In session with Rung, Skids helps the psychotherapist rebuild one of his model kits while trying to recall more of his missing memories. With Rung's aid, he is able to remember the time when an "anti-personal mine" he was attempting to defuse—a landmine built out of a living Transformer—exploded and knocked him offline, allowing him to be captured by a Decepticon "hygiene team" and taken to the legendary Grindcore prison. He recalls the gruesome installation of a transformation-inhibiting "mouth flower", but his memories begin to sputter out just before he can remember the identity of his cellmate. Rung congratulates him on a job well done and calls an end to the session, replacing the completed model kit on his shelf; Skids suggests that he should get some new models, but Rung explains that he only collects models of ships he has served on (justifying his model of the Ark-1 by noting he was recalled from the crew by the Senate at the last minute). Just before Skids leaves, Riptide knocks on the door to inform Rung he has a very unexpected visitor: his old rival, Froid, who Rung believed to be dead! Skids compliments Froid's set of Primal Beads, and leaves the two to get reacquainted.

In the Lost Light medibay, the surprisingly-still-alive Cyclonus receives a report on Tailgate's condition from Velocity, who explains that the little 'bot has been left comatose after his spark sent a wave of energy throughout the ship, which has succeeded in awakening Thunderclash from his own coma. Megatron offers his apologies for lashing out at Tailgate, while Rodimus tells him that they have arrested Getaway and Atomizer for their crimes. Cyclonus is puzzled as to how they learned the pair were responsible, and Rodimus reveals he had Chromedome mnemosurgically obtain the information from the unconscious Tailgate—something that both Megatron and Cyclonus question the ethics of.

A tense conversation between Rung and Froid establishes that the last time they spoke was on the day Sunder, a rogue mnemosurgeon turned serial killer known as the "Tetrahex Ripper", was arrested, along with his brother Sceptre. Fascinated by the case, Froid had been aboard the prison ship taking Sunder to Garrus 6 when the two brothers escaped their cells and took him hostage, fleeing the vessel in a shuttle. The shuttle was destroyed and Sceptre died, but Froid escaped and settled on Scarvix, where he has allegedly become something of a local celebrity. Tiring of his passive-aggressive remarks, Rung demands to know why Froid has come to the Lost Light; Froid requests to look through Rung's case files, but Rung refuses, citing both doctor-patient confidentiality and Froid's tendency toward plagiarism. But Froid doesn't take no for an answer, insinuating he knows a secret about Rung's past that might just come to light if Rung doesn't acquiesce...

Down in the ship's oil reservoir, Skids tries to recall more of his time in Grindcore. With a little effort, he is able to remember that his cellmate was Quark, and recalls how he removed his "mouth flower" thanks to his super-learning abilities. Quark warned him against publicly displaying such skills and told him a little about the prison and how they used to pipe music in, at which point they discovered that the prison's commandant had been listening at the door...

Rung continues to refuse Froid's request and escorts him back to his ship in the shuttle bay, where the two guards Kindle and Fervor are only too happy to see Froid leave. Rung is puzzled by their remarks, but soon discovers the reason behind them: Sunder is a prisoner aboard Froid's ship! Froid delights in explaining that he has been helping Sunder work through the loss of his brother, but Rung fears that Froid is too close to his patient. Froid scoffs at the accusation: who is Rung to talk about such things, given the secret Froid knows about him—the fact that, while serving aboard the Fateful Archetype, Rung became too close to a patient and was disbarre

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