After the devastating battle for Autobot City, the Aerialbots, Dinobots, and the others surviving Autobots tried their best to repair the city and search for survivors. The Protectobots patch the wounded while the Wreckers try their best to feed them energons to boost their energies. Hot Rod and the others waited outside of the room where Optimus Prime is being treated by Ratchet, Red Alert, and Perceptor after his deadly fight against Megatron.
The young Autobot lowered his head in shame for not making it in time to help his leader. Arcee sat by his side to comfort him. "Hot Rod," she says to him as she lays her hand on his shoulder, "are you okay? What's wrong?"
"I… I did this to Optimus," he told her and the others. "I… I didn't make it in time and thanks to me Optimus is badly hurt… What if he… oh Primus…"
"Don't blame yourself, junior," Ultra Magnus cheered him up. "You did your best to fight off the Decepticons from attacking Prime. Plus, you managed to stop Megatron before he could finish him off. He wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you."
"Don't worry, sport," Kup calms him. "Prime is being treated by Ratchet and Red. He's in good hands."
Then, Perceptor steps out of the room and alerts the others, causing all of them to stand and wait for the results of their wounded leader. "We did the best we could but Optimus will recover soon," the scientist told them.
"That's great to hear, Perceptor," Hot Rod shouted in relief from the news.
"However, I'm glad you're here, Ultra Magnus. Optimus wished to speak with you."
"Understood," Ultra Magnus nodded as he and the others entered the room. They all found Optimus laying on a board while Ratchet and Red Alert still treated his wounds. "Optimus…"
"M-Ul-Ultra Magnus…" Optimus weakly speaks to his old friend while the Autobot commander holds his hand. "I… I'm afraid that I'm in no condition to lead at this moment… you… You must lead the Autobots during my absence…"
"Don't worry, Optimus… I'll… I'll do my best… but I'll never be a better leader than you…"
"In… In case if I join the Matrix-"
"You'll be fine, Prime," Ratchet told him. "You just need to rest."
"An-And you need to treat the others, Ratchet… They… They need to be treated more than I do…"
"Come on, Prime. You wouldn't make it without me and Red. You'll need us more."
"In… In case I do join the Matrix… I shall pass the Matrix of Leadership to you, old friend… as it was passed to me…"
"But Prime I…" Ultra Magnus protested politely. "I'm just a soldier I… I'm not worthy…"
"No-Nor was I… but one day… an Autobot shall rise from our ranks ... and use the power of the Matrix… to light... our darkest hour."
Optimus used both of his hands to open his chest cavity, revealing a Matrix. He tried to pass the Matrix to Magnus with his hand but accidentally dropped it. Hot Rod quickly grabbed it just as it was about to hit the ground. As soon as young Autobot touched the Matrix, he suddenly felt a strange amount of wisdom flowing within him from the artifact. The reckless Autobot handed it to his commander as Ultra Magnus awkwardly put it onto his chest cavity.
"Alright," Red Alert told them. "Optimus needs some rest. Please make yourselves useful and help the others." Finally, everyone left Optimus' room, leaving the medics to continue fixing him and patching his wounds.
Hot Rod and the others head outside to help Jetfire and the others to repair the damages of the city. After Prowl carried a box of medical supplies to Pipes, he rushed over to Ultra Magnus to inform him, "Commander, Jazz, and Elita One need the results of the city in the comm room."
"Understood," he nodded. "I'll report to them at once. Prowl, you're temporarily in charge during my absence." The Autobot commander transforms and drives off.
"How are we doing," Hot Rod asked the police officer.
"The city is badly damaged. It'll probably take us about a few months to fix it. Omega Supreme is still offline. Who knows how long he'll come back online?"
"What about the wounded," Kup asked.
"Hound, Swerve, Tailgate, Brawn, Wheeljack, Beachcomber, and several others are badly wounded but they'll live."
"And… the casualties," Arcee sadly asked.
Prowl lowered his head and brought them to the deceased bodies of the fallen friends: Windcharger, Bluestreak, Huffer, Grapple, Hoist, and Wheelie. "We lost some very good friends during the attack… we would've lost more if it weren't for reinforcements…"
"They've found an eternal resting place within the Matrix of Leadership," Hot Rod said to them as he lays his hand on Prowl's shoulder. "Their heroism will echo through space and time… 'Till all are one…"
"Till all are one," everyone said as they paid their respects to their fallen brothers and sisters.
