Hello everyone! Finally, we've reached the conclusion of the first arc of Beast Wars. I apologize again for the long delay. Warning: Some references will be taken from the G1 cartoon and movie to be altered for this fanfiction. Apologies to any fans of the G1 Transformers series. Hope you enjoy it! I do not own Transformers, Beast Wars, Jurassic Park, Sesame Street, or Batman. Transformers and Beast Wars is rightfully owned by Hasbro. Batman is rightfully owned by DC. Jurassic Park is rightfully owned by Universal Studios and Steven Spielberg.
Chapter 3: The Beginning of the Beast Wars: Part 3
Predacon Base 12:45 PM
"WHAT?!" roared Megatron.
Before they could react, both Waspinator and Terrorsaur were grabbed by their throats and suspended by the Predacon leader's hands.
Terrosaur struggled to speak due to his pipes being crushed by Megatron as the red and white robot coughed and gagged, "Th-the Maximals…have survived…th-the jump. They're on the p-p-planet."
"And you fleed like cowards?" yelled Megatron.
Waspinator replied, "W-W-W-Waspintaor and…lizard bird…were…outnumberrrred…M-Maximals overpowerrrrrred Waspinator and lizard birrrrd…with the h-h-help from…huuumans."
"Furthermore, you both were supposed to immediately report back after scouting the planet, not meddle in the affairs of the primitive lifeforms," growled the Predacon leader.
Waspinator and Terrorsaur squirmed in Megatron's grasp, gasping for air.
"P-p-please Lord Megatron…have…mercy," begged Terrorsaur.
The large purple Predacon eventually let both of them go as the insect and flying dinosaur robot fell harshly to the ground. Both of them dazed from the lack of air and hitting their heads on the steel floor of the Darksyde.
The rest of the Predacons looked up at Megatron as the leader rubbed his chin and said, "Hmmm, this makes our mission much more challenging. Not only are those annoying Maximals still alive, but they also allied themselves with the natives of this planet. No matter, if they survived, that means they depleted all of their ship's power to their shields, leaving them all defenseless and stranded on the planet as well. Without their ship, they are more vulnerable than ever. Perfect to launch a full attack and rid ourselves of those pesky Maximals once and for all, yes. Computer, what is the status of the Banshee?"
The AI replied over the intercoms, "Transport vessel has not sustained any severe damage from crash landing."
"Excellent! Predacons, begin making the necessary preparations for travel. We will take care of these Maximals once and for all before they continue to interfere with our plans. I want them all recycled into Energon cans that I can easily crush underneath my foot!"
Witwicky Farmhouse 1 PM
Spike opened the door and flipped the light switch for the basement. The bulbs flickered on the ceiling for a second before illuminating the dank underbelly of the Witwicky house.
"Grandpa, why are we going into the basement?" asked Evan.
"You'll see soon enough," replied Spike.
The old man climbed down the stairs with Derek, Connie, the Maximals, and the rest of his family behind him. The Maximals had to remain in beast mode so they could fit in the house. Unfortunately, Rhinox had to wait outside due to his sheer mass. Optimus was lucky enough to squeeze through the front door without breaking the frame.
"Watch your head, Big Bot," said Cheetor.
But it was too late as the gorilla bumped his head on top of the door frame and let out an "Oof!"
Once everyone was in the basement, Spike pulled the clutter aside to reveal a keypad in the brick wall. The kids were taken back by this strange discovery. They have been in the basement more than once and have never seen this keypad before.
Spike typed in a code on the keypad and a part of the wall slid open, revealing a black rectangle. The old man placed his hand on the rectangle and a beam of light scanned his handprint. Another part of the wall slid open to reveal a scope. Spike set his eye in front of the scope and another light scanned his retinal
Ethan and Evan could only stare in awe and surprise at the discovery of advanced security tech hidden in their own home. A few audible beeps were heard and a large portion of the basement wall slid open to reveal another room.
Spike turned to face the group and smirked. "Shall we?"
"No way! We have our own batcave!" cried Ethan.
