"You're going to get yourself killed Lucius, think this through for a second."
"You're not going to find him this way, we have no idea where they went."
"I was pinned down. Even if I hadn't been, what could I have done? Dad would have beat the fuck out of me too!"
Dante had just left his father's meeting and was headed to visit Nate when his focus diverted to the echoing voices of his brothers in a middle of an argument. It was near the entrance of the base, to which he made his way only to find Lucius with a black parka and a backpack tightened on him. Their eyes diverted to the approaching footsteps for a moment, to which Lucius rolled his eyes when he realized it was Dante. Reno and Bronsted were both standing by the entrance, a barrier attempting to halt Lucius from crossing them.
"What's going on?" Dante asked, stepping closer to them and noticing the concern through Reno and Bronsted's face.
Reno was the one to speak. "Lucius wants to go find Raphael."
"And we're telling him it's not a good idea," Bronsted added, glancing frightfully towards Lucius who narrowed his eyes at them but kept his palms in the pockets of his parka.
Dante swallowed hard, his mind replaying the moments before they had taken Raphael.
Lucius hadn't seemed fazed by the debate between keeping him or making him leave with Wolf. Hence, Wolf's eyes had departed from his bored ones and shifted around the room, until it settled on the stage where Raphael continued to listen for Molly's heartbeat, attempting to find a pulse. He watched the desperation through his regard, not a chance that he would give up unless someone forced him to do so.
That sort of emotion had potential. If he was manipulated enough, he could use that raw emotion to turn him onto their side. "Give me the blondie then," Wolf demanded, pointing to the stage.
When Draco's eyes landed on Raphael, there was no hesitation. He even snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine by me."
"What?" Dante raised an eyebrow, glancing to the stage to a Raphael who wasn't even paying attention, rather still trying to bring Molly back to life. "No, he's not taking Raphael."
"Raphael's a nice name," Wolf chuckled for a second as he wiped tears from his cheeks.
"He's a loyal soldier," Draco added. "You can make use of him."
"No." Both their attentions returned to Lucius who had stood to his feet, his eyes narrowed towards his father before meeting Wolf's gaze. "Take me instead, not him."
Both of them were ignored, Wolf waving his hand for his troopers to approach Raphael. Raphael didn't resist, simply let himself be pulled for Molly's corpse. The instance the Hercules' brother saw their hands firmly grip Raphael, that was when they began to panic.
"Get your filthy hands off him," Lucius snarled.
Dante hissed, "Don't touch him."
Both of them simultaneously lunged forward to reach Raphael and protect him, but were instantly stopped by the brute strength of their father who gripped them by the back of the head and shoved their faces onto the ground. Knowing they were going to resist, he kept his palm on their head as it smothered them to the floor, and although they were strong themselves, they were no match for Draco. Wolf's men clamped each side of Raphael before dragging him towards the back exit.
Lucius continued to attempt to loosen himself from his father's grasp, staring at the gloomy Raphael with no emotions on his face as he was being pulled away. "Raphael, don't let them take you!" Oddly enough, Raphael didn't resist at all either. It was almost as if he accepted this to be his fate; he didn't even look up to them which was angering Lucius even more. "Do something Ralphy! You can fight them off!"
"Why doesn't he just take Tyler instead?" Reno suggested, to which Tyler inhaled a sharp breath. She had been under the radar for a little bit since they had all been preoccupied with Draco and Wolf. However, none of them wanted Raphael to be gone. "She's a traitor anyway, she would love to be on your side."
"They should take Tyler and Eric back," Dante offered as well, his sounds muffled though as he was still trying to breathe under the crushing strength from his father. Through heavy breaths, he added, "That would be fair; Raphael has nothing to do with this. He's not even blood related."
Wolf swallowed hard, and Draco noticed the way his hands began to tighten, as if he was attempting to keep them relaxed even though he wanted to ball them into fists. After a few seconds, he returned his gaze to Draco, his lips curled as he spat, "The audacity of your troops to try and reason with me. The simple fact they are directly addressing me is bothering me."
"Fuck you Wolf," Lucius snapped. "Go be on your high horse somewhere else because nobody here gives a shit about your status—"
"Enough!"
Draco's shout echoed, sealing all their lips into complete silence. He exhaled a long breath, shaking his head as he eyed down to his sons. "You all need to realize you are speaking to a leader of an underworld troop."
"Trust me when I say if I wasn't pinned down, I'd slice the throat of that weak leader—"
"Lucius, calm down."
That was what he had been waiting for; Lucius' breath fell stuck in his throat. His eyes shifted back to Raphael who was finally looking back at him. He wondered when would be the next time he could admire Raphael's eyes, how they stared back with such softness and care he could melt. It had never crossed his mind that there would be a chance that Raphael would be taken from him; it his mind, Raphael was never going to leave him.
Not after everything they had been through.
Raphael was still being held by Wolf's men, being pulled towards the exit. But before then, he winked at Lucius and mouthed, "You know I love you, right?"
Lucius inhaled a sharp breath, uncertain what this feeling he felt starting to crawl across his flesh. There was a lump in his throat that made it harder for him to breathe, and he could feel himself grow out of breath with every step that Raphael took away from him.
That was how they had been able to leave the place unharmed and that was why Lucius was determined, with his weapons loaded and sharpened, to leave the base and find him.
Dante hadn't spoken to Lucius ever since that happened and from the way Lucius stared back at him, it was clear they were not on civil terms.
