ACT ONE

Sparkplug is decidedly distraught. His garage is empty, devoid of his Transforming robot prototype. Spike and Chip are there as well, looking to the empty space quizzically.

CHIP (quietly) Daniel is not going to be happy.

SPARKPLUG I don't understand where it could have gone. It's not like it could get up and walk away.

SPIKE (unsure) Actually, it could --

SPARKPLUG Well, yes, but not on its own.

CHIP Well, obviously someone stole him.

Spike shakes his head, looking around the garage a moment. Sparkplug, though, looks more distraught.

SPIKE You didn't remember to install Lo-Jack into it, did you?

SPARKPLUG (firmly) Don't give me lip, son.

Chip sighs at the two Witwicky's and rolls his wheelchair over to the garage door, shaking his head slowly. Sparkplug looks to the younger man with some worry, unsure of what to do.

SPARKPLUG Daniel's birthday is --

CHIP That's covered, we've got the spare at my place. Daniel will still get his present.

SPIKE (annoyed) Oh, you built another one without telling me?

CHIP Are you kidding? I was going to make some money off of these guys! I was thinking of sending a couple to Playskool.

SPIKE (annoyed) Yeah, right, good plan. Oh, and by the way, one's already stolen. If whoever stole the thing knew what it was, there's no telling what trouble he can cause.

SPARKPLUG Oh, don't worry about that, son. Everything was kept secret, and I ordered all the parts on secure sites from America On-Line.

Spike looks over incredulously at his father a moment, and then turns to Chip, his usual determination somewhat returning.

SPIKE Chip, start monitoring the police frequencies.

CHIP (resigned) Yeah, I think you're right.

In the city, a compact black car zips through the streets, cutting people off, swerving wildly, and generally being a menace. Music blares from the car's stereo, and an old man at the wheel is holding onto the leather driver's wheel with a death-grip.

MOTOTRON (singing) Get your motor running!

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE (panicked) Slow down, you're going to kill someone!

MOTOTRON (singing) Head out on the highway!

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE The sign said '55' miles and hour, that was not just merely a suggestion!

Mototron doesn't listen, however, and continues his mad race through the streets. In the distance, a trio of police cars have rushed up, trying to corner the reckless Transformer.

Mototron (singing) And I gotta go make things happen -- take the world on a love embrace.

With that, Mototron peels away from the road and drives over the grass, heading for a shopping mall. Doctor Archeville grinds his teeth, fear giving way to rage.

Mototron (singing) Fire all the guns at once and --

Finally, Mototron transforms, 'exploding' into his robot mode and sending the evil Doctor flying.

Mototron (singing) Explode into space!

Mototron catches the Doctor as once he's finished switching to robot mode. Doctor Archeville does not look either comfortable or pleased, however.

Mototron (singing) Born to be -- OWWWW!

As Mototron starts to scream out, Doctor Archeville sends a hot burst of voltage from his claw-hand into Mototron's chest, interrupting the large robot's song. After a moment of pain, the robot sets the Doctor down carefully.

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE (enraged) Baka! How am I going to conquer the world, if you kill me with your bad driving?

MOTOTRON Hey, we got here. Lighten up. Your problem is that you don't know how to have fun.

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE (annoyed) I will show you fun.

MOTORTRON Right. So, what are we at the mall for anyway?

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE I'm going into the computer store to buy some Zip disks.

MOTOTRON (unsure) Zip disks?

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE (awed) 250 megabytes of storage. If Optimus Prime's mind can fit onto a single old-style floppy, imagine the army I can build with a case of Zip disks!

Mototron just blinks at the doctor, but doesn't say anything. The evil scientist, though, starts to head towards the mall.

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE You stay here, and you be ready to leave when I get back.

MOTOTRON (disturbed) Okay now, bye-bye.

The evil Doctor hobbles out, heading towards the large computer store in the strip mall. In the distance, the police sirens get just a little louder.

MOTOTRON (sighing) I would have been better off staying in the Witwicky's garage.

KID #1 (voice) Oh, hey cool, Mom. It's a Transformer!

Mototron turns to see a soccer-mom unload stuff into her SUV, and her young ten-year-old son step over to check him out. Mototron lets out a bemused look and tries to turn away.

