Leon Alexander Gates
-----
Early this morning, as soon as they boarded their ship and set sail, Alexander's stomach decided to hate him.
It was night now.
Laying on the deck of the ship, Alexander stared at the ship lights, another wave away from blowing chunks, and the events leading up to this pain in the ass situation almost made him regret making that deal.
The only thing stopping him from doing it was Sienna's smug look.
The humiliation of backing out would be the biggest kick in the nuts. Going through with it, though, would most likely get him killed by Yonah. Even if he miraculously managed to tough it out for the entire month, then the crippling seasickness would get him midway through.
Also, he couldn't swim, so yeah.
Alexander groaned and rolled over.
"Do you think Al will be alright?" Roxy squatted beside Alexander and poked him with her scabbard. "He's been like this for hours."
Laurence awkwardly played with his hat. "It wasn't this bad when we sailed to Anima from Sanus."
"I believe the seas are much more treacherous now compared to before." Reynold took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "He won't last the month."
Teddy whined and nuzzled Alexander's leg.
"Thank goodness." Yonah breathed a sigh of relief. "I really didn't want to go through with this ridiculous plan. Look at him; he's miserable."
"Too bad." Sienna brushed the sleeve of tiger stripe tattoos running along her coppery arms. "Really wanted to see how far the kid would get before he gave up."
A surge of rage and determination stomped out the queasiness holding Alexander down, and he forced himself to move.
This was the first step to finding Roderick, and Alexander was going to get him back—whatever it takes.
"I'm calling it off. Sorry, Alexander." Somberness weakened Reynold's usually firm voice. "You can't do a single thing, let alone take on Yonah's Semblance, in this state."
"We know you tried your best, and it was a great effort so don't let it get to you." Roxy uplifting chime did nothing to help. "We'll find another way. Promise."
"Yes, this is for the best." Yonah comforted Alexander with a smile. "My Semblance isn't something to be trifled with. One touch is already too much. I can't imagine the repercussions of repeated torment."
That would be the smart idea.
He wasn't that smart.
"No," Alexander said.
A string of incoherent blabber fumbled out of Yonah's mouth, staring like a deer caught in headlights, until she swallowed a ball of anxiety and found her voice.
"B-but why?" She clasped her hands and pleaded with him. "What's making you go so far to hurt yourself?"
Taking a deep, long breath, he let that question sit on his shoulders and balance the scales of what he kept close—hidden—deep inside where no one could see it. He'd rather not say this out loud, but if he missed this chance to tell them, then there's no way they'd go along with this crazy ass plan.
Alexander wrestled the compulsive instincts to ignore her and let it out.
"I lost everything when I was a kid." The remembrance of being a helpless child who lost his family seared his very soul. "It made me numb for a long time. My team reminded me what it was like to be alive again. To not be alone anymore. They're gone now. My leader needs me, and my heart can't take losing one more friend."
The way everyone stood there while his confession slowly dawned on them was the absolute worst.
Yonah was the most sympathetic of them all.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that. . ." Everything from his toes to his fingertips trembled and went dead cold. "I'm afraid."
Mustering the courage needed to keep going, he coughed up the words stuck in his throat since his own body wanted him to choke on it.
"And I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore." Alexander remembered the old days at Beacon and found a bittersweet smile. "I think I. . . I could use some help."
After a very long minute of the entire team suffocating him under the uncomfortable pressure and silence, Yonah graced Alexander with the most sincerest and heartfelt look anyone could give.
"Thank you for telling us." She held his hand. "We're counting on you."
His internal alarms went off.
Keep it together.
Alexander slurped needles scratching down his throat, lungs heaving just for a scrap of air.
Endure.
"There he goes again."
Chrysos suddenly appeared in front of Leon, flames of rage blazing from the cracks in his burnt flesh.
Leon punched the deck, pounding away until the floorboards cracked, and relished in the distracting screams of his knuckles pleading him to stop.
"Just can't help yourself, can you?" He flicked his ashes at him. "Keep trying. It won't change a thing."
A burning hot sting quicker than a bullet cracked him across the face.
Chrysos vanished.
Roxy appeared with an outstretched arm, panic stricken.
Alexander bolted to the rails of the ship, hurling vomit at the ocean, while the whispers lodged in the back of his skull drilled deeper, like a stubborn headache refusing to go away.
While Roxy comforted Yonah by patting her head with her sword, Laurence's booming laughter threatened the sweet dreams of the other passengers below deck.
"That's one, Sienna." Reynold showed a finger. "We start again tomorrow night. Don't miss it."
Sienna's red hot glower was a sure sign of how badly she wanted to toss Reynold overboard.
Lucky him.
Alexander seriously would rather be fish food than having to spend another second on this ship.
