Hello readers! Here is another chapter for Beast Wars. Today, we follow the second Maximal team as they embark on their mission to retrieve the stasis pods in the Amazon rainforest. We'll be getting two new Maximals or Predacons to join the Beast Wars. I apologize in advance if my Spanish isn't the best. I don't own Beast Wars or Transformers. Transformers and Beast Wars are rightfully owned by Hasbro.
Chapter 6: First Awakening: Part 2
Somewhere over the Amazon: 3 PM
The Aurora glided slowly above the vast rainforest. Rhinox piloted the small ship while the rest of the team was fastened in the passenger seats to both sides of the interior.
"We're coming up on the radius of the pod's signal," said Rhinox.
Rattrap looked out the window at the jungle covering the entire landscape. "This is going to be harder than finding a functioning power cell in a scrap yard."
"As long as we follow the signal, we should be able to find the pod," said Tigatron.
Dinobot growled, "The vermin doesn't want to admit he's a coward."
The small Maximal glared at the former Predacon. "The only thing that's scary around here is your breath, Chopper Face!"
Dinobot gave a snarl. "I could say the same about your quarters. It looks like a swarm of scraplets made their nest in there."
Connie tried to interject. "Knock it off, you two! We're supposed to be working together, remember?"
"I trust this lousy Pred as far as I can throw him," retorted Rattrap.
"Which, given by your feeble structure, isn't far," said Dinobot.
"I'm not afraid to shoot you where you sit, Dino Breath!" shouted Rattrap.
"Not before I blast you first, vermin!" said Dinobot.
Both bots leaned closer toward each other as they threw the insults.
"Enough!" shouted Tigatron. "Connie is right. We must drop these foolish quarrels and focus on the mission at hand. There are two Maximals lost out there and need our help. It will take all of us to find them and bring them safely back to the Axalon."
Both Rattrap and Dinobot exchanged glances between the rest of the team and each other before laying back in their seats. Rattrap made the 'I got my eyes on you' gesture towards Dinobot. The former Predacon just scowled and growled at the small Maximal.
"You think it was a good idea to put these two in the same team," whispered Derek.
"Probably not, but we need all the help we can get if we want to stop the Predacons," replied Connie.
"Let's just hope we can stop them before those two rip each other apart," said Derek.
After the argument, Rhinox found a hidden clearing in the Amazon to land the Aurora. The ship descended until it touched the leaf and vine-covered ground. The back hatch of the vessel opened and the second search party made their way down the ramp and into the thick rainforest. All of the Maximals changed to beast mode to protect themselves from the Energon buildup.
Somewhere else in the Amazon: 3:05 PM
In beast mode, Megatron, Blackarachnia, Tarantulas, and Skold followed a path of broken trees.
"How much further, Tarantulas?" asked the t-rex.
The purple spider observed the device on one of his eight legs. "We should be nearing the first stasis pod in a few nano-kliks."
"Well, we better find it soon. This blistering heat isn't good for my plating," complained Blackarachnia.
"Maybe if a certain turtle wouldn't waddle so slowly, we would have found it by now!" retorted Tarantulas.
Skold was at the very back of the group.
"I can't help it if my beast mode is making me carry this large shell. It's weighing me down," whined the stout Predacon.
"That's not the only thing weighing you down," grumbled Blackarachnia.
The beeping on Tarantulas's device intensified.
The Predacon scientist pointed down an incline. "The pod should be down this hill."
More shattered trees and rocks trailed down the slope to the very bottom where a small tower of smoke rose.
"Looks like this bot had one rough landing," said the black widow.
"Let us make haste, Predacons. Our new recruit awaits," said Megatron.
The Predacon team carefully slid down the steep hill while Skold stood back up top. She looked nervously down at the bottom of the steep incline, knowing one wrong step would result in a world of pain for her. Megatron was lucky to have huge claws to slide down and the spiders could crawl on any surface. Her thick stubby legs weren't meant to climb down such terrain in beast mode. Regardless, Skold took a deep breath and stepped her front foot onto the incline. However, the moment her foot was at an angle, she slipped and tumbled the rest of the way down. Skold quickly retracted into her shell to limit the amount of pain she would feel from all of the trees and rocks she crashed into during her fall. The Predacons eventually reached the familiar metal pod with Skold crashing into some nearby trees that halted her body. The snapping turtle poked her head out while lying upside down with her back against the tree, momentarily dazed from her stumble. The rest of the Predacons just glare disappointingly at Skold and walked toward the pod. The snapping turtle was able to move back on her feet and follow behind.
On closer inspection, the metal structure of the pod suffered from several gashes and dents. It had a rough landing when pulled by Earth's gravity. Tarantulas examined the beaten structure. The console on the side of the pod displayed the protoform's vitals, and they were severe.
"This pod must have been greatly damaged during its landing. We must open the pod now and initiate the shell program before the exposed core loses its spark," said the purple spider.
"Then what are you waiting for? Get to it! I want my Predacon army to surpass the insignificant Maximals and their human allies," replied Megatron.
Tarantulas changed to robot mode and began to dismantle the controls on the pod, revealing the circuitry underneath. Within the wires was a small computer chip with the Maximal insignia etched on the surface. Using his tools, the Predacon scientist gently removed the chip.
A robotic voice from the pod said, "Maximal programming chip cannot be accessed. Pausing DNA scan."
Tarantulas crushed the previous chip with his claws and let it crumble to the jungle floor. He placed a different chip inside the pod with a Predacon insignia etched on its surface. Once the chip was in place, the scientist typed a few commands on the controls.
"New programming accepted. Scanning for alternate form," said the pod.
A small antenna protruded from the pod and sent a flat beam of purple light to scan the area. Not too far from the Predacons was a large ant hill of fire ants as they marched in and out of the ground. The purple light passed over the ant hill as the silhouette of the vicious insect appeared on the pod's console.
"Compatible lifeform found. Beginning replication," said the pod.
"Yes!" said Megatron with a villainous smile.
Steam flowed from the stasis pod as all of the Predacons watched in anticipation of their newest recruit.
Eventually, the robotic voice from the pod said, "Alternate form complete. Unlocking stasis pod."
The hatch slid open and a giant fire ant crawled out from the metal container with a loud screech.
Megatron stepped forward and said, "Greetings, fellow Predacon. I am Megatron, your leader."
