Quick sneak peak at why Switchshade chose the designation he did! I'm really just playing this by ear, so please let me know what you think! Too much? Too unrealistic? I mean, we have Mirage, who can actually disappear, and Makeshift, who can turn into any other mech at will, I figured this wasn't too much of a stretch. But please, let me know what you think! I'm always happy to answer any questions and try to clear up any confusion. A great deal of the time I write, and I think I'm expressing everything I'm thinking, and then I go back and re-read it later and it's a confusing jumbled mess. So if it makes sense, or you believe anything needs some polishing or alterations, please do let me know! Hope you enjoy! And belated Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and any other holidays I might be missing as well! And a very Happy New Year to Everyone! (Even Megatron…)
"Switchshade! I… um…" the eldest human's strange organic optics were far wider than his usual parameters, and the black mech allowed a moment of concern for his well-being before focusing on Jack's words again. "Look, it's just… I-might have entered a race? With Arcee?" Switchshade cycled his optics, his ruby gaze narrowing in slight confusion. "Are you asking me if you entered a race?" Miko and Rafael watched with growing grins at Jack's embarrassment and stumbling attempts to keep the events of the day on the 'down low', as it were. "No, I mean… I did. We did. Race, that is. It's just that, Optimus has asked that the 'Bots not… you know… draw undue attention. And, well, racing in the streets is reckless, and… yeah."
Switchshade drew back slightly in further confusion, his optical ridge furrowing as his helm tilted slightly. "Then why did you and Arcee elect to engage in such activities? Did you not realize the Lord Prime would be displeased?"
"No, no we knew, it's just that. Well… there's this girl, and I couldn't just… I… you know what? Forget it. Just, please, don't tell Optimus, ok? He'd…" The black mech's optics widened, and his vocalizer stalled static as millennia of memories of Megatron's rage superimposed over an image of Optimus, carrying out even a mild punishment. While devastating enough to mech-kind, it would be more than enough to utterly decimate a human. The black mech nodded rapidly, replying very quietly, "Of course, Jack. I will not say a word. But I beg of you, swear that you will never attempt to cross the Lord Prime's commands again. No good can come of it."
Clear relief shone in the human's optics, though less perhaps than there might have been if he knew what could have truly resulted from his reckless actions in going against the direct orders of Lord Prime, as Switchshade knew. "Sure, sure. I'll be certain to be more… careful, in the future!" Jack smiled winningly, and then turned to go back into the base, Miko and Rafael following, all three seemingly unfazed regarding the close call they had just avoided.
The dark mech watched them go with wary red optics, then rose to his pedes, rage unlike any he had felt since hearing Starscream's temerity in asking Lord Prime to bow before him flooding Switchshade's frame. With still-silent steps, the mech stalked after the humans, optics bright and nearly sparking in his fury. He waited a moment, doorwings swept high and back, and nigh quivering in barely-masked rage, and after the humans had settled in for a quiet evening of their favored 'video games', he moved to stand before Arcee, who looked up at him in surprise and alarm at his clearly agitated state.
"I would beg a word with you in private." The femme's cold blue optics narrowed at his clipped, clearly carefully controlled words, and she rose to her pedes wordlessly, following at his request. As he moved to a corridor far enough out of the way that they were unlikely to be overheard or stumbled into by any of the other Autobots, Switchshade turned on Arcee, and lifted his servos in furious entreaty. "I know that you have no reason to answer to me, but I beg the truth of you, if only for Jack's sake. How could you? Do you not realize there could be disastrous consequences for direct and willful disobedience, not only for you, but also for your much more breakable charge?"
Arcee blinked in astonishment at this, the most words any of the 'Bots had heard from Switchshade yet, but he wasn't done, and when she didn't move to punish his impertinence, the dark mech steeled himself and continued. "Do you not realize the extent of damage even a gentle punishment would inflict on a human? I understand that Lord Prime is far more gentle and merciful than any commander I have served in the past, but for direct disobedience there must be consequences of some sort! I'll admit, I have never understood the Autobots' love for humans very well before I began to get to know your three charges, but it seemed to me that you held at least some fondness for Jack, did you not? Why would you risk him like this? What could you possibly have hoped to have gained-?"
Switchshade's low vocalizer broke on the final word, buzzing static, and he found himself astonished when he lifted a clawed servo and felt moisture at the corners of his optics. Cycling them rapidly several times, he looked back to Arcee's own astonished gaze, and stumbled back several steps. "F-Forgive me, I overstepped. I just… I apologize." He spun on a pede and fled, transforming into his alt mode with scarcely a thought and took off out of the corridor, past the large group of surprised mecha and humans in the common area, ignored Cliffjumper's call after him, and tore off out the hidden exit onto the rocky terrain surrounding the base.
Driving blindly, Switchshade only barely managed to keep himself from crashing several times, the underlying panic of being outside of the base, alone and without express permission, conflicting with the more pressing matter of the fact that he had just berated Arcee like a sparkling. Despite being far less worried about physical punishment from the femme than from Lord Prime, there was still no doubt that she could make his life as the Pit if she so wished it. She held a great deal of respect and influence amongst the Autobots, and Switchshade had little doubt that if she wanted, it would take very little effort for her to have him effectively removed from ever being permitted inside the base or trusted ever again.
Foolish. Extremely foolish. There is no way this will end well. It is not my place to rebuke any of the Autobots. She is more than capable of making her own decisions and facing the consequences. It is only just… does she truly not realize that Jack is not nearly so hardy? That he could not withstand… Still not my place. I need to remember it, before it is reminded to me.
Distracted as he was, the mech was very, very grateful for his mod when he nearly ran into a disturbingly familiar cherry red Aston Martin. Transforming into his root mode mid-leap, Switchshade quite literally faded into the shadows of the nearest large rock formation, quieting his spark rate and the energon in his lines until he became the shadow. Now murky gray, he watched with no small trepidation as Knockout slowed slightly, and Switchshade found himself praying to Primus that the Decepticon medic hadn't noticed anything amiss before he could conceal himself. Fortunately, it was just then that another vehicle, entirely Terran in model and design, revved its engine and passed the Decepticon, unknowingly sparking up Knockout's overly arrogant and competitive nature. Any suspicions he may have had vanished in the face of a race, and he immediately took off after the human foolish enough to challenge him.
Switchshade watched in silence, and made no move to remove himself from his altered state just yet. All sensation and emotion was somewhat muted in this form, and though it was extremely draining to hold it for any great duration of time, the dark mech was not yet ready to return to his solid root mode just yet. Just a moment more…