The Beauty and the Predacon {ON HOLD}

Chapter 3

When the door opens to reveal the Predacon, Arcee is shocked. For two reasons, the fact that it actually got out of the icy land that Ultra Magnus sent it to and the size of the creature. She saw it on the monitor when it was chasing Magnus' ship and when it appeared on the front of the ship, and she knew it was big but not this big. Not only the size but its armor looks impenetrable, she's not sure how the Autobots are going to be able to take down such a creature. It certainly does give Megatron an advantage in the war.

"How did it find us?" Starscream asks as he looks toward Shockwave.

"Predacons have precise homing instincts."

"And astonishing resilience," Megatron adds looking slightly amused. He turns to Starscream, "Starscream, assume command of my beast."

"Me, master? I-I mean I wouldn't dream of ceasing such an honor from its very creator."

"Military command of the Predacon is most logical since my services are required elsewhere," Shockwave says as he walks past him. As he heads inside he sees Arcee standing there trying to keep a distance between her and the Predacon and he gets an idea. "My liege, perhaps the femme can assist Starscream in looking after the Predacon, and maybe stay with the Predacon until further notice."

Megatron stops walking, turns to look at him, and then looks at Arcee, whose optics had gone wide at hearing what Shockwave said. "The beast would make a great guard. Yes, she shall stay with the beast until I decide who she will mate with."

With a huff, Arcee went over to where Starscream was standing, along with the Predacon, as Megatron, Shockwave, and the Vehicons went inside the ship. The door closes and Starscream is at the door trying to get Megatron to reconsider. Arcee just rolls her optics as she still tries to keep a distance from the beast.

The Predacon moves in closer to Starscream with a growl and a slight roar causing Starscream to turn around and look at it with fear. But after a second the Predacon turns its attention to Arcee, trying to figure out who she is since it never saw her before. Arcee was forced to back up into a wall as the Predacon got closer to her and sniffed her as he looked her over. He could smell the scent of the two Autobots he fought against on her and started growling, especially the one 'Bot whose scent he had to sniff to track down.

He doesn't know much about the Autobots except that they're supposedly the enemy that he must destroy, but after his encounter with them, he doesn't like them. Obviously, this femme is one of them which means she must be destroyed. "Wait! Wait!" Starscream shouts getting the Predacon's attention, "You can't kill her. As much as I would love to see you tear her to shreds, Lord Megatron wants her alive."

The Predacon turned back to Arcee and roared in her face then turned and walked to the outer part of the ship, whipping his tail towards Starscream on the way. Starscream ducked out of the way causing its tail to scrape against the door. 

Arcee released an air cycle in relief as she watched the Predacon walk away. That was close. I need to find a way off this ship more than ever before I end up becoming a chew toy for that thing.

"You owe me."

Arcee looks over at Starscream, "What?"

"You owe me for keeping that thing from killing you."

"You only did it because Megatron wants me alive and you don't want him to beat your aft for allowing it to kill me. So, I don't owe you anything."

"Ungrateful glitch," Starscream mumbles as he walks off.

Arcee just ignores his remark as she watches him walk over to the Predacon to try and get it into the kennel. Arcee couldn't help but laugh as the beast kept refusing and acting like it couldn't hear him. When Starscream got an electrical rod she knew this wasn't gonna end well. She watches as Starscream tells it once again to get into the kennel and it just moves its head to the side to say no, so Starscream stabs it with the rod. 

"Starscream, don't be so brutal with it!"

Starscream glances over to her but before he can say anything he notices the Predacon turning its head to look at him and it has a fireball built up to fire at him. Starscream sees it and ducks in time but the tip of the metal piece sticking up from his helm caught fire. Starscream glared at the Predacon before turning his glare to Arcee, then he noticed the tip burning and he put it out before returning his glare to Arcee. "You almost got me killed!"

"Exactly how did I almost get you killed!?" Arcee asks as she pushes herself off the wall and takes a couple of steps.

"By talking and distracting me!"

"You almost got yourself killed because you had to strike it with an electrical rod! Don't blame me if it turns around and chomps your head off!"

Starscream started fumbling over his words for a bit, not being able to find the right thing to say, "It's a Predacon, just an animal and it needs to learn its place on this ship! As well as you do!"

"If that's the way you see it then apparently you consider everyone an animal as you treat everyone the same way! Just because it's an animal doesn't mean you need to treat it with such brutality!"

"You're gonna tell me not to treat it with brutality after it just tried to kill you?"

Arcee goes silent for a second as she glances over to the Predacon who is just sitting there watching the two argue. It was looking at her with hatred and a desire to kill, but not as much as it was moments ago. Arcee looks back at Starscream, "Even though it did try to kill me, and still wants to kill me, I still think it doesn't deserve to be treated like that! No creature deserves to be treated that way!" Starscream grumbled as he headed for the door, walking past Arcee. "Where are you going?" Arcee asks as she gives him a questioning look.

"To find something that will help me get control of the beast and keep me alive," Starscream replied as he walked through the door.

The door closed and Arcee was left alone with the Predacon. When she hears the Predacon moving she looks and sees it walking towards her position. She moves back into a corner by the door and watches it as it moves more inwards. I guess this is it, it's gonna kill me now that we're alone. Unless it will actually heed Megatron's words of keeping me alive.

To Arcee's surprise, the Predacon stops a few feet away from her and looks at her. It hisses and slightly growls at her before it lays down. Arcee slides down the wall and sits, still watching the Predacon. She knows she's no match for the beast and she knows it could tear her apart with ease, but she for sure won't go down without a fight. If the beast attacks her she will fight until she can't anymore.

The Predacon lays its head down as it continues watching her, making sure she doesn't try anything. But it doesn't take long for the exhaustion of the previous events to take effect and it closes its optics and falls into stasis. But Arcee stays awake since she's not tired, and she plots out her escape.