Nick might have been too late, but Vachon wasn't. Just as the trio started to open fire, Vachon swooped in and knocked all three down to the ground. This gave Tracy the chance to run for cover. Genma also took advantage of the chance.
"Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts' final attack." He prepared into battle stance. "Ready...set...RUN AWAY!" Mr. Saotome pivoted and ran off, grabbing Happosai and Cologne on the way. Mr. Tendo followed his lead, dragging his daughters behind him.
The gunmen did not stay down long, but with Tracy out of the way, Nick was not afraid to help his fellow vampire. He, too, flew down to street level. Together, they turned on their doomed enemies. They attacked in full vampire form; Vachon took on one of the gunmen while the older and more experienced vampire took on the other two. As their adversaries tried to defend themselves, Nick and Vachon were able to fight the shooters down to the ground and render them unconscious.
Nick and Vachon were able to change back before Ranma and his friends came from around the building. Soon, Tracy realized that the trouble had passed and she brought her group back to the door.
======================
When Tracy saw Vachon, she knew he had saved everyone from the shooters. She smiled gratefully, but the smile faded when she realized that Nick had possibly seen Vachon fly in. She had spent this long keeping the existence of vampires a secret, but now the secret might be out just because Vachon had saved her life.
Nick noticed that his partner looked worried. he chuckled to himself. To put her at ease, he turned to Vachon. "You're Vachon, right? I guess we're lucky you ran in here when you did."
That calmed Tracy down. The secret of vampires was safe for now.
"I was just in the neighborhood," Vachon played along. He knew that Tracy was oblivious to Nick's "condition," so he did not want to spill the beans, so to speak.
======================
"We need to get inside," Kuno said.
"Okay, let's go, charge," Ranma said sarcastically. "Think about it Kuno. There could be more of those creeps. And you have no idea how much this gunshot hurts. I can't fight if I'm this injured."
"Tracy, can you take care of Ranma?" Nick asked. "If so, we can go in and find Akane."
"No, you are not going in there without me," Ranma stated. "Just because I'm in pain doesn't mean I can't fight."
"But you just said..." Ryoga said.
"Forget what I said," Ranma demanded. "Besides, when do you listen to what I say?"
"Where'd the cat come from?" Tracy changed the subject.
"Just a stray," Nick replied.
"Reow, hiss," the cat arched its back.
"Look. I think I should call for backup," Tracy mentioned. "If there are more of these guys, we'll need help."
"Good plan." Nick said. "you go call for reinforcements over the radio."
"We'll go with you," Nabiki replied, and the rest of Tracy's group agreed.
As Tracy left with her group following, Nick turned to Vachon. "Come on, while she's gone, we can get in there."
Vachon moved to Nick's side and as they prepared to go in, Ranma joined them. "There's no way you're going without me," Ranma repeated.
"Okay, but be careful," Nick said.
"Of the gunmen or of you?" Ranma asked.BR.
Vachon turned to Nick with a questioning look on his face. "He saw me," Nick explained. "All of these kids did."
"All of them?" Vachon pondered.
"Well, most of us," Ukyo answered.
"Boy, do you have a lot of work ahead of you," Vachon told Nick. Nick knew what he meant. He would have to make all of them forget. But right now, he wasn't concerned with his future task. Right now, he just wanted to save the girl inside.
"Okay, let's go," he said to Vachon and Ranma.
Even as they walked toward the door, Kuno strode to the brick exterior and broke through the wall with his sword.
"Uh, Kuno. There is a door," Ukyo mentioned.
"Be silent woman!" Kuno commanded.
"Is he always like this?" Vachon questioned.
"Oh yeah," Ranma answered.
With that, Nick, Vachon and Ranma entered the warehouse together, through the door.
======================
Inside, it was pitch black, but Vachon and Nick had no trouble seeing. The whole warehouse appeared to be just a couple of large rooms, but the two couldn't see Akane anywhere.
Suddenly, the two remaining guards jumped from behind a corner. Before they could fire a shot from their handguns, Nick and Vachon were able to throw them against the wall, knocking them out cold.
"Thanks." Ranma's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he had seen what they had just did. "Quick question: are you like him?" he asked Vachon.
Vachon nodded. "For about 500 years now."
"500!?" Ranma almost yelled. "You're older than Happi! How old are you Nick?"
"800 years old," Nick said, trying to keep his voice down. "Pretty young for my our kind."
"800," Ranma couldn't believe it. "That's incredible."
"Yeah, well, let's find Akane, and then we'll discuss it," Nick said.
The trio entered the main room where they found Akane bound to a pole. She was almost unconscious, but when she saw Ranma, she struggled against the ropes.
"Well, well, well. Ranma Saotome. How kind of you to join us," a voice called from the darkness. As the three watched, a small figure stepped from the shadows.
"Suzaku?" Ranma asked.
"But of course," the voice answered. "Were you expecting someone else?"
"You know this guy?" Nick wondered.
"Ryoga and I used to go to school with him," Ranma replied. Then to Suzaku: "What are you doing with Akane?"
"She's just bait for you," Suzaku said. "I just wanted a chance to take a shot at you." With that, Suzaku pulled out a gun. "Literally."