-----
The days raged on.
Not a single bit of mercy was given, the next touch worse than the last, and it wasn't getting any easier.
His eyes were always heavy yet they wouldn't stay closed, no amount of food could stay inside his shriveled stomach, the retching torture never ended, and fighting the effects of that nightmare every single night was beyond draining.
How was he supposed to keep this up? He would actually go crazy before the end of the month if he could even hold on for that long.
After another terrible handshake with Yonah, Alexander rested against the rail and hugged Teddy, doing whatever possible to keep his crap together.
The anchor of guilt tied to everyone's ankles dragged them closer to casting this plan in the sea with each passing day.
Yonah and Sienna, especially.
The tension between them was tighter than a garrote wire, always glaring at each other whenever they found themselves in the same room.
Wasn't hard to tell why.
Clearly, Yonah hurt herself as much as she hurt Alexander, and the only way to make it stop was for Sienna to call off the deal early, something which the prideful woman would never do.
There were a few moments where the remorse almost got to Sienna, but whenever it was too much for her, she'd march back to her quarters, fist clenched and head down.
Alexander lost track of time.
The short mornings fast forwarded to the long nights blurred. His brain was scrambled. Thinking became the most difficult thing to do. His strength waned to nothing despite still having more than enough muscle to spare, so he laid in bed all day since the simple act of getting up and down exploded his stomach.
If it wasn't for Team RRYL checking in and giving him the necessities to survive, Alexander would've kicked the can ages ago.
Alexander was at his limit.
Handshake done and another night cleared, Alexander belched acid over the side of the ship.
"Good news!" Laurence clapped Alexander on the back. "The captain says we'll be in Menagerie at the end of this week. So, hang in there and you're home free!"
He gagged but swallowed it back down.
That's great news; too bad he didn't have the energy to be happy about it.
"This reminds me of when I used to train with the team back at Beacon." Nostalgia twinkled off his toothy grin. "I made it too hard for the others to fight me without getting knocked out first!"
Alexander grimaced at the image of this giant man clubbing his teammates out cold.
"You have no idea how mad Roxy would get!" He set his hand on his hips and proudly stuck out his chest. "She already loses enough sleep in the day, so when she woke up and found out she lost more hours, boy, did she want to kill me!"
That's not something to joke about. . .
An actual bucket dinged off Laurence's head; he didn't notice.
"Shut up, Larry!" Roxy yelled from across the deck.
Laurence leaned down to Alexander's level and hummed out whatever idea was flexing in that muscle brain of his.
"Since you're not broken yet," he said, "why don't I give you some advice."
What advice could he possibly give that could help him right now?
"Most people will coast along, perfectly content being in the comfort of ignorant bliss, that they often forget that fear isn't an enemy to avoid." Laurence smacked Alexander's shoulder. "In truth, it's actually our best friend we must embrace with open arms."
Was Laurence telling Alexander to like it?
"Fear is what separates the brave from the broken." Laurence laughed at the open sea and threw his arms wide. "Let it temper your soul in the scorching flames and be hammered on the harsh, unforgiving anvil. Armour can't be made without taking a beating first."
Laurence drummed his chest.
"Give thanks and wear your fear." He grinned big. "It'll take care of you better than anything else can."
A switch clicked inside of Alexander.
The next day, the second Yonah came above deck and showed her face, Alexander went straight for it.
"Oh, Alexander." Yonah wiped the tears from the dark bags under her eyes. "Are you ready?"
Alexander grabbed Yonah's hand, and he was instantly knocked down to his knees.
Chrysos appeared, glaring as if he contemplated whether or not to step on him like an ant.
Rasping and wheezing, Leon wrestled his own body into obeying him.
"What will you do, Leon?" The smoke puffing from Chrysos' charred flesh scalded Leon's airways. "You can't hide behind the name of a dead man anymore."
A chill crawled across his skin, and the hair on the nape of his neck stood on ends.
"There's a lot we need to catch up on." His smile stretched so wide the fissures in his cheeks cracked. "Then again, you never were much of a talker."
The ship vanished, replaced by the ruins of his old home buried in sand, and he chomped down to stop the scream rising from the wretched vise crushing his heart.
"That's fine." Chrysos grabbed a handful of sand and let it fall between his fingers. "There's just one thing that I want to know."
Billows of strength steamed from his muscles, leaving him limp and weak on his knees.
"Do you regret it?" The blade of his tongue scraped along the bark of his lips. "Do you regret making that promise you knew you couldn't keep before leaving me to rot?"
Leon gnashed his teeth.
Chrysos threw the sand at him harder than a buckshot. "I knew it."
Hold on. Don't lose it.
