PART 4
What's happened so far: Jeff Anderson, 'retiring' super hero, has come to Nerima for reasons involving a dead colleague and Mishima Heavy Industries. He has arranged a cover as a student teacher at Furinkan High School. He's met most of the Ranma cast, and thinks that Ranma and Ryoga are meta-humans like himself. On his way home from dinner with the Tendo's, he was attacked by a street gang. They weren't a problem. He also called home, spoke to his wife and thought about exactly why he was in Nerima. He hasn't found out about Jusenkyo curses yet, but it's only a matter of time.
-----
The morning dawns crisp and clear, the clouds from last night having blown out to sea. Still some puddles on the ground here and there from the rain. I practice with the baseball bats I purchased last night, finding their balance. Same with the wooden rods that were a set of nunchaku last night. They feel good in my hands. I should have thought of this when I got here.
I get ready for school and as I ride along, keep my eyes open for girls with purple or pink hair. No luck as I arrive at Ucchan's for breakfast. She's busy making okonomiyaki for the morning rush crowd. And doing a fine job of it too. I'm the last person to get in an order before she announces that she has to get ready for school.
She slings a pork okonomiyaki at me, "Ohayoo sensei" written in hiragana on it in sauce. I laugh and dig in.
"I'm running late, everybody out!" Ukyo tells the room at large. While I would think that the customers would object to this, they take it in stride and file out. According to the sign, she's only open for an hour in the morning and after school.
"Need a lift to school?"
"Thank you sensei, that would be a great help." She's busy cleaning the grill and putting away stuff with practiced speed.
"When were not at school, you can call me Jeff."
"Sure thing. I'll be right back." She disappears into the back, returning with books and spatulas a moment later. She ushers me out and locks up. She looks at the bicycle and then me.
"You take the bike, I'll meet you there," I say as I begin jogging towards the school.
"Yeah, right," she deadpans before climbing on the bike. I've got my stuff on the cargo rack, so I'm not worried about keeping up. My best time for the mile is 2 minutes 40 seconds. I'm a little tired from the ride here, so I probably couldn't do that right now, but it's not that far to the school. She pedals past me, and I increase my speed to catch up. She shifts up a gear, I match her. She shifts gears again and starts pedaling hard. I let her get away, but keep her in sight until she turns on to the street the school in on.
I'm running at a nice clip when I see Ranko and Akane making their own dash for the school. Ranko is once again wet and dressed in loose clothing. Akane is in her school uniform. Ranma and Ranko are the only students I've seen not in uniform. Even Kuno changes out of his hakama before entering class. I slow down to allow them to catch up to me.
"Running late again?"
"Hai sens- Jeff," Akane puffs out.
"Later". I pick up my speed, which Akane isn't able to match. "I've got longer legs, so I can run faster," I quote to myself. I'm a little late myself because of the extra practice with the baseball bats and stuff this morning. Ukyo has my bike parked at the rack for me when I arrive, I grab my stuff off the back and dash to the coach's shower just in time for the first bell.
I've perfected the art of the 90 second shower and use a repeller field to wipe the excess water off me. I rub my hair with a towel and get dressed in 12 seconds. (An absolute must skill for a super hero.) I'm in the classroom with 30 seconds to spare. Serizawa-sensei isn't happy with me though. His ire takes the form of my taking over History for the day. My return shot should be the American perspective on Pearl Harbor, but I stick with the events leading up to the Meiji restoration as per the lesson plan.
Kuno gives me hostile looks throughout the morning. Knows his stuff when it comes to 19th century Japanese history though. There just may be a brain in there after all. Nabiki still has her poker face up, which to me is an obvious sign she's up to something. Wish she'd let it drop. If she wants to play one upmanship, she's in danger of finding out how far up she can get.
I turn the class back over to Serizawa-sensei, having made only three language mistakes bad enough for the class to laugh at. That's down from my first few days. At my small desk at the back of the room, I work on my lesson plans for English Lit and Math. Looking forward to Saturday when Serizawa-sensei has given me permission to do an hour on recreational mathematics. Maybe I'm taking this student-teacher cover too seriously. Well, if I'm going to do it, I may as well do it to the best of my abilities.
