Shockwave nudged Zephyr towards Megatron's sitting room, towards the same chair where the overlord shoved that fusion cannon into her chest. She ran her fingers along the faintly charred metal where its barrel burned her, it ached dully.

"Sit." Commanded Shockwave.

The femme complied readily though she remained at the edge of the seat, her palms flat against her knees, optics frozen forward. She was too terrified to even breathe deep. Shockwave's shadow loomed over from behind, and another more squared mech joined at his side. Soundwave. Any chance of lying her way through this interaction was gone in an instant. Lies had no welcome place in this company.

Megatron made his way over to the seat directly across from Zephyr, he sat down slowly, bloody optics trained on her tensed body language. She could see him out of her peripherals, though he was entirely unreadable. "I'm glad to see you've made it this far," he said. Zephyr swallowed but didn't respond. "It's been a little while since we last spoke, but your most recent update about your "rescue" is greatly appreciated."

Careful.

"I'm glad you think so." Zephyr dared a glimpse at Soundwave and Shockwave. They remained still, though Soundwave provided a subtle nod to his superior. Her stomach twisted with more guilt. Only a few solar cycles ago did Bee contact her about their plan. It was going to be himself, Optimus, Elita, and Ratchet coming in the dead of night, but they still needed detailed scans of the compound and Kaon. Jazz was brought in to assist with developing a stealth drone to acquire those scans. A drone the Decepticons now knew to keep an eye out for.

Megatron continued to study the femme. His optics seemed to glide over her, over every joint, every curve, like he was drinking her in, trying to memorize her. It made her uneasy to be looked at like that by him. He leaned back, rubbing his chin while he contemplated her and his next words. "It's not often I have a difficult time figuring out a bot, but you've stumped me."

"How so?"

"You seem conflicted," Megatron said. "Like there's a part of you that wants to be here but it's being overshadowed by what you've been raised to believe."

The femme's spark began to pound in her chest. She didn't know what to say, until her truth made itself known. "It seems you have me figured out pretty well then." Her body went stiff from the shock towards her own words. How could she say that? How could she openly admit to wanting to be a Decepticon when they're nothing but an anarchic hoard of displaced bots?

Stupid crossbreed.

Con spawn.

Their cruel words bounced around her processor. A plague of insults and slurs meant to isolate her, shame her. Insults that never once passed the lips of a single Con since she arrived. The closest being when they spat "Autobot" to reference her alleged "former" faction. She was once so solid in her place in the world, her purpose, but a simple mistake as taking the wrong train has flipped that comfort inside out.

All her internal panic translated to welling tears at the rim of her optics, she didn't realize she was trembling as she fought back the tightness in her chest and throat. Until a gentle finger dragged away the liquid before it fell. Megatron had moved to sit at the edge of the low table between them and while he still wore his usual stern mask, a hint of D-16's kindness softened his gaze. "It's hard, isn't it? Leaving behind everything you thought you loved. Abandoning those you once held in high regard."

"Does it get easier?" Zephyr choked out, barely able to look at him while her cheek tingled where his hand touched.

"Only if you allow yourself to feel it when it demands, but that pain will always be there— just dormant." He rubbed his fingers together, shiny with the femme's tears. "Don't hold it back."

Zephyr slumped down in her seat, dropping her helm into her hands. This is not how she wanted this meeting to go. She didn't want any of this to happen, but it almost felt like an inevitable. As if one way or another she would've wound up in this same position whether by accident or on purpose. That deep-seated resentment to Autobots, to those who judged her based on aspects of her life she had no control over, would've come to head eventually. No matter how hard she tried to suppress it or how much she loved the handful of bots who treated her as an equal.

Deep down she was a Decepticon.

She just isn't ready to face it.

There was a shift of metal lightly scrapping metal as Megatron scooted himself closer to the femme. So close she could feel his vents as they cooled his body. He carefully lifted her head so she would see him. "You have until your badging to decide where your loyalties truly lie, but until then you're no longer an Autobot." He produced a flat silver sheet of metal. "I'm gonna get a little personal for a moment." He paused, as if he was silently asking permission, so Zephyr nodded slowly. "Knock Out designed these," Megatron said, sounding more causal than she'd ever heard him. Like he was talking with a friend. "It's so we don't have to file down your metal when it's time to badge you." He scooted even closer to the point one of his thighs was placed comfortably between her own and he was able to reach around and place a flat palm against her back between her wings. "It's gonna sting, but it'll be more pleasant than grinding it."

