Ripclaw was wholeheartedly accepted by the Vehicons, who gave her a summary of the War so that she would understand the world she had just stepped into. All the Predacons refuelled on energon before lying on the street outside for a quick rest. Ripclaw crept toward their pile of intertwined wings and tails, and the three other Predacons stiffened in apprehension until she retracted her dangerous spikes or lay them flat.
She wrapped her body around Skylynx and Darksteel. As the pile grew, so did the joy in Predaking's spark.
The typical racket of construction woke the Predacons, but they opened their eyes to see Autobots standing before them who had not dared to wake them: Springer, Whirl, other Wreckers, Autobots from Earth like the blue and yellow one and the tiny blue one, and even the red Decepticon Knockout.
Slowly separating, the Predacons stretched and gazed at their audience. Most Autobots went on their way, but Springer remained and with the ever suspicious Whirl.
"I see you found a new companion," Springer observed.
The Predacons transformed. Springer stepped closer to Ripclaw and nodded diplomatically. "My name is Springer, second-in-command of the Autobot force called 'the Wreckers'."
"I am Ripclaw," she said.
"Welcome to Iacon. Before you get started, Bumblebee wanted to put you in the comm system so you can be contacted at any time or you can contact us in case of emergency. Also, Predaking, there's an Autobot who would like to talk to you."
Skylynx and Darksteel elected to stay behind while Predaking and Ripclaw stepped through a ground bridge. The black and yellow Autobot stood once again by the front controls of the Nemesis, but this time beside a giant white and red Seeker as tall as a Predacon.
"So, you found her!" the black and yellow Autobot exclaimed.
The Seeker stepped forward. "Was she with Shockwave?"
"No," Predaking replied. "It seems that Shockwave has departed to live on his own."
"Shockwave couldn't have gone far. A flier will surely catch sight of him soon."
"What will you do with him if he is found?" Predaking asked.
"Imprison him, until we can give him a trial," the black and yellow Autobot replied.
The Seeker crossed his arms. "Then promptly lock him back up."
"Where?" Predaking asked.
The small Autobot replied, "We will soon have some secure cells available. In the meantime, anyone we capture will have to be put into stasis."
"Don't forget, Bumblebee, my inhibitor collars," the Seeker added.
"What are those things you just mentioned?" Ripclaw asked. "You will not harm Shockwave, correct?"
Bumblebee replied, "No. We would never intentionally harm a prisoner."
The Autobot Seeker said, "Stasis locks bots in a state of unconsciousness."
"And the 'inhibitor collar'?"
The Seeker told her, "It disrupts T-Cog signals. Decepticons wearing them cannot transform or manifest their weapons. Trying to remove them will cause them to detonate, but of course, we will warn them well of that."
"You would place such a dangerous device on Shockwave?" Ripclaw's chest expanded. "He may be your enemy, but he does not deserve such treatment!"
"The Autobots he experimented on would disagree," the Seeker sighed. "You are too young to understand; he did not make you out of the kindness of his spark. Shockwave created you to take advantage of your destructive capabilities."
"Go easy on them, Jetfire," Bumblebee said. "They don't know the whole story."
Jetfire nodded. "They don't. Once the Dinobots have finished their hunt, we ought to arrange a meeting so that the Predacons fully understand Shockwave's sins against life."
Predaking could say nothing to defend Shockwave. For all he knew, Shockwave had agreed with Megatron's plan to terminate the Predacons on Earth…
He turned the bristling Ripclaw around to face him. "Do not argue with them. Perhaps Shockwave is not who he seems, but rest assured, he will not be harmed or killed."
Ripclaw clamped her fangs shut. Meanwhile, the Autobots relaxed and gazed at Predaking with appreciative blue eyes.
"Predaking," Jetfire said. "We need to discuss something. We were told that you released Starscream and could potentially be able to track him."
"My decision is firm. The Predacons will no longer have anything to do with Starscream."
