Disclaimer: No I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.

Five Elements; The American Mew Mews

Chapter 11: Roger Captured

"Let me go!" Caitlyn kicked Magnolia in the shin again and again, trying to get out of the arm-lock that the woman had her in. "What do you want from me?"

"I don't want anything from you, but my boss had told me to bring you to him so it's not like I really have a choice in the matter." Sighing, the pink-haired superhuman continued to forcefully move the girl down the corridors of the strangely dark and quiet mansion that her boss lived in.

"And who's your boss?" Caitlyn stopped trying to fight quite so much, realizing that the chances of her getting away from this kind of superhuman terror were next to nothing.

Magnolia walked up to a pair of massive oak doors and pushed them open. "Come in and see for yourself."

Gulping loudly, Caitlyn slowly walked into a fairly well-lit room. "Hello?" The only sound inside the room was the ticking of a grandfather clock in the corner. "Is there anyone here?"

"Yes there is, miss Erickson." A calm voice spoke from an armchair near the fireplace, which was facing away from the doorway. "It's such a pleasure to know you're here. After all, you'll be very important to my plans."

"What plans?" Caitlyn felt little tingles of nervous energy run up her spine. This man wasn't normal at all…

"Oh, just a little genetic experimentation." The man shifted in his chair and continued. "You see, the chances of there actually being multiple 'completely' compatible humans in this city are so infinitely small that it isn't worth calculating…and yet there are three so far. Amazing…it makes me wonder what secrets this city hides. Perhaps some kind of strange radiation from long ago…or maybe it is just a cruel joke of fate."

Snapping his fingers, the man went silent while Magnolia walked over to a nearby little mini-bar and poured a drink into a champagne glass, bringing it over to him. Every second of it seemed like a horrible torture if you were telling things by the look on her face.

"That still doesn't answer what you want to do with me!" Caitlyn wasn't even really afraid anymore, now she was just annoyed. This guy had her kidnapped, but refused to tell her what he was going to do with her.

Taking a sip of his glass, the man chuckled. "First a test…"

Caitlyn yelped as she felt something bite her arm. Looking down at her arm, she turned a strange blue-white color as fear overtook her body. There was a spider about the size of a tarantula that was hanging on her arm, and it had poked its fangs into her. "S…s…s…s…" The little creature leapt off of her and scuttled over to the armchair, where the man reached down and picked it up gently.

"This creature isn't actually a spider, simply grown to resemble one. It is actually a plant that possesses a special genetic trait that makes it change colors depending on what types of genetics are introduced to its system through its fangs." Holding the little thing up, the man pursed his lips as it turned a deep red. "That's interesting, and yet finally I see something that makes sense scientifically. You aren't even the slightest bit compatible with any of the mixtures I have."

Caitlyn wasn't listening, still locked in that position of fear from before. "S…s…s…s…s…"

("This is strangely unsatisfying…I was thinking that she, like the boy's rival, would have been compatible with one of the DNA mixtures.") The man placed the little spider-like creature on a nearby table and laced his fingers together as he went deep into thought. ("However, this will actually allow me to perform a few tests that I had been hoping to do beforehand. We shall see how a normal human being responds to the mixtures when the process is controlled within a laboratory setting.") "Magnolia, it's time to implement my first plan. I wish for you to awaken Petunia, Lotus and Jasmine. Order them to select one of the bio-weapon Type Ones from storage and attack the three pre-planned points in the city at once. I want to make sure that those Mews are preoccupied while we're at it."

"Of course sir. And the girl?" Magnolia motioned over at Caitlyn, who had apparently fainted on her feet.

"Place her downstairs in the lab and tell Ivy to keep an eye on her." The man took another sip of his drink. ("Now it comes…the time to find out whether or not the power of my research can overcome the research of Excelsior.")

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Roger's eyes slowly opened…and he immediately sat up in bed, wincing at the pain in his ribs. ("Why am I still so sore? I took worse damage from Aizen and the transformation to Mew Sonic got rid of the damage quickly. I should have healed quicker than that.") Looking down at the 'ground' around him, his eyes widened as he realized he was lying shirtless in an unfamiliar bed. ("What the hell? Where am I?") Leaping out from under the soft covers, he realized that the room he was in was far too neat to be his own.

