Chapter One Hundred and Twenty

Negative Steroids

The next day, Donatello was quick to tell his family, as well as Tyroth, Sephie and the twins who as they had promised returned to the Silo from Mutopia about what happened the previous night.

"So that's where you were." Leonardo said "You stayed up brainstorming with Ratchet?"

"Not surprised really." Sephie had said.

"Likewise!" Monalisa had agreed "Honestly Donnie!"

"And the Doc Bot tested that stuff on himself and he's now more violent in the field than Ironhide and Bulkhead put together?" Loki asked "Odin's beard!"

Splinter meanwhile frowned and stroked his chin.

"This is indeed worrying." he mused as he looked at Donatello, a knowing look in his eyes and Donatello looked a little ashamed as he knew what his Master was thinking about.

"It is yes." Donatello said "I have a bad feeling about it..."

Just then a loud crash was heard and everyone practically jumped out of their skins.

"What the shell?" Raphael exclaimed.

Tyroth said nothing as he took off towards the direction of where the sound came from and the twins followed.

The rest of the Hamato Clan and Sephie followed on foot and they also saw Arcee and Bumblebee had come to investigate.

"What in the name of Vahalla is going on here?" Tyroth asked.

Bumblebee shrugged and walked with Arcee around a corner where they saw Bulkhead laying against the wall upside down and a large hole in the wall!

"By Odin's Missing Eye!" Freya cried "What happened to you Bulk?"

The Wrecker meanwhile groaned then to everyone's amazement, Ratchet came out of the wall bouncing on his feet and with his fists up.

"You have competition Bulk!" Ratchet taunted "I'm a bit stronger than I used to be!"

He then saw Bumblebee walk up followed by Arcee and the mutants.

"Also a bit faster!" Ratchet said aiming a punch at Bumblebee but he stopped his fist before hitting the scout making him jump back.

Ratchet chuckled as he looked at Bumblebee.

"So you think you can take me muscle car?" he asked to which Bumblebee quickly shook his head and held up his servos bleeping.

Ratchet pulled his fist back and scoffed.

"Wimp!" he then strutted away but not before looking at Arcee and clicking his tongue and winking at her.

"How's it hummin?" he asked.

Watching him walk off down the hallway, Arcee was stunned.

"Did he just...?" she said shocked.

"Stronger, Faster, Studilier..." Bulkhead said rubbing the top of his head.

Donatello meanwhile looked worried.

"I don't know about you guys, but I believe that synthetic energon is affecting not just Ratchet's strength and spark, but his attitude too."

"You're not wrong Donnie." Monalisa said "If there's anything I know, if one were to take steroids, their attitude and personality is affected, not just their physical strength."

"That's why it's often banned by a lot of sporting events." Leonardo agreed "Not just the fact it's considered cheating."

"This is very troubling." Splinter said looking at Ratchet as he disappeared around the corner then looked over at the hole in the wall that Bulkhead had been thrown through.

Just then a sound was heard from the main silo and the Autobots and the mutants hurried back to see that an alert was sounding on the computer screens.

Optimus and Ironhide had been on their way to find out what the commotion was from the other side of the silo but the alert had deteered them.

When they arrived, Arcee checked the screens and she realized it was an energon alert.

"Looks like the cons hit another vein!" she reported.

Optimus squared his shoulders and narrowed his optics.

"Autobots! Roll out!"

He turned to face the Ground Bridge but Bulkhead stopped him.

"Hey! Hey!" he said "Shouldn't we wait for our secret weapon?"

"This mission is unlikely to require medical expertise." Optimus replied yet he looked up and turned to the side as he heard Ratchet's voice.

"But you never know if it may require additional firepower!"

Ratchet strutted over, his optics glowing a more intense green than usual and he gestured to Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee can handle ground bridge duty." he said.

Bumblebee bleeped in question as he looked at Optimus but before the Prime could answer, Ratchet spoke over him.

"Time to put some hurt into those Decepticons!"

As Donatello saw Ratchet enter, he chewed his lip in worry, especially as he saw how more intense Ratchet's optics looked as well as how ruthless he looked.

