A Spark eventually flies out of the Chambers, revealing the form to be a red and blue bot...

"Optimus!"

The Autobots minus Knockout rounded up on their Commander, seeing that he is alright.

"Enough. Enough. Where am I?"

"You're at my Chambers of Reflection, Optimus Prime."

The commander looked at Omega Scion.

"Omega Scion. It's been too long since you've been declared lost at the Siege of Iacon."

"Quite more, I'm afraid."

A blue Transformer went in...

"Smokescreen, Bumblebee, rep- Optimus!"

Ultra Magnus had arrived.

"At ease, lieutenant."

"Sir. Bumblebee, report."

"Magnus, sir, we've just stumbled into this ancient timer who gave us the premonition of the future."

"What future?"

"Transformers like us sir, Maximals and Predacons. Another conflict almost entirely like ours."

"Go on, soldier."

"These Maximals... have the uncanny ability to transform into... animals into an organic level. They're our descendants."

"And these Predacons?"

"Decepticon descendants. Took in the forms of long-dead creatures billions of years from now."

"I see. Though I have been sick of working 24/7, as the humans say it... I can use a break from now."

Optimus elicited a light smirk. Ultra Magnus was always the workaholic.

"Omega, show us the future."

"As you wish, Prime. But first, take a seat. The Orb's calibration is nearly finished."

Everyone took seats surrounding the Orb of the Future.

Leading across the crevasse. Dinobot stood valiantly against the benevolent but inexperienced leader of the Maximals.

"Face me, Optimus! I, Dinobot, challenge you for leadership of the Maximals! You and I - - one on one. The winner shall be leader. And for the loser -- Well..."

He indicates the deep crevasse below.

 "...it is a long way down."

Optimus looks at the gorilla named after him...

"Another Transformer, named after me?"

"Yes, sir, but replaced Prime with Primal. To be as close as he is with his Beast Form." Ratchet answered.

"Hmmm..."

Optimus shakes his head, preferring to deal with Dinobot diplomatically, to no avail.

"I don't want to fight you."

"You do not have a choice. Your command center is back there. And no one crosses this bridge until you face me."

The other Maximals begin to speak up. 

"Don't we get a say in this?" Rhinox objected.

"Let Chopperface and th' Boss Monkey duke it. No fur offa My tail." Rattrap answered.

"No way!" Cheetor objected. "Hey, Scalebelly, how's about you try a piece of th' Bad Kitty, huh?"

With a hand signal, Optimus holds Cheetor back.

"Cool your circuits, Cheetor. I wouldn't send anyone to do anything I wasn't willing to do myself."

"Oh yeah, right. NOW he says that." Rattrap says matter-of-factly.

Ultra Magnus looks at the other Maximals under this other Optimus' command.

"Who are these subordinates under Optimus' charge?"

"The big guy with the horns is Rhinox. He's the science officer. Rattrap's the big mouthed coward... because he refused to save Cheetor once. That's the kitty with the spots who called out Dinobot, sir. He's... incredibly impulsive."

Magnus crooked fingers at his faceplate, knowing all too well the impulsiveness apparent in Smokescreen.

Alone, Optimus moves out on it to face Dinobot.

"This is foolish, Dinobot. We're Maximals. You are a Predacon."

"All the more reason I should lead, then." Dinobot stated boldly.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you and Megatron --"

But Dinobot cut him off...

"Megatron! Megatron will fall as soon as I have your Maximals at my command."

"You are welcome to join us. But you shall not lead. Maximal and Predacon. We are both, after all, just robots in disguise. But you shall not lead." Optimus stated firmly.

"I beg to differ. For in anticipation of my new role as leader, I have already reprogrammed my activation code. Dinobot -- MAXIMIZE!" 

Dinobot transforms to his robot form, spinning blade and sword at the ready.

"Optimus Primal -- MAXIMIZE!"

He too goes into Robot Mode. Readying against the former Predacon warrior. As Dinobot closes in for the battle ahead with his shield and sword in it's fierciest panolpy, Optimus stands firm with his pair of curved swords.

Optimus and Magnus looked at with confusion.

"It seems they've modified their transformation cogs to activate by vocal commands. Your thoughts, Magnus?"

"None that I can give any meaning, Commander."

Meanwhile, as impetuous as ever...

"I'm going in there! Cheetor -- MAXI-" 

But Rattrap jumped on his mouth to interrupt him.

