Leo behaved perhaps a little primitive in the manner in which he rather intentionally kept swigging back from the glass after having already poured himself a second portion of the beverage, peering over his shoulder and regarding Nero while gently wrapping his digits farther about the glass of vodka and tilting it upon his lips, chugging back the raw drink during the elaboration as keen as a man could while deliberately drinking for effect. He hadn't known that there was history between the leader and their enemy, that was the most he managed to get out of it apart from the fact the captain was more successful in the marines than he had been, raising the now near empty second glass up over towards Nero in silent acknowledgement to the words.
His posture soon melted back into the seat he remained in, setting the near empty vessel down before him and rolling his shoulder back once as he stretched a little outwards, still half drunk from the meet and greet he shared with the technicians before this it wasn't going to be terribly long before this additional vodka kicked his ass, and maybe they would be kind enough to point Knight towards a bunk.
Damn he didn't have to worry about granola bars to look sloppy the man already seem worn and exhausted, a growing darkness about his eyes while he held himself up in his seat now pouring the bottle yet another time as he filled his glass up in addition to listening to the words of one of the more experienced pilots. Staring down at the clear liquid while the third portion was of an adequate size Leo rested the bottle next to it and then considered a moment if he should even speak at all. Disillusioned to the fact that if he ever caused a fight or fell into a pit of social foible that the time he spent working on his redemption was fruitless, he was in truth apart from that one exchange of combat inexperienced and perhaps it showed. Despite the fact that he knew better in the depths of his eagerness to fulfill his own initiative, orders were blatantly ignored and it was in stark contrast to the doctrine beaten into his head, the information which could be recanted in a test so easily yet also so quickly tossed aside in the fires of real combat. Somehow he hoped that the apology to the Captain had been adequate; that admitting his own stupidity would release him of those mistakes.
However as he listened to the words of one of the other veteran he remembered abruptly who it truly was that didn't fit in there; each other individual in the lounge was perfectly capable of working together in a cohesive unit during a mission, it was only him that let his passions take such control, it was only him that fell in the weakness of allowing irrational emotions to turn him into a beast. Out of training early and already able to see that his reality among these officers wasn't terribly different than the one he shared with the corps apart from two key element. The fact that he remained loyal to their leader on a personal level, and the fact that he felt so much residual shame from what happened in the corps he considered this his only redemption from compounded mistakes. How could he make up for the death of those closest to him by putting those closest to him in danger with his own eagerness to die; how foolish he had been.
There might have been a fairly worthy third consideration which is the obvious change in atmosphere from the corps to the navy itself, he hadn't felt as hot blooded when working his ass off at Sentinel for marks, and during the war games he had no notable issue fighting in cooperation beside others intently but it was a test and as competitive as he was the man had wished to earn fine marks for himself. Yet in actual combat he made the mistake of equating that same ambition towards personal glory and valor, that to lead a suicidal charge towards the enemy would make him worth memory. In a moment of clarity during combat and the help of the Captains inspiration he abandoned that pitiful selfishness; knowing now he wasn't going to let the enemy seize advantage over him in the air again without fighting for every inch.
Finally raising the newly filled glass up instead of just playing with it with a swirl of his wrist Leo partakes another consciously long portion of vodka as his azure hues wander to glance over at Joanna when she arrived, in truth he didn't know her very well but certainly recognized her; he recalled her as being the individual in which he had striven to match during training. Leo knew her to be intelligent and naturally skilled at controlling the crafts, but almost more importantly she was composed and it was in this that the man struggled most. Knowing from the beginning that even if he managed to earn higher marks through sheer will or determination that Jo would always be more collected and stable by contrast to the temperamental Leo and was certainly when coupled with her natural aptitude at flight and willingness to work in a unit a more useful asset to any squadron such as Aquila flight. In any true contest between them Leo believed that Smokey was a superior pilot, it was very much this reason he had put copious amounts of time in the simulation courses.
The passion which threatened to take control of him he understood to be one of his greatest strengths yet in that same hand also one of his greatest weakness for when in the depths of such a state he could be prone to predictableness and lack of thought, this is a passion which came to him in many forms during his youth and gave way to dark strengths, offering him the ability to proceed in the criminal world without care; that was of course to the point where everything started going to shit. Never considering what he could have risked without realizing it, understanding he had death hung over his head; but not what would happen if he survived after such a retaliation. Back then he was still in the depths of a different brand of stupidity and a sense of invincibility.
