Chapter Forty-Four

Rage

Jake stood before the firing range and held up his gun, aiming it at the targets and began to squeeze the trigger firing off several rounds.

As he fired the rounds, tears fell from his eyes, frustration filling his being, over everything that had taken place over the past few weeks.

Losing his big sister, spending eleven years mourning her loss, then trying to cope, trying to continue life without her, his brother going down the dark path of drink and drugs because of his grief, then seeing the family fall apart, then his mother's death, and trying to keep Callum on the straight and narrow, giving up his own happiness to keep Callum safe, the resentment and anger was building up and he continued to fire his gun.

Amber meanwhile watched him, she only knew too well how it felt, to lose a sibling, and one she was close to, never knowing what happened until she met up with them again and the transformation they had gone through.

It disturbed her seeing how furious Jake looked as he fired his gun, the fire in his eyes. She had seen that look before, the look of anger, the look of frustration, but also the look of failure.

She wanted to reach out and comfort Jake, but she hesitated, seeing how tense he was.

Jake stared at the targets, as he did, he began to see them change shape, they soon formed into tall black shapes with wings with blue eyes.

"Diablo…" Jake mouthed as he stared them down, tears formed in his eyes and he squeezed the trigger.

"Why….Why do you do this? Why do you cause such hurt and anger, when all we wanted was to help you…and you betray us?"

He looked at the targets and blinked, they hadn't shifted from what he saw, and the more he fired his gun the angrier he felt, and he saw them tear through the shapes, yet they didn't go down, it was like even in his mind Diablo was unstoppable and even the bullets wouldn't bring him down.

Jake squeezed off the last few rounds and threw his gun down making it bounce on the soft floors.

"Fuck! Fuck it all!" he snarled then walked over to the gym area where there were the punch bags and he started to kick and punch them with all the energy he had left.

He threw his fists forward as well his legs, kicking the punch bags with all the energy he had, sweat formed on his forehead mixing with his tears as they erupted from his eyes.

All the while, Amber watched him, and Jake seemed to be unaware she was even in the room.

She sighed and took a swing of water from a bottle she held.

"Poor Jake." She thought "I can only understand his anger and frustrations, he's been through so much."

She began to think back to that horrible day she found out her brother was never coming home, the day the police came to the door to deliver the horrific news that Tyroth as well as Sephie, or Raymond and Elizabeth as they were known back then were dead.

It was the worst day of her life, just as she believed it must have been the worst day for Jake and Callum, knowing their sister was never coming home.

Then came the day she realised that her brother was alive all along, but as a Dragon mutant, and she knew the same emotions she felt that day had swelled within Jake and Callum, realising their sister was a mutant.

Then they ended up being victims of the Foot and after Shredder wounded Callum they had to mutate him, yet it had all gone badly wrong.

Amber could only wish with all her being things had been different, if only there had been a way to turn back time, but again, would it had made any difference? Would Callum still have the same mindset and still become Diablo?

Amber's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud grunt from Jake and he had thrown a final punch at the bag before dropping to his knees.

The marine iguana instantly walked over worried as she saw the human man hunch over and grip the soft floor.

"Ja..Jake?" Amber asked in a quiet voice.

But Jake didn't respond and just kept scratching the floor.

Hesitantly Amber stepped a little closer and placed her hand on Jake's shoulder to which the human looked up and turned to her.

"Amber…" he croaked.

Amber swallowed hard as she took in his appearance.

Behind his glasses, she could see his tears, the dark circles due to lack of sleep and that permanent frown.

"Jake." She said again.

"How long is this going to go on for Amber?" Jake asked, "For years I've tried to keep up apperances, since Mona went missing, I've had to step up, grow up faster, protect Callum when he was fucking his life up?!"

Amber chewed her lip.

"All I've done!" Jake growled "All I've done was what I thought was best for my brother! All I wanted was for us to have our bond again, especially after finding Mona again! But instead…he's a rogue mutant! Putting not only himself and others at risk, but jeopardising our home! The lives of others topside!"

