Hey! I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. I apologize for the long wait and thank you all for your patience. I've been extremely busy these past two months. Again, I do not own Transformers, Beast Wars. Transformers and Beast Wars is rightfully owned by Hasbro.
Chapter 2: Beginning of the Beast Wars: Part 2
The Pacific Ocean, Uncharted Island: 10:30 AM
Within the remnants of the Darksyde, the Predacon crew was in a similar state as the Maximals. The large metal frames of the Cybertronians lay sprawled all over the deck. Megatron sat limp in his captain's chair. Within a matter of minutes, the controls of the Darksyde hummed back to life. The darkness was illuminated by the various lights and holo screens with the Predacon insignia of an insect head on display.
A robotic voice of the ship's AI echoed over the intercoms. "Warning, high levels of Energon detected. Preparing crew for alternate form placement."
Just like the Maximals, eight large cylinders rose from the floor and metal claws reached out to place the Predacons within these containment units.
The center of the deck slid open as a crimson robotic sphere rose out and the AI said, "Crew is secure. Scanning for alternate forms."
The sphere floated out of the Darksyde and towards what little foliage remained on the island. Because of the impact of the Predacon ship, most of the flora and fauna were burnt to ash. Luckily for the sphere, it was able to scan the fossilized skeletons of a velociraptor, a pterodactyl, and a tyrannosaurus rex buried deep within the hardened magma surrounding the Darksyde.
The sphere floated closer to the green foliage that remained on the island. Within the various trees and plants, the small drone scanned several life forms it deemed appropriate for the Predacons. Two spiders barred their fangs at each other, ready for combat. One was a hairy tarantula while the other was a black widow. A wasp flew lazily up to the sphere and bobbed around it a few times before flying away. A scorpion stabbed its stinger into a centipede before eating it. An alligator snapping turtle, with a jagged shell, crawled around the shore on its four legs.
Once all of the appropriate forms were scanned, the cylinders containing the Predacons hummed and spewed steam. Light trickled through the cracks in the metal.
Axalon: The Bridge
After what felt like the longest nap they ever had, the crew of the Axalon regained consciousness as they examined their new forms.
Optimus starred at his large, hairy, gorilla hands and said, "Well, this is new."
"What is this? Why am I covered in this fuzzy stuff?" complained Rattrap, now literally a rat.
Rhinox, in the form of a rhinoceros, said, "The Axalon must have detected a large amount of Energon radiation close by. It followed the emergency protocol and gave us new forms to protect us from Energon buildup."
"Well, whatever the case, I like it," said Cheetor, admiring his new cheetah spots in a reflective piece of metal.
"No way guys, check it out! I got wings!" cried Nyx, now in the form of a bat.
The female pilot stretched out her new leathery wings. Being an abnormally large bat, her wingspan was as long as a full yard on each side.
"Me too!" said Airazor, now a giant falcon.
She spread her feathery wings to see them extend just as far as Nyx.
"Oh man! How come the girls get the cool flying features while I have these stubby legs and claws?" whined Rattrap, showing his pink claws and hind legs.
"Each alternate form is unique to every Maximal and Predacon. They say it's supposed to be a reflection of their spark," said Tigatron, now a white Siberian tiger.
Cheetor smirked at Rattrap and said, "I think it's an improvement."
The large rat waved his fist and said, "Why I oughta…!"
"That's enough, Rattrap!" said Optimus. "Right now, we are on an uncharted planet that is supposedly covered in raw Energon and these new forms are the only thing protecting our circuits from termination. Right now, we need to see if we can get the Axalon into space, retrieve the pods, and fly us back to Cybertron."
"And if we can't?" asked Cheetor in a worried tone.
The gorilla let out a large sigh before he said, "Then we fix the comms and send out a distress signal. Hopefully, someone will answer and send a rescue party to pick us up."
Meanwhile, the three teens and nine-year-old boy stayed hidden underneath the table, observing these strange creatures. Their eyes widened and their mouths gaped at the sight of talking animals where a bunch of lifeless robots used to be. Some of the animals were even larger than they were supposed to be, like the rat that was almost as big as a grown man, or the falcon and bat large enough to grab a grown man in their talons.
Derek lifted his head to get a better look but accidentally bumped his crown from underneath the surface of the table.
"Ow!" he cried.
Most of the Maximals' ears perked up at the sudden noise and turned their gaze towards the table.
