The Diego Diaries: Summing Up (dd8 383)

=0=In the middle of the muddle

Flint crept along pausing only long enough to look into rooms and cul de sacs for anyone with a gun bigger than his. It was slow going in the surreal flickering lights of the ship's slow lingering death. It almost appeared strobe-like, the flickering of the emergency lights which were red. Their last gasping flashing was giving a bloody pallor to everything they saw including each other.

He looked back at his team seeing them in the light that flashed, then the dullness of them in the dark. It appeared to be like the worst kind of fun house where there was the real possibility that there be monsters there. :No one so far. What do your sensors say? Mine are fragged by the energy field here:

They agreed, the mechs behind him.

:I see three coming this way with a very big and powerful gun-: Acroplex managed to say say as he glanced past them down the hallway.

That's when the very big and powerful gun was fired. Several times.

=0=Lissie and Company

"Just sit there, infants. Your run is over," Lissie said as Winnie expertly slapped on the energon cuffs. The fire fight that brought them down was over in a blink, even before the mechs with them got in a shot. Winnie and Lissie were that swift. "How about you attending to them and we'll bring you more?" Lissie asked a youngling Home Guard mech trying out regular service.

He looked at her with the Cybertronian version of a pale complexion and shook optics. He nodded. "I will do that, Commander."

"Of course you will, infant. That's why you're such a work and wonder. If they move, taze them." Lissie stared at him.

He stared at her.

She pulled his tazer off his belt, fired it up and handed it to the shook kid. :You press this against any body part you can reach no matter what they do. They will fall on their face incapacitated and you won't. Your gear belt is your ground: Lissie said gently. She glanced at another newbie kid who was shook but less so than this one. "I'm also deputizing you to help handle the prisoners. You two kids are going to be champions at this."

The kid started at her dumbfounded a moment, hurriedly pulled his tazer out, activated it, then held it up before her. "Like this?"

Lissie grinned. "Just like that. See?" she asked as she glanced at the others. "These two kids are champions. Why, I think I'm going to take them on as projects to train them in even more good things."

The two kids stared at her, this living legend of their heroic past, then stood straighter. The most shook kid leaned slightly closer. "We won't let you down, Miss Lissie."

She patted both of them on the arm. "Do I look like I would believe that?"

They glanced at each other, then her. "No, ma'am," they said together.

She grinned at the others. "Follow me, infants. These kids got it under control. Don't stand too close to them and be ready for anything, you two boys. You never know. But it would be good for you to remember," she said with a slight edge in her soft voice as she looked at the prisoners, "that I didn't get this old being a fool. These are my boys. Remember that." Then she walked off with the others to hunt more and that included a grinning very amused Caminus.

Standing at the bend of a corner that led toward the flight deck of the bridge, Lissie glanced at Winnie. "Those two little babies are never going to see war but they're going to be remarkably good Home Guardsman."

Winnie grinned, then nodded. "I thought so, too, Amma."

The group disappeared into the darkness once again.

=0=A very big and powerful gun elsewhere as well

"BOOM! KA-BOOM! KA-BLAMMA-BLAMMA-BLAMMA!"

The noise overloaded everyone in that tight space including the three mechs who were firing it. When the humming sound in everyone's audials settled, they glanced around to take stock. Everyone was fine but Acroplex. They stared at him and then through him as a huge hole in his chassis, his left leg and his right arm showed where the charges went.

Flint gulped. "Acroplex?" he asked softly.

Acroplex stared at his body, then the group. "Ow," he said with a sensation of great offense. Before their optics, Acroplex filled in the holes in his body until he was whole again. Then he frowned, this giant of a good mech, the father of Swan. "That wasn't nice," he said with a trace of malice in his voice. Then he derezzed.

A boom was sounded causing the lights they had left from the ship's demolition to go off. A scuffle was heard nearby as everyone of the party hugged the walls. Screaming was heard, then it was silent. Everyone stayed pressed against the wall. No one DARED to move in the paralyzing darkness filled with electronic static and other optical inhibitors.

=0=Elsewhere

"WHAT THE FRAG! DO YOU REALLY THINK YOUR POPGUNS WORK ON A SUPREME MECHANISM?! *I! AM! XANTIUM SUPREME*!"