"Move out of my way." His tone had been threatening, and when they heard him cling to his weapon, both Reno and Bronsted took a step backwards. The look in Lucius' was different, a mixture of desperation and pain, but frightful determination that he would kill anyone that stood in his way, even if it meant getting a head start with his brothers.
Dante bit his bottom lip; he wasn't sure how to start. After all, it all happened because of him. If he hadn't entrapped Nate into his world, there would have been no rescue mission and Raphael would've never been missing.
It was as if Lucius read his mind since he scowled, "Don't fucking say a word." He didn't even look at Dante when he said that, which confused Bronsted and Reno for a moment before they realized it was directed to him. "The only reason I haven't killed you is because father directly asked me not to."
He exhaled a long breath, letting a silence fall around them. Then he said through a shaky breath, "I fucked up and I'm sorry." There was no response from Lucius. "I didn't think it would come to this. If I knew, I would've never—"
Before Dante could even realize, Lucius had uncovered the bottom of his parka and brandished a knife, leaping towards him at full force. It had been way too quickly and stealthy that the moment Dante realized what was happening, it was way too late for him to dodge. He closed his eyes as he braced for the impact, but was surprised when there was nothing that hit him. When he opened his eyes, the large hand of his father was placed in front of him and the knife had been stabbed through the palm of his hand.
Draco groaned, squeezing his palm even more around the knife and forcing it out of Lucius grasp. "I thought I told you not to touch him," he spat harshly, pulling the knife from his hand and throwing it to the ground further away from them. Lucius kept his shoulders broadened as he glared at his father, no longer caring to show him respect. He had also accepted for them to take Raphael as if Raphael never meant anything, and he was never going to let that be forgiven.
"Grow up, Lucius." Draco ripped his sleeve from its shoulder, teared it apart with his teeth before wrapping it around his bleeding palm. As he continued to tighten the wrapping, he snapped at Lucius. "We all lose people, it's a part of life so get over it. Besides, it's karma for all the people you've killed yourself."
"Everyone I've killed deserved it," Lucius growled.
That made Draco burst into cackles before pointing to Reno. "You killed Moreno's best friend without batting an eye. But you think I'm supposed to have mercy of Raphael for you?"
"Shut up," Lucius hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes holding his father's stare. "You let go of Raphael for a measly little kid that none of us know—"
"That's not what happened but if you see it that way, I truly don't care. But let me tell you this..." Draco stepped forward, leaning downwards to meet at his eye level. His eyes sharpened even further when he leaned in, and Lucius noticed the way his fingers continuously tightened into fists. "If you want to go find Raphael, I don't have a problem with that. But if you as to so much make a scratch on these three," he motioned towards his sons, "then I'll go get Raphael myself, bring him back here just so you can watch him get tortured and killed by me."
"Then why the fuck did you say no to Wolf when he asked to take me if you don't care that mu—"
"You're strong, Lucius," Draco interrupted him, knowing exactly where this was going. "Haven't you figured it out yet? All you are is a weapon, a strong one." After a few chuckles, Draco reached for Lucius' collar and pushed him back, watching as his back slammed against the exit doors. "Don't fool yourself. Emotionally? You mean nothing."
Lucius' could feel his throat start to clench.
Draco shoved his hands in his front pockets, as if this was a bore he had no intention on entertaining any longer. "Do whatever you want. If you're not there for my next mission, then I'll know what you chose." He walked past the knife and kicked it to Lucius' feet before waving a hand dismissively. "After Dante's atrocities, I don't have time for any of you guys' foolishness again. Go get yourself killed, see if I care."
All of them stood in silence as they listened to each of his footsteps grow quieter while he walked away. They completely fell silent when he disappeared behind a door. Even when he was gone, the weight of Draco's presence made none of them speak for a few minutes while they thought about what had just happened.
When Lucius began to move towards his knife, Reno sighed and tried again. "Please Lucius, don't listen to him. Of course we care about y—"
"Shut up Reno," he snarled under his breath, reaching for the knife and shoving it back into its scabbard.
Bronsted swallowed hard as he watched Lucius turn to the exit doors; he wondered if it was the last time he would see him again. "We can find him together when we're ready!" he pleaded, wanting to stop him physically but not wanting to die either since Lucius was not in the right state of mind. "We're just not prepared for that kind of battle right n—"
"We will never be ready!" His tone had sharpened, louder than he was before as he stomped his foot towards Bronsted and Reno who both raised their hands defensively, in ways that showed they were not willing to fight him. "Dad will never let us take his men to save him and I can't sit here and wait."
"Then let me come with you," Dante suggested, raising his eyebrows in hope. All their eyes turned to Dante who slowly nodded his head. "There's a better chance we find him with two minds working. Besides, better chance that you survive if you're not al—"
"You never cared about Raphael, you treated him like shit." That instantly caused Dante's lips to seal. "You used him as if he was your slave without realizing how much you were hurting him."
Dante shook his head, frowning for a moment before he breathed, "I loved Raphael."
"You love yourself," Lucius snapped harshly, seeing the hurt flash through Dante's gaze for a second. "That's the only person you've ever loved. Not Nathan, not Raphael, but your own damn self."
"That's not true."
"That's very fucking true, Dante." He broadened his shoulders as he stepped menacingly towards his brother. "You didn't even care about Molly; you don't care about anyone but your own self." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Listen to me when I say this because this is the last time I will ever speak to you, because I'm done being there whenever one of you need help to kill." He leaned in towards Dante. "We are no longer brothers. I do not consider you blood and from the bottom of my heart, I fucking hate you Dante."