Lone Wolf

Chapter 5

A/N: Yay!

Disclaimer: Here is what I own: Scarlet, her spaceship, the glass pomegranate, Pilka, Zalka, Doughnut. Here is what Mia Ikumi owns: Everything else

"Name: Zakuro Fujiwara. Orientation: Werewolf/human. Now search!" Pie practically yelled at his high-tech self-created tracking device.

The machine, an oblong pipe with a flat screen on top, beeped in response. The lavender-haired alien wondered if the search could go any slower. I need to design faster machines, he informed himself.

Ever since that strange girl on the beach had told him to "go search for the girl he loved," Pie had been working in a frenzied daze to prepare for his search.

It had started with acceptance.

After fully contemplating what that funny girl—Chihiro—had said, Pie realized he would have to come to terms with his mixed-up emotions before beginning his search for the werewolf. So he'd asked himself a simple question: Do I love Zakuro?

It had taken consideration. Years of creating destructive machines and killer animals hadn't left him very in-touch with his emotions. But finally, he had found an answer nearly as simple as the question he'd asked: Yes.

It was hard to believe, but yes. He, Pie the alien, was in love with the wolf-girl. The human wolf-girl, his former worst enemy. All he could think at first was, Kish will never let me live this down.

But there was no time for the hours of intense worry that usually followed a realization of love. There was no time to wonder how to tell her, or if she would feel the same way. Because before Pie could ever get around to telling her his feelings, he had to rescue her.

Easier said than done. He knew practically zilch about the defense systems of Scarlet Red's spaceship. He didn't know if the cold female's traps and weapons were anything similar to the ones her late brother had used.

Finally, the math genius had put his brain to the problem and hacked into Scarlet's hard drive. She wasn't dumb—she'd probably know within an hour, not giving Pie much time if he wanted to use the element of surprise—but he'd found what he needed.

And it, as Ryou had told Lettuce only an hour earlier, was not good.

Deep Blue's weapons and machines had been fairly simple, and at a level of technology that was at least within Pie's understanding, if not within his ability to replicate. Old Doughnut, the alien who had been Pie's mentor in his childhood, had been on the design team for some of Deep Blue's technological ideas, so he'd at least learned about them.

Scarlet Red's weapons were so much more high-tech than anything Deep Blue had ever used. Pie was dumbstruck. The woman must be a genius! There were codes in her hard drive he'd never even dreamed of using on the spaceship…

…but no time to daydream about that. He'd found what he needed, and had a plan for breaking into her ship that just might work. There were still a lot of variables, but he hadn't got much time. Scarlet Red would realize she had a hacker in less than thirty minutes. He had to get going, now. Zakuro's life depended on it.

"Mister Pie?" the tracking machine said in its crisp, robotic voice. "Miss Fujiwara's coordinates have been determined. X-3428538 by Y-2348573407520323048230483. Have a nice day!"

Pie groaned. He made a quick mental note. I need to focus more on how fast my machines work, not their manners…but no time to worry about that. I know where Zakuro is now. There's nothing stopping me. Time to go rescue my Lone Wolf.

With that thought, Pie took a single deep breath and stepped into his teleportation machine.

"Good afternoon…Zakuro," Scarlet Red's voice echoed through the near-empty space of the giant glass pomegranate. "Enjoying your stay? Sorry about the accommodations…all the other rooms were full." Icy laughter followed this sarcastic statement.

Zakuro just glowered up at her captor, her face set in its coldest modeling expression. She would give the repulsive woman no satisfaction in knowing how cold she was from lying in the cell, or how much she missed her friends. Scarlet Red would just use it against her, she was sure of it.

"Well, you're a smart little girl. You've certainly figured out my plan by now. If you haven't, I'll enlighten you. You're to be the bait in a capture scheme like none the galaxy has ever seen. Your pathetic little friends were so eager to rush to your rescue…they're breaking in right now, in fact…but of course, it's a trap. My aides are powerful fighters—Cat-girl and Co. will be no match."

Zakuro still didn't speak a word. However, inside, her brain was rushing frantically. The other Mews? Here? Oh, no! I have to warn them! I mean…I'd rather Scarlet killed me then captured them. They can still be Tokyo Mew Mew without me—plus they all have boyfriends who'll miss them. I'm the lone wolf, I can afford to die…but they can't!

