|\v/| Primal Chaos
|=_=| [rn][xo:fus][bw] A Ranma 1/2 / Beast Wars crossover fusion
:\_/: Part 3: the Blue Thunder versus the Golden Rocket.
---begin part 3---
"Behold your nemesis, unholy beast! I am the undefeated champion
of Furinikan High, rising star of the Junior Kendo Club League, Kuno
Tatewaki aged seventeen also known as the Blue Thunder of Furinikan
High! Your evil schemes will henceforth end on my silver blade. I
shall free the Tendo family from your spell!"
"What in the matrix is he talking about?" Ranma demanded as he
pointed to the kendoist ranting in the school gates. "And who the
heck is he, anyway?"
"Kuno is the best fighter in the school," Akane introduced, "and the
biggest pervert."
"I think he's challenging you to a duel," Nabiki smirked as she
buffed her armor and leaned against him in a way that screamed,
'mine,' to one and all (except for Ranma who wouldn't get it unless
someone pointed it out with visual aids). "Sounds like he thinks
that you're some kind of were-cat."
"Just prime," Ranma muttered. Still, a challenge was something he
knew how to deal with. "Alright, I'm Saotome Ranma, heir to the
Saotome School of Flawless in All, ah, TransForms Martial Arts. I
accept your challenge!"
"Flawless in all _TransForms_?" Akane asked her sister.
"Why not?" Nabiki replied. "Sounds about right to me."
---
"Kuno Tatewaki didn't have much, did he?" Ranma remarked to
Akane a short time later as they approached their class.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Akane responded. "He is still the best
_human_ fighter in school. I beat him ever morning though, for
some reason," she added thoughtfully.
Ranma fumed at that. "Feh, I could have taken him before I was
reformatted."
"I don't know about that, Ranma; you and that monster aren't
ordinary boys, you know. You're stronger, faster, and better than
before."
"Not by that much," he protested.
---
"Ah, so that vile monster has fled before my prowess," Tatewaki
observed from his resting place on the ground. "No doubt he is
cowering in fear and licking his wounds. Does he think he can
escape me so easily?"
"Actually, Kuno, you lost," a voice drifted down from above.
"That is impossible!" he stated flatly and crossed his arms. "With
my mighty prowess and blessed silver blade, there is no way that
creature could have defeated me."
"I'll tell you this only once, Kuno, so listen closely. Ranma
isn't a were-creature."
"Wait, that annoying voice is familiar. Tendo Nabiki!?" Tatewaki
demanded as he turned to the - girl? "What has become of you?
What did that monster do to you?"
"He saved my life, Kuno. I don't think that my sister appreciates
you trying to kill him for that."
"Nay. I see it now. You are merely ensorcelled by your villainous
master. Forecerts it is obvious now that you have ever been in the
service of evil."
"I was going to help you, Kuno Baby, but, for that remark, you can
make your own way inside."
"Pah! Kuno Tatewaki does not need your help. I will but lie here
and rest a while."
"Suit yourself," Nabiki shrugged and made her way inside before the
rain started.
---
"So you want to destroy that foul Saotome," another voice drifted
up from below as Tatewaki stood vigil over the school yard.
"Who are you?" Tatewaki demanded of the stranger squatting before
him.
"Gosunguki Hikaru," the Gothic boy introduced. "You won't remember
me. Nobody does. But I can help you destroy that monster. All
you need to know is his weakness. I know the weakness of all
supernatural beings. With my help you can take him by surprise!"
"You fool. What do you take me for? Do you think I would resort
to attacking his weakness in secret?"
"Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you then."
"Wait. I said nothing about attacking his weakness openly! Well,
then ...."
"Then what?"
"What is his secret, dolt!?"
---
"Have at thee, monster!" Tatewaki cried as he drew his old wooden
katana and attacked. Ranma pulled back from him with tears in his
eyes. "Ah, Ha!" Tatewaki yelled in triumph. "Now I have thee,
werecat! You cannot attack thanks to my herbal ward!"
"Garlic is for vampires, you moron!" Ranma pointed out.
"Then why do you back away from me?"
"Nobody can get close to you; because you have bad breath!" Ranma
accused. "You're not supposed to eat them, you fool."
"Never the less, I will drive my wooden blade through your heart."
"That's vampires again," Ranma replied. "And how are you going to
do that if you drive me away?"
"Curses, foiled again!"
---
"Salt is for zombies!"
---
"Fire is for Frankenstein's monster!"
---
"Crucifies are for vampires, again."
---
"I have no idea what slapping the face with a fish is for. But I'm
not gonna let you get away with it."
---
"I have a new plan," Hikaru confided to Tatewaki after he burned
the Big Book of Movie Monsters. "I have been secretly photographing
Ranma to find his true weakness."
