[Theme From Transformers Armada plays]
Me: Hey there everybody! It's WOLFWATCHER12 here along with The Amazing Ghost Musician.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: What's up, bitches?
Me: Today we are here with another new chapter of Steven Universe: War Of The Beasts.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: Ah yes, I remember that Beast Wars: Transformers episode where that alien probe lands on the spot of the standing stones that the Maximals discovered in the second episode.
Me: Same here, and I should also let you know, I have internet at my house now, so I can watch Beast Wars: Transformers whenever I like.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: Good for you, broski! In the end of the last chapter, we saw one of Steven Universe's enemies, Jasper, joining the Predacons in their quest.
Me: Yeah, I just don't get why she doesn't like Steven so much. But anyhow, that episode of Beast War you mentioned, we will be drawing inspiration from that one and altering it several bits.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: Well after seeing many episodes of Steven Universe, the only things I can see why could be one of two things. Either Jasper has a vendetta against Steven's mother Pink Diamond, or that Jasper is a gem who likes to fight and start bad things like war. So it's no surprise that she joined the Predacons in the previous chapter.
Me: Yeah, that's true. But also, something has been making me a little sad lately.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: What's wrong?
Me: Well, I know you don't watch Dragon Ball, but the actor who plays Frieza, Chris Ayres, died this month, along with Jack Angel, Lance from the original Voltron, Sideswipe from Transformers: Generation One and numerous others.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: I'm sorry that some of your favorite voice actors died, but we can't change the way things are in this world.
Me: Well, I only liked specific anime that Chris was in and you're right. (tears still in my eyes.)
The Amazing Ghost Musician: Alright dude, let's not get too emotional. We've got a new chapter of Steven Universe: War of the Beasts this week, so let's try to get back in the good mood and start a new chapter with another good adventure.
Me: You're right. (wiped the tears away.) So, let's jump on into it!
The Amazing Ghost Musician: So sit back, start reading and let's find out what our friend Steven Universe, the Gems and the Maximals will be getting themselves into today…. ENJOY!
Both: IKUZE!
Disclaimer: We do not own Steven Universe or Beast Wars/Transformers in any way. All rights for Steven Universe go to Rebecca Sugar, Ian Jones-Quartey, Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Inc. All rights for Beast Wars: Transformers go to Hasbro, Larry Ditilio, Bob Forward, YTV, Mainframe Entertainment, Alliance Media and Claster.
Chapter 5: A Change In Command!
We find ourselves at Steven's house, Steven was still in a funk about his fight with Jasper, she nearly had him killed, but fortunately, Optimus showed up in the nick of time and saved Steven from getting killed, enabling him to get Cheetor out of the Predacon base. It was then that Pearl came in to check on him.
"Steven?" asked Pearl.
Steven turned around and saw Pearl in the room, "Oh, hi Pearl. Whatcha doing here?"
"Just checking on you." she said. "Your fight with Jasper really did a number on you."
She gave Steven an ice pack to reduce the swelling of his injuries. "Yeah, I mean, she's becoming harder and harder to reason with," he said. "I'm wanting to do this sort of thing for all the Gems and my friends, but Jasper doesn't agree with me, thinks I'm pitiful. But I'm not."
Pearl sighed and said, "Maybe, Jasper is a lost cause. She has no purpose now that there is no one to fight anymore."
"Eh….I dunno." said Steven.
At this point, Steven was about to cry, but then Pearl put her arm around him and held him close to her.
Just then, both Steven and Pearl heard a voice of the comm-channel.
"Optimus to all units, report to base immediately!" he ordered.
Steven wiped the tears from his eyes and he and Pearl both ran to the comm-room to find out what was going on. Cheetor followed them, as did Amethyst, Rattrap and Dinobot. They all arrived in the comm-room and Steven asked, "What's the situation, Optimus?"
"Rhinox and Garnet will explain it." said Optimus.
And so, Rhinox stood up with Garnet alongside him. "We detected an energon source coming from those standing stones we saw when we first arrived on Earth."
Garnet showed them the results. "There is a spike in the surge. We need to get there right away!"
"Alright, everyone, let's head over there!" said Steven.
So they all got into the vehicle and began to head on over there.
At the Predacon base, we see Tarantulas looking at the monitor and then the computer blips and it begins showing some kind of signal.
"Lord Megatron, I've detected a spike in the Energon source at the location of the Standing Stones," he said.
Megatron was intrigued. "Hmmm, most baffling." he said. "Predacons, move out!"
"YES, LORD MEGATRON!" they all said in unison, converging into Beast Mode and mobilizing.
It was eerily calm and foreboding as the Standing Stones were illuminated by an unearthly orange glow as the sun almost fully eclipsed by the planet's moon, rises, perfectly framed by the gap between two of the stones. Above it, the second moon is in a thin crescent, in perfect alignment with the sun.
