A Rebel in Black: Drake Merwin x OC

Chapter 4

Warnings: arson, probably swearing, violence, angry Drake, guns, abuse, that r*tard word which i do not promote

Word count: 1313

It takes us ages to search through Astrid's house, thoroughly checking each and every hiding spot.

'They're gone,' I say quietly as we stand in the living room after two searches.

'We'll set it alight. Then her little brother retard won't have anywhere to teleport to,' he spits, and I can tell he's angry at himself. I grab his hand and pull him towards me, squeezing him tight, sort of expecting to get pushed away, but he hugs me back, burying his face in my hair and holding me tight enough that I can feel his muscles tensing all over.

He pulls away, face set in determination.

'There's gasoline in their basement,' he says. 'I'll get the matches.'

I go to the basement, and after a few seconds I spot the gasoline and grab it, working methodically through the rooms, soaking everywhere with it. When I'm around half way through the house, Drake rejoins me with the matches.

'Hey,' he mumbles.

'You good?' I ask.

'I - I - ' He stops, looking at me with his head cocked. 'You... you do things to me,' he growls.

'I can tell,' I reply, turning back to the gasoline.

'Is - is that it?' He says quietly.

I turn around, dropping the empty gasoline container. 'What d'you want me to say, Drake? Because I don't know.'

He stares at his hands, and it's unsettling how small he looks. 'I - I don't know either.'

'Tell me when you do,' I whisper. 'And I'll say it for you.'

Drake takes out the matches, and we walk to the front door and open it.

'Ready?' He asks. I nod, and we share a grim smile before he lights the match.

'Go,' he breathes, dropping the lit match. I lunge out of the door, and so does Drake. I turn around once I'm a safe distance away and watch the house go up in flames.

'I was thinking,' Drake says. 'We need a vantage place. If we see her we can have a go with the rifle if she's in range.'

'Church tower,' I say. 'Highest place in the whole of Perdido.'

We go at a light jog to the church when Panda runs up to us.

'Have you seen Sam?' He asks panickedly.

'You managed to lose him already?' I laugh, not surprised at all, and Panda takes an eyeful of me, eyes in all the wrong places.

'Well done,' Drake mutters, stepping pointedly in front of me, completely aware of where exactly Panda's eyes were.

'Well, where's Astrid?' Panda asks suddenly.

Drake rounds on him. 'Her little brother used his power. And I doubt Sam used his power to escape with that mylar on his hands, so if you want to say who's better, just remember you were the ones outsmarted, not us.'

He glares at Panda, and I give the boy a smirk as I shove open the church doors, noticing that the crucifix is still lying on the floor from where it crashed down on Cookie.

As soon as Panda scurries off, Drake turns to me. 'We have to get to Astrid before Sam,' he says, and I nod.

'C'mon.' We take the stairs two at a time, a sense of urgency now biting at our heels. There are shutters over the gaps, and I duck carefully under the bell and start knocking the shutters out with the butt of my pistol, Drake doing the same with his rifle on the other side. I get mine open first, and the wind rushes into the tower, yanking strands from my plait. Grabbing the sill, I lean out, squinting, and I spot a little boat on the water. Quickly, I move to the window facing the sea and call Drake over, and we get the shutter out.

'Sam in that one,' I say, peering through my rifle scope. 'The other boat has Orc in it. Something wrong with his boat. Sam's heading to the power plant - '

'No,' Drake breathes as the boat starts pulling a U turn. I start laughing.

'Clifftop. The hotel,' I say. 'He's outsmarted Caine, beaten Orc, and now he thinks he's safe.'

'Not at all,' Drake chuckles. 'Let's go get Astrid.'

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The lift in the hotel dings, and I raise my gun as the doors slide open. Astrid rounds the corner of the corridor, and I feel my trigger finger tense, but she's ducked behind the corner, dragging Little Pete behind her. I lunge after her, and I hear the slam of a door, the slide of a bolt. Drake curses, pressing the barrel of his rifle to the lock and shooting it out, and faintly, Astrid screams. I pace as Drake shoots out the dead bolt, kicking at the door until it gives in. I glance wildly around the empty room, wondering if they might be hiding, might not have teleported, cursing as Drake growls in pure unadulterated frustration, when my ears pick up something.

'Shut up,' I hiss, grabbing his arm, and he pauses. We both hear it, a low moan from the balcony below. Drake peers over the balcony and laughs at what he sees. I look over too, and Drake can't quite get the right angle on his gun, so he swings one leg over the railing, so now he can.

'Nowhere to go now, huh?' He asks, flipping the safety off the gun when a sixth sense tells me to turn, too late. Sam smashes a table lamp into the back of Drake's head, and he falls. I don't see him hit the grass below because I'm already turned around, gun raised at Sam. He shifts the table lamp into his left hand, extending his right, threatening, and I throw up my own hand, forming a forcefield, knowing that he'll be able to blow through it since he's a four bar, but chancing it anyway.

'Don't,' I say, cocking my gun. 'You don't get to hurt both of us,' I continue, backing away to the balcony and swinging a leg over. 'Or you'll be just like us.' I throw him a cold smile, moving my other leg so both are over the side. 'And if you hurt him again, you won't exactly enjoy what I'll put you through.' I jump, hitting the ground and rolling to absorb the compact. 'You remember that!' I yell, gun still up. There's no way I'm about to make a fool of myself trying to drag Drake away, so I keep up the facade, stretching the forcefield over Drake and waving my hand a little. 'Go. You're welcome.'

I stand over Drake as Sam and co. negotiate what they're doing next in quiet voices which I can't quite pick up. It isn't even half an hour after they leave when Drake comes to. He groans, putting a hand to his head.

'Rebel?' He asks as I help him to his feet.

I look away. 'They got away,' I say before he can ask.

'What?' He yells, and the fury in his voice almost makes me flinch.

'I'm sorry, Drake.' I look anywhere but him. 'It was me or them. And I - I needed you safe.'

'Rebel.' He spits. I raise my eyes to his, and I see a mix of emotions I won't even start to decipher.

'Go ahead,' I say quietly. 'Hit me.' I clench my fists hard against my sides, bracing myself as his hand flashes up and he slaps me hard. I grit my teeth, biting back a groan, turning my other cheek towards him. He doesn't speak, doesn't hesitate, just balls his hand into a fist and the next thing I feel is his knuckles colliding into my face. I spit blood out of my mouth, looking up at him.

'Done?'

He's quiet, maybe brooding, maybe speechless, but he nods and turns towards Perdido.