Machine Wars: Low Places

There was a custom, created long before the great Maximal Upgrade, about flipping a coin. Though there weren't many old pictures around to see what a coin looked like, the most fascinating thing about it were the two different symbols on each side. In the dark damp areas of Cybertron, Onyx Primal had taken a long journey to the less popular half of the city. He kept his gaze up to the sky before quickly glacing at the road with mild caution. Metal plating on the outside of the buildings curled upwards as dried oil drenched the sides. Decepticon cities had been the first to be remodeled after the Great War, causing their homes to be neglected the longest. Cybertronians naturally took pride in their home-world, but too many Maximal casualties occurred whenever one tried to clean up the cities. Many areas such as these had been forgotten by the council, or the higher power authorities didn't wish to make a big deal out of maintenance.

This lack of conflict upset the Predacons who lived in these specific towns and predictably turned against each other to fill the void.

The Predacon Alliance was an ironic name, Onyx thought, considering their way of life. Predacons were either loners, lackeys, or power hungry dictators. Onyx stood grounded, keeping a watchful gaze at the dark sky. In Predacon areas it was dangerous to have a flying altmode. Many gangs loved to prey on flyers in tall buildings or hovering skiffs. They were a fairly rare kind and could help on particularly dangerous jobs. To avoid conflict Onyx walked to his home everyday, only saving his flight mode for work. As he traveled down the next corner, while giving a rather large bot a second glance, he sighed. Onyx couldn't deny what others accused his people of doing, nor would he help his fellow Predacons out of receiving punishment for their crimes. Still, not every Predacon deserved such treatment, nor were they all guilty of murder or theft. Onyx understood why the Maximals felt the way they did about his kind, but that didn't make it any easier to bear the burdens of Megatron's failure.

As his optics caught sight of his home, a tall pointed gray building, several Predacons blocked the street leading. Onyx stopped for a moment, scanning any nearby alley ways for an alternate route. He was in no mood to fight any more today, though it wouldn't have been the first time he had to crush a few helmets to get home. The group of Predacons stood proudly, puffing their marked chests with pride. Onyx glanced at them indifferently. Their Predacon symbols had been replaced with what looked like a Decepticon insignia. Focusing his optics for a click, Onyx could tell that the Decepticon logo was altered a bit. Onyx held back an upset groan as he recognized the symbol of the Origin Faction. The dark Primal melted his lips into a sneer, realizing that he would have to walk by them and began to do so. Onyx hadn't even walked a foot past the group as one Predacon blocked his path. They looked at each other, not saying a word, Onyx's red optics reflected off of his black armor making him appear more menacing than usual. Combined with how late it was, the one who was staring at the dark Primal almost considered backing down.

"I assume you Origin scum want some credits?" Onyx hadn't attempted to hold back his annoyance.

One of the mechs brightened his optics, seemingly shocked at what the dark jet was saying. The Predacon looked at the one in front of Onyx with a question ready to pop out of his mouth.

"Origin scum? What does he mean by Origin scum?"

Onyx crossed his arms, realizing that the one in front of him wasn't going to move. His optics drifted towards the other member who was about to reply to his comrade.

"Quiet bot!" he chastised the younger mech. "Some Predacons, or rather some bots who call themselves Predacons don't consider Razor Claw as their commander."

Onyx faced away from the two while trying to keep his temper down, as the confused bot asked another question.

"Whad'ya mean boss? Razor Claw is the leader of the Preds, always has been."

The leader let out some steam from his vents while glueing his eyes to Onyx, "A few lowlives, even among us Preds, like him, consider themselves above Razor Claw."

Onyx felt the light in his optics burn the glass a little as he remained still. He was a Primal after all, and he had earned the title the way it was supposed to be. These brainless lackeys knew little about Cybertronian history, granted that much of it was classified. Onyx would not let these punks crawl under his armor, but seeing such a display of Predacon ignorance and stupidity was getting on his nerves.

Onyx Primal kept his voice calm and spoke with a melodic tone, laced with a touch of his anger, "The whole reason why there are separate factions within the Predacon Alliance is because of the piles of scrap like you who consider yourselves worthless. I'm sure Razor Claw feels the same way. The Tripredicus Council thinks of us as equals with the Maximals."

Before either of the two smaller Predacons could answer, the leader reached behind his subspace and pulled out a curved blade that composed of energon. He pointed the weapon at Onyx while the metal of his face strained to accommodate the frown he was wearing.

"Your going just a bit too far, Maximal symp!"

Neither bot flinched and remained fixated on each other. The other two Origin members froze before they brought out their guns. Onyx stood still, not a gear or wire shifted in his body; he would not be the one to start this fight. The leader's optics shifted from Onyx's hard gaze towards the dark Primal's weapon. A trembled servo could be heard among the silence as it inched towards the trigger. Onyx felt the energon blade twitch closer towards his neck and he reached out to grab the leader's face. The force the black jet used as his fist reached the mech's processor pushed him several feet back. Before the other two Predacons could fire their weapons, Onyx crossed his arms and slammed them into the bots' necks. Sparks blocked the damage inflicted on the two, but Onyx could have sworn he felt their neck cables come lose. As he waited for the leader to awaken, Onyx took a cautious step around his body. The bot's optics were dark and a deep and a small crater surrounded his head. His spark chamber flew open revealing it to be empty. Onyx frowned deeply at the sight while noticing that the other two Predacons were offline as well. He hadn't meant to hit them with so much force, and the saddest thing about it was that no one would care about their deaths.

Razor Claw wouldn't spare a second glance, as Onyx claimed earlier, they were worthless to the world.

