The Diego Diaries: It's On (dd6 322)
-0-Game On
It was amazing how fast off the mark the Dinobots were. They ran forward in full root mode, their weapons flashing as fire poured forth. Reaching their mesa, they climbed and jumped aboard it, then roared as one. It was then that they seemed to run in circles but to those who knew, a combiner was forming before them.
"Frag," Ratchet said as he grinned at Prime. Prime was grinning as well.
The bots came together and seemed to burst into light. When the light burst cleared, a combiner was there. It was nearly twenty feet tall which was almost terrifying. Some of the crowd watching nearly flipped out their own personal guns. Prowl looked at Grimlock. "WHAT THE FRAG!? SINCE WHEN!?"
"Since now," Grimlock said with HUGE satisfaction.
Starscream blinked, then glanced at Rainmaker who stared at the combiner with a huge smile. :I think we need to act:
Rainmaker looked at him, then smiled. "Do it," he said.
Starscream looked at his remote, then sent the message. Everyone of the 25 Seekers in the game rose up and flew upward with their usual audial shattering flair. They flew upward and swarmed together like a flight of sparrows. They swirled, then flew like a missile toward the Combiner which was hurrying to turn to face them. Fire spewed at them and was met with the strafing power of 25 Seeker jets. The bullets and bolts of energy hit the big combiner in a continuous malevolent stream. They flashed past rat-a-tatting on the ground until they flew over and swirled in the air once more. The noise was thunderous.
It was silent a moment, then the combiner fell apart and rolled down all the many sides of the mesa. At the bottom, they lay a moment, then they moved again, clambering back up to gather at the top. Working together, the Dinobots activated the combiner code and the little bots jumped at each other. They crashed, then fell to the ground. It would appear that their combiner ability was kaput. What was instructive was that the entire fusillade had left no other marks on the bots.
It was disquieting.
"Well, that deserves all the love it can get," Venture said with a smile. "ALL HAIL, STARSCREAM!"
A roar broke out among the punters as everyone bent into the game. Springer and Drift who were hiding by the maze near the swirling hole of water named Swirling Hole Lake moved forward heading by horseback to Blue Fort.
"Well, look at that. You never learn. Horses are so vulnerable, though I will say you have little to no tail on those," Ratchet said with a grin.
"These horses have skills, Ada," Springer said cryptically as he glanced at Springer.
"I won't argue with that," Drift said. As he did, the Dinobots issued the first throw down.
"YOU'RE ALL COWARDS! COME FIGHT US NOW!" Grimlock bellowed.
Everyone looked at each other, then Grimlock. "No." -everyone
Huge laughter on several worlds and out in the hinterlands where the bad guys were watching erupted along with interminable bad mouthing of one's length of back strut and the ability to use it.
Grimlock took the lay of the land … Yellow Fort straight ahead, Blue Fort to the left, his left and Red Fort farther to the left. Glancing at the others, it was silent, then they all nodded together.
"Oh, frag. That's not good," Prowl said softly, but not softly enough for the cameras to miss.
"I, GRIMLOCK, SAY WE BREAK RED FORT! I, GRIMLOCK, SHOULD BE PRIME!"
A sweep of shock ran through the crowd. Then Vinn hollered out. "WAIT A MINUTE!"
Everyone including Grimlock paused to look at the big grinning mech. "I want to tell you about an extra feature. There are five disks hidden all over the game board. The team that gets the most wins something. I haven't decided what it is but it might be an advantage in the next game. Just so you know. Obliterating each other isn't enough now. You have to compete for prestige by winning the treasure hunt. BEGIN!"
Everyone glanced at each other, then watched as the Dinobots roared down the mesa toward Red Fort. Prime who watched them come looked at his team. "WHY US FIRST ALL THE TIME! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THOSE GUYS?" he asked as he pointed to others. "Get ready for the slaughter. Try to not make it our own."
HUGE LAUGHTER and agreement bloomed in the dessert of hard knocks as the plague swept toward them on thundering peds.
