Disclaimer: No I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.
Five Elements; The American Mew Mews
Chapter 4: First Encounter
Bruce smirked and walked towards the door that led to the backyard of the small one-story house. "Are you ready to fight me? We'll take it to your backyard."
"That's just fine with me!" Roger ran outside to try and get somewhere where he wouldn't get overly excited. The last thing he needed right now was to have his new identity get discovered. ("Wait…why am I accepting it? I'll make that lady find a way to get rid of it before this day is done!")
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The backyard of Roger's house was incredibly small, nothing but grass. But it offered the best location for a place for a duel.
Bruce cracked his knuckles and tightened the ties on his kung fu pants and shirt. "Well? You don't want to prepare any kind of special things for the fight?"
Roger shook his head slowly. "I'm not at all like you. I don't use martial arts, remember?" He charged at full speed towards Bruce. "I just fight!"
"And that is why you'll never be able to win!" Bruce slid around Roger's punch, slamming his knee into the boy's abdomen. "My style is too good for the likes of you. How you actually win some of our battles is beyond me."
Roger smiled and latched onto Bruce's leg, keeping it pinned to his stomach. "Does it make sense now?" He pounded his fist into Bruce's defenseless stomach a couple of times, and then they both pushed away from each other and squared off.
From right inside the house, Ellen stared at the two boys with wide eyes. "Incredible…they're so fast."
"They've been doing it so long that I would be surprised if they were slow." Walt rubbed his chin in interest. ("Bruce mentioned his mighty battle spirit…maybe he trained to make sure that he had the edge over Roger?")
Bruce smirked and ran at Roger as if he was charging.
Roger caught the feint though, noticing how Bruce's legs were positioned for him to stop if he had to. ("Yeah…he intends for me to try and dodge the 'charge', and when I do he'll run right through me with a kick.") He stood his ground, smirking like the fight was already his.
Bruce got within five feet of Roger…and his stance changed.
("No!") Roger realized the charged was for real…but before he could do anything about it Bruce's right leg pounded right into his ribs. Then another right kick, and another, and another.
Walt winced as he watched his little brother get his ribs tenderized by Bruce's almost famous rapid fire right kick. ("That's what you get for trying to be cool.") He had to admit though, Bruce must had undergone some kind of extreme training. His speed was good, but his power normally was lacking because of the speed of his strikes. ("Now he seems balanced, while Roger is still as awkward with his fighting style as ever.")
Bruce landed the fifteenth consecutive kick to Roger's ribs, driving the boy's back to the concrete wall that surrounded the backyard. "Give it up!" He struck again, planning on focusing his blows to those ribs to create a hole in Roger's normally inhuman physical endurance.
Roger gritted his teeth and took each blow without a sound, though he could feel his ribs softening up a little. ("I can't take much more…I need him to get off of me!")
Caitlyn closed her eyes and wished with all her heart that Roger would just give up already. ("Come on…just surrender! It's not like it really matters…anyway…")
Walt frowned. "Bruce…cool it…"
Ellen nodded. "Yeah, he's going to wind up injuring Roger badly at this rate."
"That's not it." Walt watched the thirtieth kick land. "I'm worried that Bruce might not like what happens if he…"
Ellen's eyes widened. "We have to stop the fight!"
"It's too late." Walt winced as he heard a loud pop noise come from the backyard.
Bruce stared down at his leg, more surprised than injured that not only had Roger actually stopped him in mid-kick by grabbing the limb, but also that he felt the bones actually shift to the grip. ("How? He's not that strong…")
Roger's head slowly lifted up to meet Bruce eye to eye. "I think you should stop." Then he used his right arm, which was still holding Bruce's leg by the calf, and slammed his right elbow into Bruce's chest as hard as he could, sending the boy flying back about ten feet, to the middle of the backyard. "In fact…"
Bruce rolled to his feet, but stumbled as his leg protested having weight placed on it. ("That grip was like iron…")
Ellen gulped. ("Roger, though not transformed, may have the ability to tap into part of the power he has if he gets provoked to do so.")
Roger started to walk towards Bruce calmly. "What's the matter? Are you afraid?"
"Of you? Heh!" Bruce charged again, and stopped right before he reached Roger. Dropping his hands to the grass, he snapped both of his legs up to hit Roger in the side of the head and in the side of the ribs at once.
Roger moved with incredible speed and punched Bruce right in the stomach, stopping the boy's attack from even stopping and leaving him sucking in air. "Today is really not the day for this. Go home and we'll finish another day." Roger's eye reflected an animal desire to injure his opponent…but his trembling body said he was resisting the urge.
"Bastard…" Bruce rolled to his feet and danced back a few steps. "I'm far from done with you."
"Then I'll make it so you'll have to go home…" He started to move…then stopped as every hair on his body stood on end. ("What is that…feeling?") It felt like someone or something was nearby. Something dangerous.
