TMUK FANFICTION

Chapter 1: Enter The Exclusives

A TMUK PRODUCTION by Charles ”RocketBoy” Reilly

CYBERTRON: PREDAPOLIS CITY: 2943 AD

“ Invisibility cloak… check. “
  He is Onyx Primal. A Predacon.

   “ Tracker… check. “
  One of the nearly-unknown members of the Tripredacus Council’s operatives. He doesn’t deal in MURDER, oh no.

  “ Sniper blaster… Check. “

  His job is to deal with all those annoying little problems that disrupt the Tripredacus Council’s plans. He’s the second-best at what he does, and has, in his 100 Stellarcycle career, never failed a mission.

   He transforms into his bat mode and swoops out into the Cybertron night.

EARTH: SECTOR TRAEGON: 2, 000, 000 BC

BRATATATATAA
 “ I need COVER FIRE here, Chopperface! “
  “ Shut up and work on the pod, rodent! “

 Rattrap muttered under his breath and continued working on the damaged stasis pod. Two of them had come down in this forest, and the Predacons had reached the other one first. So now, instead of 2 Maximals VS 2 Predacons, it was 3 Predacons, each one a gunnery powerhouse. And they’d decided they didn’t have time for the other stasis pod, so they blasted it to make sure the Maximals didn’t either.

   “ Can’t believe this, me stuck in a slaggin’ forest with Dino-butt, having to save a protoform while I get pounded by Scorponok, Terrorsaur and some beetle he calls himself Vice Grip! I mean, VICE GRIP?! That’s worse than WHEELIE! “ 

   Dinobot tuned the gunner’s ranting out. He was a warrior, and warriors had to be focused. Otherwise they stopped being warriors and, for that matter, alive. He intended to be alive for a long time.

  He fired off an eye-laser blast; a scream from Scorponok made him smile. He’d HATED that mindless yes-con…

   BLAM
   Dinobot’s shield finally shattered under the firepower. The raptor cursed and rolled away to the shelter of a nearby tree. He started to fire back-

   -and cried out as Vice Grip leapt down from the branches.

   Vice Grip was a large Predacon, metallic blue with grey beast parts. His beetle shell bulged from his back, his mouth was covered by a drooping mask and a wicked pincer weapon protruded from his wrists.

   He pointed this weapon at Dinobot and fired an electric blast at point-blank range.

 CYBERTRON: PREDAPOLIS CITY: 2943 AD

He flew through a throng of flying Maximals, Predacons and even a few Autobots. He sneered at those ancient relics; they could never know how it felt to be able to move and fly, completely silent, able to swoop down and finish the enemy without them ever knowing you were there…

   “ Invisibility cloak, activate. “
  He disappeared.

  It was a move he loved. Technically it was illegal and punishable by termination, but the Tripredacus Council sneered at these Maximal laws. Onyx was glad for this; it made his job a HELL of a lot easier. Not only did it make him invisible, but he could modify it to either make his Predacon energy signature disappear utterly… or change it to another, be it Maximal, Decepticon, Autobot or even Junkion.

   Now, which building is it… Ah yes….

   He swooped down, transformed silently (another useful mechanism) and latched on to the buildings window. And he waited.

EARTH: SECTOR TRAEGON: 2, 000, 000 BC

Dinobot lay in stasis lock.

  Vice Grip called up to Terrorsaur; “ OK, fellas! Cover fire’s been disabled; let’s go slag us some Maxies! “
  You have to say ONE thing about him, thought Rattrap. He’s got a great personality. The wanker.

  Rattrap knew he was outnumbered and outgunned. He knew Dinobot would die if he didn’t do something- and as much as he hated to admit it, he was beginning to like the guy, slag-sucking saurian he was. However, he had to protect the damaged protoform. It was stable but wouldn’t last very long if it didn’t pick up a beast mode…

   Then it hit him.

  “ BEAST MODE! “

 Snickering slightly, he let the pod scan him, therefore giving the new protoform a RAT mode. Now he’d have an ally to help them get out alive…

   “ Scanning complete. You may emerge. “

  The pod’s lid was knocked open, and a scruffy, blue rat head poked out. 

  “ Hiya! “ said Rattrap brightly. “ And you are-? “
  “ Packrat! What the slag is going on?! “
  “ Well, we’re kinda under fire from the Predacons right now… “
   Packrat was a blur, zipping through the forest.

  “ HEY! Come back here, ya slagging COWARD! “

  Behind him, Terrorsaur chuckled. “ Well, well, well… One little Maximal, all lost and alone against the big bad Predacons… “

  Rattrap sighed and threw a bomb at him. “ Have to deal with you pegwarmers MYSELF! “

CYBERTRON: PREDAPOLIS CITY: 2943 AD

They entered the room, eventually. Onyx recognised two of them; Fangry and Laserbeak, members of the True Path. He knew many of the members named themselves after old Decepticons, but all the good names had been taken when THESE two had joined up.

  The other 4 were not known to him.

   Then the 7^th ‘Con entered: Cryotek, a powerful crime boss with a metallic dragon alternate mode.

   Hmmm… I’ll let him live; I’m not being paid to terminate him.

  Laserbeak was ranting about something, probably about how badly Predacons were being treated and how they should do armed rebellion. Cryotek had a case with him, and was handing out state-of-the-art weaponry. Fangry gave him some credits.

   So, that’s why he’s here. I know he doesn’t believe all this “the oppressed must rebel” slag, but he’s always after money. … Heh, I can’t point fingers, now can I? Suppose I better complete this…

  He hoisted his sniper laser and aimed at Laserbeak.

  The beam cut silently through the glass and vaporised the terrorist’s head.

   Onyx moved away from the window two seconds before random fire tore through it. He grinned. This would be too easy…

  He leapt through the window, a almost-invisible blur, and grabbed Fangry’s arm. Resorting to Metallikato, he tore the arm from its socket, shattered the terrorist’s eyes with a finger strike and pulled the Shrapnelizor gun from the severed limb & opened fire.

   One Predacon was shredded instantly.

   He dropped his shield; it wouldn’t work now. The others fired shots at him; he rolled to the side and they ended up finishing off Fangry instead. He leapt, used a Fracture Spin Kick to shatter an enemy chest and then used him as a shield.

   Cryotek had already run. Onyx didn’t bother to chase after him; HE’D never tell anyone about this hit. Instead, he threw the bullet-ridden corpse down and fired.

  One ‘Con lost his head, the other his hand.

  He screamed and stared in shock at the stump. Onyx just sneered and pulled out his standard mini-gun. He fired 4 times in carefully marked places, causing marks that LOOKED like damage gained from glancing blows in a firefight.

  Then he used the Shrapnelizor to blow open the enemy’s side.

  “ ARGH! “
  Onyx did one more Metallikato move, this one inside the ‘Cons wound and on the exposed spark. It would cause incredible pain… and damage recent memories in the terrorist’s memory banks.

   Onyx transformed, cloaked and flew away into the night. As he left, he heard the police arrive at the scene.

  They diagnosed it as a terrorist meeting that broke down into argument and then violence. After all, the deceased’s weapons HAD been used on each other. It also seemed on person had managed to survive before suffering a near-fatal blow.

  He was charged with murder and locked up. His memory banks were damaged, but the evidence was stacked against him.

  Onyx Primal heard about all this, and chuckled. Another 1, 300, 000 credit job, completed. 

EARTH: THE AXALON: 2, 000, 000 BC

“ GAH! Blast that slag-sucking Packrat! “
  Optimus sighed. “ What now, Rattrap? “
  “ He’s only gone and pinched some of me Waspinator parts! “ he said. “ You’d think 2 Decacycles of being in the Beast Wars woulda changed him, but OH NO! “
  “ We’ve had to place him on patrol all the time because of this! I don’t know, we just can’t work with him… The Predacons outnumber us now, for all the good Packrat does. “
  “ They ALWAYS outnumbered you, ” said Dinobot. He was in his beast mode; he seemed to prefer it for some reason. A sneer appeared on his face. “ They had Fractyl from the beginning. “

   “ Who? “ 

   “ A geochemist; I have no idea why Megatron hired him, he is no warrior. He’s never been in any of our battles; he seems to stay in the Darkside all day. “   

   Optimus sighed. “ Well, it’s better than having him IN the battles, or we wouldn’t win as much as we have. Now, I understand Packrat is a problem but we can’t really do anything about him… “
   “ I could, “ said Dinobot. “ Something… permanent. “ He grinned, showing off his fangs.

