Updated - 27~10~2019

Training Hard

Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 12th Tygerian 3224, Iacon

I gave the following months out of The Genius Zone, having a good look at the construction of Gipsy. Many said I was obsessed, and perhaps they were right, but I needed to make sure everything was in its place. At the really beginning, I denied it stubbornly, now instead I recognise it. It took me ages to admit it, but I was really in love with her. She was getting perfect. Her frame also looked awesome. Whenever her build up process was finish, I would have a close look to every little detail to make sure she was done without any mistake. Until then, all I could do was wait. Yet, there was something that still made me tickle. I'd wondered it for quite a lot time, as the same question bothered me once and again. Who were gonna be the pilots?

A months ago it was announced all over Cybertron there would be a test to choose the new pilots. Immediately, Cybertronians around started to come to Pan Pacific, where they got used to the surroundings, the tatamies and the installations in general. We were lucky we had enough supplies laying around, because we were starting to feel overcrowded. As soon as the candidates list were opened, every mech and femme ready to fight for it singed in. From time to time, I got close to the panel showing the candidates, where I looked at the profiles. Many where from Kaon, the city of battles and cold helms. There were several Tarnians too. It would be difficult to reduce such list with such candidates. All seemed to be top fighters. I could already see myself designing a bunch of new Mark III just to supply the arising excess of pilots.

Every time I was there, before leaving, I just let my mind having the illusion of seen my profile in the computer too, but then dismissed it. I wasn't gonna be a pilot, not now, and possibly never.

I still had no idea who could really be. I even discussed it with my fellows, but none seemed to have a clue. I even dared to drive Alpha Trion up the wall, what of course led him to fire me out of the Loccent... And even his room till new order. Yep, I could get reeeeaaaallly annoying, a pain in the aft some times, but hey, how many Jaegers did a Cybertronian build in a lifetime?

I finally gave up and waited, just like the rest of Pan Pacific. Even though that, I started to have an idea of who might be a pilot, as his actions seemed to spoke for himself. And that mech happened to be Prowl, who had assured me he had no idea what I was talking about, what a surprise. He claimed several times he didn't know it and yet he had offered me to train longer along side him, quite contradicting giving the fact he wasn't a candidate. Each day he increased the effort and doubled the exercises, in what I considered a try to get fitter. We were used to do quite a lot of things during training sessions, but it was getting even exaggerated. Once or twice, we ended up taking simulations three times per day, and six more hours of hand to hand combat after it.

He didn't say a word. Never did, but I caught his intentions. I was sure Prowl was determinate to pilot a Jaeger again and that would happen to be Gipsy Danger, my Jaeger. I felt happy for him, after all, he was gonna step into a mecha once more and save the world as he used to do. He was experienced and that gave him points before other candidates. Besides, he deserved it, and I could only feel glad because he was gonna fulfil his dream again.

I never made a comment about it, I just kept helping him as long as he needed me. Every time I saw him standing right in front of me only thing I could do was admire him. I'm not gonna lie. Whenever he offered me to train with I hurried to leave whatever I was doing go get some action.

Today it was one of those days. We had had a really long session, and I was almost exhausted, but I couldn't reject a good joy drive. Prowl was panting but a grin crossed his face plates, he had rested his servo on my shoulder and patted me lovingly. We walked slowly til the entrance of the base, and then he teased me by transforming and speeding away. I didn't wait, I transformed too and chased fast after him.

I followed him as he guided me to the beach where the Rust sea made contact with Iacon. It was getting dark, but darkness was something I wasn't afraid of, and as I could spot Prowl's biolights, I didn't have any problems to know where he was. After some turns, tricks and races alongside the wavy oil next to us, we finally transformed and sat down the warm ground, heated by our natural star as its final rays bathed the city behind us. The immense sea lapped the shore with soft waves as these reached our pedes while we admired it in a comfortable silence. I could see Prowl had taken his polarised orange visor of and closed his optics, venting the fresh fragrance enveloping us and taking a good advantage of this rare calm moment. I couldn't do anything but grin, and why not, mimicked him. The soft words of my companion got me out of my spellbound.

"Hey, Knockout, how do you feel?" He just asked, not looking at me. I was caught out of words as I hadn't expected the question.

