Disclaimer: No I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew.
Five Elements-The American Mew Mews
Chapter 13: Legend of the Black Wolf; Roger's legacy
Many years ago…
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A heavenly song filled the air around the park, a brown-haired woman wearing a sun dress sitting underneath a large elm tree letting her voice echo up into the sky. Finally, her song reached its crescendo, and then silence held over the whole park…
Until her audience broke into wild applause that scared the birds in the tree up into the air and away.
Marianne Erickson bowed to her audience a couple of times. Then she noticed a pair of faces out of the crowd and kneeled down to whisper to the little brown-haired girl who was watching her in adoration. "Caitlyn, it looks like Harold and Roger are here too."
"Really?" The little girl jumped up to her feet, smoothed out of her pink dress, and then ran through the dispersing crowd to latch onto the leg of the man who stood like a beast amongst sheep.
Something about him radiated a feral strength that no one could deny. His incredibly long black hair hung down all the way to his back, and his leather biker's jacket seemed strained under the pull of his body's thick muscles. For a few moments he slowly tilted his face down to look down at the little girl who had hugged his leg, and then his dark look broke into a huge smile that instantly shattered the image of a predator. "Hey there, what's a cute little girl like you doing running away from your mother's side?" Lifting her up with one arm and balancing her off of his shoulder, he walked over to Marianne and chuckled. "It looks like Caitlyn got that dress she wanted? You gave out, didn't you?"
The woman stuck out her tongue so quickly that no one was sure whether it had really happened or not. "Only the best for my little song-bird. After all, one day she'll be the greatest singer in the world."
"I don't doubt it." Richard Grant set his friend's daughter down and turned back to look at a little boy who hadn't moved from the spot that he had been standing. "Well Roger, aren't you going to say hello to Caitlyn?"
"Psh…" The mop-headed little boy looked away, his hair almost completely obscuring his eyes from view.
Richard continued to smile as he walked over and smacked his son in the back of the head. "Don't be a jerk. Just come over and say hello!"
"Screw you, old man." Roger turned and started to walk off, right up until he was lifted up into the air by the collar of his shirt. "Hey! Put me down!"
Richard brought his son over and deposited him right in front of Caitlyn. "Now then Roger, what do you say?"
Roger squeezed his eyes shut and crossed his arms across his little chest. Apparently he wasn't going to say anything.
Richard sighed. "Fine, be a little brat." Turning to look at Marianne, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. I would think he'd eventually outgrow that whole stupid phase, but apparently he's stuck there."
Roger kicked his father in the shin for the comment, and got retaliation in the form of a kick to the chest.
Marianne was surprisingly calm, mostly because she knew that these two could take anything the other could dish out. They were both like monsters in that respect. "So tell me, what's the deal with Rachael? Is she really taking Walt with her to those business meetings?" She knew the truth, but wasn't sure if Roger knew anything about his father's 'job'.
"Oh yeah, she took him for the weekly shake-down of that one shop downtown." Richard blinked in surprise when she face-fell. "Is something the matter?"
"No…nothing at all…" Marianne hopped to her feet, amazed that those two were so open about it to their kids. ("They treat being criminals like it is a family business…ridiculous…") But she had known the Grants for the longest time, and they were good people at heart. Richard still scared her sometimes, because it was like he was sometimes on the verge of exploding, even when nothing was wrong at all.
Roger ignored the two stupid adults and their conversation, until he heard something else in the background. It was singing. Slowly, he turned to look over so that he could see Marianne singing. Despite the fact that she was a stupid adult, she really could sing very nicely…but she wasn't the one doing it.
Caitlyn sat at the base of the elm tree, singing a soothing melody. As she did this numerous of the birds who had flown off before flapped back in and landed on the branches of the tree, chirping and singing along with her. Then, as her song ended on a sweet note that held in the air like a puff of air, her eyes opened and she realized that Roger was sitting on his knees only about two feet from her. His crystal blue eyes looked almost entranced, and his whole body seemed relaxed. "Oh, hiya Roger. Whatcha looking at?"
Shaking his head out to try and clear the gripping haze that still clung to his mind, he tried to wipe the blush out of his cheeks. "Nothing! I'm fine!"
Richard snickered and crossed his arms across his chest. "Hey Marianne, can I get a recording of your little songbird's music? Apparently it can do something that nothing else can, and that's calm this brat down."
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"…looks like he's actually waking up. I'm serious boss, this kid is some kind of monster." Roger tried to open his eyes, but something was wrong…very wrong…
"He's the son of the Legendary Black Wolf of the west coast of America. Of course of he's a monster, just like his pop. I knew the guy…Richard Grant. He wasn't huge, but something about his stance always said that you couldn't beat him. It was like he was a demon from the pits of hell." A large man with a red beard wearing a t-shirt and pants leaned down towards Roger's ear. "You actually awake?"
