An) hi guys I don't own this, this belongs to Dragon Raptyr and I adopted it so the next three chapters aren't mine.

Prologue

Snow fell softly through the cold Tokyo sky, dusting the streets with a fine white powder, that slowly turned to filthy grey mud, as countless tires tore through it, mixing the pure substance with human pollution. A car gave a sudden swerve on the slippery street, spraying the bystanders with water, resulting in curses yelled at the driver.

One of them, a young boy around twelve years of age, gave himself a shake, swinging matted green hair roughly to free it of any water. Snatching a torn baseball cap from his head, he tapped it against a streetlight, frowning through the snow.

The young man kicked an empty bottle out of his way, listening to the shattering sound of broken glass, and smirked. Hazel eyes peered out through thick bangs, as he continued his trek. He brushed against a blond youth, about fifteen in appearance. Suddenly, the youth felt a sturdy hand grab his wrist.

"What are you doing, trying to steal my wallet?" The blond youth asked in a low voice. The would be pickpocket gave a low gulp.

"'scuse me for not havin a ton of cash on hand, mister rich and famous. Unlike you, I gotta do whatever it takes to stay alive, 'specially during these cold snaps." The young thief waggled his toes through holes in his shoes meaningfully. "So beg pardon, your honour, but I don't want to freeze tonight."

The blond teen raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well then. I'll make you a deal. I have a project that I need some help with, and I'm willing to pay you a handsome amount if you'll do it."

The pickpocket tilted his head casually.

"What strings? I'm not goin' into any agreement without a way out."

The blond chuckled. "You could become a freak of nature ostracized from society, make enough money to stay off the streets, and there's a slight chance of turning into a little puddle of green goo."

The boy adjusted the cap on his head. "Genetics, huh? Sounds right up my alley. Got yourself a deal, mate. What do I call ya, 'sides boss?"

The blond gave a grin. "Ryou Shirogane. But if you work for me, you call me either Shirogane or boss, got it?"

The pickpocket gave mocking bow. "Got it boss. You have acquired the services of Teiru. Now, when do I start?"

Shirogane turned around, and walked off. Over his shoulder, he gave a shout. "Right now, so hurry up. I don't like slackers."

Teiru gave a gulp, and trotted off down the street, keeping his eye on his new employer. Several twists and turns later, and one shortcut through a park (with very deep snow drifts) Teiru stood in front of a small pink cafe.

" A cafe? Wow. This is ten times cooler than the Fortress of Solitude. Though seriously, a little too much pink." Teiru let the sarcastic comment fly, looking scornfully at the decidedly frilly building.

Shirogane didn't turn as he replied. "Blame my cousin. She's the one who decided to turn it into something from a bridal store of doom. I wanted something a little more ordinary. This stands out way too much."

Teiru gave a laugh. "I'd hate to meet your cuz then."

" Too late for that, Streets." An unfamiliar voice rang out. Leaning casually against the door was a preteen girl. "Name's Myu. I'm Ryou's cousin. And don't mock my decorating job. It's gonna bring in a chock load of customers when the place opens. Otherwise, I'd never have gone near the whole Barbie thing."

Shirogane shook his head in exasperation, and led the duo into the basement. "Let's just get this over with. The sooner I see if someone melts into a pile of goo the better." He walked over to a syringe gun, and casually loaded a cartridge.

Myu walked up, and let her cousin inject the liquid within into her system. A few minutes later, she gave a howl of pain, and fell to the floor.

"Baby." Teiru muttered, and gave a small yelp as the needle slid into his shoulder. Spots danced before his vision for a minute, and he watched hazily as a cat walked up to him, and then into him. As soon as the cat was completely within him, a sharp pain flooded over his body.

Like water, the pain flowed down his spine, and he let out a wild yowl, daring anyone to try to attack him. Three more shocks, each one worse than the last, cascaded through his system, until they faded into a blissful nothingness.

Teiru let out a gasp, and bit back the sob of relief that was building in his throat. "Come on. Give a guy a bit of warning before you stick a potentially lethal drug into his system will ya? And consider adding an anaesthetic. That hurt more than getting tazered in a thunderstorm!"

Shirogane put down the syringe, icy eyes falling on the rebellious boy. "I'll keep it in mind." The young man said coolly.

Teiru gave a hiss of displeasure, and then thought of something strange. "Did you stick animal genes into us? 'Cause a cat decided that my body would make a cozy home right before the pain hit."

Shirogane gave a nod. "Yes. You were given the DNA of the Iriomote wildcat, and Myu was infused with the essence of the serval. In the next room, Myu's sidekick Iria was given the power of the North American Puma."

Teiru gave a nod. "So you stuck me and a couple of girls with feline DNA, and you expect what to happen to us? And why am I the only guy? Not that I'm complaining."

Shirogane pinched the bridge of his nose. "You should be able to release the latent power within you by focussing, and letting your instincts guide you. As for why you're the only guy, well. I injected myself, but I didn't have the required gene or blood type to access it fully. Instead, I get stuck turning into Figaro for ten minutes. Research shows that only one in 100 guys carry the gene, and you are lucky number one hundred."

Teiru rolled his eyes, and let his body relax. Suddenly, an explosion of power surrounded him, and he felt the energy, a crackling not quite pain fold his body. He felt his ears melt and reform on to of his head, and he choked back a gasp as a tail slid out of the base of his spine. Words half heard echoed around him. Guardian Teiru. I am a servant of the planet earth. Let justice be dealt.