Trailbreaker and Brawn are driving around when two jets pass them. Trailbreaker thinks they look sickeningly familiar, and that's because they are: Brawn says they're Decepticons! It's Starscream and Thundercracker, who transform and land in a refinery. Thundercracker says no Earth steel is going to be strong enough.

Starscream tells him he's in charge, and if he says it's strong enough, then it is. They head inside a factory, which causes the human workers to flee. Thundercracker picks up a steel beam and easily breaks it, and tells Starscream is was nice working with him. As they check out the other steel, Trailbreaker and Brawn arrive.

Starscream shoots at Brawn, forcing him to jump back. Brawn says it's fighting time, but the 2 Decepticons have run outside. Starscream turns around and corrects Brawn, saying it's losing time. He reveals some missile launchers hidden in his chest, and fires a couple of rockets at them.

This destroys the factory, as Starscream says that's what he calls bringing the house down. He and Thundercracker grab some of the remaining steel before transforming and heading back to their HQ. Trailbreaker and Brawn have survived, but as they get out of the wreckage, they see that the Decepticons are long gone. They transform and head back to HQ to report.

They let Optimus Prime know what's happened, and he's puzzled as to why the Decepticons would want steel beams. Bumblebee has a Sky Spy sent out, and Spike says they'll soon know if the Decepticons are up to something. The Sky Spy starts to circle the Earth.

The Decepticons are at an ancient temple. Soundwave says the Incan legend is true: he's scanned the temple and found that this pyramid rests on a shaft, which lays down into the Earth's molten core. Megatron says that if the rest of the legend is accurate... he blasts down part of the temple and says he will soon be the master of the crystal of power.

They quickly find the crystal and Megatron thinks it's magnificent. He removes the crystal and the Decepticons regroup at the top of the temple. He tells Starscream to bring over the weapon he and Thundercracker made with the steel -he hopes it's stronger than his customary resolve in battle! Starscream snatches the crystal and tells him not to question his strength, or this weapon frame.

Starscream connects the crystal the the weapon, but the moment he does there is a surge in power, straight from the Earth's core, which sends him flying back. Megatron congratulates him on doing such an excellent job, then says the power from the Earth's core will serve the Decepticons. As this is going on, the Sky Spy provides imagery of the Andes Mountains in Peru, and Spike says it's picking up a weird energy reading in some ruins.

Laserbeak finds out that they are being spied on, and reports this to Megatron. Megatron says it seems they have an intruder... but not for long. He tests out the new weapon by firing it at the Sky Spy, instantly destroying it.

There is a massive explosion that can be clearly seen in the sky, which worries the local villagers. They see that the blast came from the temple, and one believes the ancient Gods have returned to punish them. Another one, Luisa, tells her grandmother that's not right, as the ancient Gods are history. But if the crystal of power has been rediscovered, they have much to fear.

Megatron is pleased this power is now his, but isn't so pleased with the weapon frame, which has been broken -the heat from the shot has melted it, making it unusable. Starscream tries to pin the blame on Thundercracker, saying he swiped defective steel. Thundercracker says he's lying, but Megatron silences him and punches him off the temple. He tells him that he and Starscream will remain here to guard the temple, whilst Skywarp is to watch both of them and make sure they do no further damage.

Megatron says that there is a mining town nearby, there will be enough metal there for them to make a suitable weapon frame. He and some of the other Decepticons head out. Meanwhile, Sideswipe and Wheeljack have returned to the Arctic Circle, and Sideswipe uses a jackhammer to break apart a particular bit of the ice. The ice breaks apart, and a large cube pops out of the waters, which contains Skyfire!

The two see they've found what they were looking for, and Wheeljack uses a few laser blasts to melt the ice. Skyfire is reactivated and is able to transform. He thanks Wheeljack and is told to head back to HQ to pick up Brawn and Windcharger. He needs to fly them to the Andes Mountains.

He very quickly does this, but as he heads towards the mountains, he comes across Megatron's group. He asks Brawn and Windcharger if they need help, but Brawn says they've got it covered. He tells Skyfire to go and check out the mysterious energy readings in the ruins. He and Windcharger then leap down, and as he lands on Soundwave...