Ranma flinched when he saw the gun. "Why?"
"Remember in second grade when you stole my baseball, and you called me 'Ball-less?' Well, the nickname stuck. For nine years I've had to live with that name. So now, you'll pay for my suffering. Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!" And then he fired at Ranma.
======================
When Tracy came back and noticed that Nick, Vachon, and Ranma were gone, she was furious. "Why the hell did they go in there without me or backup?"
"Ranma kinda made them," Kasumi said. "He tends to be rather persistent."
"Well, I'm going in after them," Tracy suggested, but Ryoga stopped her.
"I'm sure they can handle it. I mean, Ranma can fight, even though he's injured, and your friend, Vachon, seems pretty strong, and Nick has that advantage."
"What advantage?" Tracy asked.
Ryoga realized that she didn't know, so he tried to cover it up. "The advantage...of being a cop. Yeah, that's what I mean."
"Oh."
Their conversation was interrupted when they heard a gun shot from inside the warehouse. Tracy pulled out her gun and entered the building, despite Ryoga's attempts to stop her.
======================
Ranma tensed as he waited for the bullet to hit him. It never hit though. Just as the shot was fired, Nick had flown in front of Ranma with incredible speed. He fell as the bullet hit him in the chest.
Everyone watched as Nick rose from the floor, mad as anything. His eyes were feral yellow and his fangs extended. He looked down at his shirt, that was now torn where the bullet had hit him. Looking at Suzaku: "Now you've done it. You put a hole in my favorite shirt. Tsk-tsk-tsk."
Before Nick could advance, Ranma did as flying helicopter kick and connected with Suzaku's head. "I told you I could still fight if I'm injured." With that he walked over to Akane. He untied her from the pole and helped her up.
"Ranma, you cared enough to come and rescue me," she said.
"Who would care about a tom-boy like you?" he replied.
"What!!!" she screamed, then pulled out a mallet from behind her and slammed Ranma over the head with it.
Nick turned back to normal and pulled his handcuffs out. Slapping them on Suzaku's wrists, he picked up the boy and carried him out over his shoulder. Ranma and Vachon followed.
======================
On the way out, they met with Tracy. When she saw the boy in cuffs, she knew he had captured the kidnapper.
When Mr. Tendo saw his daughter, he burst out into tears. "Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!!"
"I'm okay Dad." Akane assured him.
"Well, this has been crazy," Mr. Tendo said. "Thank God I was able to help."
"How did you help!?" Ranma cried and splashed his father with a bucket of water. Tracy fainted when a giant panda appeared in his place. The panda held up a sign:
"Oh well."
"Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts' final attack." He prepared into battle stance. "Ready...set...RUN AWAY!" Mr. Saotome pivoted and ran off, grabbing Happosai and Cologne on the way. Mr. Tendo followed his lead, dragging his daughters behind him.
The gunmen did not stay down long, but with Tracy out of the way, Nick was not afraid to help his fellow vampire. He, too, flew down to street level. Together, they turned on their doomed enemies. They attacked in full vampire form; Vachon took on one of the gunmen while the older and more experienced vampire took on the other two. As their adversaries tried to defend themselves, Nick and Vachon were able to fight the shooters down to the ground and render them unconscious.
Nick and Vachon were able to change back before Ranma and his friends came from around the building. Soon, Tracy realized that the trouble had passed and she brought her group back to the door.
======================
When Tracy saw Vachon, she knew he had saved everyone from the shooters. She smiled gratefully, but the smile faded when she realized that Nick had possibly seen Vachon fly in. She had spent this long keeping the existence of vampires a secret, but now the secret might be out just because Vachon had saved her life.
Nick noticed that his partner looked worried. he chuckled to himself. To put her at ease, he turned to Vachon. "You're Vachon, right? I guess we're lucky you ran in here when you did."
That calmed Tracy down. The secret of vampires was safe for now.
"I was just in the neighborhood," Vachon played along. He knew that Tracy was oblivious to Nick's "condition," so he did not want to spill the beans, so to speak.
======================
"We need to get inside," Kuno said.
"Okay, let's go, charge," Ranma said sarcastically. "Think about it Kuno. There could be more of those creeps. And you have no idea how much this gunshot hurts. I can't fight if I'm this injured."
"Tracy, can you take care of Ranma?" Nick asked. "If so, we can go in and find Akane."
"No, you are not going in there without me," Ranma stated. "Just because I'm in pain doesn't mean I can't fight."
"But you just said..." Ryoga said.
"Forget what I said," Ranma demanded. "Besides, when do you listen to what I say?"
"Where'd the cat come from?" Tracy changed the subject.
"Just a stray," Nick replied.
"Reow, hiss," the cat arched its back.
"Look. I think I should call for backup," Tracy mentioned. "If there are more of these guys, we'll need help."
"Good plan." Nick said. "you go call for reinforcements over the radio."
"We'll go with you," Nabiki replied, and the rest of Tracy's group agreed.
As Tracy left with her group following, Nick turned to Vachon. "Come on, while she's gone, we can get in there."
