Not Your Hero

Family Fortune

As he looked around the surrounding room, Axel realized some of the weapons held more familiarity than he believed. Something in the way the walls reminded him of the broken down home they lived in made him believe that the weapons adorning them held nostalgia as well.

For the first few moments that light filled the room, he believed they were relics of the past or maybe something he saw in a dream. He was nothing but shocked as he took in his surroundings. Weapons as far as he could see, but a clear path to another door. There was organized chaos, something that Griffin THRIVED in. Upon a closer inspection, Axel found there was no way the door could actually work, it was too mangled for use.

But an even closer look at the actual weapons themselves would open multiple doors in his memories. One item that he stopped in front of made him stop in his tracks. Something about the bright blue hilt struck a chord of nerves that could only be described as bittersweet nostalgia. As he picked the weapon out of the broken barrel it was sheathed in, he realized what it was that made him remember the item.

"Wait, I had a fake sword that looked just like this when we were kids! The blue hilt, the streaks of green that look like lighting in the middle... all of it- how did you remember the exact look?"

Griffin nodded as he picked it up, then carried it to the back of the room where the broken door stood.

"You wanna know how I remember? It never left me. I never let them out of my sight."

The closer the men got to it, the closer the details became more clear.

"Let them..? I don't think I'm following."

The door looked like it was about to fall off its hinges if he simply placed a hand on the termite-ridden wood, but as he opened it, Axel's eyes widened as they found the treasure trove created out of their childhood toys.

"You kept it all... The bows, the swords, "

A choked bark gained both brother's attention as Axel glanced between the small dog that was the exact breed and the robot at his heel as the dog in question began to walk over to his 'blueprint'.

"The first toy we ever fought over?"

Griffin held his hands up defensively.

"Sometimes you've gotta reminisce on the happy things. Especially when your only happy place is taken away from you."

As the small toy let out another scratchy bark, Enforcer jumped out of surprise and picked up the toy in his jowls, breaking it in his grasp. A quick gasp left Axel as he watched the literal break-neck speed in front of him.

"Damn..."

Griffin let out a short breath

"Just another memory wasted huh..

"I'm sorry, Grif. I wasn't expecting him to do that."

Griffin didn't reply. Somewhere between angry that the memory was taken, but relieved that he wouldn't have to listen to the crackled box of the broken toy anymore, he settled on indifference.
Then, in the silence, Axel cracks another joke to ease any possible hard feelings.

"Do you think he felt threatened?"

Griffin looks between the ribbons of the toy and the animatronic in front of him, then turns back to Axel. He knew the younger brother was just trying to keep him on a light note, so he nodded.

"Oh he totally did."

The brothers let out chuckles as they looked at the shattered toy below their feet.

"He was too quick with that attack. You've got him trained really well, how many dummies did this dog destroy?"

"None, I actually took him hunting with me and THAT'S how he learned to attack things quickly."  

"Holy shit.."

Axel nodded "He's a badass. Taught him to be a lone wolf like you if the time ever came to it. He can't be lost if he loses me."

"Don't say that. He's not going to lose you, I'm making sure of it."

"Don't tell me you're scared to lose me a second time."

"No, I'm scared to be alone with that thing."

The robotic dog in front of him let out an angry snarl, teeth already sharpening themselves and red irises darkening in a shade to make him more intimidating than he already was.

"Point proven."

"He's just showing off to assert fake dominance, don't worry. Animals in the wild do that too, to make themselves too scary to fight."

Looking back into the room, Axel did a double take as the gleam of his brother's bow nearly blinded him. The double pointed edges made him shiver at the realization that his bow could be used for both long range and short if it needed to be. Pulling him from the thoughts swirling in his head, Griffin spoke up.

"So, has the initial shock subsided?"

Griffin couldn't help the smug grin that crossed his features. For once, he felt finally had the upper hand on his brother's wit. Axel let out a scoff of his own that matched the disgust his brother's usually carried and he offered a small smile.

"I wouldn't say that it's shock at this point. More so amazement that you did all of this by yourself."

Griffin shook his head, knowing that he would be at least a little surprised in his skill.

"What can I say, I have a genius for a brother and a workaholic for a father. I had to do something with those skills."

Axel let out a tiny huff of a laugh.

"You flatter me."

"Eh, just wait until I screw it up somehow."

Griffin looks away to the corner of the room, allowing himself to remember that it was always a matter of time before he (or something he created) messed up the situation at hand.

"Ever the optimist. C'mon, lighten up."

Axel gave him a playful shove to his shoulder, something that he would do even when they were children to get Griffin to play back.

"Trust me, I try."

"I doubt that."

"Lightening up like a lightbulb." 

"Missing one of the main conductors I bet."

"Rude."

Silence took over the room once more before the brothers broke out into laughter. There weren't many times like this, so they knew to enjoy it while it could.

Griffin was the first to bring himself back to composure and keep the task at hand in the forefront of their minds.

"Regardless, we'll get what we want and then we have to make a small four day trip to see our monster dearest."

A brief look of shock and annoyance flashed across Axel's face. While he didn't mind the exercise, four days sounded a little excessive.

"Ah, right. I forgot the promenade is over."

He leaned down and picked up as many weapons as he could, then handed some to Enforcer to hold on his back. The duo loaded with bows, swords and a rifle if needed.

"There was never a-"

"Let me have this moment."

"Right."