The Diego Diaries: Aftermath 1 (406) (This goes out to Panthothenate. You are awesome.)
-0-That night after the lights go out
"Ironhide."
"What?"
"I was wondering something."
"What?"
"What are you keeping from me?"
Pause.
/... oh slag …/ "You need recharge. I think a few cogs are slipping."
"Is that so." (grin) "I have been keeping something from you."
"Is that so."
Pause.
"Well? Are you going to tell me or what, Ratchet?"
"I don't know if you want to know."
Pause.
"TELL ME, SLAG IT, RATCHET! I HATE IT WHEN YOU DRAG THINGS OUT!"
(grin) "I know." (another grin) "Its about that Bay guy."
Pause.
"SLAGGER DOESN'T KNOW SLAG! HE KILLED ME IN THE LAST MOVIE! SLAGGER!"
"There, there, Only One. I still love ya." (smirk)
"You do, don't ya." (smugness on the smugness)
"I don't have to tell ya." (waits for slag. gets it)
"TELL ME, SLAG IT, RATCHET!"
"Well, rumor has it … and I stress rumor … someone has said something and it comes from a good source ..."
"RATCHET! TELL ME!"
"It seems that in the next film, I am going to be killed at the beginning of the movie and they are going to salvage my carcass to make Grimlock." /... there, slagger … three … two … on- …/
"WHAT THE FRAG!?" (roof raises just a smidge)
Seconds later
They passed each other as they paced holding crying infants. Hero made tiny weeps on Ratchet's shoulder as he walked across the living room and back with her. Ironhide held Prowler as Orion and Praxus sat on either side of Sunspot on the big couch. Spot sat with them, a wholly comical picture.
"Nice job, Ironhide." Ratchet grinned. "School is tomorrow and here we are with the sparklings."
"What did you expect me to say?" Ironhide pouted. "What the frag is wrong with that jerk? I think I need to pay him a visit."
"That's a great idea," Ratchet said mulling it over. "I personally would love it. Consider it. These parts combining to make Grimlock. GRIMLOCK!"
"I want to speak to this slagger. I want to give him a piece of my processor," Ironhide said as he passed Ratchet going the other direction. They would be at it for a while.
-0-Morning
The usual hoo-haw was completed as the infants ran amok, ate their breakfast and chatted. Book bags were gathered, harnesses harnessed and tots sent packing in the company of grandatars and atars. Alor and Ravel stepped out with Ratchet as they headed for work. A staff meeting of the community and military committee was going to occupy the morning as they caught up on any number of pending business and whatever popped up during the festival.
Ravel turned off for the shop as Alor and Ratchet continued onward to the Fortress. The streets were busy and the energy lighter, higher than before. The weekend was nearly over but the committee meeting was to be held anyway. After it when things were worked out, everyone was free to go and spend the last day of weekend doing what they wanted.
Unless there was a catastrophe on the table of course.
Ambling into the courtyard, they bantered with the old mechs who had gathered to play their games and shoot the breeze. They continued inside and entered Ops Center pausing at the center table. Prowl was there and so were a number of the regulars from the committee. "What's up, whiner?" Ratchet asked with a grin.
Prowl looked at him with a look only a prig could manage that expressed the right amount of disdain without looking too imperial. "Stuff."
Ratchet and Alor chuckled, then walked to the conference room to claim their seats. A number of bots were already there and more were coming. The meeting would cover a wide range of things pending as well as new business. If they were lucky, they would be done by Christmas Surprise. They sat and chatted as they waited for the others to come.
-0-A breem later
Prowl passed out the agenda datapads to everyone of the nearly 30 individuals that were part of the committee. The agenda was checked off and they began.
"We have a number of roving groups in the sector that seem to be settling," Prowl began as he switched on the monitor behind him. "One is a pirate group digging in, making it the fourth grounded opponent so far. Three others are still roving around even as another makes their way toward the colony. It is a Decepticon group with intentions of coming to this system without detour to anyone else." Prowl gave the limited information that was known.
Ironhide nodded. "Why not let them come to the solar well, then take them there. It might be less dangerous than going out and risking them getting an assist from others roaming around."
"That is true," Optimus said with a nod. "Letting them get here would give us a chance to see what the others are going to be doing when someone is seeking us out."
"There are echoes of big migrations on the far edge of our sensors," Prowl said. "If they make a play for this group, then we can know what to expect. We can also perhaps take out one or more of them with our firepower and capability. We will talk more about this during the military meeting following."
Everyone nodded. The meeting continued. Departments gave their accountings including Fenix who came to give support to the report by Caro on a number of new ventures the humans wanted to undertake with them. Everyone listened, the military watched him closely and then he sat. Nitro and Ironhide came next. "The quotas of the armories in Terra and Phobos have been met leaving Crystal City and Luna left. The hubs are doing well. They are storing weapons for the Home Guard for the outlying cities as well. No one in service is more than 100 yards from a hub and a weapon," Nitro said.
Ironhide nodded. Sitting on his arm leaning against his Atar's chassis, Prowler nodded too. That he was about to tip over might have been part of it but it was cute anyway.
Prime grinned.
"Ratchet?" Prowl asked glancing up from his datapad.
