AND SO THE PIECES FALL
The morning sky is overcast as a fox exits a cave. Well, I seem to be doing significantly better that I expected, he thinks to himself
as he surveys the surrounding landscape. I hope that the Maximals don't miss that computer. It was quite a challenge to steal. The
fox snickers and allows himself a rare smile. Yes, Rhinox was quite upset when he found his scanners and com system missing.
Bazil fondly remembers the frustrated look on the huge Maximal's face when he saw the missing scanner and com. All
appropriately marked with Bazil's symbol, a double sided human playing card, one side of the card an ace of spades, the other
side a two of hearts. The Predacon shakes his head in an effort to remember why that is his symbol, but ceases when his
computer begins warming up the energon charges. He remembers all to well what happened the last time he tried to remember
something. Or more appropriately, trying not to! Bazil thinks to himself. He is about to set off once more for the Maximal base,
but is interrupted by the frantic beeping of his newly acquired scanning system.
"Oh? What's this?" asks the grey fox as he gazes at the computer screen. He sees two Maximals and two Predacons in the
sector two clicks south of his position. "Slag!" exclaims the fox. "If they find me, I'm as good as scrap!" He does a double take
and looks at the screen anew, "A stasis pod! And right around here to!" Bazil switches off the scanner and sprints out of his
base/cave, and toward the predicted drop point of the incoming stasis pod. All the while thinking, If I find it before any of the
other sides do, and reprogram it, I'll have a valuable ally in the upcoming struggle.
Dinobot trudges alongside of Rattrap, also noting the overcast sky. "We must be on the lookout. This is a good day for a
Predacon ambush!"
Rattrap sniffs the air and screws his face up in a grimace, "With your smell chopper face, I wouldn't be surprised if they cancel all
outside activities for today. I mean..... Whoooooo! Smelly!"
The raptor looks at the red and brown rat and snarls, "Me? Smell? With you around, who need anyone else?"
The metallic rodent gasps in mock agony while clutching his chest, "Oh, Dinobot! I'm hurt!"
Dinobot bares his fangs in a predatory smile, "Not as hurt as your going to be in a moment, vermin!" He lunges at Rattrap and
pins him to a tree, "Now, you will know the meaning of pain!" Dinobot rears back and prepares to strike, but his comlink buzzes.
The raptor releases Rattrap and flips on his comlink, "Dinobot here."
Rattrap breathes a sigh of relief as he walks around Dinobot, "Whew! Saved by the bell!"
Dinobot turns, "Shut up vermin!" Returning to his comlink, he resumes his conversation, "So where is this pod, Primal?"
Optimus's voice crackles through some energon static as he replies, "I said, it's in grid Tagus, coordinates 34-53."
The raptor looks at Rattrap and answers, "Rattrap and I will retrieve it. Dinobot out." Dinobot turns to find Rattrap in his vehicle
mode.
"I don't know about you, lizard butt. But I'm already there!" Rattrap's wheels squeal as he rips through the brush.
Dinobot shakes his head in a despairing manner, and runs after Rattrap. The strange thing is, he's smiling.
Inferno scurries swiftly through the underbrush closely followed by Tarantulas. Inferno really doesn't like the spider. He's to
crafty, though thoroughly insane. He has tried to many times to overthrow the Royalty. thinks Inferno, Why does my Queen keep
him around? Enough of this! I am not here to question the Royalty! I am here to serve!
Tarantulas notices that the ant is quieter than usual. He's normally spitting all kinds of nonsense about the 'Royalty'. Hmmm.
Maybe this unfortunate bot is finally having some independent thoughts. "So Inferno, what do you think of Megatron?"
As soon as he utters this, Tarantulas knows that he is mistaken. Inferno stiffens visibly when Tarantulas speaks his Queen's name.
He turns to face the transmetal spider, "You, spider, are not worthy of even speaking the Royalty's name! Now come! We must
retrieve the stasis pod before the Maximals do!" With that, Inferno scrambles off in the direction of the stasis pod.
