Post by Gavin Drake on Feb 1, 2022 22:16:18 GMT -5
Gavin Drake stood outside in the parking lot of the huge five-star hotel, his coat snapping around him in the winter winds as he watched the lot. He was wearing a black suit beneath his long winter coat, his hair tied back from his face as he lifted his arm to look at his watch. It was almost time, he knew that for all of his faults that the man he was waiting for was nothing if not punctual. He shook his head, reaching into his coat to produce a metal flask taking a swig before he shoved it back inside of his coat. He paced slowly, glancing back at the hotel. It's glittering glass doors and windows promised him warmth, and he knew he could just wait inside.
But then he turned back to looking at the road leading into the parking lot. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of letting them know he was sick of this wind. The thing about predators, especially those that travelled in a pack is that you couldn't show weakness. Weakness was death, and the pack was only as strong as the weakest. He grunted, and his eyes narrowed as he saw lights turn into the lot.
He looked at his watch, and smirked. 'Right on bloody time, old man.'
The car drove slowly across the lot, it was gleaming and black as it pulled up before Drake. They ignored the lines of course, and then the passenger door opened to allow the hulking brute out. Drake took a deep breath as he locked eyes with the man, who frowned slightly. The back door on the other side opened, and another one of the big figure stepped outside with a low growl. They were dressed in suits these time, which Drake found to be a nice touch. Trying to keep it formal it seemed, but even in suits these two were unmistakingly dangerous. They were brutes. They were monsters. They were the soldiers of an Apocalypse.
Drake found he had trouble telling them apart, or what their names were. But he gave a slow nod, as the doors slammed shut at the same time. The bigger one stepped forward, absently undoing the button of his jacket as he rolled his shoulders. Then the door behind him swung open, and she stepped out. Her coat and hair swirled and snapped around her in the wind, and she frowned. 'Moloch.'
The brute froze, and he drew back a step with a glare cast at Drake.
Drake lifted his chin, and met her gaze. 'Sinclair.'
'Gavin.' she answered with a slight frown. Jealous was the first thought that came to his mind, Sinclair didn't like sharing his attention. Sinclair didn't like him having anyone else besides her. And could he blame her? After all Donzig was a man who was not sentimental, he never had been. He would tell you he loved as he let you fall, as long as it served his indomitable will. Everyone inside of that circle was another person who could take her place, but Gavin wondered if Donzig would ever not want Sinclair at his side.
Sinclair gathered her long coat around her, and stepped away from the car. Then a hand reached out, and passed off what appeared to be an XHF award statue. A brow arched as Sinclair took it, cradling it in her arms as Donzig slowly emerged from the car. He was moving slow it seemed, and his face was hidden beneath the mask as his coat snapped in the wind. He limped a step, a hand lifting as he flexed and curled his fingers absently before he slammed the door shut. He walked forward, jerking his head for Sinclair to follow. Moloch drew back a step, as Donzig walked towards Gavin.
The Match with Viper had been a war, but the Scourge was still thristy for more it seemed.
Gavin was not surprised, and he lifted a hand to smooth his beard before he spoke. 'What's on your mind?'
'What's on my mind?' Donzig hissed, and he cocked his head before he snorted. 'What is always on my mind: the future, Gavin.'
Gavin stared at the four of them, and he felt something he had not felt for months.
Acceptance.
He knew that most in Fireside, most in the XHF saw him as an outsider. He was tainted, and this is what tainted him. He was marked by the Scourge, he had heard the call of the Void. And he looked from the minions of the Death Squad, to the Baroness, and then back to Donzig himself. This was where he belonged, these people accepted him, they were his family. He grunted, shrugging as he looked arouned before he met the gaze of that mask. 'And what does the future hold, old man?'
Donzig lifted a hand, shrugging. 'Doom. But not for us, we are the servants of the Void and we are doom. We bring fucking ruin, chaos, and war! History will mark this as the day that Fireside was brought beneath the hand of Oblivion! You and I?' Donzig flicked his finger, gesturing at him and Drake as he stepped closer. 'No one in this--'
Donzig paused, and looked back at Sinclair who stood there with the award in her arms. She blushed, and shrugged before she started to speak. '--Ah, it's the well--'
'COCK Battle Royale.' Drake finished with a smirk cast at the Baroness, who bowed her head in thanks. Drake jerked his chin, looking back to Donzig. 'What award is that? Didn't you win like two or three?'
'Ah, that is the award I didn't win. That is the award that should have belonged to me.' Donzig snapped angrily, and his masked head turned towards Sinclair as he fumed. 'But instead XHF gave it to that useless degenerate Evan Valentine! Well, who is the fucking Kingpin now, eh? New Money? New Money? Fagh!'