Knight's fury on the battlefield didn't shock himself, but the renewed realization that he was endangering others disturbed the man greatly. As he sat there in silence occasionally sipping from the glass of vodka. The state spent all that money offering him the chance to achieve something and he was ready to throw away all their money and effort on turning him into a weapon with that suicidal mentality. Leo knew that he was more intelligent than this, just his past was chewing away at the back of his mind. The man never did actually come to terms with everything and it perhaps left him unstable.
There was a time where he wasn't so self destructive and confused. These memories haunted him...
He wished to rip the pain from his mind...
As he recalled a few specific instances in the background of his waking consciousness the increasingly drunk Leo would remain there trying not to feel sick to his stomach, he had thought about it numerous times a day for almost three years now, he loved her more than life. No... No damnit he wasn't going to puke, he wasn't going to be called pukey on this fucking ship. Knight empties the rest of his current glass and then slouched down against the surface just in front of him, moaning gingerly under his breath about what a fool he was.
Feeling certain he couldn't feel the same way about anyone... Life without both his brother and Rachel was a brand of damnation he KNEW it, if he had just had more vodka he could have stopped the memories, Knight sat there and pressed his face against the cold bottle of vodka while everyone else around him introduced themselves to each other.
Dealing with this asshole big again, thought Leo as he sat down next to the man at the black jack table as they often did while meeting, man this guy must have really had some sort of vested interest in dragging everyone else there for it during business, he just wanted the drugs and to get onto making money again.
"You really like this game don't you Seth?"
The only other man seated there playing the game was a man with a dark complexion and in a black suit, a cigarette hanging from between his lips and below him a half filled glass of some brand of drink or another Knight didn't really care enough to make acute observations of those trite details he was to concerned with just getting the merchandise again. Yet the cold voice of the man greeted him slightly indifferent.
"Take a seat kid"
Shaking his head a few times he would take a seat quite casually before providing a portion of drugs from one of his pockets in order to attain chips to play with at the table next to the man, having a large stack of green chips by the end of it before the two sat there silently for the next hand, making their wagers, Knight slid several of the chips forth without bothering to glance at the first card thrown to the table before insisting.
"I would rather be on my way if you don't mind Seth"
"..Oh? What's the rush man? You know what your problem is, you don't want to learn the game son you just want to play it"
Knight actually laughed at that before propping an elbow against the edge of the table and retorting abruptly.
"My problem is I just want what I came for"
The suited man folded one of his legs over the other and sat there fiddling with a stack of his chips, picking them up and letting them fall all at once to the table with a series of audible clacks, Leo felt a shiver creeping up his back at the way the man was smiling it bothered him.
"You worry about to much shit, kid. It's unhealthy to care so much"
He was getting pissed off but at that same exact moment slightly disturbed, unsure of how sour the syndicate really was with him after what happened between him and one of their lowly grunts, it was a chance exchange just a passing fury and flurry of fists yet he had previously been in their graces and had permission to deal on that end of town. The game continued and he lost what he gambled in the first few hands the house had proved to high yet Seth appeared to come out even. Knight glances up as the man spoke once again, sliding his next bet forth.
"..Yo look we just need you to get this stack to Carlos at the complex you live at chill; you owe us but we're ready to forgive you kid we have good business with your brother" spoke the man in a glacial manner, he appeared to have an unusually relaxed disposition about himself, the next hand seemed to fare better for him; there was an ace. Despite the fact he could have hit he could have chosen between the one and ten value he chose to remain where he stood at sixteen with a waving motion of his hand
"Oh salty didn't hit?"
This was a reference to the fact that there were numerous grey hairs sprinkled across his head, some of them even a bright silver mixed along with the reddish brown that comprised the majority of his head, well and also to the fact he had a record of getting pissed. Leo offered him a bit of a suspicious gaze but then eventually smiled thereafter and simply decided to move past it, sure he could move some drugs or guns off them why not, he was just glad they didn't make any mention of his only thing of value in this world; his airbike.
When Seth decidedly hit for his next hand it busted over twenty one and the dealer did too.
