The Diego Diaries: FOOTIE! (dd8 85)
=0=Half Time
"Tell us about the kids, Jazz, Blaster," a newscaster from Earth said as the lines between Cybertron and Mars opened up again.
"We had a bunch of trouble with castes in the past, social groupings that carried the force of law and all. If you were low, middle or high, there were rules and laws for what you could and couldn't do. It was a huge reason for the civil war, the inequity and tedium of some having it all and the many who made it having little to nothing.
"We had a lot of trouble early on with castes from migrations and some of them were kids who wanted better than they had. They had desires to learn and do more. One of them was invited by Springer, our head of security for the empire to come to watch a game with the mechs, Watchmen and soldiers who did security. He liked it so much he brought friends and out of that grew two kids' auxiliaries.
"The first and oldest was the Autobot City Day/Night Watch Youth Auxiliary which the kids made up themselves. They learn about policing, community service and the potential for careers in fields like that. They also learn about service in general, life skills and getting long as well as thinking about others as one. These kids are gold.
"Then they created the second one when they saw how much medical was done by the Watch. The Autobot City Medical Auxiliary For Youth was created by the kids and they're mentored with doctors, policing medics, mental health professionals and techs to learn how to be of service as well as the kinds of careers there are in that field.
"The training is pretty hard and they have to keep their grades up. The schools assist this process by allowing time out of school for activities and assisting in class where they can. Its a bit prestigious now, these organizations. They've also grown up a lot, these kids. They're so serious about what they do and wanting to be of service to The People it warms the spark. They come to the games, ride with the Horse Patrol, learn about the administrative side of both professions, have lessons with the practitioners … the forensic teams for instance and its paid off. For medical, they're mentored with doctors at the Medical Center, our largest hospital. We're as proud as we can be about them."
"Then its open to any child in the schools that are their age," the newscaster asked.
Blaster nodded. "Yes. The first group was fifteen. The last group to finish a medical and Watch training level was 50. Its expanding with the kids making a committee to handle that part of it. They've taken this to spark and all of the needs and problems that come up, they do by committee agreement. It's really cute and teaches them a lot."
Revet nodded. "I want 'Vette in this kind of activity when he gets old enough. Sports and this, things that help kids develop and feel a part of things. They really do medical diagnosis down there and do rounds with their mentor doctors, Watchmen and femmes on a regular basis. They even want to start a flying segment to learn piloting. Its wonderful," Revet said. "And its all kid initiative which makes it great."
Everyone agreed.
"Why, boys, does the game not stop sometimes when there's a fight? I don't understand how its stopped one time and not another," someone asked.
Jazz grinned. "You don't get it do you."
"No." -everyone in the call
"Okay. Its hard to explain but it makes perfect sense. If there's a fight and its not a big deal or impairing the rest of the game then no one stops. If its a big fight or involves a lot of the team or is interesting to watch, then the game stops. If its, say, between someone like Prime and a huge mech his size everyone is going to stop to watch that," Blaster said as Jazz nodded.
"Then what you're say is … there's really no rules," the sportscaster said.
Jazz and Blaster laughed and laughed.
=0=A short time later
They left their locker rooms, bitched good naturedly at each other as they walked down the tunnel, then out to take their side of the field. The entire stadium raged and roared at the sight.
It was Nova's turn to 'kick off' so the huge Comet defense stepped out to do their damnedest. Ironhide, Raptor and Blackjack were the starting defensive backfield as the teams lined up. The ref threw the ball to the Cronum center and it was on.
Two lines of huge mechs came together like colliding trains as the running backs and other fleet of ped mechs ran around or leaped over the line to ground sluice the Cronum unlucky enough to get the ball from his center. That mech disappeared under a pile of fists, feet and clacking denta. When the mound got shoulder high on top of him, the refs began to beat, slap and threaten to taze the Comets to get up. When they did a good twenty kids were ripping across the field to do triage.
The stadium went up in flames.
=0=Up there
"Ta, Grandma," Ratchet said as he skippity-do-dahed down the steps, back flipped off the stadium railing and planted the landing. Receiving his own ovation, he ran with lights and siren to the kids. They were bending over a pile of colored debris when he arrived. Scanning the mech discreetly, Ratchet determined this one really needed assistance.
Jessine glanced up with a solemn expression. "This mech is really hurt, Commander. We've decided he needs special transport."
"And you'd be extremely right," Ratchet said as the medics reached them with the backboard that he called for. Bending down to help him be moved, explaining it to twenty kids who leaned in to look and listen, the busted ass mech was loaded, strapped in and carted off.
The kids watched him go, then looked up at Ratchet.
He grinned. "AWESOME! AGAIN! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?"
The kids laughed, blushed and marched off the field together to a volley of applause and appreciation that was spark warming.
Ratchet watched them go, then walked back bowing, posing and preening to the delight of the crowd. By the time he reached the banister Prowl was waiting. As Ratchet turned to the crowd to wave and smile bye bye, Prowl reached over and grabbed him in a neck hold. He dragged Ratchet up and both disappeared from view.
