The Autobots and their former enemies and the Predacons returned to the Theater, where they remained dead silent still...

"We should build a statue in Dinobot's honor... because he didn't save just Earth and humanity... he saved the universe..." Bumblebee stated.

"Let me do that, Bee!" Grimlock offered. "Me and the Dinobots can carry that out!"

"I would lend a hand if you allow it." Predaking offered.

"That makes two of us!" Grimlock agreed.

Prime smiled and spoke "Omega Scion, if you may?"

"Take your seats. Now."

Everyone sat down when the Orb began viewing another of the future in the countdown of 3...2...1...

While Megatron was asleep in his quarters with his arm connected with Energon, Rampage went inside. Seeing his Spark in the armrest of his 'master's' chair, he attempted to snatch the stolen portion of his Spark, but Megatron caught it first by a split second, awakened.

"Did you really think to catch me so unaware?" Megatron asked unpleasantly. "I think you need a reminder, yessss." and squeezed his Spark, placing Rampage on his knees.

"You've... made... your point!" Rampage submitted.

Megatron released his grip over Rampage's Spark and spitefully reminded him "Never forget who holds the essence of your spark. And thus is your Master!

"That, I promise you!" Rampage spat out in response.

"Seems like Crabby there's not liking his time with the Preds!" Warpath stated.

"Pred-Megs got his Spark right there, Warpath. Taking it from his hands doesn't seem easy." Jazz added.

"I wondered why Lord Megatron banned the use of using Sparks as leverage..." Shockwave muttered.

Elsewhere, Rattrap and Silverbolt wandered around a rocky region where seismic activity appears to be above the norm.

"Well, on the bright side, the Maxies there are coping with Dinobot's going to the Well of the All-Sparks, right?" Sideswipe asked enthuastically.

No one replied.

Grimlock looked ready to eat Sideswipe alive for the painful reminder.

"Oh man... There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on around here." Rattrap commented.

"It seems unlikely Megatron would build a jamming station in such an unstable region." Silverbolt pointed out.

"You mean it's no "fault" of his. Get it? Fault." Rattrap pulled a monkeyshine.

"Ugh, that was worse than Cliffjumper." Bulkhead said rubbing his optic corners.

"Hey, it's his fault he didn't get the 'faultline!'" Cliffjumper joked.

"Primus curse it, Cliffjumper!" shouted Bumblebee, Arcee and Jazz as they cringed.

Though Ratchet chuckled a bit at Cliffjumper's joke.

Though Silverbolt didn't get Rattrap's joke.

"Earthquake? Hello?"

"Yes, I... I see." Silverbolt blurted out in amusement "Most amusing."

[Maximal Units detected in Grid Deltron, coordinates 8-3-6.] announced the Darksyde's computer

"They're after my new jamming station!" Megatron turned to Rampage "I believe we can put your delightful rage to good use."

The mutant Protoform could only smirk in response.

"So he DID put in a jamming station in an unstable region!" Smokescreen pointed out.

"That he does, but I don't believe those seismic activities around the jamming station is natural, Smokescreen." Perceptor pointed out.

"I'll scout those peaks. Cheetor." Silverbolt turned to his young subordinate "Perhaps you and Rattrap can cover those crevasses."

"We're on it, bird-dog!" Cheetor complied departing by flight.

"Wait up!" Rattrap followed.

However, another round of seismic activity was rocking up around the corner, earning the attention of Primal himself.

"More tremors... And they're building in intensity." Primal pointed out.

"Our team's close to the epicenter. And with Megatron jamming us-"

"I'm going after them." Primal proposed "I'm not in the mood to lose any more friends." then left the Axalon.

"It's never easy to move from the loss of a loved one. As Rhinox stated it before." Prime sighed, remembering Dinobot's demise.

"They have to have something to move on from it, right?" Bumblebee asked.

"Likely, Silver-Bee, but I don't think talking about Dinobot would help with the issue right now." Smokescreen assured.

The tremors intensify further and further, cutting off Rattrap's route as he lays surrounded.

"K-k-k-k-k-itty C-cat! H-heeeeelp!" Rattrap yelled, unable to move due to the intense seismic activity around him.

"Air Cheetor to the rescue!" Cheetor dived in to help Rattrap.

With his ground shattering around him, Rattrap made a desparate leap to the sky hoping Cheetor would catch him in time. The latter succeeded, and flew up as they were about to dive through sharp rocks, but mid-air they were suddenly stopped by a surge of energy too bright to be recognized as Energon build up. They soon found themselves falling to the ground buried beneath a mound of stone.