Drake hid his smile, glancing at the scowling and grim faced Death Squad who stood just behind Donzig. They didn't trust him, Drake thought. They were only here becaue Donzig willed it, and they accepted Drake. But trust? No, there was no trust among killers. They knew Donzig was hurt, and they saw Drake as a threat. He said nothing, but turned his head to find those empty eyes of the mask looking at him. A shiver, and he remembered how they all used to laugh that Donzig knew what you were thinking. It was a joke, but sometimes? Well, Drake wondered if it was.
He wanted a drink, but he licked his lips before he shrugged. 'Never liked New Money people myself, boss. I know you and Sinclair don't either.'
The Ninth Baroness Godfrey snorted at that, laughing as Donzig grunted. He glanced around, and then turned back to Drake. 'Donzig and Drake. Donzig-Gun's elite, and we reach out and take Fireside by the fucking throat, eh? I'll teach Anthony Caffrey to snub my friendship! And I will teach New Money some fucking respect, and the two of us? We'll show the rest of this roster that they are not so special, eh? That they have lingered here beside the Hearth long enough while the night grew cold and dark, and now they can't escape the shadows!'
Drake nodded, and he extended his closed fist to bump knuckles with the Scourge. Donzig returned the gesture, and Drake flashed a faint smile. 'The Affliction rides again, boss?'
Donzig snorted from behind his mask, and shrugged before he turned to go. 'Together we will bring them all low, Drake. They will crawl with us into tomorrow, or I will put them in a grave. You and me, at the end.'
'You and me.' Drake promised, and he felt a cold hunger rise up in him. He wanted this, he had always wanted this. Why fight it? Why deny it?
Donzig lifted a hand, gesturing absently. The Death Squad bowed their heads, drawing back at his command to stand beside the car. Sinclair stepped away with them, but her cool eyes never left Drake. And Donzig stepped closer, leaning upwards to speak to his old friend as he drew off his mask. Donzig's face was marked with blood and bruises, his nose seemed swollen and had a bandaid across it. Marks from his war with Viper, and he grabbed Drake's arm to pull him closer to hiss in his ear. 'Gavin, I want you to know that if you're thinking of betraying me? Or that I am easy meat? No, no, no. I will leave you for dead in that ring as easy as I draw my next breath. Just so we're fucking clear, anytime you think! Anytime you think! You can take Donzig-gun from me? You can try, boy.'
Drake turned his head, and he lifted his hands before he tilted his head with a shrug. 'I understand. And you know I am loyal.'
Donzig smiled, and released his arm as he stepped back. 'I know you are. Just wanted to be clear.'
But then he turned back to looking at the road leading into the parking lot. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of letting them know he was sick of this wind. The thing about predators, especially those that travelled in a pack is that you couldn't show weakness. Weakness was death, and the pack was only as strong as the weakest. He grunted, and his eyes narrowed as he saw lights turn into the lot.
He looked at his watch, and smirked. 'Right on bloody time, old man.'
The car drove slowly across the lot, it was gleaming and black as it pulled up before Drake. They ignored the lines of course, and then the passenger door opened to allow the hulking brute out. Drake took a deep breath as he locked eyes with the man, who frowned slightly. The back door on the other side opened, and another one of the big figure stepped outside with a low growl. They were dressed in suits these time, which Drake found to be a nice touch. Trying to keep it formal it seemed, but even in suits these two were unmistakingly dangerous. They were brutes. They were monsters. They were the soldiers of an Apocalypse.
Drake found he had trouble telling them apart, or what their names were. But he gave a slow nod, as the doors slammed shut at the same time. The bigger one stepped forward, absently undoing the button of his jacket as he rolled his shoulders. Then the door behind him swung open, and she stepped out. Her coat and hair swirled and snapped around her in the wind, and she frowned. 'Moloch.'
The brute froze, and he drew back a step with a glare cast at Drake.
Drake lifted his chin, and met her gaze. 'Sinclair.'
'Gavin.' she answered with a slight frown. Jealous was the first thought that came to his mind, Sinclair didn't like sharing his attention. Sinclair didn't like him having anyone else besides her. And could he blame her? After all Donzig was a man who was not sentimental, he never had been. He would tell you he loved as he let you fall, as long as it served his indomitable will. Everyone inside of that circle was another person who could take her place, but Gavin wondered if Donzig would ever not want Sinclair at his side.
