The usual disclaimer: Ranma ½ is a trademark of Rumiko Takahashi and VIZ Communications, and its characters have been borrowed without permission. This story was written for non-commercial purposes only.

Note: Unlike my other stories, this story is rated a solid "M". Don't look for any graphic descriptions (your imaginations are probably better than mine in that regard), but there will be lots of innuendo, misdirection, adult jokes, and unusual things done with fruit. Personally, I think I could probably get away with "T" (judging from some of the "M" stories I have read), but we are going with "M" for safety's sake.

While this story follows the "Kasumi's Fate" ("Bindings") Chronicles, it's not necessary to have read any of the previous stories. You do need to know a few things though:

1) Ranma and Akane are happily engaged now (although they are still waiting on the ring). Not only that, they have united their souls, healing both of them of their past emotional injuries and leading to some very interesting implications. The Cat Fist is still part of Ranma, but he would no longer say he "suffers" from it.

2) Kasumi and Tofu are engaged and due to be married within the month.

3) Tofu is a very powerful mage. He's also part Kitsune through his mother, Kin Ono. Kin is half-Kitsune. Tofu also works for a mysterious group called "The Council" and leads a team of spies/mercenaries on an unmentioned mission in Nerima. The Council (and their enemy, Henna) are not featured in this story though.

4) The Fiancée Brigade has been disbanded. Ukyo now supports Ranma and Akane, Kodachi has moved on (and is slightly saner), and Shampoo is on the run from the Amazons. Also, Tatewaki Kuno is imprisoned by his Uncle far away from Nerima.

5) Mousse has been broken of his love for Shampoo (in a very vicious manner). He has also learned that the Amazons do not want him to return to China. However, the Nerima crowd has immediately laid claim to him. Cologne is still one of the Amazons, but has lost interest in returning to her village, at least for now.

6) The government of Japan believes (falsely) that Ranma's sire is Tofu's deceased brother (a very long story). Ranma has been formally adopted by Mrs. Ono and is now legally Tofu's brother. She also recently adopted Mousse as well. Tofu is effectively Ranma's and Mousse's guardian now. Both live with Tofu at the Clinic, but the three spend most of their free time at the Tendo Dojo.

7) Nodoka is (and still considered to be) Ranma's mother and her marriage to Genma has been annulled. Genma permanently resides in the Nerima zoo and is out-of-the-picture. Officially, Nodoka is recovering from an extended mental illness and the Tendos are her guardians. Again, this is what the Judicial System believes – the truth of the matter is she just likes staying with the Tendos and they like having her there. She and Soun treat each other as brother and sister and the Tendo daughters still treat her as their aunt.

8) Ryoga is happily engaged to Akari and there are fourteen months to go until their wedding. Both of them are students of the Tendo dojo and are there every weekend. Ryoga and Ranma have long since buried the hatchet (although they still beat on each other enthusiastically) and treat each other as siblings (there are reasons, but you have to go read the other stories). Akane has settled up with "P-Chan" – she's even forgiven him, but there were a lot of beatings between discovery and forgiveness though. Ryoga can still get disoriented, but not in such a grand manner anymore (no more switching continents – again, go read the other stories if you want to find out why). He has developed strategies to deal with many situations (like sticking with a companion whenever possible).

9) Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga are mages in-training (as well as Martial Artists). Ranma is a Wind Mage, Ryoga is an Earth Mage, and Akane is a Fire Mage (same as Tofu). They are also the Guardians of three World Elemental spirits who share "spiritual space" with them (and the three humans are also spiritually linked), but that doesn't enter into this story.

Other characters in the story (besides the Ranma ½ cast):

1) Mrs. Chie Shimizu is Dr. Tofu's office manager. This middle-age woman is a good friend of Kasumi (as well as the rest of the extended family) and is one of the biggest gossips in Nerima.

2) Shizuka Jouda is Kasumi's Tai Chi instructor. She's a tough and implacable warrior who loves children, especially the children of her deceased rival and best friend, Kimiko Tendo (even if the "children" are getting up there in years). She's been involved in Kasumi's life off-stage for nearly a decade now.

