Wings and Lioness
Once again, I thank all my readers for their support. Please leave reviews and suggestions for where the story should go; they really make my day.
Now the family drama is over, and back to good old fashioned interactions between characters. With that said, enjoy the next chapter and please leave a review.
Chapter 10: Love, in more ways than one
"Okie dokie," A certain camp scientist smiled as he scanned the various test results. "Looks like the baby is in as perfectly stylish health as you are! You can get dressed now, Leone."
"Thanks, doc."
The blonde woman smiled as she began redressing herself, her eyes never leaving the scanned image the good doctor had pinned to the wall: While not 'human' looking in any sort of way at the current standing, she could make out the tiniest little lumps of arms and legs, a round head and what looked like an eye.
Leone's eyes went to her stomach, which she patted lovingly.
"Mommy can't wait to see you." She cooed as she wrapped her scarf around her neck. "Just wait until you're ready…and be a little cuter, too."
Dr. Stylish could honestly say that he would grow to enjoy his check-ups with Leone; on top of being the first to examine and take care of a baby conceived trough Teigu sex (he was still curious as to how that had happened and a little jelly he and Bulat couldn't do that), he genuinely liked Leone's company; she was stylishly upbeat, headstrong and always laughed at even his worst jokes. But above all else, he was growing attached to the life that was growing in her belly.
Not as a test subject, no. Stylish did have standards after all; if he were to experiment on anyone, they were either condemned prisoners or stylishly attractive/strong looking. Anyone who did anything to kids was an insult to the Dr. Stylish Mad Scientist Code of Beautfication, Alteration and Ethics (Trademark pending)
And seeing his old friend's beloved smiling and looking so forward to the baby filled Stylish with happiness he never felt unless he was with Bul-baby. Now, he was jealous Wave and Akame were the first tiers of godparent. Not that he'd blame anyone…
"You know," He smiled impishly. "Normally I can't tell you this, but considering how you and Runnie-boy are such good pals of mine…I could tell you the gender…"
"No!" Leone shouted, covering her ears and closing her eyes. "No spoilers!"
"But the baby'll be such a…"
"La, la, la, la!" Leone shouted. "I can't hear you! La, la, la, la, la, I'm not listening!"
The door then opened, revealing Run dressed in a fine white suit with the Budo family symbol embroiled on a pocket containing a handkerchief. He still was getting used to the feel of the pricey and elegant faric, but it was not his primary concern at the moment. As many first time fathers often did, he'd been waiting outside when he heard his love shouting and, once again, despite knowing better, thought she was in some sort of peril she couldn't get herself out of.
He really needed to nip that in the butt, he mused to himself.
"What did you do this time, Stylish?" He sighed
"Why does everyone always assume that when somebody shouts in this buliding, I had something to do with it?" The doctor asked indignantly.
"Do you want an honest answer?" Run asked. "If so, may I remind of the Zuzu incident in the back of...?"
"Point made, shut up!"
Leone, who'd smelt/ heard Stylish's heartrate leap up, opened her eyes to see Run standing next to her with a triumphant smile on his face.
"Leone and the baby are in perfect health." Stylish replied. "Nothing to worry about, though I may subscribe a couple things a later down the line to be safe. Just keep do what you're doing and the little…"
"La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!" Leone shouted again. "No spoilers!"
"Oh." Run said, understanding everything. "Well, thank you doctor. We'll be on our way then, see you…"
"Is everything alright, son?"
The trio turned to see Mika-Anna Budo, Run's mother, standing outside the door with a concered look on her face.
"Yes mother." The teacher smiled warmly. "Stylish is just being crazy again."
"I resent that!" The doctor snapped, only to reel himself back into self-control when he remembered who the other woman in the room was, his mind trailing back.
Three days earlier…
For a good two minutes, no one had said a word as mother and son hugged, tears streaming down their faces.
Leone smiled sweetly as she cleared her eyes of tears
"Are…are you crying, Leone?" Mine asked.
