Chapter 129 – Hand to Hand
(MPOV)
I stroked my brother's paintwork and waved to the soldiers opening the doors for me, taking off and flashing into the air.
Primus it felt good to be in the air, full power in my cells and the skies my kingdom. Idly, I swooped around the city, listening to General Moreshower's occasional instructions of where to go to get out of the latest traffic zone.
He sounded remarkably cheerful today.
::. Good mood today General?.:: I sent cheerfully.
::. You and Jetfire are both in the air, but sentient creatures that you are, fully capable of destroying my base of operations with a half dozen shots, you still don't seem to mind that I'm telling you where to fly.:: he replied with a laugh.
::. You're keeping us from crashing, that's a bonus right there.:: I laughed, buzzing over the unit as they sped and raced through the roads that had been temporarily closed for just that purpose.
Bumblebee and my Optimus were racing each other in earnest, laughing the entire length of the road. I listened to them as I scouted the city, barely visible to the traffic below, so it was with wary shock that I noted an enormous crash in their path. I looked closer, reading the tire tracks, scanning for energon signatures.
Nothing.
Just a crash then.
::. They laugh at you it means they have more to bring, they get angry it means I'm right, and they are stretching themselves out to catch me.:: Bee grinned on the primary.
::. Very sneaky little brother.:: I sent in amusement, buzzing the airspace above them again. ::. By the way if you turn right in two blocks you're going to miss the accident.::
::. Accident?.:: Optimus rumbled worriedly.
::. A real snarl up.:: I sent sadly ::. I'm landing there now to see if I can offer any help, call if I need backup.::
I felt Optimus nod, even as I carefully transformed and landed beside the fire truck.
"Is there anything I can do to offer assistance?" I asked worriedly, kneeling carefully down to the firefighters.
"Civilians trapped in the cars, we need the jaws of life, there's one really bad off in the blue civic," the chief reported quickly. "We can't get to it!"
"Alright, let me see what I can do," I stated calmly, picking my way carefully forward and surveying the wreckage. "You want the cars to stay in the same formation?" I barked quickly.
"Lives first, investigation after!" the chief bellowed. I nodded and carefully picked up the civic, carrying it to the ambulance and setting it down lightly. The firemen were running toward us with the jaws, I waved at them and lightly caught the door, tearing it off with a flick of my wrist.
"Awesome!" the paramedic muttered before they were stabilizing the passengers.
"This one next!" the chief called out in a relieved tone. I nodded and carefully picked my way toward them, shifting cars and removing doors at the chief's instruction.
"We need to get this one out of here!" one of the paramedics bellowed.
"Can you fly her out?" the chief asked hopefully.
"Unfortunately no," I stated with a frown. "I can't take off or land without jostling her, I can get the helicopter safely to ground though if you can call it in."
The man nodded and got on the radio as the Chief and I continued going through the wreckage.
"What are my chances of hiring you?" the man bellowed up to me, "This one!"
"Sorry, I've already got a ton of other jobs," I stated wryly, carefully pulling the next car back and tearing it's doors off. "Although you're welcome to see if there are any bots in the area for mashups like this, just ask for Jolt on the scanner."
The man nodded and looked up with me as the helicopter came in.
::. Chief we got nowhere to land!.:: the pilot sent angrily.
::. Helicopter Pilot this is Archangel Prime, standby for helipad.:: I sent to him soothingly. I took a moment to focus and brought up a combination levitation field and hologram over my hands, extending it above my head.
::. Holy CRAP!.::
::. Helicopter Pilot you can land now.:: I sent with a small smirk ::. I got you.::
The chopper settled down on the holo-pad perfectly, cutting his engines.
Slowly, carefully I turned and knelt, settling the helicopter down in the street. The Pilot looked around and stuck his head out.
"How do I take off now?" he asked curiously.
"I'll lift you back up to the clear zone," I smiled at him as the paramedics rushed to load up the patients.
He gave me the thumbs up and settled in.
"We're clear! It's a go!" the chief shouted.
"Chopper Pilot standby," I stated calmly, aloud and over the radio.
::. Standing by.::
The chief looked at me and waved the go ahead, I snapped the levitation field back into place and carefully lifted the chopper.
::. Chopper Pilot you are clear to engage engines.:: I stated calmly, holding him above the buildings ::. I will be maintaining the pad until you have achieved proper lift, please advise when you are at speed and clear.::
::. Will do.::
I felt the pressures of the downward thrust air against the field and frowned slightly in concentration, maintaining that field.
The chopper took off.
::. Archangel please be advised we are free and clear, thanks for the lift.:: the Pilot sent calmly. I smiled and disengaged the field, turning to look at the chief.