The lunch bell rings and the class files out except for Kuno. I can see the arrogance in his eyes as he strides toward me.
"Excuse me Anderson-sensei, I would have words with thee," Kuno declares in a serious tone.
"How may I help you Kuno-san?"
"Did you, or did you not, cause my beloved Tendo Akane to cry yesterday, hurting her... blah blah blah..." Somehow I can't focus on what he's saying, so I wait for him to stop speaking.
"Yes, " I begin. I don't get to continue 'we were sparring' because Kuno interrupts.
"FIEND! How dare thee injure my beloved! Blah blah blah... I challenge thee to a duel!"
Wait a minute? Duel? I must have shown some surprise on my face, because he starts off on another rant.
"Coward! Defiler of women! BLAH BLAH BLAH! Blah blah blah BLAH!!"
Two or three years ago, I'd might have risen to this sort of bait. I like to think that I've grown up some since. I hold up my hand and wave at him to stop. Like with the punks who tried to mug me last night, I have to give him a chance to back down.
"You really think this is worth fighting a duel over Kuno-san?"
"Yes! It is a manner of honor, you who have none."
"You realize as the challenged party I would have the right to set the terms?"
"That matters not, I, the great 'Blue Thunder' of Furinkan High School, can defeat thee under any conditions."
"You realize you haven't even heard my side of it."
"I know what thou hast done to my beloved Akane blah blah blah..."
"Tendo Nabiki told you about this, right?"
"That matters not."
Well, I got the admission I was looking for. Glad Nabiki didn't sic Ranma on me, that would have been dangerous. I need a way to teach her a lesson. This might work, but I think it'll still be lost on her. "As you wish Kuno-san. Send your second to me so we can make arrangements. Now excuse me, I'm late for lunch."
The rumor mill works fast here. Before I reach the cafeteria, I hear whispers about the upcoming fight.
"Him and Kuno-sempai..." "A duel..." "Did you hear..." "Big fight..." "I wonder what the odds will be..." I turn my head at that one.
"Excuse me?" I turn to face a couple of boys standing together. I think I remember seeing them in the crowd after the fight with Ryoga, but I'm not sure.
"Hai sensei." They both answer.
"What's this about odds?"
They look reluctant to answer me, so I just stare at them until the one on the left starts talking. "Well... Tendo Nabiki-sempai takes bets on all the fights around here."
Somehow, I'm not surprised. If Nabiki had a middle name it would be "Anything for a buck". Well, this gives me an opportunity to beat her on two fronts. Not only will I get to earn some money off her, I get to beat her appointed champion. Maybe appointed catspaw would be a better choice of words. From the way he carried on, I'm certain Kuno was set up by her.
I smile at the two boys. "How would you like to earn a little money then?" I ask. I can hear the cash registers ring in their heads. "The terms of the duel haven't been set yet. Would you like to sell Nabiki some advanced info?"
"Hai Sensei!" Their enthusiasm draws attention from the rest of the student body. I'm tempted to tell them to bet the farm on me, but I don't want to be contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
I motion them over and tell them in a quiet voice. "Athletic fields, half an hour after school, baseball bats. Until one of us surrenders or is unable to continue. Now go straight to Nabiki with this and don't let anyone else know.
I work my way through the cafeteria line and sit at the end of one of the tables where I can easily be contacted by Kuno's second. I don't have to wait long before he arrives. A small, bucktoothed man wearing black from head to toe drops down from the ceiling and lands lightly besides me. I spotted him when he slipped in through a window a couple of minutes ago. Not too much reaction from the student body. They must have seen him before.
"Jeffery Anderson?" he inquires.
"Yes. I take it you are Kuno-san's second for the upcoming duel?"
He nods amiably. "I am Sasuke, Master Kuno's humble servant."
