Chapter 20
" So wait. . ." Cassidy's eyes were big in understanding. " You're not a complete douche. You were just pretending."
Ryou's face grew irritated. " I think douche is a bit to harsh. . ."
" No, no." She shook her head. "I think douche is pretty accurate."
" Okay." Ryou sighed. " Yes, when I look at the signals on my computer, the amount of energy coming from the aliens had a certain intensity."
" And you also get that intensity from our team." Cassidy stated slowly.
" Exactly."
" So there's no other explanation for this. You automatically assume it's a double agent?"
Ryou scoffed. " Cassidy, this is the real world, not a James Bond movie."
" But that is the technical term, right?" Cassidy tilted her head.
" Yes, I suppose it is."
" So hold on." Cassidy leaned away from him, hands up in speculation. " So, this is the correct conclusion right? You think someone on our team is on the aliens side. You don't know who or how many of us, but that's why you acted so jerk-tastic. To weed us out."
He wiped his face with his hand in exasperation at her insults. " Yes, yes that is what I just explained."
" Cool, just checking." Cassidy nodded. " So. . . What makes you think I'm not the back stabber?"
"You were the only member, besides Saline and Angelica, to fully amplify you powers." Ryou explained. " My computer picked it up, and it was completely different than the aliens."
" So you know Angelica and Saline are good to. . .then why pick on Saline?"
" To divert attention. And because Saline has been acting odd with Kisshu around." Ryou stated. " I didn't want to rule her out completely and I did need a scapegoat. I had to blame someone innocent, so the guilty didn't grow to suspicious and felt more at ease thinking I wasn't on to them. If I had blamed Angelica, she would have been to outspoken about my treatment unlike Saline who I knew would keep it to herself."
" I see." Cassidy looked down at her cup of iced tea, the ice almost completely melted. " But I just can't imagine any of them betraying us. I've known all of them since we were in third grade. We've been friends for a long time."
" Sometimes people who've been around each other for a long time can deceive one another easier due to familiarity. Something may have been going on that none of you caught onto."
" I guess." Cassidy moved a strand of hair behind her ear. " Well, what do you need me to do."
" You are what I like to call a thirdie." Ryou nodded. " You're one of those people who shift from group to group, being fully trusted but never given a permanent place."
" Okay, so still a jerk, just not stoic." Cassidy glared.
" I didn't mean it as an insult." Ryou rolled his eyes.
" Sure you didn't." Cassidy snorted.
When Ryou had asked her to stay behind as everyone left, she had been unsure. He was intimidating. But after their chat she found that he really wasn't that intimidating. A bit sarcastic, sure, and kinda jerkish, but nothing malicious or scary like she had previously thought. His once cold blue eyes had now reminded her of a cloudless blue sky that she could stare at for forever. And she felt comfortable, more comfortable than any other boy she had been with. Now she hoped their talk wouldn't end.
" I meant that you're easy to trust." Ryou stated, and Cassidy slightly smiled. " You can easily talk to the others and maybe extract some information."
" So you want me to super sleuth. . ." Cassidy contemplated.
" Sure, that's exactly what I want you to do." He chuckled. " And if Saline is innocent, I want you to remain by her and make sure my behavior doesn't get to her that much. Look out for her. She's your leader due to the amount of power she has, so we need her."
" What about Kisshu?"
" Is he going to be a problem?" Ryou's eyes narrowed.
" Well, I think he himself is lessening his chances of being a problem." Cassidy hinted. " But I do think Saline is unsure of him."
" That's up to you. Whether you can trick Saline into using Kisshu for our advantage, or whether that's impossible and you have to make sure those feelings don't prosper."
Cassidy nodded, and pulled her pendant out due to its warmth.
" I think something's going on. . ." She stared down in confusion. " I better go check it out."
" Go, I'll monitor." He got up and proceeded to his lab. Cassidy sighed, half concerned, and half angry that the moment was ruined.
She ran out of the shop and proceeded to run toward the main road. The pendant burned in her palm and as she jumped over a fence, she transformed into her mew form. Her mind was racing, as she had never felt the intensity this urgent or powerful before. Suddenly the pendant went cold.
