Welcome to Chapter Eighteen.
I still need a prereader. Why has no one volunteered? Have I... Have I
lost all my readers? *sniffles* NOOOOOOOOO!!!
Eh, yeah, I'm being melodramatic.
I just finished my last exam about three hours ago (at 10:00am, June 20),
so I'm offically in grade twelve now. *dances* Only one more year of high
school left, then it's off to some post secondary education place. Either
an art school or a tech school, but who cares about that? There's still a
year before then...]
False Identity
Chapter Eighteen : Games
Li Xiang
Rache stirred into wakefulness, desperately trying to cling to her
sleep. She hadn't slept so well in _years_. The eighteen-year-old
snuggled deeper into her pillow, unwilling to get up.
As conscious thought returned to her, Rache froze. There was a weight
across her shoulders... and she could recall collapsing against Yohji...
Emerald eyes slit open, and Rache found herself curled against Yohji,
staring at his shirt. Blushing, the redhead looked up into Kudou's
face-- he was still asleep.
"How cute," came a sarcastic voice, and Rache jerked out of Yohji
sleep-loosened embrace. Ranma, in female form, was leaning against the
doorframe. Rache's blush deepened.
"Ah... Ranma... I, uh, collapsed before I finished healing him. This'll
take just a moment."
She set her hands on the cast again, taking only a moment to find the
place of the wound. Two minutes of using her ki to finish healing the
bone to a point where it wouldn't break very easily, and she lifted her
hands. The glow didn't fade from her fingertips, until after she'd run
them down the stitches in Yohji's forehead.
Ranma had watched avidly, ki senses on high, trying to figure out how
she'd done her healing "trick". There was something more than ki flowing
through Rache when she healed. The ki encased the unknown energy, made
it easier to wield and control, although the power was wild-- chaotic,
even.
"Why'd you fix the scar?"
"I healed the skin," Rache sighed, "I'm not very good at healing-- most
people are afraid of it-- and most wounds I heal leave scars."
"Whatever. I've got to bring Playboy here back to the Koneko, but
there's no way in hell that I'm going to carry him."
With a wry grin, Rache climbed to her feet, "Then you can check out
your room here."
The two redheads padded out of the room, and Yohji slit an eye open. A
faint smile crossed his lips as he lifted his non-cast encased arm to
rest the back of his head on his hand.
---
Ranma was practically drooling.
There was a bed on one side of the room-- former office, really-- with
an empty fridge nearby. Tatami mats covered the floor, walls, and even
ceiling. A punching bag hung in one corner, and a large window was on
the far wall.
Her room looked like a training room! Excitement thrummed through her
and she almost giggled. This was so awesome! She could practice whenever
she wanted, day or night... life was good.
"...can't move in for a couple weeks or so, at last guess," Rache was
saying, "We need you to get Weiss away from Kritiker, if what Schuu tells
me is correct."
"Huh? What's Schuldich tell you?"
Rache plopped herself down on the bed, watching as Ranma began a kata,
bouncing around, and brushing her fingers lightly against the
warehouse roof-- a good eight meters up. The German girl shrugged, "You
know that Tsukiyono isn't Omi's _Real_ family name, right?"
"Say what?" No, Ranma hadn't known that...
"You didn't? Oh well, it's not. Omi isn't really named Tsukiyono Omi,
according to the info Schuu pulled from the minds of Kritiker. _And_
Kritiker plans on having Omi take out his half-brothers."
"You're shittin' me," Ranma scoffed. Rache snorted.
"Am not. Omi's been trained to kill his family. He's a Takatori,
after all, even if he doesn't know it," Rache shrugged, "Schuu figures
that since Schwartz has been charged with protecting Takatori-- and Estet
wants the _whole_ Takatori family alive-- that means keeping Omi from
killing his family, and therefore, keep him away from Kritiker."
"And Aya's safe because neither Jei-sama or me want him dead before we
can figure him out," Ranma nodded in understanding, "Schuldich has the
hots for Ken, so he'd want Siberian kept safe--"
"You have _got_ to be kidding!"
