Trypticon stomps his way through a city, but Metroplex warns him that if he takes one more step, he'll be scrap metal. Metroplex fires a couple of missiles at him, as the two get into a fight.
It turns out that this fight is recorded footage from when the two previously fought each other. As the Autobots watch, Grimlock says he's seen this part 10 times already, and tells Teletraan II to fast forward to the good part. Teletraan II asks him to define what he means by "good part".
Rodimus Prime says he means when Metroplex scraps Trypticon. Skydive says it's where Metroplex pulverizes Trypticon, and finishes him off forever. Teletraan II says that request can't be fulfilled, as it never happened. Rodimus says that Metroplex hurled Trypticon into the ocean, and he never resurfaced. Teletraan II say affirmative, but Metroplex did not finish Trypticon off forever.
Seaspray and Broadside are sent to investigate. Seaspray dives down to where Trypticon had last been seen, and sees that the Decepticon has been on the move -he finds giant footprints on the ocean floor. He returns to the surface and says that there are no remains of Trypticon down there. It seems that whilst Trypticon sank, he didn't kick the bucket. He took a hike and left a trail going due east.
Elsewhere at sea, a cruise ship passes by African nation of Carbombya. The ship's captain tells the passengers that there is no danger for them to be here, as long as they stay beyond the three mile limit, no one will harm them. But the ship is suddenly comes under missile attack.
On the beach, Trypticon is sat there in his base mode, firing a few more rockets. He transforms just as Octane pulls up and tells him not to overexerting himself, as he's just starting to recover. Trypticon says he's a big hero now, as he's attacked an enemy boat. Octane says he's wasting all of his energy shooting at vacation cruise ships. Trypticon is still convinced he's not wasting anything, and has destroyed a dangerous enemy.
The two head back off to the city, but Trypticon complains he must rest, as he's walked too far. Octane tells him it's just as he's said -he's still convalescent, and hasn't gotten over the bashing he took from Metroplex. Trypticon thinks he should have stayed longer on Dinobot island, as he doesn't like Carbombya. Octane tells him the climate of Carbombya is much better for his health, and the oil here makes the best energon in the galaxy! At the palace, Abdul Fakkadi says that those two Decepticons have outlived their usefulness to him. He can no longer tolerate them in his Carbombya.
His aides say that Trypticon and Octane have been very useful at keeping the fanatics and Imperialists away from the coastline, but Fakkadi is concerned about how much oil they use to create energon. 1,000 barrels of oil makes one tiny cube of energon, and Trypticon drinks 50 energon cubes an hour! At the oilfields, energon production is still going on.
As Trypticon consumes some cubes, Octane says Carbombya energon could make him the strongest Decepticon in the galaxy, and he guarantees Trypticon he'll be as good as new in six months. Trypticon isn't too happy to find out how long it'll now take, as Octane had said it'd take one more week previously. Just then, Fakkadi and a few of his men ride up on camels. Fakkadi says that he, as supreme military commander, king of kings and president for life of the socialist democratic federative republic of Carbombya, he orders the Decepticons out of his country by sunset tomorrow. If they don't leave, he'll call in the Autobots.
Octane asks who will guard the coastline if they aren't around, but Fakkadi says he'll have radar guided rocket defenses installed. Octane says he and Trypticon want to turn his country into a paradise, but he says it already is. Octane says they'll make it a rich paradise -does he like gold? Fakkadi says he's interested, but it'll take all the gold of the United States to persuade him to let them stay another day. With no choice left, Octane and Trypticon head to Kentucky, and approach Fort Knox.
Octane drops off a few energon cubes and tells Trypticon to re-juice himself, as he doesn't want him to go snapping any of his interior muscle cables. Trypticon consumes a cube, as Octane tells him to take the goods. Trypticon lifts up the entire building, taking all the gold with it.
Trypticon and Octane arrive back in Carbombya, and Fakkadi admits that they haven't done such a bad job. He's decided that they may remain in Carbombya, but only until the next crescent moon. And Trypticon will be on strict rations of 1,000 barrels of oil per day. Octane says they'll both starve, but Fakkadi tells him if he doesn't like his offer, he'll call in the Autobots.
