Thieve's Apprentice Part 2
Jake felt himself drifting into unconciousness...He sat up quickly, refusing to let himself fall asleep. Even though he felt that the two teens didn't present a threat to him, he still wasn't too anxious to let his guard down. Nevertheless, Jake finally began to doze. Hector looked at him.
"Weird kid." He muttered, "Well, I'm outta here. I'm gonna go get a soda, wanna come Dak?" Dak shook his head, looking down at Jake. As Hector walked out, Dak looked curiously at Jake's stuff, lying out on the desk. He picked up a notebook and began skimming the pages, filled with penciled-in theorems and equations.
As Dak flipped through the book he murmured, "Wow, he's smarter than me...a LOT smarter than me." Dak looked up, sensing someone else in the room. He turned around to see Duke L'Orange looking at him. "Uh oh..." Duke walked over to him.
"Dak..." he began.
Dak cut him off, "I know, I know, no snooping, but I couldn't help myself! Someone was controlling my mind, yeah, that's it! ALIENS!!!!" Dak yelled quickly. Duke looked at him a moment and shook his head, laughing. Dak sighed, once again glad that Duke was the one that caught him.
"You read too many comics, Dak. Now no more poking around in His Highnesses' stuff, understood?" Duke told him calmly. Dak nodded.
"Y'know Duke, he's really not that bad once ya get to know him." he said quietly, pointing to Jake.
Duke looked suprised, "Really? Can I take that to mean you wouldn't mind if he stayed a little longer?"
Dak looked up at him and asked," You want him to stay?"
"Well..." Duke said, looking at Jake thoughtfully. Duke turned back to Dak, snapping out of his train of thought, "No, no, of course not, I was just wondering if, I mean..." He trailed off again and sighed,"I'm sorry Dak, I really don't know. I guess I'm more tired than I thought."
"But maybe he could stay, right?" Dak asked eagerly. Dak paused, a little startled at how much he was hoping Duke would let Jake stay.
Duke nodded, "I'll think about it."
Dak smiled at him, "Thanks Duke." Duke stayed a little longer to talk with Dak and eventually walked out. Dak cursed outloud, trying to think: he had always wanted someone his own age to talk to, and Jake was pretty cool, but on the other hand Jake was smarter than him, not to mention a total asshole when he chose to be..."having someone around is better than no one at all." Dak muttered, walking up to the small X-ray machine. It was one of the few medical tools that the Brotherhood had managed to get their hands on, and in all truthfulness, it was pretty useful. "When it's not tampered with." Dak said evilly.
"What do you mean I can't leave?!" Jake yelled at the top of his lungs. Chase sighed and put the X-ray down on the table beside the bed.
"Calm down, Jake. That bullet hit another rib that the first x-ray just didn't show. You can't walk, and if you can't walk, you can't leave." Jake suddenly looked very depressed. Chase patted him on the shoulder comfortingly, "Oh, come on now, you'll be up and about in no time." he said cheerfully, heading to the door. Jake looked up at him.
"Thanks Chase." Chase nodded and headed out the door. Over the course of time that Jake had been at the Brotherhood, which was around four days now, he'd become a bit more amiable towards everybody there, except Falcone, who freaked him out. Of course, no one was amiable to Falcone, so it was of little matter. Dak and Heck poked their heads into the doorway.
"Do you think he's gonna die?" Dak asked Heck. Hector shook his head.
"Nah, he just won't get off his lazy ass."
"Ha, ha." said Jake sarcastically. The two boys walked in.
"Hey, sorry you're still down, Buddy." said Dak apologetically.
"Not like it's your fault, Dude." Jake replied, slapping Dak five. Dak supressed a smile.
"Good point." he said quietly. Hector shot him an odd look, which Dak pretended not to notice.
"So," said Jake casually, "Since I'm gonna be here a while, wanna play a video game?"
"Sure man," said Dak, "But I'm gonna whoop your ass this time."
"Uh, huh," Jake replied, "You just try."
Hector yawned and stretched, "Well since I got some time to kill, might as well watch you two murder each other."
A few hours later Hector had fallen fast asleep on the floor, tired of watching the two trigger-happy teens try to blow each other up.
Jake sighed, "You won that one. What's the score now?"
"16 to 16" said Dak, putting the controller down.
"We'd better quit before our brains melt." said Dak. Jake looked at him, suprised.
"What?" asked Dak, alarmed.
"Y-you mean yours hasn't melted already?" asked Jake in mock suprise. Dak hit him with a pillow.
Jake laughed, "Hey c'mon, I promised you I'd teach ya REAL poker."
"Oh yeah," said Dak,"So where are the cards? In here?"
Dak opened a drawer as Jake yelled "NO! NOT-" Dak looked up at him angrily, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. Shoving aside the backpack in the drawer, bottles of pills, injection needles, and packets of drugs fell to the floor. "-that one..." Jake finished quietly.
"What the hell is this?!" Dak said angrily.
"Look," said Jake crossly, "I need those!"
"You're just a fucking druggie and a liar!" Dak yelled, throwing the pack on the ground.
