Gazzy woke up slowly, his head spinning and his face strangely numb. He struggled to sit up, but found that his hands were tied with plastic. He coughed, noted that he didn't have a gag tied over his mouth, and tried to focus on his surroundings.

He was in a dark room with no windows. Great.

Gazzy tried to move his legs, but they were bound at the ankles. He squirmed and managed to sit upright against the wall. The air smelled stale.

He remembered going to steal some food from the mess hall while the rest of the Flock was sleeping. Then something had stung the back of his neck and he didn't remember anything else.

Max is going to kill me for sneaking out in the middle of the night, he thought with a shudder.

He heard voices close by. Suddenly a door opened and light streamed in. Gazzy squinted and struggled against his restraints. Two men in suits stood over him, wearing sunglasses that hid their eyes. They weren't Erasers… too old, too ugly. They hauled him up by his armpits and legs and toted him into the hall. Gazzy didn't recognize this part of the NEST base.

He tried to talk, but his mouth was numb. His tongue wouldn't work right, and he realized to his horror that he was drooling. He tried to suck in the drool and wondered when the Novacaine would wear off.

After several minutes of walking, the two men went through a door and then ended up outside. The sky was pitch black. Gazzy had excellent night vision, though, so he saw everything: the silver Hummer parked straight ahead, the men in black suits all around, guarding it. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the Gasman was being kidnapped.

They dumped him in the back seat and started driving.

"The chopper's not far. Galloway said keep it quiet, don't rush. We don't want any of those alien things listening," one of them said in a low voice.

"Right." The driver slowed down. "Quiet."

Gazzy's eyes widened at the word Galloway. Max would freak when she heard about this. Maybe Ironhide would run the guy over a couple times.

Assuming Gazzy escaped before they could get him on the helicopter.

"Should we give it another tranquilizer?" The man in the passenger's seat asked, worried. "It woke up much too early. Its system must work off the effects faster than a normal human's."

"Nah, leave it be. It's just a stupid kid," the driver sneered.

Gazzy scowled, then his eyes widened. Oh no. He could feel something down in his digestive system that wanted out.

His name wasn't the Gasman for nothing.

He tried moving his lips and his tongue. The Novacaine had worn off a lot by now. His cheeks were still tingly, but he could talk. "Hey. You guys? I have to go."

"See? It talks. I need to tranquilize it." The man fiddled with a syringe.

"Go where, kid? You don't go anywhere," the driver spat. "Now shut up."

"But I have to go. Like, sit on the porcelain throne. Like, visit the oval office," Gazzy insisted.

"I said shut up! Okay, tranquilize it," the driver snapped. The other man turned and leaned to stick the needle in Gazzy.

Gazzy grinned a grin that was both demonic and sadistic.

What happened next was what young boys define as "letting it rip".

A sulfurous, noxious odor filled the Hummer's interior, a combination of odors that best resembled tear gas and methane. Both men started coughing and their eyes watered profusely. "DEAR GOD!" the driver yelled, overcome. He struggled to maintain control of the vehicle. "WHAT WAS THAT?"

"Oh, so you like it? Here's another one!" Gazzy then let it rip again. This time it was too much. The Hummer screeched to a halt and the men opened their doors and staggered out. Fumes left the Hummer, and Gazzy cackled.

The man who had been driving opened one of the back doors. His bloodshot, watering eyes met Gazzy's, and they were full of rage. "Come here, you little…" He reached for Gazzy with both hands, as if to strangle him.

"Excuse me."

Both men turned slowly to see Ironhide standing behind them. He had driven up silently and now gazed down at them like an ominous, vengeful god.

"Please step away from the vehicle," Ironhide rumbled.

Neither man moved.

"Please step away from the vehicle now," Ironhide rumbled again, holding up one of his cannons. It whirred and the inside of the barrel began to glow as it charged up.

Both men scrambled to get far away from the Hummer.

Ironhide bent down and simple peeled off the top of the vehicle. Gazzy peered up at the black Autobot with wide, awed eyes.

"Whatever is that stench?" Ironhide wondered, his olfactory sensors picking up traces of a repulsive odor.

"It's my specialty scent. Le Gaz," Gazzy gloated, proud of his stench.

Ironhide carefully picked up the young boy and cut his restraints with surgically-precise blades that unfolded from the tip of one metal finger. Gazzy flew up and stood on Ironhide's shoulder, peering down at his former captors.

"What should we do to them?" Gazzy asked, crossing his arms.

"I must escort them back to the NEST compound and report their actions to high command. They will be questioned." Ironhide turned his loathing blue gaze to the two cowering men. "Ratchet and the Twins are rounding up the others involved in this plot. I expect there will be much to discuss."

"Escort… hmmm. Does that mean you get to carry them upside down by their legs?" Gazzy wondered.

Ironhide chuckled. "How creative. I like it."

And so, he did.