So you get a sparring session in this. Mind you, me writing fight scenes? Hella terrible, probably cringe-worthy, but an attempt was made. I didn't try to complicate it, but I felt like it needed to be included. Other than that, fairly normal stuff, all things considered.
...
The conversation went well. The Legends were checking up on him, while thoughtful, but ultimately unnecessary. He doesn't need compassion, he doesn't need anyone, but his earlier words to his sister say otherwise. Secretly, he wants someone to be his rock, when he himself can't be. Does having emotions make him as weak as he thinks it does?
Speaking of thinking, he doesn't have a feel for all of the Legends' combat prowess. The clips and highlights don't do it justice. He was going to have to spar one of them. It doesn't matter which one, but he doesn't feel as confident as before. It feels like his old school all over. Everyone making fun of him because he couldn't do this or that. Why he feels that way, well, he only ever wanted to fit in, be normal. However, that was thrown out the window when they came. Ezra groaned aloud, he was going to have nightmares about it. No medication can help him with them either. While he's no doctor, he could self-diagnose himself with either PTS or PTSD. He may, uncomfortably so, ask Ajay about it. It certainly feels like it, but he could always be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.
"Ezra, I told you to hurry up! We're going to be late!" Eliza said walking out the door of their house. It was a modest size house for the two of them. They were walking to their grandparent's diner to help out for the day like they've been doing for years.
Ezra ran out the door right behind his sister, beaming at her, "I told you that you don't have to constantly baby me. I can handle myself, Ellie. I do appreciate the concern that you still have for me." Still, he was a child at heart at the ripe age of nineteen. Eliza was twenty-three.
"Well, someone has to keep you out of trouble," she teased with a smile. This was one of those rare days where her radiant smile wasn't hidden by a face covering. Her almost dark-chocolate colored hair shined in the weather today, making it look silky than normal. Ezra just let his hair flow naturally, he was attempting to grow it our a little bit. He was getting it cut soon, so he haphazardly threw it back. Their opposite matching heterochromia eyes twinkled with mischief.
Ezra decided to be a little childish, "Race you!"
That, however, proved to be a mistake.
Ezra gasped as he shot out of bed, shaking like a leaf. Why was he dreaming about that? Looking over at the clock, it said it was just shy of four AM. Typical. "Welp, not going back to sleep anytime soon." So, he did what any sane person would do; he got dressed and went to exercise.
The walk to the weight room was quiet, as no one was up, and no one to bother him. He just wanted peace, and sneaking out of the compound constantly would only draw suspicion, something he doesn't want nor need. As he entered the weight room, he noticed that some of them were missing from their respective racks. That and a voice said, "Couldn't sleep?"
The voice was feminine, but only one could bring about chills while being in the same room. "Nope, bad dream," his response clipped. He doesn't want to be harsh, but he also doesn't trust easy. The last people who had that trust shattered it into a billion pieces and then blasted it out into oblivion. He's just a little short on trust.
There were a few beats of silence before the voice spoke again, "Do you want to talk about it?"
A sigh, "I do, but I don't even know where to start."
"From the beginning would be the best place, in my opinion," they said, coming out into the light. Of course, it was Renee, wearing long skin-tight pants, black shoes, and a sports bra. Her skin shined in the low light which meant she has been here for quite some time.
"You get two questions, Renee, and I'll give you two answers. Sound fair?" he asked as he went to the pull-up bar.
"Probably the most open you've been since you got here," Renee snarked lightly.
"Watch it," Ezra warned. To keep his breathing even, he turned around and took away his face covering and tucked it into the waistband of his pants. He started slowly with his pullups. He never did many of them, but getting a set in would be great. If he was being honest, pullups were his weak point, along with deadlifting.
"Why did you come to the Outlands if you lived in the Core planets?" Renee asked without remorse. Damn, she's going in. Honesty is the best policy, right?
"Wanted to… get away from… it all. Not much left… for me… there. That and, I wanted... to feel... pain," he answered grunting in between each pullup.