  “ I wouldn’t do that, Chopperface, “ said Rattrap. “ Ya dunno where he’s been. “
  “ I DO, “ spoke up Cheetor, entering the room. “ He’s been in MY room! “
  “ Worse, he’s been in YOUR room, vermin, “ sneered Dinobot. “ Anything from there is likely to have some incurable disease… “

  “ Aw, go slag yourself… “
  “ We can’t afford to bicker, “ said Optimus sternly. “ Ever since Vice Grip showed up, Megatron’s been getting bolder. We’ve had several attacks on the base, and Sentinel is the only thing that’s keeping them back. “ He sighed. “ We need an edge, badly. We also can’t afford Packrat to split us up; I find him aggravating too, but if we break up, we’re cold slag. We CAN’T AFFORD to lose our unity. “

 CYBERTRON: PREDAPOLIS CITY: 2944 AD

Onyx Primal yawned and worked on his computer. He wanted to check what the Council was up to.

  Heh. They didn’t know he had hacked into their mainframe; he knew EVERYTHING they were doing. Extremely useful in his line of business; Tripredacus agents were well known for… disappearing.

   So… Let’s see what they have planned… Hmmm, something to do with the Ark? Odd. And they’ve scheduled…

   His optics widened.

   They’d KNOWN. The sly bastards had known all along he was spying on them.

   He calmly shut his computer down, activated his security measures and walked out of his apartment. He locked the door, activated the cloak and began walking down the street. Just to be on the safe side, he changed his signature to read Maximal.

   He walked leisurely; they’d KNOW it was him if they located a “Maximal” signature legging it. And after a cycle…

   BOOOOOOOOOOOM

   His security measures had worked. OK, he’d taken out half the building but now any Predacon assassin would surely be scrap-

   “ SLAGGING HELL! “
  “ What was that? “
  “ There’s someone moving up there! “
  Onyx tensed. No, they couldn’t have survived. Not unless they were a Decepticon or something stronger…

   From the wreckage, a skull-faced figure growled, “ I’ll need a bonus for THIS, yes? “

CYBERTRON: PREDAPOLIS CITY: 2944 AD- 10 CYCLES LATER

DEATH’S HEAD!

  Slagging Death’s Head!

  I didn’t think they’d hire HIM! Crap, I can’t fight this guy, he’s out of my league…

  “ ONYX PRIMAL! “ Up above him, the not-bounty-hunter skimmed overhead on a Hoverbike.

  “ This is getting annoying! Just DIE already! “
  Onyx ducked into an alleyway and doubled back. That’d buy him about 20 extra nanoclicks… NOT ENOUGH!

   As luck would have it, he was near the Predapolis Spaceport. And he KNEW they had some smaller ships with Transwarp drive there… He could get transported through time and space if he got one of those…

   He dashed through the spaceport, using Metallikato on any guard who got too close.

   Behind him, Death’s Head entered on foot.

   “ Blasted bat… “ He turned his arm into a rocket launcher and fired. “ Ah well, seeker missiles should slag him. “
  Onyx got inside a hanger and locked the door two nanoclicks before the missiles hit. The door turned to shrapnel.

  BLAST IT! I have to reach the ships NOW…

  He found a small, Maximal one and leapt inside. He had no time to take off; he just switched it on and activated Transwarp drive. He read somewhere that doing this could transport you ANYWHERE, but he was desperate.

   The result was a massive explosion, taking out the hanger and the other two near it.

  “ Ah. “ Death’s Head gulped. “ Oh dear. Tripredacus Council are NOT going to like this… Oh well, we all make mistakes, yes? “
   And he walked away, not giving another thought to Onyx Primal.

Chapter 2: Onyx Sky

A TMUK PRODUCTION by Charles ”RocketBoy” Reilly

EARTH’S: 35, 000 FEET UP: 2, 000, 000 BC

First there is calm. Stars are spread out across the sky like pollen. Their light shines down on the ancient Earth, giving peace to the creatures below.

And then, a new light appears.

  Transwarp light.

  
WARNING! ENGINE FAILURE; SHIP IS ON COLLISION COURSE WITH LAND MASS! SECONDARY PUMPS FAILURE-

  “ SHUT UP! “
  ACKNOWLEDGED.

  Onyx Primal cursed. He cursed the Tripredacus Council for trying to kill him. He cursed Death’s Head for getting him into this situation. He cursed the people who made this ship so WEAK. But mostly, he cursed himself for being stupid enough to activate Transwarp Drive without being out of the planet’s orbit.

   The ship door was jammed shut. Snarling, he pulled out his gun and blew the thing away.

  He was rapidly heading towards a small mountain and would die. So he did the only sensible thing; he jumped out.

   The ship’s slipstream blasted him backwards 90 metres.

   OK, maybe that wasn’t the smartest idea… BEAST MODE! 

   He watched his ship head towards the mountain and explode.

  He was trapped on an unknown planet and in an unknown time. He only had enough fuel for a few more months. He had no idea if there were any hostile lifeforms here. And now his cloaking device had his energy signature stuck as Maximal. In short, he was a dead Pred walking.

EARTH: THE AXALON: 2, 000, 000 BC

Rhinox peered at the computer and groaned. “ A stasis pod has come down in Sector Cryway! The protoform appears to have… abandoned it, and is flying around right now. “
   Optimus came over, his face drawn with concern. “ Megatron will have picked this up by now… Do we have any patrols near there? “
  “ Tigatron and Airazor are 20 cycles away, but Packrat is closer. “
  Optimus groaned. “ Not my first choice to welcome our guest… Send him anyway; we can’t let the Predacons take down this new Maximal! ” He walked out of the room, calling, “ I’m going myself; I’ll reach there in about 10 cycles, if I’m lucky. “
  “ Good luck, Optimus. “

EARTH: SECTOR CRYWAY: 2, 000, 000 BC

Packrat scurried out of the woods and over to the mountain. He was mumbling under his breath; “ Why me? Not my problem, it’s not like they treat me much like a team member ANYWAY, this will takes AGES to climb… MAXIMIZE! “
  He continued climbing, now in robot mode.

   Above him, Onyx watched in interest.

  A Maximal, he thought. Here? One of the exploration crews, perhaps? Hmmm… He could be a potential ally, but I’d better wait to make sure. And if he isn’t, I still have my sniper laser.

On the other side of the mountain, a small group of Predacons were heading for the same target as Packrat. They were Blackarachnia, Vice Grip and Fractyl.

   “ Don’t see why I have to do this, “ muttered Fractyl. “ I’m a GEOCHEMIST, not a warrior… “
   “ Well, you did drive away a group of Maximals during the whole Furmanite incident, “ said Vice Grip. “ Megatron was impressed! “
  “ Er, yeah… “ Fractyl still hadn’t told the others that that had been a staged fight.

  “ Shut up and keep moving, “ said Blackarachnia. “ There’s a stasis pod and I want it! “
  “ For the Predacons, of course, “ said Vice Grip helpfully.

  “ Yes… Sure… “

Packrat, ever grumbling, found the smashed and flaming remains of the ship. And started rummaging through the wreckage for valuable stuff.

  So he didn’t notice the Predacons until their weapons were locked on him.

  “ Ah… “
  “ There’s two choices, Maximal, “ said Blackarachnia. “ You tell us where the protoform is or I pump you full of cybervenom. “
  “ This is pathetic… “
  “ Shut UP, Fractyl! “
  Up above, Onyx stared down with keen interest. He recognised Fractyl as one of the True Path members who hijacked a battleship and shot down the Axalon & Aurora. This meant there were Maximals on the planet, and they had a ship and armies of protoforms! Not his first choice of allies, but they were a better choice to ally himself with. He’d have to save the rodent first, of course, so he’d find the base.

