Little by little, Arren regained consciousness, his span of wakefulness lasting longer and longer. He didn't remember much of what had happened and for that Duke was grateful. No one should remember their chest getting split open by a axe-wielding nutcase.

The scar tissue made him stiff, the doctor who had operated on him, later admitted that he never thought Drebeer would live through the surgery or the recovery afterwards; but Duke knew that Drebeer was a fighter.

.As he healed, a nurse would come by and make him stretch so the scar tissue would loosen. Surprisingly, he endured the physical therapy without complaint.

…...

Later

Duke who had been given strict orders to remain in the wheelchair, rolled into the room they shared to see a pure white haired duck standing by Drebeer's bedside who was asleep. Ches.

The duck turned. No expression on his face. "We're going to have to finish this some how Duke," he said.

Duke sighed, "I don't know anymore, Boron didn't do this, another duck I have an issue with did this. Boron formed an alliance with him."

"Melyin Mox, I know," Ches murmured.

Duke paused, "you know him?"

"Of him, thirteen years ago, he came to me, trying to sell me some kind of explosive. It was that CW5 that blew up Mallory's house."

"He what-?"

Ches nodded, "I told him I wasn't interested."

Duke sat back in his wheelchair, "this is unbelievable. Why in the hell is he so fixated on everyone I know?"

Ches's eyebrows pinched together, "what do you mean?"

Duke looked up, "He infatuated with my son, he bent on killing me and Regla, he put the moves on Mallory thirteen years ago, and he visited you...everyone I know has had some encounter with him."

Ches took a step towards him, pulling a file out of a inner coat pocket. "I stole these...I don't think they'll be missed, they were in the pile set for destruction."

Duke took the file questioningly, "what is it?"

A soft groan from Drebeer made Ches return his attention to him. "Open it."

Jittery from anticipation, Duke opened the file.

In it was a report of a duck under the name Melyin Freditch Mox, a patient diagnosed as Obtusely Component, a term Duke knew was similar to the human's term Obsessive Compulsive.

"His compulsion is psychologically toying with his victims," Ches was saying softly. "It says it in there, somewhere..." he added at seeing Duke's face. "He's the very definition of psychotic."

"So he skipped sociopath and went straight to psychopath," Duke reiterated for his own memo.

Ches cocked his head, "I don't follow those terms."

"I'll explain later."

"You've picked yourself quite an enemy Duke." Ches was studying Drebeer's covered chest where he knew the skin was still ravaged.

"Tell me something I don't know." Duke dropped the file on the end of the bed. "Ches-"

The white haired duck glanced at him.

"If a building collapse doesn't kill ya, what will?"

...

"Oh for drake's sakes," Drebeer gasped, "give me the damn pack-" he was interrupted by a coughing fit, that left him whimpering from the strain on his damaged chest muscles.

"Your quest for quitting came at a good time," Mallory chucked the pack of joints into a trash can too far for Drebeer to get to on his own.

She tried to ignore his longing gaze on the trash can. "Arren you can't smoke, the rules are simple. Do you want to kill yourself?"

He swallowed. "Mallory-" His hand landed on hers, holding her immobile. "I didn't want to wake up."

She stood, frozen, staring into his eyes that were very much like Duke's.

"Why did I?"

She thought for a moment, "-because there is something bigger for you to be apart of then death."

He scoffed, wincing, "I'm nothing but a career criminal...Duke is a better man then me any day."

"Not in my son's eyes..." she sat down. "So you're going to promise me something."

He watched her warily. "What?"

"You're going to recover, you're going to get out of this bed Arren and when you do...you, me, my team my father...we're going to take down everyone of those assholes who have made our lives hell for the last twelve years."

"That's a strong promise for me to agree to."

She didn't answer.

"And if I don't?" He leaned his head back against the pillow.

"You have to deal with me…If you won't do it for us, do it for Asher."

Something passed in his face. "I'll do it for you."

…

P.O.V of Asher L'orange Jr.

I avoided an emergency truck as I walked into the hospital. It was busy, parents with their wailing children, old-timers without their hearing aids, even the homeless, just there simply to escape the freezing weather.

I was ignored or maybe not even noticed as I passed by orderlies, doctors and security. Drebeer had been lucky enough to not be recognized as he was rushed in here days ago. I shut my eyes to try and block out the sight of him and dad, both bleeding…so much blood. I feel nauseous.

Swallowing, I enter the room that holds my uncle and father. Both are asleep; for once Drebeer looks almost peaceful. I look across the room to my dad.

He looks so tired, I reach out slowly, barely able to compute my daring move and rested my hand on his. Under my palm, his hand twitched. I saw his eyes begin to open and I dropped to the floor, my heart pounding.

At that same moment I heard my mother say something to the nurse. I rolled under the bed, scarcely breathing. My mother's boots came into the room and paused in front of my face, by my dad's side.

She'd kill me if she knew I skipped school, even though she was bound to find out anyway. "Duke?" She whispered.

