Ukyou didn't like being away from her yatai, but she wasn't about to raise a big stink about it. She'd left the vending cart in Osaka with her father, so she knew it was in good hands. Outside the scenery passed by at high speed below her, illuminated only by night-lights from houses and flanking the highway. It was different from flying in a plane, and she felt another little rush of excitement.

Sitting next to her in the helicopter, Konatsu fidgeted with his kimono, a sure sign he was anxious. She gave him a confident smile, and he brightened up instantly, though his nervous hands still wound into the fabric of his obi. She understood why he was like this, from what he had told her about the latest chaos in Nerima, but Ukyou was pretty sure he was exaggerating.

It was only natural, since Konatsu had never been around for the truly crazy adventures. He had arrived late on the scene, and so he'd missed a lot of the action. According to the poor cross-dressing boy, real honest-to-god monsters had attacked the town. Following his ninja training, he'd gone into hiding outside the restaurant, and not a moment too soon. According to him, the whole building had gone up in a tremendous explosion, spontaneously combusting from out of nowhere, no more than a few seconds since he'd left it.

Ukyou had been furious at that, even before he had told her that the Nekohanten had also been destroyed, and that the Tendo Dojo was empty. She was sure that Ranma and the others had escaped somewhere, but her store… she was only leasing it, and while her insurance covered a wide range of damages, she doubted they'd like to hear that it had 'spontaneously combusted.' Hopefully she could get away with claiming it was a gas leak, or an electrical fire, or something that didn't sound too fraudulent.

Regardless, she had been getting ready to head back to Nerima to find Ranma, and offer her help beating down whatever Chinese Prince or other lunatic was responsible, when a man from the Ministry of Justice had contacted her. Again, that wasn't too unusual, though the authorities normally didn't get involved in martial arts skirmishes to her knowledge. She'd talked to them before, so she hadn't been about to snub them now.

Konatsu had been more leery of the authorities, but she had forced him to give a statement as well. They'd need it for the insurance company anyway, but Konatsu had to have even the simplest business sense ironed into his thick skull, so she forgave his naiveté. Far worse than the Ministry suit they'd sent over had been her father, when he'd realized Konatsu was a cross dresser, and staying with his daughter no less. She'd never bothered to tell her old man about Ranma's curse, and that whole mess had served to remind her why she'd held her tongue.

She'd still planned to take the train back to Tokyo when she'd gotten another call, this time from an official at the National Police Agency, telling her to stay put. Apparently, they'd designated Nerima the "latest victim of endemic terrorist activity" and that, because of the ongoing investigation, they wanted her to come to a "secure facility." Martial artists had been attacked specifically, they'd said, and almost as an afterthought added that leaving Osaka would "constitute noncompliant action resulting in criminal prosecution."

That had been a little sobering, so she'd stayed at home between her father and Konatsu (who had swung from nervous fear to fits of jubilee over having a 'daddy' again). At least she'd still been able to do business for a while, before some men in a sedan had picked up her and Konatsu. Then, to her surprise and excitement, they'd been transferred to a black helicopter, and it was a real beauty of a machine, too.

Going to an all-boys school, she'd been deluged by images and information about the toys and machines that gender tended to like. All that had included indoctrination into the faith of military machinery and vehicles in general. Later, after getting her license, she'd had fun driving different vehicles (though never buying one). It was too bad none of her Nerima friends seemed interested in cars or bikes, but she'd surprised her elementary school friends by not 'binding up' at the last reunion, and they'd been more than happy to indulge her.

Helicopters, like jets and missiles, were almost universally cool, and over the years she'd picked up bits of info about the usual commercial ones in use, along with a lot of the military machines used by the JSDF. Seeing this one, and actually riding in it, had topped out that time she'd touched a Type-90 tank (the world's most expensive!). It was ultra silent running, with sleek lines and a profile that would wet the pants of a conspiracy theorist. She almost giggled at the thought, and that was something Ukyou Kounji rarely did. Chuckle, maybe, but giggle, not likely.

