Disclaimer:
I don't own the Beast Wars or Beast Machines, though I damn well wish I did. Then I can force the artists and voice actors to animate my story and share my vision with the world.
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
Summary:
Alternate Universe. One small change at the very end of the Beast Wars has made the war to bring the organics to Cybertron unfold in a considerably different fashion. Just what would have happened if Dinobot has survived the final flight of the Nemesis. Retelling of the events of 'Nemesis' all the way through 'Endgame.' Rated PG-13 just to be on the safe side, for action violence, transformer cursing, and some romance.
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
"... and -I-..." hissed the cold voice, touched now with nobility. "... have my honor."
"NOO!"
Megatron transformed in a blur of motion, the great crimson head of his draconic half lashing out like a whip. The jaw sank deep into Dinobot's silver hide before his lightning-fast reactions could kick in and save himself. Without warning Megatron exerted his strength and hurled him across the room, where he landed with a dull thud beside the weakened and damn near scrapped Optimus Primal.
Megatron's face was livid with a barely restrained fury at this latest betrayal from his subordinate. "Stand aside, traitor," he growled, spitting out the word as he stepped up towards the console. "And observe as I fulfill my destiny!"
Megatron's outstretched finger drew nearer the button that would unleash the full fury of the Nemesis' main cannons upon the defenseless Arc. In one swift gesture, the Beast Wars would end, Megatron would be victorious, and the Maximals -and- their ancestors the Autobots would be destroyed. Then something happened. Something Megatron could not have foreseen. Dinobot's last gamble had paid off. No one could have foreseen what came next. There was no way to tell what the future was. It was still unwritten. It was still yet to be foreseen. It could still be changed. And it could still be fought for.
Outside the Nemesis, a black dot appeared in the window, growing steadily larger. It's shape soon became apparent... an Autobot shuttle, previously having rested undisturbed onboard the Arc. It's trajectory also soon became apparent.
It was heading right for them.
"What?" whispered Megatron silently, incredulously. Here, now, with his plans so close to completion.
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
At the controls of the shuttle, the Maximal Rhinox pushed on the controls, and whispered a soft, simple prayer to Primus.
"For everything that ever was."
A quick jam on the acceleration lever, and Rhinox let loose a war-cry that seemed to thunder throughout the heavens.
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
A cry, curiously, echoed by the startled Megatron as he howled in shock and fury.
The Autobot shuttle smashed clear through the upper decks of the Nemesis, glass and metal flying everywhere as the nose of the cast iron ship smashed into Megatron, nearly snapping him in half. He slammed full-force into the windshield like a bug in the wind as the golden shuttle tore clear through the Nemesis and out the other side, dragging the red dragon transformer along for the ride.
An explosion came then, quickly followed by another, as the power systems of the Nemesis, rerouted through the bridge, began to overload by the sudden attack. It was, after all, as if a gigantic missile has been launched through the ship, and it was unable to take any more. A shudder rippled throughout the ship, sending Optimus and Dinobot to opposite ends of the bridge. Another explosion rocked the ship as Optimus Primal pushed himself to his feet, robotic muscles straining after his exhausting battle with Megatron. A quick calculation estimated mere seconds before the entire ship gave away.
"Dinobot!" he called out, turning to the stained-silver Predacon, reaching out a hand. "Save yourself!"
But to his surprise, the Predacon warrior raised his own hand... not reaching for Optimus' outstretched limb, but higher, tapping his overly-large claw against his forehead in a salute. "Farewell... Optimus Primal..."
He was sacrificing himself... he was dying to give Optimus enough time to escape the rapidly destabilizing ship. To escape from death.
The rockets in Optimus' feet fired, and he launched himself forward... but -not- towards the hole in the ship that the shuttle's passage had just opened. Not towards the exit. That had been his original instinct... to run, to save himself. But he had seen enough friends die during this damn Beast War. Tigertron, Airazor, Depthcharge, Tigerhawk... even the original Dinobot. He was not going to lose another.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Dinobot's shoulder and yanked him up into his arm, thrusting out his other hand and curling up his fingers into a fist, lowering his head as he plowed through solid steel with all the power of his transmetal body. His casing was stripped by the jagged edge of metal plates as he tore through the side of the Nemesis, sparks flashing before his eyes as he ripped through vital wiring systems, hastening the ship's demise.
Far below, just emerging from the cavern that housed the Arc, the four remaining Maximals stood, watching in silent awe as the Nemesis, a black metal bird lit by fire, began to loose altitude, slowly arcing it's way westward, heading towards the mountains on a slow descent until it landed with a deafening boom miles away, sending up waves of dust for miles around, to say nothing of a shockwave that nearly blew them flat on their skid-plates.
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
"Is it over?" asked Silverbolt cautiously, not daring to believe.
For a long moment no one answered, then Cheetor cried out. "Look!" he said, pointing his clawed finger.
There, in the distance flew the distinct shape of Optimus Primal, their leader. They could see him descending a short distance away, landing just over the ridge.
Without warning Cheetor and Rattrap transformed into beast mode, taking off as fast as their legs and wheels could take them. Silverbolt scooped up Blackarachnia in his arms as he took flight, and they rushed to their commander. The Maximals arrived just in time to see Optimus drop to the ground with a weary thud, almost immediately dropping onto one knee to support himself, and roughly dropping Dinobot beside him. At the sight of the Predacon warrior, Silverbolt and Cheetor raised their weapons, ready to finish him off.
