After everyone had a laughing fit stopping, the Orb beeped red, detecting two more Sparks coming until it manifested two certain Decepticons themselves...
"Skyquake?!" squeaked Starscream
"Dreadwing?" asked Megatron.
Both twins looked at each other and bowed "Hail Lord Megatron! We've returned to-" once they've turned to Starscream they asked "What is HE doing here?!" as the Seeker commandered cowered behind his master.
"Stand down, the both of you. Starscream is here to view among us the future of what we are."
"The future?" asked Skyquake.
Megatron began to elaborate everything in a tone that both brothers understand. Although they accepted, they were not accustomed to Starscream's presence.
"And who is he, sir?" asked Dreadwing.
"That is Omega Scion, the forgotten brother of Alpha Trion and the keeper of this theater you are in right now." Megatron then threw Starscream off him and back to his seat.
"That being said, shall we look into the future once again?" asked Omega Scion.
"Yes." Megatron answered much to Prime's surprise.
Everyone sat still as the viewing counted down to three for another view of the future.
On top of the mountain, both Cheetor and Dinobot were out marching towards their objective.
"Optimus is insane to waste my talents on a futile hunt." Dinobot commented.
"Rhinox thinks those alien sites are dangerous." Cheetor pointed out, then continued "Optimus wants us to find as many as we..." which was then cut off by fervent grunting. They looked behind and saw Inferno holding a missile up high.
"For the Royalty!" Inferno yelled as he deployed the missile as it unleashes a salvo of cluster bombs towards both Cheetor and Dinobot, knocking down both Maximals below a level on impact. They got up just as Inferno was about to circle around to meet them.
"We got company!" They transformed and returned fire at Inferno.
"You're food for the colony Maximals!" Inferno yelled as he exchanged gunfire with his hated enemies.
Waspinator and Terrorsaur heard from above, apparently despondent that their comrade had ruined their elements of surprise.
"Inferno not wait for your signal." Waspinator pointed out.
"So much for surprise." Inferno said. "You take the cat, I'll support Inferno." as Terrorsaur flew towards a cache of ammunition and explosives.
"Waspinator waits for signal." the aforementioned Predacon said, holding position.
"From what I can tell here, these Predacons from the future are more like street rabble than actual soldiers." Dreadwing commented.
Skyquake snorted. "Pathetic. And what of that blue Cybertronian?"
"Dinobot?" asked Shockwave. "He defected from the Predacons after attempting to oust their Megatron of leadership."
"Like him?" Skyquake pointed to Starscream.
"No. He challenged their leader directly, but was immediately driven out by Scorponok."
Skyquake frowned. He never was one to tolerate traitors. Dreadwing, on the other hand, was impressed by Dinobot's showcase of honor.
"That is one tough-" a shot cuts Cheetor off as he fell from the mountain below, knocked out of action. Inferno cackled maniacally...
"ATTACK!" Inferno yelled as he frantically fired at Dinobot, but the latter raised his shield up high. Effectively shielding himself from Inferno's furious shots, Dinobot slowly closed toward Inferno, but before long, another salvo of cluster bombs exploded between them, seperating them together.
"Ooops." Terrorsaur taunted. He was then shot and blasted off to a cliff face by Cheetor.
"Do something!" Terrorsaur yelled to Waspinator.
"Terrorsaur has not given signal." Waspinator reminded.
"ATTACK, you imbecile!" Terrorsaur angrily shouted.
"Waspinator will engage enemy." the wasp Predacon joined the fray, Terrorsaur came after poking out of the pterodactyl sized hole he had made.
Outnumbered and damaged, the young Maximal hailed "Cheetor to all units. Dinobot is down and I'm under heavy Pred fire, Code R, Repeat. Code R!"
"Acknowledged." answered Primal as he was posted on an outpost around the mountain region. "Hang on Cheetor!" He used the outpost's computer to triangulate Cheetor's position. Once spotted, he yelled. "Maximize!" and boosted off towards the coordinates.
"Waspinator sees good target." the aforementioned Predacon gleefully said upon the pinned Cheetor. And hefted another cluster bomb missile. But unlike Terrorsaur and Inferno, Waspinator fell under the weight of the heavy missile "Or not." as he fell into the mountain. He managed to carry the missile as best as he can but he saw what he perceived as Tigatron in Beast Form and yelled "Tiger-Bot!" But he heard another roar from above and saw the real Tigatron.
"You're half right, Predacon!" Tigatron then jumped on Waspinator, mounting the Predacon and attempting to maul him. This caused the missile Waspinator was carrying to boost off, sending them rocketing around the mountain.
"Hahahahaha! Such weakness! At least Predaking gave me an ironclad of a challenge before I went down." Skyquake commented.