"I think we're landing," Konatsu interrupted her thoughts. He was looking out the window on the other side of the passenger compartment.

"We've only been flying for a little while," Ukyou replied, also looking out the window. "I think we passed by Akutagawa, and look at all those lights. Kyoto, I'd bet."

"I'm still a little worried about all this, Ukyou-sama…"

"Don't worry sugar," she reassured him, but she knew he wouldn't be back to his normal self until things were back to what passed for normal. "If we were really in any danger from these guys, do you think running would help? Let's just ride this out and see where it takes us, ok?"

Konatsu nodded, mollified for the time being.

The helicopter descended swiftly, but with very little turbulence, in the middle of a field. From her window, Ukyou could see a parked car, black in color. It wasn't like she wasn't a little nervous, too, about all the spy-type stuff; it was just that she found it really interesting, too. A few shapes emerged from the parked vehicle, and made their way towards the helicopter, but they were difficult to make out in the darkness.

The government man sitting across from them stood, and opened the door. A gust of air made Ukyou turn her head and cover her face, and she wondered who they were meeting with. She considered this a pretty formal occasion, so while Konatsu had worn a kimono, she'd put on a light blue shirt, black pants and navy blue blazer. She'd also brought a tie the same color as the clip in her hair (just in case), but for now kept her collar unbuttoned and open. She prided herself on being a businesswoman under these circumstances, as well as a martial artist, and she was more comfortable wearing boy's clothes when meeting with other important people, like at the bank or the police.

When she caught the first clear glimpse of who two of the men were helping up and into the helicopter, she gasped.

"You!" she cried, and pointed. "What are you doing here?"

Tatewaki Kuno, age 19, struggling freshman and rising star of the University of Kyoto Kendo Team, looked up at her and snapped his fingers in recognition. Ukyou waited for him, but he plainly couldn't remember where he had seen her, and after a few seconds of thought, he settled for:

"Do we know each other?"

The other man in the passenger compartment helped Kuno up, and closed the door behind him. The college freshman took a seat opposite Konatsu, who waved at him shyly. Watching with more than a little disgust, Ukyou wondered if Kuno knew the gender of the 'cute girl' in the kimono. The former Furinkan student was, like Ukyou herself, dressed in formal business clothes, except his jacket wasn't a blazer, and it was a darker shade of blue like his tie.

Of course, he wore a bokken strapped to his silver-buckled belt.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you don't remember." Ukyou refrained from calling him an idiot, only because he had never interacted with her very often. They'd talked briefly at the last Christmas party Kasumi had held, and he'd been in the background for some events (like the wedding melee a couple months ago), but even back in Furinkan they'd never interacted really.

"Ukyou Kuonji," she introduced herself, and bowed her head politely. Since she'd brought them for this occasion, she decided to part with one of her business cards, reaching into one of her blazer's pockets and handing the small piece of paper to the kendoist. He took it and she gestured to the giant spatula on the floor near Konatsu. It had been too big to fit behind her, or anywhere else really. "Ring a bell?"

"Ah, yes. I remember now! Tatewaki Kuno, age 19." Kuno inclined his head after pocketing the business card. He then assumed a leisurely posture, with his legs planted firmly on the floor. A second later the helicopter started to rise. "You went to Furinkan, am I right? I've seen you in the company of Akane Tendo and the pig tailed girl."

Ukyou was sorely tempted to say, "You mean Akane and Ranma?" but instead just nodded.

"I have not been able to see my true loves in some time," Kuno continued to say, tangling his fingers into his unruly bangs. "Tell me, are they well? Do they know the former Blue Thunder of Furinkan High has them in his heart, always? That he keeps their images safe from the capricious vandalism of drunken louts and roommates?"

Ukyou looked away and rolled her eyes. "Last I saw, they were both fine."

"And who is this fair maiden?" Kuno asked, obviously meaning Konatsu.

"Go ahead," Ukyou prompted, sounding bored.

