it," Starscream frowned.
"Well I guess you need me after all hunh?" Knockout smirked.
"Even you can be useful."
Knockout frowned his feeling of superiority short lived, "So what's the next part of the plan?"
"To finish it up we'll need an audience."
"Come again?" Knockout asked brow raised.
"Finishing Megatron will not be enough, we need to make sure no one tries to usurp our rule. We need to enlist fear into the Decepticon ranks and fear into the enemy," Starscream said.
Starscream and Knockout spend an hour discussing their plan, making sure that everything is in place and nothing would go wrong. Starscream felt like taking a break from planning and headed back to his quarters, ever since his stalker problem first arose he has been looking over his shoulder more than usual. Aside from the drones that litter the hall the Nemesis seems to be a lot more empty than he remembered. As he made it back to his quarters he was unfortunately greeted by the not so friendly neighborhood spider she beast.
"What do you want now Airachnid? This wouldn't happen to be another attempt at teaching me a lesson would it?" Starscream smirked.
Airachnid forced down her anger remembering their last unsavory encounter, "No, I was waiting here to talk to you."
"Not interested," Starscream said dismissively.
Starscream entered his quarters, the door closing behind him.
"Nice place."
Starscream whipped around at break neck speed, his eyes widened staring at the visage of Airachnid in his room. Airachnid sauntered towards Starscream, her hips swayed side to side as she inched closer to the nervous seeker. Starscream soon found himself backed into a wall, he turned his head each direction hoping to find a way out of this mess. Airachnid wrapped a leg around him and wrapped her arms around his neck to keep him in place. Starscream squirmed under her grip and gaze, he started digging his claws into the wall.
"W-what do you think you're d-doing woman!" Starscream demanded lamely.
"Oh nothing," Airachnid giggled sending chills down Starscream's frame. "I'm just curious, how has my old friend Arcee been doing?"
Starscream's eyes widened, he held his breath wondering where she was going with this.
"What do you mean?" Starscream asked regaining some courage.
"Just I've noticed that you two seemed awfully close on the field and I did here from Knockout that you were very defensive when her safety was brought into question." Airachnid smiled.
'Knockout wait till I get my servos on you!'
"So how good is she?"
Airachnid brought Starscream out of his thoughts, it took awhile for him to process what she said. But when he did.
"What are you insinuating?" Starscream demanded angrily, heat rising to his face.
"Just curious," Airachnid grew a seductive smirk. She leaned closer into Starscream, her mouth was next to his audio receptors, "And to show you that I can be way better."
Airachnid began licking Starscream's audio receptors with her glossa, he recoiled in disgust and finally managed to pry her off of him.
Starscream glared at Airachnid and pointed to his door, "Out!"
Airachnid, instead of complying, laid down on Starscream's berth and assumed a seductive pose, "I bet you get awful lonely on this berth, I'm sure we could make some room if-"
"Out! NOW!" Starscream roared.
Airachnid 'humphed' in disappointment, "Fine,"she smiled again, "See you around."
Starscream flinched in horror as Airachnid exited his room giggling to herself, that horrid giggle would forever grate at his processor and fill his nightmares.
Meanwhile...
Breakdown was taking a stroll through the Nemesis when he heard the most beautiful sound that would ever brush past his audio receptors. From around the corner he watched as Airachnid exited a room giggling, when he heard that luscious laugh his legs began to shake as if they were going to collapse right from under him. He stared longingly at Airachnid's fleeting curvacious figure, he would someday have her he just knows it. As he recovered from his love struck stupor he finally took to notice just where she exited from.
'Hey isn't that Starscream's quarters,' Breakdown thought.
The gears in his helm slowly turned as he put two and two together.
Meanwhile...
"Blasted hormonal femme!" Starscream growled.
Starscream was seething in his room, pacing around trying to calm his nerves. Starscream came to the conclusion that Airachnid has been the one stalking him and that this was all an elaborate rues to catch him while his guard was down.
Starscream glowered as he remembered what Airachnid said, he has been trying to no avail forget Arcee all together. He already couldn't get her off his mind and tried to make sense of these strange feelings but thanks to Airachnid that was just made a hundred times worse. Starscream couldn't help his face heating up when thinking of Arcee like that, he admits that even before he lost his memories he had some attractions towards the two-wheeler. Albeit physical at fist, but now he just doesn't know.
Starscream peered over towards his berth, he shuddered and decided that recharge wasn't as appealing as it was before. He exited his quarters and headed toward the main chambers.
"YOU"RE DEAD!"
Starscream turned around as a rampaging Breakdown tackled him to the ground, Starscream and Breakdown were rolling around the floor grappling each other. One was trying to pound the living daylights out of the other whereas the ladder was attempting to scratch the others eye out.
Later...
"What the slag happened this time?!"
Starscream and Breakdown sat in separate berths with their arms crossed, facing away from the other and glaring at the wall. They were both covered in scrapes and dents from head to toe.
"I repeat, what happened?" Knockout demanded very irate.
"HE STARTED IT!" Starscream and Breakdown said simultaneously while pointing at the other.
Knockout face palmed.
Meanwhile...
Shockwave was in his quarters typing idly at his computer, his focus was drawn towards the doors sliding open. He watched blankly as Airachnid entered smirking, she placed a small drive onto his table and turned around making for the exit.
"You can thank me later," Airachnid stated before leaving.
Shockwave stared at the drive before placing it into his computer deciding to humor the she spider. He drummed his digit on his table waiting for it to fully download. When it finished he stared at his screen in astonishment, he was looking at a perfect view of Starscream's room.