Never in a million years would Verdant have imagined herself being escorted to the Decepticon control bridge at the side of Soundwave himself, unbound and amicable. She was exhausted from all the earlier fighting in the Autobot base, and her energon levels were dangerously low, but there was another type of fuel burning in her tanks and flaring violently in her optics.
Spite. Fury.
Pain.
Verdant watched as the doors slid open and the vehicons guarding them did their best not to stare as Soundwave and her walked inside. There, sitting on her throne, was the one and only Megatron.
She had never met him in person—most Autobots couldn't boast of surviving an encounter with the ruthless warlord.
"Soundwave," Megatron didn't bother to stand, but as the two stopped before him, he examined Verdant from helm to articulators, his optics calculating and cold. "I see the femme you spoke of has finally decided to grace us with her presence."
The communications officer nodded.
Megatron finished his inspection. "You're not a combatant."
"No, I'm not," Verdant frowned. "But I will be."
"Oh?"
"I want to terminate Ultra Magnus."
Megatron flashed a humorous grin. "That is not such an easy task to accomplish, little Autobot."
"I'm not an Autobot," Verdant snapped. "But I would be willing to join the Decepticons... if you will have me. Lord Megatron."
The warlord leaned back and looked at Soundwave, who had been standing there, silent and immobile, as he listened to the conversation. "I believe the more important factor is whether or not Soundwave will have you. He is, after all, the recruiter of all my more interesting soldiers."
Soundwave nodded.
Megatron clasped his servos together. "Excellent. Then I commend you, little Decepticon, for having joined the winning team. You will report directly to Soundwave in all endeavors."
The warlord glanced at Soundwave. "You will be responsible for her, just as you were responsible for Makeshift. Send a recording of this meeting to Starscream so he does not do anything violent to our newest... member. You are both dismissed."
With a quick nod, Soundwave turned away and Verdant glanced between the two mechs before following the communications officer.
"You didn't say much," Verdant noted.
"I don't speak in public," Soundwave muttered. "Or to anyone I don't like."
"Oh."
Soundwave approached a set of vaguely familiar doors before they slid open, allowing both of them access. Verdant tilted her helm. The med-bay.
A cherry-red bot looked over from where he was trying to buff his back and his optics widened. "Oh! Soundwave! Uh, I definitely already looked at whatever you pinged me a moment ago."
There was a pause before Knockout ran forward and grabbed Verdant's arm. "I'll get her registered in no time, boss."
Soundwave nodded before leaving the room.
Verdant looked at Knockout. "Registered?"
"Eh," Knockout shrugged. "The better term would be 'repainted and reemblemed,' but I'll also scan your frame and upload it to the database too. We Decepticons keep very organized records of our members."
"Do I require repainting?"
"No," Knockout frowned. "But most defectors usually want to look different after leaving the Autobots. Some even take new designations."
"I'll... not."
Knockout sighed in disappointment. "Fine. Still, take a seat on one of these cots so I can deal with everything else."
Verdant sat down and looked up at him patiently. He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a grinder, which he messed with for a moment before pressing it against the Autobot symbol on her arm and onlining it.
"So, what made you leave the Autobots?" Knockout asked.
She scowled. "A lie."
"Mmm," Knockout finished sanding away her emblem and pulled out a gun. "Defectors are always angry about something."
"I have every right to be angry."
Knockout smirked. "The question is whether or not you'll remain angry."
Verdant looked up. "What do you mean?"
"Ta-da!" Knockout pulled away and looked at the emblem on her arm proudly. "A work of art, if I say so myself."
"It's purple."
"Congratulations, you have optics," Knockout snickered. "I wonder if Soundwave possesses the same ability to see color."
"I'm not Soundwave," Verdant glared.
"Close enough," Knockout waved his servo dismissively and returned the tools to their places.
Verdant's servos curled angrily, but she kept her intake shut. Knockout returned with a servo-held medical scanner and let the laser roam over her frame for a moment before downloading the info to his frame.
"Pft," Knockout chuckled. "You should've just said you joined the Decepticons because the Autobots were starving you. That, or abusing your labor capabilities."
"Neither," Verdant glared. "That's my fault."
Knockout glanced at her. "Megatron doesn't allow suicidals or depression on his ship."
