Chapter 15: Barrack's Manager

Leon couldn't finish his words before a drunken man barged into the barracks room causing the cheerful atmosphere to become ice cold in mere seconds.

A muscular bald man suddenly stumbled in, his imposing figure accentuated by the intricate Ariados tattoo that covered the top of his head. 

His skin was weathered, hinting at a life filled with challenges and battles. His features were overshadowed by his scratchy beard with crumbs still lingering within it.

His expression was sloppy, gaze dizzy, and a seemingly lost sense of self within the way he carried himself.

"WHAT THE F*CK ARE YOU LOOKING AT!" He suddenly let out a ragged question directed toward a young man who accidentally made eye contact with him.

"No one sir! I-"

*SLAP*

*Thump*

The man slapped the boy across as he immediately tumbled over from the might of the strike. 

"AM I A NO ONE!" He roared once more, grabbing the teenager's collar and pulling him back to his feet. 

"No, I'm sorry I-" The boy seemingly tried to beg while apologizing profusely for something over exaggerated.

"I could kill you right now and no one would even blink an eye." He mused in a drunken threat as some drool came from the side of his mouth.

"With a single thumb, I could kill ya." He let out a heartless smile as the boy started to shake within his grasp.

"Dammit, Ian is drunk again." A whisper came from the bathroom as the kids relented, trying to hide from the brutality of Ian.

"We're so f*cked." Another kid let out a depressing sigh, knowing they were in for it today.

*THWACK*

"WHY ARN'T YOU ANSWERING YOUR BARRACKS MANAGER!" Ian yelled while bare knuckle punching the kid into responding.

*Sniff*

"I'm sorry sir I just-"

"I used to be something! I was climbing the f*cking ranks like a ladder!" Ian pushed the boy down to the ground, relenting at his fate while grabbing his flask and taking a swig. 

"But I somehow end up as the leader of a bunch of brats! Me, Ariados Ian!" Ian grabbed his face, pacing around as all the other kids desperately tried to avoid his wraith. 

"TWO YEARS, WHY HAVE I BEEN HERE FOR TWO YEARS!" Ian screeched at the kid cowering beneath him as he started to shake.

"I-I-I-"

"YOU USELESS TRASH!"

As Ian vented his frustrations to anyone within earshot, Leon focused on encouraging Hugo to rise. However, their efforts were abruptly halted by an unforeseen obstacle.

"Hugo back up, you've got to back up." Leon whispered urgently as Hugo's feet placement directly stood in the middle of the walkway which the drunken man was standing on.

Leon understood the imminent danger: if Ian caught sight of Hugo, a painful confrontation would be inevitable.

*Huff*

*Huff*

*Huff*

Once Leon saw the state Hugo was in, he realized that talking was no longer an option. Hugo's entire body trembled uncontrollably, his hands clutching at empty air. 

His eyes, wide with terror, betrayed a fear so profound that even his pupils shook violently, as if trying to escape the horror reflected in his retinas at the mere mention of Ian.

Overwhelmed by a flood of painful memories within such a short span of time, Hugo's senses became enveloped in the numbing shock of his current ordeal.

"Hugo, breathe, just breathe." Leon gritted his teeth, knowing it might be a bad idea but started to try and move the ginormous Hugo out of the way.

To Leon's astonishment, Hugo made no attempt to push him away; so consumed was he by the impending fear that he had become completely unaware of Leon's presence.

As the tension in the air grew palpable, Leon's brow furrowed into a deep frown. The sight of the pale, shaking teenagers heightened his concern, especially as it was evident that Hugo was the most mentally affected by the man's presence.

The primary obstacle was the challenge of moving the large, obese Hugo, as Leon lacked the strength needed to budge him.

'I just had to see him move that toothpick with his mind!' Leon screamed in his mind, hsi face reddening from the strain while he desperately lifted with his legs. 

Leon didn't need to read the stars to know that the drunken man spelled trouble, especially as he attempted to conceal the significantly larger Hugo.

