Chapter Text
A pair of amber optics looked down from a quarry at the canyons that were just below; the stone walls had trees growing crooked in some of the parts, some with few leaves and others with none and no more than a dry branch in the middle of that desert. Sand and earth were mixed wherever the view hit, and stones of all sizes made that place unique. Predakings audials picked up the wind howling as it passed through the cracks between the rocks. Soon afterwards, the silence reigned for a while until the wind picked up again. Air currents and the gusts of wind that passed over the pit could change direction and strength, making a type of music exclusive to the area,
"If you have finished admiring the scenery, can we continue with the mission so that we can return soon?" A harsh and malevolent voice took away the moment of peace
"If you want to jump and be carried away by the strong winds, Airachinid, be my guest."
The spider bot's red eyes sparkled a little when she hissed quietly at her mission partner that leader Decepticon assigned to the two, "Why did Megatron send us here ?!" She was not at all happy to be sent to that place
The bot who was enjoying the landscape gets up from the edge where he was sitting and looks at Airachnid, "We are here because Shockwave thinks that there is a possible Energon mine, Next time pay attention or go see Knock Out to see if the your audials are not defective. "
The monstrous orange bot transforms into a dragon and descends to the end of the canyon, not caring too much about his mission companion, who was still up there furious and hissing. Not long after she managed to join him when the wind stopped, the two walked around looking for a sign of some Energon.
Airachnid dusted the desert as he walked, "I hate this place! Sand is coming in everywhere!"
"Further ahead there is a small lagoon, if you care so much about your beauty you can use the water there."
"Irc! Cold water. Wait. How do you know there is a pond just ahead, Predaking?"
Predaking stopped walking for a few seconds before continuing, "I've been here before, when I still didn't know how to transform."
"Ho ... do you mean when you were just a beast without intelligence?" the look that Predaking gave Airachnid at that moment was enough for her to remain silent because she knew that if she said any more than irritated him, it could be the end of her. "Anyway ... why did you come here before?" she quickly changed the subject.
The Predacon dragon takes a long breath before starting, "One day when I was flying I felt a peculiar smell that the wind brought from this direction and I decided to follow the smell and ended up arriving at this place," Predaking was now looking at the small lake that had few plants around and with wild desert, flowers growing around it,
"For a little while I thought I saw another one of my kind bathing in this lake" Predaking put the tips of his claw in the water and started to move in a circular shape until he created a small swirl of water that soon faded when he stopped spinning his claws, "I thought I saw a magnificent silver creature with perfectly groomed wings whose silver feathers were drying in the late afternoon sun,"
Predaking could feel Airachnid's incredulous gaze looking at him. He didn't blame her since he didn't even believe what he thought he saw "When I decided to go down a draft prevented me from going down, and when I looked again, there was no one there and it was then that I received a Shockwave message telling me to go back and I obeyed. Since then I never went back to this place. "
"I think it shouldn't be me who should get Knockout for a check up after all." the spider said with the utmost disdain that she managed to
"And if you want to continue like this I suggest that you keep your comments to yourself." Predaking used his warning tone even though his amber eyes meant he wanted the spider to suffer, preferably through his claws.
An atmosphere of silence remained between the two until Airachnid said that they should look for where the Energon signal that scientist Decepticon took so they could get it over with and get back to base. For almost two hours, they were silent except for a curse or a hiss when more dust and soil dirtied on the spider. Finally, they found a small cave. It was too small for Predaking to enter, but Airachnid could explore the cave without a problem. She entered grudgingly, not having much choice since the larger Predacon prevented her from escaping the task.
Predaking waited outside. The place was too quiet until he heard Airachbid's screams coming from inside the cave. Along with those screams, it also came growling that sounded like it was mixed with high screams from a harpy, a big one.
"Airachnid !!" Predaking turned into a dragon and started shooting fireballs, trying to increase the size of the cave entrance. And when that didn't work, he started using his claws and tail to destroy the rocks and widen the path. But he didn't do it for long because he saw Airachnid going to the exit as fast as she could. The dragon Predacon pulled her out when he felt that the spider held on to his tail.
What greeted the dragon when he fished his mission partner out of the pit shocked him. On Airchnids body, there were gouges from very sharp claws; one of her spider legs torn off. Predaking didn't think twice about asking for a space bridge for Soundwave back to base reporting the status of the femme spider. Upon arriving there, Breakdown and Knockout immediately took her to the medical wing. Predaking stayed behind and explained to Decepticon leader Megatron what had happened and everything they did during the mission.
When Knockout returned, reporting that Airachnid would be fine after a few days to recover from her injuries. Megatron asked the doctor what could have caused those injuries to her.
"Without a shadow of a doubt the injuries were caused by long, sharp claws," The Decepticons in the throne room now looked at Predaking, who said he had nothing to do with it. Knockout confirmed the predacon's claims as he continued to explain, "I compared the wounds with Predaking's claw, they don't match. Arachnid's wounds they are longer and thinner than Predaking's claw and would not have reached so far inside her chassis because his claws are not thin and sharp enough for that, despite being powerful. "
Megatron looks at his Second in Command "Soundwave ..." The silent bot stops typing on his keyboard and stops looking at the screen full of codes to give full attention to his leader. "Send Laserbeak to investigate what's inside that cave,"
Soundwave didn't move or even make a sound when he released the bird Casseticon from his chest and sent it to the cave where Airachnid was. Arriving at the site, Laserbeak entered the cave using the shadow to hide her presence while she investigated. It was not long before she started to find a sign of Energon inside.
Small pink stones dotted on the cave walls. The site even had traces of blue Energon stones that they could excavate from there. Everything Casseticon saw was being broadcast live to Soundwave's computer screen. Megatron was fascinated with the place. The cave would be a good source of energy income for his army for a long time, perhaps for years. Laserbeak then stopped moving forward when he saw small branches of dry branches on the floor and, close to them, the traces from where Airachnid got attacked.
The casseticon cautiously enter the cave, which was not even so dark because the crystals of Energon illuminated the place. Laserbeak found herself in front of what appeared to be a large nest made of dry branches and shiny stones. Within that nest, there were many leaves; it was clear that some creature had created that nest to be as comfortable as possible. Right next to the nest were freshly dug Energon crystals that appeared to contain bite marks. Laserbeak was approaching when a shadow covers her. When she turns around, little Casseticon finds herself facing a Predacon.
Megatron rose from his throne, surprised to see what he saw on the screen, a Predacon, a wild one, but no one was more surprised than Predaking; that image was living proof of what he thought he had seen some time ago was real. The wild Predacon was practically a work of art, predominantly silver in colour with touches of blue and red that seemed to further enhance its beauty. Its long, well-sharpened front claws with red tips. It had a long tail resembling that of a bird and the pair of ruby eyes that were so clear that they seemed to hypnotize the prey, the silver beak that resembled that of a harpy that was very sharp. But what most called for attention was the pair of wings that he had; long, thin, well-cared-for metal feathers whose tips were akin to arrows with their sharpness. It was evident that that Predacon was much smaller than Predaking but at the same time as fatal as the dragon Decepticon. If there were word to say what the wild Predacon would be, it would be Griffin.
And that was the last image that appeared on the screen before Soundwave lost Laserbeak's signal.