Jack is thinking to himself about why exactly he agreed to go on this "no risk" recon mission with Arcee, why didn't he listen to her when she told him to stay? Why didn't he just stay back at the base and do his homework like a responsible teenager would do?

Jack then thinks back to what he did over the weekend, and how he did borrow Bumblebee to take him racing, resulting in Vince getting kidnapped by a Decepticon. It's not the image of responsibility Jack wants to hold himself to.

These are the thoughts running through Jack's head as he ran, leaping over small logs, weaving through the trees trying desperately to put as much distance between himself and that large Decepticon spider.

Jack keeps running, checking to see if Airachnid is still right behind him, and wondering about if Arcee managed to free herself yet, and if he's even managing to put any distance between-

"Woah!" Jack yelled as he came to a sudden stop in front of a large crevice.

'I recognize this, Arcee and I jumped across this earlier. Airachnid's ship is back in this direction.'

Jack began crossing, climbing down, and watching his footing to ensure he didn't fall. He barely finishes climbing over the edge when he spots her, slowly walking toward him using her spider-like appendages.

He dashes into a sprint, cutting through the forest when he looks back and sees Airachnid leap over the crevice that took him a minute to cross, with ease. Jack continues running, but his lungs are burning, he can't keep this up for much longer. He stops to lean against a tree to catch his breath and gather his thoughts, maybe figure out a plan.

'There's gotta be something I can do, I'm not going to be able to last much longer at this rate.'

Jack pulls out his swiss army knife, maybe it has something that could help him right now.

'Screwdriver, knife, bottle opener, and a corkscrew.'

Jack sighed in desperation "Oh who am I kidding? What am I going to do with this?" He perked up at the realization that Airachnid was nearby, and quickly started moving on his feet again.

Airachnid spotted her prey running away, back in the direction of her ship. "You're making this too easy Jack, and I do not enjoy being bored."

Jack made it down into the crater, running towards the entrance of the ship that he saw Arcee enter earlier. He stopped dead in his tracks and held his breath when he heard Airachnid around the corner, speaking aloud to herself. He sucked a few breaths in relief when the Decepticon went in the opposite direction from him.

Staying out here would be a death sentence, she'd eventually find him out here. He needed a diversion, something so he could put more distance between himself and her. Jack grabbed a rock and threw it into the interior of the ship, and began silently making his way away from the entrance.

Jack prayed she heard it and got his confirmation when he heard the scuttling of her legs across the top of the ship, towards the entrance.

"If you wanted a tour, Jack, all you had to do was ask. Did you spot the empty space? I hope you like it, it's where you'll soon hang your head!"

Jack continued making his way around the side of the ship as he heard this. 'Yeah, no way José.' He continued his way around the ship, making it towards the rear as heard a Splat! He looked down to see the familiar blue liquid soak his shoe.

'Energon. It's everywhere, and the ship is leaking a lot of it. Wait a minute! Energon is flammable just like gasoline!'

Jack quickly took out his fire starter kit, grabbed a nearby stick, and started the process. Striking the flint against the magnesium bar, sparks flew, but none of them started the vital ember needed. He could hear Airachnid exit the ship, running on the top of its hull towards him.

'Come on, come on, this has to work!'

A spark finally caught, a burning ember now visible. Jack blew onto the stick, giving vital oxygen and igniting the flame. He quickly threw the burning stick into one of the engines and began running for his life.

Airachnid arrived just in time to see him throw a small object into her ship, only to suddenly realize that the pools of Energon were now aflame, leaving her with only a second to scream bloody murder towards him.

"Jack!" KABOOM!

The resulting explosion launched Jack off his feet, throwing him upwards toward the edge of the crater. Smashing his shoulder into the side before flipping over to lie face down. He moaned in pain, picking himself up and sitting up straight for a moment to ease his aching body. He eased himself back up, shaking off the pain, and began jogging his way back toward Arcee.

He slowed down after a minute, believing that the coast was now clear. He quickly realized he was wrong when his foot was immediately stopped in its place by a white sticky substance. Jack looked up in the direction it came from and found himself wondering why something couldn't go to plan today.

The spider-like Decepticon stood atop a tree branch, covered in soot and burning flames, creating an intense glow around herself at the tops of the tree line. She snarled at him angrily before shooting another web at him, pinning Jack to a nearby tree.

Airachnid hissed as she jumped down, "You annoying little insect! I wanted to capture you so I could gut you right in front of Arcee, but I think she'll have to do with finding your mangled corpse!"

She took a venom-covered digit and cut it into Jack's cheek. Burning the flesh and drawing blood, causing him to hiss in pain, but refusing to scream, not wanting to give her that satisfaction.