Stupid ant! He will pay for his insolence! Tarantulas thinks to himself as he transforms into his motorcycle mode and blazes after
Inferno. "And I will enjoy his torture and demise all the more for it! Hehehehehehehehehahahahahahahawhawhawhawhhaw!!!!!"
Bazil stands over the stasis pod with a reproving look on his face. "Hmmm. This pod is badly damaged. Hopefully it can be
salvaged."
Bazil's words are not far from the truth. The silvery pod was found crashed nose first into a large boulder. The sides and top are
crisscrossed with tears and burns. Obviously, part way through the decent, the heat shields gave in. thinks Bazil as he taps a
button on the side of the pod. A small control panel pops out and he begins working. "Got to hurry if I'm going to salvage this
protoform!"
Bazil continues typing away, entering all kinds of advanced programming codes, not knowing how he knows them, just being
thankful for it. With one last flurry of key strokes, a soft computerized voice emits from the pod's speakers. "Programming codes
accepted." Yes! "Beginning scan for suitable life forms." A small scanner pops out of the top of the pod and shines its beam
around in a wide circle. "Life form located. Beginning replication." Bazil steps back as the pod hums and shakes for a few cycles.
"Replication complete, protoform may emerge."
The pod's top pops open and a blinding light shines from the inside as Bazil shields his optics and turns away. When he looks
back, he sees the new transformer.
The large grey timber wolf looks out of the pod at its surroundings. He sees a small fox sitting and looking at him intensely. "Eh,
what're you lookin' at?" he growls at the fox.
Bazil quickly regains his composure and answers, "My apologies, friend. I am Bazil, and you are?"
The wolf looks at the fox strangely. Where have I heard that voice before? he thinks to himself. "The name's Bane, and trashin'
bots is my game!"
Bazil looks at Bane with another strange look, but quickly recovers. "We should leave soon Bane, before the Maximals or
Predacons show up."
"To late foxy, we're already here!" cuts in Rattrap's voice as he blasts Bazil in the back. The fox is slammed into the side of the
pod and knocked unconscious. Rattrap smiles while looking at the downed Predacon. "Now that's what I call payback!"
As Rattrap turns to the new bot, Bane transforms, "Bane, maximize!"
"So, looks like da fox didn't screw wid your programin' after all!" exclaims Rattrap enthusiastically.
Bane's robot form is nearly twice as tall as Rattrap's. His wolf's head forms his chest plate, as the rest of his beast form folds
along his back. His face is white, his helmet is blue and has three spikes on the top. He has an angular nose, a wide mouth full of
pointed teeth, and blazing yellow optics. His sides and waist are blue, while his arms are white to the elbows. His hands are blue
and his forearms are blocky, not streamlined like the rest of the transformers. His shin guards are blue, his feet are blue, and the
rest of his legs are white.
Bane looks over his robot form and nods approvingly, "Not bad! Even with this organic flesh, I haven't lost it." He looks up and
stares at Rattrap, who is still holding his smoking gun, and looks at the unconscious Bazil. He puts two and two together, and
growls.
Rattrap is taken aback by this huge bot's menacing reaction. "What's wrong? Don't tell me your upset that I slagged that traitor.
He's the enemy!"
Bane flexes his hands and flashing blue blades spring out of his fingertips. He looks at Rattrap and smiles, "Maybe your enemy,
Rodent, but he's not mine!" He springs at Rattrap while slashing with his claws. The transmetal tries to evade, but is caught by
Bane's right hand. Rattrap cries in pain as he tries to fend off the hulking bot, mech fluid streaming from four deep gashes in his
side.
"W-what are ya doin'?" he screams at the wolf. "You're a Maximal! Like me!" Rattrap barely ducks another swipe of Bane's
claws.
Bane snickers and continues attacking Rattrap, "And that's supposed to mean something to me?" He catches Rattrap with
another strike to the stomach as the rodent tries to dodge. His screams of pain are cut off by Bane slashing him across the throat.
Rattrap drops his gun and clutches at his throat trying vainly to stop the flood of silvery-blue mech fluid.
Bane steps back and snickers as Rattrap gives up and collapses with a gurgle. "No, that's what I call payback!" Bane turns
around and stoops to pick up the unconscious Bazil and shakes his head. I don't know how, but I know this bot, but from
where? Bane walks off carrying Bazil just as Dinobot runs onto the scene.
