Beast Wars (2021)

by JOE1992

When two spaceships from the world of Cybertron crash land on modern-day planet Earth. Three teenagers and one nine-year-old boy find themselves caught in a secret war between the heroic Maximals and the sinister Predacons. With their entire planet threatened by Megatron and his army, the kids must help Optimus Primal and his crew to save both their worlds.

9. Chapter 9

Hello readers! I apologize for being dormant for so long. I have been focusing a lot on my Bad Guys fanfic and December has been a busy month for me. But I am back to continue Beast Wars for all of you. Especially with the new Transformers movie releasing this summer. Today might be a familiar chapter seeing how it is based on one of the episodes from the old animated show. I do not own Beast Wars, Transformers, E.T., The Muppets, or the Wizard of Oz. Beast Wars and Transformers are the property of Hasbro.

Chapter 8: The Probe

Cybertron, Iacon

"It's too much of a risk!" said Prowl. "Any chance of us locating the Axalon and its crew in uncharted space is million to one. Sending search parties out there would be a waste of resources and put more Maximals at risk."

"We can't abandon Optimus Primal and his crew after they took part in a mission more suited for military personal!" replied Ironhide.

"We don't even know where either of their ships ended up or if they survived the jump. For all we know, both the Axalon crew and the Predacon fugitives have disintegrated from overuse of their warp drives," said Prowl.

"And if there is the slightest chance any of them have survived?" said the old general.

Being the head general of the Cybertronian army, Ironhide believed in action over words. It was a trait that never left him since his younger cycles of fighting Decepticons.
His friend, Prowl, was head of Cybetronian security and one of his closest friends. Though, the old police bot preferred to do things by the book rather than blindly taking action.

The two Maximals stood in front of a long desk where a tall, red bot sat. Parts of his armor were colored yellow and orange, almost representing flame patterns on his exterior. This bot was none other than the leader of the Maximals: Rodimus Prime.

With a calm demeanor, he listened to both of his subjects as they argued over the subject of Optimus Primal and the Axalon crew.

"Optimus and his crew knew the risks when we debriefed them on the situation," said the chief of security.

"And you just want to act as if they're already deactivated?" replied Ironhide.

Prowl just shook his head and sighed, "Your concerns are reasonable, Ironhide, but we must look at this from a logical point of view. Searching for the Axalon crew in uncharted space will be like finding the Allspark. It is difficult, risky, and could take eons until we find them."

"What if it was me or you out there? What if it was Wheeljack, Firestorm, or Ratchet lost in uncharted space? You think Optimus Prime would have thought it was hopeless to rescue them if they were out there?" said Ironhide.

The chief of security rolled his optics. "Not this again."

"No! He was willing to deactivate if it meant saving all of us, which it did!" retorted Ironhide.

Rodimus stood up and slammed his fists on his desk yelling, "Enough!"

Both Ironhide and Prowl fell silent, turning to their leader.

Rodimus took a deep breath and sat back in his chair as his face softened. "Arguing amongst ourselves will not solve anything. Ironhide is right, if there is a chance that Optimus Primal and his crew are still alive, we must try. However, Prowl explained a valid argument on wasting resources and risking the sparks of more Maximals."

"But Rodimus, we can't abandon the Axalon crew, not after we forced them to take on this mission in the first place," said the Maximal general.

"I didn't say we were giving up on Optimus Primal's crew, Ironhide," said Rodimus.

"Then what shall we do?" asked Prowl.

The Maximal leader was quiet for a few seconds before he responded. "Send out temporal probes as far into uncharted space as you can. They're just as sufficient as a regular search party and can survive space for almost a decivorn. Try to lock on the last known coordinates of the Axalon or the Darksyde. With any luck, we'll find them without having to send out any more of our fellow Cybertronians."

Both Ironhide and Prowl were silent for a few seconds until the chief of security bowed before his leader. "We'll be sure it is done."

Ironhide did the same. "Thank you, Rodimus."

As they left the room, the Maximal leader sighed, "Let us hope they are still out there."

Millions of small probes were ejected from Cybertron's surface, scattered into different corners of space to find Optimus Primal and his crew. Several of them used warp drives of their own to search out into unknown regions of space.

Earth, Copper Wood High: 7 AM

The bell rang for the first period as all of the students in the classroom sat at their desks. Ethan and his friends sat beside each other like they usually do.

Once everyone was situated, their homeroom teacher stood up and said, "Alright, class, today we have a new student joining us today, all the way from San Francisco, California. Since this is her first day, let us all give a warm welcome to our newest addition to our crew of learning, Grace Pritchard."

A girl stood up from the front. She had long, straight, platinum-blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of a light blue, buttoned shirt with a white shirt underneath. Ankle-high grey pants hung above her canvas sneakers on her feet.

As if struck by a bolt of lightning, Ethan had a weird feeling going through his entire body when he saw the new girl. The teacher's voice was muted and his surroundings were clouded in a haze except for her radiant face. Time stopped completely as the eldest Witwicky boy was locked in a trance at this Grace Pritchard. Her lips moved but her voice was muffled, due to Ethan's unusual mix of emotions.

However, his entrancement was interrupted when Derek elbowed him saying, "Hey! You okay, man?"

"Huh?" replied a dumbfounded Ethan.

Connie just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

The day continued as normal, but Ethan found it harder to focus on the lessons due to his constant thoughts on the new girl in his homeroom class.

Night Stone Cave: 3:30 PM

"So, when are you going to invite her on the love boat?" teased Evan.

The youngest Witwicky boy learned of Ethan's new crush and tormented his brother the entire way to the Axalon.

"I told you to shut up, you annoying little goblin!" retorted the older brother.

Derek and Connie could only snicker at the bickering of the two siblings.

Evan had too much fun teasing his brother as he sang, "Ethan has a cruuuush! Ethan has a cruuuush! Ethan has a cruuuush!"

"I will use your action figures for my next science experiment, you know," replied Ethan through gritted teeth.

The nine-year-old leaned towards his brother and spoke in a mock romantic tone. "Oh! I bet her eyes sparkle like blue diamonds."

"The proper term is sapphires, you munchkin," replied Ethan.

"Why do you have to make everything less fun with your nerd talk?" asked Evan.

"Why do you pester me about a girl I just met and have no romantic feelings for whatsoever?" retorted Ethan.

The little boy smirked. "Because you make it so easy."

Ethan groaned as they all walked into the Axalon.

"On another note, have you guys noticed something different lately?" asked Connie.

The boys shrugged.

"What?" asked Derek.

The redhead continued. "Wayne Pierce and his henchmen haven't tormented us the past several days since the Maximals scared them off."

Ethan stared off in realization saying, "Yeah, you're right. They've been treating me like I was invisible all day. Not once have they targeted me in the hall or during class."

"They were awfully quiet too. They're usually loud and like to create attention for themselves," said Derek.

"And they walked around me all the time like I was diseased," said Evan.

Derek gave a smug smile. "I guess being friends with alien robots has its perks."

"Well, a week without Wayne and his cronies is a blessing in it of itself," said Connie.

"I second that," replied Ethan.

The human children made their way into the bridge where Rhinox was greatly focused on one of the monitors. Nyx was beside him, tapping away on a separate holo screen.

"Come on…come on!" grumbled the large green Maximal.

The rest of the Maximals entered the bridge, joining their human allies.

"Hey, Rhinox, what's going on?" asked Ethan.

Rhinox turned to the others in his chair. "The long-range scanner, it's picking up signals from space. But I can't punch through the Energon interference."

"Signals from space?" repeated the eldest Witwicky boy.

"Oh great, not more visitors," whined Derek.

"Maybe they've come to help," said Connie.

"No, it's not a signal from a Cybertronian ship," said Rhinox.

Optimus and Dinobot stepped forward.

"It's probably a Predacon trick, or something worse," growled the former Predacon.

"Nyx, can you get me a visual?" asked Rhinox.

"I'm trying, Rhinox, but the Energon interference isn't making it easy," replied the Maximal pilot.

Her fingers rapidly tapped on the dashboard in front of her.

"I need more power. Rattrap?" asked the green bot.

"Yeah Yeah, I'm on it," replied the annoyed engineer.

He sat in front of a console beside Nyx as all three of them worked profusely to get clear readings on the mysterious signal. The others just watched in anticipation.

"Almost there…Come on, baby, come on. Talk to the rat," said Rattrap to the monitor.

All of the screens showed static for a moment before a clear visual presented itself.

"Yes!" cried Rattrap as he laughed and spun in his chair.

He turned his focus back to the screen and his optics widened in surprise. "Strip my gears and call me a fool lamp! Is that what I think it is?"

The screens displayed the image of a device almost resembling a satellite.

"Yep, a temporal probe. Cyberton has found us!" said Rhinox.

"A temporal probe?" repeated Connie.

"They're similar in design to your satellites. Only, these probes are meant to carry long-distance signals between ships and Cybertron," said Optimus.

