The Diego Diaries: Party (dd8 332)
=0=At the party in The Tower in the Sky, Iacon, Mars
It was going very well with dinner, drinks and dancing. The usual Cybertronian bounce and flail was hard at it among the younger set as their elders took a more leisurely approach to dining. Nearby with a cold expression on his handsome face, Hot Rod watched Smokey as he jazzed it up with a couple of the young mechs that made up Bluestreak and the Twin's circle. One of them was a Home Guard soldier and the other was in finance.
Who knew?
He stared at the handsome kid having a ton of fun dancing with the two mechs and felt the usual mix of seething fury and seething need. He'd had a few flings between the end of their hot passion and now but it wasn't anything that was more than need based. Smokey? He didn't know and a part of him was clear that he didn't want to.
So he sat and seethed.
Nearby watching him with his bond and a number of friends, Devcon sipped his beer. Smokescreen had pointed Roddy out and they were having an amusing conversation off line about him.
:Someone told me that those two will either bond or kill each other:
Dev glanced at Smokescreen. :I'm hung up on which one would be worse. I don't want him to have a life where he fights with the one who's supposed to love him best. Right now, watching them dig out the Temple together is enough for me:
Smokescreen grinned at Dev. :I heard that a short hard wind will be passing through in a couple of orns:
Dev chuckled. :That's the funniest thing I've heard in a while:
Smokescreen grinned. :You and me both:
Dancing in the scrum, Smokey had nothing but fun on the processor. He noticed Hot Rod the moment he came in with his grandparents, parents and a friend. He ignored him with all the haughtiness that a kid can bring to a former, lover now avowed enemy. He watched Hot Rod flirt with a number of mechs, something that burned in his processor so he danced and enjoyed himself. It was something.
And the beat went on …
=0=Out in the mess
Ominous logged off, then considered the proposition. Paladin and Razorclaw wanted a get together to discuss things, perhaps a long game toward the ultimate goal, beating Optimus Prime to a pulp. The meet up would be the three of them in small ships, vessels that ordinarily didn't draw attention to themselves. Apparently, Optimus was prepared to tolerate tiny ships flying around to look at things. It was hoped that they'd all be able to converge out of his sight in a small but manageable area where the signals from Prime's sensors didn't overlap. It was a small field but they would be invisible to Prime in it. Razorclaw held that card a long time for just this moment.
What the thing was for him was finding his place in the shift that was coming. He was the weakest link, he knew. Razorclaw was as ruthless and powerful as any phase sixer on his own and Paladin was phase six himself. So was his second. That left him open for whatever mayhem they wanted to send his way. He was no slouch in the fighting department but even he had to concede he was in over his weight class.
Their meeting was in two orns and he would go with an open mind. He already cleared their position together, he and the others who had bowed to his command. All it would take now is waiting. He was good at that. So were the others with him.
The orn passed slowly on his base.
=0=Earth2
Cindy Tomas had dinner earlier with the man she was seeing, then walked to the office to clear the desk of things that had piled up during the festivities. She entered the darkened Administrative Center, then the office now hers to sit down. Most of the work there was answering correspondence and organizing the schedule for her week as boss. It was an amazing experience for her, a public relations expert who'd been hired to help steer Earth2 into creation.
Now she was leading it, was an actual citizen of Cybertron by Primal decree and had found a home she loved on an alien world among the most curious aliens she'd ever seen. That she loved them and they loved her back was the icing on the cake. It would be a quiet two hours before she was cleared up. The walk to her apartment would take her through their little 'town'. Waving to friends, stopping to chat, she would arrive at home in time to catch The Hourly News and get ready for bed.
All was well in her world.
Watching her walk through town as they sat at the outdoor section of a cafe, Claire Hilliard and her husband Tom were having a late night snack before turning in. There was no love lost between them for Tomas as she chatted with people on her way home. She was across the street and didn't see them.
Claire frowned. "That bitch is going to turn us in."
"She hasn't got the authority," Tom said. "Don't make trouble, Claire. Right now, the focus is on the attack. As long as it is then its not on us. Don't draw attention."
"That's easy for you to say, Tom," Claire said as she sat back in irritation. "I have to contact the office back home. There's things to do."
"I'm doing it with Zoom. I'm being careful that nothing is said that can come back on us. You talk too much," Tom said. "Wait and see."
For a woman like her who was raised from birth to be a ruler, 'wait and see' wasn't in the cards. But oddly enough, when Tom asked for it she complied. Now would be no different though her angst rose with every passing day.
=0=Carly and Sam
"Then that's it."
Sam Witwicky glanced at Carly. "Whatever you want. As long as you tell me ten minutes before, I'm good with it."
Carly stared at the plans for her wedding, then grinned. "You're going soft on me then."
Sam grinned. "Someone told me 'happy wife, happy life'."
Carly smirked at Sam. "Someone is a genius."
