The New Year's Party

"Okay, okay, get yer butt inside, den," Rattrap ushered a soaking wet Dinobot into the Axalon.

"It's miserable outside! There is no way we can have fireworks tonight!" Dinobot exclaimed as he stepped out of the elevator and into the control room. He shook himself and little water droplets went flying.

"AY! Do you mind? I'm standin' right 'ere!" Rattrap complained, holding up his hands in a futile attempt to deflect the shaken wetness.

Optimus, Rhinox and Cheetor were all standing at the control table, with party hats on and a make-shift energon cake before them. Silverbolt had baked it and had gone off to create some decorations to spruce up what otherwise looked very unappetizing. The cake was melted energon, shaped into that of the Cybertronian year. Year 20485873. It was a long cake, and the numbers were soggy and warped. Still, the effort was appreciated by some....

"Ugh! Don't tell me we're eating THAT!" Dinobot spat.

... but not by others.

"Now, now, Dinobot. Silverbolt went to a lot of trouble making us an energon cake for our New Years party. So I won't have you insulting his baking abilities in front of him," Optimus scolded. "Besides, he hasn't finished decorating it yet."

As if on cue, Silverbolt walked in with a box of shiny silver things.

"Oooh, are those silver candy balls?" Cheetor asked.

Silverbolt plunked the box down next to the cake and wiped off non-existent sweat from his forehead.

"Actually, they're just some nuts and bolts. So don't eat them. They are purely for decoration!"

"Oh wonderful," Dinobot muttered. "I can see one of us choking on those."

"I'd be so lucky," Rattrap added, directing the comment at Dinobot, who glared at him.

"We've only got an hour 'til midnight, so, why don't we play some music and mingle?" Optimus suggested.

"All six of us," Cheetor sighed.

"Ah, not quite! Tigatron and Airazor have just arrived!" Rhinox said, pointing to the screens. The external cameras were filming the cat and bird hurrying towards the Axalon in the downpour.

Dinobot squinted at the screens, noticing something funny about the tigerbot.

"What IS Tigatron wearing!"

Cheetor looked closer. "Hah! He's wearing a party hat too, it seems! Made of leaves and twigs. Inventive."

Dinobot shook his head with a snarl. "You are a sad, sad group of individuals."

But not as sad as the Predacons. A lightning strike had rendered all power to be cut in the Darkside. So everyone was sitting in the dark moping around.

"Thizz no way to zzpend New Year'zz Eve!" Waspinator groaned.

"You can say that again, bug boy," Quickstrike sighed.

Blackarachnia glared at the two through her infra red vision. They we're such miserable dopes.

"Stop griping! New Year's Eve is just the same as any night."

"No it ain't! It's a celebration, sugar bot! There are traditions! Speaking of which.... whose gonna pucker up to me when the clock strikes 12 tonight?"

"Ugh," Blackarachnia quivered. "Definitely NOT me."

At that moment, Megatron entered the control room with a few candles.

"Ah, I see we have all gathered together in the gloom. Even Rampage," he commented, shooting a glance at the sulking crab bot in the corner.

"Not like I had a choice. You wanted me here for some peculiar reason," Rampage uttered sourly.

"Yess, I did indeed. The Maximals are more than likely having a silly little party, but then perhaps that is what they want us to think. Tonight would be a perfect night to attack us, off guard. So, just in case, I have grouped all my troops together, for our own little party."

"We're gonna have a party?" Quickstrike exclaimed.

"No. I was speaking figuratively," Megatron dashed his hopes.

Quickstrike and Waspinator sighed in disappointment.

"I could let off a few small fireworks!" Tarantulas piped up from the front of the room, where he was on monitor duty.

"In here? Don't be daft!" Megatron scolded.

"They're small and very localized. It wouldn't be---"

"I said NO!" Megatron yelled.

Tarantulas gave him a baleful look. "I may not appear the partying kind, but I certainly don't want to stay in this depressing hole! If you're not celebrating new year, Megatron, then I shall go to those who are!"

"You mean you're gonna go join the Maximals' party?" Blackarachnia gasped. "That's insane!"

Tarantulas cackled. "It is! But we all know how soft Maximals' hearts get over holidays. They might just let me in!"