"Waspinator cannot fly. Going to crash!" as Tigatron's mauling had sent Waspinator crashing down to the ground. "Way cool, Big Cat! Beast Mode." Cheetor commented as he reverted back to Beast Form once his damages and incoming Energon oversaturation began to overtake him. They backed away in surprise once Inferno started spraying flames in front of them cackling like a sadistic psychopath.
"Normally, flamethrowers are very impractical unless a speciality is developed, but I dare say we'd need such to clear off rusting in our chassis." suggested Onslaught.
"Agreed. Wouldn't want the ladies to look at me like a rusty old truck." agreed Blast Off.
"I'll deal with this one. Tigatron - MAXIMIZE!!" Tigatron transformed, brandished his weapon and fired at Inferno and Terrorsaur.
"The Royalty commands your wreckage, destroyer of my colony!" Inferno spat out.
"Give my regards to the pit, Predacon." Tigatron replied back. Firing multiple shots that took Inferno off-guard, then aimed to fire at his flight propellants, but an accidental shot he let off blasts at the mountaintop, destroying the Predacon's ammo cache. But with it, a fellow feline friend caught in the chain reaction that obliterated the portion of the mountain to a pile of rocks. Horrified, Tigatron yelled "SnowStalker!"
The Autobots were as horrified. While it was his fault, casualties in war were inevitable.
Arcee frowned, remembering her failure to save Tailgate from Airachid. All because of her impulsiveness that accidentally set off the Decepticon's trap. Cliffjumper saw this and gave her an assuring hand, warming the female Autobot slightly.
"No, no, noooooo!" Tigatron frantically dug out of the pile of stone to find his friend. Seeing what remains of him, he gave off a mourning roar. All while Dinobot and Cheetor witnessed with sympathy.
Later, Tigatron built a grave in memory of the very friend he had. He spoke one last time... "Goodbye SnowStalker. Let your hunting ground shelter you now." When Cheetor caught up, Tigatron transformed. He announced "I cannot do this again."
"It's... It's never easy to bury a friend." Cheetor expressed, feeling sorry for Tigatron.
"But it is too easy to do... this." Tigatron pointed out the destruction around the nature they lived in.
Everyone fell silent. That is the result of unending war. Carnage. Destruction. Undoing. Eons of battling each other both in Earth and Cybertron proved so.
"We had no choice, the Preds..."
"Predacon or Maximal, what is the difference?" Tigatron cuts Cheetor off. "In my lust for battle, I caused the death of an innocent." he said.
"There are no innocents. This is war and this... Well, this is simply a battlefield." Dinobot argued.
"But there are those that cannot defend themselves! The Maximals have sworn to this as did we before!" Prime protested.
"We made it so." Tigatron pointed out to Dinobot. "And every time we do, this world suffers. But I will have no more of it." After a silent moment, Tigatron announced "From this moment on,I am no longer part of the Beast Wars..."
"You would desert in the face of the enemy?" Dinobot asked despondently.
"You wouldn't." Cheetor tried to protest. "You... you can't..." he asked solemnly.
"My decision is made little cat. Farewell..." then the snow tiger Maximal left.
"Tigatron!!!!"
Everyone understood. Even times when innocents die, did cause some of their followers to renounce their cause. But in the Beast Wars? That may not happen there.
"So, the tiger no longer wishes to fight?" Inferno muses from afar, then he hails his comrades. "Inferno to Terrorsaur and Waspinator, regroup on my coordinates..."
"Something tells me he plans to take Tigatron out while he mourns." predicted Vortex.
Dreadwing frowned.
"I don't believe this." Dinobot spoke out in disbelief. While walking with Cheetor.
"Well, now what are we going to do...?" asked Cheetor.
"Predacons know how to deal with those who won't fight." Dinobot mulled. He suggested to Cheetor "Go back to base, you need repairs." and rushed off to where Tigatron departed.
"Hey wait! Dinobot!" Cheetor tried to reach out, but the damages around him proves he could not catch up, upon seeing Primal in the distance, he sighed "Thank the Matrix!"
The Predacons regrouped from a higher position somewhere in the mountains.
"We must return to base." suggested Terrorsaur.
"The Royalty commanded we capture the Maximals invading our colony. Will you explain our failure to him?" He said daring Terrorsaur to return empty-handed.
"Megatron not like failure." Waspinator reminded.
"Yes I do not, thank you." Megatron sarcastically commented.
"Yes, the royalty, arr, I mean, Megatron has been a bit testy lately... We'll do it." Terrorsaur relented. "But we close the trap on my signal." as he raises a strange orb-like device.
"Waspinator like signals." the aforementioned Predacon chirped.
