Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of the Thundercats. They belong to their perspective owners.
Author's Note: Sorry I took so long to put this chapter out but I finally got it done. I was busy dealing with the stress of my job due to one of my bosses turning the work place into a toxic work environment. Plus I want to give a shout out to kashriramji for the analysis on his reviews on each chapter. On this chapter, this is my attempt to explore the effects of Lion-O's PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and how it affected him since the last chapter. I know that this isn't my best but let me know when you review. And I know that Tygra's gonna be out of character in this chapter in case some of you are gonna react but this is my way of developing the characters in this story.
Lion-O Alone
Later at night after the events of what transpired earlier, Lion-O was having a terrifying nightmare about him turning into a monster with the dark/evil side of his personality taking over his body when he was driven by uncontrollable rage, rampaging through the villages and destroying them, terrifying villagers, brutally overpowering the rest of the Thundercats, slashing Tygra's right eye right out of his socket, breaking the blade of the Sword of Omens into pieces, nearly forced "himself" on Cheetara and kissed her in the lips and fought against "himself" to regain his own body and revert back to normal from his monstrous form, only to discover that Tygra's blood is on his hands and the villagers were still terrified of him, he begged for forgiveness from all those people who were injured at his hand and the lives he ruined.
When he awoke from the nightmare he asked himself if it was just a dream or not but saw that it was true.
(I'm Sorry by Joyner Lucas plays)
Covered in cold sweat, Lion-O began realize that the darkness within him was stronger than he could have ever imagined as he said to himself "Maybe everyone's right, I really have done more harm than good despite being possessed by my inner demons. I am not worthy of leading the ThunderCats…maybe I should leave before I hurt anyone else...or myself because if I stay with the Thundercats, I would endanger them even further."
As he got out of bed, Lion-O felt defeated and dejected, his confidence was crushed when he thought that maybe the darkness inside him was unstoppable. He didn't feel worthy to be King and the leader of the ThunderCats. He felt that his teammates would be better off without him as he couldn't lead them or himself well enough to stop himself from harming someone innocent again as the nightmare just proved. The realization hit Lion-O hard and was too much for him to bear as he grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper and wrote a letter to the Thundercats.
Dear Thundercats
After having a nightmare about of me losing control of myself, terrifying and harming everyone including all of you when I fell victim to what seemingly be Mumm-Ra's sinister spell that transformed me into a mind-controlled monster, driven by uncontrollable rage which also brought out my inner demons in the form of a dark and evil side of me, I realized that if I stay with all of you, I would lose control and hurt all of you or even worse because I would never live with myself if that happens again. So for your safety and the safety of others, I decided that it's best that I should leave all of you and relinquish my title as King and Lord of the Thundercats. So please, I ask and beg of all of you, don't come looking for me because I don't want all of you involved when my inner demons come back and overtake me, please understand why I did this and let it go because it was out of love and concern for all of you, now please forgive me for leaving you all like this and try not to think of me as a coward and abandoner of my duties and responsibilities. Please take care of yourselves and each other. Hopefully, we'll meet again under better circumstances. I love you all.
-Lion-O
After finishing the letter and stuck it on the front door of his chambers, Lion-O grabbed his cloak and snuck out quietly, trying not to wake any of his friends. As Lion-O ran down the corridors, he felt lighter and relieved knowing that he made the right decision to leave all of them behind so they won't get hurt and left wondering where he would go next as there was no way he could tell anyone of his plan to run away.
As Lion-O snuck out of the ThunderTank, he took one last look at it as he started to fade away into the darkness and escape into the shadows, hoping to never see any of his old friends ever again and promising that he wouldn't betray their trust in him ever again, but at the same time hoped that they wouldn't forget him either.
The next morning, Lion-O was walking in the rain feeling wet and alone. At first he didn't know where he was going but soon remembered that there was a village somewhere nearby that he could sleep in until he figured things out for himself. When Lion-O arrived at the village, he had been soaking wet, shivering in the cold weather and starving since it was morning.
While searching for a place to eat, Lion-O noticed that some of the villagers recognized him and out of fear, they started to flee from him like they knew something bad happened to him, he kept telling himself that everything was okay as he continued to look for a place to stay for the day.
(Song fades)
Lion-O kept walking until he started hearing a demonic voice in his head, saying things like: "It seems that they fear still me…or should I say…you."
"No, not you! Haven't you done enough without taunting me inside my own head? You're the reason why I left the Thundercats for their own safety!" Lion-O angrily shouted back in his mind, realizing that the voice inside him was indeed Dark Lion-O, the dark and evil side of his personality who happened to be his inner demon talking directly to him as he took a look at the reflection of a mirror in one of the shops in the village.
"Why? You ran away from your fellow Thundercats in order to protect them? Boy, you really care about them enough to be a quitter!" Dark Lion-O stated, taunting Lion-O.
"Shut up! Just shut up!" Lion-O yelled back at the voices inside his head.
As Lion-O walked along, he heard Dark Lion-O asking him "Why bother? I'm in your head, trying to find a way to take back control of your body so I can cause a lot more mayhem, chaos, suffering, ugliness, brutality and destruction for Mumm-Ra, who's probably living rent free in here as well!"
"That's ridiculous!" Lion-O said, not believing anything Dark Lion-O was saying.
"Of course it is. If I told you the truth about who you are, then how will you live your life when I'm the main reason why you are still your own worst enemy? Why do you keep fighting me when you know I'm winning this battle? It's because you want to change yourself. But deep down, you know that I am right, you really are a coward. A useless piece of shit, incapable of leading the rest of the ThunderCats! Do you hear me?! A failure, worthless, weak, pathetic and hopeless romantic loser! All of these are words that describe you perfectly, yet you wish to defy me and do as you please!"
"NO! That's not true! I AM NOT THAT! STOP TALKING TO ME! SHUT UP! NO MORE!" screamed Lion-O, struggling against Dark Lion-O inside his head, struggling against his will, not wanting to believe everything he was saying.
"And now, you really believe it, don't you?" Dark Lion-O asked with an arrogant smirk on his face.
"You're the reason why I had to leave the Thundercats to keep them safe!" Lion-O replied.
"HA! Like I haven't done enough damage to the ThunderCats already? What makes you think that I won't continue doing that and make sure that they suffer more than ever before? Or better yet, I'll take away the woman that you never got over when she chose your once again estranged stepbrother Tygra over you and Tygra will have her as his queen, something I always wanted to happen! You are mine and the entire ThunderCats are yours for the taking, you deserve nothing more than pain and misery! That is what you will receive because…"
"LEAVE THE THUNDERCATS ALONE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Lion-O desperately bellowed, yelled, angry and scared that he was starting to lose his grip on his sanity, determined to fight Dark Lion-O as long as he could and make sure he wins this battle, however small the chance of that happening might be as he was brought back to reality and realized that the villagers were staring at him in shock and awe.
