The audience was shocked of what happened. Optimus Prime's near death experience which nearly caused the extinction of Autobots and Maximals alike, Primal's evolution to a Transmetal II form, the destruction of the Axalon, Blackarachnia's defection to the Maximals, and Prime's only conversation with his descendant.

All that had to be asked.

"What's next, Scion?" asked Barricade.

"All due time. Next viewing is in three.... two... one..."

In their new base, the Maximals were attempting to get their computers made from scrounged materials of the Axalon remains going, with no success.

"Aww, SLAG!" Rhinox cursed, the computer failed to boot up again.

"How soon before we're operational?" Primal asked.

"With nothing to work with but salvaged parts? I'm making no promises." Rhinox replied.

"Brilliant. They've made a base on their own from what intact parts they can scavenge from the Axalon, they moved in the Ark to protect it from Predacon attacks, what else can't they do now?" Barricade asked.

"Get their computers working of course." Breakdown replied.

"Any calls for help that they may receive, Optimus, is running so low, only a miracle can save them now." Ratchet replied.

"Then let us hope that miracle can come to pass for the Maximals." Prime replied.

"Rhinox, we have to hold the line as long as we can. But if the Maximal Elders don't send the rescue ship soon, we may have to change our strategy." Primal assured.

"If the Elders were going to send a ship, it would have been here by now. You know that." Rhinox retorted.

"I'm not sure what I know any more, old friend. None of us are quite who we were when we began this war. And neither is our universe."

Prime sighed. He likely felt the same as well. He had been fighting the Decepticons for eons that he felt like he forgot the true reason he fought against them in the first place. Sure there was the time he had as Orion Pax, his friendship with Megatron, the Primes' rejection of the latter and the formation of the Decepticons, yet Prime never truly understood the personal reasons why Megatron had dared war against the very ruling body that was so corrupt it took the entire Decepticons, composed of his followers and disillusioned citizens, to overthrow them.

Elita noticed and held a soft hand "It's alright. You've been through enough that you don't need to keep fighting anymore."

Prime smiled. "Thank you. But I fear that it is but a cycle long passed away."

However, in deep space, a starship of mysterious origin was afloat in outer space.

[This sector has been declared forbidden by order of the High Council.]

"Slag the High Council. Give me a quantum scan." spat out a bitter voice.

[That would contradict program directive, 9-3...]

"Just do it." the voice overruled.

The audience was creeped out by this Cybertronian, particularily the red eyes.

"Just like Skyquake and Dreadwing... if they were this insubordinate." Starscream pointed out.

Both brothers wanted to pummel Starscream like a tin can for that, but they can't feel but admit that he's right. Dreadwing, much so than his older brother.

[Acknowledged.] After the ship finished it's quantum scan it replied [Scan positive. Energy signature of Protoform X detected.]

"Yes." the mysterious Cybertronian smirked, his prey had been found. He ordered "Lock on and follow."

[Attention! Anomaly detected dead ahead. Reverse course.]

The ship was running into a transwarp anomaly opening up.

"What... the Pit's going on?!" he asked.

[Temporal anomaly vortex. Affecting all systems. Analyzing: now.]

The ship was later sucked into the tranwarp anomaly. With the mysterious Cybertronian being overcome by the quantum surge later on.

"Oh, so either that guy's hunting Rampage on his own accord, or he's hired to destroy Rampage." Bulkhead guessed.

"Could be the former, I didn't hear him talking to his contractor while he's afloat in that crate." Wheeljack added.

Meanwhile, Inferno and Rampage positioned themselves outside the new Maximal Base.

"Inferno to the Royalty. We are in position." the ant Predacon hailed.

"Begin the exercise, Sub-commander." Megatron replied while monitoring their positions aboard the Darksyde.

"It looks like they're attempting to attack. Again, likely to destroy the Ark." Ultra Magnus stated.

"Primal isn't a fool. He's got to have defenses and various systems to protect the Ark from further attack." Jetfire pointed out.

"Question is; what is it?" Predaking challenged. "With his vessel gone, and what few materials he has, how can he hope to defend that cargo hauler?"

"Sub-commander? Quite the promotion right after Scorponok turned to smelted scrap." Blast Off joked.

Barricade and Breakdown chuckled.

