Black Lightining

By Snowblaze

The skies were roaring with rage, increasing in intensity. The luminescent waves of heat began to dance across the torrent clouds. Shimmering then disappearing to whence they came. There was an enormous energon storm brewing above and soon it would hit the planet which was crying out her pain. Too long had the planet suffered, now with all the build up anguish, she was just beginning to vent her rage. The new inhabitants had infested her like greedy mice entering her domain then ravaging her. Taking all and leaving a mess as they went until she was desolate, almost dead. The poison was everywhere, the rivers where in turmoil, her blood, the soil charred and burned, her soul, and now the skies raging with agony, her power. In short the planet was heading to a major backlash. The inhabitants had done these things to her, soon they would all to some extent feel her rage. Her blood had been poisoned by the excess of energon flowing in it. Her soul had been charred and scorched by the boisterous battles and with all the natural energon being dug up and used to power their ships it left a void where the energon storms were thrown out of balance, causing an increase of turmoil in her power; the skies.

Now as the rat stood on all his four feet he heard the cries of rage echoing in his surroundings. His black optics were fixed on the enormous canyon in front of him, its gaping valley quite an impressive sight to the eye of the beholder. Amongst the large grey rat and the gravely ground, stood colossal boulders and rocks, towering over the rat as he paid them no attention. The flashes of heated light were still on going and the rumbles from the clouds were still crying out. Did he hear the sound of the wind flying swiftly through the canyon valley, hitting the cliff sides and screaming out the sounds of the sky, which it carried? Twitching his short white whiskers, he blinked his dark black optics and focused his attention to the massive blue spectra in front of him on the opposite cliff edge, jetting out of the rock as it shimmered and shone out its deadly presence. The rat was Rattrap, he had been sent out by Optimus to obtain more information needed to solve a severe problem for the Maximals. Originally he had been commanded to set out with another of the Maximal fleet Dinobot, but the rat absolutely refused, saying that he'd rather fall in the clutches of Megatron. This was confusing to the team for Rattrap loved to get under the raptors scales, something must be enticing Rattrap about this particular scouting mission, either that or something he'd rather face alone right now in his life.

Earlier Optimus and Rhinox had been in the command centre scanning the know regions of energon deposits, the Axalon's computer was discovering unknown points in each sector where there was an abundance of new energon deposits. As they had been working Rhinox had the computer scan grid Scavos, a territory which was merging on the Predacon territory. The computer had alerted Rhinox to a major concern to the Maximals. There was a large energon deposit which was protruding out of a cliff side, the real danger to the situation was this particular energon deposit was apart of a major energon vein, one which ran directly under the Axalon and the Darkside. The Maximals had no concern for the Predacon base, seeing that if it blew that would give them a technical advantage. If something hit the energon the bases would be blown to smithereens. The Axalon was still in state of needed repair from the last attack the Preds had pulled on the Maximals, and everyday everyone aboard the ship was fixing something. With the knowledge of this new threat to the base, Optimus was determined to extract the energon and segment it so it could be stabilized.

"This is your robotic rodent reporting to good guy central. You read me fearless leader?" Rattrap had activated his commlink and he heard the two beep issue forth acknowledging that the transmission was going through to the Axalon. He then started to scan the energon deposit with his internal optical scanners, configuring the energon's detonating capacity. He frowned at the results and all the possibilities which were thrown in his scanners. Soon he heard a double beep come from his commlink, the magna pulse had finally kicked in. Rhinox was on the other end of the link up and Rattrap stood on his hind legs as heard his green comrade pour out a jumble of questions, Rattrap's habit of standing on his two short hinds legs was something he enjoyed quite a bit for it made the small Maximal feel superior, he often did this when he really wanted his opinions to come across to the rest of the team. "Rattrap what have you discovered? Is the energon stable enough to segment? What's its maximum detonation count? Are you close enough to access it?" Rhinox kept throwing out the questions while Rattrap rolled his optics and started to reply to the big guys enthusiasm.

