"You have witness one prevail over his doppelganger. What if you see a possibility where one of your own in the future risk their own spark for another protoform to come to life?"

Some of the Autobots and ex-Decepticons going through it wonder about it...

Those who had survived such a event related to it.

"Omega Scion. If there is a possibility of such, let us see it now."

"Very well, Optimus Prime."

The Orb reveals itself to the audience one last time to open up to the future...

Another stasis pod falls into orbit, receiving detection from both Maximals and Predacons, though the latter has gotten the warning first.

[Damage to hatch seals and internals. Attempting to initiate emergency sequence...] the stasis pod's computer said.

In the Darksyde, Tarantulas maintained the sensor's computer where it detected the stasis pod passing through the atmosphere as it entered Earth.

"Identify..." Tarantulas ordered.

[Object is Maximal Stasis Pod.]

"Calculate landing coordinates."

[Acknowledged...]

The computer went to work on calculating until Megatron arrived.

"You've found something, yessss?"

[Trajectory of Maximal Stasis Pod erratic. Impossible to compute exact landing coordinates.]

"Well, there goes the coordinates." Cliffjumper commented sarcastically.

"Best estimates?" Megatron asked unpleased.

[Grid Skavos.]

"Inside our territory. Excellent. Closest units?"

[Scorponok and Blackarachnia.]

Tarantulas speaks next "I'll assist with the recovery, my programming skills..."

"Are needed here." Megatron cuts off. "Blackarachnia will do fine. Send them. And put Terrosaur and Waspinator on alert for Maximal presence in the drop zone." then leaves Tarantulas.

"Tin tyrant..." Tarantulas whispered.

"Treacherous arachnid!"

"Damn his Vulcan hearing." Knockout joked sardonically.

Back at the Maximals...

"Plenty of Energon but none of it stable enough to use." Rhinox mused. " No wonder the Preds don't mine this area. Might as well..." he looked up at the sky to see something in the distance. "Rhinox - MAXIMIZE!" he transformed, then magnified it down to see...

"A Stasis pod!" he then tries to hail to Maximal Base "Rhinox to base..." but there was far too much Energon in the area he was around that caused static.

"Uh, what's the matter with his comms? Faulty unit?" Sideswipe asked.

"Just watch, don't ask." Bumblebee assured.

"Slag. Too much Energon interference. Looks like I'm on my own." Rhinox then goes after the stasis pod. Alone. (Sideswipe: Oh. No idea that Energon can interfere with comms.)

But Rhinox wasn't as alone as he seems, for Cheetor was also nearby when he saw the stasis pod falling to the Earth "Hopping Helix, a stasis pod..." then attempts to hail anyone within the frequency "Cheetor to Com Scout One... Come in Com One..."

"Tigatron here." replied the white tiger Maximal. "I spotted a stasis pod. It's coming down in Grid Vega." Cheetor replied "Predacon ground..." Tigatron sneered.

"Oh boy, going to Predacon ground again. Hope it doesn't end up like last time." Cliffjumper sneered. Smokescreen shakes his head.

"Last time?" Sideswipe asked.

"Last time they went into Pred territory Swipe, they tried to build an array to get a probe to notice them. Didn't work out, Preds blew it up before the probe could notice it." Smokescreen explained.

"Oh. Those probes. Scrap."

"Scrap indeed."

'I'm going to get to it before the Preds do. Inform base, then head for my position. I may need back-up."

Tigatron nods and replies "It's done. Watch yourself little cat."

"Always do big cat! Cheetor out!" then Cheetor rushes ahead to get to the stasis pod.

"Sorta like Bumblebee, if ya asked me."

"Sideswipe! I'm not like that anymore."

"Sure ya do, Bee."

The warrior just facepalmed at his fellow warrior, earning snickers from Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Cliffjumper and Jazz.

Back at the Predacons...

"There it is, just as Megatron said." Scorponok spoke, having spotted the stasis pod.

"Just as Megatron said, just as Megatron said." Blackarachnia mocked, irritated with Scorponok's kiss-aftness towards the Predacon leader "Don't you ever get tired of groveling to that 'saurian'?"

"Hehehehe, much like Underdog. Always being a kiss-aft to Lord Megatron." Onslaught said.

Soundwave didn't like being reminded of the young Decepticon who always grovelled to Megatron as a god. He had remembered how Underdog had killed himself in a suicide bombing attack towards the Autobots in Kavarna, the southeast town about 140 km away from Iacon.

