Grave

Grave, formerly known as Subject D3601, is a Decepticon within the Transformers Animated universe. Formerly an Autobot medical assistant with a Cybertronian ground-based vehicle mode, he is now a flier with a Lockheed SR-17 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft alternate mode. He is capable of reaching speeds of Mach 3 and above.

Grave's primary function is to perform aerial reconnaissance as a scout. His weapons consist of inbuilt surgical tools (currently a scalpel and a drill bit), a Cybertronian knout (a cabling whip with three segments and a sharp hook at the end) and emergency knives. Grave also possesses inbuilt cloaking capabilities, enabling him to scout without being detected.

The extensive 'upgrades' that were made to him allow him to rerout power from his other systems into his right arm, granting him a great deal of temporary strength at the cost of burning out his systems and overheating his processor, causing him to become mentally unstable for a period of time while his systems recalibrate. He is known mostly for his terrifying speed and his equally terrifying kill count and efficiency in combat.

Grave was once a cheerful, hopeful medical assistant looking forward to his future; those days are long past, however, and he rarely feels the need to look back on them. The experimental procedures he went through and the absymal conditions he endured turned him bitter and suspicious, and it was a long time before he was able to feel himself emotionally strong enough to reach out to other people. Despite himself, he retains the capacity for compassion and understanding that led him down the path of healing as an Autobot, and his kindness to those who have been mutilated or otherwise crippled by war has made him a surprising amount of allies who speak well of him among the Decepticon forces. He dislikes seeing people in pain; his efficiency as a killer stems from this aversion, preferring to kill targets quickly rather than let them suffer. Though emotionally distant and quiet, he is polite and well-spoken - remnants of his civilised education - and has no qualms about working in teams. He prefers to be unobtrusive in all aspects of his life, often to the point of shunning others reaching out to him - despite his compassion, he harbors great distrust and considers his more emotional side only worth showing to a select few.

History
Not much is known about Grave's life before he became what caused him to turn to the Decepticon cause. He was previously a bright medical assistant serving at one of Cybertron's most prestigious hospitals, studying in the hopes of becoming a fully-fledged medic. For a reason unknown to him, he was chosen - along with other promising students - to take part in experimental procedures unwillingly.

To his knowledge, he was the only one who came out of the procedures with processor mostly intact. He eventually escaped, freeing the others who were still able to move and mercy-killing those who were unable, before fleeing the facility and disappearing from the records.

Unwilling to attempt to take up his old life again, he remained nameless and chose not to speak, instead honing his new skills for a deadlier cause. A jittery, nervous wreck freshly traumatised by his experiences, he nevertheless found himself recruited by the Decepticons as a stealth operative. Seeing nowhere else to go, he accepted the offer; his unique talents and mindset saw him through. He became well-known as a Decepticon soldier, and spending time around others who were supportive improved his mental state significantly, though having no emotional support meant he was still fairly unstable.

He met Saint a few months after joining the Decepticon forces and found him interesting enough to reach out to. When Saint was assigned to Team Kalis for his volatile behaviour, he chose to follow - his eventual accomplishments and support were overshadowed by Aphelion and Saint, and he vastly preferred it that way. In Team Kalis, his function was to serve as a stealth operative; he was also the medical officer, as Team Kalis lacked anyone with more experience. When the team was disbanded, he chose to remain with Aphelion and Saint.

Relationships
Aphelion is someone Grave trusts greatly and thinks highly of; his squad leader provided much-needed emotional support and security, and has proven himself to be a valued ally. Excelling in tactics and long-range combat, Aphelion's strengths are only matched by his unfortunate egotism, which Grave is generally around to pop the bubble for if Saint isn't present.

Saint is the second of Grave's trusted allies; volatile, temperamental and oddly charismatic, he is a firecracker who has proven himself more than enough in the Decepticon ranks. Like Aphelion, he practically adopted Grave, providing emotional support and the means for the younger Decepticon to be able to adapt fully to his new environment. However, Saint's constant drinking problem worries Grave to no end, and he's constantly keeping an optic on him to ensure he doesn't drink himself to death - or worse.