"Whoa there Big Green, I just finished digesting the limburger sandwich I had for lunch from all the time your questions took. Now do you want the bad news or the worst news first?" The enthusiastic tone faded from Rhinox's vocals as he took in the reply to his inquires. A discouraged frown decorated his face and it contorted into one of a disappointed child who didn't get what they wanted. "I guess well take the bad news first." As he spat the words out he balled his left hand into a tight fist and used his right hand to punch a few command keys to determine the exact location of the rat and adjust the magna pulse so he could hear his comrade more clearly, he wanted to hear everything about the situation.

"Well, what were looking at here is an enormous bomb of energon ready to explode at any second." Rattrap was gazing at the massive concentration of energon protruding from the canyon wall, as he flicked the tip of his tail back and forth. Optimus entered the command room as he heard the transmission Rhinox shared with Rattrap and he listened with interest. "So what's the WORST news then?!" Rhinox shot out the sentence with frustration because he thought nothing could be worse than the omen that the Axalon could be toast at any second. "If you'd like to know, there is absolutely no way that we can access this energon and contain it. If we use energy weapons on it, it'll detonate and blow the base to kingdom come. If we scale the cliff side we cant get close enough in our robotic forms without going into stasis lock, so we can't segment it. If we don't do something soon though this energon storm might strike it and KABOOM , Axalon barbecue. Right now I think were about as stuck as crazy glue in your joint systems, no moves at all."

As soon as the rodent finished his words, the knot of frustration tightened in Rhinox's systems. This was quite an ordeal, the dangerous properties of energon was still an untested variable and in the past Rhinox had seen dozens of times it displayed its strange abilities. Sometimes it was triggered then it stabilized, most of the time it exploded. Once he remembered when Cheetor had a series of sensor posts hit an energon deposit and it created a transporter, even weirder was the red energon found in an alien cave, one which the Maximals used to obtain an endless source of power for the Core. Optimus took in the scene and lowered his optic ridges in thought, could there be no other options. He thought of a risky thing to do, but it was an idea which would be enacted out around the base perimeter within a 3 click range. Rattrap was still looking at the canyon and the protruding energon, he knew that it was next to natta a chance they or the Preds would acquire this energon deposit.

Leaning into the commlink speaker Optimus spoke out an order to their comrade in the field. "No further examination is needed Rattrap. Return to base." He kept his ideas whirl throughout his CPU and he hoped that it would work, it had to work. If they were lucky ol' Megs wouldn't think of attacking them anytime soon, the mother of all energon storms was heading their way. No Predacon would be stupid enough to try anything during an energon storm. The rat expected as much, but it surprised Rhinox at the commands given by his leader. Sighing in the fact he had to obey the order Rattrap replied to Primal's bellows. "Sigh. You're the big ape. Heading back to base. Rattrap out." He fell forward on his fore paws to feel the rocky ground under them. "Optimus. What are you suggesting we do if Rattrap returns?" Rhinox was still sitting in his chair and he had turned to face Primal who stood by his side, he was scouring the view screens at the weather stasis. Optimus heard the question and with a small lopsided grin, blinked his red optics very slowly, letting his idea find its way to his vocals. "We're going to solve this a little closer to home. You ever hear of zoltrix panels?"

The green seconds optics shot wide as he heard the words "zoltrix panels". "Optimus!! We can't us those! They are lethal if dropped, or handled with too much pressure. They're like the earth's Nitro-glycerine, one foul move and the user's spark is eliminated." Optimus turned his head to look at the green scientist, his face was serious with utmost positivity. He knew the threat they caused but they send out radiation powerful enough to break an energon vein and Optimus intended to us them to create a barrier which would break up the energon vein running underneath them, ending the jeopardy the Axalon was in from explosions. "I know it's dangerous but we have no other choice but to use them, so we can't botch this operation. I'm intending to use the zoltrix panels to block of the energon vein running under us, once the panels are in place nothing in the energon vein can jeopardize the Axalon." Rhinox just stared at him and an uncertain glare was shown in his dark red optics, but in the end he nodded slowly to show he had accepted his leader's decision.

