Ch. 22 - Break.
it would be officially two weeks, and Drake would be alone on his bike, only he felt something, a chill go up his spine, as he felt her. beside him, a masked biker came up beside him, and Drake, would stare at her, noticing it was a woman by her figuer, only what took him by surprise was the metal pipe she had suddenly swung bashing upward against Drake's head hitting him hard enough to knock him off his bike.
this being a public event, many saw witness of this assault, however, Drake, after getting knocked off just chuckled. which scared the people more than the assailant.
"ha... ha ha! you got some nerve bitch" blood spilled from his head onto the ground in a pool like formation, only, instead of expecting her to drive off, she got off and got a better grip on the rusted pipe with both hands.
She then aimed for his legs Making sure to hit him far harder and with the intention to break a leg.
she began to prepare another bashing. as people were just seeing this live now, making seeming a public demonstration.
she then spoke his name. "is this all the mighty Drake... Joker, to the Empire's house of card? how pathetic." she then swung hard.
Drake would be in a daze collecting his thoughts smiling as his tattoo was filled with blood covering up the black space his skin made up, and would quickly move his arm to take the blow, but doing so he had to also move his head back in the way to avoid the angled end from crushing his head.
she soon tossed the pipe with his blood as she then got on her bike.
"hey...." Drake looked up at her through blood in his eyes. "who said you get to leave bitch..." his voice cold as ice as he glared at her. "You tried to kill me just now..." he gasped slowly getting up. "and you dared called me by name and insult my people... you'll die painfully..." he slowly stumbled.
"hmph... big talk for a child." she then drove off, light turning green as she sped off.
Drake slowly grabbed a hold of his bike. "Dammit..." he couldn't see straight, he saw double and blood was dripping.
police were called, but as there were bystanders, they were also people who recorded him, and of course made it a point to emphasize he was Joker. he was the monster who caused so much trouble for police, his face would be forever out there and his tattoo he tried so hard to cover up. people outside of recording tried to help, but were cautious, only Drake didn't help his image whe. he shrugged them off, he pushed his bike a step or two, until he suddenly collapsed.
it seemed like a race now, as gangs, took notice of him, he was very alive still, and with hatred, they began a search for him. all the while, police and an ambulance tried to get to him first.
it only got more out of hand as it seemed like police and gangsters went to war all for Drake.
police wanted to arrest him for his crimes now that they had a lead and parts to evidence to pin it to him.
gang members and kingpins, wanted to remove him, seemingly to get their land back and strike against the empire, the number one gang in the block.
however just as quickly things heated up, Drake managed to get picked up, by non other than Jack. helping him to his car and Michele helped patch him. "how is he."
"banged up hard, bleeding to much, I need my tools." Michele began to apply medical aid for him.
The girls back home, were unaware, it was a weekend so they were relaxing, at least until Rose got a call from Jack, using Drake's phone number. and that's when she then called her mother and she jumped into action.
it seemed like they angered a caged animal, as all of empire was out on full force thanks to kings orders.
now, a city wide manhunt was for drake, in the span of just a few hours.
it would an entire new day, by the time Drake woke up, as he had lost a lot of blood before then sitting up, finding himself back in his original home, and began to panic. "why am I here?! how!?"
jack stepped up. "calm down Joker. I brought you hear... cops sealed this junk off weeks ago, and I figuered it was a perfect place to hide out for now. look man, the whole city is after you... who the fuck did you piss off. the king is pissed."
"like I know..." Drake grabbed his head. "where is my sister?" he asked.
"Michel is watching over that home of yours, and a hand amount of our people are keeping distance but close by... you got with a chick who's dad is chief of police man, no way we getting any closer, be grateful." jack explained and handed him water, food and medicine.
"thanks..." Drake was pissed and annoyed.
"you'll pop a blood vessel looking that angry, relax, we'll... try to figuer this out." jack said rubbing the back of his head.
"sure, but that woman... leave that bitch to me... I'm gonna make am example of her." Drake said truly out of anger.
"sadly bud.... you can be in public... some bystanders decide it was better to record and upload you getting assaulted... she said your name... and your affiliation..." jack explained.
"how did she get this info I wonder... the underground...?" he tried to think, but it made his head hurt and blood did star flowing again into his bandages. "Awe dammit..." he held his head and sighed getting dizy. "shit..."
"Yeah, I recommend eating and drinking, you were out a day... and shit has gotten out of hand... your real identity, as one of the Empire's, cards, is now out there. rumors are now truth around school. I hate to say it Drake... but you can't go back after this..." Jack, remained silent, and then looked away.