"Oh yeah?" Jake shot back, now just as angry, "A thief in training would know a lot about lying."
"There's a difference between stealing for survival and lying, YOU should learn it you son of a bitch!" Jake, forgetting his injury, rose to his feet, tackling Dak. As Jake tackled him, the real x-ray fell out of Dak's pocket. Jake looked at it, realization dawning on him.
"Well," he said angrily, waving the photo in Dak's face, "I think I just found the difference between lying and stealing that you were talking about." Dak punched him in the face, sending him right into the wall. Dak ran out, Jake chasing right after him. As the two left, Hector looked up sleepily.
"Hey...I didn't know he could walk." Hector said sleepily. He thought a moment and shrugged, lying back down on the floor and falling asleep almost immediately.
In Duke's room, Duke was also fast asleep for the first time in days. That is, until two psychotic teens ran into his room and knocked him off the bed while trying to strangle each other. Duke looked up at them from the floor, VERY pissed.
"Oh boys." He said quietly. They ignored him, continuing to struggle. Jake by now was gripping Dak's throat while screaming threats.
"BOYS!!" Duke yelled at the top of his lungs. Dak and Jake froze in place, realizing what had just happened. Still sitting on the floor, Duke looked up at Jake.
"Feeling better, I see." Jake swallowed, going pale. Duke walked up to him. "You're all right? You can walk?" Jake nodded slowly. "Dak," Duke began menacingly, "I think you've got some explaining to do." Dak cast an angry look at Jake and then looked back up at Duke.
"I just wanted someone my own age around, so I faked the x-ray. Then I found out that the fucking liar had drugs hidden in his room! Duke smiled at him sympathetically, sitting down on his bed.
"I know it's tough being the only kid around, believe me. But you had no right to take it upon yourself to keep him prisoner here. So now, after all the trouble you went to, you've suddenly decided you don't like him anymore?" Dak shook his head stubbornly, refusing to look at Jake. "C'mon, Dak, all friends fight, you know that."
Dak nodded, "I guess so."
Duke turned to face Jake, "And YOU knew that I didn't want any drugs in here." Jake shrank back a little.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it."
"Can't help it? Those are very limiting words for such a capable boy." Jake looked up at him, enormously pleased that Duke had paid him such a compliment. "Of course you can help it, and I can see to it that you do." he continued darkly. "Think I order people around for my own health? I had perfectly good reasons not to allow drugs in here. Drugs were what made your recovery so slow...even apart from the fake x-ray, and it's my experience that drugs can make even the most talented individuals utterly incompetent. You were under influence when you were shot, weren't you?" Jake nodded, very embarassed. "I thought so." Duke murmured. After a moment in thought, he stood up in front of them. "Well, I think it's safe to say you've BOTH made total asses of yourselves, so it doesn't do you much good to argue about it now, does it?" Both the boys smiled and nodded. "Good. Now no more fighting. Come with me." Duke walked out the door with the two boys trailing a little behind him.
"Sorry, Man." Jake muttered.
"Hey, you and me too, Buddy." They both slapped hands.
"Asshole" Jake said tauntingly.
"Prick!" Dak called back.
Duke brought them into one of the three training rooms they had at the Brotherhood.
"I understand Jake's better at video games than you, Dak." Duke said evilly.
"He wishes." Dak replied with a laugh.
"Yeah," said Jake sarcastically, "I've only beaten you five times."
"Well," said Duke, quite amused by the rivalry he had sparked, "Let's find out who's a better fighter." Jake put up his fists. "No," said Duke, "With these." Duke handed Jake back his saber, which he had been keeping while Jake was recovering.
"Sweet!" said Dak with delight. He wasn't very good at sabering, but he still always loved a fight.
"Aiight." said Jake pointing the tip of his saber at Dak awkwardly.
"Do you know how to use that thing?" Duke asked Jake sceptically.
"Sure!" said Jake brightly, "Pointy end goes into the other guy." Duke sighed calmly and shook his head. The two boys began to circle each other, Jake imitating Dak's stance and fighting position. Duke watched with intrest as Dak lunged. Jake dodged and turned around to see Dak coming at him again. Jake found himself lying on his back on the floor. He got back up and made a charge at Dak. This time he ended up flat on his face. Jake looked up and noticed the absence of laughter. He had fully expected Duke to be laughing his head off, but as it turned out he merely sat nearby, watching with intrest. Dak and Jake began to spar, neither one willing to lunge at the other just yet. Jake parried one of Dak's blows and sent him to the ground with a quick elbow to the stomach. Dak tripped Jake and got back up. The duel soon broke up with the two boys tripping each other over and over. Jake got up again, fully expecting to be tripped, but was shocked to feel himself being lifted off the ground just as Dak was about to topple him over. Duke let go of Jake's collar and pulled Dak up to his feet.
"No more of that now." Duke said, thoroughly amused. Dak attacked Jake again. "Don't lunge." Duke said to Jake. Jake took his advice and continued to dodge and parry Dak's lunges. They began to spar again and at a certain point Duke said, "Now!" Jake quickly thrust to discover that he had Dak at saber point.