Back at the canyon, Rattrap was just about to turn around and start his long trek home, when a suddenly loud thunder roar came from above and he could feel the impact of it shudder through his exostructure. The rat turned his body to face the energon deposit again, this time instead of staying in beast mode, he shouted out his activation code and his gears shifted to bring him into his robot form. Rattrap was silent, he felt the uncertainty return to his mind, as he had before when he refused be accompanied on his scouting mission. It was a twisting confusion, which he couldn't distinguish what the real thing was he was detecting. He glanced back up at the dark clouds and he narrowed his optic ridges, his optics a dim red of study. Trying to figure what his systems were telling him, he detected something which wasn't there in his life before, but today it was at its strongest, now as he stood near the edge of the canyon wall with the grey atmosphere around him. The luminescence of the sky grew brighter and he stood with his legs shoulder apart and arms at his sides, he focused his optics up at the light, then on the blue energon sticking out of the cliff wall. <I can feel ya, but what is it?> The premonition shook him in his circuits. The gold and grey Maximal looked directly at the anguished sky and saw it as it was striking toward the shimmering energon.

The flash was a dark purple light, Rattrap gazed in awe at it with his mouth wide open, it was black lightning. As it struck the energon there was a blast of light and a streak of the black lightning, which was coming directly from the energon, targeted Rattrap and pulsated through his circuitry, assaulting every system, electric energon racing through and contaminating each of his inorganic matter. The agony stripped through him and Rattrap yelled out as his arms flung out toward the sky as the dark purple light of the black lightning consumed him. He shook with fury and ever so slowly the red of his optics were replaced with a dark indigo, on the verge of black. The connection was from the sky, to the energon, to the male robot violently screaming out in anguish. During the whole ordeal he heard it, the signal which raced clearly now through his mind. I'm here, break free of the confines. My eyes are watching. Not knowing at all who made the voice in his head Rattrap flashed off his optics as the pain continued and he gritted his teeth so hard that his muscle cables were working off the scale. Concentration, the male threw his gold and silver head back and managed to focus his mind to break free from the black lightning's grip. The impact of the release was so great that he flew back and hit a huge boulder in the back of his helmet armour. Blackness followed.

Quite some time passed from the time the light had him in its clutches and Rattrap groggily pushed his body up with one of his hands followed by the other, by this time the rain was pouring down on his metal form. His head trailed down as he brought himself up and his optics were off. Slowly he came up and sat on the ground against the boulder which he hit his head on, he rubbed the back of his helmet with his left hand, the water fell down his face and his chest in tiny rivers. The rain didn't bother him, he wouldn't rust in the rain or any water for he was and all the others were made not to be. He flashed his optics back on, he couldn't notice but they were a glowing dark indigo. The lightning had contaminated his circuits with the energon. The pain jetted throughout his systems and slowly the rat got back up on his feet. He uttered the words "beast mode" and turned to his rat form. The rat shook his head slightly and advanced back to the place where it happened. He looked up and the storm was still going, the rain still beating down on his pelt, soaking him and he grimaced. Rattrap saw the scorched area where he was contaminated. Sparks started to surge in his body and he shuddered, he needed to get back to the Axalon. Glancing over at the energon he had scanned earlier, was totally gone! He shot his optics wide and his mouth hung open in surprise. That energon had been absorbed into his body. The dark glow his optics gave off increased to this realization. <Guess we don't have to worry too much about the energon vein any more, or at least from that energon deposit.> Rattrap thought to himself, then he remembered the voice he had heard, it was a feminine voice and he wondered what it meant. He knew that whoever she was had helped him and now was out there watching him. Keeping it in mind, Rattrap reared up on his hind legs and closed his optics, his snout to the sky, letting the rain water flow down his body. Lavishing in the relief it gave to the pain which ran through his energon and mech fluid flows, the sparks inside them shocking him ever so slightly. After several moments just standing, concentrating, he optics flew open, a bright flash of purple light flickered around them like tiny bolts of the lightning. Gasping for a breath of air he tilted his head back and felt the rain pound down. She was out there.

