The Diego Diaries: On The Town
NOTE: I have vertigo from an ear infection so I'm not sure this will be as long as usual. I will attempt it when the room stops spinning. Man, vertigo is a boss. :D:D:D
=0=After lunch time in Autobot City
Ratchet walked from the hospital after a meeting to catch up on the wounded from the mission. Eighteen of the Decepticons were dead which, though low was still stressful given the impact of the disruption they had given the enemy. Ratchet's idea of a good mission was when no one died and/or it never had to happen at all. There were several hundred who were injured, some critical but given the toughness of their species and the skill and care of the Autobots, he was reasonably certain that they'd pull through.
Decepticons didn't put a lot of store in doctors and those they had sometimes were 'interesting'. Here, they got the attention nearly all of them needed and few were those who still bore gray coloration who were willing to complain to lose it. Having a large number written across your front and back chassis, your 'new name, slagger' wasn't popular but so also was ad-seg. It was a grim bunch of losers who were filling the new temp prison in preparation to be moved to the permanent one 50 miles north of this urban center. It would house the most dangerously incorrigible prisoners and those who were military. The prison close to the city would default to civilian and low threat inmates of all kinds.
Win-win.
Probably.
He reached RTR Tools, then entered. It was still closed for the next two orns but Ratchet knew his genitors. Walking into the back, he grinned as he saw his ammas and appas sitting in their chairs with children playing on the ground around them. Nearby, Ratchet could see his genitors checking long term projects in the smelters. "Well, don't you look cute."
"ADA! I COMED HERE TO DOIN'," someone said with his inside voice. Orion was sitting on the floor with cast off pieces of slag and cut ends of metal. He was making something out of it but what it was wasn't clear.
"I see that," Ratchet said as he kissed everyone, then sat. "What's the drill?"
"Well, since you and Prowl are going out to get drunk and arrested, we've decided to put in for transfer of custody of the children to us," Ravel said as he smiled at Ratchet with an eerily familiar giant smile.
Ratchet laughed loudly. "Okay," he said smiling back at his little poppy.
"Don't test us, Sonny," Tie said as he lowered the temperature on a smelter. He turned to Ratchet. "What is the likelihood that you'll need bail and character witnesses?"
Ratchet snickered. "Hard to say. Optimus is coming along. For some reason, Prowl needs a chaperon. I'm afraid he thinks if we're both drunk enough we'll make out on the subway."
"RATCHET! THAT'S THE BOND OF THE PRIME!"
Ratchet grinned. "That's my Ada," he said before Ravel cuffed him on the back of the helm.
=0=Elsewhere
Prowl finished the work on his desk, then checked the Ops Center. Paragon would take today and he would take tomorrow. Essential equipment during an unsettled time like this got half the time off as everyone else. He walked back to the officer's corridor, then checked in Optimus's office. He'd gone out earlier with Jetta to check the plans to transfer some of the worst fraggers in their dominion to the new prison to see how that would go and hadn't returned yet. That it was hooked to the rest of the colony at the prison itself with a dedicated metro system was great. That it was the highest security system in the colony was even better.
They'd taken a ride on it with Gee-Gee and her security director, Winnie. They entered through a triple security hatch system with snipers covering the entire journey, then boarded a car with highly spaced seats that would not only hook their shackles but automatically magnetize them to the benches. The trains would then jet to the prison without stopping and the process would reverse getting off. No one would ride in a car without two heavily armed officers and the floors were designed to shock anyone acting up into a mild stasis. Dampeners on the officers would protect them if that happened.
The facility itself was on a grid pattern as well and held as many gun towers and surveillance devices as the other, if not more. It was self sustaining, had incredibly advanced power generation features and was going to make it easier to sleep at night with the worst offenders having that much farther to go if they ever got out. The Control Center was state of the art all together.
Jetta and Gee-Gee had outdone themselves again.
=0=Ratchet and Prowl on a street corner
They ran into each other as they both headed back toward home. Pausing together, they assessed the sit-rep.
All of the littlest kids were with ammas and appas. The biggest kids were at their appa and ammas but would come home and 'take care of Atar, Ada. We don't want him to be lonely' they'd said. Given that they had, Ratchet had loaded up the food and drinks to be delivered when what Ratchet called "Goober Sports Night' began on the teevee … monster truck rallies, downhill skiing bloopers, giant equipment videos and professional wrestling.
