The Diego Diaries: Diego (dd6 73)
-0-At the sea
Ratchet waded into the water just as Partition began to rise to the surface. He pushed upward, then began to swim toward the shore. The mechs watched him as he finally reached his footing. He turned on Ratchet. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?"
"Because it was fun," Ratchet said. He grinned as Partition fumed in front of him, then he jumped forward. Landing on Partition, they both disappeared from view. Waves rolled onto the beach, the force of it broken somewhat by the presence of other mechs in the water. They watched with amusement as the two rolled upward again.
"HEY, RATCHET! NEED HELP!" Smokey called out.
"NOT YET!" Ratchet said with a laugh. Down they went again and again until Ratchet pushed off to float on his back.
Partition came up again filled with fury. He pushed off to chase Ratchet who was waiting for him. Down he went when Ratchet collapsed to sink.
Partition floated on top staring downward, looking for Ratchet in the water until he was jerked under again.
The water roiled, then Ratchet popped up, swimming on his side toward the smirking mechs watching nearby. "Hello, boys. I'm here for your physicals."
"Who's the kid?" Smokescreen asked as he stood next to his grandson. He was the commander of the base for the Autobots. Smokey had rotated here and was divided in his permanent assignments. He spent one series of shifts here, then did the rest on Mars with the Night Watch.
"He wants to be a diplomat. I'm showing him the ropes," Ratchet said as he got to his feet.
Raucous laughter greeted that as the group watched the kid walk toward them with a real fury on his face. He paused before Ratchet. "WHY DID YOU DO THIS?"
"Because everyone who comes here gets dunked. Its a right of passage," Ratchet replied with a grin. He glanced at the others. "Right?"
They nodded.
"Sure," Smokescreen said with a grin.
Partition glared at all of them. "It's a stupid thing to do."
"Oh, my. Get over it," Ratchet said. "Look at the humans. They think its great."
Partition stared at the humans, then Ratchet. "Who cares."
"You better if you want to be a diplomat," Ratchet replied. "Those aliens over there helped kill The Fallen and Megatron. They're tough and smart. You'd be slammed to the ground if you do anything to mess that up."
Partition glared at Ratchet, then the humans watching. "How does this advance me toward that goal, your highness?" he asked with a caustic tone.
Ratchet grinned. "You don't know much about your place do you. You're low mech on the totem pole. You do what I tell you and you do it the way I tell you. You have no say here. You're learning how to do this my way. I've been the Autobot diplomat since forever. You will never get anywhere with me by being a hard headed aft and I'm the only open door you can pass through by meeting my standards."
"Your standards. HA!" Partition said before Ratchet gripped his helm and dunked him. Over and over he was dunked before Ratchet stepped back.
Partition came back up and swung on Ratchet.
Ratchet ducked but swung back connecting hard and expertly.
Partition staggered, then swung again.
Ratchet swung back and it was on.
Moving toward shore, Smokescreen rapped Jolt and Smokey. "Clear the beach back. If this goes up there, this kid will hurt someone."
The big mechs nodded, then walked toward the beach roiling the water as they went.
Humans began to move upward toward the banks under their direction as a real slagfest began to form in the water.
Partition had skills but Ratchet had more and even though he managed to land blows Ratchet parried most.
Partition pressed Ratchet who stepped back giving ground as a tactic. Partition swung over and over, landing blows but mostly getting parried as Ratchet calmly fended him off. He paused in his fury, then tackled Ratchet. They surged backward pushing a wave toward the beach. The mechs there helped the humans miss it, then moved them onward.
The fight was heading for shore.
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and The Empire
:I have a message from Captain William Coy at Diego that Partition and Ratchet are slagging it out on the beach, Commander: Lieutenant Alexander Blake, a human working in the Ops Center as an N.E.S.T. liaison said as he glanced toward Prowl. :What do you need to have done? Jolt told someone who called me:
Prowl considered that, then rose from the table. "I will handle it," he said as he walked from the huge room toward the bridges.
