Leon had given Patrick Raven and his help several chances to walk away, but it was clear Patrick was so used to swaggering and getting his way that he needed to be taken down a peg. Sure, fighting a 16 or 17 year old might be a little low-brow, but when he was 6 foot 4 and over 200 pounds, he was a man as far as Leon was concerned. Hell, Leon would've killed him right now for threatening his client, if not for the heat it would bring from Long Arms. Not to mention Sylvia was in Calgary and wouldn't be around to hide the body with her talent for magical cremation.

No, he'd beat Patrick up and humble him. Some bullies could be reasoned with if they were taken down a peg. And if Patrick couldn't be reasoned with at all, and wanted to still go at Luke later, then Leon would cross that bridge when he came to it.

They arrived in the alley, Patrick cracked his knuckles, grinned, and shadowboxed a little. Leon put on a pair of loaded gloves, clapped his hands together, and casually waved Patrick over to come fight.

"One free shot kid. Make it count."

Patrick should've been wary after hearing that, but to him, this was the so-called bodyguard giving him a free win. Patrick lunged forward with an obvious right cross, and Leon, instead of ducking, used a little boxer's trick and advanced into it, thrusting his forehead forward into Patrick's fist and gritting his teeth. Leon's skull was reinforced slightly by cyberware, and after Patrick punched it, Patrick felt some really bad pain from the punch.

The pain of a couple fractured knuckles.

Patrick took a step back and grunted in pain. Leon saw stars from the impact on his end, and had to admit Patrick could hit hard. But without something like Leon's gloves or Brandon's trench knife adding to those punches, he could take it.

"My turn." Leon said.

And what a turn it was. Leon stepped in and feinted a quick right jab. Patrick bit on the feint, put up one hand to block it, and was caught unawares when Leon shifted low and instead fired a vicious left hook to the ribs. Patrick coughed in pain, and retreated back a couple steps, resting on one knee while holding his side.

Leon did not stop there, grabbing the back of Patrick's head with both hands, hooking them together (in what was called a "Thai plum" in mixed martial arts) and then driving his knee straight into Patrick's nose, mashing it into his face. Patrick somehow didn't tip over onto the ground, so Leon then launched an overhand right that caught Patrick just below the ear, chopping him down like a sapling.

Leon looked over to Patrick's other friend. He hadn't run when Leon pulled his pistol out, and seemed to think hanging around to watch Patrick kick his ass would be entertaining. Now, he was afraid he would crap in his pants. Nobody had beaten up Patrick like that! NOBODY!

"You want to join in on this?"

The wannabe bully shook his head.

"Then get out of here, and don't tell a damn soul what you saw today."

The wannabe bully ran. Patrick was badly disoriented by the overhand right under his ear, and was trying to figure out which way was up so he could get there. Leon casually walked over and kicked him viciously in the ribs a couple times, before hauling him up against the wall of a nearby building, slapping him a couple times so he could get his bearings.

"Listen kid, I gave you chance after chance to walk away, and you kept pushing it. But I'll give you one final chance. You leave Luke Sunspear alone. You leave me alone. You don't tell a single person about today. In exchange, I'll give you the gift of your life. How does that sound?"

Patrick spit bloody saliva in Leon's face, and got his nose further mashed by a headbutt in response. Leon shoved him back against the building again and smiled.

"You're really testing my patience kid! But then again, that's about the only test you can give me! LEAVE LUKE ALONE! I'm giving you the gift of your life! Don't waste it on being a bully! You understand me?"

Patrick stared at Leon, looking a little less defiant. Maybe Leon wouldn't have to kill this idiot later. He certainly didn't want to. Patrick was just a teenager, and everyone was sort of an idiot in their teenage years, Leon included. Plus he was half expecting David Longmiles to roll up in a paddywagon and arrest him for assault any minute now.

Leon threw Patrick down the alley, and Patrick landed near a power box, holding his ribs in pain. Leon motioned several times for a catatonic Luke to follow him before he got the hint, eventually remembering to hand Leon his gun back as well.

Luke was stunned at what he saw. He had seen Patrick fight a lot of people, but they always lost. Most of the time they were too intimidated to even throw a punch, and then it just turned into Patrick and his friends stomping on them one-sidedly. But Leon handled him in short, brutal fashion, almost as if it was Patrick beating up some kid.

It was SO COOL. Really, really scary, sure, but SO COOL.

"Patrick's probably gonna bully you again kid."