Grimlock's team began to try to climb the walls to grab the guns at all three levels of the towered fortress. The team inside defending consisted of Optimus, Prowl, of course, Miler, Venture, Willa of the Dojo, Artur, her now bond and majordomo of Smoke, Faun from City Hall, Holi from Arms and Armory, Wheeljack and Perceptor because they were enforcing ethics for a change and it was join a team or sulk, Devcon who was free ranging but associated with Prime, Artur and Tab, Hauser, Chief of Detectives and gang expert along with great good friend, Coln-2 who was chief prosecution director of the colony.
All of them ran for a gun turret as the great steel gate was closed. Of the group included, only 5 were warriors and of the rest, only 2 others had ever had any kind of combat no matter how feeble.
Yes. In this case, fighting over bread sticks at the steak house counted for combat.
They did, however, try, having worked their tush off in the desert doing tiny maneuvers, so …
They were doomed.
Things were locked up and guns redirected just as the Dinobots arrived. Slamming into the gate, they managed to break one of the hinges. Everyone flinched, then bore down. Unfortunately, their guns didn't bend down that far so if the invaders clung to the walls of the fort, they couldn't be blown to bits. Everyone else took notice and 'oh frags' and 'what the hell's' bloomed everywhere for a few moments caught lovingly by the many and sundry cameras everywhere but up Grimlock's aft
"I WILL BREAK THIS THING DOWN!" Grimlock said as he and Slag slammed into the door. It began to bend in.
"Frag, Optimus," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "Do you need me now or later when you're scattered all over the place?"
"I NEED BLUE FORT!" Prime said with a grin.
"What do you need, Prime?" Hardie asked. "I can't hear you."
"That's FINE!" Prime said with a chuckle. Everyone ran to the walkway at the very top, everyone but Prime and Prowl who were standing in front of the door to die first when the slaggers broke through at last. Venture wavered, then went upward with them, too. Someone had to carry on the family name and tell stories to Prima about his long gone relatives.
The others reached the top, spread out, then began to shoot downward. As they did, two other Dinobots sneaked around the back to begin to beat down the stone walls. Their fists punched hard. Their fists began to break the stone.
"VEN! THEY'RE BREAKING IN!" Miler said as he ran his bot to that side to shoot downward.
"DO YOU NEED US, MILIE!?" Edict asked as her bot waited at Blue Fort nearby.
"I DON'T KNOW, EDICT! WAIT THERE A MOMENT!" Miler said as he began to drop rounds onto the helms of Sludge and Snarl. They growled, then Swoop flew in and grabbed Miler's botlet. Miler screamed. Her little bot didn't. It was too busy falling to the ground.
"Oh, Ada! WHAT THE FRAG!?" Prowl said as they kept up the fire. Up Swoop went, then he let go of Miler.
"I'VE GOT THIS!" Warlord called out as he transformed and flew madly toward the falling botlet of Miler of Praxus. Fast he flew, then upward. Jetting even faster, he caught Miler ...
... where upon both promptly fell to the ground under the falling weight of Miler of Praxus. They both landed in Swirly Hole Lake. They both disappeared immediately.
"Oh, frag." -Miler and Warlord.
Everyone else? "BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAAHAHAHAAAHAHAA!"
"BEACHCOMBER! WATERSHIP DOWN!" Ratchet bellowed, then smiled brilliantly. "I don't know what it means either," he said to great laughter.
It was intense a moment as the group watched Grimlock beat on the door and the other Dinobots pound on the walls without interference. Prime glanced around. "GET IN HERE AND HELP BECAUSE WHEN THEY FINISH HERE, YOU ARE NEXT!"
The place burst into activity.
Everyone ran for the wind or dug in even deeper.
"Fraggers," Optimus said as his ada laughed madly behind him.
-0-Out there
"You do know that Prime has so much power and resources that he can play and film it for the masses," Outcast said. He was watching the recording in a group of mechs that were sitting in the rec room drinking high grade. They weren't on duty until the next orn but they were aware of the games and how they were broadcast. "He's so powerful he can play and wave it in our faces."
The others nodded, then looked at the big mech. He was a cold killer, a smart mech and tactical. One of them grinned. "Why don't you go tell Razorclaw. I'm sure he'd be fascinated. As for me? I'm going to drink and watch. I find this hilarious."
