MORE OR LESS
Disclaimer/Warning/Story Key: See Chapter One. I don't feel like repeating myself. Wait, I just did by repeating this as it wrote it in chapter two! ACK! Worse, I'm repeating myself from the last chapter! Wait, except for now… so that's good right? RIGHT?
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*PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO POST A REVIEW*
(After you read the chapter of course.)
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!REQUEST FROM THE AUTHOR!
If yall happen to see any half-arsed sentences, spellin' errors, grammar corrections, or jus things that plain don't make sense, yall'd be doin' me a favor if ya could zip off private message so I can fix 'em. Thanx. (Private Messages can be sent via my profile.)
And there I'm repeating myself again! Arg! I'm trapped in a loop! SEND HELP!
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Additional Note: No horses were actually hurt in the making of this chapter. Cat's either. Stink bugs however….
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Cccccchapter Seven of... WHO KNOWS!
(I sure don't)
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ooO Nerima, Japan (The Tendo Dojo) Ooo
Wholly immersed in her battle with the students of the Tendo Anything Goes dojo Ranma weaved in and out of the fight tricking many of the students into hitting striking each other in their efforts to take her down. She did so while keeping her movements calculated to flow of not only with the beat of the song, but also, with the application of a bit of ki here and there, to keep her identity secret by keeping her cloak tight around her body but not so tight as to reveal her sex.
During the brief lulls in the song before the beat started up again she would stand motionless giving them a clear shot at her only to either side step the blow or take the weapon the attacker used from them to use against the next person seeking to hit her.
Even those who pulled weapons down off the walls or had picked up those that the music had knocked down weren't any fortunate in trying to take Ranma down. In fact, they received greater punishment from her by being pinned to wall, floor, or rafter by their weapons in very uncomfortable positions. Positions that usually included Shibari using anything from the gi belts to one of the many gymnastics ribbons Ranma had commandeered from Furinkan high.
With the final refrain of 'I love it!' echoing away only a still hooded Ranma and the gi-adorned master of the dojo remained on their feet.
"You are quite skilled whoever you are." Soun stated, his demeanor cool, his eyes alight anger. "And you show a staggering lack honor in entering my dojo and attacking my students without proper challenge."
"Anything Goes." Ranma replied, her voice echoing deeply as if coming from a cavern.
"I see." The older man answered, then proclaimed. "Unlike you, I am not without honor…"
"Get real." Ranma snorted. "You've got no room to toss around words like honor after all the things you and Genma Saotome did under Happosai's training. That and the two of you are cut from the same cloth, men who think 'Me' first, me second, and me last. Bet that's why the two of you are fightin' over the title of Grandmaster of Anything Goes when neither of you were even Happosai's heir. Ranma Saotome was, not you two."
"Ranma Saotome is dead."
"Really? Anyone find his body like they did Happosai's?"
"No?" The cloaked True Grandmaster of Anything Goes asked when Soun failed to immediately answer. "Well, I guess that makes the two of you thieves fighting over a title neither of you have a right to."
"You dare insult me so in my down dojo!"
"Dare? I'm assuming you mean I'm acting presumptuously 'cause it sure didn't take any courage to do so, not with how pathetic you trained this lot." Ranma commented than waved her left hand dismissively towards the groaning or restrained students around her. "Half of them couldn't even roll with a punch and none of them knew how to land after being hit with one."
The self-proclaimed Grandmaster of Anything Goes face turned as red as a beat as he struggled to control the urge to rush at Ranma in blind fury, a fact not lost on the aqua-transsexual.
"Maybe you should consider another vocation. Maybe street sweeper?" Ranma suggested, her tone meant to be helpful while her meaning clearly meant to be insulting.
"I hear you used to cry a lot, so maybe you can be the center piece for a water fountain. Maybe a garden watering gnome? Wait, ignore that, we don't wanna count on to do something actually useful. That's just asking to be let down."
Taking a small step forward, Soun was about to give into his anger only to reconsider upon noting a shift in Ranma's stance in clear preparation to take advantage of his fury.
Taking a deep breath, schooling his emotions, he than proclaim "I am Soun Tendo, Grandmaster of Anything Goes".
Normally such a challenge would include a slight bow towards the opponent, the mustached martial artist forwent this t as a sign of disrespect, which was incongruent given his next words.
"Show you have some honor, announce yourself so I might properly accept your challenge to my dojo!"
"Why should I?"
