The Pain From An Old Wound

by Bloodlustful

Tigatron is part of a battle against Tarantulas with other Maximals and other Predacons involved and Tarantulas having a plan he means to put into action during that battle when he sees a chance, with Tigatron becoming the only one who has a chance of stopping said plan. But what happens when it turns out the battle is taking place near the mountain where Snowstalker was killed?

Isn't it great that this is a time in which I find a tiny opening in my incredibly tight schedule and thus have a chance to write stories, which I'm of course capitalizing on?

Okay, time for the latest fanfic of Beast Wars I'm writing, and this one, despite taking place in late Season 3, revolves around the death of Snowstalker in Season 1's "Law Of The Jungle".

Y'see, having made "Snowstalker's Last Breath", and with the way that, in the actual show, Tigatron fell in love with Airazor and vice versa a while after she died, plus there were some Maximals and Predacons who weren't there at the time of the tragedy(including the aforementioned Airazor and the back then Predacon Blackarachnia), I'm experimenting as to what would happen if those who didn't know about Tigatron's massive loss of long ago found out about it all of a sudden.

Especially since, let's face it…one could easily tense up while wondering what this will do to Tigatron and Airazor's relationship and what that will result in, for them or otherwise.

And, in writing this story, I will perform said experiment with a scenario where Snowstalker is, during a battle of Maximal and Predacon, found out about by those who didn't know about her out of the ones present in said battle who see Tigatron's actions proving something not to be right and what happened before and the past comes barreling into the present with a lot of shock, confusion and questions that need to be answered.

THINGS TO NOTE:

Firstly, this story takes place between "Other Victories" and "Nemesis: Part 1" with the following differences.

Even though this is in Season 3, it isn't just that Tigatron and Airazor being themselves and not Tigerhawk is a difference despite being the most obvious one…it's also that Cheetor and Optimus Primal are both in their original forms, plus Tarantulas is alive and so is Terrorsaur, both in their Transmetal forms(and Tarantulas still being part of the Predacons, unlike what was the case with him in the show prior to his death), with this story having it so that Scorponok and Waspinator died in the lava like was initially going to be the case in "Aftermath", along with how Megatron is in his Transmetal form, as well, the fact that this is a story between the above episodes notwithstanding, much like can be said about Tarantulas still being alive and part of the Predacons, as also mentioned before.

Though Blackarachnia has had Tarantulas's Predacon shell programming removed like happened in "Crossing The Rubicon", this story has a version of it in which she's survived what needed to be done instead of being briefly killed by Tarantulas himself and is therefore in her original form.

Likewise, Dinobot HAS saved the human race like he did in "Code Of Hero", but this story has a version of it in which he managed to do so and survive.

Other than that, everything is exactly as it was on the show in Season 3.

And secondly, I own none of the characters, as they all belong to Beast Wars.

The Pain From An Old Wound

Although there being battles between Maximal and Predacon capable of occurring at any time and in any place was hardly news by this point, there was one battle in which something most unexpected and, to those who didn't know about it, shocking as slag, was to show itself.

See, having been badly damaged in a battle that they'd had against the Predacons earlier in the day, the fact that they fought alongside the other Maximals and did deal a good amount of damage to some Predacon targets notwithstanding, Rhinox, Dinobot, Silverbolt, Depth Charge and Optimus Primal had needed to go into stasis lock and CR Chambers(yes, a plural amount of them, since Blackarachnia and the aforementioned Rhinox had recently made additional ones of what CR Chamber had been salvaged from the destroyed Axalon, though the former obviously would never have been trusted enough to take part in it before the long while in which she wasn't fully worthy of trust had passed like it finally had now), as well.

Furthermore, despite how it was meant to keep the Maximals occupied while Tarantulas, albeit being watch closely by Dinobot 2 to make sure he wouldn't try anything dodgy, put a very nasty device together as part of a plan he was scheming for helping the Predacons win the Beast Wars(or at least that was what he intended it for, anyway)back at the Darksyde and, if possible, slag as many of them as, well, possible?

Depth Charge managed to take down Rampage after a long fight, both weapon-wise and up close and personal, and this, along with how Dinobot and Blackarachnia's combined efforts were sufficient to all but defeat Megatron and, in the end, only he and Inferno were still able to function, with all of the other Predacons in the battle defeated like Rampage was by one or more Maximals, meant he had to have them retreat.

Especially since Cheetor and Rattrap were firing upon him and Inferno, respectively, given that they wanted to finish the job of defeating all of the Predacons and thus both took damage which put them an inch away from being beaten by the time they had gathered up all of the beaten Predacons and gotten away(what allowed them to not be taken down before they got away consisted of shooting back while doing the aforementioned gathering up, of course).

And yet he, Inferno and the aforementioned Rampage were only too able to cause the harm that they did to the ones who would now need CR Chambers prior to that, what with how Rampage nailed Rhinox, who'd previously been having a gunfight with Inferno in which both hurt each other bad(even if it did require Tigatron and Rattraps's assistance with their own guns being put to use, the way Inferno was so damn powerful as he was, and Tigatron and Rattrap both took some damage, as well, but not nearly as much as Rhinox did, since the latter was far more in the area where Rampage's blast hit, quite by chance), before taking on Depth Charge.

As well as how, prior to battling Rattrap, Rhinox and Tigatron, the aforementioned Inferno blasted Silverbolt down, after the latter took out Quickstrike, quite ironically enough.

In addition to how Megatron not only caused Optimus a lot of injuries after, also quite ironically enough, the Maximal leader brought down Terrorsaur(though with Cheetor and Airazor's help, since he was a Transmetal now and therefore quite a bit faster and more powerful than he used to be), but when Dinobot and Blackarachnia attacked him, he was able to blast them both down before they could finish up with bringing him down, Dinobot taking the bulk of the damage quite by chance when he and Blackarachnia were sent flying in opposite directions by Megatron's attack(it could have just as easily been the other way around, though, given how they were both surprised at the sudden counterattack and neither had time to dodge, kind of like what was the case with Tigatron and Rattrap when they were lucky enough not to be harmed as bad as Rhinox despite how it being vice versa with one or both of the other two entirely could have happened despite how this wasn't the case).

Their having won the battle against the Predacons but with so much damage dealt to the five who got the worst of it, with Optimus, upon their realizing it, saying: "Well, that's just prime.", it was made so that CR Chambers were, as made only too clear above, required for the five who were hurt the worst along with stasis lock.

Among other things, Cheetor told them: "Get well soon, guys. Especially you, big bot." and Optimus said: "Thank you, Cheetor." plus Blackarachnia and Silverbolt had a quick kiss and the former Predacon said: "Please be back as fast as you can be, bowser. I can't do a thing about however long this will take any more than you or anyone else can, but it's going to feel so empty without you."

Silverbolt replied to this: "Do not worry, beloved. I assure you that I will be back before you know it, and like you, I look forward to when it happens and thank Primus that we have each other."

Blackarachnia nodded and watched as Silverbolt's CR Chamber was closed along with the ones the other four were in.

Just before the CR Chamber that Optimus was now in closed following their return to the Ark and all that occurred in it, what you've read about or otherwise, he informed the Maximals who were still functional of the following.

To the shock of the others, especially Rattrap, he told them that Blackarachnia would be the one in charge.

His explanation for such a seemingly preposterous, insane and foolish decision was as follows.

She knew the Predacons best out of all of them and was the toughest Maximal when Dinobot and Depth Charge weren't around, as well as the most intelligent one of them when Rhinox wasn't around, the way that her level of cunning allowed her to, from time to time, prove more cunning than her former leader, Megatron, and she would be an excellent scientist, planner and inventor even if she didn't have that cunning to go with her general high intelligence.

Plus she'd finally(albeit barely)proven trustworthy thanks to the shell programming from Tarantulas which made her a Predacon being removed and how she'd done some things to be commended for after becoming a Maximal but prior to that(such as when she saved those two protohuman children, even going so far as to take Tarantulas's blast for them at the risk of losing her life during that battle alongside Cheetor to help them and stop the Predacons and their Cyber Raptors, though he gave other examples, as well).

Of course, Rattrap, especially being the official second-in-command of the Maximals, protested to this, saying: "Hey, what da hell? Are ya outta your primate mind?! Eight legs here shouldn't be trusted no matter what, let alone put in charge! Dis is just as bad an idea as puttin' choppaface in charge! Ya had me lead before when ya needed a slaggin' replacement an' it was either him or me! An' I'm the official second-in-command, anyway! Why's it any different with it bein' either me or her?"

