Spectre: That took a while, and I just spent my time customizing the new Windblade figure I brought by making it color-accurate like it was in the show. And I found a Thrilling 30 version of her at a killer price, so there's also that.

Anyways, when this chapter was posted, had issues with reviews and data not being synced. So it is likely that reviews from the previous chapters were not saved during the first few days after the previous chapter was posted. It's sort of fine now.

As said earlier, the fic would somewhat focus on Airachnid, giving a few details of her life before she became a Con.

Zoomerfish: Appreciate that it did! The reason why I had Blitzwing give a hard time to both Prime and Bee was because of course, to establish him as a threat (Around the level of Shockwave or Skyquake). Not only that but likely at the implication that they are unfamiliar as to how they would fight him.

JustinTheSpider: I'm unsure, to be honest. I don't want to bloat the teams too much. I'm considering putting Jetfire and Windblade (Being a mentor and protege duo) in the Autobots but I'm still unsure.

LongingResider: Airachnid would get her turn soon, but much later in the story. And that's how homies helped one another /s. And yes, I might put some scenes aboard the Nemesis that involves Lugnut and Blitzwing.

Chapter 10: Trust and Doubt

"Another trophy from your little hunt, Air?"

Airachnid only spared a glance at her companion juggling the head of a Fur Walker tribesman for her amusement, who merely chuckled at the impassiveness shown to her hobby. "You know me too well, 'Arachnia", she bared a fanged smile at her fellow Fateweaver, who merely crossed her arms in response to the playful banter, not minding the corpse several feet away from them. "A fine addition to my collection if I say so myself"

"You don't say...", Blackarachnia merely rolled her optics at that. "Your penchant for trophies got the others keeping tabs on what you're doing"

"Well, just because I am not interested in seeing the future doesn't mean I'm not free to pursue my interests, aren't I?", Airachnid asked back in a carefree tone, turning her head to face her fellow tribe member. "Are you going to tell them, then?"

"Not really", Blackarachnia admitted, having been aware of the gossip that her fellow sisters were murmuring regarding Airachnid. "I just wanted to make sure you're doing well on your own even if it meant not following our tribe's norms"

"Bah...", Airachnid only passed a wave of dismissal of her servo at her fellow Arachnicon. "Where is the thrill in knowing what will happen rather than leaving it a surprise for me to deal with in the present?"

Blackarachnia did not immediately respond but saw how true her words were to an extent if spoken from another point of view. "Always the maverick, aren't you?", the Fateweaver chose not to press the matter further. "At this rate, the Fur Walkers will notice how many of their kin were going missing"

"Cheetor can sniff his nose somewhere else", she referred to the Fur Walker Tribe Leader with utter disregard and without concern. "Preferably not in the time when emissaries from this group called Autobots coming in for a diplomatic mission. Or so I heard"

Blackarachnia looked at her impassively. Even though they had been trained since the days of their inception, Airachnid's thirst for both adventure and hunting made her stand ou from the rest of her tribe. Although consistently avoiding the rituals and rites that left the others frustrated, the Fateweaver is likewise happy as she is envious of Airachnid's assertion of independence unlike her, even though Airachnid's tendencies to display a visible thrill whenever she acquires her trophies never cease to leave her unsettled.

"Come on, Tarantula is waiting for us at the Coven", Airachnid finally stood up, deciding to keep the severed head for later. "At least you could try and make up for it with an attendance on one of their meetings with the Autobots"

She received a smirk in response from the Head Hunter. "As you wish, Heiress of the Fateweavers", she teased, knowing she could rely on her whenever she had to deal with her fellow tribe members.

Her fellow Arachnicon gave a mild guffaw at that. "Call me that again, and I'll throw you out of the ravine", she mock-warned her before the two made their way back to the Coven.

CLANG!

A pair of magenta eyes slowly opened when the sound of a metal pipe crashing against the concrete invaded Airachnid's ears, causing her to wake up from her nap inside her makeshift cell, a frown becoming visible on her face as she found it irritating to be disturbed while she rested. The former Arachnicon held her temples, wondering what she had just seen based on what she could remember and how it happened to her.

The Autobots had not returned yet, having decided to act at once from what she had told them in order to deprive Megatron of any advantage he may have against them. Not that she worried as she hoped to find them to at least appear in a sorry state to make it all up the worthwhile during her stay here.

