The Diego Diaries: Zoom! (dd7 306)
=0=Gathering together
They grouped up again in the huddle. Raptor who had changed places with Jetta stepped between a seething Hot Rod and a smirking Smokey. He grinned at Prime who smirked back. "How about we put this away?"
Prime nodded. "I can live with that."
They walked to the side taking their places for the ins. Nova Cronum was windmilling and jumping around through the lines. Hot Rod had the ball and was looking for someone who was open. The ball had been run out line nearby and he was as the last ins-er had to put it back in play. He threw the ball hard toward Chromia who was blitzed by several Brigadiers. She was buried up to her neck. The Comets would have one more ins before they lost the ball to Nova Cronum because this had happened.
Smokey stared darkly at Hot Rod who was walking back to the line with the ball. He walked closer to Roddy. "GIVE THE BALL TO SOMEONE WHO'S MORE OPEN, BRIGHT GUY!"
"FRAG YOU, SMOKEY!" Hot Rod said hotly. He was steaming and as everyone began to jump around, he looked hard for someone open. Prime was and so was Smokey. Smokey was closer but Hot Rod threw it to Prime.
Optimus jumped for it, it passed over him and it was a foot race to get the ball before it went out of bounds.
It went out of bounds.
The ball was now in possession because it did of Nova Cronum. They would take it in on the other side of the field which placed them closer to Ironhide, Hardie and Maelstrom, both of them defensive backs helped Ironhide guard the goal.
The crowd was roaring as Prime and the team minus Ironhide began to walk off the pitch in the turnover. That was when Smokey turned toward Hot Rod and it was on.
=0=In the stands
Prowl stared at the field with a frown. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was tense. Ratchet stood beside him with a big grin. Between the two was the gravity cart with all the humans inside it. It was tied to Ratchet so it followed him. It would have gone onto the field with him but for Ratchet dismissing the connection until he came back.
Judy Witwicky glanced up at the pair, then laughed. :Look at Prowl. He's highly pissed:
Everyone looked upward, then chuckled.
:He's a team player, Our Prowl: Barbara Morshower said.
Meanwhile, down below …
"NOW THE OTHER TEAM HAS THE BALL, NOT-SO-HOT ROD!"
"FRAG YOU, SMOKEY!"
"I WAS OPEN! YOU COULD'VE THROWN THE BALL TO ME BOTH TIMES BUT YOU DIDN'T, YOU FRAGGER!"
"I DIDN'T THROW IT TO YOU, YOU BIG BABY, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CATCH ANYTHING!"
"FRAG YOU, HOT ROD! YOU OVER THREW PRIME AND NOW THEY'RE GOING TO SCORE!"
With that, Smokey belted Hot Rod on the chin.
Roddy stumbled backward, then frowned deeply. He charged Smokey and they staggered together as they grappled. They broke apart, then began to trade punches. Smokey bounced on his peds landing punches right and left. Roddy bouncing as well counter punched and gave as good as he got.
Standing nearby waiting for the game to begin, the rest of the team turned around to watch. They gathered around Prime to watch the fun and games, trading comments about the quality of the fighting. The cameras were watching as well and the crowd was cheering and hooting.
"What do you think?" Raptor asked with a chuckle. "Shall we let them slag it out?"
Everyone glanced at Devcon who was watching the pair with a neutral expression. "I think perhaps a bit longer, then if you would do the honors, Optimus ..."
"I would agree," Prime replied.
By now, the Brigadiers gathered around them as well, joining the critical discourse of the two kids' technique. They were slagging it out long and hard. Neither of them seemed to have the ability to put either of themselves away. The refs and line judges were discussing things together as well as the two kids began to grapple with each other.
Meanwhile, in a booth announcing the game nearby …
"Those two need dragged out by their audials," Revet fumed as he sat at the engineer's station running the sound board and cuing up camera angles with IntraCom's engineers back on Mars. They were going in tight to get all the 'goodness'.
"Prime will end it in a moment," Blaster said with a chuckle. "This is long overdue." He glanced at Revet. "Bad breakup."
Two of the three laughed loudly.
At that moment on Earth, many were the computer screens that were coming up to begin endless pages of fan fiction that when posted online would crack the internet's crystal. All over the Empire and among the slagging pirate corps that called this area home, there would be as much discussion over the two kids technique as there would be over the entire show. Two things would be clear to all the bad guys.
The kids needed better technique.
Prime had a lot of stuff.
Prime who was having a calm conversation off line with Devcon here and Smokescreen the Elder watching in a locker room in Praxus was monitoring Prowl's slow burn as well with a sense of amusement. It was clear that the two kids had just landed on Prowl's shit list and there would be repercussions when this game was over. He would give it a moment or two, then personally end the fighting.
Rolling on the ground punching each other, the two seemed to have forgotten where they were. The highlight reel at half time would refresh their memories.