This incident didn't have to happen, he could have found another route; they didn't deserve such a fate. Onyx dimmed his optics slightly, ignoring the draining feeling he felt in his spark chamber. As a Predacon, he would march proudly towards his home as if nothing happened.

"At least the fools didn't have to suffer in a Maximal prison," he calmed himself at the thought. "They died in a fight, just as they would have wanted."

Onyx stepped over the bodies and trailed towards his destination, not sparing a glance at the group. Deaths were normal among these streets and the next day these bodies would be taken to the scrap heap to make new protoforms or stasis pods. It was a terrible fate, but one every bot faced. Onyx tilted his head back at the dead group.

"Every single Predacon is destined to be a leader," the dark Primal mocked to himself.

Were Predacons violent in nature or belligerent because the Maximals existed as a foil?

A question he had asked himself for many stellar cycles. No other species was like the Predacons, they lived for conquest and power. Fighting fulfilled him and every other of his kind, but why? Onyx breifly wondered what it was like before the war, of course very few histroy tracks covered such a subject. The Great War defined Cybertron, it was their history, their past and present. Nearly every conversation with a Predacon involved the words 'what if.' What if the original Megatron succeeded? What if we had been built during the Great War? Onyx did his best to avoid others who asked these questions, for they brought pain in his spark and defeat would coat the air. The answers these lost Predacons, as Onyx would consider them to be, often involved a raised fist of hope while making up grandiose stories of a conquest that could never be.

If the original Megatron succeeded Cybertron would have become a militia, a battlefield that would never have been fixed. Onyx understood why Predacons were hated, their ways made no sense to others and the pain they've caused in the past was unforgivable. Predacons were the scum of the universe, as many Maximals would tell him. The Great War was a touchy subject on Cybertron and it was brought up nearly every mega cycle. Onyx would help put a stop towards the goals his people tried to reach, but that hadn't made it easier for him to watch other Predacons getting beaten by Maximals or taken into custody for small crimes. The way his people were being treated didn't sit right with him. Sadly it wasn't his place to decide, but the dark Primal was not quite content with the way things were. Still, he owed the council everything and they were the only Predacons willing to work along side the Maximals peacefully.

As long as those were the goals set in place, he would strive to achieve them. This Optimus Primal was an intriguing fellow who had clearly gone through some amazing adventures. Onyx never thought he would have ever seen a bot that size in his lifetime. Whatever the case may be, getting Megatron back in custody was a priority. After all, it was the councils' will to form acceptance among his kind and the Maximals. It was a goal that was clear and extremely difficult to achieve. Onyx gripped the railing of the stairs which led to his home, he was tired.


Colorful lights glistened along the metallic bodies inside the club. As each light changed, so did the reflections on each Cybertronians' armor. It was an enormous building, an un-renovated autobot bar, which was cut in half to make way for two blocks. Cybertronians flooded the floors and danced to music of human and transformer origin. Over the loud song playing metal clanks and several bots unlocking the doors could be heard. Many stopped to observe what the workers were trying to do with the closed, giant doors normally used during the days of the Autobots. A massive yellow hand reached between the opening of the metal plates causing many Cybertronians to look at the spectacle.

Peaking his head between the doors and maneuvering his body inside, scratched much of Optimus Primal's paint. When the large bot finally shifted inside several Maximals backed away from his presence. Primal felt his face plates heat up at the embarrassing display. Did they all have to look at him?

By Optimus's feet stood many other strange Maximals who inched their way inside the club. The music stopped and everyone in the club was stunned. Rattrap let out a nervous laugh at the sight and leaned towards Rhinox.

"Just act natural, I got this covered," he whispered before sneaking towards the music control panel.

"Uh, not sure if this is such a good idea big R," Cheetor turned away from the crowd shyly.

Rhinox rubbed his forehead and looked down, "Oh no."

The music was turned back on as the DJ stepped away from the unusual looking rat bot. Rattrap gripped the microphone while scratching the holodisks.

"We ain't here ta make trouble, just let the big guy get a few drinks and we promise he won't squash ya!"

Rhinox let out a relieved breath when the many people backed away from them, allowing Optimus enough room to walk towards the bar. For a moment there he had thought Rattrap would have done something much more obnoxious. The rhino wondered if the Beast Wars had mellowed out his friend a little, but there were other things to focus on. Rhinox stood by SilverBolt, making sure the fuzor kept a steady pace towards the bar. BlackArachnia's sentencing was a harsh move, even for someone like Night Glider. SilverBolt's 'damsel' was in great distress but he could not answer her call. Rhinox couldn't imagine what it was like for the fuzor, first coming to live on a planet that was so different from Earth and then having his lover imprisoned. As much as the green bot didn't want to admit, he had a feeling that BlackArachnia would have been charged for her past deeds. The spider at one time was a power hungry Predacon with an unpleasant attitude to boot, but Optimus's words were both caring and true. Without her help, the Maximals may not even exist now. Rhinox was no fan of Predacons, but she deserved better.

After sitting down at the bar, he glanced up at Optimus. It was difficult to read him like this. On Earth, Rhinox would try to position himself on a rock or cliff to meet Optimus's optics, but Cybertron didn't have such natural things to bring himself to the large bot's level. Rhinox took a high grade drink from the bar tender, who was a little frightened at his appearance, and handed one to SilverBolt.

"Here," he offered the fuzor a glass, "it won't solve the problem, but on Cybertron it helps us get through tough times."

