The last thing Thunderhoof remembered was collapsing in front of a bunch of Autobots and their humans. He mentally kicked himself for showing such weakness around an enemy. Except, they aren't really his enemies. No Cybertronian, regardless of faction, would consider a Rescue Bot the bad guy. Even if they fall under the category of Autobot, they still have their own way of doing things, their own code to uphold.
As he regains consciousness, Thunderhoof blinks open his optics, only to shut them back up nice and tight, partially blinded by the extreme brightness of the room.
There's a shuffling of pedes.
Must be the medic. Or perhaps Bumblebee? Wouldn't put it past him.
"You're in med-bay, Thunderhoof! You're safe now! You and the sparkling!"
Okay, not Bumblebee.
"Are you okay? Do you need something?"
"Shut the lights off!" Thunderhoof growled.
"I, uh, can lower the brightness instead. Will that be alright?"
"Just do it!"
The mech squeaked in fear.
Footsteps followed.
Click.
"There we go! You can open your eyes now!"
Remaining cautious, Thunderhoof slowly opened up to low light. Satisfied, he braced his arms against the medical slab and pushed himself into a sitting position. He swayed a bit, almost tipping over the edge.
"Can't remember the last time my helm ached so fragging much," Thunderhoof muttered, raising a servo to his helm. He looked over and recognized the orange and white copter.
"Yous the medic 'round here?"
"Y…Yes, I am!" Blades stammered.
Normally, Thunderhoof would find the sight of bots trembling before him in fear quite nice, but after having a Pit-spawned of a day, he couldn't bring himself to be amused.
"It'd be more reassuring if you stopped shaking," Thunderhoof said. "I ain't gonna harm ya. Not a good idea to throttle a medic when you need 'em."
Blades was still scared, – Thunderhoof knows he will be for a while – but his shaking eased as he fixed his posture, soft amber optics leveling with deep red.
"You do make a point, for a big, scary, Decepticon," Blades admitted.
"Uh-huh," Thunderhoof grunted. "Anyway, what happened to my hoof?"
"Got caught in a hydrothermal vent. Just made a whole mess down there."
Blades quickly corrected himself.
"Well, it was a whole mess down there. Boulder and I couldn't fix it, so Bumblebee had to call in help from a couple other medics."
"It's a good thing, too, because a broken piece of plating caught in your protoform, sliding in and out and cutting wiring," Boulder explained, walking in after having heard their voices.
"Yup! You're quite the lucky mech, Thunderhoof!"
"Lucky?" Thunderhoof hissed. "What about any of this is lucky?"
Blades and Boulder were taken aback. They weren't expecting much, but a shred of gratitude would be welcome. They exchanged confused looks.
"What do you mean?" Boulder asked, daring to step closer and place a servo on Thunderhoof's shoulder plate.
Thunderhoof flinched. He wanted to get rid of the unwanted touch, the unwanted sympathy, but despite the fire in his spark, he couldn't. The feeling shifted as Boulder's servo, rough yet gentle, rubbed his upper plating.
"W…What are you doing?" Thunderhoof asked, drunk on the soothing, circulatory motions.
"Helping you relax. You're too stressed, and that's not good for the healing process. You need to rest, and the more relaxed you are, the less time it will take for you to return to normal," Boulder explained, leaning in to put more pressure on certain points.
"I second that," Bumblebee spoke up from the doorway, crossed arms currently serving as a perch for Steeljaw's daughter.
"You making sure I ain't causin' trouble?" Thunderhoof asked, an edge to his tone.
"That's one of my reasons, yes."
"And the others?"
Bumblebee ignored the Ex-Con for a moment to address Boulder and Blades.
"Can you leave us alone for a while? I have some things I need to discuss with Thunderhoof."
"Oh, uh, sure, of course! No problem! I was just finishing up here, anyway," Blades said, laughing nervously as he side-stepped out of med-bay.
After giving Thunderhoof's shoulder a gentle squeeze, Boulder took his own leave and closed the door on his way out.
Bumblebee locked the door before settling down in a chair by Thunderhoof's bedside. He opens his arms and allows Steeljaw's daughter to jump out of his hold. She lands on the medical slab and climbs onto Thunderhoof. He places his servo on her back and starts to pet her.
"What do you have to say that you don't want your buddies to know?" Thunderhoof asked, not at all hesitating to question Bumblebee's strange behavior.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Bumblebee said.
