Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, The Owl House or their characters
The Nemesis was currently flying above a large badlands as Airachnid arrived in the main deck to have a talk with Megatron.
"If it pleases you, Lord Megatron, once Soundwave discovers a means of decoding the remainder of the Iacon database, as we know he will, I would suggest the deployment of an underutilised asset." Airachnid suggested.
"And what asset would that be, Airachnid?" Megatron asked without turning around.
"I believe that my superior tracking skills would expedite your quest to recover the remaining relics." Airachnid said, bowing to him.
"Noted." Megatron answered.
"You are a gracious audience, my lord." Airachnid replied as she walked away, passing Soundwave at a terminal. "Soundwave."
Once he saw that Airachnid had left through the exit, Soundwave turned his attention to Megatron.
"Remind me of her trustworthiness." Megatron ordered.
Soundwave then started playing a recorded message of when Airachnid was in charge of the Nemesis.
I believe we must consider the possibility of a future…without Megatron." The message said.
(Linebreak)
In the Nemesis' armory, Dreadwing was inspecting a Cybertronian rifle before Megatron appeared on a terminal behind him.
"Dreadwing." Megatron said, earning his attention.
"I am at your beck and call, Lord Megatron." Dreadwing told his leader with a respectful bow.
"I wish to entrust you with a task I would normally reserve for myself. That is if you wish to prove yourself worthy of becoming my first lieutenant." Megatron explained.
"That post belongs to Airachnid." Dreadwing recalled.
"She will be missed." Megatron replied, making Dreadwing realise what his mission was about. "And I suggest you bring backup. She can be a handful, especially when cornered."
(Linebreak)
In a nightly forest, Airachnid, Dreadwing, Breakdown and Brawl were seen moving across the area with the Seeker captain holding a scanner in his hand.
"Am I the only one here who considers this to be overkill on Lord Megatron's part?" Airachnid asked, passing by. "I mean, dispatching three of his most proficient warriors to track down one unconfirmed Energon spike."
"Megatron knows that me, Breakdown and Dreadwing will get the job done." Brawl proclaimed.
"Actually, I was referring to Breakdown, Dreadwing and myself." Airachnid replied.
Brawl growled angrily after hearing that and marched towards the female Spider Con, only for Breakdown to grab him by the shoulder.
"This isn't a good time for one of your temper tantrums, pal." Breakdown told him.
"Breakdown is correct, Brawl. Remain on task." Dreadwing instructed. "This must be a unified effort."
"Indeed, Brawl. I know we've never seen eyes to eye, but that doesn't mean we can't patch things up." Airachnid said with a sly smile. "After all, Wildrider was able to patch up himself after his little incident with M.E.C.H."
"What?!" Breakdown questioned, angered by that little remark about his teammate.
"That's it!" Brawl yelled before he rushed at Airachnid.
"Don't!" Dreadwing called out.
Airachnid leaped back and transformed into her spider form before shooting a web at Brawl, causing his hand to get stuck to his face. Brawl tried to get his hand free, but ended up falling down instead. Dreadwing began charging forward while firing his cannon at Airachnid, who avoided them in the trees and fired some webs at Dreadwing. The Seeker captain avoided the first web shot, but the other one stuck him to a tree. Breakdown shot his shoulder blaster at Airachnid and the female Spider Con avoided the shots before slicing off a piece of a nearby tree with her spider leg. She tossed the tree piece at Breakdown and managed to hit him in the face, but not before the muscular Decepticon fired one last shot that struck the lower part of the tree Airachnid was perched on. Airachnid fell down and crashed through some tree branches before crashing on the ground with a painful scowl, with a piece of one of her spider legs breaking off in the process.
With Dreadwing stuck to a tree and Breakdown knocked out, Brawl pulled his hand free from his webbed face and noticed Airachnid had been injured. He fired some tank missiles from his back cannon and Airachnid quickly leaped from tree to tree in order to avoid them, vanishing into the forest. Brawl let out a battle cry as he started chasing after the female Spider Con.
"Brawl, don't be a fool! Release me!" Dreadwing ordered.