"What was that?" asked Airazor.
Tigatron's ears flattened and he growled, "We're not alone."
"Is it the Preds?" asked Rattrap.
The striped feline sniffed the air and said, "Not sure. This scent is…unfamiliar. Unlike any I have smelled before."
Tigatron sniffed the air some more and pointed towards the table with one of his front paws.
"Over there," he whispered.
While the Maximals crept slowly towards the table, the human kids huddled together to shrink into the remaining shadows. Their faces were drenched in sweat and their eyes were wide with terror. Ethan covered Evan's mouth to prevent him from screaming and alert the aliens where they were. Loud heavy thumps echoed throughout the ship and the floor vibrated with each step the animals took. From underneath the table, Ethan, Connie, Derek, and Evan saw large sets of knuckles, feet, and paws circle them. Their hearts beat rapidly and their bodies shook as the animals came closer. The sniffs and growls of the tiger were very close now. Evan gripped his brother for dear life while Ethan positioned his little brother as far away from the edge of the table as possible.
Suddenly, the tiger's head poked down from above and was startled at the sight of the human children hiding underneath the table.
"What in the-?" said Tigatron.
All of the kids screamed as Connie took her backpack and hit Tigatron in the face with it, like a flail. The striped Maximal backed away from the table as the teens and little boy crawled out. All of the Maximals starred in shock at these strange life forms who invaded their ship.
"Run!" shouted Ethan.
The young humans sprinted past the stunned Maximals, towards the back of the deck, and through the automated door leading them deeper into the Axalon.
"We're those the natives of this planet?" said Nyx.
"How did they get in?" asked Rhinox.
"Whoever they are, we got ourselves a bunch of stowaways," said Rattrap.
Optimus placed his hand out in front of the rodent, "Easy, Rattrap. If they are intelligent, maybe we can communicate with these beings and show them we mean no harm."
"Yeah, and what if they like to scrap bots like us and use our remains for decoration?" asked Rattrap.
"They seemed more frightened of me when I found them. These beings are obviously unfamiliar with our kind," said Tigatron.
"Whatever the case, they just ran into the central hall of the Axalon. We should find them before these creatures decide to do something reckless," said Rhinox.
"Agreed. Cheetor, Tigatron, Rattrap, and I will search for these beings and see if we can establish a form of communication. Rhinox, Nyx, and Airazor will stay on the bridge and work on getting the Axalon back online. With any luck, we can get back into space, collect the pods, and use the transwarp drive to return home," said Optimus.
"We're on it," said Rhinox.
"You got it, captain," said Nyx.
While the bat, falcon, and rhino began to fix the ship's controls, Optimus turned to the rest of his crew and said, "We must be careful not to threaten these beings when we find them. Any act of aggression could end poorly for either of us."
"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you when one of those things has our heads on pikes," said Rattrap.
Axalon: Main Hall
The kids ran through the maze of white halls within the alien ship. With no sense of direction, they made random turns at every intersection, hoping to find another way out of the large metal craft. After they used most of their energy, the group took a moment to catch their breath.
Derek bent over with his hands on his knees and panted, "Did we lose them?"
Ethan looked back the way they came with nothing but the empty white hallway and no sign of the talking animals behind them.
"Yeah…I think so," he replied.
"This ship is so big, how are we going to get out of here before those…things find us?" asked Connie.
"There's got to be another way out. A ship this huge is bound to have more than one exit," said Ethan.
"If we ever find the exit. It feels like we've been running in circles through these halls for hours," said Derek.
"Well, I'm sorry if I forgot to pick up a map or brochure of the giant alien spacecraft we just so happen to find in the depths of a mountain!" Connie sarcastically yelled.
"You had to smack the giant tiger with your backpack!" yelled Derek.
"I thought he was going to eat us! Besides, you were the one that blew our cover, Mr. Thick Skull," yelled Connie.
"Evan was the one messing with the controls and woke up the aliens," said Derek, pointing towards the nine-year-old.
"I told you, I didn't touch anything!" yelled Evan.
"Will you guys stop it!" shouted Ethan.
Everyone fell silent as the eldest Witwicky boy put himself between his friends and little brother. "Arguing about it is not going to help us right now. None of us knew what we were going to find on this ship and what was going to happen. Right now, we need to pull ourselves together and keep looking for a way out."
