Chapter 21 Leaving Los angeles 

 

Hector pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Sage," he said when the call was answered. "I need your help."

 

He quickly explained the situation to Sage, who listened carefully before responding. "I see," he said. "Well, it would be fine if DD and Brandon could stay with me and the Black Dragons. We can protect them."

 

Brandon looked at Hector, surprised. "The Black Dragons? Are you sure about that?"

 

Hector nodded. "Sage is right. The Black Dragons can keep you safe, and they have connections all over the world. They can help you get to a place.”

 

Sage interrupted. "Yu-jun can fly you out to Korea. We have a safe house there, and you'll be protected."

 

Hector passed the phone to DD, who began talking to Yu-jun about becoming a mom. Yu-jun was thrilled and offered her support and advice.

 

Meanwhile, Hector motioned for Brandon to follow him to his room. Once they were alone, Hector turned to Brandon. "Are you sure about this, man?" he asked. "Leaving everything behind and going to Korea?"

 

Brandon hesitated for a moment before responding. "I have to do what's best for DD and our child. If they're safe, that's all that matters."

 

Hector nodded, understanding. "I'm going to miss you, man. But I know you're doing the right thing."

 

Brandon smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Hector. For everything."

 

Hector sat down on his bed and motioned for Brandon to do the same. "I wanted to give you something," he said, reaching into his nightstand drawer.

 

He pulled out a small box and handed it to Brandon. "It's a gift for your child," he said.

 

Brandon opened the box and saw a beautiful silver bracelet with a small diamond on it. "Hector, this is too much," he protested.

 

Hector shook his head. "It's not much, but I wanted to give something to the baby. It's a symbol of our friendship, and I hope it brings your child good luck."

 

Brandon felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Thank you, Hector. I don't know how to repay you."

 

Hector smiled. "Just take care of your family, and we'll always be friends."

 

Brandon nodded, feeling grateful for Hector's kindness. "We'll never forget what you've done for us," he said.

 

As they rejoined the others, Hector gave DD and Brandon instructions on what to pack and how to prepare for their journey. Yu-jun promised to take good care of them and help them settle into their new life.

 

With a heavy heart, Brandon and DD said their final goodbyes to Hector

 

Chapter 22 No face

 

As Brandon and DD made their way to the airport, they couldn't shake the feeling of sadness and uncertainty. They were leaving behind their old life, their friends, and everything they knew. But they also knew they had to do it to protect their family.

 

As they boarded the plane, they took one last look at Los Angeles before settling into their seats. They were greeted by members of the Black Dragons, who reassured them that they were safe now.

 

Meanwhile, Hector was left all alone. He sat in Sage's car, staring up at the moon as he thought about his friends leaving. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

 

Suddenly, a group of men with masks appeared out of nowhere. Hector didn't waste any time and pulled out his gun, asking who they were. They remained silent, just looking at him.

Hector knew that this was it. He had to fight his way out of this. He took a deep breath and charged at the first masked man, who swung a crowbar at him. Hector ducked and landed a punch in the man's gut, causing him to drop the weapon. Hector grabbed the crowbar and swung it at the man's head, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone as he connected.

 

The other masked men charged at Hector, one wielding a tire iron, another a baseball bat, and the third with a chain. Hector could feel his adrenaline pumping as he dodged and weaved between their attacks. He kicked the man with the tire iron in the knee, causing him to crumple to the ground, and smashed the baseball bat out of the second man's hand with his crowbar.

 

The third man swung the chain at Hector, but he managed to grab it and pull the man towards him. Hector punched him in the face, feeling his nose break under his fist. The man stumbled back, and Hector swung the chain around, hitting him in the back of the head with a sickening thud.

As the fight continued, Hector could feel his body taking a beating. His knuckles were raw from all the punches he had thrown, and he had a gash on his forehead from where one of the men had hit him with a brick. But he refused to back down.

 

One of the masked men pulled out a hyper chip, causing Hector's heart to race. They enhanced a person's strength and speed to superhuman levels. But Hector refused to let fear take over. He charged at the man, who was now moving so fast that Hector could barely keep up with his movements.