Brawl didn't hear him and continued to run deeper into the forest, jumping off a ledge and seeing a large pool of Energon on the ground. The brutish Decepticon heard something move in the trees and he immediately followed the trail of Energon, finding Airachnid laying on the ground and backed up to a corner while groaning weakly. Brawl chuckled evilly as he brought out his spike hammer while Airachnid scurried back.
"Looks like the predator's become prey." Brawl mocked. "I'll see you in the Well of all Sparks, bug."
He lifted his hammer up and prepared to kill Airachnid, but then a web line was shot out of nowhere and caught Brawl's hand. Brawl ended up dropping his hammer and tried to pull his hand free, but to no avail.
"What the?!" Brawl asked with a grunt.
Airachnid smirked as it was clear she had been faking her injured state to lure Brawl into a trap. Unable to do anything, Brawl could only look on in fear as Airachnid raised one of her spider legs and slashed at the brutish Decepticon with it, causing him to scream out loud and make a few birds fly away from hearing it. Dreadwing continued to struggle in his webbed-up condition before Breakdown stood up while groaning painfully, rubbing the top of his head.
"Well, that went poorly." Breakdown muttered in annoyance.
The muscular Decepticon approached Dreadwing and managed to tear off the webs that stuck him to the tree.
"So, where's the big dumb tank?" Breakdown questioned, obviously referring to Brawl.
"Recklessly pursuing our target." Dreadwing replied.
"Well I did hear a big scream, so that can't be good for Brawl." Breakdown admitted.
Dreadwing then activated his com-link to try and reach their comrade.
"Brawl, what is your status?" Dreadwing asked, only to get no response. "Brawl!"
Back where Airachnid had set her trap for Brawl, a flashlight was turned on and it revealed the dismembered body of the brutish Decepticon. The flashlight came from a M.E.C.H trooper, who was accompanied by several other troops as he took out a communication device.
"M.E.C.H 1 to Silas and Philip, our manoeuvres have yielded unexpected results. And an unfamiliar face." The trooper informed, looking at the ground to see Brawl's head with a piece of his mouth mask broken off and the left part of his visor shattered open.
"Hmm, perhaps this could somehow work for our little agreement." Philip said on the communicator. "Don't you agree, Silas?"
"Whatever works for you." Silas answered.
(Linebreak)
In a nearby cave, Starscream was seen climbing up a wall to try and reach a small Energon shard. Since he no longer had a T-Cog, it's obvious why he would climb the wall.
"How is it that I have been reduced to seeking Energon scraps merely to survive?" Starscream asked in complaint, reaching the shard and pulling it out.
Unfortunately, Starscream lost his footing and he crashed back down to the floor with the Energon shard. Just as he sat up and held the Energon shard with a miserable groan, Starscream began to notice a large shadow move over him and he heard low snarls nearby. He looked to his left and noticed a large figure walking away to another part of the cave, tempting him to quietly follow it. When Starscream looked into the other room, he saw a familiar bug-like Cybertronian moving some rocks away.
"An Insecticon. On Earth?" Starscream asked, slightly surprised.
The Insecticon pulled out a chunk of Energon from the wall and Starscream approached the bug-like Cybertronian.
"You there, scavenger. Deliver that Energon to me." Starscream ordered, only for the Insecticon to turn away from him. "You dare turn your back on a superior life form? I am Commander Starscream!"
When Starscream smacked the Insecticon on it's back, this agitated it and it began attacking the former air commander with it's middle appendages. Starscream avoided the attacks and fell down, looking back to see the Insecticon approaching him menacingly before he quickly scurried into a nearby hole. The Insecticon tried attack him as Starscream stayed at the very back of the hole.
"Fine! Keep the Energon!" Starscream shouted, narrowly avoiding the Insecticon's deadly claws. "I hope you choke on it!"
The Insecticon roared furiously, but then it started hearing a strange buzzing noise in it's mind that seemed to calm it down. Starscream panted heavily as the Insecticon backed away and it was shown to be walking towards Airachnid, who stood ontop of a rock pile.
"Yes, minion, approach me." Airachnid said, making the Insecticon halt in front of her. "Obey me. Worship me."
