As always, Ranma 1/2 does not belong to me. It never will. Not that
I really care, but that's the way it is. Besides, I wouldn't know what to
do with it, anyway.
ON WITH THE FIC!
" " is when someone is talking in Japanese
"[ ]" is when someone is talking in Chinese
/ / is when someone is thinking
* * is sound effects
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Wolf In The Snow
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic
Written by Nathan Huss
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Perfume swung her trident forward at her opponent, who jumped to the
side. She pulled back, and thrust forward with the prongs of the trident.
It was knocked to the side, and she prepared herself for the coming blow.
*Bop!*
"[Ow!]" she said, rubbing her nose.
Kage laughed. "Oh, come on. That little tap hurt you?"
"No. Was expecting actual hit," Perfume replied. "Perfume have to
get ready for fight with poison girl."
"I know, and that's why I only tapped you. You don't need to have
anything hindering you."
Perfume nodded, and sighed. "You right. No point in having disadvantage
before fight even begin. No trust her, though."
"Just remember what Cologne told you about Kodaichi," Kage said.
"She only uses some sort of weapon, so if you're both disarmed you have
the advantage."
"Still no trust her."
Kage bopped her on the nose again. "Stop worrying. Just fight your
best."
Perfume smiled. "Alright."
"But no 'Kiss of Death'."
"But..."
"Perfume."
She sighed. "No Kiss of Death. Will lose honor if beaten."
"Then there's only one thing to do."
"What that?" Perfume asked.
Kage leaned forward, and kissed her on the cheek. "To not lose."
"Oh..." she said with a happy sigh. Dropping her trident to the side,
she put her arms around Kage, and he put his around her.
"Ahem."
Both of them froze, and looked toward the door. Cologne was standing
there, smirking. "Sorry to interrupt, but there's an order to be delivered."
"WHAT!? Someone order food this early?" Perfume said. "Perfume
kill idiot customer."
"Now, now," Cologne said. "A customer is a customer."
"This one interrupt us," Perfume growled.
Cologne chuckled. "You two can show your affections for each other
afterward."
Perfume sighed, and reluctantly let go of Kage. "You come watch
fight?" she asked him.
"Sure, if I get back in time." Kage gave her a quick kiss on the
lips, and then went inside.
"Will kill customer," Perfume repeated.
^^^^^^^^^^
Kinzoku Tomi wiped off his brow as he stood in a converted garage. He
was wearing an old T-shirt and a pair of jeans, which had numerous oil stains
on them. A towel was handed to him.
"Thank you, Yama."
"Sir."
"I'm not sure about what the additions are doing to the chassis,"
Kinzoku said. "Do you think they might cause additional stress?"
"One will have to see, sir."
From the far end of the mansion, a bell sounded.
"That will be the Chinese food you ordered," Yama said. "Shall I have
the person bring it right to you?"
"If you would."
"Very good, sir."
After Yama left, Kinzoku picked a wrench out of a nearby toolbox, and
went to work. Soon, he heard footsteps enter the garage.
"Hello?" a voice called. "I've got an order of fried wontons and ramen."
"Place it on the table," Kinzoku said. He walked around from the other
side of the machine where he had been making adjustments. "What is the total?"
he asked.
"It's-" Kage began.
"YOU!"
Kage blinked. Then, he recognized Kinzoku.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Kinzoku didn't answer, but whipped a remote control out of a pocket.
Pushing a button, the machine he had been working on began to hum and lit up.
"Behold!" Kinzoku said. "The Red Ultramech (Mk. II) combat armor!
Does _that_ look like the ones in the manga, Kage Tsuyosa?"
Kage gulped. "Well, yeah..."
The mecha this time was 12 feet tall, more humanoid, and heavily armored.
It had a more sleek, aerodynamic look than the one Kage had previously fought,
and had legs instead of wheels. As Kinzoku pressed another button, a canopy
and several panels opened up, revealing an area where a person would fit.
Kinzoku jumped in, and the mecha closed around him. Only his head
was visible, underneath the canopy.
Kage noticed several protrusions on the Red Ultramech. "Are those...?"
Kinzoku's voice answered from a speaker. "Yes. I have added several
weapons, including a taser, a net launcher, concussion grenades, and an
integral rifle in the left arm, which fires rubber bullets."
"That's... er... nice. Why rubber?"
The mech shrugged. "Frankly, I dislike the sight of blood."
"Oh."
"Defend yourself, Kage Tsuyosa!"
Kage did the only thing one really thinks of in a situation like this.
"Hey! Stop!" Kinzoku shouted.
Kage ran like hell.
^^^^^^^^^^
Kage, as was just said, was running like hell.
"Why are you doing this?" the shouted over his shoulder.
"To get you for all you did!" Kinzoku shouted back.
"Which is?"
"Don't act like you have no idea!"
Kinzoku pointed the mecha's left arm at Kage. "Take this!"
*Brattabrattabratta!*
Kage dodged to the side, but was still hit with several of the rubber
bullets.
"Ow! Damn! Stop!"
Kinzoku didn't, but launched a grenade at Kage.
*KABOOM!*
/Damn it! It's too early for something like this!/ Kage turned around
a corner.
"What?" Kuno said. "Tsuyosa! Have at thee!"
Kage ran around Kuno. "Sorry Kuno, but I'm a bit busy!"
Kuno blinked, and looked at where Kage had come from. The Red Ultramech
pulled around the corner.
"Aha! Hold, fiend! Only I shall smite Tsuyosa!" Kuno pointed his
bokken at the mecha.
Kinzoku didn't stop.
"Very well, take this! Attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-
attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack!"
Kuno released a barrage of strikes at the mecha. Several small
fractures formed in the Red Ultramech's armor.
Kinzoku leapt over Kuno. As it continued past, the grenade launcher
on the mecha's shoulder swiveled around, and fired.
*KABOOM!*
A charred Kuno stepped out of the smoke. "That... didn't... hurt..."
He collapsed.
^^^^^^^^^^
Perfume paced angrily on the riverbank.
/First a kiss with Kage gets interrupted, and now that poison-using girl
is late!/
"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!"
