"T-The Red Reaper killed y-your brother?" Leo asked, his hazel eyes widened, his pupils constricting as so many different emotions clouded his entire being as he felt a ginormous weight fall onto his shoulders.
"Yes, he could've spared my brother, imprisoned him or crippled him, but he killed him!" She said, borderline shouting, gathering looks from several people who were watching their kids as well. Tears threatened to come out of her eyes and Leo set a shaky hand on her shoulder, unable to give her a smile.
"I-I'm sorry that you had to witness that," He whispered in such a low tone that Alex almost didn't hear him at all. "It must've been terrible."
Flashback
"Mother," Leo whispered, holding a day old Hayden in his arms, tears gathering into his eyes. Journey Apollyon looked at her eldest son, bags under her eyes as blood slowly leaked out of her mouth.
"It's okay," She whispered. "I'm just glad that Hayden has someone to keep him safe." She had no hair and was in a hospital gown as she laid on her bed, tubes connecting her to various machines. She had dark red eyes that seemed so pale and weak that they could close and never open again.
But no matter how rich someone was, no matter how advanced the technology was, or how far modern medicine has come, it would not save his mother.
Cancer was the true demon.
"L-Leo," Journey whispered, her arms slowly coming up, shaking the entire time as her finger stroked his cheek. "Can you protect Hayden for me, please?" Leo closed his eyes, the coldness of his mother's hand spreading across his face as he went pale, tears freely climbing down his face, like a river does a mountain.
"I-I will, I promise." Journey nodded as she put her arm down, taking a deep breath.
"Good. Now please, open your eyes so I can see you for you one last time." Leo opened his eyes, making her smile weakly at her eldest son. "You've grown so handsome, and your eyes no longer hold what they did, t-they hold light." She broke into a coughing fit, making Leo panic, but she stopped him with a weak raise of the hand.
"Leo Apollyon, you are a warrior, a strong one. I believe, that i-if you were to really try, you can become a great man as well. You can end this war, you hold that type of power, but no matter what you choose to do, no matter what you become, or what path you follow, I want you to remember this.
"I will always love you." She gave him one last smile before speaking once more. "Please, protect what I loved, what I love, that includes yourself." Leo nodded, his eyes not leaving her gaze. "Good," She closed her eyes and her body went limp, causing Leo to shake as his body shuddered with uncontrollable sobs that erupted from his throat as the ongoing beep echoed in his brain.
His mother was dead.
He then felt a small hand touch his face, and Hayden's arm, in his sleep, had landed on Leo's chin, a small smile on the baby's delicate lips.
A human being with a soul so innocent and so pure. . .
"I will protect you," Leo whispered, kissing the baby's forehead. "No matter what, Hayden."
Flashback End
"It was," Alex whispered in return, wiping the tears away as she gave him a grin, though he could see through it. Behind that grin, was sadness, agony, and loss. "But why do you seem more broken up then I am?"
"It's nothing," Leo spoke, his eyes trained on her own. "I'm just not really good in these types of situations, sorry." He apologized quickly.
"Oh," Was all Alex got out, the two sitting in an uncomfortable silence.
"Oh my god!" A woman's voice cried out. Alex and Leo immediately stood up, their eyes gazing the entire playground. Then, Leo saw them.
A man, around his late thirties to his mid-forties, carrying Hayden in his arms as he ran away as fast as he could, all the while Hayden screaming in an obviously scared tone.
Thump thump
Leo's pupils shrunk as his heart beat out of his chest.
Thump thump
The shout of Alex's distressed cry as she ran towards the man running off with Hayden echoed in Leo's ears.
Thump thump
The concrete cracked below his feet as the world turned black, the only thing in view was the man running with Hayden.
Thump thump
"I will protect you, no matter what, Hayden."
Leo shot off and within a second and a half, he had reached his destination, appearing right in front of the man.
"Holy shit!" The man shouted in surprise as he threw Hayden backward, the four-year-old flying in the air. Leo dashed and caught Hayden, landing on his knees as he slid through the grass. Hayden was crying uncontrollably as he held onto Leo's clothing, grasping for any sort of his brother he could. Leo stood up, handing Hayden to Alex who looked at Leo wide-eyed.
"I'll be back," He said darkly before turning around, meeting the startled man's worried eyes. "You tried to kidnap my brother?"
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to kid?" The man said, glaring at Leo, the child he had stolen now out of his grasp. "I'll kick your ass!"
"I sincerely doubt that," Leo spoke quietly as he walked up to the person. "You see, you tried to take what's most important to me."
"Why don't you shut the hell up!" The man shouted as he threw a punch at Leo, who only caught the punch before delivering one to the man's stomach ten times as hard, causing the man's eyes to widen as spit flew out of his mouth, his feet lifting off the ground for a split second.
"How dare you?" Leo spoke, his voice dark, something Alex had never heard before as she could only watch in awe, clutching Hayden. The man tried swinging another punch but Leo easily grabbed hold of his arm and twisted around and pulled it down, snapping his elbow in half as the man screamed. "You dare try and take him from me?"
He punched the man square in the face as he fell to the ground. Leo ran on top of him and began repeatedly punching him in the face. "The only thing I have! You try and take my little brother away from me, my light, and you think you can hurt me of all people!" Anger consumed him as he kept pummeling the man, his strikes getting more wild and uncontained.
As soon as it came, it left. Leo leaned forward. "You know who I am, don't you? We both know you'd look like a dropped jar of strawberry jelly if I had punched you one time at full power. So tell me,"
"Who are you?" Leo asked, trying to stay calm. "And please give me a good answer or you won't be able to speak."
"I don't have a name!" The man shouted quickly, his words loose and rigid from being beaten so badly. "I'm #3, someone sent me!"
"Who?"
The man shook his head, causing the grip on his shoulder to increase.
"I. Said. Who?" Leo asked, stressing each word as if not to confuse a child.
"He didn't tell me his name, he goes by the Commander!" Leo's eyes widened before standing up.
"Good," He stood up, taking out his cellphone. "I'm going to call the cops now, I hope you enjoy staying in a cell." He glanced at the sorry piece of trash who tried to steal his little brother. "But knowing the Commander, you won't even reach the police station." He then noticed the other people on their phones and put his phone away, knowing he didn't need to call them himself.
He turned around and saw Alex cooing in Hayden's ear sweet nothings, her eyes never leaving Leo. He locked his hazel with her scarlet and her eyes narrowed.
"We need to talk," Leo sighed, rubbing the back of his head, sirens being heard in the distance.
"I guess we do, don't we?"