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The Champion

By Cris Fireheart / Ken Anderson

Chapter 11 – Truth and Consequences, Part 2 of 2

Author's note: This story contains scenes of extreme violence, profanity, drug and alcohol use, sale, and abuse, and some sexual situations. Reader discretion is DEFINITELY advised. That being said, if none of that bothers you, then enjoy!

As ever, any comments, watches, faves, or votes are well appreciated!

And now, things start to take yet another wild turn. Multiple plans must come together in order for the operation to succeed. So many things could go wrong... Needless to say, things are about to get VERY serious... Let's go on Mission...Again.

--C

As Marco and Henry approached the entrance to the large, two-story gym, the younger lion seemed to subconsciously slow his pace as they neared the heavy glass doors which led inside.

“Hey, cub, don't worry..." Marco whispered over his shoulder, as he reached around with a paw to grasp the tarnished metal door handle. “I'm right here with you, remember? Now just breathe, and remember the plan, alright? You're ready for this."

Nodding his head slightly, Henry drew in a deep, calming breath, before leading the way inside. In front of them, a tall, well-built tiger stood behind a large reception counter. As the pair made their way closer, the tiger cast a wary glance towards Marco, apparently sizing him up, before his gaze finally fell down towards Henry, who now stood directly in front of him. Upon meeting the young lion's eyes, the receptionist's entire demeanor seemed to suddenly change.

“MR.RHAH?!" the tiger exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise as he recognized Henry. “I-- I didn't know you came to this gym, sir!"

Turning to face Marco, the wolf noticed that the young lion's previous anxiety had suddenly disappeared; his timid nature replaced by a self-confident smirk as he gave the wolf a single wink, before turning back to face the receptionist. Marco couldn't help but notice the nearly instantaneous change in the cub's demeanor. The reason quickly become obvious, however, as he'd recalled the events of the previous few hours.

_ ...Xanax... The pills had finally kicked in. Fear and anxiety had gone out the window_.

Henry straightened his posture almost leisurely, locking eyes with the large tiger as he gave a toothy grin. “Yeah..." he spoke with an air of bored authority, “I come here sometimes, when I want to get a workout. Speaking of, I also know that my Uncle Rory likes to come here to get his daily routine in. You wouldn't happen to have seen him today, have you?"

Standing up straight, the tiger quickly gave a nod of his head, before raising his left arm and pointing a claw towards the far end of the gym floor. “Y-yes, sir. He arrived this morning when we opened up. He should be on the heavy-weight bench by now; it's in the back-left corner, next to the locker rooms. But... erm, about your... friend..."

The surprisingly overt specieism made Henry almost want to vomit.

“MR. BINETTI," Henry made it a point to enunciate the wolf's name, “...WILL be coming with me. This is a Pride matter, and as such, is FAR above your pay grade, friend..." his last words came out as a growl as Henry dauntlessly stared the larger tiger down. After a few tense seconds, the larger feline bowed his head slightly in respect, and once again, pointed out the way.

“Yes, sirs... Forgive me, sirs..."

Henry could hear Marco's soft rumble of approval as he led the way through the large gym, drawing countless looks and whispers from the many different types of felines as the two of them continued to walk confidently past them, heading straight for their destination.

“Damn, cub," Marco leaned in to whisper, “Didn't know you had THAT in ya..."

“Well, my 'dad' has been training me to take over the Pride ever since he threw Lenny out... It's like I told Ricky, just the other day; I've gotta keep up appearances..."

The pair weaved their way past several more curious felines, before their eyes finally came to rest on the body of a large, muscular, familiar-looking lion, with chocolate-brown fur and a thick, jet-black mane. Rory was shirtless, his fur matted with sweat as he continued to bench press several large weights that added up to almost 450 pounds. As he lifted the heavy bar once more, he turned his head, and caught sight of the two out of the corner of his vision. With a final grunt, he settled the heavy bar back onto its rack, before sitting up on the bench, panting slightly as he reached for a nearby towel, and used it to wipe the sweat from his muzzle.

“Henry? Mr. Binetti?" He heaved out in between breaths. “What the hell are you two doing here?! Iggy came home last night half out of his mind! He nearly destroyed all the furniture in the den! He's on the warpath! I don't know what you guys did to piss him off, but you shouldn't be here!"

“That's actually part of the reason why we're here, Uncle," Henry began to explain, “Mr. Clayton, Marco, and the others all think it's just a short matter of time before my Father figures out that it was YOU who gave him up. For all we know, he might've already figured it out. So... Marco and I are here to extract you."

“...Extract me?" Rory repeated, confused.

