Omniscient POV
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In Ozpin's office, the elevator dinged, and Glynda stomped out, pounding at her scroll.
"Ozpin," she said to the Headmaster standing by the window. "The Vytal Festival is drawing near, and we still lack an opening act. Luckily for us, there are a few promising candidates we may choose from."
The room went quiet with the exception of the many gears clunking in the rafters.
Glynda frowned. "Are you listening to me?"
Ozpin sipped his hot cocoa. "Worry not, Glynda. I've already dealt with the matter."
"You have?" She paused and stared. "Since when?"
"Sometime yesterday."
"Is that so?" Her voice dipped several octaves. "And just when were you planning on telling me this?"
"Relax." He went to his desk and refilled his mug. "I wanted it to be a surprise."
"I hate surprises."
"Then you'll love this." Ozpin sat down. "The person I've chosen this year was one of the most gifted graduates we've had the honour of teaching. And if I'm not mistaken, he used to be your favourite."
Glynda's face slacked. "You didn't. . ."
The Headmaster smirked. "Oh, yes. I did."
Meanwhile, far away in Argus, a prominent city in the Kingdom of Mistral on the northwestern coast of Anima, stood proud and mighty by the sea.
Within its walls, a colossus of a man loaded bags and containers into the trunk of a large armoured SUV, parked in the driveway of a stone house at the end of a cul-de-sac.
Like milk coffee in the light, his face beamed bright. His bulging muscles stretched his simple shirt and pants to their limit, and the blend of blacks, whites, and greys creeping out from underneath his camouflage hat matched his furry little tail.
"That's the last of it!" The Faunus said loud enough to wake the entire neighbourhood. "We are set to leave as soon as you're finished!"
Inside the house, another man, garbed in a deep blue waistcoat and a vibrant violet dress shirt, sighed as he packed a suitcase full of clothing and supplies.
"You taking a shower or something?!" The Faunus leaned against the SUV. "We're gonna miss the boat if you don't hurry! If you're nervous about going, we can always—"
The front door opened, and Reynold Hill appeared.
The pair of handguns holstered in his shoulder harness bounced as he came down the stone steps, and strands of his slick black hair and necktie fluttered off to the side, caressed by the wind itself.
"Quiet, Laurence," he said and adjusted his square rimmed glasses. "You'll disturb the neighbours."
"Took you long enough." Laurence chuckled and rounded to the driver's door. "I thought I'd be an old man by the time you've finished."
"Just double checking my things, is all." Reynold placed his suitcase in the back seat before entering the vehicle. "I'm more concerned about how Ozpin and Goodwitch will feel when we arrive. Those two really gave us a hard time at Beacon."
"We always did make a mess of things," he said and stirred up the SUV with the twist of the key.
"Don't remind me." The pile of bad memories gave him a headache. "Speaking of which, any news from Roxy or Yonah yet?"
"It's a no-go." Laurence showed him the messages on his scroll. "They're both caught up in missions. So, it's just us this time, Boss."
"I suppose so." Reynold watched the morning sky. "Straight ahead to the harbour, Laurence. No need to make unnecessary detours."
"You just want to see how Little Ricky's doing, don't you?" He grinned wide and got the wheels turning. "Don't try to hide it either. I know how excited you get when you see him."
Reynold leaned back for what would be a long ride, all the while hiding a smile at the thought of seeing his brother again.
-----
Leon Alexander Gates
-----
Parked by a beach, Alexander took in the salty sea breeze.
"You've really outdone yourself, Xander." Cooper whistled at the scenery. "Never pegged you for a lad who enjoyed these kinds of places."
Alexander lifted Teddy out of the truck and adjusted the child sized beanie fitted on the bear's head lump.
"I'm curious as well." Stiofan carried a couple fold-in chairs. "How did you find such a place?"
"Passed by it while on my way to Vale from Vacuo." He recalled the drawings on the map he used. "Looked nice."
