Beast Wars Anonymous:

Beast Wars and all related belong to Hasbro. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission.

Part of the Herd
by Admiral Lilwall (admiral@brisbane.crosswinds.net)

The stasis pod had been on the grassland plain for several weeks now, a long trail of burnt ground behind showing where it skidded to a halt after crashing planetside. The pod lay still, with a flowing protoform inside, a spark still glowing in its belly. There was heavy damage to the outer console of the pod; the sparking wires had ceased their lightshow, the onboard computer was dormant, and a slight light blue glow surrounded the pod. A grazing herd of cows had traveled into the area and disregarded the pod that lay in their food. A soft sound, then a soft rumble; the herd began to stir. On the distant horizon, flocks of birds fled the tress and flew away in panic, some retreating to the herd, safety in numbers. Dust clouded it, the rumbles were louder now, and much closer...the herd took to the bolt and stopped only a hundred meters away; the birds followed. They were close now, three in all, headed straight for the pod.

"Me Grimlock can see it now," called the velociraptor, turning to the fox.

"Yes, so can I...I'd say it's two hundreds meters away."

"And hopefully, Lightfoot, with a living spark still inside!" Rhinox added. As they approached the pod, Rhinox transformed from tank mode to robot form, Lightfoot and Grimlock stood by him. Rhinox looked the pod over.

"Hmmm, you were right, Lightfoot. This pod is in bad shape. I'm not sure the console will even function correctly," he said with a gloomy look.

"Well, the protoform and spark seem to be intact so that's one thing for us.....perhaps the pod has just been knocked into dormancy?"

"Possible." Rhinox opens the console. "Computer?" After a brief pause, "No eh......okay, let's see the internals..." With that Rhinox opened a side compartment and looked over the circuitry. "Sigh...looks like this is going to take some time; Lightfoot, I want you to patrol a six hundred meter circle around us. Keep an eye out for any unwanted Predacon visitors."

"You got it." Lightfoot dashed off.

"Grimlock, why don't you.....uhhh...here..hold this." Rhinox handed the metal plate that covered the wiring.

"Hmmm, me Grimlock no want to hold stasis pod metal! Want to munch Predacon metal instead." Grimlock tossed the plate aside. Rhinox turned to him.

"Well...you can munch on that metal all you want, but just don't go wandering. If any Preds get past Lightfoot I'll need all the help I can get to protect this pod." Grimlock paused for a moment.

"Okay!" Taking the plate from the ground Grimlock commenced chewing it to pieces. Rhinox sighed and turned back to the pod, placing some loose wires together. The pod jolted...

"Stasis pod online.......running internal diagnostic scan." came a computer voice.

"Excellent! Computer how much damage?"

"Error, complexity control offline, simplify statement."

"You have to be joking....Computer damage report."

"Scanning......Unable to commence scan, internal diagnostic scanners offline, damage report unknown."

"Great." Rhinox sighed, he began fiddling with more wires.... Grimlock had by now wandered off towards the herd, he crept up as best he could, his tail flicking in the air like it was on over drive. He leapt onto the back of a cow and shouted with glee...

"Yay! Grimlock catch cow!" The cow went into panic and bucked madly, throwing Grimlock in the air and crashing down to the ground landing on his head, "Ow!! Me Grimlock no want to play with you anymore!" Rising to his feet he chased the herd off; having some distance the herd turned and began chasing Grimlock instead. Skidding to a halt, Grimlock turned and fled to the safety of Rhinox with the herd of cows close behind... "Rhinox!!!"

Lightfoot stopped when he heard something in the distance with his heightened senses. "I do believe that is Grimlock.....there must be trouble!" Darting to a clearing in the bushes, Lightfoot scanned the horizon only to find a herd of cows in hot pursuit of the reptile. Lightfoot chuckled.. "If ever there’s a time for picture taking...."

He stopped. Something from behind, no...above! Lightfoot turned and crept silently through the bushes, homing in on the sounds. "Sounds like someone whispering...hmm I wonder if we have some nasty visitors, Lightfoot to Rhinox...."

"Rhinox here......oh? Thanks...we'll keep our scanners up, Rhinox out."

"Rhinox!! Help Grimlock!!" Rhinox turned and saw Grimlock almost on top of him,

"Whoa!!" Rhinox shouted as he ducked clear of Grimlock who was had leapt over him; the herd slowed to a halt when Rhinox stood up. "That's better....now, all you have to do is stay, or go away.....Grimlock what were you..." Grimlock cut in.

