Chapter Twenty: Predaconnection

"I've always loved the deserts of the American southwest," Sideswipe said to himself. He looked out over the bright red landscape from atop his cliffside vantage point, sipping motor oil from his barrel. Even with the distant sounds of weapons firing, metal striking metal, and the angry buzzing of dozens of wings, it was very peaceful out here. "How's it going for you guys?"

For the others, 'peaceful' was not exactly the right word to describe their situation. Steven, Magnus, and Elita were all driving beside the same cliff, beset by a swarm of green car-sized wasps. Stingers the size of harpoons rained down around them, fired from the big bugs' behinds. "Believe it or not, we aren't exactly having a relaxing time," Elita said through her teeth, firing back at their pursuers."

"Yeah, sounds like it," Sideswipe replied. "It's too bad I can't be down there to help out. But since Magnus specifically said I had to wait here to spring the trap, so it looks like I'm sitting this one out. Rootin' for you though!"

Magnus grumbled. "Next time a Predacon comes calling, he'll be the bait while we spring the trap." He fired his missiles back at the swarm, but it seemed like there was always a replacement for every wasp they destroyed. Making matters worse, more and more of the giant insects crawled out of holes in the side of the cliff, joining the chase.

"He's just upset he didn't get to be part of the action," Steven said. "Don't hold it against him." He transformed, slicing through an incoming wasp with his axe, and then transformed back again, keeping his momentum.

Taking a sharp right, the trio turned into a narrow canyon. The wasps followed, continuing to launch their stingers. "Sideswipe, we're en route to the ambush point," Magnus reported. "Get a move on!"

"Aye-aye, cap'n!" Sideswipe replied. He took a moment to down the rest of his oil, before getting up to stretch. "Alright…showtime!"

One leg at a time, Sideswipe's feet slid up, replaced by the wheels normally positioned behind his heels. He proceeded to skate down the mountainside, moving quicker than he could run, but with more control than as a car. He sped down above the canyon, avoiding rocks and leaping from side to side when it got in his way.

On the way down, some of the wasps were drawn to him. He smirked, continuing his descent as he opened fire on them. One by one they were shot out of the sky, with Sideswipe taking particular glee in his showmanship. Before long, his route took him to the location of the ambush, which consisted of numerous rocks positioned above the canyon.

Beginning by firing on these precariously-placed stones to jostle some of them loose, Sideswipe drew his swords upon reaching them, slicing through the cliffside keeping them suspended. And so began the rockslide, tumbling down onto the hapless robots below.

Unfortunately, some of these hapless robots were the rest of the team. "That fool set it off too early!" said Ultra Magnus, as dust and pebbles rained down on his hood. "Increase speed to maximum!"

He, Steven, and Elita sped up to avoid the mass of boulders tumbling down on top of them. With a little bobbing and weaving, they were able to outrun the avalanche, while the wasps behind them weren't so lucky. Much of the front of the swarm was crushed, while the ones in the back, through a combination of momentum and lemming-esque tenacity, barreled headfirst into the growing mound of stones.

Upon reaching the end of the canyon, the trio transformed back into their robot modes. It seemed that their trap had been successful, as no more buzzing filled the air. From above, Sideswipe leapt off the cliff, driving his swords into its side to arrest his fall. Upon reaching the ground, he twirled the blades around before sheathing them. "Feel free to applaud."

Steven did so, but neither Magnus nor Elita humored him. "Yes, well, now that the 'fun' part is over, how about we move onto 'business?' Namely, collecting the Predacon's spark from within the wreckage." He pointed at the pile of rocks under which the swarm had been buried. "I trust you don't want to miss out on that, either?"

Seeing how massive the pile was gave Sideswipe pause. "I mean, I wouldn't want to take all the credit. This isn't a one-man show, after all, so it's only right we share the burden."

"Oh, we shared the burden alright," Elita snarked. "And now we can share this burden."

"Relax guys, this could be fun," said Steven, heading over to the rock pile to begin the excavation. "Think of it like unearthing buried treasure! Somewhere, beneath all these rocks, is the remains of a Predacon just waiting to be found! And it'll take all of us working together to find the–Waugh!" As he dug through the rubble, one of the wasps burst up from the rock, immediately zeroing in on Sideswipe.

The bug latched onto his face, attempting to pierce its stinger through him. "Somebody get this thing off me!" he shouted, wrestling with the Predacon as the others rushed to his side. Elita was the first to arrive, and with a kick, sliced it in two with her blades. Its halves fell to the ground, along with its spark.

Elita picked the spark up before tossing it to Sideswipe. "There's the action you wanted, wise guy. Want to do the honors of sending it back?"

He looked down at the spark hesitantly. "I…think I've had enough of bugs for one day. Besides, Steven's the one who found it, he should get the privilege." He then tossed the spark into Steven's hands, who was surprised to receive it.

"M-me?" he said, uncertain. "I dunno… Last time I tried to open a groundbridge, I accidentally trapped my friends in a giant tree."

Remembering that incident, Magnus took charge to make sure it wouldn't happen. "Not to worry: smaller portals are much easier to handle, not to mention you growing more attuned to the Matrix. I doubt something like that will happen again–but just to be sure…" He stood behind Steven, guiding his hand. "Picture the spark storage room. All those sparks, lining the walls. One of those containers is ready and waiting for this one. Picture it in your mind's eye…and open the path."

"Open the path…" Steven raised his hand, closing his eyes to better feel the network that permeated his circuits. There was a small flicker of light, before a tiny portal opened, just large enough for the spark to fit through. "I did it!" he said with a surprised gasp.

"Hey, nice work Steven!" said Sideswipe, clapping for the feat. "Maybe once that thing's away, you can send us all home, too!"

"Now now, one thing at a time," Magnus said. "Now, simply, pass the spark through the portal. It should fit perfectly into the chamber–and then just retract your hand, and the portal should close."

Steven followed his advice, but the process hit a snag before it even began. "It…it won't fit," he said. As he tried to push the spark into the opening, it was as though something was blocking its path. He readjusted his stance, putting his weight into shoving it through. "Hold on, I've got it!"

"Hang on, Steven, something must be wrong here," said Magnus. "Let me take a look–"

But Steven was determined to finish the job. "No, no, I got it! Just a little…more…effort…and…Aah!" Steven pushed too hard, not only causing the blockage to give way, but causing himself to fall through the portal as well. Sure enough, the portal closed behind him.

"...So, we goin' after him?" said Sideswipe.