Not long after Ethan broke up the argument, the group heard the pattering of paws.
"They're coming," whispered Connie.
"Quick, through there," said Derek.
He pointed to an opened door a few feet away on the left side of the hall. Without debate, the kids ran through the door as the paw sounds came closer. On the other side of the door was a spacious area with large metal crates scattered around.
"This must be the cargo hold of the ship," said Ethan.
"What do you think is in these crates?" asked Evan.
"Weapons of mass destruction?" replied Connie.
A voice back out in the hall said, "Optimus, I'm searching the western halls but still no sign of the creatures so far. Anything on your end?"
"It's coming this way!" whispered Connie.
"Quick, behind the crates!" whispered Ethan.
The teens and the child hid behind a dense cluster of metal crates, in hopes it will keep them hidden. They peeked out through the small gaps between the stacks and saw the cheetah creep into the cargo hold through the open door. The spotted jungle cat thoroughly examined its surroundings, checking behind every crate in its path and occasionally sniffing the air.
Evan watched the curious feline as it wandered around the cargo hold, looking for the young humans. However, the young child saw no aggression in the cheetah's behavior, only gentle concern.
Evan turned to his big brother and whispered, "Ethan, what if we got it all wrong? I don't think they want to hurt us."
"We can't take that risk, Evan. They might kill us, take us hostage, or experiment on us," replied the older brother.
"But we won't know until we find out. This could all be just a big misunderstanding. Maybe if we-," said Evan.
The boy was about to step out from behind the crate when his brother pulled him back saying, "No! I'm not going to let my little brother risk his life so he can make contact with possibly a hostile race of aliens."
"And I'm asking you as my older brother to trust me," said Evan.
The youngest Witwicky starred up at his brother with big doe eyes, while Ethan stared back with confliction in his own.
Eventually, Ethan's face became stern, and said, "No, I'm your older sibling, and you will do as I say."
But the nine-year-old just returned a stern glare towards his big brother and pulled away from his grip saying, "I'm going."
Evan ran out from behind the crates.
"Evan no!" cried Ethan.
The big brother reached out to grab his sibling, but the child was too far from his grasp.
The three teenagers watched anxiously through the gaps as the cheetah quickly turned its attention towards the small boy. Evan stood five feet away from the spotted feline as it cocked its head curiously. Though he was willing to interact with this alien, the child still felt a slight chill of fear throughout his body.
With a weak wave of his hand, Evan said, "H-hey k-kitty…you don't want to hurt me, right?"
The animal didn't respond but continued to stare. Evan slowly took a step closer followed by another. The cheetah did the same as both sides gradually crept towards each other.
Ethan got agitated the closer his brother was to the wild animal. Derek and Connie held him back from charging recklessly into the center.
Eventually, both sides stood right in front of each other. The cheetah sat on its haunches, staring at the boy curiously with its large golden eyes. The air was heavy with suspense as both the teenagers and the cheetah waited to see what Evan would do.
Suddenly, the young boy slowly held up his hand and reached out towards the feline's head. At first, the cheetah lightly flinched when Evan's fingers touched its fur, but calmed itself when the child gently stroked its head. The cheetah let out a purr as Evan continued to pet it.
The teenagers stared in disbelief with their mouths agape as Evan giggled and petted the spotted predator.
The child turned back towards the teenagers and shouted, "See guys! He's friendly."
He stopped petting the cheetah and it spoke, "Don't stop now, I was enjoying that."
"No way!" said Derek.
"Evan was right," said Ethan.
Cheetor looked over at the crates and yelled, "You can come out now, I promise I won't hurt any of you."
Though reluctant at first, all three teenagers slowly crawled out from behind the metal crates and stood with Evan in front of the spotted cat.
"What the heck are you?" asked Ethan.
Cheetor scratched the back of his head with his front paw. "Umm, that's a long story. It would probably be better if the big bot explains it."
"Big bot?" repeated Connie.
"Yeah, I'll contact him to let him know I found you guys," said Cheetor.
Through his commlink, Cheetor said, "Optimus, this is Cheetor. I found the life forms in the cargo hold. I don't think they mean us any harm, they're just sparklings."
On the other end, Optimus said, "Good job, Cheetor. Escort them back to the bridge, they obviously have a lot of questions that only we can answer and hopefully answer some questions of our own. I'll update Tigatron and Rattrap."
