Spectre: Okay, I've been having a severe mental-drain at the moment given I just finished the semester and on my final year at College. So I gotta focus on priorities while still trying to make itme with the fics I wrote, even though I'm beginning to feel that I'm deteriorating mentally as a writer in these past few months.
Anyways, I actually have a few story concepts regarding Transformers, though I'm still wondering which would be a more intresting one and these are what follows:
-Protocol: An antithesis of the fanfic Only Human where instead of Arcee touching the Reformatting Module, it was Jack and he ended up turning into a Cybertonian, being a more grounded type of this genre. And this would feature characters like Lockdown, Barricade and Blackout in the story.
-Shattered Reflection: Shattered Glass universe, where SG Prime Megatron, Starscream and Airachnid ended up in the main timeline after an Autobot attack by Optronix caused the Space Bridge to malfunction, sending them there.
-*Working Title: After giving up his life to convince Galvatron to unite with Optimus against Unicron, Starscream finds himself reborn in an alternate Earth and an alternate timeline altogether. (Basically, Armada Starscream gets isekaid to the TFP universe after dying)
Guest: Nope...
Psudocode Samurai: Thanks! I'd like to blend in a little something for time to time.
MarioDS01: I was actually hesitant wether or not to include, because I haven't been all experienced with the romance subsection but I'm getting practice lately. Airachnid's meal does show the difference between a couple of school kids who barely have money to a full-time agent with a salary to boot.
Yonyon586: Got a few ideas in mind. Feel free to give out possibilities or scenarios.
Chapter 7: Circumstances and Answers
"Feeling alright back there, Arcee?" June asked, looking back at the passenger seat behind her. The former two-wheeler snapped to attention as she crossed her arms below her chest, while a seatbelt was strapped around her waist. Her outfit consisted of a short-sleeved white shirt underneath a baby blue zip-up hoodie, with the sleeves rolled just below the elbows; a pair of jeans and a pair of white running shoes.
And Jack had to admit, she looked really cool in her choice of attire. Something that that he imagined she would look like if she were like him
Arcee looked at the road they were taking, a heavy sigh escaping her lips as she did. "I guess so...", she uttered, looking at the familiar road she would normally take on her own and without any assistance. "Feels strange, especially since I'm not the one riding you to the base whenever you're at work or at school."
They fell silent at her somber reply. "Now that I thought of it, where would you stay while we're out for work?", June asked of the former two-wheeler.
Arcee shrugged, having decided to withhold any other options from her mind. "I guess, I could stay at the base while you're at it. Might as well make sure that Airachnid doesn't do anything funny while she's behind bars."
A pair of concerned looks glanced over her. Placing her so close to her archenemy who had caused her so much pain and loss wasn't the brightest picture to imagine. And if Airachnid did somehow manage to cause Arcee to lash out because...well, she's Airachnid, she might end up making a terrible mistake. And neither of them wanted the two-wheeler to go through that.
But at the same time, she couldn't do much while in her human form. And she had been mentally pressed by the reality that she couldn't help the Bots when she was always ready to do so.
Then, the matriarch had an idea. "If you'd like, you could accompany Jack to school while Ratchet works on getting you back to normal," June suggested, leaning over to the mirror to look at the former two-wheeler.
Jack looked at her, flabbergasted. "Mom!" he exclaimed.
Arcee shared the same sentiments as her partner. "Going to school together?" she asked.
"Well, if you'd like...," June paused for a moment. "Since there's not really much to do while at home or at the base, maybe it wouldn't hurt for Jack to have a guardian with him."
"I'm sixteen, Mom." Jack protested at her side, causing her to chuckle at that. "I can take care of myself out there."
Jack wasn't even sure if that was alright. Sure, Arcee was perfectly capable of interacting with humans as she always did since they met. But mingling with the other humans? That was hard to think about, given his own background, and he was worried how the others would think of her and that he didn't really want it to bother her in any way.
Also, given Arcee's own look, she could be passed over as an adult in a school full of teenagers. Which is a bit awkward in ways he could imagine.
