Chapter Four: A Few New… Perks?

The three of us entered into a bedroom that was probably the size of my room and my brother's – combined. A huge queen-sized bed with a striped chair at the foot was the first thing I noticed. A blue rug with what appeared to be planet-like circles on it was to the left of the bed, sitting atop a hardwood floor not unlike the rest of the house. In front of the chair was a fairly small TV, surrounded by a plethora of games, most of them I didn't recognize. My eyes fell on a Nintendo 64, a Playstation, and a few systems that looked old enough to have been my father's.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to clean up. Your visit was…" Tanner paused, looking me over once again. "…unexpected."

I shuddered internally under his gaze, swallowing hard. "Yeah, well, so was waking up with a furry, purple tail and feet bigger than Shaquille O'Neil's."

Aaron, meanwhile, with his inability to be serious, was flipping through the multitude of games. "Geez, man, I knew you liked to play video games, but this is insane! Dude, Christine, he has a WII. Dude!"

We stared at him for a long while before erupting into laughter almost simultaneously. My laughs eventually died down into girlish giggles, and I looked at my brother almost lovingly. "Wow, Aaron. I just got turned into some sort of mutated cat, disowned by my own mother, we are hundreds of miles from home, and all you can think about is video games." I stepped over, still chuckling, and patted his shoulder.

"I have to give your brother credit, though. If my sister had the same thing happen to her, I'm not sure I'd go all the way to… Wherever with her." A smirk passed over his face for a moment, and he let out a deep sigh. "Well, make yourselves comfortable, I guess."

It was then that I noticed my stomach was grumbling. I had left home without so much as a Pop-Tart, or a crumb for that matter. I hadn't eaten since last night, and I always ate breakfast each morning without fail.

"Hey, uh, Tanner?"

He looked over. "Yeah?"

"Um… Would you mind if I got something to eat?"

My friend shrugged indifferently. "I wouldn't. Fridge is to the left; help yourself. Just don't eat everything."

I grinned, nodding my thanks, and hurried out of his room and into the kitchen.

After standing with the black refrigerator door open for probably a full three or four minutes, I grabbed a bottle of Ranch dressing, a bag of salad, and two sushi rolls. It took me a millisecond to guess that Tanner had made the sushi, but what were the odds of him noticing two gone? Pretty good, after I thought about it, but oh well…

As I fished through the cabinets for a bowl, I began contemplating the fact that all the meat had smelled absolutely repulsive, but the sushi delightful. Usually, I loved meat… With the exception of steak and pork, of course.

Maybe Mewtwo's a pescatarian… I mused, and an image of Mewtwo sinking his teeth into a Magikarp appeared in my mind. An involuntary shudder went up my spine at the thought, and I dumped the green salad into a ceramic bowl. Well, if anything, he's an omnivore, according to the dental work I've acquired.

The thought moved to the back of my consciousness as I proceeded to practically drown the leafy vegetables in Ranch, and put everything back into the fridge. I popped one of the sushi rolls into my mouth, letting out a sigh of delight. Apparently my sense of taste had been heightened as well, and the Japanese delicacy taste… heavenly.

I managed to find a fork, and started to head back towards Tanner's room. I stuck the other sushi roll in my mouth, once more delighting in the salty yet almost sweet taste, and stepped in.

Aaron and Tanner were seated on the end of the queen-sized bed, both staring intently at the television screen in front of them, Nintendo 64 controllers in their hands. I recognized the theme music as that of Super Smash Bros., and smirked, taking a seat on the bed. I started on my salad, somehow handling a fork in my paw, and watched.

Aaron, as usual, chose Captain Falcon as his character, while Tanner used Samus. Both seemed magnetized to the game, neither so much as shifting their eyes in my direction.

Well, boys will be boys…

After a few minutes, I heard the customary, "4… 3… 2… 1… TIME UP!" as the match ended. Then, "This game's winner is… SAMUS!" a male voice announced enthusiastically, and my friend let out a whoop of success.

I smirked, rolling my eyes, and set my salad bowl down next to the bed. "All right you guys, let me show you who's the boss in this game." The two teenagers looked over in surprise as I took a seat in the chair in front of them. Aaron handed over his controller, and I took it from him. I sat on my side, legs folded, my tail hanging off the edge.

