CHAPTER 76

"…Foxtrot…"

The ship was ready to take off. During the entire days, Foxtrot, Forager and Stilts had embarked various kind of loads, cables, explosives, before activating the necessary detonator in order to make the bomb explode. Even though Foxtrot had been the one who'd got the idea, it had been Forager who orchestrated everything, making a detailed plan for their hunt. The bomb would be placed in the heart of the Moon of Athena, at the Great Place where the founder's residence towered above everything else. According to Stilts, the summit of the residence was even taller than any other Cybertronian giant building. So, destroying the palace would also destroy every other habitation within a radius of a hundred, even a thousand of kilometres. Ronins would leave their base to head for the Moon the day after, as it wasn't very located far from Cybertron. They would just activate their ship at full-speed.

Until tomorrow morning, they were free to do whatever they wanted.

That's the reason why she had chosen to talk to him alone. Both of them were reunited in their room. She didn't want Forager or any other Ronin to listen.

Especially since she was about to tell him a great new…It would change so many things. She didn't even know how he would react. With Foxtrot, she expected everything. He was so unpredictable. He could be extremely happy…or he could burst out in rage to the point of destroying their room.

Whatever the scenario would be, she was ready anyway.

The Red Night faced the Trigger-Happy Terror. Foxtrot had his arms crossed. He was in bad mood but he remained calm.

"We don't have much time left" He said.

"I know"

"Forager needs me. And you shall rest"

She took a breath.

"I'm just asking you for…five minutes of your time"

Foxtrot suppressed a growl. Nevertheless, he remained in the room. He let her talk.

"I'm listening"

"…That bounty…"

She was hesitant. How could she tell him?

In the end, her spark going faster, she kept on.

"…Is that bounty so important to you?"

She hoped something…For a few minutes, she thought she could change his mind. At the second where Foxtrot had offered that horrible plan, destroying an entire star…and Ronins approving it…she'd realized how these last years had been a waste.

Of course, she was responsible. She'd willingly chosen to join Ronins. She'd just wanted a roof over her head, a protection…

And she'd taken pleasure in these hunts. She'd found love. She'd been mated.

Foxtrot's answer was immediate.

"More than anything. 100,000 Shanix, Lyzak! Can you realize it? That's much more than we could imagine."

She felt an ache at her spark. Her servos slightly trembled. But she managed to remain placid.

"More than anything?"

More than she?

"You can't imagine" Foxtrot said. "You can't imagine what it means to me, taking revenge on every people who'd looked down upon us, because we've been bots with animal alt-modes…as if we've chosen it…"

That's…his hatred again. Though she imagined it had been another excuse to justify his urges.

"But it doesn't mean they all of them are cruel people!" Lyzak cried out. "You…you just…generalize everything!"

She paused, feeling a lump in her throat.

"You don't know about nuances!"

"I don't care about nuances!" Foxtrot roared back. "Right now, they are dying! They are starving to death while we…with that bounty, we'll get a happy life!"

But that wasn't what she wished…

"Sacrificing an entire star? You think it's worth it?" Lyzak cried.

"For the last time, they're just clones! They shouldn't even exist! See, Lyzak? It had always been your problem. You're too sensitive! You are not cruel enough! One day or another, you'll get eaten alive!"

Lyzak growled back, her earshots lowering down.

"War doesn't allow us to commit such an act! We're talking about lives! Lives you want to take!"

"It didn't bother you once, taking these bounties' lives!"

It hurt her more than she'd thought. One after another, she endured her husband' words.

But could she still call him as such? Her husband?

She was mated to a monster. A monster that was able to murder children…Yes. She'd taken lives as well. She'd contributed to it.

But these bots had been wanted. It had been her job.

He was taking lives from bots who weren't even on the list of bounties. Ronins had never dared do such an act before.

At this moment, she wondered if everything had been worthy of these murders…Slowly, she got an idea of the answer.

What had been important to her once…wasn't important any longer.

Finally, Foxtrot asked her. The question she'd been expecting.

"Huh? What happened to you?"

Lyzak looked down.

Without saying anything, she put her servo on her stomach.

Something way more important than a bounty…even if the bounty was at 100,000 Shanix. She would never risk it.

Foxtrot fell silent.

But some light remained in his optics.