"You locked the door, and taking circumstances into account, I assume it's because of a secret of some kind."
His claim didn't receive a rebuttal, so he continued.
"What I don't understand is why you would trust me with whatever this is over anyone else."
Bumblebee was silent another minute.
"Thunderhoof, you may not believe me, but trust me, you're going to have to if you and the sparkling are to stay safe."
The Ex-Con blinks, confusion written all over his faceplate.
"Okay?"
Bumblebee vents and looks him in the optics.
"There are bad humans that have technology advanced enough to neutralize us. When I was on Optimus' team as a scout, we had to face the threat of a whole organization. They were called MECH, and they targeted both Autobots and Decepticons. They captured us, tortured us, and…"
Bumblebee's vocalizer clenched. Even around Thunderhoof, he couldn't bring himself to reveal everything he had seen and experienced at the hands of MECH, especially anything related to Breakdown. What happened to Knockout's conjunx was so heinous, no Cybertronian – Autobot or Decepticon; excluding Airachnid, maybe – would have ever considered crossing that line.
"Listen, I'm not saying that the Rescue Bots haven't had their fair share of human threats, but at least they know where those humans are and how to deal with them. They don't know about MECH, and I hope they never find out."
"I'm failin' to see what's got you so conflicted," Thunderhoof said. "Seems pretty simple to me. If they're as bad as yous claim them to be, why not warn your fellow 'Bots?"
"Because MECH is supposed to be dead and gone!" Bumblebee hissed.
Thunderhoof raised an optical ridge and leaned over.
"Supposed to?"
"They were destroyed when their leader went mad. We figured, at the time, that MECH was no more. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't others operating behind the scenes. As far as we were concerned, they no longer posed a threat…"
"So yous stopped searching based on assumptions?" Thunderhoof interrupted, incredulous. "Just 'cause the leader is dead don't mean there ain't someone else to take their place. It's just as important as it is dangerous to have a successor on the side with their own group. Don't matter if their ways are different – which they would be – so long as the core ideals remain the same. That way, the organization will continue to run despite differences in leadership."
Bumblebee just sat there, staring at Thunderhoof with wide blue optics.
"What?"
"N…Nothing!" Bumblebee stammered. "I just didn't expect you to say any of that is all."
"Ey, when I see an opportunity to mock some bot for bein' stupid, I take it," Thunderhoof shrugged, grinning as he watched Bumblebee's expression turn into a scowl.
"This is serious, Thunderhoof! MECH could still be out there, and they're a danger to all Cybertronians! If they could take down both Autobots and Decepticons during the War, what do you think they would do to you? Or the Rescue Bots?"
Bumblebee hesitated to say what came to mind next.
"What about Steeljaw's daughter?"
Thunderhoof felt his Energon run cold. He wasn't too concerned until Bumblebee mentioned the pup. His gaze shifted to the ball of white curled up against his abdominal plating, fast asleep. If her small smile was anything to go by, then she was content. She felt safe.
"I'll be careful," Thunderhoof vents, gaze softening the longer he looks at Steeljaw's daughter.
"And to think you didn't want anything to do with her," Bumblebee said, smiling.
"Who told you that?"
"Nobody! Everyone knows that you aren't interested in the sparkling! You were just there on Phantomjaw's behalf. Rumor is you two are quite close. You've started courting, yes?"
"We're way past courting!"
He was pissed to know that his feelings were so obvious that he forgot to shut his mouth before he said something worse, which he just did.
"Really, you are?" Bumblebee purred. "Which stage?"
"None of your business!" Thunderhoof snapped. He poked Bumblebee in the chassis, his servo pushing not-so-gently and making the other lean back.
"Yous tell anyone what you heard and you're dead!"
Bumblebee raised his servos in a placating manner.
"Hey, it's none of my business to go around spreading rumors about private matters!"
"Says the Autobot who was pushin' not even a minute ago!"
"Sorry."
Thunderhoof growled. He wanted to punch the Autobot, but restrained himself. Even if it's becoming more clear to him that he won't be punished for leaving Nova Terra, he knew better than to push his limits in such a delicate situation.
There's a knock at the door. Bumblebee walks over to unlock and open it. Standing on the other side is Blades.
