The Boss had been assassinated, and the Shishigumi needed a new leader fast. Without one, they’d become prey to other black market gangs. Two weeks had passed, and no consensus was reached. No one knew who killed the Boss — only that they had to find a replacement before everything collapsed.
While clearing the old Boss’s office, Agata found a letter addressed to him — from a female. After some debate about reading the dead Boss’s mail, they opened it. It revealed he’d had an affair years ago, and that there was a bastard son studying at Cherryton High. The boy didn’t know who his father was.
Water dripped somewhere on the blood-scented floor of the warehouse. A figure was tied to a chair, a bag over its head. Groaning softly, the boy stirred, still dizzy from being knocked out. Muffled voices surrounded him.
Ibuki: "So this is the boss’s kid. Doesn’t look a day over 17.”
Free, leaning on a stack of boxes, exhaled smoke. “Not a kid — a bastard. Half lion, half… meh. Our boss left a surprise box.” He laughed.
Miguel: “You’re laughin’, but nobody here knows what he is.”
Free smiled and looked at Miguel, his tail twitching once behind him “Yeah, can ya imagine? Half lion, half... I don’t know, a rabbit? Would be the size of the ear if we took off the sack.”
Agata, still staring at the bound figure with what could only be described as disgust and discomfort, murmured: “What if he tries to escape?”
Sabu rolled his eyes “Then he’ll learn quick the Shishigumi has no patience for desertion. We won’t pity him just because he’s a teen.”
Sony nudged the boy’s shoulder. “He seems… quite scared.”
Dolph: “Of course he is. Wakes up tied up, surrounded by lions, hearing us talk about him. What’d you expect?”
Jinma, impatient: “We should get rid of this quickly. The boy’s gonna cause us problems.”
Hino chuckled, scratched the back of his head, and stretched out his arms: “Ah, what a nice way to say ‘let’s kill a teen,’ Jinma. Bet the old man’d be proud.”
Dolpe: “Hybrid or not, he’s a disgrace to the name. Boss wouldn’t want—”
Ibuki, cutting him off: “Boss’s dead. The name’s already in the mud. Doesn’t matter what he’d think. Unless you’ve got a better idea than getting rid of him and making us weaker, shut up.”
Silence. A few mutters, but no one contradicted him. The boy shifted again; the ropes creaked.
Free left his spot, grinning. “Look... the bastard’s waking up.” He poked the teen’s forehead. “Hey kiddo, welcome to the hell of the family ya didn’t even know you had— hey!”
Sabu elbowed him. “Free, shut up. He’s still groggy.”
Free: “So what? He’d better hear it — his dad was a criminal, and now he’s sittin’ in the same chair five guys have before him. Family tradition.”
Ibuki, rubbing his eyes: “Take the bag off his head.”
They exchanged glances until Dolph scowled, stepped forward, and yanked the bag away.
Silence.
Free tilted his head, whistled softly. “Awwhh... look at that thing. Doesn’t even look like one of us."