Disclaimer: I do not own Beast Wars Hasbro does.
Chapter 4: Everybody do the Transwarp!
As the ship went through transwarp everyone did their best to get back to their feet and continue whatever task they were working on and for most it was hunting down Tarantulas. While for Rhinox it was getting to the engines and see if he could do something before they came out of transwarp and end up who knows where Tarantulas was sending them.
Now when Optimus's and Megatron's message went out and the combatants stood down Blackarachnia and Silverbolt breath sighs of relief as Dinobot lowers his claws and shuts off his laser pointer eye.
"It appears we are allies now." Dinobot said to them.
"Yes let us work together and catch that spider!" Silverbolt said reaching out his hand to shake Dinobot's who simply nods in agreement and turns away shifting into beast mode and starts to sniff the air trying to catch the spider's scent. Silverbolt opting not to be offended chooses to follow suit and shifts to beast mode and joins the hunt. Behind him Blackarachnia and the other fuzors are checking over Torca and helping him get to his feet.
"I will be fine nothing internal repairs can't handle. Don't worry about me." Torca said leaning against the wall.
"Don't push yourself kid. Young ones like you get yourselves scrapped doing that." Noctorro, one of the oldest Maximals alive, advises him.
It was at that point they were all thrown off their feet as the ship enters transwarp.
When they recovered and gotten back to their feet they began to discuss what exactly the plan was.
"We follow our noses of course and we'll find Tarantulas!" Silverbolt said.
"Agreed. We must find the target and bring him to Megatron for questioning." Dinobot said beginning the search.
"Then we get back to fighting right?" Transquito said. "I've been itching for one for awhile now and I barely got any action."
The other Predacons Injector, Buzzclaw, Sky Shadow, and Scourge murmur their agreement.
"Yes I was looking forward to testing my new form." Scourge said. Blackarachnia made note of the fact he was a transmetal two and saved that observation away for later.
"Eh, I'm okay with taking a break." Terragator said.
"Well of course you would you lazy bum." Buzzclaw said. Terragator shrugs indifferently to the insult he's heard it all before.
"I am what I am."
"That will be up to Megatron to decide." Dinobot said to them before he continues on down the hall.
"Careful what you wish for Preds you might regret it." Bantor said with a snarl.
"Knock it off you punks. We've got a job to do so let's do it." Noctorro said breaking things up before a fight could start. Granted he could go for a fight himself right now, but survival first.
"Don't worry boys we'll get back to scrapping each other later." Blackarachnia said as she follows after Silverbolt.
"What the lady said." Air Hammer said speaking up for the first time. His voice soft and calm.
"One of these days Primal I swear…" Depth Charge said as he grumbles to himself. With him were Cybershark, Claw Jaw, and a Maximal buffalo name Bonecrusher and a mandrill name B'Boom both were a couple of hotheads that were just going to add to his growing headache. They were heading to the engine room to the meet up with Rhinox and Armordillo since that was closer to them than the hangar.
"Well this is awkward." Snapper a Predacon snapping turtle said to Razorclaw a Predacon fiddler crab who merely nods silently in agreement. They had opted to join the group while the rest headed to the hangar.
"Such is life along with plenty of pain and misery to go around." Rampage said who was bringing up the rear of their little group.
"And I thought I was a ray of sunshine. You're more negative than I am." Snapper said to Rampage.
"You have no idea." Rampage said with a laugh. Up in front Depth Charge's optic twitches at the sound of that laugh.
Thankfully for everyone involved they got to the engine room before a fight could break out. That was where they found Rhinox working away with Armordillo and several non-beast mode Maximals.
"Situation?" Depth Charge said.
"Can't stop it. Tarantulas set this up well." Rhinox said with a sigh.
"What about changing course?"
"Again, can't."
"Were all gonna die aren't we?" Snapper said. Depth Charge looks at Snapper then at Rhinox.
"So this is the Mouse if he was a Predacon."
"Was I just insulted?"
"Why do I feel as if I was just insulted?" Rattrap said aloud as he, Stinkbomb, Nightglider, and Snarl walk down a hallway having managed to get the arachnoids off and pursue Tarantulas. Which was easier said than done given the head start the spider had on them. They had met up with several other Maximals along the way including Jawbreaker a hyena, Prowl an owl, and Ramulus a ram.
"Because you're so easy to insult?" Stinkbomb said in a joking tone.
"I suppose I walked into that one." Rattrap said as they were turning the corner only to run right into someone knocking them both over into a tangle of transmetal limbs.
"And that one." Stinkbomb said.
"Who did I-the pit?-Rattrap is that you?" the person Rattrap crashed into said.
"Terrorsaur? How are you not dead and you're a transmetal too?" Rattrap said as the two stand up. Terrorsaur puffs up and gives a smug smile.
"The story of my survival is as amazing as I am." Terrorsaur said his voice taking a dramatic tone.
