Chapter Text
The two Seekers led him to a large burrow. They paused outside of it. The purple one motioned for him to follow as they crawled inside. Thundercracker obeyed, not wanting to find out what would happen if he refused. Golden optics shone from the inside of the burrow.
It went much further than his own or even the others they walked by. It opened into a larger chamber. Thundercracker adjusted his optics, turning on the switch for night vision. In a couple of moments, his optics adjusted, allowing him to see.
The golden optics from earlier were attached to a bright yellow mech. The yellow mech offered him a close-lipped smile, nas wings rising. Na outstretched a hand, offering it to Thundercracker palm-up. But before Thundercracker could take it, na withdrew it.
"I'm Sunstorm," the yellow Seeker said.
Nas voice was smooth and soft, flowing like the sap of a tree. Since na hadn't attacked Thundercracker yet, he decided to risk asking a question.
"Why did you bring me here?" He asked.
Sunstorm frowned. Nas wings flicked. He glared at the other two Seekers.
"Did you not tell him?" Sunstorm said, nas voice sickeningly sweet.
The other two Seekers exchanged glances. The purple one shrugged. Sunstorm closed nas optics and sighed, sitting silently for a moment. Then, na opened nas optics and turned back toward Thundercracker.
"This is Hotlink," Sunstorm said, motioning toward the purple one. Next, na motioned to the cyan one. "This is Bitstream. I sent them to collect you for a checkup."
A checkup? Was Sunstorm a medic? Na didn't look like one. Medics wore a specific symbol, and it was nowhere on Sunstorm's frame.
"Don't worry," Sunstorm said. Was Thundercracker really emitting that much fear? He wasn't that concerned! "This will be quick. I just want to ensure you're healthy. We've had some arrivals succumb to illness in the past."
"I'm not sick," Thundercracker said.
Sunstorm's wing flicked. "You may not be now, but if I know what's typical for you, it'll be easier for me to know when something is wrong. Surely an intelligent mech like yourself can see that?"
Thundercracker was intelligent. Maybe this was a good idea…
He nodded.
"Good!" Sunstorm said, fluttering nas wings. "Let's start!"
What proceeded was a surprisingly standard medical exam, considering the lack of equipment. Sunstorm began with his helm, checking it for dents. Then, na moved on to his optics, briefly using a light attached to nas wrist to check their responsiveness.
He glanced at Thundercracker's wings, making no move to touch them.
"Splendid," na said. "Such nice, defined striping."
Thundercracker may have preened. Just a little. Sunstorm smiled at him again.
But the next thing he checked made Thundercracker tense. Sunstorm reached for his midsection, feeling the soft mesh around his abdomen. Then, na moved to the glass of his cockpit. Na tugged on it gently, wings twitching as the locks held true.
"Perfect," na said.
Then, na ran a claw along the seam of Thundercracker's cockpit. Thundercracker shuddered.
"You have your locks," Sunstorm said. "Beautifully functional. Good for a Spark."
A spark?
"What do you mean?" Thundercracker asked.
Sunstorm backed off. Na tapped nas claws on nas lap.
"I apologize for assuming," Sunstorm said. "With the way you reacted to Dirge before, I thought you were a Spark."
"Spark?"
Wasn't every mech a spark, technically?
Sunstorm's claws drummed harder. Na frowned. Some of Thundercracker's confusion must've escaped into the air.
"What is your role?" Sunstorm asked. "I need to know what to look for."
Role? Thundercracker just got here!
"I don't have one," he said.
Sunstorm's wings shot up. Nas optics went wide.
"Oh!" Na said. "Nothing wrong with being from a flock with… a unique culture, I suppose."
What was even happening? What was Sunstorm talking about? If having a 'role' was important here, then he had to know what the options were.
"Um, yes," Thundercracker said. "We didn't have roles. What are they?"
Sunstorm smiled.
"Each member of a trine plays a different part, keeping each other in balance," na said. "Sparks are the spark of their trine, hence the name. They protect the nest and ensure the other members of the trine are taking care of themselves."
A trine…? Tri, as in three. A group of three. That made the arrangement outside of the burrows make more sense.
Sunstorm paused, tapping on nas lap again. Na flicked nas wings, dipping nas helm toward Hotlink and Bitstream.
"As illuminated as I am about the other roles, I believe they can explain better," Sunstorm said.