The blonde woman tensed and wiped her face.
"What? Me? Big bad Leone? Cry? No way!" She weakly denied. "No, I'm not. You're crazy! You're silly!"
"But there tears coming out of your eyes, sis." Tatsumi noted.
"I know it's weird, right?"
A handkerchief suddenly appeared before her; handed to her by Budo himself.
"Keep it." He smiled. "You'll probably need it more than I."
The Jeagers and Jaxon all followed in suit, clapping in hurrah of the family reunion.
"Oh, I thought I'd lost you forever, my little Daedalus…"
At that name, Runs eyes widened and he awkwardly broke the hug
"Oh, um…" Run mumbled. "T-this… is a little embarrassing, but…um….."
Chelsea herself shared in Run's uncomforted. She couldn't have messed up…right? The investigation all pointed towards it; Run's apparent father's disappearance lining up with when Run was dropped off at the orphanage, the resemblance between Run and Budo
Mika-Anna suddenly realized something and lightly smacked her head.
"Oh, my apologies!" She smiled. "Of course you wouldn't…See, Deadalus was the name you were given at birth."
"I was named Icarus' father?" Run asked.
"Indeed." Mika-Anna smiled. "Both from the myths and your own father."
Budo grumbled at the mention of his nephew's father. Meanwhile, said young man, in an elated state, carefully and lovingly, not unlike a young child, dragged his mother to where his friends were standing
"Mother, I'd like you to meet my friends…This is Esdeath, Dr. Stylish, Seyru, Bols, my best friend Wave, his wife Kurome and their son Maki."
The Jeagers bowed respectfully as Run introduced them all, smiling sweetly at the older woman. Mika-Anna bowed to them sweetly, then rushed forward and embraced them.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much for taking care of my Run."
"Our pleasure." Wave smiled. "Though to be honest, he's taken more care of us."
"Some more than others." Stylish quipped, only to be lightly smacked by Bulat.
"Indeed, Citizen Mika-Anna!" Seyru beamed. "You should thank citizen Leone if you want to tahnk anyone for taking care of Run."
The younger blonde woman, a shyness suddenly overtaking her, walked forward and stopped in front of her fiancé's long lost mother.
"Um…hi there." She weakly said. "My name's Leone and…I'm marrying your son and carrying his baby."
Mika-Anna's jaw dropped.
"Son? You and her?"
Run nodded, unsure of how to interpret his mother's reaction.
"You and this beautiful young lady?"
Run nodded again.
"You're making me a grandmother already?" Mika-Anna asked Run with a sly smile on her face. She then reached out and shook Leone's hand. "Welcome to the family, Leone."
Present day
"Thank you for everything, doctor." Mika-Anna smiled. "Do please keep from teasing my daughter-in-law and son though."
The doctor pouted.
"See you at Night Raid tonight?" Leone asked. "My last show and Bulat's first back."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Stylish smiled, waving them goodbye as he called for his next patient.
The blonde trio (and a half) stepped out of the hospital to find a limo waiting for them, Budo at the ready to open their doors.
"Everything go alright?" He inquired. "Little Griffin doing alright…?"
"Not you too!" Leone smiled weakly as she slid on in. "We don't even know what the baby's sex is, why do people hope for a boy?"
"Because if we have a girl," Run answered truthfully. "I'll have to kill any boy that looks at her once she enters puberty."
"…You been talking to daddy again, haven't you?"
"Run," His mother sighed. "Let's not get carried away with this. Brother, that means you too."
"Well, he makes a valid point." Budo said as he shifted the limo into drive and made his way out.
Meanwhile, Run glanced around his current surroundings; leather seats, classical music, fully stocked minibar
"I'm still not all that comfortable with all this." Run sighed as Leone poured herself and Mika-Anna some glasses of sparkling water.
"Take you time, son." The oldest woman said. "Take your time."
XXXX
"Anything we should be aware of before Armin before he shows up?" Run asked his boss' boyfriend, who merely put on a look of contemplation before simply answering with a shake of his head as he took a sip of his beer.
