“... that’s right. I would be the equivalent of your uncle, wouldn’t I?” Leo stared down Alison, probing for a reaction.

Alison in turn fell to her knees and started dry heaving. “You were... you were related to me by blood and knew it? Then why-“

She thought back to their sexual encounters and teared up while grasping at her mouth. Finally, she couldn’t stand the vile thoughts and vomited on the floor.

Rob stared at her in pity and Maria quickly rushed to her side, rubbing Alison’s back and throwing a scornful look Leo’s way.

Lena and Jessica had sad looks on, already knowing from the data that what Leo said was the truth.

Coughing and sputtering, she raised her head once more, “How could you do that that to me!?”

Leo stared at her, indifference displayed on his stoic face. “I could because you also wanted it. You wanted a partner that was mature and could nurture your talents. Let me tell you Alison, what you were looking for wasn’t a lover, but a father.”

Alison’s eyes widened in shock, and she quickly averted her line of sight from Leo’s.

“I’m sorry you have to find out this way, but...” Leo sent a dirty look to Lena and Jessica, “they made sure to tell you in the middle of our mission. Now come on Alison, Maria, Rob. We can’t wait anymore. If Armando needs her for his plans then we can’t give Lena to him.”

Leo’s sneer sent shivers down the spines of the Lena and Jessica, who in turn took a stance behind Alison. Unsteadily, the crying girl got to her feet with the help of Maria before distancing herself and staring at Leo.

“No, I’m glad they told me now.” Alison furrowed her brows and held her hand out to Maria, who hesitated. “Come on Maria.”

Leo cocked his head, his brain not believing what he was seeing. “You can’t be serious. I thought you were better than that Alison.”

“Maria, now!” With a start, Maria reluctantly morphed into her weapon form, twin blades that glinted in the light of the setting sun.

“General Armando was right about you.” Alison thought only of revenge on the man who humiliated her, and tears streamed down her face as she felt the hot sting of betrayal pierce her heart.

She circled around Leo, sizing him up and looking for an opening. Without batting an eyelid, He continued staring at Rob, Lena and Jessica as she slowly walked behind him. “I thought you were more rational than this, Alison. What are you even trying to accomplish?”

Coming full circle, she returned back from where she started and clicked her tongue. As expected of the one man in the world who could single-handedly take down Dimension Eaters, he had no openings and still had a calm look on his face.

“If you need to take Lena away just so Armando can’t have her, why not leave her in the city under my protection? She clearly doesn’t want to go anywhere, plus you could just confront him now and get it over with. In fact, why haven’t you done that this entire time, Mr. All Powerful!?”

Leo narrowed his eye, “Because, Princess,” he replied in a sarcastic tone, “what Armando is capable of and what I can do to stop him are limited by his surveillance on us. Since I left last year to travel the world with Dantae, he has been constantly working on and with the walker gene. I can’t rule out the fact that he may have a way to negate or take away my powers, and that’s something I can’t risk until I complete my own plans.”

Pointing at his objective he shook his head. “You get it, don’t you? She will be safe and be provided three meals a day by me, which is a pretty okay tradeoff if you ask me.”

Alison tilted her head, “Shelter and three meals as a tradeoff? Food and shelter are basic human necessities, not bargaining tools. And a tradeoff for what?”

Leo looked out the window and stared across the river at the statue of liberty in the distance. “A tradeoff for her freedom. She will be put in the bunker under our apartment in Boston. A place where I will know where she is at all times.”

Alison frowned once more, tears now beginning to roll down her cheeks. “Now I know I can’t let you do that Leo.” she said, pointing the dagger in her right hand at her teacher, her savior, and now the obstacle of her future.

“I know that you know this already, and judging from how you and Vanessa met I would assume you wouldn’t repeat the same mistake that happened to you.”

Leo raised his hand and put his thumb and middle finger together. “And what mistake is that, my dear Alison?”

Her spine shivered as he called her name, but she powered through and started manipulating the void. “You should know that what you’re describing isn’t protection, it’s imprisonment!”

Alison charged her former mentor only for him to snap his upheld fingers and she to fell into a pit that Leo willed into existence right in front of her.

Landing on top of the Statue of Liberty, she angrily screamed and opened a portal herself back into the room directly behind Leo.