"Megatron is our leader. He rewards loyalty. And punishes those who oppose his will." (Megatron: Please, you do much "honor", Scorponok.)

"Whooo. I'm all aquiver." Blackarachnia replied sarcastically, cackling just as Scorponok leaves.

With the Maximals, Rhinox was far closer to the stasis pod, but it seemed to be damaged in the crash. "Uh oh..." then rushes to the stasis pod.

[Warning, Energon concentration in danger zone.] just as Rhinox was feeling Energon oversaturation.

"Strange. I've had rare cases where a Cybertronian was exposed to excessive Energon, but I never imagined that he would be exposed to it so quickly." Shockwave surmised.

"By my estimates, an average Cybertronian would have suffered oversaturation by about 10 to 15 megacycles, but it seems they have evolved to the point where their normal tolerance is adherently low."

"Excellent thesis Soundwave. Save the information. Store it for later until I acquire it."

"As you wish, Shockwave."

"Divert power from weapons array to field dampers. Maximum tolerance." then Rhinox gets to work on the stasis pod.

"Field dampers: new idea noted."

"Noted indeed. We might need such an upgrade to protect against Energon excess, Lord Megatron."

"Approved."

The Autobots in the other hand...

"Man, even if they ain't Cons anymore, Shockwave's still up on his schemes." Sideswipe commented.

"Hey at least he's not experimenting." Air Raid assured.

The Dinobots replied "Tell that to us, Air Raid."

After Rhinox lifts out an obstruction in the stasis pod, he find it to be significantly damaged. What made it worse is that due to the excessive amounts of Energon, the protoform and the Spark was at risk. Rhinox realizes this and opens up the stasis pod's computer.

"Activate protoform." the damaged computer complies."Begin DNA scanning sequence." but the computer replies [System's damage too extensive. Activation program offline. Spark fading. Repair required or protoform will cease to exist in 8.6 cycles...]

"No..." Rhinox feared..

Prime also felt afraid as well. The protoform is going to die and it needs help.

Rhinox opened up a hole in the stasis pod to check it for damages having extracted a piece of damaged circuitry, but he was greeted with a familiar voice as he heard footsteps in the distance behind him...

"Rhinox?"

"Cheetor, what are you doing here?"

"I saw the pod heading for crashville. But I didn't expect to find you."

"I'm glad you did. I need help. This protoform's dying."

"Dying? What do you mean?" Cheetor asked.

"The stasis pod's been damaged. It's disabled the activation sequence and burned out the locking chip. If I don't do something quick, the protoform's spark will be extinguished."

"Oooh boy, their time's running short." Sideswipe said, as afraid as he is with his comrades.

"Then let's get in gear. What do we do?" Cheetor asked, confused.

But it turns out Rhinox had no idea what to do "Wish I knew..."

"Oh come on! The spark's going to die, you said it! You've gotta at least come up with something smart to save it!"

"That will not be easy Jazz. Their options may be limited."

"I know that Bossbot, but they're running outta time there!"

"Then hope that Rhinox will come up with a plan to save that Spark." Prime assured.

Just as Tigatron was running across the jungle as quick as he can...

"Predacon..." he found an enemy scent. "Tigatron - Maximize!" then transforms, weapon at the ready.

Scorponok was lost, unable to find Blackarachnia anywhere. "Now where's that sour spider gone?"

"Scorponok!" Tigatron confronted the Predacon lieutenant "Where you headed in such a hurry?"

"Bah! I'll tell you nothing Maximal. Scorponok, Te--Rorrrr--iiiiiii..." but Tigatron cuts him off by shooting him, freezing him solid.

The former Decepticons were having a laugh except Onslaught ,Shockwave, Soundwave and Megatron.

"Oh Primus, that was pathetic!"

"You're telling me, Breakdown!" Barricade added.

"Sorry I don't have time to play..."

"What a pity!"

"Blast that creepy bug to pieces tiger!" Warpath cheered.

Tigatron turns back to see Blackarachnia behind him and fires, but Blackarachnia dodges the shot and fires back at Tigatron, paralyzing him.

"You can't fight my cyber-venom kitty cat. But don't fret, I'll be back for you. When I have your precious pod and the new Predacon within." then leaves.

"Aw man, the big cat's just blew it! Now the Maxies won't get the reinforcements!" Warpath complained.

"He's right. This is gonna be downhill for the Maximal mission there." Silverbolt said.

