Twist

Chapter 37: Reparations

Temptest let herself stay offlined longer than usual, but the moment she stepped into the main room, she knew it was going to be a long day.

Shockwave was speaking to Raf, holding him up to the light and examining him with a narrowed optic. Soundwave was uncharacteristically bothered by that as he argued to make the scientist put his charge down. Temptest could hear Ratchet and Knockout yelling at each other from the medbay. Megatron was shoving a piece of dark energon at Megatronus's face and Optimus was trying to stop him.

Arce was just sitting there, arms crossed, and watching the whole thing with a bored expression.

"Err," Temptest walked up to her. "This looks... productive?"

"I'm just glad the rest of my team isn't here to make it worse," Arcee replied.

Temptest winced. "You miss them?"

"Not really," Arcee shrugged. "But I'll be happy to see them when we get back."

"If you get back," Temptest joked. "Seems our teams are a bit distracted right now."

"Yeah," Arcee laughed a little. "I never thought I'd say this, but I wish Airachnid would come back. She was keeping everyone on track before she left for patrol."

Temptest leaned against the wall and frowned. Airachnid. Temptest rubbed her face as she realized that Airachnid was never at fault for abandoning them, but that the spider femme had taken Temptest's scrap regardless. Unfairly.

She groaned.

And the others? They all hid this from her.

Temptest couldn't even bring herself to be mad at them. After all, she'd been needlessly furious with Airachnid for no reason this whole time. A great sum of guilt and shame saturated her spark and Temptest looked at her pedes.

"You good?" Arcee leaned over a bit as she looked at the other femme in concern. "You went quiet."

Temptest shook her helm. "It's nothing. I should go out... for patrol stuff."

She pushed against the wall and left Arcee, headed for the cave exit with a small frown. She needed to apologize to Airachnid. After transforming and taking off into the sky, Temptest zipped around the skyline for a while before finding Airachnid moving at a sluggish pace in her helicopter alternative mode.

"Temptest," Airachnid greeted in surprise. "What are you doing out here?"

"I know," Temptest started. "I know Megatronus sent you away to monitor me and Optimus."

Airachnid's fans sputtered for a moment. "I– I didn't–"

"Can we land?" Temptest asked, keeping her voice carefully controlled.

Airachnid lowered herself to the ground and transformed. Temptest did the same and walked closer, her fists clenched against her side as she fought to control her guilt.

"I treated you terribly," Temptest admitted. "You never did anything wrong, and even when I was a glitch, you never got mad at me. I... I'm really sorry."

"No, dear, I'm sorry," Airachnid reached across the space between them and hugged her. "You had every right to feel betrayed... and I can't imagine how you feel now that Megatronus has told you. We're trying to find a way to help you."

Temptest let go. "Don't apologize. I feel terrible. You've been alone this whole time, lying, risking your life for me, and I've done nothing but blow up at you for it. You... you're amazingly composed."

Airachnid laughed sadly. "I appreciate that, Temptest, but you should know that I don't hold anything against you. This is Optimus's fault. Now he's kidnapped you again, and you have to work with his copy every day! I can't imagine what you're going through, and I can take a few insults if it means helping my friend."