He didn't know what to do so he stood up straight, regained his composure and decided that he had to hide for the day as he left the village, running away as fast as he could as the rain became heavier.
After walking for two and a half hours after the rain stopped, Lion-O was hungry, tired and feeling miserable but he had nowhere else to go. After he ate his fill, he laid down on a rock thinking about his next move.
Before deciding to take a nap, he promised himself that he wasn't going to allow Dark Lion-O or anyone else take over his mind ever again, even though he was unsure of whether he was going to succeed.
An hour later, Lion-O woke up startled and realized that he was hearing voices in his head again and became very paranoid.
(PTSD (Warrior Built) by Tech N9ne Featuring Krizz Kaliko & Jay Trilogy plays)
"Hello? Is anyone out there? Hello?" asked Lion-O, calling for help.
Hearing the voices inside his head speaking to him caused him to break out into a cold sweat and got nervous and worried, he kept saying in his head, "This can't be happening! Not again! No…no….don't listen to the voices…just listen to the sounds…listen to the noises…please don't do this to me…."
Lion-O felt as though he was going insane, his sense of reality slipping away from him, fearing that his mind was breaking apart and disintegrating and seeing nothing but blackness around him, losing his balance, unable to breathe and began hallucinating about snakes crawling out of his mouth.
"Please, God, don't make me lose my mind. Help me to regain control of myself. Don't let Dark Lion-O take over again! I promise that I'll listen to the sounds instead of letting them drive me insane and drive me to madness."
Once he regained his senses and came back to reality, Lion-O was horrified to realize that the image of Tygra and Cheetara kissing, mating and fucking like rabbits came back to haunt him and he slowly slid down the hillside, whimpering and begging for mercy.
"What are you doing? Why is this all in my head?" Lion-O asked himself, becoming frustrated, confused and scared.
Lion-O realized that he was reliving his life as a teenager as he saw himself slowly begin to unravel as he lost control of himself and got more and more hallucinated by the sounds he was hearing.
Suddenly, another scene flashed through his mind, almost as if someone was showing him a glimpse of the future where the image of his former teammates fighting against each other was replayed repeatedly and getting angrier every time the memory appeared in his mind.
When he saw those memories, Lion-O's eyes began to tear up, he got frightened, scared and cried, yelling at himself, "WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS TO ME?! WHY?! IT'S HAPPENED BEFORE! IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN! I CAN'T STAND SEEING THEM FIGHT EACH OTHER WHEN I KNOW HOW MUCH THEY CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER AND DON'T TELL ME THAT I'M THE CAUSE OF THEIR SUFFERING AND MISERY!"
"Yes, you are, Lion-O!" Tygra's voice came from behind Lion-O as he turned saw the image of Tygra, Panthro, Cheetara, WilyKat, WilyKit and Snarf all covered in blood, angry at him.
"No! No, no, no, no, no! No, please!" Lion-O begged for forgiveness, screaming, terrified and fearful of what was happening to him, believing that his worst fears were coming true as he felt as though he was dying, slowly fading away and becoming part of Dark Lion-O's twisted and sick plans.
"This is what happened to us when you stopped being our King!" Tygra shouted, "Remember, what you did, betraying our trust, leaving us all alone and forsaking us for the sake of our own good? We were betrayed by our King and he made us suffer and go through Hell just like you and you left us!"
"We were all counting on you and you let us down!" WilyKit angrily yelled at Lion-O.
WilyKat chimed in, yelling "We lost our homes, our loved ones and everything we hold dear because of you!"
"You were never fit to lead let alone fulfilling your father's legacy! You're unworthy of leading the ThunderCats! I have no doubt that you would've ended up killing us if you hadn't left us and ran off like a damn coward that you are!" Panthro angrily told Lion-O.
Snarf joined in and mocked Lion-O by saying "Yeah, he abandoned us when we needed you the most!" Snarf went on to tell Lion-O "I bet your father's ashamed of you for running away from your responsibilities! And I also bet that he blames himself for giving birth to such a spineless coward!"
Tygra continued with his tirade against Lion-O "There's no question that we can blame your father for raising you to be the cowardly little boy that you are today!"
Panthro went on and attacked Lion-O for deserting the ThunderCats and making them feel guilty for everything he put them through, "The fact that you gave up and left us without any explanation as to why and to where you were going makes us feel bad, even now! To this day, we're still wondering why you suddenly decided to run away like that! How dare you leave us alone when we needed you the most?! As King of the ThunderCats, you should've been there for us and showed leadership instead of acting like a selfish little brat and abandoning your friends and people that cared about you!"
An angry Cheetara with tears in her eyes slapped him across the face and said "I used to believe in you, Lion-O but you broke my heart when you left me! I trusted you with my heart and my soul and instead of standing by my side, you abandoned me when I needed you the most!"
Cheetara went on, continuing to repremand Lion-O, "Your behavior was despicable! I believed in you when everyone else doubted you and thought you were weak! I never saw you as weak or a coward! I always saw you as a brave and courageous leader who's worthy of my admiration and perhaps worthy of my love but I was wrong. You're worthy of neither of my love nor respect and definitely not my trust!"
Tygra continued to berate and mock Lion-O by saying "Face it, Lion-O! You are nothing, and you'll always will be nothing!"
As Tygra finished talking, he walked towards Lion-O and looked him dead in the eye and whispered "You are the reason why our mother is dead. She died because of you."
Seeing Tygra looking at him with contempt and hatred made Lion-O lose it and start crying.
"No, no, it's not true. I never even knew my mom." Lion-O defended himself.
"She died while giving birth to you because you were born too early! She passed away because you weren't ready to be born and because you couldn't wait to be born!" Tygra accused Lion-O, furious at how callous and careless he was being about his mother's death.
"No, it's not true! I would never do that to her!" Lion-O cried, defensively and tearfully defending himself.
"Oh but you did!" Lion-O turned around and found that the image of his father, Claudus appeared behind and sternly spoke to him. "Your mother died, giving birth to a disappointment like you. I tried my very best to prepare you, raise you to be the next King of Thundera and the Lord of the Thundercats after me, hoping you would be more like Tygra but instead, you neglected your duties as Prince and the Heir to the Throne due to your belief in technology, instead of relying on the old ways!"
Seeing Claudus looking at him, enraged and furious at his failure as a parent and their last words said in anger as Lion-O looked at Claudus in utter horror, fear and shame.
"But father, I tried my best. I just wanted to explore new things. I was only a child and didn't understand what was expected of me." Lion-O tried to explain himself.