"So where's the vermin?" The cocky voice of Dinobot was heard and the four whipped around to see him enter the command room to join them all. Optimus stared at him with an annoyed glare, while Rhinox turned his head back to the commlink and weather screens. Prowl was standing beside Optimus in his silver and black robot form looking at the raptor too. Slasher Red gave him a small grin before turning to a sad look and turning back to her station. "He's out in the field missing. We can't detect his energy signature. It was several mega cycles ago that he was ordered to return to base, we don't know if he's damaged or permanently offline. All we can tell his last known position SO would you please help us by going and contacting the other members of our fleet. I'm issuing an emergency meeting." Optimus sternly looked at Dinobot then to the floor. Optimus wasn't coping too well with uncertainty and he was shoving back his concerns about the rat for feelings of lack of judgement. He should have sent someone out with the rat. The crew didn't know that Rattrap had gone off their scanners because his spark and energy signature was cloaked by the energon intake he took. Dinobot slapped the wry grin from his face, and saluted in acknowledgment and turned to signal the rest of the Maximals. Slasher Red watched her mate disappear down the corridor and she felt a stab of pain edge its way to her fuel pump, she wasn't just wondering about Rattrap's condition, but she was wondering why she felt something terrible was about to happen, the looming gloom hung over the Axalon as it was being approached by an unruly contamination.

There was a knock on her door and it whooshed open to reveal Dinobot. "Snowblaze, Optimus has ordered a emergency meeting come with me." The snow leopard blinked her ice blue optics and nodded to him, jumping off her recharge berth to join him in the barrack hall way. This was something different, all the Maximals were in the Axalon. This was because the energon storm outside was so severe that it even hit the Arctic Outpost and the Axalon was the only base of operation for the Maximals with a perimeter shield which could withstand the mach 4 winds and energon flashes. Together the two raced through the Axalon obtaining Snowstalker, Tigatron, Polar Claw, Airazor and Cheetor. Soon they were all together in the command room, some seated at the command table and some stood to face Optimus. Prowl stood next to Snowblaze, as did Tigatron with Snowstalker. Seated were Optimus, Rhinox, Cheetor, Airazor, Polar Claw, and the two raptors. Optimus surveyed the room and his face was very serious. "Maximals, I've called us together because our comrade is missing in action. Rattrap went to report on an energon deposit which jeopardized the Axalon. He reported before the energon storm happened and was on his way back when his energy signature disappeared from the scanners. This alarms me because he couldn't have been attacked by the Predacons. They are all in their base." The fleet frowned at Optimus' words. "Rattrap gone, offline? No way I don't believe it." Cheetor turned his head up to pass his view around the room.

"He could be damaged in the field and went into stasis lock." Airazor pointed out. "That could be so, but Rattrap doesn't fall that easily under an attack. Also all the Predacons are in the Darkside, Prowl's been monitoring them all day." Optimus stood up and balanced his weight on the command table with his one hand.

"Rattrap refused my help on his mission, maybe he's concealing something from us." Dinobot sneered at the thought of a treacherous rodent.

"That's not our only concern. Optimus and I detected a huge energon concentration and if it's hit it'll detonate, making the base explode. We need to block off the energon vein for future protection." Rhinox stated, manoeuvring his hands to his words. "We can't search outside for him or we'll surge out." Snowblaze commented.

