The Autobots are on their way back to Earth in Aron's modified toy rocket, but suddenly they come to a stop. Perceptor says it's odd, but they've totally lost their mobile drive. Inferno tells him way to go, as he thought he said he could keep this toy rocket running. Perceptor can't give an answer, but then everything begins to shake.



Their ship is towed into another, larger ship via a tractor beam. The Autobots step out and are surrounded by guards, who take them into a room. They are trapped in tubes, as the freighter's Captain welcomes them.



His name is Bosch, and when Optimus Prime tells him to release them immediately, he says no dice -drastic times call for drastic measures, and he activates the tubes. The Autobots get shocked, as Bosch explains that their weapons are deactivated, their inherent powers are nullified and their free will is suspended. They are now instant slaves!



Or at least they all would be if it wasn't for the fact that Smokescreen's tube isn't working. Bosch isn't too pleased, as he used his last bit of energon to operate these chambers, and Smokescreen is allowed out. He goes to shoot Bosch, but one of Bosch's crew shoots him with a paralyzing blast. Bosch takes his gun and says violence is unnecessary, and the effect will wear off shortly.



Smokescreen wants to know what he's going to do with them, and Bosch says he's going to sell them, as how else can he get the energon he needs to power this ship? Not to mention the chambers, which remove and restore the free will of his companions. Bosch then has a go on his slot machine, but he can't win -something he's not too happy about as he had it fixed so he could cheat!



Smokescreen can move again and says he can show Bosch how it's done. Bosch says very well, but if he loses, he loses his very existence. Smokescreen has a secret way to win, and attaches a wire from his wrist to the machine. He plays it and he wins on his first go.



Bosch thinks he's a gambling whiz, but Smokescreen explains that it's all in the wrist. Bosch thinks if they could get to Monacus, they could win stacks of energon chips. Smokescreen asks what Monacus is, and Bosch tells him it's the biggest gambling asteroid in the galaxy. With Smokescreen's talents, he could clean up! Smokescreen tells him they could clean up, to which Bosch agrees. They could use his robot friends as collateral, so they can get some energon chips to gamble with, and then win enough energon to fuel the freighter. Smokescreen says in addition to that, he could have his friends returned to normal. Bosch agrees with this term, and says it seems they need each other's help.



Bosch opens the chamber tubes and uses a device to shrink the Autobots down. He places them in a box and takes it with him, as he and Smokescreen board a smaller ship and head off to Monacus.



They arrive at the asteroid and land. Bosch tells the Autobot just wait until he sees all the action here, but they have a ways to walk. Smokescreen introduces himself and says he doesn't walk -he drives. He transforms and gives Bosch a lift as they drive towards the bright lights.



They arrive and Bosch sees one guy, but he refuses his robot offer -he already has robots up to his eyeballs this week. Bosch tells Smokescreen that the only chance they have now is with Lord Gyconi. Smokescreen has to drive to Sheol, a small colony on the dark side of Monacus. Bosch warns that the low life here is low. They arrive and see the name of the place -"Lord Gyconi's Pit of Destruction".



They enter and see a battle happening in the pit. Bosch explains to Smokescreen that one of the creatures is an Animalien -anyone dumb enough to pay ten energon chips to stay in the pit with one for sixty seconds wins. If they manage that, they win their life, and also a hundred energon chips, but few walk away with either. Just then Gyconi's servant, Slizardo, walks up to them. He doesn't speak English but Bosch can understand him, and tells Smokescreen Slizardo wants them to pay five energon chips each for coming in here.



Bosch tells him they're here to see Lord Gyconi on some official business. Slizardo takes them to Gyconi, who asks what they offer as collateral. Bosch shows him the four Autobots, and restores them to their original sizes. Gyconi offers them fifty energon chips -at five hundred percent interest.



Bosch says no way, as he thinks that's too steep. Gyconi says that's his best offer, so they can either take it or leave it. Smokescreen says they'll take it and picks up the chips, but Gyconi warns them that it's payable within the hour. One minute longer, and the Autobots belong to him. Smokescreen isn't happy, but Bosch tells him they don't have much time.