  “ Onyx Primal… Maximize. “ He doubted the Maximals would be happy to see Predacons at the moment.

  Oblivious to all this, Packrat continued to back into the mountain.

  “ I-I don’t know! “ he wailed. “ The protoform broke free before I got here! HONEST! “
  “ He’s telling the truth, “ said Vice Grip. “ I can tell, ma’am. “
  Blackarachnia put her hands on her hips and studied the quivering thief. Finally, she smiled.

  “ Yep. This means the Maximals have more members than us. “ She whipped out her crossbow again. “ Let’s even that a bit, shall we? “
  BOOOM

  Toxic death failed to infect Packrat. Cautiously, he opened his eyes and saw pieces of Blackarachnia littering the ground.

  “ Arial sniper! “ roared Vice Grip. “ ‘Del, let’s bring him down! “
  “ Er, yes… “
  Onyx flew around, trying to avoid their fire. A few shots grazed him, but nothing major. He landed down in front of the beetle, grabbed him and tossed him over his shoulder.

  Fractyl gulped and began firing on the assassin. He laughed and leapt, kicking the gun out of the geochemist’s hands and then dealt a Severe Chop to Fractyl’s neck. 

   The head came off.

  “ Oh, no… “
  This had took in place in 10 nanoclicks. Packrat was overawed.

  Then Vice Grip got back up.

  “ Fractyl wasn’t a fighter, you cowardly REPAINT! You won’t find ME such an easy target! “
  Onyx laughed. “ You have no idea who you’re up against, bug. “
  “ My name’s Vice Grip, “ he said calmly, “ and I can command electricity, LIKE SO. “

  He fired a long-range blast that Onyx hadn’t been expecting. He grunted in surprise and fell down, temporarily paralysed.

  Vice Grip’s pincers clacked menacingly and he moved in…

   TSEEEW!
   The concentrated sonic blast blew his knees off.

   He fell screaming down the mountainside. After several bounces, he was able to transform and dig into the rock.

   Packrat grinned and put his sonic disruptor weapon away.
  “ You alright, bat-guy? “
  Onyx rose to his feet. “ Yes. It was a minor setback. “

  “ That was incredible! How’d you do that to Fractyl?! “
  “ Metallikato training. I always felt it was unfairly forbidden… “
 “ I’ll say! “ He held out his hand. “ I’m Packrat; you are… “
  “ Onyx Primal. Maximal reconnaissance agent, out to find the Aurora and Axalon. My ship was attacked by the True Path on the way though; I’m stranded here. “
   “ No sweat, buddy! “ said Packrat cheerfully. “ The monkey’ll be here in a few cycles and ya can help us slag Preds! ”

  “ Hmmm… indeed. “

EARTH: THE DARKSIDE: 2, 000, 000 BC

Megatron calmly looked down at the pieces of Blackarachnia, as they floated in the CR vats like so much vegetables in soup, and said, “ You were beaten that easily? “
  “ He appeared to have training. “
  Megatron growled. “ You FAILED, Blackarachnia. “ He kicked her head across the vat. “ I’d advise you NOT to do it again. “
  From his vantage on the ceiling, Tarantulus, in his insidious beast mode, sniggered to himself.

  “ Megatron doesn’t know who Onyx Primal is. Ngh ha! I suppose I should tell him of what he’s capable of, but why ruin such good sport? “ The spider thought for a minute. “ If he has joined the Maximals, I could blackmail him… Why bother?! With him there, he’ll do more damage just being his usual annoying self! “
  Megatron looked up angrily. “ What ARE you talking about, arachnid? “
  “ Nothing, Megatron… “ Tarantulus dropped down and transformed. “ I’m just considering how this newcomer affects my- OUR plans… “

EARTH: THE AXALON: 2, 000, 000 BC

Cheetor walked into the command room-

  “ YOU MEAN YOU LOST ALL THE PROTOFORMS?! “

- and tried to walk out again.

“ You useless MEATBOT! “ fumed Onyx. “ With them in orbit, you’ve given the Predacons an advantage! “
  “ We were in a crisis situation, “ said Optimus coolly. “ If we hadn’t done that, they’d have all been killed in the crash. And several of the Protoforms have been saved and are with us right now. Tigatron, Airazor and Packrat. “
  “ While the enemy has Vice Grip, Blackarachnia and INFERNO! They have a psychotic loose cannon on their side; do you have any idea of how dangerous something like that IS?! “
  “ Yes. “ His voice grew to a whisper. “ I do. “

  Onyx was about to speak on this, but Rhinox grabbed his shoulders, turned him round and shook his head. The assassin relented.

  Cheetor edged over to Tigatron; the patrol groups had been called in. “ Hey, Big Cat; what’s going on? “

    “ Our newcomer is rather unhappy with Primal’s leadership, “ he said. “ I loathe to admit it, but he does have some good points. “

   “ Of course he does! “ said Packrat. “ Look, I saw the guy fight; he’s a pro! Megatron should just go put his big fat reptile head in the sand before it’s too late! “
  “ And with that idiotic comment, “ hissed Dinobot, “ you prove you are ignorant of Megatron and the threat he poses. “

  Oblivious to all this, the two Primal’s continued arguing.

  “ I’m sorry if you feel this way, but I was appointed leader for this mission- “
  “ An EXPLORATION mission, monkey! You are unsuited for a combat role! “ He jabbed a finger in Optimus’ face. “ A real commander would have achieved Predacon KILLS by now instead of letting them join your little tea party! “

  There was a dangerous silence.

  Dinobot stood up, transformed to beast mode and left the room, growling as he went. Rattrap winced.

  “ Hoo-boy! Chopperface must be really peeved if he’s leaving! I was expecting blood-and-guts time meself… “
  “ Do NOT make such slurs against my crew AGAIN, “ said Optimus angrily. “ Do you understand that? ”
   “ You presume to order me? “ Onyx sniggered. “ I’m outta here. Unless patrol is against your moral principles. “
  He strutted out, with Packrat running after him. Optimus waited until he was gone and then smashed his fist into the wall so hard it left a dent.

  “ ARGH! I know I wanted extra members to even up the numbers, but I was hoping for someone a little less aggravating! “
  “ He seemed quite capable and skilled to me, “ said Airazor. “ He could prove a useful ally. “
  “ Not if he can’t follow commands, “ said Rhinox. “ I’ve been in combat situations myself; you don’t follow commands, you can wind up dead. Even Cheetor learnt that. “
  Tigatron whispered to Cheetor, “ I think Onyx is challenging Optimus for leadership. “
  “ What?! “
  “ Keep your voice down. I am more in tune with my beast mode; I recognise the signs. The alpha male is being challenged by a younger male, and they WILL fight. And I think Onyx will win. “
  “ No way! Bigbot will slag ‘im! “
  “ I don’t think so. If we can believe Packrat, he took down 5 heavily armed Predacons in a few nanoclicks. If we believe the truth, it was TWO Predacons single handed, and in about 20 nanoclicks. And that is still pretty impressive, considering how he did it. Airazor and Rattrap are the only others among us with sniper capabilities. “

  Cheetor thought about this. It seemed alien to him; the idea that Optimus could have a superior. He didn’t believe it. Onyx just seemed like a prat. But Tigatron had never been wrong before…

Onyx transformed to bat mode and flew off. Below him, Packrat ran after him.

  “ Heh… Like some sorta puppy… HEY RAT! “
  “ Yeah? “
  “ What do you think of Optimus? “ he asked casually.

  “ Compared to you, he’s a slag-sucking moron! YOU could lead us much better, man! “

 He smiled. “ How true, ” he said. “ I have the skill and drive to do what Optimus can’t. Stick with me, Packrat, and you’ll go far. “
  “ YES SIR! “

Dinobot stalked the landscape, hissing under his breath. As he walked, animals fought to get out of his path.