Arcee took her time considering that idea. From what Jack and Miko had told them, school was incredibly boring with the amount of homework and assignments given to them by the teachers. From the sound of it, it wasn't the most entertaining of places. But given her limited options, watching over Jack would at least give her something to do. Something she was more familiar with.
The trip was silent after that, and June eventually made her way to the hidden base, disembarking once the car was parked. Exiting the vehicle, Arcee shook her head momentarily, still trying to get used to the fact that everything seemed to be enormous all around her. "I hope Ratchet has already done something," she thought to herself, her face becoming etched with despair, wanting to get back to the front before things could get any worse for them.
"Arcee?", she heard Jack's voice beside her, patting her lightly at the shoulder at her prolonged silence. "You okay?"
She breathed in for a moment, then out. "I'm fine, Jack...", she allowed a small smile to grace her lips tor his concern. "Let's keep moving".
Airachnid breathed out a heavy sigh, taking a final bite out of her hashbrowns as she flipped another page of the book she had been reading for the past half hour. Not quite the pastime she expected, but it was better than sitting around moping until Prime decided to have a little "chat" with her. Or, if she were being more direct, an interrogation.
The text she had been reading was quite intriguing. Even though she wasn't into reading, not even during the old days when she lived on Eukaris or her stint with the Decepticons, the topic she had been reading piqued her interest. From what she could gather from the author's biography, he had been a philosopher of an ancient era of fleshlings, writing his beliefs about humanity's need to use amoral behavior to maintain power, which would ultimately lead to instability, the use of appearances to deceive people to achieve their goals and the reliance on luck.
These beliefs mirrored a lot of the Decepticons in their way of achieving domination under their banner. And Airachnid found herself agreeing with the fleshling author's writings, as she intended to do everything in her power to make sure she got what she wanted. But at the same time, the character that the author had great praise for seemed to be a stand-in for Megatron, except the latter hadn't experienced a cataclysmic downfall as yet. Though such a sight would be amusing for her.
Hmm...perhaps the fleshlings can be creative in their speech; she looked over at the book and read the title, aptly named 'The Prince.' But alas, it wouldn't be enough to compensate for their shortcomings.
So far, no word from any of the human pets that Prime kept around, not that she had seen them anyway. It wouldn't surprise her one bit if the leader decided to keep them away from her out of concern for their safety. But she had other things in mind for them. Because if she is to earn the trust of the Autobots, then starting with the fleshlings would be a good springboard for the overall plan. Even though she felt like wanting to vomit at the thought of even pretending to wish for a conciliation with them.
Speaking of which, what she would tell them would be a problem. Prior to Arcee's pet destroying her ship, she had kept tabs on the Nemesis communication lines in case it might give her a suitable lead for her to go first. The last report she received before landing was a message for Megatron, indicating that a member of the Decepticon ranks would be rejoining them after the exodus from Cybertron.
From what she had heard of him, he was among those she'd rather avoid due to his and his twin's reputation as the Decepticon's most formidable warriors of the Heavy Brigade, although the twin had perished in a battle against the Autobot Wreckers. The other wasn't so grieved by the loss.
Her train of thought ended when she heard the door click open, revealing the larger dark-skinned human who had provided her with the necessary sustenance earlier. She closed her book as she assumed his presence. "I suppose this is the part where I would be the one talking to them?" she asked of him.
"Well, you got that part right, Spidey", Fowler walked over her, and reached to her wrists, restraining them with a pair of handcuffs he brought with him, limiting the movement of her hands as a means of security. "Nervous?"
Airachnid rolled her eyes at the man's attempt at banter with her. "I wouldn't sink so low as that, fleshling..."
Truth be told, she wasn't sure of the outcome of her little "chat" with the Autobots. But that wasn't her style to begin with. With a glance at his side, she walked towards the room's exit, and Fowler closed the door behind them.