Drake, in hand grabbed onto his old blanket tossed on him, and then held the bag tighter, making it ruffle around in silence. "Dammit...." he began to think of his sister. then of his girls back in the other house. he hated this. just as things seemed to be fine. "where's my phone?" he asked.
Jack grabbed it from his own pocket and tossed it over to him landing and softly on the blanket just between Drake's legs. "I'll be back later... stay here for now... I recommend calling king first."
"I'm sure he wants me too, but I settle things my own way." Drake said truly being the wild card he was as he then called ace.
jack sighed. "take care, and don't leave this place..." he left Drake alone, in his troubled home. where his mother was also raped and drugged to death.
Drake could feel the emptiness here, how cold it was, he grabbed his head and curled up as he hated it here. the only sound, was the tone of the phone rigging, until there was an answer.
"drake?" Ace asked. "what the hell is happening." they asked.
"That's what I'd like to know... look pull up the security feed of that attack on me... and fool that bike. I want to kill them myself.... also, try to locate woman with a slightly muscular frame... she's the one that assaulted me... couldn't see her hair or anything definitive, but I know it was a woman." Drake ordered.
"I already tried.... she... evaded all cameras after ambushing you, sorry." ace felt insulted by this disappointed news.
"even slipped by you huh... no matter... how have my leads been going? dig anything up?" Drake asked, while he got up and started to cook cup noodles and drink water.
"actually! yeah... your... ah, father. left the country two weeks ago... apparently to meet with some rich woman, based on what I could dig up, this girls got black files all over her companies. and it seems like she had a daughter. and you won't like this..."
"just tell me man." Drake left his nodded to heat up while he Drake water.
"Anne, is her daughter. that blondie you hang with. I'm not saying she's apart of it... but I think ultimately... your father is making his move... and with this recent attack..."
"dig up high profile killers... and mercenaries for hire... look for woman specifically." Drake said calmly.
Ace felt the coldness through the phone. "I'll let you know what I find..."
it now seemed, like the wolve had his fangs sharpened. "I should have guess... but, I'm glad I can connect the dots... you didn't think I did my own little hunt did you... dad." Drake grin devilishly before setting his phone down he had no solid leads, no real connections, just to many coincidences, even so he was no fool. his instincts told him all he had to know. and it was telling me to follow these coincidences. and what better way than to make an example he was no push over or would drop as easy.
however, it seemed like even with the clever hiding, she came back for him that very next day also. she was at his door, still hiding her face with the bike mask. she was ordered to subdue him, but killing or maiming was also fine, just not liked. so sure enough she began to bash the door with a sledgehammer making an opening for her to pry inside and both now looked at each other. Drake smirked at her, seemingly without fear.
she glared at him, and then winded up another bashing until finally it was forced open. she stepped inside with heals as she got closer putting her hands into fist with her biker hard clovesr ready to bash him in again as they tight grip the grip of the sledgehammer.
"Your a good tracker... and now I know your just a mutt being ordered around..." Drake stood up straight still not fully recovered, but still not backing down either.
she finally spoke again. "for a kid in his teen years... you've got some balls on you." she then charged swinging there hammer hard breaking some of the edges of the wall when Drake dodged.
"flattery won't get you anywhere with me..." Drake would close in the gap punching her stomach as hard as he could. "especially after what you did me..."
she was wearing a protective vest, but nothing police grade, and even with it, she felt his brute force go right through it as she was even surprised, she swung her hand to back hand him only, Drake grabbed and stopped her.
She suddenly surprised, as even with his head injury, she saw him go in for a headbutt breaking the vision exposing part of her face, as her eyes now were able to be see.
"ahhh.. " Drake's recoiled before fixing his head position and smirked glareing with fiercely eyes of a hunter. "come on... you wanted to fight me right? you wanted to do me in right? you were paid to so this right?!" Drake only go more pissed as his adrenaline spiked, foring him to punch far harder and would grab her shoulder forcing her down to knee her guts in over and over as he then went to break her arm.
'holy shit!' she felt all the punishment being dished out to her even through her body armor and clothes, so in that moment, she went for another swing while he winded up and after Drake's dodge back, slipping onto his back, she tacked him, saddling his lap as she left the hammer and began to just go for punches and hard enough to break the boards around Drake's head.