The Insecticon kneeled before Airachnid and it handed out the Energon it found earlier to her, making the female Spider Con chuckle.
"You shouldn't have." Airachnid said, reaching towards the Energon.
"What?!" Starscream asked in an outraged tone as he climbed out the hole. "You reject a commander, but grovel at the feet of that wretch?!"
"Starscream, don't get your turbines in a twist. After all, the beast and I are somewhat related." Airachnid admitted as the Insecticon stood up. "You might even say we are of 'one mind'."
"Why are you here? Decepticons never return to stripped mines." Starscream proclaimed.
"You are not the only rogue Decepticon in need of Energon." Airachnid told him, gesturing to her broken spider leg as it leaked Energon.
"Was it a run-in with the Autobots, or did Megatron invite you on one of his field trips?" Starscream asked curiously.
"Megatron was otherwise engaged." Airachnid replied. "But you should see his lackey."
"You know, Airachnid, as fellow outcasts we should consider putting aside our differences." Starscream suggested with a smile. "With this creature under your control and at out disposal, we might employ it to terminate Megatron, allowing us to rule the Decepticons."
"Together?" Airachnid questioned, not feeling interested.
"We would simply need to lure Megatron here, away from his support systems." Starscream explained. "So that we might catch him…"
"With his guard down. An intriguing proposal…if ruling Decepticons or spending any length of time with you were of the slightest interest to me." Airachnid replied, making Starscream quite speechless. "Of course, you had me at terminate Megatron. Payback would be sweet."
"However you wish to spin it." Starscream said assuringly.
"I would need to ensure my assassin is up to the task." Airachnid admitted, smirking sinisterly at the former air commander. "Perhaps a test run is in order."
"What?" Starscream asked as he nervously backed away, realising what Airachnid was referring to. "I thought we were partners?"
"Eviscerate him!" Airachnid ordered.
The Insecticon screeched loudly before it charged at Starscream, causing him to scream in fear.
(Linebreak)
At the Autobot base, Ratchet was working at the main console before he started getting a message.
"What is it?" Bulkhead asked as he and Wheeljack approached the Autobot medic.
"A high frequency signal, with an embedded message." Ratchet answered.
"Again?" Wheeljack questioned as Ratchet saw who the messenger was.
"Starscream. I have obtained information of extreme interest to you." Ratchet read. "Bring medical kit."
The three Autobots looked at each other as they wondered if they should hear Starscream out.
(Linebreak)
Speaking of the former air commander, he was laying against a large boulder while clenching his right side in pain as it leaked Energon. A Ground Bridge appeared in front of Starscream and jumping out of it was Bulkhead and Wheeljack, who had their blasters ready.
"Clear!" Bulkhead called out.
Ratchet then emerged from the Ground Bridge with his medical kit and approached Starscream.
"Make it fast." Ratchet told him.
"It would appear that, like myself, Airachnid has gone rogue." Starscream said.
"What's it to us?" Ratchet questioned with uninterested expression.
"She's planning to retaliate against Me…mankind. I can provide you with her current location." Starscream offered.
"I don't believe you." Ratchet said, glaring hardly at the former air commander.
"Neither do we, Screamy." Wheeljack added.
"Why wouldn't you?" Starscream asked rhetorically. "I directed you to the location of the Decepticon Space Bridge so you could rescue Orion Pax, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but then you helped M.E.C.H steal Bumblebee's T-Cog." Bulkhead replied with a frown.
"So? He got it back, didn't he?" Starscream questioned in nervousness.
Ratchet still didn't believe him and scoffed before walking back to the Ground Bridge with Bulkhead and Wheeljack, which made Starscream even more desperate as he stood up.
"I admit! Aligning myself with those vile humans was a colossal error in judgment! But I am alone, I do what I must to survive!" Starscream pleaded before collapsing on his knees. "But I have paid the price. I am now the one missing his T-Cog."
Bulkhead, Wheeljack and Bulkhead turned around as they were surprised to hear this.
"You're grounded?" Wheeljack asked.
