As the dust settled in the aftermath of the decreased explosion, the Maximals, Predacons, Mutants, and Sky Shadow all peered over the respective stalagmites they'd taken refuge behind.

"Dinobot to Predacons, who has a visual on Tarant- I mean, the QUINTESSON?" the TM2 velociraptor asked. Terrorsaur, still shaken by losing Scavenger, was first to respond.

"N-nega-negative from me..." he whimpered. The response was the same from all but Sandstorm, whom had tunneled underground in beast mode just before the explosion.

"Ya gots an affirmatory from me, scales. Ah kin see 'im plain as day! He's slowly comin' to, musta bin knocked out by that there kamikaze boy..." the scorpion whispered into his commlink. Dinobot was still worried.

"What of the Transmetal driver? Can you see it anywhere?" Tigatron asked next. Sandstorm had a quick look around, gasping as he spotted something.

"HOLY SLAGGIN' P-#########" Sandstorm's end of the link cut out as another, more muffled explosion rang out.

"Ravage to Sandstorm! ...Sandstorm, do you copy, comrade?!" white noise was all that answered Ravage's communique.

"'Storm..." Transquito whispered, putting a hand to his mouth as he realised that Sandstorm was now dead as well.

Just then, Tarantulas erupted from the ground in robot mode, the giant pod with the TM2 driver attached in tow.

"Looking for these, I presume?" he cackled, as he threw the remains of Scavenger, Stinkbomb (Surprisingly enough), and Sandstorm's bodies at the group's feet. "You should know better than to defy the species that created your kind, Cybertronian scum! Now... Witness the beginning of your demise!" he announced, setting the pod down and literally kick-starting its' systems.

With a low hum/whirr, the pod came to life, as it appeared to pull in a wandering spark from spacetime while generating a second as well. Tarantulas was startled.

"It's- it's not supposed to be doing THAT!" he shrieked. Twin waves of energy erupted from the pod next, one scanning over a dragonfly carcass, the other engulfing the fossilized remains of a prehistoric gorilla.

"What's going on?!" Terrorsaur shouted. Conveluna was scared, also, and Dinobot could see it. Making an executive decision, he issued an order:

"Gather the remains of our fallen and retreat to the Ark! It is our only hope!" he commanded, shaking the others out of their stupor. Hesitantly nodding, the others grabbed the bodies of Scavenger, Sandstorm, and begrudgingly Stinkbomb as well, then RazorClaw used his borderline teleportational superspeed to rush two bots at a time out of the catacombs and to the safety of the Ark. Tarantulas' attention was still on the pod.

"What is it doing?! There's only supposed to be ONE lifeform! STOP!" he shrieked. Just as RazorClaw got the last two members of his newly formed team out, the pod erupted into a GIGANTIC explosion, one that rocked the entire planet.

As Tarantulas awoke from stasis lock, he looked around, finding sat before him a giant blue and red dragonfly and a black, teal, and silver Transmetal gorilla that was almost identical to Optimal Optimus, the one difference aside from his colors being that he bore a mouthplate even in beast mode. Tarantulas jumped to his feet, knowing full well what the Transmetal was, but wondering where the dragonfly transformer had come from.

"I am Tarantulas, a transformer of Quintesson descent. Identify yourselves, for I am your lifegiver!" he commanded. The gorilla spoke first, his voice an exact match for the original Megatron of the great war.

"My name is Nemesis Primal, and I am ever at the service of all quintesson decendants, for they are my masters." he declared. The dragonfly seemed miffed at that statement.

"Am-AZING how you can say that with such a STRAIGHT FACE!" he shouted, his voice dripping with oil and venom. Tarantulas cleared his throat loudly.

"DON'T CLEAR YOUR THROAT AT ME, EIGHT-EYES! JETSTORM, AFTERBURN!" the dragonfly shouted, backflipping as he transformed.

On Cybertron, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were walking around New Kaon when the former Fuzor felt a stabbing pain in his spark.

"AGH!"

"Silverbolt! Are you okay?! What is it? What do you sense?" Blackarachnia asked. Silverbolt looked at her with venom in his eyes and voice.

"That Vehicon MONSTER... He's back."