Alex watched him go, then glanced at his partner, a sargent from France. :Oops:
They both grinned, then tuned into Diego for the straight poop.
-0-At Diego
Prowl walked from the Embassy toward the main road through the base that led to the beach where the fight was still going on. He nodded to those who waved as he walked with purpose toward the ocean down the way. As he headed through the base, an uncommon sight lately, he saw officers at the Officers Club who were coming out of the building. Nodding, he continued onward as they watched him pass by.
"What's he doing here?" one asked, a colonel in the American Air Force.
"I don't know," a British naval captain said. "Let's go."
The group as one followed after Prowl who was hoofing it carefully through the crowds. He found a bigger one at the ocean. Halting to figure out what to do, he walked back a bit, slipped between two buildings, then hit the beach. The crowd was pushed back as Ratchet and Partition jammed on the sand. Ratchet was between the humans and Partition so there was no danger things could become more problematic than they were.
Jolt, Blurr, Smokey, several Home Guardsmen whose names eluded Prowl at the moment and Smokescreen were also between the humans and the fight, though they were clearly enjoying it. Prowl watched them, drew his conclusions about a number of things including Partition's obvious but over matched skills, then stepped closer. "Ratchet," he said.
Ratchet glanced his way as he blocked a number of Partition's furious punches. "Hi, Prowler. Welcome to my nightmare."
Prowl smirked in spite of himself, then glanced at Partition. "Either put him down or I will."
Ratchet grabbed Partition's servos. "Enough," he said before Partition kicked him in the shins. Hard. Ratchet saw stars, then picked Partition up. He threw him hard into the water where he sunk from view. Rubbing his shin, he bitched. "Ow."
"Serves you right," Prowl said with a grin. "You knew it would be a slag fest going in."
"True, that," Ratchet said. "But if it wasn't, where would be the fun in that?" he asked with a smile.
Prowl grinned as both turned to watch Partition rise up, then hulk his way forward. He was truly pissed.
Prowl stepped closer. "Enough," he said in his most firm command voice.
"Get out of the way, traitor. I'm going to kick his aft," Partition said as he got closer.
"You'll be brigged if you don't obey," Prowl said.
Partition halted, staring at Prowl with fury. "He threw me in the water in front of the humans."
"Everyone goes in the water when they come here. Didn't you know that?" Prowl asked with a mild sense of amusement. He glanced at Ratchet. "Didn't you tell him?"
"And ruin the surprise?" Ratchet asked.
Partition looked from one to the other. "I'm going to file a complaint. He's abusive and worthless."
"Oh, there you go! You hurt my feelings," Ratchet said with a grin. "Get out of there. We have work to do."
Prowl nodded, then glanced at Ratchet. "I would like to know about the plans for expansion of the housing here along with how medical fits into the master plan," Prowl said as he turned to walk back to the Embassy.
Ratchet joined him waving to the humans as he left. "I have a few ideas about that," he said as they walked down the beach to the old break in the fence and a straight shot to the Embassy.
Partition watched them with incredulity. He glanced at the other mechs who grinned at his disconnect. "Fraggers," he hissed as he walked after them.
"AND HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU TOO, FRAGGER!" Smokescreen said as the others laughed. Then Smokescreen grabbed the ball from his grandson before racing to the water once again. The others followed, the humans resumed their places once again and all was well in this neck of the woods once more.
-0-Down the beach
:You really know how to clear a room: Prowl said as he grinned at Ratchet.
:It's my special power: Ratchet replied with a smirk. :This hard head is going to take some of my special handling. If he lives through it he might have a chance to be decent:
:Sometimes you can't change a psychopath: Prowl said.
:Sometimes you never know until you try: Ratchet said as they climbed the bank to the trail that led to the Embassy.
The stroll to the building was pleasant in the warmth of the day. It felt like old times. Pausing to chat with soldiers and civilians, the two made it to the Embassy with a fuming youngster following. Entering, they turned to Partition who paused before them with fury on his face.