...Windcharger finally gets some action by taking out Reflector. Brawn crashes Soundwave into the side of a mountain, and tells Megatron that he's next. Megatron lands and tells him he must have had a blowout in his logic circuits, as there's no way a midget like him could handle the might of Megatron!

Brawn gets hit and crashes into Soundwave. Windcharger transforms and suggests they peel out of here. Brawn doesn't want to miss out on the fun, prompting Windcharger to say they need to discuss his definition of "fun" sometime. As Laserbeak starts chasing Windcharger, he decides to contact Skyfire.

Soundwave recovers and starts firing at Brawn, as Megatron transforms and tells him to finish him off. Brawn retreats to higher ground and contacts the others, saying if they don't get him out of here there won't be enough of him left for spare parts! Windcharger is still under fire, but responds to Brawn and tells him to be ready, as they'll only have one shot at this. He drives straight towards Brawn.

As he does this, Skyfire arrives, and dives down. Brawn jumps onto Windcharger and the two drive off the hill, just as Megatron tries to get them, but they avoid him and successfully land in Skyfire. Brawn thanks them, but Skyfire it's what friends are for. Windcharger says speaking of friends, they need to russle up a few more, as they've got something big on their hands.

They return to HQ, pick up more Autobots, and then head back to Peru. Skyfire lands and the Autobots roll out, with Skyfire telling Prime that if his sensors are in sync, Megatron is heading towards a mining town that's just up the road. Skyfire blasts off and heads towards the Inca temple, whilst the other Autobots roll out.

At the mining town, the Decepticons have found what they are looking for, and begin to take it, causing the workers there to run away in panic. The Autobots see them and move in, with Prime crashing straight into Megatron. He hits him with enough force that he crashes through a wall, causing his fusion cannon to come off his arm. He goes to get it back, but before he can...

...Brawn gets his hands on it, and decides to give Megatron a dose of his own medicine. He fires and hits the target, but the recoil is so great he falls over. Laserbeak swoops down and snatches the cannon, giving it back to Megatron. Megatron says no one does that to him and continues to function!

As the two sides battle it out, some stray fire hits an electricity pylon, causing it to fall. Luisa happens to be in its way and screams for help, and is saved by Bumblebee and Spike. She thanks them and says the Decepticons are the ones who stole the ancient crystal of power. Bumblebee comes under attack from Laserbeak, so retreats to where Bluestreak is...

...and he shoots Laserbeak down. Spike asks what the crystal of power is, and Luisa says she'll take them to it. Back at the battle, Megatron contacts Skywarp and tells him he has created a steel alloy suitable for their weapon frame. He tells him to leave Starscream and Thundercracker to watch the crystal and come here immediately.

Starscream hears this and is annoyed he's being left on guard duty. Skywarp is amused and tells Starscream to have fun playing crystal nurse, before bidding him bye. As he heads off, Luisa shows Spike and Bumblebee a hidden entrance to the temple.

Meanwhile, Skyfire heads up the temple, determined to destroy the weapon. However he is found by Thundercracker, who says he can fry his circuits extra crispy even without their new weapon, Megatron would love it. But that geeky Starscream will take all the credit, so he thinks that if he lets Skyfire wreck their new weapon, Megatron will blame Starscream, which would make him very happy.

Starscream appears and calls Thundercracker a traitor, and shoots at him. Thundercracker ducks just in time, which results in Skyfire getting hit and causing him to fall off the temple. Starscream thinks so much for the Autobot intruder, and demands that from now on, Thundercracker will do exactly what he tells him to do, or he'll report his treachery to Megatron.

Back at the battle, Skywarp arrives and lands, and is filled up with the stolen steel. Having finally got what they came for, the Decepticons withdraw and head back to the temple. Before leaving, Megatron decides to give the Autobots a little going away present, and shoots at one of the mountains.

This causes hundreds of boulders to head towards the village, but Prime orders the Autobots to open fire. They do so and destroy all of the boulders before they can do any damage. Meanwhile, Bumblebee and co head through the secret passage, and Spike asks Luisa if she's sure this is the right way. She say it is, as she's been this way before.

