The Diego Diaries: Owie (dd6 565)
(Sorry about the lack of diacritical marks on names and such. My computer hates me.) :D
=0=Emergency Room, Autobot City Medical Center a few moments later
They staggered off a runabout, then limped into the emergency room to find out that nothing too important had been too badly mangled. Prime heard the gory details of the arrest, the round up of the horses and all the rest. Given it was the first night for Sun, Steiner and Jack to partake in what passed for the usual here, it actually was terribly amusing.
Springer didn't think so over all.
"There should be a specialist response to this sort of thing, Springer, so that when they come they neither get away nor hurt someone. You seem to be getting the short end of the stick every time," Optimus said with a slight smirk.
It was echoed by Prowl who was just stepping down from the med berth.
Ratchet was on one nearby, then he hopped down. "What about the kids?" he asked as everyone in the room froze in place. It was amazing how fast that many big mechs could burst out of the room and head for the elevators. Ratchet watched them go, then grinned. "Those are my boys," he said to laughter and insults.
"I'm sure there's a story there somewhere but I don't care," Prowl said as he paused to listen to something off line. He turned to Prime. "The last detail is being dealt with from the migration. Devcon is doing his joor and is handling it."
Prime looked relieved, then nodded. "Good. Let us get back to the apartment. No one knows what we are doing and things will have to be taken care of now that it is getting late. Santa Prime waits for no one."
That got all the love it deserved as they limped out, down and across the walkway to the tower where they lived. When they got back, the clean up and bagging of leftovers for the various bachelors assisting was well underway.
Kestrel turned to the group, then grinned. "Is everything okay?" he asked sweetly.
Everyone nodded.
You betcha.
=0=Later that night when everyone was gone
"You couldn't tell that half a million people came for dinner," Ironhide said as he walked from the last berth room heading for the big kid's wing.
"If you look closely," Ratchet said with a snicker. "I'm beat. Hurry it up, Santa Ironhide. Ho-ho-ho waits for no one."
He did.
=0=On the way home
They drove back to their various towers and habitats after spending dinner and drinks at Earth 1. Earth2 and Unidad were having Christmas Eve on their own as well. The big party was tomorrow night on Christmas. As it was now, every Catholic in the colony was going to the Chapel In The Trees for midnight mass served by someone's uncle who was a priest and staying here for the holiday with their brother and his family. That was looking to be a beautiful event.
As for everyone else, there was food in astonishing quantities, drinks, dancing, fun and families. A lot of locals were having relatives in for the holidays so there were even more happy and excited people at the big celebration at Earth 1 than before. N.E.S.T. and the Consulate were there to dine together while the others did their own parties.
"What time does the Christmas party at Unidad begin?" Hekla Sigrioursdottir asked as she sat beside her husband, Olaf Jonsson, beta team striker in the cargo end of a N.E.S.T. truck.
"At 1700 hours. You can start coming then," Olaf said. "I'll get off my duty at 1400, then we can get ready."
She leaned against him, then nodded. "It's going to be fun."
Everyone agreed as they convoyed their way home through the relatively quiet streets of the colony. They missed the stampede by a joor. They wouldn't miss it on The Hourly News when they got the story. No one would.
=0=Earth2
They sat in their apartment relaxing after a huge Christmas dinner with the inmates of the asylum. Everyone had a great time and the food was amazing. It would have been the apocalypse if they had tried to have a dinner with every human on world. That was now approaching 17,000 individuals.
Mariah kicked off her shoes, then put them up on the couch. "I think that was very successful. The entire event was on camera and live streamed to Earth. The more they see, the more they can support our efforts. Tomorrow, its going to be interesting. Every human in the colony who can will be there. It's going to be huge."
Kyle Davis who was relaxing in his easy chair watching ships come and go in the Port of Autobot City and Mars in the distance nodded. "That was fun. We need to expand the social life here, maybe make a season or something. The more publicity this place generates, the better. Remember, we have a business conference here in a week and you and the gals are on it."
