While Perceptor concludes that only a Cityspeaker can awaken Iaconus, Hot Rod leads a team to free more of their comrades from the Quintessons' parade loop. However, the Quintessons discover Hot Rod's resistance team, capturing Hot Rod in the process. Meanwhile, Whirl inadvertently frees Soundwave from the loop when he dislodges the machinery attached to him though Soundwave is currently in poor health. Hot Rod, in the meantime, is brought in front of a Quintesson Judge who explains that they travel to different universes to judge if they are worthy. The Judge deems Hot Rod guilty but Hot Rod escapes with Whirl coming to his rescue, after which, Hot Rod thanks Whirl who is then "thanked" by Soundwave.
When Bumblebee can't remember what his current mission on Earth is, Windblade repairs his memory chips, enabling him to rediscover his past adventures on Cybertron. When his memories are being repaired, Bumblebee gets a clue that will lead both him and Windblade to complete their mission and save their friends, unaware that Megatron sent his Decepticon assassins to hunt them down.