Optimus Prime's unusual Charge

Breaking the Boundaries

Soundwave watched as Airachnid burrowed into the earth, her rapid escape leaving a trail of acidic destruction in her wake. The Vehicons, temporarily blinded by the acid, stumbled back, their optics sparking and hissing from the corrosive damage.

"Airachnid: Escaped," Soundwave transmitted to the remaining Vehicons, already recalculating their next move. Despite the setback, Soundwave remained composed. He knew that Airachnid's escape wouldn't be permanent; her trail, however brief, was trackable.

"Deploy: Drones," he commanded, releasing a swarm of miniature surveillance drones from his frame. These drones were designed to penetrate even the smallest burrows, equipped with sensors to track residual energy signatures and chemical traces. They dispersed rapidly, diving into the tunnel Airachnid had created.

Soundwave turned to the blinded Vehicons. "Return: Base. Repairs: Essential." He needed them functional for future operations, and their current state rendered them liabilities. The Vehicons acknowledged the command, retreating through the ground bridge for immediate repairs.

As Soundwave awaited the drones' reports, he accessed his internal database, reviewing every bit of intelligence on Airachnid's capabilities and past behavior. Her penchant for escape was well-documented, but so was her arrogance. She often left clues in her wake, confident that no one could follow her.

A drone pinged back, sending a live feed of a faint energy signature deeper underground. Soundwave's visor brightened, locking onto the signal. He transformed into his sleek reconnaissance drone mode, diving into the burrow with unparalleled speed and agility.

The tunnel was narrow and winding, but Soundwave's sensors guided him unerringly towards the target. The faint energy signature grew stronger, indicating he was closing in. He could detect the lingering traces of the acid, a testament to Airachnid's destructive path.

Emerging into a cavern, Soundwave reverted to his bot form, his optics scanning the area. There, in the dim light, he saw her: Airachnid, hunched and breathing heavily, her escape having taken its toll.

She glared at him, hatred burning in her optics. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

"Persistence: Key," Soundwave replied, his tendrils unfurling again, this time with reinforced plating to resist further acid attacks. He advanced slowly, every movement calculated.

Airachnid hissed, her claws flexing. "You think you're clever, but you'll never take me down."

Soundwave didn't respond with words; instead, he launched a barrage of energy pulses, each one precisely aimed to incapacitate rather than destroy. Airachnid dodged and weaved, but she was visibly weakening. The drones had tracked her energy signature, and now Soundwave had recalibrated his attacks to match her every move.

With a final, desperate lunge, Airachnid tried to strike, but Soundwave anticipated her move, sidestepping and ensnaring her with his tendrils. The reinforced plating held strong against her weakened acid, and she found herself immobilized once again.

"Capture: Inevitable," Soundwave intoned, tightening his grip. He transmitted a signal to the base, readying the ground bridge for immediate extraction.

Airachnid struggled, but her resistance was futile. "This isn't over, Soundwave," she spat, her voice filled with venom.

"Statement: Noted," Soundwave replied as the ground bridge enveloped them, transporting them back to the Decepticon base. With Airachnid now firmly in custody, Soundwave knew that whatever secrets she held would soon be in Megatron's hands. His mission was complete, but the war for dominance was far from over.

Meanwhile back at the Decepticon base, Megatron finally was starting to come around. Breakdown relieved to see his master back in good health, but terrified by what his reaction is going to be, once he finds out the Autobots have emerged victorious from their last encounter and have taken Zucky back with them, Starscream is nowhere to be found, Airachnid has hatched a revenge plot against Megatron and a great number of the vehicon soldiers are still not fully recovered from their last encounter with the Autobots.