Hello readers! Today, I wrote something different for this story. This chapter will be the first collection of short stories that tell of how the Maximals and the kids spend their time together when they are not fighting the Predacons. I will be inserting more chapters like these in between the plot. Think of it as a break from the action to enjoy some funny and lighthearted moments. Without further ado, here is the first chapter of Miscellaneous. I do not own Transformers, Beast Wars, Neon Cat, Gangnam Style, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Lassie, Candy Crush, Annie Awards, Genesis Awards, Prime Time Emmy Awards, Kids Choice Awards, Peabody Awards, or Avatar: The last Airbender. Transformers and Beast Wars are the property of Hasbro. Avatar: The Last Airbender is the property of Nickelodeon. Gangnam Style is the property of music artist PSY.
Miscellaneous: Part 1
Fun and Games
Sunlight cracked through the thick canopy of branches hanging from the hemlock trees surrounding Mt. Saber. Various birds chirped and fluttered between the branches.
Rhinox was in beast mode, napping by the mouth of the cave. The blades of grass swayed from his loud rumbling snores. The old Maximal was exhausted from constant maintenance of the Axalon and decided to let himself recharge with some peace and quiet.
Connie, Derek, and the Witwicky brothers slowly crept up to the large pachyderm, carrying hula hoops of various sizes and colors.
"You sure he's asleep?" asked Evan.
Ethan quietly crept towards Rhinox's head and carefully poked his snout; the large Maximal continued to snore. He snapped his fingers and clapped his hands, but it was safe to say Rhinox was out like a light. Ethan put his thumbs up towards his friends, signaling the go-ahead.
The teens carefully placed the plastic rings to the side as Connie whispered, "You guys ready?"
"Yeah, the one with the least amount of points buys the pizza," replied Ethan.
"Well then, I hope you all have been saving, because I'm definitely ordering the meat lovers deluxe with garlic crust," whispered Derek.
Evan smirked at his sibling. "If I win, my nerdy brother has to eat one whole slice of The Spicy Pompeii Pie."
"Not unless I win then you have to eat it," replied Ethan.
"Enough trash talk, let's do this! I'll go first," said Connie.
The girl picked up one of the hula hoops and held it like a Frisbee. She swung the large ring a few times to perfect her aim before tossing it towards Rhinox. But the hoop went wide and landed right on the other side of the cave entrance.
"Darn!" whispered Connie.
Derek was next as he picked up a hula hoop and took a few practice swings before tossing it. The hoop glided towards Rhinox and got caught in his massive horn. The toy spun a few times before sliding on top of his snout.
Derek fist-pumped and cried, "Yes! That's one point."
Ethan was next as he picked up a hula hoop and tossed it. Just like before, the plastic ring glided onto the rhino's horn.
"You better order a tall glass of milk for the amount of pain you're going to be in, little bro," said the older Witwicky brother with a smirk.
"We'll see about that," replied Evan.
The nine-year-old picked up a ring and tossed it. The kids watched as the hula hoop looked like it was about to land on the horn. But at the last second, Rhinox groaned and turned his head in the opposite direction. Evan's hoop landed on the ground and the little boy gaped at his unexpected loss.
"Wha-!" said Evan.
Ethan snickered and patted him on the shoulder, "You'll get it next time."
The round went back to Connie as she picked up another hula hoop and tossed it. She stared anxiously as the hoop looked like it was going to land on the horn, but Rhinox turned his head again making the ring fall to the ground.
"Oh, come on!" said Connie.
Derek picked up a hoop and tossed it. Just like before, the hoop seemed like it was going towards Rhinox. But suddenly, the large pachyderm rolled to the other side on his back. Not only did Derek's hula hoop miss, but all of the other hoops on Rhinox's horn slid off.
The kids stared in bewilderment at how much Rhinox tossed and turned in his sleep. Now it was impossible to play with the horn upside-down.
They were ready to leave disappointed when a familiar low chuckle came from the sleeping rhino. He rolled back on his feet as the quartet froze in fear, knowing they were caught red-handed.
