Chapter Text
Phoenix P.O.V
''What the hell Ironhide!'' I yelled as I stumbled backwards off the training mat. I rubbed at my shoulder that now had a dint in it from where the solid mech had punched me.
''You think Megatron will think twice before striking at a femme? He will hit and hit hard with every intent to kill or maim.'' There was a hard edge to 'Hide's voice. ''You must be prepared to defend and fight back Phoenix, with lethal force if necessary. I have told you this before! Now - stop holding back!'' He held his servos up and clenched them into fists of iron. ''FIGHT ME!''
I rotated my shoulders and stepped back onto the mat, my optics locked onto Ironhide, fire coursing through my body. I too held up my servos and we began a deadly dance about each other. /You asked for it/.
Jazz looked on from the sidelines, watching my every move and preparing to give feedback or suggestions, just as he had countless other times over the past two years. Ironhide and Jazz had been tasked with teaching me how to fight like a Transformer.
Arcee had also been called in to help to give a femme point of view and to demonstrate the more ''supple'' Ninja like moves I might be able to incorporate into my fighting repertoire. They were all effectively my drill Sergeants – and they were tough. Still, their efforts, relentless drills and training sessions had helped me progress rapidly in my training and I was becoming rather adept at fighting.
I studied Ironhide's body language, looking for a hint of which direction he might move. When Ironhide was not forth coming I decided to try and harry him into action to force a mistake. I stepped towards him quickly and made to throw a right hook at him. He went to block it and at the same time brought his right servo around to return the favour. I ducked under it and to the side quickly, rising back up and driving my left servo hard into his side before stepping back and bringing my right pede up to kick him in the chest. Ironhide stumbled back slightly. I pressed my advantage.
I stepped up to him, quickly assailing him with a serious of left and right hooks about the face and chest area. Having fought with 'Hide so many times I began to look for tells. I stepped back and brought my left servo down to block the right hook that came for my face, sending a hard right jab into his face and hearing a crack and a groan.
I did not stop. A kind of frenzied, feral anger had consumed me.
As Ironhide momentarily reeled from my servo cracking a cheek plate, I grabbed his helm with my servos preparing to bring it down and drive my knee up into his face, but Ironhide was a seasoned soldier and he was able to remove my servos quickly, punching me in the abdomen hard.
I felt myself stumble backwards. Ironhide charged at me but instead of panicking at the sight of the armoured warrior bearing down on me, I remained calm and consulted my battle CPU and my common sense. I waited until the last moment and then grabbed him by the chest and allowed myself to fall onto my back in a backwards roll movement, using his forward momentum and one of my pedes to help successfully flick him over me and go crashing into the ground.
Ironhide rolled to his pedes again quickly, but not quick enough to deflect the kick I gave to his mid-section as I completed my roll, and I found my own pedes a split second before him. He lost his footing and stumbled backwards. Recalling Arcee's instructions, I cartwheeled quickly and then as my pedes touched the ground, dropped to the floor and swept my left pede back around in a sweep kick to bring Ironhide's pedes out from under him.
As he crashed to the ground, I felt the sword in my right wrist unsheathe and the sai in my left wrist slid out as well. My battle mask slid into place. ''GET UP!'' I yelled at him in feral growl. I stalked towards him.
Ironhide, groaned for a moment before getting to his pedes and rolling his shoulders. He noticed my weapons and my battle mask, and a smile spread across his faceplates. ''Good,'' he said, ''That's more like it!'' Without warning he raised a cannon and fired at me. Using my gift of psychokinesis, I was able to deflect it off me and into the ground leaving a scorch mark.
Whilst in the training hanger, weapons were on lowest power settings, not enough to kill but they would still do some damage. He let off another quick volley and charged at me. I deflected them all and began to run at him, vaguely aware of the sound of a guttural growl coming from my own dermas.
A silver blurr appeared to my right as Jazz entered the fray. /Oh, they are serious! You're now playing with the big boys/, I thought to myself as I felt Jazz knock me off balance as he crashed into me. I rolled fluidly to my pedes again and brought both of my weapons down by my sides as I eyed my opponents.
Ironhide had since retrieved a sword from the wall and re-joined the skirmish. Jazz had his own wicked looking blade and an equally feral grin on his face. For a brief moment I felt myself lose focus and confidence. These were two of the most seasoned soldiers in Autobot ranks. What hope did I have against them both? I shook my helm to rid myself of such negative thoughts. Seeming to sense my distraction both Jazz and Ironhide used this to their advantage and both drove forward to attack.
Jazz attacked from the right and Ironhide from the left. I wielded both of my weapons simultaneously, blocking, parrying and striking when I saw an opportunity, of which there were few. I would drive forward towards one and then both kick and slash back the other. I would bring them in towards me and then deftly and swiftly spin about back into one and elbow them in the chest while at the same time, retracting my sai and punching forward with my other arm into a face before stepping away and bringing both my weapons to bear again.