There were posters of horses everywhere, and a strange number of western things as well. It was like he wandered into the bedroom of some pretend cowboy. A sudden mental picture of Mew Terra flashed in his head and he frowned. ("I'm in his…er, her room then? Well, why is my shirt missing?") He didn't see any wrappings on his body, so it didn't seem like Mew Terra had been testing his body for injuries.

The loud of a door opening somewhere outside of the room he was in told him that someone had just come home. "Listen, I'm serious Walt…now is not a good time for me to have company! And shouldn't you be in school anyway?"

"I have to ask you the same question, so don't play with me." Roger perked up as soon as he heard his brother's voice from nearby. "I just want a stinking drink of water, that's all! Why is that such a…hey, I know that backpack…"

The other voice, female, sounded suddenly frantic. "Fine, just get your water and then get out!"

Now Walt wasn't responding, apparently investigating the backpack near the entryway. "I know this notebook…so, I see you've got interest in younger men?" His question was very dry and sounded very serious. "My brother huh?"

Roger, who had his ear against the door, flushed beet red and nearly kicked the door open, leaping into the hallway. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

Walt turned to regard his now tailed and wolf-eared brother. "I knew that would flush you out. So, care to tell me what you're doing here, in the house of my friend?"

"That's what I would love to know, and more importantly…" Roger had yet to even approach changing back to normal. "Where's my shirt?"

"That's what I'd like to know too." Walt slowly turned and talked to someone out of sight. "Excuse me, but what exactly are you doing with my brother?" His reply was a single boot that nearly hit him in the face.

"You're a sick bastard." A slim hand snapped out and punch Walt right in the face, dropping him to the carpet.

Roger just stood there in slight awe. He'd never seen someone punch so fast before in his whole life. And normally his brother was used to dodging punches, so for that to hit him…

A teenage girl of about fifteen or sixteen stepped into his view. She looked to be amazingly athletic, about 5'8", with hazel eyes and blond hair. Adjusting her denim vest and jean shorts, she reached down and picked Walt up off the ground by the collar. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Walt gave Roger a thumbs-up. "I hope you and her have a good life together, bro." Then he was face-first on the ground as she punched him again.

Roger just stood there in silence… "So…tell me something…who are you?"

The girl glared at him for a few seconds, apparently associating him with his brother's stupid joke. "My name is Alicia Emerson. I am a student of Robinson High School. Also, I'm the friend of your brother…though I didn't know it until right now."

Roger nodded sagely, his face still red and his ears and tail still out. "Now, one more thing…Where's my shirt?"

"Right here, you big child." She reached out of sight and threw his shirt at him. "Stop your complaining."

"Shut up, before I kick your ass on general principle." As Roger's shirt was halfway on, his mind kicked him roughly as it gave him the mental picture of Caitlyn slung over Ivy's shoulder. "Oh no! I have to save…"

"I know that." Alicia smiled and held up a finger. "For now, we can't do anything though. Unless you know where those two 'women' went, we'll just have to kick back and wait for an opportunity to chase after them." Then she had to leap out of the way as Roger barreled right past her. "Where are you going?"

"I'll save her, screw your plan!" Roger threw the front door of the apartment open and charged outside and out of sight.

Alicia just stood there, eyes wide. ("He…doesn't even know where he is at the moment, so how could he possibly save her?")

Walt stood up and readjusted his jaw. "So, what was that all about?"

Alicia rolled her eyes and explained.

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As the man sat in his laboratory, he looked at the computer screen in front of him and smiled in amusement. "This is so entertaining…to see her body's genetic structure change." This was his ultimate test. Was it possible to make a human being's genetic structure change enough that they became compatible with one of the DNA mixtures?

From just behind him, he could hear Caitlyn's screams of pain. They didn't really register as much to him, except that he was making some progress. ("It hurts now, but soon you'll understand why I have done this, girl.") He knew that his methods were cruel, and he didn't care. If in the end he yielded results that were all that mattered.

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Roger had run about ten city blocks before realizing he had no idea where he was. "Damn it…this is a good way to ruin my…"

"Well boys, look at what we have here." A voice coldly spoke from an alley right off to Roger's side. "If it isn't the wonder child of crime, Roger Grant. I wonder what he's doing all the way down here…and whether or not he understands that he has crossed into the territory of the Red Skulls."

