Wild Spider chapter 1
Spider-man movie crossover with Ranma 1/2
by Naquiel
Disclaimer - Ranma and Spider-man (movie or otherwise) don't belong to me, so please don't sue.
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Chapter 1
Genma Saotome, thief, liar and overall personification of all that was wrong in the world; sighed in his maximum-security jail cell. His stomach, under his many layers of fat, growled hungrily. Genma was sorry, for once in his life, but not for throwing his seven-year-old son in a pit of starving cats wrapped in chains and fish, but for being caught throwing his seven-year-old son in a pit of starving cats wrapped in chains and fish.
Genma came to America with his son, believing that he could train his son in American styles of combat (baseball bats, guns, boxing, streetfighting, etc.), without fear of the Japanese authorities finding him.
The reason he ran was the fact, that he had lowered himself, even further than was thought possible.
He became a murderer.
Worse than that; he killed his wife, who he had thought was the mother of his child.
He was passing near Tokyo, with his son. Ranma, five at the time, was being trained: by a Kendo master for a few days, and Genma took the opportunity to see his 'beloved' wife. He was more than surprised to get a less than happy welcome.
Nodaka was angry at him, no, furious, no, it was beyond such light emotion. She detested him, despised him; for taking her son away from her and leaving a seppuku promise in his place.
He feel back on the old argument; that he was the boy's father and he had the right to do what he did. It was then that she told him the truth.
Two years before her family forced her into marriage with Genma: Nodaka had a relationship with a handsome, charming young man, slightly older than herself. Her parents had found out and disapproved enough to force her into marrying another.
Her lover had left her alone, broken by her seeming 'betrayal.'
After a few months of no children, Nodaka went to the doctor. Her family and Genma believed that she was to blame. She was not so sure. Her doctor examined her and told her that she was perfectly fertile, and that she had discovered that Genma was infertile, due to test results of a previous examination. She hadn't contacted them because she had lost the number.
Nodaka swore the doctor to secrecy and told her family and Genma that there were no problems, but impatience.
Nodaka began to cut her ties with her family, everything but name, except for her American aunt and uncle.
Nodaka wanted children with a passion, and if Genma couldn't give her any... She secretly contacted her lost lover and began an affair. Ranma was the result, born the day of his true father's death, and Genma took him away.
Genma was so hurt by this that he freed his 'forbidden' techniques and used a Vacuum Blade to split his wife into two pieces. Unluckily, for him, the neighbour's son and daughter: saw the whole thing, and later, told the police everything. Luckily the children didn't become badly mentally affected.
So Genma fled, eer, 'strategically retreated,' to America.
A few months ago, he found the Neko-ken manual. He had discovered it a week before the incident, but had forgotten all about it.
He started the training as quickly as he could find a good place to dig a pit, and put a lot of starving cats inside, for his seven-year-old son to be thrown in, bound in chains and cat-food.
Unfortunately for Genma, the missing cats; caused eyebrows to rise. One night, when Genma was replacing a few cats that were killed, during Ranma's second 'training session,' a concerned citizen saw and followed him to the training site. After seeing the state of the boy, the conditions of the cats in the pit and recognising one corpse, as the beloved pet of the Sheriff's daughter, he was truly disgusted.
Said citizen promptly went back to the town and told everyone what he saw. The Sheriff and his Deputies; went to the 'training' site. Seeing the sleeping mound that was Genma, they tied him up in chains and handcuffs on his hands and feet. Normally the law would require proof of a crime before action so severe is taken, but the pit and the condition of the small boy, covered only in a tattered blanket, were more than enough proof for shooting the fat, evil man in the head.
Genma hardly needed a trial, the jury found the evidence, very convincing and the information of the circumstances of his wife's death, both made his get a life sentence in one of America's worst, high-security jails.
Two days after Ranma was rescued from his father, he was in a large American hospital, being treated for his injuries.
Two members of staff were talking about the sleeping boy in his room. One was a pleasantly plump, african-american nurse, the other was Ranma's doctor, a tall gangly man with grey hair and a pair of piercing green eyes.
"Who's the boy?" asked Ranma's doctor.
"Ranma Saotome; age - seven; DOB - 20/5/92; Mother - Nodaka Saotome, deceased..."
"What?" asked the doctor frowning at the nurse.
"Well, it says here that his father, Mr Saotome, was physically abusive, a criminal all over Japan and China and some parts of the States, and he was the one who killed Mrs Saotome!"
"He killed his own wife! Why the Hell would he do that?"
"According to the police reports: he found out that he was sterile and that his son, wasn't his son!"
"Well, what's wrong with the boy?"
"Well, besides the older wounds, the 35 previously broken bones, multiple bruises; he has over 300 scratches, bites and wounds caused by being thrown into a pit of starving cats wrapped in fish and chains," they both turned a little green at the thought. "And he will need glasses for the rest of his life, emergency surgery managed to save his sight, otherwise he'd be blind. But that's nothing compared to the mental strain the experience put on him. His is controlling his emotions, making it less-than-easy to get through to him."