On the other end, Steven found himself tumbling down onto the floor of the spark room. After getting his bearings, he soon found out just what had caused the blockage: "Oh, another spark was in the way!" he said, looking at the other spark lying on the ground. "Wait a minute…"

Now free from containment, there was nothing stopping this other spark from regenerating. Steven watched in horror as eight metallic legs were brought into existence, hoisting up the chassis that had formed around it. He crawled back as the Predacon's form became clearer, glowing eyes becoming visible. It was…

"Blackarachnia!" Steven shouted fearfully. He tried to find somewhere to hide, but the room was mostly uniform, with no corners of equipment for him to duck behind. He could only put his back to the wall, ready for the inevitable fight.

But to his surprise, the spider did not immediately single him out. It seemed to take a moment to get its bearings, staggering around on its thin legs. Rather than aggressive, it seemed…confused.

Steven remembered what Elita had told him: every Predacon used to be an ordinary Transformer. Although she had been warped into an unrecognizable monstrosity by dark energon, Blackarachnia used to be just like them. And right now, she didn't seem remotely aggressive. It was a gamble, but it was one worth taking. "H-hello?" said Steven gently, making himself known.

The spider rapidly turned to face him, letting out an angry screech. Steven shrank back, trying to make himself seem as non-threatening as he could. Could the creature detect his spark? Smell his energon? Or did it just see him as a harmless human? It seemed even it didn't know, staring at him for some time with its beady, glowing eyes.

"Um…hi there!" he said, grinning awkwardly. "I'm Steven. You're Blackarachnia, right? I mean, you are now. Even though you used to be a…were you an Autobot or a Decepticon? Guess it doesn't matter now, since the war's over. …You can't understand me, can you?"

Blackarachnia had been gazing at him the whole time, showing no signs of hostility. If anything, she seemed to have calmed down, deciding he was not a threat. Hesitantly, she walked forward, lowering herself down to meet him face-to-face. Each of her multiple eyes looked into his, and he felt no malice in them.

"You…you can understand me?" No longer afraid of the giant spider, Steven slowly reached out a hand. Blackarachnia lowered her head further still to reach him, his fingers just about to touch her metallic face.

"Steven!" The shout came from just outside the room, and was unmistakably Elita's voice. Upon hearing it, Blackarachnia's eyes immediately changed, becoming the same hostile lights Steven had seen during their first encounter. The spider scampered up the wall, hiding herself in the darkness.

Before Steven could call her back, the door opened, and all three Autobots entered. "There you are!" said Sideswipe. "You gave us a scare falling through the portal like that! Everything alright?"

He glanced up at the ceiling, considering whether or not to mention Blackarachnia. However, before he could, Magnus noticed the broken bits of glass on the floor. "A containment cell was broken–one of the Predacons must have gotten out!" His missile pods opened as he scanned the area. Elita and Sideswipe readied their weapons as well. "Get behind us, Steven!"

"Woah, no, wait, there's no Predacon!" said Steven, rushing up to them. "I just…I pushed too hard and broke the glass, that's all! Trust me, there's no Predacons in here, no sir! So we can just put the weapons away, and chill out, yeah? Yeah."

Though his strange insistence confused them for a moment, they didn't see any reason he wouldn't be telling the truth. "Um…if you say so," said Elita, putting her blaster away. "So, everything's squared away, then?"

"Yup! All taken care of!" Steven assured them. "Still, why don't you let me clean up this mess? I'm the one who made it, after all. You guys just…take some time to yourselves! That mission was exhausting, huh? Don't worry, I'll take care of everything!" He tried pushing them out of the room, but being giant robots, they didn't move far.

"Very well then. If you say so," said Magnus. "Just be sure not to cut yourself on any of the pieces. And come on out when you're done." He and the other bots decided to leave Steven to it, heading out the way they came.

A few tense moments later, Steven let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, they're gone, it's safe to come out now." Blackarachnia descended from the ceiling on a thread of metallic webbing, looking down at Steven expectantly. "You really aren't aggressive, are you? And you're scared of the Autobots, huh?"

The Predacon didn't reply per se, but she made a clicking noise that Steven took as confirmation.

"Well, we'll have to get you out of here, then, won't we? But how are we gonna do that without them noticing?" He looked around the room, not seeing any obvious means of egress. "Okay, I think I have a plan. I'll go out and distract them, while you–"

Steven's plan wouldn't get the chance to be implemented, as the door suddenly opened, and Elita entered along with Sideswipe. "Steven, if you are going to clean up that broken glass, please don't do it with your bare…hands…" Upon seeing Blackarachnia, she dropped the dustpan and broom she was carrying.

All four of them sat in silence for a good long while, until Sideswipe got his guns out. "Predacon! Steven, get away from it!"

Elita took out her blaster as well, charging forward. Blackarachnia shifted into combat mode, her eyes once again taking on that predatory gleam. She raised her limbs to attack the pair, only for Steven to leap in between them, causing all three to stop in their tracks. "Wait a minute, wait! Hang on! Guys, guys, it's okay! Blackarachnia's not evil! She doesn't wanna hurt me, or you!"

Although neither the Predacon nor the Autobots attacked each other, they kept their eyes and weapons up. "Then what does she want?" asked Elita warily.

"Elita, remember what you told me? All the Predacons we fight are actually Cybertronians mutated by dark energon," said Steven. "Whoever Blackarachnia is, whoever she used to be, she's probably lost, scared, confused, and just wants somewhere safe to stay. Look at her–does she look evil and dangerous to you?"

Blackarachnia eyed the two, remaining calm but wary. Very slowly, they lowered their weapons, and like a switch, her demeanor became much less cautious. No longer seeming to regard them as a threat, she instead turned back towards Steven. At his beckoning, he was even able to convince her to lower down so he could climb on her back.

"Alright, I'm convinced," said Sideswipe. "If anyone could tame a Predacon, it'd be Steven." He walked up to the spider, which wasn't the least bit perturbed by his presence. "First a lion, now a spider–where are you gonna keep all these pets?"

"Oh, Blackarachnia's not a pet," Steven clarified, as cool as that would have been. "But she does need my help to find a new home. I owe her one after accidentally breaking her containment case thingy. So, you guys wanna help?"

"Part of me thinks this could end very badly…" said Elita. "But Steven's right, she is an innocent victim in all this. Very well. I'll explain things to Magnus, and between the four of us, we'll–"

"No!" Steven shouted, louder than he'd meant to. Both Sideswipe and Blackarachnia looked around for the danger. "I mean…do you think we maybe couldn't tell Magnus? I'm worried he might not understand…"

Elita stood beside him. "Steven, of course he'll understand. Ultra Magnus has been the leader of the Autobots for thousands of years. In that time, he's become one of the wisest Cybertronians I know. If you tell him Blackarachnia doesn't mean any harm, I'm sure he'll believe you."

