Deep Trouble TFP

Deep Trouble is the eighteenth episode of Transformers: Robots in Disguise season 1.

Plot
Grimlock tries to hide an injury while the Autobots track down an aquatic Decepticon.

Synopsis
The Autobots race through an obstacle course set up in the scrapyard, though while Strongarm, Sideswipe, Slipstream and Jetstorm carefully navigate the barricades, Grimlock smashes straight through them. At the finishing line, Bumblebee, Russell and Drift wait. Bee signals Denny to unleash the next part of the course. The racing Autobots are able to avoid the heavy objects which swing in their path, but Grimlock takes a blow to the side. He limps over the finishing line behind the others, but puts on a brave face.

Off the coast, a submarine moves through the water and is picked up by Fixit as a Decepticon signal. He fires up the GroundBridge so the Autobots can head there. Russell observes Grimlock looking pained and suggests he get Fixit to check him out, but the Dinobot is raring to go. Moments after the Autobots step through the Ground Bridge, a flood of sea water comes back out, washing Fixit and the two humans away.

The Autobots soon find the octopus Decepticon who has discovered a crashed Cybertronian spacecraft at the bottom of the sea. They contact Fixit, who is sloshing around in a foot of water along with Russell and Denny. Fixit identifies the Decepticon as Octopunch, who has a habit of causing shipwrecks so he can salvage treasure, which is why Octopunch was arrested and locked up on the Alchemor. Concerned he'll use the ship to leave Earth, the Autobots move in. Strongarm's attempt to arrest the Decepticon goes about as well as expected, and when the other Autobots join the attack, Octopunch swiftly throws them aside before jumping into the ship. The Autobots are just picking themselves up when the ship's external defenses come online and start firing at them. Sideswipe determines the pattern in which the lasers are firing, and is able to lead them safely through the field of fire.

Entering through a hatch in the rear of the ship, the Autobots break into a nearby corridor, though Grimlock is visibly hurt at having to crash through a door but makes an excuse. They hear one of the ship's four engines firing up, and start heading towards the front of the ship. On the bridge, Octopunch is alerted to the intruders and starts closing doors in an attempt to head them off. Drift and Sideswipe are separated from the others and trapped in a section of corridor.

Back in the scrapyard, Denny and Russell employ water pumps in an attempt to get rid of the lingering sea water. Fixit manages to find one of Denny's antique model cars, but Denny's still not happy. Strongarm, Bumblebee and Grimlock hear a second engine come online, but have to split up when they reach a cross-junction. Strongarm immediately runs into a host of Mini-Cons which tie her up and throw her in a closet. Grimlock, still suffering from his injury, runs into Bumblebee. The pair find a room with communications equipment, where they're attacked by nano-drones and collapse as the third engine fires up. Struggling to his feet, Grimlock accidentally activates a console which takes out the nano-drones, but Bumblebee spots his injury and he has to admit to having hidden it. Elsewhere Drift attempts to meditate, though he's hampered by his companions' inability to sit still. Still in a cupboard, Strongarm finds her comms are only picking up Earth radio.

Octopunch is finally ready to start take off, but Bumblebee and Grimlock pick that moment to reach the bridge. The Decepticon blinds them with ink and batters them, but as he resumes trying to take off, Bumblebee starts tying his tentacles to the bulkheads while Grimlock punches him. With Octopunch subdued, Grimlock smashes the launch mechanism, however that activates the ship's self-destruct. Grabbing Octopunch, the pair round up the rest of the team and head for the exit with as much haste as they can muster. It's soon clear they're not going to make it out in time, but they realize that their comms may have started working again.

Fixit receives a call from Bumblebee and opens a GroundBridge on the ship. As the ship explodes, the team comes through the portal with a torrent of water. Octopunch is soon safely stored away in a stasis pod. As Fixit extends his systems probe to fix Grimlock, Strongarm has memories of the Mini-Cons on the ship and opts to go off on patrol.

Autobots

 * Bumblebee
 * Strongarm
 * Sideswipe
 * Grimlock
 * Fixit
 * Drift
 * Jetstorm
 * Slipstream

Decepticons

 * Octopunch

Humans

 * Denny Clay
 * Russell Clay

Quotes
"Maybe Fixit should take a look at you before you go."

"All he'd find is one handsome Dinobot ready to rumble!"
 * —Russell and Grimlock

"Solutions to the most troubling problems come to the calmed mind."
 * —Drift

"So long, Earth! It's been absolutely miserable."

"It's about to get worse, Octopunch. You're coming with us."

"I don't ink so!"
 * —Octopunch's departure gets delayed by Bumblebee

Continuity notes

 * The Autobots obtained a GroundBridge in "Hunting Season". This is the first time we've seen them use it, though Fixit mentions that he's been working on it since their "last outing".
 * The layout of the Cybertronian ship is nearly-identical to the those seen in the Harbinger and the Nemesis. It is stated to be an ancient craft, possibly accounting for the differences.

Prisoner manifest

 * In stasis: Hammerstrike, Bisk, 4/5ths of Chop Shop, Terrashock, Filch, Minitron, Springload, Ped, Quillfire, "that one with all the eyes", Malodor and the Skunkticons, Nightstrike, Vertebreak, Octopunch
 * Known at large: Steeljaw, 1/5th of Chop Shop, Thunderhoof, Underbite, Clampdown
 * Released: Grimlock
 * Countless others all missing, presumed at large

Real-world references

 * Strongarm's capture by the Mini-Cons is similar to a scene from the 1998 film, Small Soldiers.