The Diego Diaries: Crader (dd6 483)
-0-Later that morning
Prowl finished the morning preliminary briefing he always gave, then sat back to grin at Prime. They were in his newer expanded office, the one that had been his crusade to create for Optimus for some time. It had been expanded some months back taking over the four next to it. Down the hallway, the support staff of the Prime and other senior officers occupied all the rest of the space. Prime's five assistants, Prowl's three and all the others worked there including a big space at the end of the hallway. Legal aides, analysts, researchers and staff lawyers worked in another at the other end of the corridor and had access to a major data access point built around a set aside node from Teletraan. "The migration is going swiftly. Do you want to show the flag?" he asked.
"I think that might be a good idea," Prime said as he stood. The pair walked out to the Ops Center, got the news from all over as it stood at that moment, then continued out. Transforming, they drove together on Fortress Drive to the junction at Metroplex Highway 1, then up Temple Street and a left at Metroplex Highway #2. Diving toward the Mausoleum, they pulled off the road and headed cross country toward the Big Frame Shipyard southwest of the Terra Hub. The colony was its usual buzz of activity with traffic both vehicular and pedestrian everywhere.
The fenced in splendor that was the Port of Mars was past that point, a vast area of buildings housing various agencies, data centers, a medical triage complex on site, an administration building which shared space with the security forces grew as they approached. Ships were coming and going, small runabouts that had specific uses and lines of individuals came in a steady stream from a large building that housed four large space bridges. Two of them were assisting the Oasis Base teams and two others were the vehicle to bring refugees here.
They transformed then walked to the guard box at the gate in the fence where trucks came and went. Chatting with the guards there, they walked inside heading for the administration building. A long building nearby was where the refugees entered to finalize their repatriation and then walk onward to buses that were waiting to take them to different zones where their city and housing was located. It was easier than having them go in small groups on the metro or on foot. Walking onward, they watched the long lines of hopeful, exhausted, emotional and/or upbeat refugees creep ever closer to their moment. None of them saw Prime or Prowl as they reached the door of the admin building to go inside.
It was there that the officer in charge of the office from the Bureau of Refugees worked, running and directing the entire show. He greeted them, then began to explain things so far. Sitting at steel desks working on data in the big room nearby, a large number of individuals were plugged in while others walked to data ports on the long console that lined a wall. Through a pair of steel doors, a jail with numerous cells waited for whoever acted the aft. Sitting at a desk by the door going through data, Drift looked up. He grinned. "Welcome to bedlam."
Prowl smirked. "How many are locked up?"
"Three so far. We have the databases from Cybertron and we're picking up criminals now. There were eighteen yesterday. All of them are being housed in the prison awaiting review of outstanding warrants and the like," he said.
Prowl nodded, then everyone turned to the door. A bellowing sound reared up outside, then the door opened. Springer appeared first gripping something very huge and belligerent. He pulled hard as others gripped and pushed, then a huge mech came into the room. Everyone was staring at him with disquiet. Springer halted him, then glanced at Prime. "Oh, hello. Fancy meeting you here," he said with a grin.
The huge mech was clearly physically enhanced, had an exquisite paint scheme and a lot of tattoos. He was also familiar, high caste and extremely strong. As Springer turned toward him to drag his sorry aft into the jail section, he decided to stomp everything in his wake. Though he was cuffed from behind, the maniacal mech head butted Springer into the wall. As Springer slid down it, Drift was already leaping over his desk to run to the rescue. The big mech lunged back and shook the Watchmen off his body, then ran backward into the wall to crush Springer. Drift pulled Springer away just in time as the big mech slammed into the wall. When he did, the cuffs blinked out.
He was loose, pissed and ready to rumble.
Flexing his massive arms, he grinned at Prime, then charged him. As he did, Prowl turned to the group at their stations and waved his own arms. "RUN! GET OUT NOW!"
The civilians and handful of Autobots jumped for it, heading for the door nearby that led outside. Another slapped the wall, pressing a button that lowered the contents of everyone's desk downward into it, then a steel plate slid out to cover everything. Apparently, they prepared for all possibilities here, Prowl thought abstractly as he watched them go. When they were all clear, the chairs of the desks descended into the floor and nothing was left topside to be broken and spindled but the bots.
Prowl turned back with a gun but couldn't get a straight shot because the strange mech had gripped Prime around the waist. He barely made it out of the way when they bulldozed into a low wall that separated the worker bees from the entry way, halting with a booming sound against its unyielding surface. Prowl shifted behind Prime attempting to get a shot but couldn't.
