Title: Dark

Challenge Set: 3

Challenge: #12: Fear

Rating: PG

Word Count: 230

Pairings: Jetstorm/A-01 mention, Wheeljack/Slinger

Summary: More than anything else, she feared being alone in the dark again.

Other Notes: Approx. 10 years post-Armada; Slinger is 3 million years old.

She had always liked the dark. It reminded her of mines and work and pure energon. It reminded her of Layshaft and Shatter. It reminded her of Wheeljack. It reminded her of the time she and Jetstorm had spent in the dark of her quarters when the Decepticons attacked the research facility before the Minicon flight from Cybertron.

She liked the dark, but she didn't like to think about it too much, because that reminded her of Jetstorm's optics as he had given her a chance for life while dying himself. And then he had left her alone, just her and his frame and the datapad loaded with Minicon folklore they had been sucking dry of energy at the end. By then, she hadn't needed it, and that's when Wraith and her rescuers showed up.

When she and Wheeljack had bonded, he had promised not to ever leave her alone in the dark. Sometimes she worried, though, because Jetstorm had said much the same thing and look where he was now.

It wasn't so much the being alone as it was the darkness that came with it. She could deal with alone; she'd done it before- she did map out mines, after all- but she didn't think she could watch as the optics of someone she loved darkened for the last time.

That was one darkness that would never lift.