"Because, Rattrap," Optimus explained just before his CR Chamber got closed, "that was when it was just me who got taken away for a time, and not me ALONG with Dinobot, Rhinox, Depth Charge and Silverbolt like is the case now. That Rhinox could make just as good, if not better, a leader than me despite how you are just as adept as I am, as well, only adds to this, since he's going to be in a chamber just as long as I and the other three am. Yes, you are the official second-in-command under normal circumstances, but I have to make an exception in this case, given how the Predacons, while we defeated them, most likely have recovered one way or the other, or at least will recover long before the five of us will. Which means that, should they strike again, which might be the case sooner than you or any of us Maximals may think or expect, they will easily outnumber us in battle, and have the power advantage over you five, as well. So we need the one who'll know what to expect from them the most and therefore be most ready for what they will or won't do leading. And I did point out what makes it so that, after all this time, she has proven trustworthy despite admittedly being anything but that for quite a while. This and what else makes her the best option for a substitute commander, which I have also pointed out, makes it so she will be one. End of discussion."

With that, all five of the ones in stasis lock were in their CR Chambers being repaired and Blackarachnia was the commander now, something she was really going to relish despite how she was now a dark heroine Maximal instead of a Predacon villainess.

"Okay, everyone, you heard what Optimus said. I give the commands here now, and will until he and the other four are repaired and back online!" Blackarachnia stated firmly.

The other Maximals were not too happy about this, except for Rattrap, who HATED it, with his usually being the sub-commander being the case despite how this was one instance in which that wasn't an option adding to said hatred, but they knew they had to suck it up and deal with it, given it was the best any of them could currently hope for under these circumstances due to what Optimus had told them.

"You know, Rattrap" Cheetor said, "the way that Optimus mentioned how you were chosen to lead over Dinobot a long time ago, given your being our second-in-command and how, if we weren't under the sort of circumstances we currently are, you'd be the leader once again right now?"

"Yeah? What about it, puttytat?" Rattrap asked irritably, very on edge right now, indeed, and Cheetor replied: "Since Blackarachnia here is more like Dinobot than she is any other one of us, out of CR Chambers or otherwise, I have a feeling we're about to find out what it'd have been like if Dinobot had led instead of you."

"Oh, great!" Rattrap said, realizing the astuteness of Cheetor's words. "Just when I tought dis couldn't get any woise! When da Predacons next strike, wit' us under her command…sigh, we're all gonna die."

"Shut up, Rattrap." Blackarachnia snapped. "I will not allow any such disrespectful talk from you, VERMIN."

Rattrap opened his eyes widely.

It WAS really similar to what it would be like if Dinobot had been in charge all that time ago, at least so far, anyway.

"Blackarachnia, was that really necessary?" Tigatron asked, to which Blackarachnia replied: "Of course it was. Can you, or anyone else here, really say that trying to be gentle with Rattrap would have made him knock this slag off and keep a straight face, stripes?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right." Airazor told her love. "I actually had to assist Optimus in telling him to shut up once. He was being that much of a pain."

"Oh, sure, bird-lady, take her side, why dontcha? Gee, tanks a lot, she-spider!" Rattrap said. "Bringin' back so many fond memories o' bein' talked down ta an' disrespected just 'cause I tink realistically!"

Cheetor was unable not to burst out laughing and he quickly yelled: "BEAST MODE!" so that he could fall onto the floor and roll on it while laughing his head off as a cheetah and therefore it would be easier to do so.

"I'M SO SORRY, RATTRAP, BUT THIS IS JUST LIKE WHEN YOU AND DINOBOT GO AT IT TWO-FOLD AND ALL THOSE TIMES YOU'VE BEEN TOLD TO SHUT UP AND/OR TALKED DOWN TO, INCLUDING THE TIMES IN WHICH I DID ONE OR BOTH OF THEM, ARE COMING BACK AND MAKING ME THINK OF US LITERALLY TALKING DOWN TO YOU BECAUSE OF HOW YOU'RE THE SMALLEST OF US, PLUS CATS EAT RATS ALONG WITH MICE, SO MY TELLING YOU TO SHUT UP AND ALL OTHER TIMES I'VE GOTTEN NASTY WITH YOU IS THE CAT AND RAT TEAMMATE EQUIVALENT OF IT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Cheetor caterwauled(oh, yes, pun intended, indeed)with uproarious laughter. "AND THE WAY THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS ABOVE ME IN COMMAND, COUNTING THIS TIME WHEN OPTIMUS DOESN'T LEAD, IRONICALLY, FURTHER CAUSES ME NOT TO BE UNABLE TO LAUGH OUT LOUD AND LONG LIKE THIS! PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Well, rodent, it looks like we have an entirely different opinion about this than yours down here." Blackarachnia smirked, looking down at Cheetor as he rolled all over the floor while laughing uncontrollably, and she then said: "BUT ENOUGH OF THAT, CHEETOR! GET THE SLAG BACK UP AND CEASE THAT EXPLOSIVE LAUGHTER NOW!"

Cheetor quickly stopped laughing and stood up, and Blackarachnia said: "Good boy." as if to act like Cheetor was her pet, something he glared at her for along with the others.

Of course, it wasn't surprising she'd be this way, since she was just as mean and sarcastic as Dinobot was, if not more so on both counts, but it was still less than desirable, something that they made no secret of, any of them, but she could deal with their less than pleased kind of looks being in her direction.

Anyway, she then told the others: "Now, the Predacons could easily come for us at any given time, especially with half of our group in stasis lock, and I'd know better than all of you combined, the way I used to be part of them myself, just like Optimus said. So we need to get ourselves ready for anything in every way that we can, starting with how I'm having you cats go out on a scouting patrol."

"Me and Tigatron?" asked Cheetor. "You're having us both go on a scouting mission?" Tigatron then asked her.

"Yes, because besides how I know you'll work together excellently, given your relationship with each other, you've both got the senses and the speed needed for this sort of thing, plus sending you both out on it will cover more ground. Now go and signal me if there's anything important you need to report." Blackarachnia informed and then commanded them.

Tigatron and Cheetor nodded and took off out of the base after the former turned to beast mode, and once they were gone, Airazor said: "Blackarachnia, shouldn't you have sent me out on that scouting patrol, as well? You know that I do just as well at it as they do and my ability to fly gives me an extra advantage."

"True, but I need a flyer here in case of a Predacon attack. I'm not having it so that they've got flight as their advantage over us along with the number and power advantage thing Optimus told us about," Blackarachnia informed Airazor, "and furthermore, even if this weren't the case, there is no way in the pit that I am going to be in this room, or any room, for that matter, with no one but the vermin."

"Hey, you ain't exactly da first choice I'd have for someone ta share a room wit', either, bug lady!" Rattrap told her. "By da way, ya might be smart an' skilled, but ya ain't cut out for dis sorta ting! You ain't leadin' material! Plain an' simple!"

"For your information, you useless waste of life, Optimus was very right when he said that I have had times in which I've proven more clever Megatron, though I'll admit they were only occasional ones, but the fact that I've ever managed it at all proves that I'm the one who should lead if we're going to have the best chance of beating my former comrades!" Blackarachnia barked. "Now back off, shut up and remember your place, which is a very low ranking one in my book despite how you're usually the sub-commander of this group!"

"Could you guys please stop?" Airazor asked, though if Blackarachnia weren't currently in command and they were doing this, she would say: "Stop it, both of you!" instead. "This is all going to be arduous enough as it is, and the last thing any of us need is more problems."

Suddenly, Blackarachnia was hearing Tigatron's voice on her comlink, saying: "Tigatron to Blackarachnia!"

She responded by using her comlink to say: "Blackarachnia here. What is it, Tigatron?"

An instant later, Tigatron told her: "Cheetor and I have discovered Tarantulas near a mountain about five miles from the Ark! He's being accompanied by Terrorsaur, Quickstrike and Inferno! We're looking at them from above on this cliff which is right beside that mountain! We will keep watch to make sure we attack if we must, but we need you, Airazor and Rattrap where we are as soon as possible!"

"Consider us on our way. Blackarachnia out." said the former Predacon, and she then said: "Okay, Airazor, Rattrap, you heard what the tiger said. Let's move it."

They took off, though Rattrap, true to form, snapped: "Oh, man! I HATE takin' orders from a stinkin' Pred, especially one who's got no right ta be in what position I should ALWAYS be in if Optimus ain't in charge, regardless o' what da slag da circumstances are!" before turning into his Transmetal vehicle mode and zooming forward on the ground while Airazor used her jets to get flying forward good and fast and Blackarachnia used her web grappling hook to get from spot to spot both to go to where they'd been told by Tigatron to meet him and Cheetor at and make sure that she would do so in a manner that kept her up ahead of Rattrap and Airazor in order to emphasize her currently being the leader.

"Rattrap, knock it off! This is serious!" Airazor snapped down at him from above in the sky, and Blackarachnia, despite not facing either one, barked: "Or, to put it another way, SHUT UP, RATTRAP!"

It wasn't long before they got to where Tigatron and Cheetor were, and once they got there, Airazor landed next to the former, Rattrap came up by Cheetor's side and Blackarachnia landed between both cats and got her grappling hook gun back to what state it was in when not being used.

