Disclaimer: I do not own Beast Wars. It belongs to Hasbro.

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Asylum

The newly christened Axalon II flew threw space. Aboard her bridge were Rhinox, Rattrap, Cheetor, Silverbolt, and Blackarachnia manning their individual stations. The Axalon II was an Autobot-Maximal hybrid vessel made to accommodate both factions' sizes which is why the middle part of the bridge dip down to allow Optimal Optimus to stand there with his head being around the height the others were sitting so he could see the bridge crew and their stations. Appearance wise it greatly resembles the original Axalon, it just came with a lot more 'leg room' so to speak.

"You know I still can't believe the Beast Wars are over." Cheetor said to the others.

"I know right? When that Maximal Defense Force ship appeared in orbit I thought I was dreaming." Rattrap said.

"The war was going to end eventually. Nothing lasts forever." Rhinox said sagely.

"Just be glad it was us who won or we would all be nothing." Blackarachnia said reminding them all of what the cost of losing the war would have been.

"We're approaching our destination Maximals." Optimus said getting everyone's attention. They all looked outside the forward window to see a large black and purple space ship in the distance with several Maximal Defense Force vessels surrounding it in a defensive position.

"We're being hailed Optimus." Silverbolt said over from his station.

"Incoming vessel, please identify yourself." Said the voice of an MDF officer from over the comm.

"This is Optimus Primal captain of the Axalon we're here to join the escort of the Triptych." Optimus said.

Several minutes pass while the Maximals wait in silence for a reply. Rattrap kills the time by playing his Waspinator FPS game.

"Confirmed. We're happy to have you along for the ride."

"Well let's get this mission over quickly so we can get back to exploring the galaxy." Cheetor said to the others.

"Kid, if you just jinxed us I'm going to tie your tail into a knot." Rattrap said half-joking and half-serious. Ok, he was mostly serious.

Within the Triptych, Depth Charge, the seventh member of the Beast Wars Maximals, was walking down a hallway with a look of irritation on his face. If Rattrap were here he'd probably say he always look that way. He had hoped the council would finally come to their sense and destroy X, but once again they refused no thanks to Megatron cutting out Rampage's spark and placing it into that Dinobot clone.

At least they were nice enough to allow him to join the Triptych's security team so he could keep an eye on Rampage. That monster would not escape this time. No more innocents would die. He'd make sure of it.

He was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of someone crying in pain. Following it he comes to a storage room and enters to find three guards surrounding Waspinator and from the looks of it had been smacking the poor bug around a bit if the shattered optic and torn off wings were any indication.

"What do you idiots think you're doing?" Depth Charge said not wasting anytime as he storms over.

"Relax, we're just having a little bit of fun." Lock-Up, one of the guards, said seemingly not at all disturb by the sudden interruption.

"This is not how we treat prisoners."

"Don't give me that 'this is not how we Maximals do things' speech. This is one of those Predacons that stole the golden disk. This punk deserves it!" Lock-Up said in disagreement.

"Yeah the weakest one, you really look like big heroic Maximals ganging up on a helpless bug like this you cowards. Now get pack to work before I report you." Depth Charge said. He was going to report them anyways, but telling them that now would only escalate the situation.

"You think you can call me a coward and then tell me what to do?" Lock-Up said looking like he was about to start arguing physically, but one of his friends stop him and shakes their head. Even with all three of them there is no way they'd be able to take on Depth Charge. The three guards proceed to head out the door leaving Depth Charge alone with Waspinator. The broken bug looks up at Depth Charge his good optic showing a mix of confusion and gratitude.

"Thank you."

"Come on bug let's get you to the medical wing for repairs." Depth Charge said ignoring the thanks. He didn't need anyone's thanks for just doing his job and being a decent bot.

The Triptych had many faces over the years and they had all built up on each other even as its primary function-currently that of a prison ship-had changed. It was a prison or an asylum for the criminally insane, a hospital, a weapons factory, a laboratory, and so on. None of these functions stopped existing well except the weapons factory. They were just downsized in capacity to make room for the next function. Even the experimental weapons were just shoved into the ship's armory. The Triptych had existed since the Great War so it was very old and rumor had it, it had even once been a titan that fought in the war till he was gravely injured and placed into emergency stasis lock. Yes they were flying through space in what was possibly a giant slagging corpse.

