Disclaimer: No I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

Five Elements; The American Mew Mews

Chapter 9: Rival's Retribution (Part 2)

Magnolia sighed from her seat atop the school. It overlooked the football field where both of those stupid boys had challenged and were currently fighting each other. "This is so boring…why can't we just go down there and tear them both to shreds?"

Sitting next to her was a little girl that looked to be about ten or so, wearing a dress of green platter just like Magnolia's. "Because then Boss would be really mad with you." Giggling cutely, she brushed back a little bit of her blue hair and hugged her sister's arm. "You know what Magnolia-oneechan, I think those two silly human things are trying to beat each other up for real."

"You don't say…" Magnolia sighed at how oblivious Ivy could be sometimes.

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"I won't take you seriously until you take me seriously. That last rage-filled burst of yours was a fluke, so show me the real you or I'll tear you to shreds." Mew Pyro lifted up his hands and revealed his nails, which had lengthened to the point that they looked like claws. "Fight me, Mew Sonic. I don't want to fight Roger Grant, I want to fight you."

Roger tried to stand, but he felt his head swim and he dropped to his knees, eyes locked on the ice-cold metal of the stands. ("What's wrong with me? Why do I have mixed feelings about this?")

Mew Pyro slowly approached, announcing each step loudly to mentally remind Roger that he was coming to attack. "You know, I respect you more than you know, regardless of what insults I hurl your way on occasion."

Roger didn't respond, looking at the ground. It took everything he had not to just collapse face-first into the bleachers and pass out. ("Why do I have such a dislike of fighting him in my mind? Do I not want to hurt him?") A small flicker of understanding flashed in his mind.

Mew Pyro frowned as he was within punching range of Roger now. "I won't hold back on this hit, past not killing you. Prepare yourself."

"No…" Roger slowly lifted his head and looked right into the fire-red eyes that, in his opinion, should have been brown. "Bruce…I'm asking you…please don't get involved with this kind of thing. I didn't want any of you to know, much less become what I am. I don't want to do anything that would promote your being this…"

"I'd say I appreciate your concern, but I hate to lie." Mew Pyro's fist rocketed towards Roger's face. "Now fight!"

Roger lowered his head and shook it. "Then I surrender."

Mew Pyro's fist stopped an inch from Roger's cheek, and then it slowly withdrew. The superhuman stood there; eyes wide at the impossibility of what he had just heard come out of the mouth of his rival. "What did you say?"

"I said that I surrender, you win." Roger couldn't stop himself. Somewhere, deep down inside, he didn't want to hurt Bruce. When they were both human, it didn't matter because short of using heavy weapons they couldn't permanently injure each other. But now…now they were capable of not only killing each other, but killing other people as well. ("Is this just a bad dream, because if so then please wake me up. I don't want this anymore…not anymore…") He'd never wanted it in the first place, because he hated being the strong one. It was better when he was the one being underestimated…it made him feel right when he overcame the challenge.

Mew Pyro's hands started to tremble, whether in joy or anger even the owner of them wasn't sure. Then he yelled in anger and snapped back his right fist, the whole thing erupting into flame. "Inferno Fist!"

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Caitlyn yawned and look at her watch tiredly. ("Its 6:15…why am I here so early?") As she looked out at the slowly rising sun, a big smile crossed her face. ("That's why…just to see the sunrise and I guess get my homework from over the weekend done.") As she walked towards the school, her mind wandered back to yesterday and her shopping trip with Roger. ("He'd been so moody that whole day…")

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Yesterday afternoon…

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Caitlyn squealed in delight at what she saw in the window of the next store. "Look at that dress! Isn't it just gorgeous?"

Roger, who had his eyes gently diverted upwards, replied evenly. "Yeah, gorgeous…"

After looking at the price of the dress, Caitlyn immediately moved on to the next store, which was a dark little place in the corner of the mall called "The Den", or as Roger once referred to it, "The Den of Scary Crap". After a moment of mental debating, she grabbed Roger's hand and literally dragged him inside, ignoring the surprised looks from the cashier, a woman dressed in clothing that screamed 'Goth'.

Roger sighed and rolled his eyes as Caitlyn started to go through the stacks and rows of all kinds of leather and black clothing. "Why, exactly, are you in here? I've never seen you in anything black, ever."