Prowl nodded in agreement, "Also we can't start the block off the energon vein." "All we can do is wait until the storm passes, until then I want you all to stay aware, and report anything of importance. I wasn't too impressed when we let our guard down and Blackarachnia escaped from our confines, from the little episode she and the Preds had pulled on Teletron Sentinel. If Rattrap returns contact me immediately. Dismissed." the Maximal fleet saluted then went back to either their work stations or to the other reaches of the Axalon.

The thunder rumbled as he came up a ridge to over look the Axalon. Still in rat mode he was drenched from whisker to tail, the power surging through him kept up the indigo glow from his black optics. "Sentinel stand down." The shield lowered for a bit while he ran forward to the back entrance he used in the Axalon. The shield flew back up and Rhinox in the comm room noticed this but excused it a minor malfunction due to energon storm. Rattrap was in the slag heaps or the very bottom of the Axalon. Little did the wise cracking rodent know was that soon anyone who came near him would be altered in some way not themselves, that was one of the major things his contamination did. What else could it do? Anything was possible. He scurried into the darkness, with the stench of garbage greeting his nose sensors. As he went forward his optics stood out as two glowing indigo orbs. Soon his weren't the only in the pitch black, they were joined by a pair of softly glowing red optics. It was Dinobot, the rodent's adversary. He could hear the raptor growl low in his throat and Rattrap lowered his body closer to the floor and hissed back at him. "So vermin, just where have you been?" Dinobot suspected Rattrap was secretly plotting against the Maximals and the rat could see the glimpse of light which flew off his white teeth. He was threatening him, ignoring the orders of Primal. Rattrap let his optics fuse with fury, the purple glow increased and as Dinobot prepared to charge and apprehend the rat, the tiny lightning bolts started to increase in size and soon they hit Dinobot.

The impact hit him straight on the snout then moved to the rest of his beast mode. The purple light lit up the darkness showing Dinobot twist in pain from the black lightning. Dinobot roared with pain. He shut his optics and clamped his jaw shut. Then as the indigo light eased down and the black lightning receded he collapsed and Rattrap shot back with aftershock, not even realizing what he had done. The rat got up and ran off. From the shadows Slasher Red frantically searched the black room with her sense of smell for her mate. She found him and lifted him up started for their quarters, hoping he was okay. It turned out that on her way Dinobot revived and he gave a cowardly scream and jumped from her grip. "W.........wwwwhhhhh....ooo are y...yyy.ou?" His voice shook and he was trembling, cowering in a corner of the hall. Slasher Red just stared at him in shock. The mighty Dinobot, shaking and hiding from his own mate. Acting like he was just created. Soon she really thought she'd die of disbelief, Dinobot took his one clawed finger and started to suck on it, whimpering with fear at her presence. "Are you gonna hurt me." <By Primus he's acting like a child.> "No I'm not, are you feeling okay Dinobot?" "Yes but I want to go sweepy bye." The femme just stood there in horror. She contacted Primal immediately, it had to be the black lightning from Rattrap and she only hoped that Dinobot could be cured.

Rattrap was on the move. As he made his way through the barracks he was about to do another black lightning shocker. In the barracks were Prowl, Snowblaze and Cheetor. Cheetor was in his quarters and Prowl and Snowblaze were together in their quarters. Rattrap had maximized and now was walking down the hall. Cheetor perked his ears up as he heard metal footstep move by his door. The cat moved to the door and listened they had stopped just a few steps after passing by his door. Cheetor opened the door and looked around the corner in his cheetah mode. "Big R! Big Bot is looking for you, you'd better see him." Rattrap was still the old Rattrap but the surges running through his body were about to set off the black lightning again. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say something, he clamped it shut and felt the surges flare open his optics and burn a bright indigo light and reach out and clutch on to Cheetor. The young cat howled with pain, the energy hit him like a million volts. The altering had begun again about to make Cheetor something he was not. As this was happening Prowl and Snowblaze rushed out of their quarters to witness the event. They were both in beast mode and soon the lightning pulled them both into the shocks of light. Snowblaze screamed and grabbed on to Prowl, he was roaring with the electric shocks. Cutting through all the cats' systems they all collapsed when they could bare no more.