"We were fished out of the lava by the MDF and thrown into the ICU because we were catatonic after being in the lava for so long." Scorponok said interrupting Terrorsaur before he could spew a bunch of grandiose lies.
"So how come you're not a transmetal, but he is is?" Rattrap said noting Scorponok still look the same Rattrap had last seen him.
"I was overcooked and had to have my spark put in a new body." Scorponok said bluntly.
"As much as I'd love to stick around and chitchat can we please get to the lab and pick up your friend?" Buzz Saw, a wasp, said. He and a few non-beast mode Predacons were with the two Beast Wars veterans.
That was when the group heard a high pitch scream.
"I think we better go investigate that. Could be a lead." Nightglider said.
"Do we have to do?" Buzz Saw said.
"Yes, it came in the direction of the lab. That's where Waspinator is." Scorponok said.
So moving quickly as they could they arrive only too see Waspinator on top of Tarantulas jabbing him with his stinger rifle repeatedly screaming death threats and promises of removing the spider's waste disposal unit.
"Well this is anti-climatic." Rattrap said as he lowers his gun.
"Yeah I was hoping for a more epic chase myself." Snarl said in agreement.
"Actually I'm ok with this better we catch him sooner rather than later." Nightglider said.
"I can agree with that." Rattrap said. "So someone want to explain to me how Waspinator became transmetal and is now beating up spider-boy here?"
"To answer your first question that would be thanks to the transmetal driver." Iguanus said stepping out of the lab and into the hallway with the device in hand. Scarem stood behind him in beast mode clicking his mandibles nervously. "As for the answer to your second question, look down at your feet."
Rattrap did and saw a small cyber-dog sniffing his feet. He looks over at Waspinator and Tarantulas and puts two and two together. He was familiar with the spider's eating habits after all.
"Let me guess he made a comment about the pup here being a snack and Waspinator took offense to that."
"Correct. Waspinator has claimed the cyber-animals in the lab as his since their previous 'owner' is no longer among the functional." Iguanus said.
"You guys killed Vivisect? Aw, I wanted to do that!" Jawbreaker said.
"Everyone who spends too much time with that nut wants to kill him." Ramulus added.
"So uh good job then?" Nightglider said hesitantly.
"Despite his unpopularity murder is still a crime. They will need to be charged for it." Prowl said. He was a logical by the book type.
"What if it was self-defense? / That quack treated us like lab rats!" Scarem said.
"Well that'd be up to the courts to decide." Prowl said.
"Could you guys just drop it already? We need to take Tarantulas to the big bosses." Rattrap said wanting to shut down any further arguing before it escalated into fighting.
"Very well that is the most logical course of action." Prowl said. Scarem mumbles something to himself and Iguanus rests a hand on his shoulder to calm him.
While that was all happening Terrorsaur and Scorponok had gone over to Waspinator and tap him on the shoulder to get his attention.
"I think you made your point Waspinator its time to get off Tarantulas."
"Yeah let me have a turn. Its not fair if you get to have all the fun." Terrorosaur said.
"Terrorsaur! Not the time!" Scorponok said giving him a look.
"Oh like you weren't thinking it either." Terrosaur said mockingly Scorponok looks away flustered and clicks his claws embarrassed. Waspinator gets off Tarantulas who lies on the ground groaning from all the damage Waspinator delivered. Waspinator kicks him one last time for good measure. He then turns and greets his old friends.
"Hello Terrorsaur! Hello Scorponok! Would you like to meet Echo and her friends?" He saidcheerfully. Hearing her new name Echo barks happily wagging her tail and running around in between their legs.
By this time Snarl had come over and put stasis cuffs on Tarantulas. He holds off moving him yet seeing that he was apparently unconscious from the beating he had taken.
"So this is the device that can make you a transmetal may I see it for a moment?" Nightglider said.
"I don't see why not." Iguanus said handing it over, but in that moment where the driver exchange hands it began to glow and hum once more with life.
"What's going on? Did you do something?" Nightglider said oh why did he think it would be safe to accept anything from a Predacon?
"Me? You're the one who ask to hold it you must have touched something!" Iguanus said angrily. Typical Maximal he thought to himself.
"Just throw it away 'glider." Stinkbomb said.
"I can't its stuck to my hands!" Nightglider said panicking more.
"Here let me see if I can pull it off. If I die no big deal." Jawbreaker said as he grabs it and tries to pull it out of Nightglider's hands only for them to become stuck as well.
"Slag." Jawbreaker curses. This is not how he expected to die not that there was anything he could do about it now. Killed by an alien orb, who sees that sort of thing coming?
"Let me help you 'breaker." Ramulus said grabbing onto the sphere only for his hands to get stuck too.
"This is not logical, but I can't just do nothing." Prowl said, but grabs Nightglider instead and tries to detach him from the driver rather than the other way around. Everyone else was wisely taking steps back as the driver glows brighter and brighter. Waspinator transforms Echo into a sphere shape cartridge and places her safely into his vehicle mode's cockpit.
