911 Tribute: Beast Wars Style

by Bloodlustful

When Tigatron and Airazor are brought to New York City in real world Earth, things seem nice enough...until terrorism strikes and leads to a tragedy in its own league. This is a fanfic tribute to every good person who lost his or her life on the tragic, horrible, scary and fateful day of September 11th, 2001.

Hello. As you know, today is the 11th anniversary of September 11th, 2001. And with how I've made tributes to it before in previous years' September 11th, I decided to make it so I used a franchise that I've never used for one before this year. And that franchise is none other than Beast Wars: Transformers. In this fic, Tigatron and Airazor, who hope for peace and who would not want anything happening to the earth they cherish, least of all a disaster caused by an act of war, are brought into real world New York City, on the day of the 9/11 attacks, though at night, so they've happened, but the remains of the World Trade Center are still there. How they deal with it and what it symbolizes is sure to be both heart-wrenching and powerful in this heartfelt tribute to the victims of the September 11th attacks. Enjoy, everyone!

THINGS TO NOTE:

Although this takes place in real world NYC, in the Beast Wars Universe, this takes place during Season 3 with the notable exceptions that Dinobot, Tigatron and Airazor are still around, in contrast to the show, and Cheetor and Optimus are in their original forms. Other than that, all is as it was during Season 3, though this is during Season 3 when Blackarachnia was still her gold and black self, so she's a Maximal, but not yet a Transmetal 2.

Despite one of the major differences here being that Dinobot never died, the music played during his funeral sequence in "Code Of Hero" is still going to play in the background in this story, at least during the end, anyway.

I own none of the characters. They all belong to Beast Wars: Transformers.

9/11 Tribute: Beast Wars Style

In New York City, two very unconventional individuals could be seen. A white tiger and a brown falcon, both of whom were Maximals. They were, respectively, Tigatron and Airazor, and a magic portal had brought them from Beast Wars Earth into real world Earth. But there was plenty which was unconventional about New York City right now, and not in a good way. Not at all, and not by a long shot. For though the magic portal had indeed made them know all that they needed to about where they had been taken to and they were beginning to like it(they had been taken to real world NYC during the morning at 8: 30 AM), it was now the time that would see to it they had a whole different view, and for the worse.

For the current time was 8: 46 AM, and just as Tigatron was saying: "Well, Airazor, as new as this is, I can't help but admire it's beauty." and Airazor was replying: "The same goes for me. Why we were taken here, I'm in the dark about, but it seems quite serene and a nice, new and peaceful place perfect for the two of us…" all their calm, happy views about real world New York City were swiftly shattered. Why, you ask? How so, you ask? Just as they were going to keep up with enjoying the view, the two Maximals noticed a plane flying right towards one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The North Tower, or WTC 1, to be precise.

"By the Matrix…" Tigatron gasped. "That plane…it's going far too low!" "And I don't think it's going any higher or trying to move aside from that tower, either!" Airazor observed. And sure enough, she was painfully accurate. Because no sooner had she said this than did the plane in question smash into the North Tower, causing an enormous explosion in the area it got hit in. "Dear God!" Airazor cried out. "Tell me I did not just see what I think I saw!" Tigatron let loose, his fur standing up in shock. "Tell me my eyes deceive me!" But both could tell this was in fact reality, and Airazor shouted: "We have to do something, and fast!" Tigatron nodded, and both could tell such a fact by how many people were fleeing in fright, and justifiably so.

Thus, Tigatron shouted: "Tigatron, Maximize!" and Airazor yelled on out: "Airazor, Maximize!" Both transformed to robot mode and Tigatron ran into the North Tower to help anyone below where the plane had hit, while Airazor flew up into the sky to try and help all who were trapped above. Unfortunately, she would not get far enough to even enter the area above where Flight 11 had struck the tower. For the heat from the damage and explosion, as well as the fire and smoke, made it so she not only nearly overheated, but it shorted out her jets badly, thus making it so she had no choice but to fly down to the ground before she completely lost all of her ability to fly, and would remain so for some time.

