Broken

||Chapter Eighteen||

"What the hell is- oh. What a surprise," Dan had run into the room. I'm surprised with all this noise he didn't come up sooner.

I tried moving the man's foot off of my face but I wasn't strong enough. I was currently at their mercy. As was Simon, who I saw being held in a full nelson by the man he was tussling with.

"I knew you couldn't stay away for long," Dan said walking over to me, "And I see you brought Simon along to help,"

He turned over to Simon who was currently struggling against the man's powerful vice-like grip. "Let Darcie go!" Simon yelled.

"You and I both know that's not going to happen, Simon," Dan said walking over to him, "You and that b***h downstairs has compromised this operation too many times, you, I was going to spare so I could get my money, but you just couldn't stay away could you?" Dan spoke with venom in his voice, he was getting angrier by the second.

"You won't kill her! You need her," Simon reiterated. As much as I wished Simon was right, I couldn't; Dan never needed anyone. When I was working for him years ago, he never had these goons. He was perfectly fine on his own; any help he hired was because of want, not need.

"Well that's kinda true, but I think it's worth it to lose a liability don't you think?" He said then suddenly landed a solid punch in Simon's stomach, making Simon groan in pain.

He coughed and then said, "Take me instead of Darcie, she doesn't deserve this," he pleaded. Truthfully, if Simon didn't say it, I would've. I was ready to throw my neck on the guillotine for Darcie. She truthfully has been the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, she doesn't deserve this. She just wanted her life back on track; whereas my life has been off the track and rusting in a ditch at the bottom of the hill. She has everything going for her, and I had nothing going for me.

"Don't you think if I wanted you I would've taken you instead?" Dan exclaimed indignantly. "She's who needs to be put down, like the dog she is,"

I've heard enough, despite the man's large foot on the side of my face, I had to say something. I wouldn't allow him to talk about Darcie that way, "Don't you talk about her like that! You better f*****g take it back!" I seethed through my teeth. The man above me laughed and pressed harder. Doubled with the gun pressing uncomfortably in my lower back.

"You got a lot of mouth with this your position you're in you little miscreant," the man over me laughed.

I growled at the foot on my face. My anger was building up steadily and I was starting to shake. Dan seemed to have noticed this and over to me, "She-hulk, you gotta calm down, you're in no place to be angry,"

"I'm calm!" I retorted without thinking. I hated when people told me to calm down, it doesn't suddenly calm me down, you aren't a sorcerer.

Dan laughed and stood up, "be extra careful tying her up," he then walked over to Simon and put a hand on the man's shoulder.

"I'm impressed Starfire," Dan joked.

The man tightened his hold on Simon, making Simon groan in pain. I could tell that he wanted to replace Simon with Dan with the look in his eyes, "It's Red-fire!"

"Didn't I just say that?" Dan said, then shrugged absentmindedly, "anyways, get them tied-"

Suddenly, a voice was heard at the front door, "Stop!" I heard, "I'll shoot," the safety being clicked off emphasized her point.

Celeste.

"Celeste! What're you doing here?" I asked. The gun that fell, she must've snuck up and took it up.

"Saving your ass, what does it look like?" She said with a badass debauchery that would've made me laugh if I wasn't under the heavy, crushing foot of this man. "Looks like you need it,"

"Celeste boy am I glad to see you," Simon said.

"Well, you guys were taking a little too long for my liking, and the car was getting really hot," she half-joked. For once, I was glad Celeste was hard-headed.

"Let em go," she commanded attention, "turn around and put your hands on your head, and don't think I don't know what I'm doing, I'm pretty skilled with these things,"

Dan relented, putting his hands on his head without turning around, as did his goon next to him, releasing Simon. The man standing over me, however, was reaching behind him. "Celeste!" I warned. He was definitely reaching for a gun.

In that split second, she shot him in the thigh, making him topple over in pain. And directed her aim back to the back of Dan and company's head. His foot was finally off my head. I sat up rubbing my face then opted to get up. As I was getting up I heard Dan mumble something,

"Celeste...?" He slowly turned around, dropping his hands.

As Celeste laid eyes on him, she quivered, then lowered her gun slightly; and I was taken aback by what I heard her say next, "D-Da-Dad?!"