Perfume whirled around, and saw Kodaichi standing on the rail of a
nearby bridge, looking down at her.
"So, you didn't fall for the letter," Kodaichi said. "You should
have been disabled by now if you had come in contact with it."
"You have to do better than that, poison-girl!" Perfume said.
"Indeed I will. Catch!" Kodaichi threw a gymnast's ball at Perfume.
The amazon jumped back.
*BOOOOM!*
Perfume gaped at the newly formed crater. "You use bomb?!"
"That's only the start," Kodaichi said, and leapt down.
^^^^^^^^^^
Where am I now?" Ryoga asked himself.
He had (since the last chapter) lost the map. He looked down the
street he was currently walking along.
"Dammit, Ranma! This is all you're..."
Ryoga paused. It hadn't actually been Ranma's fault. After landing, Ryoga
had come to first, and had walked off on his own. But, he had to blame someone.
"Dammit, Kage! This is all you're fault!" Ryoga said experimentally.
For some reason, it still didn't seem right. However, it would do for the moment.
Resigning himself to his condition, the eternally lost by continued
to walk. After a while, he heard a series of crashes behind him.
"Ryoga! Look out!"
Ryoga turned around. Rushing towards him was Kage, who was being
chased by a large, red robot.
"Kage? What-?"
A small cannon on the mecha's shoulder fired, and a grenade flew
over Kage's head. The grenade landed, and exploded.
*KABOOM!*
As the dust cleared, Ryoga shakily looked down. The crater formed by
the explosion stopped just millimeters in front of him.
"Ryoga, run!" Kage yelled.
While Ryoga may be considered dense at times, there are occasions
where anyone can think very quickly. Having a red, twelve-foot tall
mecha firing explosives in your direction is one of them.
^^^^^^^^^^
Hikaru Gosunkugi was in trouble. The reason he was in trouble was that
he did not have enough money to placate the four bullies who had cornered
him against a wall.
"C'mon, man!" one of the bullies said. "You've gotta have more dough
than this!"
"I... I don't!" Gosunkugi stammered. "I just finished buying my
supplies."
"Supplies?" asked one of the bullies.
"You know," another one said. "Nails, and straw dolls. For voodoo
or something. Mr. 'I only have 400 yen' here is into that stuff."
"I... er..." said Gosunkugi.
"Shut up!" the lead bully said, and shoved him into the wall. "You're
gonna have to pay us the other way." The bullies formed a semicircle and
advanced.
"Um... before you beat me up, it's just-"
"Yeah?"
"Did any of you just hear an explosion?"
The bullies stopped.
Suddenly, Kage and Ryoga leapt over the wall. They landed on the
outer two bullies, and continued running. The two slumped to the ground.
"What the...?" one of the remaining two said.
*clangclangClangClangCLANGCLANG!*
A large mecha jumped over the wall directly above Gosunkugi, and
crashed into the remaining bullies. It raced after the two fleeing
martial artists.
Gosunkugi blinked, and looked at the four unconscious bullies. Tilting
his head skyward, he whispered, "Thank you." Grabbing his stuff, he dashed
away.
^^^^^^^^^^
"Come back and fight!" Kinzoku's voice boomed.
"Who is this guy?" Ryoga asked, dodging a spray of rubber bullets.
"Some guy I ended up meeting while traveling," Kage said. "He was
bugging a girl, and she asked me to stop him."
"What's he doing here?"
"How should I know?"
*KABOOM!*
Both fanged boys looked at each other, and ran faster.
"How did you get rid of him the last time?" asked Ryoga.
"By making a large hole in the mecha he attacked me with."
"Why don't you do that now?"
"He wasn't inside of the other one, and it didn't have an arsenal!"
"Good point."
As they continued to run, they saw a large wall at the end of the street.
"Left, right, or over?" Kage asked.
*KABOOM!*
"Over!" both of them shouted. They jumped over the wall, and looked
down. "Pond!"
*Splash!*
"Bwee!"
Kage-wolf whined in agreement.
"Hey, Kage. Ryoga."
The two transformed martial artists looked up. There was Ranma,
looking at them from the Tendo's porch.
"What's the prob, guys?" he asked.
Kage and Ryoga climbed out of the pond. Kage started shaking out his
fur.
"Hey! Don't do... aw, jeez!" complained a now female Ranma-chan.
She looked at her soaked clothing. "Aw, man! Thanks a lot, Kage."
"What was that noise?" Akane asked, walking around the side of the house.
"Oh! P-chan!" She scooped up the little black piglet. "I was wondering
where you were!"
Kage glanced at Ranma-chan, who shook her head.
*clangclang*
Kage's ears perked up.
*ClangClang*
Now Ranma and Akane noticed the sound.
*CLANGCLANG!*
"What?"
*CRASH!*
The red mecha climbed out of the rubble. "Damn. The jump system
seized," Kinzoku said.
Ranma and Akane stared at the mecha.
Kinzoku turned the mecha toward the group. "Sorry, but have you
ladies seen a person run in here?"
Ranma and Akane looked at each other, and then at Kage-wolf. They
shook their heads 'no'.
"Damn!" Kinzoku cursed. "I know I saw Tsuyosa jump over that wall.
Are you sure?"
They nodded.
The mech went over to the hole in the wall it had created, and looked
down the street. "Where could he have gone?"
*Splash!*
Kage glared at Happosai, who was holding an empty teapot.
"Can't have the boy's efforts be wasted, can we?" sniggered Happosai.
"I'll get you for this," Kage said.
Kinzoku turned around. "Aha! There you are!"
"Later," Kage amended.
*KABOOM!*
Kage jumped over another wall, followed closely by Kinzoku, who
just crashed through it.
"We'd better help Kage," Ranma-chan said.
"Before you go," Nabiki called from an open window, "take this."
Ranma-chan jumped up to the window and grabbed a slip of paper
from Nabiki. "What's this?" she asked.
"An estimated cost of rebuilding the wall," said Nabiki. "Give it to
the guy in the robot."
^^^^^^^^^^
Perfume and Kodaichi glared at each other, panting slightly. Various
gymnastic clubs, hoops, ropes, and so forth were scattered on the ground.