"Let's just see if he's much competent than Scorponok in maintaining his position. He's proven well to be loyal without fault after all." Onslaught pointed out.

"I will attack the Fuzor and the traitor to our colony, drawing Optimus out." Inferno assessed to Rampage "When he joins the battle, target him with all your firepower. Understood?"

"Hardly a difficult concept, is it?" Rampage jokingly questioned.

"Just follow my orders, drone!" Inferno yelled.

Once the ant Predacon flew to position, Rampage was about to follow, but he stopped when he saw something falling from the sky.

"Someone's... coming. Someone... I remember." Rampage mulled quietly.

"Given that mysterious Cybertronian had been looking for Rampage, they must have quite the interesting history together." Knockout commented.

"Cheetor to Optimus, do you copy?" Cheetor hailed while going on aerial recon.

"What is it, Cheetor?" Primal asked.

"I'm in grid Alpha-7. Something's coming out of the sky. Something hot!"

"What?" asked a confused Rhinox when the sensors picked up the object falling from the sky but could not identify it.

"Follow it, Cheetor! And stay in touch, I'm on the way." Primal prepared to depart by flight. "This could be what we've been waiting for."

"I don't think so, Primal." Ratchet replied.

"Let's hope so." Rhinox stood up from his seat.

"Open blast doors." 

Per Primal's order, the blast doors open, as Primal transformed and departed by flight.

They had sprung the Predacon trap.

Inferno commanded "Rampage ,prepare to fire." but Ramapge was not in position. "AAAAAttack!!!" he yelled in a fanatical frenzy, charging towards the open blast doors, to the indifference of both Blackarachnia and Silverbolt. "Burn, Maximals!" he yelled furiously but without Rampage backing him up, he was alone, and easily squished by the security systems dumping a boulder on him.

Thunderblast groaned. "Pathetic! I had much dedication to my god than that miserable insect!"

The Combaticons felt uneasy. Thunderblast had even used them under her command per Megatron's edict once just hours before the Fall of Cybertron. It was a good thing they used her as a suicide bomber to break open the last remaining gates of Iacon leading to the Ark itself, prompting Megatron to recite how he banned the strategy long ago to preserve his men and Energon reserves.

But thankfully, the Combaticons were not punished for it, and were instead sent off to accompany Megatron himself.

"A StarHopper!" Cheetor noticed the ship surviving atmospheric re-entry and falling into the sea.

"NO! This game's not for you, kitty." Rampage protested when he prepared to fire his missile at Cheetor.

"Cheetor to Optimus, we got-" the airborne Maximal was knocked out of flight and crashed into the sea.

"Now it's you and I... old friend." Rampage mulled, preparing the arrival of his indeed old friend.

Breakdown smirked. It was remiscent of his rivalry with Bulkhead, yet it had to begin when Bulkhead smashed his right optic out of his eye socket.

"Whoever was in that ship... it seems personal that he looks for Rampage." Ratcher spoke. Personal vendettas amongst Autobots and Decepticons were often common during the war, ending with either being mostly deactivated permanently, or sometimes crippled. Sometimes scarred, but death was mostly how vendettas amongst his party and his former enemies ended.

[Activating emergency transformation. Scanning: now.] the ship scanned for suitable lifeforms in the ocean, coming across a manta ray. [Scan complete. Activating transformation sequence.] yet it glared red [Alert! Protoform X detected, vector 9-5-8.]

The mysterious Cybertronian opened his eyes and whispered "He's here. Depth Charge- Maximize!" the manta ray Maximal then transformed and departed from his ship, where he ordered "Launch remote scanner."

[Reading: unknown maximal signature, vector 7-5-6.]

"Depth Charge? And he's a Maximal?" asked Silverbolt.

Technically, neither the Autobots nor the Renegatrons had ever thought of Cybertronians whose alternate forms allow them to traverse under-water, yet the presence of the former's descendant having such a form that allows them to travel under water.

Yet for Prime, it reminded him of someone familar, someone named Subsible, who had the ability to transform into a midget submarine. Subsible so far was a collector of rare cyber-coral and made a living selling it to the Cybertronian markets, both legal or illegal.

When the war started, Subsible was amongst the many refugees that moved into the 13 Cybertronian colonies. Just hours before the first battle even began.

