Enslaved To A Flame
Chapter 10
Inner Wiring
"What's on the agenda?" Leo asked, dropping his duffle bag by the empty bottom bunk on Victoria's side.
"Sparring." William replied as he walked by. He swung a foot out, hooking the bag and sliding it across the room to the other side. "Victoria gets her own side of the room for obvious reasons." He carried the greatsword to the bed, propping it up against the bunkbed frame.
Leo seemed disappointed by that prospect, but he couldn't argue.
"Who am I fighting? The chick or you?" Leo asked, leaning next to his sword. He rested a hand on the cross guard, a natural position, but one that didn't escape William's eye.
"The chick, has a name you know." Victoria butted in as she came through the door. "And she's not eye candy either." She shot Leo a cold glare. "Yeah. I saw you."
Leo pursed his lips, neither denying nor confirming her statement. He backed out of it instead, turning to William. "So who is it?"
"Me." William replied, "I have my sword already at the arena. I'm ready when you are. If you're jetlagged we can do this later."
"Now is perfect. Need to stretch." Leo replied, picking up his sword and heading for the door. He hesitated at the threshold, looking back at them.
William nodded at him. "Go on ahead. I'll meet you there." Leo shrugged, letting William and Victoria have the room as he shut the door.
"I'm not sure about his personality." Victoria blurted out. "I don't like people looking at me. Especially not like that."
"Nervous reaction. Stereotypical behavior becomes default when ne situations arise." William replied, crossing his arms and moving to sit on the windowsill. "He's stable though. At least normally. Now I want to see if he'll have problems with that in a fight."
Victoria cocked an eyebrow at him. "What does that entail? Are you going to be safe?"
"Provoking him. Picking at his trauma most likely. Killing anyone isn't an easy task, and it leaves its scars on the mind. If Leo can't handle pressure during a fight, then I need to know so I can handle that weakness when it appears." William explained. A heavy sigh left his lips as he turned to look out the window.
"Any other thoughts?" Victoria broached, taking the other side of the window and looking out.
"I think he's faking. A mask to hide his faults. He plays into too many things. Impulsiveness. Bravado. He's overcompensating to hid the fact that he doesn't want to get attached to other people."
"All that from a few words of dialogue?" Victoria frowned. "Aren't you assuming a lot?"
"No. I got all that from Ozpin's report." William nodded to his desk. "Check the top drawer when Leo's not around. It's a hefty packet. Fully analyzed by a psychiatrist." William pushed off the wall, heading to the door. "You can watch or stay."
Victoria nodded, glancing at his desk for a moment. Then she shrugged. "I might as well watch. Maybe I'll see someone get the better of you."
William snorted, rolling his eyes as he opened the door. "Unlikely."
They walked together across the campus, finding Leo waiting by the arena doors. He shrugged helpelessly, gesturing to the small scanner by the door.
"Haven't been registered yet." He produced a scroll from his vest pocket. "Guess that's something else I'll have to do today."
William nodded, but didn't expand on the conversation. The scanner blinked green as he walked up, scanning his scroll from his pocket.
The combat area was empty for the time. A few students lingered around in the bleachers. Coco lounged in one corner, Fox beside her. She waved at William giving him a wink and a suggestive eyebrow wiggle before nodding at Victoria.
"Who's that?" Victoria asked. "She knows you for sure."
"Coco Adel." William replied, making his way around the stands to the stairs that would lead into the combat zone. "Team leader of CFVY. They were the team I was on a mission with when you arrived. She's an…" William glanced back at her, as if weighing his words. "interesting character."
Victoria nodded, considering it as she stopped at the stairs. Leo and William went on, leaving her to join the crowd to watch.
"You're pretty shit at the whole playboy flirt thing you know." William stated as they swung through the locker room, picking up William's sword.
"Come again?" Leo cocked an eyebrow at him. "You saying something?"
"Don't hide trauma with arrogance or obnoxious behavior." William explained. "Or in the least, don't try to flirt with Victoria. She's got enough on her plate."
Leo seemed to consider it as he eyed William up. His cheek poked out, as if he was pushing it out with his tongue to think. Then he nodded.