Outcast glared at him, then sat back. "Good thing you do, slagger," he said as he sipped his drink.
It would, indeed, be hilarious.
-0-Red Fort
Bot Grimlock beat on the door hard, bending the metal in the gate. Then he stepped back. Guns flipped up on his shoulders as he leaned forward. He fired, two rockets went out and slammed hard into the gate. It pushed it further back but the shrapnel hit Slag hard. He lost half his helm and a hand. Turning toward Bot Grimlock, Bot Slag blew him a bale of fire. Given that he lost half his helm, he also melted the other remaining half a bit.
"No more fire for you, Slag," Ratchet called out. "You'll burn your face off and die."
"SHUT UP, RATCHET!" -every player in the game not a Dinobot
Ratchet: "BWAAHAHAHAHAHAA! CRYBABIES!"
A crack could be heard as the wall began to crumble in back. Prime viewing the overall plan decided a strategic stroll elsewhere was prudent. "BUG OUT THE BACK! SHOOT THE DINOBOTS AND RUN FOR THE EAST! I WILL COVER YOU! AUTOBOTS! BUG OUT!"
It wasn't as inspirational as some commands but it got the point across. Bots jumped down and everyone ran for the back wall which was falling down. Shooting as they ran, they flattened Sludge and Snarl, then burst as a group toward the east and the possibility that some slagger somewhere would let them have more porridge.
So to speak.
Laying in the sand, Snarl and Sludge get up very slowly. By the time they turned to give chase, the group was flying. The Big Frame base was coming up and it didn't look good. Metrotitans as thick as asparagus and the odd dread or two slowed them down as Prime discussed things with Prowl, neither showing a shred of shame in their exploits thus far.
"Autobots, follow me," he said as he swerved to run back through the deep sand toward the river and the bridge that would allow them to cross toward the greater safety of a maze and a mini-con village. Given the mini-cons and their willingness to lick razor blades, so to speak, Prime considered it good strategy. It was more fun slagging mini-cons than someone big enough to hurt you back.
They flew. Figuratively.
:Prowl:
:WHAT!:
Ratchet laughed. :Are you going over the bridge?:
:YES!:
:There's an ogre uh, troll thing under it: Ratchet replied.
[Pause]
:There's four chasing us:
:Good point: Ratchet grinned. This was going to be good.
:Optimus, there's an ogre under the bridge. Remember?: Prowl asked as they came within sight of the river and bridge.
:Shrek. How bad can it be?: Prime asked as they began to slow at the bridge approach.
Something stirred underneath, then a huge figure crawled out. He was massive and square built. His head had horns like a ram and he had fangs out to here. He had muscles upon his muscles, appeared to be a mechanized organic and looked meaner than Megatron's mommy. He hulked to a stop before them and said, "Who's that trip trapping over my bridge?"
Venture glanced at Prowl. "We aren't even on his bridge."
Prowl shrugged. He didn't know, either. Nearby, though, a tiny mech was losing his shit over the greatness of the moment.
"We want to pass over the bridge," Optimus said because he was pure and thought reasoned discussion would help but it never worked.
Ever.
Just ask every villain in every universe in Hasbro.
"Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the troll/ogre.
Everyone hit the internet, then Prowl as Senior Tactician and All Around Teacher's Pet relayed the story to Prime. Prime nodded, then moved his botlet closer.
"Oh, no! pray don't take me. I'm too little, that I am," said Prime quoting verbatim the Norwegian fairy tale. "Wait a bit till the second group get here. They taste better."
"What if I don't?" asked the ogre/troll.
"WHEELJACK! THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAYS! HE'S SUPPOSED TO LET US PASS!" Prowl said to Wheeljack who had created and would run the slagger himself even if his own Wheeljack botlet was running for his bacon in the group with Prime. Perceptor tut-tutted beside him.
"IN WHAT UNIVERSE?" Wheeljack shouted with an unholy light in his optics.
A HUGE ROAR OF LAUGHTER.
Prime glanced at Prowl. "What now?" he asked with a grin.
Before he could say a word, the troll/ogre charged Botlet Prime.
-0-TBC 4-8-18 edited 4-13-18