“There's about to be a change happening in this city, Rory," Marco chimed in. “The single largest merger, made up of all of the bosses from the biggest and best crews that this place has ever seen. Myself, Lenny, Rick, James, Jake, and Henry are going to unite our tribes... We came here today to offer you a seat at that table, as well, along with all the protection you'll need for when Iggy comes after you. The catch is, you're gonna have to come with us right now. For all we know, Iggy might already have some people watching you. In fact, I'm almost sure of it. This offer doesn't last forever, either; it ends the second we walk back out those doors..."

The large, older lion took a moment to look between the two, his eyes assessing their body language as he silently weighed his options. His nephew gave him a slight nod of confirmation as he met Rory's eyes with his own.

“So... Either I end up dead, if and when Iggy figures out what I've done, or I take a chance; a fuckin' Hail Mary one at that, and switch sides to join a 'new world order'?"

“That about sums it up." Henry nodded in response.

“Say no more, Prince," Rory nodded with a toothy grin. “If you and your brother are both willing to move forward with this 'merger', then I'm with you both; we're blood, after all. Gods know, the Pride just isn't what it used to be... Just let me go and grab my bag from the locker room, and we'll head out."

“I'll go with you," Marco interjected, in a tone that sounded more like an order than a suggestion. Turning back to face the younger lion, he hefted his own gym bag over one shoulder and gave a single nod of his head.

“Henry? Would you mind going outside and waiting with the others in my truck? Tell James that there might be a bit of a 'party' situation; he'll understand. Tell Jake to hop in the back; we'll be outside in..." The wolf checked his wristwatch, “Seven minutes. Maybe less..." Tapping Rory on the shoulder, he motioned for the large lion to follow him in the direction of the locker rooms.

Henry understood the message perfectly. They'd rehearsed a series of simple signals and codes earlier. Nodding his head, he turned on his heels and began to stride nonchalantly back towards the entrance. A 'Party.' They'd been right; Rory had already been under surveillance. As he approached the exit, he turned his head to look over one shoulder, and quickly caught sight of two large gray cougars, along with a beefy-looking lynx, slowly rising up from their gym equipment as they began to follow Marco and Rory towards the locker rooms.

“Damn, those pricks are in for one helluva surprise," He muttered with a shake of his head, pushing open the heavy glass doors, and walking calmly outside to join the others in the armored SUV.

“Did you spot them?" Marco whispered as Rory stepped ahead of him to pull open the entrance to the men's locker room.

“Three." came the lion's deadpanned response. “Two mountain lions, and a Lynx, I think. Of course, he'd hire outsiders for this one... I don't carry weapons when I come here to work out; are you armed?"

“Not yet," Marco replied with a smirk, rolling his neck along his shoulders and taking the time to pop the joints in his knuckles. “But between me and you? I think we've got this one handled. Lenny always said you were a hell of a fighter."

“Were?! I'm about to show you how a REAL Pride Captain handles his business, Don Binetti. By Fang and Claw! Let's see if you can keep up, Alpha." The wolf gave a toothy sneer in response, before nodding his head once.

The pair wasted no time in taking their respective combat stances, steadying their breathing as the door to the locker room was suddenly thrown open.

The first to enter were the pair of cougars, who appeared to be related, based upon their similar builds, face markings and fur color. The lynx stepped in last, taking the time to quickly turn around and lock the door behind them. As the largest of the trio, he calmly stepped between his two cohorts and took his place at the front, sighing slightly as he took the time to look over Marco and Rory.

“...Just so you know, this isn't personal," he muttered, his tone one of neutrality with a hint of boredom, as if this was just another job for him. “I was actually paid to kill the lion..." he raised a claw towards Rory, “...But the boss cat offered me a bonus if I managed to take out the wolf, too..."

Marco and Rory exchanged knowing glances. The implication was clear. The two cougars appeared to be street fighters, without a doubt, but the Lynx was in a different league, entirely. Iggy Rhah hadn't just hired a few goons off the streets to watch over Rory... He'd indeed found out about his betrayal, and had gone out of his way to hire a PROFESSIONAL...

“This just got a little more complicated..." Rory muttered as he took a step back and adjusted his stance.

“...Not exactly," Marco responded with a confident grin, pulling his bag away from his shoulder and using a claw to quickly unzip it. Reaching inside, he pulled out two familiar large, brass-handled daggers, one of which he tossed towards Rory as he dropped the bag and flipped his own blade into his right paw, readying it in a reverse grip.

Taking a second to examine the dagger in his paw, Rory's head snapped up in shock. “I thought you said you weren't armed?!"

“I SAID 'NOT YET'!" Marco half-cackled in reply. “These were actually meant for you, old man! A little welcoming gift from Lenny! The pair we used to take out that bastard Scars!"

