Author's Note: This chapter may not fall in line with the episode, or even the way the 'Transformers Prime' storyline goes...so sorry in advance.
We stepped through the ground-bridge when Agent Fowler gave us the clear onto the chilly Arctic terrain.
The blowing wind whipped past me, snowflakes attaching themselves to my still-warm chassis.
The Arctic was a beautiful place, with tall, graceful drifts of snow and patterns carved out by the howling winds. Everything was white, and the snow glimmered like diamonds.
As much as I would've loved to stay and just look at the raw beauty of the terrain, we needed to get moving before our circuits froze.
"The signal indicates the relic is west of us," Arcee stated, then looked up at me.
I nodded then started forwards.
Chardirakii kept pace with me, her long legs keeping the rest of her frame well above the hard-blown snow. She didn't seem to be feeling the harsh weather too keenly, which was a good thing.
I was still somewhat dazed from the bonding process. All these emotions from Chardirakii as she walked beside me...it was overwhelming but at the same time...not.
It confused me.
"Is that the place?" Chardirakii asked once we'd climbed over a large snowdrift.
I looked at the familiar human facility and nodded again.
"Proceed with caution," I warned, then forged a path ahead. The snow was softer here, and we often sank. Humans might have no trouble, but we, being made entirely out of metal, had more difficulty.
Finally we made it to the empty facility and Chardirakii opened the doors easily by wedging her claws in between them and wrenching them apart with a grunt.
"Careful," I lightly scolded her,"We still need to keep the facility intact for when the humans return."
Chardirakii looked at the dent marks she'd caused, then shrugged.
"Sorry," she said, actually not looking very sorry at all.
The relic was encased in ice, just like the Apex Armor had been, but too thick to tell what it was.
"Should I smash away the ice?" Bulkhead asked.
"That would be unwise," I replied,"Doing so could mean accidentally damaging the relic. A risk we cannot take."
Chardirakii didn't seem to be paying attention. Her optics were outside, not on the relic.
"Yo, Chardirakii," Wheeljack said, waving a servo in front of her face-plates,"You good?"
"Something is approaching," she said softly, not blinking.
"How do you know?" Ultra Magnus demanded.
"Listen..." Chardirakii replied,"Do you not hear the sound of beating wings?"
We all quieted and I strained my audio receptors to listen over the howl of the wind.
Sure enough, as my Sparkmate had said, there was the faint sound of beating wings.
We all walked outside and listened some more.
Off in the distance I could suddenly make out a flying figure. One that resembled an Earth dragon.
"A Predacon?" Chardirakii gasped.
"Autobots, fall back to the building," I ordered,"I shall take on the beast."
All but Chardirakii ran back.
"That means y-" I began, but Chardirakii cut me off.
"If you think I'm going to let you take on that thing alone you've got a processor module loose," Chardirakii snapped, a long bow and arrow appearing in her servos.
"I admire your courage, Chardirakii, but this is for your own safety," I said, pulling out my large gun.
"Hah!" Chardirakii scoffed,"I didn't bond with you just to see you get hurt the very next day."
She knocked the arrow onto her bow and pulled back, aiming upwards.
The strange metal substance that made up the body of her bow groaned as she pulled the string back to her cheek, still aiming for the approaching figure.
There was absolute silence, save the howling wind, then the 'twang' of a bowstring being released cut through the air.
The arrow flew straight and true into the beast's right wing, shooting through the main joint.
The Predacon roared and crashed in the snow, rolling towards us.
Chardirakii summoned another arrow and stepped closer, knocking it to her bow.
I stayed at her side, my digit on the trigger of my gun, ready to fire.
The Predacon shook itself, snow flying everywhere, then glared at Chardirakii before grabbing hold of the arrow's shaft and yanking it out with a growl.
"Leave now, beast!" Chardirakii growled, pulling back on her bow again,"Or face certain death."
The Predacon growled, then transformed into a tall, muscular mech.
"I am no beast!" he boomed,"I am a king! Predaking!!"
Out of the corner of my optic I saw Chardirakii roll her optics.
"Could you be any less imaginative?" she muttered, but the Predacon mech heard her.
"I will crush you, femme!" he roared, then charged at her.
I pulled the trigger and a dozen bullets per second struck the Predacon in the side, knocking him away from Chardirakii and landing him in another pile of snow.
Predaking spat out an intake-ful of snow, then stood up again, his golden optics full of anger and hatred.
"I'll kill you both!!" he roared, then transformed into a beast again and spewed a cone of fire at us.
I ran and grabbed Chardirakii around the waist, pulling her away from the flames and accidentally into a snowdrift.
Predaking roared and pounced at me.
I rolled out of the way and punched the dragon in the side hard.
Predaking yelped, then yelped again when he suddenly found another arrow stuck in his side opposite me.
Chardirakii flipped to her peds and switched her bow for twin kopesh. Her lavendar optics were bright and battle-ready.
Predaking hurled himself at me, and I met him there, grabbing hold of his jaws and pushing him away from me.
I grunted and strained to hold the Predacon back, but my peds were slipping.
I hooked Predaking's top jaw under my elbow, then slammed my fist into his neck-plating.
Predaking coughed and pulled away, then transformed and swung at me.
I jumped backwards, his claws passing just centimeters from my chest-plate, then retaliated with another blow, this one aimed for his chest-plate.
I hit, but didn't give Predaking time to gather himself for a counter-attack. I followed him and punched him the the gut, the stomach, and the chest-plate again before doing a roundhouse kick straight into his face-plates.
Predaking went flying into another snowdrift.
"Nicely done," I heard Chardirakii compliment me, and looked at her.
"Now it's my turn."
