The Beauty and the Predacon {ON HOLD}

Chapter 7

Wheeljack and Ratchet return to base feeling triumphant but also defeated. Triumphant because they got a Predacon fossil and rescued June and Fowler from Knock Out, but they feel awful that they couldn't get Arcee away from the 'Cons and bring her back to base.

"Mom! Are you okay!?" Jack asks as he runs up to his mother.

"I'm fine, Jack," June responds with a smile.

Jack looked at June and Fowler and felt like there was something more, "What are you not telling me?"

"We have some news, Magnus," Ratchet says as he and Wheeljack walk over to Magnus and Bulkhead.

"I can already see you have the Predacon fossil."

"There's something else, we-" Before Ratchet could say anything further, Optimus called in for a Ground Bridge, "I'll say when Optimus and the others get here." He walks over to the Ground Bridge controls to open up the  Ground Bridge.

Optimus, Bumblebee, and Smokescreen drive through the  Ground Bridge and into the base and the Ground Bridge closes. The three transform and look at the others, "We got half of a fossil, the Decepticons got the other half," Optimus says as he shows them the fossil. "How about you guys? Any luck?"

"We each got a fossil. But it seems Ratchet has some news for us."

Optimus looks over to his old friend, "What is it, Ratchet?"

"Knock Out had captured June and Fowler and we had to go after him to save them. While we were chasing him we saw Arcee."

All audio receptors and ears are now open as all their attention is on Ratchet, "You saw Arcee? How is she? Were you not able to save her?" Jack starts throwing out questions.

Wheeljack's the one to speak, "We saw her jump out of the Ground Bridge that was open for the 'Con."

Ratchet cuts in, "She seemed to be fine, no injuries or any sign of her being tortured, but Vehicons were sent through to attack and distract us while Knock Out went after Arcee to recapture her. By the time we finished with the Vehicons, Knock Out had run through the Ground Bridge with Arcee."

"That's good they haven't harmed her but it makes me wonder what they're up to. What do they want with her?" Optimus ponders.

"Whatever it is we have to find a way to save her from it," Jack says with worry.

Optimus looks down at the boy, "We will Jack, we're not gonna abandon her."

"That's right, we'll never abandon a teammate," Smokescreen says in comfort.

"The only problem is that we don't know where the Decepticons are. So we have no way of planning out a rescue," Ultra Magnus puts in.

Optimus nods, "That is true, but we shall keep looking."

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Arcee continues watching the Predacon as he looks over one data after another about Predacons. She glances over to the Energon cubes that had been brought almost a day ago, there is still a cube and a half sitting next to her. She realizes that she hasn't seen any of the Decepticons, not Starscream or Shockwave or the Vehicons all day. 

She heard a bit of commotion from inside the ship a bit ago but nothing else. She just shrugged it off as she looked back to the Predacon just as he turned away from the monitor, when he turned and looked at her she could tell he had some stuff running through his processor. It's like he's calculating or trying to figure something out.

He walks over to where she's sitting and lays down in front of her, lying his helm down he closes his optics. Arcee looks at him and notices the little burn marks on his armor plating from Starscream jabbing him with the electrical rod. The sight of it stirs anger in her spark, that mech has no respect or care for anyone. Arcee grabs one of the Energon cubes and moves over to the Predacon's side, she dips her fingers into the Energon and places it on the burn mark on his side.

The Predacon's helm shoots up and he immediately turns and hisses at her as he gets ready to attack. Arcee puts up her servo to reassure him, "It's okay, I'm just putting some Energon on your burns."

He looks at her as she reaches over to put more Energon on the burn but he does nothing to stop her. He mostly reacted because he was startled and thought some bot was trying to hurt him in his sleep. He starts calming down and becomes more at ease, this treatment feels really good. He continues to watch her as she rubs the Energon over his burns, he's not sure why but he keeps getting more and more attracted to her. She would indeed make an excellent mate he has no doubts about that, he knows he made a wise choice.

Some noises come from within the ship causing them to look at the door and put up their guard. The Predacon's not sure what could be going on in there but if it's something dangerous that could harm his future mate he certainly will take out the threat and keep her safe.

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Sorry it's so short, Predaking is getting ready to reveal himself to the Decepticons and Arcee and I want to put it all in one chapter. So his big reveal will be in the next chapter. :)