" What?" Cassidy looked down and slowed to a jog. " How could it be. . ."
Had someone been. . . finished off?
Her breath caught in her throat as she quickened to her fastest pace possible. Her tail and ears blew down behind her as she sprinted closer to her destination. If Ryou was right, then as of now the only mew mews that the aliens would destroy would be the one not on their side. Moment of truth, she thought but then mentally scolded herself. These girls have been your friend for years and all you're thinking about is stopping the double agent.
She ran into an empty gas station and proceeded to run behind it. Once she turned a corner, she fell back and covered her eyes at the overwhelming bright light that seemed to devour everything around it. Her head spun, though her arms shielded her face.
" Cassidy!" Marissa's voice sounded faint. " Cassidy! Do you hear me?"
'Yes! Yes! But where are you?' She thought in frustration. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.
" Cassidy! It's me!" Marissa's voice still sounded far away. Cassidy braved to let her arms fall and she looked up, expecting to see the bright light. She only saw Marissa, with a glittering background, leaning down in slow motion. Cassidy's eyes widened, as she tried to get up, but found that her limbs were to heavy and slow.
" What's. . ." Her throat strained at the word. 'going on?'
Suddenly she felt herself rising, and her heart started beating erratically. Gravity had completely left her, and she felt her legs rise above her head. Then in an instant she dropped hard onto her back. Marissa grunted beside her. They kept in silence.
" What. . . was that?" Marissa asked, voice cracked and breathless.
" I don't know. . .did we just get attacked or. . ." Cassidy couldn't finish her thought, her mind was still swimming as if she has just snapped out of an acid trip.
" So is that what drugs feel like?"
" I don't think people start defying the laws of gravity when they're smoking joints."
" Maybe we imagined it."
" My head and the pavement disagree."
Marissa was the first to hoist herself up on her elbows.
" Whoa. . ." Was the only thing she spoke as her eyes widened at their surroundings.
" What?" Cassidy asked, still on the ground.
" I think we're dead, Cassidy. Seriously. Not joking." Marissa's voice grew hysterical. " Either we're in heaven, or a glittered out Kesha concert. I don't think the latter is possible."
Cassidy sat up. The entire air glowed in glitter and the concrete had burst out of the ground and instead of dirt, revealed grass which glowed an unnatural bright lime green.
" Where did the buildings go?" Marissa wondered, as all the buildings insight were blown away.
" Why aren't we in our mew forms anymore?" Cassidy looked down at her civilian cloths.
" Are we dead Cassidy. . .because I swear, I can't handle being dead. . .I'm young, I'm good looking. . ."
" No, we're not dead." Cassidy snapped. " We're where we were before, just all the development is gone."
" And in its place is glowing grass?" Marissa questioned skeptically.
" It's grass that's natural, unpolluted. . ." Cassidy answered, slowly rising. " I feel as if I just ran a marathon."
" I know I did trying to get here." Marissa groaned, stretching as she rose. " And even if it is undeveloped , what's it doing here? Last time, which was two minutes ago, this place was pact with buildings
" I have no idea." Cassidy looked around. " The roads up ahead, I say we go back to the Café."
" If the café's still there." Marissa groaned. Then she heard a rustle. " What was that?"
Cassidy turned around to a stray bed of weeds a few yards away.
" Is it just me or is that weed bed the shape of a human body?" Cassidy pointed. A hand suddenly shot out of the weeds and began to furiously pull at the remaining plants. " I know that bracelet!"
She ran to the mound and began ripping the weeds out and digging into the soil. " Marissa, help me!"
Marissa ran over and began to dig. In an instant they had Saline's head pop out of the soil. She coughed and frantically pulled herself out.
" How did you get into the ground?" Marissa's eyes popped out of her head.
" I don't know." The curly haired girl chocked out and continued coughing. She clung to Cassidy as they hoisted her off the ground.
" Come on, don't try to talk until we get to the Café." Cassidy said as Marissa immediately took out her cell phone to call Ryou.
In a matter of minutes, a car savagely raced over the grass and swerved besides them.
" Get in." Keichirou's voice commanded.