"You've done extremely well, for a foreign barbarian," Kodaichi said.
"Look who talking, poison-girl." Perfume shifted her grasp of her
trident. "Where you hide weapons, anyway?"
"We all have our secrets," replied Kodaichi. She twirled the length
that remained of her ribbon. "Perhaps you would like to make a little
wager?" she asked.
"What kind of wager?"
"Oh, the winner gets to have Kage."
Kodaichi had to leap out of the way of a sudden attack. "You no
get airen!" Perfume said.
"Afraid, are we?" Kodaichi taunted.
"Amazon warrior afraid of nothing!" Perfume swung at Kodaichi violently.
"Then why not agree to the gamble?"
"Because Kage is mine!" Perfume shouted. She jumped back and swung
her trident in an arc toward Kodaichi.
"Really," Kodaichi said. "What's the point of swinging from that
far away?"
"[Raven's Claw!]" As Perfume shouted this, the points of her trident started glowing, and three thin, yellow waves of ki rushed toward the gymnast.
Kodaichi tried to bat the waves with her ribbon, which was instantly
shredded. The waves impacted with the gymnast, sending her flying.
Perfume quickly dashed forward. Before Kodaichi could get up,
Perfume placed the trident near her throat. "You surrender?" the amazon
asked.
Kodaichi glared at her, and then turned her head away. "For now."
Perfume removed the trident, and smiled to herself.
"Perfume!"
Perfume spun around, and saw Kage running. She waved.
"Kage! I win!"
She jogged up the side of the bank to the street. As Kage got closer,
she jumped into his arms. She hugged him as he continued to run.
"I win!" she said happily.
"That's... great!" he panted.
"Why you running?"
"Kage!"
Perfume looked behind them, and her eyes goggled. "Aiyaa! What
that?"
"The reason... I'm running!"
"Oh. Why it chase you?"
*KABOOM!*
Perfume sweatdropped. "Never mind. Is no important. Running is
good."
^^^^^^^^^^
Otome sighed, and put the receiver down onto the phone.
"Well?" Ukyo asked.
"Dad says that Kinzoku left just two hours after I did. He's probably
here by now."
Ukyo frowned, and flipped over an okonomiyaki. "That's a problem,
honey. Do you think he'll find you?"
"Eventually," Otome said. "He's persistent. I'm probably better
off staying here than at a hotel like I had planned, since he would be able
to ask the staff if I was there."
"True. Here you go." Ukyo slid the okonomiyaki onto a plate and
handed it to Otome. "What's this guy Kinzoku like, anyway?"
"He's annoying, spoiled, overconfident, a bully, and conceited! He
thinks that because his father is President of Tomi Enterprises that he can
get whatever he wants! Including me!" Otome started devouring her food.
"If he can't convince someone to do what he wants, he intimidates them with
one of his huge robots or something. The only person who didn't back down
was Kage."
"Hold it!" Ukyo said. "Kage?"
"Uh-huh. Kage Tsuyosa."
"You mean- what's that sound?"
*clangclangClangClang!*
Otome's eyes widened. "No..."
The girls rushed to the entrance and looked outside.
*Whoosh!*
"What was that?" Otome asked.
"That," said Ukyo, "looked like Kage."
Otome grabbed Ukyo's shoulders and shook her. "You mean you know
him?"
"Y-y-yes! St-st-stop sh-shaking me! I'm getting d-d-d-dizzy!"
Otome let go, and blushed. "Sorry."
Ukyo shook her head. "Why didn't you say he was who you were
looking for?"
"What would have been the chances that you actually knew him?"
*ClangClangCLANGCLANGClangClangclangclang*
"What the hell?"
"That was Kinzoku!" Otome said.
An explosion was heard in the distance. Ranma-chan and Akane, who
was carrying P-chan, ran up.
"Ran-chan, what's going on?" Ukyo asked.
"Some guy in a robot is tryin' to kill Kage," Ranma said.
"He can't!" Otome moaned.
"Huh?" Ranma-chan said. "Who're you?"
Otome and Ukyo quickly filled them in.
"He want's to what?" Akane shouted.
^^^^^^^^^^
The chase eventually ended at the Furinkan High soccer field.
"Is... he... out... of ammo?" Kage panted. He fell down to a
kneeling position.
"Look like," Perfume said. "You feel okay?"
"Not... really."
*ClangClangClunk!*
"Finally caught you," Kinzoku said. He advanced on the two.
"Hey!" someone shouted behind him.
He turned around and saw a group of girls and a small piglet glaring
at him.
"Who are all of... Otome!" He rushed towards her. Ranma-chan, Akane,
and Ukyo got in front of her to block him.
*Creak*
Everyone blinked. Kinzoku looked at a display in the mecha. "Oh, no."
*Crashcrashclattercrash!*
*tink*
Kinzoku slowly crawled out of the wreckage that had once been the
Red Ultramech (Mk. II) combat armor. "I guess the added features _did_ put
too much stress of the frame."
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Otome yelled at him.
"Otome!" He rushed forward.
*Wham!*
Kinzoku pried himself off of Ukyo's jumbo spatula. "Ouch. Why did you
do that?"
"Why do you think, buster?" Ukyo said.
Akane cracked her knuckles. "Trying to get her to marry you even
though she doesn't want to, and even following her!"
"Bwee!"
"That's right, P-chan."
The girls and pig advanced on Kinzoku.
"Can't we discuss this?" he asked nervously. He yanked out a cell-phone.
"Yama!"
"Already here, sir."
The group turned around.
"Oh my..." Akane said.
It should now be noted that Yama, Kinzoku's servant, is 7'3". His
hair was done in a buzz cut, and he wore a large (duh) gray suit. He
was standing with his arms folded behind his back, calmly looking at them.
"Thank god you're here," Kinzoku said. "Take care of these people."
"Yama shook his head. "I am sorry, sir, but your father gave me
very specific instructions for a situation like this. I am here merely to
take you back to the mansion."
"But they were going to attack me!"
"Yes, and if they had actually done so, I would have defended you,"
Yama said. "However, as long as they do not, I shall not fight them."
