Melpomene
Part Six: The Black Knight?




O'Connell reached the car before Karl, Thomas and Leon did, Hermann put his motorcycle helmet on his head and turned to look at everyone. "I'm going back to the base, see you all around. See you in my quarters, O'Connell." Hermann revved the engine and took off on the crotch-rocket. O'Connell looked at the three, Leon seemed to be missing.

"Where's Leon?"

"He said he forgot something in the club, he'll be back."

"Oh, okay. We'll wait for him."

The gentlemen entered the car, O'Connell turned on the radio. Thomas slapped his hand away and turned the knob to a station playing Zi's answer to Pop. O'Connell growled and reached for the knob. "Touch it and you lose your hand."

"Screw me. I hate Applegate." O'Connell turned the channel.

"Daugh!!! Infidel!!!"



Leon went into the back alley, shadowing a man in a trench coat. He turned around to see no one standing there, the man took the cigarette from his lips and continued walking. Before he reached the trash dumpsters, something grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall. The photographer gasped, his glasses fell off his face and the cigarette fell to the ground. The person who pinned him against the wall was Leon, he didn't look very happy.

"I saw you taking photos of us. Who are you? Who sent you?"

"I'm a Private Eye!" The photographer choked, grabbing Leon's wrists, trying to pry him away. "President Camford paid me money to shadow her son and his right-hand man!"

".... I don't believe you on that first part. You were also taking photos of me and Col. Schubaltz! Don't lie to me!!"

The photographer gasped and sputtered, he struggled in Leon's grasp. "I swear! It's the truth!"

Leon took the hat off and then ripped the thin headband off, the photographer's brown eyes widened in pure terror. "The Black Knight!? In the Imperial army!?"

"Now that you know who I am and you know our secrets... I cannot let you live." Leon's fingers arched in a clawing motion, then with a bloody spray of flesh and bone, he ripped the photographer's heart out. Searching the bloody mass, the imperial officer pulled out the camera and the film. Along with the body, he burned them in the dumpster, then with magic, Leon cleaned the blood up from his uniform and the ground and walked for the car. Little did he see that he forgot to pick up the photographer's P.I. badge from the ground.



"Leon! What took you!?"

"Sorry, I had to convince the bouncer that I needed to retrieve my wallet." Leon sat down next to Karl, a disconsolate look in his eyes.

"Something's wrong." Karl spoke up, his gaze and expression had the telltale signs of worry.

"Nothing's wrong. Drive us to our hotel, O'Connell."

"Alright." O'Connell put the car in Drive and sped off.

When the three Imperials were dropped off, Leon went straight for the room. Karl grabbed his arm and swung him around, that's when he noticed that Leon's small headband was off. With slender fingers, Karl slowly and carefully peeled Leon's uniform hat off, revealing the Mark of the Black Knight.

"Leon? W-where's your headband?"

"...." He turned toward the window, silent and devoid of any recognizable emotions.

"Leon? Answer me please."

"...I killed a man, Karl."

"W-what?"

"A private investi-- no! A reporter. He took photos of us in the officer's club... kissing and making out. I saw him as we exitted, I spotted the camera. I had to stop him."

"But... who else saw the Mark?"

"No one."

"Why didn't you tell me.... through telepathy?"

"...I don't want to hurt you any longer..." Leon took off his uniform jacket and went straight for the spare bedroom. "...I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

"...Leon..."



"You called, ma'am?" Hermann stepped into Camford's office.

"Sit down, Colonel." Camford spoke in a somewhat hostile voice, she was a little angry.

Hermann sat down and looked at the newspaper on the desk, it was talking about the reporter that was killed. He looked up at his mother as she sipped her coffee. "I want to know everything."

"Everything? What do you mean, ma'am?"

"From you and O'Connell, to Schubaltz and his mysterious second-in-command to what happened at the Officer's Club."

"As far as I'm concerned, the incident at the officer's club was beyond my understanding. As for the others... we were just having some drinks."

"I don't mean that, I meant your involvement with each other."

Hermann thought really hard, but he knew right then and there that he was caught red-handed. He rubbed his temples and thought to himself: //Forgive me, Jake...//

"Are you two seeing each other?"

"Yes, yes we are. What the hell is wrong with that??" Hermann expressed his anger, really on the defensive. "You wouldn't say shit if O'Connell were female!! You wouldn't send Imperial officers to spy on us if O'Connell had tits and a cute ass!!!"

"Watch your tongue, mister...." Camford snapped back at Hermann, her eyes narrowed. "If you were open about this from the very beginning, I wouldn't have been so disconcerting!!"

"I knew you wouldn't have approved from the beginning because I'm your only son and the son's duty is to pass on the legacy of his parents' dynasty! Plus, you also have a thing against homosexuals to begin with!"

"...is that what you think of me, Rob? You think I only want you to give me a grandchild to pass down our family legacy?" Camford's eyes watered with hurt and sorrow. "You should know me better than that. I only want you to be happy and healthy."

"..."

"If you want to continue to see Jake O'Connell as lovers, then do it off-duty." Camford turned around in her chair to face the windows. "But when you are on duty, you will see each other as commanding officers of the Republican Army."

"....yes, ma'am. That all?"

"Yes... that is all, colonel."

Hermann stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him. Camford wiped her tears away and looked at the sky. "I have to remember that Rob's not a little boy anymore...."




-Continued-