And indeed, the four Predacons who Tigatron had spoken of were right there, with, unbeknownst to them, Tarantulas having gotten the device he'd put together for his plan done while the other Predacons took on the Maximals to make sure that they would be, as I said before, occupied, in order for them not to find out about it and thus have no way to try and stop it or the one who created it as part of his plan.

Of course, Megatron, despite how Tarantulas told him he would be the perfect one to be in charge while he and Rampage recovered while he used a different mechanical creation of his to get Terrorsaur, Quickstrike and Inferno back to normal, given his intentions and how he was the most intelligent of the quartet he was insisting on, was only allowed to do so when Megatron informed him that he would make sure to keep watch of him and the others during it all so that he, while Dinobot 2 kept Rampage in line, would only do what he was telling Megatron about, concerning that, his scheme and what he'd use for the latter alike.

So only when Tarantulas knew that treachery, tricks and the like weren't an option, and especially with Inferno being part of his group during all of this(he only chose him because of his power, since he knew how loyal Inferno was to Megatron and thus would have otherwise not even considered bringing him into the next battle), did he agree to Megatron's commands, though he kept it secret that it would be a lot different, and far more in his favor, if he didn't have to be under Megatron and, to a lesser extent, Inferno's watchful eyes.

Then Megatron sent Terrorsaur, Quickstrike and, of course, Inferno to follow his lead and that brings us to where the hell we are now, with Tarantulas having, of course, made sure to bring along his special little device which would be the biggest, most important part of what he was scheming, and you'll find out about his sneaky little plot soon enough, but first, we go onward to what will occur upon the battle beginning after the four Predacons were spotted(I should add that the five Maximals found it very ironic that, as it turned out, they were not outnumbered in this battle, though two Transmetals being present along with Inferno did give them that power advantage thing that Optimus was talking about, which was another irony, these next two ones just adding on to the multiple ones that had been taking place on this particular day, especially since one way or the other, chances were NOT going to be taken under these kinds of circumstances no matter what, so it's still understandable as to why Optimus made the decision that he did).

"Okay, I see them now." Blackarachnia said, looking down to where Tarantulas, Quickstrike, Terrorsaur and Inferno were. "I can't believe I'm saying this, given how the slag it was in the past, but…good job keeping watch and signaling us, guys. But now it's time to fight. Rattrap, you'll handle Terrorsaur."

"Hey, I'm supposed ta fight a flyer who's also a Transmetal?" Rattrap asked, and then Blackarachnia stated: "You've got the best chance of beating him because you're a Transmetal yourself and the other ones of us here aren't! So you're the one battling him!"

She looked at Airazor and commanded: "Airazor, you're taking on Inferno with Cheetor's help, given his power level and what that means he could do if either of you tried to fight him alone, plus I don't want him having the flight advantage like Terrorsaur will have over Rattrap, so you, Airazor, the only one of us here who can fly, will be playing a part in his downfall!"

"Understood." Airazor told her, right before Cheetor said: "Got it!"

"Glad to hear it." Blackarachnia told her before she ordered: "Tigatron, you'll deal with Quickstrike!"

"Affirmative." Tigatron told her(secretly glad she didn't tell him to battle Inferno, due to what kind of memories it would bring back, but you'll be shown more of that later in this story).

"Excellent." Blackarachnia put across before adding on: "And, of course, I'll be battling Tarantulas. I don't think I need to tell any of you why."

"Hey, wait a tecond!" Rattrap pointed out. "He's a Transmetal, too! An' you ain't! So how're ya gonna beat him if I'm the only one who can beat Terrorsaur 'cause I'm a Transmetal like he and Tarantulas are?"

"Because I know Tarantulas better than all of you combined and he doesn't have flight as an advantage over a ground-bound opponent like Terrorsaur does, and my determination to take his skid out will give me something of an advantage!" Blackarachnia told him. "Now let's move it, everyone! Tigatron, Cheetor, Rattrap, maximize now!"

"Tigatron, maximize!" Tigatron said before transforming into robot mode, with Cheetor then saying: "Cheetor, maximize!" and transforming into robot mode, as well.

And after Rattrap said, though after a sigh and a growl of frustration and anger, both blatant: "Rattrap, maximize!" and transformed to robot mode, they all started shooting at their Predacons who were down below, causing Tarantulas to say: "WHAT THE SLAG?"

He looked up and exclaimed: "Oh, no! Maximals! I should have known that they would come to try and stop me along with my plan and the rest of us! Get them, all of you!"

The five Maximals came down to the ground after seeing a way to get there from the cliff that wouldn't require jumping off of the edge of it and kept opening fire on their Predacon opponents, with Rattrap quickly shooting up at Terrorsaur, who realized that they were going to be each other's opponents and told Rattrap: "RAAAWWRRK! You have just signed your own death warrant, mouse!"

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about dat!" Rattrap told him, and he used one of his red wheel shields to help him block as many of Terrorsaur's shoulder cannon blasts as he could while also continuing to fire up at him.

Terrorsaur managed to block some of Rattrap's blasts with his twin blades, but, like Rattrap, did take some damage from the barrage of shots that they were unleashing towards each other, this keeping up along with a lot of dodging from both of them until Terrorsaur gained the upper hand by tossing one of his blades at Rattrap and nailing him with it before the latter had a chance to evade it due to how fast he tossed it.

"EEEEEIIIIIIIIIYAAAARRRGGGHHH!" Rattrap screamed, and Terrorsaur snickered as he flew down towards where Rattrap was before saying: "Ha, ha! I just blasted you half to scrap! Now it's time for me to terminate you!"

But Rattrap recovered in time to say: "In your rotten Pred dreams, beak face!" while firing at Terrorsaur's other blade and causing it to explode, blowing him out of the sky in the process and, just to be sure, Rattrap, after Terrorsaur landed, took out his tail whip and an instant later ran over and wrapped it around Terrorsaur to keep him still and squeeze him hard while shooting him repeatedly, and only stopped when it was clear Terrorsaur was beaten.

"Heh! Hate ta admit it, but I guess eight legs was right when she said dat I was da best one ta handle ya, given that we're both Transmetals, unlike my other teammates in dis battle, an' how I found ta perfect way ta take ya down, too! Your own blade blowin' up in your face! Must hurt like da pit, huh?" Rattrap gloated.

During this time, Cheetor was firing at Inferno from the ground and Airazor was doing the same thing in the sky, while Inferno was blasting away at both of them, alternating between fire and energy blasts.

Despite the fact that Inferno was hit repeatedly by the shots from both Maximals, he was still able to get them both with what shots he took from his flame thrower, the fact that they were able to dodge some of them while battling him notwithstanding.

"So you see, Maximal invaders, even your combined efforts will not be enough to stop me or the royalty, who has made sure of it that this attack will go as Tarantulas insisted it would if he led and put his plan into action! And neither of you will do anything but burn, so you have no chance of stopping any of us Predacons in this battle!" Inferno laughed.

"AAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Cheetor screamed as he was suddenly hit by fire, but while he did the classic stop, drop and roll technique to put it out, Airazor, despite going: "UUUUHHHH!" while the energy shots hit her repeatedly all of a sudden, stopped firing her wrist missiles at Inferno and took out her blaster to shoot at him instead, with Cheetor, once he was no longer on fire, resumed shooting at Inferno.

"ARRRRRRRRGGGHHHHH!" Inferno yelled, and Cheetor then said: "Hey, bug boy! Kiss your fire gun goodbye!" while shooting Inferno's flame thrower with a blast that caused it to explode and said explosion caused further damage to Inferno, followed by how Airazor said, while flying up behind Inferno as the latter screamed in pain even louder and longer when Cheetor had nailed him with his own weapon: "And do the same to your ability to fly, as well!"

She subsequently used her blaster to shoot off all four of Inferno's rotating blades and then the thrusters that were also part of what enabled him to fly, which caused him to go plummeting down while screaming: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Just to be sure, she and Cheetor blasted off an arm and a leg of his apiece, and Cheetor blasted his head off.

After Airazor landed down next to the defeated Inferno, she said: "Nice job, Cheetor. We did it."

"Nicely done yourself, Airazor." Cheetor replied. "And yeah, we did it, all right!"

They bumped fists, and as that went on along with Rattrap's previously read about battle with Terrorsaur?

Quickstrike was saying to Tigatron: "Well, howdy, ya dang varmint! Ah was hopin' someone'd show up so Ah could kick their keister! Guess you're that someone, huh?"

"Or so you believe, Quickstrike." Tigatron replied before he fired multiple shots from his gun, not missing once as they all hit Quickstrike, but, despite the latter yelling out: "AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" as it happened, he struck back by hitting Tigatron with blasts of his own from his cobra head blaster, and Tigatron yelled out: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Both did considerable damage to each other, but we'll get back to their fight in a minute, because now we're moving on a bit early to the battle between Blackarachnia and Tarantulas, the (at the moment)spider commanders of their respective groups, which I know you all must be just itching to see, so here it goes.