Drake was bleeding more again thanks to that headbutt, but even though his disorientation, he was smiling. he then would thrust and kick her upward into the kitchen, spilling his hot noodles onto her arms. Drake then grabbed the sledgehammer stuck in the wall and swung it in one hand. "Don't make this easy... you has some nerve to ambush me... but I'm not gonna kill you yet... I got questions, and I tend to be... thorough with torture." he then swung the sledgehammer like a bat breaking if not shutting her helmet of hers and causing her break a nose and bleed on the side of her head.
she then took off her helmet and breathed normally as she looked up at him. "damn punk... your just a kid." she would reach into her back pulling out a gun. "know your place."
Drake's eyes went wide, as he then swiftly dodged last second as she fired her pistol and then forced to take the second in his gut forcing him to step back and get on his knees. as he straight left now.
she then got up, wiping the blood of herself a second and then kicked him hard. then poked the stool of her heal into his wound. pinning him down further and shooting again his shoulder. "lucky for you... you arrogant little shit... I was ordered to bring you in alive... so don't you try anything sly." she said and twisted her foot.
all the while Drake tried to endure the pain, but once the second shot struck and she moved her heel into his wound he groaned and loudly in pain. "damn bitch...!"
"still fighting, even though it huh..." she was surprised by his resilience. she kept her mouth shut, as to not reveal more.
"I wonder how deep those pockets are... don't think for a second I don't know how bad of a target I got on me..." he began to cough, all the while to her it was strange, she didn't shot anywhere or break anything near his lungs to see him cough up blood. so she wondered.
"Your not long for this world are you?" she asked, easing her grip of the gun resting it to her side.
Drake remined silent and glared at her.
"killing you... seems to have all but gotten easier." she teased.
feeling insulted he only grew pissed. "fuck you!." he would move his left hand up hard, to force her to bend her knee, and that meant a few things.
as she was forced to bend at the knee, she twisted and broke the heal of her shoes inside Drake's wound, all the while, Drake could finally grab her neck and forcr her down, pinning her after grabbing her.
"shit!" she whined hitting her head on steal of the hammer left when Drake felt as she now was wounded on her head and she tried to point her gun.
only Drake would smack it and then head butt her again bursting her nose to pool more blood.
"tch!" with her other hand she punched just lower from where his ribcage was and thus forced Drake to be stunned.
"punk!" she then got up on top of him as she began to punch hard back and forth rapidly and intense force.
Drake knew all to well to start covering and all he could do was block and parry but his strength was slipping when some punch of her connected to his cheeks and face.
she didn't face to much damage, but she was an experienced mercenary, and showed that through her skill of fighting.
Drake in all his years didn't fight anyone like this and could feel blow for blow, but once she took a breath in between punches, he went for his own against her gut, and then another against her chin.
she could feel the recoil of the blows as she fainted but snapped back, using her elbow to power blow his stomach. she gripped her legs tightly around her waist as she wasn't getting off no matter how hard Drake seemed to punch.
Drake would bleed again from his mouth and grabbed her arm before thrusting upward and pinning her as he began to hold her down in one hand and used his other to punch her face and stomach.
she did her best to block with one hand, but ultimately, through another punch to Drake's side of the face and that forced him off of her.
both of them were tired, and she was gasping before getting up.
Drake was in far worse condition, slowly lifting and falling as he looked around before reaching for the gun while she was turned around.
she got up, and grabbed the hammer, as then hit Drake's side like a golf ball meeting the club.
"aaah!!" Drake would feel his lower ribs break all while he then got seriously bruised and held his side. he was gasping struggling to breath and coughed laying on his side.
she got down and grabbed his hair picking up Drake. "Come on!" she said before stopping.
in that moment Drake used the gun on her shooting her side and then her thigh before again on her stomach.
she dropped quickly, but held her stomach. her life began to flash as this was for once the hardest job she ever had to Do. "God! Dammit! you'll pay!" she turned.
only for drake to point the gun at her head, he was sat up, and looking bad. "fuck you..." he pulled the trigger."
in the moment she was the closest she's ever been to death.
only, the gun then clicked, and Drake dropped the firearm. "lucky bitch..." he was tired, and tried to get up.
she did too, as she for a moment let out a breath and tried harder. "all this...! for some punk! like hell I'm about to die!" out of anger, she began to push and grab herself up forcing herself to stand.
"You dumbass... I'm not some punk... those goons that hired you know that... look at you, all beat to shit after you had the upper hand. and guess what, you still can't kill me... your bosses need me alive i know it. so that means. unless you kill me, I'm not gonna stop beating that pretty face of yours." Drake chuckled as he got up and looked at her. "and if you don't stop me... I'm gonna make sure to kill you..." his words we cold. and meant every one.
she saw now why he had such a notorious nickname, the depravity of his nature she could only hate herself. "how the hell did you get so fucked up..." she glared at him, holding her stomach and waist tight.
