Author Note: Greetings to all my loyal followers & viewers out there. You've waited to ENVISION this next chapter, and here it is. The "King Of VISIONS" shall present a story with some twist of what happens when one plays Blindman's Bluff with the states very high. And that there is more going on if the game doesn't end soon? Standby & prepare to enjoy some long awaited excitement…
Chapter 36: Dark Voyage
Miles Away From the Maximal Base
Outside Canyon Region Of Antigo?
The scene begins to slowly open up around a rocky terrain location, as we spot Rattrap was digging own the dirt. Rattrap was in Beast Mode, making some effort to move the dirt piles of pebbles & rubble out of the way with his rat-like digging paws. Then at that sudden instant, he spots something he dug out, a blue glowing energize Energon crystal. Now we see Rattrap standing up with a grapple claw gizmo as it stretched down to pull something up, namely the Energon crystal sample.
"Hey Pussycat! Over here!" Rattrap was seen calling out to someone as he was excavating the tiny Energon crystal.
Now we see Cheetor was running on over to meet up with Rattrap, as he was seen carrying something in Beast Mode. When Cheetor stopped, he spots in Rattrap's hold, a glowing tiny Energon crates sample.
"Oh, way to go RT!" Cheetor congrats Rattrap on having made an excellent little find. "Few more of chunks like that, & we'll have enough to power the Quantum Scanners." As Cheetor was praising a bit, Rattrap place the sample piece in a container case Cheetor was hauling.
"Ehh, I got a nose for Energon, kid. Heh.." Rattrap smirked off to brag a bit about himself having a great sniffer to locate such stuff. "Use to be the best Minor in the Best Bust System." Rattrap praised to gloat about his abilities in having mine for such things from another system sometime in the past.
"Not to mention, this whole area is radiating large Energon deposits." Rhinox was heard speaking out loud on top of a cliff in Beast Mode, observing how this entire field was showing signs of large amounts of Energon radiation.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah….your so funny?" Rattrap was waving it off at Rhinox before silently muttering this under his breath about Rhinox ruining his glory absorbing moment.
"Quit your whining Rat-Face! You aren't the only one at work here!" Then hopping into the picture, was JackRabbit in Beast Mode helping to use a grapple claw to pick up some Energon Crystals to load in containers that Bonecrusher, Razorbeast, Grizzly-1, B'Boom & Leo were doing.
"Ehh, says you Long-Ears!" Rattrap shrug ogg to remotely say this to the littlest Maximal.
"Remember friends, we're trying to gather as much Energon to help us fuel the base & our resources." Leo
"Ehh, this all's a waste of time if you ask me?" Grizzly-1
"Well, it's not as fun as plowing down Preds, but…it's almost something?" Bonecrusher shrug off
"Greetings everyone from above!" Then another Maximal flew down to join the group; it was Larkshot, as he was in Beast Mode with present company; Artemis, the Gynoid in her Human Form.
"Hey Artemis, how you been." Razorbeast asked off in how their gynoid friend is doing being out in the field.
"I'm alright… doing field work feels…new to me?" Artemis exclaimed to say that even though she's hiding her silver gynoid form, she's trying to be not so worried about anyone recognizing her to come after her.
"So long as you are in Human Form, the enemy should not bother too much in thinking you are just like the others." B'Boom stated off in having to guess how things would most likely go for the girl.
"Jeremie, Aelita & the others are away in studying for some…Disability Test? Something about how to handle lost of their function?" Cheetor stated off in how their other Human Pals are away to be studying for some test.
"Hmm…a lost function of three noted means? Sight…Hearing…And Speech?" Artemis pointed off in having to know about such functions everyone needs.
"Wow, sounds really harsh to get by if you can't see, hear or talk?" Bonecrusher commented off in what life be like without any of those.
"Well you better hope that all our functions stay active." Rattrap stated to say this in being glad they don't have to deal with such things. "Course, some of us can do well with those that remain…silent?" He remotely said this near JackRabbit in knowing about how it be to keep the noisy Maximal trainee quiet.
"Hey!" JackRabbit protest in having heard that remark there.
"That's enough, we came here to find Energon, not to be lost in petty discussions?" Leo lectures to remind those here of what they are trying to achieve here.
"Aw, I wanted to see what happen? Could have made some bits to see who duke it out first?" Grizzly-1 lightly sign off in disappointment in thinking about how interesting they could have enjoyed some fun.
"You heard Leo, come on…lets keep going." Rhinox issued off to remind those that they have a job to do.
At this time, the scene changes to a weird scanner device as it was trying to pick up readings on something. We see that it was being used by Dinobot in his Beast Mode, as he was trying to also aid in the effort of finding Energon.
"So, grugrugruaaghh….now I'm nothing more than an Energon miner! What a waste of my talents." Dinobot was issuing this off about what he's been reduce to as he complains a bit; just then, his detector goes off when he lowered it in a certain direction. "Neh….I've found some! Here!" Dinobot hollered out in snapping to his senses, as he seems to have found a large sum of Energon as the device was making louder noise.
Without warning, Dinobot was racing off to the spot, as he found what looked like a pile of Energon crystal deposit. Their shimmering sounds of energy source seen, Dinobot observe how much there was, as there was a large area filled with the stuff. Soon Cheetor, Rattrap, Bonecrusher, Razorbeast, B'Boom, & Leo came up to take a gander at what Dinobot has found.
"Nice find, Dino-miner." Cheetor commented on Dinobot's find of a nice source. "You're even better at this than Rattrap!" Cheetor smiled off that Dinobot maybe better at finding large deposits of Energon then Rattrap is.
"Grruuhmm… I'm better at EVERYTHING than Rattrap!" Dinobot slugged off to issue this with pride while looking down to rub this in Rattrap's face at finding a bigger haul.
"Yeah?" Rattrap remotely responded as he made rat sounds in wanting to duke it out here.
"I'm betting Rattrap's gonna try to foolish to fight the guy?" Grizzly-1 issued off to say this in what's gonna happen next here.
"All's I know, is that it'll get us involved?" Razorbeast shook his head off to simply say this of what to expect from these things.
"Ehh, we can take it." Bonecrusher shrug off to lightly say this subject here without much worry.
"And once more, the usual dos causes a scene?" Larkshot exclaimed as he flew Artemis near Rhinox in seeing how Rattrap & Dinobot were at it again.
"Hah-hah, hah…" Rhinox lets off a little chuckle in seeing how Dinobot & Rattrap seem to bicker their usual matters. But then, Rhinox cease laughing, as his ears picked something up to look on the left side, &… "Heads Up!" Rhinox yelled out to alert the others of something. "Incoming!" As Rhinox said this, everyone cease their own personal deals to hear something was…coming at them.
"Frsuvhmmm…DAbfruvhmm…" Then as it was seen, a long missile javelin flew down & jab into the Energon deposit with the Predacon symbols on the three-tail parts.
"Hey! Who threw that? That almost hit us?" B'Boom snapped off in who threw something that dangerous at them.
"Up there!" Leo issued off for those to pay attention to the direction of the projected angle of the attack
Looking upwards, did the Maximals group find who the culprits were, it was Waspinator, Buzz-Saw, Sling & Scorponok in Robot Mode; they were the ones that were trying to attack them.
"Predacons!" Artemis alerted the group of who was here & out of the bloom. "But that attack, why…?" Artemis was at a lost, why did that javelin miss hitting any of them.
"You….missed!" Dinobot turn up to taunt the Predacons in having missed trying to hit any of them.
"Did I? Look again, you fool!" Scorponok taunted off to remark this matter of having the Maximals have a second look at what they were 'really' aiming for.
"Yeah! Fool!" Sling replied off to repeat that as if taunting the targets for missing an important clue.
"Grugrugurah…HAaaauughh?" Dinobot snarls a bit before he gazes down at the javelin, as he & everyone sees it was admitting a glimmering color pattern; as if counting down to explode. It was effecting the Energon to soon cause an explosion…
"Rhinox - MAXIMIZE!" Rhinox made this loud announcement as he roars his rhino form to transform to Robot Mode. "GRrruaghhh!" Then Rhinox was seen leaping from the top to jump down to the bottom. "GUuwwaugh!?" He yelps from his landing to roll a bit while noticing he was close by. Then he grabs the javelin to pull it out. "UAAAuughhh!" Then hurls it away across the distance of the other side, but….the Energon was still making that unsteady reaction noise.
"Nice try, but you're too late!" Scorponok issued off to let Rhinox know, that his efforts are in vain.
"Indeed, that javelin was meant to inject a special visas to cause an explosion." Buzz-Saw explained this forth for the fools to recognize such things.
"Goodbye, stupid Maximals!" Waspinator remotely issued off in saying farewell to the bots about to meet their end.
Suddenly, the entire area was becoming more lively active of creating seismic quakes due to the Energon reaction about to blow.
"EEeehhh…Waugh!" Rattrap yelps in fearing this stuff as he quickly transforms.
"WRUUGRrruaghhh!" Dinobot becomes wide-eye in terror before he too transforms to Robot Mode.
"Eeeeek!" JackRabbit squeaked in fright while transforming at this time.
