The Diego Diaries: Copycat (548)
=0=Tennyson Flight Deck
Hardie listened to the chase on world as he worked to figure out how to tail the son of Crader and his seven ships. They were determined not to be in this dimensional space, disappearing completely with the only clue their tachyon trail that ended in a burst signaling a jump. He felt the antsy sense of tension and anxiety on his exoskeleton as he ordered more titans in pretender gear to go to Autobot City to make a force great enough to protect anyone around who might be haplessly in the path of a marauding member of Crader's family and friends.
He walked around the deck checking things, showing a command presence to the troops followed by a tiny mini-con femme Home Guardsman holding his data pad as they tensely worked out their part of the mission. It would be reassuring to the youth among them, her included. The veterans knew a bit better but appreciated Hardie anyway. The clock would tick slowly onward.
=0=The Shrine for Solus Prime, City Hall Administration Plaza, Autobot City, Mars
Drift and his team crept up to the doors which were open. The light was dim inside given it was getting on toward evening. The tall lights and the Memorial Flame on the front side of City Hall gave good illumination to those who came orn and night to visit the Shrine. No one appeared to be around as they took stock. Sending Bezel and Lon with Whirlaway around the building to enter from the back service door, they slipped inside the shadowy place to hunt for the two who had come inside.
Stepping along the wall, halting in the shadows beneath giant statues of Solus Prime Herself which were distorted from the flickering of candles placed in candle stands at Her feet, Drift caught a slight movement. He pointed his gun, then noticed an acolyte priest crouching over a femme and a baby hiding in the darkness behind a seating area for meditation. He held up his servo to signal that they stay put, then he rose slightly to look around. There was no movement anywhere.
Drift and Splice scanned lightly all around and noted more in the shrine but nothing that read like the two slaggers. Apparently their armor bounced signals or wasn't picked up by them. It was maddening.
=0=On the run
The single mech made it to the Mare Tranquillitatis, hoofing it as fast as he could toward a tower where a number of kids were playing next to it on the big basketball court created there for the development. They were always used by kids until the midnight curfew and now was no exception.
Prime and Prowl ran faster following him as he bee-lined toward the court.
Prowl turned on his pursuit lights and siren, blasting a message to the kids to run and hide in the shelters of the building nearby. The kids froze as they saw the flight coming swiftly straight at them, then began to run equally swiftly toward the building. Prowl began to shoot at the ground leading toward them, ahead of the runner who had to dodge and jump over the shots. It slowed him down enough that the kids made the building and ran inside.
Prime zeroed optically into them and saw them swarm into an elevator to leave upward. The door closed and they were out of the scene. :They're safe: he said to Prowl.
:Good: Prowl said, then he began to shoot directly at the runner, his shots spinning him around to fall and slide for some distance. :WE NEED TITANS HERE! WE GOT ONE!: Prowl said in an all call.
Behind them the sound of titans materializing could be heard as Prime and Prowl continued. The mech was trying to rise around the fusillade with which Prowl continued to hit him over and over. It was then that the two were both passed by the big mechs who ran toward the rousing suspect, blasting by Prime and Prowl like they were standing in place.
Gambian reached him first then grabbed him by an arm. He spun and swung the mech in a circle before Banner and Avalone of all mechs along with Tyke caught a limb and held fast. The mech they gripped was thrashing like a maniac and after a moment the squirming began to loosen the holds of the titans. They glanced at each other in surprise, then pushed him to the ground to press harder.
Gambian glanced at Prime and Prowl. "I'm shocked that he's this strong. You better deactivate him before we all regret it."
:RATCHET! COME TO THE MARE! HURRY!: Prime said as he came closer and helped to press the slagger down.
Prowl stared at the sight with volcanic fury, then pulled his most heavy duty tazer from subspace. He walked slowly around the straining group, then knelt by the mech's helm. Without a qualm he pressed the tazer against the mech's helm. The bellow would be one for the ages. So would be the looks on the faces of all holding him down as they barely cleared their release before electricity surged through him.
He howled, then relaxed as Prowl removed the tazer. Pressing his big gun against the mech's temple, Prowl leaned inward. "Move again and I leave this tazer on your helm until dust comes out your audials."
The mech stared at him, then relaxed a moment.
"Don't give an inch to him. He's going to bolt if you do," Prowl said as he watched the mech's servos. He would need to move them first to get up to run. He and his tazer would be waiting.
=0=In the morgue in the middle of a nightmare
Ratchet stepped back toward the door with Typhoon, Hammer of Primus, Retriades, Radical Wind and a half dozen thoroughly grossed out orthopedic surgeons. The soldiers who were with them backed out into the hallway away from the horror inside. "Oh frag," Ratchet said caught between an urge to laugh uproariously and purge his tanks.
A big mech on the table rolled to the side, then fell heavily to the floor where he began to flop around in his legless and armless new estate. He flopped and rolled bellowing at the top of his vocal capacitor as others who had either already fallen or were just about to do the same joined him. After a number of heavy thumps, the five were on the ground trying to roll toward the mechs to bit them on their peds.