"Lord Megatron, if we can get forms based on the watercraft the humans have innovated, we can-"

"I know, Shockwave. I'll approve of it." Megatron replied to his scientist subordinate.

Depth Charge's scanner drone spotted an out-cold Cheetor who couldn't even swim up due to his injuries.

"It's some kind of cat-bot. Then I'd bet it's not enjoying the water." Depth Charge then converged towards the drowning Cheetor.

"Because cats don't like to be depth charged! Eh?" Cliffjumper joked.

Again, only Ratchet laughed at the joke. While his friends just straight up cringed.

Meanwhile, aboard the Darksyde...

[Unit Inferno disabled. Unable to locate unit Rampage.]

"Looks like sub-commander-bug an' ol' Crab-cake got their keisters kicked, boss." Quickstrike commented.

"Waspinator, salvage Inferno." Megatron ordered, prompting Waspinator to fly away, while he whined "Inferno blow up, Waspinator must salvage. Waspinator blow up, nobody salvage. Oh, why universe hate Waspinator?"

"Because you're pathetic and miserable." Barricade commented.

Megatron snapped to Quickstrike "Find Rampage. I want to know how he's eluding my scanners.", the latter departed.

"He'd get in the way between Depth Charge and Rampage, for sure." Swindle spoke next.

Elsewhere, after Depth Charge found Cheetor, he pulled him up to the surface to a rock inlet, waiting for the latter to recover.

"Felling all right, pussy cat?"

"Who the spotted heck are you?" Cheetor asked.

"Name's Depth Charge."

[Alert! Remote scanner detects Protoform X, vector 3-6-8.]

"Gotta go. Protoform X is waiting, and I don't want to disappoint him."

"Protoform X? E-he-hey, Hold on!" Cheetor tried to stop him, but Depth Charge was already gone by now.

"Cheetor to Optimus. Great, that dunking fault my comlink." Cheetor moaned and tried his propulsion systems "Jets on." but even the water had caused it to short out as well. "I hate water." he moaned. He was still wet.

"So it seems his body is still less refined than ours to the point where even water can interfere with his systems." Perceptor guessed out.

Bumblebee deadpanned. He remember having a similar incident as Cheetor did once when he was out to find a Energon platform that belonged to the Decepticons at the Sea of Rust.

"Then again, that didn't stop Depth Charge there, so his systems are water-proof." Elita pointed out.

"Computer, where is he?" Depth Charge asked when he dived back under water again.

[Vector 0-0-0.]

"There's nothing there but rocks!" yet Depth Charge was floating overhead the weeds and rocks where Rampage was hiding below his detection range. He didn't realize it until it was too late; Rampage jumped at him from underneath.

Everyone jumped slightly off their seats, only Prime and Megatron didn't bother with it.

"Talk about surprise..." Ironhide felt his Spark beating erractically after that jumpscare.

"Greetings, old playmate! So glad you could come!" Rampage greeted sardonically.

"X!" Depth Charge spat out spitefully.

"I'm called Rampage now." Rampage corrected his archnemesis. "A bit obvious, but to the point, don't you think?" as his claws began to pressure deep into Depth Charge's systems. "Your pain is lovely, but where is your terror? It would make this so much more amusing. Just like our little party on Omicron." as Depth Charge seethed in pain as Rampage's claws continue pressing deep into him.

"A little party, Rampage?" Megatron questioned.

"You want amusing, creep?!" Depth Charge propelled his jets right at Rampage's face, yet he maintained his grip as Depth Charge rocketed out of the water.

"Come on, Optimus, what's taking you?" Cheetor asked impatiently. But as he saw Depth Charge flying out of the sea and into the shore with Rampage clinging onto him like a parasite, he commented "Now I've seen everything..."

But Rampage transformed and climbed up top of Depth Charge, he commented "You're trickier than before. I like that." and began tearing into Depth Charge's chassis, dealing the manta ray Maximal a great deal of pain. He then raised his hand-cannon at Depth Charge's head and fired, sending them both crashing into the cliff. Whereas Depth Charge had a clearly rough landing, Rampage was impaled into a sharp rock.

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!" yelled by most of the audience.

"Man... talk about being impaled..." Vortex shivered.

Elita gulped. Starscream had impaled an arrow-sized slab of metal into her Spark before. It rendered her unable to move her legs moments before her demise.

"BigBot! Down here!" Cheetor called when he spotted Primal in the distance.

