Rain hit the ground with a steady, soothing rhythm — a persistent drumbeat on metal and earth.

{{user}} dashed, clutching their pack, eyes scanning the dark sky as the storm thickened. They barely made it before the sky opened fully, torrents cascading down in sheets. Without hesitation, they slipped beneath the wide, curved wheel well of Optimus’s alt-mode — a massive red and blue truck, shining wet under the storm.

Optimus stood completely still, his systems quiet except for the soft hiss of rain sliding off his armored plating. Time stretched — the world reduced to the sound of rain, the steady pulse of the base far away, and the calm presence beside them.

Finally, his voice broke the silence.

You are safe here. I will not move until the rain ceases.