Worthy

Worthy is the sixth episode of Season 2 1/2 and the fortieth-fifth overall of Transformers: Robots in Disguise.

Plot
The fate of the Weaponizers hangs in the balance as the Bee Team goes up against Starscream.

Synopsis
Fixit, Jetstorm and Slipstream drop down into the bridge of Starscream's ship and free Bumblebee. Worried about what Starscream is doing with the captured Mini-Cons, they use the ship's internal cameras to spy on the Decepticon setting up in a laboratory. Starscream's furious that he only has six of the seven needed, but goes ahead with the merging procedure anyway, only for it to leave both him and the Mini-Cons screaming in agony. Bumblebee realizes they need to keep the last Mini-Con from Starscream.

Thermidor attempts to grab Optimus's Prime Decepticon Hunter, only to instead receive a shock from the net restraining the Autobots, which then breaks. A fight ensues, however the four scavengers are able to hold their own thanks to the relics they've collected, until Tricerashot appears, transforms into weapon mode and jumps into Grimlock's hand. The duo proceed to take down the scavengers in seconds. As Strongarm restrains the prisoners, Tricerashot reveals he has a psychic link with the other Weaponizer Mini-Cons and felt their pain as they were abducted. He's luckily also able to track them, and starts leading the Autobots to Starscream's ship.

Starscream returns to the bridge, only to be jumped by Bumblebee and the Mini-Cons. After the scanner is damaged in the fight, the four Autobots head for the lab, only to run into Starscream's men again. Shadelock threatens to blast the Weaponizer Mini-Cons if Bumblebee takes another step, but Bumblebee simply calls his bluff. Moments later, Optimus's group arrives and Optimus carves a hole in the nearby hull to take the fight outside. When the Cons don't follow, Sideswipe makes a hole in the roof of the lab so Grimlock can drop in, only to discover the Cons have gone. The Decepticons are outside, knocking out Optimus and Drift. Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Strongarm join the fight, and Slipstream and Jetstorm, wishing to prove themselves after Sideswipe is dismissive towards them, manage to take down Shadelock. When RoughEdge tries to blast the pair, Sideswipe jumps in front of them, taking the shot. The fight is abruptly ended when Starscream zaps everyone with the Dark Star Saber. Taking Tricerashot, he returns to the lab and begins the linking process with all seven Mini-Cons.

Fixit, Jetstorm and Slipstream recover first, and head over to Sideswipe's motionless body, believing he's sacrificed himself by way of an apology. Fortunately Sideswipe still functions, however as they go to wake the others, Starscream, now fully fused with the seven Weaponizers, levitates out of the nearby ship. Sideswipe makes himself busy as a distraction while the three Mini-Cons head into the ship to look for something that might help. They find a console they can use to transmit a signal that will separate Starscream and his new power, so long as Starscream's in range. Sideswipe returns to the lab, drawing Starscream in. The signal causes Starscream to drop out of the air and separates Aerobolt, however the Con manages to fly clear of the ship before they can free the others.

Aerobolt finds Optimus and links with him. The pair face off against the super-powered Starscream. Observing the battle from the ground, Shadelock and his buddies opt to cut and run, only to face the rest of Team Bee who flatten them as they try to flee. On Fixit's instruction, Optimus tries to lure Starscream back to the ship, but Starscream keeps a safe distance, until Bumblebee catches hold of his leg, having been tossed up by Grimlock. Starscream fights, but Bumblebee is quickly joined by Optimus and the rest of Team Bee, and the Con is dragged down until the Mini-Cons are separated from him. Starscream falls unconscious, the Dark Star Saber dropping from his hand, and is caught by Optimus.

Sideswipe officially apologizes to Fixit, Jetstorm and Slipstream, though they tell him his earlier actions were apology enough. Optimus stores the Dark Star Saber, Starscream and the captive bounty hunters in his ship, revealing that he hasn't been to Cybertron yet and is working with "some old friends" to investigate what has been going on there. Optimus would transport the weaponized Mini-Cons, but they already know that they don't want to be anywhere near Starscream. Once Optimus takes off, Fixit reveals he's modified the Mini-Cons' suborbital ship for space travel, so Aerobolt and his companions are able to leave Earth at last. As Team Bee heads off to check out more Cybertronian sites, Jetstorm and Slipstream ask Drift if they can team up with Sideswipe for a while.

Autobots

 * Optimus Prime
 * Bumblebee
 * Strongarm
 * Sideswipe
 * Grimlock
 * Drift
 * Jetstorm
 * Slipstream
 * Fixit
 * Aerobolt
 * Buzzstrike
 * Sawtooth
 * Tricerashot
 * Windstrike
 * Bashbreaker
 * Lancelon
 * RoughEdge

Decepticons

 * Starscream
 * Shadelock
 * Razorhorn
 * Clawtrap
 * Paralon
 * Scatterspike
 * Thermidor

Quotes
"I shoulda stayed unconscious."
 * —Sideswipe witnesses Starscream's new power.

"I may no longer have the power to defeat you on my own, Optimus, but I still have six Mini-Cons and the Dark Star Saber."

"And still you will not achieve your goal, Starscream."
 * —Starscream and Optimus Prime

"Make two fists."

"Huh? Why would I- waaaaaaah!"
 * —Grimlock and Sideswipe improvise a new combat maneuver.

Starscream: "No! I will have my revenge! I will have my victory!"

Bumblebee: "Not today, Starscream."

Optimus Prime: "Not ever."
 * —Starscream loses again.

Continuity notes

 * Optimus admits that he hasn't actually returned to Cybertron yet, despite setting course for the planet back in "Decepticon Island (Part 2)".

Trivia

 * The on-screen events leave the fate of the Scavengers slightly uncertain, as Optimus only mentions that the "bounty hunters" (i.e. Shadelock's crew) were secured for transport to Cybertron along with Starscream; showrunner Adam Beechen would later confirm that Optimus took them to Cybertron as well.
 * Starscream is the first Decepticon to be shown flying in robot mode in the Aligned shows (the first Autobot to do so was Optimus Prime, in "Rebellion").
 * Neither Starscream or any of his hired bounty hunters transformed at any time during their time on the show.
 * At the beginning of Transformers: Prime, Starscream was responsible for trapping Megatron in a coma. It is poetically fitting that he is now trapped in one himself.