Concolor Chapter 2, a tokyo mew mew fanfic

Hi, I'm back with a second chapter, a very long chapter... mostly because I didn't see where to cut this one out. I'll cut to the action now...

I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew, their characters or anything present in the manga nor anime (most of which has still to appear in my fic...)

The scene that security found was, in one word, unexplainable. There was blood all over the place, obvious indicator of a struggle, but that was understandable. What wasn't, was some of the prints they found, and the outcome of the battle.

The chimp that had gone into rampage was knocked out, in what was obviously not a position you put yourself in, but more one you get tossed into. And as unexplainable as the prints, was the bite mark on the chimp's shoulder, as well as some deep slashes that seemed to be none less than claw marks. One of the guards found a child half inside the pond. He was as much hurt as the chimp, but the bite marks on him were obviously the chimp's fault.

"What are you waiting for?" a strong yet nice feminine voice came from the back side of the group. She had long black hair tied in a low ponytail that went down to the half of her back, she had a fair face, and emerald green eyes. Her name, Haruna?, and she was none other than the best vet to ever work in this zoo. "You can research all you want 'later'; right now we have two lives to take care for!"

"What are you waiting for?" a strong yet nice feminine voice came from the back side of the group. She had long black hair tied in a low ponytail that went down to the half of her back, she had a fair face, and emerald green eyes. Her name, Haruna, and she was none other than the best vet to ever work in this zoo. "You can research all you want 'later'; right now we have two lives to take care for!"

At her words everyone went back into action. They moved the chimp's limp body onto a stretcher and took him directly to the veterinary.

"Haruna, Is there any ambulance left? This kid's in a pretty bad shape…" the security guard that was caring Koji asked her.

"All of them left with the other injured… we didn't think there would still be anyone else left."

"I'll go call for one!"

"No, take him to the vet first!" Security looked at her with disbelief marking their faces. "We treat from rats to elephants here, what makes you all think we can not treat a human?" she said with a defiant look in her face and a pompous tone, which changed an instant later to a serious one "Plus, by his state, I don't think he can resist without treatment till the ambulance gets here. Get Moving!"

After a moment of hesitation everyone decided it was best to do what she said and carried Koji to the vet, Haruna followed near behind.

The front side of the vet got crowded with people as news got out that the chimp had been not only captured, but beaten up by someone, and that a kid had been found near the chimp. Most of the crowd was composed by Koji's group, and thus they knew who the kid was. Kein hadn't restricted himself in telling what he had seen; and by now all of his partners had heard how Koji had heroically jumped against the chimp, saving his life; and how both had rolled out of sight.

Rather indifferent to this commotion, security was having its own bad time closing out the zoo and trying to decipher what had happened; but what worried them most was the fact that no matter how they looked at it, there had to be another animal loose, and though they looked, and kept looking, they couldn't find any, and no other animal was missing in the predators cages…

Meanwhile, inside the vet, the wounds had already been disinfected and stitched up. Haruna worked as best she could on the kid, and now she only prayed that her decision not to call the ambulance hadn't been too selfish. They hadn't used any anesthesia since it was most improbable that he would wake after such blood loss and beating.

In the next room, the chimp had already been treated, having only one bite and four stright lines of claws to be stitched, had helped in the process being a lot faster. And now he was laying in quarantine, as the anti-anesthetic was making its work (they had given him anesthetic as procedure, the chimp was, after all, a wild animal).

"I'm amazed he's even alive… so foolish to jump against a grownup chimp, not even three strong adults could have beaten him…" she had just finished bandaging the wounds and was holding a syringe, something to help fight any possible infection. She had just put the needle in when a cry came from the next room; the chimp had just woken up and was panicking. At the sound Koji incorporated and jumped to the nearest corner in the room, the needle still in his arm.

No one moved, too surprised to do so, or just not grasping the complete picture. Despite the wounds Koji was, not only awake, but rather uncomfortably looking, standing on his four limbs, rather crouched and fiercely growling bared teeth to everyone in the room. Even the slightest movement was responded with another growl as he switched his attention in between its perpetrator and scanning the room in search for the rattling chimp. If someone would have asked those present then, what they had thought, or felt, they would have probably said the image they got was that of a cornered feline ready to fight for his life.