The large Maximal just smirked. "You kids got some good aim. Maybe it can be more challenging if you had a moving target."
It turned out, that Rhinox was awake the whole time.
"So, you're not mad?" said Connie.
The rhino shook his head. "Not at all. I was even having a little fun myself. But please, warn me next time you want to use my horn for your games."
All of the kids nodded.
"We will, Rhinox," said Evan.
In the end, the Maximal engineer put the rings back on his horn and spun them around. The kids laughed as they joined by spinning the remaining hula hoops around their waists.
Helping on the Farm
The midday sun hung in the middle of the blue sky as Optimus carried a large bale of hay over his shoulder, in beast mode. The gorilla made his way into the barn where he added the bale to the rest of the pile the Witwickys stored. Carly came up from behind the Maximal leader, carrying a smaller bale, and added it to the stack.
The old woman sighed and wiped her brow before turning to Optimus. "Thank you so much for your help, Optimus. But you didn't have to go through all of this trouble for us. We're used to doing all of this work every day."
The gorilla smiled down at Spike's wife and replied, "It's no problem, Carly. Your family has done enough for us already that we feel it is necessary to return the favor."
At the sound of laughter, both Carly and Optimus turned and looked out the barn to see Evan riding Rhinox, in beast mode, as he pulled a plow across the fields. It was a temporary solution until Daniel bought a new tractor to replace the one Terrorsaur destroyed.
Ethan stood up from milking the cows and saw Wolfang herding the sheep. The large lupine barked and sprinted around the flock like a border collie. Surprisingly, the sheep did not cower and scatter at the large wolf, as they did at any other predator. They remained well-behaved and obedient to the Maximal acting as their temporary watchdog.
"You don't see that every day," commented the teenager.
Ethan was used to hearing fairy tales and nursery rhymes where the wolf was always the vicious monster that ate innocent people and animals. He also learned at an early age that wolves were not the savages those stories and the media portrayed them to be. But the eldest Witwicky boy never thought he would see a wolf protecting a flock of sheep, like Lassie.
Meanwhile, Rattrap held an empty basket in his front paws as he walked in a moping manner towards the chicken coop.
"Oh man! Stupid ape, making me do human chores. I'm an engineer, trained to build and fix ships, not collecting weird orbs that come from the skid plates of fat birds," he grumbled.
The door was large enough for the rodent to enter and collect the eggs from the chickens. But after a few seconds, the coop was filled with loud clucks and flapping wings.
"Aah! Watch it! Ouch! Get off me!" cried Rattrap.
The Maximal engineer sprinted out of the coop, being chased and pecked by a large number of chickens and one rooster. Once Rattrap was a few yards away from the coop, the chickens stopped chasing him and pecked the ground for food.
Rattrap stopped by the house panting.
He wiped the feathers off of his fur and glared at the flock of chickens. "Little demons with wings! They wouldn't be laughing long if I got my paws on one of those deep fryer thingies."
Reminiscing
"Faster Cheetor! Faster!" cried Evan.
"You got it, buddy!" replied the young Maximal in beast mode.
The child held on tight to his guardian's fur as they sprinted around the farm in a large circle. Both of them laughed as they sped across the fields and vaulted over the fences. But Cheetor had so much fun, that he failed to notice the rake lay across his path. The spotted feline tripped and both he and Evan tumbled across the grass. They lay flat on their backs and looked up at the blue sky, a little stunned by their crash but unharmed. It wasn't long before Evan and Cheetor laughed even more from their clumsiness. The feline pounced playfully on the young boy and licked his face.
"Cheetor that tickles!" laughed Evan.
The teenagers sat on the porch while watching the nine-year-old play with his guardian.
"Watch out, Ethan. I think Cheetor is trying to replace you," joked Derek.
"Nah, I'm glad Evan has found another friend besides us trouble-making teens," said Ethan.
"Yes, we are such a bad influence to the poor innocent child," said Connie sarcastically.
