Hello everyone, this is my attempt to create a Beast Wars reboot. With this fanfic, I will be taking elements from the show, action figures, and the recent comic by IDW Publishing, which means I will include the new characters Nyx and Skold. This story will also take place in the present day instead of the stone age. I do not own Beast Wars, Transformers, Shakespeare, Aliens, Edgar Allan Poe, E.T., or Space Invaders. Beast Wars and Transformers is rightfully owned by Hasbro Toys. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Beginning of the Beast Wars: Part 1

In the vastness of space, a lone ship floats lazily through the star-speckled void. On the side of the ship was a formation of alien letters which translated into Axalon. Beside the name of the ship was a yellow symbol similar to the head of a feline.

Within this ship were two giant robots sparring each other in a metallic training arena. A blue, red, and silver robot swung his pair of curved swords while a larger green and golden robot blocked his opponent with a metal bo-staff. After the blue robot finished his combo, the green one changed formation to an offensive position by charging forward, and swinging the staff towards the blue robot's head. The blue robot quickly ducked out of the way of the staff before the green robot swung underneath to trip his opponent. But the blue robot's thoughts were quick to react and jumped over the swinging piece of metal. The green robot continued to deliver offensive strikes while the blue robot continued to dodge or block them with his swords. Eventually, the blue robot made a cross-block formation with his swords on the last strike. The two weapons were locked in place as both robots grunted from the strain of pushing each other further away. Eventually, it was the blue robot who was able to push the green one further away to adjust his stance. The match continued as both weapons clanged from each block and encounter; sparks flying around the arena. By using his swords, the blue robot tangled the staff in between the blades and yanked it out of the green robot's hands. The bo-staff swung to the side and clattered on the ground. With his opponent unarmed, the blue robot stood up and pointed his blades at the green bot, who held both of his arms up in surrender.

A male electronic voice echoed, "End of match. Optimus Primal wins."

The green robot chuckled and dropped his large hands to his side. "You're getting better."

The blue robot, named Optimus, smirked and sheathed his swords. "I learn from the best. That's not including Polar Claw."

"Or, you're just naturally gifted in combat. My fighting days have long passed me even before your promotion to captain. Now, I just like to sit back and smell the flowers." said the green robot.

Both robots walked through a sliding door down the hallway.

Optimus said, "Don't sell yourself short, Rhinox. Everyone on the Axalon has an important role to play. Even veteran Maximals like you."

The green robot, known as Rhinox, smirked and nudged Optimus. "Keep talking like that, and the rest of the crew will think you're as old as me."

At the end of the hall, another automatic door slid open into the bridge of the ship. Dashboards and panels were aligned in front of the ship, overlooking the vastness of space through the wide windshield that curved around the entire front of the bridge. In the center was a large circular table displaying a holographic projection of the star system the Axalon was currently located.

Behind the consoles sat five other robots, operating the many systems to keep the ship functional.

"Status report?" said Optimus.

A slender robot in white and light-blue armor spoke in a female voice, "Area is clear on our end, Optimus. Nothing but stars as far as the optics can see."

"Very good, Nyx." said Optimus, "Rattrap, everything going well with the ship?"

A small copper and silver robot with buck teeth swung around in his chair to face the captain. He sat lazily in the chair and spoke in a Brooklyn accent, "Yeah, yeah. Everything is just ship shape. It's not like I have anything better to do."

A blue and yellow robot turned his head to face Optimus and said, "All shields are at sufficient power, big bot. No way any asteroids or debris is going to scrap us."

"Glad to hear it, Cheetor," said Optimus. "Airazor, Tigatron, how is the rest of the crew?"

A green and white robot said, "The remaining Maximal crew is safely secure in their stasis pods."

A gold and brown female robot said, "All stasis pods are fully functional. Everyone should be sound asleep until we reach our destination."

"Excellent," replied Optimus. "At this rate, we should reach the Gathra moon in one mega-cycle."

Cheetor leaned his head against his fist on the console and sighed, "When I was drafted to be part of this research team, I was hoping we would visit more uncharted worlds."

"And get my hide eaten off by something big and ugly, no thanks. I'll take a boring asteroid chunk any day," said Rattrap.

"But the universe is so vast. Who knows what we can find out there! Weird organic biomes! Sentient species completely different from us! Doesn't that sound ultra gear?" asked Cheetor.

"Nope," said Rattrap in a deadpan tone while staring at a screen.

"Sorry Cheetor, unless command tells us otherwise, our mission is to conduct research on this moon and report our findings back to Cybertron," said Optimus.

"We'll get our chance, Cheetor. Who knows, maybe we will come across something interesting on this mission," said Nyx.

A loud beeping was heard in the bridge. The ship's AI said, "Receiving transmission from Cybertron."

Everyone turned to the table in the center. One of the lights blinked red with an alert flashing in the hologram above. Optimus Primal stepped forward and pressed the button to answer the call. The message turned into a video projection of a large red robot.

The robot in the projection spoke in a gruff voice. "Hello, Optimus Primal."