Huffing and puffing, Dinobot takes one look around the clearing and quickly deduces that the Preds must have gotten the pod.
Then he sees Rattrap laying in a pool of his own mech fluid, his throat cut wide open. As he sees this, Dinobot's heart jumps,
Rattrap, dead? No, it can't be. It can't be! He would never admit it, but Dinobot has a love/hate relationship with Rattrap, and
would never be able to forgive himself if the rat died. The raptor quickly hits his comlink and radios the base. "Optimus? Rhinox?
Cheetor? Anybody! Somebody! Get here quickly!"
Rhinox's voice comes over the com, "Whoa! Dinobot, calm down! What's the problem?"
Dinobot regains his composure somewhat and replies, "Rattrap is down, and severely wounded. If we don't get him some
immediate medical attention, his spark will go offline!"
There is a moment of stunned silence and then Rhinox replies, "Silverbolt and Cheetor are closest to you. I'm radioing them your
position. What happened? Was it the Preds?"
Dinobot stamps his foot in aggravation, "I don't know, but whoever it was, they got the protoform as well!" Dinobot angrily
switches off his comlink and scans the skies. Vermin, if you don't get out of this alive, who am I going to threaten every day?
Further thought is cut off by a laser shot coming out of the nearby woods. Dinobot whirls to see Inferno and Tarantulus rush out
of the forest firing wildly. Dinobot Roars in frustration and transforms, pulling out his sword and rotor. "Dinobot , maximize!"
The raptor soots his eye beams at Tarantulas, scoring a direct hit. Inferno, undaunted by the loss of his teammate, continues flying
circles around Dinobot firing madly, all the while laughing the laugh of a lunatic. Dinobot dodges a few shots and counter attacks
by shooting the ant's rotor with his eye beams. Inferno spins wildly out of control and slams headfirst into a large oak. Dinobot's
triumph is short lived however when he screams out in pain, hundreds of bullets ripping into his back. He rolls away and into a
crouch, facing his assailant. Tarantulas is standing in the open unloading his shoulder cannons at Dinobot. The Maximal tries to
dodge further, but is pinned up against a tree by the hail of bullets.
Just when Dinobot is ready to give up and meet Smelter, a missile slams into Tarantulas's back, blowing him to pieces. Dinobot
looks up with optics clouded with pain to see Silverbolt and Cheetor land and run over to him, concern etched on their faces.
Dinobot weakly brushes them aside and tries to stand, only to fall back to the ground and pass out from pain.
Bazil awakes to find himself staring at the head of a very large wolf standing over him, "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Bazil scrambles to his
feet, vainly trying to get away from the huge canine.
"Wait, what's wrong?" asks the wolf, calking his head to one side. "It's me, the bot from the pod."
Bazil stops struggling and looks at the wolf, "Ah, so it is! So it is. What happened?" Bazil sees a look on the face of the wolf, the
look of a fugitive. "Um, never mind. You can tell me back at the base." Bazil walks off in the direction of the cave, beckoning for
the wolf to follow.
Bane trots after Bazil, thoughts swimming around inside his head. Yes, there is something definitely familiar about this bot. But
What?
Airazor walks down one of the hallways in the Axalon's main structure. She has just returned from one of her extended scouting
missions. This particular mission had been especially lonely and desolate. Airazor's thoughts drift to Tigatron, who had been
quarantined to the Axalon after the episode with the fox. Rhinox had said that Tigatron was not to leave the base until he was sure
that the tiger was out of danger. Airazor shakes her head in an effort to understand what Rhinox had said when he had examined
Tigatron. He had said that Bazil had infected Tigatron with a particularly nasty virus, one that could retake a foothold if Tigatron
exerted himself.
Airazor reaches the main room of the ship and notices that there are more bots than usual around the CR chambers. "What going
on? Who's hurt?" she asks Optimus, who has a worried look on his face.
