Switchshade stared at the humans. The humans stared back. The little one trembled. Kliks passed, and there was no movement save for the rapid, shallow breaths of the humans. Focus, Switchshade chided himself, finally moving forward, only to check himself in confusion when the smaller human stumbled to hide behind the larger, who held up his hands defensively.
"Easy there, big guy. Just… the 'Bots will be back soon. Don't do anything foolish, yeah?" the elder human was clearly trying to put up a strong front, but his voice was shaking slightly. Switchshade moved forward again, and they stumbled back yet further. Narrowing his optics in genuine concern, the black mech decided that they were ill and perhaps not entirely in their right minds. Although after Miko's… 'music', earlier, I can hardly blame them…
Not wanting them to accidentally harm themselves, the dark mech paused for a moment, waiting until they relaxed just slightly, and then pounced, landing right beside the two humans, who squeaked. Switchshade quickly but extremely carefully caught them, one in each servo, and lifted them to optic level. He was gentle, but when they squirmed, trying to escape, he did not allow them to fall.
The elder was babbling now, all but incoherent, and Switchshade could only understand one out of every three words that fell from his lips. The younger had frozen, those clever eyes locked on his and nearly glassy. "Easy, young ones. Please, be calm." He pleaded with them, wishing he knew more of human physiology, of how to help them. At one point, he recalled reading something off of earth's internet (before he learned that to venture nearly anywhere on the 'world wide web' was asking for trouble) about humans needing to be kept warm when ill. The base was not particularly cold, but perhaps the humans, lacking proper armor as they were, were chilled, which had led to this illness.
He carefully lifted the two humans to cradle them gently against his chassis, directly over the heat emanating from his spark, and allowed a low and soothing hum to rumble through his chassis. "Calm yourselves, please. I mean you no harm, but if you come to any damage while I am here unsupervised, I will be put to blame. Please, try to calm yourselves."
The elder had fallen silent, his eyes suspicious, but the younger seemed to rouse himself at the ex-'Con's words. "You mean… you aren't going to kill us? Or… Or take us back to Megatron?"
"What?" Switchshade took a step back to steady himself, lifting the little one up so that he could meet his eyes. "Why by the Allspark would I want to do that?" Now it was the human who looked confused. "Because… You're a… I mean, you were a… Well…" Switchshade cycled his optics, and then he understood, and his spark stuttered. "Oh."
He knelt, and gently lowered the humans to the ground. Both looked much better than they had, and the little one had stopped shaking, but Switchshade was looking at them both with something like pain in his spark. "You aren't ill, are you?" Both humans silently shook their heads, looking slightly upset. "I... I did not mean to frighten you, I just thought…" He backed away from them swiftly, angered and ashamed at himself for needlessly terrorizing the humans. "I will leave you be. Forgive me."
He turned, intending to leave the main area and return to his cell until the Autobots returned and realized he had been left unbound and alone, but he was forced to stop before he could take another step when the youngest human suddenly darted in front of his pede. "Stop!" Switchshade caught his balance easily, glancing down at the human in confusion, and tilted his helm. "What is it, young one?" Rafael shook his head quickly. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't have been so quick to judge you. Even if you were a Decepticon, you still save Cliffjumper's life, and haven't made any indication that you are a danger to any of us. We-"
Switchshade shook his helm quickly, cutting him off and kneeling to be able to look the human in the eye seriously as he said, "No. You were right to fear me as you did. It showed wisdom, beyond your years, and spoke of experience in things I wish you had not already seen, so young yet in your life. Still, to lack instant trust of strangers is no fault in you, especially when one such as I has been an enemy to your people for as long as we have been on this earth. Lord Megatron cares nothing for humans, and the Decepticons have followed his example. We avoid the public eye, so that your governments do not actively rise up against us, thereby greatly hindering our efforts, but the lives of individual humans mean less than nothing to him. I have followed and served him with my si- with Soundwave, for nearly all of my functioning, and it is but a testament to your good judgment that you wisely showed distrust of me in this setting."
Raf nodded in understanding, but still reached forward, hesitantly, to lay a tiny hand on the side of Switchshade's helm comfortingly. "I get it, I really do, but I'm still sorry. We hurt you-maybe not physically, but I- I could see it in your optics. It's the same look 'Bee got when I asked about… well… Anyway, let's just put it behind us, ok?" The black mech cycled his optics several times in surprise, both at the human's words, and his gentle touch, and then a small smile curved on his faceplates. "Agreed." His chassis rumbled softly in contentment as he stood, and the ex-'Con was helpless to stop the purring at the human's wisdom and kindness so very beyond his years. Jack meanwhile, was staring at Switchshade like he had never seen him before, but when the mech glanced at him and tilted his helm questioningly, the eldest human nodded quickly, offering a small smile. "Yeah. Same here." Switchshade offered him a nod as well.
"So… uh, what do we do now?" Jack asked, looking at the mech. Switchshade glanced at him, and then at the groundbridge. "I suppose that would depend upon when the Autobots return, and realize I have been left out of my cell." Turning to face Jack fully, he asked quietly, "When will Bulkhead return from wherever it is he has gone, and discover that I am… unbound?" Jack shrugged, "Well, he went looking for Fowler, 'cause he sent out an SOS, and-Miko!" The human's sudden cry made the mech startle slightly in surprise. "She went with him! She snuck along with Bulkhead!"
Raf's eyes widened. "What should we do? Bulkhead may not even realize that she followed him!" Jack shook his head, clearly very worried. "Miko hasn't seen the 'Cons in action like we have-er… no offense, Switchshade." The dark mech shook his helm. "None taken. I am under no illusions regarding the dangers of the Decepticons. Please, continue."
Raf spun around and typed something into the Autobot computer, his tiny human fingers flying over the pad nearly as swiftly as Soundwave's servos did when he was deep in concentration, and Switchshade found himself surprised and impressed, even as most of his focus shifted to what was clearly the best course of action. "These are the coordinates. Their destination's still locked in!" The humans turned and looked at Switchshade, who stared back at them with narrowed optics. "This is a horrible idea."
"Look, we'll just go in, get Miko, and come right back, ok? No engaging the 'Cons, no fighting, it'll be easy." Switchshade raised an optic-brow. "And what of me? I rescind my earlier statement on your wisdom. Trusting me in the field near to the Decepticons is not only extremely foolhardy, it is also inconceivable. Even if your plan is only to retrieve Miko, I will only be able to protect you for a short amount of time…" Rafael and Jack stood firm, both crossing their arms. "Well, you can come with us and make our chances of survival much higher, or you can stay here. It's your choice, but we are not staying here and leaving Miko to the mercy of the 'Cons." Raf, for being only twelve years of age, could be surprisingly terrifying for a human, Switchshade discovered. His piece said, the boy turned again and typed for another moment, and the groundbridge was activated, opening to the last known coordinates.
The humans made their way to the entrance of the groundbridge quickly, and then turned to look at Switchshade, who was staring at them as if they were not humans at all, but rather some fascinating entirely undiscovered species that he had only just unearthed. "You coming, or…?" Jack demanded, as he prepared to step through. Switchshade shook his helm, but quickly stepped to stand before them, scooping them up and setting them on his shoulder plating, the spikes in the armor hiding them as well as securing them in place. His doorwings rose to shield their backs, and he shook his helm again as he quickly stepped through the groundbridge. "Lord Prime truly is going to kill me." He murmured softly.