Thank God Mewtwo developed opposable thumbs, I thought, adjusting to the bulky controller. Tanner and I chose our players (Pikachu for me, Samus for him) and I grinned at my friend. "Let's see how you do against one of the greatest minds in the universe."

"Bull," my brother mumbled, and I blew a raspberry at him.

Tanner merely cocked an eyebrow, a smirk planted on his face, and hit 'Start'.

Four minutes later, the virtual match was looking anything but in my favor. He'd had a total of ten k-o's compared to my three, and there were just two minutes left in the match. I managed to nail his Samus with a Thunder move, but was once more knocked off the edge. I was able to knock Samus off two more times, and the game had just twenty seconds left. My pulse picked up several beats, thumbs flying madly over the controller. A sort of energy suddenly became apparent in the room, but I figured it was 'just me'.

"You a'ight?" I heard Aaron ask, but ignored him.

The time ticked down, until there was the "5… 4… 3… 2… 1… TIME UP," and the game froze. I shouted, "DANGIT!" my frustration suddenly being released, and I threw the controller down. Suddenly, though, there was a loud, BANG!

We all ducked simultaneously as various electronic pieces flew all over the bedroom. Something hard whacked me in the head, despite my face being covered protectively by my tail. "Ow…" I cracked open an eye, only to find a white, rectangular object with wires poking out sitting in my lap. After a moment, I recognized it as a Wii controller. Half of one, anyways.

My eyes traveled slowly towards a massive burn mark on the oak floor, and my stomach flopped.

Tanner's brand-new, 400 Wii was in a million pieces, all scattered about the bedroom. Its fine white exterior was completely blown apart, and not a single mechanism was intact. One of the controllers had been thrown out the window (which was originally open, thankfully) while the game that was in the system was now lodged into the wall. Miraculously, though, that game system was the only thing damaged. The Nintendo 64 and the television were still running, the cheerful battle music providing background for the chaotic event that had just occurred.

"Well," I began, clearing my throat and surveying the damage. "Now we know how Mewtwo blew up an entire laboratory, eh?" My chuckles faded when I saw the boys' expressions. Tanner looked split between running for his life and shooting at me with his Airsoft again, while Aaron appeared pale as a ghost despite his mid-summer tan.

"May… Maybe I can fix it," my brother was choking out, shakily picking up a mangled bunch of wires connected to a chip. It was burned and charred, certainly beyond repair.

I slouched in the chair, lost for words. "Look, Tanner, I'm really, really sorry, I honestly had no idea that would happen, it's just that it was almost the end, and I was getting really nervous, and I completely lost it and it was just like…"

"…Instinct?" my friend interrupted, his entire expression forlorn as he stared at the mutilated game system. "At least I've got a warrantee on it…"

Several hours later, we had managed to get his room cleaned up, tossing the remains of the Wii in a Hefty trash bag. Tanner had been able to call to get a replacement on the game system, claiming it had 'spontaneously combusted'. Which was partially true, except for the fact that the machine hadn't exploded all on its own.

At the moment, we were out in the living room, watching, much to my delight, Spaceballs: The Movie. Aaron had been kind enough to run over to the video rental store (Big Timber was so small, you didn't even need to drive) and pick up my favourite movie. For once in the past eighteen hours, everything felt normal. I was with my older brother and one of my best friends, curled up on a leather couch, and eating a tuna sandwich.

I was erupting into another fit of giggles about halfway through the movie, and spotted Aaron roll his eyes.

"What? This is, like, the best movie in the universe!" I exclaimed, grinning.

"Does she always mouth every line in this?" That was from Tanner, who was likely more amused with my behaviour than the actual DVD.

"Yes," my brother and I answered at the same time. His eyebrows raised in surprise.

"How often do you watch this?" he asked me.

"Too much," Aaron mumbled, and I quickly shushed both of them.

"Quiet! This is the best part!"

I grinned again, sinking into the couch, my eyes plastered onto the television screen. Out of the very corner of my eye I caught Tanner chuckle lightly, but ignored it.

