Cheetor paced from side to side. The rough dust dry ground was patted down by his paws. He was restless.

After finding the collar, the young maximal had rushed back to Axalon. It was already pretty clear that it hadn't fallen off; it wasn't designed like the brace. Someone with servos had to have taken it off. Optimus had immediately sent out the maximals on a search. Though, he didn't rush and order an attack on the Predacon base, like how Cheetor had begged him to do. The gorilla claimed that, other than the collar clip, they didn't have any evidence to claim that it was the predacons doings, and they didn't have any reason to take her.

This made Cheetor mad. Of course, it was the predacons! Who else would it be? It was quite easy to blame them; sometimes too easy. And Optimus tried to remind the young warrior of that. But that didn't mean that the ape was a complete fool, after sending Rhinox and Airazor to search Chicory's territory, Optimus sent Tigatron, Rattrap and Cheetor to investigate the Darkside.

Which led to the catbot pacing relentingly back and forth behind his and Tigatron's cover. The basic plan was that Airazor and Rattrap would infiltrate while the kitty cats held back as back up if needed. Rattrap's experience with breaking into the predacon warship, and his smaller beast mode, he was given the job of actually crawling around in the enemy's nest. Cheetor hated that it wasn't him looking for Chicory, but even he couldn't reason with logic.

"You really must stop your pacing little cat, you'll burn yourself out," Tigatron said, still leaning on his front paws and peering at the Darkside from behind their cover.

"I can't help it Tigatron. I hate just sitting here. I feel useless," Cheetor stopped his green optics staring at the ground.

"I am worried about her too, Cheetor. But rushing in won't her any good if she's in there."

Cheetor sighed, and resumed his pacing. Though, he was going a little more slowly.


The tiny ticks his claws made hitting the metal floor as Rattrap skittled through the vents seemed much louder than they usually were. Yes, he was currently sneaking around the enemy's warship. Yes, he was looking for an over grown tabby cat that had tried to feed him to her army of killer fluff balls. Was he happy about it? Frag no!

Rattrap had better things to do than crawl around a practical death sentence. Fixing the broken ship, they called home. Working on a gadget with Rhinox. Trying to beat his own high scores in multiple different video games. He had a full schedule, but no one seemed to care. Boss monkey just had to send him on this useless high-risk mission, because the resident hairball maker's girlfriend went AWOL and the kitty cat got his tail in a tizzy because of it. He needed to have a talk with Cheetor about how sometimes dames needed their own space when this all blew over.

Rattrap dashed down a vent and turned to the right. He had two destinations in mind. If the tabby was here, then she would either be in the prison block or the mad science lab. Now that he had a clear direction in mind, he could go back to what he was doing. And what was that again? Complaining silently to himself. Yeah, that was important. Much more important than saving spots' new femme friend. Shouldn't it be him would should be her knight in spotty fur?

The rat former sighed. Maybe he was being a little harsh on the kid. Rattrap could understand about him being anxious and scared. He really could. While now he could be considered a veteran of the dating game, having been with many bots, both mechs and femmes. Rattrap had once been new to it too. He knew how worrying it was when it was your first time in a relationship. Even if the kid would constantly deny it, Rattrap knew the love struck look in one's optics when it was there. Sure, the kid was crushing on a wild animal, but who was Rattrap to judge. He had too many of bizarre partners to count.

Nope, Tabby was not in the prison block, on to the mad science lab. Rattrap turned around ready to scuddle through the vents into the belly of the warship. His journey didn't take all that long. The maximal's beast mode, while had shorter legs, was still freakishly fast.

The vent system in the Darkside were complex (they had to be to take care of all the volcanic fumes), meaning that it was easy to get lost, but it also gave Rattrap accuses to almost everything thing on the Darkside, at every angle. The maximal maliciously took advantage of that fact, crouching behind a vent near the ceiling of the predacons' mad science lab. His optics widened; the kid was right.


The large purple dinosaur strode dramatically towards the lab where his arachnids were hard at work. It was only a few hours after he had gotten word that his flyers had been successful in capturing the chosen beast for their latest diabolical plan. When the automatic door slid open the Predacon leader was greeted to the scene, of the spiders at their stations, and Scorponok poking around a large black cage.

