Editing Home, Part 2

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: EarthSpark (cartoon)|Transformers: EarthSpark]]'' ep 18
|image=HashtagVsMandroid HomePart2.jpg

|prev=Home, Part 1
|next=
|title="Home, Part 2"
|airdate=[[March 3]], [[2023]]
|production company=[[Entertainment One]]<br />[[Nickelodeon]]
|writers=[[Mae Catt]], [[Nicole Dubuc]], & [[Dale Malinowski]]
|animation studio=[[Icon Creative Studio]]
|director=[[J.J. Conway]], [[Alex Kwan]], & [[Sebastian Montes]]
|video=https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/video/qT5PinxeumitcqIiZhFaTQTPApjHNoZo/
|videosite=Paramount+
}}

'''The trip to Philly goes from bad to worse with the return of Mandroid.'''
==Synopsis==
[[File:MandroidReturns HomePart2.jpg|thumb|left|300px|''The wonder of the world is gone]]

With the Malto children and [[Terran]]s in tow, [[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] races back to the Bot Brawl ring in hopes of finding [[Grimlock (ES)|Grimlock]]. They soon discover however Grimlock has long since left and the arena has been cleared out. Scouting the area, the group discover the remains of [[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]] still hanging from the ceiling. Bumblebee is horrified to discover the Decepticon bruiser has been drained entirely of Energon along with his left arm missing. The moment is interrupted soon by a missile firing from the distance that sets the abandoned arena ablaze.

Coming to their senses, the group is horrified to see [[Mandroid]] emerging from the flames now equipped with Brawl's clawed hand. Accused by [[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] of being the one behind Bot Brawl, Mandroid only laughs saying these existed long before him and will exist long after him. When [[Twitch]] tries to reason with Mandroid, saying they're willing to forgive him for their past encounters, he only laughs saying they're the ones who brought their war to his planet and he won't rest until they're all wiped out. Deploying his latest invention against Bumblebee, a series of [[Arachnamech]]-style tentacles that gradually begin draining him of [[Energon]]. To deal with the remaining Terrans, Mandroid sics his Arachmech army on to them, combining into a giant-centipede like creature. With Mandroid departing to finish work on his latest invention, the Terrans and Maltos try to overcome the mechanical monstrosity. During the battle however, Hashtag discovers her Wifi powers grant her not just access to the city's Wifi but the ability to control any piece of technology hooked up to it. Using this to their advantage, the Matlos distract the Arachnamech combiner as they lure it directly into a series oncoming trains controlled via Hashtag that destroys it. 

Upon freeing Bumblebee, Hashtag surveys the area to find Mandroid in the upper rafters. Overcome with anger, she leaps up to grab a hold of him only for the mad scientist to scoff at her and place a badge on her chest. Twitch arriving soon after to discover to her horror that Mandroid has placed a control badge similar to the one used on Grimlock on Hashtag, making the Terran another one of his mindless drones. Gleeful at the success of his new invention, Mandroid departs as he orders the subservient Hashtag to make sure she returns to him with her Terran siblings: alive or in pieces. Horrified and reluctant to fight their sister, [[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] takes the fight into the city above as the rest follow though leaving Bumblebee behind to try and regain his strength. Up above, Nightshade finds their attempts to remove the badge controlling their sister useless as this new version has a forcefield preventing it's removal. Meanwhile in Hashtag's inner virtual space, she finds herself locked out of her Wi-fi powers as a digital avatar of Mandroid appears before her saying she's entirely under his control. Mandroid then proceeds to mentally torture Hashtag with images of [[Robby Malto|Robby]], [[Mo Malto| Mo]], and [[Stevie]] saying she's all alone and unwelcomed on Earth. Helpless to stop him, Hashtag is reduced to a quivering mess.    

Back in the real world, the mind controlled-Hashtag's powers that hook her up the city's Wifi allow her to throw volley after volley of cars at her siblings. Unsure of what to do, Robby suggest they go get Bee but Twitch refuses saying they can't leave their family behind. Approaching Hashtag alone at first, Twitch is soon joined in hands with her other siblings, vowing they aren't leaving without their sister. United together, Robby and Mo's [[cyber-sleeve]]s being to glow as back at the cave where the [[Emberstone]] was found the waters in the cave to begin to send out a strange energy that seemingly supercharges the Malto and Terrans. As they approach Hashtag using their powers to shield them from her attacks, the Malto family all grab a hold of her as they begin to overcome Mandroid's control of her through their connected sense of family and love for one another. As the digital avatar of Mandroid screams in impotent defiance, Hashtag finally manages regains control of her body. Coming to her senses and seeing the damage she caused, Hashtag begins to apologize before she's stopped by Twitch saying it wasn't her fault.    