" Will he?" asked Sideswipe. "I mean, our first reaction when we saw her was to pull out our guns. And besides, we didn't exactly set a good precedent for the kid with how we handled the whole Windblade thing," he added in a whisper.

This was met with a weary sigh. "Sideswipe, you really aren't helping. And Steven, hiding Blackarachnia will only do more harm than good. Magnus is sure to find out eventually, and knowing you kept this from him is going to make him more upset when he does. It's best to just come clean now."

Steven ran over the scenario in his mind. The way he saw it, there were two possibilities. Either Magnus freaked out and attacked Blackarachnia, resulting in a fight that leveled half the town, or Blackarachnia freaked out and attacked Magnus, resulting in, again, a fight that leveled half the town. "No! We can't!" he suddenly shouted. "Please, can't we just handle this quietly? Blackarachnia won't hurt anyone, I promise! All we have to do is find her a new home away from everybody, and it'll all be fine!"

Elita and Sideswipe shared a glance. "Well…I suppose what he doesn't know can't hurt him," she said. "Okay, Steven, we'll help. Now, did you have somewhere in mind?"

He all but lit up upon hearing they would help him. "You mean it!? Um, okay…back when I snuck Windblade out, I took her through a tunnel that led out into the ocean. Could you keep Magnus distracted while I take her down that way?"

"Sure! 'Distraction' is my middle name!" said Sideswipe. "Side-Distraction-Swipe. Leave it to me!" He made his way back to the door with a number of unnecessary rolls and hiding behind corners, before beckoning for the others to follow. Elita rolled her eyes as he did so, with Steven leading Blackarachnia behind them.

In all the commotion, the thing that had started all this trouble lay on the floor, forgotten. The wasp's spark began to glow, regenerating its dark energon so that it might reconstruct its body…

"...So, wait…but if I was the one who went back in time to stop the Decepticons, I might not exist…but if it was you, then you would still exist. But…why does it matter who does it?"

Ultra Magnus took yet another weary sigh, leaning over Teletraan's console. "Sideswipe, as I've told you a million times before, time travel is a purely theoretical science. But given everything we know–which is very little, mind you–changing the past would result in an entirely different branch forming to the timeline. An alternate universe, if you will."

Sideswipe pretended to ponder this. "But then…when I return to the present, will I be in my time, or the new time made by changing the past? And either way, how would I know my actions did or didn't create two timelines?"

Unable to help himself any longer, Magnus allowed his head to drop down onto the console. "I don't know, Sideswipe. I just don't know. I'm sure if Vector Prime was real, he'd be more than happy to explain everything to you. Why don't you go and ask him?"

"How can I ask him if he isn't real?" asked Sideswipe. "Unless…maybe all I have to do is find a timeline where he is real! …Oh. But then I'd already have a time machine, and the whole thing would be moot anyway…"

Their in-depth and thoughtful conversation was put on hold as Steven poked his head in through the door. "Uh, Sideswipe? Sorry to interrupt, but could I have some help with…something? Elita says it's getting hard to handle something on her own, and something might be trying to head into town. Which we don't want."

"Sure thing, Ste-man! Sorry, Mags, but I've gotta jet. We'll pick up this conversation later!" He headed out, and so did Steven.

Magnus was too mentally drained to respond, nor find anything suspicious about Steven's request. "Thank Primus," was all he could muster.

The other two met on the beach. "What's wrong? Is the spider getting too jumpy?" asked Sideswipe.

"Something like that," Steven replied, hurrying along. "Elita thinks she's curious about all the noise in town. We're trying to keep her away from everyone, since, well, when's the last time they've seen a friendly Predacon? But the good news is I think I thought of the perfect place for her to live!"

The two of them finally reached Elita on the outskirts of town, trying to block Blackarachnia from the city. The Predacon was definitely very interested in it, as though something about it called to her. "Good, you're here," said Elita. "I could use an extra hand."

Sideswipe crouched under the spider's legs, gently hoisting her onto his back. Something about being carried seemed to calm her, as she stopped moving and curled her legs inward. "No problem," he said, struggling from the effort. "So, Steven, where we taking her?"

"This way!" said Steven, leading them away from Beach City and into the nearby forest. "I remember one time Onion took me to this spot when we were looking for cryptids. We didn't find any, but there was this neat cliff that looked like something could live there. Like a giant spider, for instance!"

A little bit of walking later, they arrived at the clearing in question. It was more of a hill jutting out of the ground, with a sharp incline on one side, but it was an ideal place for a spider of her size to build a web without being disturbed.

"Well, here we are," said Sideswipe. He collapsed as soon as he stopped walking, with Blackarachnia continuing the rest of the way up to the mound. She took a moment to study it, and her surroundings, as though looking for something.

"Welcome to your new home, Blackarachnia!" said Steven. "Hope you like it!"

It seemed like she did. After a moment of initial hesitation, she climbed onto the side of the hill, scanning her territory from atop her perch. "I think she does," said Elita.

"Hurray!" said Sideswipe, giving a thumbs-up. His voice was muffled on account of being face-down in the dirt.

"Well, that was easier than I thought," Steven noticed. "Usually there'd be something that would make things way more complicated, but nothing like that happened! Maybe we just got lucky this time. Certainly a nice change of pace after–"

"Uh, Steven?" asked Sideswipe, having gotten up. "Where's the spider?" He pointed to the mountain, and Steven looked to see that, to his shock, Blackarachnia had vanished without a trace.

Blinking, Steven looked around to try and locate Blackarachnia, but found nothing, not even footprints. "Wha!? How'd she do that!? One second she was here, and then she was just gone!" He scurried up to the mound to see if he could spot her.

"Hang on, I'll scan from the sky," said Elita, transforming and taking off. Her propellers caused the tops of the trees to sway as she flew above the forest. Accounting for that movement, she saw some more trees moving in the distance. "I see movement! Follow me!"

The two on the ground followed Elita as she flew after the Predacon. Luckily, Blackarachnia didn't appear to be moving very fast, merely walking through the woods at a leisurely pace. She almost seemed to be looking for something.

"Hey! Blackarachnia, come back!" cried Steven. She paid him no mind, seeming to peer around the trees as though her quarry was nearby. "Don't you like your new home?"

Amongst all the commotion, a deer emerged from the brush to see what was going on. Blackarachnia caught sight of the critter, before scampering over towards it. Frightened, it bounded off into the distance, darting between two trees that the Predacon found it difficult to fit through. "Woah there, spider bites!" said Sideswipe, blocking her way. "You can't just run off like that! You could get lost, or hurt. Or you might hurt someone else!"

Steven looked in the direction of the fled deer. "Oh, I get it–she must be hungry! You guys bring her back to the hill, I'll meet you there–I've got an idea!" Steven ran off back into town, leaving the two Autobots to take care of Blackarachnia.