He was surveying the area.
"Well, that's a first," he stated idly.
"Hmn?" I asked curiously.
"That the cars have been completely shifted and evacuated before we even thought of photographs," the man shrugged. He looked up at me. "Forensics is going to hate us."
I snorted.
"I mapped it out, no worries," I grinned as another truck pulled up. A man jumped out and glared around himself.
"The cars have been moved," he growled.
"Lives come before investigation," the chief stated firmly.
"Did you take any photographs? Of course not," the man grumbled.
"Did, actually," I stated calmly, I tapped my helm. "I kept track of every single shift, and I have a scan of the positions of each car before we even started moving them."
"Great, now how do I get at them?" the man glowered.
"You got a laptop?"
He grinned and pulled one out.
"Right," I stated with a smile.
::. Kae, where are you?.:: Optimus sent worriedly, I jumped slightly.
"Still at the crash, we're just dealing with the paperwork, I will be rendezvousing shortly," I replied calmly, aloud and over the primary, lightly touching my helm and looking into the distance to re-iterate the point.
"Right," I repeated myself, crouching down carefully and kneeling beside the forensics van. "Sorry, the boss was calling, let's get the schematics done up."
The men stared at me.
"What?" I laughed.
"You've got a boss?" the chief demanded.
"I have a few of them," I snorted. "I'm second in command to Optimus, anything to do with the military I answer to him and the Major and General, flying I obey the flight traffic rules, military and civilian both, when it comes to stuff like this technically you're the boss," I smiled at the fire chief, "and so on and so on."
"I was an auto-bot's boss for half an hour," the chief grinned. I winked and looked at the forensics man.
"You mind?" I asked, nodding to the laptop and winking my holoform online.
He waved me toward it and I began typing quickly, or rather, getting it set to sync with easily. In moments I was connected, carefully loading my scans onto it as the man grinned, watching the photographs and-
"Video!? You have video of the changes made!?" the man demanded with a broad grin.
"My memories are stored very close to digitally, it's easy to convert and pipe it through," I shrugged with a smile. "Let's see..." I frowned in thought for a moment, added a last few images and disconnected. "And that's the lot." I nodded.
The forensics man took the computer over, quickly scanning through everything with an ever increasing grin.
"You're hired," he told me with a grin.
The fire chief and I both snorted in amusement.
"Sorry man, I already tried that," the chief snorted.
"Damn," the man muttered, he looked at the data, at the crash site and back again. "Alright boys!" he called out to his men. "Do a quick once over on everything so we can release the scene to cleanup!"
"You mind?" I asked with a smile, looking down at the men and gesturing to the sky.
"Yeah, yeah go on," the forensics man grinned.
"So to see if any of you are in the area for stuff like this, I do what again?" the chief asked curiously, looking at me.
"Just request possible auto-bot aid on your normal scanner, we watch all the frequencies," I shrugged.
"Why?"
"You guys handle traffic wrecks, we need to watch for any of our own kind having potentially caused those wrecks."
"You guys cause wrecks?" the chief demanded.
"Two factions, the boss is the head of one, we try to keep the peace, the other faction..." I trailed off and shrugged. "Needless to say they like causing trouble, here, here's my contact information, give me a call, and we'll hash out the potential for lending you guys some help when you need it out here. But I do warn you, we do have a lot of work besides."
"Like what?" the forensics man asked curiously.
"I'm a fighter jet," I snorted. "Half of my week is spent on scout patrol, anytime there's so much as a peep of a threat they have me escorting dignitaries' jets, and that's on top of handling politics, public relations, working in the med-bay sorting out how to modify our technology enough for civilian use, repairing equipment, doing my best to free up our medic to attend to all of the bumped heads and skinned knees. All the while staying alert for potential attack. No rest for the wicked."
The chief nodded sympathetic understanding and I smiled at them, carefully rising and striding to a clear area.
::. Archangel Prime requesting clear airspace to the airport.:: I sent casually.
::. Archangel you are clear for liftoff.:: General Moreshower sent calmly. I nodded and took a hard step, launching myself into the air and transforming. A minute's flight and I was landing beside my Optimus.
"Why didn't you start without me?" I asked calmly, looking at him then around myself.
The bots snorted as Optimus rolled his optics at me.
"We did, ten minutes ago," he snorted.
"It's just not the same without you Kae," Bumblebee stated innocently.
"What isn't?" I asked curiously.
"Testing to see how well our newest Prime fights ten to one!" Sideswipe howled.
They converged on me. First instinct kicked in: take the high ground.
In seconds I was in the air, hovering above the lot of them with my cannons online, I began firing energon shots, lightly tagging my unit two at a time. I even got Optimus.
