Neale's eyes widened and his face darkened as soon as the words left Lucas Blake's mouth.
"What are you talking about?" Neale enquired. His eyes never left those of Lucas Blake.
"I have learned about your past, Neale. It's not a very pretty one. I also know about your position within the group and your relationship with the boss." Lucas said walking over to stand next to Neale.
Neale sighed and lowered his head. His past had finally caught up with him, would he continue to run away, far away into the horizon or would he face it? Neale didn't know.
"What do you want me to do?" Neale simply asked.
"Just tell me," Lucas Blake said as he walked behind his desk and sat down."Just tell me everything about yourself. Please do not leave anything out."
Neale did just that, He began from the very beginning. About how he had been alone ever since he was a young boy, about how he grew up with no father figure, about how he would always get into fights, he spoke about his life, making sure not to leave anything out. He stopped just before the part where he joined Stray Tigers.
Lucas had a thoughtful expression on his face and he patiently waited for Neale to continue telling his story.
"There was a man who had tried to hit on one of Mom's colleagues. He would try to speak to her every time she left work even though she clearly expressed no interest in him. One day, when he continued trying to speak to the lady, Mom scolded him for what he'd been doing. The man then launched insults and verbal abuse at his mother. He harassed him so much that it left her a little troubled. I happened to witness some of what happened and that night, I went after him. "
"What!? What were you? An idiot?" Lucas asked, his voice a little raised. "Ah, sorry. You can continue."
"Well, to cut the story short I knocked the guy out and I was given a chance to join Stray Tigers which I did. Artem took me in and treated me like his own son. I finally left when Artem was killed in a brutal incident that had occurred. Mom died shortly after that and I moved here to school in Eagles Bay Secondary. "Neale stopped speaking and sat back in the chair in which he sat.
"How did you get into Eagles Bay Secondary? Who has been paying for you?" Lucas Blake asked.
"Mom had worked for Claus Wayne before this. Because Mom was such a brilliant worker Claus Wayne tried to keep her by paying for my fees. But after Mom died..." Neale trailed off, the anger was evident on his face. "I am going to have to leave the school in 2 months now."
"Claus Wayne dared to do that, I'll take care of him. Don't worry about your school fees, I'll have that sorted out," Lucas paused before looking at Neale solemnly. His eyes were full of sincerity. "I'm sorry for being absent from your life. You must have suffered so much, too much. I hope you can forgive me."
Neale could feel the emotions in his heart. He was at that very moment confused and felt like he could not even trust reality. Neale felt like he was living in a utopian world and that everything he saw, heard, and felt was merely a farce. Neale chose to stay quiet before changing the topic.
"Are the DNA results out?" Neale enquired not making eye contact with Lucas Blake.
Lucas Blake sighed before nodding and handing some sheets to Neale. Neale could feel his heart rapidly beating as he received the papers and even though he knew exactly what the results would say he was still anxious. Was he afraid Lucas Blake might not be the father? Or did he fear the opposite?
Neale looked at the paper and read the results. He was silent for a few seconds before his trembling hands finally placed the papers down. Neale could feel his heart beating from within his chest. The sounds of cars hooting and people shouting seemed to grow more silent for some reason. Neale's eyes landed on Lucas Blake before he spoke.
"So you are my father?"
"You knew that was the case. Why did it take this much to convince you?" Lucas Blake asked as he watched Neale carefully.
"Because, you see, hope, "Neale began. He paused for a second to compose himself before continuing. "Hope is a scary thing."
Those few words were more than enough to deliver the message to Lucas Blake. He understood very clearly that Neale was just being careful. Neale chose not to be overly expectant because when one has high expectations, They are bound to be disappointed.
"So, when are you, moving in?" Lucas Blake asked looking at Neale hopefully. Lucas now knew what sort of life Neale had had and he was eager to show him things that would blow his mind. He felt his son deserved an enjoyable life after all he had been through.
"I don't know, I don't think I'm ready to change my life. Also, will this be publicized?" Neale said.
"It won't be publicized but you can take your time adapting to the changes. However, I hope you understand that eventually, you will have to face the fact that you are my son." Lucas Blake said, he didn't mean a word he said. He wasn't pleased about how Neale was insistent on living the same simple life, every day. When Lucas was Neale's age he couldn't stand the thought of staying broke and simple and that desire to improve his life acted as a catalyst that propelled him to glory.
