secrets3

"Why hasn't anyone reported in?" asked Cheetor as he paced the floor of the Maximal base nervously.
"Calm yourself, Cheetor. By now they're probably just too far away to contact us. It's nothing to worry about," Rhinox said in his calm, rational voice. "But if you keep pacing like that, you're going to wear a hole in the floor," he joked.
"Sorry, big green." He tried to stand still, which turned out to be harder than it sounds. "But I'm worried about MJ! I mean, if the Preds got her, they might try to reprogram her or worse!"
"You certainly are concerned for her, aren't you?"
"She's my friend."
"Is that ALL?"
"Well... I mean... it's just..." Cheetor shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Every time I think about her I sort of get this weird feeling, and whenever I'm near her I just get all nervous and can't think of anything to say. I just don't know how to describe it."
Rhinox smiled at his much younger friend. "I think the humans called it puppy love."
"Huh?"
"You have a crush on her, don't you?"
"Well..." Cheetor put his hands behind his back. "Yeah... I guess so."
Rhinox grinned. "You're not the only one."
The young male looked at him, his eyes growing wide.
"Not ME I mean," said the rhino, reassuring his fellow Maximal. "But Rattrap seems to like her, too. Then again, Rattrap would go after any female that had a pulse!"
They both laughed at that joke.
"Rhinox," Cheetor's face grew serious. "Do you really think I'd stand a chance with her?"
Rhinox nodded. "Kid, with everything that's happened to us since we landed here I'd say anything is possible."

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"This," said Optimus, dodging another blast, "Is not how I hopped this would go!"
"You were hoping to have a nice little chat with the Predacons, perhaps?"
Optimus ignored Dinobot's sarcastic remark and let loose a few missiles. "I thought we could avoid an all-out battle like this!"
The former Predacon lanced out with his eye beams and managed to hit Tarantulas, sending the unfortunate spider flying. "Well, it is too late for that, and it is seven of them against the six of us!" he growled.
"I thought those were your kind of odds?" said Silverbolt in his overly cheerful manner.
Dinobot gave him a strange look. Silverbolt rarely made jokes, especially in the middle of battle.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I was just trying to lighten the situation."
"Well don't!" the raptor hissed.

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Meanwhile, in the sky above them the flyers were involved in their own battle.
"Let me just go on record as saying THIS STINKS!" said Livewire, trying to avoid being shot by the Predacons in front of her.
Airazor was too busy too answer her remark. Suddenly, Sting Blade came rushing at her. The falcon only had a moment to think, Well it's worked before. She aimed her wrist missiles at the Predacon. Before Sting Blade could realize what was happening, the missiles had sliced through her wings.
The unfortunate hornet crashed to the ground, her gun landing a short distance away next to Rattrap, who had been watching the whole thing.
He picked up the gun. "Nice shot," he yelled up to Airazor, then headed toward the damaged Predacon.
"Be careful," shouted Airazor as she flew off.
"Careful?" Rattrap laughed. He was now only a few inches from Sting Blade but he didn't notice her reaching slowly behind her back. "She doesn't have her gun or her wings, how dangerous can she....ahhhhh!"
The transmetal stepped back just in time, the edge of Sting Blade's sword narrowly missing his face. She used his surprise to her advantage, hooking her foot around the back of his leg and tripping him.
He landed on his back and the Predacon held him down with her foot. "Zztupid Maxzzimal underezztimate me," she buzzed happily, her sword pressed against his throat.
If he could have, Rattrap probably would have smacked himself on the forehead. He had forgotten why she had gotten the name Sting BLADE in the first place.
She raised the sword high above her frightened victim for the killing blow. "Goodbye Maxzzimal!"
"I don't think so!"
A whip suddenly wrapped itself around the sword, trying to yank it away from its owner. Sting Blade, however, was not about to let go of her favorite weapon and so got dragged along with it as the two were pulled away from Rattrap. In a moment the whip managed to wrench the sword out of her hands.
The confused Predacon lay on the ground for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what had just happened. She saw her sword lying inches away from her and made a grab for it. But she stopped when a dark shadow suddenly fell over her. Sting Blade lifted her head and looked into Livewire's grinning face.
"Say good night!" Livewire smacked Sting Blade hard across the face, causing her to tumble over backward.
The female tried to get up but by now her systems had taken all they were going to take. She staggered for a moment, then passed out into a bliss of unconsciousness.
Rattrap stared in amazement at the Predacon sprawled on the ground, then turned his attention to the female who was untangling her whip from the sword.
"You okay?" There was obvious concern in her voice.
"Ah ya, thanks. I owe ya one."
Livewire suddenly felt a little awkward. "Whatever, just get off your butt and start shooting something, will ya!"
She flew off before Rattrap could say anything more. He shook his head and headed back toward the rest of the battle.