'Dammit, there's no way a drunk guy that beats on kids doesn't try to pick on a Hugo is literally built like a punching bag-'

"Oh, look who it is!" Leon flinched before showing relief when seeing that Ian wasn't talking to Hugo.

"Good morning barracks leader, Ariados Ian, it is an honor to be in your presence!" Chad subtly bowed his head, ensuring that his height remained equal to Ian's. He understood that appearing taller would only escalate the situation further.

*Smack*

"Have some backbone Chad." Ian's scoff turned into a slap across Chad's face, yet Chad remained unfazed, his eyes burning with anger beneath his bangs.

"Is that anger?" Ian genuinely showed a look shock as if Chad showing emotion was rarer than a blue moon. 

"To think I'd see the day that the emotionless stone statue actually showed something other than that plain smile, it makes me curious about what happened." Ian obviously didn't miss the expression under those thick bangs as he manically smiled.

"Is it me, Chad? Do you want to hit me?" Ian lightly smacked his cheek, provoking him into a fight as Chad stood his ground.

"Come on, hit me."

*Smack*

"Come on, Chad!"

*Smack*

"I JUST KNOW YOU WANT TO START SOMETHING!" 

*Smack*

Ian's aggression toward Chad was evident, with Chad enduring the abuse silently, aware that any response would escalate the situation. 

The scene was too much for Hugo, who trembled violently, his hands gripping his hair as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Hugo don't say a word-" Leon started to panic knowing if Hugo made even one sound that all the aggression Ian was cooking up would be wholly directed at him.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Hugo's frantic cries suddenly shot out in the dead silence space as it furiously spread throughout the bay before gracing Ian's pleasant ears.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!" Hugo began to mentally unravel at the mere sound of Ian's violence, dropping to his knees and drawing Ian's full attention.

"HUGO STOP-" Leon tried to cover his mouth but Hugo only started to freak out even more as his screechs only towered the previous remarks.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ian's mocking laughter sounded out as he completely lost interest in Chad, showing this by turning towards Hugo.

"If it isn't my favorite punching bag!" Ian's drunken laughter filled the room, drawing everyone's attention to Leon, who was struggling to contain Hugo's escalating cries.

"WAIT HUGO DOESN'T-" Chad's eyes trembled with worry under his bangs, aware that Hugo couldn't handle punches the way he could as he attempted to rush forward to intervene.

"Ariados, subdue Chad." Ian flicked the pokeball to the side before a menacingly Aridos emerged, immediately encasing Chad in webs.

"Hugo how long has it been, about a week right?" Ian raised his bottle of rum to his lips, letting the fiery liquid stream down his throat. 

The burning sensation was a reminder of his existence, a stark contrast to the emptiness he felt inside.

"Man, I'm glad you said something because I feel like my right hook has been getting slower-who are you?" Ian staggered over to Hugo, but his attention was drawn to Leon, who looked back at him.

"Oh, you're that diamond kid......…..Leroy, right?" Ian slurred out while his mere presence was like a shadow looming over Hugo. 

"It's Leon, barracks leader." Leon politely bowed while finally acknowledging the hierarchy.

Leon's acknowledgment of no longer being the boss was often half-hearted, as his long tenure at the top made it difficult to accept being at the lowest rank.

This was evident in the way he reacted to Sam and Josh, but it was mostly because Leon knew he could partially get away with it.

Ian's demeanor, on the other hand, was contemptuous in a way that displeased Leon, particularly when faced with someone who blatantly abused their authority, a common occurrence even in a desk job.

With all this accumulating into his respectful attitude knowing that one misstep would lead to a backhand.

*GULP*

*GULP*

*GULP*

*BURP*

"Wheshtever move, I need to get a couple punches in before my daily nap." Ian was nearing the point of being completely wasted, but he still had a couple more minutes until the alcohol he had just consumed was fully processed.