"WAAAAAughhh!"Razorbeast roared off in a panic while transforming to Robot Mode too.
"Everyone…find cover!" Leo shouted off as he transformed to see tat they need to get out of here
"Larkshot, get Artemis out, hurry!" Bonecrusher was trying to tell the only flying Maximal this as he transformed to Robot Mode too.
"Look out…" B'Boom yelled off in alerting the others of what was about to come.
"AAAaah!?" Artemis yelped to suddenly lose balance when the shaking caused her to slip onto the Energon deposit.
"No!" Larkshot yelled out to dive down to reach the girl…
Just as everyone had transformed & was about to get themselves out of there when…it happened. "WOOough!/KABOOMFruvhmm…" Scorponok, Sling, Buzz-Saw & Waspinator yelped to shield their eyes from a bright flash that soon became like some huge explosion that inflame the skies. When it was only, only Scorponok & Waspinator were seen alright, as they stared at what was remaining…nothing but rocky rubble.
"WOOAAAAhhh!" Scorponok yelps off to say this with a wide surprise shared by the other Preds. "Whah-Hah…Nothing could have survived that blast?" Scorponok exclaimed in sheer surprise to issue this matter to those here; that nothing would have made it through a blast so huge.
"Yeah! An explosion that big could level a lot of them. Right?" Sling replied off in thinking that has gotta end the Maximals group.
"It certainly seems that way. Such is their final farewell." Buzz-Saw address the situation as this was the most likely final sight of their foes.
"Oooohhh…Wazzpinator thinks Megatron will be pleased with uzzz!?" Waspinator issued off in finding this to be very fortunate for them.
"Yes! We must report to him at once!" Scorponok issued off in agreement that they must report this in. "Beast Mode!" He issued off this suggestion of what to do next.
Now the Predacons change to Beast Mode at this time from where they stood. Wasn't long before they called in for a Warp Gate to pick them up to get them out of here before any other nearby Maximals come to check on their fallen comrades.
The scene begins to open around the skies of where a pack of vultures were soaring over the skies. The camera shifts down to where it was a huge blast crater of where the Energon exploded, & made a large blacken mark in where it took out the wide field; & what else was there. We zoom in closely before spotting what appears to be green fingers, as they were seen outside some fallen rubble. When it seem like they never move, they twitch a bit.
"UUrrugh-UUhm..UUUhmm…?" Then a voice was heard sounding of a moanful cry, as the fingers grasp into a fist. "Umm…?" Rhinox was seen slowly rising up before he clasp his right hand to his face that hit him. "I feel like I got hit by a WHOLE Pred Fleet?" Rhinox exclaimed in how it felt when he managed to make it out of that crisis at all. "Diagnosis?" He issued this off ion needing a diagnosis of himself; but then his system made a weird shutdown sound much to the guy having his eyes shut. "The explosion must have knocked down my internal system?" He estimated in what was wrong with his body from having survived that blast. "Briizzz…Brizizivhmm…/URRruagh!?" Then a flash spark happened that made him moan when he tried to have his optics on, but went white. "Including my Optic Sensors?" Rhinox exclaimed in what else happened to him from the explosion, they damaged his optics, which meant… "I'M BLIND!" As Rhinox exclaimed this, he was seen opening his eyes in where his optics show…that they were clear white; not his usual color, so it seems like a cause of blindness.
"My eyes! My eyes!" Dinobot was up & hollering out loud while his optic eyes…were blank white as well.
"Dinobot?" Rhinox looked to the direction of where he heard a voice.
"Rhinox?" Rattrap's voice was heard, as Rhinox turn his head in the direction to see or rather try to follow what was wrong. "Where are ya, buddy? It's darker'n than the Inferno out here." Rattrap was standing to hold out his arms to find someone, as his optic eyes were also blank white like…he can't see anything that freaks him out.
"Rhinox, Rattrap…Help me! I CAN'T See!" Cheetor was also seen calling out for help while panicking a lot because his optic eyes were white & he couldn't see a thing.
"Hey! Who turn off the lights?" JackRabbit protest forth that someone turn off her optics as she had white like the rest.
"Hello! Is anybody around?" Razorbeast asked off in trying to see, but his optics were white like the rest.
"Someone! Anyone!?" B'Boom called out as his white optics couldn't allow him to see.
"What in the Matrix has happened to us?" Leo cried out in noticing that, he can't see as his optics are white.
"Where are we? Are we in the All-Spark? Somebody PLEASE, tell me?" Bonecrusher yelled out from having white optics to not see anything or know of their situation.
"The skies….I can't see them?" Larkshot cried off in having his white optics look up, but sees…nothing.
"What Have They Done To My Eyes!?" Dinobot roared off in being unable to see anything fro the Pred attack.
"Rhinox! Help Me!" Rattrap called out in wanting help as he felt completely lost.
"What happened? Where are we?" Cheetor asked this out in being unable to determine where they are anymore or what happened.
"How'd should any of us know?" B'Boom yelled out in not having any ideas.
"What's gonna happen to US!?" Razorbeast asked off in what will become of them now in such a state.
"I can't see what's in front of me?" Bonecrusher stated to feel around, but could not make anything out.
"Nor can I? Are we all here & accounted?" Leo asked off in trying to see if they are all present.
"I can't be certain…where's Artemis…what if she's gone!?" Larkshot exclaimed to say this out loud while not knowing where anyone is.
"I DON'T LIKE THIS!?" JackRabbit cried out in feeling terrified of their situation from not seeing nor knowing of what's going on.
So much panic was going on with Rhinox knowing what was happening, something had to be done…& so he got everyone's attention.
"Listen to me! You've all got to calm down!" Rhinox snapped off to clutch his fist to haul his arms downward in demanding everyone stops this nonsense & pay attention in a calm manner.
"Calm down? Grugrugruaaaughh…" Dinobot slowly was saying this in what they heard, he was sounding calm, but it was a rhetorical stunt. "WE CAN'T SEEEEE!" Dinobot made a very loud screeching roar in issuing that they can't see a darn thing, & Rhinox wants them to calm down; like THAT'll happen.
"No need to Yell it to the WHOLE World?" Grizzly-1 exclaimed off in how Dinobot was reacting to this; not that he blames him.
"Rhinox, what has happened to us?" Bonecrusher asked off in what has happened to them that they are like this.
"The Energon Explosion contaminated our systems." Rhinox issued off to explain what occurred during the explosion that made contact with their systems. "Our optical sensors…And just about everything else…." As he stated this, he muttered off that last sentence in how nearly all of their sensors, were effete to be… "Are Offline." He finished to say this that all of their sensors are offline, they can't have certain functions working of whats wrong with them, plus they are blind.
"So your saying….we're blind as bats?" B'Boom stated to say this in what they got going for them.
"It would appear so? I can't make any contact?" Leo stated to sadly say this of tapping his wrist, but he got nothing.
"So ah…." Rattrap shrug off his shoulders in liking to ask something here of their situation. "Eh, so what do we do?" He asked off in what do they do from here on out.
"We've got to transform. It'll slow down the contamination." Rhinox issued off in what was the best option to slow down what has contaminated their systems. "And 'Possibly' regenerate our systems." He issued the word 'possibly' as if trying to make it sound hopeful. "Beast Mode…" He silently ushered this commend code to try to transform. "GRuuagh-AARRRRuuuaarughh!" Then at this moment, Rhinox felt a strange spark off his body, as he was having a hard time transforming to Beast Mode while moaning from the sparking glitch work.
"Ehh, Beast Mode?" Rattrap felt unsure, but spoke out his command code.
"Beast Mode." Cheetor issued off in not hesitating this out.
"Beast Mode." Dinobot coldly issued off his command code with a dry tone.
"Beast Mode." Razorbeast, JackRabbit, Bonecrusher, B'Boom, Grizzly-1, Leo, & Larkshot also spoke out their command codes to try to transform as well.
Soon at this moment, the other Maximals were slowly having a hard time transforming to Beast Mode, as their systems were making weird nosies & sparks jolting a bit. But soon as they made it pass that, they were in Beast Mode, but they appeared to be in just as bad shape as they were in Robot Mode.
"Oh, Slag! Hugh, that was weird." Rattrap exclaimed off from what that felt like to them, but…then he noticed something else. "A-a-and I still can't see." Rattrap nervously stated that even in Beast Mode, he can't see anything at all.
"Me neither." Cheetor replied off in looking to Rattrap's direction from where he sounded close as the cat-bot, was also blind still.
"Rhinox did say possibly, no guarantees there…as we have found out?" Larkshot signs to look down in feeling things have gone bad for their hopes.
"NRrughh…Grugrugruaaugh….I'll TEAR out Scorponok's Processor for this!" Dinobot was heard snarling before cursing off in clutching his fingers in about to tear someone apart for what happened to them. "And Sling, Buzz-Saw, & Waspinator's too!" Dinobot finished off the curse in who else will sadly pay for making them blind.
"Make some room! We all want some payback for this!" Bonecrusher issued off in knowing how they wanna give a little payback as well.
"They will pay for this!" B'Boom exclaimed in what he'll do next time they see those Predacons.
