What's in the Dark?

[Angel of the Stars]

Summary: It's Halloween night in Metro City. Instead of trick-or-treating this year, Atom and his friends are spending the night at Kenichi's house. With the parents gone for the night, they agree to do a game they found online: The Midnight Game. ...But what's that over there in the dark?

Feedback on this idea? I have the first chapter so far.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

That could get a little spooky. Especially if the house is broken into (say by Skunk?).

[Angel of the Stars]

Ohhh, it will be. It's a horror story I thought up a day or two ago, based on a horror movie called The Midnight Game I watched a few weeks back with a friend.
Here is what the game is:

click for spoilerhttp://www.justmegawatt.com/tutorials/midnightgame.html]

[Daiya Mondo]

it sounds like it could be a pretty fun/creepy idea for a fic! i'd say go for it.

[Angel of the Stars]

Here's the first chapter!

Summary: It's Halloween night in Metro City. Instead of trick-or-treating this year, Atom and his friends are spending the night at Kenichi's house. With the parents gone for the night, they agree to do a game they found online: The Midnight Game. ...But what's that over there in the dark?

Chapter 1,

Atom rang the doorbell of Kenichi's house, shifting the bag around on his shoulder. Reno stood next to him on the porch, looking the house up and down. "He sure had quite the house," he commented as they waited for someone to get the door. Atom gave a nod. "Yeah, his dad is a great doctor, and his mother used to be on a world famous soccer team before having his little sister a few months ago," the younger boy said.
They both turned their attention to the door when they heard footsteps running toward the door. Atom smiled as Kenichi swung it open eagerly. "Hey, guys!" he greeted, stepping aside to let them in. "Hi Ken," Reno grinned, setting his bag down in the living room. "Where are Tamao and Shibugaki?" Atom asked him as he did the same as Reno.
"Oh, they're up in my room. C'mon, we're looking up this really cool game to play tonight since my parents will be gone!" Kenichi said before starting up the stairs with Reno and Atom following.
Atom had a bit of a confused look. "What about your sister, Aiko?" Kenichi glanced back at him. "My parents will be taking her with them. They're going to a hotel for a few days since my dad has to do a special surgery in a town a few hours away. But since I have school and stuff, they agreed to let me stay home alone!" he squeaked happily.
Atom gave a smile. "Lucky! Even being an advanced AI robot, Doctor Ochanomizu still won't let ME stay home alone," he somewhat pouted, crossing his arms as they walked down the hall. Reno rubbed a hand on Atom's head. "Yeah, probably because last time you were home alone you magically rammed your head into the wall from dancing too much to Len Kagamine and were stuck for hours!" He let out a laugh. "And when I got back I had to call the fire department to get you out!"
The boy's cheeks flushed bright red and he pushed Reno away. "Sh-shut up.."
Kenichi gave a small giggle before opening his door, revealing Tamao and Shibugaki messing around on Kenichi's latest and greatest laptop.
"Hey, Reno! Sup, Atom?" Shib said from the boy sized office chair, Tamao leaning over his shoulder to look at the screen. "Hiya," Atom greeted. He sat down on the edge of Kenichi's bed, leaning back against his hands and swinging his legs a little. "So... what is this game your looking at us playing?" Atom asked curiously.
"It's called the Midnight Game," Tamao answered, trying to use a spooky voice. Reno snickered. "Well, what're the rules? How does it work?" asked the young scientist.
Shib picked up the laptop from the table and set it on Reno's lap. "Take a look," he said. Reno started reading the rules and such on the webpage, Atom resting his chin on his brother's shoulder to read it as well.

"1. It must be exactly 12:00 AM when you begin the ritual, or else it will not work. You will need;
Candles
Paper and Pencils
A wooden front door
Salt
A pin needle
All the lights in the house off
Step 1: Everyone who is playing the midnight game must write their names on a piece of paper, then use a pin needle to drop a single drop of their blood onto the paper
Step 2: Place the paper in front of your front door. Your front door must be made of wood.
Step 3: Light a candle
Step 4: Knock on your front door exactly 22 times. (Note: The 22nd knock must happen at 12:00 AM or the ritual will not work.)
Step 5: Open your door, blow out the candle, and close it. You have now summoned the "Midnight Man". Immediately relight your candle
Step 6: Your goal for the rest of the game is to survive the Midnight Man. Everyone who plays must walk with their candle lit around the house, avoiding the Midnight Man at all costs until the clock strikes 3:33 AM. At which time the Midnight Man will leave. If your candle blows out on its own, it means the Midnight Man is near, and you have 10 seconds to relight your candle. if you fail to relight the candle in 10 seconds you must surround yourself with a circle of salt and wait until 3:33 AM. If you fail to surround yourself with salt in time, the Midnight Man will attack and you will have hallucinations of your worst fears until 3:33 AM.