The two redheads turned to see Yohji standing in the doorway, staring
at Ranma.
"Kudou."
"Yohji!"
Yohji made a face, "Schuldich likes Ken? Our Ken?"
Rache nodded, "Großer bruder has been infatuated with Hidaka since they
met, Yohji. He's just doing something about it _now_ because he can."
Ranma's stormy eyes had narrowed sharply, "How much of our conversation
did you hear, Kudou?"
"That Omi's a Takatori," Yohji frowned here, "How'd _that_ happen?"
"Well," Ranma stated dryly, "Omi's mother spread her legs for Takatori
and--"
"Ranma!" Rache gave him a startled stare, and the boy-turned-girl
grinned.
"Hang around Hiroshi and Daisuke for awhile, Naru."
Yohji shot Ranma a glare, then stared at the floor, his emotions
warring. On one hand, was Weiss staying with Kritiker. Omi would have to
kill him family-- granted, he didn't _know_ they were family, but family
was family. On the other, Weiss could get away from Kritiker with
Schwartz's help. It would leave the corrupt Takatori family still in
power, though. That would mean more innocent people would die...
"If Weiss went with Schwartz..." Yohji started hesitantly, "...would
we become part of it?"
"No," Ranma plopped herself onto the bed beside Rache, "Schwartz isn't
going to last much longer-- they're pulling out of the contracts with
their current employers, and will 'vanish' much like Weiss will if we
pull this off." She couldn't believe it! She was actually speaking
_civilly_ with Kudou?!"
Yohji scratched his chin, "So... it would be possible to still
eliminate Takatori?"
Rache shrugged, "If you want to, however, up until Weiss leaves
Kritiker, Schwartz will prevent any attempts, Afterwards, Schu'll agree
to help as long as it's not Omi sent to kill him family."
"Why's that?" Both Yohji and Ranma looked confused. Rache sighed.
"After he was picked up by Estet, Schuu was sent to kill our parents
and siblings; that's why he calls himself Schuldich, "The Guilty One". He
doesn't want to put anyone through that guilt."
Ranma shrugged, "I can understand that. As much as I'd like to run the
Panda through Mom's katana, I'd feel a bit guilty over killing the
man who raised me. There's no way in hell I'd lift a hand against
Ofukuru; she's pretty blood thirty, actually..."
"Probably where you get it," Rache muttered, openly to get smacked
upside the head, "Ow. Look, Ranma, you and Yohji should return to the
Koneko soon. It's getting late..."
Ranma nodded, "Alright. See ya Naru. C'mon Playboy."
"Don't call me that!"
"I'll call you whatever I want to, _Playboy_!"
---
Nabiki sat beside Omi, setting her chopsticks down, having finished her
mean, "I can't believe he's not back yet..."
"Don't be, " Ken smiled widely, "Ranko, er... Ranma, takes off like
this all the time. She... he and Yohji probably just got into a fight
again."
"Pfft, ye of little faith," came the snort from the door, "Whatcha
doing here, Nabiki?"
Ranma-- back in male form-- stood beside Yohji. The lanky assassin
entered the room with a grin-- cast and stitches gone. There was a scar
where the cut on his face had been, but his arm looked brand new.
"Ranma..." the teenager in question growled, not even _noticing_
Yohji's healed state, "You son of a BITCH!! I'll kill you for letting
Akane get hurt!"
"You can try," Ranma grinned wickedly, "But you can't do anything on
_that_ leg."
Nabiki glowered at the former freeloader, praying the teen would drop
dead from the look alone. A smirk spread across her face after a moment,
"_I_ don't have to kill you. Ryouga will, once he finds out what you
_let_ happen to Akane!"
"Do you honestly believe _he_ can kill _me_? Nabiki, how easily you
forget..." Ranma's lips curled into a sinister smile, "... that Ryouga's
been trying to kill me for two years. He hasn't succeeded yet."
"Ooooh!" Nabiki grit her teeth, "C'mon Omittchi. You're taking me
home."
The girl tried to stalk out of the room, limping, and Omi followed with
an apologetic look towards Ranma, that the martial artist ignored.