"My name is Konatsu," the boy said, sounding more like a woman than he had a right to. He bowed his head demurely, to Kuno's obvious delight. "I am honored to meet you, Kuno-san."

He reached out and took Konatsu's hands in his own.

"Truly it is!" Tatewaki preened happily. "Such a light as you will make this long flight seem as fleeting as the deadline for a midterm paper!"

"Which reminds me," Ukyou interrupted, propping her cheek against her hand and her elbow on the armrest. "What brings you out here, anyway? Do you know where we're headed?"

Kuno deflated a little, and he returned to his seat. "No. I do not. However, it was made clear to me that I was to meet some important people, and take a break from my important studies. I believe there had been some trouble back home."

"I suppose we'll find out when we get… whatever," Ukyou replied, making the decision not to tell Kuno the stuff Konatsu had told her. The last thing she needed was him getting hysterical about his two loves safety in a helicopter a couple hundred feet in the air. That they had also gone to the trouble of picking up Kuno, however, made the gears in her head spin.

How serious was this new crisis, anyway?

The black helicopter swooped silently across the sleeping countryside.


West-Central Honshu

Toyama was not a small city, and it lit up the horizon as a black helicopter landed on a small landing pad flanked by warehouses. It attracted no attention, and went unseen and unreported by officials at the major commercial airport, just a few miles away. It was late, so late that public transportation wasn't available, leaving most of those still awake to work or party solely by foot. Even then, the airport conducted business, and a large airliner took to the air with a distant roar.

The area around the landed helicopter belonged to a privately owned shipping concern, one of the many publicly visible faces of UNETCO. It did the normal amount of legitimate and wholly uninteresting shipping, and a discrete amount of business that was a little more unusual. Amid the boxes and crates, there were those containing frozen alien corpses, military grade weapons and explosives, and some items of a fantastic nature that crossed the line into science fiction.

However, even if one became curious enough to risk a personal investigation, against the advice of local and federal law enforcement and customs officials, the site was still well patrolled by officers from a very private and exclusive security firm. This, too, was a branch of UNETCO, as even mundane facilities could be discovered, and attacked by the Enemy. This facility was considered both secure and perfectly located for its purpose.

This was the main transit point for supplies headed to and from the Japan Branch of XCOM. Nestled amid Hide Mountains to the east, bordering between the Nagano, Toyama and Gifu Prefectures, in a warren of structures termed Seiran Mountain, that elite organization saw to the defense of the Japanese home islands, much of the Pacific, Oceana, both Koreas, and parts of China and Russia. For several years, it had been more than sufficient, and even seen as an easy assignment.

Not anymore.

While sophisticated electronic surveillance watched the warehouses and the property perimeter, far more advanced equipment many miles away watched the skies. The information made available to XCOM included that gathered from radar dishes across Japan, including the instruments at Toyama Airport. The star strewn skies were clear and seemingly benign this night, but for those who knew, they were fickle and could bring danger at any moment. The last few months, things had escalated dramatically, and the night skies had grown increasingly threatening.

Mousse adjusted his glasses, and took in his new surroundings. He was familiar with warehouse districts, but there was an ordered and stark precision to this place. He was instantly struck by the hunch that it was a military facility - as if the fact that he'd come here in a black stealth helicopter hadn't already given him that impression. The area around the landing pad was not bathed in light like one would expect, even though there seemed to be lights.

"Probably ultraviolet," he mused to himself, but didn't bother Genma or Shampoo with the educated guess. Mousse wasn't an idiot when it came to hardware. Not only did he have to know, at least generally, about the dangers of flying in an urban area, he was a Hidden Weapons master. He knew his grades of steels and the weapons of others, just like he knew how to maintain his own vast arsenal.

He'd been forced to explore and learn, first hand, about the world outside the Amazon village. It was the only way he could get strong; much less get a proper education. He was a man with something to prove, to Shampoo, and to the village as a whole. He was a male, but he was determined to make something of himself - make a name for himself! One day, he swore, he would make the village elders acknowledge him and show him respect.