"look around... this was my home for all my life... blood, drugs, alcohol and beatings daily, all my life. Every day." he smiled and laughed. "how could any stay sane here! The shit ive seen, put up with. Ha im so close you know! Im so very close... to loding myself" he looked at her. "i had to survive... end of story." It was no lie. He had to hide so much of himself. His pain, hunger, hatred, sadness and every negative feeling he could ever feel for the sake of his sister. She was keeping him sane. But so we're the other woman in his life. Only, they didn't hold a candle to his sisters influence, his life's purposes has been only her from the beginning, far before he met anyone else. Sarah, was tying him to his sanity, if anything happened to her. Madness would surely take over.
"yeah... you still seem put together... I'm sure it's just an act... for your sister no doubt." she teased.
"watch... your next few words..." he declared.
she felt a cold wind as she felt his pure drive to kill all of a sudden intensify 10 fold. "I was hired to bring her in too... and some other girl that looks like her... and bring you on alive yeah... but... we are the same... only... it seems you sure have been far lucky than I have. Its obvious since im a woman... you didnt have to deal with that side of abuse." she told him before standing up right. "between criminals... you and I kid..." she walked up closer to him.
Drake, no longer felt her intent to harm. and was glad to be getting this info freely.
"I'm not winning, you clearly knew that, off small bits of info I slipped... so instead... how about you kill me... here and now Drake." she had a softer look in her eyes. "please..." she craved for death. Even accepted it. Her eyes where empty before they met. And still are now as they spoke.
Drake didn't know this woman. she looked just above his age like a girl in collage. and here she was begging to be slayed. even his demeanor changed. and that's because of something that stuck with him from what she said. "who did you lose...?"
She waz reluctant, but spoke. As if to open the skeletonsin her closet. "my baby brother..." she said looking at the floor "had the sweetest little smile... the most rose colored cheeks when he smiled. he was always a brightness to my gloomy clouds..." she cried softly.
"how old...?" he asked.
"5..." she answered.
"by who..." he asked.
"men kidnapped me... raped me threatened me... i then found out it was a terrorist group who did it..." she shaked.
"a trick?" he asked.
"he was... forced to act as a live bomb... and sent him to a children's hospital... all while they used me and my family to bargin with... but not after having their fun and killing off my family and left me... all for revenge on the doctors or whatever bullshit."
Drake could only listen and feel pain for her. she didn't choose this life. it was forced onto her. no one could go back to normal after all that. Something he very well knew all to well himself. "do you surrender." he wondered. As it was a brief moment, but that moment was all it took, for all Drake's malice to turn to something else. He understood this woman before him as much as he knew himself.
"I do..." she then let go of her wounds, letting herself bleed out as she hugged into him.
Drake stood there, before hugging her back. "I'll kill them all..." he told her. "You won't surfer again... you will be free of all this..." slowly, Mason would wrap his arms around the area her wounds were in, letting himself bleed out, while helping her.
she cried softly. while in the moment, she was acting measly for her sake and the job, after he fight to the death, this life experience with Drake would mark as the beginning of a reformation.
Drake would then collapse, and soon she would as they're adrenaline spikes finally came down as they simply laid unconscious in both their own pulls of blood. Becoming one together as were now intertwined by a new fate.
Mickie, and jack would soon be back, and would them both. "What the!?" Mickie quickly went to aid Drake.
"This chick! Was she, his attackers? Fuck are they dead?" Jack asked checking the woman's pulse, while Mickie checked Drake's.
Mickie spoke up. "Nah, he's alive."
"Same for her... but why was she held in his arms!? No time we better apply first aid." Jack and Mickie agreed quickly, only police then arrived, as they could hear a woman from the street over talk to them.
"Gunshots?" Jack said, as he could hear barely a bit of the talking outside.
"Guns here, we can't leave it." Mickie said grabbing onto it. "We gotta go, take the back ways, and we need to hurry of they won't make it in time." Mickie said, all while he picked up Drake, and jack lifted up the woman.
Way across the city, Sarah, was sitting up on the couch, curled up hugging her own knees worried for her brother. Her cheeks puffed from tears, and he eyes swollen and stressed below her cheeks. "Draky...." she mumbled as she saw the viral video of Drake's attack, she was scared for her dear brothers well being, but she couldn't help but wonder. "Why would they attack him?" She wasn't completely arrogant to their circumstances. She was abused if only a little thanks to Drake's protection, she heard so much, saw even more, and witness Drake being bruised one to many times. She wasn't dumb. She knew very well they weren't a good family, and that things were never okay with them. But, with Drake around, she never had to concern herself over any of it. At least until now, as her only saving grace wasn't back to her like he promised he would.