[[File:MandroidJoinsGHOST HomePart2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Sleep tight, Decepticons]]
Bumblebee emerges from underground, lamenting how they were never able to find Grimlock and how this Bot Brawl ring likely isn't the only one in operation. Encouraged by words from Robby how that doesn't mean they'll let that stop them from trying to make the world safe for humans and Transformers, Bumblebee tries to depart. However after all he's been through, he finally collapses from a combination of exhaustion and Energon deprivation. Seeing that their mentor is just sleeping, the Maltos depart Philadelphia to get back to [[Witcwicky (place)|Witwicky]] before their parents wakeup. As they roll out with the sun rising, [[Sam (ES)|Sam]] from earlier sees Stevie spray painting over the "Transformers Go Home" graffiti with a more welcoming "Transformers ''Are'' Home". message.  

Elsewhere, a weakened Mandroid—his health rapidly deteriorating due to a lack of Energon to power his Cybertronian appendages—is carried by his Arachnamechs to a rendezvous with G.H.O.S.T. director [[Agent Croft]], who is revealed to be one who was managing the Bot Brawl ring in Philadelphia. Croft tells Mandroid they'll be working much more closely together from now on, commissioning him to begin constructing more of his new control badges, and providing him with an [[energon patch]] to ensure he's healthy enough to do the work. When saying he'll need test subjects, Croft volunteers him the Decepticon prisoners of G.H.O.S.T. as Mandroid looks around with glee.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bumblebee (ES)|Bumblebee]] (2)

|c2=
*[[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]] (8)
*[[Hardtop (ES)|Hardtop]] (14)

|c3=
*[[Mo Malto]] 
*[[Robby Malto]] (4)
*[[Mandroid]] (9)
*[[Sam (ES)|Sam]] (11)
*[[Stevie]] (12)
*[[Agent Croft|Executive Agent Croft]] (13)

|h4=[[Terran]]s||c4=
*[[Nightshade (ES)|Nightshade]] (1)
*[[Thrash (ES)|Thrash]] (3)
*[[Twitch]] (5)
*[[Jawbreaker (ES)|Jawbreaker]] (7) 
*[[Hashtag (ES)|Hashtag]] (6)


|h5=Others||c5=
*[[Arachnamech]]s (1)
}}

==Quotes==
"Of course, you're behind Bot Brawl." <br>
"It'd be comforting if that were true, wouldn't it? However, the Bot Brawls were happening long before I arrived and they'll continue long after I leave"<br>
:--'''Hashtag''' gets a harsh lesson about humanity from '''Mandroid'''. 


"Don't listen! They're lying to you!"<br>
"You're wrong! I was '''never''' alone".
:—'''Mandroid''' gets told by '''Hashtag''' to shove it. 


"Maltobots...roll out!"
:—'''Twitch''' puts a new spin on an old favorite. 

==Notes==
===Continuity notes===
* Mandroid has rapidly deteriorated between this episode and the preceding one, following the addition of [[Brawl (ES)|Brawl]]'s left arm in place of his own. Evidently, the alterations he has performed to his biology require him to consume energon; without it, his health has taken a dive, leaving him gaunt, sallow, and with a rasping voice and cough. This degeneration was first hinted at back in "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]", in which Mandroid briefly slipped into a raspy voice while addressing the masquerading Terrans, punctuated by him clearing his throat to return his voice to normal.
* Thrash compares the Terrans temporarily supercharged powers to how he felt after soaking in the waters of the cave from "[[Friends and Family]]", only much greater. Robby and Mo seem however to be turned off by just how powerful it felt. 
* The "Maltobots" phrase was first used by Bumblebee in "[[Hashtag: Oops]]" and now seems to have been adopted by Twitch as the group's call-sign.

===Transformers references===

===Real-world references===


===Errors===


===Trivia===
* As with "[[Secret Legacy, Part 2]]" and "[[Age of Evolution, Part 2]]", most online distribution platforms do not list this episode separately from Part 1, instead choosing to combine both parts into a single 44-minute video.
[[Category:EarthSpark episodes]]