A Storm Without Rain (Transformers)

Chapter 3: Training

Delta

I was glad to finally get acquainted with all the femmes, although all they talked about was gossip on the base. I even had the chance to briefly speak with Ratchet, but he had several duties to attend to. I spend the afternoon speaking with the femmes and soldiers, trying to learn more about the humans. But, the sun was setting and I knew that my training session with Ironhide was approaching.

Checking my internal chronometer, I found that I had minutes to spare and I began my walk over to the other hanger. I stepped over the humans who seemed to be oblivious to my presence. I spotted Will and Epps on a platform, chatting with Sideswipe and I offer them a wave as I pass. I could see Ironhide in the back of the warehouse, watching me navigate my way through all the organics.

From a distance, I was able to get a good look at his frame. He wasn't as tall as Optimus or Ratchet, but he was much taller than myself. His dark frame seemed ominous and threatening and I couldn't help the nervousness that sunk into my spark the closer I got to him. Now that I was closer, I noticed how bright his eyes seemed in contrast to his dark armor. They were incandescent. Their electric blue depths seemed to pierce right through me.

"Hi," I greet him.

"You ready?" He asks, cutting to the chase. I nod with a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips. Without so much as a countdown, nor any other indication of what was happening, the black mech tackled me onto the ground and I see a few humans stumble as our combined weight shook the ground. I struggle against the warrior. I push, I kick, and I try to turn, but his weight pinned me down.

"Use your size to your advantage!" He barked into my audio. I wriggle, using his chest plates as leverage, and I slip down so that I was level with his abdomen. I slip my legs out from between his and I moved them so that I could flip us over so that I was on top, and I was successful.

Pushing off the ground with my legs, I followed Ironhide as he rolled, straddling his abdomen and raising my fist to strike, but I pause.

"Should I hit you?" I ask. Big mistake. He took advantage of my pause and flipped us over again, my head hitting the ground harshly.

"How's that for an answer?" He said triumphantly. I struggle again, but then he pins my hands to the ground. I growl in frustration, lifting a leg and using it to help drive my hips up into him, creating enough force to make him move one of his hands to regain his balance. I quickly struck him hard in the face with my newly freed servo and I managed to get him to roll over, but instead of following him, I rolled opposite, quickly getting to my feet, holding my servos up, ready for a fight.

"Nice move..." He compliments, wiping energon off his bottom lip.

"Sorry," I say weakly, moving in to attack. I feigned a left lunge, but ducked down, moving to attack from the right. I struck him in the audio receptor, but I was countered with a hard blow to my side. I let out an 'oof', ducking under an incoming fist. I take a big step back, trying to find any weak points on Ironhide's body.

He lunged in fast and we fought too close for comfort. I almost received a headbutt from him, but I was lucky to be leaping back at the moment he drove his head forward. Seeing a perfect opportunity for a move I had only seen used in videos of gladiators in the pits, I decide to execute.

I duck my head under a fist, dropping a hand onto the floor for balance, and I swing my leg up, aiming for the head, but he caught my foot, pulling me into an awkward position on the floor where he held me down with his knee.

"Where did you see that move?" He asks.

"Gladitorial pits." I answer. He smirked.

"Never try to do that in a real fight," Ironhide said, removing himself from me. He offered me a hand up, which I gratefully took.

"How's the face?" I say, standing on my tip-toes to see his lip.

"Fine. How's the side?" He asks. All I could feel now was a dull throb.

"Good," I respond. "So how'd I do?" I ask.

"Decent. You'd lose against a Decepticon though. I like how you used your hips to gain the advantage. Nice work." Ironhide said approvingly. "Now, let's go see how you'd fare with a blaster." He said, leading me out of the hanger and to a large field on a plateau. I could see the ocean all around the island from here.

In my daze, I hadn't noticed Ironhide getting into a shed and pulling out an array of weaponry, much of it I had never seen the likes of before. He thrust a blaster into my hands and clapped a firm hand on my shoulder, guiding me to a shooting range.

"Show me what you got." He said, standing to the side and crossing his arms.

"I've never shot a blaster before," I say, raising the gun and aiming at the center target, squeezing an optic shut. When I squeezed the trigger, I let out a yelp as it jarred my hands and I almost dropped it. I look down the range seeing that all of the targets were intact.

"Can you tell me what you did wrong?" Ironhide inquired. I look at the weapon in my hands.

"I missed?" I say meekly. He smirked.

"Yes, that. But, your stance is all wrong." Ironhide moved closer to me, grabbing my shoulders and angling me correctly. Then he used his pede to kick my feet apart. "You also need to squeeze the trigger. Don't pull it. Also, try not to focus too hard. It'll come naturally once you get the feel of the gun." He explained.

I raise the gun again, keeping everything he said in mind. I squeezed the trigger, keeping a tighter hold on it than the first time. Looking down the range, I saw that I had managed to hit the corner of the center target. I smiled widely and I shot again.

Ironhide

I was surprisingly happy to actually be training again. I enjoyed teaching Delta about weapons and fighting techniques. She seemed to enjoy learning as well. We shared some laughs over mistakes and I give her a side glance, catching her rubbing her rear.

"How's the aft?" I ask with a smirk. She had been knocked down by two of my most powerful creations from the shed: a long range rifle and a mid-range cannon that can even knock me off balance.

"A little dented up, but nothing a little TLC can't fix." She said cheerily. "When do you think I'll be ready to start kicking some con butt?" She asks with mirth in her optics.

"When you can beat me in a fight and shoot all the targets perfectly," I respond.

"I'll be kickin' your aft in no time," Delta said teasingly. I scoff.

"I doubt you could fight the twins," I say.

"Not both of them, but I could definitely take one of them down." She said confidently.

"No doubt about that." I agree. We made it down to the hanger where our sleeping quarters were and we walked down the hall side by side. I stopped in front of my door and Delta looked at me with a small smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said, meeting my optics.

"Goodnight," I say, pushing my door open.

"'Night." I hear her mutter, walking to the end of the hall.