"Invaders! Here to harm the colony! Inferno, TERRORIZE!" cried the fire ant.
The large red insect's body folded and retracted to take the form of a humanoid robot. Its red armor matched the color of its insect appearance with the only exception being its turquoise head. What stood out the most on this Predacon was the long sharp teeth in its mouth and the pair of large red optics that had an insect quality.
The new Predacon, named Inferno, let out another screech and pulled out his weapon, firing at the rest of the group. The Predacons were blasted back a few feet.
"Death to all who threaten the royalty!" shouted Inferno.
Megatron sat up and glared at the purple spider, "Tarantulas, what is the meaning of this?"
"I was afraid this would happen. The damage from the pod combined with the shell programming overwhelmed his logic circuits. He believes himself be an actual ant, and the pod is his colony," replied Tarantuals.
"Unacceptable! I asked for strong new recruits and was given a useless shell of a broken spark," yelled Megatron. The Predacon leader turned to robot mode and aimed his cannon at the red bot. "If this thing won't be of any use to me, then we might as well put him out of his misery."
But before Megatron could fire, Tarantulas forced his cannon down saying, "Wait! This one could still be of use to us."
The Predacon scientist whispered into Megatron's audio processors.
The giant purple bot's mouth slowly curved into a grin with every word Tarantuals spoke.
Once Tarantulas was done, Megatron turned to the rest of the Predacon's saying "Predacons, focus all of your fire on Inferno, but do not deactivate him."
Blackarachnia and Skold stared at their leader, confused by his orders.
"Hello! He's trying to kill us!" retorted Blackarachnia.
"Do it or I will put both of you through the compactor!" yelled Megatron.
Without any further argument, Blackarachnia and Skold changed to robot mode and focused their fire on Inferno. The red Predacon flew in the air, shooting rockets and flames from his weapon.
While Inferno was distracted, Tarantulas changed to Beast Mode and snuck behind the pod. The large purple spider planted a bomb underneath the pod and quickly scurried away from a safe distance. Once he was far enough, Tarantulas pressed the detonator and Inferno's stasis pod was blown to smithereens.
Inferno was thrown a few feet away from the explosion. The red Predacon looked back in horror at his 'colony' which was now a smoldering pile of debris.
"The colony! The royalty!…gone…NOOOOOOO!" cried the delusional bot. "Whoever has done this will burn to cinders!"
"I agree," said Megatron, "We should deliver justice to these ungrateful heathens that have destroyed your home, for we know who they are."
"Tell me! So I can rip them to shreds!" demanded Inferno.
The Predacon leader raised his hands in defense. "Patients, my friend. The ones you seek are not only your enemies but ours as well. They call themselves Maximals and Humans."
Megatron displayed a holographic screen with all of the faces of the Maximals, the entire Witwicky family, and Ethan's friends to Inferno. "These are the ones who destroyed your precious colony. Join us, and we will make sure you get your revenge."
"You…become our new colony to avenge the old one?" asked Inferno.
Megatron displayed his usual devious smirk. "Yes. We will be your new colony. After all, we bare the same lineage."
The purple bot flashed the Predacon insignia on his armor which made the red bot notice the same insignia on his armor.
Upon this revelation, Inferno landed on the ground and knelt before Megatron. "It is true, you are part of the colony. That makes you…the royalty?"
"Yes, I am the royalty of this new colony," replied Megatron with confidence.
"Than I shall pledge my everlasting loyalty to you…my queen," said Inferno.
Megatron was immediately taken aback by that last part.
Blackarachnia, Skold, and Tarantulas struggled to hold back their laughter. Megatron glared at all of them and growled, making the rest of the group fall silent.
The purple bot returned his focus to Inferno saying, "However, before we can eliminate these Maximals and humans, we must recruit more members of our colony. There is one still located within this jungle, and we require your help to find them."
The red bot stood straight and gave a salute. "I shall fulfill the royalty's request."
"Then let us be on our way," said Megatron. "Inferno, search the skies for any sign of a stasis pod. If you see any Maximals, you know what to do."
"As you command, my queen," replied the crazy red Predacon.
Inferno took to the skies while the rest of the Predacons tried to hold back more laughs from the recruit calling their leader a queen.
Megatron sighed, "I hope this doesn't become a common thing."
Maximals' Location: 3:10 PM
The Maximals and the human teens traversed further into the jungle while following the signal on Connie's communicator. The group was surrounded by thick clusters of trees and plants that were extremely foreign to the Washington State ecosystem they were familiar with. The noises of various birds and bugs echoed in the distance as light filtered through the large leaves.
"This is so exciting! I never once thought that I would ever travel through the Amazon rainforest in real life. It feels like we're in one of those treasure-hunting movies," said Connie.
The teenage girl was overcome by her excitement for adventure.
Behind her, a frustrated Derek struggled to swat away the various bugs buzzing around his head. "Why couldn't the pods land on some nice sandy beaches in Rio?"
"Come on, Derek. Where is your sense of adventure?" asked Connie. "We are exploring one of the greatest rainforests in the world!"
"This is not a game, child. We're on a serious mission to collect the stasis pods before the protoforms awaken. What's worse, they can be discovered by more of your kind," said Dinobot.
"Still, there is no harm in having some fun out of it," replied Connie.
"You humans throw too much caution to the wind. I can see how your race remains in such a primitive state," said the raptor.
Connie just rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Grouch."
Derek stared at his watch to determine the amount of travel they had to cover for the pod. The glowing arrow on the screen made a very slow beep.
The dark-skinned teen said, "This pod is still a bit of a distance away. Maybe if we climb one of these trees, we can get a better view of the area."
"Aw man! Where are the bird brain and the flying weasel when you need them?" complained Rattrap.
"Since you are so eager, why don't you have a look?" said Dinobot before pushing the giant rodent with his tail.
"Fine! I will if it means rubbing it in your ugly snout that I find the pod," retorted Rattrap.
The rest of the group groaned as the rat climbed up one of the trees to get a better view of the area. The sound of various birds and insects continued to echo throughout the canopy. The higher Rattrap climbed, the scarcer the branches became and more sunlight poured down from the top. Eventually, the rodent broke through the top branches. Rattrap was blinded for a moment from the bright sunlight, but his optics were quick to adjust as he scanned the tree tops for any clues as to where the stasis pod could be.
