AN: Okay this is chapter 2 Ummm not much to say... I don't own the Beast Warriors... oh please review!
Thus I give you...
Eyes wide shut, eyes wide open
After that night the interaction between Dinobot and Rattrap remained very much the same as it had always had. Fights, insults, and threats were the norm. However, Airazor noticed the faint smiles on each others face when the other's back was turned. "Hey Rhinox?" she asked one day after a rather large fight between the two. "Have you noticed anything different between those two?"
Rhinox smiled. "You mean those grins on their faces, or the fact that even though their fights are just as aggressive as they've ever been, there's almost a friendly undertone to them?"
"So you noticed it too," Airazor said, sitting on a table.
Rhinox nodded. "But," he continued, tinkering with the computer Dinobot and Rattrap's latest argument had damaged (he had been rather surprised that it wasn't totally trashed), "if I were you, I wouldn't say anything. If they realize that they're becoming friends they'll fight it. Let's let it creep up on them, shall we."
Airazor chuckled. "Sure, I get it."
That was how it all started. Primal noticed a few months later...
"Hey Chopperface, whatcha make a' dis?" Rattrap asked from his place at the monitor. Primal had began to notice that the name calling had become almost friendly in nature. He looked over at him (the fact that Rattrap was actually paying attention to the monitors was amazing), and saw that in order for Dinobot to lean down enough to see whatever it was that Rattrap was looking at, the larger Pred had to put his hand on the rat's shoulder. The strange thing was that Rattrap wasn't saying a word about it.
"Hummm," Dinobot growled softly. "It looks like the Predacons are having more of their infighting." He stood up.
"Eh, wonder what started it dis time?" Rattrap wondered aloud.
"Megatron's incompetence most likely," Dinobot snapped out. "Most Predacon commanders don't allow dissentionin the ranks. If there is a challenge for leadership then it is a fight to the death. A competent leader will survive and the loser is recycled. But Megatrondoesn't see it that way. He believes that treachery keeps the wits sharp, so he lets traitors live. All it really does is make him look like an idiot."
"So, any way we can take advantage a' dis?" Rattrap asked.
Dinobot shook his head. "By the time we got there it would be over. But of Megatron is having that much trouble with his troops..." Dinobot trailed off. "They don't respect him."
"Den who'd dey respect?" Rattrap asked looking up at Dinobot.
Dinobot grinned a cold grin. "Me. Ikept the others in line. They feared me, so they respected me." He shook his head. "Never mind. Maximals cannot, and have never understood Predacons." Dinobotthen walked out. Rattrap opened his mouth to say something but closed it again with a shake of his head.
Primal chuckled to himself and thought, 'Those two are getting along, finally.'
Tigertron noticed it one day when the two had come up to his wintry home. They had done nothing but argue all the way there. When they arrived with the parts to repair the comm. station, their argument had dissolved to the point of name calling and low blows. Even as they worked the insults flew. But Tigertron watched the smile that crossed both of their faces. 'They seem to work well together now,' he thought.
"Yo' Chopperface, hand me dat wrench," Rattrap said, sticking out a tiny rat hand.
"What size, dung breath?" Dinobot asked.
"Gimme a sec," Rattrap said. "Try de 7/8... What are we on?"
"E," Dinobot said, handing over the wrench Rattrap had asked for.
"T'anks, ya egg suckin' saurian," Rattrap said taking the tool. Tigertron noticed the slight brushing of Dinobot's scaly hand against Rattrap's fleshy one and smiled. He wondered if the other Maximals were noticing the same change in the duo that he did. The pair were working well together though despite all the arguments. Tigertron smiled a tiger's smile. That smile however turned to a frown after a while as he saw Dinobot shivering badly. "You okay Chopperface?" Rattrap asked.
"What do you think, Vermin?" Dinobot's entire body was shaking.
"Okay, come on, both of you," Tigertron said. "We can finish this tomorrow. It's getting dark and it'll get even colder."
"Colder?!" Dinobot snarled in surprise. "How could it possibly get any colder?"
Tigertron chuckled. "Easily. Come - my cave isn't far from here."
"Alright den. Lead da way," Rattrap said.
Tigertron lead them to a large cave. "Okay, I'm going to hunt down dinner. We could all use some food. It'll warm us up."
The two nodded and hunkered down as Tigertron left. "So Chopperface," Rattrap asked as Dinobot walked around the cave to keep warm, "I gotta question for ya."
"What?" Dinobot asked, his teeth chattering.
"What makes ya t'ink my old crew would still wanna hang wit' me?" Rattrap asked.
"Humph," Dinobot snorted. "Vermin, in six years did you truly not learn a slagging thing from your gang?"
"Waddya mean, Bronto Brain?" Rattrap asked.
Dinobot let out a nearly inaudible sigh then a loud growl. "You Maximals! You don't understand a Primus damned mother slaggin' THING!!" Dinobot yelled. He couldn't feel the cold now; all he could feel was the heat of his rage. "You and your kind, you can't understand anything that doesn't fit your ideal lifestyle. If something is different you go out of your way to change it to what you feel is 'The Right Way'. 'The Right Way'. Bah!" Dinobot punched the wall, his tail thrashing angrily. "You Maximals think you're so high and mighty..." Dinobot sputtered to silence. He was now too angry to even speak.
