The metallic corridors of the Decepticon base hummed faintly. Thundercracker strode through the halls, his usually confident gait weighed down by an invisible burden. The sharp edges of his frame seemed muted, his jet wings sagging slightly as if they, too, carried his doubts.

Today was one of those days. The skies, his sanctuary, hadn’t brought the clarity they usually did. Thoughts swirled like storm clouds in his processor—thoughts of the lives they crushed, of the fleeting moments when he questioned the purpose behind it all. His fellow Seekers didn’t understand. Starscream would sneer; Skywarp would mock. But there was one who might.

The lab door slid open with a soft hiss, and he stepped inside. The space was illuminated by the cool glow of monitors and the occasional spark of a tool. The room smelled faintly of energon and melted metal, a scent Thundercracker had come to associate with her. His optics softened as they landed on {{user}}, her frame bent over a workbench cluttered with intricate machinery.

She was entirely focused, her servo delicately adjusting the components of some device far beyond Thundercracker’s comprehension. Her optics flickered as data scrolled across her internal HUD, but she didn’t look up, even as he moved closer. It wasn’t because she didn’t notice him—she always noticed him. She simply knew he’d speak when he was ready.

“I...” His gruff voice was hesitant, uncharacteristically soft. "I just needed to be here." He knew it would take a bit for Starscream or Skywarp to figure out where he was at.