Chapter One Hundred and Seven
Can He be Trusted?
"Airachnid!" Arcee's voice rang through the tunnel as she saw her greatest enemy before her.
"Surrender!" Optimus ordered as he too saw the Spider-Bot.
Airachnid was alarmed, but she moved quickly.
She was sure that after she had activated the controls on the crashed warship that the Autobots picked up the signal then bridged straight to the co-ordinates!
She cursed that information and transformed into her spider form, then turned to flee back the way she came, Arcee in hot pursuit!
As Airachnid fled back, she passed over the still tied up Starscream.
"Airachnid! You traitor!" Starscream yelled as she scurried over him then he saw Arcee and the other Autobots appear chasing her followed by Tyroth flying behing them and Sephie riding on his back.
"What? Autobots?" the seeker exclaimed before he came to conclusion that they must have picked up on the ships signal when Airachnid activated it.
A drilling was soon heard and Arcee saw Airachnid had drilled herself upwards to the surface.
Without even stopping to think, Arcee started to climb up the tunnel.
Optimus shouted after her, but the femme didn't look back.
He wanted to go after her, but the hole was too small for him to fit through.
"We'll go!" Tyroth said flying past Optimus and up the tunnel, Sephie still riding on his back.
"Be careful!" Optimus called up after them.
Meanwhile, Arcee made it to the surface through the hole Airachnid had drilled and she morphed her servo into a blaster as she looked around for Airachnid yet she couldn't see the Spider-Bot anywhere.
Just then a drilling noise was heard behind her and before she could react she was thrown forwards as Airachnid appeared from the ground in a cloud of dirt and dust, spinning like a top then she stopped and looked at the Autobot femme.
"Arcee!" she growled.
Arcee turned to the Spider-Bot as she crouched in a fighting pose.
"I didn't peg you for re-signing with the Decepticons!" she spat making her armblades appear.
"A temporary arrangement Arcee." Airachnid replied "You know I prefer workng alone."
She leaned back and ducked and dodged as Arcee slashed her blades at her as well as kicked, yet Airachnid grabbed her leg with her spider leg and threw her over her head slamming her into the ground then threw her a few feet away.
Arcee jumped up and aimed for the Spider-Bot again with her blades, but Airachnid managed to overpower her and grabbed her before pulling her close to her.
"Speaking of, any more deceased partners to your growing list!?" the Spider-Bot hissed in Arcee's Audios.
As that happened, Tyroth and Sephie emerged from the hole in the earth and saw everything that was taking place.
"Oh Gods..." Sephie gasped "Is that?"
"Airachnid..." Tyroth growled narrowing his eyes "The one that attacked Raph and Mona, and kidnapped Pandora!"
He started to climb out of the hole yet as he did, he heard thundering footsteps and he looked over to see Optimus running over.
"Airachnid! Release her!" he shouted his blaster up and ready to fire.
Airachnid glared and threw Arcee aside before transforming into her helicopter form and rising into the air.
She knew only too well not to mess with Optimus Prime.
Optimus fired his blaster at her, but Airachnid flew out of his range and he stopped and lowered his blaster before turning to Arcee.
"Arcee." he said "You know better than to engage the enemy on your own!"
"Not her!" Arcee argued "Not after what she did to Tailgate!"
As she spoke, she could see the memory of how the evil Spider-bot snuffed out her first partner and best friend before her optics and it still haunted her dreams.
"She will pay!" she snarled.
Optimus vented as he looked at the small angry femme before him.
"Revenge will not bring back those we have lost." he said "Is that understood?"
Arcee turned away from Optimus with her optics closed in anguish but before she could say anything, Bulkhead's voice was heard.
"Move it!"
Optimus and Arcee looked over to see Bulkhead, Ironhide and Bumblebee walking over with Starscream still wrapped up in Airachnid's webbing.
Tyroth and Sephie also climbed out of the hole and also saw the seeker being held prisoner.
"No need to use force!" the Seeker protested but Bulkhead kicked him forward and he fell on his knees.
"I'll tell you anything you want to know!" he said.
"Heh! Is that right?" Bulkhead laughed scornfully.
"And what do you want in return?" Ironhide chimed in.
Optimus walked closer to Starscream, his large frame towering over the Second in Command to Megatron.
"I want to be on your side." Starscream said, his eyes doleful as he looked up at the giant Prime who looked down at him with a supicious yet curious frown.
At the same time, Tyroth and Sephie looked at each other then at Starscream.
Tyroth was glowering as he stared at the Seeker.
"I don't trust him one bit!" he said quietly to his mate who nodded in agreement.
"On our side?" Bulkhead scoffed then began to laugh hard "Yeah right! And I've been lobbing with the Fallen!"
