image [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczPA4urbfc6uNK1Zj-YiLrURTBX-rXqlpEFae5bMAK_iSIUVMtS38OHS5sCOOGKYKf8Dg5AwrFpfVkpjBGiFTNU6bXYVBekvPPVx9AkQkheE9SOFTPbaQu76fipIkbHGR6hA3K6GbjtdrGvPA49ZQFhr75b9BxSyLdFKoZpF0BLfWOpNxZxGyxsF0fiofvbfkSO3w0e_SKhqFrfW1GGeO4cI9CDRMubgolz28gnxfFi6XylUsJmRRWRDgzN1-CWcqvIEQT02ulIDNpvVuzuDaL4l5DvDREmypMMTAxDwFb3oOBm0C1bM1BTp1Eb2c3I7Hrlre5VfC7h6AEwXc0qeCy7SOTQrXdsFmiE2WepFokDn3C1QnHJvN-__rjqVPHVImHvJKXP9S3pABc0994HsygaA2lrqQPaVZFtfL8ZOf9fZcDh1Kvk3J-6vkxpKrlTFX5y9GEsKOzA8BJH3Y5kzz1bAr1nyb4Icl2zrWbo9caFwkM30dem8D3qwBuLXYDTDMmxpdWZXKrbquQrsi306WfIH7i0-RH6696je98VcQDKOW04NbC8zPeDGlMgNZJnyA6Q3ORSZBwlaMGrsn7sSGlX38AWgByRCiqOH44CdD0w5LUa3ZHdTNV2wBRg7JVobbSIgN-r2FXd4V7nMTVzDscDRvx5dbU2jfSXXZMTK2B3dk2zJr8A1hcOHdMjnv58p0x7_nRvTujVkUBOPyhj50gTFTAJhiZFvcErU6xdOncI1dsgB7F_YAHmKKTgNvEFhK80YzRScgaJOOSKL8tfuwXXgulTBt7Q8BLUO1F7DYoJs178lL_YetBcrcwbKdAA87WHoHJgGYLY-Don7R5FbhgUBA34pSMXpTXD8tkuVD31FSGwVb0yx1FJGnccfg2zaEPrUAdv0fsEZL03zG4AdUnLz_CEs-8ZYtCk71szAPinWF9SLu77vL5hZ2h_zWG6_=w306-h305-no?authuser=1]
(Concept Art of Isabella's Dress)
"Hello," Isabella said, nodding her head.
When Leon looked at her, his eyes narrowed. She and Katie had a great resemblance. The same green eyes, same dark brown hair. This girl's hair was braided down her shoulder, her bangs parted around her face. It may have been the same shade of green, but there was a distinct difference in the warmth behind their eyes. Every second staring into Isabella's eyes sent ripples of chills down his spine. It was like the gaze of a predator.
"Uh, hey," Leon said, frowning.
Isabella took him by the arm, pulling him low enough to whisper, "You said Katie? You know my sister?"
At those words, his eyes grew colder. He recalled the stories Katie had told him of her family. "Who are you?"
Her eyes wandered for a moment, frowning. "You may call me Isabella. There's too many people here..." she said, turning away. "Come along. I know a more... intimate setting than this." He's only a boy after all. I had thought Katie's seemed more... confident as of late. But how would he have any means of contacting her? She wondered.
Leon hesitated. Her hand was soft but the tightness in her grip was like a steel claw. "Hey, I need to find my friends," he told her, snatching his hand away.
Isabella's eyes widened. This is no ordinary boy. No human could ever hope to break free from me. She pulled him close, faster than he could push away. "Look... I need your help. Listen to what I have to say and I'll help you find them later. Okay?" she whispered, her arms around his neck.
It felt warm, yet the pressure in her hold felt as if she'd break his throat if he refused. He sighed, pulling her off again forcefully. How is he doing that? Isabella's hands balled into fists as she prepared to drag him by any means, but then he said, "Alright. But make it quick."