He turns to face her and she has to make and effort not the stare, she is still not used to his 'new look'. "It's Rattrap." replies
Optimus. "He was brought in with Dinobot by Cheetor and Silverbolt. Both had seen some serious action, Rattrap almost died."
Airazor gasps in shock, Rattrap die? Not what she would have expected.
"So, are they O.K.?" she asks with concern.
Optimus nods, "Dinobot will be fine. But Rattrap is still in danger, he really took a beating."
"What happened? Who were they fighting?" she asks.
Optimus replies with a frown, "Cheetor and Silverbolt found Rattrap with major wounds all over his body and his throat slit, and
Dinobot was being attacked by Tarantulas. They slagged Tarantulas and rushed these two here."
"I doubt that Tarantulas could do all of that to the two of them." muses Airazor.
"That's exactly what we were thinking." replies Optimus.
Airazor joins the others around the CR chambers to await the emergence of the two downed warriors. She jumps as she feels a
hand on her shoulder, and turns to find Tigatron standing there. Her heart melts at the sight of him and she is at a loss for words.
Tigatron takes the initiative, "Airazor, we need to talk."
Airazor looks at the tiger with surprise, "What about?"
He looks around the room and turns back to her, "Alone." He walks away toward the back of the ship with Airazor following
him. When they are out of earshot, Tigatron turns and faces her. "Airazor...."
She looks at him with fear in her heart, had he been told about what happened with Bazil? "Yes?"
"Rhinox told me about what Bazil did to you. And I'd like to apologize." The tiger is obviously nervous, and was wringing his
hand together.
Airazor's mouth gapes in surprise, "Apologize?" This is definitely not the reaction she was expecting. "W-what for?"
Tigatron looks at the floor sheepishly, "For giving him a way to hurt you." Airazor's surprise grows, and her face shows it.
Tigatron looks in her eyes and starts, "You mean, you...."
Airazor regains her composure and looks Tigatron in the eyes. "I'm not upset." she offers quietly. Then what he had said strikes
home, "You mean you have... feelings for..."
Tigatron cuts her off by putting his finger to his lips, "Shhh. Airazor, I've wanted to tell you this for the longest time, I love..." he
stumbles on the words and coughs. "...you"
Airazor's heart floods with joy, her dream has come true. She had known that she felt this way about Tigatron for some time, but
had always been afraid to tell him. Now, that he had told her and it made it a lot easier. "I love you to."
Tigatron smiles in relief and takes Airazor into his arms and kisses her. Letting her warmth flow into him, making him happier than
he had ever been. They stay like this for more than ten minuets, not moving or talking, just being. Airazor finally pulls away from
Tigatron's embrace, "What are we going to tell the others?"
He looks at her face, so perfect, so beautiful. "Why tell them anything but the truth?" he replies, smiling.
Airazor smiles back and nods, "Yes, the truth. But later." Tigatron shakes his head in agreement as he and Airazor walk to the
rear entrance of the base, transform into their beast modes, and return to their wilderness posts.
Bazil is sitting in his newly acquired base listening to Bane's retelling of the day's events, nodding along with the wolf's story.
Bazil lifts his head from his hand and stares at Bane, "So, what your trying to say is that right after you came back online, I was
shot from behind by a small silver, red, brown, and green bot?" Bane nods an affirmative. "Hmm." muses Bazil, searching his
recent memory tracks for an identity that fits that description. Then one clicks into place, "Ah, yes. Rattrap."
Bane starts in surprise, "You know that guy?"
Bazil smiles and replies, "Unfortunately, yes. I know him, and his friends."
Noting Bazil's expression and body language, Bane comes to a conclusion. "So, your tellin' me, that you got your self at odds
with this 'Rattrap' and his friends?"
Bazil laughs hoarsely, noting the worried expression on Bane's face, "I wouldn't worry about them, they couldn't beat us if there
were twenty of them." The fox notes over to the scanning equipment, "That setup over there, I stole piece by piece from their
base. Right out from under their optics! They have no chance of beating us!"