"Thus of little if any threat to you." Starscream replied. "But, Airachnid and her Insecticon intend to…"
"An Insecticon?" Ratchet repeated in shock. "Here?"
"How?" Bulkhead questioned.
"I would have asked, but I was too busy squeezing through a narrow crevice trying to keep the vermin from chewing my leg off!" Starscream stated drastically. "While Airachnid watched."
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile on the Nemesis, Dreadwing reported his and Breakdown's failed mission to Megatron and Brawl's obvious demise.
"The reason for our inability to locate Brawl's signal is all too clear. But how is it that you and Breakdown were unable to recover his remains?" Megatron questioned Dreadwing in a furious tone, until he heard a beeping noise coming from the terminal. "What is it?"
Soundwave activated the terminal and it started playing a communication from Airachnid.
"Heard from Brawl lately?" The female Spider Con asked.
"Trace the communication." Megatron ordered, causing Soundwave to nod and do just that.
"Megatron, truly? You sent simply henchmen to terminate a high-ranking officer." Airachnid said. "I thought you reserved that honour for yourself?"
"Is that a challenge?" Megatron demanded.
"An invitation. And since Soundwave is no doubt tracing this signal, you know where to find me." Airachnid replied before she hung up, while her location was shown on the terminal's screen.
"I'll be back." Megatron said, preparing to leave.
"Allow me to accompany you." Dreadwing offered.
"You already had your chance." Megatron replied before taking his leave, while Dreadwing still suspected he was walking into a trap.
"I don't think Lord Megatron is gonna have an easy time with her." Breakdown admitted, watching from the back with Knock Out and Wildrider.
"On the bright side, that stupid spider didn't kill you." Wildrider replied. "If that happened, Knock Out probably would've had me buffing his paint job for him."
"Mmm…maybe." Knock Out said while looking away sheepishly.
(Linebreak)
In the Autobot base, Ratchet displayed Airachnid's current location on the main screen. The Autobots were looking at it from behind with the Hexside Squad to help them out on this mission as Amity's arm was now fully healed, but Vee remained at the Noceda residence to help look after the place while Camila was working a night shift.
"The coordinates Starscream provided are within an abandoned Decepticon mine." Ratchet explained.
"Then Airachnid's still gotta be in there." Luz said.
"Hold on, you just fixed him up and set him on his way?" Arcee asked in disbelief.
"Did you forget what Starscream tried to do with my T-Cog?" Bumblebee questioned.
"I'd never wanna trust that Con in my whole life." Gus added while crossing his arms.
"What were we supposed to do? Take him back here?" Wheeljack asked rhetorically.
"Not that I wouldn't jump at any chance to put Airachnid down, but she isn't the only one who tried robbing me of a partner." Arcee said with a scowl, thinking back to when Starscream revealed he tried killing Cliffjumper.
"You're still thinking about that, Arcee?" Cliffjumper questioned. "I thought you got over that?"
"It's not like he would've tried to take Cliff offline in the last few times you encountered him." Amity added.
"And you weren't there, Arcee. Starscream was weak, defenceless." Bulkhead told the female Autobot.
"And learning of the Insecticon child prove highly tactical. Starscream's Intel has proved credible in the past." Ratchet reminded.
"Ratchet's right. If it wasn't for Starscream, we never would've been able to help Optimus get his memories back." Willow proclaimed.
"Sure! When he wasn't busy stabbing us in the back!" Arcee argued.
"We don't even know if this is just some trap." Hunter said with a suspicious frown.
"Without the resources we possessed on Cybertron, we lack ready means of capturing imprisoning our enemies." Optimus said, approaching everyone. "Nonetheless, I do not condone the termination of any defenceless life form."
(Linebreak)
At the same time, Megatron was flying bellow some thunderclouds in her vehicle mode and he arrived at the abandoned mine, soaring into the entrance and transforming before landing on the ground. The Decepticon leader walked forward and Airachnid appeared from behind the rock pile.
"You don't waste time." Airachnid commented.
"Your stay of execution has come to an end." Megatron announced, aiming his arm cannon at her and preparing to fire it.
But suddenly, the Insecticon attacked him from the back wall and they rolled across the floor before Megatron threw the bug-like Cybertronian away. The Insecticon recovered and it roared furiously at Megatron.
