K-5 (Full)

The Tale of Tigress

In the two-level fortress cube, Tigress was talking with Lady Shadestrike in her private room. The room was simply designed as the entire floor are made of dark brown polish marble with grey convergent lines on the light brown walls. Lady Shade had appeared on a holographic image screen though the Nanocat's eyes.

"Where is Kuro, Tigress?" Lady Shadestrike demanded. "We must find him now. I know he's out there somewhere in the city."

"Since he and Gumko have been staying in our old Shadow Clan headquarters, I doubt he would stay with the K-5." Tigress said.

"We must not waste any more time." Lady Shadestrike said. "I already demanded Viral to make stronger synthetic mutagen for my mutated state, so I can finally be ready to face Sage and the K-5 again."

Lady Shade signed off the transmission from the Nanocat. Then, Amora walked into the room.

"Amora, what brings you here?" Tigress asked. "I asked to see Masque and Galva."

"Sorry, Tigress. They got on guard duty along with Jinx and Crystallia." Amora replied. "So, you got me for the mission. Besides, I'm sick and tired of being bored. I'm in a mode of some fun in the city."

"Better you than Crystallia and Jinx." Tigress said. "Get your gear. We're moving out now."

Tigress gasped sharply as she suddenly sensed someone moving fast down the city streets. She concentrated on her telescopic vision to view that person in magnified scale and then saw a face of a cheetah mutant with grayish white eyes.

"Tigress, what's wrong?" Amora asked in worry as she ran over to help Tigress on her feet.

"So after all these years, the one who took my left eye has finally come to face me." Tigress said with a sinister grin.

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In the Crete Fortress, the K-5, Norbit, and Carol surrounded Sage in a circle inside the dojo. Except for their new friend, who was leaning against the tree with a calm face. She had a slender though athletic build and a curvaceous body with long thick black hair, piercing green eyes, and black lips. She wore a skintight black long-sleeved leotard with neon green butterfly on the right side, green metallic elbow-length gloves, and green thigh-high boots.

"Mother, aren't you going to construct your magic today?" Kirana asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I will use my magic, but not as my weapon." Sage answered.

Sage twisted her right hand around in a circle and pointed her magic at herself that caused an explosion of smoke and light. The K-5 and Carol gasped collectively as they backed away from the explosion. As the smoke cleared away, Sage was now an eight years old girl. She has long black hair tied in pigtails and wore a long-sleeved white leotard with maroon cuffs at her wrists and white ruffled ankle boots with blackish-gray soles. The K-5 and Carol exchanged confused glances before looking back at Sage as they didn't understand why she transformed herself into a child.

"Do not let my appearance fool you. I may be cute as a button." Sage said with a sweet, innocent voice. She then formed a deceptive smile across her face. "But I'm ready for war."

Sage straighten herself in her fighting stance. Carol lunged forward at Sage, but the white mage moved out of the way and dodged the energy mage's quick jabs. Carol swung her right leg at the white mage, but Sage jumped up and kicked Carol upward in the stomach that knocked her down to the floor. Camilla cracked her knuckles and charged forward to attack Sage with her fists, but Sage avoided every punches swiftly and extended her leg out to perform a powerful kick that sent Camilla flying onto Carol. Norbit charged towards Sage with his armor, but she jumped out of the way and piloted the armored robot to crash on the wall before she jumped off. Ezra summoned his shield and threw it to Sage, who easily caught it and threw it back at her youngest son that made him back up and the shield got stuck on the tree with Ezra's sleeves to get stuck with the shield as well. Sage struck her tongue out at Talia and wiggled her fingers by her ears. Talia narrowed her eyes and charged forward at the white mage, but Sage levitated close into Talia's face and kicked the orange mage with her back foot at an upward angle that sent Talia flying against the tree. Ariana charged forward to swing her right leg at Sage, but the white mage ducked down and spun low towards the ground to attack Ariana with her legs. Ariana used her hands to balance her fall, but Sage planted her head on the ground and spun her body around to strike Ariana with her legs that sent the purple mage kunoichi crash into Talia. Sage turned around to see Kirana pointing her blue psychic energized hands at her. Kirana charged forward at Sage, but the white mage jumped over the blue mage and climbed on her. Kirana was struggling to keep her balance steady as Sage wrapped Kirana in white energy magic that took on the form of a huge yarn ball and spun her ball in rapid speed before throwing the blue mage kunoichi away. Sage sat in the middle of the room as Ariana, Camilla, Ezra, Norbit, Talia, Kirana, and Coral sat in front of her just as she had turned herself back to her normal age.