Transformers Fan Fiction ❯ Beast Wars: Hidden Repaints ❯ 6: Fire In The Night ( Chapter 6 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

BEAST WARS: HIDDEN REPAINTS

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.

THE END

MAXIMAL: Packrat

FUNCTION: Thief

FIRST APPEARANCE: "Critical Mass" (Botcon exclusive comic)

"Don't just take the goods, take the credit, too."

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His protoform was badly damaged upon landing, and his beast mode ended up being a clone of Rattrap's. His premature damage seems to have lead to his cowardice; he ran away as soon as he awoke. When Onyx Primal entered the Beast Wars, he became the assassin's greatest supporter, openly wanting him to gain control of the Maximals. When Onyx left to start his own group, Packrat was one of those who followed, and together they raided the Darkside & recovered the futuristic Transwarp driver. However, the Predacons made a brutal assault to recover it and Packrat was brutally killed by Tarantulus in the process.

Profile: Although many of his enemies (and comrades) call him the nastiest of names, they can't take away the fact that Packrat's a top-notch thief. With a cunning nature that rivals Megatron and a speed that astounds even the swiftest of Maximals, Packrat is efficient at getting the job done. He strikes from the shadows with lethal intensity, accomplishes the mission objectives, and quickly melts back into the depths of the jungle. Packrat makes up for his lack of strength and cowardice through sneakiness & ingenuity when it comes to saving his own hide. Although naturally loud and brash, he is outfitted with a sonic dampening field which makes him virtually undetectable by the Predacons. Packrat prefers to work alone so that he can get the glory… as long as it doesn't involve physical danger. He is the ultimate glory hound. Although small in size, Packrat has an ego the size of one of Cybertron's moons. His penchant for stealing is only surpassed by his desire to let everyone know he did it. These acts cause unease and distrust among his team-mates aboard the Axalon. His quarters are full of stolen artifacts, broken pieces of equipment, and other treasures from various looting escapades. Whether Packrat is sent out on a solo mission or as backup, no one is quite sure if they can count on him. Despite his bravado, Packrat has a low self esteem and is constantly trying to gain the respect of the other Maximals. When he gained the Energon armour, devised by Fractyl of the Predacons, Packrat saw the opportunity to gain this much sought after respect. However, at Rhinox's insistence, he voluntarily gave up the armour, thereby saving himself and consequently, his team-mates. He is also taken in by more edgy, confident Maximals, leading to his unquestioning support of Onyx Primal.

Abilities: In beast mode, Packrat can travel up to 35 kph while cruising, and up to 45 kph in short bursts. His sonic dampening field creates an aura that has a mean sound level of 5 decibels. If he is not seen, Packrat can approach within 2 feet of his target without being detected. Packrat possesses superb night vision which helps him in nocturnal or underground jobs. His Energon armor, in robot mode, can repel fields of up to 10 gigajoules per square centimeter, and subsequently can last infinitely longer in robot mode than all other Maximals or Predacons. His weapon of choice is a sonic disruptor which shatters the exostructure of his target.

Weaknesses: Packrat has a low self-esteem and extreme cowardice, leading to the constant mistrust everyone has towards him. Due to this breakdown of teamwork, Packrat is unreliable during a battle. His stamina is also very low. The Energon armour works well with small to moderate doses of the energy source, but behaves violently when placed within range of raw Energon. The resulting Energon-anti-Energon reaction ends in a detonation with the force of a thousand tons of explosives, destroying both the armour and the host.

MAXIMAL: Onyx Primal

FUNCTION: Infiltrator/Assassin

"I'm the best I am at what I do, and you'd better be as well."

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He was one of the best assassins in the Tripredacus assassination corps; until they found out he was spying on him and hired Death's Head to kill him. He was forced to flee and, by accident, ended up flung into the Beast Wars under the guise of a Maximal agent. He didn't like working under Optimus Primal though, as he considered himself superior in terms of skill and intelligence. After the Antagony/Transwarp driver incident, he splintered off from the Axalon Maximals and formed his own group with Packrat, Airazor and Tigatron. He retrieved the driver, only to lose it and his base when Megatron launched a counteroffensive. He was beaten by Tarantulus and watched Packrat be killed; these traumas have since changed him into a more introspective character.