"What?"
"Are you depressed, suicidal, or harboring some other mental illness?" Knockout questioned.
"No?"
"Then don't worry about it," the chipper tone returned to his voice and Knockout went over his data. "You'll need a good bit of refuel and some recharge. We have salves for the overcharge burns on your lower feelers as well. Other than that, you're in fine shape... for an Autobot defector."
Verdant nodded. "It's not often that I go in the field."
"Except when you want to steal videos of me," Knockout muttered. "Soundwave was a pain in the aft after that. He made the entire ship reconfigure each system to run on individual systems that could only be connected through him."
"Wise move," Verdant nodded.
Knockout rolled his optics. "Whatever."
The two of them sat in silence and Verdant kicked her pedes awkwardly. "So..."
"Soundwave watches everything. Unless he is busy, he'll come get you soon."
The doors swung open.
"Speak of the third," Knockout started buffing himself again. "See you around, defector."
"I have a name," she snipped.
"Until you defect again."
Soundwave looked at the medic harshly and Knockout squeaked fearfully, buffing harder—as if that could help him. The communications officer turned away and left the room; Verdant scrambled after him, her helm heavy and frame tired.
Eventually, they reached what appeared to be a mess hall, which was full of unmasked vehicons. The clones, which had been chatting loudly just moments ago, went silent as they entered the room. Helms turned to watch as Soundwave led her to a large machine on the far wall.
He pulled her in front of a camera and pointed to a button. Hesitantly, she pressed it, and a laser roamed over her frame before shutting off and ejecting three cubes of energon, displaying a small number on the side. The percentage of energon she had in her systems.
42%
She winced. It wasn't exactly the kind of number you would want someone else to know. She was only 12% away from certain system failures.
Soundwave gestured to the cubes before walking away. Verdant scrambled to collect them before rushing after him, her pedes uncomfortably loud on the metal floor in the silent room. As they exited, the mess hall began to fill with low murmurs, but nothing Verdant was able to make out as the doors slid shut.
The communications officer still said nothing, simply leading her further and further through the twisting Nemesis hallways. Verdant was careful to create a map as they went, but she was sure that downloading a blueprint later would be an easy task. This would have to do for now.
They entered another hallway. This one was narrow and the doors were closer together. Numbers hung over the walls. Verdant's optics trailed after an open doorway, spotting a group of six vehicons tidying a berthroom with multiple stacked berths. This must be the barracks.
She was a bit nervous now. She hadn't had to share a room with someone since Cybertron—aside from Ultra Magnus a few times when they landed on hostile planets. He never made her uncomfortable though.
Verdant pushed the thought from her mind. There was no point in reminiscing in those days. Ultra Magnus was her enemy now. He had lied to her her whole life. Why should she trust any other exchange between them?
Soundwave pushed open a berthroom door and stepped inside, allowing Verdant to follow behind him. He shut the door and looked at her, emotionless behind his opaque mask.
"This is your berthroom."
Verdant looked around. Thankfully, despite the six berths hanging from the walls, it seemed like she was alone.
Soundwave reached into his subspace and retrieved a datapad, which he handed to her. "I have compiled a list of duties and obligations, along with your schedule for this week. It is likely to be amended as we glean your skillset, but for now, there is little to be done."
Verdant took the datapad and smiled. "Thank you."
He nodded. "You do not start your first shift until tomorrow, but either way, Knockout recommended recharge, so your orders are to do just that."
"Right," Verdant glanced at the datapad. "You heard that."
"I hear everything," Soundwave headed for the door and pushed it open, but before leaving, he glanced back at her. "I may not always express this... but I'm glad to have you here."
"Glad to be here," Verdant replied quietly.
The third in command nodded and shut the door.
Verdant stared at the door for a moment before gently setting her new datapad on a berth. She looked around the room silently, sinking in everything that had happened in the past few hours.
No.
She shook the sinking in away. There was no need to let the past marinate. No need for processing her emotions or dwelling on Ultra Magnus's betrayal. Such lingering thoughts would only cause her to become emotionally unstable, and besides, Verdant had made the decision to join the Decepticons. There was no turning back.
Verdant laid on a berth and forced her frame to power down.