"Secretly!?" Tatewaki exclaimed after glancing through a sample.
"He's posing in every shot, you moron!"
"No matter, I have another idea."
---
"What's Kuno up to now?" Akane asked as the trio walked through
the gates.
"Looks like he's chasing some boy in a dress around the yard,"
Nabiki replied drolly. "I wonder who it is?"
"And why are they covered in ...."
"I don't want to know," Ranma said firmly. "At least he's not
bugging me today."
---
Later, Akane asked Nabiki suspiciously, "where are you two off to?"
"We have to save Nabiki from an evil kidnapper," Ranma confided
and held out the note. "See."
"'I have Nabiki. If you wish to save her, meet me on top of
Kuno's head in the gym.'" Akane read. "Signed, 'An Evil
Kidnapper.'"
"Don't worry, Nabiki," Ranma vowed. "I will save you."
"Would you cut that out!" Nabiki groused.
"Soatome, you fiend. What are you doing?"
"Just what the note says, Kuno," Ranma replied. "See!"
"Get off of my head, you monster!"
"Eeek! Help! Save me, Ranma!"
"Nabiki, what are you doing up there?"
"That isn't funny, Ranma."
"Oh, Ranma, please, you have to go save my sister!"
"Et Tu, Akane?"
---
"I can't believe those morons," Ranma shook his head as they
walked away from the gym. "Imagine setting up a pit of dogs for
us to fall into." He shuddered.
"It does kind of make sense," Akane observed, "you do turn into a
big CAT after all. Besides, you did freak out for a moment there.
What was that about?"
"I had a bad experience with a dark pit when I was young, okay,"
Ranma said with a firm 'I don't want to talk about it' tone.
"What I can't figure out is how they got those wolves out of the
zoo?" Nabiki shrugged as she clung to Ranma.
---
The golden rocket streaked across the rooftops of Nerima. Saotome
Ranma, martial artist, cyborg and cheetah, was probably the fastest
thing on four legs.
He maximised in mid-leap, transferring the bag from his beast mode's
mouth to his cyborg mode's hand in a fluid motion as he did, and
landed in the Tendo yard without a jar.
"Here's the eggs you wanted, Kasumi!" he called as he entered the
house.
"Oh, why thank you, Ranma Dear," Kasumi beamed sweetly at her
possible fiance. "My, that certainly was fast and you didn't even
break one."
"Maybe you should get a job as a courier, Ranma Honey," Nabiki
purred as she rubbed up against her mentor and possible future
fiance's legs. "You could call yourself the Golden Rocket
Express."
"Getting used to your beast mode, Nabiki?" Ranma asked as he
reached down to scratch between her ears.
"Hmmm," Nabiki purred. "It has its uses, Ranma."
Akane, the reluctant (yeah right) possible fiancee, fumed at she
watched the pervert flirting with her sisters, but knew that if she
wanted to be reformatted like Nabiki, and gain his edge in the Art,
she needed to get on his good side. "Ranma, there's a letter for
you," she forced herself to be pleasant. Strangely, it didn't feel
that hard to do.
Ranma sighed as he scanned the message. "It's from Kuno. He's
challenging me to a rematch."
"Again?" Akane asked. "Can't he admit that he just can't beat
you, Ranma?"
"Oh well," Kasumi sighed. "At least you have to admire his
persistence."
"Actually I'm starting to find it rather annoying," Ranma
bemoaned. "I wish he'd just give up."
"Kuno doesn't like to loose," Nabiki observed as her cat form
looked over Ranma's shoulder fixtures. "At least he has given up
on that monster-hunter routine. This looks like a proper martial
arts challenge."
"I don't know," Akane doubted with suspicion. "He wants Ranma to
go alone. It's probably another lame trap."
"Whatever," Ranma sighed. "It is a formal challenge so I can't
just ignore it. Besides, those idiotic plots aren't any threat."
Nabiki narrowed her eyes. "Don't get over confident, Ranma. Just
to be sure, I think I'll keep an eye on you. My cat form can keep
out of sight."
---
"So, Saotome, you dared to face me in honest combat after all?" the
cloaked figure addressed him.
"As opposed to all those tricks you tried, Kuno?" Ranma asked
from the other side of the sports field. "Sure. Why not?"
"Kuno Tatewaki does not resort to 'tricks'," he replied. "No
matter, now we shall settle this once and for all. I shall free
the Tendo girls from your presence!"
"'Once and for all', huh?" Ranma smirked. "That means that if you
lose you forget about them, right?"
"It means that I finally have the power to destroy you!" Tatewaki
discarded the cloak with a flourish and drew his sword. Ranma
noticed two things right away. Firstly, the sword was not a wooden
bokken but a metal blade of a very strange design. Secondly,
Tatewaki's body was covered in a brazen armour of a rather familiar
design.