Rattrap's optics burned and sparks flew and he cried out in anguish. Running past the bodies as he went and reverted to beast mode, squeaking madly as he dashed away toward the mess hall and Sim rooms.

Snowblaze got up and shook her head. She felt strange but would recover, nothing different in her personality. Maybe not now, but she felt a darkness in her grow and she pushed it back with her determination, keeping it away. She was concerned about Prowl and Cheetor. Cheetor got a nudge from the winged snow leopard and he revived. He stared at her with an evil grin on his face, his green optics fixed with her ice blue ones. He saw that Prowl was still unconscious Without warning he pounced at her so fast that he pinned her on to her back with extraordinary strength. "Finally you're mine sweetheart!" Cheetor gazed down at the pinned femme with lust in his optics and desire. Snowblaze was scared, Cheetor wouldn't do this before. "Cheetor! Stop it!" He ignored her words. She tried to break his grasp but failed, he was too strong. Weird. He pushed his face closer to her face and licked her silver fur. "Damn do you know how gorgeous you are. I've been craving you for quite some time Snowy darling!" She felt her fuel pump beat in fear, and was beyond confusion. "Prowl!" She tried to get his help but he was still out cold. "Oh how I've marvelled at your spotted beauty!" He licked his muzzle with his tongue she noticed his voice was deeper more sinister, it frightened her beyond recognition, there was no way she could escape him. Cheetor looked down at the femme and kissed her on her muzzle. Forcing him back but was thwarted, Snowblaze was able to push him away from her mouth. She then screamed out loud for her mate desperately. "PPPPPPRRRROOOOOWWWWLLLL!!!"

With a shake Prowl flashed his optics on and stood on his four feet. Now Prowl was heavier built than Cheetor and much bigger. Enraged at what he saw he bore his claws out and slammed right into Cheetor, knocking him off the trembling Snowblaze. The black male jaguar was furious, he was beyond fury and revenge. The cheetah raised the hair on his back and evilly looked back at the enormous male before him. "No one, and I mean ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, hurts my Snowblaze and lives." His words were a raging fire of hate. He had always hated this Maximal, not just because he was annoying but because he came too close to his mate, and now he didn't just cross that boundary, he threw up on it. "Big words "Felix". I hope that you realize that you're treading a thin line as well. I can beat you for what you're worth." Cheetor was staring back at the stalking black massive male circling toward him. The two were stalking each other in a continuous circle, heads lowered and teeth bared. Prowl was more impressive, his white canines stood out against his jet black fur, the silver of his wings shined and his ice blue eyes were spewing daggers at the yellow spotted cat before him. This yellow beast was going to die, he didn't care who protested. Snowblaze watched close behind Prowl, recovering as she watched her muscular male about to fight her sleek attacker. Both sets of eyes transfixed like on set torpedoes. Within a second Prowl roared out loud and pounced out at the leaner cheetah, claws extended. The two started to slash claws with fury, soon Cheetor turned tail and ran down the hall way towards the command room. Prowl roared so loud the whole Axalon surely must've heard it and went after him in hot pursuit. Snowblaze started to run after her mate who pounded through the metal halls leaving the occasional dent in the metal floor as he ran.

