CHAPTER 46
Axe's scream had resonated; like a signal.
Vision went blurry around Drift. He could no longer manage to realize where he was now. For one instant, everything went dark. Where was he? In the Crystal Cities or…elsewhere?
Then the sight came back. Dai Atlas's corpse was laying down on the ground, right in front of him.
Shouting and screaming burst out around. He recognized Wing's but the rest of it got lost into Axe's weapon and Star Saber's swords colliding sounds.
Star Saber…had killed Dai Atlas…
"Heretic" Star Saber kept repeating while Axe was screaming in rage and anguish, erratically aiming at every Star Saber's parts in order to quiet him. "You'll not be accepted in the Allspark! You are traitors! All of you!"
I noticed your progress. I took your motivation into account. I know you mean good now. You do everything to reach your goal.
He had been the leader of the Circle of Light…the most powerful soldier…
He'd struggled so much…He'd trained so much…in order to get accepted by Wing, Axe and Dai Atlas…
He'd just become part of the Circle of Light…
And Star Saber had cold-bloodedly murdered him…
Drift remained motionless.
He'd just killed Dai Atlas and…Jetstorm and Slipstream had been nowhere to be found…
He'd called them abominations, tools…
But they weren't tools…They had never been tools…
He didn't know where they were…
Nearby, Outrigger was crying. Axe had been thrown off on the ground, his weapon flying before falling down by his side, broken in two halves. Drift noticed energon running down from his arm. The masked bot was incredibly strong and…the Circle of Light's remaining members had just lost their leader.
Yes…Star Saber had never been a real member…
Star Saber headed for the youngest bot, blade up.
"The Circle of Light…will be revived! We'll find our—"
His blade had been blocked by Wing's. The white bot put himself in front of him. A calm fury was shining in his optics…A fury that Drift hadn't been aware of.
"…Impure…"
"You shouldn't speak during a combat." Wing coldly replied. "That's a sign of weakness"
Unlike Axe, he could control himself. His mentor threw himself in the fight, the combat started again. It went much fiercer as Wing's expression didn't change. He never looked at the parts he was aiming, unlike Axe. He stared deeply into his opponent's optics, never displaying his emotions.
Exactly like during their training…
He could guess that Wing's expression was disturbing Star Saber.
Star Saber tried to trick him with the same projection he'd used on Axe earlier, but Wing dodged by jumping on the side then blocked, carrying on with attacks one after another…
Send him away, Drift mentally begged. As you did with me…
But Star Saber didn't fly off. Quite the contrary. He fiercely, aggressively, defended himself. He wasn't a liar. He knew how to fight, he was a professional, a member who'd won his place in the Circle of Light, unlike Drift.
Mister Drift…
Drift's arms trembled. Jetstorm…Slipstream…
He refused to admit that they were dead…he refused to admit that he'd got them slaughtered…Drift felt it. He didn't know how…but he felt that they were alive…
That's ridiculous. He wasn't their Deployer…
But he felt it. He felt that they were in danger…
If he could…During one moment, he got the idea to let Wing deal with Star Saber to research them. He couldn't abandon them while they needed some help…
Mister Drift…
He'd brought them here…he must protect them.
He couldn't lose them…
Wing's Great Sword met Star Saber's.
He must win…because Wing wouldn't kill Star Saber…he would never kill him…
But Star Saber wouldn't have any mercy on him…
The Great Sword was casted aside…
Star Saber kicked Wing' stomach. The white bot collapsed, his breath cut. On the other side, Axe had stood up. He didn't have his weapon anymore. He planned to use his fists instead. Star Saber focused back on the yellow and purple bot and, in an arc of a circle, he cut one of his ex-comrade's arms. Axe screamed, electricity coming out of his wrist. Wing grabbed his second sword in order to stop Star Saber from finishing him off. Unfortunately, Star Saber still had his two swords.
The combat started again, but at Wing's great disadvantage since he'd to defend himself against two swords with a single one.
Mister Drift…
He heard Jetstorm and Slipstream call him…
He could watch Wing's pain all over his face…
His mentor…his lover…the person who'd given him a chance…
Drift rushed over to Wing's lost sword, laying on the ground.
Would he abandon him? While the white bot had never abandoned him…not even once…
He'd always believed in him…
Wing was weakened. He wouldn't keep up against Star Saber…
First, Drift wanted to throw the sword at him in order for Wing to use it. It would balance strengths…it would give Wing the advantage he needed…
But something got his mind changed. He stared back at Star Saber.
He was just a student…unlike him…
But a student who'd been trained…a training from Shadows…
A training of Shadow and Light…
He'd no chance…but if he could make him stay away from Wing…if he could give his mentor a chance to defeat him…
His decision was made. Drift engaged in combat.
He took Star Saber from the rear, attacking his side. Star Saber noticed him and blocked Drift's weapon with his first blade, while the other blocked Wing's.
"Drift! No!" Wing cried out.
"…No…"
Don't endanger him.
Dai Atlas had indirectly asked him to keep a watch over him.
Drift lowered his blade, letting Star Saber's slide.
Then he reattacked.