"Hmmph. Alright," Kinzoku said. He walked past Yama. "Have the...
scrap picked up in the morning."
"Yes, sir."
Kinzoku walked towards a limo parked on the edge of the field.
Yama bowed to Otome. "Good to see you again, Miss Kanari."
"Thank you."
Ranma-chan remembered the paper from Nabiki. "Oh, here." She handed
it to Yama. He looked at it and nodded.
"You may inform Miss Tendo that Tomi Enterprises will pay for the
repairs to your household."
Yama walked to the limo, and drove off.
"He's a giant!" Akane said.
Otome nodded. "He's very nice, though."
She looked around, and saw Kage. She rushed over to him. "Kage?"
Kage frowned. "I take it you're the reason he came here?" he
asked.
"Yes," she said, looking down.
"Mind explaining why?"
Otome told her story, but was stopped by Perfume partway through.
"You tell that Kage is you _what_?" She pointed her trident at Otome.
"Um..." Otome turned to Kage. "She wouldn't be the person you
were supposed to meet up with back then?"
"Right," Kage said.
"And she's not just someone you were traveling with?"
"Right."
Otome quickly bowed to Perfume. "I'm really sorry!" she apologized.
"It was the only thing I could think of to make Kinzoku leave me alone."
"Did not work," Perfume said. "He still follow you."
"It worked for a bit," mumbled Otome.
Perfume slung her trident over her shoulder. "You stop saying Kage is
you fiancée?"
Otome sighed. "Yes. Kinzoku didn't really believe me, anyway. I
had just thought that if I found Kage he could scare Kinzoku away for good."
"What're you gonna do now, then?" Ranma asked.
"I guess I'll go home. I only have enough money to stay a few days,
even though Ukyo has let me stay. I also have to get back to school."
"What will Kinzoku do?" asked Ukyo.
"Follow me back."
"Why no just move here?" Perfume asked.
"What?"
"Robot-boy follow you anyway, and at home no one stop him. Here, he
get beat up if bug you."
"But what about school?"
"You could transfer to Furinkan High," Akane said.
"But-"
"If you want," Ukyo said, "I could give you a job at Ucchan's. I'd
still let you stay there, and you'd be making some money."
"I... it sounds nice, but-"
"Look at it this way," Ranma-chan said. "It's either that or
being bothered by that guy all the time."
"I'll do it."
^^^^^^^^^^
Kage wearily walked home with Perfume. As they did, he listened to
her describe the fight with Kodaichi.
"[... and then I used the Raven's Claw, which knocked her down.]"
"[You managed to get that revised version of the Okii Kuma-Tsume
to work?]" he asked. "[Every other time the waves would go flying all over
the place.]"
"[Let's see _you_ alter a move you've only seen so you can use it!]"
"[I'm joking! I'm joking! I'm happy you were able to do it!]"
"[Good. Well, before she got back up, I put my trident at her throat,
and asked for her surrender. She did, though she had said 'for now'.]"
"[That probably means trouble for us later,]" Kage said. "[As long as
it isn't today, I don't really mind.]"
"Kage Tsuyosa, prepare thyself!"
*DOUBLEWHAM!*
"That didn't hurt," Kuno said, and fainted.
Kage groaned. "I don't need this, I really don't."
"Poor airen," Perfume said, with a playful tone in her voice. "You
very tired."
"Running almost non-stop from someone shooting at you can do that.
I think I might have used all the adrenaline my body has."
Perfume smiled. "Perfume know how to cheer you up." She walked in
front of him and kissed him.
Kage relaxed visibly, then tensed. He looked at the sky. "This has
been a very, very tiring day," he said quietly, "and I will do something
very unpleasant if anything else happens."
"Who you talk to?" Perfume asked.
"The world in general." He grinned at her. "Let's go and finish that
at home."
After they had left the area, a small figure walked out of the shadows.
Happosai took out his pipe and lit it. Shrugging, he jumped onto the roof of
a nearby house and headed back to the Tendo's.
^^^^^^^^^^
"About time you two got back," Cologne said as Kage and Perfume
walked through the door. "What had taken you?"
"Is long story," said Perfume.
"I'll bet. I heard the explosions."
Shampoo walked in from upstairs. "[Welcome back. How did the fight
go?]"
"[I won it,]" Perfume said.
Cologne looked around. "[Hm... where is that Mousse?]"
*Crashclatter!*
"Excuse me, miss," Mousse said in the kitchen.
"Mousse! Get in here!" Cologne said. After he came in, she looked at
the teenagers. "I actually have some news for all of you," she said.
"What is it, great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked.
Cologne produced a poster from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
"This just arrived today, and I thought you all would be interested in it."
The four martial artists crowded to read the poster.
"..."
"'Best of Nerima Martial Arts Tournament'?" Kage asked.
^^^^^^^^^^
Notes:
Ok, another day (or week, or two weeks, or maybe even more), another
fanfic. I hope all of you people out there in... well... I don't know.
Wherever you are. (Where was I?) Oh, yeah. I hoped you liked it. Send
any comments, suggestions, criticism, and money to Wakoid2@aol.com. Keep
looking forward to upcoming chapters.
OH! I almost forgot!
Well, not really, but it gives more atmosphere to say that, or
something.
Aaaaaaanyway, I promised in part three that there would be a contest of
a sorts. And this is it: You just saw at the end of this fic that there is
going to be a martial arts tournament (and if you didn't, that means you
skipped right to the end. Why would you do that, you stupid person!? It's
a good fanfic! Er... sorry.)
Um... right.
Okay, what it boils down to is that you, the reader, sends in fighters
to be in the tournament. E-mail the fighter's name, school or style, appearance, special attacks, who you would want them to fight, etc... Oh,
and also your name. I'll pick a number of them, tell the people who sent them
in, and use them in the tournament. If no one sends anything in, I'll just
have to come up with my own martial artists.
Only one character per person.
You can make the style and attacks as you want, but not too silly
or powerful, please.
Yes, I am doing this because I am too lazy to make up all the fighters on my own.
That's it. You are allowed to go now.