"Jake." Amber started.

"Mona and I wanted to help him! Save him! But it backfired! And Mutopia is at risk!" Jake said, his voice getting louder and angrier.

Amber swallowed holding her hand up ready to comfort Jake.

"I should have killed him…." Jake said quietly.

"WHAT!?" Amber cried.

"Did I fucking stutter!?" Jake barked making Amber jump "I should have killed him! I should have killed him! Then we wouldn't be worrying about this! Mutopia wouldn't be at risk! And the world above won't learn there are mutants in the world!"

"Jake!" Amber gasped "You don't honestly think that, do you?"

"It would have made things easier!" Jake said, tears starting to fall rapidly from his eyes "I should have shot him through the skull! Before he injured your friends, my brothers in law, I should have killed him! Or let the Shredder's kill him! Or left him to the Purple Dragons like he originally wanted!"

"Jake!" Amber barked making Jake look at her "Do you think it's the answer? Killing your brother? Your flesh and blood? You only would have regretted it! And what of Mona? Do you think she would forgive you if you killed him?"

Jake opened his mouth then closed it like a fish, he then dropped to his eyes as he finally broke down and his emotions that he had tried to push down came to the surface and exploded like a sleeping volcano that had blown up.

Amber instantly dropped in front of him and cradled his face using her thumbs to wipe his tears.

"You've been holding in so much!" she said "You've been so brave, and so honourable, please, don't be afraid to let out your emotions, don't wear the mask! Let go! Let it out!"

Jake stared at Amber, the tears flowed like rivers, and he burst into breathless sobs, so much he could hardly catch his breath.

Amber instantly pulled him towards her.

"I can't take it anymore Amber!" Jake wept "I've had so many sleepless nights! So many nightmares of the place I now call my home being discovered, and all of you being forced to evacuate, same for Mona and the turtles being discovered because of Diablo's actions!"

"Shh, Shh." Amber soothed "We all know your fears, but we are here for you, you are our friend, our family, and Chicago Knight!"

Jake sobbed again and leaned on Amber's chest, and the marine iguana wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rocked him gently.

"Despite Diablo being one step ahead of us, we will catch up to him, he cannot run forever." Amber said, "He will be brought to justice."

"But when?" Jake sobbed "I can't do this anymore…"

"Exactly when…I don't know." Amber whispered into Jake's hair "But it's not if we catch Diablo, it is when he can't run and hide forever, he will slip up, and when that day comes, he will face the consequences of his actions, and he will pay."

Jake said nothing as he continued to lean on Amber and he relaxed slightly, feeling relieved he had opened up to her, and he could let out his emotions which he couldn't do in front of the other Knights.

He wrapped his arms around Amber's waist and his sobs softened and he just lay against the iguana getting his breath back.

Amber rested her head on Jake's, and continued to whisper to him soothingly.

"Just cry Jake…" she whispered "Just cry…"

Meanwhile, Tyroth stood outside the dojo, he had decided to check in on Jake and his sister just to make sure all was alright.

He had heard their conversation and he felt so awful for Jake, all he had been through, and if there was anyone who understood his feelings, it was Amber.

She had gone through the pain of losing a sibling she looked up to, and even though she hadn't experienced some of the other traumas of recent, she was the glue that could hold Jake together if he needed someone to lean on.

Now seeing how Amber held Jake close, the dragon couldn't help the smile that graced his face, seeing how Jake had let go of his emotions and his walls had come crumbling down was now embracing his sister, clinging to her for dear life.

"You're not alone in your pain Jake." Tyroth whispered "You have a good rock in Amber, if there is anyone you can talk to, it's her."

He watched them for a while, both not wanting to let go of each other, he didn't want to interrupt them by letting his presence be known, so he quietly slipped away letting them be in their bubble.

"Well done, Jen-Jen." He thought to himself "I'm proud of you!"

Wow, the feels! Jake has finally broken down in stress, anger and frustration, but luckily Amber has been there to help him. Tyroth has every right to be proud of his sister.