Looking forward to the next chapter? Guess what? My muse found me today! She was hiding in my story. :D Thank you for reading the last few chapters. My creative juices are flowing better now. I think I needed a small break and time to come up with my idea.

Dani's bruise is unusual in the last chapter. None of the 'Bots or Ex-Decepticons gave her the bruise. Where did it come from?

Chapter Nine

Three Hours Later

Dani awoke to find herself in Ironhide's apartment. She figured that out by the gun polish smell and cleaner. Her father used to clean his pistols and rifles with the same stuff and then polish them. Ironhide must have been cleaning his huge guns and small weapons. Dani sat up and rubbed her arms. The first thing she noticed was a twinge to her left arm. Wondering why there was twinge, she looked at her arm. Her arm sported a large bruise. She didn't remember feeling any pain or anyone hitting her for that matter. She wasn't even that clumsy except for dropping glasses and plates. She wasn't prone to falling down either.

Abruptly, she heard Ironhide and Ratchet come back into the apartment. They saw Dani sat there, looking at the bruise on her arm. "Dani?" Ratchet asked. "Did you fall?"

Dani looked at him and shook her head. "No." She said softly.

-0-

Dani's POV

"You didn't get in a fight with Pierce, did you?"

"No."

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Ironhide asked.

"No." I said. "Why?"

"You have a bruise on your arm and if you didn't get it from our end, did you get it from Destroyer? Overseer?"

"No."

"Any of the Decepticons?"

"No."

"Did you do anything out of the ordinary?"

"No. I ran around the city, but I didn't fall or hit-" I trailed off. "I didn't hit any door."

"Did you ever have mysterious bruises appear over night?"

"No."

"Youngling, bruises do not appear overnight. They are by forced touches, hits, and harm. They 'just' don't appear." Ratchet said. "Now, you're telling us that no one touched you or hit you. How did that bruise get onto your arm?"

"I don't know!" I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Maybe it 'just' appeared."

I wanted to leave and the only thing I could think of was going to the bathroom. "Could I please go to the bathroom?" I asked.

Ironhide held out his hand for me and I got out of bed and into his hand. He put me down. "To the right, Dani." He indicated to the closed door. I walked into the apartment there and straight into the bathroom to relieve myself. When I was done, I washed my hands and looked at the bruise in the light. I frowned and willed it to go away. I saw it disappear and I let out an audible gasp. I touched my skin, wondering where it went. I didn't feel any pain and rushed out.

"Ratchet?" I asked, looking around for him. I saw Ironhide, but not Ratchet.

"Where's Ratchet?"

"He went back to the Med-Bay. Why?"

I showed him my arm. "It's gone." He engaged his holoform and looked at my arm.

"Tell me what you did in there?"

"I just willed it away-"

"Willed it away?"

"Yes." I said.

"That is near impossible, Dani! You cannot just will something that big away!"

"It's true!"

"I believe you, but that's not scientifically possible."

"But I willed it away!" I protested. "Honest! I didn't cover it up with makeup or anything in the bathroom!"

"Let's go speak to Optimus." Ironhide said.

"What? Why?"

"Because if this bruise of yours just simply 'disappeared', then there's something else being kept from us and you're not telling me or Ratchet. Now, Dani." Ironhide said, transforming into his Alt-Form.

Now this time, I felt nervous. "I'm not going to speak to Optimus. I'll tell you."

"Out with it." Ironhide said gruffly.

"When I was younger, Mom dug up an artifact. I don't know what it was! All I know was when I put it on, it embedded into my skin and into my body. Ever since, I haven't been sick with the Flu, colds, viruses that much, and cuts and bruises heal faster."

"Why didn't you tell Ratchet this?"

"I didn't want to be a guinea pig and they'd run hurtful tests...Don't tell him. Please?"

"Danielle, you've absorbed something into your body! He has to know and so does all the Autobots here. The Decepticons were after the artifacts your mother dug up in her quests around the world. Now, the Decepticons are willing to go through lengths to get you." Ironhide said apologetically. "I am sorry, Danielle. But this has to be a told secret."

"But-then I'll be locked up! I don't want that!" I protested.

"As a member of the Autobot Army, I have to do what is best for you! I am your mentor and one of your guardians. I cannot withhold any information that might make you safer, Danielle."

"I'll do extra assignments and work extra hard! I'll even polish your cannons and do whatever you want me to do! Don't tell Ratchet! You can tell Optimus."

"Dani! I can promise you that Ratchet won't do anything to you like that at all! He may perform tests, but that's necessary." Ironhide reassured me. "Is there a reason why you fear him so much that you're begging me?"

"Yes. I'm afraid of doctor's offices."

"Half the population is afraid of doctor's offices." Optimus' voice sounded amused. "My weapons' specialist informed me of a disappearing bruise you had and I would prefer you to go to Ratchet and get checked out."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes. I insist you go to Ratchet."