Everyone followed him through the opening into a large room with all-metal floors and walls. Against the walls were shelves assorted with high-tech weapons, similar to the ones the brothers' father and grandparents used on the Predacons. A large computer monitor was tucked in the corner, displaying video footage of the entire farm. Across the room, on the opposite wall from the entrance, another shelf was positioned. However, unlike the high-tech weapons, this one had an assorted display of pictures, armor, shields, news clippings, robotic parts, and a flag. The armor, flag, and shield all displayed the same insignia: the red face of a robot.
Everyone except Daniel and Carley gaped at the trophy shelf.
"No way! Optimus, this is all ancient Autobot tech!" said Nyx.
"In pristine conditioned too," said Rattrap as he examined one of the shelves.
"Where did you acquire all of this?" asked Optimus.
Spiked turned to face the group and said, "Back in 1984, my father and I encountered some extraterrestrial beings similar to you all, except they could transform into vehicles. They called themselves Autobots and Decepticons."
"Our ancestors," said the gorilla.
"Wait, grandpa, you met them before?" asked Ethan.
Theresa was just as surprised as her two sons, staring at her father-in-law with her mouth agape.
Tigatron cocked a brow and said, "But that is impossible. There are no records of the Cybertron War extending on other planets."
Spike smiled and explained, "I was fresh out of college; young, eager, and curious about the world. Your great grandfather got me a job on an oil rig. It was hard work, but I learned a lot about engineering from it. One day, the rig was attacked by Decepticons. They were led by one who called himself Megatron. Showing no mercy, they took over the rig for the oil we harvested, converting it into Energon, the fuel source they thrived on. We all thought we were goners, but then another group of robots appeared and they protected us from the Decepticons."
"And that was the Autobots?" asked Connie.
Spike nodded and said, "Yes. They were led by Optimus Prime."
"Wait, you knew Optimus Prime?" Nyx asked flapping her wings in excitement.
"He was a courageous and noble leader, always made the choice that involved the least amount of violence and casualties, even with the Decepticons. He valued all life and believed everyone deserved a second chance. To Optimus Prime, even when the odds were against us, there was always a chance for victory," said Spike.
"Everyone knows the story of Optimus Prime. He was a hero to all of Cybertron," said Airazor.
"What happened to him?" asked Ethan.
Spike's face slowly became crestfallen. "He sacrificed himself so the Autobots could win the war. The Decepticons were planning on using an ancient relic from Cybertron to reawaken the most powerful and infamous Decepticon to ever exist."
Optimus Primal's face turned into a scowl as he growled, "Unicron."
"Exactly," replied Spike.
Cheetor had his front paws on the trophy shelf, eyes widened as he stared at one of the pictures. His ears perked up.
"No way! You knew Bumblebee? THE BUMBLEE?!" cried the spotted feline.
Everyone turned to the picture Cheetor stared at of a younger Spike with a yellow bot smiling in the background.
Spike smiled back and said, "He was my best friend. Bee was always curious about Earth and wanted to learn about it. We looked after each other, battling the Decepticons."
Nyx joined Cheetor by the shelf and turned her attention towards a group picture of Autobots. One of them was a familiar red Autobot.
"Isn't that…Ironhide?" gasped the bat.
"What? The same boss bot that sent us towards those Preds in the first place?" said Rattrap.
Cheetor cocked a brow. "Ironhide was on this planet before?"
"They all were!" cried Nyx.
Spike said, "For a few years, the Autobots and Decepticons held their war on our planet, being discreet to the rest of humanity by disguising themselves as vehicles. My father and I did what we could to help the Autobots fend off the Decepticons. It was around that time I met your grandmother," said Spike
"You too, grandma?" asked Evan.
Carly just smirked and nodded. "That's right. I was a senior in college when the Decepticons attacked the campus. Your grandfather, like the big hero he believed himself to be, swooped in with the Autobots and kept me safe behind cover. Realizing our entire planet was at stake, I agreed to help them in their war. Your grandfather and I fell in love as we continued to work together, and before you knew it, we got married. Eventually, your father was born and grew up with the Autobots."
"Seriously, dad?" asked Ethan.
Daniel smiled and chuckled, "It's true. Some of the Autobots would allow me to ride them as vehicles. Jazz, Sideswipe, and I would do some crazy stunts in the Arizona desert."
