#leo rex

In the circle of soldiers that had formed around the fight, Scorpio was trying his damndest to get out.  Several of the men stopped his progress on several accounts just to clap him on the shoulder in congratulations on surviving Selphi, others to jab at his loss to the Super, and others just because they were as trapped as he was.  Leo was watching his hapless brother when the feather of a touch tickled his elbow, and he slowly dragged his eyes away from the painful sight to glance at a hand that was pulling away.  As his forest green eyes glided up to meet those of Angel, he smoothly twisted his body to face her and gave her a smile that was full and bright and Leo, giving the slightest of bows.  It was something he did that Scorpio would often make fun of him for, but it hadn't stopped Leo from continuing the habit.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Angel." Leo said with a smile of his own, then laughed nervously when he realized he should probably elaborate on the "finally".

"Scorpio and I would sometimes see you and Cassie passing a far away window, and we were wondering who you were."

When Leo spoke to people he looked them in the eye, confident in himself in a way that even his brother couldn't stand up to.  Scorpio's eyes roamed to whatever happened to catch them, fitting his constantly moving attention span so well that he had gotten in trouble with officers on several occasions.  Sure, the older Rex could easily break just about anyone in half over his knee if he wanted, but there was something insecure about him that made him nervous to look people in the eye for extended periods of time.  Leo had no such insecurities, even in the face of a woman who demanded respect like Angel did.  So when she did him the same courtesy, Leo couldn't help but admire her self confidence.

At the mention of Scorpio and him teaming up Leo grinned, but it wasn't a cocky kind of grin that might suggest he thought there was no other way he and his twin could be.  It was fond, as if going through missions with his brother at his back was the highlight of his day.

"We do work pretty good together." Leo agreed, not bothering to insult Angel with trying to be humble when he wasn't even bragging; it was truth.  "Of course, Scorpio's in the most danger being in the front lines, and does most of the work too."

An arm suddenly fell across Leo's shoulders like a sack of stones, causing the poised Rex to stumble a little.  Leo glowered up at Scorpio as he straightened back up, about to threaten him with an ass-whooping when the older Rex cut him off expertly.

"Don't listen to Leo, he's full of shit.  We would've failed a lot of missions if he wasn't back where he was, telling us enemy movement patterns and all that other nit-picky stuff I'd never be able to make out without an idiots guide." Scorpio said almost as if he was bragging, wrapping his arm around Leo's neck quickly to try and catch him in a headlock.  But Leo moved like oiled lighting, slippery and uncatchable as he grabbed Scorpio's wrist and elbow from behind, catching his older brother in a painful elbow lock before tripping him and taking him to the ground.  Scorpio struggled until Leo began raising his locked arm, at which point he started tapping the ground like drum.

"Uncle, uncle!" Scorpio cried out, and was immediately let go of by a triumphant Leo, who crossed his arms over his narrow chest.

"As much fun as it is to whoop your ass again, weren't you looking for Cass?" He asked Scorpio as the Rex jumped back up from the ground, rubbing his sore elbow as he looked around over the heads of most everyone.  He was back to being serious it seemed, and Leo had to wonder at how fast his brother could switch between the two.

"Yeah, have you seen her?"

Another smile lit Leo's face up as he turned toward the last place he had seen Cassie, moving his hand to jab in the general direction once he caught site of Cassie's fiery hair.  But what he saw made him freeze, hand in the air as his smile slowly sunk into a straight line of disbelief.  Thames, kissing Cassie as if it was an everyday occurrence.

"Shit."

The word was hushed and reflexive, but Leo didn't take it back or regret it.  He glanced at Scorpio cautiously and instantly felt a heavy weight in his chest, expressive eyes growing sad at the look of pure shock on Scorpio's face.  So, he had seen it too, and by the look on Cassie's face it wasn't something he was supposed to.  The only expression Leo had for Cassie was sadness, and Selphi had this look in her eye that promised that there would  be a talk later.  But Scorpio, Scorpio was a blank slate, and there was no telling what was going on behind the wide eyed stare he was giving her.  He only managed a small, questioning "Cass?" before Captain Ursa called the unit to attention, wrenching his gaze away from his friend.  Leo could only close his eyes at the hurt that had laced into Scorpio's voice unheaded, turning briefly back to Angel before he was forced into formation.

"I don't...I'm not sure what just happened, but Cassie didn't look to sure herself." He said, glancing back to see Thames forcibly drag Cassie away, and to see the flash of anger in Scorpio's eyes.  Leo reached up toward Angel but stopped himself midway, unsure of how this particular soldier would react to physical contact.  So instead he looked her in the eye so she could see all the worry that swam there.  "Could you make sure she's okay?"