"Hum..." I diverted my gaze, trying to figure out what to say. "To be honest, I have no idea what do I feel right now." I laughed. "I'm feeling a calm I hadn't experienced in quite a long time." I vented before continuing. "And it feels good. What's more, sitting just right here I have forgotten all my worries back at the base." Another pause. "To be honest, I've been quite stressed this last months, but I think Cybertronians around me have been even worse than myself. I've been behaving quite like a sparkling, driving everyone on their nerves, so the question isn't really how do I feel but how do you feel?"

He laughed hard and he rested a servo on his lap. "With 'Cybertronians around you' you aren't referring to Alpha Trion, are you? Because you really managed to get him!" He snickered again as I got completely blue in embarrassment. "Or did you mean The Genius? None of us did know you were such... persistent. Anyway, I know you hadn't done it on purpose, did you?" I shook my helm immediately as he just nodded, smiling. "And the training? Do you think I'm pushing you over the limit?"

"No, of course not!" I replied without thinking it twice. "It's a chance I wouldn't have had if it hadn't been for you, and all I feel is gratitude... As well as some stiffs in my legs during first sessions, but hey, thanks to you the mech in my mirror got even handsomer." He just covered his faceplates with his servos as I laughed at his reaction. Then he diverted his gaze and I did the same, until something came to my mind. "Prowl, may I ask you something?"

"Come again." He encouraged me.

"Do you want to pilot Gipsy Danger?" I finally dared to ask. "I mean, do you want to be a pilot once again?"

The cop took his time to answer. "I don't think I'm the rightest mech." He simply answered.

"What? Why not? I mean, you have piloted Romeo Blue, you're a hero, a legend! How is it that you say you're not the rightest mech! You have experience, you have knowledge, you have fitness, and you have been training for it!" I came back, not believing his words for a sec. "If not, why training so hard? It was no sense." I wondered, not fully understanding.

"You're still young, Knockout, you may not understand it yet, but there's still a chance left." He answered softly, resting his left on my right shoulder plates. He silenced for a while. "I do have the feeling I'm forcing you to exercise too much with me. Are you annoyed because of it?" He changed subject.

"No, of course not!" I said confident. "In fact, I'm enjoying it every second. You gave me a runaway from my daily duties pressure, a way to distress and a way to keep healthy. What else could I ask? I don't care how much it takes us the session or how long it will last our trainings, I just hope we never ever stop doing it together." I did like to be by his side. He always told me good stories and gave me good advices. He was like a father to me, the kind of father I never had. Serious when needed, but caring when low. I wouldn't never change him absolutely nothing nor anybody else.

"As long as you wish so, I'll be by your side, Kiddo." He said winking at me in confidence.

There was another pause, and then I spoke to him again. "You know, Prowl? I've been thinking it for a while and now I have it clear in my mind. You're a good fighter, a good candidate. And if I had the chance to choose, I would choose you as one of Gipsy's pilots, without doubts." I spoke right away. "You should present to the test."

"There will be plenty of younger mechs, I'm fit, it's true, but I don't have the reflexes I had then. It won't be easy. Besides, it's pretty early in the morning. I don't think I would like to wake up so early just to be defeated by a youngster." He said as an excuse.

I diverted my gaze, trying to look for a reply. I got it. "Present yourself. Present yourself and I'll go with. I'll be by your side..."

"You know they won't allow you, right? Candidates must be separated from non candidates." He cut me off.

I stood up, forcing my mind to find a solution. Then something unusual, even impossible, crossed my processor. I turned to look at him, locking gaze with him. "If you present yourself, I'll present to the test too." I waited for his reaction.

He just gave a quick thought to it. "It could work." He nodded. "It would make thing easier." He murmured. I didn't know what he meant, but I waited. "Knockout, you're a genius!" He laughed. "There's a chance we can fight for the vacancies. I don't think they will put any hindrance to it since you're the designer, it's a great point on your favour. I'll discuss it with Alpha, and lets see what he says."

"Awesome!" I jumped and shouted in joy as ran around. As said, like a sparkling.

"As soon as I'm done with Alpha, I'll go sing us both." Prowl offered, standing up. "Don't forget to take your identification the test day, if not they'll maybe not let you in." I nodded, taking a good mental note.

