2024-10-05 04:19:32"Was it truly necessary?, I mean, you could have just used chloroform" asked Ivan, as he stood over, Lisa's unconscious body.
"There wasn't enough time for that, besides, I made sure she didn't feel anything" assured, Llyod. As the protégé to Eric Weissman, Lloyd had mastered the art of "silent subjugation", granting him the ability to knock almost anyone out via pressure points at the back of their neck. The recipient felt no pain, and there was no permanent damage. But why exactly did Lloyd knock out his new wife? The answer to that question lay behind the underground facility Ivan was currently driving into. He couldn't risk her waking up and seeing the location of this facility, as it would put her life in danger. Ever since Lloyd saw Lisa in her current condition, stricken with cancer because she saved his life, he was stricken with grief. The only thing that caused him more pain was death of his family. So since then, he knew that his next mission would be to fix this mistake. As soon as they entered into the underground facility, Lloyd would carry Lisa out of the vehicle, refusing Ivan's help. This was his weight to bear, he caused this and he will fix it. The facility they had just entered was the national institute of core medicine. The highest medical institution in the country. As the Dragon duke, one of Lloyd's many powers was that of the Supreme healer of the nation. It was a position that many didn't even know existed, but it meant that Lloyd was by far the greatest doctor in the country, which granted his access to this top secret facility. In front of the facility were a group of men in dark suits wearing, dark glasses, carrying dark briefcases. Lloyd had summoned these aids all the way from the capital, carrying his equipment in those dark briefcases. Once Lloyd successful had Lisa on the operating table, the aids dropped the briefcases. "OUT!" he ordered them, and they all scurried away. Ivan would leave the operation room, but made sure to remain close in case of emergency, but knowing his boss, there probably wouldn't be any need. Lloyd, opened these briefcases, and would on the spot create a "Regeneration solution", something he personally created himself, perhaps the most potent drug in the world. The procedure he was about to perform on Lisa was perhaps the most complicated on the planet. Lloyd was going to destroy Lisa's lungs, and also every part of her body infected with the Cancer, and then restore her body using this regeneration solution. The process would take Lloyd the rest of the day, He didn't eat or drink within this period, but remained sharp as ever. By the time he was done, over 16 hours later, Lisa had been almost entirely broken down and built back up. The process was a complete success, and Lisa was now completely cancer free. She was still unconscious, however, and she'd probably remain that way for the next few days, as her body worked to rebuild. Lloyd decided to head to a suite within the facility, there he took a shower and got some sleep. When he woke up, it had been exactly 24 hours since he dropped Jacob off at the hospital, and now it was the perfect time to return there. This time, Lloyd didn't take the limousine, so he and Ivan would head over to the hospital using a taxi. Once inside the hospital, Lloyd would demand to speak to the doctor concerning Jacob's condition. "So doctor, how is my friend doing?, surely he's awake by now?" asked Lloyd. But he would find the doctor's next words very unsatisfactory. "Unfortunately Jacob is not yet awake, but he is stable" "WHY ISN'T HE STILL AWAKE?!" asked Lloyd, trying to control his temper. "I won't work without money, Mr Harland, you didn't pay me before leaving, and I had a lot of other patients to attend to, so..." The doctor would respond in a snub tone. "You wanted a bribe before you'd treat my friend?" asked Lloyd baffled by the doctors brazen corruption. "You are perhaps the least important person to bring me a patient in a week sir, so of course I wouldn't abandon my other patients to treat yours without.... incentives" the doctor replied, disrespecting Lloyd. As disgusted as Lloyd was, he knew he had to control his temper, he didn't want to cause too much of a scene. "Where did you keep him?" asked Lloyd. "He's in the Emergency room, if you're too broke to incentivize for his treatment, and will have him disconnected from life support, and his corpse will be returned to you" said the doctor, in cold voice. "Don't bother, I'll treat him myself" said Lloyd, as he began heading towards the ER. The doctor, shocked by Lloyd's brazen sudden audacity, attempted to stop. "Don't you dare go in there, that place is for trained professionals only, if you do I will call security" said the doctor, grabbing hold of Lloyd's shoulder. In a flash, Lloyd would grab hold of his hand before twisting it and throwing the doctor on the ground. “Argh”, yelled the doctor, as onlookers looked on, horrified. "What the fuck do you think you're..." the doctors words were stopped by the ID he saw in front of him. It was a Supreme medical doctorate from the nation institute of medicine, the