"The place: The Furinkan High School athletic fields. The time: one half hour after school today. The weapons: Baseball bats. The terms: Surrender, or until one of us is unable to continue. Are these terms acceptable?"
"I will confer with Master Kuno."
"Make it quick, lunch is almost over."
He nods, and in a series of quick leaps, is out the same window he entered. While I'm waiting, I finish my meal. I notice Nabiki drift through the room, exchanging brief conversations with people. She stops at one table for a bit to chat with a group of young men from the Kendo Club. Scouting me out eh? I laugh to myself and almost miss the little man in black's return through the window. He scuttles across the ceiling beams and drops down besides me again.
"Master Kuno states that your conditions are acceptable."
I nod. "Thank you. I shall see you and your master at the time of the duel."
The little man nods, again leaving the cafeteria in a series of leaps and bounds. My business here over, I return to the classroom. The afternoon passes quietly, Kuno and myself ignoring each other as proper dueling etiquette requires for opponents who can't avoid one another. Nabiki's concentration is split between the class, Kuno and myself. She's as much a part of this duel as Kuno or I, so I try to ignore her as well.
Many notes are being passed around the room, much to the anger of Serizawa-sensei. A total of six people wind up in the hall carrying buckets before the flow of notes dries up. Eventually, the bell rings, releasing the students. I gather the English Lit quizzes that I'll be grading tonight and file them in my briefcase. I head downstairs to the gym and get changed for the fight. I was expecting trouble, so I packed accordingly. A pair of dark gray sweats, and an oversized brown t-shirt with a picture of "Schoolhouse Rocky" on the front and the engineer from "Conjunction Junction" on the back. A pair of sweat socks and my tennies complete the outfit.
I take the baseball bats from my gym bag and examine them carefully for any signs of tampering. Always check your weapons when possible before going into battle. Always. There's no such thing as paranoia when they really are out to get you. The bats are all right and ready for use. Since I'm as prepared for the fight as I'm going to get, it's time to find Nabiki.
I head outside and there is a sizable crowd gathered to watch the impending struggle. Ranma stands near Akane. Nabiki is taking money from various students. No sign of Ukyo, she's probably at her restaurant. I'll go see her after this is over with. Well, I'll go eat her cooking anyway. Ranma and his cousin have both fought Kuno, so I walk over to ask him a question.
"Saotome-san, any advice?"
"Well, if ya were using bokken, I'd say watch out for his speed. I don't know how he'll use a baseball bat," he says seriously.
"What odds did Nabiki put on this?"
Ranma laughs. "Well, once she found out how ya did against the Kendo Club, she set the odds at one ta two in your favor."
"How's the betting?"
"The Kendo Club is bettin' against ya, but the rest of it seems pretty well split. Not that I've been payin' attention or nuthin'."
Ranma likes to play dumb, but I'm sure there's a brain in there someplace. "So, how much did you bet?" I ask offhandedly.
"Nuthin'. I already owe Nabiki money, I didn't have nuthin' ta bet," he tells me. "If I did, I'd bet on you. I'd never bet on Kuno, he's an idiot."
I thank Ranma and head over to Nabiki. I get there and pull out my wallet from my pants leg.
"One to two?" I ask, but it's not really a question.
"Hai Anderson-sensei, as long as you bet on yourself."
I empty my wallet and pockets. 36,558 yen. "I'll be back for my winnings after the fight." Was that a little surprise break she had while she handed me my betting slip? As I walk off, Nabiki is swamped with people making new bets after seeing my confidence.
I take my place on the field, and do a few stretches and strikes. Nothing too fancy or too fast. I've got a bat in each hand. I did say baseball bats, plural, when I set the terms for this little farce. Since I don't actually intend on fighting fair, I don't know why I put on the show.
Kuno shows a few minutes before the appointed time, his second by his side. In place of his traditional bokken, he carries a wooden Louisville Slugger. Upon seeing my armament, Kuno pauses and says something to the little man, who then scurries over to me.
"Master Kuno wishes to know why you are not agreeing to your own terms," Sasuke inquires.
