CHAPTER 75

"Hey…Deadlock"

Drift didn't reply.

As usual, as if he'd never left, as if he'd never tried to betray Ronins, he was training. He performed his katas, movements, attacks, defences…

Nevertheless, he did it with much less conviction. As if he'd lost motivation…or rather, he hadn't lost his motivation. But his surroundings didn't allow him to focus. Before, he'd managed to ignore both Foxtrot and Autoclave.

But this time, he was unable to.

"Deadlock, I'm talking to you! Wow, Autoclave was right. You definitely went deaf"

Shut up, Drift thought, slowly losing his patience.

His sword cut air in an arc of circle…

He could still hear Autoclave's laughs accompanying Foxtrot's. As if he'd never left. Autoclave' death wouldn't change the fox. Quite the contrary.

As soon as he tried a new movement, something hit the back of his helm. He sharply turned around.

It wasn't a cube, this time. Foxtrot was holding…nails in his servos.

"I wonder if you'll act still strong with just one optic. What about we try, right?"

Who knows? Maybe next time, it'll not be in your futon he'll put some nails in…but in your tools' bodies.

That's it.

Drift dropped his weapons. He wasn't thinking anymore. He wasn't ignoring him any longer. He wouldn't let him do any longer.

Before Foxtrot could rose up from his seat, the orange bot lunged at him, using all the weight of his body to pin him down on the floor.

"You little—" The fox gasped.

Drift didn't let him finish his sentence off. They rolled on the ground, each trying to get the upper hand on the other. Foxtrot let out an angry roar, gripping Drift's face as if he was trying to break his neck. But the samurai had already anticipated his attack. Foxtrot could use a brute force, he had no skills in fight. Everything was erratic. He'd used his training and he'd endured his bullying to realize it.

As Wing had repeated, he mustn't understand the attack. He must find the intention behind the attack.

And it wasn't as difficult as he'd expected. Soon, he threw Foxtrot off, immobilizing him on the floor by tightening his grip on his jaw.

"Release me! RELEASE ME !"

Foxtrot growled, trying to bite his wrist. Drift didn't care. It had no effect on him anymore. He'd endured worse. Without any warning, his fist was up.

He would defend himself…

And he punched Foxtrot right into the face.

The fox let out a strangled scream. He didn't expect it. Yes. The orange bot, the inferior one without any animal alt-mode, knew how to defend himself…

And truth to be told, Drift thought that one blow wasn't enough.

He punched Foxtrot again.

Over and over.

All the rage he'd kept…when Forager had punched him…when Foxtrot had threatened Slipstream…

Foxtrot didn't pay. Not today. Whatever Drift did would be nothing. Drift wouldn't get any revenge. Even if he wished it deeply…

But Wing wouldn't approve. So, Drift wouldn't get any revenge. That's what Wing had taught him.

But one day, Foxtrot would pay. Just like Forager. Just like Fracture.

Every body paid the price one day or another.

Drift had paid. He'd probably had still debts to pay.

But now…

"Release me! RELEASE ME!" Foxtrot repeated.

He couldn't defend himself. And Drift couldn't deny some pleasure he was feeling.

He was punching him for the tenth time when, suddenly, he was grabbed by behind. Drift immediately stopped. He didn't have any time to blink, he was suddenly thrown against the wall. His head hit the wall hard, his vision going blurry for some seconds.

In front of him, pedes appeared. Then, Forager's deep voice rose up.

"Are you out of your mind?"

The orange bot didn't reply anything, still dizzy. Even if he could, he wouldn't reply anything. He wouldn't reply to Forager.

No one left Ronins.

Drift's vision went clearer. Not very far, Foxtrot sat up while holding his face. Tracks of energon covered it.

Drift bitterly thought that the fox must feel what he inflicted to others.

"I knew it wasn't a good idea to recruit that trash!" Foxtrot shouted, covering his jaw.

He'd probably lost some of his dentas…

"Foxtrot, shut up" Forager dangerously warned him.

"He betrayed us! He isn't like us! He doesn't have any Ronin vibe! And you welcome him with open arms while he—"

"I told you TO SHUT UP!"

This time, Foxtrot obeyed. Or maybe was he too much in pain to keep on. Forager turned back to Drift. His fists clenched, rage was burning in his optics.

Drift frowned. If he wanted to punch him, he was ready.

Yet Forager didn't do anything. He just gritted his dentas, before his arms went down. However, contempt was still obvious in his optics.

"I'll let it slide. You went just too emotional" The racoon growled. "Foxtrot went too far"

His attitude surprised Drift. Forager paused.

"However…Do it again and I'll dismember one of your Minicons"

That threat made Drift shiver. Forager meant it. If he was strong enough, he would attack him.

But if Drift attacked, it would just endanger Jetstorm and Slipstream way more. And the situation couldn't get worse. However, Forager's behaviour hid something. He'd got an idea in mind.

After a couple of unbearable minutes, Forager's anger went off. Instead, a smirk appeared on his face.

Drift was stunned again.

"Forager…What are you doing?" Foxtrot asked him.

"…Everybody. In my office now"

"Why? Your smile…you have something in mind, Forager"

"Oh yes"

He turned around to leave the room.

"…We found the target"

"…On the Moon of Athena?"

In the room, every Ronins had answered to Forager's call. Each of them, in their optics, Drift could notice excitement and impatience. They'll gain 100, 000 Shanix as expected. The only exception being Foxtrot who still held his face due to painful blows given by Drift.