We drove slowly the way back to the base. Once there, we greeted each other while I got to my room and he went to talk to Alpha, as promised. I had a good long shower and then I took my time to buff myself with the perfumed wax. It was a decade I didn't dedicate so much time to myself, after all, these last months I had been in a rush. While buffing, I thought about the other candidates. It wouldn't be easy, but we had been training for years. There was no way we were gonna lose. I just hoped everything would go well.

Until everything was settle, I decided not to say a word to The Genius. I wanted to make sure I was well signed, just in case.

Prowl made as promised. He talked with Alpha to inform him, and after getting everything he needed to write the Kiddo's name down, he got to the keyboard next to the huge candidate panels. He introduced the data in corresponding box and then he made sure it was correct before pressing the light blue button. Immediately, the profile was shown, where the image and attitudes where displayed.

He turned around to look at his white friend. "It's done. There's no way back now." The cop replied. Alpha nodded. "Let's get to my room." He offered, as they walked.

Once in Prowl's quarters, Alpha was having a cube of energon with his former copilot. "So tell me, my friend, does he suspect something?"

"No. He has no clue! In fact, he is more than sure we're both taking the test together." He said amused. The cop took a sip. "He will have the surprise of his lifetime." The white and black mech grinned before taking another long sip. "You only need to look at his optics. Knockout was constantly watching his Jaeger and wondering if the new pilots would be appropriated for Gipsy Danger. And now he has the illusion and the chance to do so." Prowl told him. "It reminds me of myself when I was younger. Always looking for a new step to take and wonder what destiny would bring to me... He must take the test, it's his only chance."

"Then, make sure he is there in time. He will know what to do then." Alpha replied. "I don't have any doubt that he will success." They both laughed as they toasted their cubes up. "He's gonna enjoy this."

Cybertron, Pan Pacific, 12th Gygaxian 3224, Iacon

I walked my way to the canteen. Everyone was chatting vividly. I did appreciate there was more people than what I remember. Our number had increased since last month. There were really bulky mechs, strong and with fierce looks. Many boasted about how good they were, but yet, they didn't impressed me. The Steams, specially Skywarp, just made them shut by showing all their victories off. I didn't pay attentions as sneaked to my table, where I could meet my fellow colleagues. We were really pressed on our table since we had to make space for new comers, but it didn't bother us at all.

A big blue laughing mech some tables away got my attention. He was the only one who wasn't tense at all. I didn't know whether he was just a wholesome mech or drunken, but he seemed to be a good guy. I just ignored him as Pharma talked to me. "Hey, Knockout, are you ready to take the test?" Pharma asked me. Few weeks ago, Ratchet had discovered I was in the lists, and after I explained it to them, they cheered me up to go ahead. And that was what I was gonna do.

"Sure I'm ready. Because this opportunity is standing right in front of me and I'm not letting it go." I replied. "Yet, I'm so nervous to meet my beauty's copilot." I grinned.

"Dude, you're so in love with Gipsy! Why don't you bond with her!" Someone behind me spoke. It was the youngest Steam who had come closer. "Yet, She's pretty."

"Of course she is. She's perfect." I replied. "Just because I made her like that." I added kidding while putting a servo on my chest. We all laughed.

Alpha stood up, and everyone looked at him as a silence settled. "Pan Pacific, today is an important day. We're testing our future Gipsy Danger's pilots, at three o'clock in the morning. All of you must be thirty minutes earlier with your documentation to make sure you are present. If you miss the test, you will not be allowed to take it." He silenced for a while, and then continued. "The first part will be a hand to hand combat in the different tatamis." That was thought to take those who had no good reflexes out. "Then, the simulation." Quite a lot of people had been training during this few weeks, and some were really good, specially Kaonians, but nothing I couldn't deal with. "And finally, the neural handshake, the hardest event of the three." He let the words sank. "It may seem easy but it's not. You will have to show your best and give your 100 percent." The silenced again.

"Now, I would suggest you to take some rest, this test may take six hours over all. To end up I will just say, for those who are taking the test, good luck." Then he sat down.

Once the dinner was over, almost everyone got out of the canteen, and so did I. I greeted my colleagues and I walked back to my room. I needed to get some rest if I wanted to succeed tomorrow