"What the?!" gasped Swindle.

"Are they taking too much Energon again?!" asked Vortex.

"Or is it something else?!" asked Brawl.

"GUYS! Remember the alien ray and all, they don't need to worry about Energon build up anymore. It's got to be something else in that crag heap!" Blast Off pointed out.

"Or something both Maximal and Predacons had not bothered to look at throughly." Onslaught wondered.

[Priority alert! Seismic activity has uncovered stasis pod in Grid Deltron. Coordinates 9-1-7.]

"Stasis Pod!" Megatron gasped then hailed "Megatron to Inferno."

"Yes, Royalty?" Inferno replied interrogatively.

"Proceed to coordinates 9-1-7 at once. There's a stasis pod there and I want it!" Megatron ordered.

"A stasis pod? In the middle of Pred territory?" asked Breakdown.

"I wondered how the Preds didn't bother to look deeper into the ground for a potential stasis pod lying around." Barricade asked.

"It may not have emerged for some time until now, Barricade." Shockwave answered.

"Then you will have it. For the glory of the colony." Inferno boosted off to the coordinates provided by his queen.

"Where is that bug going?" Rampage muttered, following Inferno.

Silverbolt spotted Inferno in the distance then hailed his comrades "Cheetor, Rattrap, are you alright? Come in!" Without a response from either, Silverbolt then gasped "Inferno! And he's headed right toward my comrades!" then pursued to where he was going.

"I will retrieve it before the others come." Inferno muttered next after he arrived at the stasis pod first. "Then I will stand again at the Royalty's side!"

[DNA scan... malfunction......datatrax off-line...Cancel... Cancel....]

"It seems like the stasis pod is heavily damaged, possibly beyond repair." Perceptor pointed out.

"But the protoform there can be saved, right Perceptor?" asked Air Raid.

"If it is, Air Raid, that chance may be miniscule, but for it to survive, a miracle must take place." he grimly reminded.

This frightened the Autobots.

"Something is happening!" Inferno backed off when the stasis pod's systems began malfunctioning.

"Inferno to Megatron-" the ant Predacon tried to hail, but...

"Back off, villain! Megatron will not twist this innocent to his dark designs!" Silverbolt interrupted, stopping Inferno  "I will not allow it!"

"You will be too busy burning to prevent it!" Inferno threatened, brandishing his weapon at Silverbolt.

The Maximal Fuzor then dived in and snatched Inferno with his talons, taking him up in the air.

"This won't save you Fuzor!" Inferno taunted.

"And this won't hurt you Predacon. Much." Silverbolt then dropped Inferno into the cliff face, splattering the ant Predacon face first.

Silverbolt laughed aloud.

"Now that's what I call a 'splat!'" Cliffjumper joked. Again, only Ratchet chuckled, while everyone else even his closest friends cringed.

Rampage arrived to the stasis pod and transformed to his Robot Form. He tried to touch the pod, but it emanated energies that prompted him to back away as the strange energy zapped his hand. "What are you?" he wondered. "Another like me perhaps?"

"Stand away Monster!" Silverbolt demanded threatening Rampage with his weapons.

"Fire and you'll destroy what you seek to save!" Rampage retorted back, preparing to fight Silverbolt.

[Overload! Overload! Deconstruction imminent!] the systems announce.

"That doesn't sound good." Knockout pointed out.

"You think, Knockout?!" Ratchet shouted glaring at the young medic.

"Yes, yes, I feel your pain, your desperation. Your Spark is powerful!" Rampage encouraged. "Fight your way free! Fight!"

Until the Stasis Pod exploded, knocking Rampage and Silverbolt clear.

The Fuzor struggled as the strange energies overtook his systems for a time.

Rattrap dug his way out of the rock pile and spouted "What in the name of my great aunt Arcee is going on here?!"

Arcee elicted an anime angry mark on her forehead.

"I'm sorry, what did he say?" she asked.

"Well... I've never seen her this mad before." Knockout backed away.

"I'M RELATED TO THAT RAT?!" Arcee angrily shouted.

"Definitely, you are, considering that you had a sister in one of your colonies, may I recall." Omega Scion remarked.

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! I DON'T HAVE ANY FAMILY WHATSOEVER!" she yelled. "Except the guys around me, they're what mattered to me..." upon calming down...