"Our family is sounding cooler every second," Evan whispered.
Spike's demeanor became serious and continued, "Eventually, when your father was only twelve, Optimus Prime defeated Megatron in battle. It seemed like the war was over. Peace would return to Earth and the Autobots could reclaim their home planet. Little did we know that the remnants of Megatron's army had everything they needed to carry out their ultimate plan. They reawakened Unicron, a Decepticon that could take the form of an entire planet. He was so big, he could consume other planets."
All of the kids' eyes widened.
"Woah!" said Evan.
"Heavy," said Derek.
Spike continued, "After his reawakening, Unicron revived Megatron into a new form and went by the name Galvatron. They continued their conquest of Cybertron and the rest of the universe now the Decepticons' old leader was back. Unfortunately, Unicron was too strong to stop, even with advanced Cybertronian weaponry. Optimus Prime discovered the only way to defeat Unicron was to disrupt his corrupted core with something as pure as Cybertron itself: The Matrix of Leadership."
"The great artifact that is passed down to every leader of the Autobots," said Tigatron.
Spike continued, "Optimus said the matrix was so powerful, it could destroy the darkest of cores just by sheer touch. So, in one final effort, the Autobots, your grandmother, your father, and I all journeyed into Unicron to expose the matrix to his core. It was the most intense mission we ever faced and even lost some good Autobots that day. We were able to make it to the core, only for Galvatron to intercept us. Optimus Prime died, giving us the chance we needed to use the matrix on Unicron."
"Did it work?" asked Connie anxiously.
Spike nodded. "Yes, the power was too much for Unicron's core and it obliterated him. The rest of us made it out alive with Optimus, and the universe was saved. But with his dying breath, he gave the Matrix of Leadership to Hot Rod."
"Now known as Rodimus Prime. Our current leader," said Airazor.
Carly's eyes began to well up with tears while Daniel comforted her.
Spike lowered his head and said, "It was a devastating loss for all of us, especially Bumblebee. He looked up to Optimus like a father. After the war was officially over, the remaining Decepticons were arrested and put on trial for their crimes. The council on Cybertron did not want to risk another war on Earth or any other planet with sentient life. So, they made us all swear to secrecy. No one on Earth was to expose the existence of Cybertron, and Earth's existence was to be forgotten from Cybertron's history of the war."
"That would explain why none of us had heard of Earth back on Cybertron," said Cheetor.
"Nor were there any records of the planet in the archives," said Optimus.
Theresa's brows furrowed as she said, "So…all three of you kept this from me and the boys?"
Daniel held both of his wife's hands and replied, "Honey, like dad said, we were sworn to secrecy. We couldn't tell anyone, not even you, Ethan, or Evan."
"Believe us, Theresa, we wanted to tell you and the kids so many times," said Carly.
"Even if we did, it was obvious no one would believe us," said Spike.
"He's got you there, mom," said Ethan.
"But it still doesn't make any sense. How could Megatron have come back even without Unicron?" asked Carly.
"Maybe the Allspark?" replied Daniel.
"No, Optimus took the hiding place for the Allspark to his grave. No one knows where it is," said Spike.
Optimus Primal came forward and said, "Though you will be relieved to know, the Megatron you speak of is truly deactivated. The one we chased to your planet is a Predacon who took the name of the infamous Decepticon leader."
"So why come to Earth?" asked Daniel.
"They said the Predacons were led here by some sort of disc," said Derek.
"A mysterious artifact, stolen from Cybertron labs. Unfortunately, we know nothing as to what this golden disk is or why the Predacons stole it in the first place," said the gorilla.
"You think these Predacons want revenge for losing the war?" asked Daniel.
Spike rubbed his chin. "Probably, but whatever the case, Optimus Primal, you have our full support as allies of Cybertron."
Optimus smiled and said, "That is well appreciated."
Suddenly, red lights flashed in the room and a loud alarm rang throughout the house.
"What's that?" cried Carly.
"Our defenses picked up something," said Spike.
The old man rushed to the monitor in the corner and typed a few keys. One screen displayed a radar while the other showed camera footage of the area surrounding the farm. At first, the footage was clear, until Spike inputted the infrared feature. An object resembling a ship appeared on the screen. On the side of the ship was the familiar insect head.