Steven had parked the car on the other side of the Stone, as he and the others were at the edge of the ring. Rhinox is seated on his rump, examining a Standing Stone with a portable SCANNER, designed to fit his trotters.
"This isn't a natural stone formation." Rhinox pointed out, scanning "Somebody, somehow. . . built this thing."
Garnet was bewildered, "And whoever did so must either be a genius or mad."
"Yeah? Well, excuse my error message, but I thought this planet was uninhabited." Rattrap said, sarcastically.
Optimus was frowning at his own scanner. "Something else is odd," he said. "I'm getting an Energon reading." a lot of them all head for the center of the ring of stones, a tall mound of rocks is piled up on an altar. "It's under this pile of rocks," he added.
"Whoa, underneath those? Yikes!" Steven said.
Pearl was taken aback by this too. Her and Rattrap look around at the standing stones uneasily.
"You've said it, this is just Like bait in a mousetrap." he shivered in fear. "This place alternates my currents."
Rhinox scowls at the readings on his sensor.
"Yeah, the Energon on this planet doesn't fit with its geology. Hard to believe it coulda formed naturally."
"Damn, this bytes!" Amethyst folded her arms in frustration, "I didn't sign up for this just to remove boulders."
Cheetor added, "Even so, it could be dangerous."
"Cheetor's right, Amethyst!" Pearl said to her. "And besides, we're not affected by the Energon like the Maximals and Predacons are."
"However it got here, we must remove these boulders and retrieve the crystal. . . before the Predacons can get their hands on it." Dinobot explained, tossing a HUGE boulder off of the cairn.
"Ah Dinobot." said the voice of Megatron. He steps from behind a standing stone, blotting out the beautiful eclipse and conjunction. "That Predacon chip still ticks inside your traitorous hide." Megatron said, taunting them. "And I think we will take it, yesss. No Energon crystal too small, I always say."
Waspinator and Terrorsaur soar over Megatron's head, transforming into Robot Mode as they do so. "WASPINATOR, TERRORIZE!" Waspinator shouted.
"TERRORSAUR, TERRORIZE!" Terrorsaur shouted.
They hover and begin to fire at them. "WATCH OUT!" Steven shouted, as he, Amethyst, Pearl and Garnet all split into three groups to help the Maximals against the Predacons. Steven and Amethyst allied themselves with Cheetor. Waspinator and Terrorsaur shot at them, but Steven shot a blast back at them, same for Amethyst.
Quasar blasts strafe around them as they scatter for cover. Rattrap, Dinobot and Pearl duck behind the stone for cover. "Man, yer ol' friends don't miss a beat, do they?"
"Apparently not, but let's fight! Dinobot, Maximize!"
They transform into Robot Mode, drawing their weapons, Optimus, Cheetor and Rhinox do the same thing. As Garnet stayed with Rhinox and Optimus, while they had taken cover behind the cairn. Blasts EXPLODE all around them. Optimus shouts at Rattrap "Keep them away from the crystal!"
"Oh yeah, sure. Give us the dirty work!" said Rattrap, in a dry way. But he fired his Stasis Rifle, aiming the blast as it hit the front feet of Scorponok, who stands atop a standing stone. The blast shakes him, but he raises his tail and is about to fire, but he is stopped.
Pearl then fired her blast at the missiles Scorponok had launched.
Cheetor ducks from behind the cairn, and Scorponok raises his left arm and fires his missile launcher again. The missile, which catches Scorponok full in the chest and sends him flying across the field.
"Scratch one!" He then heard a chuckle, he turned around to see Tarantulas, getting ready to attack, but Rattrap and Steven shot him down at the same time. "Thanks guys!"
"Anytime spots!" said Rattrap.
Waspinator and Terrorsaur, they BANK and TURN, past CAM for another pass.
"Optimus, we have flyers coming." Garnet said, as she saw them zooming on by, getting ready for a dive bomb attack.
"They're mine!" he said.
He activates his jets and takes off into the sky. Just as Waspinator and Terrorsaur transform back to Robot Mode, he launches both his missiles. Waspinator is hit and spins out of control toward the ground. But the second missile misses Terrorsaur as he fires a missile of his own. The missile crashes into the cairn with a screen—filling explosion. When the explosion clears, we see the cairn has been blown apart, revealing a small Energon Crystal. It crackles with an energy surge as it cracks, while beginning to release its energy.
Seeing this bad move made Megatron angry, "Terrorsaur, you fool!" he yelled. "You've released the crystal's energy! It is USELESS to us now! BACK TO BASE! BEAST MODE!" he ordered, as they all transformed back to Beast Mode, they RUMBLE and FLY over the horizon.
Still in Robot Mode, Optimus lands in the midst of the other Maximals. "Beast Mode, Maximals! And everyone, prepare for the Energon waves!" he instructed. The Maximals run for the outside of the standing stones, transforming back to Beast Mode as they do so and Steven and the others all run away from the area.