"Exploring isn't what your duty is as the heir to the throne! If you had studied more and focused on your studies and followed your duties as Prince, then your mother would've lived long enough to give birth to you!" Claudus harshly lectured his son.
Tygra turned around, chimed in and blamed Lion-O for the fact that the City of Thundera fell and was destroyed and all the cats become enslaved refugees. "It was your fault, your lack of responsibility and incompetence are the reasons why Thundera fell and we lost our father, Jaga and Pumyra who became Mumm-Ra's pet! Everything fell apart because of you!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lion-O screamed at the top of his lungs as he broke down in tears and started to fight the images off, only to be disappointed and saddened to find that the images kept playing on an endless loop in his mind.
As he kept swinging his fists at the images, screaming at them and hitting the tree in front of him, he desperately fought to get rid of the images and their implications but no matter how hard he tried, they wouldn't stop until he collapsed and was overcome by sleepiness and exhaustion.
And just like that, Lion-O passed out cold, losing consciousness and succumbing to the visions of horror and nightmares that played out in his mind.
(Song fades)
Two and a half hours later, Lion-O woke up groggy, confused and scared, feeling as though he was going crazy.
"Why am I seeing these visions in my mind? Who is doing this to me? What's going on?" he wondered, feeling terrified and petrified.
With sweat pouring off his brow, Lion-O looked around the area in front of him and noticed the leaves on the trees starting to rustle and move by themselves as the sound of something scratching the leaves, shaking the branches and swaying the leaves sounded in the distance.
A few seconds later, Lion-O heard a loud crackling noise which could be clearly heard throughout the forest, accompanied by the sounds of rocks and boulders breaking, pieces of wood being torn and shredded and the light dusting of ashes from the trees as well as the nearby bushes as the ash was blown away by the wind, adding to the confusion and mystery of the situation.
Just as the commotion and the sounds seemed to grow louder, the tree in front of Lion-O started to creak, bending and bowing and trembling from the force of the shaking, seemingly being pushed and pulled by some unknown force and weight.
Lion-O got alarmed by the noises, rumblings and vibrations he was hearing and he was afraid of what may happen. With all the horror, terror and trauma he had been experiencing in the last couple of hours, he felt as though he couldn't take much more, only for the explosion came from him and he felt the impact of it that sent him flying backwards into the air, almost landing on his back but managed to keep his balance, stumble and fall over onto his hands and knees.
As he slowly got back up, Lion-O turned around and saw the Lizard Army are charging toward him, approaching from the direction they had come from and he panicked, uncertain of what to do and what to expect. The sudden turn of events caused Lion-O to panic and try to get away but every time he tried to run, the Lizard Army surrounded him, cut him off from escape and forced him to stand there and be caught in their clutches.
"Oh, great. Now I'm completely surrounded." Lion-O said to himself, frustrated and upset, thinking that there was no way out.
Suddenly, he realized what had happened. He wasn't dreaming or going crazy. This was real and he wasn't hallucinating.
"Surrender, Lion-O! We have you surrounded!" One of the Lizards said.
Before Lion-O could respond, another lizard charged at him and gave him a kick in the stomach, sending him flying backward.
Falling to the ground, Lion-O tried to get back up again but he felt a slash of pain on his chest, caused by one of the Lizards using sharp blades from their weapons, slicing through his skin, cutting him open and wounding him.
He frantically searched around for a way out of the corner he was backed up into but to no avail.
"You cut me across the chest. For that you left me no other choice but to fight back!" Lion-O shouted, getting madder and angrier as he realized that his life was under threat and he was helpless to defend himself.
Looking at the wounds on his chest, he noticed blood leaking out of the wound and oozing out of the cuts that the sharp blades made.
Getting even more upset and angered, Lion-O lunged at one of the Lizards and knocked him down, grabbed the blade that cut him and swung it back at the Lizard. But the attack missed its target as one of the Lizards ducked, only to get kicked in the midsection by Lion-O legswept five more of them, knocking them off the feet.
"IF I GO DOWN, I'M TAKING EVERY SINGLE DAMN ONE OF YOU WITH YOU!" Lion-O shouted, kicking them back and forth and they scattered in all directions. "If you want to kill me, then go ahead. At least die fighting!"
Having gotten some energy and stamina back, Lion-O jumped high into the air, turned upside down and flipped horizontally, flipping himself back over and landed on all fours.
Not wasting anytime, Lion-O quickly rushed forward, sprinted past the Lizard Army and took down two more Lizards with a swift roundhouse kick, leaving them sprawled on the ground, unconscious.
Looking back, Lion-O noticed that another Lizard slashed him on his arm, causing it to bleed and he flinched at the injury and gasped in pain, realizing that he has suffered yet another injury, this time inflicted by one of the Lizard Soldiers.
Trying to ignore the wound, Lion-O charged towards three more Lizards including the one who injured him and proceeded to use his special Kung Fu technique, knocking them both down.
Using his front paws to launch him into the air, Lion-O went into a somersault kick that propelled him forward and it was able to hit two of the attacking Lizards before he came crashing down, sending two more of the Lizards flying back, tripping and falling over each other.
Still angry and determined, Lion-O jumped over them and tackled one of the remaining three Lizard Soldiers, giving him a powerful sidekick in the gut, making him fly off in the opposite direction. The final Lizard, which was still standing, launched himself at Lion-O and attacked him from behind, using the whip to inflict damage on Lion-O, causing cuts across his chest, arms and forearms.
After seeing the Lizard lash out at him with the whip, Lion-O instinctively used his front paws to protect himself, enabling him to avoid being hurt by the attack but when he tried to block or counterattack, he was unable to but he managed to catch the whip, pulled the Lizard toward him and delivered a hard punch to the face, knocking him unconscious.
As he bleeding from the cuts to his upper body and his shirt was stained with blood, he turned around to see more Lizards coming towards him and he scrambled to get away but none of the Lizards could catch him.
Taking advantage of the opening, Lion-O ran faster and harder than ever, weaving through the various trees and leaping over the fallen logs and fallen trees.
Despite the brutal fight he endured and continued to endure against the Lizards, he didn't slow down, but rather use the fallen logs and fallen trees to his advantage and used his combination skills to parkour and martial arts to jump over the fallen trees and obstacles in his path.
However, that tactic worked well for him and it enabled him to gain some speed but at the same time, the blood on his chest made it hard for him to breathe properly and breath quickly.
Fighting as hard as he can, trying not to think about the loss of oxygen and the loss of energy he was experiencing, Lion-O ran on adrenaline and eventually, he was able to take down the Lizards he encountered and was soon free of them, escaping from the vicinity of where they were pursuing him.