"Slag it!" Airazor cursed. "I didn't even make it past where the slagging plane hit! Those people are still up there, and they're all going to die! All because my jets and circuits got badly damaged by the heat from those flames and the choking smoke! The closest thing to atoning for such a failure will be to help Tigatron with the ones he's trying to save!" So, ignoring how much pain she was feeling right now from her near-death experience due to flying by the super-heated, ultra-smoky impact zone where Flight 11 had struck, she ran into the North Tower to both help as many people in there as possible, and, if possible, to assist Tigatron.

After she'd gotten in there and made it so she rescued and/or led down to the exit as many people as possible on her own, which Tigatron had done even more of, since he was in here sooner than she was, given she only wasn't in the air saving people above the impact zone because the smoke, flame and heat of that zone made it so she wouldn't be able to fly for some time and was damaged and weakened to an extent, she, to her surprise, came across Tigatron. He exclaimed: "Airazor?" And she said: "Tigatron?" in response. Tigatron then said: "I had thought you were up in the air, saving those above the impact zone!" "I had intended that!" Airazor said as an explanation. "Unfortunately, the smoke and the heat from the flames made it so I was both damaged and weakened somewhat, and shorted out my jets. So I can't fly, and if I tried to fly in beast mode, I wouldn't be able to make it past the impact zone before the heat made me black out. It took the last of my flying ability just to get back down to the ground, and I have to use what is left of my strength to assist you and save people here!"

"I see." Tigatron acknowledged. "All right, then by the Matrix, let's save everyone we can! I've already helped quite a few, and I can tell you've done so, as well, but now we need to do it together." "Indeed!" Airazor nodded, and the two went everywhere they could to get any trapped people out from where they were, and also to help lead everyone down to where the stairs to the first floor were so they could exit the towers. Although they succeeded in helping everyone who was still alive so that they all got out, and the ones too injured and/or tired to move would be carried by the ones capable of moving so they'd live, too, the problem was that it had taken them quite a bit of time, even working together, to save everyone they did, and nobody knew how long exactly. Which meant that they all had to get out of that building as quickly as possible, for it could collapse at any minute.

Thankfully, by the time everyone got out of the building and both Tigatron and Airazor, along with all of those people who they'd saved, had gotten a good distance away from where the North Tower was, it was 9: 02 AM. So the tower had not fallen yet, though they did not at all know when it would, so they kept ready for anything that could happen, related to WTC 1 or any other. Airazor then said: "Well, we saved them, but this is far from over." "Indeed, it is." replied Tigatron in agreement. "Even though we're in a different world and thus our com-links may not work like they did in our previous world, we have to contact the other Maximals, or at least try to do so. They have to know about this, and suppose more help is needed?" "Good thinking." spoke Airazor, and Tigatron tapped his com-link, going: "Tigatron to the Maximal base! Anyone in the Maximal base, if you can hear me, please answer!" Airazor tried hers, but it was one of the parts that had been damaged from the heat of the impact zone, so it was now useless and would be for quite a while. She was frustrated, but ignored that. More immediate things were happening here.

Tigatron suddenly heard in his com-link: "Optimus Primal here! What is it, Tigatron? We found out where you and Airazor were taken, and how it happened, but you sound like you have something urgent to report!" Tigatron was relieved that he could still communicate with all of his fellow Maximals, and told Optimus: "After Airazor and I were taken into this real world New York City, we saw the most horrid of sights. A plane crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center! By the Matrix, we couldn't believe it! We did all we could to save as many people from that tower as possible, but Airazor took some bad damage and was made unable to fly from it. I think even her com-link has shorted out, since she appears frustrated at her attempts to use it just now." Airazor turned and nodded, Tigatron saying: "She just confirmed it. We need help to try and do whatever else we can in this kind of time! Is there any way you and the others can make it here from your universe?"