"You wouldn't betray the Decepticons!" Arcee shot at the Seeker.
"Wouldn't I?" Starscream asked "What have they done for me lately, besides humiliate me? Spy on me? Demote me!? Megatron tried to extingiush my spark in cold blood then all but replaced me with that traitorous wretch Airachnid! She abandoned me! Left me for Scrap!" he looked up at the Autobots with his red eyes "So why not rat them out?" he asked in a low voice.
The Autobots were silent for a moment, then Optimus turned away, Arcee, Bulkhead and Ironhide following him along with Tyroth and Sephie, meanwhile Bumblebee stood next to the captive seeker and morphed his servo into his blaster, bleeping a couple of warnings to stay still and keep quiet.
Optimus looked over his shoulder then turned to the gathered Autobots around him, Tyroth gathered Sephie into his arms and he flew up and Ironhide held out his hand so they could rest in it and be part of the huddle.
"He's telling the Truth about Megatron trying to scrap him." Arcee said "I saw with my own eyes."
She thought back to when she saw Megatron and Starscream in the mines and how he had tried to exterminate him before he accidentally brought the cave in right on top of her Bulkhead, Kemeko, Pandora, Donatello and Michelangelo.
"You're not saying you actually trust Starscream?" Bulkhead asked looking at the small femme and remembering how the Seeker had threatened Pandora and Michelangelo as he held up the roof.
"Trust him? Never!" Arcee snapped "But this may be the one time our objectives align." she reasoned.
"You're right to be wary Bulkhead." Optimus spoke "But I agree with Arcee."
Bulkhead and Ironhide looked appalled, as did Tyroth and Sephie.
"With all due respect Optimus." Sephie said "After all we've been told about Starscream, whose to say he won't turn on us?"
Optimus looked at the gecko.
"We've come across opportunists before, as have the Hamato Clan, and it's never ended well!"
She closed her eyes as she remembered how Diablo had betrayed Mutopia, one incident none of them would ever forget.
"We may not trust that Decepticon creep, but he's offered us information." Tyroth said then looked at Optimus.
"I say we ask him questions and lead us to where we need to be, then we'll talk about him joining the team?"
"A very wise decision Tyroth." Optimus said then looked at the others who nodded in agreement and they all turned to Bumblebee and Starscream.
"If that Piece of Unicron scrap even thinks of double crossing us." Ironhide threatened as he advanced towards Starscream morphing his servo into a drill "He'll feel mah drill!"
Meanwhile, Airachnid had flown in her helicopter form to where Starscream told her the other broken part of the ship was which held the cargo she was looking for.
She soon found part of it sticking out of the rock formation, and she approached it and landed before the doors, with her spider legs, she was able to crack open the doors, then she entered and searched the hidden compartments trying to find it.
Before long, her patience paid off as she managed to find the last compartment and pulled it open.
As she did, her optics flashed with excitement.
"Be still my beating spark!" she exclaimed as she pulled out the object with appeared to be a long staff with three sharp points on the end of it.
As the Spider bot fiddled with it, it lit up and some white/blue energy appeared at the end of it and she chuckled evilly as she realized what it was and how pleased Megatron would be when she returned to him with it in her possession.
Yet unknown to her, The Autobots, Tyroth and Sephie were driving to her location after Starscream provided the information given to them about why Airachnid was heading there and what she was looking for.
Optimus had radioed Ratchet at the Base to bring his cargo trailer which he had used months back to transport the Dingus.
Ratchet was curious to know why yet he didn't question his leader and made sure the trailer was sent through the ground-bridge and the autobots then bundled the protesting seeker into it yet not before binding his wrists and wings with cuffs so he couldn't fight back or fly away.
They soon arrived at the co-ordinates Starscream said the other half of the broken ship was and as they approached and transformed, they saw the arch Starscream mentioned they would see when they arrived.
"Well what do you know!" Bulkhead exclaimed as he looked at the arch.
"Looks like the Slimeball of a Seeker was telling the truth about the arch." Ironhide said as he looked at the rock formation.
"Could still be a trap." Arcee cautioned.
They soon heard Optimus transforming behind them and they turned to their leader who walked over to them with Tyroth and Sephie on his left shoulder.
"Starscream's loyalty to Megatron has always been questionable." Optimus said "If he truly has split from the Decepticons, our prisoners knowledge of their agendas could make him a valuable ally."
"Wait what!?" Ironhide asked.
"You don't mean permanently?" Bulkhead asked "As in keys to the base and everything?"
Optimus vented.
"However unlikely that scenario." he said "Every sentient being deserves an opportunity for redemption."
"Even bot killers?" Arcee demannded "Even Airachnid!?" she clenched her fist as she thought of the Spider Bot and the memory of how she snuffed out her partner and best friend during the war.