"Clamp it, kitty. Nailin' th' Chopper from behind won't settle anything."

"Yeah. Like it or not, we gotta let 'em finish." Rhinox concluded.

Dinobot then charges at Optimus, shield forward at the ready. But Optimus throws him over his belly, prompting Dinobot to fall on the ground on his face...

Wheeljack winced sarcastically "That's gotta hurt."

Cheetor growls and Rhinox looks at the battle inquisitively.

Dinobot stands up and jumps up high to knock Optimus down with a kick. He prepares to finish Optimus off, but the latter springs back up with a mighty uppercut, enough to knock Dinobot down to his face and point his sword at his neck.

"I still live. Finish it." Dinobot said...

Optimus sheathes one sword and extends a hand.

"That's not how we Maximals do things."

"Then that will have to change!" Dinobot proclaimed.

He fired optic lasers at Optimus' face, prompting the latter to stagger back, narrowly falling off the land bridge, much to Cheetor's shock.

"Oooh, optic beams. That's so rich." Knockout commented with a smirk, nearing off his seat with interest.

The Autobots were horrified. Were they gonna see Optimus Primal die?

Suprisingly, even at his mercy, Dinobot pulled him up on his feet and back on the bridge.

"What are you doing? You won!" Optimus asked, exasperated at Dinobot's show of mercy.

"You slipped. To defeat you in such a manner would be lacking in honor. I would not have earned the right to lead."

"Oh, and firing lasers at his eyes was honorable?" Arcee asked.

"At least he didn't hit Primal at the back, Blue." Smokescreen answered.

'I hate that nickname.' Arcee thought.

"I prefer to beat my opponents the old fashioned way...."

Dinobot gripped his sword as it thrums to life once again...

"....BRUTALLY!"

He lunges forward in attack again. Optimus meets his charge with his own weapons swinging. Toe-to-toe, their swords clash fiercely and spark against each other, neither budging an inch. Until both were in a lock.

"For a Predacon, Dinobot, you have qualities I could like." Optimus commented, struggling with Dinobot.

Dinobot gives an acknowledging nod as they fight.

"And you have proved to be a worthy adversary. I will have you recycled with full honors."

"Well, that's just prime." Optimus says and clashes again with Dinobot.

"Even with that dirty attack, I can see well how honorable this Dinobot is... like Dreadwing." Optimus commented.

The Autobots nodded, acknowledging all too well of the late Decepticon commander. Especially Knockout.

"May Primus rest his soul..." Ratchet whispered.

Meanwhile...

In the Well of the All-Sparks...

"So like you, huh, little brother? You were always into that honor stuff." Skyquake teased.

Dreadwing rolled his eyes but knew too well how true it was.

However, the Predacons in their beast forms, witness Optimus battle with Dinobot from afar.

"Well. This is an interesting sight, yesss. Optimus and the traitor Dinobot engaged in battle." Megatron speculated with amusement.

"Are those the Predacons you talked about?" Optimus asked.

"Yes sir, their leader's also named Megatron." Bulkhead answered.

Optimus slightly raised his optics. One of their leaders named after his old friend. What happened to Megatron after he left Cybertron, he wondered.

Scorpinok shields his eyes with a massive foreclaw, peering into the distance.

"Who you think gonna win?" he asked.

"Waspinator bet on Optimus!" says the wasp.

Tarantulas rubs a quartet of his legs together in anticipation.

"The winner isn't what interests me."

"Nor me. Noo. How much more... preferable... it would be if they both lost. Yesss." Megatron stated in a conniving manner.

The Autobots glared. This reminded them of the Decepticon's sometimes use of underhanded tactics. Knockout just rolled his eyes.

"A different Megatron then. The Megatron I know would not approve of this unless it suited him." Optimus surmised.

Megatron gave the order.

"PREDACONS! TERRORIZE!" Megatron transforms.

The gang followed their leader.

"TERRORSAUR TERRORIZE!"

"TARANTULAS TERRORIZE!"

"WASPINATOR TERRORIZE!"

"SCORPINOK TERRORIZE!"

Rattrap eventually notices the Predacons and announces...

"Yow! Shift yer scanners due east, pals! This party's got big-time crashers!"

They have all their multivaried missile launchers trained on Optimus and Dinobot, who have not noticed them yet.

"Fire!" Megatron orders.