Hotlink and Bitstream exchanged glances. Hotlink flicked waz wing. Bitstream lowered kas. With a snort, Hotlink turned toward Sunstorm and Thundercracker.
"I'm a Wing," wa said. "We guide the trine in flight, explore new lands, and collect resources. If you want fast, you want a Wing."
Like a scout? The Autobots had scouts. Bumblebee was one of them.
"If you want fast, you want someone that's not Hotlink," Bitstream said with a snicker.
Hotlink reached over and cuffed Bitstream over the helm. With a laugh, Bitstream shook kaz helm. Hotlink glared at ka, but neither seemed angry—amusement wafted through the burrow, warm and light.
Bitstream flexed kas plating, stretching. Then, ka turned back toward Thundercracker.
"I'm a Claw," ka said. "Claws protect the trine and maintain its social standing."
Like a guard? If Wings were scouts and Claws were guards, then what did that make Sparks? It made sense to divide duties, but why along these lines?
Sunstorm made it sound innate. It was just the way a Seeker reacted to others. The Autobots didn't have anything like that. They were mecha, no divisions besides alt mode, and even then, it wasn't considered in the same way. Mecha were referred to differently if they were a heavyweight or lightweight frame for their alt mode type, but that didn't mean anything special.
"Is a Seeker always one of the three?" Thundercracker asked.
"Always," Sunstorm said. "There's a test we take at six vorns—very similar to the way Dirge pinned you. Our responses are observed and we are told what we are. But if you grew up in a flock that didn't do the test, it makes sense you wouldn't know."
Six vorns? Thundercracker could barely fly at six vorns. That was when he had his first wipeout! How could they assign a seekerling a lifelong role so young?
He didn't like the idea, but he had to play along.
"What makes me a Spark?" Thundercracker asked.
"You went limp immediately," Sunstorm said. "A Claw would've fought before surrendering. A Wing would've fled."
They assigned him a role based on that?
The air around him filled with flickering amusement. Sunstorm stared down at him.
"You'll understand when you trine," na said.
Thundercracker didn't think he would, but there was no point in arguing. The air was full of condescension, or at least what Thundercracker assumed passed for it. The smile on Sunstorm's face was too strained, nas wings held in just the perfect position.
"There is one more thing I need to check," Sunstorm said.
"What's that?"
Sunstorm reached out, slowly and deliberately, resting the tips of nas claws on the glass of Thundercracker's cockpit. "Your storage space."
Thundercracker stiffened. His energeon candies from Prowl were in there! And his pain patches! If Sunstorm opened it, na would find them. A growl rose from his vocalizer before he could stop it. Those were his.
Sunstorm withdrew nas hand. Na lowered nas wings. Behind Thundercracker, Bitstream hissed. Sunstorm shook nas helm.
"I'm not going to take anything," Sunstorm said. "You can put it all back when I'm done. I just want to ensure everything is okay in there."
Thundercracker growled again, his claws moving toward his cockpit. Like he'd believe that!
"Why do you even need to look in there?" He hissed.
"You have your secondary locks," Sunstorm said. "Every Seeker who has their secondary locks needs their storage space examined for irregularities, especially Sparks. If not, when you enter Data Hunger, complications can arise."
Prowl told Thundercracker about Data Hunger. It was something adult mecha went through, though he hadn't yet. Ratchet didn't seem too concerned about it, so Thundercracker hadn't asked.
Thundercracker prepared himself to ask about it, but a sound gave him pause. Pedesteps approached the group as scarlet optics shone in the entrance tunnel. Sunstorm turned toward them as the Seeker stepped into the chamber. It was the magenta Seeker from before, dentae gritted and wings trembling.
"Starscream!" Sunstorm said. "I see you finally remembered to pick up your medicine."
"You told me it wasn't ready before," Starscream hissed.
Sunstorm dipped nas helm. "It wasn't, dear sibling, but you've always tried to rush things. The world is simply too slow for you."
Starscream rolled kas optics. Then, ka flinched, curling further in on kaz.
"Can you just hand it over?" Ka hissed.
Sunstorm's gaze lingered on ka for a moment. Nas lips twitched.
"You ate without taking it again, didn't you?" Na said. The ultra-sweet tone from before was back. "As I said before, the world is simply too slow for you. The enzymes are ready, but I still need to collect more roots. I have just enough for you this cycle."
