The Diego Diaries: Guard 6 (dd4 9)

-0-In a parking garage in New York City, Earth

Prowl glared at the four humans who looked terrified. Given that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were transformed, both kneeling to fit the space, looking like murder on wheels, he didn't blame them.

For that.

"Why did you do what you did to my soldier?" Prowl asked the small group of petrified humans.

Three of them glanced at Mike Donaldson, then stepped back. "He did it," one of them said.

He looked at the three with an aghast expression, then turned toward Prowl once again. "I … I didn't know. I thought they were cars that belonged to a couple of guys I have a grudge with. I had no idea that they were aliens."

Prowl considered that for a moment quashing an urge to punt the human while he did. "I am under the impression that this would constitute an illegal action on your part."

"I … it is," Donaldson said with a lame voice. He looked at the two furious mechs, then Prowl. "You aren't going to kill me are you?"

Sunstreaker sat back with an expression of fury on his face. "YOU WOULD BE DEAD BY NOW IF I WORKED THAT WAY, FRAGGER! WHAT THE FRAG?!"

Sideswipe shook his helm. "You deserve a slagging. I don't know if it rises to the level of capital punishment though," he said with a slight grin.

Sunstreaker glared at Sideswipe. "DO YOU WANT MY OPINION?!"

"I think we have it," Prowl said calmly.

Sunstreaker leaned closer. "Do you understand how hard it is to get this fragging shine? Do you?"

The man blanched slightly. "A long time?"

"A LIFETIME!" Sunstreaker leaned back to glare at the man, then Prowl. "FRAGGING HIGH CASTE! WHAT MADE YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD JUST FRAG WITH SOMEONE ELSE!? HOW MANY CARS HAVE YOU DONE THIS TOO BECAUSE YOU'RE A FRAGGING HIGH CASTE!?" Sunstreaker looked down the row to spot a black highly polished Porsche. "WHAT THE FRAG IS IT WITH PORSCHES? PORSCHES ARE CRAP!" He looked at the man leaning in closely. "How about I go down there and put my fist through the hood of your fragging crap Porsche?"

The man swallowed hard. "Uh … I would hate it."

"Then maybe I should do it... let you have something to remember me by," Sunstreaker said with fury.

"I don't think I'm going to ever forget you," the man said shifting from foot to foot.

"Prowl, perhaps we can send them on their way," Morshower said. He looked at Sunstreaker. "I'm sorry for my species that he did that to you, Sunstreaker. It was a punk move."

Sunstreaker looked at Morshower, then the humans. "Count your blessings, fraggers, that I'm not what you think I am or they would still be hunting for your molecules. If I ever see you again, I will dismantle whatever you love that's in reach of my servos. Understand?"

The four nodded, then turned to hurry away. Donaldson ran for his car, then entered. Revving it up, he turned and fled followed by the others in their vehicles. Sunstreaker watched them go, then touched his chassis gently. "Fragging slaggers. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO GET RID OF THIS MARK!?"

"We do," Prowl said. "We expect you to suck it up though. You are on duty."

Sunstreaker looked at Prowl with a disgusted expression, then shook his helm. "I can hardly stand humans."

"We know and right now I don't blame you," Morshower said with a slight grin. "We do appreciate you though, Sunny."

"We do," the Vice President of the United States said as he stood in the midst of very tense, very stone faced Secret Service. "I am sorry for this."

Sunstreaker looked at the human, one he knew from news reports, then nodded. Morshower turned to Prowl. "Are we good here?"

Prowl looked at the twins with a questioning expression. Sunstreaker rolled his optics, then transformed back to his Lambo format, one with a nice scratch across the hood. Sideswipe grinned at his brother, then looked at the humans. "Those men are fraggers. They're lucky to have wheels to escape," he said. Then he transformed too.

The Vice President and the Secret Service stared at the two with amazement, then turned toward Prowl. He paused a moment to speak with the twins internally, then looked at the humans. "I will go back to Autobot City then," he said. "Are there further questions or needs?"

Morshower looked at the others, then Prowl. "No. We're good here."

Prowl nodded. "Very well. Your families are in the city and are waiting for you to come. In the meantime, we will continue as planned." He paused. "Prowl to Autobot City. I need a bridge."

Almost immediately a flare of energy appeared and stabilized into a funnel. With a nod, Prowl turned, walking into it. It collapsed when he disappeared inside and would chase him back to Mars 140,000,000 mile away in seconds.

It was silent a moment, then the Vice President shook his head. "That is so amazing."

