Maximal Evolution 1
Note: I do not have the rights to use anything from Transformers Prime; I am therefore using them anyway. I had the idea for this fic before I saw Predacons Rising... but the idea kept pestering me and would not go away... so here it is, in part at least. No telling how far it will go, as there is so much to work with.
Smokescreen joined Bumblebee and Bulkhead at the spaceport, the first, and arguably the most important restored structure on the restored Cybertron.
"So whose coming back home now?" Smokescreen asked, his youthful eagerness showing, "Any chance that it is Saber?"
"You mean Star Saber?" Wheeljack said, walking up behind them, "The guy who named himself after the Star Saber Iacon relic? Doubt it. Last I heard he was acting as a wandering swordsman out on the Rim."
"This is the first of two shuttles coming back home today," Bumblebee said. "All I know for sure about this one is it has an Autobot id code."
The Autobots all looked up at the small approaching ship, it appeared to be the same style of ship as Wheeljack's old Jackhammer.
"An Autobot ship," Smokescreen observed.
"Or a Decepticon trap," Bulkhead said.
"I'm hoping we can put all that behind us," Bumblebee said, "We have enough other problems without worrying about Cons. With luck, they will see this as a fresh start.
"Yeah. That will happen," Bulkhead said.
The ship touched down, and the gangplank slowly lowed to the ground. At the top stood a blue Autobot with wheels that indicated a vehicular alt mode. He was also well armed with wrist blasters, pistols, shoulder mounted cannons, and mini-missile launchers. As he walked down to the ground, he kept a close watch on his surroundings, partly looking for signs that he was walking into a trap, and partly because he could not believe that he was really back on a restored Cybertron.
"Wrecker reunion," Wheeljack said.
Smokescreen's face was full of hero worship, although not quite as bad as it had been when he first met Optimus Prime. "By the all spark, is that..?"
"SKIDS!" Bulkhead shouted a greeting as he rushed up to embrace the newly arrived Autobot.
"Bulkhead? Wheeljack?" Skids said.
"Welcome home," Bulkhead said.
"I'm just glad you are still alive," Skids said.
"Us Wreckers aren't easy to kill," Wheeljack said, "We have even managed to recruit a few more Wreckers, that I hope you get to meet one day."
"Really? Not many pass the initiation," Skids said.
"HAH," Bulkhead said, "Miko may be a human, but she can Wreck with the best of us."
"Uh-hm.." Bumblebee cleared his throat.
"Bumblebee, Smokescreen, this is Skids," Bulkhead said. "Skids, Smokescreen there is a late but welcome arrival to Autobot ranks, while Bumblebee has stepped up to be our new leader."
"Really… I'm—" Bumblebee started.
"He is still in denial," Wheeljack said, "But he is doing a fine job of it so far."
"I'm pleased to meet you, I hope you will have me," Skids said.
"Of course," Bumblebee said, "We will get you set up in a new home here in no time."
"You know, Skids," Bulkhead said, "The war is pretty much over now. What will you do now that your guns aren't needed anymore?"
Skids thought for a moment, "Before the war, I was a theoretician. I guess I could go back to thinking for a living. What about you Wheeljack? Are you going back to your Workshop?"
"Maybe," Wheeljack said, "Of course, my old Workshop is in Pred territory now, so I will need a new one before I try building something that may blow up on me."
"Pred territory?" Skids asked.
"There is a lot of information we need to share with each other," Bumblebee said. "Actually with the rise of the Predicons across sections of the planet, we may have need of both your theories as well as your guns."
"Yeah," Smokescreen said, "Cybertron has been restored, but it has gotten wild with new untamed life."
Skids smiled, "I am starting to look forward to this."
oO0Oo
In Iacon, Ultra Magnus looked down at his two fully functional hands, and then at the improvised hook hand that now rested on a table. He flexed his fingers, and was quite pleased with the responsiveness.
"I hate to say this, Doctor," Ultra Magnus said, "But your medical skills are top notch. Thank you."
Breakdown preened with a smug smile, "Well, I AM good, but I suspect your Doctor Ratchet could have done the same with the proper tools. Pitty he saw fit to return to that… human planet."
"You are certainly proving your worth," Ultra Magnus said, "Just don't step out of line. Bumblebee is forgiving your past transgressions, but if you …"
"Stop right there," Breakdown said, "I have been at the receiving end of threats better than any you can dish out. Suffice it to say that I will toe the line."
0OoO0
Bumblebee and Smokescreen were alone on the launch pad for the arrival of the second expected ship. The atmosphere for this arrival was completely different, as both bots were on edge.
The ship that came down was a tri-wing design with wing mounted cannons. It came down and hovered over the tarmac, covering the two Autobots with its cannons, before the wings folded up and the ship landed.
Three transformers descended the ships gangplank, led by a blue transformer that looked remarkably like Starscream, except this one looked more serious. While Starscream always had an element of cowering to him, this one looked bold… but tired.
"Welcome to Cybetron," Bumblebee boldly said, "What is your business here?"
The other Transformers raised their weapons. "I am the Decepticon, Thundercracker," the blue transformer announced.
Bumblebee and Smokescreen's weapons were already leveled back at the newly arrived Decepticons.
"We have been traveling and fighting for a long time," Thundercracker said, "and we are tired. We are not here to surrender! We just want to go home."
"Megatron has ceased his plans for conquest. Will you do the same?" Bumble bee said.
"We just want to live," Thundercracker said, "I don't care what you do, so long as we can live in peace."
"Fine," Bumblebee disengaged his weapons. "Come on, there is a lot to tell you and the other new arrivals if you are going to live here."
0oOo0
Predaking was lord of all he surveyed. He didn't care about the city of Iacon that the Autobots seemed so attached to. So long as they stayed out of his territory. His first goal was to locate all the newly formed Predacons, and unify them under his rule. All would call him King!
He was starting to realize that there was something else out there in addition to his Predacons. They weren't Autobots or Decepticons, and they weren't Predacons… they were something different.
These new things were smaller, faster and more agile than Autobots, and made for a more worthy prey. Even the ones that were larger and slower, were tougher to make up for it.
Predaking's nostrils flared. He could smell one of them even now. It was close.
He began to hunt. Following the scent, looking behind metal struts, and under crevices.
He saw it, it was a humanoid creature, standing at the end of the valley. He flapped his wings and flew towards the creature. Landing he snarled at the creature, and the energy built up preparing for a burst of flame.
Before he could unleash his fire, the creature transformed. Its new form was small and narrow, with four legs and a long tail, and what looked to be an unused wheel on it's hips and elbows. It scurried around a corner.
Predaking charged in a blind fury, rounding the corner, he tried to duck through the same archway the rodent like transformer did, but instead found him self stuck at the shoulders.
He roared.
Looking up, the rodent transformed back into a humanoid mode, let out a loud "HA!" Then slid down Predaking's back and ran back the way they had come.
Predaking let loose his fiery breath in an impotent rage, because he knew that by the time he unstuck himself from the archway, his prey would be long gone.