A/N: Here is the finale of Spider's Rising before we get into the main story. I hope you all enjoyed this, and I'm glad for all the support you've given me.
So, let's begin the finale where Jack finally becomes Spider-Man.
I do not own Transformers Prime or Spider-Man. They are works of Hasbro and Marvel.
Spider's Rising Part Five:
After being profusely thanked by both the father and mother and Stan, Jack managed to slip away before the police and firefighters arrived.
Discarding his disguise, as well as his burnt clothes, taking something he found in the dumpster, Jack made his way back to where he left his bike in an alley. Thankfully it was still there, along with his other stuff. He checked his phone and grimaced at the time.
It was almost 10 pm. If he didn't get home soon, his mom was gonna kill him. Even worse if she saw he was wearing dumpster clothes and had burn marks on his body.
He couldn't make it on his bike, and he didn't want to draw any more attention to himself by jumping on rooftops or swinging across the town. Just as he was contemplating what to do, he heard a car truck honk.
HONK! HONK!
He turned around to see a large red and blue semi truck drive up to him. A truck without a driver.
"Optimus?" Jack said in shock. Why would the Autobot leader be out here this late at night? And why would he be approaching him?
"Hello, Jack." Optimus greeted. Thankfully, the street was deserted, so nobody saw them converse. "Do you require assistance?"
"No I'm good," Jack said immediately. He didn't want to be involved with this war anymore, and that meant avoiding any interactions with any Bots and Cons, even if one of them was the leader.
"If I recall, your human customs require you to be home by about 2200 hours Earth Standard Time. If these standards are not met, you are susceptible to punishment by an older human of the same DNA. Am I wrong?" Optimus asked.
Jack blinked. "No… you're not. It's just… not how I would have put it." Jack said rubbing the back of his head.
"I also wish to speak with you one-on-one. And since this could save you the trouble, I viewed this as a mutually beneficial agreement." Optimus revealed.
Jack grimaced. He was probably gonna ask him to come back or something. However, when he thought about facing his angry and worrying mother when he arrived home late, he decided that riding in Optimus was the lesser of two evils.
"Okay."
He managed to secure his bike to Optimus' and soon hopped in the driver's seat. Jack didn't know how to drive a truck, not even a car, he had a motorcycle license. Thankfully, Optimus said he'd be handling the driving, he just needed someone to give the allusion that he had a driver. Though some people may question why a teenager was driving such a big truck, it was better than having no one in the driver's seat.
The two drove in silence for a long awkward moment. Jack was trying to hold on, waiting for Optimus to break and say something first, but the Prime had way more experience on his side, and patience wasn't one of the powers the spider gave him.
"So," He finally spoke up, "What are you even doing out here this late at night, Optimus?"
"I was on a routine patrol when I happened to see you exiting a store," Optimus revealed. "I know you wished to remain apart from all this, but since your situation is more… complicated compared to Raf and Miko's, I decided to keep a close eye on you, should the Decepticons try anything."
Jack didn't know whether he should be offended the Autobots were still babysitting him or touched they would still look out for him, especially after the outburst at the base. Not many people did that for him besides his mom.
"Thanks, Optimus," Jack said as they fell back into silence. This lasted for a few minutes before Optimus spoke up.
"I must say, I was impressed." At Jack's confused look, the Autobot Leader explained. "You lept in with almost no hesitation and managed to save both a young girl and an elderly human, and came out largely unscathed."
"I just did what anyone else would have done." Jack shrugged.
"Perhaps. But few have the will to act on such beliefs."
Jack sighed. "Look Optimus if this is about trying to convince me to come back–"
"That is not my intention." Optimus cut him off. "You made you're point clear when you left the base, and I have no intention of forcing you to do any different than what you've decided. While I admit, I had originally hoped to find an ally in you Jack, I won't force you to join a conflict you want no part of, or else I would be no different than Megatron and the Decepticons."
Jack was shocked. He was sure Optimus was here to try and convince him to come back. Who wouldn't want an enhanced human that could take down giant robots with his bare hands? Guess he wasn't so much of a general or leader. The way he was talking to him, made him feel like he was speaking to a big brother… or even a father.
He squished down the conflicting emotions that came with the latter and focused on the conversation. "Then why?" Jack asked.
Optimus was silent for several seconds before he asked, "I wish to ask you a question Jack: why do you not use your powers?"
Jack was taken aback, not expecting such a question. He took a moment before answering. "I already told you. I don't want to cause my mom any problems. I just want to live a normal life."
"Forgive me for being blunt Jack, but I do not believe the second half of your reasoning," Optimus stated, shocking Jack. "You say you wish to live a normal life, but if that is what you truly desired, you would have not even come with us to the base when we first asked. You would have done all you can to keep yourself from coming."
"But you guys would have just chased me down," Jack argued.
"No, we wouldn't," Optimus said. "If you truly had no desire to learn more of us or even the situation you found yourself in, we would have respected your wishes and left you alone."
"And despite what you say about not wanting your powers, you never hesitate to rush in to rescue someone in need, such as Miko, that girl, and the elderly man. You have an instinctive desire to help others, one I greatly admire. But something is keeping you from fully embracing that part of yourself, and I merely wish to know the reason. The real reason."
Jack was stunned.
The alien robot had figured him out.
Granted it never occurred to Jack that the Autobots would leave him alone if he refused them more adamantly the first time, but he could have done more to avoid them. Such as hiding with his camouflage. But his scientific desire to learn more about these beings, as well as the tingle of familiarity he felt when he first met Arcee, overpowered any want to stay out of it.
He also recalled him wanting to save Miko and Raf, the first real friends he's had in who knows how long. He wanted to save them, but not just because they were his friends. He knew even if they were strangers, he'd work just as hard to save them, just as he worked hard to save that girl and old man from the fire. That warmth and pride he felt from his actions still lingered strongly in his chest.
And the way Optimus was talking to him. It wasn't the tone of either a general or leader or even a curious stranger. Rather, it felt like the desire of a father wanting to learn more about his son. That feeling prompted Jack to open up.
"All my life," He started, "I've wanted to do more. Be more. More than just Jack Darby, the kid whose dad walked out on him and his mom. That's part of the reason why I studied so hard. But it never seemed like enough. Until one day, that spider just happened to bite me, and now I was more!
"And you you what's the first thing I did with those powers? I hurt someone! Sure, Vince is a jerk and all, but that doesn't mean he deserved that. Plus, it just caused trouble for my mom." He sighed as he looked down at his hand, a concerned expression on his face. "We have a saying here on Earth Optimus: power makes a person more of themselves. Well, what if that's who I am? Someone who hurts others and causes problems for the people close to me. If that's who I am, then I want nothing to do with this power."
Optimus was silent as Jack finished. He didn't know these were the concerns going through the boy's head, and to be honest, he understood. Megatron himself used to be a noble being, one he looked up to in fact. But as time went on and he gained more and more power, he soon revealed himself to be a tyrant who would crush anyone who stood in his way. Optimus could understand why Jack would be hesitant to use his powers, but there was something he needed to know.
"Why did you fight with Vince?"
"Huh?" Jack asked.
"Was it revenge? A chance to impress others? To make him suffer?" Optimus asked.
Jack thought about it for a moment, recalling what lead up to the fight. "No. He was just bullying this other kid. And I thought, 'Hey, why not make him stop since I have the power?' But I took it too far."
If Jack could see the Prime's face, he would see him smiling proudly.
"Then I think you have nothing to fear." Jack was confused, as Optimus explained. "You were right, power does make a person more of themselves. And you showed your true nature when you stood up to Vince."
"Yeah. Someone who wants payback on his tormentors." Jack scoffed.