SilverBolt took the drink and sniffed it a few times before gauging it down. Judging by his curled nose, Rhinox could tell he didn't like the taste yet the fuzor didn't complain. Before Rhinox could continue, Rattrap placed himself next to the Rhino causing a few pretty femmes to back away.

"Can you believe these people?" Rattrap spoke calmly as he snapped his servos to order a drink.

Rhinox huffed at the rat's words, "Can you blame them? We've barged in with unusual bodies and an Autobot to boot. Do you really think coming here was a good idea?"

The rat bot leaned towards his green friend, whispering, "Hey, we've just been benched by a Maximal officer that could easily pass as one of Megatron's crew. You need ta think of the bright side; we don't have ta do anything now! Besides, this'll be good for the Big Ape. He needs ta loosin' up a bit considerin' what happened."

Surveying the bar with a mist of nostalgia in his optics, Rattrap continued, "Bein' surrounded by pretty dames and loud music is good for ya. Yup, McAdams Old Oil House cures all wounds."

"Humph," the rhino Maximal was transfixed with his glass for a moment, "too bad he can't really enjoy those things you just mentioned given his size. Still, this place is big enough for him and, you actually managed to handle yourself well out there with the crowd without starting a riot."

"Hold dat compliment Rhinox."

Rattrap held up a servo to halt his friend's words as he grabbed his energon cube greedily. He could feel the high grade drink, mixed with a twinge of mech fluid, rinse down his throat. His systems hissed and steamed upon contact with the drink. Rattrap wore a large grin on his face with an oddly serene look in his optics that Rhinox did not recognize during the years he knew him.

"Oh yeah, that's the stuff," the rat bot raised his hands in the air before taking another swig. "Thank you Primus for ta lovely gift dat is processed energon. I love you."

Rhinox let a ghost of a smile sneak on his face, but stopped when he noticed SilverBolt take another drink. Before the rhino Maximal was about to inform the fuzor about the energon he was drinking, Cheetor interrupted cheerfully.

"Hey, uh, do you think I could have one of those?" he pointed towards Rattrap's glass.

Optimus spared a glance at Cheetor, but was slow with his reply. The large bot couldn't bring out any words through his vocalizer at the moment; every time he attempted to speak he would choke. Though Optimus was not crazy about letting the yellow bot drink, Cheetor had gone through many hardships. Optimus had always been worried about Cheetor's health during the Beast Wars, wondering that if losing so many friends and suffering from the transformation to a transmetal 2 would be too much for him. The large bot nodded towards Cheetor, confident that throughout all he had gone through a little high grade drinks were something he could handle.

"Eheh, don't think ya wanna taste of one of these bad boys," Rattrap shook his drink in front of the yellow Maximal, "but here, take some high grade, this'll be more up your alley kid. Who knows, I may even take ya to this little place I know where the da-"

Rhinox waved his hand in front of Rattrap with a frown, "Don't even think about it Cheetor. It's not a place you'd want to stay for more than twenty clicks when you go with Rattrap."

"Hey," the rat bot downed another drink and slammed it on the bar with an accusing look, "that maintenance bot looked good at the time."

"Sure it did, and Night Glider volunteers at a human children's hospital out of the goodness of his spark," Rhinox shook his head while taking another swig.

Cheetor took a sip of his energon and licked his lips of the residue with annoyance, "Assuming he has a spark."

Against Rhinox's processor he felt something metal graze close to his brow. A giant yellow hand gently grasped an energon cube between his servos. The glass was dwarfed in Optimus's hand while he carefully brought the tiny portion of fluid towards his mouth. Before any of the sweetened energon reached his lips the glass broke between his fingers and Optimus sighed disappointingly. The fact that he couldn't drown his worries like the rest of the Axalon crew only made his spark sink further. Optimus rubbed his servos together of the liquid and shed off the broke glass. Neon lights flickered across his primary colored armor, dancing on his frame. The bright lights and loud music were comforting in a way, proving that he wasn't alone by being surrounded by so much activity. Optimus wasn't used to so many distractions, clubbing or even listening to music for a long time weren't things he did often. His job and crew were always top priority and he couldn't afford any distractions. The drum beats of each song that played reminded him of the sound of thunder in the jungle. Thunder would pound against the clouds, deafening his audio receptors. Living on Cybertron was like living in this very club, it was loud, crowded, and made you long for open spaces. It was one of the reasons he had become a Primal, a ship captain, it allowed him to lead a crew and explore desolate areas of the galaxy. He was a military scientist, he loved to discover but was ready for battle when needed. The universe was a vast place and as an explorer he needed to be ready for anything it could throw at him.

Optimus would have never suspected a plan like Megatron's to exist and though he brought back the Predacon in chains, Megatron still escaped under his watch. Night Glider had it out for him, though he hadn't realized exactly how much he hated him until he set up the meeting with the entire council. Optimus always had faith in the laws created after the signing of the Pax Cybertronia. Predacons were always kept with a watchful gaze, but if they were willing to work with Maximals peacefully then the least he could do was give them a chance. Optimus went by his own beliefs knowing that if a betrayal came his way, he'd deal with it yet he refused to convict someone for a crime they hadn't committed. Night Glider had time to speak to the council about BlackArachnia before Optimus could. Optimus clenched his fist tightly, nearly breaking the gears in his servos with rage. He couldn't let his failure sink in so low. Optimus knew he had to help BlackArachnia as soon as he could but, Megatron needed to be found whether he was part of the military or not.

Rhinox accidently kicked the large bot's foot breaking his thoughts. Optimus raised a brow at his now slightly drunk friends.

