Happy St. Patrick's Day all!

I present a new Prime fic based off the season 2 episode "Out of the Past". Set after the episode, this story delves further into Arcee's past before the start of the show. Apart from her traumatic encounter with Airachnid during the war on Cybertron, we know little else about Arcee's past. This fic was an attempt to flesh out her backstory more.

Please do let me know your thoughts, readers!

Out of the Past Redux - Part 1

She gazed out across the rocky Nevada plains. It was a warm afternoon. The sun was high in the sky. On the rocky plateau atop the Autobot base, near the edge of the cliff, Arcee sat hugging her legs, resting her chin between her knees.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Arcee, interrupted from her thoughtful state, looked down to the voice that was coming from beside her. It was Jack.

"Sorry, am I bothering you, Arcee?" he asked tentatively.

Arcee smiled.

"It's okay, Jack. I was just enjoying the view...and thinking."

Jack sat down next to his guardian.

"What about?"

Arcee looked out into the distance again.

"The past."

Jack crossed his legs and settled into a comfortable position.

"What brought this on?"

Arcee paused.

"I was talking to Miko yesterday. Told her about how I met Cliffjumper."

Jack nodded.

"Yeah, she seemed a little better after she'd spent some time with you."

Arcee continued to look forward.

"The chat I had with her just got me thinking more...remembering other things."

"Sounds like a good story," Jack remarked. "Care to share?"

Arcee closed her eyes.

Spare storage room, Autobot base, Nevada, U.S., Earth, over three years ago.

Bumblebee threw a punch down at Arcee. She blocked it with one arm. He threw another punch. She blocked again. Then faster than Bumblebee could register, Arcee spun round and struck him with a chop kick to the side of his head. Bumblebee let out a startled "BRREEEPP!" as he toppled over backwards and hit the ground. Arcee walked over and looked down at the grounded Bumblebee. She extended a hand out to him.

"You okay?" she inquired.

"Boop-beep!" Bumblebee sounded emphatically as he took hold of her hand.

"Good," she said, pulling Bumblebee to his feet again.

Within the open-spaced room, Bumblebee and Arcee were being watched by two other spectators: a big green bot and a red one with horns.

"Heh heh, looks like you got your rear handed to you again, Bumblebee," chuckled Bulkhead who was standing to one side, arms crossed.

"That's my partner," Cliffjumper commented with a smug smile. He was leaning against a stack of metal crates near Bulkhead, also crossing his arms.

"You've got good, solid punches, 'bee," Arcee told the yellow scout encouragingly, ignoring their two other spectators, "but you were focusing so much on trying to hit me that you didn't see my attack coming. You mustn't lose awareness of your opponent. She or he can take you by surprise otherwise."

Bumblebee let out a low beep and nodded.

"You're a good fighter," Arcee said. "A little more practice and you'll be even better."

"But don't count on being better than our hand-to-hand combat expert," Cliffjumper laughed from the side, indicating Arcee with his thumb.

Arcee turned around to Cliffjumper then.

"Alright, Cliff. Your turn to get up here. Help me demonstrate a take-down."

Cliffjumper froze momentarily then stood up from the crates he was leaning against.

"Sure thing, partner."

He strode over to face Arcee. Bumblebee stepped back to give them room.

"Go easy on me, 'kay?" Cliffjumper said with a wink.

"Always do," Arcee replied with a faint smile. She adopted a ready stance. "Now give me a punch."

Cliffjumper came at her and threw out his fist. Instantly, Arcee moved to the side of the extending punch and pushed it away with a palm. Her other arm came up, elbowing Cliffjumper in the stomach region. He buckled. As he bent forward, Arcee glided beside him. Twisting her body slightly toward him, she then snapped her leg out and struck at the back of Cliffjumper's leg, right behind his knee. His leg also buckled and he went down with a clang.

"Ouch," he said humorously from the floor.

Arcee helped him up then turned to Bumblebee.

"Wanna give it a go?" she asked.

Bumblebee nodded eagerly.

"Bulkhead, get over here," Arcee ordered, waving at him to come forward. "You can be 'bee's partner now."

Bulkhead and Bumblebee came toward one another as Arcee and Cliffjumper moved back.

"Ready?" Bulkhead asked as he raised a large fist.

Bumblebee took a ready stance. Bulkhead came at him. A second later, Bulkhead hit the ground with an "Oof!".

"Nicely executed," Arcee said, coming to Bumblebee's side. "You learn fast." She looked to Bulkhead who was being pushed back up onto his feet by Cliffjumper. "Let's call it a day, guys. I think we've all had enough training."

"Boop-boop-beep!" Bumblebee beeped.

"You're welcome, 'bee," Arcee said with a smile.

"Y'know, it's pretty good having a trained cyber-ninja with us," Bulkhead casually commented, dusting his arm. "You must have had one heck of a teacher, 'cee."

Arcee looked away from her company.

"One of the best," she said tonelessly.

"A cyber-ninja? You were trained by someone?" Jack asked, intrigued.

Arcee nodded.

"Her name was Master Beta. She was the High Priestess of the Temple of Solus."

"Solus...," Jack repeated thoughtfully, "as in Solus Prime?"

Arcee nodded again.

"The Temple of Solus was a holy place dedicated to Solus Prime, the first and only female Prime."

Jack nodded, fascinated.

"So you've been to the Temple of Solus?"

The light of Arcee's eyes dimmed.

The Temple of Solus, pre-war Cybertron, millions of years ago.

A young Arcee stood at the grand entrance to the Temple of Solus. She was worn and exhausted from long travel. She peered into a large white hall down the centre of which a long silver aisle ran. At the end of the aisle was a shrine on top of an altar. In the shrine sat a magnificent bust of the fabled Solus Prime, her long 'hair' falling down behind the altar. Arcee, captivated by the face of Solus, entered the temple and walked down the aisle to approach her. She stopped before the image of the goddess-like Prime and gazed at her reverently.

"Have you come to seek solace, my child?"

Arcee turned in the direction of the voice, startled. She saw see a tall, regal, dark green fembot elder standing behind her. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Arcee quickly recomposed herself.

"Are you Master Beta, the High Priestess of this temple?" she asked.

The tall, regal fembot elder nodded.

"I am she."

Arcee dropped down on one knee and bowed her head.

"Master Beta, I have travelled a long way to find you. I wish with all my spark to join your temple and to become your student."

"What is your name, my child?" Beta inquired gently.

Arcee looked up.

"I am Arcee."

"And why is it that you wish to come under my tutelage?"

"It has been my desire for a long time to study the teachings of Solus Prime. And I wish to become stronger, for I am of small build and weak compared to others."

Beta smiled kindly and laid her hands on the sides of Arcee's head.

"The first thing you need to learn, my child, is that you are not small and weak."

Arcee gazed up wonderingly at the fembot elder who looked through her eyes and seemingly into her very spark.

"No," Beta said, "in fact, I sense great strength and ability within you, Arcee."

Beta then removed her hands from Arcee's head and held out one hand to her.

"Arise, young daughter."

Arcee took hold of Beta's extended hand and stood up.

"The Temple of Solus is now your home."

To be continued.

A/N: Given the similarities between Prime Arcee and TFA Prowl (hand-to-hand combat skills, motorcycle alt modes, etc.), making her a cyber-ninja too only seemed natural. This in turn created the need for a teacher for her as Master Yoketron was to Prowl. Next chapter, we take a peek into Arcee's cyber-ninja training days!