The Arrival
By: NitefliteRhinox was bored. He'd been parked at the Maximal base all day, and it felt like he was going to rust.
All of a sudden, a bolt of light blazed across the screen. Whoa thought Rhinox, That looked just like that alien thing that carried Tigatron and Airazor off yesturday. Better call Optimus.
"Optimus, come in. This is Rhinox. I saw suspicious alien acctivity in the same sector Tigatron and Airazor were last in. Could you check it out?"
"Negative, Rhinox," his voice crackled over the intercom, "I'm as far away as I can get. I think Cheetor's still beating himself over the heas for just barely missing them. Give him something to do."
"Okay, Cheetor," Rhinox automatically switched his subject, "there was some alien action over around where you've been moping around all day. Go check it out."
"Thanks for the permission, Big Green. Now I can continue moving towards her in peace. Over and out."
"Her!" This was completely unexpected. "Who? Airazor? Blackarachnia? Cheetor, come back on! Cheetor!"
Standing in the clearing that Tigatron and Airazor had disappeared in, was a tall, black, delecate figure. Her large green optics shone with an inner intensity. Draped around her shoulders and over her chest were midnight black, leather-like wings. As Cheetor advanced toward this stranger, she wheeled around. Brandishing a small pistol, she hissed at him.
"Who are you?" It was more of a statement than a question, as though she was trained to say that before attacking. "Don't try anything sudden, my father Tigatron trained me to scrap anyone who threatens me."
What a shock! Cheetor thought, She's Tigatron's daughter?Did she come from Airazor's spark too? Maybe I should ask her that. Also how she got to be so gorgeous. Whoa, Cheetor, just paly it cool."So he never told you about Cheetor, huh? Or did Stripes take his old friend for granted?"
"You're Chceetor? You're the adolescent, irresponsible young kitten? Wow. You always seemed younger than me, and here you are. You're even cuter than I thought you'd be," she added in an undertone as she lowered her weapon. Extending her hand in greating, she said," I'm Niteflite. My spark was created from Tigatron and Airazor's two sparks. The alien zap took me here."
"Well Niteflite, I guess we should heas on in to base and get you oriented. Follow me."
As Cheetor switched into beast mode, he checked behind him to see what her beast mode was. Surprisingly, she transformed into a fuzor with a jet black cat's body, but a bat's head with amazingly large, brown eyes and bat wings jutting from the shoulder blades. As Niteflite leaped from the ground, she spread her fragile wings.
"Well, are we going? Or am I supposed to wait around here all day?"
"Cheetor, can I talk to you?"
"Sure Rhinox, just as soon as I finish giving the grand tour to Niteflite."
"Rattrap stopped by Cheetor long enough to whisper in a singsong voice, "Cheetor's gotta girlfriend!"
Rhinox stifled a chuckle as he said, "I don't believe it will wait. We need to discuss the alien flash."
"Let me come!" came a voice behind him. Rhinox whirled around to see Niteflite standing in back of him. It's really scary having someone here who can sneak up on others so easily, but she'll be useful against the Preds.
"Of course, fellow fuzor, you are a Maximal as well," Silverbolt replied. "Shall you be off? I shall stay and man the base."
As the Maximals exited the ship, Niteflite asked Cheetor, "Is he always like that?"
"Like what?"
"You know, noble, like 'I'll do it for you, you light may dim if you took a physical form for too long.'"
"Huh?"
"Uh, cultural thing. Are we going or not? Beast mode." At that, Niteflite sprang into the air. Confused, Cheetor transformed and followed her into the air.
The instant that Niteflite arrived at the designated sector, Optimus asked, "Niteflite, do you recognize this place?"
"Of course. This is the place where the transport beam toook me. Is there anything that I need to know about it?"
"Dere had better be!" Rattrap almost shouted, "Dis is de same spot Stripes and da bird-lady disappeared in!" Niteflite gave a small jump, surprised.
"Um, yes, Rattrap's right, although I feel that it could have been said with more tact," Optimus agreed.
Niteflite thought. Didn't my friend say that there are many different gateways on my home planet? What is so special about-
Just then, a bright blast pulled Niteflite out of her reverie. "Preds!" All the Maximals but Niteflite shouted. She spun around and stared. There, standing in front of them were Blackarachnia, Waspinator, and Quickstrike.
"Touching, really, but I think that we would prefer to have the pod." Blackarachnia.
"What pod?" asked Optimus. Rhinox steered Niteflite around behind a boulder, saying under his breath:
"Stay here."
"But..." But Rhinox had already left. Niteflite peeked around that rock in time to see a heated argument arise.
"There was no pod! You Preds are here too late for anything that could have shown up anyway! That was megacycles ago!"
"Wazzpinator knowzz what he saw! Megatron givezz Wazzpinator one more chance! There wazz a pod!"
"Let's just settle this oncce and for all! I'm tired of talkin'! C'mon, Sugarbot, let's fight 'em!" And with that closing statement, Quickstrike fired at the Maximals. Chaos ensued from that one blast. In the midst of the battle, Niteflite's darting optics surveyed the action. In the corner of her vision, Cheetor was struggling with an outraged spiderbot.
"Something happened here, and you know what it was, cat! Tell me or I might have to get rough!" Niteflite used the pandemonium to slink around behind the spider and take out her only weapon, a gun.
"I might be able to answer that for you!" she said. Blackarachnia spun to face Niteflite. Her eyes narrowed as she growled:
"No pod, huh? Well then how'd you arrive beautiful?" Blackarachnia began to aim her blaster at Niteflite.
"Go ahead, spider, make a move. Please. It'll just make it easier for me." The Predacon paused.
"Airazor?" Sensing his moment, Cheetoor knocked the femme on the head. Looking around, the two bots saw two very frightened Preds on the run from the onslaught of four Maximals.
"I guess we don't need to help them," Niteflite said.
"Yeah. Look, here they come. Let's meet them back at the Axalon."
When the other Maximals came back to the base, everyone began talking ot once.
"When I tell you to stay there, I mean stay there!"
"Great job! You're a pretty useful kid!"
"You're a fool, vermin! Now the Predacons know that our ranks have grown."
"Hey! She saved my life back there! Anyway, the Preds still think that we got her out of a pod! We've got one up on them."
Niteflite stood on the edge of the debate about her. Finally, she had had enough. She shouted, "Calm down guys!"
All eyes turned to her. Optimus looked at her with approval.
"She's right. So are you. Niteflite did save Cheetor's butt back there," Cheetor smiled and looked challengingly around.
"But you need to listen to your superiors, Niteflite, or someone could be killed!"
"Welcome to the Beast Wars," Cheetor mumbled under his breath to Niteflite. She just smiled.