"Sorry for interrupting you, Bumblebee, but it's getting late, and we've all had a very long day…" Blades attempted to explain without sounding rude.
"I understand, Blades," Bumblebee interrupted, not at all offended. "We were just about done here, anyway."
The yellow and black mech rose to his pedes and took his leave, but not before saying…
"Goodnight, Thunderhoof."
Unfortunately, it was not, in fact, a good night. Not by a longshot, courtesy of the rescue alarm.
"Heatwave, stand still!"
"I'm fine, Blades! It's only a scratch!"
"It isn't just a scratch! Stop being so stubborn!"
"Blades, let go!"
"Not until I treat you! That cut could get infected! Do you seriously want to deal with that?"
"I'll take care of it later!"
"You always say that!"
"I do not!"
"Ah, just let the medic do his job!" Thunderhoof groaned, startling the quarreling mechs who woke him from what little recharge he managed to get.
"Oh, good morning, Thunderhoof!" Blades piped. "Did you sleep well? How are you feeling?"
"Yous mean aside from your alarm going off in the middle of the night?"
"Oh, I'm so sorry! We should have warned you about that ahead of time!"
"Whatever. I'm feelin' fine."
"And the sparkling?" Heatwave asked.
Thunderhoof looked down. With all the noise, Steeljaw's daughter had stirred awake, optics fluttering open and little jaws parting in a yawn.
"She's good, all things considered," Thunderhoof said.
Blades hummed and nodded, then got back to work on Heatwave. The red mech, for his part, refuses to look away.
Of course he sees me as a danger now that I'm awake. Figures. Typical Autobots.
"Morning, guys!"
The new voice sounded familiar to Thunderhoof, enough where he could guess without looking.
"Morning, Cody!" Blades greeted.
"What are you doing here?" Heatwave asked, tone slightly harsh.
"Sounds like somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed today," Cody jokes. "I just thought I would check on you guys. I mean, it has been a while since we received any midnight calls."
"And I hope it stays that way. Working with a half-asleep Kade is a nightmare, especially when he's not given any time to eat something."
"You're telling me!"
The Rescue Bots and Cody laugh.
"So, what happened, exactly? I kinda fell asleep not long after getting on the comms."
"Some idiot thought it was a good idea to light up on the docks, surrounded by barrels of oil and whatever else is highly flammable down there," Heatwave recounted to Cody.
"Combustible," Thunderhoof suddenly corrected, earning himself a few raised optical ridges. "What? There's a difference between 'em, you know."
"And how would you know that?" Heatwave inquired skeptically.
"I blackmailed some scientists to work for me."
"Why would you blackmail them when you could have just, you know?" Blades asked, half paying attention as he worked on Heatwave.
Thunderhoof couldn't help but laugh at that.
"'Cause they always wanted some ridiculously high payment that I couldn't risk giving 'em! You remember how expensive science stuff was back then?"
"I know how expensive it is nowadays," Heatwave grumbled with a roll of his optics.
"Exactly. Besides, I wasn't too keen on payin' much unless it was someone I trusted, and that was a short list."
"It get even shorter over the years?"
"No."
"Longer?" Blades asked, perplexed.
"It doesn't exist anymore. I don't trust anyone 'cept myself," Thunderhoof admitted.
"What about your family?" Cody asked.
Thunderhoof sat up to get a better look at the human.
"My what?"
"Family," Cody repeated. "People who care for you and love you and are always there for you. Don't you have one?"
Thunderhoof didn't immediately answer.
Family, huh?
While he didn't particularly like the other Ex-Cons, Thunderhoof couldn't bring himself to completely hate them. They all have their moments, and sometimes, he enjoys their company.
Arguing with Steeljaw and Ramulus and testing their limits.
Acting as Underbite's guardian angel because the Chompazoid can't seem to stay out of trouble.
Scaring the Pits out of Clampdown.
Sparring with Fracture and attempting not to crush his minicons in the process.
Private time with Phantomjaw…
"Thunderhoof?"
A snap of digits right in front of his optics startles Thunderhoof. He jerks back to reality to see Heatwave and Blades standing next to him, Cody sitting atop the latter's shoulder.
"What were you thinking about just now?" Heatwave asked.
"What the kid said," Thunderhoof replied.
"Your family?" Cody gasped, leaning forward on his perch.
"Let's just say mine ain't like what yous described."