"See anything?" shouted Derek.
"I'm looking!" replied Rattrap.
The small Maximal continued to scan the view when he noticed a winding river stretch off into the distance.
"Hey! I think I see a large river that is a klick up North," said Rattrap.
"That must be the Amazon river," said Connie.
"Maybe if we follow Rattrap's direction to the river, we can get a better perspective of where the signal is coming from," said Derek.
Rhinox said, "Then let us not waste any more-AAARRGH!"
The rhino was cut off as large bolts of electricity shocked Tigatron, Rhinox, and Dinobot at the same time. All three of them roared or screeched in great pain before collapsing to the ground. Their bodies lay still with their limbs slightly twitching.
"Guys!" cried Connie.
Suddenly, a large group of men in military gear jumped out of the greenery and pointed their rifles at the two teens, shouting to them in Spanish. Three of them equipped highly advanced rifles with electrical sparks popping from the barrels. Terrified, both Derek and Connie placed both their hands in the air, careful not to make any sudden moves.
One man stepped forward and shouted, "Bajan en rodillas, ahora!"
"What's he saying?" asked Derek.
"I don't know, I suck in Spanish class as badly as you do," replied Connie.
Derek gave a sheepish grin to the armed men and said, "Uh…Hola, amigos!...umm…You guys speak English?"
The man shot his firearm in the air, making both teens jump, and repeated what he shouted.
"I'm beginning to think these guys are not the negotiating type," said Derek.
"Ya think?" retorted Connie.
"I'm pretty sure he wants us to get down on the ground," said Derek.
"We should do what he says, so they don't use us for target practice," said Connie.
"Agreed," replied Derek.
The teens complied and got down on their knees. Even though they had weapons of their own, they were outnumbered and surrounded. Especially now the Maximals were stunned and on the ground, there was no way they could fight these men on their own.
The armed men removed Connie and Derek's backpacks with their equipment inside and bound both their wrists in zip ties. A few large armored vehicles drove up with cages in them as the men barked orders at each other. They used cranes on the vehicles to lift Tigatron, Rhinox, and Dinobot's paralyzed bodies into each of the cages.
"Stop! Those are our friends!" cried Connie.
But one of the men grabbed her by the curly ponytail and pulled the teenage girl back to her feet. Connie let out a yelp from the pain as the men dragged her and Derek into one of the trucks. Once the teens and the Maximals were loaded, the men climbed into the armored vehicles and drove off into the rainforest.
The whole time, Rattrap stood still, hidden up in the trees as he watched his whole team get taken away. What was the small Maximal to do now? He wasn't a strong fighter like Tigatron, Rhinox, and Dinobot.
"Scrap!" said Rattrap.
Mysterious Convoy: 3:20 PM
During the whole drive, Connie and Derek remained silent. Two of the men sat across from them in the truck. One of them sharpened a large bowie knife in his hands while the other kept his pistol on his lap. These were some dangerous individuals the teens didn't want to provoke.
Through the windows, Derek and Connie could see the convoy getting closer to a tall wall made of pointed logs. The two men patrolling the wall stepped aside as a large door slid open. The convoy drove through with the door closing behind the last vehicle. Once the convoy came to a complete stop, the teens were forced out of the trucks by their captors.
Within the fenced area was a settlement of wooden huts and tents of various sizes, infested with more armed men. Some of them patrolled the area while others leisurely smoked cigarettes or played cards on large crates.
Connie and Derek watched as they transferred the cages containing the Maximal onto a forklift and drove away.
"Hey! Where are you taking them?" asked Derek.
The man pointed his rifle and said, "Mueven!"
Even though neither of the teens knew what the man asked, they understood he wanted them to keep moving. Without any other choice, both Connie and Derek complied. Two of the men held the teens at gunpoint as they walked through the encampment. Connie saw more cages, similar to the ones they put the Maximals in. Most of them consisted of monkeys, snakes, jaguars, and various exotic birds. Derek saw a large stash of military weapons, ranging from combat pistols to bazookas. A small group of men sat beside the cache, cheering intensely at a football match on the radio.
The men escorted the teens until Connie stopped in her tracks and her eyes widened in disbelief.
Nudging Derek she said, "Derek, look!"
Derek followed her gaze and copied her expression.
Behind the caged animals was a large metal container that looked like something from a sci-fi movie.
"That must be the pod!" cried Derek.
Their moment was interrupted as the man nudged them saying, "Siguen Moviendose!"
The teens obeyed and moved forward.
"I can't believe it! These guys had the stasis pod all this time," whispered Derek.
"How are we going to get it out of here?" asked Connie.
"I don't know. But if we can get the guys free, we can steal the pod and make a run for the Aurora," said Derek.
The two soldiers forced the kids towards the largest hut in the encampment which was the size of a mobile home. The first man opened the door while the second forced the teens through.
For a wooden hut in the Amazon, the interior was lavishly decorated. Luxurious drapes and a large carpet covered the walls and ground. Various hunting trophies, including a jaguar pelt, hung on the right side of the hut. Glass terrariums were stacked on the left side, containing different amphibians and reptiles. A beautifully crafted mahogany desk was positioned at the very end of the hut with a figure sitting behind it, smoking a cigar.
One of the soldiers dropped the teen's backpacks on the desk and said something to the stranger behind it. The figure spun around in his swivel chair to reveal a toned man wearing a safari outfit. His peppered hair was slicked back and a finely trimmed goatee covered his mouth and chin. The man looked to be between his late forties and early fifties but very few wrinkles on his handsome tan face. Only one thin scar across his left cheek defiled his appearance.
The man behind the desk smiled and said, "Well, I wasn't expecting this today."
Derek sighed, "Oh good, you speak English."
"Of course," said the man. "My line of business requires me to interact with a diverse clientele."
He waved his cigar at the two soldiers saying, "Sueltalos."
One of the soldiers took his bowie knife and cut the zip ties off of Connie and Derek's wrists. The second man carried two chairs over to Derek and Connie and the first man forced them both to sit down. The guards stood behind the teens while they sat in awkward silence.
The man behind the desk placed his cigar in an ashtray and spoke with a joyful tone. "Ah! Where are my manners? I am Francisco Delaporta: supplier of furriers, taxidermists, and exotic pet owners. Can I get you, children, anything? Maybe some candy?"