3) Hideo Jouda is Shizuka's husband. He runs a florist shop in the same building as her dojo. He's a tall, good natured man, with endless patience – especially for his stubborn wife. He's also a very talented Earth mage as well (he's Ryoga's Arcane teacher).

4) Daran Hawk is an old friend of Tofu who possesses no supernatural abilities, but does possess a number of interesting magical and technical artifacts. While he looks (and dresses) like Indiana Jones with dark skin, he is a spy/researcher whose expertise is dealing with the supernatural. He currently serves the mysterious Council and Dr. Tofu is his Team Leader. He also does a good James Bond imitation.

5) Ciren Blake is a tall blond athletic woman who is a master archer (her preferred weapon) as well as a marksman (the rifle is her second favorite weapon). She is also a talented Martial Artist (even by Nerima standards) and trained in swordsmanship. She doesn't have much of a sense of humor (due to a bitter childhood) although she has learned to return the give-and-take of her teammates and is patient with the young and inexperienced, despite her hot temper. She is a mechanic, a pilot, a race car driver, and has taken Mousse as her apprentice in advance weaponry. She currently serves the mysterious Council and Dr. Tofu is her Team Leader. She is half-human (you have to figure out the other half).

6) Olaf Thorsen is a modern day seven-foot Viking Berserker and a very intimidating bodyguard. He has recently started to wear a short beard and doesn't braid his hair (which is not quite to his shoulders), but his favorite weapon is a war hammer. When not wielding a war hammer, he can be found using a rocket launcher or a custom-fitted auto-cannon. He is ridiculously strong - much stronger than Taro's bull form. He is not a fan of unarmed combat (despite Ciren pestering him to train), but his fist is to be feared and he can take a lot of damage. This good-natured giant is a quiet man outside of battle, and a very sharp dresser (not off-the-rack) when not wearing armor (either medieval or modern depending on the battle). Like Ciren, he is also a half-human and works for the Council under Tofu (also one of his best friends).

7) Paolo (The Mouse/Mausu) Glavan: Thief and spy extraordinaire. He is called "The Mouse" or "Mausu" due to his small size (about 130 cm) and his ability to get into impossible places. He is fully human and of Mediterranean descent. While he is not an assassin, he is a great person to have on your side in a fight due to his skill and speed. He is also extremely intelligent and likable despite his penchant for practical jokes. While currently contracted by the Council and working for Tofu (who is a good friend), he has been hired in the past by Daran for intelligence gathering. Indeed, when the two men have joined forces, they are the despair of counter-intelligence agencies around the world.

8) Police Inspector Shoichi Ojima is head of the Nerima precincts. He possesses the Sight which allows to him See true guilt or innocence (he loathed Genma after one glance). For the longest time, he couldn't turn the Sight off, which forced him to be a very driven man in the pursuit of Justice. Doctor Tofu helped him control his "gift" after the events in "The Destruction of Ranma Saotome." Now he's still a very driven man, but he can also get a good night's sleep. He's a very lean man of average height with a no nonsense attitude. While he believes in Justice, he's not above bending the rules.

9) Tomo is a young, full-blooded Kitsune. The Kitsune Elders have assigned him to help Dr. Tofu who is his cousin (although one of many, so that is not so remarkable). Tomo appears to be the equivalent to a 12-year old human with the exception of the fox tail, ears, and fur. He is very much the typical Kitsune prankster, but has a fondness for the Tendos and the Onos (whether he'll admit it or not). His magic ability is above average for his age, which is why the Elders put him to work.

One last note: Kabukicho is a world famous adult entertainment center in Shinjuku, Tokyo. There are literally thousands of bars, nightclubs, restaurants, love hotels, massage parlours, hostess clubs, adult shops, etc. there.

Chapter 1: The Invitees

"Rise and shine!" Tofu's voice rang out cheerily.

