His eyes opened slowly, a violent ringing in his ears blocking out the noise of the world around him. He was lying on his back, on what felt like an operating table, and as his vision slowly returned he could see the rocky ceiling of a cave. Struggling to sit up, Leonidas squinted to see his surroundings. He looked down to see that he had the body of a small child, and when he tried to shout in panic, only a strange gurgling sound came out. His heart raced as he tried to understand what was happening. Had he been drugged, and was now hallucinating? Before the Spartan could remember what might have brought him here like this, a figure appeared at his side.
"Well, hello there," a woman's voice said sweetly, and he looked up to the source―a feminine figure standing nearby, "Look who's finally awake!" She had soft features, a kind smile, and short brown hair that she kept back in a ponytail. His vision was still blurry, so Leonidas couldn't quite make out her face in greater detail, but something told him that he could trust this person. Perhaps this was his mother? She seemed to act in the correct manner towards him. He tried to speak, but only produced another meaningless, random noise. Seeing his rapidly growing stress, the woman leaned down and spoke comfortingly, "It's okay, little one―you're safe. Nothing can hurt you here."
That couldn't be right. Nowhere was safe anymore, not with ADVENT controlling the entire planet. Leonidas, of all people, was the least likely to be safe from danger at any given time, being public enemy number one. As he looked on, the figure changed before his eyes. One second, she was a motherly human who he swore he recognized, and the next she was... a viper!? And not just any viper, the Spartan leader realized as his vision seemed to clear; it was Alia. The one viper he didn't have to panic about right now. This was all so strange―what was happening to him?
Alia smiled warmly, as if she was just glad to see him. The rebel viper had often smiled like that when she saw him, and Leonidas was sure that she was the only one who did. She was the only person aboard the Avenger who openly appreciated him not just as a soldier, but as a friend. He did his best to smile back, instinctively hiding his fear and panic as not to worry a fellow Spartan. It was reflexive for him to hide any stress or uncertainty, since a confident leader made for confident soldiers, and vice-versa. It was especially important now since he was more panicked than ever.
A shadowy figure appeared behind her suddenly, and Leonidas' instincts kicked into overdrive―he couldn't see what it was, but this thing was definitely hostile. He tried to call attention to the threat, to warn Alia of the danger, but all that came out was an infantile cry of fear. The viper failed to notice the creature behind her and instead reached out to comfort the child before her. "It is alright," she said soothingly, "You are safe, Leonidas."
"This can't be real!" The Spartan King screamed in his mind as he looked around, scanning the area for anything that he could use to his advantage, "This has to be some sort of drug-induced hallucination or a nightmare of some kind!" Regardless, his heart was racing once again as adrenaline coursed through his bloodstream, pushing him to take action.
His eyes fell upon the object of his desire: a powerful shotgun that he instantly recognized as his Killforge. Forcing his underdeveloped limbs to move, Leonidas pushed himself off the table, only to come crashing to the stone floor. Pain racked his body, and he cried out, finally making a noise that resembled what he actually wanted to produce. His training kicked in, and Leonidas steeled himself against the agony and willed himself to crawl forward. He felt like his body was made of lead, every labored movement draining the strength from his feeble body.
But he was a Spartan, dammit! Leonidas gritted his teeth as he willed himself onward, determined to protect one of his own against whatever that shadow was. His tiny lungs burned from the exertion and lack of oxygen, and his infantile muscles screamed at him to rest. The warrior ignored his body's cries for mercy, focusing only on bringing himself toward the weapon in his sight. Time became a blur as Leonidas concentrated on his movements, and before he knew it, he was on top of the Killforge. He didn't hesitate, scrambling to grab it from its place on the ground. Terror sunk in as the Spartan leader tried to lift it, though; his underdeveloped muscles, fatigued beyond belief, lacked the strength to even bring the weapon a single millimeter off of the ground. It struck him then that his infantile body probably wouldn't have been able to lift the shotgun in the first place, and his efforts had been completely futile.