Jetstorm and Slipstream were still on Drift's wrists. The latter didn't display any emotion.

But as soon as Forager had mentioned the place, their faces had crumbled. Drift didn't understand. He didn't know the Moon of Athena. In the end, Stilts spoke.

"Are you joking? The Moon of Athena…"

"What about it?"

"It's inaccessible!" Stilts shouted.

Forager frowned.

"Because you know anything about it? You?"

"I already went here" The crane growled.

He walked over, turning to everybody else.

"I think you can just forget the bounty"

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing, Drift thought.

"Why so? Go straight to the point!" Forager insisted, not very thrilled.

"Because the Moon of Athena is completely overpopulated. All inhabitants look the same. They are clones"

"Are you kidding? I don't buy it!" Foxtrot growled.

"You don't believe me? I can tell you I'm not lying. The founder of the City, Centaur, wanted to build a perfect place in order to escape from the war and living through a lingering peace. He'd got the idea of creating these inhabitants by cloning himself."

"Don't tell me he created an entire population through cloning!"

It was…unexpected. Drift definitely didn't expect that. He heard about the Moon of Athena but he'd never thought the Moon was filled with clones of one individual.

"What are we going to do?" Foxtrot shouted.

"I'm sure there is a way to find him…amongst all these clones" Forager stated, letting out a sigh. "He must have a name…or a number"

"Possible. But know one thing" Stilts answered. "On the Moon of Athena…They have exceptional means of protection."

"How's that?" Forager questioned him.

"They live in bunkers"

The racoon let out another sigh.

"It wouldn't be easy but…we can just make him go outside"

"Clones, bunkers…what else?" Lyzak asked.

"It's difficult enough"

Forager's expression was thoughtful, as if he was trying to find a way. Unfortunately, after a few minutes, it looked like he hadn't found anything.

"We could…just ask one of the clones to find him and deliver him to us?" Stilts offered.

"In exchange of what?" Forager growled. "If they are clones, they'll not betray each other. Unless we find the right one…and it's unlikely probable"

One after another, Ronins offered an idea that Forager refused.

Until Foxtrot's idea.

"…We can just make the Moon of Athena explode" He offered.

Silence fell down. Everyone turned back to the fox.

"…What?" Lyzak answered.

"Aren't you serious?" Stilts asked.

"I am" Foxtrot said. "That's just so simple…if we can't find that bot, we can just use some radical means."

Drift got startled. He had no word to describe that insanity.

Foxtrot…was planning to destroy an entire moon along with its billions of inhabitants? Even if they were clones, that's a genocide!

He immediately protested.

"No way!"

"Who talked to you?" Foxtrot roared. "100,000 Shanix for a bounty! Do you realize it?"

"And do you realize there are billions of inhabitants living in?" The orange bot retorted. "You're planning to commit a massacre!"

"They are just clones! They are lifeless anyway! No individuality! That's like if you killed one single bounty, only one individual anyway!"

No way to reason him. Drift focused back on the other members. He wanted to check their reactions.

Lucky enough, none of them seemed to approve such a plan. Even Forager looked hesitant about the matter.

"…Deadlock isn't wrong" The racoon admitted.

"Cybertron is dying anyway" Foxtrot declared. "We need some energons. And these clones keep it for themselves. Soon, there will be no Cybertronians left. We can just act pragmatic."

"…Still…"

Forager had his arms crossed.

Drift understood why the fox had been named the Trigger-Happy Terror.

"And that's a bounty!" Foxtrot kept on. "The bounty is the most important thing. 100, 000 Shanix! Do you realize it? Do you want to leave it at another bounty hunter? At Fracture? Since your friend Deadlock chose to spare him?"

Forager frowned at the memory. Drift didn't care. Fracture wasn't the matter now.

"…There must be another way" Lyzak intervened.

"If you have another idea, darling…that's the good time" Foxtrot growled.

But Lyzak had no idea in mind. Strangely enough, Drift caught sight of her putting her servo over her stomach. As if she planned to protect something inside…

"…100,000 Shanix. We might never have such a prize ever again" Forager finally stated.

"We're talking about an entire civilization!" Drift shouted.

"A civilization filled with bots without any animal alt-mode" Foxtrot retorted. "Inferior beings. Clones."

"You're planning to destroy an entire star!"

Femmes, children…didn't they care about it?

"…There are other stars anyway" Forager answered.

So, he agreed? He agreed to destroy everything for a bounty?

If Forager approved the plan, the other Ronins wouldn't have any other choice…they'll have to follow him. Even if Lyzak and Stilts looked disgusted by the idea.

"Forager…Please, think about it again" Drift almost begged him.

The racoon's answer was cold and immediate.

"100,000 Shanix. The bounty is always the most important thing"

The decision was made.

Nearby, Foxtrot smirked, thrilled by the idea. He was happy about the idea of watching all these people die in the explosion, burning in the fire and flames…

Watching an entire moon explode…

"…You can't be serious" Drift said.

Forager's last sentence was too much.

"I don't care about ideas and comments coming from a bot without any animal alt-mode who isn't like us, Deadlock."

Drift froze.

In the end, he moved. He walked closer to Forager. Drift faced him, noticing that the racoon was slightly surprised by his attitude.

He'd enough.

He'd enough of watching all these sufferings around him, marking him forever because he hadn't been able to intervene…

"I'm not Deadlock. My name is Drift. It'll always be Drift. Remember this, Forager."

Billions of lives…slaughtered in one instant…

No way Drift will let that happen.