"They told me this team was special." He muttered. "Guess I didn't consider what she went through beforehand. A pretty girl like that." He trailed off, looking behind his shoulder. "Didn't really think she'd get much more than some tough school abuse or something."
"Keep it on a leash." William advised. "Everyone's broken in different ways. Just have to find the cracks."
"That what this is?" Leo's reply was sharp, defensive. "Find out what's broken?"
William glanced at him as they walked out to the center of the zone. Shoulders were tense. Grip tight. Jaw set. He'd hit a nerve already. Someone didn't like to acknowledge the truth.
"Yeah. Ozpin wants me to help you. Similar experiences and all that." William spun Moonlight Sonata, letting the hilt play through his fingers as he twirled it. "Some lie about building each other up by tearing down like walls."
"Sounds like a load of crap." Leo replied, sweeping his greatsword off his shoulder. He took a step back, leveling it at William. "Don't come at me with some empathetic bull either. I ain't charity."
William whipped his sword around, slapping Leo's sword aside. A flick of his wrist and the tip of Moonlight Sonata was on his collarbone.
"Bravado won't help you out of this one. Neither will killing me." William felt a grin tickle his lips. A wolfish grin that spread across his lips. "And don't make the mistake of thinking you're the only one with blood on their hands in this group."
Leo gritted his teeth, his expression morphing as his face turned red. "The hell you playin' at?"
"You." William replied, nodding his head at Victoria. "Start the match!" He called. "I'm playing at your weakness. If you can't take me picking at every crack you have then I don't need you on my team."
Leo's eyes narrowed. "I'm no weakling. Don't play with things bigger than you."
The buzzer sounded, Aura gauges flashing onto the screen.
"Don't play with a creature with longer fangs than you." William countered, taking a step forward.
Leo swept the greatsword across, faster than William anticipated. William parried the sword, the smaller blade ringing sharp as he deflected Leo's attack.
"Don't fool yourself!" Leo snarled, coming back in hard.
William parried the next blow in the same manner, but it left his hands tingling. The next swipe he sidestepped, weaving through Leo's swing and ducking under the blade.
He exhaled, dropping all pretexts of defense as he focused on Leo's attacks. A greatsword only had so many movements when factoring in the ground. That left Leo with only a handful of variations.
Leo swung in an overhead slash, William grimaced, his form shivering, his aura bar dipping. The sword slammed into the floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.
William stepped up onto it, heading up the length of it to advance. Leo flexed, his arms flushing with blood as he wrenched the blade back up. William tumbled off the weapon and hit the ground as Leo swept it out from under him.
He rolled to the side as Leo chopped down at him, springing to his feet. He twisted out of the way of another blow, then back flipped over a reverse cut that would have cleaved him in two. He glanced at Leo, noting the light sweat the boy had worked up in their brief clash.
Stamina would have to be a major point for him. That or more efficient tactics.
Leo shifted the great sword, a one handed grip. Something was coming. The hilt collapsed into the blade, the crossguard closed around the hilt, almost like a trigger guard.
"Don't play with me." Leo snarled, sweeping it back.
William snorted. A swing with that much wind-up would be strong and fast, but the tell was of like size. He could dodge it with his eyes closed.
The blade swung forward, cleaving across his waist to bisect him. William took a step back out of range. The blade whined as Leo suddenly grasped the guard. William heard the click of a trigger.
That was when he was it. A thin barrel in the middle of Leo's sword. Small notches running along with inside gap. It was naïve to think he didn't have ranged capabilities.
William wrenched himself to the side, feeling his back pop as he threw himself out of the way and to the ground.
Energy slashed through his Aura, sending his gauge plummeting into the yellow. He rolled back to his feet as Leo came around with a backhanded swing.
William saw the weapon clearly this time. He was ready. Leo squeezed the trigger and the barrel shined for a fraction of a second, then came the laser.
William pitched back, bending at the knees and waist as the greatsword swept over him. His head scrapped the ground, muscles tensing as he pulled himself back up.
"Didn't think you'd dodge that." Leo commented, letting his sword come to a rest as he glanced at the gauges. "But I'm winning this bout. My fangs are longer than yours."
