CHAPTER61

In front of him, the store's owner sat down at his desk. A frown was displayed on his face. Every time he moved, Jetstorm thought his spark would cease beating. He expected such a scenario: he would notice the cage, empty…he would search for him…he would find him…

The orange bot didn't dare imagine what he would do if he ever came to find him.

Yet, the owner hadn't still seen anything yet. He passed by cages without paying any attention to them. Inside, Minicons were recharging. But some of them were awake. They were watching the scene in silence. Jetstorm caught sight of a pink Minicon. He guessed she had been the one whom he was talking with often. The one who'd given up on hope about finding her Master again. Jetstorm was afraid. If one of them came to denounce him…one of them pointing at him, indicating his presence to the owner…The Minicon's fear grew stronger.

After all, everything was good to survive, as Shadow Raker had pointed it out.

However, nobody spoke. No one called the owner to point out Jetstorm's presence out of the cage. He was grateful to them for this.

A small comfort to Jetstorm but it wouldn't last…As soon as the owner walked closer to the pile of scraps, Jetstorm's spark nearly stopped. He was sweating, terror being overwhelming.

He would discover him. For one second, Jetstorm thought about running over to the door and leaving that place as fast as possible.

Suddenly, the bot stopped.

Jetstorm froze as well. He touched one of his earshots. He was seemingly comm-linking with someone.

"That's what we decided"

He walked away from the pile of scraps. He let out a sigh.

"You do whatever you wish. However, if you fail…My business will not stand"

He listened, as listening the interlocutor's answer.

"…Okay. I'll repeat myself"

And slowly, he walked to the door he'd been with his customer in earlier. Jetstorm's optics widened.

He didn't believe it…

Yet the bot stepped in the room. A few moments later, the door was shut behind him.

Jetstorm remained unmoving. That's irrealistic…he'd really expected to be found, to be captured again…to suffer from a treatment worse than malnutrition and confinement. Yet…Primus was with him this time.

He'd got a new chance to escape.

Glancing back at the door, expecting it to be opened at any moment, Jetstorm came out of his hiding and rushed over to the cages.

"…Slipstream…" He immediately asked.

No one answered. No one knew what he was talking about. And Jetstorm thought that Minicons might not have any name here. Yet the situation proved him otherwise when he caught sight of their names written on small screens above their cages. The pink Minicon let out a sigh. She crawled closer to the bars.

"You're wasting your time. Leave"

"I can't…I can't leave without him"

They were partners. They would remain as such. Jetstorm looked down, immediately feeling desperate. If Slipstream hadn't been there…where was he? Had he managed to escape…or had he been confined somewhere else?

Or was he…?

No. He mustn't think about it.

"Hey"

He heard a Minicon's voice near him. A green and purple Minicon. The latter glared back at him.

"I'm not sure it would be useful to you…but I noticed there had been Minicons locked up in another room…"

"Really?" Jetstorm cried out.

He covered his mouth, realizing he wasn't still safe here.

Maybe he was right…Slipstream was confined somewhere else.

"…Where can I find them?"

The Minicon let out a sigh. He slowly pointed at the door. The door of the room where the owner had been inside.

Jetstorm winced. Indeed. Else it would have been way too easy.

Yet…

He moved back. He didn't know what had been in his mind…but he counted the number of cages stocked here.

At least a dozen of them.

These Minicons hadn't ratted him out…they could have…but they had covered him.

He was free but them…they didn't deserve to be confined.

And then…there were many of them.

Maybe together…He frowned. No. They couldn't fight the bot together. Jetstorm wasn't Mister Drift. He wasn't a warrior such as the Circle of Light's members…but maybe they could escape…

He barely had any time…

He hurried up. He remembered about how the purple Minicon had opened his cage earlier. When he focused back on the cage, he noticed that there was only one button to get them opened up. He jumped on the first cage, grabbing bars with difficulties. The pink Minicon's optics widened. She hadn't been realizing what was going on.

"…What are you—"

"…I'll help you"

He punched the button. He jumped down while the cage got opened. The pink Minicon crawled to the edge, a confused expression. Jetstorm did the same with another cage.

"Ones who are free…release the others! We need to get out of here"

The other Minicons hardly swallowed the fact that they had been free. Yes. They had been confined much longer than Jetstorm had ever been…Yet Jetstorm's voice brought them back to reality. They immediately rushed over to help the others.

"…You are a Decepticon. You display red colours."

Jetstorm didn't stop. One after another, cages got opened. Prisoners were coming out.

"…Why doing such a thing? Decepticons are usually selfish." She said.

Jetstorm's answer was immediate.

"…That's the right thing to do"

Honour…

Yes. Wing would have approved it. Such as Mister Drift.