"No," Optimus said. "At that moment, you proved that you are a protector. You confronted him, not for revenge or your own sake, but because another was suffering due to his actions. You sought to use your power, not to dominate or rule over another, but to defend another. And that has not been the only time. When you saved Raf, and Miko from the Decepticons, and when you saved those people from the fire. You've proven on multiple occasions that you are someone who, when seeing someone in need, will not hesitate to save them if you have the power to do so."
Jack was shocked. For so long, he believed that his true nature was someone who would cause others pain. But Optimus told him that was not the case. Rather he was someone who would protect others. He had to admit, hearing that made him feel a lot better about himself and his powers.
Still didn't change his mind.
"Look Optimus," Jack said. "I'm grateful, truly to hear you think that. You have no idea how much it means to me to hear some of that. But if you're looking for someone to help you in your war, you got the wrong guy." Jack had a regretful look on his face as he glanced at the radio where Optimus' voice was coming from. "Look, I'm not special! I'm not a hero! I'm just a kid who was bit by a spider."
"I do not believe that spider bit you, Jack. I believe it chose you." Optimus said with certainty.
Jack sighed. "Look I'm not like you Optimus. I can't do it. I can't save the whole world."
"Jack, when the war for Cybertron began, I too felt the immense pressure weighing on my shoulders. I thought it was up to me to save the planet from Megatron and his tyranny. But my mentor, Alpha Trion, said something that helped put everything into focus. 'Do not focus on saving all of Cybertron. Focus on saving one, and then the rest will come to you.'"
Before Jack could say anything to that, the Autobot leader stopped. Jack looked outside and saw they were at his house, and thankfully before his mom was. Jack was about to leave but he looked back at the radio before looking downcast.
"I'm sorry. I…" He trailed off before he opened the truck door and hopped out. "I really am. But I can't help you."
Optimus was silent for a long moment before speaking. "I understand Jack. If this is what you have decided, I will respect your decision. But remember one thing: Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing."
"You're Optimus Prime," Jack said, his tone indicating that held much significance. He may not have known this bot for long, but he knew he was someone special. "You don't need me." He shut the door and made his way to his house.
As he watched the young man enter his house, Optimus couldn't help the sullen look that crossed his face. Not that anyone else could see it. "We do," Optimus said, knowing Jack was out of earshot. "More than you know." 'Especially for what's coming.'
The Next Day
Jack woke up early that morning. The actual truth was that he couldn't fall asleep. The craziness of the day: from the rescue, leaving the team, Miko's visit, the fire, and his talk with Optimus, all of it weighed heavily on the spider's mind.
He managed to drag himself out of bed and get ready for work, leaving before his mother was awake.
He pulled his bike into the parking area of K.O. Burger. Putting out the kickstand, Jack let out a sigh as he looked at the logo for the local fast food joint.
It didn't feel right.
Being here, of all places, it didn't feel right.
He felt like he should be somewhere else. Doing something more than just taking orders and flipping patties. Miko's words from last night entered his mind.
"You're not a fry cook. You're a superhero!"
"Man, that girl has a way with words?" Jack muttered.
"Nice bike."
Jack jumped as he turned to the voice and saw the vehicle form of Arcee, with no holographic driver on top. While he was surprised to see her of all people, he had an idea of what she wanted.
"Arcee, really, Miko and Optimus already tried," Jack said walking towards her, "Tell the boss bot I respect him big time, but if you're at war with the Decepticons, there's nothing I can do to help." He looked away as he finished, yet he was doubting his own words, the parts about not being able to help anyway.
"Optimus didn't send me," Arcee corrected, "And no one is asking for your help."
"Okay, so if we both agree I'm not warrior material…" He trailed off. If she and the others didn't want his help, why was she here?
"Jack, I just lost someone I cared about." Her tone was somber, making Jack immediately think of Cliffjumper. "Maybe it's the grief talking. Maybe you're growing on me. Whatever it is, I'm just not ready to say goodbye."
Jack didn't know what to say to all that.
Arcee felt she needed to say this. From the moment the two met, the female Autobot had been warry, snarky, and antagonistic towards him. Not just because he was a human, but because his powers reminded Arcee too much of her. But over the last two days, that ice queen mentality had thawed and she was now looking at him for who he was, the way Optimus and the others saw him. She knew he had potential, the potential to become something amazing, spectacular even. He was going to soar, and to be honest, she wanted to be one of the people who helped him reach those heights.
Jack looked down in thought.
In truth, he also wasn't ready to say goodbye. He's only known the Autobots for 3 days, and in those 3 days, he's never felt more alive. Being with them, Raf, and Miko, he felt like he had a place where he could belong outside his family—a place where he could be himself, where he could do something that mattered.
He then glanced at his right hand, where the spider bit him. Ever since he's got bit by that spider, he longed for a normal life. But try as he might, no matter what he did, he'd never quite fit in with others. Because he knew he was different. He held some hatred that out of all the people the spider bit, it just had to be him by chance. But as he thought that, another statement from last night came to mind.
"I do not believe that spider bit you, Jack. I believe it chose you."
Optimus' words caused him to ponder. What if this wasn't an accident? What if this was meant to happen? It's one heck of a coincidence that several months after he was bit by a spider with alien blood, he'd meet the aliens with said blood flowing through them. But it wasn't a coincidence. He could feel it, whether it was through his spider sense or his gut.
"Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing."
He tried so hard to run away from his powers. Being afraid of them, hiding them, shunning them. But could he do that forever? Could he hide such a big part of himself away? He already knew the answer to that.
He couldn't.
As he accepted that, one more statement flashed into his mind. The words he lived his life by, only seeing them in an entirely new light.
"With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility."
At that moment, everything became clear.
He now understood the true meaning of such words. He had power. A power that could be used to protect. Then, isn't it his responsibility to use that power to help others?
He then looked up at the beautiful clear sky and took a deep breath.
This was his world.
His home.
Then shouldn't he have a stake fighting for it? When he has the power to do so?
He sighed. "She was right all along, huh?" Jack said with a chuckle. "I really am a superhero." He then looked at Arcee, a determined smile on his face. "Looks like I'll be pulling a Ferris Bueller."
"Who's that?" Acree asked with a tilt of her mirrors.
Jack slumped. These aliens knew nothing of culture!
"Where's Darby?!" The large overweight manager of K.O. Burger asked as they opened up shop for the day. "He was supposed to be 73 minutes ago! Will anybody get me my coffee?!"
"Here you go, sir!" One of the part-timers said as he handed the coffee to her boss. "Also, I think it's only been 20 minutes."
"He's still making us waste 20 minutes of our time waiting for him! When I see that boy I'm gonna–"
"Never gonna give you up~ Never gonna let you down~"
At the infamous song playing, the manager quickly took out his phone, giving his employees who were staring at him the stink eye. "What are you all looking at?! Get back to work!"
As the workers hastily went back to work, the manager held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"
"H-Hey boss," Came Jack's weak voice through the other end.
"Darby? Where are you?! You were supposed to be here 73 minutes ago!"
"Uh, I think it's been only 20 minutes. Also, I can't come in today."
"Why not?!"
"Because I'm sick."
"Sure you are."
"N-No! I really am! *cough* *cough*! See?"
"Listen here, Darby! In my day, even when you were sick, you were expected to come to work!"
"Did you just admit you're old?"
Before the boss could chew out his smart-mouthed employee, the sound of an engine was heard.
"What was that noise?"
"Uhhh, that's just my motorcycle."
"I thought you were sick?"
"In-game! Yes, my motorcycle is in the game! That I am playing at home! Because I'm sick! *cough* Super sick!"
"Listen, Darby! If you don't walk in here in the next 4.2 seconds I'm gonna–"
"You know I think I should get some sleep because I'm sick. So bye!"
The line soon went dead.
The manager was fuming as he clutched the phone in his hands.