Bane looks at Bazil with a critical expression, "What do you mean 'us'?" Bane's question is met with a confused Bazil, trying to
stammer out an answer. "No, wait." interrupts the wolf quickly, "So you assumed that just because I followed you here that I
wanted to join you?" Bazil looks at the large bot, anger evident in his one optic. The fox growls quietly and draws his gun,
pointing it at Bane's head. Bane shakes his head in mock despair, "Now, now. You wouldn't want to do that."
Bazil stares into Bane's optics, murder glinting in his eye. "And why is that?" he growls out slowly, trying to keep him self from
snapping.
Bane, completely calm, replies with a smirk, "Because, I know more about your history than you want to know."
Bazil starts, his aim wavering, "What do you know about me?"
Bane smiles to himself, "Well, for one, I know your real name, Tetrax."
Optimus looks at Rattrap with a critical expression, "So your saying that our friend Bazil now had an ally?"
The rat is being questioned by most of the members of the Maximal force. Except for Tigatron, Airazor, and Dinobot, who is still
in the CR chamber. And Silverbolt who is out on patrol.
Rattrap nods enthusiastically, "Yup, he's got 'im self a friend, and a big one at that!"
Optimus sighs and places his head in his hand, "Prime. So, how big is this new 'bot? And what is his name and activation code?"
Rattrap looks around while rubbing his newly reconstructed neck, "He's big, real big. Ripped me apart without any trouble! Said
'is name is Bane, and he's a Maximal. Or, at least his activation code is Maximal."
Optimus seems to age twenty gigacycles right in front of the other Maximals eyes as he slumps into one of the control chairs.
"This Predacon," he begins as he calls up a hologram image of Bazil in robot form, "is turning out to be a great problem." The
transmetal turns, placing the hologram on the center table. "Even though he is not a transmetal, and was working by himself up
until now, I consider him a great threat." He turns to the assembled Maximals, "And so should you," he says pointing to each in
turn, "all of you."
"I already have a healthy respect for that little virus." replies Rhinox with a frown. "He's been able to steal a good load of
scanning and com equipment without me noticing for some time."
Cheetor looks at the large Maximal incredulously, "He stole a whole scanning setup by himself, without anyone noticing until
now?"
Rhinox turns to the young Maximal, mustering up a descriptive reply that only one as skilled as he could, "Yup."
"But," he continues, holding up a small playing card, "he left this card at the site of all his, 'handiwork'."
Optimus looks at the card closely, frowning, "Something about that card, reminds me of.... Cybertron." Rhinox hands the
double-sided playing card to his friend, who takes it and walks over to one of the larger computer consoles. He begins punching
keys, accessing the Axalon's main data banks. After about ten cycles of intense searching, Optimus finds what he is looking for.
"Ah ha!" he exclaims, slamming his hands down on the control board. "I've found it!" All the other Maximals look up in surprise
from the various tasks they had adopted since their leader had began his search.
"What'd ya' find Big Bot?" asks Cheetor excitedly, "What is it?" The other Maximals begin crowding around the gorilla,
attracted by Cheetor's sudden outburst.
"Yesss, what is it Primal?" asks Dinobot in a sibilant voice. He had come out of the CR chamber during the leader's search.
The Maximal leader turns to the others, "I've found some important history that I think will lead us to the answer of who Bazil
really is." Optimus turns back to the computer screen and begins calling up a replication on the main holoboard. "From what you
can see," he begins scrolling down the text of a file, "I was able to locate his Cybertronian background."
Rhinox looks at the hologram intently, searching for something, anything out of place. "Optimus, I don't see what your getting at."
The transmetal smiles at the larger bot, "Of course you don't friend, it's well hidden."
Rhinox looks at Optimus, his face showing mild irritation, "What don't I see?"
Optimus, seeing his friend's impatience, gets strait to the point. "There was a hidden file in his public one," the Maximal stops and
points to a spot on the screen, "Hidden under this readout of his body structure." He scans the crowd in front of him, all are
waiting expectantly for him to continue. "Rhinox, do you remember, back on Cybertron, a terrorist group called the Draconians?"
The large engineer nods slowly, "Yes, vaguely. They were two Transformers, one Predacon, one Maximal. They sold their
services to the highest bidder. One was known for his espionage and subterfuge skills, the other for his combat and assassination
skills. Now that I think about it, they always marked their 'jobs' with a double-sided playing card. They were the most wanted
bots in history, but no one even knew their names or what they looked like."
