A/N: So, since the site is being annoying, and the website insists none of your reviews exist. Despite having them in email form. I will be replying to everyones reviews in here. As frustrating as that is, I can't reply to you guys in PM at all.
TOMORROW'S HERO: I hope so at least. XD
ZANZA FLUX: You pretty much hit the nail on the head with Mearing and Optimus. XD
DARK MAIDEN95: I think most people would. And yes, it is definitely not a good thing that he has one.
MEYER331: LOL Yes, it probably would be useful now. And no, I've stated several chapters back that Sam is alive and was in hiding during AOE.
TYRANTQUEENOFCONS: Well thank you very much! Glad you find it brilliant!
OPALWOLF: Coulton does have that effect on people a lot. :P
SOUNDDRIVE: Galvatron states that Knockout put it on him using the "mouth clamp" he used to gag him. Glad you enjoyed the chapters!
MIMZY94: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much!
Hopefully this will be fixed by tomorrow, because I do enjoy talking with all my readers/reviewers one-on-one. :) But anyway, on to the chapter!
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CHAPTER 47
Sharing and Sparring
"Mark, wait up."
Mark turned his head as he walked along the main hangar, his eyes meeting the form of Crosshairs almost at once. He hadn't talked with the mech for a long time, he realized. But he also wasn't sure that he wanted to talk to anyone gruff and hardened like he was either. "Hey, Crosshairs," He greeted, trying his best to keep up a friendly appearance. "What's up?"
Crosshairs raised an optic ridge as he stared down at him. "What do you think is up? Hound told me you were leaking last night. Y'know, while we were gone and helping the relief effort," Mark realized he meant "crying" and blushed slightly. "Are you okay, squirt?" He asked, the concern in his voice catching Mark off-guard. "I know I'm not usually the comforting type. But you're still the son of my best friend on this base," Mark smiled a little at that. "So if you need to talk to someone who isn't your old mech."
Mark stopped, and took a seat on a surface nearby. His eyes raised up to the mech in question, and he noticed that the paratrooper actually stopped in his tracks. A part of him was stunned that he actually cared, but the other should have seen it coming. "I'm okay, or as okay as I can be," Mark managed to say, his eyes staring down at the floor now. "Dad practically stayed with me all night. So I was able to sleep for a while at least," He looked up at him. "Was Prime right? About how bad it would have been on me?"
Crosshairs averted the gaze Mark gave him. It was definitely a difficult question to answer, especially given how upsetting the sight had been for the Autobots alone. He shuttered his optics a little, then stared over at him. "It was nothing that I would have wanted you seeing," He replied honestly. "Our one comfort was that you didn't have to see the devastation, the death," Mark nodded slowly in response, understanding. "You wouldn't have wanted to see it, Mark. Primus forbid you have to identify any of the remains."
"I'm still just processing the fact it happened," Mark commented, his voice low. "I knew most people on that block by name, and now... They're all names in the obituary," He added, noticing Crosshairs raise an optic ridge. "I did some searching the web about it this morning. Don't tell dad, okay? I don't think he'd like to know that I focused on it at all." Crosshairs nodded and gave a thumbs up. "I guess you guys know how this feels according to him."
Crosshairs bit his lower lip lightly, unsure of how to respond. It was like he said, he had never been good at comforting people. But he did know how to handle that pain, he knew very well. "When I was only five vorns old," He began, sitting himself down beside Mark on the surface. "The Decepticons led a raid on my own hometown themselves," He explained, his voice low, as if he was trying not to let anyone know what he was doing. "I was one of only sixteen mechs and femmes that were rescued from the rubble."
"Did your family-?"
"My uncle and I were the only surviving members of ours," Crosshairs replied, his voice cracked a little bit. "My grandcreators, creators, brothers and sister, even my other aunts and uncles... None of them made it," He then admitted. "A lot of us have a story like that, being orphans. But only a few of us have truly lost everything. Including me," He commented glumly. "Even my uncle's gone now, so I am literally the last of my line."
Mark frowned, he knew how rough a feeling that was. He looked up at the mech, it was probably the first time he saw the paratrooper actually show emotions. Something he could not miss given the fact that his optics seemed softer, and sadder. "Who ever thought we'd really have something in common," Mark replied, trying to lighten the mood, and getting a small smirk from Crosshairs. "I'm all that's left of the Savoy's too."
"Yeah, I figured that out when no one contested," Mark felt his frown return at that. "Hey, I don't mean anythin' by it. I just mean that if any of them were around, I'm not sure how they could leave a good kid in foster care." Mark's eyes widened at the compliment. "Hey, don't look so surprised. You've grown on me, I've said that much before. You're a good kid, and I don't think anyone would leave you behind," He added quietly again.
"You wanted Hound to kick me out when we first met."
"Because I'm an idiot sometimes," Crosshairs snorted slightly. "I was angry at all humans, not just you. So don't take it the wrong way," He told him rather bluntly, and Mark couldn't help but chuckle. "Who do you think helped Hound with that little prank we played on Coulton?" At that, Mark's laughter only grew even more. "Either way, point is, I'm glad you proved me wrong," He then added. "And... I'm sorry for all the friends you lost."
"I'm sorry about your friends and family, too."
Crosshairs smiled a little, of course, Mark's reply would be that. He put a finger on the boys back, and nodded slowly. "It's alright, I've moved on. And someday, you will too, from all this slag," He stood to his feet slowly. "Because if there's one thing I've learned about you... It's that you're one of the toughest blokes I know," Mark grinned. "Don't let that go to your processor."
"I won't," As Crosshairs turned to leave, he smiled. "Crosshairs?" The mech turned to look at him. "Thanks."
