The Autobots and their human friends played Poker and Blackjack late into the night, laughing and enjoying each others company. In the end they just started conversing, sharing stories. The Autobots were sat back in their chairs; sipping Energon and chuckling as they listened to Jack tell a story.
"So anyway, there we are, Arcee's nowhere to be seen, I'm panicking and Airachnid's looking for me. And I decided, hey I know what a good idea is; let's start a fire on the leaking fuel of her ship, that'll end well!" Jack laughed as Smokescreen bobbed his shoulders laughing, Optimus smiling and chuckling, crossing his left leg over his right. "So then I start running, she shouts Jack! And Boom! End up blowing it sky high!" Jack chuckled, arms up in the air. Bulkhead clapped and the team all cheered. Even Ratchet was laughing, relaxing and drinking down his Energon. Arcee shook her head with a smirk.
"Junior partner starting fires and burning arch enemies" she shrugged. Jack scoffed a laugh.
"Reckon that was when you fell for him Cee?" Bumblebee laughed. She gave him a glare with a raised eyebrow.
"Maybe" she chuckled, sipping back her own glass of Energon. Jack simply sat back against her shoulder.
"What about the time Bulkhead made Starscream hold up an entire cave ceiling!" Bumblebee laughed, his sides aching.
"Guilty" Bulkhead chuckled.
"I have a story that can topple that one" Optimus Prime stated, sitting forward, everyone shifting their gaze to him.
"See, once, there was another Optimus Prime, an evil Optimus Prime...and...I killed him" He shrugged. Silence filled the room as they all stared at his neutral expression. Suddenly everyone erupted in cheers and laughter.
"This bot, this Prime!" Ratchet chuckled, wrapping an arm around Optimus's neck making the Prime laugh and roll his optics. Arcee's eyes widened as she laughed at the sight of Ratchet acting this way. June simply shook her head at the Energon inebriated doctor.
"We've been through it all, and we're all still here" Ratchet laughed. Optimus coiled his large arm around Ratchet, his best friend.
Grimlock cleared his throat. "Me have only been part of this family for a little while...but...You all make Me Grimlock feel at home...Me love you all" The big loveable lug wrapped an arm tight around Bulk and Bee, squeezing them. The room chuckled lovingly at the Dinobot's affection. June stood up from the table, getting everyone's attention.
"Well, I never saw myself as part of the team, just mother to one of the children you protect. But slowly...you have all become so much more to me. Family" June raised her wine glass.
"And you to us June" Ratchet nodded, Optimus agreeing.
"Prime!" Fowler spoke. Optimus looked at him, unsure by his tone of what he was going to say. "Thanks for coming to this world...and making my life, my job interesting and fun. I never wake up not looking forward to the day anymore. To you guys" He raised his bottle. Miko and Raf nodded, along with Jack.
"I don't even want to think about how dull life would be without you guys. Four years without you was more than enough" Jack scoffed, Miko and Raf nodding immensely. Arcee ran a hand up Jack's back soothingly.
"Can't image how boring my life would be without you guys" Miko smiled. The bots all nodded.
Bulkhead spoke "We are all still here"
"Indeed we are old friend. We are family, a bond stronger than any weapon, any tool, and any metal...To us"
"TO US!" Everyone raised their glasses. Smokescreen hugged Bumblebee with a laugh, sloshing their drinks as they banged glasses together. Bulkhead slammed his fist against Grimlock's larger one. The titan belly laughed. Miko slapped a high five to Raf's hand. Fowler pecked a kiss on June's cheek making her blush and coil a lock around her finger. Arcee and Jack met lips, kissing each other. Optimus smiled across the table at the pair locking lips. He'd never seen Arcee so happy. He'd never seen all of the bots so happy. He was at peace.
She pulled away along with him gently, Jack panting quietly.
"To us" He whispered as they pressed foreheads. "To us" She repeated with a smile, eyes opening in unison and locking vision with each other, smiling.
...
Blackout sat on the lip of the cave, a smile on his mouth as he sighed with joy. His red optics shuddered as he stretched his huge arms and yawned. He was still trying to comprehend his death, but he stifled the thought as he looked back in the cave at Airachnid. She was still fast asleep, mouth slightly open as she gave a moan and rolled over, her spider limbs wrapping around her torso. He smiled as he pat his huge hand on his spark chamber. A healthy blue hue emitted. He was reconnected to Airachnid. With them being Sparkmates for so long they could explore each others memories. He closed his eyes and delved into Airachnid's memories.
He saw how she reacted to seeing his corpse in Silas's base. How she'd hugged his body and pressed her forehead to his. He had no idea how mangled and ruined he was.
"Morning" a voice said waking him, his eyes widening quickly. Airachnid walked over with a blurry eyed yawn. He smiled as she sat in his lap, cupping his sharp cheek and running a digit along the metal plating of his handlebar mustache.
"Hey Airach. Sleep well?" He smirked.
"When you finally let me" She chuckled. He looked away, making her cock an eyebrow. "You okay?" she asked.
"Where's Scorponok?" Was all he asked. she sighed heavily.