She looked around her surroundings, observing the base's layout; their medic had been working on, and several consoles for their operations, along with the Groundbridge they used for their ventures. As she neared the area, the Autobots paused in their activities, and she watched as Bulkhead and Bumblebee, along with their pets, carefully observed her. While Ratchet and Optimus stopped their discussion with one another. She looked at a table and a chair, both fitting human standards, which were conveniently placed a distance away from the consoles.
With a nod from the Prime, Fowler gestured the former Decepticon to take a seat. And it didn't take long for her to feel the stares directed at her, not that she minded given the obvious circumstances that led to this. She looked up at the blue optics of Optimus staring down at her, and they silently waited for whoever would go first.
"And how have you been, Airachnid?", the leader finally spoke after tense moments.
"Well, you certainly see the obvious", the former Decepticon snarked at him. "So why bother asking at all?"
Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Ratchet didn't like that response one bit. But their leader kept his stoic expression as usual, intending to be patient with her if need be. "Given the nature and of the possibilities that would arise, we have decided to detain you here for the meantime. However, we can assure you your safety from those who wish you harm in the process"
"I wouldn't call that an assurance," Airachnid replied, and she looked as both Bulkhead and Bumblebee narrowed their optics, wondering how long it had taken her to bring up those old memories. "But then again...who am I kidding? Megatron isn't any better."
But even with those, the leader remained firm in his stance and his expression did not change one bit. But there was something that Airachnid noticed a moment later; there was understanding on his part. "I understand your reluctance to speak, but I want to offer you a chance to make amendsand help us prevent further harm. What you know may be able to do just that. We may not be able to fully keep our word, but we will do everything in our power to make things right and fulfill our promises"
Ever the idealist, are you?, Airachnid thought to the leader. She looked down for a moment, calculating her chances if she does fully cooperate as per Plan E and they took her silence mutually.
Just as this was going on, Raf and Miko turned to find Jack, June, and Arcee walking towards them from the base. "Hey, guys!" the older teen greeted them with a wave of his hand, noticing their silence. "What's going on here?"
Miko put an index finger on her lip. "Keep it down! Spidey's having a chat with Optimus right now!", she whispered loud enough for the three to hear.
"So, an interrogation?", Jack reiterated, leaning forward to watch the former Decepticon speak with Optimus. "How's it going so far?"
Miko let out a silent raspberry. "If being a prick is anything to say about, that's about it"
Arcee didn't like that one bit and went for a closer look. Airachnid glanced at her side and saw the former two-wheeler at the side, smirking at her narrowed expression towards her. "Well? I don't have all day, Prime", she looked back at the lear, leaning over her chair relaxingly, having noticed the prolonged silence between them. "I'd have better things to do than this"
Optimus maintained his stoic visage on his faceplates. He had been putting up with her lately, but it simply wasn't worth displaying any semblance of anger or threats. "Arcee had told us that you have been searching for trophies. Given your activities prior meeting them here, then you may have information concerning the Decepticons"
The purplette fiddled with her fingers for a moment before she looked up to him. "Prior to my stranding here in this wretched planet, I was still working on personal ventures without them knowing. Going after leads that Megatron and his minions have their mark, and I would imagine them looking for Energon sources that were already depleted"
Optimus carefully analyzed her statement, though he is sure not to take her word for granted just yet. "And where did you obtain this information?"
"Decepticon communications chatter. Mostly concerning the locations of old relics and devices that have made their way on this planet," she then glanced over at the bluenette and her partner who stood next to the Wrecker. "Along with a report of an Autobot being captured and subsequently snuffed aboard the Nemesis."
The rest of the Autobots knew who she was referring to, especially when they saw Arcee's eyes narrowed in restrained anger when their prisoner glanced at her, as if he were mocking her for the loss, with Jack keeping her in line by placing a hand on her shoulder. "And of those leads, what importance does it have for Megatron?" Optimus continued his queries to the former Cybertronian.
"Oh just a few devices and relics that he believe might give him a slight edge, though authenticity is rather questionable", she trailed her fingers below her chin, though hampered by the handcuffs.
"If what you say is true, then do you know where it could be?"
