Title: Never Assume
Chapter: Chapter One: Knocked Down
Author: SBX
Series: The "There Is" Series
Characters: Ironhide, Maxium, Orion Pax
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: No character used in this story belongs to me except for Zero.
Summary: One should never make assumptions of what is unknown.
A/N: This writing during the slow moments of class and during breaks at work is killing my progress. Once again, this should not have taken me this long. Anyway, this fic is based off the prompt Ironhide/Megatron/assumptions.
Ironhide has made many assumptions about many things in his time. Most of which turned out accurate. Those that didn't involve the most unpredictable students he ever taught, or ever would teach. Maxium and Orion never made anything easy.
His first assumption was that they would be spoiled troublemakers who would whine and complain in the face of hard work.
ooooo
The younglings laid on there backs where their teacher had unceremoniously dumped them after their first unsuccessful attempt at beating him, groaning in pain. "Wow," Maxium gasped, "We suck."
Orion attempted to sit up, but winced before he could and flopped back on the ground. "Yeah, we do," he agreed. It didn't look like either of them were getting back on their feet without help.
Ironhide gave them a disgusted look before reaching down to haul them to their feet. What happened next he had to sit down and figure out later. The only clear warning he got was two triumphant grins before they grabbed hold of his arms and together pulled with such force that he went aft over heels.
His students rolled away and on to their feet as soon as he was flat on his back. "Fortunately," Orion grinned, "Our new teacher balances it out by being extremely gullible." Laughing, the younglings ran for their lives as their teacher's swearing followed them out of the room.
ooooo
While they were certainly troublemakers, pulling pranks and doing everything in their power to make him blow a circuit, they were hardly spoiled or the type to complain in the face of their training.
ooooo
Maxium hit the ground and skidded with a loud scraping of metal on metal. He rolled to his feet firing at his assailant, frustration making the plasma pulses stronger than he had intended.
It hardly mattered, as his opponent danced around the shots with a speed and agility that was surprising for a mech of his size. The youngling fired anyway, grimly determined to hit his opponent at least once. Once would be all it would take to slow Ironhide down just enough.
Ironhide was puzzled by this relentlessness. Maxium usually thought his attacks out better than this, regardless of his natural impulsiveness. He had no more time to think on it when a seemingly stray shot ricocheted off a wall and struck him in, of all places, the aft.
Ironhide made a sound that was more shock than pain and rubbed the offended area gingerly, throwing the youngling a dirty look when he couldn't help but giggle. This was just the distraction they were waiting for.
Without making a sound Orion dropped from his hiding place a top of a large storage crate and land on the larger mech's back, looping his arms underneath his opponent's and then behind the head. Ironhide's arms were wrenched up where he could do no harm with his oversized cannons.
"Maxium," Orion called, "shoot him now!" They were just a few well placed shots away from victory. But Maxium heisted, worried that he would accidentally hit his partner. It was a hesitation they couldn't afford.
Ironhide took advantage of the indecisiveness, using his greater strength and size to break his captor's hold. He grabbed a hold of Orion's arm and with a heave threw him up and over his shoulder and at his partner.
The younglings gave startled cries as they went down in a heap, limbs getting hopelessly entangled. It was not one of their most dignified moments.
When they finally pulled themselves apart they looked up to find Ironhide's cannons pointed directly at their heads. As one they froze, optics going wide. For several astroseconds the tableau remained before Maxium broke it with a sigh. "Alright, you win," he muttered, giving their instructor a wry look.
Ironhide eased up, putting his cannons into standby. His students clamored to their feet, inadvertently giving the larger mech the opportunity to reach over and slap them both over the head, earning more startled noises.
He glared at them as they gazed back at him sullenly, nursing their abused craniums. "That was quite possibly the stupidest mistake you two have made yet. If you hesitate like that in real combat, you could die. What were you thinking, Maxium?" he ranted, looming over the younglings.
Orion gave his partner an annoyed look as well. Maxium slumped under the hostility, glaring at the ground as he muttered, "I didn't want to hit Orion."
Orion rolled his optics at that, but couldn't help but be touched by his friend's concern. Ironhide wasn't nearly as impressed. "Even if you had hit him he could have lived. If you don't shoot when the opportunity presents itself, you both die," he lectured.
Maxium hunched further. He already felt miserable; the soldier didn't have to rub it in. His partner gave him a thoughtful look, then glanced at Ironhide and smiled. "You've got to admit, though. It was a good idea," he chirped, trying to lighten the mood.
Ironhide was not above giving credit where credit was due and conceded this point. "You are getting better. Another few Vorns and you may be ready for active duty," he grudgingly admitted.
Maxium perked up at the compliment, grinning and bouncing on his feet. "So," he drawled out, mischief dancing in his optics, "Best two out of three?"
Ironhide snorted. "Gluttons for punishment, are ya'? Well, if you really want to be humiliated that badly." He shifted, readying himself for combat again. He smirked at the younglings. "You two have a ten astrosecond head start," he said, feeling generous. They didn't have to be told twice. In the blink of an optic they were gone, losing themselves in the maze of the training room.
ooooo
No matter how many times he knocked them down, they got back up and tried again. It was surprising, but not unpleasantly so and slowly the younglings earned the soldier's respect and even some of his affection. He wouldn't admit it, though. Not yet.