Scene goes to the dark cave, Transquitoe watches as some of the spider-lights take position above them to provide light, Chameleotron, still disguised as Rhinox, looks down into a crack in the cave floor, he plucks one of the spider-lights from the wall and drops it into the crevice. As it falls it’s light grows dimmer and dimmer, after about a hundred or so meters there is a tinkling crash as the spider-light lands on the rock bottom, Drone looks sullenly down into the hole, Chameleotron sets him down against a stalagmite pillar of rock, he takes out the chainguns, Transquitoe takes out his mosquito-head gun and the spark extractor.

CHAMELEOTRON: Don’t take it personally Drone, Teraductile didn’t kill her because she was your secret, he just killed her because he likes it, just like I’m going to love killing you. (Transquitoe chuckles.)

TRANSQUITOE: You’ve always been more trouble than you’re worth, and that’s actually not saying much. (Drone lifts his head.)

DRONE: I can’t believe you two, you’re both worthless.

CHAMELEOTRON: How so?

DRONE: You, your own form is so weak and pitiful, you couldn’t win a fight with a half-scrapped Maximal. And you, Transquitoe, you’ve always been of no importance, Starscreem used you as a shield, ha! Second in command. The minute you had the chance to stand up against Tarantulus and command the phantom you shied away, you’re both worthless. (Chameleotron looks at him through Rhinox’s eyes.)

CHAMELEOTRON: Half-scrapped Maximal huh? (He returns to his normal form, and leans into Drone’s battered face.) I guess a half-scrapped Maximal sympathizer will have to do. (He grabs Drone by the shoulder and jerks him to his feet, Drone is several feet taller than Chameleotron, Chameleotron uses his chameleon tail weapon to grip Drone around the neck and swing him around, slamming his back against a pointed stalagmite, he slumps to the ground, leaning against it, Chameleotron steps back and aims his chameleon-head hand at Drone’s face and fires, Drone jerks his head to the side, the shot travels over his shoulder and hits the stalagmite, with lightning speed Drone reaches up and grabs the tip as it is blown off, he brings his arm forward and hurls it at Chameleotron, the two foot rock spike drives into his chest and throws him back, he realizes his mistake, his back is to the pit, he catches himself with his left hand, grabbing onto the thin center of the stone pillar, where the Stalagmite and Stalactite have joined over many years, sparks shoot out around the foreign object lodged in his chest. Transquitoe fires, Drone takes the hit in the side and rolls away, he kicks his legs and springs to his feet, Transquitoe fires again, the concentrated laser beam cuts through him like a needle, Drone flinches as sparks shoot out of his right shoulder.)

TRANSQUITOE: Why can’t you just die!? (Drone engages his ankle rockets and flips through the air, Transquitoe fires, the shot passes under Drone harmlessly, Drone straightens in the air and cuts his rockets, landing right in front of Transquitoe, who fires at point blank, Drones spins and evades the shot, he carries through the spin and delivers a round-house to Transquitoe, right when his foot hits he engages his ankle-rocket for an added impact and the Predacon flies to the side and skitters down the passageway. Drone turns and looks at Chameleotron, who is attempting to pull himself away from the crevice, Drone steps forward, the camera shows Chameleotron’s left hand lose its grip, Drone’s hand shoots out and grabs it, Chameleotron hangs there.)

CHAMELEOTRON: Thanks Drone, (He searches for reassuring words.) I knew you were still one of us.

DRONE: Shut up. (Drone pulls him around, he swings Chameleotron in a full circle and slams his arm into the pillar, it rips off at the shoulder and Chameleotron slams against the opposite wall and falls into the pit, his scream ends with a thundering crash and the cave is silent. Drone stands there, still holding Chameleotron’s severed arm in his only hand, he tosses it to the side and it skitters on the cave floor, Transquitoe steps over it.)

TRANSQUITOE: You’re mine Drone. I was second in command for a reason, and I’m a transmetal, I’m superior, Chameleotron was weak, you got lucky. It won’t happen again!

DRONE: We’ll see. (He assumes a fighting stance and extends his hand out. Transquitoe throws his gun to the side and brings his fists in front of his chest.)

TRANSQUITOE: Let’s dance!

Scene goes to the jungle, the AV is sitting on the jungle floor as the schooner hums overhead. Vrock is talking to Dinobot over the intercom, keeping an open commlink. Filleen is talking to the schooner captain above. The jungle is quiet, Pakandus jumps down out of a tree from above, disengaging his camouflage, he turns his helmeted gaze to Filleen.

