Chapter 11: The Pressure to Fight

Marie was making a very slow recovery. After a couple of days of paralysis she was finally able to at least walk to the kitchen and back but she needed someone to help her. She had no idea how powerful her attacks truly were until she had to be hit with it. She cursed that crazy hybrid shark for being able to absorb attacks and throw it back the offender.

She sat in the bed she had been staying in for the past couple of days and read a book that Ryou lent her. It was boring having to do nothing but read, eat, and sleep.

"Hello little tiger. How are you feeling?" Keiichiro asked cheerfully as he walked in with a plate full of more medicine. Marie cringed at the sight of the medicine.

"When is Ichigo coming back with my stuff? I don't want to wear a night gown for the rest of the week," Marie replied while she put the book down.

"She said she'll make the trip as soon as she gets out of school. I brought you some more medicine for you to take. You're lucky that the poison goes away after so long. We did some research on your attack. It can last up to two or three weeks," Keiichiro said as he placed the plate down next to Marie.

"Aw man. I don't wanna be here for three weeks."

"Sorry Marie. You're getting better though so that's something to be happy about. At the pace you're recovering in you should be healthy again by next week."

Keiichiro poured some of the medicine into a glass of water. Marie hated the way the medicine tasted. She reluctantly grabbed the glass from Keiichiro and started to drink it down quickly. Keiichiro ruffled up Marie's hair affectionately. She let out an angry squeak. He chuckled at her reaction and walked out of the room.

"I'll be back with some soup," Keiichiro said as he walked out of the room. Marie lied back. She felt tired and sleepy. She closed her eyes and immediately started snoring.

The day passed slowly and Marie found herself staring the clock most of the time. It bore her to sleep but there wasn't much she could do other than read the books Ryou provided. She let out a soft yawn. She started to doze off again. Her vision was growing blurry as she slowly shut her eyes. She opened her eyes quickly when she heard something knocking on the window. She got out of bed and weakly stumbled over to the window to see Pai there.

"Go away!" She demanded with as much voice as she could muster up.

"Well, well, well, what an opportunity this has turned about to be. The Mew Mews' secret weapon is weak and sick," Pai said bluntly.

He suddenly appeared in the room and right before Marie. He startled her and she stumbled back. She tripped over herself and fell to the floor. Pai went to punch her but she successfully rolled away from his attack. She got to her feet and immediately started trying to run away. She staggered quickly out of the room and headed for the backdoor. Pai followed her and each time he tried to attack her she'd somehow maneuver his attack. Once she made it outside the café she immediately transformed.

She fell over after she transformed and her breathing increased rapidly. Her vision was starting to blur again. She saw Pai coming closer and closer with a cold stare.

"G-get a-away from me…!" Mew Suika tried to yell. She coughed violently and held her stomach. She cringed in pain and curled up into a sad ball.

"Once you're dead we won't have to worry about anything."

Mew Suika closed her eyes and accepted her fate. Pai raised his fists and before he could hit her he was shoved suddenly. He caught himself before falling over. He looked up to see Mew Ichigo.

"You dirty bastard! You're a pathetic coward!" Mew Ichigo scolded angrily.

Pai narrowed his eyes. The other girls quickly came to Mew Suika's aid. Pai saw the situation turn on him and he immediately retreated.

Marie woke up and in her room. She was thankful to be home finally. She looked over to see Ichigo, Lettuce, Mint, and Pudding with her.

"T-thanks guys for saving me. S-sorry for being so useless lately," Marie muttered weakly.

"It's no problem and you're not useless. Besides I remember when I was in a predicament like that," Ichigo replied sweetly.

Marie closed her eyes again and the girls knew she went to sleep. They all left after they heard her snoring softly.

After a week Marie had finally recovered from the poison. She wondered around town aimlessly in effort to avoid everything. She felt lost that day. She didn't want to do anything. She heaved a large sigh and looked up into the heavens. She narrowed her eyes and there was Pai again. She immediately ran in between two buildings. She took a deep breath until she felt someone grab her arm. Her hand flew across a man's face and he let go of her.