"Roger that, big bot," replied Cheetor.
He turned back towards the humans and said, "You might want to follow me back to the bridge. Optimus and the rest of the crew will explain everything there."
Despite the reluctance that lingered in the teens, they all agreed to follow the cheetah back to the bridge. After they walked back through the halls, the group found themselves back on the bridge of the ship. Around the table stood the rhino, falcon, bat, tiger, rat, and gorilla from before.
Once the humans and Cheetor joined the rest of the crew, Optimus said, "Rhinox, are the shields up."
The large rhino replied, "The Axalon should be safe now without any risk of Energon buildup."
"Then I think it's time we show our guests who we truly are," said Optimus.
Suddenly, the hides on all of the animals began to pull back and bend, revealing metal armor underneath, with the cat head insignia from before. Where once were paws, robotic limbs extended as the aliens stood up on two feet. In a matter of seconds, all of the animals had transformed back into the robots the humans had discovered from before. The only difference being the animal hides from their previous forms became part of their armor. Ethan, Evan, Derek, and Connie all stared in awe at the tall massive robots that surrounded them.
The large blue robot, which was once the gorilla, knelt in front of them and said, "My name is Optimus Primal. I'm the captain of this ship, the Axalon. We are Autonomous Robotic Organisms from the planet Cybertron."
"But we prefer to be called, Maximals," said Rhinox.
"Maximals?" repeated Connie.
Optimus stood back up and asked, "We are also curious to know who you are and how you were able to board our ship?"
The eldest Witwicky child spoke, "I-I'm Ethan…Ethan Witwicky. This is my little brother, Evan. The other two are my friends, Connie and Derek."
Evan gave a gentle wave and said, "Hi."
"Welcome to Earth," said Connie.
"Sorry for intruding into your home, we just so happen to have found it when we were exploring the caves," said Derek.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ethan.
"Our ship crash-landed on your planet while we were pursuing some Predacon fugitives," said Nyx.
"Predacons?" repeated Evan.
"Another race of Cybtertronians from our planet," answered Tigatron.
"And a bunch of dirty, lying, cheating, murdering, backstabbers!" said Rattrap.
"Maybe it would be best for these…individuals if we start from the beginning," said Optimus.
Darksyde, Uncharted Island
The hatch of the Darksyde opened as a brown striped velociraptor, purple tarantula, red pterodactyl, scorpion, black widow spider, snapping turtle, green wasp, and a purple t-rex with green stripes on its back crawled out of the ship.
Megatron, now a t-rex, said, "My fellow Predacons, welcome to the planet that is but the first step towards our great conquest."
The rest f the Predacons examined the magma wasteland that surrounded their ship.
"Wwwaazzzzzpinator thought planet would be more…green," said the giant flying wasp.
"That's because this area was scorched by our landing, you imbecile!" shouted Black Arachnia, now a black widow.
"Tarantulas, how long until the Darksyde is fully functional," asked Megatron.
Tarantulas, now a purple tarantula, held a device in one of his eight arms and used another to tap on the screen as he stared with his many eyes.
Through the data that was retrieved on his tablet, Tarantulas replied, "All of the ship's primary functions should be back online within a mega-cycle. However, the main thrusters and transwarp drive have been severely damaged from our fight with the Maximals. plus our crash landing on the planet's surface."
"Oh great! Now we're stuck here, and on a puny desert island!" shouted Terrosaur, now as a pterodactyl.
Megatron stood in the face of the flying dinosaur and shouted, "You fool! This is exactly where we're supposed to be! The golden disk contained the coordinates to this very planet that is filled with more Energon than you can dream of. Enough Energon that all Predcaons will rule and the Maximals will become our slaves, yes."
Dinobot, now a brown striped velociraptor, stepped forward and growled, "So much trouble over a simple relic that has led us to a primitive planet."
"All part of a bigger picture that you have yet to comprehend, Dinobot," replied the t-rex.
"No, I comprehend that your leadership skills in this group need questioning," replied Dinobot with a snarl.
All of the Predacons turned their attention to the raptor in shock.
Megatron glared at Dinobot and growled, "What did you say?"
The raptor walked up and stood in front of his leader, staring him down. "I said your actions as a leader are folly! Every order you gave us since we invaded the research labs has been a show of recklessness and dishonor."
Scorponok, now a scorpion, crawled up to Dinobot and shouted, "Hey! You will not talk to lord Megatron that way!"