"This can't be happening!" he panicked, looking back at Alia's smiling face as the hostile entity bore down on her, "This isn't real! It can't be!" He struggled in vain to lift the Killforge again, refusing to accept defeat as he tugged uselessly at the grounded weapon. "Move, goddammit!" Leonidas shouted mentally, "Come on, move! You're a Spartan; you don't fail! You succeed or you die! Dammit, come on!" Tears streamed down his face as he fought defiantly against the fact that he would never be able to move the shotgun, "I can't lose her! I can't!" Leonidas turned to scream out loud at the monster, trying to draw it away from Alia, "Take me! Torture me for the rest of my life, kill me outright, I don't care! I won't lose a Spartan!"
The thought of watching helplessly as a member of his team died tore his heart to pieces. The fact that the victim was Alia only made it worse since she was the least deserving of death. Leonidas had never lost a soldier, and he would much rather sacrifice himself than see any one of them die. "I deserve it, dammit! I deserve to die! Kill me! Kill me!"
Alia's smile faded to be replaced with a look of fear. "Leonidas," she called to him desperately, "Leonidas, please wake up! Wake up!" The creature then consumed her, starting to rip her to shreds as she cried out to him, struggling to escape her attacker now that it was upon her. It clawed at her scales, scraping painfully across her chest and arms before biting into her neck, giving the viper a quick yet agonizing death.
The Spartan King howled incoherently, from both anger and loss, at the beast as it turned to him with the clear intent of bringing the same fate to him. "You could not protect her," the creature smiled evilly, "You failed to guard that which you hold dear, 'king' Leonidas. You cannot escape what you are!"
...
Alia sat apprehensively by her leader's cot in the infirmary where he lay unconscious, watching the monitors as they continued to display that his vital organs were functioning stably. Despite what the doctors insisted, she was worried about him. Leonidas had taken two serious hits to the torso, both from especially deadly blades, and had then proceeded to walk himself to extraction before passing out in the shuttle on the flight back to the Avenger. The muton's bayonet would not have been nearly as troublesome, had the Spartan not been impaled by The Assassin's blade beforehand. The teeth of the bayonet had created a shallower yet messier wound that, when added to the hole in his abdomen from the sword, had caused enough pain and blood loss to send him into shock shortly before losing consciousness. They had been able to administer first-aid to the cuts during the flight back which, along with the medikit's bio-foam to handle the larger wound, had proved enough to stem the bleeding until the Spartan King could receive proper medical attention. That was two days ago, and he was still completely unresponsive.
Lacking proper patient gowns, Leonidas had simply been left wearing minimal clothing, since dressing him would have been extremely tedious and completely pointless. He had already undergone surgery to mend the internal damage done by the sword, but it was not guaranteed that another operation would not be necessary. The cot's blanket covered him sufficiently, though Alia still took note of how strangely often she had seen Leonidas without proper clothing. This was only the third time, but it was still odd to her.
Leonidas mumbled something, as he had done a few times over the past two days, and Alia leaned in to listen. She could not make out what he was saying, but he sounded distressed. The viper felt her heart pick up slightly as her concern rose―whether in his current unconscious state or speaking normally in the past, her leader had never sounded distressed before. He stirred, and his hand twitched as his muttering grew more desperate. In an effort to comfort her friend, Alia slipped her hand into his own and squeezed it gently. "It is alright," she said softly, "You are safe, Leonidas." On the monitors, his heart rate suddenly skyrocketed, and he started breathing rapidly as if panicking.
A few seconds later, his entire body suddenly tensed up and began to convulse stiffly. Leonidas grunted in pain from an unseen source, and two doctors appeared to address the situation. They scrambled to identify the problem, checking their devices and readings but finding no cause for this sudden seizure. He thrashed as if struggling in restraints, growling in frustration and effort as his body spasmed to fight against an invisible foe. Alia clutched his hand, not knowing what to do but still seeking to help her friend somehow. Leonidas started to cry, either from anger or from fear, she couldn't tell, but his convulsions grew more desperate. Whatever he was fighting, it appeared that he was losing. The Spartan King gasped in pain; his thrashing eased, but his muscles only tensed further than before.