 

But Hector had a plan. He picked up a nearby rock and waited for the man to come at him. As the man zoomed towards him, Hector threw the rock with all his might. It hit the man in the head, causing him to stumble and fall. Hector didn't waste any time – he grabbed the hyper chip and put it on. He could feel the power coursing through his veins, and his vision became sharper, clearer.

 

The remaining masked men charged at Hector, but he was ready for them. He moved so fast that they could barely see him, dodging their attacks and landing blows with incredible force. Bones broke, blood flew, and the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the air.

 

In the end, Hector stood there, covered in blood and breathing heavily. The masked men lay at his feet, either dead or unconscious. He looked down at the hyper chip on his wrist, knowing that he had just unlocked a new level of power. Then another man from the shadow came out to the light holding nothing but a letter in his hand. Hector used his new speed to grab the letter. It was an invitation to a race that was happening in New Angeles and the prize was a large sum of money. The masked man then walked away, almost disappearing. Hector then stumbled to the garage and locked the door and passed out on the floor.

 

Chapter 23 Our friend

Meanwhile, Brandon and DD had finally arrived in Korea. As they walked out of the airport, they were greeted by Yu Jun and Sage, who had been waiting for them.

Sage rushed towards Brandon and gave him a tight hug, tears in his eyes. "I'm so glad you guys made it safely," he said.

DD was welcomed by Yu Jun, who embraced her warmly. "Welcome to Korea," she said with a smile. "We'll take care of you from now on."

Brandon and Sage started talking about what was going on. they start talking about if Hector is going to be ok.

Brandon and Sage sat down at a nearby bench, their faces filled with concern. "Do you think Hector will be okay?" Sage asked, worry etched on his face.

"I don't know," Brandon replied, shaking his head. "He's tough, but he's always had a tendency to get into trouble."

"I just hope he's safe," Sage said

Brandon nods and says, "But for now, let's focus on settling in and getting accustomed to our new surroundings.

Sage laughs and says Korea is pretty great, and the food is good. He looks at Brandon and says, "You will love it here."

Brandon smiled, feeling a sense of relief that Sage was trying to stay positive despite the situation. "I'm excited to explore and try new things," he said.

DD nodded in agreement, "We also need to keep a low profile and not attract any unwanted attention."

"Right," Yu Jun added. "We'll make sure to keep our movements discreet and stay under the radar."

Sage looked at his friends and said, "Let's go get some food. I know a great spot nearby."

The group stood up and headed towards the restaurant that Sage had recommended, chatting and laughing as they walked. Brandon couldn't help but feel grateful for his friends and their support during this difficult time. Despite the uncertainty of their situation, he felt a glimmer of hope, knowing that they were in this together.

Five months had gone by since Brandon and DD had arrived in Korea, and the city had started to feel like home. Yu Jun and DD were ready to give birth any day now, and Sage and Brandon were excited to become dads.

As they sat in a cozy cafe, Sage and Brandon started talking about what it would be like to be fathers one day. They talked about the joys and challenges of parenthood and how they hoped to be there for their future children.

However, not everything was happy and celebratory. Rumors had been circulating that rival gangs had noticed a gap in power since Hae-seong's death. Brandon and Sage knew that they had to be careful and stay alert, especially with the upcoming arrival of their babies.

"We need to be extra cautious," Sage said, his expression serious. "We don't want to put ourselves or the babies in danger."

"I agree," Brandon replied, nodding. "We need to stay under the radar and avoid any trouble."

The two friends sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation heavy on their minds. But then Sage smiled and said, "But for now, let's focus on the good stuff. Like the fact that we're about to become dads!"

Brandon grinned, feeling grateful for the distraction. "Yeah, and we have to start planning the best welcome party for those babies!" he said.

Sage laughed, "Absolutely! We'll make sure it's the best one yet."

 

Chapter 24 New Angeles

 

When Hector woke up, he was lying on a dirty mattress in the corner of the garage. His body ached, and his head throbbed with pain. He sat up slowly, trying to remember what had happened.

 

The memory came flooding back to him, and he looked down at the hyper chip on his wrist. He had never felt so powerful before, and he knew that he had to be careful with this newfound strength.

 

As he stood up, he noticed the letter lying on the floor. He picked it up and read it again

 

It was a race with some prize money but it was held in New Angeles where Zeke was. Zeke had a bounty on his head 25 million Dollars. 

