"I got a phone!" Darksteel cried as his brethren walked into their house one evening.
He showed a rectangular device to Predaking, Ripclaw, and Skylynx.
"For what purpose do you intend to use it?" Predaking questioned.
"Actually, I want us all to get them!" Darksteel explained. "Since I'm not always around, I want to still be able to tell you right away when something crazy happens! Also, did you know that we got a reward for all the labour we did before? Shanix! Some kind of number system where the higher the numbers we earn, the more stuff we can get in return."
Darksteel unclipped something from under his shoulder. He flashed out a card.
"And check this out! It's the magic card that holds my shanix!"
"How does it achieve that?" Predaking squinted.
Darksteel shrugged. "I really don't know. I just tap it to a machine then bots let me have whatever I want. Yeah! So they set up a public market in Iacon today, but the only way to get stuff was with the card. So I figured it all out."
"A market?" Ripclaw mused. "What sort of things did they offer?"
"Well, I just bought two snacks since I figured it would be more fun going back with you all. But there were decorations I wanted to get for our house that I saw."
Predaking decided, "Let us go now to acquire these devices and cards, then peruse the market."
Darksteel eagerly led them into the city in beast form, spinning around in the air and signing, [We go, we go, we go!]
The sun dipped to the horizon as they crammed into a small office with a lone Autobot employee. After the Predacons gave their names, the Autobot matched them on a computer to their bio profiles. Cards loaded up with 100 000 credits were handed to them with clips to attach them magnetically to their arms.
At another similar office, the Predacons tested their new cards to pay for their new phones. It really was as easy as a tap, and the phones were theirs. Darksteel then pushed them outside so that he could teach them how the devices worked. After he added them all in as each other's contacts, he passed the phones back to them.
Darksteel tapped quickly with his claws on the phone screen. With a bling, Predaking's phone chirped in his hand. Opening it, he read the message:
Darksteel
Hi
Predaking typed and sent:
Predaking
Message received.
Ripclaw and Skylynx chuckled over their phones as Darksteel messaged them.
"I think this will become amusing," Ripclaw said.
Although Darksteel enthusiastically flew them to an open area just beside Iacon Square, he growled sadly to see it empty.
[Now, not here] he signed, bowing his head. [Tomorrow?]
The next day, Darksteel messaged them while Predaking, Ripclaw, and Skylynx were in New Spark:
Darksteel
They only do the market twice a decacycle. Every Primaday and Microday. Also I just learned that solar cycles have names. Did you know that?
Seated in front of Dominus Ambus, they were able to inquire about this.
"We name the ten cycle period after all the so-called 'good Primes'. Minus the Thirteenth Prime since we are not certain of his name. Primaday, Vectday, Triday, Solday, Microday, Alchday, Nexday, Onyxday, Amalgaday, and Quintday."
"Who are the Primes?" Predaking asked.
"Oh my, let's make that your make-up lesson tonight," Dominus Ambus chuckled.
Thus Predaking, Skylynx, and Ripclaw learned about the original Cybertronians who had battled against Unicron, defeated him, then subsequently fought among themselves. Some perished, the rest scattered. Most intriguing to them was Onyx Prime.
"The first beastformer!" Dominus Ambus lifted his chin. "Our ancestor who scanned the universe with his relic for animalistic life of the past and future for which to base us."
Darksteel was missing too much. After his brethren recounted the stories of the Primes to him, Predaking pushed him to attend school at least until the next market day. In exchange, all of them would skip school on Microday.
Darksteel urged, "After we go to the market, let's do some good ol' wreckage clearing!"
The morning sun peeked between the buildings, casting golden rays over the Iacon market. Two lines of tables piled with goods faced each other, tended to by vendors while customers strolled in between. Landing and transforming to bot mode, the Predacons beelined to the closest table.
"Additional lighting to warm up your home?" the Autobot vendor offered.
"Yeah!" Darksteel exclaimed before anyone could think it over. "I'll take two!"
He tapped his card without paying attention to the price, grabbing two decorative lamps with small dangling models of the moons. They were pretty enough that none of his brethren disputed his purchase.