"Every…one?" Suddenly, a soft female voice was heard; sounding very weak, a bit broken, &…near the blind Maximals. Rhinox, Dinobot, Cheetor, Rattrap, Razorbeast, JackRabbit, Bonecrusher, B'Boom, Grizzly-1, Leo, & Larkshot approach the spot, some of them felt something buried under the rubble before digging it out. And unknown to them, they felt a silver metal touch their Beast Modes recognize, & if they could see…they see it was Artemis, how of her holographic form of being human to reveal her true form as a gynoid.
"Artemis…is that you? Hugh…" JackRabbit was asking before she yelped from touching Artemis' arm that zapped her; all over the silver gynoid's body, it had cracks & shorted out wiring.
"I am…unable to determine? My systems are…offline? I cannot see?" Artemis stated to say this in where her body was much broken even if it survived such a horrible explosion; with crack optics that she can't see.
"Let me get a feel?" Grizzly-1 suggested to use his fingers to try to determine how much damage Artemis was, & found…it was all bad. "Her body's in worse shape then us? Busted metal frame limbs, exposed wires snapped in two & much functions shutdown, plus crack optic lens, it's a wonder she's still active?" He stated in finding that this gynoid was lucky to even still be functioning.
"This is my fault for not covering her when I did?" Larkshot looked down to sadly feel heavily responsible for this in not using his shield wings in bot form to protect Artemis.
"No one's blaming you for this. We're all in the same state." Leo patted the blue swallow to not feel guilty.
"Then…It's worse then I thought?" Rhinox looked down in feeling bad about how things were showing of their situation; Beast Mode failed them & they are still damaged & blind. "Our only chance is to make it back to the Base." He issued of what their last chance maybe to get back to their base for help.
"But…we can't even use our com-links or request a Warp Gate?" Bonecrusher stated of how they can't even reach anyone or get any contact to make a Warp Gate request.
"Which is why, we'll get back…on foot." Rhinox issued off to say in how they can get around.
"Grrrrr….ARE YOU INSANE!" Dinobot clutch his hands to snap forth in having heard what Rhinox was suggesting. "How can we get to the base, when we can't see?" Dinobot remotely stated how they can even reach their base, when they can't see what's in front of them.
"There's more then one way to see, Dinobot." Rhinox narrow his blind eyes in lecturing this off for the Ex-Pred to follow. "Besides….we don't have a choice." Rhinox stated this off that as far as they can do, they are not in the situation to make choices tat are easy. "If we don't reach an R-Chamber in 60 cycles…the contamination will put our Sparks out…" He explained what will happen under the time means of what happens if they don't get to some CR treatment for Cybertronians, then their Sparks will be endanger. "For Good." He issued this off in sounding dead serious of the case of going online…permanently.
That caused Cheetor, Rattrap & the others to gasp, as they all heard this; either they make it back to the base & get fix, or they will not live to see another day. The choices are hard to make it through, but apparently, they are stuck in where it's do or don't, question is…can they make it blindfolded?
"But…what about Artemis?" JackRabbit asked off in what they do with Artemis, she can't even move.
"Unfortunately…she's in a worse state. Bonecrusher, can you carry here. And JackRabbit, try to be her support." Rhinox shook his head to say this while requesting those here to help.
"Roger!/Right!" Bonecrusher & JackRabbit replied off in knowing what they are needed to do here.
"Rhinox…if we cannot make it, how long will Artemis still function?" Leo approach to silently asked this off about how much time the gynoid has.
"Even less then what we got even with slowing our own contamination down?" Rhinox shook his head in feeling uncertain of what they can do to help save Artemis.
"If only there was someone who could see, at least even blind…I could fly?" Larkshot cursed off to say this in wishing he could have someone see for him, at least then, he could fly with a guider.
"Flying blind won't get us anywhere?" Grizzly-1 shook his head off to say this about the matter of flying blind can't help no one.
"We better go, I got a bad feeling if we stay here, more Preds may show up?" Razorbeast suggested this that made everyone know, they be easy pickings for the enemy if they found them, alive, weaken, & blind.
With everyone in agreement, they slowly take their leave of the explosion site to where Artemis' body was being carried on Bonecrusher's back. This was gonna be the hardest & longest walk to reach back to the Maximal Base then anyone even knew…
Meanwhile, Back At Predacon HQ?
The scene enters where we see the Predacon Ship hidden within a large volcano. Right now at this very moment, something was occurring after a Predacon Attack on a group of Maximals. As we find Megatron in Robot Mode, as he was speaking into his left wrist by a com-link of the report from Scorponok & Waspinator's group that attacked & blew up some Maximals.
"You didn't salvage the remains?" Megatron lightly asked this off in what he's been told here; as his upset face turns near a metal pipe. "CLUPOFruvhmm…/GRUummmph!" Megatron smacks his fist on the pipe, making a dent with the com-link on the wrist still active.
"WUUHHaaughh!?" Scorponok yelps from hearing the loud clashing sound that was transmitted to his side while listening on his right claw wrist.
"Then how can you be sure you 'Destroyed' them?" Megatron remarked off that without proof of Maximal destruction, they can't be sure of anything. "Go back there 'Now' and make certain!" Megatron scolds those to return to where they attack the Maximal group & make sure, they are done for.
"Yes, yes! Of course Megatron." Scorponok's voice was heard responding in agreement as an upset Megatron listens in on the discussion. "I-I-I TOLD Waspinator, Sling & Buzz-Saw we should have done that!" Scorpion was seen issuing off that he was putting the blame on Waspinator, Sling & Buzz-Saw for them leaving without having found any Maximal remains.
"Why do we always get blame for everything?" Sling signs in feeling like they always get the rotten deals.
"You think it's easy for a Second-In-Command to admit his own mistakes?" Buzz0-Saw rolled his own optics in knowing who's trying to save face.
"MRuugh…NEeehhh…NREEUURRAarughh!" Waspinator was seen moaning out loud in sounding upset before he dash to fly off from the sight here in two things; being blame for something & to go back to find Maximal remains.
Meanwhile, Rhinox's Blind Group?
The scene begins to open around a scene area filled with trees from where something is currently going on. We find the Blind Maximals group, as we see what they are currently doing. Rattrap took the rear with his mouth on Cheetor's tail, Cheetor's tail on Dinobot's tail, Dinobot's hands were on Rhinox's behind. Bonecrusher was letting his body stand close to Rhinox's body, as JackRabbit rested on Bonecrusher's body with Artemis lying on him too, Razorbeast had Bonecrusher's tail, B'Boom had his hands on Razorbeast's tail, Leo held B'Boom's tail, Grizzly-1 had Leo's tail, & Larkshot rode on Grizzly-1 as the last rear to rest himself while trying to be somewhat a rear guard…even if he can't see.
"Mmmm, what a …'lovely' smell. We could only be in a swamp." Dinobot was heard after taking some moment to sniff the air to understand where it is they are at.
"You're catching on, Dinobot." Rhinox commented on what Dinobot has learn about relying on their other senses. "We just follow our noses and…" Rhinox was stating off to say this about using their noses here before…
Without warning, Rhinox suddenly puts a break on his movement like a car screeching it's tires. Then at that moment, more yelping nosies are heard of where the others made yelp cries from bumping into the other & scatter across the ground on their backs, sides or fronts; because none of them can see when a large rhino stops their moving path. Even Bonecrusher stopped at the same time as Rhinox that knocked his own group off their block.
"Ow…..?" Razorbeast lightly yelped in what just happened here.
"Unable to process situation? What happened?" Artemis spoke off in at least sensing that their movement has been halted.
"I think our exploration group…has come to a halt?" Grizzly-1 exclaimed doff in having a feeling of what just occurred.
"Grrruuoorugh…Why are you STOPPING!?" Dinobot shook his head before snapping off in why Rhinox stopped without warning. "HRRruaghh!/Stompvhmm…" Then Dinobot leaps from lying on the ground to stand upwards, but step down hard, &…
"GEEYYRAAAArrughhhh!/Hmmmmm?" Without warning, a loud agonizing cry is heard that made Dinobot look down at the sound direction to where unknown to his blind case; he stepped on Rattrap's left front paw.
"Tehchichichihh…." Soon Rattrap got free from that issue before standing up a bit straight. "Hey! Look out, will yah? That's My Foot! Moron!" Rattrap snapped off that Dinobot should watch where he steps, as he stepped on him without being careful.
"Take it easy there?" Bonecrusher was issuing this in trying to calm the agitated bunch, but… "CRAckvhmm…" But then the guy didn't watch as he moved to step on a certain Mandrill monkey's tail.
"WRAAArughhhAAAhhh!" B'Boom was heard roaring out in feeling pain coursing his tail. "My Tail! Who's crushing my tail?" B'Boom yelled out in feeling pain in the tail.
"QIUET!" Rhinox snapped off for the group to be quiet down now. "Something's near us?" He issued off in sounding concern with caution, they are not alone.
"Predacons!?" Larkshot asked off in trying to look around, but saw nothing; which was obvious to him being blind still.