Speaking of the warlord, he had already recovered from his injuries following the destruction of the Space Bridge and continued to badger against on what she would refer to as a guerilla movement. As understandable as his own desire to see them destroyed, it was far impractical as they now have free reign in rebuilding Cybertron in his own image but chose to go after the Autobots because of his need to eliminate them.

Which Airachnid would find very idiotic of him because of his own detrimental decisions. And it wouldn't be far fetched if his own hubris and his pettiness towards Prime would be his downfall. Not that she was too concerned about, especially if it would mean getting them off her radar.

"Eureka! I finally done it!", the voice of the Autobot newcomer proudly proclaimed as he held out his servo holding his latest creation while Ratchet hastily worked on the broken relic.

"And what have you done this time, Que?", the medic queried, wondering what came out of his processors at this time,

"Improvised Energon Suppressors!", the inventor marveled over his creation, a spherical object with an explosive sequence in its system. "Or I would like to call them Poppers! Once detonated, Cons would be in for a shock with their systems!"

"That's very impressive, but I need you to put it away before it could damage any equipment inside the base", Ratchet plainly advised the inventor. "You could test it later after the others return to see how will it perform on the field"

Que took his advice, and poised his way to the desk, forgetting the fact that one of the metal pipes he dropped during its completion caused him to lose his balance and trip forward face first, resulting in one of the Popper's escaping the grip of his servos. One of the Suppressors tumbled near one of the machines in the base and activated its detonation sequence, causing it to explode and cause nearby machinery to be rendered offline as a result.

"QUE!", the inventor heard Ratchet's distressed call as he went over to off-lined equipment, grimacing at the current state it was in. "I needed that!"

Que looked over for a moment and observed the sorry state it was left in ."Haven't seen you using it, so I doubt it", he lamely reasoned out, to Ratchet's frustration. "But no worries! I'll have it fixed in no time!, he then assured him.

"Make sure you do, Que...", Ratchet took a moment to calm himself, seeing how this only happened the first time. "While appreciated, our objective is to make sure the relic is fixed and Arcee returned to her former self. Your other creations will have to wait"

"Of course, of course!", the inventor quickly agreed with Ratchet's advice. "Right after I have completed the Wrecking Ball for Bulkhead", he further added in what appeared to be a murmur.

Ratchet rolled his optics. Even though the inventor was more than eager to do his part to contribute to the team, he could be a little too zealous when it comes to creating what seemed to be tools of mass destruction if not used properly. But so far, this is just the first incident. And he was already hoping that there wouldn't be any other future accidents because of him.

"Everything all right out there?", the two heard the voice of Agent Fowler entering the premises holding a large paper bag. "I heard a commotion"

The two Autobots present looked at one another, with the medic crossing his arms while sparing a glance at the inventor, to which Que scratched his faceplates in embarrassment. "Just a minor altercation, Agent Fowler", Ratchet simply stated. "And may we know as to you are here at this hour?"

The official looked over at the paper bag he was holding. "Just something to keep your guest up and running as long as you need her inside", he replied, looking over at her space. "Is she around?"

Ratchet pointed at the office space at the other side. "Over there, as usual. Though I advise caution whenever you intend to visit her", he added before he motioned Que to return to their work. The agent walked over to the door of the office space, hesitating for one moment as he pondered how would she react at this hour. Deciding to just get on with it, he knocked on the door and waited for the occupant inside to respond.

"Who is it?", the familiar, irritated voice called out behind the door.

Fowler cleared his throat. "Relax, Spidey. It's just me and what you need for lunch and supper. Mind if I come in?"

A pause ensued, and Fowler patiently waited for a response. "Whatever, just make it quick", her voice reached out to him, indicating disinterest in any company.

He turned the doorknob and entered, eyes widening in fascination as he looked as to how different her 'cell' is now. "Wow, quite the handiwork in here, Spidey", Fowler professed, admiring the pristine condition of the office space compared to his last visit. "You've been cleaning this whole time?"

