Ironhide

== Information ==
=== Pre-Game History ===
It is said that Ironhide is one of the oldest known Autobots--and he looks it, with his body still carrying many scars, broken pieces, and countless repairs, most specifically a bad hip and faulty core timing (according to the bio on the back of his toy). He is a veteran of countless battles, both on Cybertron, and on Earth.
He was a captain in Megatron's protection force, the Cybertronian Armed forces, fighting to protect the planet and the All Spark from hostile takeover, and well-known for his ability on the field. This skill was, according to his history, enough to which Megatron himself took notice, and allowed the soldier audiences with him, to make his reports in person. Ironhide worked closely with Starscream, and other warriors, who would later turn on their own kind. Everything was perfectly normal, until the science team led by Optimus uncovered a strange piece of triangular metal with an odd inscription, and, at the same time, their planet was attacked by an organic army looking to take the All Spark for themselves. Ironhide was involved in the battle, helping to drive off the enemy fighters.
Then Megatron took the triangle thing for himself. Soon after, he fell into madness, ordering the deaths of a group of the same scientists -- including Optimus Prime -- who had discovered it. After Megatron launched an all-out attack on the organics trying to take the All Spark, and began forming the Decepticons, Ironhide was among the first dissenters to join Optimus. He refused to take innocent lives.
This was the most difficult choice he had to make. Did he stay with the army, as was his function, or did he follow his programming, and go with what he knew was right? There was no way that a group of scientists -- one of whom did good repair work from time to time -- could be guilty of what Megatron claimed. There was no reason for Megatron's claim... and calling for execution, their execution, was not the purpose of soldiers. He knows full well that he deserted the armed forces. But he will never admit it. Especially after the war began, and his choice was vindicated. He does not regret what he did, and if pressed, he will justify his decision.
He has been serving under the Autobot leader ever since, becoming not only comrades, but friends as well.
When the war officially broke out, he became indispensable, providing tactics, and some intel on the Decepticons. At some point during the war, he was given the task of training the young warriors, produced to bolster the Autobot forces. He seemed to take to this task quite readily. One in particular was called Sideswipe, and the two were quite close during Sideswipe's training and upbringing. Unfortunately, they lost contact after the younger 'bot was dispatched to look after a refugee colony, which ended in disaster. It was destroyed by a Decepticon named Demolishor, and Sideswipe took off on his own, after an argument about tactics with his old teacher.
Eventually, Optimus was forced to launch the All Spark from Cybertron, in an attempt to end the war, despite dooming their race, and their planet. Megatron followed out into space, abandoning his troops, but the war continued. It was decided that a group of Autobots would seek out the All Spark, and Megatron, before the Decepticon forces could do the same. Ironhide was among the group chosen for the mission.
Once on Earth, he joined in the search, resulting in a great deal of frustration, and the discovery of the boy Samuel Witwicky, who was in possession of a map to the All Spark. All this searching eventually culminated in the battle of Mission City, and the apparent death of Megatron when Sam shoved the All-Spark into Megatron's own spark, along with their longtime lieutenant, Jazz.
Ironhide was among the cleanup crew following the battle, partnering with Captain Lennox's team in taking down the rogue machines created by the All-Spark's energies. He later aided in transporting the Decepticon remains to their final resting place, taking part in small skirmishes with them along the way.
He, along with the other surviving Autobots, joined forces with the human military, forming the group known as NEST, in order to hunt down both the remaining Decepticon forces, and any that might arrive later on. With Megatron dead, it seemed that Starscream had taken over the command of the Decepticons. For two years, they fought battle after battle, collecting more Autobot refugees, and coming out with more victories than they did losses. Every part of the globe was under scrutiny, from the African desert, to the Andes. In Africa, they engaged Starscream's forces at a major dam in Zambia, defeating them, and saving millions of lives, as the Decepticons had been attempting to break the dam. Later, he took part in a mission to Australia, in which it was discovered that there were a splinter group of Decepticons, working toward Megatron's resurrection. This only strengthened the need to step up patrols, and stop any Decepticon who entered Earth's atmosphere.
Then, an incident took place in Buenos Aries, in which Ironhide was called on to reign in his old student. Sideswipe had reappeared, obsessed with revenge, and was hell-bent on taking down a massive Decepticon alone. The younger Autobot managed to rack up a large death toll, and huge amounts of property damage before Ironhide could talk him down. It took the old warrior throwing himself in front of a missile strike to get through to the younger, and haul him back to NEST, where they began working together once again.
All went as planned, until a routine mission in Shanghai came coupled with a strange warning about "the Fallen". From there, everything fell apart--the human government's relationship with the Autobots disintegrated into suspicion, Megatron was revived, and, worst of all, it seemed, Optimus was killed.
Following the apparent disbanding of the NEST forces, Ironhide took part in the battle in Egypt, fending off the oncoming Decepticon horde until Sam could reach Optimus--presumably with a way to restore Ironhide's leader and old friend back to life. During that battle, Sam was killed, seemingly ending all hope of reviving Prime, and Megatron's massed forces drew down on the dwindling NEST team...