The echoed roar reached Tigatron and Snowstalker's ears. "By the matrix what was that!" The roar was enormous and soon the two sitting at a mess table saw a large grey rat, namely Rattrap. "Rattrap! Where...." "STRIPES!!! You gotta help me! It's out of control!! I can't handle ......yyyyaaaaaaaarrrrrggggg!!" Rattrap had gotten up on the table in a hysterical fit and screamed out as the black lightning returned and this time it only hit Snowstalker, she screamed as again the purple light and black bolts surged through her body. Rattrap yelled again and ran out of the room. Snowstalker shook her head violently, Tigatron jumped up to be by her side. "Are you all right?" She settled against his chest and shuddered, "I'm growing weaker, my spark is aching. I need energy......." Her optics flashed off and Tigatron gasped, he picked her up and was about to start toward the medbay when a bounding cheetah cut across his path and a huge black jaguar followed him roaring and biting the air. Soon a snow leopard made her way after them. Tigatron knew now what made the roar, "By the matrix! What is going on here?" He started to run with Snowstalker in his arms to see Optimus as fast as he could.

"Sqqqqqqqqqqquuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeaaaaaaakkkkkkkk!!!! Wha? Gasp........gasp................ Primus help me. What have I done?" The rat used his hands to cover his optics as the purple glow shined from under his hands. <Black lightning, So frightening. Lightning got a hex on me.> The thought ran through his mind. A hex. <I need help. Rhinox! I need to get to the command room.> He gathered up all his concentration and tried desperately to control the power in his optics and systems. Running with optics shut off Rattrap made his way to the command room, by memory. He couldn't control his squeaks and hissing growls as he went, this contamination was turning him against himself, he was losing control.

"Optimus. We have a major problem!!" Optimus, Rhinox, Polar Claw along with Airazor turned to see Tigatron holding Snowstalker in his arms and panting from the exhaustion of running. "What's wrong? What's going on?" Optimus was alarmed and worried as he saw the out cold Snowstalker. "It's Rattrap! He's here and ho' boy are we in for some tough situations. It seems the rat has the power to affect other mechs with something he claims he can't control. He affected Snowstalker by shocking her with lightning ever since then she's been losing energy. I also Prowl totally enraged chasing an evil looking Cheetor. Snowblaze is fine but I don't know if it's affected Slasher Red and Dinobot."

"Oh ya it did!" Slasher Red showed up just then with Dinobot clinging behind her robotic frame in beast mode sucking his clawed finger and trembling. "Dinobot's a little kid. He's a coward. I saw it happen to him, the rat hit him with his eyes, lightning hit Dinobot and the next thing I knew he was a frightened little baby. Just then from the opposite opening to the command room, the three feuding cats bounded through and Snowblaze stopped to tell Prime of what happened. The two male cats still chasing each other and continued down the hall, you could hear Prowl growling with fury. He wouldn't stop until he killed Cheetor. "Seems to me that we have to other choice but to quarantine Rattrap, anyone can be altered by his energy." Optimus said. As the words were spoken the smallest Maximal came running in begging and pleading Optimus to help him or lock him away. Starring down at the little grey rat as the purple light spewed from his optics made Optimus nod and say "I'm sorry my friend." Polar Claw and Optimus grabbed him and started to confine him in maximum security restraints but as soon as he lifted his hands from his optics the two were soon coated in the black lightning's energy, more powerful than ever because it had been held back too long. This was going to be bad. The others watched in horror as Optimus and Polar Claw were shocked to near insanity, as they both screamed out loud. They were connected to the rat's optics and the poor rat was screeching out for Primus to terminate him now and not take his leader. Too late. The light sparked and set up Optimus for a huge nasty blow, throwing him into fatal stasis lock. He would live but only under life support until his essence was restored for it now was in Rattrap. Polar Claw was a little more fortunate. The white Maximal was hit with such a force of power he was blown up to hit the ceiling then hit the ground. The only thing which made it really bad was that he hit his freezing laser and it blasted himself, sheeting him in ice and soon he didn't move because his systems were still functional. Rattrap was totally drained, he screamed once more then collapsed onto the floor. Rhinox had little time he grabbed the rat and went to the security sector, sealing the poor rat into a maximum security contained unit. It was covered with a plasma shield and thick glass. Rhinox turned to return to the comm room and as he went he heard the tortured cries of his best friend, a tear fell down his cheek, but the green second in command had to attend to his leader.