Vachon moved to Nick's side and as they prepared to go in, Ranma joined them. "There's no way you're going without me," Ranma repeated.
"Okay, but be careful," Nick said.
"Of the gunmen or of you?" Ranma asked.BR.
Vachon turned to Nick with a questioning look on his face. "He saw me," Nick explained. "All of these kids did."
"All of them?" Vachon pondered.
"Well, most of us," Ukyo answered.
"Boy, do you have a lot of work ahead of you," Vachon told Nick. Nick knew what he meant. He would have to make all of them forget. But right now, he wasn't concerned with his future task. Right now, he just wanted to save the girl inside.
"Okay, let's go," he said to Vachon and Ranma.
Even as they walked toward the door, Kuno strode to the brick exterior and broke through the wall with his sword.
"Uh, Kuno. There is a door," Ukyo mentioned.
"Be silent woman!" Kuno commanded.
"Is he always like this?" Vachon questioned.
"Oh yeah," Ranma answered.
With that, Nick, Vachon and Ranma entered the warehouse together, through the door.
======================
Inside, it was pitch black, but Vachon and Nick had no trouble seeing. The whole warehouse appeared to be just a couple of large rooms, but the two couldn't see Akane anywhere.
Suddenly, the two remaining guards jumped from behind a corner. Before they could fire a shot from their handguns, Nick and Vachon were able to throw them against the wall, knocking them out cold.
"Thanks." Ranma's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he had seen what they had just did. "Quick question: are you like him?" he asked Vachon.
Vachon nodded. "For about 500 years now."
"500!?" Ranma almost yelled. "You're older than Happi! How old are you Nick?"
"800 years old," Nick said, trying to keep his voice down. "Pretty young for my our kind."
"800," Ranma couldn't believe it. "That's incredible."
"Yeah, well, let's find Akane, and then we'll discuss it," Nick said.
The trio entered the main room where they found Akane bound to a pole. She was almost unconscious, but when she saw Ranma, she struggled against the ropes.
"Well, well, well. Ranma Saotome. How kind of you to join us," a voice called from the darkness. As the three watched, a small figure stepped from the shadows.
"Suzaku?" Ranma asked.
"But of course," the voice answered. "Were you expecting someone else?"
"You know this guy?" Nick wondered.
"Ryoga and I used to go to school with him," Ranma replied. Then to Suzaku: "What are you doing with Akane?"
"She's just bait for you," Suzaku said. "I just wanted a chance to take a shot at you." With that, Suzaku pulled out a gun. "Literally."
Ranma flinched when he saw the gun. "Why?"
"Remember in second grade when you stole my baseball, and you called me 'Ball-less?' Well, the nickname stuck. For nine years I've had to live with that name. So now, you'll pay for my suffering. Ranma Saotome, prepare to die!" And then he fired at Ranma.
======================
When Tracy came back and noticed that Nick, Vachon, and Ranma were gone, she was furious. "Why the hell did they go in there without me or backup?"
"Ranma kinda made them," Kasumi said. "He tends to be rather persistent."
"Well, I'm going in after them," Tracy suggested, but Ryoga stopped her.
"I'm sure they can handle it. I mean, Ranma can fight, even though he's injured, and your friend, Vachon, seems pretty strong, and Nick has that advantage."
"What advantage?" Tracy asked.
Ryoga realized that she didn't know, so he tried to cover it up. "The advantage...of being a cop. Yeah, that's what I mean."
"Oh."
Their conversation was interrupted when they heard a gun shot from inside the warehouse. Tracy pulled out her gun and entered the building, despite Ryoga's attempts to stop her.
======================
Ranma tensed as he waited for the bullet to hit him. It never hit though. Just as the shot was fired, Nick had flown in front of Ranma with incredible speed. He fell as the bullet hit him in the chest.
Everyone watched as Nick rose from the floor, mad as anything. His eyes were feral yellow and his fangs extended. He looked down at his shirt, that was now torn where the bullet had hit him. Looking at Suzaku: "Now you've done it. You put a hole in my favorite shirt. Tsk-tsk-tsk."
Before Nick could advance, Ranma did as flying helicopter kick and connected with Suzaku's head. "I told you I could still fight if I'm injured." With that he walked over to Akane. He untied her from the pole and helped her up.
"Ranma, you cared enough to come and rescue me," she said.
"Who would care about a tom-boy like you?" he replied.
"What!!!" she screamed, then pulled out a mallet from behind her and slammed Ranma over the head with it.
Nick turned back to normal and pulled his handcuffs out. Slapping them on Suzaku's wrists, he picked up the boy and carried him out over his shoulder. Ranma and Vachon followed.
======================
On the way out, they met with Tracy. When she saw the boy in cuffs, she knew he had captured the kidnapper.
When Mr. Tendo saw his daughter, he burst out into tears. "Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!!"
"I'm okay Dad." Akane assured him.
"Well, this has been crazy," Mr. Tendo said. "Thank God I was able to help."
"How did you help!?" Ranma cried and splashed his father with a bucket of water. Tracy fainted when a giant panda appeared in his place. The panda held up a sign:
"Oh well."