"Looks like your little friends came back," said Spike.
"And they brought reinforcements," said Daniel, as they looked at the screen.
Rattrap crossed his arms and said, "Well that's just prime."
Tigatron crawled closer towards the monitor and observed the video footage of the ship. His eyes widened when he realized what direction the ship was heading.
"Optimus! They're flying towards the Axalon!" said the white tiger.
"The ship's defenses are still offline. It's completely vulnerable!" said Airazor.
Optimus glared at the screen and said, "If they take or destroy the Axalon, we'll have no way of contacting Cybertron for help. We need to intercept them before they reach the ship."
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's kick some Predacon skid plates!" cried Cheetor.
Mouth of Night Stone Cave 1:15 PM
The Banshee landed by the mouth of the cave with an invisible field hiding the ship from prying eyes. A latch opened from the bottom as each of the Predacons crawled out in beast mode.
"This is where the Banshee detected readings of a Cybertronian ship," said Blackarachnia.
"How should we approach the Maximals, Lord Megatron?" asked Scorponok.
The large purple t-rex smirked and said, "Let us enter from the front. Their ship is in no condition to fly, and it is doubtful their main defenses will be fully functional. We will charge in, eliminate the Maximal crew, and take the Axalon for ourselves, yes."
"That is ludicrous! After their encounter with the bug and flying lizard, they will be expecting us! We can't leave it up to chance for us to catch them off guard," said Dinobot.
Megatron stomped his foot and roared, "I've had enough your nagging maw, Dinobot! I was serious when I said I will personally deactivate you."
The raptor took a few seconds to glare towards his leader and stood down, growling.
"That's what I thought," said Megatron.
The Predacons entered the cave, following the energy signature on a device Tarantuals carried. Though the cave was pitch black with little light from the bioluminescence, the insects and dinosaurs were able to traverse the caverns easily with night vision from their beast modes. Eventually, the Predacons reached the dirty and damaged exterior of the Axalon.
"This is too easy," laughed Terrorsaur.
"Not as easy as you think, you stinkin Preds!" shouted a familiar rat.
Startled, the Predacons turned to see all of the Maximals still in beast mode. Beside them stood Spike, Daniel, Carly, Ethan, Derek, Connie, and Evan all armed with high-tech weapons.
Megatron said, "Ah, come to surrender, Maximals?"
The purple t-rex flashed a toothy grin across his maw.
"Fat chance, Megabreath!" cried Nyx.
"Your terrorist acts on this planet and Cybertron ends here!" said Airazor.
"Oh no! Whatever shall we do!" mocked Tarantulas.
Terrorsaur, Waspinator, and Scorponok laughed.
"Foolish Maximals, this is far from over. It is only the beginning of what I have in store for all of you. Once we harvested this planet dry of all of its Energon, we shall have enough to usurp the Maximals and the high councils of Cybertron, leaving only the Predacons to be at the top of the food chain with me as its rightful leader, yes," said Megatron.
"We're not going to let that happen, as long as our sparks glow!" growled Cheetor.
"What you speak is madness, Megatron. If you harvest all of the Energon off of this planet, you could destroy it along with the humans who live here," said Rhinox.
"And that concerns us, why?" retorted Blackarachnia.
"Who says we will kill all of the humans after we harvested their planet. After all, good servitude is hard to come by these days. I myself, would like to dissect these puny organics and see what makes them tick," said Tarantualas.
He tapped his pincers together while glaring at the human children; a sadistic giggle escaped his mouth.
Evan whimpered in fear as he stood behind his brother.
"You monsters!" exclaimed Connie.
Optimus stepped in front of the kids and said, "You will not harm any humans on this planet as long as we have something to say about it."
"Than I will be sure to bury your remains with them once I have finished you, Optimus Primal," replied the t-rex.
"No," said Dinobot.
Suddenly, the brown-striped raptor walked towards the Maximals and humans. All of the Predacons and Rattrap stared, dumbfounded by the Predacon's sudden actions.
"Dinobot, what are you doing?" demanded Megatron.