Starscream chewed kas lip, kas claws flexing. Sunstorm scooted over, patting the now empty place next to nam.
"Come sit!" Na said.
Starscream glared at Sunstorm. Kas optics drifted toward Thundercracker, and kas plating flared. Then, ka stomped kas pede and turned around, growling quietly.
"Stop wasting my time and let me know when all of it is done!" He shouted. "I have scrap to do, unlike you!"
Sunstorm watched ka go, a strained smile tugging at nas lips. The air filled with something simultaneously sharp and soft—amusement tinged with sadness. Sunstorm sighed and shook nas helm.
"Oh, sibling…" na said quietly.
Thundercracker shuffled sideways a bit, preparing to push himself up. Sunstorm was distracted. If he could leave before he was noticed—
"Where are you going?" Sunstorm said.
Thundercracker's wings twitched. He froze, chestplates tightening. Sunstorm motioned for him to sit back down. Mindlessly, he obeyed.
"Now, please empty your storage space," Sunstorm said.
Thundercracker's optics met Sunstorm's. He curled his lips, fighting not to bare his dentae. Sunstorm glared back at him, nas wings going wide.
"Please," na said.
Thundercracker stifled a growl. Sunstorm continued to glare.
Suddenly, all will to resist left Thundercracker. He slumped and unlocked his cockpit. The energeon cubes tumbled into his hands, followed by the pain patches. He placed them on the ground in front of him before removing the candies.
Sunstorm scooted closer. Na reached out. Thundercracker closed his optics and hung his helm. Gentle hands brushed the interior of his storage space, running along its walls.
"You're doing well," Sunstorm said softly.
Thundercracker kept his optics closed. His wings trembled. Eventually, the hands left his storage space. Only after the shuffle of Sunstorm moving back to his original place did Thundercracker open his optics.
He shoved everything back into his cockpit, taking a quick count as he did. His plating finally untensed. Nothing was taken.
"Everything is perfect," Sunstorm said.
Thundercracker nodded numbly. The only thing he wanted to do now was hide. His burrow, though cold and small, would protect him. Sunstorm's wings lowered, nas lips turning downward.
"Wherever you came from, I promise it's better here," Sunstorm said. "We share our fuel. No one goes hungry. No one will take your things. The wounded and sick get treated."
Just like the Autobots. Thundercracker's spark twinged. They thought the Seekers were only savage monsters.
Bitstream stiffened, kas wings flicking. "Stormy, that's not…"
Sunstorm grimaced. Na turned back toward Bitstream.
"And whose fault is it?" Sunstorm said. "Who has taken our hunting grounds? Who kills our flockmates?"
"The Autobots," Bitstream and Hotlink muttered.
Sunstorm nodded. "Yes, the Autobots."
Na turned back toward Thundercracker.
"Winglord Megatron keeps us safe," na said. "Winglord Megatron has a plan. When those groundkissers are gone, we will never have to worry again. The Decepticons are the largest and strongest flock left. You're clever to have come here."
It was pure, dumb luck. Thundercracker's spark spun faster in his chest. Hatred singed the air around him, anger at its edges. If they knew he was sent here by Autobots, what would they do to him?
!!!
Thundercracker returned to his burrow right away after that, scooting as deeply into it as he could. He curled in on himself, nursing his rapidly spinning spark. He knew he was among enemies, but in learning who they were he had almost forgotten.
Sunstorm's impassioned remarks were a stark reminder. The Seekers—Decepticons—would tear him limb from limb if they learned his true affiliation. He couldn't take all of them down. How could he accomplish his mission if the hatred ran so deep?
Pedesteps approached his burrow. He froze. A flash of familiar purple was at the corner of the entrance. Thundercracker forced himself to uncurl, creeping forward to view the Seeker. Skywarp sat at the edge of his burrow, waz wings twitching as the air around wa tingled with anticipation and joy.
When wa noticed Thundercracker saw wan, waz wings went up. Wa fiddled with a small object in waz hands, obscuring it from him.
"Hey!" Wa said quietly.
Thundercracker's wings shot up of their own accord. "Hi."
"I brought you something," Skywarp said, thrusting waz hand forward. Wa uncurled waz fingers, exposing the object.
