Beast Wars Anonymous:

Family Ties
by Spider Striker (scarletspider31@hotmail.com)

Dear Journal,

Spider Striker closed his journal. He was glad that his computer had a word processor. He walked over to the 'coffee' dispenser and got himself a cup. He pressed a button on his 'belt' and a small plate moved, revealing a mouth. He took a sip. Man! I don't care what Blackbird says, this stuff is great!

He sat down again and took another sip. He set the cup down. A light went on in his head. He quickly opened up a blank document and started typing the poem as it came to him. He was almost finished when a com-link message broke his concentration.

"Optimus Primal to Spider Striker."

"Damnit! What?"

"What was that?"

"Sorry. What can I do for you?"

"Report to the command room."

"On my way!"

Spider Striker saved the poem, walked out the door, jumped on the ceiling, clung to it, and crawled toward the command room. When he got there, he jumped from the ceiling and landed perfectly. "What's up?" he asked.

"Three stasis pods have landed in the desert, sector 9-G," Optimus answered. "No doubt Megatron has detected them as well. I want Dinobot, Cheetor, Spider Striker, and Rat Trap to bring the pods back to base so Rhinox can activate the protoforms. It is vital that we get them instead of Megatron!"

Megatron looked at the view globe and nodded. He called Darkbird, Mirage, and Tarantulus. Darkbird and Tarantulas hovered over on flying platforms and awaited their orders.

"I want you three...where's Mirage?" Megatron asked.

"Down here," the assassin answered appearing below the others then vanishing again.

"Yeess. Anyway, three stasis pods have landed in sector 9-G," Megatron continued. "I want you to go retrieve them. You are only to reprogram and activate the one closest to the east. Activate or do anything to the other two other than bring them to me and I shall not hesitate to destroy all three of you! This plan is to important for any of you to ruin with your treachery! Now go!"

The four Maximals headed toward sector 9-G. Dinobot was riding the "Rat Patrol" and Spider Striker took "Air Cheetor."

They all arrived and transformed into robot mode (except Spider Striker) and Rat Trap examined the pods' computer screens. "Aw man! There all fine except for this one! The logic circuits are all scrambled!" he wined.

"Well, we are supposed to take them to..." Spider Striker started but trailed off. He drew his gun and pointed it at Rat Trap.

"Wha?!" Rat Trap exclaimed as Spider Striker pulled the trigger. The blast went over Rat Trap's head and hit Mirage in the chest, making him translucent.

Mirage growled slightly and leaped at the Maximals, but was shot down by Dinobot and Cheetor. Then Darkbird flew in yelling "DEATH FROM ABOVE! DEATH FROM ABOVE!" and firing his laser rifle.

Spider Striker dodged the blasts gracefully. He took aim with his gun, fired, and missed by a mile as Darkbird dodged and laughed mockingly. Darkbird then put his rifle back in subspace and rammed Spider Striker into the ground. He then pulled up and started to do it again. This time his face met Spider Striker's fist.

Mirage slashed Cheetor's chest with his claws and blasted Dinobot with his rifle. Dinobot leaped out of the way and fired his eye beams. Mirage ducked but was hit five times by Cheetor's hand blaster. He turned toward Cheetor and was about to charge, but collapsed.

Darkbird stood up and shook his head. He lunged at Spider Striker with his claws. Spider Striker jumped straight up and blasted cyber web into Darkbird's optics. Darkbird ripped the web off just as Spider Striker landed and slashed his sweat shirt.

"Hey!" Spider Striker yelled. " 'Tryin' to kill me is one thing, but that was my only jacket! THIS MEANS WAR!' " He ducked from Darkbird's next strike and deliver a two-foot kick to the groin that sent Darkbird flying through the air.

Darkbird landed on his back. He shot up in the air and pulled out his rifle and started firing at Spider Striker. He tried to think of a wise crack but couldn't due to the anger and pain.