Inching closer to the clearing where the others were hiding, Lion-O noticed they weren't where they were supposed to be. Instead, the explosion came from behind him once again and he felt the impact of it that sent him flying toward the tree, hitting him in the face and hurting him even more.
As Lion-O tried to recover from the sudden surprise and pain of being hit by the blast, he suddenly realized he was bleeding from his forehead and his left eye was swollen and red before turning his attention to the source of the explosion in the form of the Warbots, the very top-heavy and awkward walking robots / exoskeletons, protected by heavy armor. Their armaments include a shoulder-mounted energy pulse gun, a rocket launcher for long-range beacon-guided missiles.
"Oh, whiskers. Who'd thought that I'd be taken out by the Lizard Army, doing Mumm-Ra's bidding?" Lion-O muttered to himself as he struggled to get back up and wipe the blood from his face.
The Warbots spotted Lion-O and moved in closer to him. They formed a protective circle around him and proceeded to attack him, unleashing their barrage of laser blasts, missiles and rockets, forcing him to cover his head with his arms and shield himself from the attacks.
"Maybe I'm having second thoughts about leaving the Thundercats and the Sword of Omens behind after all. Maybe I should stay with them…" Lion-O mumbled, worried and anxious, unsure of what to do.
Getting beaten and battered badly by the barrage of lasers, missiles and bombs unleashed upon him, Lion-O was finally about to meet his demise until he was saved by a 6'3", 255 pound heavily muscular and bigger bosomed Panther Amazon who appeared out of nowhere. She had a long and wavy Black hair with Streaks of Platinum Blonde and she was wearing a Magenta String Jungle/Amazon like Bra, Metallic Green Belt, Magenta Leg-Length Skirt with split on both sides, Metallic Green Knee-High spat-like coverings on her feet that expose her heels and toes with Magenta Knee Guard and Accents, Magenta Forearm Length Wrist Bands with Metallic Green Edges, a pair of Golden Arm Bracelets, A pair of Large Golden Hoop Earrings and Makeup.
And she was also carrying a Blue Magical Bostaff with a Red Crystal Orb in her right hand.
An injured Lion-O looked up at her and asked "W-Who are you?"
"My name is Tessa. Are you alright?" She asked, showing concern and worry for his wellbeing.
(Author's Note: There you have it! The character Tessa from the 1980's comic book has arrived! In this story, Tessa will be a 6'3", 255 pound heavily muscular and busty Panther who will be play the role of the super strong Amazon, the knowledgeable Sorceress, the flexible and extraordinary Martial Artist and Gymnast, the BFF/Big Sister Figure to Lion-O, Mother Figure to both WilyKat and WilyKit, a love interest of Panthro who shared a mutual rivalry with Grune the Destroyer (she tried to warn Panthro about Grune betraying and leaving him for dead once before it eventually happened) and a voice of reason to all the Thundercats (Even if she have to put some of them in a headlock!) when things go wrong/awry.)
"Truth be told, I've been having a very long and hard day." Lion-O replied, sounding somewhat worn out, sore and tired as the eyes of the two met each other for a brief moment before she extended her hand to help him up.
"Let's get you somewhere safe while the others and I will deal with them and their machinery." Tessa said.
Relieved that someone else would deal with the dangerous situation he was currently in, Lion-O accepted her help and stood up on his own and she escorted him away from the danger zone and toward safety.
The Lizards inside the Warbots were about to chase after them, only to be ambushed by a large group of female cat amazons who appeared out of nowhere, carrying weapons like swords, bow and arrows and catapults, equipped with quick-firing twin Broadheads and Triple Boomerangs, alongside wooden shields and using Improvised Weapons like whips and lances. And they led by another female panther wearing a sleeveless brown dress, hair tie and hair flower and her weapons are a bow and arrow and a knife.
"Damn it, where did these cat amazons come from?!" One of the Lizards exclaimed as he and the others hid in the bushes and watched in disbelief and shock as the cat amazons stepped onto the scene and chased them away.
"Where you least expected, lizard lips!" The leader of the cat amazons fiercely stated as she kicked him across the chest, sent him flying and he tumbled down into a pile of fallen branches as her fellow cat amazons were watching closely and were quite surprised at how the battle unfolded.
One of them demanded, "So what exactly is going on here? Who are these ladies?"
"We are the Warrior Maidens and you are in our turf!" The leader responded, unamused by their presence.
"Not while Mumm-Ra has anything to say about it!" One of the Lizards declared angrily, directing his weapon at them.
As the Warrior Maidens and the Lizard Soldiers engaged in an epic battle between themselves, Tessa brought Lion-O to a secluded part of the forest where the sounds of war wouldn't carry any farther as she attended to Lion-O's injuries, bandaged and healed him using her Healing magic.
"There. It should stop the bleeding now. You're going to need to rest for awhile and get better so that you can walk properly." Tessa explained.
"Thank you for saving my life." Lion-O said sincerely.
"You're welcome, young man." Tessa replied warmly. "Now rest because you've been taken a lot of severe punishment at the hands of those lizards, especially when Mumm-Ra gave the order for them to attack you."
"Yeah, I am feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded, probably from losing a lot of blood. How much blood did I lose anyway?" He wondered aloud.
Tessa held her hand on his head and closed her eyes, concentrating her magic to channel her healing energies into him, healing his wounds and replenishing his lost blood. After a minute, Tessa placed her hand on his forehead, wiped the sweat off his face and looked deep into his eyes.
"Not much, thank Jaga. You'll be alright but your upper body is now covered with scars and bruises from being whipped and beaten on repeatedly, not to mention being slammed into the tree trunk, especially your back, chest and arms." Tessa informed him, sadly and mournfully.
Lion-O sighed and then added, "I guess that's what I got for choosing to leave the Thundercats and the Sword of Omens behind."
"Thundercats? You left the Thundercats?" Tessa inquired.
"Well yeah. I mean, what good was I doing there? All I did was mess things up for everyone and I even screwed up all my relationships with them." Lion-O sighed again, feeling defeated and discouraged.
"It looks like you have some thinking to do about that, young man. Don't give up yet, there's still hope for you." Tessa assured Lion-O, cradling his head.
Lion-O smiled weakly, nodded despite his painful condition and said "Thanks, Tessa. That means a lot. I feel much better already." as he began to rest again.
Meanwhile, a nearby Warbot aimed its plasma blaster and fired a blast at one of the Warrior Maidens but the fireball missed and instead blew off the wooden knee guards she wore and splintered it in half before exploding. The other Warrior Maidens, shocked by this sudden development shouted in surprise and alarm.
"Get ready! Prepare to defend yourselves!" They ordered the troops.
