The Diego Diaries: Footbawl! 3 (402)
-0-Half Time
The younglings of the Intermediate School finished their presentation and walked off to stupendous acclaim. Their achievement was totally appreciated by a population for whom education had been forbidden on their home world. The rest of the wait would be taken up with reruns of plays and shots of the crowd on the jumbotron. The teams were in their locker rooms getting the heads up and the low down from their coaches.
-0-Vos Locker room
"AND THEN YOU RUN REALLY FAST! PREFERABLY TOWARD THEIR GOAL!" -coach
Nods. -team
"YOU DON'T LOOK BACK 'CAUSE SOMETHING MIGHT BE GAINING ON YA!"
Nods.
"AND YOU … YOU BIG FRAGGERS! YOU HAVE TO KNOCK THEM DOWN! UNDERSTOOD!?"
Nods.
-0-Kaon Locker Room
It was quiet and serious, all of the players relaxing, their conversation muted. Everyone knew what was at stake. Everyone knew what to do. They sat together and waited for the knock on the door that would signal their return.
-0-Commentary Booth nearby
"That was a fine defensive half, Jazz," Blaster said. "Even if they're tied, the score could have been much worse for Kaon and Vos."
"This side of Praxus, the teams are among the biggest mechanisms in the city." Jazz grinned. "We do know that Praxus is the biggest and fastest because their greatest fan is a cheater. That fan's name will be keep private due to the circumstances. Right, Prowl?"
They both laughed.
Prowl didn't. The commentary was running in his processor along with forty-seven other things from Ops Center. He blanched even as he held his helm up, Miracle sitting on his arm babbling on without a clue.
:Jazz is talking about you, Granny: Ratchet said with a grin as he held Prowler.
:He won't after tomorrow: Prowl the Grim
(Grin) -Ratchet the Smirk
"So far, what do you think?" Optimus asked his genitors.
They looked at him with happy smiles. "I have never been to a professional game in a real stadium," Kestrel said as Tagg nodded. "This is so nice, son. I am so proud of you. Look what you have created."
"We all have, Ada. I am just happy you can be here and see this with me," Optimus said.
"We are too, Orion. We were so proud when you walked in and Alor of Iacon … Alor was playing the anthem for you. It was thrilling," Kestrel said with a nod. "We are very proud, Orion."
Optimus grinned. "I am so happy you are here. This city will only get better."
"Did Primus tell you that?" Kestrel asked.
"Primus expressed his pleasure on what we have all wrought thus far," Optimus replied.
Kestrel nodded. "Good," he said as Rambler turned to ask him a question. He bent down to listen and for a moment Optimus remembered a thousand times when his ada had done that for him. Things come full circle he thought as the siren sounded. The teams were coming back and it would be on once more. He looked to the stands near the Vos bench where the fight had been. Springer and Drift were there with Hot Rod, Jolt and Kup. It was well in servo.
Then the banner of Vos could be seen coming out of the entrance gateway. The place erupted.
-0-On the way back inside the arena
They alternated between bitching at and ignoring each other as they walked in their lines side-by-side. They entered the arena and stood in a long line before the masses. They bowed to Prime who returned the salute with a nod. Walking to their benches, they turned to wait for the RUMBLE!
The ref in charge of the ball blew his whistle so the teams walked out. Kaon would take the ball. Vos would defend. He threw the ball upward and was nearly mashed getting out of their way. Limping off swearing, he turned to watch the play. A boom of collision signaled the lines coming together as Sideswipe took the ball. He fell back looking for an opening and was nearly flattened by a large Vos lineman jumping the melee in the middle in his zeal to crush Kaon's fastest runner. Sunstreaker would have had that distinction if he didn't spend that fractional second or two of speed landing fists on his pursuers.
Sideswipe turned left and ran for the edges where there was room to maneuver. He was in skate mode so when he cleared the pile up he was relatively clear. That is, he was if you didn't count two snorting defensive backs and a goalie with a bone to pick waiting for him in the Vos end zone. He ran straight for them, head down, ball magnetized to his side … illegally … in a mad attempt to at least advance it farther than his own back field.
The collision between him and the first back was enough to bounce that worthy into the stands nearby. The second bounced Sideswipe backwards where he was caught by Hugo-Not. Hugo, a mountain sized mechanism slid to a halt and passed Sideswipe like a football over the back of the (defensive) back to put him back into play.
*cough*
Sorry.
Sideswipe wrapped himself around the ball like an old lady falling down the stairs with her purse. He lit on his aft and was punted by the goalie who was taking back his pride from the gutter where Sideswipe had kicked it earlier.
That drew a whistle, a frown from Ratchet and the entire bench of Kaon.
-0-Ratchet and Prowl
"LOOK AT THAT, PROWLER! SIDESWIPE GOT PUNTED!"
"I see that," Prowl sniffed even as he worried. That would put Sideswipe in the range of the goal but he wasn't known for his free throws.
"MY BOY IS GOING TO HAVE A FREE THROW! WANNA BET HE MAKES IT!?" Ratchet said with a giant guffaw.
"What the frag kind of ada are you?" Prowl asked as he glanced at Ratchet, a tiny frown marring his perfect forehead for a nanosecond.
"THE WORST KIND!" Ratchet said with a diabolical cackle that reminded Prowl of Orion.
They both turned and began to scream again.
-0-Sideswipe
He bounced a few times, then rolled to a stop at the edge of the boundary line. He lay still watching the sparkling lights, then unwound himself rising slowly. Sunstreaker who was yelling from the bench watched Sideswipe pull himself together. :You okay?:
:Sure: Sideswipe said turning to walk to the group of players standing around the refs. All 37 of them.
There were only about 12 actually there.
