Outlaw ½: Act 7 The Gauntlet is thrown

By

triviatrap1982

I don't own Ranma ½, or Outlaw Star. They're owned by Rumiko Takahaishi, and Takehiko Ito.

Notes: I do apologize for not doing a basic research on the spelling of the MacDougalls' last name. Hopefully that's corrected from here on out!

The crew did finally arrive to the registration to the Race. They were forced to be going in as privateers. Fred didn't want to put up the money, but it was understandable as Gene thought. After all, Fred didn't want to be hyper extended. He also didn't want to have Suzuka to come and finish him off. Ranma still looked uneasy. He didn't know exactly what was going on. He ended up looking around Gene saw and noted there were a lot of sponsored racers. He also saw a lot of privateers who were in the same situation as him. He noticed a pair, and his look soured. Jim knew and got Gene away from the situation. Everybody else followed. Ranma was starting to get the picture. However, he wasn't sure. He had to still ask about Gene. He has been eerily quiet about his space phobia (that seems to be tamped down when he's on the Outlaw Star). Bluntly, Saotome wanted answers and he's not going to let Gene try to shrug it off.

"Oh...is there anything you need?" Gene asked Ranma.

"Yeah, what's your deal with those guys?" Ranma asked bluntly.

"I was kind of hoping you'd figure it on your own," Gene said.

"They look like the kind of guys who'll hide their tracks and leave no loose ends," Ranma returned.

"You're right," Gene said. "Those guys are the MacDougall family."

"Are they outlaws just the same?" Ranma asked.

"They are...though they don't really care on what job they take..." Gene frowned.

"Let me guess...they can clean a shitter as long as they get paid more than a plumber," Ranma returned.

"That's one way to put it, though I do know them...and not from a good experience," Gene returned.

"Wait...how exactly did your dad die?" Ranma asked.

"The MacDougalls killed him when I was a kid," Gene spoke up. "That also was the day where my space phobia took hold."

"You know what, the best success is?" Ranma started.

"What's that?" Gene asked.

"Winning this race," Ranma said rather honestly.

Gene took that to heart and decided he was going to have to do exactly what Ranma suggested. He also noticed that Gene was started to get agitated. He had to get him away from the situation. This was the best way to keep him from doing anything he'd live to regret...and possibly getting disqualified before they left the starting line. The others followed, but it was unbearably quiet. They had enough money left over to at least go to town to get something to eat. Aisha she decided to break the tension, as best as she could. Little did she know that she'd probably lead into interesting events.

"Hey let's go to this place!" Aisha suggested. "It's nice and cheap."

"Well, I can't argue with that," Gene said smiling.

"C'mon, you can't let those pricks get to you," Aisha said brutally honestly.

"Besides," Jim said, with a dire warning, "they're looking for a fight!"

"That's absolutely right," Gene said. "The less said about them, the better."

"Hey! Let's go get something to eat!" Ranma suggested.

"That's not a bad idea," Gene returned.

"Say, this place is a Buffet?" Jim reminded.

"We can't just eat until we're overstuffed," Gene warned.

"Well, let's get in then!" Melfina said.

They went into the buffet, and paid up. Aisha frowned when a herd of people just crowded her out to get something to eat. She had a very bad appetite that actually closed down a few buffets...and she was banned from a couple. She grumbled as the people left and the food was all gone. A worker frowned and he had to refill the food and drinks. He saw Aisha and remembered her from one of the buffets he used to work out. He sighed and just let her through. He knows a Catarl Catarl appetite is voracious. He also knows that she paid extra from the times she did clean them out. They got their food quickly. Ranma smiled. This was the first time in forever that he's been to a buffet. He's been to them, but with being frozen, his life was on hold. Gene saw that Ranma took his time and didn't want to just pig out.

"So how do you like the food?" Melfina asked.

"It's okay," Ranma said. "At least we're not starving."

"Yeah," Aisha said, "still it's good food!"

"Well look what the devil has dragged in," Gene said. He noticed the MacDougalls.

"Keep your cool," Ranma warned.

"Of course," Gene said, "we're just only here to eat, and not cause trouble."

