Shakedown (Woof)

Lucas scratched his head. He hadn't thought about that. True the beacon would attract attention, but perhaps Lucius figured he would be gone before anyone not of consequence moved to investigate. Even still, there was nobody coming to see who made the blast. Sure the boy heard sirens in the distance, but they were hardly there. Nobody would ever know it was Lucius, and his Dad more then likely calculated that. Or, Jake was right and Lucius simply didn't care. Either way, Red wasn't going to disintegrate a Church. He wasn't that terrible.

"True....... But the point still stands. Devil on Earth or not, my Dad isn't going to kill a bunch of innocents or act like Satan in the middle a a church to get me back, especially since i left because of that type of thing. To make it up to me, he has to act differently, and he knows that. Probably why he didn't beat the tar out of you," Lucas said as he fluidly moved from the roof. He used the fire escapes, and masterfully descended them using freerunning and acrobatic techniques. He was sure Jake could keep up.

Once they were both on the ground, Lucas gestured for the front door. The best place to talk to Lucius was in public. If it was in private, Red could do whatever he wanted with no concern for his image. Sure he had to play nice in front of Lucas, but that didn't mean Red wouldn't find a way to force him to come back. No, if this was going to be a civilized talk, they had to walk right through the front door of a Church while a baby was being baptized.

"Don't worry. I know my Dad, and he isn't going to do anything crazy here. He's far more scary when he isn't accountable to anyone around him," Lucas would say as the pair of them likely walked in. Service was being had, and Lucas quickly found a booth for them to sit in. All they had to do now wait.

Meanwhile

"......Really? It had to be a Church, Lucas?" Lucius scoffed to himself as he watched from afar. He had changed his tactics. It was always his intention to retrieve Lucas as a father, and not a villain. He just needed the gear to actually find his son, but now that wasn't a requirement. He wore an all black suit, including the undershirt, with a red tie. In a few minutes, he would make his way to the front door. If this was how Lucas wanted to play it, then Lucius would follow the rules, but he'd still win.

Watching Lucas decent to the street, Jake would simply sigh. He was out of his league here... No. Not out of his league. Red was not out of his league. He had faced demon lords that could move at the speed of... Well. Not something he liked facing. And Red was no where close to them. He wasn't a god, a being that could command Jake to bow and have the power to do so with just there voice. He was a man, in a suit.

With that reinforcement in mind, Jake quickly followed the younger boy down. Walking by his side as the kid justified his reasoning for the church, something Jake had to admit too being a fair idea, he guessed. Still didn't have to like it. "Aren't we all?" His voice was soft. If no one was to hold him accountable. No buildings, no friends nearby. He was sure he could be just as dangerous. Anyone could in that situation.

But, in the end, Jake followed Lucas into the church, followed him to one of the many booths and took a seat. He wasn't comfortable in here, being what he was. Once upon a time, he had come to church with his mother. They both left early, church was boring. She had said it wasn't the real, or the right thing. He guessed she had a bigger meaning to that then he had thought before.

But in the end, a few minutes of patient waiting and they were rewarded with the worst thing Jake could have ever hoped to find in a church. Now, they were three, a Mutt, the son of Red and Red himself. Now that Red was here, Jake couldn't help but glare at the man, his left hand still stung with fresh pain and the sight of the suited man only served to bring that pain back, but he lowered his glare and simply nudged Lucas, to at least tell the kid if he hadn't already known the man they were waiting for was here. "Hope you know what you're doing man." His voice was low, but concerned. This was one of the most tense situations he had ever been in, and no one had the intention to fight... Not yet at least.

This was it. This moment was something Lucius had rehearsed over in over in his head. His words had to be perfect, and his demeanor impeccable. You wouldn't know by the stress he felt that this man was about to face his son. Most would only get to this level of anxiety when faced with a president, or perhaps their life long hero. You had to be so many things in this type of situation, and if you made one mistake, it was all over.

He had to be kind, yet firm. He had to be a father, but also a friend. He had to make Lucas understand his utilitarian ways without coming off as cold. He had to convince someone who had the same gifted and stubborn mind as he that his position was justified, and that they could move past their differences. He had to be all these things, and it seemed impossible. But, if anyone could pull it off, it was Lucius Alba.