As the battle raged on, Tarantulas snuck over to the stasis pod closest to the east and transformed. He started to reprogram the protoform, but stopped when Rat Trap pointed his gun at Tarantulus's head.

"Alright, Bug Boy," Rat Trap said. "Step away from the pod."

"Yes, of course," Tarantulas agreed, but as he backed away he pressed the activation button. A small praying mantis that was on Tarantulas jumped off him onto the pod's hatch.

The pod's scanner activated and before Rat Trap could stop it, it found a compatible life form.

Tarantulas took advantage of the diversion and blasted the Maximal.

Dinobot and Cheetor were about to help Spider Striker but were shot from behind. They fell on the ground and Mirage appeared above them. He laughed and said "It's called 'playing possum,' morons!" He then shot them again and disappeared.

The remaining Maximals and Predacons were so into the battle that they didn't noticed the 7-foot praying mantis crawl out of the eastern stasis pod. He watched the battle trying to figure out who his allies were. He noticed Tarantulas transform into beast mode and that triggered something inside his head. "Mantor...TERRORIZE!" he screamed and transformed. Mantor attacked Tarantulas with eye beams. The robotic spider was sent flying. He bounced off the other stasis pods.

"DIE SPIDER SCUM!!" Mantor screamed jumping over to finish off Tarantulas. He was about to rip Tarantulas's beast head off when he saw the Predacon insignia on Tarantulas's back. Mantor stared at the symbol on own arm with confusion and looked back at Tarantulas. This pattern continued until Rat Trap put his gun at Mantor's head.

"You are one wacky bug," Rat Trap said, "but thanks for taking care of..."

"Maximal rat," Mantor cut Rat Trap off, kicking him away. He then turned around and fired his eye beams and shoulder cannons.

"Beast mode," Rat Trap said when he landed. He transformed and drove away with Mantor in hot pursuit, flying on wings.

Spider Striker bounced every which way trying to dodge Darkbird's hail of fire. I can't keep the defensive much longer he thought and fired a web sphere. Please at least hit the gun.

The web sphere hit the rifle and exploded, wrapping cyber webbing on the barrel. Darkbird screamed with frustration and threw the rifle to the ground. He looked around to see if he could expect help from the other Predacons. He noticed Rat Trap being chased by a new Predacon. Tarantulas better pray that he came from the right pod or I'll save Megatron the trouble!

He then returned his attention back to Spider Striker just as Rat Trap and Mantor reached their location.

"Hop on, Kid!" Rat Trap said as he drove by. Spider Striker jumped on and fired at Mantor with one gun and Darkbird with his other one.

"Where's Cheetor and Dinobot?" Spider Striker asked.

"Last I saw, they were dukin' it out with...HIM!" Rat Trap answered as Mirage appeared in front of them. Spider Striker turned around and fired a cyber web in Mirage's face before the assassin could take aim. Then Rat Trap ran him over.

Mantor saw Spider Striker fire the web. "SPIDER!" he screamed and fired at the ground in front of Rat Trap. Rat Trap gasped and made a sharp turn, barley avoiding the giant hole in the ground. Mantor fired again, this time hitting Rat Trap's back wheels. The two Maximals went flying in separate directions.

Rat Trap landed unconscious. Spider Striker rolled in the sand. He stood up and was greeted by Mantor's fist. "Treacherous arachnid!" Mantor said as Spider Striker tried to get up. "I'll rip out all eight of your eyes!" Mantor's hand folded back and his beast claw extended. He lashed out.

Spider Striker leaped out of the way, but his sweat shirt was ripped even more. "Dang it!" he said. He tried to make a wise crack but Mantor was relentless. He didn't have time. He didn't notice his sixth sense telling him about Mirage. He was blasted from behind and fell unconscious.

Mirage decloaked and Darkbird landed next to him. Mantor walked over to Spider Striker and started to deliver the killing blow, but Mirage blocked and punched Mantor in the face. Darkbird told Mantor "I want to take this one back to base so I can ask him a few questions. You can kill him after that."