Prime shoved the big mech back, then they traded fists. Hits that were lethal to anyone else were exchanged as the two slagged it out. Everyone else moving and weaving out of the way to avoid death by fist found themselves falling back to the door and then outside. Regrouping together, Springer, Drift and the four mechs with them started for the door to go back inside but it burst open as Prime roared out, his arms around the beast who was bellowing and laughing loudly.
Everyone in the lines froze in place as they saw the astonishing sight. The two ran into the yard, then rolled into the dirt. Over and over they went, then they sprang to their peds. Prowl who followed yelled to the mechs watching. "GET THE BARRIERS UP! PROTECT THE CIVILIANS!"
Springer and Drift along with two other mechs ran toward the lines of paralyzed civilians who were frozen in place, holding each other with extreme fright. Drift unsubbed a spear shaped device and drove it into the ground. The other three did the same, then they activated them. An energy barrier flashed into life separating the refugees and workers from the scene. They stared at the fight, those who had seen a lot, watching it with astonishment. The guards spaced themselves out, then drew their weapons, watching the fight as it raged.
Prime ducked a fist, then the two began to exchange blows, nothing with finesse, nothing with style. It was brute strength against brute strength. The blows resounded as they met each other slugging it out face-to-face. As they did Seekers streaked into to transform in mid air and land with shattering thuds, groups that had found out the news from those here and had come to watch and perhaps assist. They formed up around the fight as more joined them along with soldiers driving in swiftly. In a circle around the brawl, they stood together, shouting and chanting. Then the Seekers began to side step, moving slowly in a circle. They began to chant loudly, their wings beating against their bodies in accompaniment as they cheered Prime onward. The soldiers at the fence watched with guns in servos as more bots gathered into the crowd around the circle. They roared as the big mech charged Optimus gripping him around the waist. He drove onward as Prime gripped him back, falling slightly off balance. Prime slid, then pressed back, halting the charge at last.
Prowl who moved to get a clear shot subbed his gun, then pulled a device that most law enforcement on Cybertron used for crowd control back in the orn. It was a long silver prod with a powerful blast of electrical current at the glittering tip of it. He moved toward Prime inside the circle, then caught his attention. "LET HIM GO! CLEAR, OPTIMUS!" he shouted as Springer and Drift surged through the crowd to join him.
Prime slammed his fist down on the broad back of the behemoth who let go, then stood with his fists up. He didn't see Prowl move swiftly, then stab him in the chest with the device. A huge zapping surge of electricity burst over the mech enshrouding him in a cocoon of furious systems disrupting voltage. Prowl stepped back, prod in servo to do it again as the mech stood silently staring at him, seemingly halted by several zillion watts of raw electricity.
The voltage disappeared, then he grinned. Faking a furious shock with his body, he laughed. "YOU HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT, FRAGGER!" Then he swung on Prowl and knocked the prod away. He swung again and Prowl ducked it stepping in front of Prime to do so. He swung again but Prowl deflected, kicking him hard in the chest. The big mech staggered back, then took a swinging aerial kick in the face. He stood a moment swaying like he could fall over, then he straightened and laughed like it was nothing. It was then that he charged Prowl.
Ratchet who had been called to come flashed in, sirens and lights blaring. He transformed, then flew through the air to land on his peds. Ironhide who was behind him barreled in, transformed, rolled, then came up with both barrels flipping into place. They ran forward to join the throng. Beyond them, the entire crowd who was backing up as more arrived watched with horror and fascination.
"PROWL! STAND BACK! HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU!" Prime bellowed as he moved to step in. But he couldn't at the moment because Prowl was trading blows. He was also using grips from Metallicato which oddly enough weren't making the great gaping tear holes in his armor that they should have. The big mech punched him hard and he flew back into the crowd of Seekers and mechs who were watching.
Springer flew through the air and caught the mech on the side of the face. He spun, then turned around with a grin. Springer who landed beside Prime pulled up his gun. "Do I ventilate him, Prime?"
"Do not tempt me," Prime said as he watched Prowl stand up with a look of fury that was almost comical in its intensity. No one could sneer like Prowl of Praxus.