Tyroth looked at the brainy turtle then turned to his children.

"Freya, Loki." he said "We better tag along and observe, something tells me that there's more to what's going on with the medic than meets the eye."

Loki was excited to once again witness a Cybertronian battle, but he kept a serious look on his face.

"Sure thing dad." he said.

"You sure about this?" Leonardo asked nervously.

"if anything goes wrong Fearless," Tyroth reassured "Myself and the twins can handle it."

"I trust you Tyroth." Leonardo said.

"Be careful love, my darlings." Sephie said hugging her children and kissing Tyroth.

"Can I go too?" Pandora asked suddenly but Raphael grabbed her tail before she could attempt to move.

"Not you!" he said to which Pandora pouted.

"Aww man!" she groaned.

"Sorry kiddo." Ironhide shrugged "If there's danger, it's best you remain here, at least Big T and the Geckolings can fly out of danger, and after what Tyroth did to that Vehicon...oh boy."

"Which I am still reeling from if I may be honest Ironhide, we still need to address him about that." Optimus said in Cybertronian to him then turned to the hybrid speaking in English.

"He is right Pandora." Optimus said "Stay here with your family, and let us handle this."

Pandora groaned but she agreed and sat back down on the sofa.

"We'll keep you updated alright?" Freya winked patting Pandora's shoulder then followed her father and brother as Bumblebee fired up the Ground Bridge to the co-ordinates of the Energon becon.

"Stay safe!" Michelangelo called.

Pandora crossed her arms.

"They get all the fun!" she grumbled under her breath as she watched them leave via the Ground Bridge.

Meanwhile, the Autobots had made it to their destination via the Ground-bridge and Ratchet lead the way.

Tyroth and the Geckolings sat on Prime's shoulders as he walked behind the medic.

They soon found themselves in another part of the Nevada desert and they looked down into a deep wide gordge to see several Decepticon soldiers and miners harvesting for energon.

Bulkhead looked at his Energon tracker which bleeped.

"Uggh, signal's weak." he said "They may have hit a vein, but they won't find much of an energon pulse, not here."

"I take some comfort in the fact that Megatron seems as desperate to find this stuff as we are!" Arcee said.

"Likewise Lass!" Ironhide agreed.

"Do you three always talk this much during these missions?" Ratchet demanded rudely before jumping over the rock he was hiding behind and transformed into his vehicle form before driving down the side of the gorge.

"Hey wait!" Ironhide shouted and Tyroth and the Geckolings opened their wings and flew off Optimus's shoulders as he stood up to chase Ratchet along with the other Autobots.

"If I didn't know any better, that's what Pandora would do!" Freya said "Jump into battle without a plan!"

"Indeed my valkryie." Tyroth said with narrowed eyes as he flew on ahead.

Meanwhile as Ratchet drove towards the group of soldiers and miners, they were alarmed to see him but got ready to shoot at him.

"Autobots!" one shouted and they started firing at Ratchet as he charged at them like a bull!

Ratchet soon found a ledge which he drove towards and flew off it and struck one soldier down before transforming into his bipedal form.

"It's alright." he declared "I'm an emergency vehicle!" he then produced his blades to cut down any Decepticon that came at him.

The other Autobots followed firing their guns, and Tyroth and Freya flew high in the air to keep out of range, yet Tyroth seemed ready to attack like he did before and clenched his fists ready to do so.

Ratchet meanwhile as the soldiers were hit by the Autobot's gunfire, he saw a miner get off one of the drills they had been using to mine into the rocks and start to climb the side of the gorge to escape.

Tyroth and the Geckolings also saw that happen then they were shocked to see Ratchet chase after him and just as the miner made it to the higher ground and run, Ratchet was quick to catch up and he made it to the higher level then picked up a rock and threw it at the miner.

The rock reached it's target and the miner fell flat on his face.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" Loki cried.

"Good arm!" Freya commented, but Tyroth wasn't impressed and he soon saw Ratchet run after the downed Miner before he could get up and placed one of his pedes on it's chest.

He and the Geckolings flew a little closer to find out what was happening and his blood ran cold as he heard Ratchet's voice.