  I should have fought. I should have put him in his place… No. His words wound like Rattrap’s have never yet. It would’ve come to a battle, and that would have reflected badly on Optimus. And I would NEVER give that blood-draining fool the satisfaction of seeing Optimus like that.

   Dinobot sniggered. Onyx did seem to want leadership. But the raptor knew he’d be crap at it. Leadership required skills that Onyx didn’t have. Dinobot had fought in the Battle of Predapolis, when Maximal terrorists had viewed a Predacon school as an easy target.

  He smiled at the memory. That had been his trial by fire and it had opened his eyes to the way of the warrior, and what it meant to be a leader. He doubted Onyx had had his great test yet. But Dinobot would be there to watch him fail it.

Chapter 3: Visitations

A TMUK PRODUCTION by Charles ”RocketBoy” Reilly

EARTH: THE AXALON: 2, 000, 000 BC

Onyx had been there for the equivalent of one Earth week. It was one of the most tedious and aggravating weeks of Optimus’ life.

   Sure, the new Maximal was a good fighter, smart and a more direct warrior than Packrat, and had successfully driven off several Predacon attacks. But he was also arrogant, challenging authority and the other Maximals more than Dinobot ever had.

   And he had a beef with Optimus. Onyx just had to prove he was the better Primal, that he should be in charge, that Optimus was incompetent. Optimus didn’t know why and he didn’t give a slag. He just wanted Onyx to start being a team player before he got someone killed.

   Cheetor didn’t like the bat and tried to stay out of his way. Rhinox looked on in disapproval. Rattrap wasted no time in directing insults at “The Revenge of Ratbat’s Ego”. Dinobot… Optimus was concerned about Dinobot. He seemed angry with the newcomer but didn’t try to fight him. This was a side of the raptor he’d never seen.

  Packrat liked Onyx but that was of no concern. No, what really angered him, what really tore out his spark, was the fact that Airazor and Tigatron supported Onyx.

   Those two were the most peaceful of the Maximals, and the most in-tune with their beast modes. But what everyone had forgotten was that beasts in packs would witness leaders getting challenged often, and would expect a fight. If the old leader shirked this, why, that was a sign of weakness. So they were beginning to think of Onyx as a better leader.

   Optimus didn’t know what to do, so he just placed Onyx on patrol duty a lot, as he had with Packrat. This wasn’t working, for Onyx would occasionally disobey orders and head for the Axalon whenever he felt like it.

  This couldn’t last. Soon, something would have to give.

EARTH: THE AXALON: 2, 000, 000 BC

Rhinox yawned and sat back in his chair. All the grids were quiet, and with Onyx & Packrat out, it was relatively peaceful in the base.

  WARNING. TOP PRIORITY SITUATION. TEMPORAL ANOMALY DETECTED IN SECTOR CRYWAY.

  “ WHAT?! What type of anomaly? “
  ANOMALY APPEARS TO BE A MODIFIED TRANSWARP. ALIEN SIGNATURES DETECTED.

  “ Alien? “ Rhinox frowned and activated his comlink. “ Onyx Primal, Packrat: we have an emergency situation. There’s a Transwarp open in Sector Cryway; investigate it! “

EARTH: THE DARKSIDE: 2, 000, 000 BC

Megatron frowned, and turned from his computer. “ Interesting. Could Cybertron have tracked me down this soon? No, we made sure the Maximals couldn’t signal those probes. “ He smiled. “ And if people in our time can’t locate us like this, it must be from another time, yesssssss… VICE GRIP! “
  The beetle pulled out his slouch and saluted.

  “ Take Fractyl with you and secure whatever came out of this warp! If what I suspect is true, we could get a neat little advantage, yesssssss… “

  “ On it! But… Fractyl? “

 “ He spends too much time working on rock and dirt. He should be out in the field more, become worthy of the Predacon name. Otherwise, he isn’t fit to be online here! “
  “ Gotcha… “

EARTH: SECTOR CRYWAY: 2, 000, 000 BC

Back at this slagging mountain. Wasn’t this déjà vu?

Onyx was in beast mode, but he was ready to transform in an instant. He had to be. There was no doubt in his mind; the Tripredacus Council had tracked him down. He’d been a fool to try and escape…

   Primus, if it was Death’s Head again, or Ravage… 

   He could hear Packrat whinging about the climb. He growled back a reply, telling him to stay behind then.

  “And have ya find that weird object first?  Not a chance, Onyx Primal!. 'Course, ya could always fly us up... “

   Onyx snorted. “ Sure, and get shot down. “

   “ Oh yeah, this is Pred territory, “ said Packrat.

   “ It wasn't the Preds I was worried about. “ he said quietly. He transformed and cocked his gun. “ Say, why don't YOU go on ahead. “

   “ Whoa, no ya don't! I’m not getting slagged in some Pred ambush, buddy! “ he sniffed the air and frowned. “ I smell Pred… “
  Onyx tightened the grip on his gun. And then he saw it.

  “ There’s some sorta device over there… “

  “ YOINK! “
  Packrat zoomed over, grabbed in his mouth and had it yanked away by Onyx.

  “ Ah, go suck on a turkey neck, “ he mumbled.

   He turned it over in his hands, trying to figure out what it was. It was an orb, smooth and black, with little pits in it that were faintly glowing with red light.

   “ Strange, seems almost organic. I'd say it's some sort of... plot device.  But unusual design.  Alien, or some sorta future design. “
   Well, at least this means I’m not dealing with the Tripredacus Council. Even if this IS Cybertronian, it’s way too advanced to be anything from our era. And they wouldn’t spend millennia just trying to find me…

  BLAM
  KEEPOW!

  “ Aw, no! It's Fractyl and Vice Grip! PACKRAT, MAXIMIZE! “
  “ Don’t even THINK about running. “ Onyx fired into the sky and growled, “ unless you want Preds to steal our plunder. “
  “ Slag THAT! “

  Up above, Fractyl and Vice Grip hovered in the air, peppering the ground with electric blasts and shrapnel. The plan was to keep them AWAY from the cause of the anomaly, until the rest of the Predacons showed up.

  “ I really hate this, “ said Fractyl. BLAM “ I really *BLAM* do… “

  “ Don’t worry, these Maxies aren’t going anywhere. They can’t hit us from their position. “ He grinned nastily and yelled “ HEY! BRAWN IS DEAD! “
  For a few seconds, the firefight stopped. Then it started up again, more furious than before.

  “ That was extremely rude, Vice Grip. “
  Packrat was cowering under overhanging rocks, firing blindly. “ I feel like a red shirt from Star Trek… “
  “ Shut up and RUN! “
   Too late. Vice Grip’s missiles hit the rocks, causing a small landslide. Onyx and Packrat were buried.

Above the battlefield, Airazor flew with Rattrap perched on her back. Optimus, while knowing that Onyx could hold his own, didn’t wager that Packrat would, so he’d ordered for reinforcements. He himself was heading for the battlefield; he didn’t want another Predacon victory.

   “ Do we HAVE to save ‘em? “ groaned Rattrap. “ They're utter pegwarmers! Screw 'em with a Phillips head. “

   “ I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, “ she said. “ MAXIMIZE! “

Onyx arose from the dirt like a demon king.

  “ AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! “
  Optics glowing madly, he pulled Packrat out and began firing again.

  “ I will take vengeance for THAT HUMILIATION! “
  “ Not alone, “ said Packrat. “ Here comes Ratface and Airazor! “

  “ I don’t need them. “

  He pulled out his sniper laser. One quick blast and he’d clipped the jets of their attackers.

  They plummeted towards the ground-

  “ SSSSSSSSSLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGG! “

  -and burst to pieces.

  Airazor and Rattrap finally arrived. Onyx and Packrat were looked intolerably smug.

  “ Took yer time, repaint, “ sneered Packrat.

  “ Who are YOU calling a repaint?! “
  Onyx chuckled. “ Try to show up BEFORE the battle’s over next time. “

  “ Whatever… Did either of ya slag-suckers find whatever caused that time wossname? “

   Onyx pulled it out. “ No idea what it is, “ he said. “ Looks like the bastard of a  Transwarp driver and a Quintesson. “

  “ Well, the battle is over, “ said Airazor. “ Let’s depart before anymore Predacons show up- “
  The ground exploded beneath their feet.

