CHAPTER 21
"Mister Deadlock…"
Deadlock didn't reply. He didn't tear his optics off the dashboard.
Space in front of them. They'd left atmosphere for a long time now.
Constructicons had been resisting. Tenacious as well. Deadlock had drove, drove till the spaceport. At his arrival, he'd stopped to travel in a straight line and tried a number of turns and detours to get them lost. This idea had succeeded because he'd been able to put some distance between them and their chasers. They had managed to get inside the ship to activate it.
Truth to be told, Deadlock had watched Shadow Raker use it only once. All along he'd thought it wouldn't be enough. He'd thought he wouldn't be able to take off. Then he'd understood the steering system. That's way easier than he'd expected.
Yeah. Way easier. And that wasn't the only surprise.
No. The other surprise had been the advanced cloak system. As soon as he used this command device, the ship went unseen until they'd left the atmosphere. They couldn't be detected anymore.
Deadlock blessed his luck many times.
Behind him, Slipstream's voice rose again.
"…Where are we going?"
Where were they going?
Deadlock didn't reply. Maybe because he'd no answer to give.
He'd escaped Shadow Raker, along with Minicons…
But now, where would they go?
They had a ship. They weren't on Kaon anymore. They didn't need to fear Decepticon authorities anymore. They wouldn't capture them in one moment or another.
They could go wherever they wanted by using this ship.
However, these Minicons…
What would he do with them?
"…You can go wherever you wish." Deadlock only said, his tone cold.
He didn't need to turn around. He could feel Minicons' obvious shock on their faces.
"But…where could we go?"
"Wherever you wish" He repeated. "That's not my business."
Of course, that's a lie…
However, what kind of life would they have with him?
They would be in danger…
"You freed us!" Slipstream insisted. "You saved us! Without you, Shadow Raker would have killed us one day or another!"
Deadlock just activated autopilot. He let out a sigh.
"You can't have any possible life with me"
"But Jetstorm and I…We have nobody but you!"
He shook his head.
"I'm sure you'll find a decent Deployer who will take care of you. Better than Shadow Raker ever did."
"We are tools" The Minicon retorted. "Other Deployers will treat us the same way. They're all the same. You…trained us. You respect us."
He'd trained them and it'd ended horribly.
"They aren't the same. Some people don't always view Minicons as tools."
After all, that Wing individual didn't view them as such.
Crystal Cities…Was it still far?
"No! That's a collective thinking." Slipstream explained. "We are tools. However, you don't buy it… you are the only one who doesn't believe this."
"I'm surely far from being the only one."
He let out another sigh. That's end of this discussion to him.
"You cannot stay with me anyway. I've been a lonely bot. And I'll remain as such."
"But…What about our training?" Slipstream questioned him.
"I'm not your teacher" Deadlock glared at him.
He'd no right to call him as such.
"I'm not trained myself."
"Shadow Raker trained you"
"That's not training"
That had been brainwashing.
"He wanted me to become a Shadow. Now that I left him, I'll not follow such a path anymore."
A Shadow…A thief…
A murderer…Here had been the result Shadow Raker had wanted of him.
"And…Which path will you follow?"
"…I don't know."
He could go to Crystal Cities…Truth to be told, he wasn't sure if that's a good idea. He didn't believe Wing whenever the latter repeated that he just wanted to help him. Selfless people didn't exist.
Even if he wished to respect his mentor's last wishes…
Whatever was waiting for him…he didn't know. But he didn't have any other goal.
He left the control room, asking Slipstream to watch out. He had something else to do.
He slowly walked closer to the airlock system.
He looked at the two blades he'd kept. The ones offered by Shadow Raker. He'd used them from the beginning, for his training sessions.
Then he took his laser-gun out. Still loaded. However, if he could find any load in the Crystal Cities…in one way or another…
Yes. He could keep extra weapons. They would be still useful to defend himself.
Always a Shadow…always a thief…
Deadlock stepped forward.
That's a poisoned gift. Everything coming from Shadow Raker had been poisoned.
Even martial arts…Blades, swords, katanas…he'd kept repeating that these weapons were eternal. However, they only served Shadow Raker's interests.
This kind of weapon had been used to steal, rob, beat, kill…
Everything in blades felt negative…
In an abrupt move, he threw them out.
He was determined.
He will never touch a blade ever again. At least, laser-guns didn't cause so many damages…less physically than mentally.
He turned around.
Never again.
He stepped back to the control room. Slipstream looked down. As soon as Deadlock went back to driving, the Minicon left the room.
"We will follow you everywhere, Mister Deadlock."
"Stop calling me as such."
Around them, still space…it surrounded him…before the sky went less dark while stars faded away. They arrived in the atmosphere.
He couldn't keep Minicons.
However, he couldn't leave them alone either.
He deactivated autopilot.
He'll stay with them…until they found an adequate Deployer.
A trustworthy Deployer…
Did it exist?
Around him, he could still feel Shadow Raker's presence.
I created you…
"Crystal Cities!" Jetstorm cried out.
Deadlock followed his gaze, stepping closer.
He suppressed a cry of awe in front of such a sight.
One of most spectacular structures in Cybertron.
Unlike the Rust Sea, it'd still stood. They weren't just a shadow…
He hadn't thought to live enough to be able to see it one day… The City was extremely high. Richest quarters were located at the top of the structure, while poorest areas were at the bottom…Roads surrounded it, just like planet's rings. Everything was in a sapphire blue…everything was made of crystal…or maybe another Cybertronian metal?
Of course that's a metal. No. That's named crystal after its colour. Though Deadlock was afraid, in an irrational way, of shattering the complete city down by landing.
Seeing such a thing…it almost made Deadlock forget that they were in war.
They were in war and this City hadn't fallen down yet.
According to the Minicons' face, such an admiration was shared.
As soon as the ship landed, Deadlock left first, his laser-gun at servo. Jetstorm and Slipstream followed him close by.
"…Stay cautious"
After all, danger was everywhere.
By the way, who ruled such a City? Autobots? Decepticons?
He didn't know.
"Where are we going?" Jetstorm asked.
He took a time to answer. Did it involve them?
"…The Circle of Light."
Going from a Shadow…to a Light…
Deadlock thought it was ironic.