While planting sensor arrays during a lightning storm, Cheetor strikes an energon vein and accidentally creates a teleporter between the two base.
Tropes
- Actually Pretty Funny: Rhinox and Rattrap openly laugh at Cheetor's Ignored Aesop. Even Optimus can't help but chuckle.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Megatron is hesitant to allow Cheetor to try to disarm the bomb.Cheetor: C'mon! You'd rather be vaped?!
- Big "NO!": Optimus when Dinobot lies about Cheetor being executed by Megatron.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Cheetor is offended by the idea of Optimus underestimating his capabilities and thinking he's just a kid. Dinobot gladly exploits this concern for his own gambit. In the last scene, Optimus reminds Cheetor that he's always respected him.
- Everyone Has Standards: Optimus is insistent on giving the Predacons time to evacuate their base, even after he thinks Cheetor's been killed.
- Hidden Depths: Terrorsaur apparently knows how to disarm a bomb, provided it's set for long enough.
- Ignored Aesop: Optimus concedes that Cheetor ultimately prevented a catastrophe, but he promises to come down hard on him if he ever disobeys his orders again.Cheetor: I'll never do that again! Until the next time. [runs off]
- Jerkass Has a Point: Dinobot doesn't like Optimus planning to set the bomb so that the Predacons have time to flee the Darksyde. While doing so does give time for the bomb to be expelled so it doesn't destroy both bases, considering how dangerous the Predacons are, he's hardly in the wrong for advocating to kill them instead of simply leaving them without a base.
- Karma Houdini: Dinobot to a degree. His plan failed, and he's shown to be a bit ticked at how everything turned out (or would have if it did succeed), but nobody ever finds out how he went behind Optimus' back, put Cheetor's life at risk, and played everyone into going through with the reckless plan to blow up the Predacon base.
- Lightning Can Do Anything: A lightning strike coupled with the energon deposits creates the teleportation system between the bases.
- Manipulative Bastard: Dinobot, of all bots, is the one to manipulate Cheetor into trying to install the survey posts; presumably hoping to get some Predacons killed in the process.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Dinobot's machinations came very close to getting everyone killed (albeit because he didn't know a few key details).
- Outrun the Fireball: Cheetor has to escape an explosive missile in this fashion.
- The Smart Guy: Rhinox agrees with Optimus about postponing the mission until the survey posts can be properly placed. He refers to energon as a dangerous variable that could severely complicate the plan. Unsurprisingly, he's right.
- Status Quo Is God: The teleporter is destroyed just as Cheetor returns to the Axalon, preventing it from coming into play later.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork:
- At the last minute, Cheetor has to work with Megatron and Terrorsaur to disable the Maximal bomb before it goes off and destroys both bases.
- Dinobot immediately snaps at Cheetor for almost triggering the bomb and openly chafes at Optimus's compassion for enemy lives.
- Teleportation: Somehow, Cheetor manages to accidentally create a teleporter between the Darksyde and the Axalon.
- Unscrupulous Hero: Dinobot’s goal is to see the Predacon base destroyed (and hopefully the Predacons themselves along with it), but the tactics he uses in service of that plan are underhanded to say the least.
- Villains Act, Heroes React: A notable aversion- the plot is kicked off by the Maximals' attempt to survey energon desposits and destroy the Darksyde, and the Predacons react to their plan going awry.