*EXTREME MUFFLED NOISES*

Chad struggled as Aradios loomed over him, his bloodshot eyes showing a mix of concern for Hugo and hatred for Ian. 

Meanwhile, Leon, in the midst of the confrontation, glanced back at Hugo. It was the first time he noticed that Hugo's gaze didn't shift away when their eyes met. 

In that moment, Hugo's terrified and pleading expression seemed to silently beg Leon for help, without needing to voice it aloud.

*Sigh*

Leon let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He didn't see himself as a hero, but he believed in the importance of keeping his word. 

For him, once you lose your word, you're nothing.

'I said he was my friend, so he's my friend.' Leon resolutely looked at Ian and smiled warm heartedly.

"Sorry Ian, I can't move cause I'm vertically challenged." Leon let out distress words that made the drunken Ian confused almost immediately.

"Vertically challenged?" Ian durnkly said out loud while rubbing his bald head, trying to understand what that even meant.

"Yeah it means that I can only go forwards and backwards, but unfortunately I can't move to the side." Leon's expression turned aggrieved as he feigned sadness, aiming to deceive Ian. Ian, initially surprised, slowly began to process the hidden intent behind Leon's false emotions, his drunken mind struggling to catch up.

"Leroy, you better move and shut that pretty mouth of yours." Ian eyebrows slowly submerged into a shrunken state as his tone seeped with rage.

"I would move, but it's just that-..........did you say pretty?" Leon suddenly asked before his face jerked to the side.

*TWACK*

Leon tried to open his smart mouth once more to provoke Ian once again, only prompting Ian's fist to act like a homing rocket, zooming at instantaneous speeds and colliding with Leon's cheek. 

The impact was so powerful that Leon's skin rippled from the sheer force, akin to an adult man hitting a small child square in the face with all his strength.

*Tink*

*Tink*

*Tink*

The last baby tooth in Leon's mouth wiggled free and fell to the ground as his body followed suit, collapsing from the overwhelming force of Ian's punch. 

His balance was abruptly disrupted, leading to his fall. Ian managed to catch him, but only by grabbing a fistful of hair.

"YOU THINK YOUR SOME HERO!" 

*TWACK*

"ONE OF THOSE ASSOCIATION SCUM!"

*TWACK*

"THOSE PESKY KNOW IT ALL ELITES!"

*TWACK*

Ian began kicking Leon while he was down, prompting Leon to cover his vital areas in an effort to reduce the damage. 

Fortunately for Leon, Ian's kicks were sloppy, significantly reducing their power by at least 75%, with the exception of the initial punch. Despite Leon's attempts to cover his face, Ian persisted in trying to strike him again and again.

"C'MON SAY SOMETHING HERO!" Ian furiously roared as his bloodshot eyes murderously gazed at Leon.

'Don't say something stupid, Don't say something stupid.'

"I wouldn't say a hero since I would think vigilantly is more suited for this case." Leon couldn't help himself as his mouth started running off, his instinct to have the last word kicking in. Ian only laughed, cocking back his leg with pure joy hidden under his drunken state.

*Bam*

"Hey squirt! Put on your big boy pants because today we're taking you to the corner- '' Sam suddenly burst through the door without any shame, causing the room to immediately fall silent. 

Amidst her happy and joyful gaze stood the newfound sight of Leon under the oppressive boot of Ian.

A small gust of wind suddenly resounded throughout the bay, sending shivers down the spines of all the present individuals, including the drunken Ian, who sobered up remarkably quickly.

"Ian." Sam's chilling words had an immediate effect on the drunken Ian, who sobered up instantly. 

Stepping away from the beaten and bruised Leon as if he had caught some plague, he immediately forced a subservient smile..

"Senior Sam I-" Ian, who had a couple years on Sam, suddenly bowed his bald head in reverence.

"Shut it." Sam's deadly voice sent shivers down the spines of the boys in the back of the room as her reputation as a cruel, sadistic maniac had already made its way to their ears.