"That's… really wise of you to say, Rod," Prowl said to him. "Something Optimus would've said…"
"Ye-Yeah…" Hot Rod slowly lays his hand on his head as he's getting distracted by something.
"Are you okay, kid," Kup asked with concern.
"Yeah, it's just… just… too much to take in after what happened to Optimus. I… I need some time to myself for a while…" The young Autobot heads off as his mind is getting distracted by something unknown.
Arcee followed him and stood by his side. "Are you alright, Hot Rod," she asked worriedly.
"Ye-Yeah umm… I… I just feel weird all of a sudden… I… I don't know how to describe it…"
"Still feel guilty about what happened to Optimus?"
"Yeah… I wished I was there in time to stop Megatron from firing at him. That damn coward. I still can't believe he did that to him. That tyrant has no honor. He got what he deserves. I… I still feel responsible for what happened to Optimus…"
Arcee comforted him by laying her hand on his arm. "Hot Rod… it wasn't your fault… you did your best out there… you rally the others into battle and play a major role in beating the Decepticons… you single-handedly defeated Menasor by yourself and drove the Stunticons away from the others… you're a hero. Just like Optimus."
"Th-Thank you, Arcee. That… That really means a lot to me."
She smiled and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, making Hot Rod speechless. "Thank you for saving my life back there."
"Ye-Ye-Yeah of course!" The young Autobot laughs nervously from the kiss.
Then suddenly, the others alerted them that an upcoming ship was heading their way. "Look," Tracks shouted. "It's Cosmos! It looks like he's carrying someone!"
Cosmos flew over to the others while carrying an injured Autobot. When they all group up to him, they're all surprised to find he has Ironhide in his arms, badly wounded. "Ironhide," Inferno rushes over to him. "What happened to you?!"
"Ah-Ahh… Ju-Just a few scratches… Ah-Ah'll be alright…" the strong Autobot told them weakly from his injuries.
"I was searching through the crashed shuttle to figure how the Decepticons got here until I found him," Cosmos told them. "I'm really glad I found him just in time. He probably wouldn't make it."
"Mm-Mmm… Outback… Seaspray… Skids… they… they didn't make it… those darn cons murder them… they almost did the same to me…"
"Oh-Oh man," Hot Rod said, shocked. "Ironhide… I'm so sorry… I shot down the shuttle… I have no idea you were still on that ship… please forgive me…"
The wounded Autobot laughs weakly as he's coughing. "Don't be so hard on yourself kid… if it weren't for you… I would have kicked the bucket… thanks…"
"Inferno! Trailbreaker," Prowl told them. "Get Ironhide to the medics immediately! He definitely needs some fixing." The two Autobots nodded as they carefully lifted their injured friend and carried him to the medical center.
Back to Ultra Magnus, he just got done telling Jazz and Elita-One about the results from the battle for Autobot City on the monitor. "We took heavy losses and injuries," he told them. "Optimus is badly wounded and he appointed me as the leader."
"Is he… Is he going to be okay," Elita One asked as she's very worried for Optimus.
"He'll be fine, Elita. Ratchet and Red Alert are doing their very best to repair him. He'll be back in action before you notice."
"Any survivors aboard the supply run shuttle," Jazz asked.
"I'm sorry, Jazz. I've been informed that only Ironhide is the only survivor. The others didn't make it."
"I was afraid to hear that. Any news about Omega's condition?"
"He's still unconscious. I'm not sure when he'll come back online."
"And the news about the Decepticons," Elita asked.
"Nothing. The last time we saw them they were fleeing away from Earth. They could be heading back to Cybertron. Jetfire informs me that Megatron suffers fatal injuries after what Optimus did to him."
"Let's hope that murder bites the dust after everything he did to us and our friends," Jazz said.
"If so, then the Decepticons will look for new leadership. We have to be prepared for whatever comes next."
Meanwhile, Astrotrain is carrying what's left of the Decepticon forces that attack Autobot City as the Triple Changer is having difficulties holding himself together. "Jettison some weight or we'll never make it back to Cybertron," he alerted them.
"Fellow Decepticons," Starscream informed the others as he stood before them. "Astrotrain has requested that we lighten our burden."