"Well, I hear that Waspinator, and Terrorsaur were successful," Megatron announced.

"More successful than we will be," Blackarachnia muttered.

"Oh, Blackarachnia, don't be so negative," Tarantulas said, "The primes have made stranger things possible."

"Maybe, but unless you or Scorponok have been hiding your true identity, I still think that this is a major waste of time!" The spider femme loudly exclaimed.

"Well, now I know that one of you has faith in this project. Where is the specimen?" Megatron said, turning to his most loyal soldier.

Scorponok respectfully stepped to the side, allowing the large dino former to peer into the cage. Inside, in the dark far corner, stared back a pair of gleaming organic eyes. A low growl suddenly swelled from within the black shadows. Megatron leaned in closer, triggering the wildcat inside of the cage. She lunged from the corner, her claws clashing at the bars and her fangs unsheathed.

Megatron, chuckled, but didn't lean away from the cage, "A born warrior, filled with a savage bite. She will be a fine predacon. Do you really believe that you could transfer her mind into the blank?"

"No," Blackarachnia said, "Because, in order for a blank to come online you need a spark, and that thing doesn't have one."

"Not entirely untrue Blackarachnia, all living beings have some form of sentiency. Sometimes it's more complex like us, with thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and knowledge. However, there are cases where it's simpler, such as hers," Tarantulas gestured to the cage, "Most scientist call it instinct, the natural need to survive. Not as sophisticated as we are, but it is a sign of consciousness."

"Whether it's a sign of consciousness, or not. It still doesn't mean that the kitty cat has a spark," Blackarachnia argued.

"Not a visible one. But old human religious texts, point to a non-detectable part of them that can live on without a physical body. This part is said to hold their memories and thoughts, the conscuiousness, they called it a soul," Tarantulas stated.

"Great so, we're going off of fairy tales now?" Blackarachnia deadpanned.

"That's enough," Megatron said, "How would you go about this endevor?"

"Well, the closest thing I can compare it too, lord Megatron would be a spark transfer," Scorponok said.

"Well, that would require a spark extractor. But I fail to see as how it would work on a creature, as you put it, with a soul, rather than a spark," Megatron said.

"Well, you see Lord Megatron, organic souls, are merely dispersed throughout the body, rather then concentrated to a single place like sparks. Taking this in to account, we have been able to construct a chamber and system of transfer tubes, to act as a full body spark extractor," Scorponok explained.

"So, the plan is to place the creature into the chamber, and then transfer to organic lifeforce into the blank protoform?" Megatron queried.

"That's the insane idea," Blackarachnia said.

"If this were to be successful, what of the new predacon's beast mode and reprograming?" Megatron asked.

"Well, we believe that the beast mode would most likely transfer over, and if not, we probably should give them one similar to their original form, saying that they probably wouldn't know how to fight in another species body," Scorponok said.

"So were probably getting our own kitty cat," Blackarachnia interjected.

"As for reprograming. We currently do not know what state the new predacon would be in after the transfer. So, for safety reasons we are going to have to do the reprograming afterward, in case if the predacon becomes unstable," Tarantulas said.

"Short version, there's no point in reprograming a lemon," Blackarachnia injected again.

Megatron hummed, rubbing his chin, "And if it were to fail?"

"We'll be having crispy wildcat for dinner tonight," Blackarachnia said.


Rattrap couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had seen and heard some messed up things in his day: old war stories, horror movies, human reality shows. But this was just sick! A forced mind body transfer?! With a blank, and an organic?! The preds were really off their nuts now!

The maximal slowly backed away from the vent grate, and activated his comm link with Optimus, "Primal you dere?"

"Rattrap? Did you find anything?" Optimus thankfully answered.

"Oh, boy! You's bet I did, Boss Monkey. Splotches is down 'ere, and we need to get 'er out of 'ere. Stat!"

"What? What is going on?"

"It's like something straight out of fraggin' Frankenstein. The preds kidnapped 'er to use 'er some kind of mind swap thingy. Dier plannin' on mergin' her wit da protoform."