"Why are you disciplining our golden goose?" Sam suddenly smiled, tilting her head, though her piercing, cold eyes prevented Ian from responding as he could only begin to slowly succumb to the fear that Sam's presence was radiating.

"No I-........I didn't know I-" Ian was at a loss for words as he instinctively lost his grip and dropped the flask of alcohol in his hand.

"Hey brat." Sam peeked her head to the side to see Leon picking up his fallen baby tooth while sighing in relief that it wasn't an adult one.

"What's up?" Leon nonchalantly replied, feeling the part of his gums that didn't have a tooth nestled inside it.

"What did you do?" Sam scrunched her eyebrows at Leon's clearly unbothered appearance before he shrugged with a light sigh.

"I ran my mouth again." Leon flicked his tooth to the side before looking her dead in the eye.

*Scoff*

"Are you concussed?"

"No."

"Any broken bones or?"

"Nah, I just got punched and kicked a couple times."

*Sigh*

"Get your stuff, we're hitting the streets." Sam flicked her head to the side while crossing her arms.

"Where's dad?" Leon asked, grabbing his backpack from the side, causing Sam to laugh, even in her rage.

"Man that mouth of yours is going to get you killed one day, but to answer your question he's waiting outside." Sam clutched her stomach, wiping a tear from her eye, as the other kids watched fearfully, in disbelief at Leon's audacity in talking to her in that tone.

"L-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-leon." Hugo stuttered repeatedly, moving forward while gazing at his make-shift shield personified. 

"Sorry big dog, but this is all I can do for you-" Leon misinterpreted his words, shaking his head, as he realized he couldn't bring Hugo with him.

"T-T-T-T-T-Thank you." Hugo wasn't asking him to stay, but actually thanking Leon.

Hugo had never experienced someone standing up for him before, not even Chad, who had always stopped short whenever Ian moved past him. 

For the first time, someone didn't abandon him in his time of need and Hugo knew the probability of getting beaten after Leon left was extremely high, but he at least wanted to thank Leon for sharing some of the pain with him while everyone always looked away.

"No problem big dog, isn't that what friends are for." Leon brushed off the words as simple appreciation before instinctively trying to pat Hugo's shoulder.

"Oh I forgot, no touching." Leon said before Hugo could back up, even then Hugo still took a few steps back as he rubbed his arm aggressively.

"Did ya make a friend?" Sam teased while Leon brushed her off.

"Yeah unlike you two love birds, I activity try and branch out-" 

*BAM*

"Ow!" Leon rubbed his head, narrating his pain as Sam eyebrow twitched.

"Kid what did I say-"

"You said killed not punched-"

"Then you want me to kill you?" Sam didn't let Leon finish the sentence as her threatening words interrupted his interpretation.

"C'mon it's a joke-...…..it's a joke!" Leon tried to soothe Sam, but once he saw her roll up her sleeve, he immediately bolted. 

Leon might be able to take a punch or two, but he had already gotten his ass kicked once today, and he wasn't masochistic enough to take another beating he could easily avoid.

Sam, however, didn't immediately follow. Instead, she unleashed a wave of thick bloodlust that showed its brutality as even the kids fell to their knees, gasping for breath.

"Ian this is a warning for you as well as your barracks members." Sam's playful voice immediately became void as her icy tone made everyone shiver in angst.

"He's OUR golden goose, and if I find out that one day he can't fill his quota because of some bullsh*t display of your manliness." Sam's voice resonated in the room as a sudden gust blew throughout the room.

Chilling the nerves of all those around as Ian, who never dared to make a move in the first place, was shivering in intensity in place with a pale expression.

"I won't just kill you, no." Sam whispered coldly, her words cutting through the air, yet they felt as clear as day.

A sudden gust blew as in a flash, Sam appeared before Ian before while forcing her grip onto his shoulder as he flinched at the touch..

*CRACK*

"MMMMMMM!" Ian painfully bit his lip as blood trickled down his pale face, feeling the overwhelming pain of his shoulder being crushed by Sam's vice grip.

