CHAPTER 55
He'd probably fainted.
The last thing he'd remembered had been being on the Iacon prison's roof. He remembered how high the building had been. He remembered clouds, mist, void all around him…
Someone screaming his name.
As soon as his optics opened, he found himself in his cell, lying down on his berth. Drift felt a great pain in his two arms as well as in his right leg. He didn't know where that pain came from. He looked up. Near his berth, two guards stood up over him. An expression of…pity? Worry?
Why would they be worried?
Drift couldn't find a word on how he currently felt. Tiredness but as well…the feeling he'd failed.
He looked down. He didn't want to face them.
One of them walked closer, a sad expression. He remembered him. The friendly guard. In one way, seeing him rather than another got Drift relieved.
"…We can't just let you do whatever you want to do"
Drift felt a lump in his throat. He chose to ignore it.
"…Why?" He questioned him, his tone weak.
"It will not resolve your problems"
Because they would help him to resolve them, so?
"It's war" Drift dryly replied. "We're enemies"
"We have orders" The other guard retorted. "Orders directly coming from Optimus. We've been ordered to keep guards under check until their trial."
What a bunch of hypocrites…
"Why waiting until the trial? It would only give you one extra cell"
He didn't want to waste his time talking with them. They had no interest in his optics.
Both exchanged a look before they let out a sigh.
"From now, you'll never be left alone without surveillance. We took away every item that could cause you a harm."
He'd the feeling to be treated like a kid…Maybe he was a kid to them.
"We arranged a meeting with the medic of the prison"
Was he supposed to be grateful? He wouldn't go to it anyway. They were about to leave the cell when the friendly guard turned back to him.
"…We've charged your cellmate to keep a watch on you"
Drift let out a shiver of disgust at this mention. Anger came back. It must be a joke…Why in Primus' name, out of all bots in that prison, would he be under Fracture's surveillance? He glared at them but the guard didn't bat one optic to it.
"…If not for him, you would have succeeded."
The orange bot went silent.
Guards left the cell, doors closing back behind them.
Drift switched positions, facing the wall.
That's bullshit…No way Fracture had saved him.
But as he remembered the scene on the roof, he barely recalled that he'd been strongly pulled away from the edge by his arms before he'd been thrown on the ground. Right before he'd fainted…
Maybe that's the reason of this pain…
Drift closed his optics.
Even taking his own life…he hadn't been able to do it good…
That'd been Fracture's voice that awakened him up.
"You think that I'm a babysitter?"
Drift gently moved, but he didn't turn around. He felt the purple bot's presence in his back. The orange bot didn't wish to talk to him. Yet, Fracture didn't climb back on his berth. He remained unmoving.
"…What were you thinking?"
Leave me alone, Drift thought. Fracture got closer to him. Suddenly, Drift felt a firm grip on his shoulderplate. He didn't struggle and let Fracture turn him around to face him.
Drift noticed anger in his optics as well as…disappointment?
"Why did you do that?" Fracture repeated.
He wouldn't leave him until he got his answers. Drift let out an exasperated sigh, giving him a cold glare.
"…That's obvious, right?"
"I didn't view you as the kind of person who would escape his trial by using these means."
"I don't care. My trial doesn't matter"
Drift looked down. That's too hard…talking was too hard…
"I don't care…I just wanted…I just wanted to…sleep…"
Fracture passed by to sit down on his berth, at Drift's pedes. The orange bot didn't comment on it.
"I thought you would fight. I thought you would fight long enough in order not to get to these extremes. That wasn't the feeling I got of you, during your first days. It quite disappoints me."
Drift clenched his fists. He really annoyed him.
"If I disappoint you so much, no one will force you to talk to me. Or watching over me"
"Is prison that horrible? You really want to end your own life because of prison?" Fracture said, sarcastic.
He paused. Drift remained silent.
"Please. You've been hazed your first day, for only a couple of minutes. And you prove yourself to them. You'd shut them up. Now, you've been left alone"
"It has nothing to do with other cellmates."
No…fights, assaults…that's a world that Drift, or rather Deadlock, had known once.
That's something he could endure…but…
"So, what's the problem?"
"I don't want to talk about it!" The orange bot cried out.
He faced the wall again. But a few minutes later, Fracture grabbed his shoulderplate back to force him to turn back. Drift growled.
"Leave me alone!"
"You don't want to talk? Too bad. I've been charged to keep a watch on you."
"Leave me alone! I don't need anybody! Especially not someone like you!"
He'd been slapped. He didn't expect it. Not at all. Immediately, Drift stood up, grabbed the purple bot by his shoulderplates and, using the weight of his body, pinned Fracture against the cell's wall, berths going shaky. Fracture roared. He stared intensely into his optics.
"Come on" He sneered. "Just hit me if you can"
"You should have let me die!" Drift spat, his grip tightening on his shoulderplates. He was trying to hide his shaky servos.
Fracture didn't reply. His expression didn't change. Drift kept on, without releasing him.
"You should have let me! You had no reason to—"
"Because that's what you're thinking?"
Fracture put his servo on Drift's arm, though he didn't push him off.