And Ironhide ended up arriving in a bizarre new place. While his chest was on fire.
=== Game History ===
Developments from: [livejournal.com profile] ms_elegante
Ironhide was first dragged to the ship known as the M.S. Elegante. He absolutely loathed it, finding it comparable to confinement, and doing everything he could in order to free himself and his comrades from what he assumed to be the captain's imprisonment. This included engaging in a mutiny, during which he attempted to rescue a young Autobot held in seeming captivity by the captain. His attempt failed, leaving Ironhide with an incredible sense of guilt over the incident, to the point where he ventured into a haunted theater, trying to rescue what he thought was a child in great distress, only to be killed as the theater collapsed around him. He was also involved in working with some of the other passengers to create and maintain a sort of protection squad, leading one team personally, and becoming close with the others assigned under him. Throughout all this, Ironhide maintained that the captain was nothing but a liar, and that their worlds were still in existence. It kept him going, despite all the craziness and punishments.
And then October rolled around. During his second Halloween on the Elegante, it was revealed that the captain had been right all along. Their worlds really were gone. And Ironhide's otherwise unyielding stubbornness just plain broke. He was despondent and sullen until his friends and comrades could break through to him, and bring him back around. He later took part in a venture into Carnival, to find the illusive "Mother" figure, something that would help foil the plans of the End. He was part of the battle on the decks of the ship as everything began to fall apart, and, in a quiet moment, privately acknowledged the captain's ultimate sacrifice -- a man whom he had despised for over a year. Following the battle, he helped organize the groups moving to take control of the ship in the absence of its crew, and finally, assisted in getting the passengers to their destination of the Golden Shore by blowing up an iceberg to create rafts. But instead of waking up on the Shore... he's found himself in yet another strange world.
Ironhide tended to revert back to his old tendencies as a combat instructor, during which it appeared he had, for all intents and purposes, adopted his trainees. This occurred, once again, on the Elegante. Most of these "adoptions" came about during incidents when Ironhide either had to protect the individual involved, worked closely with them, or otherwise spent a good deal of time with them. Not all of those he took on as "charges" were children, as two of his closest friends were Hannibal King and Brynhildr "Bryn" Dottir. He was assigned to look after the boy Xanth, after an incident with a crazy 'elf' and a murderer, and the two became very close indeed, with Ironhide becoming a sort of father figure to the boy. The young man, Zuko, was also "adopted" in a similar way -- he was assigned to Ironhide's protection squad, and while the two of them got off to a poor start, eventually, they respected one another, and also had a sort of parent-child relationship, especially after Ironhide attempted to beat some sense into Zuko's sister. By virtue of patience and a lot of similarities, he grew close to four mutant turtles as well -- most especially close to Michelangelo, the sort of "baby" of the group. From his homeworld, there was Mikaela Banes, Sam Witwicky's girlfriend, who he felt obligated to look after, considering she was Bumblebee's friend. And then there was Bumblebee himself, the student and "younger brother" figure to the old warrior. Ironhide endured losing 'Bee to disappearances multiple times, and it weighed heavily on him.
Probably the biggest development that came about as a result of events on the Elegante was Ironhide's relationship with Ratchet, the Autobot medical officer. They had always been very close friends, working together, bickering with each other, and covering one another's backs throughout the war. And then one Halloween, due the the captain's meddling, both of them became human for a time. They both became horribly intoxicated, and ended up sleeping with each other. Ironhide then proceeded to avoid Ratchet entirely, both convinced he'd hurt his friend during their encounter, and hoping to deny the incident even happened -- as it had brought out feelings for the other Autobot he'd convinced himself didn't exist. Their friendship was all but nonexistent until Ironhide finally gave in, agreed to at least attempt some kind of normalcy. After that, they only grew closer, actually becoming something of an inadvertent couple. It wasn't until Valentine's day that they really developed their relationship, both of them admitting feelings for each other, and, a short time later, agreeing that they actually were an item, and deciding to carry on this way as best they could.
It was an especially impressive development for Ironhide, who was borderline phobic of such a relationship for a variety of reasons, and an incredibly guarded individual, when it came to his feelings. To share something so openly with another was making huge strides -- even if they both agreed to keep such a thing as quiet as possible. Ratchet remains one of the most important individuals in his life, one he would do anything for, no matter what. He fell in love with him, fully and completely.
=== Personality ===
Tough-as-nails and no-nonsense, Ironhide is a warrior to the core, despite the fact he tends to be something of a loose cannon—-no pun intended--with a temper and actual cannons to back him up. He is fiercely loyal to a given cause--fanatically loyal to the Autobot cause, and utterly devoted to Optimus Prime. However, he tends to be standoffish, occasionally foul-mouthed, and stubborn, going so far as to argue with Optimus before ultimately giving in. Tact is not in his vocabulary, or his core programming. Ironhide has a temper, and although his "bite" is just as bad as his "bark", his displays are often easily settled by those who know how to properly handle him. He's excitable, despite his age, especially where weapons and explosions are concerned. But around pretty much everything else, he acts like a grouchy old man, with a stubborn streak as wide as he is massive.