"In that case, I say it is survival of the fittest," Headstrong shouted in agreement.
"Do I hear a second on that?!" All of the Decepticons, except the wound, shouted in agreement. "The ayes have it!" The Seeker opens the door right behind Sunstorm, Acid Storm, and the Reflectors as the Combaticons blast the wounded into space, leaving them behind to die.
Then, Starscream walks towards Megatron to throw him out until Soundwave and Shockwave block his path. "What is the meaning of this treachery," the Decepticon scientist demanded.
"Throwing the wounded out so we may live!"
"Traitor! How dare you turn against Lord Megatron!"
"I'm the traitor? We wouldn't have suffered a humiliating loss if it weren't for Megatron! While we were aboard the Autobot Shuttle, I suggested that we should attack the Autobots Moon Base, the exact moon base where Optimus Prime is stationed, but Megatron calls me an idiot and attacks the city instead!
"If we would've eliminated Prime and the Dinobots, we would've won the war! But he prefers to save his nemesis for last and attack Earth! Because of his poor tactics, we lost four of the Insecticons and were forced to abandon two of our Seekers and the Reflectors! Megatron has failed us!"
Then, most of the Decepticons agreed with Starscream while the others looked at each other with concerns. "Yeah," Runamuck nodded. "Starscream is right!"
"We wouldn't have been beaten if it weren't for him," Ramjet yelled.
"To hell with Megatron," Dead End yelled.
"Kick him out," Shrapnel shouted.
"I say…" Shockwave said in complete disbelief. "I say we should put it into a vote."
"Fine," Starscream smirks. "All those in favor should kick Megatron out?!"
"Aye," the Triple Changers, Coneheads, Battlechargers, what's left of the Insecticons, Stunticons, Combaticons, and Predacons yelled.
"And against?"
Shockwave and the others who haven't voted look at each other and accept defeat. "Nay…" Shockwave said as he lowered his head.
"Once again, the ayes have it!" The Seeker lifted his leader's damaged body and slowly carried him to the exit. "Oh how it pains me to do this!"
"Wh-Wait," Megatron weakly responded. "I… I still function…"
"Wanna bet?"
Finally, Starscream tossed Megatron out of the shuttle and into the deep darkness of space as the leader of the Decepticons cried his name while he's being left behind. The smirk Seeker cleans his hands while speaking to the Decepticons, "Well as Megatron has, how shall we say, departed! I nominate myself as the new leader!"
"Nonsense," Shockwave shouted. "I have been stationed on Cybertron for cycles! I shall be the leader of the Decepticons!"
"Fat chance," Razorclaw yelled. "We Predacons are the strongest combiners within the Decepticon rank! Predaking is the strongest of them all! We should rule!"
"Soundwave superior," Soundwave said. "Predacons inferior."
"What," Rampage yelled in rage.
"No one will ever follow you as the leader, you outdated junk pile," Divebomb yelled.
The mini-cassettes ejected out of Soundwave. "Ha," Rumble yelled. "Nobody calls Soundwave an outdated junk pile!"
"Yeah," Frenzy shouted. "Let's kick their tailpipes!"
"Alright Predacons," Razorclaw shouted. "Let's show them who's boss!" The Predacons form together and combine into Predaking as the giant laughs.
"Ha that's a dirty trick," Rumble and Frenzy both yelled as they activated their pile drive, shaking the surface while disassembling the Predacons.
All of the Decepticons begin fighting each other over the role of becoming the leader while Starscream hides on the sideline to make his move. The massive rumble caused Astrotrain to become completely off balance as the Triple Changer yelled at them, "IF YOU KIDS REFUSE TO STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER!! I WILL TURN MY CAN AROUND AND THERE WILL BE NO CYBERTRON FOR ANYBODY!!"
While floating in the endless void of space, Megatron and the wounded were left behind to die while heading towards nowhere. Suddenly, the planet eater, Unicron, appears and greets the Decepticon former leader. "Welcome Megatron," his powerful voice blew the tyrant away.
"Who… Who said that," Megatron weakly said.
"I… am Unicron."
"Show yourself…"
"I have summoned you here for a purpose, mighty Megatron."
"Nobody summons me…"
"Then it pleases me to be the first."
"State your business…"
"This is my command. You are to destroy the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. It is the one thing, the only thing that can stand in my way."
