"What?" asked Dinobot, and Optimus repeated his question.
Dinobot replied, "I do not enjoy spending time with the vermin. It is merely the verbal exchanges I find…invigorating."
"Have you spent time among Maximals before?" Optimus pressed.
Elsewhere on the Axalon, Rattrap flinched when Cheetor suggested it. "Ehhh, aint no Maximal going to say they enjoy hanging out with an ex-pred head. No real Maximal, anyway."
"But, RT," Cheetor said, "you follow him around all the time, and you even co-ordinate manoeuvres on the battle field."
"Somebody's gotta keep an eye on him," Rattrap shrugged.
"I have spent a lot of time among Maximals. Indeed," Dinobot suddenly grew agitated, "One can hardly escape their company. All pathways to prominence and ease are safeguarded and managed entirely by your faction."
"I'm sorry it has been so difficult for you," Optimus said neutrally.
"Not difficult so much as…unpleasant." DInobot said. There was a pause. "At times," Dinobot added grudgingly, "I am sure Predacons have made it unpleasant for Maximals."
Optimus sighed. He was involved in politics, though he did not like it. Unlike other Maximal politicians he was not wilfully ignorant of the injustices Maximals inflicted on Predacons.
"You know, I've seen my friends blown up by Predheads. Even now, if any of us dies because of Megatron and his merry bots, it'll be down to the Predacons. I'm telling ya, kiddo, all things evil under the sun are because of Predacons."
"Humans have a word for it. They call it racism." Optimus said.
Dinobot maintained silence.
"I dunno," Cheetor said. "Do you sometimes think maybe the Predacons wouldn't have so much anger against us if we treated them fairly? Or at least, if we didn't keep saying stuff like 'Maximals are all so noble and Predacons are so evil.' Because you know, that can't be true all the time. Like, we wouldn't need to have jails because no Maximals would ever break the law. And there was that news story about how a Maximal base tortured their Predacon POWS in the last war-"
"Whoa whoa whoa. Maximals don't do that sorta thing," Rattrap said to Cheetor.
"There are Predacons who have seen torture up close, at the hands of Maximals," Dinobot said, "One hears stories."
Neither Dinobot nor Optimus alluded to the obvious fact that it was Dinobot whose body was riddled with scars, or to the incident where Dinobot woke up screaming "Maximal torture chamber."
"I could tell you things," Rattrap said quietly to Cheetor, "Things that don't bear repeating. Predacons have made misery for as long as they've existed."
"Perhaps someday there will be a balance." Optimus said.
"I do not think so." Said Dinobot. "Considering what Predacons have inflicted on Maximals, and what Maximals continue to inflict on Predacons…do you think it likely all that will simply fade away."
"Wounds heal," Optimus said.
Dinobot rolled his optic. It was such a Maximal thing to say.
"Maybe one day Preds and Maximals can live in peace," Cheetor said. "I had some Predacons in my class at the Academy. They were alright. Some of them got picked on, but I never had a problem with them."
"I don't think so, kid," Rattrap said. "It don't look that way ta me."
"Then what is the solution?" Optimus said. "Granted, the Predacons have been treated unfairly. Should all Maximals be murdered on that account? Conquered by the Predacons against their wishes? Is that what you want?"
"I do not pretend to know…anymore." Dinobot replied.
"So what do you think we should do about them? Kill them all?"
Rattrap looked at Cheetor. " Hope that they blow up each other, I guess."
"That's not an answer," Cheetor said.
"I dunno the answer."
"Hey big bot?"
"Yes, Cheetor?"
"You know how Dinobot and Rattrap fight but sort of get along as well? Wouldn't it be cool if all Maximals and Predacons could get along like that?"
Optimus smiled. "That would be prime."