Roderick almost dropped the cooler. "You drove here from Vacuo?"
Alexander nodded and smothered the recollection of that ass numbing drive.
By the time they found a nice spot on the beach and set up camp, the glossy blue sea twinkled under the late afternoon sun floating high above the horizon. Foamy clouds kneaded the shoreline, and seagulls sang one after the other as they paraded across the humming sky.
The pearl white sands pillowed Alexander's boots while the gentle air embraced him in a warmth of nostalgia.
A wistful pull drew him west towards the Kingdom of Vacuo.
Before The Great War, Vacuo was an oasis paradise, brimming with magnificent wildlife and lush vegetation. If the war never happened, would this beach be a fraction of what home used to be like?
"Okay," Cooper said and dusted his clothes. "Now that the camp's done, what now? Surely, you brought us here with a plan in mind, Xander."
Alexander dug a collapsible fishing rod from his duffle bag.
All he got were blank faces until Roderick and Cooper acted like the fishing rod was a lost artifact no one knew what to do with.
The archer peeked inside the bag. "He's got more; one for each of us."
"This reminds me of the many times I went ice fishing in Solitas. Ah, the memories." Reminiscence glazed Stiofan's eyes. "However, I'm sure it'll be a much more pleasant experience here than compared to a remote tundra where all manner of beasts try to interfere with my angling."
Did that even count as fishing anymore, or was it some kind of survival challenge?
"Uh, sounds fun, man." Roderick grimaced. "Must've been hard."
"Nonsense. My mentor usually accompanied me. One of us watched the line, and the other stood guard. Simple, really, but enough about me." Stiofan played with a fishing rod and wandered to the waters. "Fish don't reel themselves, you know."
It took some work, but with Stiofan's help, their reels spun longer than the sun could shine, and soon after throwing some sticks together and igniting them, the growing darkness and the cold air became a joke.
"Just great," said Cooper. He grumbled and held up a branch stacked with marshmallows over the sizzling flames. "How come I'm the only one who hasn't caught anything?"
Roderick offered a comforting smile as he stuck a raw sausage onto his own branch. "We still got time. I'm sure you'll snag something, eventually."
"Indeed." Stiofan cleaned the fish they caught at the foldable table. "If not, then I can always offer my assistance whenever you wish."
"You both said the same thing an hour ago." Cooper dug his heels into the sand. "Bloody cheaters."
"Uh, Cooper," Roderick said. "I think your marshmallows are done."
"What—ahh!"
It's strange.
From the way Cooper panicked and desperately tried to put out his flaming marshmallows to Roderick and Stiofan enjoying every second of it, a foggy feeling stirred within Alexander.
Teddy rubbed against Alexander's legs; he scratched his chin and fed him a few pieces of cooked fish.
This trip wasn't just a short vacation to enjoy.
There was something else Alexander had in mind, even if the thought of it alone churned him full of dread.
A deal was a deal, and it was time to hold up his end of the bargain.
Alexander leaned onto his knees, swallowing the bitterness of his gnawing anxiety, and for the first time in ages, he let his heart do the talking.
"Listen up," he said, loud and firm from the gut.
Everyone hit the brakes on whatever they were doing.
"What I'm about to say isn't supposed to change anything." He leaned on his knees and hung his head. "I need to get something off my chest, and I'm only going to say it once."
This was it. The moment of truth. No backing out now.
"Despite all the months we spent together, I'm still no better than a stranger." He bounced his foot like a piston running his emotional engine for all its worth. "But lately, I've been having these dreams that I can't shake off. And in all honesty, thinking about it now, I think they were trying to remind me of something I've forgotten."
After a short pause to collect himself, he continued.
"I want to try—" He cleared his throat and choked his fists until they went white. "I want you to get to know me better."
There was a promise, a borrowed wish, that Alexander gave up everything for to reach. He grew up faster, became stronger. There was no room for anything or anyone else on the rugged and endless road he traveled, so he severed it before it could drag him down.