"DROP DEAD!" two voices growled back from the Clinic residence's second bedroom. It was 5AM on Saturday. Breakfast was not until 7AM. Mousse wasn't opening the restaurant until 8AM and Ranma did not have school this morning. Akane would not be by until 6:15AM for her morning run with Ranma. The two young men reasoned that they should be allowed to sleep for at least another hour before being subjected to their lunatic brother.

They heard Tofu clap his hands twice. Immediately, Ranma, who had the top bunk, spread his feet and hands to brace on the side rails of the bunk bed as the mattress dissolved under him. Mousse was not quite as fast, but the Chinese teenager only fell a few decimeters. He was also relieved not to have his adopted brother crash down on top of him.

"I say we spike his tea this time," Ranma said from where he hung in the air.

"The time to spike it was last night," Mousse answered. "But Kasumi probably wouldn't approve."

"I thought she was staying the night?" Ranma said. "Shouldn't he be busy right about now?"

"Ranma! Mousse! I made some breakfast rolls!" Kasumi called out.

"Right, but she's an earlier riser than he is," Mousse answered. "They probably were busy – about an hour ago."

"Crap," Ranma muttered. "I suppose we need to get up, but why the hell so early on a Saturday?"

"Guys? Please?" Tofu called out.

"Please?" Ranma echoed in surprise. "Ah hell, he really means it – something's up." Ranma relationship with Tofu was complex, but, when it came right down to it, the shape-changer was respectful and grateful to his adopted older brother.

"Yep, that's that," Mousse agreed.

Both of them immediately yelled out: "Give us two minutes!" They both leaped away from the bunk beds and their mattresses reappeared.

Tofu heard their reply and retreated downstairs with satisfaction. Part of him was pleased that they knew when to take him seriously. The rest of him was reviewing the plan in his head. He had to do this carefully. Kasumi had already dragged Akane down from the dojo and spoken to Nabiki last light. The middle Tendo daughter had dodged any promises about meddling, but she was committed to go with Kasumi tonight, so that would have to do.

He walked into the kitchen and saw that Akane had her head nestled in her arms on the table. The 18-year old (nearly 19) was dozing lightly while dressed in her running clothes. "She's more of a morning person than Ranma," Kasumi commented. "But there are limits." Kasumi was dressed for the day already. She would have to change for this evening, but that was a ways away.

"They can all crash a little later," Tofu said. We need to do this now while the opposition is sleeping off last night." Kasumi just nodded her head.

Ranma and Mousse came into the kitchen dressed in their robes. "What's up?" Ranma asked. "I assume this isn't a training drill, Doc?" Mousse didn't say a word. He just looked at Tofu quizzically.

Akane seemed to wake up. "This better be good…" she mumbled. Ranma smiled and sat down besides her.

"I need to ask a favor – a big favor, but I needed to ask it when they are no possible eavesdroppers," the Doc answered. All three teenagers perked up and straightened up to look at Tofu seriously. "You know I'm suppose to have a Bachelor Party tonight, right?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah," Ranma answered. "A bunch of your buddies are in town for it. They are staying with Olaf, Ciren, Daran, and Mausu."

"To put it bluntly, I need backup. Otherwise, things are likely to get out of control. I'm getting married in two weeks – I would actually like to show up for the ceremony. I would like you two, Ryoga, Hideo and Inspector Ojima to go along with me and be my reserve team. I trust you five to bail me out if things get out of hand."

"And we are suppose to do what against a bunch of experienced Kitsunes and mercenaries?" Mousse asked.

"All five of you are formidable. Believe it or not, I think you can hold your own. If nothing else, your presence will keep the party in this world and mostly sane. At least then I won't have to try and figure my way back to this world," Tofu answered.

"O.K., but three of us are underage," Ranma noted.

"Not an issue. No one is going to check ID's," Tofu replied.

"So why am I here?" Akane asked sleepily as she laid her head on the table again.

"Because I'm going to have the party at Kabukicho, and you need to know," Tofu said.

Automatically, without even raising her head, Akane's hand shot out and grabbed Ranma's pigtail. Then she pulled down.

"Akane!" Ranma protested as his head was tilted back.

"You touch, you die," Akane mumbled sleepily.