Optimus nods slowly, digesting this information, "Well, it seems that we are the first bots in history to know what one of the
Draconians looks like."
Cheetor looks over the screen that Optimus pulls up and his jaw drops almost to the floor, "That... that's B-Bazil?" He is
referring to a file that summarizes Bazil's, then called Tetrax's part in half of the major terrorist actions to strike Cybertron since
the Great War.
Optimus looks squarely at the young Maximal, "Yes, that is Bazil. He's the espionage expert of the team, and the Predacon."
Rattrap looks over the diagrams and figures on the readout and whistles, "Man, 'dis Pred is good! He's responsible for more
than four hundred sabotages, blackmails, and assassinations in the year 2245 alone!"
Optimus nods knowingly, "That's him. He's number four on the 'Most Wanted Cybertronians Of All Time'. His partner is
number five"
Cheetor raises his eyebrows in surprise (well, you know what I mean), "Who are numbers one, two, and three?"
Optimus becomes grave and looks at the young transmetal, "The original Megatron is number one, Galvatron is number two, and
Unicron is three."
"In other words, he's one bad 'bot!" cuts in Rattrap sarcastically, "I wouldn't want ta' meet him in a dark alley."
Optimus raises his optics to the rat, "Actually, his partner is the one to watch out for in the area of combat. He's got a head count
of more than thirteen thousand Cybertronians in assassinations."
"Geeze," whines Rattrap sarcastically, "I be able to utilize yer advice if only I knew who dis 'partner' of his was!"
Optimus begins to respond but is cut short by an explosion that rocks the Axalon. "What the slag?" screams the gorilla as he is
thrown to the floor.
Rhinox pulls himself up to the monitor and punches a few keys, "Two unknown energy signatures attacking the base! Auto guns
online!"
Dinobot pulls himself to his feet and draws his sword, "It is him!" Dinobot runs toward the lift and steps on, letting it carry him
into the fire outside.
"Him? Who's 'him'?" screams Rattrap indignantly as he follows his friend on the second lift.
The roof hatch opens as Optimus and Cheetor fly out to do battle. Optimus stops about halfway and looks at Rhinox, "You hold
the fort friend, and don't let those shields die!" Rhinox nods in acknowledgment, turning back to the console.
Optimus flies out of the hatch ready to do battle, a mace in each hand. He looks around the battle field and assesses the situation
quickly. Dinobot is locked in combat with a large white and blue 'bot, and losing. Rattrap is taking potshots at the offending 'bot,
but with no affect. And Cheetor is vainly trying to hit a swiftly dodging Bazil. Optimus decides that Dinobot is in the most
immediate danger, and flies over to him.
Dinobot is impressed by the raw power and skill of his opponent. The large 'bot, who's beast form is obviously a wolf, lunges for
Dinobot with his claws. The raptor dodges to one side and strikes down with his sword, attempting to decapitate his opponent.
The wolf sees the blow coming, however, and drops flat on the grown to avoid the swing. He then sweeps his leg across the
ground in an attempt to trip Dinobot. Dinobot avoids the attack with a back handspring, landing about four meters away from the
wolf.
Bane springs up to his feet and surveys his opponent. The large raptor is quite skilled with that sword of his, and is also proficient
in hand-to-hand combat. Bane breathes deeply, savoring the challenge. His mind drifts back to how he convinced Bazil to
accompany him on the venture. He had relayed his history to the fox, and at the same time unlocking Bazil's. He had told Bazil
how they used to be partners back on Cybertron, and how they were the most feared duo on the planet. He had told him how
Bazil's original name was Tetrax, and how his was Scorch. Bane then explained his plan for the two. Bazil had been intrigued,
and agreed to follow along with it.
Bane is harshly snapped back to reality as Dinobot charges him, screaming wildly. Bane neatly sidesteps the first swipe of
Dinobot's sword and sticks his foot out to trip the large bot. Dinobot hits the ground hard, getting the wind knocked out of him.