:GET IT THROUGH THE HOLE, SIDESWIPE!: -Sunstreaker
:Stuff it, Sunstreaker: -Sideswipe
:*YOU* STUFF IT. *LITERALLY*!: -Sunstreaker
The refs sorted out the slag giving Sideswipe a free throw and Kaon the ins. He limped to the line and took the ball. Around him, the players watched. And commented.
"SLAGGER! MISS! YOU KNOW YOU WANNA!"
"BIG FEMME! YOU COULDN'T PLUG A HOLE IF YOU TRIED!"
Sideswipe paused to look at the Vosnian who was catcalling him. "I HAVE THREE KIDS, SLAGGER! HOW MANY YOU GOT?!"
The refs pushed both back. Sideswipe turned and threw the ball with fury and little initial preparation. It went up and up, then through.
Score.
Kaon, 3, Vos, 2.
They turned to watch as Hugo-Not took the ball and walked to the line. Everyone gathered around stunting, stacking and bitching.
"HEY, SLOWPOKE! GIMME THE BALL! YOU KNOW YOU WANNA!" -Vos
"FRAG HIM, HUGO! GIVE *ME* THE BALL!" -Kaon
"FRAG *YOU*, FAT BOY!" -a drunk mini-con in the stands with large on Vos.
Hugo listened, then did what he wanted. He lunged forward and headed for the space in the middle of two Vos towers. It was too small. He was too big. They went cartwheeling away as a heavy duty mechanism with a top speed slower than the old mechs who played games in the Fortress Courtyard took the invitation to get up close and personal. Lumbering forward, he began to collect Vosnians. Shaking them off like droplets of water, he ran with gathering speed toward the goalie.
That mechanism, no shrinking violet himself blanched and set for impact. Hugo-Not reached him, ran over him and continued onward as defensive backs jumped onto his broad backside. Reaching the goal, he grabbed the hoop and pulled it downward tapping the ball through.
Score.
Kaon, 4, Vos 2.
The place went nuts.
-0-In the Prime's box
Ratchet doubled over laughing at the sight of a vast mechanism lumbering toward the goal post to dunk a ball after bending the pole down to reach the hoop with his brawny but short arms. Hugo-Not was a popular guy, someone who would give you the shirt off his back if he wore one. What he wouldn't do is be slagged for his competitive spirit. He was one determined mech.
He turned and raised his arms in triumph. As he did, the defensive backs slid off his own. Walking toward his jubilant compadres, the mini-cons having a slag fest at his expense emptied their portion of the stands. Fifteen little fraggers staggered down the steps toward the field DETERMINED to do something about Hugo.
Those who didn't come with them sat taking bets that the thing they were heading out to do was bleed out of any number of bent places on their chassis.
Nearby looking with alarm, Drift and Springer started across the field in a hurry followed by a wildly happy Hot Rod and Jolt who had no standing to be there because they weren't Watch mechs, the slaggers.
*FIGHT!*
Kup who was watching took his time strolling toward the most mismatched fight in the history of Cybertron. The mini-cons, all of them micro and slag faced gathered in a group around Hugo. That bot's teammates turned and laughed pointing their fingers at the tiny tyros with the jones for a beating.
Their own.
"Do you need any help, Hugee?" Sideswipe asked with a chuckle.
"I don't think so, Sideswipe but thanks for asking," the big grinning mechanism said as he considered his next move. "I think I can handle this myself."
The refs stepped forward and looked down at the little bots who were shaking their fists and making loud lip noises, some of it coherent. At that point Leader-1 had made it to the field, his embarrassment off the scale. "LOOK HERE, YOU MECHANISMS! GET OFF THE FIELD! YOU'RE MAKING US ALL LOOK BAD! YOU'RE ON THE TEEVEE!"
Everyone turned to the end zone and the jumbotron which was showing them in living color. Two of the tiny bots smiled and waved. Then Springer and Drift arrived followed by Kup and a tiny femme with a tiny but powerful fury that HER BOYS were in the thick of it.
Again.
-0-Prime area
Ratchet stood with an enormous grin. Prowl stood with an enormous frown. The collected genitors stood with enormous levels of mirth and/or concern mixed with the realization that all that they did was being filmed and shown on two worlds and a bunch of Decepticon installations in the depths of space. They stood as dignified as their angst/hilarity allowed.
Ironhide and Prime who were enjoying themselves immensely showed it. Orion was sitting on Prime's arm in a tu-tu and gray hoodie singing at the top of his vocal capacitor. Praxus sat on Ironhide's arm wearing his own hoodie that said, 'My old man is a truck'. A cartoon version of Ironhide was on the front as an applique, a gift from his ada from his twisted sense of humor. The cameras filmed them lovingly.
-0-Bar, Cally
"There's that little robot in the tu-tu. I will bet ya that there's gonna be dollies of him made and sold somewhere in Hong Kong by noon tomorrow." -Man C
"I hear ya. Barely." -Man A
Hysterical drunken laughter.
-0-Nice house etc.
"I really like that baby," Mama Annie said with a smile.
"Look at the hoodie on the other bot … the one that looks like Ratchet. Isn't that cute?" Pastor Bob asked with a grin.
They all agreed.
-0-On the field
"What do you want to do?" Drift asked as they stared at fifteen little mechanisms spoiling for a fight.
"Yeah," the little femme, Maxi asked as she stood staring at them with a gimlet optic, her little arms crossed in front of her chassis.
All of the mechs looked at her, then the little slaggers. "Grab them," Springer said.
That is when fifteen drunken micro mini-cons broke like a racked set of balls on the surface of a billiard table running off in fifteen different directions.
The rush was on.
-0-TBC August 19, 2013 edited 7-4-14