"In fact, we were making the portal to bring you two back to this universe before and we had just finished it when you called!" Optimus replied. "But first, we'll use it to bring ourselves into this universe and help you! Only when it's over do we go back to the Beast Wars universe, and we'll make sure we save as many innocent lives as possible along with the two of you!" "I am glad to hear it, but hurry!" Tigatron said frantically. "We don't know how this happened, nor what else may…" Suddenly, Airazor exclaimed: "Look!" as she pointed up to where another one of those planes was coming at the South Tower, or WTC 2. "What did Airazor just see?" asked Optimus into Tigatron's com-link. Tigatron replied: "She saw another plane, and unless I'm not seeing things right, it's coming right for the South Tower…OH, MY GOD!" Indeed, it was 9: 03 AM, and now the second plane, Flight 175, crashed head on into WTC 2. And the explosion was just as big as it had been when Flight 11 rammed into the North Tower.

"What happened?" Optimus asked. "Another plane!" Tigatron cried out. "By the Matrix, this is awful beyond words! A second plane just hit the other tower of the World Trade Center! I beg of you to slagging get here ASAP! We've got to do all we can to save those still in danger!" "Understood! Stay where you are! We'll be here in seconds!" Optimus replied, and sure enough, seconds after Tigatron said: "All right, but hurry! Every second counts! Tigatron out!" Optimus showed up along with Cheetor, Dinobot, Rattrap, Depth Charge, Blackarachnia, Silverbolt and Rhinox. "Ah, aren't you guys a sight for sore eyes?" Airazor said. "Or at least as close to that as there can be in such a crisis as this." Tigatron put in. "Yes, we are going to have to have it so we are split into groups of two. Tigatron, you, Airazor, Cheetor, Rattrap, Rhinox and Dinobot go into the South Tower and rescue as many people from it as possible." Clearly, the portal they had made to get here had a side effect so that they, like Tigatron and Airazor, were filled in on all the lot of them needed to know about this place and all currently going on.

And Optimus continued with his commands when he said: "Meanwhile, Silverbolt, Depth Charge and Blackarachnia? You three are with me. We need to make it so we rescue anyone and everyone we can above the impact zone of both towers. Depth Charge, come with me to do the impact zone of the North Tower. Silverbolt, fly yourself and Blackarachnia above the impact zone of the South Tower. In both cases, we are to rescue anyone we can who would otherwise perish while the others rescue anyone who needs to be brought out of the rest of the South Tower below the impact zone."

With that, both groups got to work exactly as Optimus had commanded, and here was the way that it happened. Dinobot, Cheetor, Tigatron, Airazor, Rhinox and Rattrap went into the South Tower and did all they could to find, rescue and lead out of the building everyone in there who was below the impact zone where Flight 175 had struck WTC 2. They managed to make it so all of everyone in there, either by following them down the stairs, or, in the cases of the injured, being carried in the arms of the non-injured, were led to the way out of the building down the stairs, right down to how they reached the first floor and the four Maximals led them out the doorway. Once all of them were far away enough from the South Tower to feel safe, Dinobot would say: "Thought it is good that we have saved these lives, I am unable not to feel rage, as the cowardice and utter dishonorable, vile evil of this act still festers in me now, and will most likely continue to do so for both that reason, and for this being a massacre of the undeserving for pointless, selfish and treacherous reasons…" "Hey, fer once I actually agree wit' somethin' ya said, choppaface!" let out Rattrap. "Ain't never thought I'd see dat day, but shows what I know!"