"You may say that, and their antics ruined my rest", she answered him in a bitter and irritated tone, obviously referring to Ratchet and Que while she watched the agent placing the paper bag down on the table. "You will have to excuse my rather decrepit state"

Fowler looked over her a bit carefully, noticing her hair had become unkempt and her clothes had splotches of dust all around her. "I guess I'll have to ask June if she had any extras at their house. And a few utilities for cleaning"

It was a proposition that she didn't protest or give any mind; she was in need of a cleanup right now. "And what of Prime and his lackeys?", she changed the subject. "Are they still alive?"

He looked over her, not seeing what is wrong in not telling. "Last I heard is that they're already having a truffle with some of your friends out there", he answered the former Decepticon. "Should be able to take care of them"

The purplette scoffed at the statement. "I wouldn't refer to them as my friends, fleshling", she said sarcastically. "More like associates of convenience until they are not. Should I say the same to you and of the Autobots?"

Fowler looked surprised at the query she gave him. "It's more than that, Spidey. If anything, the team and I get along pretty well ever since they came along in Jasper"

She looked at him impassively, wondering as to how Optimus managed to get people like this one to become one of their allies. But there's no one to tell if it was only a matter of convenience rather than obligation. "Oh? Are you certain it would last once Megatron has been dealt with?"

"Of course", the man firmly stood with his stance, adjusting his tie.. "What do you think? We're just gonna pull a Benedict Arnold to them just like that once the Cons are gone?"

"Who?", Airachnid asked with a raised eyebrow, genuinely unaware of the name.

"Benedict Arnold?", Fowler repeated, assuming that she had known. "Loyal till he was not?"

The former Decepticon looked at him, her face becoming deadpanned. "Never heard of him"

"Right..."

Bulkhead skidded away with his feet against the rough terrain, watching as a massive boulder was thrown at him by the bomber. Activating his mace, he swung his weapon to break the boulder apart, creating a mild dust cloud that blurred his line of sight. He did not have a second to act immediately when Lugnut charged right at him with his shoulder, pinning him with his weight. With this, Lugnut slammed Bulkhead with ferocious vigor as he repeatedly used his fists to bash the Wrecker's faceplates.

Bulkhead's optics blinked repeatedly as he was in the process of regaining his bearings, widening in alarm when Lugnut's servos were grasped together to deal with a massive blow against the Autobot's head. "SURRENDER! AND FACE MEGATRON'S JUDGEMENT!", the bomber triumphantly proclaimed.

"You talk too much...", Bulkhead retorted, using a free hand to grasp a nearby boulder beside him and bashed it against Lugnut's face, momentarily disorienting the Decepticon and allowing the Wrecker to be freed from his grasp by kicking the bomber a distance away from him.

On the other side, Wheeljack narrowly dodged a swing from Breakdown's hammer, causing it to be embedded in the ground, which prompted the Wrecker to move in and poised to slice apart the Decepticon with his swords with an overhead strike. However, Breakdown quickly reacted and blocked the swords with his hammer, resulting in a lock between them. Using this chance, Breakdown activated the turret on his left, firing a shot that forced Wheeljack to disengage from the Con, who promptly used this chance to land an underhanded swing in his mace that sent the Wrecker flying momentarily before he skidded next to Bulkhead.

"Face your doom, Autobots!", Breakdown heard his partner's proclamation as he witnessed his fist crashing down towards their position once again. Taking this as a warning, Breakdown backed away while the Wreckers scrambled to get into a safe distance, getting away in time to avoid the blast radius.

The two made their way behind a boulder, away from the Cons in the meantime. "We'll have to think fast if we're gonna bring these two down", Bulkhead muttered in frustration, watching as the two Decepticons walked towards them, with the intent to snuff out their Sparks for good. "Unless we could somehow use Lugnut's fist as a game changer, we're good as scrap if we stalled long enough"

Wheeljack took a moment to think, watching as Breakdown pulled out the Polarity Gauntlet, activating it to swat away several pieces of metallic scrap before them. "I got an idea, Bulk", the white Wrecker said before he turned to his partner. "But it's gonna be a long shot"

Lugnut and Breakdown's approach was interrupted when a hail of blaster fire came from the two Autobot Wreckers, prompting them to go after Wheeljack first. However, the bomber watched as Bulkhead descended towards him, tackling him to the ground as a means to separate him from Wheeljack.

"Best if you get out somebody else's business while you still can!", Breakdown taunted the white Wrecker before him, readying both the gauntlet and his hammer. "This fight is between Bulkhead and me!"