"He's suppressing his emotions! Why?"
"The psychological report says that he put his trust and love in his father and found out how horrible his father was, it damaged him. He feels he can't trust anyone and that he must not feel emotion, that way he won't get hurt like that again."
"Any relatives to get him to?"
"He has no living family on his father's side. His mother's family, nope, Ranma's mother said in her will..."
"How did we get a copy of the will?"
"Mrs Saotome's lawyer faxed a copy to the authorities, they relayed it to us. Well, it goes like: 'My family forced me to do things, that I didn't want to do, and I don't want that for my child.' The only family that is exempt is the boy's mother's aunt and uncle. Benjamin and Mary Parker."
Since he was adopted, by his great-aunt May, and -uncle Ben; Ranma had changed. He went from a young boy with an iron grasp on his emotions, cold calculating and logical, with inhuman strength, speed and skill, due to his early training, to a lean, handsome young man who wore a geeky mask to everyone. He had secretly trained in his martial artistry, until his body was beyond strong and quick, it was incredibly strong and fast when he wanted it to be, but, otherwise, had lost much of his motivation to become the best, he just wanted to be good enough.
Ranma became so much more complex than a normal boy of his age and background. He held his emotions tight, and shielded his heart, and mind, with a barrier of shear ice. And on top of this façade was the personality he presented to everyone else, the personality of a true, blue geek. He acted apologetic, nervous, starved for attention and very average otherwise. He did this for the simple reasons; so, he wouldn't be annoyed: by people trying to make friends, or even talk to him; and he could have his peace and privacy. However every defence has its' flaw, Harry Osborn was Ranma's flaw. Harry was a nice, rich guy who was in most of Ranma's classes. Harry was the rare kind of person who was friendly to an apparently, hopeless geek. They had gradually engaged in a friendship, one that grew stronger with time.
Also, because of Ranma's decrease in sight, he had enhanced his other senses, hearing, touch, smell, and a rudimentary Chi-sense. He had long since begun the process of becoming a Chi adept, and through it had found a way to repair the damage to his eyes, But he distorted his eyesight like before, to be compatible with his glasses, and to maintain the geek persona.
As such was Ranma's will to retain the appearance of a geek, that he deliberately reduced his aura, constricting it, made himself appear weaker than he was. He desired to be left alone so much that he would do almost anything to maintain the deception.
Including allowing a certain degree of bullying!
Ranma Parker ran towards the bus as it failed to stop at the bus stop. The baka bus driver was at it again! This was like a daily ritual: bus would come down street, bus would pass him and continue on, he would chase it for a while until the angel, Mary-Jane, would get the pig to stop and let him on.
He had become used to it over time, but it still got him angry. Angry at the fat, piece-of-filth bus driver.
Suddenly it slowed to a stop, and Ranma quickly got on, thanking the grumbling busdriver. Angry that he lost his bit of 'fun,' thought Ranma with hatred, carefully schooling his features to keep the hate from being visible.
He walked through the bus; people putting their bags on the seats next to them, giving him condescending looks. The only person in the bus that Ranma cared about in any sense was Mary-Jane Watson, who currently gave him a pitying look. He couldn't help but show a little love-sickness when he looked at her. She was the girl-next-door, a beautiful radiant red-head, he had loved her since he came to live with his Aunt and Uncle, well, ever since her family returned from their last holiday.
After that, her father lost his job, and begun to drink away his despair, becoming bitter and hateful. Her mother had to hold the family together with part-time jobs, and loans.
He didn't make it to a seat as a friend of Flash Thomson, MJ's present boyfriend, tripped him. He sprawled across the aisle, with nearly everyone laughing at him.
Finally, they arrived, not to the school, but today they were visiting the Columbian University Science Department, in particular the part that focused on the research of genetic engineering.
Ranma had the duty, responsibility, and incredibly geeky job of taking pictures of the trip for the school yearbook.
The bus parked outside the entrance, and the students poured out, the teacher was already, waiting for them, to give instructions and warnings.
Ranma spotted Harry getting out of a Rolls Royce. Harry made a beeline to Ranma, with his father walking calmly behind him. Something about Norman Osborn always disconcerted Ranma, perhaps it was they way that he talked, a little too politely!
"Hi, Ranma."
"Hiya, Harry."
"Hello, Ranma," greeted Mr. Osborn, "Please, make sure my son actually learns something today, I know I can trust you."
"Dad!" Harry blustered, while his father let out a hearty chuckle.
"I'll try, sir." Said Ranma cheerfully, but with some inner, true feelings of disconcertment. He fiddled with his camera a bit and felt a sense of foreboding, as if something was going to happen, and if Ranma did anything; it was to trust his senses.
"Wow. Look at that, Harry," exclaimed Ranma to his friend, drawing his attention towards a large metal, chrome pillar that went up almost to the ceiling, with valves and monitors, and bits, and bobs of machinery.
"What about it?" asked Harry bored out his tiny mind.