"It isn't for me…" Caitlyn came up from a pile holding a black leather strip with metal studs in it and a buckle attachment on both ends. A collar. "It's for you."

Roger turned beet red. "Excuse me?"

Giggling at that lovely reaction, she leaned in closer and winked at him. "Well, I actually mean that it's for a certain superhero."

Roger stopped blushing and looked down at it. Then he took it from her, and flicked it right back into the pile it had come from. "You're a complete and utter idiot."

"This coming from the superhero that wears all black leather clothing and looks like someone cosplaying." Caitlyn reached back into the pile and brought the collar back up. "Come on, it's not like it will interfere with you….for me?" She used the best weapon ever to fight against Roger…the puppy dog eyes and the pouty lip, they never failed.

Roger stood there and then turned away, looking at the entrance to the store. "I'm not going to accessorize something that I plan on getting rid of as soon as possible. It's like putting make-up on a tumor, stupid and pointless."

Caitlyn couldn't believe it…he'd resisted the puppy dog eyes! "But…why are you so hateful towards that other side of you?"

"Other side?" He turned around and almost spat right in her face. "Because I hate it! I'm not some stinking…" An image of Ellen flared in his mind and he stopped right there, fearing he might spill something out that shouldn't be said. "…not some stinking dog."

Caitlyn just stood there, amazed at the hurt she could see in Roger's eyes. ("He's actually emotionally distressed over it…that's…incredible. I'd think someone like him would fall in love with having the ability to defeat anyone…")

"Let's just go already." Roger started to turn away, but felt a light tug on his hand. "Yeah, what?"

"You'll always be and have always been my 'dog'." The way she said the word meant she understood his little code for 'superhero'. "Ever since we were kids, you've always been there to comfort me and protect me when someone tried to pick on me. Please…don't act like this…"

Roger sighed and turned, reaching into the pile and picking up the collar gingerly. Without saying a single word, he walked over to the cashier and purchased it. Looking back at her, he rolled his eyes. "If I get it, will you not cry?" But in his eyes, there was a little flicker of acceptance.

Caitlyn nodded happily. "Yeah…I won't…"

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Roger's eyes slowly opened. ("Why did I remember that? Why did that memory come? Did my life flash before my eyes, or what?")

Mew Pyro's fist was inches from Roger's, little embers surrounding it. "I will offer you…" His eyes closed as a fist slammed right into his nose.

"Shut up! I don't even know why I shed tears for you, but now the tear-shedding is done!" Roger leapt to his feet, eyes blazing with a fire that seemed much more in place in his eyes. Snapping up his wrist, he flicked open the cover of the transformation button and pressed it down sharply. "Mew Mew Sonic, METAMORPHOSIS!"

Mew Pyro smiled as the ball of sound surrounded his rival. ("What was that about? Then again, I don't care at all. Come on Roger, bring your best…bring your…")

Mew Sonic came out of the ball, almost not even fully transformed yet. "Eat this, you stupid fool!" Then his fist drove itself into and almost through Mew Pyro's face. It was so strong in power that Mew Pyro couldn't even move, he just stood there as it almost powderized his cheek.

A silence held over the field, and then an explosion shook every structure in sight as Mew Sonic went berserk again, refusing to hold back at all against this opponent.

("This is amazing…as if I had never transformed…") Mew Pyro could feel his every injury from the first berserk attack get opened again, and then tripled as Mew Sonic struck him with absolutely every possible method available to do damage, whether that be claws, teeth, head, etc.

Mew Sonic wasn't sure what it was, but this time his rage didn't feel so easily diffused. He wasn't going to stop until he pounded Bruce into either ash or back to his normal form.

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Caitlyn felt her legs trembling…because that earthquake felt too small and too localized to be natural. ("Roger?") She ran towards the place she knew that both Roger and Bruce always had met in the past to discuss their later fights.

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"Inferno…" Mew Pyro was silence by a punch right in the mouth.

"Not this time!" Mew Sonic tackled him and then started to stomp on his rival's fallen body. "You won't knock me out with your little burning hand trick this time!"