"Inform your master that I said 'baseball bats', I did not say how many or what type. If he wishes to surrender now, he may. If he wants to get another bat, he has until the appointed time." I nod and the little man turns to go. I get an idea. "Wait," I say. "If your master insists that the weapons be equal, he may choose either of my bats for his own weapon." The little man nods at me and scurries back to Kuno. They talk for a bit.
The audience is eating it up. I admit that I'm playing to the crowd, but mostly, I'm playing to Nabiki. She instigated this, and I plan to make her pay for it. Sasuke scuttles back to me and asks to see my weapons. He looks them over for a few seconds and chooses the one in my right hand. He returns to Kuno, bowing and presenting the bat. He exchanges his wooden one for it and takes a few practice swings.
"Anytime, Kuno-san," I say in a raised voice so that everyone can hear. I've got my repeller field up, and mentally reach for a lock on Kuno. I don't have it when he charges me, bat held high in a two-hand grip. His swing comes in an arc directed toward my skull. I reach up and catch the bat, first in the repeller field, then in my left hand. Now that I have tactile feedback from the bat, it isn't going anywhere.
I allow Kuno to struggle against almost a ton of natural strength and telekinesis combined. His face rapidly becomes red as he strains to pull his weapon free. I bring my left arm down while raising my own bat in my right hand. The crowd is silent.
"Do you surrender, or do I actually have to hit you?" I ask Kuno.
"Thou will never defeat the 'Blue Thunder' of Furinkan High School with thy foul sorcery!" Well, I'm not using magic, but I do understand why he might think so. By this time his face is bright red and he could hurt himself if he doesn't slack off. I wrench the bat free from his hands.
"There, you can no longer continue with the duel, you have no weapon and it would not be honorable of me to attack an unarmed man."
My hopes that this will end it are dashed when he calmly steps back and says, "Sasuke, bat." His second bows and hands him the Louisville Slugger he had given up earlier. As soon as he sets his grip, he launches another attack.
I cross block his swing, trapping his bat between my own, twist and snap a kick to his chest, knocking him down. He holds on to his bat, gets back up and comes at me again. I block with my left and shove my right bat into his gut. Not full force of course, just enough to get his attention. I give him a 10 for effort. He may be great with a sword, but the balance difference of a bat is giving him problems. The crowd is making noise again.
He recovers faster than I thought possible and grazes the side of my head. If I hadn't had my repeller field up, or dodged when I did, it might have been a knockout blow. I roll with it a bit, mostly for show. I've underestimated his ability to adapt his sword styles. I jump back to gain some room. He attempts to follow up on his momentary advantage, which is what I want. He swings, and I counter swing. Wood meets aluminum and aluminum wins. His bat shatters into a thousand pieces. I've disarmed him twice, and I don't think he has any more bats.
"Sasuke, bokken." The little man hands Kuno his trademark weapon. "Prepare to meet thy end sorcerer." From a clear sky, the sound of thunder rolls across the field.
"You so much as point that thing at me, and I'll stop scr-" Once more, Kuno interrupts me with an attack. It's the same flurry of blows he used the other day against Ranma. The repeller field protects me from serious damage, but I can still feel the hits. I jump up a bit and let the force of Kuno's strikes push me out of the way of any additional hits. He charges me again, bokken in a striking posture. Block with the right and swing with the left. Again, another light strike to the midsection, as I don't want to really hurt him.
"Is that feeble blow thy best attempt?" Kuno scoffs, preparing an assault.
Fine, he can have it his way. I drop the repeller field around me and reset it to full force directly between us while I strike with both bats. It's like being shoved by an angry gorilla. It's enough to knock him end over end, but as he lands on his front, he still hangs to his weapon. Gotta give him credit for that. I go for a mental lock on Kuno again. This time I feel it click in. He might be able to thrash around a bit, but he's not going anywhere I don't want him to.
I drop my bats, slap an arm bar on him and twist his wrist, forcing him to release his bokken. A flick of my foot knocks it out of reach.