"There is one final request I have for you." Lucas Blake said to Neale who began listening attentively. "I want you to put Kennington in order."
"What do you mean?" Neale asked narrowing his eyes.
"You have a large influence in Stray Tigers and with the help of my resources, I'm pretty sure you can easily take control of the streets of Kennington," Lucas said as he intertwined his fingers and rested his elbows on the desk.
"But why do you want me to take control of the streets of Kennington?" Neale enquired, a puzzled look on his face.
"Ever since Artem died, Kennington has been in shambles, Kennington Club has been running havoc in the streets of the town. Robberies, Drugs, and other forms of illegal activity have drastically increased. However, the reason I'm asking you to do this is not because of that. Have you heard about the 4 kings?" Lucas said to Neale.
"I have heard about them. They're the 4 biggest gangs in this district. They are the Black Diamonds, The spades, The Newton Clubs, and the biggest of them all, the Aces. They operate in the ' Underworld ', which is the world of thugs. All that occurs in the 4 major cities, They control, and even the police aren't able to do anything about them. The reason behind this nobody has any idea how the underworld works or how to find it. That's all I know," Neale said.
Lucas smiled as he nodded before he finally spoke, "The truth is although I've no link with the underworld or any of the 4 gangs, I have gathered some intel on the underworld. The underworld is not just some lawless place as most people think it is. It's just that it is a place that has rules and regulations which differ from those of normal society. operating business is extremely difficult with the presence of the 4 major gangs. They are a major threat and if they decide to go to war with someone, they will make sure to carry out their intentions. Before I can continue explaining more, I want to ask, how much influence do you have within Stray Tigers?"
Neale flinched at the question and after some hesitation, he finally replied, "Before I left I had been the next in line to be the leader at Stray Tigers."
"Next in line to be the leader!?" Lucas was originally surprised but he realized that Neale's relationship with the former leader of the group combined with his fighting prowess made him the most eligible to be the leader of Stray Kids.
"Neale, I want you to become the king of the Underworld," Lucas said to Neale, leaning forward to meet Neale's eyes, his eyes sparkling.
"What?" Neale questioned, surprise evident in his voice and expression.
Lucas stood up and walked over to the large glass window of his spacious office. He admired the beauty of the large city before finally speaking. "I have lost many to the Underworld. I thought gaining all that I have now would fix that but I was wrong. All of my wealth and status have no power in that place but now I have found a way to destroy that place. Not only can I lose all that I have now because of that place, but I could also lose my family too. Many suffer every day because of all of the crime and illegal activities caused by these gangs. I'm sure you'll find that out very soon."
Lucas Blake paused for a few seconds before continuing to speak, "Neale Blake, taking control of the streets of Kennington is the first step to overthrowing the 4 kings. The question is, are you willing to take on such an arduous task? There will be no rest once you accept this Job."
Neale watched Lucas Blake, a man with ambition, talent, and persistence. He listened to what Lucas Blake said before lowering his head and thinking. Neale realized that Lucas Blake had the same vision that Neale had always had, but only on a wider scale. Neale had once dreamt of eliminating the crime in Kennington but he never knew how and right now a chance to do just that and more had presented itself.
"I'll have to think about it," Neale said with a strange smile on his face.
~~~
Neale woke up early the next day so he could leave to depart for school. After getting ready for school, Neale had a simple breakfast and packed some lunch before leaving. Neale walked through the busy town, weaving through multitudes of people as he headed in the direction of the school. The smells of roasting meat from BBQ shops and the hooting of cars filled the streets and although it was 6:30 in the morning and many shops were still opening, the town was buzzing. Neale felt like he was in an unusually great mood as he walked to school. He was beginning to recognize the shopkeepers so he began to greet them every time he passed them. Most of them were opening or sweeping their stores as they prepared for the new day.
Very soon, Neale reached his school. As Neale entered the school his eyes landed on the parking lot. It was filled with expensive cars from the brands of Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche, and even Lamborghini and Ferrari. There were cars that cost hundreds of bucks in the parking lot and some cars would maybe even surpass a million. Neale decided to stop worrying about all of the cars and enter school when a car drove right in front of him, almost running him over.