"Well, that went way better than I thought," Kasumi said brightly.

"I'm just setting ground rules," Akane replied. "He's had half-naked women throwing themselves at him for a while, and he's never betrayed me – even if I couldn't see it at the time. I've never seen him gawk at any woman. I trust the dummy. Besides, he has his own beautiful female form," Akane said as she let go.

"Whoa… a lot has changed," Mousse smirked.

"Ow…" Ranma mumbled as he rubbed his head. Still, he couldn't quite hide his fond smile. Tofu stood behind Akane and seemed to be making a gesture at Ranma to continue, so Ranma quickly added: "Actually, I have two beautiful female forms…"

Akane turned her head to look at Ranma and then straightened up and kissed him. While in the kiss, she launched a side-kick at Tofu (who nimbly dodged). "Stop prompting him or he'll never learn," she said as she broke the kiss. "Still, it was a good effort," she mumbled as her head sank down again.

Tofu gave Ranma a wink. Then he said, "All right. That's what I wanted to ask. Are you two in?"

"So long as I get to go back to sleep for an hour," Mousse replied.

"Yeah, maybe there will be some fighting," Ranma said. Mousse rolled his eyes.

"Thank you," Tofu responded sincerely. He looked at the clock. "I guess you can have the hour now."

"Done. I'll take the couch in the living room," Mousse called with a slight smile as he got up. Ranma looked confused for a second. Then his expression cleared, and he stood up and picked up Akane.

Akane put a finger to his lips. "Just sleep, dummy. I'm too tired for anything else."

"Hey, I'm still wiped too," Ranma protested. Akane just snuggled closer in his arms. All three teenagers left the kitchen and went back to bed.

After they left, Tofu asked: "Have those two…?" He left the question hanging.

Kasumi shook her head. "I don't think so, but she is on the pill if they have. They are setting their own pace and seem very happy with it. Personally, I think they are waiting until after the engagement ring is a done deal."

Tofu shrugged. "Actually, after the last Binding they wove between themselves, I think the wedding is a done deal, never mind the engagement. I think they are just letting themselves grow into the Binding a little more."

Kasumi just said: "Either way, it's really none of our business. Again, they are very happy with each other and they finally trust each other completely – as Akane just showed."

Up in his bedroom, Ranma placed Akane in his top bunk, dropped his robe (revealing a T-shirt and sweat pants), and hopped up on his bed. Akane stopped him from settling and took off his T-shirt. Then she pulled off her own sweat shirt and T-shirt. She was now clad in her sweat pants and sports bra. The young woman pushed him down to the bed and settled into his arms again, snuggling in once more. Ranma pulled a blanket about them and relaxed. He couldn't (or rather wouldn't) stop his hand from rubbing Akane's back every now and then though. Occasionally, his hand would slide under the bra strap.

"Stop that," Akane half-giggled at him sleepily. "Just rest for now."

"I'm sort of awake right now," Ranma commented.

"Well I'm still tired. If you behave yourself now and tonight though, we can have a discussion about new territory tomorrow," she promised. "For both of us," she added.

Ranma eyes widened. "And she expects me to go to sleep after that comment?" he thought.

Police Inspector Shoichi Ojima looked at the paper at his usual morning café. "Why did I agree to do this?" he thought. True, he owed Doctor Tofu a major favor. The doctor had helped him get his Sight under control so he now could get a good night sleep. Being able to turn off the ability was a god-send. "Still, I've signed up to go out for an evening with a combination of over-the-top martial artists, mercenaries, and Kitsunes. What possessed me to do that?" he wondered.

But, deep down, he knew why. The Inspector looked at his breakfast – the same one he had every morning. He looked at his newspaper – the same one he bought every morning. He wore the same clothes (or at least very similar) day in and day out. In the last ten years, nothing had changed for him. Even his vacations blurred in his mind as being same repetition of events. "I'm in a rut and I want out," he thought with a sigh. "The most interesting things began happening to me when I started getting involved with Ranma and Tofu. Tofu and his company have become the closest I've ever had to real friends, and now the Doc has asked me for a favor. Even if I wasn't in debt to him, I would have signed up."