Optimus stood at attention to address his superior. "Ironhide. The Axalon remains on course, and we shall reach the Gathra Moon's orbit within one mega-cycle."

The large red robot named Ironhide said, "That will have to wait. Cybertron is currently on red alert and we need the help of your crew."

Everyone on the bridge stared at the screen in shock and worry.

"Red Alert?" repeated Nyx.

"What's going on?" asked Cheetor.

"Oh man!" whined Rattrap.

The screen switched to some video footage of more robots blasting their way into a building.

Ironhide's voice could still be heard while the footage played. "The central research labs on Cybertron were attacked by a group of Predacons, lead by one who calls himself by the name of Megatron."

The footage paused at the smirking face of a purple robot clad in dark purple armor.

The footage continued playing, showing Megatron along with the Predacons mercilessly slaughtering the other robots trying to defend the lab.

"By the Matrix!" gasped Airazor.

Ironhide said, "They scrapped most of the security and staff within the facility and stole one artifact, a golden disk, recovered from one of our earlier excavations."

The image displayed a round circular disk with ancient markings etched around its surface.

"Afterwards, they invaded a military hangar and hijacked a warship to get off-world," said Ironhide.

The display showed a ship in the shape of pincers.

Rhinox rubbed his chin. "Hhmm, the research labs house many top-secret projects, including untested weapons. Why go through all of that trouble just to steal one disk? What significance does it hold?"

Ironhide's face reappeared on the screen. "We don't fully know. The Predacons stole the disk before we can fully decipher its contents. Whatever their reasons, they are using the ship's transwarp drive to escape our borders. The route they are taking overlaps with your ship's route."

"You want us to intercept them before their transwarp drive cools down to make another jump," exclaimed Optimus.

"Affirmative," said Ironhide. "I know you are just a research team, but none of our other ships will reach them in time. If they cross our borders into uncharted space, we will lose these Predacons and the disk for good. Right now, you are the closest ones to stopping Megatron and his defectors from slipping out of our grasp with a valuable artifact."

Optimus gave a salute and said, "We'll stop them, sir."

"I know you will," said Ironhide. "I have faith in you and your crew, Optimus Primal. Just make sure the Preds don't use their warp drive before we can send reinforcements. Good luck, fellow Maximals, and may Primus watch over you."

The video feed disconnected, and the crew was left in silence.

Tigatron asked, "But, the Preadons have been at peace with the Maximals and the Autobots for millennia. Why perform such an act of treason now?"

"I don't know, Tigatron. But we have our orders. We need to act fast before Megatron and his crew disappears for good," said Optimus.

"What?! You're not seriously thinking about chasing after some Preds that just scrapped a bunch of scientists and soldiers?" asked Rattrap.

Cheetor said, "You heard Ironhide, we're the only ones who can stop them, and I'm always in a mood to kick some Predacon skid plates."

The young robot smirked and slammed his fist in his other hand.

"But the arsenal on this tin can is not even enough to go up against that thing. You're all forgetting, the Axalon is a research ship. She's not fitted with the proper firepower to take on a warship!" said Rat Trap.

"What are you? A Maximal, or a mouse?" retorted Cheetor.

"I'm just a bot that wants to live to see another cycle," said Rattrap.

"Optimus is right, Rattrap. If the great Cybertron war has taught us anything, it's making sure that we don't start another one through civil conflict. That bot is sick enough to call himself Megatron, the very same Decepticon that started a war nearly ravaging our planet. That name alone spells bad news," said Nyx.

"Everyone get into positions," ordered Optimus. "Cheetor, Rhinox, man the cannons if the Predacons decide to fight back. Tigatron, Airazor, keep monitoring for any signs of a ship or the opening of a transwarp gate. Nyx, Rattrap, keep the Axalon flying, and manage the shields. We might have a real fight on our hands."

Rattrap turned back to his console and rubbed one of his temples sighing, "We're gonna die."

All of the Maximals sat in their ordered positions while Optimus stood in front of the captain's chair, overlooking the holographic projection on the table. It wasn't long before the monitors made another beeping sound.

"Optimus, I'm getting readings of a transwarp gate opening," cried Tigatron.

"Get us in close, Nyx," said Optimus.

The blue and white bot saluted and said, "Aye aye, captain."

With a few presses and turns, the Axalon slowly approached a purple glowing portal growing larger.

"Take it steady, Maximals. Act on my command" said Optimus.

The crew remained silent as the portal grew brighter from the amount of energy it displayed. There was a huge burst of light, and the large pincer ship appeared in front of the Axalon. On the side of the ship read the word Darksyde with a purple insect head painted beside it.

"There it is!" cried Cheetor.

"Opening comms," said Optimus. He pressed a button on the captain's chair that displayed a holographic screen showing static.

After a few seconds, the static cleared, revealing the face of Megatron on the screen.

The giant Predacon deviously smirked and said, "Ah, to whom do I owe the pleasure."

Optimus stood in a sophisticated manner and said, "This is Optimus Primal of the Axalon. By the authority of Cybertron, you are under arrest for breaking and entering the Cybertron research labs, theft of a valuable artifact, and murder of fellow Cybertronians. Surrender your ship now or we will open fire."