Hector thought to himself" now with that type of money I can buy a small shop in New Angeles"  the letter had instructions that the race will be held tonight.

 

hector thought to himself "well if I don't win the race I could at least get some more info on zeke"

 

Hector drives to New Angeles as he pulls into the track a group of cars are lined up. He saw flags from different gangs and some flags from out of country. 

 

A tall lady walked up to him and asked if he was racing. He said yes and she put a chip in his neck. He was suddenly able to understand everyone speaking. It was a babel chip. a chip that allows you to speak and understand every language.

 

He saw Zeke talking in a group of people. Hector wanted to get closer but was stopped by man 

Who was wearing shorts and a shirt with a black and white smiley face with two Xs for eyes. The man said “who are you?” My name is Hector. He looked at the man and asked who are you? The man who answered my name is Hiroshi Nakamura!!! He yelled loud and proud. He said he was from japan. Two other men showed up with the same shirts and asked if Hiroshi was ok? He said he was fine. Then he looked at Hector so you race? Hector looked at him and smiled and said yeah and you? Of course the yakuza love to race. Said Hiroshi. 

Hector then tried to get out of the conversion and get back to focus on zeke. Hiroshi looks at Hector and asks do you know him? Hector looked at Hiroshi Smiled and said kinda. We raced once? Hector now asked Hiroshi what about yourself do you Know Zeke? Hiroshi laughed “that man has been working for us for a long time. He's our best “clean up”but he messed up a few months back and now the whole USA wants him. 

 

Hiroshi looked at him but this time he asked him” what do you want?” The 2 men behind Hector pulled their guns out and pointed them at him. Hiroshi said “don't make me ask again.” 

Hector said “I'm just here to race.”

 

Zeke sees Hector talking to Hiroshi and tells him that he is fine that Hector is a racer then Zeke says sorry about Hiroshi he is a bit paranoid. Then he asked Hector if he got his gift. Hector said "you sent the masked men!" Zeke smiled and laughed, "I sure did, I sent my weakest men just to give you the invite and a hyper chip."he laughed and asked, "Did you have fun? " Hector said that” killing or hurting your men was not fun.”

 

Zeke smirked and said, "Oh come on, Hector, it's all part of the game. You can't win if you don't play dirty." He walked closer to Hector, his eyes full of smugness. "And besides, you should be grateful for the hyper chip. It's what gave you the strength to take down my men and earn your place in this race."

 

Hector gritted his teeth, feeling anger and disgust rise within him. Zeke was the epitome of a narcissist, always thinking that he was the center of the universe and that everyone else was beneath him. Hector knew that he couldn't let himself get caught up in Zeke's mind games.

 

Ignoring Zeke's words, Hector turned to leave. But Zeke grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "You're not going anywhere, Hector. You're in my territory now, and you play by my rules."

 

Hector yanked his arm away from Zeke's grasp. "I'm not afraid of you, Zeke. And I'm certainly not going to let you dictate what I do."

 

Zeke's eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to Hector. "You should be afraid, Hector. Because if you don't win this race, you'll be joining the rest of the losers in the underground fight club." He grinned wickedly. "And trust me, you don't want to end up there."

 

Hector felt a chill run down his spine. He had heard rumors about the underground fight club, where the losers of the illegal races were forced to fight to the death for entertainment. He knew that he had to win this race, not just to get the prize money, but to stay alive.

 

With a steely determination, Hector pushed past Zeke and headed towards his car. He had to focus on the race, on winning, and on staying alive. He couldn't let Zeke's mind games get to him. Zeke smiled Ear to Ear “Have Fun and break a leg” he laughed as he saw Hector walk away.

 

Hector saw his name on the betting board. A total of 5 names on the board #1 Mike #2Jae-sung #3 Kazuma #4 Hector #5 Yichen

 

One name stood and and it was #2. Jae-sung looked at Hector.

“You Were there when the black dragons fell for grace, you were there when  Hae-seong was killed.” Jae-sung looked at Hector with hatred and with tears in his eyes you and your friend are the reason Hae-seong was killed. You allowed Ho-Seok to get close to him.” Hector looked at Jae-sung and said “ I’m sorry.” Jae-sung looked at Him and nodded and walked away saying “hwaiting” which meant goodluck. 

 

Hector got in his car and prepared for the race.