The Autobots arrive at where Fort Knox used to be. Rodimus says whoever it was, they made off with Fort Knox like a thief in the night. Grimlock checks out a few energon cubes left behind, but says they smell different. Perceptor wonders if these cubes were left here to trick them, believing they may be covered in some sort of corrosive or poison. He examines one of the cubes, Grimlock says he can sense dinosaur transform static all around here, and wonders if one of the Dinobots did the crime. Perceptor thinks that's highly improbable, as whilst the Dinobots are primitive, they are Autobots. Metroplex says they can't rule anything out -they'll have to interrogate all of the Dinobots.
Back on Carbombya, Octane says if they drink enough of this energon, soon they'll take over as leaders of the Decepticons -partners forever! But in the meantime, they have to keep his worthiness, the imperial master of slaves, happy, so he doesn't let the Autobots mess up their plan. His excellency wants a new palace, so they'll get him one.
Trypticon is sent to India, where he steals the Taj Mahal. He brings it back to Carbombya, and Fakkadi is pleased. He thinks that if that dim-witted dinosaur keeps bringing him monuments from all over the world, they'll have a thriving tourist trade. But things are about to get a whole lot worse for him, as Galvatron leads a group of Decepticons to Carbombya. Galvatron tells the Decepticons that they'll bring Trypticon back to the fold, and punish that renegade, Octane.
The Decepticons land right next to Trypticon, and Galvatron blasts an energon cube out of Octane's hands. He accuses Octane of being a traitor, as he had no permission to take Trypticon away from Dinobot island. He says he needed Trypticon for his plans of conquering the Earth, now because of him, he may never recover.
Octane tells him he's got it all wrong -they've discovered a fantastic new type of energon, which is helping Trypticon get all better quick. He tells him to try some, and tosses him an energon cube. Galvatron drinks it and gives it his approval -it makes him feel stronger and more powerful.
Meanwhile, Six-Gun has gathered up the Dinobots and Sky Lynx, to figure out if any of them were involved in the theft of Fort Knox and the Taj Mahal. Scamper says that Grimlock sniffed lots of dinosaur transform static at Fort Knox. Sky Lynx asks why he is here, as he isn't a Dinobot. Six-Gun tells him he has dinosaur electrons in his circuits. Sky Lynx still says he's not a Dinobot, and refuses to participate in this kangaroo court.
Perceptor runs out and tells them to stop this childish bickering. He says all of the Autobots are definitely innocent, as the energon they've found is a Decepticon formula -it's made up of oil from Africa, from Carbombya. He says he thinks that's where Trypticon has been hiding, and must be the dinosaur behind all this. Six-Gun thinks he's right, as Trypticon is the only Decepticon big enough to have carried off all of the buildings.
Broadside is sent to Carbombya, and has the Aerialbots on him. He sees no sign of Trypticon, but then does see the pirated buildings ahead. He's about to dispatch the Aerialbots when Trypticon suddenly rises out of the sea, and is carrying the Eiffel Tower! The Aerialbots are sent out.
Inside Fakkadi's new palace, Fakkadi tells the Decepticons he won't tolerate this -nobody invited the Decepticons here, and he wants them out. Galvatron tells Octane to make Fakkadi see reason, as he has such a way with words. As they talk, Air Raid reports to Broadside they he's picking up the sound of Decepticons inside the Taj Mahal.
Octane tells Fakkadi that they'd like him to go on running his country. They'll even fetch him the Kremlin from Moscow, which could become his new political center, a showpiece for his capital. But the Decepticons will be taking control of his oil. Fakkadi thinks they're trying to make him a hostage in his own country, and warns them not to force him to call in the Autobots. As Galvatron laughs at him, they hear Trypticon making noise outside. Trypticon plants the Eiffel Tower behind the Taj Mahal, but then sees the Aerialbots. He transforms and opens fire on them.
Having heard the noise outside, the Decepticons blast their way out of the palace and also engage the Aerialbots. But Galvatron orders the Decepticons to return to Carbombya, as they're getting low on super energon.
The Autobots head to Moscow, where they watch some Russian folk dancing. Rodimus says he'd feel safer of Metroplex was here, but Perceptor says he got caught in a blizzard in Siberia. Trypticon then arrives and takes the Kremlin. The Autobots fire at him, but Rodimus says that without Metroplex, they can't stop him.