"That is the most advanced electron microscope on the eastern seaboard."
The room was filled with monitors, computers, the electron microscope, scientists, and plastic boxes containing various species of spiders.
The tour lady talked, not really caring if they all heard. "There are 32,000 known species of spider in the world today. Here, we have a particular spider called..." she said something in Latin that resembled a cross between a sneeze and a curse. "... And has the ability to jump incredible distances. And, here we have..." once again she said named it in Latin. It sounded like a burst bagpipe had been stepped on. "... It has an intricate array of delicate and interweaved nerves. Therefore it has exceptional senses, to such a degree that some scientists and researchers, believe it has a sixth sense... a spider-sense of sorts." She moved on to discuse (talk weither they liked it or not) the difficulties they had in funding.
Ranma pointed to a spider in one segment of a plactic case. It twitched on its' web, when he began. "You know, some kinds of spider can change colour to camouflage itself, like a chameleon. A defence mechanism, I believe."
Once again the guide's voice pierced through their thoughts, "By taking the genetic code of the three spiders and splicing them together we have created 15 geneticly altered spiders..."
MJ interjected, "14, there's one missing!"
The guide looked off-balance. "The researchers are probably using one. Now if you'll follow me..."
Up above, the unaware humans, a web was being spun by a little, purple spider.
The two boys moved along the path of the rest of the bored class. Then they spotted MaryJane, next to the case of geneticly modified spiders.
"Go. Talk to her, man!" dared Harry.
"You go," Ranma joked.
"Alright," Harry murmered to Ranma as he strode the few yards between himself and MJ.
She was looking at the modified spiders, each in induvidual segments, of a big dysplay case, on a pedestal.
"Gross," She murmured.
"Yeah. I hate them," Confided Harry from beside her.
"Really. I love them," MJ smirked, as she continued to look at the spiders.
"Yeah. Me too," stated Harry.
Mj smiled at Harry. It was obvious that he was trying to chat-her up.
"See that," he pointed to the large chrome structure in the middle of the room. "That is the most advanced electron microscope on the eastern seaboard."
"Really," MJ said slightly impressed.
"Yeah. You know, some kinds of spider can change colour to camouflage itself, like a chameleon. A defence mechanism, I believe."
"Cool," remarked MJ. Wow, she thought, 'Harry knows quite a bit about science'.
Ranma was steamed. Harry was using what Ranma told him to impress MJ. If looks could kill, Harry would be six-feet-under.
The teacher came then and said something. They didn't hear it but the tone made it obvious what he meant. Harry moved to the main group, in tow of the teacher, while MJ stayed at the dysplay case looking in morbid facination at the varied arachnids.
Ranma swallowed his fear and stepped towards MJ, tapping her gently on the shoulder. When she turned around and looked at him quizzically, Ranma held up his camera and said, "Can I take a picture of you for the year-book?"
MJ smiled gently and nodded. Ranma moved back and prepared his camera. MJ took on a sutiably studious pose with a guide booklet.
"Don't make me look ugly. Ya' hear!" laughed MaryJane.
"Impossible," murmured Ranma, smiling and taking a hesitant photograph.
Mj changed pose for another shot. Ranma obliged.
Up above Ranma, the little spider became agitated for reasons only it will ever know. It spun a line and crawled down it.
It landed on warm skin.
"Hey, MJ!" shouted one of MJ's friends.
"Sorry, I need to go!" smiled MJ at Ranma. Ranma looked stuptified for a second before stuttering a 'thank you' to the retreating girl. He didn't notice the spider till it was too late.
Warmth = life = food. Thought the spider, it promptly bite the warm skin and injected its' venom, only to be shaken off and too land on a slick shiny surface.
Ranma shook the bug off his hand as he felt the slight sharp dual stings on his hand. He saw the two small wounds in his skin. He crouched down and saw the little spider. Some people would have killed it out of spite, but Ranma felt a bit of respect for the little creature for causing him injury when a 18-wheeler wouldn't have caused much more than a bruise. It scarpered under the closest pedestal, and disappeared into the shadows underneath it.
The aged and kindly Mary Parker: served up pancakes onto the three plates on the small oak dining table. Her husband, Ben Parker, sat on one of the chairs looking through the job's section. He had lost his job when his employers downsized, only the day before.
Their nephew, Ranma walked in through the door. He was an average height for his age, seventeen. He was leaner than most and wore plastic rimmed glasses. His hair was a little too shiney with sweat and was ruffled. He wore his normal and admittably geeky clothes. He spoke in a voice showing a hint of geekiness.
"Hi."
"Hey, Michelangelo. How'd it go?" asked Uncle Ben.
"I'm not feeling well, I'm going to go to bed!" stated Ranma bluntly, not unkindly, but tiredly.
He went to the stairs and started up.
"Sure you don't want a bite, Ranma?" asked Aunt May.
"I've already had a bite!" irony is wonderful thing, thought Ranma.
Ranma stripped off his shirt in his room and stood shivering, and sweating profusly.
