- "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 weapon?
[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 attacks 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, Daxilon24.
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, Dad2?
- 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 shot.
[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 Dad2.
- 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.
[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 threat.
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, Dad2.
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...
- Dad2.
- [gasps] Eeeh!
[thud]
- Hey, that makes you my Dad2 too.
[basketball bouncing]
[bright music]
♪ ♪
- It worked.
I gotta spend more time with Alex.
♪ ♪