"Of course, I wouldn't forget things that piqued my interest", she smirked, enjoying the sight of Arcee's mistrustful visage. "And I wouldn't want to keep it away from your lost cause"
That slag-walking pile of scrap! To say Arcee was infuriated at the Con's continued insolence and mockery was an understatement. and it took Jack, June, Raf and Miko from lashing out and disrupting the process altogether.
"If you'd like, I could pinpoint the coordinates that the Decepticons have a lead on", she then offered, although it sounded half-genuine.
Silence fell in the base. This was going too smoothly and their prisoner was unnervingly cooperative of what they ask of her, even though she was using this chance to draw Arcee's ire whenever she pleased. Sure enough, the bluenette stepped forward in protest. "Optimus, you're not going to believe her just like that?", the former two-wheeler asked of their leader. "She's leading us into a trap"
"Oh please, Arcee...", Airachnid gave out a dry laugh at her assumptions, surprised at how paranoid she had become. "I'd be thrilled if you can tell me how to even make contact with them, let alone lead any of you to a trap"
Arcee grimaced at that; it was true, but nothing could be certain with Airachnid. "I may have had a hand in causing a few extinction events of certain species in the galaxy, but I am also capable of mutual cooperation," the former Decepticon added, almost sarcastically. "That is, if Optimus would agree..."
"Cee's right, Optimus", Bulkhead interjected between them. "We can't be sure if she's telling the truth for starters. Not until we got more proof than that"
Optimus took their word for it, but they had to be sure before they would proceed. He looked over to Fowler behind her and nodded. Lending his phone to the captive for a moment, the agent's eyes widened as the woman used the 'maps' application to mark the locations she claimed in quick precision before she gave it back to the agent. With a signal from Ratchet, Fowler sent over the data to the medic, with the latter beginning to work on the locations pinpointed.
Arcee wasn't having any of it. The former Decepticon was weaving a tale that could be interpreted as valuable information for the Autobots, but she knew better than to trust her words. Even though she could still vouch the others at doing the same, it was still better to be safe than sorry. But even then, the lengths she would go to for her benefit was unnerving at best, and wanted to wipe that smirk off of her face.
She remained silent as the rest waited for results that Ratchet would come up with, her eyes darting back and forth the area for any signs of danger despite the former Decepticon being secured. Airachnid was by all means, a savy manipulator and killer.
Airachnid saw her expression as cold and calculating. To Arcee, she made it clear that she did not believe a word that had come out of her mouth, and that she was not going to fall for any of her tricks. She gave her a mocking smirk, clearly amused by Arcee's reaction; this only added fuel to the fire. She knew that Airachnid was a dangerous adversary, and she was not going to let her guard down by any means.
Alarms blared from Ratchet's console, causing them to shift their attention to the medic as he carefully worked on the location given to them. "I'm detecting faint frequencies on the coordinates that she had provided," Ratchet reported from his station, surprised at himself. "If this turns out like the previous relics, then we might have a lead to go by."
"Wait! You mean we got another relic to find?", Miko spoke up from her spot.
Bulkhead looked back at her. "Seems so, Miko", he affirmed, then looked back at Airachnid. "But something is definitely not right about this one"
Optimus agreed with the Wrecker's assumptions and he turned back to the former Decepticon, his expression now firm on the recent developments. "How do we know that you're not leading us into a trap, Airachnid?"
A chuckle escaped her lips, finding amusement in her doubt. "Well, it's all up to you, Prime. Wouldn't be my loss if Megatron manages to get there first..."
Optimus then turned to the human behind her. "Agent Fowler, please escort Airachnid back to her room. There will be much to discuss among the team"
Fowler nodded at that, and Airachnid stood up as he did. The two made their way to the office space where she was being held. As she walked her way there, she found herself face to face against her adversary and her partner, visibly disgusted and suspicious of her cooperation, if she could even call it that.
"I don't know what game you're playing at, Airachnid", the former two-wheeler spoke in restrained anger, remaining vigilant as ever. "But I'll make you'll lose this one no matter what"
The former Decepticon's smirk never faded as she taunted, "Game on, Arcee."