"What? How?"

"Don't ask for da specifics. I told you's it's like Frankstein down 'ere!"

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" spoken a sudden familiar raspy voice that made Rattrap's fur stand on end.

Oh, Scrap.


"Rattrap? Rattrap! Report!" Optimus, shouted into his comm link.

"Boss monkey! Dere doing something out of a Fraggin 'orror movie! YOus need to get in 'ere 'gith now! Ahhh-" The comm link cut off, only allowing a chilling static to sound.

"It appears as if the vermin, has gotten himself captured," snarled Dinobot.

"And found something disturbing," Optimus closed the link, "Have you ever heard of Tarantulas trying to merge organic minds and cybertronian metals?"

"No, but it does sound like something he would attempt," Dinobot said.

Opitmus nodded, "Get ready to mobilize. As soon as I tell Cheetor and Tigatron we're moving in."


Cheetor kept his optics trained on the ground beneath his paws. No word from Rattrap had come yet, and it wasn't helping him calm down. Suddenly his comm link pinged.

"Optimus to Maximals, Rattrap has been captured, and Chicory is in the base!"

Cheetor didn't even wait to hear the rest of the message. He leaped out from behind his and Tigatron's cover, ignoring the other catformer's warnings and barreled towards the Darkside. The predacons had two of his friends in locks and chains and he wasn't going to let anything to happen to them.


"Quick, get the feline into the Transfer Chamber now!" Megatron ordered.

Rattrap squirmed and scratched at the number of Tarantulas's webs that were entangling him. The sticky fibers stuck to his fur, pinned his limbs to his body, and a long thread hung him from the ceiling. He was starting to panic now that Blackarachnia had webbed up Chicory, and the others dragged the now feral with fear cheetah over to the chamber. This was worst then any horror movie Rattrap had seen, and he had front row seat.

The chamber's door closed and locked with a strangling hiss. Chicory's growls, and shrieks could still be heard from inside the thick walls of the torture cell. Rattrap struggled further. Sure, he didn't like her, but the kid did, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to her for Cheetor's sake. Besides maybe she would remember this rescue and not eat him later.

"Charge the transfer coils," Scorponok, shouted.

The spiders dashed over to their stations.

And in the probably most cliché moment of his life, Rattrap shouted, "You's won't get away wit dis!"

Megatron turned, and looked at the helpless hanging Rat former, "Oh, but we already have."


Cheetor leaped behind one of the narrow support beams to dodge Waspinator's heavy fire. The large bombs blinded his optics, and made his audio scream in pain, but the catbot couldn't care less. He had to get to the science lab in the belly of the warship.

He carefully leaned out from behind his cover, and fired a few returning shots. One of them thankfully hit the insect flyer in the chest temperately knocking him back. Terrorsaur was quick to come to the defense of his fellow flyer, firing shots with his own blaster. Cheetor flinched back behind his time cover.

He couldn't take on both the flyers by himself, as much as the youngster wouldn't admit it. Tigatron, had already taken a pretty bad shot from Waspinator, and his fellow catbot wasn't much help knocked out. Maybe he shouldn't have rushed in. Maybe he should've waited for Optimus's orders. He wanted to save Chicory, but he didn't think that it could mean losing Tigatron. Thankfully, those worries were quickly dashed away with the appearance of Dinobot, using his optic beams to duel with Terrorsaur. For a short moment his spark refilled with hope.

That hope suddenly vanished, once the lights flickered and the agony filled growling screech rang through the halls of the Darkside. Dread settled in Cheetor's tanks and his fur stood on end. They were too late.


Rattrap's ears pressed against his beast mode's head, as he flinched away. The heavy metal walls that entrapped the wildcat were no longer thick enough to muffle her screams. They were sharp, agonizing and left Rattrap's audio receptor's feeling raw. The Maximal didn't even want think what was actually be happening in that chamber.