"They can also be used to receive distress signals," said Airazor.

Cheetor's optics widened and he smiled. "You're pulling our circuits. We're going home?"

"If we can make contact before it moves away," replied Rhinox.

"Yes!" cried the young Maximal with a fist pump.

"That's great! This means you guys can finally go home, and maybe Cyberton could send help to deal with the Predacons," said Ethan.

"Can you break through the interference?" asked Optimus.

"I'm going to give it a try. Sending signal now!" said the large green bot.

He pressed a few buttons as both Maximals and humans stared at the holo screen anxiously. The visuals showed the radius of the distress signal spreading out of Earth's atmosphere and towards the probe.

Eventually, the AI replied, "Hailing code not acknowledged. Probe moving beyond communication's range."

All of the Maximal's postures slumped and their heads hung low in defeat or disappointment.

"Talk about major crash," said Cheetor.

Optimus placed a hand on the green bot's shoulder. "You did your best, Rhinox. No one could have done better."

"Yeah, Optimus is right. The chances of the probe receiving the signal were slim," said Nyx.

But Rhinox's mood did not shift. "No, he's not. I blew it."

Ethan stepped forward into Rhinox's view. "We can't give up now, Rhinox! This is probably the closest we'll ever get to call your home planet. Throughout the past weeks I've worked with you, you've shown me how advanced your race is and how you've been able to overcome boundaries we humans can only dream of. If there is one thing I learned about engineering, it's when one solution doesn't work, you find another one. You're not just the head engineer but also the second in command. If anyone can solve this problem, I know it's you, and the rest of us are here to help. We'll get that probe to notice us, even if it means building a fire!"

Suddenly, Rhinox's optics widened in realization. "Building a fire…Ethan, that's it! We might still have a chance."

"What do you mean?" asked Optimus.

"You know how probes work. They hone in on the transwarp signature of the missing ship," said the large green bot.

"But our trans warp engines have been offline since the crash," replied Rattrap.

"That's why the probe moved on, but it will be back before it leaves this system," said Rhinox.

"So if we can duplicate our transwarp signature before it returns and send it to the probe..." said Optimus.

"We'll be on our way home!" replied the green bot.

"And we can call in more Maximals to kick the Predacons' metal butts!" said Connie as she pound her fist in her hand.

All of the Maximals cheered at the slightest hope they will be able to contact Cybertron.

Rhinox smiled down at the human teenager and said, "Thank you, Ethan."

The eldest Witwicky boy winked. "Hey, us brainiacs got to look after each other."

However, the only ones that were not celebrating were Dinobot and Evan. The former Predacon crossed his arms with a greater scowl than usual on his face. Evan stared sadly at his guardian as he cheered with the other Maximals.

Witwicky House: 4:45 PM

The whole Wtiwicky family sat around the table as they ate their dinner. Cheetor was in beast mode as he gnawed on a large bowl of raw steak while sitting beside Evan. However, the youngest Witwicky boy just stared at his food and poked it with his fork. He glanced at the spotted Maximal a few times before turning his focus back to prodding the morsels on his plate.

"So, there is a way for the Maximals to contact Cybertron?" asked Spike.

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, they're building a signal array to amplify their message so it can reach the probe before it leaves our solar system. Rhinox is going to try to create an energy signature that can be identified so the message will go through. With any luck, the probe will receive the call and relay it to Cyberton."

As Ethan explained the science behind the project, Evan tightened his grip around his fork and gritted his teeth. The anger in him bubbled higher at the thoughts that stuck to his mind since the discovery of the probe.

Suddenly, the nine-year-old slammed his hands on the table yelling, "Nobody cares about your nerd talk, Ethan!"

All eyes turned toward the human child, shocked by his sudden outburst.

"Evan!" replied Theresa.

His mother was disappointed by her son's behavior.

"What's your problem, Evan?" yelled Ethan. "First you won't stop teasing me after school, then you were quiet the rest of the day at the Axalon, and now you're treating me like I forgot your birthday!"

"Alright, settle down, you two," said Daniel in a stern town.

"Did something happen with you boys today?" asked Carly.

Evan yelled, "No, Grandma! Nothing is wrong other than me having to listen to my annoying nerd brother talk all day. Why do you have to be such a weirdo all the time? Do you know how embarrassing it is to have a geek for a big brother?!"

Daniel glared at his youngest son and pointed his fork saying, "You better watch that attitude of yours, young man, or you won't get any dessert tonight."

"Fine! I don't care," retorted Evan.

The nine-year-old stood up from his chair and glared at his family.

Cheetor's golden eyes widened and his ears flattened against his head as he reared back. The young Maxiaml never saw the little boy so angry before and it frightened him.

Evan's father also stood up and stared down his son with crossed arms. "I don't know where this attitude is coming from, young man, but it ends now."

"What? You're going to ground me? Go ahead! It wouldn't be the first time I got in trouble because I'm not as smart as Ethan! He's the one that gets all those stupid science fair trophies and mathlete ribbons!" yelled Evan.

"Well, maybe if you focused more on your homework and less on your video games or cartoons, you could earn some rewards from school and we won't have to punish you as much," replied Theresa.

"Like any of you cared how I feel," retorted the child.

"That's it! Go to your room, now!" roared Daniel as he pointed to the stairs.

"With pleasure!" replied the nine-year-old.

Evan marched his way to the stairs as the rest of the family stared at him. Half of the family was still angry while the other half was bewildered.

For a moment, Cheetor was hesitant about whether to stay or follow his friend. This behavior from Evan was unlike the young human. What could have happened that made the spotted feline's friend so upset?

Eventually, the young Maximal decided to follow Evan. Even though he was acting unusual that night, Cheetor didn't want his charge to be all alone in his room.
The spotted feline came up behind Evan when he came to the stairs.

But before the youngest Witwicky took the first step, he spoke without looking. "Leave me alone, Cheetor.

Cheetor replied, "But Evan-"

Before the young Maximal could finish his sentence, Evan turned around. His face scrunched and contorted into a disturbing expression of anger and resentment.

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE! Why don't you go back to the rest of the Maximals on the Axalon where you belong? You're just babysitting me until you leave! You don't belong here anyway and you never will because your not human and you're not a real cheetah!" roared the child.

Cheetor reared back even further and the child ran up the stairs and out of sight. The slamming of his bedroom door echoed throughout the house.

The young Maximal was in shock from the sudden outburst from his friend. He saw Evan get angry on some occasions but not to this level. Cheetor didn't even know what he did wrong to set off the child. Deep down in his core, he felt hurt.

The rest of the family could only stare at where Evan went upstairs, perplexed by the child's sudden attitude.

Theresa could see the pain reflected on the cheetah's face. Her motherly instincts kicked in as she stood up from her seat and walked over to Cheetor.

She knelt down beside him, gently stroking his head. "Don't take it too harshly, Cheetor. Evan usually acts like this when he has something on his mind."

The spotted feline's head lowered. "I hope it wasn't anything I did. Evan is my friend and I would never do anything to hurt him. You've got to believe me."

"I'm sure it wasn't you. If anything, you are always there for Evan. He just needs to let off some steam. Hopefully, when he calms down, Evan will be ready to tell us what's the problem," said Theresa.

Cheetor could only stare sadly up the stairs where Evan marched up to his room.

The nine-year-old boy locked his door that night to prevent anyone from coming in. The young Maximal scratched the door a few times and called his name, but there was no answer. Despite the circumstances, Cheetor decided to curl up in front of the door that night to follow his duty of watching over Evan.

Unbeknownst to the spotted feline, the youngest Witwicky boy cried silently in his sleep.

Darksayde: 8 PM

Sparks flew across the lab as Tarantulas made the finishing touches to his latest creation. He put his tools down as he picked up the mechanism in both of his pincer-like hands, admiring his handy work.

The Predacon scientist chuckled sinisterly. "Now to take it out for a little test run, and I know exactly where and on whom."

Tarantulas's evil laugh echoed throughout the halls of the Predacon ship.

Next Day: 8 AM

Optimus drove the last metal leg for the signal array into the rocky surface of Mt. Saber.

Around him were the rest of the Maximals in robot mode with the human kids, carrying the parts needed to assemble the structure.

"That's our foundation, let's get to work," said the Maximal leader.

"You do realize we are exposed up here for both Predacons and humans alike," said Dinobot.

"Yeah, Dinobore has got a point. If the Preds catch us up here, we'll be beautiful targets," said Rattrap.

"And if any other humans see you guys, the government will be on us like ants to a picnic," said Derek.

"This is the best clear zone. Building the signal array here is our best shot at contacting the probe. Besides, I have Tigatron and Wolfang patrolling the ground while Airazor and Nyx watch the skies. If there is any Predacon or human activity, they'll let us know," replied Optimus

"And remind me again why the smart human isn't helping us out here?" asked Rattrap.