Moving down the market stands, the Predacons obtained treats of many kinds.
"Aplex flavour fused with energon, straight from Meliflux Fields!" an Autobot flier proudly proclaimed.
"Special pink energon from Cäminus," a purple and yellow vendor without an insignia offered. "Regular or with sweetrod!"
"We shall try it," Predaking replied to all and raised his card.
Metal boxes piled up in their arms as they walked along, but at the same time, they couldn't resist picking out candy from the boxes and popping it into their mouths.
At another table, they discovered thick bundles of interwoven chains as well as intricately carved plant statues.
"What's going on here?" Darksteel asked. "Oh hey, I remember you."
The vendor was a white and blue Autobot with long arms and legs.
"Froid," Predaking said.
"Oh, I am surprised you know my name!" Froid smiled. "Are you interested in anything here?"
Froid nudged a small sign forward.
"Therapy For All?" Skylynx read.
Froid explained, "Providing psychotherapy is my specialty: what I have been certified in since before the War. It is a practice aimed to heal patients, improve their mental health and well-being, reduce harmful negative emotions, and aid with struggles such as behavioural or social issues."
"How do you accomplish that?" Predaking asked.
"Through repeated and consistent personal interactions in which the patient speaks with me about their problems and I provide professional, science-based guidance."
"I think I'm good, but what about this?" Darksteel patted the chain bundles, squishing them down. "Oo, they feel nice!"
"Oh, those are hand-crafted blankets which you can adjust the temperature for. Hot, cold, however you please."
"Feel this!" Darksteel called to his brethren.
Predaking, Skylynx, and Ripclaw pressed down on the blankets.
"Ah, I really like them," Ripclaw exhaled. "How big are they though?"
She opened one up: it was quite large, nearly three-fourths the size of her bot form.
"I'll take all you have, really," she decided. "This would be really comfy where we recharge. And the changing temperature is a nice bonus!"
Froid jolted. "Wonderful! Thank you so very much!"
"And what are these pieces of art?" Skylynx inquired.
"Ah, they are blue flowers of an alien world I shortly resided on."
"They would make nice decorations for our shelves at home. I will take three."
Once they paid, Ripclaw disappeared behind a mountain of chain blankets in her arms. However, they used one of the blankets to bundle up all their candy in a sac. At another table, Skylynx picked up coloured carvings of energon in the shape of mechanimals.
"Our house is gonna be awesome," Darksteel said.
Beyond the buildings ringing the market, the loud roar of an engine turned their heads. A vehicle tore down a street out of sight, then skidded around a corner and rushed toward the market. Vendors jumped before the sleek vehicle veered, racing laps around the tables.
"Any of you wanna race a Velocitronian?" the bot cried in a twangy accent.
Everyone gawked; no one answered. But the Velocitronian sped round and round the market, laughing and revving his engines.
"Okay, that's annoying," Ripclaw growled.
Predaking stepped past the tables and stood at the edge of the market. Just as the Velocitronian sped closer, he transformed, swelling into a large beast, before flopping his body onto the ground. Yelping, the Velocitronian screeched on his tires trying to slow down. He crashed into Predaking's side with a bang. Transforming, the Velocitronian sprawled in bot form with all his long smooth limbs out.
As the Predacons laughed, even the vendors and shoppers joined them. When another vehicle rolled in, Predaking turned to face it. And that white and black vehicle just happened to transform into a disgruntled Prowl.
Predaking ground his teeth in anticipation.
"Well, it looks like you took care of the nuisance." Prowl raised his brows and slowly nodded. "Makes my job easier."
Prowl pulled up the Velocitronian by his arm.
"Owww, what did I do?" he whined.
"You know what you did! Velocitronians were clearly told upon arrival: No reckless driving!"
"Okay, but define 'reckless'!"
"Oh sure, let's define it at the police station." Prowl manifested cuffs from his chest and slapped them on the Velocitronian's wrists. He nodded at the Predacons, then began to drag the Velocitronian away.
"He wasn't even mad at you?" Darksteel gasped incredulously.