"You've been reformatted as well," Ranma observed with a serious
expression on his face. "First Ryoga, now you. What's going on
here?"
Tatewaki snarled. "All that matters is that, as a Beast Warrior
too, I shall finally vanquish you!"
"You think so," Ranma smirked as he adopted a battle stance.
"Well, maybe you'll be a decent challenge at least. So, let's see
what you've got. Bring ... it ... on!"
---
Nabiki's claws sank into the branch as she watched Tatewaki swing
his strangely spinning blade at Ranma. Becoming a cyborg had made
her stronger and faster, but not really a decent martial artist.
Raw power, as Ranma had explained, was not a substitute for skill
and experience. However, Tatewaki had been considered a champion
kendoist before being reformatted. Would his former skill and new
power and weapon be a match for Ranma?
The answer seemed to be, 'yes'.
---
"Hey, you're pretty good," Ranma smirked after Tatewaki unleashed
a buffeting of windtunnel intensity. "Your new speed and strength
really improves those air pressure attacks. They pack quite a
wallop now, don't they? And that energised sword of yours really
makes that quick strike technique dangerous. You could probably
even penetrate my armor now. That is, if you could hit me."
"Why can't I hit you?" Tatewaki demanded in fury.
"Well," Ranma lectured while continuing to dodge Tatewaki's
best efforts, "for one thing, your reflexes are way off."
"What?" Tatewaki demanded and stared; forgetting even to continue
his barrage of attacks in his shocked startlement.
"You haven't trained in that form, have you?" Ranma explained
casually. "You're just not used to your new power. You're bigger,
faster and stronger, but that just makes you misjudge your reach
and mistime your strikes."
"Curse you," Tatewaki growled. "I will destroy you yet!"
"Yeah, right," Ranma smirked insolently. "There's no way you can
beat me like that."
Tatewaki snarled but backed off. He was furious at himself for
being so eager to confront Ranma. He should have realised that he
needed to train himself. "Very well. I will train in the
mountains until I have mastered my new body. Then I will return
and crush you!"
"No way," Ranma denied. "What ever happened to 'this will settle
it once and for all'? You started this, but now that you're
losing, you suddenly want to change the rules? I don't think so.
It ends here and now, Kuno."
Tatewaki clenched a clawed fist, then a viscous grin appeared on
his face. "You haven't won yet, Saotome," he realised. "I may not
be able to hit you, but you haven't landed a blow either. It's a
stalemate."
"You reckon so, do you?" Ranma smirked.
"Yes, I do," Tatewaki grinned. "We are too evenly matched in these
modes. So why don't we see how we compare in our other forms?"
"Interesting," Ranma observed. "You know that I become a cheetah
and yet you seem pretty confident. I'm betting that you haven't
practiced fighting in your beast mode either, yet you must realise
that I have. Still think you can handle me, Kuno?"
"What's the matter, Saotome, afraid?"
"Not, really," Ranma said. "I just don't think you'll be a decent
challenge, that's all. Prime then, let's do it!"
"Beast Mode!" they roared as one.
---
Nabiki's fur stood on end as she watched Tatewaki's transformation.
She didn't know how it was possible, but she knew what he'd become.
"Ranma, watch out! That's a velociraptor!"
---
"Say, nice transform," the cheetah observed casually. "Sleek,
powerful, well armed and fast too, I bet. But what the heck are
you?"
"Ignorant fool!" the 'raptor snarled. "Behold the instrument of
your demise: for I am a running dragon!"
"And you called me a monster," the cheetah smirked. "Okay lizard
lips, talking big doesn't mean anything if you can't match your
words. Show me what you've got."
---
The battle was amazingly one sided.
Cheetahs hunt by chasing down their prey with short bursts of
speed. Velociraptors, swift runners as well, were also built for
leaping and tearing their prey with their claws and fanged mouths.
In close combat a velociraptor would probably have the advantage of
tooth and claw over an ordinary cheetah.
However, Ranma was also a martial artist and had learned to use his
style to overcome the limitations of a cheetah's movements. Kuno
was the same, but his style of Art was based on the use of a weapon
and he hadn't trained in his beast form at all.
Ranma didn't even resort to using his teeth and claws to win the
fight. Instead he boxed the 'raptor with his paws as he dashed
passed, leaped over or ducked under. Occasionally a charge passed
was turned into a head butt at the last moment. Once he grabbed
the 'raptor's tail, somersaulted and flipped Tatewaki into the
ground. Another time he spun passed the 'raptor and used his tail
to knock it's legs from under it. Through it all, the 'raptor just
wasn't able to touch him.
"Give up, Kuno," the cheetah told the battered 'raptor. "You can't
win fighting on animal instinct alone."