A small orange stone. It glittered in the light. Thundercracker reached for it, something in his spark drawn to it. Skywarp tipped waz palm, the small stone rolling in Thundercracker's waiting hand.
One moment, Thundercracker was holding the stone in his hands. The next, it was tucked into his storage space as he grabbed Skywarp by the hand and dragged wan into his burrow. He hadn't thought, merely acted. Wa was warm, pressed up against his plating like this, but there was barely enough space for the two of them.
"Your burrow is small," Skywarp said.
Thundercracker hummed. Wasn't that what he was just thinking? He scooted as far as he could manage and dug his claws into the walls, pulling down the soil around them. With a quiet trill, Skywarp joined him, satisfaction filling the air.
They both dug, occasionally pausing to shovel loose dirt out of the burrow. Eventually, it fit both of them comfortably with plenty of room to spare. Thundercracker's spark sung as he admired their work. He let loose a purr.
Skywarp's wings twitched at the sound. Wa turned toward him with a smile.
"Think it's big enough now?" Thundercracker said.
"More than big enough," Skywarp said. "Though…"
"Though what?"
Skywarp's wings lowered.
"You maybe sort of… don't have a nest?" Wa said.
"A nest?" Thundercracker asked. Like a cybird? Or a glitchmouse?
Skywarp stared at him. Waz wings flicked. Then, wa shook waz helm.
"Come with me," wa said, heading toward the entrance.
Wa moved a short distance away from the burrows as Thundercracker followed. Then, wa leaped into the air and took off. Thundercracker flew beside wan. The distance they traveled was short, and soon, they landed at the border of a forest.
Trees stretched into the sky, coated in dull metal bark but bearing colorful leaves. Skywarp approached the closest tree, leaping into its canopy. What was wa doing?
Thundercracker walked to the edge of the tree. Skywarp clung to the trunk with waz claws, waz thruster burning the base of a branch. Then, wa turned off waz thruster and kicked the branch.
"Catch!" Wa shouted as the branch fell. "Or, well… don't, actually. It might hit you on the helm."
Thundercracker let the branch fall. It landed with a thud, the edge Skywarp heated sill glowing red. Other branches joined it, and soon, they had a pile.
Skywarp leaped down from the tree. Wa gathered up the branches, leaves and all. Thundercracker did the same.
"What are we using these for?" He asked.
Skywarp stared at him again.
"You'll see," wa said.
Wa took off. Thundercracker followed wa back to the burrow. They deposited the branches inside the burrow. Skywarp stared down at them, letting out a couple of quiet, meaningless clicks.
Wa leaned down, taking a couple of the branches in waz hands. Running waz hands down the branches, wa stripped the them of their leaves. Thundercracker did the same.
The action was relaxing. Thundercracker found his plating untensing. Eventually, all of the leaves were stripped. Skywarp spread the leaves across the floor, then turned back toward the pile of branches. Wa but waz lip.
"I'm not too great at this," wa said quietly. Wa laid waz fingers on one branch, then quickly withdrew them. With a sigh, wa picked up a different one. "Here goes nothing…"
Wa placed down the branch at the side of the burrow. Then, wa grabbed another branch, heating it with waz thrusters slightly. Wa bent the branch, then wove it into the one wa already placed.
It was familiar. But why? Thundercracker picked up a branch. He hummed. Too thin. Why did he know that? He grabbed another, thicker branch and wove it into Skywarp's.
Skywarp jerked backward with a sharp cry, optics widening. Thundercracker lowered his wings. Wa shook waz, grabbing another branch from the pile.
Plans quickly formed in Thundercracker's mind. Somehow, he knew exactly what they were building. Branch after branch, they covered the walls. At a couple of points, they grew low on branches. Skywarp darted out, quickly retrieving more. They didn't stop until the burrow's walls were covered.
When they finished, Thundercracker's claws hurt and his fuel levels were low. Tiredness tugged at him, the back of his processor begging for a nap. But he had to ask…
"What is this?"
Skywarp smiled at him. "A nest."
A nest… it was exactly like glitchmice or cybirds. Thundercracker didn't know how he should feel about it, but he knew how he currently felt: sleepy.
"'Kay," he said, settling down in the middle of the nest.
He closed his optics, preparing to enter recharge. A weight settled beside him. Warm. He opened an optic. Skywarp?