"Hello, Tarantulas. Long time no see." Blackarachnia said to him, to which Tarantulas told her: "Yes, and it's been far too long that I've been waiting to make you pay for all that you've done to provoke my wrath, especially your betrayal and becoming one of the Maximals! You will now wish that I had never created you in the first place, something that I have now come to realize all too well! It was a mistake to bring you into existence, and now I will undo that mistake! Teeheeheeheehee. Hehheheheheheheheheheheh. BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"

"Wrong, you rotten creep. DEAD wrong." Blackarachnia snarled as she and Tarantulas then started shooting away at each other like there was no tomorrow, with Blackarachnia's spider leg machine guns nailing Tarantulas with bullets galore while his shoulder machine guns did much the same to her, along with how she shot him repeatedly with explosive projectiles from her blaster and he simultaneously blasted her just as much with blasts from his rotating razor wheel gun.

After a while of this, they shot one another's blasters out of each other's hands, with Tarantulas going: "YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" and Blackarachnia screeching: "AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

Blackarachnia said immediately thereafter: "Okay, you piece of slag, now we take it up close and personal! You fully pay for what you did to me back when I was a Maximal protoform and so made me become what I am now and forever will be despite how I can't help but still like it, again thanks to you, and despite how I've sided with the Maximals, as well! And, of course, you will pay for how you recently tried to kill me! Both with your existence, creep, and the same slag goes for how I'm paying you back for how you put me under your mind control, which I haven't forgotten despite how long ago it was!"

"Why so we do!" Tarantulas told her before going: "Nyucknyucknyucknyucknyuck. But be forewarned…you stand no chance against me thanks to my Transmetal body, and YOU will be the one to pay, both for turning out as you did despite what I wanted you to be and for your defection to the Maximals who you've now helped, against me or otherwise!"

"That's what you think, oh creator of mine!" Blackarachnia told him with much snark and cutting, snide nastiness in her voice before they went up to each other and began trading blows, with Tarantulas having the size advantage and Transmetal power putting him above her physically, but Blackarachnia more skilled in hand-to-hand combat, allowing her to hit harder than most with her level of strength could, and fully focused on simply bringing him down rather than toying with him first like he meant to do to her(true to sadistic form)and so it was an even match despite how it might not seem or sound like one at first.

It went on for a while, with plenty of various blows(though Blackarachnia was the more versatile one of them, given her fighting skills)nailing the other, even if there was some dodging by them both(but mostly Blackarachnia), but it was cut short despite neither having won yet by how, during the Tigatron and Quickstrike battle we now go back to, the latter's hearing Blackarachnia's voice along with that of Tarantulas made it clear to him what was going on despite neither he nor Tigatron seeing it.

So he blasted Tigatron's gun out of his hands and then whacked the feline Maximal aside while he was startled at his suddenly being weaponless, saying as he did so: "Hey, sugar-bot! How about a taste'a our former pardnership for ol' times sake?" and, when Blackarachnia suddenly saw him, his next use of his cobra hand blaster was to nail her and cause her to go flying on back into a tree.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" she screamed, and Tarantulas then said: "Dammit, Quickstrike, this was my fight! I was going to be the one to defeat her!"

"Sorry, big-T, but Ah just…" Quickstrike began, but then he was shot from behind by Tigatron, who had gotten back up and regained his blaster just now, and after he let out: "YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!" he was defeated as he hit the ground hard enough so that he couldn't get up or even move in the slightest at all.

Tarantulas then quickly started firing upon Tigatron, saying: "So, you took down the Fuzor after he got in my way and did the same to Blackarachnia, did you, feline? Well, now I finish the job that Quickstrike started and should have finished with you!"

"AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Tigatron roared in pain, and after Tarantulas knocked him down with a huge blast from his spinning razor gun, he said: "HMMMMM…I do believe that now would be the perfect time to put what is most required for my plan to work into action. And I know just the spot to do it, as well. HEHEHEHEHEHENYUCKYNUCKNYUCKNYUCKNYUCK. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Transforming to his Transmetal vehicle mode, he zoomed over to where the mountain was, and this made it so that, despite how it was from afar, it took him none too long to reach it.

Unbeknownst to Tarantulas, however, Blackarachnia was not truly beaten yet, as evidenced by how she was now getting up from having hit that tree and being put in a haze as a result, which was not the same as her being defeated in any way.

Furthermore, Tigatron had not been defeated, either, as he was briefly in a haze of his own, but now was getting up once more, and saw Tarantulas going up the mountain that he'd been near alongside Cheetor before, suddenly realizing that this just happened to be the mountain of the area where Snowstalker had been killed, and indeed this just happened to be that region where the mountain was and therefore in which it happened.

Gasping at this realization, and knowing that Inferno, who'd played a major role in what caused her death, had been part of this battle despite not being his opponent this time, he all of a sudden heard Blackarachnia, who had seen Tarantulas having taken off to the mountain he was now climbing up, as well, shout out upon seeing him getting up like she was: "Tigatron! Go and stop Tarantulas before it's too late to stop what plan he's obviously thought up, given what he's doing just now, from being put into action up there! He's just as obviously chosen that spot as the part of it that doesn't involve fighting, but most likely does involve one of his inventions! Get him while you still can!"

Tigatron, hesitating while taken aback at the idea of going to that mountain after what had happened at it before, said to her in protest: "But…wait…I can't…this is…"

"That's an order!" Blackarachnia boomed.

Knowing that she didn't, well, know, why he was so tense and uneasy about going to that particular, specific mountain, and also knowing that he had to stop Tarantulas, anyway, given that he would otherwise put into action something that would cause a very significant disaster and planet endangering catastrophe, indeed, Tigatron sucked it up and did the first thing he could think of while going towards it, which was also the best thing he could think of, as he realized all of a sudden, as it would work just as well in stopping Tarantulas and making sure of it that he would not be required to climb up the mountain to do so.

Just as Tarantulas was up on the spot of the mountain where he would find the perfect area to plant his device, which would bring the entire mountain down and rip a hole in the ground which would cause anyone who fell into it to plummet to a horrible death and thus make a perfect death trap for the Maximals that would be utilized whenever possible, with how he designed it while alone at the Predacon base, saying: "Tehehehehehehehehehe. Here we are. Tarantulas, terrorize!" and transforming to robot mode, he heard Tigatron yell: "TARANTULAS!"

"Hmmmm?" Tarantulas said, and he looked down and then, opening his eyes widely due to how surprised he was, let out: "So, tiger, you aren't defeated after all. How ironic, since you can't possibly stop me, given your being unarmed and incapable of getting here in time to even try, even with your speed."

"And it does not surprise me at all that you would go the distance you have in order to put your plan into action, since that would ensure that no one else would have time to attack you or attempt to stop you in time, either! You are almost untouchable up there, which does nothing to show any kind of bravery on your part, since you would choose to be virtually out of everyone else's reach!" Tigatron shouted.

Tarantulas was shocked and asked him: "Are you calling me a coward?"

"You made it so that you would find a spot to execute your plan that would put you as far away from the rest of us as possible and reduce your chances of being blasted as much as they could be reduced, so you tell me!" Tigatron replied.

"How dare you insult me! I will see to it that you are the first Maximal I kill when I execute my plot like I will be doing now!" Tarantulas shouted as he quickly put his device down onto where he meant to put it, but didn't have time to do his thing for the following reason.

Tigatron said: "Why not try and kill me face-to-face instead? I challenge you to a fight between us in our respective beast modes! Only if you win said challenge and therefore kill me will you be able to get back up there and put your plot into action, since the other Maximals here are so worn down and/or hurt bad from their respective fights!"

"Very well. I accept your challenge." Tarantulas said before transforming to his vehicle mode and zooming forward once more, only this time down the mountain, and at the same time he transformed to his vehicle mode, Tigatron yelled: "Beast mode!"

Once he was in beast mode, he thought to himself: "I have to time this flawlessly and be completely precise, because otherwise I'm done for and Tarantulas will prove triumphant!" as he looked directly at Tarantulas while the latter drove towards him at a very high velocity indeed and he braced himself for what he was intent on doing.

Seeing the moment in which he knew he would do what he was intending now or not at all, Tigatron caught Tarantulas completely off guard when he leapt up onto him and landed hard on his back, causing Tarantulas to go spiraling out of control at the same time as he was surprised as slag.

"WHAT IN THE PIT?!" Tarantulas cried out as he did all that he could not to fall over and screamed out: "YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

He also yelled: "GET OFF OF ME! I'M SPINNING AROUND AND ABOUT OUT OF CONTROL! I CAN'T SUPPORT YOUR WEIGHT! YOU'RE TOO HEAVY! GET OFF! I'M GOING TO CRASH!"

"That was my exact intent, Tarantulas." Tigatron said. "You are being put a stop to and so is your scheme."