Fowler gave her a nudge on the elbow, urging her to keep going as a means to keep the situation under control. But not before she turned to her partner and whispered, "Keep an eye on your partner". A sly smile graced her lips as she walked past the teenager. "Will you, Jack?"
To say Jack was uncomfortable would be an understatement; he remained silent after her comment, and Arcee placed a hand onto his chest behind her to keep him away from Airachnid as the former Decepticon resumed her trek back to her room.
Hours later...
"Is he there yet?"
"No"
"Is he there yet?
"No"
"Is he there yet?"
"It'll be less likely that he would come here if you keep asking that, Miko"
Miko rubbed her head in embarrassment at that. "I guess you're right at that, Bulk"
Moments later, the sound of a car engine caught their attention, and a white car with green and red accents entered the entrance tunnel. It was a modified Lancias Stratos Turbo, skidding to a stop before transforming into the Autobot they knew very well. "Miss me?", Wheeljack asked with a smile as he approached the team.
"Jackie!", Bulkhead briskly walked towards his fellow Wrecker, lightly punching him in the arm in a friendly manner. "It's been a while! How you doing?"
"Been scrappin' some Cons while I was out, so not really much in a change of schedule", he then looked over to the team. "Since Arcee's getting benched, might as well take down Cons with you guys till she's ready"
Optimus and Ratchet stepped forward. "We appreciate that you have arrived, Wheeljack", the leader said to him. "We have a lead to what we suspect are a few relics that had made their way to Earth"
"So I'm guessing I'll be joining a treasure hunt then?", Wheeljack crossed his arms at that. "I'm in. Speaking of which, where's Arcee?
"I'm right here"
The Wrecker looked around the area, ,trying to find the smaller blue Autobot until he found the source of the voice. He looked down to find an unfamiliar human beside Jack and June, raising an eyebrow as she saw that he didn't recognize her from the get-go.
"Arcee?", Wheeljack asked the human before him. "Is that you?"
"Got that right", she shrugged her shoulders. "Wouldn't say that I'm in the thrill of it"
"She got a run-in with Airachnid when they fought over an Alteration Stone. And there she was...", Raf explained to him as he slowly understood what happened.
"And I'm guessing Airachnid's in the flesh too?", the Wrecker added, which only caused Arcee to huff in contempt.
"Yeah, except we had her inside the base in case she decided to to bust out and tell the Cons where it is now", Bulkhead added. "So Ratchet's working on repairing the stone right now"
Miko paused for a moment, before remembering something else that involved Wheeljack's arrival. "Hey, didn't you say that you got an old friend with ya?"
Wheeljack appeared surprised at that. "Oh, yeah...", he trailed off chuckling. "He was still working aboard the Jackhammer and I told him that he'd just catch up with me in the base once he's done"
Ratchet deadpanned at that. "And you leave him behind just like that?"
Wheeljack waved a servo at the medic. "I wouldn't worry. He should be here right...now"
Moments later, a sound of a car could be heard from a distance away, and the team looked as a chrome blue car approached them. A Mercedes-Benz E550 drove towards them, skidding to a stop just as it neared them. Transforming, the car morphed into a humanoid-shaped Cybertronian. On his back were several components and tools, while his most defining feature was his head that had materials that could be mistaken for facial features and hair; for the humans, it reminded them of a certain atomic scientist renowned for his intellect. Even though they found it a little creepy in this case.
"You could have taken it a bit slower, Jackie!" the older bot exclaimed as he straightened himself out and adjusted what appeared to be his glasses. "Well I'll be," he said in surprise. "This is the team."
Wheeljack chuckled at the bot's enthusiasm a and he gave a light pat behind his back. "Everyone, this is Que", the Wrecker introduced the blue and seemingly elderly bot before them. "He's an old colleague of mine in the Science Division before the war started and the 'tech guy' for the folks 'round here"
"Tactical equipment, lethal weaponry and inventions for kicking ass. I have the right tools for that!" The bot said proudly, noticing their smaller companions with them. "Hmm...Jack, Raf and Miko, is it? Jackie talked about a lot about you three."