"Leonidas," Alia hissed to him without thinking, "Leonidas, please wake up! Wake up! Whatever it is that you face, it is not real!"
His eyes shot open as he screamed, sitting up quickly and clutching his abdomen as the sudden movement caused the wound there to bring intense pain. Looking around at the faces in the room, his breathing was rapid and shallow, his eyes that of someone who was realizing that they had awoken from a nightmare. For the first time since Alia had met him, the Spartan leader―who had always been so fearless and confident, even when facing his own demise―was visibly scared. Ghost came bursting through the door, rushing to the young man's side as he exclaimed: "Leonidas! What happened!?"
Leonidas gasped for air, looking down at himself as if to verify that he was still in his own body. He seemed to take some small comfort in knowing that he was still himself, then explained "I was... I was a kid―a toddler―and I was in some sort of cave. I-I think I saw my mom, and then she..." he trailed off, looking Alia in the eyes―something he never did―and continuing with wide eyes, "I... you... I thought you died." Leonidas looked down to notice that she was still holding his hand, then back up at her. He then released her hand to pull her into a tight hug, one that she returned gratefully, and sighed shakily as he reassured himself that she was, in fact, alive and well.
Ghost moved to sit next to Alia, waving away the medical personnel, "That's not good, kid. I can tell you for certain that you've never had a nightmare before in your life. What's the last thing you remember?"
"Falling asleep in the shuttle," Leonidas answered as he broke away from the viper, "With that vial of... oh God, do we even know what that stuff is yet? How long was I even out for?"
The sniper shook his head, "We don't know what it is yet, but we're working on it: Commander's having it researched in the Shadow Chamber. As for your second question, you've been unconscious and unresponsive for two days straight. This was day three. Alia was getting worried about you, so she decided to stop by and check how you were doing."
Leonidas looked at her again, this time somewhat surprised. "I guess I should be glad. Pretty sure you're what woke me up, so... thanks for that." He was rapidly calming down now, his breathing and heart rate returning to normal as he visibly relaxed.
"We should give you some time to recover and rest," Ghost suggested, tapping Alia on the shoulder as he stood, "Maybe this time, if you want to sleep, try not to give us such a scare? I'm getting too old for that kind of thing."
"I'll try, Ghost," Leonidas responded as Alia followed the sniper out of the infirmary.
He led her to the Spartans' quarters, where he closed the door and fixed her with a stern look. "What you just saw," he said grimly, "Stays between the Spartans, the Commander, and the medics who were present, do you understand? Under no circumstances will this be recounted to anyone else―they don't need to know. Being frightened by the human refinery or the Chosen is one thing, but getting spooked by something that isn't even real isn't exactly respected around here, especially in the case of Leonidas. People won't understand the exact nature of what happened, and he'll never live it down. I've spent the past sixteen years making sure that he wouldn't be judged for his age, and I won't see that undone by rumors that he's wetting the bed at night."
Alia nodded quickly, intimidated by the normally fatherly sniper's sudden fierceness, "I do have a question: what did I see?"
"Leonidas is protective of us Spartans," Ghost explained, "He sees it as his responsibility to bring us all home alive after every mission, no matter the cost. He can't stand the idea of losing any one of us, and that includes you―Leonidas would rather sacrifice himself than see a fellow Spartan die. Whatever he saw, it wasn't just some bad dream; it was a lucid nightmare. I've had a few in my time, and it takes a special kind of drive to keep them from getting to you. But people don't tend to understand just how traumatic they are. Nothing in this world scares that boy―and I do mean nothing―except failure to protect his team. Even then, Leonidas doesn't just break like that; I'd hate to imagine what exactly he went through in order to leave him so shaken."
She processed this for a moment, then nodded again, "He would have reacted so... so fearfully regardless of whether or not it was me, so long as it was one of us. Could this have anything to do with that vial?"
