CHAPTER 17
"Hurry up!"
They stood at the domain's doors, ready to leave. Shadow Raker and Deadlock were waiting for their Minicons to attach themselves to their Master. However, as soon as Jetstorm tried to transform, he collapsed, servos over his stomach.
"Well, Jetstorm? Will you do like Deadlock now?" Shadow Raker let out an irritated sigh. "Are you too tired to accompany me?"
Jetstorm replied with a weak moan. Deadlock stared at the Minicon. He wasn't sick. Memories of Shadow Raker's mistreatment came back in his mind. His wounds were still open. He'd been in his berth during the entire day. However, it wasn't enough.
Watching him suffer like this…That's an unbearable sight. And Shadow Raker still wanted him to accompany them?
"Master…I don't think that's a good idea."
"What wouldn't be a good idea?" Shadow Raker repeated.
That's always the same thing. Always the same reaction whenever Deadlock interfered in the Master's and Minicons' relationship…However, he couldn't let him do without saying anything.
"Maybe shall we…let him rest?" Deadlock tried.
"Don't tell me you'll do it again!" Shadow Raker shouted, almost outraged by his offer.
Deadlock tried his best in order not to show any emotion.
"He'll not be useful like this, Master." He attempted again.
"If he isn't useful, I have no reason to keep him around" He coldly retorted.
Was he serious…?
"That's a tool" His mentor added. "As long as he isn't dead, he can still function."
"But Master—"
"He'll rest during our vacations" He cut him in.
He turned around to face the Minicon.
"Come, Jetstorm. Stand up"
Jetstorm nodded. With difficulties, he sat up. He slowly transformed in his disk-form, using all his strength to attach himself to his Master's wrist.
"Good"
Shadow Raker turned into his insect-mode as well. Deadlock stayed unmoving during a few minutes. The bot killed by Shadow Raker still haunted his mind…
Why?
Deadlock shook his head before following his mentor. He had no other choice. Then…Shadow Raker had promised him there wouldn't be any other victim…
He transformed.
This house was much bigger than the other ones they'd stolen beforehand. Shadow Raker turned back into his robot-mode then stretched out an arm to prevent Deadlock from coming closer.
"Now…That will become interesting"
"What?"
Shadow Raker didn't answer. He deployed Jetstorm and Slipstream. When Jetstorm touched the ground, he collapsed again.
"Master?"
"…That's an occupied house" The Insecticon declared.
"What?"
Deadlock turned back at the domain.
He gave him a second look…then indeed, he could catch a sight of movements through windows.
Why would he-?
"We can't!"
"Of course, we can"
"We must find another empty house! We'll be caught!" Deadlock cried out.
Shadow Raker shrugged.
"You know, Deadlock. I love your advices."
He paused.
"I think if you keep on like this, you could become my second-in-command. What would you say about it?"
His second-in-command…
In his Shadows?
He stared at his mentor. He would become his second-in-command…Deadlock?
Shadow Raker didn't pay more attention to him.
"You've to learn something…There are other ways to steal."
How…
Then it struck him. Horror invaded him again.
"…You told me…"
"No, Deadlock. I have no intention to kill them, if that's what you're scared of. However, that had been a long time since I've noticed this house. His inhabitants never leave…nevertheless, I know friends who told me they possessed valued items."
He turned to Jetstorm and Slipstream. They give him a nod.
"So. Time to shine"
"What will you-"
Shadow Raker cut him in.
"You shall see, Deadlock"
Then he gave them the greenlight.
They'd never broken into in such a way before.
They'd always robbed empty or abandoned houses…Now Shadow Raker showed him a new manner to steal…
No. It didn't mean anything to Deadlock. He quietly observed. He quietly listened.
Jetstorm and Slipstream headed over for the door then knocked.
They waited.
After a few seconds, someone came to open. A green bot, a fragile appearance. He stared at them, a bit confused.
"What-?"
"My friend needs some help, please!" Slisptream begged.
Jetstorm trembled. Shadow Raker chuckled.
"With so many wounds, it's hard not to believe it."
Disgust came over Deadlock again.
How could he laugh at this?
The bot looked around.
"What happened?"
"We had an accident…Some robbers…they attacked us! Our deployer is dead…"
"Primus…"
The bot didn't hesitate. He stepped aside to let them pass.
"Don't stay here. I have fresh energon. If it can help your friend…"
"Thanks, Sir…"
Deadlock looked at the stranger.
Even during times of war, even when Cybertron was burning, some were still had the capacity of compassion.
Slipstream and Jetstorm came inside the house. The bot didn't tear his optics off them.
His back faced them, for a few seconds…
"That's the moment!" Shadow Raker warned him.
"What?"
Shadow Raker didn't reply. He rushed over to the bot.
"Master!" Deadlock shouted.
He didn't intend to-
He raised his weapon in the air to strike the bot at the back of his head, only using the stick's side to knock him out.
That left Deadlock speechless.
"Well, Deadlock? Are you coming? That's your own idea to knock them out, after all!" His mentor called him, annoyed.
Yes…That had been his own idea…
Why?
"What's going on?"
A few minutes afterward, Shadow Raker did the same thing to a fembot who'd come to check what's happening. A brown fembot…
She fell near her companion, after a strike at the back of her head.
