SPIDER'S GAME
Two Stasis Pods fall towards the planet. This doesn't go unnoticed, for inside his secret laboratory, Tarantulas is immediately notified. "Another Stasis Pod fall, just as I calculated." He cackled. "Turn EMP Array online."
And then a makeshift double satellite dish appeared on top of his lab. "EMP Array in position."
"Unleash the EMP. Maximum power." Tarantulas said. The machine then unleashed the EMP as a circular wave.
One hit the Predacon base, and the machines started turning off, including the floating platforms. "Oh, scrap." Scorponok said before he fell face on the ground. "Lord Megatron, our systems are down."
"Command all unities to fall back to base. The Maximals must be mounting a sneak attack." Megatron said.
Things weren't good for the Maximals, either, the machines in both their bases were shut down. "Rhinox, What is going on?" Optimus asked.
"We were running a strategy simulation when everything went dark." Grimlock said.
"A EMP. All of our systems are down." Rhinox said.
Grimlock growled and he punched his left palm. "The Preds must be responsible for this. "I'll go back to my base."
"I'll fly and warn the others. You put us back online." Optimus said.
"Both Predacons and Maximal Scanners were disabled." The computer said. Tarantulas was more than pleased with the results of his stratagem.
"Calculate Stasis Pod, drop-zone." Tarantulas said.
"Coordinates 883, 5742."
"Excellent! I'll show that moron Szayel who is the most intelligent!" Tarantulas said.
He then turned and, for his surprise, found Blackarachnia, Nnoitra, Loly and Venombyte in their robot modes, with them was a Predacon with a white and gray body with a structure similar to a dress, a pink head, yellow eyes, a pair of rectangular glasses, four skeletal wings in his back, large talons in his fingers and a purple painting over his left eye. "What are you up to?" The pink-headed Predacon said.
"Szayel?! What are you doing here?! What are you all doing here?!" Tarantulas inquired.
"Geez, someone looks jumpy." Venombyte commented.
"Pretty interesting, place, so this is where you've been hiding?" Nnoitra said.
"Cozy, in a hideous sort of way." Loly said.
Blackrachnia approached Tarantulas who then transformed into robot mode. "Cool your gears, Tall, Dark and Gruesome, we didn't spent all this time trying to find your lair simply to shoot you, we have to talk." Blackarachnia said.
"Uh, I'm engaged in an important research to Lord Megatron, I have no time to talk." Tarantulas said.
"It seems that you are engaged in stealing Stasis Pods, so that we can reprogram the Protoforms inside to become Predacons, right?" Blackarachnia said.
"Oh, dear, you found me out." Tarantulas chuckled. "Now, what are you going to do about it?"
They all smirked. "Oh, help you, of course."
Meanwhile, inside Grimlock's base, they were a little excited for they had found many Stasis Pods, Grimlock was walking in circles nervous as Ulquiorra worked on the Pods. "Come on sir, you have to calm down, you walking around like that is ruining my sleep." Stark said.
"First of all you comatose mutt, shut your face." Grimlock growled right into Stark's face. "And second..."
"Sir, the Stasis Pods are ready!" Ulquiorra said.
Grimlock instantly went to the base's main computer, he opened a locker, and he took a box made of wood and he took some bones out of it. "Okay. Let's see. Allosaurus. Achilobator. Pachyrhinosaurus. Dilophosaurus. Kentrosaurus. Cryolophosaurus. Dimorphodon. Tapejara. Iguanodon. Troodon. Quetzalcoatlus."
"Are they all going to be dinosaurs? Soon we'll have enough dinosaurs to do a remake of Jurassic Park." Rey said.
"I heard that Rey!" Grimlock said as he put the fossils in front of the Stasis Pods that then scanned them. The Pods then opened up, and the Maximals popped out. Grimlock approached one of them, specifically, the big and strong female who transformed into an Allosaurus. "Thero-Klaw, how good it is to see you." Grimlock said happily. "Grimlock Maximize." He transformed into robot mode.