Dazed and woozy from the jackhammer pawswipes, Tatewaki struggled
to remain on his feet. It snarled, "I, Kuno Tatewaki, will never
admit defeat to the likes of you, Saotome! A hundred, nah, a
thousand, kicks from a fiend like you is like nothing at aw...lll."
The punch-drunk 'raptor collapsed.
---
An armoured fist clubbed the white tiger awake.
"Yo! Big Cat, ye got some 'splainin' to do," Ranma growled.
"Like, how the heck did Kuno get reformatted?"
"What the heck are you talking about, Little Cat?" the tiger
demanded with a snarl at having his catnap interrupted.
"You know, the annoying kendoist who's been bugging me," Ranma
snarled. "I figure you have to be the one who reformatted him.
What were you thinking, turning a moron like him into a Beast
Warrior? Don't ye realise how dangerous he is with that kind
of power?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," the tiger insisted.
"As far as I know, the only way to reformat someone is using those
coffins in the Musk Citadel. I've no idea how you managed to do it
without one."
"Yeah, right," Ranma sneered. "Tell me, how else could Kuno be
reformatted here in Japan?"
"Actually, Ranma," Nabiki stated as she leaned against a wall, "I
believe your father. Remember, Kuno was on a crusade against the
'vile were-cat Saotome'. I really don't think he'd accept help
from another one of you."
Ranma frowned. "Then how did it happen?"
"It has to be the Musk," the tiger decided. "They are the only ones
who could do it."
"But why?" Ranma demanded.
"Simple," Nabiki observed. "Revenge. You and your father stole
their secret after all."
"That's crazy," Ranma insisted. "Why would they reformat Kuno for
that? Why not just come after me themselves?"
"It's not just Kuno," Nabiki replied. "There was also that Ryoga
character. Who knows why? Maybe whoever found you isn't strong
enough on his own? Or maybe they're just testing you?"
"Maybe you're the reason why," the tiger considered.
"Me?" Nabiki exclaimed.
"Well, the way Ranma reformatted you at least," the tiger
clarified. "It may have made the Musk Warriors cautious about
revealing themselves after that boy led them to us." The tiger
maximised. "Prepare yourself, Boy," Genma stated as he adopted a
fighting stance. "You can't afford to slack off on your training
now!"
---
"What?" Akane gasped, reflecting the shocked disbelief felt by the
rest of the family gathered around the table. "Kuno's a Beast
Warrior now?"
"That's right, Sis," Nabiki replied. "Someone seems to be
reformatting Ranma's enemies and sending them against him. We
figure the Musk have to be involved."
"Ranma," Akane wailed, "you _have_ to make me a Beast Warrior now!"
"I agree, Son," Soun replied almost as eagerly. "If the Musk are
involved, you will need all the help you can get."
"Forget that!" Akane stated. "If Kuno is a Beast Warrior, there's
no way I can beat him tomorrow."
Ranma scowled. "Kuno's the least of your problems. If the Musk
have tracked us all the way to Japan, they're not going to let
anyone keep their power after they dealt with us. They'll be after
anyone I manage to reformat too."
Nabiki nodded. She had been the one to point that out to him.
"That means that I'm a target, now," she stated and that set her
father off. When he subsided a little she managed to add, "they'll
probably be after Akane and Kasumi as well, if they think it will
give them a hold on Ranma." Which ended the conversation as Soun
flooded the room with wails.
---
"I don't know how to reformat you," Ranma told Akane for the
umpteenth time. Some of the firmness in his tone had been worn
down by the repetition. "It just happened with Nabiki."
"Don't give me that, Ranma," she scowled at him. "I'm sure you can
remember what you did if you try hard enough."
"Frag it. All I remember is watching Nabiki's spark fade before my
eyes," Ranma stated, "and feeling absolute despair at the fact that
I couldn't do anything to repair her. Then It Just ... Happened!
The power just surged through my circuits. I don't know how to
make it happen at will, so unless you want to try sepukku to see if
it'll work again ...?"
"I don't recommend it," Nabiki commented as she padded into the
dojo on four paws. "Stop pestering my fiancee, Akane. We need to
spend some quality time together, if you know what I mean?"
Ranma urked as Akane prepared to make like a volcano. "I asked you
out here to train, Nabiki. Not to, ah, ...."
"I know what you meant, Ranma Honey," the cat smirked. "Honestly,
Akane, anyone would think you were jealous."
"Why would I be jealous of that ...," Akane began then sniffed and
glared at her feline sister. "Anyway, I need to train too."
"That's a good idea," Ranma nodded. "Why don't the two of you
spar? Let's see what you've got."
"But she's a Beast Warrior!" "But I'm not a martial artist!" the
sisters protested.
"Exactly," Ranma said. "Nabiki may be cybernetic, but she doesn't
have your skill, Akane."
