The Diego Diaries: PLAY BALL! (dd8 575)
Ate too much yesterday. Here we go.
PS My computer updated and my passwords went to hell. It took this long to get access again. :*( not edited yet
=0=The Game
The half time was pleasant with replays of the Seekers flying around dumping the place on its ear. Some of the clips were set to music ala Benny Hill as they were played faster than normal. Every time Optimus grabbed a mini-con there was the sound of a horn to punctuate it. The crowd loved it both on world and off. It ended with the fight between Raptor and the big Polyhex mech. That was set to a waltz and paced to match the music.
Blaster and Jazz did that effect. Revet was too disgusted to assist.
=0=Locker room
The locker room with Prime was calm and happy with some of the big mechs showering quickly to remove some of the garbage that was pelted at them. They were going over their plan for the second half adjusting to a very feisty Polyhex who was obviously attempting to make the finals by hook or crook. They would make that adjustment and be ready for what appeared to be a very physical, very brutal second half of the game.
=0=Up there
Prowl sat on the bench talking to the kids who'd gathered around him as he peeled the covers on his 'nutritious' energy snack bars. Uncle Prowl had prepared.
Uncle Ratchet did as well. He pulled out a large chocolate bar, peeled it with a lot of monkey motion, then took a big bite.
The little kids looked at their bars, then his.
"ADA! LOU DOIN'?" Orion asked as he looked upward at the big nut-filled candy bar over which Ratchet was making a lot of 'delicious' noises as he ate.
"Yep," Ratchet said.
"ADA! LOU GIVIN' I, ORION THAT!?" he asked as the little kids gathered around Uncle Ratchet.
"You have one," Ratchet said.
All of them stared at him, then a peeved Prowl, then their good manners kicked in. They stared at Ratchet as he finished his big bar, then stared at their own again. Without another word they began to eat theirs but it was clear that their sparks weren't in it.
:You sparkless cad:
Ratchet grinned. :Says who, Granny? When are you going to get it that kids want what I got? That pony chow that you give them is about as tasty as dog poop:
Prowl smirked. :How would you know that?:
Ratchet grinned. "I can give you photos."
Prowl's grin faded. "No thank you, heathen." He looked at the kids. "Who wants another?"
No one did.
=0=At the tunnel ready to come out again
They lined up in their own tunnels waiting to go out to play again. The arena was stamping their peds relentlessly as they waited for the game to begin. Prime glanced at his team, his friends of lifetimes of strife and memorable events. The ref called the game to order and they walked out together, all of them heading for the bench to gather.
Polyhex was to take the ball in and Crater had to defend. Ultra Magnus and his crew of behemoths and speed demons walked out onto the floor to get set.
The two lines faced each other, then the ball was given to the center of Polyhex by a toss from the ref. He stepped back, then threw it hard into Magnus's face. It rebounded, then was passed off as Magnus staggered in the center of the arena. He turned slowly, then focused on the center of Polyhex with fire in his optics.
The wings ran around in circles passing the ball until Jack clothes lined the ball handler. He chinned himself on Jack's out stretched arm, then fell to the floor. The ball was loose, then Hot Rod and a Polyhex wing dived for it causing both to slam their helms into each other. They seemed to hover in the air a moment, then fell to the ground.
The place burst into flames of laughter and applause.
Flags flew.
Magnus found the center.
The center turned to Magnus.
The center took a blow to the face.
The whole place lost its shit.
=0=Up there
"This is ridiculous. That mech shouldn't have punched Magnus. There's nothing to gain by doing that." Prowl sniffed with much peevishness.
Ratchet nodded. "Magnus never forgets. This fight is going to be amazing," he said as the big center rose from the ground, slammed his fists together, then ran for Magnus.
While that was happening, two lines of kids ran from their tunnels determined to do good.
=0=Sidelines
Springer caught them out of the corner of his optics. "WHAT! WAIT!" He lit after them followed by Drift.
They made it to Hot Rod and the wing before Springer reached them. He and Drift put themselves between the kids, the two groggy mechs and the raging inferno of the fight happening too close for comfort.
The kids bent over the two mechs scanning the slag out of both, then huddling. Sil ran for the tunnel barely missing the brawl causing the crowd to gasp. She was grabbed by Hercy who ran out toward her, then rushed inside as more mechs hustled out to guard the kids. A pair of stretcher bearers loped out, loaded the two mechs, then ran for another tunnel as Springer and Drift hustled the kids behind them.
The crowd roared with relief, then went back to the good stuff, the battle royal happening nearby.
