TRTSS6: The Termination Agenda! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 10
Meanwhile…
"Mom should be home right about now," John said, as he gets off Bob's bike.
"I must insist that we must leave the area," Bob said, as he purses his lips. "The most like secondary target will be Ranko Tendo, so that the T-1000 will duplicate the targets form and function."
"Um, what happens afterwards?"
"The target is usually 'terminated'."
"Then we should do something!"
"Relax," Usagi said, as she stretches her limbs. "I seriously doubt that 'Ranko' could be taken out THAT easily."
"Hmmm," John muses. "Okay, but I still want to call."
John goes to the phone booth and then checks his pockets.
"Um, do any of you have any change-?"
Bob smashes the box containing the coins used to make the calls.
"Ooo, free money!" Usagi said, as she dives for the loose coins.
"Um, thanks," John said, as he picks up some quarters.
"You are welcome," Bob said nonchalantly.
John stares at Bob for a moment. He then makes his phone call…
RRRRRIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGG-!
Ranko, who was making cookie dough, turns to see the phone ring. Cautiously, she picks it up.
"Hello?" Ranko asked. She then frowns.
"John, what happened to you? I was worried sick when I heard the news reports."
"Um, I was just hanging out with my buddies, Mom," John said. "Am I going to be on punishment or something?"
"Of course not. You've been through enough as it is. Just come home, and we can have milk and cookies."
John frowns. He then turns towards Bob and Usagi.
"That's odd," John said.
"What?" Usagi said, as she looks up from her gathering of coins.
"Whenever I get in trouble, Mom uses that as an excuse for more training exercises. She…just wants me come home."
"Give me that," Usagi said, as she took the phone from John. She then clears her throat.
"Meowww," Usagi said, as she mimics the sound of a cat's yowl perfectly.
"Is that a new friend for Max?" Ranko asked.
"Yes, Mom," Usagi said in John's voice. "Can I bring him home?"
"Sure you can."
"Thanks," Usagi said, as she hangs up with a frown.
"What?"
"With some exceptions, the Ranko I know hates having cats around, not because she doesn't like them, but because she had once had a fear of them," as she hops unto her bike. "She would have at least put up an argument before relenting. And if only I can tell you how ironic the situation is, considering her background…"
"Where you going?" John asked.
"I'm going to find out what has happened to Ranko. Bob, rescue Sarah with John."
"That is not within my mission parameters," Bob said.
Usagi sighs. She then looks at John.
"John, tell Bob to rescue your Mom."
Confused, John did as he was told.
"Affirmative," Bob said with finality. "I would prefer if you had not told young John Connor about the command override option. His knowledge may jeopardize my mission."
"Don't worry, Bob," Usagi said. "I have the 'smack-young-John's-head-if he-screws-up-protocol'…are we clear, John?"
"Um, sure," John said. "By the way, do you have a similar command override function?"
"One, I am a human being…mostly," Usagi said, as she puts on her sunglasses, even though the sun was setting. "And, two, if I did, I'm not going to allow some pre-teen BOY a chance to have his first experience with groping a helpless woman. HA."
"Actually-" Bob began to say.
"Hey, he was of age, and it was before his first big fight with 'Skynet', Bob! And I was lonely, since my husband went into the past, so, there!"
And with that, Usagi drives away.
John turns to look at Bob.
"So, what's her story?" John asked.
"I cannot divulge her personal files without initiating the 'Moon Princess Protocol'."
"And what would happen if you have to initiate those protocols?"
WHAP!
"Ow!" John said, as he rubbed the top his head. "Why did you do THAT?"
"You inquired about the protocols, so I complied."
"I just HAD to ask…"
Meanwhile…
During the drive, Ginger notices Ranma rubbing the back of his neck.
"Problem?" Ginger asked.
"I don't know," Ranma replied. "I feel like I'm 'high', and yet I feel a great loss."
"Well, I wouldn't worry about it," Ginger said, as her eyes light you. "Ranma, stop at the eatery over there."
Ranma sees it, and makes the turn.
"Why do we have to stop here?" Ranma asked, as he pulls into a "Big Boy" diner shop parking lot.
"My contact said to meet us here, once I got you out," Ginger said, as she leans on Ranma's shoulder. "Besides, I be you're hungry."
"Yeah, well, I rather get Sarah out, and then get something to eat," Ranma said, as he stops the car. "So, who are we suppose to see?"
"I…don't know, but he is suppose to get us in the hospital."
"What?"
"Well, I meant I don't know what he or she looks like, Ranma."
"…"
"But he or she hasn't let me down before."
"Yeah, well, I trust you with my life-"
"You do?"
"But I wonder about your judgment."
"Hey, mister, it was because of my contact that I was able to find you. So THERE."
"Huh. Well, you got me, I guess."
"And I hope to get you some more…LATER," Ginger said with a nod a wink.
"Woman, I just satisfied ya at that truck stop an hour ago."
"I told you I was saving myself for you since you disappeared five years ago, remember? I'm just making up lost time, that's all.'"
