Heya Readers, so sorry about the wait, I did have a small case of Writer's Block.
Chapter Twenty-Four
What are you doing here?
Jake bit his lip as he stood hidden by the stairs leading to where his brother and followers were hidden.
He wanted to alert Tyroth and the Chicago Knights to his position, but he decided to wait and listen to the conversation of the four mutants and find out more about their activities and their motives.
Holding his breath and straining his ears, Jake listened carefully as well as pressed record on his phone so he could listen to their conversation.
"We'll seek out your abuser Chastity." Diablo hissed "If he thinks he got away with his crime, he can think again, you let this rest, he has a chance to do it to someone else!"
"The Chief is right!" Rex agreed "He must pay for his crimes kiddo!"
"If he got away with one crime, he will try his luck again." Samson agreed "Mark my words, just like those red necks who attacked me and Rex."
Chastity rung her hands as she thought hard. She was still shaken by the fact the papers were branding her as a murderer and that Dale was the innocent one.
She then saw Diablo hand her a small bottle of whisky.
"Thirsty?" he asked.
Chastity reached over and took it as well as mouthed thank you before taking a sip.
Jake held his breath and continued to listen to the conversations.
"Since I left Mutopia." Diablo said "I have had plans to start a crusade on those who have sinned, have wronged others and not gotten the punishment they deserve, very much like those red necks who got away with some much before they got to you two!" he said to Samson and Rex "And this Dale bastard!" he growled as he looked at Chastity.
"What do you propose?" Rex asked.
"Well, now we have our newest member." Diablo said "I propose we go looking for Dale!"
"But where would we begin to start looking?" Samson asked "Since what happened, I bet the police have moved him to a new location since the apartment they lived in has since become a crime scene."
Chastity looked up.
"I think I might know." she said to which the other mutants looked at her.
"Some nights he would go to his friend's apartment to gamble, or invite prostitutes to engage in sleazy parties and business."
Diablo smirked.
"I see." he said "And are any of these acquaintances of his as perverted as him?"
Chastity's nodded.
"I remember once when my mother had to go into hospital for a couple of days, I went back to the apartment and Dale had invited his mates around without me or mother knowing, he was at the kitchen table playing poker and drinking beer."
Chastity swallowed hard as she remembered.
"When I arrived, I was shocked and asked what he was doing, to which he just laughed and his mates laughed with him and he demanded that I prepared some food for his guests whilst pinching my butt and slapping it every-time I went to the table."
Samson growled as did Rex, even Jake as he was listening felt ill as he listened, feeling so sorry for the Dove.
"Afterwards I went to my room, but I was terrified to sleep in case Dale or his drunk mates would come in and rape or molest me."
Chastity's was sobbing now and she took another swig of the bottle of alcohol.
"They carried on all night until eventually they left and Dale made me clean up the whole house before mum was allowed home and he warned me not to speak a word about it, or he'd hurt my mum."
"So..." Diablo mused "There are others like him! Looks like we should pay them all a visit! Maybe they will organise a party we can gatecrash!"
Samson and Rex smirked at the idea.
"We can gatecrash their perverted party, then make them all go crazy! And turn them into the police!" Diablo continued.
"Maybe we can find more evidence against them?" Samson suggested.
"Capital idea!" Rex agreed.
Diablo then turned to Chastity.
"What say you?" he asked "Would you like to see your abuser and your mother's killer attacked, gone insane as well as be brought to justice for what he did to you?"
Chastity licked her lips and looked down then she gave a small smile, as a light of hope and want for justice for herself and her mother shone in her mind.
"I'm in!" she said "I want Dale to pay! And look me in the eyes as he see's what I am now!"
"Atta girl!" Diablo said "Then let's get planning!"
Jake gave a gasp yet clapped his hands over his mouth as he was worried he had been heard.
"So that's your game is it brother?" he asked softly "Well, as much as your actions are noble, I can't let you do this! You're causing more harm than good!"
He turned to walk towards the outside of the building, so he could alert Tyroth and the Knights to his location, but as he was halfway across the room, a figure dropped in front of him!
Jake gave a yelp in shock and he saw in the street lighting from outside that it was Samson standing before him!
Jake took a step back and he tripped over a bit of debris on the ground and his head hit a brick! Seeing stars, Jake looked up to see Samson towering over him, his cat like eyes shining before he passed out.
He wasn't sure how long he had been out for, but as Jake opened his eyes, he found he was seated on the floor, and his arms were tied to a pillar behind him.
"What the hell!?" Jake struggled and he found that his eyesight was blurred as he was wearing his glasses yet he could make out four figures in front of him.
"He's waking up!" a male voice said.
"Is he alright?" a concerned female voice cut in.
"He got quite a bump on the head there!"
"Who is he anyway?"
"Callum?" Jake said "Callum! Callum!"
"So you managed to track me down hmmm?" Jake heard Diablo's voice in front of him "What are you doing here!?"
"Callum please!" Jake said as he blinked a few times "My glasses? Where are my glasses?"
He then felt his glasses get put on and he gasped as he began to see more clearly.
Before him, he saw Diablo kneeling before him along with Chastity whilst Samson and Rex stood behind him.
"So this is Jake Freeman hmmm?" Samson asked "Your older brother and a human resident of Mutopia you speak of?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so." Diablo sighed "And how he managed to find us, I have no idea!"
Jake looked at the other three mutants behind his brother and his eyes widened.
