The yellow Seeker on patrol was nervous. He had been ordered by Shockwave to search for any sign of the female Autobots, but he had found none. He stepped into the passageway leading to an underground storage room in the depths of Cybertron that hadn't been used in eons. The passageway was dark, but the room he entered had a very low light level. Vaguely he could make out various parts and larger pieces of scrap all over the place. Well, wherever the female Autobots were, they certainly weren't here.

The Seeker turned to go back the way he came, when he got the distinct feeling he was being watched. Suddenly something landed on him from above, knocking him backwards. He screamed as whatever it was seized his throat in its jaws and he felt his armor being torn by ten razor-sharp talons. The jaws clamped tighter as the Seeker struggled, eventually causing him to lapse into unconsciousness.

The creature that had attacked him tore open its prey's chest, ripping out the fuel pump and eagerly lapping up the energy-rich fluid. The predator had been ravenously hungry, and it had been awhile since it had had an opportunity to feed like this. But the fuel alone was not enough--the creature also began devouring vital internal parts. Eventually all that was left of the Seeker was 1/3 of the torso, and part of both arms. The creature then gnawed the head off and took it with him, disappearing into the shadows.

**********************************************
"Shockwave calling Megatron," came the voice over the communicator on the Decepticon Undersea Base's computer.

"Megatron here," the Decepticon Leader answered, "Proceed, Shockwave."

"Megatron, there is a serious problem on Cybertron that must be addressed," Shockwave reported.

"Problem?" Megatron echoed, "What sort of problem?"

"Some of the Decepticons I sent out on patrol have vanished without a trace. But recently, a Sentinel was attacked, giving us clues as to what may have happened to my patrols," Shockwave told him.

"I'll be there shortly," Megatron said, "Megatron out."

**********************************************]

The door to the Space Bridge opened, and Megatron stepped out--along with Starscream, Soundwave, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Blitzwing, and Thrust.

"Show us what happened to the Sentinel," Megatron ordered.

Shockwave opened a storage locker in the Decepticon base. Inside was a Sentinel drone. It had claw marks across the front of it.

"Did the Sentinel get an image of the attack?" Megatron wondered.

"Yes, but the video quality is very poor," Shockwave replied.

"Show me," Megatron demanded.

The Sentinel drone was removed from its place in storage and its video feed was hooked up to the main monitor. Shockwave had been right--the video quality was terrible. A shadowy figure suddenly appeared in front of the Sentinel, striking at it with outstretched claws. The video was too grainy and the light level too low for the picture to show anything but a vague outline of the creature. As soon as the Sentinel was struck, the video cut out completely.

"What is that thing?!" Blitzwing exclaimed.

"Unknown," Shockwave replied, "Which is why I asked you to come here. We need to find that thing and determine whether it is responsible for causing Decepticons to disappear."

"Where were these images taken?" Megatron wanted to know.

"Not far from the last known co-ordinates of the Seeker I most recently sent out on patrol," Shockwave told him.

"Take us there," Megatron commanded.

**********************************************

"So this is the place, huh?" Thundercracker commented, as Shockwave and Megatron led the others single-file through a passageway that was almost completely dark.

"Silence!" Megatron snapped in a stage whisper.

They entered what appeared to be a large warehouse. Up above were rafters, with some sheet panels and loose girders still connecting a few of them like overhead bridges. They noticed all the parts on the floor, but couldn't make them out until Shockwave turned on his chest illumination panel. They recoiled in shock when they finally saw the parts. Not far from their position was the remains of the unlucky Seeker. A shiver ran through the spinal relays of Starscream and the others. The primitive means of attack was obvious--the carcass had been ripped apart, and claw marks were evident. And the rest of the room was also filled with the remains of various Decepticons--not just Seekers, although those were the majority of the remains.

"What could have done this?" Starscream gasped in horror.

"Do you think maybe it was some kind of Autobot?" Skywarp asked.

Megatron stared at the remains and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We need to trap the creature who was responsible for this," he said finally.

"But how are we going to find that thing?" Starscream wanted to know.

"Oh we don't need to go looking for it. It will come to us," Megatron said, with a sly grin.

"And why would it do that?" Starscream wanted to know.

"Because we're going to lure it here with some very tempting bait," Megatron told him.

