The Diego Diaries: Fisticuffs (dd6 655)
Guest: I switched the two parts, 358 and 538 to rights. Dyslexia at its finest. :D:D:D THANK YOU FOR CATCHING THAT!
=0=At the Med Center, Tyger Pax
Ratchet sat up and looked at the others. Springer and Drift were there now and so were the grim faced members of their Watch shift. Ironhide stood beside him as Prowl and Prime leaned against a cabinet nearby, their own expressions grim. "Well, that was typical wasn't it. Date night and this happens. There isn't a celebration or goof off moment we have that isn't fragged up."
"What's the word?" Prowl asked the doctor.
"He had a broken arm but its fixed. He's been kicked half to death and there will be soreness. That we have such tough armor is a good thing," he replied. He looked at Ratchet. "You have a mild concussion which is a miracle. You need to take it easy a few orns. Nothing strenuous."
Ratchet nodded, then stood up. He swayed a moment then glanced at Ironhide. "Piece of cake."
"FRAG THAT! Who did this to you?" Ironhide asked.
"I don't know. I was sort of boozed up at the time. WHY DID YOU GET ON THE TRAIN AND LEAVE ME AT THE STATION!? That's your thing, Ironhide," Ratchet said with a slight smirk.
"I'M NOT GOING TO LAUGH ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE! JUST SO YOU KNOW!" Ironhide said. He glanced at the doctor. "He's good to go then?"
The doctor nodded. "I would say so. No horsing around."
"Frag that. Thanks, doc," Ratchet said as he walked toward the door. The mechs parted to let him pass, then everyone followed him out. They gathered around him in the corridor. "I want donuts, slag it. The Donut Hole is around here somewhere. Let's go."
"You should go home, right?" Prowl asked uncertainly. He glanced at Springer. "Is there anything that can tell us what the frag happened?"
"I have Forensics checking the video cameras right now," Springer said. It was grimly silent. "This is fragged. Attacking drunks isn't good sportsmanship."
Ratchet chuckled as Springer smirked at him with relief. "Your depth of concern is duly noted. Since you're a cop, take me to The Donut Hole pronto."
Springer glanced at the others, then Prime nodded. They walked out silently, taking the elevator to the ground floor. It was bracing cold outside as they gathered, then Springer glanced at Prime. "I'm going to see about this. Forensics is at The Basilica. I'll let you know the minute they tell me."
"And me," Prowl said.
"AND ME!" Ironhide roared.
"Not you, Ironhide," Ratchet said. "I'll punt your sorry aft into orbit if you do a stoopid. It's like Bluestreak tells the twins all the time. I'm not raising these forty slagging kids by myself."
Prime grinned slightly. "Call me, Springer. We are going to The Donut Hole." He led the way with Ratchet and Ironhide following as Prowl walked beside him.
Springer and his group watched them go.
Hercy turned to him. "Slagging bad idea to frag with Ratchet. Ironhide won't like it."
"We won't tell him," Springer said as Drift nodded. "We need to get who did this. It's either a personal grudge against Ada or someone might be slagging the leadership here again. Either way, we get this done as fast as we can."
"Who wants to bet its a high caste?" Bezel said with dread.
No one took the bet.
=0=At The Donut Hole
They sat at a table sipping hot drinks as they began to work through the plates of donuts and other baked goods sitting before them. There were delicious delights of all kinds including some from Cybertron.
Ratchet glanced at the three. "I don't remember much past the third game at the bowling alley. I do slightly remember following you to the train and then nothing. Slaggers. Who the frag wants to slag me? Well, don't answer that," he said with a mild chuckle.
"Its not funny," Ironhide said as he paused a bear claw short of his mouth. "Some slagger is going to be sorry he was separated."
"The cameras should tell the tale," Prowl said.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted," Ratchet said with a grin.
They sat together chatting and noshing while the ball rolled onward.
=0=Forensics Department-Recordings, Films and Data Imaging, Autobot City Day/Night Watch, Mars, Cybertron and Empire Security, Metrotitan, Tower 8
The night duty officer took the data wafer of camera footage to the lab nearby where it could be analyzed. He sat before a console with huge monitors, then slotted it into a port. He began to work the program as images arose.
There were a lot of visitors to The Basilica earlier, then they began to taper off. It was nearing 2300 hours when a group could be seen walking to the platform from the parking lot with an unsteady member between them. They walked past the building, then down the side where there were no cameras. It was a few moments before they walked back out minus the individual they were helping. They walked onward, transformed, then drove off together.
The tech isolated the footage, then began to work on it with the programming. It didn't take much to enlarge that stretch of film, then zoom in on the features of the individuals involved. It was clear that Ratchet was the tipsy individual but the others, three of them, were harder to see.
Working with the enlargement tech, he got features that would hold up in review of all of them, then he got more when they came back the way they'd gone. With that footage he isolated facial features, then fed them into the database of everyone on world for starters. Sitting back, he waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
=0=On the sidewalk before the tower
Prowl and Prime chatted with Ratchet and Ironhide. It was past midnight and heading toward 0100 hours on the TMC. The City was busy though the activity was indoors at the clubs and restaurants. Street traffic was slacking a bit but police moved around in car formats, horse back and on foot. Lights changed, cars drove here and there, the few that were about and all seemed well among the glistening towers of Autobot City.
"Are you going to be okay? Don't come to work tomorrow," Prowl said. "Recharge."
