"Playing it safe is so wrong,
Cause hiding your hope and your love,
Is too easy"

»«

"You did what?" Ratchet shrieked in surprise, Dana having just finished her story.

"Just what I told you." She replied, leaning against the side of the railing. She wasn't smiling, but looked quite serious, having expected this kind of reaction from her guardian.

"Bargaining with Megatron was an extremely dangerous and calculated risk." Optimus chastised; he wasn't smiling either.

"What were you thinking?!" Ratchet cut in again. "He could have captured you, or worse, killed you! Do you not understand who you're dealing with, Dana?"

His human gripped the rails. "I trusted him." She replied firmly. "Despite what you guys keep telling us, he can be a reasonable mech. He just has to believe that the situation is in his favor; and since I was on his ship surrounded by his men, he decided the risk was worth it." She argued.

Optimus frowned. "Dana, this will be your final warning. If you approach Megatron a third time, I will have to order you out of any missions, or out of this base. Do you understand?"

There was a sense of disappointment around Optimus; and for once Dana felt guilty for being so reckless.

"I understand." She mumbles.

Ratchet crossed his arms. "To make this easier, I have to authorize you to go on any and all missions from here on out. If you sneak off, then I will ground you from base."

His charge looked surprised, and even a little hurt, by his declaration. It was as if they no longer wanted her to have any fun; they weren't worried before when she was on a mission, or snuck in, even when Megatron was involved. But suddenly they're even more concerned? She frowned.

What does it matter if I catch Megatron's attention? Wouldn't that be beneficial to them, since now I'm an extra distraction?

Megatron himself had confirmed that he was also just as curious about her as she was of him. He has asked for her name, held her in the palm of his servo. Their interest in one another was mutual: he wanted to know what made her so brave, and she wanted to know what made him so terrifying. He had yet to hurt her, and probably never would.

So why is every Autobot worried?

"Fine." She replied to Ratchet. "You're the boss."

He rolled his optics a little at that, looking at the four coordinates on the screen. It wasn't much, but they now had the same four coordinates as the Decepticons. It was a leg up at the very least.

Dana checked the time, sighing softly. She had to go home soon; Mom was expecting her to babysit her younger siblings while she and father celebrated their twenty-third anniversary.

"I have to go." She spoke. "My parents are expecting me home soon." She reached out and gently touched the pad of Ratchet's shoulder. "I'll be working some more this week; call if you need anything, m'kay?"

"Likewise to you." He paused, watching her go, and seeming to debate with himself for a moment. "Look, I'm sorry if was a little harsh."

"Don't be." She shrugged. "Because while I'm not happy about it, you're right. I've been pretty bratty lately, and while we know that's who I am, I could be better." She smiled. "See you later, Ratch."

Her guardian nodded before he refocused on the computer, downloading the four coordinates.

Miko rolled her eyes as she watched Dana leave, muttering to Jack. "So, you think she and Ratchet are gonna kiss any time soon?"

"Miko, don't be gross." Jack shot her a look.

"What? I was just asking." She grinned.

»«

"Soundwave, before you take off to locate the next relic, I need you to confirm something for me." Megatron gazed down at his third in comand. "The name of the human femme."

Soundwave obliged, pulling up her profile. He was currently in the process of searching for her other family members and their records, knowing that in this day and age, most human activity occurred on a digital database. If he could find the records, he could find the human family.

"Dana." His master murmured. "So she didn't lie. Excellent work, Soundwave. Have you found any other useful information?"

The Decepticon shook his head.

"Then continue your work, and retrieve the relic!" Megatron ordered, turning away as the communications officer left dutifully.

Megatron returned to looking at the screen, but his processor was elsewhere. He considered it such a waste that Primus created the femme as a human; she would have made a fine Decepticon. There was no other explanation for the request for thirty Earth seconds except that she knew there would be a Groundbridge waiting for her. She had tricked him, but he couldn't be completely angry with her. He was impressed.

To out-deceive a Decepticon is quite a skill.

He briefly wondered if she would be out and about with one of the Autobot groups that were surely being sent to each relic site to try and beat his own teams down there. If the Autobot medic, Ratchet, was out there, then she most likely was as well. It seemed that Dana enjoyed getting herself into trouble.

His servo still felt the weight of her body in it, and he desired to feel it again. While he was impressed with the human and her apparent bravery, it bothered him to an extent that she wasn't afraid of him. Megatron enjoyed the way he could easily intimidate other lifeforms, yet she was an exception; and he wanted to prove to her that he was someone to be feared.

The warlord gazed at the screen. He had challenged her once before to step on to his servo, yet Prime and his lapdog had prevented that. The second time she willingly climbed on, but something wasn't quite right about that encounter. She had seen him at his weakest, and was not threatened.

One day, he guessed, they would meet on the battlefield. Then, he promised, she would fear him. She would hesitate to climb into his palm; and once he had her, he would feel her tremble and quake with fear. There was no way she wouldn't; he was far too intimidating to not be feared on a battlefield.

He couldn't wait for that day to come.