Bumblebee and Chromia, using a Camien psychic tracker to find Windblade's fragmented consciousness, track one fragment to the mystical Crystal City. Unfortunately, as the two Autobots explore the city, they are attacked by crystal duplicates of themselves. Bumblebee is forced to use his multiversal powers to defeat the copies, inadvertently freeing a robot wolf in the process. The wolf robot, Thunderhowl, explains his origins and mission to destroy Crystal City before joining forces with the two Autobots. The three Cybertronians venture deeper into the city, fighting off duplicates of themselves and Windblade before retrieving Windblade's first mind fragment from its ruler. Back home, Bumblebee and Chromia deliver their newly gained fragment to Ratchet while Thunderhowl joins the Autobots.
A hooded stranger arrives on Cybertron, searching for Optimus Prime. He first makes a stop at Maccadam's bar (now run by Perceptor), before causing chaos in Decepticon territory. The stranger then sabotages an Autobot restoration effort, gaining the attention of Optimus Prime. The stranger, WildWheel, explains to Optimus that he was one of the Autobots who fell out of the Ark back during the war and had to fight for a ride back to Cybertron. A regretful Optimus apologizes, asking Wildwheel to rejoin the Autobots, but Wildwheel terrorizes the other bystanders, shooting one of them. Enraged, Optimus engages Wildwheel in a standoff and wins. A defeated Wildwheel, however, rejects Optimus' offer to rejoin him and heads off to join the Decepticons.