highest medical known degree in the country. This gave Dean the right to judge the actions of any doctor in the country, and if he deemed them unsatisfactory... "It would seem that I am a more qualified professional than you, and I declare your current work at this institution, unsatisfactory" The doctors eyes widened in horror, he had no Idea a man who looked as basic as Lloyd would have such a high medical position. "Please... Please sir, I didn't know,I'm sorry, I'll treat your friend right away" pleaded the doctor. "It's too late for that now doc... You're fired" was Lloyd's last words to the doctor. **** Jacob opened his eyes slowly, his body felt heavier than it had ever been before. He tried sitting upright on the bed, before feeling a calming hand on his shoulders. “Hey man… relax, don't try to push yourself” said the voice. Jacob looked slightly to his right to see who exactly was speaking to him, and his eyes widened the moment he saw who it was. “Lloyd?” he asked, his voice filled with emotion. “Yeah… it's me” replied Lloyd. “You dropped this” added Lloyd, as he handed Jacob his ID card. “How… how the hell did you get the…” the realization hit Jacob like a truck. “Oh my God… it was you, yesterday… the guy in my taxi” realized Lloyd. “Yeah” responded Lloyd, his voice low and saddened. “Oh my God, I… I sent those thugs after… they would have killed you” said Jacob, his face filled with horror. “Nah… don't worry about it, I can take care of myself” assured Lloyd. “I'm so sorry, Lloyd… we haven't seen each other in over 10 years, and the first time we meet… I guess I am truly a failure” said Jacob, as tears began to form in his eyes. Lloyd let him cry, he knew that in his situation, it would be more beneficial for him to let out his emotions. He had spent the last hour reviving Lloyd with his regeneration serum, and it worked out well. After Jacob had taken a minute to cry, Lloyd would ask him, “What happened to you Jacob, how did you end up like this?” “A series of unfortunate events, Lloyd” he replied. “At one point, my life was going great… everything was moving according to plan, then suddenly… everything that could go wrong sort of did” he added. “I'm here for you Jacob” said Lloyd in a gentle voice. “Tell me what happened” Jacob began to look at Lloyd with suspicion, “Does it really matter… I mean, I thought you died with your family for all these years, why do you care?” he asked. “I want to help you, Lloyd… I can see your current situation isn't the best, you're my friend, and I would like to see this change” replied Lloyd. "My girlfriend, Anne" began Jacob. "My life spiralled after my girlfriend died, I was about to propose to her at a restaurant, and a gang war broke out... She was shot" "And then I got fired from my job for..." Jacob scoffed, a pained smile on his face as tears ran down his cheeks. "I got fired for taking too long to mourn her, I couldn't find another job, so I had to get involved with the gangs", Jacob explained. "So they're the ones that set you up to ambush me?" asked Lloyd. "Yeah, the gangs get their money from all sources, kidnapping, mugging, and robbery are some of the few ways they do it, using patsies like me to scout possible targets" replied Jacob. "What about the rest of the gang, Larry and Morty, what happened to them?" asked Lloyd. "Morty works with his dad on with the police department" replied Jacob. "But don't be fooled by this, that department is as corrupt as they come, and Morty right along with them" he added, removing Jacob's assurances. "He's an enforcer for his dad, nothing more, I barely see him, but when I do, he acts like he doesn't even know me" concluded Jacob. "And Walker, what about him?" Asked Lloyd. "I actually don't know what happened to Walker" replied Jacob, "last I heard he was with the gangs, but I haven't heard anything concrete" Lloyd sighed, despite not getting the most detailed info on his other two friends, he at least something to work with. Looking at Jacob in his decrepit state, Lloyd felt genuine pity for his friend. "Look Jacob, you can't remain in this situation, I have big plans for this city going forward, and you're going to be a part of it" said Lloyd. "How, I am a junkie with no money, what could I possibly do for you?" asked Jacob. Lloyd could only smile, "Oh you have no idea just how much you'll do for me" replied Lloyd. "For now, just focus on getting sober, and about being broke... Don't worry, I'll make sure you never worry about money again" added Lloyd. Jacob was shocked by Lloyd's words, what exactly happened in the last decade that Lloyd could now promise him such a thing. "I'll leave you to get some rest, Jacob, but we'll see each other again real soon" promised Lloyd as he soon left the room. "How did it go Boss?" asked Ivan as Lloyd stepped out of the room. "It went well enough, but we're going to have to" Lloyd's words were stopped in its tracks by a man in a black overcoat and dark glasses walking towards them. But what he saw on the man's hand was something that caused an ancient rage to rise within Lloyd like never before. A symbol he remembered well. IT WAS THE DRAGON TATTOO!