"Do you believe I'm a selfless person? It means you don't know me actually. Not at all indeed."
Of course…
"Here, it's only business. I saved your life. You owe me something"
Drift's mouth opened but no word came out. Yes…judging by his own behaviour, Drift should have expected that Fracture would do something like this. To make Drift owing him.
A debt…just like Wing had taught him…a debt he'd to pay.
However, Drift was still disgusted. Disappointed as well. Although Fracture had saved him, he just did it out for a selfish motive. For "business". Else, he would have probably let him jump…
"…Why? What do you want in return?"
Drift wished he would have remained in control. Fracture tilted his head.
"Guess. I want everyone want here. I want to escape."
Yes…
"Why me?" Drift asked. "You can find another partner of crime. Another dumb cellmate."
Because he was his cellmate? Fracture shook his head.
"That's obvious. Didn't you see the number of idiots living in that prison? Here, you can only find brainless brutes or cowards hiding behind the strongest to gain some protection"
He granted him a devious yet understanding smirk.
"You're not one of them. We're the same. You and I. Independents and fierce. And yes, you are my cellmate"
"I'm not like you! I'm not—"
He wouldn't allow anyone to compare him to Fracture.
"…I'll not bring you anything"
"Of course. Though if you take your own life, you wouldn't be very useful to me indeed"
He'd a debt to pay but…He didn't want it. Furthermore, he wasn't sure if he was able to pay it.
Escaping…How could they escape from there? Guards, cameras were everywhere…
He released Fracture then just walked back to his berth. He still felt his stare in his back. But Drift wasn't motivated to confront him more. Silence fell between them, during a few minutes. Then Fracture's voice rose up again.
"Now that we settled things out…tell me what you've been thinking. Why? Your trial doesn't matter to you, you managed to survive here and—"
"You don't care" Drift answered back.
"If I didn't care, I wouldn't ask you such a question. I don't want my future cellmate and partner in crime to ditch me the time I would need him the most"
Despite all, there was some curiosity in his tone.
"That's because of Minicons you've been talking about, right?" The purple bot guessed.
Drift quickly turned back to him.
"You think they are dead?"
"Don't talk about them!"
"Why? Do you really believe they are dead now? Do you have any evidence of it?"
The orange bot jumped at this remark. He felt legs fall under him. He caught himself against a wall.
Steps went closer.
"If they are alive…isn't it your job to get them back?"
"…Why should I?"
He'd understood anyway. He could be honest now.
"I don't know where they are…I have no clue about it…no hint"
His voice went shaky.
"…I'm unable to protect them anyway. They…they'll always be in danger with me"
"So…Jumping off will resolve everything"
The same speech as with the guard. Fracture leaned against the wall, right near him.
"In any case, they're currently in danger right now. If they are alive, of course…"
"I'll not be able to protect them"
"And will you just…Leave them like this?"
His lack of answer seemingly made Fracture irritated. Drift didn't react to it.
He was slapped again. Right in the face. Just like the first one, Drift hadn't expected it. He should have expected it. The orange bot jumped on Fracture again, but this time, the purple bot grabbed his two wrists, to prevent him from moving.
"Now you'll stop!" Drift spat. "I'm not your punching-bag!"
"No! You'll stop!" His cellmate replied, albeit with a calmer tone. "You'll stop self-complaining and believing you're the unhappiest bot in the world! What do you think? Do you think the world is happy, pink and beautiful? Hey! Open your optics!"
Drift froze, taken aback by his words.
"It's war" Fracture kept on. "Wherever we'll go, we'll be in danger. Do you wish to know the rules again? That's simple: survival. We all fight to survive"
"…I always fought…I always fought since the beginning…"
"So, go on! Try again. Do whatever you want, I don't care. You've a debt toward me. You want another reason to survive? Here's one. You have to pay your debt. You'll help me to escape!"
Fracture released his wrists. Drift didn't move.
"…You'll help me to escape and I'll take up my business. Then, you'll go to get your Minicons back. Then you'll stop self-complaining. You'll think about something else"
Surviving…
Going on…
Get Jetstorm and Slipstream back…
Drift's sight went blurry again.
He'd sworn to protect them. He'd become their Deployer.
Even if Fracture didn't act out of kindness, Drift must admit that he'd a point. They were in danger. And he'd given up before even knowing if they were alive or dead.
He'd just given up…
Get up.
Wing would have sent him flying away.
He would have forced him to stand up. To keep fighting…to win…
Because that's all about it. Fighting to survive. A special fight…but like any other fight.
Wing wouldn't have approved his cowardice.
He would have been disappointed…as well as Dai Atlas…
The Circle of Light didn't teach him these things. He mustn't forget about his trainings…All Wing's lessons, Axe's lessons…
He must get Jetstorm and Slipstream back. And knowing that the purple bot was the one calling him out…it ashamed him.
He dried his optics off, trying to catch his breath. In the end, he faced Fracture again. The latter gave him an approving nod.
"So…Are you with me?"
With him…definitely not.
But for Jetstorm…for Slipstream...
"...How will we escape from there?"
"I thought you would never ask"