Ghost shook his head uncertainly, "Maybe? We all thought that this was going to be a somewhat conventional war, or at least as conventional as fighting ADVENT can be, but that discovery changes things quite a bit. Leonidas might be more affected by this since he's so... well, himself. But I know that kid, and this wouldn't shake him that badly―it certainly shouldn't be enough to cause nightmares like that. My guess is that he's worried about us. I can't stress this enough: he is unnaturally averse to loss and humans hate the idea of losing someone as it is. If you haven't realized it already, Leonidas isn't exactly psychologically stable. I've spent the past sixteen years watching over him, and doing that for a few weeks in the infirmary won't be anything that I can't handle."
"Thank you for entrusting me with this information," Alia hissed respectfully, "I understand that it is purely due to the circumstances, but I thank you regardless."
"The fact that you're smart enough to figure out where you stand makes it quite a bit easier," the sniper admitted, "Most humans would think that this is an invitation to pry into our private life and go poking their noses where they don't belong. I'm glad you know that's not the case. I apologize for snapping at you like that; Leonidas is the closest thing that I have to a son, and I'll be damned if I don't see him like one. To reiterate: only the Commander and the other Spartans can know about this, and you can speak with them on the matter, but only in private. The Spartans are a family; we don't keep secrets from each other. I'll leave you to do whatever it is that you do now."
The rest of the day was largely uneventful, save for the occasional evasive maneuver as the Avenger flew nomadically to avoid detection. Alia checked on Leonidas periodically in the infirmary, verifying that he was okay. She took great care to remain inconspicuous while doing so, since it would be awfully strange for the viper to be so apparently attached to her leader. In truth, she was just worried that he might have another episode, but if people started asking questions then things would get messy extremely quickly. If Leonidas was suffering from some sort of psychological trauma, it could spell disaster for XCOM and the Resistance as a whole. His bravery, determination, and raw combat prowess were a massive catalyst to their efforts and an inspiration to all who fought ADVENT. Though he was quite insane, bordering on psychotic at times, the Spartan King was still a ferocious and devoted warrior. Most of all, he was unbreakable―if he were to crack, then morale would take a steep dive. One way or another, they needed Leonidas to stay strong, and Alia was fearful that his strength was running out.
Nobody else seemed particularly bothered, though. Alia asked the other Spartans (they were still the only ones she could speak comfortably with), and the response was always more or less the same. Eagle told her not to worry; he had grown up with Leonidas and was convinced that he was tougher than to be affected by a nightmare. Defcon reassured her that their leader was better than any of them at adapting to difficult situations and that he was able to endure anything without long-term repercussions. Robin seemed slightly less confident than the others but otherwise insisted that Leonidas was infallible. Alia already knew approximately what Ghost thought, and did not bother to ask him again.
But regardless of the other Spartans' opinions, and collective insistence that their leader would be fine, Alia remained concerned about Leonidas' well-being. Whenever she checked on him, he was either in a state of restless sleep or staring into the distance with a hollow look in his eyes. While she had only been serving with him for a few weeks, she knew that the Spartan King was not this easy to break. There had to be something that was bothering him other than the vial or his nightmare. Alia attempted to bring up the issue with the Commander, but he was not particularly receptive.
"Leonidas isn't like anyone else, Alia," he said with a sympathetic shrug, "You should know that by now. He doesn't do anything in a 'normal' fashion, and that includes coping mechanisms. He's not in the best place right now―that much I agree with―but he's done this before. I've read his psych reports, and every time, he ends up returning to his usual self. I appreciate that you care for your team, Alia, but I don't think that you have to worry about Leonidas this much."
The viper shook her head, lowering her voice so that no one else could possibly hear, "I am aware that I am not meant to recount this, but I feel that I must. You were not there when he awoke; I have never seen any human with such intense terror in their eyes. Leonidas is not simply 'coping' with any one thing! He is crumbling from the weight placed upon his shoulders!"
The Commander sighed heavily, "I really wish I could help you, Alia, but... quite honestly, your guess is as good as mine. Leonidas closes out the rest of the world when he gets like this, and he doesn't show what he's thinking. It's how he processes major things, such as what's been going on as of late. If you think you can help him in any way, then, by all means, give it your best shot. I won't stop you―Leonidas and I share a connection, but even I can't see what's going on in his head at times like this. But if you're going to do something, wait until after evening meal."