"They would have shot at us, this one maybe….something else? Stand your ground!" Leo issued off in trying to keep a level head of the situation.
Many of the Maximals were being a bit on the alert, as they are blind & can't see, but they heard twitching twigs to loud hooting & monkey sounds mix around their surroundings. Everyone was trying to figure out where whatever was near them, was trying to get the drop on them. No one was certain where, they were almost jumpy, others might be cautiously concern of where whatever was near, would get them or not.
"THERE!" Rhinox's ears twitch from a sudden snap of a branch to face upwards in where…something was here with them.
"Where!?" Jackrabbit asked off in being unable to determine, she hates being blind.
There was something in the trees, as it was seemingly above the location of where Cheetor was, as the young cadet was feeling worried of what would jump at them until…
"GYYaahhh!" Then Cheetor looked up, only to not seen that there was a large brown python that dropped in on him. "Uuuuagh….Help….Me?" Cheetor was trying to speak out, as the python was entwining to squeeze the bot's sparking body in it's wrap hold. "OOouuagh?" He was feeling the pressure as the python was looking ready to open it's mouth to eat the cat-bot.
"Eh, Cheetor? Eh, Cheetor! Where are ya, kiddo?" Rattrap was trying to look around in where his fellow Maximal was in trouble, but he couldn't see where even under panicking.
"Something has happened?" Razorbeast exclaimed in worry ti try to see, but saw nothing.
"They got Cheetor?" B'Boom yelled out in knowing danger was near, but where.
"What's happening? Are we under attack?" Dinobot asked off in looking around, but could not see what was attacking them; & it made him be on edge.
"Don't panic." Rhinox issued off to try to keep everyone to remain calm, but…
"Now's the PERFECT Time to PANIC! We're Lost! Cheetor maybe gone? And we're NEXT!" Jackrabbit complained off in knowing that their situation was not looking good.
"Jackrabbit, calm yourself? That will only make us more on edge?" Leo tried to keep everything under control, but it was no use…everyone can't see & are becoming lost by fear & doubt.
"You won't get me!" Dinobot exclaimed off in not about to let something get him before he gets the attacker first. "GRRUUaaaurghhh!" Dinobot screeched out in getting ready to attack, as he charges to pounce. "CLOPVhmmm…/OOOwww!" But then Dinobot lets out a yelp ow cry, as he slam himself into a tree, which bears a lot of pain for him while falling off it like a flatten pancake.
"Danger….near…can't…access…situation?" Artemis spoke in being unable to know how to acknowledge their situation; she can't move or see, what can be done.
"We have to move! Go-Go, GO! UUUAguh!" Larkshot was trying to fly off, but he hits himself against a branch above a tree.
"If they want us, then they'll have to fight me! CHAAAAAAARRRRGE!" Bonecrusher issued forth in being like a charging bison to plow down his foes. "POWfruvhmm…." He rammed through a large boulder in the way without stopping.
"WOOOOOahhhh!" Jackrabbit yelps to hold on tight to Bonecrusher & to hold Artemis' body in place.
"Don't split up! We'll be easy targets!" Leo tried to keep everyone from operating from their group, but they can't help themselves.
"GYaaugh-AAaugh!…Rhinox….Rattrap….anyone…?" Cheetor was still in a tough spot of being squeezed out tightly while calling for help. "Can't…Breath…" He issued from starting to lose himself that he can't breath much from his lungs being squeezed off.
"I hear yah pussycat! Hang on!" Rattrap issued off in knowing Cheetor needs help, as he used the voice to help guide him to charge off towards where the python & Cheetor are. "Slap!" Then one of the python's tails slapped Rattrap's face in making the rodent stop his foolish action to get i the way. "Yeah…Well, right back at cha! Pal!" Rattrap issued off in about to send his response to what he received. "Yeeeah!/Bite!" Then Rattrap leaped forth to bite the python's body to get him to let go of Cheetor.
But of course, that plan was not much working, as the python slowly rose up to hiss at the large rodent that tried to bite him. Then lifting it's tail end of where the giant rat bite into, it then made a small effort to…toss him off it.
"WAAAAAAAhhhh!" Rattrap was heard screaming as he was flying straight across the swamp distance before… "WAAaahhhh…GWUUUAugh!?" Before Rattrap made an impact on the ground which left him a bit in pain.
During the action, the python was heard making a hiss sound, as it began to slither off from having it's hold on Cheetor's body. Now it was making it's way through the ground making zig-zag turns here & there. At the same moment, Rattrap was seen being a bit out of it, before slowly coming to his senses; just as he heard a snap of a twig that made him gasp. The snake was seen making it's way towards the helpless prey to become…it's dinner.
"Where is it?….Where is it?" Rattrap asked off in looking left & right, but he could not see anything while blind.
"Grrrowlaaahh…" The python made a loud growl sound, as it rose up before making a dive to attack.
"Snapvhmm…/NEeh-Heeeh!?" Suddenly from a biting of teeth, Rattrap gasped from staring blindly at what almost attacked him which the python…did not reach to bite it's fangs into the scared rodent.
The snake turn around to see what caused it to not stretch to catch the rodent, only to see that Rhinox's heavy left front foot press it's weight on the creature.
"Got ya now." Rhinox declared off in sounding smug that he's caught the troublemaker by, well…the tail here. "Heeeugh..YUAAAAughhh!" Then he used his horn to lift up the snake, & hurl it upwards & across the swamp. "THUMP!…/BWRUUAArughhh!" Then the python was heard landing in a far distance, apparently where there was some elephants nearby that made cries; not a snake's lucky day to be near large & heavy weight crushing foes.
Back near Cheetor's area, he was seen knock out from having the life nearly squeezed out of him. At this moment, Rhinox was seen approaching from having used his 'sniffer' to find the cat-bot by smell. Wasn't long before a calm down Bonecrusher came near the spot with the others trying to follow with the sound.
"Cheetor! You all right?" Rhinox asked off in making sure the cadet was not hurt.
"WRroough…" Cheetor was heard moaning as he was turning his head in the direction of where he heard Rhinox. "My shoulder's pretty torn up?" He stated about his condition of what was wrong with his shoulder from when that snake squeezed him pretty hard. "An-An-And I feel, kinda cold?" He stated from feeling himself lose himself, like it's…getting darker & colder for him to keep going.
"Leave him! He'll only slow us down." Dinobot was nearby to issue off that they should leave behind that which would slow down their chances to get back to the base & get themselves fix from their contamination damage.
"Maximals Don't Abandon Their Own Kind!" Rhinox was heard making a stern scolding lecture with narrow blind eyes to where Dinobot was, stating they do not abandon their own; that isn't how they function. "On my back Cheetor." Rhinox softly stated this to help the injured cadet ride with him.
"Ehhh….lets go, kiddo?" Rattrap was seen getting up too, feeling a bit daze fro what happen to him, but he'll help get Cheetor up & then continue.
"Everyone….if there are many…unable to move, please…leave me?" Artemis suggested this off in having overheard the conversation.
"Oh no, we can't do that." Razorbeast shook his head no on the subject of the very idea.
"Razorbeast is right, Artemis, we can't leave you to be captured." Leo stated to say this in what they must not do.
"Won't matter, I am no use to the enemy…damaged." Artemis stated in knowing she can't be of much use if she will cease function.
"Damaged or not, we're all getting out of this." B'Boom stated to say this in how they must do things here; together.
"Yeah, now lets hurry already…" Grizzly-1 issued off that they should get going now.
With everything settle, everyone had to quickly get going now, they need to hurry themselves if they want to get back to their base; all together.
Elsewhere At This Time…?
The scene opens to a canyon rocky area with some vines, as we are hearing some radio waves trying to reach through to something…or someone?
"Optimus to Tigatron." Optimus voice was heard trying to reach the bot on a tall cliff, as it was revealed to be Tigatron in Robot Mode. "Tigatron, do you copy?" Optimus' voice was heard asking for a response on the com-link.
"Tigatron here." Tigatron held up his left wrist to speak to his commander on the other side.
"Any sign of Rhinox & the others yet?" Optimus asked off through the radio wave transmission that was causing some feedback.
"Negative…they're not in Grind Orion." Tigatron shook his head 'no' in stating this.
As back at the Maximal Base, Optimus was working the console to continue the communication frequency to speak to those outside on the field.
"Move to Grind Alpha." Optimus issue off in where he like Tigatron to go to next. "I'm going to put Sentinel on Automatic & search from the air." He issued off in what he was gonna be doing during the time. "If you spot them, rely a message to Airazor in the area." Optimus stated of who Tigatron should contact if he spots their comrades. "I've sent her to Grind Delta." Optimus' voice stated to Tigatron as he looked over the cliffs in hearing how close Airazor was.
"Well do." Tigatron nods off to say in having heard this to understand. "Good hunting. Tigatron out." Tigatron issued off in preparing to sign off from here as the com-link was shut off now.
Now Tigatron looks over the horizon as an eagle sound filled the air, the rest of the Maximals are searching for Rhinox's group, & hopefully…they find them in time.
In Another Area At This Time?
Back At The Explosion Site!