Having hauled Cheetor back to territory near the Axalon, Primal dropped Cheetor and ordered "Head back to base and contact Rhinox as soon as you're in range. I want back up as soon as I can get it."
"What do you think's gonna happen?"
"I don't know." Primal shrugged, then boosted off again.
"You do not know? Why-"
"He is an explorer, Dreadwing. Not a soldier." Megatron pointed out.
"I see." Dreadwing acknowledged.
"Still, a team of explorers vs criminals? Isn't that a bit too strange?" asked Skyquake.
"Perhaps, Skyquake, but then again, who else would oppose the Predacons?" asked Shockwave.
Skylynx and Darksteel looked inquisitively, but decided to let it slide. Predaking was indifferent.
Tigatron was walking by the jungle, but when he took cover when he sensed something was near. He found Dinobot stalking around, but to his surprise, the raptor Maximal found him hiding beneath the foilage.
"You have the instincts of a warrior. You know when danger's approaching." Dinobot commented.
"Why do you stalk me?" Tigatron asked.
"To...talk." Dinobot offered.
"I have nothing more to say." Tigatron refused.
"Something's telling me he's not gonna stop pushing Tigatron back in the Beast Wars." commented Jazz.
"Then look..." Tigatron witnessed upon what Dinobot suggested. A pair of gazelle grazing on the grass. Then upon him, a Bengal tiger stalks before them before it leaps. The gazelle flee for their lives, but the tiger caught upon one of them and feasted upon his prey.
Tigatron looked upon with indifference, but deep inside, he was horrified.
The Autobots felt the same. Such was the way in both Cybertron and Earth.
"Oh, what is with you? We've done this over eons when there was game to be found and food to be in our bellies!" boasted Predaking.
"Yes, because Unicron had controlled you to do so." said Megatron.
Predaking could not argue about it.
"That is the law of the jungle. The hunters and the hunted. Scrap or be scrapped."
"Animals hunt to survive." Tigatron pointed out.
"And what do you think war is about?" Dinobot questioned.
"Maximals may believe in peace, but Predacons... you do not really know the Predacons. We...They... live for the glory of conquest."
The audience looks upon a what-if viewing of "What if the Predacons won the Beast Wars", when the Darksyde, fully restored and repaired, destroys the Maximal station. "If Megatron takes the Energon wealth of this world unopposed... he will begin a war... a war that will destroy Cybertron and shatter galaxies!"
The Autobots look upon, terrified of the possibility of the Predacon victory as the Darksyde lays waste to Cybertron.
Starscream secretly hoped the Predacons would win.
Having little to no hope as the Predacons were not as disciplined as they are, the former Decepticons looked upon with apathy.
The aformentioned faction though was stunned.
"For Primus' sake, I dearly hope the Maximals prevail over these fools who dare make a mockery of the Predacon name." Predaking said.
"Until only one side survives. It has been this way for hundreds of stellar cycles, ever since Autobot and Decepticon first began The Great War." Dinobot concluded.
"Much like the very war we've been through for eons." Prime grimly stated.
"Peace will never come until someone agrees NOT to fight." Tigatron argued.
"The Predacons will not allow it. They'll destroy you or reprogram you." Dinobot riposted, knowing too well of the Predacon's strategies.
"They will not find me." Tigatron stated.
"Where the heck is Airazor when Tigatron needs her?" asked Cliffjumper.
"I found you!" Dinobot stated adamantly.
"I do not wish to fight you." Tigatron refused.
"You have no choice, coward." Dinobot stated. "If you are not with us, then you are against us!"
"Only a Decepticon deals in absolutes. Tigatron will do what he must." Knockout quipped.
"Stay away..." Tigatron threatened, but Dinobot would not budge "Make me." he said, undeterred.
"I will NOT do this." Tigatron pressed.
"Fine!" Dinobot transformed. "Then die."
"Don't do it, Dino-boy." Grimlock spoke.
"He's gotta, Grim. The Preds would destroy him to weaken Maxie ranks." stated Jazz.
Dinobot fired lasers from his eyes, but it was not to intentionally kill Tigatron, but to rather intimidate him into returning.
"A Predacon wouldn't miss. Now return to your duty." Dinobot demanded.
"NO." Tigatron refused.
"So be it." He prepared his weapons upon Tigatron, but thankfully, Primal arrived.
"Finally! Someone with reasonable intentions!" yelled Smokescreen.
"Stand down Dinobot. Now!" Primal ordered.
"No! This must not be allowed!" Dinobot tried to disobey, but Primal pressed on his orders...
"That's an order!" which prompted Dinobot to obey, standing down.
"Don't you at least want to "say" something to him?" Dinobot snarked to Tigatron.
"Yes...I'm sorry about your friend..." Primal spoke with sympathy in his voice "I know how much she meant to you." but Tigatron would not reply.
