I stepped away from the massive electric cannon, its cables still sparking across the floor, the sharp scent of ozone filling the air. A faint smile tugged at my lips as I saw that the weapon had worked exactly as I had planned. If it had gone wrong… well, the mess would've rivaled an explosion bigger than all of Airachnid's bad habits put together.
"See? It worked." I said, looking at Simmons with a triumphant air, while noticing the stunned faces of the soldiers around us. They looked like they'd just witnessed a miracle. "No consequences beyond a massive electricity bill."
"I'm not saying anything." Simmons replied, judging me silently, his stare carrying the weight of someone who couldn't decide whether to praise me or throw me in jail.
Suddenly, a metallic crash rang out—something heavy slamming against the ground. When I turned, I saw the cannon's tip beginning to melt, the metal glowing orange and warping like wax under flame.
"I forgot to calculate the heat output… rookie mistake." I shrugged, pretending to play it cool in front of a piece of equipment likely worth millions of dollars. "Well, now we just wait for that idiot Airachnid to show up and—"
Before I could finish, something dropped onto me—something massive, metallic, and absurdly heavy. I heard a sickening crack, a sound so vile it made my stomach churn, and for a fleeting instant I thought my legs had shattered like glass beneath the weight. The pain was so overwhelming that the edges of my vision went black.
With superhuman effort, I managed to tilt my head slightly. My spine burned, struggling to regenerate even as I felt the crushing pressure pinning me down.
"Airachnid… what did I say… about watching… where you teleport." I hissed, my voice laced with anger muffled by agony.
Airachnid glanced down, as if she had stepped on a cockroach without realizing it—until she finally noticed who was trapped beneath her claws.
"Oh! Didn't think your warning was meant literally." She stepped aside, the metallic thud reverberating through the cracked floor, finally lifting the crushing weight off me. Then she grabbed me with insulting ease, hoisting my broken body like a worthless ragdoll, her cold metal fingers digging into my shoulders like claws.
"Are you… are you alright?" Simmons stammered, wide-eyed, unable to hide his shock and horror, as if he were struggling to process what he had just seen.
"I'll be fine… once I heal." I muttered, unable to move anything but my eyes. My voice carried not just pain, but also raw indignation. It was humiliating to be in such a state—crushed by someone who was supposed to be my ally, treated like dead weight. My very dignity felt trampled along with my body.
"Well, as you can see, I'll be leaving with him." Airachnid said with disdain, tossing me over her shoulder like a discarded grocery bag. "Goodbye, filthy humans."
In one smooth motion, she transformed into her vehicle mode, the engine roaring to life, and stuffed me into the passenger seat—going so far as to buckle the seatbelt in a bizarre gesture of care. Without hesitation, she sped off, tires screeching and leaving behind a chorus of shouting, bewildered soldiers.
"So, it was you who blew up Megatron's ship?" Airachnid asked, her optics glowing faintly on the dashboard as she focused on the road ahead.
"Trying to distract from the fact you broke my spine?" I shot back, my voice weaker than I would've liked, my eyes the only thing I could move.
"No… maybe… You just love to complain."
"I really don't understand women," I muttered, wishing I could sigh, though the paralysis didn't allow it. "Yes, it was me. But I could hear that there were other explosions… what happened?"
"The humans blew up the battlefield. So, I staged one last harmless little act to get back to you."
"Should I be worried about the word harmless coming out of your mouth?" With effort, I moved my arm. "Finally… regeneration's faster than usual. Perfect."
"Hmph. You should have a metal body like mine. It'd be safer and far more convenient than being limited to flesh." Airachnid scoffed, her headlights piercing the road ahead.
"Looks like someone doesn't want to try new foods, huh? I had so many ideas." I teased, using a childish tone just to irritate her.
"Don't you dare!" she snarled, the car skidding slightly across the asphalt, the engine's growl rumbling like distant thunder.
"Hahahahaha."
"I'll break your spine again," she threatened, a cruel glint flashing on the dashboard, as though her smirk were stretching wider, dripping with malice.
"Do that again, and I won't take you to eat the best food in the world." My threat was light, but carried intent—and it was enough to silence her. I noticed how quiet she grew; turns out food was a more effective weapon than I'd imagined.
"I am a lady. I don't fall for your cheap tricks." She tried to feign a delicate, refined tone, but it came out so forced that even she didn't seem convinced by her own act.
"Hmph, enough fooling around." I leaned back, hands behind my head, breathing deep. Wiggling my toes one by one, I confirmed they were responding—just to be sure my freshly healed spine was truly functional. "We're heading to the forest where all this mess began."
"Driving?" she arched a brow, mocking the very idea.
"I gave you the teleportation ability for what, exactly?" I shot a sidelong glance at the dashboard, already predicting her snarky reply.
"Screw you. I'm only not killing you because you're the Allspark." The answer came sharp, yet tinged with that resigned tone she used whenever she lost an argument.