"Hand to hand you glitch!" Sideswipe bellowed, laying flat out on the ground.
I landed lightly off to the side and faced them with a grin, crossing my arms.
"As if," I snorted.
"You need to decide your style eventually," Optimus rumbled with a snort, heaving himself back to his feet. He charged me.
I dropped into stance and was sparring with him the next moment. I kept seeing openings, refusing to take them. I couldn't tell if he was doing it on purpose.
"Primus sake! Close your defences Optimus!" I complained, redirecting another heavy swing and lightly flicking his side. He froze and stared at me.
"Why are you pulling your punches?" he asked curiously.
"I don't see it," Sideswipe commented quietly.
"How the scrap do you lot fight without hurting each other?" I demanded, looking at my hands and back at my mate.
"Oh scrap, no wonder you're so reluctant," Ratchet snorted. "Here, dampening fields." he began piping me the forcefields to surround my fists with. I released a relieved sigh, immediately surrounding my hands with the fields. For good measure, I surrounded my feet, knees and elbows with them too. The bots stared at me.
"What?" I asked curiously.
"Really?" Flareup asked curiously.
"These aren't the only things I hit with," I shrugged, holding up my hands.
"Okay..." Sideswipe muttered uncertainly.
"What kind of fighting did they teach on Cybertron?" I demanded with a snort.
"About to show you," Sideswipe glowered beside his brother. They promptly charged me, fighting side by side quite efficiently, actually. Except Sides had a tell, any hit I aimed at Sunny would have him out of formation to protect his brother.
"You know about that, right?" I asked him amicably, lightly batting the two of them off.
"About what?" Sunny asked curiously.
"Anytime I aim a solid hit to you, he's out of your formation trying to block it, it's going to trip the two of you up-" I threw a hard punch at Sunny, and predictably Sides was out of his stance, making it ridiculously easy to take him down.
They were both lying on their backs now.
"Like that," I stated calmly.
"What the pit!?" Ironhide growled. I looked at him incredulously.
"You are carrying your human styles with you on the ground," Optimus rumbled, crossing his arms. "Teach us?"
I nodded, reached down and heaved them both to their feet again.
"Don't get me wrong, it is admirable that you wish to protect your brother, Sides. But you must never show your soft spots to the ones who will use them against you," I stated firmly. "Again."
They came after me again, and I took them down in precisely the same way.
Sideswipe looked irritable, Sunstreaker absolutely pissed off. I straightened and rubbed my brow. "Alright," I sighed, hauling them up again. "We go slowly. Come at me again, Sunny, half speed. Sides hold your position."
Sunny walked toward me, and I aimed the same punch.
"Sunny, don't stand and take the punch," I stated calmly, freezing in position, I brought my other hand up and lightly caught his. "Your hands are free, instead of trying to play who's arm is longer, deflect me, catch my arm here, right?" I demonstrated, gently whacking my own arm with his hand. "Try it again, half speed."
"But you're stronger than me!" he complained.
"I am. Use it against me," I told him calmly, I backed up. "Remember, I've got the majority of my force and weight going forward to catch you a good one, look at my stance, there's no torsional stability here. Try."
I reset slightly and aimed the same punch at him, he grinned viciously as his blow forced mine to barely graze his shoulder.
"Good," I grinned. "Three quarter speed."
We did it again, he deflected the blow, barely moving backward as I skimmed his shoulder.
"Be careful about trying to stay so steady," I coached him calmly. "Right, let's do it this way, half speed, I punch at you like this you?" I slowly punched toward him, he deflected me with a grin. "I punch this way, you?" I came at him with my left.
Jerkily he deflected me, not as well balanced. I backed up slightly.
"Close, let's get this drilled into you a bit more," I stated calmly. "I punch this way, you're in stance to deflect it perfectly, I step forward, you take a step back-" he stepped back hesitantly. "No, step directly into stance. C'mere," I lightly dragged him to stand beside me.
"Always in stance," I grinned, defences up, he copied me as Sideswipe grinned at us, I took a step back, switching from left to right. He copied me. "Five steps back, always in stance, always in stance, always in stance always in stance," I chanted as we backed up together, Sunny was grinning broadly as Bumblebee ran to stand beside me, the twins close behind him.
"Again?" I grinned. "Right, always in stance, Left, little farther back 'Flap, there you go, Always in stance. Right, always in stance, right arm a bit lower Bee, protect your spark, good. Left, always in stance right in stance, left stance, right stance good!" I grinned, turning and watching as the younger bots all continued backing up in their stances.