"That little–"
"Whew!" Jack sighed as he put the phone back in his pocket and returned to holding Arcee's handles with both hands. "I think that went well." He said with a pleased smile.
"Smooth," Arcee said sarcastically.
"Give me a break! I've never done this before!" Jack cried as they drove through the desert, to the base.
Entering the secret passage in the mountain, the duo drove right in the middle of a gathering of bots and the other humans. Pulling to a stop, Jack stepped off Arcee and pulled off his helmet, greeting everyone with a smile. "Hey. Guess who's back."
"Autobots, prepare for departure," Optimus said, not even acknowledging his return.
…
"I knew I should've come in dangling from the ceiling," Jack muttered under his breath.
"Where to?" Arcee asked.
"The final frontier," Miko said, walking up to them with a smile on her face and a bag in another.
"Space?" Jack question. "I-I thought they didn't have any way to get there."
"They don't, really," Raf commented as Bumblebee set him down.
Jack looked back up to his partner. "Be seeing you?" He asked. Arcee tilted her head and moved to join the others.
Ratchet pulled on the controls of the Groundbridge and the green vortex came to life.
"Be careful, Bee," Raf told his partner. Bumblebee buzzed in acknowledgment, before walking away.
"I'm so jealous!" Miko cried as she looked up at Bulkhead.
"Don't even think about following me," Bulkhead warned, which he didn't have to. Miko may crave action, but she wasn't stupid enough to go out to space with no way to breathe. Still, it would be awesome!
"Optimus," Ratchet began, his tone extremely serious, "If you leave stranded on a planet teaming with humans I will never forgive you."
"Seriously man! Were not that bad!" Jack cried. He already regretted coming back if this was the attitude he had to deal with from Ratchet.
"Until we meet again old friend," Optimus said as his battle mask shut. "Autobots, roll out!" He cried as they all transformed and took off down the Ground bridge. As they disappeared into the green vortex, Jack let out a sigh.
"And here I thought you guys would lay out a welcome back party for me. Instead, nobody wants to be around me." Jack whined.
"Naw! We knew you'd come back." Miko said waving her hand. "Though I guess I lost the bet."
"Bet? What bet?" Jack asked.
"I bet that you would come back the moment we were about to lose and make an awesome heroic entrance!" Miko shouted with excitement before slumping in defeat. "But it seems you're even more of a hero than I gave you credit for."
Jack had his jaw drop. Seriously, Miko was one of a kind.
"I bet you would show up just as things were starting to get bad," Raf said, causing Jack to balk at the pre-teen prodigy.
"I said you wouldn't show up until the crisis resolved itself," Ratchet revealed, shocking the spider further.
Jack then ran a hand down his face. "It hasn't even been a minute, and I already regret coming back."
Some time passed and nothing significant had happened since the Autobots landed on the SpaceBridge. The humans and Ratchet waited impatiently for anything to happen since they couldn't do much of anything sitting in the base.
"Well, what are they waiting for?" Arcee asked over the comms.
"It appears the Decepticons have sustained serious damage to their interstellar navigational system." Optimus reported.
"Ah, that's my handiwork," Bulkhead said, impressed with himself.
"Great job, Bulkhead." Optimus praised. "Without the dish, Megatron will be unable to aim the SpaceBridge at Cybertron."
"Don't the Decepticons know where their own planet is?" Raf asked.
"Naturally," Ratchet said. "But Cybertron is many light-years away. To reach their target, their aim must be astronomically precise."
"If Megatron went through the trouble of rendezvousing with his SpaceBridge, he must have an alternate targeting system, a remote one," Optimus suggested, though Ratchet seemed doubtful as he scoffed.
"From what I know of Earth's technology, I doubt there exists a single radio-telescope dish on this planet powerful enough to pinpoint Cybertron."
"What about a whole bunch of linked radio-telescope dishes," Raf pointed out as he typed away on his laptop and brought up a picture of a line of satellite dishes located in a desert. "Like the giant-size array in Texas."
"Zip buh, buh, buh! This is not child's play." Ratchet cried as if he was scolding children. Which in a way, he was.
"Good thinking, Raf," Optimus said, much to Ratchet's shock. "Ratchet, have Agent Fowler alert the array staff to the security hazard."
"You, soldier!" The government agent yelled from his hospital bed. He had been coming in and out of consciousness since being rescued, and every time he spoke, he said something random and bizarre before collapsing. "You're out of uniform! Put on some pants." Like right now.
"That may be a challenge," Ratchet said shaking his head.
"Do you guys even wear pants?" Jack asked absentmindedly.
Raf then turned back to his computer and began typing away before slamming his fist down in frustration. "I can't get past the array's firewalls. They're too thick."
"You actually think you could keep the Decepticons out?" Ratchet questioned, full of doubt.
"Maybe," Raf said. "If I could get in."
At that, Jack suddenly had an idea. "Uh, wait, wait, wait. Raf, what if we could get you all the way in, like inside-the-building in?" He suggested.
Raf's eyes widened in realization at Jack's plan. "I could walk into their internal network on the other side of the firewall.
"The risk is too great." Optimus protested. "The Decepticons will be there, perhaps even on site."
"Well, it's a good thing he's got a superhero going with him!" Jack said with confidence, gesturing to himself, shocking both Raf and Miko, the latter especially.
"Wait, seriously? You're totally on board with this now?" Miko asked, excitement building in her voice.
"What can I say?" Jack shrugged. "You can be very convincing."
Miko smiled at that.
"Jack, you don't need to force yourself to do something you don't want to do," Optimus assured, worried Jack was forcing himself to accept such a burden simply because it was asked of him.
"Optimus, with all due respect, you said it yourself." Jack reminded the Autobot leader. "This is bigger than the safety of three humans."
"Yeah." Miko agreed. "If we let the Cons win, we are fragged along with everyone else on our planet."
Optimus was silent for a moment before speaking, "Raf?" The leader wanted to make sure all of them were on board for this.
Raf looked at his fellow humans, then looked down for a moment before giving his reply, "I want to give it a shot." He said with determination.
"Then let's do this!" Jack pumped his fist.
"No so fast Jackie boy!" Miko cried out, stopping the super teen in his tracks. She had an excited smile on her face, the smile of someone who had a chance to give a present they were dying to gift. "If you're serious about being a superhero, you need a super suit!"
"What does a suit have to do with any of this?" Ratchet asked, not understanding Earth's customs.
"Where am I gonna find a super suit at a time like this?" Jack asked before he caught a bag Miko threw at him.
"You won't have to!" She said with a pleased smile.
Jack looked inside and saw indeed what looked to be a brightly colored suit inside. "Where did you get this?"
"Oh, I made it." Miko declared with pride shocking the three. "My host parents are fashion designers, so I asked them to help out with making clothes. Thought it'd be a good way to save money when I form a band."
"When did you start working on it?" Raf asked, trying to get a peek.
"The night we all met." She revealed.
The two boys looked at her in surprise, Jack most of all before he sighed. "You believed I was gonna be a superhero the night we met?"
"Yep!"
Jack shook his head with a chuckle as he moved behind a wall to change. "Alright, let's try this on?" 'Hopefully, it won't look ridiculous.'
"What's taking him so long?! We got a world to save!"
"You're the one who wanted him to dress up in a superhero suit Miko. Besides, it's only been 5 minutes."
"I will never understand the obsession you humans have with fabric."
"Maybe if you guys had to wear pants, then you'd understand."
"I'm coming out!" Jack's voice silenced the three. "Just, promise not to laugh."
As he stepped out of the corner, the two humans and one Autobot's jaws dropped.