It glows as it begins crackling around and suddenly it explodes! But even as it does so, the Standing Stones suddenly glow a right blue. The energon blast strikes them and is deflected upward in a single narrow searchlight-like beam! The Beam shoots out into space for an infinite distance. It is then that the crystal burns out in a flame of white light, the beacon vanishes, and the crystal crumbles into dust.
Rising from the rocks outside the Standing Stones, the Maximals, Steven and the Gems all start looking back in amazement at the now-silent Standing Stones. "Like I said. Those stones ain't natural." said Rhinox.
Cheetor looked in awe at this, "What in the galaxy was THAT?" he said in awe.
"Looked kinda like a...a signal." replied Rhinox. "But, to who?"
"Well perhaps we'll learn the answer, someday." said Optimus, Steven nodded in agreement with him and they all went back into the van. As the Maximals and Gems head back for base, we see the eclipse, now total, with the sun this corona glowing brilliantly.
In outer space, we see the flagship of the Dark Diamond Empire, still orbiting Earth, and it caught onto the light that ejected from Earth. Black Diamond saw this and said to himself, "Ah, it seems someone activated my signal to my allies." he thought to himself.
Just then, his wife, Tanzanite, had dried off her hair and stepped out of the bathroom, "What did you see, my darling?" she asked.
"It seems as though the Maximals and Predacons have activated the signal to my friends, the Vok." he relayed to his wife.
"Honey, what should we do?" she asked in concern.
Black Diamond comforted his wife. "Don't you worry, my love. They will not harm us, I will make sure of that." he reassured her as they kissed on the lips.
"Thank you." she said. "Not only are you an excellent master, you're also an amazingly evil husband." she said, kissing him back, but quickly.
He smiled at her and said, "That much I know, my love."
It was then Black Diamond began the preparations for launching the probe and after it launched, it went through the warp gate and entered Earth's atmosphere.
Back at Beach City outside of Steven's house, Steven looked up at the sky and wondered what was going on, and it was then that Optimus joined him.
"Mind if I join you, Steven?" asked Optimus.
"Sure, Optimus." he said, allowing Optimus to join him on the balcony. He noticed that Optimus was holding a book. "Catching up on some reading?"
Optimus nodded with a smile. "Yes, this book is about a man's journey into the center of the Earth." he said, holding out the book of the phrase he just said. It was a copy of the classic book, 'Journey To The Center Of The Earth' by Juels Verne, a great author in his time.
"Oh that is a classic," said Steven.
Suddenly, a searing light streaks across the night sky.
"Optimus, do you see that?" Steven asked, looking up at the sky. Pointing at the flaming streak in the sky. "Is it a comet?"
"I don't think so." replied Optimus. "Let's see what Rhinox can figure out."
"Good idea." Steven agreed.
At the Predacon base, Megatron in beast form saw the fire in the sky, and felt that it may be something.
"Flyer! Incoming Stasis Pod!"
Jasper and Waspinator were the first two to come out of the base. "You think that's a Stasis Pod?" asked Jasper. "It sure doesn't look like one. But it must be heading for those standing stones you looked at earlier."
"Wazzzzpinator thinkzz Jazzper izzz right." said Waspinator, as he buzzed.
Megatron nodded in agreement to that and they headed to the spot in question.
In the Maximal Base command center, Rhinox and Garnet were examining the scanners as Optimus and Steven both looked at the trajectory of this.
Steven was puzzled, "So, what do you make of it? Is it a comet, a Meteor or a Stasis Pod?"
Rhinox shook his head no to all those answers. "It doesn't have any profile for a Stasis pod," he said, "But it isn't a meteor either!"
Garnet added, "It's too metallic to be a comet." she said.
"Prime! Where's it heading?" Optimus asked, wanting to know.
Rhinox then replied, "Right for….The Standing Stones." he said.
Optimus, Dinobot, Steven and Pearl all arrive back at the Standing Stones where they see that a large golden metal rock has landed in the center of the stones.
"How peculiar," said Pearl.
Steven looked on and saw that the thing was hollow.
"Yes, it looks like someone or something answered that signal." Optimus said, making them all nod in agreement. "But who?"
But suddenly, Optimus is hit by a missile blast. It was revealed to be Megatron, Jasper and Waspinator.
Steven looked in horror at this, "Jasper!? You're with THEM!?"
Jasper nodded, "Yeah, I'm with the Predacons. And I'm glad of it!" he huffed.
This made Steven angry. "Dammit, you just had to ruin my night, didn't you!?"
Megatron grins, "An unexpected surprise, no doubt." he said. "However, whatever this Fascinating device is, we Predacons claim it as our own."
"Yeah, and no way are we letting you take what is rightfully ours!" said Jasper.
"Megatron, TERRORIZE!" He then changed into robot mode and began to fight.
Dinobot snarled at this. "Dinobot…..MAXIMIZE!" He then transformed into robot mode and hit Waspinator with his laser eyes.
