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Tailgate stared down the hall. His crewmates dispersed and cowered wherever the ship’s new captain looked. But the small disposal bot recognized the captain's broad, bulky frame and shades of grey across his body.
Tailgate leaned in towards Swerve and spoke in a hushed voice. "Is that-"
"One-sixth of my most terrifying nightmare?" Swerve interjected, followed by something that sounded suspiciously like a nervous swallow. "Yup."
Tailgate resisted the urge to ask what the other five parts were. "I mean, is that Megatron? You know, leader of the Decepticons? I remember seeing him when... well, when Rewind showed me the old war footage."
"Well, I might be a little fuzzy where 'leader of the Decepticons' fits in right now, but that's definitely him."
"And he's an Autobot now?"
"That's what he says."
Tailgate folded his arms and tilted his head. "So then why doesn't he have a badge?"
"Maybe everyone's too scared to perform the ceremony. " Swerve answered. "Or they don't trust him." There was a brevity of silence between the two Autobots before the bartender added: "Or both."
"But he's in a role of authority. Doesn't he need a badge?" Tailgate asked as if that the most disturbing element on display.
"He's Megatron. The big M. I think him just existing is a plenty convincing display of author- WHERE the hell are you going!?"
Tailgate jolted to a stop as his red-and-white friend tugged at his arm.
Swerve's brow arched helplessly. "Wait! You can't just walk up to, well, MEGATRON. Do you know how many people he's killed? Thousands? Millions!? I don't even know!"
"Cyclonus killed a lot people too," Tailgate said, and shook his hand free before marching down the hall. He made sure to step with long and confident strides.
After humoring the possibility of becoming a talkative stain on the floor underneath a giant pseudo-Decepticon foot, Swerve was content with feeling powerless to stop his friend. He watched the blue-and-white Autobot follow Megatron's reverberating footsteps until he was around a corner and out of sight.
Tailgate’s awkward strides quickly turned into a brisk pitter-patter to catch up with the hulking warlord. "Excuse me, Captain!" he called out.
Megatron paused mid-step, then gently eased his foot back to the floor. He turned around, his head darting back and forth at eye level with a furrowed and impatient brow.
"Um, down here," Tailgate hinted.
Megatron looked down. His face was stern and expressionless. "What is it?" He asked. To match his expression, his voice was cold and flat.and about what Tailgate expected.
"You're going to help us find the Knights of Cybertron, right?"
The Captain's eyes narrowed. "No, little one. You're all going to help me find them."
"Well, this was our mission first. And we're all meant to help each other. That should include you,” Tailgate said, emphatically pointing upwards.
Megatron craned his head back and raised his brow at the remark. He smirked, and knelt down in front of the small Autobot. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Tailgate, sir."
"I didn't ask for your name. I asked who you were."
"Oh, umm.." Tailgate looked to the side, and meekly held up his arm clearly reading WASTE DISPOSAL.
"I see," Megatron said softly. He looked up from Tailgate, his red optics panning around the hall. The ship’s crew were all peeking at them from behind door frames and corners, avoiding eye contact and whispering to each other. Whispering things they assumed Megatron couldn’t hear.
A few seconds of silence passed. Megaton looked back at Tailgate to find him impatiently rocking his feet back and forth. "I suppose you have a point, Tailgate. A group functions best when there is... symbiosis," he said, voice was humbled for a brief moment. "Now, I reiterate my earlier question: was there something I can do for you?"
"No, it's just... I heard you wanted to be an Autobot now."
Megatron's optics fell. "I am an Autobot."
"Then why don't you have a badge?"
"I-" The captain grasped at his chest. The flatness, the lack of etched symmetry was sobering. He cursed Optimus for not performing the ceremony himself before they parted ways. “I don’t have a satisfactory answer for that."
"Well if you want a badge then you’ll have to learn like I did. I got my badge on the Lost Light too."
"Really? " Megatron asked. Genuine amusement bled from his words. “There’s someone on board who’s qualified to induct new Autobots?”
"Yeah, but you'll have to read and study a lot. I can help you though."
"Help me?" Megatron's mouth hung open slightly and he reared back for a heart laugh. He snapped his jaw shut when he felt several tiny digits wrap around one of his own.
"Yeah, since, y’know, we’re both new Autobots,” Tailgate said, tugging at the captain’s hand.
For reasons even Megatron himself could not fully justify, his thundering feet carefully followed the tugging bot. “Where, exactly, are we going?” he asked with half-lidded optics. His mouth curved into an annoyed pout.
“To Ultra Magnus’ office for your new badge!”
