Clever Thing | TFP AU

Chapter 2

"How did you get crime records from the police database?"

"I have my ways." Ratchet said with an air of confidence to the fellow teacher, though he was mostly referring to the fact that he just had friends on the inside. Friends like Prowl.

Although the mech had been reluctant at first to even give up the records, the police force needed help finding and capturing the criminals behind the attacks. Ratchet wasn't exactly the best choice, but he seemed willing enough to help and Prowl knew of the medic's reputation during the war.

The mech who had walked in to this scene shook his helm in disapproval. "It isn't your job to solve crimes for the police, you know." He commented, leaning against the doorframe and cocking an optic ridge. "Why the sudden interest?"

Ratchet merely rolled his optics. "Someone tried to frame me for murder."

"You? Murder? Hah!" The mech laughed. "Then again, medics have all sorts of ways to pull off a murder."

"It's not a laughing matter, really. Murders like this one have happened all over Iacon, I was just unlucky enough to witness one." Ratchet said gruffly, sifting through the datapads that were scattered across his desk. There had to be a connection between the murders, there just had to be!

"But why a councilman?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out."

The mech blinked, then shrugged as he lifted his briefcase. "Well, good luck with that." He said before walking away.

Ratchet watched him go, sighing heavily, before returning to his research. He was willing to stay there all night if he had to.

•
•
•

There was half an hour until midnight and Ratchet was still sitting at his desk, tirelessly searching through piles of data for any sign of a connection. He was too invested in this research to stop now, but his aging frame said otherwise. He was exhausted.

Maybe it was time to stop for the night, but that meant...

A noise interrupted his thoughts and he jumped a little in his seat, helm snapping upright. His optics scanned the empty office. Nothing. He listened intently, wondering if he would hear the noise again. When he didn't, he cautiously began cleaning his desk and preparing to leave. Once he had gathered his things, he left his office and began walking down the long, winding hallway that led to the front.

As he turned the corner, he noticed an open door on the left side of the hallway. It was the door to an operation room, one of many in the academy. Why was it open? Ratchet had thought that no one else was here but him.

He approached with caution, listening carefully to see if he could hear anything. As soon as his hand reached to close it, the lights in the hallway shut off.

Pressing himself against the wall, Ratchet struggled to control his pounding spark. Someone, or something, had turned the lights off and now he was trapped in complete darkness. The urge to leave grew stronger, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He was frozen in fear.

After a moment or two of silence, the medic hesitantly turned on his headlights so he could see. The light gave the hallway an eerie glow, but at least it helped.

Abandoning the open door, Ratchet started heading towards the front of the building again. The once open door suddenly slammed shut, startling him a great deal. He took hurried, yet cautious steps as his fear grew. He didn't like being alone in the dark, especially when it was late. His mind liked to play tricks on him. All he wanted to do was be safe in his berth back home, but home was a long way from here.

The front doors soon came into view. Ratchet could not have been happier. He quickened his pace to a jog in order to reach them faster, his arm outstretched and ready to open them. When he pushed on them, however, they didn't budge.

They were locked.

A noise behind him made his energon go cold. Though it wasn't loud at all, Ratchet's sensitive audio receptors had picked it up.

Something behind him was breathing.

He could feel it; warm and heavy on the back of his neck. It made him squirm. Shivers crawled down his backstrut as he slowly turned around to face whatever was there.

Nothing.

Nothing was there.

Was he imagining this? Was this some sort of fever dream?

Suddenly, there was movement off to his left.

He only had seconds to react.

————

Oooh, creepy right? I personally don't like creepy stuff, but I tried my best :)

Sorry for the cliffhanger! Hehe...

Also, I'll be including some characters that weren't in the show, like Prowl for example!