Did honour exist among Decepticons?

The door got suddenly opened.

Everyone froze. The owner was standing up in front of them.

Jetstorm jumped. They hadn't been fast enough…They hadn't had enough of time…

The much taller and imposing bot froze. His shocked expression appeared. It lasted for a good couple of minutes.

Then rage came.

"You'll not leave that place!" He threatened them, lunging at them.

"Run!" Jetstorm ordered them.

His comrades rushed over to the exit while the bot ran after them, trying to catch as many as possible. At one point, the pink Minicon was targeted. He grabbed her by the pede, holding her above the floor.

"My business will continue to exist!"

"Let her go!"

Jetstorm lunged at them. The bot had his servo up to capture him as well. Jetstorm dodged it by jumping at his side, before standing up behind the bot.

And as strong as he could, remembering all these days training under Mister Drift and Axe, he kicked one of his legs, using his left pede.

He didn't miss it. The bot let out a yelp of surprise, falling to the ground. Jetstorm hurried up to dodge the bot, avoiding to get crushed by the bot falling over. He wasn't apparently used to resisting Minicons. That's not someone who knew how to fight even if he remained dangerous. Anyway, he released his prisoner. She was falling as well, and Jetstorm jumped in the air to catch her up before she touched the ground. He gently put her down.

"…Thanks…"

"It's not over"

The bot hardly sat up, still dazed. The pink Minicon roared and jumped on his chassis. She screamed out and, using all her strength, she punched the bot right in the face.

"You took me away from my Master!" She cried, enraged.

The latter held his face, bleeding with energon. Jetstorm clenched his fists. He'd to prevent him from standing up again. He had to knock him out.

He looked up at the cages, some of them on shelves. His processor went very fast. The pink Minicon punched the owner again and again. She had to jump out, in order to dodge the owner who tried to sway her aside with his servo. Jetstorm didn't think about anything else. He jumped and grabbed the cages' bars, as if they were some ladder. Despite everything, he managed to reach the last shelf. He glanced back at the bot down. He'd grabbed the pink Minicon by her neck. He was about to escape.

He was lunging on the first cage.

Not leaving him any chance…

With all his strength, he pushed it.

The metal cage's weight came to collide with the bot's helm. Right afterward, he stopped. Then he collapsed, knocked out.

The pink Minicon was free again. She stared back at their torturer, a hard expression on her face. However, she didn't insist. It was useless now. She hastily headed for the exit, but she turned back to Jetstorm for one last time.

"…Thanks"

"You're welcome"

"Aren't you coming?"

Jetstorm shook his head. He headed for the other room, following his comrade's advices. The latter had immediately escaped after his release.

"…I must find him"

The Minicon slowly nodded, as if she was saying good luck. Then she rushed outside, vanishing.

Jetstorm stepped inside.

Indeed, he'd been right.

Cages covering walls entirely. Minicons locked up inside, struggling, screaming, not understanding what's going on outside.

Spark going faster, he looked around, searching for his partner.

Maybe…he wasn't there.

Maybe…he was alone.

"…Jetstorm?"

The voice startled him. This voice…

Here. Upstairs.

"Slipstream!"

Primus! Fear faded away. Relief came to strike him. He was so happy to see him again. He'd been thinking about the worst…he was grateful it wasn't the case!

"Jetstorm! What did you-What's going on?" Slipstream asked, panicked.

"I'm coming! I'm going to release you!"

He paused.

"…Then we'll free the rest of Minicons. He will regain consciousness soon"

Slipstream was shocked.

But his shock vanished. Instead he displayed a proud smile.

"Afterward…we'll find Mister Drift"

Jetstorm moved back, getting ready.

Then he jumped.

Drift was driving.

He'd been driving like this for two days.

At Sistex, there had been no indication. He didn't know the City. Getting lost would be an easy thing.

He didn't know where he'd been going. By the way…What had he been doing?

Too much in his mind…Jetstorm and Slipstream taken away from him…his memories of prison…his escape…Armorhide's death…

How could it have happened? Drift drove faster and almost hit another driver who yelled at him. Drift ignored him.

He hadn't talked to Armorhide…how could he be dead? He thought about his violent nature. Maybe he'd angered a customer at the inn, maybe a Decepticon. The latter would have got revenge…

Yet…what had happened to Rollbar? Had he let his comrade die? Drift slowed down. Maybe they hadn't been that close…after all, they had teamed up because they'd shared the same cell. They weren't partners…at least, he thought they hadn't been.

Rollbar just wished to see his family again.

And despite all, he couldn't help but wonder what'd happened to Fracture as well. Had he left because he'd felt a danger?

Drift stopped.

He must apply Wing's advices…too many emotions…it wasn't good. He must calm his mind.