Sinclair gathered her long coat around her, and stepped away from the car. Then a hand reached out, and passed off what appeared to be an XHF award statue. A brow arched as Sinclair took it, cradling it in her arms as Donzig slowly emerged from the car. He was moving slow it seemed, and his face was hidden beneath the mask as his coat snapped in the wind. He limped a step, a hand lifting as he flexed and curled his fingers absently before he slammed the door shut. He walked forward, jerking his head for Sinclair to follow. Moloch drew back a step, as Donzig walked towards Gavin.
The Match with Viper had been a war, but the Scourge was still thristy for more it seemed.
Gavin was not surprised, and he lifted a hand to smooth his beard before he spoke. 'What's on your mind?'
'What's on my mind?' Donzig hissed, and he cocked his head before he snorted. 'What is always on my mind: the future, Gavin.'
Gavin stared at the four of them, and he felt something he had not felt for months.
Acceptance.
He knew that most in Fireside, most in the XHF saw him as an outsider. He was tainted, and this is what tainted him. He was marked by the Scourge, he had heard the call of the Void. And he looked from the minions of the Death Squad, to the Baroness, and then back to Donzig himself. This was where he belonged, these people accepted him, they were his family. He grunted, shrugging as he looked arouned before he met the gaze of that mask. 'And what does the future hold, old man?'
Donzig lifted a hand, shrugging. 'Doom. But not for us, we are the servants of the Void and we are doom. We bring fucking ruin, chaos, and war! History will mark this as the day that Fireside was brought beneath the hand of Oblivion! You and I?' Donzig flicked his finger, gesturing at him and Drake as he stepped closer. 'No one in this--'
Donzig paused, and looked back at Sinclair who stood there with the award in her arms. She blushed, and shrugged before she started to speak. '--Ah, it's the well--'
'COCK Battle Royale.' Drake finished with a smirk cast at the Baroness, who bowed her head in thanks. Drake jerked his chin, looking back to Donzig. 'What award is that? Didn't you win like two or three?'
'Ah, that is the award I didn't win. That is the award that should have belonged to me.' Donzig snapped angrily, and his masked head turned towards Sinclair as he fumed. 'But instead XHF gave it to that useless degenerate Evan Valentine! Well, who is the fucking Kingpin now, eh? New Money? New Money? Fagh!'
Drake hid his smile, glancing at the scowling and grim faced Death Squad who stood just behind Donzig. They didn't trust him, Drake thought. They were only here becaue Donzig willed it, and they accepted Drake. But trust? No, there was no trust among killers. They knew Donzig was hurt, and they saw Drake as a threat. He said nothing, but turned his head to find those empty eyes of the mask looking at him. A shiver, and he remembered how they all used to laugh that Donzig knew what you were thinking. It was a joke, but sometimes? Well, Drake wondered if it was.
He wanted a drink, but he licked his lips before he shrugged. 'Never liked New Money people myself, boss. I know you and Sinclair don't either.'
The Ninth Baroness Godfrey snorted at that, laughing as Donzig grunted. He glanced around, and then turned back to Drake. 'Donzig and Drake. Donzig-Gun's elite, and we reach out and take Fireside by the fucking throat, eh? I'll teach Anthony Caffrey to snub my friendship! And I will teach New Money some fucking respect, and the two of us? We'll show the rest of this roster that they are not so special, eh? That they have lingered here beside the Hearth long enough while the night grew cold and dark, and now they can't escape the shadows!'
Drake nodded, and he extended his closed fist to bump knuckles with the Scourge. Donzig returned the gesture, and Drake flashed a faint smile. 'The Affliction rides again, boss?'
Donzig snorted from behind his mask, and shrugged before he turned to go. 'Together we will bring them all low, Drake. They will crawl with us into tomorrow, or I will put them in a grave. You and me, at the end.'
'You and me.' Drake promised, and he felt a cold hunger rise up in him. He wanted this, he had always wanted this. Why fight it? Why deny it?
Donzig lifted a hand, gesturing absently. The Death Squad bowed their heads, drawing back at his command to stand beside the car. Sinclair stepped away with them, but her cool eyes never left Drake. And Donzig stepped closer, leaning upwards to speak to his old friend as he drew off his mask. Donzig's face was marked with blood and bruises, his nose seemed swollen and had a bandaid across it. Marks from his war with Viper, and he grabbed Drake's arm to pull him closer to hiss in his ear. 'Gavin, I want you to know that if you're thinking of betraying me? Or that I am easy meat? No, no, no. I will leave you for dead in that ring as easy as I draw my next breath. Just so we're fucking clear, anytime you think! Anytime you think! You can take Donzig-gun from me? You can try, boy.'
Drake turned his head, and he lifted his hands before he tilted his head with a shrug. 'I understand. And you know I am loyal.'
Donzig smiled, and released his arm as he stepped back. 'I know you are. Just wanted to be clear.'