Steven and Pearl both draw their weapons out but then, the device begins to pulse.
Jasper then races over to Steven and begins to attack him violently. "Jasper, why would you betray your own race?!"
"I'm NOT!" said Jasper, she showed in a fit of rage. "I merely just want to beat you senselessly, as a Gem should ALWAYS be!"
"You're wrong! Fighting only leads to more violence, it will destroy you!" Steven shot back.
"SHUT UP, JACKASS!" Jasper spat back at Steven. "I HATE YOU, TIME FOR YOU TO DIE!" she rapidly punched Steven, he tried to counter, but she was too strong.
Dinobot then ran at Jasper and did a perfectly executed standing side kick to Jasper, kicking him away from Steven.
"Thanks Dinobot!" said Steven, as Dinobot helped him up.
Megatron opens fire at the two of them, only for Dinobot and Steven to duck out of the way. "I cannot allow them to hurt you even further," he said. "And, you're welcome by the way."
Pearl shot a beam at Waspinator, making him fall to the ground.
Just then a growing, piercing sound emanates from the gold device… It's emitting visible radio waves from the underside of it.
The Probe emits a blinding pulse of light as Dinobot, Megatron and Waspinator are all hit by the blast, their electrical parts surging wildly. Steven, Pearl and Jasper were not affected by it because they were immune to it apparently.
As Steven, Pearl and Dinobot watch, the effect hits Optimus in the middle of his transformation, just when he's about to transform and with a huge electrical effect, he vanishes into thin air, like he was never even there.
"NOOOOOOO!" said Steven, shouting in horror. "OPTIMUS!" he cried
As he passes into unconsciousness, Dinobot mutters, "Optimus..." As Dinobot's vision fades to blackness, Pearl uses her remaining strength to teleport them back to the Axalon.
The next day, we see Dinobot feeling groggy when he sees Pearl standing in front of him. He then snapped out of it.
"Dinobot, do you have any feelings of Discomfort?" she asked.
Dinobot shook his head. "Negative, I feel...recharged."
He stepped out and saw that Rattrap, Garnet, Rhinox, Cheetor and Amethyst were with her. "Was I in the C.R. Chamber?" he asked.
Garnet nodded, "Indeed you were."
Dinobot looked around and wondered, "How, how did I get here?"
Rhinox then elaborated, "We found you, Pearl and Steven dumped in front of the Command Base hatch. Scrapped down, and...alone."
"Yeah, the three of you were badly damaged." Rattrap said, denoting that to be true.
It was then that Dinobot wondered, "Where is Steven?" he asked.
"Over there," said Amethyst. "He's sleeping right now, but he'll be back on his feet and fully recovered soon enough. But, what I want to know is, what happened to Optimus?"
Dinobot then turned around, "Optimus has been….atomized."
Cheetor gasps in horror.
"WHAT?" Amethyst yelled.
Then the velociraptor Maximal added, "An alien probe has landed at the Standing Stones." he said. "It emitted an energy burst during Optimus' transformation... He vanished."
Garnet was puzzled, "Wait a minute, why was Optimus transforming?"
"Predacon attack!" Dinobot replied. "We have no time for further analysis now. We must make another attempt to secure the probe from the Predacons! But, the question is..how?"
"Whoa, hold up there, Chopperface!" Rattrap halting him "I don't know how we're gonna do this. Besides, you're still in no condition after what you went through last night."
"I have always fought, even while injured or damaged," said Dinobot. "However, it seems that this Jasper as she is called is with the Predacons too."
This made Amethyst and Garnet gasp in shock, "WHAT!?" they said in unison.
"Why would Jasper do that?" asked Amethyst.
"I am uncertain, but she tried to have Steven killed." replied Dinobot.
Amethyst looked at Steven on the gurney, 'That explains the injuries he has.' she thought. "Well, next time she does that, lemme at her. I got a score to settle with that bitch."
Cheetor was on board with Amethyst "I'm down for that!" he said.
Rhinox could see the tensions building up inside of them and decided to speak up, "Hold on, we're not Predacons here." he said. "We don't seek vengeance. Without our leader, we are at a disadvantage."
"Rhinox is right, Optimus would want us to approach this logically," said Rattrap.
Amethyst then asked, "So, what do we do?"
Meanwhile inside the Predacon Base, with simultaneous roars, Megatron and Waspinator, in Beast form, emerge from chambers, having just finished the Restoration process. Megatron roared in pain and Waspinator buzzed in pain, but they shrug off the effects of the restoration process. Tarantulas has been overseeing the restoration. He steps back. Scorpinok clicks his claws.
"LORD MEGATRON, YOU'RE BACK!" Scorponok shouted in worryment, "Scorponok alone with Tarantulas and Terrorsaur, very bad!" he said, hysterically.
Tarantulas then said, "You, Waspinator and Jasper came back here badly damaged."
