Chapter 45 45: Second Interaction

[3rd POV] "Oh shit, he is coming towards us isn't he," Malik Adeyemi, the driver of the vehicle who was forced on this operation even though he had trauma from his first time meeting Leo, asked from his seat. "Maybe he's just coming towards our direction and not for us?" Kyle Ramirez, the cameraman, voiced out with a hopeful tone. He was still a young man of twenty years old, the youngest among the crew. "He just had a meal yesterday, and he fought with a lion last night. I don't think he will have any interest in attacking us." Dr Tonson said while watching Leo approach with his small binoculars. The two men gulped, trying to find comfort in the expert's words. But it was hard to put your life on logical reasons when dealing with an animal. What if they got attacked anyway, just because? You never knew with Mother Nature. "Look at the way he is walking, the deliberateness of his steps." Hana Park said. She was the only person who did not show a hint of fear at Leo's approach. Instead, she almost seemed happy that she got to have a closer look at Leo. "He is beautiful," she said. "Oh God," Ramirez sighed. "Not this shit again," Malik groaned. The four of them, Malik, Ramirez, Hana and Dr. Tonson, were the people in the vehicle and also the four people leading the research on Leo. "What?" Hana was puzzled by the reaction. "Please tell your boyfriend not to eat us when he comes." Malik said while trying to resist the urge to turn on the vehicle and drive away. He was not this afraid when he encountered other lions, but since the start, Leo had always unnerved him more than any other animal had in his life. It wasn't the size, the claws or the teeth that terrified him. It was the eyes and the way Leo looked at him. "It makes me feel like a bitch since you rejected me. Are you into that kind of thing, Hana?" Ramirez asked one eye on the camera and the other giving her a side-eye. "Into what?" "Beauty and the beast?" he replied. "No, absolutely not!! My fascination with him stems purely from a researcher's perspective. There is nothing sexual like that. Ew, why do you even suggest that?" she asked back. "Chill, I was just kidding," ... "..well, maybe a little bit," she added just to mess with them back. It worked as the two men groaned in chorus, Their little banter was just a way to cope with the current situation and to get their mind off the approaching beast. But they could only ignore the cat-shaped killing machine for so long. It soon became clear that Leo was not simply going in their direction, but he was coming for them. "Don't make any sudden movements, and just try to stay calm. They can smell fear," Dr. Tonson said with all the seriousness in the world. They all watched in silent fascination when Leo finally reached them. And just like they thought, he did not simply pass them but lingered right beside them. The vehicle they were on was a jeep with no roof, so they had minimal protection if Leo wanted to jump up and attack them. But that also gave them a clear view of Leo, and they could feel his raw presence. Leo carefully observed them with curious eyes. He slowly circled around the vehicle while taking in the scent that came from them. "Oh, look at you. There are so many scratch marks on your body, I guess no one comes out unharmed in a fight like that," Dr Tonson said in a voice of wonder. "Indeed, but his wounds are shallow. We thought the injuries would be more severe considering the condition of Roku that the other team reported," Hana mentioned. "I guess we know who really won the fight," Ramirez commented with a shaky breath. The lion released a long and deep growl as if understanding their words. And then they all flinched while some screamed when their vehicles moved becuase Leo was putting his front paws on the side. The metal groaned beneath Leo's weight. For one horrifying moment, it felt like the entire jeep would flip. He was standing on his hind legs while putting half his weight on the vehicle. That caused the jeep to tilt on one side and they tried to regain their balance. Leo's body was around six feet long, so when he was upright like that, he was able to reach their level. Dr Tonson, who was in a standing position froze when Leo reached his chest. A large animal at a distance or in pictures could never compare to one up close. It was not just the size but also the mass. It felt like you could feel the weight of the beast before you, so much bigger than you. It was a humbling experience for the humans who thought themselves gods among other creatures of the planet. They felt so vulnerable; they were at the complete mercy of another beast, and that was a new experience for them. Leo's simple breath was loud like steam coming from an engine. He took a curious sniff at the doctor. Said doctor came out from his frozen state when he saw that Leo meant no harm. "Hey there, Mr. Lion," Dr. Tonson said and began speaking to Leo despite all his nervousness. Eventually, he couldn't help but put out his hand. Leo looked at the hand but did nothing to it, only giving it a curious glance. The doctor took that as a good sign so he slowly touched the beast with his hand. He did not touch Leo on the head, he would rather avoid anything close to the mouth at the moment. He touched Leo on the shoulder, slightly rubbing it but careful not to touch the wounds. "Wow...Holy Crap..." The dignified doctor could not help but curse when he felt Leo. The first thing he noticed was the hard muscles beneath the loose hide. It was unexpected. One could see Leo was more muscular than other lions, but because of the loose skin and fur, it was impossible to know just how much. But upon touching him, it became clear that Leo was built