"You are _disarmed_. Now before I _break_ your arm... DO... YOU... YIELD?"
"NEVER!!!" Kuno screams defiantly, as he struggles futilely against my TK.
Tendo Nabiki, you caused this. You and your $&#**^% arrogance. Kuno is resisting to the best of his ability. By this time, Ranma has come over to observe how I've got Kuno pinned. I can't let him look too closely. He may notice that what I'm doing shouldn't be this effective, so regrettably, I dislocate Kuno's right shoulder. Between that and a kick to the head, Kuno's pain system finally overloads enough to render him unconscious.
I march over to Nabiki, present my bet slip and demand, "54,837 yen, pay up." There is a trace of fear in her eyes as she counts out the money. There damn well should be considering the look I'm giving her. I take the money and look over to where Kuno lies. Sasuke is attending to him and it looks as if he has already popped the shoulder back in. I turn back to Nabiki and start speaking in English.
"Kuno-san told me that you told him about Akane crying. Just wind him up and let him go huh? That beating he took was totally unnecessary. I didn't enjoy giving it, and I'm damn sure he didn't enjoy getting it." I don't know how much of this the rest of the crowd is getting, but they are getting the gist of it. "This was all because you just HAVE to get the last word. You HAVE to be right. You HAVE to come out on top. And to HELL with anyone else. We are all just money bearing playthings to you. Nobody else's feelings are real. No one matters excepts you."
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!!" she screams at me.
"Tell Kuno-san that when he wakes up." I turn and go back to the field for my baseball bats. As I get close to Kuno, Sasuke jumps in front of him and reaches into his sleeve for something. By reflex, I reset the repeller field.
"Wait," I tell him, holding my hands up, "I just want to talk. When he wakes up, apologize to him for me. He was tricked into this fight by Tendo Nabiki. He probably won't believe that, but it's true."
"I will offer Master Kuno your apologies once he awakens," Sasuke tells me.
I nod and he scoops Kuno up in a fireman's carry, sagging heavily against the weight. Pretty strong fellow considering his size. Feeling more like a loser than a winner, I trudge back into the school, shower again and change into my riding gear. Ranma is waiting for me by the bike rack. Great. Probably pissed at me for yelling at his fiancee's sister. The crowd from earlier is long gone.
"Hi Ranma." Unlock bike from rack.
"Yo, sensei." A normal tone, so far so good. "Nice fight there against Kuno. Liked how ya caught that first swing."
"Ranma, that fight wasn't against Kuno, it was against Nabiki."
"Huh?"
"Nabiki set the whole thing up. She told Kuno something that made him mad enough to challenge me."
"Oh."
"It was revenge for breaking her camera." Pull bike from rack.
"Didn't ya replace it?"
"Must have been her favorite camera."
"No, she keeps that one at home."
I ponder that for a bit. "I'm heading to Ucchan's for some food. Want to join me? I'll buy."
"Sure thing sensei." Ranma definitely thinks with his stomach.
We leave the school grounds, and I walk the bike along side of me. As we go along, Ranma leaps up on to a fence and continues walking like it's nothing special.
When I give him a questioning look, Ranma tells me, "It's balance training. Pops says you can make almost anything into martial arts practice."
"Hmm... Ranma, what is it about your dad? He's been sizing me up ever since he laid eyes on me." Good a time as any to find out.
"Just checkin' out what he _thinks_ is competition. Normally when someone shows up in Nerima, it's either ta challenge me or marry me, or marry Akane or sumthin' like that."
"I assure you, I don't want to marry you or Akane," I say laughing.
"Who'd wanna marry that uncute macho tomboy anyway?"
"I don't know... she's got a great smile." Me thinks he doth protest too much. "Besides, I'm already married."
"What?!?"
He misses his step, loses his balance and falls into the canal that we've been walking beside. There is a big splash and all of a sudden I'm looking at a dripping wet Ranko.