Mew Pyro threw up his arms to defend himself, while his brain flashed through any possible methods to avoid dying. ("How will I survive this? At this rate I'll be killed…")

"And here's the kill!" Then Mew Sonic's foot crashed right into Mew Pyro's ribs, sending him launching into the air and right through the goal post on the other end of the football field. "Come on out Sonic Jammer!" The guitar materialized in his hands. "Sonic Wolf's Howl!" Then a blast of sound energy exploded from the head. "Sonic Wolf's Howl!" Another ball exploded out of the weapon, and they both hurtled towards the fallen Bruce. "I'll erase the Mew Mew right out of your system!"

Mew Pyro somehow came to his feet, flames licking at his clothing. "Emerge, Flame Gauntlets!" A pair of fire-red armored gauntlets appeared around his hands. "I refuse to lose to you! Pyro Tiger's Roar!" A giant fireball exploded from his right gauntlet and slammed into the first Wolf's Howl, both of them exploding with incredible force. "Again!" He threw another fireball, which slammed into the other Wolf's Howl. There was a loud scream of energy as the four attacks negated each other easily.

Mew Sonic snarled and dropped the guitar, it instantly disappearing. "I'm not done with you yet!" Then he charged at Mew Pyro like a freight train, his right fist glowing with that golden aura from before.

"Inferno Fist!" Mew Pyro charged as well, his flaming fist cocked back to hit Mew Sonic at the same time. "Let's end it with this blow!"

Mew Sonic snickered and suddenly disappeared, appearing right behind Mew Pyro. "You don't get off that easily." Then his fist struck, blowing Mew Pyro's balance out with one hit. The second hit dropped him to the ground, and the other hundred were just for good measure.

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Caitlyn reached the football field just in time to see Mew Sonic land what would have been punch 134, if anyone was counting. "What's…what's…"

Mew Sonic's fist stopped a few inches from his rival's face. "I…I…I…" The sound of Caitlyn's voice brought him back to reality…and he slowly withdrew from the fallen Mew Pyro. "I'm just fighting Bruce…that's all."

"Bruce?" Caitlyn ran over to the fallen martial artist and tilted her head to the side, only able to see the silver hair since Mew Pyro was currently indented into the ground. "What are you talking about?"

Slowly, Mew Pyro stood up and immediately came face to face with a wide-eyed Caitlyn. "Oh, it's you Caitlyn. I was hoping you wouldn't be here this early, because I was just about to beat the crap out of Roger."

She just stood there, right eye starting to twitch. "Where do I even start?"

Mew Sonic almost seemed to slide right behind her and whispered into her ear. "Let's start with 'Would either of you like some water?" Then he was silenced by a sock that was stuffed right into his mouth.

Caitlyn ignored the insane hacking that came from Mew Sonic as he tried to get the horrible smell of used wool from his mouth. "So, you're like Roger now?"

Mew Pyro nodded and looked down at his hands. "Yes, this is me." The Flame Gauntlets both disappeared. "I am Mew Pyro."

Caitlyn looked up at the tiger ears that Mew Pyro had, and then she latched onto them tightly. "That's so cool!"

Mew Sonic face-fell, while Mew Pyro just stood there, cheeks turning red. Then the situation reversed as Mew Sonic leapt to his feet and pointed right at his rival. "Tigers are nowhere near as cool as wolves are!" Mew Pyro just face-fell right there, nearly taking Caitlyn down with him.

Caitlyn just stood there, looking like she was about to burst out laughing at the turn this 'fight' had taken. ("Are they actually arguing over what is better? Wolf or Tiger?")

"Tiger's are so much better because I've never seen a wolf that is capable of taking one down in a fight!" Mew Pyro pointed right into Mew Sonic's face, and got his finger bitten in response. "AHHH! You jerk, what was that for?"

"Don't point at me!" Mew Sonic glared and lightning crashed between their eyes. It was like neither of them had been fighting to the death a minute ago. "And wolves are better because they fight in teams and defeat anyone who gets even close to challenging them!"

"That's all well and fine, but you aren't part of any team!" Mew Pyro stuck out his tongue. "Therefore, you are nothing!"

"That's it!" Caitlyn leapt between them, eyes glittering. "Why don't the two of you become a superhero team?"

Mew Sonic and Mew Pyro looked at her, then at each other…and both of them turned their back to the other. "Not…a…chance!"