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"So let me see if I've got this straight," said Mad Jackel, walking slowly across the lab. "I go back to the Maximals as a spy, collect information, steal weapons, et cetera, while you and Tarantulas continue to work on your plan here. And then when the time is right....."
"We STRIKE!!" Blackarachnia pounded her claw into a table. "Megatron won't even know what's happening!"
"And your sure Chuckles will agree to this arrangement?"
"Tarantulas wants power and I'm his best way of getting it. He'll do what we want." Blackarachnia laughed. "And the other Predacons will serve us when they see my... I mean, OUR superiority."
"Speaking of the other Preds, where did they go in such a hurry anyway?" asked MJ causally.
"They went to attack your former comrades at the very place you were fighting yesterday. Ironic, isn't it?"
"What's so special about that place anyway? Primal sent me there to spy but I haven't got the slightest clue what I was looking for."
"That's the secret...." A sly smile crossed the Predacon's face. "Megatron doesn't think I know about the energon deposit, the fool!"
"Energon deposit!" Mad Jackel rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Now there's an interesting bit of information, how did you get it anyway?"
"Quickstrike isn't very good at keeping things from me," Blackarachnia said coyly. "One kiss and he told me everything he knew."
Her sister laughed. "Seduction always was one of our best assets!"
"I know." She paused. "I'm beginning to remember a lot now, actually."
Mad Jackel betrayed a nervous look. "You don't say."
The she-spider tried to clear her thoughts. It was like a siren was going off in her head, trying to warn her of something. But of what?
The other female looked at her suspiciously. "Something wrong?"
"No it's just...." The Predacon turned away. "There's something not quite right about all this...."
Blackarachnia turned back to her sister, only to find a small crossbow aimed directly at her face. Mad Jackel wore an almost mournful look. "For once, sister, we agree on something."
"Why?!" her eyes burned with rage.
"I said we we're sisters, I never said we liked each other!"
Blackarachnia's expression was that of pure shock, but slowly it changed to anger. "I remember now, we hated each other!!"
Mad Jackel looked downcast for a moment. That was just the opportunity the spider needed. She whacked the Maximal's hand with her claw, sending the crossbow flying.
"You tried to trick me you little...." Blackarachnia was too mad to finish her sentence and merely lunged at her sister.
Jackel was caught off guard and slammed hard into the floor. Arachnia's claws went for her throat. Suddenly something inside her came to attention. She grabbed the Predacon by the wrists (at least where her wrists would be if she actually had hands) and held the claws away.
The Maximal gritted her teeth. "You have no idea how sick I am of having to listen to you!!" She kneed Blackarachnia hard in the ribs, pushing her away.
Both females managed to get to to their feet. Blackarachnia delivered a high kick to the side of her sister's head, sending her staggering backward into some equipment.
"And now," the Predacon brought her own crossbow up from behind her back. "We finish it!"
Mad Jackel's eyes narrowed into slits. She grabbed her energon dagger and made a mad rush at her sister before she could fire.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" Blackarachnia screamed as the dagger cut a large gash down her arm. MJ hit her with a right hook and she stumbled backward, landing on the floor.
The Maximal loomed over her like a vulture, the barrel of her gun pressed against Blackarachnia's forehead. She glared up at her sister. "Just kill me and get it over with!"
The expression on Mad Jackel's face had been dark but now it turned to that of somewhat amusement.
"Now where's the fun in that?" she grabbed a few marble-like objects from a compartment on her belt and threw them toward the spider. They exploded into a mist of greenish gas.
"What..." cough "...are you..." cough "...doing?" Arachnia managed to gag out.
Mad Jackel had stepped back and was now grinning a bit maniacally. "Let's just say I'd rather continue this at a later date."
Blackarachnia passed out from the sleeping gas.
Okay, MJ thought to herself. Now what? She looked over at the web still hanging in the middle of the cave. "Hmmmm....."
A few minutes later, Mad Jackel stepped back to admire her handiwork, which was Blackarachnia stuck to her own web. "This ought to make a nice little surprise for chuckles when he gets back," she mused.
She began to head out but then turned back. Am I just going to leave? Mad Jackel thought for a moment, it would be easy to just destroy her sister once and for all and maybe even sabotage the Predacon ship. But something inside her told her now was not the time. Maybe it was because despite everything the Predacon was still her sister. Maybe she was more concerned about the other Maximals. Maybe she was just afraid. Or could it be that maybe... just maybe she somehow knew she had a bigger part to play in all this? At the moment it really didn't matter.
She transformed to beast mode and gave Blackarachnia one last look. "We will meet again, sister." Then in a flash of golden tan fur she was gone.

