Beast Wars Anonymous:

Copied Circuits
by Wes Whitten (weswhittentf@juno.com)

Tarantulas stared at the thing lying on the table in front of him. It was done. His device that he had been working on so long had finally been completed. Now finished, Tarantulas didn't think it looked like a device at all, more like a...well, he didn't know how to describe it.

Tarantulas stared at it some more while pacing in his laboratory. He knew what power he could harness from it. He knew who his first target was. But Tarantulas did not know if he wanted to unveil his device just yet. Tarantulas draped a cloth over his...creation, and left the lab. The lights turned off as he left.

A group of Maximals were gathered in the Axalon's meeting room. The day had been quiet, and they were all looking for something to do.

Rattrap was standing at a monitor system, checking the area for Predacon activity. "Area three, clear!" reported Rattrap, finishing his visual sweep of the planet.

"Well, I guess we should be thankful for no attack from the Predacons," responded Airazor.

"I don't know, no news is always bad news," Dinobot sneered.

"He's right, the Predacons are up to something!" chimed in Razorbeast.

"But what?" asked Rattrap.

The Maximals had no answer.

"Wazzzpinator, Terrorize!" cried Waspinator, transforming from beast mode.

The wasp entered Tarantulas' lab, looking for Tarantulas himself.

"Is Spider-bot in here?" asked Waspinator.

There was no response.

"Room dark, Spider-bot must be gone. Wazzzpinator will have to come back later," Waspinator declared. Then, he saw it...

Waspinator spotted the cloth laying over something on the bench.

Waspinator was filled with curiosity and wonder as to what it could be.

"Spider-bot not around, no one care if Wazzzpinator have a look!" schemed Waspinator.

Waspinator approached the bench step by step. Until he was in arms reach of it. He rushed his arms forward and flung the cloth from the bench. And there it laid. Tarantulas's device.

"What? Where spider-bot get this!?" spoke out Waspinator, surprised by his discovery.

"Tarantulas, what is it your doing in here!?" questioned Scorponok, finding Tarantulas scurrying through the junk deposit outside in beast mode.

"Me? Well, I'm just looking for some spare parts. You know, trying to be resourceful!" Tarantulas lied, really looking for parts for a new experiment.

Scorponok rushed his claw forward and grabbed Tarantulas from the pile. Tarantulas could see that Scorponok was not falling for his lie.

"Your up to something Spider, I've suspected it for awhile now. Could you be planning to turn on Megatron?" asked Scorponok.

"Of course not, why would I want to do that?!" protested Tarantulas.

"It wouldn't' be the first time if you did turn on him," Scorponok grimaced.

"Whatever! Now put me down, I have things to do!" Tarantulas ordered.

Scorponok reluctantly dropped Tarantulas to the ground. He landed with a loud thump on his back.

"I'm keeping my eye on you!" warned Scorponok, pointing to Cyberbee floating in the air.

"Is your bee supposed to scare me? What is it going to do? Take pictures of Blackarachnia in the cr-bath?!" chuckled Tarantulas.

"You'll see..." smiled Scorponok, and the scorpion scurried away.

Waspinator wasn't the brightest Predacon, but he knew he wasn't the dumbest. Already, Waspinator could tell that Tarantulas was up to something. And it had to do with the protoform on the bench.

"Hmm, Spider-bot has protoform without pod," Waspinator spoke, "That means that Spider-bot must have made protoform by himself! What could he try to do with 'form?"

It dawned on Waspinator.

"Wait a minute, Wazzzpinator not stupid! Wazzzpinator should and does know what Spider-bot doing! He didn't build a protoform, he built a copy form!" Waspinator realized.

Waspinator was surprised to see that Tarantulas had the knowledge, let alone the spare parts, to create a copy form. A copy form was a device that looked like a protoform, but wasn't. It could be programmed without any pod circuitry. It copied the structure of the users body, and makes a perfect duplicate, except for a few details here and there. Waspinator knew how it worked too.

"Spider-bot make double of himself, then hurt Megatron," Waspinator realized, "Spider-bot can't use copy form! Wazzzpinator won't allow it!"

With that, Waspinator converted to his wasp mode. Using all his strength, Waspinator picked up the copy form with his legs, and flew out of the lab. Then, he flew out of the Darkside.

Waspinator had to do something with the copy form, and he knew what to do...

"Megatron, Waspinator has left the premises!" reported Terrorsaur.

"So?" asked Megatron, leaning back in his throne, 'The little insect has the I.Q. of a peanut, but the luck of a rainbow, he'll be fine."

"Rainbow?" asked Terrorsaur, moving away from his security council.

"Yes, a mixture of colors that appears after an acid storm, it is said to bring luck," Megatron stated.