William paused, considering the larger boy for a moment. Then he smiled. Moonlight Sonata flipped around, a reverse grip.
"Told you before and I'll tell you again. You're not the only one with blood on their hands." William muttered, measuring the distance between them. He had the space.
Leo snarled, levering his blade back around to smash William into the floor.
William tilted forward, letting gravity pull him to the ground. The greatsword swung down to cleave him in two. He felt the pressure as it neared his back.
"Gotcha!"
William spun, his leg whipping around and knocking the weapon to the left. Leo staggered, shocked at the action. William planted his kicking foot on it, keeping his momentum going as he finished Leo off.
Moonlight Sonata cleaved up, across Leo's broad chest. Before the greatsword could come back up William had cut him twice, putting his Aura in the yellow. By the time Leo had pulled the sword back up to block, William had him.
Moonlight Sonata shot through the gap in his sword. It stopped just before it pierced his throat. Leo froze, awkwardly holding his sword up, unable to move either way before William could push his sword forward.
"Who has longer fangs now?" William murmured.
William edged his sword forward, letting Leo's Aura fend it off as his gauge slowly waned.
Leo swallowed, his eyes defiant even at the defeat.
Leo edged back, shifting the greatsword for a better grip. He swiped it to the side, and William let him. Moonlight Sonata slid freely from William's hands, clattering to the floor.
Leo turned back, sweeping his sword around to slash through William. William beat him to the punch though, literally.
William's knuckles smashed into Leo's jaw, sending the larger boy's head back. Then William flipped around, a spinning axe kick that dropped Leo to his knees. William landed comfortably beside him, glancing at the gauges.
"There is always more than more weapon." William assured Leo. He swung, but stopped his kick before it connected, his knee in front of Leo's nose. "And there is always someone with longer fangs."
Leo glared at him but kept silent as he got back up to his feet. He gritted his teeth, looking at the Aura gauge board. William was still in the yellow. Leo had hit red. Leo swore and shook his head. He turned back to William, fingers balled up tight into fists.
"Just because you beat me doesn't mean I'll accept you as a leader. You don't know a damn thing about me. Don't act all smug like some glorious punk just because you were a bit faster! Leader's don't beat their team into submission!" Leo snarled, jabbing a finger into William's chest.
William replied with a cool, calmness, his eyes dark. "True. But we also don't throw our team into the field without knowing what they can do. Sparring was just a good excuse. Now I know your semblance, your fighting style, your endurance, and your temperament. I know exactly how to use you in combination with my own or Victoria's attacks. Is there a better way? Maybe. Is there a faster way? I doubt it. You might have a problem with me as a person, but you better suck it up because when we're out in the field I'm not dooming you and Victoria's lives because you can't follow an order. Do you understand me?" William's tone was ice cold, without mercy, sympathy, or empathy.
Leo opened his mouth to reply, then snapped it shut, his lips pulled back like a snarl. They walked to the exit together. "You don't know how much I'd like to kill you. And it wouldn't be the first time."
"You don't know how much I'd love for you to kill me." William replied with a small smile. "But then where's the fun in that? You'd just prove me and everyone else right that you're a brute, a musclehead without a brain. And I don't think your joker act would work well with that now would it."
Leo slammed the door open, William following behind him. The next thing William saw was the broad side of the sword coming around, charged with electricity. Then black.
"I see." William commented drily when he woke up in a familiar chair, staring at the desk. "That could have gone better."
Ozpin raised an eyebrow at him. "Perhaps." He replied. "But I also think you did a good job of uncovering Leo's inner turmoil quickly. I think you'll be slightly better prepared next time he goes off."
William sat up slowly, then cracked his neck. "Where is he?"
"Detention. I thought it was fitting punishment for him to rebuild the wall he destroyed with your head. Ms. Goodwitch is overseeing it. I assigned you and Victoria for kitchen duty for the week, seeing as it was likely you goading him that caused him to burst. Victoria is a matter of circumstance, she's part of your team. I thought it appropriate for team building. She's also worried about your skull. Mr. Zaffre managed to locate a stud with your head."
