A Former Enemy in Need (Closed)

Isabelle had almost forgotten about initiation already.  What a horrible way to lose, she was out before she could even fight anyone, not including the Grimm that defeated her anyway.  She closed her eyes, feeling bad for her partner.  She didn't want to leave him to fight on his own, but there wasn't much she could do about it at this point.  Using what energy she had left, she spoke to Isaac.

"You could try to fight...  But I don't think that fighting two against one would be a very good idea.  Sorry."

He heard it in her voice. The weakness and disorientation. Slowly, he looked over the girl, his pace quickening. Something inside the war machine snapped when he heard her speak. "... Isabelle... I want you to know... that you are going to be fine..."

He knew that sound.

"... You will take time... to heal... but you will be fine..."

He knew these words.

"... Modern medicine... can do wonders..."

He smelled the burnt flesh, and a phantom pain crawled across Leo's skin. He shook his head, trying to dismiss the memories and feelings.

"... You will be back on your feet... in no time..."

This time, it wasn't a lie. Isabelle was close to medical help. Her leg had only had circulation cut off relatively recently. The situations were completely different. And yet still, he held her a bit closer unconsciously. Her voice. He heard it in her voice. The same as it had been in his, on the edge of death. Fully aware as his arm was amputated. He knew these words. He had heard these words. And he would not repeat this script.

"... You will not... lose your leg... You will not know... what it is... to not be whole... You... You will not... You will survive... And you will be healthy... again..."

The cyborg's organic vision blurred to uselessness, and though it was a minor element amidst his streams of sensory data from artificial sources, he was aware of it, considering calling up diagnostics until he remembered it was his natural eye. Still, he wondered why.

Until he felt the trickle on his cheek. "We are almost... there... You have only a little longer... to hold out... You will not know... what I know... You will not experience the loss of not feeling... the grass between your toes... or awaken to the chill of cold metal... You will not... You must not..."

In defiance of his will, it was his arm that was still flesh that betrayed him, as he felt it tremble. Under the mask, Leonius grit his teeth. His emotions interrupted his usual rhythm of breathing, and he choked a moment on his own life support system before the system stepped back into synch. Still, he did not falter, as he stepped back into the script as memory dictated, but he bent word to his will.

"... You are no doubt feeling... very weak... and my words may be... very confusing... Everything... will become clear... with time... Just do not take the path... of losing hope because of... how you feel right now..."

That sound in her voice. That was all it had taken to make the machine falter, and bring the human to the surface...

"You'll pull through, Bella Bestia. I've felt the claws of the Grimm, and I made it here." Issac puts a hand on his scar, before turning towards Leo. "Again, thank you. Whatever happened to you, you've come back. You're a good man and as long as that man lives the shell doesn't matter."

Isabelle was having a bit of trouble paying attention to either of the two because of her disorientation, but she could tell that Leo was under stress.  She wanted to say something, but stopped herself to avoid causing anymore trouble.  He was right, the things that he was saying were confusing, but his and Isaac's words of reassurance were definitely helping to calm her down a bit.

"Almost there?"

"... No, Issac... No I did not..." Leonius kept looking down at Isabelle. "... I did not... come back... And the man within the armor... will never be the man... he was before it... That is why... This is so important..."

As they approached the top of the hill, he looked down at Isabelle.

"... We have... arrived... I apologize... if I hurt your ears..."

With that, Leonius's armor made a long hiss, enough air building up for what he was about to do.

((To Beacon Cliffs During The Tournament))