"I think you've got that, come back here you lot." I laughed. They scampered forward. "Sunny, c'mere," I grinned. He pranced forward. "Right, I punch like this, you?" I slowly threw the same punch toward him, he deflected it and backed off a step, I threw a left at him, he deflected, switch stance, we continued on for a little way, the two of us grinning. Finally, "Keep going, three quarter speed," I grinned at him, speeding up a bit, at the faster speed he had the advantage; even with our difference in size. And as we went, I could see that dawning on him.
It was a nice feeling.
"Good," I grinned, standing straight for a minute. "Now... fullspeed!" I snapped out, throwing punches at him, it took him a nanosecond and he was deflecting, skipping back on light feet as he redirected my punches, the bots cheering him on. I felt my balance leave, the inevitable opening. "Freeze!" I barked with the voice of command, oops. We both froze. "Sunny, do you see the position I'm in at the moment?" I demanded. He nodded hesitantly. "What's wrong with it?" I demanded.
"You..." he started hesitantly.
"Permission to speak freely, Sunny, sorry, it kinda slipped out," I smiled at him. He grinned and looked at me.
"Well, I've got your arm pushed away, and that's got you turned around in the wrong stance," he stated hesitantly.
"And what do you do about it?" I asked with a smile.
"Um, well I guess I could..." he stated hesitantly.
"You've got your fields, do it," I nodded to him. He slowly, gently punched me high in the abdomen. "You dearspark." I laughed gently. "Come on, reset, we do it again."
We walked back to our starting point and I faced him again.
"Remember Sunny," I stated firmly. "This isn't just for fun, you need to see me as a Decepticon now, you're not going to give Barricade a love-tap, now fullspeed!"
I began punching at him, observing the way he backed up, watching for weaknesses, so it actually took me by surprise when I left the opening. He caught me with a good wallop, and in the bad stance, took me right to my back.
I grinned up at him.
"Now that's how you do it!" I told him cheerfully as he stared at me in shock.
"My brother took down a Prime!" Sideswipe howled, whizzing forward to scoop Sunny into an enormous hug.
Sunny was still staring at me in shock.
"But... but..." he whimpered.
"What is it?" I asked gently, flexing to my feet.
"But I just beat a Prime!The mate ofmy Prime!" he whimpered.
"One set of punches dear-spark," I told him gently, reaching out to cup his face as Sideswipe cuddled him reassuringly. "I'm teaching you to fight by virtue of defence, the way I was taught, the ways to defeat the aggressor. If I'm playing the aggressor, what good will it be for me to teach a way to not take me down?"
Sunny stared at me, beginning to look confused.
"Here, I'll tell you what, come at me," I snorted, dropping into stance.
Sunny nodded and charged me. I had him on his back in seconds.
I looked down to see him grinning.
"Feel better?" I asked him teasingly.
"Yep!" he giggled.
"You bots are friggen weird, you know that right?" I snorted, pulling him to his feet again. "Alright, Sideswipe, you two love fighting in formation, let's get this sorted."
The two of them grinned and came after me. I sparred with them for a moment before throwing a hearty punch toward Sunny, Sides flinched but held his position as Sunny deflected me, I began going after Sunny, Sides did nothing.
"Freeze," I stated calmly, Sunny nodded. I looked over my shoulder at Sides. "Hey Sides, you doing total opposites now? Giant Decepticon is throwing punches at Sunny, my back and sides are open, what are you gonna do?"
"It is uncivilized to attack a back, and barbaric to-" Skids started indignantly. I straightened with a frown.
"Skids!" I overrode him sternly. "Name one instance when war has ever been civilized! When has fighting for you life against a bot who will kill you as soon as see you been glorious!? Will the Decepticons give you quarter short of surrender to a stronger fighter?"
Shocked, the younger bots stared at me.
I walked forward and knelt down, reaching out and gently touching their faces.
"If I could fight them, every last one of them on my own I would ferry you away, hide you where you would never be found, protect you so that you would never have to know this, never have to raise a finger to defend yourselves," I stated softly, looking at the young bots, at Jolt, at Bee, Sunny, Sides, the Femmes, Ratchet, Ironhide... my family...
"But even we are not that strong," Optimus rumbled quietly behind me.
"Then..." Skids started softly, staring at us in awe.
"The only way left to us to protect you," Optimus rumbled gently, laying a hand on my shoulder. "Is to teach you how to protect yourselves."
"I'm not teaching you this to make you murderers," I continued softly. "I don't want you to fight without honour and courtesy, but there comes a time when the only civility that we can offer, is that we aren't the ones throwing the first punch."
We stood in silence for a long minute.