"Well, it looks like you two boys are having fun." A woman's voice came from the rooftop of Roger's home. "This is the place that the Mew Mew is supposed to be located, so tell me where she is."
Roger slowly looked up onto his roof, and his eyes widened. There was a woman up there who was wearing a dress made of flowers…of magnolias. "Who in the…"
The woman brushed back some of her pink hair. "My name is Magnolia, and I'm here to speak with the local Mew Mew." She giggled. "So, where is the dear girl?"
"How do you know about that?" Roger didn't even register that Magnolia had said 'she'.
"Do you know this woman?" Bruce had already forgotten about the fight, as he felt something dangerous coming from this woman as well. "Well, do you know her or not?"
"I've never seen her before in my life." Roger turned his head away from Magnolia. "There's no Mew whatchamacallits around here, so scram."
"Oh?" Magnolia didn't seem convinced. "Is that so?" Her hands touched and then pulled apart to reveal a single thorny vine that resembled a whip. "Then I'll just have to beat you two around until she comes out. After all, from what I've been told Mew Mews are supposed to protect humans."
Roger narrowed his eyes and glanced at the window where Walt, Ellen, and Caitlyn were all watching from.
Walt caught the look and frowned. "Something is happening? Someone dangerous is on the roof." He glanced at Ellen. "You said that…" He realized that Caitlyn was listening and pulled Ellen off to the side. "You said that amulet would let Roger transform, right?"
Adjusting her glasses, Ellen nodded…
"Let's play." Magnolia swung the whip, and it extended far enough to wrap around Bruce's leg.
"What's…" Bruce didn't have time to ask questions, because he was suddenly flying through the air as Magnolia yanked him off of his feet and right into the nearest wall.
"Bruce!" Roger took a few steps back to try and put himself out of the range of the whip. ("She's dangerous…worry about living before you worry about that idiot. He'll be fine as long as…") Then he realized Magnolia was no longer on the roof. ("Where'd she go?")
"What are you looking for?"
Roger froze up at the whisper that came from behind him. ("She's even faster than Aizen!")
Walt gritted his teeth as he saw the lady in the flower dress wrap her thorn whip around Roger's neck and pull, instantly leaving him without air. "Give me the amulet!"
Ellen nodded and removed it from her coat pocket…
"Roger! Bruce!" Caitlyn ran to the door and pulled it open, running out into the backyard. "Leave them alone!"
Magnolia smiled winningly. "I knew she'd show herself." She whispered this into Roger's ear, and then she spoke up so that Caitlyn could hear her. "Then hurry up and transform. I'm supposed to fight you."
"Transform?" Caitlyn blinked and looked down at herself. "Transform into what?"
"Oh? You want to play stupid?" Magnolia willed the thorn whip to tighten, and it did so.
Roger heard his neck pop and he kicked over and over again, trying to get free. ("I…can't breathe…")
"Stop it! You'll kill him!" Caitlyn felt paralyzed though, because something about this 'woman' wasn't right. Something about this 'woman' was unnatural.
"That's the point." Magnolia willed the whip even tighter, loving every little squeak that came from Roger's throat. "Hurry and transform, and I promise I'll let him live."
"I'm telling you I don't understand!" Caitlyn yelled back, her voice strained with fear as she watched Roger turn blue. "Please…just let him go!" She felt a hand on her shoulder.
Walt stepped past the girl. "Ellen, keep her safe." He absent-mindedly rubbed the edge of the amulet as he tried to think of a way to free Roger through coercion. ("But how? This lady doesn't look like she'll be easily convinced of anything.")
Ellen put her hand over Caitlyn's mouth and whispered gently into her ear. "Don't worry, everything will be okay. Walt knows what he is doing…" ("I think.")
"Well?" Magnolia reduced the length of the whip, forcing Roger to stand on his tip-toes. "What's your answer?"
Walt grimaced. "You're looking for the Mew Mew, right?" For a moment he thought about telling her that Roger was who she was looking for, but immediately decided that would be stupid. ("If someone sent her here to kill him, then pointing him out as the person she was looking for would be dumb.") He needed a way to get the amulet to his brother though. ("Man…I'm having trouble thinking here…")
"I won't let go until the Mew Mew comes out. I see two women, and one of them must it." Magnolia tightened the whip even more, and Roger was barely conscious now, his face blue. "He's about to die of suffocation…so hurry…"
Caitlyn wanted to scream, but Ellen's hand over her mouth muffled the noise to nothing but a quiet whimper.
Walt felt a couple of drops of sweat slide down his face. ("Damn it! Think!")
"Time's up." Magnolia touched the whip…
"Flying Dragon Kick!" A blue blur came out of nowhere and struck the woman in the side of the head with enough force to make her release the whip.