"Nah, you should be cool."
Esdeath had ordered a ginger ale for herself and Seyru
Night Raid was packed for a good reason tonight; one of the stars was leaving, while another returned to the spotlight after a prolonged absence.
"Evening folks." Wave started as he stepped up the microphone. "Welcome to Night Raid, Empire City's #1 source of tunes, booze and babes..We really got to work on a new intro."
Several patrons laughed as Tatsumi, tending bar, prepared drinks.
"Tonight is a night of welcoming back and saying goodbyes. Two familiar faces, two different choices in path. Let's get the tears out of way so we can enjoy ourselves."
He cleared his throat, and a drumroll began.
"From the farthest reaches of Empire City, beyond the realms of imagination. This is a face all you Night Raid veterans hate to see leave, but love to watch go. A fusion of beast and beauty the likes of which we'll probably never see again. You know her as queen of all jungles, the big bad kitty and the Lancing Lioness, but after tonight, she'll only go by her name. Gentlemen! And ladies plus Run. I GIVE YOU…LEONE!"
The announced dancer burst onto the stage, meowing and purring at the crowd. As lights shone and she began dancing, she spied her fiance, smiling simply but lovingly at her. She blew him a kiss, which he returned.
The patrons hooted and hollered, some even gave drunkard love confessions and letters of encouragement, But anyone who got too eager was silenced by the others.
"She's getting married." Budo, looking more out of place than Bols, growled at some men who stared where their eyes didn't belong. "To my nephew. Him."
"Brother, be nice." Mika-Anna sighed. "You're embarrassing Run and scaring everyone."
"That is the point, dear sister." Budo explained. "Our future daughter/neice-in-law is off limits, and t should be clear to all."
Run didn't care in honesty; a part of him enjoyed it.
"You're really okay with all that?" Bols asked.
"Mother and uncle have 23 years of codling and embarrassing to make up for." Run mused, sipping at his rum and coke. "As long as they stop once the baby is born, I'm okay."
"She's also pregnant." His mother added to her brother's eplanation. "My son is a fast worker."
….
"I retract my previous statement." Run said, downing his drink and making his friends laugh at him.
"And now, for the return of the king!" Wave announced, making all turn in anticipation, especially Dr. Stylish. "The original bad boy is back! Tall, dark, handsome and with eyes only for you boys, let's give a warm welcome back to the original Icursio himself, the Thousabd Man-Handler….BULAT!"
The muscular armor that had been a major selling point of the establishment joined Leone on the stage, their fists impacting with the lights. Bulat then lepat into the air, performing trikcs with his spear and then landing standing on it with a single toe
"Hello, boys…."
"And of course who can forget these lovely ladies!" Wave beamed as he moved to the side. "Boys, let them feel welcome: AKAME, CHELSEA and SHEELE!"
"Go Sheel!" Xian cheered, her friend waving from the stage as she drew out her giant scissors.
"Now that I'm done yapping," Wave finsiehd as he moved over to help Tatsumi with the drink, "Eat, drink, dance, flirt and have a good time!"
And with that, the show began. Weapons clashed and sparks flew and Leone and Chelsea danced to music, performing acrobatic stunts. Bulat's skills with his weapon had improved, as he was now able to spin on his head with it. He constantly locked eyes with his boyfriend, eventually following Leone's example and blowing him a kiss.
"I want to make love to him on stage." The doctor said. "Right here, right now."
"Wouldn't recommend that." A voice said. "Otherwise I'd have to arrest you for disrupting the peace."
"Armin!" Jaxon beamed, high fiving his friend. "Come on on, pull up a chair! I ordered you a mojito."
Armin was a man of blonde hair with reached his neck, dressed in attire fitting a man of higher rank in the ECPD with a sword at his side. He had a calm air about him, but with also a sort of palyfullness. His aura oozed with confidence and understanding.