=0=At the party
Ratchet stared at Optimus noting the slight dip in his energy field. He rose to walk to the table. Prowl was talking to someone else at the moment as everyone lingered over desserts and drinks. He pulled Prowl's chair to sit. "Don't you look all handsome and what not."
Prime grinned in spite of himself. "So you say?"
"So I command," Ratchet replied as he relaxed. "Know what else I can command?"
"I suppose you'll tell me," Optimus replied.
:I would rather not command it: Ratchet said off line. :I think you and I need to talk. I think you and I need to do it if not immediately, then as close to that as possible:
:Is that so: Prime replied noncommittally.
"Yep."
He glanced at Ratchet who could read him like a book. Few were more aware of his moods and aspects as Ratchet. "Tonight is for fun."
"Then you should have some. Dance with me," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
Prime basked in it for a second, then grinned. "Primes do not party. I do remember hearing that once upon a time."
"Primes are fun. I think the humans don't get that aspect of your multi-faceted dynamism," Ratchet said. :Your gloom is showing:
Prime stared at him, then the plate before him. It was empty of the several desserts that Prowl had brought him. :I will endeavor to correct that:
"No. You will endeavor to walk with me a moment," Ratchet said pointedly.
"And the party?" Prime asked.
"Can wait while one of its most dazzling lights gets a once over from me," Ratchet said as he rose.
Prime stared at him, then rose. He glanced at Venture who turned to see what was up. "I have to talk to Ratchet a moment, Ven. I will be right back."
"Very well," Venture said with a grin. He had Posse on his lap and was feeding him bits of this and that.
Ratchet and Prime walked to the door to step out. The balcony portion of the lobby nearby beckoned. It overlooked the city so they walked to it to pause and stare outward at the light show below. It was dark and lights outlined everything.
"This colony is a beautiful work of art," Ratchet said as he glanced around at the illumination that signaled Iacon as well as other cities and districts beyond.
"It is what we deserve," Prime said.
"You're pretty mad at yourself over the mission and getting bridge jumped by Paladin," Ratchet said as he got to the point. "You need to tell me about that. You do realize that you're not infallible or perfect, though you're the most like that of anyone I ever knew. Including me," he said with a dazzler.
Prime grinned slightly, then it faded. "I have the responsibility to plan and interpret what happens to a very great degree."
"Did the Matrix help you?"
"No," Prime said with a soft sigh. "It did not."
"I don't recall t doing that much over the centuries," Ratchet said. "I'm not sure if you understand how very gifted you are. You are The One Who Comes. Everyone knows that. You're the most experienced mech I've ever met at this. Everyone concedes to you pride of place. You're a walking mystic. You have the Pantheon on speed dial rather than the other way around." He made a point of glancing around. "Ada would kick me for that."
Prime grinned as he turned to face Ratchet. He leaned on the railing as he took in the show. Ratchet was in full 'fix him' mode and it was not only amusing, it usually did the trick. "And it would be deserved."
Ratchet chuckled. "It would. The two million other things I've done that Ada doesn't know would be avenged." He grinned at Optimus. "In my life, I've never met anyone as fine and good as you. You have all the attributes needed to become a legend. That you came back after getting killed 18 times is a plus as well."
Prime grinned. "There was that."
"Persistence makes the mech," Ratchet said with a grin. "What you aren't, my dearest friend, is omnipotent. You can't read processors. You can apply all the ability and experience you have and win the ones that count and most of them. But sometimes there's a slagger that is so damned fragged that its a new game and a new world.
"Consider what happened. Good plan, unknown opponent, a hitch happens. You adapted and kept them from doing too much damage. He didn't destroy entire cities. His ships fell on the open ground as you planned. No one died. MIRACLE OF MIRACLES! At least on our side. What I feel about you losing your house can't be spoken. I know that hurts. But given everything, your wisdom prevailed.
"You got a population two thirds that of the United States on Earth underground in a few joors. It was genius that created the shelter system and genius that led the defense. Imagine if the people hadn't been underground? I can't conceive of it myself," Ratchet said.
Prime nodded. "Our people must never know bombardment and fear like this again. I will not have it, Ratchet. Never again will the be afraid in their homes and towns. I am the Prime. I have pledged my life to this."
"And you've produced. But know, and who knows better than us? There will probably never be any perfect missions." He patted Prime's arm. "You pulled a miracle together. Just know that."
"But it will not hold and you know that as well. There is only one solution for this problem especially if and when we move Cybertron here," Prime said.
Ratchet nodded. "I know. We have to take out Razorclaw, Ominous and Paladin."
Prime nodded grimly. "We do."
=0=TBC 12-26-2021
Well, Christmas (SURPRISE!) is over and things are back to (ab)normal. ON WITH THE SHOW! EVERY DAY! UNLESS A METEOR FALLS ON ME! PINKY PROMISE! Hugs, Nana
