The Diego Diaries: FOOTBALL! (dd6 310)
-0-Morning
The madhouse and the struggle was real.
"ADA! WHY YOU! I DOING DIS!?"
"No, Orion. You can 't go with that. You'll block the view," Ratchet said as he took the hat that Hero saw in a catalog and Old Softie aka Pa had made for her, a choosing hat from Harry Potter. He plucked it, then frisbeed it into Hero's room.
"BWAHA! THAT GOOD, YOU! YOU GOOD, ADA!" Orion said as he danced after it.
"EVERYONE WEARS WHAT I PUT OUT! GET DRESSED! WE'RE GOING! NOW!"Ratchet bellowed as he walked into his berth room to get Halo organized. He halted to stare. She was sitting up in the middle of the berth holding a dollie as Ironhide prepared her carrier. Ratchet shot molten optics to the big lummox. "SINCE WHEN HAS SHE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT!?"
Ironhide glanced at her, then Ratchet. He smiled a big cheese eating smile reminiscent of a smaller version of himself. "Uh … HOW WOULD I KNOW!?" he said deciding a good offense was the best defense. Several pillows and a small box hit him in the face.
Ratchet walked over and picked her up, holding her before him with a grin. "How's my little baby? Say my name, slagger, and I won't throw you at him, too."
She smiled at him with her little white face and luminous 'hair', then the sound of heavy treads were heard. Ironhide and Ratchet glanced toward the door, then froze.
He zipped in, took the infant, then grinned at both. "Thanks. Times up on the loaner," Prowl said as he turned with the baby and walked out.
It was silent in the room a moment.
"That mech needs a hold. Call Jarro," Ironhide said as he picked up the carrier.
"Fragger. Call Springer. I want to report a theft," Ratchet said with a chuckle. As Ironhide walked past, Ratchet slugged him on the arm hard. "You better not hold back, Ironhide, or I won't either."
"DOMESTIC VIOLENCE! I'VE BEEN ATTACKED! CASTE COURT!" he bellowed loudly as they both walked to the living room.
"What happened, Ada? Uncle Prowl came through, then left with Halo," Lumi said as he sat on the couch with Saber and Fireball. They were waiting to help carry everyone to breakfast.
"Your Uncle Prowl," Ratchet began, then he paused as if choking up with emotion.
Everyone halted their antics to watch him.
"Your Uncle Prowl is ..." *CHOKE UP* "He's just … FRAGGING INSANE! I WANT TO REPORT A ROBBERY!" Ratchet said with a smile.
Huge laughter and no small amount of relief greeted that from the infants stacked up all over the place. When everyone was ready, they gathered the babies then headed out for breakfast. The Diner On The Corner would be overrun once again.
-0-Moments later
Ratchet took his takeout into servo, then frowned. "I have to go to finish the conference. Hold my place."
"Slaggers. They sure know how to ruin someone's orn," Ironhide said as he frowned at Ratchet.
Everyone had ordered and food was coming.
After bantering a moment, Ratchet walked out. "Tell 'em good, Ratchet, then get back here."
Everyone there agreed.
-0-Diego Garcia
It was warm and balmy at Diego. This was the last orn of the meet up and the day that everyone knew the Football Championship of Cybertronian would commence. Everyone who could was slotted somewhere in front of a screen to watch the Kaon Kavaliers take on Nova Cronum Killers or so their first team suggested name was said to be. Nova Cronum had to settle for Brigadiers, a tip of the hat to the number of desk jockey senior soldiers and air force that called it home. It had become a flight enthusiast center in the orn and a retirement area for old soldiers.
Ratchet walked out into the sunlight and the masses who cheered him. He grinned, then waved, kneeling as humans came forward, obliviously or not, walking onto Autobot sovereign territory. "Hello, little people. How are you today?"
"You tell us, Ratchet," someone said from the crowd.
Ratchet grinned, then set a low level scan. He hit them all, the light passing over them as he moved his arm. He looked at it, saw a number of illnesses that he would slip to Fulton later, then grinned. "How's that? I find you as small as ever."
Huge laughter.
"WHO'S GOING TO WIN TODAY!? NOVA CRONUM OR KAON!?" someone called out.
"Well, due to my superior devotion to my family, I would have to say Kaon. Otherwise, it'll be a brutal defensive game and who really knows? They're both amazing," Ratchet replied.
"HOW DO YOU SCORE TICKETS FOR GAMES!?" someone called out to everyone's hopeful delight.
Ratchet snickered, then winked. "I think you mow Fulton's lawn."
They bantered and laughed, then Ratchet stood and carefully made his way to the hangar. The attendees were gathering and it was time to wrap things up. He entered and the crowds either went their way, sat nearby for him to come out or went back to work.
-0-Inside
Ratchet sat, then grinned. The United Nations official who ran the show made remarks, then turned it over to Ratchet. He nodded to the speaker, then looked at the crowd. "Thank you. I would like to say that this has been a very interesting adventure here. I always like to talk to humans and see where they are in their thinking and observations. It's our intention to be good neighbors, to work together on projects that don't compromise who we are or our rules and laws.
"You have a strange habit of taking things with promise and turning them into weapons. We have treaties about such things, the Tyrest Accords, that prevent that. If you really thought about it, about the frightening devastation that our tech can deliver, then you'd be glad that this is so. Organics have a long history among us of wanting to tinker with us even if it terminates our lives. We're rather sensitive about such things." He grinned. "We watch the movies made about us and find them funny and at the same time driven by the same sort of idea. In each of them, the humans involved both military and civilian want to take us apart and make things from our 'tech' as you call it.