"Yessssss!" Megatron then recalled everything. "I remember now...Optimus….Optimus Primal, atomized and terminated." a lot of them all looked at each other in bewilderment. But then, with excitement Megatron thought of something. "Quickly! Scorpinok, you and Waspinator get back to the Standing Stones and GUARD THAT ALIEN PROBE!"
And with that done, Scorponok and Waspinator zoom out of there. Terrorsaur, Tarantulas, Jasper and Megatron emerge from the conunand base. "As for us, this is a perfect opportunity," he said. "Yesss. I wonder just how the weakling Maximals and their Gem allies will respond to Optimus' death, and with Steven Universe also out of the picture." he took an awestruck breath, "I can imagine it now… Confusion, bickering, recriminations. The perfect opportunity for a... SURPRISE ATTACK!" he said.
"Oh damn, that's some proficient thinking Lord Megatron." said Jasper, agreeing with him.
Back at the Maximal Base, Amethyst, Pearl, Garnet, Rhinox, Cheetor, Rattrap and Dinobot all gathered around the holomap table. They had gathered there to decide the temporary commanding officer who will act in Optimus' stead. So far, they had not thought of anything.
Steven then woke up and spoke, "Uggh...My head...Wha happened?" he said. "Wait, now I remember." he added, "Guys!" he shouted.
They all turned around to see Steven's wounds had healed fast. "Steven!" they all said in unison.
"Good to see you up, man." said Cheetor. "But you're still injured. With Optimus atomized, we need someone to act in his stead."
Steven then thought about it, "That is bad, and I think maybe you should do it Cheetor."
"What? Me?" he asked himself.
"Yeah, you're the most stable of the Maximals right now." Steven told him.
Cheetor thought about it deeply. "I appreciate it Steven, but I think Rattrap should do it." he said, making Steven raise an eyebrow as if he wondered why. "Right now, I'm too emotional, I'll make mistakes. So, I trust Rattrap to do it." he turned his head to said Maximal when he said that.
Rattrap was confused, Garnet said, "He has a valid point." denoting it to be true.
"Agreed," said Rhinox.
"Alright, sure thing." replied Amethyst.
"Say no more," said Pearl.
"Whoa, you want me to do it spots?" Rattrap asked Cheetor, feeling a little bewildered. "I may be older than you, but why pick me? I have no experience in leadership, nor have I been trained for this."
"The vermin makes a valid and clear point," Dinobot replied, "We would need a leader who can outsmart the enemy making way for us to crush them."
"Hey nobody asked you, plus he would be a better leader than you would." Amethyst said, in a dry manner while at the same time.
"Oh and suppose you wouldn't mind taking on leadership?" Rattrap said, sarcastically.
"That's not what I meant." replied Amethyst. "I said that you would be a better leader as a compliment."
Rattrap was amazed by that. "Really?" he asked, feeling curious.
"I suppose having the vermin in charge would be a change of pace, even if it is temporary" Dinobot nodded.
"Then it's agreed." Garnet said.
Even though everyone was on board with this decision, Rattrap wasn't sure of this decision. 'Oh boy, what the hell did I get myself into?' he thought.
Just then, a voice could be heard. "MAXIMALS COME IN, ARE YOU RECEIVING!?"
"What was that voice?" asked Pearl.
Garnet detected where it was coming from, "The speaker!"
The speaker then spoke in a voice they knew quite well. "MAXIMAL COMMAND BASE, THIS IS OPTIMUS!" they all went over to the speaker in shock.
"Optimus?" Steven gasped.
Rhinox answers the speaker, "Optimus, this is Rhinox, where are you?" he asked.
"Hard to say!" said Optimus. "As near as I can figure...I….I have no body," he said. "My consciousness is still intact, but my molecular structure is being stored and scanned inside the alien probe."
Steven steps in and says "Oh man that doesn't sound good."
"Why would they want to scan you?" asked Amethyst.
"I'm not sure," he replied. "All I know is that whoever sent this here, they sure use some destructive hardware."
Pearl gasped in shock. "Oh my, what if they atomize everyone else in the city?"
"Not sure I want that eventuality to happen." said Rattrap, as he spoke into the intercom. "We're coming to save you, fearless leader, just keep static!"
Optimus then warned them "Just beware of a Predacon attack, they'll be after you now that I'm out of the picture." he then said, "Rattrap, you're in charge!
"We have worked the Chain of Command peacefully," said Garnet.
"Yeah, now all we need to do is find a way to get Optimus out of the probe," said Steven.
"I'll work on it, I've done this before." said Rhinox.
But then, the ground outside the base shook and the alarms began to blare as the shields were up. "He's right about one thing," Cheetor said, as he looked out the window. "We're under a Predacon attack!"
Megatron, Tarantulas, Jasper and Terrorsaur fired their weapons nonstop and the base shook around while the Maximals and Gems were still inside of it.