Dinobot turned around and glared at t-rex with a snarl. "I am done tacking orders from you, Megatron! You live by dishonorable ethics that sicken me and have foolish leadership skills that have always gotten us close to being deactivated."
Megatron growled, "How dare you!"
Dinobot continued, "If this is what it means to be a Predacon… then I would rather be a Maximal!"
All of the Maximals and humans stared in shock at the raptor that now stood beside them.
Megatron's face tensed angrily before it became lax and said, "Very well, then you shall suffer alongside the humans and the Maximals. Though I have to say, I am very disappointed."
"The feeling is mutual," retorted Dinobot.
"Dinobot, don't do this," begged Skold.
The raptor bowed his head and said, "I'm sorry, Skold. I can't be part of this anymore."
The snapping turtle's eyes were filled with shock and sorrow before being contorted into anger and hate.
Spike clicked the magazine of his laser rifle and aimed at the Predacons saying, "We have fought your kind before, and we humans won't give up without a fight."
"Admirable, but pointless," said Megatron.
The humans armed their weapons as both Maximals and Predacons transformed into their robot modes. Both sides stood silently, glaring at each other with anticipation. The only sound to be heard was the occasional dripping of water from stalactites and the occasional whistles of the wind from the cave entrance.
Megatron pointed his t-rex head cannon and cried, "Predacons, TERRORIZE!"
Optimus pointed one of his swords and cried, "Maximals, MAXIMIZE!"
Both sides charged towards each other with battle cries and impacted in the middle of the cave. Immense laser fire flew across the air, blasting rocks and Cybertronians to the ground.
Terrorsaur hovered up to the ceiling with Waspinator, glaring at Nyx and Airazor.
"Ready for round two?" asked the sadistic red and white Predacon.
"With pleasure!" said Airazor.
The fliers zipped across the cave ceilings, firing their laser at each other. Waspinator dodged out of the way from Nyx's line of fire and the laser hit one of the stalactites. The pointed piece of rock dropped towards Cheetor, but the spotted Maximal was able to dodge out of the way with his feline reflexes.
"Whoa!" cried Cheetor.
"Sorry, Cheetor," shouted Nyx.
The humans stayed behind cover with Rattrap and Rhinox, providing cover fire for the rest of the Maximals.
"Get off our planet, Predacon scum!" cried Connie.
The red-headed teenager shot Scorponock, knocking him against the cavern wall. The area cracked and shook, as everyone froze from battle. Before anyone had a chance to react, the floor beneath the Cybertronians and the humans crumbled as both armies fell into a larger area of the cave except the fliers.
The human kids were able to shake out of their daze and Ethan asked, "Is everyone alright?"
"I think so," said Derek.
"Nothing broken," said Connie.
"Still alive," said Evan.
The three teens and the child looked around the area to see more of the glowing blue crystals from before but covering the entire cave and some as big as sequoia trees.
"Look! More of those blue crystals," cried Evan.
"They're everywhere!" said Connie.
The kids heard groans and directed their attention to the Maximals, Predacons, and human adults regaining consciousness after their fall. The teens helped Spike, Daniel, and Carly back on their feet.
Optimus Primal slowly stood up until blue sparks covered his entire body again and yelled in pain. The rest of the Maximals and the Predacons soon followed as they knelt on the ground with screams of agony.
"What's wrong with them?" asked Daniel.
"Optimus said if they stay out of beast mode for too long, they suffer from Energon build-up," said Ethan.
The eldest Witwicky boy looked at the Cybertronians writhing in pain and looked around the crystal cavern they stood in. That's when Ethan figured out the connection.
"Guys! This must be the Energon they were talking about. It's these weird blue crystals," stated the eldest Witwicky boy.
Both the Maximals and Predacons reverted to beast mode to prevent their systems from overloading.
Optimus turned to the humans and the other Maximals saying, "We must stay in beast mode to avoid a permanent shutdown. Be careful not to make any sudden contact with the Energon. Not only can the radiation harm Cybertronians, but it's also highly explosive if hit with enough force."
"Wait…explosive?" replied Connie after a double-take.
Megatron let out a thunderous roar and stomped towards the Maximals with the rest of his Predacon army, who were also in beast mode. The fliers swooped down to join their groups.
