My Darkness One-Shots

This is Halloween

To say Jack and Raf weren't at least slightly excited to see the bots on a spooky Halloween night would be a lie, though Miko was definitely the most excited. She loved the holidays, especially with ten plus Cybertronian robots who had no clue. The poor guys.

By the time they reached the scrapyard, the sun had mostly set, only a few rays left in the dark sky. No one answered when they rang the bell and they had to resort to climbing over the gate and dropping into the scrapyard.

It was still silent, a bat or two flying noisily over them. "Optimus? Starfreeze?" Jack called warily as they walked cautiously into the aisles.

"Guys," Raf whispered as they rounded a corner. There was a dark shape heaped at the end of the aisle, a faint blue glow showing from one side. They ran over, Jack pulling a flashlight out. It was Sideswipe, his optics open and offline.

"Sideswipe?" Jack said, climbing onto his chassis. His intake was slightly open, and Jack pulled up short at the Energon pooling on the ground from a gash in his side. "Sideswipe!"

"What happened?" Miko called. Jack was about to reply when Sideswipe's engine started up suddenly. He yelped, leaping off the red mech as he sat up, coughing. He looked down at the trio, rolling onto all fours.

"Fleshies," he rasped, a hungry look in his optics.

"Oh, come on," Miko said. "You think we're scared of you? It's Halloween! This is what people live for!"

"Right," Jack said, sounding much less confident than he liked. Halloween had never been his thing, anyway. He stepped closer to Miko, who didn't seem fazed. That was until they heard the dark chuckling behind them.

"Brave, young, souls," Skywave said. Her voice sounded strange and she bent down beside them. Her optics were dark, similar to Sideswipe's. Miko shook out of her stupor, glaring up at Skywave.

"Do your worst," she said. "Everyone plays Halloween pranks." Jack felt Raf grab his arm tightly.

"Silly little one," Skywave said, shaking her helm. "Don't you know we don't celebrate this 'Halloween' you speak of? Sparkling's play." She bent down, her optics flashing eagerly. The trio was aware of Sideswipe inching closer. "I've never killed a fleshy before; I bet the sound of bones crunching is as satisfying as the stories." She reached forward but someone stopped her from behind. She looked back.

"Now, now," Arcee said, stepping around Skywave. "That's taking things a little too quickly." Jack glanced at Miko. She was finally starting to look nervous. Sideswipe was now directly behind them, the hungry look in his optics still present. He was crouching like an animal, jaw slack.

"Um, okay, you've had your fun," Jack said. Arcee looked down at him. "You scared us. Or me, at least. If you want to get at Miko later-"

"No, no," Arcee said, shaking a digit at him. "The fun's barely begun!" Sideswipe snatched up Jack and Raf while Skywave grabbed Miko by the back of her shirt. All started marching in the direction of the command center, which, the three humans could see from their higher vantage point, had a strange, dark glow originating from it.

"Arcee, please!" Jack called. "I'm not big on Halloween!"

"This isn't Halloween," Arcee said. "Not for us, anyway."

"What even - holy Primus!" Miko exclaimed as they emerged in the clearing of the command center. The rest of the Bee Team and a few of Team Prime was on the ground in a row, looking hungrily at the group.

"Humans?" Dalia asked, shifting shapes occasionally. "Ooh! Let me touch one!"

"All in good time," Arcee said.