The Midnight Mole Chapter 13

Ah, Chapter 13! Lucky Chapter 13.

How is it "lucky?"

Is it 'cause it's back to the length the earlier chapters were (about 8 pages)?

Nope! The reason is....

No Kenji! None at all (except for little bitty flashback Kenji)!

This chapter is mainly a "meanwhile" chapter, made of scenes I was trying to squeeze into chapter 12 and other "meanwhile" scenes. This fic does have other characters and happenings, ya know!

Hmm... That four-letter word has shown up a few times, but a certain someone seems to LOVE using it. Do you think I should rate it R because of this?

Chapter 13: The Last Ogami

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The two children continued to venture forth in the dark, despite the Young Dragon's protesting. Cronos was still into exploring, even after having a near brush with certain death. He poked his flashlight into the room where they had seen Tylon's resident ghost and lay it on broken glass and more of the fluid that had spilled all over the floor. When the pointed the beam upwards, he saw a broken tank attached to what looked like some sort of computer below it.

"He was trying to destroy something," Ryu guessed.

"I've been in this room before," Cronos suddenly recalled, "And in this tank..."

A light whimper came from the corner of the room. They rushed over, careful not to step on broken glass, and found a shivering form huddled against the wall that shrunk back when Cronos pointed flashlight at it. It looked like a child about the Young Dragon's, perhaps a year or two younger. He was completely soaked and was not wearing anything, except for the yellow experiment's collar around his neck.

"Were you in that tank over there?" Ryu asked him. He got no direct response except for some small panicked noises and confused, yet somewhat threatening looks.

"I could have sworn I saw a baby in that tank. How'd he get so big all of a sudden?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you leaving already, Mr. Ogami?"

"Yup, I'm pretty much all healed up," He told the nurse on duty. He pulled on his clothes from the few days before and packed up his things. On the way out he remembered a certain nurse. I suppose it would be a good idea to see Alice before I go, Yugo reasoned. He asked around and was led to a waiting room where he found her. During his stay, Alice had put up with his stubborn demands to be let go and hunt down that man he had seen before his accident. When he had simmered down after practically being strapped to his hospital bed, they had begun to talk of their current situations and their problems with the supposed "search" the police was doing (and what was the deal with Inspector Gado?).

She was sprawled out over a few seats, snoring loudly and drooling, to make matters more embarrassing. Yugo tried to hold in childish snickering and nudged her to summon her back to the waking world. With a yawn and low grumbling, she opened one eye to look at him.

"Sleeping on the job, are we?"

Alice got up with a start and looked around, hoping nobody had seen her snoozing. "Don't tell anybody about this," she whispered, "If they find out I'm living at the hospital now..."

"You get kicked out or something?"

"Actually... Yeah... I didn't tell you about the fight Mom and I got into. She pretty much kicked me out, or at least she said something along those lines... And I can't go back after what I said." She had explained before that she had no real job; she spent most of her time volunteering for her education in nursing.

Yugo made a small, "Hmm," thinking about this situation. He did owe her something. "I got an empty bed. You wanna stay at my house or something?" The woman quickly declined the offer and bid the boxer farewell when he told her he was leaving that night.

When Yugo stepped out of the hospital, he reminded himself, She's right. It was probably just some hallucination. After all, I was half drunk! He chuckled to himself, despite the sad feelings over the only thing close to a clue as to what happened to Kenji. He wondered where Kenji was now and hoped he was alright. Yugo had the hunch his little brother was not going to wander back home this time as he walked home in the dark night.

Poor Kenji... Poor little Kenji... Poor little defenseless Kenji... What if he was all alone and cold and hungry somewhere? What if he was in a dark, diseased alley, unable to move or call for help? What if he was being sold as a slave? What if he was locked with the spiders up in a dark dungeon, waiting for Yugo to rescue him after going through hordes of ninja and guards with gigantic guns, followed by the evil leader who wants to take over the world, who was waiting for Yugo to come in and take the bait - It was all a trap!

