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.

Author’s Note: Takes place right after "Crossing the Rubicon." If you like this story e-mail me and tell me what you think. And the sequel is in the works.

Shattered Sparks
by Annex (annex1@mailcity.com)

Deep in the Predacon base, Tarantulas jumped when suddenly the console alarms lit up to warn of an incoming stasis pod. It was going down in sector 13, but Tarantulas couldn't get the exact coordinates.

Homing beacon must have been damaged in the crash, now I better tell Megatron. Tarantulas thought. He turned on his com-link.

"Megatron, there is a stasis pod going down in sector 13, I think the beacon is damaged so we don't know exactly where it is," Tarantulas reported.

"Good, another addition to the Predacon ranks. Send Quickstrike and Rampage to get the pod. And this better not be another trick or I will personaly destroy you, yesss," Megatron promised coldly.

Tarantulas shuddered at the thought of what terrible things Megatron would do to him if he ever pulled another trick like he did last week. Tarantulas had figured that if he reported a fake stasis pod, then with some of the Predacons gone he could get acess to the computers. When Megatron found him hacking into the files it hadn't been pretty. The next thing Tarantulas knew he was waking up in the CR-chamber two days later.

But this time it was no fake and he knew that Megatron would not be happy if the Maximals got the pod. Tarantulas turned on his com-link again.

"Rampage, Quickstrike, there is a stasis pod in sector 13. Megatron has ordered you to go get it," Tarantulas said calmly.

Rampage and Quickstrike, who were out on patrol started heading for sector 13. Quickstrike babbled about kicking Maximal keister the whole way there.

Silverbolt surveyed the area from the air, looking for the stasis pod. He saw Cheetor far below also looking for the pod. He looked more like a sabertooth tiger than a cheetah now that he was a Transmetal 2. On Silverbolt's back was the heart of his heart, Blackarachnia. She was very happy about being a Transmetal. Silverbolt winced at the thought. He remembered her fighting Rampage and slamming him into a cliff. Rampage would be out for revenge.

"You see anything up there, Silverbolt?" Cheetor said through the com-link startling Silverbolt out of his sad thoughts.

"Not yet Cheetor, keep your optics open for Predacons though."

Suddenly a green beam shot up from the ground. Silverbolt was not able to dodge in time. He yelped in pain as the blast struck his left wing. Now they were in freefall. Blackarachnia jumped off his back and converted to robot mode. Silverbolt slammed hard into the ground and Blackarachnia landed heavily beside him. Silverbolt looked around and found himself in the middle of a forest. He looked over to Blackarachnia who was getting up.

"Are you okay, beloved?" He asked in a concerned voice.

"I'm fine bowser, but you don't look so good yourself," She replied jokingly.

"I'll be fine as soon as we recover the pod,"Silverbolt stated.

There was a rustling in the bushes nearby. They both aimed their weapons. Cheetor jumped out panting. They lowered their weapons in unison.

"Cheetor, did you see who attacked us?" Silverbolt asked.

Blackarachnia answered for Cheetor.

"It was Quickstrike. Only he has a green laser."

"Thats right, Sugar-bot!"Quickstrike hollered.

He jumped out behind them with his weapon firing. They all turned and fired furiosly. Quickstrike was not a particularly tough Predacon, so he went down immediately under the combined fire of the three Maximals. Then came the real attack as Rampage's massive pincer snatched up Blackarachnia and held her up to his chain gun.

"NOOOOO!" Silverbolt cried in helpless anguish.

Rampage fired shredding Blackarachnia to pieces. Rampage hurled the remains high into the air. Silverbolt jumped high in the air and caught Blackarachnia.

"Cheetor, retreat!" He cried.

Cheetor snapped off a shot from his missile launcher that hit Rampage in the back and then swiftly ran off after Silverbolt. They went as fast as they could back to the Axalon.

Rampage fired at the retreating Maximals several times just to be sure they really were retreating and not just trying to lead him into a trap. He looked over to Quickstrike who was laying in a smoking heap on the ground.

Ahhh, he is an idiot but he makes a good diversion, Rampage thought. He looked around and saw a massive pod several hundred yards away under several fallen trees.