"We'll just have to make every shot count," said Ethan.
"Across the galaxy, it has come to this, Optimus Primal. Face to face, tooth to claw, yes. Have you anything to say?" asked the purple t-rex.
Optimus stood up on his legs and said, "I'd say that's prime. Let's do it!"
Like before, the two armies rushed each other, with both the Maximals and the Predacons making bestial roars towards their enemies. The battle changed from a firefight to a nature fight as both sides clawed, bit, stomped, stung, and rammed each other for victory. The humans continued to help the Maximals with cover fire but proved to be difficult without damaging any of the Energon crystals.
Optimus Primal wrestled with Megatron as they rolled around the cavern, one trying to get an advantage over the other.
"Why do you even care about these humans? They are tiny, primitive pests who are setting themselves up for their own demise. The way they live on this hunk of rock with war, crime, famine, and insubordination, there is no hope for them. You can say we Predacons are doing these humans a service by putting them out of their own misery," said Megatron.
"We are not superior to them, Megatron. All sentient life, whether primitive or advanced; Cybertonian or not, deserves a chance to prosper. I agree, the way these humans live isn't ideal, but they still have a chance to learn and evolve," said the gorilla.
The Predacon leader was able to get on top of Optimus and tried to chomp down on his neck. Using his gorilla strength, Optimus grabbed both sides of the dinosaur's jaws and held them back.
"Admit defeat, Maximal. The Energon and this planet shall be ours!" said Megatron.
"Not if I can help it!" roared Optimus.
The gorilla used both of his legs to kick off the t-rex and crashed his head into some large rocks. With his head wedged between the pile, Megatron struggled to pull himself free.
"Surrender Megatron, you're trapped!" shouted Optimus.
"No! You shall not defeat me!" retorted Megatron.
Eventually, the Predacon leader broke free and charged headlong towards Optimus. The Maximal leader had no time to get out of the way, and tried to punch and bash himself free while Megatron rammed him into a rock wall. The t-rex bit down on Optimus's leg, making the gorilla roar in pain.
Ethan heard the agonized cry of Optimus and looked in horror at the battle between the two leaders. Without hesitation, the teen pulled out a plasma grenade from his backpack and pushed the button to start the charge. After a few seconds, Ethan threw the grenade right at Megatron, and it blew up in the Predacon's face.
Megatron reeled back and roared in pain, his snout burned from the explosion. Optimus sat up and looked at his injured leg; sparks flew from exposed wires and circuitry.
"Keep your gnarly teeth off of him, you Jurassic Park reject!" shouted Ethan.
Parts of Megatron's face were burnt and covered in soot.
When he regained focus, the Predacon leader glared at the human teenager with his red eyes and growled, "You will regret that, you insignificant gnat!"
The purple t-rex spun around and whacked Ethan with his tail. The teen slammed into a wall and crumbled to the ground.
"NO!" shouted Optimus.
Seeing Megatron hurt the human boy made a great primal rage bubble up in the Maximal leader. Optimus stood up and let out another roar while pounding his chest with both fists. He charged the t-rex again and tackled him to the ground. Before Megatron could get up, the gorilla grabbed his tail with both hands and swung him around before throwing the Predacon leader against more rocks. Optimus fell back on the ground from his injured leg as Megatron stood back up.
"It is over, Megatron!" shouted the Maximal leader.
"It is never over, no!" replied the Predacon leader and changed to his robot form. "For if I must die, I will take you with me!"
Using his arm cannon, Megatron fired a single rocket right at Optimus Primal. Everything went in slow-mo for the Maximal leader. Was this how it was going to end? To fail not only the humans of Earth but all of Cyberton as well, as Megatron obliterated him in a cave? But all of that was ignored when Dinobot ran in front of Optimus and deflected the rocket with his tail, changing its trajectory. Unfortunately, the rocket hit one of the large crystals of raw Energon. The entire cavern glowed a bright blue and the walls rumbled.
"It's going to blow!" cried Rhinox.
"Time to fade, heroes!" shouted Cheetor.
"Over there!" cried Spike.