'Something is very, very wrong!' he thought slightly frightened.
He managed to crawl into his bed, shivering. Unnoticed, the two bite marks on his hand had swelled as some reaction between the flesh and venom occurred.
In his very genetic code, segments were being replaced in the induvidual strands as the biological retro-virus swept through his body. The only thing keeping him concious was his remarkable constitution and immune system.
Throughtout his body, changes were happening on a cellular level. His already strong, well-used muscles bulged with extra power and strength as the spider DNA raged through his system.
Finally Ranma passed out for a long time as the change reached its peak.
In a lab somewhere in the Oscorp facility two scientists argued.
Norman Osborn wanted to carry out a dangerous experiment on him-self in order to ensure funding from the board of directors. His comrade was deeply against it but was of sufficently weak backbone to do anything but help the incensed scientist.
The result was a monster and a death that had only just begun to feed its hunger.
Ranma woke up groggily.
'Uh, my head. I feel like I have a hangover or something!' he chuckled to himself, reliving the memory of a youthful mistake of learning 'too much sake was bad for you.' His body felt odd and his centre of gravity was way off.
Ranma got up and stood before the mirror. He had his eye distortions off, so he could see clearly at the mirror. What he saw was, well, odd.
He was like before but to a greater extent, his musculature was better sculpted and his entire body felt charged. But his strength and speed were the greatest improvements, improvements, which he was speculative of.
Some people would just accept this odd change as a pleasant surprise, or some such, he wanted to find out what caused this, change. His body was his temple, and no priest likes going to sleep and waking to discover some sculptist had done something to his temple.
He looked at his hand and noted the swelling and the painless reaction the bumps had to pressure.
His wrists had something odd in them, he could sense the change in chi flows around the wrist, a tiny bump with a self-sealing hole. 'For what to come out?' quized Ranma.
He discovered the beginnings of tiny barbed hairs growing out his palms and fingertips.
'Okay, Ranma, think. What are the three odd things about your body exept for the upgrade: First, swelling around the spider-bites; second, holes appearing on the wrist; and thirdly, barbed hairs on hands. What do they all make up to? Well, a spider bit me and the wounds are acting oddly. A spider has the ability to climb walls, with what? If I remember correctly about spiders they use... barbed hairs on their legs! And if the spider-bite is giving me, somehow, certain spider-traits then the holes are for... webbing!
'But how can an ordinary spider do something like that to me?'
It was then he made the connection to the unaccounted spider at the lab, the reasearch they were doing and the spider that bite him.
He promptly slapped his head. 'Baka! How could I be so amazingly dense!'
He took his hand slowly from his head as he saw MJ through their respective windows. She was getting ready for school and looked typically radiant.
'Maybe,' Ranma thought as he looked at the love of his life, 'This wan't some accident. Maybe this is a sign from the Kami that I should act more like my true self, or to talk to MJ, or stand up to Flash. Or maybe it's a sign for me to become someone better than who I pretend to be!' He gazed at MJ and knew for sure what he wanted to do.
Later that day, at luchtime, most of the students, were in the cafeteria, Ranma was no exception. Luckily neither was MJ. Ranma was tucking in to the usual cafeteria food, fries, coke, burger and dessert, and letting his eyes stray, observing all the studenting in his line of sight. He had already made quite a bit of a change, he had stopped wearing his glasses, but noone noticed, yet. He still sat in the aisle seat as usual.
Mj walked along the aisle, with her tray in her hands, red hair waving. Her eyes locked on her planned destination, and not on the floor where a puddle of orange juice was going to greet her.
Ranma didn't know what it was that made him turn around and catch the falling girl and catch all the food on her tray. He would have done it anyway, but it was like his body went on automatic. As it was he had a beautiful, startled girl in his arms staring at him.
"Oh," she gasped as she felt herself slip and be caught.
"Great reflexes!" she complemented, shaken and impressed.
"T-thanks," stuttered Ranma, his shyness toward MJ had never been an act.
"Oh, you have blue eyes. I didn't realise because of your glasses. Contacts?" stated MJ.
"Yeah," replied Ranma, banishing his shyness as much as possible.
"Well, see ya later," she took her tray and walked confidently onward to her friends. Only when Ranma returned to his luch did she turn round and look at him for a few stolen seconds, with a tender smile on her face.
Ranma started to tuck back into his food, when he discovered his fork was stuck to his wrist. He looked around and pulled at it. It was attached to a wide spray of silky white webbing.
Ranma was expecting something like this from last night, but he was at a loss as to how he did it. He flicked his wrist experimentally and found a spray of webbing shoot from it and to attach itself to a abandonned luch tray. He gave it a swift yank, again experimentally. The tray went flying towards him, but he ducked, Flash Gordon's head didn't.
Ranma looked back and saw that the sitting form of Flash was covered in lunch. He swiftly got up and walked out the cafeteria, the tray trailing behind him. When he closed the door behind him, the still connected tray flapped, uslessly against the closed doors, illiciting laughs all round.