:This is a shit show:
Owen Harris glanced at Kyle Davis who had come with him this time for the game. He grinned slightly. :This is football alien-style. You should learn to appreciate the nuances:
Davis glanced at Harris. :If you say so:
About then, Prime stepped out of the group to walk to the two kids. When he got there he reached down and picked them both up by the nape of their necks. He held them a moment, then dropped them down on the ground. It was another reminder of Prime's astonishing size and physical power.
It was also hilarious as frag. The crowd exploded with laughter and catcalls.
"I think we need to remember where we are and play the game," Optimus said.
They both glared up at him, then at each other. Giving each other dark looks of damnation, they walked toward the teams who were waiting across the pitch with grins and shaking helms. Prime followed behind to cheers and applause of the adoring masses. What Prowl thought of the whole magilla could be seen on the jumbotron.
That is, it would until he glanced that way and nearly fell out of the Primal Box in surprise.
They gathered again, the two teams, then Nova Cronum threw the ball in. The fighting for it was fierce but in the end the Brigadiers scored once more. Ten to five in favor of Nova Cronum. The Comet offense got the ball next and began a brutal offense but the half time siren blew before they could make it happen. The teams walked back to their benches, gathered their stuff, then walked toward the tunnel and the locker rooms beyond. They were carried by the laughter, applause, catcalls and derision of the masses.
The game was halfway over.
=0=Half Time
Everyone sat in the locker room for the Comets nursing their wounds and bemused desire to wring two kids by the necks. Relaxing as they watched the monitor nearby with Jazz and Blaster mocking the game to Revet's everlasting lack of amusement, the door opened.
Prowl stepped inside.
=0=In the Primal Box
The cart was filled with 'special guests of The Nation', humans who were friends, allies or staff of various individuals who were regulars here. A couple of heads of state were here as well, those from smaller signatory countries of the Autobot-Earth treaties. They were having a great time chatting, watching and discussing the images on the jumbotron and getting the goods on Smokey v Hot Rod.
Ratchet was doing the honors.
"Well, those two were once close but they fell out," Ratchet was saying as he held back a lot to protect the guilty. "Smokey comes from a strict family, Praxians, and Roddy is a rowdy. Smokey found out his amma, Devcon would be playing for the Comets and joined the team, though he'd qualified for Praxus Science, his home town team. Roddy was already recruited for the Comets and there's a lot of subtext here." Ratchet gave all of them a dazzling smile.
:They were together … in a relationship …: Sam asked.
Ratchet nodded. "It didn't end well. Praxians are like the Stanixians. You inherit a culture and family rules when you date one. I can tell you stories. Why, the other night in the berth-"
That was as far as he got.
=0=Locker room
Prowl stood before the two with his arms crossed over his immaculate chassis. His wings were so high upward with his tension they almost looked like one big one rather than two. He looked ***PISSED****! with a capital P!. He leaned forward, his nose assembly just that much short of touching Smokey's. Then he leaned into Roddy.
Both of them leaned back pressing against the wall as Prowl glared at them.
Prowl stood back up, then nodded to Prime. With that, he walked back to the door and left without a word. It was silent as a tomb in the room.
Then Raptor laughed. "Welcome to Prowl's Shit List™, the place where fraggers go to die."
Huge laughter greeted that even from Prime. They stared at the two kids with amusement, even Dev.
Roddy and Smokey stared back, then glanced at each other. Huge frowns appeared.
"Thanks, Not Rod."
"YOU'RE WELCOME, POKEY!"
It was silent a moment, then Jetta glanced at Elita with a twinkle in his optic. "Isn't there an age limit to play in the adult leagues? Where did these Youngling School kids come from? Someone better alert Springer that two of his kids are in here."
Smokey and Hot Rod wanted to sink through the floor but pride goeth before a fall. Both of them had face planted large.
=0=Polity
He sat in the rec room of his newly rising operational center in the middle of his ambitious base. There was beer and food, football and comforts. It was what made him so popular and expansive, the ability to provide. That they found energon floating around, though in small pieces had made this place the promised land. With football from Prime, it was almost like home.
Ominous had told him that this was a 'snagged line' broadcast leak. He didn't know for sure. His people were working on it. But he was really glad. He'd gathered a lot of intel from watching. Prime really did have titans. He knew they were in pretender gear. He had it himself. It would be interesting to watch the game and see who won. That Prime as a Prime would play the game himself in front of everyone there was a revelation.
Polity had met most of the Primes vis-a-vis his family and their role in the upper classes. No Prime he ever met would do something like this. Prime was going to be a formidable enemy, it was clear. Even the very idea of it was elating.
=0=There
RAP! RAP! RAP!
A helm popped in. "Lord Optimus, the game is about to begin again."
Prime nodded. "Thank you," he said as the kid stepped back outside. He glanced at his team. "Let us go and win this thing. For Mars, for Cybertron, for Prowl."
Hot Rod and Smokey winced as they rose to join the line. It would file out with smirks and slag and at the end bringing up the rear was a very bemused Devcon.
The door would close gently behind them.
TBC 6-17-2020
=-=NOTE=-=
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