CHAPTER 49

"We are clos—"

His last customer had just left. An unhappy and unfortunate bot who'd lost his entire family during a Decepticon bombarding, desperately searching for a goal in order not to giving in madness. Moondream had just done his job. He'd analysed him then had offered him some opportunities to move on. He was skilled with mechanics. He would be able to convert in a medic to come to help other bots who'd shared his same unluckiness. Now, he'd find a new goal. A new hope to start over.

Maybe it would never happen…but Moondream hadn't chosen this job to kick people while they were already down.

As soon as his customer vanished, another appeared.

Someone he hadn't expected to meet again, especially since their last exchange.

Quite tall, purple…

Fracture was standing up in front of him, a smirk that he didn't even hide.

"…I didn't expect to see you again that soon"

"Me neither"

Moondream stopped. During their first meeting, Fracture had harboured a haughty and disdainful behaviour toward him because he'd viewed him as a charlatan. But this time, this attitude had disappeared.

An unreadable expression in his optics.

For one moment, Moondream revived his entire meeting with the purple bot.

And he got it.

You are a careerist.

Probably a not well-advised job.

"…Why?" He only asked.

This look, this expression…he'd never got it but he could have caught sight of it with a kind of person.

"It's not good, remaining at the same place, you know" He replied, a cold yet friendly tone.

Bounty hunter…or assassin.

Moondream tried to remain inexpressive.

Maybe Fracture only wanted it.

Fear.

Fracture slowly walked over, never tearing his optics off him. A cold stare, he wasn't walking straight…but rather, he was walking in circles. To trap him.

At this point, Moondream understood it. He wouldn't leave. He would never leave that room.

"I hold nothing against you. Well…you were quite a nuisance but…well. If only there hadn't been such a bounty on your head…"

He wasn't a warrior. He couldn't defend himself.

"You wouldn't have survived long enough anyway. Look. Someone is asking for your head."

Fracture stopped. He was standing up in his way.

"I never did any wrong to anyone."

"So, maybe you were just unlucky" The purple bot replied. "You should have predicted it. After all, it has been your job, right?"

There was no emotion in his optics. Moondream couldn't read any. No regret, no hold back…only someone who couldn't wait to get his money.

He understood that his mask had been broken off. He was displaying terror. Fracture noticed it.

"Don't look at me like this, Moondream. That's war. I have business. Just like you"

"War doesn't allow us to become monsters"

Moondream moved back.

"I'm a monster, right. But in these dark times, I prefer being a monster instead of a corpse."

The purple bot clenched his fists, as if he was pressing a button.

Moondream's spark stopped as soon as he caught sight of the blade coming out of his wrist.

"I remember. You told me that one day, I would suffer. My behaviour would be my downfall one day. I would hate myself so much…I wouldn't be able to love anybody."

He paused. It sent a shiver in Moondream's energon.

"…Do you still believe that I can truly love now? A monster is unable to love."

That's true.

Fracture didn't add anything else.

He kept coming closer until Moondream's world vanished all around him. His optics never left the purple blade up before it was lunged to its prey, tearing his vision apart.

Fracture received his Shanix and didn't even try to hide his joy to it. His activities had slowed down a bit these last times. The conflict went stronger, more intense. The town he'd taken refuge in, Praxus, had just collapsed under bombings. It had forced him to take refuge elsewhere. He was currently in Cyber City.

Furthermore, the last bounty he'd had in mind had mysteriously vanished. The purple bot didn't have any doubt about his disappearance. He wanted to escape the bounty hunter whom the one asking out for his energon had contracted with. That's quite the irony since Fracture had also contracted with the bounty himself in order to make a child disappear. Anyway. Beside the contract, Fracture had no real loyalty for anybody. Only for himself and his job.

In his ship, that had become his flying house despite it falling into pieces, Fracture was enjoying a cube of energon in his lounge. It allowed him to fly away whenever the situation went too dangerous. It was large, it was dark. He really felt like home. Well. He couldn't deny that, sometimes, silence was too loud. He also loathed time when he'd to take care of the ship. Sometimes, he wondered if he should recruit. Not an associate or a co-worker. The bounty belonged to him. It belonged to him alone. He didn't want to share. No.

He was more thinking about recruiting employees, accomplishing any task on the ship while Fracture would have nothing left to do. It would also give him a slight comfort, while not being forced to give any treat in return.

He let out a sigh, taking another sip of his cube. Bounty hunters were poorly-viewed in the society even though in the end, it was a job. He couldn't picture someone willingly working for him. He could kidnap some though it would be more of a bother than anything. He would have to keep a watch on a prisoner while hunting as well.

Better off alone so.

Suddenly, the alarm outside his ship loudly went off. It always gave him a headache. Fracture roughly got up, almost spilling his energon out. He then slowly walked over to greet his 'visitor'.

Maybe was it a customer? Where had they got his address?

Fracture checked through cameras. He let out a frown. Three bots were standing up at the door. Distrust immediately invaded him. Either they were three bulky individuals sent by a powerful boss, meaning a great sum of money for him…either they meant he was in deep trouble.