Spider-man movie crossover with Ranma 1/2
by Naquiel
Disclaimer - Ranma and Spider-man (movie or otherwise) don't belong to me, so please don't sue.
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Chapter 1
Genma Saotome, thief, liar and overall personification of all that was wrong in the world; sighed in his maximum-security jail cell. His stomach, under his many layers of fat, growled hungrily. Genma was sorry, for once in his life, but not for throwing his seven-year-old son in a pit of starving cats wrapped in chains and fish, but for being caught throwing his seven-year-old son in a pit of starving cats wrapped in chains and fish.
Genma came to America with his son, believing that he could train his son in American styles of combat (baseball bats, guns, boxing, streetfighting, etc.), without fear of the Japanese authorities finding him.
The reason he ran was the fact, that he had lowered himself, even further than was thought possible.
He became a murderer.
Worse than that; he killed his wife, who he had thought was the mother of his child.
He was passing near Tokyo, with his son. Ranma, five at the time, was being trained: by a Kendo master for a few days, and Genma took the opportunity to see his 'beloved' wife. He was more than surprised to get a less than happy welcome.
Nodaka was angry at him, no, furious, no, it was beyond such light emotion. She detested him, despised him; for taking her son away from her and leaving a seppuku promise in his place.
He feel back on the old argument; that he was the boy's father and he had the right to do what he did. It was then that she told him the truth.
Two years before her family forced her into marriage with Genma: Nodaka had a relationship with a handsome, charming young man, slightly older than herself. Her parents had found out and disapproved enough to force her into marrying another.
Her lover had left her alone, broken by her seeming 'betrayal.'
After a few months of no children, Nodaka went to the doctor. Her family and Genma believed that she was to blame. She was not so sure. Her doctor examined her and told her that she was perfectly fertile, and that she had discovered that Genma was infertile, due to test results of a previous examination. She hadn't contacted them because she had lost the number.
Nodaka swore the doctor to secrecy and told her family and Genma that there were no problems, but impatience.
Nodaka began to cut her ties with her family, everything but name, except for her American aunt and uncle.
Nodaka wanted children with a passion, and if Genma couldn't give her any... She secretly contacted her lost lover and began an affair. Ranma was the result, born the day of his true father's death, and Genma took him away.
Genma was so hurt by this that he freed his 'forbidden' techniques and used a Vacuum Blade to split his wife into two pieces. Unluckily, for him, the neighbour's son and daughter: saw the whole thing, and later, told the police everything. Luckily the children didn't become badly mentally affected.
So Genma fled, eer, 'strategically retreated,' to America.
A few months ago, he found the Neko-ken manual. He had discovered it a week before the incident, but had forgotten all about it.
He started the training as quickly as he could find a good place to dig a pit, and put a lot of starving cats inside, for his seven-year-old son to be thrown in, bound in chains and cat-food.
Unfortunately for Genma, the missing cats; caused eyebrows to rise. One night, when Genma was replacing a few cats that were killed, during Ranma's second 'training session,' a concerned citizen saw and followed him to the training site. After seeing the state of the boy, the conditions of the cats in the pit and recognising one corpse, as the beloved pet of the Sheriff's daughter, he was truly disgusted.
Said citizen promptly went back to the town and told everyone what he saw. The Sheriff and his Deputies; went to the 'training' site. Seeing the sleeping mound that was Genma, they tied him up in chains and handcuffs on his hands and feet. Normally the law would require proof of a crime before action so severe is taken, but the pit and the condition of the small boy, covered only in a tattered blanket, were more than enough proof for shooting the fat, evil man in the head.
Genma hardly needed a trial, the jury found the evidence, very convincing and the information of the circumstances of his wife's death, both made his get a life sentence in one of America's worst, high-security jails.
Two days after Ranma was rescued from his father, he was in a large American hospital, being treated for his injuries.
Two members of staff were talking about the sleeping boy in his room. One was a pleasantly plump, african-american nurse, the other was Ranma's doctor, a tall gangly man with grey hair and a pair of piercing green eyes.
"Who's the boy?" asked Ranma's doctor.
"Ranma Saotome; age - seven; DOB - 20/5/92; Mother - Nodaka Saotome, deceased..."
"What?" asked the doctor frowning at the nurse.
"Well, it says here that his father, Mr Saotome, was physically abusive, a criminal all over Japan and China and some parts of the States, and he was the one who killed Mrs Saotome!"
"He killed his own wife! Why the Hell would he do that?"
"According to the police reports: he found out that he was sterile and that his son, wasn't his son!"
"Well, what's wrong with the boy?"
"Well, besides the older wounds, the 35 previously broken bones, multiple bruises; he has over 300 scratches, bites and wounds caused by being thrown into a pit of starving cats wrapped in fish and chains," they both turned a little green at the thought. "And he will need glasses for the rest of his life, emergency surgery managed to save his sight, otherwise he'd be blind. But that's nothing compared to the mental strain the experience put on him. His is controlling his emotions, making it less-than-easy to get through to him."