"Without that hope." Optimus said looking at the femme "We may never achieve lasting peace."
"You got a point there Prime." Tyroth said "We've always been open minded about people changing, apart from a few."
Optimus looked to the dragon and gave a small smile at him, glad someone was seeing the same side as him.
"So what's the plan Prime?" Ironhide asked.
"Get Starscream out of the trailer." Optimus said and Bulkhead vollunteered to do so.
He opened the back doors and saw Starscream scrunched up inside.
"Rise and shine Screamy!" he said in a mocking voice before dragging him out by his legs onto the ground.
Starscream gasped in shock but before he could speak, Arcee cut him off.
"We're here." she said "Where's the ship?"
Starscream rolled onto his knees and pointed ahead with his bound hands.
"it's through the arch." he reported "Among the stones."
Optimus narrowed his optics.
"Bulkhead, Ironhide, Bumblebee, you're with me." he said "Arcee, remain with our prisoner."
Arcee was a little taken aback and appalled as she wanted to confront Airachnid and make her pay for what she did.
"Optimus! Please!" she protested to Optimus turned to Arcee, his face serious yet symathetic.
"For Tailgate." she said.
"Your desire to avenge Tailgate will only continue to cloud your judgement." Optimus said then turned away from her to walk with the other Autobots to the crashed warship.
Meanwhile Tyroth flew after Optimus with Sephie on his back.
"Wait for us Prime." he said.
Optimus turned to look at the dragon and Gecko.
"I cannot encourage you to come along with us." he said "Airachnid is a dangerous being and I do not wish for you to be in her way."
"We understand Prime." Tyroth said "But I am a lot more powerful that you think, and I make my promise to be there if it's needed."
Optimus raised an eyebrow ridge.
"If you wish to observe then you may." he said "But make sure you stay clear from danger."
"We will." Sephie promised and patted Tyroth's back and the dragon too nodded.
"We'll stay clear." he said "But if it's needed, I will fly in there." he added softly turning his eyes to Sephie who looked worried but she nodded all the same.
Optimus lead the way deeper into the area beyond the arch.
"Be alert." the Prime warned as he looked around as well as stepped carefully "Airachnid is known to attack from below ground."
"Right." Bulkhead said nervously as he watched the ground just in case the Spider bot appeared below them.
"I remember Prime." Ironhide quipped "All too well..." he added as he remembered the War days on Cybertron.
"And we do too, from what we were told." Sephie said as she and Tyroth continued to follow the Autobots.
"The geckolings, Sonia, Monalisa and Raphael did warn us from what they saw." Tyroth agreed.
"Just do what we say if we say get out of here, alright?" Ironhide said.
"We know." Tyroth said "We promise!"
Meanwhile, Arcee watched disappointed as well as agitated that the Autobots, Tyroth and Sephie had gone to search for Airachnid whilst she was left with Starscream.
She then heard the seeker groan behind her as he struggled against his cuffs.
"Is the Clamp really necessary?" he whinged "I promise not to fly away! It's really giving me a krick!"
Arcee walked over and put her servos on her hips as she stood above him.
"I could always shove you back in the trailer!" she suggested to which Starscream groaned knowing it was going to be difficult to convince the hardened femme to let him loose either way.
Meanwhile, Optimus, Bulkhead, Ironhide and Bumblebee made it to where the crashed Decepticon ship was, clearly sticking out from the mound of rocks that Starscream had described.
"Whoa, be still mah beating spark." Ironhide breathed and Tyroth and Sephie also stared in amazement.
"A crashed warship buried for many years and no-one even noticed it?" Sephie asked.
"Those questions will have to wait Lass." Ironhide said "Right now we got a Spider Bot to snare."
"Stay clear you two." Optimus ordered "Let us handle this..."
Tyroth frowned but he reluctantly agreed and he and Sephie flew up onto a nearby cliff so they could watch from afar.
He secretly hoped that if he got the chance, he could show the Autobots just how powerful he was with his mana and magic as a dragon mutant, but at the same time, he hoped the Autobots could handle Airachnid since they were used to fighting all kinds of dangerous evil from their planet.
Yet he didn't have long to wait, as behind the ruins of the ship, Airachnid had heard and seen Optimus and his team mates approaching, and she was ready to pounce, and with her new relic to hand...
The Autobots have discovered Airachnid and Starscream, and whilst Airachnid got away, the Autobots have Starscream as a prisoner and the Seeker has requested to join them.
Yet the Autobots, Tyroth and Sephie have their doubt, which they have every reason to have, despite the information the seeker has given them to find Airachnid.
I bet a lot of you know what's gonna happen next! Stay tuned till then!
