The Diego Diaries: FOOTBAWL! 1 (398) edited
-0-Getting there
The teams began to gather at the arena heading for their respective dressing rooms. The stadium was empty but for technicians working out the broadcast bugs and other things that needed to be done. The sports announcement booth was busy as Blaster and Jazz worked together, Revet handling the pre-recorded segments so that they could be played during the broadcast. They were used now to a broadcast audience of more than seven billion both on Mars and Earth. They were also aware that the game would be watched by Decepticons out in the sector. Given their location of pirate groups roving along with one digging in for the duration, they were only increasing their viewership this time around.
Down on the floor of the arena, sound technicians were moving a keyboard out to the middle pitch for Alor to play the anthem and the Prime's entrance. They sound tested it with Revet in the commentator's booth and it was checked off the list.
"That sounded good," Revet said glancing at Blaster. Standing on the floor with a ball in his servo, 'Vette watched his ada working. Nearby was a pen with blankets and toys for him to rest along with a stack of sealed dishes filled with treats and his lunch. They were prepared for the game in every way possible.
-0-At various places here and there
Ratchet stared at the infants who were playing in Hero's room. Hero was standing before her toy box while nearby her closet door was open. Peering across the hallway, Ratchet whispered. "Ironhide … come here."
That big mechanism looked toward the berth rooms from where he stood at the monitor checking the intell from Ops Center. A Decepticon group was heading their way without making the course corrections toward anyone else. They were several orns out but they were preparing to go to meet them when they came closer. Earth was quiet in spite of all of the stuff going on here. It was becoming a noticeable thing that whenever they had a big moment or even a game, the opposition on Earth was silent.
"I think they're gathering intell watching us. I think they stop to watch because its a way to learn more about us," Ratchet postulated in the aftermath dinner at their apartment the night before. They had talked about the emerging pattern of silence during major events on Mars.
"It very well could be that," Alor said nodding. "I don't know why they don't do something to knock us off the television and focus of the humans."
Prime nodded. "Until we know better, I am inclined to agree."
Ironhide reached the door and peered inside. Hero was standing in the room near the toy box with Praxus and Orion. She had pulled her costume collection out of her dresser drawer. She had her yellow sombrero on her helm while Orion and Praxus had on her little pink and white tutus. She held her sparkly wand in her servo as she explained the dance she was going to be teaching them. Sitting beside the little mechs, Spot looked at her too, listening with as much concentration as Orion and Praxus.
Ratchet subbed his camera and took snaps as Ironhide watched with enormous pleasure. Hero turned and began to do a dance similar to the hokey pokey combined with twirling. The little mechs smiled enormously and stepped forward trying to imitate her. They played by the window unaware that they were being watched. No one would move until Ravel and Tie Down came to call.
Then they would all enjoy Ironhide's video of the fandango in Hero's room.
-0-Getting ready to go a bit later
Alor stood with Orion who refused to take off Hero's white tutu along with a little hoodie that said "IACON FOREVER!" on the front. Praxus who didn't care as much sat in Tie Down's arms with his own coat and hat. He smiled and patted Orion's costume. "I like this!"
"I LOVE HO-HO'S THING!" Orion said as he sat feeling the stiff material. "ADA! I LOVE THIS!"
Ratchet snorted. "I see that. I wonder what the humans are going to think when they see you on TV."
"They will admire his good taste," Ravel said with a smile. She squeezed his ped and Orion smiled brilliantly. "OTHER ADA! I LOVE THIS!"
Ravel chuckled. "It loves you too, baby," he said as they began to head for the doorway. Everyone made for the elevator and met up in the lobby with Prime and the family.
"That sparkling has a dress on, Ratchet," Prowl said with a grin.
"He likes the feel of it, Uncle Prowl," Sunspot said as he stood waiting to go with Spot by his side. He carried his little orange banner for Iacon that had a flip side with the Praxus logos. He was rooting for both towns even though they weren't playing. His over the shoulder banner for Kaon would signal the support he had for his brothers and their team. He was a loyal little mech, our Sunspot. Even Spot had a button on his collar that said, "Kaon Forever!"
"I can see that," Prowl said with a chuckle. "That sparkling is a wonder."
"He's that side of the awesome scale," Ironhide said proudly.
"We want them to fly their freak flag if they want to," Ratchet said. "It makes a nice snap to show their pre-bonds some future orn from now."
The laughter followed them out the door as they began to join the crowds heading for the stadium. It would be a walk east to the junction of Metroplex 2 and Cultural Center Road. The junction would turn north and head for the two arenas that were the magnet for at least four hundred thousand bots. The airport and the site off of Terra Highway would handle anyone else who wanted to come to the holographic simulations.
It took forever but they made it and leaving Prime at the entrance of the stadium with Alor, they made their way to the steps to climb up and take their seats. The humans and Hu An were already there. They moved to settle in aware that they were on the jumbotron as they entered and thus on the television screens of everyone in the vicinity of two planets and planetary various fragments in the boondocks of the sector.
-0-At a nice family home
"They're on, Mama," a daughter-in-law said to her mother-in-law who was perusing the team line ups on her i-pad.
