The Diego Diaries: BASKETBALL! (dd8 357)

=0=At the arena

Ratchet ambled out and walked onto the court to pause beside the referees. Howls of laughter and applause greeted him. He grinned at the refs who grinned back. "Ironhide won't be up to it until after the half time and then only if he passes inspection. Sideswipe is out of the game due to a mangled elbow. You're welcome," he said as he walked to the tunnel to go back topside. He did so to laughter of his people.

The head referee, Dingle walked to the sideline, delivered the news, then walked back to the medallion enjoying his moment in the sun. "Ironhide of the Comets is out for the first two quarters and will return only after passing inspection. Sideswipe of Kaon is out of the game with injuries."

The place erupted with noise, some laughter and some rage.

Sunstreaker glared at Hard Drive who grinned back at him. Then the teams walked out to take the ball in near the hoop for Kaon. Sunstreaker held the ball, then threw it hard at his mech, Splice who passed it to Rumbler, to Splice, to Sunstreaker, to Rumbler, to the basket. It went in.

ROAR, ETC!

Kaon, 5. Comets, 0.

They walked to the sidelines feeling slightly mollified as Prime and his team regrouped. They huddled at the sideline.

Prime: "We need a goalie with Ironhide's lack of fear."

Everyone: "Chromia."

Everyone: "Okay."

They walked onto the floor with a new goalie and the admiration of Maelstrom forever.

At the jump ball …

Prime set himself across from the grinning good natured figure of Swag "Tiny" of Corner Place. Corner Place was a place that was in the corner of Torus States and was populated by old families who worked in the trash business, rag picking, sorting out things like train engines and motor vehicles with their bare hands. That they were mostly Man Mountain Deans helped a lot. "Tiny" was no different and he had the same personality as most of the folks from that neck of the woods … he was sweet, kindly, wouldn't hurt a fly and could disembowel you with his bare servos he was so strong.

But the question beggaring the moment was simple: Can he jump?

Yes. Yes he could.

The ball was tossed, Prime rose up to grab it and found it already tossed to members of Swag's team. He landed, then ran past the big mech who was turning to defend his goal with his entire massive body. Prime collided with Arrow (not that one) and the two struggled for a moment before Prime removed the ball into his possession. Arrow was lucky that a couple of digits didn't come with it. Prime passed off, then turned to rush backward when he collided with Swag who was standing there waiting for the game to come his way.

The clang of their collision could be heard over the chaos.

"WHAT THE FRAG!"

Ratchet glanced at Prowl, then grabbed his aft before he jumped over the side. Tugging him back, they stood together as the teams halted in surprise.

Optimus was standing still, stiff and motionless, then fell backward to land on the floor with a huge crashing sound. The place zeroed down to a shocked stunned silence.

That was when Prowl jumped over the side. He was followed by a life-size duck wearing a hat with corks hanging from the brim.

=0=In the middle of the floor

Prowl stood beside Ratchet as a tiny squad of infants and a medic worked over Prime. He was out as cold as a wedge. The two were having a BLAZING conversation off line.

:It was a lucky confluence of factors, Prowler. He got hit just the right way to knock himself off line. He's coming around now: Ratchet said as he scanned Prime.

Lights came to pass and Prime sat up slowly. Steadying himself, he rose, waited a moment for full reboot, then glanced around. "Prowl. What are you doing here?"

"You were sucker punched by a criminal," Prowl 'Just the facts, ma'am' said.

"Don't worry about him, Optimus. He was always insane. You were just too unconscious to see it," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.

Prowl turned toward Ratchet, then punched him hard on the gut. His fist bounced off the rubber duck suit and slammed into his own face. For a moment Prowl stood stock still with a stunned look on his face, then he fell backward to fall onto the floor.

Prime stared at Prowl, then an equally surprised Ratchet, then Prowl. "What the frag?" he asked finally.

Ratchet knelt, ran a scan, then downloaded an override to the sucker punch he gave himself.

Prowl's optics opened immediately, then he rose. Turning to Ratchet, he frowned deeply. "What the frag just happened?"

"Nothing. Right, Optimus?" Ratchet asked with a slightly fake confused expression. "Nothing to see here," he said, then he began to waddle quickly to a tunnel where he disappeared.

Prowl stared at him, then spun around to Prime. "Are you okay?"

Optimus nodded. "Are you?"

Prowl rubbed his chin, then glanced at Prime with a slight confusion. "Yes. Shouldn't I?" He stepped closer. "Are you fit to play?"

The medic who was also dazed by the turn of events nodded. "Yes," he said. Then he began to herd the children to the sideline.

Quickly.

Prime and Prowl watched him go, then Prowl glanced at Prime. "I'll go then," he said somewhat hesitantly. "What happened?"

"I will tell you later, Prowl," Prime said. He watched as Prowl walked out to go down the same tunnel as Ratchet. He glanced at the refs, nodded, then walked to the sideline to help with the ins. The room burst into flames as he did.

=0=Down the tunnel

Ratchet had paused a moment to check his data when he heard footfalls behind him. Turning to look, he stepped into a shadow when he saw it was Prowl.

"What are you doing?" Prowl asked as he slowed to a stop.

"Taking … measurements and such," Ratchet said with a fake dazzling smile.

