While practicing for the Witwicky 500, Bumblebee is spotted and identified by G.H.O.S.T. Despite the danger and Dot's misgivings, Bumblebee insists on racing, as he knows an old friend of his will be there as well: The Stunticon Breakdown.
Tropes:
- The Bet: Bumblebee and Breakdown make one over who wins the Witwicky 500. If Bumblebee wins, Breakdown has to stop racing and putting himself at risk of capture. If Breakdown wins, Bumblebee has to give him the energon suppressor he used to stay undercover in his previous races. It ends up not mattering, as G.H.O.S.T. storms the track before the race can even start.
- Foreshadowing: The G.H.O.S.T. vehicles use snares very similar to Mandroid's Arachnamechs' threads. Three episodes later, it's revealed that Mandroid now works for G.H.O.S.T.
- Friendly Enemy: Despite being in opposite factions Bumblebee and Breakdown remained very close friends even during and after the war. Though their differences in ideologies does cause some tension now and again.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Breakdown, after getting hurt too badly to continue fleeing, decides to act as a diversion so Bumblebee can get away. He ends up getting severely damaged and captured by G.H.O.S.T.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Nightshade programmed the shelter's security so thoroughly that it goes on lockdown for ten hours after agent Schloder has already left the Malto's farm, not only denying Bumblebee a safe hiding spot but also leaving the Terrans and the Malto kids unable to get out and help him.
- Because Bumblebee couldn't resist the thrill of racing and used his energon boost to win, Schloder was able to track him down and set up a trap at the Witwicky 500.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished:
- Because Bumblebee wanted to look out for Breakdown he ends up blowing his cover and essentially loses his position as mentor to the Terrans, as he now has to stay away from the Malto farm so G.H.O.S.T. won't target them.
- A smaller instance: Bumblebee saves a group of G.H.O.S.T. agents from a falling billboard by catching it in robot-mode. Schloder then proceeds to take advantage of Bumblebee being momentarily unable to move and orders his agents to open fire.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Twitch is much less easy-going and much more gung-ho about training this episode. When her and her siblings end up getting locked in the compound, she gets increasingly frustrated and impatient at not being able to escape. When Thrash eventually calls her out, Twitch breaks down and admits that she's scared that her and the other Terrans aren't nearly ready for whatever is to come and that she might lose a member of her family due to not being strong enough.
- Trap Is the Only Option: Bumblebee insists on going to the Witwicky 500, even though he now knows Schloder intends to lure him into a trap. When Dot questions this, Bumblebee points out that him not showing up would tip off G.H.O.S.T. that someone warned him and that that someone was most likely the Malto family.
