The Diego Diaries: Clubbin' (dd8 365)

=0=Club time

"YOU THERE!"

The group of mini-cons sitting nearby who were knocking them back and howling like they did when they celebrated, went on the town for fun or were part of roving gangs of mechs who had disrupted a basketball game, one or all of the above, glanced at Prowl. Who these were in relation to the game was anyone's guess but they turned almost as one toward the big winger who was frowning at them.

That was when a bottle flew at Prowl, hit him in the face and down he went.

The area filled with people froze.

No one present was unaware that this was the bond of the Prime. They all were. That someone had done this to Prowl was bad enough being he was the Prime's bond. That they'd done this to someone who was well known to be implacable of will (all of the time), unforgiving of offense (most of the time) and as dogged concerning infractions and their infractors as a tick on the backside of a dog (absolutely), it was a breathtaking moment for all present.

The room then erupted.

=0=On the road to this and that bonfire, jokes, Bosses, howling mobs in police vans, angst writ large

They stuffed the last one in, none of them the mini-cons they wanted as they gathered their horses to go. It was at that moment that a call was made to them to go to Tyger Pax and a full blown riot at the Water Park no less.

"Oh frag. Let's go," Springer said.

Off they went in a cloud of 'foo-foo dust'. (see footnotes)

=0=There, flying bottles, restaurants and other businesses emptying out of rubberneckers, off duty security and their desk jockey siblings who wanted to play cop, bouncers from bars, a couple of priests and their friends watching wide-opticed at the mayhem, like that …

Before Ratchet could fully stand up to help Prowl three squat and square built mini-con mechs picked him up and threw him over the big pool to the wading pools where he submerged upon contact with the water. Watching nearby, several dozen mechs stepped back, intimidated by the brute strength of the little slaggers.

Bouncers and off duty security rushed in and the punching, jabbing, biting, kicking, gouging and all around fisticuffs was amazing to all watching. Several dozen kids slid into the big pool from the slide around the ceiling to tread water with amazement at the scene all around them. They were also drowned by Ratchet who had staggered up dazed from falling into that shallow of a pool that hard. He ran forward, tripped over the edge and plunged head first into the deep pool pulling all the kids down with him.

The rest of the squad stepped back in amazement as Kestrel and Bluestreak stepped between them and the mayhem. It wouldn't help anyone much.

=0=Galloping cross country like the wind, taking information on the fly, coming in with a gimlet optic and The Square Jaw of Determination™, jonesing to toss mini-cons into some kind of containment, fearing the possibilities, doing their duty, etc.

They made their way along the highway that led to the Mall which strode the landscape across the wide Industrial Park Highway from the cityscape of Tyger Pax. It was a beautiful night of lights from the city, mall and roadway. Overhead, the stars were thick in the sky, the satellite and running lights from ships plentiful. No one cared. They were hell bent for leather toward the Mall.

=0=There in the center of the magila, growing exponentially, involving retiring persons of great size and strength

A wall of mechs was shoved back by the sheer brute strength of mini-con mechs who had spent their lives working in mines way down deep inside Cybertron. The wall pushed back into Kestrel who was defending with Bluestreak the Squad who were at the moment pressed against the tall barrier that kept the water from the pools from cascading into the Mall when front end loaders spilled out of the water slide to land into the pool below.

Pressed against the wall literally, Kestrel began to push back. There was little else to do. Behind him and Bluestreak the Squad was getting its guts up and began to help. Slowly, inevitably, the tide began to turn. Unfortunately for the mechs caught between the Squad and the mini-con rabblers, it was nearly lights out forever.

SPLASH!

Down they went, the mini-cons as they slipped off the edge of the pool and fell in. Their collapse was so complete and sudden that the mechs caught in the middle and the entire Squad fell in with them from the sheer momentum of their massed efforts. As they were falling in, Ratchet and several dozen kids were trying to climb out. Ratchet and half the kids were overrun and down they went several leagues as more fell in. It was life and death down there as legs and arms churned madly to swim upward. Several were the kicks to the face Ratchet received before floating upward as the group above began to thin out.

It was a blessing from Primus that no one concerned could drown.

=0=Arriving at the debacle, jumping off their ponies to run madly into the mall …

It was a mad house as the Watch arrived. Mechs were treading water, mechs were climbing out of the pool, mechs were running like the wind as Springer, Drift and Company reached the pool. Running so fast they couldn't stop on the slippery floor, Drift, Kup and Lon slid into the pool to disappear.

Springer stared them as they disappeared in appalled wonder, then glanced around. "WHAT THE FRAG IS HAPPENING!?"

What was happening, the frag or not:

Kestrel who fell in last rose first and climbed back out. Ditching gallons upon gallons of water from his frame, he gripped others to pull them out. The entire Squad fell in and were in various stages of hysterical laughter and/or intense need to get out of the water. None of them were hurt apparently.

A number of security from bars and clubs around the Mall were treading water.

No mini-cons could be seen anywhere.

The priests were comforting everyone around the area including the dazed and mostly wildly amused members of the Squad.

Ratchet was floating on his back talking to himself in the pool as Drift, Kup and Lon climbed out of it.