William grunted, standing up, his vision wobbling, then fading in and out of focus. He didn't stumble, though he casually reached back, balancing with the help of the chair before he stepped forward. "I see." He replied. "No broken bones or lacerations I think. Maybe a concussion then." He nodded at the self-diagnosis, then straightened up. "Anything else before I head out?"
Ozpin hummed, folding his hands together as he examined William. "Nothing comes to mind, though. I will likely have an assignment for you shortly." He said. "Also, in case you're wondering, it's 11:54. Lunch will start shortly. You weren't out for too long."
William nodded, then turned and walked out. Ozpin watched him go, noting the tension in the boy's frame, and the dark shadow that clung to him. He pursed his lips, hoping that he could solve some of that. There was another part he knew that would never leave William, but there was also a part that could be relieved. It was just a matter of time, opportunity, and the right directions.
William arrived shortly before the hall opened, walking into the back, the serving area, and finding a host of lunch ladies, along with Victoria waiting for him. She pulled him over once they'd briefed them on what they were to be doing.
"William are you alright?" She asked, reaching up and placing her palm on his forehead.
He nodded, giving her a smile, which she didn't find very helpful. "I'm fine. It's mostly my fault anyway." He assured her, before he heard the doors of the cafeteria open, and the lines of hungry students pour in. "To the dishwasher I suppose." He muttered with a specific lack of enthusiasm that almost most made it comical.
Victoria sighed, giving him a faint smile in return. "Of course." She replied.
They ate their lunch after everyone had been fed, then rushed off to classes, William off to Dr. Ooblecks, and Victoria off to Ms. Goodwitch's class. They didn't meet up until dinner in the dorm room, Victoria collapsing in her bed as William tinkered with his sword.
"How were classes?" William asked, not turning from his weapon.
"Exhausting. Goodwitch had us do speed trials, minute on, minute off sparring for the duration of class. Just as I got into my groove I was out sitting on a bench. It was dreadful." Victoria complained, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow, kicking off her shoes.
William chuckled, smiling a little at her. "I see." He set the weapon down, pulling out a textbook instead and started working through his Grimmology homework. He actually had a bit of catching up to do in the subject, since he never took actual school classes. It was difficult sometimes when they referred back to previous lessons that he was sorely lacking. But he wasn't going to complain. He could take the extra burden.
"Did you and Leo work it out yet?" She asked just as he pulled out the notebook for it, flipping it open to where he started his notes.
He paused, humming softly. "No. But I think he'll simmer for another couple days with the punishments. If he talks it will be minimal at best. I don't see him being chipper about anything for a couple days. That mask might be a bit difficult to don." William replied, tapping his pen lightly on the page for a moment before he continued his answer to the review questions assigned.
Victoria hummed softly. Then she said something he wasn't quite expecting. "He's not the only one with masks."
William paused, setting down the pen, turning to see her expression. It mirrored his, a small knowing half smirk, like they were laughing at their own brokenness. He chuckled, his smirk turning to a smile. "No. Not in the slightest." He agreed with a laugh, a real genuine laugh. "I'm afraid I'll never be without a mask."
Victoria hummed, getting up and walking to the window, leaning against the frame as she pressed her face against the glass, fog spreading as she breathed against it. "Well you won't be alone on that either."
"Ready to talk about your scars? I'll share mine." William replied, picking up his pen again, though he clicked it off and slammed his book shut, deciding that he had lost interest in it for the time.
Victoria glanced back at him, snorting. "I don't think that'd do either of us much good Mr. Leader. I doubt I'd be the first to see your scars. They always say talking about it helps, but that's only with someone who's earned the right to hear them all."
William hummed, then clicked on the light, stepping into the light. He reached down, pulling his shirt up and over his head. "Doesn't mean I shouldn't show you at least you're not alone. I can almost promise I'm more patchwork that you could ever be." He said, throwing the shirt onto his bed.
Victoria hummed, examining his chest as he spread his arms to better showcase his scars. She'd glimpsed them, the nicks and scarred skin of his hands were obvious, though he kept the worst of it hidden by careful positioning of his palms. The large one on the back of his hands, she wondered if they lined up. Now that he was openly offering a chance to ogle him, she didn't see a reason to resist.