"Do Predacons even get hungry?" Elita wondered aloud, touching down next to them. "I don't think I've ever seen one consuming food. Or even energon, for that matter."

"Why're you asking me?" asked Sideswipe. "Sure, I eat human food all the time, but I ain't no Predacon!" He positioned himself beneath Blackarachnia to hoist her up once more. "Alright, here we go, one more time…"

"I'm back!" said Steven, returning to the clearing with numerous bags from Fryman's in his arms. "And I brought snacks!"

Elita and Sideswipe had made sure Blackarachnia stayed put this time, and she had made herself at home. She even spun a metallic web from the trees to the cliffside, perched in the center. Upon seeing Steven, she descended to the ground to curiously approach. "Oop, I think she smells what you got," said Sideswipe. "I know I do!"

Opening the bags, Steven produced a cheeseburger, holding it up to the spider. "Okay Blackarachnia, this is called a burger. They taste a lot better than deer, and they're way easier to get. Try it!"

The spider examined the burger, poking at it with her mandibles. After a few pokes, she grabbed it and stuffed it into her mouth. She appeared to enjoy it, as she then turned her attention to the other bags.

"She likes it!" Steven said. "Don't worry, I brought plenty more!" He unwrapped the other burgers, handing them to her one by one. "And yes, Sideswipe, I didn't forget you!" He tossed one of them to his friend.

"You never do," said Sideswipe, popping it into his mouth. "You want some, Elita?"

She eyed the pair enjoying their meals. "I…think I'll pass," she said. "So, now that Blackarachnia has been successfully pacified, what now? I don't think we should just leave her here."

"Why not?" asked Steven. Having finished her food, the Predacon was now affectionately combing her mandibles through his hair. "She's perfectly behaved! Besides, she wouldn't go anywhere now that she has her web, right?"

The web was a good sign, as it most likely meant that Blackarachnia considered this place her new home. "That's true, but…Predacons are like animals, Steven," Elita explained. "They roam, they explore, they hunt. And if they get scared, they attack. And besides, aren't you worried Magnus will find her this close to the Ark?"

"No way, that'll never happen!" said Steven, brushing off her concerns. "...I think. As long as she stays here and doesn't cause trouble, it'll all be fine!"

Even Sideswipe wasn't too thrilled with this line of thought. "You might as well say 'Nothing bad will happen as long as everything that happens is good,'" he replied. "Shouldn't we at least have some sorta contingency plan for when she inevitably doesn't cooperate?"

Elita examined the spider. "I believe I have an idea." Approaching the Predacon, she produced a small metal cuff that she attached to Blackarachnia's leg. "There we go. This tracking device should let us know where she is at all times. I'll calibrate these trackers to let us know if she gets too close to the city."

With the device attached, Elita then took out a small device shaped like a watch, twisting the top a few times. She handed it to Sideswipe, and gave another to Steven, which shrank to fit on his wrist. "Neat! So, we can keep an eye on her with these?"

"Precisely," Elita answered. "When it vibrates, that means the target has entered the marked area. So in this case, it means Blackarachnia has gotten a little too close to the city for comfort. When that happens, one of us will need to come here to guide her back, ideally without Magnus knowing."

"I'm not too worried," said Steven. "So far, Blackarachnia seems pretty well-behaved. I doubt we'll have any trouble with her."

"Steven, wake up!" hissed Sideswipe, rousing the boy from his slumber. "We've got trouble with Blackarachnia!"

"Wha? What time is it?" he asked, sitting up in his bed. As far as he could tell, it was the middle of the night. "What's going on?"

"Long story short, something went down at the Pizza place," he explained. "And our sensors all went off, which means Blackarachnia's in the area! C'mon, we gotta get her outta there before Magnus finds out!"

This was enough to get Steven up and out of bed, running outside without even changing out of his pajamas. "Lead the way!" he said, hopping into Sideswipe, who peeled out.

Elita and Magnus were already at Fish Stew Pizza, where Nanefua was explaining what had gone down. "...and then, I heard it again: like someone throwing rocks on top of the roof. But before I could go out and chase the hooligans away, I realized they were actually footsteps! Something big was creeping around up there, and it was headed over towards the trash. I made sure all of the windows were shut, and that's when I called you all over."

"Hmm…and you're certain it wasn't a raccoon, or a possum?" asked Magnus.

Nanefua chuckled. "Not unless it was the biggest raccoon Delmarva's ever seen! Those footprints weren't too heavy, but they were too far enough apart to be from a little critter like that. Maybe a mountain lion–maybe!"

"Whatever it was, it looks like it's gone now," Elita said without even checking. "Sideswipe, why don't you do a quick sweep, just to be sure?"

He saluted. "You got it!" Sideswipe then dragged Steven behind the restaurant, where they saw that the dumpsters had indeed been spilled on their side. "Quickly, you find the spider and get her outta here!"

Steven moved out, putting on his tracker. It showed that Blackarachnia was nearby, but it wasn't exact enough to tell where. "Um…here, spider spider," he called under his breath. "'Rachie? You there?" No response.

"Find anything?" called Elita from the other side.

Sideswipe frantically cleaned up the spilled garbage. "Nope, so sign of anything here! Y'know, it could've been a mountain lion. I've seen a few over the years, and they can get pretty big!"

Both he and Steven jumped in surprise as Magnus peered around the side. "Are you absolutely certain you don't see anything? Nanefua is certain she heard some commotion around here."

"Well, uh, yeah, but…it must've left by now," stammered Sideswipe. "We'd know if it was a Predacon, though, right? So it clearly isn't?"

Magnus brought his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, Teletraan's dark energon detection has been on the fritz lately." Elita walked around to the back, but upon hearing this, looked away in faux-innocence. "Most likely something to do with Windblade. I'll have to look into that soon…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Steven noticed movement behind Magnus and Elita. Something was crawling out of the ocean–and that something was Blackarachnia. He barely avoided panicking, disguising his startled yelp as a cough, and then an anxious laugh. "Yeah, sounds like a plan! Hey, why don't we go and check out the neighborhood nearby? Maybe our mystery animal went somewhere down there!"

Sideswipe had noticed her too. His eyes darted back and forth between her, Magnus, and Elita, as he tried to decide whether or not to make his way over. "I think that's a great idea, Steven!" he said, his voice incredibly stilted. "Hey, Magnus and Elita! Why don't we look behind the houses? I'm sure something'll turn up around there!" His eyes frantically darted back and forth, with Elita only staring at him in confusion. She eventually got the message, having to stifle a gasp when she saw the spider right there.