The scene changes to what was the explosion area of where Rhinox & the others got caught in a Predacon attack & left them damaged & blind before having left the place. We spot that Scorponok was searching in Beast Mode the rubble that was left around the area, but was not making any finding progress.
"POwwfruvhmm…./Waugh-Cough-Coguh, Cough-Cough…" Scorponok pops a rubble stone that turn to dust & caused him to caught.
Waspinator was seen hovering over in Beast Mode to Scorponok's position with Buzz-Saw flying near him & Sling approaching on the ground.
"Wazzpinator thinks that Maximals were Vaporized?" Waspinator issued off in stating what he thinks became the end of their enemy.
"Well there should be some wreckage?" Scorponok stated off that if there were destroyed Maximals, they outta find their remains. "Fly higher!" he issued off the order for the wasp bot to search from higher view. "Ah, Scan for Energon traces!" He issued off a suggestion for any Energon traces on the Maximals bodies that were caught in the explosion.
"You think that will prove anything?" Sling shrug off in not following this at all.
"For now, we must try something or we'll end up with nothing." Buzz-Saw exclaimed in knowing what will happen to them if they come back empty handed.
Waspinator soon transform to Robot Mode, & soon took off into the sky to fly high. After reaching a higher level above the explosion site, Waspinator's optics turn a bit pinkish in using a scanning method.
"Ohhh…Wazzpinator sees trail of Energon?" As Waspinator stated this out, his inside optics made a view screen zoom in on glowing blue trail tracks of…footprints made of energize particles of Energon. "Hmm…Maybe Maximals DID zzurvive?" He hums off in thinking that maybe the Maximals survived the explosion after all.
"Well follow it!" Scorponok's voice issued off to order Waspinator who looked down at the clapping scorpion. "Or Megatron will SCRAP Us!" He issued off that if they do not do something to get the wounded Maximals, Megatron will make them suffer for failure.
"Right! And I don't want that!" Sling protest in preferring to be alive then scrapped.
"I'll go along too, just to make sure something gets done." Buzz-Saw signs to say this in knowing he'll be needed to work something out.
Soon the two fliers were taking off to go after the targets by following the trail…What will happen when they find the blind Maximals, remains a mystery for now…
RHINOX'S GROUP…
At this time, we return to where back i the swamp area, Rhinox was seen leading while using his nose to sniff out things.
"I smell water? Fresh water!" Rhinox issued off in having detected the scent of water in the air, & fresh too. "And I can hear it falling." Rhinox issued this off to Cheetor, as he was seen being carried on by the big rhino bot when recovering from his earlier python injury.
"Is-is it the base, Rhinox?" Cheetor weakly asked off if they were getting closer to the base that's near the waterfalls.
"No, but it should be one of the falls that feeds the base under the mountain." Rhinox explained this off for Cheetor to follow along in what he's saying. "If we can get to it. We can follow it." After saying that, Cheetor began to try to rest himself some more. "Hang on Cheetor, we're gonna make it." Rhinox spoke off in trying to keep Cheetor from letting his injuries take him out before they can make it through this.
"Yeah-yeah, sure…hugh?" Cheetor lightly was awake even though he's blind, as he wants to believe in what his friend says. "Gonna make it…just…so tired?" As he said this stuff off, Cheetor began to feel tired out once more; he needs help before it's too late.
"Don't worry Cheetor, we're Maximals…we're made of tougher stuff!" JackRabbit tried to speak up from nearby toes Cheetor's doubts.
"Let us hope we all can make it…if Cheetor's case is like what's slowly happening to Artemis…it's a question if either of them will make it through?" Grizzly-1 thought out in how to keep Artemis from going out even faster then the wounds Cheetor has.
"We all must not have clouds of doubt, just continue to follow Rhinox." Leo insisted in what they must try to do in order to survive.
"Lets hope we can make it quickly, the more we delay…the more I fear that the enemies will arrive?" Larkshot exclaimed with some worry about other things in mind.
"Well, as long as they think we're scrapped, then we got a chance, right?" Razorbeast thought out in trying to think some positive stuff.
WITHIN THE PREDACON BASE?
The scene changes to the Predacon Base oncer more, where something else was occurring. We spot Tarantulas was doing some trying work on the console screen monitor at this time with Megatron on a separate one with Shadow Panther nearby as well. But then suddenly, the scanner made a sound to alarm those on active duty.
"Duh….Megatron?" Tarantulas yelped a bit before he was calling his leader over his side.
"Grrr…." Megatron turn to growl in seeing he was being interrupted; which means it better be important.
"I'm getting odd readings in coordinates 902?" Tarantulas narrow his visor in stating off that the monitor found some odd readouts. "It looks like…Walking Energon?" As he said this strange statement of a theory, Megatron uses his hover platform to look over the spider's strange find.
"Hmmm?" Megatron leans over togged a better view of what Tarantulas has found. "Obviously, one or more Maximals…'Survived'…Scorponok's Inept Ambush? And is now…Contaminated?" The monitor shows only three glowing marks of Energon radiation, from the Maximals that survived their other unit's attack. "Send Terrorsaur & Lazorbeak to those Coordinates!" He turn to Tarantulas in issuing this forth in who to send out to find the moving Maximal survivors. "Seek…"And…DESTROY!" Megatron spoke off with a sly & prideful tone of sounding good, before sternly issuing that once seemed, the targets are to be destroyed.
"Megatron, I just got reports from our other units, it appears that many of the other Maximals are searching for their surviving companions?" Shadow Panther stated to alert his lord about another matter of other Maximals searching for their companions during this time.
"Tell our squads in each sector to deal with them as they see fit,, by cutting off the weaken ones, it will make it easier to outnumber & destroy our enemies i this war. Ye-es-s-s-s…" Megatron issued the order to have their squad units to take care of the other Maximals searching for their survivors.
"As you command, Lord Megatron." Shadow Panther nods his head in understanding the matter of what to do; as he was performing it now.
BACK WITH RHINO'S BLIND UNIT?
The scene begins to show a large amount of pouring water that was apart of some falls. But above it's location, we find Rhinox's blind team on a cliff near an old fallen log to make a bridge. Rhinox was still carrying an injured Cheetor at the time, but at least now…they made it to where they needed to be.
"Ah, we made it." Rhinox signs off to say this in sounding relief, but his voice was blocked out by the falls.
"What Did You Say?" Dinobot held out his right hand in asking for Rhinox to repeat that, he couldn't hear over the loud noise.
"I said: We made it to the waterfall!" Rhinox turn to his backside of where Dinobot was to issue off that they made it to the falls.
"What a startling…Revelation!?" Dinobot was making a pretend expression & wave hands & claps them in sounding please with having reach their objective of finding the waterfalls.
Rhinox was almost about to make a quote, but just narrow his blind eyes in silence in not even gonna bother with such things.
"So…now what?" Razorbeast asked off in being curious of what to do here.
"Larkshot, can you fly us?" JackRabbit asked this off in being curious of something.
"I doubt I could, I wouldn't know what would be in front of me?" Larkshot shrug off to say in being unsure about the case of flying blindly.
"Well how can we get across a waterfall if you can't fly us there?" Grizzly-1 remotely asked the question of how they can manage to get across this.
"Hey Guys! Over Here!" Rattrap was heard calling out to the others, as he was seen sniffing a fallen tree log.
"What is it?" Rhinox yelled out in liking to know what Rattrap may have stumble upon.
"I Think…We Can Cross?" Rattrap turn to Rhinox's direction in stating a fact of what this thing was as he shouted this out. "Just give me a cycle…I'm gonna check it out." He explained what he's gonna try to do here before they continue on. "GWuuuagh!?" Course Rattrap hit his head against the log since he's still blind; before feeling around with his paws. "EEeehhh…." Then Rattrap leaps onto the body edge of the log, begins to sniff it out to inspect it while slowly crawling across it.
The other blind Maximals were just sitting nearby, waiting for any signs or words from Rattrap of how this thing that can help them cross the bridge, will go.
"Do you think it'll be alright?" B'Boom asked off if things were gonna be okay with how things are gonna be done.
"All we can do is hope, if we do not have any crossing means…then we've come here for nothing?" Leo shook his head off in knowing this was their last chance to get home before…their hour is near.
"Aaugh…ARrrugh-ARrugh?" Suddenly, everyone's hearing turn to Artemis, as he body was twitching a bit before stopping for a bit. "My system, something is wrong? Energy Output…dropping?" Artemis spoke off in feeling that her system was beginning to lose out, she can't last much longer now.
"Rattrap better be right about that crossing thing, Artemis might not have much time left?" Bonecrusher stated to say this in feeling they are almost out of time, they gotta get going now.
After a while, Rattrap managed to reach the other side of where the log reached it's end point as the rodent was sniffing to check it out.
"Neeeugh…EEeeuagh?" Rattrap was seen trying to push some rocks at the edge of the log, to find out if it's the end of the log cross & onto solid land. "IT'S GOOD! COME ON!" Rattrap turn around to yell this out to the others that the cross was good, & that they can make it across the waterfall with it.