As soon as they walked through the door, the youngest MacDougall, Harry, had to remind Ron not to start trouble. While they were known to take things extremely too far...Harry knew that Ron, his older brother, needed to be reminded to behave. The two came up to the crew. Harry decided he'd better be the one to speak up. It felt like things were tense, so he decided to put down a friendly hello. Gene returned the gesture in kind. Of course, Harry brought up the race. This was going to be going to take all of Gene's strength to not to make a federal case out of it. Instead, Gene decided to reverse it back on him. He knew of the El Dorado, and he also knew of the MacDougall's penchant for being mercenaries. He decided he was going to kill them with kindness. It was the best thing he could do in this situation.

"Is that you Harry?" Gene asked with a smiled.

"Do I know you?" Harry asked.

"Well, everybody knows your reputation winning the race 3 years running," Gene returned.

"Oh! Are you going to participate?" Harry asked.

"We are, I hope it's a good one," Gene said. Everybody took their cue from Gene right away.

"I hope so too, it's quite boring when we don't get competition," Harry mocked.

"Who knows maybe it'll be the closest race in history," Gene said

"Hey that's a possibility," Harry said. He held out his hand to shake Gene's. "May the best ship win!"

"May the best ship win!" Gene said.

Once Harry and Ron went to get their food, Gene wasn't angry. If anything...he had a hunger to beat the MacDougalls...or at least make it very close. That would depend on their starting time since the starts are very staggered. Gene also realized that qualifying would be in a couple of days. Everybody finished eating, and Gene nodded. Ranma looked and he spoke up. He knew that Gene was now ready to get to work. Ranma had some questions for the assignments that would have had to be given. Gene knew that Ranma really still didn't know anything about navigation or piloting. However, he noticed that he was a lot willing to learn if given the chance. He can actually hang around Aisha and not freak out. He looked to Ranma straight up to get an answer.

"What do you know about space navigation?" Gene asked.

"I don't really know," Ranma said. "I'm willing to learn it."

"Well, you signed up for the crash course, and Jim and Melfina will teach you," Gene announced. "It's a bit last minute but we will need all the help we can get."

"It's going to be difficult," Melfina said a bit evenly. "I hope you can handle it..."

"I can," Ranma said.

"Good! Shall we go make our plans?" Melfina asked.

"We shall," Gene said. "I just got word that qualifying is in two days...so we have to be at our best."

"Then we'll have to make sure everything's up to snuff, but it's going to be expensive," Jim said worried.

"Actually, the race organizers have pit crews to help us out," Gene answered, "that way privateer and sponsored ships can make their desired adjustments."

"Right, plus the pit crews for privateers are provided right?" Aisha asked.

"That's exactly right," Gene said. "Imagine if we hit even third place in this race...that will really cause an uproar."

Gene knew that the MacDougalls were listening in. He actually wanted them to hear everything. Since most of it was out in the open. Ron was very much uneasy. After Gene and the crew left, he wanted to say something rather...scandalous. He was stopped by Harry. They realized that they had to play it cool and not attack. Harry was especially worried since he knows what would happen if they caused a fight. He actually had to be the calmer younger brother. This too also played into his plans. After all...nobody could try to connect them with any kind of crimes if they decided to play straight. Also they didn't need any loose ends that needed to be tied up.

"Look at it like this," Harry said, "we can lay low for a while."

"I still don't like what's going on," Ron said.

"I know but you can't be a hot head," Harry warned.

"What you're saying we got to be...? Ron started.

"Exactly," Harry said, "besides...Gene is the one loose end that we couldn't take care of."

"Shit...he still remembers," Ron said quietly.

"I know...that's why we can't agitate him...I want him at his best for the race and qualifying in two days," Harry returned.

"Somehow, I agree with him...this year's race will be exciting that's for sure," Ron said.

Harry smiled as the two ended up getting their food. Meanwhile, Gene was not exactly too happy with the recent developments. Just at the last possible minute, Fred decided to sponsor the Outlaw Star after all, under the shell of Luo Enterprises. Of course, he knew he was putting himself at risk with Twilight Suzuka...but with the prize money the highest it's been in years...he couldn't pass it up. Gene had to submit amended paperwork to the organizers for the new development. However, Gene still felt now it was going to be something worthwhile. Ranma looked around and saw the other racers. He was nervous as all hell. He also was excited as well. He knew he was going to do something that probably would have fell in line with competitions he had to do. In his girl form, he was forced to take on Kodachi in a Rhythmic Gymnastics battle, for example. Gene saw Ranma, and he was the same way. Either way they had to deal with the Qualifying that was going to happen in two days. After that, in a couple of weeks, the Race through the Heifong system was going to be a rough affair.