Renee seemed taken back by his brutal honesty. She didn't ask why, but she could hazard a guess. She took a moment to appreciate the sight in front of her. She had to admit, he was pretty built- maybe built isn't the right word- but toned, and from the Game footage he could move when he wants too. "I see," she finally responded.
Ezra had finished his set of pullups before finding a weight, "Could you put this on my back?"
"Trusting me already seems like a foolish move," Renee remarked.
"Never said I was smart. I have my moments," Ezra retorted. The Skirmisher walked over to him as he got into the pushup position. "Middle of your back?" All she got was a grunt of confirmation. She set the weight down as Ezra began to do two sets of pushups.
Silence reigned between the two Legends. Silence except for the sounds of their breathing and Ezra's grunts of exertion. "I'm still waiting for that second question."
Renee tsked, pushing her bangs out of her face, "Give a girl a moment to think, would you?"
Ninety seconds later when she still didn't ask a question, Ezra quipped, "Moment's over."
"Smartass," Renee shot back.
Little did Ezra know, he felt much more at ease than he did twenty minutes ago. There was a strange feeling in his chest and he wanted it to stay and to fuck off and never come back. Maybe it was because he could feel her eyes on him, potentially admiring. The other half was because he felt like he was flirting with a taken woman. Flirting… something else Ezra doesn't do well. The new Legend was definitely confident in many aspects, but the romance side… let's just say that he was incredibly lucky to land who he had.
"I'm serious though, ask me another question. I mean the things I say," Ezra said as he powered through his last pushup, rolling over onto his back, using his arms to cover his face. While she could pry his arms off his face, she can respect privacy. However, that didn't stop her eyes from trailing along his body, again.
"Why do you hide your face?" The words were genuine and curious, but they still stuck a chord within Ezra's heart. He tensed, fists clenching, and resisting the urge to cry.
He constantly berated himself in his mind. Legends don't cry, and Legends don't get upset at the innocent things. If he was smart, he wouldn't answer, but he did say that he would answer. Lying about it won't help. "An accident back in the core planets."
"That's only the tip of the iceberg there, Ezra. Tell me what happened. Not the full thing, but give me something here," Renee whispered, her eyes making contact where his eyes would be.
A sigh escaped from under his arms, "What do you know about Titans?"
Renee's eyes widened in the low light, then she whistled, "I can see why you don't want to talk about it." She hummed for a second, "I actually don't remember… no… can't recall what they look like, but I imagine they had something to do with it, considering the fact you're asking."
"They did, and for the life of me, I don't know why. It was terrible, and I-" he cut himself off. Renee didn't press him for more, she asked her questions, and she got her answers. As lackluster as some of them were, she'll take what she can get. "They're responsible for the scars on my face," he whispered, barely audible.
"So that's why you wear a face mask, to cover them," Renee said softly, but firmly, making a statement rather than a question.
He's ashamed of them.
Comfort him.
Tell him.
Ezra nodded and clenched his fists more. He didn't want to see the pity in her eyes. He was much more prepared for the scorn he was expecting to receive. So when he removed his arm from his eyes, Ezra found them looking at him softly. It certainly was… unexpected, but also… refreshing?
Renee was internally freaking out. She wanted to help him, but she only really knew how to help Natalie when it came to stress like this. So, she decided to do just that.
Danger!
Don't do it!
You know you want to.
The voices warned her, and there was always one who was on the same wavelength. It didn't come up often, but just this once, she listened to the last one. One of her hands gripped his, her thumb rubbing over his knuckles. Ezra felt the tension fade, but not disappear. Instincts told him to lash out, to show that he wasn't weak. Yet, he felt content. "Do you remember it?"
Ezra's eyes narrowed at her question.
"It's a yes or a no, Ezra. It's like pulling teeth with you," she shook her head.
"Yes," he gritted out.
Renee's face contorted into a small frown, "Then you and I have more in common than we care to admit."
This perked Ezra's interest, "How so?"
Tell him.
Tell him so he can understand.
He's not alone.
Blinking a few times to clear the voices, "I don't remember anything about my life since three years ago. I didn't know anything about myself and it was through the Games that I found out who I am. Who I was," Renee said before she could stop herself. "So when I say you're not alone in the nightmare department, you aren't." She scoffed, "Why else do you think I would be here and not with Natalie? Once I'm up, I'm up."
