A/N: Yeah! Thanks for the reviews, guys. You really know how to get people going. And as I promise here's the second chapter of my Feral Scream series. Enjoy ;)

CHAPTER 2: Fear Not, Little One

"Not now, Rattrap!" Rhinox irritated bellow brought him back to reality and Primal looked across the command center toward the source of the noise, where Rattrap, against the common sense, was arguing with the larger Maximal.

"C'mon. I have th' right to know," the rat insisted.

"I said later," the scientist barked, looming threateningly over the much smaller mech, who cowered under the weight of his glare and was wise enough not to talk back this time. Rhinox grunted his approval and turned toward Optimus. "Let's go," he said and disappeared in the side corridor with the Maximal leader close in tow.

Once they reached the med bay, Rhinox quickly got down to calibrating one of the CR-chambers standing in a row at the wall. After a while of fiddling with it, the green bulb lit on and the hatch opened.

"Put him there," the scientist advised, stepping aside.

Optimus nodded and knelt in front of the machine, Cheetor secure in his arm. He pulled the cat out of his lap and moved on to put him in the CR-chamber... he wasn't meant to succeed, however.

All of sudden Cheetor's optics flashed on-line and the cheetah gave out a fluid-chilling scream. His body jerked out of Primal's grasp and the youngster would have surely hit the floor if it weren't for the Maximal commander's reflex.

"Cheetor!" he shouted to the panic-stricken mech, trying to calm him down, but it was in vain. All his efforts to restrain the possessed bot without hurting him were fruitless.

"I'll get a sedative!" Rhinox called from the other side of the chamber.

"Just... hurry... up!" Primal replied, trying to immobilize Cheetor's arms, what wasn't any easy thing with the youngster fighting back as if his life depended on it.

Finally, he managed to hold the offending limbs down, but it didn't stop the smaller Maximal from turning his head around and biting on his upper arm. Hard.

"Argh," Optimus gritted his teeth, when a row of needle like sharp blades dug into his sensory net.

Slowly, the gorilla lifted his head to meet an equally shocked look painted on his subordinate face-plates. "That's nothing," he said, his voice strained from the stabbing pain in the spot, where Cheetor's jaws were still clenched on.

"Primus, he's delirious," Rhinox whispered, ignoring the last comment, and knelt next to Optimus. He reached with his hand with intention to stroke the battered helmet from under where a pair of emerald optics was piercing him with a feral stare.

A low growl was emitted from Cheetor's vocalizer and the scientist withdraw his hand, stunned. When it appeared again in the cat's vision, it had a syringe tucked neatly in its palm. The youngster whimpered mournfully and closed his optic-leads. Two drops of silver liquid trickled down his cheeks, yet his grip on Optimus' arm didn't lessen.

"It's okay, Cheetor. You're safe now," the older Maximal soothed him and used the opportunity to stroke his head. He felt the body relax a little under his touch and nodded to Rhinox to proceed with the sedative.

The scientist did as he was told. The metal needle dug into a main fluid line in the cheetah's neck and the chemical flooded his systems... Firstly, the emerald optics shuttered slightly, then, Cheetor released Optimu's arm only to tuck his head against his broad chest. A sleeping dizziness was starting to slowly overcome him.

Optimus moved closer to the CR-chamber, but this time he paid attention not to make any sudden moves. A pair of metal cold fingers curled around his hand. Startled, he cast a quick glance at the still-awake form in his arms.

The youngster looked at him with fearful optics. "No," he mouthed.

"Cheetor..."

"NO!" the cat screamed and Optimus impulsively tightened his grip to avoid another dangerous situation, but it appeared that the cheetah had no more strength to fight back and restricted himself to chocking sobs. "No, no, no... he'll... please, no... don't let them, please," he begged, oblivious to the horrified expression that crossed his commander's features.

Primal lifted his head and cast Rhinox a helpless look.

The scientist's optics narrowed sadly as he spoke up, "I think he can go along without a CR-chamber for another couple of mega-cycles... His condition isn't that critical, besides, the sedative should've started working by now so the injuries won't be that acute."

Optimus gave out a sigh of relief, followed by a grateful smile, "Thanks, Rhinox."

"That's okay. Just make sure he'll get enough recharge he needs badly right now. We'll tend to his injuries tomorrow, when he's in more... co-operative mood," the green mech replied.

"Will do," the Maximal leader nodded and with the recharging cheetah tucked neatly in his arms, he began walking toward the quarters section.

Rhinox turned off the lights and quickly followed after him. "Let's hope the night will pass without any problems," he said once he caught up with Optimus.

"Yeah, let's hope so," the other mech replied and glanced anxiously at the snoozing form in his arms...

In the mean time, Cheetor tossed and turned on his narrow bunk, seized in an invisible embrace of the worst nightmare that, obliviously to him, was about to come true...