"Lieutenant Armin Talio at your service." He answered with a slight bow. "Please forgive me for being late, I got caught in traffic."
"I was about to go hunting for you, bud."
"Aww, miss your big bro that much?" Armin teased, giving Jaxon a noogie.
"Watch it, Ar! It took me forever to get it right." Jaxon grumbled, only for Esdeath to wrap her arms around his own.
"Oh don't worry, Jaxie-poo." She cooed. "I love your hair no matter how mess it is."
"Aw… Leibling…" Jaxon smiled.
"I'm still not used to see the commander so affectionate like that, Mr. Run." Seyru whispered.
"It'll take time." Run and Bols whispered back.
"So, we finally meet face to face, Esdeath." Armin smiled, reaching out to shake her hand. "Jaxon here has told me a lot about you."
"If they pertain to my strength and torturing, they're true."
"Please keep your conversations tasteful." Budo sighed. "My sister is here. Amrin, Jaxon. Good evening."
"Commissioner." Armin smiled, Jaxon bowing slightly with him. "Didn't expect to see you here. This place strikes me as the sort you'd sooner seen demolished than go into."
"And under normal circumstances you'd be in the right." Budo answered. "But, it is my future niece-in-law's last night of work here, so I figured I could stomach it for a few hours for my nephew's sake."
"And I thank you profusely, uncle." Run smiled. "You can leave whenever you want."
Budo's demeanour changed slightly.
"Well…it's actually not all that bad." He admitted. "Impressive acrobats, great handling of weapons…"
Stylish giggled.
"One day." Bols sighed. "Can you go one day without noticing innuendos and thinking of quips?"
"Nah, be too much work."
"And that Sheele girl is very beautiful, isn't she brother?" Mika-Anna smiled, making the great Budo blush. "Then again, Leone looks very beautiful in that outfit….and Akame is adoreable as well."
She the notied the look on his face and motioned Esdeath to comment…which the ice queen did with great joy.
"Why commissioner, I never pegged you for the dirty old man." She smirked
"I'm not going to say it." Stylish said aloud. "It's too easy."
"That, and you don't want a case of literal blue balls." Run smirked.
"Brother, how could you!?" Mika-Anna gasped in shock. "You're a great man; no need to lower yourself to the level of a leering pig!"
"SISTER, PLEASE!" Budo hollered in embarrassment. With that, he stood up and ran out the door, apologizing profusely for any reason as he did so.
"Personally," Armin whispered to the Jeagers. "That one with the ladybug headphones has my attention."
Meanwhile, Mika-Anna had burst into laughter.
"I have been waiting years to do that!" She laughed.
Budo then came back, a red face of anger and embarrassment clear. He downed his pint of beer and sat back down.
"You never speak a word of this." He demanded. "One word, and I'll court martial you so hard, blood ties or skills be damned, you'll all be on parking duty for so long you'll have to get additional jobs to quell your boredom, is that clear?!"
The Jeagers nodded in understanding.
"Good."
"Commissioner?" Bols asked. "If you don't mind me asking…"
"Go ahead. Anything to get that conversation out of here."
"…Why do you seem so familiar to Jaxon and Armin here, when we ourselves, who you've described as your top team, didn't even know they existed until a couple of months ago?"
"Well, that's because…" Budo confessed. "They're the top agents of the Specter team."
…..
…..
…..
"SPECTER?!" The Jeagers all shouted, making all in the bar turn to them,
"That shit actually existed?!"
"Seyru!" Run and Esdeath chastised.
"I'm sorry madam and Mr. Run, but you can't blame me!"
"Well, that out of the bag." Armin sighed. "Yes, Specter is…was real. A black-listed, special ops group of unlisted operatives serving directly under Budo himself. We were tasked with missions Budo managed to keep away from Honest's whereabouts/ care.
"Pretty much anything where you Jeagers, and please don't take offense to this Liebling, wouldn't be able to handle without backlashes of some kind or another." Jaxon added in. "If there was a threat you'd ever meant to get to, but vanished before you could, that's because we probably got it for you."