"You should try it. It tingles," Fulton said with a grin.

"I would like to," the Vice President said as the group turned to go back to their meeting. "If you could put in a good word ..."

Morshower grinned. "I think I could do that." They disappeared through the door that led upward.

It was silent a moment, then Sideswipe ventured a remark. "You alright?"

"FRAG NO! I'm sick of this kind of slag, Sideswipe. We aren't nothing. We're warriors. No one wipes their slagging peds on us again. I've terminated mechs for less."

Sideswipe considered that. "I know," he said quietly.

They would wait for the soldiers to return, Sunstreaker in a state of fluctuating agitation. It was too much like Cybertron, what had happened, for both of them.

-0-Once upon a time long ago

They sat in the backroom of their bar playing cards as they waited for evening. They would 'visit' the second and third homes of high caste slaggers making hay helping themselves to their possessions and booze. They were a wild bunch of youngling mechs who were very dangerous and very good at stealing, fighting and making trouble. They were also very smart and cunning. Many were the police that tried to nail them and many were the failures to do so.

Their bar was one of the four in the local area that was under surveillance by the authorities. It was one of two that high caste younglings and danger junkies would come for a drink and vicarious excitement. Slumming, Sideswipe called it. Sunstreaker didn't bother to name it. He just took their money and sometimes beat their asses. It was fun. It was therapeutic and felt like justice.

Sentinel was in tonight and everyone knew it. Prowl wasn't with him, the high caste former detective elsewhere it would seem. Everyone knew Prowl and most feared him. The twins didn't. They feared nothing except perhaps being separated from each other. Though they fought and battled each other on occasion, they were of one processor, a finely honed force of nature.

A figure appeared in the doorway blanking out most of the sound and fury beyond in the bar and lounge of this, the twins' clubhouse and base of operation. Sunstreaker ignored the figure but Sideswipe addressed him with a knowing cynical smirk. "Well, well, well … look what the targs dragged in. You need a walk on the wild side do you, Sentinel?"

The big mech stood in the doorway a moment without replying, then walked in to sit in a chair at the table. Smokescreen who was a professional gambler and a confidante of the proprietors glanced at Sunstreaker. "Your deal," he said shoving the cards to the big yellow and black mechanism.

"Deal me in," Sentinel said.

"Frag you, Sentinel," Sunstreaker said glancing at Sentinel finally. "Isn't there something for you to do downtown? What brings you to Kaon besides me?"

Sentinel grinned. "I do have responsibilities to Kaon. I am Prime after all."

"You could care less about Kaon and how you got to be Prime I will never know," Sunstreaker said cutting him off. "You're here for me. Dream on, Sentinel. A mech should have dreams."

Sentinel stared at Sunstreaker, then shrugged slightly. "Dreams can come true."

Two orns later, Sideswipe would be cornered in an alley, beaten half to death and dumped into prison on trumped up charges. Sunstreaker would not know for a few orns, then he would hire the only defender in half of Cybertron to get his brother out. He would succeed. The huge fee Sunstreaker would pay the lawyer would be used by him to change his features to protect against Sentinel's wrath. That lawyer would eventually end up on Mars to defend another at Sunstreaker's expense. It was full circle.

A decaorn after Sideswipe was out and recuperating war would finally break out and the Long Defeat would begin. It was easy for the twins to choose the Autobots. Few would have believed it but then they were always for the underdog. Given that they were themselves made that distinction clear to them. The Decepticons had nothing to offer but mindless fighting and mayhem. They weren't against fighting or mayhem but they were against Megatron for personal reasons of long standing.

That was another story altogether.

The afternoon in the parking garage would pass slowly.

-0-At the Primal Prison of Mars

They argued and discussed the situation, finally coming to a conclusion about rules and guidelines. They would be allowed to talk to prisoners. They would NEVER be allowed to do it or anything else alone. End of arguments. Barron would choose the two prisoners they wanted to profile and the guards and staff would be available too to add their perspective. It was always to be understood that death was swift and unforeseen among these, the hard core Decepticon remnant of migrations and infiltrations.

They finally stepped out and buzzed alongside a still fuming Red Alert, a grinning Inferno and a bemused Jazz. They would be shown each of the sections and given a heads up about who and what kind of prisoner was kept in the cell blocks. Inferno was cheerfully explaining things as they went.

