Talking'
'Radio talk'
'Thinking'
Here the next chapter and I would like to say this first. I am really enjoying volume 4 of RWBY so far, and I'm just wondering what others think of it so far.
Disclaimer: I do not own either Beast Wars or RWBY
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Chapter 11
Fallen Comrades
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In the space above Remnant, debris from the battle between the Axalon and Darksyde floated still littered. As the pieces floated about, a stasis pod came out of the atmosphere and began to descend toward Remnant. At the same time, a second pod struck some space junk, causing the pod to descend toward the planet as well.
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Axalon
In the Axalon, Optimus Primal was going over the information that Rattrap got from Beacon's school records about Weiss and Blake. He wanted to make sure that the two girls could be trusted. It was only two days after they were brought to the Axalon and Optimus wanted to make sure that they made the right choice in letting them join. As he read through Weiss' information the Computer went off.
"Alert incoming stasis pod."
Hearing this Rhinox rushed over to the computer and started to track its descent. His optics studied the data as the other Maximals entered the Control Room.
"Confirmed. Orbit has decayed over the northern hemisphere. Mostly likely crash area: northern Atlas. Impact in five seconds. Four...three...two...one! The pod has crashed at these coordinates."
Hearing this, Optimus obtained the coordinates as he spoke to the other Maximals.
"Heads up, everyone. Get ready to move."
The other Maximals obeyed, while Rattrap muttered something about the cold of Atlas' snow freezing his gears. But Optimus knew they had to move fast. Or else they would lose one of their crew to the Predacons.
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Darksyde, a few minutes earlier
Torchwick was in a tight spot. He knew it. The others knew it. And if he wasn't careful, he was going to lose it all. Making up his mind, he chose his course of action.
"I fold." He told the others as he tossed his cards into the middle of the table.
Around him, he could hear the others having a soft laugh at him. He knew coming to this poker game was a mistake and now it was showing.
"What's wrong, Torchwick? I thought you said you were great at poker?" Mocked Mercury as the others around him snickered. Torchwick scowled as he glared at the grey-haired boy.
Adam wouldn't say this out loud, but he was enjoying this poker game. Especially seeing how bad Torchwick was at it. But before they could continue their game, the base's alarms went off.
"Alert! Incoming stasis pod."
Hearing this made the lot of them confused at what was going on. Adam then grabbed his winnings and left for the command center. As he entered the room he heard, Terrorsaur read off the data as he spoke to Megatron.
"Impact! Coordinates 617 by 885. It landed in northern Atlas. Shall we go, Lord Megatron?"
Tarantulas, however, had to add in his own voice as the technical supervisor of the Darksyde.
"Megatron. I should point out that the ground bridge won't work that far out. The energon fields in addition the magnetic energy in that location are throwing off the bridge's targeting systems. Unless we have a stronger signal to lock onto, we can't get a bridge-lock."
Hearing this, Megatron scowled. However, he knew that the Maximals would have the same problems. Then that would mean….
"Then that would mean the Maximals will dispatch their only flyer to reach the pod first. Yessss. Let us ensure that he encounters turbulence."
Hearing this made Terrorsaur smile wickedly. He transformed into beast mode and flew off to find Wazzpinator. Seeing it was the time, Adam made himself known to Megatron.
"Megatron. What's going on here?"
Seeing the inquisitive Faunus, Megatron opted to humor him as he gazed at the computer screen. He would have to explain to Adam carefully so as not to have him lost during the explanation.
"A stasis pod holds a protoform. To put it simply, a Cybertronian infant or clay of sorts. If we get to the protoform first, then we will gain another soldier for our side."
Hearing this, Adam asked another question out of curiosity.
"Then why isn't this stasis pod on your ship, then?"
"That is because it is from the Maximals' ship. They ejected the pods when we crash."
Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Adam asked one last question.
"Then what shall the White Fang do?"
But before Megatron could answer, Tarantulas stepped in.
"Nothing, this time. The location of the pod is too cold for your men. Even if you dress for the cold, your movement will be reduced greatly."
Hearing this, Megatron remembered the fragility of his Remnant-native allies and spoke in agreement with Tarantulas.
"I agree. For now have your forces on standby."
Understanding, Adam bowed to Megatron and returned to the other chamber. He was looking forward to finishing that poker game.
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Axalon
Back at the Axalon, Optimus was rushing through the base in Beast-Mode. As he approached the main table, he slowed his pace as Cheetor jumped up on it, who was also in Beast-Mode. He looked to Optimus with concern.
"Gotta tell you, Big Bot. It doesn't sound like such a swift move."
Optimus gave Cheetor an annoyed look on his face.
"We have no choice! We're talking a large distance between us and the pod. And with the ground bridge down, Megatron would most likely send his own flyers to reach the pod first. I have to get there before them!"
As Optimus turned to the exit of the Axalon, Dinobot stood in his path. Like with Cheetor, Dinobot was just as cautious about the situation. Especially since he knew more about Megatron than even Optimus.
"I am not normally an advocate of caution, Optimus Primal. But in this case, I must register my concern. Megatron does not always behave as one might expect."
But Optimus brushed Dinobot's, concern off. Whatever could occupy his mind instead, his focus was more on the Proto-Form. If they lost the Proto-Form, then they would lose a fellow Maximal to the Predacons. Optimus decision remained steadfast.
"He'll want to reach the pod first. Same as us. Right now, it's a race. Pure and simple. Optimus Primal; Maximize."
Seeing how his leader was acting, Dinobot didn't let up. He was just as stubborn as the Maximal leader.
"None the less, you will do me the honor of permitting to exit first. I have….. suspicions."
Having enough of the delays, Optimus submitted to Dinobot's request. It was better than to dismiss Dinobot's plea, considering he was once a Predacon, thus knowing Megatron better.
"Alright, but hurry."
Seeing that he'd won, Dinobot then transformed and went down the lift. Once at the bottom, he paused so that he would scan for threats. After the battle against the White Fang and the Paladin, the Maximals had to be careful. But even after scanning the area and finding nothing, Dinobot still had his worries as he re-entered the base. When he fully entered he saw Optimus looking at him waiting for his report. He gave it along with request.
"My scanners detect no hostiles. Yet something feels amiss. Permit me to lead a scouting patrol and to call Team RWBY in for back-up."
But Optimus was impatient. He need to get out there immediately.
"There isn't time! One of my comrades is out there somewhere and every second counts!"
Despite Optimus' urgency, Dinobot remained calm as he struggled to keep the Maximal leader from doing something rash.
"Your emotion chips are overriding your caution circuits. I insist upon a scouting patrol and bring in Team RWBY."
"I am in command here! Now stand aside!" Optimus bellowed at Dinobot as he pushed Dinobot into the lift, causing the two of them to descend outside.
Once outside Optimus activated his jets and took to the air. He then turned to face Dinobot as he gave him some orders.
