The Diego Diaries: Simmer Down (dd8 573)

=0=On the way

The crowds began to come to the game in Arena 1 that would start a bit earlier than Polyhex v Crater Comets. This game was between Kaon and Iacon, a surprising addition to the playoffs. These two games would choose the two teams that would play for the championship in a playoff of three games. Whoever won 2 of them won the championship. The favored team was, of course, Crater with a scrappy Kaon favored to beat Iacon.

By the time that Ratchet and Company along with Prowler's Pack™ arrived at the arena it was rocking. It filled up early as they entered the Primal Box to sit with masses of friends while nearby the human space was jamm(ed)ing. Waves were delivered, guff exchanged, then everyone turned around to look at Ratchet.

"Alright, Sonny," Ravel said with scorn and a little fear. "Show us your cheer gear before I paddle you."

Ratchet glanced at all of them, then gave them his biggest and most beautiful smile. It would buy him enough time while they were dazzled, and they were, to think of something more snazzy than he got hosed by the post office. "I got hosed by the post office," he said through the wattage.

"What the frag," Appa Ratchet said. "MY BOY IS HALF THIS GAME!"

Ratchet hugged his appa, then grinned at the slaggers half of whom looked disappointed and half relieved. "I'll prevail for the championship. I can't let down my fans."

Prowl who was staring at him with a smug and secretly relieved yet highly disappointed processor shook his helm. "How sad. You don't have a costume to make yourself a loon in the optics of three or so planets."

"You should see what's coming, Prowler," Ratchet said as he moved to stand beside the winger at the barrier. "I chose it with you in mind."

Prowl stared at him with loathing then turned to watch the crowd. "You can't make me feel poorly. I have a place on the mantle for this, our many trophies captured by the genius of Optimus Prime. Warble on, Loon."

Ratchet snickered, then waved at the cameras to see himself on the jumbotron.

Prowl smirked and gave the Cybertronian version of the two finger salute (or one finger depending upon continent) earning himself a slap on the helm by his ada who was grinning broadly as he did it. It showed up on the jumbotron earning Prowl OCEANS of UNIVERSES of laughter and abuse from the crowd. His corresponding frown and scowl earned even more.

=0=Locker room time-to-time

They'd gathered together, the roster of the expanded teams. Given the number of injuries in the games Cybertronians played, the number of players was increased to save lives from injured players playing.

Like that.

The 'Four Femmes of the Apocalypse', Chromia, Elita, Winnie and Arcee sat together sharing snaps of Winnie's sons. All the others were there including their massive defensive line, Bulkhead, Nitro, Scar and Payload.

Those guys.

The faster players and those who had giant skills that could play offensively or defensively were Optimus, Sun and Jack surprisingly, Steiner, Ultra Magnus, Flint, Devcon, Twin Twist who'd practiced to help improve his aim aka shooting, Hard Drive and Jetta.

Raptor, Blackjack and Maelstrom operated both as defensive and offensive backs for the goalie, Ironhide aka 'Little Mech'™.

Sitting on the bench, one at either end, both praying to play and praying for someone to get hurt so they could, the hapless duet of Not Rod and Pokey would watch with their usual intensity.

Kup would be reserve desperado and designated cop if Hot Rod and Smokey went off the rails ever again.

They sat in the room chatting quietly, knowing full well if they fucked this one up the season was over. As it was, the odds were good that they'd not only triumph but play Kaon in the finals.

Or maybe Iacon.

You never knew.

=0=Sitting in a locker room during half time at the other arena, KAON v IACON!

The game had been brutal as the main strategy it would appear for Iacon was to put Sunstreaker and Sideswipe into an early grave. Their team had been offensive in their offense and had accrued fifteen penalties in the first half. It was only by the grace of Primus that Iacon hadn't worked out how to put the ball through the hoop on penalty shots.

The score was 6-2 with Kaon in the lead. How it would end was anyone's guess.

Maybe.

The siren blew so they lined up and went out. The game began and it would be clear from this moment forward that not only did the siren blow, so did Iacon's defense.

=0=In the big arena next door-to-door

They lined up with their flag and attitude, the game face farce practiced even among the Cybertronians. Strutting out, they walked to the tunnel entrance to wait to be called inside. The place was rocking with club songs, flags waving and the odd melee in the crowds.

Springer and Drift watched the slaggers picked out as trouble when they came in knowing full well that they'd never get through the game without a fight. Standing in two tunnels here and two tunnels at the Kaon-Iacon game, intense kids with medical kits and matching jackets (and tattoos) waited with anticipation the carnage to come.

"What do you think?" Drift asked Springer who was scoping optically in on a crowd of mini-con Seekers in the stands nearby.

"I think its going to hurt," Springer said with a chuckle. "When doesn't it?"

Drift nodded. "Good thing the kids came with their gear."

"Its the line between life and death sometimes," Springer said as he glanced at the kids.

The kids waved to him, a group that included Barrett Walters. He was standing on a segway with his kit in the basket on the handlebars. He waved, too.

Drift and Springer waved back, then walked to where they were standing. Springer knelt. "You kids look great. Nice to see you, Barrett."

:Thanks, Commander. I'm so glad to be here. Its pretty scary at ground level: he said.

As he said that his family was sitting in the big lounge with hundreds of residents at Earth2.