He'd live long enough to be an old prune like Happosai, if it took that.

The man they had ridden in the helicopter with also disembarked behind them. He wore a black suit and tie, but his two friends walking up to the martial arts trio didn't bother with the pretense. Both wore white and gray urban fatigues; Mousse effortlessly discerned all the weapons they carried, including the knife one had tucked into his right boot, and the small pistol the other thought he was so clever hiding below his left armpit. Hidden weapons he had no problem with, faces and normal silhouettes, on the other hand…

The one thing he couldn't find were their flags or their rank insignia.

"This way, please," the short man in the black suit ushered them forward, and towards one of the warehouses. Halfway there, Mousse was struck with a familiar feeling, and from Shampoo and Genma's posture, he knew they sensed it as well. Still, none of them were sure whether that was an entirely good or bad thing. If Ranma was here, and alive, it didn't necessarily mean he was present of his own volition.

They entered through one of the small personnel doors. Unlike the dark exterior, the inside of the warehouse was bathed in warm and welcoming light. It was entirely open, with a ceiling that towered far over their heads, and it was large enough to easily conceal two or even three large fighter craft. The two guards hadn't entered, but the black suit had, and he stepped aside to let them take in those already present.

There had to be about a dozen people, including three he didn't recognize. With his glasses on, he saw the faces of those he'd assumed missing at best, dead at worst. Ranma was there, along with the Tendo clan, and so were Ukyou, her waiter friend, and even Kuno (who had, of course, taken up the occasion to annoy his 'beloved Akane'). Shampoo and Genma ran forward to meet up with the group, but Mousse hung back and looked around.

There was a reinforced catwalk around the inside of the warehouse; going along the sides and at two points crossing over the center. He also noted that the exits were closed, but seemed unguarded – at least from the inside. There were cameras in several areas; watching and recording what went on below, but no easily identified ventilation to take possible advantage of. Sighing, Mousse walked over to where Ryouga stood by himself, near a small pile of unfolded metal chairs.

The lost boy gave him a single nod as he approached.

There was a table with snacks, too, but it was near the normal center of attention: Saotome Ranma. The pigtailed boy was caught in Shampoo's vice like grip, and withering under an enraged stare courtesy of Akane. Genma, after checking in on his son, quickly headed to the table to appropriate some food, and talk to Soun who had anticipated where to rendezvous with his old friend.

Most of the gang were all here, safe and sound, and he started to feel a little silly for worrying so much about them. It wasn't really his style, and how annoying was it that when he finally worked himself up into caring for a bunch of people, they didn't even end up getting into any real trouble. All that aggravation for what? Nothing, it seemed.

Except that Cologne was still gone, and probably dead. Happosai wasn't around either, but was he just out on his own, hiding somewhere, or gone too? He thought back to who else should have been there, but wasn't. The only other face missing, he determined, was Dr. Tofu, but there was no role saying he had to get involved at all. The doctor was a man who lived outside Nerima's chaos more often than in it.

"So what's all this about?" Mousse asked, keeping his hands in his sleeves.

Next to him, Ryouga looked up at the ceiling. "You'll find out in a minute or two. Before that, I'd like to ask you something."

The lost boy seemed a little intense, even for him. Mousse shrugged. "Sure. What?"

"I'm going to pick the biggest fight either of us have ever seen." Ryouga looked at the Chinese boy out of the corner of his eye. "Bigger than the Musk. Bigger than Saffron."

"You mean whatever killed Cologne," Mousse clarified.

Ryouga bared a big of fang. "That one… and every one like it."

"How many are we looking at?" Mousse asked, totally serious in the light of the fact that that whatever had managed to take down Cologne, was just one of many.

"Thousands," Ryouga said, slowly. Mousse flinched visibly.

"You want my help, huh?" Mousse made a dismissive grunt. "And why would I do that?"

Ryouga actually smiled, just a little. "Because you're already a target. There are only two places you can go from here. One is to a safe house in the middle of nowhere to twiddle your thumbs and waste away. The other is to come with me and fight. Really, you can die either way, but do you want them to come for you, or do you want to hunt them down?"

