Drake's heart slammed into his rib cage as he choked back shock. He was flying through those buildings, how did they possibly get in front of him? The net was covered in tiny barbs, and Drake saw his blood glinting back at him. His eyes immediately started to droop, and his vision became hazy. "Oh hell not drugs..." He tried to fight off the narcotics, but they were too strong. The rope stopped and he shredded his clothing as he bounced in the net. A Predator was staring him in the face, blocking out the sun. "Hello Drake. It's a pleasure to meet you albeit I thought we'd have to chase you longer." It said in an electronic voice.
Drake curled up his lips to say a reply, but it died in his throat. He simply could glare, and even that appeared to be weak squint. The Predator cocked its head and chuckled. "What? Nothing to say? The great Jedi is helpless against a pair of walking grease-cans?"
Drake weakly asked, "Who told you..I was Jedi?"
The Predator whistled. "Why Ignition did, right before we ripped his head off." Drake whipped his arms as he tried to punch the AI, but he stopped and gasped at the sudden loss of his energy. He renewed his glaring. The Predator even seemed a little reproachful. "Why don't be mad at me, he's the one that did it." It pointed at another Predator which waved. "I'll cut off your head next." It threatened, and a lightsaber flicked out of its wrist. The leader tisked and held a hand. "Lay off Affinity. I'll allow you kill him if Dunnovoocha can't bring him over to the "Dark Side." It laughed at its own quip, and then started narrowed its fluorescent red eyes. "Now tell me, where is the Desert Master?"
Drake was actually confused. "I don't know-" Excruciating pain to his abdomen. Drake couldn't contain it, he screamed, letting everything he'd had inside him out. Heat was coating his organs, pain was blinding his nerves. He mutely looked down with wide eyes, and gazed upon a lightsaber shimmering slightly. He coughed blood, and it sizzled as it hit the roof. The machine lowered its eyes to him, its nose a hair's-width from his. "Heroes always fall Drake. Always, no matter how noble the cause. They aren't fit to live forever, and now, neither will you." It drew back its lightsaber, and tapped his heart. Drake felt it stopping, the shock too much for it. His wound was cauterized, but he felt something flowing out of him. Weightlessness started to take him, and he felt himself falling backwards, off the roof, to his much-wanted death. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the scorpion, gazing intently at him with its many eyes. Then the weirdest thing happen.
It said, "Duck."
Drake bent his head back, careening him into his descent as a figure leaped over him in a somersault onto the roof. It reached a short, tree-trunk weathered arm into a robe, and pulled out a blade. Drake recognized it without pause. The imp turned around, and said, "Drake, sup what is?" just as the three machines closed in.
It was Big Daddy.
Then Darkness took him.
"Okay Shadows, we have no VSAT or Extraction. As far as DragonDen is concerned, Stephen, Headhunter, Derek, Juggernaut, his brother, Penelope, Einstein, and Swartz are KIA. They don't want us going back, but we're doing this thing anyway. I know I owe it to my brothers and sisters, and so do you. But, Dunnovoocha is one vengeful bastard, so if you fear his possible retaliation against us, don't follow me topside. If so, then grab a gun, because we're taking names!" BD shouted, picking up his Minigun. "To hell and back troops!"
"To hell and back!" The room shouted in response.
"Is that suppose to a rally? To hell and all the fucking way back!" Big Daddy yelled. The room erupted into hoots and chattered as Drake tapped his shoulder. "You ready kid?"he asked carefully. Drake had been in quite the state since Stephen got left behind to rescue him, and 18 hours was far too long for him. Drake nodded. Big Daddy forced the boy to look at him.
"Now Drake, I know you don't want to hear this, but your brother may not be the same man he was before this. This scientists, they aren't like other nuts. They try to create hell on Earth for fun, and want nuclear war. Just...don't expect this to end the way you want." He gripped Drake, a.k.a Devilkin's shoulder, who replied, "My brother is impenetrable BD. He'll never change."
BD smiled sadly. "Kid,When we lose ourselves, and then are brought back from the brink, we bring back a little darkness too..."
Drake woke up.