There have been some really encouraging reviews on this story, which are honestly the only reason I've been motivated to write this much this fast. The trend probably won't continue, but I will continue to update as frequently as possible. My gratitude to everyone who has taken the time to review, read, favorite, follow, etc as always, and I hope you'll enjoy this next chapter.
Quick side note: I know its not super likely that Cliffjumper was somehow mysteriously contaminated by a small amount of dark energon, but we're all going to anger Shockwave and ignore that bit of illogical reasoning. I couldn't resist keeping the scene with Ratchet fighting a tiny evil dark energon creature and needing to be saved by Optimus. It's too good xD. Another quick note, there's not much for friendly physical contact on the Nemesis, and Soundwave isn't a very tactile mech, so the most physical contact (entirely platonic, in this setting) that Switchshade has received in vorns that hasn't been fighting is the odd brush of Laserbeak now and then. With this in mind, his reaction at the end might make a bit more sense. Enjoy.
Switchshade's optics widened at the medic's outburst, and it was only by sheer force of will that he kept himself from taking a step back. "I… It has been several of earth's solar cycles. We… Energon is in somewhat short supply on the Nemesis, and Lord Megatron is- was… I… It has been some time since... I-I will be fine, though. Please, don't-"
He cut himself off as Ratchet moved closer, lifting a servo, and the ex 'Con flinched at the motion, expecting a strike. Instead, he realized the medic had taken an energon cube from his subspace and was trying to hand it to him. He waited patiently, the energon still in his extended servo, until Switchshade hesitantly reached out and took it carefully.
He paused before drinking, however, glancing at the medic questioningly, and quietly asking, "A-Are you certain, Ratchet? I know that your supplies are not as high as would be ideal, either. I. I can wait, if you prefer. I don't want to be a bother, o-or an unnecessary drain on your resources."
Ratchet wanted to be gentle and soothing, he really did, but he couldn't suppress his nature forever. The medic's optics narrowed. "I said I wasn't going to hurt you, kid, and I meant it. That includes not starving you as well, you know. Now, I can tell you're still skittish of me, and I understand that'll take some time, but for now, if you want to avoid fraggin' me off, you'll drink the whole cube and then get some recharge. Understood?"
Surprisingly, instead of frightening the prisoner further, his gruff tone seemed to put Switchshade somewhat at ease, the 'Con sliding out of his defensive stance to stand more naturally. He even offered the old medic a very small, hesitant smile of gratitude before quickly draining the cube as commanded. Ratchet nodded, once, and then prepared to leave the cell once more. "My scans revealed that the damage you sustained has been healing well. So long as you stay properly fueled and get plenty of recharge, you'll be back to full health in no time."
He keyed open the door and stepped out, and then glanced behind him at the now much more relaxed if somewhat bewildered young mech, and sighed. "Just-try to take it easy, kid. We really aren't going to harm you."
The medic left then, closing the door behind him and making his way back down the hall. Switchshade listened to his retreating pedesteps, and then sat back against the wall, awe and bewilderment nearly radiating off of him. I might even begin to believe that.
Switchshade had fallen into a light recharge, but was startled awake by a light clattering noise. He reset his optics, rising to his pedes and peeking curiously out of his cell to see what might have made the noise. The clattering paused then started again, coming a bit closer, and then pausing once more. The 'Con's audials heard Ratchet in the main room, muttering quietly to himself, before the clattering suddenly shifted directions and headed straight for the medic. Switchshade strained up on his pedes, trying to see, and was startled when he heard Ratchet exclaim, "By the Allspark!"
"Ratchet! What is it?" Switchshade cried, straining against the bars of his cell as he struggled to see, though the steel held firm. Another exclamation was heard from the medic, as well as a strange hissing sound from whatever had made the clattering sound. The sounds of a fight soon sounded from the main room, and amidst cries of rage and whirring mechanics, Switchshade shoved against the door of his cell, trying desperately to get to the medic without thought. "Ratchet! Ratchet, are you alright?!"
The familiar sound of the Prime's powerful blaster suddenly sounded, ending all other noises, and the eerie silence that fell over the base made Switchshade instantly abandon his efforts of getting out, just then realizing that it might be taken as an attempt to escape. A final crash was heard moments later, and then Ratchet's gruff voice came, snarling at whatever he had fought, "And stay broken!"
Switchshade heaved an exvent in relief, leaning against one of the side walls of his cell as he strained to hear, picking up the conversation between Lord Prime and Ratchet.
"Now what could have caused that?"
"I have a grave suspicion, Ratchet. Dark energon."
There was another moment of silence as the gravity of the statement sunk in, and then pedesteps much louder and more powerful than those of the medic began to approach Switchshade's cell, and he was overcome by a wash of terror once more.
The door to his cell was keyed open, and the dark mech forced his plating flat against his frame to keep it from rattling any further. Optimus Prime stood in the doorway, but he did not immediately enter the cell. Switchshade quickly bowed low, keeping his helm angled towards the ground as he stood again, and quietly acknowledged, "Lord Prime."
Instead of entering then, the Autobot's leader remained outside the cell, and commanded gravely, "Come, Switchshade. I must ask you to tell me in detail what you and Cliffjumper saw as you were leaving the caverns. As Cliffjumper is currently out of the base, you are the only one here who has seen what Megatron has already done with the dark energon at his disposal. We need to know the full extent of what it can do-of what Megatron plans to do with it."