"And you believe that?" asked Terrorsaur.

"By the Pit, no!" cursed out Megatron.

Terrorsaur turned back to his post. He knew Megatron was close to a nervous breakdown.

"Should I retrieve Waspinator?" asked Terrorsaur.

"Terrorsaur, shut up!" spat out Megatron.

Waspinator landed in the forest, 30 clicks from the Darkside. The copy form weighed a good solid amount, and Waspinator had not the strength to carry it any longer.

"Copy form safe from Spider-bot, now Wazzzpinator can dispose of it and save Megatron!" announced Waspinator.

Then, an idea came to Waspinator.

"Wait a minute? Why should Wazzzpinator destroy copy form? Why should Wazzzpinator care if Megatron destroyed? All Predacons hate Wazzzpinator," Waspinator stated.

With that, Waspinator faced the copy form right side up, and terrorized to robot mode. Waspinator opened the panel on the copy forms arm, looking for an activation button.

"Hm, should Wazzzpinator push green button? Or red button? Maybe purple button?" questioned Waspinator, staring at the panel with all of it's buttons.

Waspinator shrugged and covered his eyes with his left hand. He then straightened out his right hand like he was pointing.

"Einie, meanie, minie, moe, catch a Maximal by his toe, if he hollers, still don't let him go, einie, meanie, minie, moe!" Waspinator exclaimed, his finger landing on the red button.

"Here goes..." Waspinator murmured.

Waspinator pushed the red button, and the sound of gears began to run. The copy forms eyes began to glow red, then, a bright light flashed forward, scanning Waspinator's body.

"Ooh, pretty colors..." Waspinator whispered.

With a final jolt of power, the copy form exploded in a bright light, and when all could be seen again, the copy form was gone. Only leaving a robot, standing in yellow jacket mode in front of Waspinator.

Waspinator stared with amazement at the perfectly cloned robot of himself.

"Wazzzpinator clone gorgeous!" Waspinator exclaimed.

"Buzz Saw, Terrorize!" the new Predacon exclaimed, transforming to robot mode.

"Hello," Waspinator welcomed, "My name Wazzzpinator, member of the Predacons. We fight the heroic Maximals, who wish to rid the world of us. Is new Predacon willing to serve? Will new Predacon be Wazzzpinator's friend?"

The new Predacon hesitated, trying to take in everything.

"Buzz Saw like Wazzzpinator, Wazzzpinator nice to Buzz Saw. Buzz Saw gladly serve Predacons and become Wazzzpinator's friend," Buzz Saw responded.

"Hurray! Buzz Saw is Wazzzpinator's friend. Now Buzz Saw and Wazzzpinator become great members of Predacons and destroy Maximals!" Waspinator cried.

"Destroy Maximals! Buzz Saw and Wazzzpinator destroy Maximals!" Buzz Saw cried as well.

"Destroy Maximals!" they both yelled.

Megatron sat watching monitor reviews. The main screen was rerunning the adventure the Predacons had with the creation of Polar Claw, which Cyberbee had recorded.

"Blackarachnia was a fool to forget the identification chip, yes..." cursed Megatron, watching Polar Claw emerge from the pod accidentally as a Maximal.

"She made an oversight is all," Scorponok responded.

"Yes, but this hasn't been the first time she's messed up or turned on us. Scorponok, I want an audience with Blackarachnia post haste!" Megatron ordered.

"At once sir, I'll alert her at once," Scorponok saluted.

Scorponok rushed from the lab.

"Terrorsaur, Iguanus..." Megatron said to the two Predacons across the room.

"Yes, sir?" asked Terrorsaur.

"As soon as Miss 'Arachnia steps through the door...jump her!" Megatron ordered.

"For what reason?" asked Iguanus.

"It's time I taught that spider a lesson, my way!" Megatron snickered.

"Of course..." Terrorsaur answered.

"Wazzzpinator have friend! Wazzzpinator have friend!" chanted Waspinator, flying with Buzz Saw in beast mode back to Predacon headquarters.

"Buzz Saw have friend! Buzz Saw have friend!" Buzz Saw chanted, mimicking Waspinator's actions.

"Does Buzz Saw like beast mode? Yellow jacket form almost like wasp form," Waspinator asked.

"Buzz Saw like yellow jacket form. Like that friend Wazzzpinator's form matches Buzz Saw's," the new Predacon said happily.

The two accelerated their speed a bit, and soon came in distance of the Darkside. The two Predacon fliers approached the entrance, which slid open when it scanned Waspinator's i.d. the two Predacons then made their way inside the Darkside and to Megatron, who was in his throne room.

"Megatron! Look! Look!" exclaimed Waspinator, startling Megatron.

"What is it Waspinator?!" asked Megatron, overly ticked off.