Arcee lied, she had a sister who had moved in the 13th colony well about a day before the Great War for Cybertron had begun. Having not heard from her ever since the War started, she innately wondered how she fared well.

"Uhhh, Arcee's weird relations to Rattrap aside, shall we continue, o dear Scion?" Knockout asked.

"Gladly."

"A Stasis pod. We must not let Rampage have the new Maximal. Hurry!" Silverbolt transformed.

"Let's hit it!" Cheetor came out next then took flight taking Rattrap with him.

"Lemme down, ya chrome hairball!!!" Rattrap shouted.

"Whatever you say..." Cheetor said dropping Rattrap to the higher edge of the cliff.

"Very funny!" Rattrap spouted "Now where's this..." He looked in shock of the new protoform, one that appeared to be skeletal in nature, but bristling with immense power.

"It's a miracle that protoform survived..." gasped Air Raid.

"There's always a but in this, Air Raid. Something may have gone wrong about what that thing is." Jetfire pointed out.

"Magnificent." Rampage commented in awe of the new protoform.

"Man, I am tellin' ya, the things coming out of these pods is just getting weirder and weirder!" Rattrap commented upon regrouping with Silverbolt and Cheetor.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I'm going to agree with my great-nephew here." Arcee blurted out.

"We should welcome what is different, not fear it." Silverbolt suggested

"Thank you, Mr. Sunshine, but this ain't exactly a tea-party we got breaking out 'ere." They all transformed and prepared their weapons at Rampage, carefully not to threaten the new protoform.

"They are your enemies." Rampage assured the protoform. "Join with me and destroy them." and offered.

"He lies!" Silverbolt barked back "The Predacons will only use you. We extend the hand of friendship." he offered next.

Inferno soon arrived and yelled "That creature is the property of the Royalty!!!" and fired, yet Silverbolt dived out of the way, prompting the shot to hit the protoform instead. In response, the protoform elicited a powerful scream that disabled everyone but Rampage.

"Sheesh! That's quite the sound right there!" screetched Knockout.

Soundwave agreed, the sound cracked his visor greater than the slash Wheeljack left on him.

Rampage, in a show of compassion, offered his hand "Transmutate. Do not speak. None shall hurt you now. Come with me. Come..." and led the newly named Transmutate away from the people that hurt it. "I will protect you. I am your friend. Your only friend." he assured.

The Autobots blinked.

"For a dangerous psycho, Rampage does seem to care about that Transmutate thing." Bulkhead pointed out.

The Maximals recuperated quickly from that showcase of power. "We must save it." Silverbolt suggested.

"Save "it"?" Rattrap asked. "Get real Bolt. We're lucky to be in one piece." but soon after Primal arrived.

"Optimus. Thank the Matrix..." Silverbolt spouted in relief.

"Is it just me or is that Protoform barely a sentient being? It didn't even talk or reply to Rampage!" Bulkhead pointed out.

"Who knows?" Wheeljack shrugged his shoulders.

In a clearing, Rampage checked on what he named Transmutate "Partially Transmetal, but otherwise a mutant form, a Transmutate. Do you have a name my twisted friend?"

It didn't reply, until Inferno arrived.

"Stand aside. I will bring this prize to the Royalty." he offered.

"Have I told you how much I like ants, eh? Especially fried in a subtle blend of mech fluid and grated gears." Rampage reminded Transmutate.

Barricade and Breakdown chuckled.

They drew weapons at each other. Either side with their trigger on their fingers ready to fire, until... "Stand down!"

Another holographic drone revealing Megatron himself then spoke "I will speak with this newcomer. He moved in around the protoform itself.

"It has power, but does it have a brain?" Megatron asked Transmutate next "You, what is your name?

"Trans... mutate..." it responded.

"Transmutate. An ugly name for an ugly creature. I wonder what it could possibly turn into?" Megatron wondered.

"Let's see, shall we?" Megatron snapped to his second in command "Inferno! Transform!"

"As you command... Beast Mode." Inferno transforms

"Now you do it." Megatron instructed. "I command you."

"Beast... Mode." Transmutate tries to transform, but having lacked a localized transformation cog and a form based on a creature it was unable to transform.

"So aside from lacking a transformation cog and having no local life form to adapt a body, it seems Transmutate there is a lost cause." Ratchet pointed out.

"But it's super powerful, right?" Bumblebee asked.

"It is Bumblebee, but it appears to have not the apparent sentience." Ratchet replied.

