Ken rolled over, whacking Peach in the head with his arm. Peach stirred a bit, yawning. He nuzzled back into the sheets and took a deep breath.

Then, suddenly, his eyes shot open. His whole body jolted upwards.

"Monster da wan!"

He nudged Ken awake.

"A monster?! Call the Powerpuff Girls Z!"

Peach eagerly complied.

-+-+-+-

Kaoru rolled over as she heard the humming noise.

"Go away. It's too early."

She eventually pushed herself up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She grabbed for her belt, preparing to transform.

"Who the hell attacks the city at this ungodly hour?"

She transformed and quietly flew out her window, ready to meet her teammates to fight the monster.

Unbeknownst to Kaoru, her little brother stared wide-eyed into her room at her window, mouth agape.

Onee-chan...

She's a Powerpuff Girl Z?

-+-+-+-

Shou paced back and forth, holding the ringing telephone next to his ear.

"Hello? Who is this? Why are you calling so goddamn EARLY?"

"Aniki? Izzat you? I got something important to tell you!"

-+-+-+-

Kano , rather Butch, flew through downtown muttering to himself.

"I could be at home. But noooo. Stupid little brat breaks down and begs me to go after his sister..." He sighed.

You would have gone after her even if he hadn't suggested it.

Butch frowned. Not this again... sane people don't have voices in their heads!

Don't change the subject. You would have.

Butch bit his lip. Yeah, I would have. What's your point?

You're outside at 4 in the morning, chasing after a girl. You gotta have some major feelings for her, huh?

I do NOT!

Oh, you don't now, do you?

Okay. Maybe a little bit. So leave me alone, you creepy voice!

He sighed, rubbing his temples.At least that voice is gone. He slowed his flight as he approached the battle.

-+-+-+-

Buttercup slammed her hammer ferociously against the zombie, only to have him catch it and send her flying back into the cement. For the eighth time.

"Blossom! Don't you have a plan?" The green girl exclaimed, pulling herself up and shaking off the shards of cement covering her sweaty body.

Her leader grunted in response. "Not yet. Just keep fighting him, okay? We'll think of something..."

Buttercup grit her teeth as she popped her shoulder back in place. "We don't have the time to think up something!"

As the two argued, Bubbles and the zombie continued the furious battle.

The zombie grinned demonically at her and lunged forward. Bubbles retaliated by spinning her rod to block his punches. She quickly dodged to his left, sending a Neba-Neba his way in hopes he'd become stuck to something. The zombie avoided the bubble, leaping over it and executing a thunderous knock-out with a spinning kick to the side of her head.

Bubbles was sent soaring down into the pavement, breaking apart Buttercup and Blossom's spat. The two were alarmed, leaping back from where their teammate had fallen.

"What are we waiting for?! Let's go get him, leader girl!" And the two remaining girls took off to fight the zombie.

-+-+-+-

When Kano reached the battle, it was Buttercup versus the zombie Kaiba. Blossom and Bubbles lay broken and bleeding, buried in the cement.

He instantly detransformed and hid in an alley to keep himself out of view. He didn't want to get involved and reveal himself unless it was absolutely necessary.

Being Butch... having this extraordinary power...

He turned back to watch the fight, only to see Buttercup slammed down harshly into the pavement. He growled as he saw the zombie pick her up by her collar and pull her closer to him.

Does Kaoru mean more?

He watched as the zombie whipped her head to the side, ripping off her choker in the process.

Kaoru, practically unconscious and detransformed, glanced over in the direction her head was leaning. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw Kano standing there, leaning against the alley wall.

He's... just watching me die.?

-+-+-+-

Kano clenched his fists. Her eyes were clouded with tears and begging for help. She stared at him, screaming through her eyes that she needed him.

He didn't want to. She'd know. More importantly, they'd know and he'd be wanted for killing Kaiba and being a monster. He wasn't a monster. But Kaoru really needed him. He could only stare as the zombie prepared to bite her.

I can save her and be discovered, loosing Butch. Or I can keep my powers by loosing her.

Kano immediately launched himself from the wall, transforming into Butch as he soared and knocked the zombie away from Kaoru, catching her in his arms. He looked down; she was unconscious.

Thank god she didn't see.

And with that, he beat the living hell out the zombie, finally releasing Kare's spores by knocking the thing out.

He left the girl in the cement, frowning as he did. They'd know if he took her. Regardless of how bad he wanted too, he couldn't take her back with him.

So he detransformed and disappeared into the alley he'd come from, transforming again once he was sure he was out of sight to take off back to his apartment.

He furrowed his brows in thought.

What the hell was Shou doing awake at 4 in the morning?!

-+-+-+-

Kaoru woke up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She was at the lab, bandages covering her body and a cast on her arm. She groggily looked up, seeing the professor tending to Momoko's leg.

"Professor?"

He jumped three feet in the air. Turning to look at her, he smiled.

"Feeling better?"

She nodded. "I guess so. I'm not dead, so that's always a plus. What the heck happened?"

The professor scratched his head, walking over to the main computer. He pressed a few buttons, and the scene of Butch fighting the Kaiba zombie appeared.

"This monster attacked the zombie, and in the process saved you three. But we believe that the monster had a predetermined goal of destroying Korematsu Kaiba. The Korematsu family is very rich, and a scientist with enough skills and access to chemical X could have intergrated the DNA of you three, possibly more of yours, because you are the toughest and strength was necessary for the monster to be able to kill off Kaiba, meaning that this monster must be found and researched in order to discover who created such a thing for a dirty job. And that also would mean a boy has been taken from his family, or maybe is conscious of what he's doing if he obtained his powers in a similar fashion to the way you three obtained yours. Or maybe he is a black light monster who just never had a motive of attacking before.