"Koji! Buddy you ok?" the door slammed open as Kein rushed inside, having been able to pass through the guards unnoticed, he couldn't have entered in a weirdest moment…

For a split a second Haruna felt as the big feline did his last desperate movement for freedom, she yelped at the idea and turned towards the door. She wasn't the only one who had felt the same, at least half her team had done the very same; but at the door Kein was still there, untouched and with a puzzled look, trying to make sense of the little act he was looking at.

Haruna turned around, in Koji's face an expression only recognizable as relief shone, just before the eyes of the kid hazed and he lost strength in his limbs, promptly falling unconscious once again. It took a while for anyone to actually react.

"Hey! What was all that?" Kein finally broke the silence as he ran towards Koji.

"I have one for you, how did you get here?" Haruna grabbed the kid before he could get any closer. "And whose was the idea not to use anesthesia?" Everyone laughed nervously, it had been a silent agreement not to use it... specially considering anesthsia was pretty dangerous as it is, no one had dared even thinking it as a posibility (specially since they were treating a human)

"What's going on here? Koji is hurt! And what was all that about?" Kein struggled to get free of Haruna's grasp as he tried to get near to Koji.

"So, your wild friend's name is Koji." She gave the struggling kid to one of her partners and carefully approached Koji. She then lift him and took him back to the stretcher where she checked to see if he had reopened any of the wounds. Fortunately those stitches are made to stand such kind of movements, she sight relieved and turned back to the other kid. "Well then, who are you and how did you get here?"

"I'm one of Koji's partners, Kein. He saved my life…"

"I got it!" exclaimed a young man entering the vet, he had a veterinarian uniform shirt on.

"About time!" answered Haruna with a smile on her face, beckoning for someone to bring the VHS and TV

"It wasn't easy, but a friend of mine in the security group managed to make me copy of the video of the vending place's camera; perhaps we can get some answers too.

They put the video and pressed the play button; the screen went alive with the image of the scenery in front of the little shop, everything calm and completely empty

"He cut it to the part where the chimp appears; sadly it's a stationary camera, so it didn't record everything"

Just as he said that, both the kid and the chimp rolled into screen; the chimp, rolling out of sight but soon enough returning and charging at the kid. Those looking stared dumbfounded at the screen, as the kid was first bitten and then thrown into the lake and out of view.

The chimp started to boast, and suddenly stopped turning around sharply, even with the poor quality of the video, the change in the chimp's attitude was obvious; if anything, he seemed scared. They saw the chimp charge out of view just to reappear moments later like if he'd been hit pretty hard on the torso. One of the chimps arms moving defensively towards the chest.

And then a loud gasp was listened in between those in the room. They had expected it, but seeing the actual thing is different; a large feline jumped into the cameras view and ran towards the fallen chimp, biting him in the shoulder and forcefully shaking him from side to side.

Then, with one last strong shake, they saw the chimp get thrown towards the shop and out of view, the camera shook with the strength of the impact, and the feline lost balance and fell into the lake; then nothing, no movement in the water, nothing; not until security and the vet group got to the scene.

There was utter silence in the room, no one really knew what to say, someone rewind the tape back at the point where the feline appeared and froze the image.

"Has security checked on the predators cages? Are they sure no feline is missing?"

"That was the first thing that they did, after seeing the prints, and double checked after seeing this. There's no mistake, there's no feline missing from their cages."

"Have they checked the lake? It could have drowned!"

"That's what they're at right now; but there's still nothing" then he paused for a moment and turned around, looking back at the image "I know the quality isn't good, but it might help security to know what kind of feline it is..." he finally added, looking back at the rest of the staff.

"Well," said Haruna, taking a good look at the frozen image "for one thing, it's neither lion nor tiger, just too small..."

"Guess it's also not a black panther" interrupted Kein, he had been allowed to stay after explaining things (or rather no one had been able to take him away)

"Technically there is no such thing as a 'black panther'" corrected Haruna "they are either leopards or jaguars with extremely black fur" she added explaining it the simplest way she could put it for the kid "though you do have a point in the color of its fur, though it could still be a leopard..."

