Under Pressure

Under Pressure is the second episode of the first season of Transformers: Rescue Bots.

Synopsis
While Chase and Chief Burns pursue an out-of-control robo-landscaper through Griffin Rock, Cody Burns reports that the rest of the team might be delayed, as his siblings are having trouble coming to terms with the fact that their rescue vehicles are alien robots. Chase loses their quarry, only for Burns to realize the robo-landscaper is coming up behind them. Chase transforms, somersaults backward over it, and throws it into a dumpster while reading it its rights. That done, the rest of the team finally arrive, with the Burns family complaining that their Autobot teammates are too difficult to work with. Kade is especially unimpressed when Heatwave transforms with him still inside. Cody promises to talk to his siblings. Unfortunately, Kade, Dani and Graham aren't that interested in hearing about the Autobots' problems. Heatwave contacts Optimus Prime, but Optimus is confident they'll learn to work with the humans. Cody tells the four bots he has a new plan to help them bond with their human partners. He lures his brothers and sister down to the bunker, but things don't go well; Boulder breaks the pinball machine, and Dani only wants to talk about flying with Blades. Their bonding session comes to an abrupt end when Burns contacts them with the news that the sewers on Main and Park are overflowing with lava. The team scrambles. When one impatient woman drives right into the lava, Chase has to save her from her rapidly melting car. Cody's siblings continue to have trouble working with their partners. Kade even brings his own fire truck, though he inadvertently parks it over a manhole, and after a burst of lava causes it to explode, Heatwave saves him. Cody calls Doc Greene, who is hanging upside-down. Greene reveals that the artificial Mount Magma is the likely source of the lava, and that the lava will cover the island in just under 5 hours. He recommends releasing the lava slowly to avoid an eruption. Once Burns briefs everyone, he asks if the Rescue Bots are willing to help, and, of course, they are.

Boulder and Graham reach the volcano's crater and work together to locate the controls. Elsewhere, Chase and Chief Burns clear nearby campers. Heatwave and Kade wait impatiently for something to happen, while Dani and Blades move into position over the volcano. After Boulder and Graham leave the crater, Blades uses his winch to operate the main switch, opening the volcano and releasing lava and ash. However, he's then caught in the ash cloud, and Dani has to cajole him into flying high enough to get out of it. As lava begins flowing, Heatwave and Kade hit it with streams of water. It looks like the crisis is over, and Cody announces he'll be waiting for everyone in the bunker. It turns out they declared mission accomplished too soon, however, as Dani spots the lava draining into one of the tunnels leading to the bunker.

Back at the bunker, Cody works on fixing the pinball machine, unaware of the incoming lava. Boulder makes a map of the tunnels with his seismic sensors, locating a shortcut for Heatwave and Kade to take to cut off the lava. Dani spots a water tower, and Blades valiantly takes off to brave the ash and reach the tower. Heatwave and Kade are brought up short by a cave-in, but after a few moments of Kade trying to clear the rocks by hand, Heatwave simply smashes through in vehicle mode. They reach the intersection in time and start spraying the lava with water, but with little effect. As they run out of water, Dani and Blades dump the water tank, and its contents spill along the tunnel, cooling the lava. Kade and Heatwave return to the bunker, where Kade hugs his little brother.

The next day, Cody drags his siblings down to the bunker, where a huge Autobot insignia has been added to the wall.

Autobots

 * Chase
 * Heatwave
 * Boulder
 * Blades
 * Optimus Prime

Humans

 * Charlie Burns
 * Cody Burns
 * Kade Burns
 * Graham Burns
 * Dani Burns
 * Doc Greene

Quotes
"With all due respect Optimus, is that all you have to say?" "Not entirely. Rescue Bots, good luck."
 * —Heatwave and Optimus Prime

"I did it, Dani! I did it!" *strange noise*"Um... excuse me? I think my rotor just hiccuped..."
 * —Blades has his moment of triumph cut short by badly timed bodily functions.

"Anybody order a drink?" "What? No, we're taking this to the lava—oh I get it, Earth humor!"
 * —Dani and Blades

"Don't you ever scare us like that again!" "Yeah, what... he said."
 * —Kade and Heatwave finally agree on something, to the latter's distaste.

"I mean... this is their home now, too, right?" "Sure looks that way."
 * —Cody and Kade

Continuity notes

 * Gadgets and powers:
 * Heatwave can spray water from the headlights on the backs of his hands.
 * Boulder has a seismic imaging system and can use his windshield as a display screen.

Transformers references

 * Optimus Prime notes that young humans make the best allies. He may be referring to Jack, Miko, and Raf.

Real-world references

 * This episode shares its title with a song by Queen and David Bowie.
 * The 1939 World's Fair was a real event held in New York.

Animation and technical errors

 * As Chase and Chief Burns stand in front of the lava and the camera pans over to Haley's car, the fire and smoke behind them is animated backwards.
 * Cody still seems to be having a little trouble keeping his comlink clipped to his jacket, though not nearly as much as he did in the previous episode.
 * When Blades flies up to pull the volcano's on-switch, the switch is shown to be right near the split in the volcano's lid. However, when the lava begins to recede and drain several shots later, the switch is nowhere in sight. It's entirely possible that the lava melted it, but then why would the scientists who built the volcano place the switch so close to the edge in the first place?
 * An awful lot of water comes out of the container that Blades drops on the lava. Like, more than that container should hold.

Trivia

 * Rescue Bots have no trouble transforming with humans remaining inside. Chase transforms with Chief Burns still inside, does acrobatics and throws the robo-landscaper around, and after he returns to vehicle mode, Burns pops out without any apparent ill effects. Heatwave also transforms with Kade still inside.
 * According to Doc Greene, it would take 4.7 hours for the lava to cover the entire island.
 * Among the people Chase and Chief Burns shoo away from the area are a couple of Lad Pioneers.
 * This episode was later adapted into storybook form as Team of Heroes.