"Fat chance!" Rampage snorted.

Tarantulas shrugged. "Well, there's only one way to find out!"

"You can't leave," Megatron growled.

"Oh yes I can! Who's with me?!"

There was an uneasy silence before Waspinator piped up. "I will go. Wazzpinator get blown to scrap all the time anyway. What'zz the difference?"

"Well heck! If ol' Waspy's brave enough to go, then I'll give it a shot too!" Quickstrike declared.

"Have you all gone MAD?!" Megatron exclaimed.

Blackarachnia smiled. "Guess so! I've got an exclusive ticket in, so I'm going!" she stated, remembering Silverbolt.

"How DARE you defy me?"

"Aw, come on boss bot! What's a little fun gonna do? Ain't no harm in it!" Quickstrike tried.

Megatron stared at them incredulously.

"Rampage?" he suddenly asked.

There was no answer. The crab bot had already left!

"Fine! Go get yourselves scrapped for all I care!" he snarled. A few seconds later, he was alone in the base, watching his crazy troops head off towards the Maximal base.

"Insolent fools!" he muttered. Only Inferno was here with him, but he was in the CR tank, thanks to Rattrap.

He swivelled his chair around and stared down at the CR tank longingly. He hated to admit it, but he felt really rotten and lonely right then. But he would not go and join the Maximals! It was absurd!

Rattrap, Cheetor and Optimus were in the middle of a poker game when there was a beep from the computer.

Airazor was closest and checked it out.

"Well would you look at this!" she exclaimed. Tigatron and Rhinox came over to her.

"What are all the Predacons doing outside our base in the rain?" Tigatron frowned.

"Doing da can-can, as far as I can tell," Rattrap said as he came alongside the tiger. "Tryin' ta avoid da autoguns, hee hee!"

Optimus put his cards down and he and Cheetor looked at the screens. Waspinator was flying about madly, holding up a banner that said "We come in peace!"

"What the Pit does he think he's doing?" Dinobot asked confusedly.

Silverbolt came away from decorating the cake and stared at the screens. "Turn the autoguns off!"

"Why?" Rhinox asked.

"Erm, because, well....they say they come in peace!" he stammered. It was really because he wanted Blackarachnia to join him inside.

"Let me go and see what they want," Optimus said, and left the base.

When he returned, he looked very surprised.

"So? What's all the commotion about?" Airazor questioned.

Optimus shrugged his shoulders. "They're completely unarmed and say that the power's out at the Darkside and could they join in the party here, because Megatron's being such a wet cloth?"

There was an incredulous little silence.

"Seriously?" Cheetor uttered.

Optimus shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands palm-up in an open gesture. "It's what they said."

"Well are we going to let them in? I know they are Predacons, but it is cold and wet outside and it...is a new year," Silverbolt tried to persuade him. "This could be the perfect opportunity to make amends and perhaps start the new year afresh."

"Oh puh-lease! Give it a rest, will ya 'Bolt?!" Rattrap groaned.

"Optimus?" Rhinox motioned towards the screen. Waspinator was on his knees begging.

Optimus sighed. "Well, I suppose if they are unarmed, there's no harm in it."

"Are you totally deranged?!" Dinobot shouted. Optimus shot him a warning look. "It's MY base, Dinobot. I'd watch what you say, or you might be trading places with the Predacons."

"Ooh, your threat chills me to the bone!"

Optimus held back on saying that if the threat didn't the rain certainly would when he carried it out. Instead he opened a channel to the loudspeaker and spoke into it. "Predacons, we have come to the decision--"

"WE?!" Rattrap yelled. Optimus ignored him. "---that you are safe to allow inside our base. On ONE condition."

The Predacons all nodded their heads to signal he had their full attention. "You stay in ONE room, all together, where we can see you, and you respect every Maximal and all Maximal property while you're in here. No monkey-bus---erm, mischief," he recovered a little too late. Cheetor chortled.

"We have an agreement," Tarantulas' voice sounded from the computer Somehow he had gotten a signal through to their comm. station without an invite. It was worrisome, but then this was Tarantulas and he could do far worse things if the mood struck him, so they let it slide.

Optimus lowered the shields and elevator and waited for his unusual guests to enter the base.