"Don't touch me!" Marie growled angrily.

"Hey, sweetie, I just wanted to talk to ya'," the man said as he led his cheek.

"Oh yeah? Well come over here a-" she paused and thought of something "-talk to me. Let's talk."

The man smiled deviously and walked over to Marie.

Pai just knew he saw Marie but he wasn't sure exactly where she ran off to. 'Where did that little bitch go?' He suddenly saw a figure running quickly. He recognized the outfit and knew immediately that was Marie.

Marie took a deep breath and watched the man run away in a hurry. She "traded" clothing with the man and scared him half to death. She peered over the building wall and saw Pai's figure chasing the man she encountered. She quickly ran the opposite way Pai went.

"I'm so not in the mood to fight," Marie mumbled quietly to herself. She took another deep breath and exhaled loudly.

"Gotcha!" Kish yelled as he grabbed Marie's arms.

"Hey! You jerk! Let me go!" She shrieked.

"You little traitor! You were supposed to be on our side and all you did was lead us on!"

"You were a fool to trust me in the first place, Kish! Let me go or else I'll kill you!"

"Oh no, little tiger, you won't," Kish stuck a needle in Marie's side and she gasped in pain.

The second he pulled it out she collapsed to the floor. Once again her world went black.

She slowly opened her eyes and her body felt numb. "Ah… ow…" She shook her head and sat up. She looked around and realized she was somewhere foreign. She went to run but she immediately fell back after hitting glass. She looked up and realized she was stuck in a glass cage. She heaved an irritated sigh.

"Looks like you're awake," Tart said as he knocked on the glass.

"You little brat! I hate you! I hate all of you! I want you all to burn!" Marie barked angrily as she tried to break the glass.

"Now, now, now, little tiger, I wouldn't get too excited. We shut off the oxygen in that little cage of yours so I suggest you behave yourself," Kish said as he walked over to Tart's side.

"Fuck you! What are you planning!?" Marie growled.

"Easy. We kill you. Make an army of hybrids and destroy the Mew Mews. Your poison attack instantly paralyzes out hybrids too easily so as long those girls don't have their poison tiger they're weak and useless. Simple as that."

"You're damn idiot, Kish! You didn't think anything through! Even if you kill me, Ryou can easily infuse another girl with red data animal DNA with similar attack. You're an idiot. The Mew Mews will succeed in destroying you freaks and the Earth will be protected!"

Kish hit his fist on the glass.

"Silence! You can say that so easily but you're still going to die!"

Marie remained strong.

"I'm not going to die."

"Yes you are! Pai, shut off the oxygen!"

Pai pressed a red button. Marie found it hard to breath almost immediately. She fell to her knees and started coughing violently. She shut her eyes and started gasping for air.

"Nighty-night, Tiger!" Kish barked as he walked away from her. Marie started hitting the glass as hard as she could. She reached into her pocket and realized her pendent was in the clothes she gave up to get away from Pai!

"Looking for this, princess?" Pai asked as he held up her pendent. Marie pressed her face and hands to the glass.

"P-Pai, you asshole! Let me out!" Marie used whatever breath she had to demand to get out.

The aliens laughed at her pointless cry. Marie leaned against the glass and lost her strength to stand. She closed her eyes and still tried to breath. Her coughing grew and her gasping grew more intense.

"P-please… h-help me…" Marie pleaded weakly.

"Alrighty Tiger, we'll let out as long you agree not to be a traitor to us anymore. Bound in blood of course," Kish replied.

Marie nodded with little strength she had. Pai immediately turned the oxygen back on. Marie gasped in a needy manner.

"Cuff the mew mew so she can't run off," Pai said quickly.

Kish opened the glass cage and grabbed her arms. She heard a click and she couldn't move her arms freely.

"We'll give you back your pendant when we decide to attack. Until then this little cage will be your new home. Look at this way, you're our new pet," Kish said as he shoved her back into the cage.

Marie wanted to panic. She sat down and started planning her escape. She knew now that Pai had her pendant and since they believed she was back on their side she had a chance to get it back.