Signs that the Midnight Man is nearby:
* Your candle blows out
* You suddenly get very cold
* You hear a low whisper
* You see a black humanoid figure within the darkness

WARNING:
* DO NOT USE SOMEONE ELSE'S BLOOD ON YOUR PAPER
* DO NOT STAND IN ONE SPOT UNTIL 3:33 AM, THE MIDNIGHT MAN WILL FIND YOU
* DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FALL ASLEEP DURING THE MIDNIGHT GAME
* DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LEAVE THE HOUSE DURING THE MIDNIGHT GAME
* DO NOT USE A LIGHTER OR ANY OTHER LIGHT SOURCE IN PLACE OF A CANDLE
* DO NOT TRY TO TURN ON THE LIGHTS DURING THE MIDNIGHT GAME
* AND DEFINITELY DO. NOT. TRY TO PROVOKE THE MIDNIGHT MAN!"

Reno felt Atom shaking a bit after reading it, as well as his chin leave his shoulder. He turned back to look at him, finding him hunched over and playing with his fingers nervously. "I-I don't think we should do it.." Atom muttered. Reno gave a snort. "Oh, come on, Atom! Don't be a wuss! Plus, I bet there is no Midnight Man; not scientific. Let's just do it for the thrill," he grinned cheekily, patting Atom on the back rather roughly.
Atom just looked away. "I don't have actual blood either, s-so..." "You have artificial blood. So you can join," Tamao blurted. Atom gave him a glare, as if saying "You're not helping!"
Kenichi gave a small huff. "Atom, if you don't want to do it, then we don't have--" "Yes we do!" Shibugaki squawked from where he was leaning against the wall. "Just because Atom is a sissy doesn't mean we shouldn't play!" Atom gave him a glare. "I'm not a sissy!" Shib marched over and shoved his face in front of Atom's. "Well, then prove it! Play it with us!"
With balled fists, Atom screwed his eyes shut and practically screamed, "FINE!!"
Smirking, Kenichi opened his bedroom door, glancing at the clock. 11:30 PM. "Guys, let's go find the stuff we need, then meet up outside on the porch," he said. They all nodded, Atom rather reluctantly, and they split up to find the items needed for the Midnight Game.

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

So you are treating Reno as Atom's brother? Well I guess he is sorta his stepbrother since they both have the same foster parent.

[Angel of the Stars]

So you are treating Reno as Atom's brother? Well I guess he is sorta his stepbrother since they both have the same foster parent.

Yeah, that's how I've thought of Reno. ^-^
As well as Daichi bein an older brother, but we didn't really get to see Daichi/Atlas or Reno very much in the series.

[Angel of the Stars]

Chapter 2,

Tamao passed the pen and pin to Atom after he had written his name on a scrap of paper and pricked his finger to leave a dot of blood on the scrap as well. Atom wrote his name down quickly, lifting the pin up to his vision. He bit his lip as he pricked his finger, squeezing it so artificial blood welled from the small hole. He dabbed his finger onto the paper scrap and put a band-aid over his finger.
"Wow, you actually did it," Reno joshed, elbowing Atom playfully. He rolled his deep brown eyes in exasperation, now handing the pen and pin to Kenichi. As he was writng his name down, they all heard the front door close, then shut. Atom looked in the direction of the door fearfully. "Is it the Midnight Man..?! But we haven't even started--!"
"Daichi!" Shibugaki called happily when the red-haired robot teen showed up in the doorway. Atom now had a hand over his heart as his legs turned to jello and he fell back into a chair. "Gosh, it's just you," he muttered, sighing shakily. Daichi gave a small smirk. "Hey, I heard from Atom earlier today that you guys were having a sleep over. Seeing as I'm not busy, mind if I join?"
"Sure, so long as you aren't afraid of.... The Midnight Man!" Reno cautioned in a humorous fashion. Daichi let out a chuckle. "I've heard of this game. No Midnight Man can scare me," he boasted. Atom looked away when Shib pointed his finger over at him. "Not for the robot! He's scared out of his boots!" "Shut it, Shib!" Atom snapped, his cheeks turning red.
Daichi gave a snortle and went over to Ken. 'You have another piece of paper?" Kenichi nodded and handed him a piece, as well as the pen and pin. Daichi did just as the others had, then glanced at the clock. 11:58 PM. "Let's hurry up and get outside to do this! Got an extra candle?" he asked. From the counter, Tamao nodded, grabbing a sixth candle and handing it for Daichi.
Before heading out the door, Atom turned off the last light on (the kitchen light), and closed the door behind him. All six faced the door and lit their candles after set their papers down in front of the door. Using his internal clock, Daichi started to knock on the door, a knock each second.
One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-one, Twenty-two.
On the twenty-second knock, they could hear the grandfather clock inside Kenichi's home strike midnight. Daichi opened the door, blew out his candle, then shut it (remaining on the porch with them). He immediately took out a match and relight his candle.
He looked back at the others, who all looked excited, Atom looking more worried of course. With a grin, Daichi hissed creepily, "Let the fun begin."

[Tetsuwan Penguin]

I think it was only in the 2003 manga where Atlas was able to morph between Daichi the boy, and Atlas the bad robot. I rather liked that.

[Angel of the Stars]

I think it was only in the 2003 manga where Atlas was able to morph between Daichi the boy, and Atlas the bad robot. I rather liked that.

So did I! I found it useful for him (and for some future stories of mine), so at one moment he can look more human, and when he needs to fight he has armor on-the-go! XD