A/N: So. After browsing DeviantArt, I've been inspired to write my own story. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: All characters pertaining to this story belong to Hasbro. Unfortunately.
Whatever Comes Next
Prologue
"If you wanted a tour Jack, all you had to do was ask." Jack heard the taunting words of Arachnid, from his hiding spot. "Did you spot the empty space? I hope you like it, it's where you'll soon hang your head!"
Yeah right... Jack thought to himself, not if I have anything to do with it...
Luckily, Arachnid couldn't tell that Jack was outside her ship and not inside. That gave him enough time to catch his breath, and hopefully, come up with a plan to take her out. So, as he heard her loud, metallic steps walk inside, he silently crept up to damaged outer hull.
Got to think... Jack thought, Acree is out of commission and I don't have any weapons that would hurt a giant metal spider. What can I-
Jack's train of thought was cut short when he noticed that he steeped in something. Looking down, he noticed it was a glowing blue puddle.
"Energon..." He whispered.
He heard a dripping noise, and noticed that the puddle had formed due to a leak from an engine of Arachnid's ship. Suddenly, Jack remembered his lessons from Ratchet...
"Energon is the energy source for Autobots and Decepticons alike. It very powerful, reliable, and rare. Unfortunately, it is also extremely volatile when exposed to air in liquid form. Much like your primitive fossil fuels..."
Acting quickly, Jack took out his fire starting kit, and grabbed a dead stick from the ground. With luck, he could set the puddle on fire, and maybe, just maybe, take Arachnid out as a result.
"Please let this work..." Jack breathed, striking the flint near the twig. "please..."
"Jack?" Came the muffled voice of Arachnid.
Damn it. Her audio receptors must be more sensitive than Arcee's. Got to hurry. Jack berated himself.
He began to strike the flint faster as heard Arachnid's hurried steps getting closer. As all hope seemed lost, there he saw smoke rise from the twig. He threw his flint aside, picked up the twig, and blew on it.
Fire erupted from the dead wood, and Jack wasted no time tossing it into the engine of Arachnid's ship. He then started running in hopes to put enough distance between him, and what he hoped, would soon be a very large explosion.
"JACK!" Arachnid yelled in a panic as Jack felt the heat of the building inferno. He didn't stop running though. He had to -
A loud boom and a sudden shock-wave knocked Jack off his feet and sent him flying, face down, into a dirt ridge.
"Oof!' Jack grunted as his body made contact with solid ground. However, his own pain didn't concern him. Using his arms to prop himself up slightly into a prone position, Jack allowed a small smile to spread to his face.
Arachnid's ship, and hopefully Arachnid herself, was engulfed in flame. With huff and a groan, Jack moved himself into a tired sitting position. And then, with great effort, he stood up.
Man... I can't believe that worked. He thought, Now. All I got to do is find Arcee. That should be easy.
He turned his back on the fire and began his walk to hopefully find his missing guardian...
Great. I'm lost, and it's dark... Looking around, Jack hoped he could a familiar tree, or rock, or something that could point him in the right -
A sudden squishing noise, and the locked movement of his left leg brought him back to reality. Looking down in a panic, he saw that his foot was trapped in spiderweb. He looked around widely, wondering how Arachnid could have survived that explosion.
He didn't have to much time to think as another shot of web slammed him into a nearby tree.
"Gah!, Ugh! Ufh!" Jack panicked. Squirming this way and that, fighting uselessly against the tight, strong substance.
Arachnid, still in her robot form, leapt from her perch, high in a tree, and landed in front of the struggling boy. With a sinister look on her face, and a predatory growl, she stroked Jack's face with an armored finger.
Bracing himself for the inevitable, Jack turned his face and closed his eyes. I wish she would stop messing with me and...
A bight light through his closed eyes and a roar of an engine made him open his eyes again. His spirits lifted as he watched Arcee speed towards him in her vehicle mode, jump of a rock out-cropping, convert into her robot mode, and land a powerful punch against Arachnid's surprised face.
The spider was knocked back several yards, but Arcee didn't stop as she pressed her advantage. Moving with skill and speed Jack never knew she had, outside her vehicle mode, he watched as his guardian landed hit after hit with a combination of spin kicks and aggressive punches.
Whoa... I got to remember never to get on Arcee's bad side...
With a final, mighty, kick, the female autobot sent the decepticon flying backwards. Several tall trees fell over, and a lot of dust and debris was stirred up as a result.
"Jack!" Arcee exclaimed in a concerned tone. Walking quickly over to her charge, she easily ripped the restrictive binding away from him. "Are you okay?"
Breathing heavily, due to the fear induced adrenaline, Jack smiled. "Yeah... of course. Survival ki-"
A loud buzzing/ drilling sound reached their ears. Fearing the worse, the two partners ran towards the spot where Arachnid had landed. Unfortunately, all they saw was the ass end of the their enemy as the spider cowardly escaped underground.