He'd got it.

"…How long?"

He wasn't angry. However, his tone was cold and hard. This new didn't make him happy either.

Lyzak sighed.

"…Since I fell sick. That's my sickness."

"You're carrying"

Foxtrot's arms went down.

She caught sight of an expression she'd never seen before…

Doubt, uncertainty…

For one moment, Lyzak wondered if it would really change his mind. As if she'd been hoping…

For one moment, she hoped.

But her hope was shattered as soon as Foxtrot dryly declared.

"…It means Forager will not keep you around"

All her dreams…were shattered.

Somehow, she should have expected it.

"You're carrying…You can't go to mission anymore. Forager will never accept that you spend your time taking care of a child. He'll not give you any Shanix for it. You're no longer useful here, as a Ronin"

She didn't care about Forager's opinion…

She'd already accepted that.

She'd accepted everything. Anyway, Ronins weren't the group she'd once dreamed of any longer. It wasn't her home anymore. All that mattered had been her child…

Her child…

"What about you?" She asked him.

"What about me?"

"What do you think about it?"

Foxtrot remained silent.

If he'd been happy…his answer should have been quick. But he didn't like it.

A child…that's not what he wanted.

But the child was his as well.

"…We could leave together" She said.

"Excuse me?"

"We could leave Ronins…we could find a place where we would raise this child…together"

But was he able to? Lyzak didn't think so.

"…Leaving Ronins…" he repeated.

His optics narrowed.

"Where would we go?"

"I don't know"

"There is no other place for us beside Cybertron!" He shouted. "That's war, remember!"

"We are not forced to stay on Cybertron!"

She remembered about the Mount Fuji on Earth…they'd been used to go there, sightseeing, every time they'd got the chance to.

The most beautiful place on Earth.

"…There are other planets…"

"Cybertron is my planet! It'll always be. If you think I'll leave Ronin, giving up on a bounty for you…You don't know me at all!"

It struck her. It hurt her as much as if he'd punched her.

Of course, she knew him…but they were bonded. They were supposed to be the most important thing to each other.

Lyzak's view went blurry.

"…I see"

Somehow, it was probably a good thing. Foxtrot wasn't able to raise a child up. He wouldn't have been able to control his murderous urges in presence of the child…

Sooner or later, he would had hurt them. Lyzak knew it.

Whatever…She'll protect her child. Even if she was alone against the world, even if she wouldn't have any support…she wouldn't abandon them.

Ronins could all go and burn.

She was about to leave the room when Foxtrot called her back.

"I'll not say anything to Forager"

She stopped, listening until the end.

"If he learned it, he would get rid of you. He'll prevent you to leave. No one can leave Ronins…beside through death"

He paused.

"You have no longer any future here"

"I already had no future anyway."

She kept her servo over her stomach, trying to get some comfort.

She was hurt…but it was necessary. She wanted something other than war and destruction. Decepticons…Autobots…Ronins…

"…Goodbye, Foxtrot"

She had no answer.

However, when she walked through the hall, she heard a loud roar.

A roar out of anger…or sadness?

Whatever. It didn't matter anymore. He'd made his choice.

She had no sympathy for him any longer.

"The escape pod will be here"

Drift nodded. He listened to Lyzak carefully. The latter showed him every part of the ship that would be necessary to him.

He would have never expected that she would actively try to help him. Even if she wouldn't assist him in the plan he's preparing, she still gave him a servo for it. The samurai had thought she would be someone trustworthy. She didn't approve the destruction of the moon, even for a bounty. Neither Stitls. Nevertheless, the latter had chosen to go with it, albeit reluctantly. Lyzak hadn't wished to contribute.

"…Is it really what you want?" Drift asked her.

She sighed. He understood it wasn't a question to ask.

"We could have done it together…" Drift stated.

"No. You might be arrested for it. If I follow you, I'll be arrested too. And I don't want to be sentenced to death by one or the other faction."

As he'd been someone imprisoned by Autobots, he understood her point of view.

"Yet…I don't want the death of all these innocent people." Lyzak added. "So, now this battle is yours. Yours and your Minicons'."

He nodded.

"I'll do my best"

"Farewell…Drift"

The only one who'd been using his real name…

And before she added anything else, Lyzak quietly left the base.