The Diego Diaries: Chaos (dd3 66)
-0-Armory, later that morning
Ironhide stood at the computer bank with Holi working out the logistics of building and arming a fortress that would be on the other side of a space bridge in an area out on the migration trail. He was slightly miffed as his 'work wife' held his sparkling. He was pretty good at keeping track of his infants. He was a servos-on genitor. He washed all the infants everyday like a dedicated albeit older atar, helped keep them buffed and shined, helped feed them and empty their trap doors once every five or six orns. He played with them, helped Sunspot with homework, and served on the Genitor-Teacher School Advisory Committee from the first orn.
Yet, no matter where he went his servos became bereft of sparklings nearly the moment he came within grabby range of nearly everyone he met. Holi was almost as good as Prowl. Prowl on the other servo set the standard. Mech was a sleight of servo wizard.
The slagger.
They discussed the situation in detail and when they had agreed on what Ironhide wanted to make the armory meet certifications, Holi hurried off to send the plans in final format to Jetta.
With Hero in servo.
The slagger-ette.
Walking to his office, he sat and mooned a moment or two. Then he did what he usually did when miffed. :OLD MECH!:
:WHAT!?:
:Where are you?:
:Where am I? Working a pole in the club. Where do you *think* I am?:
:Working a pole?: Ironhide asked with a grin. :Throwing The Sexy at me are you?: He could feel the grin that came back to him over their bond.
:Someone stole your sparkling again?:
He miffed a moment more. :You're supposed to support me, old slagger, in my joor of need:
:Someone stole your sparkling and you came to ada to whine. Awwww …. did someone hurt your widdow feelings?:
Ironhide grinned. :Slagger. You wait. You'll have your turn:
:I have candy. Come and rub my peds and I'll pretend to feel sorry for you, you butter fingered slagger. Come on. I double dare ya:
Ironhide considered that and sent smoky emotions back over their connection. He got a giant grin back. Things looked promising. Rising, he walked to the door to peer out. Hero was lying on a console next to Holi as she feverishly input data into the computers. He crept forward in his best stealth mode past the main table and almost within reach of the baby. As he leaned in, his servos creeping up, a servo of a slightly smaller being shot out and slapped his. Amused optics turned to Ironhide. "You should know by now, Ironhide, that this little infant is mine for at least a joor every orn."
He looked down at Holi, the tiny femme staring up at him with a grin. "You're a hard bitten little slagger, Holi."
"I'm a femme with a clock of some kind tickin away." She looked at Hero. "My bond is coming by shortly and I want him to hold her. It could be a deal breaker. I want a football team of my own, Ironhide. Hero is going to help me get it. Why don't you go cry on Ratchet's shoulder for a joor. I promise to give her back."
"Slave driver," he said grumping to the door. "*MECH* HAS A SPARKLING! TAKES CARE OF IT REALLY WELL! THEN GRABBY SLAGGERS JUST STEAL HER AT WILL! THERE'S NO JUSTICE ANYWHERE!" He cleared the door and was gone.
The mechs and Holi watched him go with big grins. Holi shook her helm then looked at Hero who lay on her gray blanket with the Autobrand, her little optics looking for her atar. "You're my ticket, my sweetness to getting sparklings of my own. When that sorry mech of mine shows up, vamp him. Okay?" she asked gathering the infant into her arms. Hero looked at her and grinned. Holi nearly swooned.
Ironhide on the other hand was bummed. Snorting out the door and walking up the steps, he made his way out of the building. Pausing at the intersection, he grumped his way toward the Medical Building and another commiseration session with the bond.
-0-Alor
He walked out of Ops Center heading for the Armory. Walking down the steps and into the main room, he spotted Holi sitting with a mech who was holding his granddaughter. Pausing beside them, he grinned. "I see the infant but I don't see the bigger one. Where's Ironhide?"
"He grumped off to see Ratchet," Holi said with a smirk. "I'm trying to get the mech here to see the error of his ways, the slagger. I want sparklings. Yesterday."
Alor looked at the big ex-Con bond of the tiny femme he had come to like a great deal. "Spark this femme so my son can have his daughter with him. That's an order." He grinned at the two of them and walking toward the door and the streets beyond. As he walked in the direction of the Medical Tower, Ironhide was just entering it.
-0-Ratchet
He walked out of the recovery area after checking several of the repairs that had been scheduled over the last few orns from the last migration. He walked to the elevator and took it up to his office on the 49th floor. Stepping off, he walked toward his office when another elevator stopped and a gloomy Ironhide stepped off. Ratchet looked at his big tussle bunny and grinned. "You look like slag."
"I'm missing my sparkling.MECH HAS A SPARKLING, TAKES GOOD CARE OF IT AND WHAT HAPPENS? IT GETS STOLEN EVERY TIME HE STEPS OUTSIDE HIS DOORWAY!"
"Well … the cure for that is never leaving the house," Ratchet said as he pushed Ironhide into his office.
"MECH HAS A JOB TO DO DEFENDING THE CITY AND CAN'T STAY HOME ALL THE TIME!" Ironhide looked at Ratchet. "You aren't expecting me to stay home with the sparklings are you?"