"Grr!" Arcee growled in frustration. "So much for closure."
"Now Arachnid is stuck here on Earth." Jack lamented, he looked up at Arcee, and their eyes met in sad understanding, "I'm not sure that's such a good thing."
"I-" Arcee began, sighed heavily (a habit she had picked up from Ratchet), "I'm sorry you had to face my demons today." A proud smile came to her face. "You were pretty fearless there Jack."
A worried look came to his face. "Actually, I was terrified for you." Arcee titled her head in confusion.
Feeling awkward, Arcee spoke into her communicator. "Ratchet? Requesting ground bridge." she clicked her communicator off then added, as Jack swatted a mosquito, "I need to get my partner away from any oversized insects."
"Partner, huh?" Jack asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. He was surprised she called him that, what with her saying that he was "just a kid".
"Junior Partner." She corrected him, "I can still pull rank."
"Yes Ma'am."
Before she could retort, the ground-bridge opened up before them. With a shake of her head, she looked down at Jack. "C'mon. Let's get you home."
"Right behind you, Arcee." Jack agreed, as the two of them crossed the apex and entered the autobot bunker.
Immediately, they were set upon the others, with questions of their whereabouts, why they took so long to get back, and why communications couldn't be established.
"Let them have time to gather their wits, before they answer your questions." Came the soothing, deep voice of Optimus Prime. The questions halted instantly.
With an understanding look at one another, Jack and Arcee began the telling of their adventure.
"We ran into a bit of trouble in the mountains." Arcee explained.
"And by a bit, we mean a lot." Jack added.
"Was it the Decepticons?" Miko demanded, "Did you guys kick their butts? Ha! I bet they're sorry they messed with you guys! To bad Bulky and me weren't there! I bet-"
Her tirade was cut short, as Bulkhead intervened. "Miko. Take a deep breath before you pass out."
Bumblebee took the opportunity to let out a series of concerned beeps.
"Yes, Bee, we're alright." Arcee answered. "Just a few dings a scrapes. And no, Miko, it wasn't the Decepticons. Well, not exactly."
"The who exactly was it?" Ratchet asked impatiently.
Jack sighed, scratching the back of his hand. "It was someone who called herself Arachnid."
Bulkhead and Ratchet gasped. Bumblebee let out a burst of worried squeaks. Even Optimus, who normally kept his cool, visibly showed his shock.
"I'm guessing that's not a good thing." Miko stated sarcastically.
"What, or who, is Arachnid?" Raf asked nervously.
"She is a Cybertronian assassin whom we Autobots encountered during the great war." Optimus answered. "She was a lieutenant in Megatron's army who took great pleasure in causing others pain. And if she is here on Earth, I fear that humanity is in grave danger."
"You mean, even more danger than usual?" Miko asked. Optimus nodded his head slowly. "Great."
"Don't' worry." Jack said, "Arcee kicked her butt, and I destroyed her ship. So she's stuck in the mountains."
"You what?" Bulkhead asked, certain his audio receptors had malfunctioned.
"You destroyed her ship? Awesome!" Miko whooped.
Ratchet looked shocked. "And how, by the All Spark, did you manage to do that?"
Jack scratched the back of his hand again. "Arachnid's ship was leaking liquid Energon. So, I used my flint to set it on fire. Things pretty much blew-up from there."
"You remembered your lessons about Energon." Arcee commented with a smile. Jack looked up at her. "Good one, Kid."
"Wow, Jack, I'm impressed." Raf complimented. "And here I thought you weren't paying attention."
"Hey." Jack shot back indignantly.
"Peh." Miko dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Who would want to remember that boring stuff anyways?"
"Ahem." Ratchet cleared his throat. "Are you suggesting that my lessons are boring?"
The young girl looked over her shoulder at the clearly bristling Med-bot. "Uh, yeah."
"Once again Jack, you have faced danger, and have come away stronger than before." Optimus said, his voice with pride, heading of the inevitable argument. "Words cannot describe the courage you have shown today against all odds."
Jack tried to show his gratefulness, but instead, let out a loud yawn.
Optimus continued. "But now the hour, for you two at least, has grown late, and Jack must return home. Arcee, are you fit to return him to his place of residence?"
"Sure thing, Sir. Let's go Jack," Arcee agreed, reverting to her travel mode. "We don't want to keep your mother waiting."
"Right." Jack mumbled, climbing on her seat, and placing his helmet on his head. "Don't want to miss those fireworks."
With a laugh, Arcee gunned her accelerator, and raced from the bunker.
TBC.
A/N: Yes, I took some scenes from "Predatory". I just wanted to lay some ground work before I got into my actual story. It'll all make sense soon enough.