After seeing that he had to jump off unless he wanted to crash along with Tarantulas, Tigatron promptly leapt off of and away from Tarantulas and turned around to watch the latter smash into a giant rock as he landed on his feet and cried: "Tigatron, maximize!"

Transforming to robot mode, he ran over to where Tarantulas had crashed while drawing his blaster, and Tarantulas, infuriated at how he'd been tricked(read: how this was one of the VERY few times in which he was outwitted)despite how intelligent he was, meant to pay Tigatron back in full, going: "Tarantulas, terrorize!" in order to transform to robot mode.

Just after he'd done so, though, Tigatron fired an ice blast from his blaster which froze Tarantulas solid, and thus he'd defeated the Predacon and seen to it that the Maximals won the day.

"Hey, guys, look! Tigatron just took down Tarantulas! We won!" Cheetor said. "Way to go, big cat!"

"Thanks, little cat. You did well yourself assisting Airazor against Inferno, and I commend you and Cheetor alike for how you were successful in taking him down, my lady."

"Thank you, dear, and I now echo Cheetor…well done bringing Tarantulas down." said Airazor.

"WHOO-HOO! Ya did it, stripes! Ya slaggin' did it! Da Preds all just got beaten! Wait'll Mega-Jerk finds da slag out about DIS!" Rattrap cheered.

"Wait. Hold on a second here." Airazor said, realizing that there was one last thing left to do, and she was glad that she had, by now, regained enough of her energy to do so.

She flew up to where Tarantulas's invention was and picked it up, then she flew up into the sky until she was certain she was high enough to do what she was intent on doing without a problem being caused, for herself or otherwise, and threw it up as hard as she could, then began firing her wrist missiles at it while flying downwards to get as far away from what it would do as she could.

And sure enough, the gigantic explosion that occurred made it very clear indeed that, had Tarantulas been able to activate his device before Tigatron's challenge, it would have, as I said above, destroyed the entire mountain and ripped a super-wide, super-deep hole into the ground that would serve as a perfect Maximal death trap for the Predacons to use.

Fortunately, she flew well high enough into the air so that no life forms would be the least bit harmed and, indeed, there was nothing but cold air and clouds where she tossed it, and before it could come down anywhere near her when she was still, despite flying down, well above where even the highest flying of birds would be in the sky, it was utterly obliterated and the explosion soon faded into nothingness.

Immediately thereafter, she flew back down to see Blackarachnia coming on over to where Cheetor, Rattrap and Tigatron were, the former Predacon obviously having regained enough strength and energy to walk over to them after regaining the ability to stand up prior to all of this, and to her surprise, as well as that of the other three, especially Tigatron, she began chewing the latter out.

"TIGATRON, WHAT THE SLAG?!" Blackarachnia exploded at him. "YOU DID A DAMN GREAT JOB BRINGING DOWN TARANTULAS AND ALL, BUT WHY DID YOU LURE HIM DOWN AND TAKE A CHANCE AS TO HOW YOU TOOK HIM OUT WHEN YOU COULD HAVE JUST BLASTED HIM DOWN AND BEEN DONE WITH IT BEFORE HE EVEN GOT TO WHERE HE DID?! YOU COULD HAVE SHOT HIM OFF OF THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN BEFORE HE WAS HALFWAY THERE!"

All four of the others, especially Tigatron, were taken aback to the point of being speechless and having their eyes opened as widely as they possibly could be, and while Blackarachnia was, during this time, thinking to herself: "The irony here is considerable, the way that I had more than a few instances of wanting to take him and other Maximals out before my defection, and I was the reason that he destroyed that flying island that I'd taken command of despite neither of us wanting it to be destroyed for two different reasons. And now look at me! I'm chewing him out when I'm in charge of him and three other Maximals because of how he hesitated and didn't just go for the simple way of bringing down the creep who turned me into a Predacon in the first place!" Tigatron was having thoughts concerning this of his own.

"I cannot believe this! Unbelievably ironic is an absolute understatement for how to describe this! Besides how she wanted to kill me and the other Maximals in the past but is now commanding me, along with Rattrap, little cat and my love being under her lead, as well, and caused me to have to destroy that flying island even though I didn't want to and she certainly didn't want it destroyed, she doesn't know about what happened at this mountain before at all and didn't learn of it even before she became the Maximal she is now! By the Matrix, how am I going to explain this to her? Especially with Airazor in front of me and Cheetor being the only one present who knows about it? Never mind what Rattrap's reaction will be like…this is all going to be found out about both before and after the other five are back to normal and only Optimus and Dinobot will know of what will inevitably be told to Silverbolt, Rhinox and Depth Charge! Which means I have no choice but to man up and tell her, though I hope to Primus that my relationship with Airazor isn't destroyed in the process. Not after all the happiness we've enjoyed together. Please, Airazor. Don't hate me when I reveal this."

"ANSWER ME, TIGATRON! NOW!" Blackarachnia blew up at him lividly, and he sighed and told her: "It's because of Snowstalker."

Cheetor gulped, knowing what he was talking about, unlike the other three, and then Airazor said: "Snowstalker?"

"Huh? I ain't never heard dat name before." Rattrap put in.

"Neither have I," Blackarachnia said, "and you'd better explain, because it sounds to me like this Snowstalker, whoever or whatever he or she or it is, REALLY means a LOT to you, if you were willing to endanger yourself and everything and everyone around you like that just to not shoot at Tarantulas while he was going up that mountain."

"Big cat, how about I explain, instead? It'll spare you the pain and upset." Cheetor suggested.

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, little cat, but no. I have to do this myself." replied Tigatron, turning down Cheetor's offer in a gentle, nice way.

Airazor, Rattrap and Blackarachnia all looked at Cheetor, and Airazor asked: "You know about this, too, Cheetor?"

"Yeah, but Tigatron here made it clear that he needs to be the one to explain it, so how about we let him?" Cheetor responded.

Rattrap and Airazor nodded, while Blackarachnia turned back to Tigatron and said: "Okay, like I was saying…this Snowstalker HAS to have TRULY meant a LOT to you if you decided to defeat Tarantulas in the way you did instead of simply blasting him."

"Yes, she did…she meant a lot to me. MEANT." Tigatron told Blackarachnia while Rattrap and Airazor listened along with Cheetor, the latter shaking his head because he knew how painful this was going to be for Tigatron, and it pained him to know that and to remember what happened, why it did and what it caused.

Tigatron continued: "You see, Snowstalker was a white tiger. Not a Maximal with a white tiger beast mode like I am. A REAL white tiger. She was my friend. In fact, she was, back then…"

He paused and tensed up, hoping to Primus that Airazor would not hate him, end their relationship and forevermore be hurt horribly along with him when he said what he was going to say next.

Which was: "…my mate."

Everyone opened their eyes widely, barring Cheetor, since he already knew that about the long dead tigress, as well, and Tigatron then went on: "But our close relationship was destined to end in absolute tragedy. During one battle in this very area, I was able to take out Waspinator and Inferno after that, but after I blew the latter out of the sky, following when he was blasting fire all over the place and Cheetor had to be in beast mode due to energon buildup and thus I made it so that I'd stop him…"

He paused again, but then got right back to his story: "…one of my blasts missed him and hit this mountain, which, at the time, had a cache of explosives where the blast hit it, and this caused an avalanche to come down and kill Snowstalker, as she just happened to be standing on one of the sides of the mountain at the time. In short, I, I…I accidentally killed her. I even quit the Maximals for a time until I was reminded that, if I didn't fight in the Beast Wars, then the chances that the Predacons would conquer all would be increased, so I resumed my place in the Maximals. But that memory has never stopped tearing at me, even as I have now come to love Airazor and that's done many wonderful things for us both, one of which is lessening the pain of remembering Snowstalker's death. I didn't want to shoot at that mountain again. Just seeing it brought back the pain from an old wound. So I opted for stopping Tarantulas using the alternative that I did, which thankfully worked, instead."

Rattrap, Blackarachnia and, of course, Airazor became shocked and were unable to bring themselves to even move, and Cheetor was thinking to himself, believing that Airazor would come down on Tigatron, tell him they were through and punch him, along with much else that he was expecting to happen, none of it good(of course Tigatron was expecting all of this despite how he was hoping it wouldn't happen just as much as Cheetor was): "Here we go…"

Suddenly unable to stop himself from jumping to conclusions due to how agonized and sad he felt just now, and how torturous it was to reveal what he just did, which was indeed the pain from an old wound, and big time, Tigatron put across: "You don't have to say anything, Airazor. I know that you now hate me and don't want to so much as see me from afar. You don't need to tell me that it's over, either. I know it is. I'm ready for how you're going to punch me, so you can just go ahead and do it."

But Airazor did no such thing at all, nor was she feeling or thinking any of what Tigatron thought she was, with Rattrap saying: "Oh, man…I mean, DAMN…dat is…harsh…I…I can't find anythin' else ta…I'm just…whoa, stripes…I can't even imagine how…"

And Blackarachnia sighed, suddenly not being able to be furious at Tigatron like she had been after hearing this, especially given how she had previously given Silverbolt a quick kiss and some words of love and vice versa before he had to be in stasis lock and a CR Chamber, and said after a long pause the words that you'll now read.