She wasn't surprised to see that William was in peak physical condition, his arms were corded, tight lean muscles that spoke of hours of hard strenuous work, and tireless training. His chest was no different, but where Leo was big and bulky, William was slim and toned. His abs were impressive though, and a bit envious.
Over this lean, muscled body was a patchwork of scars, crisscrossing and overlapping with each other. Some were small, others were larger, or deeper. He had two that looked like bullet holes, one just above his waist, the other looked like a bigger round, a noticeable dip between his right shoulder and collarbone. She wondered if it went all the way through.
He turned to the side, lifting his arm, displaying a small scar one on his side, halfway between where his ribs started and his waistline. "Someone." He started, and she smiled painfully, realizing it must have been someone in his family, or his uncle. "punished me one day for messing something up. They took Moonlight Sonata and made me especially well acquainted with it that day. It's wasn't pretty for a time. I had to stitch up organs with my semblance as I pulled it back out." He grimaced, running his thumb over the line, a small little line the only trophy for his pain.
Victoria grimaced with him. "So how do you know if my scars are all physical?"
William let his thumb rest on the scar for a moment, his eyes cloudy for a moment. He snapped back to the present a second later, taking another before her replied. "Everyone is hurt emotionally. In some way shape or form. I have both. Leo has what I think to be emotional. You." He paused, staring at her. "I'll let you tell me. Just know…" He paused, swallowing heavily. "You can talk to me about it if you want. I'm sure you heard the speech before." He added.
Victoria nodded, knowing it wasn't an offer she'd taken up before, regardless of who gave it. "Yeah." But then again, the one who offered it wasn't cut and scarred like William was. They never seemed as beaten as William did, some of it looked like straight up torture, like the odd claw mark looking scar on the right side of William stomach. Like someone had let a bird tear into his side.
William nodded, almost stiffly, like he was expecting an attack. Then he walked back, picked up his shirt and pulled it back on, covering his battered chest and back. Then he stretched and went back to work, leaving her to her thoughts.
Victoria turned back to the window, leaning her head against the window, closing her eyes as she felt the cool glass against her skin. She sighed, taking a deep breath before sighing again. She heard William's hand pause in his writings, the pen making dull scratching noises as he wrote. Then he resumed when he determined she didn't want to talk, or that it wasn't his place to ask.
Victoria appreciated the gesture. She really did.
Having someone that wouldn't look at her with empathy, or pity rather, meant the world to her. Having someone see her scars and know they were just another part of her, nothing necessarily good or bad, would help.
It still scared her to death.
William had scars from near-death experiences. She had… similar scars, but she could bet they were vastly different circumstances.
The glass was cold on her cheek, a testament to the nearing seasons change. Fall was just around the corner. Winter would follow. Then his anniversary in the spring.
She turned her eyes up into the night sky. The moon hung, fat and full among the stars. As it had so many nights when she'd been stuck in that house, crying herself to sleep.
She pursed her lips, getting up from the windowsill and dropping into her bed.
"Help me on my way dad." She whispered as she pulled the covers up, pressing her head to the pillow. "Oum knows I need some help."
William shifted, seeming to hear her prayer. He didn't say anything, and he didn't get up. She watched him for a time. He worked diligently, flipping back and forth through the chapter to solve problems.
His handwriting was atrocious though. She'd glimpsed it a few times. A messy scribble of letters, in a tight and jumbled script. It was sort of amusing, how William seemed so organized and neat, but he sucked at handwriting.
"Goodnight Victoria."
She hesitated, surprised he'd broken the silence. Then she smiled. "Goodnight William. Don't stay up too late."
She rolled over, closing her eyes and pulling the covers up. And for the first time in a long time, she felt… almost… comfortable sleeping. Like she didn't have to watch her back.
Like she had someone that would watch it for her.
Alright, blazing through these rewrites now. Awesome. Love it. Hope you all are enjoying William and Victoria's interactions. And I like this introduction better. Though it paints William as an asshole, I feel like that's appropriate.