Chapter 4: Training

Bumblebee walked into the training room. One of the lower levels of Metroplex's massive frame.

Here, Ironhide was king. He was charged with training the platoon's newest arrivals, Bluestreak, Brawn, and Warpath. And though he was by comparison, a seasoned veteran, Bumblebee fell into the rookie category as well.

The former courier's lack of combat and stealth training was something Optimus wanted to see changed.

Bumblebee trudged in, and heard a pair of gruff voices.

Ironhide was in front of a screen, and it didn't take long to hear who he was talking to. It was a rather unique voice, one Bumblebee knew well.

"You gotta get me outta here mate. I have to train EVERYONE!" Hound exclaimed on the screen. "They haven't the slightest idea how to fight, I cannot for the life of me understand it! They have a bot who turns into a bloody hovercraft and swims in energon, it makes no..."

"Who ya talking to?" An excited voice cut in.

"Oh Primus, no..." Hound muttered, putting his hand over his weathered optics, as a small red face popped into the corner of the screen.

"Hi other autobot guy!" He exclaimed happily.

"Heh. You look like a red Bumblebee." Ironhide muttered, sitting back in his chair.

"This is Cliffjumper." Hound said, pushing the mech away from the screen. "A bit excitable, that one."

Ironhide turned around to see Bumblebee standing there.

"Kinda part of the design ain't it?" He asked, smiling at the little mech.

Bumblebee's gloomy expression brightened.

"Cliff!" He exclaimed, running over.

"Bee!" Cliffjumper exclaimed, jumping in front of Hound and filling up the monitor again. "How you been buddy?! How's living in a Titan?"

Bumblebee let out a chuckle, looking around him.

"As if I didn't feel small enough." He replied. "How's Tetrahex?"

"Ultra Magnus is so strict, ughhh..." Cliffjumper replied. "You would hate it here, Bee, trust me, you're better off there."

"He's not wrong." Hound added. "Ultra Magnus is not an easy Commander. Makes me miss Prowl, if that's even possible."

"Don't say it more'n twice or he'll show up and make you write it down." Ironhide warned. He turned and pulled Bumblebee over to the screen.

"So bee's your new protege?" Hound asked.

"Oh yeah." Ironhide replied. "He's gonna make me proud." He said, patting Bumblebee on the head.

"I know he will sir." Cliffjumper added, smiling at Bumblebee. "He's a good kid. He's never let me down."

Bumblebee managed a weak smile back at him.

"I'll try not to break my streak..." he said, putting a hand behind his neck.

"Alright, Magnus is imposing a comms embargo." Hound said. "Seeya round Ironhide. Don't have too much fun without me."

"You know I'll try." Ironhide replied before turning off the monitor. He stood up, stretching out his old gears.

"You ready kiddo?" He asked, cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah." Bumblebee replied quietly, shuffling over to his position.

"What's goin on?" He asked, arching an optic ridge. "You're a little less..." he trailed off.

"Effervescent?" Bumblebee asked.

"Nah. Bubbly. Less bubbly than usual." Ironhide replied.

"Yeah, that's what effervescent means, look...I'm not a soldier. Alright? I'm a scout. I just did my job, did it properly, and I still get shipped down here to train."

"Are you suggesting scouts aren't soldiers?" A voice asked.

Mirage decloaked behind Bumblebee, causing the mech to jump, and fall onto his aft.

"Apologies." Mirage offered, lifting the young mech up.

"You are...way too good at that." Bumblebee muttered. "I need one of those cloakers."

"Are you saying that a cloaker will compensate for a lack of fighting ability?" Mirage asked.

"I mean...kinda. Yeah." Bumblebee mumbled.

"Oh boy..." Ironhide muttered, crossing his arms. "Don't break him okay?"

"Of course not." Mirage replied. "There is no need to fear." He looked down at the shorter mech.

Then he spun, and kicked his legs out from under him.

Bumblebee was knocked down onto his aft.

"Ow!" He exclaimed in surprise. "What are you...?"

He tried to stand up, and Mirage leaped over him, grabbing him by the shoulders, and flipping him over, slamming him against the floor.

"Stealth is not a crutch. It does not hide your flaws. It enhances your strengths." Mirage stated.

"Okay can I just say? This place is so much fun." Bluestreak said from the doorway.

"Get in there and beat em both up, Ironhide!" Warpath shouted.

"Easy kid." Ironhide replied. "I'm just watchin this one."

Mirage leaned down and held out his hand.

Bumblebee reached up to take it, only for Mirage to vanish.

The little yellow mech felt a pull on his chest, and was thrown forward, flipped over, and pinned against the floor.

Mirage decloaked on top of him.

"Appearances can be deceiving. A cloaker would do you ill. Your punches must become stronger. Your strikes quicker. You must become a strong fighter. You have the potential."

"Are we done?" Bumblebee asked, covering his optics, as he noticed the rookies watching with enthusiasm.

Mirage turned to look at them.