"That's my boy," his dad said. "He's in the mentorship group and doing a damned fine job."

His sisters glanced at their mom and dad who looked proud but a bit nervous at the crowd around them. "He loves it."

"He does," their mom said. She glanced at the two. "You two should consider joining, too."

They stared at their mom as if she'd grown horns.

"We'll think about it," Tinsley said as her sister nodded her head.

Neither would.

=0=On the deck

Alor walked off after playing the requisite music and after Prime stepped into view as called for. The crowd roared with an intensity that the humans could feel patter against their suits. Alor walked off and so did Prime. As they did the refs and judges walked out with the announcer. They gathered in the middle of the court. Everyone sort of settled as the announcer began.

"FEMMES AND MECHS! WELCOME TO THE SEMI-FINAL GAME TO DETERMINE WHO WILL VIE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND POSSESSION OF THE CUP IN CYBERTRONIAN ADULT LEAGUE BASKETBALL!"

Pause as crowd loses it.

Oh, and a little kid named the championship trophy 'The Cup'. Because it was. A cup, that is.

"TONIGHT, THE CRATER COMETS LED BY OOOOOPTIIIIMUSSSSS PRIME-"

ROAR!

"-CRATER WILL FACE OFF WITH POLYHEX LED BY CARBONDALE OF CRESCENT RIDGEEEEE!"

ROAR!

"TONIGHT, THE FATE OF FOUR CITY-STATES RIDES ON THE PLAY OF OUR SEMI-CHAMPIONS! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WELCOME THE CRATER COMETS!"

Prime and his team walked in to the absolute roar of everyone. They did their dance, planted their banner, then waited for Polyhex to do the same. They would, everyone would glare at each other like boxers do when they're stupid, then the players would line up to play.

Optimus Prime, Elita, Jetta, Hard Drive, Arcee, Winnie, Sun, Jack and Ironhide would take their places as the same sized players from Polyhex did the same. The ball was tossed, the jump was made and the game was on.

=0=Watching at ESPN during the first half shut down of the chat part of the game

"Its incredible how high big guys like Prime can jump. That has to be twenty feet off the ground," a sportscaster said.

The others nodded.

"Imagine a Freightliner tractor truck jumping 20 feet in the air. They weigh, what? Five or six tons?" another said.

"At least," another said. "He isn't a Freightliner is he?"

"I think he's a Peterbilt," the first said. "My dad drove them. I love them. Good truck and hardy."

"Good thing. The kids are here with their kits. Wanna bet when they use them?"

No one took the bet.

=0=Game on

Prime handed off to Jetta who passed to Elita, who gave it to Chromia, who climbed the frame of the Polyhex goalie and dunked the ball in. She walked back dancing like a boxer, shadow boxing as she celebrated like a lady.

*cough*

Maelstrom who was a defensive back about ready to go defend nearly swooned at the sight of His Girl™ looking so fine. They slapped servos on the way on/off court as the behemoth defensive team of Crater followed Ultra Magnus out to the floor.

"Chromia is a work and wonder. Living with Maelstrom does a femme good," Ratchet said with parental pride. "Now the other half dozen or so are available-"

"RATCHET!"

=0=On the floor

Nitro stood in the space where he'd defend against goals watching the forward lines grappling in the middle of the floor. Wishing they could form scrums in this game even as he waited for the football season to return, he was poised to defend what was looking like a full court charge any second now. He glanced at Payload and Bulkhead getting set as Scar flew out of the melee and into the wall nearby.

The mob then thundered his way.

=0=Nearby

"What now, Commander?" Coros asked as he watched Scar fall down from the wall onto his face.

"We wait for the refs to-" Drift began.

TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

The scrum halted with astonishment as they turned as one to the refs. In the stands a rain of beer (which was forbidden at games), fan gear, half eaten food and oddly enough, a complimentary copy of The Chronicles of Primus, the like you get in the nightstand next to the berth at hotels and motels worldwide fell to the floor and onto the refs.

Yes, even on Mars there are Gideons.

Springer walked out to look upward barely ducking half of a pizza which landed on the floor with a splat. It was then as he considered the situation that a good dozen micro mini-con Seekers decided to strafe the entire establishment in their angst that Polyhex had beaten Vos for the semi-finals. "Oh, fuck me," Springer said before the tiny Seekers swan dived into the air, transformed, then formed up to buzz the entire arena in a combat formation.

"WHAT THE FRAG!?" Prowl, feeling it as he knee-jerked reached for a gun

"Would you LOOK at THAT!" Ratchet, wishing he could fly

"What the unholy frag," Starscream torn between pride and despair. "Go, my armada," he said with a slight smirk. "Avenge Vos."

They goed.

=0=Everywhere

"Oh my god," Cindy said. "This is god-level stuff."

"I want selfies with them. Come with to the jail tomorrow. We can get pictures before Prowl has them shot by a firing squad."

Everyone there would go.

=0=TBC 11-22-2022

Gideons: a bible society that aims to place bibles wherever people are so they can read them. Most hotels will have a bible in the night stand in your room courtesy of the Gideons.

trucks: there are many types the old G1 Optimus was a mac truck, the one with the little bulldog hood ornament

Freightliners can be snub nose or not

Peterbilt is the truck frame that Prime was in the Bay movies. Those are great trucks and my faves