Bane steps over his fallen opponent and hews down, ending Dinobot's struggles.
Rattrap sees Dinobot get nailed in the back of the head with Bane's claws. He stands there stricken for a moment, amazed that
anyone could beat Dinobot in this kind of fight. Shaking his head, Rattrap runs toward the large 'bot thinking, If I can get a
demolition charge on Bane before he notices me, I might be able to take him out! As Rattrap jumps onto Bane's back, the wolf
spins around and throws the transmetal off of him. Rattrap lands hard against a rock, hitting his head and almost blacking out.
When Rattrap opens his optics, Bane is standing over him grinning evilly, "Looks like last time wasn't enough! This time, I'll make
sure your dead!"
"Not on my watch you wont!" cuts in a heroic voice from Rattrap's right as Optimus slams his overboard into the side of Bane's
head. The large wolf, seeing Optimus at the last moment, rolls with the blow and stands quickly back up.
Grinning widely, Bane advances on the pair of Maximals. "Really? I didn't think you wore a watch!" He lunges at Optimus, who
still in beast mode, slams a mace into Bane's left hand, crushing it.
Bane staggers back, clutching his wounded appendage. "You bastard! Look what you've done!" he exclaims, holding up his
crushed hand, claws and all. "Oh no!" cries Rattrap, his voice saturated with sarcasm, "What will we ever do?"
Bane regains his composure and stands up straight, his left hand dripping mech fluid. He retracts the claws on his right hand while
a small door on the bottom of his forearm slides open. A large sword hilt slides out into Bane's remaining hand.
Rattrap scrutinizes the hilt closely, "Ya' know what, Wolfy? Normally, ya' gets a blade ta' go along wid da' rest o' yer sword!"
Bane's grin returns, larger than ever. "Oh but I do rat!" He presses a button on the side of the hilt and a glowing blue blade
springs out of the top.
Rattrap's only response in a strangled 'ulp!'.
Optimus consults his internal computer concerning the sword, and comes upon a startling discovery. "Rattrap! Stay away from
that sword, its blade is made of pure energon radiation! It'll cut through your armor like a hot welder through tinfoil!"
Bane adopts a fencer's stance and slowly advances on his two opponents.
Cheetor fires once again at Bazil, missing by a slight margin. Why? complains the youngster to himself, Why can't I hit him?
Cheetor's armor is covered with small burn marks and dents, all from impacts with Bazil's blasts. The shots are doing little to the
transmetal, except making him angrier. "Why wont you just sit still?" he screams at Bazil as the fox dodges another shot, returning
fire the entire time.
"Because," replies the small 'bot, "that would be too easy!" Bazil is amazed that so clumsy a warrior would be allowed to fight in
an army. Well, it's hardly an army! thinks the fox as he springs over a rock right under the nose of one of the auto guns. Bazil
holsters his gun and draws a bead on Cheetor with one of his wrists' dart launchers from behind a bush.
Cheetor looks around the clearing, confused. Where is that slaggin' Pred? I can't see him! thinks the worried Maximal. "Where
are y- Ack!" Cheetor's query is cut off by a black dart that catches him in the throat.
Bazil steps out into the clearing in time to see the young Maximal fall, his virus taking hold. Well, thinks the Predacon, that was
easy enough! Oh well, on to business. He walks over to the closest auto gun, careful to stay under the cannon's firing arc. Bazil
stops at the base of the cannon and pulls out a small laptop computer. He pries a panel off of the side of the gun's base, and
hooks up the computer. Hmm. Now lets see if we can't help out our friend, Scorch.
Rattrap reels away from another sword blow. He looks desperately around for something, anything that might help him fend off
this madbot. He looks at the bodies of Dinobot and Optimus Primal, both laid low with massive head wounds. Rattrap ducks
under another swipe, and rolls backwards to get out of Bane's range.
Bane snickers and smiles that sick grin of his. "So, runnin' away again?"
Rattrap backs off slowly, "If it means I don't get slagged, sure!" Rattrap raises his hand to his chest and presses the button to
activate the comlink there. "Yo! Big Green! This is Rattrap, we got a problem here!"
