J: So this was actually meant to be last Friday's chapter, except last Friday was the third morning in a row I had to wake up at 6:30. My brain wasn't functioning right after that. My bad.

THANKS TO: Dontgotaclue88

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY TFP CHARACTERS. NITROSIREN BELONGS TO MINA.

~~On the Nemesis Four Days Later~~

Without water and just apples to sustain her Mina slept through most of the time spent in her confinement. Each time she fell asleep she experienced a new memory. Such as the one she'd seen right before waking up.

The femme paused outside the lab-bay doors, hesitant. Her doorwings fluttered in nervous anticipation. She could see her target just within the door frame, singing quietly to himself with his legs crossed up and propped on his table. She shook her head and stepped back from the door only to slam into someone else. There was a dark growl from behind her and two thickly armored hands grasped her shoulders rather painfully. She felt her doorwings being forcefully flattened as she was tugged back against a broad chassis.

"Just what do you think you're doing here?" a voice growled lowly, directed at her audio receptor. With one there was always the other.

"Breakdown, what a pleasure," she purred out. He grunted and pushed her forward until she stumbled into the lab. She heard the door click shut behind her and then lock in place. Knockout dropped his pedes form the table before turning to look at her. His optics roved slowly up and then down her form.

"Well well…what have you brought for me today, Breakdown?" he questioned with a slight chuckle," You'll have to be careful, or you'll start to spoil me."

Breakdown grunted before growling out," She was spying." Knockout tsked loudly, standing up and taking her hands in his.

"My poor dear, Forgive me for him," he purred before glaring at Breakdown as if he were an imbecile," It's her job to spy…" he turned his crimson optics back to her amethyst ones," my dear…you can spy on me all you'd like." Breakdown grunted before thudding down as he sat in a seat made for him. Knockout felt himself grinning again with his charming nature. "Do tell what brings a delight such as yourself to us?"

"She was spying," Breakdown put in from where he sat, arms crossed over his chassis as he pinned her with a glare. Knockout waved his words off as he pulled the femme closer to him. She didn't seem to mind, in fact…he really couldn't get much of a reading off of her. His preliminary scans indicated that she was low on energon, a possible reason for her to come visit. He and Breakdown had been placed in charge of the energon stock…dispersion and otherwise as seen fit.

"My dear, Do tell me what Primus saw fit to designate such a beauty as you?" he asked in a sultry purr, his thumb digit roving over the back of her hand before he pressed it to his lips in a slight nip. He kept his optics on her though, watching for the slightest sign of emotional change. He got none. 'Well, she will be a hard shell to crack,' he thought to himself. He spotted Breakdown rolling his optics and making a 'hurry up' gesture at him. The lunk was bored again.

"Soundwave sent me," she said, avoiding giving her name again. Knockout smirked wider, relishing in the challenge she presented to him. Sure, Megatron was looking for a lackie for Soundwave but they'd all known the mech to turn away the femmes that just wanted a little energon goodie. He wasn't one to partake. Knockout was selective about his choices, but then again his medical programming forced him to be such a way.

"And for what?" he purred again, wanting to hear her speak. He'd sank down again into his seat, pulling her against him so that her legs rested just slightly between his. She looked so vulnerable, he had to continue playing with her. She seemed to consider her next answer.

"For energon, to refuel," She finally concluded, and his predatory smile returned as he debated it.

"Ah, well you see? I happen to have energon aplenty around here…enough for you," he said, letting go of her hands. She didn't step back or move, so he took that as a good starting sign. "But…you'll have to do something for me to get it…hmmm?"

Mina smirked, "Seems Nitro and I have some things in common outside of SoundWave adoration." Her bleary eyes looked around her immediate area searching for the last apple she knew she had. She couldn't see it anywhere; she also couldn't see any of the apple cores she'd left near her.

Forcing her water depraved mind to focus she finally noticed a very significant change, the door to her prison was wide open. To make sure she wasn't dreaming Mina gave her arm a hard pinch, "Huh seems my time out is done." Keeping her back against the wall she used her legs to push herself up to stand. Her body protested the movement after being inactive for so long.

Ignoring her stiff muscles and parched mouth Mina moved one foot in front of the other determined to get out and to SoundWave's room where she could finally get a drink of water. 'Why just leave the door open and not wake me up?'

The air out in the hallway was enough to clear away the rest of her grogginess; looking down both ends she saw no sign of life. Her metal wrist band told her it was one in the morning meaning only a few drones should be awake and taking care of the ship. Last time she'd been awake it was eight at night, some point between then and now someone had unlocked her door and stole her last apple and the rotting cores. No mech in particular came to mind for wanting to set her free. 'SoundWave would never go against Megatron's orders...Starscream might though just to get me in trouble. No he would get in trouble not me.' Mina continued to ponder as she reached SoundWave's room.

Her wrist band worked as a remote key that opened SoundWave's door without her even needing to touch the door. "Thank you SoundWave." Mina whispered this when she stepped into the room and saw her mech in recharge on his berth. 'I think he's in recharge. Stupid visor makes it difficult to tell anything.'

Mina kept her eyes on him as she got her water and chugged three cups in a row. Her rag bed lay where she'd left it tempting her back to sleep. "Might as well try, who knows where I'm being locked up tomorrow."

Mina gave up on caring for her well-being the second night into her punishment.

After six days and nights on a cold metal floor her rag bed felt incredible. A couple shifts in position and she was fast asleep.

SoundWave had come out of recharge the instant his door had opened. He had wondered how long it would talk the human to leave the cell after he had opened the door under Lord Megatron's instruction. Lord Megatron had kept an optic on the Probationer's surveillance feed throughout the duration of her sentence. Seeing her energy declining he had called for her punishment to end. He needed her alive and research into human biology told them that she wouldn't last much longer. His olfactory sensors also told him that she needed cleaning as well. For that she would need to leave the ship for everything they carried would cause severe chemical damage. Scanning complete SoundWave returned to his recharge, the next day required him to be in peak form.