  If Onyx had been a demon king, then this new figure was Unicron himself.

  “ LOOK OUT! “
  BLAM

     BLAM
     BLAM

     The Maximals fell as one, their armour punctured and smoking. This strange new comer put her gun away and switched to a strange chemical sprayer. She was tall and lithe, with a sneering purple face and an ebony ant disguise.

    “ Where is the device? You will tell me. Or you die. “

    “ Rattrap has it, “ said Packrat feebly.

    “ SHUT UP! “
   Airazor looked up and groaned. Megatron and Waspinator were heading for them. Onyx could see them too…

    “ He has it! “ He pointed to Megatron.

    The ant hissed in glee and turned to face the tyrannosaur. Megatron stopped and stared down at her quizzically.

     “ Well, what have we here? “
     “ Wazzzpinator see many body partzzz.  And none of them Wazzzpinator's!  Oh, happy day! “

   Her eyes narrowed. “ Megatron… “

   “ And who, my dear devastating ant-shaped damsel, might you be? “

   “ I am ANTAGONY!  Herald of the Destruction! Herald of Shokaract! And you will hand over the device or perish. “

   Megatron thought quickly. Judging by the state of the Maximals around her, Antagony was extremely powerful. Powerful enough to slag him, anyway. And he didn’t have the device she was after, but he doubted that would stop her. He needed a distraction…

   Optimus Primal was flying towards them. He smiled.

  “ Shut me offline if you wish, but know that my ally Primal will enact revenge. And he is more powerful than this Shokaract, yesssssss… “
  “ That remains to be seen! “ Antagony opened fire on Primal. “ None shall blaspheme by claiming to be stronger than Shokaract! “

  Optimus shuddered under the fire. “ Well, this is just PRIME… “

  He fired his missiles at her feet, knocking her off balance. She roared and fired a blast of acid. It was a mere glancing blow but it dissolved the side of his right shoulder.

  “ ARGH! “
  “ Such an excellent display of destruction, “ said Megatron.

  “ And none of it happening to Wazzzpinator! HOORAY! “

   Optimus had landed and was pounding Antagony. She sniggered and holstered her weapon, before slashing him across the chest. He didn’t scream; he just fired his blaster, point-blank range, into her thorax.

   She went down.

   Megatron grinned. “ Ah, such sport. Now then… “
  He reached down and picked the device from Onyx’s hand. Waspinator had Rattrap at gunpoint. And the gunner was too damaged to fight back.

  “ Optimus, you have a choice. You let us depart, taking this alien device and the fallen Antagony with us… Or the rat dies. “

  Onyx groaned. “ SLAG IT! Shoot him, you dumb ape! You can’t let the Preds walk off with this, they could gain a huge advantage! “
  Optimus nearly growled. “ Shut UP, Onyx. There’s a life at stake here. Fine, Megatron. Take your spoils and go. “

  Megatron smiled and left, carrying Antagony in his jaws. He tossed the device over to Waspinator

Chapter 4: Territorial Disputes

A TMUK PRODUCTION by Charles ”RocketBoy” Reilly

EARTH: THE AXALON: 2, 000, 000 BC

“ So you have no idea why Antagony was here? “
  “ None, Rhinox. “ Optimus sat down and put his hand over his optics. “ Another win to Megatron. “
   “ Well, he may have the device, but Rattrap did say Antagony was going to attack Megatron. So he won’t be able to use her against us, and he does keep her out of our fur. “
  “ I hope so, old friend. How long before the others are finished in the CR Chamber? “
  “ About another 4 cycles, “ said Rhinox. “ We’ll be able to quiz them fully about what happened. “

Tigatron and Dinobot were losing the greatest challenge of their lives; a poker game with Cheetor. Dinobot was beginning to think it was Rattrap in disguise.

   “ I have the Ultra Magnus of Sparks, “ said Dinobot.

  “ GAH! “ Tigatron flung his cards to the floor. “ I fold! “
  Cheetor smirked and lay down a full spread of cards. Dinobot growled.

  “ I don’t know why I bothered to play this ridiculous game! “
  “ Ah, you’re just miffed coz ya lost!

  “ How DID you become so good at this? “ asked Tigatron.

  “ Hey, you spend a few decacycles on a starship with only Rattrap to play with, and you start to become good too. And you get the ability to spot cards hidden in his cogs. “

  Optimus walked into the room and coughed. “ We have a meeting in the control room in 2 cycles. We need to work out what to do about the Predacons new advantage. “

   “ Gotcha. “

Onyx stepped out of the Chamber and flexed. Everything seemed working. Good.

   “ Onyx, “ said Optimus. “ Airazor and the others have already come out and given us their version of events; what are yours? “
  “ Hmmm… Oh wait, I know! A stupid ape came along and gave Megatron an advantage! Yep, that pretty much covers it! “
  His optics narrowed to slits. “ I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m sorry that you felt I should have let Rattrap die. I’ll try to be more sparkless in future. “
   “ Stop trying to cover up your FAILURE, “ he sneered. “ If you were a real leader- “
  “ Well, I don’t see YOU offering to do better. “
  “ Yeah? You will. “ He sat back in one of the chairs and said, “ I quit. “
  Silence.

  “ You’re quitting?! And joining whom? “
  “ No one. I’m going to form my OWN little gang of Maximals. “
  “ Sounds good to me! “ said Packrat. “ See ya later, slagheaps! “
  Optimus groaned and threw his hands into the air. “ Two of you, with no base, against nine Predacons? “

   “ Four of them, Optimus. “

  He turned around slowly. Tigatron and Airazor were standing up, their faces hard and unmoving. They walked over to join Onyx.

  Optimus could feel the oil drain from him.

   “ It’s nothing personal, “ said Tigatron calmly. “ We just feel that Onyx’s leadership guarantees more success. It is natural that we would side with him. “
  Onyx had no actual mouth, at least not a visible one. But you knew he was smirking. It was in his posture, his eyes, his voice.
   “ The ayes have it, monkey. “
   “ You are a FOOL! “

  It was Dinobot. He leapt up, knocking his chair over. He was angry.

  “ You believe you can defeat an armed and ruthless adversary with four members? You believe that you can defeat an elite force of Predacon assassins on you own, outnumbered? You find it acceptable to leave your team mates weakened in numbers so you can sate your bloated EGO?! “
   Onyx strode over to Dinobot and jabbed his finger into the raptor’s face.

  “ You want to stop me, lizard? “
  “ You are a dead Maximal walking, “ he whispered. His eyes bored into Onyx’s skull, stripping away the code inside it. “ Your plan is doomed to failure, and I will be there when you realise that. I’ll be there to watch Megatron remove your core processor. “

  Onyx stepped back and folded his arms. “ Not going to happen, “ he said. “ We’re moving out, team. And we’ll show these bots how real Maximals fight. “

10 cycles later, the four of them walked from the Axalon in beast mode, their belongings and equipment strapped to their backs. Onyx was feeling smug. He’d done it! He’d finally proven he had the right plan; even Tigatron and Airazor knew it!

   “How real Maximals fight”? He laughed at this. He was a Predacon, one with a long history of killing and these Maximals were following him blindly. Primus, what fools these mortals be. 

  “ So what do we do first? “ asked Packrat.

  “ What Optimus should have done. First, we make a base. Then… we get back the stuff Megatron stole! “ 

 “ Let ‘em go! “

  Cheetor nodded. “ Rattrap’s right! “ he said. “ We don’t need Packrat and Goat-Sucker! “
  Optimus sighed. “ But we do need Tigatron and Airazor. Now there’s 5 of us again, outnumbered and outgunned. “
  “ They’ll come back! Big Cat will realise that Onyx is full of slag soon enough! “
  “ Will he? “
  Dinobot said: “ Yes. Onyx is a skilled fighter, but he is no leader, much less a warrior. “

  “  A fighter but not a warrior? “ Rattrap snorted. “ There’s a difference. “
  Dinobot looked puzzled at this. “ Of course. A true warrior is one with honour, skill and a cold edge. And purpose. A fighter just has to fight well. “

  Rattrap shrugged. “ Is this Zen or somethin’? “

  “ We have no time for this, “ said Optimus firmly. “ We need to strengthen our defences, more than ever now. And hope that Onyx’s foolishness doesn’t result in a slaughter. “

EARTH: THE DARKSIDE: 2, 000, 000 BC

Tarantulus knelt over the offline Antagony and stroked the steel lovingly.