"Why? You attack my students from surprise like a coward, impugn the honor of my dojo by insulting not only my students but their sensei, and then dare to ask me why I demand you act with honor and give me your name so I can challenge you?"
"Discounting what I think of you or your schools so called honor, I'm not here for a formal challenge, so even if I were inclined to give you my name, which I'm not, accepting your challenge isn't part of my plan given I'm here to reclaim something that's mine not fight. Sure I did attack your students, but was a bonus I decided to give myself."
Ranma paused briefly than shrugged. "Who am I kidding, kickin' your ass would be icing on the cake so come and give me your best shot old man."
"Your name?"
"Earn it." Ranma said giving Soun a come-hither motion with her left hand.
"Very well!" Soun yelled snatching a fallen kamayari with his left, turned, and blinked in confusion at seeing his opponent holding their hand up, a purple ribbon extending from it to a point behind him. He barely had time to duck under Happosai's urn shot past him and into Ranma's hand where she tucked it under her left arm.
Patting the top of the urn Ranma taunted, "You seriously thought I was going to waste my time fighting you when this is what I came for? Talk about being an idiot."
"YOU DARE TRY TO STEAL THE MASTERS REMAINS!" Soun screamed, his demon head technique snapping into existence only to pop like a soap bubble due to Ranma poking it with what looked like a stick. The Anything Goes Master's jaw dropped and he paled when Ranma did a little twirl with the stick revealing it to be Happosai's kiseru, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the departed letches former pupil.
When Ranma pointed it down towards his feet with it, the stunned man could not help but follow the gesture. At seeing the pile of multicolored lit bombs at his feet the self-proclaimed grandmaster had only enough time to snap his head up and mutter "It can't be…" before the Happo Daikarin went off.
The explosion launched him back into the alcove in which the urn once sat as well as covering both Soun and the back section of the dojo in red, yellow, and neon green paint.
"I can't believe the letch never thought to do something like that." Ranma chuckled than sobered. "Wait, he did, stupid giant mold bombs."
"Well, time to go." Ranma said starting to turn intending to walk away but instead leapt to the side avoiding a pink ribbon that snapped through where she'd been standing.
"Or not." She corrected turning casually on the balls of her feet to face her attacker as the brown-haired woman came into the light.
"So, before we do this, how about you tell me your name?" Kurumi Tendo suggested snapping her pink silk ribbon slithering about the floor between them like a live snake waiting to strike.
Before she could respond, she had to act, hands blurring plucking four kunai out of the air.
The raven-haired woman who threw them stepped out from behind the closest pillar to her right saying "I do not think it matters much who she is sister, nor would I trust the words of a thief".
"In order to be a thief, ya gotta be stealing something. I'm not. I'm just reclaiming what's mine." Ranma responded casually tossing the knives she'd caught over her shoulder, each of them creating a :-:Thunk:-: as they imbedded themselves into the floor sending a few of the unrestrained students scrambling for cover.
"Oh?" Natsume raised a delicately sculpted eyebrow inquisitively. "Care to explain how the Grandmasters remains are yours, thief."
"You really should've thought to ask that before using me for target practice 'cause now I'm not inclined to answer." Ranma said taking a step backwards, her body angled to keep the urn from being an easy target for Kurumi's ribbon. "Then there's the fact you just said you wouldn't believe me if I did so, so I'll just be leaving instead."
"I think not." Natsume stated, arm going back to grasp the handle of the giant rug beater strapped to her back.
Smirking Ranma locked eyes with the raven-haired girl. "You really don't want to do this. It's only gonna end badly."
"Yes, for you!" Natsume said as she casually closed the distance between them, her rug-beater now in her hands.
"I still say she should at least tell us her name before we fight her. It's only proper." Kurumi whined matching her sister's movement forward.
"You can't expect a thief to act with honor sister."
"Hello, not a thief, and I don't hear either of you giving your names, not that I would give you mine even if you did." Ranma said slapping away the rug beater hard forcibly spinning Natsume about providing her with the opportunity to slap the raven-haired girl on the rear making her yelp.
"Little too much giggle in your wiggle, might want to work it off."
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Natsume scream charging headlong at the cloaked martial artists only ending up sliding across the floor when Ranma tripped her.
"Wow that brings back memories. Not the sliding across the floor, someone yelling they want to kill me. Makes me wonder how that jerk is doing."
Ranma's hand shot in time to snag Kurumi's pink ribbon before it could wrap around her throat.