"Ethan is helping Rhinox with the transwarp signature while we construct the array. This way, it will be fully functioning when they arrive. The sooner we send our message to the probe, the better," said the Maximal leader.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Operation: Phone Home is a go," said Connie as she swung a hammer over her shoulder.

Derek, Connie, and the Maximals began assembling the signal array while Evan sat at a distance with his arms crossed and his back away from everyone. Cheetor couldn't help but constantly glance at his human friend, confused as to why the child continued to express such a sour mood.

Meanwhile, Tigatron prowled around the wilderness of Copper Wood, in beast mode, keeping a keen observation of any suspicious activity.

He took in a large breath of the mountain air and sighed saying, "The air is sweet today and the woods are calm. If only Cybertron could match such beauty."

He activated his comms to communicate with the rest of the Maximals patrolling the mountain. "Wolfang, this is Tigatron. Everything is quiet on my end. How about you?"

"All clear, Tigatron. I'm not picking up any Predacon scents," replied the lupine on the other side.

"All skies are clear on our end," replied Airazor.

"That's reassuring, but remain vigilant. We don't know if the Predacons plan to strike or when," said the striped feline.

"Don't worry, Stripes, we got it covered," said Nyx.

Tigatron felt a sense of relief at the lack of Predacons in the area. The large feline felt all the Maximals could use a break from the enemy's constant attacks since they landed on Earth. However, his serenity was short-lived when his feline ears caught the familiar buzz of a large, green wasp.

"Waspinator," growled Tigatron.

The striped Maximal leaped further down the mountain for cover and changed to robot mode. As he crept through the woods, sure enough, Waspinator buzzed up in the skies in beast mode.

"No matter what Mmmmegatron zay, Wazzzpinator is tired of searching for Maximalzzzzz and human alliezzz," complained the giant insect.

Tigatron jumped out of the trees and aimed his blaster, "Your search is over, Predacon!"

With one clean shot, the striped Maximal hit Waspinator as he fell beneath the canopy like a game of Duck Hunt.

"Next time you're looking for Maximals, keep your eye on the job," said Tigatron.

Suddenly, a raspy voice spoke, "His job was merely bait."

The Maximal turned around to see a familiar giant, purple tarantula behind him.

"And you're the trap?" he asked.

"Not a trap, Maximal, but a test," replied Tarantulas.

Tigatron glared at the large arachnid. "Of what?"

Tarantulas chuckled and said, "My new toy!"

The striped Maximal turned around again to see a small floating mechanism hover in front of him. The device shot a long beam of purple energy and Tigatron quickly leaped out of the way before he was hit.

Somewhere in the Forest: 8:30 AM

Wolfang's ears perked up as he caught the sound of laser fire and explosions. He jerked his head up to scan the surrounding area to pinpoint where the noise came from. It sounded close. The only ones he knew to be in the forests were himself and Tigatron.

Through his commlink, Wolfang contacted the fliers. "Airazor, Nyx, did you hear that?"

"Yep," replied Airazor.

"Sure did," said Nyx.

"Energy signature indicates Predacons in the area," said the falcon.

"I guess the Preds were getting bored of hiding," said the bat.

"That sounded like it came from Tigatron's location. Nyx, continue to scan the skies. Airazor and I will investigate," said the lupine.

"You got it. Watch yourselves out there," replied Nyx.

Without hesitation, Wolfang sprinted towards the sounds of battle. Even though he wasn't as fast as Cheetor, the canine ran at a sufficient speed to catch up to a car.

Optimus's voice could be heard through the comms. "Wolfang, we heard explosions several clicks from your position. What's going on?"

"We identified some Predcon signatures near Tigatron's position. Airazor and I are going to investigate. You just focus on contacting the probe," replied the lupine.

"Just be careful, I'm not planning on losing anyone today," said the Maximal leader.

Wolfang smirked and said, "That's why a wolf never hunts without his pack."

The lupine ended his call with Optimus and sprinted further toward the sounds of explosions.

Meanwhile, Tigatron continued to avoid the energy beams of Tarantula's invention while trying to shoot it out of the sky. But the device proved too nimble for the striped Maximal's accuracy.

Tarantulas just watched from the side, laughing at the display. "You're only wearing yourself out. Eventually, the lens will find you."

The Predacon scientist was right. Tigatron tried his best to avoid the shots from the device, but eventually, the purple beam hit his body and he reverted to beast mode without any thought.

"By the matrix, what happened?" cried the striped feline.

The purple arachnid chuckled and said, "It works! How gratifying. Now to move on to the next phase of my little plan."

Tarantulas transformed into robot mode and aimed his blaster at the tiger.

Tigatron tried to change back into robot mode, but for some strange reason, he could not.

"What have you done to me? Why can't I transform?" he asked.

"Isn't life full of surprises? My new invention is equipped with a transformation lock. Which means, you are trapped in your beast mode until you can get yourself into a repair chamber. Unfortunately for you, there is none within miles and all that is left is to use you to call your Maximal friends and have them all locked in their flea-ridden hides for taxidermy," said Tarantulas.

In fury, Tigatron let out a roar and pounced toward the Predacon scientist. But the purple bot simply swatted the jungle cat to the side and trapped him in his electric webbing.

Tigatron roared in pain as the electricity coursed through his systems.

Tarantulas laughed at the tiger's suffering and said, "Poor tiger, you never had a chance."

Signal Array location: 8:45 AM

Connie and Derek continued to help the Maximals as they slowly assembled the signal array. Evan continued to sulk on the side.

Dinobot threw a piece of metal to the ground and growled, "I should be accompanying the canine and the bird on the investigation. They may need my warrior's skill if Predacaons are involved."

"No, we need you here. We haven't got much time to finish the array," replied Optimus.

Dinobot responded with sarcasm. "Oh, of course. We wouldn't want to miss our chance to go home."

"Hey hey, what's biting your sensors, Dinoboob? You're acting like you don't want to get off this dirt ball. Afraid you'll miss your pred-head friends?" said Rattrap.

"You're what I'm afraid of!" retorted the former Predacon. "You're so eager to go home, but your home is not mine. I am Predacon despite our alliance, and when your ship comes to rescue you, my fate will be the same as Megatron's…perhaps even worse."

Optimus placed a hand on Dinobot's shoulder. "We won't let that happen, Dinobot. You're a Maximal now and we'll see you're treated as one."

The former Predacon shook off the kind gesture and glared at the leader. "And what makes you so sure I want to be?"

Derek and Connie could overhear the Maximals' conversation. Figured they could use a break, the teens stopped with construction and joined their robotic friends.

Connie faced the former Predacon saying, "Dinobot, we have a saying here on Earth: Everyone deserves a second chance. It's only fair you are given one as well."

"Right, and when your friends from Cybertron come to pick you guys us, we humans can vouch for you and everything you've done to protect our planet," said Derek

Dinobot glared at both of them and growled, "Your words will mean little to the evidence stacked against me when I'm put on trial in front of the council. They would want justice for all of the scientists that were slaughtered."

Connie gave a stern look to the former Predacon. "Whether you believe it or not, Dinobot, we're you're friends and friends look after each other."

"Friendship, it is an over-glorified term for allies to feel special about their loyalty. A warrior has no friends, only associates who share the same goals. When victory is finally achieved, they part ways for the only time, never to meet again, " growled Dinobot.

Without another word, the former Predacon went back to building the array while Optimus, Rattrap, and the two teens stared at him.

Despite his cold personality, Derek and Connie could not help but sympathize with Dinobot. It was true that he came to this planet as part of Megatron's crew that stole the golden disk and would possibly face punishment back on Cybertron for what he had done. But if the Maximals on Cybertron were just as understanding as the others, they would have to show some decency towards Dinobot during his trial. On the other hand, they knew the judicial system on their planet could be harsh, so who was to say the system on Maximal's home planet was just as harsh or even worse?

They all decided to not press the matter any further and continued to finish construction on the signal array before the probe flew back into Earth's orbit.

Meanwhile, Cheetor was too distracted by the sulking Evan on the side. The human child had not talked to him since his outburst last night. Cheetor could not remember angering Evan in any shape or form, so why was his charge holding all of this resentment towards him?

He looked at his leader with a saddened expression and said, "I don't understand, Optimus. He hasn't talked to me since last night and I haven't done anything to cross his wires."

The large blue bot looked at Cheetor and then at the youngest Witwicky boy.

"Have you tried talking to him?" asked Optimus

"No, I don't even know if he wants to. You would think he was turning into Dinobot the way he yelled at me last night," replied Cheetor.

The Maximal leader gave a soft smile and nodded. "Go on. We can take it from here. It is important for any guardian to help resolve even inner issues with their charges."

The spotted Maximal smiled back. "Thanks, Big Bot, I will."

Cheetor made his way to the human child while Optimus continued to help the others finish the signal array.

