Beast Wars Anonymous:

The Trail of Blackarachnia
by Wes Whitten (weswhittentf@juno.com)

"Miss Arachnia, you programmed a stasis pod in the arctic a week ago. However, when you programmed the pod, you forgot to insert a Predacon identification chip. Such an easy to remember act could only be forgotten if you wanted the pod to be a Maximal," Megatron announced, pointing at Blackarachnia.

"What is wrong with you, Megatron, you're acting like this is some sort of court," Blackarachnia spoke.

"It is a trial! Now remain quiet or I will hold you in content for this court, yes..." Megatron bellowed.

Blackarachnia sneered as she looked around the room. She was strapped to a chair which was in front of Megatron, who was sitting on his throne. The other Predacons were at the side of the room on hover platforms, acting like they were the jury.

"Now, Blackarachnia, how do you plead?" asked Megatron.

"Sigh, not guilty..." Blackarachnia sighed, going along with the act.

"Very well..." said Megatron.

Rhinox stared at the holographic map in the Axalon. Rhinox was currently in his private quarters, studying a map of the Predacon area. Rhinox's fellow friend Wolfang was in the room as well.

"So...?" asked Wolfang.

"Nothing. The Predacons are up to something, but I don't know what. They aren't at their posts or guarding the Darkside," Rhinox responded.

"Should we inform Optimus and launch an attack?" asked Wolfang.

"No. But, maybe you and I can try something," Rhinox stated.

"What might that be?" Wolfang questioned.

"We can infiltrate the Darkside and possibly recover some Predacon secrets," Rhinox answered.

"What? Infiltration?! That's Rattrap and Cheetor's field, not mine, and undoubtedly not yours," Wolfang protested.

"Regardless of that fact, you could get inside their headquarters while I distract them," Rhinox pointed out.

"Rhinox, why are you keeping all this from Optimus?" asked Wolfang.

"I can't tell you. All I can say is that my work has discovered some very fascinating things lately. It's too early to tell, but it could lead to disaster. I don't need the Predacons or the other Maximals to know about it," Rhinox stated.

"Fine, be that way," Wolfang pouted, transforming to beast mode.

The wolf stepped out of the room.

The door slid shut behind Wolfang and Rhinox was alone. He lowered his head.

"It's coming...and I can't stop it..." Rhinox whispered.

Blackarachnia found this trial absurd. So she forgot about to insert a Predacon identification chip when she programmed a pod, big deal. Now, Blackarachnia found herself strapped down to a chair, with Megatron in front of her like a judge, and the rest of the Predacons floating on hover platforms on the other side of the room.

"Miss Arachnia," Megatron spoke, "due to conversational errors, the jury is unable to reach a decision, therefore this trial must be held in recess."

"That doesn't bother me," Blackarachnia grumbled.

"On the contrary, because you are on trial, you are confined to the Darkside and are not allowed to have any possession of a weapon is that clear?" Megatron asked.

"Fine..." Blackarachnia cursed.

The energy bands around Blackarachnia broke free and she stood up. Instantly, Terrorsaur and Iguanus lowered their hover platforms, and took Blackarachnia's weapons.

"Terrorsaur, place her weapons in storage room 3 and guard it with your life!" Megatron ordered.

Terrorsaur grumbled at his new assignment, "At once, Megatron..."

Blackarachnia watched Iguanus and Terrorsaur exit the room. The other Predacons soon followed. However, Megatron remained in his throne. Blackarachnia stared at him, as if she expected him to leave.

"This is my room, Blackarachnia, I will stay. Now you leave!"

Megatron ordered.

Blackarachnia did as told.

Wolfang, in robot mode, walked into the meeting room to find Dinobot and Optimus Primal discussing things over a holographic map.

"Optimus Primal...?" Wolfang asked.

Optimus Primal turned around abruptly, "What? Oh, Wolfang. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

"That's okay," Wolfang responded, "Optimus, I need to talk to you about Rhinox,"

Primal gave Dinobot a glance to leave the room, but Dinobot only sneered and held his ground.

"Whatever he has to say about the rhino, he can say in front of me," Dinobot argued.

"Fine. What is it Wolfang?" Primal asked.

"Rhinox is acting weird. He was talking about me and him spying on the Darkside, and said that I shouldn't tell you. Then he started to rant about something coming and about secret missions..." Wolfang informed.

"Whoa! Hold on, Wolfang! No need to worry. I've known Rhinox for awhile, and he often goes into these fears about what his research discovers, but it usually ends up to be nothing," Primal stated.

"Oh, well then..." Wolfang began to respond.

"However," Primal interrupted, "Rhinox may have had the right idea about the Darkside. No Predacon activity has been detected outside of their base for days. Waspinator was discovered to have left, but when he returned to Darkside, another robot was with him. Something's up."

"So, should we go on a recon mission?" Wolfang asked.

"Yes, but I don't need a commotion about this. Take Dinobot and Rhinox with you, I'll radio Airazor and Tigatron at the mountain tops to meet you there," Primal ordered.

"At once sir!" Wolfang saluted, "Let's go Dinobot."

Dinobot grumbled, "Just remember wolf, I do what I want. I refuse to follow your orders,"

"Hold on! Hold on!" Primal broke in, stepping between Dinobot and Wolfang, "I don't need you two to kill each other. Dinobot, you will go with Wolfang and follow his orders! And if you think your too good for his orders, I'll make sure Rattrap joins you on the mission."

Dinobot cringed.

"Very well, I'll try to follow orders," Dinobot sneered, and he and Wolfang left the room.

"Hello, Blackarachnia, what do you think your doing?" asked Terrorsaur, guarding the storage room.