This declaration made in the pitch black of a cruiser's busted ass made the energon run cold on both sides of the divide as Xantium Supreme showed why he was. The clatter and debris throwing of things sitting and standing around along with chunks of solid metal torn out by the roots from walls and things he couldn't throw was bested only by the howling rage of the big mech.

Crouching nearby watching it all fly away, Springer and Company pressed as far from the steady flow of sharp, large, small, broken and sparking things coming down the corridor at the speed a Supreme mechanism could throw them.

It was brutal.

:Frag. Remind me to never get one of them angry with me: Drift said as he leaned into Springer.

:Frag Xantium. He always does this, the fragger: Springer said. A huge generator flew past his face as he leaned even more closely into the wall. :Damned dipshit:

It would be amusing to Drift to hear Springer bitch before they were able to move forward and take custody of about 45 bent and busted ass Decepticons.

Xantium would already be stalking off ahead to do more 'liberation'.

Springer would watch him go with as much aggravation he felt when going into battle with Grimlock.

=0=Flint and Company

They stared at the pile of Decepticons seeping energon all over each other. A call for pickup was made and soon the deck was only slippery and not slippery and cluttered. They watched the mechs go, then turned toward Acroplex.

"How are you, Ace?" Flint asked with concern. "I could see through you for a moment or two back there."

Acroplex glanced at his leg, arm and chassis. "I had to fill in a few things. I have to say that hurt. I'm going to be feeling it on my chassis for a while." He stared at the energon stain on the floor, then the others. "My son will never, ever, never, never ever do this. Ever."

Flint chuckled in spite of himself. "I feel ya, brother. Are you fit to continue or do you want to rest on your laurels?"

Acroplex considered that, then grinned faintly. "No, actually, Flint. I sort of like doing this. I think we should go find more. Don't you?" he asked almost sweetly. He glanced at the corridor, then back to the mechs with a solemn expression. "Promise me that you'll never tell Swan that this ever happened. He has no idea of war. He just thinks all the Seekers and the goings-on are a game and fun."

"Well, that's because he's simply the best kind of little mech," Martie, a father of four and a soldier full time said.

Acroplex glanced at him with a momentary flare of emotion. "That's so true. I wish I could tell you how much but then you know yourself."

Martie nodded. "You want to go first or what, Ace? More stories for the legend?"

He grinned, then glanced at Flint with his visor-covered optics and his incredibly handsome face. "You are our leader."

"And you are our point mech, Acroplex, if you feel the need for that duty," Flint said.

Acroplex nodded. "I don't die when they shoot me. I will do this for you," he said, then he unsubbed his big gun and began to move stealthily ahead.

Flint watched him go, then glanced at the others. "What did we ever do right to have big frames among us?"

No one knew the answer but all of them felt the question. They walked out to follow the massive mech who would encounter several more groups who would fare just as poorly as the first.

=0=In the box with the humans

They listened to the soundtrack of the battle while watching the screen ahead with a lot of different view points featured. Many of them were titans and the most entertaining among them was Xantium. The newbies watched his carnage and listened to his rage and laughter.

Berg turned to Lennox. "Tell me about this Xantium."

"Xantium is a Supreme mechanism, one of about 20. They were created to be city-state or city guardians. Some of them, that is. Some were tasked to do duties like diplomacy, carrying diplomats and other dignitaries to this place or that. They can space bridge themselves including the titan and dread class vessels. That made them indispensable. Some were specially assigned to this and that. Some were cargo and troop carriers during the wars that came about. All of them are loved and some are feared, at least their class is by those who know of them and have less than good intentions toward The People.

"Xantium is the youngest and Omega is the oldest. Both of those mechanisms were created to defend and offend. Omega is the most feared by the Decepticons but Xantium, Xi as he's called is probably more worrisome to an enemy. He's absolutely fearless and enjoys combat. He's helping Omega train his siblings including Kappa Supreme, the only femme in the family. They've recovered Omega, Kappa, Beta, Gamma, Zeta and Xantium. There's fourteen more to find. Its hard to tell what happened. You can't count on the stories about them dying because Kappy was said to have been killed on a supply run a long time ago," Lennox said.

