Lioness

''So let me get this straight.'' the man plopped his chin onto his gloved palm and smirked in amusement. ''Your dad saved you from the gang by letting them take him while you run. And now you want to risk your life to save his. Is that right, Bobby?''

''Um actually yes. I'm willing to risk it all just to save dad.'' Bobby spoke with determination, tightening his hand into a fist. They were both in an office, quite the large room, with a window wall overlooking the ruined city. The man, known only as The Lion, sat on his expensive leather chair, while the boy was sitting on a short three-legged stool, his head barely peaking above the desk and into Lion's attention.

''Do you have the resources to ask such a favor of The Lion of the East, kid?'' the man stood up looking further down at the boy. Behind him the wall of glass was hit with several bullets, which like pellets, bounced off the glass. He looked over the notes on his table. ''Your grandfather was taken captive by the Dragon of the West for not paying his protection money.''

''He was saving up for my tuition.'' the boy rose from his stool letting it drop to the ground. As the bullets continued to rain onto the glass, he stood with conviction against the man they called The Lion. The boy looked down. ''But it doesn't matter anymore. He managed to get me this money and now I'm offering it in this package. He managed to sell the house before they came for him.''

Lion's face twisted and turned into a smile, trying not to laugh.

''Kid what you're offering me is pocket change, I mean my desk is worth more than that.'' they both looked down at the desk and then back at each other. Bobby looked skeptical.

''Hell some people might even argue that my pencil's more expensive than.'' he was cut off by the kid's sudden movement. In an instant he had a gun pointed directly at the Lion's heart. The Lion stood there, unimpressed, some might say he even had a glint of disappointment in his eyes. Then as if catching himself, he gave an exaggerated gasp.

''I'm tired of all you gangsters, constantly shooting and scaring and being assholes. Stop showing me this and help me or .'' he stopped and grit his teeth gesturing towards his gun.

''You shoot me? But that's so terrible Bobby, you're better than that. What do you plan to achieve by doing this?'' Lion walked around, gestured dramatically and spoke with exaggeration. He noticed the gun wasn't pointing at him anymore. Bobby was reluctant to point it again, already shaking wildly in anxiety. ''Ah forgive me.'' Lion moved towards his previous position in front of the gun.

''No wait, I guess it's not the best thing to do. Dad says violence is never he answer.'' Bobby stuttered as he moved his gun back towards the jacket pocket where he had taken it from. A voice sounded in Lion's ear. He ignored the boy as he calculated in his mind, drawing diagrams in the air only he could see. He gave the boy a smile.

''You were asking if violence is the answer right? No it's not.'' the comforting smile contorted, turning into a distorted version of what it was. Turning into something inhuman. ''That's why we gotta kill all those guys who took your grandpa.'' ''Dad.'' ''your dad with violence.'' Lion gently placed his hand over the hand in the pocket looking at the boy with a smile. ''You've already drawn your weapon, don't put it back until it has fulfilled its purpose.'' Bobby nodded.

''Shoot him in the leg.'' Leo stated. The sound of the engine roaring filled his ears, occasionally overshadowed by the sound of gunshots hitting the top of his car. Foot on the gas, arms on the steering wheel, The Lion's car traveled along a lone street surrounded by carnage, trash and homeless people in their cardboard homes.

Lion used one hand to readjust his pants after seeing that. A gunshot resonated from the back followed by a scream. ''Talk dammit. I'm tired. Look my face is bloody because of you.'' that was Bobby's voice, followed by another gunshot and another muffed scream.

''What a determined kid.'' Lion smiled as he took a sharp turn right. The shockwave from an explosion behind them rocketed the car forward.

''Talk you piece of shit, or I'm shooting off your fingers one by one and throwing you at your buddies chasing us like I did with the others.'' another shot was heard followed by pained murmuring. ''I shot you in the cheek now it hurts to talk, give me the info and I'll let you off with a warning.''