"What was the point in entrusting you with my wish if you were just going to piss all over it?" Chrysos scoffed ashes. "It's beyond insulting and you know it."
Tiny nicks cut him all over, and a river of salt poured on the wounds.
"That's right." He spat at the ground. "After all, the only thing you can do right is to do it wrong."
The air squeezing his neck tightened its grip.
"You even changed your name." That smouldering gaze blazed hotter. "I feel sorry for your family. Your mother and father loved you so much and that's how you treat them? Good thing they're not here to see what an enormous disappointment you've become."
The knives of guilt sliced his heart.
"To think you have the gall to carry that shield and call yourself a lion." Chrysos leaned close enough for the creaks in his skin to tear louder than paper. "When, really, all you are is a lion hiding in a shadow."
Everything went still.
"And that makes you weak." Chrysos chuckled. "Too weak to protect your home, your family, your school, your friends. . . your team. Try as much as you want because in the end, you'll lose everything you ever cared about time and time again. Quit while you're ahead. You can't do it. It's impossible, so why try? Just stay home and water the flowers. Let's be honest. You'll probably screw that up, too."
Leon careened his head as far back as it could go and lost himself among the shattered pieces of the moon.
So, this was how it's gonna be. How cruel, being forced to admit what he knew had some truth to it, or at least, there was no denying it any longer.
It's true.
Leon was cursed with two names. Both were great. Both were right. Both connected and led down the same path he chose to take, knowing full well how difficult it would be. He just never realized that there'd be a mountain in his way, and the only way past it was to climb.
Deep down, no matter how much he convinced himself otherwise, he couldn't climb it. Those years were spent stuck cowering in that mountain's cold, heartless shadow, and that left him trapped tending to a decaying garden of ashes, sowed by bitterness and sorrow, obsessively wishing for a miracle to grow.
The promise to Chrysos was on the verge of breaking, and the Laconia legacy faded away, forgotten in the sands of oblivion. All the while, he continued living as an empty shell full of lies, still in denial that this was the right thing to do despite how wrong it was, and the reason was simple.
Leon was too afraid to press on and going back would make everything that's happened, everything he's done, meaningless.
Both were the greatest shames of his life.
Then it happened.
The flowers finally grew and blossomed into Team RTLS, Leon's shining ray of hope.
They melted his frozen world, showed him what it was like to be alive again, and each of them gave him the strength and courage of three hundred men just from standing by his side.
With that, Leon tackled the mountain and climbed for the first time ever, aiming straight for the top and giving it his all.
Beacon fell, and so did he, back at the bottom, tired and alone.
It was happening all over again, except this time, Leon tasted what it would be like to have the power and glory of getting ever closer to the top. He was too busy feeling sorry for himself to remember it and shaking someone's hand was all it took to snap him out of it.
Looks like Laurence was onto something after all.
Leon coughed and hacked, chewed his tongue and snapped his teeth, and with every fiber of strength and courage he had left inside of him, he pushed himself up to his feet and roared.
Chrysos winced, stepping back as his body flickered like static from a bad connection, but Leon snatched his wrist and yanked him into a hug.
"What the—?!" He wriggled and squirmed. "Let me go!"
"Always stand in the face of fear. Always fight when no one else will." The golden bandana around Leon's neck was heavier than a chain. "We are the strong, and the strong protect all."
"No." He sucked a sharp breath. "You wouldn't. . ."
Leon smiled right at him. "That is the Lion's Law."
Chrysos pounded and clawed on his leather jacket like a child throwing a tantrum. "You're no lion, and you know it!"
"You're right, I'm not. That's why I'll climb the mountain and carry our burdens, far from its shadow and plant them at the top." He rested his chin on top of his head and ignored the smoke and burnt flesh tainting the air. "Then they'll know. They'll all know. We are lions. Lion's who'll live forever."
Astonishment flooded Chrysos' eyes, and his jaw fell as his body began to fade like dust swept by the wind.
"Damn." He chuckled and returned an earnest grin. "Guess you win this time. I'll be waiting at the top. Don't take too long, pipsqueak."
In an instant, a wave of relief washed away the doubts and uncertainty holding Leon prisoner, and for the first time in an eternity, he relaxed.
Everyone on deck reappeared, flabbergasted.
"Al," Roxy pointed a shaky finger, "what. . ."
Alexander tilted his head and found Yonah pressed against him, freaking out as if she were on fire.
"A-Alexander." Yonah twisted and nudged for freedom while steam blew from her ears. "Y-you can let go now."
Letting go, the strength in his legs gave way, but Team RRYL caught his ass.
Teddy yipped and bumbled around.
Reynold checked Alexander. "Hold still."
"It's fine." Alexander held up his hand. "Again."
As if he told them the ship was about to crash, they all gave him the same look of awe.
