Darkness rising

Hurt

Darkstriker ran through the almost desert-like rocky terrain. He needs to gain as much distance between him and the Autobots as possible before he calls the escort. Suddenly the noise of a familiar engine reached his ears.

He ducked as Arcee flew over him, dropping on the ground as she transformed and skid to a stop before standing up.

“Jack, stop.” She called out.

“Arcee.” Darkstriker growled, as he got into a fighting stance with his sword materialising in his hand. “Get out of my way.”

“No, can't do Jack.” Arcee firmly told him,”You have to come back with us.”

Jack didn't reply, instead dashed forward and lunged at her. Arcee's optics widened as extended her blades and raised her arms up, defending herself against the incoming attack before jumping away to put some distance between her and Darkstriker.

Darkstriker looks back at her and dashes towards her again. The deadly exchange of blows between them continues for a while before Arcee manages to put some distance between them.

“It's not too late. We can still help you, Jack.” Arcee yelled out.

“There's no helping me.” Darkstriker yelled back, swinging his sword as he lunged at her.

Arcee swiftly moved away, ducking under the blow. The red glowing plasma covered blade passing a mere inch above her helm.

"Jack, please, stop this. I know you're angry. The MECH got to you. I know what it's like… " Arcee talked once more, but she was cut off by a rage full yell from Darkstriker. “Don't pretend you understand!”

Blades were swung and clashes rang through the air as they continued with their deathly dance of combat. Arcee had to be careful. She didn't want to hurt Jack, but with him attacking her so relentlessly, it was getting hard.

As his sword clashed against her blades again, Arcee thrusted her arms forward, pushing Darkstriker back as the techno-organic warrior landed on his feet, skidding to a stop before standing up again.

Both of them panted, keeping up their stance as they stared each other down.

“Leave,.... Arcee.” Darkstriker said, his tone still as cold as ice,“I won't ask again.”

"I won't leave you. Not this time. I've lost you once, I'm not losing you again." Arcee yelled, her voice wavering with desperation.

Jack's eyes seemed to soften as he slightly dropped his pose, his optic regaining the purple glow. Seeing this, Arcee lowered her stance too. She was hopeful that she might have finally gotten through to him, that finally he will be back with them again. But all of a sudden Darkstriker raised his sword again, his optic flaring up with red once more.

"Then you will die." He venomously hissed as red plasma coated the blade.

Arcee's eyes widened and she barely managed to raise her blades when Darkstriker's sword clashed against them with so much force that it pushed her back. Arcee this time didn't have the chance to move away or even fightback as slash after slash of Darkstriker's sword crashed against her blades, forcing her to keep her arms raised as she was pushed back.

Suddenly, Darkstriker changed his tactic, launching himself forward as he slid beneath Arcee's raised arms and tackled her, ramming his shoulder in her abdomen. The hit was strong enough to throw her off her feet and throw her back.

But Arcee did a backflip in mid air and landed on her feet, skidding back a bit as her pedes dug into the ground. She gasped, sucking in air into her vents to cool down her systems as she clutched her abdomen to try to suppress the pain.

Desperation for survival kicked in and begrudgingly, Arcee stood up, transforming her hands into blasters as she shot at the ground before Darkstriker in an attempt to push him back.

The energy bolts hit the ground merely a few feet in front of and around Darkstriker, blowing dust and dirt in the air. Darkstriker raised his arms in front of his face, shielding him from the dirt, and dust and loose pebels flying around.

Suddenly, the smokescreen of dust was split apart as rushed in and kicked Darkstriker, his eyes widening in surprise just before the impact three him off his feet. He was launched several meters back, and crashed on the ground as he stabbed his sword into the ground, using it and his feet to stop his momentum as he came to a screeching stop.

Pulling his sword out and looking up, he saw Arcee aiming her blaster at him. “Stand down, Jack.” She said, still trying to dissuade the situation.

Darkstriker only felt his anger rising at that statement. “Stop calling me that! I'm not Jack Darby anymore!” He roared, charging at Arcee again.

Arcee fired another energy bolt at him in order to stop him, but, to her surprise, Darkstriker activated the plasma coating of his blade and cut through the energy bolt as it dissipated into the air and lunged at her.

In her surprised state, she couldn't react fast enough and he managed to land a strike on her weapon, cutting into the barrel of her blaster and disabling it permenantly. Darkstriker went for her again, but this time Arcee was faster as she quickly transformed her other hand into a blaster and fired at him.

The energy bolt hit him square in the chest, blasting him back again as he crashed on the ground a few meters away from her. Despite his injuries, Darkstriker stood up again and Arcee was forced to keep her weapon aimed at him.

“You did this to me.” Jack grunted.

Arcee's optics widened as she heard those words. She knew exactly what he was referring to.

“You hurt me. You left me there…. In, In that, that hell hole,.... for months. Tailgate may have left me behind Arcee,…. but it was you who abandoned me.”

“I'm sorry.” Arcee choked out,”But we can fix this,..... together.”

Jack seemed to slightly calm down at her words as he lowered his stance.

Suddenly a bunch of red energy bolt crashed around Arcee, one even hitting her in the chest and she was thrown back by the impact, crashing on the ground. A familiar sound of rotors hit Darkstriker's ear and he looked up just as Airachnid flew into the scene, transforming into her bipedal form as she stood between Arcee and Darkstriker.

“Stay away from him!” She hissed, aiming her blasters at Arcee.

She then glanced at the techno-organic. “Are you okay?” Airachnid asked, keeping her blaster aimed at Arcee,”I came here as soon as I could once I learnt the mission went wrong.”

“I'm fine, Airachnid. Let's get out of here.” Darkstriker told her as his sword dematerialized.

“As you say, partner.” Airachnid stopped aiming at Arcee and did a backflip, transforming into her vehicle form in mid air as her propeller came to life, spinning fast enough to keep her hovering above the ground. Darkstriker hopped into her cockpit as Airachnid's propeller blades spin faster as she flew away with Darkstriker, leaving Arcee on the ground as the Autobot femme watched on, seeing her arch nemesis flying away with her former partner.

Arcee weakly raised her arm, desperately wanting to reach for Jack as he went further and further away from her as tears pooled her eyes.