Losing Control

Chapter 1

It had been a week after the Fallen Prime, aka Megatronus Prime, had been killed. One week since the Battle of Egypt, one week since Optimus and Samuel Witwicky were revived, one week since he lost her.

Ironhide punched another training dummy, shattering it. Chromia was his best friend, and sparring partner. The two had more in common than any Autobot, or Decepticon. Others joked that they'd be mates one day, but they never liked each other like that, they were more like siblings.

Ironhide didn't want to be inside the base anymore, he felt cramped. He headed outside.

"Where you going, 'Hidey?" The youngest Autobot, Bumblebee, asked. He viewed Ironhide as a father figure, maybe a brother.

"Out. Tell Prime I don't know when I'll be back." was Ironhide's gruff response. Bee rubbed his optics tiredly, it was almost midnight. He nodded, and went back to sleep.

Ironhide transformed, and left. As he drove, he kept thinking of every memory he made with Chromia. The blue femme was older by three months, two weeks, four days, and fifteen minutes. The two Autobots became best friends since birth basically.

Ironhide stopped in the middle of the desert, about eighty miles from the base. He felt sad, but he couldn't cry, he was a soldier. He couldn't cry. He hasn't cried since Jazz's death three years ago. He felt rage fill his entire body, he was going to make every Decepticon pay, and nothing was going to stop him.

Meanwhile, Decepticon Seekers Flamethrower, Nightshade, Toxin, Crasher, Razor, Starscream, Trigger, and Ebonyrage were scouting on Megatron's orders for spare parts, and Energon, when they came across Ironhide. 

"Let's get him by surprise. Due to the deaths of those blasted Autobot scum last week, he won't think clearly, as he was closest to that blue femme... uh... Chromia. We can kill him, and then the Autobots would basically fall apart without their muscle/weapons specialist." Crasher cackled.

"Good plan. And we could use his parts for Master." Trigger agreed. 

"Imbeciles! He has scanners! He could harm us, before we could him!" Starscream hissed.

"His scanners are off. If they weren't, we'd be dead by now." Razor retorted.

They landed, and transformed, just as Ironhide transformed. Before they could do anything, the big, black mech tackled Toxin, and started yelling and threatening him, while beating him. The other Seekers tried to stop him, to add to their kill list, but that only pissed him off more.

When Optimus arrived, all of the Seekers were dead, Ironhide still beating Ebonyrage, his body in a mangled, twisted mess, Energon spewed everywhere, and on Ironhide. 

"Ironhide, enough Old Friend." Optimus rumbled, grabbing his wrist. Ironhide glared at the Prime, but the pain was there in his optics.

"They're all dead. What do you think beating a corpse will do?" Optimus asked.

"I will avenge those who they killed, especially Chromia! Don't get in my way! They'll pay for what they did! They took our home, friends... they took our families... forced us into this fucking war... you and I know it won't stop until they're all dead!" Ironhide shouted.

"And then what? The AllSpark is gone, we cannot restore Cybertron to its former glory. Revenge will not bring back those we lost. They died an honorable death, and it will stay that way. We will honor them, let them rest in peace. What would Chromia think of you if she knew you're getting revenge for her death?" Optimus asked. 

Colonel William Lennox then came out of Optimus's cab, knowing he could get through to Ironhide. Those two were as thick as thieves, maybe something more than friends and brothers.

"Yeah, 'Hide, what would she think? Knowing her, if your roles were switched, she'd want revenge too, but she wouldn't want to make you suffer more, despite you already being dead." Will pointed out. Ironhide stayed silent, he knew Will was right, but that doesn't mean he had to like it.

"Ironhide, you two were like siblings, I've seen it, everyone has. What was her last wish?" Will asked.

"For the war to end, and to be laid to rest in peace." Ironhide replied.

"That means, no revenge. You don't have to like it, nobody expects you to like it. We expect you to hate it, to hate everything, hell, even hate everyone for a while. Believe me, there are so many times I want revenge for the death of a brother or sister lost in combat, but I always remember this; it won't bring them back, and it could do more harm than good, depending on the intention." Will explained.

"I feel disgusted by what I did, what I do... but it felt good. To hear their screams of pain... see the blood come out of them... I want them to feel what I do, what Chromia felt when she lost her sisters, and when she lost her own life. Her death was slow.. and it was painful... she didn't deserve that... I want them to pay! This war has caused endless suffering and pain for everyone! This war is meaningless! We can never restore our home! I'd rather be put down than roll over and surrender or die!" Ironhide protested.

After they returned to base, Ironhide locked himself in his room, but Will got in to talk to him.

"I know you both loved each other as a sister/brother. Honor her, and her wish, Ironhide. It'll bring more comfort than you know, and it'll let Chromia be at peace. It's what she wanted. We all know what we were doing when we signed up for this; military, war, fighting others battles as well as our own." Will stated, softly. Ironhide wanted to cry, but he couldn't, not in front of Will.

Around three AM, Ironhide snuck back out, but only went to Chromia's grave, and he cried. He missed her, and he always would. After he calmed down, he went back to his room, and laid down, going to sleep. Will was right, he did feel better. Before slipping into a dream, he made a mental promise to honor his sisters and their wishes.

(Requested by @GlamRockCrash )