Pressure
Summary: Sam spends the summer at NEST HQ and Ironhide decides to play Drill Sergeant
Characters: Ironhide, Sam, Mentions of Ratchet, Prowl, and Optimus
Rating: PG
Warnings: None that I can think of...mentions death and fighting.
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If asked, Sam would tell you one of the worst decisions he ever made, staying at the NEST HQ over the summer…
Ironhide frowned, the boy was lazy. Not only that he was out of shape, he was a liability if the Decepticons were to attack. Ironhide wasn’t having a liability on his base, something had to change.
Sam should have known the look in Ironhide’s optics wasn’t a good one. When he found the cannon pointed directly at his face and heard the order to run the course what else could he do?
He was adamant. He wasn’t pressuring the boy he told the others, after all he could always say no. Ratchet argued the human instinct for self preservation would likely prevent that, considering the first time he asked Sam to run the obstacle course he had created for the boy he'd had his cannon in Sam’s face. Ironhide didn’t believe it. He had seen the humans of NEST go against this survival instinct plenty of times. If Sam was that against his training he wouldn't be doing it.
He no longer just left his room. Just leaving his room meant he would run into Ironhide and inevitably end up running a course or being taken to lift weights. There was a process to leaving the room that involved a lot of ducking behind other mechs who were NOT helpful, and hiding behind corners. When he needed to get somewhere very quickly he would use the vents, though he used them sparingly least he be discovered. He was now convinced, Ironhide was insane and the other Autobots didn’t care what happened to Sam as long as he kept Ironhide occupied.
He learned about human nutrition from Ratchet and from the soldiers of NEST and so he began supplying healthy meals for his part time student. It also gave him an excuse to bang on the boy’s door at four in the morning to get the other up in time for stretches and a run before breakfast. Then after his run he would supply the boy with a good meal and send him to the obstacle course after which he supplied him with a lunch, and he was not stalking the boy! No matter what the NEST soldiers said, it was pure chance he arrived just as the boy was about to scarf down three pieces of chocolate cake for dinner. He was also not threatening Sideswipe and Jolt to keep the boy away from junk food. He couldn't help it the kid had potential, maybe he could get the kid to become an Autobot someday, if he ever shaped up that was.
Sam was pissed, though not angry enough to yell at his new stalker, again. Not that it had done anything to make the black mech stop his actions; in fact it had seemed to encourage the other. The other solders on base were unsympathetic as well asking him how his drill sergeant was treating him in between laughs. Mikaela had also been less than supportive laughing and telling him it would be good for him, she had even given up the location of his secret stash of sweets which were soon found missing. The only good thing he was getting out of this was a tan and he had to admit some nice muscle tone. Still no matter how much Ironhide glared he wasn’t going to give up coffee, he needed it now.
It was the arrival of Prowl that made him consider doing something a bit different. The boy was in better shape now and, and his recon stills were getting very well refined. Ironhide was starting to have to get Bumblebee or the Arcee triples to track him down. He had already started taking him out to the shooting range once a week, the boy had been nervous at first but Sam was a natural with a gun. Anyway, it was Prowl who said what he was teaching the boy would be useless without a better education so he would know how to use it and he found that he couldn't argue with the tactician's logic.
Sam pouted but dutifully took notes as Prowl lectured. Twice a week, if they could catch him, his captors under the orders of Drill Sergeant Ironhide would take him to Prowl for lessons in tactics and strategic thinking. On Fridays he was expected to report to Optimus for a history lesson as well, but no one had to drag him to that meeting. Optimus taught him both Earth and Cybertronian history and they also spent time just talking. He enjoyed those talks the most, though the Prime still refused to explain the weapon specialist’s reasoning.
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It was three weeks later, pinned down by Decepticon fire that Sam would realize why Ironhide had done as he had. Picking up the fallen soldier’s rifle had been natural, using what he had learned he had led three other new NEST recruits in defending their fallen and wounded comrades from a Decepticon drone. It wasn’t until hours after the battle sitting in the infirmary that the adrenalin had worn off and he had found himself in a state of shock. He had done all of that?
Ironhide was surprised when Sam had approached him a week later. After the battle he had backed off his training, the boy had seen men die around him, had defended fallen comrades only for them to succumb to their wounds later, had saved lives. Sam didn’t need more pressure right now from him. Besides he heard NEST was looking to recruit him now as an operative and that was pressure enough.
“You stopped coming, or sending the others after me.”
He nodded there was no need or reason to deny it. “You needed time to think.”
“I kinda miss the stress of having to hide from your scouts,” Sam stopped and cocked his head. “I’m not going to take the NEST position, despite how much pressure some government officials are putting on me.”
“Oh?” He quirked an optic ridge silently telling the other to explain.
“Yeah, if anyone has taught me about pressure and when to give and when to stand firm it has been you. Besides,” He rolled up a shirt sleeve revealing a half finished tattoo of the Autobot insignia. “Ratchet told me it was customary for a student to ask a teacher to finish their brand.”
His optics widened but he nodded bending down to meet the other’s eyes. “Are you sure?”
Sam grinned, “Yes, Prowl agreed and Optimus let me take the oath. Now I just need the brand.” He looked the other dead on. “I could think of no one better than the one who has been pressuring me from the beginning and who has made me into someone who could make a difference to finish it for me.”
Ironhide nodded and went to work finishing the brand. He took his time making sure it was perfect as this type of brand for the humans was permeate. Once he finished Sam tested his arm then stepped back and grinned, “So when do we start again Sir?”
Ironhide grinned as well and Sam quelled sensing something had changed. The pressure was REALLY on now to get the kid officer ready before the next landing Ironhide thought, or at least before the next year.
If asked, Sam would tell you one of the worst decisions he ever made, staying at the NEST HQ over the summer, was also one of the best.
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