Airachnid sneered as she relished in his pain, "And what should I start with? Your optic? Or maybe your legs so you can't get away again?" Her attention was drawn away from Jack by the sound of a loud engine and bright headlights.

"Airachnid!"

Arcee came speeding in, getting air time and transforming mid-air, smashing into Airachnid. Arcee didn't give the Con time to recover, quickly sprinting forward and kicking her in the chest. Airachnid stumbled back from the blow and attempted a jab at Arcee, but in her weakened state, the move was slow and predictable.

Arcee easily countered it, blocking the attack, and quickly jabbing Airachnid in her midsection, followed immediately by another quick jab. Airachnid had no chance of countering the subsequent uppercut, right hook, and second sidekick that day from Arcee, who watched as Airachnid was kicked back, pulverizing trees as she went through them. Satisfied with her work, she quickly turned back around to check on her charge.

She ripped the web bounding him to the tree, looking over him for any injuries when she noticed the cut on the left side of his helm. "Jack? What happened? Are you hurt badly?"

Jack shrugged it off, not wanting to worry her more than he already did. "I'm fine Arcee, just tripped and got caught up while on the run. Although my survival kit sure did come in handy!"

Arcee narrowed her optics, not liking the way Jack had just brushed off his injury, or his attempt at changing the subject with his light humor. She was about to ask more questions when she heard a loud noise catch her attention in the direction she had left Airachnid.

She turned her helm to see Airachnid drilling into the Earth, making her escape. Arcee tried in vain to stop her, firing her blasters until she reached the hole, already too late to capture the Con. "So much for closure," she mumbled.

"Yeah," Jack replied as he walked up to her. "Now Airachnid is stuck here on Earth. I'm not so sure if that's a good thing"

"Sorry, you had to face my demons today. You were pretty fearless there Jack."

"Actually I was terrified, mostly for you."

Arcee grinned, putting her servo to her helm, comming the base. "Ratchet, requesting ground bridge." She looked back down to see Jack smack an insect that dared fly near him after what he just went through. "I need to get my partner away from any oversized insects."

Jack immediately picked up on his guardian's word choice. "Partner huh?"

"Junior partner. I can still pull rank, and don't think I'm not going to have Ratchet look at that cut."

Jack groaned in disagreement just as a swirling green vortex of light appeared behind the pair and they two began their walk through it.

This was not good, contact with Arcee had been lost for almost an hour. No matter what Ratchet tried, the blasted human tech just kept failing him. He was considering comming Optimus to have him and himself personally investigate the situation when he received a ground bridge request from Arcee. "Ratchet, requesting ground bridge. I need to get my partner away from any oversized insects."

He obliged, pulling the lever as he sighed in relief and watched the pair walk through the bridge while they continued whatever discussion they were having before they arrived back at base.

"I told you already Arcee, it's nothing, I'm fine." Jack grumbled as he made his way toward the human area of the base.

"You're wounded, just have Ratchet look at you for a moment." Arcee shot back.

Ratchet quickly protested, "Arcee, need I remind you that I am a licensed medical officer for Autobots, not humans."

Arcee shot him a look as Jack reveled in his victory before Arcee turned her attention back towards Jack. "Don't look at me like that, I just want to make sure you're alright after what she did to you."

"Hey! I said I tripped, it's not anything serious.", Jack quickly retorted back.

Arcee scoffed, "Please as if you'd get a wound like that from a simple fall. What did Airachnid do to you-".

"Airachnid!? She's here on Earth, and you fought her alone?" Ratchet quickly interrupted, recognizing the name.

Just as this was asked, heavy pedefalls were heard as Optimus made his way into the main hangar of the base, hearing what had just been said. "Arcee, would you mind explaining what happened during your recon mission?"

"The signal Ratchet picked up earlier turned out to be Airachnid's ship, she crashed landed." Arcee promptly replied, "The ship must've been sending out a signal jammer, I couldn't comm the base or call for a ground bridge."

"And how did you deal with Airachnid and the signal Jammer?" Optimus inquired.

"I attempted to apprehend Airachnid but she restrained me," Arcee then looked down in shame, "and started to hunt down Jack in her own twisted game. I managed to escape and rescue Jack just as Airachnid had him restrained. She managed to escape, but I don't think she'll be running back to Megatron, she made it clear she was wanting to act solo."

"Good, she should take her ship and leave this planet. We have enough Decepticons to worry about." Ratchet snarled.

"Uh.." Jack decided now to speak up, "That's going to be difficult for her to do. I kind of.. blew up her ship."

Ratchet stared at him blankly as he mustered a response, "You what?"