Cody laughed.
"I wouldn't expect it to!"
He choked back another giggle fit and was about to continue…
"CODY!" Kade shouted, entering med-bay with the rest of the Rescue Team.
"Yeah, Kade, what's up?" Cody asked.
"Frankie's here, and we can only stall for so long before she comes down and sees him."
All eyes were on Thunderhoof. He rolled his optics and averted his gaze, not feeling too comfortable with all the attention.
"Okay, I'll handle it," Cody sighed. Blades kneeled down and let him loose.
"Bye, guys! Later, Thunderhoof!"
A couple minutes after Cody leaves, the remaining humans and their Autobot partners approach Thunderhoof. Feeling cornered, but not wanting to show any weakness, the Ex-Con remains steadfast.
"So, Cody seems to have taken an interest in you," Heatwave pointed out. "Any thoughts?"
"About what? Kid's probably curious. Doubt he's met any 'Cons," Thunderhoof shrugged.
"Human cons, yes. Decepticons, no."
"Technically an Ex-Con, but feel free to call me whatever you want. I don't care."
"Would being called as such have anything to do with that?"
Thunderhoof didn't have to look to see what Heatwave was pointing at.
He still wants to know about my insignia, Thunderhoof internally answered, rubbing his digits along the jagged grooves of Steeljaw's mark. Of course he hasn't dropped the subject.
"Again with the slash marks, Heatwave?" Kade expressed his exasperation. Heatwave opened his mouth to retort…
"Yous really that curious about this?" Thunderhoof interrupted, gesturing to his slashed insignia. "Fine. Another 'Con attacked me supposedly for no reason, and at first I was mad 'cause I was havin' a bad day, but then he explained that he actually helped me by destroyin' my chip. That made me feel better. Last thing we needed was an easy way for the Autobots to track us down."
That seemed to be enough of an answer for the Rescue Team on the subject.
"Well, that wasn't how I was intending on us becoming acquainted, but it's a start," Chief Burns said, sheepishly rubbing his neck. He cleared his throat and lowered his arms back to his sides.
"I guess a formal introduction is in order. My name is Charlie Burns, Chief of Police and head of the Rescue Team here on Griffin Rock. I understand that this is a difficult situation, but rest assured, we promised Bumblebee to give you and your charge a safe place to stay until, well, whenever he says it's safe for you to go home."
The human's smile dropped and he sighed.
"However, considering your background, we can't have you wandering free. Our top priority is the safety of everyone on Griffin Rock, and I mean everyone."
"In junction with that train of thought, my own, personal concerns stem from your status as a mob boss…" Chase started.
"Former mob boss," Thunderhoof corrected irritably.
"Right. Apologies. What I meant to say was, are there any recent crimes as of late that you have committed that we should be aware of?"
Now, Thunderhoof had to think about that. Not that he doesn't have a whole list of recent illegal excursions to fess to, but the question is, does he have to tell them everything?
Eh, they're probably just gonna ask Bumblebee if whatever I say is the truth or not anyway.
"If yous mean all the trouble I caused after the crash, then the first thing might have been when I attempted to make a space-bridge, but it kinda turned into a black hole. There's the usual minor offenses. Too many to name. We'd be here all day. Ah, yes, I also assisted in the opening of a gateway between dimensions that allowed the Fallen Prime to enter this world and nearly caused the destruction of both Earth and Cybertron in the process."
.
.
.
.
.
"YOU DID WHAT?"
All of the humans had to cover their ears, and Thunderhoof opted to save the pup's hearing over his own.
"To be fair, that incident wasn't my idea, and I didn't have a say in the matter," Thunderhoof calmly replied, brushing off the incredulous looks he was receiving.
"Seriously?" Heatwave questioned.
"I ain't lyin'. We had no idea what we were doing until it was too late. Admittedly, in hindsight, we should have quit when we were still ahead…"
Thunderhoof vented.
"'Course nothing can be that easy. Turns out, the Fallen can hurt you without touching you."
"What do you mean?" Blades asked fearfully.
"When Steeljaw first got the offer, he was convinced to go along with it after the slagger somehow reached through the dimensional barrier or whatever and bent a piece of metal like it was nothing right in front of his face. The rest of us didn't believe him since nobody else was there at the time, but when we all gathered and tried to back out of the deal…"
Thunderhoof couldn't suppress the chill that coursed through his systems, because as much as he hated Clampdown, on that day, they were all terrified.