Mousse chuckled at the question. "Do you even have to ask?"

The lost boy nodded, slowly. "You can also go with Ranma, if you want. We both know that's where Shampoo will run to."

"Good point," Mousse said, and thought about that. Shampoo would want to fight by Ranma's side, and while Mousse could work with Ranma, he wasn't exactly keen to. Plus, it was hard watching the love of his life throwing herself at the pigtailed boy, time and time again. Could he really stand to be around that for an extended period of time? He knew, rationally, that Ranma wouldn't do anything with her, but his heart was less prudent.

"You'll still see her. We're all going to be working locally," Ryouga spoke up, as if sensing Mousse's indecision.

Mousse purposefully removed his glasses, ruining his vision.

"Yeah," was all he said.

A door opened, getting their attention, and a woman walked in. Mousse flipped his glasses on briefly, and then returned them to his sleeves. He and Ryouga walked up to the group, all of whom were congregating around this new arrival. She was fair skinned, Japanese, with plain black hair clipped professionally behind the back of her head. Like two of the men present, she wore an actual uniform.

It also drove home that this wasn't a normal JSDF operation. Rather than the expected blue, the coat or tunic and trousers were olive grey. The woman had hers buckled, displaying two stars to the left of her chin, but the two men wore it loosely. Their turndown-collar shirts were white, and both also wore identical black neckties. Unlike with the JSDF uniform, the belts were also black, and the service caps were the same olive grey as the coats they wore. All three also wore black gloves.

The two men saluted the woman, and she returned the gesture.

"Welcome, all of you," she began to speak, in a soft and rather plain female voice. She didn't sound very commanding, but everyone dropped what he or she was doing and listened when it became obvious this newcomer was in charge.

"My name is Lieutenant Commander Noriko Yasuda. I have been fully apprised of your situation, and have accepted responsibility for the introduction of all thirteen of you into our organization. I see quite a few confused faces, so let me clarify for most of you what we do here."

She tapped the metal stars on her collar. "Those of you who assumed this was a military outfit were half correct. We do not operate under the jurisdiction of any one nation state. We work for UNETCO: the United Nations Extraterrestrial Combat Organization. Several of you have seen these aliens firsthand, and others have had contact of the first or second kind. I will not waste time attempting to convince you of the existence of these creatures, and will simply tell you to accept it as fact."

"We have been engaged with these unwelcome visitors since 1999, and a base was set up and made operational here in Japan in March of 2000. I assumed command here fourteen months ago. Due to recent events, we have come to the conclusion that the aliens are making an ongoing and systematic attempt to abduct or assassinate high caliber martial artists throughout this hemisphere. The two largest attacks have coincided with terror attacks in other areas, thus diverting the attention of UNETCO."

"We are fortunate that the aliens underestimated the tenacity and resourcefulness of their quarry, and that a number of you escaped and returned to Earth. However, for those who are considered compromised and in danger of abduction, we can only offer two possibilities. The first is confinement to a Safe Haven Facility in Oregon, on the west coast of the United States. We have an operational Mind Shield there and housing where you will stay with other at risk personnel to wait out the war."

"Alternatively, you can join UNETCO in an active capacity, here in Japan. For most of you, this means you will enter combat operations, or provide additional training for soldiers on base. Aside from occasional leave, you will eat, sleep, and live on our base in the mountains. Quarters will be provided for your immediate family, and you can continue your education, which may or may not include officer's training. You will also receive a salary contingent on your rank and services rendered."

She took a deep breath, and let the group digest what she had said so far before finishing. "Six of you have already agreed to work with us here in Japan, and I have spoken before with Mr. Tendo, Mr. Saotome, and Mr. Hibiki. I wish to create not just two active duty squads of exceptional individuals, but also establish a dojo in the base, under the supervision of Mr. Tendo, who has told me he wishes for one of his daughters to assist him. The other two, who I have been told are not martial artists, will be employed in other areas as interns."