Soon after, the movie was over, and the sun was beginning to set behind the horizon. I stood, stretching my limbs. "Hey guys, I think I'll go for a walk." Both of them started to blurt something when I continued, "…By myself, I mean. I'll be fine. I can fly, ya know, and keep to the shadows." I offered a reassuring smile.

Tanner watched me for a long while before slowly nodding his head. "All right. But be careful. It's a small town, and if anything unusual is seen, news travels fast."

"Me? Unusual?" I snorted sarcastically, striking a pose to show off my unusual figure. "Nah…" The three of us literally cracked up laughing at that.

"Watch yourself," Aaron suggested, and I nodded.

"Aaron; help me dig out the sleeping bags?"

My brother turned to Tanner. "Sure."

They walked off to a different part of the house, and I headed out the door. Only a glimmer of sunlight remained in the western sky, golden and magenta hues decorating the sky. The cleaner, fresher air of a lightly populated area seeped into my nostrils, sharpening the senses. The cooling breeze was still fairly warm, as it would stay most of the night. I had been in this state only two months ago, for a mission trip with my church (thus my familiarity with Lodge Grass), and was aware that despite being so far north, summers were still stifling hot here. It wasn't as humid or sticky as Nebraska, though, thankfully. The heavy rains that had hit here in June had since dried up, which was quite pleasing. I could still feel the mosquitoes biting at me…

I once more tapped into the now-familiar psychic energy, feeling my body rise above the ground. A smile small crept over my face. I wondered for a moment if the actual Mewtwo enjoyed being able to fly as much as I currently did.

I rose above the rooftops, careful to remain concentrated on the telekinetic energy keeping my body afloat. I wasn't sure of my actual weight, but I doubted it was much more than it had been originally. I floated over the town, keeping into the shadows and away from streetlights. It was really quite exciting, seeing everything from a bird's-eye view.

A fairly large building came into view, and judging by the steeple with a cross adorning its top, I guessed it was a church. I flew over to it, finding a flat spot, and rested my feet on the roof. It stung at first, like hot sand on a beach, but after a minute it didn't burn as much. I sat down, getting as comfortable as possible, and looked out at the sun disappearing behind the horizon. The Crazy Mountains were silhouetted in the background, creating the ideal Kodak moment. For a moment I wished I had brought a camera, but the view was spectacular as is.

The sun eventually disappeared, leaving the mountain range in the distance in only a faint glimmer of light. I figured it was probably about time to be heading back, but a few minutes wouldn't hurt. After all, the streets were basically clear this time.

I dropped off of the roof, landing on a window sill outside the cathedral. My back paw nearly slipped, but I caught myself before falling. I poked my head through the open window, looking into a large chapel. It didn't appear that anyone was inside. Mondays typically weren't terribly busy in the Christian faith.

Or Catholic, I corrected myself, recognizing a few items that labeled this place as under the influence of a Pope.

I slipped through the opening, dropping down several feet and landing – amazingly – on my feet. I righted myself, stepping through the aisle past the stained-glass windows. My eyes had since adjusted to the darkness, and I could see quite well despite the minimal amount of light. A lighted altar was at the head of the Sanctuary, and I walked towards it.

I slowed as I neared the area, and stopped in front of it. I simply crossed my arms, looking up at a cross with a cloth over it.

"God," I began, quite casually, "if this is some kind of cruel joke, I don't think it's funny. If it's something I did, I'm sorry. Really. I mean, my own mom just abandoned me. Oh, and thank you for Matthew West. He's amazing. Ame-"

A door was suddenly swung open, banging against a wall.

"My child, the chapel is closed Monday nights…" a masculine voice announced, not unkindly.

I whipped around, startled. A middle-aged man in long robes was standing on the other side of the chapel, holding a large Bible, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of wine. He looked up, and froze like a statue when his eyes laid on me.

"Uh… Hi! Nice church you've got here… uh… 'Father'," I called, gesturing to the area around us. My voice reached his ears, and all three items he'd been holding clattered to the floor. The priest and I simply stood there, frozen, until his expression suddenly turned absolutely furious. For a moment, he almost looked less human than I did.

"DEMON! YOU SHALL SURELY BURN IN HELL FOR POISONING THIS HOLY PLACE!" He was running down the aisle between the pews, wielding a sloshing bowl of water.

