Peppercats and Cyandogs

The Truth about Peppercats and Cyandogs


Ikki and Erika were walking to school as they usually did.  They were chatting about recent school news and new medaparts that were available at the 24-hour hop mart.  Metabee was his usual moody self as he walked ahead of them, listening for any comment Ikki might say about him and to have a comeback ready.  As they approached their school they saw there were kids rushing though the gates and pointing at something.  Erika’s reporter intuition told here that this could be something that students would want to read about.  She grabbed Ikki’s arm and pulled him as she ran.  They dashed past Metabee who called out, “Hey wait for me!”  And came into stride with them.  As they rounded the corner at the school gate they saw a large gang of kids were wall gathered at the school wall, looking at something out of view.  Erika forced her way though the crowd, shouting about how she was a reporter.  She pulled out her camera and saw that Spike and Slone along with their medabots were standing as if they were guarding something.  Erika stepped up and asked, “What are you Screws guarding huh?”  Spike looked at her quickly and said, “Oh its nothing, nothing at all.”  Then began to laugh nervously.  
The bell rang and Slone said, “All right people move along, nothing to see here and you don’t want to be late for class.”  Erika was starting to get mad and said, “Alright you goons, move aside, lets see what you’re protecting, the press has a right to know!”  They both stood there and refused to move.  After a few minutes the second bell rang and still no one moved.  Soon Coach Mountain came stomping out and shouted in a voice larger then life, “All right, what’s going on out here and how come no one is in class?  Let’s get moving, I have a very interesting lecture on pond scum today.”  Someone from the crowd shouted, “Spike and Slone are hiding something.”  That was enough for Coach Mountain.  He stepped though the crowd and came up to Spike and Slone and lifted them by there shirt collars.  What they all saw made a large bead of sweat form over the head of everyone there.  They all saw Samantha, tougher then nails leader of the Screws, in a dress.  She looked up from her crouched position and saw that everyone could see her and that Mountain was holding the rest of her gang.  She stood up and clenched her teeth.  She was in a pink blouse with a matching dress that came down to her knees.  When everyone started laughing she dashed though the crowd at full speed to her first class.  Everyone one else was just left speechless.
It was at recess that Ikki and Erika caught up with Samantha and managed to talk to her.  Ikki had to ask, “Why on earth are you dressed like that Sam?”  Samantha grabbed Ikki by the shirt and shouted, “What, I’m not allowed to dress like a girl if I want?!”  She then let go and said, “Its because of my parents, they’re holding Peppercat hostage.”  Erika was instantly up in Samantha’s face saying, “Wow, a kidnapping story, now this is news.  Tell me what happened.”  Sam sighed and started to recount her story, “It started at dinner last night.  I was eating with my parents as always when my mom suddenly said, ‘How come you never wear that cute pink outfit I got you?’  I just said, ‘Because I think it looks too girly.’  After that my parents started talking and decided that medafighting was making me into too much of a tomboy so they took Peppercat away until I started acting more like a girl!”  She then threw herself at Erika and started crying into her pink coveralls.  Erika uneasily patted her on the shoulder and said, “Well what would it take to get them to give Peppercat back?”  Ikki thought for a second and said, “Maybe could offer to do the laundry, clean the house, and cook dinner.”  Samantha was on Ikki in a second and lifted him by his collar and shouted, “Where are you from, the 50’s?  You think that’s all girls are good for?”  Ikki shook his head and said, “No, no, I was just pitching the first idea that came to my head.  That’s what my mom does.”  Samantha continued to shake Ikki as Erika thought to herself.  She just looked down for a minute while here index finger stroked her chin and she then snapped her finger and said, “I’ve got it!”  Samantha looked over and dropped Ikki and ran to Erika.  “What is it?!”  She shouted.  Erika smiled confidently as she often did and said, “You’re going on your first date.”  
Samantha’s jaw hit the ground.  The idea that she could get a date with anyone seemed pretty far-fetched.  She then said so and Erika said, “It doesn’t have to be a real date, just make one of your Screws take you to a movie and dinner and that should be enough to convince them of your feminine charms.”  Samantha shook her head and said, “That won’t work.  My parents know that Spike and Slone are my friends so they will see right though it.”  Erika hung her head.  She then snapped back up and said, “Why not pay someone they don’t know to take you on a date!”  Samantha looked up and said, “That’s brilliant!  The only question is who?”  Metabee, who had been lying back in his favorite tree said, “How about Ikki, you could pay him in medaparts.”  Ikki looked up in the tree and shouted, “Shut up Metabee!”  Metabee jumped up from his branch and said, “Hey, no one orders Metabee around!”  He then opened fire with all three of his arm mounted laser cannons.  Ikki danced around and yelled as he went though a series of nicks and near misses.  Once the barrage stopped Samantha stepped up to Ikki, trying to look as seductive as she could and turned and leaned against him.  She let a little of the right shoulder of her blouse fall as she looked at him with starry eyes and said in a soft voice, “Please Ikki, I promise you won’t regret it.”  Ikki looked at her the way he would look at a dead bird and jumped away.  He looked away and rubbed his index finger under his nose and said, “Fine I’ll do it.  But only for 10 medaparts.”  Samantha shouted, “What?!  That’s robbery, I’ll only go as high as two.”  Ikki looked back at her and said,
“Eight.”  
“Three”
“Seven”
“Five”
Ikki held out his hand said, “Agreed, five medaparts for dinner and a movie.  But they have to be top of the line, nothing out of the bargain bin.”  Samantha shook Ikki’s hand said, “Done.  Pick me up by seven hon?”  Ikki nodded and said, “I’ll be counting the seconds sweety.”  Erika just shrugged and said, “What a couple of hams, if it wasn’t for the overplayed sarcasm in their voices one would almost think they were in love.”  