Prime charged and began to swing. His fists landed and the big mech began to step backward as they began to gather affect. He beat on the big mech like he was a drum, landing blows that would have killed anyone else. The mech took them, then began to give them back. As he did, Springer walked forward with a truncheon, one he used in close quarters with the enemy in the war. Drift pulled one and they walked forward ready to rain blows on the fragger's helm. It was hard to get close because the two big mechs were so fast and their blows so deadly.
Ratchet watched with an incredulity that he hadn't felt in orns. Going through his own arsenal, he called up a program and sent it. The big mech paused, then turned on Ratchet. "FRAGGER! YOUR VOODOO DOESN'T WORK ON ME!" he bellowed, then rushed Ratchet. He caught him around the waist and fell to the ground. That was when Ironhide gripped him, spun his aft, then shot him. A round went toward his knee and the mech staggered. Oddly enough, there was no hole but the shot hurt him.
He let go of Ratchet, rolled over and stood. He grinned at Ironhide. "Put down the guns and take me on, fragger. You know you want to," he said before four Watchmen led by Springer and Drift pounced on him with their electrical prods. Prowl ran forward and stuck it in the mech's right optical socket. He bellowed and staggered back flinching from all the mayhem being delivered. He fell back through the Seekers who punched him hard, creating an impromptu gauntlet for him to run. He swung on them and they fell back, then he grinned at Prime. "Come on, big boy. You know you want to. Take me on," he said.
That was when he did. That seventeen others joined Prime was beside the point.
-0-Moments later …
He fought them right and left, then turned toward Prowl who was landing sharp blows as he gripped him by the wrist. Prowl bellowed with pain as the fragger crushed his arm and when he did Prime felt a red mist filter across his optics. He gripped the mech's arm, then squeezed it himself. The big mech flinched, too, then let go of Prowl. Prime in his maddened condition them began to proceed to beat the fragger half to death. By the time he was kneeling and fending off blows with an upraised arm, the Watch were able to slap cuffs on his sorry aft. Kicking the mech face down into the ground, Red Wing, Cloudburst, Springer, Drift, Ironhide, Prime and Sandstorm were able to cuff the rest of him as well. Then they pressed him down with all their might.
Glancing toward Ratchet, Springer called to him. "ADA! SHUT THE FRAGGER OFF! HURRY!"
Ratchet shaking off his own shellacking hurried over and knelt down. "I can't. He's got protection over it. The switch port is covered up."
Prime gently pushed Ratchet aside, then pressed his digits against the cover. The mech who was sentient still bellowed with pain and began to thrash.
"HURRY UP, OPTIMUS! WE'RE GOING TO LOSE HIM!" Springer called out as they leaned into the big mech.
Prime with a grim expression pressed harder, then ripped the cover off the kill switch that was one of the most protected parts of their body in normal circumstances. This mech had it enhanced and it was almost more than he could manage to breach it. Fortunately as a phase six level mechanism himself, he did. Ratchet reached in and short circuited the mech with a flip of a switch. He fell into a limp mountain of massively enhanced mechanism.
It was silent almost immediately as everyone froze in place, unwilling to let go right away. Then they all stood up slowly, staring at the stranger who was someone they knew they all knew but couldn't remember specifically.
Like that.
Then Prime spun and walked to Prowl who was holding his arm with a look of pain and fury on his face. "Prowl … RATCHET!" Prime said.
Ratchet hurried over, scanned Prowl, then gave him a pain script. He relaxed noticeably. Ratchet glanced at Prime. "He has a broken wrist. I can fix it. That fragger, though … he's a menace, some kind of new phase sixer maybe. We need to put him in a good strong box and throw away the key."
"That will not be hard to do. Right now, we have to help Prowl," Prime said with a worried expression. He glanced around. "Springer … get this in order, then come to the medic station." He looked at Ratchet. "Is that sufficient or do we go to the Medical Center."
"I can do it here, Optimus," he said as he gripped Prowl's good arm. "Come on. Let's get this back in working order."
Prowl limped with Ratchet toward the medical center nearby as Prime and Ironhide followed. As they did, the Seekers hurrahed them in their victorious procession toward triage. The big slagger was loaded into a police runabout and it lifted off to take him to the prison high security lock up. They would attend to him later on. Everyone else began to comfort the refugees and help them move forward as the security mechs retrieved their energy barrier spikes.
Such was another orn in the colony of Optimus Prime.
-0-TBC 9-19-18 edited 10-28-18
Sorry. I sorta overslept and … zzzzZzzzzzZZZZzzzzzzz … ;)