Jack was wearing a skintight spandex onesie, that emphasized his muscles that he kept hidden under his normal clothes. It was mostly blue with red gloves, boots, and mid-section. There was a black web pattern all over the red parts of the suit with a small black spider symbol on the chest, with a large red spider on the back. And located in his armpits were what looked like a spider's webs. (How Miko managed to pull that off, they didn't know).
But the defining feature had to be the mask. It was red with the web pattern for the whole suit originating from where his nose would be. It had large white eyes, Miko used a chrome covering to help Jack see out but keep people from seeing in.
"Well," Jack said, spinning around to show off more of the suit, "What do you guys think?"
"Whoa!" Was all Raf could say as he had the most awe-inspired smile on his face.
"That's incredible!" Ratchet said in awe before he realized what he said and looked away with a seemingly unimpressed frown. "For a human anyway."
Jack rolled his eyes, which was indicated by the white lenses on the mask they can also help him with expressions. He then turned to Miko to gaze at her reaction but blinked. Miko looked as if she had been struck dumb. Her eyes were wide and her jaw dropped as she gawked at him.
"Miko?" He asked as he moved closer to her, waving his hands in front of her, but he got no response.
The girl herself was just frozen as she admired her work. She spent all of two nights working on this suit, praying that she got his measurements right. Having fashion designers as host parents helped her spot things like a person's size fairly easily. And judging by the way that suit hugged his body, she had got it right. He had an Olympic swimmer build, not too muscular but not skinny either. Muscles are perfectly balanced throughout the whole body. It was so–
SNAP!
Miko blinked as the snap registered in her ears. She then saw that Jack, the mask now off, was standing right in front of her, causing her to blush. "Are you okay Miko?" He asked, placing a red glover on her forehead. "Your face is red. Do you have a fever?"
"NO!" She shrieked as she backed away, her face even more red. Seeing the shocked look on the other's faces, she quickly composed herself. "I mean, no, I'm fine. Just admiring my work!" She said with no small hint of pride, looking him over once again. "And I have to say, I outdid myself."
"How does it feel Jack?" Raf asked.
Jack took a moment to look himself over, clenching and unclenching his fists, getting a feel for the costume. "It's tight, but not so much that I can't breathe or move. A little itchy, but not too much."
Miko, who managed to snap out of her gawking, rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the commentary, but how do you feel wearing it?"
Jack thought about it. The moment he began suiting up, he felt a strange sense of empowerment. It almost felt like he could do anything wearing this suit, a feeling that felt complete the moment he slipped the mask on. He felt…
"Awesome." He muttered as he clenched his fists in excitement. "I feel awesome!" His declaration caused both Miko and Raf to smile.
"I must say, that is a rather, colorful choice of style," Ratchet said, pointing out the red and blue of his suit.
"Yeah well, blame Optimus, I got the idea from him," Miko revealed to the Autobot's shock. "The moment I saw him for the first time, I was just, 'Wow, now that's a hero'. As I was making the suit, the colors just kept appearing in my mind, so I went with it. I think it turned out well."
Ratchet then looked at the suit with a new light. If Miko had based this suit partly on his old friend, then how could he possibly complain about it?
"Now all you need is a name?!" Miko declared.
"A name, but don't you think we need to get moving?" Raf asked.
"Nonsense, a super suit is just the beginning! I mean, we can't just call him Jack all the time when he's swinging around in that suit." Miko pointed out.
"Point taken," Raf said. "But what should we call him?"
Miko opened her mouth, ready to list the several dozen ideas that came to mind the second she learned about Jack's powers. But the person in question beat her to it.
"Spider-Man."
Both teens blinked as they turned back to Jack, a determined expression on his face.
"Call me... Spider-Man." He said.
"Really?" Miko asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah, you were the one who gave me that name in the first place." He reminded her.
She did? She then thought back to last night, when she visited his house and before she left, she said something to him.
"See you around, Spider-Man."
Huh? Guess she did. Oh well, that just was more of an ego boost to her.
"Well, now that we have all that figured out, let's go!" Miko declared as she took Jack by the hand and dragged him off to the Groundbridge with Raf on their tail. Ratchet rolled his eyes and activated the portal. The three teens entered the swirling vortex
Just inside the gate for the dish array in Texas, the Groundbridge portal opened up and the three teens jumped out. Jack managed to stick a three-point landing with his legs spread out wide and an arm held back. Raf and Miko on the other hand appeared wobbly and close to falling over.
"Man, that will take some getting used to," Miko commented, trying to get her breakfast to stay inside her.
"I don't know why you guys are complaining. I feel fine." Jack said as he stood tall, completely unaffected by the effects of the Groundbridge on humans.
"Lucky." Miko groaned before she and Raf eventually found their barrings and focused. They had a job to do, and the whole world was counting on them.
Getting into the base was easier than they thought. When they came across a locked door, Jack merely used his strength to open them or an Energon blast from his fingers to fry the controls on any electronic doors. Also, his camouflage and wall-crawling abilities helped him sneak around any guards. Not that there were any.
Eventually, they managed to find a room with a computer. Raf sat down and got to work.
Miko stood on the lookout, trying to make sure they didn't get caught. When she saw no one she closed the door and decided to comment. "Security sure is lax in this place. Wonder why?"
"Budget cuts?" Jack joked, earning a giggle from his friends.
"I'm in," Raf said, before frowning. "And so are the Decepticons."
"What?" Jack asked, concerned.
"How can you tell?" Miko asked.
"Schematics with the same alien math we saw on their ship." Raf explained before holding a flash drive and plugging it in. "But this time, I can download them."
"It's gotta be the Spacebridge," Miko said.
"The Decepticons are syncing it to the dishes, but I can sync to them," Raf said as he got to work.
"Will they know?" Jack asked, slightly nervous. While he did now embrace the idea of being a superhero and fighting alien robot nazis, that didn't mean he was excited about having to do the actual fighting.
"Even if the Decepticons see that I'm in the system, they'll have no idea I'm in the house," Raf assured Jack as he got back to work.
While Raf's words did provide some relief to Jack, that still didn't assuage his worries. Especially as felt a tingle in the base of his skull.
The tingle in his skull didn't go away as time passed on and Raf managed to shut the Decepticons down several times, which prompted him to ask, "What happens when the Cons realize they're being punked?"
"It's only virtual combat, you know, like online gaming." Raf continued to assure his super friend.
"Yeah, Jack." Miko agreed. "What are the Cons gonna do? They're probably, like, a thousand miles away."
At that moment, the tingle in his skull intensified to the point where he sensed danger was right behind him. Slowly, he turned to see a dark purple tentacle hoving over the three humans.
"Or, right at the end of the hall." He sighed. He needed to listen to his spider-sense more often.
The tentacle moved to strike Raf but Jack was faster as he grabbed hold of the metallic limb and held on for dear life. Miko too grabbed ahold as the tentacle whipped around the room, trying to get them to let go of it.
"I won't let them log on again," Raf said as he typed away furiously on the computer.
The tentacle managed to shake Jack off, but he righted himself mid-air and landed right-side up on the wall. Miko soon followed and Jack managed to catch her before she impacted with the wall.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, thanks."
They looked back up to see the tentacle about to attack Raf.
"Leave him alone!" Jack shouted as he fired a web at the tentacle and pulled it away from his friend. "Keep working Raf! I got this!"
The tentacle was determined to prove him wrong as it began to swing around erratically, taking Jack with it as he still held it by the webline. Jack's body was slammed against the walls, ceiling, and floor of the room before he pulled out into the hallway through the wall.
Jack struggled to stand, never having taken that much beating since he got his powers. If he was a normal human, he would have had several broken bones and a lot of internal bleeding. He just felt very bruised.
He needed to get up. People were counting on him, even if they didn't know it. The Autobots, his friends, his mom, and the fate of the world rested on his shoulders. It was time to prove his strength was equal to the task.