After a long time thinking, Fracture chose to open. After all, they wouldn't leave unless they got what they wanted.

Fracture pressed the button to open gates.

The three, seemingly strong bots, appeared, glaring at him with coldness and seriousness.

As if he was the kind to be easily impressed…

"What is it?" He asked, a falsely polite tone.

These buffoons better had a good reason to bother him. Furthermore, it was late. The one in the middle took a Pad out of his chassis.

"Fracture. Bounty Hunter. Affiliation: Decepticon."

"No kidding"

Fracture had his arms crossed. He glanced back at their insignias. Of course. Autobots. He rarely met them.

The talking one's glare went harder.

"You are now viewed as a war criminal. An extremely dangerous individual."

Great. Fracture stared back at him, a bore on his face.

"And I'm proud of it."

"You're charged with murder, torture, mutilation, kidnapping, sequestration…and fights in clandestine clubs."

It almost made him laugh.

"That's all? May we go straight to the point?"

"You shouldn't take it lightly"

"Because you are Autobots?"

Fracture simply shrugged.

"I thought that this City belonged to Decepticons."

"Read news. Autobots just took it back" His interlocutor sighed.

Ha.

"Say whatever you want, Autobots are losing. There are too many Decepticons for you to deal with."

"If you say so"

"Can I go back to my energon now?" He mockingly asked, using a childish tone.

That's a stupid question. Fracture knew that they hadn't just come here to list all his crimes. One of them nearly choked.

"Are you kidding?"

"We are here to arrest you!" The first bot sternly declared. He was definitely the leader of that team of gorillas.

"Well. Go for it. I just want to finish my energon"

Fracture was about to press the button to close the gates again when the third fool violently grabbed his arm to pull him ahead. Fracture growled. Okay. That's it! The bounty hunter replied with a kick between his legs. The bot collapsed, screaming in pain. His two comrades roared and grabbed their equipment: laser-guns, cuffs…Were these guys cops?

"Three against one" Fracture nodded. "You're quite brave"

"If you say so"

"Believe whatever you wish"

Fracture took his Taser out and immobilized the closest one to him. Done for this Sir. Next. The second one aimed at him with his laser-gun, but the purple bot was quite agile. He was used to these attacks and he'd learned to dodge them. He jumped in the air and punched his opponent's face. He then grabbed him by the collar to make him stand up. His blade at his wrist got activated, almost perforating his neckcables.

"Don't play with me"

One of his buddies went for him from behind. He was as quiet as a Dinobot. Fracture noticed him right away. He used his hostage as a shield and threw him at his assaulter to make both of them collapse. He didn't wish to waste more time. He grabbed a bomb. If he could fix it on one of them, making all of them explode…

He didn't have time to react. Suddenly, he felt a hard blow on his helm. It was way more powerful than he'd expected, surprise taking over him. He dropped his bomb, slightly shaken up. Fortunately, he hadn't activated it yet. The bot roughly grabbed his arm, Fracture let out a yelp in pain. Soon he landed hard onto a wall. The Autobot pinned him up, arm-locking him.

"Don't touch me!" Fracture spat, still feeling the pain on his helm.

"Shut up"

"Don't touch me!"

Fracture struggled hard. The only thing that he was aware of had been cold metal imprisoning his wrists.

He heard a click.

Cuffs. Great.

"I didn't know it was your thing"

"You're arrested"

"You aren't cops!"

"You're right. We're militaries. We apply Autobot laws and values."

"Law is no more…"

He was now on his knees. The other two dumbasses stood up as well, giving him a glare full of hatred and disgust.

"Come on!" The bounty hunter shouted. "Use your stupid weapons and execute me!"

After all, Autobots, Decepticons…they each had their own authorities.

"There will be no execution" The leader stated.

He had been the one who'd handcuffed him.

"We aren't Decepticons. You'll not be executed now"

"Really? How soft you are"

"You'll be transferred to Iacon jail. The other Decepticon war criminals are collected here, as well as other enemies that would constitute a risk to Optimus Prime"

One of the two idiots forced him to get up. Fracture headbutted him. Even if he was handcuffed, he'll not keep fighting.

Jail? Prison? Really?

He took the chance where the bot was slightly dazed up to run away. A few moments later, he was pinned onto the ground. Pain lunged over him again.

"You haven't stated my rights!"

"There is no more right here" The bot let out a sigh while he got him up, a firm grip on his shoulderplate to prevent him to go while another of these idiots handcuffed his ankles. "We are in war. That's the state of emergency."

"I wouldn't say anything without my lawyer."

The Autobot leader took a thing that Fracture had never caught sight of before. A stasis pod. Fracture simply kicked the one who'd been handcuffing his ankle. In return, he got a blow at behind his helm. Two at once.

Despite pain, he glanced back at the ship. He was thinking about the cube he hadn't finished yet.

He preferred to focus on it rather than realizing that he'd been arrested like an amateur. Soon he'll be in jail, behind bars.