"For you, you might see only tech. But for us, we see arms and legs, internal mechanisms not unlike your own that function to keep us alive and well. It's difficult for most organics to deal with those of us who aren't. There are non-corporeal life forms out there, light bodies who are as sentient and deserving of their own bodily and intellectual integrity as anyone else. The universe is filled with strange things. I know. I've seen an enormous amount of them. But you're new at this. Really new.
"What you ask was all interesting and we will go over your proposals with a fine toothed comb as you like to say. If you're rejected, its not personal. We're bound by laws and our own hard won wisdom. We're old and understand tech like this and how it can destroy. It won't be personal. We know what you want to do, we know you're driven by the same instincts. We also know you like to kill each other, often for profit and advantage and you make bad things out of good. That will influence some of our decisions. They will be rendered soon and all of you will be informed. If you don't make it this round, keep working. Time is your friend." He glanced at the moderator. "If you wish to begin final statements, I would be ready."
The moderator nodded, then called on the elegant Englishman to close his case. He stood, walked to the dais and grinned at Ratchet. "I would like to say before we begin that I have a large bet on Kaon. I tell you that not because of your familial connection to the team but because I would hope next year at the championship game I will be there."
Laughter ran through the crowd as Ratchet grinned. "Only time will tell, Mr. Brady."
He laughed, then began. One by one, they would make their final pitch. When they were finished, Ratchet would stand, thank them all, chat a bit, then walk back to the Embassy. It would be then that with the entire crew and garrison in tow, they would all go to Mars for the fun. The doors would lock shut and the system would be run through Fort Max and Prowl.
As usual.
-0-On the ground
The town was filled with bots heading to the stadium. A lottery was held this time with half the crowd made up of those chosen by Nova Cronum to come. Entire extended families would be here as Guests of the Prime and the league. Food and frivolity were everywhere as the other half of the lottery winners, the locals themselves headed toward the School District Arena to see the actual game and others to its sister, the Public Arena and the one in Stanix to watch the enhanced holographic presentation.
Street food vehicles were everywhere and lines were long. The aromas were amazing and beer could be had. Shops had closed for the game, Club Cybertron and other bars were doing box office business with their big screens, cold beer and bar food while the prison had all the day trippers back until the next orn. No one was going to worry about Barricade and Company when there was FOOTBALLLL!
Children danced around the peds of their genitors as they waited in lines, gathered to talk or otherwise hang out. The game was two joors away but they were gathering. The roads in the city center were closed off to traffic for the block party atmosphere and security was out in force. Seekers, grounders, young, old and in-between were here to par-tay. This was not only the championship, the Primus Cup, but this was the chance for Cybertron to win it.
Maneuvering through the crowds, Prime's party made their way. It had grown over the past few months and now the Primal Box was packed out. Proteus and Madura walked with Edict, Hobbes and Bron-E, carrying their son, Rugur in his carrier. They looked ecstatic as they slowly walked toward the stadium. Borealis was already there holding their seats.
Everywhere Ratchet looked as he followed Ironhide, holding Spot as Ironhide carried Sunspot, he could see friends, total strangers and the odd glimpse of humans buzzing around. At no time even before had he felt this Cybertronian. This was a great orn. The optics of Cybertron were upon them. Everyone in the frazzled edges no matter how far away would receive this broadcast.
Prime would tell the slaggers of the world that not only was Cybertron his, he could provide the greatest kind of amenities to those under his dominion. He knew the cameras would rotate the images seen continuously as all of them had been reset to show the hubbub. It was a street party in the colony and all was well.
Defy me at your risk.
The odd mech and femme reached out to touch him, a few took a moment to talk. They ebbed and flowed all the way to the stadium where Sunspot was placed inside the locker room of Kaon with Spot. Bos, Co-D and Reflector would arrive seconds behind them, then all would retire to the stairs to climb upward and settle in. They would be among tens of thousands who would join them as nearby Scout and Trooper with the Old Band of the Old Army of Cybertron got ready to help Alor with the opening of the game.
-0-Near the tunnel across the way from the Primal Box
He came happily running to where the big mechs stood gathered.
Springer grinned. "You made it."
"I did," Pulley said when he joined Drift, Hercy, Kup, Lon and Bezel, Bumblebee, First Aid, Splice, Hauser, Hot Rod, Devcon, Smokey and Smokescreen as well as several others. Behind him, five youngsters stood by the tunnel opening. He glanced at them, then the mechs. "I … uh, I was wondering if my friends could come here, too. They really want to. They know you let me come and watch things."
Springer looked at the kids standing nearby, hopeful and self conscious.
They were O-D, Coros along with Spence, Tilmulous or 'Tim', and Quantum. All of them were Intermediate Day kids who'd come with Pulley on their migration. They'd struggled to catch up with everyone else and had been borderline disciplinary cases at the beginning. However, being young and impressionable in spite of things, they'd listened to Pulley tell of hanging out with the soldiers and security during the big games and they were hopeful to come, too.
Springer grinned at Pulley. "Sure," he said.
The smile on Pulley's face would be in his processor forever.
Pulley waved to them and they came, smiling and uncertain but totally happy. They would stand with the big mechs, listen to them and ask a lot of questions. The game would be awesome and the big mechs' efforts at securing the peace would be worshipfully noted by all of the kids. It would be the start of a beautiful relationship.
It would also be the start of a mentorship program between the Watch and Intermediate Day kids lead of course by Springer when Ratchet noticed it from the stands later on in the game. For once, none of them minded a bit.
-0-TBC 3-27-18 edited 4-1-18 01-19-2022