"Then let's get to it," Jolt stated suddenly, standing straight and flinty eyed. "Because I'll tell you this, come tempest ice or pitfire, they're not taking me alive this time." he banged his fists together.
Re-energized, the bots lined up beside the younglings.
I nodded, then forced a smile, looking at Sunny.
"Now then, where were we?" I asked as cheerfully as I could.
The bots stared at me again.
"Why're you doing that?" Skids asked tentatively.
"Doing what?" I asked calmly.
"You're being cheerful," Bumblebee informed me flatly, "like you did when you were human, even when you were spark-broken, except now we can hear your spark big-sister."
I looked at my little brother.
"If there was one thing I ever learned from my father and uncles," I stated softly. "It was that there will be enough time for grief and spark-break, but today, in this moment we are together, we are safe and we are whole," I smiled and straightened. "And if I learned anything from my master, it is that a student who is frowning, spends their time thinking about why they are frowning, time they should spend focusing on when I'm next going to get you!"
I promptly lunged at Bumblebee, the bots scattering as my little-brother whooped gleefully and took off, transforming in a flash and squealing his tires as he made his escape. A donut and he was charging at me, getting up his speed before he transformed, catching me in a flying tackle.
We both went down, gently whacking at each other and laughing our bumpers off. Finally, Bee simply sat on my abdomen, grinning down at me.
"Now what are you gonna do?" he demanded with a smirk.
I snorted and sat up, curling my legs under myself and catching my little brother, tossing him over my shoulder as I hefted myself to my feet.
"Now what are you gonna do?" I asked cheerfully as he dangled over my shoulder, howling with laughter and squirming as I tickled a sensitive bundle of neurals near his knee.
"Cave cave!" he hollered between laughs. I chuckled and lightly set him on his feet.
"Now then, where were we?" I asked with real cheer now, looking at Sunny.
"Gettin' Sides off his lazy aft," Sunny smirked, dropping into stance.
"Full speed," I grinned. I began throwing punches at him, the smaller bot deflecting them beautifully.
"I don't see what I have to do," Sides remarked in a drawl.
"Four punches, freeze," I stated calmly. Sunny and I held our positions. "At this point, it's obvious that I'm probably not going to get Sunny with a punch, but what's going to stop me from doing this?" I brought a cannon up – not online – and aimed it for Sunny's spark.
"That would be me," Sideswipe snarled, catching me with a solid wallop to the side. Sans field. I went down, and two cannons were aiming for me.
"Good," I smiled.
Sideswipe stared at me in horror as I receded the offline cannon.
"It's called a bluff, Sides, one which you called, good," I stated firmly, standing up as they quickly got rid of the cannons.
"But-" Sideswipe started in a horrified tone.
"For Primus sake, Sides," I snorted, bringing my offline cannon back. "How does this not look like a large bot is aiming for your brother's spark? You stopped it. Teamwork, the only difference this time, is that you aren't going to give me the opportunity to get my cannon anywhere near your brother, and maybe use your field, that actually hurt a little," I snorted, rubbing my side.
Optimus buried his face into a hand.
"Hush you," I murmured, reaching up and peeling his hand away to catch his lips with a gentle kiss.
He rolled his optics at me.
"Yes dear," he rumbled in a lightly mocking tone. I smiled and kissed his jaw, turning to Sunny and Sides again.
"Alright, one more time, let's make sure you've got it down pat," I smiled.
I stood in the open space and they charged me.
A few moments of sparring, and to change things up I went after Sides. He held me off just long enough for Sunny to wallop me, instinct hit and I went after Sunny.
He deflected me twice before Sides was on me absolutely, hitting soft spots and racking up my 'damage' counters.
"That's better, much better!" I praised them, even as I continued trying to defeat them.
But two against one I was better at defence. I fell back somewhat and dropped into one of the defensive stances so close to my spark.
But rather than pressing the attack:
"You are outnumbered and outmatched," Sunny snarled. "Disengage your weapons and surrender."
Optimus and I both straightened with absolute pride. Sideswipe looked at his twin with a broad grin, catching him in an embrace. I walked forward and caught the both of them in an enormous hug.
"I. Am so proud of you!" I choked.
"Dude, that was awesome!" Skids called out.
"Wicked awesome," Mudflap agreed seriously.
"That's what makes an auto-bot," Jolt stated seriously.
"That's my brother," Sideswipe stated proudly, planting a firm kiss to his forehead.
Sunny looked down embarrassedly.
"I mean..." he started shyly.
"No, that's precisely correct youngling," Ironhide rumbled approvingly, walking forward and patting Sunny's shoulder. "That's what makes us not Decepticon, we give 'em the option to live peaceful."
Sunny stared at the weapons master in shock.