"Have another unit follow me in the dropship as quickly as possible. We have to-!"
But Optimus' orders were cut off as a blast came from behind him. Dinobot, seeing this, went on the defensive.
"Ambush as I suspected." Dinobot snarled as he brought out his sword and looked at where the blast came from.
He saw Terrorsaur and Wazzpinator firing at the two of them from some rock cover a fair bit away. Then, a shot knocked Dinobot's sword from his hand as former Predacon glared at the two. Meanwhile Terrorsaur and Wazzpinator were feeling really good about themselves at the moment.
"Wazzpinator got him." Boasted Wazzpinator.
But Terrorsaur wasn't about to let Wazzpinator outdo him.
"Watch this." He told him as he activated his shoulder cannons and fired at Optimus, who was just regaining his bearing from the first attack.
When he saw the attack heading his way, all Optimus could do was look on in shock and fear as the blast struck him. Optimus went down and it looked like he'd shut down from the blast. Seeing this, Dinobot fired his eye lasers at a rock above the two Predacons causing the chaos. The rock then fell onto of Wazzpinator as Terrorsaur evaded the trap.
"Yes!" Cried out Dinobot, fist-pumping at his handy work. Terrorsaur, in anger and annoyance, fired his gun at the rock and freed a crushed Wazzpinator.
"Oh no! Wazzpinator in trouble!" cried Wazzpinator as he short-circuited
Terrorsaur seeing this, grabbed the Wasp Predation and took off.
"We did our job. Now, let's go back to base."
Seeing the two taking off, Dinobot became furious. His eyes fired green lasers at the fleeing Predacons.
"Cowards! Face me!"
Meanwhile, Cheetor came rushing out of the Axalon while transforming and after seeing his condition, went to Optimus side. He looked over Optimus as the latter's body sparked and twitched.
"Optimus! Oh man. Care you hear me, Big Bot?"
Hearing the commotion, Dinobot approached the fallen gorilla and the cheetah standing next to him.
"Fear not, Optimus. I shall ensure that your funeral is a glorious one, as befits a warrior who died in battle."
However, Optimus was able to stir.
"Afraid I'll have to miss it, Dinobot."
He slowly got up, but his damage was still severe.
"I'm not scrap yet."
"Are you certain? It would be a glorious passage." Dinobot asked him.
But Cheetor heard enough as he growled at Dinobot, gaining his attention.
"Will you knock it off?"
He then looked at Optimus.
"We got to get you to the CR chamber, Big Bot."
Despite his circuits in need of repair, Optimus shook his head. He panted as he started to make his way to the exit.
"No... Stasis pod..."
But Cheetor stopped him, turning him to the CR chamber instead.
"We'll get it. But right now, let's worry about you."
Cheetor proceeded to escort him to the chamber, only to find that Optimus was too big to be moved by one bot. Cheetor looked to Dinobot as he continued to try to move Optimus.
"Hey give me a hand here."
Dinobot growled, but complied.
"Very well."
Dinobot then proceeded to lift Optimus up with one hand and brought him to his eye level. Dinobot stared at Optimus for a moment before lowering him and looking at Cheetor.
"Call in Team RWBY. We will need their help."
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Darksyde
Back at the Darksyde, Terrorsaur was giving his report to Megatron about the results of his mission. And the latter was not happy.
"So. Optimus Primal was not destroyed. You disappoint me, Terrorsaur. Yeees."
Terrorsaur, worried about what would happen to him, flailed his wings in defense as he tried to find something to get back on Megatron's good side. He could care less for Waspinator, though. The insect was nothing more than a Cybertronian shield for those who were of higher rank.
"But we knocked him half to scrap. No way will he be flying anywhere."
It was then that Waspinator spoke, determined to save his own hide as well.
"Yes. We will beat him to the stasis pod easily."
As much as Megatron wanted to scrap the two Predacons for their incompetence, he had to agree that they were right. If they could increase their numbers by hijacking the stasis pods and changed the protoform's formats from Maximal to Predacon, then Megatron would have the numbers he needed to end the Beast Wars. While he did possess the allegiance of the White Fang, organic sapients were fragile creatures.
"Yes, but they will still make an attempt." Said Megatron as he thought about what the Maximal will do.
He then got an idea. An awful idea. And awful idea that made him grin.
"Ah! A land party. Yesss. Leaving only Optimus and perhaps another to guard the base.
Megatron then knew what actions he should take. He proceeded to give his orders to the two present Predacons.
"Wazzpinator, Terrorsaur! You will proceed immediately to the location of the stasis pod. Ensure that the proto-form inside is reprogrammed as a Predacon. GO!"
Heeding their leader's orders, two left the base in Beast-mode. But before Megatron could say anything else, Adam voiced his option.
"Are you sure there will be only two at their base? You forget that they had at least two human allies to call upon. So are you sure that attacking their base is a wise move?"
Megatron was quiet as he did indeed forgot about them. But he shrugged it off. While he was curious about what the red-cloaked female did to Scorponok, he knew that so far, the Maximals' Remnant allies were nothing but children. And despite their own power, Megatron did not viewed them as a threat. At least, not yet.
"It does not matter. After all, even if there are three of them, they are no match for us."
Hearing this Adam started to leave the room, but stopped and looked back at Megatron.
"I hope you're right. That girl...the one in the red cloak... There is something about her. Something powerful. And if you underestimate her, it could cost you."
Megatron merely nodded at Adam's warning. Somehow, the girl had made a brilliant strategy at the safe ring and used that weird power on Scorponok. He knew sooner or later, he would have to find out her secrets. Perhaps even used those secrets for the Predacon cause. But for now, the Maximal base awaited him. He gathered the remaining Predacons and took off, leaving Adam in charge of the Darksyde.
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Beacon Academy: Team RWBY's Room
While all of this was going on, Team RWBY was doing their own thing in their new room. Blake was putting her books away in their bookcases. Yang was hanging up some of her posters. Weiss was organizing her closet space. And Ruby was at a desk, wearing magnifying goggles while giving a look over Ember Celica. Blake put the last of her books away when she looked over at Ruby looking over her sister's weapon.
"Yang? Why is Ruby working on your weapon?" Blake asked the elder of the two sisters.
Yang looked over at Ruby for a second. She turned her head back to Blake and answered her question in a calm, nonchalant manner.
"I did look it over after our fight in the forest and found that the firing chamber was damaged on one of them and the other won't reload when I took that shot. I tried to fix it, but I couldn't. So I asked Ruby because she's better with weapons then me."
Hearing this explanation, Blake accepted it. After their fight in the forest with the Predacons, their arsenal needed to be in tip-top shape if they were to continue to fight. Perhaps when she had the time, Blake will take another look at Gambol Shroud. After a while, Ruby took her goggles off and looked over to her sister.
