CHAPTER 18
Deadlock had driven, driven until he'd left Kaon City.
He'd ended up by hiding himself in the forest. A few kilometers away from Shadow Raker's domain.
He'd then stopped then he'd leaned against a tree to let out his screams of rage and pain…
His disgust for Shadow Raker…his disgust for himself…
His powerlessness…
The bot had asked nothing…just like the previous victim of Shadow Raker…
Then he'd killed him…with his own servos.
He tried to calm down, repeating to himself that wasn't his fault…Shadow Raker threatened Slipstream. He threatened Jetstorm.
Yet he killed him…while he should have escaped.
He dropped to the ground…he couldn't breath anymore…he couldn't stop trembling…
Why?
He felt his sword, his katana…he grabbed them with difficulties. These weapons felt way heavier than before.
Too heavy…these weapons belonged to a mad man.
He'd learned martials arts…from a crazy bot…all for nothing? A shelter? Energon?
In a violent gesture, he threw the sword off against a tree. As for his katana…he moved closer to another tree then hit it with the blade. Over and over…
He wanted to destroy it.
He wanted to destroy Shadow Raker.
He wanted to get rid of it.
Why? Why had he joined him? Why had he become his student?
He hit the tree again, tears running down his cheeks. He then fell to his knees. Why hadn't he protected Jetstorm and Slipstream? Why had he let him torture Jetstorm? Why had he let him threaten Slipstream?
Nothing…That katana didn't break.
"Stop it"
A voice called him out.
Deadlock stopped then suddenly turned around. He thought it was Shadow Raker. His state made the vision blurry around him.
"Calm down!"
Deadlock froze.
That wasn't Shadow Raker.
A bot, his face hidden by a golden hood…with yellow optics…
Deadlock took his time to recognize him.
This bot…
"You're the one who…gave me energon, this last time…"
The stranger replied with a nod.
"Why…? What are you doing here?" Deadlock weakly asked him.
"I knew I would find you here"
The stranger stepped forward. Deadlock moved back, grabbing the katana he'd just planned to destroy…If that stranger wanted to cause any harm…
"Get out!"
"Deadlock…"
The stranger had his arms up. As if he showed he will not hurt him…Nevertheless, Deadlock didn't buy it.
"How do you know my name? Ha I see! You're part of Decepticon authorities! You came to arrest me, right?"
"You're wrong…"
"Am I wrong? So who are you? Or rather…What are you? Why do you come to help me? Don't tell me that's out of altruism! Everyone is on their own on Cybertron. That's all about money, Shanix, power! Especially rich people like you! Else it's destruction! So, WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
Yes. Megatron, Starscream, Optimus, Shadow Raker…
That's all about survival. The stranger looked down. Throughout tears, Deadlock could find sadness in the stranger's optics.
"You're wrong…I'm not rich."
"Really? That hood of yours tells me otherwise!"
Deadlock dared another step.
"I would gladly take it for me"
"I watched you all along, Deadlock"
"Really? Do I have an admirer? Great! So you already know I'm a scum! A robber! Not any kind of robber…"
He wished he could have laughed. Oh yes. He would have laughed if he didn't cry that much…
"A Shadow! Ha! I'm a Shadow! From Shadows' clan. A professional robber. I steal Shanix because I can! Because I have been in the worst caste. I never had something that belonged to me. Now the Council fell! Megatron is winning! I can taste these things!"
The stranger didn't bat an optic. He leaned against a tree. He obviously wasn't afraid of him.
"…Are you a Decepticon?" The stranger softly asked him.
Deadlock bit his lip. No. He shouldn't show any weakness in front of him.
"Isn't it obvious? I chose a red colour!"
But that stranger…in which faction was he part of?
Silence fell down. The stranger let out a sigh. In the end, he declared.
"…I knew your friend"
"Who?"
Beside Shadow Raker, he didn't have any friend.
"…Gasket"
His homeless friend…when he'd been still living in streets…the one who had been killed…murdered because he'd chosen to remain neutral…
"Impossible" Deadlock said. "You want to trick me"
"No"
His voice went tender.
"…He had been my mentor"
"Your mentor?"
He frowned.
Gasket had never had been the one to talk about his past. He'd been quite silent about it. Deadlock only remembered a formation. But no details about it.
"He hadn't chosen any faction" The stranger said. "Because to us, the Autobot and Decepticon conflict doesn't exist"
"…What are you talking about? You're Cybertronian, right?"
Yes, he was. Despite his clothes, it was obvious.
"I'm not part of this society"
"Really? Where are you from?"
The stranger paused.
"…I'm part of the Circle of Light"
The Circle…
What was he talking about?
"…Gasket was someone I respected more than anyone." The stranger explained. "I visited him…I gave him some energon. I wasn't allowed to do…but I hated myself for being in a good health while he was suffering"
It didn't mean anything…
"He talked about you…your situation was way more difficult than his…He said you stole, you committed energon traffic…"
"…I wasn't close to him" Deadlock tried to retort.
He knew he should be cautious…but something about that stranger…it sort of reassured Deadlock. He could talk…
"…I don't understand. You are saying he was your friend, your mentor…you hated to watch him suffer and yet…why didn't you take him with you? Why didn't you give him a shelter?"
The stranger didn't immediately reply. He let out a sigh.
"…It's complicated. He had been part of the Circle of Light then he…left us."
In the end, the stranger stepped closer.
"He asked me to help you"
"The last time someone said they wanted to help me, I became his slave" Deadlock bitterly stated.
He stared down at his katana.
He was still thinking about the moment where he stabbed through the bot…
"Are you happy?" The stranger questioned him.
His tone stated he already guessed the answer. Deadlock chose not to speak his mind out.
"…I belong to him"
"You belong to nobody, Deadlock"
He could say these things to Shadow Raker.
"I watched you…Whatever you have…it's not a life"
"That's the life I've chosen"
"You're lying"
Deadlock growled.
"You can say whatever you wish! I have no other choice! Either I stay hidden here with Shadow Raker, either I return to streets under the risk of being arrested by Decepticon authorities and die!"
The stranger shook his head.
"Do you truly believe you will not die, by staying with Shadow Raker? That's already happening. You're slowly dying…"
Slowly dying…
"It tears you apart watching Jetstorm and Slipstream suffer…"
"He shouldn't treat his tools like this…"
"They aren't tools. You know it too"
Tools…
Shadow Raker had stated that's the collective point of view about Minicons in Cybertronian society. Then he met another person who shared Deadlock's point of view.
"…If that's a way to manipulate me…"
"I don't want to manipulate you. I just want to help you."
"…Why?"
Under his hood, Deadlock could catch sight of a smile.
A genuine smile…
"I don't need any reason to help you and respect my mentor's last wishes"
That's the very first time…
Deadlock stared at the stranger.
If he could help him…to escape Shadow Raker?
"…How?"
"If you need help, come to join me at Crystal Cities"
Crystal Cities…
This heavenly place…one of most beautiful places in the universe, due to its building, its beauty…
Did he live here?
The stranger was about to leave.
It sounded too…utopic. But…
He looked around.
Was there any worse place than here?
If he could escape Shadow Raker…
"Wait"
He called him back, before the stranger completely vanished.
"…What's your name?"
"…Wing"