"aahh... where am I?" a rasped, troubled voice sounded from behind the group, everyone looked back; the hurt young kid was doing his best trying to stay sitting with what was obviously a lot of pain. His eyes turned from the screen to those present; and then toward his parner "Kein, glad to see your fine" he said, managing a smile

Kein reacted by jumping next to him and squeezing him with all his might "You idiot! Don't ever do that again! You almost got killed because of me!"

"ahhh... let go, let go, letgoletgoletgo or 'llreallyberesponsible form'death..." managed to choke out while truly unable to make the move and separate his overly happy friend

Finally realizing his actions Kein let go and start promptly apologizing; to be finally cut off by non other than Haruna herself "You truly awake this time?"

"This ...time?" Managed to choke Koji in between troubled breathing

"It's fine if you don't know, you've got a couple of broken ribs, you'll have to learn how to breathe again" She answered sarcastically "I won't lecture you on how very lucky you were, even being able to survive. You're at the zoos vet, and I'm the chief veterinary."

'The vet? Great! The very last thing I needed...' thought Koji to himself; he could remember the entire fight with the chimp, but he hadn't been really sure until he saw the video.

"...a puma..." he said to himself, not even realizing he had whispered it loud enough for anyone to hear.

"What did you say? A puma? Did you see it?"

The kid sharply turned his face away 'shit, I just screwed myself', then noticing how obvious he might be looking he said "I don't know, it's what it looks like; in the video, I mean…"

"How can you tell? The quality is too bad to be sure… did you see it? What do you remember?" Everyone pressed on.

"I... remember rolling down the cliff, fighting the chimp, and ... I can't remember anything after hitting the water" he didn't like lying, it was his motto not to do so, and thus he was very bad doing so when he did; yet this was just too much… 'it is true, I can't remember anything after hitting the water, but I just can't say hitting it for the second time… it isn't lying, at least not completely'.

"Then how do you know it's a puma?" pressed on Haruna "didn't you see it?"

"No, I didn't" he really hadn't 'seen' it, had he; you can't look directly at yourself, can you? "I think I didn't, p-perhaps … a reflection… I… I don't know! But the form of the body doesn't fit a leopard's, the coat seams rather single colored, but like you said he is too small to be either lion or tiger, not even a jaguar at that..."

"He?" Inquired Haruna "How do you know it's not a 'she'"

Koji shrunk a little in his sit; if he really wanted to save his own skin he'd probably do best just keeping his mouth shut, he'd already said too much… "'he', 'she' I don't know!" He forced himself to lie "'it' still doesn't seem like a lioness either… still to small…"

"The problem of that theory though" added another of the veterinarians there "is the fact we don't have any cougars in this zoo. Then where do you suggest this one came from?"

"You tell me; didn't you already say there weren't other animals missing in their cages?" Koji answered sharply; having enough of the interrogation he looked at his watch, the hour their trip ended would come soon. His ride would probably be there soon; too soon. He promptly got off of the stretcher, landing in legs that seemed more like jelly, he would have fallen flat had Kein not caught him half way down.

"I don't think you're ready to walk just yet... how long have you been listening?" He said with a smile that could have easily been pity.

"I need to go" Koji managed to say, grabbing firmly of his friend's clothes for support, while trying to get to the door.

"Calm down 'tiger' there's an ambulance waiting for you just outside." At the comment, she received a pretty nasty glare, which she tried hard to dismiss as pain from the wounds.

"No, I can't go with them…" Koji tried hard to reach the door while still leaning on Kein for support, but the other boy didn't move this time, almost forcing his wounded friend to stay. Koji looked at him with what seemed like a weird mixture of a plea and an order.

"Buddy, you should do what she said" Kein told him, a worried look on his face

"I'll get in trouble if I don't get home on time." Koji pressed, still trying to reach for the door.

"Is it about her? Man, you're already in trouble as it is, or you think she won't notice that." He added pointing to his friend's chest.