While he does not give his trust away freely, especially in regards to humanity, once you’ve won it, he can be frighteningly devoted. He does genuinely care about his fellow Autobots, but the Decepticons have a special place in hell, as far as he's concerned--he hates them as much as any living thing can hate another. He feels that any measures are necessary when it comes to defeating said Decepticons. Since a good majority of the soldiers he once knew sided with Megatron, relishing in chaos and destruction, tainting their purpose. In a sense, most of those he knew betrayed their kind, and therefore Ironhide himself--in his opinion. Megatron especially. He worked with them, trusted them, and they ended up trying to kill him, and the Autobots.
"Turning traitor" is, therefore, a big issue for him; a traitor, he believes, cannot be redeemed. They are scum, and can never be trusted again.
But for the Autobots, and their human allies at NEST and in the children, he would give his life in their defense, without hesitation. He will never, ever, kill those he deems to be innocent--which is usually a synonym for "civilian". Beating them into a pile of unrecognizable scrap, however, does not count as "killing", in his book. It's gotten him into trouble for nearly crossing the line before, as far as physical violence goes. But under no circumstances will he actually take a civilian life. Death is for soldiers and traitors. On this, he will not so much as bend.
He was made for soldiering--for protecting the weaker, the younger, the innocent. Whether that means throwing himself into the fray ahead of one of them, taking the shots meant for another, or giving his own life for them, it doesn't matter to him. He will do so. It isn't so much that he feels certain individuals cannot protect themselves. It's just something he must do, and can't adequately explain why. If he is unable to defend those he cares for, or those he feels he must, it rarely sits well with him. He doesn't know how to protect people from things that can't be fought, and that, for lack of a better word, scares him a little. More accurately, he hates it.
Ironhide is painfully private, almost to the point of phobic. All personal matters, especially his own, are best kept private. He does try to get along with his allies, and with people more outwardly emotional than he is, but he seems to consistently say the wrong thing, and can't for the life of him figure out what he's said wrong or why. Most of his more concerned, sentimental conversations are locked down--the words are supposed to be between the two parties, not the rest of the world. Emotion still overrides caution, sometimes, and he's not always able to do this, which leaves him ashamed of himself, or merely embarrassed, for a long time afterward. This includes forms of physical affection beyond the odd shove--it's private, it should take place behind closed doors. He has a very clear soft spot for the young -- human or Autobot, as evidenced by his raising of one Autobot, and his treatment of Bumblebee throughout his canon.
Lastly, if you want to live, do not fly with Ironhide. He hates it, loathes it. If there is any other feasible means of transportation, by God, he will take it.
=== Appearance ===
Ironhide is a big, black, alien robot with a heavy, spiky design and thick armor. He stands 25' tall, and weighs 4.8 metric tons, rounded down. He is covered in numerous scars and tattoos, the most visible of which is on his face, over the right optic. His alternate mode is a behemoth of a black GMC Topkick pickup. He's built big, stocky, and sturdy. Despite this, he tends to move fairly smoothly once he actually gets himself going. He walks with a slight limp in one leg, from the damage to his hip joint.
Due to events in the end of Revenge of the Fallen, he also has a sizable chunk of armor missing from the front of his chest. 
=== Abilities, Skills and Talents ===
His name does not lie, his armor is thick, and tough, it had to be, for him to have survived for as long as he has. Shots that would kill a smaller, lesser-armored Autobot only scratch him. It takes a great deal of force to so much as puncture his exterior armor. He's rather agile for his size and age, although not a fast mover. Both he and his vehicle mode are heavy-duty brawlers, not quick scouts. His top speed is only 110MPH in vehicle mode, though he is capable of hauling 200 metric tons, and able to take on most head-on collisions without much severe damage. He is almost literally a tank in truck form. And, since he's an Autobot, is capable of switching between forms on a split-second's notice. He can scan a machine and take its form. However, it does need to be of the right size to accommodate his mass.
At one point, it was said that he had a hand in destroying a small planet with the strength of his weaponry. Also according to the novel, Veiled Threat, he has the capacity to refine and create energon, which is essentially a substance that comes from breeding nitroglycerin, gasoline, alcohol, and the juice in blue glowsticks.
Like all Autobots, he possesses scanning capability--although what exactly that entails is unclear. It is noted that they are capable of detecting lifeforms, other Cybertronians, and some types of radioactive material with these scanners.
He is capable of calling up a holographic driver, though the exact capabilities of said hologram are never quite explained. They can speak with the voice of the Cybertronian in question, but are not solid, as objects are able to pass through them. There is no other discernible difference, however, between the hologram and a real human.
In the Keep, not much will change, save for his size, speed and weight, since there won't be many, if any, other machines around, and few, if any, components to make energon.
== Relationships ==
=== Castmates ===
=== Other Characters ===
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