"Hmm? What's the matter?" asked Magnus. He was about to turn around, only for Elita to put an arm around his shoulder, keeping him facing away from the ocean.

"You know, I feel like this situation will resolve itself," she said. "After all, I'm pretty sure we'd know if there was a Predacon in Beach City, right?" She let out a nervous laugh. "They're not exactly great at hiding!" She motioned towards Sideswipe and Steven to get Blackarachnia out of there.

They weren't the only ones who had noticed the spider, with Nanefua staring at her in bewilderment. She wasn't afraid, seeing as the others weren't, but she still couldn't fathom why they were keeping her secret. She was about to speak up, only for Sideswipe to furiously wave his hand in front of his neck. She mimed zipping her lips while the two tried to usher the Predacon out of the city.

While they stumbled around with Blackarachnia, Elita did her best to keep Magnus' focus away. "Oh, I'm sure everything's fine! We don't need to intervene every single time someone in town hears a noise! I think what we all need, especially you, is to get some rest after that big battle yesterday."

"...It wasn't that big of a battle," Magnus replied. "But, I suppose if there really is no danger, we can head back. Sorry we couldn't be of more help, Mrs. Pizza."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" she said. "Just you coming out here gives me peace of mind. You head on home–I'll holler if something else comes up!" She headed back inside, hoping the three of them knew what they were doing.

Elita glanced back behind her, seeing only Steven standing there. "Oh, Steven, hey!" she said. "Are you done already? Where's Sideswipe?"

"He's, uh…" Steven glanced aside, watching Sideswipe basically drag Blackarachnia back to the forest. "...checking for mountain lion tracks. He'll catch up with us soon, but let's head back for now!"

"Hmph. I sincerely doubt that a mountain lion was responsible," Magnus said as they headed back to the Ark. "In all likelihood, it was probably an owl that she heard. They can grow to impressive sizes."

Steven saw Sideswipe trying to pull Blackarachnia through some trees, her legs preventing him from doing so. "Yeeeaaahh…probably just an owl," he said. "A big, hungry, curious, mischievous owl who totally wouldn't hurt anybody on purpose. O-or accident! But at least that owl won't get into any more trouble…"

"Steven, wake up!" hissed Sideswipe, rousing the boy from his slumber. "Blackarachnia got into more trouble!"

"Oh, come on!" Steven shouted, throwing off his blankets and springing to his feet. "What happened this time?"

"C'mon, Elita'll explain." Sideswipe led him into the Ark, where Elita was pacing in front of Teletraan's console. Thankfully, Magnus was nowhere to be seen. Steven walked over, preparing himself for a worst-case scenario.

She turned around once the two got close, a worried expression clear on her face. "Oh, Steven, good. How'd you sleep?"

"Um…fine," he said. "Did something happen? Where'd Blackarachnia go?"

Both Sideswipe and Elita shared a look. "What's…part of what the problem is," she continued. Reaching over, she picked up a metal cuff sitting on the console–one that looked very similar to the one she had fitted Blackarachnia with. "Earlier, I went to go check on her, and found this…and no spider."

Steven looked down at his watch, which indicated that the tracker was right in front of him. "Yeah, that'd do it," he said. Their concern began to spread to him. "So what's the plan?"

"We sorta don't have one," said Sideswipe. He began to pace as well. "Y'know, I'm starting to think this wasn't the best idea. Blackarachnia isn't a dog, or some wild animal, she's a Predacon! With a warped intelligence all her own! We thought we could control her, but no, she's the one controlling us! This whole time, she's been running circles around us, watching while we flail helplessly as she sets up her master plan!"

"Sideswipe! Get a grip," said Elita, grabbing his shoulders. "Yes, we may have underestimated how intelligent Blackarachnia still is, but I'm fairly certain she doesn't have a master plan. That said, we still need to find her before Magnus does."

"Hmm…maybe if we knew why she wanted to get into town so badly, we'd be able to find out where she's going," suggested Steven. "Quick, if you were a big mutated robot spider, where would you want to go?"

Sideswipe blinked. "Uh…I dunno. Somewhere with big mutated robot bugs? Her thoughts can't be that complex anymore, right?"

While there probably weren't any shops that sold big mutated robot bugs in Beach City, that did give Steven an idea. Wait a minute…if she's hungry, I bet she'll be looking for more burgers! Quick, we've gotta get down to Fryman's before something happens!"

The three of them rushed outside, Steven hopping into Sideswipe as he and Elita transformed. They sped off towards the restaurant as quickly as they could, causing a few issues in traffic along the way. In no time, they reached their destination, where there was fortunately no sign of any Predacons. That did little to assuage their worries, however, as that only meant her location was still unknown.

The two Autobots transformed. "Okay: Sideswipe, secure the perimeter, and see if you can spot anything. Steven, go inside and ask your friends if they've seen anything. I'll get an aerial view." Elita transformed once more, taking off.

Steven headed inside, greeted by the elder Fryman. "Hey Steven, welcome!" he said. "So, the usual? Or do you want six more burgers?"

"Not today, Mr. Fryman. I just have a question to ask you: have you seen anything… weird lately?" His eyes narrowed as he looked around.

"Um…weird how? Because things can get pretty strange around here when Ronaldo's on another one of this conspiracy kicks."

"You might laugh now, Dad," Ronaldo said from the kitchen, "but you'll eat your words when I prove that Cobra-La is sneaking trace amounts of snake venom into our milk to make us susceptible to their serpentine brand of mind control! You and oldsnake86 both!"

Steven blinked. "Anyway, I mean anything suspicious. Like, weird noises at night, trash cans knocked over, stuff like that. Like somebody's been sneaking around."

Mr. Fryman gave him a concerned look. "Is there some sort of prowler going around? You and the Autobots are handling it, right?"

"Oh, no, no, it's nothing like that!" Steven hurriedly said. "It's just, I have this…new pet, sorta. She's who I bought those burgers for last time, so I was wondering if she maybe came here looking for more."

"No, I haven't seen anything," he replied. "Did she run away? What does she look like?"

He thought about it. "Yes and no. She's a free spirit like that. Just be on the lookout for a giant spider. A giant metal spider. Giant as in the size of a car."

It was Mr. Fryman's turn to blink. "I was expecting a dog, but given everything that happens around here, I'm not as surprised as I probably should be. She's not dangerous, right? Or is this something I should evacuate my customers over?"

Steven was quick to assure him. "No, she's not dangerous at all! …Unless something spooks her. But you should be perfectly fine! Give me a call if you spot her, yeah?"

"Uh, sure, yeah," he replied warily. "I hope you find her! …Before she finds us."

With no further leads, Steven left the quite nervous Mr. Fryman behind. "Anything?" asked Sideswipe, peering throughout the streets.