"Well, Yang. I checked everything over and I have to say Ember Celica is dead. The damage is too extensive inside. There's nothing I can do for it other than rebuild it. But you're in luck! Ember Celica 2.0 is ready now. I had a feeling there would be a time where one of us would need a spare, so I made an upgrade version of our weapons. Your new Ember Celica is at the Maximal base, ready for pick up."
While Yang was upset that her gauntlets had gone to the Great Armory in the Sky, she was glad that Ruby had made her a newer set. Of course, now she was curious as to what her sister had put in the new gauntlets. And still, she was eager to check it out. Weiss, who heard everything, turned at looked at her leader.
"So, there's is nothing in the Matrix that can help you fix it?" Weiss asked, but Ruby could tell that she was still upset about her being the leader of the team and learning her secret.
After the dust settled regarding the introduction of the Maximals and explaining the Beast Wars, Ruby was convinced by Yang to inform their new teammates about the Matrix. Especially since Ruby caught herself nearly calling Blake "Mirage" again. But ever since she told Weiss and Blake about the Matrix in her, Weiss had been colder to her, judging all her calls no matter how small they were. To be honest, she was tired of it. And it was time to find out why she was acting this way to her.
"Hey, Weiss. Can we take in private for a moment?"
But before Weiss could react, Team RWBY's Maximal communicators went off.
"We have a situation. Report to the base immediately." Ordered Dinobot as the line went dead.
This surprised the Huntresses-in-training. Unless something had happened to Optimus, Dinobot would never give an order via communicator like that. The girls looked at each other, wondering what was up. Concerned, they grabbed their weapons from their lockers and made sure they had everything they needed. After Ruby gave the signal, a Ground-Bridge opened in their dorm and they went through.
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Axalon...
Once they entered the Axalon, they only saw Dinobot, in Beast-Mode, working at a console on the table. Wondering what was going on, Ruby spoke up, hoping for some answers.
"Dinobot? Where are the others?"
Dinobot paused from his work and face the four of them.
"A Maximal stasis pod has fallen in northern part of Atlas. Optimus was attacked when he went to retrieve it and is now in the CR chamber, being repaired. Now, the others are racing toward the pod, hoping to reach it first."
Hearing this, the girls had different thoughts. Ruby was thinking what they were going to do to help. Yang was wondering if she could get in on this race. And Weiss and Blake shared a similar thought. However, it was Blake who asked the question.
"What is a stasis pod?"
Once again, Ruby went 'automatic' and answered Blake's question before Dinobot could speak.
"Think of it like a baby Cybertronian. But in its state, it could be reprogrammed into a Predacon."
This horrified the two girls, with Yang sharing a shocked look. Though Yang's expression was tamer. After her explanation, Ruby turned her attention to Dinobot.
"So? Why are we here now and not earlier?"
Dinobot answered as he brought up a holographic map of Remnant, before zooming in on Atlas.
"The reason being that the area is too cold for any human to go to. Currently, Optimus and I are damaged, allowing for the right time for a Predacon attack."
But Dinobot could say anything else, the alarm went off.
"Alert! Incoming stasis pod."
Everyone was silent upon hearing this. Ruby took a seat at one of the computers and began a scan for the second pod. After a bit, she found out that a pod did land. And in a bad location.
"A pod did land. But in landed in a desert area in Vacuo."
She gave them a grim look.
"Predacon territory."
This made the other four tense. Blake and Weiss were still unsure about engaging the Predacons in battle again. Dinobot snarled, his memories of his time with the Predacons bitter. And Yang unsure what to do. With nearly everyone unavailable and the pod landing in a terrible location, Yang was uneasy.
"So? What do we do about that?"
Dinobot snarled as he examined the map. With the others off to retrieve the first pod from Atlas, there was no way for him to go and retrieve the other pod without putting the base and Optimus Primal in jeopardy. Which meant that to retrieve the pod in Vacuo, he'd have to sacrifice the recently arrived extra security. He snarled as he began to locate the pod's crash coordinates for the Ground Bridge.
"Since the others are retrieving the pod in Atlas, you four will have to recover the one in Vacuo."
This caught the four Huntresses off guard. But once the sentence had been processed, Weiss was the first to voice her concerns, unaware that Ruby had crept out of the room.
"But we're just students! We're not ready for this."
Hearing this, Dinobot glared at the heiress.
"You agreed to enter this war. Did you think you would just sit on the sidelines the entire time?! In war, one is expected to take up arms when necessary. And in this case, that time is now."
Weiss bit her lip angrily as she didn't have anything to counter with. Wanting to kill the tension, and to add in her concern, Blake spoke up.
"Then what do we do, then? We're going into enemy territory and we have no idea where the pod is. How are we supposed to find it?"
As if on cue, Ruby returned with a push cart. Seeing this, the others looked at her curiously.
"Luckily, I do."
She brought her cart over to them. The cart had different pieces of gear on it. Gear that none of Team RWBY nor Dinobot recognized. Ruby then started to hand it out to the girls as she explained.
"Rhinox added a scanner to my scroll so I can find the pod with it. After he spotted the ring of stasis pods in the Stratosphere, figured something like this would happen. So we put together some new gear for all of you."
She gave Weiss a new gun that look like an old-fashioned flintlock dueling pistol. But upon closer inspection, one could see that the ammo was loaded at the hand grip.
"For Weiss, I had a new gun for you. It may look like a fancy high class gun, but it just as powerful as Rattrap's. It has two modes: Burst and Single shots. In Burst, it fires multiple shots at once, while single, well, one shot. It can reload like any other type of gun."
Ruby told her as she passed Blake the belt-shaped bandolier.
"Blake. This belt has mini-explosives on it. There are two types of explosives: Timed and Thirty-Seconds. The Timed ones are on the right side and you can set the timer for however long you want. The Thirty-Second ones are on the left and will explode 30 seconds after you activate them."
Blake raised her eyebrow, but equipped the belt as Ruby handed the new Ember Celicas to Yang.
"Yang. Here's that Ember Celicas 2.0 I was telling you about. It is just like your old one, but this one is made out of metals I got from the Axalon. It is stronger than before, but it is a little bit heavier, so keep it in mind. I also changed the barrel and ammo slots so you can carry more ammo and still have the same type of shot. And finally, a thin sheet of metal will go up your arms till it reaches your upper arms to better protect them."
Yang inspected her new weapon. However, when Ruby mentioned the metal, she gave her sister a questioning look.
"Why did you make arm guards for my weapons?"
Ruby gave her the answer as she made final adjustments.
"I made it because when you go in close, someone can attack your arms while you're attacking them. This way, no one could cut off your arm or something like that."
Hearing this, Yang figured her sister had a good point. As Blake put on her belt, she asked about her new gear.
"So, why do I get explosives?"
Wondering Ruby's reasoning behind it.
"Well, Blake. You're very fast and stealthy. So, I figured something that could pack a punch when you are in a bind would be best for you."