Roger slowly turned, his eyes sweeping over the ten street thugs who all sat along the alley. Apparently he was in a different gang's territory, and honestly he didn't care. "I don't have time to waste on you small fries; I have things that have to be done."

"Is that so?" The leader of the group, a red-haired man who looked to be about twenty, slowly approached Roger. "Well you'll have to excuse us, but we small fries just love to get in the way." Then all at once they charged, brandishing random weapons that ranged from broken bottles to baseball bats.

Roger lifted up his wrist device slowly. "I'll make this quick." Flicking open the cover, he pressed the button to trigger his transformation. "Now…Mew Mew Sonic, METAMOPHORSIS!"

All of the gang members slowed to a stop…and a long silence held over all of them as they stared at Roger.

Meanwhile, Roger just stared at the device like it was broken. ("There's no way…they told me this thing could take any amount of damage!")

"You done playing around, kid?" Then they all charged again.

Roger cracked his knuckles and charged as well. "Screw it, I'll take you out myself!"

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Walt sighed and tapped his foot a couple of times on the sidewalk before he looked at Alicia. "I wonder what's taking him so long."

Alicia shrugged. "He'll be back."

Walt heard his phone ring, and taking it out of his pocket he saw Roger's number on it. "I see, there he is." Holding it out at arms length, he flipped it open and held it up to his ear. "Where in the…"

"Yo Walt, long time no talk." The voice on the other end of the line was smug. "I'm sure you realize that your little brother strolled onto our turf, right?"

Walt's voice instantly went ice cold, emotionless. "Where are you? And more importantly, who are you?"

"My name isn't as important as my gang's name. I'm sure you remember the Red Skulls, right?"

Walt instantly remembered the gang, and he narrowed his eyes as if he was glaring at the speaker. "That's a city-wide gang…what do you want with a little group like the Lone Wolves?"

"Can the crap." The voice sounded angry now. "You're one of the biggest ringleaders in this whole city. Little gang or not, you guys are starting to irritate us. As such, we decided that we'll make your little brother pay."

Walt flipped his phone closed. "We have a problem…he's run into a rival gang. There's no point in talking to them, they don't sound like they want to do anything more than let me know what they are doing and then try to make me mad by beating Roger up while I can hear it." His eyes very slowly went down the list of names he had on speed dial. "It's alright, I know a couple of guys who owe me some favors…"

Alicia sighed and placed a hand over his. "There's no need for that. I'll get him."

"You'll…" Walt glared at her. "Now isn't the time for jokes."

"Who said I was joking?" Alicia held up her hand and closed her eyes. There was a moment of silence, and then she started to glow.

"What are you…" Walt stepped back as the concrete around them started to crack.

"Mew Mew Terra, METAMOPHORSIS!" As she said this, Alicia disappeared within a huge cloud of dust that exploded up from the ground at her feet.

("You have to be kidding me!") Walt was forced to step back even farther as the dust cloud turned into a dust tornado that nearly enveloped him.

From within it, Alicia tilted her head back as her hair and eyes changed from hazel and blond to dark brown. The dust formed into a white shirt and pair of jeans, then a long leather trench-coat, and finally a cowboy hat, all of which she was now wearing. From underneath the hat, a pair of brown fox ears replaced her human ones, and from underneath the billowing coat a brown fox's tail could be seen.

Walt just stood there, a huge sweatdrop seeming to hang off the side of his head. "H…Huh?"

Mew Terra sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "Now's not surprise time. Let's find your dumb little brother." Then she threw him over one shoulder and leapt to the top of a nearby rooftop, smiling slightly at his cries of protest.

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"It's interesting, her body is actually resisting my attempts to change it!" The man couldn't get enough of this. It was like a game of chess, one where the opponent had two moves for each of his. ("I can't hope to move faster than her genetics can, but by no means am I near losing. It is running on a program, while I can think ahead.") He still wasn't sure how someone's body could so quickly change and work to undo his changes, but his research would not be stopped. ("By the time this day ends, you will be injected with a mixture. Whether it will yield an animal, a mutant, or a Mew Mew though, we shall see.")

To be continued…

And so the mystery man's plans are revealed. Why is he so dead-set on trying to create more Mew Mews, and more importantly, can Alicia and Walt save Roger before it is too late? And what of Bruce, who remained at school after the fight?