"I blew it up. It made her pretty mad but Arcee came to my rescue and I'm fine now."

"Jack, were you harmed in any way by Airachnid?" Optimus asks, noticing the cut on his cheek. "I notice that you have a small scratch on your face."

"I'm fine Optimus, thank you for asking. I just tripped and fell while trying to get away. It's nothing to get worked up about. Seriously I mean it." Jack replied, lying as he ignored the slight pain the gash was causing him. He brought out his phone to check the time, suddenly feeling more fear right now than the entirety of the time of being chased by a large spider.

"Scrap! Arcee it's past 10 pm, Mom's going to kill me for breaking curfew again."

Arcee snickered in her partner's misery, transforming and turning her front wheel towards him. "Hop on, maybe we can make it back to your home before your mom gets back from work to notice." Jack quickly sprinted down the stairs with his helmet in hand and jumped onto Arcee, who wasted no time to speed out of the base into the Nevada desert night sky.

Ratchet stood where he was, looking at the spot where Jack was once standing, and thinking over the events that had just transpired. "That boy survived being hunted by one of the top Decepticon assassins, blew up her ship, and he's afraid of his carrier?"

Optimus merely nodded in agreement. "I believe there is a human saying, something about human carriers being bears."

"I know I said that we needed to get home fast, but maybe slow down a bit Arcee?" Jack asked from atop Arcee as they sped through the empty streets of Jasper. "If today is any indication, it'd be our luck to get pulled over by one of the few cops in Jasper. Mom would make me sell you and I'd be grounded for life."

"Don't worry about that Jack, I'd see them way before they could get a chance to see me." Arcee said smugly as she turned a corner, careful to make sure her charge didn't suddenly fall off. "What excuse are you going to tell your mother this time?"

"That I was doing a study group with Raf and Miko, over at Raf's house and just lost track of time. Got to keep it simple and believable." Jack said.

"You're only going to be able to use that same excuse so many times Jack." Arcee scoffed in response as she turned another corner and began slowing down.

"Maybe I should walk you up to the garage right now," said Jack as the pair arrived at his home. "I've already broken curfew this month, and maybe my mom already went to bed, wouldn't want to risk waking her up."

"I doubt you'll get off that easy but go ahead." said Arcee as Jack grabbed the handlebars and began walking her up the driveway toward the garage door.

Arcee watched as the garage door rolled up, and as she expected, there was Ms. Darby staring daggers at the pair, although it was only meant for one of them since the other wasn't supposed to exist.

"Jack, it's nearly an hour past curfew, what were you doing?!". June stood there, arms crossed and waiting as Jack struggled to remember his excuse.

"I was uh, just hanging out with Miko and Raf. Study group you know?" said Jack as he continued to walk Arcee to her place in the garage. "Raf is really good with math so me and Miko went over to his house to study. Just lost track of the time, I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

Jack shifted his feet uncomfortably as his mom continued to stare daggers into his very soul as if she could sense the lie from a mile away. He was just about to break down and apologize for lying thinking the jig was up when she finally spoke.

"Fine, but you're getting your last warning. Don't let this happen again, Jack. Now go wash up and get to bed, you have an early shift-", she stopped mid-sentence as she took notice of the cut that ran down the side of her son's cheek.

"Jack, what happened to your face?"

Jack suddenly remembered the small wound Airachnid had inflicted upon him not even too long ago.

"Um, I tripped." replied Jack as he repeated the same lie again that day. "I wasn't watching my step, I tripped and fell, cutting myself on a stick that was on the ground."

June looked at her son questioningly as she thought about what he just said. "A trip caused that long of a cut and not a bruise?" Jack merely nodded in response. "Okay then. Get inside and I'll clean that up so it doesn't get infected. Straight to bed right after mister."

"I get it Mom." said Jack as he followed his mom into the house, casting a glance back at Arcee, who turned her front wheel to follow his direction inside, watching as he shut off the light and closed the door.

'He's a terrible liar' Arcee thought to herself as she began to put herself into recharge for the night.

Hello! This is the very first story that I've ever published on not just this site but anywhere! So feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I've been a long-time lurker on this site and have only fairly recently made my own account. I've been inspired by many fics here on this site that deal with Jack and/or his friends becoming Cybertronians and have had this idea rummaging around my head for a while.

I just wanted to get the idea out there and see how it goes. I've got a few ideas on where I may want the story to go if this does work out and people enjoy what I'm writing.

I'm not the best writer so again, feedback on any errors or critics of the story would be appreciated to help me improve.

And just to get this out there, I don't own Transformers or any of the characters that appear in this work.