Let them, thought Dinobot wearily, lowering his head. The battle is done.
"Wait."
Rattrap held up a hand, blocking the line of fire from his comrades as he cautiously made his way forward, eyeing Dinobot with a mixture of fear and... hope? Something was different about the Predacon clone. For one thing, he wasn't attacking them, though he clearly had enough strength to fight... or run, should it come to that. His optics. Something had changed about his optics, the crimson glare promising death was gone. And thought Rattrap had never been a big believer about the sparks, the Matrix, or anything like that... he could sense something had changed about his spark as well.
"Chomperface?" he asked cautiously.
Dinobot blinked in surprise, lifting his head, peering down at Rattrap curiously. "... not quite," he replied. "I am not the Dinobot you once knew... but, no longer am I the Dinobot Megatron created," he added vehemently. "I am, at least, whole once more."
Rattrap managed a small grin. "Close enough. Welcome back, you slag-suckin' saurian."
Dinobot growled softly at that, his left eye narrowing dangerously. Rattrap, wisely, shut up.
"Speaking of Megs, where is he?" asked Cheetor, interrupting the reunion of old comrades with a slightly bigger concern.
He got his answer when a crimson transformer slammed hard into the ground right before him, hard enough to make a dent in the ground from the impact. Rhinox dusted off his palms and smiled. "Oh, he won't be going anywhere anytime soon."
"Then it's done," said Optimus Primal. "All is as it should be. At last," he added, breathing a sigh of relief. The Arc was safe... the Predacons vanquished or destroyed... and now, no less, they had a way to return to Cybertron.
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
"The Beast Wars are over," said Optimus, flipping the final switch.
"Ready to initiate transwarp sequence," replied Rhinox from his station.
It had taken a whole day to repair the shuttle and secure Megatron, to say nothing of dismantling and slagging anything they'd left behind at the Arc's cavern. They couldn't leave a trace of their equipment behind, after all, it might have altered history if the futuristic equipment was involved in the Great War. So they'd had to destroy it all. Even Rattraps pred-piece collection, which ticked him off to no end. Going back to Cybertron mollified him a little, however. Having his friend/foil back did too.
For his own part, Dinobot was quiet. Helpful, he did what he was asked, heavy lifting mostly, but introspective. His memories were still garbled, mixed in with doses of Rampage's and the original Dinobot's. It would take time for him to sort through and understand properly who he was now. And what role he fit in the universe. He knew he was a warrior, but without a war, what was his purpose? Primal had promised he would speak to the Maximal Council about a pardon for his criminal activities, but now that he had his freedom, he was not certain what to do with it.
Cheetor was excited. They'd won the war. He had so many stories to tell his friends when he got back to Cybertron, so much he could do once he got home. Optimus and Rhinox watched with a smile, they'd been with him the longest, they'd watch the kid grow up, and could not have been prouder of him.
Blackarchania and Silverbolt were excited as well, in their own way. They were thrilled not only to be together, but going on something of a new adventure to Cybertron. Silverbolt called it the home they had never known for, although built on Cybertron, their earliest memories were on Earth.
As for Megatron, well, they'd all but duck-tapped his sorry steel butt to the top of the Autobot Shuttle, which lacked a brig (far too small) and were content to let him ride back to Cybertron coach. They had, however, taken the opportunity of him being unconscious to remove and return the spark of the original Megatron. The Maximals enjoyed history just the way it was, thank you.
"Let's go home!" replied their leader, pushing on the accelerator and launching the Autobot shuttle into the atmosphere.
Fire surrounded the golden vessel as it split through the atmosphere, and they left behind the prehistoric Earth, the Arc, the early humans, and all of it. They even left behind Waspinator, the only Predacon they couldn't account for being destroyed in the final battle. Still, he was hardly a threat. He would rust and fall apart long before the Great War, and probably before history would make any mention of him.
"In the spark of an enemy," stated Primal, quoting again from the Covenant of Primus. "There will be salvation. And in the darkest hour... there will be a light."
"Yeah... from a very unexpected source," replied Rattrap, rapping his knuckle lightly against Dinobot's torso-plate. "Who'da thunk Chomperface had it in him?"
Dinobot bristled but said nothing, recognizing the insult as high praise from Rattrap.
"And let us never forget those other brave bots, who's sacrifice safeguarded past... present... and future," intoned Optimus, and for a while there was silence in the Autobot shuttle as they reflected on friends and comrades the Beast Wars had claimed once more.
The silence was eventually broken by Rattrap.
"You know what the best thing is?" he inquired, placing his hands behind his head and throwing up his legs. "We don't have to see Mega-butt's ugly mug again 'til we get back to Cybertron!"
Laughter filled the Autobot shuttle, as screams of outrage echoed in the void of space where Megatron was secured welded to the top of the shuttle. Transwarp sequence was initiated, the wormhole was opened, and the Maximals and their prisoner jumped into the portal of time and space to return home.
The Beast Wars were over.
But their story was not yet over.
>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
Author's Notes:
Next time, the Maximals arrive home on Cybertron... and things get really interesting.