Mama Annie looked up and smiled. "Look at that baby! He's wearing a tutu!"
"Isn't he cute? Look at his hoodie. He's a fan of Iacon," Pastor Bob said as he looked up too.
"He is. That little baby has good taste," Mama Annie said with a grin. "In more ways than one."
-0-In a bar in California near the Lennox house
"That sparkling has a tutu on." -Man A
"Might be a girl." -Man B
"Doesn't look like it. He looks like the truck standing next to him." -Man A
"That's Ironhide. He is a truck." -Man C
"I just said that." -Man A
"MORE BEER!" -All of them.
-0-The Teasdale Twins who are still on Mars assisting NASA projects and are standing in the human space at the fifty yard line
:OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMG!: -Cindy Teasdale of the Trenton, New Jersey Teasdales
"SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE … does that sparkling have a tutu on?: -Lola, her twin
:OMFG … HE DOES!: -Cindy
:SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEE!: -Both of them
-0-At the stadium
The teams sat in their respective locker rooms, silent concentration the name of the game thus far. The twins sat side-by-side communicating internally. Bracket, their goalie stood nearby stretching. The others which included the massive defensive linemen all of whom had prison records sat pensively too. This was their chance to make something of their home town, the most blighted place on Cybertron next to Slaughter City.
When the call came, their coaches stepped toward the door and turned to them. "It's time to show your quality. For Kaon," their head coach said.
They stood a moment, then formed their line. Their waists held their belts that identified them as Kaon. Vos wore blue and white belts while Kaon wore red and white. They walked behind their coaches while their goalie, the Kaon born former pro, Bracket held their banner high. They exited their locker room and walked down the long corridors that led to the outside. When they reached the tunnel that let everyone in most of the spectators were already there. They hooted insults or called out support as they continued onward to their seats. Pausing next to Prime, the team waited for the big hulking bots from Vos.
Vos could be a hard team to budge with their amazing defense while Kaon would be brutally offensive with a jones for scoring quickly and often. They stood side by side with Prime who chatted with the coaches as the moments ticked down. Then Alor stepped down from the steps and walked to Prime. "You ready?"
Prime nodded with a grin. "As ready as I will ever be. I just hope that they are too." He glanced at the teams and nodded. They nodded back, some doing so in the old manner of respect. Then Alor walked out to maddening deafening applause.
-0-In the booth
"This is Commander Alor, one of the genitors of Ironhide, Master of the Cybertronian Armed Forces. Alor is the greatest musician and composer that our people ever produced. There isn't a great occasion that isn't identified with his music. He is given the honor of playing in the Prime," Blaster said.
"He's also the grand genitor of this guy," Jazz said as he switched the camera to Orion. He was sitting on Blackjack's arm, his tutu bunched up and his hoodie pulled over his helm. He was pointing at something, his little smile brilliantly large.
"That sparkling is a wonder," Revet said in his open mike.
"You won't get an argument from us," Blaster said as he chuckled.
The jumbotron held his image and the crowd roared. Orion looked at the image of himself the size of house on the scoreboard jumbotron nearby and paused. Then he smiled and clapped his servos. All of it was captured before the scene switched to Alor who was sitting watching it too. He smiled and pointed at the screen. Raising a thumb, the crowd roared in approval.
-0-Nice family
"I want one."
"I do too, Mama. What would you feed them? Pennzoil?" -Pastor Bob honestly puzzling.
"He looks more high octane than that," Papa Leonard said with a grin.
Mama Annie nodded. "He's a pistol."
-0-Bar in Cally
"Do they have gay bots?" -Man A
"I think they all are. I heard that they have about three girls in the whole race." -Man C
"Wow." -Man B
"Yeah." -Man C
"Makes you wonder." -Man A
"What?" -Man C
"I don't know." -Man A
"I hear ya." -Man C
-0-In the gate across from Prime watching the crowd and the layout of security around the perimeter of the playing field
"That sparkling is something else," Drift said as he watched Orion on the jumbotron.
"What would our own look like do you think?" Springer asked to be ornery.
"You."
"Why me?" Springer asked with a smirk.
"Because I won't be having it," Drift said. "I think it would take after its ada." He looked at Springer with a grin. "After all, I am speaking to the former Mrs. Optimus Prime."
"Slagger," Springer said with a guffaw.
They turned back to the game as Alor began to play the anthem. The crowd rose and sang with him, the chorus of voices rolling out to the other areas where Cybertronians gathered to watch the play in the most realistic holographic projections ever seen in this system. Their voices mingled with the stadiums rising into the sky together.
Then it ceased.
Alor glanced at the gateway, then began to play the Anthem of the Primes. As he did, Optimus Prime stepped into sight as he turned to make his way to his seat in the stands.
The place went nuts.
-0-TBC August 15, 2013
NOTES: I found out from stalkers … uh, fans who have access to the scene and take pictures over a number of states where filming is commencing that Bumblebee in the next TF Bay movie will have a 2014 Camaro format as well as a vintage one. The 2014 Corvette concept is being called Sunstreaker by the workers.
There is also a Mac semi tractor truck that has a gray paint scheme that is being called Motormaster. Apparently, speculation says that there will be STUNTICONS! And so it goes … :D