''Now now, don't get too much blood on the seats all right?'' Lion craned his head backwards in order to be heard, behind he saw a car hot on his tail. He poked his hand out the window and fired a shot. It hit true and the car started to veer of course. Lion grabbed a grenade from the passenger seat and threw it back. He drove away from the explosion.

''You're scared right? But what happens if I decide to shoot here. Eh?'' the kid threatened the guy at the back like some sort of mobster.

''Damn I thought the kid was all meek and anxious so I went overboard in provoking him, who knew he'd turn into such a hunter.'' Lion thought to himself as he looked back. ''I'm gonna have to pay the cleaners some extra this time.''

''Now, Bobby play nice with.'' Lion was cut off by heavy panting. It was coming from the man they had captured. A gangster allied with the Dragon of the West. A man tight-lipped and dedicated to his organization. So it surprised Lion when he started to talk, a testament to Bobby's skill.

''The password for getting into the Command Tower is 'Leviathan'.'' ''Of course it is.'' the man cackled to himself. He caught Lion's eyes in the back mirror. Despite his condition his eyes were not the eyes of a defeated man. ''I'd be careful! The boss currently has all his resources focused directly on you. You're a dead man!''

''Good to know.'' Lion smirked as he took a sudden left, right towards the tower towering above the buildings in the distance. ''Would you mind.'' he was cut off by several gunshots followed by silence. The door in the back opened, there was a thud and then it closed. ''Never mind.''

In the back mirror he saw the boy lower his head. Probably ashamed of his deeds. But with his arms uncovered due to the tank top he was wearing, Leo could clearly see Bobby's forearm muscles clench as he held the gun with even more determination than before.

''You two. Controlling the city. Fighting. The only reason I came to you is because your side didn't capture my father.'' in the back mirror he could clearly see the kid jolt up, realizing that we were both in a car and he had a gun. He seemed to contemplate for several moments on what to do, unaware of his surroundings.

'Killing one of the big bosses would do a heck of a lot more good for the city than an attempted unsure raid would do.' Lion thought with a smirk. The large towering building was already visible in front of him heavily guarded with tanks and armed guards.

The car stopped, mere inches in front of a small street wall placed before the tanks and the guards. Shooting while he was in the car was useless, that much was known to the enemy.

Lion laid his hand over the back of his seat. He concentrated his sight on Bobby. From the heels up to the neck he looked like a pathetic kid you'd find on the street, no money for new clothes, barely any nutrition judging by the size of his muscles.

Yet if you looked slightly above, you'd see the face of a killer. Cold dead eyes. Cheeks red with blood. Yellow teeth clenched in determination, pointed at lion like a wild animal. A lion without the mane.

And Lion was holding the leash.

''You chose to be my partner.'' Lion stated but Bobby barely seemed to register that. ''You chose to fight by the side of a murderer, a boss of the organized crime world just so you can kill another one. You're selfish like that, thinking you can sick a crime lord at another crime lord and have them kill each other while you watch safely. Here you are with a clear shot at half this city's bane yet you're conserving your bullets. What would your grandfather think? Especially now that you've lost the excuse of innocence.''

Bobby's face twitched, more specifically his cheek where the blood from his recent killings had splattered him. It's how Lion knew the boy was not completely gone and was still listening to him.

''To put it frankly, you're a self-centered man. You're not saving your father because that's what he wants, you're saving him because that's what you want. You despise me, yet, we're so similar.'' the boy again didn't show any signs of comprehending his words. He just sat there with his eyes focused on his gun.

''But it's because of that selfish self-centeredness, I trust you. We're like children who won't rest until we've gotten what we wish for.'' Control of the city, like it was his plaything. ''You will do what I ask of you and in turn I will rescue your father. Does that sound satisfactory or are we heading back?''

Lion watched the transformation. It was a silent thing more internal than external, yet it still affected the external. The shifting of his sitting position. The light movement of his toes withing his shoes. Inside of him there was a war.