He shook his head and decided it was time to stop letting his imagination get the better of him. Making up stories about the worse case scenario was not going bring Kenji back. He knew very well there was the possibility he would never see him again. Yugo shut his eyes, wincing in pain after unknowingly delivering another blow to his heart.

The boxer turned a corner and saw someone clearly despite the darkness.

"You."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The maiden clutched at him desperately. "I was so scared!" she cried. He put one arm around her shoulders and wiped away a tear with one finger. She snuggled into his chest. "You needn't fear that diabolical fiend's terror any longer, my dear. You have seen such sadness, but weep no longer. I am your lover now.

Oh, Prince Cronos!" she cooed.

The silver haired prince sighed at his little fantasy with a slight giggle and dipped his favorite silver plated pen back into the inkwell. Putting it to the paper, he wrote:

She flew down to me in my dreams

She flew down to me in the day

Her voice touches my heart

And softens it, as I am reminded of that feeling

I thought not to exist

True Love

Like petals showering over me

Her beauty engulfs me

Her grace calls to me to join her in a heavenly waltz

Her name

"Oh dear," the prince voiced. What was her name? Perhaps there was a way to go around it without actually mentioning it. He put pen to paper again, but then the infernal sound of a kettle's whistle completely spoiled his thoughts.

"GANESHA!" he shrieked.

Ganesha, his bodyguard, could be heard taking the water off the stove and fumbling about in the kitchen, preparing the usual nightly cup of tea. His artistic mood already ruined, Cronos got out of his chair and continued to yell, "SOME of us are trying to fucking express our GOD DAMN FUCKING FEELINGS! How am I supposed to fucking write beautiful fucking love poetry if I can't keep my FUCKING CONCENTRATION?! Are you fucking listening to me?"

A huge man, also dark skinned, with giant muscular arms and hands and feet and a corpulent body, entered the room with two gold rimmed teacups on saucers. He gently placed one on the desk and took the other with him to his favorite velvet cushion. Cronos snapped his angry glare towards the steaming cup and picked it up. He took a small sip from it and instantaneously returned to a calm state. "Thank you, Ganesha," he quietly said and returned to his seat.

His hand began to return to his pen, but Cronos decided to lean back in his chair and gaze up at nothing in particular and return to his high.

"I am in love, Ganesha. Just as my heart begins to turn cold and hopeless, she comes and gives me new meaning. Our meeting is fate, don't you agree, Ganesha?"

"Yes, Prince Cronos," his bodyguard muttered as he turned a page in the novel he was currently reading.

"We were meant to be. The way her spirit communicated with mine has told me so."

"Mm-Hmm" He voiced, trying to find where he left off on the page.

"Ah, to be young..." he sighed dreamily, "... To be young and in love..."

"That's nice..." Ganesha mumbled, now immersed in his reading.

The dreamy-eyed prince picked up his pen and went to put to paper once more. However, a huge drop of ink flew out of the tip and splattered on top of his writing. His eyes widened and he slammed his fist on the table in his sudden rage.

"Fucking HELL!"

He nearly burst into another round of spouting foul language, but then there was a slight shuffling noise in the next room followed by a light mewing noise. "Sweet Kitten!" he called lovingly, and ran to his room. On the center of his large bed, she was curled up, in the process of beginning to wake up.

Clasping his hands together next to his face, the prince sighed, "She is so cute... Ooh, I can't resist!"

He swooped down and snatched her up in his arms and nuzzled the back of her neck purring, "Kitty, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!" This fully woke her up and she let out a loud hiss, her fur standing on end. He quickly stepped away (and narrowly missed her claws) with a guilty grin on his face. She frantically took in her surroundings and spun around and hissed at the strange room.

"Do you like my room, Dear Kitten? You no longer have to suffer the torment of the Tylon laboratory."

His "Kitten" shot out at him and began to unleash her rapid punch combination on him. He took one paw and dipped her, as if he had accepted an invitation to dance.