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Even with most of its residents gone, the Predacon base was not the easiest place to sneak into. Tigatron noted this as he blasted away yet another auto gun.
It's too quiet, he thought to himself. Something isn't right!
Suddenly a noise! Panting, yes that's what it was and it was getting louder. The tiger crouched behind a rock, awaiting the enemy. The noise grew closer till it was practically on top of him. Tigatron sprang out from the rock, weapon drawn. "Freeze Preda......"
He stopped in mid-sentence. Standing in front of him was a large but rather terrified golden jackal.
"Jackel!" he exclaimed. "Where have you been? Everyone's been worried sick about you!"
"Stripes, you have no idea the kinda day I'm having!" She caught her breath. "But if we don't want it to get any worse, we better get our tails over to the energon deposit, now!"
Tigatron's jaw dropped. "Energon deposit?!"
"I'll explain later, right now let's move!"
Mad Jackel bounded away as fast as her four legs would carry her. Her companion converted to tiger mode and quickly followed suite.

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"Man, I just shouldn'ta got out of bed this morning!" sighed Rattrap "We're gonna die!!"
"Will you STOP saying that!" snapped Dinobot. He didn't know which was worse, the Predacons or the rodent.
"I know things seem bleak," said Silverbolt, trying to be helpful. "But we must keep a positive attitude."
Rattrap groaned. "We don't need a positive attitude, what we need is some backup!"
"Did somebody call us?"
The Maximals turned to see Mad Jackel and Tigatron heading towards them, already in robot mode.
Dinobot was relieved to see Mad Jackel was all right. Of course, he wouldn't admit that to anyone else. "Where have you been?" he growled.
"Long story," she shot him a half smile. "Did I miss anything important?"
Primal sighed. "Only that the Predacons seem to be guarding this area and we're in the middle of a battle over it. I don't suppose you were able to find out anything about this place?"
A sly smile spread across the female's face. "As a matter of fact, I did. Old Meggy found a good-sized energon deposit and he doesn't want to share."
"Well, that explains a lot," Rattrap shook his head. "But now whata we do?"
"You die, Maximals!!"
Optimus moved out of the way just moments before the ground he had been standing on was reduced to smoldering ash, compliments of Megatron's cannon.
The Predacon leader grinned evilly. "So you've discovered my little secret. Well it doesn't matter, and in a few moments Primal, you won't either!" He leveled his cannon at Optimus.
"I think not!"
Megatron's shot thankfully missed its mark as Airazor slammed into him. Unfortunately that's when most of the other Predacon showed up and Quickstrike blasted Airazor in the back.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!!!" Tigatron growled in rage as he tackled the fuzor.
The other Maximals joined in the fight. Considering they outnumbered the Predacons at the moment, hand to hand combat was probably their best option.

