Daniels Escape

*A special episode.

We are now shown how Daniel escaped the CLOODS, before meeting up with William again.

The air in the basement cell was damp and oppressive, the faint hum of neon lights above barely cutting through the silence. Daniel sat in the corner, his wrists raw from the tight ropes binding them. The CLOODS had underestimated him, though. For the past two days, while he played the role of a beaten prisoner, his mind worked like a machine, mapping out his escape. He wasn't going to die in this hellhole—not before he faced THO, and certainly not before he crushed the family legacy that had cursed him since birth.

It started with a plan as risky as it was desperate. Daniel had noticed a shift change among the guards—two particularly lazy men would take their posts near his cell around midnight, always distracted by their smuggled cards and cheap liquor. It was during one of these shifts that Daniel made his move.

When one guard slouched near the cell to complain about losing a hand of cards, Daniel took the chance. The rope around his wrists was frayed enough from his constant efforts to weaken it. With a sudden, feral strength, he broke free, lunged forward, and smashed the guard's face into the bars. The man crumpled with a grunt.

His partner barely had time to react before Daniel used the unconscious guard's keys to unlock the cell and leap onto him. A few savage punches left him unconscious as well. Daniel grabbed the man's knife and revolver, adrenaline now coursing through his veins.

Navigating the maze of corridors, he moved with deadly precision, avoiding guards when possible and eliminating them when necessary. The CLOODS' underground base was massive, but Daniel had studied its layout during his captivity, paying close attention to snippets of conversation between guards.

Reaching the armory, Daniel armed himself with a small arsenal—a handgun, a combat knife, and two grenades. He wasn't escaping quietly anymore.

The alarms blared moments later as the bodies of two guards were discovered. Daniel, unbothered, let the chaos work in his favor. He created diversions by detonating one grenade in a storage room and another near the barracks, spreading panic among the gang. Cloaked in smoke and fire, Daniel slipped through the chaos, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

As he ascended the last staircase to the surface, Daniel found himself cornered by the CLOODS' second-in-command, a towering brute known as Ortega. The man sneered, cracking his knuckles. "You've got guts, kid, but this is where your story ends."

Daniel didn't waste words. He charged, dodging Ortega's initial punch and delivering a brutal kick to his knee. The two men grappled fiercely, Ortega's size and strength matched by Daniel's speed and precision. Finally, using the knife he had taken earlier, Daniel drove it deep into Ortega's side. The man roared in agony before collapsing. Daniel, bloodied but victorious, stumbled out into the night.

He had escaped the CLOODS. But his mission was far from over.

Daniel had avoided his family for years, but now it was time to confront the demons that had haunted him since childhood. His father's gang had become a subsidiary of THO, an alliance that cemented their stranglehold over the city. To take down THO, Daniel finally needed to destroy his father's legacy.

The hideout wasn't hard to find—an old estate fortified with armed guards. Daniel arrived under the cover of night, his heart pounding with a mix of dread and resolve. Memories of his father's abuse flooded his mind as he scaled the outer wall and dispatched the first guard with a silenced shot.

*Pew!

Inside, the compound buzzed with activity. Daniel moved like a ghost, taking down guards one by one until he reached the main hall, where his father, Raymond, and every single cousin and family member he knew, sat surrounded by his top lieutenants.

"Well, well," Raymond said, his voice oozing mockery as he noticed Daniel. "Look who's come crawling back. Ready to finally take your place by my side?"

Daniel's grip on his gun tightened. "I'm here to kill you and your all and destroy everything you've built you dumb-fuck."

One of his cousins laughed, a deep, menacing sound. "You've got guts, Daniel, but you're still that scared little bitch Raymond uncle used to discipline. You think you can take us down?"

"Oh, look! It's my old cousin Jack! You know I still remember when I used to whoop your ass every fucking day. Respect your fucking elders." Daniel replied,

"Pft! Oh my goshh! I'm so tired of this shit bro? Just get the fuck out of here Daniel." One of Daniels female–cousins replied.

"Well isn't it my beautiful cousin Christine! You know, nobody ever gave a single fuck about whatever the fuck you say so I'm just gonna kill you quickly." Daniel replies furiously,

"So all you can do is talk huh? No use of fighting you." Another one of Daniels male and elder cousins replied,

"And there he is! Awh man I almost feel bad for you! I still remember how you always used to say you'll be the top of the family legacy, but it turned out that this old man stayed as the leader, such a shame for you to get beaten by an old man!" Daniel replied,

"Man fuck this-" Daniel picks up his gun and,

*Bang!

The room erupted into chaos as Daniel opened fire. Years of training and sheer determination gave him the edge, even as bullets whizzed past him. He moved with precision, taking out his family members and guards one by one, the cacophony of gunfire echoing through the hall.

Finally, it was just him and Raymond. The older man had taken cover behind a desk, his face contorted with rage.

"You think killing me will change anything?" Raymond spat. "THO will still crush you. You're nothing without me!"

Daniel stepped closer, his gun trained on his father. "Maybe. But at least I'll finally be free."

Raymond lunged, a knife in hand, but Daniel was faster. He fired twice, the bullets hitting their mark. Raymond crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath.

For a moment, Daniel stood over his father, a mixture of emotions swirling within him. But as he looked at the man who had tormented him for so long, all he felt was relief.

"It's over," Daniel muttered, turning away.

"Now I'll take matters to my own damn hand."

With his father's gang dismantled, Daniel rejoined William to prepare for the larger battle against THO. Daniel figured out that William would come looking for him, as Daniel was a mastermind. He found his ways, and finally came and met up with William in Dock Nine where William would be fighting a group of low-ranked THO members.

Daniel would now fight side-by-side to William. And recover, the lounge. Daniel's child dream was all over, but Daniel finally got his revenge he seeked.

The fight against THO was no longer just a mission. It was personal. And Daniel was ready to burn the whole empire to the ground.