Evan kept his back towards the Maximal as Cheetor crept up and took a moment to pause. He was hesitant to say anything, fearing the make nine-year-old angrier.

Cheetor cleared his throat and said, "Hey Evan, how are you doing?"

"Fine, I guess," grumbled the child.

The young Maximal scratched the back of his head in awkwardness. "Umm, I was really worried about you with how upset you were last night. If there is anything on your memory processors, you can always talk to me about it."

Evan waved his hand away and spoke in annoyance. "Like I said before, Cheetor, there is nothing wrong. Just go back to fixing that dish so you guys can go home."

"Come on, Evan, don't be like that. I thought we were friends," said Cheetor.

"Were friends," repeated Evan.

The spotted Maximal got irritated as he put his hands on his hips and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Evan finally turned around and gave Cheetor the stink eye. "Exactly what it's supposed to mean. We used to be friends but not anymore."

He turned his back to the young Maximal again.

"Hey, I don't know what I did to overheat your boiler, but at least give me chance to make it up to you," said Cheetor.

Evan turned back to face him again and stood up yelling, "There's nothing to make up for. You're leaving! That's it! End of story! When Cybertron comes to pick you guys up, we won't see each other again. And you know what? That's fine! We don't need you or any of the Maximals. Just go back to your home planet and forget you ever met us!"

In a blind fury, Evan ran off into the woods.

"Evan, come back! Evan! You shouldn't go out there, it's dangerous!" cried Cheetor.

But the young Maximal's calls fell on deaf ears as the nine-year-old disappeared behind the cluster of tall trees.

"Let him go, Spots. If you ask me, the short stack was being ultra annoying today," said Rattrap.

Optimus could only glare at the buck-toothed bot for his comment.

"I have to go after him," said Cheetor.

"You wish to jeopardize this mission for a human runt?" asked Dinobot.

"That human runt is my responsibility," retorted Cheetor. "I don't care if he is mad at me for no reason, I can't leave Evan out there in the woods after Wolfang reported Predacon activity."

Without another word, Cheetor converted to beast mode and zipped after the youngest Witwicky boy. Optimus could only smile with pride at the young Maximal taking charge.

The Forest: 9 AM

Evan bolted past the trees as tears streamed down his face; a mixture of sadness and anger swirling inside him. He didn't want Cheetor to go; he didn't want any of the Maximals to go. But it seemed at this point, it was inevitable. The young Maximal was the closest thing he had to a friend, and now he was going to lose him and be all alone again. Back to being the weirdo farm boy in school that liked GI Joe and superhero movies. Evan stopped for a moment to catch his breath and wipe the tears from his eyes. A part of him wanted to smash that array to pieces. He wanted Cheetor and the Maximals to stay on Earth forever where his family would take care of them.

But the child's train of thought was interrupted when he noticed a blue spider web against the rock wall with electric sparks flying off of it. Inside the web was the familiar unconscious body of a white Siberian tiger.

"Tigatron!" cried Evan.

Without hesitation, the nine-year-old ran towards the web and pulled out his pocket knife. Unbeknownst to him, several green eyes watched him from above the trees with gnashing fangs.

Somewhere else in the forest: 9:10 AM

Cheetor sprinted through the forest looking for Evan, when he encountered Wolfang in his search.

"Wolfang, have you seen Evan?" asked the cheetah.

The canine cocked a brow. "I thought he was helping with the array."

"He ran off. We got into a fight and now I'm trying to find him before the Preds do," said Cheetor in a panic.

"Calm down, Cheetor. Airazor and I will help you find him. While we're at it, we can look for Tigatron," said Wolfang.

The young Maximal smiled and sighed with relief. "Thanks, Big Dog. If anything happened to that little guy, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"Don't worry, he couldn't have gotten far. With this nose, I can pick up his scent before you can sprint," said the lupine pointing to his muzzle.

Wolfang lowered his head to the ground and sniffed. His processors took in the many different smells within the forest. Eventually, he was able to pinpoint two that matched that of Evan and Tigatron, both coming from the same direction. Being on the Witwicky farm for so long, Wolfang was able to determine each of the different scents of the human kids.

"That way!" he cried.

Without hesitation, both the wolf and cheetah followed the scents of their two companions. On the way, they informed Airazor and Nyx of their situation, asking both fliers to keep their optics peeled for the young Witwicky boy as well as the striped Maximal. Wolfang and Cheetor followed the scent for a minute or two until they came to a rock wall where two large spider webs restrained the tiger and human child. Luckily, the webbing that trapped Evan wasn't electrified like Tarantulas's normal kind. The human child wiggled and struggled against the web but proved too strong for him to break free. He couldn't even cry for help due to the webbing over his mouth like a piece of tape.

"Evan!" cried Cheetor.

He turned to robot mode and ran up to his charge without hesitation. "It's okay, we'll cut you down."

Cheetor gently ripped off the webbing over Evan's mouth.

But the moment he did so, the child cried, "It's a trap!"

Unfortunately, it was too late, as Tarantulas's lock lens fired a beam of purple energy at Cheetor. The young Maximal yelped in pain and was forced back into beast mode.

"Hey!" he cried.

The spotted feline tried to turn back into his robot mode, but like Tigatron, his transformation was locked.

"Don't cats ever get tired of being stupid?" asked Tarantulas.

The purple bot fired his webbing again, pinning the spotted feline to the wall.

"No!" cried Evan.

The Predacon scientist just chuckled.

"Don't spiders ever get tired of being cold-blooded?" said a familiar voice.

Tarantulas turned around to see Wolfang, in robot mode, aiming his blaster at the Predacon scientist. Airazor floated in the sky beside him.

"Step away from our friends and get down on your knees, Predacon. Any sudden moves and we will blow you to scrap!" said the blue and black bot.

Tarantulas raised his claws over his head. "As you wish."

The moment the Predacon scientist knelt down, the lock lens appeared from behind him and fired at Wolfang.

"Wolfang! Airazor! Look out!" cried Evan.

The blue and black Maximal yelped and turned back into his beast mode. Like the others, he tried to change back but had no luck.

Airazor was about to shoot the device when she turned to see a large stream of fire projected in her direction. Quickly, the female Maximal flew out of the way to recognize the fire had come from the crazed Inferno with Terrorsaur by his side, both of them in robot mode.

"Hello, little birdie," said the red and white Predacon.

"The royalty demands information of the Maximal activity, then complete termination," said the crazy red bot.

"Hate to disappoint you both, but I refuse to offer either," said Airazor.

She engaged in air combat with the two Predacons while Wolfang struggled to change out of his beast mode. Though the female flyer was outnumbered, she was quick and agile to dodge most of the attacks.

The lupine growled and crouched on his haunches, ready to pounce. "I don't need weapons to beat you. My fangs and claws are enough to shred you like foil."

"Ooh! So scary!" mocked Tarantulas.

Before Wolfang could attack, a large glob of green slime splattered all over him. He tried to concentrate, but his vision flickered to static as he felt tired and weak. Before Wolfang blacked out, the familiar amphibious form of Spittor smirked at him with a wave and then everything went dark.

However, the fight of the flyers had not gone unnoticed as both Tarantulas and Spittor looked up to the skies to notice the robotic dog fight.

"Oh goodie! Another guinea pig for my creation," said Tarantulas.

The Predacon device floated up towards the three bots and locked onto Airazor.

Terrorsaur and Inferno noticed the device and smirked as they floated away from the female Maximal.

Confused yet gratified, Airazor shouted, "What? Too afraid now to fend off a single Maximal?"

"Airazor, behind you!" cried Evan.

But it was too late as purple energy enveloped her body and made her scream in pain before reverting to beast most.

"Wha-! What is this ?" she said.

With his frog legs, Spittor took one big leap toward Airazor and grabbed her in a hug that restrained her wings.

"Hola, chica!" cried Spittor.

Both the falcon and the frog crash-landed on the ground with the rest of the unconscious Maximals. Though Airazor seemed unharmed by Spittor's tackle, the webbed hands of the amphibian trickled a substance and seeped into the falcon's feathers.

The female Maximal's memory circuits began to glitch as it became hard for her to think clearly. The falcon struggled to focus as the parts of her memory bank deteriorated.
Spittor crawled off of Airazor as her body jerked and shook on the ground like a broken toy.

"Hope you liked your present. It's a bunch of microbes that seep into your structure and enter your data bank. All of your memories and knowledge will slowly degenerate until you're just a husk. Humans call it...dementia," said Spittor.

Tarantulas used his webbing to tie up Airazor.

Evan could just stare in horror at all of the fallen Maximals as a pinch of guilt grew inside of him. He shouldn't have gotten mad at Cheetor and run away. Now, because of him, they were captured by the Predacons.

Terrorsaur and Inferno landed beside their Pedacon comrades.

"Excellent! Now, let's rid ourselves of these fleabags once and for all and savor the human for a little snack," said Terrorsaur.

"No! The royalty demands we bring back the Maximals and human larva alive for interrogation," said Inferno.