Koji looked at himself, noticing for the first time that he actually had no shirt on, just a bunch of bandages both on his arm and his torso. He groaned with displeasure, looking around for his shirt, just to stop moments later, figuring there wouldn't be much of a shirt left anyway.

"I need a shirt..." Absently mumbled Koji to himself

"I don't really get what's going on with you, but you're crazy if you think we'll let you out anywhere else that into that ambulance" Haruna's voice was firm, and she was now standing in front of the door, acting like an additional barrier.

"You can't force me, I don't have time to waist here explaining everything, I got to go home, now, and as unnoticed as possible! I'll go to a doctor later…" He tried to yell but it, at most, came like a barely forceful answered.

"Then that's another thing you can't do, bud; theres cameras and a bunch of people out there."

Koji nearly fell, suddenly loosing strength in both arms and legs all at once. Kein grabbed him firmly, saving him from the floor yet again. "… cameras…" he whispered, a tone of utter hopelessness and defeat.

"This is just the reason why I became a vet instead of a doctor…" Haruna sighed heavily. "You can use the back door; but you'd best come back here and explain everything, got it?"

The other people present gasped in disbelieve. Koji looked up, gratitude painted in his face, as a spark of hope appeared in his eyes "Tha"

"Don't you dare!" Haruna cut him out harshly "If you drop dead somewhere it's not my fault" She then looked away and mumbled. "I'll probably get sued for this…"

Kein helped Koji up, working as his support. "Then I'll see you later, chief" said Koji looking at her one last time.

The back door of the vet faced many of the animal's cages, it was certainly a faster way to get to them; and as the simple back door it was, it had probably been mostly unseen and thus the cause no one was parked outside of it.

"You sure you don't want to go to the hospital" Asked Kein, still really worried for his friend.

"There's a doctor at my house, though I'm not really looking forwards to seeing him either…"

"You can't go unchecked! Damn, you almost got mauled back there!"

"Shh!" Hushed Koji with urgency, "The point of coming out from there was not to get seen, it'll be for nothing if you get us caught!" 'and personally, the mauling is in the bottom of my problems right now…'

"And what if the cougar jumps up on us, after all, we are quite the lonely, defenseless preys right now; perhaps we should have stuck a little longer around the vet, only till they caught it…"

"He wont, his probably too hurt to do so" added Koji in a somewhat joking tone; though Kein was all but amused by it.

They were doing a remarkable time out, considering Koji's condition, and the fact he really shouldn't be able to move at all, or even be concious. "I thought I'd be finding you here" came a voice just a few steps ahead. To say both kids got scared would have been an understatement, they really thought they had got caught.

From around the corner, and really well hidden, came out a group of their classmates. "You mean, 'We'd' find you, Rikuta" added one of the girls in the group.

Koji looked at them, and back at the corner, like waiting for a camera to appear out of it as well

"It's only us" Added Rikuta, alias Mr. Popularity; "We all guessed you'd be trying to do your quiet little disappearance act so we decided to mount guard on the exit rout."

"All of us wanted to come, but that would have attracted too much attention so we had a little jan-ken to decide those who would come…" said another boy in the group

"And I got myself in either way; I… had something to tell you" continued Rikuta, now looking to the ground "I… we are all thankful… Thank you very much!… for… saving all our lives… and …" The boy's voice got lost there

"Continue Rikuta! Wasn't there something else you wanted to tell him?" another guy pressed on.

"I'm sorry for how I was acting back there…"

"He nearly begged us to be included" Another girl said

"Tha-that's not true!" The boy forcefully added, still unable to hide the little blush he had.

"Now isn't that cute, he just confessed his love, now comes the kissing!" joked another of their partners, this one getting a full smack on the head for the comment.

Koji looked at everyone, a thankful look on his face. Just like he had been called earlier, he had, all his life, tried to be as perfect as he could possibly manage; thus not many of his partners liked him; the teacher's favorite, that is. But as he could see right now, neither did they actualy hate him.

Rikuta looked at Koji up and down, and started taking his shirt off. "This is also a reason I came" He added, giving the shirt to him "You'll get into trouble if you get home with one shirt less wouldn't you?"

