CHAPTER 64

Tonight, Drift dreamed.

It wasn't a nightmare…However, it wasn't a pleasant dream either.

He dreamed about Dai Atlas. Like a flashback, he witnessed the Circle of Light old leader's death again. He helplessly watched as Star Saber stabbed through his spark.

"Primus hates you"

However, it wasn't Dai Atlas who was stabbed through…Drift looked down. He realized with horror that the sword was coming through his own chassis.

Nearby, Wing looked disappointed.

A disappointment breaking his spark.

Universe vanished. He was back in Shadow Raker's old ship.

In front of him, Jetstorm and Slipstream, pinned to the wall…They both struggled, calling for help. Jetstorm cried, screamed, begged…

As for Slipstream, he just gave Drift a cold glare full of blame.

"Why didn't you save us? What have we done to you to deserve such a thing?" He cried out, his vocal box broken out of rage.

Drift's vision went blurry.

Then, he was lying down at Fracture's pedes. The latter's blade was up, about to cut his neckcables off…

…Just like during their recent fight…

"Give up"

And the blade went for him.

Drift jumped, awake. Immediately afterward, he caught his breath. Out of instinct, he put his servo over his chassis, on his neckcables…even though in the end, he realized that all of this had been his imagination, he couldn't help but being afraid of having received deadly blows during his recharge.

Nothing.

Slowly, Drift calmed down. He applied Wing's exercises. He must focus his own mind. He must relax. He closed his optics. He inhaled, exhaled…his mind went empty. As soon as he opened his optics, he found himself in the same room as his arrival. Lanterns were still on…It was reassuring yet…sinister at the same time.

He sat up then stood up. He still felt a bit dizzy but he caught himself to the wall. He was fed up of recharging. He waited for a few seconds, before he limped to the door, leaving the room.

He landed in a dark hall…A big red door at the end of it. As soon as he came closer, he noticed an insignia on it. A symbol. Two orange and red swords colliding. He stopped. For one instant, he hesitated. He wondered what had been behind that door. Was it the way out…or something else?

If that's an exit, he could just escape…He could go to search for Jetstorm and Slipstream again. yet…

In the end, he pressed the button to get it open. It wasn't an exit. That's a room, looking like a garage. Inside, the fox-femme prepared cubes of energon. Her ears moved to the noise, then she turned back to Drift. She looked a bit surprised. She'd probably expected him to rest more.

"Oh. Hello" She greeted him, without any smile. She looked a bit shy. When he gave her a second look, he noticed that she carried an armour similar to Forager's one.

"…Hello…"

"Do you feel better?"

"I…Yes"

Lyzak served him a cube. Drift thanked her and drank it.

"I'm going to tell Forager about it"

He remembered their last talk. Drift didn't react. He wasn't done with him apparently. Lyzak left the room. A few minutes later, she came back, accompanied by the racoon. Drift stopped drinking, out of politeness.

"Nice to see you in better shape" Forager approved.

He smiled. However, it wasn't a happy smile. Drift stood up. Forager grabbed a cube that Lyzak gave him. The orange bot didn't know what to answer.

He ended up bowing. He noticed Forager's optics widening. It got him surprised.

"…Thanks"

After all, that's the only thing to say. He hadn't been able to show his gratefulness. Forager had even commented on it. The racoon nodded, approving.

"We aren't ones to abandon bots in distress…especially when it comes to Fracture…"

He paused.

"…especially when they fight that good…"

Drift twitched. His sword…his katana…He barely put his servo on his sheath that Lyzak stepped forward to give them to him.

"…Thanks" Drift repeated, receiving them.

"Beautiful swords. Where did you get them?"

Drift bit his lip. Should he be honest? In the end, he chose to give a vague answer.

"…My mentor gave them to me"

"Good"

Forager looked satisfied with such an answer. He drank his cube. Drift felt a lump in his throat. He wondered if Forager would allow him to leave…but at the same time, a particular question went to his mind.

He chose to ask.

"…What are Ronins?"