"Armin here was the field leader of the whole group." Budo explained. "And…mr. Jaxon here the intel gatherer/ torture techican."
"And occasional rogue, one many army." Armin quipped in. "Get him mad enough, and nothing stops him."
Jaxon pouted.
"Go crazy two times and you're marked for life. Two times!"
"Oh, I imagine Madam will make you go wild big boy…" Stylish smirked, only for the air to go cold and Esdeath to glare at him. "Oh. My. God. I completely forgot who I was teasing. Ma-madam, please! It was a jo…"
"Flee."
And with a camp shriek, Stylish did just that; the empire's strongest right behind him with her sword drawn.
"Wohoo!" Jaxon cheered. "Go, Liebling!"
"BUL-BABY HELP!"
Hearing his boyfriend in trouble, Bulat leapt downward and began clashing with Esdeath
At this time, Wave and Kurome, little Maki somehow sound asleep despite all the noise, came over and joined the group.
"Um, is there a reason that…?" Wave started.
"Stylish finally made a quip about Esdeath and Jaxon's relationship." Armin answered.
"Oh." Kurome said simply. "Well then, he deserves what he gets."
"OI, BULAT!" Wave shouted. "STYLISH MADE A QUIP ABOUT ESDEATH'S LOVE LIFE!"
The fight stopped, Incursio looking at Esdeath (who much preffered the sleeker, slimmer verison Tatsumi wore), who nodded.
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?"
"I FORGOT, OKAY! A STYLISHLY GENIUS MIND IS ALLOWED TO DO THAT!"
"BUT WITH ESDEATH?"
While the two men argued back and forth, eventually coming to an agreement and the good doctor apologizing for his actions, Esdeath returned to her seat, where she saw Jaxon giving Wave his autograph.
She then gave the family a summary of what Budo had revealed, making their eyes widen.
"So, you mean, that noble who ran the drug ring?" Wave asked. "That was you?"
"Yep."
"A-and that serial killer we found with his..." Bols started.
"Yup."
"What about the one whose... um..."
"Oh him!" Jaxon absolutely beamed at the memory. "Yeah, do you have any idea how hard it was to keep him alive during the whole thing? I was extra attentive in that one."
His mind soured.
"He hurt my little sisters." He growled. "Nobody, especially not a weakling like that, gets away with that.
Everyone, minus Armin, just looked at Jaxon in shock, fear, and disgust.
"Those were supposed to be confidential, Jaxon." He sighed, his voice making it clear he was used to all this. The Teigu copier just shrugged. "Why do I bother?"
"Because someone has to." Run mused, making the two uncousiouly fist-bump each other. "Wave, you too."
The trio repeated their action as fellow 'sane soldiers.'
Esdeath's reaction was slightly expected: She grabbed Jaxon, pulling him in to a deep, passionate kiss that made several patrons woot. There was no fighting, they two just locked lips and let their tongues wrestle.
"Bed." Esdeath commanded when they parted. "Now."
Jaxon's smile made it clear he was more than happy to complete her request.
"Use protection." Armin shouted as the two fight-a-holics left. "Two of you are bad enough, we don't need a baby running around. No offense, Run!"
"None taken."
Just then, Chelsea came down from the stage, having finished her acts for the evening, dropping one of her lollipops as she did so. Armin, not knowing that this was a common occurrence (Run inwardly wondering where Chelsea kept all those sweets), quickly picked it up.
"Excuse me, you dropped this."
Chelsea turned around to see an admittedly handsome young man who had the same kind of aura Run had picked up a cherry lollipop and was hodling it out for her.
"Oh, thanks."
The two were silent for a few seconds.
"Armin Talio."
"Chelsea."
"Lovely name for a lovely lady." Armin smiled. "Excellent shapeshifting by the way, though…sorry if I sound like someone whose already said it; I do think your current, more dressed state is your best."