Someone hit him over the head with a rolled up newspaper and then plopped down into a seat next to him. "How did you live so long?" a tall blond woman asked him. "You have absolutely no defensive warning system and you follow a very predictable schedule. I wouldn't have made it out of my teenage years."

"Good morning, Miss Blake," he answered sourly. "Nice to see you too." He glanced at his tormentor. Well, all right – she wasn't really a tormentor. She busted his chops one-on-one whenever she could, but in any sort of public situation, she (and the rest of her cohorts) where very respectful to him. He looked at her outfit; she was dressed in her racing suit. "Out terrorizing the roads again?" he asked.

Ciren Blake put on an expression of wounded innocence. "You know, even in Japan it's illegal to falsely accuse someone."

Ojima raised an eyebrow. "There were reports of a Ferrari 550 Maranello participating in a drag race in the Yamaguchi Prefecture a couple of hours ago."

"No one was hurt I hope – including the car," she said. "But Yamaguchi is over 800 km away as the crow flies. The Maranello only has a top speed of 320 km/hr and the roads between here and there are not what you'd call conducive to top speed. Anyone driving a Maranello at 400 km/hr along those roads would end up in a hospital – or the grave. Never mind that the car would be absolutely destroyed."

"Provided the car was actually a Maranello," the Inspector shot back as he reached for his coffee. "The Maranello is a two seater."

Ciren smirked. "I'd hardly call that bench a seat – it's literally a padded bench top with no foot space. Good for carrying tools or parts."

"Or a body," Ojima said off-handed.

"So maybe it's been used as an ambulance here or there," she bantered.

Ojima snorted and took a sip. "And what other little modifications does it have?"

"All legal – or at least it passed the National Inspection," she answered while looking at her nails with that smirk. She was obviously enjoying their game. In some ways, she reminded the Inspector of Nabiki Tendo.

"You're lucky I have my hands full already or I'd follow up on that," he grumbled at her.

"Ah, the upcoming nuptials have you busy, do they?" she asked with mocked sympathy.

"I have report of someone building a tunnel between a bar and a convenience store last night. The individuals worked fast, much to the astonishment of the bar owner and the store owner. The tunnel was reinforced enough that it actually passed building codes," he answered with annoyance.

"Not a break-in then," she guessed.

"No, both owners were present and everything was paid for," he replied. "When asked why they did it, the men answered that they wanted a path between the two establishments that they could use without notice. The men then handed the new keys to the owners and left."

She shrugged her shoulders. "Makes sense to me."

"It would," he said with some sarcasm. "I also have reports of outrageous practical jokes all over the city – never mind the Ward. The trouble is: no one can figure out how they were done. The news media is jokingly blaming Kitsunes."

"Must be a slow news day," Blake commented.

"Then there is the report of a purported kidnapping," the Inspected added before taking a sip again. He was pleased that Ciren's smirk faltered a little with concern. "Seems some men dragged a local sculptor out of bed in the middle of the night. The artist was found this morning stuffed in a closet in City Hall. His captors had forced him to repair one of his own art pieces outside City Hall, shoved his pockets full of money and then pushed him in the closet. He recanted his story when he found out that the money would be kept as evidence. Now he claims is was just an over-enthusiastic fan."

The concern left her face, but not fully as she faked the smirk again. The Inspector hid his smile. He had a feeling justice was about to happen to the kidnappers – that would do nicely. Ciren raised her hands: "Sounds like a perfectly innocent misunderstanding." The Inspector settled for raising both eyebrows and giving her a very direct look. She continued on: "Now I suppose I should leave you to your breakfast. I have a few errands to run." As she got up, the smirk returned in full and she taunted his steady look: "Oh come on! You'll miss us when we leave." With that she turned and left him in peace.

As he watched her go, his earlier thoughts returned. "All right," he admitted grudgingly to himself. "I will."

Shizuka grabbed Hideo's head from behind gently but firmly, and tilted it up and back to look at her. The sitting man's face was a picture of innocence. She repeated Akane's warning: "You touch, you die." Then she added: "I don't share."

