CHAPTER 80

As soon as Drift caught sight of the bomb in Fracture's servos, his energon went icy. The purple bot gave him a devious smirk. Out of instinct, Drift stepped back as if Fracture planned to throw it at him to use it.

However, it wasn't what he actually intended to do. Fracture laughed then threw off the bomb behind his shoulder. The bomb landed at barely two meters away from the two opponents. Drift stared at Fracture, horrified. The latter had pulled out a detonator. What was he planning to do? Blowing the bunker up?

What for? If Drift was caught up in the explosion, so Fracture would be. Both of them would die, their Minicons would die as well…

Jetstorm and Slipstream…

"You wouldn't dare!" The orange bot shouted.

"You think I'm lying? I use every means to win, remember?"

Fracture had no limits.

Nearby, Minicons fought each other. Despite torpedoes' assaults, Slipstream and Jetstorm didn't give up. One after another, they tried to find a flaw in their respective enemies' attacks. Slipstream punched his right into the face while Jetstorm wrapped his legs around his' shoulders, pummelling his helm with enraged blows.

Fracture would press the button.

The first thought Drift had got was rushing out from the bunker to escape. But the thought ashamed him.

He was ashamed of putting his own life above his comrades'.

"Jetstorm! Slipstream!" He called them.

They didn't have any time. He preferred not taking any risk. Both disks turned back to him.

Drift gestured at them. They had to obey!

"Mister Drift…"

"Do only what you are told!"

He almost begged them. Slipstream didn't manage to dodge a kick from his adversary. However, Jetstorm jumped into the air, transforming back into his disk form, joining Drift back.

A few seconds afterward, his comrade did the same. Both of them had barely reattached themselves to his wrists that Drift was already rushing outside, running away as he'd never ran before. Fearing he'd wasted too much time, he preferred to transform in his alt-mode.

Three seconds after he'd left the bunker, they felt an earth quake. A deep intonation resonated, almost deafening him. His audios bleed, while the explosion consumed entirely the bunker with fire and flames.

Drift transformed again. Fracture had dared.

"Watch out!"

He jumped aside, dodging a blue laser that came to strike the bunker nearby instead.

He stood up. He jumped again to dodge another.

He realized that Fracture'd already left the bunker. It was too late. He'd left it much before the explosion. His torpedoes were back on his shoulders, laser-gun at servo. Drift realized it had been his plan. Making him leave.

Drift jumped in the air as soon as a shot nearly touched his right leg. He transformed in his alt-mode again then drove away faster, dodging other shots that were targeting him.

It was a coward act, running away. But now, Fracture had probably the advantage to attack him from far.

He drove to the road, nearly losing himself through inhabitations. Passer-by appeared all around him. He sped up again. He'd lost Fracture…Astro 4788 was somewhere…but where was he?

Then, he caught sight of him.

In his mirror. A purple motorcycle, appearing from far. Drift's spark nearly stopped. Fracture wouldn't let him go.

The good thing is that he's targeting Drift now. He'd changed his objective. The bounty on the clone's head didn't matter to him now. But it wasn't a comfort either. As soon as the motorcycle transformed again, Drift realized with horror that Fracture had other ideas in mind.

And this fear got confirmed as soon as he caught sight of a red light on his chassis, pointed by a purple cannon.

He drove and zigzagged. He did it good. Immediately afterward, there was another earth quake. A missile crashed down on the road, forming a hole onto the ground. Drift shouldn't change his behaviour. If he followed a straight path, Fracture would kill him.

A second missile had been shot, a few meters away from him. Drift almost turned around due to the violence of the shock. Fracture took some seconds to load his cannon before shooting again.

He had to find a solution. At the next shot, he could be killed.

"Mister Drift! Up!"

He looked up.

Bunkers.

Roofs.

Fracture would get much less visibility. And bunkers were resisting enough to endure a missile coming back from the exterior.

Drift transformed back into his robot-mode.

As soon as he felt another missile aiming straight at him, Drift jumped in the air, landing on the roof of a bunker.