"Thanks." Chelsea smiled, eyeing his sword. "And let me follow in suit; your sword there; you…?"
"I prefer to think of it as a representation." Armin smirked. "Although I wouldn't dare compare that after immediately meeting someone. Can I buy you a drink? We have shared names, so it's not creepy."
"Aw, what the hell?" Chelsea smirked. "White Russian."
She then joined the table, occasionally going back to top their drinks. Soon, the evening came to a close, and it was last call.
"You need anything else?" Chelsea asked as she took the cups away, Armin following her to help.
"Nothing more to drink or eat," Armin confessed. "But, if you're interested and maybe have some free time…perhaps a time and place to meet for coffee or lunch? Your choice, my treat?"
The shapeshifter smiled and handed him a card. A phone number.
"Reservations for two, 8:00 tomorrow. Don't keep me waiting."
Armin simply smiled and nodded.
"Oh, he is smooth." Wave noted.
"Better than I was." Run nodded.
All in all, it was a grand final night; Leone maintained her status as the undefeated drinking queen of Night Raid, received a few bouquets from patrons and her admirers (who congratulated Run under Budo and Mika-Anna's glares) and was treated to a slideshow Lubbock and Najenda had prepared that showcased her greatest moments at Night Raid…..the greatest one being when she and Run met.
The Budo family dropped the couple off at their home a little after midnight.
They went straight to bed, but not to sleep.
Run instead held Leone in his arms for a few hours.
"It…it feels weird, ya know." She said, some tears staining her face.
"You did work there for a long time." Run noted. "It's only natural."
"And I'm happy to be leaving to be honest. No more pervs gawking at my chest, I get to do what I always wanted and open that massage place…"
"And I'll be right there through it all." Run promised.
She turned over and kissed him.
"I want it to end, but now that it has….I want it back."
Run nodded in understanding.
"I'll be there to help you all the way. Just like you did with me. I love you, Leone."
"And I love you, Run."
They hugged.
"Budo."
He laughed lightly letting her have that one.
XXXX
The next day, the couple went to meet with Tatsumi and Mine in Leone's neighborhood.
"So, what're Tastumi's friends like?" Run inquired.
"I don't really know." Leone admitted. "Based on what he;s told me though; Ieaysu is skilled with a mace and a bit of perv, while Sayo's a great archer. Tatsumi also thinks they got a little chemistry going on between them."
"Please don't tease them too badly, they're probably ignorant."
"Aww, come on Tweety!" Leone pouted, before taking on a seductive smile. "Didn't kitty earn herself a little fun last night?"
Run suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"…Run?"
She then saw why he'd stopped:
It was Seyru. In civilians clothes, her arms wrapped around the arms of a young man with long white hair. The same boy from the beach. From the way of peace.
A boy.
With Seyru.
Touching her.
Her: the little girl Run and Esdeath had raised after a friend, her father, had died.
A smile crossed Leone's face, and she looked down at her stomach.
"Now we get to see daddy in protective mode."
'Daddy' had already whipped out his cellphone and pressed speed dial.
"Esdeath." Run snapped. "We have a situation. Code: SBFSB."
From her room, Esdeath leapt to her feet and began to get dressed.
"I'll be there as soon as I can.'"
"Why worry? Its priests and little boys that are bad. So unless Seryu has been hiding a dick, you have nothing to sweat over."
"Jaxon."
"Sorry, Liebling."
"We'll be there shortly." Esdeath commanded. "Keep an eye on them, but don't be seen!"
"Understood." Run answered, ending the call. He then smiled at Leone and pecked her lips and stomach. "Please inform Tatsumi and Mine I'll be a little late."
He turned around and glared at the boy.
"I have some hunting to do. MASTEMA!"
He then took to the air and flew to a more secluded area where he could still watch them.
"Oh, somebody get the popcorn!" Leone beamed. "This is going to be epic!"
Next Time: Run and Esdeath vs Seyru's boyfriend/ Tatsumi's friend and a Little Leone flashback