The teens chuckled when Spike stepped out onto the porch.
"Hey kids," said the old man.
"Hi Grandpa," replied Ethan.
Spike leaned on the porch railing with both hands. "What are you three up to?"
"Just watching Evan and Cheetor being their goofy selves," said Connie.
The old man stared at Evan and Cheetor playfully wrestling each other on the grass. His mouth slowly turned into a smile. The sight of his grandson playing with the spotted feline reminded Spike of a certain yellow bug he used to drive around in when he was much younger; the tires kicking up dust as they sped through the dirt roads with the radio playing.
Faster Bee! Faster!
You got it, pal!
Woooohooo!
Hard to believe it had been nearly thirty years since he met his small Cybertronian friend. Spike and Bumblebee had been through so much together, and not just with their battles against the Decepticons. He remembered when the little Autobot took him and Carly out on their first date or when Spike introduced Bumblebee to drive-in movies.
The old man's train of thought was broken when he heard his wife shout, "Evan! Cheetor! Say cheese!"
A few yards from the duo, Carly had her phone up and took a picture of her grandson smiling at the camera while hugging Cheetor from the side.
Later that night, Evan sat in bed while Spike told his grandson another one of his adventures with the Autobots. Since both boys now learned of their grandparents' past, Spike made it a routine to tell his youngest grandson stories of his history with the Transformers before bed. Evan was engrossed as his grandfather described the many battles they fought and the various Cybertronians he encountered. Cheetor lay by the foot of the bed, listening to the story as well.
"Woah! So what did you guys do?" asked Evan anxiously.
"Well, Wheeljack figured out a way to reverse the energy flow in the weapon to make it self-destruct before the Decepticons could use it," said Spike.
The child scrunched his face in confusion. "Self-destruct?"
"It means blow itself up," replied the old man.
Evan's eyes widened with amazement. "Wow! Wheeljack sounded super smart."
"Well, he used to be one of the greatest scientists on Cybertron before the Great War. Wheeljack was responsible for building and constructing most of the various tools and weapons the Autobots would use against the Decepticons. That isn't to say, Ratchet wasn't very helpful in those tasks as well. But his focus was more on fixing any hurt Autobots since he was the medic," said Spike
The nine-year-old's gaze drifted into thought before asking, "Do you miss them?"
Spike's face became crestfallen.
He remained quiet for a few seconds before answering his grandson. "Of course. I considered all of the Autobots my friends. We had been through so much together. It was like saying goodbye to a part of our family when they stayed on Cybertron and your Father, Grandmother, and I went back to Earth."
"You think there's a chance you'll get to see them again?" asked Evan.
It was the old man's turn to pause and think. "I'm not too sure. It's been close to thirty years since we defeated Unicron. I don't even know if they are still around." He smirked. "But, I like to believe there is always the possibility. Now, it's time for bed."
The child leaned his head against his pillow while his grandfather tucked him in. "Goodnight, Grandpa."
Spike smiled and rubbed his grandson's head. "Goodnight, Evan. Goodnight, Cheetor. I'll see you both in the morning."
"Goodnight, Spike," replied the young Maximal.
The two rested their heads and closed their eyes as the old man turned off the light. He stared at the cheetah curled up beside his grandson, admiring the strong friendship that quickly formed between the two.
However, Spike Witwicky felt restless and could not bring himself to go to bed yet. He decided to go into the bunker and look over his shelf of mementos from the Great War. However, when the automatic door slid open, he was surprised to see Carly there, facing that very same shelf.
"Carly?" he cried.
His wife turned around and jumped. "Oh! Spike! You scared me!"
Spike rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, dear. I wasn't ready to sleep. What brings you down here?"
She smiled and moved out of the way of the shelf. Hanging beside the photo of Spike and Bumblebee was the picture of Evan and Cheetor that Carly took earlier. He stared at the photo in awe, amazed and at how the two photographs were very similar.