"Look at what he did to your optic!" Jetfire urged. "I know Starscream. When he feels threatened, he lashes out and hurts others. He can do worse than what he did to you."
"Then leave him," Predaking muttered. "If it is true that Starscream only reacts aggressively when threatened, why pursue him? Regardless, I see no reason to be concerned about him. He is weak and manageable…"
"Once again, there is more you do not know," Jetfire answered. "There are things Starscream has done—reasons why he should stand trial and face punishment."
"I am weary of notions of revenge. Perhaps Starscream can be given one last chance to change for the better, and if he squanders it, then he can be captured."
"This isn't about revenge," Bumblebee butted in. "This is about justice."
"I do not see the difference." Impatient to leave, Predaking changed the subject. "Does Ripclaw have a communication link?"
Jetfire ground his face into his hand. "Why is he so stubborn? He could locate Starscream at this very moment!"
"We've been through this already," Bumblebee sighed.
Predaking idly sensed Starscream's distant location, huffed, and continued to withhold the information.
"Do not make me ask again about Ripclaw."
Bumblebee slouched in defeat. "No, not yet."
"Have it done. We will return to Iacon following the installation."
Jetfire grumbled to Bumblebee while he worked, "This is ridiculous. All our forces are spread out and wasting their time tracking these Decepticons…"
Bumblebee didn't answer and clipped Ripclaw with a comm chip.
"Are we done?" Predaking uttered.
"Yes," he said.
"Good. Now send us back."
Bumblebee nodded. Jetfire shifted his jaw as he watched a portal open up for the Predacons.
"Wait, Predaking. One more thing," the Seeker announced.
Predaking took a step, then paused.
"Thank you for letting Starscream go instead of hurting him," Jetfire continued. "Though it may be hard to believe—and many would ridicule me for saying so—I never wanted to see him killed. He was my friend long ago."
A friend of Starscream? Predaking's frown eased. There is still much I do not know about this war.
Once Predaking and Ripclaw had stepped through the portal, she whirled around and growled, "Wasn't Starscream the second-in-command of the Decepticons? If he hurt you and he is such a big enemy to the Autobots, our allies, why not just capture him?"
"I am tired of Starscream. He has been a pest for my entire existence. Now, he can be someone else's problem."
"I could find him," Ripclaw suggested.
"You cannot track him without his energon. Besides, I want you to stay with us in Iacon. We are your brethren; we belong together."
"Alright…"
They looked around for Darksteel and Skylynx among the Vehicons, then spotted them up high.
Ripclaw said, "The Autobots don't seem as bad as I was told, at least. The Vehicons say they killed them for fun, but now the Autobots are working with them peacefully. They can't be that cruel, then."
Predaking frowned. "They certainly slaughtered Vehicons during the War. And remember what they did to the Predacons on Earth."
Of course, he had told her. She had been furious last night, but Predaking had urged her to respect the new alliance.
"I just don't get it. They killed us, but now they are being nice to us?" Ripclaw pondered. "Did they think killing us was the only way for them to survive?"
Predaking frowned deeper at the notion, but he hardly wanted to excuse the murder of the Predacons. Yet in his spark, this notion was familiar as though he had already started to understand why the Autobots had done what they did.
They reached the roof where Skylynx and Darksteel waited. Together, they observed the mixed group of labouring Autobots and Decepticons.
"I understand that we will be rebuilding. But what are the buildings for?" Ripclaw asked.
Predaking had never asked that question, assuming everything would be for housing.
Skylynx pointed around them. "I know. Residence buildings to house bots… Hospital… Over there will be the new public Hall of Records… And over there will be a neighbourhood of houses for larger or needier bots."
A jet engine boomed, but Predaking did not look up, expecting it to only be a flying Vehicon.
"Monsters!"
They glanced up at a blue and red jet which now circled them, hurling insults.
"Shockwave's vile creations! And ancient demons who ought to be extinct!"