SOME NOTES: I've been looking forward to this episode SO much. Lockdown is just so awesome and I'm so eager to find out what he's like because to be honest I'm totally adlibbing. Either way, I hope you enjoy this just as much as I do making it.
"It's so disgusting. So barbaric. In the name of Primus someone shut this place down!" Ratchet stared in horror at the demonic facility.
"It's just a," Optimus tried to remember what it was called, "oh yeah, a 'plastic surgery' uhh, place-…thing…"
"I know what it's called! But what I don't get is why in the world people would want to get cut open like this!"
"As a medic, surely, you've dealt with surgery yourself, Ratchet."
"That's different! Those people needed surgery! These people want surgery! And to do it for LOOKS?!" Ratchet eyed some person walking in. "If you know what's good fer ya, you'll turn around, and never come to this place again!" The person screamed and ran as fast as he could down the street.
"I mean, what kind of idiotic, self-conscious MORON would ever agree to this kind of junk?!"
"Hi guys!" Bumblebee entered the room covered with marker markings on his face, "This guy says he can make me look even better than before! I'll be even more gorgeous!"
"Yes, it's a very simple procedure you see. All we're going to do is make a small incision here, here, and here, insert a few implants, and he'll look as handsome as the day he was born," the doctor explained, "I believe a small rhinoplasty wouldn't be too bad either?"
"A rhino-whooza-what?" Bumblebee asked. Ratchet smacked Bumblebee on the back of the head and threw him some tissue paper.
"Bumblebee, wipe off those stupid drawings before I get too embarrassed to be seen with you." Bumblebee obediently, with a defiant expression, wiped off the marker ink.
"I assure you sir," the doctor wrapped his arm around Ratchet's shoulder in a friendly notion, "plastic surgery is an entirely safe, and normal procedure."
"Get your hands offa me you dang, dirty, slagger," Ratchet growled.
"Perhaps you would like some surgery? Ya know? To take off a couple years?"
That was the last straw…
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Fifteen seconds later, the doctor was magnetically stapled to the wall. Ratchet stormed out followed by Optimus and Bumblebee.
"What the slag's your problem?!" Bumblebee demanded.
"I've decided to send that guy a message."
"Why you gotta be so grumpy all the time? The night is still young! Unlike some people," he said, pointing a thumb at Ratchet.
"I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but Bumblebee's right. You need to get out more," Optimus suggested.
"Yeah, I know I've been a bit grumpier than usual. It's just," Ratchet rubbed the scar above his right eye, "my old war wounds're acting up again. Usually means trouble brewing."
"Well you probably did see some pretty hard action back in the days," Optimus said, "You wanna talk—?"
"Yes I did! And no I still don't wanna talk about it!"
"Now that's just what I'm talking about," Bumblebee patted ratchet on the back (to his annoyance), "Why live in the past when you can party in the present? Loosen up! Enjoy the bright lights; the big city!" just then, all the lights went off, "Okay then, the big city!"
Just then, Optimus noticed danger. He pushed Bumblebee out of the way just as a net slammed into the road and ripped it apart while trying to pull into a ball. He looked up to see a shadowed figure standing on top of a building. The figure ran up just as Optimus looked at him.
"Follow that man!" Optimus pointed.
"On it!" Bumblebee ran after the man on the building that was leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Bumblebee shot electric bolts out of his stingers. The bolts seemed to just bounce away and dissipate. "What the heck?"
Optimus activated his grappler cables and shot himself up to the silhouette. The man then leaped down and jabbed his hand into the wall to stop his fall. He then climbed his way down by smashing his hands into the wall. Optimus used his grappler cables to freefall to the man. The man pulled one hand out, revealing it to be a hook, and shot several mini-bombs at some passersby. Optimus gasped and swung down. He yanked them out of the range of the explosions.
"Next time, be aware of your surroundings," Optimus advised when he set them down. They nodded and ran. The man released his grip from the wall and dropped down and went straight for Ratchet…
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"Ratchet?! Ratchet, come in!"Ratchet ducked behind the remains of a wall and activated his holo-comlink.
"This is field medic Ratchet sir!" he responded, "I'm surrounded by Decepticon fire! I'm pinned down!" A small blast threw Ratchet across the floor.
"Medic! Medic! Someone help!" a voice called. Ratchet looked into a hole in the ground to see a woman lying on the floor clenching her leg. Ratchet jumped down and sat next to her. He recognized her as the intelligence he was sent to find.
"Ratchet, did you find her" Ultra Magnus asked.
"Affirmative sir. But unfortunately, so did the Decepticons!"
"Help her out! She's holding valuable access codes that will help us win the war! She must not fall into Decepticon hands!" Ratchet nodded.
"Something's wrong doc. My leg. I can't feel it," she grabbed her leg. Ratchet lifted it up and tore off the pants leg at the knee, then looked at the leg. It was obviously broken, probably from the fall, and bleeding.
"It looks bad, but I'll have you fixed up in no time," Ratchet assured her.
"Thanks." She closed her eyes. Ratchet patted her on the face until she opened her eyes again.
"Come on, stay with me. What's your name?" he asked as he checked her pupil dilation.
"Ar-Arcee. It's Arcee sir."
"Don't call me sir! I work for a living. Call me Ratchet."
"Yes sir. Yes…Ratchet," she smiled at him.
"Okay, listen Arcee," Ratchet laid her down, "I'm going to have to sedate you so I can perform surgery. This should put you out in a simulated death. You won't breath; you won't even have a pulse." Ratchet pulled out some medicine and put it in a syringe.
"But, what'll happen to me?"
"Don't worry; you'll wake up long before any damage can be done to your body."
"Okay…"
"You ready?"
"Uh-huh." She closed her eyes and braced herself. Ratchet quickly gave her the shot. The chemicals worked quickly through her blood stream. She took in one last breath and went limp. Ratchet immediately started splinting the broken leg.
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Ratchet woke up from his daze and held the man in a magnetic field. The man floated there. He was still wrapped in shadow, so Ratchet still couldn't make out who it was. The man looked at the pink field around him. Ratchet could hear something charging, and suddenly the field disappeared. The man dropped down. Bumblebee shoved Ratchet out of the way. The man shot a tri-rope at Ratchet and Bumblebee. The ropes wrapped around them and tied them together. The man then ran off. Optimus showed up and sliced apart the rope.
"You guys alright?" he asked.
"We're fine!" Ratchet pushed off Bumblebee.
"You call that fine?!" Bumblebee demanded, "You froze up like molasses in December!"
"I did not freeze up! That guy just took me by surprise!"
"Speaking of which, who the heck was that guy?"
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Meanwhile, the unknown man sat in an alley and checked his facial scans of the Autobots he'd encountered. It was confirmed. They were definitely his targets…