Story of Lion Man

Chapter 8

This is the eighth chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Hearing Ryan ask "What?" made Jessica snicker. Ryan turned to looked at her and Jessica. "Do you know about this too?" He asked them. "Oh, yeah, cause i wouldn't look so confused if I didn't." Jessica answered, still slightly chuckling. "I known for years. Of course, he told me to keep it secret. And at first, I liked it, being married to a man like him, who was doing what he was doing. But a few years back, as Daniel began his 'work', Martin became obsessed with him and his activities, spending more and more time investigating, meanwhile spending less time with his wife and daughter, so we left him to do his work. I'm going back to my flat. I'll come back later and pick you up, Jess." Jessica explained, getting up out of her chair and walked out of the room towards the door. Ryan placed his left hand on his chin, narrowed his eyes, and did some thinking. A few seconds later, he thought of something. "I think our first move should be telling the Avengers about this." He suggested.

Upon hearing this, Martin scoffed. "I spent half my life trying to keep the serums out of Howard Stark's hands. This is more like the Hulk than the Iron man suit, but with a lot less anger. Besides their probadly too busy dropping cities out of the sky. Have you ever seen a TV show called the news?" Martin then asked. "I'm aware of what they've been doing, but maybe we could use their help." Ryan answered. "We don't need their help. With the right training and information, you have a chance to defeat him. Because unless we stop him making and selling the serum, and prevent any that's already been made from getting out, Daniel Leonez is gonna unleash a storm of death and destruction upon the world." Martin said back, confidently. "And there's a large possibility of him failing, so I'm going it." Jessica then said, causing Ryan the Martin to look at her. "Absolutely not! Besides, he's only just getting started." Martin replied. "Dad, your asking someone we don't know to try and stop my uncle from destroying the world." Jessica continued, in a harsh voice. "Jessica, I trust him, just listen to me. I..." Martin began saying before Jessica interrupted him. "I'm your daughter, he's just some from off the streets. I..." Jessica said. "NO!" Martin yelled, slamming his right hand on the table, making both teenagers jump before they stared at him silently.

Jesica then got up from her chair. "Your decision may have been made, but he'll never be a hero." She said before walking out of the room. Ryan watched her go, before signing to face Martin. "She's right, sir, I mean Martin. I don't want to be... some kind of vigilante. This has nothing to do with me. Why don't you do it, or let her do it?" He asked him. "It's gonna be dangerous, and I don't want my only daughter to be in danger in such a way. And you think I don't want to do it? I can't. I tried. A few years ago, I drank the serum for the first time in years, turned into the Lion form, or ,Lionized' as I call it, and tried to do my old moves, but I found out that even in Lion form, the body is weakened by age." Martin signed. "Ryan, I believe everyone deserves a second chance. I'm allowing you to have a second chance. A second chance to in life. A chance to stand up. Life has been hard on you, Ryan, I know, you and your sister's. But if you help, you will have a chance to be the brother and son she and your mother wants you to be. To earn that look of love and pride in their eyes. It's not just about saving our world, it's also about saving theirs, and everyone else whom will be murdered by Daniel's actions." Martin explained. Ryan looked at him with admiration for the good speech. "Ryan, I need you to take my place... as Lion Man." Martin added. Ryan turned his head to face the right hand side wall, deep in thought. One the one hand, he hadn't asked, but he might be able to go home and forget this ever happened. But on the other hand, now that he knew there was a plot underway, he couldn't just stand by and watch as this Daniel creates an army of Lionized warriors. He face Martin again and nodded. 

A few minutes later, Martin was in a large bare room with a mat on the floor, a punch bag hanging from the roof. Ryan was shirtless, and  in a pair of old black shorts. Jessica was wearing a purple shirt, with black tight trousers, her hands behind her back. And Martin stood next to her, holding a vial of orange serum. Ryan stepped up to Martin and took the vial. He exhaled before drinking it down in one gulp.  Then the same pain as before overcame him, until after a few seconds, it went away. He looked down and saw his upper body covered in orange/tan fur. He remained calm as he looked at the other two. "Ok, Ryan, listen carefully. This is a lot more that just looking like a Lion. The Serum gives power. The host harness that power. That power is a mixture of superhuman healing, much stronger muscles, long range endurance, and claws." Martin explained. "Yeah, I know about the claws." Ryan nodded, before clenching his right hand into a fist, straining a few times until the claws extended. "Wait, did you say super healing? Long range endurance? What do those mean?" He then asked. Jessica signed. "The endurance means you can run or figth long distances without rest. The healing, well, I guess you know what that means." She explained, as she then held a kitchen knife, grabbed Ryan's left arm, and sliced the the knife across it, making a gash. Ryan yelled in pain, before panting. They both looked at the gash, and suddenly it began being sealed up like a zip on a suitcase. Within a few seconds, there was no trace at all of the gash. "Wow. Wow!" Ryan said, aghast. "Let's get to work." Jessica said, smiling. 

A few hours later, after spending the afternoon training, learning how to use the claws, which were very useful for stabbing and cutting, using Jessica as a sort of mobile target (Martin had told him him not stab her) and getting used to his enhanced muscles, meaning he could jump long distances. To train him for that, they'd taken him back in Bath, found quiet spot, and told him to jump in between buildings. Of course for the first jump, Ryan, with overconfidence, ran up to the edge, jumped, and landed just an the edge of the other building with both hands. "Haven't you heard the saying 'always look before you leap?'" Martin had said in a stern voice, as Ryan got his body up on the roof. He replied that he had made it, but Martin said that although he did make it, he 'needs to know that you cannot jump every distance, and that he need to use his head more'. Another aspect of his enhanced muscles meant he was a lot more stronger, and had done a few things to master that. For instance, punch a hole in a brick wall, bent a metal pole into a circle, held a China cup in his hands without crushing it. doing some punching with Jessica, who had learned martial arts when she was little. That evening, exhausted, he slumped down  into the same bed he was in earlier, in only his underwear, as he had no pyjamas, but didn't mind, and went to sleep. Martin told him to get an early sleep, as he had something he needed to do in the morning. 

And that's chapter eight done. Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry if the training part was a bit too small. The next chapter will be out soon.