Crosshairs quickly returned to his usual tough guy demeanor, if only because he noticed soldiers approaching. "Don't mention it," Crosshairs gave a small wave before walking off.
Mark couldn't help but feel like, for the first time, he was starting to see Crosshairs in a new light.
...
Sweat dripped down Mark's face as he and Sideswipe continued his combat training that afternoon. Progress was good, as Sideswipe noticed, even with a few weeks passing since their last session. Mark was getting faster, and sharper with his skills. He had even managed to work his way up to learning to use one of the blades Sideswipe often lent him. "Alright, stand down Mark," He finally stated as the young human ceased his exercises. "I think you're ready now."
Mark raised an eyebrow as Sideswipe's holoform appeared. He looked the mech up and down, and raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean?" He questioned, confusion in his eyes. "Are you gonna teach me to use some other human weapon?" He questioned.
"Heh, not exactly," Sideswipe's holoform prepared himself, getting into a stance. "I think you're ready to give actual sparring a shot," He watched as Mark's eyes bulged with fear. "Easy there, kiddo, we're gonna take this nice and easy." He told him, holding up a hand. "But at some point, you may have to actually fight. So you need to be ready for actual combat."
Mark visibly tensed at the thought of real combat. Was he actually ready to go toe-to-toe with Sideswipe? He didn't know, but he did know that he was probably better off at least trying. "Are you sure this is okay?" Mark asked as he carefully got into position. "I mean, I've fought once or twice to save my own skin. But I've never fought my own friend."
"Then don't think of me as your friend," Sideswipe replied, a firm look in his eyes. "In this exercise, I'm a mugger. Someone who just randomly picked you out off the street. I'm probably armed, and dangerous," He carefully brought out a holographic knife (one that would not actually hurt Mark). "Ready?" He questioned, after a moment, Mark slowly nodded his head. "Here we go."
Sideswipe was nearly impossibly fast, swinging the knife for him with great accuracy. But Mark was fast too, especially with his overall somewhat-scrawny nature. He dodged the swing of the knife before landing a blow with his elbow, connecting it violently with Sideswipe's stomach. The mech staggered a few inches as Mark grabbed his arm, throwing it against a nearby wall and letting the knife clatter to the ground. "Very, very good," Sideswipe nodded his head. "You've been paying attention."
Mark grinned, but it was quickly wiped away when his legs were kicked out from under him. He fell flat on his face, groaning, and looking up. "That was a cheap shot!" Mark muttered.
"And you think people will fight fair?"
Mark thought a moment, leaping forward, he wrapped his legs around Sideswipe's own. The mech and his holoform even seemed to be surprised by that one. Forcing the holoform onto the ground, Mark quickly grabbed the holographic knife. Before Sideswipe had even known what was going on, Mark was on his holoform and holding the knife to his throat. "Dead."
Sideswipe chuckled a bit, letting his holoform and the knife dissipate. "That was impressive," Sideswipe shook his head. "I held back a bit, to see what you would do. But that last move caught even me off-guard," He told him, crouching for a fist bump, which Mark returned. "Nice job, short stack. You'll be a force to be reckoned with yet."
"Does that mean you'll go full-out next time?"
"Slag no," Sideswipe laughed. "I won't give it my all until you're way older."
Mark seemed somewhat disappointed, but still understood. After all, he'd seen Sideswipe when he was training the troops. He was one of the strongest, fastest, and most badass Autobots he knew. The last thing he wanted was to end up in the med bay because they went too far, too fast. "He's coming along nicely, though," Mark turned as Hound entered the training room. "Don't worry, m'boy. You'll be ready for that kind of sparring by the time you're eighteen."
"That's four years away," Mark groaned.
Hound chuckled a bit, and then stared down at Sideswipe. "So are the two of you done, yet?" He questioned rather politely. "I wanted to take Mark out for a little night to ourselves," Mark's eyebrows arched up. "Just the two of us, so you're off for the night with him too."
"Yeah, I think we've done enough for one day," Sideswipe nodded, then pointed at Mark. "Keep working on your left hooks, and your jabs. You could have used a couple of those on me to bring me down faster." Mark sighed, but nodded back as Sideswipe slowly rolled for the exit. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do. Shouldn't be hard though, I do a lot of things."
Mark laughed quietly, looking up at Hound with confusion. "What's up, you got the night off?" He questioned, with Hound only nodded. "Cool, where are we going? We haven't done a night with just the two of us in a while. We're not even bringing Mirage or back-up?" He asked.
"Just the two of us," Hound confirmed with a nod. "I think you could use it considering what's happened." Mark gave a small smile, and a deep breath. "But first thing's first, go get showered and changed." He added with a nod. "Make it a little quick too, or we'll be late."
Mark couldn't have been more confused if he tried. What did he mean they'd be late? Where was Hound taking him? "Do I get to know where you're taking me, dad? Or am I just going to be left in the dark?" Hound chuckled a little bit. "Come on, what's going through that processor of yours?" He questioned.
Hound looked thoughtful for a long moment, unsure of if he should tell him. But after a long moment, he finally nodded, putting his hands on his hips slightly. "I'm taking you to witness a meteor shower," Hound finally spoke, as Mark's eyes widened. "I know you've told me you've never seen one. And what's more you've always wanted to. But we have about an hour long drive ahead of us to the perfect spot to watch, at least according to Lennox." He then added "So we have to leave in the next thirty minutes."
"I'll be ready in twenty," Mark replied as he rushed off.
Hound sighed, a smile crossing his features, this was definitely going to be a good night. And without a doubt, one that they both needed to get away from all of this stress.