"Using my influence, I have freed you from that nightmare. Our so-called 'doctor' was ready to throw you away, he was so disgusted, so I acted just in the nick of time."

When the cat girl struggled, he used the force she was exerting to spin her around back into his arms so their hands were clasped for the Tango.

"A brighter future is now ahead of you. You may reside in Ganesha's room, which he has not used for a few years for an unexplained reason."

He spun her once again so they were both standing apart and leaning away from each other, still linked by the hands.

"And those clothes simply will not do!"

He finally let her go and she fell back on her rear from trying to get away from him when he had her by her paw. The Prince walked around her, muttering to himself, "Hmm... The color of your hair... That lean figure... Those cute little motions... And was that Kenpo I saw? I'm going to be busy tonight!"

He leaned over to her snarling face and cooed, "But I suppose you are hungry after all of this, are you not?" His maiden started to hiss yet again, but a well-timed audible gurgling noise from her stomach brought an embarrassed look to her face. She looked down to her stomach and placed one paw over it, remembering she had barely eaten anything in the past few days. Her host laughed and told Ganesha to bring her to the table and get her something good to eat while he made some overnight mail orders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't believe it," the slouched man complained, "Why would he need his stupid hair oil in the middle of the damn night?" The man at the counter looked at the scientist strangely, as he was hardly the type who would buy such a product. This "Essence of Lavender and Manliness," or whatever it was called, was a rather costly oil, with which Shenlong slicked back his hair, that could only be bought at very few stores. Busuzima wondered if there were more people like himself forced to go out at ungodly hours for this stuff who made up the main customers for a store open at this time of night. He opened the bottle to take a whiff once he stepped outside and immediately drew his nose away from the neck of the bottle. Hardly a second later he twisted the cap back on. It was definitely an acquired taste.

"You," A voice from behind him growled. The scientist turned around and saw a tall, muscular man glaring at him in the dark, his yellow eyes glowing with what little light shone from the street lights reflecting in those bright golden discs.

"You took him..."

Hajime looked at him lazily and explained, "I take a lot of people. I guess this means you have to die... or let me take you, too, if you prove to be useful to me."

"You took him," he growled once more. His mind only knew rage and was merely waiting for the slightest disturbance for what little control was left to break. He had now become aware of just how sharp his pathetic human canines were and he recognized the urge to sink them into something, or someone and never let go. His anger brought forth a low rumbling noise from the back of his throat. This was indeed the man from before! Kenji was somewhere alone and frightened, crying for him, because of this man! He had taken away his family, his pack.

"I smell... a canine. Now then, are you going to lie down and die like a good dog?"

"Not until I taste your blood!" he roared, soon afterwards losing the ability to speak. He lunged forward for the kill and allowed a new form to shape his body. Silvery gray fur covered his skin and his hands and, though they still bore grasping fingers, took on the characteristics of paws while his transformed feet slid out of his boots and hit the sidewalk, his claws making a clacking noise against the concrete. He bulked up considerably, causing his shirt to tear and his pants ripped in the back to make room for an impressively bushy tail. Fur hid his face, which bore a snarling muzzle. His pointed ears now stood atop his head.

"That wolf..." Busuzima breathed when he saw his transformed state, "You must be an Ogami, the last Ogami! Now, are you sure that was so smart- Hey!"

He leapt to one side to narrowly avoid being tackled by the enraged humanoid wolf, who caught himself on all fours and pounced back at him. This time, Busuzima was not quick enough. He yelped in pain when the wolf's jaws captured his arm. However, when Yugo's head whipped from side to side to mutilate his arm, he found he was now gripping tough, scaly flesh. All of the doctor's right arm was now much larger than the left one and covered in green scales.

"You're completely out of control! Is this your first transformation?" he asked, not expecting an answer, and raised his left arm. There was a small flash of light when he transformed it before bringing it down on top of the wolf's head. A small whimper was heard when the canine hit the ground, but soon after, he was back on his feet and ready for another chance to rip out his throat.