Instead, he turned to Ken, "Where's Aya?"
"Out," Ken shrugged, "Don't know where. Why?"
"Doesn't matter," Yohji draped his arm over the nineteen-year-old's
shoulder, "We can run it by you, to see if you've got any better ideas."
Ken blinked. Yohji and Ranma were getting along? For a moment, he
wondered if the apocalypse was coming again, before banishing the
thought. Apocalypses had an annoying habit of being prevented, "...what
are you talking about?"
"You see," Yohji began, "We've come across some very interesting
information."
Ranma stuck his hands in his pockets, "An' using' this information
could end in two ways..."
Ken looked more confused than ever, "Can't you two talk straight?"
"I suppose," Ranma smirked, "but to quote you... I'd rather talk where
Kritiker can't hear us."
Comprehension dawned, "Ah, big secret, then?"
"Big Secret," Ranma agreed with a nod, "We bring you somewhere to talk
in private, you finally tell me how you do those tricks of yours, you
got it?"
"It's a deal," Ken stood, "We'll hafta leave a note for Aya, before we
go."
The three men left the building ten minutes later, headed for Juuban
park. When they got there, they settled down beside the lake, Ranma's
senses on high to detect anyone in hearing range.
"It's about Omi," Yohji began, before Ken could ask, "and Schwartz."
"Omi's got connections to Schwartz?"
Ranma knitted his fingers behind his head, and lay back on the grass,
"Schwartz-- or rather, Schuldich-- wants to keep Omi from killing his
brothers."
"Whoa, whoa, Omi's got _brothers_?"
"Yeah," Yohji leaned against a tree, "Omi's a Takatori."
"Wha... what?!"
Ranma nodded staring at the sunset lit sky, "Tsukiyono doesn't know,
Ken. Schwartz knows, we know, and Kritiker know, but Kritiker doesn't
know that we know."
"Where does Schwartz come into this," Ken settled for sitting down
between the other two, "You said it had to do with Schwartz."
"We need to make a clean cut with Kritiker. Leave them behind-- if we
do that, Schwartz agrees to step out of the way, and we can do whatever
we want to Takatori," Yohji explained with a tight smile.
Ranma's lips quirked, "And Omi's not allowed to go anywhere near
Takatori with the intent to kill."
"You made a deal with Schwartz? How do you know we can trust them not
to kill all of us-- well, you, I know, Ranma-- but what about Weiss?"
Ken was chewing his bottom lip nervously. He was _positive_ Farfello
would try to kill him at first chance.
Yohji had to suppress a smirk, "Aya won't get killed until _after_
Farfello and Ranma here figure him out, Omi won't get killed because he's
a Takatori and Schwartz' employers want _all_ Takatori's alive, and you
won't get killed because Schuldich likes you."
"Likes to torment me, you mean[1]," Ken muttered, "What about you,
Yohji?"
"Naru won't let him get killed," Ranma rolled his eyes, "Now Ken... you
get to tell me _and_ Yohji how you go through things."
"...what _are_ you talking about, Ranma?"
The sixteen-year-old turned to the scared man, "Ken's got this ability
to go _through_ objects."
"You're kidding..."
"He's not," Ken crossed his arms with a sigh, "I was... in an accident
a few years back, before I entered the J-league. A building
practically collapsed on me..."
"So you're like... dead?"
"You've been watching to many videos, Yohji," Ken rolled his eyes, "I'm
very much alive, thank you very much. No, the reason for the building
collapsing was supernatural..."
"So," Ranma concluded, "That supernatural thingy transferred its power
to _you_ and you got out alive."
"The first time I ever phased," Ken agreed, "scared the hell out of me.
I _Swear_ I thought I was dead."
"How'd you figure out you weren't?" Yohji hiked his scarred brow. It
was possible Ken was really a ghost... he shot the voice that told him
that he had to stop watching midnight-to-dawn horror movie marathons.
"I had a pulse, I still hurt from things hitting me when the building
collapsed, and I was still bleeding rather profusely."
"Could have been a kuei," Ranma pointed out, and Ken made a face.