"I'll give Night Glider one thing, that's one way to take attention off of yourself from losing one of the most wanted criminals in history is to put Optimus under some petty charge." The rhino Maximal muttered while taking another sip.

"Yeah," Rattrap agreed with a slight slur to his voice, "that-that sneaky disgustin' snake probably couldn't shoot Waspinator if he was standin' still."

Cheetor's ears perked up at the name. "Waspinator? Oh yeah, I remember him, all the times I fought with that guy-aw man-"

"Waspinator think cat-bot is a liiiiiitle off now," Rattrap mocked while patting his friend on the shoulder.

Cheetor was about to give a reply until he proved his friends of his tipsy mood and fell out of the chair. Rhinox chuckled at the scene, even Optimus gave a small smile. It was a rare moment of joy considering everything that had happened in the past two solar cycles. Even during times like this, they were able to enjoy drinks just as if they had been friends for many years. Before the accident on the Axalon tensions were high with the crew, most notably between himself and Rattrap. Optimus had known Cheetor for a short while before then and Rhinox even less, though he had worked with the rhino Maximal before. It was strange how things turned out between them. Optimus briefly faced away from his worries as he listened to his comrades drunken fervor with an amused look.

"Now what about that Inferno," SilverBolt interjected while his processor rolled from side to side due to the energon, "As I recall, he would often shout 'For the Royalty!' "

The rat bot gave a chuckle at SilverBolt's unusual loose behavior; perhaps he'd bring the Dogbird back to this place some other time. " 'Ah yes my queen'. If ya ask me though, lizard lips was always a bit flamey even before he became a dragon."

Everyone laughed at Rattrap's insult while Cheetor almost fell out of his chair again, writhing happily on the bar stool. It didn't matter that nearly everyone in the club, including the bar tender, backed away from the group. No one would understand their joy to be home. Rhinox looked up at Optimus with a more sobered grin than the rest of the team. He raised his glass slightly towards the Autobot-sized mech and began to speak.

"To Optimus, at least when you put him in command he doesn't lose the criminal."

Each bot raised their glass towards the large bot, though Cheetor had to get up first rubbing his back with a little bit of pain. Optimus raised his fist with a smile to gently tap his finger at the glasses.

For all the effort taken to bring Megatron to justice, in a way this moment in the bar made it worth it. So much had happened they forgot that they were home. Admittedly the fighting wasn't over and the villains were harder to touch, but they managed to save the universe once and would try it again. Optimus looked at his slightly drunken crew proudly. They all fought so hard, it was a shame they had to continue fighting instead of just enjoying these times together. Still he knew that they wouldn't back down even if he begged them. Optimus's crew was a stubborn bunch, even difficult to handle at times, though he couldn't ask for better people to stand by him during these times. His crew tried so hard to cheer him up, but the creeping agony of his fate brought Optimus's optics to dim.

"I really appreciate this," the large bot interrupted his friends' conversation, "but I'm not captain anymore. We're technically not crew-mates."

"Aw come on big bot, we've stuck with you this far," Cheetor comforted while patting Optimus's hand.

Rhinox set down his drink firmly. "With all that's happened on prehistoric Earth, considering us all less than friends just isn't possible at this point. Look at Rattrap, he hated you in the beginning."

The large bot felt his spark swell at their words. They weren't obligated to stand by him yet they did, in the court room, in battle, and even now when he was stripped of his rank. Optimus shifted his gears and felt the strength in his vocalizer return.

"Thank you, all of you, I may not be a captain anymore but I am still a part of the Maximal Military. Even if I was relieved from duty doesn't mean we can't locate Megatron ourselves."

Rattrap nearly spit out his drink. "Are you serious? We barely got out of that court room unscathed! What? Do ya want them to court martial you or somethin'? In these bodies we stick out like a sorry old mech who had to sell his legs and get around with pelvic wheel attachments!"

SilverBolt pushed aside the vile glass of unusual energon and focused on Optimus with a sad sincerity shining in his yellow optics.

"You gave me a chance when I had no where to go, the least I can do for all the trouble caused here today is to see your pursuit of Megatron to the end," the Dogbird stood up, wobbling a bit due the affects of his drink. "I've never had any other form but this, and we were just about to get new ones until the machine exploded upon scanning BlackArachnia and myself."

Each Maximal could hear the fuzor's sadness clearly when he spoke of his beloved's name, though Rhinox faced SilverBolt fiercely when he spoke.

"It exploded?" Rhinox spoke with intrigue.

SilverBolt tilted his head towards the green rhino and nodded. "Yes, when those Maximals, Santon and Bump, were trying to figure out why the machine malfunctioned it turned out that fixing it to accommodate me wasn't a problem, but BlackArachnia's was more complex. It wouldn't work for her because she's a Transmetal 2."

"Transmetal-," Optimus's optics grew wide, "the alien driver! It's still back in our ship, but if I know Night Glider he'll give it to Bump for scanning."

Rhinox grimaced at the mention of the scientist. "I wonder why Bump is still part of the science department anyway."

"Why was dat guy kicked out?" the rat bot stretched his limbs with a defeated sigh. "Besides from bein' an uptight loser?"

Optimus crossed his arms and furtively made sure that enough people had strayed away from the group. Their conversation had become a little more dangerous than he would have liked. Rhinox could tell that he didn't want to speak of this in public, but since the entire population of the bar had isolated them in their own private corner Optimus spoke freely.

"Few outside the military are privy to this knowledge, but Bump was the head scientist behind the project that created Protoform X."

