As always, this story idea is not mine!
A friend on TikTok, Deckar Terdax, posted this story as a plot idea for a movie, and I really liked it, so I asked if I could write it as a fic and he said yes, so here we are!
Apologies for leaving this tory for a bit, but I'm back! Hope you guys like this chapter!
God Bless and Good Day!
The Lupine Sojourner
Deadlock had let Etsuko drive, and soon realizes she isn't driving toward her school.
"Etsuko, where are we going?" He asks, seeing a large gathering of cars and humans. One that Etsuko was driving him towards.
Etsuko smiles a little sheepishly, hearing the slight discomfort in his voice. "I'm sorry, Deadlock-san. This is what I meant when I mentioned my methods of relieving stress. This is a street race, technically illegal, but we haven't been caught yet."
Deadlock uses the mirrors to look around, slowing a little, taking in the loud music, flashing lights, and excited crowd.
It had been a long time since he'd raced…
Soon, Etsuko parks in what seems to be a meeting spot and gets out of the vehicle, calling to someone in the crowd, some of whom are staring at Deadlock in surprise and something like envy.
Deadlock adjusts his rearview mirror to see who Etsuko is talking to and is a little surprised to see it's the same person he had asked about a few days prior on their way to her school. Deadlock hears Etsuko call him Yasu as they shake hands.
"I'm surprised you would bring something so nice to an event like this." Yasu notes, nodding at Deadlock.
Etsuko simply smiles confidently. "It may look nice, but I guarantee it'll perform well."
Their attention is then drawn away from their conversation as someone in the crowd shouts something.
The two now glance at each other with a competitive fire in their eyes.
"Well, the prize money is pretty big this time, so may the best car win." Yasu muses smugly as Etsuko laughs him off.
"Please, you know that I don't race for the money. I've got plenty of that. You know I donate any winnings to charity." Inwardly, Deadlock smiled at this response. Very honorable. "Besides, watching all the boys cry when I beat them is reward enough."
I like this girl. Deadlock chuckles to himself. She has an honorable spirit, with the energy and playfulness of youth.
"We'll see who takes home the prize money, Etsuko." Yasu says, waving as he walks off, presumably to his own vehicle.
Etsuko waves back before getting back in the driver seat and buckling in. "I'm sorry if I upset you, Deadlock-san." She says apologetically. "I should have been honest with you."
Deadlock would shake his head if he were in robot mode. "I appreciate the apology, but it does not upset me. I happen to have raced before, you know."
Etsuko tilts her head, surprised and curious. "Oh?"
"Indeed, before the war, and even before I began studying Metallikato with Master Yoketron, I occasionally raced on Cybertron."
"There are races on Cybertron?"
"Not since the war, I'm afraid, but yes there were races once. In fact, some bots from a colony world called Velocitron would come to participate. Not all of them were legal, either."
"Fascinating." If Etsuko wasn't idling at the start line, she'd ask about the colony worlds, but she figures there's time for that after the race.
A young woman on a small platform above the racers holds a flag down toward the racers, waiting for a signal.
"The race starts when she waves that flag." Etsuko says.
"I see." He didn't need to tell her he could deduce that on his own.
The flag is soon waved and Etsuko skillfully maneuvers into a good position as the racers strive to pass each other.
However, she's not used to driving this particular car, so she struggles to keep her spot. Deadlock's vehicle mode doesn't handle like the other cars she races in.
The race is set as three loops, each different than the last, similar to a clover.
Deadlock is fine with letting Etsuko have control, and finds that, though Etsuko drives well, she can't help struggling around turns, especially tighter turns. He notices, as the pair continue into the third lap, a dangerously sharp turn coming quickly closer, so he suddenly rips control of the steering wheel out of Etsuko's hands and punches the throttle, managing to drift around the corner without any difficulty, putting them back in action again in second place, closing in on the first place driver.
Etsuko shouts aloud, her blood pumping in her ears as adrenaline takes over. "That was amazing! Where did you learn to drift so smoothly?"
Deadlock chuckles, about to answer, but a different voice comes out of the radio on a communication line, in a language Deadlock had not used since meeting the Sasakis.
"Deadlock, do you copy?"
[A Few Minutes Earlier]
[Japanese countryside, miles from Tokyo]
Finally, I'm in range to contact Deadlock.
Bludgeon always intended to get in contact with Deadlock before engaging him in combat as a traitor, to give him one chance to turn himself in. In the name of the many years they had considered each other brothers, he owed Deadlock that much.
So as soon as he notes he's in range, he slips back from the others for a moment and opens the communication line they'd used all these years.