"I thought since our grandkids are having their own adventures now, they deserve to hold onto some memories of their own," said Carly.
Spike never thought his grandchildren would follow in his footsteps when it came to the Transformers. Most family legacies involved taking over a business or passing down skills to use in life. But for the Witwicky family, it was helping extraterrestrial robots in their fight against evil. Now, Ethan and Evan were officially part of it.
Spike wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder. "It's a nice idea. But their memories deserve to have their own display."
Carly smiled and leaned her head into Spike's shoulder.
The old man stared at the two photographs while his heart filled with a mixture of joy and sorrow. Seeing Evan's picture with Cheetor brought back the nostalgia he felt when he was with the Autobots. Though his years of fighting Decepticons were behind him, now it was time for Ethan and Evan to prove themselves among their extraterrestrial friends.
"Wherever you are, old friend, I hope you are well," whispered Spike.
Both his younger self and the yellow bot smiled back at him.
Going Viral
Rattrap stared at the holo screen in disgust as techno music played and a pixilated cat with a pastry body flew across a starry background. The strange feline left a rainbow trail.
Unable to stand the bizarre YouTube video any longer, the buck-toothed Maximal switched to a different video. This one had a human dressed in a blue suit and dark sunglasses, performing a strange dance in a stable full of horses while singing in Korean.
"This is what humans find entertaining?" said Rattrap. "What kind of circuit melting scrap is this?"
"Oh! I think Ethan and Evan call it…umm, Gangnam Style! They say it's a popular dance on Earth," said Cheetor.
"Well, this planet's perspective on popular and dancing is nothing but a load of slag to me. Most of these human recordings either contain complete nonsense or circuit-numbing boredom. Why would I want to watch a holo vid of humans opening boxes? If I wanted to watch someone open a box, I would do it myself!" complained the bucktoothed Maximal.
"Come on, Rattrap. You have to admit, some of these vids are funny, especially the ones with cats," said Cheetor.
He scratched his chin in thought. "You think Tigatron and I can make a popular cat video?"
"And risk blowing our cover? Fat chance, Spots," replied Rattrap.
Nyx danced onto the deck with earbuds in her bat-like ears. Both Cheetor and Rattrap stared at the pilot as she swung her hips and flung her arms around the deck, fully entranced by whatever she listened to.
The small engineer marched up to the female Maximal and asked, "Nyx, what in Primus are you doing?"
Nyx did not respond, continuing to move her body in fluent motions.
"NYX!" shouted Rattrap.
The pilot still did not respond.
He tapped her side, which brought Nyx out of her trance, and looked at both bots in front of her.
She pulled out one of the earbuds. "Sorry guys, didn't see you there?"
"What the heck were you doing? Your limbs malfunctioning?" asked Rattrap.
"Oh! Connie lent me some of her Earth music to listen to. The pipes on these humans are ultra gear. You want to listen?" asked Nyx.
Rattrap just held up a hand. "No thanks, I had enough of Earth music for one day. I'm surprised humans were able to develop this far with this white noise they call entertainment."
The bucktoothed engineer marched out of the deck, leaving Cheetor alone with Nyx.
"Touchy," said the pilot.
"And I thought Dinobot was the biggest grump on our crew," said Cheetor. "So, what kind of music do humans listen to?"
Nyx smiled and explained, "Well, according to Connie, Earth has a large variety of genres performed by different musicians. Some examples include Classic, Rock, and Techno. But she listens to what is called Pop, which includes musicians such as Katy Perry, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga. A lot of their songs give you this feeling like you receive enough Energon to make you dance for cycles upon cycles. Here, have a listen."
Cheetor placed the free ear bud in his audio processor and listened to the music. Though it wasn't his favorite beat, he had to admit it was catchy.
Meanwhile, Rattrap snuck off into the cargo hold of the Axalon and sat behind one of the crates. He took a quick scan of the area to make sure no one was watching. Once he learned the area was clear of prying eyes, he tapped a few buttons on his gauntlet. A small holo screen popped up in front of him, displaying Candy Crush.
"Time to beat that stupid level that keeps stumping me," said Rattrap.
The small engineer got to work, sliding the matching icons together to clear the screen.
Fetch!
Wolfang laid down on the lawn of the Witiwcky farm in beast mode. Since his awakening from the stasis pod, the new Maximal was overwhelmed by the various sensations of Earth he gathered in his explorations. The babbling brooks and mountain air contained a sense of beauty and serenity that both he and Tigatron had come to admire. However, where Tigatron enjoyed the peaceful and calming aspects of the planet's wilderness, Wolfang embraced the thrilling and adventurous parts. He was unsure if it was because Earth was so different from Cybertron or that his wolf instincts took over once in a while.
His train of thought was interrupted as Connie said, "Hey Wolfang."
The human kids walked by while greeting the lupine.
He pulled his head up and replied, "Hello kids."
"We're about to play Frisbee, you want to join us?" asked Evan.
"No thank you. I just finished patrolling the area for Predacon activity and will rest for now," said Wolfang.
"Okay, but let us know if you change your mind," said the nine-year-old.
The gray wolf laid his head back down and closed his eyes as the human children spread out on the grass. Derek was the first to serve and tossed the red plastic disc in the air. It glided a few seconds before descending in Evan's direction. The young boy ran underneath the Frisbee and caught it in both hands before it hit the ground. With the disc in his possession, Evan threw it in a different direction. This time, it glided towards his brother as Ethan did the same and ran underneath the Frisbee to catch it.
The whole time, Wolfang's ears twitched in the direction of the Frisbee, hearing the faint whistling sound of the wind as it glided across the air. Eventually, the gray lupine's head shot up and focused directly on the object the children tossed to each other. Wolfang couldn't explain it, but he had this sudden urge to chase the plastic disc. He tried to steel himself, but the more the kids tossed the object, the harder it became to resist.
Derek tossed the Frisbee when suddenly, Wolfang bolted towards it while barking joyfully. The large wolf leaped in the air and caught the disc in his mouth. He landed and turned to face the kids; his tail wagging rapidly.
Ethan, Derek, Connie, and Evan were all stunned by the Maximal's sudden action to catch the Frisbee. Wolfang snapped out of his excitement and spat the toy out of his mouth. He too was bewildered by this sudden behavior. Wolfang didn't know why he did it, but for some reason, he enjoyed it.
Evan picked up the Frisbee as the Maximal's eyes locked onto the plastic disc. His tail continued to wag as he crouched low, preparing to sprint.
The youngest Witwicky boy smiled and gradually moved the Frisbee in different directions. The whole time, Wolfang's eyes followed the brightly colored toy no matter where Evan moved it.
The child smirked before throwing the disc in the opposite direction yelling, "Fetch!"
Just like before, Wolfang sprinted in the direction of the disc and caught it in his muzzle. The kids laughed, watching the large wolf play with their Frisbee like a dog. Although, it was no surprise to them that wolves were capable of such playful behavior, being the ancestors that man's best friend descended from.
They each took turns tossing the Frisbee for Wolfang to catch. With every throw, the lupine's excitement grew larger as he bound and jumped to catch the plastic disc in his mouth. He laughed with the human children as they continued to play together. This sensation was almost similar to how Wolfang felt when sprinting through the forest or howling at night. It felt amazing!
For the rest of the day, Wolfang played fetch with the kids until it was time for the Witicky brothers to go inside for dinner and their friends to go home. Wolfang made his way back to the Axalon, invigorated by this strange sense of fun he experienced.
Movie Night
It was nighttime at the Witwicky farm as Ethan and Derek finished putting up a large white canvas between two trees and plugging in the sound system. Stars filled the dark blue sky with the faint sound of crickets in the distance. Evan, Connie, and all of the Maximals in beast mode sat several feet away on some blankets. In front of the girl and the child were an assortment of snacks and drinks, most of them being buckets of different flavored popcorn.
After the canvas was fully spread out, Connie turned on the projector displaying the homepage for the streaming service on the thick white fabric.
"Remind me again why you dragged me into this?" growled Dinobot.
The raptor was clearly annoyed at the activity they were partaking in.
"Because, we don't want you getting any bright ideas if you try something at the Axalon while we're all out here. The last thing we need is you calling any more of your Pred friends for a sneak attack while our guards are down," said Rattrap.
Dinobot just sneered at the rodent.
"The real reason, Rattrap, is because I think it is fair we all engage in this recreational activity the children have put together for us," said Optimus.
"This is so exciting! I want to watch every vid that Earth has made!" cried Cheetor.
"That might be a little hard, Cheetor. Our planet has been making movies since the 1800s. It would probably take you forever to watch every single one," said Ethan.
"Yeah, there are all kinds of movies and TV shows: Action, Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Animated…" said Evan.
Connie held up a finger and smirked, "Don't forget Romance."
The nine-year-old stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Blech! Romance is the worst!"
"It's also important to note not all of them are good. Some of them are terrible, as in they suck," said Derek.
"And some of them are so bad that you can't help but laugh at them," said Connie.
Derek and Ethan joined the rest of the group on the blankets as the eldest Witwicky boy said, "But this one is a true marvel throughout Earth. It won five Annie Awards, a Genesis Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Kid's Choice Award, and a Peabody Award. You guys are going to love this one."
"If it's anything like your planet's YouTube videos then I'm better off rechecking the security systems on the Axalon," said Rattrap.
"Trust us, you won't be disappointed," said Derek.
"Alright, Connie, start it up," said Derek.
"With pleasure," replied the redhead.
She pressed the play button on the remote and the narration began.
Water…Earth…Fire…and Air…My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days. A time of peace…
Six episodes later
The credits played on the sixth episode as Evan yawned and stretched his arms.
"Alright everyone, that's a wrap," said Connie.
She pressed the power button on the remote, turning off the projector.
"Aw, pleeeeease! one more episode," groaned Evan.
"No way, little bro, you know the rules. Mom and Dad want you in bed before eleven," said Ethan.
Despite his protest, the little boy's eyes constantly dozed off as he fought with himself to stay awake. Ethan bent down and picked up Evan on his back before the child completely fell asleep.
The Maximals stood up from the blankets as Cheetor said, "Wow! That was ultra gear how those humans shot fire and air from their hands, and how that old one ripped the rock from the ground. Makes me wish we can do that."
"Unfortunately, Cheetor, that was all fiction, meaning it's not real. So, not even us humans can really do stuff like that, it's just part of the entertainment," said Derek.
Connie gave a smug smile to her friend. "Several weeks ago, we all thought aliens were in the realm of fiction before the Maximals showed up."
"Ha ha," mocked Derek.
"Still, it would be amazing if one of us could beast mode into an air bison or a flying lemur," said the spotted feline.
"I was more intrigued by the scarred human and his devotion to achieving his goal. His fury drives him to recklessness, but he truly holds a strong sense of honor that would be favored among other Predacon warriors," said Dinobot.
"Yeah, you would root for the villain. Wouldn't you, Chopper Lips?" replied Rattrap.
Connie snickered towards the large rodent. "Are you sure Zuko is the bad guy?"
"Would do you mean? He's hunting the bald human and his friends. Of course, he's the bad guy!" asked Rattrap.
The teenage girl rolled her eyes. She knew better since she already watched the whole series, but also figured it would be a fun tease if Rattrap discovered the truth as he continued to watch the show.
After taking the canvas down, the Maximals made their way back to the Axalon, Connie and Derek rode their bikes home, and Ethan carried Evan inside the house with Cheetor following behind.
That concludes my first chapter of miscellaneous shorts for Beast Wars. I hope you enjoyed these for we will return to the plot in the next chapter, as the Maximals try to call Cybertron for help. As always, thank you for your patience, and feel free to leave a review about this chapter if you like these little breaks from the action. Until next time!