The Diego Diaries: FOOTIE! (dd8 87)
NOTES: What Makes No Difference Is No Difference, A Transformers: Prime story part 30 is up.
=0=GAME!
The fury continued.
Back and forth.
Here and there.
Up and down.
The game rolled on with both sides bringing the fury. Nova Cronum had a championship to defend and Prime and Company had one to start. Fights broke out. The game stopped to see Prime and a monster truck duke it out twice. The game stopped to see Raptor fend off two mechs with the usual laughter and skill. Other fights happened but the game swirled onward. In the end the outcome was achieved honorably and well.
Nova Cronum, 25.
Crater Comets, 20.
The Comets were out of the race for the championship.
Ratchet who was living and dying as well held Prowl around the waist pulling on him as hard as he could to dislodge his grip on the stadium wall. He was prepared to ninja kick a few Cronum to the outback of the beyond but for his efforts. The jumbotron would lovingly show everyone the two in living color.
Down on the field the entire stadium appeared to be ready or were already jumping onto the pitch to cavort and celebrate. The teams were whisked away and so were the refs. Mayhem stayed behind as Cybertron celebrated their right to play in the final game for the Primus Cup.
It would be Kaon's Cavaliers versus Nova Cronum's Brigadiers.
Again.
Moving at last down the nearly empty row because spectators were crawling over the wall to dance on the mid line, everyone hustled. Down the steps to the tunnel they went, onward to the team locker room to gather to leave. It would take less time than any other function they'd attended in a stadium. It would also be amazing how the tunnel amplified the sound of the celebrations out on the field. They reached the door, entered and it closed behind them.
Silence at last.
Mostly.
=0=Inside
They limped in, then sat down wearily. All of them including Hot Rod and Smokey were ready to sit, to bleed off some of the pounding they took from a team noted for a punishing defense.
"Well, who needs triage?" Ratchet asked as the family gathered into the room.
Every servo in the room went up.
"All honor the conquering heroes. Its like they say … 'Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.'"
"Tomorrow, Ada," Arcee said. "Tell me that tomorrow."
Huge laughter and agreement for that sentiment greeted Ratchet who grinned as he scanned everyone. "What do you think, Optimus? Getting this far with a brand new team," Ratchet asked as he noted no one needed much help getting back on their peds.
"I would rather have won," Optimus said with a chuckle.
Huge agreement for that sentiment greeted Prime.
"Well, you don't have to worry about games for a while or do you have another in mind? Inquiring minds," Ratchet asked.
"I was thinking golf, then baseball," Optimus said.
"Count me in on that," Hercy said. "I think I'm a natural at both."
"He is," Kup said.
"I have to say having the newbies on the expanded roster was great. Kup, you were a wonder on the field," Ratchet said as everyone began to gather up to go.
"I was wasn't it," Kup said with a snicker.
HUGE laughter and scorn greeted that as they began to go. The family would bridge out of the locker room to Mars while the team would go next door to the studio and do interviews post game until they joined everyone back home.
=0=Bridge room, The Fortress, Mars
"I LIKE BRIDGES, ADA!" Sunspot said as he, Bos, Reflector and Co-D skipped out leading a bug, a dog, three cows and each other.
"I like infants who like bridges!" Ratchet replied with a chuckle. "Everyone knows we meet at the Tower In The Sky in Iacon at 1800. Right?"
Everyone nodded, then began to take their leave. When they were gone Ratchet turned to Prowl. "So …"
"Frag Nova Cronum," Prowl said with a slight scowl. "I had some ideas-" he said before being buried in laughter.
"By the way, you owe me three of your bricks," Ratchet said as they walked toward the street following four chatty kids and a bunch of animals.
Prowl smirked, then brought out three power bars. "Here, fragger."
"Oh don't do me that way, Prowler," Ratchet said as he took them, then chucked them into a waste receptacle nearby. He subbed three big juicy candy bars, then handed them to Prowl. "Here. You know ya wanna."
Prowl smirked, then peeled one open. "I'm eating all three of them now."
He did.
=0=Springer and Drift
They hung up their tack following the last game of the orn. It was Vos versus Helex. It was a consolation game for 'losers' or so some wags on Bullhorn were calling it to get Starscream's goat.
They got it.
Big Moo: VOS IS SO PATHETIC! VOS IS FOR LOSERS! ALL HAIL HELEX! HA-HA, STARSCREAM!
Emperor of Destruction: FRAG YOU! VOS IS THE GREATEST CITY ON CYBERTRON AND THE DAY WILL COME WHEN YOU RUE THESE REMARKS! I WILL FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE!
"Big Moo: GO AHEAD!
Emperor of Destruction: I WILL NEEDLENOSE! DO YOU HEAR ME!?
Big Moo: Emperor of Destruction is blocked from viewing this account.
And so it would go.
=0=Home
Ratchet walked into the apartment which seemed as empty as possible for which it was. All of the kids were with ammas and appas, aunties and uncles. He was here in the big empty so he did what he always did when this happened.
He left.
KNOCK KNOCK!
He walked into his genitor's house and they weren't there either. So he left.
KNOCK KNOCK!
He walked into Alor and Blackjack's house. Alor was there. "Hey, someone's home."