Dinobot ignored the scorpion and continued to scorn his Predacon leader. "You ordered us to execute those scientists at the research center, when they were unarmed and of no larger threat to us."
"Casualties of war," replied Megatron. "Don't tell me you are developing sympathy for the pathetic Maximals."
"A warrior never strikes down a civilian in battle, especially when they have no means to defend themselves," replied Dinobot.
Terrosaur laughed and said, "Sounds like the scaly turkey is getting soft on us."
Skold, now a snapping turtle, watched in suspense as her ally continued to confront their leader.
"Not to mention, you nearly had us all killed in space by the Maximals with your childish tactics," continued Dinobot.
Megatron let out a roar and stomped one of his feet onto the raptor, pinning him to the ground. The Predacon leader leaned his massive head closer to the warrior. The warmth of the t-rex's breath blew in Dinobot's face; his sharp teeth only a few inches from the raptor's snout.
"Question my authority again, and I will tare you into scrap before you can say terrorize," growled Megatron.
The rest of the Predacons continued to watch in silence as Dinobot eventually submitted to his defeat. Megatron lifted his clawed foot off of the raptor, allowing him to stand back up.
"Waspinator, Terrorsaur, you are to scout the area beyond this island and report what you find. If what the gold disk reads is true, this planet is inhabited by lesser lifeforms. Be sure not to draw any unwanted attention." said the Predacon leader. "As for the rest of you, continue to make the necessary repairs to the Darksyde so that it will become our new base of operations for now. There is still much to be done before we put our full plan into action, yes," ordered Megatron.
Terrosaur and Waspinator flew off over the ocean while the rest of the Predacons returned inside the ship. Skold stopped for a moment to look back at Dinobot as he stared down at the ground in defeat. The snapping turtle's eyes only furrowed in sympathy and concern for her fellow Predacon before continuing her walk back inside the ship.
Dinobot glared one more time at the purple t-rex before snarling.
Axalon: The Bridge
"So, this Megatron guy and his friends stole a golden disk and tried to escape through a portal into our solar system?" said Derek.
"That about sums it up," said Rattrap.
"And you were ordered by Ironhide to stop them before they got away?" said Ethan.
"Unfortunately, they were able to make one last jump near your planet and away from Cybertronian space. We tried to follow them, but we lost track after being pulled into your planet's atmosphere," said Airazor.
"Heh, if we're lucky, they were blown on impact," said Rattrap.
"So, what are you going to do now?" asked Evan.
"We must leave and report back to Cybertron of what has happened," said Optimus.
"Unfortunately, Optimus, that won't be possible," said Rhinox.
"What do you mean, Rhinox?" asked Cheetor.
The large green bot continued, "After the battle and crash landing on this planet, our main thrusters have taken severe damage."
"Can they be repaired?" asked Optimus.
"That's the worse news. We don't have the resources to repair them. Even if we somehow jury rig the thrusters to function, it won't be enough to get us through the planet's atmosphere. I'm afraid the Axalon won't be able to fly again," said Rhinox.
"What?! You mean to tell me we're trapped on this stupid rock forever?" shouted Rattrap.
"Hey! This stupid rock is our home," retorted Connie.
"Calm down, Rattrap. Since our ship is in no condition to fly, the best we can do is send out a distress signal in hopes that Cybertron will bring us help. Until then, we have to make the most of our situation here on this planet," said Optimus.
The crew of the Axalon and the humans were silent as a depressing air hung in the bridge. The Maximals all exchanged glances, confused and worried about their situation. How were they going to get back to Cybertron if the ship was unable to fly? How would other Cybertronians be able to find them if they crash-landed in uncharted space?
Ethan saw the slumped defeated posture of the robots and pondered over their choices. Evan was right, these Maximals did not wish to harm anyone, but just want to go home. He could never imagine how it felt if he was the one trapped on an alien planet.
Ethan gave a small smile and said, "Maybe we can help."
Everyone turned to the eldest Witwicky sibling. "I may not look it, but I know a thing or two about mechanics and circuitry. Maybe I can help you amplify the signal so it will be guaranteed that it reaches your home planet."
"Really?" Nyx exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah, in fact, we can all help," said Connie.
Derek turned to his friends in shock and shouted, "What?!"
"Yeah, and since we live on Earth, we can help you guys adapt and learn how to survive here," said Evan.
