After sleeping together in a ball, the Predacons emerged from their house to start a new day. Small brown and grey creatures hopped across the road and black-feathered animals soared through the air. The Predacons spread their wings and joined them in the sky, before scanning the city for a project to contribute to. Drawn by the bright new colours of Acrylic and Pastel, they dropped down to work alongside them. Partly just to see how they cut sheets of metal into decorative patterns.

Other Autobots were also interested in ogling the newly altered Vehicons. Springer was nearby, watching them without comment. Today, Bulkhead and Wheeljack were nowhere to be seen. However, a familiar Autobot voice Predaking had heard on Earth spoke through every Wrecker's comms.

It was the taller Autobot whose hand he had crushed.

"Autobots in Iacon: Be advised that a small Decepticon vessel is approaching Cybertron with an estimated twenty members onboard. At the moment, it is not heading for Iacon, but be prepared as it could change course. Superion has been tasked with taking it down. "

Autobots bared their teeth and curled their eyebrows in rage. As they bristled, large guns popped out from their bodies reflexively. They halted work and watched the skies, and the Vehicons did the same.

Predaking thought, Bots of both factions were bound to return to their home planet. Why must the Autobots "take down" the Decepticon ship by force? Do they consider Cybertron theirs to rule, despite what Bumblebee said?

Over the next hour, Predaking regarded the Autobots with a disgruntled expression. Eventually, the voice spoke through the comms again:

"The situation is resolved. Nineteen hostile Decepticons have been captured and secured in Kaon Prison."

The Autobots disarmed themselves, shared words of relief, and continued with construction. When the Vehicons resumed their work, it was at a slower pace. Predaking noticed the stiffness in their movements and knew they were upset. This would certainly become a talking point at the Clubhouse that night.

As predicted, the assembled Vehicons filling the seats and standing in the lobby were already clamouring about the day's events by the time the Predacons walked in.

"Just like we thought—the Autobots would throw the 'real' Decepticons in jail as soon as they showed up!" a Vehicon called.

Ciel spoke, causing Vehicons to quiet down to listen. "If that is what Autobots do to other Decepticons, then what, are we not Decepticons to them? Just slaves?"

The Vehicons curled their fists.

"You know what a Wrecker said to us today?" Acrylic snarled. "'Why are the drones getting paint jobs?'"

The Predacons could only stare at the enraged Vehicons, wishing somehow they could ease them.

"Drones?"

"Drones!"

"Why do we have to put up with this anymore? Altero is right! We are Cybertronians like anyone else!"

"We have sparks, just like them!"

The sound speakers in the back of the room blasted music and every Vehicon jolted. They spun to one lone jet Vehicon who now dialed down the noise.

"I am an envoy of Altero," the Vehicon said. "And he told me that if you were to get too rebellious, to advise you to wait."

There was silence. The Predacons blinked, impressed by the unassuming yet bold jet Vehicon.

"Wait… for what?" a Vehicon near the speakers asked.

"Altero said that a rebellion would be futile. The planet has the Wreckers, a Combiner, and many other Autobot warriors. Not to mention, the powerful relics we are familiar with from Earth. So don't be rash, he said. He expected rashness. Altero warned, 'Once you realize you are an individual deserving of rights, every injustice of the past will hit you all at once. Your spark will burn and make you want to fight. Don't fight; don't die. Trust in me and I will bring you justice. Forget Megatron. I can be more than Megatron ever was for us.'"

Shoulders dropped and slow exhales of awe blew over the room like a wind. Predaking and Ripclaw tensed.

"What does that mean?" Ripclaw interrupted. "You aren't going to start the War again, are you? That would destroy everything we just built!"

"No war," the Vehicon by the speakers assured her. "He said the war between the Autobots and Decepticons must never start up again."

"Good," Predaking muttered. "Violence and destruction is unnecessary at this point. We have a planet to cherish."

"Not all Autobots are so bad either," Ripclaw added.

Acrylic and Pastel huffed.

"Yeah right," Pastel said sarcastically.

Predaking argued, "Did they not respect you while you all constructed our house?"

"That was nothing really," Ciel said. "We still remember the past."

Nevertheless, what the jet Vehicon had said calmed the Vehicons. Predaking could see why: the responsibility of justice was out of their hands, set in the hands of an inspirational figure they trusted. Predaking supposed he trusted Altero too, if it were true that he wanted no war. Altero encouraged the familial community among the Vehicons; he was the king of the Vehicons like Predaking was the king of his kind.

"By the way…" the jet Vehicon said. "I'll be dark green tomorrow. You can call me Pine. I don't expect you to believe me, but once I hit Optimus Prime in the face with a tree log."

END PART 2