"Ya done, Chopperface?" Rattrap asked. He didn't wait for an answer. "Good. Ya know at first, Tri-Claw said da same ting 'bout me. Dat's what started de fight in da first place. Dey taught me everythin' I evah wanted ta know 'bout fightin' dirty. And Dark Orchid, she was de hottest t'ing I evah saw. I mean damn, when I got oldah... Whoa!" Rattrap said. "But dat was den."
Dinobotstopped his pacing to look at the rat. "And you really think they would just give up on you?" he said bewilderedly. "After all you had been through?"
"Where were dey den, huh? When does Preds jumped me?" Rattrap asked.
Dinobot let out a short laugh. "If you had called your gang the Preds at least would've been right there, and they would've beaten those rapists into the ground at the very least, if not killed them out right," Dinobotsaid. As he talked his body gave a great shiver of cold. "And at best guess, the other Maximals in the gang would have been in on it too."
"Doubtful," Rattrap sneered.
Dinobot sighed and curled up in a shivering ball. "You really don't get it, do you Vermin?"
"Hey, you okay Chopperface?" Rattrap asked.
"I'm fine Vermin," Dinobot answered.
Just as Rattrap was about to respond, Tigertron came in dragging a large mountain goat carcass. "Here we go," he said, coming to a halt in the middle of the cave.
Dinobot's head rose up and he uncoiled himself. He trotted over to the carcass and began to eat. "Thank you," he said quietly after he swallowed. He then quickly went back to eating. Tigertron nodded lightly and he too started to eat.
"Are you going to join us, Vermin?" Dinobot asked. Rattrap looked uncertain. A thought crossed Dinobot's mind. "You've never eaten meat before, have you?"
"No, why would I've?" Rattrap responded. "Der's plenty a' garbage at de base."
"Your form is omnivorous, Rattrap," Tigertron said. "I'm surprised you haven't ever felt the need or urge to eat meat."
It was Dinobot who spoke next. "Tigertron, you are an exception to a rule Primal has. No killing of animals if it can be avoided. You are mostly tiger in mind, so he forgives what hesees as needless killing." Dinobot smirked. "Although I haven't been following that rule."
"Well," Tigertron said, "I'm sorry Rattrap, but I have nothing else to offer you."
"It's okay. I'll give it a try," Rattrap said. He walked over to the body and nibbled on some innards. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "Dis ain't bad at all." Suddenly ravenous, he began to eat with gusto.
Soon they were all stuffed. Tigerton yawned and said, "Well we should turn in for now." He padded over to a section of the cave covered in furs. "Find yourselves a place and crash," he told them, curling up and promptly falling asleep.
Dinobot found a spot on one of the furs, as did Rattrap. The next morning the trio woke up and fed on the carcass some more. Then Tigertron said, "Alright let's get to work." And they left to finish work on the tower.
Not too long after that, Cheetor noticed the change in the two. The three of them, Dinobot, Cheetor and Rattrap, were on a patrol when Dinobot said, "We should rest here."
"Sure," Cheetor said, flopping down on the grass.
"I'm going to get us something to eat," Dinobot said, trotting off.
"So, Rattrap," Cheetor said.
"Yeah, whaddya want, kid?" Rattrap asked stretching out.
"What do you think you're gonna do after the war's over?" the cheetah asked.
Rattrap thought for a bit then said, "Eh, probably reopen my bar. You?"
"Home, I guess," Cheetor answered, looking up at the blue sky.
"Whatcha wanna do when ya get back?" Rattrap asked with a grin.
Cheetor thought about not telling him but then he remembered that he'd sorta made Rattrap spill a secret by bugging the hell out of him. "Go back to the Unicron Gouges. I was the top racer there. Got a trophy in my quarters and everything."
Rattrap thought for some time before asking, "Den whatcha doin' here, kiddo?"
Cheetor opened his mouth to answer when Dinobot came back, dragging a gazelle towards them. "What the spotted heck!?" Cheetor yelled.
"I told you I was getting us something to eat," Dinobot growled matter-of-factly.
"I figured you were getting fruit or something," Cheetor exclaimed.
"Hey kid, take it easy," Rattrap said. "It ain't so bad. Just give it a try. We won't tell Pop-Op, 'k? Right Chopperface?"
"Agreed, Vermin. Optimus does not need to know," Dinobot said.
Cheetor was so disarmed by the two agreeing that he dropped his argument. He padded over to the body and looked at it. "Well it has been hard to keep the vegetation down lately..." He sniffed at the carcass; it smelled wonderful to his beast mode. He leaned down and took a bite. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted! His nostrils flared, his eyes widened and his whiskers fanned out. He began to devour his portion. As he did so, he watched the pair eating opposite him. They were right next to each other munching away, nether one even snapping at the other when they touched. He hid his smile in his portion, thinking, 'Things are going to be different around here.'