He snuggled closer. Wa purred quietly. His purrs quickly joined waz. For the first time in vorns, he wasn't cold, and his spark didn't hurt.
!!!
Thundercracker woke to a low fuel warning. But he was so warm. He didn't want to get up. Despite that, he rolled over, pausing as someone groaned beside him.
Right. Skywarp. He didn't know why he invited wan into his burrow, or why it felt so natural to do so. Wa stirred, opening waz optics.
"Wanna hunt?" Wa asked.
Hunt… like what he did to that scraplet? Thundercracker's wings twitched. Energy was building beneath his plating and he hadn't even gotten up yet. He shot up, heading for the entrance.
He only paused when he realized he had no idea where he was going. He turned back toward the burrow. Skywarp emerged from it, sprinting over.
"Is that a yes?" Wa asked when wa finally caught up.
Thundercracker nodded. He flicked his wings again. He needed to get out there! Wherever 'out there' was…
"Where are we going?" He asked.
Skywarp smiled. "I know a place."
Wa leaped into the air. Thundercracker followed wan, this time to a different forest. They entered it quietly, standing still. Cybirds chirped. A bytemunk chattered.
Any of them could be prey, but the crunch of leaf litter nearby caught Thundercracker's attention. It was larger than a bytemunk, but not so large it would be difficult to take down. He glanced at Skywarp. Based on the height of waz wings, wa heard it too.
They both stayed perfectly still as the creature approached. Slowly, Thundercracker lowered himself into a crouch, preparing to leap the moment it came close enough. Then, there! A flash of gleaming plating!
Thundercracker pounced, claws extended. The petrorabbit never stood a chance. It kicked and squirmed in his hold, but his claws held true. He bent the creature backwards and slammed it down, shattering its dorsal strut, destroying the delicate bundle of neurocircuits it contained. The petrorabbit went still, paralyzed.
Then, he leaned down, sinking his teeth into the front of its neck. Warm energeon flowed from the punctures, pushed by the petrorabbit's still-beating fuel pump. Thundercracker drank it, but he paused well before he was sated.
He offered the rest to Skywarp, who approached carefully before taking it. Wa purred as wa drank from it. Licking the energeon from waz lips, Skywarp did something Thundercracker had never seen before: wa pried the plating from the mechanimal and bit into it.
When Thundercracker was with the Autobots, he only drank energeon. It was the only fuel they could have. Energeon was 'nutritionally complete,' as Prowl liked to call it. But as the petrorabbit's soft metal ground beneath Skywarp's dentae, Thundercracker had a realization: Seekers were different.
He wanted to hunt and kill things like scraplets because he wanted to eat them. All of them. Not just the line energeon—the plating and the internals, too.
Solvent flooded his mouth. He scooted closer to Skywarp. This time, she didn't jump. He pried off a scute of his own and bit into it. Flavor bursted in his mouth. It was unlike anything he tasted before.
Soon, the outer plating was gone. Both Seekers moved on to the internals, and eventually, nothing was left of the petrorabbit. Thundercracker's fuel gauge wasn't complaining anymore. A joyful trill escaped him before he could stop it. Skywarp nuzzled his shoulder. He nuzzled wan back.
Finally, he knew why skittering little things set him so on edge! He knew why he craved to follow them! And he knew why that line energeon tasted so rich when he killed that scraplet! It was what he was supposed to be eating all along.
"My gauge is full," Thundercracker said. "How's yours?"
"Close enough," Skywarp said, stretching. Wa stood up. "Do you want to head back?"
"Yeah."
So, they flew back. Thundercracker returned to the burrow right away, reluctant to remain outside when a Seeker like Dirge might 'try to make sure he wasn't a threat' again. Skywarp also stayed in the burrow, but closer to the entrance. They sat like that for a while, until eventually…
Thundercracker tapped his claws on the ground. He was bored. All he had in his storage space was pain patches and energeon candies. What was he supposed to do?
Thundercracker decided to risk it. He crawled out of the burrow, passing by Skywarp. Ahead of him, the Seekers lounged. Dirge and another mech cuddled with Thrust, laying in the light of the sun. A few other groups also basked, though one particular pair wrestled off to the side.
Bitstream and Hotlink descended from the sky, immediately heading for Sunstorm's burrow. Thundercracker turned, staring up the hill. Even the Winglord was out, though ka didn't join the others.