"Rampage?" SilverBolt's optics grew wide. "Such a monstrosity. As I had heard from Depth Charge, he had killed so many Maximals. I'm surprised he could be so judgmental towards BlackArachnia when there is so much weight on his shoulders."

Optimus grunted. "That's probably why. After such an oversight on his part, he couldn't let the smallest thing pass him by, even with a maximum set of precautions taken."

SilverBolt didn't quite understand why the cruel Maximal had to be so eager to demolish his beloved's title, but decided to quell his anger for the moment.

"Still, that Transmetal driver is unpredictable. We thought it to be lost and yet it found it's way aboard our ship with us."

Rhinox wore a frown and pondered the idea for a moment. "We don't know how it got there either. It does leave some invaluable evidence that the council can't ignore, the fact that these aliens exist or once existed."

The Transmetal driver was a wild card, as Optimus believed that was how the phrase went, but may help their case in the long run. These Maximals were the greatest crew he had ever had the privilege of serving with. Despite being toyed with by Night Glider, they were willing to stand by him and truly end the Beast Wars. Cybertronians did not cry, that was an organic program his people could not implant, though Optimus could feel his spark spring to life at the realization that there was still hope. It was risky to skirt around the law the way his crew would have to do, but this was bigger than the Maximal Imperium or all of Cybertron for that matter. Optimus could name many bots in the history tracks who had to break a few rules to get things done; sometimes crazy works.

"We've accomplished a lot team," the large bot held his head up proudly, "but I can't just let Megatron go with the knowledge he has. I'm going to do everything I possibly can within the Maximal legal system to try and find him myself."

Rhinox smiled at Optimus, knowing that this would be a tough job to pull off without getting court-martialed.

"You're going to need some help scanning through those data tracks," the rhino offered.

Cheetor managed to balance himself on the bar with new found strength wedged in his optics, "I bet you'll need a pretty fast scout too."

SilverBolt stood beside the cat-bot and saluted, "Having someone to patrol the skies is always a necessity."

"Eh, you guys can go on without me."

Everyone stared at the rat bot with a glare as Rattrap shook his processor fervently.

"Ok, ok, ok, but ya gotta realize we've only been on Cybertron for two solar cycles. We're gonna stick out in dese bodies," Rattrap pointed out and grinned as if he had found a rotten plate of cheese, "but luckily for you guys, I know just the bot who may be able ta help us."


BlackArachnia had been scanned before, multiple times in fact, but never in stasis cuffs. Though Optimus had clearly appreciated her skills more than she'd ever realized, he had still been very cautious around her; not that she could blame him. For nearly the entire solar cycle BlackArachnia was surrounded by so many different types of scanners that she didn't even recognize. The scientist in her was curious as to how each machine worked, but her guards wouldn't tell her a thing. A difference between being scanned on the Axalon to this kind of treatment was that Optimus had granted her freedom. The she-spider's optics twitched when she remembered how that the captain's leniency was the reason for his punishment. BlackArachnia stood strong as the scientist turned on another device. She wished that SilverBolt was around, at least his ridiculous words would be more amusing than having to wait here with her guilty thoughts and probing eyes. Bump, whom she had met earlier, shifted his optics from the screen to the various machines around her body. Standing by him was K-9, whose dull armor managed shine a little in the bright lights and white walls of the lab. BlackArachnia shook her head, annoyed that her arms and legs were cuffed which only added to dull aura of the room.

"Let's see," Bump stated while surveying the results of her latest scan.

"What does it say, Bump, is she an insecticon or something?" K-9 inquired.

"No," he replied with an increasingly disappointed tone, "she isn't an Insecticon, Autobot, Predacon, Dinobot, nor is she a Micromaster. It just keeps coming up as a Maximal energy signature."

Both mechs were clearly angry at the failed scans and BlackArachnia knew they would not rest until they compared her software to every type of transformer in history. It was getting increasingly annoying how pigheaded these officers were. Bump had scanned her body so many times she wouldn't have been surprised if he found her old body under her armor somewhere. K-9 was equally as annoying, his stares were so intense that it would amuse her to think of SilverBolt mauling his face for such an act. Then again, BlackArachnia preferred to fight her own battles and for the moment it was best to ignore the Sergeant. The she-spider immediately gave an exhausted sigh as Bump started up another scanner.

"Oh would you give it a rest already lame brains, the tech in this bod is from an ALIEN race," she scoffed out of boredom. "You're not going to be able to crack it in two solar cycles."

"The manner in which you aquired this body is of great interest to us, but your story sounds ridiculous and conflicts with everything we know about Predacon Shell Programs," K-9's vocalizer sounded gruff with annoyance when he responded.

BlackArachnia glared at the Maximal Sergeant, "You found the gizmo that transformed me! Have a look at it for yourself!"

"We would if we would get it under control," Bump replied while poking his head from the computer screen.

The scientist then turned around the monitor so she could see the screen. Bump pressed a button and brought up a security video of several Maximals, who she assumed were officers, struggling to keep the Transmetal driver still. The device pulled and pushed at the bots, moving in the opposite direction that they were. BlackArachnia stood silent as she saw the image, wondering briefly what could have gotten the device so agitated. When the she-spider had stolen the driver from Depth Charge it was completely still. Even when charging it up with lightening it hadn't moved and after her transformation no one knew where it had went. To think that the driver had been aboard their ship during the whole trip, was a little unnerving. Immediately BlackArachnia was brought out of her thoughts when K-9 walked up to her and gently grasped her chin. The she-spider sneered at the Maximal, but held back any thoughts of punching him. Doing so would only get her and Optimus in more trouble no matter how tempting.