Meanwhile we find that Waspinator & Buzz-Saw was on a flight path of following the Energon trail. After having a quick & easy step of flight, wasn't long before reaching the waterfall that was connected around the main falls by the Maximal Base. And along the line, something was seen crossing a log from the edge of the falls to a large rock structure that just stretches upwards for someone to leap across it. That's when Waspinator's scanners zoomed in to spot the targets.
"There you are?" Waspinator issued off that his zoom-cam spotted the Maximals crossing the log bridge with Rattrap at the end, Rhinox leading with Dinobot holding onto his rear, Cheetor holding the raptor's tail, & the rest of the others following along as they were trying to cross. "Oh, zzomething wrong with Maximals?" Waspinator teased to taunt in where his camera screen zoom in to show him, Dinobot's optics were clear white, as he can't seem to see. "Geheheuhuhuh….Oh, they can't Zzzee?" Waspinator let off a chuckle in seeing that the preys are unable to see. "This will be easy." Waspinator proclaimed that with such a feat, taking care of the problem is now child's play.
"Not only them, they have the silver gynoid? Reports say that she is an important object related to Primus, & is as equally valuable to obtain as the Key?" Buzz-Saw exclaimed off in where his scanners zoomed in on Artemis, as she was carried by Bonecrusher. "Strange, she appears damaged to be unable to move, yet we saw her nowhere when we ambush the Maximals?" He was very puzzled why an important silver gynoid that they learn was related to their own Transformer species was here when they ambushed a Maximal party & one human girl; it's strange?
"Ohohoho, this will be fun! We get much from this & present the silver girl bot to Megatron.." Waspinator giggled a bit in seeing what they will gain from this, Maximal destruction & acquiring Artemis.
"You handle the Maximals, the Gynoid will be swept by me!" Buzz-Saw spoke off in knowing what they need to get from this; Artemis.
With all said & done, Waspinator & Buzz-Saw transforms from Beast Mode to Robot Mode, with Sting Launcher armed for firing for them both.
"Wait a minute!" Rhinox spoke out in having his ears to pick up something from a distance. "I hear some…/BOOMfruvhmm…" Before Rhinox could say anything, an explosive Sting Missile impacted the cliff edge of where the log was.
"We're under attack?" Jackrabbit yelps in realizing that they are under attack that she yelped off Bonecrusher to grab Larkshot's wing.
"Jackrabbit, get off…I can't fly with you on my wing?" Larkshot issued off that he can't fly with a rabbit holding his wing.
"I'll take this!" Then without warning, Buzz-Saw zipped down to swipe Artemis' limp body off the bison Maximal's back.
"Hugh….oh no, Artemis!?" Bonecrusher yelps in feeling that he does not have Artemis on him no more.
"We gotta go after hear!" Grizzly-1 issued off that they gotta go after their friend.
"Wait, the weight of the this thing might become unstable from…" Razorbeast was trying to warn everyone about the other problem, but…
Then without warning, the weight of the Maximals began to shift the log closer to the down edge that made them all yelp before….it couldn't support them anymore before dropping off & taking it's crossers with it. "WAAAAughhhh!" Rattrap was heard screaming as he & everyone was plunging down without anything to feel to know even while blind.
"Wuuuaaaaughh-Aaaaahhhh!" Many of the Maximals were yelling, screaming, wailing, etc. as they fell off the falls & soon cease to be heard….when they hit the water.
From the view of the waterfall, it looked like the Maximals were not coming up for air. The only thing that did come up was the log that made a splash from floating up, & soon began to drift along the river water path. And above the falls flying to hover over the work of letting the Maximals plunge off the waterfalls, was Waspinator.
"Wazzpinator must find wreckage of Maximals to take back to Megatron." Waspinator was issuing this off in seeing that the job is not done until he brings back proof of finishing off the Maximals.
"Waspinator." Then someone was calling out to make Waspinator turn to find…Terrorsaur & Lazorbeak in Robot Mode fly up to which began…a conversation. "Megatron send me & Lazorbeak, to aid your search." Terrorsaur pointed off to say this in a bragging rights to fix the work from a bumbler.
"Not necessary. Wazzpinator has already found & destroyed Maximals." Waspinator shook his head 'no' in stating a fact that the offer to destroy the Maximals is not needed; the deed was done.
"And secured a little something." Buzz-Saw showed that he was having Artemis around his left arm who could not move or resist.
"Let…me…go…?" Artemis tried to speak forth this, but much of her system was unable to help her resist her captors.
"That's the silver gynoid Megatron wants along with the Key? But where are the Maximals?" Lazorbeak exclaimed off in seeing who was captured, but wondered where the Maximals may have gone.
"They fell down the falls! Wazzpinator made claim we finished." Waspinator issued off to say this in knowing they have won.
"Show me?" Terrorsaur asked off in wanting to see the proof that their enemies are destroyed before they can say; who's right here.
Along the water path leading away from the waterfalls…we find a lonely twig branch floating around. There was not any signs of anyone having made it out of that event of plunging to their watery doom. Or was it…?
"GYHUUUOOOAgh!" Then Rhinox takes a deep exhaling breath from having popped out of the water to keep himself alive. "SPLAShvm…" Then he fell back i the water to make a big rhino-size splash. "Huugh-Haaaugh, Huuuagh, Haaaah…." Rhinox was shown exhaling a lot while slowly making his way across the solid ground with swallow water. "Gwuagh…Huuuagh?" Rhinox was taking more breaths to try to feel at least alive from almost drowning.
Soon Rhinox was approaching a shore spot of dry land, as the other blind Maximals made it across; but were coughing from having taken in too much water. Everyone was pretty much lucky to have survived against such a close encounter of drowning & washed up on dry shore at the bottom of the waterfall.
"Ugh…I…I had me enough water to…last me a stellar lifetime?" Cheetor exclaimed off tiredly in stating this fact of how much he gulp down, that he's now done for quite some time.
"Cough…Eh, you & me both, pussycat." Rattrap choked a bit to exclaim this claim in agreeing with Cheetor of having had enough water for the day.
"Ugh…not quite an experience we wanna see & relive?" Leo exclaimed off to say this from what that was like.
"Yeah, maybe if Cybershark & the other Water Maximals were here, they could have handled this?" Razorbeast exclaimed to say in who would have been a better water expert then those that are Ground & Air types.
"Too bad, they weren't here?" Grizzly-1 remotely stated that they lucked out on who could have helped them out.
"What, irony…gruguraahh….for a warrior like me to go out blind, wet, and helpless…" Dinobot moans off to complain in how he was about to go out i na way that was unseating to his stature.
"Brruuah…Bruuaagh….We're…" Rhinox was feeling some bits of chill of the water flowing off himself while he listened in & took his breaths. "We're not finished yet." Rhinox he turn to Dinobot's location in trying to make sure that everyone doesn't feel like their case was hopeless.
"SPARE Me Your Eternal Optimism." Dinobot turn his head direction to snap off at what Rhinox was trying to do, it won't help them. "Grugurgurauaughh…Waspinator will be back this time." With a snarling of his breath, Dinobot exclaimed to know for certain to look downward, feeling that the enemy will come back to finish them off.
"If they come back, what do we do? Artemis was taken?" Jackrabbit asked off in what they can do with their friend taken.
"If I could see, I could try to fly to rescue her, but…I can't in this blind state?" Larkshot shook his head in knowing he can't perform anything from his disadvantage condition.
"At any rate, things are not looking their best for us?" B'Boom sadly shook his head in how things were looking, blind Maximals for easy targets.
At this very moment, we see that the Predacon Fliers were soaring through the air: Terrorsaur, Waspinator, Lazorbeak & Buzz-Saw who held the limp body of Artemis. The scenery of the flowing of the river fro the waterfalls was seen before across one dry shore spot, were the blind Maximals on shore. Even though blind, the Maximals heard the sound of someone flying by over to the next spot. At the same moment, the Predacon fliers rose up into a cloudy location, where it looks like they were about to discuss matters involving…the Maximals they found; still functioning for now?
"Well this was surprising, they still function?" Lazorbeak stated in having saw that the targets are not done…yet.
"Everyone…." Artemis slowly spoke in knowing that she could hear everything; she was glad to know it.
"Hah! Destroyed them, did you?" Terrorsaur taunted off to point the finger at Waspinator for having claimed that the Maximals were gone, but they still function.
"Waspinator is ZZzick of Zztupid Maximals!" Waspinator clutch his fist in sounding annoyed & upset over what has occurred again of Maximal tolerance. "Thizz time…we'll make zzzure of their destruction!" Waspinator issued off that now, it's time to truly destroy the targets.
"Then it will be easy, they cannot aim well even if they do fight. And when it's over, we Predacons..shall claim the spoilers." Buzz-Saw declared forth this in knowing, they will secure both the Maximal remains & the silver gynoid for the Predacon cause.
With agreement settle, the Predacon Fliers soon took off to fly down to prepare to finish off the Maximals with no hope of survival.
Back with Rhinox's blind group, they were on the dry rocky shore, as Dinobot was trying to tap on a rocky smooth surface going upwards; not much for escaping upwards or for the rest to go down the waterfall current.
