"Well, see you later, and drop by when you have time," Leo said, sharing a hug with his crew. "Also, keep an eye on what I told you."
"Aye, I was going to tell you the same, but…" Looking at Rose, who was already strapped into the aircraft, John smirked. "I guess with all the work she has to do, you'll be coming more often?"
"At first, yeah," Leo answered with a sigh, looking back at his crew.
After the deal last night, Rose went on a spree of racing, winning four cars in total. With them, thanks to her sharp mind, she secured the four riders for her team. After a couple of tweaks in one of the old harbors, she got it free of charge as her team's home base. Now, we return to the present moment, where they are about to leave.
Soon, the white shadow was airborne.
While drifting over the sea, Rose let out a little chuckle.
"What?" Leo, intrigued by the sudden action, asked.
"Nothing," Rose looked at the clouds below. "A high-speed airplane ride below the clouds on our way out, and another over the white sea on our way back." Then she started to laugh. "And the date itself is in an organization of racing fanatics. Way to go for a first date."
"Was that too much?" Leo asked, not catching if she was being sarcastic or genuinely having fun.
"Hah, you're joking," Rose smiled, patting his shoulder from the back. "I don't know about other girls, but I don't think someone could have a better date, even you, now that you raised my standards for dating."
"I see. Well, I am relieved," Leo said before looking back. "And I won't say there's no excitement left for our next dates."
"Oh, you have something more interesting?" Rose said, excited.
"Oh, you have no idea," Leo said before accelerating, leaving behind a sonic boom.
Soon they got on top of the fork town.
"Okay, the shielding is on… and down we go," Leo murmured before both he and Rose were ejected from the craft.
Rose, not expecting this, started to freak out, flailing her hands. Luckily, she caught herself in Leo's arms.
"What was that?" Rose snapped at him with a glare, before her face eased seeing the wings flapping behind him.
"Sorry, I meant to joke a little, but I didn't think you would freak out like this," Leo smiled, but getting no answer, he checked on her. "Rose?"
"Eh? Ah, it's okay," still looking at his wings with admiration. "I thought you were some lion race?"
"Well, yeah, I forgot to mention I am a hybrid, lion/eagle," Leo answered, lowering them to the ground.
After landing, Rose let go of him and started to inspect his wings closely.
Sadly, she didn't get much more time as her family's voice broke the mood.
"Wow, they are back?" Alice jumped on them and said, "So, how was it?"
"Hey, give the girl some time," Emith said. "Welcome home."
Charly, by the door, smiled and looked at Leo with a nod.
The latter nodded back and started to talk with them. Some time later, he bid them farewell and went on his way.
Despite their offer to give him a ride, he refused and simply said he would fly home.
Getting back to the aircraft, he took off and stopped on top of his house, and by that time, his face turned completely cold.
"Alfred, how is the thing I asked about?"
[All good, sir. All the assets of the Leonheart are now classified, known to the public or not. Also, I have all the evidence you need on the hit order. Should I open the file?]
"No, call the phone you handed to the old man," Leo said, laying his head back.
After seconds, a voice came from the comms. [Yeah, who is this?]
"Yo, how are you, old bones? Still together?" Leo said in a somehow playful way, not really in sync with his tone.
[Is that you, Leonard? Man, you really got your father's voice.] The man on the other side laughed heartily, not minding the cold, rude tone. [So, what's the call for? Decided to come to your Arsenal home?]
"Well, that part's definitely happening, but the way that I intend, that's totally on you," Leo said as if stating a matter of fact.
[What do you mean? And I really start to dislike your tone, boy.] The old man said seriously. Grandson or not, he started to see that his way of talking was starting to pass his bar line of respect.
"Well, can you blame me? I was out on a nice outing, and surprisingly, I found a mole in my father's and my organization there on a mission to kill me," Leo started before stopping.
"And guess what, I found the hit on my head dated back to the same day my parents were declared dead after that accident, and the man who put the order was actually one of your Elders," Leo finished his piece. He then let the old man some time to think while sending the evidence.
[Sigh. I really don't know what to say. I hope you give me time to clarify the accident and just don't act rashly.] The old man said in a truly disappointed tone.
He may let his son roam free, but that wasn't going to stop him from keeping an eye on his child's life, so of course, he knew about the racing ring he and his grandson were running. As a matter of fact, one of the leading crews belonged to them, or else do you think he would let his second grandson go?
"Oh, I shortened the distance for you. Look at your phone," Leo said, not in a hurry. "Call me back when you read and watch all the things you got."