"Well Rattrap, what are your orders?" Pearl asked.
Rattrap thought it over and said, "We'll be scrapped if we sit inside," he then turned to Rhinox and asked him, "Rhinox, how much time do you need to complete the device to extract Optimus from that probe?"
"10 minutes 45 seconds should do it." replied Rhinox.
"Alright then, everybody prepare for a counterattack!" he ordered.
"Hold on Rattrap, attacking the Preds head on?" Amethyst asked in frustration. "That's suicide!"
"No, Rattrap's right, we'll be buried here." Garnet mentioned.
"I'll stay here and help Rhinox with setting up the device," said Steven. "I'll even activate the auto weapons just in case."
Rattrap nodded, "Good idea." he said, before turning to everyone else. "Alright team, let's go!"
And so, the hatch opened and they all jumped out, all geared up for the counterattack.
Megatron, Jasper, Tarantulas and Terrorsaur all fire at the shields, but then Megatron sees Amethyst, Pearl, Garnet, Cheetor, Rattrap and Dinobot all charging at them.
"Ah, they've come to meet their death, face-to-face." Megatron said with an elegant amount of sarcasm and it was at that moment Amethyst and Pearl fused into Opal, who has a lean, toned body with two pairs of slender arms. She is very tall, being at least twice as tall as Garnet. Her height is partly due to her constantly on the tip of her toes. Opal has periwinkle skin, a thin, rounded face with a pointed nose and plump lips (traits inherited from Pearl and Amethyst, respectively), baby blue eyes with dark blue pupils, and thick, wavy, off-white hair. Her hair extends slightly past her calves, tied back into a rowdy ponytail by a pale salmon band. Extending from off the ponytail's sides are chin-length bangs resembling Pearl's and two small pigtails in the front tied by pale yellow ties. Her two gemstones are in the same places where Amethyst and Pearl's gemstones are.
"WHAT THE!?" asked Terrorsaur in shock.
"So, the gems fused once more!" said Tarantulas, musing at this.
"Yessssss, this time, they're mine!" said Megatron, as he stomped their way.
Just as Megatron charges at Opal, Dinobot charges at him with his Sonic Sword drawn and he kicks Megatron in the chest. The impact knocks him to the ground and the two exchange blows.
Garnet, Cheetor and Rattrap continued to fire at Jasper and Tarantulas, Jasper launching a dart in their direction which was actually from her shoulder. Her dart exploded when Cheetor shot it down. "Take that!" he said.
"Urgh!" Jasper groaned in anger. "You'll be scorched for that!" she ranted.
"We'll see about that!" said Cheetor as he fired at her.
In Beast Form, Terrorsaur flies into the fray, transforms into robot mode and launches a missile. The blast hits a circuit box panel on the outside of the Command Base.
The blast rocks the Command Base while Steven and Rhinox work together to make the device. "Make a device to extract physical molecular structure from an alien probe?" he muttered to himself.
He begins Laser-soldering parts together. The ship shakes and the device falls, but it doesn't fall to the floor as Steven caught it with his good arm and not his bad one. "Here you go."
"Thank you, Steven." Rhinox smiled, returning to his work.
"No problem, Rhinox!" Steven said, showing appreciation for Rhinox. He's like a great uncle to him. 'I hope that they can hold off Megatron and his minions.' he thought.
Megatron laughs evilly as he uses his T-Rex head to try and break Dinobot's arm.
"PAY!" Dinobot shouted, as he shot his laser eyes at him, knocking the Tail-Blaster.
However, Megatron would not let up. Megatron pounded Dinobot with his T-Rex head fist, denting him a little bit. Dinobot uses his leg to nail Megatron with a low blow, knocking the Predacon leader back. He starts to lay punch after punch towards his former Predacon leader, getting the upper hand for the time-being.
Garnet, Cheetor and Rattrap continue to fire at Terrorsaur, Jasper and Tarantulas.
Suddenly, Garnet detects something, "The shields are fading!" she said, getting Rattrap's attention.
"Oh, no!" Rattrap said, as he fired his Plasma Rifle at the soaring Terrorsaur. "Yo, Dinobot! The shield circuitry's hit. Get it back on line!"
He ducked underneath a sweeping blow from Megatron's tail, and strikes a blow to Megatron's jaw. "I am currently engaged here!"
"That's an order!" yelled Rattrap. "One more missile hit and our shields are gone for good!
But Dinobot keeps fighting, exchanging another blow with Megatron.
"Comon! PLEEEASE!?" Rattrap complained. "Aaargh!"
However, Garnet had a better idea. "Never mind Dinobot, right now! Cheetor and I will cover you." she said.
"Okay!" said Rattrap, agreeing with what Garnet said.
Terrorsaur saw this and transformed quickly, racing toward Rattrap but was blocked by Opal. "Leave him alone!"
"You're not the one I want!" he said, as he shrugged Opal away while he fired his last missile strike.