"We'll be able to confirm or deny your story once we manage to scan and restrain that thing, sweetheart," K-9 tilted her chin gently to face him with a slimy grin, "but being that it's currently giving some Maximal soldiers a run for their money doesn't exactly bode well for your case."

"Look, I'm tired of this, let ME capture it. I promise I'll get back into my little box when I'm done," the she-spider mocked.

K-9 chuckled and finally let go of her chin, "Oh really? And what makes us so sure that you'll get back in?"

BlackArachnia crossed her arms with a bored expression. "I've never seen Cybertron, where would I escape to? I'm just a little girl lost in the poor big city. Besides, I could have just done 'this' anytime."

Bump backed away from his console as the controls began acting erratically. The lights flicked as a small fog of energy swam around Black Arachnia's optics. As the she-spider tilted her head towards her cuffs as they detached themselves from her body. K-9 stepped back from the femme to pull his gun out. The spider stood proudly, her hands resting on her hips with a smirk.

"Oh," Bump choked nervously, "well, um, well I suppose we can make some arrangements for you to contain the alien device."

K-9 kept his gun aimed at the femme, keeping a stern gaze on her movements. "But you'd better keep your promise, Pred. I don't give warning shots."

"Oh, I will," the spider grinned triumphantly and winked.


Cybertron never took time to recharge. Everything in the city was awake and the bright lights often made it seem earlier in the solar cycle than it was. Optimus squinted his optics when entering an unusually dark area. It had taken many mega cycles to fly to where Rattrap needed to go, but the rat bot seemed certain that it was worth it. Very few lights were on in this block, leaving Optimus with the impression that whatever was being built here hadn't been finished yet. Rattrap walked ahead of him, despite his smaller size. The rat bot would occasionally look up towards the windows and glance behind Optimus when given the chance. This area was not Predacon territory, but it allowed easy cover for anyone to ambush them. Rattrap calmed his nerves a little, though his servos were still shaking. Megatron had been a constant threat during the Beast Wars. Even if there were aliens or Decepticons around, the Maximals would lose battles for assuming Megatron could not interfere. This paranoia had worked in his favor many times and being a rat of sorts, he would twitch his head to face each dark corner or crevice for any unwarranted movement.

"Wish we didn't have to go to this guy," Rhinox looked at the surrounding buildings with a stern gaze.

"Aw come on, I was gonna introduce ya to him anyway," Rattrap gave a short glance at his green friend. "Besides he's not as bad as others say."

SilverBolt nearly tripped on a loose piece of metal from one of the many unfinished buildings. The BirdDog shook the appendage off of his clawed feet and attempted to keep his back straightened as he walked. The vows made in the loud club had brought the group together in an unbreakable band of brotherhood, as SilverBolt believed, but the fuzor couldn't enjoy the proclamation of justice for long. His spark felt as though each atom were being pulled apart when he thought of BlackArachnia. SilverBolt's panels flexed downwards in a frown, he knew Optimus had done his best to defend his heart of hearts but he missed her presence greatly. The fuzor vowed to be her knight and protector, though he could do little. If SilverBolt had to travel through the galaxy and back again, he'd save BlackArachnia. Oh how he missed her so. Cheetor brought Bolt out of his thoughts by giving a gently pat on the back. Though the two had been somewhat of rivals for BlackArachnia's spark (at least SilverBolt saw it this way), he accepted the young bot's gesture with a nod.

"If this person has a tarnished reputation and lives in such horrendous conditions, how can you be sure he is to be trusted?" the fuzor looked at the rat expectantly.

Rattrap chose not the face his friend, knowing that their destination was near.

"Look, I don't make it a habit of gettin' in trouble, you can check my prison records," the rat bot motioned for his friends to turn the corner. "I'm clean, but this guy and I go way back. He may have gotten himself inta some bad business, but he's good at what he does and last I checked he's been stayin' out of trouble."

Optimus raised a brow, "Exactly how much trouble has your friend gotten himself in?"

The rat sighed, "From what I heard, he managed ta infiltrate a Pred group or somethin'. Either way, he don't like Predacons and he owes me a favor."

The Maximals walked up to one of the many run down buildings in the area. Optimus tilted his head and peered through the windows, wondering how any one could live in a dump like this. Similar to what the neighborhood looked like, the place where Rattrap stopped at was partially damaged and held up by rusty support beams. Rattrap walked up to a small speaker, which was too small for the large bot to see clearly, and pressed a buzzer that surprisingly worked. SilverBolt narrowed his eyes at the speaker with mild curiosity. The device looked out of place compared to the rest of the building, as if it had been intentionally covered with random bits of scrap to blend in better. Before the fuzor could get closer to examine the buzzer, a small slit on the door had been opened revealing only the optics of whomever lived there. A shrill cry emitted from the bot behind the door when he saw the large group gathered in front.

"Leave this ta me," Rattrap whispered to SilverBolt.

"agck-yes! Who is it?" the mysterious bot cried.

Rhinox raised a brow when Rattrap held his hand towards his mouth and gave a fake cough. The rhino Maximal could have sword he had seen a hint of a smile on the rat and shook his head shamefully.

"This is the Predacon Alliance," Rattrap placed his hands on his hips, "we have you surrounded so come out and beg for ya life!"

The optics seen through the door grew wider than what the group was able to see. A gasp was heard as the mysterious bot's optics flickered erratically with fear.

"agck,agck,agck,agck,agck! Preds,Preds,Preds,Preds,Preds!"

Rattrap grinned and let out a small laugh, "Eh, just kiddin', it's me, Rattrap."