Listening around and locking his ears on various murmurs and the sound of rapid footsteps and a young voice, Busuzima scolded, "Look what you did now! You're waking the whole town up!"

"Gotta run!" he hastily yelped and made a break for it. For such a badly postured individual, he certainly ran very quickly. As he expected, the wolf was on his tail. He led him into an alley and transformed to his zoanthrope form, but when the light dimmed, there was nothing to be seen. The grey beast snarled and quickly snapped his head around, looking for his prey. When he sniffed the air, he caught an unusual scent, but one that sufficed. His claws extended and his bloody teeth bared, he leapt up to seize his target. He ignored a seemingly insignificant little bite pricking his neck, but a few seconds later his movements were slowed and his eyes clouded with drowsiness.

"That will be enough of that," a familiar voice ordered. The wolf fell to the ground and reverted back to his previous self.

"..Ga...Gado..." He groaned before falling asleep.

The inspector kneeled on front of the sleeping man and plucked the dart from his neck when he saw all of its contents had entered him.

"He's with me," he told the darkness, "Do you think I would let the last Ogami go unprotected?"

The alley showed no response and he asked it, "So you're playing innocent as usual again?"

"Mister Ogami?" a young voice called, "Mister Ogami!"

Alice, who had run out of the Hospital to return something Yugo had left behind, had finally caught up with the man to find him passed out and in terrible shape. She kneeled beside him and immediately recognized he had been drugged.

The Inspector, with a flash of his badge, hastily explained he was trying to sedate his attacker, who promptly used him as a shield. "I've never heard of police doing that," she told him, not convinced. Gado quickly told her, "There are a lot of things you don't know, Mademoiselle. Speaking of such things... You haven't seen anything... out of the ordinary just now, have you?"

She had seen nothing unusual, she told him between her grunting in trying to lift the boxer so she could put his tremendous weight over her shoulders. When the Inspector was denied his offer to help the nurse take him back to the hospital, he bade her farewell and stepped back into the darkness.

"No, I haven't seen anything unusual," Alice quietly whispered as she dragged the limp body, "Nothing at all... except for that werewolf!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The silver haired young man leaned his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hands as he gazed at his princess lovingly. "Do you like your breakfast?" he cooed. Uriko, still in cat form, dropped her fork for the tenth time and gave him a sour look. She stubbornly tried to pick it up with her huge paw again when Cronos reminded her it would be easier to do that as a human.

"Are you having trouble changing back? Is that it?" he then teased. Uriko flinched, as he had struck a nerve.

"It's not that hard. You just relax and picture your human self and sigh the animal out of you. Go on, give it a try."

She glared at him once again and reluctantly closed her eyes, resisting the urge to keep one open to watch his movements, and let out a breath. She felt the energy rise up inside her rearrange her body, followed by sort of a calm afterwards. When Uriko opened her now brown eyes, she found the human body with which she was familiar.

"There you go! And just in time, too!"

Cronos reached under the table and retrieved a few flat parcels. He then continued, "The clothes I ordered came in a few hours ago. I figured you'd become a little slimmer when you transformed back (such is the case in spades for most zoanthropes) so I got them a size smaller. You should try one on just in case."