He shook his head. "I don't think she's been here. Do you think she went back to her web in the forest? She wouldn't have spun it if she didn't plan on going back, right?"

"Kid, you're talkin' to the wrong bot for spider knowledge," Sideswipe replied. "See, if Ultra Mags was in the know, he'd have this problem solved before the rest of us could blink. Just sayin'."

Steven took a moment, wondering if they should ask Magnus for help. "I want to, but what if he doesn't understand? He might think that just because Blackarachnia's a Predacon, she's angry and violent. It wouldn't be fair to him or her to make them fight. Let's wait and see if Elita finds anything."

A few minutes later, Elita descended from above. "No sign of her," she said. "At this rate, it's entirely possible she's left Beach City entirely."

This wasn't something Steven wanted to hear, but it made sense. "You could be right," he said sadly. "She may have been made to look and act like one by dark energon, but Blackarachnia wasn't an animal. She's a sentient being, and as Dad would say, freedom is her right." He looked out in the direction of the forest. "Wherever she's gone, I hope it's somewhere she can be happy, not having to be held down by–"

A beeping sound from Elita's wrist interrupted him. "Oh, hold on, I'm getting a message from Magnus." She tapped on her forearm, and a holographic screen appeared showing his face. "Yes? What's wrong?"

"Steven, Elita, Sideswipe, get back to base immediately," he said, sounding perturbed. "I was working on Teletraan's detection systems, and we have a problem: there's not one, but two Predacons in Beach City."

"Understood–we'll be there right away," said Elita, before ending the call. Her calm demeanor fell immediately, as she looked at Sideswipe with a nervous expression. "Well, there goes that."

"Nah, maybe it's two different Predacons." Despite his attempt at reassurance, Sideswipe was just as anxious. "Also, sidenote, but Magnus wouldn't actually kill us, right? Like, literally actually murder us?"

The trio headed back home, putting on their best 'everything is perfectly fine' faces before heading inside. "What can we help you with, Ultra Magnus?" asked Steven through a strained smile.

He didn't seem to notice the forced nature of their expressions, as he was busy looking over the readings on Teletraan. "You can gear up for battle, first of all," he said. "Unfortunately, these readings are all over the place. I'm picking up two signals, but their exact locations seem to be fluctuating. It's as if someone tampered with Teletraan's detection systems."

Elita sucked in air, averting her gaze.

"I've managed to narrow down one of them to a warehouse down by the pier," he continued. "Roll out, but do it with caution–we could very well be walking right into a Predacon turf war. Or an ambush."

The team headed out, knowing the jig was all but up.

Immediately upon arriving, there was no sign of any Predacon, to Steven's relief, and likely Elita's and Sideswipe's as well. All three of them hoped Blackarachnia knew to keep away, and it was an unrelated beast that had been detected. "The readings came from within that warehouse," Magnus said quietly, pointing out the building in question. "Move in, flanking maneuver Delta-One."

Guns trained on the door, Sideswipe slowly approached, while Elita and Magnus came in from the sides. Steven hung tightly to Ultra Magnus (almost literally), worried about what waited within the warehouse. Slowly, Elita took hold of the doors, slowly prying them open.

Sunlight spilled into the empty room. Steven's first thought was that Blackarachnia wasn't inside, to which he breathed an internal sigh of relief. But what was inside instead very quickly took that relieved feeling away. A series of oval-shaped pods lined the floor and walls, each one covered in a translucent purple slime that connected them together. Although they seemed to be made of metal, the pods pulsed as though they were breathing.

"Okay, so no Predacon," said Sideswipe. "Just a bunch of sli–" He took a moment to dry heave. "...slimy eggs."

Elita raised her blaster. "But what laid them?" she asked. "And more importantly, what's going to hatch?"

The increase in light and heat, and likely the scent of energon, caused one of the closest pods to peel open. A greenish shape appeared, revealing itself as a giant, metallic green wasp. This was followed by another, and another, until the entire warehouse was filled with the slime-covered bugs.

Sideswipe quickly slammed the door shut. "There we go, crisis averted. Now we just have to blow this place up and collect the spark, nothin' to it!"

"But how was this Predacon able to escape?" Magnus asked nobody specific. "We contained it, didn't we?"

"About that…" said Steven, wringing his hands. "I miiiight have forgotten to actually put its spark away, what with everything that happened with Blackarachnia." He slapped his hands over his mouth. Elita shook her head, and Sideswipe slapped his forehead.

Magnus gave Steven a puzzled look. "Blackarachnia? Wasn't that one already contained as well?"

But that conversation would have to wait, as a sizable dent appeared in the door with a loud bang. More and more of the wasps began crashing into the walls, looking to find a way out–or make one. The four backed away as the skylight shattered, releasing the swarm. Dozens of the giant insects filled the sky, almost blocking out the sun.

"Get behind me!" Magnus unleashed a barrage of rockets, which streaked upwards towards the wasps. The explosions destroyed a number of them, but there were many, many more where that came from. And worse still, this attack caused them to take notice of the Autobots.

Sideswipe and Elita began firing up at them as well, but as the wasps bore down on them all, it was clear they needed a new plan. "Everybody drive!" shouted Sideswipe, grabbing Steven and placing him in the passenger seat as he transformed. For the second time in as many days, the group sped away from the incoming swarm.

The multitude of wasps barreled down on the Autobots, though as they approached the city, the swarm began to split apart. Enticed by the sights and sounds that the town had to offer, the Predacons were drawn in like moths to a flame. As could be expected, this resulted in a panic spreading among the populace as gigantic mechanical wasps descended upon Beach City.

Elita spun around, opening fire on the ones still chasing after them. Her shots felled numerous wasps, but by now they were too spread out to keep shooting without risking civilians being endangered. "Everyone, get inside!" she shouted. "Stay in your homes or nearby buildings, and do not panic!"

It was a bit late to tell everyone not to panic, but the people did at least take her advice of taking shelter. The three of them transformed, no longer being pursued but having led the Predacons right into the heart of Beach City. "Well, hate to say it, but I think we made things worse," said Sideswipe. "What now?"

"What else? We fight!" Magnus fired another salvo of missiles, blowing twelve wasps out of the sky. This got the attention of more, which rushed in to take him on. Undaunted, he charged, grabbing the first two and smashing them against the street. He found himself beset from all sides, giant stingers being shot at him from every angle, but he fought on. Before one of them could impale him from behind, it was sliced in half by Sideswipe's swords.

Shifting into his Cybertronian form, Steven joined the fray, carving through their numbers with his axe. "Hey! You big bugs! You think you're so tough? Try out my flyswatter!" But as more and more of the wasps descended upon him, he found it was growing harder to handle them all at once.

