As the council meeting adjourns, the group disperses, each of the assembled choosing a target for further conversation. The veterans gather in one corner, discussing the planned trip to Earth and their current experiences with their newfound allies. Rawhide and Duskhunter adjourn to the back to further argue the planned declaration of war, and Merrick and Webweaver air their own grievances. Meanwhile, one of the Warder's other members, Caesar the cat, introduces himself to Eldred. His instructions are to represent the Warder group on the trek to Autobot City. Flameseeker, the moth that represents the Predacons at the council, insists he would like to speak with the prisoner, Stalker. He is forcibly sent away by Pantora, and promises Stalker he'll try to get time alone with her later. Rattrap and Silverbolt grill Darkecho on what EXACTLY he might have heard through the walls while staying at Silverbolt's...his superhearing combined with his new ability to transfer sound to Fracas for recording has made him the ultimate voyeur. He finally pretends to delete a file—enough to satisfy Silverbolt and amuse Rattrap immensely. Early the next morning, before dawn, Darkecho's abilities come in handy again, when he hears Blackarachnia wake from a nightmare. Knowing better, Blackarachnia is sure he's left before she explains to Silverbolt, but Darkecho has dispatched his housecat-tape drone, Scratch, to listen in. Apparently, Blackarachnia has been having increasingly frequent and vivid nightmares about Tarantulas...a good explanation for her willingness to return to Earth and investigate.
Thundershot, having finally heard the rumors himself, has headed out for Autobot city on his own. He reaches the city, noticing that the defenses are up and on-line. The motion-sensor guns take him out before he is able to hack the entry code; he limps off for repairs on his ship, then attempts it again. This time, he is able to crack the code and get the door to rise, making his way inside and trying not to set off any more intruder alerts. However, it is not to be...one of the trapdoors within the complex slams down on him, trapping him until further help can arrive.
Lucky for him, the heroes are on their way, slowly but surely. Caesar is able to secure a Warder shuttle to make the trip, and the group arrives at the ruins of Metroplex. They are somewhat more careful in gaining entry; Eldred is easily able to enter the access code, but can't change the fact that the automatic defenses are active. The drawbridge sent across, the group battles four attack drones, lifts the door, and is free to explore the ancient fortress. Among the ruins they find a repair bay, a weapons cache, a mostly depleted energon stash, and a door marked Do Not Enter. Pantora's curiosity is piqued...Caesar, just as curious, has already wandered off on his own, and is playing among the battle platforms. Darkecho, meanwhile, is basking in the history of the place, visiting the communications tower his ancestor once jammed, listening to the old transmissions, and searching carefully for signs of Optimus Primal...of which there are none. The group finally comes to the same puzzling conclusion: Primal WAS here, and activated the defense grid himself, then vanished.
The "Do Not Enter" door leads to the Metroplex core, and, though it is also heavily guarded, the group manages to get inside. From there, Eldred can solve the problem of shutting defenses on and off, as well as look for information about Primal in the computer. As he is exploring the database, there is an interruption at the gates—a group of five Predacons, headed by one of the dragons that Darkecho had rescued earlier from the Maximal prison compound. The group learns soon that the Predacons are of a rare type: a Combiner...Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Leopard, and Crane form Shaolinotron. However, even a Predacon gestalt is no match for the full fury of a fully operational Autobot City defense grid, and the dragon, Lung, surrenders to the group after he recognizes a few of them from before. He explains that the team has been sent by a commander from the militarized zone to seek out Primal and the Covenant. The heroes argue with the Predacons, but eventually allow them inside, showing them the extent of the nothing that they've found. In the meantime, Eldred really does find a useful item—a secret elevator that leads from the city into a deeper part of the planet. He sends Pantora out to test the elevator and verify its location, then allows the Predacons to enter the Metroplex core and examine the monitors themselves. The Predacons are dissatisfied, but have no choice but to leave.
Meanwhile, Pantora discovers just how long an elevator shaft can be, as she is carried down far below the city. When she finally emerges, she alone is the first to stare out at the ruins of the true Autobot capital...Iacon.