"What do we do Rhinox?" Cheetor asked off in not knowing what else they can do now that the enemy has caught up to finish them.
"Nowhere to run... so we fight." Rhinox issued off in knowing that in tough spots, they need to stand their ground then try to runaway. "Transform Now!" He turn to where he heard Dinobot touching the rocky cliff surface to issue that all Maximals, to transform to Robot Mode; pronto for a fight.
"Are you INSANE!?" Dinobot turn around to snap off at Rhinox in requesting such an outrageous plan to attack while BLIND. "We Can't…" He was about to protest further of their condition, but…
"For ONCE…Do what Rhinox says, Chopper-Face!?" Rattrap snapped off in wanting Dinobot to quit complaining & just do as he's told.
Soon without warning, Rattrap transform to Robot Mode, though the transforming process was a little…rough on his performance due to being damaged. The rest of the Maximals except for Rhinox transformed, but they suffered spark glitches from their contamination condition. Now at this time, Waspinator, Terrorsaur, Lazorbeak & Buzz-Saw were seen flying across the opposite direction, as they aim their weapons upon seeing the blind Maximals standing up before them on the shore.
"POwfruvhmmm…/POCFruvhmmm…/BAMgruvhmm…" The Predacons fired their attacks that caused an explosion that just missed the Maximals as they yelped from what almost got them.
The Maximals tried to fire off their shots, but they were just aiming at nothing as the attackers had already flown off.
"Wh-Wh-Where are they?" Cheetor asked off frantically in trying to take aim, but can't when he's still blind.
"I thought they were over there?" B'Boom spoke off in looking at the wrong way of where the enemies went.
"Where?" Razorbeast asked off to look at the backside of his direction.
"Over there?" Leo pointed off in where he heard the sound of where someone ran.
"No, over that way?" JackRabbit pointed off in thinking of another direction.
"Oh We're Scrapped, Man! We're SCRAPPED!" Rattrap was panicking off in feeling that there was no way they can win this.
"How Can We Hit, What We CAN'T SEE!?" Dinobot complained forth that they can't hit something when they're blindness causes such a disadvantage.
"This is RIDICULOUS!?" Grizzly-1 yelled off that this was foolish, they can't win when they are blind.
"Maximals! Listen to me!" Rhinox yelled out to get the others to listen to him by their ears.
That caused this that were lost & unsure what to do from their condition to turn where they heard Rhinox speak; what can he say that will help them overcome this.
"Picture a targeting grid in your head." Rhinox shut his eyes to issue this forth in wanting the others to imagine something in their heads. "Like the one we used in practice simulations." He open his blind white eyes i stating what the others should do, picture that which is something they done during a practice simulation run.
Rattrap felt strange, but tried to narrow his eyes in trying to…'picture' something.
"Do you see it?" Rhinox asked this forth in seeing how the rest can follow along.
"Grrrr….This is absurd?" Dinobot snarled off in finding this was nothing but a waste of time.
"Concentrate. You can do it." Rhinox spoke gently in trying to help guide those to not doubt themselves, but to focus on concentration.
Now Cheetor was squeezing his eyes tightly, as everything was becoming a dark void within him. Suddenly, the darkness was changing to a pair of goggles of where the eyes were staring at a digital grid of emerald square pattern floors & a homered square line frame. It was almost like a simulation for a game to help one target things.
"I…I-I-I can see it?" Cheetor's voice was heard off in having seen what he can see here now. "Yeah!" He shows a hopeful expression in being able to see things now in such a way.
"Yeah…Yeah…Me Too!" Rattrap exclaimed off in being able to see the simulation grid as well. "But…" Rattrap was about to ask this off until…
"They're coming in." Rhinox cuts in to state about the enemy that was gonna be coming in soon. "Stand your ground & listen to my instructions." He issued forth in wanting everyone to standby & follow his orders here.
Then in a strange motion, Rhinox stands himself upwards & makes a strange rhino pose in head up, front legs stretch upwards out; almost like a buddy statue. Rhinox's eyes shut tight, as something was seen… The image of the incoming Predacon fliers that were about to approach the Maximals spot.
"Get ready!" Terrorsaur issued to Waspinator to be ready, they are about to make another attack run.
"Everyone…be…care-care…ugh…?" Artemis was trying to say something, but her body reacted to a spark glitch, causing a short out a bit…
"Save it, this time…it's over." Buzz-Saw declared forth that their next strike, will end this.
Rhinox was still in his focus state of mind, as if trying to know when & where the enemy will come to attack them.
"Cheetor! Vector 537." Rhinox gave these instructions to which Cheetor pose himself to aim his Quasar Cannon. "Rattrap! Vector 542." Rhinox was heard giving instructions to Rattrap as he position his blaster in the same motion. "Razorbeast! Vector 523." Rhinox explained this that made Razorbeast take aim with his own weapon. "JackRabbit! Larkshot! Launch Path On Vector 501." Rhinox gave these instructions to the two as they stood ready. "B'Boom! Vector 516." Rhinox gave the next instructions to B'Boom to take aim. "Grizzly-1! Vector 536." Now it was Grizzly-1 that was getting himself ready next. "Leo! Vector 559." Leo heard the instructions to take his position next. "Dinobot! Vector 554" Rhinox lastly instructed Dinobot as he turn his head upwards now. "On my mark…" As Rhinox was issuing this, Dinobot's optics were glowing emerald color to fire his Optic Beams. "FIRE!" Rhinox gave the order for all those here to attack now.
"Po-Pwovhmm…./BAMFruvhmmm…" Soon as the Predacon fliers were about to reach the shore spot to attack ,the Maximals were firing their attacks that were aim correctly to hit….the targets.
"GRAARrugh…ARRRrr-ARrr, ARRrugh-ARRruaghhh!" Terrorsaur was suddenly hit as he was knocked clear out of the dive & heading elsewhere out of control until… "SPLATVhmmm…." He was splatter into the side of the wall.
"DIEeeeghhh! Not possible?" Waspinator yelps to protest in disbelief; how could the blind Maximals have managed to hit them when they can't see.
"HEADS UP!" Suddenly at this moment, Larkshot flew upwards to suddenly ram & tackle a surprise Buzz-Saw, but never saw JackRabbit as his back passenger.
"Gotcha!" Jackrabbit then snatches Artemis before landing in where Larkshot flew before turning around.
"They got the Gynoid!" Lazorbeak issued in what just happened, & was about to shot but… "KABLAM!/ARRRughhhh!" Now Lazorbeak was shot off from below, as he was suddenly crashing against where Terrorsaur was.
"We must fallback!" Buzz-Saw issued off in seeing that they were needing to regroup here.
Then without warning, Waspinator & Buzz-Saw soon took off to vacate behind some cloud cover while more fired off attacks from the Maximals was made. During the same moment,near the waterfalls, the sounds of weaponry being fired was heard across the distance. At which time Tigatron was roaming in Beast Mode before stopping from what he's hearing that lets off a low growl.
"Tigatron - MAXIMIZE!" Tigatron issued forth to say, as he lets out a tiger's roar to transform to Robot Mode. "Tigatron to Optimus Primal! Can you read me?" He held up his left wrist to activate his com-link to give a report to Optimus of having found something; something that may be what they needed to find.
Back with Rhinox's group, the rhino's eyes widen in having…heard something about to come at them from above.
"Rattrap! Vector 139, Quick!" Rhinox had his head focusing upwards, as he gave the next instructions of where to target the enemy coming in.
"POEfruvhmm…" Then Rattrap position in a leg stretch kneel pose before….he fired a shot directly at…the dive-bombing Waspinator.
"KABLAMVvhmmm…./DRuhh-RUUagh…WRROOoaaughhh!" That shot imploded on Waspinator, as he yelps from being mostly on fire to shift away from the Maximals &… "Spalsh-Spalsh, Splash…/DRUUUaurgh!?" Hits the water a few times before clashing into a rocky structure before being taken in while smoke faded from that spot; now the wasp bot's taken care of.
"Bonecrusher! Vector 140, Quick!" Rhinox used his senses to determine where the next attack was about to come from.
"POWfruvhmmm…BAMFruvhmmm…" Bonecrusher suddenly fires a missile from his mouth in the direction of where Buzz-Saw was preparing to sneak from the left to dive in, but it blew up in his face…literally by an exploding missile. "AAAAHHHrrugh….." Buzz-Saw was screaming out in being shot across the distance before hitting the watery current. "Splash-Splash, SPLASH…/GRAAArugh!" Buzz-Saw hit the water as many times as Waspiantor before he too was now underneath the stuff, completely taken out like the rest.
At last, the battle was over, the Maximals managed to achieve victory against the odds, BLINDFOLDED. Literally even after what seem impossible, right now, JackRabbit & Larkshot gently lay Artemis on the ground after having rescued her.
"Ah-Ah-All right…" Cheetor was slowly stating from what it felt like, they won…blindfolded even. "We…" Just as he was about to say something, he was cut off. "Brizizivhmm…./Ugh-Urgh…AARrrughh!?" A strange energy pulse was coursing through the body, as Cheetor's body made a weird shutdown sequence to drop without warning.