"Hey! I'm not a larva!" retorted Evan.

"Silence, you little pipsqueak!" said Tarantulas. "We shall take our new prisoners to the Darksyde. Hopefully, Megatron will be generous enough for me to use a few of them for my latest experiments, especially the human. Terrorsaur, you regroup with Scorponok and continue on the reconnaissance."

"And what makes you think I'm going to take orders from you?" asked the red and white flyer.

The Predacon scientist did not waste time firing his webbing at Terrosaur and pinned him against a tree. The flying Predacon squawked and struggled to break free as Tarantulas came up close and looked him in the optics.

"I can always reverse the effects of the lock lens and have you trapped in your Predacon mode until the Energon buildup deactivates you…slowly and painfully," said Tarantulas.

Terrorsaur's eyes widened in horror as he replied, "S-s-sure, whatever you say!"

The Predacon scientist used his claws to slice the webbing open as Terrosaur fell out, changed to beast mode, and flew away.

"Pea-brained simpleton," he commented.

Unbeknownst to the Predacons, a certain flying rodent hid in one of the trees, watching the whole thing.

"Well ain't this a kick in the skid plate. Better call the calvary," said Nyx.

Through her comm link she whispered, "Optimus, this is Nyx. Do you read?"

There was no response, only static.

The bat tried again. "Optimus?"

But the pilot could hear more static as she growled in frustration. "Slag! They must be jamming our communications. Well, looks like this bat is flying solo on this rescue mission."

Axalon: 9:45 AM

Rhinox and Ethan were hard at work typing the program into the ship's computer to replicate the Axalon's signature for the probe. The teenager found a way to translate the data from the Axalon onto his laptop to make it easier for him to interpret the software. The data flowed down the hollow screen as the Axalon's AI ran the test to see if the signature matched the transwarp drive frequency.

Eventually, the AI said, "Transwarp signature replicated."

"Yes!" cried Ethan with a smile.

"Computer, how much time before the probe is back in signal range?" asked Rhinox

The screen changed into a 3D replica of the solar system with the current position of the probe. "1.4 Megacycles."

"Better get our gears in high," said the large green bot.

A USB Key-like device ejected itself from the controls. Rhinox plucked the key out of its outlet and placed it in a safe compartment within his armor.

"Hopefully Optimus and the others are finished with the array by now," said Ethan.

Both Ethan and Rhinox left the Axalon as the engineer changed to beast mode and the human teen climbed on his back. Post haste, the two charged out of the cave and up the mountain where the rest of the Maximals were building the array.

Signal Array's Location: 9:50 AM

Optimus got worried from a large amount of silence he received over the comms. None of the patrol parties nor Cheetor have reported back since the echoing sound of laser fire and explosions.

He turned his commlink on again and said, "Cheetor, Wolfang, Tigatron, Airazor, Nyx, do you copy?"

Only static could be heard.

"This is Optimus Primal, do any of you copy?"

Still no response.

Dinobot, Rattrap, Connie, and Derek continued to apply the finishing touches on the signal array.

Little did any of them know that they were being spied on by Scorponok from behind a boulder.

"Megatron must know!" said the loyal Predacon.

A disc ejected from the side of his head as he delicately pulled it out and gave it to Terrorsaur. "Take this to him immediately. I'll keep an eye on the Maximals. Whatever they're doing, we'll put a stop to it"

Terrorsaur grabbed the disc in his beak and flew away.

Scorponok returned to observing the Maximals.

Darksyde: 10 PM

"Is it a weapon?" asked Blackarachnia.

"It looks more like a long-range signal array," said Tarantulas.

"They could be building an outpost," said Skold.

Megatron and the Predacons were all crowded around the main console as the holo screen displayed the footage Scorponok recorded of the Maximals and humans building the tower.

"Yes, but why would the Maximals risk exposing themselves like this?" asked the Predacon leader.

"Maybe the mono has finally lost his logic circuits, like Inferno," said Spittor.

The red Prdacon growled in response.

Blackarachnia gave a devious smile. "Maybe we should ask our new guests?"

"Oh! Excellent idea," replied Megatron.

Meanwhile, Wolfang's visuals reactivated as he groaned from the remaining effect from Spittor's slime. The lupine stood up and noticed himself inside a cell surrounded by electric barriers; his paws stood firmly on a cold, metal floor. Wolfang could feel the cage slowly shift from side to side. Without touching the electric field, he looked down in shock to see the box he was suspended over a pit of lava. Through the energy field, Wolfang could see two more containment cells between his own. Both of them imprisoned two familiar unconscious felines. Away from the lava pit was Evan in a cell of his own along with Airazor, inside what looked like a giant birdcage.

The young boy's face brightened as he stood up and said, "Wolfang! Are you okay?"

The canine shook his head and groaned, "I feel like I got struck by a bolt from an Energon storm. What about you, Evan? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

The nine-year-old shook his head. "No, but I think they took us all to their secret base. They called it the…Dark Side?"

Wolfang heard more groaning as he looked at the birdcage the peregrine falcon was in. Airazor slowly stood up and shook her head to clear the fog in her memory bank.

"Airazor, are you alright?" asked Wolfang.

"Who's…Airazor?" groaned the falcon.

"Airazor, it's us, Evan and Wolfang. We're your friends," said the human child.

"It's no use, Evan. Whatever Spittor poisoned her with is interfering with her circuits. She needs a repair chamber if we want to restore her memory," said the wolf.

Eventually, Tigatron and Cheetor were next to wake from their slumber. Both of them were still weak from Tarantulas's electric webs.

At that moment, all of the Predacons came into the prison with Megatron in the lead. The Predacon leader stood on a platform, levitating him closer to the cells suspended over the magma. He smiled deviously at all three of them.

"Talk about nightmares," said Cheetor.

"You're nightmares are just beginning, Maximal. Unless you tell me about this signal array Optimus is building," said Megatron.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" replied the cheetah in a snarky tone.

The Predacon leader banged against the cell, making it and the young Maximal shake. "Don't try my patience, feline!"

"Leave him alone!" yelled Evan.

All of the Predacons turned to the youngest Witwicky boy, who stared daggers back at all of them.

Megatron could only chuckle and said, "How cute. The puny human is trying to protect you when you can't even fill your duty to protect him. I've seen mindless drones as better guardians than you."

A few of the other Predacons laughed with him.

Cheetor's ears flattened and his head lowered in embarrassment.

"You leave Evan out of this!" growled Wolfang.

The lupine barred his long white fangs at Megatron.

The Predacons' entertainment was interrupted by the sound of beeps from Tarantulas's tablet. The scientist inputted a code to check the alert and observe his readings.

"What's that?" asked Megatron.

"The space scanner! It's picking up some sort of craft. It will be over the planet in less than a mega cycle," said Tarantulas.

Cheetor's ears perked up as he cried, "The probe!"

The young Maximal realized what he had done and covered his muzzle with his paw, hoping none of the Predacons heard what he said.

Unfortunately, it was no use.

"Probe?" repeated Megatron.

The Predacon leader was able to piece the clues together as to what the Maximals and their human allies were planning. His optics widened in realization.

Megatron turned to the rest of his crew. "Prepare for full-scale assault! The array must be destroyed immediately. Tarantulas, bring the transformation lock lens."

The Predacons made their way out of the cell chamber when Megatron held out his t-rex hand in front of Waspinator.

"Not you, Waspinator. You are to remain here and watch over the prisoners," said the Predacon leader.

"Wwwwhat?!" said the green Predacon.

"We can't afford for them to escape and warn Optimus of our surprise visit. Make sure they do not leave this ship," said Megatron.

"Wwwwhy Wazzzzzpinatorrr zzztuck with waaaaatching Maximalzzzzzz?" whined Waspinator.

Megatron lowered his head to the green bot's eye level, glaring with his red optics. "Because I declared it as your leader and I will personally drown you in the magma if you refuse."

Waspinator shrank back and groaned, understanding the threat that was made to him.

The Predacon leader smirked and left with the rest of his followers. Waspiator sighed as he slumped towards a metal crate and sat on it.

Cheetor's head hung low. "Me and my big mouth."

"They would have attacked the array anyway," said Tigatron.

"No, this was all my fault," said Evan. "I shouldn't have run off. If I had just stayed by the tower, we wouldn't be trapped here."

The human boy slumped in his cell with his head hung low, feeling guilty over the trouble he caused not just for the Maximals but also for his family.

"Don't blame yourself, Evan. None of us knew the Predacon's were lurking near Mt. Saber until it was too late. But for now, we have to get out of here and warn the others," said Tigatron.

Using his weight, the striped feline swayed his cell back and forth, creating momentum.

"What are you doing?" asked Cheetor.

"You always say what a swinging cat you are, so start swinging, and maybe we can free ourselves from these prison cells," replied Tigatron.

