CHAPTER29

He felt some apprehension as soon as he caught sight of Fracture's reflection appearing in the mirror. When he turned around, Fracture faced him, adopting a laidback attitude. Nothing with the serious professional bounty hunter he'd met the first time. However, he shouldn't underestimate him. He was far from being safe.

Far from it.

Fracture was someone who could act polite but, in the end, he was an extremely dangerous individual. He was scared of him. Even a bit disgusted with him. He was aware of his hypocrisy. He'd sent Fracture to take care of that kid, all for taking the money for himself. Nevertheless, every time the purple bot put his optics on him, he felt a chill through his spine. If he was formidable, how had Lockdown been when he was still alive?

"Here we are"

With a sharp move, Fracture threw off the Pad on his table. The purple Decepticon leaned against the wall, an amused smirk on his face. Slowly, his servos shaky, he grabbed the Pad to check what the screen displayed.

A landmark.

"The child is at this place" The bounty hunter informed him. "I have a picture as an evidence to prove that the job has been done."

"…No…I don't want it…"

He paused, warmth invading his spark.

"…Is he dead?"

"If you don't believe me, I can show you…"

"No. No. I believe you."

The bounty hunter didn't seem to display any hint of guilt. Nothing. He looked serene.

"…Did he suffer?"

"No"

Fracture opened his chassis to pull out a bottle.

"That's like he had been put under a sleep."

"I see…"

Now, wealth was all for himself. There was no obstacle anymore. He would take everything that belonged to him.

Nothing…anymore…

"Good. Don't forget our deal. I accomplished my work."

There was some annoyance in his voice. He got it. He shouldn't upset him. He immediately took a bag full of Shanix out then he put it on the table. Fracture grabbed it then he opened it. He looked a bit suspicious. Yet the bounty hunter had made his intentions clear if his customer ever tried to trick him.

He felt his forehelm getting wet.

He mustn't panic. He did it right.

In the end, Fracture closed the bag then got his chassis opened to put Shanix inside.

"So. Our goals had been reached, right?"

He nodded.

Fracture slightly smirked again. The same smirk as earlier.

"Are you satisfied?"

"About what?"

"I ask the same question to my customers every time I take care of a bounty."

"Oh…"

Satisfied?

Was it the correct term?

"…Yes."

"Good"

Strangely, he didn't leave.

He'd been paid. What was he waiting for?

"Wh-what do you want again?"

Fracture's smirk spread bigger.

He looked like a shark.

Immediately, he moved back. He just understood he'd committed a great mistake.

"…You, my dear."

"What?"

Fracture didn't react. He just walked closer to the bot. He then pressed a button on his arm.

A blade appeared out from his wrist.

"There is a bounty on your head."

"WHAT?" He repeated.

"You heard me. Your head has a price on social networks. For 3000 Shanix. It isn't very well-paid but…the price is for the best, right?"

It crucified him.

That wasn't impossible!

"You…You have no right to do this!" He screamed.

"Excuse me?"

"The loyalty clause! You said it yourself! You have no right to harm your customer!"

The purple bot agreed with a nod.

"You got it right. Until our goals are reached. You said you'd been satisfied with my work. From now, I'm freed from our previous partnership. I can do whatever I want right now."

His words felt like a death sentence.

That's the reality. Fracture'd just sentenced him to death. He was here to kill him now.

If he had been able to kill a child…he wouldn't hesitate to kill him and take his life!

"You son of a-"

"Watch your language. You're the one who called me first."

"You have no honour!"

"Honour doesn't exist. That's just business, my dear. Who cares about good and evil in a world as rotten as Cybertron now?"

Finally, Fracture attacked. He didn't have any time to bat his optics that he found himself pinned against the wall, Fracture pressing on him, his weapon up.

But before he could stab him through the throat, sirens could be heard from far.

The purple Decepticon stopped. He checked outside, through the window. Blue lights illuminated them.

Sirens came back again…

Hard knocks at the door…

Whoever it was, there were many of them…

"Autobots…"

He let out a relieved sigh as soon as Fracture violently released him. Before he could stand up again, he felt the cold metal of Fracture's blade on his forehelm.

"I'm not finished with you"

He couldn't reply. Fracture had already escaped through the window at the exact time where the door was broken apart.

He shouldn't underestimate his threats.

Soon, it would be his turn.

Fracture wouldn't do any match tonight.

Neither the next night.

He wouldn't fight in this club ever again.

Every night, he would go to this same clandestine free-fight club…

Every night, he would fight an opponent to win, as well as a price along with it.

Every night, he went richer.

But not tonight.

He stayed still, watching the scene.

The club in flames. Only scattered remains burning, smoke coming up to the red sky. Near him, a bot in fire ran past him in screaming, calling for help, struggling to live, asking for his Hell to end…

Fracture didn't pay attention to him.

Another of Autobot bombings.

A missile had ravaged everything.

He looked up.

He caught sight of the owner's corpse, laying over a post. It'd obviously got his spark pierced. His head looked down, arms down at his sides, Fracture couldn't even read his last expression.