The stage was set. This was Red's master stroke. Sure it wasn't as flashy as taking over a country or annihilating The Talons, but it was just as important. Lucius didn't change his ways so what remained of his family would turn their backs on him. If he was still called a monster by those closest to him, his so called redemption meant nothing.

Lucius' shoes tapped against the marble floors. Those in the quiet Catholic Church seemed far more occupied with their prayers then with Lucius, but nonetheless some still recognized him. That didn't mean they dared speak directly to him, but there were plenty of whispers. This wasn't something that happened—it was an oddity—but nobody questioned it. Perhaps the silence was out of fear, respect, or just a desire to see what would happen next, but Lucius didn't seem to care regardless.

His steps were slow and methodical. He didn't rush to Lucas, despite not seeing him in months. Both teens knew he was there, so there was no need to announce that fact. The dictator took his time, mulling over the various artwork that lined the chapel. He stopped for a particularly long moment at an icon of Michael, who was in the process of slaying Lucifer. Indeed, he stared at it for quite a while, but eventually he broke eye contact, and then smiled. He had found his analogy for this occasion.

"I often wonder if all that was just a misunderstanding. Perhaps he didn't communicate his stance well enough, or he told one too many half truths, and for that he was cast away by his own brother. Maybe if people had just listened, or if he had been more clear, he wouldn't have lashed out. Maybe he wouldn't have become the beast we know today...." Lucius said softly. His tone was even and well paced, and he made sure to be careful with each word he spoke. He didn't want to appear hostile before he even sat down. Speaking of which, he did in fact sit. He came into the booth the two teens were in, and gestured for them to separate so he could position himsel the middle. Yes this was uncomfortable, and yes, that was the point.

"See, son of mine, when people are dismissed as terrible by those that don't fully understand, or by those that refuse to understand, they become jaded. Bitter, evil souls that want nothing more then fire. That's what happened to old Lucifer. Perhaps he had meant well, but his pride was wounded, and he became something far worse then anyone could have ever imagined," Lucius said, staring at the crucifix at the heart of the church now. He didn't even look at Jake or Lucas, he just spoke. It would be far too difficult emotionally for all involved if they looked now. No, it was time to logically ponder this situation. Whatever conclusion came from cold reason Lucius would accept, but not if it was emotionally charged. Not today, anyway.

"I've sunk to that level many times before. I've lost my ideals, and in those moments i only cared about victory—superiority. I love being right...... And i despise it when people ignore the truth. I've been driven to these levels not by my means or my ends, but by star-eyed idealists that don't want to listen to a truth that's uncomfortable for them." Lucius shifted in his seat, his eyes now closed. He hung his head back as he explained this, and he wondered what was going through his son's mind. Heck, he even gave a thought to what Jake might be thinking. It was probably pretty numb skulled, the dictator guessed.

"I've never claimed to be a good person, Lucas, and i never will. But i will never deny that men like me are needed. We have to be here to point out that maybe, just maybe, things that society has deemed as bad can be beneficial. Science itself never proves nor condemns anything, it just looks at the facts. That's what i do, even with morality," Lucius concluded. He let silence take the air for a moment, waiting for any kind of answer to his little speech. Lucas, though, didn't seem to want to say anything yet. The boy's brow was furrowed in thought. It was clear he was letting himself process all that. He, like Lucius, thought about his words carefully, and this mutual understanding prevented Red from getting irritated at the long pause. The Rise Head had all day, after all.

It took some time for the man known by many names, one being Red to come to them. He was being slow. And if Jake had to guess, it was for a reason. He expected every word was already calculated and reasoned. That this man had gone though an entire slew of lines, phrases and paragraphs in the small time it took for him to arrive. He seemed like the kinda person who would do that.

And boy, when the man started talking, did Jake realize one thing. He was never going to be as smart as he thought he was. First, he didn't even get right to the point. Red derailed the whole reason he was here to what... Defuse the situation? To reinforce a later quote? Just start by going in a entirely new direction? Jake had to give him credit for using there current location as a aid to reinforce himself. But he began to wonder if Lucas maybe chose this place because of that... Oh.