Reaching his back, he pulled out his mask. He hadn't put the thing on because if there was security, he didn't want to be mistaken as a colorful burglar. He put the fabric over his head and slipped it on.
Strange, the moment he slipped it on, he felt all his fears, insecurities, and doubts disappear, only to be replaced with a confidence he'd never felt before in his life. He felt he could do anything, especially take down this freaky metal tentacle.
"Hey, worm breath!" Jack–no Spider-Man called out, getting the metal limbs' attention. His white lenses narrowed challengingly as he got into a stance. "Come and get me."
The taunt worked as the tentacle charged him while he stayed still, waiting. 'It worked for Keanu.' He thought. Just as the tentacle was on him, he bent over backward in a way that no human, no matter how flexible would be able to replicate, like Neo in the Matrix.
As the tentacle passed over him, he shot out his left hand and grabbed the limb in a death grip, nearly crushing it in a death grip. He charged up Energon in his right hand, flattened it, and swung, slicing off the clawed end from the limb.
The remaining limb retreated down the hall. Spider-Man stood back up straight, looking down the hall with large white eyes and then down to the remains of the tentacle in his hand.
"Whoa!" He muttered. He can't believe that worked. Neither could his friends as they looked at him in awe. He then broke out into a wide smile.
He can do this.
If Soundwave had a face, he would be frowning.
He had come here at Starscream's suggestion to use these primitive dishes to try and lock onto Cybertron after the Autobots destroyed their navigational dish. After clearing out the facility of humans, no need to repeat how he did so, the silent Decepticon plugged into the mainframe and manipulated the satellites to point at Cybertron.
However, something, or rather someone, a human, was getting in his way. Not many beings, Cybertronian or otherwise, have ever stood in his way and lived to tell the tale. So he sent one of his tentacles to dispose of the annoyance.
Imagine his surprise when he felt the claw end of his tentacle be cut from the rest of it. He did a quick scan of the severed appendage and picked up traces of concentrated Energon. This shouldn't have been possible.
He reviewed the camera footage and saw a human dressed in a strange colorful outfit that reminded him of his master's mortal enemy, Optimus Prime. He then saw a glow of blue electricity and did a quick scan.
If he had a face, it would be one of shock and admittedly, horror. This human had Energon flowing through his veins, and he was alive. Not only that, but he seemed to be able to utilize it as a weapon. In all the experiments the Decepticons did since coming to Earth, it revealed humans couldn't take Energon into their body, as the energy proved too much for their fleshy bodies.
So how did this one not only survive but seem to become even stronger because of it? And he was aligned with the Autobots. Lord Megatron needed to learn about this as soon as possible.
So, disconnecting himself completely from the servers, he sent off both of his tentacles at his prey, having repaired the one that was damaged while contemplating. He needed to learn more about what this human was capable of and to see whether he could become an asset to his master's plans or a threat that needed to be squashed.
"Dude! That was awesome! Straight out of a movie!" Miko cheered.
"Thanks. Can't believe it worked honestly." Spider-Man said, rubbing the back of his head. "Hey, Raf, do you need to access a computer to stop the Decepticons?"
"Yeah. There should be another I can download into." Raf said.
"Alright then let's…" Spider-Man trailed off as his spider-sense began ringing. He looked down the hall where the tentacle disappeared to see two tentacles and charge straight toward them. "GO! I'll hold them off!"
Both Miko and Raf rain into a nearby room as Spider-Man got into a crouch. "They never learn." He said, his confidence was at an all-time high after destroying the first tentacle. He ducked under the first one and was about to slice it apart like before, however, the second came at him from the side and rammed him into the wall.
"Okay. Maybe they do learn." He groaned as he got his bearings. He ducked to avoid a strike from the first and leaped over a sweep from the second. They moved in close but he knocked them back with a flurry of punches and kicks.
He shot several balls of webbing, which the tentacles managed to all dodge. He grimaced under his mask. It looks like whoever was controlling these things wasn't holding back. This would be much easier if he had some sort of main body to hit. He could go and find the Con, but that would mean leaving Raf and Miko unprotected. And he refused to leave them on their own.
He continued to jump around the hallway, dodging and batting away when the tentacles got too close. However, his luck ran out when one rammed him into the wall and pinned him there. The second one charged at him. His white lenses widened, thinking this might be it.
"Hyah!"
However, he would not meet his end today as Miko, shouting a battle cry, jumped in and swung down with a fireman's ax, slicing off the tentacle that was pinning him to the wall. He dodged at the last second as the second tentacle impacted the wall. He glanced up at his savior as she flashed him a smirk.
"What, you think because you're a superhero now that I'm gonna let you have all the fun?" She asked as she moved to strike the second tentacle.
"Wait! Stop!" Spider-Man cried out. While he was grateful that she saved him, he didn't want her risking her life. She tried to repeat what she did to the first tentacle, but the second dodged effortlessly and slammed into her, sending her rolling into the wall.
"Okay. I might've jumped the gun on that one." Miko groaned out.
"You think?" Spider-Man asked as he helped her to her feet with Raf coming up to them. His spider-sense flared and he turned back to the tentacle and his white lenses widened as he saw it picked up the ax Miko had. "And you just had to hand it an ax?!"
"Not good," Raf muttered.
Spider-Man moved in front to protect his friends. Just as the ax was about to be brought down, it suddenly retreated down the hall. Both the hero and the teens looked at each other in bewilderment.
What was that about?
Soundwave was stupid.
Okay, that was a lie. Soundwave was one of the smartest and most cunning Decepticons out there. All of his actions were based on logic after a well-thought-out plan. It's what made him cold and highly efficient.
But he let himself get distracted by the humans, particularly the one resembling Optimus Prime. That was not his mission! He needed to get these primitive satellites to lock onto Cybertron, and he was allowing himself to be distracted by human children?! Absurd! Megatron would be disappointed if he found out.
He didn't need to eliminate them, he just needed to block their access to the system so that they couldn't interfere with locking onto Cybertron. And when he saw the ax the human female dropped, he had the perfect way to do that.
After making sure the dishes were locked onto Cybertron once more, he took the ax and severed the cables connecting the dishes to the facility. Now, unless someone did something manually, there would be no way for the dishes to be altered.
With his mission now complete, Soundwave moves to exit the facility, letting the humans wallow in their failure.
CRASH!
Soundwave turned to see the doors to the facility sent flying off the hinges as the three humans from earlier came into the server room. The female, the one who previously held the ax, took out the primitive communication device humans referred to as a phone and took a photo.
Soundwave decided to mock them by taking a photo of them. This would interest his master. If the Autobots were allying with humans, he would want to know about them. Especially the one dressed in red and blue. He then turned and prepared to transform.
THWIP!
Then all of a sudden, he felt something sticky impact his right arm. Slowly, he turned back to humans and saw the culprit was the one dressed in the colorful suit. A white, bio-organic line originating from the gadgets on his wrist. It was similar to that sadistic deserter. Now that Soundwave had a good look at him, he saw that his whole motif was the same as the deserter.
Interesting.
However, this was no time for playing with children. He needed to return to his master's side.
"Ah, what's wrong boombox? Scared of little ol' me?" The human mocked.
…
Change of plans. He was sure Megatron would appreciate it if he managed to bring home a sample of this human that seemed to have Energon running through his veins. Whether in one piece or pieces.
As Spider-Man stared at the faceless Decepticon he had just shot a web at, he felt a pit drop in his stomach. He just made a huge mistake, didn't he? The ringing of his spider-sense didn't help.
"Find cover!" He shouted to his friends, he couldn't risk them getting caught in the crossfire.
Soundwave moved, slicing the web with his thin arms, and launched out his tentacles at the spider. Spider-Man fired a web and zipped off the ground and to the wall. Firing two webs and launching himself at the Con like a rock in a slingshot.