"Where…" Roger's whole body hurt, and he couldn't see more than tiny blurs through the slits that he could make of his eyes.
"You're currently being held in a secret location of the Red Skulls 'base'." The man sighed and shook his head sadly at the horribly beaten form that was tied to the post in front of him. "You're a piece of work, kid. We were just supposed to capture you, but you kept fighting even while you were down. Sorry about it, but we had to break your right arm to make you pass out."
("That's it…") Roger knew now why he couldn't feel his right side. The damage must have been substantial for him to not even know about it until he was told that it had happened. ("But why did that memory wake me up?") An image of Caitlyn flashed in his mind.
The man gasped in surprise as he saw Roger immediately start squirming against his bonds. "Are you nuts? We just got your arm bandaged up…and…"
"Let…me…go!" Roger fought harder and harder, refusing to let the incredible pain he felt now put him down. "I…I…"
"Darn…" The man took something out of his shirt pocket and spoke into it. "You won't believe it, but this kid is actually trying to break free. What should I do?"
"We just need him partially alive, enough for our employer to use. So go ahead and break his other arm, if you feel it necessary." The voice on the other end was emotionless about such a horrible idea.
The man grimaced and looked down at the kicking Roger. "Stop fighting it, it will make things easier."
"Shut up!" Roger gritted his teeth and screamed through them as a sickening crack filled the room momentarily. And then he was standing.
The man just stood there, jaw hanging open. ("He broke his arm again…to get free? What kind of willpower would that require?") Grabbing the baseball bat next to his side, he watched as Roger stumbled towards him. "You're insane…" Then he slammed the weapon down on Roger's good shoulder roughly. "Go to…" His eyes widened as Roger's hand shot up and knocked the bat away, sending it clattering to the other end of the room. "How could you possibly…"
"She needs me to save her, so move!" Then Roger slammed his head down onto the other man's nose as hard as he could. There was a loud crunch, and then the man dropped unconscious to the stone floor.
"Hey, what's happening in there?" The door was literally kicked open, and the guards who were positioned outside the door ran in.
Roger stood there, blood dripping down his right arm and his bruised eyes somehow open, both of them glowing a dark gold color. "You're letting me go, or I kill you all…"
"With a broken right arm, I don't think so kid." The guard who spoke started to laugh, but then felt pain shoot up his side like someone had stabbed him with red-hot needles. Slowly, he lowered his head to see that those eyes were locked right onto him. And the very prescense they gave off said that something powerful was within this boy…something that was angry.
Roger walked past both of the guards, no longer seeming to notice the damage that had been dealt to his right arm. ("Caitlyn…I'm coming to rescue you…")
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"His scent ends here." Mew Terra dropped Walt unceremoniously to the ground in front of a warehouse that was located somewhere on the fringes of the warehouse district of the city.
Leaping to his feet and rubbing his very sore rear, the teen crossed his arms across his chest and leaned in towards her. "So tell me something…at what point and time did you join the insane group my brother wound up with?"
"Is it really the time for that?" Mew Terra narrowed her eyes, and then froze up as she felt something tug her tail a couple of times. "What are you…."
"Just wanted to see if it was real or not." Then Walt was on the concrete, a huge bruise on the right side of his face.
Mew Terra glared at him and then walked towards the warehouse. "I'll get him. Just stay outside here."
"Actually, you'll be a little bit busy." A calm female voice spoke from nearby, at a parked limousine that was by a nearby warehouse. As the woman walked into open sight, she revealed a crop of red hair and a dress made of green plant matter that she was wearing. "My name is Petunia, not that it really matters. You won't live long enough to meet me again." Snapping her fingers, she smiled calmly as a loud roar shook the surrounding buildings. "Allow me to introduce a cousin of the Basilisk Type I. It's name is Chimera Type I, and it's looking forward to meeting you, Mew Terra."
A shape the size of an SUV came leaping from around a corner. It was made up of green plant matter, and had a body like that of a headless lion with wings. Where the neck should have been on a normal lion, there was a roaring cavity.
Petunia pointed at Mew Terra. "It's time to go play, my little child. Swallow her whole!"
The Chimera roared and launched right at Mew Terra, biting down on her shoulder. Then it roared in confusion as the Mew Terra it had bitten into turned to sand.
"Huh?" Petunia wished there was at least a little bit of plant life around here, so that she could use it to help her detect Mew Terra's location. ("Where'd you go?")
"It's a shame that you don't understand what I am." Mew Terra caught both of their attentions as she called out from the top of a nearby warehouse roof. A cold wind blew through her coat, kicking it up behind her. "I am a fox, a trickster. As such, you won't find me so easy to beat up as you did the other two. Unlike them, my skill is tact…" Drawing both of her revolvers, she aimed them right at the Chimera. "…and these too, of course! Terra Fox Storm!" A rain of compressed air bullets came slamming down and pummeled the monster, filling it with holes.
