The Diego Diaries: WAR! Mostly (dd7 125)
=0=In the scrum. Sort of.
"HA!"
Hardie instinctively moved just enough that a force of energy flying at him with speed flew past unobstructed.
A flash of a triumphant grin, then surprise entered his processor for the barest of seconds before continuing onward past his target.
Hardie spun with infinite grace to watch as his attacker reached for the Thing In Dispute in his flight, continuing to turn before planting himself once more. Grinning, he watched as the graceful creature who had come for him so daringly hit the wall and hang from his own inertia a second before falling to the floor to lay on his face.
Sideswipe had underestimated his old Appa by about a nanosecond or several.
Hard Drive with the ball in his servos threw it to Chromia who seemed to float past in the air. She caught it, twisted, then threw it into the net. Continuing onward, she landed on her side, rolled, then stood up with all the power and nuance that she brought to everything she did.
It was then that both of them turned toward Sideswipe who was listening to the birdies sing.
From all corners, the game ground to a halt. Sound sort of vacuumed away, then slammed in as the scoreboard changed. Five more for Iacon.
Out of several tunnels came hordes of children, thirty of them running for Sideswipe with their med-i-kits and deep determination to serve The People wherever and whenever there was need. Sliding to a halt together, Coros and Sil took charge of the patient. The others along with them pulled their scanners out, pointed them at the crumpled pile of mech before them and with a jolt of that much power gave Sideswipe the once over. His limp form jumped from the impact of it.
They gathered in their groups discussing their probably identical data as Sil and Coros consulted with them over their ideas and findings. At last, Coros and Sil nodded gravely, then glanced up 70 feet to Ratchet who was watching down at them from the wall of his box with a giant smile.
"I think he needs to go out, Commander," Coros said.
Sil nodded.
Then the 28 other kids did as well.
Even Drift and Springer, Goldwing, Lon and Bezel nodded. They were carrying the stretcher, Lon and Bezel. Standing by the tunnel across the court, Hercy and Kup nodded as well.
Ratchet smiled bigger, then gave a thumbs up.
The crowd howled with laughter as the kids gathered their gear. The big mechs loaded Sideswipe's pieces parts onto the stretcher, hoisted it, then were followed by 30 very serious and concerned medical students/night watch-lets off the court to the standing ovation of the crowd.
Both sides watched them go with a grin … at least Iacon did, then gathered to have Kaon throw the ball in at their end of the court.
The losers.
Prowl who was watching with a grin of his own considered how the twins were halved, Kaon was losing big, Sideswipe was toast, Kaon was losing … all was well in his world. He had a perfect place to put the cup on his mantle.
Did I say all was well in his world?
They threw it in and away Sunstreaker went with a bowed neck and a bum rush. He rammed his way through the line until Prime spun and blocked him. Sunny bent his shoulder into Prime and pushed with his greatest strength. To give credit to him, he actually slid Prime along the floor for a few feet. Then he stopped.
Sunny had hit the wall. Literally.
Prime leaned back into Sunstreaker and began to move him in reverse easily. Passing the ball, Sunstreaker stepped back from Prime. They smirked at each other as the ball went around the court. When it flashed past Prime, he caught it in flight, turned to the net, then tossed it in. Bracket jumped and caught it slightly but it still fell in.
Iacon 25 and Kaon ZERO!
It was on.
They stood side-by-side in the box watching the hoo-haw on the floor. Everyone was running swiftly throwing the ball around to get it within reach of the net. Elbows and fists flew as they battled each other hard. Chromia, Hard Drive and Raptor were fast and furious. Sunstreaker, Toffee and Hugh-E were hard at it but the clock was running out.
"What do you think, Prowler? Hit the town afterwards?" Ratchet asked as he stood beside a smirking and contented winger.
"I think so but right now I want to baste myself in the glory of this moment. I know they're yours but watching the twins lose, the slaggers, heals a lot of things." Prowl grinned at Ratchet.
Ratchet grinned back. "Go Iacon Invaders?"
"They goed," Prowl said.
HUGE laughter greeted that.
=0=Down below
MAYHEM!
POW-POW!
For a moment the action stopped as Raptor and Hugh-E began to trade blows. The crowd roared as the two slammed each other. Then Hugh got a good right in and Raptor lifted off to fly into the wall over the top of the Kaon bench. They ducked as he rose over their helms, then landed on the floor after bouncing off the wall.
CUE THE KIDS!
=0=Triage, a bit earlier
"LET ME GO!"
"Put him here," First Aid said as Springer and Drift brought Sideswipe in.
They put him on the berth, then grinned at Ironhide who was sitting on his with a frown. "What's the score? What happened to him? GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
Laughter greeted that remark as everyone ducked out.
First Aid was bent over Sideswipe to work on him. He was intently plugging in and getting him ready for a deep body scan.
Ironhide seeing his chance eased down, then tried to slip out.
"IRONHIDE! Don't make me pull medical priority," Aid said without even looking toward the door.
Ironhide froze. "What the frag? ..."
=0=Out there
The kids took their places after watching Raptor be carted out to the triage center. They were busy as bird dogs doing good deeds of great character. They were happy, fulfilled, organized, getting great training, finding purpose and their families were INTENSELY bought in, those that weren't complete afts.