"Not this time!" Rattrap said, as he ran toward the shield circuitry. He dives at the circuit box and punches a Reset button. Just then the missiles make the hit, but the base's shield deflecting it. Rattrap is knocked aside. He rolls over and comes up firing his rifle. Rattrap's blast almost hits Terrorsaur, but he ducked out of the way, only to get taken out of commission by Opal, as she zapped him, causing him to plummet to the ground next to Megatron.
Dinobot knocks Megatron back with a blow from his Sonic Sword. As Megatron recovers in the fight, Dinobot awaits his renewed attack on the Predacon Leader, but Tarantulas steps in and whispers in Megatron's ear. "Lord Megatron, I suggest that we withdraw," he said. "The true prize-and reinforcements-await us at the Standing Stones."
Megatron knew this to be true. "Yesss. The alien probe." he agreed to it. "Withdraw at once!"
"Yes, Lord Megatron!" said Jasper. They start to pull back.
As they ran off, the Gems and the Maximals started to spark and short from Energon field build up.
"We've been in robot mode too Long! Beast Mode!" Rattrap ordered.
The Maximals all convert back to their beast forms, while Opal defuses back to Amethyst and Pearl.
"Well that takes care of them," said Amethyst.
"Yeah! I suppose it does." said Cheetor.
"I have a feeling that they were hoping to catch us with our guard down." Garnet replied.
"Well, at least they're gone," said Rattrap.
"True." said Pearl. "And Garnet's plan worked."
Amethyst nodded, "Got that right, Rattrap turned the tide."
"You were selfless in putting that shield back on line," Dinobot said, commending him for that. "I should've followed your command, I am dishonored."
Rattrap doesn't know how to take this, "Ah don't worry about it, let's get back to the base and see if Rhinox and Steven have the device ready." and so, they all went back into the base.
A few hours later, at the Standing Stones, an eerie fog has settled in around the Stones. Though it's day, there is little visibility. The Maximals, Steven and the Gems appear out of the fog. Rhinox is seated, fiddling with his makeshift device, which has been designed to work. "Dunno if this thing's gonna work, but it's as ready as it's ever gonna be," he said.
"I hope that we can get Optimus back." said Steven.
Pearl noticed Rattrap sniffing his nose around the area. "It's too quiet here," Rattrap replied, "I thought for sure the Predacons had been makin' it for the probe by now." He sniffs at the air again.
He quickly turns around and sees Jasper and the Predacons (in Bot form), also step out of the fog. "Ha! Excellent prediction, COMMANDER Rattrap!" he taunted, making Rattrap sneer. "Let's see how you fare in the battlefield."
*BOOM-BA-BA-BOOM-BA-BANG-A-BANG-BANG-BA-BA-BOOM-BA-BA-BOOM-BA-BANG-A-BANG-BANG-BANG* The weapons all kept firing as the Predacons and Maximals fought for control of the probe.
"It's an ambush!" Pearl shouted. "We gotta stop this!"
"Rhinox! Get Optimus outta that probe!" Rattrap ordered.
Weapons blasts begin exploding around the Maximals. Rattrap charges forward, but is sent sprawling backwards by a blow from Terrorsaur.
Cheetor takes a mighty leap at Scorponok, but is blasted backwards by a missile from Scorpinok's weaponized arm. Cheetor is thrown against one of the standing stones.
Rhinox is situated beside it now, holding his makeshift device. "Optimus! Can you hear me?!"
Optimus replied over the speaker Rhinox had on him. "Loud and clear, big guy."
"I'm gonna try to extract you!" said Rhinox, as activates the device, it beeps and whirrs as he pressed a few buttons here and there. The probe is absolutely unchanged. "It is not working!"
Amethyst is hit by a missile blast. She's barely conscious. Dinobot comes to her and bends over her.
"Amethyst!" he shouted as he turns toward the probe.
Rhinox is poking frantically at his device. "This whole area is full of stable Energon radiation from the probe. . . like the whole ruin is a single device!"
Steven sees Waspinator in the reflection of The Probe. He turns and shoots Waspinator to bits.
The probe is inscribed with the same image of the Standing Stones they saw before, but this image includes the probe in the center. As Waspinator was shorting, the stones all began to light up and charge with electricity. Steven also saw an image of all the Standing Stones, but with one knocked down, and the probe in the middle opened up like a flower.
Rhinox was stunned by this. "Hey!" he said, as the energy was all centered into the probe. "This whole place IS a single device!"
Dinobot raises his arm to fire at the probe and destroy it. But, Amethyst tells him not to do so. It opens from the top, like a flower. A beam shoots out from the circle on top of it, making Steven, the Gems, the Maximals, Megatron and the Predacons stunned, and in the beam Optimus materializes, in robot form. Immediately he flies into the air.