He didn't stop. He kept running. Bunkers formed straight lines. As soon as he arrived at the end of the roof, he jumped to land on the next bunker, before running again.

Again and again.

He heard a noise behind him. He glanced back at behind him.

Fracture chased after him again. Drift understood what he was planning. The purple bot's cold interest never left Drift.

Drift guessed that Fracture was used to it, running over roofs to hunt a specific target.

Drift didn't stop. He ran faster.

He let out a scream. He immediately stopped, some sparkles coming out from his shoulder.

Fracture had shot him. With his laser-gun, this time. Maybe because it was easier to use that weapon rather than the cannon whenever he was running as well.

He collapsed, looking down. Behind him, he heard Fracture's steps.

The cannon' cold metal pressed against his head.

"Too bad for you. Look what your conscience did to you" Fracture whispered. "I'll blow your circuits up"

He shouldn't have talked.

Drift growled. With a sharp movement, he swayed his legs off before Fracture could even pull the trigger.

Fracture let out a surprised cry. It had been close. The shot was sent through the air.

Get up.

Drift endured the pain.

He must forget it. He must focus.

He grabbed Fracture's shoulders to make him lose his balance. It worked. Fracture fell, both of them landing on the roof. Drift was above Fracture, giving him a despising glare.

Fracture stared back at him deeply into his optics. Anger was obvious in. Yet he didn't move. He didn't attack.

Fracture looked down at Drift's chassis. A small smirk appeared on his lips.

What was he-?

"You love it, right? Your body pressed against mine…"

He was hateful.

Drift didn't try to reply. Fracture grabbed him by his neck. It got the samurai startled, the latter trying to struggle away from his grip. He tried to kick Fracture to make the purple bot release him. Fracture's grip remained tight. Both of them rolled on the roof, each trying to get the advantage on the other.

They rolled to the edge. They hadn't noticed it first, at least until Jetstorm screamed at the same time as one of Fracture's torpedoes tried to warn his Master.

Fracture and Drift fell.

Holding onto each other, they screamed in surprise. It was endless yet fast at the same time. As soon as they touched the ground, impact tore Drift and Fracture apart from each other. Drift landed a few meters away from Fracture. Pain took over his body. At the same time, the pain at his shoulder awakened up.

In front of him, Fracture was up. Drift growled. He shouldn't remain on the ground. He had to stand up as well.

Get up.

Don't give up, Drift tried to reason himself.

Fracture didn't have his laser-gun again. He'd probably dropped it during his fall. Yet it didn't improve the samurai' situation. He'd still had his blades, the cannon he could use as a sword, his torpedoes as well as some other gadgets.

Drift just had his blades.

He'd to hold on. After all, Fracture's weapons were ephemeral.

Drift's weapons…were eternal.

Fracture had his arms stretched out again. His torpedoes were launched out one more time. At least, this attack didn't surprise the samurai anymore. Drift kicked one of them off to throw it in the direction of the other, before he deployed his disks again. The fight between Minicons happened again. Drift felt it. Jetstorm and Slipstream struggled harder. They attacked far more viciously than earlier. As soon as one of torpedoes tried to get closer to Drift, one of them pushed it away with a war cry.

They trusted him…Drift couldn't give up on them.

Drift took his katana. He took his sword.

Fracture gave him an approving nod, before releasing his blades again.

"You can't beat me alone, Drift!" The purple bot warned him while the fight between their blades started again.

Drift dodged.

"I'm not alone!" He screamed back, before kicking him in the knee.

At least, it made Fracture step back. It felt like something had took over Drift…something possessed him…like an entity. He wouldn't guess what it was but for the first time and, unlike their last battle, Drift managed to hold on against Fracture. He wasn't as fast to him…

"Are you kidding me? Do you think your Minicons will help you?" Fracture roared.

"Stop talking!"

He repeated to himself that if he lost, Astro 4788 would die.

He repeated to himself that if he lost, Jetstorm and Slipstream would get executed.

He couldn't let such a thing happen.