"We have it all taken care of," Mariah said as she began to take off her jewelry. "The Resort is helping with specialty dishes. Did you see the jewels on that bunch? Some of those diamonds were the size of your fist."
"I liked Judy Witwicky's tiara," Kyle said with a grin. "That woman is a force to reckon with."
"You just noticed that, did you?" Mariah asked with a smirk. "Things are not going to be too jumping around here after Christmas and New Year for some time. We're going to have to make our own events, Kyle, especially since Unidad is the new shiny kid on the block."
He nodded, then rose. "I'm beat. I'm going to bed."
"I'll be there shortly," Mariah said as she watched him walk down the hallway to their bedroom. She picked up her handheld and dialed in the news from Earth. Reports of the parties at all the habitats were trending everywhere. She was glad it was. It was a huge amount of work to make a party like this and she was proud of their efforts.
Rightfully so, indeed.
=0=Later that night
They sat in the Diner On The Corner, the flag ship in The City along with the newest one in Tyger Pax, just opened and going gangbusters. The family who ran them had opened one in half the cities in the colony including one in Aerie Hill. Their plan was to have one or two in each city catering to the mobs that liked diner food and a cozy community center style atmosphere. As it was, the big mechs were sitting with the kids chatting over the events of the evening and listening with amusement at their genuine delight and all around hero worshiping.
They had ran all the way to the jail and when they entered the kids were sitting on a bench asking questions of the big jailers and looking at security equipment. They were delighted to see everyone.
"COMMANDER! THIS WAS AWESOME!" -all six of them nearly together
Gathering them up, they walked to the Diner On The Corner rather than The Pit Stop because two bonding parties were going full blast inside, each of them with competing sound tracks.
No one cared.
They reached the Diner, walked inside and ordered food. The kids got their breakfasts and drinks, then began to eat hungrily.
"When will the horses come back, Mr. Drift?" Jessine asked.
He grinned. "They're being switched out. We're getting fresh horses for the rest of the shift. It's been a traumatic evening for them. They're getting the spa treatment when they get back to the stables from the Park City."
"That's good. I love my horse," OD said. "Taco is a great horse. I love paint ponies. They're beautiful."
"Taco is a great horse," Hercy agreed.
They talked about the bust, the good job the kids did waiting where they were supposed to be and all of that sort of thing. The new mechs were as happy as the kids with the way things were going. It was incredible fun and the kids radiated their contentment as well. The six kids were even more determined now to do this for a living. It would be a highly amusing meal and when the horses arrived after following a mech from the barn who rode one there, they walked outside, patted and petted them, then mounted up. Crime waited for no one. They would break up and head on out, Sun, Jack, Lissie, Steiner and Hardie among them.
They would have a slagging good time.
=0=At the Industrial Park City Special Events warehouse, Park City #6
The big mechs were organizing the last mass of pallets to be taken here and there shortly. Guilds and unions had volunteered since orn one to do this and it was a big deal. Many of them were fathers, all of them liked kids and elders and all of them were back to assist again. Bulkhead, Scar and Payload were going to make sure everything arrived including the even more ornate throne of Prime. It was now gold leafed and glowed with a brilliance that only highly polished machine precision work could achieve.
Literally.
They had everything computerized, the flatbeds waiting for their drivers and all was well. Prime, Ironhide and Springer would go by horse drawn carriage since they went to the schools. Everyone else would go by shank's mare. All they had to do was be at the right place at the right time according to their highly precision devised lists and the GPS maps that the Autobot City Professional Assistants and Secretaries Association had made for them.
Piece of Celebration cake.
Probably.
=0=Sunrise
"ADA!"
"What?"
"Comed to there for I, Orion?" he asked as he gazed from the tree to his old dad, then back to the tree and its bounty again.
"You have to go to school, have a party, meet Santa Prime, then come back here. We're going to have dinner at Uncle Otis and Uncle Owl's house, then when its tomorrow, everyone's coming here for presents. We're taking one to Owl's house just for tonight then do the rest afterward. Until then," Ratchet said as he leaned into Orion's space, "NO!"
Orion blinked, then smiled his biggest and most insincere smile. "I, Orion good me."