While the Warrior Maidens and the Lizards clashed, Tessa rejoined the battle and used her combined powers of superhuman strength, speed, flight and magic to overpower and disable the attackers, including the heavy armor walking robots and warbots and took them down, killing the Lizards within them.
She chased after the last Warbot which made a run for it, firing several missiles at her but she avoided the incoming shots with ease, kicking the Warbot and tripping it, causing it to fall over, allowing the Warbot to be captured easily and put under her control.
Once the area was clear of danger, the Warrior Maidens went back to where the wounded Lion-O was. They all wanted to check on him to see if he's okay.
Tessa answered "He's alright, he needs to rest after all the beating he's taken. His clothes are ripped apart too and he's sporting a couple of bruises, scratches and marks. But he's breathing fine and is conscious and responsive."
"Good work, Tessa." Leader of the Warrior Maidens praised her. "Let's take him back to Treetop Kingdom."
With Lion-O resting in her muscular arms, Tessa flew through the sky and landed safely at the entrance of the Tree Fort where the rest of the cat amazons were waiting for them. As they carried him to the Tree Fort's door, another Warrior Maidens went to open the doors and stepped inside, revealing a beautiful panoramic view of the Treetop Kingdom.
"Wow, the Treetop Kingdom really does look nice today." The other Warrior Maidens agreed as they marveled at the beautiful sight in front of them.
After helping Lion-O inside, Tessa gently laid him down on the bed, cradling him in her strong arms.
"Just rest here, lion-o. We'll go fetch some food for you." She advised.
Lion-O slowly nodded his head in agreement as he felt relieved that he's going to get some much needed sleep after being tormented physically, mentally and emotionally in one day.
And soon enough, Lion-O fell asleep and peacefully drifted off to dreamland, wondering what lies ahead for him in the future.
Meanwhile, back in the ThunderTank as the sun began to set, rest of the Thundercats read the letter Lion-O wrote to them.
"Dear Thundercats," Lion-O started his letter, "After having a nightmare about of me losing control of myself, terrifying and harming everyone including all of you when I fell victim to what seemingly be Mumm-Ra's sinister spell that transformed me into a mind-controlled monster, driven by uncontrollable rage which also brought out my inner demons in the form of a dark and evil side of me, I realized that if I stay with all of you, I would lose control and hurt all of you or even worse because I would never live with myself if that happens again. So for your safety and the safety of others, I decided that it's best that I should leave all of you and relinquish my title as King and Lord of the Thundercats. So please, I ask and beg of all of you, don't come looking for me because I don't want all of you involved when my inner demons come back and overtake me, please understand why I did this and let it go because it was out of love and concern for all of you, now please forgive me for leaving you all like this and try not to think of me as a coward and abandoner of my duties and responsibilities. Please take care of yourselves and each other. Hopefully, we'll meet again under better circumstances. I love you all. Lion-O."
"Did he just send us a letter saying goodbye?" WilyKit questioned.
"Yes he did." Tygra, now sporting an eye patch on his right, confirmed.
"This is weird." WilyKat commented. "Why would he do this to us? Especially since this all happened due to him being possessed by his inner demons?"
"It's obvious that he realized that he's a burden to us now and doesn't want to endanger any of us anymore and I can't blame him." Tygra remarked.
"No, Tygra. That's not true." Cheetara countered. "This may seem selfish and cowardly to you but Lion-O would never do this to us without a good reason."
"Don't be ridiculous." Tygra scoffed. "Lion-O is a liability to us and to himself."
"That may be so, Tygra, but let's not jump to conclusions yet and just give him the benefit of the doubt, shall we?" Cheetara replied.
"Cheetara's right." WilyKit concurred. "We could at least find him, make sure he's alright and figure out a way to help him."
"After what he just did?" Tygra retorted. "How could we trust him ever again? Especially since he took my right eye?"
"He didn't mean it, Tygra!" Cheetara yelled, aggravated and angered by Tygra's insensitive words towards Lion-O. "He didn't do it intentionally! It was his inner demon that controlled him and turned him into a monster."
"Well excuse me for living and breathing!" Tygra snapped back.
"Enough!" Panthro intervened, putting a stop to the bickering and heated argument among the group. "This isn't the time or place to be arguing and fighting with each other. We need to focus on finding Lion-O and trying to figure out how to help him and why did this happen to him."
"Panthro's right." Cheetara acknowledged. "We've known Lion-O long enough to know that he wouldn't betray us. Whatever happened to him was completely out of his control and I'm certain that he would have no intentions of abandoning us or turning against us and neither should we turn against him either. After all, he saved our lives countless times and has always been there for us whenever we needed him. He may not be perfect, he may have made some mistakes in the past but..."
"But nothing!" Tygra interjected angrily. "Lion-O messed up big time and we need to deal with that and move on and..."
"If he did anything wrong, then he will face the consequences for his actions and not you." Panthro said sternly, glaring at Tygra.
"Look, guys," Snarf interjected, "there's no point in continuing to argue about this right now. Let's try to think rationally and decide on something, all right?"
"Well, I already have." Tygra announced, looking smug. "We're still moving on without him, end of story. It's my decision and that's final!"
Everyone looked at Tygra who glared at them all in turn, knowing full well that this decision of his was definitely going to cost him dearly and it was all their fault for making him so angry that he had lost all sense of objectivity.
"Well, I'm not giving up on him like I did before." Cheetara declared defiantly. "We'll keep searching for him until we find him."
"Fine, if that's what you want, then it's settled." Tygra conceded grudgingly. "We'll look for him tomorrow morning and if we don't find him by nightfall then we'll call off the search and move on without him. Understood?"
Cheetara, Panthro, WilyKat, WilyKit and Snarf nodded in assent and said "Understood." in unison as they headed off to go back to their respective sleeping quarters.
In her quarters, Cheetara looked at the letter Lion-O sent to them earlier and frowned.
"I wonder what he's doing right now." Cheetara wondered aloud. "Hopefully he's alright wherever he is and I hope he didn't hurt anyone else while he was possessed by his inner demons."
"And as far as Tygra is concerned, I never see him behave the way he did today unless something is bothering him." Cheetara thought, sadly. "I wish I knew what it was that is troubling him so badly and why he thinks that way about Lion-O."
"When I chose him over Lion-O due to his admiration of me, Tygra seems to be at peace with the situation and he appeared happy and content." Cheetara reflected. "But after Pumyra betrayed us and Lion-O hasn't completely recovered from his traumatic experience during our journey to get to the Power Stones, Tygra somehow went back to being cynical and rigid again and acting all high and mighty towards everyone around him."
A thought suddenly occurred to Cheetara. "Perhaps I shouldn't have made the decision to choose Tygra over Lion-O back then and should have tried to convince Lion-O to accept him as a member of the Thundercats instead. What if it turns out that it was the wrong choice? I didn't even give Lion-O a chance to prove himself."