Prowl stared at him, then shook his helm. "We better get topside." He paused a moment. "What happened?"

"What?" Ratchet asked as innocently as the damned could ask.

"Just now. Why does my face hurt?" Prowl asked as he rubbed his chin.

"Its because … uh, the handsome. Sometimes it hurts to carry that much handsome around."

Prowl stared at Ratchet who burst into his best smile. "We better hurry." With that, he continued onward.

Ratchet watched him go, then pulled off his duck feet. He stared at them, then set them to one side in the shadows. "I don't need you if he remembers. I'm going to need as the speed I got." Then he continued onward with trepidation.

=0=On the floor

The game blazed onward with the Comets picking up two baskets while holding Kaon to the one. It was rough, hard fought and defensive.

Prime got his mojo back.

Chromia put two more Kavaliers into the medic station.

Maelstrom played defense with her and found his niche in life. Wherever she was/whatever she did/however she wanted it, he was in.

The boy was besotted.

Hard Drive guarding, Jetta setting up balls, Arcee and Elita dunking them and stealing rebounds became an NBA recruiter's dream team as they worked the ball up and down the court.

By the time that the siren rang out for the half time break the score was tight, Raptor had two fights including one with Tiny who could fight as well as rebound (mechs) and Ironhide was sulking in the medic station. Sideswipe was at the Medical Center getting his arm turned around and welded back on.

They walked out with dogs, bugs, kids, bad attitudes, slag thrown this and that way, Chromia scaring some of the mechs on the Kaon team who weren't scared of anyone, Maelstrom walking along behind her with a smirk of deep and abiding love on his face, Arcee goading Magnus for a couple of fights HE had and Bumblebee.

It was Comets 10 and Kaon, 5.

=0=In the Primal Box

Ratchet considered ditching all his cheer gear so that he could run as fast as he could when it became clear to Prowl that he'd punched his own face. Prowl being a 'prowl car' aka police vehicle was fast a as slag and given that though they both worked the same side of the divide, police car and search and rescue vehicle, Ratchet had no illusions that he could outrun the sleek slagger standing beside him.

It was weird when they both arrived back at the box. They got plenty of stares but no one including the humans said a word either from fear or more fear.

Then the jumbotron began to play the highlights of the first half.

Ratchet began to take off his gear and put it out of the way for a clear shot at the stairs.

=0=In the booth with the down feed to the humans on Earth

"I have to tell you, Blaster, seeing Prowl punch his own face was the funniest thing I've ever seen him and Ratchet do," Jazz said as he chuckled to himself.

"Its definitely meme territory," Blaster said as he smiled. "Poor Prowler."

=0=Up there

Ratchet stared at the jumbotron as plays were repeated. Then it came to Prime's run-in, literally, with Swag. He stared with dread as it played a few more plays, then it showed the momentary moment between Prowl and Ratchet.

Prowl who was chatting with a human froze at the sight. He stared at the encounter, then Ratchet, then his fist, then he rubbed his chin, then he turned toward Ratchet …

Ratchet was gone.

=0=Around the big room

"I think our pub crawl tonight just got more interesting," Joon said as she stood beside Laslo and Madura. "I think Prowl just remembered what happened."

"I wonder why Ratchet left the box," Madura said with a laugh. "I can't wait for tonight. Poor Prowl. This is going to leave a mark. Literally."

Everyone with them laughed. All of them were the Squad and spouses, friends and kids.

=0=Earth2

Everyone in the lounge watching the game had howled with laughter when Prowl punched his own face.

"I can't believe that those clowns are in charge of the things they're in charge of," Kyle Davis said for the eleventy-millionth time.

"Accidents happen," Rain said as she sat with Jaycee and Camilla on a couch nearby. "Besides, those two are fun."

Jaycee and Camilla nodded.

"If you say so," Hamilton Brown said with a sigh.

=0=Box

:Where are you, Loon? Come back here so I can ring your neck: Prowl hissed off line.

:The frag I will: Ratchet replied as he stood outside enjoying a beer and corn dog from a vendor in the parking lot.

:What the frag. Do you set out deliberately to destroy my command presence?: Prowl asked.

:No. You do that so well by yourself: Ratchet said as he finished his corn dog and beer. Dropping them into the refuse bin he grinned. :How hard are you going to beat me up?:

:Physician, heal thyself:

Ratchet snickered. :See ya, Prowler. I have rounds. Uh, things. I have to go do things. When the games over come to Club Cybertron and we can get it on there:

:Count on it:

Ratchet snickered then walked toward The City to check on Sideswipe in the hospital.

Ravel would being Ratchet's duck suit minus the feet with him when they would go. The kids would enjoy playing with it. It was a good thing that the feet couldn't be found. Ravel would have beat Ratchet with both of them.

They would be found by a janitor who would use them as pots for his plants. They would be perfect for the job.

=0=TBC 02-02-2022

ESL:

trepidation: (treh-pih-day-shun) a sense of dread and fear

confluence: (cun-flew-N-sss) When things come together all at once.

besot(ted): (bee-sot(ud) to be deeply and overwhelmingly draw toward, in love with, or overwhelmed by something/someone

I don't remember if I explained why corks are hanging around the brim of his hat. Places like Australia wear hats that way to keep bugs away. :D:D:D