Amid the bustle of the Maximal military base, a new recruit is added to Darkwave's unit. Noticing the large amount of combat the unit has been seeing, the authorities add a combat medic to the team: a female named Otternaut. Meeting the combat-obsessed Tusk makes her ill at ease, but the idea that the unit is in good standing with celebrities like Rhinox and Optimus Primal makes her feel somewhat better.
Stormcrow, the newest Maximal, discovers that he is being shadowed by Medusa. He tells her there are some important items left behind in his parents' home, and that he is going to be spending the night there. As Stormcrow goes through his mother's collection of inventions, Medusa notices a very important-looking device: Blackarachnia's Transmetal II Driver. When she inquires about it, Stormcrow says he plans to take it to Rhinox for further evaluation.
On a space station circling Cybertron, Swiftsting and his troops discuss their plans from within individual jail cells. All are upset to be betrayed by the Maximals they thought were offering them aid and sanctuary. Swiftsting, after speaking with Stahldrache, decides his only current recourse is to use his Transmetal II telepathy to contact Upgrade for help. However, it seems his former subcommander is not currently receptive.
Rhinox is currently down in the Red Hall, former home of the priestesses of Unicron. Here, he studies the protoformation pit where the Green Daughters were born. Starfire is very interested in making friends with Rhinox, but his lack of scientific knowledge starts to irritate the Maximal researcher. When Starfire attempts to look into Rhinox's microscope, the rhino explains that it seems the Daughters were using Mindrazor's DNA to clone false Unicronian protoforms. When Stormcrow arrives in the hall, he speaks with Rhinox about the Daughters' inventions and their driver. Rhinox advises Stormcrow to inspect the Transmetallization room in the Red Hall. He also tells Stormcrow that the cult leader, who is captured here in the hall, is a Maximal named Destine. Stormcrow visits the cult leader first, telling Medusa to wait outside. He then spends nearly half a megacycle yelling at the cultist, demanding her to repent her evil ways. Medusa and Stormcrow find the Daughters' Transmetal II device, and compare it with the original. Medusa, who is adept at scientific matters, explains that the only difference between the two is that the Daughters' version is more perfect: as if it were built from plans drawn up from the original. Stormcrow deduces that his mother must have given the plans to several other Maximals, and that one of them must have later joined, if not founded, the cult, and passed on the information. However, the plans are nowhere to be found, as the scientist who used them is dead. He tells Medusa to hold onto the duplicate driver, and they will take it to the Maximal High Council in the morning. He plans to keep the original for himself and for free distribution, as his mother would have wanted no less. He simply promises to be more choosy about whom he passes the information to.
Rhinox, still attempting to get Starfire out of his way, suggests that the young Maximal should speak with the cult leader, as she is probably in need of some friendship after Stormcrow's religious tirade. Starfire attempts to comfort a crying Destine, but does little good. The female explains that she will be leaving the Red Hall in a few days with the priestess Lightbreeze, who is taking her in as an acolyte as part of a campaign to save her spark from the Pit. She also confides to Starfire about some of the travesties she committed and ordered when she was in charge of the Daughters. Tarantulas, who was fond of corrupting Maximal women, was her biological father. She ordered his resurrection because she was fascinated by his legacy, but regretted it once she had met him in person. However, she is still angered at Stormcrow for ruining her hard work. She tells Starfire that the Last Maximal is an agent of Primus, and that he frightens her.
Darkwave spends the entire day communicating with Teletran II. He searches the databanks for information on completing a Autobot or Decepticon frame, hoping to build one in order to shed his protoform before it ages and dies.
Meanwhile, his Maximal unit is discussing the new recruit. Otternaut moves into her quarters, and immediately runs afoul of Tusk. Rather than start a fight with him, she files a complaint report, and he is placed in the brig. Starfire returns to the barracks, and, soon, Darkwave as well. Darkwave commends Armageddon for good behavior while he was out, and promotes Starfire, who has passed the test for his next rank. Otternaut is particularly awed by the commander, commenting on his "distinguished ancestry" without seeing him as a Decepticon.
Stormcrow returns to his parents' home, Medusa still with him. Her ship and belongings still in Predacon territory, Medusa readily assumes that Stormcrow will allow her to spend the night. He agrees, saying that she can sleep in the spare room, or at his side, if she prefers. She chooses to sleep at his side.
Stormcrow is somewhat surprised to see Medusa is still with him the next morning. The pair heads out to the Maximal capitol, and Optimus allows them to the top floor, where Elita One is in her office. Stormcrow explains the situation behind the duplicate Transmetal II Driver, and then deposits the item in the fifth floor lab, speaking briefly with Cheetor, who is still aiding the researchers in their Transmetal II experiments, but, by Elita's decree, is being treated more humanely.
Starfire, full of his new rank and position, tells the others he is going to see Rhinox again today. Otternaut and Tusk both offer to come along. Tusk seems more interested in the cult's sense of décor, but Otternaut is genuinely impressed by Rhinox. Starfire tells Rhinox what Destine told him: that Stormcrow is an "angel," sent by Primus himself to destroy the spawn. After a short discussion, the Maximals go to speak with Destine, still in confinement. As the topic of religious conversion swings around again, Otternaut mentions a priest in Cybertropolis who is a good friend of hers. She offers to arrange a meeting with him so Destine and Starfire can learn more about Primus and the Matrix, and so the Maximals can discuss the omen that Stormcrow represents.
Darkwave again leaves his unit, saying he has business which will cause him to be off-planet for a short time. On the space station complex, he meets Shockwave in person. Shockwave explains to him the details of his plan. He will take the captured Predacons back to Megatron, and offer to join with Megatron as a loyal troop. His Soundwave-like appearance will help him in gaining Megatron's trust, as well as leading a squadron of troops made up of the madman's known allies. As his contact with Shockwave: he will have a special informant. Darkwave is extremely pleased to discover that his informant will be none other than the Decepticon Laserbeak, who was found in a Predacon sector fifty years ago still waiting to give the reincarnated Soundwave his last report.
Re-energized by seeing an old friend, Darkwave approaches the Predacons in their cells. He tells them he is having them transferred to a prison planetside, and that he is going to allow them to escape, and take them as his unit to return to help Megatron. Swiftsting is naturally skeptical, but seeing the proposal as his only alternative for escape, he agrees.