The racoon shrugged.

"…I think I already told you during our first meeting"

"But…you aren't a political movement, right?"

He shook his head.

"Politic isn't for us. Our goal isn't about ruling, but about surviving in our own ways"

"How so?"

Forager put his cube down. Then, his answer took Drift aback.

"We are mercenaries, bounty hunters"

The orange bot froze. Forager's smile widened.

"Didn't you expect this, right?"

Maybe Drift should have expected it. After all, more he was thinking about it, more he'd noticed many hints that could have got him warned. Their hatred toward Fracture, Forager's comment about the bounty hunter' bounties…

He remembered about Rollbar's disdain toward this profession. Drift didn't know how he should feel about them…Of course, that's a hateful job. The purple bot had been the illustration of it. Yet…they'd still saved him.

"We aren't taking part in the conflict" The racoon explained. "Each of us tries to survive to the war."

"…I must go" Drift replied.

He didn't want to remain here any longer. Jetstorm and Slipstream needed him. Forager noticed his reaction quite well. Lyzak let out a sigh.

"I know bounty hunters have bad reputation" The racoon added. "Yet…we aren't bad people. At least, we Ronins aren't that bad"

What was the difference?

"…You deliver bounties to customers"

"It's war" Forager retorted. "Many of bounties are wanted bots who are war criminals. We don't pick any side. We sell Decepticons to Autobots just like we sell Autobots to Decepticons. And believe me…None of them are innocent people"

He paused.

"That's a job like any other"

"How are you different from Fracture?" Drift questioned him.

Forager frowned. His questions apparently bothered him. Lyzak and he exchanged a glance. Then Forager smiled again.

"Unlike Fracture…we have some standards"

"What do you mean?"

"I thought you know each other"

Drift shook his head.

"Not really. I didn't know about his bounty hunter profession until we manage to escape."

Forager's smirk widened again.

"Fracture is a psychopath" He explained. "Everything that matters to him is money. Yet, he also likes to have fun with his bounties."

"Fun?" Drift repeated.

"Most of wanted bots do not survive when he is the one capturing them. Especially more when there is written 'dead or alive' on the ad. We try to keep them alive, at least. Fracture…prefers them dead"

A chill went through Drift's spine at the thought. Forager kept on.

"And we treat our prisoners with respect. Fracture mistreats them and tortures them. The number of times we'd managed to steal bounties from Fracture…Must I tell you in which state they were found? It was quite…jarring"

Drift could picture it very well. Fracture torturing other bots…He glanced back to check Lyzak's reaction. She silently nodded at everything Forager said.

"So…You do this in order to…fight Fracture?"

"I think if you were a wanted bounty, you would prefer to meet us rather than meeting him, right?" Forager questioned him.

Drift didn't want to picture himself as a bounty. But…if whatever Forager said was true, if he must pick…he would definitely pick them. Lyzak's face remained inexpressive. Forager kept smiling.

"…I must go" Drift repeated.

"I think you owe us something, right?"

Drift stopped.

A debt? Yes…They'd saved him.

He owed them something.

"Yes…that's true" Drift reluctantly admitted.

The Code of Honour Wing'd taught him came back in his memory. During their lessons, Wing had taught him that any debt must be paid.

His life had been saved…The Code of Honour dictated that the saviour shall be placed under the debt's owner's protection until the debt was paid.

Was it Forager's wish?

"…What do you want me to do?"

He must search for Jetstorm and Slipstream. Forager had his arms crossed behind his back, staring back at him.

"We must capture an Autobot bounty, wanted for having mutilated and murdered Decepticon officers."

Murder and mutilation…Drift didn't even hide his disgust to this.

"I would like your help to capture them" Forager completed.

That wasn't what Wing had taught him. It wasn't a life debt. He stared back at Forager, hesitating. On one servo, he thought back of Rollbar. That bot had committed crimes but he was a good person deep down. He remembered as he'd witnessed Fracture capturing him, ready to deliver him to a customer…leaving him at an uncertain fate…

But on the other servo, that bot had mutilated and murdered people. Yet Drift felt hypocrite to refuse Rollbar's fate if he accepted to capture another bot.

