"Thanks for clearing the way on this planet, too. LETS EAT."

The interrogation room aboard the Nemesis was cold and dim, lined with metallic panels and harsh, flickering lighting that buzzed overhead. Y/n sat perched awkwardly in a steel chair clearly not designed for her size, her head lazily supported by her hand, her legs swung slightly.

Starscream paced in front of her with his usual dramatic flair, arms crossed tightly and wings twitching with irritation. Megatron stood silently off to the side, looming like a shadow of judgment.

"For the last time," Starscream hissed, his tone full of exasperation, "what were you doing in that forest, human?"

Y/n tilted her head slightly, lips parting.

"Watching."

Starscream narrowed his optics. "Watching what? The battle? The Energon?"

Y/n's head drooped faintly to the side before she lifted a hand and tapped the side of her dark lenses. "Watching... you." She giggled, though it sounded far more like a mimicry of laughter than anything genuine.

Starscream recoiled slightly, gaze flickering toward Megatron. "She's mocking us!" he snapped.

But Megatron only stepped forward, optics glowing dangerously. "You're not normal. You observed the battle, knew where to stand, when to speak—you are not ordinary."

Y/n blinked slowly, unnervingly calm. "Assessment. Too many variables. Not enough data to confirm."

Starscream hissed under his breath. "She's toying with us—clearly unstable!"

Megatron's optics burned brighter for a moment, his voice a low growl. "We will get nothing useful from this... interrogation. She's either hiding something—" his gaze lowered to Y/n's crutches and visibly tense frame—"or broken."

Y/n smiled faintly at the word.

"Both," she offered softly.

Megatron straightened, clearly losing patience. He glanced over at Starscream. "Send her to the medbay. Let Knockout dissect what makes her tick. If there's anything beneath this act, he will find it."

Starscream grinned maliciously. "Gladly."

Y/n was escorted—or more accurately, carried—to the medbay by Breakdown, who was surprisingly gentle, even awkward about it. He didn't say much, just grumbled something about "weird fleshling" and tried not to crush her legs on the way.

The medbay was sleek and clinical, filled with glowing equipment and polished surfaces. Knockout looked up from his tools, optics gleaming when he saw her.

"Well, well! The mystery girl herself!" he purred, stepping closer with a wicked little smile. "Let's see what makes you tick, sweetheart."

Y/n simply looked at him, her posture limp but her stare unblinking.

"Curious?" she asked, tilting her head with an audible click from her neck.

Knockout raised a brow. "Oh, absolutely. You're a mess. A fascinating one."

Breakdown watched from the corner, arms crossed, unsure if he should be concerned or impressed.

Y/n let her head fall back against the cool surface of the exam bench, her crutches still in her lap.

"Go ahead. Dissect me. Might find something worse than secrets," she whispered, voice almost sing-song, eerie in its calm.

Knockout grinned, rubbing his hands together.

"Oh, darling... I'm counting on it."

Knockout had dealt with Decepticons missing half their limbs, Vehicons crawling in with processor damage, and Starscream's constant whining—so he liked to think he had a high tolerance for strange. But Y/n?

Y/n was something else entirely.

She sat perfectly still on the edge of the cold berth, oversized sweater sleeves slightly bunched near her wrists, crutches propped carefully against her side. Her head leaned just slightly into her palm, fingers hooked beneath her jaw to keep it upright. Her knees were angled inward, one foot tapping in the faintest, slowest rhythm.

And she stared.

She stared with those dark eyes—unblinking, unmoving—right at him. Her light brown eyes pulsed faintly behind them like some kind of silent warning light. No smile, no blink, no flinch. Just... silent, blank-eyed attention.

Knockout cleared his throat and turned away, pulling over a datapad and making a show of flipping through scan results. He didn't have the nerve to start the physical diagnostics. Not with her watching like that.

She hadn't spoken since Breakdown set her down. Not a word. Not a noise.

Just that look.

Breakdown, who'd been standing nearby trying to look intimidating and failing, finally shifted uncomfortably and muttered, "Nope. Nope. I'm not—she's weird, I'm out." He practically bolted for the door.

Knockout watched him go, brow raised. "Really? You're afraid of a little human girl?"

Breakdown didn't answer—he was gone.

Knockout glanced back at Y/n, who still hadn't moved. Not a single twitch.

He tried to carry on, clearing his throat. "Well, uh, I guess it's just us then. You're certainly... unique. Not many humans get brought aboard the Nemesis. Most are... well, less composed." He chuckled weakly, glancing over at her again.

No response.

Just that dead-silent stare.

Knockout's smirk faltered. "You know, this would go a lot faster if you said something."

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