"Look who's back... and feeling PRIME!" he said, as she spun, firing his forearm missiles. The Predacons streak away as the missiles hit their targets... first Jasper, then Tarantulas, then Terrorsaur, and finally Scorponok. The robot Predacons are sent away.
Optimus lands and joins Dinobot, Cheetor, Rattrap, Rhinox, Steven, Amethyst, Pearl and Garnet, facing Megatron. "Way to go Optimus! Welcome back!" said Cheetor.
The Predacon leader snarled at them. "The day-and the probe-is yours, Optimus. Yess! Just beware...not all aliens are beneficent, after all." he said, as he converts back to Beast Mode, Jasper rides on his back and runs off toward the horizon, as the other Predacons go back to Beast Mode as he takes off.
Cheetor helps the shaken Rattrap back to his feet. The others approach. "Rattrap you commanded well in my absence." he congratulated his demolitionist.
Rattrap shrugged his shoulders with a smile. "Eh, command's a pain in the tail. Especially with this pack of hyenas." he said. "You can keep it."
"I'm more concerned with this probe right about now." said Optimus, as the probe begins to glow with a different type of power, and heats to a white hot, pulsating light, and then, with a dramatic flash, simply vanishes.
They were all bewildered by the way it faded away. "What the spotted heck was THAT all about!?"
Optimus replied. "I don't know, I suppose they found out everything they needed to know about us."
"Yeah." said Rhinox, thoughtfully. "They know we have destructive capability and' reasoning power."
The fog makes everything eerie and mysterious.
However, Dinobot was baffled by this, "But why would they want to know? And more importantly...who are THEY?" he asked himself. "Friends? Enemies? Or something...more?"
"The probe they sent looked advanced," said Amethyst. "But, we know it was not Cybertronian."
"Indeed." Garnet agreed. "And I know that now Gem could ever make something like that device."
"But, where did these Aliens come from?" asked Steven.
"How did they get here?" Pearl added.
"Could THEY have been the ones who seeded Earth with Energon in the past?" asked Cheetor.
Optimus looks toward the sky, thoughtfully. "Good question. I wonder when we'll find out the answer?" he wondered.
To Be Continued...
(Theme From Transformers Armada Continues...)
Me: Well, that was a great chapter, right man?
The Amazing Ghost Musician: Hell Yeah! We not only see Rattrap do great as a leader, but damn we've got to see how good the Gems and the Maximals can work together without Optimus and Steven around. If you ask me, they're as great of a team as the Black Bulls from the anime series Black Clover.
Me: Or even the Avengers and the Guardians Of The Galaxy.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: Or even the Justice League and the Teen Titans.
Me: Yeah, but let's not let that go to their heads. Anyhow, we saw that Black Diamond sent that probe, and he seems to have some very powerful friends.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: That was shocking to find out that Black Diamond and his Shadow Empire are friends with The Vok. Talk about a surprise twist, am I right?
Me: Indeed so. Anyway, after this I feel like updating the first chapter of The Mystifying Avengers, another story I'm working on. And if you'd like to contribute to it, you are always welcome to do so.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: You go ahead and do that my friend, I'll be sure to read that story once you've posted it on FanFiction.
Me: Well, other than that, I would like to have a moment of silence to honor the two actors who died and also wish everyone a Happy Halloween.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: Point taken!
Me: So, this chapter was great, and I hope it gets better from this day forward.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: We hope you all have a great Halloween, I know I will since it's my favorite holiday.
Me: I know I shall enjoy it too, but maybe next year I will have a Halloween Party. And, broski, if you were in the state I live in, I would invite you.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: I would say the same with you, my friend. Sadly we live in two different areas in the country, you live in Arkansas down in the south, and I live in Connecticut up in the Northeast.
Me: Yeah, there is that. Oh, and looks like I made a slight error, it seems Jack Angel was actually Smokescreen not Sideswipe. Silly me.
The Amazing Ghost Musician: *facepalm himself* Anyway, we hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Me: Stick around for the next one. Steven meets Bluebird, a gem who seems like a proper one, but he senses something evil about him, but the other Gems don't believe him so Optimus has Rattrap investigate. Meanwhile, the Predacons discover a floating mountain filled with Energon. Megatron uses it and is supercharged. Can they stop this and figure out Bluebird's true intent? Find out in chapter 6: Bluebird & The Power Surge!
The Amazing Ghost Musician: That's gonna be some awesome stuff, so make sure you stay tuned for the next chapter… But until then, make sure you like this chapter, don't forget to leave a comment and until we meet again...
Both: SEE YA NEXT TIME! AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
In Loving Memory of…
Chris Ayres
(Frieza from Dragon Ball Z Kai)
May 16, 1965 - October 18, 2021
And
Jack Angel
(Smokescreen from Transformers Generation 1, King Zarkon from Voltron: Defender Of The Universe and Nick Fury from Spider-Man 1994.)
October 24, 1930 - October 19, 2021
Please, read, review, comment, like, fave and follow. And remember, NO FLAMES!