He pushed a red tin across his desk towards the teens and opened the lid. Inside was an assortment of brigadeiros with different sprinkles on each one. Connie and Derek knew better than to accept candy from strangers, especially if they had an army of poachers at their beck and call. Plus, the thought occurred to both of them that the sweets were probably poisoned.
"No thanks, I'm trying to watch my weight," said Derek.
"I'm diabetic," lied Connie.
Francisco closed the tin and said, "So, what are a couple of ninos like yourselves doing in a dangerous place like the Amazon?"
"Umm…We're on a….," said Connie, struggling to come up with an excuse.
Derek jumped in and said, "A school field trip!"
"Yeah! A school field trip," repeated the redheaded girl.
Francisco cocked a brow. "I've never heard of any schools taking their students out here for a field trip."
"We're…uh…studying a broad," said Derek with a sheepish grin.
"And…it's for an extracurricular assignment. We are studying the various plants and animals for degrees in biology," said Connie.
Francisco smirked and said, "Very ambitious of you both. Normally, that's what zoos and nature preserves are for."
"We really want to get into the best college for biology," said Connie.
The finely dressed man took a big inhale of his cigar and puffed out a plume of smoke towards the ceiling.
"Look, we don't want any trouble. We just want to get back to our class before our teachers start to worry. We won't tell anyone about what you and your friends are doing out here. It will be our little secret," said Derek.
Francisco gave a subtle glare at the teens before returning to his smile. He dug through one of the backpacks and pulled out the blaster. "These are some very interesting and dangerous tools for children as young as yourselves to carry around. I have never seen anything like them, especially since I bought those special stun rifles I gave to my men. They are said to be powerful enough to paralyze a full-grown elephant. I'm sure you saw them at work when they were used to zap the animals you called…your friends."
Both teens stood stiff in their chairs as their nerves rose from the threatening glare this man shot toward them.
"So, tell me…where did you get them?" asked Francisco.
"F-from the science labs," replied Connie. "They are a new type of scanner that identifies different plants."
Francisco stood up from his chair and walked over to the wall of terrariums saying, "Well, since you two are such big fans of biology, I assume you know of the poison arrow frog?"
Both Connie and Derek remained quiet as Francisco opened a tank of brightly colored frogs. He gently reached in and pulled out a blue one in the palm of his hand. The tiny amphibian's throat expanded and receded.
Francisco gently petted the frog with his finger saying, "These tiny creatures can make excellent pets when given the proper diet. With the right nutrients, they are mostly harmless. Just normal little frogs. However, when they eat the various insects within the Amazon, a simple touch of their skin is poisonous enough to kill a man. What's really confusing about your story is my men claimed the animals they found you with are not native to Brazil: a white Siberian tiger, a rhinoceros, and most importantly…a real-life velociraptor."
The formal Brazilian's demeanor slowly changed as his eyes narrowed and his tone became threatening. "I have lived long enough to know when someone is feeding me lies, and when I am fed lies, a frog's poison is nothing compared to the kind I deliver."
The teens tensed in their chairs as Francisco placed the frog back in its terrarium and slowly walked back to his desk.
He sat in his chair and said, "So, you ninos can either tell me the real reason you were trudging around in my rainforest, or we'll have to do this the hard way?"
Derek noisily swallowed while Connie fidgeted with her hands. How were they going to get themselves out of this one with the Maximals captured?
Animal Cages: 3:35 PM
Tigatron's systems gradually came back online as his visual processors were fuzzy. Eventually, his optics refocused and cleared as he regained consciousness. The white tiger groaned as he slowly stood up and shook himself from the shock he endured. It wasn't long before the Maximal realized he was in a large cage, surrounded by other imprisoned animals. Luckily, on both sides of the large feline was a familiar rhinoceros and raptor, both still unconscious.
Tigatron crouched down and leaned as close as he can to the larger Maximal whispering, "Rhinox! Rhinox, wake up!"
The rhino's eyes fluttered open as he groaned, "Tigatron?...Where are we?"
"I don't know. The last I remember was being in the rainforest and then my systems were inflicted by an electrical shock," said the striped feline.
"The electricity was strong enough to put us in stasis lock. We were in temporary paralysis until our systems rebooted," explained the rhino.
"Gaah! I will tear those humans limb from limb!" shouted Dinobot.
The dinosaur aggressively slashed and bit at the cage to break free, but to no avail.
"Calm yourself, Dinobot," said Tigatron.
"I will be calm when those who have imprisoned me suffer for this!" retorted the raptor.
"Wherever we are, we're not the only ones these humans captured," said Rhinox.
Upon closer inspection, The Maximals were inside a large tent-like structure with other caged animals that were native to Brazil. The only source of light came from the creases in the thick canvas that made up the structure. Outside, the Maximals could hear faint Hispanic chatter.
"What do they want with all of these animals?" asked Tigatron.
"I don't know, but we better get out of here before we find out," replied Rhinox.
"We should transform and break these confinements! I want those humans to feel my excruciating fury!" said Dinobot.
"It will be too much of a risk for us to transform while confined in these cages. Remember, the rest of the humans must not know of our existence," said Tigatron.
"Besides, the metal used to construct these prisons is greatly dense. Transforming in this small space could easily crush us. These are no normal hunters," said Rhinox.
"Then what do either of you think we should do?" growled the raptor.
Both the tiger and the rhino were silent, unable to come up with a valid solution. But their process of thought was interrupted when they heard the sound of something digging in the dirt. All three Maximals turned towards the direction of the noise to see a portion of the dirt beneath the tent's fabric cave-in. A familiar furry, grey, bucktoothed head poked out, as Rattrap scanned the interior of the tent and found his three comrades.
The rodent smirked and asked, "Miss me?"
"Rattrap!" cried Tigatron and Rhinox in unison.
"How did you get passed the humans?" asked the rhino.
The large rodent wiggled his way into the tent and smirked, "I did what I do best when I avoid danger, be quiet. Plus, these humans are as dumb as bricks. "
"For once, your cowardice has possibly saved us, rodent," said Dinobot with a smirk.
"Keep that up, Chopper Face, and I'll leave you in there," replied Rattrap.