Two hours later that night
Whipping through the streets at a blindingly fast speed Leo manipulated the throttle of the type thirty two using his feet while leaning from side to side and pulling the handle bars gradually in the midst of flight, a pile of trash was kicked up from the sheer pressure of the gust as he rushed past an old apartment balcony, just fifteen or so feet above the ground as he cut through the urban district haphazardly, zipping between buildings and sometimes even an alley way or two only a few meters wide. He thought back on everything and considered that this request was pretty mild considering everything, he had expected that they would at least beat the crap out of him. The mans body slowly moved from one side of the craft to the other as he shifted his weight about it expertly while dodging through the signs beside the buildings of the slums.
Pulling into the complex the lights on the airbike slowly faded as the engine winds down and Leo jumps off the side of the bike after it touches down against the street. Shaking his head a few times wildly like a beast trying to shake the water off It's frame he would then quite casually start striding up to where his neighbor and good friend carlos lived, he liked the guy quite a bit in truth they always got along during the parties they chilled together at; always sharing the sentiment about eking out from this damned oppression, hey a guy had to get by, dealing and stealing was just the way it was.
Leo rung his door bell and waited patiently for him to come to the door but there was no response, after a few minutes Knight decided to even give him a call wondering if he had gone out while waiting on his connect from the blacks, but no his phone was off.
"What the fuck Carlos"
Giving up after a few minutes Leo relented and walked off only a hundred or so feet away to his little section of apartment space, opening the door into a wall of light for a brief instant as his eyes adjusted to the change and in the near distance he could see Rachel seated at the small kitchen table with her head in her hands, her long brunette hair hung over her arms and she remained there, trembling as he stepped inside the room. Leo rushed over towards her side without even closing the door, putting his arms around her slender frame and asking sternly yet with a brand of tenderness.
"Rachel what's wrong, please tell me what's wrong"
He tried to get her to control the sobbing, running his hand up and down her back a few times and whispering that it was all right; that he was there. It was minutes before he could even get any words out of his lover, she slowly glanced up at him with red cheeks coated in warm tears. Struggling to get the words out to tell Leo.
"I'm... So sorry!... Leo, Collins dead!... He.. was found dead less than an hour ago at his teams garage.. I'm so sorry Leo!....What's happening I don't understand I thought you two were moving past all this?!"
Knight had stopped comforting her, his whole fame seized up at that instant and he recoiled back from his companion and suppressed the scream that boiled within him fighting the emotions which all flooded to the surface at once, was it Seth or was it that fucking little mouse Troy. Leo was beginning to cry and at first and it shifted all to fury as he fought the urge to throw his fist through a wall, no longer able to suppress his rage as he roars
"I'LL FUCKING KILL THEM, BUT WHY COLLIN? I'M RIGHT HERE. I'M RIGHT HEEEERE YOU SPINELESS FUCKS NO THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE WASN'T THERE; WHO SET ME UP. WHO FUCKING SET US UP"
Rachel began to become borderline hysterical as she backed away from him and pleaded desperately in vain for her close friend and lover to calm down but it was no use he was a different man all together, rummaging through a drawer that slid open as he neared the cabinet Leo would retrieve his Zen .45, yanking the slide back as the first round was stripped off the mag and chambered he took the two spare magazines and pocketed them in his jacket before turning without further word apart from panted breaths, having given himself in to the rage, on his way out and practically running towards his airbike a distraught Rachel tried to run after him but Leo was already on the bike and up in the air in the next twenty seconds, her screaming from their doorway after him.
"Leo, No!"
He speeds up as the lights were just erupting forth from the type thirty two, flying up from the street at that instant and depressing the pedals both at once as he yanks back on the handle bars and begins climbing up into the air, ready to take a short cut over the slums in order to get back to the blacks, Leo wasn't going to let this go unanswered they had killed his kin. This just wasn't an even exchange they were doing good business before this, Collin had been flying great against the yamatai riders in the circuit, he made their dream come true even if Knight had been envious. Leo started crying into the wind, Collin had freed himself from all this and now all that work was taken away; he was dead. Their dream which had come true in him was now destroyed in it's entirety in the most horrible way possible. He couldn't not blame himself, but maybe there had been something more to this, maybe there was something he just didn't get. Maybe it wasn't coincidence what happened with the black who picked a fight with him the other day... Maybe... Just maybe
Before he could think long about it two ZA K1-33 fly up from below, he didn't see them till they were practically less than fifty meters away, he then dived down towards the ground to try and slip into the streets again, it would be more difficult to follow and track, one of them appeared to descend after him while the other remained high above taking a different route as it broke off in a broad turn. Down below Knight was busy weaving through the buildings with the airbikes in pursuit behind him, the individual on the back of the second bike raising a weapon and releasing a spray of submachine gun fire that rakes his direction; Leo spun as he saw the tracers impacting the ground beside him, sparks flying through the air as they danced through the dank slums at high speeds, taking that single evasive maneuver before he backs violently towards the ride down what appears to be a straight shot in the street, yet there was a dangerous array of signs; Leo's feet move slowly back and forth across the petals as he adjusts them tactfully maneuvering the racing frame in a turn that guided him past while the airbike that was following stopped pursuit momentarily after nearly hitting one of those very obstacles.