It was then, during Red's speech that Jake realized something. He wasn't meant to be here. He wasn't sure how far along Red had planned this. He had some idea that some kid other then his son used a red like energy but... Had he any idea that Jake would be by his sons side right now? Lucas, who at most wasn't prepared for this, but was indeed a smart lad, most likely smarter then he ever would be, must be taking every word, maybe even predicting. Jake was sitting near two incredibly smart people who for all he knew, were playing a game of chess, Lucas made his move, Red responded. But was the move Lucas made a trap? Or a mistake. He said they were here because of the people, yet the church was a place that meant more then just cover to some. And Jake? He was the person to the side, watching, sometimes offering advice, sometimes becoming a pawn for ether side, but also able to flip the table at any time. Red didn't know him, and for the short time he knew Lucas, the boy still didn't really know him. Nether of them knew the mutt that sat just near them.

Yet that... offered no advantage. In the perfect situation for Lucius, he'd have his son all alone to do this. For Lucas, it was that he never got found. Yet the only way this all happened was because of him, because he was attracted to the red beacon. He fell into the trap, and started all this. He wasn't even sure if he deserved to have a single say in this matter, if he should just let these two talk. Maybe, he would have. If he was really, any other person.

"May I... Say something? I mean, I'll say it anyway." Jake would sigh. Lucius had finished talking, Lucas looked deep in thought, Jake stared at the statue of the supposed Lucifer and Micheal. "Your speech.. It was telling.. Nice. Any person would think it... Peachy. You were able to state the problems you have. And defend yourself. Honestly. If I didn't have some information you didn't. I'd find myself unable to talk." With a curious glance, Jake would look at his left hand, it looked horrible. A reminder that before this plan, Lucius had another means that was not as peaceful to get his son.

"I don't think I've introduced myself. Fully. To ether of you. My name is Jake, Lucifer, Zaapiel. I am a mutt, in the literal sense I guess. And I have been to... I guess you could say. Hell. I've met a demon lord, and his son. A good friend of mine actually. And if I am right, that son, the cambion. He is the grandson. Of the real Lucifer." Letting out a breath of the memory of basically being tortured by Malphas. His arms and legs broken in an instant. Unable to keep up with that speed... He'd look towards Red with narrowed eyes. He was looking impeccable in that suit of his.

"The cambions brother, a half angel. Has morals. That all demons are evil. Thus, he has tried to kill his brother. Over, and over. When really... The half angel is the wrong one in many ways, but he is also right in some, much like yourself. Morals are nice. And honestly. I don't know you. I know of you. The things you have done. The things, people say. They are mere fragments, to what you are. Taking over a country. Forming, a power. Morals are great. But I don't know if in the end, they merely benefit you, and those you choose, or everyone." He'd look back to the front, his eyes trained on the back of a head, he needed something to focus himself.

"I consider Lucas a friend. We've only met once before, but we helped each other. And I would do a lot for him. I respect my friends. If he decides to go with you, I will respect that. If he doesn't, I will make sure you respect that. Because I don't know if you have come here with the mindset of a father or the mindset of a puppeteer, thinking over every string in an effort to control the tide of battle, maybe even a mixture of both." Honestly, Jake couldn't read the man, he didn't think he'd ever be able too. The man was just... Too much for him.. But maybe that was because he allowed him to be too much. With that in mind, Jake let himself relax, his eyes glancing to Lucas. Wondering how the younger boy was taking it all. It made him wonder if ether of them had even listened to him, or if Red was already thinking of something to denounce him with, for as Red said himself. He had to be right. Every word was a challenge to everyone else to just try to say he was wrong.

Having concluded on what to say, Lucas prepared himself. The boy narrowed his eyes slightly, finally looking at his father directly. Lucius, in turn, stared back, and there was eye contact. Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Jake spoke up. First he asked to say something, but then he just said it anyway. Lucius smiled at the redundancies, but he let the other teen say his piece. After all, Jake was the only modifier in this situation Red hadn't accounted for. Might as well learn a bit about him.

To Lucius, Jake's words essentially boiled down to 'people are good and bad, but what matters is the times you're good.' And honestly, Red found very little to disagree with there. Sure there were a few things he could comment on here and there, but that was a given with Lucius. Besides, it was now Lucas' turn to talk, and Red wasn't about to interrupt the person who's decision mattered the most. After Jake was done talking, Lucas cleared his throat.