"Captain Grimlock?" She grinned. They hugged each other, Thero-Klaw even lifted Grimlock off the ground for the others' surprise.
"Uh… Captain...Grimlock." The flustered Mila Rose said, she was getting angry and a little jealous at this femme hugging Grimlock. "Who are those?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, guys. This big girl here is Thero-Klaw. The others are Armorhide." He gestured to the Kentrosaurus. "He is Fangry." The Achilobator. "He is Toxzon." The Dilophosaurus. "He is Veterbreak." The Pachyrhinosaurus. "He is Skystalker." The Cryolophosaurus. "He is Blackbeak." The Dimorphodon. "She is Ripclaw." The Tapejara. "He is Backlash." The Iguanodon. "She is Fangblade." The Troodon. "And for last, but not least, that guy over there is Grimmwing." He gestured at the Quetzalcoatlus. "Thero-Klaw, you can put me down, now." She simply released him, Grimlock fell flat on his rear.
"Tigatron to base! Tigatron to base, come in!" Apacci rushed to the computer.
"It is Tigatron, I think that he is trouble." She started to type in the computer. "I locked his coordinates."
"Rey, Sung-Sun, Apacci, Rose, you come with me." Grimlock said, he turned to Thero-Klaw and the others. "You should come as well." He transformed into beast mode and smirked murderously. "The Preds are in for a big surprise."
The two Stasis Pods had landed and they were already scanning the lifeforms, one scanned a Poison Dart Frog, and the other scanned a Weevil. The two Pods were then approached by Tarantulas and the other Predacons. "Excellent, they are completely intact." Tarantulas walked at one of the pods and started to work on it, opening the pod.
"Oh, you are a clever one." Blackarachnia said, hugging Tarantulas from behind. "No wonder Megatron fears you."
"This is why you guys are helping me betray him?" Tarantulas asked.
"Megatron is powerful, but weak. I would make a much better leader, besides you are so cute." She hugged him again, Tarantulas's mouth clicked non-stop.
"DNA Sequencers, Online." The computer in the Pods said.
"The activation sequence has already begun, I must work fast." Tarantulas then resumed in working on the Pods. "Oh, they are Predacon Prisoners, this makes my job a lot easier."
"She leader? Yeah, right, as if I would obey some worthless woman, I am the strongest, I should lead." Nnoitra said to Szayel.
"I'm sorry, but since I'm the smartest, maybe I should be the one leading." Szayel said.
"NO!" Tarantulas said.
"What's wrong?" Blackarachnia said.
"I wanted to make another spider Predacon like us, but the Pods have already selected lifeforms. Nevertheless, the Protoforms inside are Predacons." Tarantulas said.
Venom-Byte turned to Loly. "Maybe we should call Soundwave." He whispered to her.
Loly quickly glared at the other Predacons, more focused at Blackarachnia. "Yeah, that is a good idea." She activated her comm-link.
Tigatron rushed as fast as he could at the Stasis Pods, without knowing that he was being watched by Waspinator. "Oh, the tiger-bot is alone, Waspinator will destroy!" Waspinator flew at Tigatron, the Maxiaml didn't notice him. "Waspinator Terrorize!" Waspinator transformed into robot mode, he shot at Tigatron, making him fly at a rock. "Now Waspinator say goodbye to tiger-bot!" But Waspinator was then shot by Airazor. "Waspinator remembers bird-bot. Waspinator will scrap!"
"I'm flattered." Airazor said, she just stood still, Waspinator shot, but she simply slapped the explosive projectile away. "But hardly impressed."
She then shot Waspinator's wings off, and he fell face on the ground, his head buried under the ground. "Waspinator hates bird-bot." Waspinator whined as a rat nibbled the side of his head.
Airazor then landed besides Tigatron. "Tigatron?"
"I'm alright, no internals damage, thanks to you. But you gotta go, you can reach it faster than I!" Tigatron said.
"Reach what?" Airazor asked.
"The Stasis Pods, I was going after them. Find them before the Predacons do. Coordinates 883, 5742. Now go! Now go." Tigatron responded. Airazor transformed into beast mode and she flew away. Tigatron tried to walk, but his leg was wounded. "Begin internal repair."