Gyconi watches them leave, and then tells Slizardo to prepare the Autobots for tonight's fights. Meanwhile, Smokescreen and Bosch hit the casino and quickly rack up energon chips. Bosch tells Smokescreen that what he's won is enough, they have more energon chips than they'll ever need and they need to go as they'll run out of time. But Smokescreen says to trust him, as they're doing great -thanks to his special connection. He decides to bet everything on the next go.



Before he plays the machine again, one of the casino workers spots the wire he has attached to the machine. He removes it without Smokescreen noticing, just as he plays the machine -resulting in him losing!



The two realize they've lost everything! They go back to Gyconi, who tells them it's too bad things didn't work out for them, but the Autobots are now his. He gives them two free passes for tonight's show -the Animaliens Vs the Autobots!



Smokescreen says his friends will be torn apart, but Gyconi tells him he knew the score, and tells them to get out of here. Smokescreen is about to give Gyconi a piece of his mind when Slizardo points a gun at him. Smokescreen tells Gyconi to not think he's seen the last of him, as he and Bosch leave. Gyconi tells Slizardo to follow them, as he wants to know what they're up to. Elsewhere on Monacus, Astrotrain lands.



As he comes to a stop, Dirge and Ramjet depart from him, not pleased he's landed so far from town. Astrotrain says they're lucky they made it this far, as he burned every ounce of fuel just to get here. He tells them to hurry up and get the energon, and as they leave, he complains it's always the same thing -he flies them to points unknown, exhausts all his fuel, and they get to have all the fun. As Dirge and Ramjet walk, Dirge tells Ramjet he has a creepy feeling that they're being monitored. Ramjet tells him to stop it, as the only thing here is sand and more sand.



But not far away, an Autobot is watching them: Devcon. He reports in his log that he has followed the Decepticons to Monacus, and will continue to monitor all activity. Meanwhile, Smokescreen and Bosch have gone to a bar, where Smokescreen mopes if only he'd stopped before that last bet. Bosch says he knows what he means, as if only he had an energon chip for every time he's said that himself. Smokescreen says they must figure a way out to save the Autobots, and Bosch suggest they check out the action at Gyconi's tonight.



Nearby Slizardo is being harassed by a couple of patrons, but Devcon saves him. As Devcon walks by, Smokescreen happens to notice him, and the fact that he has an Autobot symbol on his chest. Smokescreen calls out to him and Devcon is pleased to see another Autobot. He sits down at their table and says he left Cybertron millions of years ago during the Great War.



Before he can continue Slizardo interrupts him and Bosch tells Devcon he's pledging his eternal gratitude and loyalty to him, for saving his life earlier. Devcon says fine but as Slizardo continues to thank him, he knocks him back. Devcon says he is a bounty hunter, and is searching for Decepticons, to bring them to justice. He's followed three of them here to Sheol: Astrotrain, Dirge and Ramjet.



Meanwhile Dirge and Ramjet have gone to pay Gyconi a visit. Dirge says they've been hearing stories about him, stories that make Megatron very unhappy. Ramjet has head he's been skimming energon off the top, to which Gyconi says that's a lie. Ramjet says that's good, because if Megatron thought he was cheating him, he could be in big trouble. Dirge then sees a couple of passes for the Animaliens vs Autobots show. Ramjet says this is very good.



He tells him they'll stick around for a while, as this is one show they can't miss. Later on, a massive crowd is gathered at the pit, as the show is about to begin. Behind the scenes, Gyconi injects the Autobots with some unstable energon -it'll enable the Autobots to fight fiercely, but only for a few minutes.



Its effects will wear off quickly, which ensures they will lose in the fights, all whilst he'll get thousands of energon chips. He say it's show time, and heads back up to the pit. He tells the crowd that tonight, for the first time anywhere in the galaxies, they'll witness the feudalistic spectacle of the millennium!



Smokescreen and Bosch watch as Gyconi says he'll cover any bets on the Autobots, and says he doesn't think they'll last longer than two minutes. There are no takers, so Gyconi starts the first match. Optimus Prime is the first to go up against an Animalien.