Sienna's face twitched. "You're a madman."
Laurence howled and pushed Alexander hard enough to make him stumble right back into Yonah's arms, making her squeak.
"You idiot!" Roxy whacked Laurence on the head with her sheathed sword. "Get him off her!"
Alexander braced himself, but nothing happened. The overwhelming tsunami of fear and weakness never came, and the nightmare of Chrysos decided not to appear.
A long pause later, the realization shattered and hit everyone at the same time, leaving them beyond amazed.
Roxy's eyes shot wide open. "Al. . . Al's okay?"
Yonah recoiled and shook her head as if she couldn't accept this reality.
"No, no, no. Wait. I-It's not possible." Her mouth quivered. "Is this real?"
Yonah hesitantly cupped Alexander's cheeks, fingers brushing his skin, and when he remained unaffected, tears streamed down to her chin.
"It's been so long since I've been able to touch anyone like this." A flicker of light reignited the emptiness in her eyes. "I can't remember the last time I've felt this warmth."
This was the best time to come clean before he missed his chance.
"By the way, there's something I need to tell you." Alexander could barely find the words to speak. "Something I should've said before we got on this damn boat."
Yonah whimpered.
Clasping her forearm, he used everything he had left to give his best smile and say the same three little words that she said to him.
"Let's be friends."
Yonah covered her mouth, and she did the one and only thing she could do at that moment.
Become the happiest woman in the world.
"Alexander," she said. "Thank you."
Before they could do anything else, the energy in Alexander was sapped faster than an engine running on fumes, and he collapsed, instantly passing out on the cold deck.
Strangely enough, as funny as it may sound, it was the best sleep he's ever had in his life.
-----
Spending the rest of the week locked in his cabin, Alexander recovered a fair bit, not a lot, but just enough to hold an actual conversation with Reynold.
"Here you are." Reynold placed a tray full of food and tea on the table. "After sleeping in for most of the week, I figured you may be hungry. Hopefully, it stays down this time around."
Agreed.
Reynold sat across from Alexander. "How are you feeling, Alexander?"
"Peachy."
He chuckled.
"Good, because there's something that'll make your day even better." Reynold positively beamed. "Sienna has agreed to aid us."
The buttery food in Alexander's mouth suddenly became much more delicious.
"She told us everything we needed to know while you were resting." He grabbed a napkin. "And we devised a plan."
Reynold withdrew a pen and scribbled on the napkin.
"Kuo Kuana is where we'll be heading. It's the capital of Menagerie, heavily populated by all walks of Faunuskind." He drew what appeared to be a crappy ass map of the town. "Firstly, I'll have to transport and hide both of yours and Laurence's vehicles elsewhere."
Alexander stiffened. "What for?"
"It'll draw too much attention." Reynold offered a look of apology. "Compared to the kingdoms, technology is limited in Menagerie. Kuo Kuana may be the largest settlement on the island, yet it's still too small for automobiles to become a necessity for travel. As a matter of fact, they'd only be a hindrance." A promise sealed a bond to his voice. "I'll keep your car safe. You have my word."
It didn't sit right with Alexander, but he had to trust him for now.
"Once we're in Kuo Kuana, we'll move straight to the Chieftain's residence, which is located in the center of town." Reynold pointed at the square he made on the napkin. "We'll disembark from the docks. Here." He moved towards the boat in the far corner of the napkin. "It may not seem like a long walk. However, considering where we are, it's best if we lay low and avoid the main path."
The reason was more obvious than them parading through the town with flashing lights.
"For now, we have cloaks I brought with us from Mistral. We can use that to hide ourselves for the meantime." His face tightened. "We'll leave once Roxy's up, but since the Faunus are more accustomed to the night, it'd be best to remain out of sight, moving where traffic is light."
Made sense.
"Sienna, especially, must stay hidden at all times." The gears cranking in his skull were louder than the rumbling engine of the ship. "If anyone associated with the White Fang is in town, which will be most likely, then she's still in grave danger. The only ones we can possibly trust are the Chieftain and his family."
"I wasn't too sure about how much we could trust this Chieftain at first," he continued, "however, after learning about who he was, I couldn't help but chuckle. Apparently, before Sienna came into power as the High Leader, her predecessor was none other than the current Chieftain of Kuo Kuana, and he led the White Fang during their more peaceful days prior to the radical transformation into what they are today."
He scribbled on the napkin some more.
"As I recall, Ruby and Yang had a teammate with the same last name as our dear Chieftain, and judging from how close your teams were, I'm assuming you're familiar with her."
Alexander's heart skipped a beat.
Spinning the napkin around and pushing closer, Reynold tapped the name he wrote on it.
Belladonna.