At the appearance of weapons, the two cougars began to back away slightly, aware of their sudden disadvantage. The Lynx, however, stood firm and unperturbed, the corners of his muzzle slowly turning upwards into an almost psychotic smile.

“Excellent... And here, I thought this job was going to be boring!" The assassin exclaimed with a wicked grin crossing his muzzle.

“Kitten... You came after ME. Boredom is the last thing you should be worried about..." Rory snarled, as he readied his knife and took a more solid stance.

Almost simultaneously, the pair of cougars attempted to flank Marco as Rory dashed forward to meet the Lynx head-on. The younger, muscular feline managed to dodge Rory's first pair of strikes, but was quickly forced to draw in a breath of pain as the older lion's third cut caught him horizontally, leaving a long, deep slash across the Lynx's chest. Taking a few steps back, the cat raised a paw to assess the damage.

Marco, meanwhile, had his own paws full, dodging punches, kicks, and attempts to grapple him about the waist, making swift use of his speed and his knife to keep the pair of cougars at bay. Every so often, one of the two would get close enough to land a solid hit, and as he readied himself for a counter, the other would attack him from his blind spot. Even in this situation, he had to admit that it was a pretty good use of tag-team tactics. But the cougars had made a mistake in choosing him as an opponent; after all, he'd trained a pair of twins himself. He was well-versed in fighting two opponents who thought alike. With a slight sneer spreading across his muzzle, the wolf bent down at the knees, switching his knife from his right paw to his left as he readied himself for the next assault.

Taking a deep breath, Marco closed his eyes and perked up his ears, focusing his hearing on the immediate area surrounding him. He drew in a deep whiff through his nostrils, which immediately helped him to identify the two different cougars who were quickly approaching him. His muzzle turned up into a slight grin. It'd been awhile since he'd had to use this trick. As the sound of rapid footsteps continued to get closer, he allowed his nose to guide him towards his closest target, approaching quickly from the right. In a flash, the wolf suddenly opened his eyes and thrust his right paw out in front of him, grinning widely as he felt his thick paw wrapping around the surprised cougar's throat. In the same movement, he lashed out with his left leg, tripping his second opponent, and quickly brought his knife down, aimed directly for the second cougar's windpipe.

“If you want to survive for at least a few more seconds, I'd suggest you do exactly as I say," Marco growled, before turning to face Rory.

“Hey, you good over there, old man?!"

With a loud grunt, Rory blocked a combo of kicks from the Lynx, before catching his leg during the final kick. Kicking out the younger cat's knees with his own powerful legs, Rory thrust one knee against his opponent's spine to keep him grounded, before using his free paw to dig into the assassin's eye sockets from behind, pulling back the Lynx's head, before placing his dagger directly against his exposed throat. It was a dirty move, one he'd learned as a young cub, fighting for the Pride on the streets. He'd even taught it to his older nephew, Lenny, when the younger lion had trained with him as a teenager. It was dirty, and cruel, but it was undoubtedly effective.

“Just FINE," the elder lion growled through gritted teeth. “So what do we do with them now?"

Heaving a sigh, his ears flattening as he shook his head, Marco turned to face Rory with a look of conviction drawn across his muzzle.

“I think you already know... No witnesses."

Rory looked down at the Lynx, still struggling against his grip. Then, meeting the wolf's eyes once more, he let out a snarl as he forcefully drew his dagger across the cat's throat. The lynx let out a loud gurgling noise as he collapsed to the floor, clutching his neck as every spurt of blood and breath he took drew more of his own blood out onto the floor and into his lungs. Rory barely gave the act a moment's notice, before he calmly stepped over the body and made his way towards Marco.

“Need help with these two?"

“Yeah. Let's make it fast. These lockers might just be big enough to stash the bodies. Then, we're gonna need a quick shower. We've got about... three minutes left; you brought any extra clothes?"

“Always," Rory replied with a nod. “And lucky for you, I tend to bring two extra shirts."

Nearly three minutes later, to the second, the pair emerged from the entrance to the gym, their bags over their shoulders and their fur slightly damp from the rushed shower they'd taken. They seemingly walked without a care in the world, as Marco pointed out the large SUV parked nearby at the curb.

“Damn, wolf, that's some heavy-duty ride you've got," Rory remarked as he nodded in appreciation.

“Yeah; you spend four years overseas riding around the desert in armored Humvees and still manage to get shot in one? Trust me, it's not a habit I learned easily, nor one I intend to break anytime soon... Now, you're up front, I'm riding in the back. There's someone who wants to talk to you."

Rory nodded his head, saying nothing more as he approached the heavy passenger-side door, and pulled it open. The familiar face and smile of James Clayton greeted him as he climbed inside, nodding towards Henry and Jake, who'd moved into the backseat as well. Closing the heavy door behind him, the older lion let out a ragged sigh as he allowed himself to fall backwards into his seat.

