01x06 - Traditions

[bunniefuu]

- "On nights
just like this one,

"from deep in the trees,

"an icy fog rolls in.

"Cloaked in night's shadow,

"this monster glides
on leathery wings.

"Its glowing eyes
pierce the dark and see all.

"Its ears hear every whimper
as it hunts

"for a lost child.

"When it finds one,

"and it always finds one,

"it swoops down,
silent as starlight.

"The prey never sees it,

"and there is no escape from...

the Wakwak!"

- Aah!
- [screaming]

[groans]

Twitch, Thrash,

you can't sneak up on people
like that!

- You can't have story time
and not invite us.

- Ru-ude.

- It's my fault.

I was so excited
to share folktales

that I forgot
to expand the guest list.

[laughs]
Sorry.

- You could tell it again, Dad.

- Enjoy.

I'm too old for
this "Wakwak" stuff anymore.

- The Wak, what now?

- Too old?

My grandfather
fought the Wakwak

with these bastons and he saved
the lost child's life.

- But you never saw the Wakwak,
right?

- That never stopped us
from searching for it

every time the signs appeared.

You'll always have to be ready.

[cell phone chimes]

- Speaking of ready,

I'm late for gaming practice.

- Thanks for the bedtime story,
Dad.

Love you.

- We don't sleep, so...

- [clears throat]

- "On nights just like
this one..."

[electricity buzzing,
crackling]

[bright music]

♪ ♪

[electronic music]

♪ ♪

- Vile Cybertronian.

I, Dr. Meridian,

will rid this planet
of your invasive species.

[laser blasts]
[grunts]

[grumbles]

[laser beeping]

Ugh, why didn't I choose an arm
with a built-in w*apon?

[groans]

[laughter]

So many volunteers
for my next target.

[robots whirring gently]

[sighs]
Your laughter is earned.

If I am to end
this world's suffering,

I must evolve
into the hero it needs.

Arachnamechs, Cybertronians
are all around us,

hiding in plain sight.

To destroy them,
I must become them.

Find their kind
and bring me their parts!

[birds chirping]

[keys clicking softly]

- Robby!
- Aah!

- Guess what day it is?
[thud]

- Ugh, Dad, I don't wanna go
to the Wakwak hunt this year.

I have a game tournament today.

- But this is our
special thing, Robby.

We'll sing, practice our kali.

You used to love it.

- Maybe when I was a kid.

Now it's just boring.

- It's a celebration
of our family heritage.

- Then why don't you
just take Mo?

[off-key string music]

- Sorry, Dad.

Thrash just discovered music

and I should probably coach him
through this.

[light string music]

♪ ♪

- I'll be waiting
at the big stump

if you change your mind.

- Have fun. Love you. Bye!

[curious music]

- [indistinct]

[basketball bouncing]

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

- Ooh, Dr. M. dropping
straight buckets

from way downtown.

Seriously, how'd you do that?

- I'm happy to show you.

Actually, there's a lot I could
share with you today

if you're free.

- This isn't another attempt
to read my diary, is it?

- I'm a history professor.

Having a primary source is...

not what today's about.

I'd like to share
a Malto tradition with you,

show you my history
and culture.

- Whoa.

If that's part of it, I'm in.

[peaceful music]

♪ ♪

- Robby, what's a tradition?

I heard Dad talking about 'em.

Do I have one?

- Huh? It's just a thing
you always do.

Like whenever
I'm in an online tournament,

I use my lucky chair pillow.

- Is our secret handshake
a tradition?

- Well...

It's great, but no.

Traditions mean something.

Being part of 'em
is how you know you belong.

- Then how do I know?

- [whistling]

Today is about observation
and reflection.

Nature can teach us
about ourselves.

- [groans, sighs]

I think it just taught me
I don't like trees.

♪ ♪

- This oak's been around
a long time.

See, here?

This mark shows when the tree

was hit by lightning and here
is a year with good rain.

- You can tell all that
from a stump?

- My grandfather taught me
everything carries a story.

He's why I love history.

He used to say,
"The past is a present

the present passed."

- What does that mean?

- [laughs]
I don't know.

I just enjoy remembering things
my lolo said.

- Lolo?

- That's Tagalog
for "grandfather."

Have I never told you I grew up
in Bohol in the Philippines?

- What?
I've won drag races

at the old Tagbilaran
City Airport.

- No kidding?

I'd love to hear your--
[clears throat]

Let me tell you
why we're out here today:

the Wakwak.

- Wait, Witwicky has a Wawak?

- You know what the Wakwak is?

- A huge vampire bird
that att*cks people?

