The Diego Diaries: Straxus (dd7 321)
=0=It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …
Straxus bellowed as he charged the pair, Springer and Drift, who caught him in full fury. About the same time Ratchet pulled his helm free of the console panel and rose to his full height. He was caught in the rampage as Straxus gripped, then ran with Springer and Drift for the console. They crashed into Ratchet, then it.
Hard.
Springer groaned, Drift grunted with fury and Ratchet was out like a light. The two shoved Straxus back allowing Ratchet to fall to the floor in an arms akimbo heap of red and white.
Drift and Springer gripped an arm each of Straxus and were whipped here and there as the big maddened mech struggled to get free.
"LET GO AND FIGHT ME, COWARDS!" he bellowed.
"Yes," Prowl said softly as he lounged against the command table, his arms crossed and a grin on his face. "Fight him, you cowards."
Prime who was enjoying himself immensely as well guffawed, then caught himself. He had to provide some dignity to the troops. He glanced at the floor under the table. The tiny femme was still there but she was watching with a sense of awe and dread.
Poor tiny bit.
Straxus got one arm free, then brought a fist straight upward to Springer's glass jaw. He went down, Drift was left to manage the merry-go-round and they were no closer to subduing him than before. The two went back to trading blows.
Springer lay on the floor helm-to-helm with Ratchet's slowly reviving carcass. Then he wasn't. Ironhide had grabbed Ratchet's big ped and was pulling him out of harms way. Springer saw several Ironhides pulling several Ratchet's as he gazed that way. "Pull me, too, motherfucker." Then he want back to la-la land.
At least he got to use That Word.
Ironhide dragged Ratchet far enough that the herd wouldn't trample him. He still had a stinging nose assembly and a slow burn. He looked at Prime and Prowl as he dropped Ratchet's leg to the floor. "WHAT NOW, FRAGGERS!?"
Prime laughed. Loudly. "Subdue him."
"ME?!" Ironhide bellowed, then he strode toward Drift who was getting the worst end of it and Straxus who was probably running on full throttle given the rush he was having. Ironhide stuck out a ped to trip Straxus and when he turned toward Ironhide in his stagger, Ironhide head butted him into the outback of the beyond.
Straxus stilled, then fell over out like a light.
Ironhide stared at him for a moment, then gripped his helm with both hands. "FRAG!"
It would take a while for everyone on deck to stop laughing, everyone but a tiny extremely solicitous little well raised femme.
^..^ Moments later at the Shit Show
Ratchet sat on a chair with a bump and owie here and there. Springer was rubbing his jaw, Drift was trying not to laugh at the absolute absurdity and Ironhide was rubbing his helm. They were a sorry aft crew of 'losers'.
Or so sayeth The Prowl.
Raptor had come back in time with Hot Rod and a stoked Smokey to see Ratchet ram his helm through a panel and had bet with the others that Straxus would be put down by his 'best little mech' once he came to. He won. Large.
Ah, family support.
Straxus was sitting on a metallic chair. He was stripped down to the bare bones, energon strapped to the seat back and magnetized. Three bruisers stood behind him ready to lift him chair and all when he headed back to the brig. He was coming around himself.
Prowl who was lounging at the command table on a chair rather elegantly grinned at Ratchet. "How many of me do you see, loser?"
"One too many," Ratchet said to great applause.
Prowl frowned at him and the audience aka crew.
"Are you alright, Commander? Can I get you anything?" the little femme asked anxiously.
Ratchet grinned at her. "You can hold my servo."
She did.
Lissie who was aboard with Hercy and the other battle shuttle commanders made a note to personally take the tiny femme on as a project. She was an awesome little spark and someone's very good little daughter. "How is the jaw, nephew?" she asked Springer.
He glanced at her with a slightly baleful expression. "I'd answer but I'm afraid my lower jaw would fall off if I tried."
Huge laughter.
"What's the thing with that fragger?" Springer asked as he glanced at Straxus.
Ratchet who had collected all his marbles at last scanned him. Glancing at it, he looked up at Springer. "If he were human it'd be adrenaline, their equivalent of red energon. He's a maniac to start with and he has no sense so he doesn't feel pain like normal mechs. Bad combination. I see you still have your glass jaw."
"How's yours?" Springer asked. "By the way, you owe Prime the cost of a panel."
Huge laughter and a lot of insults greeted that one before Straxus trying to stand up took care of it. He raged, then sat. Glancing around, he fixed on Prime. "You."
"Yes, me," Prime said. "Me, me, me."
Ratchet snickered. "That's my line."
"Not anymore, loser," Prowl said smugly.
Ratchet flipped him with his foot under the table.
Prowl landed on his head. Crawling back up with as much (tattered) dignity that he could manage, the deeply scowling mech sat down again. "Funny."
"Hilarious," Ratchet said. He glanced at Straxus. "Well, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either tell us what we want to know, Straxus, or I'm going to have Ultra Magnus sit on you."
It took a moment to quell the moment. Then Prime took over. Ratchet was obviously still rebooting, he hoped. "Straxus, what are you doing with Razorclaw?"
Straxus stared at him, then sat back. "Whatever I want."
"You were a tyrant to the city of Polyhex. That rises to the level of a Primal Hearing with Special Circumstances," Prime replied.