"Why the Big rush?" the Medic demanded.

"Just trying to get as far as I can from the Autobots stink!" the miner spat.

"Does your boss know you have a potty mouth?" Ratchet asked "Maybe I should pay him a visit and tell him!"

"Get melted wheel grinder!" the miner shouted.

"Melted?" Ratchet asked, his voice giving away that he was thinking of something then he morphed his servo into a whelding torch!

"Now there's a concept" he said then lowered it to the miner's face! "I won't ask you a second time!" he snarled "Where is Megatron?"

"Oh Gods!" Tyroth cried "He's gonna torture him!"

"He is?" Loki asked.

"And we interrogate bad guys?" Freya questioned looking at her dad "Whether it be just asking questions with threat of death or even a slight painful nudge, What's different?"

Tyroth narrowed his eyes.

"Because Optimus won't aprrove!" he said "And this isn't the Ratchet we know!"

A loud scream from the miner was soon heard and it hurt their ears as well as made them wince.

"Oh man!" Loki said "I don't know what Autobot's feel but hearing that scream!"

"I gotta stop him!" Tyroth said "Stay here kids!"

"But dad!" Freya cried.

"No buts!" Tyroth shot back then flew down towards Ratchet and was shocked to see the Medic was burning the miner in the optics with his welding torch!

"Ratchet! He cried "Stop! Leave him alone!"

But the Medic ignored him and carried out the torture

"That's all I know!" the Miner insisted through the pain.

"Really!" he bellowed but Ratchet kept at the torture.

Tyroth glowered then flew up to Ratchet and tried to push his arm away but he wasn't prepared for Ratchet to swipe him with his free arm and the Dragon was knocked back out the air!

The Geckolings watched in shock then saw their father get caught by Optimus's giant servo as he and the other Autobots had arrived and had witnessed in horror what was happening.

"Now was that so difficult?" Ratchet growled and morphed his servo into one of his blades and was about to bring it down on the miner when Optimus stopped him and the miner saw his chance to escape which he did.

"Ratchet!" the Prime demanded "What are you doing?"

Ratchet pulled his arm free and looked at Optimus.

"Getting results!" he replied.

"And breaking protocol!" Optimus shot back "That was a Decepticon miner! Servent class! Not Warrior Class!"

"Oh and let me guess!" Ratchet growled "I'm just the medic!"

"Autobots do not inflict harm unless all other options have been exhausted!" Optimus sternly reminded the Medic.

"I'm surprised at you Doc!" Ironhide exclaimed "Even I know that rule!"

"it is what separates us from the Decepticons!" Optimus added, his eyes narrowing.

The other Autobots, Tyroth and the Geckolings who had flown down when Optimus had restrained Ratchet, looked at the Medic and wondered if the words from the wise Prime had sunk in, but to their shock, Ratchet scoffed and laughed.

"Is this really the time for another lecture Optimus?" he asked "You didn't just happen to discovered Megatron's current Location did you? Well I did!" he shouted "And do you happen to know where there's a stockpile of raw energon right for the taking? I do!"

Ironhide quickly stepped over with Bulkhead to rein the Medic in before he got more angry.

"Come on Ratchet! Calm it down!" Bulkhead said but Ratchet pushed them both off him.

"Calm is the last thing we need!" he retorted "Calm, is what lost us Cybertron! The Cons have a warship! An Army! All this energon scouting you think Megatron isn't gearing up for something big?"

The Geckolings looked at each other, unsure whether to say the medic had a point but Tyroth shook his head at them prompting them to keep quiet.

Optimus opened his mouth to speak, but Ratchet went on.

"We're squandering our resources, chasing after his crumbs! When we really need to be hitting him hard and hitting him now!" he punched one of his servos into his palm making everyone flinch slightly.

"Precisely where it hurts!" he added furiously.

Optimus walked over to his old friend.

"A direct assault on the Decepticons would only provoke retaliation." Optimus said "And lead to incalculable losses! I will not endanger innocent human, or mutant lives." he said looking at Tyroth and the twins.

But Ratchet looked up at Optimus, his green optics flashing and Freya and Loki felt slightly scared.