"I will leave you two to get aquatinted." Airachnid said, crawling onto a nearby rock platform.
Megatron turned his attention to the Insecticon, remembering how it's kind had pledged allegiance to him during the war for Cybertron.
"Bow before Megatron, your leader." Megatron ordered.
But due to being controlled by Airachnid's hive mind, the Insecticon ignored him and charged at him.
"I said bow-" Megatron was interrupted when the Insecticon grabbed him by the head and threw him away.
Megatron attempted to get up, but the Insecticon tackled him into the wall and he struggled to free himself while Airachnid watched with a sly smirk. Using all his strength, Megatron freed his right arm and used his cannon to blast the bug-like Cybertronian away. The Insecticon transformed into it's flying insect form and Megatron attempted to shoot it, only for Airachnid to suddenly fire her webs at his cannon and make it power down. The Insecticon flew at Megatron and slammed him straight into the wall two times before tossing him into the wall, swiftly slashing him on his upper shoulder and making him cry out painfully. When the Insecticon flew down, it fired a few laser shots from it's horn and sent Megatron crashing back down to the ground before transforming and landing in front of the Decepticon leader. Megatron stood back up and touched his wound, seeing some Energon on his hand as Airachnid laughed deviously at the sight. The Insecticon charged at Megatron again, only for the Decepticon leader to smack it away and leave Airachnid surprised.
"You and your beast would do well to remember, I honed my skills in the pits of Kaon!" Megatron shouted while pulling out his blade.
He and the Insecticon charged at each other and they engaged in a power struggle. Meanwhile, a Ground Bridge appeared outside the cave and Team Prime and the Hexside Squad emerged from it.
"Well, this is it." Luz said grimly as they wall looked down the entrance.
"Proceed with extreme caution." Optimus instructed.
Megatron used his blade to block incoming attacks from the Insecticon's extra appendages before attacking himself, only for the Insecticon to avoid all of his deadly swipes. The bug-like Cybertronian jumped onto the wall and then tackled Megatron.
"Finish him!" Airachnid ordered impatiently, not noticing the Autobots and Hexside Squad arriving on a higher ledge and watching.
"Wow, Scream never mentioned Megatron." Wheeljack admitted, surprised to see the Decepticon leader fighting the Insecticon.
"I don't think any of us expected him to be here." Gus replied.
"It would seem Starscream orchestrated this convergence, in the hope that all his enemies would destroy each other on his behalf." Optimus realised.
"And we fell for it." Bulkhead said with a frustrated sigh.
"I'm actually glad he's here. I still have a score to settle with that monster." Amity said with a frown, remembering when Megatron had broken her arm.
"Well you can have whatever's left of Megatron. Airachnid's mine." Arcee replied sternly before she transformed and drove down a rock ramp.
"Arcee, wait!" Luz called out.
"Hold on!" Cliffjumper shouted.
As Megatron and the Insecticon kept fighting, Arcee leaped above them in midair and transformed before she tackled Airachnid and tossed her into the wall. Airachnid recovered and glared at her Nemesis.
"You." She growled.
Arcee brought out her wrist blades and charged straight at Airachnid. Back at the floor, the Insecticon kicked Megatron back with it's strength, only for the Decepticon leader to retaliate by invoking the bug-like Cybertronian into the wall. Seeing his foe temporarily down, Megatron looked up and saw that Airachnid had vanished from her platform, only for him to then set his sights on the Autobots and the Hexside Squad.
"So many surprises today!" Megatron remarked before he attacked the Insecticon, which tried to pull a sneak attack on him.
"I'm gonna go after Arcee!" Luz told her friends. "I'm sure the rest of you can handle Megatron and that bug!"
"Understood, Luz." Optimus replied with a nod. "Be carful."
"Good luck, mi amor." Amity said kindly, giving her girlfriend a quick kiss.
"You really have been learning your Spanish." Luz quipped.
