"I'm- sorry?" 

     (Y/N) looked between the three mechs that stood in front of her. Soundwave was his usual, soundless, still self. Megatron held a strange expression between confusion and interest, while Knockout had been purely appalled by what he had just heard. 

         "It appears that whatever energy you had absorbed while within Unicron's spark chamber, resulted in the synchronization of your life, and Soundwave's." Megatron gestured to the two of them with a servo. (Y/N)'s head bandaged, and Soundwave's visor repaired.

         "I will admit I felt something within the chamber, but I guessed it had been a heat wave caused by the spark of Unicron."

     It wasn't a bad explanation, but Soundwave brought up the footage (transferred from her old optics to the new ones) of the incident. Megatron and the others watched as the purple barrier of Unicron's spark stopped just at her feet, before the blue strand from Optimus' Matrix suddenly pulled her forward.

         "It must have detected my optics," she reasoned, "but why hadn't a strand affected you?"

     Megatron didn't seem to notice her lack of using his titles said by so many on the war ship. It confused Knockout, maybe made him a little envious that this fleshling could be given so much leeway, yet the Decepticon medic was left for scrap. Still, Knockout listened. This was interesting.

         "The Matrix of Leadership holds the collective wisdom of past Primes." Their leader briefly explained. "Whatever Prime this wisdom came from, found you to be its perfect vessel. A mere trifle compared to the rest of what remains within the Matrix. As Unicron's spark had not registered your presence, it is possible the Matrix did and sought you out."

         "Sought out a mere human?" It would have made sense for Knockout to say this, but this inquiry of disbelief came from (Y/N). "That hardly seems plausible."

         "Perhaps," Megatron stated slowly, a frown stretching his faceplates, "but the ways of Primus have always been- mysterious. It was not uncommon on Cybertron for twin sparks to be in complete synchronization. Soundwave described that you had stumbled into his servo, and a shock went through the both of you. Was he the first you had encountered, the first you touched, after the incident?"

     The woman nodded.

         "Then the only question there is now, is how you are able to be in synch without you having a spark." The war lord looked to Knockout, who froze. "I want detailed scans of her. Do as much as possible to find answers without directly harming her. Their connection has already shown through physical means. I do not want my Communications Officer offlining by a slip of your servo, doctor."

     (Y/N) was forced to endure Knockout's whining, somehow convincing him that she could be second priority under his scratched and marred paint job. Usually, he would jump at the opportunity to make himself shine once again, but the invisible threat left by Megatron had spooked him. So of course (Y/N) threatened him with refusing to hold still. How she managed to do so without cracking a smile at his frustration (like the three Autobot pests would), the medic had no idea. He was thankful, however, for the opportunity to clean himself up.

     He was nearly done, declining (Y/N)'s offer to help him polish where he couldn't reach, when the sound of blaster fire pierced through the metal walls of the Nemesis. He growled as they disturbed his peace and quiet.

         "What could possibly be-" He shrieked as a Vehicon was thrown at him, and the door slid shut just in time.

     (Y/N) had jumped from the medical berth to the computer console, wondering why the medic shrieked. She couldn't help but frown when the door opened again, revealing the raging Insecticons. She understood they were large but didn't quite think they dwarfed the other Cybertronians so much. Knockout was a mere mouse in comparison, it seemed, though that was an exaggeration. 

     When the beast caught sight of her tiny form, it shrieked and tried to push Knockout out of the way. 

     None too soon, Laserbeak flashed by the creature and swooped the human femme up before returning to his master. She was placed on the console, dangling by a small tentacle, as Soundwave typed, giving no indication that he was worried about her wellbeing, not even a glance. This was to be expected, as he was busy decoding the Iacon Database, so (Y/N) made no notation about her apparent rescue. She was just thankful Soundwave had been watching her.

         "Look at what they did!" Knockout finally entered with the offending Insecticons, forcing Megatron to acknowledge him.

         "It would do you well to ignore your vanity for once, doctor." He had noticed the scrape across his chassis. "It is but a scratch."

     Knockout spluttered a moment before denying that this incident was solely based on his easily repairable surface wound.

         "This isn't about me!" He claimed, earning a doubtful look from his leader. "These ruffians were tearing our own forces apart! There won't be any drones left on this ship at this rate. The bugs need to be locked up, chained! This one nearly gored the human female."

         "I was unaware that Soundwave kept another pet!" 

         "Permission to speak?" (Y/N) announced her presence to the three Insecticons. Her optics recognizing the center one as Hardshell.

         "Permission granted, (Y/N)." Megatron allowed, knowing this would certainly be interesting.

         "I am neither a pet nor an enemy aboard this warship." She corrected the bigger beast. "I am the human ally."

         "Decepticons do not keep useless human allies!" Hardshell exclaimed. "What use are you when you have no protective shell, and a thinking capacity lower than a scraplet's?"

         "Yet it was you who failed to know of my presence in the first place." She responded coolly, soberly, and it enraged the beast. "If Soundwave was well to know that I am of value to your leader enough to keep me from your claws, then surely you would have been told in due time. You act before you think, and sometimes that can be as useless as not thinking at all."

         "Lord Megatron," a Vehicon called from another computer, "there's a transmission from one of our energon outposts." 

         "What is it?" He asked lowly, unamused by the interruption. (Y/N) was very amusing.

         "Unknown. They request to speak to you directly."

     He stood beside the Vehicon and allowed the outpost to speak.

         "What do you have to report?"

         :More like what do I have to demand.:

         "Wheeljack," Megatron chuckled darkly, "To what honor do I have for receiving this unforeseen call?"

         :You have someone I want.: Came the deadpan answer, :Two someone's.:

         "Oh?" The war lord played dumb. "There are many on this vessel to choose from."

         :First of all, the human woman, (Y/N). She has no business in this war. And second, the one who nearly snuffed Bulkhead: Hardshell.:

     All turned to look at the Insecticon. He denied the idea of Bulkhead being alive, however. 

     The sound of an energon mine exploding was what truly ticked Megatron, and he ordered for Hardshell to bring the spark of either Bulkhead or Wheeljack. (Y/N) knew Wheeljack was the more plausible target, since he would be going to the nearest energon mine to possibly blow that one sky high as well.

         "What will we do about his first demand?" (Y/N) asked once Hardshell had skittered away.

         "Nothing. You are to remain here for Soundwave's safety until this connection is severed. Hardshell will be rid of the Autobot, Wheeljack, soon enough anyway."

     The corpse brought by his hive mates proved further that human allies can be very helpful and resilient, and that Wheeljack still lived.