"Hey! I was having a moment here!"
"Like I care?" Kurumi taunted, her ribbon starting to emit a slight light as she used her ki to heat it up.
To her surprise, she could see her move stop half-way down.
"Seriously, that old move? Boring." The aqua-transsexual taunted jerking the ribbon suddenly bringing Kurumi close enough for her to unleash a fury of punches that ended with a kick that tossed the brunette away.
"Now where was I? Oh yeah, the only thief here is napping boy over there." Ranma claimed slipping back several feet, pointing a hand at the currently unconscious Master of Anything Goes. "He claims the title of Grandmaster of the Anything Goes School when he's not. And if he were, what kind of Grandmaster let's himself be taken out by a few exploding paint bombs ending up a piece of abstract art?"
"The Grandmaster of Incendiary Painting?" Kurumi offered unhelpfully.
"Point." Ranma ceded. "Yet I can't help but think the only paint Soun Tendo'd ever use would be to dress himself up like the clown he is."
"You dare insult my sensei and father!" Natsume screamed rushing Ranma with a swing of her rug beater that the redhead intercepted with a high-block.
"Teary The Cry'n Clown there trying to teach a half-assed version of Anything Goes to a bunch of nitwits and bullies is an insult to not only sensei everywhere, but to the memory of Happosai as well, so yeah, I dare." Ranma answered leaping over the raven-haired girls' following up low sweep then using her momentum to complete a jump-spin back kick driving Natsume off her feet and on to her back. "And now that we have that established, can you stop asking me if I 'dare'."
Her counter attack had the effect of leaving her open however, as Kurumi's ribbon snapped out intending to wrap her but instead grabbed her cloak only to slice it in half instead.
Catching the half of the cloak her ribbon brought back Kurumi paused in her attack, her heading going from Ranma's shoulder to her feet than back again.
Kurumi's comment of "Wow. She's hot." cleared up any misconceptions that she was ogling her opponent.
"Um… you're not so bad yourself?" Ranma returned the compliment, her voice a bit unsure at the turn of events.
"Thanks!" Kurumi chirped than asked "You sure we have to kick her ass sis?".
"YES!" Natsume croaked out between attempts at drawing air into her lungs after being kicked.
"How about if she puts the Grandmaster's remains back, apologizes, and then promises not to do it again?" Kurumi asked while regarding Ranma with a clearly lascivious grin on her face. "If she does that, I don't see why we can't be friends."
"Are you SERIOUS?" Natsume asked incredulously.
"Yup. I mean given the way she beat everyone else she'd make a good sparring partner…"
She gave Ranma a coy smile. "Maybe more..."
"Tell me you're kidding me." Natsume coughed out still trying to recover from a kick that would've put a horse down. "She beat up not only our dojos students but our father as well and you're hitting on her?"
"Yeah, so, we do that all the time to. Beat them up I mean." Kurumi replied than said to Ranma. "This is my first time hitting on someone in the middle of a fight, I swear" who didn't believe her for a second.
"No we don't!" Natsume decried. "We train them!"
"Daddy trains them; we get to be the ones who test that training, often painfully for them." Kurumi responded offhandedly. "I'd seriously think most of them are masochists if I didn't know better. The ones who want Kasumi to evaluate them definitely are."
"Besides." Kurumi winked at Ranma while bring the tatters of the cloak to her nose and inhaling deeply. "She's smells nice and I'm willing to wager she's got a killer face to go with that body."
The brunette than looked at her fellow Anything Goes practitioners, specifically those tied to some fixture. "Sure she seems to have a serious kinky side, but who am I to judge."
Natsume's yell of "Damn it, stop flirting and attack her!" covered over Ranma's brief chuckle.
"Fine." Kurumi stated towards her sister than turned to Ranma adding "But if you tie me up like that 'Paprika' is my safe word." before shooting forward throwing a series of attacks with her hand held in the tiger claw position switching to beak fingered attacks than back again as Ranma countered with one arm.
She was driven back to rub both her biceps after Ranma struck back only twice, hitting her with shark's tooth fist back fists after throwing Kurumi's attacks wide with a block.
"Wow, you are good." Kurumi admitted while dashing forward failing to get behind Ranma when she danced out of her way several times before stopping to slap the brunette's last attack aside without moving.
"Um… were you just trying to grope my butt?"
"Yup! Would've succeeded if you weren't so fast."