"Yet you seem to have no problem endangering ours!" he shot up at the Prime "Just ask Cliffjumper! Oh I forgot!" he mocked "He couldn't be here today!"

Just hearing her offlined partner's name, Arcee glared.

"That's it!" she snarled but Bulkhead was quick to grab her and hold her back yet Ratchet continued.

"Or better yet!" he said "What of Elita-One? Do you even know if she's still alive after you left her behind!?"

Optimus's optics widened and he looked like he had been shot in the stomach! Then they blazed.

"Ratchet..." he growled as he clenched his fists.

"It's true isn't it?" Ratchet asked "She stayed behind but you didn't even stop her! Your own Conjux Endra!"

Optimus bared his teeth and he lifted one of his fists but Ironhide stopped him.

"Prime No!" he said "Remember who you are!" Optimus glared at him but seeing the look of worry in Ironhide's eyes as well as gesturing with them to the others behind them, and Tyroth and the twins, Optimus vented as he tried to control himself.

"You know your problem Optimus!" Ratchet went on "For such a big strong Bot, you're soft! You didn't pound Megatron into scrap when you had the chance! Many chances in fact!"

Optimus pushed against Ironhide but the red veteran pushed back.

"No! No!" he said "Don't! Prime!"

Optimus gritted his teeth and closed his optics and he tried to regain his composure and he stood up straight and loosened his strength on Ironhide who was still reluctant to let go and he wondered what the Prime was going to do next.

Yet to the Red Veteran's relief, Optimus spoke in a soft tone.

"I'm afraid that the synthetic energon has impaired your judgement old friend." he said "I am confiding you to base until further notice!" he placed a finger on his audios.

"Bumblebee, bridge us back."

As soon as he said that, a Ground Bridge appeared and Ratchet shrugged his shoulders.

"Uggh, fine!" he scoffed and started to walk through it.

Arcee, who had calmed down and Bulkhead had found it safe to let go of her looked at them in question, surprised Ratchet was quick to submit and go back to the base.

As they started to walk to the ground bridge, Bulkhead went first, yet he was just about to step in when Ratchet came running back and charged into him!

The Wrecker didn't stand a chance to realize what was going on before Ratchet threw him into Ironhide and both bots went flying into Optimus who jumped back and Arcee was alarmed as she got out of the way!

Tyroth and the Geckolings could only watch from the air as they along with the Autobots watched Ratchet transform into his vehicle form and sped off in a cloud of dust!

"He's gone cuckoo!" Loki commented.

"That energon really has affected him badly!" Freya cried.

"We should follow him!" Ironhide said.

"No." Optimus said "We won't be able to keep up with him, and as it stands, he is beyond reasoning, we must return to the base and try and pick up his signal."

"Good idea Prime." Tyroth said "come on kids, we'll need to report this to the others!"

Loki and Freya nodded and followed their father back into the Ground Bridge, the other Autobots following them.

Ironhide and Optimus hung at the back and Ironhide looked up at Optimus.

"Prime? Are you okay?" he asked quietly in Cybertronian, concerned after what Ratchet had said to Optimus had stung him hard.

Optimus vented.

"I don't know old friend, I could feel the hurt inside, but I had to remind myself that this isn't our old friend Ratchet talking, he is under the influence of the synthetic energon, he knew not his words, nor truly meant harm."

Ironhide vented and nodded.

"Still, it was uncalled, and I know, he knows, we all now you didn't just leave her, and I didn't leave Chromia."

Optimus nodded.

"They choose to stay, as much as it pained us, but we couldn't stop them, I can only pray to the Allspark that they survived, and we will see them again."

"I hope so too Prime." Ironhide said with a dreamy look in his optics "I hope so."

Looks like Ratchet has crossed a few lines here, and Optimus almost lost it there!

For those who don't know, in the original draft of the episode, Optimus was to punch Ratchet when the latter brings up that Elita One had died during the war, but it wasn't used because the editors felt it was out of character for Optimus.

Hope you liked my reference there! See you next chapter which hopefully should be the final part of 'Stronger, Faster'.