The people around him were left behind and blocked off by a wall designed to keep them away.
Now, all these years later, it started to crumble.
"The truth is. . . What I'm trying to say is. . . I want to be friends." Alexander finally mustered the will to meet their eyes. "And to prove how serious I am, I'll have to let you in on a secret."
Each passing second fell to a crawl, every word that came out his lips riled the doubts and uncertainties in him, making him want to do nothing more than to shut up already.
He pressed on.
"It has to do with my name—my real name," he said.
If it wasn't for the crackle of the fire, the gliding tides, and the heart beat drumming his ears, the silence would've lasted forever.
Alexander drew the hardest breath of his life and let it out.
"I am Leon Laconia."
Their stunned expressions were all he needed to see.
Although The Great War happened a lifetime ago, General Laconia's defection to Vacuo was a betrayal loud enough to ring through the ages, so Alexander couldn't fault his team's surprise over him being a descendant of the man who turned the tides of the war.
Not only that, they also must've figured out that he was a survivor of the massacre from seven years ago.
Only a hermit living under a rock wouldn't have heard a thing about that.
"Alex," Roderick said and struggled as if he were having a tough time trying to blurt whatever it was he wanted. "I also have a confession to make: I don't have a Semblance."
Alexander did a double take, but judging by Stiofan and Cooper's sharp reactions, he heard right.
Roderick's cheeks went pink. "I know, I know. It's pretty much the first thing we learn how to do after unlocking our Aura. Mine just. . . Mine never came. Go figure." He shrugged and kicked the sand. "To this day I'm still trying to find it."
Alexander tensed.
He prepared himself for a corny speech, an uncomfortable amount of questions or even a volley of sympathy, so that instead was a nice thing to hear.
"That's not all," Roderick said. "After I lost my arm, the hardest part was trying to accept the fact that it was gone for good. I tried not to think about it, and I stuffed all those feelings so far down, I almost forgot about it. My body wouldn't let me off that easily, though." He rubbed his prosthetic and flourished a bittersweet smile. "It's gotten easier over the years, but it still itches sometimes, you know. It's the same for you, isn't it?"
The declaration resonated with him, but before Alexander could respond, Stiofan went next.
"I suppose I should confess as well." He straightened himself and awkwardly coughed into a fist. "I. . . I appear to harbour. . . special feelings for Blake."
Roderick's eyes bulged. "Since when?"
Alexander shook his head and Cooper scoffed, flicking a burnt marshmallow at Roderick..
"Guess it's my turn now," the archer said and held his hands over his head like a criminal caught in the act, remorse splashed on his face. "I don't know if any of you know, but it was me all along. I'm the one who's been stealing Radek's meals every morning. Oh, the woes. . ."
Alexander snorted, and everyone else chuckled over it.
"Alex," said Roderick. He came over and held out his hand. "I'm glad—we're glad that you told us all that. And either way, Laconia or not, you're still our teammate. Our friend."
Their acceptance comforted him, and he clasped his forearm without a second thought.
A whir cut through the air.
Out of the four fishing rods they left spiked in the beach, Cooper's rod was about ready to fly into the sea.
"No way!" Cooper rocketed over and snatched the rod. "A little help here!"
The fish pulled him off his feet, reversing roles to reel itself a raccoon.
Roderick and Stiofan scrambled to rescue Cooper, yet despite their combined strength, the fish still had the upper hand.
Alexander clamped the rod, and together, they yanked it up to the sky.
Droplets of water rained stars while the fish glowed like a stray piece of the fractured moon, big enough to take up half the space in the back of Alexander's truck.
Roderick, Stiofan, and Cooper lost their balance, collapsing flat on the sand and in a hearty circle full of laughter. Butterflies fluttered in Alexander's stomach, and for a moment, he saw his family having the time of their lives.
The team snapped pictures with the fish and celebrated the big catch before dragging it back in the water.
