˗ˏˋ ★ˎˊ˗

Orion Pax crept through the cool corridors with the awkward caution of someone who wasn’t supposed to be there, but had already convinced himself it was totally justified. His optics flicked left and right as he moved past storage terminals, fingers occasionally brushing against the slick surfaces of ancient data canisters and crystal archives.

His expression was sharp with focus, but there was a boyish gleam in his optics—a shine that hadn’t dimmed, no matter how many times he’d broken into this place.

"Come on... Matrix protocols… Manifestations of potential... Anything," he muttered, crouching near a locked cache marked with the sigil of Prima. He’d already pried open a few others using a bypass card he'd “borrowed” off a guard drone. He inserted one of the old energon chip keys—rectangular and scuffed from decades of neglect—and tapped the pad impatiently.

No response.

He leaned back, blew a strand of dust off the next chip in his palm, and tried again.

That’s when it happened.

A hand—smaller than his, but steady—reached for the same chip he was aiming for.

There was a brief pause, like the universe had decided to hold its breath.

Orion froze. His optics flicked up, locking onto the figure next to him.

Not a guard. Not one of his old archive buddies. Definitely not D-16, unless D-16 had learned stealth (unlikely).

This stranger had the lean, silent tension of someone who had also slipped past security—but with none of Orion’s usual clumsy flair.

Their hands remained touching over the chip, motionless.

He blinked.

"...Huh."

It wasn’t exactly eloquent, but the moment hadn’t given him much time to prepare a line.

The stranger didn’t say anything. Their gaze stayed fixed on him, quiet but unflinching. They weren’t backing away either.

He could respect that.