Blake nodded as she understood Ruby's logic. Ruby then looked at Weiss. The Schnee Heiress looked over her new gun as Ruby waited for her to say something. What she said surprised the red-cloaked girl.
"Nice choice, Ruby."
Ruby turned her attention to her team as Dinobot continued to prep the Ground Bridge.
"Everyone. I know you're worried, or scared, or both. But as long as we work, together we can do this. After all, we took down four Predacons in the Emerald Forest. And that was a tough fight. So if we run into White Fang or anything else like that, we can get through it."
The team nodded to their leader with approval. Though Weiss and Blake still held worried looks. Dinobot then cleared his throat, gaining Team RWBY's attention.
"I have the Ground Bridge opened in a safe zone near the pod. However, the rest will be on your own. And be cautious. Who knows what Megatron has for sentries in that location?"
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Darksyde...
Adam was deep in thought while his sat in Megatron's command chair. As he thought about how all the Predacons were gone, and how only the White Fang remained, the computer went off.
"Alert. Incoming stasis pod."
While alarmed by the sudden announcement, Adam became interested. If he could get that pod, this would earn Megatron's favor. And you know the saying. "Keep friends close, and keep enemies closer." He then proceeded to give an order to one of his men that was nearby.
"Verity that report and give me a crash location!"
It took a bit, but the Faunus manning the computer found the pod's location.
"Confirmed. It landed in a desert here in Vacuo."
Hearing this, Adam smiled. This pod had dropped right into his lap. He then gestured to a muscular man with short black hair. This man was wearing standard White Fang uniform, but he had metal guards on his forearms. He had a white shirt that had a collar that sticks up around his neck. But what really stood out is his mask. It covered his entire face and had red eye holes with thin red streaks streaming to the bottom of the mask.
"Lieutenant."
"Sir."
"A stasis pod has landed in our territory. I want you to go and get it. And take the Desert Trio with you."
The Lieutenant nodded and left to perform the tasks.
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Airspace over Atlas...
Meanwhile, Rhinox and his team were flying in the dropship through a storm. It wasn't a terrible storm, but it did make flying harder. Inside the ship, Rhinox was piloting as Cheetor and Rattrap sat behind him.
"Man. I don't think it's a slick plan. Leaving Optimus back at base." Said Cheetor, his voice filled with worry.
Rattrap nodded as he gazed at a neighboring window.
"Yeah. Especially with old Chopper-Face as babysitter."
Not wanting to start an argument regarding Dinobot's loyalty to the Maximals, Rhinox spoke calmly as he continued to fly the ship.
"Had to do it. Dinobot's weapons were damaged in the battle. He's got to recuperate as well. And don't forget that Ruby and her team should be there by now."
Hearing this didn't help Rattrap's worries.
"I'm still not sure about those two new girls. Weiss and Blake."
Hearing this, the others wondered what he meant by it. Rattrap proceeded to explain his concerns to the cheetah and rhinoceros Maximals.
"Blake, we know nothing about. And the files we got from the school are missing some parts, like where she comes from. And Weiss? I think she's only here because she wants our tech and nothing else."
This did raise some concern. With Blake being a mystery and Weiss being a member of the notorious Schnee family (with which they read about), the two girls were loose cannons. One wrong move from either of them and it's the end of the Beast Wars. Predacon-favored. Wanting to ease the tension, Rhinox spoke up.
"Whatever the case is, right now Ruby and Yang are watching them. If they try something, I'm sure the two sisters can stop them."
Suddenly, the alarm went off, catching the trio by surprise. Cheetor looked at the radar and frowned.
"Incoming flyers! Four o'clock."
Hearing this, Rhinox gave his orders.
"Rattrap! Man the weapon systems!"
Meanwhile, Terrorsaur and Wazzpinator saw the dropship with the Maximal symbol on top of it. Terrorsaur, slightly amused at the flying fools in front of them, spoke to his flying compatriot.
"Well, look at that we have competition for the stasis pod, Wazzpinator."
Hearing this, Wazzpinator laughed.
"Wazzpinator not think so." He told his fellow flyer as the two of the transformed and flew in to attack the ship.
Once they got in range, Rattrap fired the guns at them. But the two Predacons were able to evade the shots. The two Predacons fired in retaliation, but Rhinox was able to maneuver the ship in time. Rattrap fired a missile at the two. But once more, the flying Predacons dodged it before under the ship. Finding his targets missing, Rattrap spoke out.
"Hey! Where'd they go?"
The ship suddenly lurched upwards as the two Predacons pushed the ship up on one side. As Rhinox tried to regain control, the Preds fired at left engine, causing it to catch fire. Seeing the ship beginning to fall from the sky, the two laughed before continuing on.
Back in the ship, Rhinox was doing everything he could to keep them level. Unfortunately, the ground was coming up close to them. And he knew what was going to happen.
"Brace for impact!"
The ship connected with the ground and slid along the ground before stopping. Thankfully, the ship did not explode. The Maximals inside shook their heads as they regained their bearings.
"At least were in one piece." Said Cheetor as he tried to look on the bright side of their situation.
Rhinox grunted in response as he pushed the door open. Once the door was opened, he transformed into Beast-Mode.
"Yeah, but the Predacons have a lead over us now. We need to hurry!"
Leaving the weapon controls, Rattrap got on the communications console and began to send an encrypted message to the Axalon. The reason for the encryption was so that no outside communications, such as the Predacons and the Atlas Military, could pick up on their communications.
"Maximal base! This is Rattrap! Come in."
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Axalon...
Back at the Axalon, Dinobot heard the call and answered.
"Speak, vermin."
"The Pred's crashed the ship! We're gonna have to continue on foot. There's not a snowball's chance of beating them now."
Hearing this, Dinobot snarled. He knew the rat was right, but he also knew he couldn't let them give up and give the Predacons another fighter.
"No excuses you, pathetic rodent! Keep moving! Dinobot out."
He turned off the channel as Rattrap was saying something to him. But he didn't care. He then changed channels to talk to the other team out in the field.
"Team RWBY! Report! What is your status?"
But after a few seconds of static, Dinobot got worried. Was something happening to them?
"Team RWBY! Report!" He repeated.
Luckily, he got something this time.
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Team RWBY: A few minutes earlier...
After being dropped off by the Ground Bridge, Team RWBY was walking in silence. They followed Ruby while she looked at the radar on her scroll. They stopped on top of a sand dune as Ruby was checking their location. An orange/yellow light appeared out of nowhere and passed over them before disappearing again.
"What was that?" Asked Weiss cautiously.
Ruby explained, remembering the information Rhinox told her regarding how stasis pods and protoforms worked.
"It was a scan from the pod. The pod must be readying the protoform inside and was finding a Beast-Mode for it."