Megatron chuckled and said, "I think not, Optimus Primal. My colleagues and I have gone through enough trouble to obtain this artifact, and it would be a shame to waste all of our time and effort just to surrender, yes. Besides…I am anxious to test this ship's arsenal. Open fire!"

Lasers and plasma bolts fried from the exterior of the Draksyde, pelting the Axalon. Everyone in the bridge was violently rocked back from the impact but steadied themselves to not fall out of their seats.

"Take evasive action!" cried Optimus.

The crew immediately operated their stations from the firefight that had just begun. Cheetor and Rhinox provided covering fire by using the ship's cannons on the Darksyde. Nyx piloted the ship to dodge most of the projectiles. Rattrap converted some of the ship's power towards the shields, so the Axalon would stay in one piece. Airazor and Tigatron monitored both ships and made sure the Darksyde had not tried another warp jump.

The battle grew fierce as both ships took heavy amounts of damage. In the Darksyde, alarms were blared, sparks flew, and Megatron grunted from the constant shaking of the bridge.

A dark-gray and purple Predacon shouted, "Megatron, our shields are completely depleted!"

"And all of our internal systems are failing," said a purple and green Predacon in a raspy voice.

"I can't get a clear shot on their ship! It keeps moving!" shouted a red and white bot.

"Wwwwazpinator clearly hazzzzz better accuracy than Terrorzaur," said a yellow and green bot.

Terrosaur sneered at the bot on his right and said, "You want to say that again?"

A brown and copper bot with a blue face growled, "We should rethink our strategy, Megatron. Put the ship in a defensive position. Hold fire until the Maximals expose themselves."

Megatron slammed his fist on the arm of his captain's chair and said, "I make the orders around here, Dinobot, not you!"

Dinobot just snarled in anger.

A female yellow and black bot said, "Well, whatever your order is, captain, make it quick. I'm not planning on getting scrapped today."

Megatron thought in silence for a moment before he asked, "Skold, how much power do we have left?"

A short, stout, purple female bot with grey-blue armor pressed some button on her console before she replied in a Brooklyn accent, "Fifty-four percent, sir."

"Tarantulas, convert all power to initiate one last warp jump towards our destination. I want to leave these Maximals and all of Cybertron space in the dust, now!" said Megatron.

The purple and green bot, named Tarantulas, said in fear, "But if we use all of our power, we won't have enough to keep the ship functional. We will be stuck in space! Not to mention, initiating a warp jump into uncharted space can be dangerous-"

Megatron interrupted the purple and green Predacon by slamming his fist on his chair again and shouting, "I SAID NOW!"

Trarantulas jumped and began to input the commands.

On the Axalon, all of the Maximals watched as another purple portal manifested and grew to fit the Darksyde.

"They're getting away!" cried Cheetor.

"Not for long," said Nyx.

The blue and white Maximal began to press buttons in her pilot seat. "I'm going to create a tether so we can follow them wherever they jump to."

Rattrap said, "You short-circuiting? We've taken enough damage from that ship that we won't survive another attack."

"The Predacons are attempting to leave Cybertron space. If we don't follow, we will lose them for good," said Rhinox.

"And how's that a bad thing?" asked Rattrap.

Everyone just glared at Rattrap and the short Maximal just held his hands up in surrender.

Optimus turned back to the pilot and said, "Nyx, initiate the tether. We can't afford to lose Megatron."

"On it!" said Nyx with a press of a button.

A neon-colored string ejected from the front of the Axalon and attached itself to the back of the Darksyde as the ship was halfway through the portal.

"Everybody hold on!" shouted Nyx.

The Axalon was violently pulled into the portal with the Predcon ship, taken into the far region of the galaxy where no Maximal or Predacon has gone before.

Earth: Copper Wood, Washington State

Ethan sat at his desk with his classmates, listening to the deadpan lecture of their seventh-period professor. His short blonde hair caught in the rays of the sun through the window. He wore a jean jacket with a white shirt underneath.

His dark-skinned friend, Derek, sat on his left, typing notes on his laptop. His short dreadlocks dangled at shoulder's length above the red and blue basketball jersey he wore.

His other friend, Connie, sat on his right, with her head cropped up by her hand. Her eyes lazily stared at the teacher. Connie had red curly hair tied in a ponytail. She wore a grey hoodie with a green eight-bit Space Invader design on the front.

The last bell eventually rang and all of the students poured out of their classrooms, ready for the weekend. Ethan, Derek, and Connie went to gather their supplies from their lockers.

Connie said, "Ugh! I thought seventh period would never end."

"Tell me about it. Mr. Saxon can even put a tree to sleep," said Derek.

"Why couldn't we study Edgar Allen Poe, like Mrs. Sherman's class? Instead, we're stuck with learning Shakespear," whined Connie.

"Well, I like to think if we didn't have Shakespeare, we probably wouldn't have Broadway," joked Ethan.

"So, your family is okay with us borrowing their ATVs for our camping trip?" asked Derek.

