Tyranny

Rest

Madelyn goes inside Lionel's room. It was like a common room, except it had an armour holder stand, where he hung his suit, a sword mount for his sword, a case where he kept his shurikens, grapple gun, explosives, other ninja stuff. She went near suit pieces kept on the ground near. Madelyn started to rearrange the suit pieces when she found a bat necklace. She was wondering why Lionel wore Bat symbol. She thought may be he liked Bats a lot. She was smiling at herself for finding a weird liking of Lionel.

Suddenly Lionel enters his room in his patient robe, half face bandaged, dragging his body, entering with a loud bang startling Madelyn. He looked at Madelyn who was touching pieces of his torn suit.

"What are you doing here?" Lionel asks.

"I was told by Commander to arrange your suit pieces." Madelyn replied being a bit scared.

"Ok." Lionel said and dragged his leg near Madelyn. "The necklace, give it to me will you?" Lionel asked. Madelyn gave him the necklace.

"You must rest for now in the medical room Captain." Madelyn said with a hint of concern in her voice.

"I am allowing you to be here that's more than enough. Stay silent and let me be for now, else I shall kick you out." Lionel said in a threating tone. He went and sat on his couch.

"Madelyn, I need your help." Lionel said. Madelyn's heart suddenly felt happy, when she heard those words.

"Yes Captain?" she asked.

"Help me go to the changing room and come back here." Lionel said.

"As you say Captain." Madelyn said trying to control her smile.

She went near Lionel. Lionel leaned on her and she supports Lionel. She takes him to his changing room. While walking, she was grinning inside. She was feeling Lionel has almost embraced her and was feeling good. She promised herself that whenever he will need support, she will be there for him. After they reached changing room, Lionel went in, telling Madelyn to stay outside.

After changing, Lionel came out only in his trousers. Madelyn was stunned. She saw him half naked for the first time. She saw all the bruises and scars he had. She saw his body structure as well, his abs, arms, shoulders, chest, she saw a symbol of Bat on his chest just like the necklace she saw before. Lionel coughed to bring back Madelyn out from her lost world. She blushed and quickly went beside to take him back to his couch.

When he sat down on the couch, he called Madelyn again. Madelyn looked back. He gestured her to open his bandages. She was being reluctant but he gestured again. To not annoy Lionel, Madelyn obliged. When she removed his bandage, she saw Lionel's face after a long time. A horizontal scar on his cheeks, below his eyes were visible. It was so big that it can be seen from distance. Lionel gestured her to bring the mirror kept on his desk. She was wondering why he kept a mirror in his desk, but she went to check his desks. When she opened the top desk, she saw IDs of the deceased soldiers. In the lower desk, she found the mirror Lionel was talking about.

She brought the mirror to him. He saw his face for the first time after this long. He noticed the scar on his cheek, but was indifferent. While giving back his mirror to Madelyn, he noticed the Bat shaped scar on his chest, thanks to the mirror. He examined it on the mirror then on his chest. Madelyn felt bad for him and wanted to embrace him, to cherish him, but couldn't.

Lionel then told Madelyn to go back to her work. Madelyn didn't want to leave but went. Lionel laid his head back on the couch and closed his eyes. No one knows whether it was the influence of medicines or sedatives but Lionel fell asleep.

"Lionel! Lionel!" a man with long, straight black hair in a ponytail, as well as narrow, intimidating brown eyes and a deceptively youthful face cried out in a forest region. His physique is well-developed in musculature from extensive usage, just like Lionel. He looked like Lionel but was a different person.

Lionel opened his eyes to see he was lying on the ground. He's a child who's in his teen years. Lionel appeared same, except he is much younger, short, thin and weak.

"Over here father!" Lionel screamed.

"I'm coming." the man said. "Ah! There you are."

"I'm sorry father." Lionel apologised.

"Its alright Lionel. However know something, a ninja warrior never leaves battleground. He comes back and fights. You must go and fight as well." the man said.

"But father, Jane's a lot stronger." Lionel replied being irritated.

"She will have to be stronger, she is your Knight. But you will have to be strong as well son. You are going to be married to her in future right? Would you like people compare you both, saying she's much stronger, while looking down on you." Killian said.

"That's why I say I'm no match for her." Lionel replied pensively.

"You're wrong, you're not weak son. You just don't want to fight." Killian replied, trying to console him.

"Yes. I don't want to fight. Fights, wars, battles, they stole mother away, sister ran away, with so much hatred for us, and look at you. It had wearied you so much that you have heart issues." Lionel replied being furious.

"Lionel, child. We fight to protect. We are Shiroganes. The clan people look upon us, as descendants of Lionel III, your great great grandfather, who had given everything he had just so that clan would stay. We have to protect them. They are the only family we have. We must protect our beloved ones." Killian said, again trying to console him. "Don't you want to protect me or Jane or Trent?" he asked.

"I want to." Lionel answered promptly.

"Good, then lets train. Lets make you stronger." Killian said. "Today, I'll teach you Shiroganes' art of using emotions like, Fear as a weapon. But before that, make your own sword. A ninja that makes his own sword, makes his weapons, prepares himself for everything that will come." he continued.

"Yes father." Lionel said and went ahead.

After making his sword for few days and not meeting Jane and Trent, Lionel came back.

"Father, I made my sword." Lionel said excitedly.

"Good son." Killian said with a smile and patted him to praise him.

"But why you told me to make it a bit bigger and heavier? I'm still a kid." Lionel asked.

"You'll use this after you can use sword." Killian replied, "Until then, wooden sword only."

"Yes father." Lionel replied.