Transformers: Beginnings

Part 11: Crispy

The next day is a rather quiet day for all of the Autobots. Everyone is still recovering from the loss of their friend, particularly Optimus and Ratchet. Optimus speaks to Ratchet to try and make amends.

"How are holding up Ratchet?"

"Well enough to hold no regrets. If you are looking for an apology, then you will be disappointed."

"I'm not here for an apology, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'll be fine, but this doesn't change anything."

"Why must you feel this way about me?"

"Because in reality you are no better than Megatron, you either can't see it or refuse to admit it."

"One day I hope I can change your mind about that."

"Ha, good luck, it will need to be pretty drastic."

Meanwhile Prowl, Longarm, Wheeljack, and Cliffjumper without a dent on his head sit quietly in a secluded area until Longarm finally breaks the silence.

Longarm: "I don't think we can make it."

Cliff: "Why do you think that Longarm?"

Longarm: "We can't function if we fight each other like that."

Prowl: "He's right, we aren't a team, we are swarm of scraplets ready to tear each other apart."

Wheel: "I think Ratchet might be right too."

Prowl: "I refuse to think that way about Optimus. I want to call in everyone who isn't Optimus and Ratchet, can you do that for me Longarm?"

Longarm: "Of course."

Longarm calls in the younger members of the team as Prowl speaks to them in a way that surprises them.

Prowl: "I know I've been hard on you, rough even. I try so hard to keep order that I never realized just how damaging I can be to you guys. What I'm trying to say is....( emotionally) I'm sorry! I just worry about you guys all day and night. This war is tearing me apart, I feel so bad about all of you because you had to live your youth in a terrible struggle for just being able to have a good sleep. I love you all so much ,and you are the only family I have, and Hubcap's death showed me that life is to short to be arguing with you. Each day could be the last time I see you, will you forgive me?"

Prowl crumples to the floor overwhelmed with emotion and begins to tremble. It isn't long before all the Autobots give him a big hug, with Sideswipe hugging him the hardest.

Bee: "We love you too Prowl."

Beach: "Yeah man you're the best."

Cliff: -sniff- "Prowl is so not a traitor."

Ace: "Well isn't that sweet, how about a hug Tyrone?"

Tyrone: "If you touch me, you die."

Weazel: "To fuzzy for me, I'm going to Fatty Burgers."

Ace: "Don't have a coronary on me."

Chip: (finally seeing Carly) "Well hellooo nurse."

Carly: "Who are you?"

Ace: "Carly this is Chip, they guy I talked about."

Chip: "You've been holding out on me bro, not cool."

Carly: "Look four-eyes I'm not into nerds."

Chip: "Nerd? I finally found the one who can resist me."

Ron: (to Spike) "She's a real ball buster, you did me proud son. We got to go back to the house, your mother is having another mental breakdown."

As the two leave we now return to see what the Decepticons are up to. Fearswoop, Rumble, Frenzy, Blastwave,and Waspinator are all in a group talking when Thundercracker walks in.

Thunder: "Hey Waspinator, want to play a game?"

Wasp: "Waspinator likes games."

Thunder: (amused) "That's swell, ever heard of keep away?"

Wasp: "No."

Thunder: "It's where you keep something from someone else."

Wasp: "What will thunder bot be keeping away?"

Thunder: "This."

Thundercracker introduces Waspinator to his missile, and is promptly blown to pieces.

Wasp: (sadly) "Waspinator understands."

The Decepticons each pick up a piece of their friend and starts tossing them around to keep what little of Waspinator that has been reformed from getting his pieces back.

Rumble: "Pass one to me Frenzy!"

Blastwave: "Haha look at him squirm!"

Frenzy: "Pay attention Fearswoop!"

Fearswoop is out of it and drops Waspinators wings. The poor boy reattaches them and shoots the rest of the group with the scales of his wings. They all drop the rest of his parts and he reforms himself and spits his tongue out at Thundercracker.

Thunder: "Scrap that really hurts!"

Frenzy: "At least it's better than what's happening to Brimstone."