The Predacons were around the Pods. Of them walked out a giant Weevil and a Giant Blue Poison Dart Frog. "Greetings, Predacon comrades. Who are you?" Szayel said in an over-the-top manner.
"I am Spittor." The frog said.
"And I'm Drill Bit." The weevil said. They then heard a loud twisted-sounding roar. "What in Primus's name was that?" Drill Bit asked scared.
"Probably some native lifeform, there is nothing to worry about." Tarantulas said.
Nnoitra looked upwards at the sky with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, but does that look native to you in any way?!" He pointed upwards at the sky, more specifically at the huge yellow and orange robotic wyvern dragon coming at them.
The dragon roared, and it breathed a fireball at them. "Incoming." The fireball exploded, hitting the Predacons dead on and launching them. They ran into the forest and hid amongst the trees as the dragon landed, it roared threateningly.
The Predacons transformed into beast mode. "That winged freak nearly roasted us!" Blackarachnia said.
"What the heck is that thing?!" Loly asked panting.
"How am I supposed to know?! It looks Cybertronian, but it is highly hostile. Maybe a Maximal weapon?" Tarantulas said.
"Hostile, uh? Then I'll make it become friendly." Nnoitra was walking out, ready to fight, Venom-Byte and Spittor following him.
"No!" Tarantulas pulled the three Predacons back. "I don't want to risk damaging the Pods!"
"Why do you want those Pods so badly?" Szayel asked.
"It does not concern any of you." Tarantulas replied.
Airazor was flying closer to the scene, with her scanners she saw the dragon. "What is that thing?" She dived close to the thing.
The dragon noticed Airazor and it growled. "I think that someone else is arriving." Drill Bit said.
"Yes." Tarantulas said, rubbing his mandibles together.
The dragon flapped its wings and flew towards Airazor and breathed a fireball at her. "Whatever it is, it isn't friendly." She evaded the fireball, and she shot at the dragon, that was unfazed by the shots and simply kept advancing towards her, it hit her with a tail swing, and she crashed on the ground. The dragon landed and stepped on her, and roared.
"Whoa, that thing took her down with one attack." Loly said.
"Damn it, Soundwave, where are you?! There is some creature here. I don't know what it is, but it is huge, dangerous, fire-breathing, weird and it is pissed off." Venom-Byte muttered to his comm-link.
"Where is Tarantulas?" Nnoitra said.
They looked to the side, and they saw him dragging the Pods away. "Hm. So this is what he was looking for?" Blackarachnia said.
"But why does he want the Pods to begin with?" The Predacons screamed startled when Soundwave, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw appeared behind them. They then hide on top of the trees when the dragon looked at their direction. "Let's go after him." They jumped out of the trees and they went after Tarantulas, they didn't notice that the Dragon has flown and was following them from the sky.
The wounded Airazor tried to get up, she was then approached by Tigatron, along with Grimlock and his group. "What happened?" Grimlock asked.
"Predacons got here first." She groaned. Ripclaw and Thero-Klaw helped her get up. "They released the Predacons inside the Pods."
"Predacon prisoners?!" Apacci said.
Grimlock growled irritated. "And what of the Pods?"
"The Predacons took them." Airazor said.
"Go back and warn Optimus! He must know of this!" Tigatron said.
"Just be careful, the Predacons have something with them. It is some kind of gigantic, robotic, flying, fire-breathing creature." Airazor said.
Grimlock snickered. "Eh, the Preds will need more than a giant monster to take us down. Let's go Maximals!" Grimlock, Tigatron and the others left.
Meanwhile, Tarantulas was dragging the Stasis Pods, but they were seeing by Scorponok, who then gave the message to Megatron, who was trying to fix the computers inside with Skullak. "Blast! Where are Soundwave and Tarantulas, this is their job!"
"Lord Megatron, Tarantulas is coming dragging two Stasis Pods, there more of our guys coming as well, but there is also something following them." Scorponok said.