Hearing this, the team began to have various thoughts. Ruby knew they need to hurry to the pod. Yang knew they were getting close to a fight and couldn't wait to try out the new Ember Celica. Weiss was amazed by what she heard. If they could use that tech for scanning for Grimm, then anything was possible. And Blake was wondering if the scan would scanned her. She never asked if Faunas DNA could be used in their scans. But little did she know, a Kangaroo Faunus was closer to the pod and his DNA was scanned and used.
"Let's move." Ruby spoke.
But as soon as they took their first step, the dune fell apart under them, causing the four to take a tumble. Once they were able to stop, Ruby took a look at her team to make sure they were ok. Thankfully, they were only a little disoriented.
"Is everyone ok?" she asked.
"I have sand everywhere and you're asking if I'm ok?" Weiss growled as she stood up and dusted herself off. She had enough. She should be asleep, not wandering through some desert after dark.
"Hey! She was only asking you a question!" Snapped Yang as she glared at Weiss while she got up herself.
Weiss returned Yang's glare.
"Shut up! I should be asleep right now! Not trekking through the sand."
Blake then added her two cents.
"If this is the way you feel now, then you shouldn't be a huntress."
Weiss as she didn't take to it very well.
Soon, the three of them were arguing about the whole situation. Ruby looked on and watched as they fought with one another, none of them looking like they were stopping anytime soon. She knew the more they fought, the lower the chances of them reaching the pod first where and the higher risk of Grimm and possible Predacons coming was.
"Girls! We need to stop and focus on the job at hand."
Weiss glared at her.
"Oh! Does the Matrix think that?" she snapped.
But as soon as she said that, she realized she said something she shouldn't have. Ruby looked like she was about to explode. Weiss only saw that look once and that was when Ruby blasted Scorponok.
"You think I like having this…. this thing inside of me. Every day since I found out about it, I'm worried that it will take me over! And then I'll be gone and something else will take my place. But I can't get rid of it! So all I can do is use it to the best that I can. Now! If all of you can't work together, then go home. I'll finish this mission by myself if I have too."
Hearing this the girls ceased their fighting, a rush of guilt going over them. Not one of them, not even Yang, realized just how scared Ruby was. And she knew more about the Matrix than Weiss and Blake. Their trances broke as Dinobot's voice came through their communicators.
"Team RWBY! Report! What is your status?"
Ruby kept her glare on her team, making none of them move.
"Team RWBY! Report!"
Ruby finally moved her hand to her communicator.
"Dinobot. We need a Ground Bridge."
"Why? What happened?"
"My team is fighting with each other and they can't work together. They're just a liability now."
Hearing this Yang quickly got in.
"Delay that Dinobot."
She then looked at her sister.
"Ruby. We can do this. Just...give us a bit."
Ruby looked at her team and saw they didn't want to be sent back. However, she still had to put her foot down on something.
"One more chance. If we fight like this again, I will go to Ozpin and ask that this team be taken apart."
Hearing this, the girls knew that they had to work together. Or else who know what will happen to them.
"Scratch what I had said earlier, Dinobot. Right now, we are near the pod and haven't seen any Predacons or White Fang. Also, we saw that the pod had just scanned for a Beast-Mode."
"Affirmative. The Predacons have the lead on the other pod. You must reach yours first."
Hearing this, Ruby nodded and released her fingers from her communicator. She then looked at her team.
"I know I was hard on you just now. But if we can't work together and outside our comfort zone, we can never do this."
With a renewed smile, Ruby raised her fist in the air to strike a pose.
"So let's load up and roll out!"
Hearing the battle cry, the girls all looked at her weird. Weiss was the one to ask the question that was on everyone's mind.
"What was that?"
Realizing what she had said and what was coming, Ruby answered awkwardly.
"Our battle cry…?"
"Why do we need a battle cry?" Asked Blake, confused.
Yang, remembering what Ruby had told about the Matrix earlier, gave an amused grin as she answered the remaining members of their team.
"I think she wants one like Optimus Prime did."
Ruby put her hood up to hide her embarrassment.
"Let's just go." Was all Ruby said as she walked away with the girls following her, the three giggling.
As Blake started to walk, she adjusted her ribbon. Carefully.
00000
Axalon...
Meanwhile, back at the Axalon, Dinobot knew he need some help to deal with the Atlas team's problem. After some thought, he came across an idea.
"Computer. Access and activate Optimus Primal's core consciousness."
"Acknowledge."
Dinobot saw that the CR chamber started to glow blue after the computer's acknowledgement. The table emitted the same blue light appeared as a hologram of Optimus' head (in Beast-Mode) was shown.
"Core consciousness, activated."
Though his body was still in the CR chamber, Optimus saw Dinobot in the control room via hologram. And seeing the look on Dinobot's face, the gorilla Maximal made an exasperated assessment.
"Don't tell me. Let me guess. Problems already."
Dinobot was glad he didn't need to waste time informing Optimus about everything.
"Indeed. The others have been forcibly delayed and the Predacons will reach the first pod before them."
Hearing the words "first pod," Optimus became alarmed.
"Wait! First pod? What do you mean, Dinobot?"
Despite knowing he might regret it later, Dinobot explained the rest of the situation to Optimus.
"We received word after the others had left that another pod fell in Vacuo. We had no other option, so Team RWBY was sent to get the pod with Ruby's new upgrades."
Hearing this didn't make Optimus feel any better. In fact, he was livid.
"That's Predacon territory! How could you let them go there?!"
Despite Optimus' anger, Dinobot kept a calm face.
"As I have said, we have no one else to go. I am damaged, you are in the CR chamber, and Rhinox and the others are off to get the other pod in Atlas. Did you want me to leave that pod alone?"
Optimus knew he was right. He hated it, but Dinobot was indeed right.
"You're right. It's just... we know nothing about Weiss and Blake. And I'm worried about that power Ruby used recently."
Dinobot nodded in agreement. By far, he could only trust Weiss and Blake as far as he could throw them. And incident Ruby experienced the other day in the Emerald Forest was still a concerning factor.
"I agree, but I just talked to them. They say that they haven't ran into the enemy yet and the pod just scanned for a Beast-Mode. So it would be wise to focus on the first pod for now."
Hearing this, Optimus agreed with Dinobot. He then thought of an idea to get to the pod first. Since there was no chance the other Maximals could get to the first pod before the Predacons, there may be another option.
"Is there any way we can contact the pod?"
Dinobot thought about it for a moment before answering.
"The energon fields are too strong. Our comm links will not reach it, even with the CCT helping."
"How about laser pulse?"
Dinobot was surprised at the suggestion.
"Impossible. We would need line-of-sight transmission."
"Isn't there anything we could bounce it off of? A Mountain? Clouds? Anything?"
After Optimus' inquiry, Dinobot got an idea.
"Perhaps there is."
He then went to get what he needed. Sometime later, Dinobot was on top of the Axalon adjusting a satellite dish as he prepared it to transmit a laser pulse to the pod. As he was working, he didn't realize that Megatron was nearby and watching him work.