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Meanwhile, above all this, Livewire would have loved to help her teammates but she had her own problem. Namely, two Predacons, Waspinator and Buzz Saw, against the one of her.
The firefly got blasted hard by one of the insects and was sent flying back a few feet, slamming her shoulder against a rock as she landed. Livewire clutched her shoulder in pain as she helplessly watched the Predacons aim their guns at her. "Oh man, I am dead meat!"
It was then she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Where she had hit the rock, the stone seemed to have peeled away, reveling a shimmery blue surface underneath.
"Oh Primus...ENERGON!!!" she managed to stutter. With energy she didn't know she had Livewire scrambled away just as two twin blasts hit the rock.
Waspinator and Buzz Saw exchanged worried looks at what they had just heard. They weren't the smartest bots in the world but they knew what happens when energon gets hit with an energy blast, it explodes!
The two hightailed their stingers out of there only stopping momentarily to pick up the still unconscious Sting Blade. Livewire did likewise.

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"Uh b-boss...." Quickstrike stuttered.
"What is it, fool?" Megatron growled, about to fire at Optimus. "Can't you see I'm busy?!"
"I....uh....think we got bigger problems!" The fuzor pointed to the exposed energon crystal that was now building up tremendous power for its explosion.
"Another time, Primal!" Megatron converted to beast mode. "Predacons, retreat!"
The Predacons didn't need to be told twice and quickly retreated.
Livewire staggered over to the other Maximals, still clutching her shoulder. "Guys, in a few minutes this place is gonna be ground zero, so could we please GET OUTTA HERE!!"
Optimus grabbed her and flew off. Tigatron helped the damaged Airazor up and all the Maximals made tracks.

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Both factions were a safe distance away before the crystal finally exploded, shattering into a million pieces. That would have been bad enough, but it also set off all the other energon in the area. Everyone sheltered their eyes as the energon exploded in a brilliant blue light that engulfed the entire sky and then was gone.
"Oh man!" Rattrap blinked a few times as his optics adjusted back to the darkness of late afternoon. "So much for the energon!"
For once, nobody argued with him.

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Livewire stepped out of the CR chamber and tested her shoulder. Assured that it was no longer damaged, she turned to the others sitting around in the command center. "Ya know, havin a professional medic around here would sure come in handy. Uh.. no offense, Rhinox!"
The Maximal's temporary medic smiled at her. "None taken. I wouldn't mind having someone else to do this job so I can get back to mine."
Cheetor sat down next to Mad Jackel, who was leaning her head against her hands. "Hey MJ, you okay? You haven't said three words since you got back."
"Hmmmm?" She looked up. "No... I'm fine."
"Good, then there are a few things I'd like you to explain." Optimus looked at her. "And I want the whole story!"
"Well I... um... I..." Mad Jackel suddenly had the feeling everyone was staring at her. Okay Jackel, decision time! she thought to herself. Either lie to them and save your skin or tell them the truth and get rid of this guilt! She sighed. Stupid conscience!
She pulled a small disk out from a compartment on her belt and handed it to her commander. "Here, I can't lie to you anymore. This will explain things."
Optimus looked at Rhinox, Rhinox looked at Optimus. Everyone else looked at Mad Jackel, who didn't say anything. She didn't have to. The disk told everything about her programming, the death of her 'parents', and her sister. The other few details that weren't mentioned MJ told to them herself.
Optimus Primal paced the floor, thinking.
Mad Jackel stood in front of him, feeling like a criminal awaiting judgment. "Optimus," she finally managed to choke out. "I know I shouldn't have kept this from you. I deserve whatever punishment I get."
"Then what you deserve," Optimus looked into her pale purple eyes, "Is a second chance."
Jackel's jaw nearly dropped.
The Maximal commander smiled. "What you did was wrong, but it is forgivable."
"If ya haven't noticed, giving folks second chances seems to be a habit around here," smirked Rattrap from across the room. "Heck, we've given ol' Chopperface plenty of em!"
Dinobot growled.
Mad Jackel still looked a little worried. "I just didn't think you would trust me again."
"No, I trust you." Optimus shook his head. "To be completely unpredictable, and that's good enough for me."