Blast: "Why did you mess up Fearswoop? You got us hurt!"

Splicer: (coming in) "Hey don't be mean to Fearswoop, he's the best guy ever. How can you not love him?"

Blast: "He's right, sorry Fearswoop."

Splicer: "He does bring a good point though, what's got you so focused Fearswoop?"

Fear: "I've been thinking lately."

Terra: (emerging from the shadows) "Now isn't that a rarity. I never thought I'd hear the day you would actually be thinking."

Splicer: "You know, I always wanted to ask you something: How did you two become friends?"

Terra: "It was eons ago during the war. I had just recently joined forces with Megatron, and I was cornered by several Autobots. Then my savior came in like a flame of grace, and he took them out with such might and conviction that I could not believe my eyes. I had never seen so much fire used in such a spectacular fashion. Upon thanking him I noticed there was something off about him, but at the same time there was just something that drew me to him. Since then we've been an unstoppable force of nature."

Fear: "The only downside is that I have to deal with his water nonsense."

Terra: "This again?"

Fear: "Yes, you just said sea."

Terra: "When? When did I say sea?"

Fear: (smugly) "Right now."

An enraged Terradive flips a table and begins swearing as he leaves the hall. Fearswoop leans over to Splicer to tell him a secret.

Fear: "You know about the great fire in Trypticon a long time ago?"

Splicer: "What about it?

Fear: "That was me."

Splicer: "But everyone thought it was an unstable Energon leak."

Fear: "That is true, but I ignited it. That Rescue Bot Heatwave tried to put it out, but he sure didn't get that chance. I hate firefighters, and if you have a name like Heatwave, you should serve the flames not fight them. He was a disgrace to fires everywhere."

Splicer: "Wow, what drew you to fire in the first place?"

Fear: "It happened when I was small. there was a little lone flame on a candle. It was so simple, so lovely, and I couldn't help but be drawn to it. From then on I wanted to dedicate my life to the flames and give it the attention it deserves. Fire isn't just destruction you know it can create too. Watch this."

Fearswoop sets his flames to a low setting and then changes the color. We see blue, green, and many other colors emerge to Splicer's astonishment.

Splicer: "I never knew that, this amazing!"

Fear: "It can also create new life as well, it's a gift not a curse. My favorite gift to give is getting Autobots a nice warm shower of fire."

Splicer: "It's been good talking to you uncle Fearswoop!"

Fear: "You too."

Megatron, Soundwave, Skywarp, and Dr. Archiville walk in to discuss their current plans. Soundwave's collar says that his voice is 65% healed.

Megatron: "So Skywarp, what have you decided about the shrink ray?"

Skywarp: "I decided to scrap the project altogether. If it isn't Waspinator proof, then what's the point?"

Megatron: "Agreed, and where is Starscream?"

Skywarp: "Still torturing Brimstone as we speak with Dropkick as the audience, still can't blame him though."

Dr: "Megatron, I have some more information about these locations that you may be interested in, and I need to ask a small favor of you."

Megatron: "And what dear doctor, would that be?"

Dr: "I require Laserbeak and Ravage's assistance for a few minutes, I have an old score I need to settle."

Megatron: "Very well then. Frenzy, activate the groundbridge."

The doctor leaves with the animals on an unknown mission while Megatron calls in Fearswoop for a special assignment.

Megatron: "Fearswoop, Shockwave tells me the Vehicons are 80% complete, and I need you to give the Autobots a distraction to buy us time."

Fear: "If it's a distraction you want, then you found the right guy for the job."

Megatron: "There is a forest in a nearby state that I think you shall find entertaining."

Fear: (barely holding back the excitement) "A fff-forr-forest?!?

Terra: (walking in) "Shall I accompany you this time?"

Fear: "No, this is something I must do alone."

Terra: "Very well, have a safe voyage."

Fearswoop enters the groundbridge and arrives at the forest. He scans the area to see just how much mayhem he can cause. While laughing with glee he starts his flames and the carnage begins. This of course attracts the attention of the Autobots as Jazz notices the disturbance on Teletran-1.