"Ah, as I surmised. Yesss. The remaining Maximal on guard is none other our own treacherous turncoat." Said Megatron mostly to himself as Scorponok and Tarantulas stood near him.
"But what about the humans?" Wondered Tarantulas as he scanned the area for them.
Megatron also looked around for them, but didn't see them. That meant either they were inside or not here at all. Either way, Megatron was only worried about Ruby Rose. There was something strange about that girl. And he was going to find out. One way or another.
"They don't matter. We shall not waste this opportunity. Nooo."
Megatron then gave them a hand signal. Tarantulas moved out, but Scorponok stayed where he was. He was scared of Ruby now after that last fight. He didn't want to run into her again. Megatron saw him not moving and glared at him. Scorponok saw the glare and knew he had to move or else Megatron would take him apart, piece by piece.
Actually, he didn't know who was scarier: Ruby Rose? Or Megatron?
Meanwhile, Dinobot just finished his work and was about to head back inside.
"Ah, Dinobot. Yeees."
Hearing the familiar voice of Megatron, Dinobot snarled as his former leader held up his hands (well, one hand and one dinosaur mouth) upon transforming.
"Oh, no, no, no. Calmness, calmness. Please. I came only to talk. Yess. After all, you are alone and in command of the Maximal base. An excellent opportunity, is it not? You were a Predacon once. Become one again. Turn the base over to me and the Beast Wars will be over. We Predacons will rule the galaxy and you shall be my second-in-command. What do you say?"
Megatron was trying one way to get what he wanted. And if it didn't work, well... there was Plan B. Hearing Megatron's proposal, Dinobot only laughed at him. He knew Megatron better than that.
"Eat slag!"
Dinobot then proceeded to fire his eye lasers at Megatron. Megatron groaned upon being hit, but he was otherwise fine. He then bellowed to the other hiding Predacons.
"Vaporize him!"
Dinobot realized he was outplayed as both Tarantulas and Scorponok, both in Bot-Form, fired from behind him... Both shots struck Dinobot right in the back, knocking him off the roof of the base. Seeing this Megatron moved in for the kill.
"Finish him!"
Hearing this, Dinobot looked up and saw Tarantulas and Scorponok getting ready to fire again. As they did, Dinobot rolled out of the way the last moment and landed on the lift.
"Auto-weapons on." He ordered the computer system.
"Acknowledged." The system said as a turret opened up behind the two Predacons.
Both Predacons turned around to see it. The two were still not sure what to do as Tarantulas slow moved away. But unfortunately for him, the gun's sensor saw it and fired at him, knocking him off the roof.
Seeing this, Scorponok got scared as he looked at the turret before him. As if his mind kicked him in the head, he saw a hallucination Ruby in place of the turret with the same look of anger on her face while her eyes glowed. Seeing this, Scorponok started to shake in fear, which cause the guns to turn to him and fire, knocking him off the base and landing near Tarantulas. It was then that all of the activated guns turned their attention to Megatron before firing at him. Seeing that this was a lost cause, Megatron reverted to Beast-Mode and gave a new order.
"Fall back! Fall back!"
Needless to say, the Predacons jumped at the order.
While the Predacons retreated, Dinobot entered the base and looked at Optimus' hologram.
"Now, Optimus. The laser is in position."
He then fell to one knee from his damages.
Hearing this Optimus acted.
"Computer! Upload instructions now!"
As he gave the order, the satellite dish fired a laser pulse at the broken moon, which then bounced off it and landed on the pod in Atlas. Near the pod, a snow-white tiger watched with interest as the beam hit the pod. Then when the beam stopped, the pod opened up, letting a probe emerged from it and scanned the area.
As Rhinox and the others ran toward the pod, they saw the beam.
"Wow! What the shorting circuit is going on?" Rattrap asked in awe.
Cheetor spoke up as he saw the Predacon flyers ahead of them.
"Whatever it is, it's too little too late. The Pred's are going to beat us to the pod."
Back with Megatron, he was running with his men and not happy.
"Forget the Maximal base! Let us secure the pod."
He then contacted the Darksyde.
"Megatron to Darksyde. Adam, come in."
"Adam here, Megatron." Adam replied over the comm.
"I need a Ground Bridge to the pod and another to take Tarantulas and Scorponok back to base."
"Roger. But what pod do you want to go to?"
Megatron stopped running upon hearing this.
"What do you mean?" He demanded.
Adam explained on the communicator.
"While you were gone, another pod landed in Vacuo. I've already sent the best desert team in the White Fang to retrieve it."
Megatron paused and thought about what he just learned. On one hand, he was glad Adam took charge like he did. But on the other, he was furious.
"Why wasn't I informed sooner?" He demanded.
"We wanted radio silence so you could focus on your mission."
This made Megatron even more livid.
"Put me in touch with the team."
00000
Vacuo: White Fang location...
As the Lieutenant rode his ATV through the desert to the pod, he looked at the Desert Trio. The first one was a male lizard Faunus. He looked like any other White fan member, but his uniform had desert camo on it to help him blend in more. His mask cover his upper face, but left the mouth exposed and the eye holes had nothing covering them, showing reptilian eyes. His hands had claws and attached to his back were two swords. No one knew his name, just his codename that was "Lizard" and he was the leader of the Desert Trio.
The second one was the only female of the team. She had the same clothes and mask as Lizard. She was a tall and skinny girl, but that was due to her being a snake Faunus. On her back was a sniper rifle that turned into a spear. With her snake-like traits and sniper, she was a deadly shot. And like Lizard, she was called by her codename: "Snake."
And the last member of the trio was a male scorpion Faunus. His cloths were the same as the others. He had a scorpion tail. It wasn't large, but it is as dangerous as an ordinary scorpion. On his arms he had hand clamps in the shape of scorpion claws. Out the three, he was the one who loved to make his enemies scream in pain. His codename is Scorpion.
As they rode on, their comm systems went off.
"This is Megatron. Come in, desert team."
The four White Fang members stopped as the Lieutenant spoke into the comm unit.
"This is the Lieutenant, Megatron."
He was one of the White Fang that didn't trust Megatron. But he knew they need him...for now.
"What is your progress on the pod?"
Hearing this, the Lieutenant looked at Lizard for the answer. Lizard responded into his own communicator.
"We are half-a-click away. We should reach it, no problem."
Megatron was silent as the four wondered if he was still there. He eventually spoke again.
"Once you get the pod, take it back to base for reprogramming. And beware. The Maximals' human allies are probably on their way to the pod as we speak. Megatron out."
The channel then went dead. The Lieutenant looked at the others before saying anything.
"Move out."
00000
Axalon...
Optimus was placing Dinobot in the CR chamber. His body had been repaired and was now letting the velociraptor take his much deserved turn in the chamber.
"Hang on, Dinobot. We'll have you restored before you know it. In the meantime, I got to fly."