Not something you forget.

[odd caw]

The legends say
it makes less noise

the closer it comes
to its prey.

- Then it's time
for my lolo's lesson

on Wakwak defense.

- All right, stick it to me.

- Ah, you flatter me
with your wordplay.

♪ ♪

[video game battle sounds]

- Covering you, Daxilon .

I--
[tapping on window]

What's up, Twitch?

- Since I don't have
a tradition,

would it be okay if I borrowed
the one you have with Dad?

- Sure.
- Great!

Can you show me what to do?

- Mm-hmm.

Right now?

[groans]
[player whining]

I am paying attention.

So for a Wakwak hunt,
you need to get some sticks.

- On it!

How's this?

- Are those the trees
Mom just planted?

- Not anymore.

They're tradition sticks.

- Yeah, you're gonna wanna
put those back

before she gets home from work.

- [gasps]
Is that part of the tradition?

- Uh, no.

Now you go act like
you're hunting something.

Dad said he'd be
at the big stump.

- [squeals happily]

I'm gonna catch the Wakwak.

I'm gonna catch--
[crash]

[game over sound]
- Oh, come on!

[bird cawing]

[mysterious music]

- Dad? Bumblebee?

Ready for my first tradition,
Dad.

Are you already hunting
the Wakwak?

I'll chase 'em over to you.

Ha!

[grunting]

Huh, I don't feel different.

Maybe I did it wrong?

Or maybe this tradition
is only a Robby-Dad thing.

♪ ♪

Huh?

[groaning]

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[mysterious music]

- What? What?

[grunting]

You're not a Wakwak.

Are you?

- Incredible.

Though I never programmed
my drones with speech,

it seems this one's AI
has evolved.

I will attempt conversation.

Greetings, my drone.

- I'm not your drone.
I'm Twitch.

- Sparks! It named itself.

Go into sleep mode.

- Uh, go into "get lost" mode.

- My creation has developed
a personality.

Dissect for future study.

- Hey!

You wanna try that again?

- You're a Cybertronian.

No Autobot I know.

Decepticon?
- Neither.

I'm a Terran.

- The new beings
Optimus told us about.

Let me start over.

I am Wheeljack.

It seems
you took your vehicle mode

from one of my inventions.

Sorry for the mix-up.

- You built the drone
I scanned?

- One of my better inventions.

No accidental
self-destructions.

Yet.

- You're kind of like... my
dad!

- No, no, no, no,
that's not how it works.

- But I already have a dad.

Ooh, I know!

You can be my dad number two!

So what are we doing out here,
Dad ?

- And we aren't doing
anything.

I'm chasing mechanoid
spider-creatures.

- [gasps]
Like the Wakwak hunt!

- The what-what hunt?
- It's a family tradition.

We can do it together.

We just need sticks.

- Eh, sorry, Twitch.

I can't play.

- But I can help.

- You can!

By pretending we never met.

Bye now.

[engine roaring]

[tires squealing]

♪ ♪

[upbeat music]

♪ ♪

[victory music]
- Oh, yes!

First place!

Dad, guess what?

[soft music]

Mo? Thrash?

You're never gonna believe...

Twitch?

♪ ♪

[branches snapping]

- [gasps]

[suspenseful music]

[groans nervously]

Aah!

[upbeat electronic music]

♪ ♪

- Nice moves, Rob--Bee.

- Alex, your kids
are seriously missing out

by not being here.

- [sighs]
Somehow this tradition

went from cool to boring
when I wasn't looking.

We do it
for the family memories.

They make us who were are,
like...

like those tree rings.

- I'm gonna go get Robby
and Mo.

They need to know
how important this is to you,

and when I'm back,
you're teaching me

that basketball sh*t.

[engine roars]

- I've already been doing that.

All in the wrists.

[arachnamechs hum]

♪ ♪

[arachnamechs chirping]

♪ ♪

- [engine roaring]

- Bumblebee!

Where are you going?

[ominous music]

[device beeping]

- Whoa!
- See? I'm helping.

♪ ♪

- [hisses]
- Aah!

- Aw, you lost him.

- Why didn't you use your EMP
on that thing?

- Because I don't have an EMP?

- You're a Wheeljack drone.

You have that and more.

- Can you teach me
how it works?

- Under one condition.

- I'm still calling you Dad .

- I was going to say you help
me catch that arachnabot.

- Mm.
- Okay. Two conditions.

[soft music]

♪ ♪

[twig snaps]

[strange whooshing]

♪ ♪

- [sighs]

There is no Wakwak.

There is no Wakwak.