Catching knocking her hand away again Ranma took a small leap back saying "I gotta ask, you know I'm a girl right? I mean with all the flirting and all…".
"Well duh." Kurumi snapped her ribbon out several times towards without intent to score a hit but rather to keep Ranma from backing further away. "No guy has a shape like that, or jiggles up top like that when they block."
Under her hood, Ranma blushed at the compliment. "Um, thanks."
"You sure you wouldn't rather solve this more peacefully?" Kurumi asked even as she tried to deliver a knife hand to Ranma's throat. "Say like on a date? I'll buy."
"Ice cream?" Ranma asked blocking her attack with a crane-hook pushing the attack away.
"Ice cream sounds good." Kurumi responded flirtatiously. "A knickerbocker glory with you stirred in sounds like it would be lots of fun."
"Damn it Kurumi!" Natsume yelled reentering the fight swinging her rug beater for all she was worth nearly taking out one of the dojos support pillars when Ranma backed into it than ducked out of the way. "Stop with the flirting and punch her or something!"
"Why do only one?" Ranma quipped actually getting into the fight and amused by the sisters arguing.
"That's the spirit!" Kurumi said leaping over her sister missing Ranma with a jump kick when the still partial concealed martial artist ducked under the attack.
"This way I get to have some good old fashioned brutal combat and get a date at the same time!" The brunette said trying to sweep Ranma's legs out from under her and missing.
"Kurumi!"
The brunette yelled back, "I really think I got a shot here and I'm not taking a chance on missing it!" while ducking than rolling away from a round house directed her way.
"Wasting a chance! Seriously? We're in the middle of a fight you idiot! You should be trying to help me put this thief down instead of hitting on her!"
"Like she said, thief assumes she's stolen something, which she hasn't." Kurumi countered watching her sister trying to hit Ranma and missing repeatedly. "Not until she gets it out of the dojo. So as far as I'm concerned she's just an extreeeemly attractive challenger to our school who's using anything she can to keep us off center; including using Happosai's urn as a shield. I'd say she's just being practical."
"And I seriously think you need to have your head examined! AGAIN!" Natsume yelled, stepping away from Ranma to catch her breath after receiving a rabbit punch to the stomach that hurt nearly as much as the kick she'd received in the same spot.
Hands on her hips, ribbon dangling at her side, Kurumi turned and glared at her sister. "Hello, I'm still seeing Dr. Akai, or have you forgotten?"
"Well maybe we should switch to another one since she doesn't seem to be making any damn progress in keeping you from being a pervert!" Natsume yelled getting in her shorter sisters face.
"I'm not a pervert. I just have a health sex drive." Kurumi countered dismissively. "Dr. Akai said so."
"Healthy is not a word I would use to describe what's wrong with you! You just exchanged your obsession for food with chasing girls!"
"No just girls." Kurumi corrected shameless in her honesty. "I occasionally chase after the odd guy too, but they've got to be something reeeeeeeeeeally special."
She then stepped away from her sister going back to paying attention to Ranma. "She's just jealous I get more dates than she does. If you ask me she's a bit of an ice queen when it comes to the dating scene."
"Oh for Kami sakes I am not jealous!" Natsume yelled at her sisters back. "Nor I am I frigid! I'm selective!"
"Well Dr. Akai agrees with me."
"YOU discuss me with Dr. Akai!"
"Of course I do." Kurumi stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "She thinks you're a bit repressed too."
"She thinks I'm what?! Kami Kurumi I can't believe… Wait, I can believe. But now isn't the time, right now I need you to pretend to be serious for just one second and help me uphold the honor of our dojo!" Natsume pointed her rug beater towards the doorway. "I need your head in the game because we might not just have to put this 'thief' down but her too!"
The three battling martial artists all glanced towards the door.
"OOOOOoooo now she is fine!" Kurumi practically purred while ogling Gina "If she's with this one I get dibs on nursing them both back to health!"
"Um, I'm just an observer so don't worry about me." Gina stated, hands held up in an 'I have no weapons' gesture.
"So you two don't know each other?" Natsume asked circling to Ranma's left as her sister circled to the aqua-transsexual right.
Ranma answered "Yes." while Gina answered "No."
"Wait, we do?"
Ranma nodded.
"Jinkies!" Gina exclaimed deriving to the conclusion the person before her was the very one she'd come to Japan in search of.
She started to say "Ranma?" only to jump when a loud :-:BOOM:-: sounded behind her followed by a large cloud of dust blowing past the open doors.