As the door closed, Optimus transformed before giving orders to the computer.
"Computer! Deactivate auto cannons and reactivate in thirty seconds."
After the computer acknowledged the orders, Optimus shot out of the Axalon like a bat out of hell towards Atlas. He wanted to help Ruby's team, but Rhinox's team needed his help more. But that didn't mean he couldn't call them.
"Optimus to Ruby. Come in..." Said Optimus into his commutator, hoping she would answer.
"Unit Ruby Rose is out of range."
Optimus sighed as he tried calling her scroll.
After a few rings Ruby's voice mail answered. "Hi! You've reached Ruby. Leave a message after the beep."
Hearing this didn't make Optimus feel any better. Still, better leave a message just in case.
"Ruby. It's Optimus. Call me as soon as you can."
00000
Vacuo, Team RWBY...
As Ruby lead her team up a hill, they stopped at the top when they saw the pod. Unfortunately for them, they weren't the first ones to it.
As Ruby got a better look with Crescent Rose's scope, Weiss moved beside her.
"What do you see?"
Ruby lifted her head away from her scope and answered.
"I see four of them. All White Fang. It looks like there trying to move the pod."
Hearing that the White Fang was involved, Blake took Ruby's weapon, looked into the scope, and saw the Lieutenant and the Desert Trio. She wanted to say something, but there was a risk of her team finding out her secret.
"So what's the plan, Sis?" Yang asked Ruby, who just grabbed her weapon back from Blake.
"I do have a plan, but we're all going to have to work together."
She huddled her team together and began to whisper.
"Ok. Here's what we're going to do..."
00000
At Atlas' Stasis Pod...
At the other pod, Terrorsaur and Wazzpinator were at it trying to open it before the Maximals could get there. But they heard a loud thump sound causing them to stop and see what it was. They found the Maximals, who were pointing their guns at two Predacons.
"Hold it right there." Warned Cheetor.
"Yeah! You're messing with Maximal property, you thieving Preds." Added Rattrap.
"We've got a friend in there and we won't let you turn him into a Predacon." Rhinox warned them.
But the Predacons did not stand down. Instead, they transformed as Terrorsaur spoke.
"You won't stop us, Maximals."
Suddenly, a Ground Bridge opened near them as Megatron walked out of it.
"They certainly shall not." Said Megatron as the Maximals aimed their weapons at him while he transformed. "This Stasis pod is ours, Maximals, for I know your weaknesses. Yeees."
Maximals wondered what he meant by 'this stasis pod' as Megatron turned his attention to the two nearby snow tigers that were watching them on a ledge. He then fired at the ledge, trapping them in box canyon. He then made sure to get a good aim on the two as the tigers growled at him.
"Let them go. They're not part of this." Rhinox protested.
But Megatron only laughed at what he said.
"That's right. Just innocent creatures. So surrender yourselves and this pod or they shall be terminated."
Megatron knew that Maximals would not let innocent creatures get caught in the crossfire. And as predicted, the Maximals reluctantly lowered their weapons.
"You win, you depraved wad of stinking slag." Rattrap snarled, but Megatron didn't care.
"Cultivated as always, even in defeat. Now witness my movement of triumph as I reprogram the protoform Maximal within the pod into a Predacon. Yess."
He then turned his attention to the pod.
"Open the pod."
Wazzpinator used his laser eyes to open it. And when the pod opened, everyone, Maximal and Predacon, was shocked to see that it was empty inside.
"It's empty?! Where is the Maximal?" Megatron demanded as he looked at the two flyers.
"Right here." A voice said behind him.
Megatron looked behind him and one of the snow tigers looking at him. And much to everyone's surprise, the tiger spoke.
"Tigatron, maximize!"
Tigatron, upon transforming, had the same build as Cheetor just with the yellow replace with white fur and the blue inside replaced with green. He was also taller than Cheetor and had his face looked more feline than Cheetor's.
Tigertron fired at Megatron, knocking him into the other Preds. Seeing this, the Maximals cheered and joined in on the action, forcing the Predacons to hide and cover from the assault. At that moment, Optimus came in flying and fired his shoulder missiles at the Predacons. Seeing no way out of this, Megatron made his call.
"Beast mode! Retreat, Retreat!"
Upon hearing their leader, Terrorsaur and Wazzpinator took off with Megatron. But Tigatron had a parting gift for them as he lifted up his right arm and a missile popped up from his forearm. He then fired at the retreating Preds as they went over a hill. But they could hear Megatron yelling 'blast it all' with the explosion. Hearing this made Tigatron smile with satisfaction as he then transformed into beast mode. Optimus then came in for a landing as he transformed into beast mode to talk with Tigatron.
"Greetings, Tigatron. I'm Optimus Primal, Maximal commander. You had us worried for a while. We didn't know if you made it."
Tigertron replied calmly.
"Almost didn't. The crash damaged my identity circuits. I didn't know who I really was or which side I was on. Until I saw you all willing to risk your lives to save us." He finished as he looked at the others, who changed into Beast-Mode.
"Well, we're just glad we came through. We could use another member of the Maximal force. Our ship, or what's left of it, is due south on another continent." Optimus told him.
But Tigertron had other plans.
"No, no. I'm sorry, but no. I am still more tiger than Maximal. Until my identity circuits restore themselves, I feel my place is here, in the wild with my kind. But you can count on my loyalty."
Optimus wasn't sure about it, but he knew that it was Tigertron choice and he couldn't change it. A fair leader is a good leader. Rhinox approached them with a stoic smile.
"Sounds good to me. Maybe you could get some scans of the frozen Grimm in the area for me."
"Yeah. We could use a scout up here. You know, in case the Preds get up to something." Added Rattrap.
It was indeed a good idea. With the Axalon on Patch and the Darksyde in Vacuo, the Maximals need a set of eyes and ears in Atlas.
"Then it's settled. But I would like you to come to our base so we can give to an upgrade and a communicator so we can contact you better if either of us needs the other."
Tigertron thought about it and agreed with him. Despite his tiger instincts, he still needed a way to contact the Maximals in case something happened in Atlas.
"Very well. I would like to see more of what this world has to offer."
It was then Cheetor brought something up. Something involving what Megatron said.
"Hey, Big Bot. What did Megatron mean by 'this pod?'?"
Upon hearing Cheetor's question, Optimus' optics became wide with his gorilla body. And it was a look of sheer horror
"I forgot! There's another pod in Vacuo! And Ruby went with her team to get it."
This alarmed the Maximals, even Tigertron (who never even knew who Optimus was talking about.) Still, Tigertron voiced his mind.
"Then we must go and help them."
Optimus looked at him surprised. But before he could ask, Tigertron continued.
"I will not let one of my kind be twisted by the Predacons."
Hearing this, Optimus nodded and call for a Ground Bridge. At the same time, he hoped that Team RWBY was doing ok.