"Well, I guess I can see what you were thinking despite how it seemed very foolish and some might say it was even after hearing about your reason for it. I'm actually glad I wasn't there and didn't know about it, since it was back when I was a Predacon and I can only imagine what I might have said and/or done to you while armed with that knowledge. Ironic, since I'd have been glad to have known back then and used it against you instead of learning it now as a Maximal, and one who's been put in charge, at that. Though it helps with me being able to be this understanding that my bowser was hurt so badly and had to be in stasis lock in a CR Chamber like Optimus, Dinobot, Depth Charge and Rhinox did earlier today."

After adding in: "You know, with how close we are and how he could have been, but thankfully wasn't, killed and all, and how much it hurt to know he would be in that CR Chamber for some time." she turned to Cheetor and said: "By the way, you knew about this when it happened, like it seems and sounds like you did?"

"Yeah, and I actually tried to help big cat here any which way I could, but nothing worked. Not with how the slag he was feeling at that time." Cheetor nodded. "Although I was glad that he was able to recover from it as much as he could and rejoin us, but I was hoping this horrible memory of the past wouldn't make its way into the present, much like he was. But it has, and we'll inevitably have to tell Depth Charge, Rhinox and Silverbolt about it after they've recovered along with Big bot and Dinobot, who both knew about it along with me and Tigatron during the time it had occurred."

"Hey, ya know…" Rattrap pointed out, "I tink we should just leave stripes an' da bird lady here ta deal wit' dis themselves, whether it's what da heck we're expectin' it ta be along with stripes or not. After hearin' this, it really is what's right an' what's best, an' if I can say dat, then ya know it's gotta be true."

Blackarachnia and Cheetor nodded and all three of them went a good distance away from where Tigatron and Airazor were, simply watching and hoping that things would turn out better than they and the tiger Maximal were thinking they would.

After a short while, Airazor, to everyone's surprise, especially Tigatron's, put her right hand onto his left shoulder, saying to him: "Tigatron, I don't hate you at all. She didn't deserve to die and you didn't deserve to lose her, either. Yes, we later on began to fall in love with each other and are now close to one another like you previously were with Snowstalker and vice versa. But revealing what you just did has not killed our relationship, nor have I stopped loving you and I will most certainly NOT punch you. So I wasn't your first love. Why would learning that make it so I no longer loved you? You wouldn't do that to me if our roles were reversed here. Really, don't hate yourself. Snowstalker forgave you long ago while up in heaven like she forever will be. She doesn't hate you and neither do I. It was an accident and her up there and me down here know it as well as you and the other ones who are now aware of it do."

"Airazor…I…thank Primus…by the Matrix…thank…thank you for…I can't find the words…this is…" Tigatron tried to reply, but it proved impossible despite how, his still feeling a lot of hurt inside notwithstanding, he was feeling so much better than he had before and it was comforting to know that he and Airazor would still have each other, after all, and the fact that he had been forgiven by Snowstalker long before now further helped lessen the pain.

Still, the way he missed her so was still hitting him hard throughout his heart and soul, and he knew it as well as the other ones present, Airazor or otherwise, did, and how it came on back to cut at him further, even with the consoling he was being given, became, after a brief time, too much for even one as strong-willed, fearless and mature as he.

Tigatron transformed to beast mode and began to cry, with Airazor saying: "Tigatron, come to me." and, after he turned around and did so, holding his frontal half in her lap once he saw her sitting down and holding out her arms to him, instantly able to tell what she was doing and thus walking over and lying down on his stomach to make it easier for her?

Why, the question of whether or not she could still love him was further answered, namely that she could and would, just like he could and would, and it had been very clearly and firmly answered and made, well, clear before, so that should say something about this.

"AAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWW." the other three thought in their minds, though Rattrap and Blackarachnia did what they could to ignore and suppress it, especially the latter.

"I think we should let them be." Cheetor said to Blackarachnia, who said: "Agreed. Rattrap, go back to the Ark and keep watch. Me and Cheetor are keeping an eye open for further ones of my old pals, just in case they show up, and, if the ones in stasis lock come out of those CR Chambers before we're back, let them know the four of us might take a little longer than we thought to get back there ourselves, and that I'll signal them when it's time to get back, though if they're not out of the CR Chambers yet, I'll contact you, instead."

"Oh, man, why me?" asked Rattrap, to which Blackarachnia replied: "Because you're the one who can get there the fastest thanks to your Transmetal vehicle mode, because you're the least powerful out of all of us even with that Transmetal body of yours, so it has to be Cheetor and myself who keep ready for further attacks by the ones I was previously part of and because I just told you to!"

"I think you'd better do what she says, Rattrap." Cheetor put in, and Rattrap sighed: "I hate dis. Takin' orders from a stinkin' Pred AGAIN. But I guess you're da boss for the time bein', though I really anticipate when that ain't da case no longer, eight legs!"

"If you disrespect me again, I will kick the slag out of you. Now go!" Blackarachnia barked, which prompted Rattrap to get out of there and do what she commanded, the fact that her threatening was a lot like when Dinobot threatened him only adding to this.

After he was gone, Blackarachnia whispered to Cheetor: "We are now going to bring the defeated Predacons far away from where the bird and your fellow cat are and, once we're far enough away to reduce the chances of causing a problem via the noise of doing so, we are going to slag them all."

Knowing that "by doing so" meant the last part that she mentioned, and like-minded to the idea of getting rid of the Predacons that were now helpless, having been beaten in battle, he whispered back: "No problem. Sounds good to me." and they got to work at once, also making as little noise as possible in order to minimize the chances of causing any kind of problem for the four Maximals still present, them or otherwise, and, with the help of Blackarachnia's special webs so that there was no chance that any of the beaten Predacons would recover enough to try and fight again at all, and of course no chance that they could possibly hope to escape, they got them to where they could tell was a sufficiently long distance away from where Tigatron and Airazor were.

"Okay, let's do this." Blackarachnia told Cheetor as she got out her gun that contained an explosive projectile, while Cheetor got out both his standard gun and that other bigger one that he didn't use often, but would now, and, ironically enough, just after the latter nodded, both of them saw Megatron show up just long enough to be blasted by his tail weapon, neither having a chance to dodge, once more in Blackarachnia's case and for the first time during all this of what had started with the previous battle in Cheetor's.

"You will NOT destroy these ones of my Predacons! NO!" Megatron shouted. "Though, with the exception of Inferno, they are all very treacherous and untrustworthy, indeed, I require them along with what other ones I command in order to make sure of it that the Predacons will win the Beast Wars!"

"Oh, no! Mega-Jerk!" Cheetor exclaimed, and Megatron then said: "Very observant of you, pussycat. YESSSSSSS." Megatron stated. "You and the traitor will be destroyed, as will Airazor and you're the other cat, who seem to have just been alerted to my presence and your imminent death, given how they are coming over to help you both just now, though it will be in vain for you and them alike! YEEESSSS! For they shall be destroyed, as well!"

"Wrong, Megatron! No one is being destroyed here, though you are certainly being defeated as these other Predacons were!" Tigatron roared(pun fully intended)a second before saying: "Tigatron, maximize!"

Transforming to robot mode and drawing his gun, he kept going towards Megatron on the ground while Airazor was in the air once again and flying towards him, saying: "You must have recovered enough from the previous damage dealt to you to come and attack by this time, but it won't do you any good!"

During this time, Tigatron nailed Megatron with that special wrist missile of his that he hadn't used since his first time of attacking the Predacons, then did so with the second one of those, which he'd never used before, and, as soon as the double whammy explosion caused Megatron to take severe damage, plus, just after he yelled: "AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!" and the smoke cleared, he saw Airazor coming at him with her sonic boom attack and had no time to react before he was smashed into with it, his scream of: "UUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGHHHH!" was followed by the, well, following.

First, he used his tail weapon to do to Tigatron and Airazor just what he did to Cheetor and Blackarachnia(and had done to them before a long while back, and while Blackarachnia was still a Predacon and had been punched to the ground by Airazor, no less!)and, despite how they weren't killed and neither were Blackarachnia and Cheetor, Megatron now had more than enough time to gather up his fallen Predacon minions via stealing the webs that Blackarachnia had trapped them in and using what little he had left to fly away and carry them off, knowing that, after being hit by Tigatron's wrist missiles and Airazor's sonic boom(a combo that would have killed him if he were still in his original form and not a Transmetal), continuing to fight was no longer an option.

He did, however, yell back to his enemies: "YOU MAY HAVE FORCED ME TO RETREAT ONCE MORE, BUT THIS IS NOT OVER! NOOOOO! THE NEXT TIME WE PREDACONS MEET UP WITH YOU MAXIMALS, IT WILL BE YOUR FINAL MOMENTS, AND THOSE OF YOUR FELLOW MAXIMALS, AS WELL!"

