The Ranma of SHAZAM! – DS Wynne/"Kadonomaro Nakane"
Disclaimer: R1/2, DC Comics/SHAZAM and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi genre story.
Special Note: This story is NOT part of the SMST/TRT series.
Author's Note: This story is based upon "The Adventures of Captain Marvel!" 1940s serial, and is considered to be one of the best classic series of its time. Check it out. In the mean time…enjoy the show!
Who's who: Ranma Saotome (young martial arts phenomenon, and wielder of the magic of SHAZAM), Captain Marvel (the champion of the wizard Shazam, and the World's Mightiest Mortal), Shazam (the wizard who gives Ranma the ability to become "Captain Marvel"), Etsuko Kawatake (friend of Ranma Saotome), Hideyori Muraguchi (friend of Ranma Saotome), Toshikuni Hamacho (philanthropist, and leader of the Hamacho Expedition), Sumiteru Bunya (lawyer, member of the Hamacho Expedition), Haruhiro Arihyoshi (investigative journalist, member of the Hamacho Expedition), Tal Chotali (the Hamacho Expedition's guide), Dr. Seiesnsui Kaminaga (linguist, member of the Hamacho Expedition), Prof. Akihito Fujishima (archeologist, member of the Hamacho Expedition), Rahman Bar (the native chief in the Valley of the Tombs), Chomei Hachirobei (member of the Yakuza), Bairei Abukara (member of the Yakuza), Ennosuke Endoso (member of the Yakuza), and Chan Lai (Triad contact in Japan).
Part 1: "Curse of the Scorpion"
In another life and time, a radio news reporter named William "Billy" Batson would have accompany a western archeology expedition to Siam, now known as "Thailand", to the Valley of Tombs, where a terrible power—called "The Golden Scorpion"—would be discovered. However, Billy, proven to be selfless when he heeded to warning to not acquire the power, became the power's guardian known as "Captain Marvel". And thus, a legend was born. But what would have happened if the Siamese did not give the expedition permission to enter the Valley of Tombs? What if, years later, a Japanese expedition had visited the valley instead?
And what if a certain pigtail girl and her pet panda, who went south instead of north while fleeing from an irate Chinese Amazon found themselves in this very valley? Let's find out, shall we?
***
"Pops, this is all…your fault!" Ranma-onna yelled, as she places a tray on the counter of a café in the heart of Bangkok.
"Nonsense, boy," Genma Saotome said, as he places the meal on Ranma-onna's tray. "What happened at that village back there was…a misunderstanding."
"'Misunderstanding'?" Ranma-onna fumed. "If you hadn't taken me to Jusenkyo in the first place, you and I would have never been cursed, and Shampoo would not have challenged ME for us eating her prize, nor would she have given me the kiss of death."
Pause.
"So why do you think I'm pissed off at ya?" Ranma-onna asked sarcastically. "Hell, if you weren't caught trying to skip out on a meal, we wouldn't BE in this mess. And how come we aren't training right now?"
"Stop complaining like a girl, boy, and do your job…okay?" Genma said. "At the end of the week, we're done."
"Yeah, right. And besides, YOU are not the one being hit on, you know…"
Putting on her best face, Ranma-onna serves tow bowels of noodles to a couple sitting in the front.
"[One beef bowel, and one chicken bowl]," Ranma-onna said in accented, as she bowed her head slightly. Having traveled around the world in the pursuit of training in the Musabetsu Kakuto ("Anything Goes") martial arts, Genma insisted that his "son" had to learn English, since the language is one of the most spoken in the world.
"[Enjoy]."
The young male looks up at the girl.
"Are you from Japan?" said the young man.
"Pardon?"
"Your English tells me that you are Japanese."
Ranma-onna frowns.
"What of it?" Ranma-onna said suspiciously. "What? Pops did something to ya?"
"Huh?"
"Hide-kun, stop being nosey," said the young man's young female companion.
"What? I'm just trying to get to know her, Etsuko," the young man replied. "That's ALL."
"Well, I'm taken," Ranma-onna said.
"Miss, I apologize for my…companion's rudeness," Etsuko said. "My name is 'Etsuko Kawatake', and my horn-dog friend is 'Hideyori Muraguchi'.
"Hey, I resent that!" Hideyori said. "I just want to get to know a pretty girl."