"Now why you gotta be so fanciful, Dad? We aren't primordial beings, we didn't grow up in heaven, and we've never met God. I understand you're trying to make a comparison between you and the Devil, but we're people, and not all situations are the same. You're telling me that you're only evil, bitter and prideful because people dismiss you and your philosophies as such. Doesn't that seem like a vicious circle? Lashing out because people dismiss you or react to your views negatively, at face value or not, only leads to more dismissal and negative reaction," Lucas reasoned, standing up in the booth. Even upright, he was only about eye level with the sitting Lucius, maybe less. The boy's head moved quickly to Jake, a twitch almost, before he spoke again.

"Yes, ideals blind people, just like they blinded the brother of Jake's friend. But, just because people blindly follow their predetermined truths doesn't mean it's alright to harm them out of spite. Just because people go against your utilitarian, pragmatic path of least resistance doesn't mean you get to justify becoming a monster. If you become one, IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT! Stop trying to find a scapegoat in heroes!" Once about halfway through his second sentence, Lucas shifted his head back to Lucius. He was essentially screaming at him now, garnering the attention of the people in the church. Lucas moved out of the booth and to the icon of Michael and Lucifer, then brought his hand to it.

"Yeah, maybe it's true some stuff people say is bad is actually good, but acting like you're better because you recognize that is just a way to justify doing what's easy, and not what's right. If you want to be compared to him, then fine. He did the same thing." Lucas then brushed his hand over Lucifer's head, revealing cheap paint. What was revealed underneath was a near perfect illustration of his father's face. This would have taken perhaps hours to paint, and there it was. That meant Lucas had anticipated everything. The church, the analogy, everything. Lucius' eyes widened. Perhaps it was surprise, pride in his son, or even fear, but he had underestimated Lucas, that was for sure.

"Now!" Lucas said as a thick smoke filled the room. The dictator instantly realized what was happening and moved to grab Lucas, but it was too late. The boy was lost in the smoke. Without his suit and Sven's help, there was no way to see through it. Had Lucas predicted him not wearing his gear to this meeting as well? Lucius didn't know, but it seemed like it. Regardless, the thick green sheet of fog was impossible to see through without the proper equipment, which Lucas just so happened to have.

Had Lucius focused on the people in the church, he would have noticed there were several kids around Lucas' age and a few people similar in size to Jake. When the smoke set off, everyone including the kids wrenched a red pullover hidden under the booths onto their bodies and pulled the hood up, then put on a mask that Lucas had provided. The boy himself pointed out a set to Jake that was taped under their booth before the smoke got too severe, and in turn put his own mask on. These pieces of clothing had the added bonus of housing devices capable of scrambling most of Sven's scanning methods and confusing the others by using the same technological signatures. Even if Lucius managed to track all of them, there were over a dozen pairs of kids that could be Lucas and Jake.

"Let's go! NOW!" Lucas said, looking to Jake. Hopefully his friend would have put on his hoodie and mask to see through the smoke by then. Either way, there was no time to waste, and Lucas moved to get out of the building. Once they were out, there would be several other groups acting as decoys for their escape. All of them would be paid in full once this was over, and Lucius couldn't know who in the crowd to follow.

Lucas was sure of it.

Jake felt a smile touch upon his lips as Lucas spoke, with just as much force as his father. He was sure of himself. He didn't let the man frighten him, not for one moment. And as Lucas got bolder, attracting the attention of all nearby, he left the booth and went to the statue that Jake had found himself looking at for focus, the painting that Red had used for his speech, and watched. Watched both in horror and joy as Jake realized one thing. He was smart after-all.

This church was a set up. Something planned by Lucas from when? The moment Red landed in Chicago? When they were on the roof? Had Lucas meant for all of this to happen? Jake still felt he was a deciding factor that wasn't predicted, but he was quickly implemented into both plans. Only Lucas seemed to have the stronger one.

And when the smoke was released, and Jake noticed how so many people were moving, his first instinct was to close his eyes, his second was to turn his red vision on, allowing him to see. He noticed Lucas had pointed to something, and feeling around, he pulled up a hood and mask. Deciding to be quick, Jake quickly got up and pulled the clothing and mask on, pulling the hood over his head and turning his red vision on as he looked around for Lucas, having some trouble telling him apart from the others.