  “ Exquisite… “
  “ Wouldn’t be thinking of a little spark-crossing with the offline, would we? “
  The spider froze at the voice of Megatron. “ Erm… Aha… “
  The tyrant stepped out and studied the room. Antagony was laid on top of a metal bench, wires protruding from her head and connecting up to the many computers. It was a technological parasite, feeding on her mind. Her eyes were dark but her scowl was still there, and in the dim light of the computers she looked eerily alive.

  “ Ah! Perfect! Equipment to keep her offline but alive, so we can search through her databanks without her needing to be online, yesssssss… “ He studied it for a moment. “ It seems strange that you had one so readily available, Tarantulus. “ His voice took on a knife’s edge. “ Almost as if you were planning to plunder the mind of someone among us. Maybe to find out the contents of a certain DISK… “

   Tarantulus clenched his fist. How did he know? He ALWAYS seemed to know, the stupid reptile…

   “ Now, what progress have you made on the captive? “
  “ Not much, Megatron, “ he said. “ Her mind is advanced beyond any Predacon I know of, and she seems to have safeguards in place. POWERFUL ones. Whatever she is and whatever time she originates from, she was built to be an unstoppable, determined killer. “
  “ Ah, my kind of fembot, yesssssss… Keep working on it, Tarantulus. “
  “ Surely I should work on the device as well? “
  “ No, I can deal with that. I have knowledge of technology, and I can always use Fractyl’s knowledge, for once. And do you REALLY think I would trust you with it, when Antagony made it obvious it contained much power? I only trust you with the mind probing because I have all the shell programs and mind controlling devices hidden from you! “

Chapter 5: The Pride Before A Fall

A TMUK PRODUCTION by Charles ”RocketBoy” Reilly

EARTH: SECTOR TALLORIES: 2, 000, 000 BC

Onyx’s tribe has taken this sector of forest for their own. Already, high in the treetops, their base stands proud after just a week of the schism. It is a network of 4 tree houses joined by rope bridges. 2 are sleeping quarters; the others contain computer equipment, weaponry and supplies. Nearby grow fruit; thanks to their beast modes, this is all they need to recharge (well, except for Tigatron, who hunts deer).

  Onyx lies perched on the roof of the Command Hut, watching Airazor fly the morning patrol.

  “ Any Pred activity? “
  “ None, “ she calls down. “ They seem content to stay in the Darkside. “

  “ SLAG THIS! “ Packrat was below, arms folded. “ When do we get some ACTION, man? We’ve been here a week and the most interesting thing that happened was 4 of those Axalon losers stumbling through here blind! And there were Preds there, and we did slag-all! “
  “ No need to fight them, “ he said. “ Besides, I was… planning. “
  “ Yeah? “
  “ And now, I know how we can get that little tinker-toy off Mega-ego. “ Onyx smiled. “ And it all relies on YOU, Packrat. “
  “ …eeep… “
 

EARTH: THE DARKSIDE: 2, 000, 000

Megatron was sat in his throne, watching his minions practise their gunnery skills. An amusing little device of Tarantulus’ created little dummy Maximals to shoot at, with Nearly Real Mech-Fluid ™ and Fatal Death Screams ™. Inferno, Tarantulus, Vice Grip and Terrorsaur were gleefully blowing away model after model; Blackarachnia was yawning and not really trying; Fractyl had his eyes screwed up and only hit the targets out of his enduring fear of Primus (more like fear of Megatron); Scorponok and Waspinator seemed to WANT to bring down models but kept missing…

  “ For Primus’ sake, it isn’t THAT hard to hit the targets! “
  “ Sorry, master Megatron, “ said Scorponok. “ I am ashamed that you should see me fail you so… “
  Megatron sighed and whacked the lackey away with his Rex-head. He turned his attention to Waspinator. The bug quivered and randomly fired at a model. It missed…

  “ WASPINATOR… “
  …ricocheted off the wall, narrowly missed Terrorsaur’s head, rebounded off a computer console, came hurtling at Waspinator himself…

  “ NOOOOOOOOOO! “
  …went under his arm and neatly decapitated a Primal model. Fake mech-fluid spewed out in gratuitous amounts and a horrific scream echoed from it. (The scream was that of a real gorilla; Tarantulus had spent a whole week working on it) Megatron stared at the gore, then at Waspinator.

  “ … As you were, Waspinator. “
  Terrorsaur clapped the bug on the shoulder. “ Completely brilliant! “

  “ Oooo, Wazzzpinator slag something! And it not slag back! HEHEHE! “
  The Predacons gathered around to congratulate him (all save Blackarachnia who stayed in the corner, sneering at the group). Then, as one ‘Con, they groaned as the alarm went off.

  Scorponok ran over to the computer and checked on the camera view. “ We’re under attack by three Maximals! The bat, the hawk and the tiger! “

  “ Any pattern to the attack? “ asked Blackarachnia.

  “ Any what? “
  “ Oh, for slag’s sake- “
  “ PREDACONS! “ bellowed Megatron. “ I want those blasted mammals DEAD. Waspinator, Tarantulus; gain manual control of the perimeter guns. Terrorsaur, Vice Grip, Scorponok; go out and pound them. Inferno, Blackarachnia, Fractyl; stay in here and be prepared for a hull breach. “
    “ And what will YOU be doing, ‘commander’? “
   “ I’ll be commanding you from here, Terrorsaur. I don’t trust you to drive the enemy away unguided; I wouldn’t trust you to use a TOASTER unguided. NOW GET TO YOUR POST! “

BLAM
 TSWEEEEW!

 BRATATATAA

 Another west-side perimeter gun was turned to slag. As the Predacons gained manual control, the 5 remaining guns began to co-ordinate their fire and drive the Maximals back. Onyx looked over at the Darkside and growled; they were sending ground troops!

   “ Airazor, fly up and snipe ‘em; Tigatron, be ready to gun from a distance. “
  “ We can’t keep a frontal assault up, “ said Tigatron.

  “ We’re not meant to. FIRE! “
 

“ Terrorsaur; drive Airazor into the perimeter guns line of fire! Scorponok; frontal attack! Vice Grip; burrow down and surprise them from behind! “
 

A missile struck the ground near them, throwing the two mammals off balance. Scorponok came charging at them blindly, screaming an imposing war cry (actually, it sounded like a little girl). Combined ground fire and aerial strikes from Airazor sent him flying back.

  “ ‘razor, keep him OUT of close range! “
  “ Got it- “
  FABLAM!

  Terrorsaur’s attack hit her dead-centre, pounding her chest, shattering her synthetic beak into pieces, sending her into a tailspin. She careened towards the rocky ground before pulling up and ramming the Pred from beneath.

  “ YAAA! Ow, that SMARTS! You’ll pay, hawk! “
  He flew backwards, goading her on with shots from his blaster. She was totally focused on him; Scorponok was able to charge forwards once more and Onyx & Tigatron had to keep him away themselves. That’s why they didn’t notice the ground quiver beneath them…

   “ GUESS WHO?! “
  Vice Grip came UP from beneath them and scattered them like bowling pins.

  “ VICE GRIP, TERRORIZE! “

  Tigatron punched him in the mouth plate and was rewarded by a kneed groin. Onyx flipped over and delivered a neat kick to the beetle’s face, fracturing an optic. Vice Grip howled and backhanded the assassin, giving Tigatron room to shoot his side.

  “ Ow… That hurts… EAT VOLTAGE! “

  The two Maximals stepped neatly to the right and the blast went right past them.