"Milo? Marcus? And Sophie?" he asked "You were mutated by the water of Mutopia's well, by Diablo?"
Chastity nodded.
"He saved our lives boy." Samson said holding up his paw "We're grateful to the Raven."
"And he helped us get satisfaction on our attackers and tormentors!" Rex added.
Jake looked at Diablo.
"Brother, why?" he asked.
Diablo rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Do I have to sing the same tune to you over and over?" he asked "I told you why! I wished to follow my own path! I decided I could do something better with this new body! Yet those damned Mutopians wanted to stop me!"
"Why do you keep twisting it up?" Jake asked "They wanted to help you! You could have had a family again! Patched things up with Mona and I! Yet you threw it all away to follow your selfish desires!"
Diablo scowled and slapped Jake's face.
"I already have a family now! And I plan to bring more in! Ones who can follow me in my crusade! And I don't care what you, or the Mutopians think! I choose my path and I will continued to walk down it!"
Jake glared back.
"You're insane Callum!" he said "You're putting yourself in danger!"
"I'm not Callum!" Diablo barked "Callum is dead!"
"Fine!" Jake growled "Diablo! You're way in over your head! You might have done okay now! But your reckless actions are making the humans suspicious! You're putting yourself and your family in danger! As well as Mutopia! Everyone's terrified that because you're out here, their home could be discovered!"
Diablo glared.
"What makes you think I'll betray Mutopia?" he asked "I have no intention of betraying you!"
"You already did!" Jake growled "You betrayed us when you attacked us and fled! And now you're out here, you've put us all at risk!"
Jake then gasped as he felt Diablo grab him by the throat.
"You think I'm going to gather an army to attack Mutopia?" he asked "You think me sadistic? An enemy?" he narrowed his eyes "No, be assured brother, I have no intention of betraying Mutopia further, in fact if you ask my Disciples, I gave them a choice to join me or I would take them to Mutopia to join you, yet they all chose to join me and my way of life."
He turned to Samson, Rex and Chastity who all nodded in agreement.
"We were given the choice, yet he decided to follow the Raven." Samson said "And we will remain loyal to him."
"Diablo speaks the truth when he says we will not attack Mutopia or betray their location," Rex added "we are just mutants who wish to be left in peace."
Diablo smirked and nodded.
"Thank you my friends." he said then turned to Jake.
"Get this in your head Jake," he growled "And rely it back to Tyroth and the Knights, as well as Mona! We will leave Mutopia alone, as well as the Lair in New York, as long as you leave us alone! And let us live the way we wish!"
Jake narrowed his eyes at his brother.
He was furious that Diablo was still choosing to live the dark life he had chosen and continue putting himself and other mutants at risk, yet there was a part of him that left relieved after hearing Diablo say from his own beak that he would not betray Mutopia of the Turtle's lair in New York.
"Leave us be, and we'll leave you alone!" Diablo said.
Jake swallowed yet he nodded.
"Good, I'm glad we've made things clear!" Diablo said before standing up and turning to his followers.
"So what now?" Rex asked "We can't stay here any longer, your brother found his way here, and whose to say he won't betray us?"
Diablo nodded.
"I understand your concern," he said "It looks like we'll have to find somewhere else to go."
"But where?" Chastity asked.
"Not sure hun." Samson comforted "But we'll find somewhere safe."
"Then let's waste no time." Diablo said "Let's go."
"You don't suppose he's already called his friends and they're on their way here now?" Chastity asked fearfully.
"No fear of that." Diablo confirmed "I checked his phone and he hasn't alerted anyone." he turned to Jake who was looking around for his belongings and he saw his phone laying just out of reach.
"And it looks like it'll take him a while till he reaches his phone, or his friends start looking for him! And when that happens we'll be a long way away!"
He turned to Rex and Samson who had gather some belongs which Diablo took and turned to Chastity.
"Now I believe it's time to test your flying skills."
"But I've only managed to hover a few inches off the ground." Chastity said in a scared voice "I don't know about this!"
"Trust me!" Diablo said "You can do this! Just stay close to me."
"We'll run over the rooftops!" Rex said as he put a backpack on his back and Samson did the same.
Diablo nodded at the Panther and Doberman.
"Run on ahead!" he said "I'll take care of Chastity."
Samson and Rex nodded and they quickly leapt out of a window to start running over the rooftops.
Jake glared as he watched then saw Diablo take Chastity's hand and they both opened their wings to fly themselves up onto the highest part of the broken roof which made some dust fly up into Jake's face, then they opened their wings together and leapt off the roof!
Jake heard Chastity scream with fear slightly then he saw both the Raven and Dove swoop upwards into the sky then he saw their silhouettes as they flew across the moon.
"Damn you!" Jake cursed then pulled on his cords, furious as well as worried as the four mutants had just left him behind, but he knew why, so he couldn't follow them and also so he couldn't alert Tyroth.
Reaching his leg out, Jake tried to get his phone and pull it towards him, yet it was difficult.
"Come on! Come on!" he protested as beads of sweat formed on his forehead "Damnit! Come on!"
So Jake was caught by Samson and he's confronted Diablo! But now Diablo and his Disciples have taken off in search of another home and left Jake tied up in the abandoned building!
Will Jake manage to reach for his phone to alert Tyroth and the Chicago Knights to his location? And will anyone realise what's happened to Jake when he hasn't returned to Mutopia?
Well, keep checking back and you'll find out soon enough!