By the time that the four Maximals had recovered from being nailed by Megatron(Cheetor and Blackarachnia both having taken half the damage this time, as opposed to when the bulk of it was taken by Dinobot when he was blasted with the latter before, so they got better first, but it was only a short amount of time before Tigatron and Airazor did so, as well), the Predacon leader was out of sight and so were the Predacons Blackarachnia had trapped in her webs and was ready to kill with Cheetor assisting her.

"Slag!" Cheetor exclaimed. "Megatron salvaged the Preds we defeated while we were all helpless from being blasted!"

"Still, they won't be attacking for some time after this, and neither will Megatron." said Tigatron, to which Blackarachnia replied: "True, but Rampage and/or Dinobot's clone might decide to attack us, either alone or together, so there will be no letting our guard down here, especially in our current shape."

"Which is why I'm hoping that the others have fully recovered by now on all counts," said Airazor, "and believe me, Blackarachnia, this would be so with or without my being less than happy about being under your lead like our two feline friends are, even if we can tolerate it better than Rattrap."

"I wouldn't go saying things like that to me, feathers," said Blackarachnia in a cutting tone of voice, "especially since I'm in a bad mood, the way that my webs were stolen by Mega-Ego and me and Cheetor can't destroy the Predacons I trapped them in."

"By the Matrix, you were going to kill them?" exclaimed Tigatron. "And you were going to assist her, little cat?"

"Hey, it would have solved a lot of problems, big cat!" Cheetor told Tigatron, and then Blackarachnia said: "Besides, I told him to help me do so while Airazor was easing your pain, and we took them as far away as possible both to lessen the chances of that being disrupted and to make sure that neither of you would get in the way!"

"The second thing you said would be touching if it weren't for how you were going to do something that wasn't the Maximal way during when I was giving Tigatron condolences about Snowstalker." Airazor stated.

"Airazor speaks for me along with herself when she says that." Tigatron put in, and just then, Blackarachnia said: "UUUUGGGHHHHHH! I'm now going to cherish how much longer I have to be in charge here as much as possible. We're going back to the Ark, everyone. I'm signaling either the vermin or one of the others, depending, though I hope it's the latter."

"Blackarachnia to anyone." she said as she used her comlink, and then she heard, much to her dismay, Rattrap say: "Rattrap here. Whaddaya want, eight legs?"

"Me and the other three are returning to the Ark. From how you responded, I'm guessing that the others are still in stasis lock and those CR Chambers." Blackarachnia informed him.

"Yeah, but if tings are as dey seem ta be, it won't be long before dey're back ta normal, so I hope ya liked bein' da leader, 'cause it sure ain't gonna happen again anytime soon after Optimus resumes dat position! Rattrap out!" replied Rattrap.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH! Now I know what it's like for Dinobot when that rodent starts insulting him more than ever!" Blackarachnia said. "Okay, let's go!"

So the two cats, after transforming to beast mode, used their great speed to get moving back up to the cliff and towards where the Ark was, while Blackarachnia did her swinging thing of before and Airazor, of course, flew as a means to get back.

After a time, they got back to the Ark and, once he found out they were at the door by how Blackarachnia said into her comlink: "Blackarachnia to Rattrap! We're back! Open up the door and let us in!"

He did as he was told(oh, and just so you know, Rattrap transformed back to robot mode after he got into the Ark to do his thing), though he couldn't believe he hadn't lost his sanity completely after having to take all these orders from the one who was, in many ways, the female Dinobot, and after they were open and the others were inside the Ark, Rattrap closed the doors and the four of them saw that the CR Chamber occupants weren't back out yet, to which Blackarachnia said: "Well, what do you know? I get to be in charge for a little longer. I'm going to make the most of it, and I know just how I will. Cheetor, you and Rattrap leave this room. I have to chat with stripes and feathers here about something."

Knowing it couldn't be anything good, but that she was still in command and would be until the others were out of stasis lock and the CR Chambers, the cat and the rat did as they were told, and Blackarachnia sat down in a chair while Tigatron, still in his beast mode(much like Cheetor was, unlike Rattrap, Airazor and Blackarachnia), sat on his haunches and Airazor stood next to him while remaining in robot mode.

"Okay, now, as to why I wanted to talk with you both…" Blackarachnia said, and the two nodded, with neither of them believing this was going to be pleasant, and it wasn't, as evidenced by how Blackarachnia snapped: "HOW THE SLAG COULD YOU BE SO SOFT?! NEVER MIND THE FACT THAT I WAS A PREDACON FOR A LONG TIME THANKS TO TARANTULAS…I LEARNED AFTER A TIME OF BEING A MAXIMAL THAT YOU, TIGATRON, WERE BEING AIMED AT FOR REPROGRAMMING AS A PREDACON BEFORE MY STASIS POD EVEN FELL DOWN TO EARTH, AND, IRONICALLY, I, BACK AS A PREDACON, ALONG WITH TARANTULAS, SOUGHT TO MAKE YOU ONE, AIRAZOR, AND, ALSO IRONICALLY, HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN MAKING INFERNO INTO ONE WITH MY HELP! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY DISALLOW THEIR BEING SLAGGED?! I'M SURPRISED THAT NEITHER OF YOU EVER TRIED TO GET RID OF ME BACK WHEN I WAS WITH THEM INSTEAD OF THE MAXIMALS LIKE I AM NOW!"

"Because Maximals don't do that!" Tigatron said. "And, though Dinobot and Depth Charge do not agree, and neither does little cat, much to my shock, our relationship not being harmed any more than mine with Airazor was by revealing the matter of Snowstalker notwithstanding, along with how OF COURSE you don't agree, this doesn't change the fact that we Maximals capture Predacons if we can and do what we can to make sure they cannot pose a threat anymore despite still being alive!"

"Sinking to their level is not the answer!" Airazor put in. "Granted, you knew and know about them far better than Tigatron and myself combined do, since you were one of them for so long, and this is the case with Dinobot as well, since he was originally one of them and this was even longer before you were turned into one by Tarantulas, or even before the crashing onto this planet by the Axalon and the Darksyde that would lead to how the Beast Wars started occurred, for that matter, but if we use their rules and methods for how to handle things, we are no better than they are, regardless of how much we know or don't know about them, how dangerous they may be and/or how evil the things that they do are!"

"It's one of the reasons that neither I nor Airazor tried to kill you back when you were with them, and one of the reasons why Dinobot and/or Cheetor were stopped before they could do that, to you or otherwise, back in your Predacon days, as well!" Tigatron told her.

"Then I guess I should count my lucky stars that Cheetor wasn't the leader back when I was a Predacon and neither was Dinobot, who, ironically, I'm more like than any of the other Maximals I'm with, just like the aforementioned Cheetor said earlier today." Blackarachnia told Tigatron.

Following when she said: "After all, if that were the case with either one, especially Dinobot, I'd be scrap and so would the other Predacons, most likely including Megatron, since he was less powerful back then and I was one of them quite a while before Airazor here was created, and the, I'm loath to admit, more powerful than me Megatron was a piece of cake for him as an opponent." she asked Tigatron: "By the way, when Cheetor and I were pulling those beaten former teammates of mine far away from you and Airazor, I noticed a strange looking set of rocks by that mountain you were telling us about after you drove Tarantulas away and brought him down. What was that, anyway?"

Tigatron's eyes flew open widely, because he knew that, despite how she was as unaware of it as she had been about Snowstalker prior to his telling the latter's story to her, Airazor and Rattrap, all while Cheetor, knowing about it beforehand, was tense about what it would result in despite how said result was much better than he or his fellow cat expected, Blackarachnia was referring to her final resting place of a rock structure laden grave burial ground.

"What am I going to do this time?" he thought to himself. "It hurts just as much as all else concerning Snowstalker's death does, but Blackarachnia doesn't know what it is, just like she didn't know about Snowstalker herself and what happened prior to my telling the story I did. Neither does Airazor, for that matter. How can I answer her? Is that even possible? I have to find out what the best thing to do is fast! Why do I have to be put in this position twice?"

He knew that he had no time to think things through, given that Blackarachnia, ignorant of how she'd put Tigatron in the state of mind she just did along with how Airazor was unaware of that, given how he wasn't showing any external signs of what was going on in his processor just now, spoke the following words.

"Tigatron, I just asked you a question. I would like an answer from you." and after she said these words, he braced himself for how torturous and agonizing this was going to be, with him visiting how much it hurt to tell his Snowstalker story before once again, knowing it was the best choice he could make despite how it was still something full of horrible pain for him.

"It…it was…" he began, but then he knew he just wanted to get it over with as fast as possible and was furious enough already, though not a quarter as livid as he would be if Blackarachnia knew what it was and was mocking him, especially since this was all happening in front of his lady love, Airazor, and so exploded with the following words.