Cheetor began to copy what his fellow feline was doing as both of them swung their cages back and forth. Wolfang caught on to Tigatron's plan and did the same thing.
Evan gave a hopeful smile, realizing the Maximals had the plan to escape. But the boy glanced at the lonely Waspinator, playing some form of solitaire. There was no way that green Predacon was going to allow them to leave without alerting the other Predacons or locking down the ship. So, to make up for his behavior, Evan thought of the best way to help in the escape.

Signal Array: 10:30 AM

Dinobot closed the hatch on the array saying, "Done! All it needs now is the transwarp module, assuming Rhinox and the Witwicky boy can get it here in time."

"Hey, don't worry, they will! Not that you give a nonobyte," replied Rattrap.

Optimus smacked the small engineer on the back of the head. "Rattrap!"

"Gah! To the Inferno with all of you!" growled the former Predacon.

"He really needs to work on his optimism," commented Derek.

Dinobot turned around and was about to leave when a missile hit him from behind and he fell to the ground.

Everyone turned to see Scorponok aiming his pincer cannon at them saying, "Megatron has ordered this tower demolished."

He changed his aim and fired two more missiles toward the tower. Quickly, Optimus fired his shoulder cannons to intercept them before they could destroy the tower.

"Chew on this, Optimus Primal!" said Scorponok as he aimed back at the Maximal leader.

But before he could make the shot, his pincer hand was blasted off and Scorponok screamed in pain.

Rattrap's blaster smoked from the barrel as he said, "I don't think so."

"And I really don't think so!" said Dinobot.

The former Predacon used his optic lasers and blasted the Predacon off the mountain and out of sight. All they could hear was his fading scream to the bottom along with a thud.

Rattrap and Dinobot smirked and gave a thumbs-up to each other.

Connie and Derek stared at both Maximals with shock and disbelief.

Derek asked, "Did Rattrap and Dinobot just compliment each other?"

"Yes…yes they did," replied Connie.

Both of them were unable to fathom how the two Maximals that fought the most in the group now showed a hint of respect towards each other at that moment.

Holding Cells, Darksyde: 10:35 AM

"Hey! Bug Boy! I have to use the bathroom!" shouted Evan.

Waspinator turned his attention to the human child, who would not stop whining and shouting for five minutes.

"Quiet! Waazzzpinator can't hear himmmmzelf think with punyyyyy human naaaaaaging all the time," replied the green bot.

"And I can't hold it in any longer! Can you at least give me a bucket? I'll even settle for a bottle," said Evan.

Waspinator scrunched his face in disgust. "You humanzzz are dizzzzzguzting!"

Little did the green Predacon know that the human child was only getting his attention so Tigatron, Cheetor, and Wolfang could continue to work on their plan of escape. The three Maximals swung their cages back and forth to the point they reached one side of the lava pit to the other. Eventually, the cages swung far enough the three Maximals banged into each other.

Waspinator heard the noise and was about to look back when Evan made loud groaning sounds. He twisted his legs and held his legs, pretending to be in great pain. The green bot was quick to turn his attention back to the youngest Witwicky boy.

"Oooooh! Aaaaaaah! It hurts! Please, I'm begging you! Let me out so I can do my business!" cried the child.

"Fine! Wazzzpinatorrrrrr will be back with puny human childzzzzzzz excrement bucket!" said Waspinator. He walked out of the room, leaving Evan and the Maximals alone.

Evan smirked and whispered, "Sucker."

The Maximals continued to swing and bang their cages between each other, like Newton's cradle. The force from the impacts damaged the metal parts of their cells, making sparks fly and the electric walls flicker.

"Yeehaaw!" cried Cheetor.

The young Maximal found this amusing.

Evan could only watch in anticipation in hopes they could escape before Waspinator returned.

With one more collision, the energy field making up the walls of the cells shorted out and deactivated. The Maximals were now free to leave their confinements without electrocution. Tigatron and Wolfang quickly leaped out of their cells and onto the ledge of the magma pit. But Cheetor's cell was still in full swing as he was about to slide into the burning liquid below. When his cage swung close enough to the ledge, the spotted feline quickly leaped off to join the other Maximals. However, Cheetor overestimated his chances as he fell further down the pit before reaching the ledge. He screamed while Evan could only watch in horror as his guardian fell towards the bubbling lava.

"Cheetor!" he cried.

Quickly, Tigatron reached out and bit down on Cheetor's tail, catching the young Maximal before he met his heated demise.

The nine-year-old boy breathed a sigh of relief as he placed a hand on his heart.

Using his strength, Tigatron pulled Cheetor onto the ledge unharmed.

"I knew that was good for something, other than swatting flies," said the spotted feline.

"Do any of us know where the Predacon's repair chamber is, so we can escape this transformation lock?" asked Tigatron.

"I think I caught a glimpse of it when they dragged us through the ship," said Evan. "I can take you there, but Airazor and I need to get out ourselves."

The doors to the holding cells slid open again as the figure of Waspinator stood in front of the opening with a bucket on his head. The green Predacon groaned as he collapsed on the ground, revealing a familiar Maximal pilot behind him.

"Nyx!" they all cried in unison.

"Looks like you guys didn't need a rescue party after all," said the Maximal pilot.

"How did you find us?" asked Cheetor.

Using her energy weapon, Nyx blasted the controls to deactivate Evan and Airazor's prisons. "It wasn't easy. I trailed the Banshee from a safe distance. There were a few times I almost got caught but being quiet as a bat has its uses. I tried to contact Optimus and the others, but the Preds jammed our communications."

"We have to get back to them before the Predacons destroy the signal array," demanded Wolfang.

"Airazor and I can carry each of you while Evan rides on one of our backs," said Nyx.

"But that still leaves us short one flyer. We need three if we want all of us to make it off the island," said Evan.

The familiar groaning of Waspinator could be heard as they all turned to the groggy Predacon slowly regaining consciousness.

Evan and the Maximals all looked at each other before smiling mischievously toward the green bot.

The Signal Array: 10:40 AM

Optimus and the others had their weapons drawn and their backs against each other. Their visions darted all over the area for any sign of Megatron or his followers.

"Scorponok's attack was only meant to soften us up. Megatron will be coming in force," growled Dinobot.

"Well, maybe Rhinox and Ethan will get here before him," said Rattrap.

They all heard a familiar squawk and looked up to the skies to see a red pterodactyl diving toward them.

"You had to jinx us," replied Connie.

The flying dinosaur turned to robot mode and fired his lasers at the group. Connie and Derek took cover while the Maximals laid suppressing fire. However, it did not take long for the flying Predacon to turn around and flee.

"Hey, where's Leather Puss going?" asked Rattrap

"He always was a coward," growled Dinobot.

A familiar deep sinister voice said, "Granted, but he makes an excellent diversion."

The Maximals and the humans turned around to see Megatron and the other Predacons in robot mode, all armed with their weapons.

"You don't know what you're doing, Megatron!" said Optimus.

"Oh, on the contrary. I know all about the probe from Cybertron and I mean to see you don't contact it. Predacons, attack!" said the large purple leader.

A battle ensued on the rocky surface of Mt. Saber as the Maximals and humans fought to protect the tower from the Predacons until Rhinox and Ethan arrived.

"Really wish the rest of our team was here right now!" shouted Derek as he pressed his back against a boulder.

"We just have to hold out long enough until Rhinox and Ethan get here with the transwarp signature," replied Connie.

The two humans offered covering fire for the Maximals.

Somewhere over the Washington state wilderness: 10:45 AM

"Wwhaaaat did Waazzzzpinatorrrr do to dizerve zzzzuch cruel punishment?" whined the large green insect.

A spotted paw smacked him on the head as he let out an, "Ow!"

"Less talking, more flying!" demanded Cheetor.

The spotted feline rode on Waspinator's back while ensuring he wouldn't drop Wolfang.

After curing themselves from their transformation lock and dementia, the remaining Maximals made haste to fly back to Mt. Saber. Due to the insufficient amount of flyers to carry everyone back, the group had to force Waspinator to help.

Nyx carried Evan in her talons while Airazor carried Tigatron in her own.

"I hope we're not too late," said the falcon.

"Optimus is wise, Dinobot is tough, and Rattrap is quick-witted. I'm sure they can hold their own until we get there," said Tigatron.

"Well, let's hope the tower is still standing by the time we get there," said Nyx.

As they continued to fly, Evan could not help but continue to feel guilty over the situation they were in.

The Signal Array: 10:50 AM

Dinobot charged toward Megatron with his sword and propeller-like weapon. But he did not count on the strange device floating beside the Predacon leader as it shot a beam of purple energy toward the former Predacon. Dinobot let out a raptor screech as he converted back to beast mode.

Blackrachnia took the opportunity to deliver a swift quick to his snout, knocking the raptor to the ground. The female Predacon gave an evil cackle, like a witch.

Dinobot was dazed as he tried to regain focus.