Prowl was beginning to revive as he lay on the floor undisturbed in the chaos that swept over everyone only moments before.

Everyone at the scene turned to Springer at the same time and began to tell him all at once.

=0=Moments later

They sat on the benches that lined the back wall of the pool gathering their wits as Drift who was shedding water himself checked the video of the altercation nearby.

Springer and the others stood before the Squad as they regrouped. He grinned. "You're always at the center of the hurricane."

Ratchet gave him a dazzling smile. "We aim to please."

Drift walked over. "They're part of the group we're chasing. They match the group who were at the game. Emergency Services is trying to identify them for us so we can bag them tomorrow at home even if we can't do it tonight."

"I want them all," Springer said. "Your policing instincts are as impeccable as ever," he said to Prowl.

Prowl frowned. "Get them."

Springer and the mechs laughed. "On it," he said as they took their leave. They were gone in seconds.

It was silent a moment, then Ratchet glanced at Kestrel. "I saw you through the haze. Hero time, Kes."

Kestrel grinned. "If you say so, Ratchet. What next?"

"Are you still game to carouse?" Ratchet asked with a growing delight at the moxie of the big sweet mech.

"I do believe that the Squad has a bit more in them," Kestrel said as he glanced at the others. "Are we still up to the night?"

Stealth chuckled. "I haven't had so much fun in a long time and I think I'm becoming sober. I'm in."

It was unanimous.

=0=Hotel, room service, drunkenness, news, snoring, hot wings

The party was waning along with the beer supply. Food was renewed by room service as the boys began to flag. One by one, they found themselves falling by the wayside until it was down to Prime, Raptor and Hard Drive. Tagg was reading a book nearby, content to babysit the group as they fell to the affects of John Barleycorn as the hootch made its way to everyone's processor.

Hardie who was moderating along with Tagg was having a chat with Optimus and Raptor. "So you think its a good idea?"

Prime who was loaded grinned sweetly at Hardie, all five of him. "I like the rides."

Hardie glanced at Tagg who grinned back. "I think that might be lots of fun, Optimus. Having the park back will be good for kids and families."

Prime nodded. "I went on them when I was Prime. I never had a chance before. I took my genitors and we went on everything. The food was good, too. We had fun, right Atar?"

Tagg grinned at his son. "We did. I loved all the rides, Orion. You were a good son to take us there. It is one of my best memories, the happiness you and your ada had that orn."

"I want everyone to go there," Optimus said. "Everyone should have fun. Maybe we can have a petting zoo."

Hardie suppressed a chuckle. "I think that would be fun."

"I have a cow. Did you know that?" Raptor said. "My SLAGGING FINE COW can work in the petting zoo. Little cow needs a job besides being cute for me."

"I think that is a good idea, Raptor. You are a good mech to share something as precious as your cow," Tagg replied with a slight grin.

Raptor was blotto.

"I know," Raptor said with a suddenly emotional tone. "That little cow … how can I tell you about him? He's a SLAGGING FINE COW! He's my little cow," Raptor said before he settled back and fell into a stupor. Snoring commenced nearly immediately.

Hardie chuckled. "That's my boy."

Optimus who was marveling that he couldn't feel his peds grinned. "Raptor is funny. I like Raptor. He is a very great soldier."

Hardie nodded. "Thank you, Optimus. I rather like him, too."

"I like his cow," Optimus said as he relaxed into his chair. He was out like a light.

Hardie glanced at the mechs fallen wherever they were then glanced at Tagg. "Good boys, all."

Tagg nodded. "You will never get an argument from me"

=0=At a club in Centurion, raging against the machine, tipping them back

A mob of mini-con mechs and a few femmes joined up with another group as they descended upon a club favored by mini-cons called Scale the Heights. It had climbing walls in the back. They settled in booths to whoop it up when a number of Watchmen entered the building.

It was amazing how fast and silent the establishment became.

=0=02-12-22

ESL

hell bent for leather: to go like the wind without a care to safety. Very old American cowboy term for getting the hell out of Dodge. :D (another old cowboy term meaning leaving swiftly. Dodge City was a cow town terminus for the cattle drives. It was a hell hole of a place in its hey day.) (The fam ranched and farmed all over the place over the centuries on both sides. They still talk like this.)

magila: a wild mess that has no purpose other than to create chaos, chaos itself, a wild free for all fight, anything that was problematic

My sister and Mom both use that comment as a joke from my grandparents. Foo-foo dust. BWAHA! Nothing but good memories from that. :D And it usually meant heading swiftly toward something that would turn out futile, painful or humiliating. :D:D Confidence going off to meet disaster. Thank you, Grandparents, for being hilarious when we were children. :D:D:D Now go hug your elders. ;)

moxie: force of character, determination, nerve "He has a lot of moxie. He never quits and he isn't afraid of anything."

blotto: drunk out of your skull

dogged: (dah-gud) never ending, never quitting, forever pursuing whatever it is

implacable: (im-plak-uh-bl) undaunted, not able to defeat, unending "Prowl would hunt them down with his implacable will if it took him eon of time."

angst: (ang-st) :D a feeling of being put out, of being upset

John Barleycorn: a word both meaning drink and drunkenness.