Luckily, he heard the voice of his friend and spotted one of the smaller red hooded children moving to escape. Taking it as a sign he needed to move, Jake quickly followed after the kid, following after him with his left hand kept close to his body and his mouth shut, afraid that the telltale mark of burnt skin or his voice would somehow give them away. This was a plan that Jake wasn't meant to be apart of, he'd hate it if he was the reason it fell apart. But it'd only serve to boost his reinforcement to get Lucas out if that happened even more. He would get that kid out of this didn't work, Jake promised himself that.

Many things ran through Lucas' head as he ran, Jake right next to him. Even he was surprised this had all worked out. Lucius wasn't an easy person to fool by any means. Granted, he probably didn't expect it from his own son, but it was still quite the feat, and the boy had pulled it off.

The variables whirled through his head as he moved. He heard no footsteps behind him, and a quick peak behind his back cemented it in; Lucius wasn't on their tail. Lucas smiled, and looked dead on once again. He was contemplating all the things that could have gone wrong during the course of this plan of his.

The people he paid to be constantly on call could have not shown in enough numbers to be a distraction. Half of them could have decided to not put their hoodies on, there could have been nobody close to Jake's size, and worst of all, Lucas could have found himself in a situation where he didn't have enough time to set the trap....

Luckily, though, Lucius had provided the warning, and Jake had bought him some time. The church was in order before Lucius had even finished intimidating his friend. It was a huge success as much due to chance as it was to skill, but it was still just a one time shot. Lucius would be on guard next time. His father would be.......

Perceptive.

Finally deciding they had gotten far enough, Lucas directed Jake to make a run for the subway tunnels. In there, they could go anywhere in the city. Lucas was sure his partner in crime would have questions, and they needed to be in a bit more peaceful place to have such a discussion. Lucas paid for two tickets once under the streets, and in moments the two teens would be on a train headed to a busy part of town.

Lucas even had a nice place in mind. It was a fried rice restaurant that had just been rebuilt. Apparently some demon kid burnt it to the ground a while ago.

Jake had the thought that at some point, this plan would fail. As he followed Lucas, the thought gnawed at him over and over. They'd be caught. There was no way they got away. But as time passed, Jake began to calm down and take in the situation. They were gone. They were actually away. And they were in a subway. And holy crap they actually made it.

Taking in some breaths and sticking close to his small accomplice, watching as the little mastermind paid for train tickets and they made even more progress in there escape. Where Jake felt the need to finally, finally talk. "Holy freaking crap that was... Holy... I mean. I had started to suspect that you planned for the church to happen all along. And then the smoke and the hoodies and... And... Just... Holy crap.. You just outsmarted your dad. Haha." Jake finished his ecstatic and cheery thoughts that came out loud before he could stop himself, he was smiling at just the thought of what they just had done.

When they finally arrived, Jake bounded out the train, moving quick on his feet to get that excess excitement out of his system. "Okay, where are we going? Because my hand still hurts and I am seriously kinda really hungry right now after that and I bet you are too and... Like. Holy crap. I need to stop saying that. Where... Where are we?" Jake would stop, looking around, then looking to Lucas, his eyes questioning.

"Yeah, i guess we did," Lucas said, a smile on his face as he skipped along with Jake at his side. Though, it wasn't an actual skip. The boy just had that usual enthusiastic kick in his step. The stressful situation had ended, and he was back to being the joyful kid he usually was. Lucas laughed a bit at how excited Jake was getting, even though he himself was displaying similar behavior.

"It's a fired rice place. Been here a couple times before. Though the first time is a bit hazzy, and i dunno why," Lucas said, holding the door open for Jake. "Anyway, figured we could eat here, and talk.... Maybe I'll answer some questions you probably have."

Once they were both inside, they were given two menus, and were seated. Lucas flipped through his a few times before just closing his eyes and pointing at something. There were too many choices. He did however decide on a drink himself: Lemonade.

"Get whatever you want. I kinda have lots of money, so..... Yeah," Lucas said, his words punctuated with a laugh. It was true. The boy had more money then he knew what to do with in his private account.

Jake walked and mostly followed Lucas along, excited by the prospect of food and getting said food for free. While he did have money, it had gone as fast as he had taken it... Maybe he shouldn't have dropped the rest onto the streets. Point being, today was going well right now. He escaped Red. The Red. The big bad Red. The Red that owned a country Red. That Red.

