CHAPTER 50

He was in front of the Rust Sea.

The real Rust Sea…that wasn't the dried-out desert, that wasn't the vanished water, destroyed by the Cybertronian technology that had alimented the conflict between Autobots and Decepticons…that wasn't the unstable planetary zone…

No. It's the one that'd been one of greatest prides of Cybertron during the Golden Age…before the war…even if Drift had never been able to see it with his own optics. Here was the one he'd always imagined.

Away from the war, safe from it…

It was blue. Water?

Wing remained by his side. They sat down, enjoying the beautiful view that appeared in front of them. Far from them, Jetstorm and Slipstream were playing in the water.

Everything Drift felt…was peace.

He forgot about Shadow Raker. He forgot about Star Saber.

Wing kissed him on the cheek.

"Why are you kissing me?" The orange bot asked.

"…to dry your tears off."

Drift touched his cheeks.

He realized that he's crying.

"Mister Drift!"

Drift reopened his optics. He was lying down on a sofa. He growled before he stood up. A bit dizzy, he wondered how he'd landed here, while he was supposed to be in the control room.

The white and golden ship was a bit smaller than the larger, darker Shadow Raker's…yet, he felt comfortable here. It reminded him where he came from…The Circle of Light. Honourable, fighting warriors…protecting Cybertron…they weren't protecting any faction…bots who'd taught him code of respect and martial arts…they'd been his friends…

More than anything, wherever he went, in each room…he could feel Wing's presence in. He could smell him. Wherever he went, he could see his reflection in a mirror, outside, in the space, in stars, in Cybertron's sky…

In his dreams…

Every day, he received a message from Wing. As promised, they stayed in touch.

"Did you arrive well? Hopefully you're training" had been the today's one.

Every day, he wondered.

Why had he left?

He could have stayed with him…With Axe, Outrigger…They'd been clear. They didn't resent him. They understood why he'd killed Star saber…He would have been safe with the Circle of Light…

For the first time, Drift had felt good with someone…With a group…with another bot…

He glanced back at Jetstorm and Slipstream. They were staring back at him, a bit awkward.

"What am I doing here?" He asked them.

"…You fell in recharge." Slipstream said. "We thought it…would be better for you"

Drift sighed.

Yes. He could have remained with the Circle of Light. But he'd left them.

For their sake.

Sometimes, he thought he should have minded his own business. But…his life had been at stake. Just like theirs.

"Where are we?"

"At the same place as yesterday" Jetstorm answered.

"And it is?"

"Nuon City. We've been there for three days now"

Primus. They had been imprudent.

"…Prepare the ship. We'll move"

They mustn't forget the war…Yes. Every day, he'd been training. It'd become a ritual similar to the one he'd got in the Circle of Light, as well as the ritual he'd been through with Shadow Raker to a lesser level. Three hours of training at the morning. Three hours of training at the evening.

He shouldn't forget what he'd learned.

However, he noticed that Jetstorm and Slipstream didn't move. They remained here, unmoving, an unfamiliar expression on their faces.

Uncertainty…fear…solicitude?

"Did you hear me?" Drift sternly repeated.

"Yes but…Jetstorm has—"

"We have" Jetstorm dryly corrected him.

Slipstream gulped.

"Jetstorm and I talked and—"

"What?"

Their behaviour was strange. It was out of character of them.

"We thought" Slipstream completed, "after what we had been through together…we could view ourselves as your Minicons, right?"

Drift didn't get it right away. He stared at the two Minicons, not saying anything.

"What do you mean?"

"As soon as we'll be settled somewhere" Jetstorm said, "what are you going to do?"

Unlike Slipstream, he was stammering, definitely awkward. His partner remained calm.

What was he going to do? Truth to be told, he'd never thought about it. The only thing he had in mind was finding that "somewhere". However, on Cybertron, there was no peace possible on the long term. Everything they did, for many months now, was moving and changing place. They never remained in a place permanently and maybe it was for the best right now.

At least they had a roof over their heads, unlike previous times.

But these two…being his Minicons?

"…I don't know"

"We are fine with it" Slipstream stated.

"I'm not a Deployer" He coldly retorted.

His goal had been finding one for them, who would ensure them a better life. Then Drift would have followed his own way…Maybe he would have come back to the Circle of Light…to Wing…

No. He'd killed. He couldn't return.

"But we don't trust anyone else" Jetstorm insisted. "Beside you"

"You are not safe with me. And you are not tools"

No. He couldn't be like Shadow Raker. He wouldn't use bots as slaves. As if they were tools.

They apparently didn't understand.

"So…" Slipstream started.

"We can just assist you. As employees if you prefer. We would help you in your missions"

"And in your training"

Training…

"We enjoyed the training" Jetstorm shyly smiled.

It'd cost him dearly, with Shadow Raker…

"I'll not train you again"

His tone was firm. Minicons remained silent.

"…I'm not ready for this" He added. "I have much to learn myself…"

He could have learned much more…if he'd remained with Wing…

They exchanged a look, obviously disappointed by his refusal. Yet they didn't insist.