"Grimlock bored, Rhinox tell Grimlock a story?"

"Not now, Grimlock."

"Grimlock help Rhinox fix pod?"

"Just...stay there okay?" Grimlock stood over Rhinox's shoulder and watched him go on about his work. Rhinox fiddled with some more wires, knocking others loose... the computer reacted.

"Warning, protoform destabilized." Grimlock stumbled forward.

"Quick! Fix it Rhinox!" He pushed Rhinox closer to the pod.

"Hey! Grimlock! Stop pushing m.." Rhinox's hand went through the circuitry in the panel, shorting him out. "Aaarrgh!" He fell to the ground, Grimlock standing over him with a concerned look.

"Stasis pod in trouble, Rhinox in trouble....." Grimlock looked over the pod, "Now Grimlock in trouble! Me Grimlock need Lightfoot's help." The velociraptor's own computer chirped up,

"Attention...communications offline due to energon saturation emanating from stasis pod." Grimlock frowned and rushed off to find Lightfoot.

"Oh my....this is just too good Lasorbeak! Now that Grimwit is leaving the pod I can easily reprogram it!"

"Yeah yeah Fractyl, let's get a move on then, I hate waiting around when I could be out blasting the Maximals!" The two pterodactyls reared to take off when they were halted by a large black bat.

"Don't be so hasty, rushing out into the open you will surely be seen by the Maximal dinosaur and fox."

"Ahhh big deal! Let em try to stop us! They won't be able to catch us let alone stop us!"

Lightfoot leapt out of the bushes behind the Preds. "That's what you think, Lasordork! Lightfoot maximize!" Converting to robot form Lightfoot pulled out his photon blaster and fired on the Pred flyers.

"Ambush! Scatter!!" Fractyl took to the air, dodging the blasts.

"Fractyl you idiot! He is but one! Onyx Primal terrorize!"

"Woo hoo! Finally I get to smash some good guy! Lasorbeak terrorize!" Lasorbeak and Onyx took after Lightfoot while Fractyl headed for the pod. Taking a shot in the arm Lightfoot dove for cover.

"This is bad, no one at the pod and a Pred programmer heading straight for it, blast it, where the hell did Grimlock run off to?" Turning and firing more rounds at the Preds, Lightfoot was surprised to find them gone... "Oh no..." Spinning around he saw Lasorbeak and Onyx Primal fire on him. Lightfoot was thrust into the air and hit hard against a tree, which toppled onto his legs. "Ugh! Blast!!" He could only watch as the Preds flew off after the pod.

Shaking his head and glancing around him Rhinox saw Fractyl closing in, and Grimlock nowhere to be seen.

"Slag! Damn it, you stupid pod! Doesn't any part of you work?!" Slamming his fist down on the pod he stepped back when the scanning probe emerged.... "Well I'll be d--"

"Fractyl terrorize!"

"Under attack!" Rhinox fired rounds off at the Pred, to no avail.

"You can't hit me, Maximal fool! I can dodge your blasts better than you shoot them!" yelled Fractyl, firing erratically on Rhinox; the pod paused...

"Excess amount of energon detected on pod, initiating biological adaptation."

Rhinox sighed in relief. "At last!"

The computer continued on, however. "Primary scanners offline, buried or fossilised biological DNA are present in area, switching to secondary scanners."

Rhinox paused and turned to the computer. "Please tell me the seconadaries are online!"

Fractyl saw his chance and hit Rhinox square in the chest. "This pod is all mine!"

Fractyl landed and approached the pod as Onyx and Lasorbeak arrived. "Well? Have you got it reprogrammed yet?"

"Have patience, Onyx....this won't take long."

The pod made a another announcement. "Secondary scanner offline. Plant life detected, switching to auxiliary vegetation scanners."

Fractyl tried to stop the scan. "Wait!! What good is a Predacon plant? Blasted controls are smashed!" As Fractyl worked furiously to do something, a voice from behind was heard to the Predacon flyers.