"WHAT!!" I shout, not at the top of my lungs, but loud enough to be heard for quite a distance. Then a series of images run past my mind's eye. Click. Ranko wearing the same clothes as Ranma, only looser. Click. Never seeing Ranma with his cousin. Click. P-Chan's bandana. Click. The kids with the water pistols. Click. RYOGA! Hell, Cheshire Cat got turned into a talking cat once. I should have figured this out by now! AARRGGHHH!!!
"i'm gonna kill him," is what I say first. I do it so quietly, I barely hear myself. "I'm gonna kill him." This repetition is in my normal voice. Before I work my way up to shouting, my brain turns back on. Wait. Get the facts first. Running off half cocked is why Kuno got his arm dislocated.
By this time, Ranma has pulled him... her... self out of the water.
"Well, now ya know."
"Ukyo know about this?" I ask.
"Yeah."
"She know Ryoga is P-Chan?"
"I'm not sure. Hey! How did ya figure that out?"
"After seeing you change, it was obvious. Does Akane know about Ryoga?"
"No, and I'm sworn on my honor as a martial artist not to tell her. I've dropped enough hints, but she just don't get it."
Well, I'm not a martial artist. So I'm off _that_ hook. "We'll discuss this at Ucchan's." I've got some thinking to do.
"Yeah, well, I need hot water to change back anyway."
He steps under a bridge to wring out his clothes the best he... she... can. I'd offer hi- her some clothes if I had any clean stuff left in my bag. I doubt they would fit, as the female Ranma is a fairly petite thing. We walk on in silence. Hot water to change _back_, so probably colder water to change. Ranma turns into a girl version of himself. Ryoga turns into a pig. Must make rainy days interesting. Wonder who they crossed to get this way? Considering how good a fighter Ranma is, if he could fight someone to get changed back, he'd have done it by now. Wonder if there are more of them? I've got a lot more questions than answers by the time we get to Ucchan's. I lock my bike to a nearby lamp post and we go in.
Ukyo takes one look at the two of us and uses her big spatula to flip a tea kettle at Ranma. She snatches it out of the air with practiced ease and gingerly pours some on her head. I watch as her hair shifts from red to black, she gains several inches and her breasts disappear while the rest of her musculature fills out leaving Ranma looking as male as he did earlier.
"Ya get full marks. Most people freak when they see me change the first time."
"How did it happen?" I ask, sitting down near the end of the counter.
Ranma tells me a long story of training journeys, cursed springs, Chinese Amazons, rivalries, multiple engagements and enough weird stuff to make my life look almost normal. I try to ask as few questions as possible, only when I can't understand a particular word or phrase. I avoid questioning the specifics. Ukyo serves us okonomiyaki while we talk, occasionally joining in when she has time between customers.
I let him wind down before I go for the recap. "You turn into a girl, your father turns into a panda, Shampoo turns into a cat," Ranma shudders at the word 'cat', "and Mousse turns into a duck." By unspoken agreement, I don't mention Ryoga.
"Yeah," Ranma says around a mouthful of food.
"Cold water activates the curse, hot water changes you back. And as far as you know, there is no cure."
"Nuthin' that's worked so far."
Damn, it's magic and there's nothing I can do to help him with it. Every time I seriously mix with magic, bad things happen. Like the demon that got loose in Central Park. Golem X possessing Walt. The entire Emerald Shard of Emalia affair.
"Sorry, magic is a little bit out of my line of work. Don't know how I could help."
"You're takin' this pretty well. I can tell ya believe me, but ya don't seem... surprised."
You want a disgusting transformation, go watch Fester change shape. Ranma's change is quick and clean by comparison. "I've seen some weird stuff in my day. Jusenkyo is weird, but not too weird."
Ranma makes a noise halfway between a grunt and a laugh. "What do ya consider too weird?"
I'm tempted to tell him, but truthfully I don't remember much of it. Emalia was definitely too weird. I fall back on my habit of changing the topic. "Long story, maybe later." I look over and Ukyo is greeting a batch of new customers. I lower my voice. "We need to talk about Ryoga."
