Thread: Chains Of Command [DamonHuntington x MasochisticHeartx]

The laughter that reached his ears sounded cruel -- crueler than it should've been for the circumstance, and whatever hopes of reprieve Leroy held would be dashed the second the other man ground his foot deeper into him before deciding to sit atop his lower half like he was a piece of furniture, earning a grunt of contempt as Leroy tried not to move. The increasing anger and humiliation he was feeling would dissipate the second he felt fingers grip his hair, unexpectedly forcing his head back. Ngh...! Biting back a gasp and withholding a wince, he -- to his chagrin -- found himself staring into the faces of his fellow comrades who stared back. Some looked to be terrified, others gazed at him with pity -- freaking pity , and he could've sworn a few were even ridiculing him! The General would begin to speak shortly after, and every word that Leroy heard might as well have been a slap in the face. 'That's not-- don't listen to him...' He thought to himself, mentally rejecting every statement. He had to bite the inside of his own cheek, clenching a hand into a fist while doing his best not to snap. His heart was hammering to a painful degree, out of sheer indignation, and it reflected clearly in his dark eyes. He could feel the blood rushing to his head, making it pound. 'I would've been able to do it if only you hadn't interfered!' He seethed to himself, truly believing those thoughts. Halfway through the General's speech, Leroy wanted to tune the man out, but failed. Tsk... And thus he couldn't help the agitated noise that left his lips. Hopefully it was low enough to the point where it wasn't actually heard, and that did seem to be the case. The onslaught of words continued, sinking deep into his mind, lingering there, before he'd fervently push them away. Then, after what felt like too long, the Commander's lecture would finally come to an end... but not without awaiting an answer from Leroy. 'No, I don't understand, and I shouldn't have to because all of this was your damn fault!' The haughty soldier inwardly accused, continuing to fume. However-- ...Understood, sir. As much as he wanted to verbally refute every single claim, he'd just resort to a bitter yet compliant reply through clenched teeth. The weight pinning his body down finally lifted, and he pushed himself back to his feet, standing tall regardless of what had just transpired. The front of his once pristine uniform was now covered in a layer of dirt and dust, while the other soldiers perked up at the General's orders. By the time the giant of a man finished, all the other soldiers would shout yessir!, watching as the commanding officer disappeared out the door. At that moment, an uncomfortable silence permeated the air, far more awkward than Leroy would have liked. He should've been able to easily brush it off, but what just occurred was a huge blow to his pride, and it did leave somewhat of a dent in it. As most of the other men turned their attentions away from him, Wyatt would make his way over. Uh, hey, you alright? He was way too strict... The kind man attempted to comfort, unknowingly rubbing salt into the wound. Wyatt continued, I thought you did well though, the best anyone could do in that situation. Although Leroy would've originally accepted those words as the plain truth, at that very second, the general's words rang in his mind They will give you words of strength when talking directly to you, but I'd be surprised if a single one of them didn't fucking laugh at your back. A sneer was given as Leroy eyed his companion with a look of mild suspicion, Why wouldn't I be alright? What are you trying to say? He questioned in an icy tone, which made the other male flinch a bit. What? No, nothing, I just-- But he was cut off, I don't need to hear it. Go to sleep. Leroy ordered as he himself got under his thin covers, feeling more than insulted despite the other soldier's best intentions. Without saying anything else, Wyatt gave him one more apologetic look before backing off and went to his own bed to get some rest. Once all was still, Leroy's mind kept wandering back to the incident. Although he knew better than to care what people thought of him, it was unbelievable for him to have been belittled like that in front of his allies. And on the first fucking day? Failure wasn't something he was familiar with, but that damned general seemed to enjoy making a fool out of him. Furthermore, he didn't catch the man's attention because of his potential, but because he was the biggest disgrace? Bullshit! He wouldn't believe it. Maybe instead of having described the commander as capable, the term unreasonable would have been more appropriate. Tomorrow should be different though, Leroy told himself, and so he simply closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift off into a restless sleep.