"My dad says it's fine, as long as we don't go too far up the mountain," said Ethan.

"Where should we cruise first?" asked Connie.

Ethan closed his locker and said, "We can take the North trail. That leads up to Night Stone Cave."

Connie walked beside him. "Awesome! We should totally check that place out. I heard some of the fungi sparkles in the cave, like stars."

"If we're lucky, we can even discover a new area of the caverns that no one has seen before," said Derek.

"Maybe even find some gold or crystals that will make us rich," joked Connie.

The trio laughed amongst each other as they walked out of the front entrance to Copper Wood High. A mixture of teenagers, tweens, and younger kids poured out through the large double doors to enjoy their weekend. Because Copper Wood is a small town in the woods beside Mt. Saber, both the middle and high school was merged into one building.

After walking through the crowd of students, Ethan and his friends recognized a familiar cry for help along with some sinister laughter. By the bike racks, three delinquent teenagers held down a nine-year-old boy while a fourth teenager rode a bicycle, that was too small for him, making donuts on the road.

The child had short blonde hair like Ethan, except it was messier. He wore a black, grey, and blue hoodie, with baggy cargo pants.

"Stop it, that's my bike!" yelled the boy.

"And now it's mine!" yelled back the teenager.

His accomplices laughed even more while they restrained their victim.

Ethan, Connie, and Derek all glared at the bullies with tremendous hate. Ethan didn't want to be victimized by Wayne Pierce and his followers again, but he couldn't allow them to pick on his little brother.

The sixteen-year-old marched toward the bullies and shouted, "Hey!"

The bullies and the boy turned their attention toward the trio. Wayne stopped the bike and followed their gaze.

Ethan continued to glare at them and said, "Don't you guys have anything better to do than pick on my little brother? Plus, Wayne, why do you need a bike? You have Terrance's fancy truck you guys ride around in."

Wayne just smirked and stepped off the bike, letting it fall on its side.

He adjusted his leather jacket and said, "Ah, look who decided to join us? The three stooges."

Wayne's three friends laughed as they continued to hold Ethan's brother.

"This is seriously getting old, Wayne. Why don't you guys leave us alone?" asked Derek.

"Because someone has to keep the nerds and freaks in line," replied Wayne.

"Just because your dad is a hotshot lawyer, doesn't give you the right to step on us like ants," argued Connie.

"Just let my brother go and leave us alone," said Ethan.

Wayne's smile grew wider and said, "I think I've got a better idea."

The bully walked back to the bike and lifted it over his head. "Let's see if your nerdy brains can fix the little shrimp's bike."

Wayne slammed the bike on the street and stomped on it.

"No!" screamed the nine-year-old.

With blind rage, Ethan charged Wayne but was intercepted by one of Wayne's friends. Ethan was tackled into the grass as this burly teen, wearing a varsity jacket, began to punch him.

Derek and Connie dropped their backpacks to help their friends in need but were blocked by a second bully with a Mohawk. The third bully with a bald head continued to restrain the smaller boy while Ethan was pummeled by the bully with the varsity jacket. Wayne continued to stomp and toss the bike, denting and breaking it to the point it was scrap metal.

Eventually, Wayne stopped laughing and said, "Well, this was fun and all, but we got places to go. Come on, guys. Let them squirm."

The bullies dispersed from the teens and followed their leader back to a large black and blue pickup truck in the parking lot. The varsity jacket bully went into the driver's seat with Wayne entering the passenger's seat. The mohawk bully and the bald bully climbed into the back before the truck drove away.

With their tormentors gone, Derek, Connie, and the nine-year-old boy helped Ethan back on his feet. The teenager's left cheek was bruised and his lower lip bled.

"Ethan, you okay?" asked the boy.

Ethan wiped his lip and said, "I'll live. Our sheep can ram harder than those punks. What about you Evan?"

Ethan's little brother, named Evan, turned to the smashed bike on the road, staring sadly at its remains.

"I loved that bike," groaned Evan.

Ethan put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Dad and I will try to fix it after the camping trip. Until then, we'll just walk home today."

Evan smiled up at his big brother and said, "Thanks for backing me up, big bro."

Ethan smiled back and rubbed his brother's blonde hair, "Just doing my job, little bro."

"I'm sorry you had to get beat up by Terrance," said Evan.

"Those guys are just a bunch of neanderthals who think money and fame can get them anything," said Connie.

"I can call my dad to drive you guys home. His shift should be over soon," said Derek.

"No, man, it's cool," said Ethan.

The four friends said goodbye before Connie and Derek rode off on their bikes while Ethan and Evan walked home.

The Witwicky farm was known for its quiet and humble nature. The occasional cry of a sheep or chicken would echo throughout the open fields on an average day. Both Ethan and Evan hopelessly walked themselves up towards the front porch of their home. Their grandmother sat on the swinging bench, knotting her latest macramé project. She wore a blue flannel shirt with cargo pants and mud-covered boots. Only a few streaks of her once blonde hair remained in her grey strands.

She smiled and stood up to welcome her grandsons home. "Hello, boys."