The inspiration to the name of his red energy, the inspiration to know he could always be better, the guy you feared and in some ways, adored... No. Looked up too.. In a strange sense that he is a genius that was also dangerous.

Entering the store, Jake took his seat and looked though the menu, using his right hand mostly. His left hand would thankfully heal, but he wasn't sure if it would leave a scar or not, most of his wounds didn't leave scars... But then again, most of his wounds were not acidic, dangerously so. Settling on some sour chicken and noodles, he also ordered a glass of water and set his menu down to look at Lucas.

"Wow... Here we are... Not too long ago. I was formulating theory's as to what was going to happen with both the Red and you in the room. Now.. We're eating freaking Chinese. Where do we go from there?" Jake asked with a smile, chuckling to himself as he glanced around the store, noting some of the other patrons. You had some normal couples, some kids. He heard the entrance bell ring and looked to see a tall stranger in a hoodie enter, the hood on to hide most of his face, yet he seemed to wear a neat looking buttoned shirt with a black tie. Who wears hoodies and ties?

Giving the tall guy a curious glance as they went and found a seat, Jake shook his head and looked to Lucas, smiling. They actually did it, he didn't even need words to convey that... They actually freaking did it.

Lucas couldn't say he was as thrilled as Jake was with outsmarting his Dad, if you could call it that. Sure it was fun, and it might have even been a rush, but seeing that man was never pleasant. It wasn't that Lucas hated his father, on the contrary. Lucas loved Lucius very much, but he couldn't face him now. His father had done and was still doing terrible things. Maybe after Lucas got his head on straight, they could talk it out, but not right now. Now he had to deal with his own messed up situation. He couldn't help anyone if he couldn't help himself.

I wish i could say that Lucas didn't noticed a certain Shadow walk in, but the kid is hypercognitive. As soon as the boy glanced toward the door, his eyes widened, and he turned back to Jake with fear on his face. Yeah, Lucas just to wanted enjoy himself, but that guy...... The boy couldn't quite remember it all, but that man had hurt him once.

"We....... Might not be out of the woods yet. Enjoy your orange chicken—which smells amazing by the way—while you can," Lucas said, subtlety gesturing with his head toward Shadow. He hoped he wouldn't be recognized, but that was honestly a long shot. As soon as his food arrived, he started eating as fast as he could. It was some noodles and beef or something; he didn't really care. He was hungry right now, and he wanted to at the very least fill his stomach before another confrontation.

"That...... Guy, there. He beat the crap out of me awhile ago. I was..... I wasn't myself, then, but still. He scares me." Lucas explained urgently. He was glad Jake was here, because if he wasn't, Lucas would have been running. He was strongly considering it even now, but the food was good enough to stick around. Besides, he had someone to protect him, right?

Jake was indeed, excited. Ecstatic even. But as the seconds passed, his mood had calmed. He could only be excited for so long before he settled down. Luckily, his food had arrived and he was prepared to dig in, only. Only. His curious eye glanced Lucas, who, despite the just happened event, which should have at least put a smile on the kids face. No, his face was one of fear. His words confirmed it as such.

Jake's first movement was to look to the door, but he saw no sight of the man he expected to see, the man that should not have been able to follow them, right? Lucas had done so much to make it so, Jake began to worry he was at fault. But as his eyes came back to the small boy, Jake noticed the signals and found his eyes changing from the boy too... Hoodie. A little confused by this at first, Jake looked to Lucas for confirmation, reason to the rhyme, why was this man a being the boy feared, when he didn't seem to even show such fear at the sight of his father?

He got his answer, but was left... Confused? No... Very confused. Hoodie hurt him? Hurt him in such a way that terrified him? Jake found his eyes focused on the tall man, who's head was tilted in their direction, as if he had heard such, or knew he had been outed. But rather then react, the tall man simply relaxed into his seat, pulled his hood further down to hide himself completely. In fact, he turned himself so that he was facing away from the door, as if he was expecting someone to walk in and he didn't want them to easily find him out as Lucas had. Waiting for someone else.

"I don't think he is here for you... He knows we know, yet... Hmm. You said you knew him?" Jake mused to himself, his posture relaxed. If the man meant to be a threat, he would have attacked now, or at least made a threat. He knew he was found out, yet he acted as if the two teens were not the true reason as to why he was here. No. He was waiting for someone. Yet Lucas knew this man, had been hurt by this man. So who would this man be waiting... For.