"Now is not the time for rivalry. We must get out of her, find Connie and Derek, and continue our search for the stasis pod," said Tigatron.
"Well, you chums will be glad to know that the pod is right here," said Rattrap.
All three of their optics widened.
"Here? In this encampment?" said Tigatron.
"Turns out, when I tailed you guys, the convoy went the same direction as the pod's signal. No doubt these meat bags thought they could add the protoform to their collection," said the rodent.
"This is worse than I thought. If the protoform awakens in this encampment, it could put all of us in more danger," said Rhinox. "Rattrap, can you get us out of here?"
The small Maximal transformed into robot mode and pulled out his tool kit saying, "Do ironwolves hunt in packs?"
Outer Perimeter of Encampment: 3:40 PM
The guard walked slowly beside the anterior of the wall, scanning the area for any sign of intruders. The blistering heat wasn't doing him any favors, especially with the military equipment he wore. Unbeknownst to him, another guard was patrolling the area when a line of webbing attached itself to him and pulled the guard out of view. One-by-one, the guard's comrades were disappearing from giant pincers, insect legs, and webs that dragged them away.
The guard pressed the button on his walkie-talkie and said, "Hector, reportate."
There was no response. The guard repeated his phrase over the device and was still met with silence. He sighed in annoyance and wandered over to the side of one of the huts. The guard took out a cigarette and a matchbox. He scratched the head of a tiny stick to the side of the box, creating a small flame. But before the guard could use the match to light his cigarette, a large drop of a viscous liquid fell on the flammable stick, smothering the flame. He stared at the slime encased match, knowing the trajectory where it fell, yet confused about where it came from.
The guard slowly turned his gaze up to the roof of the hut, and his blood turned cold in his veins. Stuck underneath the roof of the shack was one of his comrades, wrapped in a web-like substance. Above the roof stood a large purple tarantula with saliva dripping from its fangs; all of its green eyes glared at the lone guard in hunger.
Francisco's Hut: 3:45 PM
Beads of sweat poured down Derek's face as Francisco and one guard held his hand over a tank of water with a school of piranhas swimming inside. The second guard held back Connie as she struggled to break free.
"Please, we're really telling the truth!" cried Derek.
"You think I'm stupid enough to believe the basura you are telling me?" retorted Francisco. "You either tell me the real reason why you are here and where you got those fancy toys, or you help feed my fish!"
"Let him go!" cried Connie.
"No! I want to keep playing basketball!" begged Derek.
"Then you better start thinking of a different hobby, nino! " shouted Francisco.
Suddenly, one of the guards' walkie-talkies received some static before a terrified voice screamed in Spanish from the receiver. The guard holding Derek took his free hand and held the device to his mouth to respond. But the voice on the other side was in too much panic before screaming one more time and the signal was cut.
"Compruebalo!" demanded Francisco.
The two guards pushed Derek and Connie to the far side of the hut, away from the door. The one guard left the hut to check the disturbance while Francisco and the second guard aimed their guns at the two teens, preventing both of them from escaping.
Animal Cages: 3:45 PM
Rattrap worked profusely with his tools to dismantle the locks on the cages entrapping his fellow Maximals. But his work was interrupted by the sudden screams and roars echoing outside. Even the other animals got agitated by the horrific noises.
All of the Maximals turned their attention towards the tent flap.
"That doesn't sound good," said Rattrap.
"Less talking, rodent, and more lock picking!" shouted Dinobot.
"Alright! Don't get your wires in a bunch," retorted Rattrap.
The small Maximal continued to fidget with the lock on Tigatron's door until it made a loud clink and the door swung open. The white tiger leaped out without haste as Rattrap did the same to Rhinox and Dinobt's cages. Once all three Maximals were free, Rhinox crawled over to the tent exit and peeked out to learn where all of the commotions came from.
His optics widened at the sight of a familiar group of giant insects and reptiles attacking the poachers. The Predacons laid waste to the encampment and its inhabitants as they tore the place apart. The poachers tried to fend off the strange intruders, but their weapons had little effect on the Cybertronians.
"Predacons, search every corner of this human settlement. Burn it all to the ground if you have to! The protoform is here somewhere and we will not stop until we find it, yes," said Megatron.
"What's happening out there, big fella?" asked Rattrap.
Rhinox turned to face his teammates. "It's the Predacons, they have come for the stasis pod!"
Rattrap and Tigatron's optics widened in shock. To think when their situation couldn't get any worse, it already has.
"We must make haste and find the pod before Megatron and his forces. The humans will make for an excellent distraction while we escape with the prize," said Dinobot.
"No! We can't leave the rest of these animals trapped while there is a battle out there, and we still have to find Derek and Connie," said Tigatron.
"Woah woah woah, pussycat! I only agreed to save your sorry skid plates so the Boss Monkey wouldn't chew mine out. I didn't agree to anything about freeing some flea-ridden pests that this planet is most likely infested with," said Rattrap.
The tiger's eyes glared at the small Maximal. "These hunters snatched these animals from their homes by force. They did not ask for this imprisonment and be caught in the crossfire! We will not abandon them!"
The large feline growled and barred his teeth as the bucktoothed bot held his hands up saying, "Oh man! Why do I always get forced into these crazy situations?"
"You make it so easy," growled Dinobot with a smirk.
Rattrap sneered at the raptor.
"Then let us not waste any more time. Rattrap, free the rest of these animals from their cages. Tigatron, you search for Derek and Connie. Hopefully, they are safe. Dinobot and I will secure the pod before the Predacons get to it. Let's MAXIMIZE!" said Rhinox.
The rhino, tiger, and raptor charged out of the tent, into the battlefield to carry out their objectives. Rattrap began to pick the locks of all of the captured animals, much to his annoyance.
Francisco's Hut: 3:55 PM
Francisco and his remaining guard continued to point their weapons at the teens, preventing both of them from leaving or picking up their weapons. Suddenly, the left side of the wall blew apart; shattering the entire crime lord's terrarium collection.
A large fire ant crawled in through the opening and shouted, "Humans! You shall pay for the destruction of the old colony!"
Both Francisco and the guard's eyes widened in fear and opened fire on the abnormally giant insect. But their attempts proved futile as the bullets bounced off the Predacon's exoskeleton.
"Is that a Maximal?" asked Connie.
"Never seen him before," replied Derek.