"Sentiment! The more time I spend with you Maximals,the more I wonder how you've survived so long. I'm returning to my duties." Dinobot left Primal and Tigatron alone in Beast Mode. Primal transformed as well and tried to reason with the latter... "Tigatron, I hate this war as much as any of us-"
"All the more reason to stop, then! We don't belong here, Optimus." Tigatron argued.
"And why would they do that? Do you think the Preds would do the same once you toss your weapons away?" Ironhide questioned.
"You're right. You don't belong here. But even if you don't, there'd be war amongst it's inhabitants even without our intervention." corrected Ultra Magnus.
"But we ARE here. And as Maximals we've got a duty to explore and defend this world!" Primal reasoned.
Meanwhile, the airborne Predacons undertake initiative to make observation on their enemies.
"No. That is not Tiger-Bot?" whined Waspinator.
"Who cares? Dinobot will make an even better prize." Terrorsaur ordered "Fan out,we'll ambush him as he leaves the forest." Said order had the Pred team split up.
While wandering about, Dinobot mulled "I must have been mad to..." and stopped midsentence once flares in the distance flew in the sky, alerting Dinobot.
"Predacons- Terrorize!!" they jumped out in hiding and fired.
"MAXIMIZE!" Dinobot tried to fight back, but soon after firing back at his assailants, he was knocked out by a shot to the chest.
"Dinobot! He might need some help." Primal said after hearing gunshots in the distance. But Tigatron wouldn't budge. The gorilla Maximal transformed. "I guess you've made your decision. Prime-jets ON!" as Primal boosted upwards to the sky in the distance to help Dinobot.
"Megatron reward Waspinator for my victory!" the aforementioned Predacon cheered.
"Your victory? It's my...It's Optimus!!!" Terrorsaur boasted, but cuts off once he sees Primal flying towards them.
"Excellent... He'll have no chance against the three of us." Inferno retorted. They split off.
"Hah! You wish! Prime-ape's going to break your legs, Preda-fakes!" Warpath taunted.
"You bet your aft he's gonna do that!" agreed Warpath.
"But there's no way he can take on three Preds alone." stated Jetfire.
"Yeah? And when did that stop our Optimus, Jet?" Grimlock argued.
"It... didn't."
"Exactly! So don't think Primal's going to give up just cause they got numbers!" Grimlock retorted.
"Still... it's a bad idea for Primal to go against them alone. Especially since Tigatron's out." groused Jetfire.
"He's got a point you know. Even the Cons at their big numbers didn't stop our Prime before." Air Raid stated.
[Warning. Power cells at 35 percent and dropping. Transform to Beast Mode.] Primal heeded his systems but he was blasted in the back.
"Cowards!" barked out Dreadwing.
"What a show of weakness..." spat out Skyquake venomously.
"Optimus is ours! Optimus is ours!!! Waspinator will finish him!!!" They gave chase as Primal was able to gain back his flight pattern. Seeing his attackers, he readied wrist cannons and fired at both Terrorsaur and Waspinator, blowing them away to the sky.
"That was satisfactory enough!" commented Dreadwing.
"For the Royalty!!!" another shot to the back knocked Primal down to the ground, forcing him to transform back to Beast Mode.
"Optimus..." Dinobot begged as Energon oversaturation began to overtake him...
"Attack!" Inferno appeared preparing to finish off both Maximals, but the timely intervention of Tigatron stopped him.
"Tigatron...?" asked both Primal and Dinobot.
"Back off Predacon. You'll kill no more beasts today." Tigatron transformed, readying his weapon. Now, Inferno tried to attack as he intended spraying flames wildly cackling mindlessly, but this angered Tigatron.
"BREAK THAT BUG'S LEGS, TIGER!" Warpath cheered.
"You... will... leave... the wild... ALONE." Tigatron emphasized each word with every shot, blasting Inferno away in pieces. Seeing the tree in flames, he pondered. "Once again, this planet pays the price for our war." and sprayed ice to extinguish the flames.
"As did our planet, Tigatron." Ratchet commented.
"Well done... Maximal." Primal said holding a hand to his shoulder.
"You chose a perfect moment to rejoin our ranks." Dinobot added. "I am in your debt."
"As does a warrior who lives by and dies for honor." Dreadwing stated.
"You always were into that honor stuff, little brother." Skyquake replied.
"I must still grieve for my friend. But as long as there are Predacons to harm this world, we Maximals must protect it." he concluded. Returning to the Maximals once at last, though still mourning for the loss of his friend, Tigatron swore that even if pain and grief had befallen him, he will carry on until the end of the Beast Wars.
"That aside, is anyone ready for the next viewing?" asked Omega Scion.