I really care, but that's the way it is. Besides, I wouldn't know what to
do with it, anyway.
ON WITH THE FIC!
" " is when someone is talking in Japanese
"[ ]" is when someone is talking in Chinese
/ / is when someone is thinking
* * is sound effects
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Wolf In The Snow
A Ranma 1/2 fanfic
Written by Nathan Huss
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Perfume swung her trident forward at her opponent, who jumped to the
side. She pulled back, and thrust forward with the prongs of the trident.
It was knocked to the side, and she prepared herself for the coming blow.
*Bop!*
"[Ow!]" she said, rubbing her nose.
Kage laughed. "Oh, come on. That little tap hurt you?"
"No. Was expecting actual hit," Perfume replied. "Perfume have to
get ready for fight with poison girl."
"I know, and that's why I only tapped you. You don't need to have
anything hindering you."
Perfume nodded, and sighed. "You right. No point in having disadvantage
before fight even begin. No trust her, though."
"Just remember what Cologne told you about Kodaichi," Kage said.
"She only uses some sort of weapon, so if you're both disarmed you have
the advantage."
"Still no trust her."
Kage bopped her on the nose again. "Stop worrying. Just fight your
best."
Perfume smiled. "Alright."
"But no 'Kiss of Death'."
"But..."
"Perfume."
She sighed. "No Kiss of Death. Will lose honor if beaten."
"Then there's only one thing to do."
"What that?" Perfume asked.
Kage leaned forward, and kissed her on the cheek. "To not lose."
"Oh..." she said with a happy sigh. Dropping her trident to the side,
she put her arms around Kage, and he put his around her.
"Ahem."
Both of them froze, and looked toward the door. Cologne was standing
there, smirking. "Sorry to interrupt, but there's an order to be delivered."
"WHAT!? Someone order food this early?" Perfume said. "Perfume
kill idiot customer."
"Now, now," Cologne said. "A customer is a customer."
"This one interrupt us," Perfume growled.
Cologne chuckled. "You two can show your affections for each other
afterward."
Perfume sighed, and reluctantly let go of Kage. "You come watch
fight?" she asked him.
"Sure, if I get back in time." Kage gave her a quick kiss on the
lips, and then went inside.
"Will kill customer," Perfume repeated.
^^^^^^^^^^
Kinzoku Tomi wiped off his brow as he stood in a converted garage. He
was wearing an old T-shirt and a pair of jeans, which had numerous oil stains
on them. A towel was handed to him.
"Thank you, Yama."
"Sir."
"I'm not sure about what the additions are doing to the chassis,"
Kinzoku said. "Do you think they might cause additional stress?"
"One will have to see, sir."
From the far end of the mansion, a bell sounded.
"That will be the Chinese food you ordered," Yama said. "Shall I have
the person bring it right to you?"
"If you would."
"Very good, sir."
After Yama left, Kinzoku picked a wrench out of a nearby toolbox, and
went to work. Soon, he heard footsteps enter the garage.
"Hello?" a voice called. "I've got an order of fried wontons and ramen."
"Place it on the table," Kinzoku said. He walked around from the other
side of the machine where he had been making adjustments. "What is the total?"
he asked.
"It's-" Kage began.
"YOU!"
Kage blinked. Then, he recognized Kinzoku.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Kinzoku didn't answer, but whipped a remote control out of a pocket.
Pushing a button, the machine he had been working on began to hum and lit up.
"Behold!" Kinzoku said. "The Red Ultramech (Mk. II) combat armor!
Does _that_ look like the ones in the manga, Kage Tsuyosa?"
Kage gulped. "Well, yeah..."
The mecha this time was 12 feet tall, more humanoid, and heavily armored.
It had a more sleek, aerodynamic look than the one Kage had previously fought,
and had legs instead of wheels. As Kinzoku pressed another button, a canopy
and several panels opened up, revealing an area where a person would fit.
Kinzoku jumped in, and the mecha closed around him. Only his head
was visible, underneath the canopy.
Kage noticed several protrusions on the Red Ultramech. "Are those...?"
Kinzoku's voice answered from a speaker. "Yes. I have added several
weapons, including a taser, a net launcher, concussion grenades, and an
integral rifle in the left arm, which fires rubber bullets."
"That's... er... nice. Why rubber?"
The mech shrugged. "Frankly, I dislike the sight of blood."
"Oh."
"Defend yourself, Kage Tsuyosa!"
Kage did the only thing one really thinks of in a situation like this.
"Hey! Stop!" Kinzoku shouted.
Kage ran like hell.
^^^^^^^^^^
Kage, as was just said, was running like hell.
"Why are you doing this?" the shouted over his shoulder.
"To get you for all you did!" Kinzoku shouted back.
"Which is?"
"Don't act like you have no idea!"
Kinzoku pointed the mecha's left arm at Kage. "Take this!"
*Brattabrattabratta!*
Kage dodged to the side, but was still hit with several of the rubber
bullets.
"Ow! Damn! Stop!"
Kinzoku didn't, but launched a grenade at Kage.
*KABOOM!*
/Damn it! It's too early for something like this!/ Kage turned around
a corner.
"What?" Kuno said. "Tsuyosa! Have at thee!"
Kage ran around Kuno. "Sorry Kuno, but I'm a bit busy!"
Kuno blinked, and looked at where Kage had come from. The Red Ultramech
pulled around the corner.
"Aha! Hold, fiend! Only I shall smite Tsuyosa!" Kuno pointed his
bokken at the mecha.
Kinzoku didn't stop.
"Very well, take this! Attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-
attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack-attack!"
Kuno released a barrage of strikes at the mecha. Several small
fractures formed in the Red Ultramech's armor.
Kinzoku leapt over Kuno. As it continued past, the grenade launcher
on the mecha's shoulder swiveled around, and fired.
*KABOOM!*
A charred Kuno stepped out of the smoke. "That... didn't... hurt..."
He collapsed.
^^^^^^^^^^
Perfume paced angrily on the riverbank.
/First a kiss with Kage gets interrupted, and now that poison-using girl
is late!/
"Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!"