"Try! You MUST do this!" Rampage tried to encourage Transmutate, transforming as an example "Beast Mode!"

It only popped out a part of itself. Megatron was dismayed. "It cannot even transform. This thing is useless. Get rid of it."

"No!" Rampage refused, prompting Megatron to press his spark in front of him.

"My...what a short memory we have." the Predacon lord taunted.

"It's..." Rampage gasped under heavy pressure Megatron had inflicted on his spark "HASTY to waste so much power. Give it a chance to prove itself." he begged.

Convinced, Megatron relented. "Very well, one chance. Have it bring me the heads of the Maximals invading our territory." yet he placed a condition that frightened Rampage to the core "But if it fails...destroy it!"

"So aside from giving Transmutate the task of destroying the invading Maximals, Rampage's vouching proves his Spark is on the line." Sideswipe clarified. "But then again, it could barely think, that will give Rampage a hard time to coordinate it."

"Very astute of you, Sergeant Sideswipe." Ultra Magnus sarcastically replied.

"I can't believe it! I got promoted- uhh, you were joking, right Magnus?"

"You did get my comedy, that much."

With the Maximals, they managed to inspect the site where the stasis pod had been located. Primal ordered "Rattrap, You and Cheetor return to base and fill Rhinox in. Silverbolt and I will track this new life." Rattrap complied and departed with Cheetor. Then Primal turned to Silverbolt "If you're up to it?"

"Absolutely... And thank you." Silverbolt replied gratefully.

"We'll cover more ground if we split up. But stay in touch." Primal reminded after transforming to Beast Mode and flew away.

"Understood." Silverbolt complied and split off the opposite direction.

Breakdown chuckled. "Obviously the Transmutate isn't going to fit in the Maximals either."

Elsewhere, the Predacon team marched on, while Rampage continously encourages Transmutate. "We will serve for now. But soon we will find a way to destroy our oppressors. Together."

Inferno overheard them and yelled "Speak up! I won't have you freaks plotting behind the Royalty's back!"

"I was explaining what it means to be a Predacon." Rampage lied. "Deceit, treachery...mindless loyalty."

"Loyalty comes first!" Yet Inferno was confused. "Where are we going?"

"To let the Maximals find us, of course." Rampage replied.

"I see. WHAT?!" Inferno yelled.

"Based on what Rampage replied earlier, it seems that they're willing to expose themselves in the open to let even one Maximal come to them." Prime said astutely.

"Optimus, I've found it!" Silverbolt spotted the seemingly weakened Transmutate and flew towards it "It looks injured. I'm going down." Upon descending to ground level to meet up with Transmutate he assured "Do not be afraid, I've come to help you."

But it was an ambush, for both Inferno and Rampage came out of hiding and fired a salvo of gunfire at Silverbolt, knocking him down a peg.

"Cursed pieces of scrap!" Silverbolt spat out venomously seeing his 'descendant' getting attacked by both Predacons without being given any room to breathe.

"Why?" Silverbolt gasped as he passed down, weakened.

Transmutate converged on the downed Silverbolt who later woke up with interest, until Inferno jumped in "We'll keep the head for the Royalty." He then ordered "Transmutate, destroy the rest."

Although it was unsure of attempting to destroy a potential friend, Rampage then politely encouraged "You must do it, my friend. Channel your pain at him. Then release it."

"IF YOU DARE DESTROY HIM THERE YOU WALKING HEAP OF SCRAP, I'LL COME TO THE FUTURE TO BLOW YOU TO FRAGMENTS!" Silverbolt angrily yelled.

He was restrained by his Aerialbot mates and Bulkhead.

Despite the motivation, Transmutate did nothing. Prompting Inferno to shove it aside.

"The Royalty was right." Inferno spat out brandishing his weapon at Silverbolt. "It is useless."

But Transmutate harnessed it's energies uncontrollably to then unleash a beam of laser that struck at Inferno and swept him away, indirectly saving Silverbolt.

"I approve." Rampage smirked and converge on Silverbolt to finish him off "But this Maximal must still be dealt with. Allow me."

"No, allow me!" Primal arrived and struck at Rampage with his hoverboard, knocking him clear of Silverbolt. He then saw a large boulder embedded on top, and pulls out his pistol to weaken it's support, causing the boulder to fall on top of Rampage.

"I suppose nobody wants squished crab for dinner, eh?" Cliffjumper tried to joke. No