Nodding his head, he almost removed his arm but stopped, "Could you, uhm, turn around so I can put my face covering on?" Ezra asked, uncharacteristically shy.
Rolling her eyes, "Fine, but I will one day see what's under the mask." The Skirmisher stood up and turned around, respecting his wishes.
The Marksman gave her a shout when he was done. Then, they were just standing there, gazing into each other's eyes. They seemed to be speaking without words. Eventually, Ezra broke said contact and coughed into his hand awkwardly. "Do you wanna spar?"
A singular raven-colored eyebrow rose, "Are you sure?"
Ezra shrugged, "I need to see where I stand." With that, he assumed his stance. Renee did the same.
Instead of waiting, Ezra went to her first, with a quick jab. She parried it and pushed him back. "Come on," she taunted. "Where's the LF from the Games? I want to see that, Ezra."
Bait, but not one he would rise to. "Maybe he died. Probably for the best."
Renee then rushed him, she wasn't using the Void for obvious reasons, and she still knows how to fight outside of it. Before he could react, she landed two blows past his guard. However, Ezra let her. When she struck the second time, he pushed her back foot, out of place before slamming his palm against her sternum. There was an audible thwack and it effectively pushed her back and allowed him to rush her. Staggering from the blow, she tried to defend and did so poorly. He knocked her onto the ground, but he wasn't going to call it there. It felt too easy.
Turns out, he was right, she leaped from the ground, grappling against him, using his weight as momentum. She threw him to the mat and attempted to pin him. Ezra slipped a hand around her left leg and pushed, effectively throwing her off him. Within seconds, the tides turned again.
If anyone walked in, they would see two people wrestling on the mats over the sparring session. Renee was the first to break free and back up to a standing position. Ezra sprung up from the ground, getting into a defensive stance. Renee knew she couldn't win directly, even with the voices helping her. Sure, alternate realities are cool and all, but they are only possibilities. Ezra attempted to punch her on the shoulder, to disrupt her balance. However, that proved to be the opposite. He overextended and from that, she pounced, landing a solid punch across his chin. Thankfully, there was no audible crack, but he bit his tongue to keep from grunting in pain. Okay, tiny woman, heavy hitter.
Staggering back, Renee pushed her advantage, sweeping his legs out from underneath him and pinning him to the mat. One.. two… three. "I win," she said, breathing somewhat heavily, letting loose her tense muscles.
Breathing in a similar state, "Good, becuzz ifh I did, then there would be a problem," his sentence sounded weird. Renee was immediately concerned.
"I didn't hit you too hard, did I?" she asked.
Ezra shook his head, "No, bit mah tongue when yah socked me. Be feelin dat in a hot minute." He then looked down and saw she was still pinning him, "Uhm, you can get up now." Thankfully, Ezra's cheeks were already red, otherwise, Renee would have noticed the blush.
Seeming to finally notice their position, Renee hastily backed off him with a matching blush. "You did well for a first spar, but your jaw is going to feel it."
"I'm already feeling it. Nothing ice won't do to take down the swelling," he said speaking somewhat normal. Renne extended a hand to pull him up and he accepted. "To be honest, I kinda knew I was out of my league, but that's what a spar is for, right?" Ezra asked her, and yet subtly, was saying how awesome she is.
"You'll get better with time, no doubt. Just try not to overexert yourself, that is one thing you did constantly. Not every target is going to be your height or weight. You may get smaller targets like me or Octavio," Renee critiqued him.
"I'll keep that in mind," he walked towards the exit and he felt the soreness in his muscles. Definitely going to be an easy day before the season starts. The elder Legend turned back around to grab her things before she stilled. "Thanks, by the way."
Renee turned around to respond, but when she did, he was already out the door.
"What the hell happened to your face?!" Elliott shouted as soon as he entered the kitchen four hours later. Makoa, Pathfinder, Ajay, Anita, and Octavio all looked at Ezra. They saw it but didn't comment. Then again, they were more drawn to the breakfast on the table, and they certainly had more class than Elliott. Thankfully, most of the swelling went down with ice, but it did hurt to chew solid foods. Not the biggest drawback, at least nothing was broken.
