Heatwave was playing the Risk video game with Chase when Blades walked up to them.
"When's First Aid gonna be back?" Blades asked.
"No idea. We just found out he's got D.I.D., he could switch personalities in front of humans and you know they'll panic," Heatwave said.
"He also cannot be medicated. Given what we know of 'Red Alert', he is somewhat evil," Chase said.
"I wouldn't say evil, more like overprotective," Chroma said.
"There are methods of controlling his alter," Optimus said. "Razor is teaching him. Weather or not he returns to the team is up to Heatwave."
"I-I'm not sure I can. The wound's WAY too fresh. I don't even want to think about it," Heatwave said.
Chase said nothing as he patted him on the back.
"Optimus, when do you want to do the training?" Chroma asked.
"I'm going to wait and see how everyone is doing tomorrow," optimus said. "Heatwave, Chase, may I join you?"
"I'm not sure. This 'battle' Chase and I are doing is kinda dragging on," Heatwave said.
"Here," Chroma typed in an order and won the game for Heatwave.
"Chroma, I thought you were on my team?" Chase asked.
"Sorry. Heatwave's odds were the winning ones."
Xxx
The next day the team was at the track Jackie and Lindsy's boarders used for their horses.
"We will meet on the field of battle. The road ahead will be difficult, more so than you believe. Rest assured, you will be pushed beyond your limits. But remember, your strength lies within you, as do your duty and honor. Therefore, rise up, each of you. Glory awaits the victor. Transform!" Optimus said.
The bots transformed into their bipedal forms while Jackie took a T2 shot amd when drgoan, and Emerald tied down her wings.
Chroma and sat on the sidelines.
"All right, let's run a clean race," Doc Greene said into his megaphone. "That means elbows in, Heatwave."
Heatwave groaned as he brought his elbows in.
"On you marks…" Doc said. "Get set…"
"Go!" Frankie laughed as she passed them on Trex. "Eat dino-dust, bipeds!"
Jackie gave a roaring hiss as she bounded after the tween.
"Frankie?" Doc asked.
"Hey, Autobots and Transmutates only," Heatwave said.
"That is practically unfair," Chase said.
"I think that's because it is!" T.J. said.
"She's gonna win!" Blades said as they raced after her.
"Run, run, run!" Boulder said.
"I believe two can play at that game," Optimus smiled as he ran. "Primal mode!" he transformed into his Dino-form.
"Nobel!" Cody said.
"Come on, Boulder, you got this!" Graham said.
"I think I can! I think I can!" Boulder panted.
"'The little Engine That Could'. One of my favorite earth tales," Optimus said. "Nice to know that you have been keeping up with your reading, Boulder."
"Though a more apt story would be 'The Tortoise and the Hare', because Boulder is last," Chase said.
"Real mature, Chase. You better not influence our sparkling like that!" Chroma said.
"Don't listen to him, Boulder, slow and steady win the race," Chief Burns said.
"Boulder's a tortoise," Blades singsonged and laughed.
"You got time to laugh, you got time to run harder. I wanna win this," Dani said.
Heatwave turned around while running. "Remember, we won't be goofing off like the hare, so the tortoise can't possibly—whoa!" he tripped on a rock and landed on Jackie's tail. "Sorry, J—"
Jackie back handed slapped him.
"Ow!" Heatwave held his cheek.
"Bro, keep running!" Kade said.
"Just one thing," Heatwave bopped her on the nose. "It's not nice to hit people!"
Jackie's eyes and pupils narrowed as she growled at him.
"Heatwave, start running," Kade said.
"Scrap!" Heatwave ran as Jackie chased after him.
Back in the lead, Optimus and Cody were in second place.
"We're catching up!" Cody said.
"Good. The sooner I can convert out of Primal Mode, the better," Optimus said. "This form… clouds my thinking… as if…"
"Prime! Whatever's going on, get away from the stressors!" Lindsy said. "You're acting like Jackie used to!"
"What was I saying?"
Optimus stopped running.
"Whoa, Trex. Something's wrong," Frankie said.
Jackie stopped going after Heatwave and trotted over to see what was going on.
Her instincts sensed a threat.
The rest showed up and saw Optimus' red optics.
Jackie tried to get her wings free.
Optimus gave a sonic roar, shooting rocks at them.