"Deadlock, do you copy?" He's, frankly, a little surprised when Deadlock opens the comm line to talk to him.
"I did not think you would have anything to say to me." Deadlock says, tone not betraying any emotions.
"We are brothers, are we not?" Bludgeon replies, maintaining an even, almost friendly tone.
"I am not sure I can still call you that, after what you did." Now there's underlying anger and resentment in his voice.
"Come now. We had our orders." Bludgeon counters. "I could say you are no longer my brother since you failed to complete the mission."
"It was dishonorable and cruel!" Deadlock snaps. "Have you forgotten Master Yoketron's lessons?!"
"Do not talk to me about that old fool!" Bludgeon growls, then regains his temper. "Because of our past friendship, I give you one chance to return of your own volition. One."
"The Justice Division does not believe in second chances. Much like you and those refugees." There's something happening in the background, a crowd cheering wildly, with a louder voice speaking in a language Bludgeon had never heard. Must be an Earth language. Perhaps this voice will give me insight into his location. He quickly runs the voice through a translation system and hears a male voice announcing someone. "-winner is…Etsuko Sasaki!" With that, the line is cut off.
Bludgeon starts to catch up, intending to simply act like he'd never dropped back, when he notices Tarn and the others standing not far away, staring at him.
"Couldn't resist talking to the traitor, could yah?" Kaon taunts, laughing.
Before Bludgeon can respond, Tarn holds up a hand, looking over his shoulder at the smaller Con. "Kaon, we should be thanking him. You were able to track him, were you not?" The coy tone irritates Bludgeon, but he holds back a retort, unsure what Tarn is talking about.
Kaon nods, still looking amused. "Yeah, right to a large city. He hasn't moved far from the pod, it seems."
Tarn chuckles a little. "But, thanks to Bludgeon, we now have his location." Tarn's tone is too condescending for Bludgeon any longer, and just as he whips out his sword, Tarn lunges forward, tripping Bludgeon neatly and pinning him down, one of his integrated serated-edge swords dangerously close to Bludgeon's Spark Chamber. "Pull a stunt like that again, and we will have no choice but to label you a traitor and subject you to the same punishment we intend to inflict on Deadlock. Do I make myself clear?" Tarn's tone held no emotion or mercy. It is pure menace.
Though he is fuming and ready to fight Tarn here and now, Bludgeon somehow finds enough restraint to nod sourly and Tarn chuckles cruelly as he withdraws.
If Tarn did not hold such favor with Megatron, Bludgeon might have pressed the issue and sought his brand of justice for their treatment of him, but he dared not give the Justice Division any further cause to doubt his allegiance.
So he grits his teeth and pulls himself to his feet.
The sooner I am through with these arrogant bots, the better.
=#=#=#=#=
[Tokyo]
Etsuko had been forced to take over the race, and manages to win, but she is concerned for Deadlock as he remains quiet after he finished speaking to that strange voice.
It had startled Etsuko, but she had to quickly focus on the race as Deadlock surrendered control to her, responding to the voice in a strange language Etsuko did not know.
She assumes he is speaking to another of his species, and given that he spoke angrily to them, she could assume the person is not friendly.
Now, she accepts the check for the prize money with a practiced smile, gets back into the driver seat, and heads home, still a little rattled.
When she's driven a good distance away from the race, she fidgets, her curiousity getting the better of her. "Deadlock-san, I have to ask, who was that you spoke to?"
"Someone dangerous." Deadlock replies, taking over again and driving quickly home.
Though Etsuko is still unnerved about the mysterious voice, and the obvious concern Deadlock felt about his conversation with its owner, Etsuko still feels the adrenaline of her win as she walks toward the house.
She doesn't see her father at first, standing on the front steps, smiling at her. "So, how'd it go?"
Etsuko looks at him and smiles, memories of the race jazzing her up again. "It was amazing! You would not believe how well Deadlock performed and..." She freezes, her eyes wide in panic as she realizes it's her father asking her. "I mean…I…" She can't think of anything to cover her tracks. She'd blown her cover! There's no way her father wouldn't figure out what she's been doing now!
Thankfully, Deadlock distracts them by transforming, already scanning the area like he is looking for pursuers.
Kenji immediately picks up his tension and frowns at him. "What is it?"
"Decepticons." Deadlock growls. "They're getting close."
Kenji looks at him, frowning a little curiously. "You mentioned you were pursued by these Decepticons, but why are they hunting you? And who exactly are they?"
Deadlock, taking one last look around, crouches a little. "A wicked and cruel faction of our people, under the leadership of a former gladiator turned tyrant named Megatron. He seeks conquest and total control of Cybertron, possibly the universe itself for that matter. I have defected from their ranks and stolen valuable data to give to the Autobots when I find them."