"What heck was that?" Natsume demanded.
"Um, my sister, probably." Gina answered sheepishly. "That or a gas main just blew."
A second :-:BOOM:-: sounded followed by the sound of crumbling rock.
"Definitely my sister." Gina confirmed. "She's going rounds with giant toothy beast that appeared out of nowhere."
A loud :-:ZZZZZZZZZZCRACK:-: accompanied by the smell of ozone as an unnatural bolt of lightning shot vertically past the door after a yellow blur had shot by.
"And that was her trying to out-run electricity."
Britanny's yell of "YEOW! THAT HURT YOU DENTIST CHAIR REJECT!" was easily heard.
"And failing." Gina deadpanned
Ranma groaned out "Damn it, now I gotta go keep the kitty-cat from becoming a crispy-critter and just when this was getting to be fun" than turned to the two sisters. "Looks like we'll have to play later."
Hearing this, Kurumi used her ribbon as a whip to pull an Indiana Jones move to block Ranma's path leaving her sister to close in to hand to hand with her where the red-headed aqua-transsexual didn't even try to dodge the attack. She instead intercepted it with her kiseru. With a quick thrust, Ranma sent the raven-haired girl to join Soun in the paint plastered cubby, their heads colliding stunning Natsume along with ensuring the self-proclaimed Grandmaster of Anything Goes remained unconscious.
Behind Ranma, Kurumi had not been idle, her ribbon snaking out to pluck the urn from under her arm.
"HA! I got it!"
"You do?" Ranma asked chuckling softly while turning around, urn held up in her left hand.
"What? How?" Kurumi stuttered.
"Fast hands."
"Than what do I have?" She asked, eyes going down to her hands than widening at seeing the Happo Darikin whose fuse had just run out.
With a :-:BOOM:-: a purple painted Kurumi flew backwards into one of the dojo's large support pillars where she slumped down.
While she stood up, her left hand coming up to remove the paint from her face on her sleeve, Ranma closed the gap between them, a new gymnastics ribbon snaking forward to wrap several times around not only the girl but the pillar behind her effectively immobilizing the brunette.
Kurumi was about to shout out demands to be let go when to her surprise Ranma cupped her chin and kissed her fiercely. She hardly had time to either give in to the kiss or fight back when Ranma broke it tugging at the brunette's lower lip with her teeth as she pulled away.
"I hadn't of just broken up with someone, and if things were different, you'd definitely of had a shot."
The brunette's reply was muffled by the intrusion of a pair of panties being stuffed in her mouth as a gag; her own panties.
Turning her back on the restrained girl, Ranma strode past a wide-eyed Gina entering the courtyard where she smiled a devilish smile at seeing the two statues of her totally decimated, only their bases remaining.
"Well, that's off my to-do list." The True Grandmaster of Anything Goes stated mirthfully while tossing a pair of Happo Daikarin into the dojo behind her.
Spotting Britanny, her clothing highly singed and tattered, she shook her head than addressed Gina who was just walking up to stand beside her.
"Wanna tell me what you and the kitty are doing here? And please, no names, I kinda want to keep a low profile."
"LOW PROFILE? You just beat up about thirty people, redecorated their dojo with explosive paint balloons, the smiley face you made with those last two is a nice touch by the way, and if the way you seem at ease with that thing trying to pick it's teeth with my sister I'd say all this mess is your responsibility as well."
"It does seem she knows you." Sisa said appearing at Ranma's left shoulder earning the orb a brief glower from her.
"No need for your commentary glow-ball." She responded than asked "I'm assuming the two of you being here isn't by chance, is it".
"No. I have a favor to ask of you."
"And I do owe you one."
"I still don't think you do, but what I have to ask isn't me calling in that debt. It's something else."
"Ok." Ranma said nodding than pointing behind him towards the dojo. "But not here. Too many ears."
"Then where?"
"You pick the place, just make it someplace not nearby." Ranma said as the two watched the red astral stalker carve up several of the courtyards stone tiles with its claws as it tried to rake them across Britanny's stomach. "I'd do it quick before one of them does something neither of them can recover from."
Seeing her sister deliver a nearly supersonic kick to the side the maw of the toothy beast launching it into and through the outer wall of the compound Gina winced. "Um, will that thing be alright?"