"I didn't even known what a kuei _was_ back then. Besides, if I was
kuei, I wouldn't have been able to _leave_ the building site, and I'd
still have all the bleeding wounds I died from," Ken snorted, "In any
case, I'm alive, I can phase through any non-living or dead object, and
the only people who know are you two and Schuldich."
"And we won't tell until you give us permission," Yohji nodded, and
Ranma scowled.
"Aw, C'mon! It's good blackmail material![2]"
---
'Aya-
Gone out to talk in private.
Omi's taking Nabiki home.
-Ken, Yohji, Ranko'
Manx frowned, holding the note in hand. None of Weiss was currently
home... she'd have to come back the next day to inform the boys of their
next mission.
She set the note back on the table and left, locking the door behind
her. Exactly two minutes after she'd returned to her car and drove away,
Ken came flying around the corner, ducking.
A water balloon shattered on the wall beside him, and he whirled.
Another water balloon flew-- this time, from his hands-- to send a spray
of water up into the day's rapidly fading light.
"Bonzai!" Ranko howled, as she dropped from a light post, raining tiny
water balloons down on both Ken and Yohji-- who'd come around the corner,
whipping balloons at Siberian.
All three were thoroughly soaked, wet clothing sticking to their
bodies as they played. Neither Ken nor Yohji had goofed off like this for
a long while. To play like little kids was something lost to them.
Of course, the only reason that Yohji and Ken were currently teaming up
to drench Ranko, was a fluke. The former male had spotted a few lonely
water balloons left out by some kid going to dinner.
He'd felt the irresistible urge to whip one at the back of Kudou's
head. They'd swiped the rest of the balloons to attack each other-- Yohji
and Ranma, of course-- when Ken had vanished. Neither noticed... up
until the point a water balloon hit both of them in the face.
Ken had been standing there, grinning innocently, all the while holding
a shopping bag full of water balloons. From there, all out war occurred.
It would be a long time before anyone forgot the twenty-one-year-old,
Nineteen-year-old, and the sixteen-year-old acting like six year olds.
Ranko cocked her arm back, whipping it forwards to unleash the three
balloons she'd held in hand. One hit Yohji, the other two landing on the
ground to either side of him, splattering his pants with more water.
"What are you doing?"
Ranko spun around, ignoring the impacts of the two water balloons that
nailed her in the back, "Hey Aya! Join the war! Be my partner! We can
double team Ken and Kudou!"
The male redhead blinked, then leaned to one side to see Ken and Yohji
waving at him with matching cheerful smiles, and bags of water balloons
attached to their belts. Ranko didn't have one-- but she did know the
Hidden Weapons technique.
The urge to refuse and be his normal, icy cold self, was beaten by the
cheerful, hopeful expression on his teammates and Ranko's faces. He
growled a bit to himself as he found himself stripping off his orange
sweater. It _was_ his favorite, and he didn't want to ruin it, "Let me
put this inside."
"Yes!" Ranko cheered, spinning around, "Oh yeah, we're going to beat
you two into the ground! You have _no_ chance!"
Yohji's eyes narrowed, "Then we'll just have to take you out before Aya
gets back."
Ken gave a sadistic grin, lofting a _very_ large water balloon, "Oh
yeah..."
"Do your worst!" Ranko shrieked the challenge happily, dodging out of
Yohji's attack. Another shriek split the air as Ken's icy cold "bomb"
shattered against her shoulder blades.
The victory didn't last long before Ken found himself soaked clear
through to the bone. Aya dropped the empty bucket on the ground, smirking
slightly, "And the battle was joined..."
Ranko's laughter echoed into the night.
---
Muu Tzu collected his weapons, using their chains to draw them into his
sleeves. He adjusted his glasses, dropping them over his eyes to see if
he'd hit the target. Half the weapons thrown had, the rest had ripped
up the groove.
"Muu Tzu."
He spun around, "What do you want?"
Khu Lon stepped from the shadows, "Xian Phu is dead."
"WHAT?!"
End
[1] Someone's in denial.
[2] Ranma had to have learned _some_ things from Nabiki.