"He's suppressing his emotions! Why?"
"The psychological report says that he put his trust and love in his father and found out how horrible his father was, it damaged him. He feels he can't trust anyone and that he must not feel emotion, that way he won't get hurt like that again."
"Any relatives to get him to?"
"He has no living family on his father's side. His mother's family, nope, Ranma's mother said in her will..."
"How did we get a copy of the will?"
"Mrs Saotome's lawyer faxed a copy to the authorities, they relayed it to us. Well, it goes like: 'My family forced me to do things, that I didn't want to do, and I don't want that for my child.' The only family that is exempt is the boy's mother's aunt and uncle. Benjamin and Mary Parker."
Since he was adopted, by his great-aunt May, and -uncle Ben; Ranma had changed. He went from a young boy with an iron grasp on his emotions, cold calculating and logical, with inhuman strength, speed and skill, due to his early training, to a lean, handsome young man who wore a geeky mask to everyone. He had secretly trained in his martial artistry, until his body was beyond strong and quick, it was incredibly strong and fast when he wanted it to be, but, otherwise, had lost much of his motivation to become the best, he just wanted to be good enough.
Ranma became so much more complex than a normal boy of his age and background. He held his emotions tight, and shielded his heart, and mind, with a barrier of shear ice. And on top of this façade was the personality he presented to everyone else, the personality of a true, blue geek. He acted apologetic, nervous, starved for attention and very average otherwise. He did this for the simple reasons; so, he wouldn't be annoyed: by people trying to make friends, or even talk to him; and he could have his peace and privacy. However every defence has its' flaw, Harry Osborn was Ranma's flaw. Harry was a nice, rich guy who was in most of Ranma's classes. Harry was the rare kind of person who was friendly to an apparently, hopeless geek. They had gradually engaged in a friendship, one that grew stronger with time.
Also, because of Ranma's decrease in sight, he had enhanced his other senses, hearing, touch, smell, and a rudimentary Chi-sense. He had long since begun the process of becoming a Chi adept, and through it had found a way to repair the damage to his eyes, But he distorted his eyesight like before, to be compatible with his glasses, and to maintain the geek persona.
As such was Ranma's will to retain the appearance of a geek, that he deliberately reduced his aura, constricting it, made himself appear weaker than he was. He desired to be left alone so much that he would do almost anything to maintain the deception.
Including allowing a certain degree of bullying!
Ranma Parker ran towards the bus as it failed to stop at the bus stop. The baka bus driver was at it again! This was like a daily ritual: bus would come down street, bus would pass him and continue on, he would chase it for a while until the angel, Mary-Jane, would get the pig to stop and let him on.
He had become used to it over time, but it still got him angry. Angry at the fat, piece-of-filth bus driver.
Suddenly it slowed to a stop, and Ranma quickly got on, thanking the grumbling busdriver. Angry that he lost his bit of 'fun,' thought Ranma with hatred, carefully schooling his features to keep the hate from being visible.
He walked through the bus; people putting their bags on the seats next to them, giving him condescending looks. The only person in the bus that Ranma cared about in any sense was Mary-Jane Watson, who currently gave him a pitying look. He couldn't help but show a little love-sickness when he looked at her. She was the girl-next-door, a beautiful radiant red-head, he had loved her since he came to live with his Aunt and Uncle, well, ever since her family returned from their last holiday.
After that, her father lost his job, and begun to drink away his despair, becoming bitter and hateful. Her mother had to hold the family together with part-time jobs, and loans.
He didn't make it to a seat as a friend of Flash Thomson, MJ's present boyfriend, tripped him. He sprawled across the aisle, with nearly everyone laughing at him.
Finally, they arrived, not to the school, but today they were visiting the Columbian University Science Department, in particular the part that focused on the research of genetic engineering.
Ranma had the duty, responsibility, and incredibly geeky job of taking pictures of the trip for the school yearbook.
The bus parked outside the entrance, and the students poured out, the teacher was already, waiting for them, to give instructions and warnings.
Ranma spotted Harry getting out of a Rolls Royce. Harry made a beeline to Ranma, with his father walking calmly behind him. Something about Norman Osborn always disconcerted Ranma, perhaps it was they way that he talked, a little too politely!
"Hi, Ranma."
"Hiya, Harry."
"Hello, Ranma," greeted Mr. Osborn, "Please, make sure my son actually learns something today, I know I can trust you."
"Dad!" Harry blustered, while his father let out a hearty chuckle.
"I'll try, sir." Said Ranma cheerfully, but with some inner, true feelings of disconcertment. He fiddled with his camera a bit and felt a sense of foreboding, as if something was going to happen, and if Ranma did anything; it was to trust his senses.
"Wow. Look at that, Harry," exclaimed Ranma to his friend, drawing his attention towards a large metal, chrome pillar that went up almost to the ceiling, with valves and monitors, and bits, and bobs of machinery.
"What about it?" asked Harry bored out his tiny mind.