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The Wrath of the Dragon Duke. Chapter 6 : The man with the dragon tattoo
"boss... Boss... Please calm yourself" whispered Ivan, as placed a gentle hand on his Boss's shoulder.Lloyd on the other hand had been zoned out for several moments after he saw the man in front of him.His kinds were filled with memories of that night, over a decade ago, when his family was killed, and now the culprit was here in front of him.That night he never saw the bastards face, so he never had anything to go off, but now that had changed.Lloyd soon released his clenched fist, and took a deep breath, he would have to control his bloodlust for now."Who the hell are you?" asked the man with the dragon tattoo, suspicious of Lloyd and Ivan."Oh, sorry I haven't introduced myself, my name is Simon Harland, this is my friend Ivan" replied Lloyd."How exactly do you know my nephew?" He asked, still suspicious.Both Ivan and Lloyd would heavily suppress their gasp.Did he just say that Jacob was his nephew?"I was the one who brought him here after he overdosed" explained Lloyd, ca
The Wrath of the Dragon Duke. Chapter 7 : Dance of Hatred
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Morty swirled the amber liquid in his glass, staring at the way the light from the dingy bar flickered against the alcoholIt was almost hypnotic.Or maybe it was just the exhaustion settling into his bones.He had been drinking since yesterday...Or was it the day before...?It didn’t matter.Nothing mattered anymore.He took another sip, wincing as the whiskey burned down his throat.For the first time in his life, he felt truly empty.Not angry, not frustrated.Just… hollowHe reached up to touch the bandage on his forehead, feeling the sting from where the glass had cut him.His father’s parting gift.The memory played out in his mind, clearer than anything else he could focus on.---“Do you even understand what you've done?!”Larry Flanagan’s voice had thundered through his office, rattling the very walls.Causing the entire station to fall silent.The moment Morty stepped inside, he could tell this wouldn’t be like his father’s usual reprimands.This was something much, much wo
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Chapter 51 : Hasty Investigations
Lloyd stood in the dimly lit alleyway, gripping the edge of his phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The call had ended minutes ago, yet Logan’s final words echoed in his mind like a haunting melody."Three days, Simon. If you don’t find us by then… Jacob dies"A chill settled over him.Lloyd had always known that violence was a currency in their world, but even as the Dragon Duke, he had a reputation of never leaving his men behind, much less his childhood friend, whom he had sworn to protect.So he wasn’t about to let Logan make a spectacle of him.Beside him, Ivan leaned against a brick wall, arms crossed. He had been watching his boss carefully ever since the call ended. His boss had gone completely silent, something Ivan had rarely seen before.“You’re actually worried,” Ivan noted, his voice low, almost cautious.Lloyd’s jaw tensed."Of course, I’m worried" he muttered."I've never... The entire sequence of events since last night has been wrong, I have to make it
Chapter 50 : Identity Compromised
Lisa sat in the back of the taxi, gripping her phone so tightly that her fingers ached.She had called Lloyd’s number five times alreadyeach time, it went straight to voicemail.A sinking feeling lodged itself in her stomach.Where was he?The streetlights of Hilburg flashed by in streaks of yellow and white, but Lisa barely noticed.Her mind was a storm of emotions.Anger at Edgar for his manipulation.Frustration at herself for not knowing what to do.And most of all, fear.Because Lloyd wasn’t answering.Her last conversation with him replayed in her head...the way he had encouraged her to go to dinner with Edgar, how he had seemed distracted, almost distant.Did he already know what Edgar was planning?And if he did… why had he let her walk into it alone?She swallowed, shaking her head.No.Lloyd wasn’t the type to abandon her.Something had to be wrong.The cab pulled into the Francis family estate, the grand mansion looming over her like a silent judge.She paid the driver an
Chapter 49 : Crisis