PAKANDUS: It’s too quiet, I can’t see anything though.

FILLEEN: That’s what I’m afraid of, the viruses are machine, no heat.

VROCK: I don’t have anything on scanners. (Pakandus looks around the jungle.)

PAKANDUS: That doesn’t mean anything. (He jerks his head to a point in the jungle to the left of the AV.) Move now! (Filleen doesn’t say anything, the AV roars to life and rips forward, Pakandus leaps into a tree, a ball of sulfurous flames rips from the direction he was watching, it scorches the trees in its path and spills flames over the spot where the AV was.)

VROCK: We’re under attack, repeat, under attack! (Dinobot’s voice yells over the intercom.)

DINOBOT: Don’t endanger yourselves, get out of there, we’ll be fine! (Vrock clicks off the comm and engages his flamethrower, the pilot on the end of the muzzle hisses to life.)

VROCK: Filleen! Double back! Dinobot wants us out of here! (Filleen turns hard left and swings the AV around, and not a moment too soon, another massive fireball erupts in front of them, the AV turn and powers through the jungle, over the already cleared path. Filleen yells into the comm.)

FILLEEN: Schooner out! Repeat, get the schooner out! (Her attractive face is contorted by concentration, she looks in a rear console monitor and sees orange flame.) Ah! (The AV banks hard right and crashes through some trees, the fireball soars past them and thunders down the path. In the air the schooner pilot is engaging rear thrusters, Gasha looks out the front viewport.)

GASHA: Oh, no. (In the front viewport the essence of a nightmare is screeching through the sky, Phoenix, its four wings powering the air, the spidery appearance of the body giving it a distorted mass as it powers through the sunlit sky, it’s heading right for the schooner, closing the distance of about a hundred yards. On the jungle floor Pakandus watches Backdraft explode from the trees and run down the path, its powerful legs pumping and carrying it down the path, the sacs on the head swell as it prepares to release another blast.)

PAKANDUS: AV it’s going to fire! (He watches it with his helmeted glare, the tri-lazer sight cuts down the path, his shoulder-gun turns with it and fires, a sparkling white-hot ball flies out of the barrel, it slices through the air and barely grazes Backdraft’s leg, passing by it and slamming the ground in front of the creature, the blast and the impact hole sends Backdraft tumbling. Backdraft lifts its massive swollen head and looks back down the path at Pakandus, it opens its mouth and brings more air in with an empty hiss, there is a glint of fire in the back of its throat and the fireball is released, it powers out of the gnarled and razor sharp teeth, Pakandus jumps, the fireball approaches his perch, he hits the ground and runs, the fireball slams into the tree and passes over it, the impact spilling bits of fire in every direction, scattering some wildlife. Pakandus engages his camouflage and disappears. In the sky the schooner is still on rear thrusters, the soldiers have filled the front viewports with their weapons and are firing like mad at Phoenix, outside of it Quadroblade is firing her abdomen chainguns and Boomerang flings his boomerangs. Phoenix powers through the air, its sleek body passes through most of the shots, the rest harmlessly pass through the thin leathery wings, instantly melting back, it dodges under a stream of Quadroblade’s shots, the eyes in the massive crest calculate and estimate, its body turns to the side and passes between Boomerang’s boomerangs, they twirl off into the distance. Boomerang speaks to Quadroblade in his Australian accent as they fly backwards.)

BOOMERANG: You missed. (Phoenix is rapidly closing the distance.)

QUADROBLADE: So did you. (He grins and flicks a switch on his wrist.)