Trypticon stomps off with the building, but Metroplex arrives and tells him to hold it right there. Metroplex uses his chest laser to shoot at him, so Trypticon throws the Kremlin at him.
Metroplex is able to catch it, as Trypticon runs off. The Russian army arrive, and mistake Metroplex for being the thief -they start shooting at him, as he tries to explain that he didn't steal the Kremlin.
They don't listen, and instead keep firing. Later on, a Russian news report is broadcast, where Russia accuses the Autobots of this imperialist plot to steal the Kremlin. The army has orders to expel all Autobots from the Soviet Union. The Autobots head back to Autobot City, where some Russian soldiers confront them. Rodimus tries to explain that this is all a misunderstanding, and it was the Decepticons that caused the trouble.
Grimlock watches an Indian news report, where the reporter states that since Metroplex was caught stealing the Kremlin in Moscow, the government of India now accuses the Autobots of being behind the theft of the Taj Mahal. Grimlock says this is grim -the whole Earth thinks Autobots are building-snatchers. Fakkadi then contacts the Autobots, telling them they are having an international crisis in Carbombya. He urgently requests that they invade his country, to expel all of the fanatic Decepticons. His transmission gets cut short when Galvatron destroys the camera.
Galvatron laughs and tells him thanks to the energon they made form his oil, he's stronger than ever. He has Fakkadi and some of his followers locked away. Galvatron tells the other Decepticons that from now on, they'll make all the super energon they need. Then, they'll destroy the Autobots forever!
But then they are attacked by the Aerialbots. Broadside moves in and more Autobots arrive on Carbombya, as they get into a big battle with the Decepticons.
Metroplex emerges from the sea, and tells Trypticon he's had his last warning from him. He tears out a spire and hurls it at Trypticon, which impales him.
Trypticon nearly falls onto the Taj Mahal, but Metroplex prevents him from doing that just in time. He throws Trypticon off a cliff and into the sea, where he short-circuits and sinks.
Metroplex then heads over to help out the other Autobots. Galvatron says they can't hold out any longer, and he and the other Decepticons retreat.
Fakkadi is released, and he thanks Rodimus Prime for saving his country. For that, he would even allow the Autobots to stay here, and join his army. Rodimus says no thanks and tells him to keep his offers -just give back the gold. Fakkadi says he supposes the gold has to go back, and Rodimus tells him indeed it does. And he also wants Fakkadi's word that he'll never cooperate with the Decepticons again. Fakkadi says Rodimus has his word of honor.
As Fakkadi goes on to say he swears on grave of my mother's camel and more, Metroplex returns all of the monuments to their rightful places.
NOTES
-The Secret Files segment for this episode is about the Decepticons.
-This episode is the prequel to Starscream's Ghost, but was originally broadcast after it. Galvatron isn't angry with Octane by the end of this episode, but at the start of Starscream's Ghost, he suddenly wants him destroyed.
-Voice actor Casey Kasem -who was originally supposed to voice Teletraan II -left the series over this episode, not happy with the way the only Arab character in it was a bad guy, with no good Arab character to balance it out. You can read his thoughts on the matter here. Frank Welker replaced Kasem as the voice of Teletraan II.
-Trypticon and Galvatron mention Dinobot island, which was last seen in the second season.
-Six-Gun makes his only appearance in the series in this episode. Six-Gun's toy is created from all of the guns of Metroplex, and can't transform. Six-Gun's voice actor, Maurice LaMarche, really didn't get along with the show's voice director, Wally Burr, during the recording session, as this interview mentions (scroll down about two thirds of the way).
-It also marks the first time Scamper speaks in an episode. Scamper has appeared before, but didn't move, he was just shown to be parked in Metroplex. This time he does speak and move, but doesn't transform. Scamper's toy came with Metroplex's.
-Finally, Slammer also appears. Slammer is a non-transforming tank, who never speaks -although it appears he was meant to be able to as Chris Latta was cast to voice him. Again, Slammer's toy was only available with Metroplex.
-This episode also shows Metroplex and Autobot City as being two separate things:
Which is my preferred way of viewing things on this matter. Some previous episodes seem to show that Metroplex and Autobot City are the same thing, but this one makes it clear that they aren't.