"Yes, whiner?" Ratchet asked pausing his game of tetra on the datapad before him, the one with the smaller window showing the agenda.
"Your report, loser," Prowl replied with a smirk.
Prime snickered. "I will be glad when football season is over."
"From your mouth to Primus's audials," Ironhide said with a smirk.
"Well, I would say we are a very healthy population," Ratchet began. "We have had a few separations, a few elders who needed a fine tuning." Then he got solemn. "We have had a youngling taken into protective custody. They tried to kill themselves." The room stilled, a cold chill calling everyone to halt. "This youngling is sub adult, nearly. They also have had a very hard time in their travels and has had difficulty making a transition to the idea of a safe life. Jarro and his teams are working with the family to help him heal. What I find myself is that I am surprised this hasn't happened more. We have had wayward younglings hoarding food and wandering in a daze, but overall we have been lucky." He turned to Jarro. "What do you want to add, Jari, if anything?"
Jarro looked at Ratchet, then Prime. "We have a program in place from earlier for at risk individuals. We also have a plan to take them into protective custody when the need demands it. The family is then included in the treatment program. They will be getting their education in care until they can return to school and family life."
Prime nodded. "Thank you. I want this to be a priority."
They nodded. Everyone turned to Ratchet who sat back. "There is not much more to add. Our medical students are in practicums now which means they will be doing what humans call residency programs to get real world experience under the direction of staff doctors."
Prowl nodded. "Starscream?"
"We are making flights to the Proxima Centauri Deep Space Array adding it to the regular schedule. The traffic in the system is going to see that there is a response waiting if they decide to provoke the newcomers or anyone else. We are ready to go through the bridges to interdict anyone who looks like they might be trouble, Prime. The Luna Base is running to peak performance, but then its being managed by Seekers."
"That goes without saying," Ratchet said grinning at Starscream.
"What does?" Prowl asked as he glanced from Prowler to Ratchet.
"The thing." -Ratchet, grinning
"What 'thing'?" Prowl persisted.
"I don't understand a thing that is going on," Perceptor said sitting back in his chair.
"You don't have to, Percy. I'll understand it for you," Wheeljack said with a snicker.
"You were talking about something that didn't need to be said," Springer said just to be perverse. "Why bring it up then?"
Ratchet looked at Springer and smirked. "Because." He leaned forward on his elbows. "Speaking of things that don't need to be said … how about your career as the first Mrs. Optimus Prime?"
Laughter, hoots and groans met that. Prime sat grinning, staring at Springer with affection.
"I don't kiss and tell, Ratchet, unlike some bots I know," Springer said smirking at Ratchet.
"Loser," Ratchet said. "By the way, I can fix that nose structure for you. I do recall you getting post holed in the stands not once, but twice. No respect for the first Mrs. Prime on the holy orn. What is this city coming to?"
Jazz snorted. "Yeah. What is it coming to?"
Abuse and amusement seeped into every crevasse as they relaxed a moment. Then the meeting continued. Herling gave his report and took kudos for the half time show. He promised to tell the school about the applause. Nova smiled the whole time, pleased with the pleasure around him. Then Nova told them about the halftime show for the final game. It would be SPECTACULAR.
Prowl grinned, then glanced at Springer. "Your turn."
Springer smirked, then looked at Prime. "We had a lot of arrests from over energized bots and a lot of hilarity in the arenas from the Kaos Krew. There were a few fights between Kaon and Iacon fans. Iacon has no sense of humor whatsoever on this outcome.
"The mini-cons were dumped into a cell at Substation 4 and are being arraigned this morning in the Magistrate's court. I expect a lot of community service in their futures. We have had few interactions with the usual youngling troublemakers but we did get called in last night on the youngling suicide attempt. That was a sad venture."
"Will there be a legal consequence to this?" Optimus asked.
"No," Springer said. "We had to take him into protective custody but I don't see anything more to come from it. Is there, Barron? Jarro?"
"No," Barron said. "We will have a competency hearing when he is going to be released but there is no criminal aspect to this sad tale."
Jarro nodded. "I concur."
"I would like to add that my nose is doing much better," Springer said with a grin. "The half time show after the half time show was unintended but hilarious. I would like to thank Maxi and Leader-1 for coming through in the clinch."
Leader-1 stood up and looked remorsefully at Prime. "I wish to apologize on behalf of the mini-con community for the riot that occurred in the game. I am sorry, Prime."
"I accept your apology for the riot but I have to tell you, Lea, that was the funniest thing I have seen in ages," Prime said with a grin.
There was general generous agreement among the gathered. Leader-1 looked chagrined but nodded. "Thank you," he said sitting once more.
The meeting continued onward as the different departments laid their reports on the table. By the time that Miler stood up to talk about the bridges and the trials planned for them by the Bridge Division of Sciences most of those present were giving good impressions of listeners. The meeting had gone on for about three joors, extra long due to Festival cutting in on the routine and business of all kinds stacking up. Miler arose and began to speak.
Everyone sat listening with their faces, their processors going off in all directions.
As usual.
-0-TBC August 23, 2013 Edited 7-4-14
NOTE: Michael Bay rumors are insane. :D The rumor about Ratchet is attached to a rumor that Drift gets killed early on in the movie too. FRAG YOU, BEY! -general consensus of the world