"Likewise, vermin," Dinobot replied, "I can see that this is one of the few times in which we would not go at it with one another, nor be of opposing views. As it is, some things surpass rivalries, borders, disagreements, quarrels, dislikes, enmities, hostilities and the like." "And dis most definitely qualifies as one o' dose things. Even I gotta admit dat." Rattrap acknowledged. "I am just thanking Primus we were able to save all these guys and ourselves, though I'm hoping that Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, Depth Charge and Optimus can do the same." Cheetor put in. "I think we all want that to be so, Cheetor." Rhinox pointed out. "Especially given how serious a situation this is." "By the Matrix, how could anyone be so depraved and heartless as this?" an anguished question from Tigatron came out as. "I cannot answer that question, I'm afraid." an answer from Airazor consisted of.

"None of us can." Dinobot spoke. "Some things are beyond answer." Rhinox said. The next instant had Tigatron saying: "And Dinobot…I know you and I usually have our complete differences and the same goes for you and Airazor…" Airazor followed it up with: "…but in this case, I am glad we were able to put our differences aside, for some things are far more crucial as well as considerably more important than such superficial differentiations and disagreements." "I know such a fact only too well." Dinobot concurred. "And there cannot be any denying, nor any questioning at all, that this easily goes over the boundaries all of our personal discrepancies are within." "Well said, Dinobot." Cheetor put in. "And I don't think any of us have any doubt about that in the slightest." Rhinox added. "Even without you two having stated it, fate and reality both have shown it to us in a way which is anything but trivial or forgettable." Dinobot responded.

Okay, so let's move on to the way that Silverbolt was flying, with Blackarachnia in his arms, up to the area above the impact zone of the South Tower, both of them intending to save the ones who would otherwise perish in that zone. Silverbolt was going: "All right, beloved, to save the innocent, we must time and judge our actions flawlessly! I am going to fly up and hold you so you can fire a webline for them to catch and we keep this up until we've gotten each one of them pulled in to us and flown down to safety!" "Yeah, but we're only gonna get one chance to do this right, bowser, so let's make it count on the first pass!" Blackarachnia replied.

So when once they reached the impact zone, they knew they were close. Unfortunately, they shared pretty much the same fate Airazor did, as their attempt to get up past it and to the region of the building above it resulted in the heat and smoke from the fire and damage of the South Tower's impact zone making it so they took damaged and weakened, and while BA was saved from worse damage when Silverbolt shielded her to take the brunt of it himself, she still got weakened and hurt some, and Silverbolt realized his flight circuits were shorted out to the point where he had no choice but to fly back down to the ground before he could not fly at all anymore, and would not be able to for some time.

They made it to the ground, but BA then said: "Slag! We weren't able to save anyone, and now there's no way in the pit we can get back up there!" "Still, there may yet be a way we can help…" Silverbolt stated. "How?" BA asked as Silverbolt put her down and both stood up, though with more effort than they normally would in their current states. Silverbolt explained: "There are many people running and trying to find a way both to get away from the towers and get into a safe place to hide so their lives won't be lost. We could help lead them to the best of places to find refuge in so they won't be killed or terminally damaged." "Wow, so you're at last thinking up good plans!" BA told him. "Nice job, chunk style! So let's do this!" Both turned to beast mode, and when they were seen by the fleeing people, who kept fleeing while Silverbolt used his nose to track down where it would be best for them to go, he let BA know where to lead them and the two ran in that direction, the people, even in their frightened states of panic and fear of the highest order, could tell these two were trying to help them and followed them, the ending result being that the two Maximals managed to get them out of harm's reach, though, as it would turn out, they did it just in time. For when they returned to help with matters further, it was not a second short of 9: 59 AM. And at that time, when they both transformed back to robot mode and stopped to rest, BA saying: "Nice job, bowser, but that sure took a lot out of us." "True enough, beloved," Silverbolt replied, "but we did manage to salvage the lives, safety and health of many in what drained us in our admittedly already weakened states, so it was not for nothing." and the two of them then saw the last thing they wanted to fucking see at a time like this.