"Hey," he greeted, his voice hoarse from sleep. I heard the bed creak above me and I prayed it wouldn't collapse on me, not that my dad was a dead weight or anything.

She dragged a chair over and sat. "I feel lost..." She paused. "Asher wasn't in school today."

My stomach jolted. Crap.

"He-wasn't?" Duke was rapidly becoming awake once that fact had sunk in. "Where is he?"

"I don't know," she sounded so hopeless. "Regla's out looking for him with a few squad cars…Duke I had to tell him about Mox."

Duke didn't answer.

Mox, I thought. Why did that sound so familiar?

"He was bound to find out, he's a nosy old broad," Duke finally responded.

"Ducaine City is being put on high alert, Mox is dangerous…the 495 Precinct knows now that Mox tried to kill Regla. He's a cop-killer Duke."

Under the bed, I tried to keep my breathing steady so they wouldn't hear me.

"Duke- what are we going to-?"

"Shh," he said suddenly.

I stopped breathing.

"Asher L'orange."

I shut my eyes, knowing I had been caught. My mother got up, turning to look for me like I was walking into the room.

"You have three seconds…" my father continued.

Hating myself, I pushed out from under the bed so that the bed was between my mother and I. Frankly I was more afraid of her temper than I was his.

Her expression was blank as she surveyed me. Finally her mouth opened. "How long have you been here?" Her tone was faint.

"I got here about inutes before you," I admitted, wilting.

To my surprise my parents didn't seem too angry at me for being there. "You skipped school?" my dad continued the interrogation.

"Yeah,"

"A chip off the old block," Drebeer had woken up.

"Shut up Arren," Dad snapped.

A sardonic grin lit up my uncle's features. "You're right…how very wrong of you Asher. Don't let them catch you the next time."

Dad shot him a murderous glare as mom smacked him.

I wanted to smile, but had a feeling my parents wouldn't like it if they knew Drebeer's comment had had an effect on me.

"I'm sorry."

My mother sighed, "on another day, another lifetime hell, I'd be angry with you Ash…but not today. But it was dangerous of you to be out on your own like this."

"Why? Because of Mox?"

"What do you know about him?" My dad asked.

"Not much," I admitted.

There was silence between us, even Drebeer was quiet, his gaze on us. "Best tell him Duke…"

My dad sighed, letting his head hit the pillow, his eyes skyward at the ceiling. Then his eyes were on me. "When you were about two, Mox kidnapped you…"

He paused, like he was waiting for a reaction from me.

"Oh," was all I could manage.

"He did it because he and I go way back…he knew he was in control if he had you and could use you as leverage against us…I thought he died, apparently he didn't."

"Why?" I asked. "Why did you think he died? Did you kill him?" My questions were so calm.

"No, he killed himself as he blew up the building we were in, trying to kill me. Kamikaze-style if you ask me."

The word kamikaze was unfamiliar to me, I tried to act as if I knew its meaning. My mother saw through my lie.

"It's an Earth term Duke, he doesn't know. Kamikaze means Mox was willing to die as long as he could take your father with him."

"Oh," I repeated. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Neither of them answered. Drebeer did.

"We're gonna kill him right this time. No one tries to kill me, fails and then should expect me to forget about it." He struggled to sit up straighter. "Mox ain't as smart as he gives himself credit for."

"But that'll make you murderers."

They all looked at me.

"Yeah," Drebeer answered, his voice callous. "I'm an assassin kid, I'm used to it."

I glanced at dad and then mom. "I don't want you to be like him…like Mox." My voice shook and I hated it.

"He'll keep it comin' kid," my dad said softly. "He'll keep at it until he kills one of us and he's too strong for the police to deal with, too powerful."

"If he's too powerful, then its no use fighting him…let's move or something."

"He'll find us Ash," my mother added, biting her lip. "Believe me, I don't want to consider this, but we have to. Some of the Brotherhood is already backing us."

"Think of it this way," Drebeer piped up again, "He's tried killing your dad three times now, he tried to get me once, He got Regla once, He tried to get you once, He hit on your mother once which I'm going to kill him for just that, and one of his hits on your dad almost killed Wildwing. That's five people right there, who's next?"

I was quiet, "he hit on you?"

My mother blushed as red as her hair. "You were too young to remember." She muttered something like 'thank god.'

"I don't want to know about it…what ever happens. I don't want to know. But make me a promise that none of you will get hurt or die."

"I can't promi-" my dad began.

"Promise me," I interrupted, forceful.

He stared into my eyes. "I won't…because I don't want to be the cause of your disappointment kid, if something does."

In my twelve years, I realized right there in the hospital that my dad and I had never been physically close. I couldn't remember the last time we had hugged, hell maybe we never had. I sat on the bed and forced myself to forget awkward and leaned into him.

He sat frozen for a few seconds. What I didn't know was he was looking at my mother in silent communication over my head, it dawned on me later, he didn't know what to do. I was the first person in his life to throw him.

Then he folded his hands around me, hugging me back. I took it as a sign that we'd be okay.