The old man pointed to a cavern wall that crumbled to reveal sunlight.
Derek, Connie, and Evan road Rhinox while Airazor and Nyx picked up Spike and Carly with their talons and flew off. Daniel rode on Dinobot with the rest of the Maximals behind them. The Predacons followed suit, fearing for their own lives.
Optimus panted heavily from exhaustion. His battle with Megatron consumed most of his energy along with the injuries he suffered. The gorilla's eyes scanned the cavern until he found Ethan's unconscious body on the ground.
Quickly, Optimus picked up the teen in one arm and said, "I got you."
Sparks flew as the raw Energon cracked and hummed loudly. With Ethan in his arm, Optimus made haste for the cave opening before the explosion.
Megatron's body still laid in the cavern from the Energon build-up he exposed himself to after firing the rocket. Before the cave blew up, the Predacon leader had enough energy to stand up and yell in defeat as a bright blue light engulfed the cave.
Outside Night Stone Cave: 4:50 PM
The remaining Maximals and humans watched as a massive bright explosion shattered part of the mountain.
"Ethan!" screamed Connie.
"Optimus!" cried Tigatron.
Everyone waited anxiously for any sign of their two allies. When the smoke cleared, a familiar silhouette of a rushing gorilla charged out, with a sixteen-year-old blonde boy in one arm.
Evan rushed forward and asked, "Is he okay?"
Optimus placed Ethan's body down on the ground. "He's unconscious."
The teen's body was covered in dirt with a few scratches on his skin. His clothes were slightly torn in several areas.
The nine-year-old Witwicky boy knelt beside his brother and shook him. "Ethan! Ethan, wake up! Please wake up!"
"No, not my boy, please not my boy!" whispered Daniel as he knelt with Evan.
Derek held Connie's hands as Evan continued to shake his older brother, hoping for a response or a sign he was alive. The Maximal's gathered around, holding their breath for the young human.
Tears streamed down Evan's face as he sobbed, "Please, Ethan. I'm not ready to be an only child. Come back! Please come back, big bro! I need you. Ethan…don't leave me."
The nine-year-old leaned down and wrapped his arms around Ethan's chest crying. Daniel cradled the head of his eldest son as tears streaked down his face. Carly covered her face with her hands as Spike wrapped his arms around her in comfort. Connie knelt on the ground and sobbed while Derek stared in disbelief that his best friend was gone. All of the Maximals hung their heads in grief for their fallen human ally.
Suddenly, there was a cough, and Ethan's eyes fluttered open as he groaned. Evan and Daniel looked up in shock as the eldest Witwicky boy slowly rose up in a sitting position.
The teenager gave a weak smile and joked, "Hey! What did I miss?"
"Ethan!" cried Evan, and tackled his older brother in a tight, loving hug.
Daniel followed, wrapping his arms around both of his boys.
"We thought we lost you," said Evan.
"Are you kidding me? Our horses can kick harder than that stinking dinosaur," joked Ethan.
Everyone laughed, relieved to see the human teenager had survived. Optimus Primal came forward and smiled down at Ethan.
"Ethan, you put yourself in danger to protect me from Megatron. I owe you my life," said the gorilla with a nod.
"You and the Maximals protected my friends and my family back on the farm, Optimus. I'd say we're even," replied the eldest Witwicky boy.
The gorilla turned to Dinobt and said, "And I have you to thank as well."
The velociraptor replied, "My action did not imply loyalty, Optimus. We merely share a common enemy now."
"I'll accept that," said the Maximal leader.
"I don't mean to ruin this wonderful moment, but we still have the rest of those Preds roaming around the planet and no way to get back to Cybertron," said Nyx.
"Nobody asked for a reminder, you flying weasel," grumbled Rattrap.
Nyx's sensitive ears twitched and glared at the rodent. "What was that?"
Rattrap's ears folded back and his eyes widened as he replied, "Nothing."
"Nyx is right, the rest of Megatron's followers are still out there, and with the Axalon unable to fly, we're stranded here," said Rhinox.
"Plus, we are light years away from Cybertron to send a distress signal. It could take stellar cycles until it is received and they send help," added Tigatron.
