Later on, right after Ratchet released me from the medbay, Ironhide dropped me off in the Iacon training room, where Drift, Serena, Wheeljack, Jazz, and someone I didn't know where training. As I watched, Drift and Wheeljack began sparring. At first it seemed like a deadly game, but as I moved closer in the shadows, I realized that it was a test. A test to see exactly how much Drift knew, and how long he would last. From the looks of it, Wheeljack was slowing down. I assumed they had already gone several rounds, due to how battered Jackie was. With a casual flick of his wrist, Drift sent Wheeljacks sword flying into the shadows. The
exact shadows that I was standing in.
I simply stepped to the side, reached out, and grabbed his sword. Not by the blade, but by the hilt. "Are you trying to kill me Drift?" I asked as I stepped out of the shadows, Wheeljacks sword by my side. "If you are, you should really try harder…" I couldn't help but smile.
He laughed slightly, it was more of a chuckle than a laugh, and lowered his sword, which was at Jackie's throat. "I doubt that."
"Shall we find out?" I grinned slightly evil like, and tossed Jackie back his sword. Unsheathing my own, slightly longer swords, I moved into the center of the arena.
"I'll 'try' not to hurt you. Wouldn't want to get scrapped by your guardian," He smirked and I growled in reply. Drift and I started to circle each other, so we didn't notice when Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet walked in.
"What the –"Ironhide started to say, but Optimus held up a servo.
"Let's see what happens. I need to see how well he fights."
Drift made the mistake of attacking me first. I stepped closer, trapping his blades between my own, and forced them together, making them useless. "You just made a fatal mistake. Never attack first. Allow your opponent to attack you!" I leaped back, then lowered my swords till the points were at the ground, and closed my optics. I could tell that Drift was confused, but he didn't try to attack me head on. He was smarter than that.
When no attack came in a few millacycles, I relaxed some, letting him know that I wasn't going to attack him. I could tell Drift was trying to figure out my plan, and make a counterattack of his own. I heard the soft-ish footsteps as he tried to move around behind me. The whistling wind over his blade didn't help either. I twisted around, trapped his blades between my own again, and forced them down.
"Hellfire! You're strong!" Drift said as I pushed his swords towards him, moving so that his dead was in between my blades.
"Dead," I smirked at the confused look on his face. "You will start to understand my moves when I kill Megatron." When I looked around, I noticed Wheeljack, Jazz, Serena, and the other bot staring at me. Then I happened to notice Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet standing off to one side. The wind had shifted while Drift and I were fighting, so I was able to hear what they were saying.
"..Optimus, Jackie can handle the job. If anything else, Jazz and Smokescreen can help."
"Ironhide, I put you as her guard for a reason. I will not-"
"Primus Optimus, can't you understand that I have to leave," Ironhide held Optimus's glare as Ratchet spoke up.
"Optimus let him leave if he wants to leave. Wheeljack and Jazz can handle one femmebot. If anything else, put that new femmebot, Serena on the team." Optimus glared at Ironhide for a millacycle longer, then nodded.
"Go. I hereby remove you from active duty. You are still an Autobot, but you have no orders, other than to return when you are ready, or you receive an emergency call from me." Ironhide saluted, then turned and walked away, not looking at any of us. He transformed once he got to the tunnel, and left without a backward glance.
"Jackie, Jazz, Smokescreen. You three are now assigned to guard duty. Jazz, you are to be her guard only when you are not planning with me. Serena, you are to guard her only when you-"
"Optimus! Decepticon behind you!"
None of us had noticed Prowl coming in. He ran in, guns drawn, and headed straight for Drift. I stepped in between them, and grabbed Prowl as he ran by. "What the PRIMUS DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING?!"
Optimus turned, and looked at the three of us. "Indeed, Prowl, what is with you?!"
"That Con right there is actually Deadlock. I was a palace guard when Alpha Trion, Solus Prime, and Kyrix were attacked in their own home. Megatronus and his gladiators and deadlock, invaded their home, intending to take Kyrix prisoner. When her parents refused, Megatronus attacked. Deadlock was sent after Ky. He tried to kill her! He killed her mother!"
"Drift? Is- is this true?" When I looked at Drift, I realized that he did look familiar. He wouldn't look at me.
"It was true. My name WAS Deadlock, and I WAS a Decepticon. I was reckless then. When Serena literally ran into me when I was patrolling the boarder, she convinced me to leave, and I changed my name to Drift. I've never thought about joining the Cons ever again."
Optimus was silent. "Drift until I know that we can trust you, I'm afraid that I must sentence you to a 100 megacycles in Iacon's prison." Drift nodded, unsurprised.
"So be it."
I looked at Optimus, and nodded. I would take Drift to the jail. "Come on." I turned to Drift and walked away with him. I felt Prowl glaring at me, while I heard footsteps following. When I glanced back I was halfway surprised to see Serena following us.
"Hey. Thought I'd tag along so I know were my partner will be help." As she walked up, I nodded, not minding in the slightest.
As I lead them deeper in Iacon, I heard them talking softly to each other. I wasn't an eavesdropper, so I tried not to pay attention. Arriving at the prison, I went to the largest cell, and inspected the inside. "If there's anything I can get you Drift, tell me now. I'll try to stop by every couple says, after I finish the days training with Iro- finish the days training." I turned away, hiding my face. I jumped slightly when Drift placed his servo on my shoulder.
"Don't worry about Ironhide. He can take care of himself, and several more. Proven by the fight in the arena. After he lost sight of you, almost none of the drones touched him. "
"Stop. Just stop. I don't want to hear anymore." I turned away, slightly mad, but more sad than before. "I can't talk about it Drift. He's gone and it's time to move on and forget him." To be honest to myself, I was going to destroy something when I returned to my room.
Leaving Drift to look around his cell, I returned to the training ground. As I stood there, thinking about what happened in that exactly spot, as someone loved said goodbye. Whirling around, to punch one of the titanium poles, I let my anger take over, pounding pole after pole into a pile of scrap. After there was a pile of scrap at my feet, I calmed down enough to think.
'He may not have been the smartest but alive, but he knew how to fight. Jazz, Wheeljack, and whoever Smokescreen was, they were not as smart him. They couldn't be. They had not been in as many battles as him, nor as many parts replaced. Almost every time I spied on him something had been welded on or replaced.'
I stormed down to the Cyber stables, my anger returned. The stables looked abandoned, due to the war. I growled as I walked towards the far end of the stable. A deeper growl answered, then two cyberwolf heads appeared over the last two 'stalls.' I stepped in between the two of them then answered the unspoken question in
Trailbreakers optics. "He's not coming back. Not for a long time."