After the ceremony over what type of reapers the lot of them was categorized in, they were told to go to the cove and find the weapon that belongs with us. Frankly to Leon it just sounded like they wanted the trainee’s to bear arms and he had no problem with that.

However there was the more pressing matter of returning to his quarters and donning his vest as he wandered the halls to reach Room 121. It felt so impersonal staring at the matte black finish of the numbers on the starch white door. To just be reduced down to a title, a number and then by a name. He almost laughed out loud considering that he used to relish the idea of being known by a title, of a completely different nature. He opened to door into his bland dormitory that greeted him in its blandness.

The few items that gave the room a bit of character were the leather bound book and the micro ink pen that lay on top of it, his memoirs of the experience of this new life that lay within and awaiting his new tales on the polished desk surface.

The only other thing that broke up the contrast of white in his room was the little bonsai tree that sat in the filtered light on his nightstand, its green leaves sitting there, growing and awaiting his tender care and pruning. At its side was a carefully folded bundle the boxer couldn’t recall seeing before as he sat on his bed and its squeaky springs to inspect the new item.

Even though Leon had the strength of a boxer, the motto of “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” held truth as he gingerly opened the package to unveil a white and gold threaded garment. “Sleeveless, nice.” He said in an appreciated murmur before slipping it on and taking it for a test run, to find the cove and the weapon that would accompany his new threads.

Leon would not say that finding the Cove was an easy task, places like this didn’t necessarily have a travelers map or a guide, so it just took the next best thing, time and exploration and pray that nothing tried to kill you when you lacked a weapon, considering all that happened, it is a shame to not have something available to defend yourself at any time.

After a bit of soul searching and running a almost complete lap around the island, there was a little cave like opening not far from the rest of the facility, and if that didn’t scream “HEY LOOK AT ME IM A COVE” then he’d have to run back around the island and pretend that his fists were the new weapon to sensei Cale. And probably get promptly shoved back into the pod for eternal nap time. After stepping into the entrance to the darkened area, Leon expected to see crag rock like foundation and racks upon racks of weapons to choose from, not the smooth walls and stark emptiness of the room that greeted him.

“Oh great, there are no weapons, smooth sensei Cale.” he muttered into the small, open air room, his voice bounced around like a disembodied voice. This is great; I have to go up to him and say that I can’t find my weapon because there are no more left! Leon thought grumpily before bumping his head against the back wall, which upon further inspection showed hand like openings toward little stone slabs.

“Well hello, hello.” he moved a bit closer to peer at the slabs that were nearby and the light of the room bounced light off the slab’s surface, and dipped into the darker engravings that littered the lot of them in various patterns, they one that lay in front of him looked like some sort of minigun.

The boxer just scowled at it and moved away not even touching it, he sincerely hoped that his weapon was not a firearm in any way, considering his luck with the ranged weapons or lack thereof.

As he browed through the slabs that were around, there were some interesting ideas, whips and chakrams and even a laser like sword. But after grasping the tile, there was no spark, no interest that came from the stones other than a tiny vibration or a hum. BOR-RING.

The frustration was starting to get to Leon as he started to go through the tiles with more fervor. “Just what in blue blazes am I supposed to look for!?” he thought darkly before he heard the strangest of sounds in the empty room, it was almost like an audible mirage.

It was the sound of a bell, signaling for something.

Ding ding! It chimed loudly, with no echo in the room oddly enough.

Leon whirled around in hopes of locating the origin of the noise before it went quiet again, only to return even louder.

DING DING! The bell screamed out from a few meters away before all went silent yet again.

Leon was sure that it was not a figment of his imagination; it roused the fighting spirit deep within his soul as he moved closer to the source as it let out another chime, only it wasn’t just a chime.

DING FREAKING DING! The slab screamed out. As he picked it up, there were actually two pieces, one on top of the other, the first was a broadsword that looked like it was stuck in some rock, the word EXCALIBER embossed in the rock and to be honest…

It didn’t look like Leon’s type of thing, so he promptly placed it back and looked at the one under it.

After placing Excalibur back, the stone slab under it began to vibrate and hum like a gentle roar of a beast on the prowl.

Finally, the beefcake hears the dinner bell!

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?”

I’m sorry, are your ears clogged up? I said beefcake and dinner bell. You found your prize.

Leon stared at the tablet like it just up and talked to him, which indeed it did, and called him a. “Did you just call me a beefcake?” he sputtered back, forgetting that it was a piece of stone and taking to rocks just didn’t seen mentally stable.

Yeah, I call ‘em like a see ‘em, no feed beating around the bush right? You know I’ve been waiting quite a while for you, and yet you don’t introduce yourself, rude much?

This just was not possible, Leon thought. He was being scolded by a rock. “Uh…. I’m Leon” he said dumbstruck after a moment of blinking at the thing. “Just what are you?”
He could have sworn the hazy image on the slab moved and tried to smile at him behind its smooth tenor voice. That’s simple, I’m Nidhogg.

After the sentient rock somehow told him before a flash went off in the room, dwarfing the light of the single torch in bright light that caused the boxer to shut his eyes until the light faded and the spot in his vision subsided. In place of the spots showed a large brown dragon, like the ones in storybooks that seemed to roar at him mutely until Leon regained his vision and saw what lay in his hand.

It’s been too long since I met someone that can make me growl in pleasure.

In his hand was a device that was unexpected, vibrating with the fury of an untamed beast, at least until he gripped the handle tighter and the chainsaw roared in response.
I’m your weapon.

Leon felt like Christmas just came to him early and threw one million puppies and training equipment under his tree. “Oh yeah, I like this!” he yelled out as it revved even higher, the whirring was loud and dangerous, just the way he liked it. He didn’t even notice that there were bonus piece that came with him at first.

The leather gloves seemed more part of him than ever, snug and form fitting, and the goggles that rested on his eyes didn’t give him that weird goldfish in a glass bowl feeling. “Ding ding indeed! That fight bell seemed like a very good way to call me.” He said to his new weapon and partner.

No, that was a dinner bell.
No way, that was clearly a boxing ring ball.
You Neanderthal, that was the dinner bell, for food.
Hey Hog, that was a fight bell, for FIGHTS.
Oh lets just go, I want out of this stuffy room, beefy.


And thus began the strange partnership of the boy and his special long, vibrating weapon.