=0=E2
"Oh my god. That was close," Barrett Walter's mom said as she finally exhaled with relief.
"They were protected. They did good," his father said as his eyeballs sucked back into his head.
=0=There
It was one for the ages, the battle between Magnus and the behemoth named Piro. Living up to his name, that mech was lit. Magnus swung back with force as the two clanged fists together in a fight not yet seen even with Prime. This one had little finesse but oddly enough showcased to a tee why humans and most other species were no foes for the Cybertronians, especially someone like Magnus. He was naturally built to a Primal frame specification and even without armor could be classed at or near phase six in menace and power. The fight raged up and down the arena floor with Magnus methodically exchanging blows while absorbing them without much change of expression. He was pissed to be so blindsided especially by a former Decepticon that wasn't at the moment coming up in his files.
Optimus stood by his bench watching the spectacle along with most of the team and some Polyhex players. Commenting on form, they agreed that Piro was a unit but that in the end Magnus would wear him down. Then as fast as it started, it ended. Both walked toward their own benches with expressions of extreme menace on their faces.
"You okay?" Arcee asked as he paused next to her.
"No," Magnus replied.
"Then we go for the win," she replied as he nodded.
Crater took the ins and the game was on. Back and forth they raged punching and bouncing each other in and out of the lines. It would take nearly a quarter of play before Chromia would drill the ball through the hoop by running up the backside of a big Polyhex defensive mech to score. The bedlam was almost worth the fights that broke out after she did. And that didn't count the fury in the stands.
She danced back to jump on Maelstrom. She hugged him tightly, then hopped down. "You're up, big boy."
He smiled at her. "Done deal, beautiful." He walked out onto the floor with a swagger at the AWESOMENESS of his girl to take the defensive line next to Magnus. And on it would go.
=0=There
"This is picking up. We're one ahead of them." Ratchet glanced at Prowl who was gripping the railing with his fists. "Relax. We're going to win. Right?"
Prowl looked at him with heated optics. "Yes," he hissed before looking downward again.
Ratchet grinned. / ... I hope we do .../
=0=In the stands
A gang watched the game and the power players who hunted them day and night. They'd managed to stay out of the direct spotlight of the law but things were getting harder to do. Going to ground when it was clear that the murders of late were part of the gang scene, they decided to melt into the woodwork to wait out the ramped up effort to find them. The game was great. Their party afterward was looking to be greater. It was supposed to be a meet up of all the gangs and their leaders to talk but the word was lay low for a while. Someone from the No Name gang had been arrested for the murders. It wasn't a good time to chat about the future of their mutual groups. It might be that there was going to be no future following this.
=0=Down there
Optimus stood on the sidelines searching for an open player. There wasn't any so he rammed forward showing several players including his own out of the way. With Winnie on one side and Chromia on the other, he raced for the hoop, leaped up and sank the ball through it. He turned to look back at the rest of the team in time to get a fist in the face from the Polyhex center.
"WHAT THE FRAG!" Prowl said as he ran for the stairs before anyone could grab him.
"OH FRAG!" Ratchet said as he leaped over the balcony to land on the floor 70 feet below. Turning swiftly, he saw that Prowl was nearly at the edge of the court. Rushing forward, he tackled Prowl to disappear in flying legs and arms into the darkness beyond.
Prime meanwhile staggered, then leaped on a huge mech which caused both of them to fall to the ground together.
The crowd rose on their peds to watch the carnage as the two giants beat the slag out of each other.
=0=Nearby watching with astonishment
:Prime packs a punch: Ron Witwicky said as he leaned over the edge of the banister.
:He does. He hates war: Sarah Lennox replied.
:He does: Lonnie Epps said. :Good thing:
Everyone nodded.
=0=Springer and the Boyz
"I'd hate to get into a one-on-one with that mech," Lon said.
"Which one?" Bezel asked with a trace of awe in his voice.
"Both," Lon said.
Everyone nodded.
=0=Prime v Huge Guy
They grappled with each other, then the big mech drove Prime backward until they both slammed into the wall of the arena. A number of mechs and a femme were leaning over to watch, then fell over the side at the seismic impact of that much power moving that fast. Three of them bounced off the two mechs to fall everywhere else but for one mech and the femme. They fell to the ground where they lay stunned as over the top of them the two mechs raged almost apparently unaware they were there. That was when Prowl reached them from one side with Ratchet in pursuit and Drift on the other.
CLANG!
The impact of two ninjas reaching their targets would be told around campfires until the end of time.
=0=11-26-2022