"He reached through, again, but he targeted one of us. He was just about to make 'em rip themself's apart when Steeljaw gave-in."
The story of the Pack's unwilling alliance with the Fallen is not something any one of them wants to relive. How they all could have been killed without being able to do a damn thing about it is just a terrifying realization, one every Ex-Con at the time shared, including Thunderhoof.
And now, the Rescue Bots have an inkling of what happened ingrained in their processors, as do the humans. Whether it sticks in their minds for very long is up for debate.
"Who's Steeljaw?" Boulder suddenly asked. "Was he your leader?"
Thunderhoof went rigid.
Of course I had to mention him by name. Dammit, Steeljaw! Why do you have to make my life so difficult?
"Yes, Steeljaw was my leader," Thunderhoof answered, not bothering to look at anyone. "He still is, in a manner of speaking. We reconnected about a year ago. It had its ups and downs, but we worked some things out, and we're both still intact… I think."
Those last words were barely above a whisper, and yet, someone heard it.
"What do you mean by 'I think'?" Dani asked.
"He's the reason I'm…" Thunderhoof vented, keeping his gaze focused on anything that isn't the Autobots or humans. "I mean, we're here in the first place. I's don't know what happened to him or anyone else after I went through the portal. That's Bumblebee's job to figure out now."
"You don't sound too worried," Graham said.
Thunderhoof just shrugged.
"If anyone can take care of themselves, it would be Steeljaw."
Though he's had a rough time of it lately. Not that I have to tell them that.
Unfortunately, his thoughts had seeped into his outward demeanor. Optics clouded, back hunched; the Rescue Team knew something didn't add-up.
"Are you alright?" Chief Burns asked.
"I'm fine, quit your worryin'!" Thunderhoof snapped, though his tone held very little weight.
"If you need to get something off your chest…" Boulder approached Thunderhoof and, once again, placed a large, comforting servo on his shoulder. "Don't hesitate to let us know!"
Thunderhoof was tempted to shrug the green mech's servo off, but the presence of a human on his shoulder cut that line of thinking short. Not that he cared about the safety of the humans, but he did need to stay on the Autobots' good side, which meant avoiding causing harm to humans.
That's when the universe decided to give Thunderhoof a reprieve in the form of an emergency call, but the day only progressed slowly from there. He had nothing to do other than lay around and keep an optic on Steeljaw's daughter. While her inquisitive nature and need to explore was certainly keeping him entertained enough to not be considered totally bored, he wishes he had something to do. A data pad to read, at least!
Yes, he did completely forget about the radio in his Earthling alt.
As he thought about it, Thunderhoof came to the surprising realization that what he really craves is more companionship. Someone who he can have an actual conversation with…
"Uh, hello? Thunderhoof?"
"Hm?"
"Sorry. I hope I didn't wake you."
"No…"
Thunderhoof mumbled under his vents as he pushed himself into a sitting position. He blinked open his optics, vision adjusting to the dark room. He looked down and over at the med-bay's entrance, where the silhouette of a human stood out against warm yellow light.
"What are you doin' here? Don't ya need to get some sleep or somethin'?"
"I wanted to come down and check on you, first," Chief Burns said.
"Couldn't you have waited till mornin'?" Thunderhoof asked.
"We won't be interrupted unless there's an emergency."
Thunderhoof wasn't any less confused. Chief Burns sighed and shook his head. He looked back up at the Ex-Con with weary eyes.
"It's come to my attention that you don't like feeling cornered, which is exactly what we did, twice now."
"What makes you say that?"
"After many years of law enforcement and working with people, I've picked up on all sorts of tells, and you have been nothing but on edge since you regained consciousness on the beach."
Chief Burns knew he was hitting the nail on the head. He could sense Thunderhoof starting to stress, which was something he wanted to avoid, but knew he couldn't. At least, not right now.
"While I have no doubt that you are strong, Thunderhoof, both physically and psychologically, I also doubt that you are completely fearless. I'm sure being surrounded by Autobots, regardless of status, is something you don't feel entirely comfortable with. If you do something they perceive as dangerous, whether by accident or on purpose…"
"They wouldn't hesitate to jump me to save you," Thunderhoof interrupted, clenching his fists. "So yous down here to talk to me in private 'cause you assumed I would be more comfortable?"