Perfume whirled around, and saw Kodaichi standing on the rail of a
nearby bridge, looking down at her.
"So, you didn't fall for the letter," Kodaichi said. "You should
have been disabled by now if you had come in contact with it."
"You have to do better than that, poison-girl!" Perfume said.
"Indeed I will. Catch!" Kodaichi threw a gymnast's ball at Perfume.
The amazon jumped back.
*BOOOOM!*
Perfume gaped at the newly formed crater. "You use bomb?!"
"That's only the start," Kodaichi said, and leapt down.
^^^^^^^^^^
Where am I now?" Ryoga asked himself.
He had (since the last chapter) lost the map. He looked down the
street he was currently walking along.
"Dammit, Ranma! This is all you're..."
Ryoga paused. It hadn't actually been Ranma's fault. After landing, Ryoga
had come to first, and had walked off on his own. But, he had to blame someone.
"Dammit, Kage! This is all you're fault!" Ryoga said experimentally.
For some reason, it still didn't seem right. However, it would do for the moment.
Resigning himself to his condition, the eternally lost by continued
to walk. After a while, he heard a series of crashes behind him.
"Ryoga! Look out!"
Ryoga turned around. Rushing towards him was Kage, who was being
chased by a large, red robot.
"Kage? What-?"
A small cannon on the mecha's shoulder fired, and a grenade flew
over Kage's head. The grenade landed, and exploded.
*KABOOM!*
As the dust cleared, Ryoga shakily looked down. The crater formed by
the explosion stopped just millimeters in front of him.
"Ryoga, run!" Kage yelled.
While Ryoga may be considered dense at times, there are occasions
where anyone can think very quickly. Having a red, twelve-foot tall
mecha firing explosives in your direction is one of them.
^^^^^^^^^^
Hikaru Gosunkugi was in trouble. The reason he was in trouble was that
he did not have enough money to placate the four bullies who had cornered
him against a wall.
"C'mon, man!" one of the bullies said. "You've gotta have more dough
than this!"
"I... I don't!" Gosunkugi stammered. "I just finished buying my
supplies."
"Supplies?" asked one of the bullies.
"You know," another one said. "Nails, and straw dolls. For voodoo
or something. Mr. 'I only have 400 yen' here is into that stuff."
"I... er..." said Gosunkugi.
"Shut up!" the lead bully said, and shoved him into the wall. "You're
gonna have to pay us the other way." The bullies formed a semicircle and
advanced.
"Um... before you beat me up, it's just-"
"Yeah?"
"Did any of you just hear an explosion?"
The bullies stopped.
Suddenly, Kage and Ryoga leapt over the wall. They landed on the
outer two bullies, and continued running. The two slumped to the ground.
"What the...?" one of the remaining two said.
*clangclangClangClangCLANGCLANG!*
A large mecha jumped over the wall directly above Gosunkugi, and
crashed into the remaining bullies. It raced after the two fleeing
martial artists.
Gosunkugi blinked, and looked at the four unconscious bullies. Tilting
his head skyward, he whispered, "Thank you." Grabbing his stuff, he dashed
away.
^^^^^^^^^^
"Come back and fight!" Kinzoku's voice boomed.
"Who is this guy?" Ryoga asked, dodging a spray of rubber bullets.
"Some guy I ended up meeting while traveling," Kage said. "He was
bugging a girl, and she asked me to stop him."
"What's he doing here?"
"How should I know?"
*KABOOM!*
Both fanged boys looked at each other, and ran faster.
"How did you get rid of him the last time?" asked Ryoga.
"By making a large hole in the mecha he attacked me with."
"Why don't you do that now?"
"He wasn't inside of the other one, and it didn't have an arsenal!"
"Good point."
As they continued to run, they saw a large wall at the end of the street.
"Left, right, or over?" Kage asked.
*KABOOM!*
"Over!" both of them shouted. They jumped over the wall, and looked
down. "Pond!"
*Splash!*
"Bwee!"
Kage-wolf whined in agreement.
"Hey, Kage. Ryoga."
The two transformed martial artists looked up. There was Ranma,
looking at them from the Tendo's porch.
"What's the prob, guys?" he asked.
Kage and Ryoga climbed out of the pond. Kage started shaking out his
fur.
"Hey! Don't do... aw, jeez!" complained a now female Ranma-chan.
She looked at her soaked clothing. "Aw, man! Thanks a lot, Kage."
"What was that noise?" Akane asked, walking around the side of the house.
"Oh! P-chan!" She scooped up the little black piglet. "I was wondering
where you were!"
Kage glanced at Ranma-chan, who shook her head.
*clangclang*
Kage's ears perked up.
*ClangClang*
Now Ranma and Akane noticed the sound.
*CLANGCLANG!*
"What?"
*CRASH!*
The red mecha climbed out of the rubble. "Damn. The jump system
seized," Kinzoku said.
Ranma and Akane stared at the mecha.
Kinzoku turned the mecha toward the group. "Sorry, but have you
ladies seen a person run in here?"
Ranma and Akane looked at each other, and then at Kage-wolf. They
shook their heads 'no'.
"Damn!" Kinzoku cursed. "I know I saw Tsuyosa jump over that wall.
Are you sure?"
They nodded.
The mech went over to the hole in the wall it had created, and looked
down the street. "Where could he have gone?"
*Splash!*
Kage glared at Happosai, who was holding an empty teapot.
"Can't have the boy's efforts be wasted, can we?" sniggered Happosai.
"I'll get you for this," Kage said.
Kinzoku turned around. "Aha! There you are!"
"Later," Kage amended.
*KABOOM!*
Kage jumped over another wall, followed closely by Kinzoku, who
just crashed through it.
"We'd better help Kage," Ranma-chan said.
"Before you go," Nabiki called from an open window, "take this."
Ranma-chan jumped up to the window and grabbed a slip of paper
from Nabiki. "What's this?" she asked.
"An estimated cost of rebuilding the wall," said Nabiki. "Give it to
the guy in the robot."
^^^^^^^^^^
Perfume and Kodaichi glared at each other, panting slightly. Various
gymnastic clubs, hoops, ropes, and so forth were scattered on the ground.