Thanks to the unstable energon, Prime is able to hold his own against his opponent, and suddenly a whole lot of energon chip bets are being throw Gyconi's way. As Slizardo picks them up, Prime's energon begins to wear off, and his opponent wrestles him to the ground.



Smokescreen says he'll stop this right now, but Bosch convinces him not to rush in, as if he does, they crowd will tear them to pieces. They instead leave and head outside, but Smokescreen has a plan. He transforms and heads back in, entering through one of the pit's gates. He starts blowing smoke everywhere...



...and soon the entire pit is covered. Everyone rushes to take their energon chips back, and then flee from the pit.



Gyconi wonders who could have done this to him, and Ramjet says it must have been Smokescreen. Gyconi orders him and Dirge to get the Autobot, so they transform and take off. They soon find Smokescreen driving away, so open fire on him.



After missing with their lasers, they start dropping bombs, and Smokescreen gets hit and flipped over. But before they can finish the job, Devcon appears and shoots them down.



They transform and Ramjet wonders who that guy was, but Dirge knows: Devcon, the bounty hunter. They decide to get out of here before he comes back to finish them off. Devcon flips Smokescreen back over and Bosch asks what those things were. Smokescreen says they were Decepticons -the enemies of the Autobots. Bosch doesn't think they should be able to run around loose like that! Smokescreen tells Devcon they could use someone like him back on Earth, but Devcon tells him he must leave the protection of Earth to him and his comrades. But he will help them rescue their friends here.



They head out, but Slizardo appears. Bosch translates what he's saying: the Decepticons and Gyconi are leaving Sheol with the Autobots! He also finds out that they are going to meet someone called Astrotrain. Not far away, the Autobot slaves are being used to fill up Astrotrain with energon cubes. Astrotrain is happy, because he can use some of the energon for fuel.



However, Smokescreen's group then show up, and Smokescreen tells the Decepticons to give them the Autobots. Ramjet asks if they'd like some laser beams instead, and starts firing at them. The Autobots head for cover and fire back.



Ramjet orders Gyconi to take the Autobots into Astrotrain, and he starts to move them. As the Decepticons and Autobots continue firing at each other, Bosch and Slizardo are able to move forward and corner Gyconi. Gyconi orders Slizardo to take Bosch's gun away, but Slizardo refuses and Bosch tells Gyconi that Slizardo is through taking orders from him.



Astrotrain finishes re-energizing and transforms, then tells them to prepare to meet his friend: Mr. Ionic Displacer. Meanwhile Smokescreen tells Devcon to cover him, as he transforms and moves in. He circles the Decepticons and Autobots whilst blowing smoke everywhere.



As the Decepticons stagger around, Bosch and Slizardo lead the Autobots away. Astrotrain transforms and tells his allies to get in.



He takes off and flies away, but as the smoke clears, Devcon says he can't let them escape -the Decepticons must be stopped at all costs. He transforms and tells Slizardo he invites him to join him as his partner. Slizardo jumps in...



...and as Bosch and Smokescreen wave goodbye, Devcon takes off with Slizardo, and they head after Astrotrain. Later on, the Autobots are restored to their usual selves, but they can't remember anything that's happened with the Animaliens. The last thing Inferno remembers is that Bosch was trying to fry them!



Smokescreen explains that Bosch is their friend, and he's agreed to take them back to Earth. Bosch says he has, but they used nearly all the energon chips to restore the ship and the Autobots. And seeing how casino row is right over there... Smokescreen asks if they can have a little R&R, to which Prime says why not. The Autobots transform and head towards the casino, as Bosch gets in Smokescreen and tells his partner to go. But this time, leave the gambling to him!



NOTES

-This episode follows up on the events of the episode Child's Play. But for the original broadcast order, both Quest for Survival and The Secret of Omega Supreme aired before this episode.

-This is Devcon's only appearance. Slizardo will make another appearance in the third season, but is no longer with Devcon. Devcon didn't have a toy and the character was created specifically for the cartoon.

Previous Episode
Return
Next Episode