But it wasn't long before her smile faded at the sight of Evan's wrecked bicycle and Ethan's bruised face.

"Woah Woah Woah…what happened to you two?" she said as she reached out and gently caressed Ethan's face.

"It's nothing, Grandma," said Ethan.

She gave a stern glare at her oldest grandson and said, "Don't give me that. It was that troublemaker Wayne and his posse, wasn't it?"

Both Ethan and Evan knew there was no sense in hiding anything from their grandmother or grandfather. Somehow, they always figured out what the boys were keeping from them without proof.

"And they destroyed your brother's bike?" she asked and pointed to the dented metal frame that Evan leaned beside the porch railing.

Ethan sighed, "They were picking on Evan again. Connie, Derek, and I tried to stop them, but they won like they always do."

The grandmother's hand slid from his face down to his shoulder, "There are going to be many battles you are going to lose, Ethan. But no matter how many losses you suffer, you have to stay strong and keep fighting until you win the war."

Ethan rolled his eyes, "Yes, Grandma. You and Grandpa have told us that our whole lives."

The grandmother just giggled and said, "And we'll keep saying it to you both until you're deaf in the ear. Now go and get yourself cleaned up for dinner. Your mother should be back from the hospital soon and your father is locking up the tractor for the night. It's Frijoles Friday after all, and you know how grandpa loves his Frijoles."

Both brothers giggled and followed their grandmother inside the house.

The Solar System: Somewhere around Earth's orbit

The silence of space was broken by the opening of a purple portal, as the Darksyde and Axalon flew out. The Axalon and Darksyde fired their lasers at each other as chunks of their exteriors broke off.

In the Draksyde, alarms were blaring as Megatron attempted to steady himself in the rocking ship.

"Megatron, we have sustained too much damage from the Maximals and the jump. It will only be a matter of time before the gravitation from this planet crushes the ship along with us," said Tarantulas.

"No!" shouted Megatron. "I've come too far just to burn up in this planet's atmosphere when our goal is right in our grasp. Reroute as much power as you can to our shields. If we're lucky, we will survive the landing and the pathetic Maximals will be the ones burnt to cinders, yes."

Back on the Axalon, the Maximals were suffering the same circumstances as the alarm blared all around the deck.

Nyx struggled with the controls shouting, "Optimus, we're losing power from the jump. I can't fly us out of this planet's gravity, it's too much for the ship."

"We have no choice but to make an emergency landing," said Optimus. "Airazor, eject all of the stasis pods on the ship."

The female Maximal turned to their leader in shock. "But Optimus, those are fellow Maximals in those pods!"

"All the more reason to do it," said Optimus.

Rhinox said, "He's right, the pods were designed to sustain protoforms for more than a stellar cycle. They'll stand a better chance of surviving in space than crash landing on an uncharted planet."

"With any luck, the pods' signals will be received by Cybertronian space and a rescue party will be sent for us," said Optimus.

"That is if we don't crash and burn first," said Rattrap.

"You're not helping!" shouted Tigatron.

Airazor was silent in thought for a moment, weighing the odds that were presented. There was no guarantee they were going to survive a crash onto this planet, but she didn't want to abandon her fellow crewmates to the vacuum of space.

She looked back at her captain with a strong look and nodded. "Alright, I trust you, Optimus."

With taps on her console, all of the stasis pods containing the rest of the Maximal crew were ejected out of the Axalon's side, floating within the planet's orbit.

"All stasis pods were safely evacuated, Optimus," said Airazor.

"Good. Reroute all power to shields," commanded Optimus. "This is going to be a bumpy ride."

The gravity of the Earth pulled the ships down faster as flames ignited around their shields. Both ships were engulfed in flame, looking like two giant fireballs falling toward earth. Where the Darksyde was directed towards the Pacific Ocean, the Axalon was directed towards the United States.

Witwicky Farm: 10:30 PM

Sparks reflected off of the visor of Ethan's welding helmet as he put the final touches on his latest project. Inside the barn strewed a clutter of spare parts, scrap, and tools he used for the various inventions he created in his spare time. Ethan would always spend time in his workshop whenever he felt restless or stressed. It was his sanctuary from the rest of the world.

"There! It's finished," said Ethan.

He lifted the visor of his helmet and held up a flat triangular object in his hand. His drone. Ethan smiled with pride as he stared at his finished invention.

"Now all that's left is a test flight when we go camping," said Ethan. "The forest is the best place to try your maneuvering capabilities. Boy, Derek and Connie are going to love you. Hopefully, you'll be my ticket into Harvard."

Little did the teenager know that a giant ball of fire came down from the sky and crashed into the mountain on the other side of the Copper Wood forest.

A loud thunderous boom echoed throughout the farm and startled Ethan.

"We must be getting a thunderstorm. I better get in the house," said the teenager.

Pacific Ocean: Uncharted Island

The rustling of the greenery from the wind filled the midnight air of the island, with its occasional squawking birds or buzzing insects. The volcano in the center lay dormant, overlooking the rest of the island. Suddenly, a bright streaking object of fire landed right into the volcano, causing a massive explosion on the island. Most of the island's flora and fauna were gone. All that remained was a desolate wasteland of charred earth and magma, with the damaged Darksyde in the center.

