Beast vs Snake

As if they were like a hoard of lions, Lucario and his ten SUV long tail come to a screeching halt in front of the Kang Estate. They all get out of their vehicles and swarm in front of the gate.

"Zoro! You bastard! Give Lily back!" Lucario screams as he pounds on the gates. "Open the goddamn gates!"

Silence is the only sound heard from the gate's intercom for a few minutes until a voice that boils Lucario's blood speaks. "It's so early in the morning, Luca. What do you want?" Zoro asks, playing innocent.

"I know you have Lily," Lucario accuses, ready to pounce at any moment that the gate opens. "If you don't want me to burn your place down, I suggest that you give her back."

"Lily?" The voice goes quiet for a moment. "I don't believe I recall that name. Who is she?"

Lucario, with his lack of sleep and growing anger, punches the gate so hard that his fist breaks through the six inch wooden boards. "I'm not here to play your fucked up games, old snake. I'm giving you two minutes to get your ass out here."

"You can be so scary sometimes, Luca," Zoro comments. "Calm down, I'll be out there in a minute, and we can situate this misunderstanding."

With a bandage roll in hand, Billy grabs Lucario's arm and pulls his boss's fist that's now dripping in blood out from the hole. "Boss, no scary sights, remember? We have to be as calm as possible for Lily's sake. We aren't sure if Lily can see us or not."

"Tch!" Lucario does his best to slow down his breathing because his heart is beating so hard and fast that he could go on a whole rampage with how much adrenaline is pumping through him. "Is this what it's like to lose something you've grown fond of?"

Billy glances up at his boss and almost bursts out laughing. "Love, Lucario. It's called 'love'. You have grown to love the child which is why you're easily worked up when something happens to her."

"Love…" Lucario stares at his hand that's being wrapped up. He begins to recall every moment that he has spent with Lily in the past week. Her every smile. Her every laugh. Every time she looked his way. It all hits him as he puts two and two together and realizes that he loves the child named Lily.

"Luca," Billy whispers to himself as he watches his friend's eyes start to well up with both sadness and anger. Billy knows that his boss never had a chance to love anyone growing up. He didn't even love his parents. Billy pats his friend's now wrapped up hand and consoles him while also congratulating him on finally finding someone to love.

The men that surround them witness their boss shedding a few tears. A sight that has never been seen once Lucario was old enough to enter school. However, in the middle of their rare moment, the gates open up, revealing their true target.

Zoro nonchalantly walks out yawning while scratching the back of his head. "I'm an old man, Lucario. We old people need our sleep or else we'll die faster."

"That would be much preferred, so you should lose some more sleep," Lucario retorts as he quickly recollects himself. "Where are you keeping Lily?"

"Who is this 'Lily' that you keep referring to?"

Restraining every muscle in his body from reacting, Lucario takes a deep breath then becomes freezingly cold. "I know your man, Anthony, kidnapped Lily by pretending to need my help in order to get inside the Buenavista Family. You have all of your men wear the same silver chain bracelet with that horrendous fake gem in the middle as a tracking device so that you can monitor their every movement. What kind of boss does that? You should be able to trust in your men."

Zoro's facade drops once he realizes that he's been caught. "Ah, I thought it would work since he was just a newbie. I'll have to kill him for being so useless." Annoyed, Zoro crosses his arms and glares at Lucario with a smirk on his face. "Why do you want that child so bad? I thought you hated kids."

"I misjudged them. Not all kids are annoying and loud. Plus, that child has a grandfather who is missing, so we are obligated to watch over until we can return her to her grandfather."

"If that's your concern, then you don't have to worry anymore. That child's grandfather has sold himself to me, thinking that I would repay his debt for him. That monster of a grandfather is probably beating the shit out of the child as we speak."

Finally losing his grip, Lucario snatches Zoro's shirt and shakes the old man furiously. "You better hope that there isn't a single bruise on that sweet little girl, or so help me, I will personally watch each and every one of your family members burn alive while they call out for you as you lay dead at my feet."

Zoro laughs at Lucario's reaction. "I thought you just needed to watch over her until she's reunited with her grandfather. Why are you getting all mad and angry? I did your job for you. Or are you angry because you didn't want her to be reunited with her grandfather in the first place so that you can make her your child?"

"You sick bastard!" Lucario flings Zoro onto the ground which now causes Zoro's men to gather around. Nearly foaming at the mouth, Lucario lifts his foot to stomp on Zoro's chest when Billy quickly grabs his boss and pulls him back. "Let go of me! The snake has to die under my feet for what he has put Lily through!"

"Just wait a second!" Billy advises as he and Ryan hold Lucario back. "We can settle everything in one go if you would just listen for a second."

"You should take your aide's advice, Luca. You wouldn't want to scare such a little girl with your beastly actions," Zoro snides, spitting out a swig of blood from his mouth.

Knowing he has to calm down in order to get Lily back, Lucario closes his eyes and turns his head so that he can't see such an aggravating sight. "What is it that you are suggesting, Billy?"

Billy steps away from Lucario and stands in front of him to block his path to Zoro. "We made a deal with Lily's grandfather in the middle of the repayment week. At the end of the seven days, even if Lily's grandfather doesn't pay back his debt, Lily will get to choose whether she wants to return to her grandfather or stay with us. If you bring out Lily and her grandfather, we can settle this right now. If Lily chooses to go back with her grandfather, we will leave immediately and not return for Lily. However, if Lily chooses to stay with the Buenavistas, we will raise hell onto your estate and make sure it never exists again."

Zoro scoffs at Billy's ridiculous remark. His proud smile strikes anger into Billy and the rest of the Buenavista men. "Alright, however, you will also have to pay for damages that you caused to myself and the estate if that child chooses her own family member over a group of strangers."

They knew who they were to Lily. They knew that, to Lily, they were just strangers that she got to play with for a week. Nonetheless, they also know that they did everything that they could to make sure Lily had fun and enjoyed her time so that they wouldn't have to stay strangers.

"That's fine with us," Billy agrees.

Beckoning his aide to come over, Zoro cheekily smiles at the men before him. "Grant, go get the girl and her grandfather and bring them out here."

"Yes, Father Zoro."

Several minutes go by when Lily and her grandfather finally appear from the front door. Lily spots Lucario and wants to smile and wave at him, but the severe bruising on her face hurts her if she tries to smile and picking up her arm to wave strikes needles into her body from the potentially broken bones.

Lucario and his men stand frozen as they watch Lily. The boiling hot anger that surges through them keeps them from moving as they know that the moment that they try to move even a finger, they will not know the disaster that they caused until they regain their senses.

"Old man, stand about 20 feet from Lucario," Zoro orders while he grips onto Lily's shoulders. Zoro walks forward and sets Lily right in the middle of the two men then steps back. "Little girl, Mr. Lucario over there says that you can choose to go back with him to his house, but that means that you will never see your grandpa anymore. You have to choose now. Who do you want to go home with? Your grandpa, who is your only family member, or Mr. Lucario, who is a stranger you met seven days ago?"