Since we can't was the unspoken words that followed, but they were understood.  Leo looked as if he was about to say something else to Angel, but the Captain's voice rang out again for them to form up, sounding doubly as vicious as it had the first time.  So instead he gave Angel a small smile and a wave before leading his brother to the formation, leaving the welfare of Cassie in Angel's capable hands.

Back near the bays entrance Selphi and Cyrus stood like two ancient sentries, both of their expressions as stony as the others after what had just occurred.  Without words Selphi gave her friend a look that had Cyrus sighing, but he nodded nonetheless and waved her off.

"Go on, We'll hold the mission until tomorrow."

IF ANYONE TOLD LEO that he was small for a Rex, he would have to agree.  Scorpio was what everyone expected from the brand of soldier he was, perfect in every physical aspect of the Homosapien Rex gene.  He was tall, broad shoulders swooping down to a narrow waist, what rippled in between a copy of some alabaster god, carved to the precise measurements he was designed for.  He was handsome, he was polite, and he was smart.  He excelled at everything he did and what he lacked he tried at until he was the best.  Scorpio had drive, felt the rush of combat and became the bullet that tore through the enemy his superiors pointed him at.

Leo was most of these things, just in a more compact form.  In combat training he worked with his smaller stature and made it his strength, combining fluid grace with his opponents own momentum to win almost every time.  In marksmanship there was no equal, not even Scorpio, but Leo had learned a thing or two from the best sniper he’d ever known, Fang.  Where Scorpio rushed into the fray Leo hung back, watching and taking note of even the smallest detail, weighing his options with quick decisiveness.  Courses of action were formulated and, when combined with the ruthless pure soldiering of Scorpio, carried out with brutal efficiency.  What people didn’t see in Leo was his drive, the same that made Scorpio seem so full of fire.

Leo’s drive was keeping his soldiers alive, to complete the mission with as few casualties as possible.  He was offered a chance to go to Officer Training School because of his obvious aptitude for leadership, but he had been born and bred for the military life.  Leo knew where the real leadership came from.  Leo strived to be a sergeant.  His smaller than usual frame didn’t stop him from obtaining his goal, not by any means, but it didn’t instill a sense of confidence in him.  It was such a silly thing but Leo just didn’t look like a Rex, and his young age did nothing to help his case.  He was different, and at first it had bothered him.  Leo had felt jealousy at an early age when Scorpio was beginning his training and small little brother was being left in the dust.  But someone had been put into his and his brother’s lives, someone who nipped the problem in the bud so hard that it never bothered trying to blossom again.

At first Leo didn’t understand her, was so confused as to why his jealousy terrified her so, but then he’d met Taurus, saw what he truly was, and it all became clear.  She didn’t want him to repeat that mistake, but she had been so passionate about the two youngest Rexes’ upbringing that they would see it as nothing but all-encompassing love for them.  That woman had become their mentor and their guide, but most importantly she had become their mother.  She taught Scorpio the value of the small things in life, Leo how to dream big, and how to fight for the ones they loved.  It was she, in Leo’s teenager years, that taught him to find the advantage in everything, but know when to use it.

And she was showing him the perfect example of such a time right now.

In all the legal senses of the term, Selphi had stopped her military life.  But the way she was handing Scorpio his own ass in a playful spar showed that she would probably never truly retire.  Though the punches and kicks were all in good fun, none were pulled or softened to spare the other nasty bruises.  Scorpio and Selphi circled each other in a deadly dance of whirling limbs and perspiration, blows being traded in favor of Selphi’s odds of winning.  Several of the idle soldiers had gathered around the two to form a sort of ring, mostly because Selphi was a favorite visitor of theirs, but also because it wasn’t often anyone saw a Super and a Rex fight on such even footing.  Well, it had been even, but Scorpio had landed a hit that sent Selphi flipping backwards.  Selphi had landed on her feet unsurprisingly, winging a little from the blow but grinning from ear to ear.  Scorpio had landed no hits on his elusive target after that, and Selphi knew where to hit a Rex that would bruise for weeks.

As of this moment Scorpio’s bare back and torso were polka dotted with angry red marks, the product of Selphi’s limitless energy, and the Rex was beginning to tire.  He moved much more than his opponent did, who seemed to just flow with his movements and strike where he wasn’t protected.  Swear ran rivulets down every bare patch of skin on him, and though Selphi sweated too, she was still grinning.  Leo noted this with a smile, crossing his arms over his chest when he realized Scorpio didn’t understand.

“She’s toying with him.”