BOOMERANG: Just watch. (Phoenix is a few yards from the front of the schooner, it powers its wings and screeches in anticipation, behind it the boomerangs are swooping back, it shoots out its strong, taloned feet after a last powerful pump of its four wings, the claws grip the front panel of the schooner, right between the front viewports. Phoenix spreads its four wings, the schooner wrenches and begins to loose speed. The soldiers inside are trying to aim their weapons but the angle is impossible, there is a light whooshing sound, the two boomerangs strike from the back and hit at the base of Phoenix’s large set of wings, they pass through and stick in the front of the schooner. Phoenix looks in confusion as the wings fall from the sky like giant leaves, they pass by Quadroblade, her chainguns out and ready. Phoenix opens its mouth in a hiss of rage, a moment later Quadroblade opens up, the steady rattle of the chainguns is accented by the splashing sounds as the bullets slam into Phoenix’s liquid metal flesh, Phoenix keeps its grip and flails from the front of the schooner as the ship keeps its reversed path. The bullets continue the enter Phoenix, its body becomes distorted and limp, Phoenix releases its claws and falls. Backdraft is slowly stalking back along the path, looking in every direction, the camera shows its infrared-like vision, there is a glob of heat signature in a tree, Backdraft takes in a deep hissing breath and the sacs begin to swell. Pakandus sees this and leaps out of the tree, just as it is annihilated, the fireball spits sulfurous flames as it smacks into the tree. Pakandus turns off his camouflage and steps out into the cleared path, the waist-high grasses bent down by the AV, Backdraft screeches in contempt, there is about twenty yards between them. Pakandus reaches over his back with his right hand and brings out the compacted spear, he deploys the points like a twin stiletto, he twirls the spear around and into a battle-ready position, Backdraft screeches again and charges, the two massively powerful legs close the distance in a few seconds, there is a whistling noise, very faint, Pakandus barely hears it, a minuscule needle-like object slices the air from the side and plinks in Backdraft’s neck, there is an instantaneous shudder, the ghastly creature crashes to the ground a few feet in front of Pakandus, its body goes into involuntary convulsions, going from the normal textured flesh to the smooth liquid texture and back. Pakandus jumps back, unsure of what is happening, the thing falls silent, Pakandus instantly draws the crackler blaster from his hip, the slender vertical muzzle centered on Backdraft’s disgusting head. Up in the air the schooner is turning to head back, Boomerang and Quadroblade are watching the forest where Phoenix went down, waiting for the tell-tale noise. There is a screeching roar and Phoenix explodes from the canopy forty yards below them, scattering branches and foliage in a cloud as it cuts through, Quadroblade aims her chainguns straight down, a noise, her eyes shift, a strange whistle, a teeny needle-like object slices out of the jungle, Phoenix shudders, its momentum carries it up a few more feet, then it plummets to the jungle below. Pakandus is watching Backdraft, suddenly without even an awakening shudder Backdraft kicks to its feet and stands, Pakandus is about to fire, he stops his finger a fraction away from pulling the trigger the rest of the way, he closes the spear and puts it away.)

PAKANDUS: What’s going on? (Right on the suspenseful cue Backdraft takes off and sprints into the trees, in the direction the whistle originated from, Pakandus jumps into a tree and looks ahead of Backdraft, his infrared vision shows just forest, all somewhat cool and muggy.) What is that? (He rotates a dial on his helmet and switches setting, he finds the one he wants, he then speaks into the comm on his wrist.) We’ve got company, there’s a bubble of magnetic displacement fifty meters southeast of my position. (There is a crash from behind him, he turns in time to see Phoenix soar skillfully through the trees, taking out branches with its massive, crested head, it soars by. Vrock’s voice crackles over the comm.)

VROCK: What could it be?

PAKANDUS: It looks about the right size. (Vrock’s voice falls a little.)

VROCK: X-Seven, he used my computer to hide the schooner.

PAKANDUS: And I think he has control of Backdraft and Phoenix now. (He watches as the magnetic disturbance disappears, the schooner, the large door opens and Backdraft ducks, it gets inside, Phoenix lands in front of the schooner and parrot-hops in, Backdraft moves a little to accommodate, Pakandus can see X-seven and his crew inside, then the door slides shut.) I don’t know how he did it, but he has control of them, and he’s taking off, Gasha comes in on the comm.)

GASHA: We’re coming back, let’s try to stop him. (Pakandus watches the schooner lift up out of the jungle, in the schooner they see it appear out of the canopy, then, as quickly as it appeared, it fades out of existence.)

VROCK: What’s happening!?

GASHA: They’re gone! It disappeared. I mean there is nothing on the scanners.

FILLEEN: How can he do that?

VROCK: It’s a program on my computer, I designed it to make the craft non-existent.

GASHA: It works. (Boomerang and Quadroblade look at each other as they follow the schooner.)

BOOMERANG: We ought to get back in position, ain’t nothin’ we can do now royt? (Quadroblade’s beautiful face holds a look of confused defeat.)

QUADROBLADE: I don’t know if it’s better or worse that X-Seven has control of them. (He puts a hand on her shoulder.)

BOOMERANG: At least they’re out of the way fer right now. (Quadroblade nods but still looks uneasy.)