:This is Cell Block A and its filled with seriously dangerous dumb afts. These are probably not going to be available for you to talk with because they are, some of them, mental: They paused to be let in to the first of the two interior perimeter fences. They were invisible but obvious because dust and sunlight caused their energy bars to shimmer. :We have a gestalt here, Menasor and several independent dip shits like Stiletto and Barricade. Notice that in the block there are eight separate electrified barracks so we can parcel out the stupid. Cell Block A, Barracks 1 houses the gestalt and the new slagger, A37:

The humans looked at the nearly empty barracks, then up at the tall bots who had stopped along the fence to smirk at A37. He was lounging in a chair near the fence where he could watch the airfield. :What is a gestalt, Inferno?: Leonora Huttle asked.

:A combiner. The 'Cons have a bunch of them but they did shoddy work so they aren't normal. Our combiners are classier and smarter. Superion and Computron are examples. The 'Con's gestalts tend to be dumb and inept. They break things but they can't think too well. But then: he said with a grin as he stared down at the humans on their segways, their cameramen filming madly, :they don't start out too bright to start with:

Leonora grinned. :Which one is here?:

:Menasor: Red Alert said with disgust. :Fraggers. They're in ad-seg for fighting. Best place for them:

:You have an administrative segregation unit? Will we be able to see that too?: Aaron Belcher asked with a hopeful expression.

:See it, maybe. Talk to them or go there, no: Red Alert said with his usual finality.

Inferno looked at them, then winked. As he did A37 noticed them. "What are you doing here? Did you bring me a visitor?" he asked of the group.

"I would slag you to the Pit, slagger. We're just visiting the zoo," Red said in reply.

The humans listened over the intracomm system into which they were wired both for direct communication and this, indirect. Leonora looked at the bot, a huge dangerous mechanism who was as alien to her as could be. :We're here to talk to prisoners: she said to the big mech who looked at them with a smirk.

"What do you want to ask?" A37 asked. "Talk to me. I'm lonely."

:Maybe we can put you on the list: Aaron Belcher said glancing sideways to Inferno. That mech just shrugged.

:Come on. Let's go: Red Alert said as he turned to leave this set of mostly empty cell barracks. As the party followed A37 called out. "Don't forget me! I'll be here!"

"Fragger," Red said to no one in particular. They continued onward until they came to a group sitting in chairs watching them approach. They were immaculate beings with brilliant colors and schemes. The party stopped before their bars and stared a moment. Then Leonora looked up at their escorts. :Who are these bots? Why are they in here? They look high caste:

:They are: Jazz replied as he stared at the group which included Burris. All of them were out taking the air, soaking up solar energy as they sat in their usual chairs in their usual places. :These slaggers are the ones who killed Cybertron. They are here because Prime is merciful. The rest of us? We would find an airlock and blow torch a better solution:

The mechs inside looked at the group, then Ratbat stood stretching. He walked to the bars and paused. "Who are these vermin?" he asked in his usual acidic manner.

"These are our allies. They are the ones who kept Megatron captive for a vorn, helped kill The Fallen and defeated the 'Cons every time they showed up on their planet," Jazz replied coldly. "You know the 'Cons? The ones you sold out our people to help."

"Touchy aren't you, Jazz. But then what can one expect from you. From the gutter, always in the gutter. You can't change," Ratbat said caustically.

Leonora looked at the mini-con mech with a shocked expression. :Who are you to judge? You're on the wrong side of the bars to judge anyone:

Ratbat looked at the human. He shrugged. "Its early. Megatron will come and then the game will be on."

"When he does I'll come here and put rounds in your helm, slagger," Jazz said stepping closer. "I'll terminate all of you. It might be a waste of good ammunition but who'll care by then? I'll be saving Megatron a chore."

"I would think you would enjoy Megatron pulling my arms and legs off," Ratbat replied.

"I would but I want to make sure you're dead. You'd lie your way back into his good graces otherwise," Jazz said coldly.

"I'll look forward to it," Ratbat said with a smirk. "You may be on the other side but I can still get under your chassis."

:But you're still caged like a rat: Leonora said equally coldly.

Inferno chuckled. "He is and he will never get out." He looked down at the humans. "Come on. There's more to see."

They turned and continued onward to the other cell blocks, then the larger newer facility beyond with the Decepticons that had come over the last two migrations. That is, the ones who hadn't shown promise.

As they left Ratbat sat down again.

"You should give it up," Decimus said with a shake of his helm. "She's right. You are still stuck in here no matter what."

"Not forever," Ratbat said. He looked at the others. "Not forever."

-0-TBC April 27, 2014 edited 7-12-14