There was no sign of Starscream. Where had the small Seeker gone? Thundercracker supposed he could be out doing almost anything. Something about the smaller Seeker intrigued him, and he needed to learn more. Ka was the only Seeker aside from the Winglord that seemed to know Common. Why was that?
Thundercracker headed toward the other Seekers, keeping his gaze averted and his wings low. He didn't want anyone to see him as a threat. As he settled down in one of the few empty spaces in the valley, dark plating caught his optics.
A black Seeker sat alone, wings low and optics closed. Thundercracker searched his memory banks. The other cycle, that Seeker was alone, too. Did they have a trine?
Thundercracker crept closer to them, holding his wings up in greeting. They opened their optics. Then, they closed them again and hung their helm, resigned. The air around them filled with the cold sting of despair, but there was another layer beneath it, warm and curious.
Thundercracker settled a short distance away from the Seeker. This close, the Seeker's age was apparent. Their plating was weathered at the seams, the mesh beneath it bearing stretchmarks from past molts.
"Why are you alone?" He asked.
The Seeker opened nas optics again. Na stared at Thundercracker. Then, nas wings flicked.
"You're the new one," na said.
"Yeah," Thundercracker said. "Why are you alone? Aren't you supposed to have a trine?"
He hadn't seen an older Seeker without one.
The old Seeker hummed. "My trine was killed by grounders. I don't intend to find a new one."
"Why not?"
Sunstorm placed such importance on trines. Na described them like they were a wonderful, essential thing all Seekers eventually became a part of.
The old Seeker tapped nas cockpit.
"See here," he said.
Thundercracker leaned closer. Inside the cockpit was a bubble of metal. Some sort of growth? Eww…
The old Seeker laughed. Thundercracker's confusion and disgust must've made it into the air.
"It's a newspark," the old Seeker said. "The only thing I have left of my trinemates. If I get a new trine, my body will kill it."
Did Thundercracker really start off as that? A vaguely elliptical bubble of metal in his dam's cockpit?
Wait. What did na mean nas body would kill it? What did trining involve that would be powerful enough to kill a newspark?
"Kill it?" Thundercracker said.
"When a Seeker trines, their body prepares for a new life with their trinemates," the old Seeker said. "Their body will terminate any newsparks they're carrying to make the space available for the newsparks of their current trinemates."
"And you don't want that," Thundercracker said.
It made sense. Staying untrined was the only way for the old Seeker to keep nas newspark. But…
The Seeker's optics were dull. Nas plating was soon to follow. Na wasn't getting enough fuel, and generating an entire newspark surely consumed a lot. Thundercracker was reminded of what Sunstorm said—the Autobots had taken the Seekers' hunting grounds. Was that why the old Seeker couldn't feed naz?
"I already lost one," the old Seeker said, resting a hand on nas cockpit. "I don't want to lose this one, too."
That settled it.
"You won't," Thundercracker said.
The old Seeker's wings flicked. Curiosity drifted on the air.
"I'm going to help you, no trining required," Thundercracker said. "Just tell me what you need."
The old Seeker's optics widened. Then, na frowned.
"You don't mean that," na said.
Thundercracker puffed out his plating. "Try me!"
The old Seeker laughed. Mirth twirled with melancholy filled the air.
"Fine," the old Seeker said. "I believe you."
Thundercracker grinned, excitement building beneath his plating. Finally, he had another ally in this place. The old Seeker offered nas hand. Thundercracker shook it.
The old Seeker froze. Slowly, na withdrew the hand, confusion buzzing in the air. Did the flock not do handshakes? Whoops.
Thundercracker lowered his wings. The old Seeker shook nas helm and smiled.
"All I need is food," na said. "Just give me what you can spare."
Thundercracker fluttered his wings. That was easy! He'd take an excuse to hunt more, especially now that he had a taste for it.
"I can do a lot better than that!" He said, rising from his place.
"Don't strain yourself," the old Seeker said gently. "And, before you leave—my name is Blast."
It translated literally as 'great invisible force.' Thundercracker could see how that may have described nam, once. The old Seeker, despite nas frailty, was large. Na must have been very powerful when na wasn't aging and underfuelled.
"Mine's Thundercracker!" Thundercracker said, sending Blast a smile before he turned away.
There was plenty of hunting to do.