Everyone got launched into the rock wall and fell.
Optimus walked over to inspect them.
"Why did you do that?" Jackie asked.
Frankie and Trex rode up beside Optimus.
Optimus roared at them.
"Optimus, no!" Cody said.
Jackie jumped between them. "Snap outta it!
Optimus roared and ran past them.
Jackie snorted as Boulder and Emerald freed her wings.
"Optimus needs our help. Let's move team," Chief said.
Xxx
Huxley was driving in his news van (which he probably lived in) and wasn't paying attention when a red and blue T. rex robot ran at him.
He swerved out of the way it continued on its way into town.
The emergency response team chased after it.
"Camera, follow that story!" he ordered.
The yellow hover-camera tailed them.
Xxx
Everyone in town was enjoying their day, drinking coffee, talking with neighbors and friends, walking children and pets, going to school and work.
That good day was ruined when the ground began to shake.
They looked in the direction the shaking was coming from and saw a red and blue robotic T. rex.
Everyone fled from the crazy tech… except one woman.
This woman was retired Agent Donna.
She was the Autobots' earth consultant before Agent Fowler.
She was probably the only human Optimus feared.
"No, Optimus! No!" she repeated as she clapped her hands in a disciplinary manner.
Optimus stopped and backed up a bit.
"Optimus, turn into vehicle mode!" Cody pleaded. "Or bot mode!"
"Un… un… unable… to…" Optimus started to go rogue again.
"No!" Donna shouted.
Semi-dragon Jackie showed up and sprayed him in the face with a water bottle. "Bad Dinobot! Very bad!"
"A rampaging robotic T. rex, truly terrified townsfolk, and four Rescue Bots racing in response," Huxley said while driving. "Can our metal heroes bay this bionic beast? Stay tuned."
Optimus scared more townsfolk while trying to shake Jackie off his smoke stack.
"Stop!" Dani said over Blades' PA system as they got in front of him.
Optimus shooed them away with a sonic roar.
The rest of the team arrived behind Optimus and he knocked Heatwave and Chase to the side.
A military-like aircraft appeared in the air.
"What is that?" Graham asked.
"I think it's going after Optimus," Boulder said.
"Run!" Cody said.
"Go!" Jackie said before biting him.
A tractor beam began to pull them up.
Boulder jumped to try and grab him but failed.
The craft abducted them and sped off.
"After it!" Dani told Blades.
"Where did it go?" Blades asked.
"Cody's still inside Optimus!" Kade said as the humans got out of the bots.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't fast enough," Boulder apologized.
"None of us were," Chief said before Huxley's hover-camera flew in his face.
Huxley pulled up in his van and got out.
"Huxley, we're gonna need your footage," Chief said.
"Seriously? We didn't have cameras that caught that plane-thing on film?" Raychel asked.
"This island has a limit?" T.J. asked.
Xxx
A while later, Jackie was petting Optimus under his chin to calm him.
"Wow, he's really calm, now," Cody said.
"Yeah, this environment helps, too," Jackie said. "Psycho thinks it's nighttime. Cody, you don't have to go, do you?"
"I'm good. Any idea where we are?"
"No, I gotta recharge before I go dragon again," Jackie looked at Optimus. "But, maybe he can." She closed her eyes as they and her hair turned blue.
The tiki-drones returned, startling Jackie, who fell to the ground, knocking her out for a few seconds.
"Release the beast!" someone ordered.
"Well, shit," Jackie came to and saw that Optimus and Cody were gone.
She snuck out and found a garage guarded by a Russian Bear Dog.
The dog stood up, but before it could even growl at her, she used her powers to calm it.
She ran to the ATV and drove into the jungle on the island.
She stopped by the river and texted the team what was going on before looked up the company name she saw.
"Well, well, another douche," she said. "Looks like two can play this came, though!"
She made sure her hair and eyes were blue before going to Find Colonel Quint Quarry.
Xxx
"So… using this freeze frame taken from Huxley's video, I ran an internet search for a match," Dani said. "Normally, Graham gets to do this kind of stuff, but, yeah, I kinda rocked it."
"Did you get something or not?" Chroma asked.
"I got a hit," Dani pressed a button and brought up a news article. "Colonel Quint Quarry—a big game hunter known for hosting illegal safaris on his island."