Miko stepped forward, curious of the newcomer. "Yep, we're part of the team!", she boasted, causing Jack and Raf to groan of her antics. "So basically you're an inventor?"
Well, I'm not much of a fighter, for sure," the inventor admitted, then gestured to Wheeljack. "So I leave the kicking of bolted rears to those who can, and give them the means to do it."
"That sounds awesome!" Miko's excitement was evident in her tone. "You think you can make some for us too?"
The blue bot found her enthusiasm to resonate with him. "Well, since a friend of my friends asked nicely, I'll see what I could come up with!"
"I'd rather not that you give them anything that could level the base, Que", the blue bot heard the medic's rebuttal from the side, causing his optics and 'moustache' to widen when he found the white and red medic before him. "Ratchet, I see the old bucket of bolts still kicking! And I still owe you for fixing up my face"
The three humans looked surprised at that. "Ratchet...fixed your face?", Raf queried, a bit weirded out that Que's faceplates was Ratchet's handiwork.
"It's a story for another time," Ratchet decided to change the subject in the meantime.
The inventor looked behind Ratchet and rushed forward. "By a scraplet's bite, Optimus Prime!" Que said as he walked over and grasped the leader's hand, giving it a firm handshake. "I haven't heard from you since the exodus from Cybertron."
"It has been a while, Que", the leader greeted the inventor with a face resembling a smile. "I can only express my relief that you are able to rejoin us"
"Well, I have Wheeljack to thank when he picked up the escape pod I was in", he pointed out to the Wrecker. "Say, I thought there would be more of you", Que wondered, recalling a certain red horned Autobot. "I suppose Cliffjumper is around here here too. He's been asking me to weaponize his horns before we left Cybertron"
The area fell silent, as the rest glanced at one another as confusion arose to the inventor, especially when he noticed the blue-haired human with them looking down, somberly. "Have I said something wrong about that?"
Wheeljack approached him. "Cliff's gone, Que," he explained to the blue bot on behalf of the team. "The Cons managed to get him before we could help him out. Wasn't a pretty sight as far as I could tell"
Que looked over at Arcee, having been told of what had happened to her by the Wrecker. "I'm so sorry...", he solemnly said to the bluenette.
"Don't be," Arcee replied, finding solace in his empathy. "We're just glad that his passing wasn't for nothing."
Ratchet huffed between them. "As much as we like to stay and chat, we still have a lead to go into. We can have discussion inside", he explained to them. And sure enough, they made their way deeper into the base.
Omake (Sort of, takes place after the meeting)
Airachnid had a problem.
One that she had not foreseen, and was rueing her decision in accepting the fleshling's supposedly generous gesture that turned out to be their opportunity to strike against her.
Just about half an hour ago, the mother of Arcee's pet had left to pick up some food and returned bearing what they called a snack called a 'shwarma', which is essentially meat and vegetables wrapped around a pita bread, drizzled with sauces, particularly ones with a pungent taste like spicy, to complement the flavors. Miko was asked by June to give one to Airachnid, along with an extra sauce packet, to which the insect cautioned her against putting too much of it in her own wrap.
And once she had her fill with that, despite how it burned on her tongue, she felt the abnormal sensation coming from her stomach, and that is where her dilemma began.
She stumbled, causing a nearby table to flip over along with a few other items. The pain in her frail organic system persisted, making her sweat profusely as she curled up into a fetal position on the floor, trying to ride out the agony.
Which didn't work, and her moans of pain were heard behind the door. "Hey, Spidey! You okay down there?"
"You wretch...!" Airachnid breathed out, gripping her stomach as she forced herself to get up to one knee. "You poisoned me!"
The girl was perplexed by the accusation, raising an eyebrow in the process. "Look, I know we're not really the best of friends or anything, but I wouldn't even go that far."
Twitching like a madwoman, Airachnid slammed her fists against the wall, sliding down as she wailed in complete despair and agony.