This deadly dance continued - none of us giving quarter. I felt myself begin to tire. I was not used to prolonged battles with multiple adversaries. They were pushing me. But I would not quit – /never!/.
I gave a loud yell and used my psychokinesis to send Ironhide flying backwards and then pushed forward attacking Jazz relentlessly with my sword and a combination of punches. While he was able to block most, I saw a flicker of uncertainty in his optics. I felt the grin form under my battle mask. Ducking under one of his blows, I retracted my sword and then used my sai to shove it into Jazz's pede, effectively pining him to the ground for a moment. He gave a loud yell of pain and I quickly brought my right servo up in a right uppercut that carried all of my weight, and a loud yell behind it. Jazz went flying backwards in a heap. There was silence.
I turned around in time to block a sweeping arc of Ironhide's blade with my sword as he aimed for my chest. ''Come on Phoenix is that all you got!?'' He taunted. I felt rage burn through me, my optics flashed fire.
''Let's find out,'' my voice held an icy edge to it and my sai slid out again. I swung both of my weapons at him mercilessly. Again, and again I slashed at Ironhide. I barely registered the look of worry cross his features as he desperately tried to block my advance and attack.
Pressing my advantage, I shouted angrily and brought my sword down hard against his, knocking it from his servo. I retracted my blade and sai and fire danced in both of my palms and my optics. Flames begin to consume my body and I raised my servos out to deliver a final, fiery blow. The slightest trace of fear registered on Ironhide's face as he held a servo up before him, ''Phoenix - hold!''
''PHOENIX ENOUGH!'' A loud voice that boomed like thunder echoed off the walls and distracted my bloodlust. I turned my helm to take in the sight of Optimus Prime as he stood in the doorway his servo stretched out both pleading and commanding me to stop. Realisation dawned on me and I turned back to Ironhide.
I retracted my battle mask and the flames subsided. I stood there for a moment, a small part of me feeling ashamed and horrified by my actions, but I couldn't help but send a small smile towards the black mech on the ground before me. ''So, you might have noticed I didn't hold back and I clearly had more to give.'' I held a servo out to Ironhide. Which he took with a little caution. ''But I bet you're gad I didn't, hey 'Hide?''
He rose to his pedes deceptively gracefully for a mech of his hulk. ''Hmph… I might have to be careful how I word things to you next time. But yes, you fought well. Very well in fact.'' A look of pride and approval glowing in his optics. Ironhide looked over at Jazz who was only now slowly and groggily getting to his pedes. ''Mind you, I think I fared better than Jazz.''
Optimus had since walked over to Jazz to help him up and noticed the damaged pede, shooting me a quick glance filled with both shock and admonition. Jazz groaned and shifted the weight from his injured pede to the other. ''Damn girl, that was dirty play,'' he stopped for a moment and then flashed a huge grin and winked at me, ''I like it.'' For a moment I thought Optimus was going to drop him on his aft, but he refrained.
Prime helped Jazz towards Ironhide. ''I take it Phoenix performed well today?'' he enquired as he approached.
''She has learned well Prime and demonstrated natural instinct in battle. She has listened to instruction and proven she is not to be underestimated.'' He sent a nod of approval in my direction and I felt a slight heat at his praise. Ironhide was not one to throw away a compliment so I took his words as great praise indeed. ''However,'' my spark stopped for a moment, ''She still allows her emotions to get the best of her, her anger to blind her. While her abilities provide her extra protection the average Autobot does not have, I do not think it wise to rely on them.'' He looked at me with some concern.
Jazz spoke up then, ''What you saw just now, that was a side to Phoenix we have not yet seen. We pushed her today and I have a feeling we are just scraping the surface of what she can do. I am wondering if in those moments, she will still have the ability to control her emotions and not lose herself.'' Jazz and Prime now stood opposite Ironhide and I.
Ironhide continued, ''We do not know the extent of her pyrokinetic powers and what losing control would do. Innocent lives could be lost if she were to truly let go in a moment of blind rage.'' Ironhide turned to face Optimus then. ''For that reason I, or rather we, believe she is not ready to engage in extensive field work at this point in time, not without further training and discipline.''
I felt my shoulder slump slightly and a very brief surge of annoyance at Ironhide, though that was quickly swept away as I accepted his summation of my current abilities. /He's right about your temper/, I thought ruefully to myself. If I was in the middle of a battle would I be able to deal with numerous attackers or would I be too focused on dispatching one at a time? As for the pyrokinesis, I also didn't know the full extent of my powers. I had blown out two walls in the Med Bay over two years ago when I learned about Prime, but since then, I had never really been in a position where my emotions were pushed. /Until today that is/. Perhaps I needed to try, if only to see what I was capable of?