Waspinator flew into the room, with Buzz Saw slowly trailing behind. The two Predacons terrorized into robot mode.

"Wazzzpinator want to introduce Wazzzpinator's new friend, Buzz Saw. Buzz Saw want to be good Predacon!" Waspinator announced.

Megatron and the other Predacons that had gathered into the room were surprised by Buzz Saw's sudden appearance.

"Waspinator, where did you get him?" demanded Megatron.

"Wazzzpinator create Buzz Saw from Spider-bot's copy form," Waspinator responded.

Megatron grew red in the face and slammed his fist against his throne.

"Tarantulas?! Tarantulas had a copy form!!!???" bellowed Megatron.

Tarantulas, who had gathered in the room when he heard the commotion over Buzz Saw, lowered his head.

"Tarantulas, why did you not inform me of this? Did you plan to use it against me?!" asked Megatron.

Tarantulas knew that lying wouldn't cover up the whole story, but it would cover some of it. "I had no intentions to use the copy form against you Megatron," Tarantulas responded, "I was afraid that you would want it finished immediately if I told you I was working on it, but making copy forms takes a great amount of parts and time. Besides, I wasn't entirely finished with the copy form. I was just now going to insert some intelligence chips that I created from the junk heap outside, when I heard the commotion in here. Waspinator took the copy form and made it into Buzz Saw before I could insert the i.q. chips or tell you of it."

"Sigh, it's a reasonable enough story, so I will believe you, yes!" Megatron declared.

Tarantulas only stared at Waspinator with rage. He had ruined Tarantulas's greatest creation and hope of defeating Megatron. Tarantulas stormed out of the lab.

"Does Megatron like Buzz Saw?" Waspinator asked, returning to the original conversation.

Megatron examined Buzz Saw quickly.

"Beside the fact that he has the same form and i.q. as you Waspinator, I think Buzzsaw will be a great addition to our ranks!" Megatron announced.

Waspinator patted Buzz Saw on the shoulder.

"Buzz Saw is now Predacon!" Waspinator told Buzz Saw.

"Buzz Saw like being Predacon!" Buzz Saw smiled.

"In fact," Megatron said, "I think you and Buzz Saw can carry out a Predacon act that needs to be performed, Waspinator."

"Ooh! Wazzzpinator listening..." Waspinator said, as he and Buzz Saw gathered around Megatron.

Blackarachnia found herself behind the door to Megatron's throne room. She was called down here minutes earlier by Buzz Saw and Waspinator, and wondered why Megatron wanted to see her.

"Megatron, I'm here..." Blackarachnia spoke out, knocking on the door.

The door slid open without warning, and Blackarachnia stepped in.

The room was dark. Darker than usual.

"Hello?" asked Blackarachnia, preparing to take another step forward.

"Have yourself a seat, Miss 'Arachnia," the voice of Megatron, from somewhere in the room, spoke.

Blackarachnia stared into blackness, looking for Megatron. Suddenly, the lights flew on. The bright sensation blinded Blackarachnia for a minute, and two beings grabbed her from behind.

"What's going on!?" she yelled, trying to break free of her captor's hold, but it was no use.

Blackarachnia's eyes adjusted to the light, and she saw Iguanus and Terrorsaur, holding her arms behind her back.

"Terrorsaur! What are you doing?!" Blackarachnia demanded.

Terrorsaur only pointed to the front of the room.

Miss Arachnia turned forward to see Megatron, sitting at his throne in leisure. With Snapper and Scorponok to his left, and Tarantulas to his right. In front of Megatron was a table and a chair, which obviously had Blackarachnia's name written on them. Beside the table was Waspinator and Buzz Saw, standing happily.

Blackarachnia was led to her chair and was strapped to it with energon chains.

"Megatron, again, what is going on?! Why is everyone here?!" Blackarachnia demanded.

"My dear Miss 'Arachnia, you recently performed an act of programming a pod," Megatron stated, "but you failed to insert the proper identification chip, thus causing the programmed protoform to become a Maximal. This is only one of the traitorous acts that you have performed."

"So?" asked Blackarachnia.

Megatron only smiled. Waspinator and Buzz Saw left their positions, and boarded two of the many hover platforms at the corner of the room. The two platforms carried Waspinator and Buzz Saw to the right side of the room. The platforms then hovered in place.

Blackarachnia still had no clue as to what was going on.

Scorponok and Snapper followed Waspinator and Buzzsaw, and the two boarded their platforms and hovered to the left side of the room. Iguanus, Terrorsaur, and Tarantulas did as the others, with Terrorsaur and Iguanus's platforms on the right side of the room, and Tarantulas's on the left side of the room.

"The jury is in place," Megatron spoke, "the trial may now begin."