She thanked him for his approval, then slithered off quickly. How could no one see what was so obvious to her? The Commander seemed to understand that something was wrong, but refused to address the problem for reasons that Alia could not grasp. Ghost knew that this was an unusual event, but he too was convinced that the situation would resolve itself. Perhaps they were right, and she was overreacting due to lack of proper experience with Leonidas, but something in the back of her mind told her that there was more to it than the others would have her believe. This situation was quickly revealing itself to be incredibly confusing, but Alia was determined to find a way to help her friend.
The evening meal was awkward and uncomfortable for the viper, just as all of her meals had been for the past two days. Without her fearsome leader standing sentinel to ward off the rest of the crew, Alia tried to make herself as small as possible as she moved through the room. People constantly looked upon her with disgust, her short service record doing nothing to protect her from their judgment and discrimination. Even though he was still aboard the Avenger, the viper missed Leonidas during times like this. She would still receive such dark looks from the others in his presence, but his comradery contrasted them enough to allow her to ignore them. As the viper ate in silence, forced to spoon the meat-paste into her mouth instead of just swallowing it whole like she preferred, Alia racked her brain to invent a method by which she could help her friend. The others would be of no help since they merely dismissed the problem. Ghost's stance on the issue only confused her; why was it so taboo for Leonidas to be scared? It was natural for people to be afraid of things―it was the basis for self-preservation, was it not?
The Avenger touched down for the night, giving Central a chance to eat and rest. From what the viper overheard, he was the only one who knew how to fly the ship properly, so this was completely normal. "Normal," Alia sighed inwardly, "I believe that this is the only normal occurrence that I have encountered today." Pondering just what exactly she might be able to do in order to assist her friend, the viper made her way up to the balcony over the landing pad bulkhead. The sun would be setting now, and she wanted to watch it in hopes of stimulating her mind for a solution. Alia had eaten quickly in order to escape the glares of the crew, so the majority of the ship was empty save for a few workers here and there. They neglected to notice her, giving her uncompromised passage to her destination. She pushed her way through the door to the outside, and her senses were hit with an entirely different atmosphere. The air was pleasantly warm and comfortably humid, and there was a slight breeze that carried the scent of blooming flowers. The sunset cast a golden light across everything, dutifully maintaining the comfortable atmosphere. But it was what she heard that shocked her: a familiar voice, humming a tune that the viper had never heard before. It was somber and somewhat slow, but most of all it conveyed a certain pain, even without any actual words.
"Leonidas!?" Alia hissed in utter surprise. The Spartan leader was sitting with his legs hanging over the edge of the balcony under the railing, resting his arms on the lower rail. He was wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and his black combat boots―somehow, he had managed to get dressed before coming up here. And then there was the matter of how he got up here at all without anyone noticing. "What are you doing!? Should you not be in the infirmary?"
The Spartan Leader did not look at her, keeping his eyes trained vacantly at the setting sun. "Maybe," Leonidas shrugged gloomily, "I wanted to watch the sunset. I haven't done that in weeks."
Alia was completely bewildered by this answer. "Maybe?" She echoed worriedly, "How can you not know? In fact, how were you even able to leave the infirmary undetected?"
"I have my ways," he turned his head to look at her from the corner of his eye, "You live on this ship for sixteen years, you learn to get around without drawing attention to yourself. Almost everyone is eating right now, so there's hardly anyone to catch me. Are you here to take me back?" The dismal Spartan gestured to himself with his eyes, "I'm not exactly in any condition to fight back right now. And I honestly don't care enough to try."
She answered by sitting next to him, silently debating if she should put a hand on his shoulder, "I have spent my day attempting to discern how I might help you, Leonidas. But I am unable to think of anything."
He exhaled sharply through his nose―a sort of upset laugh―and looked back at the horizon, "Then you have more brains than anyone else who's tried that. You want to know why everyone told you to just leave me alone? It's because there was a time that they all tried to help me―to 'guide' me through hard times―and all they did was agitate me further. But they just kept on pushing, and, eventually, I just decided that I'd had enough. So I blocked them out and managed to convince them that I don't want to talk to anyone when I'm like this. But really, I just don't want to keep hearing advice from people who can't figure out that I've already tried what they're suggesting, and it didn't work. I know you're wondering, and no, they aren't just brushing me off or ignoring me when I have problems. They're doing exactly what I convinced them to do."