Witwicky Farm: 10 AM

The entire Witwicky family sat around the table, enjoying their breakfast. Evan scarfed down his eggs and bacon like a starving person.

"Evan, eat slower!" exclaimed his mother. "You'll get indigestion."

The nine-year-old spoke with a mouth full of food, "Sorry, Mom, I don't want to miss the camping trip."

"And don't talk with your mouth full," added his mother.

Ethan and Evan's mother, Theresa Witwicky, was a lightly tanned woman with long brown hair wrapped in a bun. Her medical scrubs were a robin's egg blue.

"Did you remember to pack the first aid kit this time?" asked their father, Daniel Witwicky.

He was a tall rugged man who was greatly built for his age. With his bulk, you would have sworn he trained for the U.S. army. His short beard blended into the length of his short brown hair. Daniel wore an unbuttoned flannel shirt with a grey t-shirt underneath.

"Yeah, Dad, we remembered," said Ethan.

"Okay, just don't want another snake bite incident," said the father.

"That was only one time," retorted the teenager.

"What about extra toilet paper?" asked the mother.

"Yes," replied Ethan.

"And you have your tarp to protect you if it rains?" asked the father.

"Yes," answered Ethan. "We've done this before. We'll be alright."

"We just want you boys to be safe. Those woods and the mountain can still be a very dangerous place," said the mother.

The doorbell chimed in the house.

Ethan wiped his mouth with his napkin and said, "That must be Derek and Connie."

He picked up his backpack and walked towards the front door. Ethan opened the door to reveal his two friends, both with backpacks of their own.

"Hey, man, you ready?" asked Derek.

"Yeah, my grandpa is getting the ATVs prepped right now," said Ethan.

He turned his head back to the kitchen and yelled, "Evan, we're leaving!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" yelled the frantic nine-year-old and he rushed up to the front door with his backpack.

Connie smirked at the child and asked, "You ready, little man?"

"I was born ready!" Evan said with enthusiasm.

Both brothers said goodbye to their parents before walking with Derek and Connie towards the three ATVs parked on the back lawn.

An older man with short grey hair and a buttoned shirt wiped a rag across the exterior of one of the bikes. He was decently built for his age, but not as burly as Ethan and Evan's father. Though his face showed age with wrinkles, he had a strong chin and tired eyes reflecting wisdom.

Both brothers waved at the old man and said in unison, "Morning, Grandpa!"

"Good morning, Grandpa Spike!" said Connie and Derek.

He turned to face the kids and smiled. "Oh, hey kids. Just putting the final touches on these beauties before you head out. Your grandmother is feeding the chickens right now, but I'll say goodbye for you. I also took the liberty of strapping your tents and sleeping bags on the backs."

Ethan smiled and thanked his grandfather before climbing on one of the ATVs with Evan sitting behind him. Derek and Connie took the remaining two. They fastened on safety helmets and drove off towards the thicket of pine trees that lead towards the mountain.

The kids whaled and screamed with thrilling excitement as the ATVs rolled over the rough terrain of the forest. The vehicles hopped a few times from the various rocks and fallen branches, making the travel more exciting. The teenagers drove up the trail until they came to the mountain's surface with a large cave entrance. They parked the ATVs and set up their camp. After assembling their tents and building an area for the campfire, the group gathered their backpacks and flashlights to traverse the Night Stone Cave.

The young quartet casually made their way into the vast darkness of the mountain. Stalactites and stalagmites gathered around the cavern walls with the faint echoes of dripping water.

"Whew, this place is huge! You think we'll find a dragon?" asked Evan.

Ethan laughed and said, "I doubt it, little bro."

"Well technically, legend says the Native Americans believed this cave was a sacred magical ground for ancient spirits," said Connie.

"Right, and Bigfoot is cousins with Santa Clause," joked Derek.

The teens and child continued to wander through the caverns, going deeper into the mountain. Throughout their exploration, the only sound they heard was the echoes of their footsteps and their voices.

"Look!" shouted Connie, pointing to the cave ceiling. "Turn off your flashlights."

The boys complied and looked up in awe at the glowing specks up above.

"Woah!" said Ethan.

"It's like looking at the night sky," said Evan.

"Nature can be a beautiful thing," said Derek.

The kids continued to admire the glowing fungus when Evan cocked his head and pointed. "Hey, what's that?"

Ethan, Connie, and Derek turned their attention to where the little boy pointed. On the cave wall was a small formation of glowing blue crystals.

The three teens cocked an eyebrow before Ethan said, "It looks like a crystal."

"Doesn't look like any crystal I've seen before," said Derek.

"I've never even heard of a crystal with a blue glow," said Connie.

"Bioluminescence probably?" said Ethan.

"Maybe," said Derek.

Connie said, "There are no records of crystals growing in this cave."

"It's defiantly not a crystal they taught us in science class," said Evan.