Wheeljack's response was a fist straight to the plate that covered Breakdown's right optic. "You made it ours when you decided to go after the Wreckers!", he shot back, striking Breakdown's chassis with a well-aimed blaster shot. Momentarily stunned, Breakdown watched as Wheeljack lunged both his swords at him, only for the Con to sidestep out of the way and quickly use the gauntlet to deprive the Wrecker of his swords, sending them a distance away from him. With all his might, Breakdown swung the hammer against Wheeljack. But to his shock, Wheeljack grabbed the wrist of his right arm with both hands, mustering all his strength to quickly move against him, and used his head to bash the middle of Breakdown's face.

Disoriented, Breakdown could not act in time when a pair of fists repeatedly struck his face in a furious flurry, before finishing it with an uppercut against Breakdown's chin, the Decepticon lost his grip on the relic, allowing Wheeljack to catch it on time and promptly wear it with his servos. "Anytime now, Jackie!", he heard Bulkhead's urgent voice calling out, as he was lifted and then thrown aside by the Bomber. "NOW YOU RETURN TO THE ALLSPARK!", Lugnut took up in the air once more, the thrusters of his elbows increasing the destructive power of his fist.

Using this chance, Wheeljack manipulated the blue Decepticon's incoming swing of his hammer, levitating him towards Bulkhead, who backed away at the last second. Bearing shocked expressions with their faceplates but helpless to do anything, Breakdown's hammer collided with Lugnut's punch in an oil derrick near them.

What happened next was a massive explosive pillar that consumed everything in its vicinity. And those that didn't were propelled up into the air, as in the case of Lugnut and Breakdown as they were sent flying away from the two Autobots and from the general location while the latter watched in mild awe of the spectacle.

"Guess they're blasting off to new horizons, eh Bulk?", Wheeljack joked, as he watched the duo disappear into parts unknown. He went over and gave the relic to Bulkhead, ensuring that it was switched off before he tapped into his coms. "Might as well tell Doc that we're done here"

Bulkhead nodded at that, creating a line between them and the base. "Ratchet, we got the relic and we could use a Ground Bridge on the way back", he reported to the medic, who was surprised at the development.

"Very well, activating Ground Bridge at once"

Bumblebee found himself being struck by a harsh slam coming from Blitzwing's elbow, before realizing that thr Triple Changer had fired a cryogenic beam onto his feet, freezing him in place. "Tell me where your friends are hiding, Autobot", the Decepticon's 'Icy' exterior demanded him as he held the Scout by his neck.

The Autobot only replied with a defiant glare towards the Decepticon, who only raised his left arm, activating it to reveal a needle-like blade with a clear intention at hand. "Then suffer in silence", Blitzwing simply said as he moved to lunge the blade into Bumblebee, but not before a pair of servos gripped his arm before an elbow broke the weapon in half by Optimus Prime.

Bee used this opportunity to activate his blasters, shooting the ground to free himself from his icy prison as Optimus went for an overhead strike against the Triple Changer that was blocked by his arms before activating his turrets, forcing the Prime to back away and evade the line of fire. Bringing the Liquefier to bear, Blitzwing activated the relic to unleash orange waves that the Prime quickly evaded and was quickly rejoined by the Scout.

Blitzwing switched back to his tank mode, firing a powerful salvo of his cannons against a nearby boulder when they retreated behind, reducing it to smoking rubble. When it finally cleared, the pair of Autobots had vanished."Where are yooooou?", Blitzwing gleefully called out with his 'Random' persona, scouting the area for the two Autobots who retreated deeper into the jungles of the island as he held the Liquefier on his servos. "Would you like to come and play?". His face then shifted to its 'Hothead' persona. "Or would you like to get scrapped once I have my servos on the both of you?!", he then roared out.

Creeping his head from the side, Optimus took his time to assess the situation further. Blitzwing proved to be quite the adversary and would not be defeated by typical means, not when he held a lethal weapon capable of reducing them to nothing. He heard Bumblebee's tiny beeps from the side as he waited for his leader's instruction. 'How are we going to take him down Optimus? We can't touch him if he has the relic to touch us!'

"I am aware, Bumblebee", he told the Scout as he continued to observe the Triple Changer. "As long as Blitzwing held the relic, there is no guarantee that he could be stopped unless we can attack him on both sides"

Bee's reply was a series of urgent beeps to the leader, who promptly went to his side, 'whispering' his idea to the Autobot leader.