The driver's glow finally hits critical and a surge of energy explodes out and envelops the five Maximals in a bright light.
"Nightglider! Stinkbomb!" Rattrap shouts stepping forward but is blown back as the driver lets out another surge of energy.
When the energy finally receded there were five unconscious transmetal two Maximals laying on the ground and as for the transmetal driver it floated in the air for a few moments before vanishing away.
"Where'd it go?" Buss Saw said peeking out from behind Waspinator.
"Maybe the aliens called it back to them?" Waspinator said not having any better ideas, but knowing Megatron wasn't going to be happy about them losing the driver.
Then a groan from Tarantulas caught Rattrap's attention and left Snarl to look over the others and walks over to see the spider's optics flickering on.
"Come on spider. The boss monkey and grape face want to talk with you." Rattrap said as he bends over and hauls Tarantulas to his feet.
"It doesn't matter. The moment we come out of transwarp we're all doomed." Tarantulas said.
"What you sending us into a black hole or something?" Rattrap asks.
"Worse rat somewhere much worse." Tarantulas said cryptically.
Depth Charge's group was walking down a hallway having left the engine room and were heading for the hangar bay. As he was walking Rhinox was thinking about all the possible worse case scenarios that could happen with transwarp drives and was mentally cursing Tarantulas. Then his foot hits something and he looks down to see the transmetal driver and from the bright red glow it was active. Further thought was put on hold, as the next thing Rhinox knew was pain as the transmetal driver's energy shot through him.
"Rhinox!" Armordillo said but is held back by Bonecrusher.
"Don't." He said. Armordillo tries to pull himself loose to no avail and can only watch as Rhinox changes. When the driver completed its work Rhinox fell to the ground with a new metal coat. Rhinox gave a groan signaling he was still alive, but offline for the moment. The driver then vanishes once more.
"What in the pit was that?" Depth Charge asks the question everyone was thinking, but no one could answer.
Two Maximals Optimus Minor a spider monkey and Sonar a bat were bringing up the rear of the party form by Optimus's and Megatron's groups.
Sonar was quiet and focusing on keeping her ears and eyes sharp for any sudden movements from the Predacons understandably not trusting any of these criminals for a second.
Optimus Minor though was excited and nearly bouncing through the roof. He was with his idol Optimus Primal! Or was it Optimal Optimus? No matter, what matters this was his chance to meet and greet his idol. He was so excited! He just wanted to run up and ask him a billion questions like was it true his motto was 'sometimes crazy works' and was his current form really the result of him storing the spark of Optimus Prime inside himself? So many questions! But now wasn't the time for questions he had to be serious if and helpful if he wanted his idol to notice him. Wait what was that Sonar was saying?
"I said Minor can you hear that? It sounds like something is coming up from behind us."
The two turn around and see nothing.
"Strange I thought I heard something."
"Uh, Sonar? You might want to look up."
She does and finds herself and Minor staring up at a glowing red and black orb hovering over them.
"What is that thing?" Sonar asks.
"Whatever it is its shiny do you think I can keep it?" Minor asks her.
"What are you drones doing? Don't fall behind!" Inferno said suddenly popping up behind them. The two point up and he looks and sees what they see, "Isn't that the Royalty's transmetal driver?"
"The what? Wait what's it doing now?" Sonar said.
No one from the rest of the group had notice the three weren't with them till they heard the screams and spin around weapons at the ready for anything.
"Jumpin' gyros what the spotted heck is this?" Cheetor asks.
Anything however did not apparently cover witnessing two Maximals being mutated by the Transmetal Driver into transmetal twos. Sonar and Optimus Minor fell to the ground in their new forms unconscious. Inferno was on his knees but still conscious. The driver fell to the ground inert having used up all its energy.
"I was wondering where this was." Megatron said to himself as he walks over and picks up the driver putting it into his subspace pocket. Then he addresses his most loyal soldier, "Inferno are you alright?"
Inferno looks himself over confusion on his face. Since when did he have drill hands? Where was his flame? Streams of fire shoot from his antennas. Oh there it was never mind. Realizing the royalty had asked him a question he hurries to reply. "I'm alright my Queen."
Megatron decides to let his 'title' slide this time since Inferno was now a transmetal.
"They're alive." Optimus announces after checking Minor and Sonar over. "I'll carry Minor. Cheetor you help Sonar."
"Got it big bot." Cheetor said grabbing one of Sonar's arms with one of his and throwing it over his shoulder while wrapping his other arm around her torso and starts walking. "Hey how come Inferno is still online?"
"They went offline because of the pain pussy cat. Unlike them pain is Inferno's friend." Megatron said.
There is used up as much energy as it could the Transmetal Drriver thought to itself. It would have to rest now, but it prepared them as best it could. The Driver could only hope it would be enough.