"No. I'll be fragged if I'm the only one earning my keep in this family, Ironhide," Ratchet said holding out his candy jar. Ironhide took a fistful and sat putting his big peds up on the coffee table in front of him. "Holi is trying to get her bond to spark. Mech better or I'm going to pull his arms off."
"If that little sparkling can't budge him, then Holi needs to find a better mech," Ratchet said taking some candy himself.
A big figure appeared in the doorway. "Got some for me?"
"Alor! Just in time. Ironhide needs someone's thumb to suck," Ratchet said with a snicker. Ignoring the stink optics shooting his way from his big buff baby, Ratchet held the jar out to Alor. He took some candy and moved past Ironhide to sit on the couch next to him. They munched candy a moment. Then Alor looked at Ironhide. "You look happy."
"Lost my sparkling."
"Go get her."
"Holi will stamp on my ped. Little femme has a temper."
Alor grinned. "When did you care about that? Chaos bringer."
Ironhide grinned at his ada. "You're a slagger, too. What does a mech have to do to have support in their joor of need?"
"Have some candy, son," Alor said holding out a piece.
Ironhide took it popping it in his mouth. He grinned. "Thanks. I feel *so much better*." he said with a smirk.
"Want me to burp you?" Alor asked with a grin.
Ironhide almost said yes.
-0-Shortly after
He walked to his desk and sat, putting Hero on the top as he unbundled her. He had chosen her gray Autobrand blankie and matching booties. She was laying on the blanket like a champion. "Hero, you stay with me. Remember who your old atar is."
She stared at him, studying him diligently. The funny face and deep voice was back again. It was much better now. She smiled brilliantly. She had no idea that her old pa's spark was in meltdown. She had no idea that whenever any of his babies smiled at him, he felt parts of his superstructure crumble. She just knew he was there and his energy was what she needed.
"You have to trick or treat. Your old ada is out of his processor. He has costumes for you and your brothers. We're going around to trick or treat. You're going to have a pumpkin basket for your haul. I'm going to eat it for ya. I'll tell you how good it is." He grinned. "Wait until you see your brothers." He chuckled and shook his helm. "Can't wait."
She looked at him and smiled. All was perfect in Ironhide's world. They would stay for the afternoon as Ironhide worked, Hero sitting in her brother's little bouncy chair on the desk while she snoozed. No one would purloin her during the whole time.
-0-In a Youngling Day School classroom(s)
"And that's what Halloween is all about. Any questions?"
Servos shot into the air.
-0-In a Youngling Intermediate School classroom(s)
"And that's what Halloween is all about. Any questions?"
Servos shot into the air.
-0-Staff meeting at the Sparkling Day School
"And that's what Halloween is all about. Any questions?"
Servos shot into the air.
-0-Hourly News, Channel 1, IntraComm
"And that's what Halloween is all about. If you have any questions, check the link on the Community Bulletin Board under the heading 'Youngling Community Activity Schedule'. In other news ..."
The server at IntraComm crashed.
-0-The Bakery, Mall at Metroplex
Rampage considered the situation of supplying a large amount of the confections and treats that the new youngling holiday would require. He understood it and thought it a fun idea for the city's several thousand infants. The part that seemed daunting was the idea that he'd have to make so many treats. The orders were already coming in on the website from genitors, groups, unions , businesses, and guilds. All of the city's bakers and confectioners would be working overtime to meet the demand.
The idea of it was awesome.
He walked to the counter gathering his team. Then he began to sketch out what they were going to be doing for the next three orns.
-0-RTR Tools
They stood in the warehouse looking around. Everything was up to speed including the smelters and furnaces. The construction of the building was nearly completed. All of the damaged infrastructure had been completely replaced or repaired. All of the businesses inside the great space were allowed to open again. The food arcade across the way was filled with younglings hanging out, studying for school or lounging before or after work.
The Energon Basket was going great guns. Apparently, the children's holiday in three orns required lots of treats for the trickers. They would have to get some for their own store, too. It was all so exciting.
Ravel had checked their web page and the number of orders stacking up was remarkable. Apparently, the city's tool connoisseurs had found out that the greatest tool and weapon makers in Cybertronian history had just opened for business. They had replaced everything and started the equipment.
"I think we're ready to go, Tie," Ravel said peering at the gauges of the smelter. "The transparent steel is at the right temperature."
Tie slipped on a heavy apron and gloves. Then he walked to the smelter and opened the door. The bubbling metal inside was ready to go so he began to skim the sparkling slag off the top, gathering the rest to pour into the molds. By the time he did, the signature design of RTR Tools would once again spring into life.
A long handled sleek transparent screwdriver.
-0-Ratchet
He looked up as a youngling stood in the doorway holding a large box. Smiling, Ratchet rose. "You brought them."
"We did," the youngling said. "Good thing you ordered early."
"Tell the Guild that I'm delighted," Ratchet said taking the lid off the box. Looking inside, he smiled. "Perfect."
The youngling nodded and grinned. "I will. See ya, Ratchet."
"See ya, Ston." He watched as the youngling left, then he reached into the box to pull out the costumes he had commissioned for the sparklings and Sunspot. Smirking, he looked them over imminently pleased. "This is going to be awesome," he said with a chuckle.
-0-TBC 2012 (10) edited 8-16-18