I still need a prereader. Why has no one volunteered? Have I... Have I
lost all my readers? *sniffles* NOOOOOOOOO!!!
Eh, yeah, I'm being melodramatic.
I just finished my last exam about three hours ago (at 10:00am, June 20),
so I'm offically in grade twelve now. *dances* Only one more year of high
school left, then it's off to some post secondary education place. Either
an art school or a tech school, but who cares about that? There's still a
year before then...]
False Identity
Chapter Eighteen : Games
Li Xiang
Rache stirred into wakefulness, desperately trying to cling to her
sleep. She hadn't slept so well in _years_. The eighteen-year-old
snuggled deeper into her pillow, unwilling to get up.
As conscious thought returned to her, Rache froze. There was a weight
across her shoulders... and she could recall collapsing against Yohji...
Emerald eyes slit open, and Rache found herself curled against Yohji,
staring at his shirt. Blushing, the redhead looked up into Kudou's
face-- he was still asleep.
"How cute," came a sarcastic voice, and Rache jerked out of Yohji
sleep-loosened embrace. Ranma, in female form, was leaning against the
doorframe. Rache's blush deepened.
"Ah... Ranma... I, uh, collapsed before I finished healing him. This'll
take just a moment."
She set her hands on the cast again, taking only a moment to find the
place of the wound. Two minutes of using her ki to finish healing the
bone to a point where it wouldn't break very easily, and she lifted her
hands. The glow didn't fade from her fingertips, until after she'd run
them down the stitches in Yohji's forehead.
Ranma had watched avidly, ki senses on high, trying to figure out how
she'd done her healing "trick". There was something more than ki flowing
through Rache when she healed. The ki encased the unknown energy, made
it easier to wield and control, although the power was wild-- chaotic,
even.
"Why'd you fix the scar?"
"I healed the skin," Rache sighed, "I'm not very good at healing-- most
people are afraid of it-- and most wounds I heal leave scars."
"Whatever. I've got to bring Playboy here back to the Koneko, but
there's no way in hell that I'm going to carry him."
With a wry grin, Rache climbed to her feet, "Then you can check out
your room here."
The two redheads padded out of the room, and Yohji slit an eye open. A
faint smile crossed his lips as he lifted his non-cast encased arm to
rest the back of his head on his hand.
---
Ranma was practically drooling.
There was a bed on one side of the room-- former office, really-- with
an empty fridge nearby. Tatami mats covered the floor, walls, and even
ceiling. A punching bag hung in one corner, and a large window was on
the far wall.
Her room looked like a training room! Excitement thrummed through her
and she almost giggled. This was so awesome! She could practice whenever
she wanted, day or night... life was good.
"...can't move in for a couple weeks or so, at last guess," Rache was
saying, "We need you to get Weiss away from Kritiker, if what Schuu tells
me is correct."
"Huh? What's Schuldich tell you?"
Rache plopped herself down on the bed, watching as Ranma began a kata,
bouncing around, and brushing her fingers lightly against the
warehouse roof-- a good eight meters up. The German girl shrugged, "You
know that Tsukiyono isn't Omi's _Real_ family name, right?"
"Say what?" No, Ranma hadn't known that...
"You didn't? Oh well, it's not. Omi isn't really named Tsukiyono Omi,
according to the info Schuu pulled from the minds of Kritiker. _And_
Kritiker plans on having Omi take out his half-brothers."
"You're shittin' me," Ranma scoffed. Rache snorted.
"Am not. Omi's been trained to kill his family. He's a Takatori,
after all, even if he doesn't know it," Rache shrugged, "Schuu figures
that since Schwartz has been charged with protecting Takatori-- and Estet
wants the _whole_ Takatori family alive-- that means keeping Omi from
killing his family, and therefore, keep him away from Kritiker."
"And Aya's safe because neither Jei-sama or me want him dead before we
can figure him out," Ranma nodded in understanding, "Schuldich has the
hots for Ken, so he'd want Siberian kept safe--"
"You have _got_ to be kidding!"