"Cheetor?" Rhinox looked at the direction of where Cheetor fell without warning.
"What's happen…on…in?/TRruzizivhmmm…" Dinobot was about to say until his body went through the same sequence of energy shorting him out & shut him down to fell down on the ground.
"Hey-Hey, Hey, what's going…/TRizizivhmmm…" Rattrap was panicking of this too before the same energy pulse effected his body to cause him to collapse & shutdown too.
"TRrizizivhmmmm…/WUUARrughhh…" Soon Razorbeast, JackRabbit, Bonecrusher, B'Boom, Grizzly-1, Leo & Larkshot also suffered the same fact of an energy surge overtaking them, & knocking them unconscious.
"Rhinox….what's…happening….everyone….they sound…different? Why…?" Artemis slowly asked off in being unable to determine what was wrong or see anything, but she heard plenty.
"Transforming speeded the contamination?" Rhinox whispered this off to himself in having realized what happened here to those transformed. "They're all in Stasis-Lock?" Rhinox went wide-eye in realizing, that now the bots here are in the last stage of their lives being on the reserve or else without treatment, they will cease function. Just then, some rocks fell from a cliff nearby that made Rhinox hear to look up, he may not see, but he heard it to know; there is another. "Rhinox - MAXIMIZE!" Rhinox yelled out this activation code as his Beast Mode roared before he transform to Robot Mode. "Don't worry" He took out his gatling machine gun to prepare to sense where the enemy was & battle to his very last to protect his group no matter what…
"Rhinox!" Optimus' voice was heard in the distance, that alone calm Rhinox down to hear…a familiar & friendly voice.
Soon flying down from the clouded misty skies, was a familiar bot figure that hovered from his jet propulsion function; it was Optimus Primal in Robot Mode followed by Dive-Bomb in joining him. Rhinox was seen lowering his weapon to stare at the sound of the jet thrusters to know…who was here for the last bot being active.
"Optimus. I knew you'd co-com…ugh?/TRRrizizivhmmm…." Rhinox was showing signs of being received of who was here, but it was cut short as his body pulsated with an energy pulse that caused his body to shutdown & go into Stasis's-Lock much to the worried Maximal Commander's view.
"By the All-Spark…Optimus, we require aid here to move these bots?" Dive-Bomb exclaimed with worry in seeing what was wrong with these bots.
"Optimus to Tigatron! Code X!" Optimus used his com-link on his right wrist to issue an emergency coded message of the situation before hanging up.
"Artemis, are you still functioning?" Dive-Bomb came up to check on the gynoid, she looks…
"Do not worry for me…please…save…both…Ugh…Augh?/Trizizivuhmm…" As Artemis was looking to where Dive-Bomb was, her entire body lit up with energy that she soon suffered the same far as the rest, & shutdown soon afterwards.
"Oh no…Artemis? Will she make it?" Optimus stated to say this in feeling concern for the young gynoid.
"Yes, if we hurry, we need to require a Warp Gate, posthaste." Dive-Bomb explained this forth in what was going to be the necessary aid to save these bots.
Optimus only stares at those before him, knowing that his mind was filled with hoping that they are not too late. As a Warp Gate opened, a few other Maximals came to slowly help the rest recover their missing teammates…only time will tell what happens next…
Moments Later…
At The Maximal Base…?
The scene begins to open around the front of the Axelon Ship during the later afternoon & evening part while the sun still shines. But the scene changes to directly inside the Maximal Base, as the CR Chamber was heard making it's final working progress before…it's hatch opens up. That's when we see it was Rhinox who was inside, his body was repaired from the continuation explosion, & his optics were….off. They flashed a bit before showing their usual color instead of being white.
""Hey, buddy!" Then Rattrap's voice was heard chuckling a bit while Rhinox was seeing mostly…a blur at the time. "Good to SEE ya. Heh?" Rattrap was heard making quaky jokes as the blurs faded to show Rhinox's vision of the Command Center, & that the Maximals from the group were repaired & their optic eyes were repaired; also in the room was Optimus while seeing the last bot fixed up here. "And, thanks." Rattrap leans forward to give his most humble of thanks for what Rhinox did.
"Goes double for me, big guy." Cheetor approached from behind Rattrap to smile in also giving thanks here for Rhinox's efforts.
"Triple for me!" JackRabbit smiled off to also agree to that very same term of agreement here.
"And everything else too." Larkshot nods off to also say this as his own response to the topic.
"Uh-huh!" Razorbeast nods off to simply agree with everyone else.
"We can all see again." B'Boom replied off to eagerly say this that they can see now, thanks to this bot here.
"Including, one more…" Leo issued off to say this, as the others move aside to let…Artemis be seen; fully repaired & her own optics working again.
"Artemis? Your all better?" Rhinox replied off surprise to see who else was here, & fixed too.
"Indeed, Dive-Bomb helped fix me enough to be rescued from going offline." Artemis nods off to gently say this in thanking the medical bot here.
"It was a close call. She was inches away from the rest of you." Dive-Bomb replied doff to honestly say this about how close it was that Artemis almost went offline.
"Yeah, lucky thing all our blasting got their attention when you lead us." Grizzly-1 nods off to simply say this in how things turn out for them.
"Hmm. I suppose you did do a... commendable job out there." Dinobot was the first to show speaking in terms of commenting how Rhinox's efforts helped them survive to return & get fix before biting the big one.
"If Rhinox had never gotten you as far as he did, we may not have gotten you to the R Chamber in time." Optimus explained this forth to Dinobot &the rest about how lucky everyone was that they made it as close as they could, otherwise, those here would have been lost.
"We're just lucky you & Dive-Bomb arrived when you did." Rhinox turn to give some thanks that Optimus arrived at the perfect time with a medical bot that helped saved them & be brought back to the base to be repaired. "But all-in-all…I say it was a good experience for us." Rhinox shrug off to lightly state their matter of having gone through such an experience.
"GOOD!? Grugrugruaghh…." Dinobot snapped off to snarl a bit from having heard what was said here. "What! In the Inferno was 'Good' about it?" Dinobot protest in what was so good from nearly dying out there while blinded the whole time trying to get back here.
"We never really appreciated what we're capable of doing while in Beast Form." Rhinox shook his head in firmly explaining the case of how they learn to appreciate the things they can do when in their Beast Modes that had; other advantage use. "Now…we know." He proudly stated this off as a wise-guru to nod that they have learn much of this experience.
"You know….ugh, I think he's got a point?" Bonecrusher rubbed the back of his head to say this for thought.
"I suppose in the end, we never would have gotten by if not for our own Beast Mode's function?" Grizzly-1 shrug off to say this in how they managed to realize something here.
"Perhaps we should look at things as a means to…understand ourselves from any disadvantage we come across?" Leo rubbed his chin to ponder this thought out as a means to get by better.
"Oh, you mean like from being blind?" Razorbeast replied off in following the conversation here.
"It would be nice to not deal with that again?" B'Boom stated how they rather like to make sure, they are never i na blind pickle of not knowing how to get by when they can't see.
"Perhaps by then…I can use the targeting simulation system to help us? May help us avoid enemies?" Larkshot suggested how they can use one factor to help them get through another crisis.
"Even my rabbit ears could hear things better. Guess this was a worth wild lesson after all?" JackRabbit smiled off in never have learn something that could be a second use for the youngest bot.
"So then Big R., what're you gonna do now?" Cheetor asked off in what Rhinox was planning to do from here on out.
"Oh I know what I'll be doing…getting in touch with my Beast Mode…& everything around my surroundings." Rhinox issued forth to mention this as a way of what he'll be doing.
Then at that moment, Rhinox was seen transforming into his Beast Mode at the time.
"Now if you'll excuse me. I'm gonna go smell some flowers." Rhinox declared off to say this in where he'll be going to enjoy things as his Beast Mode would make one feel for life it's self.
Then without a second later, Rhinox was seen roaming on out down the corridor hallway, as he was preparing to venture outward & to enjoy the life of what nature has to offer; in Rhinox's case, enjoying the space & serenity of smelling lovely flowers in an open field.
"There goes one center Maximal I have come to slowly understand." Artemis issued forth the mystery that is, of the scientist called Rhinox who is very much, one that co-exist of his natural surroundings.
"HEh... ya know, ya gotta love the big lugnut." Rattrap cross his arms to easily say this off that no matter what goes on or how to handle the issue; Rhinox is a bot that one just can't seem to argue with & find his company…comforting at best.
With that all said & done from the rodent, the camera begins to zoom around Rattrap's face before it went out with his cheeky smile. And thus the day has come to an end, with a new form of experience to help guide the many…to a new future…
NOTES: The line 'Perfect Time To Panic' is a reference from the first Toy Story film used by Woody when he & Buzz Lightyear got left at a gas station.
Well there we go, another story made & done. Next up, will be something of a blast from the past, as something enters the Beast Wars, & may bring new trouble to the Maximals. An ancient Decepticon from the Great War that now resides in the Predacon: Waspinator. All most be aware, for it is none other then…Air Commander Starscream! And he's about to make the Beast Wars end & capture the Key if nothing can stop him. What's gonna happen, stay tune to find out…?