"You better be," Ratchet said. "If you sneak one out again, I'm going to punt your sorry little aft. Now go get ready. The bus is coming."
Orion sped to the berth room to get his backpack followed by Robby who ambled along like the little slowpoke that he was. The others were getting ready, then began to dribble back out. The big kids picked up little ones, then sat down.
"Don't you look handsome," Ratchet said with a grin. "Are you going to Appa and Ammas today for anything?"
"We have invites to dinner," Genesis said. "We're going to stay a while, then come home to do family stuff here, too. Is that okay?"
"Of course," Ratchet said with a grin. "We'll let you know when we plan to do stuff but that can change. Someone might need to get arrested."
The story had broken on the morning edition earlier and prompted a lot of shocked faces and laughter.
"Last night at 2345 hours on the TMC, an altercation broke out at the Courthouse Jail Intake unit for those arrested by the Night Watch," Lim-Lee began. "Three mechs currently unidentified got into brawl at their home with a fourth. They're all related it is stated by the Watch and it appeared to be a family argument gotten out of hand.
"The Watch was called and managed to arrest them, putting them into a Watch transport vehicle for the jail. They were arrested for disturbing the peace, fighting and public intoxication. When they arrived at the Jail Intake, they managed to brawl with the jail guards and the Night Watch lead by Watch Commander Springer of Polyhex and Sub Commander Drift of Kaon. It was very violent and during the brawl the mounted patrol's horses were spooked and ran away heading up Cultural Center Road for the city center.
"A chase ensued which injured two senior Autobots responding to the scene but hospital officials state that Commander Prowl of Praxus and Commander Ratchet of Iacon were relatively unhurt when the horses stampeded and trampled them in their flight. They were rounded up at the Industrial Park Cities and all was brought to a good conclusion. Congratulations to the Watch for their professional efforts to keep the colony safe.
"In other news ..."
Ratchet turned off the monitor. "Frag that. MOVE IT! HO-HO-HO TIME!"
SQUEEEEEEE!
=0=A group regrouping
"How's the chin, Lissie?"
"It's good, Stein. It's funny as frag now."
"If you say so, sis. We have to hurry. We're elves or so I was told."
Lissie grinned. "You will love it."
=0=Another group regrouping
"Then she landed on her back over the wall. Hercy joined her when Rondo or was it Yancy kicked him in his fury," Hardie said with a grin. "Liss is one tough little femme. I thought for sure she's need a new jaw."
"Damn. I'm never where the action is," Delphi said as he cleared up the kitchen. Come on. We have to Santa Prime somewhere."
"You'll have to fill us in, Delph," Sun said as he followed The Kid with Jack.
"Easiest duty you'll ever have," Delphi said.
"The best duty ever," Hardie said as the door closed behind them.
=0=Far away
Pulsar mulled over Prime's message regarding the three mechs they had captured earlier. Prime wasn't going to let up on the three until they were returned. He considered his situation, weighed the pros and cons, then called for them and the three families they had found on a broken down ship brought to the flight deck. They would be placed on a small runabout, then set away. Prime would get them or not. He wouldn't have that fire to worry about and all would be eased a little bit.
He sat back and considered the route they had put together, one that would take them the long way around. It would be okay. They found enough energon floating around to make it less an ordeal than a long trip under normal or more normal circumstances. Having dead wood with them would slow everything down.
It was a cut losses/ nothing to gain easy decision to make. That was what made him a different member of the Warrior Elites. He could make them and fight another orn. He was strategic and smart. It would be anyone's guess what would happen if he ever faced Razorclaw in a face-to-face fight. It would be one that very few would bet on.
A small ship flew out and headed in the direction of Prime's signal, the navigation locked in so that the hostages would be certain to have a chance to get there without too much difficulty. In the end, it would be easy. When they were far enough away from the disappearing 'Con armada, a bridge would open and they would fly in with escort, three mechs and three frazzled families who had been unable to join anyone due to ship trouble. It would take a long time before they would get over the fright.
=0=TBC 1-8-19 edited 1-17-19