The two redheads turned to see Yohji standing in the doorway, staring
at Ranma.
"Kudou."
"Yohji!"
Yohji made a face, "Schuldich likes Ken? Our Ken?"
Rache nodded, "Großer bruder has been infatuated with Hidaka since they
met, Yohji. He's just doing something about it _now_ because he can."
Ranma's stormy eyes had narrowed sharply, "How much of our conversation
did you hear, Kudou?"
"That Omi's a Takatori," Yohji frowned here, "How'd _that_ happen?"
"Well," Ranma stated dryly, "Omi's mother spread her legs for Takatori
and--"
"Ranma!" Rache gave him a startled stare, and the boy-turned-girl
grinned.
"Hang around Hiroshi and Daisuke for awhile, Naru."
Yohji shot Ranma a glare, then stared at the floor, his emotions
warring. On one hand, was Weiss staying with Kritiker. Omi would have to
kill him family-- granted, he didn't _know_ they were family, but family
was family. On the other, Weiss could get away from Kritiker with
Schwartz's help. It would leave the corrupt Takatori family still in
power, though. That would mean more innocent people would die...
"If Weiss went with Schwartz..." Yohji started hesitantly, "...would
we become part of it?"
"No," Ranma plopped herself onto the bed beside Rache, "Schwartz isn't
going to last much longer-- they're pulling out of the contracts with
their current employers, and will 'vanish' much like Weiss will if we
pull this off." She couldn't believe it! She was actually speaking
_civilly_ with Kudou?!"
Yohji scratched his chin, "So... it would be possible to still
eliminate Takatori?"
Rache shrugged, "If you want to, however, up until Weiss leaves
Kritiker, Schwartz will prevent any attempts, Afterwards, Schu'll agree
to help as long as it's not Omi sent to kill him family."
"Why's that?" Both Yohji and Ranma looked confused. Rache sighed.
"After he was picked up by Estet, Schuu was sent to kill our parents
and siblings; that's why he calls himself Schuldich, "The Guilty One". He
doesn't want to put anyone through that guilt."
Ranma shrugged, "I can understand that. As much as I'd like to run the
Panda through Mom's katana, I'd feel a bit guilty over killing the
man who raised me. There's no way in hell I'd lift a hand against
Ofukuru; she's pretty blood thirty, actually..."
"Probably where you get it," Rache muttered, openly to get smacked
upside the head, "Ow. Look, Ranma, you and Yohji should return to the
Koneko soon. It's getting late..."
Ranma nodded, "Alright. See ya Naru. C'mon Playboy."
"Don't call me that!"
"I'll call you whatever I want to, _Playboy_!"
---
Nabiki sat beside Omi, setting her chopsticks down, having finished her
mean, "I can't believe he's not back yet..."
"Don't be, " Ken smiled widely, "Ranko, er... Ranma, takes off like
this all the time. She... he and Yohji probably just got into a fight
again."
"Pfft, ye of little faith," came the snort from the door, "Whatcha
doing here, Nabiki?"
Ranma-- back in male form-- stood beside Yohji. The lanky assassin
entered the room with a grin-- cast and stitches gone. There was a scar
where the cut on his face had been, but his arm looked brand new.
"Ranma..." the teenager in question growled, not even _noticing_
Yohji's healed state, "You son of a BITCH!! I'll kill you for letting
Akane get hurt!"
"You can try," Ranma grinned wickedly, "But you can't do anything on
_that_ leg."
Nabiki glowered at the former freeloader, praying the teen would drop
dead from the look alone. A smirk spread across her face after a moment,
"_I_ don't have to kill you. Ryouga will, once he finds out what you
_let_ happen to Akane!"
"Do you honestly believe _he_ can kill _me_? Nabiki, how easily you
forget..." Ranma's lips curled into a sinister smile, "... that Ryouga's
been trying to kill me for two years. He hasn't succeeded yet."
"Ooooh!" Nabiki grit her teeth, "C'mon Omittchi. You're taking me
home."
The girl tried to stalk out of the room, limping, and Omi followed with
an apologetic look towards Ranma, that the martial artist ignored.