Hunter tossed his witch staff to Luz and she used it to fly over to the other platform, safely landing on it and then chasing after her Autobot guardian. Airachnid backed away while firing web shots at Arcee, but the female Autobot avoided them all and fired her blasters. The female Spider Con used her spider legs to drill her way through the wall and Arcee repeatedly fired her blasters into the hole before she began climbing into it to pursue her nemesis. Luz soon arrived and looked into the hole, realising that Arcee had gone into it.
"Well, time for some tunnel travelling." Luz said to herself before she jumped into the hole with Hunter's staff in hand.
(Linebreak)
Megatron smacked the Insecticon in it's face and then grabbed it's extra appendages, making the bug-like Cybertronian cry out in pain before the Decepticon leader kicked it away and made it's appendages get ripped off in the process. Throwing the appendages away, Megatron charged straight at the Insecticon and swiftly sliced off it's head with his blade, making it roll across the ground while the rest of it's body collapsed as Megatron panted in agitation.
"Let that be a warning to anyone who dares cross a gladiator of Kaon! Be they Decepticon…" Megatron said victoriously before Team Prime and the Hexside Squad landed around him and prepared their respective weapons/magic abilities to use on him. "Or Autobot and Witches."
Megatron attempted to walk, but he then collapsed to the ground as it was clear the battle with the Insecticon had weakened him. Optimus stood over his old enemy, who was now at his mercy.
"It would seem that I am unarmed and at your mercy." Megatron admitted. "So tell me, Optimus, do you plan to take me alive…or end this here and now?"
"Optimus?" Willow asked with an unsure expression.
Optimus silently stared at Megatron as everyone else looked at each other to see what his answer would be, until the Autobot leader brought out his blaster and aimed it at his old foe. But before he could fire his weapon, a rain of blaster shots came down upon them and it was revealed to be coming from Dreadwing and an army of air Vehicons.
"The surprises never cease." Megatron said.
Before Team Prime or the Hexside Squad could do anything else, they found themselves surrounded by Dreadwing and the Vehicons as they aimed their blasters at them.
"Oh scrap." Jazz muttered worriedly.
"I really wish Vee didn't stay at the house." Hunter whispered.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, Arcee slid down the tunnel and aimed her blasters around before seeing Airachnid was nowhere in sight. She began to crawl her way through the tunnel, until she felt something sticky on her hand and saw they were covered in webs.
"Scrap." Arcee muttered before she was pulled out and wrapped in a cocoon, dangling from a tree that Airachnid sat over.
As Arcee struggled to free herself, Airachnid grabbed her by the face and hung upside down towards her nemesis.
"This may not be the day that I take Megatron's Spark, but it is the day I remove yours." Airachnid declared, only for her to suddenly get knocked away by a missile that exploded in her position on the ground.
Arcee looked ahead and gained a surprised expression when she saw that the missile came from Starscream, who smirked at Airachnid as she laid on the ground in an injured state.
"How right you were, Airachnid. Payback is sweet!" Starscream remarked as he slid down the hill and fired his second missile, causing Airachnid to tunnel into the ground and avoid it while making her escape.
(Linebreak)
Back in the cave, the Autobots and Hexside Squad were still surrounded by Dreadwing and his Vehicon troops.
"Deliver Megatron to us and I will allow you to live." Dreadwing ordered.
"Never trust a Con! Kick bucket-head's bucket!" Bulkhead stated.
"Do it, Optimus!" Hunter called out.
Optimus looked down at Megatron for a moment before he turned his attention to Dreadwing.
"Dreadwing, do I have your word?" Optimus asked reasonably.
There was a very long pause in the area as the Autobots and Hexside Squad could feel the intensity, wanting to know what was going to happen in the end. In the end, Dreadwing placed his cannon away to show that he was indeed giving Optimus his word, causing the Autobot leader to do the same. Dreadwing then approached Megatron as the Autobots and Hexside Squad joined Optimus by his side.
"Really wish he pulled the trigger." Gus mumbled under his breath.
"My liege." Dreadwing said, helping Megatron back on his feet.
"Dreadwing may have given you his word, but I did not!" Megatron told the Autobots and witches with a glare. "Destroy them!"