"That is the most advanced electron microscope on the eastern seaboard."
The room was filled with monitors, computers, the electron microscope, scientists, and plastic boxes containing various species of spiders.
The tour lady talked, not really caring if they all heard. "There are 32,000 known species of spider in the world today. Here, we have a particular spider called..." she said something in Latin that resembled a cross between a sneeze and a curse. "... And has the ability to jump incredible distances. And, here we have..." once again she said named it in Latin. It sounded like a burst bagpipe had been stepped on. "... It has an intricate array of delicate and interweaved nerves. Therefore it has exceptional senses, to such a degree that some scientists and researchers, believe it has a sixth sense... a spider-sense of sorts." She moved on to discuse (talk weither they liked it or not) the difficulties they had in funding.
Ranma pointed to a spider in one segment of a plactic case. It twitched on its' web, when he began. "You know, some kinds of spider can change colour to camouflage itself, like a chameleon. A defence mechanism, I believe."
Once again the guide's voice pierced through their thoughts, "By taking the genetic code of the three spiders and splicing them together we have created 15 geneticly altered spiders..."
MJ interjected, "14, there's one missing!"
The guide looked off-balance. "The researchers are probably using one. Now if you'll follow me..."
Up above, the unaware humans, a web was being spun by a little, purple spider.
The two boys moved along the path of the rest of the bored class. Then they spotted MaryJane, next to the case of geneticly modified spiders.
"Go. Talk to her, man!" dared Harry.
"You go," Ranma joked.
"Alright," Harry murmered to Ranma as he strode the few yards between himself and MJ.
She was looking at the modified spiders, each in induvidual segments, of a big dysplay case, on a pedestal.
"Gross," She murmured.
"Yeah. I hate them," Confided Harry from beside her.
"Really. I love them," MJ smirked, as she continued to look at the spiders.
"Yeah. Me too," stated Harry.
Mj smiled at Harry. It was obvious that he was trying to chat-her up.
"See that," he pointed to the large chrome structure in the middle of the room. "That is the most advanced electron microscope on the eastern seaboard."
"Really," MJ said slightly impressed.
"Yeah. You know, some kinds of spider can change colour to camouflage itself, like a chameleon. A defence mechanism, I believe."
"Cool," remarked MJ. Wow, she thought, 'Harry knows quite a bit about science'.
Ranma was steamed. Harry was using what Ranma told him to impress MJ. If looks could kill, Harry would be six-feet-under.
The teacher came then and said something. They didn't hear it but the tone made it obvious what he meant. Harry moved to the main group, in tow of the teacher, while MJ stayed at the dysplay case looking in morbid facination at the varied arachnids.
Ranma swallowed his fear and stepped towards MJ, tapping her gently on the shoulder. When she turned around and looked at him quizzically, Ranma held up his camera and said, "Can I take a picture of you for the year-book?"
MJ smiled gently and nodded. Ranma moved back and prepared his camera. MJ took on a sutiably studious pose with a guide booklet.
"Don't make me look ugly. Ya' hear!" laughed MaryJane.
"Impossible," murmured Ranma, smiling and taking a hesitant photograph.
Mj changed pose for another shot. Ranma obliged.
Up above Ranma, the little spider became agitated for reasons only it will ever know. It spun a line and crawled down it.
It landed on warm skin.
"Hey, MJ!" shouted one of MJ's friends.
"Sorry, I need to go!" smiled MJ at Ranma. Ranma looked stuptified for a second before stuttering a 'thank you' to the retreating girl. He didn't notice the spider till it was too late.
Warmth = life = food. Thought the spider, it promptly bite the warm skin and injected its' venom, only to be shaken off and too land on a slick shiny surface.
Ranma shook the bug off his hand as he felt the slight sharp dual stings on his hand. He saw the two small wounds in his skin. He crouched down and saw the little spider. Some people would have killed it out of spite, but Ranma felt a bit of respect for the little creature for causing him injury when a 18-wheeler wouldn't have caused much more than a bruise. It scarpered under the closest pedestal, and disappeared into the shadows underneath it.
The aged and kindly Mary Parker: served up pancakes onto the three plates on the small oak dining table. Her husband, Ben Parker, sat on one of the chairs looking through the job's section. He had lost his job when his employers downsized, only the day before.
Their nephew, Ranma walked in through the door. He was an average height for his age, seventeen. He was leaner than most and wore plastic rimmed glasses. His hair was a little too shiney with sweat and was ruffled. He wore his normal and admittably geeky clothes. He spoke in a voice showing a hint of geekiness.
"Hi."
"Hey, Michelangelo. How'd it go?" asked Uncle Ben.
"I'm not feeling well, I'm going to go to bed!" stated Ranma bluntly, not unkindly, but tiredly.
He went to the stairs and started up.
"Sure you don't want a bite, Ranma?" asked Aunt May.
"I've already had a bite!" irony is wonderful thing, thought Ranma.
Ranma stripped off his shirt in his room and stood shivering, and sweating profusly.