"Impressive little toy, isn't it?" asked Blackarachnia.

But her taunt was interrupted when her blaster was shot out of her claws.

Rattrap aimed his pistol at the female Predacon saying, "Nobody does that to my team, sister!"

He continued to fire upon Blackarachnia, blasting her off the ledge to the trees down below. With the female arachnid out of the picture, Rattrap did not hesitate to run to Dinobot's aide.

The bucktoothed Maximal knelt towards his ally saying, "Hey, you okay, Chopper Face?"

"I…I can't transform," replied Dinobot.

"Huh, must be that gizmo of Mega-"

But before Rattrap could finish his sentence, the beam of purple light hit him as well, forcing him to transform back into a giant rat.

"Oh no," said the large rodent.

Connie and Derek ran over to their two Maximal Allies.

"Guys, what's wrong? Why did you turn back to beast mode?" asked Connie.

"That device Megatron has, it is preventing us from transforming back into our original forms," growled Dinobot.

With his dinosaur head cannon, Megatron shot a blast of energy that pushed the raptor and the rodent back. The humans were able to roll out of the way in time.

"So that's the game he's playing at," said Derek.

"We have to shoot that thing down before it affects any of the other Maximals," said Connie.

"Not before we burn you to cinders, humans," said Inferno.

The red Predacon was accompanied by Skold and Spittor as they closed in on the two teens.

Connie and Derek readied their weapons for another fight but knew the odds were against them with two young humans facing off against three giant, viscous Predacons. The redhead observed the scenario as a smile formed on her face from the instant plan her brain cooked up.

She whispered into Derek's ear before he pulled back and replied, "Are you sure?"

Connie gave a confident nod. "Yes."

The teens faced the Predacons again as Connie said, "So, you like fire, Ant-Man?"

She whipped out her bottle of pepper spray her father gave her and tossed it towards Inferno. "Well, here is something that is sure to turn up the heat!"

In a swift and accurate motion, Connie fired her laser at the bottle and it blew up in Inferno's face. The crazed Predacon screamed in pain as bits of flame and sizzling liquid covered his insect-like eyes.

The two remaining Predacons opened fire as both teens dodge rolled out of the way. Derek rolled towards Skold and stood up to face Spittor.

"Hey, Warthead! You're so ugly that not even Ms. Piggy would date you!" he shouted at the blue and orange Predacon.

"I'm going to enjoy savoring you in my fuel tank, hombre!" said Spittor.

The amphibious Predacon took a moment to build up the poison in his system before hurling a big glob at the dark-skinned teen. What he didn't realize was that even though his target was Derek, he failed to notice another Predacon in his line of fire.

Skold's optics widened as she held out her hands and shouted, "Spittor, wait! No!"

But the blue and orange bot failed to notice as he spits a large glob of green slime in their direction. Derek immediately ducked out of the way as the slime splattered onto the stout Predacon.

Spittor finally realized the mistake he made as he said, "Oops!"

Skold attempted to swat at Derek with her hand but Spittor's poison already took effect as her vision became glitchy and she could feel her energy slowly sapped out of her. Eventually, the stout Predacon fell to the ground, groaning and moaning until she was unconscious.

"Don't you know spitting is a gross habit?" joked Derek.

Spittor growled and replied, "I'll be so glad when we wipe you humans off this rock!"

"Well, we won't back down without a fight!" yelled Connie before she threw a grenade toward the amphibious Predacon.

Even though the device seemed like it was aimed at Spittor, it flew over his head and blew up on the mountain wall.

Spittor laughed and said, "You missed, chica!"

But Connie just smirked. "Oh, did I?"

Suddenly, the blue and orange Predacon could hear the crumbling of rock as he looked up to see a large rock slide above him where the grenade went off. Spittor screamed and held his hands up to block the falling chunks of Earth, but it was no use. The amphibious Predacon was instantly buried in a large pile of rocks without having a chance to leap out of the way.

"Alright!" said Connie and Derek as they high-fived each other.

The two teens faced three Predacons and stood victorious.

"I can't believe we just did that," said Derek.

"I know right? Wait until we tell Ethan and Evan about this," replied Connie. "Now we need to shoot down that gizmo trapping the Maximals in beast mode."

But before either of the human teenagers could do anything, two globs of webbing pinned them against the rock walls of the mountain.

"Oh, I don't think so," said Tarantulas.

Connie and Derek tried to break free, but the webbing proved too strong for them to break.

The Predacon scientist turned his attention back to Optimus Primal, who regained focus after being blasted to the ground. Before the Maximal leader could stand up, Tarantulas placed one of his pincers around his neck in a chokehold.

"Your time has come, Optimus," said the Predacon scientist.

"Guess again!" replied the large blue bot.

He swung one of his blades towards Tarantulas, but the Predacon scientist caught it with his free claw. What he didn't expect was the Optimus activating one of his arm cannons and pressing it into his abdomen.

Trantulas's visor widened in horror as he cried, "Oh no!"

With a blast of energy, the Predacon scientist was flown into the air and fell in the distance.

Optimus smirked with his arm cannon still smoking. But his victory was short-lived as purple energy encased his body and he changed back into a gorilla.

"Optimus!" cried Connie and Derek.

The Maximal leader attempted to transform back, only to realize he could not.

Megatron stood from across the battlefield with the lock lens floating by his side. "Your dreams of returning to Cybertron are over, Optimus."

The Predacon leader fired a missile toward the tower. Optimus quickly picked up one of the extra metal beams, like a baseball bat, and attempted to deflect the projectile with a swing. Upon contact, the explosion pushed the gorilla to the ground, defenseless. Before Optimus could get up, Megatron stomped over and pressed his foot on the Maximal leader's back. Optimus roared from the pain.

"Very resourceful, but in the end, the result is the same, yes!" said Megatron.

He continued to press down on Optimus Primal's back, crushing his metal structure underneath.

While Megatron enjoyed torturing his arch nemesis, a big green finger tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around to see an angry Rhinox say, "Don't count on it, Motor Head!"

With one punch from the Maximal engineer, Megatron flew to the ledge, nearly flying off the mountain.

Ethan stood right beside him, shocked by the amount of damage that was done in the short time it took for them to get here. Luckily, the signal array was still intact.
Rhinox and the eldest Witwicky boy knelt beside the injured Gorilla.

"Optimus!" cried Rhinox.

"Are you alright?" asked Ethan.

Optimus was unable to stand due to the damage he sustained from Megatron.

He lifted his head and groaned, "I'll be alright. The array! There isn't much time! Do you have the code?"

Rhinox held out the USB key device. "Right here."

Unbeknownst to the large Maximal and the human teen, the transformation lock lens floated stealthily behind them. The only one to see it was Optimus.

The gorilla's eyes widened as he reached out a hand yelling, "Rhinox, look out!"

But the engineer was not quick enough to move as the lens shot a purple beam, hitting Rhinox. He instantly transformed into a rhino as the USB key slipped out of his hooves.

"Nooo!" cried Rhinox as the device clattered to the ground.

He groaned as he strained to change back into his robot form.

"Rhinox, what's wrong?" asked Ethan.

"I can't transform out of my beast mode," replied the rhinoceros.

"Must have been that weird device. It's preventing you from changing back," said the eldest Witwicky boy.

Rhinox picked up the USB key with his mouth and dropped it in the young human's hands. "Ethan, you've got to activate the array and enter the code. I can't do it while in this form."

Ethan nodded and said, "I'm on it!"

The Witwicky boy did not hesitate to pull out his laptop and plug it into the array. With a few types on the keyboard, the dish positioned itself exactly where the probe floated above the Earth's atmosphere. Once the tower was activated, he inserted the USB key into the array. A loading screen appeared on his laptop, recording the progress of the signal reaching the probe.

While Ethan was busy trying to upload the Maximal's distress signal, Megatron stood back up.

"The lens will not work on you humans, but I can still obliterate you annoying vermin with one shot," said the Predacon leader as he readied his weapon.

"Megatron, no!" cried Optimus.

The Predacon leader could only laugh as he aimed toward the array and the human.

"Ethan, get out of there, now!" cried the gorilla.

"Almost got it," replied Ethan.

The human teen was too focused on completing the task at hand. He stared at his laptop anxiously as the loading screen read 95%; Sweat poured down his face.

"Ethan!" begged Optimus.

"I can finish it," shouted Ethan.

"Just a few more seconds," he whispered as the screen now read 98%.

Optimus and Rhinox could only look in horror as Megatron was about to blast the signal array with Ethan still working on it. At this point, protecting the array did not matter anymore; they had to save Ethan before he was caught in the explosion.

Megatron fired a rocket at the tower.

Mustering what little strength he had, Optimus stood up on his two legs, even though the pain was unbearable. Right before the projectile hit the signal array, the gorilla made a huge leap toward Ethan, grappling him out of the way of the oncoming missile.

"No!" cried Ethan.

