Back on Cybertron, the party for Earth is preparing to depart. Thundershot packs up as much energon as he can fit onto a transport, and brushes up on his piloting skills. Darkecho returns to check on his misfits in their subterranean home, finding them under the protection of the stripped-from-command and somewhat inebriated Buzzkill. After the two catch up on events and share gossip about the fate of Rodimus Prime, Darkecho is satisfied with the groups' condition (which is no worse than usual). The entire party regroups at the Predacon border the next day, this time, at the edge of a more northern and more poverty-stricken sector. Beetalion, with Stalker as his lieutenant, arrives in a large transport to escort them to his starship. Needless to say, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt already have their concerns about the trip, but Beetalion ensures them that he chose this crew specifically. Just to be on the safe side, he has Stalker run a routine scan of the crew: she finds that most signatures check out, but that Caesar was apparently trying to stow away a few extra, miniaturized Warders. Beetalion orders that the extra cargo be left behind, but admires the cat for the attempt at treachery so early in the journey.
The Axalon II crew spends some time recovering from their battle at Centauri. Cheetor is furious with Miriam, who took the normally-Predacon approach of finishing off her opponent while she was down, and is reprimanded for the action. Octane, however, comes to her defense, and kills two more downed Predacons right before Cheetor's astonished eyes. Cheetor can't presume to give orders to the much older Maximal, and is even more upset when Klaatu asks if he can take Predacon bodies as spare parts. He denies the request, focusing instead on restocking his ship. While the crew takes their turns in the R Chamber and refuels on some of Centauri's particularly excellent energon, Octane and Miriam resume their time alone. He offers her his symbol: a Maximal jewel she can wear to remember him by. Cheetor plots a new course, one that brings the ship out to inspect the Transwarp anomaly.
The group on Cybertron are accustoming themselves to the console of Beetalion's starship, Demon. They take off, with Optimus navigating and heading at maximum warp for that same anomaly, the edge of the restricted zone. There is a near-altercation when Axalon II picks up a Predacon vessel on the scanners. They also pick up a second Predacon signature, but, the ship is cloaked, and they can't find its exact location. They hail the visible ship. Cheetor is surprised to see his old mentor flying a Predacon vessel, but still can't go against council orders, and tells Optimus to turn back. Under Beetalion's command, Demon fires the first and only shot, denting the Axalon II stasis hold, and the ship cruises directly into the anomaly. Axalon II follows, hitting Transwarp at full speed. In the chaos of the time warp, the blind Darkecho is caught directly in the flash, and Transmetallized. Directly beyond the wall of time is Planet Earth, the Demon's final destination. The ship sets down in a lush jungle, near the Humans' Valley. Edge gets a readout on the Axalon II's damage; it is fully repairable, but some of the protoforms in stasis were probably Transmetallized. With the teams safe, intact, and in some ways improved, they disembark and step out into the sun.