"Grimlock smash more than controls! Grimlock smash Predacons! Grimlock maximize!" Taking sword in hand and spinning blades in the other, Grimlock tore a hole in Lasorbeak's back before the Predacon had time to spin around. Lasorbeak screamed in pain and fell to the ground unable to move. Onyx darted upwards while Fractyl spun around and fired his blaster, knocking Grimlock's sword to the ground. Firing again, Fractyl's blast was delfected off Grimlock spinning blades and hit Onyx as he swooped at Grimlock. Rhinox jumped to his feet and grabbed Fractyl by then neck, throwing him to the ground atop of Onyx and Lasorbeak,

"Grimlock, keep them busy while I fix the pod!"

"Me Grimlock pound Predacons!"

"Okay.....status report?" Rhinox asked the pod while rubbing his blast wound.

"Auxiliary scanners non-functional, switching to final emergency scanner, living beast, deceased DNA and vegetation all detected in immediate area, scanning for suitable lifeforms...."

Rhinox waited...waited to hear if even this scanner was offline, but waiting had to...wait. He heard Grimlock scream in pain, he turned and saw Onyx with both his swords pierced through Grimlock's chest, he twisted them before removing them and charging Rhinox. Rhinox swung a punch, Onyx flipped over him; when Rhinox turned to face him, Fractyl shot him repeatedly in the back. Standing still in sudden shock, Rhinox began to fall forward, Onyx uppercutted him and sent him backwards atop of Grimlock.

Fractyl and Onyx approached the pod, and stopped in their tracks....a large yellow ray pulsed around the pod. The two Predacons paused momentarily. Fractyl rushed to the pod in an attempt to switch programming chips, but the pod spoke up...

"Scan complete, deceased DNA ignored, vegetation ignored, living beast chosen, adaptation sequence beginning..." The inside of the pod lit up with a almost blinding flash of light and the Preds shielded their eyes.

"Can't you stop it, Fractyl!"

"No! It's too late! But we can capture the Maximal and reprogram it!"

The light faded and the sequence had finished...Fractyl and Onyx Primal pointed their weapons at the pod...

"What form did it take on..."

"I didn't have a chance to find out, but whatever it is...it will soon be a Predacon!"

The lid of the pod flew into the air with great force...and huge form leaped from the pod; the Preds stood in awe.... An angry cow stood ready to charge, snorting and pounding it's feet into the ground, it eyes glowered with a terrible rage.......

"Livestock maximize!" In a flash, beast become robot, instead of hooves, there were weapon yielding hands; the Predacons laughed.

"A cow?! Hahaha!!" Scorned the bat,

"Haha! And this Maximal is a female! This is too easy!" continued the flying reptile. "Hardly worth wasting my talents on her! I don't think we need another Predacon, Fractyl." The Pred’s laughter turned to a evil grin. "Kill her."

In a split second, the short metal pole Livestock carried become a long energy whip; she waved it around and flung Fractyl's blaster into the air. Another whip and it was around Onyx, swinging him into the ground head first, then throwing him away like crumpled paper. Fractyl activated his shoulder mounted launchers and fired; Livestock ducked and charged up to her attacker, grabbing him by the neck and head-butting him. Grabbing Lasorbeak in her other hand she threw them both into the air. "Your end is now, Predacon scum! Beast mode!" Returning to her beast form, she charged at the battered Preds and again knocked them clear into the air.

"Ugh....return to base! Beast mode!!" The Preds flew off hurt, and barely capable of flight. Livestock aproached Rhinox and Grimlock, who were beginning to arise.

"Are you guys okay? Can you still move?" she politely asked, as if she had no aggressive tendencies.

"Me Grimlock not good, can't stand, or transform..." with that he fell unconscious.

"I...I'll be all right, thanks; for a second there I didn't think we'd get you at all. I'm Rhinox."

"Call me Livestock. Glad to see your okay. I guess we'd better back to headquarters, ahh… we do have a headquarters, don't we?"

Rhinox chuckled. "Yes, and we’d best get Grimlock into the CR Chamber fast. Now I wonder where Lightfoot went to?"

"Three figures are coming form the bushes....the Preds!! Oh man, I'm finished!" Lightfoot leveled his blaster on the rustling bushes...only to find Rhinox, Livestock and Grimlock emerge.

"Whoa! Take it easy, it's us! Lightfoot....."

"Yes Rhinox?"

"Do you know how ridiculous you look under that tree?" Rhinox and Livestock both wore cheesy grins.

"Funny, very funny," Lightfoot commented sarcastically. "Get me out of here."

Predacon Base

"I'll tell you this only once, you sniveling fools! I am very, very unhappy with you! OH, YEEEES!"