The middle sized kids would be with auntie and uncles. The adult children would be spared the trauma of babysitting given that most of them were still hiding from "Granny Ratchet" who was of an Inquiring Mind™ regarding future grandchildren and as a doctor volunteered to coach and/or counsel facing tips on site during the drunkest part of his Christmas Surprise dinner.
That one.
"Well, where's Optimus? We can get this dog and pony show on the road," Ratchet said as he watched mechs and the odd femme stride past, most of whom he'd never seen before. Given that they'd just broken 190,000,000 citizens before Christmas Surprise came, it wasn't surprising.
"He's visiting the prison, the new one. We have to go to Luna Base and debrief the slaggers being held there," Prowl said.
"A prison tour then?" Ratchet asked with a giant smile. "Sounds like heaven."
"It would to you, slagger," Prowl said with a slight smirk. He paused a moment to take a call. "Optimus says he's meeting us at the restaurant. Let's go."
They both disappeared down the stairs to the Metro.
=0=At The Smokehouse
They sat at tables being waited on, then watched as the cheerful waiter hustled off to get their food. Prowl grinned. "Optimus likes this place. The food is good and he likes the western vibe."
"I'm expecting a shoot out at the bar," Ratchet said as he gazed around the big room with an early American cowboy motif. "I'll have to bring Ironhide here. He likes horsies, too."
They both laughed as Optimus strode in, spoke to three or so diners, was touched twice, then sat. "What did I miss? Any stampedes?"
Ratchet snickered. "Nope. We ordered for you, however."
Two waiters came back with trays. They placed them in the center of the table and they were loaded. Cheerfully, they explained the fare. There were heaps of ribs, sausages, brisket and other delights. Bowls of what looked like macaroni and cheese, greens of some kind, husks of grilled corn and lots of plain white bread greeted them. Beer by the pitcher arrived behind them and after getting the low down, the crew walked off pleased after getting a few images for themselves and the restaurant.
They stared at the meal, then grinned.
"The only thing missing is potatoes and gravy," Prime said before they began to dig in. It would take a lot of napkins before they were finished with the barbecue, Texas style. Apparently, getting a load of food on a tray lined with paper was the way it went there.
No one was complaining.
=0=Up there
A passel of big kids entered the house, then gathered around Ironhide who was slouching in his chair with a beer.
"Hi, Atar. We're here to keep you company," Saber said as the others nodded.
Ironhide grinned. "Finest kind, that's the lot of you. Have a seat. They're going to show the biggest land moving heavy equipment on Earth in a moment."
They took a seat, then the show began. The trucks were incredibly big compared to humans but there were a lot of mechs on world that big in their alt formats. Even so, it was tons of fun. It was funner as Praxus would say when the food arrived.
Score.
=0=On the street
"Then we agree … we're going to the club," Ratchet said. He stared at Prowl and Prime and saw two slightly socially awkward mechs standing before him. He grinned. "Try not to look like virgins. Okay?" With that, he whirled and swished toward the Metro for the ride to Retriades and the 'club strip' that was there in the downtown.
Prowl and Prime glanced at each other, then Ratchet's fading aft. "As if," Prowl sniffed as he set off after him.
Prime swallowed a chuckle as he followed Prowl. They would both barely make the same train as Ratchet.
=0=Out there
They rode with the usual gang minus the mentor kids who were 'taking the weekend off because of Christmas Surprise, Commanders, UNLESS YOU NEED US! WE CAN BE THERE!' It was hilarious.
"Ada is sure on a slow burn for a grand kid," Drift said as they rode along the path behind the rest of their posses. "More so than usual, I think."
"I noticed that. I also noticed he was loaded. I half expected a lamp shade on his helm. Did you ever hear the story of Ironhide playing hide and seek with the kids when they were little? He put a lamp shade on his helm and stood by the door. Ratchet said it actually took a moment for them to find him."
Both laughed.
"When its time, kids."
Drift nodded. "Still three? Two mechs and a femme at the same time?"
Springer nodded. "Not now but eventually."
Drift nodded. "Agreed." He took a call, then grinned. "Ada, Prowl and Prime are at The Glitter Ball. I've alerted the authorities."
"Us?" Springer asked.
Drift nodded.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Springer said as they galloped madly toward the Eight Ball.
=0=TBC 1-3-2021 For Leoness. (Yawn.) :D:D:D 01-11-2021
Vertigo is winning. More tomorrow.