"Another Maximal in the Pred ranks. Once again, like before, our Pred friends got the Maximals in numbers."

"Numbers aren't everything, Barricade. We've plowed you Cons with surprise before." Silverbolt reminded.

"Really? Last I checked, it helped us, with a dash of Dark Energon, and it got us Cybertron."

"You corrupted the core." Prime reminded.

"Yeah, and it served you right!"

It took mediating between the two tensive parties (in the form of Predaking since he offered to) before Omega Scion announced that he has the Orb of the Future running again.

As he counted down everyone took their seats.

In the jungle a certain cheetah Maximal was on the prowl, his primal instincts take over as he hunts for his next quarry. Spotting his prey in the form of a caribou, he pounced toward it, but it began to flee, prompting the former to chase it, growling and chattering it's teeth towards the fleeing game. As he grew closer, the ground began to splinter, lava was rising as soon the ground beneath him shatters, as he falls beneath it...

and then he woke up in a flash, breathing.

"Wow, talk about letting the primal instincts flow to the Cybertronian mind." Knockout commented.

"Optimus, such a thing may-"

"Cause any of our bretheren in organic forms to lose control and become the animals in Earth, yes. Though I worry that this may yet be so." Prime conversed with Ratchet.

"You don't even know that yet, Prime." Megatron sneered.

"No! No. No." Cheetor tries to close his eyes again, but before long, the ship shakes, and an alert blares. 

[This is a code 1 emergency. Predacon attack, Sentinel disabled.] prompting Cheetor to bolt out of his quarters to respond to the assault.

Outside, Scorponok and Tarantulas opened fire at the Axalon, prompting the latter to raise it's cannons in self defense and fire back. Scorponok readied missiles and fired, destroying the turret.

In the interior, Primal was assessing the damages inflicted upon the Axalon. "Damage report!" he yelled.

"Top side auto gun destroyed!" Rhinox reported.

"Rattrap! Get that back-up cannon on-line!" Primal commanded.

"Ah, don't get your bananas in a bunch." Rattrap hastily complied pushing a variety of buttons "I'm on it, OK?"

"Then hurry up rat! No way the Axalon can take more KA-BLAM when you're lazing your aft around!" Warpath impatiently chided.

"I'm not gonna bother with this. It's bad enough the ship can't fly anymore, but the cannons... darnit." Ironhide added.

Cheetor arrived at the Axalon's command hub. "I'm here, fellow fighters! What can I do?" He asked.

"Well, to start with, you can get Maximized, Pussy-Bot!" Rattrap groused while pressing buttons on the Axalon's defense matrix.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot, Cheetor, Maximize!" He transformed and was carried away by Dinobot.

"Man! I swear, them polka-dots go clear through to the brain." Rattrap spouted while working on the defenses.

Cheetor and Dinobot went outside via lift to meet the Predacon assault as it intensified further and further, firing their weapons at both Scorponok and Tarantulas. They then charged towards both Predacons, tackling both attackers.

Megatron moved out of cover and dramatically spouted "Now, while they are distracted." preparing a missile from his fusion cannon and fired, destroying the frontal autocannon.

The Autobots were slack-jawed. The attack was a distraction. But what was that Megatron planning...

While his 'ancestor' smirked at the ploy. He often used such tactics to weaken and subvert Autobot defenses as he always had back then.

Waspinator and Terrorsaur then jumped in the hull, with the former firing at the exterior of the Axalon.

"We're breached!" Rhinox yelled out as the Axalon shook from the inside.

"Open the roof hatch!" Primal activated flight and met the breachers head on, firing his wrist cannon at Waspinator but he was knocked off by Terrorsaur firing at him.

"That's it, yess" Megatron barked his next order "Now, fall back!"

"Now he tells me!" Tarantulas yelled being swung around and being tossed off the cliff face by Dinobot.

"I don't know." Dinobot silently growled.

Airazor soon arrived.

"Too late, birdie. Too late." Vortex spouted.

"You're not leaving the party this early!" She proclaimed. Seeing Terrorsaur and Waspinator attempting to flee, she commented "Trouble with the neighbors again. Airazor- MAXIMIZE." and transformed firing her weapons at the retreating Predacons.