"This isn't working!" said Sideswipe, bobbing and weaving through the incoming stingers as he fired back. "Anyone here got a giant bug zapper lying around?"

"We just need to find the original," said Elita, having taken to the skies to scout. But this was easier said than done, as the original Predacon would look identical to the many, many clones that now filled the city. She scanned the buildings below in search of one that was laying low, which was growing difficult thanks to the numerous wasps giving chase.

Steven moved to aid Magnus, only to feel a piercing pain shoot through his ankle. He cried out and fell to one knee, pulling the stinger out just in time for another to pierce his back. As he dropped his axe, a number of the wasps moved in, biting him with their mandibles. "Someone, help!"

"Steven!" Sideswipe aimed his guns, but he couldn't ensure he wouldn't hit him by accident. So he drew his swords and raced towards him, deflecting a stinger shot his way. "Ha!-Ack!" Using the stinger as a distraction, the bug flew forward, latching onto his face. He lost his balance and fell over, clawing at the insect in an attempt to remove it.

Covered in the biting bugs, Steven thrashed to try and get them off, but there were too many of them. Forced to the ground, he felt their stings and bites all over, sure he would already be done for if it hadn't been for his metallic skin. Not that what he was currently feeling was much more pleasant, as they gradually began to wear down the armor in question. "Anyone…I need…"

Suddenly, the mass of biting and stinging surrounding him erupted into a cacophony of frantic wingbeats. Just moments later, Steven felt himself covered by a mat of…something. He wasn't sure what it was, but it was very sticky. The wasps that covered him had been trapped too, ceasing their assault.

Pulling his head free from the adhesive, his heart leapt as he saw what it truly was. He and his attackers had been stuck in a giant spider web, and its source was perched on a nearby rooftop: shining like a beacon, Blackarachnia stood ready to do battle with the insectoid beasts threatening the city.

"Blackarachnia! You're back!" cried Steven.

Sideswipe was glad to see her too, cutting Steven free of the web. "She sure picked a good time to make an entrance! Ya couldn'ta showed up sooner?"

Deciding she was the greater threat, a number of the wasps charged towards her, only for many to get caught by another web blast. Blackarachnia leapt off the roof of the building to another, striking more of the bugs out of the air with her legs. "Go, Blackarachnia, go!" Steven shouted.

Ultra Magnus had also been taking in this sight, not entirely sure what was going on. "Uh, heh, so, we can explain…" said Sideswipe.

"I'm sure you can–later. Save the city first!" he said, shooting missiles at more wasps. Shrugging, both Steven and Sideswipe rejoined the fray.

Having attracted a sizable number of wasps on her tail, Elita ducked and weaved through the buildings to try and lose them. "I don't suppose any of you are up for some target practice?" she asked. "Lots and lots of target practice?"

Steven looked up to see that, while she took out a number of wasps, Blackarachnia was also building a web between two buildings. "You might not need us–head back this way!"

Elita turned, leading the swarm down the street. She soon saw Blackarachnia herself, holding the web up by one last strand. She sped up, and the spider jumped. Just as Elita passed between the buildings, Blackarachnia fell behind her, catching the incoming wasps in her web and descending to the ground.

"Alright! That was awesome!" said Steven as Elita transformed. "Did you see that? Blackarachnia swooped in and saved us all!"

"I sure did see it!" Elita replied. She turned around towards the Predacon, who, despite the wasps being dealt with, still seemed to be searching for something. "I think you got through to her, Steven. Some of your heroism must've rubbed off on her!" She noticed Ultra Magnus, who didn't seem very amused. "Though, I suppose we should explain what's going on…"

He crossed his arms. "Let me guess: Steven accidentally let Blackarachnia out when he was trying to put the other Predacon in storage, then he tried to befriend her while you two kept things quiet. Is that about right?"

Sideswipe blinked. "That's…basically it, to the letter. Were you spying on us or something?"

"No, but I have known you all for some time." He glanced over at Blackarachnia. "You're all just lucky she hasn't posed a threat to any humans." Just then, something caught her attention, and she ran off. "That said…"

Watching her go, Elita came to a sudden realization. "Hang on…all this time, Blackarachnia was trying to get into the city. What if she could sense this Predacon, and knew it was still a threat?"

"This whole time, she was trying to save us!" cried Steven. "I knew she was a good robo-spider-monster-thing!" He transformed, speeding after his new friend. "Lead the way, Blackarachnia!" The others transformed as well, giving chase.

"It would make sense if she is able to detect which one is the original," Magnus said. "After all, she has experience creating copies herself!"

A short drive later, they arrived at what looked like an abandoned building. Given the yellow tape and construction vehicles around it, it was slated for demolition. Blackarachnia excitedly scampered up to it, trying to force her way in through the entrance. "Think we found our place," said Sideswipe. Everyone transformed once they arrived. "Okay, this time, can we just be proactive and burn the place down?"

But before Magnus could offer his disapproval–or approval–of Sideswipe's plan, Blackarachnia's presence had riled up the wasps taking shelter inside. Doors, windows, and rotting walls burst open as yet another swarm emerged from within. "Aw, we just got rid of the last one!" moaned Steven. Nevertheless, he readied his axe.

Though initially buzzing around uncoordinated, the wasps soon regrouped and began attacking the Autobots. One by one they were struck out of the sky, with Blackarachnia perched atop the building, looking around the swarm. She was trying to track down the original.

Seeming to know this, the wasps intentionally avoided her, going out of their way not to get close. They appeared to have figured out that her webs were more than capable of snatching them out of the air with ease. But even with this attempted defense, she managed to grab them one at a time, pulling them to her mandibles where they were quickly finished off.

"This isn't working," said Magnus, swinging his fists at the incoming insects. "She can clearly see which one is the progenitor, but it's moving too fast for her to catch. We need a new plan."

Although Elita couldn't detect her target in the same way Blackarachnia could, she followed the Predacon's eyes to try and zero in on where it was flying. "I think I've got one!" She transformed, flying into the swarm. "Follow my lead!"

"Uh, how?" asked Sideswipe. "We're not exactly air-worthy!"

Tilting her propellers forward, Elita carved through the wasps by using them as makeshift saws. Her guns roared, tearing through any of them that her turbines didn't reach. Many of the bugs began to cluster around one individual, guarding against her attacks–they had found the leader.

" This is how!" Steven charged in, climbing his way atop the building beside Blackarachnia. "Magnus, use your missiles!"

He did so, aiming at the cluster of wasps. While this succeeded in wiping out a number of them, one that was only slightly damaged flew out of the explosion, escaping back inside the building. Blackarachnia immediately sprang after it, tearing apart a section of wall to get to it.