Instead, he turned to Ken, "Where's Aya?"
"Out," Ken shrugged, "Don't know where. Why?"
"Doesn't matter," Yohji draped his arm over the nineteen-year-old's
shoulder, "We can run it by you, to see if you've got any better ideas."
Ken blinked. Yohji and Ranma were getting along? For a moment, he
wondered if the apocalypse was coming again, before banishing the
thought. Apocalypses had an annoying habit of being prevented, "...what
are you talking about?"
"You see," Yohji began, "We've come across some very interesting
information."
Ranma stuck his hands in his pockets, "An' using' this information
could end in two ways..."
Ken looked more confused than ever, "Can't you two talk straight?"
"I suppose," Ranma smirked, "but to quote you... I'd rather talk where
Kritiker can't hear us."
Comprehension dawned, "Ah, big secret, then?"
"Big Secret," Ranma agreed with a nod, "We bring you somewhere to talk
in private, you finally tell me how you do those tricks of yours, you
got it?"
"It's a deal," Ken stood, "We'll hafta leave a note for Aya, before we
go."
The three men left the building ten minutes later, headed for Juuban
park. When they got there, they settled down beside the lake, Ranma's
senses on high to detect anyone in hearing range.
"It's about Omi," Yohji began, before Ken could ask, "and Schwartz."
"Omi's got connections to Schwartz?"
Ranma knitted his fingers behind his head, and lay back on the grass,
"Schwartz-- or rather, Schuldich-- wants to keep Omi from killing his
brothers."
"Whoa, whoa, Omi's got _brothers_?"
"Yeah," Yohji leaned against a tree, "Omi's a Takatori."
"Wha... what?!"
Ranma nodded staring at the sunset lit sky, "Tsukiyono doesn't know,
Ken. Schwartz knows, we know, and Kritiker know, but Kritiker doesn't
know that we know."
"Where does Schwartz come into this," Ken settled for sitting down
between the other two, "You said it had to do with Schwartz."
"We need to make a clean cut with Kritiker. Leave them behind-- if we
do that, Schwartz agrees to step out of the way, and we can do whatever
we want to Takatori," Yohji explained with a tight smile.
Ranma's lips quirked, "And Omi's not allowed to go anywhere near
Takatori with the intent to kill."
"You made a deal with Schwartz? How do you know we can trust them not
to kill all of us-- well, you, I know, Ranma-- but what about Weiss?"
Ken was chewing his bottom lip nervously. He was _positive_ Farfello
would try to kill him at first chance.
Yohji had to suppress a smirk, "Aya won't get killed until _after_
Farfello and Ranma here figure him out, Omi won't get killed because he's
a Takatori and Schwartz' employers want _all_ Takatori's alive, and you
won't get killed because Schuldich likes you."
"Likes to torment me, you mean[1]," Ken muttered, "What about you,
Yohji?"
"Naru won't let him get killed," Ranma rolled his eyes, "Now Ken... you
get to tell me _and_ Yohji how you go through things."
"...what _are_ you talking about, Ranma?"
The sixteen-year-old turned to the scared man, "Ken's got this ability
to go _through_ objects."
"You're kidding..."
"He's not," Ken crossed his arms with a sigh, "I was... in an accident
a few years back, before I entered the J-league. A building
practically collapsed on me..."
"So you're like... dead?"
"You've been watching to many videos, Yohji," Ken rolled his eyes, "I'm
very much alive, thank you very much. No, the reason for the building
collapsing was supernatural..."
"So," Ranma concluded, "That supernatural thingy transferred its power
to _you_ and you got out alive."
"The first time I ever phased," Ken agreed, "scared the hell out of me.
I _Swear_ I thought I was dead."
"How'd you figure out you weren't?" Yohji hiked his scarred brow. It
was possible Ken was really a ghost... he shot the voice that told him
that he had to stop watching midnight-to-dawn horror movie marathons.
"I had a pulse, I still hurt from things hitting me when the building
collapsed, and I was still bleeding rather profusely."
"Could have been a kuei," Ranma pointed out, and Ken made a face.