'Something is very, very wrong!' he thought slightly frightened.
He managed to crawl into his bed, shivering. Unnoticed, the two bite marks on his hand had swelled as some reaction between the flesh and venom occurred.
In his very genetic code, segments were being replaced in the induvidual strands as the biological retro-virus swept through his body. The only thing keeping him concious was his remarkable constitution and immune system.
Throughtout his body, changes were happening on a cellular level. His already strong, well-used muscles bulged with extra power and strength as the spider DNA raged through his system.
Finally Ranma passed out for a long time as the change reached its peak.
In a lab somewhere in the Oscorp facility two scientists argued.
Norman Osborn wanted to carry out a dangerous experiment on him-self in order to ensure funding from the board of directors. His comrade was deeply against it but was of sufficently weak backbone to do anything but help the incensed scientist.
The result was a monster and a death that had only just begun to feed its hunger.
Ranma woke up groggily.
'Uh, my head. I feel like I have a hangover or something!' he chuckled to himself, reliving the memory of a youthful mistake of learning 'too much sake was bad for you.' His body felt odd and his centre of gravity was way off.
Ranma got up and stood before the mirror. He had his eye distortions off, so he could see clearly at the mirror. What he saw was, well, odd.
He was like before but to a greater extent, his musculature was better sculpted and his entire body felt charged. But his strength and speed were the greatest improvements, improvements, which he was speculative of.
Some people would just accept this odd change as a pleasant surprise, or some such, he wanted to find out what caused this, change. His body was his temple, and no priest likes going to sleep and waking to discover some sculptist had done something to his temple.
He looked at his hand and noted the swelling and the painless reaction the bumps had to pressure.
His wrists had something odd in them, he could sense the change in chi flows around the wrist, a tiny bump with a self-sealing hole. 'For what to come out?' quized Ranma.
He discovered the beginnings of tiny barbed hairs growing out his palms and fingertips.
'Okay, Ranma, think. What are the three odd things about your body exept for the upgrade: First, swelling around the spider-bites; second, holes appearing on the wrist; and thirdly, barbed hairs on hands. What do they all make up to? Well, a spider bit me and the wounds are acting oddly. A spider has the ability to climb walls, with what? If I remember correctly about spiders they use... barbed hairs on their legs! And if the spider-bite is giving me, somehow, certain spider-traits then the holes are for... webbing!
'But how can an ordinary spider do something like that to me?'
It was then he made the connection to the unaccounted spider at the lab, the reasearch they were doing and the spider that bite him.
He promptly slapped his head. 'Baka! How could I be so amazingly dense!'
He took his hand slowly from his head as he saw MJ through their respective windows. She was getting ready for school and looked typically radiant.
'Maybe,' Ranma thought as he looked at the love of his life, 'This wan't some accident. Maybe this is a sign from the Kami that I should act more like my true self, or to talk to MJ, or stand up to Flash. Or maybe it's a sign for me to become someone better than who I pretend to be!' He gazed at MJ and knew for sure what he wanted to do.
Later that day, at luchtime, most of the students, were in the cafeteria, Ranma was no exception. Luckily neither was MJ. Ranma was tucking in to the usual cafeteria food, fries, coke, burger and dessert, and letting his eyes stray, observing all the studenting in his line of sight. He had already made quite a bit of a change, he had stopped wearing his glasses, but noone noticed, yet. He still sat in the aisle seat as usual.
Mj walked along the aisle, with her tray in her hands, red hair waving. Her eyes locked on her planned destination, and not on the floor where a puddle of orange juice was going to greet her.
Ranma didn't know what it was that made him turn around and catch the falling girl and catch all the food on her tray. He would have done it anyway, but it was like his body went on automatic. As it was he had a beautiful, startled girl in his arms staring at him.
"Oh," she gasped as she felt herself slip and be caught.
"Great reflexes!" she complemented, shaken and impressed.
"T-thanks," stuttered Ranma, his shyness toward MJ had never been an act.
"Oh, you have blue eyes. I didn't realise because of your glasses. Contacts?" stated MJ.
"Yeah," replied Ranma, banishing his shyness as much as possible.
"Well, see ya later," she took her tray and walked confidently onward to her friends. Only when Ranma returned to his luch did she turn round and look at him for a few stolen seconds, with a tender smile on her face.
Ranma started to tuck back into his food, when he discovered his fork was stuck to his wrist. He looked around and pulled at it. It was attached to a wide spray of silky white webbing.
Ranma was expecting something like this from last night, but he was at a loss as to how he did it. He flicked his wrist experimentally and found a spray of webbing shoot from it and to attach itself to a abandonned luch tray. He gave it a swift yank, again experimentally. The tray went flying towards him, but he ducked, Flash Gordon's head didn't.
Ranma looked back and saw that the sitting form of Flash was covered in lunch. He swiftly got up and walked out the cafeteria, the tray trailing behind him. When he closed the door behind him, the still connected tray flapped, uslessly against the closed doors, illiciting laughs all round.