CHAPTER 36

"You shouldn't have…"

They had found themselves in Drift's flat. In the living room, they could hear noises coming from the holographic television screen. Jetstorm and Slipstream had turned it on in order not to listen Drift's and Wing' conversation, who had been in the small kitchen, doors closed.

Wing sternly stared at him.

"You shouldn't have hit him" He repeated, using the same tone.

Drift leaned against the wall. Anger slowly took over him.

Was he kidding now? What was that behaviour?

"He deserved it" He retorted with fury.

He hadn't calmed down yet. Since the incident.

"We prohibit violence in the Circle of Light" His mentor reminded him. He would almost quote the Code as well as the members' rules. "Dai Atlas could have punished you more."

He paused.

"Especially you…He hadn't come to trust you yet. You aren't a member in his optics."

"When will I be, so?" Drift spat back.

He'd enough.

He did his chores. He ordered the Minicons to behave. He went back to the training of martial arts. He'd learned about the Circle of Light's way of thinking. Their faith, their choices…

And wasn't it enough? What was the measure of a member?

What should he do more to become one of them?

He understood that Wing didn't have the answer. Too bad. Even if it tore his spark apart, it wasn't the matter right now.

"I struck him because someone had to do it!" The orange bot screamed, his tone going angrier.

"You are under my responsibility"

Wing had his arms crossed. He looked…disappointed.

Disappointed? Of him?

"You can't react by using violence. That's not the reason why I taught you martial arts."

"And what should I do? Must I let him talk? Must I let him call others "impure"? Does he view himself as pure?"

"That's foolishness. Star Saber is extremist. No one pay attention to it anymore. We're used to it."

"Primus! You are so weak!"

"NO, WE ARE NOT!"

This time, Wing raised his voice. At the same level as his student. That's rare. It showed just how he was angry.

"We are pragmatic! There are very few members in the Circle of Light. We have to protect Crystal Cities." The white bot explained. "We don't need any war between us and Star Saber is a powerful warrior."

"Does it excuse him?"

"No. But sometimes, we have to ignore fools and not to lower at their levels."

Unbelievable.

Was it their way of thinking? Endure and drop it?

Drift didn't enjoy Wing's words. Not at all. He thought it was unfair. In the living room, he could guess that Jetstorm and Slipstream had turned the volume up.

He'd thought that his mentor would have been stronger than this.

"He insulted Gasket! He charged him for something that he hadn't committed!"

"He isn't the only responsible here" His mentor retorted, his tone low. "Everyone had thought the same."

That's a lie. Drift didn't admit it. He stared at Wing.

"You as well?"

No. Not Wing.

His mentor stepped back. Now he looked away from him.

This time, he looked so…so vulnerable.

"I'd never believed that he would burn our books. Dai Atlas, Star Saber…at this time, everyone thought that he'd committed these acts to get revenge for having been excluded from the Circle of Light."

Why…?

"I never believed it. Yet I hadn't reacted. I had no evidence on me. And I just let him go."

"Wing…" Drift said.

He cut him in.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Whatever he'd burnt these books or not, it doesn't change anything."

What happened?

What had Gasket done to deserve to be excluded?

"I want you to be honest with me, Wing"

He didn't need any precision. Wing knew what Drift meant. The orange bot didn't hesitate. He walked closer to his mentor. This latter's expression didn't change. He remained unmoving.

His face closed. The warming, welcoming expression he'd always had…turned into a dark and gloomy one.

Something protecting him from pain…

Drift knew it perfectly.

From this instant, Drift thought that he looked more like Dai Atlas than the Wing he'd always known.

"…Murder is an unforgivable sin in the Circle of Light" Wing stated.

Yes. He remembered it.

"Do you wish to know why?"

He could guess it.

Cybertron's ancient culture prohibited it. Before the conflict…before the Great War…

Today, people killed to survive. That's necessary.