The teenage girl's eyes widened and said, "Maybe he came from that stasis pod we saw in the camp."
Both teens smiled as Derek said, "That means this guy could help us save Tigatron, Rhinox, and Dinobot."
But their assumptions were soon discredited as Inferno changed into robot mode and aimed his flame thrower at the guard and Francisco. The crime boss did not hesitate to flee his hut but the guard stood petrified at the frightening robot that towered over him. A jet of fire burst out of Inferno's weapon as Derek and Connie shielded their eyes from the brightness of the flames. All they heard were the painful cries of the guard as the new Predacon engulfed half of the hut in a fire.
The teens turned their gaze back in horror, only to see large plumes of flame where the guard used to be. Inferno gave a sadistic chuckle from what he had done.
"I don't think he's a Maximal," whimpered Connie.
Upon further inspection, the teens noticed the familiar insect head embedded in Inferno's red armor. The red bot noticed the young humans and recognized them from the visuals Megatron had shown him. He aimed his flamethrower, ready to cook both teens.
"Now for the rest of you, feel my burn!" cried the Predacon.
Connie and Derek quickly pulled their blasters off the desk and aimed them at Inferno. But there was a roar as a familiar white tiger pounced on the Predacon and pinned him to the ground.
"Tigatron!" cried both teens in unison.
"Get out of here!" shouted the Maximal. "Regroup with Rhinox and Dinobot."
"What about you?" asked Connie.
The tiger struggled to keep the Predacon down. "I'll be alright, just go! Find the protoform before the Predacons do."
Even though neither of them wanted to leave their friend, Connie and Derek grabbed the rest of their gear and ran to help the others find the stasis pod.
Inferno was able to push Tigatron off of him and stand back up. The Maximal transformed into robot mode and aimed his ranged weapon at the psychotic red Predacon.
"I haven't seen you before since we landed on the planet. Where did you come from?" asked Tigatron.
"The royalty that you Maximals have terminated," replied Inferno.
"The royalty?" repeated Tigatron.
"The colony from which we have awoken from its metal interior and was given the sole purpose to protect and serve, then you invaders obliterated it. Now, we serve the new Predacon colony and its new royalty, Queen Megatron, for they promised us vengeance against those who executed the old colony!" said the red bot.
Tigatron took a moment to process the bot's strange vernacular. "The old colony? Metal interior? What does that-"
The Maximal's optics widened in horror and his mouth hung open at the realization of where this new Predacon came from. "No! He didn't!…Megatron used a shell program to alter the protoform into a Predacon!"
"Enough talk! You burn, feline!" cried Inferno.
The crazed Predacon aimed his flamethrower and fired at the Maximal. But Tigatron was able to roll out of the way before the heat could singe any of the fur on his armor.
Meanwhile, Derek and Connie ran through a war zone as the Predacons destroyed the camp and terminated the poachers. Both teens headed towards the direction where they saw the stasis pod. With any luck, it was still there and the Predacons did not get their claws on it.
Rhinox and Dinobot appeared next to the teens as Connie said, "Rhinox! Dinobot! How did you guys get out?"
"No time to explain, we must find the protoform!" said the rhino.
"We saw it when they dragged us away. It's buried behind some cages they left outside," said Derek as he pointed in the direction they were headed.
"Climb on!" said Rhinox.
Both teens quickly jumped onto the rhinoceros's back and the Maximals broke into a sprint towards the direction Derek led them. They made it to the pod behind the cages, but a familiar giant black widow was already crawling on top of its metal surface. Dinobot quickly transformed into robot mode and fired his optic lasers at the spider. Blackarachnia screeched in pain as she was blasted off the pod and onto the ground. The teens climbed off of Rhinox before he transformed into robot mode to check on the pod.
The black widow was about to stand up when Dinobot pointed his spinning sword at her. Derek and Connie pulled out their plasma rifles and aimed them at the female Predacon as well.
"Surrender, Blackarachnia. The protoform is ours," growled Dinobot.
"We won't let you hurt the Maximal trapped in there," said Connie.
Blackarachnia just laughed, confusing the former Predacon and teens.
"Who said anything about hurting the protoform?" replied the black widow.
Rhinox investigated the pod until he found the console. The plating was forced open, exposing the wires and circuits inside. Attached to the interior systems of the pod was a chip with the Predacon insignia on it.
The pod made a few audible beeps as the AI said, "New programming accepted. Scanning for alternate form."
"NO!" cried Rhinox.
Just like with Inferno, an antenna rose from the pod and scanned the surrounding area. In the distance, one of Francisco's poison frogs hopped across the field as the purple light scanned the tiny amphibian.
"Compatible lifeform found. Beginning replication," said the pod.
Derek glared at the spider and asked, "What did you do?"
"Just made a new friend, that's all," replied Blackrachnia.
"You used a shell program!" said Dinobot. "She's turning the protoform into a Predacon."
The teens turned in horror at the pod that was now spewing steam from its sides.
"Rhinox, can't you stop it?" asked Connie.
The giant green bot's face was crestfallen and his shoulders slumped. "It's too late. The pod has already accepted the new programming Balckrachnia installed."
Rhinox stepped back from the pod as the AI said, "Alternate form complete. Unlocking stasis pod."
The pod's hatch slid open as a webbed hand rose up. A large blue and orange poison arrow frog crawled out of the pod as everyone stared at the new Predacon that awoke from his slumber.
The frog stretched its limbs and spoke in a slight Latino accent, "Ribbit! Argh! Finally! I was getting cramped in there after being asleep for so long."
Dinobot snarled at Blackrachnia and said, "You will pay for this, witch!"
The blades on his sword began to spin again as Dinobot readied himself to trust his weapon towards the black widow. But a long sticky tongue wrapped around Dinobot's hand and flung him in the air where he landed on one of the armored trucks, crushing it.
The tongue retracted into the mouth of the large frog and he said, "Hey! Anyone ever told you to never hit a chica like that? Spittor, TERRORIZE!"
The amphibian's body shifted and bent, transforming into its robot mode. Most of his armor consisted of the blue and orange skin of his beast mode, but his thighs and biceps were equipped with black armor. His webbed hands and feet remained the same. Instead of a mouth, Spittor had an orange plated mask over his face and two devious green optics glaring from his head.