Cheetara sighed. "Maybe I should have tried harder to convince him to stay with us and let us help him dealing with his inner demons and find a way to break Mumm-Ra's spell on him. Or perhaps he is still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder caused by all the times he was betrayed by Pumyra and...us?"
Cheetara started to worry. "Is he still thinking about revenge and wants to punish those who hurt him? Is he going to become like Mumm-Ra and would eventually turn on us and start hurting innocent people? What if he becomes consumed by the spell and his inner demons takes over once again? Then he might...no, I won't allow that to happen! I refuse to let him suffer anymore!"
Smiling faintly at the determination she feels deep within her heart, Cheetara gathered herself together and marched off to find Lion-O and save him. But before she leaves, she decided to write a letter to the rest of the Thundercats that she decided to look for Lion-O alone.
Dear Thundercats, I just wanted to let you know that I am going to look for Lion-O alone and will return to you as soon as possible. I will keep you posted as soon as I find him. If I don't return within the next two days, then we are moving on without him and try not to think too much of him as a traitor and abandoner of his duties and responsibilities. He was possessed by his inner demons and acted out of character that day, so please don't hold it against him because it wasn't his fault and I will explain everything to you when I get back. Please understand. Love, Cheetara.
After finishing writing the letter, Cheetara smiled as she placed the letter down on top of her bedside table.
Later that night, Cheetara quietly snuck out of her quarters to go look for Lion-O. She brought out Lion-O's ThunderCycle from storage, hopped onto the bike and rode away from the Thundertank through the night, determined to use it to track him down.
"Lion-O, where are you?" Cheetara whispered softly, afraid of waking anyone up. "Wherever you are, please be alright and wait for me."
The moonlight was shining brightly and glistened off the vast array of stars overhead.
"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" Cheetara asked herself as she continued to ride towards her destination.
"Wait for me, Lion-O." Cheetara urged. "Please. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to help you get rid of your inner demons and put an end to Mumm-Ra's evil spell."
While riding through the quiet and peaceful countryside, Cheetara kept thinking of the possibilities and scenarios that may unfold in the future, and all of them were not very pleasant to say the least.
"What if he attacks me again?" Cheetara thought worriedly. "Would he continue to attack me if I insist on helping him? What if he goes back to killing innocents and he gets even worse than he used to be? How do I even know that he's truly in control of himself now? Perhaps the person I see now isn't really Lion-O. Maybe I'll just be wasting my time, putting myself in danger and even losing my life trying to find him."
But despite these fears, Cheetara was also filled with great determination and conviction. If there was one thing she had learned from her previous encounters with Mumm-Ra, it was that she couldn't let fear stand in her way. No matter what happens, she must find Lion-O and help him because no matter how frightening or dangerous things got, she couldn't afford to fail and lose faith in Lion-O and he needed all the help he could get to defeat Mumm-Ra once and for all.
"It doesn't matter right now because I'm going to find Lion-O and help him overcome his inner demons and hopefully I'll make amends for giving up on him and my duties as a cleric in the past because I let him down ."
Cheetara slowly came to realize that her beliefs about Lion-O weren't entirely correct and that she wasn't fully aware of everything that happened in the past months since the fall of Thundera. So, taking her resolve into consideration, Cheetara decided to go on a search for Lion-O, hoping that he's still alive somewhere and didn't die during Mumm-Ra's attack and that they can work things out between them and fix whatever problems they might have in the past.
But unbeknownst to Cheetara, she was watched by a muscular figure in a navy blue cloak who was silently watching her from behind a tree.
"So you are still alive after all this time." The cloaked figure remarked nonchalantly in a feminine voice. "Looks like our paths will cross again eventually "lover"."
With that, the mysterious figure quickly moved out of sight and disappeared into the darkness.
To Be Continued…
Next time on Thundercats 2011 Season 2: As Cheetara continues her search for him, Lion-O forms a bond with the Warrior Maidens led by Willa, including a muscular Amazon Sorceress named Tessa, while recovering from his injuries and emotional turmoil as he explore his new alliance with the exiled LGBTQ Amazonian warriors and the secrets of their banishment. During another battle with the Lizard Army under Mumm-Ra, Lion-O discovers that he suddenly possesses superhuman powers and abilities that he never knew he had.
Author's Note: Before I go, I would like to pay tribute to the passing of Celebrities, Actors, Actresses, Singers, Rappers, Artists and my Childhood Heroes that passed away last and this year, may they all Rest in Peace, Rest in Paradise and Rest in Power.
In Loving Memory of:
Anita Pointer (founding member of the Pointer Sisters who actually passed away on New Year's Eve in 2022.)
January 23, 1948 - December 31, 2022 (aged 74)
❤️
Gangsta Boo (Memphis Rap Legend who was a member of the Three 6 Mafia)
August 7, 1979 - January 1, 2023 (aged 43)
❤️
Fred White (who was a drummer of the R&B/Soul band Earth, Wind & Fire)
January 13, 1955 - January 1, 2023 (aged 67)
❤️
Jerry Jarrett (American businessman, professional wrestling promoter, and professional wrestler. Along with his long-term business partner Jerry Lawler, he was a key figure in the history of professional wrestling in the Mid-Southern United States. And he's also the father of Jeff Jarrett)
September 4, 1942 - February 14, 2023 (aged 80)
❤️
Lisa Marie Presley (A singer and songwriter who was the only child of singer and actor Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley.)
February 1, 1968 - January 12, 2023 (aged 54)
❤️
Jay Briscoe (Pro Wrestler who wrestled in Ring of Honor Wrestling)
January 25, 1984 - January 17, 2023 (aged 38)
❤️
Annie Wersching (An actress known for her roles in Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Picard and Marvel's Runaways)
March 28, 1977 - January 29, 2023 (aged 45)
❤️
Lisa Loring (An actress who played Wednesday Addams in the original Addams Family TV Show from the 1960's)
February 16, 1958 - January 28, 2023 (aged 64)
❤️
"Leaping" Lanny Poffo a.k.a. The Genius (A pro wrestler who is the real-life younger brother of "Macho Man" Randy Savage)
December 28, 1954 - February 2, 2023 (aged 68)
❤️
Burt Bacharach (An American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who appeared in the Austin Powers trilogy)
May 12, 1928 - February 8, 2023 (aged 94)
❤️
Trugoy a.k.a. Dove a.k.a. Plug Two of De La Soul
September 21, 1968 - February 12, 2023 (aged 54)
❤️
Tom Sizemore (An actor who was in the movies Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Natural Born Killers, Heat, Passenger 57, Pearl Harbor and Bringing Out the Dead and also voicedmobster Sonny Forelli in the acclaimed 2002 video gameGrand Theft Auto: Vice City.)