The car ride had been seemingly long, despite the short drive, and silent. Only Saline's coughing added any volume. Keichirou had helped her up and into the lab as Ryou immediately treated and sowed up the cut on her ankle. Cassidy rushed water over to her, but soon Saline ended up puking the clots or dirt she had swallowed attempting to breathe in her delirious state underground.
" What happened?" Ryou asked immediately. Saline blinked dizzily a few times before attempting to speak.
" I don't know." He voice came out scratchy. " Kisshu attacked me and then I was in the dirt."
" There has to be more to it then that." Ryou urged.
" I know." Saline replied. " I. . .okay, he cut me then I thought he was going to kill me. I got. . .scared. I actually thought I was going to die. Then after that I'm not sure what happened. My body started burning and something below me. . .I think it was below me. . .exploded. I saw blood. . .on Kisshu. I think his stomach burst open. . ."
At the thought, Saline's words stopped as she stared ahead with glistening eyes. Her mouth floundered to speak.
" I don't know. . ." She finally concluded. " I woke up in the ground. But at first I didn't know that until my arm came free.
Rou and Keichirou looked at one another in amazement." Saline. . .if what we're thinking is correct." Keichirou looked once again to Ryou. " That wasn't an explosion. That was you."
" What? How?" Her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.
" What were you feeling right before it happened. Think hard."
" I. . .remembered thinking of how scared I was. I didn't want to die." She nodded. " I didn't want to die, and I would have done anything to live."
" Basic human survival instinct." Ryou concluded. " Everyone has it, and it leads us to find great power within ourselves that we normally can't use under normal circumstances. In animals it's more prevalent as they live only to survive. It makes them stronger and more ferocious."
" In your state of depravity and weakness, facing death you tapped into not only your human survival instincts but you animal instincts as well." Keichirou continued. " This allowed you to tap into your full, but unused power to defend yourself and ensure your survival."
" It's like Darwins theory of survival of the fittest." Ryou said. " You are a mutation, but are far more advanced than a human. You survived because you could. Your body knew it even if you didn't and in an act of immediate danger it worked without your consent."
" Because I was in a life or death situation."
" Yes." Ryou said, and Cassidy saw the hardness back in his eyes. " And that is what I expect all of you to know. It is life or death out there, and if you chose life then your enemy by default has death. These aliens want nothing more than to destroy you all, and if you give them the chance they will take it. Remember, they are the one's who started this war, not us. Show no mercy otherwise you won't be given any."
Saline dropped her head.
" You can't find compassion in someone willing to kill you on more than one occasion. Don't be dumb."
Saline knew he was talking to her that time. 'And he's right.' She thought. ' I'm not going to chase after someone who obviously has no feelings for me. And I wont degrade myself by letting him fool around with me either.'
" Is everyone okay?" The quickly opened to reveal the remaining team mates.
" We're fine." Marissa answered Angelica.
" I think you girls should take a few days off." Ryou interjected. " If the aliens are attacking frequently, you'll need your strength."
" Whoa! You guys, I have the coolest idea!" Everyone turned to Erin. " We should have a sleep over at my house!"
" I said rest, not frolic into the wee hours of the night." Ryou glared.
" Well, too bad, mister grouchy pants." Erin screeched. " I already asked my parents!"
" You get signs that a team mate is in trouble, and you ask to have a sleepover?"
" Shut up!" Erin hit Crystal in the arm, who immediately hit her back.
" I don't think Saline would-"
" No, that's fine." Saline cut Cassidy off. " I think it'll be fun."
" YOSH!" Erin jumped, and quickly rushed out the door.
" So we have an unimaginable shift in our leaders powers. . . Solution? Sleep over." Marissa groaned, following the other two out the door. Saline slowly stood, smiled at the two males, and with Cassidy's help walked down to Erin's car.
XXX
" You guys! Isn't this fun?" Erin threw a pillow at Crystals face.
" Ow!" Crystal exclaimed.
" Don't get your panties in a twist." The monkey girl stuck her tongue out.
" Throw another pillow and we'll see who's panties are in a twist. . ." The elder glared.