The Vehicons began firing their blasters and this caused the Autobots to fire in retaliation, while the Hexside Squad defended themselves with their own magic. Amity fired Abomination balls from a gooey bazooka, Willow stabbed some Vehicons with some large vines, Gus used some illusion tricks to distract the Vehicons for his friends and Hunter used some Glyphs he borrowed from Luz for self-defence. Megatron and Dreadwing transformed and they both flew their way out of the cave, managing to get into the sky.
"You disobeyed my orders in following me here. You will make a fine first lieutenant." Megatron complemented before he and Dreadwing flew ahead to arrive back at the Nemesis.
Back inside the cave, the Autobots and Hexside Squad had managed to destroy all of the Vehicons and were pretty relieved to have survived.
"That was intense." Cliffjumper admitted.
"Way more intense than what we're used to." Amity said while panting a bit.
(Linebreak)
On the surface in the woods, Starscream saw Arcee in her captive state and circled around her.
"Now if there's one thing I despise nearly as much as eight-leggers…it's two-wheelers." Starscream said with a smirk.
Just then, Luz flew out of the hole Arcee was pulled out of while riding Hunter's staff and she aimed two Fire Glyphs at Starscream.
"Don't even think about it, Starscream." Luz said warningly.
"You should listen to her." Arcee agreed.
"As I recollect, in a similar predicament you once allowed me to live." Starscream reminded as he bared his claws and made Luz power up her Glyphs, only for the former air commander to slice Arcee down from the tree she hung from. "Consider us even. She's yours to take care of, little girl."
Luz put her Glyphs away and landed next to Arcee before they heard her com-link activate.
"Arcee, Luz, what is your status?" Optimus asked on the com-link.
"In need of assist, but alive." Arcee answered with a sigh. "And so is Airachnid."
"At least Megatron took care of our other bug problem." Wheeljack reassured.
"Just hold on, you two. We're on our way." Willow said.
"We'll be waiting. Over and out." Luz replied before Arcee shut off her com-link.
Luz then made a large ice piece with one of her Glyphs and she used it to cut Arcee out of her cocoon.
"That's probably the third time you've gone after that bug just to get payback for your old partner." Luz told her Autobot guardian, frowning slightly.
"Well, you've never even lost someone important to you." Arcee retorted, not even looking at her.
"I've lost my dad when I was just a little girl. But I never tried getting revenge." Luz replied firmly. "You shouldn't keep doing that either, Arcee."
"But Airachnid deserves it for what she put both of us through! Like when she threatened to kill your mom!" Arcee argued.
"At what cost?!" Luz questioned angrily, making Arcee silent in surprise. "What would Tailgate think if he saw what you tried to do to Airachnid all those times?! Or how about that time you tried to kill Starscream after you found out he tried to destroyed Cliffjumper?! It's not worth loosing who you are to revenge. It's a sickness that eats away at you and makes you into a badder person than the other one. You're so focused on the pain of the past that you don't even see the here and now. To see the damage you're doing to yourself. Don't mistake it for justice, Arcee."
After hearing this, Arcee lowered her head down and thought about all those times she intended to destroy Airachnid. Luz was right, Tailgate wouldn't have wanted her to take revenge for his death or even make others pay for trying to take away her other friends.
"When did you get so good with speeches?" Arcee asked, giving Luz a grateful smile.
"I might've gotten it from the sixth instalment of Good Witch Azura, where some of her friends manage to convince her not to seek revenge on the undead warlord that killed her parents." Luz replied, rubbing the back of her head with an awkward smile.
"Of course, you did." Arcee said as both of them smiled kindly at each other while waiting for the rest of their team to arrive.
(Linebreak)
Meanwhile, Airachnid drilled her way back undergoing and found herself in a large tunnel, still injured.
"Starscream, I vow I will have your head." Airachnid swore in anger.
But then, she began to hear a familiar sound in her hive mind and she followed it to a nearby hole. Airachnid crawled into the hole and soon emerged from the other side, finding herself in a ginormous open cave room that was filled with Insecticons sleeping inside a bunch of stasis pods.
"So my warrior was merely a scout." Airachnid said as she now had an Insecticon army at her disposal.
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