Seeing his comrades under fire and about to be boxed in by his enemies, Megatron readied another missile and fired, knocking Primal out of flight.

"Optimus!" She sensed her leader going down and tried to fly towards him, but Terrorsaur brandished his weapon at her and fired, taking Airazor out as well. The airborne Predacons cackle as they leave Maximal airspace.

Unlike Primal, Airazor was able to regain her flight pattern and grabbed the falling Primal just as he was about to crash to the ground.

"Need a lift, BigGuy?" Airazor snarked.

"Hehehe, birdie's got some snap to her speech." Breakdown commented.

"Airazor! You're hit!" Primal shouted, seeing one of her wings damaged.

"Drag... isn't it?" Airazor then cautiously lifted the wounded Primal back to the ground. Just as Cheetor and Dinobot chased off Scorponok and Tarantulas.

"Optimus!" Cheetor shouted, moving in towards his leader with the unconscious Airazor.

"Yeah...." Primal growled, struggling to stand up. "Airazor..." no response from the falcon Maximal.

Back inside, she was shoved in the repair chamber to start the process. "She took a bad hit. It will be days before repair is completed." Rhinox commented. He also added. "We've got another problem too-" but was cut off by Cheetor suffering from Energon oversaturation.

"Energon field build-up!" Cheetor barked while in pain.

"What the cheese?!" Rattrap soon felt it next. "We're... ahh! ...inside the base!"

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" Rhinox added while in-between suffering from oversaturation. "Beast Mode!" Everyone went to their beast forms. "The Predacons took our rectifier coil. Without it, the base is no longer energon shielded." the rhino Maximal clarified.

"Oh man! You mean we got to wear these fur coats day and night?" Rattrap asked.

"That could be a problem." Primal groused as if he believed that if things didn't get any worse, they certainly were now.

"Brilliant. Without their shield to protect them from Energon oversaturation, the Maximals are vulnerable in their beast forms. I suspect those fools will come and exploit this situation to ensure their victory in the Beast Wars draws in their favor." Predaking said.

"Quite cunning, for a lowly rabble." Onslaught groused.

"Then again Onslaught, we've been through that, didn't we? Picking up scraps and stealing from the Primes before Megatron came around for us." Swindle reminded.

"Suppose we did. Thanks for the reminder, Swindle."

"Anytime, sir." the con-man of the Combaticons left a mocking salute.

In the Darksyde...

"Perfect. The Maximals are now forced to remain in Beast Mode even inside their base." He tossed the rectifier coil to Scorponok. "The effects should soon be noticeable, but beyond their control, yess." Megatron spouted dramatically. "And when that happens... WE STRIKE!" Megatron smashed his fist against the armrest, causing Scorponok to fall with the rectifier coil.

In the Axalon, Rhinox was keeping track of Predacon signatures in their territory.

"Preds signatures are still out there. And two days now!" He turned to Primal who was sleeping. "Optimus?" He called for his leader who was dreaming of swinging vines like a gorilla would. He woke up once Rhinox yelled to him in addition to the Axalon rumbling.

"What? Enemy?"

"Just shaking us up, not an attack... yet!" Rhinox reminded.

"But none of us have slept in two days! Oh man! I hate working with these short little arms and legs I wanna maximize!" Rattrap shouted.

"NO! Energon will build up. If the Preds attack, you'll have less fight time!" Primal said less than intelligently.

"Uh-oh, something's gone primal about them Maxie boys." Jazz spoke next.

"You don't say, Jazz?" Cliffjumper said.

"Man! If you weren't such a chicken, then maybe..." Rattrap tried to argue, prompting Primal to get angry and tries to attack him, even throwing a part of the Axalon in it's piping, destroying it's glass system, but Rhinox cuts off with "Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!" he angrily yelled stopping them by stomping on their interiors multiple times.

"What's happening to us?" Rattrap asked.

"You tell us, rat. You're in organic form." Arcee snarked.

"We've been in beast mode too long." Rhinox replied.

"I'm a robot trapped in a rat's body and the rat is taking over." Rattrap yelled as he feels the primal urge of rats take over his mind.

"If I'm going to guess, they may have predetermined programming that allows them to senselessly act as if they are real animals while losing their senses of self-awareness." Shockwave tries to deduce.