"NO!" Mantor responded. "He is a spider! He must die now!" he went for Spider Striker again. This time Mirage knocked him out.

Darkbird sighed and said "Put him on top of one of the other stasis pods and have Tarantulas carry him back to base. Do the same for Spider Striker." He then transformed into beast mode and flew towards Predacon base. Mirage did as he was told and Tarantulas dragged the remaining pods with him.

When it was sure the Preds were gone, a black panther came out of its hiding place and walked over to the fallen Maximals.

Megatron looked down at Mantor who was strapped down on and operating table in Tarantulas's lab. Mantor was struggling to break free of his bonds screaming "I'LL KILL THE SPIDER! I'LL KILL ANYONE WHO GETS IN MY WAY!"

Megatron looked at Tarantulas and asked "You are certain he came from the pod I told you to reprogram?"

"Yes, Megatron," Tarantulas answered.

"And you are certain this operation is necessary?"

"Yes, Megatron. His ranting is not to be taken lightly. If we don't do the procedure, he'll be a threat to everyone."

"Very well, proceed," Megatron said and walked out of the lab.

After Mantor was subdued, Darkbird walked in. "Your going to do a different operation," he told Tarantulas.

"WHAT?!"

"Your going implant a device that will send pain through his body whenever I send the command. I've got plans for this guy."

"But Megatron..."

"You'll tell Megatron something like...he's too crazy for a chip that will simply 'mellow him out.' The only one that will work is the one I'll give you. And when you implanted mine, he was in critical condition and you had to give control to the closest Predacon, me!" Darkbird smiled when he was done revealing his plan.

Tarantulas reluctantly agreed knowing if he didn't Darkbird would give Megatron the disk or harm Black Arachnia, or both.

Spider Striker woke up strapped to the same platform Blackbird was when he was first captured. He looked at the door and saw Inferno and Spidertron guarding it. Okay, he thought. How do I get out of this one?

Darkbird was heading back to his quarters when he heard a very unfriendly sound. "DARKBIRD!!" Megatron yelled angrily.

"Uh-oh," Darkbird said sarcastically and headed towards the command room. When he got there, he could tell it would be harder to talk his way out of this one.

"I ordered you not to touch the other stasis pods!" Megatron said when he saw Darkbird.

"We didn't," he answered. It was the truth.

"Then do you mind telling me why one was empty and the protoform in the other was activated when it got here?"

"They must have been activated during the battle with the Maximals," Darkbird answered. He started to get nervous.

"Then where is the other protoform?"

"I don't know."

"Fortunately," Megatron said, "Tarantulas already explained that the activation was due to Mantor's attack on him. I doubt the two of you could work together. We also have the new Maximal held prisoner. You may leave now."

"Thank you," said Darkbird. "But may I ask why these protoforms are of such interest to you?"

"Family ties," Megatron answered simply. "Now get out."

Dinobot started to come to. When his optics came online, the first thing he saw was the black panther. The panther smiled and said in a female voice "Welcome back. My name is Catsclaw."

Dinobot sat up and asked "What happened?"

"You boys got pretty beat up. I wanted to be sure you all were all right before I went to rescue my sister." As she said this, Rat Trap and Cheetor woke up and she saw Optimus and Silverbolt on their way to help them. She nodded and darted off toward the Darkseid.

Optimus landed and asked "Who was that?"

"She called herself 'Catsclaw,' " Dinobot answered. Optimus looked on after her and smiled.

Maybe if I...no that won't work!Spider Striker was getting upset. He couldn't think of a plan to escape. He finally started to think of one that might work, but his concentration was broken by someone walking through the door. Damnit!

He looked over and saw Darkbird talking to the guards. He couldn't tell what was being said, but it got the guards to leave.

"I'll start with something simple. What is your human name?" Darkbird asked as he walked over.

" 'I'm Bart Simpson. Who the Hell are you?' " Spider Striker responded.

"Cute. Who was President when you were human?"

"Who says I'm American, mate?" Spider Striker said with an Australian accent.

