The Diego Diaries: Diego Daze (dd6 75)
:D {} indicates NeoCybex being spoken
-0-Prowl
By the time Prowl reached Diego Partition was flat on his back in the open space in front of the Autobot Embassy. There were masses of humans watching outside an enforced circle which Smokescreen maintained with his mechs as protection for them. Ratchet stood over Partition staring at him with an expression that was a mix of triumph and outrage. He walked to Ratchet, then halted by his side. :Well, this is going to be a lead story on the news tonight:
Ratchet glanced at him, then grinned. {"Hi, Prowler. Nice of you to stop by. Again."}
{"Yes," Prowl agreed. {"You have managed to ruin my orn with your antics. Again."}
{"We're just sharpening up our pugilistic skills. Slagger might have a nice combination if he wasn't such an entitled baby,"} Ratchet said as he stepped back from the kid who was starting to come around. {"Better stand back. He might come up swinging and plant a hard right in your tool box."}
Prowl snickered in spite of himself? {:Tool box? How mundane:"}
:Your high caste roots are showing. For you, your jewel box then: Ratchet replied as the kid staggered up, then shook his helm. "Sleeping Beauty arises." Ratchet said, then turned to the humans. "Our training lesson on how to fight in close quarters got out of hand. Sorry about that, little people." He smiled beautifully as the mechs who knew the story smirked at him knowingly. "Nothing to see here. How about a couple of you boys helping my apprentice here into the med bay. We have more doctoring to do." He smiled another dazzling smile.
Smokescreen and Pogo gripped Partition's arms steering him toward the door as he shuffled in his emerging condition. They disappeared.
Ratchet watched them, then turned back to the masses who were laughing, cheering and applauding. He grinned, did a courtesy, then walked toward the doors. He paused halfway there, then turned to smile at Prowl. "You coming?"
Prowl stared at Ratchet with wonderment, then joined him to enter the building.
It would take a while for the mob to break up and move onward. The bots would stand by the door to watch over that dispersal themselves.
-0-Inside
"What brought this up?" Prowl asked as they walked into med bay where the kid was parked on a med berth.
Ratchet scanned Partition, then read the data. "Little mech is going to live."
"Oh joy," Prowl said dryly.
"Now, now, Prowler. Don't do me that way," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "He could become something if he tried but I don't know. He's set in stone."
"What happened?" Prowl replied.
Ratchet gave him the highlight reel as mechs 'casually' gathered around the door nearby to … serve their Prime (get the dirt) just in case they were needed (something new and great was said by either) because a half pulverized mech was sometimes unreliable (he might be killed trying to strangle Ratchet).
Like that.
Prowl stared at Ratchet silently for a moment, then looked at Partition. "How many are there in the colony and on Cybertron that bear that infection do you think, ready to get killed or kill someone in a moment of unguarded stupidity?"
"Who knows?" Ratchet said. "I'm keeping him though. If I have to beat him into plowshares I will. The court may come to regret giving me this power. This is deep, psychological and dangerous, Prowl. I have a call into Jarro for a chat. I need more than a good right-left combination. I'm going to see Lucian and Laslo when I get back."
"Oh. I'm coming, too," Prowl said. "You aren't going to do anything to disgrace your oath as an Autobot officer are you?"
"Probably," Ratchet replied matter-of-factually.
"I thought so," Prowl said. "Let's go." He turned to Partition who was shaking off the last bit of fog from his processor. "Come with us. We're heading back. No more exhibitions for today."
"Oh, frag, Prowler. And just when I was moving up on the exhibition card, buzzkill," Ratchet said as he followed Prowl to the door.
Prowl grinned. "Buzzkill. Me? Find a mirror, mech."
They left to head for the bridges with a fuming Partition behind them.
-0-Back on track, Jack
They arrived in the colony, then stepped down from the platform.
Prowl turned to Partition. "You look like slag."
"THIS FREAK IS BEATING ME UP EVERY TIME I TURN AROUND!"Partition said pointing to Ratchet as he vented on Prowl.
"Then don't turn around," Prowl said calmly. "What now?" he asked as he glanced at Ratchet.
"I need you to go to the office and finish the data work that I assigned this morning. Then I want you to go to the dojo with your unit to train. If there are any deviations from this path, I will find you and slag your aft. Questions?"
Partition stared at him through narrowed optical ridges. "NONE!" With that, he walked out to The City and his assignments. He would do them, too.
Ratchet and Prowl watched him go, then looked at each other. "I called Laslo and Lucien to come here. They're meeting in the conference room."
"I'm watching through the window," Prowl said as they walked together to reach the main floor. He slowed as he glanced at Ratchet. "Don't do anything I wouldn't."
Ratchet grinned. "Don't be putting your chains on me, Prowler."
Prowl grinned, then continued onward as Ratchet walked to the conference room where the committee usually met to wait for the two to arrive.
-0-Laslo and Lucien
They walked to the door of Ops Center, looked in to spy Prowl who spied them. He pointed to an open door nearby, so the two walked to it to enter. The door closed. It was another door to the big room where the committee met to run the show.
Walking to it, Prowl dialed in to the sound as well as the images of those inside. They wouldn't know it but he would.
The snoop.
Laslo and Lucien were called to enter by Ratchet who sat at the table in his usual spot. They hesitated, then complied. Pulling up seats, they both took them. "Why are we here, Ratchet?"