Back at home Ikki was getting ready for the performance of his life.  He was in a light blue button down shirt with a black tie and tan kakkis.  He was making some final adjustments on tie as he practiced what he would say.  He smiled and said, “Hello Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka.  Is Samantha ready?”  He nodded, that would be fine.  Ikki’s mother walked in and said, “My don’t you look handsome, this Samantha is a very lucky girl.  But to be honest I always thought you would date Erika.”  Ikki sighed and said, “Look mom I already said it’s all an act to help Samantha get back her medabot.”  His mother giggled and said, “Oh I know you’re just nervous and don’t want your old mother involved.  Good luck tonight, but don’t propose to her too soon, you might scare her off.”  Ikki sighed deeply and hung his head, he would never understand his mother.  
As Ikki stepped out of his front door, he did not see Rokusho standing on the weather vain on the top of his house.  Rokusho was looking down as he said to himself, “The flower of love blooms earlier for some then it does for others.  But beware its thorns, for robattles are not the only place rivalries develop.”
Later Ikki and Metabee were at Samantha’s front door and rang the bell.  He cleared his throat and prepared himself for what he might see.  The door opened and Samantha was standing there in a pink and white, off the shoulder gown.  She also had bows in her hair where it split at the front and on her ponytail.  Ikki leaned close and whispered, “Don’t you think that’s a bit much for just dinner at a fast food place and a movie?”  Samantha looked back at her parents who were starting to look suspicious and she said in a loud voice, “Oh no Ikki, no smoochies till after our date.”  She then leaned close and said, “Change of plans, my parents are paying for this and they insisted on a fancy restraint and play instead.”  Ikki tried to come up with some excuse to go back to the original plan but could not come up with anything.  Samantha’s parents said, “Now off with you two, the reservations are set strictly at 7:10 so you better get moving or you will have to wait half the night get a table.”  Ikki nodded and hooked his arm around Samantha's and led her out.  As they left Samantha’s mother caught a look at Metabee and said, “What is that medabot doing with you, this is a date and there will be no robattling!”  Ikki was caught off guard but Metabee managed to catch it and said, “Well Mrs. Tanaka, it’s um…it’s a dangerous world out there and Ikki was only thinking of your daughter’s safety so he brought me along as a body guard.  So if anyone gets any funny ideas I’ll just Metabee-bop ‘em!”  Samantha’s mother laughed and said, “How thoughtful, now get going.”  As they left they all knew that Samantha’s parents were following them.  They just acted as if the did not know.  They were always couched behind a bush or around a corner.  
The plan went off almost perfectly.  They got to the restaurant on time and were served promptly.  There was only a slight commotion when Samantha’s mother’s hair caught fire in one of the cookers from their hiding place.  But Ikki and Samantha pretended not to notice.  And when they got to the play they were shown to their seats but Metabee had to wait outside.  It was a kabuki play in an open-air theater.  Ikki began to get bored but remembered to hold Samantha’s hand the whole time.  They both knew that the Tanaka’s were two rows behind them and closely watching their every move.  He would look at her and pretend it was Karen whose hand he was holding.  
As the play let out Ikki was a gentleman all the way by helping Samantha out of her seat and holding the door open for her as they left.  They soon got back to Samantha’s house and Ikki said, “Well I guess this is goodnight.”  Samantha smiled at him and said, “Indeed it is lover boy.”  She then placed her hands on his chest and leaned over to kiss him.  Ikki swallowed hard and braced himself.  Just before their lips met someone called out “HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!”  They both looked over, still puckered, and saw Spike and Cyandog come out from the shadows and Spike said, “You didn’t think I would let you get away with this did you?”  Ikki turned white as he thought that Spike knew of the plan and was going to ruin it.  Spike shouted, “I won’t let you seduce boss away from me, I like her!”  Samantha gasped, she could see the tear running down Spike’s face as he said, “I’ve been fond of you ever since we met.  That’s why I put up with all the abuse you put me though boss, because I love you!”  Spike then turned to Ikki and said, “I won’t let you get away with this, I challenge you to a robattle!”  