"Sorry, but I'm 'taken'," Ranma-onna said sarcastically. "Now, if there is nothing else-"
"[Hey, you]!" yelled a voice from behind.
All eyes turns towards the source: the lead man amongst a gang of men. They were dressed in what appeared to be street clothes that were clearly marked as a part of a local affiliation.
"Huh?" Ranma-onna said.
"[Mr. Rahman Bar wants to speak to you, so come with us]," said the lead guy. "[We won't take no for an answer]."
"[We're not interested]," said Hideyori. "[The professor and Mr. Hamacho had already turned down your offer]."
"[Then I'm afraid that you leave us no choice, Japanese]," said the tough guy, as he took a step forward...
Ranma-onna quickly took out a pair of chopsticks from the pocket of her apron, and stabbed them into the ground at the tough guy's feet.
"Eeek!" Ranma-onna yelped, as she threw the chopsticks into the ground.
THOK!
TRIP!
"Oof!" said the tough guy, as he fell on his face.
"Ta-hee!" Ranma-onna said. "[Sorry about that, mister! I thought I saw a mouse]."
The tough guy gets up.
"[Maybe somebody ought to teach you some manners]-"
"RANMA!" Genma yelled form inside the cafe.
Ranma-onna twists about, as she "accidentally" smacks the tough guy in the head with her tray, knocking him out.
POW!
The tough guy falls into his crew, unconscious.
"[Oh, sorry, sir]!" Ranma-onna said demurely. She then turns towards the café.
"Yes, Father?"
"Ranma, get back in here!" Genma yelled. "We got customers."
"Oh, but we have customers out here, Father!" Ranma-onna said, as she turns towards the remaining street toughs. "[Would you like a menu]?"
"[Er, that's okay]," said one of the street toughs, after getting the hint this red-haired girl was not exactly what she seemed to be…
Then, the street tough turns towards Hideyori and Etsuko.
"[You tell Mr. Hamacho that this isn't over]," said the street tough, as he and his buddies leave the café…
"Whew, thanks," Etsuko said, as she breathed a sigh of relief. "That was close."
"What was?" Ranma-onna asked.
"Those guys work for a tribal leader named 'Rahman Bar', and he has been harassing the Hamacho Expedition," Hideyori said.
"'Expedition'?" Ranma-onna asked.
"Well…our teacher, Prof. Akihito Fujishima, who teaches Indochina archeology course, was able to locate the Valley of Tombs," Etsuko said. "It is there, he is convinced that the legendary 'Golden Scorpion'."
"What's that?" Ranma-onna asked.
"That, we don't know," Hideyori said. "We've been excavating the site when Rahman Bar began harassing us."
"Well, if this guy is the tribal leader-"
"Well, we got permission by the Thai government to investigate the site in exchange for lots of money," Etsuko said. "But I doubt that Rahman Bar actually cares for THAT detail…"
Pause.
"But, you're pretty good at martial arts, aren't you?"
"How do you know that?"
"I come from a family of martial artists," Etsuko said with a grin. "It's 'Akido', though…"
"Hey, an Akido master is not joke," Ranma-onna said. "Why, I took grappling lessons from him…"
"Look, we better take out order to go, before those guys return," Hideyori said.
"But, if you ever want a job helping at the excavation site, we can always use a hand," Etsuko said.
"A…job?" Ranma-onna asked.
"Sure. Rahman Bar has been scaring the locals into not helping the Hamacho Expedition. "In fact, you can use us as a reference."
"Well, I'm sure that won't be necessary," Ranma-onna said. "Anyway, I'll get you guys some containers to go…"
A week later…
"A fine mess you've made, son," Genma said, as he and Ranma-onna said, as they hiked along the trail into the Valley of Tombs.
"ME?" Ranma-onna said.
"Yes, you," Genma replied. "You should have taken your fight with Shampoo OUTSIDE."
"But she was the one who attacked ME first!"
"Well, it don't matter now, since we still have no money to make the trip back home," Genma said. "But…are you sure that these people will hire us?"
"Well, sure, I hope," Ranma-onna replied. "At the very least, maybe we can convince them to help us get back home with THEM."
"Son, I'm proud of you."
"What for?"
"Because you are finally learning about the family way."
"Oh, you mean lie, steal or cheat your way through life?"
"Ha, ha," Genma said. "I'm talking about being able to stay ahead of the curve. That is why we went on this ten-year training journey, so that you can truly be a 'man amongst men'."
