Ironhide's POV

Chapter Ten – The Battle

As Zoe slipped off into a slightly uneasy sleep, Ironhide remained wide awake, to frazzled to even attempt recharge. He had heard his charge say that sometimes she had a bad feeling about the day. Most of the time she would return from school relieved that her premonition was false or didn't come to fruition, however once or twice she had been correct.

For example Zoe had once taken a day off school because she said that one she felt ill – and after scanning her, Ironhide concluded she was being truthful – and two she had a very bad feeling about attending that day. He had scoffed and made her feel foolish about it but had been utterly shocked when news came that the science room Zoe would have had third period had been burnt down, the fire having been started by an aggravated youth who sat right behind Zoe. Surprised and thoughtful, Ironhide had researched it and although it was rare humans' predictions actually came true, none of them should be taken lightly just in case.

Ironhide had such a foreboding now despite the fact his processors insisted that a 'bad feeling' was impossible for him to appreciate since much of his logic came from factual evidence. He scanned the area dutifully, not leaving one small pebble unchecked. He found nothing. Turning his scanners to the humans, he concluded that they were fast asleep and unlikely to wake, although Zoe was tossing and turning – clearly finding it hard to settle completely. Maybe she had the same bad feeling... albeit sub-consciously.

The stars were hidden by dark clouds and a strong harsh wind pushed its way through the vegetation, rattling the tents but thanks to the extra pegs his charge had brought they held. He waited until Zoe quietened down and lay still before deciding whether to go or not.

His decision made, Ironhide rolled away from the campers silently, making his way through the trees, expertly manoeuvring between them until he was about half a mile away where the sounds of his transformation would not wake the humans. Slowly and carefully, Ironhide shifted from his vehicle mode, grunting as his parts moved reluctantly thanks to the amount of time he had stayed like that. Although it was not uncomfortable for the Autobots or even Decepticons to stay in alt mode they all preferred not to spend too much time like it as their parts could become unresponsive and that was dangerous. He stood quietly and powered his optics, bright blue light cascading down to the ground, casting large shadows from the surrounding pines.

Walking back in the direction of the campsite slowly, Ironhide once again scanned the area but more thoroughly than before. "Slagging humans," He muttered, swirling his cannons around agitatedly. "I must be picking up habits from them." Despite his massive bulk, the Weapon Specialist found it easier then expected to manoeuvre through the forest, ignoring the branches that caught hold of him and then broke off when they could not hold him back.

A soft snapping of twigs from directly behind him made Ironhide wheel around; his cannons trained on the spot the sound had been emitted and his optics blaring furiously. When the ferns to his right began to move, he swung his arms towards them rumbling threateningly. So busy was he staring wildly at the ground, Ironhide did not notice the blaring red eyes tracking his every movement from higher up in the tree behind him.

Snarling, Ironhide desperately trained his sensors onto anything that was moving; the long grass, the ferns, constantly behind him on the ground now etched with his strange footprints. He was about to lower his cannons when a strong force smacked into his shoulder, tearing long gashes down his armour and neck joints. Although it had been a surprise attack, vorns of constant battling had made Ironhide the best at recovering from them and with a smack of his fist into where he assumed the head was and a sharp twist of his shoulders, the thing was thrown off him and crashed to the forest floor. After a few seconds of writhing, the creature got to its feet fixed its eyes onto Ironhide, soul tearing red gazing into penetrating ice blue.

"Ravage," Ironhide growled, locking his cannons onto the cat like Decepticon which continued to slowly slink around the small clearing they were in, trying to get another clear shot at his back. "What is scum like you doing here?"

Ravage grinned manically and replied, his voice dripping venomously to the ground like treacle, "I could ask you the same thing Autobot." Although the machine guns mounted on his hind legs look as deadly as his fangs, Ironhide knew that they were there for distant attacks, more to distract and maim then seriously injure or kill, so he pressed closer, weary of Ravage's claws and serrated tail that opened and closed sharply with a threatening metallic slicing motion.

"You first..." Ironhide offered, his cannons whirled and his optics never left the Decepticon as it continued to try and circle him.

Ravage cocked his head thoughtfully before hissing softly, "Hunting. Humans are such fun to rip apart. Their screams are quite exquisite." He ground his fangs together idealistically and try as he might Ironhide could not his spark quiver with fear for his charge. As if sensing this, Ravage continued with added mirth "So what is your purpose here? I cannot detect any other Autobot scum energy signals therefore I cannot fathom why you are here alone."

Ironhide's processor tried to think of an appropriate reason – something he should have been able to achieve easily - but for some reason his thoughts kept returning to Zoe lying lifeless in Ravage's jaws. Deciding to stay anonymous about his actions, Ironhide replied "That is none of your business Decepticon."

Ravage laughed without humour, his voice grating against the otherwise silent night air. "Come come now Autobot. I am aware of your presence among the humans; you have become their pet haven't you?" When he got no response, Ravage grinned and snapped his jaws delightedly. "They have no idea do they? They are completely unaware of the fact they are in the very presence of the infamous killing machine; that they are next to the Cybertronian responsible for the deaths of thousands of both innocent and guilty of his own kind!" Ravage laughed hysterically and added, "Of course, you could always help me end their puny lives. After all, you have watched Sparklings burn by your own hand..."

He was cut short when Ironhide fired suddenly, his missiles slamming into Ravage's hind leg and neck simultaneously. Screeching furiously, Ravage tried to recover but was interrupted by Ironhide's clenched fist smashing into his muzzle, hard enough to actually fling a couple of his knife like teeth to the forest floor and bounce off into the undergrowth. Spitting out energon that coursed from the wounds in his mouth, Ravage pounced onto Ironhide's arm, ripping and tearing at his cannon, drawing a surprised yell out of the Weapon Specialist as he tried to shake him off. Ravage's tail made contact with his face, causing Ironhide to fall to the floor, hard. Leaping off him as he fell, Ravage stalked around him slowly, making no noise as he drew nearer and nearer.

Pulling himself to his feet, Ironhide spat out a mouthful of energon and shards of mangled metal and glared at the predator. Suddenly, Ravage quirked his head to the left and when he faced Ironhide again, a truly evil smile had flooded his features.

"Why don't you check on your charges Autobot, it seems one wandering around in 'No man's land'." He sneered harshly, his voice dripping with mirth and a cruel promise.

Hurriedly, Ironhide scanned the area and sure enough, a human heat signature sprang up on his radar. Giving an inaudible gasp when he realized it was...

Zoe.

"No," he breathed, simple and unaltered terror flooding his processors without warning. His spark felt as though it had been pulled from its circuitry and sliced open. Keeping his eyes on the still grinning Decepticon, Ironhide checked on the others in the camp and cursed when he discovered them fast asleep; had one been awake, they could have retrieved Zoe.

"Well well, it seems the Great Ironhide does have a weakness." Ironhide was snapped out of his thoughts and his optics widened when he saw the look of hate and mockery shoot across Ravage's face.

"Let us see if I can exploit it shall we?"

And with that, Ravage promptly bounded into the forest, his tail whipping through a young sapling which crashed to the ground in pieces.

"Zoe." He whispered, horrified by what Ravage must have had in mind. Leaping across the clearing, Ironhide ran as fast as he could, his scanners locked onto both Zoe's and Ravage's signals, his spark sinking with panic when he saw how close the Decepticon was to his human.

"Hold Zoe," He thought desperately. "I'm coming!"