November 29, 1961 - March 3, 2023 (aged 61)
❤️
Bobby Caldwell (American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his song "What You Won't Do for Love".)
August 15, 1951 - March 14, 2023 (aged 71)
❤️
Lance Reddick (An actor who was in TV Shows Oz and The Wire and the John Wick movie franchise.)
June 7, 1962 - March 17, 2023 (aged 60)
❤️
Harry Belafonte (American singer, activist, and actor known for his songs "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)", "Jump in the Line (Shake, Señora)" and "Jamaica Farewell".)
March 1, 1927 - April 25, 2023 (aged 96)
❤️
Jerry Springer (American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician known for hosting his Tabloid talk show, Jerry Springer and he also served as the 56th Mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978.)
February 13, 1944 - April 27, 2023 (aged 79)
❤️
"Superstar" Billy Graham (Legendary Pro Wrestler who gained recognition for his tenure as the WWWF Heavyweight Champion from 1977 to 1978. He was a three-time world champion in major professional wrestling promotions.)
June 7, 1943 - May 17, 2023 (aged 79)
❤️
Jim Brown (An American football fullback, civil rights activist, and actor who played for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League from 1957 through 1965.)
February 17, 1936 - May 18, 2023 (aged 87)
❤️
Ray Stevenson (A Northern Irish actor known for his acting roles in movies Punisher: War Zone, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Thor movies in the MCU.)
25 May 1964 - 21 May 2023 (aged 58)
❤️
Tina Turner (A Rock and Soul singer known for her hit song "What's Love Got To Do with It".)
November 26, 1939 - May 24, 2023 (aged 83)
❤️
The Iron Sheik (An Iranian-American Pro Wrestler who was famous for playing the villain in the WWE during the 80's.)
March 15, 1942 - June 7, 2023 (aged 81)
❤️
Big Pokey (A rapper and singer from Houston, Texas)
November 29, 1974 - June 18, 2023 (aged 48)
❤️
Darren Drozdov a.k.a. Droz (A former Pro Wrestler for the WWE during the Attitude Era and a former Football Player for the NFL and CFL)
April 7, 1969 - June 30, 2023 (aged 54)
❤️
Alan Arkin (An Actor and Filmmaker in a career spanning 7 decades who received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award.)
March 26, 1934 - June 29, 2023 (aged 89)
❤️
Tony Bennett (American Jazz and Traditional Pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards.)
August 3, 1926 - July 21, 2023 (aged 96)
❤️
Sinéad O'Connor (Irish singer, songwriter and political activist.)
8 December 1966 - 26 July 2023 (aged 56)
❤️
Paul Reubens (American actor and comedian, widely known for creating and portraying the character Pee-Wee Herman.)
August 27, 1952 - July 30, 2023 (aged 70)
❤️
Angus Cloud (American actor best known for his portrayal of Fezco in the HBO television series Euphoria (2019–2022). I really enjoyed that show!)
July 10, 1998 - July 31, 2023 (aged 25)
❤️
Magoo (A Rapper known for being in a duo with Timbaland called "Timbaland & Magoo", known for their legendary hit songs "Up Jumps da Boogie", "Luv 2 Luv Ya (Remix)", "Clock Strikes", "We At It Again", "Drop", "All Y'all", "Cop That Disk" and Indian Flute".)
July 12, 1973 – August 13, 2023 (aged 50)
❤️
Clarence Avant (American music executive, businessman, and film producer, who also went by the name of "The Black Godfather".)
February 25, 1931 – August 13, 2023 (aged 92)
❤️
Ron Cephas Jones (American actor, best known for his role as William Hill in the drama series This Is Us, which earned him four consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning twice for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2020. He's also in the Netflix Marvel Comics show Luke Cage and the Marvel Comics movie Venom.)
January 8, 1957 – August 19, 2023 (aged 66)
❤️
Terry Funk (A legendary Pro Wrestler known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – and the influential hardcore wrestling style he pioneered in the latter part of his career.)
June 30, 1944 – August 23, 2023 (aged 79)
❤️
Windham Rotunda a.k.a. Bray Wyatt (A Pro Wrestler known for his tenure in the WWE.)
May 23, 1987 – August 24, 2023 (aged 36)
❤️
Bob Barker (American television game show host known for hosting CBS's The Price Is Right, the longest-running game show in North American television history, from 1972 to 2007. He also hosted Truth or Consequences from 1956 to 1975.)
December 12, 1923 – August 26, 2023 (aged 99)
❤️
Arleen Sorkin (an American actress, screenwriter, presenter and comedian known for portraying Calliope Jones on the NBC daytime serial Days of Our Lives and for serving as the real-life inspiration and voice for DC Comics villain/anti-heroine Harley Quinn, co-created by her friend Paul Dini on Batman: The Animated Series.)
October 14, 1955 – August 24, 2023 (aged 67)
❤️
Irish Grinstead (An R&B Singer known for her tenure as part of the R&B girl group 702. My all time favorite songs from them are "Steelo", "Get It Together", "All I Want" and "Where My Girls At?")
June 2, 1980 - September 16, 2023 (age 43 years)
❤️
Phyllis Coates (the first actress to portray Lois Lane on the 1950s Adventures of Superman TV series.)
January 15, 1927 – October 11, 2023 (aged 96)
❤️
Suzanne Somers (An American actress, author, singer, businesswoman, and health spokesperson known for her television roles of Chrissy Snow on Three's Company and as Carol Foster Lambert on Step by Step.)
October 16, 1946 – October 15, 2023 (aged 76)
❤️
Burt Young (American actor, author, and painter known for his role as Rocky Balboa's brother-in-law and best friend Paulie Pennino in the Rocky film series, his performance in the first installment of which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.)
April 30, 1940 – October 8, 2023 (aged 83)
❤️
The 45 King A.K.A. DJ Mark the 45 King (An American Hip Hop producer and DJ from The Bronx, New York.)
October 16, 1961 – October 19, 2023 (aged 62)
❤️
Richard Roundtree (An American actor, noted as being "the first black action hero" for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft, and its four sequels, released between 1972 and 2019.)
July 9, 1942 – October 24, 2023 (aged 81)
❤️
Richard Moll (An American actor known for playing Aristotle Nostradamus "Bull" Shannon, a bailiff on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1984 to 1992 and voicing Harvey Dent/Two-Face in the DC Animated Universe series Batman: The Animated Series and The New Batman Adventures.)
January 13, 1943 – October 26, 2023 (aged 80)
❤️
Matthew Perry (An American and Canadian actor, comedian, and producer. He gained international recognition in the 1990s for playing Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom Friends, and earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role.)