"Be realistic, dear. Who would want to have sex with an old man?" he protested.

"I do, and you're not that old. You won't hit fifty for another year," she stated.

"So, when I'm fifty, you're done with me?" he teased.

"You're not that lucky." She kissed him and let go of his head. "How does Tofu think you'll have time to watch out for him? You're going to have your hands full keeping the three boys out of trouble."

"Not really," Hideo disagreed. "First off, they are not boys. All three are truly young men. Two of them are completely devoted to their fiancées. Ranma and Akane are Bound together with a tie stronger than most marriages and Akari has Ryoga wound around her little finger. Never mind the fact that Ranma is part female, so the female body holds no secrets for him. A lot of that knowledge has leaked over to Ryoga, who is also quite – *ahem* – familiar with Akari's body judging from the embarrassed stories of people accidently walking in on them – or sensing them from afar. As for Mousse, he grew up around Amazon warriors and their dress – or lack thereof – varies according to the seasons. And while he is attracted to women, he's also use to thinking of women as his social superiors. He's not going to think about jumping up on stage with any of the performers."

"Ranma still blushes when the topic of sex comes up," Shizuka pointed out.

"Only in relationship to Akane. If any other girl makes a move, you can almost see Ranko take over. If someone really pressures him, he finds water," Hideo said. "But he no longer bolts blindly."

"I suppose," she agreed reluctantly. Then she made a face. "I think you'll have a more interesting time than I will."

"It doesn't sound that bad," Hideo teased her. "You'll have a nice formal tea ceremony followed by an equally formal dinner. Nodoka will be in her element and Kasumi will be rather pleased with the neatness and formality in the presentation. You'll have plenty to do; you'll have to nudge Akane every five minutes to keep her awake."

"Please let Nabiki have hired a stripper," Shizuka prayed.

"Ah, ah, ah. Remember: you touch, you die," Hideo laughed. "Maybe Mrs. Ono will have a few tricks up her sleeve."

Ranma, Akane, Nabiki, and Mousse walked toward Nerima center, well wrapped against the cold. It was after breakfast and Mousse needed to join Cologne at the restaurant. Ranma and Akane had a shopping list from Kasumi. Nabiki was helping Mousse interview staff and reviewing the Cat Café's books as a class project.

"Do you think there will be trouble at Tofu's party?" Akane asked.

"It's practically guaranteed," Mousse said. "We are dealing with mercenaries that fight hard and play hard."

"Genma talked about Kabukicho," Ranma added. "Happosai caused a lot of trouble there. There are two sides to it. One is a very public surface: lots of neon, adult stores, bars, arcades, restaurants, onsens, love hotels, host and hostess clubs. The other side is more hidden. You find it by knowing the right – or the wrong – people. That's the strip joints, the live sex shows, the sex clubs, and the bordellos."

"Bordellos?" Akane asked.

"Whore houses," Nabiki clarified.

"Oh."

"Maybe we should ask Konatsu if there are any Kunoichi houses there?" Mousse said. "Ditching the mercenaries in one could be entertaining."

"It's a thought," Ranma admitted.

"I don't believe this," Nabiki laughed.

"What?" Ranma quizzed.

"Ranma Ono, one of the biggest prudes on the planet is plotting how to outwit a bunch of mercenaries in a red-light district," Nabiki clarified.

"It's just another battle, Nabiki," Ranma explained. Then he cast a sly glance at Akane. "Besides, I have enough trouble with one woman – why on earth would I want more?"

Akane made a face and elbowed him in the ribs – not that she applied much force or that it did much damage with the coats in the way. Ranma grinned and put an arm around her, which seemed to mollify her.

Nabiki smirked at the gestures. "To top it off," she added. "The man-hater, Akane Tendo, trusts her fiancé enough to let him do it."

Akane gave her sister a one finger salute. "Get over it. He's mine and I'm his. That's that."

"And I have no complaints," Ranma added.

Mousse pretended to gag for a few moments. Then he dropped the gesture and moved on by asking: "What do we do about the Kitsunes?"