---end part 3---
|=_=| [rn][xo:fus][bw] A Ranma 1/2 / Beast Wars crossover fusion
:\_/: Part 3: the Blue Thunder versus the Golden Rocket.
---begin part 3---
"Behold your nemesis, unholy beast! I am the undefeated champion
of Furinikan High, rising star of the Junior Kendo Club League, Kuno
Tatewaki aged seventeen also known as the Blue Thunder of Furinikan
High! Your evil schemes will henceforth end on my silver blade. I
shall free the Tendo family from your spell!"
"What in the matrix is he talking about?" Ranma demanded as he
pointed to the kendoist ranting in the school gates. "And who the
heck is he, anyway?"
"Kuno is the best fighter in the school," Akane introduced, "and the
biggest pervert."
"I think he's challenging you to a duel," Nabiki smirked as she
buffed her armor and leaned against him in a way that screamed,
'mine,' to one and all (except for Ranma who wouldn't get it unless
someone pointed it out with visual aids). "Sounds like he thinks
that you're some kind of were-cat."
"Just prime," Ranma muttered. Still, a challenge was something he
knew how to deal with. "Alright, I'm Saotome Ranma, heir to the
Saotome School of Flawless in All, ah, TransForms Martial Arts. I
accept your challenge!"
"Flawless in all _TransForms_?" Akane asked her sister.
"Why not?" Nabiki replied. "Sounds about right to me."
---
"Kuno Tatewaki didn't have much, did he?" Ranma remarked to
Akane a short time later as they approached their class.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Akane responded. "He is still the best
_human_ fighter in school. I beat him ever morning though, for
some reason," she added thoughtfully.
Ranma fumed at that. "Feh, I could have taken him before I was
reformatted."
"I don't know about that, Ranma; you and that monster aren't
ordinary boys, you know. You're stronger, faster, and better than
before."
"Not by that much," he protested.
---
"Ah, so that vile monster has fled before my prowess," Tatewaki
observed from his resting place on the ground. "No doubt he is
cowering in fear and licking his wounds. Does he think he can
escape me so easily?"
"Actually, Kuno, you lost," a voice drifted down from above.
"That is impossible!" he stated flatly and crossed his arms. "With
my mighty prowess and blessed silver blade, there is no way that
creature could have defeated me."
"I'll tell you this only once, Kuno, so listen closely. Ranma
isn't a were-creature."
"Wait, that annoying voice is familiar. Tendo Nabiki!?" Tatewaki
demanded as he turned to the - girl? "What has become of you?
What did that monster do to you?"
"He saved my life, Kuno. I don't think that my sister appreciates
you trying to kill him for that."
"Nay. I see it now. You are merely ensorcelled by your villainous
master. Forecerts it is obvious now that you have ever been in the
service of evil."
"I was going to help you, Kuno Baby, but, for that remark, you can
make your own way inside."
"Pah! Kuno Tatewaki does not need your help. I will but lie here
and rest a while."
"Suit yourself," Nabiki shrugged and made her way inside before the
rain started.
---
"So you want to destroy that foul Saotome," another voice drifted
up from below as Tatewaki stood vigil over the school yard.
"Who are you?" Tatewaki demanded of the stranger squatting before
him.
"Gosunguki Hikaru," the Gothic boy introduced. "You won't remember
me. Nobody does. But I can help you destroy that monster. All
you need to know is his weakness. I know the weakness of all
supernatural beings. With my help you can take him by surprise!"
"You fool. What do you take me for? Do you think I would resort
to attacking his weakness in secret?"
"Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you then."
"Wait. I said nothing about attacking his weakness openly! Well,
then ...."
"Then what?"
"What is his secret, dolt!?"
---
"Have at thee, monster!" Tatewaki cried as he drew his old wooden
katana and attacked. Ranma pulled back from him with tears in his
eyes. "Ah, Ha!" Tatewaki yelled in triumph. "Now I have thee,
werecat! You cannot attack thanks to my herbal ward!"
"Garlic is for vampires, you moron!" Ranma pointed out.
"Then why do you back away from me?"
"Nobody can get close to you; because you have bad breath!" Ranma
accused. "You're not supposed to eat them, you fool."
"Never the less, I will drive my wooden blade through your heart."
"That's vampires again," Ranma replied. "And how are you going to
do that if you drive me away?"
"Curses, foiled again!"
---
"Salt is for zombies!"
---
"Fire is for Frankenstein's monster!"
---
"Crucifies are for vampires, again."
---
"I have no idea what slapping the face with a fish is for. But I'm
not gonna let you get away with it."
---
"I have a new plan," Hikaru confided to Tatewaki after he burned
the Big Book of Movie Monsters. "I have been secretly photographing
Ranma to find his true weakness."