"I'd worry more about your sister." Ranma answered at hearing Khuva's angry roar echo from somewhere beyond the wall. "Because Khuva is about to drop the hammer on this place and as much as I don't care if she levels this place I need to stop her so she doesn't hurt anyone. Well, any worse than I have already."
Feeling her hair beginning to actually stand on end due to gathering electrical energies in the area spiking Gina spat out "Toritsu Oifuto Central Seaside Park."
"More specific, it's a big park, for Tokyo."
"Along the river side, near the statue of the woman riding the bird."
"One hour."
Before she could either disagree or agree, Ranma bound away from her landing atop her sister driving her into to the ground before leaping away over the wall and out of sight.
ooO Fifteen Minutes Later – On The Roof Of Shinjuku Station Ooo
"Yeah yeah I know." Ranma said landing behind lip of the highest point of the building a second before a growling Khuva did. "You're angry with me for stopping you."
:-:Growl:-:
"Stop whining, you'll get another chance."
:-:Rumble-Growl:-:
"No, not when we meet up with them."
:-:Deep-Growl:-:
"When? I don't know. Later."
:-:Grumble-Growl:-:
"Why not when we meet up with them? How about I don't want you killing people who are just trying to enjoy the park can fry one!"
:-:Snuffled-Grumble-Growl:-:
"I get it, and from a purely tactical perspective saturating a large area is a sound strategy, especially since with her running around so fast you're likely to catch her with more than one, but it's just plain overkill to take down ONE person. You do that when you want to take out groups!"
Ranma gave the large beast walking at his side a light, for her, whap in the snout. "You especially don't do it when I'm standing in ground zero!"
Khuva lowered her head letting out a soft throaty rumble that lasted for several seconds and changed in treble several times.
"Ok, except when I ask for it, which I didn't!"
Ranma while walking towards the other side of the roof at a more sedate pace then they'd been making before. "In fact, I recall saying keep the damage to a minimum."
Sisa emulated a coughing noise.
"For us anyway."
:-:Wheeze-Snort:-:
"Ok ok… you're right… it was… but I meant less than that."
Khuva grated her teeth against each other making a :-:Thrum-clack:-: noise.
"Ok, I'll be more specific next time."
The beast nuzzled Ranma pushing her back almost knocking her over.
Sisa chimed in saying "Your ability to comprehend the nuisances of Khuva's speech continues to amaze".
"Yeah, well, we got a bond." Ranma replied to Sisa's comment scratching the very spot she'd just whacked.
The toothy Astral Stalkers response was to learn into her hand, a deep rumbling noise of contentment coming from its throat.
"Such level of communication should not be possible…"
"It is, just leave it at that." Cutting the orb off.
"But it may be a side effect of…" Seeing the combined glare directed its way Sisa demurred. "Very well."
Pausing for a second Ranma placed the urn she still had under arm down on the roof than stretched.
"So, Sisa, care to tell me why you didn't warn me Gina and her sister were around? Or is that what you were trying to warn me about before I tested Soun's so called students."
"I did not advise to their presence as I myself had not become aware they were in the vicinity until after you engaged in your so called 'fun'."
"Oh. So what were you trying to tell me?"
"My intent was to inform you the reasoning for your infiltration of the martial teaching edifice was moot as after completing a scan of the urn I determined the remains contained within are not male so therefore there is no way for them to be Happosai's."
Ranma froze in mid-stretch, "Say what?"
ooO Tokyo, Japan – Kuno Corporation Tower Ooo
Most people wouldn't give the rather non-descript lab coat dressed male who stepped out of the elevator on the seventieth floor a second glace if they saw him on the street. Even here, within the walls of the place where he worked he received little attention give the way dowdy looking secretary said "Mrs. Kuno is not to be disturbed at this time." without looking up from the computer screen before her.
"She will see me."
"I said…"
"It's a priority message from Section Twelve. You do know what Section Twelve is don't you?"
At the man's words, the secretary looked up to glower at the man before stiffly pressing the intercom button on her phone. A moment later, a clearly displeased voice responded.
"Mrs. Bower, I believe I told you I was not to be disturbed."
"I'm sorry ma'am but there is someone here from Section Twelve to see the C.E.O."
A moment of silence passed before the intercom once again sounded. "I see. Give me two minutes than send him in. Oh, and you may leave for the day."
"Yes ma'am. Thank you ma'am."
