Happy International Women's Day to all ladies!

To any returning readers from my previous Prime fic "Orion", thank you for joining me again for another short Prime fic. This one is a reflective piece that takes place after the season 2 episode "Armada" which saw the imprisonment of Airachnid in an Insecticon stasis pod.

Note: Italicized words indicate memories, flashbacks and mental voices.

Reviews are much appreciated!

Not Like You

Alone in a storage chamber of the Autobot base, Arcee stood before the Insecticon stasis pod that had imprisoned her nemesis.

"Stasis. She deserved worse."

"I intended worse, more times than you know."

"You are stronger for the choice you made."

She glared through the glass of the pod at the prisoner within. Airachnid's frozen expression of terror looked back at her.

"You sure have trouble hanging on to your partners, don't you? We both know what happened to Tailgate..."

Arcee shut her eyes.

"No! Please!"

"TAILGAAATE!"

"I couldn't save him! I couldn't save my partner!"

Her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"...but I recently picked up some Decepticon radio chatter regarding the passing of Cliffjumper..."

"I just want you to know, I haven't given up. I'm gonna find the 'con who took you from us."

"You were the one. You extinguished Cliffjumper!"

Within her, the familiar fires of rage and hatred swelled, rising, consuming her...

"...At some point, you really have to ask yourself, Arcee: is it them...or is it me?"

...burning, scarring her, leaving behind a stinging residue of lasting pain, poisonous, venomous in her veins.

"And that's why I now prefer to work alone. It's so sad when bad things happen to those close to you. But don't get me wrong, I fully intend to snuff out your spark. And believe me, I will make it hurt. But that won't compare to the pain you'll feel knowing I'm adding your human...to my collection."

"JAAAAAACCKK!"

"Primus...," she uttered harshly.

"She will pay."

"Revenge will not bring back those we have lost. Is that understood?"

"...Give me strength."

"...every sentient being deserves an opportunity for redemption."

"Even bot killers? Even Airachnid?"

"Without that hope, we may never achieve lasting peace."

Her eyes flew open. The grim visage of her frozen enemy confronted her again.

"I will never forgive you, Airachnid..."

"When you extinguish my spark, make it hurt. You know...I would extend that courtesy to you."

"I'm not like you."

"...but I won't take your spark either."

Arcee took a step toward the glass of the stasis pod. She saw the reflection of her face overlap Airachnid's face. She stopped.

"I'm not like you," she whispered.

And yet you cannot let me go, Airachnid's voice echoed in her mind. Where I go, you follow.

Paralysis gripped Arcee's body.

Destiny has crossed our paths more than once. Our fates are intertwined.

In the glass, two female faces merged. Blue and pink eyes fused; white and purple lips aligned.

We are inseparable. We are locked together. We are two ends of one weapon.

From deep within, horror rose to claim her.

I am in your memories, in your very spark.

A scream could not manifest.

I will never be gone...

The alien face in the glass stared at Arcee, as stricken as she.

...because now we are one.

End.

A/N: Come the third season of Prime, I'm hoping to see a significant change in Arcee and Airachnid's rivalry. I don't believe the show's producers have quite finished with the spider yet. The ending of this fic arose from a crazy idea I had for what could happen to the two fembots in the new season to come. I'm looking forward to seeing if it comes true in any way.