The other Maximals gave a small glare towards the rat as the slit on the door was closed again. Before Optimus could say anything against Rattrap's actions, the entire side of the building began to open giving Optimus enough room to enter. The bots stepped back a little when the doors opened. Unlike the doors at the club there wasn't a single sound of struggle or strain on the old-looking metal. Before anyone could process how the old building could sustain such an upgrade, a colored mist flew out of the doors causing the Maximals to cover their olfactory sensors. Optimus nearly gagged at how terrible the smoke smelled and coughed a little to get the mist out of his circuitry. A lanky Maximal constructed with parts that no one in the group recognized soon walked out. Each piece of the bot looked like it had belonged to a different type of transformer, yet the parts seemed to work together without any problem. Rattrap walked inside and motioned for everyone else to do the same. Hesitantly, the group followed him inside. The mysterious bot then closed the doors behind the group and walked up to Rattrap while shaking his head.

It was then Optimus noticed that he was quite taller than either Rattrap or even Cheetor, but his nervous gaze and hunched shoulders made him appear unstable.

"Oh Rattrap,agck,agck,agck," the bot started with a relieved sigh, "do you have to do that every time you see me?"

Rattrap shrugged. "What can I say? It gets funnier each time." The rat bot grinned and patted his unusual friend on the shoulder harshly.

"Agck,agck-" he exclaimed while looking at Optimus with a smirk, "I see you brought friends and Autobot friends as well."

The large bot put a servo to his brow with a sigh. "I'm really getting tired of hearing that."

"Agck, good thing I sprang for the extra large door, huh? Come in, come in! I'm sure you all want something of me!"

Rhinox walked inside, while attempting to turn off his ability to smell and leaned closely to whisper to Rattrap.

"This is who you hang out with?" Before he could respond, Cheetor coughed.

"No wonder he smells so bad all the time," Cheetor scrounged his nose at the lingering smell.

"Anyway," the unusual bot interrupted while, "it isn't safe to stay on this level, so please follow me down to the lab." His gaze was frantic and his servos shook with mild fear at the idea of being caught.

Rhinox furrowed his brow curiously. "How can you maintain a lab in a place like this?" The smell caught up to the Maximal as he quickly covered his olfactory sensors again.

"Yes,yes,yes,yes this metal isn't as old as it looks. Besides Cybertronian constructs very tough, takes a long time to decay. Anyway, agck, let us descend to the lab ok?" the bot waddled over to a control panel, ignoring the questioning gazes of his new guests.

After pressing a few command codes, the entire floor began to move underground. Optimus steadied his body at the sudden jerking motion of the unusual elevator. The giant opening which allowed Optimus to enter the building began to close as another floor panel replaced the one above what they were riding. Cheetor and SilverBolt marveled at the grimy walls they passed by, again wondering how such advanced tech could operate under these conditions. Quickly, the Maximals arrived to the laboratory. Optimus cringed at the unorganized mess that Rattrap's friend so happily called his work space. New parts, chest plates, wings and many more pieces adorned the walls. For a moment Optimus's spark clenched, believing that the parts had come from innocent victims. The bot walked over to a torso plate and gazed at it closely. Optimus sighed in relief as the construction did not have any insignias or burnt spark chambers. Nothing was on the shell to indicate it had been used by anyone before, though the sight was still unsettling. Still, for someone to create Maximal parts on his own required much skill on the bot's part.

"Guys," Rattrap walked by his friend and held out his arms in a grandiose pose, "I'd like ya ta meed Stink Bomb: the best body frame builder on this side of Iacon."

Cheetor blinked, "But we're not in Iacon."

"But, if he is the best, then why is his frame so...so..." SilverBolt stuttered on his words, wondering how he could phrase his comment politely.

Stink Bomb grinned and began to transform his body. Instead of just rearranging his parts to a vehicle mode, his arm and back shifted so that his entire side was one giant cannon. The group stared in wonder at the powerful weapon while Stink Bomb began to transform his body again. This time several treaded tires on his back separated to show several smaller guns which he seemed to control perfectly. Stink Bomb transformed his entire body to show an a large variety of weapons systems, scanning tools, and even transforming his tires for different types of travel. Lastly the bot went into his vehicle mode, which was an odd looking tank with a powerful gun.

SilverBolt cleared his vocalizer, impressed at the bot's control in his transformations.

"Oh." Stink Bomb went back into his normal (as normal as it could be) robot mode and stood proudly next to Rattrap.

The rat bot nodded towards Stink Bomb with short laugh, "Heheh, as you can see, my friends and I are having a bit of trouble fittin' in on Cybertron after our big space adventure."

Stink Bomb nodded vigorously. "Yeeees, I can`t see though why you would have such an enhanced Autobot body frame, along with such unusual-agck,-features in some of your other friends." The lanky bot then straightened his back and faced the other with a less spastic attitude.

"Um," Stink Bomb began to speak calmly, "what happened to you all? The only ones I can see that look what I would expect after an exploratory mission are the one with the wings and that other guy with the teeth on his chest." The rest of the group looked at each other, wondering if they should answer truthfully.

Optimus sighed, followed by a tired creak in his gears. "It's a long story."

"Agck, oh wait, wait, wait, wait, don't tell me, I want to figure it out!" He responded suddenly.

Before anyone could process Stink Bomb's speedy servos as he typed away on a nearby consul, many scanners emerged from the walls and surrounded the team. The group gathered closely, shutting down their optics from the different lasers from each scanner. Stink Bomb speedily glanced from his console, to the key board, and at the group in record speeds.