Ethan turned his flashlight back on and shined the ray on the crystal and the blue mineral continued to glow. He directed the light further away from the crystal that revealed something completely out of place, a large metal surface.

Derek, Connie, and Evan also noticed this and shined their flashlights, only to discover the metal surface was much larger than they anticipated.

"What is that?" asked Derek.

"Maybe some mining equipment?" replied Evan.

"But there was nothing valuable in this cave when the first settlers came to Copper Wood. Besides, it would be dangerous to bring a bulldozer inside a cave," said Connie.

Ethan scanned the metal structure with his flashlight when his eyes widened in realization. "Uh, guys…I don't think this is a bulldozer…it's a ship!"

As his two friends and brother shinned their lights on the metal, they realized Ethan was right. There was a giant metal ship in the cave!

All of them gapped at the massive structure that stood before them, trying to fathom how a giant ship found its way into the cave.

"No way!" said Connie.

"How did it even end up here?" asked Derek.

Ethan pointed his flashlight above the ship and said, "Look!"

A large pile of boulders and rubble engulfed a quarter of the ship.

"Those rocks look like they crumbled inward, which indicates there was a cave-in," said Ethan.

"So, the ship came up from undergrounds?" said Connie.

"No…it crash-landed from the sky," said Ethan.

Derek waved his flashlight over the ship and said, "Doesn't look like a plane."

"I don't think it's a plane…what if it's a spaceship!" said Ethan.

"Like NASA?" said Connie.

"No, there is no way NASA could build something as advanced or large as this," said Ethan.

Evan's eyes beamed and he smiled. "So…it's an alien spaceship!"

"Please! If it was an alien spaceship, wouldn't it be in Area 51 or something? Maybe it's Russian," said Derek.

While the teenagers debated over where the ship came from, Evan slowly crept closer to the metal exterior. Most of the ship's surface was covered in mud and dirt. On closer inspection, the youngest Witwicky boy found large gashes in the metal from explosions and burns. Was the ship damaged in a fight? Evan placed his hand on the cool muddy surface and gently streaked his hand across, wiping away some of the dirt. Underneath was a symbol he had never seen before.

"Guys, check this out," said Evan.

The three teenagers turned towards the youngest member of their group while he wiped off more dirt to reveal an insignia that resembled a cat's head with long fangs.

"What does it mean?" asked Connie.

"Well, it's definitely not Russian," said Ethan.

Evan continued to slide his hand against the smooth surface until he shined his light on a thin gap. Upon further inspection, the gap took a rectangular shape of a door.

"Hey! I think I found the door," cried Evan. "Let's open it!"

"Evan wait! We don't know what that thing is or what's inside it," said Ethan.

"And doesn't that excite you?" asked Evan. "We probably found a highly advanced alien spaceship and you're not curious to know what's inside?"

"For all we know, there could be something dangerous in there. Plus, we don't even know if this thing is from space," retorted Ethan.

"Only one way to find out," said Evan.

The young boy slipped his fingers in the crack, trying to pull open the door.

Ethan, Connie, and Derek watched Evan groan and growl for a minute.

Eventually, the older brother rolled his eyes and sighed, "What am I getting myself into."

He approached the door and began to help his younger brother to pull it open. Connie and Derek looked at each other and shrugged before joining the brothers. They started by pulling the door from the left and the right, but it didn't budge. Eventually, they came up with the idea the door slip upwards. All four of them slid their fingers underneath and began to pull up. With a low creaking sound, the door slowly slid upward. The kids pulled up on the door until they had a wide enough opening for all four of them to crawl through.

The darkness continued to engulf their sight in the metal structure, so the group continued to shine their flashlights. They found themselves in a white hallway.

"Well, in the belly of the beast," said Derek.

"Evan, if there are facehuggers on this ship, I will kill you," whispered Connie.

"Well, maybe they're not hostile, maybe they're friendly, like E.T.," whispered Evan.

"Why are we whispering?" asked Derek.

"Because we don't know if who or whatever is on this ship is still alive," replied Connie.

Ethan shushed everyone and the group fell silent. With only one way to go, the group stealthily walked forward. Their flashlights continued to shine on the white smooth surface of the hallway. Scattered portions of debris were strewn on the floor and loose wires hanging from the ceiling.

"What happened here?" asked Derek.

"Looks like a battle took place," said Ethan.

"You think there was a mutiny?" asked Connie.

"Maybe something attacked them from outside the ship," said Ethan.

"Maybe they hit a meteor shower. That would explain the damage on the outside," said Evan.

The group continued to walk until the hall ended in a large room with a round table in the center. Along the walls of the room were rows of monitors and dashboards with burn marks and more loose wires.

"This looks like the control deck," said Ethan. "Just be careful to not touch anything. We don't know what none of this stuff does."

There was a loud blood-curdling scream. The boys turned to Connie who fell on her back and crawled away from something.

Ethan, Derek, and Evan surrounded their frightened friend. Her face was as white as a sheet and her eyes were wide with terror.

"Connie! What's the matter?" asked Ethan.

"Look!" she screamed and pointed ahead.