The medical wing was still considerably large with a great number of restoration chambers for use all varying in size from basic class to ultra class in size. It was here Depth Charge sets Waspinator down in front of several doctors gives them a curt order to "Fix him." and quickly leaves not waiting for their pointless questions heading pack to continue his rounds and more importantly keep both his optics on X's stasis cell.

One of those doctors, Fixit, looks over the damage Waspinator had taken and sighs in resignation and frustration.

"This is Lock-Up's work." He said to the others.

"Yep, looks like he and his buddies we're having 'fun' again." One said in agreement.

"I swear to Primus this one ends up here every week doesn't he? Does the universe hate him or something?" The other doctor said.

"Yez." Waspinator said despite the pain he was in.

There were different levels of security for the prisoners so while the majority were held in stasis cells there was a small section called the low security wing for those considered harmless or capable of reform and held there for observation. This is where Quickstrike and Inferno were held alongside Waspinator despite their violent tendencies. Being "ex-Maximals" had its perks it would seem.

Though if you ask Quickstrike having his snake-hand/arm and scorpion fingers removed revealing the normal hands beneath would not be considered a perk. He liked how he looked. He thought it made him look tough and threatening. Also he felt his snake-arm was the only one who really understood him. Of course as bad as he had it that was nothing compared to what Inferno had been going through. He glances to the cell across from him and calls over to his fellow "ex-Maximal".

"How ya doin' today Blender-Butt?" Quickstrike said trying his best to sound cheerful.

"As well as can be expected Fuzor." Inferno said in a defeated tone of voice. What was most striking however was currently the lack of beast mode. Also his optics were lacking the patriotic fervor and drive that Quickstrike's was familiar with. They were just so lifeless looking. It honestly angered Quickstrike to see Inferno looking just so lost and helpless.

Ever since they had arrived one of the doctors had taken an unhealthy interest in Inferno's case and the psychological effects beast modes had on their 'wearers'. He repeatedly had Inferno's beast mode removed and restored studying the change in personality with a fascination bordering on the fanatical. It was creepy like Tarantulas level creepy Waspinator had said. Something neither of the other two would argue against.

"You think Bugeyes is doing okay? Those guards didn't look like they were taking him to play cards and drink high grade." Quickstrike said bringing up the missing member of their trio.

"Waspinator will endure whatever the guards do to him. He has survived far worst." Inferno said. If there was one constant Inferno knew he could rely on right now it was Waspinator's ability to survive whatever the universe threw at him.

Further conversation was interrupted when several guards and a doctor by the name of Vivisect came in. Inferno's optics show fear knowing they were here for him and his fears were proven right when they came to his door.

"Please no more I can't handle it anymore just make up your mind already." Inferno said begging as he takes a step back. Quickstrike's fists tighten in rage.

"Leave him alone!" He said shouting at them only to be ignored which just made him angrier.

"I thought you liked being an ant?" Vivisect said to Inferno smiling at him, but it wasn't a nice smile.

"I do! No I mean I like it, but I don't want it. The ant in me wants it, but the robot doesn't. I'm completely mad when in beast mode and I just don't know anymore what's right." Inferno said his voice lace with panic.

"That's what I'm here to help you figure out Inferno." The doctor said soothingly, but to both inmates and even the guards it was very false comfort.

The doctor pushes a button next to the door and a beam of light strikes Inferno and his body begins to change going into a protoform like state and then the red and black parts of an insect begin to emerge and Inferno the robot was replaced with Inferno the ant.

"The royalty will see you punished for this! My queen will avenge me!" Inferno said screaming before throwing his head back and laughing madly. Over in his cell Quickstrike looks away unable to watch the fraying sanity of his friend any longer.

"Interesting." The doctor said to himself. "Lets leave him like this for now and reverse it in a few solar cycles." Vivisect and his guards leave. Quickstrike and Inferno watch them go their optics trying very hard to burn a hole into the not so good doctor's back.

"I really hope someone kicks that creep's keister." Quickstrike said to Inferno who merely nods in reply. Quickstrike didn't care who did it just as long as someone did it be it him or someone else.

Despite Rampage being locked in a stasis cell it was still possible for him to interact with the outside world via someone accessing his core consciousness. When awareness and vision return to him he saw his newly appointed 'therapist' Stinkbomb, a Maximal with a skunk beast mode, sitting in his chair looking all self-important and filled with misplace confidence. He would enjoy peeling back those layers and see what makes his therapist tick. It was only fair after all.