Rhinox's voice cuts through the static, "Sorry, I can't help you Rattrap! Someone's trying to hack into the auto guns' controls.
It's taking everything I know just to keep him out!" Great, thinks Rattrap, looks like I'm on my own!
Bane advances once more on Rattrap, sword at the ready. Rattrap sighs and pulls out his own tail-sword. Knowing full well that
Bane's will cut through it with no problem. Bane feints at Rattrap's head, and brings his sword around in a upward slash as the
rat tries to guard. The energon blade catches Rattrap on his right arm as he dodges to one side, taking the transmetal's arm off
above the elbow. Rattrap cries out in pain as the stump that used to be his right arm gushes mech fluid. He stagers back still
clutching his tail-sword in his left hand.
Bane advances, smiling. "Looks like we're even!" he exclaims, holding up his own damaged left hand. "And now, the 'coup de
grace'!" He dashes toward Rattrap, who is down on one knee cradling his severed stump.
Bane's charge is cut off by a energy blast that sends him flying. Rattrap looks over to where the blast came from, and sees
Tigatron and Airazor dash out of the bushes.
Tigatron runs over to Rattrap and kneels down, "Rattrap! We heard shots and came a quickly as we could! What happened?"
Rattrap struggles to rise and looks at the larger Transformer. "What happened? He happened!" exclaims Rattrap, pointing over
to where the fallen Bane is getting back to his feet.
Tigatron looks over at the offending 'bot, "Where are the others?"
Rattrap's face contorts in pain as he answers. "Dinobot and Optimus are over there," he says, pointing to the two downed
warriors, mech fluid still gushing from their heads. "Cheetor is fighting Bazil over that rise over there," he continues, "and Rhinox is
in the base dealing with some kind of hacker."
Tigatron's optics fall on Optimus and Dinobot, "The wolf did all of that?" Rattrap nods, optics dimming slightly.
Bane is beginning to advance once more on the bedraggled Maximals, and is about four meters away when a rough voice cuts
across the landscape. "Bane! Lets get outa' here! I've got what we need!" Bazil runs over to the huge 'bot and places a hand on
his sword arm, "Come on, lets go!"
Bane's face twists into a scowl, then back to a grin as he regards Rattrap. "Another time, rodent. Another time." The two
transform into beast mode and run off toward their base.
Rattrap looks after the swiftly disappearing figures, still clutching his severed arm. "Yeah, another time."
Bazil looks at his partner from across the main table of his cave/base. The large 'bot is sitting in robot mode in a command chair
waiting for his friend to continue. "So, did you get it?" he asks anxiously.
Bazil smiles slyly, holding up a small data disk. "Not only did I get it, the Maximals don't even know what I was doing!"
Bane shifts in his chair painfully, sliding his crushed hand to the top of the table. The mangled limb is still dribbling small amounts
of mech fluid. The bluish-white flourescent liquid pooling on the tabletop. "Really? How did you do that?" he asks the fox,
evidently interested.
Bazil gets that 'wouldn't you like to know' look of smugness on his face as he replies, "Oh, I just used that hacker program I
designed for that job on Tarus IV. It worked like a charm. They thought I was trying to gain control of the auto guns!" Bazil also
smiles to himself, thinking of the onetime threat of that rouge program in his processor that had blocked his memory files. He had
dealt with that threat soon after Bane had revealed his past to him. He did, though, know who had implemented the program. An
old enemy of his named Scragg. We'll have to pay him a visit after we return to Cybertron! He thinks laughing evilly.
Bazil is brought back to the present by his partner. "What're you laughin' about?" asks the wolf dangerously, still trying to stanch
his leaking.
Bazil recovers himself quickly, looking apologetically over to the onetime Maximal. "Sorry friend, I just got lost in thought." He
stands up and walks around the table, "Here, lets get you patched up." Which I'm going to have to do. Thinks the Predacon to
himself, Seeing as we don't have a CR chamber. Oh, well. One more thing to add to my 'shopping list'!
The two 'bots move toward the back of the cave, not noticing the pair of yellow eyes staring at them intently from the shadows.