"No fair, Duke, you were helping him!" Dak whined.
Duke smiled, "Yes and from the looks of the fight he sorely needed it." Dak laughed as Jake stuck his tounge out at him. Dak and Jake played again, this time with less of the atmosphere of fun about it. Jake's main object was winning, and he often found himself nearly hurting Dak, or vice versa. Those were the only times when Duke ever intervened. Duke seemed to sense the tension between the two as they fought, and gave them a long break from sabering. The two boys did some gun tricks, most of which Jake learned from watching Dak and a little competition at stealing, which Jake won hands down. He got three wallets and a pack of cigarettes from Randall as he walked past. Duke made Jake give it back, of course, and Dak protested the game since Jake had much more practice at it than he had.
All in all it took around three hours, through which Duke had barely said four words, until the last game.
"And now," Duke said quietly, "A duel." Jake nodded and took out his saber, practicing a few moves. Duke nodded at Dak, signaling to him. Dak, very suprised, nodded back in comprehension. Jake turned around, and raised his saber to discover Duke standing in Dak's place. Jake swallowed nervously as Duke took out his saber. "En guarde." Duke said quietly. Jake circled him, wondering how the hell he was gonna get out of the alive. "Don't be scared," Duke said with a smile, almost reading his thoughts, "I won't kill you." Jake lunged, and Duke easily dodged it, making him stumble. Duke rapped the blunt edge of his saber against Jake's beak, teasing him. Jake angrily charged him. As their sabers met Duke produced a small dagger from his hand and held it to Jake's throat.
"First of all:" Duke said quietly,"Never attack in anger." Jake backed up and the two opponents began to attack each other. Duke used the tip of his saber to disarm Jake and catch his saber in his hand. "Second:" Duke said, "You rely too much on your right side...lean to your left more." They began fighting once more as Duke took up the offensive. Jake shifted his weight to the left of his center as Duke lashed back around and took the saber from him once more.
"Hey! You told me to lean left!"
"Third:" Duke said with smile, "Never listen to your opponent." At last, the game ended, and Duke looked over at Jake. Duke smiled, "Jake, you've got a lot of potential."
"As what?" Jake asked eagerly. "That depends on what you want to be." Duke said, "I can teach you how to use that saber, how to steal, how to move and most importantly, how to keep your beak shut." Dak laughed at that last line, and Jake blushed, a little embarassed because he knew he talked too much. Duke continued, "Not to mention you'd have a bed, a slightly steadier diet, and friends."
Jake smiled brightly, "Sounds good."
"You'll have to give up a lot of your freedom, though, not to mention drugs, 'cause if I catch you with them I'll piss you off to no end."
"I think I could live with that," Jake said, "I take it you want me to join the Brotherhood?"
Duke smiled, "You've already passed the test." Jake looked over at Dak in amazement, who was on the ground laughing his ass off.
Duke smiled, "And it was also a test for Dak." Dak laughter stopped as he looked up in shock.
"What?" he asked. Duke smiled at both of them.
"Welcome to the Brotherhood." Jake and Dak looked at each other and slapped hands.
"KICK ASS!" They both yelled at once.
"You're still Randall's apprentice, though, Dak."
Dak nodded happily, "S'ok by me!"
"You see," Duke explained to Jake, "everyone's an apprentice to someone when they join the Smuggler's Guild. It really doesn't mean much of anything, only that the one your apprenticed to is your master, and generally responsible for you. A master is your teacher, really. The apprenticeship ends when your master thinks your ready for it, and then you become a master, and you can follow your own rules, to a certain point." Jake nodded, listening carefully.
"So I'm an apprentice?" Duke nodded. "Who'm I apprenticed to? asked Jake.
Duke smiled, "You're my apprentice." Dak looked up.
"Y'mean you're really taking an apprentice, Duke?" Duke nodded.
"COOL!" Jake yelled, "I'm th'apprentice to the leader of the Brotherhood! That means I can tell YOU what to do!" Jake exclaimed happily, pointing at Dak.
"Oh no you can't." Duke said with a laugh. Dak stuck his tounge out at Jake.
"And you got th' toughest master so HA!" Dak yelled.
"That doesn't mean I'm gonna be leader, does it?" Jake said nervously.
Duke shook his head, "Not necessarily. I can chose whoever I want to take my place after me." Jake nodded. "But remember Jake, this means you follow my lead. I've never taken on a apprentice before and I'm not that patient of a guy," Jake glanced at Dak who rolled his eyes. After spending a few days there Jake could already tell that patience was definitely one of Duke's virtues. He was a real pushover and no amount of bluffing would convince either Jake or Dak that he was otherwise. "So I expect you to listen and listen well, got that?" Jake nodded vigorously.
"Thanks Duke." said Jake and Dak gratefully, running out. Duke smiled and shook his head, walking out.
Duke paused at the door and exclaimed, "HOW THE HELL AM I GONNA TELL THE OTHERS?!"
*The End*
Gotta split
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Thieve's Tales
Thieve's Apprentice Part 1
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