"Yes. We are done." He replied, pulling Bumblebee to his feet. "Do not become discouraged. You have come a long way." He assured, patting the mech on his horned head. He looked to Ironhide, gesturing to the rookies, who seemed to be laughing.

"Hey!" Ironhide shouted. "Front and center!"

Warpath, Brawn, and Bluestreak ran over, and stood in formation before the mech.

"Now let's get somethin clear, quickly. This mech here's been through hell. The kinda hell that woulda made you three fold up and rust away like old piping. But he's still here, learnin and takin his lumps. You put him down, you put me down." He warned, eyeing the rookies closely. "And I don't get put down. I put other bots down." He said, cracking his knuckles again. "Now you two are gonna give me a full training session."

"Actually..." Jazz called from the door. "As awesome as all that was, I need Warpath and Bluestreak."

"For what?" Ironhide asked.

"Optimus wants them. For a mission." Jazz replied. "I don't know what the idea is either but hey, trial by fire I guess."

Bluestreak's optics widened with excitement, and he exchanged excited optics with Warpath.

"A mission? Already?" Bluestreak asked.

"Score!" Warpath shouted. "I'm gonna blast me some decepti-chops!"

"There will be no decepti-chop blasting unless you are specifically told to." Ironhide snapped. "Now settle down. Do as ordered. And if you get killed out there, Bluestreak takes your beating."

Bluestreak looked at Warpath with genuinely terrified optics.

"I got your back buddy." He said firmly.

"I'm sure ya do." Warpath replied.

"Goes for both to ya." Ironhide warned.

Warpath put a hand on the smaller mech's shoulder.

"You and me, Bluestreak. We're gonna avoid this beating together."

"Not taking me?" Arcee asked, as Optimus walked toward the waiting Sky Lynx.

Optimus sighed.

"I knew you would say something..."

"I'm not saying anything, Optimus, it's just...you're taking two rookies, and Jazz who's solid, but Perceptor is just a scientist. You need..." She trailed off. "At least take Ironhide."

Optimus looked at Warpath and Bluestreak as they ran up the ramp.

"You and Ironhide are my two strongest warriors." Optimus said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But this is not going to be a battle. It's just reconnaissance. The rookies will be alright. And so will Perceptor."

Arcee nodded, looking at the shuttle.

"Don't let me get rusty, okay Optimus? I'm not a fan of the bench."

"You're not benched." Optimus replied, walking up the ramp. "You've been in on my last three missions. You could use the rest."

"So could you." Arcee noted.

Optimus smirked under his faceplate as he walked into the cabin.

"Prime's don't rest." He said, as the ramp closed.

The shuttle lifted off, and streaked out of Metroplex's hangar.

Arcee watched it go, and then turned to Bumblebee and Ironhide, as they began to spar.

"Hey. Where are the twins?" She asked.

"Sunstreaker's benched, so Sideswipe is keepin him company." Ironhide replied. "In the medibay."

Arcee rolled her optics.

"That'll go well."

Ratchet stared down at a patch of armor, a piece that had fallen off of Brawn during the battle. He was attempting to mend it with a blowtorch.

Until a face with large audios slid into the corner of his field of vision.

"Whatcha doin doc?" Sunstreaker asked.

"Gah!" Ratchet shouted, leaping back, and dropping the sparking blow torch. "What in the name of...WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

"He's bored." Sideswipe replied, crunching down energon flakes from a bag, as he sat on a berth next to the two. "We have nowhere to be so...hey."

"Why are...Sideswipe, you didn't even get benched, shouldn't you be training or...patrolling or...something?" Ratchet asked.

"I could be. Or I could be a good brother, and keep my delinquent twin company while he is benched." He said, patting Sunstreaker's audios, as he gave him a withering glare.

"Well perhaps this will make you think twice about illegal street racing." Ratchet said with a wag of the finger. "If you're not on active duty, you should go find something, something LEGAL to do in the city."

"Can't." Sunstreaker replied. "Confined to base. I can't leave. I can't serve. It's like being in a jail cell, only the cell's bigger." He said, holding out his hands. "And alive."

"I'm sure Ironhide could find something for you to do." Ratchet replied.

Sunstreaker sat bolt upright.

"Yeah no, that's why I'm here, so Ironhide doesn't find me something to do. Cuz whatever he finds for me to do will be brutal and worse than death and I don't wanna."

Ratchet paused, then a grin spread across his face, as he looked at the twins.

"Oh no." Sideswipe muttered. "Ratchet, What is that face?"

"Oh this? This is the I can call Ironhide at any time and have him find something for you to do if you bug me face." He replied smugly, holding up his arm with his comms unit.

"Name your price!" Sunstreaker exclaimed. "Is it shanix? Engex? CIRCUIT BOOSTERS?!"

Ratchet slapped the yellow mech across the face.

"I'm a doctor, you blown gasket. Circuit boosters are harmful and addictive. You stay away from them." He warned. "No, what I want...is for you to organize my medibay. Particularly all my patient files."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker exchanged a look.

"That's...not too bad." Sideswipe remarked.

"Alphabetically." Ratchet finished with a villainous smirk.

The duo's sparks sank in unison.