"The very nerve!" Chase said.
"What's a safari?" Blades asked.
"I have no idea."
"In this case, it's a hunt," Chief said.
"And now he's stalking Optimus, with Cody and Jackie in the middle," Heatwave said.
"I'm not sure," First Aid said as he entered the bunker. "Quarry's scrap once Jackie recharges. Buzzsaw's on his way there already."
"Until that happens, Cody better stay out of trouble," Kade said.
"From what I've read, Quarry catches and releases," Dani said. "He won't hurt anything too expensive to replace."
"The risk is still high. We must locate this safari island immediately, if not sooner," Chase said.
"What's sooner than immediately?" Blades asked.
"I have no idea."
"Find him. That man messed with the wrong family," Chief said as he pounded his fist into his palm.
"He sure did," Blades mimicked Chief. "Ow!" he shook his hand.
The team dispersed, and First Aid walked up to Heatwave.
"C-can I talk to you?" First Aid asked.
"I… I guess," Heatwave said.
"I can't apologize enough about enough about what Red Alert and I did to you… but—"
"I'm never gonna forgive you for what you did. The whole team fragging knows."
"I don't expect your forgiveness. I just want your trust to rejoin the team. I'll listen to you every command this mission."
"Well, what does 'Red Alert' think?"
"You don't believe the diagnosis. Look, I've read that meditation can help some people with DI.D. and that's what I do every day now."
"Ugh. L-look, this rescue's way too important. You're on transmutate duty."
"Actually, we could use him right now," Boulder said.
"Well? Go, First Aid."
Xxx
Chief opened the door to the command center. "Any luck finding what's wrong with Optimus?"
"We think it's reduced energon levels," Boulder said.
"From scanning Trex, and that lowered his resistance to foreign bodies in his system," Graham said.
"Like when we get tired, we have a harder time fighting off colds," Frankie said.
"But what foreign bodies?" Chief asked.
"Doc Greene's theory is the real dinosaur D.N.A. used to build Trex, but I think it's something like Jackie—the hungrier she got, the harder she could control her dragon form," First Aid said.
"We have no idea if scanning techno-organics can cause something like this," Boulder said.
"So, what's the solution?" Chief asked.
"Restoring Optimus' energon levels may work," Graham said.
"I got my I.V. kit prepared incase we find him. If Jackie finds energon, I told her to give it to him," First Aid said.
"Found the island. Wasn't hard. Quarry named it after himself," Heatwave said.
"First Aid, you're with us. You other four keep working. The rest of us are paying a visit to Coronel Quarry," Chief said.
Xxx
Jackie found Quarry. "Hi, douchebag."
"Who the hell are you?" Quarry asked.
Jackie showed him her credentials. "Griffin Rock Animal Control. I was trying to stop the Dinobot when you took us."
"Well, you ought'a get get back to my base camp and I'll have one of my aircraft take you home."
"Fuck that shit! I challenge you to a hunting duel. If I get the Dinobot and tame it, I keep him, the ATV, and your dog. If you win, you keep the Dinobot and I'll throw in a dragon."
"A dragon? You're yanking my leg."
"Yes. And I have access to her. She's a wild one. Expert level."
Quarry thought for a minute. "You got a deal."
"Also, there might be a kid in the Dinobot, so you better not hurt him or you'll be dragon meal."
"Fine."
They shook hands.
Xxx
Quarry parked his jeep in his jungle and got out his megaphone. "Might as well give up now, Dinobot. I'm the best! It's in the record books! Ha, ha! You can look it up if you—AHH!"
Optimus' head was right by his face.
He drove off and Optimus chased him.
"That's right. Come after me," he said.
He drove through two pillars of rock. "Freeze zone. Maximum chill."
Optimus got frozen solid.
Xxx
Jackie looked at the livestream. "Yeah, like freezing him will work."
She got a shovel out of the ATV and began digging.
Xxx
"Optimus… we have to get out of here," Cody said as he shivered. "Optimus?"
Optimus didn't respond.
Cody kicked out Optimus' windshield and got out.
"He'll be here any second! I'll stall him," Cody said.
Xxx
Quarry was driving his jeep to check on his catch when Cody ran right in front of him and he had to stop fast. "Who in blazes are you?"
"I'm… uh… the son of Griffin Rock's police chief," Cody said. "You're under arrest, mister!"