Scene goes back to the beach. Tarantulus, Bombshell, Teraductile and Batteram are clustered around the entrance of their base, the viruses are standing their ground a few yards in front of the Predacons, and taking severe punishment from the Maximals, minus Dragoness, who are dug in at the line of boulders and the two schooners on the water’s edge. Bombshell lobs a grenade from his launcher, it soars through the air, landing behind Waspinator and Parrator’s rock, it splits them apart, flinging them to the sides over the rock, Teraductile steps out to get a good shot, a beam from Whiplash’s rattle-snake head slams his shoulder and spins him around, Waspinator dives into the schooner closest, Parrator flattens his body as a shot from Tarantulus’s wheel gun flies over him, he then rolls behind a small boulder, just big enough to hide him while laying down. In the jungle a monkey-frog leaps out of a tree as a four-winged dragon shoots out of the branches, an anaconda’s head shoots out after it and snaps the air. Dragoness looks back at Anacronda.

DRAGONESS: You’ve got to be faster than that if you want to catch me. (He hisses at her and disappears into the tree, she hovers, her hawk-like eyes waiting for a hint of movement, there is a rustle to her left, a twig cracks, she shoots through the trees and explodes out over the beach, Anacronda’s head shoots out after her, grabbing onto her body, just below her wings, he then rolls back on himself, securely wrapping his body around Dragoness’s. Anacronda chuckles with his mouth full of flesh, he lets go with his jaws and moves his head around in front of her face, his slit pupils studying her.)

ANACRONDA: Gotcha’ little birdie! (He opens his jaws and heads toward her face.)

DRAGONESS: No, I got you! (She glances above, Anacronda looks up, the branch half his body is wrapped around is breaking under the weight, she takes the chance to dig her beak into his flesh, he lets out a hiss of pain as the branch gives and they fall, as soon as he loosens his grip.) Maximize! (She transforms and breaks free, she swoops away as Anacronda lands and the branch lands on top of him.)

ANACRONDA: Terrorize! (His body folds and shatters the branch, a moment later he is standing, he quickly draws his rifle and fires, the shot sears a hole in Dragoness’s scale-cape and hits her in the back of her left shoulder, as she continues forward her body spins, she lands on her back in the sand, Anacronda leaps out of the trees, his skeleton-like body lands bent, standing over her, the laser rifle aimed at her face, she brings her foot up and slams her knee between his legs, flinging his body through the air, he lands in the sand and wheezes. Dragoness spin-kicks to her feet and aims her rifle, Anacronda brings his up, she fires, the shot hits him in the collar, the force knocks him back, his shot flies into the air, there is a crackling, sizzling sound, Dragoness and Anacronda look up, Anacronda fires up again, the shot hits something and flares green.) Trap! (Tarantulus turns and looks at Anacronda, who gets up and runs for the base.) A cloaked ship! (Dragoness takes step behind him and sprints. The sand in front of them is disturbed as something invisible lands.)

DRAGONESS: Slag! (She takes to the air and flies back to the other Maximals, Anacronda sprints toward his allies, there is a whistling noise, Anacronda feels something slice the air next to his head, in front of him Vile falls backwards, another whistle, Asp’s heap slams to the sand, a third, Carnage staggers and falls on its side.)

TARANTULUS: What the slag!? (Anacronda screeches to a stop in front of them, their bodies are writhing and lashing randomly.) What’s going on!? (There is a hum, Anacronda turns around and sees the schooner appear out of thin air, the large doors slide open, revealing Backdraft and Phoenix already inside, X-Seven is standing in the small panel door, his evil, spidery form is unmistakable, he is holding an odd gun with what looks like some very new adaptions. Vile jumps to his feet and stands, Asp lifts its head, Carnage rolls to its feet, they stand there.)

X-SEVEN: Rika! (The Viruses poor into the open door and fill the remaining space, the doors slide closed and the ship disappears, Teraductile begins to fire into the air, his bolts of electricity hit nothing, the schooner is already gone.)

BOMBSHELL: What just happened!? (Tarantulus looks shocked.)

TARANTULUS: I have no idea, back in the base!

TERADUCTILE: What!?

TARANTULUS: Do it! (He slams a fist into Teraductile’s face, the Predacons run into their base. On the other side of the beach the Maximals are standing in amazement.)

DRAGONESS: That was X-Seven wasn’t it?

PARRATOR: Jeeze, I think the Viruses got in wit’ him.

WHIPLASH: This is not good. (Dragoness looks at the Predacon base.)