"The offer is well appreciated, but we don't want to lay such a heavy burden on the four of you," said Optimus.
"It's no trouble Optimus. It's the least we can do after mistaking you guys for brain-eating monsters," said Ethan.
"Why would we eat brains?" commented Cheetor with a cocked brow.
"Hehe, no offense, squirts, but you'd just get in the way. This is all official Maximal business that your feeble, primitive, little minds won't be able to comprehend," said Rattrap.
"Though, we could always use an extra set of hands on the ship, seeing as all the pods were ejected into space," said Rhinox.
"And there is still much of this planet we don't know. Receiving help from these humans can prove beneficial to our survival," said Tigatron.
"Still, allying ourselves with these humans can prove a great risk to both them and us," said Airazor.
"I think the kids are cool, they didn't seem hostile when I found them in the cargo hold. Plus, I like them," said Cheetor.
"Me too, we should at least give them a chance to prove themselves. Rhinox and Tigatron are right, if they are willing to help, it could benefit us in the long run," said Nyx.
Optimus rubbed his chin as he pondered over the opinions of his crew. Should they trust these humans and let them help?
Somewhere over the West Coast
A group of seagulls flew over the shores of Washington state, with the serenading sound of ocean waves below. The sky was clear and blue with a few white puffy clouds in the air. However, the peaceful atmosphere was interrupted when a red pterodactyl swooped in and ate one of the seagulls. The rest scattered in horror.
In mid-flight, Terrorsaur chewed and swallowed his prey before saying, "Mmmm, who knew such feeble featherbrains would taste so good."
"Wwwwwhy lizard bird eat zzzzzztrange creature? Lizzzzzzard bird doesn't even know where it'zzzzz been?" asked Waspinator.
"We've been flying for hours and I was starving!" complained Terrosaur.
The red pterodactyl and green wasp scanned the environment below as they observed the strange ecosystem of the race known as humans. The two Predacons flew high enough so they wouldn't be seen from any curious eyes from the ground.
"Blech! It disgusts me that this planet is infested with these tiny squishy creatures. What is even special about them?" said Terrorsaur.
"Wwwwazzzzzpinator don't know. But zzzzome zzzzitiezzzzz remind Wwwwwazzzzzpinator of Cybertron," said the green Wasp.
"Then why don't you book a vacation on this dumb rock if you're so interested? Oh yeah, that's right, WE'RE STRANDED HERE!" retorted the red pterodactyl.
Waspinator flinched at Terrosaur's words and continued to fly in silence. The Predacon duo flew and scanned the environment past the shoreline. The further they flew, the denser the land became with Western Hemlock trees. Eventually, Terrosaur discovered a small farm not too far from the mountains. Down below, he could see one male human carrying a bale of hay while another tinkered with an old rusty tractor.
Terrosaur snickered and said, "This recon mission is getting boring! Why don't we play a little with these pathetic primates."
"But leader bot zzzzaid-" replied Waspinator.
Terrosaur cut him off saying, "Forget Megatron! I'm want to have some fun!"
The red Pterodactyl swooped down towards the farm while Waspinator shook his head.
"Wwwwwhy no one lizzzzen to Wwwwazzzzzpinator?" whined the green Predacon.
The large insect flew after the pterodactyl.
Axalon: The Bridge
An alarm blared as everyone turned their attention to the red flashing light on the main controls of the ship.
"What the heck is that?" asked Connie.
"Something not good," replied Rattrap.
Rhinox ran to the controls and typed in a few commands. One of the hollow screens projected a satellite image of the local landscape surrounding the Axalon. On the map blinked a purple insect insignia that was all too familiar to the Maximals.
Rhinox's eyes widened and he said, "The Axalon is reading Preacon signatures in the local area."
"Megatron survived?" cried Nyx.
"Could be, or anyone of his accomplices aboard the Darksyde," said Rhinox.
"Well that's just prime," said Optimus.
Rhinox typed in a few more commands to zoom in on the map where the signature came from.
"The signature seems to be coming in a klik from our position," said the giant green bot.
Ethan rushed to the screen to get a better look. When he saw where the insect icon was located, his face fell in horror.
"That's our farm!" cried the teen.