Quarry looked at him before laughing. "Nice try, mate! Now step aside while I go in and net me a T. rex."
Optimus roared as he stood in front of them.
Quarry shot a net at Optimus, but Optimus' sonic roar ahot it right back, trapping him.
Optimus took a step towards them.
"Kid, get outta the way!" Quarry said.
"Robot, stop! Don't hurt him! He's just a silly man," Cody said.
Optimus sniffed them before jumping off the cliff and into the jungle.
"Oh, that was kind of you kid," Quarry said as he got the net off his jeep. "Still, you'll be dealt with later. Follow the road to the base camp." He drove off.
Xxx
Jackie picked up what she dug up: several pieces of energon small enough to hold in her hand.
She put them in the ATV's cargo hold and drove off to find Optimus."
Xxx
"We're getting close," Inferno said.
"First Aid, are you sure five gallons of energon is enough?" Heatwave asked as he drove next to the boat.
"The hard part's going to be giving Optimus the I.V. Getting the energon in will be a piece of cake," First Aid said.
"Speaking of which, I'm picking up a signal," Emerald showed them her energon scanner.
"Who found it? Optimus or Jackie?" K-9 asked.
"There's a small, mobile signal. Probably Jackie."
"Oh, man. We got to secure the main energon site. If the Decepticons get there, we're out of the frying pan and into the fire," Firestar said.
"The energon fire," Inferno said.
"What do we do?" Blades asked as he flew over the boat.
"It would help if you and K-9 guard it," Emerald said.
"What?!" Blades transformed and landed on Heatwave.
"Hey!" Heatwave said as he resurfaced with Blades hanging on.
"Sorry. But, WHAT?! What am I going to do id Decepticons come for energon?!"
"Here, take my shotgun," First Aid got the firearm out of his subspace.
Everyone looked at First Aid and Inferno.
"What? He won it in a bet!" Inferno said.
"I'm dead," Blades said.
"It's on safety," First Aid said. "It'll only stun bots."
"Dude, seriously?" Kade asked.
"Well, he can flip this switch in case he feels like he's in real danger."
"That does not help me," Blades said.
"Hopefully, we won't need to use it," K-9 said.
"Fine," Blades took the shotgun and put it in his subspace. "Let's go, K-9."
Blades transformed back into his alt mode, let K-9 in, and flew ahead.
"Just keep it secure," Inferno said.
Xxx
Boulder picked up the energon patch. "This energon patch should turn Optimus back to normal. Theoretically."
"Splended, Boulder," Doc said. "You and Graham take my sea lab to Quarry Safari Land post haste."
"There is a chance it could make him worse. I'm not sure we should risk it."
"Boulder, I'm sure it's fine. Come on, let's hurry," Graham said.
"No. Slow and steady, remember. I have one more test to run."
Xxx
Lindsy met at the museum.
"Boulder, you sure you want to do this?" she asked.
"I am," Boulder walked to the triceratops animatronic. "Made with real dinosaur D.N.A.?"
"Yep, just like Trex," Frankie said.
"Boulder, are you sure about this?" Doc asked.
"From what I heard, scanning a third form is a big deal," Graham said.
"Not every spark can do it," Lindsy said.
"The only way to make sure this patch will work is to use it on myself," Boulder said. "I'm not the first to do something like this."
"I heard all about scanning a third form from Heatwave," Frankie said. "This is exciting!"
Boulder walked next to the triceratops.
"Okay, Heatwave said that the first thing you have to do is relax," Frankie said.
"That's right. Thanks, Frankie," Boulder took a deep breath.
Frankie opened her mouth, but Lindsy cut her off.
"Heatwave already told them how to do it," she said.
Boulder scanned the dinosaur and transformed into a triceratops.
Doc pressed a button on the platform, locking Boulder in place. "In case the patch doesn't work."
"So, now what?" Graham asked.
"We wait. If I go wild, put the patch on. And run," Boulder said.
Xxx
Soundwave walked into the sick bay with a very beat-up Lazerbeak in his arms.
"What happened?" Knockout asked.
"You won't believe it," Soundwave said through a recording.
Xxx
"Well, doubt the 'Cons saw THAT coming!" Jackie said as she held out the energon crystal.