"Oh come on, it would be really great for the newspapers and this whole city if they knew they were protected by not one, but two superheroes." Caitlyn tugged on Mew Sonic's arm first, since she knew he would be the tough one to persuade. "Come on Roger!"

"How about no?" He glared at her. "I'm not teaming up…" His entire body stiffened slightly and he slowly frowned. "Caitlyn, get to safety."

The girl started to question, but the look on Mew Sonic's face told her not to. Silently, she ran towards the stands.

Mew Sonic glanced over at Mew Pyro, who nodded to him. They had both felt that tingle that told them something was nearby. "Come out."

"Very well…" A blurred form leapt from a nearby lamp post and landed about twenty feet from both of them. Magnolia smiled calmly and looked between the two, feeling more than satisfied at how beaten up they both were. "I'm sure I need no introduction."

"No, but you might need a eulogy after I'm done with you!" Mew Sonic snapped his hand out, motes of light floating around it. "Come on out, Sonic…" He was silenced as someone used his head as a stepping stone.

Ivy bounced lightly over to her sister's side, giggling sweetly at the sight of Mew Sonic spitting up grass. "Look at that, isn't the sandy-haired one funny?"

"Yes, he's hilarious." Magnolia smiled coldly at this lovely situation. Now she could get revenge on that little punk for what he did to her. "How about you stand up and we can fight, Mew Sonic."

Ivy hopped up a couple of feet and smacked Magnolia in the back of the head. "Now sister, what did Boss tell us?"

Magnolia sighed and kneeled, tearing up a little hole in the earth. "Yes, I remember." Removing a little pod from her gloves, she deposited it into the hole and then buried it up again. "Now then, shall we play for a couple of minutes?"

Mew Sonic narrowed his eyes and cracked his knuckles. "How about we do this instead…I beat the life out of you both, and then we never hear from you again?"

Mew Pyro struck his rival in the back of the head roughly. "I'll tolerate you attacking the woman, but the child?"

"Shut up! She's related so I'm betting she's a superhuman too!" Mew Sonic glared at his rival, and for a few moments it seemed like they were about to start fighting each other again.

"Don't ignore me!" Magnolia swung her whip, the thorn-covered weapon flying towards both of the Mews.

Both Mew Sonic and Mew Pyro ducked their heads at once, letting the whip shoot past their ears. Then they leapt at the same time as the whip came back in a low arc this time.

Magnolia gritted her teeth and glared at Ivy. "Well, hurry up and help me!"

Ivy nodded and waved her hand, a bow made out of plant matter materializing. "Well then, I guess we should begin with a little bit of my Rose Arrows, right sister?"

"Yes, whatever! Just shoot them before it hatches!" Magnolia couldn't believe she was getting stuck with her childish youngest sister.

A thorny arrow formed in Ivy's hand, and she pulled it taut across the bowstring. "Okay, hold still you silly human things." Then she let the arrow fly.

"Shut up!" Mew Sonic stepped out of the way of the arrow almost casually. "I'm not going to just hold still and let you pop me from a distance with that damned thing!"

Mew Pyro nodded resolutely. "We have a reputation as residential tough guys to uphold, after all. And how manly would we look getting shot up by a little girl with a bow?"

Ivy pouted innocently. "It won't hurt that much, jeez!"

"That's besides the…" Mew Sonic lost his train of thought as he felt the earth around them shaking and cracking. "Huh?"

Magnolia smiled and winked at them both. "Bye boys, enjoy the present. It's a little biological weapon made by our boss, and its name is Basilisk Type 1. Have fun!" Then both Ivy and Magnolia disappeared.

The earth where the pod had been planted tore itself up as a huge green-armored form slowly rose up from the ground.

Mew Pyro gulped and took a step back. "Grant, do you think you have the strength to fight? Because at the moment I'm a bit sore from the beating you so soundly gave me."

Mew Sonic smiled and gave the victory pose. "Not a problem, I'll end this in one hit!" Though in the back of his head, he was screaming at himself for being such an idiot and wasting almost all of his power trying to kill Bruce.

To be continued…

And so the truth behind the calling of Mew Pyro and Mew Sonic has come to be seen. Now our two 'heroes' are going to have to fight against some kind of monster created by the mystery man. But the problem is, they are both exhausted completely and utterly. Will they figure out a way to defeat this creature without their full power?