"Cheetor, what happened?" Primal asked after transforming.

"Rampage blind-sided me." Cheetor reported. "And then this weird fish-bot saved my hide, and swam outta here looking for Protoform X! Said his name was Depth Charge."

"Depth Charge?" Primal asked confused.

Upon breaking out of the sharp stalagmite, Rampage pulled the impaled piece of stone out. While painful, Rampage quickly recovered as his circuitry and systems instantly healed from the impaling.

"Well, to be fair, he was created by the Maximals to match up to Starscream's indestructible Spark, so I would not be surprised if his recovery systems are far greater than ours." Shockwave surmised.

"Even then, it was foolish of them to perform such an experiment. Especially when they don't understand how Starscream's Spark worked." Onslaught pointed out.

Starscream just frowned.

He marched towards the weakened Depth Charge.

[Alert! Protoform X still functional. Activate defense systems.]

"Ignore the pain. It's only gonna get worse! I'm flattered you chased me so far. But then it was you who caged me the last time, wasn't it?" Rampage attempted to used the piece of rock to skewer Depth Charge, yet he propelled his jets once again to dodge, then he transformed.

"This time, I won't bother with a cage, creep!" Depth Charge retorted. They both drew their guns, Rampage shot first, yet Depth Charge shielded himself with his armored wings and pulled out his double-barrelled rifle and fired, with such precision that he disarmed Rampage in one shot.

"BREAK THAT CRAB'S LEGS!" Warpath yelled.

"I'll fillet you for that!" Rampage transformed and fired more missiles at Depth Charge.

The manta ray Maximal quickly pointed out "You've got a few new tricks, too." and guarded himself from Rampage's wild missile fire. But it was not going to last forever.

"Fight back, Depth Charge! Crush that crab to mashed cyber-potatoes!" Grimlock yelled.

"Rampage, attack!" the crab Predacon charged head-on at Depth Charge. But the latter pulled out a weapon akin to a spear or harpoon.

"This is for colony Omicron!" Depth Charge yelled. Just as Rampage was about to fire his next missile, Depth Charge threw his harpoon at the barrel of the cannon, causing a backfire that overturned Rampage upside down.

"WOOHOO! REVERSE KA-BLAM!" Warpath cheered.

[Warning: activate repair sequence immediately.] Depth Charge ignored it and converged towards Rampage, about to finish him off. "Let's finish it, X." with the barrel of his rifle.

But Quickstrike interrupted "Not so fast, hombre! That crab may be ugly, but he's a Predacon." and shot down Depth Charge who was about to aim his weapon at him "Too slow!" he taunted.

"Uh oh..."

But just before that, Primal and Cheetor flew by, with missiles that knocked Quickstrike away as they flew in towards the damaged Depth Charge.

"It's him!" Primal recognized "Let's get him back to base." he ordered.

"What about..." Cheetor pointed to Rampage yet the psychotic Predacon strangely disappeared.

"I think he's had enough... for now." Primal replied.

"After a rough tussle like that, Depth Charge is going to need more than that to recover." Sideswipe commented.

Back in the Maximal base, Depth Charge made a recovery through the makeshift R-Chamber.

"So, ah, who is this herring anyway?" Rattrap asked.

"Depth Charge was in charge of security for colony Omicron. Protoform X escaped there... and leveled the colony. Only Depth Charge survived. From then on, DepthCharge hunted Protoform X. After four stellar cycles, he brought him back to Cybertron. He asked the High Council to find a way to destroy his spark." Primal clairified.

"They turned him over to us instead. Depth Charge wasn't too happy with the decision." as Rhinox placed out.

"That explained the hatred he holds for Rampage. He murdered those Depth Charge should have protected." Ratchet pointed out. 

"Eh, so he's got a lot of angst." Rattrap said. "The question is: how he'd get here?"

[Repair cycle complete.]

"Now's our chance to ask." Rhinox then pulled the lever down, releasing Depth Charge from the completed repair cycle. When he came out, freshly repaired.

"What the Pit are you?!" Depth Charge interrogated upon seeing Primal in his upgraded form. Not recognizing his much powerful colleague.

"I guess I've changed since we last met, Depth Charge." he replied.

"Primal!" Depth Charge gasped upon recognizing his voice.