Alia made up her mind, placing a slender hand on his shoulder gingerly, "You seem to know exactly what I have experienced today. You answered several of my questions before I had even asked them. How did you know?"
"It's not hard to figure out how you'd react, Alia," Leonidas raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, "You're compassionate, and determined enough to ignore what the others tell you. You want to help your friends in any way you can, even if you know you can't. Not quite predictable, just... consistent. That's something I lack―consistency, that is―but can identify in a heartbeat. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid."
"Of course you are not," she agreed, "And I am not foolish enough to think that I know what haunts you. So I request that you tell me―tell me what it is that has taken such a hold on you. I wish to help, Leonidas, but I cannot do so without understanding."
The Spartan King took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He seemed almost relieved for a chance to be heard by an open mind. He opened his eyes again, gazing out at the landscape, "I've trained my whole life to be the best at one thing: killing. Since I was seven years old, I devoted myself to becoming the ultimate warrior and a capable leader; pushing myself to my physical and mental limits every single day, determined to improve until I could kill any enemy put in front of me. But the Chosen... now we're up against an enemy that can't even die. How are we supposed to beat that? How am I supposed to beat that? What good is my ability to kill, when my opponent can't be killed?"
Alia squeezed his shoulder gently, "We will find a way―I am sure of it. Perhaps we will get―"
"Get lucky?" Leonidas cut her off, turning from melancholy to anger, "Just like everything else that I do? Wanna know something funny? I read the medical report; when I got stabbed, that sword was less than a centimeter away from my spinal cord! I was eight millimeters away from near-instant death! It seems to me that my goddamn luck is all I bring to the table anymore! And when that runs out―and it will run out―what then? Am I just an asylum-bound, psychotic killer!?"
"Look at me," the viper hissed firmly, pulling him to face her, "How dare you suggest to me that your good fortune is your only valuable trait! I have spent three days enduring murderous glares and disgusted glances from the rest of these humans! Three days! They do not care for my skill or contributions to our efforts―they only see that I am not human, and they hate me as a consequence. I am of no value to them, but you? I have seen how they look at you: with the utmost respect and reverence. Even Moose dares not dismiss your prowess and iron will! And you are certainly more than a killer; you look upon me as a friend while they refuse to accept my alliance, treat me as an equal despite my alien nature. Ghost told me that you are afraid to lose one of your own―if you were truly a psychopath, you would neglect to even care about our lives."
For the first time ever to her knowledge, the Spartan King was left speechless. He looked at his companion―making eye contact again―in total silence, absorbing what had just happened. Alia maintained her stern expression and firm grip on his shoulders, unwavering in her message. But inside, she was on the verge of a total breakdown; the viper had never asserted herself like this to anyone aboard the Avenger, let alone Leonidas. Her heart was racing as she anxiously awaited his reaction, not having the faintest idea as to what that might be. The serpent had let her emotions get the better of her, and now she was resigned to sit here and face the consequences.
"Ghost told you that?" He said finally. Alia had not known what to expect, but it had certainly not been this. Her leader gently removed her hands from his shoulders, turning once again to face the sun that was now almost completely hidden behind the horizon. But instead of looking at the sunset, Leonidas looked down at his knees. "Let me tell you something, Alia. I'm not brave; bravery is acting in spite of fear. I don't feel fear, and that makes me a fool. I'm the leader of an elite team of soldiers who fight an enemy much larger and more powerful than ourselves. I know that, sometimes, sacrifices have to be made in order to achieve victory. Rhino and Jackal Squad lose members all the time―the Rhinos most of all―because the Commander is perfectly aware of this, too. But if I'm going to make a sacrifice for the greater good, then I want it to be me. I can't live with the knowledge that there might have been something more I could have done, should one of you die. It's my responsibility; not as a leader, but as a friend."