“You've gotten better.” He said, a faint smile on his otherwise expressionless face. “I should have realized you’d continue to train, but I didn’t think you could use line of sight manipulation so fast.”

She raised her daggers once more, “I learned from the best, didn’t I?” She took a step forward, but before she could take another a voice called out from her side.

“I wouldn’t if I were you, unless you don't care about her that is.” Alison looked on in horror as Jessica was put in a sleeper hold by Vanessa, who was in position to break her neck at any time.

Glancing farther left, Alison saw Rob, expressionless and still, not even moving an inch in the girls’ direction to help them.

“What are you doing Rob, move!” However, the boy simply shook his head and sighed. "I want to remain neutral. Sure, I was your teammate for a year, but you never bothered to know the real me. You just took for granted what so many other humans do and didn’t realize what they don’t realize: that most human interaction is superficial.”

Breaking his gaze away from her, he turned to Leo. “He was different. He was the only person in my life that bothered to ask me how I felt, or what my backstory was! He was the only one to hear about my sister and care…”

“In the end,” he said, putting his head down as tears ran down his face, “No one really cared about the homosexual boy from Manhattan. Or, at the very least, none of you did.”

“Except for me.” The voice of a lone girl broke the silence, and caused everyone to turn their attention towards Lena.

“In fact, I place a lot of importance in you, Robert Taylor.” She smiled sweetly, before turning it into a thing of twisted desires. “As my weapon, of course. Adrian!”

Leo’s spine tingled as the wild card he had been cautious of appeared to finally be coming into play. A tall, muscular black man ducked in through the classroom’s doorway holding a large white sack.

“I’ve got what you asked for Lena. Straight from St. America Hospital, at your request.” Rob’s chest tightened as he started to put the pieces together.

“You bastard!” He screamed, but no amount of rage could cushion him from the emotional impact of seeing his sister’s limp body being taken from the sack.

Leo widened his eyes and started to manipulate the void, but was forced out of concentration when he felt Alison starting to open a portal under him. Clicking his tongue, he redirected his focus to crushing Alison’s attempts and stared at Rob in guilt.

“Katherine…” Rob whispered, and started to walk over to his sister when he was stopped by Lena’s embrace.

“Not so fast, Rob. Adrian, if you would.” Adrian complied and raised the comatose girl by one arm before leveling a knife at her throat.

“Katherine, no!” Rob started sobbing uncontrollably and slumped into Lena’s chest.

“There you go, good boy. Now all you have to do is become my weapon and she’ll be returned to the hospital, safe and sound as if nothing had happened. Of course,” she said, her hot breath making his spine shiver and biting his ear for good measure, “the sooner the better, and the fewer scars she will have upon her return.”

Rob screamed, a guttural noise filled with pain and anger. Finally, he turned to Leo and said two words, “I’m sorry.” A flash of light manifested between Rob and Lena, and when it died down she was left holding a pair of pistols.

“Ah, it’s been too long.” She held them close to her chest, “Almost a year I think since I last used you. Oh well, not like it matters anymore.”

“Because now,” she said, pointing the barrel of the gun at Leo and looking at Alison, “We have the advantage."

Shifting his gaze between Adrian, Alison, and Lena, Leo could only do what he did best: fight.

“Change of plans Dantae.” She immediately let go of Jessica, who ran out of the room, and returned to Leo’s side. “Looks like we’re going to have a long day ahead of us.”

Taking each other by the hand, Leo and Dantae recited their oaths before Leo and Dantae, man and weapon, as well as man and woman became one in mind.

Suddenly, a large hole opened up in the room, swallowing them all whole and dumping them out in Yankee Stadium. Lena opened her eyes wide in surprise. This was a way more dominating presence and force than Armando’s reports led her to believe. If he could force them to travel regardless of their own will then-

Her thoughts were interrupted when Leo stood up, and Adrian followed his actions. Slowing his breath, Leo held Morning Glory to the setting sun and calmly charged towards Adrian.

---

“It's almost time. I just need her to give me the last piece and then I’ll have revenge on that insolent bastard!” General Christian Armando spat at the mere thought of Leo, and wanted to lose control once more but endured it. After all, things had gone according to his plan so far, and the General knew that at this point, the only thing that could stop his plans was his own impatience.