"I didn't even known what a kuei _was_ back then. Besides, if I was
kuei, I wouldn't have been able to _leave_ the building site, and I'd
still have all the bleeding wounds I died from," Ken snorted, "In any
case, I'm alive, I can phase through any non-living or dead object, and
the only people who know are you two and Schuldich."
"And we won't tell until you give us permission," Yohji nodded, and
Ranma scowled.
"Aw, C'mon! It's good blackmail material![2]"
---
'Aya-
Gone out to talk in private.
Omi's taking Nabiki home.
-Ken, Yohji, Ranko'
Manx frowned, holding the note in hand. None of Weiss was currently
home... she'd have to come back the next day to inform the boys of their
next mission.
She set the note back on the table and left, locking the door behind
her. Exactly two minutes after she'd returned to her car and drove away,
Ken came flying around the corner, ducking.
A water balloon shattered on the wall beside him, and he whirled.
Another water balloon flew-- this time, from his hands-- to send a spray
of water up into the day's rapidly fading light.
"Bonzai!" Ranko howled, as she dropped from a light post, raining tiny
water balloons down on both Ken and Yohji-- who'd come around the corner,
whipping balloons at Siberian.
All three were thoroughly soaked, wet clothing sticking to their
bodies as they played. Neither Ken nor Yohji had goofed off like this for
a long while. To play like little kids was something lost to them.
Of course, the only reason that Yohji and Ken were currently teaming up
to drench Ranko, was a fluke. The former male had spotted a few lonely
water balloons left out by some kid going to dinner.
He'd felt the irresistible urge to whip one at the back of Kudou's
head. They'd swiped the rest of the balloons to attack each other-- Yohji
and Ranma, of course-- when Ken had vanished. Neither noticed... up
until the point a water balloon hit both of them in the face.
Ken had been standing there, grinning innocently, all the while holding
a shopping bag full of water balloons. From there, all out war occurred.
It would be a long time before anyone forgot the twenty-one-year-old,
Nineteen-year-old, and the sixteen-year-old acting like six year olds.
Ranko cocked her arm back, whipping it forwards to unleash the three
balloons she'd held in hand. One hit Yohji, the other two landing on the
ground to either side of him, splattering his pants with more water.
"What are you doing?"
Ranko spun around, ignoring the impacts of the two water balloons that
nailed her in the back, "Hey Aya! Join the war! Be my partner! We can
double team Ken and Kudou!"
The male redhead blinked, then leaned to one side to see Ken and Yohji
waving at him with matching cheerful smiles, and bags of water balloons
attached to their belts. Ranko didn't have one-- but she did know the
Hidden Weapons technique.
The urge to refuse and be his normal, icy cold self, was beaten by the
cheerful, hopeful expression on his teammates and Ranko's faces. He
growled a bit to himself as he found himself stripping off his orange
sweater. It _was_ his favorite, and he didn't want to ruin it, "Let me
put this inside."
"Yes!" Ranko cheered, spinning around, "Oh yeah, we're going to beat
you two into the ground! You have _no_ chance!"
Yohji's eyes narrowed, "Then we'll just have to take you out before Aya
gets back."
Ken gave a sadistic grin, lofting a _very_ large water balloon, "Oh
yeah..."
"Do your worst!" Ranko shrieked the challenge happily, dodging out of
Yohji's attack. Another shriek split the air as Ken's icy cold "bomb"
shattered against her shoulder blades.
The victory didn't last long before Ken found himself soaked clear
through to the bone. Aya dropped the empty bucket on the ground, smirking
slightly, "And the battle was joined..."
Ranko's laughter echoed into the night.
---
Muu Tzu collected his weapons, using their chains to draw them into his
sleeves. He adjusted his glasses, dropping them over his eyes to see if
he'd hit the target. Half the weapons thrown had, the rest had ripped
up the groove.
"Muu Tzu."
He spun around, "What do you want?"
Khu Lon stepped from the shadows, "Xian Phu is dead."
"WHAT?!"
End
[1] Someone's in denial.
[2] Ranma had to have learned _some_ things from Nabiki.