The Con tried to slice through him with his blade-like arms, but being human gave Spider-Man an advantage most foes didn't have against Soundwave. He was small enough to thread the needle. Just barely.
Soundwaves arms nearly took both his head and legs off, but he was able to maneuver his body just right to avoid such a fate. The arms passed over his head, just inches away from touching his nose under the mask. But he made it through, and Soundwave was left wide open for the dropkick he delivered to his face.
CRACK!
The screen cracked under the blow as Spider-Man lept off, back flipping as he struck a landing pose. Man that was awesome! His blood was pumping like never before, his heart thumping in his ears.
He's never felt so alive! He let a grin grow under his mask.
However, that grin soon fell as the Decepticon looked down at him with that cracked visor. Jack gulped. He may not be able to see his face, assuming he had one, but he knew that if there was one, it would be frowning with great anger.
Soundwave was now livid.
This human… this insect… dared to stand in his way?! In the way of his master's glorious purpose?! Not only that, but he dodge his attacks and managed to land a blow only a handful of others would have a chance at. And that was a human hand.
And the strength. The strength was nothing to scoff at. It was raw, untrained, and not fully realized. But if this human somehow managed to reach his full potential, he might've been able to knock his head clear off with that kick. An insect that that level of power bubbling inside him.
"Hey, I'm not exactly sure what you're thinking at the moment, but let me take a guess and correct you: Spiders are not insects, they are arachnids! Big difference!"
… And he kept making these ridiculous comments that managed to get under even his metal skin.
That's it. No more holding back! If Megatron wanted a sample, he would have to settle for the pieces Soundwave would take back with him.
He shot out his tentacles again only for Spider-Man to leap into the air to dodge as they impacted the ground. One shot up and managed to wrap itself around the arachnid's legs before slamming him down, hard.
"Owww. I heard about us bringing aliens down to Earth, but not the other way around."
That attempt at a joke made Soundwave electrocute him with his tentacles, causing Spider-Man to howl in pain. He then threw him into a row of servers. Then the wall. Then the roof. Back to the ground. Wall. Ceiling. Servers. Floor. Wall. Other walls. Backwall. Ceiling. Floor. Floor. Floor. Floor. Floor.
As this was going on, Raf and Miko, who were still hiding, looked in horror as their friend was getting a thrashing that would have long since killed an ordinary human. Raf's eyes were as wide as his jaw and Miko covered her mouth to stop her from screaming.
Finally, with one final slam, Soundwave stopped. Spider-Man was unresponsive. Not moving or talking. Soundwave wrapped his tentacles around the human and pulled him up to meet him. The human's costume was in tatters, revealing some skin underneath as well as a lot of human blood. He did a scan of his vitals and saw that, to his astonishment, he was still alive. Color him impressed, not even most Autobots could survive it when he got like this, and no human could survive the first smash.
He needed to bring this human to Lord Megatron. If they could find some way to replicate his powers and apply them to their army, then no one would be able to stand in their way. He then turned to leave with his prize in tow.
Seeing that the Con was leaving and taking Jack with them, Miko sprinted out of her hiding place and shouted, "Let him go you oversized walking amp!"
Soundwave turned to face the human girl, the younger boy soon joining her. A terrified yet defiant expression was on both of their faces. Deciding it would be best to eliminate these pests here and now, the Decepticon prepared to fire.
Jack, who was slowly beginning to regain consciousness thanks to Miko's voice, took in two things. First, Miko and Raf stared up at him with fear and worry in their eyes. The second, Soundwave was pointing what looked like a blaster.
That was all he needed to know as felt the Energon in his blood build-up. It felt different from when he threw a punch or used the Energon to launch himself, where he concentrated it on a specific part, this was all over his body. It felt like he was a shaken soda can, and the Energon was the liquid inside.
And he was ready to burst.
"Leave," Jack said, blue electricity dancing over his body, catching Soundwave's attention. "Them," The Energon levels in the human began to build up to dangerous levels and Soundwave moved to stop him. "ALONE!"
But Jack had opened the can.
BOOM!
And a massive surge of blue electricity exploded from his body, destroying the tentacles holding him. The blast destroyed the rest of the skyline on the roof and even took a chunk of it off.
Jack landed on the ground and was breathing heavily. He took off his mask to breathe easier and calm down. He looked up to see the massive hole in the ceiling he made. He couldn't see Soundwave, the smoke from the explosion covered most of the room.
"Jack!"
The hero turned to see his friends run up to him and quickly check him over.
"I'm fine." He lied. He was anything but fine. His friends saw right through it and moved to help him up.
"Dude, that was awesome! I didn't know you could do that!" Miko shouted with a big smile on her face.
"Heh. Neither did I," Jack admitted.
"What happened to the Decepticon?" Raf asked, looking around the smoke-covered room warily.
"Pssh! You worry too much Raf! There's no way that Con survived what Jack did to him!" Miko waved off his fears.
The sound of rubble shifting and metal clanking caused the three to stop cold. Slowly, they turned back to see emerging from the smoke was none other than Soundwave.
"You were saying?"
"Oh shut up Spidey!"
Soundwave just stood there, staring at the humans, or more specifically at Jack. As more of the smoke cleared it revealed more of Soundwave's body was revealed to them, causing the three humans to gawk at what they saw.
Soundwave was missing his right arm.
Given that Jack was on his right when he went boom and he tried to grab the human with his right, it made sense that it was that limb that ended up being destroyed. His body was also heavily scorched and burnt.
Soundwave ran a quick diagnostic of himself. There were multiple red alerts and warning signs. Even Laserbeak was not functional. He'd never received such devastating injuries before in his life. Not even at the hands of Megatron or Optimus Prime. And it was a human who gave him such devastating injuries.
He turned back to the human and saw him walk towards him, distancing himself from his friends. Walking might've been too generous. He was limping, close to crawling his way to him. But still, he had that defiant look in his eyes.
Jack looked the Decepticon directly into the cracked face, his blue eyes glowing brighter with Energon. "Well, what are you waiting for, an invitation?" He then brought up his fists like those boxers in Earth videos. "Bring it on! I'm game!"
He was bluffing. Soundwave knew he was. Despite how much stamina and durability this human had compared to others, he was still human. And humans, and even Cybertronians, have limits, and this one had already passed his long ago.
But still, even Soundwave wasn't in much of a condition for another fight. While he was confident he could kill this human, he still didn't know his true potential, or if he was hiding something else to surprise him with. Besides, he's already accomplished his main mission. It would be best to cut his losses here.
Soundwave then opened a Groundbridge behind him. Taking one last glance at Jack, the silent Decepticon turn away and entered the portal.
Seeing that his enemy was gone, Jack let his arms fall limp, a relieved smile on his face. "Oh, thank goodness! He fell for it!" He said, the adrenaline finally leaving as he collapsed, his whole world going dark before he hit the ground.
Aboard the bridge of his flagship the Nemesis, Megatron looked at the activated Spacebridge. Through his connection to Dark Energon, he could feel his undead army approaching the portal. He smirked evilly. Soon this world would fall to Megatron, and then the universe would follow.
But there was one thing he was concerned about: Where was Soundwave?
Starscream had sent him to this Earth base to allow them to use the primitive technology to lock on to Cybertron. To his great surprise, it ended up working, he thought it would fail, mostly because it was Starscreams idea. However, it seemed that something was interfering with the signal. Soundwave seemed to solve the problem because nothing stopped them from activating the portal. But he hadn't returned yet.
He doubted his most loyal soldier would have been destroyed, and he would not relish in carnage like some of his soldiers, he was quick and efficient. So what could be keeping him?