Jazz: "Ironhide, we got big trouble going on in that forest!"

Ironhide: "Fearswoop, I should have guessed. Gear up Jazz, we're going to fight fire with firepower."

Bee: "Let the rest of us go with you Ironhide!"

Ironhide: (firmly) "No, it's too dangerous. This mission requires more experienced fighters. Optimus, Prowl, and Longarm went off with the military to discuss strategy, and that leaves me in charge. You need to stay here in case we need a way out."

Wheel: "Alright then, good luck."

The pairs leaves and heads for the forest, and already find that Fearswoop has a head start on the destruction. It isn't long before they find him.

Fear: "Well look who wants to be the new hot topic: Ironhide and Jazz."

Ironhide: "This ends now Fearswoop, your flames are getting doused."

Fear: (scoffing) "You're in no position to threaten me Ironhide. You are weak, and we all know the weak get burned."

Jazz: "You really need to chill out dude."

Fear: (getting angry) "What did you just say?"

Jazz: "I said chill out."

Fear: (unhinged) "There are three things I hate in this world. The first is Autobots, the second is firefighters, but most of all it's anyone who tells me to chill out. FEARSWOOP DOES NOT CHILL OUT!"

Fearswoop launches his grenades at the two Autobots, but they leap out of the way. Jazz runs through the trees for cover, and begins pelting the Decepticon with his crescent missiles. They do fair enough damage, but Fearswoop is a force of nature and requires an even stronger force to take him down. Fearswoop retaliates by hitting Jazz with the grenade. It deals moderate damage and knocks him back into a tree. Fearswoop would have killed him if Ironhide didn't deliver a flying punch to the face. Ironhide then takes out his pulse shotguns and heavily damages Fearswoop. Fearswoop then recovers and throws Ironhide across several trees. He takes out his flames throwers and begins singing.

Fear: "Burn baby burn, Fearswoop inferno!"

Ironhide and Jazz start pelting him with their weapons, but it seems to have little effect on him.

Fear: "I like my Autobots extra crispy!"

Ironhide gets pelted by two grenades and is now at the mercy of the Decepticon.

Fear: "Remember kids, not even you can prevent Fearswoop fires."

The firefighters begins to arrive, which greatly anger Fearswoop.

Fear: (annoyed) "Firefighters, it looks like I need to teach them a lesson."

Ironhide: "Nooo!"

Ironhide takes out his heavy iron from his back and just devastates the monster with shot after shot. Jazz joins in and starts spamming him with his missiles. The desperate Decepticon in a last ditch effort melts Ironhides rifle and knocks him back with his fist. He then gives Jazz a full moderate blast of his flames which set him on fire. Fearswoop then calls for a groundbridge and escapes with the forest 30% destroyed. Ironhide carries his damaged friend back to base so Ratchet can fix him. The remaining Autobots return to see the damage.

Prime: "What happened here?"

Ironhide: "It was Fearswoop, we stopped him, but the damage was quite excessive."

Prime: "Will he make it Ratchet?"

Ratchet: "Yes he will make a full recovery, it's just a matter of when."

Prime: "I'm glad that we are spared a loss this time, one was hard enough on us."

Cliff: "Hang in there buddy, we got lots of stuff we still haven't done together."

Back at Decepticon HQ, Fearswoop arrives battered and beaten, and this gets everyone's attention.

Thunder: "What happened to you?"

Fear: "Ironhide and Jazz."

Terra: "They will pay for this, I will make sure of it."

Fear: "You should see what I did to them, it makes me look like a hot pocket in comparison."

Terra: "I don't know if that's the correct comparison, but it will do. Splicer, please assist Fearswoop. See that he's as good as new."

Splicer: "You got it uncle Terradive!"

Terra: (smiling) "What a sweet kid. Megatron, I wish to buy you more time on your plans. I know just the place I want to go."

Megatron: "What did you have in mind?"

Terra: "You know exactly what I have in mind."

As he says this he activates his trident, which glows with blue energy resonating from the blades. Everything goes dark as all that's left  is the glow of the trident.