Gulping, Jake pushed his food away, not even having touched it, his appetite gone all of a sudden. His mind raced before he looked to Lucas, fearing he might be too late. "I think he knows you're here. I think your Dad is coming." Jake stood up, just glancing the entrance and exit, knowing he might just be overthinking this, overreacting. But it was better to be worried then to be... Caught unaware, at least if his fear was right, then he was mentally prepared.

Lucas cocked an eyebrow. Jake was saying he thought Lucius knew where they were. The boy couldn't really wrap his mind around that conclusion. Sure, Shadow was here, and he seemed like he was waiting for somebody, but he could have been doing that for anyone. Lucas couldn't quite work out how that logic worked, but he trusted Jake's judgement enough to accept it as fair warning.

"You really think? I don't see how he could figure that out, but i guess you could be right. Should we go?" Lucas asked, pushing his food away. He drank a bit of lemonade to wash everything down. He seemed pretty much ready to go now. It's not like they had to stay in this place. Besides, someone who had already tried to kill him once was here. That in itself was reason to leave.

Lucas, not waiting for an answer, sat up. Maybe Jake was right. This could have been dangerous. After all, there were people here....... And these people had phones, and Lucius.... Had people? Yeah, in fact, a public place was probably not the best pick.

".....You're right. We need to lay low. Just because we fooled my Dad doesn't mean we fooled his network. Now that i think on it...... He could have stacked the area he narrowed down my location to with operatives," Lucas said. Just as he said that, someone in the restaurant tapped an earpiece he had been wearing. Unfortunately, he had overheard what Lucas had said, and he couldn't let them go. Especially now that it was all but confirmed the kid he was watching was actually the real Lucas Alba.

"Oh no you don't!" The man yelled. He flipped around in his chair and pointed a gun at Lucas. Granted, it was obviously just a dart gun, but still. The man fired with intent to knock the boy out.

The voice warned him, the first sign that his fear was not misplaced, his idea to where the threat came from was, but not his fear. Still, his head shot to the man who was now sitting up, a hand pulling a gun. He had made the mistake of yelling more moving. Jake used that to lunge over the table, his hand pressing down on the solid surface to help carry him over, the force not only cracking it but making the boys left over food go everywhere.

But Jake couldn't care for that. The main problem was this man and the gun he had, which couldn't have been a gun because if he was here for Lucas then it was because of Reds orders and that was to bring his son home. Alive. Hoping he was right, as Jake passed by Lucas and began to land, he unleashed his massive wings moment before he heard the gun go off, mixing with the sound of Jake's shirt tearing from the sudden explosive growth of his wings and the boy flapped them in front of Lucas. The tuft of feathers and durable muscles connected with the small dart.

Not sure if he got the dart himself, Jake was already thinking what to do next. If the man was a meta of some kind, or a human, he wasn't sure. What Jake knew he had to do, was to disable the gun. With that, Jake pushed off the ground towards the man not a second later, moving with velocity, Jake stuck his feet into the ground the moment he almost made contact with the man, stopping himself just short of crashing into him. Human or Meta, he didn't know how durable the guy was.

But now that he was right in front of him, Jake shot his hand to the gun and squeezed, crushing the metal of the gun with ease before spinning in place, using his massive wings to wail around and slap into the man with force, sending the flunky sliding away towards the counters and hopefully not doing as much damage as his fists, even using his hands to throw the man away would have done. Frankly, he shouldn't have cared if the man was heavily injured or not, but a part of him worried, Jake even noted the Tall man had shifted his seat out of the way as if to avoid any conflict, and while everyone else seemed to be slightly panicky, he remained in his seat, calm as day.

Looking back to Lucas, and then the door, Jake stepped towards the boy, wings slowly folding themselves back up behind his back, each step seemed to make a cracking sound and Jake realized he was being a little too forceful, starting to make his steps lighter, and in the process, noting a small dart by the boys feet. Seems he had knocked the dart down. "Clearly, your Dad cares little for your opinion. We need to go. Now." While his words seemed straightforward and sure, he was worried that the flunky might have already called the one man that he worked for that Jake didn't want to see again today, and that the man was already here.

