"Well, this is it."

Tigastorm peered down into the gorge with bright eyes, trying to look past the overgrown rocks that gave the area an eerie, haunted appearance. "He lives here?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder at the darker grey male who accompanied her.

"Apparently." Howler answered with a slight huff. "I don't see why anyone would want to live here. It's too secluded and spooky."

"I think that's the point." Tigastorm said as she turned her gaze back to the gorge, studying it once more. It made perfect sense for the dragon they were looking for to be here. "Come on, let's go." She went to take a step forward when she felt a paw on her tail.

"Tiga, I don't think we should go down there. Maybe he doesn't want to be found." Howler tried to reason with her, obviously unsettled by the gorge's eerie appearance. His wings twitched anxiously on his back.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "We came all this way to find him and you're backing out now? What happened to getting everyone back together?"

"Don't start with that." He scoffed bitterly. He released her tail and stepped closer to her, his blue gaze meeting hers. "Look, I want to rebuild the Autobot command too, but there's only two of us. We don't stand a chance against the Decepticons!"

"Which is why we're doing this!"

"What if it doesn't work? What then?"

Tigastorm tore her gaze away from him, anger and determination brewing within her heart. "I don't know." She muttered, releasing a soft sigh through her nostrils as she raised her head. "We have to try, Howler. This could be our last chance. Do you want to live on the run for the rest of our lives?"

Howler stared at her with a wavering gaze. He knew that wasn't the life she wanted. Neither did he. They'd been living in fear for so long that he'd forgotten what it was like to actually live. He only wanted the best for her, and he would do whatever it took to ensure that she got the best.

"Alright." He said with a sigh of defeat, his eyes flicking back towards the gorge. "Just be careful. This place gives me the creeps..."

Tigastorm nodded and began padding down the slope that led into the gorge. Dirt crunched under her paws as she turned sideways so that she wouldn't lose her footing on the loose sediment. The deeper they went, the more humid the air became due to the amount of plants sprouting from the rocks and spilling over the cliffside. A light layer of fog blanketed the very bottom of the lush ravine, reducing the visibility level significantly.

"Stay close. We don't know what else is down here." Howler murmured to Tigastorm, making sure he didn't lose sight of her in the fog. If anything, he'd be easier to lose in the fog because of his dark scales, which is why he trailed behind her.

As they continued walking, they began to lose track of how far they'd gone. Neither of them could see where they had come in, nor could they see the way out.

A few minutes later, Tigastorm came to a stop and lifted her head to sniff the air. Her muscles tensed under her scales as she tried to determine if it was a threat or not.

"What is it?" Howler asked, glancing around with narrowed eyes.

"I'm not sure..." She murmured. The scent wasn't familiar at all. It didn't even smell like a dragon.

Suddenly, a shrill shriek split the air. Both dragons immediately dropped into defensive stances, claws extended and teeth bared. Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then, something small and fast darted out from a crevice in the cliffside and propelled itself off the rocks, teeth and claws aiming directly for Tigastorm's throat. But before its attack could connect, something far larger leapt down through the mist and slammed it into the ground with bone-crunching force. One final shriek escaped the creature before everything fell silent once more.

Tigastorm scrambled backwards into Howler, her teeth bared as she stared at the figure that had taken out the creature. Its build looked awfully similar to a dragon's and for a split second, she thought they had found a Decepticon.

"You shouldn't be here." The dragon spoke gruffly as he turned to face them. The mist slowly cleared away, revealing his orange and white scales, piercing blue eyes, and deep scowl.

Once Tigastorm gathered her wits, she stepped away from Howler and eyed the stranger warily. "Who are you?" She asked. Upon studying him more intently, she realized that his appearance matched the description they'd been given by another dragon. "Do you go by Ratchet?"

He visibly stiffened upon hearing the name, but quickly composed himself with a shake of his head. "No. Go away." He grumbled, swiftly turning and walking off.

She glanced at Howler before quickly hurrying after him. "Wait!" She called, catching up to him in a few strides. "We've been looking for you! We need your help!"

"I don't care." He muttered as he leapt over a gap in the ground and disappeared around a corner.

Tigastorm narrowed her eyes, her determination only growing. She bounded ahead of him and cut him off before he could continue.

"Listen, Ratchet." She hissed in annoyance, lashing her tail behind her. "We have traveled day and night in order to reach you because we believed you would be able to help us." She explained with a hardened expression. "Megatron's territory grows larger with each passing day, and those who don't flee are killed by his soldiers. We want to get the Autobots back together in order to stop him."

Ratchet stared at her like she had three heads before shaking his head with a snort. "That's impossible. You can't stop Megatron." He growled at her, lowering his head as his anger was replaced by bitterness. "Trust me, I know. I gave up that fight a long time ago and I'm not going back."

"But you have to!" Tigastorm retorted, desperation flashing in her eyes as he pushed past her. She whirled around and snarled at his back. "How could you abandon your people when they need you most?"

Ratchet paused, that familiar pain in his heart growing stronger as if someone had pierced it with a knife. He closed his eyes and shakily exhaled. They didn't need him. He would only make things worse.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to find someone else." He murmured, continuing to walk away with his head lowered.

Tigastorm could only watch him go, the flicker of hope within her slowly dying out. What could she do now?