Ranma, Ryouga, and Soun all stepped forward, and took up positions next to the UNETCO officers, with the two younger martial artists on the sides and the Tendo patriarch in the middle. There was surprisingly little discussion. Genma was only a few steps behind his old comrade, and the Tendo sisters quickly joined him.

Mousse spared Shampoo a look, as the girl seemed to be hesitating.

Then, Ukyou and Konatsu headed towards Ranma, and Shampoo sprinted to keep up. Mousse shook his head. He truly doubted Ranma would be able to control his 'harem' any more than before, and if he caused chaos on a military base, there would definitely be hell to pay. He had a bad feeling in general about that whole setup. On the other hand, it would be pretty funny to see Ranma get in over his head.

With a suffering sigh, he walked up to Ryouga, where one of the guests he hadn't recognized already stood with his arms crossed. He looked to be about Ranma's age, but was built more like the lost boy (with a white bandanna even), and already seemed to have the military look down pact with black combat boots and camouflage cargo pants. He even had a military style belt, and a black sleeveless muscle shirt.

"Mousse," he said to the stranger, as a small introduction.

"Kumon," the boy replied curtly. "Ryu Kumon."

"Well," Mousse thought to himself with a smirk. "At least he's not Pantyhose Taro…"

"Hold!" Kuno, the left alone and standing by himself, held up his right hand. "To take all this as truth is difficult, even for so sympathetic a soul as Tatewaki Kuno. Surely, it seems at first this is an elaborate and fanciful jest, yet at the same time… who is to say that the unfathomable depths of the universe beyond our tiny globe are devoid of life? You tell me now that these creatures come not in peace, but with malicious intent?"

"Very well!" Kuno whipped out his bokken and held it dramatically in the air. "The challenge, if true, is accepted! As is the chance to get away from abominable classes and graduate elsewhere!"

He headed towards the group, but couldn't seem to decide where to go. He wanted to fight, that much was obvious, but he didn't want to do it with Ranma. Then there was the natural inclination to follow Akane around, wherever she ended up. Before he took the chance to curse the fates or anything similar, Ryouga snapped his fingers loudly.

"Kuno," he said, simply.

"Very well!" the swordsman proclaimed, as he made his choice. "I will lead you three. You may address me as Kuno-sempai."

"This guy for real?" Ryu asked, and there was a dangerous, challenging edge to it.

"Very well," Noriko spoke up again, apparently pleased with the turnout. She inclined her head three times, to Soun first, and then to Ryouga and Ranma. "I have high expectations for all of you. We will leave for Seiran Mountain immediately, and there you will be sworn in. Now, since none of you have served in any armed force or police unit, I will say this…."

Her dark brown eyes narrowed a fraction. "I am well aware of the trouble you have caused in your home town. I will not have a break in disciple under my command. I want to make that crystal clear. Any violations of protocol, any damage to base property or facilities, and I will have your balls on a platter. This isn't high school. I won't make you wait in the halls with buckets. Step out of line, and I will hammer you into the ground! That goes for you girls as well as the boys. Understood?"

The suddenness of it all surprised the assembled teenagers, but Ryu and Ryouga were the first to recover. Both bowed their heads.

"Yes, ma'am!" they chorused. The others quickly muttered similar phrases of agreement and compliance.

"Good," Noriko said, her tone more pleased but still strict. "As UNETCO Regional Commander, you will report to me, or to the designated officer I have assigned to you. For the next month, you will be under the direct supervision of a mentor, after which I hope to have two fully operational squads ready for active duty. During that time, you will undergo Pedagogical Instruction, and will be required to keep a daily log. Once a week, you will submit this log to your mentor for review. It is my hope you will learn from them as they learn from you."

"You're my soldiers now! Kill for me, and I'll treat you as well as I'm able. You all may even live to see the day when we're hailed as heroes." She smirked as if amused by their veiled anxiety, and saluted them. "Welcome to XCOM."