"Man, you're almost as bad as…as…"
Ginger notices a frown on her man's face.
"What's wrong, Ranma?"
Ranma looks into Ginger's eyes.
"It's…nothing," Ranma said with a sigh.
Ginger thinks for a moment.
"It's…someone you were married to?" Ginger asked.
Ranma quickly turns to look Ginger with alarm.
"Um…what?"
"You had the habit of talking in your sleep, you know," Ginger said. "Sarah and I wouldn't have put with you for being married, and all…"
Ranma raises an eyebrow.
"Okay, SARAH wouldn't, but, we figured that since you couldn't return to your own time in the future, we could make exceptions."
"Look," Ranma said, as he turns towards Ginger. "My wife's name is 'Usagi Tsukino'. We've been married, 'officially speaking', from the year 2008 through 2028, before I had been sent back to stop a Terminator from killing Sarah."
"'Officially speaking'?"
"Well, were together long before then."
"Ah, live-in lovers."
"You can say that…"
"Wait, when were you born?"
"The year 1990."
"So, you're just a toddler now. I mean, the you of the present."
"Yeah, you can say that."
"Why are YOU saying that?"
Ranma thought for a minute. He could spend an hour telling Ginger that he was a time traveler immortal god warrior, and how that came about, but-
"What's with the 'twenty questions'?" Ranma asked.
"You are a mysterious man, Ranma."
Ginger pauses for a moment.
"And that's what makes you HOT."
"Yeah. So, let's just get going and meet this person, okay?" Ranma said, as he opens the car door, and gets out.
"Fine with me," Ginger said. "Just be glad that you have a cute butt, otherwise I wouldn't be overlook your rudeness."
"Hey, that's not fair."
"And you protest in a cute way, too."
"Humph."
Ranma and Ginger order a combo special, and sits over at a out door booth near the car.
"And now, the waiting game," Ginger said, as she munches on some "French Fries".
"When he—or she—is supposed to show up?" Ranma asked.
"I was waiting for you to order your food," said a familiar face.
Ranma and Ginger both turned to see the face.
"YOU!" Ranma and Ginger exclaimed together.
"Nothing get past you, Saotome," Ed said, as he chuckled.
"Wait, YOU are my contact?" Ginger asked.
"Yes," said the African-American senior police officer, as he takes some of Ranma's fries. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all," Ranma said, as he rolls his eyes.
"Anyway," Ed said, as he sits down. "I've been keeping an eye on your sister and your son for you, while I helped Ginger track you down."
"My what?"
"Ranko and John," Ginger said.
"Oh, what about them?"
"Like I said, I was looking after your sister and your son. Unfortunately, we just received a report this afternoon, and…"
"Go ahead, and spit it," Ranma said.
"Ranko Tendo was found dead late this afternoon," Ed said. "And your son…is missing. We believe that the Terminator that had attacked the police precinct ten years ago."
Ed shows some surveillance photos to Ranma and Ginger. Ginger then looks into Ranma's face.
"Ranma…?"
"Ed, I need to get to Sarah, and get her out of that hospital she is in," Ranma said. "Whoever murdered Ranko will try to do the same to her."
"Normally, I would say no, and that the police should handle this. However, I don't want civilians or cops to be harmed."
Ed takes out an envelope.
"What's that?" Ranma said.
"You'll know," Ed said with a smile.
Curious, Ranma takes the envelope, and empty its contents.
"You had my old badge?" Ranma asked.
"I took it from the display case from Central, without anyone watching. You can use that, and some appropriate clothes I got you, to get inside the hospital. I'll simply call in to let them know that an plainclothes officer will be arriving."
"I…I don't know what to say…"
"Just say that you'll get the SOB that had murdered a good friend, and threatens to do so to John."
"You have my word…"
Meanwhile, in the county morgue…
"Man, another day, another," said the morgue attendant, as he sat down to eat his sandwich, when-
"Excuse me," said a female voice.
The glasses-wearing man looked up to see a biker-chick with an unusual hairstyle. It gave her an "anime" look…
"Um, yes?" the man said nervously.
Usagi takes off her sunglasses. She had arrived at the house where Ranko was murdered, only to learn that her body had been moved to the morgue. So, the Moon Princess moved there as well.
"I'm looking for the body of a red-head," Usagi said. "She's here, isn't she?"
"Huh," the man said. "You're into some deviant stuff, huh?"
Usagi raises an eyebrow.
"But sorry, I'm not at liberty to- wulf!"
Usagi picks up the man by the lapels of his examiner's jacket, and lifts him a foot off the ground.
And, for the record, the man was tall.
"Listen carefully," Usagi said through gritted teeth. "Every moment I waste time, is less of a chance to bring back MY HUSBAND. So, unless you want to end up as one of your guests, tell me what I want to know."
Usagi's eye turns white hot, as she makes her point.
"Okay, okay!" the man said. "Just don't hurt me."
"I won't, if you're 'kosher'," Usagi said, as she set the man down. "Lead on."
Tbc.