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'Finding Alice', Rayne no Akai Hinageshi

Chapter Seven: Sounding

Author's note: I here by disclaimed the ownership of Ranma ½, the property of Takahashi Rumiko as well as Haou Airen, the property of Shinjo Mayu. They are not my anymore than these whole eight chapters are nothing but a prologue to a main story…

"…text…" Normal

"…text…" Sound effect or alternate language

"…Text…" Thought or something I want to draw your attention to.

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Four deadly shadows rushed into the dark alley, not all of them were bearing gun but the ones who wasn't didn't need one either. They were the Four Emperors; absolutely ruthlessly and merciless, they were the four closest friends and personal guards of Hakuron, the head of the Dragon syndicate. So legendary were they in their prowess and loyalty, no one, no matter where they rank in the underworld, dared to aggravate them.

And they were quite worried.

Few minutes ago the driver of their beloved crime lord suddenly called, telling them that Hakuron suddenly left the car after receiving a phone call. He had a panicked look on his face when he departed.

He was also openly brandishing his pistol.

The four quickly spotted their master, not a difficult feat considering he was the only one standing in the alley. A quick glance told them they've found him a little too late. There were six bodies littering the ground. They were dead, all of them.

"Hakuron?" One of them said, approached the man in black cloak. The said man appeared to be holding someone in his arm. He seemed to be starring at that someone intently. "Hakuron?" The man's guard called out again.

It appeared that his message had gotten through that time as Hakuron looked up slowly. For a moment his right hand man saw something different about the man's eyes. That glint of uncertainty… it was as if he, the Black Dragon of Ryo-oh was…

…afraid?

It must've been a trick of the light because an instant later it was gone, leaving behind that same cold steely blue eyes that was a trademark of the seasoned mobster.

"Juiron call Master Fei, have him prepare his healing gear right away. Tiiron take a car, a fast one, and go pick him up then take him to my estate. Fuuron, Faron, you two take care of these garbage, bribe the police or burn the bodies…do whatever you have to. " Hakuron said calmly, handing out expedient and concise orders as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The four blinked at him. To their trained eyes, apart from the state of undress the girl appeared to be fine; there wasn't a single scratch on her.

"GO!" The crime lord bellowed. He seemed to have changed from the unruffled man to the enraged dragon in an instant. A transition that was as instantaneous as it was frightening. Each of the four gave a quick bow and left running, pulling out their respective mobiles to carry out his/her mission.

As soon as they were out of sight, Hakuron allowed his mask to drop once more and began the man who was worrying about his precious woman. He lowered his head and stared at her, she was so beautiful… even now, starring lifelessly into the sky with trails of tears streaming down her face.

How could he? How could he have done something so stupid?

Hakuron shook his head, now was not the time for introspection; there'd be plenty other opportunities for that. No, he needed to get her some help first.

He knelt down and wrapped his cloak around Ranma shivering body, providing her with much needed modesty. With her securely within his arms once more, Hakuron started off in the same direction his four bodyguards took earlier.

Upon leaving the alley, he took in the free-flowing traffic with irritation. It was two o'clock in the morning and while there was still a lot of car passing by, none of them was a taxi.

'I don't have time for this.' Hakuron thought, biting off some profanities in frustration.

He took a step onto the road and in front of a speeding car and watched calmly as it came to a screeching halt, stopping almost a foot short of hitting him. The shocked driver almost had a heart attack; he watched the evidently suicidal man approached him.

"Who the heck are you? What on Earth were you thinking, do you want to die or something?" The man screamed at Hakuron, flabbergasted at his apparent lack of self-preservation.

The tall Chinese eased his girl's weight onto one arm and reached into his pocket with the other.

"My name is Hakuron and I'm asking you the same question as your latter one." The Black Dragon stated emotionlessly, pointing his gun at the spot between the man's eyes. "Get out of the car or die."

The driver chose the only real option and scampered out of the vehicle.

Hakuron got in and laid Ranma down gently into the seat beside his. He ignored the honking hones of the car behind him and ran over to the driver's side. He got into the driver's seat and threw the gun casually onto the dashboard before flooring the pedal.

His estate was four miles away; at the speed he was going, it shouldn't take him more than three minutes.

Even through Hong Kong's traffic.

A few minutes later Hakuron crashed through the gate to his own residence. He ignored the hail of gunfire that peppered the car tires and pulled into a stop on his front porch. The barrage halted the moment he came out of the now-useless vehicle.

He picked up the unconscious red head and dashed into his mansion. The crime lord ascended the stairs rapidly, taking three landings with each stride. Kicking the door to his personal compartment opened was probably excessive but getting Ranma safe and comfortable was first and foremost on his mind.

