Chapter 12

Melee was in the middle of making the guys come tea and coffee when her phone went off. She got Alley's ring tone. "Hi Hon." She said. But then, she was told what was going on in City Z. "Wait… Tank Top Tiger did what?!"

Her tone caught the attention of the two at the table… then Garou was who resting in the bedroom. Alley explained that Pac, Hunter and herself were in pursuit of Tank Top Tiger, but he was not cooperating. He doesn't want to turn back and he was become wilder by the hour. "You want us to help? We can if you need it." Said Melee.

"We will take the help mom, he's being a jackass about this. I got another sample cure ready it's in my room on my bed in a black box. I am going to need that. I am going to test it on Tiger. If it doesn't work, it may be just enough to take out his aggressiveness."

"We're on our way!" Melee hung up and turned to the table. "By chance, can the tea and coffee wait?"

"What's going on?" asked Garou. "It sounded bad."

"Someone took a monster cell and Alley's cure and decided that if they did it, they could be an M Class Dragon… Tank Top Tiger, the numbskull."

"Wait, Tiger took it?" questioned Max, but then paused. "Yeah I am not the least bit surprised."

Garou thought of something, he went into Alley's room where there were shorthand notes she made about her cures and their reactions. He came back out with the black box and explained. "The more adrenaline in the system of the subject, the faster the cure can work once injected." He paused before turning to the three with an evil look on his face. His smile spread. "Let's go catch a tiger. But first… how good are your acting skills?"

Max and Suiryu appeared rather confused, not to mention a little scared. Garou is looking at them oddly, like he's about to eat them!

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Pac cut him off, Hunter was close behind, they managed to corner Tiger and tried to keep him in place. "Come on Tiger, give it up! You are up against the sons of the hero hunter! What makes you think you can escape us!?" demanded Pac.

Tiger growled. "Because," he said, "The hero hunted the human, weaker version of me. I'm the ultimate Tiger now!"

"Yeah, a wolf threat. You're a damn tiger and not even a tiger threat!"

"Shut it!" he turned and tried to strike Hunter who easily avoided the blow.

"Oh come on, make me believe that you want to try and hit me!"

"I said shut up kid!" he tried time and time again to slash Hunter, but he easily avoided every attempt.

"Nope, nope, not even close, are you even trying? No, nope…" Hunter would say at each attempt Tiger made to slash him. So much so, Tiger was getting tired!

He was out of breath, but still he snarled at the boys. "You little bastards! You are making me look stupid!"

Alley came from behind and managed to get her serpent without the serum to bite him. A little venom may make him easier to tire out. Tiger roared and pulled away, but enough was in him. "Oh, they don't have to be here to make you look stupid." Said Alley.

"That's it! I am tried of playing!"

"No, we were the ones playing, you were working your ass off trying to hit us." Said Pac. Tiger turned and tried to strike him, but once more, his blow hit nothing but wall. Granted, that wall did collapse out of the blow, but still missed Pac!

In the distraction, Tiger took to the walls and leaped out on to the streets once more. "PLEASE can't we let dad eat this one!" begged Hunter.

"IF we do, you get to explain it all to Tank Top Master and Black Hole!" Alley snapped back.

They rushed out of the side street and found Tiger not too far ahead. However he paused oddly. "Alley," came a whisper. She turned and saw her mother behind her with the black box she asked for. Inside was the cure she worked on for Pac. "Make it count."

Once more she appeared hesitate on using it, she kept looking to Pac. But he turned to her and gave a nod. "Use it on him." He said.

She sighed and injected her serpent with the cure. With that she rushed up and stuck Tiger as he was being distracted. She managed to bite into his left shoulder, he recoiled in pain and growled at her. "What the hell!" he demanded.

"RUN! RUN!" came the voice of a panicked Suiryu.

It caught not just Tiger's attention, but Alley, Pac and Hunter's! Alley turned only to find her mother was already gone. Yet when she looked back, she saw Suiryu running on all fours. "Don't just stand there! RUN!" Yet he was side struck. Force to the wall, Suiryu was hit hard!

What struck him made Alley's blood run cold.

Her own father!

"Dad?" she said.

"No now sweetheart, daddy's hunting…" He began to stare at Suiryu oddly. "I haven't eaten in a few hours… I'm a little desperate."

"NO! PLEASE!" Before Alley could try and come between them, her father grabbed Suiryu and forced him into a dead-end. No one saw what happened, but they heard Suiryu scream out in horror… the… there was silence. Garou emerged as the dragon tail that was on Suiryu's head was slurped down!

"DAD!" Alley screamed. "HE WAS A FRIEND!"

He appeared to have cared less, but then his sights set on Tiger. A twisted grin followed, his lips licked in anticipation. "Mmm, Tiger meat, exotic…. Here kitty, kitty, kitty… nice… kitty." Garou went on all fours stalking Tank Top Tiger.

He was terrified. "No… NO!" he turned and made a run for it.

Garou was in close pursuit. Pac and Hunter were about to follow him, yet were cut off by Lightning Max. "It's okay." He said. "Part of the plan."

"Suiryu…"

He emerged from the dead-end street unharmed, yet with slightly shorter hair. "It's all good, no real harm!" he explained. Then the dragon tail grew back!

"We better follow dad anyway, just in case!" said Pac. "But, why did he do this?"

"Garou read over Alley's notes before getting here, something about adrenaline can speed up the cure in the body? So what better way than to scare the shit out of them?" said Max.

"Fear adrenaline, why didn't I think of that!" said Alley. "Either way, let's go and make sure dad doesn't eat him!"