"Sparred with her," Ezra jabbed a thumb at Renee. He winked right after, no one caught it except her.
"What did you do? Touch her scarf? Or did you flirt with Natalie when she was right next to her?" Elliot said with a smug grin. The aforementioned defender squealed in protest and started spouting off in her native tongue, completely flustered, and also lost on the context of the conversation.
"Babe, most of us cannot understand you when you speak that fast," Renee calmed her girlfriend.
"Désolée, Doudou. So, what happened?" the baby blue eyes locked on Ezra's, her hands cupped under her chin, curiosity shining in her eyes.
"Well…" Ezra looked to Renee who subtly shook her head. "I said something stupid and like children- I mean adults- we took it to the sparring mats. She kicked my ass, of course. Got a nice shiner as a souvenir." Renee rolled her eyes, but didn't deny it. The bruising on his jaw spread to his cheek and was clearly visible. Ajay came to look over and with permission from Ezra prodded at it. He was actually meaning to see her about this.
"Definitely did a numba on it, but you should be all gud in time for the first match of the season," Ajay said, patting Ezra's shoulder. "If you want, I could let D.O.C speed the process along?" The drone perked up at its name.
Ezra politely declined the offer, "Pain is a great motivator, plus allows me to plot some sweet revenge. That and I didn't sleep well and needed a pick me up that wasn't coffee."
"That explains why I woke up and you weren't there," Natalie murmured. Only Renee heard her. Renee knew he was hiding something. From what the Void user witnessed last night, he was hurting like the rest of the Legends. One way or another, everyone carried hurt, but it seemed like he buried his deep within his eyes. No one noticed how Renee was staring directly at him, not even Natalie noticed.
Ezra's thoughts were consumed how much he and Renee bonded over the course of eight hours. Still, Elliott was sorta right, but was he? Was he flirting with Renee? Not through words, but through actions? I'm such a horrible person. The very last thing he wanted was to be in the middle of someone else's relationship. He does not want to be the catalyst for the break-up or arguments. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the counter.
"So who won?" Anita asked for clarification. Ezra snapped out of his self-deprecating state and pointed at Renee. "Not surprising, she's a tough one."
"You at least got a couple hits in, don't sell yourself short, Ezra," Renee huffed. "You make it sound like I'm cruel."
There was a teasing glint in his eyes, "You said it, not me. By the way, how's your sternum?"
"Bruised, thanks for that," Renee said, rubbing said area with her free hand.
That got a resounding chuckle from each Legend present, except Natalie. "Why didn't you tell me, chérie? I would have made it feel better." It didn't take a genius to see where she went with that. That little quip from Natalie made Renee blush harder than before, almost doing a spit take.
Ezra absolutely lost it, his eyes now filled with mirth. Makoa joined in on the rambunctious laughter and he slammed his hand on the countertop, making everything… jiggle, for lack of a better term.
When everyone calmed down, there was silence. Not an awkward one, but a comfortable one. Ajay was watching the interactions between the Dark Sparks pair and the stone-cold marksman, who doesn't seem so cold considering the past half hour.
Octavio left the room without anybody knowing. Loba wandered in, along with Revenant. Whatever those two did at the end of the hunt seemed to have pacified them, but they still hated one another.
The off-season seemed to be much tamer than the previous seasons. Park entered the room, "The advisors announced the squads for the next season." This caused an uproar of everyone scrambling to see. "Come on, old man."
Elliot raced after Park, "You can't call me old when you're older than me!"
"I have a feeling no one wants the new blood," Ezra said offhandedly. Natalie had rushed out to go see. Everyone was excited leaving the room, and just like that, his shoulders dropped and he let out a tense sigh. Just like that, his eyes were filled with pain again. He mumbled under his breath, "Not like this is any different."
"Look at me," Renee said sternly, palms down on the kitchen island. Hesitantly, Ezra met her gaze, those azure irises burrowing into his cobalt and violet ones. "The longer you hide it, it will combust on you and it will hurt those you consider close. Take it from someone who knows."
