03x05 - Project Predacon

[bunniefuu]

Prime, what we have here is an experimental all-terrain expeditionary fighting vehicle, designed by the finest engineers in our M.A.S.K.division.

Thank you, Agent Fowler.

This will most certainly do.

Return trajectory fluctuations have been stabilized.

Ultra Magnus, we are ready to receive you.

We didn't find much else in the rubble of the former base.

You call this "not much else?" Wheeljack! You could've caused serious damage.

To me! What in the Sam hill? A little help here? What were you thinking, soldier? I was thinking Bulk would catch that lob.

Allow me to make myself clear.

As Optimus Prime's second-in-command, I have no intention of tolerating Wrecker behavior.

Some things never change.

Jackie Need I remind you that it was Optimus Prime himself who assigned me to command your Wreckers back on Cybertron and get you loose cannons under control? An effective combat unit begins with discipline.

If you won't accept that, feel free to choose the path of least resistance As you did before.

If my ship weren't a twisted wreck at present, I'd do that sir.

So, any word from Optimus? He's investigating recent Decepticon activity, hopefully an Energon mine.

How rad would it be if you all had jetpacks like Optimus? Quite rad, Miko.

But the Forge has been depleted of its power to do that.

Now it's only good for pounding out dings.

Smokescreen? Aw, what gave me away? Come on, "robots in disguise," right? - Where have you been, soldier? - Scanning new w*r paint.

Thought it'd be proactive to follow Optimus' lead and Bumblebee's.

Now you can look your best while stacking those empty cubes.

Yes, sir.

I was nearly a Prime, but somehow I'm still a rookie.

What was that about a "Prime?" Uh no, time.

Time to stop acting like a rookie.

Smokescreen was the only one who went back.

If it weren't for him, Optimus might not be with us today.

Arcee, we were under the strictest of orders.

The three of you had your human partners to protect.

But we are fortunate that Smokescreen is inexperienced enough not to have followed protocol.

There.

I can see it.

Abandon the excavation.

Now.

att*ck! Optimus, did you find Energon? No.

But I did uncover this.

It cannot be.

Be what? The ancient remains of a Predacon.

Though it remains unclear why such a skull would be found on your planet, its presence reveals all too much about the Predacon which Megatron recently sent in pursuit of us.

You mean that dragon bot we put on ice? Except that Predacons have been extinct since, well Since before most life began on Cybertron.

- They're like Earth's dinosaurs.

- Which means, for you guys, running into one would be like us meeting a T-Rex.

- So then what were dinobots? - Totally different.

With Megatron's seeming new interest in the excavation of prehistoric skeletons and a certain scientist back among the Decepticon ranks It would stand to reason that Shockwave cloned the beast from one such find.

And now Megatron's looking to clone another.

What makes you think buckethead would stop at just one? We could have beast wars on our hands.

And if Shockwave only requires a single strand of CNA from which to clone a beast He already possesses what he needs to engender this one.

Autobots, we must become Beast Hunters.

One thing still doesn't follow.

Predacons went extinct on Cybertron.

So what would their bones be doing here? On Earth? I mean, isn't it just a little preposterous? They are not the remains of Predacons, Starscream.

But, rather, the remains of Predacon clones.

For you see Our recent Autobot hunter wasn't the first bestial super-soldier Shockwave ever attempted to breed from prehistoric matter.

During the w*r for Cybertron, I sanctioned the dispatch of a small army of these preda-clones to Earth to unleash the beasts on unwitting Autobot forces stationed here.

Once they accomplished their mission, the surviving Predacons held sentinel on this very world for ages to come, guarding the Energon reserves they had managed to secure while awaiting my arrival.

Of course, our reunion here was much delayed, and it would seem we lost the beasts to the ravages of time.

But not their endo-matter, from which I am logically able to extract their very CNA.

Pff.

Another scavenger hunt? How logical would it really be to locate all the dusty remains of your former pets? You are not suggesting that I would send my creations to a distant planet without first having them micro-chipped? Well well, I was.

But, seriously, you did? from our historical texts.

But those are metal versions of creatures from our Greek mythology and medieval literature.

Not dinosaurs.

It would stand to reason that Predacons did indeed walk upon this Earth in ancient times, as they seem to have been the basis for much of humankind's folklore.

Illustrating once again that the pasts of Earth and Cybertron are inextricably linked.

- Synthetic Energon? - Indeed.

I am concerned that without access to any Energon reserves since our base was destroyed, Our ability to deal with impending crises will be severely hampered.

- A wise decision, old friend.

- Just, please manage your expectations.

I am working with even more rudimentary hardware - than before.

- Prime! Satellite surveillance has picked up two signs of Decepticon activity: one near an oil field outside of El Paso, the other near the Hebrides bluffs in Scotland.

So don't Forget to pack your kilts.

We must divide our resources.

Ultra Magnus, lead the Wreckers to the bluffs.

Yes, Optimus.

Uh What's a kilt? Agent Fowler can, at times, be oblique.

I find it best to simply nod and mobilize.

Bulkhead, Wheeljack, let's roll.

Optimus, I know there are many emotions tied to the Forge.

This is no time to stand on ceremony.

I would be honored to put this to some practical use.

I will search this quadrant.

Hey 'Bee, have you ever thought you might wanna be a Prime? Not now.

Someday.

"Warrior.

" Yeah, you and me both.

But I've seen you in action, Optimus knows you can scrap with the best of 'em.

Why won't he just promote you from scout already? Your choice? Hmm.

So, why wait? Guess it would be more meaningful to graduate back home on Cybertron.

You're one patient guy.

I should take a cue.

Like I said, you got nice chops for a scout.

How epic was that? Whoo! And that's why he's a Prime! Soundwave.

Enough.

No! We have all that we need.

"A single strand of CNA" Shockwave.

I understand that you engaged Optimus Prime in the field.

Only in order to secure the specimen, lord Megatron.

I believed that you had perished once, my most prized engineer, and I highly doubt that project Predacon can be completed without you.

I shall leave the fetching of bones to Starscream, and confine myself to my laboratory in order to accelerate results.

Excellent for I am rather impatient to witness my army of beasts trample humankind underfoot.