Maybe it was the reason why Drift managed to dominate his adversary for a bit. The combat was a bit more equal. He knew Fracture. The purple bot used treachery. Nevertheless, he was ready for it.

He refused to do like him.

He'll not lose.

Suddenly, one more Fracture's blade broke.

The purple bot roared out of rage, ready to use another one.

That's the right time! Drift didn't let him act.

He leaned over and, head first, he threw himself at Fracture, hitting him hard.

Fracture screamed. He lost his balance, Drift's blades crossed around his opponent' waist to trap him between.

He felt a servo grabbing his face, as if he forced him to look.

Murderous urges were obvious in the purple bot' optics.

Drift couldn't complete his attack. Instead, a raging punch hit him hard. Drift spat some energon from it.

Drift was ejected away.

Get up.

Drift couldn't look up back. Fracture had already charged. His katana planted into the ground, Drift blocked his kick by using his sword but the violence was so overwhelming that it got him stunned. Drift's sword left his servos, flying up to the sky.

Drift had no more weapon. Fracture still had his.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?" The purple bot shouted. "YOU THINK YOU ARE BETTER THAN I?"

All the rage, the anger, all the murderous desire Fracture had felt burst out at the same time. Like a volcano. Drift tried to remain calm. He tried to defend himself with his bare servos. But he could only use his arms to block his enemy' attacks.

"RIGHT? YOU FEEL BETTER THAN I? YOU ARE A DECEPTICON! YOU ARE A BOUNTY HUNTER! MONEY MATTERS TO YOU AS MUCH AS IT MATTERS TO ME! HOW AM I WORSE THAN YOU? YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN I!"

Drift stepped back. He didn't want to answer back. But this sentence…he couldn't stay silent at such a sentence.

"No" He coldly retorted. "You're wrong"

Money mattered to him.

Only survival mattered.

But not today.

It only made Fracture angrier. In the end, a kick from the bounty hunter made Drift collapse on the ground.

"Mister Drift!" He heard.

Fracture stepped forward, blade at servo.

"YOU ARE ONE OF US! YOU'LL REMAIN AS ONE OF US!"

Drift glanced aside.

Wing's katana.

He reached out.

Fracture had his blade up.

And lunged at Drift.

For one instant, Drift and Fracture didn't tear their optics off each other.

None of them admitted defeat.

Fracture was stubborn…Drift had learned to be stubborn as well.

In the end, Drift looked down at the end of his katana.

Fracture's blade was close to Drift's neck. He'd been…so close to decapitate him.

Get up, Drift thought.

Never giving up…

Fracture dropped it.

Then, pain took over him.

Drift had stabbed him through the stomach with his katana.

"Boss!"

It didn't have been disks this time. It didn't have been Jetstorm and Slipstream.

Fracture's torpedoes had stopped their battle to rush over to their boss.

Fracture fell, energon coming out of his wound…a deep wound…first, it had been a light cut…then it had been a strong hemorrhage.

Drift caught him before he touched the ground. Immediately afterward, he laid him down, putting his head over his knees.

"Boss!" "No! Please! Don't do this to us!"

Drift glanced back at them.

His own body was shaking from their fight.

"Mister Drift" He heard Slipstream.

"Are you alright?"

Drift didn't answer. Some energon came out from Fracture's mouth now. The latter glared at him though he also displayed confusion. Both Minicons surrounded him, completely panicked over the scene they'd been witnessing.

"You can't leave us!"

The Minicon' voice went shaky.

Drift stared back at Fracture.

He was his enemy. He'd nearly kill him…

He was an individual without any honour…

Yet…Drift himself'd some honour…

Drift pressed the wound, using his two servos.

"Call some emergencies!" He ordered the Minicons, whichever it was, whatever it had been his or Fracture's.

He couldn't let another person die… Even not Fracture.

They didn't waste any time and immediately obeyed, rushing away, screaming for some help.

Drift didn't tear his optics off Fracture.

The latter was whimpering in pain.

"You'll pay for this…but not today"

Yes. He'd won.

His first combat…