Starscream and Thundercracker move Skyfire inside the temple. Megatron says he's an excellent catch, and once they rewire his logic circuits, he may even become one of them. As the Decepticons walk off, Bumblebee heads through a secret door, and sees Skyfire.

The Decepticons return to the top of the temple to try out the new weapon frame. Megatron fires it and blows up a hill, but this time the frame remains perfectly intact. Back inside, Bumblebee and Luisa look at the energy geyser which was unleashed when Megatron removed the crystal, as Spike desperately tries to repair Skyfire.

To make things worse, Ravage then shows up, so Bumblebee tries to keep him busy whilst Spike continues to work. Back outside, the other Autobots drive towards the temple, but they are seen by Megatron, who opens fire on them.

The Autobots transform and start firing back, so Megatron orders the Decepticons to attack. Inside the temple, Spike finishes his repairs to Skyfire just in time, who reactivates and stops Ravage mid-leap by grabbing him.

He tosses Ravage aside, as Bumblebee says there's a battle going on. Skyfire transforms and heads out, just as Prime and Ironhide run up the temple, straight towards Megatron. Megatron sees them and shoots Ironhide down. Brawn and Windcharger try to run up but are attacked by Starscream, resulting in Windcharger getting hit. Brawn manages to avoid his shots, and charges into him.

They crash into Megatron, distracting him long enough to let Ironhide run up. He charges into Megatron and gets him off the cannon, as Brawn causes Starscream to stumble back and fall of the temple.

Megatron recovers and tosses Ironhide off the temple. Ironhide falls but is caught by Prime. Before the two of them can do anything, Megatron has them in his sights.

Before he can fire, Skyfire dives down, and starts shooting. His blasts hit the weapon frame, destroying it. Megatron says he'll pay for that, but Prime jump up, picks Megatron up and then hurls him off the temple.

Megatron crashes into the ground, but gets back up and orders a retreat. As the Decepticons leave, Thundercracker asks their fearless leader what's wrong, as he and Starscream look really geeky. Maybe the Autobots aren't such wimps after all? As Thundercracker zooms off, Starscream asks Megatron if he really has to make that awful thunder noise -he's got a headache! Megatron can't believe these guys call themselves Decepticons, but swears to the Autobots that he'll be avenged, and he'll return.

Some of the Autobots wait at the top of the temple. Luisa asks if they think Wheeljack's invention will really work, as without the crystal to regulate the energy, the whole mountain may explode. Spike says you never can tell with Wheeljack's inventions. Skyfire helps Wheeljack put his new invention in place: a large cap which stops the stream of energy coming out of the temple. The Autobots light up the temple, as Wheeljack is happy that one of his inventions actually works.

With the day saved, the Autobots head back. But Luisa says when they get back home, she wants Bumblebee to meet her brother's convertible, Juanita -she thinks the two of them will get along just fine! Bumblebee seems happy with this: "ah shucks!"

NOTES

-SCRIPT DIFFERENCES: Click here for details.

-The Autobots retrieve Skyfire, who crashed into the ice in this episode.

-Luisa isn't actually named in the episode itself, but that is her name in the episode's script.

-The original recording sessions for this episode had Skyfire named as "Jetfire", as this video proves, but the dialogue was later re-recorded.

-Skyfire continues his trend of not being very durable. He got taken out with one shot from Starscream and was badly damaged in "Fire in the Sky", and in this episode, Starscream does the same thing to him again.

-The shows production bible summary of this episode is interesting:

Thundercracker's bio in the production bible is as follows:

Dedicated to flight...contemptuous of anything that cannot fly. Not totally convinced of Decepticons' cause, but persuaded to continue battling Autobots. Doubts about the cause sometimes impede effectiveness.

It seems that this episode was originally going to be quite different and have Thundercracker question where his loyalties lie, but this was toned down considerably in the finished script, and the idea of Thundercracker not being happy in the Decepticons is never mentioned again. It wouldn't be until the IDW comic books where this part of Thundercracker's personality is brought up again.