Star Saber stepped back. He kicked Drift's side. The orange bot moaned in pain, falling on his knees.
"Do you think you can stop me, Drift? Or must I say…Deadlock?"
Get up.
That's nothing…near what he'd endured with Wing in training.
Drift stood up, his sword vertically cutting air.
Star Saber moved back again.
And blocked.
Then Drift was suddenly hit with a powerful blow in his stomach. Drift crashed into the wall. His chassis had got scratched, some energon falling out of his wounds.
Wing let out an enraged roar. He took over from Drift, fighting Star Saber's two blades again.
Get up.
He wanted to protect him…he wanted to defend him…
His rage made him stronger…as well as his desire to help him…
He couldn't…
Drift stood up again.
Wing…
Jetstorm…Slipstream…
He kept his blade at servo and quickly joined Wing's side. Together, they would get stronger…
"Isn't it a cowardly act…to attack one same person together?" Drift had asked his mentor.
He remembered his words. Wing had taken a seat. He had been cleaning his sword. They were talking about this Code of honour, the Code of Warriors in the Circle of Light.
Drift had thought about Shadow Raker. About his way of fighting…
One day, he would have to face him again. Because he'd took Jetstorm and Slipstream away from him.
However, Shadow Raker was far too powerful for him…he wouldn't be able to get the upper hand…even with what Wing taught him.
His answer had been quick.
"It depends. Sometimes, we don't have any choice. Your enemies can be way too powerful for you. You are forced to ally with other people, you have to ask for help…However, it isn't a cowardly thing. Quite the contrary."
He was currently helping Wing…
Together, they could defeat him…they would be invincible…
Drift could guess a proud smile on Wing's lips.
One after another, they fought Star Saber together. If Star Saber was focused on one, the other defended him while taking advantage of his careless moment. Star Saber got two blades, but they did as well.
Together, they formed one single warrior.
Wing struck with his right servo. Drift blocked with his left servo.
Star Saber stepped back.
He was overwhelmed. The disadvantage of owning two blades was that the warrior was getting more easily tired.
That's the case for the masked bot.
"…Heretics…"
That's his weakness.
Drift wasn't sent away.
Because his mentor was there for him. Because he was protecting him.
Just like Gasket had protected Wing…
It formed many lights. Red lights of Star Saber, white lights of Wing, the orange colour of Drift…like a storm of colours…fireworks on the Atynx square…
Star Saber managed to kick Drift's blade away. The latter tried to take it back but Star Saber's blade came close to his neck, almost stabbing him through.
Axe's fist became a shield.
And a green femme's pede came to kick Star Saber's stomach in order to get him immobilized, stopping his assault.
There was pure hatred in Star Saber's optics.
But his yet strong hatred wouldn't be enough against them.
Not against all of them.
In the end, while he tried to block Wing's blade, it was Axe who got him disarmed. A few moments later, Star Saber crashed into the wall. His back slide, the masked bot collapsed while the other bots encircled him.
Drift didn't take time to catch his breath.
"…What have you done?"
Star Saber coughed. Energon fell down on the ground.
"Answer! Where are they?"
"…You'll not find them…they are far now…" The masked bot spat.
Rage took over him again. He hadn't paid attention to it during the fight…maybe because he had been too focused to use it against his enemy…
But now…
Drift kicked him in the face.
"ANSWER! WHERE ARE THEY?"
"Drift! STOP!"
He wasn't listening to Wing's voice. He was just thinking about a place, anywhere Jetstorm and Slipstream could be hold as hostages…
They weren't dead.
He felt it.
Deep down…that's like an instinct.
"Answer!"
Star Saber coughed more.
He would tear this information out of him…
Star Saber looked down. Was he too much of a coward to face him?
"TELL ME WHERE THEY ARE!"
"…they are gone away…"
He paused.
"…with their Master…"
He froze. It caught him off guard.
Their Master…
What did he mean?
An Insecticon's crooked smirk appeared in his mind.
Shadow Raker's malevolent expression…
Drift shivered. A chill went through his spine. Fear…anguish…
"Beak…" He heard Outrigger.
He deployed his camera-bot…
"Find them"
He heard a skwak out of Beak's mouth before the bird left them off to fly, vanishing in the starry sky.
Shadow Raker…
He'd found them…
Star Saber spoke up again.
"They were tools…properties…"
He let out a strangled cry.
"He'll do whatever he wants with them…That's Primus' wish."
Primus' wish…
Drift didn't pay attention to Wing's warning. Yet the latter was screaming. Just like Axe tried to do anything to dissuade him.
Like a screeching sound in his earshots…
He grabbed Wing's sword.
Then he planted it through Star Saber's chassis, at the exact place where his spark was.
He'd given Jetstorm and Slipstream to Shadow Raker…
Because he'd wanted to follow 'Primus' wish'…
He did the same thing to him…the same thing that Star Saber had himself done to Dai Atlas…
Killing is an unforgivable sin.
"…Primus doesn't hate you. He already forgot about you" Drift stated, a threatening tone that he wasn't even aware of…
Energon splashed.
"…You are nothing to Him"
Light in Star Saber's optics flickered out.