In exactly two minutes, the inner office was buzzed open allowing a man in the lab coat to pass through the double doors and into the extremely spacious office beyond. The room itself contained little in the way of décor; a few paintings, a single rug, a few well-placed lamps. Overall feeling the room gave was intimidating, especially the three chairs that sat before the single desk dominating the far side from the doors. Crossing the room towards the desk the man was unsurprised to find the chair facing away from him towards the window. But as he reached the desk he could do little to hide his shock as the chair turned to reveal the woman seated in the chair wearing a rather expensive and revealing silk kimono bathrobe.
Before the man could stutter out a response to the site the woman spoke clearly, her words carrying a level of command that let him know that anything other than compliance would result in unpleasant consequences.
"Sit Mr. Juioko."
Wisely, the man complied.
Uncomfortable silence reigned as the woman stared at the man making him feel like less than a bug she would step upon.
"I do not like my time being wasted Mr. Juioko."
Taking the hint the man coughed into his hand to clear his throat, "You will forgive me Mrs. Kuno but as per the Section Seven Charter I may only deliver this information to the C.E.O. I was told she was in."
"She is currently indisposed. You may give me the information."
"As I already stated I cannot…"
"Do you like your job Mr. Juioko?"
"What?"
"Do you like your job?"
"Are you threatening me Mrs. Kuno?"
"I have no need to threaten you Mr. Juioko, so why would I? No, I am merely inquiring if you like your job. I only ask as I am concerned for your performance being affected by your extracurricular activities."
Mr. Juioko watched as single well-manicured hand turned the computer monitor on the desk so its screen faced him. He blanched at seeing himself in not one but four different videos committing various acts of sexual intercourse with no less than two different individuals.
"I am also not saying that your decision to deliver the information you are being rude enough to withhold from me will have any impact upon your job. It might, however, have an effect on your family life."
Mr. Juioko could do little but sweat as her knew all attempts to bluster his way past this woman to deliver his message would no doubt end with her releasing his indiscretions to his family.
"M…Mrs. Kuno, if I give you what you want I could very well lose my position."
"I am very aware of your position and what your department does Mr. Juioko. After all, I was the one who originally created it. I am also very aware your department has been receiving less funding over the years as the lifespan of its need ends. An end which I believe means those employed Section Twelve will have to be shuffled into the regular workforce. And I do believe I am in charge of that as well Mr. Juioko."
"B…be that as it may, delivering this information to you and not the C.E.O. could mean my job."
"I see you need further coaxing." The woman said tapping on her desk hitting a key activating the computer system that ran throughout the building while turning the screen on her desk so the man could see it as she no longer did as she was using the one integrated with her desk. The result was a fifth video of the man appearing on the screen – one showing him having sex with yet another woman. Another tap and the image froze just as the now white-faced man did.
"Correct me if I am wrong Mr. Juioko, but none of the woman in these videos are Mrs. Juioko are they? In point of fact, Miss Mizada here is your lab assistant is she not?"
"Furthermore Mr. Juioko, this little rendezvous appears to have taken place not only one company property but while on company time."
The woman pouted and made a tsk-tsk-tsk sound.
"Stealing company time as well as a breach of the non-fraternization clause are both reasons for termination I believe. Naughty naughty Mr. Juioko."
At seeing the man slump defeated in his chair the woman grinned viciously in victory, "Good. I can see we have an understanding, now what do you have to share with me?"
The man offered up a thumb-drive.
"The pass code is SW2MERA1MA."
The women inserted the drive into a slot on her desk, tapped in the password the man gave her, than activated the video file it contained.
"What you are looking is surveillance footage from area 001-A." Mr. Juioko said as the woman watched the footage and he was inwardly pleased to see the woman before him stiffen as she watched more of the video, her eyes widen in what he took for fear before her face returned to a neutral state before again turned her gaze to him. "We do not have one hundred percent confirmation of the identity of the assailant but from a careful comparison to what little data we have there is a seventy seven percent chance this is Target Zero."
"Only seventy seven? I would think you wouldn't bring something with a twenty three percent chance of being wrong to the attention of the C.E.O., You know how she punishes inexactness."
Mr. Juioko nodded. "Normally we wouldn't." Mr. Juioko stated. "If you look at the attatched text file, a report from someone we have in the home of Mrs. Saotome, you will note that she was visited by the blond and another unknown female."
"And."
"Our informant states, firmly, they were asking about Target Zero."
"Coincidence."
"I was told to not overlook such coincidence when dealing with Target Zero as his past has shown that coincidence stands on its side where he is involved."