At the sound of a Groundbridge portal activating, Megatron smirked as he turned to face his surveillance chief. "You've returned Soundwave, just as I knew you would. Once again, you've proven how you are my–"
He stopped as his red optics widened at the sight of his most loyal follower, an action that was shared by everyone on the bridge of the Nemesis.
Soundwave was, to put it bluntly, a wreck. His body was charred, with scorch marks all over his metal skin, his face was cracked, and most glaringly, he was missing his right arm!
Every Decepticon was shocked. No one had ever seen Soundwave look this beat up before. And then most of them shivered. Who could cause this much damage to Soundwave?
Seeing as Megatron's prized follower was in such a state caused Starscream to laugh. However, he was silenced when he saw the fierce glare Megatron gave him. The leader of the Decepticons turned to his follower and asked, "What happened Soundwave?"
The silent Decepticon limped (He scrapping limped!) over to the nearest consul and plugged in. Footage of the fight he had with the human showed up on the monitors. Megatron did not look pleased.
"You're telling that a human," Megatron spit the word out, "Managed to do this to you?"
Soundwave nodded.
Starscream chuckled. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen. To be bested by a human of all things."
"Silence Starscream!" Megatron yelled at his second-in-command (why he made him that, he doesn't know, blame the writers). He then turned back to the screen, a thoughtful look on his metal face as he studied the human dressed in red and blue.
Upon his return, he heard reports of a human terminating a Vehicon. But he waved that off as nothing but baseless nonsense. After all, how could a human stand up against Cybertronians, Vehicon, or otherwise?
But according to Soundwave, such a human existed. And they were powerful. Powerful enough to do much damage to one of his most loyal soldiers. Granted, Soundwave also made the mistake of underestimating his opponent. It didn't matter how strong one was, underestimating an enemy was a quick way to get your spark extinguished. He learned that during his gladiatorial days.
Still, despite the power the human had, he didn't know how to fully use it to his advantage. That led Megatron to conclude that this human, despite being powerful, was no warrior, merely a child given power he didn't know how to use to its fullest potential. But still, even his archnemesis Optimus Prime was not always a warrior, merely an archivist in the beginning, now he's the biggest thorn in the tyrant's side.
At the thought of Optimus, Megatron then began to take more notice of the human's attire. Indeed, the color scheme made him immediately think of his nemesis. But there was something else too.
At the end of the video, where it showed the human with his mask off, revealing nothing but a boy underneath, Megatron had Soundwave stop the video.
Those eyes.
He has those same eyes.
There was no mistaking it. The conviction, the determination, the drive, the naivety, the hope that he saw in those glowing blue orbs. It was exactly like Optimus at the beginning when he was Orion Pax. When they first met all those eons ago.
Regardless, this could be dealt with later. He needed to make sure that the Autobots didn't sabotage the Spacebridge, keeping his army from entering the portal. Plus, he wanted to have at least one last battle with his 'old friend' before his eventual demise.
And after he rid himself of Optimus, he would find this human, and crush him like the insect he was. Best to cut out the weed before it grew into another Optimus Prime. Primus knows he didn't need two of them.
Everything hurts.
That's the only thing Jack knew for certain as came to. Serious, with how much pain he felt, he totally, thought he should be dead.
"Hey, he's coming around!" A voice shouted, causing him to wince.
"Don't shout! You'll only make it worse!" An older, grumpier voice said.
"You're shouting too you know?" A snarky voice shot back.
Jack managed to open his eyes and see the ceiling of what was the Autobot base. He turned his head, it being a pain to do so and saw both Raf and Miko looking at him with both relief and concern.
"Oh thank goodness!" Miko yelled as she wrapped her arms around him, Raf following soon after.
"Owowowow! Guys, please stop! Still in a lot of pain here!" Jack shouted. His friends quickly release him. He took note of his surroundings and noticed he was laying on the gurney meant for Agent Fowler, whom he saw was now back on his feet. He also didn't have a shirt on, his muscular chest having been bandaged extensively. "What happened?"
"You collapsed," Ratchet said. "Miko and Raf called for an emergency Groundbridge and brought you here."
"How long was I out for?" Jack asked.
"Close to an hour," Raf told him. Jack was about to speak when he heard Agent Fowler speak up.
"These things are getting closer." He said, gesturing to the many purple signatures approaching the Spacebridge in the diagram. He turn to them and asked, "That's bad right?"
"When are alarms indicating a bunch of purple dots approaching an alien wormhole ever good?" Jack asked rhetorically as he swung his feet over the edge of the gurney to stand. He collapsed as soon as his feet hit the floor. His friends tried to help but he held them back. He then managed to gain enough strength to stand. "What's going on?"
"The Spacebridge has been activated. And Megatron has thrown a large enough chunk of Dark Energon inside to resurrect Cybertron's dead warriors." Ratchet said gravely.
"Well, why can't we just change the dishes like we did before?"
"We can't," Raf told him. "Soundwave cut the hardline. The dishes are locked onto Cybertron… for good."
Jack stared at his friend, hoping all that he heard was a sick joke. But no, he found no trace of joking on his friend's face.
They failed. He failed. And now the Earth was going to pay the price.
"RAHHHH!"
SMASH!
In a fit of rage, Jack slammed his hands down on the gurney, completely destroying it to the shock of all in the room, even Ratchet. He took deep breaths to calm himself down, before letting out a self-deprecating chuckle.
"Of course, I failed. I screwed it up, like always." He said to no one. "Can't do anything right. Not my job. Not school. Not being a son. So of course I would suck at the superhero thing." He then looked at the mask he had pulled from his back. He stared at the piece of fabric before another chuckle escaped him with an equally depressed smile. "Spider-Man… What a joke?"
He dropped the mask to the floor and walked away. No one went after him, thinking it would be best to give him some space.
Miko reached down and picked up the mask. She looked at Jack with a concerned expression.
Later, Jack sat down at the base of the stairs, having put on his regular clothes. His body hunched over and his head hung low.
"Hey."
He looked up the stairs to see Miko walking toward him, the mask she made for him in hand. She took a seat next to him. She didn't speak at first but then she asked, "How are feeling?"
"Physically or mentally?"
"Both."
"Physically, I feel like Brad Pitt after he got hit by those two cars in Meet Joe Black, only there were a lot more cars, and I'm still alive, which somehow makes it feel worse." Jack tried to joke, but Miko didn't laugh. "Mentally, I feel like I let the whole world down."
"Hey, you did the best you could." Miko tried to assure him, carefully rubbing his back in a soothing manner.
"But it wasn't enough."
"You just started out! No way were you ever gonna get it all right the first try!"
"But doing it wrong puts the whole planet in jeopardy, and I'm not talking about the game!" He then sighed. "I'm no good at this. I'm weak."
"No, you're not."
This didn't come from Miko or Raf, or the still loopy Fowler. Rather it came from the last person Jack thought to expect from.
"You are far from weak Jackson Darby," Ratchet said with conviction. "Do you know the Decepticon you faced off against? He is arguably one of the most dangerous Decepticons in existence, second only to Megatron."
Jack's eyes widened. He didn't know he fought against such a dangerous foe. "Well he didn't talk a lot, but his actions spoke for him. You could say he was… silent, but deadly." Miko and Raf chuckled at his joke.
"An accurate description. I couldn't have said it better myself." Ratchet said, the saying going over his head completely. "Only a handful of Autobots have ever survived an encounter with Soundwave, and to my knowledge, no one has inflicted the level of damage you have onto him. So no, you are not weak Jack. Not even close."
Jack… didn't know what to say. From the moment he first met the doctor, he always gave off this vibe of a grumpy old guy who doesn't like the neighborhood kids. But it appears there's a heart or rather a spark of gold in this old robot's chest.
"Thanks, Ratchet," Jack said, feeling a little better.