"It'll be alright sweetie..." Marlene came over to her with some tea and cookies, and sat beside her. "He'll be fine... before you know it, he'll show up again." She was rather calm, and she herself was very trusting of Drake.
Alex was the same, as well as Rose. Anna however, was worried much like Sarah. "How are you three so calm?"
"Well, myself and Rose here know him, so we know he's fine... but I'm surprised you are Marlene." She pointed out.
"Hush..." Marlene said as she comforted Sarah the best she could. Clearly not wanting to stress her out even more.
"Ah, right..." Alex came over patting Sarah on her head from over the couch. "Big bro will be back..."
Rose would get a call. "Mother?" She noticed as she answered and would hear some news. "Good news girls... and bad news..." she said before peaking eyes at Sarah and then looked away nervously.
"Well?!" Anna yelled.
"Uh, ya see... our good drake... has been found... but also... so has his attacker... and uh..." Rose was hesitant to share the bad parts.
"Where are they?" Sarah asked looking up. "Please take me! Where is he?!" Sarah hopefully begged.
"Ah... sarah." Marlene said softly.
They all figuered, it was best not to startle her.
Rose would then sigh. "He... is really badly hurt... and... held in our headquarters... he is being treated! With the utmost care! So please don't worry" she said to Sarah, while she spoke to everyone.
"She should come with us..." Alex said. As this would go against what Drake has been wanting to prevent.
"You can't be serious." Anna said, even she said knowing this wasn't a good idea.
"What choice do we have? There could be more attackers, and remember they went after Anna here... and..." she thought back to her night with Drake and talk. "They will be after Sarah..." she let out.
This haunted Sarah, and she was in the worse place in her mind.
Marlene spoke up. "Hey! What are you trying to do scare her?" Marlene instinctively protected Sarah.
"What proof-" Rose was cut off.
"DRAKE TOLD ME, he figuered... out if Anna was attacked... maybe she wasn't the intended target... look how similar they look.... he believe... that they were after her that day, and got it mixed up... so we are taking her. She is no safer here than anyone else but the headquarters of The Empire." Alex finished, as she looked down at Sarah. "Little sis... I'm sorry.... but... your brother... has been protecting for far more danger you realize..." it hurt her just as much to say these words behind Drake's back, but. She knew it had to be said.
Rose spoke up. "It does seem like things have gone in a way, no one would ever think it would... so alright, I'll get Mickie to come. Pick us up and take us..."
Sarah would speak up. "Am... i the reason... Drake is always getting hurt...?" She asked, while her body went cold to point she was shivering. She didn't think about it. She never had to. But, in her eyes. Now, it was all but confirmed. "I got him... almost killed?" Her once soft and cheerful voice and space, was gone in that moment.
The girls didn't know what to say, Rose only saw her on the occasions and often, while Alex had nearly almost always seen her and even she couldn't figuer out anything to help. Anna, only met and realized her existence recently. And Marlene, was left speechless, they all were stunned.
After all, it was the truth. In its own way. That was very well, the truth.
If Sarah, had never been born, Drake, would have ran away, lived elsewhere, did anything else in his life but be burdered. Sarah, was in his way, holding him back for so much. Sarah had began to panic. And mumble. "I'm so sorry... I shouldn't... have been born... i... I got you like this big brother! I'm sorry!" She cried hard again, and loudly. Unable to feel the warmth of her sisters trying to comfort her, only she couldn't hear them. She didn't want to hear anything or anyone.
Marlene, was in fact telling her how wrong she was. Alex, spoke about how Drake choose this. While Rose mentioned how Sarah was his best part of himself. Anna, did her best with treats and clothes. Even stuffed animals or games. Even though they all said such sweet words to reach her. Sarah. Toned them out.
They would all see and realize they had to get her to him.
After a moment later, a car and knocking at the door would be heard, Alex was first to check and saw it was her old people. "Rides here girls, let's go." So she hurried then out. "Leave a handful of people nearby to protect the woman here, she's valuable to joker." She said, and since this situation was so high profile, the man agreed, leaving a few men in corners of the street to watch over Jess and her home.
They all left, while Sarah was still going through her own mania. As it she deemed her world would be falling apart, but her core, she was ever so scared and far more horrified that her brother hates her.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone