Chapter 11 - Pride of the Iron Lion

Cold Open

Iron Wolf opened the door and walked in to the throne room of the Iron Legion's castle. Behind him were his sister, Iron Bee, his squadron, Four and Nine, and two Justice Knights, Justice and Love.

On the throne, sat Iron Lion, the leader of the Iron Legion.

"Father..." Iron Wolf's voice trailed off as he approached Iron Lion.

"I see that you have betrayed me as well," Iron Lion said. He stood up and started walking towards his son, his cape flowing behind him and his giant sword dragging across the floor.

Iron Wolf walked up to stairs to his father. He tried to persuade Iron Lion, "Father, please listen, we-"

"Enough!" Iron Lion roared and stabbed his claws into Iron Wolf's abdomen.



Part 1

The others watched in horror as Iron Lion's claws plunged out of Iron Wolf's back.

"You have betrayed us, and so you must be cleansed, my son," Iron Lion said.

"Neil!" Iron Bee yelled in horror.

Four and Nine recklessly charged at Iron Lion, hoping to save their leader, "Sir!"

"Wait!" Justice Knight Justice yelled.

Iron Lion threw his son at the Iron Ninjas callously.

The two Iron Ninjas jumped to the side. Iron Bee ran forward and caught her brother.

That made the two cyborg ninjas angrier. They lunged at Iron Lion.

"So predictable," Iron Lion commented.

Iron Lion jumped towards Nine, surprising her.

"How dare you?!" Nine yelled as she slashed at Iron Lion with her kunai.

Iron Lion blocked the slash with his left claws. Quickly, he swung the giant sword in his right hand at Nine.

"No!" Four yelled.

The sword decapitated Nine.



Part 2

Nine's head and body fell on to floor. Electric arcs surged through them, and Nine exploded.

With the explosion behind him, Iron Lion looked at Four with malice in his eyes.

"Nine!" Four called out his partner's name with anger. He threw shurikens at the lion cyborg.

Iron Lion easily dodged the shurikens and dashed up to Four. Quickly, he grabbed Four's head and slammed it into the ground.

"Augh!" Four yelled.

Iron Lion lifted his sword into the air. He was about strike Four with it when he was hit by a barrage of bullets.

Iron Lion turned to see the two Justice Knights holding their smoking guns. He snarled.

Justice and Love start to reload their pistols.

Iron Lion charged at Justice and swung his sword.

Justice barely managed to dodge the slash. Seeing her chance, Love turned to shoot Iron Lion.

Unfortunately, Iron Lion was too quick and he grabbed Love's pistol with his spare hand. He then crushed the pistol in his claws.

"Damn it!" Love yelled. She slashed at the cyborg with her dagger.

Justice tried to aim at Iron Lion, but Love was too close to the target. Instead, he charged at Iron Lion with his sword ready to strike.



Part 3

Iron Bee held her brother in her arms, "Neil..."

"T-Take my helmet off for me, will ya, sis?" Iron Wolf said, weakly.

Iron Bee nodded and obliged.

Neil breathed a little easier, "That's better."

Iron Bee took off her helmet as well.

Neil lifted up his hand, and held his sister's face as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Augh!" Justice and Love yelled as Iron Lion knocked them both back.

Iron Lion turned to see his treacherous children. He roared angrily.

"You will both be cleansed, traitors!" Iron Lion charged at his children, with his sword ready to strike.

Justice aimmed his gun at Iron Lion and pulled the trigger.

*click*

"No, not now!" Justice yelled, "I'm out of ammo!"

Suddenly, Four jumped in front of Iron Lion and deflected Iron Lion's attack with his kunai.

Not wasting time, Four slashed at Iron Lion with his other kunai.

But Iron Lion deflected that with his claws.

Four yelled in anger, "You-"

Iron Lion cut off whatever Four was going to say by swinging his sword through Four's abdomen, cutting the Iron Ninja in half.



Part 4

Electric arcs surged through Four's body as both halves fell on to the ground. Before they could even reach the ground though, Four exploded.

"Four!" Neil yelled, even in his weakened state.

Iron Lion turned his attention back to his daughter.

"Fire: Release!" Love yelled as she pressed a button on her Knight-Former. Flames began to emit from her exosuit, covering her in fire.

Justice Knight Love charged at the cyborg lion. She tackled Iron Lion away from Catherine.

"I'm... sorry," Neil said to his sister.

Catherine grabbed Neil into a hug, "Don't go, Neil. Don't go!"

But electric arcs started to surge through Neil's body.

"You have to let me go, Cathy," Neil said.

"No! I-"

"Let me go!" Neil yelled. He started to cough.

Catherine looked at Neil.

"Go, Cathy," Neil said, "Go and live past this, please."

With tears streaming from her eyes, Catherine nodded. She picked up her helmet and walked back.

Neil watched as his sister walked away from him. He smiled and reached up with his hand.

Then, Iron Wolf exploded.

Catherine watched as her brother died. She fell to her knees, crying and sobbing, as the fight raged around her.



Part 5

Love puched Iron Lion in the abdomen with her flaming fist.

Iron Lion snarled as he was knocked back by the punch. He slammed into his throne.

Justice Knight Justice jumped up and lifted his sword in the air, ready to bring it down on Iron Lion.

Iron Lion dodged Justice's sword, and sword sliced through the throne instead. Taking advantage of Justice's missed slash, Iron Lion swung his own sword at the Justice Knight.

Justice jumped back, but he wasn't quick enough: Iron Lion's sword slashed across Justice's chest armour.

"Augh!" Justice yelled in pain. He crashed on to the floor.

"Die!" Iron Lion yelled as he swung his sword downwards at the fallen knight.

Quickly, Love grabbed Iron Lion's cape and pulled him away from Justice.

Iron Lion's sword barely missed Justice.

His cape now on fire thanks to Justice Knight Love, Iron Lion quickly detached his cape and threw it at the crimson knight.

Love whacked the cape away, but Iron Lion was already in front of her, claws ready to strike.

"No!" Iron Bee yelled. She fired her stinger at her father.

The stinger pierced Iron Lion's arm just before it reached Justice Knight Love's head. Iron Bee pulled her father's claws away from Love's face.

Seizing the opportunity, Love jumped away from Iron Lion.

"How dare you?!" Iron Lion roared at Iron Bee. He yanked the stinger out of his arm and charged at his daughter, sword ready to cut her down.

Justice ran after Iron Lion. Pressing a button on his Knight-Former, he yelled, "Lightning: Release!"

Electric arcs started to emit from the Justice Knight Justice exosuit. Justice sped up and jumped toward Iron Lion.

Justice kicked Iron Lion in the back, knocking the lion cyborg to the ground.

"Why do you insist on stopping me?!" Iron Lion roared as he got up.

"You can't seriously be asking that question after all the people you and your Iron Legion have killed!" Justice yelled, angry.

"And the whole wanting to rule the world thing," Love quipped.

"Yes, I do want to rule the world," Iron Lion said, with conviction, "And I will! I will rule the world with science and logic. No more politics! No more corruption! No more human greed, selfishness, and... emotions getting in the way of science and logic! I will lead the world into a golden age!"

"And to do that..." Iron Lion's tone turned dark, "I must first cleanse the world of anyone who is corrupt. I must cleanse the world of all its irrational elements!"

"But dad...," Iron Bee argued, "you started all this because you wanted to avenge mom. Can't you see what you're doing?!"

"I- I..." Iron Lion's voice broke a little, "I may have started from that irrationality. But, I have moved past that, I have-"

"Oh, that's enough!" Love yelled, "Save you damn speeches for someone who cares! All I care about, is stopping you from hurting any more innocent people!"

Love charged at the lion, pressing a button to superheat the blade of her dagger.

Iron Lion swung his sword to counterattack. Seeing this, Iron Bee fired her stinger.

The stinger managed to hit Iron Lion's sword, knocking Iron Lion off balance.

Taking advantage of this, Justice Knight Love stabbed her dagger into Iron Lion's chest.

Iron Lion roared in pain and swiped his claws at the crimson knight.

Love pulled out her dagger, and quickly jumped away as her exosuit stopped releasing flames.

Justice quickly followed up on the assault and plunged his sword straight at the crack that Love's attack had created. His sword found the target, and it striked into Iron Lion's chest.

Iron Lion grabbed the blade. He roared in pain as the sword slid to a stop inside his chest.

Justice grabbed the lever on his sword and flipped it. The sword's turbine started to spin, and electricity started to spark along the blade.

"Augh!" Iron Lion roared as the lightning entered his body and electrocuted him.

Justice plunged the rest of his sword through Iron Lion's body.



Part 6

The leader of the Iron Legion went limp.

Justice pulled out his sword and jumped back.

Iron Lion staggered back, electric arcs surging through his body. He took off his helmet and dropped it on to the floor. Giving his daughter one last look, he said, through the pain surging in his body, "I was doing this... to create a better world... for us."

Iron Bee took off her helmet. Tears were streaming down her face. With sorrow in her voice, she said, "That doesn't make it right."

"I-I..." Iron Lion struggled to say something, but he no longer had the strength to. He fell down on his knees.

The leader of the Iron Legion exploded.



Coda

"Release: End." Justice said while pressing a button on his Knight-Former. His exosuit stopped sparking electricity.

Catherine walked over to her brother's helmet and picked it up. She continued over to her father's helmet and picked that up as well.

Unable to hold it in any longer, she dropped down on to her knees and cried, clutching her family's remains.