Later Optimus was placed under life support, nothing could be done to revive him. Rhinox moved away from the medbay berth and watched Airazor. She was just closing the door to the cryogenic lab, they had to place Polar Claw in there, for he would shatter if left out in the open. While Airazor had placed Polar Claw into the cryogenic sleep chambers Snowstalker was refuelled, but she would recover. Tigatron stood by her side as she lay on a medbay recharge berth and took in the energon she needed through a cable attached to her arm. Primal was beyond their help and Rhinox felt awful carrying his commander to the life support systems, but without them his spark would terminate. Rhinox looked at Primal's form still and lifeless, optics a dim red. He was deep in sorrow, his best friend in confines and his leader was offline. The other Maximals had suffered too, the only ones which weren't effected were himself, Tigatron, Airazor, Slasher Red and so he thought Snowblaze.

As for Dinobot he was taken to his quarters and Slasher Red calmed him down form the danger which had passed. The raptor chick was lying down curled up on their recharge berth, deep in recharge, his finger still in his mouth. Red was in her robotic form and she was gently stroking the back of his head with her hand, she was still in shock over the fact that her mate, which had once been a mighty warrior, was now a trembling raptor chick. She looked down at him and frowned slightly, she never hated the vermin more than now, she knew that he couldn't control it, even though he had taken two thirds of the Maximal force. Slasher Red closed her optics and signed, still vigilantly stroking her mate.

Snowblaze was looked over by Rhinox and was fine or so it was presumed. The black lightning had struck her and nothing had happened, everyone who had been had something altered and it was an enigma to why she was still herself. They'd find out soon. Crying silent tears, the snow leopard drooped her wings as she sat by herself on the security sector. Cheetor and Prowl wouldn't stop their fighting so they had to be caged. It had been some task to do, Cheetor was too fast until Rhinox cornered him. Prowl was in mad fury, and trust me you don't want to be his paws, one swipe from them could've killed a person. To get him they had to get Snowblaze to help, he calmed down somewhat when he saw her, the rage was unblinded when his optics took her in, finally Slasher Red and herself had followed behind Rhinox down the corridors with chains around the raging black snow leopard's neck, roaring and claws digging into the metallic floor as they went. He was VERY strong and the two femmes had to work hard to get him into the containment cell, but as soon as the bars shut behind him and his adversary, he went ballistic. They all left but Snowblaze remained behind and reverted to her beast mode. Now, Prowl was still roaring madly while Cheetor paced back and forth in his cage. Snowblaze was there in the room with them, her mate and fellow Maximal caged like zoo animals. It made her ache with sadness, she could forgive Cheetor for what he did, because she knew it wasn't him at all, he'd NEVER do that to her. Prowl couldn't control his overprotective rage. Cheetor couldn't control his lust and sly ways. The cheetah, even though behind triennium bars and a laser force shield, kept up his flirting and harassment toward Snowblaze. She ignored him and walked over to the cage containing Prowl.

"Prowl?" She had to wait until he let his rage go down a bit. "S.....Snow.....Snowy! I.....I..I'm sorry my love. I ...... I..... can't control.........the .........r.age.. ROAR GRRRRRR!!!" She let the tears continue as she shakily replied "It's okay baby, I still love you, I'll be right here by your side waiting for you." She looked over his body, jet black and full of power and she missed being able to nuzzle against him. Snowblaze lay her trembling body down beside the love of her life as he continued to roar and claw the air in Cheetor's direction. She shut her optics and blue cleansing fluid continued down her face in tiny rivers.

In the next room was a rat clutching his optics as the dark indigo glowed from between his fingers. He was crying silently to himself. His tears were ones of remorse and hatred of himself My eyes are watching you. He heard her again. He quivered and lowered his hands from his optics. The bright purple glow gleaming of his tears and the rage still in them. <Lightning's got a hex on me. Maximals, I don't know if you can forgive me, because I know I never will.>