"Hello Rampage are you ready for today's session?" Stinkbomb said keeping his voice pleasant but controlled.

"Well I'm not going anywhere." Rampage said. The 'yet' went unspoken and both knew it.

"Well let's start with some questions if that's ok with you?" Stinkbomb said. Rampage rolls his optics did he even have a choice?

"You are not the first to try and test me, I ate their spark with some fava beans and a barrel of fine oil." Rampage said his tone casual like he was talking about the weather. Stinkbomb resists the urge to flinch. He was used to the power hungry type of Predacon, not the psycho for hire type, but of course technically Rampage wasn't really a Predacon was he? However he came prepared today.

"First question: what was Transmutate to you?"

Of all the questions Rampage expected to be asked by this puny upstart that was not one of them. Did that fuzor tell him about her? Was this his doing?

"How did you find out about her? Who told you?" Rampage said with a growl in his voice that promises pain and suffering if he didn't get an answer. Of course if he were free there'd have been pain and suffering regardless just not as much.

"That's not important right now. Please answer the question." Stinkbomb said calmly in reply.

"Do not trifle with me you slimy little skunk! You don't think I haven't already figured you out? You told me you wanted to meet the infamous Protoform X a poor tempt to play to my ego, but it showed me yours. I may have spent most of my time locked up, but I did get around quite a bit while on the run. Even been to the Dead End in Polyhex. You have the accent. You're just trash aren't you? Probably had to do all kinds of shady things to see the next day, but that just drove you harder to get out… all the way to the MDF."

Stinkbomb's shocked face would be one Rampage would treasure for quite a while, but then Stinkbomb smirks confusing him. What was the skunk up to?

"You see a lot, Rampage, but are you strong enough to point that high-powered perception at yourself? What about it? Why don't you - why don't you look at yourself and write down what you see? Or maybe you're afraid to."

It was Rampage's turn to look surprised more at the skunk's quick recovery then the accusation. Him afraid? Don't be absurd. He wasn't afraid of anything.

"Remarkable aren't you skunk? I do admire your courage. I think I'll eat your spark."

Rampage said having to admit the skunk had balls of chrome steel.

"Noted. Now may we proceed?" Stinkbomb said.

"Very well when I found Transmutate's pod I could feel her pain and sought to help her in my own way…" Rampage begins to recount the tale of Transmutate and short and tragic life.

"You truly cared about her." Stinkbomb said softly after Rampage finishes his story.

"Yes. I imagined that together we would be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another." Rampage said with what Stinkbomb felt was the first genuine smile he'd seen Rampage give.

"Poetic, but it does give me some insight on your character." Stinkbomb said to him.

"And that would be?" Rampage said cautiously. What had he 'revealed' to the skunk by discussing Transmutate?

"You hate being alone and more then that you hate yourself don't you?" Stinkbomb said a matter-of-factly.

"What?" Rampage said his face blank.

"You saw a reflection of yourself in her. You didn't want her to be alone like you were. You wanted to give her someone to love and by loved by." Stinkbomb said explaining what he had seen between the lines of Rampage's story.

"So you're suggesting I am malicious because I am miserable? Is that what you think?" Rampage said neither confirming nor denying that accusation. It wasn't inaccurate he'd give the skunk that much.

"I understand you were experimented on not that, that excuses you of all the murders you committed."

Anger once more filled Rampage's being.

"Listen to me Maximal, you accuse me of murder; and yet you would, with a satisfied consciousness, destroy your own creation. Oh praise the eternal justice of Maximal kind." Rampage said.

"No one wanted to destroy you till you started destroying others."

Rampage started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Stinkbomb said in confusion.

"Do you really think I was their first experiment? There were others before me and I knew what fate my creators had in store should I not match their expectations." Rampage said deciding to enlighten the skunk.

"What?" Stinkbombs said. He didn't know about any other experiments. All the information he'd been given said Protoform X had been the only one and yet it made horrible sense and an experiment to test a spark's durability would have to involve more than one spark. There's no way they'd get it 'right' on the first try.

"So there were my options: destruction or future torture as they tested how much damage my spark could take. Is it any wonder I killed everyone in my way to make my escape? I didn't know who to trust and who wouldn't lock me up again. Yes many were what you'd call innocent, but I was innocent too once upon a time." Rampage said.