**********************************************

"MEGATRON! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Starscream hollered. He'd been forced into a kneeling position, and his ankles were shackled directly to the floor. His wrists were chained and had enough slack so that he could pull on the chains and rattle them, which Megatron figured would attract the creature, along with his second's high pitched screams.

"Thats it, scream louder," Megatron said quietly, from his hiding place in the edge of the room. The other Decepticons were also concealed nearby.

Starscream thought he heard something. He looked up into the rafters above him and saw two glowing ruby optics. Panic seized him, and he struggled harder to get loose. Whatever it was leaped down from above and landed a few dozen feet away. Starscream expected it to get up from all fours, but it didn't. Instead it padded towards him, and he could hear it audibly sniffing. As the creature grew closer, Starscream could make out more details. It was definitely a robot, and it had vaguely batlike wings. It was powerfully built with a broad chest. It came closer still, and growled. Starscream saw that the creature had a very unusual feature--a beard. The monster tensed up, as if preparing to pounce on the bait.

"Spring the trap!" Megatron ordered.

Suddenly, a cage dropped down from high up in the roof, and the monster reared up and snarled as it realized it had been trapped.

Starscream was released from his bonds and the Decepticons went to see what they had caught. Shockwave's light made it easier to see the creature. It was blue all over, with lighter blue wings, and it had wickedly-sharp claws that for some strange reason were colored pink. And more shocking was the distinct Decepticon insignia on its chest. It was obviously not accustomed to bright light, as it snarled and brought up an arm to shield its optical sensors from the light coming from Shockwave's chest panel.

"I've never seen a Decepticon like this before," Megatron mused, then went right up to the cage. "You there! Who are you?"

The creature responded with a growl and swiped at Megatron with its claws.

"Something is very wrong with that creature," Starscream realized.

"I am Megatron! Supreme Leader of all Decepticons! You will obey me!" Megatron persisted. The only response he got was another snarl.

"It's like he can't understand you," Thundercracker opined.

"Soundwave, scan this creature's mind!" Megatron ordered.

"As you command, Megatron," Soundwave replied, and commenced the scan. The creature stopped snarling and went limp while Soundwave conducted the brain scan.

"This Decepticon is completely feral," Soundwave intoned presently.

"Feral? What do you mean?" Megatron asked.

"Subject is unable to utilize logic circuits or any higher functions," Soundwave replied, "It cannot form rational thoughts or use reason. It also cannot use its language processor. Only primitive logic chips are still active."

"Conclusion, Soundwave?" Megatron pressed further.

"Subject is not sapient," Soundwave replied, "It acts only on instinct."

"So, it doesn't know what it's doing, eh?" Megatron said.

"So now that we've caught this thing, what are we going to do with it?" Thrust wanted to know.

"I think we should destroy it. It gives me the surges," Starscream stated.

"Now, that would be a waste, Starscream," Megatron laughed, "We shall take this creature to Earth, and unleash it upon the Autobots. Think of the panic and havoc he will create."

**********************************************

The strange feral Decepticon was loaded onto the Space Bridge, and taken to Earth. Megatron discovered that he could not let the creature loose with any Decepticon present, as it snarled and tried to attack any Decepticon that came near its cage. So, an unlocking mechanism with a timer on it was installed on the cage, so that it would open and release the monster without putting any of the Decepticons at risk. To further protect his warriors, solid panels were put on the cage--not only to hide its contents, but to keep the creature inside from injuring them when they moved the cage. Finally, the cage was loaded onto Astrotrain and transported to an area near Autobot headquarters, yet far away enough from it to avoid being detected. Megatron tapped the top of the cage a couple of times after it had been placed. Snarls erupted from inside, and the sound of claws scraping against metal.

"Excellent. This will be most entertaining," Megatron gloated, "Now, let's return to base!"

A few hours after the Decepticons had departed, the timer on the cage caused it to open. The creature stepped outside and sniffed the air. So many unfamiliar scents came into its olfactory sensors that it took some time to sort out.

The wind changed direction, and a familiar type of scent now wafted into the monster's olfactory sensors. It was the middle of the night, and there was no moon. The lack of light was perfect for stalking prey. Instinctively the feral Decepticon headed in the direction of the familiar smell, which just happened to be towards the volcano.

**********************************************

Bumblebee and Spike were sitting halfway up the side of the volcano, staring up at the stars. A moonless night was perfect for stargazing.