"You have nothing to fear… I've already crushed Optimus Prime with my bare hands…"
"You exaggerate."
"The point is he's dead! And the Matrix died with him!"
"No. The point is that you're a fool. Optimus Prime still lives."
"WHAT?!!"
"Yes. And he has passed the Matrix to his commander… Ultra Magnus. Destroy the Matrix for me."
"Why should I… what's in it for me…"
"Your bargaining posture is highly dubious but very well. I will provide you with a new body and new troops to command."
"And?"
"And nothing! You belong to me now, Megatron."
"I belong to nobody!"
"Perhaps… I've misjudged you… proceed… on your way to oblivion." The planet eater releases a shrieking wave that torments Megatron as he screams in agony while slowly killing him.
"NO!! NO!! I ACCEPT YOUR TERMS!! I ACCEPT!! NOOOOO!!!"
Then, Unicron stopped torturing the Decepticon once he agreed to his will while slowly changing his body. "Excellent." Megatron was scanned and reformatted with a new body as the planet eater gave him his new name, "Behold, Galvatron!"
The giant demon pulls in the wounded Decepticons and changes their bodies. "And these shall be your minions." He transforms Acid Storm and the Reflectors into winged identical forms. "Scourge, the tracker and his huntsmen, the Sweeps." He transforms Sunstorm into a strong dangerous form. "Cyclonus, the warrior."
The planet monster gives his new horsemen a flagship for them to transport in. "And this shall be your ship. Now go… destroy the Matrix."
Galvatron smirks sinisterly as he announces, "I will rip open Ultra Magnus, end Optimus Prime, and every other Autobots until the Matrix has been destroyed!" He blasted his new cannon towards his flagship with his minions. "To Cybertron!"
"Destroy the Matrix," Unicron commands them as they're heading towards the direction of their home planet.
Back on Cybertron, Starscream marches straight towards the crowning stage while every Decepticons celebrate his coronation as the new leader. The traitorous Decepticon wore king like dressing, a cape, and Megatron fusion cannon as a trophy. He stood above all of them as Astrotrain was about to crown him until the Constructicons continued to play their trumpets. "Get on with the ceremony," the Seeker yelled. They resumed playing their instruments until the new leader blasted them to stop playing because he's eager to become their king.
Once he was crowned, Starscream stood tall with Astrotrain and Coneheads by his side as he announced, "My fellow Decepticons! As your new leader, I shall lead all of you to a new age! A golden age! Gone are the failures of our weak leader, Megatron! I shall restore our great pride and bring glory to our-" Then suddenly, a flagship appears above them all disrupting Starscream speech. "WHO DARES DISRUPT MY CORONATION?!!!"
Suddenly, Galvatron and his followers landed in front of all of the Decepticons. "Coronation Starscream," the evil being smirks. "This is bad comedy."
Starscream recognizes his voice and the cannon attached to him as he forms fear. "Wh-What the?! Me-Megatron?! Th-That's impossible! You… You were dead!"
"You should've known it'll take a lot more than that to kill me!"
"Decepticons! I am your true leader! I order you to eliminate this imposter!"
The Decepticons begin backing away in fear until the Combaticons combine into Bruticus in front of Galvatron and his minions. Cyclonus and the others transformed and easily blasted down the combiner and scattered him into five.
As every Decepticons fled away from Galvatron, Starscream stood tall and aimed his stolen fusion cannon at him. "Cowards! Is there no one left who would challenge this… this pretender to the throne?!"
"Starscream! Your reign of mockery is at an end!"
Galvatron transforms into his cannon mode and fires at his trickster. Starscream fired back at his former leader with his own cannon until the two blasts collided. Suddenly, Galvatron blast is stronger and bursts through and hits the Seeker, badly damaging him and destroying the fusion cannon. The beaten Decepticon slowly stood up and became enraged. "You will pay for this Megatron!"
Finally, Starscream transforms into his jet mode and flees while Galvatron minions try to shoot him down but miss. The dangerous Decepticon stood above the others and shouted, "Will anyone else attempt to fill in his shoes?"
"What'd he say his name was," Rumble asks among the crowd.
The Decepticon raised his cannon into the air and announced his name to all of his former comrades, "Galvatron!" All of the Decepticons cheered his name, welcoming back their former leader.