Then a horse drawn carriage came out from the shadows and stopped by Ikki and Spike.  The door flew open and Mr. Referee stepped out and said, “Then it’s agreed!  As such I declare this an official submission robattle.  Me, Mr. Referee.  The rules are simple; the first medabot to stop the other’s function is the winner.  The loser must then submit Samantha to the winner, for keeps.”  He then raised his hand and said, “Medafighters ready?  Robat…” but he was cut off when Ikki yelled, “WAIT!”  Mr. Referee then tripped and fell over, but immediately picked himself up again and said, “What is wrong?  Why would you stop me, Mr. Referee, from declaring this robattle?”  Ikki said, “I just need to talk with Metabee really quick, then I’ll fight.”  Ikki then guided Metabee over just out of hearing distance from everyone else and whispered to Metabee, “Look, I want you to lose this robattle.”  Metabee took a step back and yelled “WHAT?!”  Ikki jumped him and slapped a hand over where his mouth would have been and said, “Quite.  Look, Mr. Referee said that we have to submit Samantha to Spike if we lose, not a medapart.  My contract with her is done so we still get the five medaparts.  Besides, do you think Samantha’s parents would let us get away with one date?  They would start insisting that we go out more and then if I dump her or something she would probably lose Peppercat.  I may just be a kid but I know that this is better then we could have hoped for, we get five medaparts and we get to hand Samantha over to Spike.”  Metabee nodded and said, “You got a point Ikkster.  Ok, I’ll take a dive on this one, but I won’t go down easy.”  Ikki smiled and said, “That’s the spirit.”  He then stood up and said, “I’m ready.”  Mr. Referee then raised his hand and yelled, “Medafighters ready?”  He brought his hand down and shouted “Robattle!”  
Metabee charged into battle and Ikki shouted into his medawatch “Dodge right.”  As he did Cyandog’s laser volleys actually hit him.  Ikki knew that Cyandog was a bad shot so he knew Metabee would take the hit if he tried to dodge.  He then shouted “Metabee, get in close, Cyandog is no good at close quarters combat.”  Again Ikki knew that he was lying.  This particular Cyandog was equipped with a monkey metal, which meant that hand-to-hand combat was its specialty.  Metabee knew what he was getting into and got up right in front Cyandog.  Cyandog took a wide sweep with his left arm and got Metabee in the head.  The Hercules beetle medabot got sent spinning but was on his feet again.  He raised his laser cannon but before he could even get it pointed at Cyandog’s head, the blue medabot grabbed the arm and twisted it around so that he had Metabee trapped.  He then lifted his other arm and began to shoot at Metabee’s back.  Metabee yelled and Ikki shouted, “That’s enough!”  They all looked over at him and he said, “I know when I’ve gone against the best, I surrender.”  Mr. Referee shouted, “The winner is, Cyandog.  Now if you will excuse me I’m in the middle of chaperoning my son’s first date.”  He then got back in the carriage and it rode off into the night.  Samantha had figured out what Ikki had done and figured she had better play along and ran up to Spike and said, “Well done my robattling prince.  You have won the battle and my heart.”  Samantha’s mother was sobbing and her husband helped her into the house and as the door closed Samantha grabbed Spike’s neck and yelled, “Don’t you ever do anything like that again you maggot!”  Spike gasped and wined, “But boss, I managed to actually beat Ikki!  Aren’t you proud of me?”  Samantha started shaking him and yelled, “He threw the fight you twit!  This was all an act to help me get back Peppercat, and you almost ruined it!”  She then took him by the cuff of his collar and dragged him away and shouted to Ikki, “You did a good job with the act tonight.  We’ll go to the Hop Mart tomorrow to get you your five medaparts.”  She then stormed off with Spike in tow and Metabee said, “Man, that chick never makes any sense.”  
Samantha had dragged Spike to the bridge over the river that ran though town and she had sat on the edge with Spike next to her.  She just sat there for a minute and looked up at the full moon and Spike just looked at her.  She looked at him and said, “Did you really mean all that stuff you said about me?”  Spike nodded and said, “Of course I did boss.”  Samantha just sighed and looked back up at the moon.  Spike looked up with her and after a second she let herself fall and lean her head against his shoulder.  There, together they watched the moon.

Today’s robattle
Metabee losses Samantha to Cyandog

More Medabots, More Power!