Blitzwing's optics scurried back and forth as he attempted to locate the Autobots, swiveling the cannons behind his back as he prepared for an ambush from those two. Raising the Liquefier, the relic's waves melted everything in its path, nature and wildlife alike as he continued his search. However, the sound of a broken twig invaded his audio receptors, causing him to quickly turn his head to its location, and he found Bumblebee staring at him in shock as he attempted to get away from him. "PEEK-ABOO! I SEE YOU!", Blitzwing's 'Random' persona called out gleefully, swiveling down his cannons to open fire against the Scout who quickly got out of the way and returned fire with his blasters.

On the other side, Optimus rained down fire against the Triple Changer, who activated the relic towards the leader. Jumping away from his now-melting position, Optimus charged toward Blitzwing, firing both explosive and cryogenic beams against the leader. Bumblebee took this chance, dashing towards Blitzwing and giving a hard stomp to his heel as he attempted to keep up the fire against Optimus. "Coward! Come here and fight!", the 'Hothead' angrily called out, but not before he saw Optimus's chassis open, revealing a blue beam that fired harmlessly onto the relic he was holding. Not wasting any second, Blitzwing gave a frontal kick that caused the Prime to skid away from the Triple Changer.

Blitzwing angrily glared at the Autobot, raising the relic once more, only for nothing to happen as he attempted to use it against Optimus. "What the frag?!", the Triple Changer attempted to activate the relic, to no avail as he continuously tried pulling the trigger. "Why isn't this working?! What have you-"

No response came as a fist landed on his face by the Autobot Scout, prompting him to slam him against his elbows but Bumblebee stood his ground, activating his blasters to fire against the Triple Changer. Evading the shots, Blitzwing raised the relic against the Scout, who evaded the incoming waves in time. But before he could deal with the Scout further, a hail of blaster fire came towards him from an incoming Optimus Prime, prompting him to back away to a safe distance and activate the hatches of his wrist to reveal an arsenal of missiles, which launched one by one against the leader.

The Triple Changer extended his right arm to activate the missiles of his wrist and fired at the charging Autobot leader. Reacting quickly, Optimus jumped over the first two projectiles, and shoulder rolling under the third. Activating his right hand into one of his blasters once more, he fired directly into the fourth missile, resulting in an explosion and a mass of black smoke that blurred Blitzwing's vision.

The Decepticon's optics scurried back and forth as he tried to locate the Prime before him until Optimus emerged from the smoke, Energon Blade at the wrist. Blitzwing lunged in with his left fist that was narrowly avoided by the Prime when he lowered his head. Using this opening, Optimus slashed through the left side of Blitzwing's waist, causing the Triple Changer to drop to one knee in pain.

Before he knew it, Bumblebee was in front of him, lunging in with a fist onto his faceplates. The Con swiveled down his turrets in an attempt to destroy the scout, but Optimus quickly moved in and sliced those weapons before a kick from Bee further disoriented him, followed by two more punches from the left and right side of his faceplates.

With one final punch in the middle of his optics, the Liquefier was freed from Blitzwing's grasp as he fell to his knees, finally defeated and the relic caught by Optimus' servos. Once he had regained his bearings, the Triple Changer glared at them with restrained fury, jumping to transform into his flight form and boosting away from the island.

Watching as the Con retreated, Bumblebee allowed himself to crash onto the sandy surface with his back, relieved that it was finally over with. 'Mission accomplished, Optimus', he beeped, watching as Optimus observed the relic a bit further,

"Indeed, old friend", the leader said with a smile behind his faceplates, activating his coms. "Ratchet, Blitzwing has retreated and we have the relic. Have the Ground Bridge ready at our coordinates"

"You're right on time, Bulkhead and Wheeljack have also retrieved the Polarity Gauntlet from Lugnut and Breakdown", the medic stated. "I suppose Airachnid's testimonies have their merits, even though I find her honesty to be doubtful"

The leader's optics narrowed, still finding it strange that her leads had resulted in their latest incursions. "Have Agent Fowler escort Airachnid so that we may speak to her regarding recent developments. We may yet to learn more from her once we have returned"

"Copy, activating Ground Bridge"

The the Ground Bridge swirled harmlessly within the base premises upon activation, with the occupants inside watching as Optimus and Bumblebee stepped out of the vortex. Airachnid, having been cuffed and escorted by Fowler, sat in her usual spot of her interrogations as she observed the numerous dents and scratches all over their frames while Optimus held the relic with his servos.