The South Tower collapsed, and what small bit of relief from the pain of their failure to save the ones above the impact zone was granted them by leading those people out of harm's way was quickly negated and covered by worse pain of that knowledge of how their taking that damage made it so they couldn't make it past the impact zone. And why wouldn't it be? Seeing what they did meant knowing all those people above the impact zone were now dead, and that the entire damn tower fell to the ground in smoke and debris until there was nothing left of it but a pile of smoking grey rubble only made it all the worse. Silverbolt could not help but cry for the dead, and BA, though she took a bit longer to do it, could not help but cry either for precisely the same reasons. The two held one another close and were unable to talk. At least right now.

Next of all, we go back to the North Tower and look at how Optimus and Depth Charge were flying up to save anyone they could from above the impact zone of the North Tower. This also means I'll be turning back the clock some, so to speak, but it will continue so that, once it's done, we'll be back in the time after the South Tower collapsed like you just read of. Anyway, it went down in the following way. Optimus was going: "All right, Depth Charge! Let's both see to it that we fly up there and catch as many people as possible, then fly back down to place them in a safe spot where they can run and fly back up to get the next bunch, and so on!" "We're doing it already, Primal." Depth Charge replied, "but it's good you planned ahead for this!" But while the two flying Maximals attempted to get past the impact zone, they, like Airazor, Silverbolt and BA previously, took some nasty damage from the smoke and heat from the burning fire there, to the point they were weakened, though Optimus more than DC, since DC was a Transmetal, and their circuits shorted out to the point where, while they still functioned, they couldn't fly any longer, except for how they flew back down to the ground before they were completely unable to fly.

They didn't like the decision, especially since they knew what it meant, but they weren't left with a choice, especially since, even still functioning and being able to stand, they were both barely that and felt a lot weaker than before. "What the slag? We've been shorted out!" shouted Depth Charge. "Yes, and it's to the point we can't fly anymore, I'm afraid." Optimus told him. "I lament how we failed to pull this off, but we can't angst over it yet. There are still people who'll need our help." He pointed to how many were trying to find a way to get out of the reach of any danger(those who had not been part of the ones Silverbolt and BA helped)and Depth Charge then asked: "So how do we help them, Primal?" Optimus explained: "My sensors can tell there is, in fact, an area that, were they to follow us to it, they would be out of danger of being killed or in any way permanently damaged. We need to have them follow us. So let's move that way and it is likely they will follow." "This best work." Depth Charge snarled, clearly frustrated at being in his current weakened state.

They then ran in the direction they wanted to be followed in, and the running crowd, all of it noticing them and realizing they were trying to help them by leading them to some kind of safe spot out of the reach of death and peril, was sure to follow them. Once this part of the very fearful and fleeing crowd was put out of the reach of perilous death, Depth Charge and Optimus both used what little energy they had left to get back to where they'd been before, and this was at the very time you read previously when the South Tower finally fell. When they had gotten back together with all the other Maximals, they saw this and were just as shock as the rest of them, be it Silverbolt and Blackarachnia or any others. All were unable to stop from crying for the loss of innocent life, even Dinobot and Depth Charge. In the latter's case, he was strongly reminded of how Rampage destroyed those innocent friends of his on Colony Omicron. So he felt a pang and twinge of pain and grief in double whammy form.

Airazor was held close by Tigatron as she cried for the innocent lives taken by an act of pure, unforgivable and inexcusable evil and so did he. Tigatron felt an extra slash of pain due to how he was no stranger to losses himself. After all, remember what happened to that poor white tigress friend of his, Snowstalker? Anyhow, he and Airazor held one another tightly, and a just as crying and sad as everyone else Cheetor remembered such things as when, for a time, he lost Optimus Primal. All of the Maximals felt that memory come back to bite them and this made it so they were further moved to weeps of sorrow for the innocent blood spilled and lives lost.