"Surely there was someone who was kind to you. One of the scientists who created you maybe someone you met while on the run?"

"I was a thing to those who created me. Who would turn away in disgust should I disappoint them. As for the people I met on the run? Their kindness all turn to rejection and cruel cries of 'monster' once they learn I was the one who destroyed Omicron" Rampage said bitterly remembering more then a few moments where he thought he may have found hope only for despair to return once more.

"I'm…. sorry to hear that." Stinkbomb said and he truly was. He knew going in that Rampage wasn't entirely a monster of his own choosing, but not to what extent.

"I do know that at one point in time for the sympathy of one living being, I would have made peace with all. I have love in the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe, but it's too late for me now much to late." Rampage said. Was that flicker of regret in the monster's voice?

Stinkbomb open his mouth to say something but no words would come out. What could he say to that?

"If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge in the other. If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear." Rampage said his voice turning dark and filled with malice. Yes he was malicious because he was miserable. Why bother denying it at this point?

They sat in silence till Stinkbomb finally found his voice again.

"…I think that's enough for one day."

"Shame and I was just starting to enjoy myself. Well when you see my old friend tell him I'd love to have him for dinner." Rampage said with a laugh at his own twisted joke.

Stinkbomb presses a button and Rampage feels consciousness start to slip from him. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. It was only a matter of time before he escapes (again) anyways. As the old saying goes, 'all good things to those who wait'.

Stinkbomb walks out the door of Rampage's containment room where Depth Charge stood waiting.

"I think I might be in over my head." Stinkbomb said flatly to Depth Charge who snorts in disdain.

"Is he already getting to you?"

"Possibly." Stinkbomb admits. Not something he was happy about, but he thought he could handle any Predacon's mind games, but then again Rampage wasn't exactly just any Predacon.

"Believe me, you do not want Protoform X inside your head." Depth Charge said to him speaking from experience.

Working away in his laboratory Vivisect knew he was seen as anywhere from eccentric to obsessive to flat-out insane by his peers for his interest in organic life forms, but he had a good reason: their resistance if not immunity to energon radiation. It was why beast modes with synthetic organic skin were developed after all: to replicate the function for the transformers to use on planets with high levels of energon.

As such he was ecstatic to have the infamous Predacons of the Beast Wars to study to his spark's content, but he wanted more he needed more! He conveniently had plenty of DNA samples of various species from across the galaxy including fauna from Earth, but he would need volunteers something the prison had no shortage of at over three hundred capacity. However, he was only allowed around fifty test subjects, which was acceptable for the time being. Offering them time in the low security wing for their help in his research was all the persuasion they needed. Better then being stuck in stasis cells all day as they sail though space.

An additional boon in the form of Depth Charge one of the heroes of the Beast Wars change things up a bit. Around a few dozen officers started coming to him for beast modes so they could be like their 'hero'. Something he was more than happy to take advantage of for the sake of his research.

Now however he wanted to take his research into a new direction with the item that had been confiscated by the MDF and brought to their lab for study: the transmetal driver.

The black and red orb sat on a pedestal on a table in front of him giving a barely audible hum. The transmetals fascinated him. To him they were the best of both worlds brought together. Level one transmetals had both a beast mode and a vehicle mode and still retain that protection from energon in beast mode. Transmetal twos lost the third mode, but resembled a mismatch blend of the organic and mechanical. Some might find it ugly, but he found them beautiful.

Walking over to several large glass tubes that contain a stag beetle, a locust, a frilled lizard, and a frog. He smiles he had been successful in creating several transmetal twos much to his joy. His smile then vanishes as he thinks about his current problem: Creating a 'level one' Transmetal.

So far he had only created transmetal twos. Which was all well and good, but he wanted some regular transmetals to study as well. Sure there was that pterosaur, but he was in the ICU's trauma ward and currently beyond his reach. So disappointing. He types away on a console and looks over his calculations before nodding in satisfaction.

"I just need to lower the driver's energy output and in theory I should get a transmetal one. Yes that should work, but now I need a volunteer to test the process." He said and proceeds to bring up the prison manifest on the computer and flips through it before coming to a stop on one prisoner's profile.

"Yes he should do nicely." Vivisect said smiling at his soon to be transmetal one.

The image of Waspinator stares back.