"Ah, you survived", Airachnid greeted them, unsurprised that they indeed had despite hoping for more than a few scratches inflicted on them. "And how is your little treasure hunt?"

Bumblebee passed her a deadpanned look to her sarcastic face, after having to face a volatile Decepticon who gave them enough trouble for today. Optimus passed over the Liquefier to the medic, who took a few moments to examine the relic. "Unsafe to be wielded by either side, which is why I chose to disable it", Optimus said, prompting Ratchet to put it away storage. "And Blitzwing had rejoined Megatron's side when he tried to claim the relic for him"

Airachnid quickly noticed the suspicious looks that the few of them passed her, causing her to roll her eyes at the implication that she had set them up. "I am aware that the Nemesis was about to be joined by a few stray Decepticons, but I never knew who they were specifically"

Ratchet switched off the Ground Bridge momentarily and then activated it once more, revealing Bulkhead and Wheeljack who stepped out from the vortex with the Polarity Gauntlet held by the white Wrecker. "It was a hot mess with Lugnut at the front but we got it", Wheeljack threw the gauntlet over to Que's servos. "Just make sure that you don't switch it on"

The inventor examined the relic thoroughly, visibly fascinated at its properties and the possibilities it could provide him. "By the Allspark... perhaps I could make something out of something so volatile...", he marveled before Ratchet took it from his servos and placed it next to the Liquefier.

"That will have to wait for the meantime", the medic interjected between them, before turning to their prisoner. "Although I could not help but think whether or not your contributions are merely part of a ploy that we do not know"

"It's a strange thing, I'll give you that", Wheeljack piped in, equally curious as the others of her cooperation. "But I'm guessing something like this isn't for free, is it?"

Airachnid merely placed her chin below her grasped fingers. "Well, what choice do I have?", the former Decepticon shrugged, not forgetting what she originally planned for them. "If I'm going to seek help from the Decepticons, I might as well end up in their doctor's surgical table for something else instead"

"Fair enough", the Wrecker conceded to her point.

Optimus was still in the process on believing that she had helped them the avert the Decepticons in gaining any significant advantage against the Autobots. Yet, he found himself seemingly agreeing with the Wrecker's earlier statement. "What do you ask for in return?"

Airachnid scratched her chin with an index finger, appearing to consider his words. But not before she smiled at them, which left those inside unsettled given her nature. "Given the circumstances, I would reconsider it more carefully. Because what I would like to have now, is a line of trust between us", she spoke out her request, causing them to keep quiet as they were unsure as to how to respond to that.

"Given your little stunts with Arcee, Jack, and June, I have a hard time seeing that would happen", Bulkhead pointed out, still remembering how hysterical and closed off the former two-wheeler had become following the death of her first partner.

Silence followed right after, proving it to be unnerving to the former Decepticon as the rest think about what to do about that. And that is when Optimus finally spoke. "Airachnid, is it all right if I have a word with you, in private?", he requested to the former Decepticon.

"Well, if the majority would agree, why not?", Airachnid replied in a sing-song tone. "Perhaps a few words of wisdom might help?", she added quite sarcastically.

Those present looked at Optimus for an answer, and it was returned with a nod from the leader. Fowler, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Ratchet, and Que then left the premises, leaving the two of them alone in the base.

Some notes:

-Airachnid's past was never shown in the Aligned Continuity but the IDW 2005 Comics did give her somewhat of an origin story and I decided to base it from there. Although I initially considered going for an 'Elita One' route as Airachnid's backstory, I ultimately decided not to because I'm not much of a fan of re-hashing it into Prime. And I don't wanna disrespect Prime by basically pairing his primary love interest/best friend with another human.

-Their tribe was referred to as Fateweavers at Eukaris. But outside their planet, they are referred to as Arachnicons by those who came from Cybertron as a denotation for their Spider forms.

Anyways, that's all for the meantime. And next chapter should go back to Jack and Arcee, though the next would also have Jack interacting with Airachnid after several chapters already. To finally establish relations between them.