Kenji nods. "I see." He pulls out his phone and steps aside to make a call.
Etsuko, feeling more shaken, looks at Deadlock. "So the person you talked to during the race is a Decepticon?"
Deadlock hangs his head. "He is. One I considered a brother, until we were ordered to eliminate a refugee camp. It was that order that made me realize how truly cruel the Decepticons are, but my former companion carried out the order with no hesitation, and when I protested that they were innocents, he simply justified their slaughter. I'm ashamed I did nothing more to stop the slaughter, but I knew then I must defect, no matter the consequences."
Kenji raises a brow. "Forgive me, Deadlock-san, but…why did you join the Decepticons? From what I can tell, you don't seem to fit in at all with them."
Deadlock frowns a little. "My former brother, Bludegon, and I witnessed the broadcast of a murder performed by the Autobots, the victim a high-ranking member of the High Counsel on Cybertron, and in our anger we aligned ourself with the Decepticons. I never heard the full details, only what was broadcasted over the public channels, but it was enough for me to make my decision. I only regret allowing myself to stay aligned with the Decepticons for as long as I did." He grimaces and turns his head in shame. "I should have seen them for what they are far sooner."
Sensing Deadlock didn't want to talk more about the injustice he'd seen right now, Etsuko looks up at Deadlock with a small smile. "At least you are doing the right thing now. So, what happens now?"
Kenji walks back over before Deadlock can reply. "I've called headquarters and told them Etsuko and I will be going to our countryside home for a few days."
Deadlock nods. "Very wise. I will stay here. I do not wish to involve you and your daughter in my fight. My pursuers are ruthless hunters and torturers, calling themselves the Decepticon Justice Division. They will not rest until they find and kill me."
"Then you must come with us!" Kenji protests.
"They won't find us in the country!" Etsuko adds.
Deadlock shakes his head firmly. "No. If the Justice Division sees that we are associated, they will not hesitate to either use you to get to me, or simply kill you both. Go, and do not worry. I will handle them." He has no confidence in his ability to actually fight the Justice Division, but he will go down fighting if he must.
Kenji sees the logic in Deadlock's words, and reluctantly puts a hand on Etsuko's shoulder. "We will do as he says. He is an honorable warrior. We must honor his wishes."
Etsuko glances between Deadlock and her father and, knowing when she's overruled, she quietly nods, but she hugs Deadlock's leg before following her father to grab some spare clothes and other items they'd need.
To distract herself, Etsuko pauses walking to her room. "Oto-san, about earlier. I…" She fumbles again with her words, searching for some excuse.
Kenji smirks a little at her. "No need to lie or make excuses, Etsuko. I know what you've been up to."
Etsuko blinks. "And you're…not upset?"
Kenji shakes his head. "Slightly concerned, as they are illegal races, but I'd be a hypocrite if I punished you."
Etsuko frowns in surprise. "Really?"
Kenji nods, chuckling. "Indeed. I was a member of an illegal fight club when I was not much older than you."
Etsuko laughs a little, partly in amusement that her and father have something in common, and partly in relief that she was not in trouble. "I would have liked to see that." She muses coyly.
"I'll have you know I was usually the victor, young lady." Kenji replies, pretending to take offense. He then gets a little more serious. "Etsuko, I only ask one thing."
"Yes?"
"Be sure you choose the right races. Never allow yourself to go too far. Understand?"
Etsuko nods. "Hai, Oto-san."
The two hug briefly before Kenji lets go. "You know, I could come to a race sometime. I'd bet on you for sure." Etsuko laughs and playfully smacks his shoulder. Kenji chuckles, then nods toward her room. "Now, we will need to leave tomorrow after I finish some things for work, so make sure you are ready before then."
"Yessir." Etsuko nods and walks to her room, glad to have the matter resolved, and a little bonding with her dad never hurt.
Despite the looming danger of the Decepticons, Etsuko can't help feeling almost relaxed as she starts to pack.
Deadlock completes a more through perimeter check, then ducks into the garage he'd gone into when he first met the Sasakis.
He had hoped, somehow, that they wouldn't be involved in his fight. He'd grown quite fond of them, especially young Etsuko, and would rather face the DJD alone than risk the humans being hurt or killed by those cruel hunters.
He sits in the garage, checking his swords once more, contemplating the inevitable encounter.
But as he does, something keeps crossing his mind like a racer around a track. Something Etsuko had said during the race. One word in particular.
He can't help but smirk slightly as he says it aloud to himself.
"Drift."