"Secretly!?" Tatewaki exclaimed after glancing through a sample.
"He's posing in every shot, you moron!"
"No matter, I have another idea."
---
"What's Kuno up to now?" Akane asked as the trio walked through
the gates.
"Looks like he's chasing some boy in a dress around the yard,"
Nabiki replied drolly. "I wonder who it is?"
"And why are they covered in ...."
"I don't want to know," Ranma said firmly. "At least he's not
bugging me today."
---
Later, Akane asked Nabiki suspiciously, "where are you two off to?"
"We have to save Nabiki from an evil kidnapper," Ranma confided
and held out the note. "See."
"'I have Nabiki. If you wish to save her, meet me on top of
Kuno's head in the gym.'" Akane read. "Signed, 'An Evil
Kidnapper.'"
"Don't worry, Nabiki," Ranma vowed. "I will save you."
"Would you cut that out!" Nabiki groused.
"Soatome, you fiend. What are you doing?"
"Just what the note says, Kuno," Ranma replied. "See!"
"Get off of my head, you monster!"
"Eeek! Help! Save me, Ranma!"
"Nabiki, what are you doing up there?"
"That isn't funny, Ranma."
"Oh, Ranma, please, you have to go save my sister!"
"Et Tu, Akane?"
---
"I can't believe those morons," Ranma shook his head as they
walked away from the gym. "Imagine setting up a pit of dogs for
us to fall into." He shuddered.
"It does kind of make sense," Akane observed, "you do turn into a
big CAT after all. Besides, you did freak out for a moment there.
What was that about?"
"I had a bad experience with a dark pit when I was young, okay,"
Ranma said with a firm 'I don't want to talk about it' tone.
"What I can't figure out is how they got those wolves out of the
zoo?" Nabiki shrugged as she clung to Ranma.
---
The golden rocket streaked across the rooftops of Nerima. Saotome
Ranma, martial artist, cyborg and cheetah, was probably the fastest
thing on four legs.
He maximised in mid-leap, transferring the bag from his beast mode's
mouth to his cyborg mode's hand in a fluid motion as he did, and
landed in the Tendo yard without a jar.
"Here's the eggs you wanted, Kasumi!" he called as he entered the
house.
"Oh, why thank you, Ranma Dear," Kasumi beamed sweetly at her
possible fiance. "My, that certainly was fast and you didn't even
break one."
"Maybe you should get a job as a courier, Ranma Honey," Nabiki
purred as she rubbed up against her mentor and possible future
fiance's legs. "You could call yourself the Golden Rocket
Express."
"Getting used to your beast mode, Nabiki?" Ranma asked as he
reached down to scratch between her ears.
"Hmmm," Nabiki purred. "It has its uses, Ranma."
Akane, the reluctant (yeah right) possible fiancee, fumed at she
watched the pervert flirting with her sisters, but knew that if she
wanted to be reformatted like Nabiki, and gain his edge in the Art,
she needed to get on his good side. "Ranma, there's a letter for
you," she forced herself to be pleasant. Strangely, it didn't feel
that hard to do.
Ranma sighed as he scanned the message. "It's from Kuno. He's
challenging me to a rematch."
"Again?" Akane asked. "Can't he admit that he just can't beat
you, Ranma?"
"Oh well," Kasumi sighed. "At least you have to admire his
persistence."
"Actually I'm starting to find it rather annoying," Ranma
bemoaned. "I wish he'd just give up."
"Kuno doesn't like to loose," Nabiki observed as her cat form
looked over Ranma's shoulder fixtures. "At least he has given up
on that monster-hunter routine. This looks like a proper martial
arts challenge."
"I don't know," Akane doubted with suspicion. "He wants Ranma to
go alone. It's probably another lame trap."
"Whatever," Ranma sighed. "It is a formal challenge so I can't
just ignore it. Besides, those idiotic plots aren't any threat."
Nabiki narrowed her eyes. "Don't get over confident, Ranma. Just
to be sure, I think I'll keep an eye on you. My cat form can keep
out of sight."
---
"So, Saotome, you dared to face me in honest combat after all?" the
cloaked figure addressed him.
"As opposed to all those tricks you tried, Kuno?" Ranma asked
from the other side of the sports field. "Sure. Why not?"
"Kuno Tatewaki does not resort to 'tricks'," he replied. "No
matter, now we shall settle this once and for all. I shall free
the Tendo girls from your presence!"
"'Once and for all', huh?" Ranma smirked. "That means that if you
lose you forget about them, right?"
"It means that I finally have the power to destroy you!" Tatewaki
discarded the cloak with a flourish and drew his sword. Ranma
noticed two things right away. Firstly, the sword was not a wooden
bokken but a metal blade of a very strange design. Secondly,
Tatewaki's body was covered in a brazen armour of a rather familiar
design.