Petunia gritted her teeth and pointed up at the girl. "Go Chimera, consume…" Her eyes widened as Mew Terra had disappeared from the rooftop. "Where'd she go?" A roar from Chimera caught her attention, and she looked at it quickly. "That's…no…"
Mew Terra stood ten feet from the creature, both of her revolvers spinning on her index fingers. "And now for the killing shot! Allow me to show you what happens when someone actually knows how to use their finishing technique!" Throwing both of the revolvers into the air, she ran right at the Chimera and vaulted off of its back, too fast for it to follow with its body movements.
Petunia knew that now was her best chance at running…
Mew Terra caught both of her revolvers in mid-air and aimed them down at the Chimera. "It ends here! Ribbon…" The air around her grew hazy and distorted. "…Terra Waltz!" Then there were twelve of her, in different areas surrounding the creature. "Twelve shots." All at once they each fired a single bullet, each of which collided in the very center of the monster's body. With one explosive collision, they instantly destroyed the Chimera.
Petunia was already driving off by the time her monster had been destroyed. ("Impossible….are they really that strong? Have we been outclassed since the beginning?")
Mew Terra landed on the ground, her other eleven selves already gone. "That was surprisingly easy."
Walt chuckled and patted her on the shoulder, grinning at her startled jump in reaction to it. "Indeed, you are truly light years stronger than my little brother."
("How did he sneak up on me so easily?") Mew Terra suddenly felt a surge of energy from inside the warehouse she had detected Roger in. "Do you feel that?"
"Feel what?" Walt started to chuckle…but it died down as the beads of sweat on his cheek began to multiply. ("What was that?")
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Screams came from within somewhere deeper in the building, and the men stationed at the entrance to the warehouse felt like they were trapped in some horror movie. What could possibly be going on back there?
They had already armed themselves appropriately with firearms, but even with them they still felt strangely unprotected, as if they were trying to stop a train with a metal pipe.
The screams of pain grew louder, and then the whole building shook from some kind of mighty impact that had happened back there. The sound of running footsteps came from down the hall, and then the door opened.
All of the ten guards stationed at the entrance lifted their guns at once, but dropped them when they recognized the runner as one of their own.
The man looked distraught and afraid, as if the devil was chasing him. "We have to run…he's not human…"
"What are you talking about? He's just a…" The guard went silent as they heard footsteps coming from the other end of the hall.
Mew Sonic calmly walked towards them, his eyes still glowing that dark gold color. "Get out of my way." He didn't look damaged at all, as if everything that had been done to Roger had been negated.
All of the guards started to lift their weapons, but then felt an invisible force push against them. It was like facing some kind of air pressure…but different…
Mew Sonic walked right past them all, not even bothering to pay them back for what had happened to him. He had much more important things to do.
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Mew Terra shivered as she saw Mew Sonic step out of the warehouse. His eyes were a strange dark gold color, and his entire body seemed to be rippling with some kind of energy. Physically, he looked the same…but something about him spoke of a strength he didn't have before. ("What happened to him in the course of an hour?")
"We're going to find out where Caitlyn is." Mew Sonic stopped a few feet from Walt. "Call your…"
"There's no need." A smell like charcoal filled the air as Mew Pyro seemed to just appear at the other end of the courtyard. "I found out where their base is." He motioned to the unconscious Lotus over his shoulder. "She proved to be very talkative once she saw that I am immune to fire."
"Fine…whatever…" Mew Sonic looked up at the sky, and the entire courtyard was suddenly lit up in a golden glow. "I'm killing the guy behind this all…just to let you all know ahead of time."
Neither Mew Terra nor Mew Pyro was stupid enough to argue with him.
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The man chuckled as he heard the door behind him open. "Ah Jasmine…I assume you returned because you saw what had happened to Lotus and Petunia."
"Yes sir." The fifth of the plant sisters, obscured by shadow, bowed gently. "Petunia is returning here as we speak, and Lotus has been captured. We can assume they are coming here right now. However, the advantage is ours…"
"Extend your senses to the sentry plants by the entrance of my estate." The man laced his fingers together, continuing to smile in amusement as he heard his creation gasp in surprise. "His power has already risen considerably. It would take at least three of you to overpower him now. Apparently when he pushed his power over its limit, the response was that somehow he found an even deeper storage of energy within his body. Now he's even stronger than before."
"What…what should we do?" Jasmine didn't know what to do now. Their original plan wouldn't work if Mew Sonic was this much stronger than before.
"It's quite simple…we'll simply unlock the Type II Bio-monsters." The man chuckled again. "Please, go wake up the Behemoth Type II Bio-monsters, if you could."
"Of course sir," Jasmine bowed once more and disappeared.
To be continued…
And so the first meeting between the mysterious man behind the plant sisters and Mew Sonic are set in motion. What will come of it when Roger finds out what has happened to Caitlyn? Will the boy be driven to do the unspeakable and kill another human being?