CHAPTER 83

He'd never expected to return here one day.

Iacon…Once it had been one of greatest Cities, even probably the greatest one among Cybertron, along with Kaon. As soon as the ship landed, the desolating sight of a City that had been once a Cybertronian pride made him hesitate to stay. For one moment, he'd thought it wasn't the right place…that they weren't on the right planet…He'd thought it couldn't just be Cybertron, the Cybertron he'd always known.

It felt so strange…Before, he'd hated Cybertron…because of the caste system, because of war…because of corruption…

But it remained his planet.

Iacon had been reduced to a City-less, energon-less, lifeless desert…it just crushed his spark.

"Mister Drift?"

Jetstorm and Slipstream sadly looked back at him. They shared the same thought.

Bots had died…Cybertronians had died, whatever their faction had been…

They'd taken part of the conflict…While Drift, Jetstorm and Slipstream had escaped it…by running away…

Nothing…There was nothing now. Drift knelt down to the ground, touching it. Sand…no warmth…just coldness…

Corpses were probably buried underneath…

The orange bot let out a deep sigh. He couldn't remain insensitive to this…but he'd to find some energon…Whatever the cost…

"Search the area" He ordered them.

He briefly thought back of the quarter he'd grown up in…was it a desert now?

He thought back of his parents.

Contemplating the sight, a red sun rising up over all this sand…He thought that maybe, it wasn't such a bad thing they'd died before the conflict destroyed everything.

Just like Gasket…

How had Megatron felt, at the exact moment where he'd decided to apply the Finale Solution?

Probably not much…maybe just impatience.

After all, he'd just taken Cybertronians' lives…

Drift took a deep breath.

He wished Wing'd been here, with him…

But the latter had never called him back…

Ten years had passed…without having any news from the white bot. From the one who'd been his mentor…

Had he decided not to talk to him anymore?

Had something happened?

Maybe Drift had disappointed him…by becoming a bounty hunter…

Maybe Wing couldn't wait for him any longer…

Maybe he'd thought that Drift would never come back…

Maybe he'd met someone else…and Wing hadn't wished to waste his time with him any longer.

The thought itself torn his spark apart.

He wouldn't have returned, anyway…not after what he'd done.

He hadn't wished to become emotionally attached to a faction…or a group…

Every time, he'd just suffered.

He started digging in.

It brought him back to his old days…as a miner. But it felt like he wasn't used to it anymore…

No. He wasn't used to it anymore.

He heard a beep.

It came from behind him.

Drift frowned and stopped.

He didn't turn around. He already felt that there was another presence behind us…

And he'd thought they were alone…

The beep happened one more time.

Autobot…or Decepticon?

Drift clenched his fists. Out of instinct, he reached for his katana, ready to pull it out.

He sharply turned around.

The bot was standing up in front of him. Drift immediately paid attention to the newcomer' optics. They were blue…He was an Autobot.

With a nod, the orange bot warned him not to get any closer. The bot didn't react. He was a yellow bot with shades of black. Some wings on his back. A mask on his mouth. Because of it, Drift couldn't entirely discern his face.

A new beep.

It came from him. Or rather, from his mouth. Drift raised one eyebrow, surprised. Was he unable to talk? Had he lost his vocal box?

If that's so, he wouldn't have survived…Strange…

Anyway, the Autobot didn't seem to display any hostility toward him. Suddenly, he pulled something out from behind his back. Drift jumped and grabbed his swords immediately. Was it a weapon?

"Don't you—"

But it wasn't a weapon.

It was energon.

A cube…The yellow bot handed it over to him.

Drift's optics widened. He didn't understand.

The yellow bot repeated his gesture.

The cube…was it for him?

"…Why?"

After all, he was an Autobot. And energon went missing…

Why giving it to him?

The bot let out a new beep.

Drift frowned, still wary.

"…Is it a trap?"

The bot shook his head, looking almost scandalized by such an implication.

He put the cube down, at Drift's pedes.

Then he turned around, ready to leave as quick as he'd appeared.

Yet…Drift called him back.

"…What's your name?"

The bot turned around.

Drift felt like a fool for having asked such a question. Even if he replied, Drift wouldn't understand him. Maybe people who're close to him would translate his name for him…

In the end, he knelt down in the sand. With a digit, he wrote some signs in.