"IT WAS SNOWSTALKER'S FINAL RESTING PLACE OF A BURIAL GROUND AND GRAVE!" he boomed, causing Airazor to fall over onto her ass and Blackarachnia to do the same thing after also falling out of her chair.

"After she died, I put it together as a memorial for her, and it was just after this that, for the short amount of time I did so, quit the Maximals and stopped being part of the Beast Wars. I put in a final word for her and everything. I'm sorry I was so explosive just now. But though you didn't know it, your asking me that question saw to it that you worsened the torture and agony that I went through when I told you the story I did before."

"Well, sorry about that, at least to the extent I can be sorry about anything, anyway, but apology accepted." Blackarachnia replied after he told her this, and he said: "Your apology is accepted, as well. After all, neither you nor Airazor knew it, and so you obviously weren't trying to antagonize me. Still, speaking of Airazor, I should ask this of you, since you're currently the commander here despite how I wish I didn't have to ask for it…may I have some time alone with her, please?"

"Sure. I need to go and make sure that Cheetor and Rattrap keep things within the rules, anyway. MY rules, that is." Blackarachnia said as she somersaulted away while saying: "Just remember…until Optimus is out of that CR Chamber, you and them alike are to follow those same rules."

"We know, we know." Airazor said, speaking for herself and Tigatron before she began to pet the latter and they had some warm quality time alone together, embracing and giving some sweet words to each other while Airazor was also giving Tigatron various forms of petting.

Keeping herself good and ready for it being the case that she needed to get Cheetor and Rattrap back in line, which she didn't, as it would turn out, Blackarachnia opted for how she would simply bask in how wonderful it felt to be the leader, but after a while of so doing, she all of a sudden heard the CR Chambers open.

Her eyes opened widely as hell, as she knew that this could only mean one thing, and sure enough, she heard Optimus's voice saying: "Ah, we're back online! It feels so good that we…"

"Tigatron? Airazor?" asked Silverbolt, but then saying, after Cheetor and Rattrap came out upon hearing Optimus's voice, as well, and, just before the latter saw it, they saw what Tigatron and Airazor were doing and Cheetor said: "AAAAAAAAWWWWWW, look at that. So warm and darling."

"It sure is, Cheetor." Optimus said after he and the others looked to see him and Rattrap present. "And it's good to see everyone else here, too!"

"Likewise, big bot!" Cheetor put in, and Rattrap said, just as he saw Tigatron and Airazor looking to see Optimus, Dinobot, Depth Charge, Silverbolt and Rhinox back to normal: "Hey, my sentiments exactly! Especially since dis means dat A, my pal Rhinox is back…"

He ran over to Rhinox to give him a big hug, which Rhinox, rolling his eyes with a smile on his face, returned, then continued: "…an' B…"

Suddenly, he saw Blackarachnia, who had been in a stilled haze after hearing everyone who'd been in stasis lock come out, since that meant her time as leader was up, nevertheless flipping into the room and specifically right towards Silverbolt, since the others being out of the CR Chambers meant that her bowser was, as well.

And she quickly hugged him even tighter than Rhinox had Rattrap, and said: "Oh, my bowser! It's so good to have you back!" which was followed by Silverbolt hugging her right back and saying: "And it's just as good to see you again, beloved."

But just then, Rattrap interrupted everything that had happened and would happen by saying very loudly: "…AN' B…"

Everyone looked at him, and he finished with: "…dat eight legs here ain't the leader anymore! We're finally no longer her command and back under yours, big banana! An' I'm da second-in-command again, an' most likely forever, though if dis kinda slag never happens again, it'll be too soon! I can't tell ya how much I hated bein' under her lead an' dat da exception ya spoke of hadda be real like it was!"

"Why did I get the feeling after we emerged that you would say that, vermin?" Dinobot asked. "After all, it is the same reaction you would have had if I had been the leader instead of you that one time that Optimus vanished for a brief while."

"Yeah, 'cause I'd hate ta be under your lead just as much, choppaface!" Rattrap snapped back. "Now I'm gladda than ever dat we have Optimus, da way dat it means dat dere's almost never times like da one me, Cheetor, stripes an' da bird lady had ta endure! Don't know how da hell dey'd handle bein' unda your command, but me? I'd soona see myself slagged!"

"Despite how we didn't like it, either, she was actually a surprisingly good leader, believe it or not." Cheetor put in, trying to stop the eruption of insults that was about to ensue with how Dinobot and Rattrap were talking to each other.

"Is that so?" Optimus put in, and Airazor replied: "Yes, she was, I admit. Amazingly enough, despite her being so demanding, aggressive and ruthless, her lead wasn't nearly as bad as we were getting ready for and expecting it to be, and it led to a victory against four Predacons."

"Terrorsaur, Quickstrike, Inferno and Tarantulas, to be exact." Tigatron told them, though he cringed just a little at the last two mentioned, deciding not only not to tell them about what she and Cheetor had attempted to do to all four of them, but also not to tell them about what had happened thanks to where the battle had taken place and what it led to.

While Blackarachnia, Cheetor, Airazor and Rattrap didn't tell any of them, either, the question of: "Why the sudden cringe, Tigatron?" from Depth Charge made it so that all five Maximals who had been out in battle against the Predacons and defeated them, only for Megatron to show up and take them away after he was hurt too bad to keep fighting them like he started to do, Tigatron's filling them in about Snowstalker being in the middle of these things, as you read about before, tensed up, especially Airazor, Cheetor and, of course, Tigatron.

"We'd…really rather not talk about it." Cheetor said, doing and saying the first thing that he could think of as a response, and when Optimus saw the look in Cheetor's eyes, as well as those of Tigatron, also seeing said look, albeit to a lesser extent, in the eyes of Airazor, Rattrap and Blackarachnia, he could immediately tell why they were responding the way they were and what Tigatron's cringe was about(remember, he knew about what happened to Snowstalker just as much as Cheetor and Dinobot did and what kind of effect it had on Tigatron when it happened and thus could feel what Tigatron felt to a greater extent than the other Maximals, again just like Cheetor and Dinobot).

"Believe me, it's best that they don't." Optimus stated, and Dinobot, also having seen into their eyes and realized the same thing that Optimus did, said: "For the time being. It will, however, inevitably have be spoken of, given its significance, what is to be learned from it and the fact that all of the ones who do not know about it will be left wondering about it until it is explained. But I suppose it is best that we do not talk about it for now."

Everyone who wasn't Tigatron and Cheetor looked at Dinobot and Optimus, and then Blackarachnia asked: "They know about it, too?"

"Yes, but like Cheetor said, it's best that we do not talk about it." Tigatron told her.

She nodded and Cheetor said: "Thanks, big cat." and Tigatron replied: "Anytime, little cat."

Though the Maximals would futuristically face the Predacons once again, it was thankfully to be that, in the end, they would win the Beast Wars and they would all survive, though Predacons Quickstrike, Terrorsaur and Tarantulas would meet their ends in ways that were entirely their own damn fault, while Dinobot would eventually cause his clone to realize who and what it really was with Rhinox's help after it was captured, and this would lead to it giving its life in a way that was instrumental to stopping Megatron.

Furthermore, Megatron would finally be defeated, as would Rampage and Inferno, and they were arrested and brought back to Cybertron in the future that both Maximal and Predacon alike had come from and thus was the present day they were back in(with everything, during the final days of the Beast Wars, having been made exactly as they needed to be so that the future wouldn't be warped, of course).

All of the Maximals having made their way to Cybertron, everything was explained and everyone was filled in, and while Megatron was to answer for his crimes, Rampage and Inferno were both dealt with accordingly.

Plenty else went on, but it was only too clear that things would go uphill from here, for Tigatron or otherwise, and, along with the love he shared with Airazor and vice versa, what Dinobot knew had to be explained eventually had been told about just before the final battle that was to ensue with the Predacons just two hours before it happened, which was a while after the Maximals being under Blackarachnia's lead(similar reactions to what they learned were given by Depth Charge, Rhinox and Silverbolt, though to varying degrees, with Depth Charge being at the bottom in terms of compassion and comforting, Rhinox above him in that sense but Silverbolt above them both in that category, but of course and most naturally).

And so, alongside all of this and knowing that Snowstalker's burial ground and place in heaven were both exactly like they were then and, in the former case, most likely still were now despite it having being so many thousands of years(of course her place in heaven being exactly what it was all that time ago was nothing short of definite and would never stop being just as definite), Tigatron now knew that never again was he going to experience the pain from an old wound.

THE END

So, how was it?

Quite the feeling and theme this story had, don't you think?

Wasn't it awesome that there wasn't any Beast Machines(GOD, that shitty-ass show should never have been fucking created)following the end of this story?

Although I'm sorry said ending was a bit rushed, but it wasn't the main focus of this story, so I had to be laconic about it.

Anyway, ratings and reviews, please, especially if you are a major league Tigatron fan like I am!