She tried not to let her fear for her friends show in her large violet eyes, which remained fixed on Scarlet Red's evil crimson ones.

"Come, little wolfie. Why don't we set up an adequate reception for your weakling playfellows? My aides will tend to your needs…Pilka! Zalka! Come here!" she ordered, her voice full of iron.

The two blue-haired female humanoids strode forward, roughly grabbing Zakuro by each arm. As they dragged her to where Scarlet Red stood, she noticed their empty blue eyes gazing vacantly upon their mistress.

The alien smiled, a smile that did not reach her eyes. "Take her to the holding bay…and don't forget to leave her in plain sight, so her little friends will have no trouble finding her location."

Outside Scarlet Red's Spaceship, East Side

The tiny single-person ship maneuvered itself closer and closer to the massive engine of Scarlet Red's massive shuttle. "A little bit closer…just a bit…steady now…" Pie kept up a steady stream of conversation with himself, so as not to lose his cool.

The plan he had formed was very risky, and would only work if executed very carefully and precisely. Beside the right engine, he'd discovered, there was a small trapdoor used only when Scarlet sent one of her followers out to check the jets. He thought he could fit through it—but the engine wouldn't be turned off. He'd have to be careful. There would be no rescuing Zakuro if he was sliced into ribbons by the whirring blades.

But he couldn't think of that…no…must concentrate. "A bit to the left…now right…there's the door…be careful…JUMP!"

With that sudden comment, Pie flung himself from his single-ship and grasped onto the handle of the trapdoor. Bracing his legs on a small ledge perilously close to the whirring engine, he teased the door open. It was stuck, and he had to pull pretty hard.

Thwump! The door swung open, almost knocking the alien off-balance. Pie regained his steadiness and crawled through the opening. I'm coming, Zakuro, was the only thought that filled his brain as he entered the hostile spaceship.

Outside Scarlet Red's Spaceship, West Side

"There she is! It's Zakuro, na no da!" Pudding exclaimed. "They has chains on her, na no da!"

"Quiet, Pudding. We don't want whatever aliens are inside there to know we're here," Ichigo reprimanded.

"All right, Ichigo-chan. Pudding will be quiet, na no da! Right away, na no da!" The monkey-girl chattered.

Lettuce sighed. She could tell that her friends were all nervous. Ichigo was trying to be calm, but she could see her hands clenched into fists within the cat-girl's strawberry red gloves. Pudding was talking even faster than she usually did, a sure sign that the monkey was distressed. And Mint, though her face was as cool as Ichigo's, betrayed her nervousness by the fluttering of the ultramarine lorikeet's wings that protruded from the small of her back.

"Well, girls, what's the plan? Zakuro seems to be alone, but we never know," Mint observed. "Ryou and Keiichiro said the alien's signal was the most powerful they'd ever seen!"

As Ichigo and Lettuce turned to discuss plans with Mint, Pudding kept her eyes glued to the small spaceship window they looked through. Her golden eyes widened as a tall, red-clad figure materialized beside her werewolf friend.

"Lettuce, Mint, Ichigo, look! It's a girl-alien, with Zakuro, na no da! She is very scary looking, na…"

At the youngest Mew's words, Lettuce had whipped around to see what Pudding was looking at. When the mermaid saw Scarlet Red, her green eyes took on an expression of shock similar to Pudding's. She clapped a pale hand over her friend's mouth before the little monkey could even finish her catchphrase.

"She looks like…no, it can't be!" Mint exclaimed in a whisper.

"Deep Blue?" Ichigo gasped. "She must be…his sister. Mas—that human that Deep Blue inhabited said that he kept getting mental pictures of a girl dressed in red and black. He said her name was—Scarlet Red. That must be her!"

"Well, there's no time to worry," Lettuce resolved. "We'd better get in there before she does anything horrible to our Zakuro."

A moment later, four whispered cries echoed into the emptiness of space.

"Ribbon Strawberry Check!"

"Ribbon Mint Echo!"

"Ribbon Lettuce Flash!"

"Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!"

The Holding Bay of Scarlet Red's Ship

Zakuro's sharp wolf ears caught the whispered sounds, and her heart filled with worry. Her friends were coming...she had to warn them that it was a trap! Oh no, oh no, oh no!

Scarlet Red must have sensed her worry this time, as she tossed her long reddish-black hair over her shoulders and gave a short, humorless laugh. "They have come, Lone Wolf, they have come."