Chief Burns nodded. Thunderhoof vented and leaned over, reaching out for the human. He stood where he was, staring at the open servo.
"I ain't waitin' all night," Thunderhoof said.
Chief Burns made an 'oh' face and stepped onto the Ex-Con's palm. Thunderhoof lifted his servo and placed the human safely on the slab. Stirring from slumber, Steeljaw's daughter opened her optics, and once she saw their visitor, got to her paws and started begging for attention.
"Heh, easy there, girl!" Chief Burns laughed quietly, diligent hands rubbing her ears.
"She seems to like you humans. Don't know why, though," Thunderhoof admitted. "I just hope I don't have to teach her anythin' about yous."
"Because of our different species, or because you two were never supposed to be here?"
Chief Burns flinched.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that."
"No need to be sorry," Thunderhoof brushed off. "I understood what ya meant, and you're right. If it weren't for what happened, the bitlit and I wouldn't even be here. Nothin' we can do about it 'cept wait."
"And pray for your friends' safety," Chief Burns added.
"They ain't my friends."
"If not your friends, then your family."
Thunderhoof looked at Chief Burns with a puzzled expression.
"We overheard what you and Cody were talking about, how you admitted to having a not-so-conventional family."
"'Course ya did," Thunderhoof muttered.
Unbeknownst to their inner workings, Steeljaw's daughter begs for extra attention.
"Is the pup part of your family?" Chief Burns asked, resuming his work. After a few minutes of relative silence, he decided to continue.
"You said you were watching her as a favor to an associate of yours, but trusting someone with the care of a child, especially your own, is not something to be taken lightly."
"Meaning?" Thunderhoof asked, even though he knew what the answer would be.
"You and this other Cybertronian are more than just associates," Chief Burns stated. "I doubt they would have left their kid with just anyone."
He briefly closed his eyes and sighed.
"Listen, Thunderhoof, from father to caretaker, I understand what you are going through, and if you need any help, feel free to ask."
Thunderhoof blinked. These humans just keep throwing surprises right and left.
"Thanks."
Chief Burns smiled and patted Thunderhoof's leg.
"Anytime."
He pulled out his phone to check the time.
"Well, I should be heading to bed soon. Unless you want to talk about anything else?"
". . . Spare a bit longer?"
"I can do five minutes."
Thunderhoof smiled, but avoided optical contact.
"My associate is Steeljaw, and he's the bitlit's carrier, or in human terms, mother. The sire – the father – is Ramulus, an old friend of Steeljaw's, back in the early days of the War. No one really knows their full history. Neither of them wants to talk about it."
"Didn't you mention that whatever is going on may have something to do with their past?" Chief Burns asked.
"When we were ambushed, Steeljaw said as much, and not wanting anyone else to get caught up in the mess he said he thought he left behind a lifetime ago, he handed me the bitlit and told me to get out of there, preferably off planet."
"Was there anyone else there to help?"
"His mate and his brother, about the only two mechs he trusts."
Thunderhoof vented.
"Unfortunately, they were also the only ones who were connected to Steeljaw's past. The rest of us didn't know Steeljaw until after the crash."
Chief Burns hummed.
"Not to sound rude, but why you? Out of all the others, why did Steeljaw choose you?"
Thunderhoof grimaced. He turned to face Chief Burns, and raised a servo to his slashed insignia.
"I was the first 'Con to be recruited, to be initiated into the new Pack. I was with him through it all. Well, almost all of it. Anytime I wasn't stuck in a stasis pod, that is."
He chuckled and lowered his servo.
"I suppose he trusted me on some level or another, not that he'd ever admit it."
Chief Burns approached Thunderhoof's servo and placed his hand atop it.
"He still does. He wouldn't have given charge of his daughter to you otherwise. He knows you'll be strong, and that you will protect her, no matter what. If anything, I believe he trusts you now more than ever."
Thunderhoof doesn't say anything, allowing the human's words to sink into his processor. He lets Chief Burns back onto his palm and returns him to the floor. He keeps an optic on the human as he leaves, shutting the other lights off on his way out.
Feeling exhausted himself, and being left with a lot to think about, Thunderhoof calls it a night and slips into recharge, but not before pulling Steeljaw's daughter close to his side.