Blackarachnia smiled at the Predacon.

"My weapons, get them out now," Blackarachnia demanded.

Terrorsaur broke out laughing. Blackarachnia found the situation not funny.

"I'm not kidding Terrorsaur, give them up, or I'll kill you," Blackarachnia ordered.

Terrorsaur shut his beak. He knew that Blackarachnia could kick his butt.

"I...i'm not opening up the...." Terrorsaur stated, as a thick venom came from the shadows.

Terrorsaur glitched and fell to the ground in the venom. An insidious laughter arose and Tarantulas crept out of the shadows in beast mode.

"Tarantulas, Terrorize!" Tarantulas bellowed.

The spider transformed and joined Blackarachnia, who was currently opening the storage door.

"Nicely done my love, you really know how to handle these situations," Blackarachnia murmured.

"Never mind that. I knew you would need help, that's why I asked if you wanted my assistance. Together we shall crush Megatron!" Tarantulas spoke.

Blackarachnia picked up her crossbow and mounted it on her arm.

"What are you up to now?" asked Tarantulas.

"I'm going out to kick some Maximal carcass and roast it for dinner. Do you want to come?" Blackarachnia answered.

Tarantulas took out his own crossbow and snickered.

"Why wouldn't I?" he questioned.

At that instant, Terrorsaur reached his arm out from his weaken state.

"I...I want to come...to....too," Terrorsaur gasped out.

Blackarachnia picked him up and ripped the venom off of him. Terrorsaur wobbled a bit and then dusted himself off as she dropped him to the ground.

"Then grab your weapons, and don't say a word to Megatron, or else!!!" Blackarachnia ordered, pointing at him.

The three Predacons made their way to the front exit.

Scorponok and Megatron were currently inside the communications room looking over the area for any sign of Blackarachnia leaving.

"Sir, are you sure she is going to leave?" asked Scorponok.

"I know her, Scorponok, she will leave the base, yes," Megatron responded.

Suddenly, blue blips started to appear on the screen.

"Sir, Maximal invaders!" Scorponok pointed out.

"Yes, there are, isn't there. I'm sure Miss Arachnia will handle them," Megatron spoke.

Scorponok was beginning to question Megatron's hunches.

Rhinox and Dinobot approached the base from the south in beast mode. The Maximals were hoping to grab attention so that Tigatron could slip inside Darkside.

"Rhinox and Dinobot in position," Rhinox radioed to the others.

At the north, Airazor and Wolfang, also in beast mode, were at their positions.

"As are Wolfang and I," Airazor radioed.

To the east, near the back exit of Darkside, Tigatron was hiding.

"Tigatron ready, just give the signal," he radioed.

"We've surely alerted the Predacons of our position, we just have to wait for them to exit," Rhinox radioed.

"Hm, those cretins would not know Maximals if we slapped them and told them who we were," Dinobot barked.

"Incorrect, Maximal!" shouted a voice from the Darkside entrance.

Rhinox and Dinobot looked from behind their hiding spot, only for them to be blown away. The two Maximals got back to their feet, as Tarantulas, Blackarachnia, and Terrorsaur stood at the entrance.

"Now! Now!" screamed Dinobot.

"If you say so!" Terrorsaur blurted, firing his gun.

Rhinox and Dinobot both took hits and were flung backwards.

Rhinox remained down as Dinobot arose.

"Dinobot, Maximize!"

"Petty trick!" Blackarachnia hollered, firing her crossbow.

Dinobot transformed to his root mode and avoided the blast. He then returned with his eye beams, which caught Terrorsaur by surprise.

"Now! Airazor, Maximize!" screamed Airazor as she flew over the Darkside towards Dinobot and Rhinox.

Wolfang followed, and the two transformed to robot mode.

"More intruders? No matter!" Tarantulas laughed.

Blackarachnia and Tarantulas opened fire, and Airazor and Dinobot were forced down, leaving Wolfang alone.

"Surrender or die!" Blackarachnia bellowed.

Wolfang didn't have a chance to reach for his shield.

Soon, Blackarachnia returned to Megatron's room, where all other Predacons except for Tarantulas and Terrorsaur were.

Blackarachnia took her seat, and Megatron began.

"The court recess is over. A decision has been made with new evidence," Megatron announced.

Blackarachnia didn't flinch.

"It was discovered that Blackarachnia disobeyed orders and took possession of her weapons and left the base, therefore, I must rate her not guilty," Megatron stated.

"What?!" Iguanus yelled.

"Buzz Saw confused," Buzz Saw said.

"It is quite simple, my fellow Predacons, Blackarachnia proved disloyalty, which is a true Predacon quality. Also, her little gold find helped her innocence, yes," Megatron spoke.

"What gold find?" snapper asked.

Megatron snapped his fingers, and Terrorsaur and Tarantulas entered. Once inside, they dropped their cargo to the ground.

All Predacons looked on with awe.

"Yes, these Maximal prisoners are ours..." Megatron snickered, staring at the unconscious Airazor, Rhinox, Dinobot, and Wolfang.

Elsewhere, Tigatron found himself crawling through a ventilation shaft in beast mode. If he were to learn anything from the Predacons, this was the best place to look. Tigatron ignored the cobwebs in the shaft, and focused on following Megatron's cruel laughter, which echoed through the shaft.

Tigatron crawled a bit further, and came upon a room below the shaft, which appeared to be his throne room. Tigatron gasped with horror as he saw his captured allies. They all looked like they were in the worst of condition.

"By the Matrix..." Tigatron muttered.

Tigatron stared at all the laughing Predacons.

Tigatron was now on enemy grounds with no way out. To survive here, he would have to save his friends, and that is a task that may cost Tigatron his life.