Leo tore his eyes away from the educational fight to smile appreciatively at the much older man beside him, glad he had noticed it too.  But of course he had.  “I know.  It’s giving me some good ideas on how to approach my next spar.”

Cyrus nodded in agreement at that, but the sigh that followed soon after was good enough indication that they needed to end it soon.  “Well, she needs to hurry and finish him off.  We have somewhere we need to be.”

Despite being almost forty, Cyrus didn’t look a day over twenty-five.  It was a trick both he and Selphi shared the knowledge of:  become a Super soldier and you will never worry about wrinkles.  There were, however, a few grey streaks in his neatly cropped hair, most likely caused by stress, but they just added refinement to his already roguish gentleman look.  A thin scar ran along the length of his sharp cheekbone on the left side of his face, a reminder of some battle long past that he could never hope to forget anyway.  Cyrus was handsome and militant in his tidy appearance, but like Selphi no longer serving in the army.  Legal document speaking wise.

With an innocent smile but limitless respect in his eyes, Leo had to ask.

“Another secret mission?”

Cyrus glanced down at his young companion with a level stare, trying to read into the question in search of more that might be asked or reasons behind it.  But all he could find was the want of a simple yes or no.  Leo was not the kind to poke around in the personal lives of people who did not want it known.

“That’s the thing about secret things, Leo:  you don’t know.”

Leo took the hint gracefully, but it was a yes all the same.  Selphi had not been too protective of her being in a secret branch of the military service, not to the Rex boys.  They were practically her sons.  The branch was nothing more than a squad of the five Supers that had survived their second trip to La Nina, a Special Tasks Force with only one mission:  TOP SECRET.  Leo didn’t know that much and doubted he ever would, but he knew it was dangerous.  Important enough to have top priority on all the lists of the last Super soldiers in existence.

Cyrus was no fool, he knew Leo knew.  Leo was clever.  Given enough information the Rex boy could probably sit down and figure out who their target was, maybe even where she was.  Despite all his secrecy though, Cyrus felt that it might not be a bad idea to tell the Rex brothers.  They were her targets after all, a hint wouldn’t hurt.  Shifting his crossed arms to his sides, Cyrus watched Selphi carefully, watching as his long time friend finally noticed Cassy.

“The mother wants her children back.” The man whispered for Leo’s sharp ears only, and before the boy could utter a single “huh?” of confusion, Selphi was yelling over him.

“Hey Cassy!”

Boisterous as ever, Selphi’s cheery voice carried easily over any other din, but she waved her arms around like a moron just in case.  But she didn’t care about what image she set, she wasn’t officially in the military anymore, and that was one of the things that made Selphi so loveable.  There were times where one just needed to act a fool, and times when one had to crack down and do some serious business.  And when it came to serious business, Selphi was boss.  Her rambunctious greetings caught the attention of both Leo and Scorpio, but it was the latter that paid for it.  Just as Scorpio turned his back to Selphi to search for Cassy, a viciously delighted smile struck her face like a thunderbolt and she was suddenly in the air.  Scorpio was grinning at Cassy when Selphi’s calves were suddenly scissored over his neck, the expression unchanging as the Super twirled around him above the ground and whipped him off his sturdy feet.  It was only when he slammed into the cement did surprise register, for too late.

“What’re you doin’, soldier?!”

Selphi, who had somehow detached herself from the whirling throw and landed on her feet, was now standing over Scorpio and yelling in his face.

“What shit-for-brains motherfucker told you it was okay to turn your back to the enemy?!”

Winded and thoroughly whooped, Scorpio lay sprawled and confused across the floor.  He stared up at Selphi with wide eyes in his mouth opened and closed wordlessly, floundering to come up with an answer.  Leo couldn’t help but laugh at his brother, who truly was starting to look as cowed as a private being chewed out by a drill sergeant.  He couldn’t blame Scorpio though, Selphi never yelled at them.

“Until your enemy is incapacitated or stone cold dead, always keep your eye on them,” Selphi continued, seeing now that Scorpio wasn’t going to provide her with an answer, not that she was expecting him to.  Her unusually unmerciful expression changed in the blink of an eye back into the smiling, happy one they all knew, with a little extra mischief dashed in.  “And not the prize.”

It was a hushed phrase that didn’t carry past the circle of onlookers, but their hoots of laughter were enough to set Scorpio spluttering again.  Selphi laughed her full laugh with them as she offered a hand to the downed Rex, her practically son whom she felt obliged to embarrass every now and then.  Even as his ears burned hotly in a blush he’d later claim was caused by the fight, a grin matching Selphi’s lay easily on Scorpio’s face as he took her hand and was hauled to his feet.