He placed the girl gently onto the bed and waited impatiently for Master Fei, his personal healer, to arrive. He sat beside her still form on the huge divan, caressing her tear stained face tenderly with his finger.

The girl stirred, mouthing a single word before becoming stationary once again.

Hakuron…

A quiet whimper…

An adverse cry of plea; like a sounding of a distance bell, it awoke something within him. A sliver of memory, long buried in the deepest reaches of his mind, gave a small shudder before breaking free of his tight mental discipline.

Hakuron… it wasn't even his real name.

His real name was Li Chien.

Born with a bad omen, he was always regarded with an air of disdain and pity. But when his relatives started dying those harmless scorns turned into suspicions and, for some, out right hatred. Then his superstitious took him to a fortune teller and credulously believed her when she said he'd bring doom to his entire family and those who's near him. As soon as they got home, his father tried to kill him.

He was five at the time.

It was only his mother timely intervention that saved his life. Knowing that sooner or later an 'accident' was going to befallen her child, his mother took him and ran away. The two of them were eventually hunted down and his mother was killed before his own eyes.

Then Kouron, an aging mobster, took him in and trained him as a weapon. He learned strategies, politics, subterfuge, martial art, firearm and more. Driven by revenge, he became so good Kouron named Hakuron his heir.

As the head of the Dragon, Hakuron ruthlessly slaughtered those who wronged him. The first few names on his list were that of his bigoted father and his relatives who were willing to kill a child best on a fortune telling.

It was only after ordering their demise that he realized he'd just fulfilled his tragic destiny. But that wasn't the end of it.

Everyone who ever got near him was drawn impeccably into the same doomed faith, just like that fortune teller predicted.

And now Ranma…

Sounds of hurried footsteps alerted him of someone entering the room. He shook himself out of his reveries and turned to the door.

"Master Fei!" He yelled, immediately recognizing the aged and wizened old man that had just walked in.

"Mr. Hakuron." The martial artist master replied with a bow. "What can I do for you?"

"Help her." The crime lord said, pointing at Ranma still form. There was not many people in his life Hakuron found worthy of his respect but Master Fei was one of them; the man's skills were nothing short of amazing. "Please."

"I shall try my best." Master Fei said. He seemed to be considering something for a moment. "Stay, only if you have absolute control of your emotions. Otherwise, please wait outside."

Hakuron blinked.

It was the said phase the healer had used each time he practiced his craft and in all those time Hakuron simply nodded in reply.

But this time…

"I'll be right outside." The younger man said, giving Ranma one last glance before leaving.

Once outside the room, Hakuron had no idea where he was going, simply that he didn't want to be there. He couldn't be close to her, not when Master Fei was working…

Or any other time for that matter…

The tall Chinese shook his head violently; it was all just a bunch of spurious babbles, nothing more than hoaxes. He would not be reduced to a mumbo jumbo spouting fools like his father.

But what if, a small fucking if, but what if it was true… what if he really bring doom to all that ever comes close to him. After all, Ranma had only been with him for a day, not even that and she almost got rape. What if he chose to keep her here? What if he continued to lo… be attracted to her?

What would happen to Ranma then?

Hakuron feet took him to his study. He walked inside and slumped down into the recliner, thoughts of recent event were still troubling him. He stared at the jug of brandy still sitting where he'd last left it. He poured out a glass of the stuff and chucked it down before filling it to brim once again.

Drinking like this could kill a man but Hakuron wasn't sure he was one at the time.

Beside, as Mr. Ryo-oh, the leader of Dragon, my life and lives of those around me will always be in danger; do I really want to put her through all that?

She doesn't love me.

I'm being a by selfish bastard by keeping her here, against her will and risking her life like this. If I truly love her, I'd let her go.

Self-sacrificing and benevolent sounding crap but in the end it was all a lie, was it not?

"I'm a coward." He said aloud, reaching for the phone.

"Furon, it's me. Make the proper preparation for a flight to Japan."

"No don't bother with the guards, I'm not going."

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Author's note: This chapter is mostly written in Hakuron's point of view… the reason for that will be clear enough. A lot of people might be thinking I'm rushing things a lot… again, there's a reason for that too. Oh heck, there's even a reason why Ranma is absolutely, irredeemably, irremeably out of character. In fact there's reason for everything I did 'wrong' for the last past seven chapters.

Well, apart from the grammatical and spelling mistakes anyway…

But I'm serious! Yes! Totally serious… the reason will be apparent in the next chapter… so stay tune, won't you?

Anyway, please review… it would make me feel oh-so-giddy when I wake up tomorrow. Or flame me… either way, any kind of response will get my creative juices flowing.

Rayne no Akai Hinageshi.

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p.s. I'm actually serious about the whole, 'there is a reason thing' and What does LMO mean?