"It's too bad Perceptor is so busy right now," Spike was saying, "Otherwise we could use him as a telescope."

Mirage and Hound joined them. "Having fun?" Hound asked.

"Yeah," Bumblebee replied, "I wish I could tell which one was Cybertron."

"I don't think you can see Cybertron from here," Mirage stated.

"We're going all the way to the top. Wanna join us?" Hound wondered.

"Nah, we're fine where we are," Spike replied, "Thanks anyway."

After the two larger Autobots had left, the feral Decepticon crept out of the shadows and approached its target. It pounced and landed on Bumblebee, growling and tearing into the little Autobot with its sharp talons, holding its prey so it couldn't escape.

"BUMBLEBEE!" Spike cried.

"SPIKE! GET HELP! HURRY!" Bumblebee screamed. The monster tried going for Bumblebee's throat, but not finding much of a neck, he started gnawing at the Autobot's shoulder instead.

Spike went to alert Hound and Mirage, but they had heard Bumblebee's screams and they came immediately.

"Hold on, Bumblebee!" Hound shouted, and fired his weapon at the attacker. It snarled and turned to see Hound and Mirage, weapons aimed. It charged at them and they fired. It yelped when the blasts hit, and the sound reminded Spike of the sound made by a wounded coyote. The creature quickly turned and fled.

"Bumblebee, are you alright?" Spike asked.

"Ohhhh," Bumblebee moaned, "I think I'll be fine..."

"We'd better get you to Ratchet right away," Mirage said.

**********************************************

"So you're saying that there's a strange new kind of Decepticon out there, and it attacked Bumblebee?" Optimus Prime asked.

"Yes, Prime," Hound told him, "And here's what it looks like." He projected a hologram of the monster and the Autobots could clearly see what the creature looked like.

"And this is the weird part--it never talked," Spike added, "It attacked Bumblebee like it was an animal hunting prey."

Perceptor walked into the control room just then and saw the hologram. He gasped in shock. "A Feral Sweep!" he exclaimed.

"You've seen this kind of creature before?" Optimus asked.

"Yes. It's a strange type of Decepticon that feeds on robotic and organic life. It uses its claws to catch its prey and rip it apart. One Autobot outpost I was on some years ago had a problem with some Feral Sweeps terrorizing them. The Autobots there hunted the creatures down, and I had an opportunity to examine them. They seem to be infected with a type of nanomachine that disables specific brain functions--causing them to act like wild animals," Perceptor replied, "We have to find and catch that Sweep, before it kills someone."

Optimus organized the Autobots into several teams to hunt the monster down. In accordance with Perceptor's advice, he made sure that there were at least five Autobots to a team, and each team was equipped with an electro-net launcher, which would launch an electrified net that would stun whatever it enveloped.

Wheeljack was working in his lab when suddenly one of his experiments exploded. Unfortunately, the explosion interrupted power to the entire base.

"Ahhh, blast," Wheeljack moaned, and waited for the emergency lights to come on.

While the Autobots began their search, the feral Sweep doubled back, sneaking past Ironhide, Jazz, Cliffjumper, Gears, and Blaster. He then entered Autobot headquarters. Because of the power failure, he was not detected. His night vision was excellent, and he easily made his way to the medbay where Bumblebee was recovering from the prior attack. Ratchet had gone to fix the power problem and Bumblebee was alone. The feral Sweep seized Bumblebee in its jaws and took off. Bumblebee screamed loudly for help, and Bluestreak happened to be in the hallway. He fired at the fleeing Decepticon, but missed. He gave chase, but tripped over something in the darkness.

Bumblebee's screams continued to attract attention as his captor fled. In order to escape without being detected, his prey would have to be silenced, and quickly. The feral Sweep bit down into the back of the little Autobot's head, severing some circuitry and causing Bumblebee to go limp.

"Hold it right there!" Brawn demanded.

The creature dropped Bumblebee and pounced on Brawn with a snarl, tearing at the Autobot's shoulders with its claws, causing significant damage. Then the feral Sweep bit down on Brawn's upper arm, severing a fuel line. But suddenly it recoiled in disgust at the taste of the fuel, let go of Brawn, and went to pick Bumblebee back up before fleeing again.

Bluestreak and Tracks found Brawn. "I told you that you shouldn't have gone by yourself," Tracks said.