Back with Rhinox and Cheetor, they were both deliberating for ways to repair the stasis pod while time was running short.

"This could be dangerous." Rhinox forwards his proposition. "If you soak up too much Energon without a locking chip, you'll fry every system you have."

But without alternatives, Cheetor replies "Our new budbot there deserves some kind of chance and you know a lot more about protoforms than I do. Cheetor - MAXIMIZE." then transforms.

"This'll only take a nano-klik, but you'll have to go offline."

"I can use the snooze. Repair Mode." Cheetor goes offline... and awakens somewhere, where he meets Rhinox.

"What's new pussy cat?"

"Rhinox, what's going on?" Cheetor asked, but was amazed at seeing a Spark in Rhinox's hands.

"A spark!" he said in surprise.

"Yup. The very thing which makes us what we are. Every Cybertron, Maximal or Predacon, has one. And each is different. When a spark goes online, there's great joy... When one's extinguished... the universe weeps."

Prime felt gladdened as do his fellow Autobots. The cycle of life was a precious sight to behold. But to Prime, it was a moment of truth to reveal how important life is to the universe as a whole.

"And so, my friends, that is how we are born. How we are connected in the cycle of life. The beginning of all things as it is our end." Prime commented.

Cheetor woke up.

"Whoaaaa!! That was ultra-gear."

Rhinox had extracted the locking chip from Cheetor " Tell me later. And go back to Beast Mode." which Cheetor had complied. Seeing that he is running out of time as the pod's support systems are failing, he then prepares his assortment of tools needed to fix the stasis pod, then implements the chip to the stasis pod, effectively restoring the pod.

The Autobots were in a state of panic once they saw the stasis pod declining, and some of the youngsters of the faction were squirming in their seats, praying that Rhinox could save the pod, but when they all saw Rhinox's success, they cheered while the veteran Autobots sighed in relief.

"Man, that was a close one." Bulkhead said.

"Too close, Bulk. Too close." Wheeljack said.

"Close indeed Bulkhead. I almost thought we were gonna see that poor protoform die." Jetfire said.

"But it's not over yet, the stasis pod's still damaged as it is." Silverbolt warned.

[Stasis lock restored. Implementing.]

"Alright! Way to go Rhin-O!" Cheetor cheered.

"All I did was buy us some time. Even with my dampers on max, this place's giving me chip flashes." Rhinox explained.

"So what do we do now Big R?" Cheetor asked.

"Try and get the activation program back on line and hope the DNA sequencers can find something alive in this wasteland."

"Why don't we just take it back to base and use the Restoration Chamber?" Cheetor proposed. (Perceptor: That's a bad idea Cheetor.)

"No time. Stasis lock only slowed down the spark's deterioration. We have to get this protoform online and into Beast Mode as soon as we can or it's finished."

Now the Autobots were in shaking in their leg servos. Rhinox had bought time, but the spark was still going to die.

"Oh dear." Perceptor commented.

"Let us have hope that the spark will survive Autobots! The Maximals will not give up on it, and neither will us!"

"That's right, Bossbot!"

"That's why you're the leader, Optimus!"

"Though, I wonder, what would be their next option to save it?" Megatron asked.

Now the Autobots were in for a fright. There is time for the spark to recover, but it would not last. But Prime would not despair.

[PREDACON DETECTED.] chirped the stasis pod computer.

"And we have another problem." Rhinox commented, as Blackarachnia was now spotted in the distance.

"What a lovely spot for the birth of a new Predacon." she wickedly chortled.

"Not on your spark, bug!" Arcee barked with venom in her voice.

"Don't count on it, web breath..." Cheetor confronted Blackarachnia " By the way, how do you dance with all those skinny legs?"

Arcee facepalmed "Are you flirting with the enemy?!"

Cliffjumper and Smokescreen calmed her down... even though she had slammed their headplates together like cymbals to get them to stop annoying her.

Barricade and Breakdown had quite a laugh. They remembered when Shockwave was ordered by Megatron to seduce Red Alert, the Autobot's spymaster, for information. And they remembered how badly it went.

"This must be my day for cats." Blackarachnia fired a cyber-web at Cheetor, but the cheetah Maximal dodged it.

"You're gonna have to be faster than that to bag this cat." he taunted.

"You don't know what fast is furball!" she spat back.

"I know what ugly is and you're it!" he transformed and fired at where Blackarachnia was standing from underneath, trapping her underneath for a while before she can get up.