The doc bot scoffed. "I didn't do it for you. I was merely stating the facts."
"Uh-huh. Sure you were." Miko said with a knowing grin.
Soon, they got a notification that the Spacebridge was now detonating. Ratchet quickly got to work and opened the Groundbridge before contacting Optimus. "Optimus, the Groundbridge is ready and waiting!"
Jack had a smile as he moved to join the others in waiting to welcome the Autobots home. He was also relieved that his screwup didn't result in the invasion of Earth.
As the seconds stretched into what felt like hours, the atmosphere began to feel more ominous and tense.
"Do you think they're…" Raf tailed off, afraid to voice such a thought.
Ratchet pulled up his arm, the one he uses to track his fellow Autobot's life signals. Three of them were full in the green, but one was quickly dropping into the red. "Four life signals, one very faint."
Fearing who it could be, all four humans looked to the portal to see who would emerge first. The first one through was Optimus, appearing in good health if a little roughed up. The dread inside Jack was growing. While he was happy Optimus was okay, that left three more options as to who it was that was near death.
The next one through was Bulkhead, who looked alright. Miko had the biggest smile on her face as she ran down the steps. "Bulkhead!" She cried as she hugged the large arm he place in front of her.
Again, Jack was happy to see another bot, okay, but that left only two options as to who was hurt. And as the pair entered the portal, his heart dropped at the sight.
Bumblebee came charging in, holding Arcee in his arms. She had a large blaster wound on her chest, one from Megatron. Her optics were closed, her metal body limp and it didn't look like she was breathing, or whatever counted for breathing for Cybertronians.
Jack felt like the floor was pulled out from under him. Sure they had a rough start, and she seemed unjustifiable angry at him, but like he had with her, she too had grown on him. More than just being his dream bike. She was also his first.
And now she was gone. Miko and Raf both came up to comfort him. Many of the Autobots also felt a wave of depression hang over them. The battle was won, but at what cost?
"We lost one this week. By the Allspark, don't let it be two." Ratchet pleaded.
Jack hung his head low, his fists were clenched as tears gathered in his eyes. He then felt a spark in his hands. He looked at them and saw Energon dancing through his fingers. At that moment, an idea came to him.
"Put her down." He said to Bee. The bot, as well as everyone else, looked at him in confusion. "Put her down now!" He said, his tone more impatient.
Bumblebee didn't know what to do, but he saw the conviction in Jack's eyes and saw the determination he had to save Arcee. So he nodded and placed her gentle on the floor.
"What are you planning Jack?" Optimus asked, seeing that Jack may have a way to save Arcee.
"Something I saw in a video game." He told everyone, shocking the humans and confusing the bots. He then stood over Arcee, a forlorn look on his face as he saw she was still unresponsive. That look soon gave way to determination as he looked at his hands.
"I hope this works." He muttered as he suddenly powered up his arms with Energon, starting at a low voltage. His hands sparked a bit before he place them on Arcee's chest. "Clear!" He said before shocking her. Electricity danced on her body and she jolted but didn't wake up.
"Scrap! Needs a higher voltage!" He said to himself as he charge his hands once again at a higher voltage this time before placing them on her chest. "Clear!" He shocked her again. No response.
"What's he doing?" Bulkhead asked.
"He's using his Energon blasts like a defibrillator," Raf explained, catching on to Jack's plan. "When the human heart is weak or needs a jolt, there's a medical instrument that sends waving degrees of electricity into the body to try and jump-start the heart. Maybe he's trying to do the same thing with his powers."
"Will that work?" Miko asked, looking at the resident doc bot, a hopeful expression on her face.
"If it was just electricity, I would say no. But since his blasts do contain Energon…" Ratchet trailed off as a thoughtful, yet hopeful, expression appeared on his face.
"Come on dang it!" Jack's shout caused everyone to look at him, who was beginning to slam down on Arcee's chest, but with not enough force to crush her. "You say I was growing on you, that you weren't ready to say goodbye! So you don't get to back out now!"
Again, he slammed down on her, the shock traveling through her body, but again, no response. Tears were streaming down his face as he raised his hands again, putting as much power into this next own as he could as he brought his hands together.
"How could I ever think to call myself a hero… if I can't even save one person!" He pleaded as he slammed his hands down and unleashed the largest shock of them all, the force causing all the bots to back away.
As the electricity died down, Jack looked toward Arcee with a hopeful expression, but she was still unresponsive. He hung his head in defeat as the tears streamed down his face.
"Argh." A feminine groan filled the air and Jack looked up to see Arcee slowly open her eyes. Immediately a smile formed on Jack's face. "Arcee." Jack cried with relief.
"Jack, really?" She asked, the snark still in her voice, signifying she was just fine. "There are other motorcycles in the world."
"But you're my first." He said as he took her metallic hand in his own fleshy one.
Seeing as their friend was alive and well, Ratchet decided to ask something else that had been on his mind. "And Megatron?"
"Not even he could survive ground zero," Optimus said with certainty.
"Prime!" The bots and humans turned to see Agent Fowler, looking well enough and with his head on straight make his way to the elevator. "I didn't get to thank you bots for the save. I owe you one. We all do. The same goes for you kid." He said, addressing Jack specifically. "Keep up the good work." The doors shut and he ascended upwards.
Bumblebee helped Arcee to her feet and she looked down at her partner with a grateful smile. One he returned.
He then felt a nudge in his side. "So," Miko began, a smug grin on her face, "Still think you're not a hero?" She asked as she held out his mask.
Jack let out a chuckle as he took the fabric and looked into the white lenses. "I'll admit, it's growing on me." He then looked toward Optimus with a knowing smile. "After all, I managed to save at least one person."
Optimus nodded in agreement.
It was at that moment that Miko spoke up again, speaking to Optimus specifically, looking worried. "So is this the part where you tell us we have to say goodbye and forget we ever saw you?"
Jack let out a small chuckle at her worry. After all, he knows that no matter how hard he might try, he won't ever forget any of this.
And to be honest, why would he?
A/N: And done!
To be honest, I don't want to end things here, but I already feel there's a lot in this chapter so I'm just gonna stop here for now. Plus I'm a little tired from all the writing this morning.
I really hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.
I hope I did that conversation between Jack and Optimus well. I was originally gonna have it at the end of the last chapter. But it felt right ending things with Jack saying, "I'm Spider-Man". I hope I did a good job.
And Jack finally gets his suit, the one from Spectacular Spider-Man, where Josh Keaton voices Spidey. Felt right. I originally wasn't sure about the classic red and blue, but then I realized we have Optimus Prime, the champion of the red and blue look, next to Spider-Man. So it came to me, why not have Optimus be the inspiration for his suit? I plan for Optimus to be a major source of inspiration for how Jack acts as Spider-Man, with the exception of jokes. Megatron can already see Optimus' influence on Jack, and it worries him.
And Miko was the one who made it. Granted we don't know what her host parents do, so I decided to get creative. And voila.
Jack had his first fight with a major Decepticon villain, and it was Soundwave. Now I know I probably made Soundwave more expressive when he's usually a cool and collected Con, but the great thing about Spider-Man is how he's able to get under every bad guy's skin, even the metal-skinned ones. Granted Soundwave was more angry that a human was able to challenge him, given his whole thing is "Soundwave superior. Autobots inferior." He never considered a human as a threat, so to see one challenge him and actually hurt him, ticks him off.
And the idea for Jack to use his Energon Blasts (which I'm calling them instead of Venom Blasts) as defibrillators was an idea I've had for Spider-Man for a while now. I got the idea from Batman Arkham Origins.
I said this would be the finale, but I do have an epilogue planned since I can't really get to where I want to without it. Basically a setup for future stories.
So stay tuned. Should post it in less than a week.