"I have to get Scout sorted out. Hold him will ya?" Alor asked as he walked into the berth room to fetch his favorite fuzzy animal.
"HARD DUTY!" Ratchet called out as he held a tiny version of Ironhide that wasn't officially his.
Alor rummaged, then walked in with a tiny teddy bear. He handed it to Scout, stuck both in his carry hold, then arm-in-arm walked out with Ratchet. Where they were going was still in flux but they were going there together.
=0=Metrotitan, penthouse office of the Day/Night Watch
They walked through the office, caught kudos on the round up, then entered their office. Sitting at the communications station was a day shift mech, Fax. He grinned at them. "What a great little kid. He sleeps, grins, then sleeps again."
"Well, he does take after me you know," Springer said as Drift picked the baby up from his little crib.
Huge laughter and agreement greeted that.
"Thanks, Fax. This would be really hard without you and Sefette. And Maxi. And the clerical staff and-" Springer said before laughter cut him off.
They checked the baby, wrapped him up and stowed him carefully in Drift's hold. With a wave and goodbye, they stepped out to go to town. Where they'd go was anyone's guess but they were going there.
=0=Cybertron, broadcasting on the MCA to many many places
"What do you think, Lord Optimus, that humans might understand about the fighting that's such a part of the game? There's a lot of confusion among them about what constitutes a fair fight, why the game doesn't stop and why no one ever seems to get a penalty or expelled," a sportswriter from Polyhex asked.
Optimus grinned. "This game came from the streets and tough poor neighborhoods of The People. It was called 'kill the ball carrier' once upon a time. I grew up with this game and a number of players on the Comets are childhood friends who played it with me. Fights are not meant to be punitive. They are more a challenge between players to show their mettle. They were not as prevalent in the game that was refined and played in the universities and colleges. The professional game on Cybertron was more refined as well. We chose to bring back the actual game in its most pure form for the re-institution of the Primus Cup leagues.
"None of them are malice driven so there's no need to penalize or end the game if they are not as … how shall I say this? Interesting as some. Sometimes watching heavy duty formats making a display of their abilities and power is more enjoyable than smaller ones, though I will say I enjoy them no matter who is involved. All of them are showing something of those involved."
"What sort of fight would be penalized, cause ejection or the end of a game then?" he asked.
Prime thought about it. "If you bring implements to the fight … guns, crowbars," he said with a grin. "If you intended and it was clear that your point is to cause bodily harm, then ejection or penalties will result. Once you have experience with the game the understanding will come."
"You hold the championship of the world in basketball. You have a runner-up team in football. I'm wondering what sports are next on your agenda?" someone asked.
Prime grinned. "I rather like golf."
So it would go.
Sitting nearby waiting for the team being interviewed to go Ironhide grinned at his uncle. "Have you ever tried to figure out cricket?"
"Cricket? No. Maybe I should?" Sun asked as he sat on the bench beside Ironhide as nearby one of the favorite interviews, Raptor, was going full blast.
"If you ever want to do it try and explain the rules to me. I hear it makes our football seem sensible and straight forward in comparison," Ironhide said.
"Then you're saying its a game we need?" Sun asked with a smirk.
Ironhide nodded. "I think so."
Thus, the Cybertronian-Martian Cricket League was born. Maybe.
=0=Later that afternoon after everyone was coming back to Mars
Halo stood on the table smiling at everyone as she did her duty. She was the only child awake in the group at the time so she had to do all the cuteness by herself. She was doing pro level stuff for bites of cookies and donuts. That is, she'd take a tiny bite, chew it and smile at everyone as she patted her little tummy.
"What time is it?" Ratchet asked as he sat on his chair with his big old peds on the next one over.
"We should consider going to the restaurant," Prowl said as he grinned at Halo. "I think my daughter is hungry."
"Delusional as ever, I see," Ironhide said as he and the rest of the team wandered into the room from the bridge back.
"I wish you wouldn't talk about yourself like that, Ironhide. Its self destructive," Prowl said with a smirk. "How were the interviews?"
"We made a new league around a game called Cricket. I think you'll need Teletraan to work out and explain the rules to us," Sun said as he pulled out a chair to sit. It amused him to see Ratchet's peds fall to the floor. He grinned at Ratchet and Ratchet smirked back at him.
"Cricket," Prowl said.
"It's a game you should join," Optimus said as he paused behind Prowl. "I will join your team."
Prowl considered that, then leaned back into Prime with a smirk. "Done deal. We can call it Prowl's Winners."
HUGE laughter and mockery met that.
"I think my team should be called Raptor's Ramrods."
"How about Sun's Beams?" Ratchet asked to hooting and hollering.
"How about we figure out what the game is before we commit?" Jack said as he glanced at a smirking Prowl. "Unless, Prowl, you consider that too wussy?"
Prowl glanced at him, then the others. "I do. Prowl's Winners it is."
And thus, as the group gathered to celebrate their elimination in the running for the Primus Cup of Mars and Cybertron that a new game was added to the pantheonic grouping called Cybertronian Sport. The only hang up with it was finding a way to put full body tackles into it.
But that was for another orn.
=0=TBC 02-09-2021 02-21-2021