MOTOTRON Go away, kid, you don't want to talk to me.

KID #1 You're a real robot, just like the ones on TV!

MOTOTRON (annoyed) Hey, look kid, I'm evil! You shouldn't be talking to me, you know. Your mom should be pulling you away and running screaming right now.

The kid just shakes his head, not buying a word of it just yet. Mototron sighs, trying and failing to look menacing, but the kid just points to the large yellow Autobot symbol on his chest.

KID #1 See that? That's an Autobot symbol. Autobots are good guys, everyone knows that.

MOTOTRON (fretting) It's an anti-Cybertron thing, like Scourge. It's just upside down, so it looks right side up.

KID #1 (smirking) Yeah, and his inner-spark of Goodness.

MOTOTRON (annoyed) Hey, look, all black robots are evil, it's a law.

KID #1 Well, what about Sideswipe?

MOTOTRON Well, he wasn't that nice of an Autobot.

KID #1 (smirking) Optimus Primal?

MOTOTRON He was --

At this, Mototron has been bested by the kid's logic. He flusters a bit, and looks quickly around for his escape. Seeing none, he sighs, and shakes his head.

MOTOTRON Primal was reprogrammed into a religious zealot, like Pat Buchanan, and you know that Buchanan is really evil!

The Kid still isn't impressed and just waits impatiently. Mototron sighs, completely beaten.

MOTOTRON Okay, you're leaving now. I have evil things to do. Go on, go away.

The 'evil' robot tries to shoo the kid off as Doctor Archeville steps up to him.

KID #1 Loser.

MOTOTRON Shoo, I said 'shoo'.

In Spike's truck, the human trio is listening to police reports with some worry. As the reach the road, they can see about fifty accidents with cars being forced off the road. Spike gets that usual sinking feeling.

SPIKE Gee, you think he came this way?

CHIP Look, we don't know that it's actually Mototron. It could have been some natural disaster or something.

POLICE OFFICER #1 (on radio) No sir, the robot's just standing there right now. We're starting to surround the mall and cut off his escape routes.

SPIKE (wryly) You were saying, Chip?

SPARKPLUG Let's just get there before things get out of hand.

The Doctor returns from his shopping trip and steps over to the giant black and neon-green robot. Mototron is looking around, just a bit nervous as Doctor Archeville reaches him.

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE See? It did not take so long, Mototron. Now, we should return home so I can proceed with my evil plots in secret.

MOTOTRON All right. Hey, are they coming too?

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE (confused) They? Who are 'they'?

Mototron indicates behind the Doctor by pointing with his big finger. Doctor Archeville looks over, calmly accessing the fact that about thirty police cars have already arrived on the scene. After the neurons fire, Doctor Archeville's jaw drops and panic fills his eyes.

DOCTOR ARCHEVILLE (annoyed) Baka! See what you've done! Transform and let's get out of here.

With a smooth motion, Mototron does as ordered, and scoops up the Doctor to put him into the driver's seat. Once again, Mototron drives wildly, tearing directly for the police cars.

POLICEMAN #2 (surprised) What are they doing? They're nuts!

POLICEMAN #3 Shoot! Shoot!

As the police officers open fire, the bullets bounce off harmless from Mototron's hardened armor. The 'evil' robot reaches the police cars and then 'flips' over them in a stunt. Cackling, Mototron drives off, and some of the police cars pull off to start to follow.

Spike pulls his truck to a stop and sits back, grumbling. Sparkplug and Chip look off to the side, where the police are once again in pursuit of Mototron, and leaving the mall.

SPIKE (sighing) This is hopeless. Even if we could catch up to Mototron now, there's not a lot we could do to stop both him and whoever stole him.

CHIP (dawning) Then we have to hit fire with fire!

SPIKE (uneasy) I was thinking of letting the police handle it.

SPARKPLUG We'll use the spare body, and have it capture Mototron!

SPIKE I didn't anything that remotely resembled that.

Sparkplug and Chip both seem to ignore any and all of Spike's objections, convinced that their plan is the best one.

SPARKPLUG (eager) Come on, son. Let's get to Chip's place. We've got work to do.

Resigned, Spike lets his head fall onto the steering wheel of his truck. When it impacts, a horn blares out.