"Why won't you give me a straight answer?"

"Because your a jack ass and anything I tell you will help you. And I could tell where that invisible guy was because he needs to...how do you say a robot needs to take a bath?"

Darkbird raised his fist but stopped and muttered "You probably don't have what I'm looking for anyway." He then released the restraints, letting Spider Striker go. Spider Striker shrugged and blasted Darkbird with both his guns.

Inferno and Spidertron ran in when they heard the shots, but they were both decapitated the second they drew their guns. Suckers! Spider Striker thought as he disappeared into the ventilation system.

Spider Striker was almost out of the Darkseid when he heard a voice he didn't recognize from the Predacons' holding cells. He peeked through the vents and saw Megatron talking to a female Maximal that looked like Tigertron only where he was black and white she was tan.

"Please stop making this so hard, Catspaw is it?" Megatron argued. "I don't wish to harm you. I just want to ask you a few questions about your 'uncle.' "

"Ask all you want," Catsclaw answered. "I just won't answer them and torture has already proven worthless against me."

Megatron roared in frustration and stalked out of the room. When he was sure Megatron was gone, Spider Striker knocked out the vent and jumped into the room. Catspaw jumped up in surprise and drew a sword out of subspace.

"Relax. Friend. Fellow Maximal," Spider Striker said trying to calm her down.

"How do you know I'm a Maximal?" asked Catspaw.

"If you were a Predacon, Megs probably wouldn't bother with the cell and just kill you," Spider Striker answered as he turned off the force field. That and my "striker sense" says you check out. The two Maximals headed out the door and were met by Waspinater and Buzz Saw, but they were taken care of with two web spheres.

The two Maximal fought their way through almost all the other Predacons, Spider Striker shooting and acrobatics and Catspaw with her sword and martial arts. They were about to go out the exit when Tarantulas and Black Arachnia stood in their path. Before anyone could attack anyone else Catsclaw, still in beast mode, pounced on Black Arachnia. As Tarantulas was about to help his beloved, Catsclaw lodged Black Arachnia's claw in his chest, using her mouth.

Once the Predacon spiders were taken care of, Catsclaw said "Catsclaw...terrorize," and she transformed. She saw Spider Striker's confused look and said "I like to 'terrorize' my enemies, but I'm a Maximal."

"Well done, yeess," Megatron said as he came around the corner. "It appears I've underestimated all three of you." Catsclaw pulled out a pulse rifle and pointed it at Megatron's head. He just laughed and said "Do you really expect an antique to harm a transmetal?" He then charged his own weapon and pointed it at her head.

Catsclaw smiled and said "If you know how to use it." She then pointed at Megatron's groin and fired. He screamed in pain. Then Spider Striker blasted his head with both guns and Catspaw sliced off his free hand. Catsclaw pulled an arrow made of energon and a bow. She took aim and fired. The arrow hit Megatron in the chest and exploded.

The Maximals ran out of the Darkseid and were soon met by Optimus and the other Maximals. The three told their story and Optimus smiled "You girls would make your father proud," he said.

"Can I ask a question?" Spider Striker asked Optimus. "Are you the 'uncle' Megatron was talking about?"

Optimus nodded and said "If you use the human term. My brother is the girls' father. Now let's head home!"

Epilogue:Mantor walked out of the lab. He had just woken up from the surgery. Termanix explained what he thought the chip was supposed to do. FOOLS! Mantor thought. The chip is doing no such thing! I'll kill the spiders and anyone who gets in the way!

On his way to his quarters, he came across Darkbird leaning against the corridor."I can tell by the look on your face that Termanix wasn't informed of the change in plans," Darkbird said. He pressed a button on the back of his hand.

Pain shot through Mantor's body. He screamed and collapsed on the ground, curling into a ball.

Darkbird released the button and smiled. He walked over and talked into Mantor's audio module. "Let's get one thing clear: I now own you. You do what I say or..." He pressed the button again and Mantor screamed so loud it could be heard at the Axalon.