"Your point, Shockwave?" Blast Off asked.

"They must have to innately remove such programming from within in order to regain their autonomous independence of their beast forms without losing themselves to their 'primal urges', but that is only a theory. I cannot substanciate it, but this viewing will."

This worried the Autobots, but the Predacons were indifferent; luckily, they didn't have that programming into their minds.

"Based on what One-Eye said..." the jab earned Sideswipe a glare from the scientist. "this isn't going well for the Maxies."

"We must fight it! Tigatron! He must have dealt with this!" Primal suggested.

"I sent a message by laser. I just hope he gets it." Rhinox revealed. 

[Attention. Predacon energy signatures are leaving the area.] the computer announced.

"It's about time! Put defenses on auto, I've got some serious snoozing to do." Rattrap suggested.

"For once, Rattrap, you get no argument from me." Primal agreed.

"Something tells me that sleeping after two days doesn't seem like the best idea to do. Especially if they're in their Beast Forms." Perceptor commented.

"Ah, yes, because that's when the Preds will be waiting." Sideswipe said.

"Hope Tigatron receives that message. He may know how to get around their programming." Ratchet added.

"He may, my friend. Their survival depends on it." Prime assured.

Once the Maximals lulled to their slumber... in their dreams, they imagined themselves to be as wild and free as they are. So much so that in their slumber, they began to feel more beast than machine. Devoid of their self-awareness, their primal instincts take over their minds, awakening them to act like real animals.

"This is not good. Whatever is driving them to become animalistic, it will render them vulnerable to the Predacons. Primal's mind is hindering his capacity to lead." Ratchet deduced.

They all departed from their quarters after galavanting in the Axalon, in which Rattrap flees from a predatory Dinobot, and Primal leaves via lift, followed up by Rattrap running from a hungry Dinobot.

Meanwhile, Megatron observes from a distance, pleased with himself to see that his plan had come to fruition.

"Exactly as my research on Maximal programming postulated. Yess. Their beast forms have taken over." as Cheetor and Rhinox followed suit dashing into the jungle. "In their exhaustion, they are sleep prowling. Which means that tonight, we hunt." He brandished a double barrelled rifle while sitting on a makeshift throne carried by Scorponok and Tarantulas.

In the night, as Blackarachnia beats the drums, the Predacons in their full force march as a glorified hunting party. With the airborne Predacons (Waspinator, Terrorsaur and Inferno) accompanying Megatron, the hunt was on and their game was the primalized Maximals.

The Autobots were worried and concerned. The Maximals have gone feral and scattered, their leadership unable to awaken their senses and they are at a disarray retaliating against the Predacons.

"I told you." Predaking groused. "Now let us wait and see who shall be the hunter and who will be the hunted."

"That is if Tigatron arrives too late to save his comrades, Predaking." Megatron surmised.

Seeing Primal locked in his sights, Megatron takes aim patiently, and silently, he fires. But Primal had jumped to another gasping like a gorilla should, barely dodging the shot.

"Blast!" Megatron cursed. "Well... If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." He relayed orders to his minions who can fly. "Flyers! Spread out! Hunt down the other Maximals and destroy them. Yess!" but he gave off an explicit warning. "But Optimus Primal....is mine. Forward!" He beckoned, prompting the bots carrying his throne to push onward.

"You know, based on my time in Earth, I do recall moments where humans had those kinds of carriages before." Knockout stated.

"What do you mean?" Bumblebee asked.

"Well, mostly, it would require four of the strongest found, and their duty was to carry their leaders wherever they wanted to go and they would lift down those carriages carefully if their leader ordered them to stop."

"Still, I can't believe humans in those times resorted in such barbarity centuries before our arrival." Ratchet scoffed.

"Perhaps, but they were young and inexperienced. What would they know of the world they live in?" Ultra Magnus mediated.

Back in the Axalon, a recovered Airazor met up with Tigatron who was observing his comrades gone feral.

"What's happening? What's going on?" she asked.

"It's called a hunt." Tigatron replied. He transformed to Beast Mode and poetically stated "The night is wild and we have much to do."

In the jungles, the chase between Rattrap and Dinobot still goes on, but this time, it was under fire from airborne Predacons.