Drift sat down on a bench. Right away, he closed his optics.

He would ease his mind…

Thinking about nothing…

Jetstorm and Slipstream weren't in danger…maybe they'd just escaped…

Drift took many breathes, feeling his body slowly relax.

Relaxing…

Wing's picture came back in his mind.

He hadn't thought it was still possible.

Suddenly, he heard a noise from afar. A noise…like a ship. Immediately, Drift's optics opened up again.

He stood up, walking again.

The ship's engine noise came over again. As if it was about to take off…When Drift noticed the sign in his vision, he immediately stopped to read it.

Nuon city.

He froze.

Wasn't he in Sistex anymore? Had he left the City without even noticing it?

He turned back to the ship. Light had been turning on. A big purple and red ship…

These colours…

Drift moved back. No. That's just a coincidence…many ships carried these colours. However, colours could allow people to identify the owner and their allegiance.

He must find Jetstorm and Slipstream…he must return to Iacon.

Yet, after one moment, he surprised himself by walking ahead for the ship, before transforming to drive to it.

Closer, the ship looked way bigger…

More threatening…

Drift transformed again.

He thought that the ship would take off before Drift would reach it. However, much at his surprise, the ship's gates were still opened.

He stopped, realizing that there had been somebody at the gates, displaying same colours.

Fracture.

He wasn't alone.

At his pedes, Rollbar.

Both of them had vanished. Drift found them together…for one moment, Drift believed that they'd been working together all along…but this idea didn't stick in his mind. They'd just displayed hatred and disdain toward each other.

And when Fracture lowered down to put Rollbar up, Drift realized that the latter was gagged and bound. He didn't react. Maybe had he been knocked out…?

Why…?

Fracture looked back at Drift. But he didn't look surprised. Maybe had he felt his presence since the beginning?

"…I didn't expect us to meet again that soon" Fracture said, a small smile.

"What are you doing, Fracture?"

Drift's tone was cold.

He just paid attention to Rollbar. Why was Fracture attacking him?

The purple bot shrugged.

"I just do business"

"What is Rollbar's role in?"

Fracture sighed, bored.

"Haven't you understood my job, Drift? I'm a bounty hunter. I hunt wanted bots, I bring them back to my customer and I'm paid. Is that so difficult to understand?"

Drift's optics narrowed at this.

"…Rollbar can't be a bounty"

"Yeah" Fracture replied, laidback. "That's the reason why you should use gadgets, Drift. News are getting fast these days"

The orange bot clenched his fists.

Rollbar was still alive…but…

"Now, will you leave me alone?" The purple bot asked him.

"…What is your customer's plan with Rollbar?"

Fracture stared back, irritated.

"It's confidential. Why do you want to know that?"

"This bot didn't do anything to you…and you will deliver him for money?" Drift spat. "What will your customer do with him?"

"You think I care? I'm paid for that job, Drift. I don't ask questions"

Rollbar had a family…

A wife and two children, he'd said.

His first goal had been meeting them again…that's the reason why he'd escaped.

"…Did you kill Armorhide?" Drift spat.

"That's self-defence" Fracture retorted.

"You bastard!"

He'd screamed these words out…without even thinking. Drift'd killed people too. But he felt guilt for it. The purple bot didn't seem to feel anything. Fracture bared his dentas.

"And so, what? We need to survive in that crappy world!"

Rollbar had helped him!

He'd helped him to escape! He'd offered a roof over his head.

He thought of Jetstorm and Slipstream…

They needed him but…

Drift grabbed his sword and katana.

His weapons that had always belonged to him.

Right away, Fracture took a defensive stance.

"What are you planning to do?" The purple bot asked.

"…I'll not let you do this"

"Because he'd paid your night at the inn?"

No…it's nothing about it.

"That's ridiculous, Drift. You'll lose. Just let it slide"

His threats had no effect on him.

Yet he should.

"Rollbar has a family…a family waiting for him."

"What? Will you take him back?"

Then rage came over in Fracture's optics. He put himself in front of Rollbar, clenching his fists.

"…I thought you weren't a bounty hunter"

"I'm not"

"You liar!"

Blades came out from his wrists. Drift couldn't tear his optics off them. They were fine, way finer than his blades…even if with a good blow, he could easily shatter them…they were still deadly.

"…It'll be my only warning, Fracture. Leave him be."

"And it'll be my only warning, Drift. Stay out of this"

He paused.

"I hate competition"

"I'll not stay out of this"

Fracture made many steps, then jumped out of his ship.

He coldly stared back at Drift.

"Too bad"

As fast as two lasers, they lunged out at each other.

OOC: Berry is cosmothediclonius's OC and she allowed me to use it^^