"DONT WORRY. Your backups will forgive me."

The Nemesis's dim halls echoed with the sharp sound of metal footsteps as Starscream dragged Y/n by her arm into the secondary interrogation chamber, his grip less cautious than it should've been. She stumbled a little, crutchless, her mechanical knee support letting out a strained whine of resistance. She didn't complain. She never did. Her expression was eerily neutral, but her mouth occasionally twitched—like she was mimicking the face of someone "concerned."

Starscream slammed the door shut behind them and gestured dramatically, voice sharp.

"You are going to talk, fleshling. No more games, no more riddles, no more 'Sheepish shrug' or 'Giggle,' or whatever other glitch-mouthed nonsense you spew."

Y/n didn't respond. She simply blinked. One of her hands lazily reached up to support her head again, her elbow visibly trembling.

Starscream's wings twitched, his patience thinning. "I know you saw something. What did the Autobots tell you? What do you know?"

Still, no answer.

He snarled, stepping forward. "I'm not playing games with you."

In a flash of impulse—frustrated and angry—Starscream lifted a foot and kicked one of her legs out from under her.

The wrong leg.

CRACK.

Y/n dropped like a ragdoll. Her legs buckled inward, the reinforced joint popping in a direction it wasn't meant to. Her crutches weren't with her—she collapsed straight to the floor, landing with a dull thud, one hand flying to clutch her thigh in a rare moment of genuine pain.

"—Tch!" She hissed sharply, trying to curl in on herself. "Nnngh—"

It was the first time Starscream had ever heard her make a noise like that.

And it was the last time he'd hear it in peace.

Because the door slammed open behind him with enough force to dent the wall, and the towering silhouette of Megatron stepped into the room like a shadow falling over a battlefield.

Starscream turned, startled. "L-Lord Megatron, I was only—"

Megatron's optics flared, burning like twin furnaces. He saw Y/n on the floor, writhing slightly, trying to press her body up with one shaking arm. Her crutch was missing, her leg bent wrong.

And that was all he needed to see.

WHAM.

Starscream didn't even finish his sentence. Megatron's fist collided with his side and sent him flying into the far wall with a violent crash, metal denting and sparks flying. Starscream wheezed as he hit the ground, scrabbling to pull himself upright, but Megatron advanced like a storm.

"YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON HER?" Megatron's voice was thunderous, enraged beyond reason. "She is not your plaything!"

Starscream tried to scramble up, clutching his side. "Sh-she wouldn't answer—!"

SLAM.

Megatron's fist crushed into his chestplate again, and this time he didn't let Starscream rise.

Y/n blinked slowly from where she lay, now propped partially on her elbow. She whispered faintly:

"Ow. Dramatic... but deserved."

Megatron turned, kneeling beside her with surprising care, massive claws reaching out—but not touching. "Can you move?"

"Nope." Her tone was dry. "Leg's jammed."

He exhaled slowly, then gently scooped her into his palm, lifting her as delicately as one could lift something fragile and irreplaceable.

"Then you will return to the med bay. Knockout will fix this."

He paused, glaring over his shoulder at Starscream's twitching frame.

"And Starscream will learn the meaning of restraint."

Without another word, he turned and exited, carrying her close to his chest like something precious.

Y/n, ever calm, muttered softly in the quiet:

"Megatron: 1. Screaming star: 0."

Megatron's expression twitched—just slightly.

A smirk.

Back in the med bay, Knockout jolted upright from his recharge when the door slammed open.

"Medical. Now," Megatron commanded, voice like thunder.

Knockout blinked at the sight of Y/n's limp form in Megatron's arms—her leg obviously broken, her face pale, clothes dirtied from the floor.

"Sweet Primus, what did you do to her?" Knockout hissed as he rushed over.

"I didn't," Megatron growled. "Starscream did."

Knockout set his tools down quickly, clearing the table. "Put her here. Gently. Gently—! She's tiny, she breaks, remember?"

Megatron's optics narrowed but he obeyed, setting her down with surprising care.

Y/n didn't speak. She simply lay back and stared at the ceiling. Silent. Unblinking.

Her hand slowly moved to support her head again.

"Crunch," she mumbled under her breath. "That was the sound."

Knockout looked at Megatron like, what the frag did you do to this poor girl?

Megatron didn't respond. He simply stood there.

Starscream was heard screaming in the back.

"Tee-he.."

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