Yet Drift was wrong.

"…Because everyone here already killed people."

Everything froze.

Drift remained speechless.

Everyone here already killed people.

Yes. Star Saber was able to kill. He could feel it.

Dai Atlas as well. Though Drift hardly believed that he would kill out of sadism.

Drift had also killed.

But…Axe. Outrigger.

Wing?

"I don't believe you"

Wing kept his mask on.

"That's true. Gasket violated our rules."

"Who did he—"

"He killed a pirate. That's self-defence yet…the crime had been committed."

Unbelievable.

Unbelievable and outrageous. At this time, Drift felt more anger toward the Circle of Light members.

Gasket used to have a home, here. He used to have a roof over his head. Friends…

A lover.

And everything had been taken away from him because he'd defended himself? Instead that pirate wouldn't have been more merciful and would have killed him!

Now he was dead. Because he'd been exiled.

Drift felt outright disgust.

"How could you?"

Wing didn't even look back at him anymore.

His optics betrayed him. His lipplates trembled. He was clearly upset.

"That's unfair…I know it." Wing approved.

This time, his mask broke off. His mentor grabbed his face in his servos.

"But…we couldn't accept it either. Else…we wouldn't be better than these bots taking part in the conflict and thinking that murder is a casual thing. And Outrigger was very young when he came in…that's the only one who…we couldn't give him such an example"

"Stop it, Wing"

He came closer to him. His pedes were at a few centimetres away from his.

Their optics met.

Drift didn't believe it. That must be a lie.

"You think it's unfair, right? You wanted him to stay…"

Wing didn't deny. Why would he lie?

"…He committed one mistake…an only mistake…but it cost him everything…"

"Dai Atlas is…"

Despicable.

"No. Dai Atlas had to make a decision. Here…every violation leads to consequences."

No matter what?

No. Even to Drift, it was too rigid. Too strict.

Keep trying until you succeed.

Under Wing's tutelage, he'd learned one thing.

Mistakes…even unrepairable mistakes…it didn't put a person into a category.

Gasket may have killed…yet thanks to him, he'd met Wing.

He could have learned. Something else other than survival filled with thievery and murder…

"…That's your Code of honour. You protect me like Gasket protected you. Whatever he did."

That was already obvious. But it was the very first time that Drift understood it…in a positive way. At first, he'd thought it was only a chore to Wing. He'd just kept him around because it had been Gasket's will.

Wing nodded.

But beyond that…Drift guessed there was something else…other than duty. Other than the Code of Honour.

Silence fell down again. Only noises coming from the living room could be heard.

"Gasket took care of me" Drift stated, a serious tone. "I have a debt toward him…I have to pay it. That's the reason why I will not tolerate any insult toward him. Even if I must punch the person in front of me."

"…You are stubborn"

However, there was a hint of a smile on Wing's lipplates.

His optics weren't wet…but his pain was clear.

"…What about you?" Drift questioned him.

Maybe that wasn't the right time to ask him.

"You…who…did you…?"

Who was the person you'd killed?

Wing didn't immediately reply.

Watching his face, Drift understood that he would never know.

"…I can't tell you. The only thing I can say, Drift…is that we aren't that different…you and I."

His spark went faster again.

"…I believe in you. I think you are able to become a good person. One of us…or something else. Whoever you choose to be."

His smile appeared again.

Drift didn't resist any longer.

That wasn't much…but he needed Wing. He needed his touch.

He grabbed Wing's arm to draw him closer and hug him tightly. He heard the surprised moan out of his mentor's mouth…

He ignored it. He buried his face into Wing's chassis, tightening his embrace. That's like heavenly…he didn't want to let go of him.

He didn't want Wing to reject him.

For one instant, he thought he would.

The next, arms wrapped around his back, welcoming him with warmth and affection.

This tender embrace appeased him…

For the very first time, Drift felt wellness…

Pure wellness…like if he was at home.