It was the most horrible magnificent thing most of them had ever seen in a colorful lifetime.
Then Ratchet froze to take an emergency message.
=0=City Hall at the same time
They rushed to the door, then took either side. The foyer with the busy counter looked empty of personnel. It was nearing closing time anyway and given this was 'Friday' most of the staff were probably on their way out or took early leave. It was an unwritten rule by Magnus and Blondi that anyone who wanted to be on the 'rotation of leave' roster could. It was an informal list of those who could leave before close of day Friday, then someone else could go early the next one while that person waited for closing time. Everyone rotated and got a jump start on the weekend on a regular basis, a nice perk given so many were young genitors.
Springer slipped inside, crouching as he ran along the counter to peer overhead. It was silent everywhere. He glanced at Hercy. :Got a good scanner? I can't pick anyone up:
Hercy glanced at Kup. :Combine your 'special' scanner with mine, infant. Let's see what we got."
They did and it was silent a moment as the rest entered the room to find a place to crouch out of easy view.
Hercy glanced at Springer. :They're on the stairwell going to the roof. Everyone is on the roof and the slaggers are trying to break the blast doors. We better hustle. There's an emergency runabout kept there with a small pair of flyabouts: Hercy rose with his big old gun out and with Springer, Kup and the others began to run for the stairwell and a climb to the tenth floor access to that part of the roof, the landing pad part.
=0=Prime and the others
He relaxed a moment allowing his aching processor to cool off and reorganize. When it was 'basic-optimal', that is clear enough to think the maniac fugitive reared up to run for it.
Prowl lunged at him and caught Autobot Canopy in the arm. He howled as Prowl jerked the tazer back. They all rose and began to give chase as the sirens went off all over the city. The security zone was growing as Red Alert tracked them across the Mare.
=0=The Hourly News: Emergency Update!
Aleph had joined Lim-Lee for the situation reporting. He glanced at the data pad handed to him, then gave it to Lim-Lee who began to read it silently. "We just received an update on the escaped patients from Metro Femme. The security zone is expanding into the Mare Tranquillitatis. Everyone there is ordered to return to your buildings and lock in. Those who are there who are not residents go to the nearest building and down into the shelters. All of the shelters have armed guards there as per the Prime's Emergency Order for General Events. They will assist you.
"It is absolutely imperative that you comply with these orders. Go to the nearest shelter and go down. Contact family once there but understand you must stay once inside. The area of interest is limited to the City Hall Administrative Plaza in the down town and the Mare where security is pursuing an individual. They are not armed but are considered extremely, extremely dangerous. Anyone caught interfering by coming to see the situation or not obeying the orders will be arrested on sight. No one needs trouble so comply for your own safety.
"It's stated that the Shrine for Solus Prime off City Hall Plaza is being searched for some of the missing individuals as is City Hall. The most veteran intervention specialists from the Marines, Prison, Army and Wreckers are working to capture these individuals. The mission is being led by Chief of Security for Mars and the Empire, Springer of Polyhex who is also chieftain of the Special Operations crew, the Wreckers, Assistant Chief of Security Drift of Kaon, Chief of Operations of the Autobot Armed Forces Prowl of Praxus and Optimus Prime himself. If they don't have to worry about you they can capture these individuals faster and easier," Aleph said as Lim-Lee nodded solemnly beside him.
=0=Getting there
Ratchet ran toward the Mare passing his own building and the Medical Center with Typhoon, Hammer, Retriades, Radical Wind and a bunch of soldiers behind him. They galloped along toward the signal of Prime and Prowl, closing the distance as they did. They were running across the parkland that was the central public space of the development which all the former quarries used for entertainment purposes for locals. Ahead of him coming into view he saw a number of titans fighting with a single mech while Prime tried to edge in and Prowl sat on his aft on the ground looking dazed. A number of other mechs looked this and that busted ass around the fight.
"Oh frag," Ratchet said as he picked up steam with his crew.
=0=At Metro Femme's morgue at the same time
"What the unholy frag is this?" Knockout asked as he walked down the corridor to the morgue. All over the floor were mechs without arms and legs rolling and humping along trying to bite everyone's feet.
"Great isn't it?" Tracks said as he grinned at the slagger. "We're trying to grab them to put them into restraints but its like picking up a crab. They'll bit your digit off if you aren't fast."
Knockout stared at them with a queasy expression, then glanced at Tracks. "Not with me," he said as he pulled out a heavy duty tazer.
They wouldn't.
=0=TBC 10-17-2022 edited 10-18-2022
NOTES:
A person's estate is their well being and current condition. If you are in good estate then things are fine. Poor estate is how Ratchet and the Boyz feel at the moment.
To have a colorful life is to have one with adventures, miss or otherwise and to have a lot of yarns to tell the younglings when you're Rambler's age and hanging in the courtyard at The Fortress. Most Cybertronians I would say had a colorful life.