Alia took his hand, prompting him to look back at her once again, "Leonidas, you are the bravest person that I have ever seen. You are afraid, not for yourself, but for the rest of us. You dread the loss of your family that you have built here, yet you deny your fear every time you lead us into battle. You have told me that you would readily lay down your life to save any one of us, and I believe you. The Chosen will never defeat you―you fight them as boldly as they do us, for, like them, you do not fear death. But while they fight for the Elders and for glory, you fight for the ones you love. I am not an expert in this matter, but I am convinced that this makes you far more driven and fearsome than they could ever hope to be. And the ones you fight for will be fighting right alongside you, for we know that you will give anything for us. You are fearless, Leonidas, because you are brave. You are loyal unto death, and for that, our loyalty to you is undying."
Tears formed in his eyes as he smiled, wincing as his wounds acted up for a moment. "They say that that experience teaches you what to look for―but now I think that it only makes you blind. New eyes don't know what to search for, so instead they see everything. Maybe it was my luck that brought you to us, Alia, or maybe it was just Murphy's Law, but I'm glad that I didn't pull the trigger in that village."
"That's one way to say that, I suppose," she matched his smile, using lighthearted humor to brighten the mood in the dying light of the sun as it disappeared.
"I'm rarely good with words," Leonidas chuckled, grimacing as his stab wound protested painfully, "I'm just glad you're here, with your ability to see me differently than the others. I'm damn proud to serve with you, Alia. Never lose your sense of kindness and curiosity. Never forget who you are, no matter how tough things get. If you can keep me anchored, then I don't think there's anything I can't do."
She helped him to his feet, letting him lean on her as they made their way back to the infirmary. As they returned, they found the place in total chaos as people were trying to figure out where Leonidas had gone. When Alia entered with the man of the hour at her side, silence fell suddenly as everyone turned to stare for a moment, completely stunned by the sight. The Spartan King looked almost happy, easing himself down onto his cot and discarding the blanket, deciding to remain dressed normally. The medics advised him against this decision, but he dismissed them. Alia giggled; he was certainly better now, but it seemed that he was still as fearsome as ever, and it was oddly comforting to see that he was still completely crazy. As she turned to leave, he grabbed her hand.
She turned to him to see that he was once again looking directly at her. "Thank you," he grinned tiredly, "I don't think I said that, and I wanted to make sure I did. Thank you, Alia." Then the medics swarmed over him, accompanied by the Commander, who began to thoroughly lecture Leonidas. Alia departed, feeling strangely light. He had chosen to hold her hand, and the look in his eyes was something that she had never seen before. The viper had no idea what it was, but it felt like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was obvious that he cared deeply for her, as the squad leader did for all of the Spartans, but something in the way he had looked at her just then... Alia hardly dared to hope, but perhaps she now held a more special place in his heart? One thing was for sure: she would sleep well that night.
A/N: And here we are: the end of the rewrite! The original note here no longer made sense with some of the changes, so I'm taking the opportunity to address recent events.
This rework took way longer than I had ever anticipated. Not only were two additional chapters in need of revising, but a consistent lack of energy on my part led to setback after setback, as I struggled to find the motivation to keep working. But we got there eventually, didn't we?
Between college, work, and battling with what I eventually identified as depression, this was a long and tiresome process. Each chapter seemed to take longer and longer to work on, all because I kept losing energy to other things going on in my life. Over time, I became more frustrated with my own past work, as fixing the flaws and holes was a time-consuming process that required mental energy that I just didn't have. I ended up working on side projects and procrastinating since it was easier to do. But my editor, the amazing friend he is, tolerated my bullshit and helped keep me coming back to make progress, as well as making the entire editing process ten times easier than it would be on my own.
Everyone has been so patient with me during my absence, and that means the world to me; it was harder than I want to admit, but all worth it in the end. Thank you all for sticking around, and continuing to enjoy my work! I'll finally be working on new chapters again after this, so look forward to that!
For those who started following this story after the rewrite: don't worry if none of this makes sense. Everything is alright, and I'm back on track now. It's business as usual from here, more or less.
As always, have fun and stay safe out there! -VV