"Okay." Zephyr had her optics shut. Her body was hot. Frustratingly hot. It didn't matter that it was Megatron. All her body knew was that he was attractive and close. Very close. The warm metal of his legs grazed hers, shooting intense scalding waves of unwanted arousal from her pelvis to her chest.

If her eyes were opened she would have seen the small smirk which twitched up a corner of the mech's mouth.

She felt him position the plating where her Autobot brand was and the pressure in her back increased as he shored his grip. "Deep breath." He warned. She inhaled immediately. He squeezed her between his hands and the metal in her chest popped painfully, but she didn't make a sound. She felt his thumb as it swirled firmly over her chest, the pressure resulted in a series of smaller, painful pops but quickly they eased and all that remained was a low throbbing pain within her cog.

When Zephyr opened her eyes she realized she had dug her fingers into Megatron's shoulders and quickly let go to shrink back into herself. "Sorry," she whispered.

The mech rolled his neck and stood up to toss the metal shards that fell into his palm. "It's alright, it's uncomfortable, but it'll heal cleanly."

"Okay." Is all Zephyr could say. Again, she glanced behind her, the commanders eerily still and silent.

"In the morning you will report to Knock Out," Megatron said. He typed something on his console and pulled up what appeared to be a map of Kaon and the surrounding landscape. "He requested you by name. Seems how you handled Blitzwing's outburst left a positive impression. Shockwave will escort you back to your quarters, get some rest."

"Okay." The femme stood up, clutching her chest as it stung from the movement. She watched Megatron for a beat, how focused he was on his task, yet acutely aware of her movements, his optics flicking over to her as she walked to the door. She knew that feeling all too well. To be hypersensitive to every little detail, every sound, every visual. It was exhausting. She could imagine he hardly slept and anytime he did it wasn't restful.

Before she walked out with Shockwave, she gave in to one more glimpse over her shoulder— at the same time as Megatron. Their optics locked for a full second and she held her breath. Then he turned away to say something to Soundwave but the door slid shut before she could hear.

Now alone, Zephyr sat in her berth, legs tucked to her chest as she stared out into Cybertron's endless night sky. Distant stars flickered, nebulas warped and rolled while comets blasted through the stardust. It was all so powerful, so beautiful and carnal. She wanted to fall into those stars, into their shades of fire and violet, but she couldn't. Instead she turned on more music, changing the station until her head filled with the low mournful hum of a lyricless ballad. As the song danced so did the stars, so did her visions of her future, though they weren't in Iacon. No. What she saw was Kaon and its ever-growing streets of onyx and pewter. Rivers of sparkling blue and optics of glistening red. She saw herself in the arms of a Decepticon, strong and powerful, his face shadowed— anonymous— kissing his lips, touching his chest, becoming one with his spark. It was as if the stars saw what she needed before she knew herself. But they couldn't do anything about her actions, only show her what they knew was true in her spark, in her soul.

Zephyr woke early, before her alarm. Her entire body sore, optics sticky with drying tears. She shuffled over to the washroom to rinse her face and finally see herself after having avoided it for so long. Her optics were heavy, tired, their blue shifted to a subtle purple with only glimmers of their vibrant cyan when she blinked. She touched the smooth part of her chest at the base of her neck, where her Autobot sigil once laid. The metal patch Megatron placed completely filled it in. She was now factionless. In limbo between good and bad. It overwhelmed her to consider she actually felt torn between the sides. All her life she was raised to believe Decepticons were irredeemable, cruel, heartless. Cruel was certainly accurate, but everything else seemed to be a matter of opinion and nothing more.

She washed up in the shower, cleaning herself of the metal shavings and grief of the previous day. The scalding water was a welcome distraction from the screaming in her processor. Even the upbeat tunes in her head did little to draw her mind to another place. Still, she suppressed those emotions as best as she could. Today was a new day. A day where she would start work in a field she was readily familiar with. It brought Zephyr a subtle sense of joy to know Knock Out wanted her on his service. He was a stern bot, serious about his work and the quality. Hopefully she would be able to live up to his standard.