Arcee just smiled.

"Fast Cat One, Spider zippo.... Beast Mode." converting back to his beast form.

Blackarachnia broke out and retorted out of anger "No one does that to me!" then prepares her eight-leg appendages as machine guns, firing at Cheetor.

The audience was shocked.

"Whoa, much like the Scrapmakers, only we didn't have eight arms for that." Brawl commented.

"Good man, Brawl, remembering our times we made ourselves worthy to Megatron in Zerbulon."

Sideswipe frowned. Being amongst the few survivors in the Zerbulon massacre was not something he wanted to remember.

"Whoa, Bouncing Breakers, the bug is back!" Cheetor commented taking cover.

"Sounds like Cheetor's got his paws full." Rhinox commented, hearing the commotion "But I can't stop now." and continued working on the stasis pod's computer.

[Program not accepted. Spark will terminate in 4.8 cycles.]

"Come on Rhinox. Save that spark." Ratchet said.

"Come out kitty cat." Blackarachnia taunted, preparing her crossbow and seemingly exposing herself in the open. "I won't hurt you. Much!"

Cheetor transformed to Robot Mode and popped out in cover, but Blackarachnia was not in sight. Too late for him as she grabbed his weapon and tossed it aside. With the skill and the finesse of a martial artist, she was able to take Cheetor down a peg and prepared her weapon while he's down.

"Goodbye Maximal." and fired another cyber-venom crossbow, but this time, Cheetor caught the bolt in a close streak of luck and tossed it back to Blackarachnia, paralyzing her instead. The young Maximal stood up exhaling in relief.

The young Maximals laughed.

"Not this time, eight legs!" Warpath taunted.

"Guess Cheetor's a lot more cunning than he looks!" Sideswipe commented.

"Compared to Tigatron, he certainly is, Sideswipe." Smokescreen answered.

Arcee doesn't bother to comment, she was just glad that someone that reminded her of Airachnid was eliminated.

"That spider can hit!" Cheetor commented rubbing his head. But there would be no rest as he saw Waspinator flying in the distance.

"Aw no. Waspinator... And he's headed straight toward Rhinox!" he grabs his gun and attempts to intercept the wasp Predacon, eventually shooting him.

"Hahaha, that wasp is such a joke!" Air Raid commented.

The ex-Decepticons didn't argue. That was their descendant, but that was no excuse to look down on a lowlife like Waspinator.

Irate, Waspinator demands...

"Who dares attack Waspinator!" he saw Cheetor and "Waspinator - Terrorize!" transforming to fire back at Cheetor.

"Got his attention. Now to lead him away..."

"Terrorsaur - TERRORIZE!" Cheetor sees Terrorsaur in the distance transforming and shooting at him.

Now Cheetor was outnumbered.

"Gimme a break!" he complained.

As if it can't get any worse, he began to suffer from Energon oversaturation.

[Energon surge. Locking chip off-line. System overload: imminent.]

"Oh come on kitty! Rhinox can't protect himself while he's working on the pod!" Warpath complained.

"Calm down Warpath. He's doing everything he can to save that spark." Ultra Magnus sternly reminded.

"Still, Cheetor's gonna need help, fast! No way he can handle two Preds at the same time!" the explosive-loving Autobot replied.

"Time for me to fly. Beast Mode!" Cheetor transforms and attempts to run, but not to flee, but to direct them away from Rhinox.

On the other hand, the rhino Maximal was working as quick as he can, but he was beginning to lose time faster than he expected. So he began plugging himself to

"Download sequencer program thru my central processor." Rhinox demanded.

[Warning. Process could cause damage to your circuitry.]

"Just do it!" Rhinox demanded. Unfortunately, the process was too unstable that it sent Rhinox off the stasis pod. Before long... he felt Energon surging through his systems.

[Circuit damage. Field Dampers down. Energon surge. Stasis lock: imminent.]

"Beast... Mode." Rhinox transformed.

[DNA sequencers online... Scanning for compatible lifeforms...] now the stasis pod was able to scan for any lifeform... if there was any in the barren wasteland it crashed into.

Ratchet exhaled in relief. "Thank Primus. Now the protoform can live again."

"Not quite yet, Ratchet. There's still the Predacon threat lurking around. I fear young Cheetor may not hold them off for long." Prime assured.

Now the Autobots were afraid. They knew their Supreme Commander