There is no Wakwak.

There is no Wakwak.

[mechanical whirring]

[gasps]

Wakwak!

[panting]

[light cheery music]

- Your EMP is part
of the drone's power matrix.

To access it,
you need to look for the--

- Found it!

- Fast learner.

Do you think you can activate
your shield tech?

- I have that too?

- It should be
nearly instinctual

once you identify a thr*at.

Nice work, Twitch.

- Bet you can't do it again.

- Oh, yeah?

Lemme show you
how we did things

on Cybertron.

♪ ♪

- Surprise!
[giggles]

♪ ♪

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- [grunting]

♪ ♪

Whew.

I know I didn't program that.

Impressive tactics, Twitch.

- Thanks, Dad .

Um, is that really how
you did things on Cybertron?

Did you have family traditions

that maybe you could teach me
right now?

- Well, they're kind of hard
to pull off on Earth,

and I don't exactly fit in
with the local culture.

- You feel like
you don't belong.

Me too sometimes.

- You're a new species.

You have so much to teach us,
so much promise.

- So much pressure!

Am I a Cybertronian?

A Malto? A drone?

All of them? None?

I don't even have a tradition.

- Why do you want one?

- So I know I'm part
of something.

Not different and alone.

- You need
to think like a scientist.

Look at the data: you have
a family that loves you.

Here's the thing about family:

you can always find
new traditions with them.

[rustling]

[mysterious music]

- Dad? You out here?

[rustling]

[arachnamechs clicking]

[gasps]

[arachnamechs chirping]

[tense music]

[arachnamechs hiss]
- Okay.

You got me.

What do you want?

♪ ♪

My Cybersleeve?

Well, we come as a package!

♪ ♪

[grunting]

♪ ♪

[panting]

♪ ♪

Huh?

♪ ♪

Uh?
- [screeches]

- Aah!

[roars]

- [gasps]

♪ ♪

- [squeals]

♪ ♪

[crash]
- [groans]

[soft music]

♪ ♪

[arachnamechs whirring]

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- You wanna go? I'm ready!

[grunts]

♪ ♪

You can't have my sleeve
unless you rip my arm off!

[arachnamechs chirping]

- That wasn't an invitation.

Aah!

Whoa!
- [hisses]

- Aah!
- [screams]

- Huh?

- I don't like to hurt spiders,

but when you mess with my son,
you leave me no options.

[upbeat dramatic music]

[grunting]

♪ ♪

- Dad,
where did you learn that?

- My lolo's Wakwak hunts.

- You know the moves.

[bright music]

♪ ♪

- [gasps]
Robby!

- What is it? What's wrong?

- He's in trouble.

[suspenseful music]

- And so are we.

Get to safety!

- [grunting]

[bright triumphant music]

♪ ♪

You would make my lolo proud.

♪ ♪

- Twitch, up high.

♪ ♪

Down low.

♪ ♪

- Whoo-hoo!
- Whoo, yeah.

- Look at all these specimens.

I've been hunting these things
for weeks.

Thank you, Twitch.

I'm truly honored you chose

to scan my drone.

[soft melancholic music]

♪ ♪

So much to study
and questions to answer.

Who created
these mechanical menaces?

What's their power source?

Why are they here?

- I guess this is goodbye,
huh?

- Mm-hmm.

♪ ♪

But I think we should make
mechanical spider hunting

our tradition.

What do you say?

♪ ♪

- Sorry I chose
the video game tournament

over spending time with you,
Dad.

- I know you have many
important things in your life.

Just keep a little time
for your tatay, okay?

- Is it too late
for today's Wakwak hunt?

[rustling]

[breezy music]

♪ ♪

- Robby!

No wonder I didn't find you.

You were already
with your dad.

- ♪ But he did find us ♪

And we have a surprise for you,
Dad!

Hit it, Thrash!

♪ ♪

- Is that my lolo's song?

- If you have
a really good imagination.

Be honest, Dad.

Have you ever really seen
a Wakwak?

- Well--
both: Aah!

- Incoming! Whoo-hoo.

Hi, Dad! Hi, Robby!

- Twitch!

- Strange,
I used to have a colleague

that used similar technology.

- Robby, I did it!

I hunted arachnamechs

and made my own tradition
with Wheeljack.

- You met Wheeljack?

- That's me.

Howdy, y'all.

- Dad, I'd like you to meet--

- Dad .

- [gasps]
Eeeh!

[thud]

- Hey, that makes you
my Dad too.

[basketball bouncing]

[bright music]

♪ ♪

- It worked.

I gotta spend more time
with Alex.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