"Oh, I know, I know! Pick me!" a voice chimed out. There was a popping sound and Tomo appeared, floating just in front of the group as they walked. The young Kitsune looked like a red-headed 12 year-old child except for the red fox tail on his backside and his red cheek tufts. His paws and the rest of his fur were not visible due to his winter clothes.

"I know I'm going to regret this," Ranma started. "But pick you for what?"

"Let me take care of the Kitsunes!" Tomo crowed.

"Tomo," Akane explained patiently. "These guys are many years your senior. They've probably mastered magic that you've only dabbled in."

"Yeah, but if I prank them, I can move up the ranks faster," Tomo said.

"Let me think about it," Ranma replied. Everyone was surprised when he didn't immediately say 'no', including Tomo.

"Are you serious?" Tomo asked.

"Yeah," Ranma answered. "Check back with me a little later."

"All right!" Tomo exclaimed and then vanished with a pop.

"Please tell me you're not serious," Mousse begged.

"Think about it, Mousse," Ranma said. "Kitsunes feed on havoc, but there's only so much they can take before overloading. If we play it cool and force them to go all out, then throw Tomo's little bit of magic in the mix…"

"Tomo is not a 'little bit' of anything; he's a major pain in the butt," Mousse cut in. "But I see your point." The part-time duck raised an eyebrow. "You realize that any plan you put together will not last five minutes once we engage the enemy?"

"Yep," Ranma acknowledged. "But that's why I practice 'Anything Goes'…"

Later that day, Nabiki knocked on Ciren's door. A rough looking man dressed only in jeans opened the door and leered: "Well, aren't you a sweet-looking thing?"

Nabiki immediately tasered him, dropping him where he stood. She walked over his fallen body into the apartment. "Any reasonable human beings here? Or do I keep this thing out?" Nabiki called into the room.

Ciren came out of the bathroom. "I see you met Agor," she noted.

"Yes, we had the loveliest conversation. He didn't make it past the first volley," Nabiki said. "Tofu needs to be choosier in his friends."

"Actually, he's a friend of a friend. I'm not sure if he's even going tonight," Ciren explained. She one-handedly dragged the body out of the doorway and set it in the corner propped up. "How did you know that would work on him?"

"I didn't," Nabiki admitted. "I only thought it would get his attention. I had the taser set on non-Nerima strength just in case.

"Good thinking," Ciren approved. "What's up?"

"I booked you at a club like you requested. It's called the "Bluefin" and it's near Shinjuku Station," Nabiki told her.

"Thanks. Unfortunately, I need to Hunt. Tofu and company won't be there tonight will they?" Ciren asked. "I rather they not get caught in the Hunt."

"Nope, they are going to a club called 'Masa's'. I'm not sure what will happen after they get there though," Nabiki said. "It might be safer to postpone the Hunt."

"I can't, Nabiki. It's tied to my body rhythms. If I don't Hunt, things will get out of control rather quickly. The Hunt guarantees no one gets hurt," Ciren explained. "Embarrassed maybe, but not hurt.

"And that will do just fine," Nabiki thought.

Akio looked at his brother. "Are we all set?" he asked.

Ayumu answered. "Yes. We should be able to ditch the children at the Arcade next to Masa's. Masa's will be so boring that they will beg to go. As soon as they leave, our promise to the Elders is no longer in effect. We kidnap Tofu then and get him trashed. It will embarrass the hell out of him that the Elders had to pay ransom just to get him to the church on time – even if the ransom is a load of nonsense."

"Good!" Akio laughed. "It's time dear Tofu learned a bit of humility when dealing with the pure Kitsunes."

Olaf sat on the terrace of his apartment looking at the setting sun while waiting for the bus he hired. The Winter Sun always reminded him of his father's people. He smiled to himself as he thought about tonight. This was perfect. There were so many fingers in the pie that a mess was guaranteed, but that was alright. His friend would have a Bachelor Party he'd never forget – something that would keep him and his bride warm with laughter on many a cold night.

A/N: Next up: The Hostess Club