Leo

Chapter Eleven

[TJ's POV]

Where were they? "Hey, Lover Boy, heard from Eagle Eyes yet?" the buff man shook his head and I grunted, I closed my eyes and felt my head pulsing. Leo was gone and Eyes hasn't come back yet, something was up, Eyes was named like that for a reason, he spots everything and everyone when no one else can't.

"What was taking him so long?!" I yelled. Everyone was suddenly startled by my outburst but I didn't care, I glared at them and they stopped staring, I ran up the steps and started pacing around. Suddenly I couldn't take it anymore. I punched the wall.

Yeah. I'm like that at times, I was known for not being patient, I live to the reputation. I closed my eyes and felt the pulse of my blood, the beating of my heart and my ragged breath and I opened them again, my vision changed and then I was running.

Something was definitely up, it's been six hours, I thought. My vision blurred and everything zoomed, ten times than any normal human being.

I know when something was wrong, that's why I was the leader.

And Eyes was definitely hiding something from me, or maybe he's hiding Leo. Either way, whichever he did, he's dead, and I'm not telling you the reason.

[Leo's POV]

I woke up to sound of muttering, I blinked noticing the fire and blinked again when I noticed the looming figure over it. His back was to me and my heart pounded against my chest so badly. I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't move I know that, if I did, I'll make a sound and he'll shoot me. I gulped. I tried to muster all of my strength into sitting up without making any sound. I tried and took slow and calm breaths. Shadows played across the dark and musty floor.

Who was he? I couldn't remember... what if he's here to kill me or something?

I was definitely terrified, I was already freaked out with the whole leopard thing that I've been jittery for the past hours. Everything was just a haze. I groaned as I tried to push myself up. Then the figure turned and suddenly my eyes widened.

I was dead, I was gonna die, I'm weak and defenseless then in that instant I saw it was Eyes. I sighed a breath of relief and immediately shivered. He ran over to me and covered a blanket around me.

I stared at him and he sat in front of me, he was looking at anything but me, I looked at myself and I immediately blushed, I dragged my knees to my chest and tightened my hold on the blanket and wrapped it around me more firmly.

My arm was stinging and I grimaced. I had to shut my eyes, the pain was blinding and grit my teeth, I felt a hand on my arm and I looked up and find he was staring at me with concerned eyes. He smiled a little and released his reassuring grip.

"Where am I?" I cleared my throat because it came out hoarse. "Why am I here?"

"Oh, you... you don't remember?" he scratched the back of his head and I nodded slowly as if trying to reminisce. Then they surge all back to me.

Running at the speed of light or maybe, probably, most likely faster than it, I collapsed in the middle of the street, rain hid everything and the water covered every single space. I focused my eyes ahead and pushed my body to stand, my four feet supporting my weight but just barely.

I walked or mostly crawled, my wounds hurt so much, and I was dripping red liquid. I still pushed on though until such time that I heard splashing, feet running on the pavement, I stiffened and listened quietly and I moved swiftly, fleeing over to a corner, it was better to be safe than risk everything.

I wasn't familiar with this new form or whatever you call it but I know it isn't normal, leopards are supposed to be extinct for crying out loud, no one barely knows what it's called anymore, why am I so different from the rest of them? How come I know about this and they don't?

I remembered... remembered Marvin cursing that day, when we got separated... he said something about a serum, what was that about?

I couldn't think right, I couldn't move right... I'm kind of... someone else now.

As far as I knew, experiments or mutation as they call it was forbidden, kind of like black magic in the old times, I thought back to my days at school, even though not many go there when you're in Vesperin, those who go there look forward to having jobs inside the wall being slaves or employees as they called it before.

No one would betray Vesperin, they would stay and defend the place until the very last standing authority is down the drain and sometimes, the gangs take that literally.

Anyways, scientific practice on any living organism was forbidden, it was punishable by death and if only the executioners were Vesperinites, we would enjoy that very much, hacking off their heads, it maybe a little sadistic but compared to being tortured by them was a little more difficult, so by being like this it was like giving a taste of their own medicine, but it's not like they even mind us pests.

Splash.I hear it, I twitched and watch as men ran across the pavement, my other ear was damaged and I know it, TJ's bullet grazed my ear. TJ... the thought of him makes me think back to that look on his face, he seemed confused... he hesitated... he never hesitated.

Could it be... could it be that he knew it was me?

I crouched down. Trying to tune in to their voices, they were using a foreign language. Assassins, I hissed inside my brain. Assassins are trained men and women who wear white masks and clothes, their leader was The Mask, the son of The Head, I still don't understand why those in-walled would think of such ridiculous names, when we talked about that in school, I was laughing so hard that everyone stared at me and I got scolded at, the only one who sat with me in detention was Josh.

My heart ached when I remembered him. I miss him. I didn't even tell him I love him yet and I howled repulsively and I caved in and heads turned, the sudden pain was too much and even if I ran I wouldn't make, they'd shot me and I'm dead.

I didn't even have a choice, die or die.

I looked up, a person with a helmet, white with a black screen approached me, it was better to pounce at them, I thought, at least I died trying right? Then I readied myself and aimed at the unknown person, if it was even a person.

When he/she/it was close enough I pounced and I landed on top of him/her/it and looked at all of the assassins, I made a split-second decision, and I pounced on another one, snapping and barring my teeth and growling and breaking their precious weapons.

Then someone threw me against the wall and I whimpered and everything went black. The next thing I knew I was in Eyes arms and another black out.

I blinked and tried to find my bearings and I looked at Eyes, he nodded, my face must've said it all. He gave me a small smile. "As for why you're here, I had to hide you... sorry." he gave me a boyish grin. My eyebrows furrowed.

"Don't tell me I'm here 'cause of my clothes or the lack of it." I glared at him and he immediately turned red.

"I didn't look mind you!" he shouted, I smirked and shook my head, I wrapped my blanket tighter.

"Why am I here Eyes?" I asked again. He stared at me for the longest time and I thought he wouldn't speak again.

"'Cause I know what you are, Leo." he said.