Luke snapped out of his reverie and looked downcast. "Yeah, probably. He's never lost a fight before, so he'll take it out on me and everyone else he bullies."

Leon handed Luke a business card for South Plains Security Consulting.

"If he bullies you again, give me a call. ONLY if he bullies you, okay? I'm not telling shadowrun stories over the vid-phone. At least, not for free."

"Fine, but......"

"But what?"

"......You should be careful. I think Patrick does have some sort of connection to someone important. He might come after you too."

"Ha! I'm not going to lose sleep over a guy like Gilbert Raven."

"I don't think it's just a shadowrunner. He bullies a lot of people at school, but he never gets suspended. My parents even threatened to sue the principal, but something made them back off. Also, he keeps talking about knowing magic, but I've never seen him do it."

"Well, if he gives me any grief through some connections, I'll deal with it. It's part of the job description. I've had plenty of people trying to avenge people I ran against. He's just another name on the list."

Leon sighed as they walked back to Luke's house.

"That's another reason to not be a shadowrunner kid. You can finish the run, but then you have to finish the grudges too......"

~~~

Patrick Raven was sitting on the edge of a bed, holding an icepack to his ribs. He had been healed by magic, but the nose and the ribs still hurt quite a lot. He was furious with himself for feeling this annoying pain, with his grandmother for not seeing his point of view, and with those two little drek-heads that dared bare their fangs at him. His grandmother, a fierce shaman named Cheryl Raven, was shaking her head in disapproval as she tried repairing an old power foci magical talisman at her work desk.

"Facing a man like that, you're lucky to be alive."

"Leon Eagles means nothing to me! Uncle could kill him!"

"Your uncle could only kill Leon if he shot him in the back like a coward."

This was frustrating. Gilbert had run the shadows, and killed many men doing it. But this stupid granny of his had no respect for Gilbert, and treated him like a pawn. Why could she not see Gilbert's talent? Why did she not believe his stories of battle in the shadows?

"He disrespected us Grandmother! He disrespected the Crying Masks!"

Cheryl Raven turned on her grandson with a cold fury in her eyes. When she wanted to be, she was a severe, intimidating-looking woman, and she let loose that intimidation, with words that rang out like thunder.

"Leon Eagles did not disrespect the Crying Masks! Leon Eagles disrespected YOU! You are NOT a Crying Mask! Someday, you may become one, but that day is not today! You are not there yet!"

And why wasn't he a Crying Mask? The Crying Masks could use firepower. Patrick could shoot a gun, Patrick could fight better than any of the Masks, and his magical growth was coming along. Why couldn't Patrick fight with his blood?

"......Then me and Uncle will kill Leon, and kill that little brat Luke Sunspear for disrespecting me!"

"You will do no such thing. In fact, the next time you touch Luke Sunspear, I will let you deal with the consequences of your actions."

"......What!?"

"For far too long, you have run around unabated, going mad with your power like a young brave on locoweed. I have had to clean up your messes, and prevent you from being expelled from school and arrested by Long Arms. Luke Sunspear's parents work for Aztechnology, and we cannot afford to strike against them yet. Not even in skirmishes. We lost 6 good braves on our last assault on a corporation. We will not lose more."

Cheryl sighed.

"Besides, even if you wanted your uncle to help, he can't. He is currently in Edmonton recruiting soldiers for our cause."

And probably trying to bed a disease-ridden white woman in a dirty hotel room, Cheryl thought, but kept it to herself.

"Leon Eagles will be dealt with when the time is appropriate. Until then, you keep your nose, and our lands, clean. That is an order."

Patrick seethed in disapproval.

"I am a true warrior brave! And if you and the Crying Masks continue to take inaction, you are cowards! All of you! I take what is mine! By right! And someday, I will have the scalps of Leon Eagles and Luke Sunspear on my wall!"

Patrick left the room in a huff. Cheryl was furious, but she had heard these empty words from Patrick many times before. If Patrick did indeed try to brace Leon Eagles, he would die painfully. Part of Cheryl...... wanted Patrick to die, since this beating did not seem to humble him.

Patrick could be useful for the Crying Masks, but not until he grew up. And the way he conducted himself, Patrick would not walk the Earth long enough to obtain this growth. Cheryl needed someone to help their long-term goals. It would be a couple years before her plans to strike at Aztechnology and the Council would be ready.

And when it was, the ignorant members of their tribe, who had forsaken the old ways, who had enabled the continued rape of Mother Earth, they would face the wrath of the spirits. The wrath of the Crying Masks!