Profile: Onyx Primal considers himself the only good thing in the Maximals. Before being targeted for termination, he was a top agent in the Tripredacus Council's assassination corps. He keeps these details of his Predacon history well hidden from his present Maximal compatriots, while maintaining an air of superiority that has won him few friends among their ranks. Stubborn, quick to claim credit and slow to take blame, Onyx Primal is a less than ideal Maximal soldier. Unfortunately, he feels his clandestine past has left him with few other options for survival. As distasteful as he finds his current Maximal existence, Onyx Primal realizes that it may be his only hope to escape termination at the hands of his former employers.

Abilities: Onyx Primal's training as a covert agent has made him an unerringly effective spy and sniper. He is capable of near soundless movement; that is, whenever he isn't loudly complaining about his Maximal companions! In robot mode, he wields a standard blaster and a highly effective sniper laser. In bat mode, he assumes a "stealth cloak" capable of shielding him from a variety of Cybertronian scanning technologies.

Weaknesses: Onyx Primal's greatest weakness is his inability to function cohesively within the Maximal chain of command. His fugitive status with the Tripredacus Council causes him to suffer frequent bouts of paranoia, limiting his overall effectiveness.

PREDACON: Fractyl

FUNCTION: Geochemist

"The power of this planet is our salvation and our curse."

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END

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Profile: Fractyl is a pawn in a war of ideals. While Megatron pushes him to be a warrior in his universe-dominating army, Fractyl is more concerned with solving the problems caused by the strange planet's surplus of Energon. Upon his emergence from the Darkside in his pterosaur form, he immediately knelt to the ground collecting, collating, and analysing the geologic make-up of the area. Megatron wanted to slag him where he stood. Although extremely useful in other technical areas, Fractyl is a geochemist at heart and it is in the field where he spends most of his time. Megatron and the other Predacons prefer it that way. He is tolerated as long as he keeps his distance or if another team member wants to use him to their advantage. When forced with confrontation, Fractyl prefers to think situations through before using violence as his last resort. He believes there are too many interesting natural phenomena around the planet to investigate and would rather study them in peace. He often flies alone to solve current problems and get peace and quiet. However, Megatron insists that he takes a stronger interest in the affairs of the Beast Wars. Focusing on the Energon deposits provides Fractyl with the opportunity to contribute to the Predacon cause and conduct immensely stimulating scientific research. At times, Fractyl puts his own need for higher knowledge and acceptance at the expense of himself and his team-mates. The Energon armour, devised after a meteor impact yielded a new power source (Furmanite), was his best, but not last, attempt at resolving their recurring overload problems, thereby earning the others' respect.

Abilities: In beast mode, Fractyl can travel distances well in excess of 1000 km, before resting. He has twin aft-mounted boosters, operating with the aid of the planet's Energon field, which can propel him up to speeds of 250 kph. Fractyl's neural network has the capacity to store 100 exobytes of information. Fractyl uses an augmented quark disruptor to break any target into its constituent subatomic particles.

Weaknesses: Fractyl is in constant search of acceptance from his Predacon team-mates. Blinded by this need, he may make foolish choices resulting in more problems. He is also an inexperienced combatant.

PREDACON: Vice Grip

FUNCTION: Reconnaissance

"The search often begins within yourself."

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END

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SKL

Profile: Vice Grip is one of Megatron's most loyal and dependable troops. He understands the value of a mission and does his utmost to complete it successfully. This drive, coupled by his extraordinary tracking abilities, is well received by the Predacon leader. His comrades have deep respect for him and often look to him for guidance and advice. He is a cheerful & friendly Predacon, and always tries to boost his team-mates confidence.

Abilities: In insect mode, his giant rear pincers can easily crush unsuspecting Maximals, and then finish them off with a high-voltage electric surge. In robot mode, the pincers convert to a hand-held pulse weapon that discharges an explosive ball of electricity capable of shorting out all Maximals in a twenty meter radius.

Weaknesses: He is very loyal, and doesn't have much initiative when it falls to him to strategise attack plans. His friendliness has been exploited a few times by his more unscrupulous team-mates.