Straxus laughed harshly. "BRING IT! THOSE FRAGGERS ARE MYTHS!"
Prowl's audials nearly blew out of his helm.
=0=On a different plane having a nosh and a laugh
"Ah. An unbeliever," Onyx said with a grin. "Its been a while."
Solus nodded. "I think so. I do love Prowl's disquiet, however."
All of them nodded.
It was quiet a moment.
"This is better than other entertainments," Micronus said with a smile.
Everyone nodded again.
=0=Down there with the slagger
"Take him to the brig and hang him upside down," Prowl said with fury.
"Okay," one of the bruisers said.
Three of them picked up the chair and the slagger none too gently, then took his swearing maniacal aft to the elevator and beyond. It wouldn't be known if they hung him upside down when they got to the brig.
It was silent a moment, then Raptor turned to Prowl. "Do I need to hose you off or are you alright?"
Turbine was grinning at both as he leaned against a console. Prowl was devout and sometimes it was hilarious.
"Don't test me, Raptor," Prowl said darkly. He glanced at Prime. "Are we ready to go or do we need to do another enactment of the gladiatorial games?"
"I've seen better confrontations at a buffet," someone said.
Springer frowned at someone, whoever it was, around the intense laughter and agreement going around the bridge. He glanced at the titans who had come in just in time to see Xeon go and Straxus the Slagger to arrive. "HA! HA!"
"What did we say?" Metroplex asked with a grin.
The other titans and dreads shrugged with faked innocence.
"Slaggers," Springer glowered. "WHAT NOW, PROWL!"
"We leave," Prowl said as he glanced at Prime.
Prime who was quashing a guffaw nodded. "Roll out?"
"ROLL OUT, PROWL!" Springer growled.
Prowl stared at him coolly. "If you say so, Former Mrs. Optimus Prime."
Pandemonium. (And confusion from a tiny femme standing next to Lissie while holding Ratchet's hand.)
"So, what did you get in the divorce? I'm assuming divorce unless you and Prowl aren't really bonded and are just fragging around?" Raptor asked Prime.
Prime laughed loudly. "Ask Prowl. He does the paperwork."
Prowl was frowning darkly at everyone including Prime.
The ship moved in a blast of light coming out near the star of Caminus with the fleet. Scanning deeply, Paradisio turned from Tactical to report. "They're fragged, Prime. All of them. Kindling."
Everyone stared at Paradisio with delight. The magnificent solemn dignified mech had actually said something funny. He got a standing ovation.
"No messages for me?" Prime asked Prowl with a slight grin.
Prowl who was still staring darkly at Raptor glanced at Prime. "No."
"Then continue. Drive us home the long way. Any intel from the DMZ about Razorclaw?" Prime asked.
Paradisio checked, then shook his helm. "None."
Prime sat back relaxing in his command chair. He glanced at Springer and Drift. "Put the entire mob into the high security detention end of the prison. No one has my permission to see any of them but Ratchet, Prowl or you two. I will tell Rampage about this myself and until then no one else can know."
"Got it," Springer said.
They sped onward, a massive but tight and highly disciplined armada. When they came into the system, they flew slowly in, heading for the barn. The ships of the line, the titans and Paradisio would go to their posts under Typhoon's direction. Everyone on board would leave by shuttle or bridge.
It would be good to be home.
=0=Prison
They locked up the last of the captured group from the base of Polity. They were sullen until they saw the lights of the colony beyond. Then they were surprised as they were marched off to their cell blocks. Whether they would be salvageable or even wanted it was up to them. Gee-Gee had a specialty of making silk purses out of sow's ears.
By the time the data was entered, the bridges around town and The Fortress would be taking soldiers to their home cities or duties here and there. It would be the most orderly way to disband the mission and when everyone who was leaving was gone, the Supremes would come in to land and go to their docking stations in the huge hangars where they lived.
=0=The command crew
They walked out of the bridge into The Fortress and up the stairs. It was deep into the night here and the rec room was empty. The overnight places were humming but the area was quiet. After a moment of standing there looking around, Prime grinned. "Roll out for home. I could use my berth right now."
A large crowd of essential equipment walked to the courtyard and the street beyond. Some took cabs while others headed for the tube station on Temple and Junction Roads. Ratchet, Ironhide and the Fam walked down the sidewalk passing from pool of light to pool of light as everywhere around them towers shown with their own. Bars nearby and the few all night cafes and diners gave a warm glow to the darkness that felt cheery and homely.
Reaching their building, they went upstairs, stepping off onto their floors as they rode upward. Blackjack, Alor, Ironhide and Ratchet walked down the corridor to their doors.
"Nighty night," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "We can get the kids tomorrow."
"Breakfast at the Diner then?" Alor asked as Blackjack opened their apartment door.
"Done deal," Ironhide said as they broke up the party to go home.
It was dark inside. No kids were here. The big kids were with family elsewhere and the babies were parted out with most of them staying at The Military Daycare Center in The Fortress. It was too late to get them. Sunspot and Spot were with Bos.
"I'm beat," Ironhide said.
"I know. I saw you," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "I want a bit of normal for a while. Festival is in nine orns. Frag this slag."
"I hear ya," Ironhide said as they walked down the corridor to the berth room where they both crashed and were out like lights immediately. It was that kind of orn.
=0=TBC 7-7-2020 7-22-2020