Thread: Chains Of Command [DamonHuntington x MasochisticHeartx]

This time, Leroy was taken aback for a completely different reason. The hits didn't rain down on him like he was expecting, and he wasn't met with shouts that threatened to blow his eardrums out. No, this time, the General's calm, chilling tone was somehow more unpleasant than anything else Leroy had to deal with. Remaining composed, he continued to face the formidable man, whose claims would once again worm their way into his very brain. With each declaration, his temper began to disperse while his more rational side began taking over. This time, what the Commander said... made sense. Leroy could've and should've done more, but he still refused to believe that all the blame fell solely on him. Sir, that was only because-- He'd actually attempt to cut the other man off, unable to bear the way he himself was being put in place, but the General pressed on, leaving Leroy with no choice but to snap his mouth shut and keep listening. He wouldn't budge an inch even as his commanding officer would step ever closer, jabbing a strong finger into his uniformed chest. His prideful mind fought to devise various rebuttals to the statements presented. Couldn't work with the tools provided? He worked pretty damn well for what it was worth. Couldn't circuit on his own? He would have excelled if he was on his own! Strike up an alliance? Why would he have to, when they were supposed to be allies to begin with?! Couldn't see what behavior motivated his teammates? That... could have been a few things. He knew the horrors of war, knew it wasn't fair or pretty he wasn't opposed to doing whatever it took to survive, or turning the tides in his favor, but he didn't think that was what today's practice was about--! His mouth opened to say as much, yet it would close again when the General wouldn't give him a chance. It was becoming clear... the two held very different views. Leroy may have been selfish, for sure he always put his own interests first, wanting to reign at the very top, to be better than everybody else... and what was so wrong with that? Why should he stop? ...Because it clouded his mind? No way. He knew himself and his abilities. He had things he would and would not do, and he wasn't going to change his principles if it wasn't needed. He wasn't going to quit thinking of ways to prove himself either. His self-confidence wouldn't be broken, no matter what the General said, or how true the man's logic sounded to his ears. He'd hold onto his values, make them work, and wouldn't settle for anything less. The final reasoning left no room for argument, though. This was a test, and whatever the other male was hoping for, Leroy failed to live up to those expectations. He could say whatever he wanted, deny the man as much as he wanted, but it really would just sound like faulty justifications on his part -- along with how he'd practically be confirming the General's words about him -- so he refrained. At the final command, he continued to stare at the larger man for a few moments, lips set in a straight line, unblinking, and right when it seemed like he either wasn't going to go through with the order, or reply with more defiance, he turned to face the group, ...I'm a failure. He halfheartedly uttered through grit teeth, as if not believing the phrase for what it was. 'But still better than the rest of you.' If he failed, that naturally meant everyone else must've failed too. They probably all just owned up to it already while he was lagging behind, by no fault of his own... or at least that's what he liked to tell himself. They all eyed him with silence, and he could almost guarantee he was being judged by every single one of them. But at least the General's voice of dismissal broke the discomfort in the atmosphere. Yes, sir. Came Leroy's final, unenthusiastic reply. AN HOUR LATER The hour passed by, and he realized that most of the other soldiers seemed to avoid him. Fredrick and Magnus seemed to despise him, walking away whenever he so much as went near them, and the only two people who still bothered to linger around him were of course the very two he'd first spoken to, even if Zeke appeared more tense than usual. They spent a majority of their time trying to console him when he didn't want it, which made the duration spent with them a whole lot more troublesome than anything else. Now, Leroy had parted ways from the duo and was heading to the General's Quarters, bracing himself for what he felt was going to be another long-winded disquisition. The ground thudded lightly beneath him with each step of his boots -- boots that had been wiped down so that most of the previous dirt and grime were off. It wasn't too long until he reached his destination, and if the General's door was closed, he'd knock on it once before entering into the room. Sir. He voiced out, just to make his presence known.