"I'm not sure exactly, but the necessary components to create the correct sequence of amino acids to form the protein that adds the power to chemical X to make it chemical Z may have been discovered through a lot of research, as Kaiba was the only heir to the Korematsu business which competes in a large market with many competitors and their business is much more successful than the others, as they are richer than the competing companies..."

Kaoru sighed. "Ask a simple question, get an elaborate answer." She muttered quietly as the Professor continued his rant.

"So, can I go?"

Professor Utonium turned and looked at her. "Are you sure you feel up to it? Are you completely rested?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

The professor rubbed his temples. "Then yes, you may go. Just rest and drink plently of fluids and don't stay up to late or participate in vigorous physical activity until you feel completely renewed."

Kaoru blinked. "Um, okay?"

"And keep an eye out for potiential evil-doers that could possibly be the monster."

Kaoru rolled her eyes and smirked. "Okay. I'll watch out for sketch people. Can I go?"

"It's 'may I go', but yes. You can."

Kaoru jogged out and waved goodbye. "Take care of Miyako and Momoko!"

Professor turned around to witness Kaoru's jogging. "I SAID NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY!!!"

-+-

Kaoru laughed as she jogged down the street headed toward her home. The Professor is so ridiculous. But I guess we do owe him...

She stopped at an intersection, waiting for the cars to finish so she could cross.

Who's new, my age, and would be an evil villian?

Only new kid this year was Kano. God, why is it always him? And he said he beat him up. But that he didn't kill him. She sighed and changed her direction to head to Kano's apartment. What am I going to do with that boy?!

-+-

Kaoru boldly approached Kano's door. Her amnesia of the battle's events was passing, and all she could currently recall was that Kano had been there. And he was the new kid.

She sighed, digging her hands into her pockets as she patiently waited for the door to be opened. When it wasn't, she bit her lip and knocked it again.

Still no answer.

She was getting pretty pissed at Kano. He had to be home. And she wanted answers. And she wanted those answers now.

She knocked again, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. Eventually, it turned into all-out pounding and shouting fest.

"KANO! DAMN IT, KANO! OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!" She sighed and slid down the door. Where is that boy?!

She was moping over him not being there when an older black woman passed her. The lady bent down and tilted up her head.

Kaoru's eyes were glassy and her mouth was quivering.

"My dear, are you Kaoru?"

She nodded.

The lady pulled her up.

"Come with me."

-+-

Kaoru entered the woman's apartment cautiously.

"So, why did you want me to come?"

The lady ignored the comment as she dug through a pile of mail.

Kaoru's patience was already worn far to thin to put up with being ignored.

"I said, why do you want me?!"

The lady just smiled. "Patience, dear, is a virtue. And it's one you lack."

Kaoru blushed. "It's just, I kind of am upset he didn't answer and I don't have time to help you and..."

The woman laughed. "Honey, your boy is gone." And she handed Kaoru the letter she dug out from the stack on her counter.

"Go read it somewhere private, and sitting down."

-+-

Gone. Her lip quivered. He can't be gone. It's not allowed. He hasn't even kissed me yet. Her eyes widened. Why did I think that?! I don't want him to kiss me! Eww...

She blushed. Hell with that. Yeah I do. He's hot. But why did he leave? What did I say?!

She sat down in Sakurako's shop in the back corner, and once she had finished her dumplings she opened the letter.

-+-

Kaoru-

You should know why I'm leaving. Take care of yourself.

-+-

She blinked, shocked. That's it?! She pounded her fists on the table, furious. She also scared the living daylights out of the surrounding customers.

No "Oh, Kaoru. I'll miss you". What the hell?! And he didn't even sign his name!

She felt the tears rising to her eyes.

God damn it, the bastard's making me cry.

It's okay to cry.

Why would he leave?! He didn't even say goodbye?! "Take care of yourself"?!

She sighed, slamming the money for her dumplings on the front counter as she stormed out the door. She goosestepped all the way to her house and ripped open the front door.

She slammed it as hard as she could and charged up the stairs to her room.

Finally, in the peace and quiet of her room, she collapsed into her pillow and cried over the loss of the one guy she actually, with all her heart, loved.

-+-

Kano sat anxiously in the airport. He was leaving for good. His dad wouldn't care; less of a burden for him to transport around. The cops wouldn't catch him for killing Kaiba.

He was going to New York City. He was going to be rich, find fame. He bit his lip. Or something like that.

And Kaoru? She was better off without him. Much better off. She could find a different guy. A much more deserving guy who wasn't a murderer.

It wasn't like she could've loved him, anyway.

---

I feel a sequel coming on...

Thank you all for your support with this story. I honestly appreciate every single review. Thank you so much all my reviewers! I hope you're eagerly anticipating the sequel. I haven't started writing it. Gimme a break. It's summer.

Feel free to bitch about how I ended it. "Too soon, not enough green fluff, bitch/moan/whine/etc". Trust me. It's on the way. Now all I have to do is gather the balls to write that sequel. I know what I'm calling it, if that helps assure you I'm not too lazy. It'll probably loose the "Colorz" thing, because I think that's kind of lame. Yeah, it's totally lame. I am so keeping it.

But it will be "Colorz: Redemption". Ooh. Now you can fantasize the possibilities of such an amazing title.

And yeah. That was my first time writing a fight scene. So tell me what I need to improve on in that sense, because I know it wasn't that great.