"You've been reformatted as well," Ranma observed with a serious
expression on his face. "First Ryoga, now you. What's going on
here?"
Tatewaki snarled. "All that matters is that, as a Beast Warrior
too, I shall finally vanquish you!"
"You think so," Ranma smirked as he adopted a battle stance.
"Well, maybe you'll be a decent challenge at least. So, let's see
what you've got. Bring ... it ... on!"
---
Nabiki's claws sank into the branch as she watched Tatewaki swing
his strangely spinning blade at Ranma. Becoming a cyborg had made
her stronger and faster, but not really a decent martial artist.
Raw power, as Ranma had explained, was not a substitute for skill
and experience. However, Tatewaki had been considered a champion
kendoist before being reformatted. Would his former skill and new
power and weapon be a match for Ranma?
The answer seemed to be, 'yes'.
---
"Hey, you're pretty good," Ranma smirked after Tatewaki unleashed
a buffeting of windtunnel intensity. "Your new speed and strength
really improves those air pressure attacks. They pack quite a
wallop now, don't they? And that energised sword of yours really
makes that quick strike technique dangerous. You could probably
even penetrate my armor now. That is, if you could hit me."
"Why can't I hit you?" Tatewaki demanded in fury.
"Well," Ranma lectured while continuing to dodge Tatewaki's
best efforts, "for one thing, your reflexes are way off."
"What?" Tatewaki demanded and stared; forgetting even to continue
his barrage of attacks in his shocked startlement.
"You haven't trained in that form, have you?" Ranma explained
casually. "You're just not used to your new power. You're bigger,
faster and stronger, but that just makes you misjudge your reach
and mistime your strikes."
"Curse you," Tatewaki growled. "I will destroy you yet!"
"Yeah, right," Ranma smirked insolently. "There's no way you can
beat me like that."
Tatewaki snarled but backed off. He was furious at himself for
being so eager to confront Ranma. He should have realised that he
needed to train himself. "Very well. I will train in the
mountains until I have mastered my new body. Then I will return
and crush you!"
"No way," Ranma denied. "What ever happened to 'this will settle
it once and for all'? You started this, but now that you're
losing, you suddenly want to change the rules? I don't think so.
It ends here and now, Kuno."
Tatewaki clenched a clawed fist, then a viscous grin appeared on
his face. "You haven't won yet, Saotome," he realised. "I may not
be able to hit you, but you haven't landed a blow either. It's a
stalemate."
"You reckon so, do you?" Ranma smirked.
"Yes, I do," Tatewaki grinned. "We are too evenly matched in these
modes. So why don't we see how we compare in our other forms?"
"Interesting," Ranma observed. "You know that I become a cheetah
and yet you seem pretty confident. I'm betting that you haven't
practiced fighting in your beast mode either, yet you must realise
that I have. Still think you can handle me, Kuno?"
"What's the matter, Saotome, afraid?"
"Not, really," Ranma said. "I just don't think you'll be a decent
challenge, that's all. Prime then, let's do it!"
"Beast Mode!" they roared as one.
---
Nabiki's fur stood on end as she watched Tatewaki's transformation.
She didn't know how it was possible, but she knew what he'd become.
"Ranma, watch out! That's a velociraptor!"
---
"Say, nice transform," the cheetah observed casually. "Sleek,
powerful, well armed and fast too, I bet. But what the heck are
you?"
"Ignorant fool!" the 'raptor snarled. "Behold the instrument of
your demise: for I am a running dragon!"
"And you called me a monster," the cheetah smirked. "Okay lizard
lips, talking big doesn't mean anything if you can't match your
words. Show me what you've got."
---
The battle was amazingly one sided.
Cheetahs hunt by chasing down their prey with short bursts of
speed. Velociraptors, swift runners as well, were also built for
leaping and tearing their prey with their claws and fanged mouths.
In close combat a velociraptor would probably have the advantage of
tooth and claw over an ordinary cheetah.
However, Ranma was also a martial artist and had learned to use his
style to overcome the limitations of a cheetah's movements. Kuno
was the same, but his style of Art was based on the use of a weapon
and he hadn't trained in his beast form at all.
Ranma didn't even resort to using his teeth and claws to win the
fight. Instead he boxed the 'raptor with his paws as he dashed
passed, leaped over or ducked under. Occasionally a charge passed
was turned into a head butt at the last moment. Once he grabbed
the 'raptor's tail, somersaulted and flipped Tatewaki into the
ground. Another time he spun passed the 'raptor and used his tail
to knock it's legs from under it. Through it all, the 'raptor just
wasn't able to touch him.
"Give up, Kuno," the cheetah told the battered 'raptor. "You can't
win fighting on animal instinct alone."