"Two Stasis Pods. It seems that treacherous spider is up to his old tricks again." Megatron commented.
Tarantulas was looking around the area when he was then surprised by Soundwave and the others. "What are you up to, you venomous spider?" Soundwave said.
"What the…? You idiots! The creature, it could have followed you!" Tarantulas said.
Spittor snorted. "Forget the creature, you have bigger problems then..." They then heard a loud roar.
"Great Primus, please, if you are merciful, then please, don't..." Drill Bit stopped his winning after hearing a second roar. The dragon landed in a farther part of the area. The Predacons hid behind a rocky wall.
"Computer, identify this creature." Skullak commanded.
"Reading Predacon Energy Signatures. Identity Unknown." The computer said.
"Maybe your old rival Galvatron is involved?" Skullak asked.
"If he was involved, he would have made it obvious, and would have rubbed it on my face, already." Megatron responded. "Megatron to Scorponok."
The Dragon looked around, until it found the Stasis Pods, Drill Bit was there as well. The dragon snarled and it slowly walked at Drill Bit. "Easy there, boy. We can all, be friends..." He walked at the dragon, with his hand reaching out, as if he wanted to pet the creature. "We can all..." The dragon roared, knocking Drill Bit down, and it lunged at him. Luckily, Tarantulas and Blackarachnia trapped the thing in an energy web, and then Loly came in and bit the dragon, infecting it with her venom.
"Good job, Loly." Blackarachnia said in a happy tone. Loly simply snorted, to the black widow's dismay.
Soundwave looked at the dragon. "This creature. Why does it look so familiar to me?" He then realized something, and he widened his eyes in shock.
Scorponok appeared in the scene. "Lord Megatron orders the Stasis Pods brought to him at once, and that creature as well." He said, angering Tarantulas.
"He wants, well, then sucks to be you!" Two plasma shots, courtesy of Grimlock, hit the Pods exploding them. The explosion launched the Predacons away, Scorponok was knocked out by a rock to his head.
"NOOO!" Tarantulas screamed. He looked at the Maximals.
"You won't be getting any of our secrets, Predacon thrash!" Grimlock said.
Buzzsaw poked Soundwave in the shoulder. "Hey, Soundwave, I don't want to be pessimistic, but, I think we have a problem." He pointed at a direction, for everyone's horror, one of the Pods' shards had cut the web, freeing the dragon, that was furious, and proceeded to knock the Maximals down with a fireball and roar.
"Alright, here is the plan, Rose, Apacci, Sung-Sun, Rey and Tigatron, you go after the Predacons. The rest with me, we'll get rid this thing." Grimlock said. "Dinobots, Beast Mode!" The Dinosaur Maximals transformed into Beast Mode.
Veterbreak ran at full speed and he headbutted the dragon; Grimmwing, Ripclaw and Blackbeak took off and they breathed fireballs at the dived and held onto the dragon's back, eve taking a few bites off the creature. The dragon roared, it knocked Veterbreak down with a tail attack to the head, and then made Blackbeak with another tail swipe, and then took the Maximal whole in its jaws. Grimmwing dived and slashed the dragon in the face, the creature screamed in pain, releasing the unconscious Blackbeak, who was then retrieved by Grimmwing. Toxzon hissed and then he spat poison into the dragon's eyes, the creature roared, and then it breathed fire blindly, he, Fangblade and Fangry went at the dragon, they started to attack it in a synchronized way. Fangry jumped and bit the creature in the neck, while Fangblade and Toxzon bit it respectively in the right leg and shoulder. The Dragon bit Fangblade and then threw her at a rock and stomped on Toxzon, Fangry released the shoulder and he breathed a fireball into the dragon's face.
"Yeah, come at me!" Fangry provoked. The dragon went at him, ignoring the others. "Now guys, get him!"