"True enough. Are these time stamps accurate?"
"Yes."
"Why is there no sound?"
"Best guess we can come up with is that something interfering with feed. But if you pay special attention to the scene where the unknown assailant, whom we believe to be Target Zero, interacted with the unknown blond, you may note she mouthed Target-Zero's name."
"I see. You will have the sound fixed immediately."
"We already have a team ready to do so, we just need authorization."
"You have it." The woman stated even as she made it a fact by typing it into her terminal.
She then asked, "And this unknown blond?"
"As of yet we have nothing on her, the woman who was with her when she visited Mrs. Saotome, the cat girl, or the Razormaw."
"Razormaw, the creature with enough teeth to make a shark jealous?"
"Not its official name, just one we coined for the moment as its species is unknown to us."
The woman nodded. "Find out everything you can about all four."
"My team is already on it."
"Good. Have you reported this to anyone else?"
"No. However, according to protocol, a full report will be in the system within the hour."
"No, it won't."
"Mrs. Kuno?"
"From now on all reports on Target-Zero come to me. They are not to be filed through normal channels. In fact, from now on ALL reports from your department are to come to me directly, no one else. You will ensure this is done personally or through one of your… acquaintances. I will suffer not deviances from this order, understood?"
"Yes Mrs. Kuno."
"Good. Leave."
The man could not depart the room faster leaving the kimono clad woman eyes the doors through which he had departed that if she had the power they would have melted, such was the intensity of her gaze.
Freezing the image of a leather clad cloaked figured standing beside that of a curvy blonde on the steps before the Tendo dojo she frowned. "Damn you Ranma. I just needed three more months. Three more and everything would've been over with… why did you have to turn up now when I'm so close to having it all?"
She then turned to a second frozen image to the side, this one of Britanny as she punched Khuva in the jaw. "And what kind of new insanity have you brought with you?"
At that moment the doorway towards further into the office complex opened allowing the entry of another woman who like the first was dressed in only a kimono bathrobe.
"Nabiki-chan, why are you making me wait darling?"
Plastering a smile on her face Nabiki Kuno gracefully turned her chair to get up and make her way over to the woman who had called her name. Once there she fell into the raven-haired woman's arms, their lips coming together in a kiss that spoke of them being far more intimate than just friends.
"Forgive me Dachi-chan. There were a few last minute business matters I had to tend to." Nabiki took Kodachi's hand in hers moving past her guiding her back through the doorway she had entered. "Let me make it up to you."
"I will my sweet little thorn, but only because I adore when you feel beholden to me… especially when its sooooo delightful the way you strive to make things even between us when we both know they never will be…"
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Additional Thanks To
(In Alphabetical Order)
You can thank the following people for this chapter finally being submitted (though most of them want a Vicissitude Chapter posted): Nerfhearder69, CRose (One of my favorite Ranma/GD authors), Gennhoss (Wherever you are), and Guest (Whoever you are!).
Thanks to my Souless Redhead Friend (And yes, he likes being called that) for suggesting adding the smell of ozone to the lightning bolts.
To Hiryo, for helping flesh out bits of this chapter and for being a sounding board!
Chapter Notes & Author Commentary
Once again, thanks for reading this story and for reviewing.
PS: Sorry it took so long for an update and I can't make any promises another one will come any time soon. Why? Being honest, I have a real problem writing combat scenes.
PPS: I also admit to enjoying reading other peoples works over writing my own! Seriously, check out anything with Ranma in it written by Vimesenthusiast!
PPS: Today's chapter brought to you by 'Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You' performed by Hanni El Khatib (I think.) and by 'She Keeps Me Up' performed by Nickelback.
PPPS: OH, and Icona pop of course! No wait, that was last chapter…
Terminology
Kiseru (煙管, kiseru) is a Japanese smoking pipe traditionally used for smoking kizami, a finely shredded tobacco product resembling hair.
Knickerbocker Glory: First described in the 1930s, may contain ice cream, gelatin, cream, fruit, meringue, even liquor. Layers of these different sweet tastes are alternated in a tall glass and topped with different kinds of syrup, nuts, whipped cream and often a cherry. (In case I was not clear enough Kurumi meant this more as having Ranma for her desert.)
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– Finished February 7th, 2015
– Edited February 17th, 2015 (Self-corrected some double words and mistakes.)
– Edited March 7th, 2015 (Self-corrected more double words and mistakes.)
