Only human

Chapter-36

Jack couldn't help but feel Déjà Vu. He was in the forest and corned by the psychotic, spiderbot assassin. Then, when hope seemed lost he heard the roar of an engine and his guardian two-wheeler drove in and drop-kicked Airachnid into the dirt.

"ARCEE!" Jack cried with joy and, ignoring the pain in his ankle, he ran to his girlfriend.

Arcee turned around and in an instant went from fierce warrior to caring girlfriend. "Jack!" She picked him up and hugged him against her breastplate whist Jack wrapped his arms around her neck. They separated after a few seconds, but Arcee still held him in her hands. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. You timed your entrance perfectly," Jack said, before adding with no shyness, "and they way you drop-kicked her was really hot!"

Arcee couldn't help but smile at her boyfriends words, but as much as she wanted to kiss him right then and there, she had to get him to safety. She activated her com. "Arcee to base, I've found Jack. Lock on to my co ordinates and open the bridge."

As Arcee spoke Jack just stared at his girlfriends metal face to happy for words, but as his eyes wandered he noticed some things about Arcee were different: her shoulders were covered by a smooth black armour, the small gaps in her thighs were gone and at the back of her calfs, where her servos could be seen, were now completely covered by her armour. "Ah Arcee..." He was cut off when the ground bridge opened right behind them.

Arcee set Jack on his feet. "I'll see you at home baby. Now go!" She lightly pushed him towards the portal and turned back to face Airachnid, who was picking herself back up. Just before Jack entered the portal, he looked back at Arcee and saw that the tire in her back was gone; her back was just smooth, blue armour. "What happened?" he asked himself as he passed through the portal.

Airachnid got to her feet in time to see the portal close and realised that her prey had escaped her once again. She narrowed her optics at the two-wheeler responsible. "Well look whos back," she said as the two femmes began circling each other. "I must admit Arcee, I'm actually glad to see your back to your old self. As much fun as it would have been torturing your small human form," a twisted smile formed on her face, "This form can take much more punishment."

"True." Arcee agreed as they both came to a stop. She activated her blades in her arms. "But it can also dish it out." with that she charged.

Airachnid raised her hands and fired webs, but Arcee dived forward, spinning in a corkscrew over them. Before the assassin was could fire again, she hand closed the distance and spun around, delivering a crescent kick to Airachnids faceplate, knocking her off her feet and into the dirt. Airachnid shook her head clear and looked up, her optics instantly widened and she and she rolled away, just avoiding Arcees blade as she tried to bring it down on the Assassins head. Airachnid switched to her six legged mode mid-roll and used her spider legs to lift herself off the ground. "I see you haven't forgotten how to fight during your little vacation."

Arcee took a battle stance. "Like riding a bicycle." A moment later they both charged.

Autobot Base

"OW!" Jack gasped in pain as he sat on the couch, Miko attempting to bandage his ankle.

"Sorry," she apologised, "They make this look so easy on TV."

After Jack had returned through the portal, Miko helped him up to the raised area and onto the couch. Hearing his ankle was sprained, she grabbed the first aid kit and decided to bandage it, saying "How hard could it be?" Turns out, harder than she thought.

"Whats it like out there, Raf?" Jack asked.

Raf had been monitoring the battlefield signals which showed on the main console. "Ratchet and Wheeljack just started moving again."