Magnolia growled and as she stumbled back she back-handed Bruce away. "Go away, you annoyance!" Then she gasped as Roger donkey-kicked her right in the chest.
Walt charged in and decked her across the face as hard as he could, hoping to stun her.
Magnolia punched him right in the head and sent him flying into Bruce, both of them landing in a heap on the ground. "Annoying little flies!" Another thorny whip formed in her hand. "I'll kill you both!"
Walt lifted his head weakly from underneath Bruce, and smiled despite the soreness in his body. "You were searching for the Mew Mew?"
Roger slowly turned to face her, the amulet held in his palm. "Let me grant your wish." Somehow, he knew exactly how to trigger it. The method didn't sound very manly, but at the moment his pride wasn't in control of his actions.
Magnolia's eyes widened slightly. "You mean…but that's…"
Roger held the amulet tightly in his palm, feeling a tingle of energy run through him. "Mew Mew Sonic, METAMOPHORSIS!" There was an explosion of sound that shook the earth around them. And where Roger had been there was now a distortion in the air in the shape of a bubble.
"But…that's not what he told me…" Magnolia stumbled back, and barely caught the fist that hit her hard enough to send her through the wall.
The distortion bubble faded to reveal Roger, except for a few differences. The first noticeable thing was that his clothing had changed from a t-shirt and jeans to a pair of black leather pants and a black leather sleeveless vest. His hair had straightened and turned a sandy brown color, along with his eyes. His ears had changed into a pair of dull red wolf ears that twitched a little as he tugged on his vest to get it readjusted to his chest.
Walt smiled slightly. "Heh…he actually looks cool now."
Bruce and Caitlyn had both gone silent, unsure of what had just happened.
"So you were…" Magnolia was silenced by a kick that sent her through the wall again.
Mew Sonic turned and walked over to Caitlyn slowly. "You cried?"
Flushing tomato red, the girl wiped her eyes immediately. "Of course not! Who would cry over an idiot like you?"
Mew Sonic smiled and nodded. "Yeah, who would? Now excuse me." Turning, he walked over towards Magnolia, who looked incredibly irritated at the fact she had been knocked through the same wall twice in less than a minute. "I have to go handle something."
Magnolia snapped her whip around her rapidly to create a moving barrier of thorns. "You won't knock me through another wall…"
"You're right." Mew Sonic reached out, little motes of light gathering around his hand. "I don't know who sent you, and honestly I don't care. However…" He snarled and bared his fangs. "I won't let you look down on me!"
"What are you gong to do about it?" Magnolia snapped the end of the whip towards him, the tip of it having hardened into a spear-like shape.
"Come on out, Sonic Jammer!" Mew Sonic yanked his hand up, the motes of light forming into a sand-colored guitar that released a burst of sound energy which stopped the whip spear. "I'm going to get rid of you."
"Is that for certain?" Magnolia coiled the whip around her arm and tapped where a human's heart would be on her chest. "Alright, I'll be sporting just for you. I'll give you a free shot."
Ellen's eyes widened. ("A free shot? Please…Roger…use the Jammer. Don't try to beat her with your…")
Mew Sonic's fingers slid up and down along the strings of the Sonic Jammer, energy building at the head of the instrument. "Sonic Wolf's Howl!" An explosive blast of sound energy hurtled from the end of the Sonic Jammer towards Magnolia like a cannonball.
Magnolia's eyes went huge. ("That attack is serious!") Then it exploded into her, creating a huge shockwave that nearly leveled every wall around the backyard.
Mew Sonic planted the butt of the Sonic Jammer into the ground and gave the victory sign at the dust cloud his attack had created.
Walt just continued to lay there, his eyes twitching at the victory pose his brother was doing. ("You looked cool…why do something so dumb and ruin it?")
Caitlyn's mouth was hanging open, and her eyes were wide. "That was incredible…that was…"
Mew Sonic turned and gave her a thumbs-up. "See, each and every one of us has our secrets."
Walt sighed…and then gasped as he saw something shoot out of the cloud. "Eyes front, stupid!"
Mew Sonic turned in time to feel the spiky thorns of Magnolia's whip pierce into his neck. ("She's still alive?") Snarling again, he snapped the Sonic Jammer up and knocked the whip away. "You're a persistent weed, aren't…" His pupils contracted to pin-points and he dropped face-first to the ground.
"Roger!" Walt managed to get up and started to run over to his brother. Then he skidded to a stop as Magnolia's whip struck the ground in front of him.
Mew Sonic started to stand up, until Magnolia's spiked heel dropped down against the small of his back. ("I can't move…")
"You're my prisoner." Magnolia started to laugh wildly. "It's all over for you. All of you…"
Walt grimaced, feeling the drops of sweat on his forehead multiply rapidly. ("She's right…now what can we do?")
To be continued…