Zakuro's shoulders tensed. That name! Unbidden, thoughts of Pie flooded her. She had to clench her violet eyes shut to keep Scarlet Red from seeing her tears.

How could he have betrayed me? I…I thought…the way he'd been acting…maybe he'd missed me. Maybe he cared about me.

Maybe he loved me.

I shouldn't care about them. He's an alien—my former enemy! I didn't care a thing for him! And I most certainly didn't like him!

Yes I did. I loved him. And I hoped…I hoped he felt it too.

There was no denying it anymore. Ever since he'd kissed her that strange night back in Tokyo, she'd been telling herself that her feelings toward the tall alien were neutral. But now, in her enemy's spaceship far above Earth with no hope of rescue—and the realization that Pie had been working for said enemy—her control just broke, and she admitted to herself that she cared. Now, when all hope was gone, did she realize what she should have done long ago.

"Answer me, captive!" Scarlet's harsh tone cut through the wolf's melancholy thoughts. "I said, are you missing your little sweetheart? That poor little—Pie, that's it—my brother's ex-henchman? You should have seen the expression on his face when I took you from him. When he realized that all the time he was trying to court you, he was really leading you to me. Hilarious, absolutely hilarious."

That was the last straw. Zakuro whipped her head around so fast her purple hair whacked herself in the face. "I'd figured out long ago that he was working for you. That's not new."

Scarlet laughed again, as the werewolf had expected, but the words she spoke were not expected. "Working for me, you stupid human? You thought Pie was working for me? That I would actually be as stupid as my late brother in hiring intelligent, thinking, calculating beings to be my servants? No, Wolf-Mew, I am above that. I use robots, child, robots! Pilka and Zalka are machines programmed to fight like monsters and obey my every whim. That—Pie—boy was never helping me, at least not of his own will. Stupid Mew!"

Robots? Pilka and Zalka? She uses Robots? Zakuro was dumbfounded. That means Pie—didn't betray me? And she said he was sad when I was captured…

…maybe he does love me?

Her train of thought was interrupted by four identical crashes.

"Zakuro! It's you, na no da! We've come to save you, na no da!"

It was the other Mews! No! She had to save them…

"Girls, don't! Ichigo, Mint, Lettuce, Pudding, listen to me! It's a trap, I'm the bait! Scarlet Red wants to capture you guys! Leave me, save yourselves!"

Time froze for a second.

All four Mews gaped open-mouthed at Zakuro, as though they couldn't believe what she'd just said. It was Mint who spoke.

"No, Zakuro. I don't care if it's a trap. You're one of us, one of Tokyo Mew Mew. We'd never leave you—not ever. Now girls, let's fight."

Mint flew toward Zakuro and started trying to undo the thick bonds Scarlet had put on her. Pudding began shooting sparks of light at the two robots, Pilka and Zalka, while Ichigo and Lettuce double-teamed Scarlet Red. Pink and green light surrounded her, but she seemed to deflect the mermaid and the cat-girl's attacks fairly easily.

With an explosive Crack! Mint ripped Zakuro's bonds off. "Help us fight, Zakuro, please. We can't leave Scarlet Red as an open threat."

Zakuro nodded, her violet eyes solemn. "She can still defeat us, Mint my dear friend. Of course I will fight. After all…" she laughed, "nobody holds Zakuro Fujiwara in a glass pomegranate and gets away free."

10 minutes later

Battle still raging

The battle was still going on. Zakuro was helping Pudding defeat the two robots. Now that the odds were better, the creations seemed to be weakening. Though Pilka did indeed fight like a monster with her long twin daggers, Zakuro was slowly driving her back into a corner.

The werewolf's crosswhip snaked out to trap the robot's feet, but Pilka jumped it nimbly. She rounded on Zakuro and started chasing the werewolf in the other direction. Zakuro was fast, but she was human, with limits. Pilka was a robot, programmed to finish off Zakuro at all costs.

Frantic, the wolf listened to the slap of her tall purple boots against the steel floor as she looked for an exit. She noticed a narrow passage leading up toward the engine. It was a wild chance, but she took it. Dashing down the alley, she could hear Pilka gaining on her at every moment.

A wire cable snaked across the floor. The werewolf didn't see it, and went tumbling. Oh no…this is the end, she thought. The robot will finish me off…

But she never hit. Inches above the ground, a pair of arms grabbed her. Pie…