Hey everyone! This chapter doesn't have a whole lot of action, but there's a little comfort, and the next chapter should contain an Optimus & Switchshade Talk, so there's that! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, and my sincerest gratitude to all of you who take the time to read, follow/favorite, comment, etc! It always makes my day to open my email and get a notification that someone's enjoying my work! I don't always answer right away (or at all, if I'm really busy), but please know that I am super grateful nonetheless! Enjoy!

::Switchshade::

The dark mech onlined his optics, blinking in confusion at the surrounding darkness as he struggled to remember the events that must have led to his recharge in these unfamiliar surroundings. The berth beneath him was strangely hard, and a quick scan revealed it was little more than a hunk of rock hewn from the Terran surface. Wait. Terran surface? …Earth…

::Switchshade::

::Sire? What's… Why?::

::Switchshade: Hurt?::

It took him a moment to run a self-diagnostic, but aside from dangerously depleted energon levels, and a strange weakness running through his lines, he appeared undamaged.

::I am functional. Sire… What has happened?::

::Soundwave: would ask the same of you. Why did you feel the need to activate your for such a prolonged period of time?::

::I…Oh-::

Switchshade faltered when he began to remember what had happened prior, and he whimpered.

::Lord Optimus Prime is furious… He moved to punish me, and I… Oh Primus, Sire, please…::

::Your location. Now.::

Switchshade automatically moved to obey, millennia of trusting his Sire's words and heeding his commands prompting him to comply, before the realization of what he had been asked slammed into him with the weight of a Wrecker.

::But… Sire-::

::NOW::

::I… I will groundbridge away from the base. Then I will comm. you::

::… Acceptable. If you encounter trouble, inform me immediately. Understood?::

::Yes. Sire.::

As Switchshade moved to sit up, he was frozen in place by a shocked gasp. Tilting his helm to peer at his chassis, the dark mech was astonished to see Miko, tear-tracks streaming down her cheeks, clothing and hair rumpled as if she had not changed or groomed herself for some time. "Switch?! You're alive?! How? Ratchet said you were a goner!"

Switchshade cycled his optics, sitting up more carefully as the human slid from his chassis plating to his knee-joint. "Ratchet… said I was offlined?"

"Yes! We've all mourned you, and Bulkhead said you were a noble warrior, and Optimus was almost crying! And Ratchet's been even more growly than usual, Arcee and Cliffjumper have been really quiet, and I don't think Bumblebee's been outside the base longer than it takes to bring Raf to school. Arcee and Jack went out on a mission this morning, but Optimus warned them to be careful, but I don't think that's because of the danger, but rather because they're both off-kilter after finding out about you, and-"

The disoriented mech held up a clawed servo in a wordless plea for the human to pause, which she did, lapsing into silence as she gazed up at him. Switchshade barely had an astroklik to flinch when she flung herself at him, only to blink down in confusion as the human did her level best to hug him. "I'm so glad you're alive!"

He allowed a small, bemused smile to cross his faceplates, even as his processor raced in an attempt to figure out all of what the human had said. A gentle servo cradled her as he returned the embrace as best he could, before one fact of her statement stood out. "Wait, Miko, did you just say Lord Prime was nearly crying?"

She pulled back, nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah! I mean, there weren't tears or anything, but his face got all frowny, and he kept glancing at you with this regret and pain in his eyes, and Ratchet even tried to cheer him up between his growling and throwing wrenches."

Switchshade's optics went wide in surprise, which quickly turned to alarm when the human suddenly jumped to her pedes. "Oh, but I gotta tell everyone! They've all been so sad, but you're ok, so everything's gonna be all right!" Before he could think to stop her, she had already slid down the berth and darted out a tiny human-sized door to the right of the main door of the darkened chamber he'd found himself in.