—----------------------------------
They broke away, moving through the sea of people. Leon took a moment to take in Isabella's appearance. She hardly looked much older than him, perhaps a year or two apart. They were nearly the same height, the way she walked reminiscent of a medieval princess. Her dress was silk and looked expensive. He didn't trust her for a second.
Walking toward the front end of the ship, the ocean drifted along the sides as the mooring lines were cast off. Crew members in coveralls shouted commands, pulling the lines in as they walked past them.
"What are you doing on a ship like this? Are you going somewhere?" Isabella asked, glancing at him. A soft breeze flowed against them. Less people could be seen the further they went in.
"I'm on vacation," Leon said, maintaining a distance from her.
"Vacation..." Isabella said, pausing at a door frame. It was a word she knew, but the idea of it never once crossed her mind. This isn't the time to be getting tripped up on frivolous things. "You've yet to tell me your own name. How do you know Katie?"
"I'm Leon. ...Do you visit a dark room in your sleep, too?" Leon asked, glancing at the docks.
Isabella frowned, looking at him. "A dark room? Speaking in riddles now?"
He sighed. "Never mind. I'm surprised she's never mentioned me. Though with what she's told me, I'm not surprised."
A pang dug into Isabella's heart at those words. She turned before her look of distaste could show. How much does he know? ...It doesn't matter.
"We're wasting time. Let's go," Isabella said, moving ahead.
Leon snickered coldly. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
They walked through a hall with golden brown, wooden walls and a red carpet. Isabella headed towards a staircase to the right of it. As they descended, the ship's bright colors shifted into a metallic and gray environment. For a time, they were silent, the pressure of the situation weighing them both down. He isn't intimidated in the slightest. Was he waiting for this? Isabella thought, glancing back at him.
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He smiled, but the glare in his eyes didn't match. It was the first time since the day Jalaiya had taken control of Katie that Isabella had ever felt a hint of fear. They were quiet until they reached an empty bedroom, a quiet room only filled with the sound of the boat roaring along the waters. "You'd think they could've thought of a more colorful room or something... I'd be depressed as hell if I worked in a place like this," Leon muttered, never taking his eye off of Isabella.
The gray walls and ceiling reminded her of the Luna Base. "On that, we can agree. While we're on the subject, how much has Katie told you?" Isabella asked. "I can sense you are displeased."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "It's just strange. You two are so... different."
She turned to face him, crossing her arms. "How so?"
"You're both stunningly beautiful... same hair color, same colored eyes," Leon said, moving closer.
Perhaps he's nothing but a dog of a boy as well? Shattering her fragile little heart ought to show her not to trust anyone other than her family, Isabella thought, moving closer. When she raised her hands to his face, he caught them.
Isabella's eyes locked with his, their noses inches apart. There was no warmth in his gaze now. The anger and hatred she'd shown Katie her entire life was being reflected from his cool brown. She broke into a cold sweat as she tried to pry away from his grip.
"You lean in only to tease me? How cruel," Isabella said, her arms struggling to back away.
He stepped forward with her, unblinkingly. "Cruel. It's funny how someone like you can use a word like that so casually," Leon sneered, letting her go.
She nearly lost her footing, catching herself against the wall. There was no point in pretending anymore. "What are you on about? You're questioning the methods of our training? Do you expect her to be coddled? Loved? Don't be a fool. You know nothing about what we live for."
"Training? Is that what you call it when you're beating someone bloody? Someone who's too afraid to even lift a finger? How does that prepare you for anything?" Leon inquired, his fists tightening.
No one had ever questioned it. The only one who'd ever tried to fight against it was Cynthia, and Isabella saw how that ended. Dragged back home after trying to escape in a shuttle years ago, beaten black and blue. There was no point in trying to fight it. No escape. Isabella did everything their mother asked unquestioningly. Surely, all of that pain had to mean something. To be for a greater purpose.
Her mind was reeling, and Leon could see her begin to tremble. It was the first time he could see that same weakness. The same vulnerability he saw in Katie. At that moment, his gaze softened. "You don't have a choice, do you?"