"A quantum surge, alien energy, and youuuu cat bot, very interesting," the lanky scientist commented. "Whatever you do, don't go into an ordinary Body Transmogrification Center. It would likely exploooooode. That goes for you too BirdDog!" SilverBolt and Cheetor's optics grew wide at the accurate reading this crazy bot managed to get from just a few scans.

Rattrap smirked at his friends' surprise, but before he could comment Optimus stepped forward.

"That's amazing that you were able to collect all this information so quickly," the large bot was impressed.

Stink Bomb waved a servo carelessly, as if what he had just done was too dull for such praise. "Former body frame engineer, know everything there is to now about them. Was a spy in Predacon army, didn't go so well. Long story."

"Ahem," Rattrap interrupted, "anyway you probably wouldn't be able to help me or the kid, but Rhinox, SilverBolt, and Optimus, could use some more Cybertronian bodies with a few of your, hm, enhancements." The rat bot gazed up at Optimus and shook his head pitifully.

"Especially Optimus, so whattaya say Stinky? Are ya up ta the challenge?" Stink Bomb grinned and rubbed his servos with glee at Rattrap's words.

"Oh yes, yes, yes, yes! It'll be like working on the Maximal Upgrade all over again!"

Optimus stared at the lanky scientist with surprise, "You worked on the original Maximal Upgrade?" Stink Bomb nodded vigorously at the large bot's words.

"Yes, yes, I know I'm old but not as old as many of the former Autobots walking around," the scientist puffed his chest proudly. " I was a young prodigy at the time. It seems to me that the life of a transformer is either very long or very short. I've made it the past four hundred years, so it looks like I'm in the clear. Now, let's get busy working on what type of form you would like to have. Hmm? No wait! Inspiration! I have just the thing!"

As Stink Bomb began to type away some of his 'inspired' ideas for their bodies, the group began to have second thoughts at the idea of an unauthorized upgrade. Granted, such a thing wasn't illegal but often upgrades not associated in the Maximal Imperium Military usually did not end well. While Stink Bomb's own body had impressive features, it looked rather odd and out of place. The idea was to make it so that their new bodies would blend in better on Cybertron, the group hoped that Stink Bomb wouldn't get too carried away in his fun.

"Are you certain this is safe Rattrap?" SilverBolt gave the bot a worried look.

Rattrap waved his hand a little before placing it back on his hip. "Don't worry, he might seem a little off but he's the best there is." The rat bot grinned and held up his forearms proudly.

"Where do ya think I got my hidden bomb compartments from?"

Stink Bomb's audio receptors managed to pick up the Maximals' conversation easily. "Oh yes yes, bombs are my specialty!" He spoke while keep his back towards the group.

Cheetor made a fist and punch it in his other hand excitedly, "Wow! Maybe I could get a new body too?"

The scientist chuckled at the young bot. "Bombs? You want it?" Cheetor nodded with a grin.

"Yeah! That would be great!"

"Sorry cat bot," Stink Bomb shook his head. "I can't give it to someone altered by alien tech, don't know how yet. Come back when your a little, ummm, less alieny."

The yellow Maximal's shoulders shrugged in defeat, "Aw man."

SilverBolt was hesitant to give this odd Maximal his trust, yet the fellow seemed harmless enough despite the large arm cannon on his side. The bot never had any other body besides his mismatched animal form and the idea of changing it forever began to sink in. Optimus had once explained to him how his species were built to adapt to new bodies as if they had been reformatted with them since creation. The Maximal Imperium used this trait to their advantage for space exploratory missions, so that their kind could take the form of whatever inhabited the planet in order to study it better. Maximals loved knowledge and, before meeting Night Glider, SilverBolt had thought them all to be kind hearted. On the other hand, Rattrap seemed to trust this scientist well and through past experiences of serving under the bot had proven to the fuzor how great of a leader Rattrap could be. Albeit the rat bot was difficult at times, but he was always suspicious of everyone and considering how relaxed he was with the scientist seemed to put Bolt more at ease.

"Alright," Stink Bomb walked over to the bots, "I believe I have some designs you will like for you new bodies. Now, if you would, the three of you who aren't as alieny as the others can step over to those chambers in the corner."

"I've never had any other body besides this one, though I am willing to change for our mission." SilverBolt muttered to himself while walking inside one of the chambers.

"Ah yes yes, you Autobot person! You'll have to undergo your transformation outside, the old fashioned way." Optimus gazed at him warily.

"And what exactly does that entail?"

"Oh, just some external surgery, nothing I haven't done before. You will acutally be getting a Maximal Upgrade. Haven't performed one in years, no need for it, but I'm willing to help any of Rattrap's friends!" Optimus's spark clenched nervously as the scientist grinned.

As Rhinox hesitated getting inside the chamber he hoped that the transformation wouldn't become a total disaster. Rattrap had told him of Stink Bomb many times before, but Rhinox was always cautious when meeting the rat's other friends. If the law or the council weren't against them in Megatron's re-capture, he wouldn't have come here at all. For now he'd trust his friend, no matter how bad the idea sounded in his processor. Suddenly the hum of the machines began to echo all over the large room. SilverBolt briefly gazed at Rhinox with a worried glance, hoping that everything was going accordingly.

Stink Bomb raised his servo towards the three, mimicking the gesture of having an energon glass in his hand. "Here's hoping."


A/N: Sorry for the long wait, things have been crazy. Next chapter will be more story focused-promise! Hopefully you all get the 'bombs? you want it?' joke and remember that I do not own ANY of the characters. They are all canon in their own way, you can look them up on the wikia and pleasssssse review!