Closing the line, Leo looked at the screen, then opened the hatch. "Send the craft to the garage, Alfred."
[At your order.] As he jumped down, instead of dropping down, a gate opened under his feet, and he vanished into it.
Appearing later in the Beast Forest, he looked around after landing, and soon some creatures under his command came alive from his shadow.
"Oh, so you can follow me here," Leo said and nodded.
But surprisingly, one of the shadow leopards growled to him, and this came as understandable confirmation.
Raising an eyebrow at that, he remembered something, so he decided to confirm.
"Hey, you guys know where people like me are?" Leo asked, trying his luck.
*Growl* A growl came from the shadow leopard, with its head pointing in a direction.
"You mean, not far in that direction?" Leo said, really starting to perceive their intent.
Another growl came, and this time Leo nodded. "Okay, this is new. I really can perceive you now?"
*Growl* (You always could, but you didn't listen carefully.)
"Oh, now this is crazy. Is someone turning translation in my ears?"
*Growl* (What's that?)
"Nothing. So, you were saying, if we move in shadows, we can be there in minutes?" Leo asked after confirming that he was sure the beasts around are smart enough for him to perceive, but what puzzled him was why now and why suddenly?
*Growl* (Well, I could take you closer if we move in the shadow, but not on your two feet. It's dangerous.)
"How dangerous?" Leo raised an eyebrow, as he last knew that place had no real danger except being traps.
*Growl* (The others of my kind and the other residents?)
"Oh, I see. Then I should just run to them?" Leo said. "Can you show the way?"
*Growl* The growl intensified. (That's even more dangerous. Not only my kind, all the kind will hunt you while you're on two feet.)
"And you suggest?" Leo said, not expecting an answer.
But the gorilla behind did. (Change to become like us… we can't tell the difference.)
*Growl* (And then I can show you through the shadows.)
"Okay, cool," Leo nodded. "But let's see Grandpa's reaction first."
Swiftly leaving the forest and getting inside his house.
As soon as he changed clothes, his phone rang. "Take it, Alfred," as he sat on the couch with a tea mug.
[I guess you already know why he did what he did, and I don't want to drag you through all that. From this day on, he is stripped from his position, and property outside the clan grounds.] The old man came through decisively.
After a little silence, he added. [And the said property is transferred to your name as we speak, and the person in question is grounded for life in the Beast Forest territory.]
After he finished, Leo let out a breath he didn't notice he was holding, as in another scenario, he could have ended up in a war with his clan.
[What? Is that a sigh of relief I hear? You really thought I would let him be after hurting you? And thanks to the evidence, getting the other clan council on board was easy.]
Another voice came after, belonging to a lady he meet just recently, his Aunt Isabella. [And don't talk about the methods he used. I mean, forcing a man using his wife.]
Smiling at them, this eased his mind a little, but he hardened his mind and said, "Then I guess you won't like what I have next."
[What is it?] Banari asked seriously.
*Sigh* "Tracking his movement and all the things he was up to, Alfred found the same pattern he had in his movements and money transfer method back to around a month or so before my parents' accident, so…"
[Are you sure about this?] Isabella asked in horror. As an Elder of the clan, if his involvement in the death of a clan member—and the clan head no less—was confirmed or came to the clan members' ears, along with the shaky situation thanks to his last action, the Council will lose all the power they had, and that will be quite dangerous in the extended effect.
"Sadly, no," Leo denied. "But I have a way."
[How so?] Banari asked for affirmation.
"Meet me on the other side in 10 minutes. I have a way." Closing the line, he jumped back to the forest to the place where he was at.
Shifting to his lion form, he looked at the leopard. The latter looked in front, and the shadow below the tree extended like a water pool.
*Growl* (Let's go.)
The leopard jumped, followed by Leo and his other tamed beasts.
On the Other Side of the Line
After the line cut, Banari looked confused about the "other side" Leo talked about. Soon his eyes shone in realization. "Could it be?"
He stood up in a hurry, leaving the office with Isabella right behind him.
"Drag Huzen and meet me in the stronghold of the forest," as they got to the main lobby of the mansion, Banari said before heading to the underground elevator.
Getting down, he directly exited to the only giant underground room, and it contained only one thing: the portal gate to the Beast Forest.
Crossing it, you will find yourself on a cliff with the sea behind and the forest in front, and what protects the gate was a fortress built around it.
"Order all the long-range soldiers to stand by. We're expecting visitors," leaving this command, with agile movement, he jumped from one platform to another and out to stand in front of the closed gate facing the forest.