Isabella glared at him. "What would you know of it? You, who've never suffered a day in your life. A boy going on pretty vacations, living a life in luxury, couldn't possibly understand what we go through!" She tried to spit it at him. To rapture him with the venom she felt strangling her heart. It sounded more like a cry for help.
"You're right. I wouldn't even know how to begin to understand how any of you feel... There was a lot in this life I took for granted. Parents who took me in and loved me, even when I moved along like nothing more than a mindless puppet. I couldn't feel or understand anything. It wasn't until I met your sister that my life felt like it had any meaning," Leon admitted, sighing. "Were you sent alone?"
"Why would I tell you? I'm the one doing the questioning!" she snapped, launching herself at him.
Leon caught her wrists, pinning her against the wall. He was rough, but the grip wasn't threatening. "Don't do this, it won't end well for you. I'll answer your questions without a fight."
Isabella felt him release his grip. She prepared to attack when he turned his back, but for the first time in her life she hesitated. She bit back the desire to scream. Leon sat on the bed calmly, his eyebrows furrowing. "Where is she?" she asked dejectedly, her arms falling to her sides.
Leon groaned. "If I knew that, she'd be with me now. I didn't actually expect her to come... I'm guessing your mother and Cynthia are here too, aren't they?"
"They will be. There'll be no escape once they do," Isabella responded, looking at him. "...Just what is Katie to you?"
At that question, he scratched the back of his head. "Feels presumptuous to call her my girlfriend, seeing as we've never met in person yet... but I do love her. She's important to me. ...Why do you hate her?"
She'd always known it, but she'd never acknowledged those feelings aloud. Isabella sighed. "We were created to destroy Diablos. I'm sure she's told you that much. We were already seen as disposable... worthless because neither I nor Cynthia inherited Jalaiya's soul. The moment Katie was born, she became mother's priority."
It was already painting a picture in Leon's head. "She became the star child... only she refuses to fight. I'm guessing your mother didn't sit well with that."
Isabella nodded, reluctantly sitting beside him. "Our lives have been nothing short of hell because of her ridiculous pacifism. Just what does she hope to achieve? We will never be a family until Diablos is dead? Doesn't she understand that?" It was then that a thought occurred to her. "You asked me a question about a dark room. What did you mean by that?"
"...It's a long story," Leon said, his eyes narrowing.
For at least an hour, he began to explain the dark world he visited within his sleep. How Katie had come running through the fog and visited him ever since. Isabella listened intently, but the more she heard, the more her heart sank. It's him! He's Diablos's host! Mother always said that Jalaiya and Diablos were the only beings known to have connected minds! This is how they communicate. ...He isn't someone I can kill on my own.
Isabella cleared her throat. "Well, thank you for telling me. I'll be taking my leave."
"Yes. I'd imagine you'll be missed if you're gone too long," Leon said, smiling. "It was nice meeting you, Isabella. I hope things work out in the end."
It was genuine. The warmth in his eyes and his expressions, enough to make her have to avoid his gaze. She wasn't used to being looked at that way. "It wasn't terrible. I don't believe we'll be chatting again. ...Farewell, Leon." Isabella took a step toward the door. WHAM.
Her vision blackened in an instant. The last thing she could see was Leon's black boots appearing in front of her before losing consciousness. "Sorry about this... but I don't exactly trust you," Leon muttered, rubbing the palm that'd slammed into the back of her neck.
Moving to the cabinets and drawers, he searched quickly for rope to tie her with. Luckily, he found some in the bottom of one beside the bed. Tying her tightly from head to toe, he tore off two long pieces of the white blanket. With her gagged and blindfolded, it would keep her from being able to call for help.
He made sure to lock the door. Luckily there wasn't a window and a key happened to be inside the nightstand by the bed. I don't know if any of their training involved being tied and kidnapped... Hopefully, she's not a super powered angel like Katie is, but considering she went down so easily, probably not. I know Iris is probably losing her mind... Better go.