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"Man, what a day!" said Mad Jackel as she finished typing the day's events into her desktop computer. I really ought to upgrade this thing, she thought. Expand the memory, add some personality components, it would make a nice pet project....
Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock at her door. "Come in."
The door opened and in stepped Dinobot. Mad Jackel frowned; he was the last person she wanted to see right now. She had probably blown any chance of romance she might have had with him and she wasn't in the mood to be lectured on what she had done.
"What do you want?" she sighed.
"I only came here to say that I thought what you did was..." he paused. "Honorable."
Her eyes widened. "But... but I lied about my past!"
"Yes, but you did it to regain your honor and you did confess the truth. That in itself is honorable."
"Thanks." Jackel put her hands behind her back. "Is that all you came to talk about?"
"Well... no actually," Dinobot smiled (something he didn't do often). "I was wondering... if your offer was still open?"
She just stared at him, too surprised to say anything. Dinobot put his hand against the side of her face and gently pressed his lips against hers. Mad Jackel was a little taken aback but she wasn't about to resist him. She threw her arms around his neck, holding him close.
At last they loosened their embrace. Jackel stared into the raptor's eyes. "You do know this could lead to an actual relationship between two people who truly care about each other?"
Dinobot laughed. "I am willing to take that chance."
Mad Jackel couldn't help but laugh a little too. Then she pulled him towards her and kissed him.
Dinobot wrapped his arms around her and quietly turned out the light.

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Blackarachnia's consciousness slowly came back to her. The first thing she felt was anger. She had an intense need to hurt somebody and she didn't really care who. The spider smashed the air with her claw in hopes it would hit something. It did, with a loud 'clank'.
"Ouch!" yelled a familiar voice. "Watch it, witch!!"
Arachnia regained her vision and found herself lying on a table staring up at Tarantulas, who was rubbing his face where she had accidentally hit him. "What happened?" she groaned.
"That is what I'd like to know!" growled the larger spider, still a bit bitter about being smacked. "I found you blacked out and stuck to the web when I got back. I take it your prisoner got the best of you."
"Shut up Tarantulas!" Blackarachnia sat up and looked herself over for damage. She noticed a scar now covered the gash on her arm made by Mad Jackel's dagger, it would take a long time for that wound to heal completely. She ran her claw over the scar and growled. "She's going to pay for this!"
"Would you please tell me what in the pit is going on?!" snapped Tarantulas. She glared at him for a moment.
"You might as well make yourself comfortable," Blackarachnia sighed. "It's a looooong story...."

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EPILOGUE
Three solitary figures stood atop the hill. Neither the Maximals nor the Predacons noticed them or even acknowledged their existence. The animals of the forest did not dare to disturb them for they knew well of the power they held.
The three were identical in almost every respect. Each wore the same white silken gown and had the same icy blue eyes that seemed to reflect all the knowledge of the universe at once. Their only difference was in the color of their long flowing hair. One's was golden blonde as the sun itself, the second's was black as a starless night, and the last's was white as the frozen snow.
They looked down upon the world the two sides had been fighting over for so long and they wondered.
"Our plan has at last been set into motion," said the golden haired one.
"Yes," replied the black haired one. "Two sisters now stand on opposite sides. Bound both by hatred and by love."
"Others will join them," said the white haired one. "And the battle will continue."
"That sisters," said the blonde, "Is what we must observe."
"And the outcome may decide their fate," said her dark haired sister.
The white haired one turned to them. "For from that, the Master shall make his decision."
"And we will be present at that time!" said all the sisters in unison.
Then in a flash, they where gone, leaving not a trace that they were ever there. But they would return! Whoever they are...