“Mr. Clayton... I should've known it'd be you to go out of your way to pick me up."

“Rory... You always knew that going behind Damien's back could end up this way. You've known it since the day you called me after what happened to Lenny; you knew I'd do anything I could to help him. And now, I'm gonna do the same for you. My butler Victor is currently on his way to your apartment on the Northeast, gathering up as much of your clothes and personal items as possible. Don't worry, he'll make sure to get anything important; let's just say that fox is VERY thorough. Now, buckle up. We're headed back to the estate. The others are currently watching over Kenneth Markus; they'll be sending Ricky back to report in later on tonight, and we're all going to have some questions for you once we get you settled in." The skinny man started up the truck's loud engine with a twist of the key, and began to pull away from the curb, before gaining speed as he weaved his way through the familiar streets.

“At this point? You all saved my fuzzy ass; I'll tell you whatever it is you want to know. Just get me safe, and get me a cigarette and a strong fuckin' drink..."

“I second that notion," Came Marco's agreement from the back. James couldn't help but chuckle slightly as he shook his head at the rearview mirror.

“Then that's what we'll do," he remarked, as he reached out for a cell phone on the dashboard and quickly tapped in a number. Raising the receiver to his ear, he listened to the ring for a few seconds, before a soft 'click' signaled that someone had picked up the phone.

“Phase one complete." James intoned briefly. “We're headed home now. The others are still on recon and surveillance. We'll see you when we get back. Oh, and you should probably be ready for the reunion..." The phone disconnected from the other end, the other caller not having spoken a single word.

“Dad? What was up with that?" Jake called up from the backseat.

“Just an old friend of the Family who's been out there making sure that everything goes as we planned it, kid," James retorted with a slight grin. “Like I said, you're gonna be learning about the two people that I constantly have watching my back. It's always good to have a contingency plan... or two, in this case. But don't freak out too much when you see him, alright? "

“...Why would I freak out?"

“He's an old friend of yours, son. I think it's been about... twelve years since the last time you two saw each other? Anyway, he's been back in town for about a year, now, working freelance on his off-time. I hired him on as my personal security, as well as for his... other talents. Like Victor, he has deep connections and the kind of skills that I need around me. Just... Don't hate me too much when you see him, yeah? It was HIS choice not to tell you that he's been working for me."

“Dad, who the fuck are we talking about?!"

“You'll see. I'll give you this much: he's likely to have a joint rolled up and ready for when you see him. And you've known him for far longer than you've known ME."

Jake felt himself sinking slowly into his seat as his mind raced with the possibilities. Twelve years... High School? He hadn't made many permanent friends back then. In fact, before he'd ended up serving time in Juvenile Detention for possession with intent, his only REAL friend had been a black panther, whom he'd known since his time in the orphanage before he'd met his dads... A cool cat that used to meet up with him every morning to share a joint and an energy drink before their daily classes...

“...Bobby Marshall?!" The name exited his muzzle before he could finish processing the thought.

“He prefers to use 'Robert,' his full name these days, but he's gonna be very happy to see you. You AND Marco. He's been keeping tabs on all of you from afar, on my orders, serving as my second pair of eyes and ears while all of this chaos has been going on. He's... well, all I can legally say about him is that he has a security clearance these days. That's how we managed to get most of the dossier on Ken Markus. The rest of it was all Victor, who, while he may be retired and working as my butler, also has a kind of security clearance of his own. Like I said, we've all discussed it, and I feel it's about time that all of you finally get to meet and learn about the two men who've become my closest advisors and protectors over the last few years. I promise you, once you've properly met them and heard what they have to say, you'll realize how I've always managed to stay a step ahead of my enemies, along with the need for all of my secrecy, lately... And, I hope, you'll understand..."

“...And what about Rats?" came Marco's voice from the backseat.

“Oh, the fight is still going on," James remarked with a nod as he took a right turn at a nearby intersection.

“Lenny's gonna be training Ted until the day before the fight. He'll be ready. But the kid isn't going into this alone." The older man turned his head to meet all of their gazes momentarily.

“WE get to choose the location, remember? I've already come up with the perfect spot for the event. A place where we can ALL be there to watch this problem come to an end... and make sure the WHOLE city knows that there's a new 'Power' in town..."

• END CHAPTER 11----

Well, this is the second half of the buildup that I promised. As you can see, while some plans may go off without a hitch, no plan ever survives contact with the 'enemy.' The next chapter will be the climax of this particular arc; I promise you revelations, action, surprises, and even more questions. As always, 'til next time, and any comments, votes, or faves are appreciated!

--C.