"He died trying to avenge you, or so I heard on the Decepticon channels. Along with the other hunters"
"All of them?!" He trembled.
"Only ones unaccounted for were Blitzwing and Barricade" she shrugged. "They're long gone though" Blackout dropped his gaze. She lifted his broad chin with her sharp finger.
"Scorponok was my best friend...if...if"
"Don't. Don't blame yourself anymore, understand me?" she hissed sweetly. He smirked, raising his hand and caressing her shoulder.
"Yes Ma'am. I will fight in his honor" he nodded.
"Good. We have enough to focus on" She said, sitting up and walking into the cave. "We need to be ready to head out soon"
He nodded, setting his gaze back over the Afghan desert "Agreed" He sighed heavily. Blackout enjoyed the calming quiet of the desolate desert; the sight of the M.E.C.H stronghold in tatters miles away simply put a smirk on his face.
"She's cute" A female voice sinisterly cooed beside him. He jolted; shocked as he peered over to the cliff ledge, an orange and black Arcee looking over her hand like a woman checks her fingernails. She peered up at him with an evil smirk and fiery gleam to her orange optics. She curved her back and stuck out her feminine attributes while she fluttered her orange metal eyelids. like an exact opposite of Arcee. A Shattered Glass vision of her.
"Who the hell are you?" He snarled.
"Names Flamewar, well that's what I go by now anyways" she shrugged.
"What...how'd you get here?" He asked, looking over the desert.
"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is what you can offer me Blackout" She smirked. He tilted his head with a questioning brow.
"Oh yeah, I know all about you: Blackout, once an Autobot turned Con to protect his runt of a brother" she hissed. Blackout snarled his gritted teeth, extending his wrist sword.
"You dare mention him!" He growled. She chuckled, pressing a finger tip on his pointed sword. He raised a brow as the sword slowly began to heat up, an amber glow writhing up the sword from her heated fingers. He slowly retracted the smoking sword, allowing it to cool.
"What the-"
"They called me Flamewar for a reason" she smiled, blowing the candle like flame out on her finger. She wasn't even fazed by the huge angry being.
"Why do you look identical to Arcee?" He hissed.
"A long story, a fun one too but too long to tell right now, in due time"
"What do you want?"
"What I've always wanted: Arcee's corpse at my burning feet" she snarled.
"huh, guess we have something in common" He rolled his optics.
"Mmm, more than you know. See, I know what she did to your brother, and I know you want her dead. But she always finds a way to survive us, doesn't she?" Flamewar hissed. Blackout nodded.
"See, I do know all about you. Like the fact that you want to kill Arcee to avenge your brother. But she always escapes, always survives- That doesn't seem right to me" Flamewar cooed as she walked up to him. He tried to ignore the sense she was making.
"Who the scrap are you?" Airachnid's voice sounded.
"Flamewar, and I come to you with a proposition"
"Not interested" Airachnid snarled, swiping her hand.
"Oh? Sure? I can offer you the town she's staying in" Flamewar smirked as Airachnid raised a ridge.
"On your own she'll survive, she'll win. With Prime and those infuriating bots with her, you don't stand a chance alone"
"Oh? And working with an insane bot like you will help?" Airachnid crossed her arms. Flamewar shook her head.
"Not just me. I'm sure you already know him" She pointed behind Airachnid at Tailgate emerging from the shadows. Airachnid looked as if she'd seen a ghost.
"No...I...I killed you!" She cried out. Tailgate shrugged.
"I have a habit of surviving the odds. Flamewar saved me. Thanks for slitting my throat by the way" He snarled, pointing to the weld on his neck.
"Allow me to make it even!" Airachnid readied her sharp talons. Tailgate simply stood unfazed.
"Not here to fight you spider. Here to get help" He growled. Airachnid lowered her weapons, raising an eyebrow. She turned back to Flamewar.
"He's well trained" Flamewar smirked.
"Indeed" Airachnid peered back at the arms crossed Tailgate. Flamewar turned back to Blackout.
"Look, I wanna kill Arcee, you wanna kill Arcee, hell even your spider sex-bot does!" He snarled at what she called Airachnid. "Together, she doesn't stand a chance!" Her mouth dissolved into her huge fiery jagged grin, black soot stained the skin around the sharp triangular teeth. Smoke puffed and rose from the fire filled grin. Blackout and Airachnid both gulped at the sight.
"Interested?" Flamewar asked in a demonic tone, the grin widening up the length of her face under her glowing eyes. Blackout peered over at her with an evil smirk. Airachnid nodded, crossing her arms. Tailgate cracked his knuckles.
"Yeah" Blackout chuckled.
Authors notes: "Gather up your loved ones, gather up your friends, cos this is when the bad guy, the bad guy wins" - 3OH!3 - Bad Guy (Iron man 3 heroes fall soundtrack)
Seemed appropriate. Anyways, that's a wrap on Autobot Halloween! Hope you all enjoyed it! Next up...Inferno of the past. Get ready for one hell of an emotional roller-coaster!
- Dave