"Hold on. This calls for a little something special," said Cooper. He retrieved his backpack from camp. "We wanted to save these for a little later, but now's as good a time as any, I guess."
Cooper tossed a black ball at Roderick and Stiofan and lastly to Alexander.
Wait, seriously?
It was a chocolate muffin.
"That sister of yours is a sneaky one." Cooper shook his muffin. "She said if we wanted to get on your good side and finish our job quickly, all we had to do was give you one of these dandy fellas."
"Yeah, we wanted to surprise you." Roderick bounced the muffin in his hand. "So, the three of us pitched in to make them."
Something suddenly occurred to him.
"That favour," Alexander said. "What exactly was it?"
They looked at each other and grinned as if he said something funny.
"Actually," said Stiofan, "Nebula asked us for two favours."
"One," Roderick pointed at his face, "she wanted us to make you smile."
"The other one was tough," Cooper said. "Though, I think we got it figured out now."
"And what would that be?"
"Isn't it obvious, mate?" He jerked a thumb at the campfire. "You said it yourself a minute ago."
Alexander was hit by a pop quiz he was forced to quickly solve on his own. However, once he figured it out and the solution stared him dead in the face, he became the biggest idiot in the world for not realizing the answer sooner.
A tremor found its way to his belly. It rumbled to his chest, shook his shoulders, and boomed out of his mouth, making him do something he hadn't done in a long while.
The team gawked.
"Alex," Roderick said.
"Is," Stiofan said.
"Laughing?" Cooper said.
Alexander swept his beanie into a pocket and combed back his messy locks.
Fate's a funny thing, huh.
Out of all the people in the world, who could've ever imagined that the four of their asses would get stuck together?
The road he walked didn't seem so empty anymore, and who knows? Maybe along the way, he might even remember what it's like to have someone to call a friend.
Luckily for him, he had three of them now.
"I don't have much else to say, really, except for one last thing." He bit his muffin and smirked. "Call me Leon."
------
"Don't worry, Chrysos." Leon crawled and fought off the burns clawing his shoulder. "I'll get you out of here."
Come on. Keep going!
He carried him with whatever strength he had left, but the moment they passed the gates of his home, his legs gave way and they collapsed.
No, no, no!
"It's okay," Chyrsos said. His voice sounded as if it were put through a grinder. "It's okay. . ."
"Chrysos, I'm gonna get you out of here." His legs locked and refused to budge. "Damn it!"
"I'm not going. . . to make it, buddy." He drew his handkerchief from a pocket, unscathed and golden in his home's fiery light. "Do me a favour. . . and wipe your face."
Leon slapped the cloth over the river flowing down his cheeks.
"You know, I always. . . wanted to be a hero." He wheezed and struggled to sit up. "Someone who could save anyone and everyone no matter what. . . Exactly like in the stories." His tears welled. "But that's impossible now."
"Don't go saying stupid stuff like that, you ass." Leon sniffled and laid his friend over his lap. "When we get out of here, you can do just that."
"Yeah. . ." He coughed ash. "Stupid stuff. . ."
As much as he hated to admit it, Chrysos wasn't going anywhere, but that didn't mean his dream had to stay with him.
There was only one way it could still live on.
Leon did his best to hold it together and pointed at himself.
"How about I do it for you?" He smiled big enough for the whole world to see. "You can count on me."
Within the charred skin tearing apart his face, the white of Chrysos' eyes shined hope.
"Guess. . . I'll leave it to you, then." He let out a toothy grin for a final time and raised his arm. "You really. . . are the best. I'm glad. . . I met you, Leon."
Leon clasped his hand. "And I'm glad I met you, Chrysos."
"At least. . . try to remember my name. . . you pipsqueak."
How could he ever forget?
"When I'm big and strong, I'll carry your dream wherever I go and spread it far and wide, for years and years, until the whole world knows who you are." Leon touched his best friend's chest and laughed away the pain. "That way everyone will always cherish your name. . . Alexander."