Optimus sniffed they crystal and his slobbery dino-glossa came out trying to eat the crystal.
"Ack! No, no, no!" Jackie gently pulled down his lower jaw and put the crystal on his glossa.
Optimus gobbled it up.
"Good, isn't it? Now, open your mouth again," Jackie said.
Optimus opened his mouth and Jackie put the rest of the crystals in his mouth.
"Don't run. I'm gonna watch you to see how you feel in a few minutes," Jackie said. She looked at his cab. "Wait, where the fuck's Cody?!"
Optimus growled.
"You don't know? You forgot? Great. I'll come back for you later. I have to go find Cody," Jackie got back on the ATV and drove off.
Xxx
Blades, Dani, and K-9 landed at the energon site.
"Guys, I'm scared," Blades whined.
"I know, I get jittery if I have to use my firearm, too," K-9 said.
"But, what if I shoot the energon?"
"Don't aim at it, then," Dani said.
"It's on safety, too," K-9 said.
Blades did a hard gulp.
Xxx
The rest of the team arrived on the island.
"Something tells me Coronel Quarry is already aware of our arrival," Chase said.
"Like what?" Heatwave asked.
"That."
A drone flew up to them.
"Into the trees, now!" Chief ordered.
The bots ran.
The drone shot two ropes at First Aid, hog tying him.
"Guys! Help!" he shouted.
Chase went to pick him up what First Aid's paint suddenly inverted, broke free, and threw a log at the drone.
"Quickly, we must evade the drone," Chase grabbed the mech's arm.
"Oh, my god, is that First Aid's alter?" Raychel asked.
"My name's Red Alert!" the mech said.
"Oh, man, Razor was serious," Heatwave said.
"Let go of me!"
"Alright, but stay close to us," Chase let go.
Firestar sprayed the drone with water, shorting it out.
Xxx
Boulder roared as he broke free of the locks.
"Graham, I think it's time to administer the patch. Don't you?" Doc asked.
"Absolutely," Graham said.
They then realized that the patch was left next to Boulder.
"One of you guys get the patch, I'll calm down Boulder," Lindsy said.
"How?!" Graham asked.
"Like this," Lindsy got out her phone, got to YouTube, and selected a playlist.
"Welcome to Crash Course World History," said the video.
It did get Boulder's attention.
"Go," Lindsy said.
Graham got the patch and put it on Boulder.
"Boulder? Buddy?" Graham asked. "Feeling any better?"
"No," Boulder growled as he shook his head.
"Give it a minute. I think his optics are back to normal," Lindsy said.
Xxx
The team heard Optimus roar.
They ran into a clearing.
"Optimus?" Cody asked.
"Cody?" Heatwave asked. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm okay. But we have to help Optimus. He's being hunted."
"Rest assured. We will apprehend the perpetrator," Chase said.
The bots let the humans out of their cabs.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're alright," Chief said.
"Where's Jackie?" T.J. asked.
"I think she's looking for Optimus," Cody said.
"Boulder and Graham are back home working on a cure for Optimus," Chief said.
"Wasn't that O.P. we just heard? Where is he?" Kade said.
Several Q Drones took the humans and started to take them away.
"Grab them!" Heatwave ordered.
The drones flew out of their reach and took them to the base camp.
Quarry's jeep un-camouflaged and he shot several nets at the bots, which almost got them.
"After him!" Heatwave ordered.
The bots chased Quarry.
"Alright then. Plan 'B'," Quarry said as he backed up his jeep and drove off into the jungle.
The bots ran to the top of a hill and saw Quarry facing them.
"Hello. Although you're no Dinobots, you have proven you'll make a fine addition to Quarry Safari Land. Congratulations," Quarry pressed a button.
Several metal bars surrounded them, and laser locked on top.
Red alert gulped.
The bots tried to break down the cage.
"Easy, big bruisers. Or you'll never see your human mates again," Quarry threatened.
"Back off. For now," Robot Heatwave said.
"Besides, the Titan Gorillas of the Congo couldn't break out of that cage."
Several Q Drones carried them to the base camp.
"Ahh, yeah. Now…" Quarry got a net launcher as he got out of his jeep. "Time I got serious about bagging my dino. Advanced or not, you don't stand a chance against the keen instincts of a raw hunter!"
