There was a breathless silence between the boys. Even the lantern flame seemed to be frozen, unable to break the silence from its glass house.
"Wh...what?" Leon had finally found his voice.
"I'm sorry, I should have told wewe sooner. There was no time-"
"N-no."
"Sorry?"
"No." The small boy was suddenly on his feet. There was no where to run, but there was no hint of fleeing in his tense muscled and clenched fists. It was the lighting quick temper that Tommy recognized from both his sister and father. "No! wewe are lying."
"I'm not-"
"Yes, wewe are! I thought wewe were my ally."
"I'm not your ally, Leon... I'm your brother."
"You aren't!" He shouted back, but it sounded zaidi like he was trying to convince himself. "I have no brothers. I am Experiment- Aurum 13."
"No," Tommy attempted to argue.
"Yes, I am! I was created in a lab. I have no mother au father, no brothers au sisters-"
"You-"
"I am a weapon, I have no family-"
"Leon!" Tommy shouted over the rant
"Do not call me kwa that name!" The boy screamed back at his brother. He was shaking all over, but the tears in his eyes suggested something other than anger. "It isn't my name. I-I don't have a name. I..." His words were Lost in his sobs, and when Tommy stood and pulled him into a hug, he buried his face in the warmth and clutched at the only person who had ever offered purely selfless refuge.
"You aren't alone," Tommy promised him, tears in his own voice. "You never were."
"Wh...what?" Leon had finally found his voice.
"I'm sorry, I should have told wewe sooner. There was no time-"
"N-no."
"Sorry?"
"No." The small boy was suddenly on his feet. There was no where to run, but there was no hint of fleeing in his tense muscled and clenched fists. It was the lighting quick temper that Tommy recognized from both his sister and father. "No! wewe are lying."
"I'm not-"
"Yes, wewe are! I thought wewe were my ally."
"I'm not your ally, Leon... I'm your brother."
"You aren't!" He shouted back, but it sounded zaidi like he was trying to convince himself. "I have no brothers. I am Experiment- Aurum 13."
"No," Tommy attempted to argue.
"Yes, I am! I was created in a lab. I have no mother au father, no brothers au sisters-"
"You-"
"I am a weapon, I have no family-"
"Leon!" Tommy shouted over the rant
"Do not call me kwa that name!" The boy screamed back at his brother. He was shaking all over, but the tears in his eyes suggested something other than anger. "It isn't my name. I-I don't have a name. I..." His words were Lost in his sobs, and when Tommy stood and pulled him into a hug, he buried his face in the warmth and clutched at the only person who had ever offered purely selfless refuge.
"You aren't alone," Tommy promised him, tears in his own voice. "You never were."