"And the others?" Rossi asked.

"The big frames have several classes of ships. Mechs like Metroplex are titan frames. The biggest ships like Typhoon and Tennyson here are called dreadnoughts. Apparently in all the known universe, they don't come bigger than the dreads. These are ships of war, the dreads. They have no other purpose though they love hosting their people like all the other titan classes. The titans run the gamut from colony ships, transport and ships of war. Their leader, the titan class, their chieftain is Metroplex. Typhoon leads the dreads. Omega is putative leader of the Supremes," Niall Graham replied. "All of them are pledged from creation to serve the Prime and will do so to their deaths. They will willingly die for The People and will only obey Prime. They're spark bound to the Matrix and he carries is as Prime."

"The People love them. Some of them even worshiped them as manifestations of The One. The Clavus Aurea does. Being around titans if you belong to the Guiding Hand is a religious experience. They are the heart and soul of these people. If you want to really know the Cybertronian people, know the titans and the other big frames. The love The People feel for them is about as genuine as it gets all across their species," Lennox said. "I would love to," Hampton replied. "Especially him."

It was then that Xantium gleefully found another pod of Decepticons on the ship he was taking apart nut by bolt by rivet.

=0=TBC 3-7-2022

NOTES:

Donnie Rose1 chapter 381 . Mar 6

love the chapter, By the way did anyone remember to invite the dinobots to this dance, I just love the deconstruction that they bring (example here the Decepticons see the dinobots coming and they say oh crap no one told us that they have the dinobots we really need the to run for the hills. Because I don't think that all the cons know about what Prime has if they been out in deep space. Are we going to see Lugnut, Blitzwing or Strika or are they with Megatron.

ME: BWAHAHAHAA! They get a mention. I love when they come but this time the pretender titans got their turn in the spotlight. :D:D:D Few know what Prime has, those out there and that makes them bolder than they would be if they did. That of course works to Prime's favor. Instead of running, they push forward into their doom. The truly bad ones are with Megatron. Blitzwing is but the other two are going to be added to my list. :D:D:D HUGS! Good to see you, my dear.

cball671 chapter 381 . Mar 6

It's fake spring here in Kentucky. It was 70 Saturday and suppose to be the same today. (Sunday). But it's a lie. We actually have 12 seasons here.: Winter, Fool's Spring , Second Winter, Spring of Deception ( this is now), Third Winter, The Pollening, Spring, Summer, Hell's Front Porch, False Fall, Second Summer, Actual Fall.

ME: BWHAHAHAHAAHAHAA! Kentucky sounds like Alaska. That is the funniest weather report I've ever read. LOL! We have Autumn that lasts until jingle bells, actual jingle bells with overtones of Antarctica, fake spring, more fake spring, SNOW YOU SUCKERS!, more spring, then SNOW ON THE FOURTH OF JULY!, LIGHT! MORE LIGHT! 24 HOURS OF LIGHT!, the slow fade to Fake Autumn, the commencement of winter which never ends, more jingle bells, gunshots from cabin fever, then fake spring again. It used to be 1 month of Autumn in August, winter until April, then one month of spring followed by 2.5 months of summer. Parts of Kentucky sound great to me. LOL!

I can't wait to hear the femme seekers story but I have a feeling that Rainmaker is gonna be pissed. And so will Optimus. Gotta love our Seekers.

ME: They will be. Its a long lasting misery what happened to them. I love the Seekers. Without Starscream where would we be? By the way, they were originally going to call him Ulchtar.

ULCHTAR! THE EMPEROR OF DESTRUCTION!

Nah. Hugs, my darling in your Deception. The Pollening is actually a genius description. LOL! I feel your pain.

ESL

laurels: the leaves of a laurel tree, which is very beautiful by the way … I was raised on Laurel Street myself … that are attached to a wire to make a fillet … a delicate wire crown that's light and easy to wear … to give to someone for their victories. The Greeks used this and the Romans did, too. To rest on your laurels is to relax and take in your victories at your leisure.

indespensible: (in-dis-PEN-sih-bul) something or someone that is necessary and needed.