The mountain cliffs erupted into a massive explosion as Megatron laughed evilly at the signal array being blown to smithereens. Both Rhinox and Optimus leaped away from the blast with the human boy in the ape's arms. Connie, Derek, and the other Maximals could only watch in horror as their greatest hope of contacting Cybertron became a fiery wreck of debris.

Both the rhino and gorilla hit the ground while Optimus used his body to shield Ethan from the shrapnel and fire. Inferno was able to clear his vision from Connie's makeshift grenade while Spittor crawled his way out of the rubble.

Megatron stood over the defeated Maximals and their human allies with the transformation lock lens hovering beside him. "Delightful! Now, to pull you annoying thorns out of my side once and for all."

The Predacon leader was about to fire at the Rhinox and Optimus, when the lens blew apart from a laser blast. Megaron looked to his side in disbelief to see Wolfang, Nyx, Airazor, Tigatron, and Cheetor all in robot mode and armed for battle. Evan stood beside them with his energy pistol, ready for action.

Megatron's optics widened in disbelief. "What?! How did you escape?"

"Never send a bug to do a Predacon's job," said Nyx.

"Time for you to decorate a cage, Megadork!" shouted Cheetor.

All of their firearms clicked, ready to rain energy blasts on the Predacon leader.

"I think not," replied Megatron.

He transformed back into a t-rex and said, "Cybertron will not find you now and the war will go on until I am the victor."

"We'll see about that," said Airazor.

"As long as we remain on this planet, Megatron, you will never win the Beast Wars," said Wolfang.

"Then I will enjoy deactivating all of you one by one until then. For now, we bid you adieu," said the t-rex.

The remaining Predacons made their escape with Spittor and Inferno dragging Skold's body with them.

Cheetor and Tigatron attended to Optimus and Rhinox. Nyx helped cut Derek and Connie down from Tarantulas's webs. Ethan crawled up from the ground and stared at the destroyed signal tower in horror.

"Did we get our signal to the probe? Are we going home?" asked Cheetor anxiously.

The eldest Witwicky boy rushed to the smoldering remains only to find his laptop was also blown to bits. There was no way of knowing if the signal reached the probe.

"I-I-I don't know. It was at ninety-nine percent before Megatron blew it up," said Ethan.

The group gathered around the remnants of the array signal.

Ethan fell to his knees and his shoulders slouched as he sighed. "I wasn't fast enough. We were so close…and I blew it. I'm sorry guys. I messed up your only chance of calling home."

Rhinox came by the teenager's side and said, "It's not your fault Ethan. You've done everything you could."

"Yeah, if anyone is to blame, it's me," said Evan.

The young boy's posture reflected that of his older brother. "I shouldn't have run off and gotten us separate. If I stayed by the tower, we wouldn't have fallen into Tarantulas's trap and we would have all been here to call Cybertron."

"None of us were expecting Megatron to use that lock lens thingy. If anything, the Predacons used a trump card on us," said Connie.

"Well, there is no use milling over it now. The probe has left the system and we'll have to continue finding alternate ways to contact Cybertron. Until then, the Beast Wars continue. We might not be going home today, Maximals...but someday," said Optimus.

The gorilla had his arms around Tigatron and Wolfang for support.

With the signal array destroyed and the probe gone from Earth's orbit, the Maximals and their human allies made their way back to the Axalon to heal from their recent battle.

The Forest: 11 AM

As the Predacons made their way to the Banshee, they found the damaged form of a familiar giant wasp on the ground. They stopped to stare at Waspinator as he weakly looked up from his weakened state.

"Waaaaazpinator can explain," groaned the large insect, "Baaaaaat bot znuck in and hurt Wazzzzzpinatooor and-"

Megatron cut him off saying, "Save your excuses! We will discuss your punishment when we return to the Darksyde."

Waspinator could only groan at the large amount of bad luck he received throughout the whole day as he slumped on the ground, too weak to get up.

Mt. Saber: 11:05 AM

Evan was the furthest behind the group as they made their way down the mountain. He stared at the ground while walking. Ethan noticed this and took the initiative to fall behind and walk beside his little brother.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Ethan.

The nine-year-old was quiet for a few seconds before responding. "I'm sorry, Ethan. I'm sorry about everything."

"Hey, it wasn't your fault the Predacons won this time. They're just a bunch of creeps that like to play dirty," said Ethan.

"It's not just about the Predacons. I know I've been acting like a jerk lately and it's not fair to you or anyone else," said Evan.

Ethan paused for a moment before he replied. "I know you don't want the Maximals to leave Earth."

Evan looked up at his big brother in surprise. How could he have known why his little brother acted so brash around everyone?

The eldest Witwicky boy looked down and smirked. "It was obvious ever since they discovered the probe. I can understand you've grown close to them and you enjoy spending time with Cheetor, but you also have to see this from their point of view, Evan. What if we were the ones that crash-landed on Cybertron, far away from our own home planet? How would that feel?"

Evan did not answer but just looked back down at the ground.

"You would be scared, wouldn't you?" asked Ethan.

"Yes," replied Evan with a weak nod.

His older brother continued, "Like us, I'm sure the Maximals have friends and family back on Cybertron that miss them. You also have to remember that even though we're helping them adjust to our world, it is still a strange and foreign environment for them. There might be some things from their world they miss too. I know it's hard to see good friends leave, but we also have to consider their feelings and what makes them happy. We can't just focus on what makes us happy. It's like when we found that injured baby rabbit on that farm. We took care of it, fed it, and took it to the vet to help with its injuries. We begged and pleaded with Mom and Dad to keep it, but they said it was a wild animal and probably had a family of its own. In the end, when the rabbit was better, we had to let it go. It was a hard thing for both of us to do, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," Evan responded weakly.

"My point is, if the Maximals ever return to their home planet, you should be happy for them. It's what a true friend would do," said Ethan.

A few tears ran down Evan's face. "I didn't mean to be such trouble. It's just…Cheetor is my best friend and I don't know what I'll do when he's gone."

"Well, why don't you explain that to him instead of lashing out? He'll understand. I'm sure he thinks of you the same way," said Ethan.

After their talk, the two brothers walked in silence for the rest of their journey to the Axalon. Evan thought over Ethan's words all the way home.

Witwicky Farm: 12 PM

While the rest of the Maximals healed themselves on the Axalon, Cheetor spent the remainder of his time outside the farm, soaking in the sun's rays in beast mode.
Evan was inside the house as he stared at his guardian through the window. The nine-year-old found the courage to apologize to the rest of his family for his behavior from last night, but he still struggled over talking to Cheetor. He wanted his friend to be happy and get home to Cybertron with the other Maximals, but would that mean he would never see Cheetor again? This thought continued to plague Evan's mind.

Eventually, he took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to join his feline friend on the grassy fields. Evan sat beside him, staring out into the distance. Neither of them spoke a word to the other.

Eventually, Evan said, "Cheetor…I-I want to apologize for the way I've been acting lately. The thing is, when we found out about the probe and that it would allow you to call your home planet…I was afraid to lose you. Ever since we found you guys in the cave, you have felt like my best and only friend I've ever had, besides Ethan, Connie, and Derek. Having you as my guardian was the coolest thing I could've ever asked for. I enjoy our races through the woods, watching movies at night, and hanging out on the Axalon with the other Maximals. If you guys called Cybertron to come and pick you up, that would mean I would never see you again and we wouldn't be friends anymore. You would forget all about me. "

Evan began to cry as the young Maximal stared at the little human with understanding. All this time he believed Evan to hold malice against him, when in reality, Evan was scared to let him go when the time came. Cheetor never thought a charge would ever grow this close to a guardian.
Evan continued to cry when he felt something soft and gentle wrap around his shoulder. He looked up to see Cheetor wrap one of his front paws around him and smiled at the child.

"Evan, becoming your guardian was the best thing that ever happened to me, too. Discovering Earth and meeting your family has become one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had in my life. When I return to Cybertron, there is no way I would ever forget you or stop being your friend. When you reached out to me during our first meeting, you made me feel like a part of this world. I've seen a lot of ultra gear things on your planet since we've been here and I hope to see more with the time we have here. Just know that no matter how many lightyears away we are from each other…you will always be my little human brother," said Cheetor.

Evan looked back and smiled. "And you will always be my big robot cheetah brother."

Cheetor used his paw to pull Evan into a hug and the human child returned the gesture by wrapping his arms gently around the feline's neck. The two stayed out on the field together for the remainder of the day, thankful for their strong friendship that will sure to last their whole lives.

That concludes this chapter of Beast Wars. I know this was mostly based on an existing episode. My reasons for including it was because I felt it was a crucial point in the series, plus I believe it fits well with Evan's conflict over Cheetor. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and feel free to leave a review sharing your thoughts on this chapter. Next, we will be introduced to more new Maximals and Predacons to join the Beast Wars. As always, thank you so much for your patience and positive feedback so far. Until next time!