  “ Rats. “
 

Far above, Airazor had Terrorsaur at gunpoint. She smiled and prepared to fire-

 -and was shot down by the perimeter guns.

“ OOOO! Wazzzpinator having good day! Hawk-bot go all to bits! “
 

Onyx Primal stood over the battered and leaking stasis-locked Vice Grip, and sighed. One down on their side, but they STILL outnumbered his group. And Airazor was going to need serious welding when they got back.

  Slag it! What is Packrat doing! The little thief should be finished by now…

Packrat was currently crawling in the Darkside’s air vents. It had taken him a while to get in but luckily the defences were occupied with Onyx. Now he just had to locate that driver thingy…

   How many grates do they HAVE around this place?! Man… The rat peered out through another and saw into Megatron’s room, the driver on the table. He grinned and kicked the grate down, rushing over to grab it-

   ALERT. MAXIMAL ENEGRY SIGNATURE DETECTED INSIDE; AREA: MEGATRON’S CHAMBER.

  “ Oh, slag. “

Megatron growled like a feral beast and gripped the armrests of his throne so hard they CRACKED. “ Inferno, go into the vents and KILL the Maximal when he tries to flee. And Fractyl; get outside the room, just in case he tries to flee through the corridors. And make sure the intruder is KILLED! “
  “ AT ONCE, ROYALTY! INTRUDERS IN THE COLONY SHALL BE BURNT! “

Packrat grabbed the driver in his teeth and scurried back into the vent. This was bad, REALLY bad, he had to RUN, the Swarm and Unicron and that were exhaust fumes compared to this, he had to RUN…

   And he did run. Right into the waiting mandibles of Inferno.

   “ I’ll see you BURRRRRN IN THE PIT, RODENT! “

   “ Argh! “
   He whipped round 180 degrees and managed to get away with only the tip of his tail being bitten off. This was too close for him; he was skidding through the vents so fast you could see SPARKS. And still Inferno was keeping level, mandibles clacking and slavering. He screamed out threats of burning and death and burning and loyalty to Megatron and burning. Packrat heard every word and managed to increase speed… And finally get back outside.

  Onyx spotted him and grinned. “ Cover ‘rat and then retreat! “
  “ You got it. “
  BLAM BLAM BLAM

  Inferno was hit and flew backwards, minus several limbs and antenna. Packrat sniggered and transformed, grabbing hold of the driver in one hand and his sonic blaster in the other, and fired upon Terrorsaur.

   The Predacon growled and prepared to return fire, only to curse as Energon poisoning began to spread through his systems. “ Damn it… Beast Mode! “
  Below, Onyx and Tigatron were doing the same. With great delicacy, Tigatron picked up the pieces of Airazor in his jaws and strode off towards the base. Onyx took to wing, looked down at Packrat and said; “ You know what, I think we just won, don’t you? Let’s see ol’ Monkey-boy do that! “
  “ HA! “
  Onyx Primal chuckled. He’d done it; dealt a serious blow to the Predacons and reversed the effects of his previous defeat. The Preds may still have Antagony captive, but so what? They couldn’t use her.

Chapter 6: Fire in the Night

A TMUK PRODUCTION by Charles ”RocketBoy” Reilly

EARTH: SECTOR TALLORIES: 2, 000, 000 BC

Onyx settled down to sleep. He was in bat mode and kept grinning all the time. He’d not felt this good since his first assassination, and he wasn’t even being paid for this!

   Forget assassinations and that! On Cybertron, I’m a fugitive from those Tripredacus twerps but here… Here I’m a leader, a hero! Man, this is such a high!

  He drifted into sleep, ignoring the snores of Packrat in the next hut.

Airazor and Tigatron lay in the woods, keeping watch. Tigatron looked around, and then activated his communicator.

  “ Tigatron to Cheetor. “
  “ BZZT… Big Cat! Been a while since your last report! BZZT… “
  “ We didn’t want Onyx to get suspicious. “
  If Onyx had known about this, he would have been livid. Not about the fact that Tigatron and Airazor were double agents, but that he didn’t KNOW ABOUT IT. As it turned out, the two of them, while respecting Onyx’s power and skill, didn’t feel he was a good leader. But if they let just him and Packrat go off alone, they’d be killed. This way, they could keep the wayward ones alive and keep the Axalon informed of everything that Onyx was doing.

  “ We’ve retrieved the driver from Megatron. It seems to be safe around here, thankfully, because we can’t get it to the Axalon- “ He frowned. There was a strange smell in the air. Airazor transformed and flew off to investigate.

  “ BZZT… You really think Goatsucker Primal can keep it safe, Big Cat? BZZT… “

  “ Of course. He is skilled in combat, enough to go up against Megatron and- “
  There was a rustling in the bushes, the snarling of blades on metal and Airazor came flying backwards, in statis lock and mech fluid leaking from serious gashes.

  Tigatron felt his system fuse in horror. “ PRIMUS, NO! “
  “ BZZT… Big Cat? What’s going on?! BZZT… “
  And like the ghost of an ancient nightmare, Megatron stepped nimbly through the trees. He leered at Tigatron and drool dripped from his jaws. The tiger crouched and gave a fierce growl, which became a gargling cry as Megatron stomped on him, grabbed him in his jaws and began worrying at him.

  “ BZZT… TIGATRON! Please respon- FZZZZ… 10101011010 BZZT… “

  Megatron threw the ripped and bloody form of Tigatron into a tree, and grinned at the cracking of gears.

  “ Ah, such sport, yesssssss. “ He licked the synthetic blood off his fangs and smiled contently. “ Foolish Maximals, celebrating a victory without checking to make sure they weren’t being followed! “

  Tarantulus crept forward in spider mode. A strange device was resting on him; a small robotic spider with a light bulb at the front and little grabbers on the sides. Tarantulus said: “ Ah, my little toys are working well, hmmm? “
  “ Yes, yes… Now we know the approximate location of our prey. Terrorsaur, Inferno, Tarantulus; prepare to attack. We must retrieve the driver, for drunk the Maximals were when they stole it from us and their comrades will find themselves sickened at the sight of what we will do so freely. “ He grinned, a terrible thing to behold. “ Terrorize. “

Onyx slowly opened one eye. He’d heard someone transforming; SEVERAL someone’s transforming. Could it be they were-

  TSEEEEEEEEEEW!
  A purple laser beam ripped through the side of the hit and narrowly missed his head. He transformed on the spot, grabbing his gun and firing out the window, all the time running sideways across the little bridge over to the armoury. Bullets pinged off his chest and behind him, his hut exploded into a rain of wooden shrapnel.

   He got into the armoury and grabbed hold of his sniper laser. A little way over, Packrat was scurrying across a bridge in his beast mode, calling out “ What the slagging hell is going on?! “
  A fireball struck his bridge, sending flame running up his legs and scorching his fur. He screeched and yelled, feeling the bridge become painful under his feet, feeling it collapse and send him falling to the ground below, hearing the vengeful cry of Inferno in the distance…

  THUD
  “ Uhhh… Maximize… “
  He screamed as Megatron’s laser cut through his side. Onyx growled and fired his sniper beam, cleaving the tyrannosaur’s right arm clean off. He sniggered at the pain-filled yell and then screamed as a vengeful missile came hurtling out of the undergrowth-

  -he was in a hut filled with ammo and detonators-

  Onyx leapt out of the hut just before the missile hit; the explosion sent him flying towards the Predacons, and the eagerly awaiting Terrorsaur. He began to hover above the Pred, then landing in front of him and swiftly tossing him into Megatron. He quickly processed the situation; Tigatron and Airazor seemed to have been taken down. Packrat was wounded. The base had been pounded by heavy firepower. He was damaged. The driver was on the floor surrounded by debris from his hut-

  “ Packrat! Get the driver and RUN! “
  “ Run? I like the sound of that! BEAST MODE! “
  The rat dashed forward and grabbed the driver, heading off into the night. Onyx went into bat mode and flew away, dodging laser fire. Megatron growled.

  “ Inferno, Terrorsaur; pursue and blitz them! Tarantulus… Try to head them off. “
 

Cheetor pressed every button he could think of and was rewarded with more static. Optimus stood nearby, looking worried; Dinobot was crouched, apprehensive.