Lucas didn't have to do much to avoid being shot, and good thing too, because he wasn't exactly very powerful at the moment. Unfortunately, the cost of his identity was all the power Synthesis offered. If he wanted to remain who he was, he had to give up his abilities. He was fragile, weak, and powerless. Sure, he had brains, but that did little in the face of the barrel of a gun.

"Um, uh, thanks, man. We-we should probably go. I think that guy tipped off my Dad, and his teleporter should be cooled by now," Lucas said, moving to the door of the building immediately. Unfortunately, the boy was right. It didn't take Lucius long to get his Quantum Cycle in order once he was given his son's location. Only seconds after his operative hit the floor, Red was on the move.

A flash of red light appeared in the middle of the restaurant, blinding those that looked at it. In the center of it was the hooded silhouette of one of the most dangerous men on the planet, and he was angry. As soon as the light of the teleporter faded, a similar red light poured from Lucius. The man's energy came in a violent burst, and nobody but Lucas was safe from it's wraith. No, the dictator did not intend to kill, but the forceful pulse of energy would no doubt injure. Those that were not protected that came into contact with the wave would be seared, and if that wasn't enough, they would also be brutally thrown against the walls.

One pulse. One show out power was all it took to knock out or otherwise incapacitate everyone in the room without Lucius' protection or the superhuman means to defend themselves. Those civilians who had just sat down to have a peaceful lunch found themselves in a ripped apart restaurant, bleeding or unconscious.

In the center of this fading power was Alba—The Devil on Earth. Power surged through him as hotly as his anger. The blank stare of his mask could never in a million years describe the fury he felt in this moment. He knew Jake would be an issue, but he was more then prepared to deal with it if that meant getting his son back.

"So desperate to be unlike me.... So disgusted by who I am, and how similar I am to you. You're trying to rebel against me, but in doing so you are using my tactics. Do you think that if you were unlike me you would have been able to so masterfully pull the wool over my eyes? Son, denying the fact that we are so alike will only lead to hatred of yourself. COME HOME!" Lucius yelled, a horrific viciousness to his voice. The combination of his demeanor and the ever-present energy that rippled through him made it evident that he was willing to destroy anyone that stood in his way to Lucas.

Jake, Phoenix, Atlas, Archon, or God himself—he'd obliterate any of them for the boy.

Jake nodded, they needed to move. He didn't need to wait to see if Red would come sooner then the boy wanted. Not that Red seemed to care, because with a flash as the two teens made it to the door, signaled that Red had arrived and caused Jake to turn, his eyes closed to try and limit the remaining flash of light that was caused by the older mans teleportation.

And it only gave him a second to throw his wings in front of him to stop the red energy wave from colliding with him, fresh, new pain surged from his wings however and he slid back, his feet cracking into the ground as he braced himself on the floor, gasping with pain from his wings, feeling as if they were melting, which in fact, they were.

Moments after, Jake uncurled his wings as the father of Lucas spoke, demanded. And frankly, Jake wasn't sure he disliked the leader of Belarus as much before as he did now. So what Lucas could do what he could, didn't mean anything. "Lucas.. Ah.. Go..." Jake huffed out as his wings curled into the skin of his back, slowly, burning till they did, and even burning a short while longer, but the burn slowed and died down.

Only then, on the other side of the store, a chair of shadows vanished as the tall man stood from it, taking off his melting jumper, leaving him in a well tailored button shirt and trousers. With a small sigh, he lightly kicked at a melting chair that had collapsed under him, before turning to Lucius. "Mr Alba. I'd like to have a chat. Boy. I apologize, but leave now." The tall man stated as he stepped towards Lucius, mists of shadows rising all around him.

Jake, taking the mans words, grabbed at Lucas's shoulder with a light grip, taking a step back all the while. "We should.. go..." But before he could take another step, a wall of shadows would rise in front of the two teens, separating the two teens from the two adults.

The tall man would lower his hands after the wall, placing them on his hips as he looked Lucius up and down, sighing once more. "Mr Al- Lucius. Been a while. I'd ask what it is you are doing to your son but I've seen and heard enough. Despite your wishes, he wishes to leave. Let him do so. For I do not wish to cause any more damage then you have already done to this establishment." Pulling out a flip phone as he talked, the tall man would dab three digits before chucking the phone to one of the nearby, injured customers, before looking back to Lucius, a slight frown on his features.