DRAGONESS: We’ll back off one mile, then think about what we’re going to do. (Waspinator is sitting next to Pyereen, who was already in the schooner he jumped into.)

WASPINATOR: Waspinator wonder what happened to Kitty-bot. (Whiplash steps in.)

WHIPLASH: Later Waspy, let’s get moving, I’ll carry her. (Waspinator talks without thinking.)

WASPINATOR: Waspinator carry Kitty-bot, Fuzor-bot doesn’t have to. (He carefully picks up Pyereen in his arms and takes to the air, the rest of the Maximals take off.)

DRAGONESS: We’ll try to get a hold of Dinobot’s group, we’ll see what he wants us to do.

Scene goes to Dinobot’s expedition group, they are cautiously walking through the tunnels, Dinobot, Shellshock and Panthor in the lead, weapons ready, Tankeel and Bambard facing backwards.

DINOBOT: Shouldn’t we have come across some of those things by now?

BAMBARD: Maybe they know we’re here.

TANKEEL: Of course they do. (Everyone shivers a little with that, Dinobot sweeps the light coming from the raptor eyes on his gun around the tunnel.)

DINOBOT: What’s that? (Ahead of them on the wall of the tunnel there is a form, attached to the rib-like wall by a slimy cocoon-like shell, as they get closer they realize it is a fire-tiger.)

SHELLSHOCK: What happened? (At the base of the wall there is a large leathery egg.) What’s in the egg? (Dinobot’s looks further down the tunnel.)

PANTHOR: Holy slag! (Down the tunnel there is another cocoon-like shape, and past that, many more, all on the left wall.)

DINOBOT: Let’s keep moving, stay to the right. (A little while later they pass by a monkey-frog, Dinobot’s light glints off something on the left wall.)

SHELLSHOCK: What was that? (She steps up to it.) Metal! Like the hull of a ship.

DINOBOT: It can’t be, we’ve been going downward steadily, and these tunnels have been here for a long time. (He points the light further down, Tankeel turns around and aims her lights forward as well, Shellshock goes down a little further.)

SHELLSHOCK: Look, more, looks like advanced titanium. (She looks further down, more and more metal begins to show through the ribcage-like walls.) Look! (She runs ahead, forgetting her fear of the xenomorph, Dinobot runs up after her, he stops and his mouth opens, then closes in a curious smirk.) A door! (Dinobot looks at it, there are acid burns, in the bottom-left corner there is a two-square foot hole, he stoops and examines it.)

DINOBOT: Acid burns.

BAMBARD: Are we going in? (The camera shows Dinobot’s face, there is a low, guttural hiss behind Bambard.)

Scene goes to the Predacon base, the Predacons are in the open cave area, Tarantulus throws a chair against the rock wall.

TARANTULUS: How are we supposed to tell the Titans we lost the Viruses!? (The other Predacons, slightly battered and dented look around at each other.)

TERADUCTILE: They probably already know.

TARANTULUS: Slag! What are we going to do!? We can’t survive another heavy attack!

ANACRONDA: There’s a reason the other Maximals and their soldiers weren’t here today, we have to keep our eyes open. (An object flies out of a dark tunnel and lands at Tarantulus’s feet, the tube spark extractor, Tarantulus looks into the cave tunnel, Transquitoe steps out of the darkness.)

TARANTULUS: Is the job done?

TRANSQUITOE: Yes, but Drone got Chameleotron, he’s at the bottom of the hole, I can’t get a spark reading, I think we’ve lost him. (Tarantulus slams his fist into the cave wall, then looks down at the spark tube.)

TARANTULUS: Never matter, we could have used his help, but he was too weak, he couldn’t hold a good form long enough to matter.

BOMBSHELL: But he was one of us. (Tarantulus picks up the tube.)

TARANTULUS: And now he’s dead, what’s your point? (Tarantulus takes the tube over to their metal table, all the Predacons move closer and sit down, Tarantulus sets down the tube and presses a button, the end irises open, a spark floats halfway out of the opening and sits there.) Now for the fun part. (He opens a compartment in his wrist and pulls out a small crimson object, the size of a pen, he pushes a switch forward and a short green beam appears on the end.) Goodbye Drone. (Tarantulus begins to chuckle to himself as he brings the tool close to the spark, Teraductile is smiling his evil grin, Bombshell is watching intently, Anacronda is staring blankly, Batteram is laughing delightedly, Transquitoe stares at the spark as Tarantulus begins to scatter the atoms, and smiles.