"Pops, I happen to be a girl right because of a curse you are responsible for."
"Humph."
Upon meeting Toshikuni Hamacho, a wealthy philanthropist who heard what had happened to Hideyori and Etsuko earlier, Ranma-onna and Genma were able to get jobs with the expedition as diggers. Ranma-onna didn't like the fact that she had to be a girl throughout all this, especially since being a girl meant sharing quarters with Etsuko, but it was the only way to go, if she and Genma were to hitch a ride back to Japan. Besides, the money wasn't too bad either…
Finally, the inner catacombs were exposed.
"I can't believe we made it," Prof. Fujishima said. "We actually found the inner tombs of the Scorpion King."
"Well, at least we'll have something to display at the university's exhibit hall," said Dr. Seiesnsui Kaminaga, a linguist at the university. "And, I have something for my next book."
"At least we can cover the story from a variety of angles," said Haruhiro Arihyoshi, an investigative journalist for TV Tokyo and Radio Broadcasting. It typically serves to translate news in English for world-wide broadcasting…
"Well, I'm more concerned about Mt. Scorpio," said Sumiteru Bunya, a lawyer who signed with the Homacho Expedition to deal with legal matters, such as getting the permit to enter the Valley of Tombs.
"Then we should enter the tomb right away," said Mr. Hamacho, as he turns towards their guide, Tal Chatali. Tal was the one who brokered the agreement between the local tribemen and the expedition for permission to enter the valley.
"[What do you think, Mr. Chatali]?" Hamacho said.
"[I think we should be very careful not to offend the spirits of this valley]," Chatali replied. "[If we do, we run the risk of awakening Mt. Scorpio]."
"[No offense, but I didn't come all this way to not get a story]," Arihyoshi said. "[I say, we open the tomb]."
The other men nod their heads collectively.
"[Very well, then let Fate be the arbiter of your destinies]," Chatali said, as he takes a look at the map, which had the precise location of the hidden levers that would open the tomb…
"[There]," Chatali said, as he points to a spot. "[Press that area into the wall]."
Pause.
"[But I shall not go any further]," Chatali said, before walking away…
"Very well," Fujishima said, as he turns his full attention back to the entrance of the crypt. "Here goes nothing…"
As soon as Fujishima presses part of the wall, the entire wall rolls away, exposing a room full of treasure. However, in the center of the room, on a pedestal, sat a golden scorpion…
"That's it!" Fujishima exclaimed. "That's the 'Golden Scorpion'…"
The men gathered around the idol.
"I wonder why this thing is here," Bunya asked.
"I more interested in these lens," said Hamacho, as he noticed that the lens—five in all—were placed in a five of the scorpion's claws and tail. "We should move the artifact into that ray of light through the roof's crack, in order to get a better look.
As soon as the tail lens was struck by the light, it emitted a focused beam that struck the entrance of the tomb.
ZAAAAAP!
BOOM!
"The entrance-!" Kaminaga screamed, as the entrance collapsed. The collapsed causes the tomb to shake violently…
Meanwhile, in another part of the tomb, Genma and Ranma-onna were collect artifacts for study.
"I'll take these back to the others," Genma said, as he carried the artifacts in a wheel barrel. "YOU can finish up here."
"Hey, you promise me that I can take the next batch out," Ranma-onna complained.
"And you will…next time," Genma said, as he leaves the pottery chamber with the artifacts…
"You said that LAST time!" Ranma-onna yells. She then decides head deeper into chamber, when the small tremor was felt.
RUUUUMBLE!
"Whoa," Ranma-onna said, as she steadied herself. "What the heck was that-?"
SKRRRRREEEEE…
A door opens up where there was none before.
"Huh," Ranma-onna said, as she cautiously enters the door…
THOOM!
"Ah!" Ranma-onna yelled, as she realized that she was trapped inside. However, that was not the end of it, for another door right behind her opened up…
"Ranma Saotome," said a voice behind.
Quickly, Ranma-onna turns around and prepares to fight…an old man?
"Who are you?" Ranma-onna said. "And how do you know my name?"
The old man, dressed in white robes, and had a long, white beard smiles gently.
"I know your name because it is my business to know who is destined to be my next champion," the man said. "For I am…SHAZAM."
RUMMMBLE!
Tbc.