"You've done extremely well, for a foreign barbarian," Kodaichi said.
"Look who talking, poison-girl." Perfume shifted her grasp of her
trident. "Where you hide weapons, anyway?"
"We all have our secrets," replied Kodaichi. She twirled the length
that remained of her ribbon. "Perhaps you would like to make a little
wager?" she asked.
"What kind of wager?"
"Oh, the winner gets to have Kage."
Kodaichi had to leap out of the way of a sudden attack. "You no
get airen!" Perfume said.
"Afraid, are we?" Kodaichi taunted.
"Amazon warrior afraid of nothing!" Perfume swung at Kodaichi violently.
"Then why not agree to the gamble?"
"Because Kage is mine!" Perfume shouted. She jumped back and swung
her trident in an arc toward Kodaichi.
"Really," Kodaichi said. "What's the point of swinging from that
far away?"
"[Raven's Claw!]" As Perfume shouted this, the points of her trident started glowing, and three thin, yellow waves of ki rushed toward the gymnast.
Kodaichi tried to bat the waves with her ribbon, which was instantly
shredded. The waves impacted with the gymnast, sending her flying.
Perfume quickly dashed forward. Before Kodaichi could get up,
Perfume placed the trident near her throat. "You surrender?" the amazon
asked.
Kodaichi glared at her, and then turned her head away. "For now."
Perfume removed the trident, and smiled to herself.
"Perfume!"
Perfume spun around, and saw Kage running. She waved.
"Kage! I win!"
She jogged up the side of the bank to the street. As Kage got closer,
she jumped into his arms. She hugged him as he continued to run.
"I win!" she said happily.
"That's... great!" he panted.
"Why you running?"
"Kage!"
Perfume looked behind them, and her eyes goggled. "Aiyaa! What
that?"
"The reason... I'm running!"
"Oh. Why it chase you?"
*KABOOM!*
Perfume sweatdropped. "Never mind. Is no important. Running is
good."
^^^^^^^^^^
Otome sighed, and put the receiver down onto the phone.
"Well?" Ukyo asked.
"Dad says that Kinzoku left just two hours after I did. He's probably
here by now."
Ukyo frowned, and flipped over an okonomiyaki. "That's a problem,
honey. Do you think he'll find you?"
"Eventually," Otome said. "He's persistent. I'm probably better
off staying here than at a hotel like I had planned, since he would be able
to ask the staff if I was there."
"True. Here you go." Ukyo slid the okonomiyaki onto a plate and
handed it to Otome. "What's this guy Kinzoku like, anyway?"
"He's annoying, spoiled, overconfident, a bully, and conceited! He
thinks that because his father is President of Tomi Enterprises that he can
get whatever he wants! Including me!" Otome started devouring her food.
"If he can't convince someone to do what he wants, he intimidates them with
one of his huge robots or something. The only person who didn't back down
was Kage."
"Hold it!" Ukyo said. "Kage?"
"Uh-huh. Kage Tsuyosa."
"You mean- what's that sound?"
*clangclangClangClang!*
Otome's eyes widened. "No..."
The girls rushed to the entrance and looked outside.
*Whoosh!*
"What was that?" Otome asked.
"That," said Ukyo, "looked like Kage."
Otome grabbed Ukyo's shoulders and shook her. "You mean you know
him?"
"Y-y-yes! St-st-stop sh-shaking me! I'm getting d-d-d-dizzy!"
Otome let go, and blushed. "Sorry."
Ukyo shook her head. "Why didn't you say he was who you were
looking for?"
"What would have been the chances that you actually knew him?"
*ClangClangCLANGCLANGClangClangclangclang*
"What the hell?"
"That was Kinzoku!" Otome said.
An explosion was heard in the distance. Ranma-chan and Akane, who
was carrying P-chan, ran up.
"Ran-chan, what's going on?" Ukyo asked.
"Some guy in a robot is tryin' to kill Kage," Ranma said.
"He can't!" Otome moaned.
"Huh?" Ranma-chan said. "Who're you?"
Otome and Ukyo quickly filled them in.
"He want's to what?" Akane shouted.
^^^^^^^^^^
The chase eventually ended at the Furinkan High soccer field.
"Is... he... out... of ammo?" Kage panted. He fell down to a
kneeling position.
"Look like," Perfume said. "You feel okay?"
"Not... really."
*ClangClangClunk!*
"Finally caught you," Kinzoku said. He advanced on the two.
"Hey!" someone shouted behind him.
He turned around and saw a group of girls and a small piglet glaring
at him.
"Who are all of... Otome!" He rushed towards her. Ranma-chan, Akane,
and Ukyo got in front of her to block him.
*Creak*
Everyone blinked. Kinzoku looked at a display in the mecha. "Oh, no."
*Crashcrashclattercrash!*
*tink*
Kinzoku slowly crawled out of the wreckage that had once been the
Red Ultramech (Mk. II) combat armor. "I guess the added features _did_ put
too much stress of the frame."
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Otome yelled at him.
"Otome!" He rushed forward.
*Wham!*
Kinzoku pried himself off of Ukyo's jumbo spatula. "Ouch. Why did you
do that?"
"Why do you think, buster?" Ukyo said.
Akane cracked her knuckles. "Trying to get her to marry you even
though she doesn't want to, and even following her!"
"Bwee!"
"That's right, P-chan."
The girls and pig advanced on Kinzoku.
"Can't we discuss this?" he asked nervously. He yanked out a cell-phone.
"Yama!"
"Already here, sir."
The group turned around.
"Oh my..." Akane said.
It should now be noted that Yama, Kinzoku's servant, is 7'3". His
hair was done in a buzz cut, and he wore a large (duh) gray suit. He
was standing with his arms folded behind his back, calmly looking at them.
"Thank god you're here," Kinzoku said. "Take care of these people."
"Yama shook his head. "I am sorry, sir, but your father gave me
very specific instructions for a situation like this. I am here merely to
take you back to the mansion."
"But they were going to attack me!"
"Yes, and if they had actually done so, I would have defended you,"
Yama said. "However, as long as they do not, I shall not fight them."