A barrage of missiles fly straight at Dinobot and Optimus.

Optimus notices this and transforms to Beast Mode, tackling Dinobot out of the way of the missiles.

"Optimus!" Cheetor calls out, thinking his leader dead.

Surprisingly, Optimus is hanging on the bridge on his toes, with Dinobot caught in his arm.

"A little speed would be prime." Optimus ordered.

The Predacons take wind and fired at the bridge Optimus clings to.

"Make them fall! Yesss!"

Ultra Magnus scrunches his optic corners...

"Is he really going to say yes all the time?"

"He always has like it's his catchphrase, Magnus." Ratchet added.

The Maximals complied...

"Cheetor- MAXIMIZE!"

"Rhinox- MAXIMIZE!"

Rhinox then turns to Rattrap, but...

"Hey, you go on an' get yerselves scrapped. I ain't -- URK!"

Rhinox lifts Rattrap and glares sternly.

"All right, all right." the rat gives in and transforms to robot mode.

Optimus is still dangling by his toes, but the incoming laser fire from the Predacons has blasted half the bridge through. The stone structure is crumbling. Both Optimus and Dinobot starts SPARKING and SHORTING due to Energon oversaturation.

"The Energon fields! Aaargh! I am shorting out!" Dinobot harkens, feeling the Energon surge within his body.

"Hang on! You can't transform in this position! -- HERRK!"

The stone crumbles away from one foot. He grabs on for a new hold. The BLASTING FIRE from the Predacons continues.

"Release me! Let me fall and save yourself."

"Now, where's the honor in that?"

"You have no choice!" as Dinobot feels the Energon oversaturation surge through his systems.

The stone is crumbling beneath Optimus' other set of toes. 

"Then we both go -- AGH!"

Both Optimus and Dinobot fall but the former felt something stop him... it was Rhinox!

"Goin' up!"

"Almost like Bulkhead and Ratchet combined." Wheeljack stated. Knockout chuckled.

"What does that mean?!" both Autobots shouted at Wheeljack.

"You think about it, the rhino does have Bulk's literal bulk and Ratchet's brains."

The Autobots chuckled while both Ratchet and Bulkhead grimaced in embarassment.

Now behind cover at the edge of the crevasse. Cheetor and Rattrap's blasts EXPLODE off the rocks around them. Megatron rages in catharsis.

"This is our opportunity! Yesss! All weapons!"

The Predacons fire back.

Dinobot has just finished his tranfromation to Beast Mode. With the Predacon fire blasting around them, the bridge starts to CRUMBLE! They race for the far side, the stones literally falling away beneath their feet as they run.

But Rattrap didn't move as fast as the other Maximals, and when the bridge fell apart, he was about to fall... but Optimus caught him in his Beast Mode. Again. Pulled him out to safety and the Maximals and Dinobot run away.

Now safely on the far side of the bridge. Rattrap leans back against Rhinox and gasps in relief.

Optimus looks at him for a moment, then shrugs, turning away.

"You're welcome."

"Aaah, yer the leader! It's yer JOB!"

Infuriated at the Maximals' escape, Megatron bashed Terrorsaur and roared...

"Incompetents! You let them escape!"

"Megatron!" Scorponok called.

The missiles they fired earlier exploded in the distance, revealing a massive fresh source of Energon.

The Autobots but their commanders elicted an "ooooh".

"That's a mother lode of raw Energon there." Bulkhead commented.

"No kidding."

"Energon! Yesss! Raw, natural Energon crystal! I KNEW it was here!" Megatron succinctly stated while in euphoria of the excitement of seeing Energon.

But with their robot forms intact, they soon suffer from Energon oversaturation.

"Quick! Return to Beast Mode!"

The Predacons convert back to beast mode per Megatron's order.

Meanwhile...

Optimus is gazing up at the giant Energon crystal.

"Raw Energon. In its natural form, it's highly unstable. We're lucky those missiles didn't cause it to explode."

"If you can call it lucky." Rhinox stated.

"Megatron's on the move!" Cheetor announced, upon spotting the the Predacons mobilizing via enchanced vision.

"Bearing six one seven five."

Then a recovering Dinobot eventually speaks up...

"He is after the Energon. A crystal that size would make him unstoppable."

The Autobot younglings gasped. That much power, can this Megatron from the future hold it?

But Optimus grimaced, knowing too well power that much cannot be beneficial for anyone.