HUGE roars of laughter and appreciation, enormous shock from Prowl's elders who he forgot were there and much consternation alternating with convulsive laughter erupted from everyone else in the Primal Box.
Rising to spar, both of them noted the laughter, then glanced upward at their elders. Ravel was looking grim, Zenith and Shadow looked shocked while Styre and Stealth could barely stand up from laughing. Miler alternated between fear of his genitors and ENORMOUS pride in his son's impulsive waywardness.
Impulsive and wayward were unknown territories in Milie's family for uncounted generations.
Both immediately ceased, gathered themselves, then walked up like all was normal and well. Taking their places, they studiously stared at the field as the game began to gather together to resume. It was an agony before Ravel slapped Ratchet on the noggin. Of course, Ravel waited until it was before he did so.
Prowl would be complimented by his ada in secret after the game.
=0=On the field
After a screaming match about 'HOW COME THOSE LOSERS DON'T GET A PENALTY BECAUSE THEY MASHED ZEPPO!', the game began with an ins.
Everyone got hunkered down to begin again as the Cronum back threw the ball toward an open player. Pivoting on a dime, he put on the speed to run for the score across the grasping hellscape that was Blackjack and Raptor when Payload stepped out and backstopped his sorry aft.
The mech ran into the big square built mini-con former Decepticon with a clang that could be heard all over the stadium. As he did Payload gripped the ball out of his now vibrating servo and tossed it to Nitro who was watching with a grin.
It wasn't Payload's first rodeo.
Nitro took the ball, magnetized it on his arm against the rules, then began as only a big mechanism could do to run forward with gathering steam. He did so with his fist out and murder in his red optics.
"GET HIS SORRY AFT!" Cronum said in no uncertain terms.
"FRAG YOU!" was the tender reply from the Comets.
With Payload, Scar and Bulkhead running in front of and alongside Nitro, they began to snow blow their way toward the Cronum goal.
=0=Up there
"That sort of reminds me of a snow plow," Prowl said as he watched the mob gather around Nitro to brazen their way to the other goal.
"I hear ya," Ratchet said with a grin. "I wonder if its going to work. Look at those guys."
Nearby …
The offensive front line of Nova Cronum had massed and was heading straight at Nitro like a tsunami of fists, feet and cursing. They ran and began to pick up speed. When the two groups came together it was incredible the sound, the pinballing off into the outback of the beyond by lighter players and the sheer fisticuffs by those who were still upright.
Payload was duking it out with a 'normal' near the Cronum sidelines which was HEAVILY cheered onward by literally a sea wall of mini- and micro- min-cons in the stands. It was incredible how they could run their tiny mini mouths but that with the clatter of fists down below and the clatter of bullshit up above added a bit of zest to the riot going on.
That was when the mini-cons decided to help Payload.
MINI-CONS FOREVER!
=0=Up there
"Did I ever tell you how much I hate mini-cons sometimes?"
"No, Prowler, but if you speak louder you can tell my old amma about it."
"I hate you. So much."
Ratchet laughed loudly. "Ah, you old sweet talker you. Look at that."
=0=Down on the field
Mini-cons across the way began to spill over the wall like foam in an overheated pot. They came down in twos and threes, falling to the ground just like boiling suds. Rising up, they ran forward onto the field to do battle for mini-cons everywhere. A tide of them came down, some of them as big and sturdy as Payload who was built like … what was it my old Grandpa used to call it? Oh, yeah. A brick shit house."
When they made it to the field they overran both teams almost immediately. It was like watching someone get swept away by a tidal wave.
=0=Across the field
"What would it be like without them?" Jetta said as he laughed with the others.
"Faster?" Prime replied with a grin.
HUGE laughter.
"Do we help?" Elita asked.
"Don't go near that, any of you," Magnus said with disgust. "Let them embarrass their frame."
"Actually, they're hilarious, Magnus," Arcee said.
"Let's go, Winnie. I feel lucky," Chromia said as she seethed with battle lust.
"I hear ya, Chrome. But what would the Watchmen learn if we do it all for them?" Winnie asked with a big grin.
Chromia watched the team get pummeled, then Ironhide join in, then Ironhide get covered in rampaging mini-cons like a man stepping on a hill of fire ants, then go down in a frenzy, then …
Chromia laughed. "You're right. Let's watch the show for once."
They would.
=0=On the field
"HANG ON, IRONHIDE! I'M COMING!" Raptor said around his bellowing laughter. He reached Ironhide and began to pull mini-cons off but there were too many. More leaped on as he threw the rest away.
They were coming over the railing at an alarming rate and as they did the players jumped around with slaggers hanging off them like leeches. Floating over the mini-con songs that the little slaggers were singing was the battle cry of the orn: "WE'RE COMING, PAYLOAD! WE'RE COMING!"
=9=TBC 02-06-2021 02-21-2021