Royals and Renegades (tfp Wheeljack X Mech!reader) [On Hold]

2: Training

"Ready to try this again, Y/D?" Wheeljack asked as we faced each other with fists at the ready, his stance certain and firm while mine was hesitant and shy.

"I um, yes?" I said with uncertainty.

"Well then, come at me." He smirked with a challenging flick of his servo. I charged at him and instantly was pinned down by the Wrecker, my optics widening in surprise.

"O-oh dear." I said with embaressment.

"You left yourself open again, and you're lacking confidence in your attack." He said as he got off of me and helped me back up. "You need to widen your stance like this." Wheeljack slid his legs apart and bent his legs in a way that made him completely solid. I copied him, and the Wrecker nodded with approval. "Good, now raise your fists up and close to your center." Again, he showed me, and I copied. "Better." Wheeljack proceeded to head back to where he was stood and took on a fighting stance once again. "Try and take me down now."

"I don't want to hurt you." I said meekly.

"Trust me, it takes a lot to hurt me."

"I... okay." I then charged at him again. This time, I managed to knock him down into the floor of the Jackhammer and pin him down, Wheeljack's optics widening in pleasant surprise.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. But can you think fast?" Wheeljack then grabbed at my side and managed to flip us over on the floor, pinning me down once again.

I glared at him and trapped his waist between my thighs, using them to fling the Wrecker off and to the side. I quickly got up just in time to attempt to block a strike from Wheeljack that unfortunately led to me being restrained with my arms behind my back and my tanks pressed against a wall.

"Hah, you're getting the hang of it." Wheeljack smirked.

"I've always been a quick study." I then surprised the Wrecker by twisting my arms over my helm in a way that allowed me to face forward towards Wheeljack, the wrecker turning a pale blue and my flexibility.

"Whoa." He said as he released my wrists in surprise. "How did you do that?"

"Flyers are incredibly flexible. It's what makes us masters of the sky." I said in a gentle tone.

"Prove it."  Wheeljack challenged. I cocked an optic ridge at him in amusement and decided to comply by pulling one of my legs behind my back and having the bottom of my pede touch my shoulder.

"That proof enough?" I asked with a smirk.

"Definitely." Wheeljack said in an almost aroused, sounding tone before he shook it off. I lowered my leg and tilted my helm at him curiously.

"Wheeljack? Are you feeling alright?"

"Huh?" He said as he snapped out of his odd trance.

"You're a bit blue in the face." I then delicately placed a servo on his cheek to check his temperature. "You're quite warm. Are you coming down with something?"

"Uh no, it's just a little stuffy in here." Wheeljack said unconvincingly.  Again, I gave him a questioning look but shrugged and went over to the co-pilot seat where I casually lounged and pulled out a data pad containing fighting tactics. "What are you reading?"

"I found this stored away in that old crate of datapads and other training materials for the Wreckers." I said. "It contains hand to hand combat tips and other useful information."

"Have you read the others?" He asked as he settled down in the pilot's seat.

"Oh yes, I read all 34 of them within the first few solar cycles of knowing you."

"What? When?" He asked in disbelief.

"Usually whenever you were in recharge." I said sheepishly. "I... I can't really recharge much anymore."

"How come?" Wheeljack asked in a gentle tone.

"I... I'm prone to nightmares." I admitted. "Ever since the fall of Vos i... constantly dream of that day. So I don't recharge unless I absolutely have to."

"I heard about that battle, but never saw it myself." Wheeljack said. "From the old reports, it says that the Emperor and Empress were brutally murdered by Megatron in front of their son, but the son managed to escape with his guard. Kid must have only been a youngling at the time." I stiffened significantly at his words, my wings twitching ever so slightly against my back.

"It was far worse than that." I said as I placed the datapad down. "They weren't just murdered. They were butchered." I said shakily. "Mercilessly and violently butchered."

-flashback-

"Sire! Carrier! Decepticons are invading!" I cried out in fear just in time for the doors to fly open, and Megatron burst in. I grabbed one of the weapons from a display and shakily held it in my small servos, my wings trembling and my optics wide.

"Aww, isn't that cute." The seeker known as Dreadwing sneered.

"Little prince trying to play hero." Dreadwing's twin Skyquake snickered. "Oh, he's too precious to be kept alive."

"G-get away!" I snapped fearfully.

"Y/D! Don't!" My carrier called before her optics darted to Megatron. "You swore to leave Vos be!"

"You should have listened to your son." Megatron sneered as he grabbed me by my wings and chucked me to the side, my smaller frame slamming into a wall with a bang.

"Y/D!" My sire exclaimed as he ran over to my battered frame. Just as he was about to get me to safety, Megatron grabbed him by the wings and ripped them clean off, energon flying through the air with a splat.

"Sire!" I screamed, my sire stumbling back only to be pummeled by the warlord, his helm ending up crushed under his pede.

"No!" My carried cried, Megatron blasting a hole right through her chassis and then his blade taking her helm clean off. I screamed for my creators, incoherent cries for mercy, and help going unheard by the Decepticons. The next thing I knew, I was staring down the barrel of Megatron's arm cannon, the power core whirring to life with a brilliant light.

"NO!"

-present-

"Kid?" Wheeljack said softly, his voice pulling me from the horrid memory. "You okay?"

"I will be. It's just... that day was horrible for Vos and her people." I said in my rather failed attempt to shake off the memory. "It was traumatic. But I'm sure Wreckers have seen the worst things."

"Yeah, but you never get used to it." Wheeljack said. "And those who do? They end up losing themselves."

"To become desensitized from the harshness of war is to become mad." I said, directly quoting the former Wrecker leader Impactor.

"Ain't that the truth."