He handed her one of the brown packages and told her, "I got you one in green and a pretty red one, too."

~~~~~~~~~~~

He reluctantly slid from his deep slumber and turned on his side to try to go back. He was still drowsy from the tranquilizer. Yugo could have sworn he heard some talking pertaining to him, but he paid it no attention. The loud slamming of a door, however, woke him up completely. He shot up into a sitting position and yelped, "Gado!"

"Ogami."

"Eeehh? What am I doing in the hospital?"

"You completely lost control and transformed for the first time," he told him bluntly.

"Transformed? Into what?"

The old inspector snorted, "What else? You're an Ogami! You worship the moon! You run with the wolves! Well, I'm not sure if you do, since you live in the city, but I'm sure you noticed your father suddenly going out into the wilderness for a night when he was still alive."

Yugo nodded and recalled enough to say, "Right... I was a wolf last night..."

"Your family has been one of wolves for generations. An Ogami wolf is very easy to point out as one of that bloodline. Many Ogamis have been recognized as heroes and near the present they fought for the rights of zoanthropes... I suppose I must explain that as well."

"A zoanthrope is a human who transforms into an animal. Kenji told me that."

Gado's eyes grew wide and he demanded, "What else did he tell you?"

"He refused to tell me anything, either... Well, he did once say something like, 'They took me back,' but he didn't tell me who or anything!"

"Nothing else?"

"His friend asked him if it was Tylon and that made him really quiet."

With an fed up sigh, he went back to his chair and moaned, "We know it's Tylon... And Tylon knows we're onto them. We're in a stalemate and we've been in one for years. You see, Tylon was the head of the ZLF some years back."

"Wait, you're talking about The Zoanthrope Liberation Front?"

"The very same. You, and most other people, thought of their existence as outrageous -There are no such things as "Zoanthropes"- but you were without a doubt aware of the terrorist activity going on. My department, along with certain others, managed to launch a secret raid on the ZLF stronghold, a small high-security building on the Tylon property. That resulted in the 'terrorist attack' that let a number of their experiments escape. Your little 'Kenji' wandered away from there to you that day. Zoanthropes have a way of finding each other, don't they?"

"What was Kenji doing there?!"

"We had heard rumors of inhumane experiments performed on zoanthropes and these proved to be true, but your Kenji was not one of them. Put two and two together, Ogami. That outfit of his bore similarities to that of a ninja; you went crazy on the nurses with your claim of seeing him fall from a building after a strange explosion and get picked up and shoved into a van..."

Yugo was now in disbelief. Angrily, he accused, "Are you trying to tell me Kenji's a terrorist?"

"I wouldn't say, 'terrorist.' He seems to be an assassin, one of the ninja working for Tylon."

"N-NINJA?! You're telling me Tylon's got NINJA?!"

"Don't act so surprised, Ogami. There are still ninja in the world, and the Clan of the Soil -that's what our sources say they are called- has been serving Tylon's head family for many generations."

"Let me guess: they all turn into moles."

With a mock-impressed voice, he complimented, "You're smarter than you look, Ogami."

"What's the advantage of turning into a little rodent that's, like, four inches long?"

"Four inches," Gado repeated and then asked, "Kenji only showed you that form, didn't he? The Clan of the Soil has the rare gift of being able to transform into the average mole as well as the typical zoanthrope mole, a foe to be reckoned with. They carry very few weapons, for those claws are all they need."

"This is getting stupider by the minute," Yugo complained, "You're saying Kenji is a ninja mole."

"That he is."

He then argued, "Kenji's a good kid! He'd never kill people! Okay, so he beat up some officers that one time, but otherwise he's harmless! He doesn't do anything bad. He's downright innocent. I mean, if he gets the drift he's done something wrong, he looks absolutely devastated. How can he be an assassin?"

Gado walked around Yugo's bed in a dignified manner and told him, "He obviously made you a very important figure. He probably adored you and held you in the highest respect, just as he would his master."

"What...? His master?"

"He feared disobeying you and thus what was right and wrong for you became right and wrong for him. He was a good child, and he made sure of it. As for his 'innocence,' I suppose he sometimes doesn't realize what he is doing. All he knows is to be good and follow what his master says, whether it be you or whoever gives the orders at Tylon."

"No!"

Yugo leapt out of bed and declared, "I refuse to believe it! Kenji's not a killer!" Continuing to yell at the inspector, he chased him out of the room and shut the door behind him. When it seemed he had left, he returned to his bed and leaned over it, clutching handfuls of the sheets.

"Kenji... What are they doing to you..."

"M-Mister Ogami?"

He hastily shoved in his torment and turned to the opened door to find a certain nurse.

"Alice!"

"Is that offer still available? The one to stay at your house, that is..."