"Than we'll just have to make do with our current situation. Until we can get into contact with Cybertron, we must protect this planet and its inhabitants from the remaining Predacons," said Optimus.
"No offense, Boss Monkey, but should we really get ourselves mixed up with these humans? We need to save our own skid plates while we still have them," said the rat.
Cheetor said, "No way! We can't just leave the Witwickys and their friends at the mercy of those Preds, especially since they helped us back there."
"Besides, Megatron said this not only involved the safety of this planet but Cybertron as well. We can't allow them to threaten our home if they succeed," said Airazor perched on a tree.
"You're welcome to stay at our farm as long as you like, though finding room for all of you might be an issue," said Carly.
Optums replied, "We appreciate the offer, Carly, but we'll be prime back at the Axalon. However, since you all are now involved, there is no doubt the Predacons may come after you again. We will assign someone from our crew to act as a guardian for your family."
Rattrap shook his hands out in front and said, "Hey, don't look at me, I ain't babysitting these runts."
Evan stepped forward to the gorilla and asked, "Optimus…i-if it's okay with you…can Cheetor be our guardian?"
The spotted feline looked stunned at the child and Optimus cocked a brow at the young human's request.
The Maximal leader smirked and said, "If that's what he desires."
Everyone turned to Cheetor, who looked back and forth between his leader and the nine-year-old human he just met.
But it wasn't difficult for the young Maximal scout as he smiled at Evan and replied, "I would be honored."
Evan jumped and cheered before he ran over to Cheetor and hugged him around the neck. The spotted feline let out a soft pure.
"Dad, can Cheetor stay in my room?" asked Evan.
Daniel scratched the back of his head nervously and replied, "We'll have to talk to your mother about that."
Ethan, Connie, Derek, and the Witwicky grandparents chuckled at the cute display.
Optimus turned to Rhinox and asked, "How long will it take to fortify the Axalon?
"As soon as we get the security systems up and running, it will be safe for us to station. We also have to reactivate the forcefields, but nothing Rattrap and I can't handle. Luckily, communications aren't down, so we can still send a distress signal. It's a long shot but it's the best we can do. Overall, it should take at least a solar cycle," said Rhinox.
"Excellent." Said Optimus. "There is a chance Megatron is still alive, and this planet is rich with raw Energon. If the Predacons harvest enough, they could start a second Cybertronian war. For now, let the battle be here, on this strange planet, and let it be the beginning of…THE BEAST WARS!"
"We're gonna die," whispered Rattrap.
Outside the Predacon transport shuttle: 5 PM
All of the Predacons were back at the Banshee in beast mode, injured and exhausted from their intense battle with the Maximals.
"Now that Megatron is gone, I would gladly volunteer to take the position as leader of the Predacons," stated Terrorsaur.
"Ha! Don't make us laugh, Big Bird. I would sooner take orders from Waspinator than you," said Blackarachnia.
At first, the green wasp was honored by the black widow's words, until he realized it wasn't a compliment and whined, "Hey!"
"Plus, you don't know if Megatron is really deactivated. He could have survived or escaped in time," said Scorponok.
"You would obviously think that you kiss up!" said Tarantulas.
The Predacons continued to bicker at each other while Skold remained quiet in the background. Her cogs filled with dread and disappointment for Dinobot's betrayal.
"No one shall be leader as long as I have something to say about it," shouted a familiar deep voice.
The Predacons were shocked to see Megatron limp from behind the canopy of trees, reverted to beast mode.
"Lord Megatron!" cried Scorponok.
"You live!" gasped Skold.
The purple t-rex stomped towards the red pterodactyl and glared. "The day you become leader of this group, Terrorsaur, will be the day I will recycle you into a trash bin!"
The flying dinosaur knelt in submission as Megatron addressed the rest of the Predacons. "And that goes for all of you! If I catch a whisper of mutiny while I'm around, you won't stay online long enough to regret it. Understood?!"
All of the Predacon's nodded anxiously.
"Good. Let us retreat back to the Darksyde to plan our next move. If Optimus Primal wants a war…we shall give it to him and his Maximals," said the Predacon leader.
And so, the Beast Wars begins! Feel free to leave a review and share your thoughts so far.
