Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Beast Wars: Hidden Repaints ❯ 5: The Pride Before The Fall ( Chapter 5 )

BEAST WARS: HIDDEN REPAINTS

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.

Can't use the driver now. Ha! Nice to see I haven't lost my skills under Optimus' "command". Nah, there's a new leader on this world and I'M IT.

TO BE CONTINUED