" You guys stop. I think the pizza's here."
" I'll get it!" Erin shouted, running out of the room.
" How do you think the pizza guy got here with the road gone?" Marissa wondered.
" I saw some stuff on the news downstairs. . ." Cassidy yawned. " I didn't pay attention though, it made me nauseous."
" I still don't understand what happened." Marissa glanced at Saline. " If you attacked, why didn't everything look destroyed. There was grass everywhere, surely your attack would have scorched the ground as well."
" I don't want to think about it." Saline muttered. Erin burst into the room and threw the pizza box on the ground.
" PIZZA!" She screeched.
" Erin! The cheese is all over the box now!" Angelica hissed. " Why do you feel the need to throw everything?"
" I dunno!" She grinned, ripping out a slice of pizza and shoving into the confines of her mouth.
" Gross." Marissa frowned, but upon taking a bite found that she couldn't contain her hunger either.
" I have an idea." Crystal smiled between a bite. " Let's play truth or dare."
" Oh, I wanna go first!" Erin pointed at Cassidy. " I dare you to eat one of my socks."
" You're suppose to ask truth or dare." Cassidy's face churned in disgust.
" Oh, okay. Truth or dare?" Erin laughed. " I DARE YOU TO EAT MY SOCK!"
Cassidy's face dropped into her palm.
" Why don't you let me start, Erin." Crystal sighed. She turned to Saline, and her lips curled into a smile. " Saline. . .truth or dare?"
" . . .truth." Saline's eye brows bunched, as she suddenly felt uneasy. " Okay." Crystals eyes lit up. " How do you feel about Kisshu?"The coiled hair girls face blanched.
" W-what do you mean?"" How do you feel about him?" Crystal repeated. " You two have kissed more than a few times. But you're enemies. . .tell me, how exactly does that work?"All eyes turned to her. Saline swallowed hard.
" I don't know. It was all spontaneous." She defended. " And they didn't mean anything."" Then why did you kiss him?"
Why? Why? How was she suppose to know. She was so confused.
" I. . .he tried to kill me." She stated. " I can't help it if he's trying to mess with me."" He asked you to be his."" What better way to get rid of the enemies leader." Now Saline's face hardened. It occurred to her that Crystal never spoke to her like this before, so undermining and full of superiority. She assumed her weakness was affecting her presence on the other girls. " I don't believe in that cutesy ' I'll love you forever, lets run away together' shit. You all know that."" Are you sure about that? I thought you said you liked him?"" And what if I do?" She had to contain herself from screaming. " It doesn't cloud my judgement. What I feel for him personally doesn't matter and you guys shouldn't concern yourselves with it because I've never compromised any of you for what I may feel."
" It's okay." Angelica's voice was soft. " I know how you feel. . .I keep thinking of Pai."Crystals smug smile fell. Never had she wanted to strangle Angelica so much in her life.
" That tart kid is kinda cute too!" Erin nodded zealously. Crystal wanted to bash her head against the wall until she bled.
" Yeah, I don't know what it is about Pai." Angelica sighed. " He's so handsome, and always collected, and he seems so intelligent. He scares me, but at the same time I really like guys that are focused."" You couldn't find a focused guy who wasn't trying to kill you?" Cassidy joked.
" I know. . ." Angelica groaned. " I don't understand that part either; I think girls just like forbidden things. Dangerous guys are so appealing for some reason."
". . .And dangerous." Marissa lamented, always the voice of reason. " Key word, Angelica."" I just think of how things would be if we weren't fighting. . .Maybe if we were friends, they would behave differently."
" I think. . ." Saline started. " That they're also fighting for their own people, their friends and family. And as much as we had thought previously, they aren't just attacking us for no good reason. There's more to it."" Ryou says they don't want to compromise though."
" Maybe they think they can't." Saline pondered. " But if we can talk to them. . ."" To late now." Crystal snapped. " We almost killed both of them. They're not going trust us again."The others glanced at her, confused at her sudden hostility. She only looked down and grabbed another slice of pizza.
A/N: It's been a while. I didn't realize I had already written this chapter months ago. . .sorry for my incompetence. Is any one still reading this thing?