"You're here to learn. You're here to follow orders and directions. The end result of failure is to be shunned forever and that means your family would have to obey the court directive as well," Prowl said.
"My family would never obey that," Partition said.
"It would be to their credit not to but I've seen those who did. You have only one path. You chose caste court. You agreed by doing so to obey and live within the court's findings. If you don't, then you're a very great fool. Ratchet will teach you all you need to know to excel. Don't be a delinquent," Prowl said.
"Funny coming from you. There's those who see you as a traitor, Prowl, to the cause," Partition said stubbornly.
"The only cause that we need to be concerned with is the Autobot's. The Prime has stated that he will honor fight anyone who believes that the caste poison has to come back. I'll be seeing him later this afternoon. Shall I schedule you for a contest?" Prowl asked calmly.
"You don't think I can best him?" Partition asked with the brio of hard headed youth.
"No." -Ratchet and Prowl
"You may find this amusing but make no mistake. Prime has put his prestige on the line against The System. You will have to honor fight if you persist in this venture. I consider Optimus Prime a phase six mechanism. You would fail in a match against him with even an army assisting." Prowl glanced at Ratchet. "I am enamored of the idea of a gauntlet if that's the last measure available. It works for the former Decepticon hot helms. There's no data on its affects regarding civilians. I would be interested in seeing it if it comes to that."
"You two are peas in a pod. You think you can beat me into submission? That I'll be your pet over time?" Partition asked with cold mirthless resolve on his face.
Prowl turned to him with a measuring gaze. "No. What we want is a decent citizen. There isn't a single mech or femme of any age or condition in our society anywhere it can be found that takes second place to you by virtue of the birth lottery. It would do you well to learn that simple truth, one given to us by Primus and The One with Their ultimate love and sacrifice. If you defy our creed, that all are indeed one, you defy Them, too."
Partition stared at him, then Ratchet. "I defy you."
"Good," Ratchet said with a grin. "I need a more well rounded martial practice, Prowler. Tussling with Ironhide keeps me in trim but having another sparring partner, now that's sweet."
"Punching bag, you mean," Prowl said with a grin. He looked at Partition with an appraising stare. "Do you take training?"
"I put him in the Home Guard. They work at the dojo as part of the program. Maybe some fine orn he'll land more than 4% of his punches," Ratchet said with a grin.
Partition glared at him. "You give me incentive to go more."
"Oh, do," Ratchet said. "I'm thinking of taking you on missions. If you want to be a diplomat in this mech's corp you need combat experience."
Partition stared at him a moment, then Prowl. "Combat?"
Prowl shrugged. "It's part of the job."
Partition shifted his peds as he looked at both with a slightly uncertain expression.
Ratchet grinned. "Go to the med bay and wait for me there. I have to discuss some things with Prowl before he returns to Mars."
Partition glared at Ratchet but obeyed, walking to the med bay with a slight limp.
Ratchet watched him go, then grinned at Prowl. "I don't know how this will turn out but every time I look at him I see him as an infant. He didn't mean to turn out this way and there's something about him that makes me ..."
"Soft in the helm?" Prowl asked as both watched the big kid walk into the med bay and disappear from sight.
"Bingo," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "You heading back?"
"Yes," Prowl said with a slightly bemused expression. "I am Prowl. I am essential equipment."
Ratchet snickered. "You are. See ya."
Prowl nodded, then watched as Ratchet walked to the med bay as well. He smirked, shook his helm, then walked toward Central Corridor and the route to the bridges. He would be back on Mars in seconds.
Partition on the other hand would be here on Earth doing drudge work as Ratchet worked through the physicals of the garrison.
-0-TBC 7-25-17 edited 8-2-17 01-28-2022
NOTE:
News during World War II among the Americans was called 'the poop'. Truthful news was called 'the straight poop'. :D