"Oh, you want to do it that way?! Then I'll have to eat a lot just to match the weight of your ridiculous insults." I let the provocation slip with a crooked smile, aiming straight for her weak spot.
"You didn't say that!!" Airachnid roared, and in the same instant, she shook the seat violently. My face slammed against the dashboard, and a surprised grunt escaped me.
I pressed a hand to my nose, feeling the heat of the blow, but couldn't resist smirking—now with a mischievous edge. "Okay, you can wait… I'll punish you, just wait."
After a long 15… or was it 45 minutes of a discussion that, deep down, was our twisted way of keeping what we called a healthy dialogue, we finally teleported. The air shifted, and we found ourselves back at the origin of all the chaos: the forest of metal—or nearly metal. A terrible name, I know, but for now, it would have to do.
"This place is completely deserted." I remarked, scanning the devastated landscape. Outside the dome, everything looked dead—trees twisted like skeletons, the ground cracked, the air heavy with the bitter tang of Energon radiation.
Yet, beyond that line of death, inside the dome, the mutated forest pulsed with life. I could feel it. Every movement, every Spark vibrating in the air, as if everything there breathed in unison. It was a living organism—from the largest leaves to the tiniest dust particles—just like Cybertron in the Era of the Primes.
"Hey, little one, can you give me a heads-up on who's in charge?" I extended my arm, and the small insect fused to my metallic skin raised its wings, glinting with metallic reflections before darting toward the dome, disappearing into the distance.
"Are you really sure you want to come back here?" Airachnid asked, her voice quieter, almost serious. "You said yourself there could be anything here. You can't even control the damage you caused."
"Me?! Should I remind you whose fault this is?!" I looked at her with indignation, eyes sparking as the weight of the situation pressed on my patience. But, as expected, she feigned total innocence, turning her gaze away as if she had nothing to do with the chaos around us.
"Well… I couldn't have known you don't know how to use your own powers." She replied, in a light, teasing tone, raising her hands to examine her metallic claws. The sharp fingers reflected the soft light filtering through the tree canopy, and she put on an air of elegance that only irritated me more.
"Want to switch back to human form so I can kick your butt?" I asked, with almost childish honesty, but that familiar touch of provocation she knew well.
"No."
"Damn." I muttered in frustration, crossing my arms.
Suddenly, my thoughts—already boiling with ideas on how to mess with Airachnid—were violently interrupted. The heavy sound of footsteps echoed through the clearing, and as if emerging from the shadows, dozens of colossal wolves appeared. Some stood four meters tall, others even more imposing, reaching six meters. They tore through the protective barrier as if it were made of paper, their metal fangs gleaming under the greenish light of the Energon that filled the area.
"Stay behind me, just in case." Her voice sounded firm. Before I could react, my view was blocked by one of her long legs, while her arachnid limbs on her back raised in alert, rigid like spears ready to pierce.
I tilted my head, trying to see past that wall of legs, and then I saw him. The largest of them. Impossible not to recognize. The same massive wolf, with silver fur scarred from battle, who had looked at us before with that same gaze when Airachnid and I were practically defeated by the Decepticons. His eyes, so steady and intelligent, had given us a second chance that day when the pack appeared to turn the tide in our favor.
The wolves now surrounded us, yet strangely, it didn't feel like an immediate threat. It was as if they were making sure we were alone, isolating us to avoid any followers. Everything felt so coordinated, so meticulously synchronized, that I almost let out a low chuckle, thinking we were in the middle of one of those action movies with perfect choreography. All that was missing was a dramatic soundtrack playing in the background.
The alpha, with silver scarred fur and eyes glowing like embers, gave a subtle nod. A silent order for us to follow. And in that instant, I realized that the hope I had placed in resolving this without a bloodbath was not in vain.
"Airachnid, you can go back to being hot... I mean, human form." I teased, with that cynical little smirk, already expecting the lecture.
"I don't want to switch back to human form anytime soon. I know very well you're going to try something against me." She replied in a dry tone, and it was obvious her discomfort was as big as my desire to provoke her.
"I won't do anything… if you start overloading yourself with the Energon-rich environment of this forest. No matter how resistant your body is now, it will eventually affect you." I started walking slowly, feeling the air almost crackle around me, the Energon so dense it seemed tangible. I knew that if I were still just a normal human, my body would already be charred right there, a victim of the brutal radiation of this place.
Behind me, the familiar sound of gears rearranging. When I glanced over my shoulder, there she was, now in human form—or rather, in her sexy gothic form, which was almost an affront to my focus.
"Don't even think about playing a trick on me." She warned, eyes narrowed and dangerous, moving past me to follow the alpha wolf.
"Hahaha… who knows, huh." I said with a muffled laugh, savoring every second of the tension.
"I just want to get this over with." She whispered, tired. Her shoulders slumped, revealing her exhaustion. "Me running back and forth without stopping…"
"I promise I'll make it up to you later."
"With some exotic food from this planet?" She asked, and this time there was hope in her voice. Her purple eyes glimmered, almost like a child excited.
"Trust me. You'll see."