He then stepped to the side and gestured for Switchshade to accompany him out to the main area. The dark mech considered asking if the Prime was certain he wanted his prisoner out of the cell, and then he recalled Megatron's usual response to being questioned in anything and quickly dropped his optics to the floor again, hurrying to obey.
Switchshade followed the Prime out to the large central room, and ducked his head in respect to Ratchet as they entered. Optimus made his way to a containment tube that held the remains of what had clearly once been equipment of some sort. He listened with morbid fascination as Ratchet briefly explained what had happened, and Switchshade realized that Cliffjumper must have somehow been contaminated when they had watched Megatron slay and then reanimate the drone.
"If the effects of dark energon are enough that the smallest contamination is enough to bring broken equipment to life, I fear to think what else it can do. Cliffjumper spoke of a drone whose spark Megatron ripped out, yet who came back to life when he placed a shard of dark energon into his chassis." Optimus explained. "It was a brief report, as Cliffjumper was still wounded. Now, I ask you to tell me in detail what you saw, and why it is that traces of dark energon have been found here."
Switchshade glanced hesitantly at the Prime, avoiding optic contact, and then quietly spoke. "I-If I may, Lord Prime, Cliffjumper and I were indeed very close to Lord Megatron when he tested the effects of Unicron's blood. It is possible that our proximity enabled Cliffjumper to become contaminated, as the smallest shard or drop would be enough. As the equipment was broken, it offered the opportunity for the dark energon to revitalize it, albeit in a twisted fashion, and was hence the cause of the reanimation. It is possible that it did not have any adverse affects on Cliffjumper as his spark is still beating clean energon through his lines, and the amount of dark energon was small enough that it was overpowered, at least in the short term." Switchshade suddenly realized how animated and focused he had become as he explained his suspicions, and cast a wary glance at the Prime. "… My lord." He finished rather lamely.
Optimus and Ratchet shared a glance, and then the Prime nodded, once, in clear approval, causing Switchshade's rapidly accelerating spark to calm slightly. "Where did the 'Cons find dark energon?" Ratchet asked then, crossing his arms as he left the question open to the room. "It was brought back, by Megatron." Switchshade offered quietly, when Optimus nodded encouragingly for him to speak. "For what purpose?" Ratchet asked, and Switchshade found himself relaxing yet further, the simple if somewhat dark conversation between mechs very similar to how he had often interacted in meetings on the Nemesis calming him in its familiarity. Soundwave, at least, had always valued his input, even when it had been incorrect, and to be shown the same courtesy here, among enemies and captors, meant more to the black mech than he could say.
Optimus answered Ratchet's query then, "To conquer this planet, by raising an army of the undead." Switchshade cycled his optics, and then glanced at the medic in surprise when his response was to chuckle. "Well. Megatron will need to break quite a few toaster ovens. I mean, where on this world would he find that many Cybertronian dead?"
The Prime was saved from answering at a squeal of tires, and Switchshade moved behind Ratchet in the span of a millisecond, his defensive position allowing him to guard the medic's back as well as keep optics on the approaching threat. It took him a moment to realize the 'threat' was the yellow Autobot scout, and the Wrecker, both in their alt-modes, returning with their humans. Shortly after, the blue femme and Cliffjumper pulled in as well, all four transforming back into their root modes. The presence of so many Autobots unsettled Switchshade, and he quietly moved so that he was even farther behind Ratchet, unconsciously hiding behind the medic as the sound of whooping and laughter came from the newly returned 'Bots and humans.
"That was awesome!" the eldest human declared, as it moved a few steps away from Arcee and shared a bright grin with Cliffjumper. "Can we go again?" the youngest and smallest of the humans asked, looking up at the scout with something like awe in his clever optics. Eyes, he reminded himself. Humans' optics are called 'eyes'. "Sweet!" Miko agreed, jumping a few times excitedly as she stayed beside Bulkhead's pedes. The Wrecker groaned in mild discomfort, causing Switchshade to peek out from behind Ratchet's shoulder plating curiously in time to see the green mech reach into a compartment on his chassis and pull out a small, oddly shaped item. Miko grinned sheepishly, reaching to take whatever it was from Bulkhead's servo as she said, "Sorry! Must have left that in the backseat."
Optimus moved to stand before his troops, the movement from the Prime enough to make Switchshade move back behind Ratchet again, and the Prime's powerful, commanding voice began, "Autobots, prepare to…" before he trailed off, looking at the humans. "Roll out?" Cliffjumper and Arcee said in unison, sharing a grin before looking back at Optimus. "-Remain here." He amended. "Ratchet, you'll come with me."
The medic nodded, but as he moved forward, Switchshade tried to take a step back, towards his cell, and Ratchet turned and caught his arm. The younger mech attempted to refrain from flinching with limited success, but there was no pain from the medic's servo on his arm plating. The medic said nothing, but shifted his grip to Switchshade's shoulder plating, giving him a gentle, reassuring squeeze before releasing him.
Meanwhile, the Prime had continued to issue orders. "Arcee, we'll be outside of communications range for some time, so I'm putting you in charge." Miko spoke to Bulkhead briefly as the mechs and femme prepared to obey their leader, and Arcee protested remaining behind, but Switchshade had tuned them out, his shocked, wide red optics following the medic as he moved to the Prime's side. A dark, clawed servo moved to brush over the shoulder plating where the medic had touched him, tracing over the armor in shock. He recycled his optics several times as he watched them prepare to move to the groundbridge. There had been no pain, no harm in the action. Why then had the medic touched him? He hadn't been hurt, so there was nothing to heal, and he had not been caused pain in punishment for anything. Why did he touch me?