August 19, 1969 – October 28, 2023 (aged 54)
❤️
George Brown (An American Drummer for the R&B, Soul and Funk Band called Kool & The Gang.)
January 1949 - November 17, 2023 (aged 74)
❤️
Jean Knight (An American R&B and soul singer from New Orleans, Louisiana. Launching her professional career in the mid-1960s, Knight was best known for her 1971 hit single "Mr. Big Stuff", released by Stax Records.)
January 26, 1943 – November 22, 2023 (aged 80)
❤️
Andre Braugher (An American actor known for his roles as Detective Frank Pembleton in the NBC police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street and Captain Raymond Holt in the Fox/NBC police comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He won two Primetime Emmy Awards and was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards.)
July 1, 1962 – December 11, 2023 (aged 61)
❤️
Carl Weathers (An American actor, director and a linebacker in the NFL and CFL. His roles included boxer Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films (1976–1985), Colonel Al Dillon in Predator (1987), Chubbs Peterson in Happy Gilmore (1996), and Combat Carl in the Toy Story franchise. He also portrayed Det. Beaudreaux in the television series Street Justice (1991–1993) and a fictionalized version of himself in the comedy series Arrested Development (2004, 2013), and voiced Omnitraxus Prime in Star vs. the Forces of Evil (2017–2019). He had a recurring role as Greef Karga in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian (2019–2023), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.)
January 14, 1948 – February 2, 2024 (aged 76)
❤️
Dexter King (An American civil and animal rights activist, attorney, and author. The second son of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, he was also the brother of Martin Luther King III, Bernice King, and Yolanda King; and also grandson of Alberta Williams King and Martin Luther King Sr. He is the author of Growing Up King: An Intimate Memoir.)
January 30, 1961 – January 22, 2024 (aged 62)
❤️
Akira Toriyama (A Japanese manga artist and character designer who first achieved mainstream recognition for creating the popular manga series Dr. Slump, before going on to create Dragon Ball (his most famous work) and acting as a character designer for several popular video games such as the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. Toriyama came to be regarded as one of the most important authors in the history of manga with his works highly influential and popular, particularly Dragon Ball, which many manga artists cite as a source of inspiration.)
April 5, 1955 – March 1, 2024 (aged 68)
❤️
Minori Terada (A Japanese actor and voice artist who portrayed Ryubei Sonozaki in Kamen Rider W, a role which he reprised in the W Chapter of Kamen Rider Ghost: Legendary! Riders' Souls!, Amagi Kureshima in Gaim Gaiden: Kamen Rider Zangetsu, Secretary General in Kamen Rider Black Sun and Sui Asakura in Ultraman Geed. He was best known for his voice-role as Colonel Muska from Castle in the Sky.)
November 7, 1942 – March 14, 2024 (aged 81)
❤️
Louis Gossett Jr. (An American actor who was best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, winning him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also won an Emmy Award for his role as Fiddler in the 1977 ABC television miniseries Roots.)
May 27, 1936 – March 29, 2024 (aged 87)
❤️
DJ Mister Cee (An American DJ, broadcaster, record executive, and radio personality. Credited with the discovery of both rappers, he guest featured on Big Daddy Kane's 1988 debut album Long Live the Kane, and served as associate executive producer for the Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 debut album, Ready to Die.[1][2][3] Mister Cee is widely considered to be a pioneering figure in East Coast hip hop.)
August 17, 1966 – April 10, 2024 (aged 57)
❤️
O.J. Simpson (An American football player, actor, and media personality who played in the National Football League (NFL) as a running back for the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1977 and for the San Francisco 49ers from 1977 to 1979. Often regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time, his professional success was overshadowed by his trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.)
July 9, 1947 – April 10, 2024 (aged 76)
❤️
Rico Wade (An American Architect of Atlanta Hip-Hop, a pivotal figure in Southern Hip Hop, a member of the renowned production team Organized Noize and a founding member of the Dungeon Family.)
1972 - April 13, 2024 (aged 52)
❤️
Bill Walton (An American professional basketball player and television sportscaster. He played college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.)
November 5, 1952 – May 27, 2024 (aged 71)
❤️
Jerry West (An American basketball player and executive who played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024 (aged 86)
❤️
Willie Mays (An American professional baseball center fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Mays was a five-tool player who began his career in the Negro leagues, playing for the Birmingham Black Barons, and spent the rest of his career in the National League (NL), playing for the New York / San Francisco Giants and New York Mets.)
May 6, 1931 – June 18, 2024 (aged 93)
❤️
Donald Sutherland (A Canadian actor who rose to fame after roles in the war films The Dirty Dozen (1967), M*A*S*H (1970), and Kelly's Heroes (1970). He subsequently appeared in many leading and supporting roles, including Klute (1971), Don't Look Now (1973), 1900 (1976), Fellini's Casanova (1976), Animal House (1978), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Ordinary People (1980), A Dry White Season (1989), JFK (1991), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Without Limits (1998), and Pride & Prejudice (2005). He portrayed President Snow in The Hunger Games franchise (2012–2015). With a career spanning six decades, he received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards as well as a BAFTA Award nomination. As one of the best actors never nominated for an Academy Award, he was given an Academy Honorary Award in 2017.)
17 July 1935 – 20 June 2024 (aged 88)
❤️
Seth Brooks Binzer, better known by his stage name Shifty Shellshock, (An American rapper, singer-songwriter, and vocalist, best known for cofounding and fronting the rap rock band Crazy Town, known for their hit song "Butterfly", and less for his solo career. He struggled with addiction throughout his career and appeared on the reality television series Celebrity Rehab and Sober House.
August 23, 1974 – June 24, 2024) (aged 49)
❤️
Leati Sika Amituana'i Anoaʻi a.k.a. Sika (An American Samoan professional wrestler who is best known as one-half of the tag team the Wild Samoans with his brother Afa. They held the WWF World Tag Team Championship three times, were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. He was a member of the Anoaʻi family and the father of professional wrestlers Rosey and Roman Reigns.)
April 5, 1945 – June 25, 2024 (aged 79)
❤️
Martin Mull (An American comic actor whose career included contributions as a musician and painter. Mull gained visibility on screen for Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and its spin-off Fernwood 2 Night. His other notable roles included Colonel Mustard in the 1985 film Clue, Leon Carp on Roseanne, Willard Kraft on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Vlad Masters / Vlad Plasmius on Danny Phantom, and Gene Parmesan on Arrested Development. He had a recurring role on Two and a Half Men as Russell, the drug-using, humorous pharmacist.
August 18, 1943 – June 27, 2024 (aged 80)