"Ooh..." Miko realized the former Decepticon wasn't kidding around, and knew where it came from. "Hang on, I'll go and fetch Mrs. Darby."
Airachnid found herself standing uncomfortably in a room away from her office space, watching as a fixed receptacle before her while the two insects stood with her as she clutched her stomach. "Now can you tell me, what are we doing here?", she narrowed her eyes at the nurse, looking as she breathed out a sigh while pinching her temples.
"Simple, we're gonna teach you what to do whenever nature calls," Miko answered. "This happens to humans every time they take a meal, and we gotta get it out of our system once we've gotten the energy out of it. And it turns out, maybe adding more of that sauce probably accelerated it."
"Oversimplification?" The former Decepticon spat out the words through clenched teeth.
"Your digestive system is like a garbage chute and a sewer in one," June said as she stepped in front of them. It was awkward for her to have to explain the process all over again; she had already gone through it with Arcee earlier that morning.
She wasn't the type to be told, since she preferred knowing things on her own. However, after hearing that description, it became a repulsive thought for her, and the feelings of nausea and disgust overcame her as she very well knew how this process worked from having seen countless species engaging in it while she collected their trophies.
And the thought of her doing it herself never crossed her mind. "Should I ask why is he over there?", she pointed at the green Wrecker outside the rest room.
"Making sure we're still kicking!", Miko answered her, giving a nod of approval of Bulkhead keeping her at bay. "Doctor's orders!"
Bulkhead could only see June and Miko's heads a distance away from the bathroom but would be quick enough to spring into action if need be. "I get it. If I made the wrong move, then the Wrecker would have basis for termination"
"Can't exactly say termination, but you probably had an idea if something happens to June and Miko over here", he warned her, just in case.
Airachnid was already all too fed up with the banter."Can we just go straight to the point so this could be over with already?", she groaned.
June took a moment to breathe in and out. "All right, Airachnid. Pull down your pants and take a seat around the hole over there"
"And then..."
Thirty minutes later...
On one of the tables, Ratchet continued to work onto the remains of the relic when he heard the sound of a flushing toilet of the rest room. Emerging from the door were Miko, June and Airachnid, with the latter tightly tying her pants while shuddering severely. June and Miko kept neutral faces as if whatever Airachnid had experienced wasn't such an issue for the both of them.
Breathing incoherently, Airachnid trembled. "...disgusting...", he heard the former Cybertronian's bitter and abhorrent remark from the session, walking out o with her fellow humans. "Is this what they consider an everyday necessity for fleshlings?", she uttered in complete disgust.
"Eh, you'll get used to it," Miko simply replied in reply, looking at her partner beside her. "Thanks for keeping an eye on us, Bulk! We'll get her back to her room now!"
Bulkhead merely replied with a weak wave of his servo, sitting on the floor near the medic as he strangely observed him. "You look like you have been in a pit full of Scraplets," Ratchet commented on the Wrecker's unease. "What of Airachnid's newfound ailment?"
"It's nothing to worry about", Bulkhead shook his helm. "But if I can unhear everything what they were talking about, then I'd be thrilled if you can do something about my audio receptors"
"Quite, repulsing, isn't it?", the medic asked asked in a jovial and sarcastic tone. "Now you know why I would rather refrain from studying that topic"
"Slag off, Ratchet..."
Spectre: Honestly, the interrogation part is probably the weakest link I've done so far, given Airachnid used this chance to troll and cooperate with them as a means to gain their trust. Let me know what should have been/improve in that part.
So yeah...I basically imported Bayverse Wheeljack for this story. Except I personally considered them to be seperate characters with Que having his own quirks. Always had a soft spot in that Wheeljack despite the hate thrown at him, and he's more or less going to play a major role later in the story.
As for the omake, that kinda fell out of nowhere and I had actually intended for that to happen at the previous chapter but it doesn't line up properly so I decided to put it here.
Thoughts? Criticisms? Suggestions? Let me know in the reviews below!