"I'll break every f*cking bone in your body, before I move to your tendons, then to your muscles, and once you become a husk then I'll throw you into the ariados nest where they'll treat your body as a hatchling center." Sam's eyes hollowed as her smile widened as Ian's presence shrunk within it.

"They'll keep you alive, forcefully, where actually be of some use to the gang as a constant stream of spinarak will forever crawl out of your body until some hatchlings finally decide to eat you whole." Sam's words felt like an immeasurable weight, growing heavier as she continued her sentence with almost everyone in the barracks room collapsed to the floor, leaving Ian as the only one standing.

"Are we clear?"

"Yes-"

*CRACK*

"ARE WE CLEAR!"

"YES!" Ian screamed at the top of his lungs as Sam crushed his collar bone into thinner pieces.

"The rest of you losers also heard my words correct?" Sam's icy gaze turned to the other members, who all frantically nodded their heads in compliance. 

Tucker, in particular, accidentally defecated in his pants at the possibility of his plan working and having to deal with this monster.

*Thump*

"Good!" Sam's demeanor did a one-eighty as she dropped Ian's body onto the ground, displaying a warm smile.

"Oh I almost forgot, your that little sh*t's new friend right?" Sam tilted her head, observing Hugo as he nestled himself on the floor, rocking back and forth, with a pool of urine gathering below him. 

Despite Sam's intention to make a good first impression, Hugo didn't even look at her. Instead, he slowly started to curl into a ball under her gaze.

"Whatever, you look gross anyways." Sam shrugged, turning around before skipping out of the room.

*BAM*

*GASP*

Both doors shut behind her, and once they did, all air seemed to be vacuumed out of the room, leaving everyone breathless and silent.

"Good morning Josh." Leon rounded the corner and caught sight of Josh smoking a cigarette as without a second of hesitation, Josh immediately extinguished it.

"Is she-"

"No, she's like a minute behind me." Leon shook his head causing Josh to sigh before pulling out some mints.

*Crunch*

Josh popped around four mints into his mouth before sniffing himself and checking his breath.

"You really have a problem." Leon joked, beckoning for a cig himself only for Josh to scoff.

"You're pushing it, I'm not in the mood." Josh's deadpan stare didn't make Leon anxious at all but in fact a smile formed on his face.

"Trouble in paradise?" Leon inquired while rummaging through his backpack but what surprised Josh was that Leon held a toothbrush and toothpaste.

"It's none of your business." Josh wanted to brush off Leon, but his eyes showed curiosity as he weirdly gazed at Leon brushing his teeth.

"I didn't have time." Leon saw Josh's accusing gaze and replied without a need for clarification, brushing his teeth and pointing at his black eye, causing Josh to nod in understanding.

"Thanks for the heads up about that dipsh*t Ian." Leon let out an annoyed tone with Josh shrugged with a slight smirk.

"Don't complain, all barracks managers are like that and besides, barracks life isn't simply a place where people of similar situations group together to build comradery." Josh hinted, and Leon instantly picked up on it, chuckling as he spat.

"They have a funny way of brainwashing newbies." Leon brushed his tongue while speaking, causing Josh to shrug.

"Well, having a bunch of unruly people constantly hiding behind their authority would be bound to inspire those orphans with aspirations to climb the ranks, it's like a drug for some." Josh spoke his true thoughts for once, leaning against the wall while gazing at Leon's morning routine. 

"Good tactic." Leon sarcastically said, rolling his eyes while wrapping up his brushing process before grabbing a bottle of water and swirling it around his mouth before spitting it out.

"Unfortunately." Josh looked up at the stormy clouds as Leon frowned, gazing around before looking up at Josh.

"What's taking Sam so long?" Leon wondered out loud as he rinsed off his toothbrush before placing it back into a plastic bag in his backpack.

"Speak of the devil." Josh pointing with Sam happily strolled out of the front doors while holding a piece of paper.

"Joshy, I have our quota for the day!"