"Take whatever you find" Shadow Raker ordered them while he closed the door. "We meet here in five minutes"
Jetstorm and Slipstream hurriedly complied.
Deadlock glanced back at the couple.
They hadn't done anything…they'd welcomed Jetstorm and Slipstream, thinking they'd needed some help…they hadn't done anything…
He obeyed.
Maybe he should have got that feeling, for all these times where he'd attacked bots in streets in order to steal their energon.
There had been no real difference…
"Do you have anything?" Shadow Raker asked them.
They nodded.
Unlike the last time, there were things to steal. Shanix…as well as energon.
Shadow Raker was thrilled.
"Good. Good job"
Deadlock pulled back the items in his chassis. He then closed it.
"Hurry up…"
"What happened…?"
They froze.
The green bot had regained consciousness. He sat up, holding the back of his helm. Here where Shadow Raker'd struck him…He blinked, looking completely lost…
His wife didn't move yet.
However, it hadn't been enough…
Deadlock looked back at Shadow Raker. There was no anxiety, no fear, no worry…
They'd been caught…yet Shadow Raker displayed no emotion.
No.
Shadow Raker was burning inside.
Burning with rage…
His servo brushed off his weapon.
"Who are you?" The bot asked them, realizing he wasn't alone.
What will Shadow Raker do? The Insecticon stepped forward.
"Master…"
"He saw us…"
Shadow Raker pulled his katana out.
This time, he pointed the blade at the bot.
"Master!" Deadlock screamed.
No. That was impossible…He'd given his word…
"He saw us" Shadow Raker repeated.
"No!"
He wasn't thinking anymore. Right away Deadlock went forward then put himself between Shadow Raker and the bot.
"Deadlock, move!"
"No!"
"DEADLOCK, MOVE!" Shadow Raker's voice resonated in his earshots.
Nearby, Jetstorm and Slipstream moved back, shocked.
"You gave your word!" Deadlock reminded him, stretching out his arms.
"My word doesn't mean anything when my life is at stake…FOR THE LAST TIME, MOVE!"
Word…
"You said you wouldn't kill anyone. Remember…"
He didn't care if he would be punished.
He didn't care about Shadow Raker's treatment for insubordination.
But he couldn't let him take another life…
Shadow Raker lowered his weapon.
"…You are right" He said.
Deadlock stared back. Yet he still didn't move.
Shadow Raker's worried expression appeared again.
That guilty look…the same one he'd used, a few hours earlier…
"I gave my word…"
The green bot crawled back. He was aware of the situation he'd been caught into…He was terrified.
Anyone would…
Shadow Raker moved back.
"I said I wouldn't kill anyone. And I'll respect it."
Deadlock softened a bit. He looked genuine…
He let out a sigh out of relief. Then stepped aside…
He'd convinced him…
Then Shadow Raker put the blade in Slipstream's servos.
"Master?" Deadlock and Slipstream said, in one and same voice.
"Kill him" Shadow Raker coldly ordered to Slipstream.
"WHAT?"
The green bot stood up. He rushed over to the door, about to escape.
"You promised!"
"I said I wouldn't kill" Shadow Raker retorted. "However, Slipstream and Jetstorm aren't bound by such a promise."
He turned back to Slipstream.
"Slipstream. Kill him. Now"
"But…"
Slipstream's voice went weak.
"Kill him! Else we are done for! He'll denounce us to authorities! Do you want it?"
"But…"
Slipstream couldn't speak anymore. He was too horrified to add anything. As for Deadlock, he didn't feel his own body anymore.
He asked Slipstream to kill that bot…
He asked Slipstream to live with such a weight for his entire life…
"Help me!" The poor bot begged.
"Do it! That's an order from your Master!"
That's an order from your Master…
How many times had he said these words?
Slipstream grabbed the blade.
He couldn't…
"Do it! Or I'll kill you myself!" Shadow Raker roared. "Along with your partner!"
Before he could react, Shadow Raker grabbed Jetstorm by the neck, showing he didn't joke.
That was his Master…
Deadlock noticed tears in the Minicon's optics.
No…he couldn't let him do that…
He could grab the blade from Slipstream…He could use it against Shadow Raker…
Against his own Master…though he wasn't his Master anymore…He'd become a stranger to him.
However, he wouldn't be powerful enough to protect them. If he failed, Shadow Raker would kill him. He would kill Minicons. He would kill that bot…he couldn't escape. He couldn't abandon Jetstorm…
Slipstream trembled. Deadlock could feel his anguish. Warmth came to his head…his spark's pulse beat faster…he felt every emotion…Horror, guilt, helplessness…
Guilt would kill him…
"HELP ME!" The bot screamed.
"KILL HIM NOW!"
The blade stabbed through the bot's helm.
Deadlock wasn't thinking anymore.
He couldn't let Slipstream obey…
He couldn't let the Minicon get himself killed by such a guilt…
So he'd forcefully grabbed the blade away from Slipstream's servos…to use it against the bot…
"Deadlock…"
He should be the one doing this.
He saw nothing. Everything disappeared.
He could just hear the blade heavily fall on the ground…
Deadlock screamed.
He screamed till he lost his voice…
He didn't see the Minicons' reaction. He didn't see Shadow Raker's reaction.
He hurriedly opened the door to escape in the night.