Perfect, Quickstrike hasn't seen it yet and neither did the Maximals, maybe I can finally make my spark whole again, he thought. Rampage converted to robot mode and walked over to the pod. He began typing and the lid opened revealing the pulsating spark. Rampage smiled and pulled out an energon knife. If this worked then he would be free from Megatron forever.

He began cutting small pieces of the spark off with infinite care, because he might not get a chance like this again. Soon he had just the core of the spark. He turned to the console started typing. He deleted everything off the spark. Then he opened his own spark chamber, exposing his glowing, indestructable spark. He kneeled on the ground and prepared to merge the sparks.

Back at the Axalon, Silverbolt landed holding the mutilated Blackarachnia lovingly in his arms. He sprinted up to the elevator and entered the base. Rhinox saw Blackarachnia and gasped.

"We need to get her to the CR-chamber fast!" Rhinox bellowed. They rushed across the room and together they put her in the CR-chamber. After they had turned on the chamber there was nothing ot do but wait, which was exactly what Silverbolt intended to do. He put a chair in front of the CR-chamber and sat down, prepared to sit there forever if it took that long. Just then the immense Maximal commander Optimal Optimus walked in towering twice as tall as the very large Rhinox.

"What happened?" He asked loudly.

Rhinox walked over to him and whisper softly to Optimus.

"Rampage nearly scrapped Blackarachnia while they were out goin' for the pod. Even in the CR-chamber she might not survive. You better talk with Silverbolt and make sure he doesn't go out after Rampage."

"How is Silverbolt taking this?"

"As well as can be expected, he's gonna wait by the CR-chamber until Blackarachnia is repaired, though."

"And how is Cheetor he hasn't gotten back yet."

"So I assume we lost the pod?"

"Yup, I think so."

"This isn't good. Ahh, well I'll go talk to Silverbolt now."

With that Optimus turned to Silverbolt. Optimus knew that if Blackarachnia died nothing would stop Silverbolt from suicidally attacking Rampage. Then there would only be 6 Maximals against 7 Predacons. And he didn't know where Cheetor was. At least Depth Charge was here.

"I'm sure she'll be okay Silverbolt. Don't worry,"Optimus said comfortingly.

"I hope your right, sir. I hope your right."

Rampage, in tank-mode rode back to the base with the battered Quickstrike striding along beside him. The fool hadn't been quite for one minute on the way back, but Rampage found it was easy to shut out the sound.

A very vague feeling of regret kept nagging at him. He supspected it was for blasting Blackarachnia, but when ever he thought that he became confused because he never in his life had qualms about hurting anyone or anything. But the feeling went away and he soon forgot about it.

His spark was whole and strong again that was the important thing! And he had been sure to destroy the pod to cover up evidence. He knew he had to destroy Megatron for what he had done to him but he couldn't think of how. Oh well, he would think of something, but first he had a test to arrange.

Soon they where in the base. Rampage walked by the command room and heard Megatron call him from inside the dark room.

"Hello my dear Rampage. Waspinator and Inferno have captured the Maximal cat, Cheetor. Have you recovered the pod and made it a Predacon?" He asked even though he knew the answer from watching them return on the screens.

Well, now for the test, Rampage thought.

"Of course not, you incompetent fool. The pod was unstable, if you had sent flyers they would have been able to get to it on time and save it before it expired!" He roared in pretend fury.

"Rampage I grow tired of your defiance, Dinobot!" Megatron bellowed, seething with rage.

Transmetal 2 Dinobot took out the spark and squeezed it hard in his claw. Rampage roared with pain and fell to the ground writhing.

Megatron smiled, he wouldn't have if he knew Rampage's spark was whole and strong as ever.

Later in his quarters that night Rampage was still beaming with joy over the results of the test. Where he used to be filled with unimaginable pain, now when Dinobot squeezed the spark, Rampage felt nothing.

But he still had to destroy Megatron. He still couldn't think of a way. With all the other Predacons helping Megatron, Rampage would never be able to defeat him. And Megatron alone was probably strong enough to defeat Rampage. But, now that his spark was whole he knew he was much stronger. Still, he needed a way to be sure.

Then it dawned on him.

To be continued in “Unexpected Allies.”