Lionheart Muscle Growth

Request for Batboy333! Mayor Lionheart had some personal growing to do while he was away in prison.

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"Good afternoon, Zootopia! You're watching ZNN, with Fabienne Growley-"

"And Peter Moosebridge-"

"And today we have a much anticipated interview, exclusive on ZNN." The camera panned from Fabienne, a beautiful snow leopard, to the large and dignified looking bull moose, Peter.

"He's the most controversial leader Zootopia has seen in years. A key player in the Nighthowler conspiracy that rocked the city, he was originally framed as the ringleader and charged with conspiracy, kidnapping, and unlawful detention of several Zootopia citizens, until heroic members of the ZPD discovered the role of Assistant Mayor Dawn Bellwether as the conspiracy's leader and broke the Nighthowler ring."

Another cut to Fabienne. "Half the city decries former mayor Leodore Lionheart as yet another crooked and corrupt politician that only further inflamed tensions between carnivore and herbivore citizens, while the other half says the actions he took helped keep the city safe and prevented further tragedy. Some have even claimed they are ready to support a re-election campaign. Now, after several months of radio silence, Mr. Lionheart has agreed to an exclusive interview with ZNN. We're going live with host Lambert Shepard in ten minutes."

Lambert considered himself a professional- despite his comparatively small stature, the ram was a juggernaut when it came to giving interviews, and this was not his first time interviewing Lionheart. He had sparred with the lion during his election campaign, and was very certain he could match wits with Leodore again. That is, if he ever bothered to show up. Lambert checked his watch, frowning.

"Does anyone know where this jailbird is?" the ram demanded of his staff and crew. "He harangues us for a primetime slot, and he doesn't have the decency to show up! Well, acquitted or no, I'm going to grill him like summer squash on a barbecue-"

"Sir! Just got a message, he's at the Goldhorn Gym."

Lambert stared incredulously. "The gym? Alright, that does it- pack up, everyone! We're going to do some on-the ground reporting!" He muttered angrily, typing a text message to his producer. "If Leodore was expecting me to throw him a softball interview, boy does he have another thing coming!"

Shepard's crew startled the receptionist at the gym, the large rhino taken aback when Lambert snappily demanded to know where Leodore Lionheart was. He dumbly pointed to the weight room, and Lambert took off, ready with a camera and microphone to shove in the lion's face. He spotted tawny fur and a rich mane on a weight machine.

"Mr. Lionheart! Why aren't you…" Lambert's voice trailed off as he got his first good look at the lion.

"Ah, Lam! Is that you?" Leodore's rich voice rolled off the ram, sounding supremely confident as he sat up, after racking a barbell that looked like it weighed as much as a car. The lion looming above Lambert was an absolute titan, a musclebound beast. "Ah, the interview! I'm so sorry. Completely slipped my mind- you know what it's like when you get a good pump on, don't you, Lam?" He smirked toothily.

The ram was caught completely off guard, left staring at the lion's physique- he looked large enough to outdo most pachyderms. Lionheart's flexed chest lept out so far from his body Lambert nearly reached out to shake one of them in greeting. His bare arms were masterfully sculpted, cannon-sized pythons, biceps like ripe melons and triceps denser than the barbell weights.

"...Lam?" Lionheart asked, waving his hand in front of the ram. "You okay there, pal?"

Lambert shook his head, recovering his senses- he had gotten caught staring. "Uh- sorry, but… Leodore, look at you!"

The lion laughed heartily, his chest bouncing rhythmically again- one of his beefy pecs almost split the strap of his muscle shirt. "Well yes, I suppose I've had some success in my latest pursuit… I'm starting a professional career as a bodybuilder!"

"A… bodybuilder?" the reporter stared at the former mayor. "But why?"

"What, you think I don't have the charisma for it?" the lion smirked, striking a pose as he stood to his full height. Twisting to the side he straightened his arm out, pressing it against his side and beginning to tense it. The heavy triceps rippled, the horseshoe-shaped mass flaring out as his bicep brushed against the jutting mass of his pectoral shelf. Even his forearm bulged, a Christmas ham-sized slab of muscle writhing under his pelt. "Those cameras rolling already?"

Lam was staring again. "Ahem. Mr. Lionheart, why… why did you take up such an interest in working out?"

"Well, it's not like there's all that much to do in prison," the lion quipped. "And I suppose after all the… stress of being mayor during such an unprecedented crisis for Zootopia, I needed a creative outlet."

"A creative outlet?" Lam asked incredulously.

Lionheart responded with a shift of his powerful body, rolling up his plastered-on shorts to reveal the intense muscular definition of his column-like legs, tensing his tire-thick thighs, tear-drop quadriceps rippling pleasingly. "Lam, come on, now. Wouldn't you call this a work of art? I'm glad you're here, you know- I couldn't think of a better interviewer to announce my re-introduction to public life… and I hope you'll come check out my first contest." He curled his arm, bicep rising up like a hill until the crest of it split, with him casting a vainglorious eye on his glorious veins. "I think I'm going to do very well. Next question?"