A few hours have passed since Autobot doctor Ratchet left the Ark. Little did he know, though, Decepticon warriors Dirge, Ramjet, and Thrust picked him up on their radar and are now moving in on him. Meanwhile, on the Ark, Autobot leader Optimus Prime, along with Autobots Tracks and Wheeljack are trying to track him down.

"Bingo!" exclaimed Wheeljack, "I think I just found him!"

"Give me a location, Wheeljack." Optimus said.

"I've got him going south on the interstate, Optimus," Wheeljack began, "But that's not all our scan picked up…"

"What else did we pick up, Wheeljack?" Optimus asked.

"Well," Wheeljack replied, "The scans also picked up Decepticon energy closing in fast on Ratchet."

"Then we don't have much time, then…" Tracks added.

"Exactly." Wheeljack sternly replied.

"If we don't have much time," Optimus said, "What are we doing just standing here? Autobots! Let's roll out!"

At Optimus' command, the three Autobots transformed and sped off.

TIME: That very moment. PLACE: The interstate. Ratchet speeds down the highway, unaware of the danger that approaches him. He turns off at an exit, and drives down the city streets.

"It's a little noisy," he thought to himself, "But it beats repairing Autobots over and over again…"

Just then, three ambulances sped by.

"I wonder what's up." Ratchet thought, "I'm sure they won't mind if I tag along." Ratchet turned on his sirens and sped off along with the other ambulances.

TIME: That very moment. PLACE: A few miles away. In the sky, Decepticon warriors Dirge, Ramjet, and Thrust fly towards their target… Ratchet!

"We've got him on the run, guys!" Dirge said to his comrades, "Are you guys ready to close in?"

"I can't speak for you guys," Ramjet replied, "But I can't wait to smash into his sides!"

"I don't know about this, guys," Thrust said, worried, "Are you sure we shouldn't have radioed for reinforcements?"

"Why?" asked Ramjet, "So they could take all our fun? No way! Besides, it's only ONE Autobot, and we're THREE Decepticons! We'll take him out... And we won't have a problem doing it, either!"

"But what if this is a trap?" Thrust asked, still worried, "What if he's just leading us into an ambush?"

"Grow a backbone program, Thrust!" Dirge yelled, "We'll be okay, but he won't be!"

"I… I guess you're right." Thrust said.

And with that said, the three Decepticon warriors sped off.

TIME: That very moment. PLACE: A downtown city block. Four ambulances pull up to the curb. The crews of three of the ambulances get out, but no one comes out of the fourth.

"Hey," said one of the ambulance crew, "What's up with the guys in there?"

"I don't know," said another, "But I'll go check it out."

The man walked up to the ambulance, but what he saw surprised him, there was no one in the ambulance.

"What the hell's going on here?!?" the man said, "There's no one in this thing!"

"Sorry if I startled you, sir," Ratchet said, "I was just curious as to what was going on here, I hope you don't mind."

"W… Who said that?" the man asked.

"Allow me to introduce myself," Ratchet said, transforming into robot mode, "My name is Ratchet, who are you?"

"Uh… My names Joe…" he said.

"Pleased to meet you, Joe," Ratchet said, "Now, what's going on here?"

"We got a call a few minutes ago about a shooting in this area," Joe said, walking Ratchet to the scene, "So we're here to see if we can save the victims life."

"Shooting?" Ratchet said, "Who committed this act?!? Was it Decepticons?"

"Uh… No," Joe began, "It was most likely another human, maybe for a robbery, or maybe this was premeditated."

"Wait a second," Ratchet began, confused, "Another human did this?"

"Yes, it was another human." Joe answered.

"But I thought all humans lived in peace with each other." Ratchet said.

"Far from it, Ratchet," Joe said, "Humans kill each other every day."

Ratchet thought of that statement, he also thought about the thoughts he had hours earlier.

"Why do you repair your fellow humans knowing that they just might go out and injure themselves again?" Ratchet asked.

"It's my responsibility." Joe replied, "I wish the people I take care of wouldn't go back to a troubling situation, but I don't have any power over what they decide to do with their lives."

It finally dawned on Ratchet, it was his duty to repair the fallen Autobots, and even if they got reinjured, it was his duty to rerepair them.

"Yes," Ratchet said, standing up, "I now realize what I must do, thank you my friend."

"I know what you must do as well!" a voice from behind said. Ratchet turned around to see Dirge, Ramjet, and Thrust standing before him.

"What you must do is DIE!" Dirge yelled, aiming at Ratchet.

EPOLOUGE: On the interstate, Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, and Tracks speed towards Ratchets location.

"How are we doing, Wheeljack?" Optimus asked.

"Really bad," Wheeljack began, "The Decepticons beat us to him!"

"Only one option," Tracks said, "STEP ON IT!"

The three Autobots sped down the highway.

TO BE COTINUED