I let out a tiny squeal, starting to dash around him. The man grabbed my tail, and I screeched in pain, falling flat to the ground.

"Now the good Lord will deal with YOU," he roared, wildfire in his eyes, and dumped the entire bowl of water all over me. I kicked out instinctively, and the friar let go of my tail to dodge the assault. He looked more than a little surprised that the 'holy water' had done nothing more than soak me to the bone.

"You know, I'm a Methodist, and we're not really into the whole exorcism thing," I explained, picking myself up and glaring intently at him. "Just because I'm not Roman Catholic doesn't give you the right to attack me."

Moments later, he let out a high wheezing noise, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He began to crumple to the ground, and I reached out, catching him before he could give himself a concussion. I let him down softly, taking a deep breath and backing off.

Maybe he'll just think it was all a dream, I mused, squeezing excess water out of my tail. Amazing how well fur retained water… Now I knew why my dog didn't like baths, and her fur was water-resistant. I levitated several feet off the ground, propelling myself out the window I had come in and back towards Tanner's house.

Too bad I didn't know how to erase memories.

I floated back down to the ground when I reached the residence, and pushed open the door. I was basically dry by now, but still uncomfortably wet. I shuffled through the house till I got to Tanner's room, where I found he and my brother hanging out on his bed. I let the door slam open, and they looked up.

Aaron blinked, and then began to snicker at me. "Dude, what did you do? Go swimming?"

I ignored him, and turned to Tanner. "Hey, um… Got any towels?"

"So you're saying that the priest actually mistook you for some sort of… demon?" Tanner asked as I rubbed my face and head dry.

I nodded. "Yeah, and right when I was praying, rather ironically." I tossed the towel into a laundry hamper. "He should be awake by now. He fainted when he realized the Holy Water had failed to send me down to…" I paused. "Well, you know."

Tanner appeared quite uncomfortable at this news. "Did he get a good look at you?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I think I have better night vision than a human, but the altar I was at was lighted. When I tried to run away, he grabbed my tail, so he certainly knows I'm not just an average Joe. I just hope he wakes up thinking it was all a dream."

He exhaled loudly, glancing away. "Let's just get some sleep. It's been a… long day." With that, we went back to his room.

About half an hour later, I was curled up on top of a plushy sleeping bag, seeing as it was too warm to sleep inside of it. I snuggled up into the pillow Tanner had been kind enough to lend me. Adjacent to where I was lay Aaron, slumbering soundlessly. I smiled, closing my eyes and rolling onto my side. I thought about how, despite everything, today had gone fairly well. I still had my brother, who I knew would always love me, and one of the best friends I'd ever had. They would be there to back me up, no matter what, even though I hardly looked like myself. There were people out there, teenagers just like me, who didn't have anyone, for whatever odd reason. Sure, I was hundreds of miles from home, and my own mother had basically disowned me, but I had people who cared.

With these pleasant thoughts, I slipped into peaceful unconsciousness.

BANG. BANG. BANG.

The sound of someone slamming their fist against the door instantly awakened me. I bolted upright, sweat collecting on my paws, and I held my head, looking at the clock.

3:05 A.M.? Who the heck would be visiting at three in the morning?

Tanner was clambering out of the bed, the banging continuing at the front of the house. My friend grumbled several swear words under his breath, trudging out of the room. I edged towards the doorway of the room, pressing my ear in the crack.

"HOLD ON," Tanner shouted, followed by another swear. The door clicked, and then was opened. "What?"

I heard a man say, "Are you Tanner Colvin?" He bore a slightly thick Russian accent.

"Yeah," my friend was replying. "What the hell do you want?"

"I am Agent Kruchvek, a member of the American – Russian Federal Bureau of Investigation. I have a warrant and direct orders to search this house."

"What? A warrant? American – Russian? What is this, some kind of reality TV show?"

"We received an anonymous tip of an unusual creature in the area. All clues pointed to this home. Now you will either allow us entry, or we will use force."

"This is an outrage!" Tanner shouted, clearly upset with this federal agent.

But it was then that I became more upset than even he was.

I realized what they were after –

Me.