"I thought I could take him," Brawn moaned.

**********************************************

The Decepticons were watching everything on the monitor at their headquarters. Lazerbeak was high up in the atmosphere, because the feral Sweep had tried to attack him. But for some reason it could not fly, and lost interest when Lazerbeak was out of reach.

The Decepticons had been cheering when the monster attacked Bumblebee. But they were disappointed when Hound and Mirage had shown up to drive the predator off.

"Hey, that thing almost killed Brawn! Why did it stop?" Rumble exclaimed.

"Good question," Megatron said.

"Wait a minute," Starscream realized, "There were no Autobot parts in that warehouse!"

**********************************************

The feral Sweep was exhausted, and needed a place where it could devour this Autobot at its leisure. He found a cave and concealed himself and his prey inside. He waited a short time before beginning to gnaw at Bumblebee's shoulder again, severing a fuel line. He began lapping up the spilled fuel to replenish the energy he'd expended fleeing and fighting Brawn.

Optimus Prime and the others converged on the last known co-ordinates of the feral Sweep. Hound used his tracking equipment to locate Bumblebee, and led them to the cave that he was in.

"So what are we going to do, Prime?" Ironhide asked.

"I'm going in alone," Optimus stated.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Prowl wondered.

"If I'm not back in five minutes, come get me," Prime told them. He walked into the cave, laser rifle out and aimed. It was very dark inside, but a few meters into the cave, Prime could see the glowing red optics of the feral Sweep. Optimus turned on his windshield-lights and saw that the creature was drinking Bumblebee's fuel. It growled savagely when it saw the Autobot Leader. Aiming carefully, so as not to hit Bumblebee, Prime fired his laser rifle. The blast caught the creature in one of its wings, and it yelped in pain. Enraged, it leaped towards Prime, knocking the laser rifle away with a slash of its claws. It was incredibly strong, and in the Autobot Leader's estimation, this was worse than fighting Megatron. At least Megatron had no claws, nor did he bite. Optimus cried out in pain as the feral Sweep's talons raked his sides. It bit down on his forearm and didn't let go. Now Prime only had the use of one arm. He used it to punch his attacker in the face. A few blows later, the monster released its grip on his arm, and Optimus threw it towards the entrance of the cave. He then picked up his laser rifle and fired. Several blasts hit the feral Sweep, disabling it. It tried to get up but was having trouble.

"Ironhide, get in here, now!" Optimus called out.

His command was heeded and Ironhide came, holding a net launcher. He fired the net, trapping and stunning the monster. Meanwhile, Optimus returned to the back of the cave and picked up Bumblebee.

**********************************************

The Decepticons groaned when they saw Optimus (carrying Bumblebee) and Ironhide exit the cave with the feral Sweep netted and immobilized. But it was some consolation that Prime's armor was horribly torn in several places, and Bumblebee didn't look like he was going to make it.

**********************************************
Perceptor and Ratchet were hard at work, repairing and treating the Autobots that the feral Sweep had attacked. The ones who had been bitten had to be treated for parasitic nanomachine infestation, to prevent them from going mad.

"Is Bumblebee going to make it?" Spike asked.

"Yeah, the little guy is gonna pull through," Ratchet replied, "It's lucky Optimus got to him in time. That monster drained almost half his fuel."

"That's strange," Brawn said from the next exam table over, "He didn't like the taste of me at all."

"That's because there's an objectional chemical formed inside Autobots that feral Sweeps cannot stand the taste of," Perceptor replied, "But younger Autobots do not have much of this chemical, as it builds up over time."

After long and careful consideration, Optimus Prime decided that the feral Sweep had to be destroyed. This was not a decision he came to lightly. Once the deed was done, and Bumblebee had fully recovered, Optimus went up to the little Autobot.

"Is that thing gone for good?" Bumblebee asked.

"Yes," Optimus replied, "I think we've seen the last of creatures like him."

**********************************************

In the depths of Cybertron, a retro-rat scurried about. It ran into a dark corner and suddenly something pounced on it. The retro-rat made a shrill squeak and went limp as its attacker broke its neck with one snap of its jaws. The creature--no bigger than a human child--stepped out of the shadows on all fours, its prey dangling from its mouth. It was blue with red optics and batlike wings, and pink claws.

THE END...?