That's war…

That bot had been here since his beginnings. He hadn't believed in him till his first victory. Afterward, he'd always bet on him. He'd always encouraged him…

He let out a sigh.

Too bad. He was dead now. It was bound to happen at one point or another. If he had been stronger, he would have survived. Maybe.

He turned around, not giving him a last look.

He'd chose well, not becoming an Autobot.

It wouldn't stop him anyway.

They wouldn't stop him from accomplishing his goal.

Becoming the most feared bounty hunter of the galaxy…

…And seeing him again.

His model.

Lockdown.

"Show me"

Drift tried again.

He got hit in the shoulderplate.

"Show me!"

As soon as he tried to aim for his face, he was propulsed out of the tatami, a great pain crashing on his back. Wing slowly walked closer.

"I asked you to show me what Shadow Raker taught you."

"But I'm trying!" Drift almost shouted, trying to catch his breath.

"Are you saying that's everything he taught you?"

Drift painfully looked up back at him. With all his strength, he nodded. He tried to attack again but he hadn't time to watch Wing use his blades that he was ejected out of the tatami again, face on the ground. He whimpered with pain and anger. He shouldn't burst out into rage…

A dark look appeared on Wing's face.

"Get up"

"…No…"

"Get up!"

"What are you…going to do?"

"We'll re-start everything. You'll re-learn everything. That's the only way for you to let go of all that hatred."

"But…"

Drift had difficulties to stand up again. A servo reached out for him.

The white bot's.

His mentor's.

"Do you trust me?" Wing questioned him.

His warm smile appeared again.

That's for such a smile that Drift thought he'd been right to accept.

He grabbed his servo. Wing helped him up.

Then he sat down. He invited Drift to imitate him.

"The first thing you have to know about are principles taught by martial arts."

"Honour, you said."

"What is honour?"

Drift looked down.

He didn't know and he was ashamed of it.

He thought he'd never needed it anyway.

"Everyone has a code. There can be general principles, belonging to everyone. Then there are specific values to an individual." Wing explained. "However, samurais of the Circle of Light use a traditional moral code. Do you wish to know about its components?"

Drift nodded.

"Courage, loyalty, goodness, righteousness, respect, dignity and humility. Do you feel connected to one of these terms?"

They were completely strangers to him…Drift knew nothing about these words. He struggled to identify these words with great difficulties. And Wing's question didn't help him.

"…Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"They are qualities I don't possess."

"That's because you haven't searched in your mind, Drift. Deepen your searches…and you'll find the answer."

"My acts…"

"No matter whatever your acts are, everyone has qualities and good traits" Wing softly replied. "You just need to welcome them."

Wing waited.

Courage…

"Courage, indeed. You must have gained some courage to tear Jetstorm and Slipstream away from Shadow Raker. A coward would have abandoned them and would have escaped alone."

"It doesn't mean anything"

"You stood up for Slipstream against a thief as well."

He paused.

"People can call it carelessness but…it's all about points of view."

Carelessness…yes. That's the appropriate word.

Loyalty…

"I have no loyalty"

"Even not for Decepticons?"

"I chose Decepticons because they were the strongest"

And because Autobots had killed Gasket.

Goodness…righteousness.

"There is nothing of this in me."

"Are you sure?"

"I stole. I killed to survive. I can't be called a "good" person. I'm not a respectable person. I'm not a respectful person. I'm not worthy. I'm not humble. You can't search for these traits in me."

"You really lack of self-confidence, Drift"

Did the white bot truly believe that these words could be applied to him?

"Even though you think you don't possess these qualities, you can still learn them. Honour needs a humble attitude. We all need to have a behaviour to adopt. An ideal."

In which ideal could he believe?

"Honour is firstly filled with respect. The respect for others. Accomplishing our duty, not looking down on others, understanding their strengths and weaknesses without abusing them…however, it also implies a respect for oneself. Don't reject who you are. Accept your mistakes and don't commit them again. Practice. Improve."

He added with a hint of humour.

"So, it involves not to self-depreciate. No one is perfect, Drift"

"But I must become it…to repair my mistakes."

"Do you think becoming perfect will help you? Will it help Jetstorm and Slipstream?"

Drift twitched. Why was he talking about them?

"What about Jetstorm and Slipstream?"

"They told me you'd trained them" Wing explained.

"That's a mistake."

"A mistake? Training them?"

He agreed.

"I have no experience."

"You can become their teacher the day you'll gain this experience."

"Why should I do? They aren't my Minicons. You can do it yourself."

Wing came closer to him again. The orange bot nearly jumped as soon as he felt a servo over his shoulder.

For an unknown reason, his spark beat a bit faster.

"They don't belong to anybody."

"They need a Deployer" Drift said. "I can't be. I don't want."

There was a pause.

"They aren't your Minicons. But they can become your students."

His students…

Drift had never thought he would use this term one day.

His students…

And would he be their teacher?

Wing stood up again.

"So. Show me what you are made of, Drift."