With their creator in danger, the swarm descended upon her, literally throwing themselves into her waiting mandibles just to serve as a distraction. Though she was able to handle them at first, their sheer number meant she was quickly overwhelmed. Steven leapt down, trashing some of them with his axe, while Magnus and Sideswipe charged in.

"Clear the way!" said Sideswipe, as Magnus blew them an opening with his missiles. Upon finding the wasp, he swung both his swords in its direction, but it darted out of the way, leading to him slicing a support pillar in half. "Get back here, ya pest!" He opened fire with his blasters, causing more of the building to crumble.

Steven and Blackarachnia made their way inside, still trying to fend off the swarm surrounding them. "Quick, lure it over this way!" He fended off as many of the wasps as he could, but there were too many. He and Blackarachnia were being overwhelmed.

Luckily, Elita came down from above, slicing through several with her blades on her way down. "Focus on the original, I'll hold them off!" she said, opening fire with her blaster.

As Sideswipe moved to push the Predacon towards them, Blackarachnia crawled further in, heavily damaged from the numerous bites and stings. "C'mon, girl, just hang in there a bit longer!" Steven encouraged, not looking too hot himself. "We almost got it, not long now!"

Indeed, it wasn't long before Sideswipe managed to chase the wasp into Blackarachnia's range. She zeroed in on it with her many eyes, and with considerable effort, shot out a length of web. Steven held his breath as it streaked towards its target, ultimately hitting its mark. The wasp was yanked to the ground before being pulled closer to the pair. Wasting no time, Steven sprang forward, dropping his axe and splitting it in two.

And that was it. With its body destroyed, the Predacon dissolved into rust, leaving only its spark lying on the ground. Steven picked it up and, with cautious precision, gently placed it through a small portal that opened up before him. He breathed a sigh of relief, not only at finally defeating it, but at managing to correctly seal its spark this time.

With their creator and master defeated, the other wasps began to deactivate, falling out of the sky one by one. The relief Steven felt spread to the rest of the Autobots as well. "Ha! Catch ya later, Waspinator!" said Sideswipe, offering a mock salute.

But their relief was short-lived. As a number of wasps rained down on the building's roof, the entire place began to shake. It seemed this was the last straw, as all the damage caused up until now was finally leading to its collapse. "Uh-oh…everyone, quick, get out!" said Elita. The fallen wall she was standing in was first to go, and she leapt aside just as a mountain of rubble fell where he had just been. This also blocked Steven and Blackarachnia from leaving that way.

"Quick, over here!" shouted Sideswipe, heading out the way he had come in. As the first floor threatened to give way, Ultra Magnus held the rest of it up from the opening. "Hurry! I don't know how long he can hold it!"

"Not long!" replied Magnus.

Steven tried pulling Blackarachnia towards the exit. "Just a bit further, and we're home free!" he said. More of the ceiling fell from above, forcing him to stagger back or risk being crushed. "Don't worry, just keep running! Keep running!"

Knowing they only had seconds at most, Blackarachnia knew what to do. She latched tightly onto Steven with all her legs, before firing a strand of web at the far wall. Retracting it, the two of them were pulled past the falling debris and crumbling concrete.

Just as they reached the end, Blackarachnia shoved Steven with all her might, throwing him against Ultra Magnus. This sent both Autobots tumbling away from the building, though Blackarachnia was left within. Her eyes and Steven's met one more time as the entire structure was reduced to rubble, burying her beneath it.

"No! Blackarachnia!" Steven tried to run back for her, but Magnus held him back as a wave of dust washed over the surrounding area. When it settled, the four of them approached the wreckage, with Steven rushing forward to try and dig her out. "Quick, guys, help! She might still be okay!"

But Magnus knew better. "Steven…" While Steven frantically pushed rubble aside, he simply lifted up a large chunk of concrete, pulling out a spark. "She let herself be crushed to save you."

A tearful Steven took hold of the spark. "Thank you," he whispered. "Even after everything you've been through, you still chose to be a hero in the end. You would have made a great Autobot, Blackarachnia…I will remember you always."

"...Uh, not to be a buzzkill, but she'll come back," said Sideswipe. "You remember? Like with Elita?"

Steven blinked. "Oh. Yeah, I knew that. Still, she put herself in harm's way just to save me… She really would have made a great Autobot." He looked down at the spark, watching its energon swirl around the nucleus.

After giving Steven a moment, Magnus took the spark back. "You could be right, Steven. Optimus always thought there was a way to revert the Predacons back to their old selves. He tried for years, and even though he saw little success, he never doubted his convictions. One day, I know you'll be the one to restore them." He then placed the spark through a portal. "But maybe that day should come later."

Reluctantly, Steven agreed. "Yeah. There are still plenty of Predacons out there who need our help. The ones with us aren't going anywhere. Still…it was kinda nice having a giant spider robot to hang out with. I'll definitely miss her."

"You already have a giant robot lion. How many more pets do you need?" Elita said jokingly. Now come on–let's get out of here before we get an earful for knocking down this building." She ushered the group away from the scene.

"At least it was already comin' down," Sideswipe pointed out. "For once, our collateral damage may have actually made someone's day easier."

Today had been a fairly typical day for Lio. He spent most of the early morning patrolling the outskirts of town, and after sunrise it was another few hours digging for energon near the old quarry. Neither yielded any significant finds, so then it was on to napping underneath the pier. When high tide had taken over his sleeping spot, he had moved to Steven's house, lounging in the sun.

"Hey, speaking of–look who it is!" Lio glanced up at Steven's voice. Seeing the boy approach along with the other Autobots, he got up to stretch. One stretch and a yawn later, he sat back down in the sand. "How're you doing, buddy? Have a good day without us?" Steven scratched underneath Lio's metal chin, something that the lion appreciated very much, even if he didn't show it.

"So…about hiding Blackarachnia from me," said Magnus.

They all knew this was coming. "Right, yeah. It was one of those things that felt like a good idea at the time, but looking back…we probably should've told you," said Sideswipe.

Elita agreed. "Our logic was that you wouldn't accept a Predacon as capable of being reasoned with. I apologize–I should've known better."

"No worries," said Magnus, to their slight surprise. "In the end, she ended up helping us with a much bigger problem. Though I would appreciate it if you kept fewer secrets in the future."

"I think we can handle that!" said Steven, holding out his pinkie. "Let's all pinkie promise to never keep each other in the dark again!" The three Autobots held out their giant pinkies, with Steven only lightly tapping his against theirs. "After all, I don't think my dad would like it if we hid things from each other all the time. That's no way to be a team!"

Lio rolled over onto his side, scratching his ear before going back to sleep.