It was a while when they were able to muster up the ability to try and end their tears, at least for a time. But, oh, the utter irony of it all. When this time finally came, it was 10: 28 AM. And that means that, when their crying finally stopped, though temporarily, given the kind of all out dire and ghastly circumstances they were in, they were treated to the anything but comforting or pretty sight of the North Tower collapsing. They all gasped in shock and horror as they saw it happen, for the sudden sight of something that only made the pain and grief they were feeling all the worse, and especially one that signified that the ones above the impact were now dead(and it was for this reason that, while all of them felt a twinge of a pang of sadness and agony, Optimus and Depth Charge felt it worst, since they were unable to save the ones above the impact zone they attempted to salvage but failed to succeed in rescuing)was not what they were expecting or hoping to see when they'd finally gotten their upset grief under control to the extent they were able to. The intensity of the emotional and mental pain, and, because of that, the physical pain, they felt(especially in the cases of the already hurt and weakened Maximals)only increased as the tower continually disappeared until it was nothing but a smoking pile of debris and rubble.

The World Trade Center was no more, and the same went for America ever being the same again. The Maximals did all they could to hold back their tears, knowing they had to be strong in a time like this, but they couldn't help themselves. Once more, they felt all they had before on a worse level, and wept for the spillage of innocent blood. The random death of good, decent people who did nothing but happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And all of the survivors? Both before and after the fall of the South Tower, as well as during the times both before and after the fall of the North Tower, they were crying just as hard as the Maximals. And know though they did that they needed to be strong about this, even as tears were so very, very understandable during such a tragedy as this, they, like the Maximals, were unable to in any way help themselves. Were they thankful for the help the Maximals gave them? Of course, and they knew it as well as the Maximals did. But they had no time to say it, nor did the Maximals have time to hear it, for there was far too much at stake, and now, when there was nothing more that anyone could do, they all let out what they'd been suppressing with every fiber of their courage, self-control and willpower. They struggled to stop or at least do it less, and did all they could to be as strong as they could, but it was so hard.

The same was applied to all the people who'd been led to those other safe places by Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, Optimus Primal and Depth Charge. And, in fact, there were very few, if any, dry eyes around the world on this terrible, fateful, worldwide tragedy of a future, world and human race changing day. It was a day and a catastrophic event which would forever scar both the United States Of America and the rest of the world, and while the Maximals were, in the end, taken back to their own universe into their base(as the portal Optimus had used to bring both himself and the rest of the Maximals barring Tigatron and Airazor to real world Earth was made so it would automatically take the Maximals back if they didn't go through it for a very, very long period of time, and ironically, both Tigatron and Airazor were brought back with all of the other Maximals when this happened), one thing was certain. This would never leave them, just as it would never leave anyone in real world Earth, New York City or otherwise. No one from any world who knew about it would ever forget it, and it certainly was not an event to be forgotten at all. Not with how horrible, traumatic, devastating, life taking and horrendous it was. Not with the way it made all sorts of things take on a change for the worse and ended the lives of so many, in addition to making it so that no one was ever truly the same again, and neither was the rest of the world as we know it, the USA in particular.

THE END

So, how did you like this tribute to the September 11th attacks, published on the 11th anniversary of that date, no less? Please rate and review, all, especially you Tigatron and Airazor fans! I'd also like to add a few things. First, I am sorry that I couldn't alter things so that the ones above the impact zones were rescued and survived, but as much as I would have preferred to, I could not, for that would be inaccurate to real life, and insulting to those who died on 9/11, above the impact zone of each tower or otherwise. So as much as it pained me to do so, I stayed realistic. Second, I want to let it be known that one of many reasons that I wrote this fic with the Beast Wars franchise was because, when I was reading some 9/11 tributes of the past, I could hear the sound of Dinobot's funeral music at the end of "Code Of Hero" play, most likely because of how sad and powerful the 9/11 tragedy was. Hence why I made it play in the background here. And third, I am only too happy that Osama Bin Laden has paid for his monstrous sins, and that a few other members of Al Qaeda are dead, as well. May all of the innocent 9/11 victims rest in peace up in heaven, and may all of the dead terrorists, Bin Laden or otherwise, roast in pieces down in hell.