Reach Out 17

Breakdown didn't get much sleep following his "gift" to Knock Out. The red medic was sound asleep in his arms, and that knowledge set some of his processor at ease. But the rest of the day's events did nothing to help his racing thoughts. First, Megatron's interrogation in the medical bay. He had trusted Soundwave to put any questions at ease, what was he supposed to do if he spoke out of turn? The moment he mentioned Arachnid, and Megatron doubted him, he knew that he was scrap metal.

Only through bittersweet circumstances did he escape Megatron's wrath. The drones ended up paying for it, but final proof that Arachnid was still around had come to light. They hadn't lost any drones as a result of the attack, though that didn't stop Breakdown from feeling bad for the workers. They weren't mindless drones, they had sparks and personalities; just as much a Decepticon as any one of the officers.

Why go after a mine, though? Arachind was alone, and even if she had kept Starscream around, there was no way that the two of them were in need of more energon already. Granted, Starscream was heavily injured, but Arachnid must have had a ship around somewhere. How else would she have gotten to Earth?

The point was, Arachnid must have had something big planned, otherwise she wouldn't have attempted such a brash move, going straight into a Decepticon owned and operated mine. And if she had Starscream with her, then something big was planned.

Breakdown sighed. What could Arachnid need the energon for, and if Starscream was still alive, how much longer did they have in relative peace before the inevitable attack came?

For now, he had no answers. He would focus on keeping Knock Out safe and happy. Hopefully, this would all blow over without infringing on their wish of bonding. The frontliner tightened his hold on Knock Out, pressing a soft kiss to his helm. Recharge wouldn't come, for some reason. But sometimes a sleepless night was better than being plagued by nightmares.

The femme drilled back into the cave, her spider legs transforming out and landing on the cases with a small click. She walked over them, checking on their status. She was crept along the pods, watching for any abnormalities in the pods. That dumb seeker didn't know about her growing army, and she didn't intend for him to find out until necessary. Should he try to change sides, and manage to pass on information before she could catch him, she would be done for. Megatron would be expecting this. And the point was to catch him unaware.

Until that time came, however, she had to allow Starscream to think that he was in charge. That's why she went to the mine in such an obvious manner. She has a plausible excuse for her "failure" before she even left for the mission; she was outnumbered.

As a predatory huntress, she only attacked if she knew that she would, in some way, be successful. A full frontal attack was the last thing on her list of possible techniques. She hardly ever used it, and she only did when there was no other way to protect herself. If Megatron was dumb enough to think that she had done that of her own free will, then it was for the best that she had left all those vorns ago.

Arachnid smirked, twisting off the wall and landing in the middle of the pods on the ground, her spider appendages transforming away onto her back. The slender femme walked out of that section of the cave, going to find aforementioned seeker. What he didn't know, was that by ordering her to attack a fully staffed Energon mine in the middle of broad daylight, he had essentially given away what had happened to him. That was assuming that that blue lug from before hadn't blabbed already.

The next section of the cave stored anything that she had managed to salvage from her ship. Spare parts, her console, and some basic weaponry. None of her trophies made it, however. She grated her denta at the mental reminder.

She schooled her expression, as Starscream was typing away at the console. "Results?" he asked, not bothering to turn around. She scowled, but answered the question regardless.

"Unsuccessful. I was outnumbered," she begins, but the screechy twig cuts her off before she could finish.

"You dare come back here without fuel!" he yells, pointing an accusing claw in her direction.

She glares at him. "YOU were the one who told me to go there in the middle of the solar cycle! You knew as well as I did that the mine would be fully protected, with drones everywhere. I did manage to cause a cave-in, though."

Starscream's optics widen in somewhat of panic. "WHAT?!"

Arachnid just stares at him. "I told you, I caused a cave-in. They won't be able to use the mine anymore, and several of the drones won't live to see the next few days."

The former SIC growls in frustration. "That was the only mine I could get to without mining equipment! It was wide open, and how to you expect me to get another mine? Wait for Megatron to just make another one?"

The black and purple femme spins around and kicks Starscream into a wall. Jumping on top of him, she holds out the two spider-legs above her shoulders that she used for disassembly. "I don't see you helping, all you're doing is yelling at me and telling me what to do. That plan was a foolish one, and you know it. Besides, if you bothered to search through my ships logs, you would find that there is an energon mine not 5 clicks due north of here."

She leans into his face, growling. "Don't make me regret saving you."

Starscream gulps, trying to back-track his way out of the situation. "I-I didn't mean it like that! Just that...i-it's very difficult to f-find a s-solid mine to t-take from."

The arms click closer to his throat. "I just gave you one. Go to it, and don't return until you have at least enough to make three cubes. By the time you return, the converter will be up and running. Don't. Waste my time," she spoke in a low, threatening voice. Stepping off the seeker, she walked to the energon converter, beginning to make the final adjustments. The smirk returns as she hears him scramble off.