Witwicky Farm: 11:45 AM
Spike Witwcky worked tirelessly on the old tractor while his son, Daniel, carried the bales of hay to the feeding troughs. The old man took a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow when his gaze fell upon a very strange sight. A large red pterodactyl dived towards him with a screech.
"Dad, look out!" cried Daniel.
Spike's son quickly sprinted forward and tackled his father out of the way as the pterodactyl shredded the tractor with its talons where the old man stood. The winged reptile swooped back up, circling its prey. Both father and son stared up in shock, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.
"Is that a…pterodactyl?" said Daniel.
"Yes, son…it is," said Spike.
Their disbelief intensified when they saw a giant green wasp also fly in their direction. Carly and Theresa ran out onto the porch, also in shock at the giant bug and dinosaur attacking their husbands.
Terrosaur cackled and said, "I love how they cower like little sparklings."
The pterodactyl dived again towards the two men as they ran towards the house.
"Carly, get the guns!" shouted Spike.
The older woman grabbed Theresa's hand and pulled her back into the house.
Though both men ran as fast as their legs could carry them, Terrosaur was much faster. The Predacon was able to swoop down and grab Spike in his talons before flying upwards.
"Dad!" cried Daniel.
The old man struggled to free himself from the pterodactyl's iron grip as it flew higher.
"I am curious to know what you taste like," said Terrosaur, glaring deviously at the human he snatched.
Spike continued to struggle when a loud screech echoed in the sky. A giant peregrine falcon charged and tackled the pterodactyl, making it drop Spike in the process. As the old man plummet towards the ground, he was snatched by a smaller pair of talons of a giant bat.
"I got you!" said the bat.
The falcon and pterodactyl continued to fight each other in the air as the bat safely lowered and dropped Spike by his son.
Daniel helped pull his father back on his feet asking, "Dad, you alright?"
"I'll live," replied Spike.
In the distance, a gorilla, cheetah, tiger, and rat riding a rhino charged towards the farm with the kids on the ATVs.
"Dad! Grandpa!" cried Ethan.
Airazor continued to fight Terrosaur with both of them still in beast mode. Eventually, the red pterodactyl gripped the falcon by the wings and glided towards the ground. With all of his strength, Terrosaur pushed Airazor against the dirt and dragged her across the yard until he dropped her and flew back up.
"Maximals, defend the farm. Concentrate all of your fire on those fliers!" ordered Optimas as he transformed into robot mode.
The rest of the Maximals did the same and aimed their blasters at Terrosaur and Waspinator. As the red pterodactyl dodged and evaded the laser fire, he gaped at the very same Maximals they fought in space.
"Impossible! How are you still alive?" cried Terrosuar.
"Some of us have nine lives!" retorted Cheetor as he continued to fire.
Terrosaur transformed into robot mode and aimed his blaster saying, "It doesn't matter, this time I'll make sure you all stay dead!"
Waspinator also transformed into robot mode to support his Predacon comrade in the firefight. Airazor got up and turned into robot mode to join Nyx in the air.
Carly ran back out carrying three rifles in her arms.
"Spike! Daniel!" she shouted.
The old woman tossed two of the rifles towards her son and husband. However, from the kids' perspective, these firearms were not the same rifles they used for hunting. They were made of a silver medal with blue etches that glowed in some areas. Spike was the first to aim and fire at Waspinator, shooting a beam of blue energy at the green Predacon. The beam struck Waspinator and the Preadon fell and crashed into the ground. Ethan and Evan stared in awe at the weapons their grandfather, father, and grandmother wielded.
"Woah!" said Ethan.
"I didn't know we had lasers!" said Ethan; a wide excited grin on his face.
The firefight became heated, as shots of pure energy wrecked the farm. Optimus joined Airazor and Nyx in the air for an advantage. Carly joined her son and husband as they fought alongside the Maximals with their laser fire. Theresa and the kids ran into the cover of the house. The kids peeked out from one of the nearby windows to watch the fight.
"This is like a Saturday morning cartoon!" yelled an excited Evan.
"Evan! This is serious, our home is being invaded!" retorted Ethan.
The battle continued as Terrorsaur dodged and weaved through the suppressing fire of the Maximals while firing back. The farm became a complete war zone, with many of the animals scattering in fear and large craters blasted into the fields. Eventually, Optimus flew towards Terrorsaur and used both of his blades to slash at the red and white Predacon. Sparks spat out of the mini thrusters keeping the bot in flight. With only a few seconds to realize what Optimus had done, Terrosaur screeched while he plummet into a large pile of manure.