Cybertronian signs…

It's easy to read. Drift leaned over to read.

"…Bumblebee"

The yellow bot answered back, happily beeping.

Drift sighed.

He shall do the same in return…introducing himself.

"…My name is Drift"

One more beep, with the same tone.

Bumblebee reached out to him.

Drift didn't answer back. What did he expect from him? Did he expect Drift to shake servos?

Drift shook his head.

He just bowed, out of politeness.

The bot looked disappointed. However, he didn't comment anything. He just waved at him back, before turning around to leave.

"…Goodbye"

What a strange encounter, Drift thought. He focused back on the cube. He hadn't expected such a move from an Autobot.

He cautiously leaned over to grab the cube, as if he was afraid that the cube would explode in his face.

Who would have expected such a courtesy between Autobot and…?

He nearly dropped the cube.

Watching it, he'd caught sight of his reflection in.

Something had changed in him…

He checked closer.

His optics…

They weren't red anymore.

No. They were blue.

Why…?

It left him speechless.

He realized why Bumblebee had been that nice toward him…but it felt strange. He'd thought that they could switch their optics' colours on their own. He'd chosen Decepticon colours.

But it'd changed…

Was it linked to the spark? Deep down, was he viewing himself less as a Decepticon…and more as an Autobot?

"Mister Drift?"

He turned around.

Jetstorm and Slipstream froze.

Their optics widened as well, shocked. He'd got their reaction well. He'd got the same, after all.

"Your optics…"

"I know"

Drift picked up the cube.

It surprised him…but beside confusion and surprise…it didn't bother him that much.

After all, it'd been a long time since he didn't view himself as a Decepticon.

In one way, changing colours got him slightly reassured…the last bond he'd had with the faction that had adopted the Finale solution had been destroyed.

Oddly enough it felt like a freedom…Like a relief. It didn't erase his past but…

He thought back of Bumblebee.

It might promise him a better future…

Maybe it meant that everything wasn't lost…

And that there was still something to save…even if Cybertron was dead.

"…Let's go elsewhere" He said.

"Mister Drift"

Jetstorm and Slipstream exchanged a look.

Drift raised one eyebrow. He knew them now. Whenever they had that expression, it meant that they'd something to ask.

"Tell me what you want"

Jetstorm stepped forward.

"We're aware that you'd refused many times but…now…We would like to know if…"

"Yes?"

"if it's possible that…we become your students now" Slipstream completed.

He bowed. Jetstorm mimicked him.

"With all our respect"

Drift stared at them, an unreadable expression.

His students…?

They still wanted to learn martial arts…and did they want him to become their teacher? Just like Wing did with him?

But…he wasn't sure to be qualified enough to become a Master in martial arts…

He'd been training up every day…And Drift admitted that he'd improved. He remembered back his fight against Fracture.

The first fight he'd won on his own…

But was it enough?

Both of them didn't move.

They looked down, as a sign of submission.

Tools don't have any training.

That's what Shadow Raker had repeated over and over…

But Shadow Raker was no more…Drift wondered if he was still alive and if he'd survived…

He was sure. He'd survived. Honourable people passed away…scums remained…

It always happened.

But the day he'll meet him again…the day they'll meet him again…Jetstorm and Slipstream will have to be prepared.

He didn't hesitate any longer.

"Very well"

A smile appeared on both Minicons' faces. Drift gave them a serious look.

"From today, I'll be your Master. Your martial arts teacher…You'll be under my tutelage. I'll teach you everything I know…Everything that Wing taught me."

He paused.

"But I'll not be tender."

"It isn't a problem" Slipstream smiled.

"It'll not be a pleasure" Drift retorted. "I'll give you harsh times. You'll have no break. It'll not be a good time. And I'll not give you any praising if I view it as undeserved."

"It's not a problem" Jetstorm repeated.

That's what they were saying now…

But would they manage?

Drift sighed. He'd to be strict. Life was hard, after all.

"Very well. Tomorrow, we'll start to work together. And I'll search for weapons that you'll be able to use."

Their answer was quick.

They were excited.

"We'll not disappoint you, Master Drift!" They spoke together.

Master Drift…

Here, under the red sun that lighted up Iacon' remains…

Drift would have smiled.