Alright, so both the title and the summary are absolutely terrible. If anyone has any better ideas, please let me know and I'll be glad to take them into consideration. In my defense, I haven't slept much in the last four years or so, so take what you can get. This is a TFP story that centers around an OC, so if that's not what you're looking for, feel free to leave now. You have been warned.
How long had it been? Vorns, certainly. Longer, even. Since nearly the start of the Great War itself, Switchshade had been a Decepticon; nothing more, nothing less. Loyal, quiet, unobtrusive. Unimportant, in the long run, but there nonetheless. He'd had his rank, a lowly lieutenant, perhaps, but an officer nonetheless. He'd had Soundwave, and Laserbeak, and even Starscream, in his own way, after that day so long ago when he'd first intervened with Megatron on the seeker's behalf. And now, now? What did he have now? A death sentence upon his helm from those he had served under and fought with and bled energon for. Nothing. Why? Why could he never successfully shunt aside his pitiful and hated emotions? His weak spark that would not let him sit idly by and do nothing when an innocent or the helpless were being harmed, why did it still bother to pump energon through his useless lines? Some Decepticon he made. How had it all come to this?
It had been a peaceful and much welcome break to nearly all of the Decepticon army when Megatron had left on his mysterious quest. Earth was a tiny little planet tucked away in the aft-end of nowhere, but at least it was quiet. Peaceful, even, since the warlord's departure. Dark red optics blinked almost lazily as the mech who possessed them tried to quickly finish his crew reports for the cycle. Soundwave expected them to be completed and submitted to the proper files by the end of earth's solar cycle, and it was one of Switchshade's duties to ensure that such work was done properly. The mech's free servo clicked as he absentmindedly tapped his black claws to an unfamiliar rhythm on the side of the control panel as he worked. Laserbeak flew into the communications deck, returning from another reconnaissance mission, and the 'drone' circled Switchshade once, beeping a greeting, before hurrying to her master and quickly alerting him to Starscream's latest scheme.
Switchshade waved at the casseticon lazily, submitting his final file for the day before moving to silently leave the bridge, inclining his head in a respectful bow to the TIC as he departed. The dark mech suppressed a yawn, more than ready to seek his tiny quarters and moderately comfortable berth, but the sounds of a mech moaning involuntarily in pain and the striking of servos against a frame were enough to send the mech into high alert instantly. He sprinted onto the adjacent command deck, expecting to see Starscream on the floor with a newly-returned Megatron standing over him. Switchshade could hardly be blamed for his instinctive response, for such an occurrence was far from rare aboard the Nemesis, and it would hardly be the first time the communications officer had seen the agony of the Decepticon SIC from their lord's capricious temper.
This time, however, Megatron was nowhere to be seen as Switchshade skidded into the command deck at top speed, only barely managing to come to a stop, as the sight of an Autobot prisoner froze him in his tracks. The red Autobot was already in an absolutely deplorable state, his armor dented and scratched, with rivulets of bright blue energon dripping from his frame. As Switchshade entered, the 'bot was dragged up onto his knees, and then held in place before the acting leader of the Decepticons. Starscream appeared positively gleeful, the seeker's wings perked high and fluttering lightly in delight as he circled his prey, but Switchshade had optics only for the telltale exhaustion in the prisoner's frame, the scuffs and marks so similar to what the SIC himself had so often received from his lord's servos, and Soundwave's apprentice lost his processor for a moment.
Old habits kicked in, protective instincts that had caused the mech to take more than one beating from Megatron's servos to shield Starscream from further abuse, and the Decepticon mech acted without thought. One instant, Starscream was looming over the red Autobot, his right servo cocked back and ready to strike a killing blow to the Autobot's spark, and the next, he was flying through the air to collide with the monitors on the far wall, the drones who had been holding Cliffjumper knocked aside as well. Switchshade hoisted the badly wounded Autobot up by dragging his arm across his shoulder plates, and then he promptly raised his free blaster, firing a hole directly into the floor of the Nemesis, allowing him and his captive to drop a level, and he began sprinting towards the nearest hangar bay.
Switchshade shuddered as he could practically feel Soundwave beginning to counter, putting measures into place to ensure they would never get off the ship, and the mech desperately transformed into his alt-mode, a simple black earth car he hadn't bothered to learn the name of, shoving his way under the Autobot before peeling off as if the Unmaker himself was on his heels. He forced his processor to shut down all but necessary functions, refusing to think about his actions, knowing that if it was far too late to go back now, and if he hesitated, he'd be dead.
He somehow managed to make it to the hangar, but all the shuttles had been locked down already, courtesy of his former commanding officer, and Switchshade pushed down a rising wave of panic. Instantly, he transformed back into his root mode, overriding the door commands, and then, still supporting most of the Autobot's weight, leapt out the open hatch.
The fall felt as if it would take forever, and the rocky terrain below left little doubt in the Decepticon's mind that this would be how he died. How very pathetic. Smashed to pieces on the rocky Terran terrain, and beside an Autobot no less.
Primus, it seemed, had other ideas, and somehow, someway, Switchshade and the red Autobot collided with the mountainous ground at an angle, rolling for some time before coming to a shaky stop, and miraculously remaining more or less in one piece. The former Decepticon quickly switched off the blazing warnings on his HUD regarding his new wounds from the fall, and dizzily forced himself to rise to his pedes instead. He quickly transformed into his altmode again, while carefully ensuring that the Autobot was secured across his hood and roof before beginning to drive. There was no thought in his processor except to get as far and as fast away from the Nemesis as he could.
Several breems later, the mech had found one of the larger mines that the drones had been harvesting energon from, and transformed back into his root mode once again, this time lifting the now-insensate Autobot carefully over his shoulders so as to carry him. The Autobot had awoken once, groaning in pain, but he had quickly passed back into unconsciousness, entirely unaware of his surroundings. Switchshade moved on silent pedes to sneak into the mine, disguising his energy signature and extending his field to hide the Autobot's as well, as he quickly moved passed the oblivious drones and down deeper into the earth. Switchshade found a cave large enough to suit his purposes, and far enough out of the way of the main energon deposits so as to go unnoticed by the drones, and there he carefully eased the badly wounded Autobot down. He had already been weakened by Starscream's ministrations, and the fall from the Nemesis hadn't done him any favors, causing further damage on impact.
Still functioning mostly on autopilot, the former Decepticon patched up all of the major surface wounds he could find on the mech, stemming the flow of energon from a couple of areas that could become fatal if left untreated. He flared his plating as he worked, allowing his biolights to show more clearly, giving off just enough light to see by. Switchshade would be the first to admit that he was no medic, but questionable field patches were better than nothing.
Once he was certain that the Autobot was not in immediate danger of deactivation, his thoughts and memories caught up to him, and the mech collapsed onto the ground beside the Autobot, hiding his faceplates in shaking servos. What have I done?