"Like that ever happens," Ratchet said with a grin.
"You don't have to come. Our agenda is a bit light. I'll reschedule your conference calls with the ambassadors and the others on the list for the following orn."
"Good idea," Ironhide said. "Old mech doesn't need to spar with anyone for a while."
Ratchet grinned at Ironhide then glanced at Prime. "We have that video conference with the heads of state from Asia."
"I will handle that," Prime said. "Go and relax. You broke your arm."
Ratchet rubbed his arm. "Yeah. I hate breaking slag."
They talked a moment more, then walked to the tower. As they did Prowl got the call and demurred, heading out to the street to wait for Springer to come by. Ratchet watched him leave from the elevator and as the door closed, he grinned. "Granny is terrible about not letting anyone in on what he's doing."
The door closed, then they rose upward. When Ironhide and Ratchet left the elevator, Prime went right back down. He stood with Prowl on the sidewalk as Springer and Company rode up.
=0=Elsewhere
They walked home from the station, a trio of slightly tipsy mechs. It wasn't on the agenda to pulverize Ratchet and if they'd been less drunk, their poor impulse control would have been overridden. But they hadn't.
They were unconcerned about getting caught. They grew up in a police state on Cybertron and even though they never paid for what they did, Rockwell and his partners in crime didn't give a frag about consequences at the moment.
They entered their home tower at Iacon, then rode to their own floors, stepping out to go home and sleep it off. Rockwell entered his apartment, crept into the berth room where his bond lay recharging, then fell fast asleep himself.
=0=On the street
Springer, Drift, Hercy and Kup stood with Prowl and Prime discussing the evidence preliminarily collected from Forensics-Photo. It was evident that the attackers had been identified and it appeared that they didn't take a lot of time and effort to ensure that they wouldn't be caught.
"Rockwell, a mech named Carver and another one named Pico are apparently the ones who slagged Ada. We have them identified on film. They walk to The Basilica with him, go out of sight around the side then walk back by themselves," Springer said.
Prime nodded. "Do you know where they are?"
"Apparently they went home to their apartments in Iacon," Drift said. "We have officers staking them out now."
"Then let us pick them up," Prime said. "I want them in custody as soon as possible."
Springer walked to his horse and mounted up as Prime and Prowl transformed. The others did same or hopped aboard to head out to Iacon. It would take a few moments to get there but they would arrive together. Prime would lead the arrest. Ratchet was his officer.
=0=Home
They entered a quiet apartment, noted a sleepy cow on the couch along with a dog and cat. Petting them, they walked to the end of the building and checked the big kids. Heading back, they entered their suite and shut the door. Ratchet walked to the berth room and stood under a hot shower.
Ironhide watched him a moment then walked to the monitor in the corner by the berth. He checked the mail then walked to the door of the wash rack. "You okay?"
"I am." Ratchet walked out and hugged him. Ironhide hugged him back. "Those slaggers must have been either crazy or really drunk. We have cameras everywhere for the humans. No one can really hide around these parts."
"No," Ironhide said. "Hit the rack, old mech."
"You, too," Ratchet said as he tugged on Ironhide's arm.
The big mechs walked to the bed then lay back. It was silent a moment then Ironhide squeezed Ratchet's servo. "Sorry about forgetting you. I was pretty blitzed."
"I know. Next time take a head count," Ratchet said with a grin.
Ironhide grinned back. "Done deal."
It would take a bit to recharge but they would do so.
Meanwhile …
They arrived at the door of the first suspect, Rockwell. Prime glanced at the armed mechs with him then rapped on the door. It took several before he could hear peds coming to the door.
It cracked open. "Who is there?"
"This is Optimus Prime. Open the door please," he said.
The door closed then more peds could be heard. Muffled voices talked then the door opened fully. Rockwell looking sleepy and slightly drunk along with Periodic who looked sleepy but wary stared at them.
"What do you want, Prime?" Periodic asked.
"I would like to speak to Rockwell. Please step out of the apartment," Prime said.
"Why?" Rockwell asked suddenly wary himself.
"Step out and let us talk," Prime said.
Rockwell glanced at Periodic then moved forward. Periodic blocked him but he stepped around the big mech. Moving into the hallway, he glanced around at the grim faced heavily armed mechs with Prime. "What is this about?"
"You're under arrest, Rockwell, for assault and battery and other charges to be named later," Springer said as he pulled out cuffs. He slipped them on swiftly then gripped Rockwell's arm.
Down the hallway doors opened a peek, then some closed.
Periodic stepped out to grip Rockwell's other arm. "What are you doing? What do you mean arrest?"
"He's under the suspicion of assaulting a person, then leaving them on the ground injured," Drift said. "We have enough evidence to arrest them. We're going to take him to jail and you can see him in the morning." He looked at Rockwell. "Come along nicely and don't make it hard for your bond."
"Rockwell," Periodic said with gathering alarm.
"Call a lawyer, Peri. Then come see me," Rockwell said as two mechs walked toward the elevator with him.
Periodic turned to Prime and the others then his face hardened into a mask of anger. "You planned this. You're framing him. You will regret this, Prime."
"It would not due you well to make threats," Prowl said coldly.
Periodic stepped into the apartment and slammed the door shut.
"Well, that went well. Two more to go, Prime," Hercy said as the elevator door closed on Rockwell.
"Then we better go get them," Prime said grimly. The group walked to the elevator to pick up the other two on their floors.
=0=TBC 5-7-19