Jackie tapped his shoulder. "I see you found my friend, but…" she pointed behind them where Optimus was.
Optimus roared at them.
"Might wanna get your instinct prescription renewed," Jackie said.
Quarry aimed his net launcher at him, but Optimus used his sonic roar to knock him back.
"Oof! Uunh!" Quarry grunted.
Optimus stomped on the net launcher, breaking it.
"Q Droone, containment!" Quarry ordered.
"Dude, take cover!" Jackie tried to lead Optimus four drones caught him in an energy field.
"It's hardly sporting of me, I know. But we won't tell anyone, will we? Besides, tomorrow's another hunt," Quarry put his hat back on.
"Not for you, I'm afraid," Graham said as he appeared behind him. He motioned for Dino Boulder to come through the foliage and he and Lindsy came into view.
Boulder through a rock at the drones, destroying them and freeing Optimus.
Jackie used her agsaber to mount Optimus before changing it to 'harness'.
"You think you've won?" Quarry asked.
"We'll find out in a few minutes," Jackie said.
"No man, beast, OR machine has ever bested Coronel Quint Quarry!" he ran to his jeep.
"Come on, Op. let's chase him down," Jackie kicked him slightly and pulled the reins in the right direction.
Boulder totaled the jeep and Jackie and Optimus kept Quarry from running.
"Okay. You win… today!" Quarry ran to the jungle.
Optimus tried to run after him, pulled the reins back and Lindsy put the patch on him.
Optimus growled.
"Hey, earth to Optimus Prime! Anyone home?" Jackie said as she pulled the reins again.
"I… I-I am. The others. They may need our help," Optimus said.
Xxx
The humans were dropped into a cage while the bots were loaded into a helijet.
"Ow!" Cody held his right ankle.
"Cody, you okay?" Raychel asked.
"I think I sprained my ankle."
Quarry ran in and closed and locked the gate behind him.
Boulder knocked down the gate.
"Are you serious?" Raychel asked.
"Is that Boulder?" Cody asked.
"Q Drones, we're out here!" Quarry said as he ran to the helijet.
Jackie and Optimus followed behind Boulder.
"Now!" Jackie pointed at the incoming drones.
Optimus used his sonic roar to destroy them.
Quarry got in his helijet and started to take off.
A red EMP caused the helijet to crash and Quarry got out.
"Boulder, Optimus, you help the bots get out. I'll check on Cody," Jackie dismounted and used her agsaber to break the humans out. "Cody, you hurt?"
"He sprained his ankle," T.J. said.
Jackie turned to quarry. "He's hurt. You're dragon meal." She turned dragon.
"Oh, my god! I thought you were talking about a monitor lizard!" Quarry backed into a corner.
"Whoa! Jackie, don't eat him!" Graham said as Boulder and Optimus held her back.
Quarry found a working Q Drone and used it to escape.
"Jackie!" everyone scolded.
"You let him go!" Kade said.
Optimus sighed as he transformed back into bot mode. "Let's regroup and go back to Griffin Rock."
They then heard a dog barking.
Jackie went to the garage and came back with the Russian Bear Dog.
"Is that a bear?!" T.J. exclaimed.
"I believe that is a breed of dog," Optimus said.
"Blades, Dani, K-9, we're heading home," Chief commed.
"Oh, thank—" BANG "-AHH!" Blades yelled.
Xxx
Optimus thanked the rescue team and ordered Team Prime to get the energon from Quarry's island before leaving.
Xxx
Heatwave was getting ready for his night shift with Kade when he saw First Aid recharging on the couch.
First Aid's alter hadn't left for hours after they rescued Cody and Optimus.
Razor said it could be concerning if Red Alert was present for more than one or two hours.
Heatwave knew that his carrier was currently recharging in First Aid's room and his 'sire' in Chroma's old room.
He picked up First Aid up and carried him to his room, tucked him in the berth, and left a note in case he was confused when he woke up.
He took the lift to the garage where Kade was.
"What took you?" Kade impatiently asked.
"First Aid was recharging on the couch, so I moved him to my room," Heatwave said.
"Are you sure he's okay with it?"
"Well, I left a note," Heatwave transformed into his alt mode.
"What are you gonna do with him?" Kade got in Heatwave and buckled his seatbelt.
"He's got a few more rescues to get my trust, but things are hopeful."