The mech tried to struggle to his feet, only to sway back into a seated position as a sudden dizziness pervaded his helm. What seemed mere kliks after the human female had left, the sound of several running pedesteps reached his audials, and Switchshade had not even a moment to flinch back before powerful white and orange arms were wrapped around his frame. "You… Fragging… Idiot!" The incredible strength of the medic was restrained only enough to carefully not cause damage, but far too tight for the smaller mech to even consider trying to escape. "You had us all in mourning, and now you're alive, and I have to actually consider whether Primus is real, after all these millennia?! What did you do? How?"

Switchshade cycled his optics again, then cautiously glanced up when it appeared the medic had no intentions of releasing him any time soon. Bulkhead, Cliffjumper, and Bumblebee stood behind Ratchet, each with looks of astonished joy on their faceplates. Rafael and Miko stood beside their respective guardians, giddy relief clear on their own features. Ratchet's field practically sang of relief, joy, and exhilaration, despite his words. Carefully, Switchshade glanced to the mech he feared most, and found himself equally astonished to see Lord Prime held not even a hint of his earlier anger, only the same relief bafflingly present in all of the other Autobots.

"I… it's…" he strove to answer even one of Ratchet's queries, but the medic cut him off before he could continue. "Don't worry about it, kid. 'M just glad you're still with us."

Starscream was pacing again: irrelevant. No word yet from Lord Megatron: unsettling, but despite all evidence to the contrary, his lord had never yet failed to return unscathed from situations that should and have killed many lesser mecha. Now, if only his youngest would return from his foolish escapade into the spark of the Autobot base, all would nearly be set right again, or as right as things could be in the midst of an ageless war. All other functions on the Nemesis: operational. Morale among drones: lower than before Switchshade's lapse of reason. The young one had always taken the time to speak with his subordinates, spend time with them, treat them like actual mecha instead of simply more wheels in the cog of the well-oiled machine that was the Decepticon Army. Perhaps it would do the crew well if others in the command staff followed that example. Then again, there was no cause to frighten them to early graves unnecessarily.

Soundwave resisted the annoying urge to begin a pace similar to the acting Lord of the Decepticons'. Switchshade had not yet responded with his coordinates, and Soundwave grew concerned. Surely, after all these millennia, he had not so badly misjudged Optimus Prime as to have failed to realize if the Prime was a threat? On the battlefield, certainly, and the only other mech Soundwave knew of aside from himself who was capable of holding his own against Lord Megatron in single combat, but to harm or offline a mech in cold energon? Soundwave never would have thought it possible of an uncorrupted Autobot, and certainly not their Lord.

Soundwave tried to comm. Switchshade once again, and there was no answer. The slender mech turned from his station and began to move down the hall with a single-minded efficiency. Starscream stepped into his path, and the Seeker and the Spymaster commenced a silent stare-down that lasted for only a klik. Despite his mask, Soundwave was fully capable of glaring, and for all of Starscream's posturing at times, he was no fool. A moment later, and the Seeker stood aside, permitting his Second to pass without question.

Soundwave had nearly made it to the hangar bay when Switchshade's comm. reached him.

::Sire!::

::Switchshade::

::It is all right! The Autobots have not harmed me. I do not require assistance.::

A long pause, as Soundwave pondered the likelihood of a lie, coerced or otherwise. In all the vorns since Ravage had brought the tiny, terrified mechling to his pedes, Switchshade had never once offered a lie to his sire, nor indeed to any other mecha Soundwave was aware of. The glyphs accompanying the comm. included disbelief, wary concern, even a hint of hope, but they did not contain the spark-chilling terror that had been attached to his previous correspondence. Another long moment, and Soundwave lifted a slender servo to his mask, performing a very human gesture of massaging the sides of his helm in attempt to stave off an impending helmache from exasperation.

::Switchshade: Certain?::

::Yes, Sire. Though I am grateful beyond words for your continued support in light of… everything. I am well. Whatever penalty awaits me, it is not deactivation, for even Lord Prime appears relieved that I still function.::

::…Very well. Be safe.::

::Sire.::