Beginnings Part 1

                                    

                                          
Angel has been working hard as of recently. With the school's pole-jump competition coming soon, he's been practicing day in and out to master the art. Every time he jumps, he gets higher and higher above the pole. Generally, it's a good thing to be high above the pole. Not to Angel, though. He wants to be skilled enough to be right above and twist without hitting the pole.
                          
Chaz continues to run around the track. Much like Angel, Chaz wishes to be the best at what he does. He wants to be the fastest kid in the school, and he knows he won't get anywhere by sitting around and waiting for it to happen for him. Much like Angel, Chaz has been working day in and out to cut his time shorter. 
                          
Jamie and Tyler, unlike their two friends, are already aware that they're the best. All they do now is work and practice to stay at the top. Jamie is a black-belt student at the town's local Shaolin martial arts studio. Tyler is already the high school's strongest student, lifting 220 pounds worth of weight. Even though he has proven he is the strongest, Tyler wants to stay in top shape. He heads to the gym every weekend and spends hours lifting.
                          
Damian reaches to be valedictorian, and senior year is just two years away. He's already one of the smartest sophomores, having fairly steep competition. He plans to be one of the world's top scientists as an adult. 
                          
The day is almost over. With the five of them living in the same neighborhood, they meet the night before to decide who's driving the five of them home. Damian usually volunteers, seeing as he doesn't use his legs as often as the other guys. The ride home gives the five of them time to talk, and they use this to their advantage.
                          
"It feels like these past couple of weeks have been on repeat," Tyler states. "Every weekend is the same. The five of us drive into town, do what we do, and drive home."
                          
"That's the problem," Damian remarks.
                          
"What do you mean?" Angel asks
                          
"Besides what the five of us do, there's almost nothing to do in this town. No concerts, no museums, no stadiums."
                          
"Wish something new would happen around here," Chaz replies. Within moments of this said, the five of them feel the earth shake. Damian quickly pulls over, and the five of them exit the car. They see a fire in the tree line ahead of them as they walk towards it. The five of them see a large, grey spaceship. From the ship, a large, yellow dome begins to spread out across the state. When it reaches the boys, they feel the effects instantaneously.
                          
When the five of them look down, they don't see how their hands regularly look. In the place of five human boys stand five beasts. Standing in place of Angel is a silverback gorilla; Chaz, a cheetah; Jamie, a velociraptor; Tyler, a rhinoceros; Damian, a rat.
                          
"Guys?" Tyler asks. "Why can't I see my hands?" The four of them look at where Tyler stood, now seeing him for the rhinoceros he is.
                          
"You don't have any hands," Jamie replies. "You're a rhino."
                          
"A rhino?"
                          
"Yeah."
                          
"What happened to us?" Chaz asks.
                          
"Perhaps we should answer that question," a strange voice replies to them. In the blink of an eye, five robots appear in front of the group. Optimus Primal, a red and black robot with the fur of a silverback gorilla. Cheetor, a short and loyal robot with the speed of a cheetah. Dinobot, the newest and most war-hungry member with the agility of a velociraptor. Rhinox, a scientist robot with the strength and skin of a rhinoceros. Finally, there's Rattrap, the smallest and most intelligent, even smarter than Rhinox, with the cleverness of a rat.
                          
"Who are you?" Angel asks.
                          
"We are the Maximals," Optimus replies. "My compatriots and I are from a planet known as Cybertron. The Maximals were a peaceful group of Cybertronians. A war began between us and the opposite faction, the Predacons. Their leader, Megatron, stole an artifact known as the Golden Disk. The Golden Disk serves as a map to a large supply of Energon, the source of all life on Cybertron."