Finally he pointed at Lion with his pistol. The man didn't flinch. The arm moved to the side, the pistol, now pointed past the windshield towards the small army ahead of them.

Lion smiled. He returned to a normal position onto his seat and placed his leg on the pedal.

''Hide under the seats!'' He stated as the car engine roared. The car raced at full speed towards the gathering of people and tanks.

Driving through crowd of armed people and machinery both bumped against his windshield making it annoyingly difficult to navigate.

Then the car crashed right into the tower. In the back mirror Lion could see all the soldiers and tanks approaching his position.

He went out of the car and raised his hands in the air. Immediately he was seized by a number of soldiers. Others pointed guns at him.

''Fine fine. I surrender.'' they took him towards the entrance. Some guy started typing and Lion looked over his shoulder.

The code was a series of numbers. Figures.

He gave the camera at the corner of the entrance a sweet smile.

Five minutes later and he was in the Dragon's Den. Or so the Dragon called his office. It was kind of like an office but with a cave theme. It even had stone like furniture that looked pretty comfy, a pit of fire that was actually a jacuzzi with cool lighting. There was also a children's area that was dragon themed.

The Dragon stared at Lion rather smugly.

''Once again it seems that the Dragon has captured the princess and the prince has decided to run to daddy Lion to save her.'' The Dragon started to banter.

''That's not how the story goes. No one in this setting has any royal blood. And how can the dad be the princess and the son be the prince?'' Lion countered from his position on the ground. Two guards were holding guns against his head. The Dragon just smirked.

''We both know how I work lion. Standard hostage situation. I take the 'princess' and the prince rushes to save her and.'

''You focus all your forces in the center and annihilate any resistance.'' the Lion smiled. ''You let the boy come to me. It's why you're keeping the father in this tower.''

''Precisely.'' The Dragon giggled to himself ''And look at how well it went. You're in my office on your knees and I'm about to take claim on the whole city.''

Lion only chuckled to himself.

''You're strong Dragon, that I admit.'' Lion stared right into Dragon's eyes as a shot from outside struck the window of the cabinet, bouncing off. ''But like a story of knights and dragons, you're awfully predictable.''

''What?'' the Dragon exclaimed as the sounds of gunfire rang in his ears from below.

''You sent me a prince searching for help, I turned him into a lioness - a beast willing to serve me.'' Lion stated and Dragon cowered. ''You concentrated on the wrong lion. After all while the lion sleeps.'' Machine gun fire was heard. ''the lioness brings him the spoils of war on a silver platter.''

''Sir Dragon! There's a kid walking around killing everyone in sight. I don't know how but he's moving despite having the wounds of a dead man.''

''Sir! Look through the window! We're surrounded by enemy forces.'' Dragon glared at Lion and the man couldn't help but give a mischievous smile. ''Well If you gather your forces here every time it's natural for me to advance and conquer you from all sides.''

Dragon walked past him. Lion felt a gun being pressed against his head. A gunshot, deafening. He fell to the ground. A red liquid was dripping from his head to the ground before him.

''Ready a helicopter.'' he heard something of that sort. Then some banging. A crash. Someone had kicked down the door.

''You killed my father you bastard.'' Gunshots, a lot of them. Screaming. Then silence.

Lion spared a look towards the door. Several people down, only Dragon was standing. Clutching his stomach. Blood covered his hands. A gunshot to the midsection.

Lion stood up, the long bulletproof wig slid to the side with the help of the 'blood' covering it. A lion's mane of sorts. He delighted in Dragon's face of utter despair. His organization crumbling, his closest employees dead by the hands of some dead kid lying on the ground and his enemy who he thought he'd killed, alive and smiling.

Dragon went for the knife and Lion pointed at him, a gun sprung into his hand from the mechanism below his sleeve and he shot. Dragon fell and Lion stood.

As he exited the office lion tapped at the communicator in his ear.

''Raid the building. Save the man I told you about.''

The communication over, he glanced at the boy's uneasy dying expression.

''Nobody can say that the Lion is a disloyal man.''