Never underestimate the love an Appa and Amma have for their little twigs.
They watched the game with amazement, joy and a professional optic, discussing amongst each other the damage potential for some of the play.
Lon, Hercy and Kup stood with Springer and Drift by the tunnel entrance. It was amusing to listen to them, the kids who worshiped the ground they walked on.
"What's the word on the injured?" Hercy asked.
"Ironhide wants paroled, Sideswipe is still a pile of kindling and Raptor is woozy. I don't expect any of them let out any time soon," Drift said. "I get what you mean about First Aid."
"He's meticulous, our Aid," Kup said with a nod.
Then Prime and Hugh-E got into a slagging match and the game ground to a halt to watch.
=0=Up there
"Its sad how much Hugh-E wants to plant Our Optimus," Ratchet said. "He punches well, though."
"Not well enough," Prowl said with a snit of superiority. "Optimus is the King of Swing."
Ratchet snickered. "Why, Prowler … you're a Po-8."
"That's me," Prowl said as he took a sleeping Solus from his ada and slid her into his carry hold.
"Are we still on?" Ratchet asked.
"Probably not," Prowl said with a wistful sigh.
Ratchet nodded. "I agree. Pencil it in."
Prowl grinned. "Alert the jail."
=0=On the floor
"BAM!"
"BAMMA-BAMMA-BAM!"
"PUNCH!"
"JAB! PUNCHA-PUNCHA-JAB!"
They stopped, laughed, then rejoined the game.
To say it was fierce was an understatement. When a carrier got into range of the goal, the fists flew. Hips bumped players off the court. Shoulders slammed into players and servos that could rip chunks out of concrete walls grabbed for the ball with fury behind them.
Up and down they went, some getting close, Kaon getting a score and Iacon's Invaders getting three more. When the siren went off and it finally, mercifully did, Iacon was 40 and Kaon was 5.
All hail Iacon.
Then the entire crowd seemed to climb over the barriers, drop to the floor and lose their minds.
=0=In Triage
Ironhide watching the game bellowed his delight as the siren rang. Turning to his father who was sitting on his berth watching as well, he grinned. "Beer on me in the man cave."
Both of them slid down to walk to the door.
First Aid glanced at them. "You're not discharged."
"We are now," Raptor said. "Thanks, Aid. You're a champion." Then he walked out with his grandson to swagger in the glow of a championship, the first one of a game he didn't know he liked or was good at until Prime asked him to try it. They disappeared into the roaring crowd beyond.
Aid stared at the door, then a slowly reviving Sideswipe. "Well, at least I have you," he said without irony.
It would take a bit longer for Sideswipe to revive and find out that at least they weren't totally skunked in the game.
=0=Out there
It would take a while to get the elders out of the arena and to the cab stand. Rather than have them brave the Metro which would be filled with jubilant (or not) basketball fans, they were heading home in the white vehicles. Standing with them, Ratchet and Prowl waited for the boys to come out with their bonds. It was going to be a party at Prime's house. The trophy had been awarded a moment ago.
It was a small silver cup with the words 'Martian Professional Basketball Championship' and the date and team name carved on the base plaque. Prime would bring it home first, then the others would have it for a couple of orns. When that was completed it would go to the Arena where it would be placed in a case for display. Hopefully, it would be the beginning of a beautiful thing.
There were interviews and other things to do with both teams so everyone else was going ahead to have beer and food at Prime's house.
The night was dark, the lights of the city bright as the plaza was dominated by jubilant fans. Lines were long at the clubs, food trucks and transportation outlets. There was cheering, conversations, gangs of people, families and youngsters running about or gathered to enjoy themselves.
Ratchet stood with the elders waiting for them to get a cab. Both he and Prowl would drive home while they undertook the children all the way to Autobot City. The party around them was enticing but they would have to take a rain check. As he stood there he went offline. :Ironhide:
:What?:
:How are ya?:
:Fine and dandy but what can you expect from a champion?:
:You took the words right out of my mouth. When are you and the others going to be at The Residence?:
:Hard to tell. Everyone wants to speak to us and everyone wants to be us:
Ratchet grinned. :Get your aft over as fast as you can or I'll eat all the fudge:
[Pause]
:Slagger. Leave me some:
:I'll think about it: Ratchet let the line go dormant as they stepped forward. Helping his elders and half the children into the cab, he watched them pull out. A few more elders and then they could drive onward themselves. There were dogs, cats and several bovines waiting for them and they hadn't had their dinner yet.
Neither had he.
=0=Inside the arena
They sat in a room for interviews, the players of both teams. News reporters from three planets were grilling them over the game.
"What's the news now, Lord Optimus," a human was saying, "about you and your team attending to play football?"
Prime grinned. "I like playing sports. We are going to be a team in the league expansion, the Crater Comets."
"There's a lot of speculation about a head of state playing a professional sport. What do you say about that?" another asked.
Prime grinned. "If any national leader on Earth wants to get up a team, I would be happy to play them."
HUGE laughter from the punters.
"Then you have no shame?" Raptor asked him with a giant smile.
Prime grinned back full of contentment. "None."
=0=TBC 11-4-19 Happy Birthday, J. C. :D
ESL
skunked: slang for losing without points or doing something for nothing. its also slang for being cheated.