"Waspinator love it when prey cannot shoot back!" the aforementioned Predacon gleefully barked.

"Yes, fighting against the defenseless is what you preferred, you pathetic coward!" Predaking shouted. Megatron just agrees.

Prime frowned. Moments of civillians both Cybertronians and humans were often times harmed in the long war against the Decepticons. Some of which included the Cons brutalizing whose who cannot defend themselves.

"Hunting from the air with automatic weapons. Now that's a sport!" Terrorsaur followed pursuit.

Meanwhile, both Cheetor and Rhinox continue their primal dash, but with Inferno opening fire on them, they kept running. Until Tigatron catches up to both of them, exchanging glares from both of his comrades. Like their leader, they both followed suit as Tigatron led them away.

Meanwhile, on Predacon airspace, Airazor flies around the deserted but not defenseless Darksyde.

"Lights are on, but nobody's home, except the automated defenses, of course. Oh, well." She then prepares her wings covered in the moonlight. "She stoops to conquer." then dives closer into the ship.

Jetfire smirked. "I hope you know what you're doing Airazor. And it better not end up like the last time you got blasted."

Silverbolt supported "She wouldn't have flown into Pred territory without a plan."

But Air Raid was silent. He felt his Spark beating like a hammer had pounded into his chest and he cannot stop.

But Cliffjumper and Smokescreen noticed. "Is someone here into..." which was cut off when Air Raid smashed their heads together as if he was forcing them to kiss.

"SHUT UP!" Air Raid shouted out of embarassment.

"Why am I not surprised?" Ratchet said facepalming. He had many a patient teasing each other for supposedly falling for his female volunteers.

Airazor then plunged forth into Predacon base like a missile going beyond Mach 3, even as the Darksyde's perimeter defenses open fire at her which she dodges then transforms to Robot Mode, as her thrusters push her flight forward with increasing speed that the sound barrier broke at her flight, she bursted forth right into the turrets causing disorientation, the sound boom she caused had shattered through the flimsy turrets following forth as she flies right into the Darksyde's interior.

"Who-hoo! That'll show those beanstalks of guns why it ain't a good idea to mess around with Airazor!" Warpath cheered.

"Still, I cannot believe she would be able to do something like that. I know that-"

"Yes, Agent Fowler was even able to commandeer aircraft that was said by the humans themselves to be able to accomplish such speeds provided that they may be able to withstand it." Prime cuts his medic friend off.

The Aerialbots looked with intrigue.

"And even us, Prime. Right when we faced Trypticon." Jetfire stated.

"Can't blame us, we've gone through those speeds when we need to get our messages as Zeta told us to. If comms were down that is."

Bumblebee agreed with Air Raid on that assessment.

Once Tigatron was able to rally his scattered comrades in a hideout where the Predacons couldn't find them, he harkened...

"Hear me, fellow Maximals! I know you are frightened, but I can help. Access Maximal core consciousness. Pass-code: Tigatron."

[Password accepted. Password accepted.]

They began shouting and spouting feral speech, but since he knew that the Predacons would hear them, he called "Silence!" and once they ceased their incoherent chanting, he spoke "That's better." Now his tone changes. "Now listen well... and learn."

In the interior of the Darksyde, Airazor comes across the rectifier coil displayed like a jewel. Yet still, she appeared despondent that Megatron would leave such a 'treasure' unguarded.

"Oh, come ON!" She lamented. "You can't tell me old Megs would've forgotten a booby trap." (Wheeljack: Pfft, Megs.)

"If he did, he would not have made it so obvious to detect, Airazor." Megatron pointed out.

Once Airazor laid a finger on the coil, a turret snuck by and appears taking aim at her, but unlike the last time, she blasted it away; thankfully, the noisy machinery allowed her to sense the trap coming.

"Phew, gotta love 'im..." Airazor sighed in relief. "Now, if only Stripes is doing OK..." while taking the rectifier coil with her as she leaves the Darksyde.

Air Raid began to frown.

The teasers decided not to pick on him again, especially when they still would not be dumb enough to risk having another head smash to their faces again.

"Once, we were merely robots in disguise, but on this planet, we Maximals have become something more. Maximal programming was designed to block our beast