00000
Vacuo: The second stasis pod...
The Lieutenant surveyed the area while the Desert Trio got the pod ready to be moved. This felt too easy to him. He was expecting some resistance to the pod or even at it, but so far nothing and that was making him wonder what the enemy was up too. He then heard something. Like something was falling. Looking up, he saw a girl with blonde hair falling towards them and before anyone could do anything, she crashed in the ground, the force of the impact scattering them away from the pod.
After Yang crashed down and scatter them, she went after Lizard. Lizard saw this and rolled out of the way of her punch while drawing his swords. He then got into a stance and charged at her. Yang saw this and charged, too. They were about to meet when Lizard jumped up, surprising Yang. He then came down in a swinging motion as Yang blocked with her forearms.
Yang then heard a "clang" and saw that the new arm guards saved her. Lizard was so surprised by the guards holding up from his attack that he failed to see the shotgun punch courtesy of Yang Xiao Long. Lizard fell to the ground, unconscious.
Yang looked at where Lizard swung at her arms and was surprised to see no damaged.
"Ruby was right. If this was the old version, I might have lost my arms."
Meanwhile, Scorpion was angry and happy at the same time. He was fighting a Schnee, who had appeared just after the blond. If he got his clamps on her, the sound she would make…
But she wouldn't get close to him. Weiss was annoyed that her attacks weren't working. Every time she fired ice or air at him, he would block it with his clamps. She then got in idea and decide to take a page from Ruby's book. She used a time glyph under here and brought out her new gun. She then ran around Scorpion firing at him from different angles and with no way to know where to block, he took everything. And when it stopped, he was about ready to fall.
Weiss then created a huge chunk of ice and hurl it at him, taking him out of the fight.
"I guess having a gun on hand does have its advantages." Weiss thought as she went for the pod, unaware she was in a sniper's range.
As Snake was about to fire, Blake shot at her rifle, making her miss. Snake glared at Blake as she then turn her rifle into a spear and charged at her. As her spear went through Blake, she smirked. But it disappeared along with Blake. As Snake stood up, confused, she heard a beeping sound. She looked down and saw a cylinder on the ground just as it exploded. When the dust settled, Snake was lying on the ground while Blake walked towards the pod.
As the girls were heading towards the pod, Ruby was having a hard time against the Lieutenant. No matter what she tried, he was able to block it with his chainsaw sword. As Ruby used her speed to spin around him, the Lieutenant was somehow able to grab her and slam her to the ground.
When Ruby was able to regain her senses, she saw the Lieutenant looking down on her. She knew she had only one way out of this and that was the Matrix. Unfortunately for her, ever since she hit Scorponok with whatever she used in the forest, she couldn't feel it. It was if the Matrix had gone silent.
The Lieutenant then reached down, grabbed Ruby by her neck and lifted her up so he could look her in the eyes. He then walked over to the pod where the girls were waiting. Seeing the state Ruby was in, the girls were about to attack when the Lieutenant place his chainsaw sword next to Ruby's neck.
"Make any type of movement and she dies."
To prove his point he started the chainsaw part of his weapon. The girls looked at each other and did what he told them. The Lieutenant then looked at them all and smiled as he recognized two of the girls. Especially the black-haired girl.
"This must be my lucky day! I get a stasis pod, a Schnee, the girl Megatron's curious about."
He then let out a whisper so low, not even Ruby could hear it.
"...and the traitor."
As the girls tried to think of something to do, the pod beeped. Hearing this, everyone looked at it as it opened up. There was a flash of light and when it died down, there was a red Kangaroo there looking at everyone. Seeing the new bot, Ruby did the only thing she could.
"Help." She choked as the bot looked at her and the Lieutenant.
The bot then jumped over to them and kicked the Lieutenant, the kick strong enough to make him let go of Ruby. The kangaroo then spoke with an Australian accent.
"That's no way to treat a sheila, mate. I'm going to have to teach you some manners. Boomer Maximize!"
As he transformed, his kangaroo head became his shoulders while his kangaroo arms become shoulder pads and his hind legs became his robot legs. His inside metal was red and he had a head similar to Rattrap's, with the head part red with the top of the head part being brown. His chest had what look like metal armor that was grey and he was between Rhinox and Dinobot in height.
Boomer then drew his sword that had kangaroo feet for a hilt and got into a stance. As the Lieutenant got into a defensive stance, he saw a Ground Bridge open up and saw the Maximals, in Beast-Mode, run out of it.
The Lieutenant knew he lost and it was better to run then to fight a battle you can't win. He then ran to his ATV and rode off was the Maximals watched him run away. They knew they won the day, so the chase wasn't necessary.
Optimus then saw Ruby on the ground, breathing hard, and rushed over to her to help her up.
"Are you ok?"
Tigatron looked around with interest as Ruby began to recover.
"Interesting. We have gone from such coldness to such heat. This world is quite fascinating."
Seeing the looks on Team RWBY's and Boomer's faces, Optimus took the chance to introduce the tiger-bot.
"This is Tigatron. One of our new members. He's just with us to get the upgrade, then he'll head back to northern Atlas for the foreseeable future."
Boomer then stepped up, giving a two-finger salute as he introduced himself.
"Well good-day, mates. Name's Boomer. Sword master."
Optimus nodded as he looked at everyone.
"Good work, people. We faced a hard trial and in the end, we saved two of our friends. Ok let's go home. Also, grab those three. We'll give them to the proper authorities."
Heeding Optimus' orders, the group tied up the trio and entered an opened Ground Bridge for home.
00000
Vacuo, Darksyde...
Cinder walked outside the Darksyde with a smile on her face. With everyone so focused on the pods, none saw her leave. As she waited in a secluded area, she hoped that She would help her out of this situation.
Cinder then heard a sound and saw a Grimm Jellyfish hover over to her. Cinder smiled upon seeing it and walked over to it.
"Be sure she gets this information." She told the Grimm jellyfish as she handed it a folder with everything she learned about the Transformers, energon, and above all else, the silver-eyed warrior. The Grimm took the folder and hovered off.
Cinder smiled at the sight and put a hand around her collar. She knew that it won't be much longer.
Well, I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter. I would like to thank Autistic-Grizzly for Boomer. Also, don't expect to see the Desert Trio again any time soon or at all. They were oc's just made for this chapter.
Also, the new weapons are things that I think the girls could use in battle. With Weiss, her only long range attacks are with Dust, so I wanted something else so she didn't have to rely on it so much.
Blake's explosives are something I thought would go well with her semblance. Leave a shadow and bomb, then when someone tries to get it, it explodes. And finally, Yang. Her new weapon takes care of a big weakness and that is someone attacking her arms while she's attacking. Remember Volume 3, Episode 11...
Now, I had some people asked me about Salem. All I will say is that I have some ideas about her, but I I'm waiting to learn more about her before I do anything. Until next time.
Editing done by: Dream Dragoness