CHAPTER 79

"Sorry…Am I interrupting something?"

Because of the explosion, smoke was rising up to the sky. It didn't stop Fracture from moving ahead to Astro 4788. Drift didn't move. Red light blinding them, the purple bounty hunter granted them a sinister smirk.

The samurai felt Astro 4788 stepping back. He didn't answer back. Blades up, he was more than ready to use them.

Fracture wasn't impressed. He kept walking ahead.

"Leave now, Fracture" Drift coldly warned him.

That would be his only warning.

The purple bot frowned.

"I felt you wouldn't learn anything"

He paused.

"Tell me if I'm wrong but…didn't I tell you that I would kill you if I ever met you again?"

"I'll not let you kill him" Drift growled back.

"He's just a clone. He'll be easily replaced" Fracture retorted.

Behind, Astro 4788 shivered. It only enraged the orange bot more. But he remained calm. He had to be calm.

"I don't care if he is a clone. He is a living being just like you and me. I'll not let you kill him"

"So, you have a conscience again, right?"

In the end, Fracture stopped moving.

"It hadn't bothered you…all these times we've fought for bounties"

He felt Astro 4788 tense up. Immediately, the clone's stare focused back on Drift. The samurai couldn't help a chill through his body. Shock, confusion…betrayal…he could read all of this on the clone's face.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Yes. He'd expected that. By fighting Fracture, he wouldn't have been able to hide the truth any further anyway.

He should have been honest from the first…yet Drift thought that if he'd done that, Astro 4788 wouldn't have believed him. He would have been in danger in any case.

He didn't need to explain anything.

"It's a joke…Are you kidding, right?" The clone stammered.

He didn't need to turn around. Fracture had his arms crossed, a self-confident smirk on his face.

"Yes. I don't know why he's protecting you but yes…Drift is a bounty hunter. Just like I am."

Drift glared at him back.

"No…" The clone said, completely astonished.

"It's your fault anyway. You give your trust to strangers not looking like you way too easily, while there is a bounty on your head" Fracture stated, a laidback tone. "Don't you guess? There are like a dozen, even a hundred of bounty hunters and assassins after you."

He focused back on Drift again.

"By the way…Thanks for your intervention. You've been audacious enough to blow up the Ronin' ship. Anyway…you definitely took weight off of my back. You got rid of competitors…what else can I ask for?"

Then he added back with a smirk.

"If I didn't hate you that much…I would kiss you for this."

This time, it was enough. Drift lunged at him, his sword aiming at the purple bounty hunter' side. But Fracture had already anticipated it and he'd let him attack first. Drift's opponent jumped aside, a smile on his face.

"You'll get out of here" Drift hissed, articulating each word. "Now!"

"Hm. I don't think so"

"As long as I'll be alive, I'll make sure that each bot, each femme, each child will be safe from you!"

He heard Astro 4788 scream at them to disappear…

He couldn't.

In the end, Fracture's smile vanished. Drift observed as he clenched his fists, the purple bot displaying a cold rage.

In the end, he stretched his arms out…And missiles on his shoulders were launched. They formed arcs of a circle before charging at Drift, full-speed.

That's the signal. Drift jumped ahead, dodging one of them before he blocked the other with his sword. Before they could touch the ground, the torpedoes transformed, one after another.

Fracture' Minicons faced Drift. The samurai stepped back.

"Deploy us, Mister Drift!" Slipstream cried out.

He hesitated. Both torpedoes were getting ready to assault him again. Drift ignored his advices and charged at them as well. He dodged the Long Arms torpedo before kicking the other one, who collapsed on the floor before he'd stood up again, a murderous expression on his face. Drift remained calm, not tearing his optics off Fracture. The latter remained unmoving, witnessing the scene.

Drift clenched his fists. Jetstorm and Slipstream weren't ready to fight. These torpedoes were sneaky. They'll not stand against them.

"Mister Drift!"

Drift ignored him one more time and let two of three of his enemies come at him. Both attacked at the same time, and despite Drift being taller than them, despite his sword, his katana, he'd found himself soon in difficulties against them. He tried to step back in order to put one in front of the other, and having them mutually bother themselves. But unfortunately, the plan didn't work. Quite the contrary. Both of them fought harder and together. Then the Egg-head one threw himself hard at the samurai, head first, pinning him to the ground. Drift accidentally dropped his sword. However, it only encouraged torpedoes further who punched him back, immobilizing him on the floor.

"Mister Drift!" Slipstream shouted again.

Drift growled in pain. He couldn't move. Decepticon missiles didn't leave him any rest. One after another, he felt claws, punches, kicks marking off his face, his chassis, his arms…some of attacks left out an unreadable noise, implying many scratches at some parts. Even if it wasn't serious, punches were more painful. They struck him while letting out some chuckles, laughs. Drift struggled, closing an optic before the one with long arms could tear it off. He screamed in rage, trying to grab one but the other prevented him from doing anything by punching him way harder.

Despite all, Drift could only watch as Fracture walked to Astro 4788. The clone hissed back, trying to grab the closest item he'd got to defend himself with. Astro 4788 grabbed a hammer and tried to hit Fracture's head with. But the latter tightly grabbed his wrist before aiming at him with his Taser, sending out an electric wave through the clone's body. Astro 4788 collapsed on the floor in a chilling scream.