He sighed. He missed Wing. Unfortunately, he'd taken a decision. He'd got the idea to bring them along. He'd to face consequences, despite his desire to be in another place right at the moment.

Assistants…

Would it be poorly viewed by society?

He stared back at them. Yes. Before meeting Wing, he would have left them to another Deployer's care. He would have been alone. He wouldn't taken care of them. He wouldn't have grown attached to them.

But they trusted him. He'd chosen to leave a safe place for their sake. To protect them. Wing knew that he would take care of them good.

He'd to face it. No one would be safe unless they escaped Shadow Raker. Unless they found another protection.

Now…he was their only one protection. Even if he explained everything to a bot that he would trust enough to become their Deployer…he wasn't sure that bot would really understand the threat that was Shadow Raker.

If he'd accepted to do all this…maybe it was because—

He couldn't find any word to justify such a reason.

He turned back to them. After a long silence, he asked them.

"…Must I do something to become your Deployer?"

That wasn't the solution he liked the most…but it was the best one.

They granted him a grateful smile, thrilled with the statement.

"You ask…" Jetstorm started.

"Then we accept" Slipstream completed.

He asked…

And they accepted…

That's simple.

It created the bond.

For another minute, Drift hesitated.

Yet...it was so obvious. As much as for them than for him…

He held his arms out.

Like synchronized, Jetstorm and Slipstream undeployed then stuck themselves to his wrists.

As soon as they landed to Central City, Drift realized that they didn't own energon anymore. Reserves given by Wing and Axe had been drained. He sighed. He'll have to get used to that lifestyle again. He would dig in to extract.

Now, Central City was the lesser of two evils. They didn't go to Cities such as Kaon or Iacon. These cities were ruled by a faction or another. It would be a high risk to go there. According to last news, Central City wasn't ruled yet.

As soon as they arrived to mines, they noticed that someone had already dig in. He hadn't been the only one with this idea. Understandable. He wasn't the only one starving to death.

He checked that there was nobody else. Then he deployed Minicons.

"…Search the area. Stay close."

They bowed then obeyed.

Drift knelt down in the dust then started to dig in with all his strengths, using his bare servos. His weapons were on his back. He didn't dare use them.

They were new…and they weren't made for this.

After one hour or two, he went exhausted. Jetstorm and Slipstream were tired as well but they didn't show anything. Drift sighed though he kept on.

They were no longer in a safe area.

Now only survival mattered.

After many efforts, Drift caught sight of a blue light.

Finally…

He extracted the fragment of energon then displayed it to the Minicons.

"Awesome, Mister Drift!" Jetstorm smiled.

Not enough for all three of them though…

He turned around.

He caught sight of a femme. White with red paint all over her face. Black helm. Blue optics. An Autobot.

Her armour was dusty. She had possibly been in another crater before his arrival here. He'd been too busy to catch her.

The femme let out a soft sight when she noticed what he'd been holding.

"…You're lucky"

She gave him a weak smile.

She stood up then was about to leave the mine.

She barely managed to walk on her legs.

Drift focused back on his energon.

He was about to put it in his chassis.

I don't need any reason to help you.

Drift sighed as well.

Everybody would be much happier if they helped each other…rather than slaughtering each other.

Even if she was an Autobot…

He stepped in.

Holding his servo out to her…

"…No!" She cried out.

"Take it"

"You found it! Take it!"

"It wouldn't be enough for us anyway. You need it more than I do."

Yes…she definitely needed it. She hadn't been protected…unlike him.

"…Take it"

He dropped his energon fragment in her servos.

He thought that the femme would burst out in tears. She bowed to him.

"Thanks…thanks!"

Drift gave her a nod.

Since his entrance to the Circle of Light…the conflict went blurry to him. In the end, belonging to a faction or another didn't matter much.

His hatred toward Autobots was still present…but that femme hadn't murdered Gasket.

"Mister Drift" Jetstorm began.

"…Don't speak"

He knelt down again.

The femme had vanished.

After many hours, Drift didn't find anything else. He sighed. He shouldn't search that place any longer. His reserves were low…but he'd to go on.

He stood up. He turned back to Minicons, about to order them to un-deploy.

They weren't here anymore.

"Deadlock"

Hearing his old name again immediately startled him.

A grey bot with blue optics stood up in front of him.

Behind him, Jetstorm and Slipstream were gagged, violently struggling.

"Let them go!"

"Profession: no one. Affiliation: Decepticon…"

"How…"

How did he know?...

"We have a file about you. We've been ordered to arrest every Decepticons."

"Don't touch them!"

The bot didn't listen to him.

"You're accused of theft, murder, aggression, extorsion, blackmailing…"

"Enough! Let them go!" He repeated. "They have nothing to do with this!"

"…They are Minicons. They are their Master' tools. Of course, they are involved."

It was enough!

He was about to take his sword and his katana out when he found himself suddenly pinned down to the ground, face down.

The bot wasn't alone. He was accompanied by two other bulky ones.

"Stop!"

"You'll be led to the General Prison in Iacon, where all war criminals are imprisoned here."

"No!"

Jetstorm…Slipstream…

"Mister Drift!"

He couldn't protest any longer. He felt a hard blow on his helm, knocking him out.