"Oh ah, thanks for the hot tip, Scalebelly. Rhinox, scrap this guy." Rattrap said, with distrust in Dinobot apparent.

Rhinox goes in but Optimus stops him.

The Autobot higher-ups grimaced in disapproval. Eliminating an ex-Predacon would accost the Maximals of any intellect, enough for an advantage over the Predacons.

"Hold on, Rhinox. Will he send flyers?" Optimus said to Rhinox and then to Dinobot, but before he can answer...

But Rattrap protested still:

"Oh, for bootin' up cold! Yer not gonna believe a Predacon, are ya?"

Optimus gives Rattrap a cold look and replies "That's my call." then turns back to Dinobot "Will he?"

"Negative. The crystal is too big for the flyers to carry. Only Tarantulas has the skill to segment it."

"Then we have to get there first. All five of us." Optimus declares with a stern glare at Rattrap for emphasis.

"That's how Megatron can't just get that crystal with just four of his goons. He'd need an army to have raw Energon that size." Ultra Magnus summarized.

"I wonder why he'd just have five of his guys along with him. The Megatron we know usually brought hundreds of Cons with him at his command." Bulkhead added.

"Maybe this Megatron preferred to pick the best of his soldiers." Ratchet suggested.

The Maximals, Dinobot included, followed.

"Yeah all five of us., Ya mean Chopperface - - is goin' with --?"

But Rattrap notices the Maximals are moving.

"We're all gonna die. Hey, wait for me!" Rattrap caught up with them not long after.

Meanwhile, the Predacons are continously marching forward towards the raw Energon formation, with Megatron at the lead, glaring at it with avarice.

"So much Energon. With a crystal that size, the Predacon forces will be unstoppable. Yess. The Maximals -- and then the Galaxy - - will be ours to conquer!" Megatron succinctly said.

Back at the Maximals, who are marching towards Energon mountain the even at the dead of night.

Rhinox moves alongside Optimus, asking "Yo, how're you feeling?"

"Improved. I believe my internal repairs have been completed."

"I was wonderin'. Your flyin' robot form could make it to th' crystal before any o' us..."

"No. We have to stay together. The Predacons could attack at any moment -- and there may be other surprises on this planet."

"Down there. Look."

The Maximals stop. A flat, green sward is there, with what is obviously a strange structure of standing stones (like Stonehenge, but in much better shape) in the middle of it. There is no telling how old it is or how it got there.

The audience looked at the strange formation...

"What is that?"

"Omega?"

"I'm afraid I do not know. That may be a mystery that cannot be solved." Omega replied, leaving the curious Autobots in the guessing game.

"Hm. Unusual. Any opinions?" Optimus asked

Rhinox glances at him. "Just one. It isn't natural. An we didn't build it, an' neither did the Predacons."

Optimus raises an eyebrow. Before any investigation is to be made, Cheetor announced...

"Rrrowl! Heads up!"

Cheetor eventuallly spotted Waspinator and Terrorsaur flying towards them in Beast Form, they eventually activate their transformation codes...

"Waspinator! TERRORIZE!"

"TERRORSAUR TERRORIZE!"

Knockout could not stop laughing.

"Oh, I'll never get tired of that."

'You wish.' says the elder medic of the Autobots.

In Robot Form, they close in to attack speed right at the Maximals.

"Defensive positions!" Optimus ordered.

The Maximals took to cover upon receiving fire from the airborne Predacons.

"What about him?!" Rattrap asked pointing at Dinobot, still not trusting the ex-Predacon.

"He's with us!"

"I ain't buyin' it just cause YOU say so!"

Optimus and Ultra Magnus narrowed their eyes.

"Did this rat not hear of the human phrase, the enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Magnus asked.

"Where did-" Optimus asked but was cut off.

"Your human friend, Agent Fowler." 

"Can't believe humans have those kinds of sayings." Arcee commented shrugging her shoulders.

The Maximals tried to fire back, but Terrorsaur and Waspinator were too fast. Realizing the weak structure of the cliff edge they were on, Optimus ordered...

"Hold your fire! We could start an avalanche!"

"You crossed yer wires!? They're coming back!" Rattrap warned.

Sure enough, Waspinator and Terrorsaur are banking for another pass. Prompting Optimus to transform to his robot mode.

"Huh, seems like he can transform without inputting a vocal