Dazed and woozy from the jackhammer pawswipes, Tatewaki struggled
to remain on his feet. It snarled, "I, Kuno Tatewaki, will never
admit defeat to the likes of you, Saotome! A hundred, nah, a
thousand, kicks from a fiend like you is like nothing at aw...lll."
The punch-drunk 'raptor collapsed.
---
An armoured fist clubbed the white tiger awake.
"Yo! Big Cat, ye got some 'splainin' to do," Ranma growled.
"Like, how the heck did Kuno get reformatted?"
"What the heck are you talking about, Little Cat?" the tiger
demanded with a snarl at having his catnap interrupted.
"You know, the annoying kendoist who's been bugging me," Ranma
snarled. "I figure you have to be the one who reformatted him.
What were you thinking, turning a moron like him into a Beast
Warrior? Don't ye realise how dangerous he is with that kind
of power?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," the tiger insisted.
"As far as I know, the only way to reformat someone is using those
coffins in the Musk Citadel. I've no idea how you managed to do it
without one."
"Yeah, right," Ranma sneered. "Tell me, how else could Kuno be
reformatted here in Japan?"
"Actually, Ranma," Nabiki stated as she leaned against a wall, "I
believe your father. Remember, Kuno was on a crusade against the
'vile were-cat Saotome'. I really don't think he'd accept help
from another one of you."
Ranma frowned. "Then how did it happen?"
"It has to be the Musk," the tiger decided. "They are the only ones
who could do it."
"But why?" Ranma demanded.
"Simple," Nabiki observed. "Revenge. You and your father stole
their secret after all."
"That's crazy," Ranma insisted. "Why would they reformat Kuno for
that? Why not just come after me themselves?"
"It's not just Kuno," Nabiki replied. "There was also that Ryoga
character. Who knows why? Maybe whoever found you isn't strong
enough on his own? Or maybe they're just testing you?"
"Maybe you're the reason why," the tiger considered.
"Me?" Nabiki exclaimed.
"Well, the way Ranma reformatted you at least," the tiger
clarified. "It may have made the Musk Warriors cautious about
revealing themselves after that boy led them to us." The tiger
maximised. "Prepare yourself, Boy," Genma stated as he adopted a
fighting stance. "You can't afford to slack off on your training
now!"
---
"What?" Akane gasped, reflecting the shocked disbelief felt by the
rest of the family gathered around the table. "Kuno's a Beast
Warrior now?"
"That's right, Sis," Nabiki replied. "Someone seems to be
reformatting Ranma's enemies and sending them against him. We
figure the Musk have to be involved."
"Ranma," Akane wailed, "you _have_ to make me a Beast Warrior now!"
"I agree, Son," Soun replied almost as eagerly. "If the Musk are
involved, you will need all the help you can get."
"Forget that!" Akane stated. "If Kuno is a Beast Warrior, there's
no way I can beat him tomorrow."
Ranma scowled. "Kuno's the least of your problems. If the Musk
have tracked us all the way to Japan, they're not going to let
anyone keep their power after they dealt with us. They'll be after
anyone I manage to reformat too."
Nabiki nodded. She had been the one to point that out to him.
"That means that I'm a target, now," she stated and that set her
father off. When he subsided a little she managed to add, "they'll
probably be after Akane and Kasumi as well, if they think it will
give them a hold on Ranma." Which ended the conversation as Soun
flooded the room with wails.
---
"I don't know how to reformat you," Ranma told Akane for the
umpteenth time. Some of the firmness in his tone had been worn
down by the repetition. "It just happened with Nabiki."
"Don't give me that, Ranma," she scowled at him. "I'm sure you can
remember what you did if you try hard enough."
"Frag it. All I remember is watching Nabiki's spark fade before my
eyes," Ranma stated, "and feeling absolute despair at the fact that
I couldn't do anything to repair her. Then It Just ... Happened!
The power just surged through my circuits. I don't know how to
make it happen at will, so unless you want to try sepukku to see if
it'll work again ...?"
"I don't recommend it," Nabiki commented as she padded into the
dojo on four paws. "Stop pestering my fiancee, Akane. We need to
spend some quality time together, if you know what I mean?"
Ranma urked as Akane prepared to make like a volcano. "I asked you
out here to train, Nabiki. Not to, ah, ...."
"I know what you meant, Ranma Honey," the cat smirked. "Honestly,
Akane, anyone would think you were jealous."
"Why would I be jealous of that ...," Akane began then sniffed and
glared at her feline sister. "Anyway, I need to train too."
"That's a good idea," Ranma nodded. "Why don't the two of you
spar? Let's see what you've got."
"But she's a Beast Warrior!" "But I'm not a martial artist!" the
sisters protested.
"Exactly," Ranma said. "Nabiki may be cybernetic, but she doesn't
have your skill, Akane."
---end part 3---