[Alert! Protoform X still functional.]

Just as Depth Charge was about to continue his hunt for Rampage...

"I'm Cheetor. Thanks for pulling me out of the water." the aforementioned Maximal greeted his comrade, who did not seem to be as lenient as he is.

"Go chase some mouse." Depth Charge dismissed.

"That was rude! You saved his Spark!" Bumblebee shouted, obviously not liking Depth Charge's rude remark towards the cheetah Maximal.

"Talk about rude..." Cheetor muttered.

"Depth Charge!"

He turned around and asked "Why are YOU here, Primal?"

"We were about to ask you the same thing." the larger Maximal leader riposted.

"I have no idea." Depth Charge replied. "Some kind of anomaly trashed my ship. I was searching the galaxy for your mistake."

"Aww, so he didn't come back to Cybertron to notify the Maximal Elders." Jazz commented.

"Perhaps not. Doesn't seem like he's there to help the Maximals either." Bulkhead stated.

"We have bigger problems here, Depth Charge." Primal replied curtly.

"Good. Then X is mine again." 

"Wait!"

Primal stopped Depth Charge before he would leave the Maximal Base.

"Back off, Primal! You blew it, just as I told the High Council you would!" Depth Charge argued.

"Jeez, obsessed much?" Knockout asked.

"When he's so straight forward into finding the murderer of his colony, revenge is a worthless endeavor." Prime stated sagely.

"Stubborn as ever." Primal muttered when Depth Charge left their company.

"Let 'em go. The Preds will change his mind, or make him into fish sticks." Rattrap argued.

"I don't like him much either, but he's still Maximal." Primal retorted.

It reminded the elder Autobots of those focused on one single goal: Rampup, Crisscross and Goldmine; all three of these Autobots were obsessed with wanting Megatron's head for the murder of their families in Kaon. Just because they all supported Prime. They died trying, yet Megatron stepped over all of them so easily. After all, a gladiator of Kaon who has triumphed over all that dare opposed him, no matter how strong and powerful they are, was not someone to be trifled with as if he is a mere lowlife.

Megatron just smirked.

While Depth Charge tried making his way out of the base, he stumbled across a revelation he never considered possible. "It can't be..." the Maximal base being overshadowed by the Ark itself.

"It's the Ark. And this is Earth. You've traveled back in time." Rhinox answered.

"Yeah, a few million stellar cycles back in time. And Megatron and his Preds are trying to slag the Autobots." Depth Charge snapped back at the Maximals, yet Primal replied "It's not a joke. We're in a war to save our own future, and we could use your help."

"You want my help? I still have your first mess to clean up!" Depth Charge refused, yet he questioned "Now, where's the way out?" as he tried to get out of the Maximal base as possible.

The Autobots disapproved of Depth Charge's behavior towards his saviors.

"Man, talk about single-minded." Air Raid commented.

"I know, right?" Smokescreen added.

"What's with him?" Cheetor asked Rattrap.

"Probably rust." Rattrap replied.

"Or he's that obsessed in wanting Rampage dead." Ironhide stated.

Megatron guffawed "Revenge is a fool's game."

"Depth Charge, let it go!" Primal approached Depth Charge, who was still looking for a way out. "You're not responsible for what X did on Omicron, and neither am I. Stop looking for revenge and do something to help!" he tried to harken to his colleague.

"It's not revenge I'm looking for. It's justice." Depth Charge retorted then demanded "Open the doors!"

When he did push his way out of the Maximal base, it's defenses, both manned by Blackarachnia and Silverbolt take aim at him, preventing him from leaving.

"X is not alone. He's a Predacon now, under Megatron's control. There are six of them!" Primal argued.

"You can't take all 6 of them all by yourself!" argued Ultra Magnus.

"I gotta hand it to you, Primal. When you screw up, you do it big time. But thanks for the tip." Depth Charge departed by flight.

"So, you think he'll come back?" Cheetor asked when he caught up with Primal.

"There was a time he would never have left. Rampage changed that." Primal retorted.

Meanwhile, back in the sea, Rampage cackled as manically as he is...

"It was really so very nice of you to come... So glad you could stay. Oh, we'll have such fun, oh yeah!" and fired off missiles that obliterated Depth Charge's ship.

The Orb shuts down midway afterwards, leaving the audience too deep in their thoughts.