"Than…"

"Don't thank me for something like this, dammit, you saved our lives; a damned shirt shouldn't be something to thank about." groaned Rikuta, looking away. "you should try putting your sweater on too... to hide that arm"

Koji smiled at him, trying to put the shirt on with difficulty. The rest of his partners helped him put it on. As well as the sweater. Non of them letting him thank them about it.

"You will have to tell us what happened back there later, Ok?" One of them said, "as payment for the help". He added in a playful tone

"Yeah…" He answered a bit wary

"Now go, or you'll get in trouble, wont you? And be careful, theres ought to be cameras on the exit too."

And there certainly were, both kids were more than just slightly amazed, given the number of cameras Kein had seen at the vet's entrance, he had expected, a bunch less here.

"Koji... I don't think you'll be able to get out..."

"I have to... my ride's already here..." answered the boy, motioning to a black car set near the news cars.

"...but you can bare..."

Koji cut through Kein's protest shutting his friend's mouth. "I'll be fine... I need to go, and you know it..."

Kein just frowned. "You don't look fine, how will you get out and make them believe you are, when you can't even stand on your own"

Koji turned his face to the ground, and with a strangled grunt he stood up strait and closed his eyes, giving the deepest breaths he could manage.

Then, all too sudden, Koji let go completely of Kein and stood up completely on his own. His eyes bolted open, and for an instant, Kein would have sworn they glowed golden. Koji's stare was cold, his eyebrows slightly furrowed; and not an inch of him seemed to be in pain.

'He's got his mask on' though Kein not being surprised by this; he knew Koji well and had already seen his 'mask' before. He looked away, a worried frown in his face. "Good luck" he whispered as he saw his friend proudly walking towards the zoo's entrance.

"Someone's coming out! " came the roar of the press as they saw Koji approach

Koji walked proudly out the zoo, just to be fully surrounded by the whole bunch of reporters that stood outside. They all started raining questions at him all at once; "Tell me young man, do you know the injured kid?" "Is he from your school?" "Is he fine?"

Other than being unable to move forward, Koji looked completely normal; aside from the slightly annoyed look. He glared at the reporters, many of which even backed up a bit. "I'm sorry, but I really don't know much myself" he said as politely as he could, his voice strong and clear "so its best I don't talk, It would be terrible giving you misplaced information"

"But you were waiting for news and... " Koji cut of the chatter amongst the reporters with a swift wave of his hand, it was rather amusing how easily he seemed to control them.

"I too was waiting for information, but I'm running rather late on an appointment, now please, I must leave ". The reporters stood in a rather shocked stillness for an instant, just to burst into a bunch of questions, moments latter.

"But you certainly know...". Started one of the reporters before being cut short by Koji's answer

"I said!" This time Koji's voice did denote the anger and frustration he was feeling, the press all shut up like stricken by an unseen punch; "I must leave, now let me pass! " Those three last words had such energy in them, that as one a path was opened through the group of people, and they saw the kid elegantly march away and into the black car parked just so far.

"Young master, you are rather late" came the voice of the man in the drivers seat "I heard there was a commotion in the zoo and came early"

"Has mother heard about it?" asked the young boy at the man, a tingle of worry mixed in his raspy voice

"No master... are you not feeling well?" he asked now looking back through the rear-view mirror, noticing he couldn't see the kid, he looked back, where he found the kid laying through out the backseats couch.

"I'm not..." he managed, in between troubled huffs "Will we make it on time?"

"Just barely..." answered the man, now a worried look on his face "may I ask what is wrong?"

"The commotion hit me hard... if I fall asleep, please... do wake me ...before we get there..." was the kids answer, and he didn't make any other noise apart from the troubled sounding breaths, though he didn't fall asleep, perhaps just too worried that he wouldn't be able to wake on time.

Well that's it for this chapter, liked it? was it too weird? please tell me what you thought.

It might take me a while longer to upload next chapter, since this is the part of the story I really haven't planned.

EDIT: again, just correcting some little words now and then, that's all