The boys shined their flashlights and saw a huge, metal, green face with red eyes staring back at them. The boys also screamed and jolted back. Ethan waved his flashlight in a different direction to find another metal figure slumped down in a large chair and screamed even more. Derek's foot bumped into something and looked down to see another metal figure sprawled on the ground. The teenagers screamed as their flashlights revealed more giant, metal, lifeless bodies. Ethan took a double take on one of them and realized none of these things were moving.

"QUIET!" he yelled.

The group fell silent.

"Look, they're not moving," said Ethan.

Another glance at the metal humanoids and the group breathed a sigh of relief.

"They're robots," said Evan.

"Are they…dead?" whimpered Connie.

Her flashlight shook in her hands.

Ethan slowly got closer to one of the robots and shined his flashlight in their face. The body and face did not move, but the light within the eyes was slowly fading in and out repeatedly.

"I don't know, they look like they might be in a form of stasis," said Ethan.

"Stasis?" repeated Evan.

"You know when we don't use our electronics for a while? They automatically shut down and go into a stasis mode until we use it again and turn it back on. Well, I'm guessing that's what happened to these guys," said Ethan.

"So, they're sleeping," said Derek.

"More or less," said Ethan. "It's probably a defense mechanism to conserve power."

Evan rolled his eyes and said, "Oh great, my big brother's nerdiness is starting to show again"

"Says the little brother who still needs help from my nerdiness for his math homework," retorted Ethan.

Annoyed by his brother, Evan wandered away from the group and explored the other side of the room. He climbed onto one of the large chairs to get a better look at the controls. Several buttons and levers were displayed in front of him. Evan didn't know which one to touch, he didn't want to press the wrong button and blow up the ship with him, his brother, and his friends in it.

Before Evan can make a decision, there were a few sparks of electricity followed by a whirring sound. The buttons and knobs on the monitors began to light up or blink. Several holographic projection screens displayed themselves all over the room with the same cat head painted on the outside of the ship. The room was illuminated by bright lights from above, momentarily blinding the kids before their eyes could adjust.

A robotic voice spoke through the speaker system, "Axalon back online. Scanning for overall status."

The three teens immediately turned to the nine-year-old in the chair as Ethan shouted, "Evan, what did you do!"

"Nothing, I swear!" shouted Evan with his hands up.

The robotic voice said, "Dangerous levels of Energon radiation within the vicinity. Prepping crew for alternate form placement."

The room shook and rumbled as large mechanical claws appeared from the side along with seven large, metal, cylindrical containers rising from the floor. Evan quickly ran back to his brother. The young quartet huddled amongst each other, frightened out of their minds of what was happening on the ship.

The table in the center slowly slid open and a black spherical orb floated out. The orb had several different red lenses on its exterior. The machine slowly floated towards the teenagers and the child as they all stood petrified at the alien mechanism. Ethan stood in front of his little brother and spread his arms out for protection.

The sphere floated in front of them for a few seconds before making a low beeping noise and zoomed down the hall where they came from.

The mechanical claws reached down and picked up the motionless robots. The giant metal cylinders slid open and the claws placed one robot in each cylinder. After all the robots were in the cylinders, the doors slid close.

The robotic voice spoke, "Crew is secure. Scanning for alternate forms."

"Guys…I think we just started an invasion," whimpered Derek.

Meanwhile, the robotic sphere floated through the caves when it discovered a small colony of bats hanging on the cavern ceiling. A flat ray of yellow light projected from one of the many lenses onto one of the bats, scanning the nocturnal rodent. Spooked by the sudden light, the bats screeched and fluttered further down the cave. A green light blinked on the sphere and continued to fly through the caverns and out of the cave. Once outside, the sphere floated up towards a higher advantage, to get a better layout of the land. A peregrine falcon flew by, cawing. The sphere projected the light again, scanning the bird. The falcon let out another caw before flying away.

The sphere floated further toward the town until it discovered the local zoo. Through its monitors, the sphere closely observed some of the humans who walked around and watched the various animals. With its lenses, the sphere scanned several of the animals within the zoo. There was a silverback gorilla, lazily sitting under a tree in its closure. A Siberian white tiger laid on a thick tree branch high above its closure. A rhinoceros scraped its horn against a tree as chunks of bark fell off. A rat dug through one of the public garbage bins before screeching and scurried away from the sphere. A cheetah stood in the tall grass of its closure, staring back at the various humans.

Back on the ship, the seven cylinders projected holographic screens that displayed the various animals the sphere scanned.

"Let's get out of here!" shouted Connie.

The group ran towards the hall where they came in, but a metal door slid in front of them.

"We're trapped!" cried Evan.

The seven cylinders began to make noises as steam and light poured from the cracks. With nowhere else to go, the teens and child hid under the table hoping to stay hidden or protected.

The robotic voice said, "Alternate forms complete. Unlocking cr chambers."

The children stared in awe as the cylinders slid open again. For a moment, there was only light and smoke before revealing some large shapes. Where once were the giant robots now stood seven different animals: a gorilla, a cheetah, a rat, a white tiger, a bat, a falcon, and a rhino.