"Watch your step! Broke fool!" The driver of a new Porsche 911 yelled at him. The car sped away and parked a distance away. Neale simply sighed and walked away. While he was walking away, he heard the sneers and laughs of the other students present there. They all had expensive cars and now they had just seen an inferior student who had no car at all. The students giggled and laughed to themselves as they watched the scene before them. Neale ignored them and entered the school and headed to class so he could quickly get ready for the first lesson of the day. Soon the first lesson of the day began and from that point onwards Neale was occupied with schoolwork. At break time he sat in class and ate his lunch. Neale had recently decided that it was far easier to bring his own lunch rather than to buy the expensive meals sold in the school.
Fin was sitting next to him telling him about some news about a prison bus that had crashed killing all the passengers. Neale was hardly paying attention and was thinking about other issues.
"Hey Fin, Neale said surprising Fin with the sudden question.
"Huh, I mean yeah?" Fin asked, surprised by Neale's suddenness.
"Your parents, could you please tell me what happened to them?" Neale asked.
Fin sighed before speaking, "My mother died when I was little, and although I know who my dad is, he has refused to be a part of my and my sister's lives. A few years ago after my mom passed, my sister tried to get across to him to try and ask him to at least help me finish school but he refused and even ignored her request. My sister used to work many part-time jobs to try and make ends meet and it was only recently that her talent as a journalist was recognized. That is why in recent years, things have been pretty comfortable for us. That is why, I want to become a successful journalist so my sister can stop worrying about me and enjoy her life properly.
Neale looked at the boy before him with admiration. This boy had aspirations, determination, and most of all, purpose. Those were some of the qualities needed to become a successful person and Fin had them all. However, when Neale thought about his life, he felt inferior. Neale, who was even confused about whether he had a family, He couldn't compare himself to Fin. He decided to ask Fin a question.
"Hey Fin, let's just say you never knew your father and he suddenly appeared, asking you to give him a chance. What would you do?" Neale asked.
Fin thought for a moment before answering the question. "Honestly, I'd try to give him a chance because if he is asking to be a part of my life, He'd probably be sincere. Honestly, I wouldn't mind having a father in my life."
When Fin said the last question, he seemed kind of sad.
When Neale heard what Fin had to say, he felt both embarrassed and grateful. He was embarrassed about how ungrateful and spoiled he had been acting when his father had offered to be a part of his life he was grateful that Fin had opened his eyes.
"Haha, Thank you Fin," Neale said to Fin as he patted him on his back.
"you're welcome?" Fin said confused.
"Don't worry about it, come on, class is starting," Neale said to Fin, seeming happier than Fin had ever seen him.
The day went on, very uneventfully, and after the buzzer sounded signaling the end of school. Neale called Fin and asked him something.
"Where are you going to be headed now?" Neale asked Fin.
"Well, School finishes at 2:30 and my sister comes around 3 so I'll be waiting for her," Fin replied.
"Accompany me to the Boxing Club," Neale requested.
"What!? Are you asking me to accompany you?" Fin asked, his blue eyes filled to the brim with surprise.
"You're coming or not. I don't know the school too well so I don't want to get lost." Neale said impatiently, Fin quickly agreed and soon they were on their way to the boxing club which was situated in the school gym.
"Fin, I want to ask you something," Neale said to Fin.
"Oh, aren't you a bit inquisitive today?" Fin asked.
Neale ignored Fin's remark and asked, "I thought this was a school with the most wealthy and high-class students. How come I don't see many Influential people in our class?"
Fin nodded at the question and said, "Well there are some very wealthy students in our class. They might not be that famous so you might not know them too well but they come from influential families. But you see, Eagles Bay Secondary has a system where the most influential students are placed in Class A and the least Influential are placed in Class D. Those who are in between are placed in B and C."
"So basically the higher your status, the higher your class. How wealthy are the students in Class A?" Neale asked.
"Well, to make you understand. Do you know Flick White?" Fin asked Neale.
Neale nodded. "The famous footballer who captains our national team."
"Yeah, His son schools her and he is in Class A. There are many other wealthy people here. In our class, Isabella Daniels, Amandla Radebe, and Felix Cain Clint are the most influential." Fin explained.
Neale nodded and began to focus on reaching the Boxing Club. Very soon they reached it and Neale and Fin entered the gym.
"Hello," Neale said as he entered the doors of the gym which was full of sweating students busy punching the bags, sparring, or simply exercising. Their attention all turned toward the direction of Neale's voice. "I'm here to join the club."