"I took Partition to Diego Garcia, the most important place we maintain with the humans. He was a worker for most of it, then he opened his mouth. It all fell down after that," Ratchet said as Prowl entered to sit in a chair.
The winger stared at the pair. "Don't look at me. I'm just here for the ride, too."
Laslo looked at Ratchet. "What do you want?"
"First of all, how does it feel having to come when I, Ratchet the Low Caste call you?" Ratchet asked.
They stared at him stonily. "You don't seem interested in getting to the point," Lucien said.
Ratchet considered that. "Aw, you sound put out. I just took Partition with me to Earth to work on some things and he made a spectacle of himself. He has this idea that even before he was born he was better than anyone else. I was hoping you could help me out there, Lucien. Where do you suppose he got that idea?"
"You know our views, Ratchet. Why do you want me to believe that you're surprised?" Lucien said.
"Because your son is spouting views that will get him killed here. I don't have any belief that your son is clever enough to not get into trouble. He said that his caste is the only one who can rule or have any control. He said its built in, the advantages and no one else has them. What do you say about that? Is that one of your views or is he diverging into unknown territory from even you?" Ratchet asked.
Lucien stared at Ratchet. "You want me to deny my son then?"
"I want to know the depth and extent of the dry rot, Lucien. I want to know how fully and measured his bigotry is," Ratchet replied.
It was silent, then Prowl rested his elbows on the table. "I was raised to be a high caste and to take more than my share of everything while denying everyone else. My genitors were following theirs. I rejected it even as my genitors did themselves. What about you, Lucien? What if your son pops off to someone here, says that he's by birth smarter and more able than someone else? What do you think would happen to him if he did? Consider how many of us walk around fully armed at all times."
Lucien shifted slightly.
Laslo looked wretched.
"We had a youngster here named Commotion. He played around with his self entitled invincibility. He ended up dead. What about that? Do you want that for Partition?" Ratchet asked.
"Of course not." He stared at Ratchet. "What do you expect me to do? He's a grown mech."
"I expect you to be his father and tell him how to live amongst us here in the real world and new paradigm. I have his sorry aft day and night if necessary and if you won't do it so he can be safe along with everyone else, I will do it for you.
"What do you want me to do? Assign him bodyguards? He shot off his mouth in a crowd of Wreckers and regular Army. He didn't have enough sense to keep his insults to himself. He didn't even try to judge the moment. One of these orns when I'm not there he's going to insult someone and we're going to have a visit to intensive care, if we're even that lucky," Ratchet said.
"You believe he's in danger?" Laslo asked with dawning realization.
Ratchet nodded. "Yes. He has no sense." He sat back. "It's in your best interest to have a chat with him. We have a number of high castes suffering intense self regard in the Processor Center. They have the same symptoms and problems as Partition. I would step up and do your duty. One of the reasons you got into this mess is the impression of your own community that you're terrible genitors."
Laslo and Lucien looked at Ratchet with expressions of varying emotion. That last remark stung.
Ratchet leaned in closer. "That wasn't my opinion. It was the consensus of your own court, Lucien. I can make him an inpatient or you can do your job. Step up. Get him squared away or he's going to get hurt. Do you hear me?"
They stared at him with stony expressions, then both nodded.
Ratchet glanced at Prowl who shrugged, then he sat back. "No one stepped up for the three of you but me, Ratchet the Low Caste. Remember that when you leave this room. Go and do your job."
Both stood, then walked stiffly out of the room. The door closed behind them.
Ratchet glanced at Prowl. "That was awful."
"So is a funeral," Prowl said. "How big a danger is he to himself?"
"I would rate him high," Ratchet said. "He insulted the garrison on Earth to their faces."
"Frag," Prowl said.
-0-On the way toward home
Lucien had called Partition to come home so the two took a train there to meet him. They stood together on the train as it headed through the tunnels toward their city. :This is going to be interminable. We have to convince Partition to do his best so we can end this sooner rather than later:
Laslo looked at him. :Do you believe he's in danger from his actions or what?:
:I don't know. We'll find out from him: Lucien said as the train rumbled into their station.
-0-Moments later at home
"That's what happened," Partition said as he paced in the living room.
"He has complete control until the court releases us," Laslo said with a bit of anxiety. "You have to be more strategic, son."
-0-At a restaurant in another city
"That's what happened," Ratchet said as he sat across from Ironhide.
"I don't like you around that mech," Ironhide said. "He's a disaster waiting to happen."
"Maybe, maybe not," Ratchet said. "It's your slagging customs. Again."
Ironhide grinned. "They are aren't they."
"What have you been doing?" Ratchet asked.
"A lot. I also got the little cars and trucks back from the Museum. Their display is over," Ironhide said. "The infants will be happy."
"Speaking of which, we have a conference for Hero tomorrow, then Praxus and Sunspot the next day," Ratchet said consulting his inner day planner.
"I know. It's going to be interesting to see what they have to say about Hero," Ironhide said. "I also want to know how Owen Harris's daughter is doing in Sunspot's room."
"She's there?" Ratchet asked with surprise.
"Every orn," Ironhide said grimly.
"Oh," Ratchet said.
-0-TBC 7-27-17 edited 8-2-17 01-28-2022