Dinobot got up from the truck and growled before firing his optic blasts at the new Predacon. However, with his powerful legs, Spittor jumped out of the way as the lasers blasted a nearby tree.
"What's the matter, old bot? Getting a little rusty?" taunted the blue and orange Predacon.
Dinobot growled in anger and fired his optic lasers again, but Spittor kept dodging the blast with his amphibious agility. Blackarachnia turned into robot mode and fired her eight-leg blasters towards the Maximal. Rhinox equipped his dual-wielding gatling guns to assist Dinobot in the fight. Connie and Derek took cover behind one of the undamaged vehicles to give their allies some covering fire.
Meanwhile, Tigatron continued to exchange laser blasts with Inferno as they both leaped and rolled around the battlefield to avoid being shot. It wasn't long until Megatron joined the red Predacon's side along with Skold and Tarantulas. All three of them transformed into their robot modes.
"Ah, I see you have met our new recruit," said the Predacon leader with his signature grin.
"As if harming this planet wasn't enough for you, Megatron. Now you are corrupting Maximal protoforms to bend to your barbaric cause," growled Tigatron.
"I prefer the term, rehabilitating. But do not worry, these new Predacons shall prove themselves useful when we overthrow the Cybertronian council with this planet's Energon, yes," Replied Megatron. "A shame you weren't in one of those pods, Tigatron. You would have made a worthy ally to join my side."
All four Predacons aimed their weapons at Tigatron, leaving him outnumbered and outmatched. There was no way the striped Maximal was able to fend off four Predacons all by himself.
Suddenly, the air was filled with squawks and the fluttering of various wings.
All of the Predacons turned in the direction of the noise as a startled Megatron cried, "What the-!"
A massive flock of various exotic birds flew past the heads of the Preadcons, temporarily blinding them from their dense formation. Some of the birds even attacked the large bots with their sharp talons.
Tarantulas attempted to swat them away shouting, "Ack! Get out of my way, you rats with wings!"
But it wasn't over for the Predacons as various jaguars, monkeys, tapirs, capybaras, and snakes charged passed the feet of the robots.
Skold tripped from the mini stampede and landed on her back, rendering her immobile due to her shell. Some of the monkeys climbed onto the stout Predacon and pounded their paws on her face. Skold tried to swat them away, but it was like trying to hit a swarm of fruit flies.
Behind the herd of animals was Rattrap, running towards Tigatron and shouting, "That's right, go! Be free! You are no longer prisoners to these evil humans! Go frolic in the jungle or something."
Tigatron smirked as his small comrade came to his side.
"You have my thanks, Rattrap," said the striped Maximal.
"Yeah, well, don't get too comfortable. It wasn't easy opening all of those cages," replied Rattrap.
The monkeys eventually crawled off of Skold and scurried into the Brazilian wild with the rest of the animals. The stout Predacon eventually rose back on her feet, prepared to fight the two Maximals in front of them.
"What do you say, Stripes? I take Shell Head and the eight-legged freak while you take the Looney Bug and Megatrash," said Rattrap.
"Whenever you're ready," replied Tigatron.
Both sides drew their weapons and opened fire on each other.
The battle continued to rage between the Maximals, Predacons, and humans. All three sides fired their weapons and explosives at one another. But everyone failed to notice the fire, ignited by Inferno, began to spread. The bright orange flames grew as they engulfed the encampment.
Rhinox eventually noticed the intense flames and shouted, "The fire is getting out of control, we need to retreat!"
"But, what about the protoforms?" asked Connie.
"The mission is a failure. There is no chance of saving them now. They have been warped into Megatron's puppets," said Dinobot.
Connie was hurt by Dinobot's words but knew the former Predacon spoke the truth. Their whole reason for being in the Amazon was to retrieve the Maximal stasis pods, and unfortunately, the Predacons beat them to both.
Megatron had the same idea as he spoke into his communicator. "All Predacons retreat, we got what we came for. Let us return to the Banshee."
Megatron, Skold, Inferno, and Tarantulas returned to beast mode and fled from the burning poacher camp.
Blackarachnia heard Megatron's message while Spittor laughed psychotically firing at Rhinox, Dinobot, and the teens.
The female Predacon used her hand to turn the amphibious bot around to face her and said, "Listen, I know you're having fun right now. But if we stick around any longer, we'll be melted in a few cycles. I have some friends that are very eager to meet you."
Spittor gave a suspicious look at Blackarahnia. "And why should I listen to you, chica? I don't even know you."
The female Predacon gave a sly smirk and said, "Not yet, but we can get to know each other a little better once we regroup with the rest of the Predacons. They would be ecstatic to have someone as determined and…strong as you."
Blackarachnia caressed Spittor's armor with one of her claws in a charming manner. The amphibious Predacon looked down at the claw and looked up in her eyes, trying to interpret her thoughts. His instincts knew there was more to her charm than just the sake of getting him to like her, but the behavior was hard to read. Spittor woke up on a battlefield that was going up in flames. At this point, what did he have to lose?
"Fine, but any funny stuff, arana, and you'll be sorry," said Spittor.
"Oh, believe me, you won't be disappointed," replied Blackarachnia.
Both Predacons turned into beast mode and left the burning camp.
All that was left was the Maximals as they turned into Beast mode as well. Tigatron and Rattrap regrouped with the other four members of their team as Connie and Derek quickly climbed back onto Rhinox. All around them, the flames grew higher as all of the huts and nearby trees collapsed from the intense heat. A few of the vehicles exploded after the fire made contact with their fuel tanks. Without further delay, the Maximals and the teens fled the encampment before the fire set off the remaining explosives.
Somewhere in the Rainforest: 4:10 PM
Francisco Delaporta panted from exhaustion as he trudged through the rainforest. His neatly combed hair was now a mess and his clean safari clothes were torn and covered in soot. In a matter of hours, his entire operation, everything he worked so hard to build was now gone because of those strange animals and those snot-nosed brats.
KABOOM!
In the distance, the black market dealer could see a large tower of fire erupt where his encampment used to be. His entire supply was up in flames, and all of his men were slaughtered. As far as Francisco knew, he was the only survivor. Whatever those creatures were, they had cost him everything. He could have made a fortune off of that strange capsule his men found a few hours ago, but that was gone too. If Francisco ever encountered those teenagers or their animal companions again, he would make them pay!
