One of Our Mini-Cons is Missing

One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing is the seventeenth episode of Transformers: Robots in Disguise season 1.

Plot
Drift returns to Earth in pursuit of a disgruntled, runaway Jetstorm—just as the Bee Team must contend with Springload and Quillfire flying the coop.

Synopsis
During a football game, Russell fails to catch a pass from Butch. Hank prods Russell into standing up to Butch's trash talk and as they resume playing, Hank suggests Russell "pay it forward". Later in the scrapyard, Russell explains to Grimlock that it means now he has to find someone to help. The alarm sounds as a capsule falls from the sky onto the stock of stasis pods and then crushes Denny's gnome collection. They move in to find it's an escape pod, and out steps the Mini-Con Jetstorm, who explains he has been forced to leave Drift's tutelage and now wants to become Russell's student.

Over in the pod collection, Quillfire emerges from a damaged pod. Proclaiming that he will free his fellows, he levers open the nearest pod, releasing Springload who immediately resumes the search for Doradus. Quillfire recognizes the frog Decepticon as a powerful ally and attempts to convince Springload that he knows the way to the mythical city.

Checking the sensors, Fixit is startled by Drift who has come in search of his missing Mini-Con. He unleashes Slipstream to search, though Jetstorm is already approaching along with the other Autobots. Russell is unimpressed when Drift immediately starts scolding Jetstorm and says so, to his father's alarm. Fixit breaks the news that Quillfire and Springload have escaped and are nearing a human military base. Though Drift is prepared to leave, Jetstorm stands with Russell instead, and Bumblebee steps in to break the tension by asking Drift to help recapture the Decepticons.

Quillfire and an increasingly-suspicious Springload reach the military base, where they spy a massive experimental tank being tested. Once the humans leave it, Quillfire convinces Springload to help him steal it, believing it will lend him even more protection against the pursuing Autobots. Blasting a hole in the fence, they depart.

The Autobots drive down a nearly road towards the military base and Fixit tells them that he's intercepting military transmissions about a stolen tank. When they spot some military vehicles which appear to be in search of said tank, Denny and Russell adopt disguises and the vehicles are soon being turned around by "Major Thaddeus Q. Flieber" and "General McPlank", with some help from Fixit when the lieutenant in charge attempts to contact base. Detecting the Decepticons ahead, the Autobots take a shortcut through the woods. After Drift leaves his Mini-Cons with the two humans, Jetstorm reveals that he fled his master's service because he polished Drift's sword improperly and could not bear the shame. Russell is going to give Drift a piece of his mind, but the tank arrives and the Autobots face off against it.

The Decepticons open fire, bringing rocks down on the Autobots. Sideswipe manages to avoid the first wave, but is taken out by a boulder while helping Russell and Denny. The tank continues on, but the Decepticons soon find their way blocked by Drift and his Mini-Cons. After Drift is hit by a blast from the tank, the Mini-Cons rush to his aid rather than follow the plan. With Grimlock's help, they pull Drift out of the way of the tank. Bumblebee, Strongarm and Sideswipe are able to bring the tank to a halt, however the Decepticons open fire with the vehicle's weapons and manage to get moving again.

Drift reprimands his Mini-Cons until Russell blows up at him. Jetstorm has come up with a plan, which Drift reluctantly listens to. The other Autobots have meanwhile come up with their own plan to take out the tank's weapons when Drift catches up. With some deft teamwork, they manage to destroy most of the guns and Jetstorm and Slipstream jump inside. The two Mini-Cons manage to get the two Decepticons fighting each other and trashing the controls inside the tank which slows to a halt. The Decepticons and Mini-Cons abandon tank as the bent main cannon attempts to fire but the cockpit door crashes on Jetstorms foot he manages to free himself and is caught by drift just as the whole vehicle explodes. Drift manages to compliment his Mini-Cons.

Back at base, the Decepticons are returned to their stasis pods. Drift announces that he intends to stay on Earth and learn teamwork from Bumblebee.

Autobots

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

Decepticons

 * Quillfire
 * Springload

Humans

 * Russell Clay
 * Denny Clay
 * Henrietta
 * Butch

Quotes
"Time to bring the zoom and lower the boom!"
 * —Bumblebee gives us another battle cry reject.

"And beware those who keep me from Doradus, by force-"

[Springload looks pointedly at Quillfire]

"- or by lies."

[Quillfire nods his head rapidly]

"Yes, lies are very bad!"
 * —Springload gets the point across to Quillfire

"Send your minions large and small, none shall sway me!"
 * —Springload tells the Mini-Cons to prepare themselves for a tongue thrashing

"I got ya! I got ya!"

[Quillfire jumps]

"Nah!"
 * —Grimlock pranks Quillfire.

Continuity notes

 * Springload was originally captured in "Rumble in the Jungle", while Quillfire was captured in "Adventures in Bumblebee-Sitting!"
 * Drift and his Mini-Cons were previously introduced in "Hunting Season".
 * Some of the vehicles in the military convoy are copies of Optimus Prime's M.A.S.K. truck mode from season 3 of Transformers: Prime. The soldiers use the generic soldier model from that cartoon as well.

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
 * Known at large: Steeljaw, 1/5th of Chop Shop, Thunderhoof, Underbite, Clampdown
 * Released: Grimlock
 * Countless others all missing, presumed at large

Real-world references

 * The title is a reference to the 1942 film One of Our Aircraft Is Missing.

Trivia

 * Drift, Jetstorm, and Slipstream are added to the main cast in this episode as permanent members of Bumblebee's team.
 * This is the first episode of the series to not feature a new Decepticon character.
 * According to Roger Craig Smith, he took great pains to make sure neither he nor Mitchell Whitfield lost their composure and started laughing when he was talking about "polishing his master's sword"...