Grimlock, Thero-Klaw, Skystalker, Backlash and Dinobot ran past him and they attacked the dragon. Dinobot jumped and ran up Grimlock's back and he jumped to the dragon's back and then bit it in the back of its head, while slashing it in the neck. Skystalker opened his mouth and he then breathed a blue bean at the dragon's left wing and then Backlash hit the wing with a tail swipe, shattering it. Thero-Klaw bit the dragon in the left shoulder until he broke it, Dinobot jumped off the dragon, and then she threw it at Grimlock that wasted no time in biting it in the neck and slashed the other wing the dragon's chest. The dragon stood on the ground panting, until it then got up.
"Geez, this is one tough costumer! It's still standing up even after receiving this punishment." Grimlock said. The dragon then started to blindly breath explosive fireballs, they hit the Maximals and some Predacons.
Megatron then appeared. "Eek!" Tarantulas ran away scared.
"Yesss. Now this is our chance! Finish off those Maximals! And that creature as well!" Megatron ordered, only for he to be blasted away by the combined efforts of Optimus, Airazor, Ulquiorra and Inferno.
Optimus and Airazor came down, the former carried Tigatron. "Airazor suggested that you might need a lift." Optimus said. The three were almost shot by Megatron.
"Time to hit the wind!" Airazor said.
"Ulquiorra, Ripclaw and Grimmwing I want some cover fire! Whoever is in better shape help take the wounded! Whoever is left come with me to protect the wounded!" Grimlock commanded and the Maximals hastily left the area as the Predacons shot at them. In the middle of the confusion, a group of Inseticons came in and they carried the dragon, Loly and Venom-Byte away, Soundwave, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw went with the Insecticons.
"No!" Megatron screamed frustrated. "Scorponok, find me the bugs! I want a few words with them!"
At Grimlock's base, everyone were doing what they could in helping heal the wounded. "Ow! Watch out with that thing, you shark woman! I though you were supposed to help me!" Blackbeak screamed at Halibel.
"Be quiet, Blackbeak, you are lucky we have people helping us!" Grimmwing said.
Tigatron walked out of the CR Chamber. "So, how are you feeling?" Optimus asked.
"I'm already good. I should go back to my post." Tigatron said.
"Hey, Skystalker and Dinobot are outside taking care of the patrol. With these new guys we are unstoppable!" Grimlock said.
"And besides, there is no problem in coming to visit us, once in a while." Airazor said. Tigatron transformed into Beast Mode and he left.
As they were being treated, Apacci, Mila Rose and Sung-Sun looked at each other in doubt. "Is he wanting to replace us with those guys?" Sung-Sun said.
"No, Captain Grimlock would never do that… Right?" Rose said.
At same time, Tarantulas and Blackarachnia were back at the former's laboratory. "I was insane for helping you! Megatron is going to scrap us both!" Blackarachnia said.
"Megatron doesn't see the webs within the webs, and neither you." Tarantulas said
"Stop being like that. We are two of the same kind, we should stick together." Blackarachnia said.
"It wouldn't matter anyway, this planet is doomed!" Tarantulas said.
"So you wanted the Stasis Pods to build a ship. But how? And why? You must tell me, I can help." Blackarachnia said.
Tarantulas chuckled darkly. "Leave my lair."
"Aaaw. At least consider it, we could be a great team." Blackarachnia turned around and she walked away. "Lunatic."
"Witch." Tarantulas muttered.
Inside Soundwave's secret laboratory, Venom-Byte was already fine, Retrax had put Loly inside a CR Chamber for her wounds were too serious. Soundwave stood near the CR Chamber and he petted it. "She will be fine, right?" Soundwave asked.
"Don't worry about it, Soundwave. Loly is important to me as well, I'll watch over her." Retrax said.
Soundwave nodded and he walked into another chamber, in which had the robotic dragon having his heals wounded by spider like drones working on it, while restrained by metal cables and heavily sedated. "He must have suffered some damage in his logic circuits during his travel here, that is why he was behaving like an animal." Soundwave thought. "But this doesn't matter, soon you'll be on your feet, and once more fighting for a righteous cause, Bludgeon."
Author's Notes: Well, here is a new chapter, this one was particularly fun. As always, review after reading, and I see you later :)