"MISTER DRIFT!"

Around him, laughs went louder.

He didn't have any choice.

He'd sworn to protect him…He'll protect him…

In the end, he stretched his arms out and deployed both Jetstorm and Slipstream.

Disks flied up in the air before transforming, each of them lunging at a respective foe, like if they were vultures on their preys.

It was efficient. Joining his pedes, Slipstream struck hard at the torpedo with long arms, ejecting him away from Drift while Jetstorm wrapped his arms around the other torpedo's neck, trying to strangle him. Drift managed to stand up. He grabbed his blades up then, before Fracture could take a grab of the bot, Drift hit him hard, using his shoulder.

Immediately, the purple bot lost his balance. He managed to catch himself, glaring up back at Drift.

"You can't defeat me"

Drift didn't answer. He charged.

Fracture clenched his fists. Blades suddenly appeared out from his wrists.

It didn't stop Drift. His katana and his sword up, his blades collided again with Fracture's.

As if their fate was meeting each other…

However, unlike their last meeting, Fracture didn't even pretend to play with him. He didn't even try to leave some hope to Drift to stab him in the back. No.

The fight immediately went unequal. Drift suffered from Fracture's speed. The latter kept on with various attacks, only by using his blades. Drift didn't manage to get the upper hand. He could just block. And block again. At one point, Drift almost lost his balance many times. Many times, it almost cost him dearly. Drift managed to survive by lowering himself at the exact time where Fracture's blade almost cut his head off. The blade just passed above his head.

In the end, Drift took that opportunity and turned around, giving Fracture a hard kick. It made Fracture step back, his back hitting the wall hard. Drift witnessed as he winced under the pain. Drift stopped again, trying to catch his breath for a few seconds.

"…Why?" He heard Astro 4788 saying.

Yes…He was just a bounty hunter…

Yet…

"I'll protect you" Drift swore again.

"But…"

"Just leave. Go to your family. Be safe, please."

Fracture stood up again. Drift took the chance and gave him another blow, by using his katana. Fracture blocked it by using his only servo. His stare left Drift. The samurai realized that the bounty had obeyed and had managed to escape, leaving by the door.

It was more obvious…since Fracture's optics were burning with a murderous urge.

He knew what it meant. Die.

Drift didn't have time to react. He received a hard headbutt from his opponent. A few seconds, he didn't see anything. Only black and stars. But his sight went again, only to watch as Fracture lunged at him, a new weapon at servo.

His cannon.

Drift reached out then blocked the cannon' handle with his katana. Fracture growled back and used the entire weight of his body to pin him against the wall, pressing him. Drift tried to get free, using his two servos to protect himself while the cannon's handle slowly moved closer to the samurai's neck.

Despite his resistance, Drift's arms went to shake. He'll not hold long enough.

Get up

Drift displayed his neck.

He mimicked Fracture and before his arms could drop off, he headbutted the purple bot's face hard.

Fracture fell. He dropped his cannon. Drift didn't leave him any time to stand up. He charged again, his servos targeting the purple bot's neck.

Fracture roared and grabbed his shoulders, both enemies rolling on the floor to get the upper hand on each other.

In the end, Drift was the one on him. His fist went up and he punched Fracture with such a rage he'd never expected to have one day.

Fracture growled.

Drift was about to strike him again. However he hadn't noticed Fracture's other servo going off.

Drift got startled. It was too late since before he could do anything, a projectile came to strike him right into the face. Then a great pain took over his forehelm.

Drift collapsed on the side. Some energon came out from his forehelm and some drops landed on his knees.

Fracture stood again, a sadistic smirk. At servo, he'd used the hammer Astro 4788 had picked up to defend himself with.

Drift's optics widened. No rule. He used every means to win.

Fracture threw the hammer off. Maybe he thought it would be useless now.

His blades appeared again.

Drift dodged, jumping aside. He'd been able to collect his weapons before Fracture's blades collided with his again.

"Give up, Fracture! Surrender!" Drift screamed.

"Never! For a bounty, I'll never give up or surrender!"

Fracture turned around and threw him a hard kick. It wasn't enough. He used his right pede to kick an item lying down on the floor, sending it over in Drift's direction. The samurai blocked with his sword but it only encouraged Fracture further.

Their blades met again.

"Looks like you improved!" The purple bot sneered, his blade lunging at Drift's neck to tear his cables off.

Drift remembered about a technic. Like a flash. Something that Wing had shown him.

He'd his blades crossed, trapping Fracture's between them.

It stopped the purple bot's attack. Fracture was thrown ahead. Drift will not let him go. He'll never let him go.

He projected Fracture above him. The purple bot landed on the floor.

One of his blades broke.

He heard his adversary growl out of rage.

Immediately afterward, Fracture stood up. Drift let him do.

He wouldn't lower himself to his level.

In Fracture's optics, there had been anger…

…But some excitement as well.

"How naïve you are!"

He grabbed something out of his back.

Drift was struck with horror, realizing it was a bomb.