"But he's seen me!" I said pointedly. "He said nothing was out of the ordinary!"

"He did when you had the bruise. He didn't scan all of your body!" Ironhide said calmly.

"Is he going to inject me and all?"

"No." Optimus said.

I was hesitant and climbed into Ironhide's cab. I put my seatbelt on and Ironhide and Prime left the apartment. I held onto the seatbelt as I saw the unfamiliar building that looked like a hospital that would engulf all those who entered it. Once inside, I saw a huge waiting room with a bunch of metal benches big enough for the largest Autobot. The waiting room also housed a human section. Optimus was the first to change as I was refusing to come out of Ironhide's cab. I was more intimidated by the sheer size of the hospital.

"Dani. There's no room for me to remain in my Alt-Form, if you want me to come in with you, I need you to come out of my Alt-Form."

"No." I said as I hugged myself.

"This isn't the main Med-Bay." Ironhide said.

"Don't care! I know what it looks and smells like."

"Stop being foolish!" Ironhide said gruffly.

"No."

"Very well." A holoform appeared beside the passenger side door and opened the door. He pulled me out of the Alt-Form and walked back toward a big metal bench. Ironhide's Alt-Form clanked into robot form.

Ironhides' holoform didn't release the grip on my arm and took me toward his robot form. Ironhide bent down and grabbed me. "That was the most foolish thing you have ever done, Danielle!"

"Really?" I said sarcastically. "Because it won't be the last thing I do that's considered foolish."

Ironhide and Optimus both looked at me with a disapproving glance. Not a glare, just a disapproving glance that would make anyone reconsider their actions.

Ratchet appeared and beckoned the three of us into a huge room filled with machinery. There were like these wires coming from the ceiling and a few huge lights. They weren't illuminated, but regular lights were. "Set her on the berth."

"Don't set me on that thing!" I said.

"You be quiet." Ratchet warned.

"That thing is so big! I'll be a speck."

"Nonsense!" Ratchet said.

"Danielle! You're acting foolishly."

"I feel fine! I don't need to be examined."

"Dani! How many times do I have to tell you-" Ratchet's temper flared and he glared at me.

I would've shrunk into Ironhide's fist if he wasn't holding me. "Just behave yourself." Ironhide warned me.

Ironhide set me on the metal berth and I saw two huge arms preventing me from moving left and right.

"Sit." Ratchet ordered.

"I'm not a dog!" I said petulantly.

Ratchet vented and then his optics turned steely.

"Dani!" Optimus finally said, getting my attention. "Do what he says and this examination will go faster. Then you can do whatever Ironhide assigned you to do."

I turned back around to Ratchet and sat down. I began to feel hungry and Ratchet pulled down a cable from the ceiling and attached it to a large rectangular box. "What's that?"

"Scanner. I'm going to do a full body scan." Ratchet said, pulling a huge power cord from the an assortment of cables from the ceiling.

I became even more scared and crawled away from the rectangular box. It had been positioned where I had been sitting and I didn't like the way it looked. It had numerous lenses. Several different lights flashed red. Ratchet turned away from the box machine and moved a huge computer screen toward himself. "Ironhide and Optimus. You might have to leave for a moment."

I heard Ironhide and Optimus turn and leave. Ratchet turned to the machine and saw that Dani had moved away from the box. "Dani. Come over here."

I looked at Ratchet with fear. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you with needles. Think of this as a still camera."

"Still camera?" I asked.

"Yes."

I stood up and walked over to the scanner's side. "Should I smile?" I asked.

Ratchet chuckled and said, "Whatever makes you feel comfortable."

I stepped in front of the scanner and forced my arms by my sides. I saw a red blinking light and then it turned green. "Can I go now?" I asked impatiently.

"No. A few more scans."

"Okay." I said, standing still, but I moved a little when the green light flashed again.

"Stand still." Ratchet said.

"Okay." I said.

I watched the red blinking light again and kept myself still. The green light blinked. "Okay. You can move now." Ratchet said, turning off the scanner. I saw three large images on the computer screen. I watched as Ratchet unplugged the cables and they retracted upwards. The scanner box retracted also. I could now see that all the images were of me. One in skeletal form, circulatory form, and a regular picture of me. In the circulatory form, I spotted my heart, lungs, and other organs.

"Interesting." Ratchet looking at the second one. I saw a shadow where a necklace had once lain. A small object was where my voice box was. "Interesting indeed. How many necklaces did you have?"

"Two."

Ratchet frowned and looked at me quizzically. "Really? How many did you have?"

"All right, three. I lost the third one."

"How many times did you wear the third one?"

"Every day."

"You didn't lose your third necklace. The third necklace absorbed into your body."

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