The Vanilla Palace restaurant was one of the finest in Hilburg, boasting an interior of polished marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and a quiet, refined atmosphere that reeked of wealth and power. It was the kind of place where the elite came to negotiate behind closed doors, to smile while stabbing each other in the back.Lisa sat across from Edgar Numa, her hands resting in her lap as she gazed absently at the elaborate centerpiece of red roses between them. She wasn’t truly present, her mind was elsewhere, back home, worrying about Lloyd.Where was he right now?Was he safe?Did he even know she was here?Edgar, however, was not one to be ignored.He tapped his fingers against the white linen tablecloth, watching Lisa with a growing smirk that didn’t quite reach his cold eyes.“You know, Lisa, I must say… it’s rather rude to accept a dinner invitation only to mentally wander off to another man” Edgar remarked, his voice laced with condescension.Lisa blinked, snapping out of her
Chapter 48 : Poor Man's Assault
The convoy of dark-colored vehicles rolled to a stop in the desolate parking lot on the outskirts of Hilburg. The streetlights overhead flickered weakly, barely illuminating the cracked pavement.The place was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that came before a storm.Logan Wesley stood near the center of it all, shifting his weight impatiently as he checked his watch.The seconds ticked by, and with each passing moment, unease settled deeper in his chest.Jacob was late.That wasn’t supposed to happen.This entire setup was built on precision... on Jacob following the script, bringing Simon Harland to the designated meeting point. But as Logan scanned the vehicles and the men that had arrived, he saw no sign of the man Morty was after.His stomach twisted with unease.Something was wrong.The door of a nearby SUV creaked open, and Jacob finally emerged. His pace was slow, deliberate, a smug grin resting on his face as he walked toward Logan.Logan wasted no time, storming up to m
Chapter 47 : Police Prep
Morty walked through the corridors of the Hilburg Police Department, his boots echoing against the tiled floor. The familiar scent of gun oil and cold steel filled his nose as he stepped into the department’s armory. Rows of shelves lined the walls, stocked with rifles, shotguns, body armor, and crates of ammunition.He ran his fingers over the cool metal of an assault rifle, his mind racing. This wasn’t just another operation... this was the culmination of weeks of frustration, dead ends, and mounting pressure from his father.Camren’s death had triggered a chain of events that had shaken the city’s underworld, and at the center of it all was a ghost... Simon Harland.A ghost that Morty was finally going to drag into the light.His fingers clenched into fists at the thought.The Draguns had been slippery, always one step ahead, but not this time, not with Logan feeding him information from the inside.Morty turned to one of the officers standing near the racks."How much do we hav
Chapter 46 : Gangsters Prep
The Grimshade Bar was one of the few places in Hilburg that seemed untouched by time.The dim lighting cast long shadows against the wooden walls, the scent of old whiskey and cigar smoke lingering in the air. It was quiet tonight, being in the darker parts of the city, it usually was, but tonight it seemed even more soAt a secluded booth near the back, Lloyd, Ivan, and Jacob sat across from each other.A bottle of whiskey sat at the center of the table, untouched.For once, none of them were in the mood to drink.Jacob leaned back against the booth, arms crossed, a small smirk playing at his lips.“I gotta say” Jacob began, “I didn’t think you’d trust me enough to bring me here, Lloyd”Lloyd, who had been idly spinning a glass between his fingers, gave Jacob a knowing look. “It’s not about trust... It’s about necessity”Jacob chuckled. “Still, It means something”Ivan, however, wasn’t as relaxedhis piercing blue eyes were sharp, locked onto the table as if he were staring through
Chapter 45 : Danger Encroaching
The evening air was crisp against Lisa's skin, as sbe stepped out of the towering Francis Steel office building, her heels clicking softly against the pavement. The long day had left her exhausted, the endless meetings, negotiations, and paperwork.She didn't even know what she was doing half the time.."I thought it was dad's job to take care of this?"She grumbled All she wanted was to go home, take a warm shower, and curl up in bed with Lloyd.But the moment she stepped onto the sidewalk, her plans were interrupted.“Lisa” a smooth, familiar voice called.She stopped in her tracks, exhaling sharply before turning to see Edgar Numa standing near a sleek black luxury car, a bouquet of red roses in his hands.Lisa’s expression immediately hardened. “What the hell are you doing here?”Edgar smirked, stepping forward, his perfectly tailored navy-blue suit barely wrinkling as he moved.“Is that any way to greet an old friend?” he asked smoothly, extending the flowers toward her.Lisa d