The crime lord was too angry to notice the two ships that rose from the jungle and flew off in separate directions.
The Aurora: 4:30 PM
Everyone on the Maximal transport shuttle was silent. Their mission was a complete disaster. How could they allow Megatron and the Predacons to reprogram the protoforms into more Predacons? Their enemy's forces have grown by two. Derek and Connie's only thoughts were if the Witwicky brothers had better luck than them.
The sky turned into the light purple of dusk by the time the Aurora reached Mt. Saber. Rhinox flew the shuttle gently towards the mouth of the cave that led back to the Axalon. They landed safely in the hangar where Optimus, Cheetor, Airazor, Nyx, and the Witwicky brothers waited for them. The only difference was another bot they have never seen before, clad in black and blue armor, with some gray fur patches.
The hatch to the Aurora slid open as the rest of the group went over to greet them.
"Hey, how was the Amazon?" asked Ethan.
But it didn't take long for everyone to notice the dejected and ashamed demeanor that team two expressed.
"Rhinox, what happened?" asked Cheetor.
"It was the Predacons, they beat us to the stasis pods and used a shell program to rewrite the protoforms into Predacons," said the large green bot.
Cheetor, Nyx, Airazor, and Nyx gasped in horror while Optimus's face scrunched in anger.
"Well, that's just prime," said the Maximal leader.
Curious, Ethan asked, "What does he mean by shell program?"
"It is a program that can be installed inside capsules that store protoforms," said Wolfang, "Even though most protoforms have a blank code when created or deconstructed, they are automatically given the identity of either Maximal or Predacon. In this case, the protoforms inside our pods were already Maximals that were deconstructed into protoforms to survive the long journey through space. The shell program enables users to rewrite the protoform's systems before it awakes."
"It is also considered a crime on Cybertron, resulting in severe punishment," said Airazor.
"And Megatron used it to make these Maximals into more Predacons for his army," said Dinobot.
"We were too late. We failed, Optimus," said Connie.
The redhead hung her head dejectedly, staring down at the floor.
"Hey! If anyone is to blame, it's those stinking Preds!" said Rattrap.
"Well, luckily, we were able to save one back in Alaska," said Evan.
"More like he saved us," replied Ethan. "We also ran into the Predacons and they were trying to do the same thing. Luckily, our new friend here pulled a deus ex machina when the Preds had us cornered." It then occurred to the eldest Witwicky boy that they have not introduced the new Maximal. "Oh sorry! Guys, this is Wolfang. Wolfang, this is Derek and Connie."
Derek waved at the black and blue Maximal saying, "What's up?"
Wolfang waved back saying, "Greetings."
Rhinox stepped forward and said, "Welcome back, Wolfang."
The new Maximal smiled and said, "It's prime to be back. Though, being on this strange planet will take some adjustments."
"Don't sweat it, we'll be glad to fill you in on almost everything you need to know about Earth," said Derek.
Optimus had his arms crossed with a serious demeanor, "Still, this means recovering any stasis pods that land on Earth has become more crucial now we know Megatron is willing to reprogram Maximal protoforms to increase his numbers. This means we have to be more vigilant if it happens again." The serious scowl on Optimus's face turned into a gentle smile. "But right now, let us be thankful we were able to rescue one of our fellow Maximals today. Even the smallest faction of a victory counts towards a larger one."
Most of the second team's demeanor was boosted by Optimus's words.
Ethan gave a stretch and said, "Well, I'd say we earned ourselves a good night's rest after the crazy day we've all had."
"Agreed. There are some adjustments we need to make to the orbital sensors to ensure we can detect the pods sooner when they enter the planet's atmosphere," said Rhinox.
"Come on, Wolfang. I'll show you back to your quarters," said Optimus.
"Wait until we tell everyone at the farm about this," said Evan.
All of the humans and Maximals left the hangar except for Connie, who did not move from the spot where she stood after landing. Nyx noticed this and went back to the young human girl and knelt in front of her again.
"Come on, Connie. I can fly you home if you want," said the Maximal pilot.
Connie remained silent as she continued to stare down at the floor.
Nyx sighed and said, "Nobody blames you or Derek for what happened on your mission."
"I just feel like we let those Maximals down, Nyx. The ones that were changed into Predacons. We could have saved them if we made it there sooner," said the girl as her eyes welled with tears. "They could have been with us on the Aurora and happily meeting everyone else. It's almost hard for me to imagine if we were supposed to rescue Ethan or Evan, and something terrible happened to them because we were too late."
Nyx put both of her hands on the girl's shoulders and said, "Enough!"
Connie fell silent as the Maximal Pilot sighed and said, "I understand how you feel. Sometimes, failure is a hard feeling to cope with, especially when lives are involved. But you can't let it overwhelm you, otherwise, you'll drive yourself to crash. Trust me when I say, you don't want to go down that path. Optimus Prime once said, There are going to be many battles you will lose. But no matter how many losses you suffer, you must stay strong and keep fighting until you win the war."
Connie's face perked up. "That's funny, Ethan and Evan's grandparents say the same thing."
Nyx smirked. "Well, now you know where they got it from. Just know, Connie, that I think you are capable of doing so much, even when you don't always win."
The human girl wiped away her tears and smiled saying, "Thanks, Nyx."
"What are friends for?" replied the Maximal pilot.
Suddenly, Connie lunged forward and hugged Nyx around the waist.
At first, Nyx was taken aback by the sudden kind gesture, but she smiled and gently wrapped her arms around the human patting her on the back.
Eventually, the two broke their hug as Nyx said, "I can still fly you home if you want."
Connie's smile grew wider and she replied, "That would be…cool."
Both the human girl and Maximal pilot walked back to the bridge with the others, happy about the new friendship that was just forged between them.
And there you have it folks! Inferno and Spittor have joined the Predacons. So, by now, both sides of the Maximals and the Predacons are pretty even at this point. For my fancast towards Spittor, I would choose Michael Mando to voice the amphibious Predacon. Once again, I thank you so much for your patience. I've been fairly busy in May. Just a fair warning, uploads for this story will be a little scarce since I will be alternating between writing for this fanfic and my Bad Guys fanfic I began last month. But do not worry, for the Beast Wars will continue! As always, feel free to leave a review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
