Wires and broken, melted metal were scattered everywhere on the Darksyde, as if something came through its hull and tore through it like a wild animal. But oh, no, it was no animal that came into the battered ship; it was an alien attack. It could indeed have ripped it in half and destroyed it completely than leave more damage on the ship. It looked even worse than before. And he believed he was going to be the one to clean up the mess—that he didn't do.

Going deeper into the damage, Waspinator walked through the corridor to see wires hanging out of terminals, some supplies, overhead lights, and vent covers had fallen to the floor. The list went on. Many of the systems of the computer were down, and the controls had to be repaired, too. He was already getting tired.

He turned back towards the empty bridge where the worst of it happened, where the surge from space rained down on Earth—where they lost two. He was lucky he hadn't been thrown from his hover platform and into the lava pit, too. Or even turned into what Megatron called—transmetals. He liked his body the way it was, thank you. He didn't want jets or wheels on his body. Wings worked well, until someone blasted them off, which he had experienced before. Okay, more than once.

Back to the CR chamber. Back to the CR chamber.

He looked at the fluid filled tank at the end of the catwalk that caught him. When he stopped near the mesh platform, he saw something black near one of the tanks. He thought nothing of it until it begin to move. Shocked, he watched a figure stand, hunched and stumbling uncoordinated, then catch itself on the edge of the tank. The moment it did, it fell forward, into it, and disappeared.

"Waspinator is not alone," he gulped, and turned quickly.

He ran down the corridor, looking for a sight of an ally; Inferno, Tarantulas, the new recruit— Anybody. Hiis search came to an end when he neared a corner. Reaching it, he rammed into something, sending him to the ground hard.

"Waspinator! What are you doing?"

He looked up and saw Megatron, in his new, impressive beast form standing over him.

"Megatron," he said nervously, "Waspinator saw something in CR tank." He pointed back. "It was a monster. It came out of the dark and fell into it."

"Megatron narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Waspinator will show Megatron." He stood and walked back towards where he came from. He led him down the corridor and back to the tank. The two stopped while they looked over the tired bridge. The hover platforms were still down. One was on its side.

Waspinator pointed at the tank in the distance. It hung above the lava below, feet away from the edge. "It was over there."

Megatron glared at him with red eyes before he walked towards it. Waspinator watched nervously, then slowly followed. As he neared, Megatron stopped and hummed in thought while he looked down.

"Waspinator, you may be right," Megatron said. "Something is here."

Waspinator uttered a curious sound and looked past him. On the mesh platform, there were large black spots, thick enough to fill in the mesh under their feet. And on the side of the tank there was a black smudge streaked across it. It looked like a hand print. He tilted his head at it and fluttered his wings.

"See? Waspinator was right."

"Yes," Megatron said. "But what may have gotten into the tank? Looks like we may have to wait to find out."

Waspinator fluttered his wings again.

Then, Megatron turned his large head to him. "You will wait here and tell me what happens. I have more important things to attend to. If it is a threat, destroy it and report to me."

"Yes, Megatron," he said, and saluted.

"Good." He then turned and walked away, leaving Waspinator alone—alone with whatever was in the tank. He stood there while Megatron's footsteps disappeared, then it went silent. It was silent the whole time he stood by it.

It hadn't come out yet, so Waspinator backed away, sat, and waited. After he made himself comfortable, sitting bow-legged, he pulled out one of his guns and set it on his lap, just in case something did show.

He couldn't keep time as he sat there; minutes, an hour or so. . . But it didn't matter. Something started to move in the CR tank. He suddenly perked up from idling by and watched. The surface of the fluid wavered for a while, then a spot of red peeked, then disappeared again. A minute after, the thing finally rose and fell out. It landed with a dull thud, then slowly stood again, stumbling, and fell. He couldn't make out what it was. The shadows hid its real form.

As it uttered a few crackling noises, Waspinator got to his feet and took aim on it. The creature finally noticed him and turned its head, showing two red eyes.

The moment the two made eye contact, thing shot to its feet and flew into the air in a sudden burst. It went in an uncoordinated circle before it took flight into the mouth of a corridor. It screeched horribly as it went.

He stood there, staring as it disappeared. It was too fast to chase, it was too fast to shoot. So he had only one option now.

He turned and ran. "Megatron!"

* * *

It sounded like an invader had infiltrated the base under their noses while they were busy with the Maximals. He seemed so sure they would have them, and without their leader as well. But in the end, they failed. How did the Maximals do it? How do they always win?

But the Maximals weren't the problem right now, it was the invader in the base. It wasn't a Maximal. The computer would have detected it if it was a Maximal.

Megatron followed Waspinator and the trail the thing left. The corridor was dark but it was nothing their sight couldn't handle. Most of the lights in the corridor were out, but he saw two at the end flickering.

Then they went out.

Megatron continued a few more paces before he saw a large shadow standing in front of them. He stopped and narrowed his eyes at it, trying to make it out. And then he saw it.

The lights above the shadow flicked twice then held their dull brilliance. What stood before them, although altered crudely, held a familiar, broken face.

"Terrorsaur?"