  “ Nothing, Bigbot! “ Cheetor looked close to tears. “ They must be in danger! “
  “ That is OBVIOUS, “ said Dinobot. “ The life of a spy is always hazardous. Could Onyx have found out? No, more likely to be Megatron. “ He chuckled slightly. “ The fool, proclaiming patriotism and then injuring Transformers who show more Predacon honour than him… “

  “ We don’t have time to discuss things! “ yelled Optimus. “ Cheetor, Dinobot; we’re heading out! We have to reach our friends before the Predacons do! “

 “ I assume you mean Tigatron and Airazor, and NOT the other ones. “
   “ SHUT UP AND JUST HEAD OUT! ”

Terrorsaur and Inferno fired randomly into the forest below. Trees and hedge growth went up in flames. The Maximals tried to avoid the shots, but a few connected with glancing blows. Onyx’s wing was shot, Packrat had several wounds and the forest was on fire.

   “ I’m bloody sick of this… MAXIMIZE! “
   Onyx flipped over to fly on his back and began firing upwards. Terrorsaur screamed as bullets tore through his chest. Inferno growled and unleashed a fireball. Onyx rolled to the side to avoid it, his side getting singed slightly.

  Then the barrage stopped. The Predacons were suffering from Energon poisoning, forcing them to convert to beast mode. Onyx grinned and slowed down.

  “ Packrat, they’re gone! “

  The rat ran over and transformed. He sighed in relief and began tossing the driver up in the air. “ So what now, boss? “
  “ I… “  He hated saying this. “ …don’t know. “

  There was a rustling in the trees-

  Tarantulus leapt out, a demon king with glowing eyes and skeletal limbs, and he pinned Packrat down and BIT him, sending cybervenom through his systems. Onyx fired, blowing a leg off. The spider hissed and leapt back.

  “ TARANTULUS, TERRORIZE! “
  The driver rolled from Packrat’s hand. Onyx tried to get to it-

  “ Oh, spare me, “ sighed Tarantulus. “ You really think you can beat me, Tripredacus deserter? “
  His optics widened. HE KNEW! HOW?! Packrat was looking confused; no time to worry about that. Tarantulus couldn’t live, not with that knowledge. He leapt forward in a dropkick, a perfectly executed Metallikato move, and was therefore surprised when Tarantulus was able to catch it and redirect it, using the momentum to send Onyx flying into a tree. He sniggered and picked the bat’s head up and RAMMED it into the ground, cracking the optics. Onyx growled and lashed out, knocking Tarantulus away.

   “ You know Metallikato as well?!  “
  “ I know lots of things, batboy, “ he said. “ More than you’ll ever know. Ngeheh! But you WILL get to know exactly what the Matrix is like, in just a cycle… “
  PTWEEEES!

  Tarantulus cried out as Packrat’s sonic blast hit him in the back. He growled and leapt backwards, landed next to the thief and disarmed him, by ripping his hand from its joint.

  “ AAARRRRRRGGH! “
  “ Awwww, did I hurt the little rodent? “ He noticed Packrat had dropped the driver on the floor and went to pick it up; Packrat kicked him savagely. “ Oh. Heroics. “ Tarantulus sneered. “ You DO know what happens to heroes in our race, don’t you? “
  He did a Fracture Kick, cracking the rat’s side-

  “ They die- “

- kneed him in the groin-

 “ – in battle- “

  - dug into the crack with his claws and ripped some circuits out-

  “ – and unless they’re Primes or doctors or anyone important- “

- and slashed at Packrat’s neck. It was torn open, circuits sliced cleanly, his head now lolling unnaturally to one side.

 “ – they STAY dead, forever and ever. “

  Packrat was dropped to the ground, a look of pain and horror on his face. He tried to speak out, to cry for help. Onyx watched this and was filled with a deep and terrible hatred. His reign as leader was up in flames, his group shattered and now this Unicron spawn was tearing apart his most enthusiastic ally…

  “ SLAGSUCKER! “

  He fired his sniper rifle, cutting through Tarantulus’ side. He returned fire with his leg-guns; hundreds of rounds pounding into the already weakened Onyx. He grunted and toppled as his knee joints were shattered. Tarantulus studied him and fired again, for good measure. Then, seeing that the bat could see Packrat in this position, he smiled evilly and opened fire on Packrat.

  Bullets tore through the thief’s body, flipping him over. His head remained where it was until the spider’s fire concentrated on THAT, finally tearing it from the body and puncturing it with little holes, oozing smoke and mechfluid.

  “ Ooops! “ He clapped his claws over his mouth. “ I think I broke him! NgeheheeheeheeheeeHAHAHAHAHAAAAA! “

  Onyx could see this, and he COULDN’T GET UP and do something about it. Packrat was dead. He knew it. He’d seen corpses like that, mostly at his hand, and had never cared before. But now…

  Assassins never cried at deaths because if they did they’d never stop. But Packrat’s head was SHREDDED, irreparable; he’d never stood a chance against the spider…

  Tarantulus picked up the driver and slipped it away in a “pocket” about his person. He scrutinised Onyx and sniggered at the thought of what tortures he could do to the little creep…

  BLAM

  He snapped his head round and saw the other Maximals, charging at him. He hissed and returned to beast mode, running off into the night.

  Dinobot knelt down beside Onyx (he didn’t bother checking Packrat) and said, “ he’ll live. “

  “ What about Packrat? ” asked Cheetor.

  “ You KNOW his condition. Ignoring the facts may be good for a Maximal, but a true warrior faces it. A PREDACON warrior, at any case. “
  “ Cheetor, stay with Onyx, “ said Optimus. “ Dinobot and I will go retrieve Tigatron and Airazor. “

  Onyx just looked up at them, fluids oozing from his shattered optic, and said nothing.

 EARTH: THE AXALON: 2, 000, 000 BC- THE NEXT DAY

Onyx had been very quiet when they’d taken him out of the CR Chamber.

  He sat in his quarters, turning his gun over and over in his hands. Images flashed through his core: his creation at the Pit, going through assassin training, meeting his best friend Slither, killing Slither when the Tripredacus Council found out he was a Maximal spy, hundreds of victories and no defeats, except for Death’s Head and that could be seen as a draw-

  And then last night. Just a few slagging hours after one of the greatest victories in the Predacon’s life and then defeat struck him like a bomb. And like a bomb, it left him shattered and lifeless, with the only thing left being to search through the rubble for anything recognisable.

  I was LEADER. I was RESPONSIBLE. I wanted to prove I was better than Optimus and now I’ve failed and Packrat’s DEAD and I… Why couldn’t Tarantulus have killed me? Then I wouldn’t be stuck HERE, in this slagging Maximal ship, defeated and humiliated in front of Optimus, of all people, and with Packrat dead. And me feeling no real grief over his death, and then feeling like slag because of it.

  Primus, why can’t I be DEAD?

  The door opened quietly and Optimus Primal crept in.

  “ Onyx? “
  “ What do you want? “ he asked bitterly. “ Come to gloat? “
  “ No. I want to see if… if you need help. You suffered something last night that no Transformer should. Sometimes it is good to get these things into the open. “
  “ I failed. “ His voice was quiet and dead. “ I failed you, I failed Packrat, I failed myself. The Predacons have the driver again. Packrat is offline. I’m a fool and an amateur. “
  Optimus put his hand on the bat’s shoulder. “ Onyx… We need you. Especially now Packrat is gone. “
  “ Me? “
  “ Yes. If you don’t feel up to it, you can remain out of battle for the rest of the Beast Wars; I don’t want to force people like Megatron. “ Optimus got up. “ But in my personal opinion, if you stay like this then you will remain defeated forever, with no chance at victory or revenge or anything. “
  Onyx was silent.

  A few cycles later, he exited his room and went on patrol.

  And he changed. While he regained his confidence, his bravado became a façade. He became more introspective and quiet, and tried to avoid command duties as much as possible.

  He didn’t want to be defeated again.