"Hmmph. Alright," Kinzoku said. He walked past Yama. "Have the...
scrap picked up in the morning."
"Yes, sir."
Kinzoku walked towards a limo parked on the edge of the field.
Yama bowed to Otome. "Good to see you again, Miss Kanari."
"Thank you."
Ranma-chan remembered the paper from Nabiki. "Oh, here." She handed
it to Yama. He looked at it and nodded.
"You may inform Miss Tendo that Tomi Enterprises will pay for the
repairs to your household."
Yama walked to the limo, and drove off.
"He's a giant!" Akane said.
Otome nodded. "He's very nice, though."
She looked around, and saw Kage. She rushed over to him. "Kage?"
Kage frowned. "I take it you're the reason he came here?" he
asked.
"Yes," she said, looking down.
"Mind explaining why?"
Otome told her story, but was stopped by Perfume partway through.
"You tell that Kage is you _what_?" She pointed her trident at Otome.
"Um..." Otome turned to Kage. "She wouldn't be the person you
were supposed to meet up with back then?"
"Right," Kage said.
"And she's not just someone you were traveling with?"
"Right."
Otome quickly bowed to Perfume. "I'm really sorry!" she apologized.
"It was the only thing I could think of to make Kinzoku leave me alone."
"Did not work," Perfume said. "He still follow you."
"It worked for a bit," mumbled Otome.
Perfume slung her trident over her shoulder. "You stop saying Kage is
you fiancée?"
Otome sighed. "Yes. Kinzoku didn't really believe me, anyway. I
had just thought that if I found Kage he could scare Kinzoku away for good."
"What're you gonna do now, then?" Ranma asked.
"I guess I'll go home. I only have enough money to stay a few days,
even though Ukyo has let me stay. I also have to get back to school."
"What will Kinzoku do?" asked Ukyo.
"Follow me back."
"Why no just move here?" Perfume asked.
"What?"
"Robot-boy follow you anyway, and at home no one stop him. Here, he
get beat up if bug you."
"But what about school?"
"You could transfer to Furinkan High," Akane said.
"But-"
"If you want," Ukyo said, "I could give you a job at Ucchan's. I'd
still let you stay there, and you'd be making some money."
"I... it sounds nice, but-"
"Look at it this way," Ranma-chan said. "It's either that or
being bothered by that guy all the time."
"I'll do it."
^^^^^^^^^^
Kage wearily walked home with Perfume. As they did, he listened to
her describe the fight with Kodaichi.
"[... and then I used the Raven's Claw, which knocked her down.]"
"[You managed to get that revised version of the Okii Kuma-Tsume
to work?]" he asked. "[Every other time the waves would go flying all over
the place.]"
"[Let's see _you_ alter a move you've only seen so you can use it!]"
"[I'm joking! I'm joking! I'm happy you were able to do it!]"
"[Good. Well, before she got back up, I put my trident at her throat,
and asked for her surrender. She did, though she had said 'for now'.]"
"[That probably means trouble for us later,]" Kage said. "[As long as
it isn't today, I don't really mind.]"
"Kage Tsuyosa, prepare thyself!"
*DOUBLEWHAM!*
"That didn't hurt," Kuno said, and fainted.
Kage groaned. "I don't need this, I really don't."
"Poor airen," Perfume said, with a playful tone in her voice. "You
very tired."
"Running almost non-stop from someone shooting at you can do that.
I think I might have used all the adrenaline my body has."
Perfume smiled. "Perfume know how to cheer you up." She walked in
front of him and kissed him.
Kage relaxed visibly, then tensed. He looked at the sky. "This has
been a very, very tiring day," he said quietly, "and I will do something
very unpleasant if anything else happens."
"Who you talk to?" Perfume asked.
"The world in general." He grinned at her. "Let's go and finish that
at home."
After they had left the area, a small figure walked out of the shadows.
Happosai took out his pipe and lit it. Shrugging, he jumped onto the roof of
a nearby house and headed back to the Tendo's.
^^^^^^^^^^
"About time you two got back," Cologne said as Kage and Perfume
walked through the door. "What had taken you?"
"Is long story," said Perfume.
"I'll bet. I heard the explosions."
Shampoo walked in from upstairs. "[Welcome back. How did the fight
go?]"
"[I won it,]" Perfume said.
Cologne looked around. "[Hm... where is that Mousse?]"
*Crashclatter!*
"Excuse me, miss," Mousse said in the kitchen.
"Mousse! Get in here!" Cologne said. After he came in, she looked at
the teenagers. "I actually have some news for all of you," she said.
"What is it, great-grandmother?" Shampoo asked.
Cologne produced a poster from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
"This just arrived today, and I thought you all would be interested in it."
The four martial artists crowded to read the poster.
"..."
"'Best of Nerima Martial Arts Tournament'?" Kage asked.
^^^^^^^^^^
Notes:
Ok, another day (or week, or two weeks, or maybe even more), another
fanfic. I hope all of you people out there in... well... I don't know.
Wherever you are. (Where was I?) Oh, yeah. I hoped you liked it. Send
any comments, suggestions, criticism, and money to Wakoid2@aol.com. Keep
looking forward to upcoming chapters.
OH! I almost forgot!
Well, not really, but it gives more atmosphere to say that, or
something.
Aaaaaaanyway, I promised in part three that there would be a contest of
a sorts. And this is it: You just saw at the end of this fic that there is
going to be a martial arts tournament (and if you didn't, that means you
skipped right to the end. Why would you do that, you stupid person!? It's
a good fanfic! Er... sorry.)
Um... right.
Okay, what it boils down to is that you, the reader, sends in fighters
to be in the tournament. E-mail the fighter's name, school or style, appearance, special attacks, who you would want them to fight, etc... Oh,
and also your name. I'll pick a number of them, tell the people who sent them
in, and use them in the tournament. If no one sends anything in, I'll just
have to come up with my own martial artists.
Only one character per person.
You can make the style and attacks as you want, but not too silly
or powerful, please.
Yes, I am doing this because I am too lazy to make up all the fighters on my own.
That's it. You are allowed to go now.