Turning the lights off on his airbike now Leo darted through the darkness between alley way, momentarily on his adrenaline rush becoming near super natural in his attempt at briefly escaping those who were pursuing him so he could find a good place to stand while he unloaded his sidearm in their direction many times over, weaving between gaps of buildings on nearly pure memory alone down that course he imagined a good thirty five seconds before he clipped something hanging between structures in the alley way between one massive apartment complex and another; he had gotten away from those who were trying to murder him but it was all but pointless now as he was flying downwards with the bike scraping across the wall and Knight half hanging from it, losing his grasp in those final fifteen feet from the ground struggling to decelerate as he went tumbling over himself, impacting the wall and spinning off it with a grotesque thud mixed with the loud screeching metallic scrape and then everything became even darker for him all at once.
Seven days later
Rachel stood beside the hospital bed where Leo remained and looked down at him in obvious distress, she seemed a bit puffy and red; strangely beautiful after shedding so many tears. Leo regarded the older and more mature of the two by far and made an attempt to reach up to her but it seemed like his arm had been broken, the man paused and tried to lean up, his ribs had been broken too and he suffered from an internal hematoma, it was amazing that he didn't have any prevalent cranial damage apart from that on his cheek; apparently he had managed to fall on his limbs and was still alive at least.
"I wish I could caress your hair, like we do when we lie down together"
She started silently crying and reached down to gently pat the mans head a few times, the sensation of the womans slender fingers over his hair forcing a smile across his lips a moment but the frustration returned in not terribly long, the memory of Collin; why he had died.
No, maybe it was some brand of deal, they didn't want him to race. That must have been what it was.... But then; wait a moment had he fallen right into that trap too. Leo sat there considering for the first time what almost occurred.
".. I had drugs on me, I had a gun... Were they going to pin my brothers death on me?....the syndicate fucking set me up Rachel.. They wanted Collin dead and intended to goad me into a mistake, they got what they wanted except for one thing. I'm not dead yet.."
Droplets rolled off her cheeks and I could see her hands grasping at one another, shaking. Her soft voice was the only solace he had in days of coming to terms with what happened.
"If you want me to just leave you know I can't do that Leo I was there before you ever put stock into the blacks, before we ever loved one another, boy"
He suddenly flashed with anger below her "DAMNIT RACHEL, THIS ISN'T THE RACES ANYMORE"
She stepped back with a hint of fear and horror in her eyes, Leo felt a sigh roll from his depths and he fought the pain choking It's way into the back of his prevalent consciousness.
"Just fucking go, get out of my house and go hide somewhere I don't need your help..."
"..Oh Leo why can't you just see how much I love you, how much you mean to me?"
The notable hurt in her features was more than he could bear the young Leo looked away from the woman and rested back on the bed, he thought that the only chance for her to survive was to keep as much distance from him as possible, that it was only a matter of time till the blacks finished what they started.
"Rachel... NOTHING is the same"
"THAT'S NOT TRUE" she screamed in return, her voice quaking "I live for you... You're my heart, a world where we can no longer be together isn't worth living in. These past few years have been the happiest of my life, Collins dead nothing will change that I get it but we're still alive, don't throw what we have away. We can go together..Please don't abandon me."
Knight turned to look over towards her again, he was so madly in love with the woman he could have done anything she wished at that instant, taking all his left over composure not to cry on the hospital bed all he could in truth do was wait for the pending sword of damocles. He just didn't want his loved one to be dragged into it, not the only one remaining; what brand of hellish politic had invited such devilish intervention by private interests. For Knight he believed fate had cursed him, without the ability to protect her he wished to ward her away from being associated.
"Goodbye..."