With both Predacons down, Optimus and the other two flyers landed beside the rest of their crew. Derek, Connie, and the entire Witwicky family left the cover of the house to join them.
Both Terrosaur and Waspinator crawled back up, groaning from the damage their metal structures have taken. Terrorsaur sniffed himself before letting out a few gags, appalled by the foul scent that resonated off of him now. The Maximal's aimed their weapons at the two fallen Predacons, prepared for another attack.
"Where's the rest of your crew?" demanded Optimus.
Terrorsaur smirked and said, "Wouldn't you like to know you stupid Maximals."
"You better watch yourself, lizard beak, because I'm known to have a very hairy trigger finger," said Rattrap.
"Oooooohhh! Mmmmaximalzzzzzz ztill aliiiiiive! Bozz bot not going to like thizzzzzzz," said Waspinator.
"So Megatraon is alive," said Rhinox.
"Why did you Preds come to this planet? What does it have to do with the gold disk?" demanded Nyx.
Terrorsaur just chucked and said, "You pathetic fools have no idea what Ironhide and the council have kept from you. But it's not going to make a difference. Once we finish what we came here for, Cybertron will be home to only the Predacons, and there will be nothing any of you can do to stop us."
Spike's eyes widened as he repeated, "Cybertron? Ironhide?"
"And you guys will be spending a good amount of time in a holding cell on the Axalon!" said Cheetor.
Suddenly, blue electricity covered the bodies of both the Maximals and Predacons as they all doubled over in pain. The humans watched as the robots groaned and screamed in pain from the electric sparks encasing their metal frames.
"Guys! What's wrong?" asked Ethan.
"Stayed…out of…beast mode…for too long…Energon…build up!" moaned Optimus.
"What does that mean?" asked Connie.
The bodies of the robots bent and folded back into the various animals they once were, halting the amount of pain both the Predacons and Maximals were in. Waspinator and Terrosaur quickly flew back where they came from while Optimus and his team took the time to recover.
"Optimus, they're getting away!" cried Cheetor.
"There's nothing we can do, Cheetor. They're too far for us to track," said the gorilla.
"Okay, what happened just now?" asked Derek with a cocked eyebrow.
"Energon build up. It's the main energy source we use on Cybertron. Think of it like the food and water you humans consume," said Rhinox.
"A fuel source," said Ethan.
"Yes, but we also use Energon to power our cities and vehicles. It is very vital on our planet. However, raw Energon emits radiation that is harmful to our structures as well as our cores," continued the rhino Maximal. "Without being properly processed, the radiation from the Energon could deactivate us…for good."
"And that's why you change back into animals?" said Connie.
"Our alternate forms provide us with protection against the raw Energon, so we may safely traverse the planet without great risk," said Tigatron.
"I get it! Like a hazmat suit," said Evan.
"And there is Energon on Earth?" asked Derek.
"According to the Axalon's scans, your planet has a high concentration of Energon. Almost equivalent to Cybertron," said Rhinox.
"You think that's why Megatron and the other Predacons came here?" asked Ethan.
Optimus scratched his chin and said, "It is a possibility, but I can't help but feel there is more to his motives than the obvious."
Spike listened in their conversation the whole time, taking in every word that was spoken between the kids and the robots who called themselves Maximals. After hearing the name Megatron, dread fell throughout his entire body. Spike had not heard that name in years.
"So… it's happening again?" said the old man.
Everyone turned their attention to Spike.
Carly stared at her husband in the same horror that was reflected on his face. "Spike…do you think-?"
"It has to be," said Spike.
"But that's impossible, dad. All three of us saw Megatron die," said Daniel.
Ethan, Evan, and their mother stared in disbelief at the conversation evolving between the three members of their family.
Ethan interrupted them by saying, "Wait, dad, grandpa. You know about this?"
Spike, Carly, and Daniel looked back at their loved ones before exchanging a few nervous glances amongst each other.
"Should we tell them?" asked Carly.
"There's no sense of hiding it anymore," sighed Spike.
"Tell us what?" asked Evan.
"It's better off if we show all of you." Said Spike.
And there you have it, chapter 2. Next time, Ethan and Evan's grandfather, grandmother, and father will explain their connection to the Maximals and how they supposedly know this Megatron. Feel free to leave a review. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