Prime regarded me for a moment before speaking, ''Thank you Ironhide and Jazz for your efforts in helping Phoenix learn to fight and defend herself. You have done well.'' He turned to face me as he motioned for Ironhide to take Jazz. ''And well-done Phoenix on your ability to learn and apply these skills so quickly.''
Ironhide shouldered Jazz. ''Ironhide would you please escort Jazz to the Med Bay and have Rachet take a look at his pede please?'' The weapon's specialist moved to assist his friend. ''Jazz, I need you fully operational to take the Bumblebee, Sideswipe and Dino out on a sortie with NEST to the Middle East to help take care of an illegal nuclear site''.
In the past two years new arrivals had come to Earth following Prime's transmission. They had arrived in a space shuttle called the ''Xanthium'' and had bolstered the Autobot's numbers by five. Aboard had been Dino, Que and the three ''Wreckers;'' Leadfoot, Roadbuster and Topspin.
Dino and Que had come back to Diego Garcia though would often head over to NEST's Washington DC headquarters too as well as the NASA base to assist the Wreckers. The ''Wreckers'' had opted to stay at the NASA base and continue to work on the shuttle repairing it for the day they may need it to return to Cybertron. It was possibly a good thing they stayed out of the way as they were definitely an interesting crew, especially Roadbuster who appeared to have a Scottish accent and a wicked temper. The words ''socially awkward and slightly psychotic'' came to mind when describing him and his fellow crew. Though they were exceptionally good at melee fighting and, as the name suggested, ''wrecking'' their opponents.
''Oh, that sounds like fun,'' Jazz clapped his servos together. ''Come on 'Hide, let's get ''hoppin'', Jazz gave Ironhide a tap on the shoulder.
Ironhide narrowed his optics in disgust. ''That was terrible. You sound like Phoenix you know.''
''Hey!'' I piped up for the first time, placing my servos on my hips. ''I am right here you know, and I can hear you. You need your aft handed to you again 'Hide?'' I mocked.
Ironhide merely grunted and started to lead Jazz out of the hanger. Optimus watched them go in silence. After the door slid closed, he turned towards me folding his arms across his broad chest and a look of consideration on his face. ''Actually, he is right. That is the kind of thing you'd say,'' he allowed a small smile to form on his dermas.
I fixed him with a look of mock indignation, ''Oh great, now YOU'RE going to side with Jeykell and 'Hide? I thought you were my friend Optimus.'' I raised an optic at him challengingly though a teasing smile spread across my face. ''Don't tell me I have to kick your aft too?''
Prime let a deep chuckle shake his massive frame. ''Prior to walking in this afternoon, I may have said something to the effect of, ''I'd like to see you try,'' but now I am thinking you may just be able to manage that.'' A look of appreciation passed over his features, followed swiftly by concern. ''What was that all about Phoenix? What were you about to do because I am concerned if I hadn't walked in when I did there would be two Autobots on their way to the Med Bay, one of which may have been in very bad shape indeed.'' He sent me a look of gentle admonition and awaited my reply.
I felt myself look away for a moment as shame swept over me. ''I.. I don't know Optimus.'' I shrugged my shoulders and returned my gaze to him. ''As I was fighting, I felt myself growing angrier especially when Ironhide taunted me and challenged me saying, ''Is that all you got?'' I paused for a moment reflecting. ''He said at the beginning when I was holding back that I had to be ready to defend myself with lethal force if necessary and that I was to attack him and not hold back.'' Once again, I felt my shoulders move of their own volition as I gave a shrug. ''I guess I just followed his orders.''
Optimus regarded me for a moment. ''Phoenix, that is all well and good to defend yourself and others who cannot do so. That is the Autobot way. There are times when we have to use lethal force against Decepticons in order to save our fellow Autobots, ourselves or innocent lives. However, it should always be as a last resort. Ironhide was not a Decepticon and he was unarmed. The battle had been won, and yet you appeared to be ready and willing to do him harm.'' Prime fixed me with a very serious stare. ''That is what concerned and frightened me the most.'' A slight shudder went through his frame as he must have recalled the moment he saw me standing over Ironhide, poised to finish him off.
Prime paused as if letting the gravity of the situation sink in. He then continued, speaking gently but with great conviction. ''Phoenix, there is a fine line between allowing anger to help fuel your motivation and desire to achieve victory in battle, but do not let it blind or consume you.'' Optimus' optics grew dim as shadows from the past flickered across his optics. ''That path only leads to pain and suffering, the likes of which I would never wish upon you or anyone else.''
Azure optics held brown and gold flecked one. ''Always hold to your morals, always fight for what is right, always seek peace over anger if possible and always fight with honour Phoenix. That is the Autobot way, and you,'' for a moment it seemed as though he was going to reach out to me though he refrained. ''You are more an Autobot than you know, don't forget that.''