"Fine sure, whatever," Ezra dismissed her but he didn't want to admit she's right about it. The only person he can vent to was galaxies away. Even though they are on the other side of said galaxy, maybe, he doesn't know. Ezra is not an astronomer.
"Now come on, we better see if we are partnered or not," Renee tapped his shoulder before leaving the room.
Now that he had the room to himself, he released another tense breath, this one even more so than the last. "What am I going to do, Eliza? When I land, it's going to hurt like a bitch."
Finally catching up to the Legends, Ezra looked to see them crowded by the list and they all had a knowing look. He paused as they all looked at him. As he stepped forward, he looked down the list with narrowed eyes. Pathfinder, Revenant, and Octane.
Certainly an interesting trio, if Ezra had to comment on it. The next pairing was definitely something. Gibraltar, Lifeline, and Crypto. He could see the synergy between them, the medic, scout, and assault. The next trio read, Caustic, Loba, and Bangalore. Ezra doesn't know how that's going to work, but they'll figure it out. Probably.
However, he noticed the next trio and it almost made it heart stop and restart all at once. This was just the universe messing with him. It had to be. He didn't make any external reaction, but he was currently jumping for joy and cowering in fear for a fuckload of reasons.
Wraith, Wattson, and Leadflare. The very next line read.
Both of his now assigned squadmates stood off to the side. "Looks like you're stuck with us, newblood," Renee teased.
Natalie was much more enthusiastic, "Magnifique! This season is going to be great!" As a natural reaction, the young defender hugged the marksman. Ezra, caught unprepared, flinched and tensed. Natalie noticed immediately and he hated to see the young woman fret over him. Her baby blue eyes held so much concern it threatened to make him sick. Why would she care? She quickly backed away, "Désolé, Ezra. I just got excited."
Regaining his stability, he chuckled awkwardly, "Don't worry about it. J-just warn me next time." The stutter was small, almost could be mistaken as an adrenaline rush, considering the syringe he keeps on his person was filled.
Both of the women caught the stutter. Natalie was about to ask a question, but Renee led her away, leaving Ezra to absorb what transpired. He sighed, what was he going to do about it? Everything just became so much more complicated than it needed to be.
"Chérie?" Natalie asked when they were far enough away, back in Renee's room which consisted of grey, white, silver, and black. Along with a little blue here and there, and a Nessie plush that Natalie won for her at some fair.
"Don't take it personally, but I think he was experiencing a flashback," Renee explained, leaning her forehead on her girlfriend's.
"Pourquoi?" She asked innocently.
Renee separated from her girlfriend with a kiss on the forehead. She then ran a hand through her raven locks, undoing the bun she placed it in. "He was hurt in the past." Seeing the confusion rise in her eyes, she continued, "Whatever he experienced is still shadowing him. The reason I wasn't in bed today was because we were sparring. He had a nightmare, and I did too," the Skirmisher admitted. She turned around, waiting. To say she was surprised as she felt two arms wrap around her waist and a chin on her shoulder.
"You're worried about him, oui?" Natalie asked. The defender already knew her answer. She was worried when she even noticed the pain in his eyes. Maybe that's why he wears the glasses. Even though he hasn't worn them, he must not have seen a point in keeping them on when they already know what his eyes look like.
"Would you be upset if I said yes?" Renee mumbled.
"Non, because I'm worried too. I don't like seeing anyone go through their pain alone," Natalie said, breathing into Renee's neck, her lips nipping at the skin.
"N-Nat," the skirmisher stuttered. "I know, but he won't open up. I don't expect to easily, or at all. But from what I know, there was s-something the-there about…" she trailed off as she tried to withhold a moan, barely succeeding. "Damn tease."
The whispered words sent a chill down Renee's spine, "You know it, mon ange." Renee felt her body being pulled to her bed and she was looking up into mischievous baby blue eyes. "He'll open up eventually, right?"
"Hopefully. Now what-"
Renee was cut off as Natalie pushed their lips together, locking them into an extreme game of tonsil hockey. The reason being was because they both unknowingly got what they wanted.
There was one thing that got all the Legends going: This season was going to be full of revelations.