The lights flickered and flashed so fast they threatened to give the poor rat a seizure. Warning sirens wailed and monitors sparked. Add the screeching on top of that and it was completely disorienting, but still Rattrap squirmed. He was rat, they were scavengers, they creped through the cracks in the walls, they were survivors. He had to get free.

The doors to the Lab crashed open, and Cheetor and Optimus came rushing in. Rattrap felt relief but the gun fire and attacks of the impending fight only added to the chaos. Laser blasts and cross bow shots flew through the air, while sparks burst and scattered to the floor, from clashing blades.

Finally, a stray shot hit the webbing that entangled the rat former. Who fired it? He didn't care. He was just glad that he could now get to the floor and into the fight. He took his blaster and began to rain hell down onto the predacons.

Once more a stray shot fired, hitting the main lab computer. Every started to short out and the ship began to rumble. Sparks of electricity and screeches of metal ran wild in their sensors, as everything collapsed.

Then everything went dark.


Cheetor, slowly opened his optics. The room was dark, and his was covered in dust and sheet metal. Coughing a few times to clear his internal systems, he slowly got to his pedes. His joints creaked and groaned as they protested the movement, but he got up anyway. Putting a servo to his helm seemed to stop a sudden rush of vertigo, but it didn't stop the churning in his tank.

It was so quiet. Wait quiet!?

Panic flared with in his Spark. Chicory! It took a few moments, but he eventually was able to find the chamber, that she was imprisoned in. The door took even longer to break through, but finally with great, strength or desperation he heaved the door open. Chicory's body was lying limp inside of the chamber, her face laxed, eyes shut and fur singed and smoking. Lubricate pricking at the young maximal's golden optics as he leaned in and pulled her into his arms.

She was still warm and her fur was still soft, but her sweet scent was now masked by smoke and burning. Cheetor put his audio receptor to her chest, silence. Tears came with a passion then. She was gone. He switched to beast mode and snuggled up to her, weeping uncontrollably. He chirped, rubbed his cheek against hers, in a desperate attempt to get her to wake, but it was hopeless. Somewhere deep down, he knew it was hopeless, but he tried none the less.

Why? Why? Why?! That was the word. Why did the preds have to take her? Why was this happening? And…Why couldn't he save her?

He didn't know how long he laid there in his grief. It could've been vorns, or it could've only a few kilks. Eventually though, Optimus, pulled Cheetor away from her. The entire trip back to the Axalon, was done in heavy silence, even Rattrap had no sarcastic comments to say. Rhinox and Airazor returned and a meal time pass, but he barely remembers any of it.

Cheetor only sat on the berth in his room, clutching the collar she used to wear in his servos. The last piece he would ever have of her. The body would be buried in her territory the next morning, with full maximal honors. She had saved his life after all. But even knowing that she would be remembered as a hero, didn't help ease the shattering pain of the loss in his spark.

He cried himself to recharge those next few nights, the collar held close to his chassis. It still smelled like her.

He wakes up the day after the funeral, to growls, and snarls ringing throughout the base; familiar sounding growls and snarls. Then the screaming of his teammates. Scared they were under attack he leaped from his berth. Down the halls he ran until he reached the med-bay, he ran. There he found Rhinox, Rattrap and Optimus, standing and staring at one of the corners of the room.

"What's going on?" Cheetor asked, his commander.

Optimus didn't say anything, but he looked towards the younger maximal, and them back to whatever he was staring at. Cheetor followed his gaze, and his optic widened. Curled up in the furthest corner of the med-bay, was a small femme. A femme with a clearly cat beast mode. A femme with a very familiar splotchy pattern on her fur.

"Chicory?"


Heat…

Pain…

Run…

Fight…

Survive…

Pain…

Darkness…

Peace…?

What was peace?

She didn't know what peace was. But she did…how did she…?

Fear.


A/N:

Finally got this one ready and out.

I'm exhausted. I just got back from my pool, and worked myself to death swimming. I currently have a lot going on I'm getting a new pet soon, and I'm on 8-9 different classes a day, so if I'm a little slower then usual I apologize.

I was possibly thinking of maybe doing a beastwars and War planets/Shadow Raiders crossover down the line, let me know what y'all think of that.

See Y'all next time!