like steel. You could feel the difference between him and the other lions. It was almost stupid to compare them. "We really need to have in-depth scans of his body. He is incredible," he muttered. Leo thought that the introduction was enough and removed himself from the doctor. He circled the vehicle once more and came up on the opposite side. This time he was towering over Hana. The girl was sitting in the backseat, so when Leo came up, he easily towered over her. She was beneath him, her hair gently brushing against his dark, growing mane. Time seemed to freeze for the girl and she held her breath. When the shock passed and she breathed again, she took in his presence along with in. The smell of dried blood and testosterone hit her nose. Leo was not as musky compared to other lions. His mane almost felt soft on her skin. This was mostly because Leo took care of himself better than other lions. Taking a bath daily by swimming in the watering hole was common especially when he was in the Pride Lands. After a few long seconds passed, she gathered up enough courage to reach out for him. She put out her hand and touched his body. Her hand felt the top of his front limb. Her palm pressed against his muscular shoulder, which was flexed at the moment. They felt like an iron yarn with iron threads for muscle fibres. She was more eager to examine him than the doctor was. Leo took in her scent and then turned his attention to Ramirez and Malik. The cameraman was standing and busy with his camera. "Hello, big guy. Say hi to the camera," Ramirez said, fear evident in his voice but he tried to be brave. It was likely because he was a young man trying to act brave in front of his crush, Hana. Leo took in his scent and memorised his face as well. That short moment of observation made Ramirez calmer before. He realised that they were dealing with an intelligent animal and not just a savage. "Man, why are you so friend-shaped if you could kill me with one swing?" he asked with chuckles. Leo, understanding the comment gave a grin. But it looked intimidating for Ramirez so his calm nearly faltered again. He turned his attention to the black man next. Malik Adeyemi was curled up in his driver's seat and unlike everyone else, he was still terrified. His expression seemed to amuse Leo as he moved closer to him. "Oh hell naw," Malik cried out. His voice, which was captured on video, would later go on to become a meme audio in the future. Leo scoffed and laughed before he finally turned his focus back on Hana. She was tracing the lines on his body, which was slightly red from the dried blood. She was daring enough to move his mane and search for other injuries on him. She did not find any serious wounds, but she found other things. "Scars....." she muttered and looked up at him with questioning eyes, "Why do you have so many scars?" It was not visible with the fur, but when you moved that and took a close look, you would find endless scars on Leo's body. The claw of the leopard he fought in his youth, at that time, he was completely bathed in his own blood. That should hint at how many scars his body had after he healed. Then there was his fight with the hyenas not long after when Scar took over the pride. Then there were other scars he got while growing up. The time when he was bitten by a crocodile in the watering hole, and other times when he fought baboons etc. And recently, there was his fierce battle with Scar and a hundred hyenas. ... The scars told all the stories of these battles, and they painted a new picture for them about Leo. It was not surprising that Leo survived a fight with a dominant male. He had survived worse odds all his life. A survivor. A beast forged from the fires of hardships. That was Leo. "What happened to you?" Hana asked with all the curiosity in the world. She wanted to find out everything about Leo so badly. Their first reaction upon seeing him live so naturally even though he had a short tail, was to think that he was born with it. It would explain his natural adaptation and how fitting it looked with the rest of his body. But when they take a closer look at his body, the scars tell a different story. Leo was not born tailless. It was taken from him, likely in a battle or violence in his youth. That was a giant discovery and opened up so many other questions. Leo looked at her for a while as if he could understand her words. He did not speak, but his eyes told things. Dr. Tonson came to see the scars as well. He fixed his glasses and looked at the scars which Hana was revealing. Her hand brushed aside the fur and as she continued, there were scars in every inch of his body. "My god," the doctor remarked. "It's like he grew up in a torture house. To survive and thrive till now after all those injuries, he has to be one lucky lion," "Or a fighter," Hana said. The doctor nodded, "Most of the scars look like a cut from claws. Perhaps his pride was taken over by a new male and the new king tried to kill him multiple times during his youth. Or perhaps it could be from other cubs. It's possible they discriminate against him because of his lack of tail," "That rough," Ramirez commented while focusing the camera on the scars as well, "Imagine the trauma dumping he could do if he could speak," That caused everyone to laugh or chuckle, including Leo. The tension had mostly disappeared by now. Leo finally deemed it was enough interaction so he moved away and lifted his weight off the car. And before anyone could say anything, he left as suddenly as he came. The crew watched him leave and head back to the watering hole. What just happened was an experience that would stick with them their whole lives. .. .. 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