Ā«You don't have to come home if you don't want to. But, Iāwould like confirmation you're still alive. If you can give that much.Ā»
It took time to gain the confidence to response. His servos still trembled and a half-finished project was picked at as he spoke, voice quiet with uncertainty.
Ā«Iām alive. Iām glad to see that youāre alive as well. I want you to know that I do miss you and the other two, and that none of you are the reason Iām not home. Iām attaching the coordinates for the lab Iām working at and the pass codes for the door, should you need anything.Ā»
monumentalmistakes:
And in an hour and forty-five minutes (Starscream got nervous), he bridges to the coordinates Thundercracker offered. Plugs in the pass codes for the door, waits for it to open, andā¦Ā āThunder? Hello?ā
He steps in and peers around. Well, what have we got to see?
The lab hadnāt exactly expanded in any sense. Two rooms: one for work and a berth, while the other was off to the side and held a decontamination unit and some space for storage. A tarp was haphazardly tossed over some construction on the far left of the main room, where Thundercracker had hoped to expand at some point.
Though it was the work stations lining the walls that always drew attention. Various gizmos and gadgets were scattered about, and one of the stations held a cylinder holding a shard of dark energon. Next to it were vials of different energon types, a bit of a pet project that Thundercracker should have really hid before Starscream showed.Ā
Speaking of Thundercracker; he was on the berth, which was still covered in datapads, looking like a deer caught in headlights. His optics dimmed as the realization that it was Starscream, and not any other guest, and he looked away; not shy, not angry, but simply... sad.Ā
Wings drooped down and he slid out of the berth, a few datapads sliding to the floor with quiet thuds. He made no motion to collect them, but instead lingered out of reach and awkwardly.Ā
āI... didnāt expect you to actually show.ā He cringed at his own words, pulling himself together--forcing wings upward and helm held high,Ā āyou... look good. Well, you look well.ā
If Primus could shoot him down where he stood, heād be thankful.