She decided to leave for the medical ward early, her personal data pad held tight in her arms while she traversed the corridors with her head held high. She passed by a group of sentries who nodded a greeting at her. She hesitated but returned it before picking up her pace, taking a sudden left before she reached the conversation hall where she could hear her fellow converts already laughing and socializing. Again, she paused, optics fixed to the shut doors withholding the jovial sounds of fellowship. It was difficult to hear but she moved on, ignoring the pang of loneliness tugging at her chest.

Inside the Decepticon medical ward was empty, dark, with a lingering pungent scent of sterilizing solution. Zephyr looked around vacant berths, behind curtains, and around consoles, but there was not a soul to see. She sat in a berth with a huff, dropping her data pad into her lap.

"You're more punctual than I imagined."

Zephyr whirred around, looking over her shoulder to see Knock Out walking in from another room with Breakdown. The stylish medic gave his partner a light tap on the arm and the bulky mech departed quietly with only a slight nod of acknowledgment to Zephyr.

"I prefer being early." The femme admitted, standing up again. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Knock Out said. "Follow me, I'll show you around." He gestured to the space around them. "This is the wing devoted only to the care of recruits and trainees. Megatron thinks it's integral for their success to avoid outside distractions even when in recovery, hence why we don't allow converts to enter the city until after their badging."

"Makes sense." Zephyr nodded and did her best to keep up with the mech's quicker pace. They passed through another set of airlock doors into the main wing of Kaon's hospital. It was more brightly lit with white walls, cushioned berths within private rooms. A layout more in line with what she was used to in Iacon. It was surprisingly busy, with almost every triage bed taken by a mech or femme demanding different levels of medical attention. Nurses sped by carrying trays of fluids, metal patches, and wire wraps. They all greeted Knock Out warmly but their sharp optics skated right by Zephyr. She didn't mind their cold shoulder. The last thing she wanted was to bring more attention to herself.

Knock Out led her through another corridor, into the surgical and inpatient wings. Bots on gurneys rolled past, guided by masked mechs and surgical teams. "Is this a normal day?"

"Yes." Knock Out grinned. "We see quite a lot of carnage daily. Tensions can sometimes run high and we encourage bots to duke out their differences. Of course that leads to severe injuries and often casualties, but if a little spar of emotions is too much for a bot to handle then there's no need to keep them around. No weak links can be found here in Kaon."

The femme tensed her jaw. What a crude way to exist. Everyone seemed so at peace when she first arrived but that was only a brief snapshot of day-to-day Decepticon living. Something which would require quite a bit of adjustment.

Knock Out stopped right outside an office with his name posted outside. He opened the door and gestured for her to go inside so she did, taking a seat in front of his neatly organized desk. Once he sat down he leaned back, his chair creaking beneath his weight. He pondered the femme for a moment, his siren optics glazed over her before they rested on her tight face. His mouth thinned into a smile. "I hate to admit I'm quite impressed with you, though I'm sure Megatron mentioned it before he sent you here. Do you have experience with triple-changers?"

"No sir." The femme shook her head. "Only a vague understanding."

"Interesting, well, I'm always looking for level-headed bots to add to my staff so consider this an on-the-job interview. Should you prove that skill wasn't a one-off thing I'll request you be permanently placed under my command after your badging. Does that work for you?"

Zephyr nodded, her spark raced with excitement. Finally doing something she was good at, something she was knowledgeable about. A chance for her to really blend in without having to try so hard.

"Good good." Knock Out interlaced his fingers over his abdomen, his head tilted then pointed between his chest. "Who applied your patch?"

"Megatron."

The medic's brow quirked upward.

Zephyr sat up, not liking her new mentor's silent response. "What?"

"Oh nothing." Knock Out shrugged. He crossed his legs while scratching his chin, barely hiding a knowing grin. "He just doesn't tend to be so hands-on with the recruits, that's all." He dropped his hand, allowing that sickening smile full view. "He must like you."

The femme narrowed her eyes. "I don't like that look."

"Don't worry about it." The Con waved his hand dismissively, still beaming ear-to-ear. "I'm sure it's nothing." He then stood up, clapping his hands together. "Alright, time for rounds!" As he walked by his new apprentice he pointed to the data pad in her lap. "You're gonna need more of those."

Zephyr exhaled slowly as she forced herself to her feet.

Here we go…