"Do it…and we'll leave you alone"

But if he could leave…

"…Let me think about it"

This answer didn't seem to satisfy Forager who growled back. Lyzak put a servo over his shoulder. However, the racoon didn't keep on. He simply winced, before answering.

"Don't make us wait too long"

Drift gave him a nod. Having no other option, he choose to return to his room. He needed to meditate…

…and contacting someone.

"Do you have some network here?" Drift questioned them.

Lyzak nodded.

"We have many Pads. You can use one if you wish"

"Thanks"

"What for?" Forager asked.

Drift let out a sigh. He shouldn't look too suspicious. He shall be honest…

"…I search for Minicons"

"Minicons? How do they look like?" Forager asked.

Why was he asking him such a question? Would he help him to find them back? Drift chose not to keeping on further.

"…I lost them anyway"

Bitterness struck him. They could be anywhere on Cybertron. He didn't even know if they were dead or alive.

Yet Lyzak followed him. She spoke up again, a calm tone.

"There are many stores here. They sell Minicons. Maybe are they here?"

Minicon stores? Drift was outraged at this. Until the end, they'd been viewed as tools, items. Yet…this information was precious.

"…Thanks"

And he left the halls.

"It's not a life debt, Drift"

Lying down on his futon, Drift faced his mentor. Wing sat down at a desk. He recognized the room. The meeting room…as soon as his voice rose, it gave Drift such a good feeling.

Wing had always been a good adviser…he would help him.

Happiness had overwhelmed Wing as well, as soon as he'd realized it had been Drift who was contacting him. But as soon as Drift finished his story, the white bot's smile vanished. He stared at Drift, a suspicious look on his face.

"I know" Drift answered. "But they saved me. Honour dictates me to—"

"That's not a life debt, Drift" Wing repeated. "A life debt involves a life for a life. Capturing a bot as a way to thank another for having saved your life…it's not equitable"

Of course, it wasn't equitable. What they'd asked him to do had nothing to do with Drift's life being saved.

Wing looked down, thoughtful.

"…Are you their prisoner?" Wing asked.

"…No"

At least, Drift didn't think so.

"I don't know what to do, Wing"

"You shall leave, Drift. Even though they saved you, you mustn't fall into this. You are going for a way that'll lead you to nowhere. You don't know these people"

Drift wanted to take that advice. He knew his mentor was right…

Yet…

"They aren't Decepticons"

"I don't judge bounty hunters in general" Wing corrected him. "No one shall be judged for what they do. But…if they are trying to coerce you into doing whatever they want…You must leave"

But…Jetstorm and Slipstream were lost. They could be anywhere.

And Drift was searched as well. By Autobots…if they found him…if he was caught…

At least, he was safe here. At least, for now.

"…I don't know, Wing"

"Drift…"

Wing's tone softened up.

"…You know you can come back here. At Crystal cities"

Drift sadly stared back at him.

Returning to Crystal cities…reintegrating the Circle of Light…that's not the first time he was thinking about it, not the first time Wing offered it to him…

He didn't want to stay at any place other than the Circle of Light.

That's so attractive…yet unfortunately, it wasn't possible.

"…You know I can't"

"You're free of your own choices, Drift. But…remember. We'll always view you as one of us. The Circle of Light is your home."

His home…

His home.

Yes. He could return…

But not without Jetstorm and Slipstream.

And Shadow Raker had already found them. He'd known where they'd been hiding…

Drift nodded.

"I know…Me too, I would like to return as well"

He didn't want to leave Wing. He wanted to see him, talk to him…Yet he had to cut the communication off.

"…Thanks, Wing. I know I never told you but…thanks for the chance you've given to me."

And his mentor's answer was so surprising that it gave Drift a good chill, some great wellness as soon as the white bot declared.

"I know I never told you…but remember: I love you"