He pauses in mid bite and sets his chopsticks down. "I've done every thing I could and more ta get Akane ta figure it out."
"I figured it out."
"Yeah, but you're some kinda genius. Your Japanese is better now then when I first met ya. You're learning it as fast as I learn new techniques." Knew Ranma had a brain in there. "Well, maybe not _that_ fast," he says under his breath.
"Could Akane already know, but not care?"
This stuns Ranma for a few seconds before he shakes his head. "Doubt it. If she knew, she'd be friendlier to Ryoga."
"I could tell her if you can't."
I can hear the mental gears turning inside Ranma's head while he thinks on my offer. After a couple of minutes while I eat quietly and finish my water, Ranma looks up toward Ukyo. Making sure she's busy at the grill, he quietly tells me, "no, that would be... bad."
I ask the obvious question, "How bad?"
Very quietly he answers, "multiple murders bad. akane'd kill me and ryoga for sure."
Maybe he's overreacting, maybe he's not. Akane does seem to have a bit of berserker about her. Since this affects him, he gets the benefit of a doubt for being the guy at ground zero. "All right, I won't blab to Akane. But if I get Ryoga or P-Chan alone, his ass is mine."
"Whose ass is yours?" asks Ukyo, having brought a pitcher to refill my glass. Damn, didn't notice her walk up.
Think fast Jeff. "Kuno-san's if he tries anything tomorrow." It's not the answer to her question, but it's true none the less.
"I dunno, he's stupid and persistent," Ranma says, apparently agreeing to keep Ryoga's name out of it.
"I can stop him easily enough. I just don't want to seriously hurt him. Nabiki instigated the fight, it doesn't seem fair to keep beating on Kuno-san because of it."
"Too late for that," Ranma comments.
"If you want, I can talk to Nabiki," Ukyo informs me.
"You think it'll help?" I ask.
"Probably not." "Maybe." come from Ranma and Ukyo respectively.
It's almost dark by now, and I have papers to grade, so I pay Ukyo for the food, rounding it up to an even 5000 yen. I'm feeling generous with Nabiki's money. Before Ukyo can offer change, I'm unlocking my bike and riding off into the fading light. Ranma can sure pack it away, it's not _that_ big a tip.
As I grade the papers, I find Nabiki has one of four perfect quizzes. That doesn't surprise me. I check with Monster for progress on hacking the Mishima network. Nothing. That doesn't surprise me either. I go to bed and dream of being home with my family. That surprises me least of all.
END PART 4
In Part 5: Getting used to Nerima.
What's happened so far: Jeff Anderson, 'retiring' super hero, has come to Nerima for reasons involving a dead colleague and Mishima Heavy Industries. He has arranged a cover as a student teacher at Furinkan High School. He's met most of the Ranma cast, and thinks that Ranma and Ryoga are meta-humans like himself. On his way home from dinner with the Tendo's, he was attacked by a street gang. They weren't a problem. He also called home, spoke to his wife and thought about exactly why he was in Nerima. He hasn't found out about Jusenkyo curses yet, but it's only a matter of time.
-----
The morning dawns crisp and clear, the clouds from last night having blown out to sea. Still some puddles on the ground here and there from the rain. I practice with the baseball bats I purchased last night, finding their balance. Same with the wooden rods that were a set of nunchaku last night. They feel good in my hands. I should have thought of this when I got here.
I get ready for school and as I ride along, keep my eyes open for girls with purple or pink hair. No luck as I arrive at Ucchan's for breakfast. She's busy making okonomiyaki for the morning rush crowd. And doing a fine job of it too. I'm the last person to get in an order before she announces that she has to get ready for school.
She slings a pork okonomiyaki at me, "Ohayoo sensei" written in hiragana on it in sauce. I laugh and dig in.
"I'm running late, everybody out!" Ukyo tells the room at large. While I would think that the customers would object to this, they take it in stride and file out. According to the sign, she's only open for an hour in the morning and after school.
"Need a lift to school?"
"Thank you sensei, that would be a great help." She's busy cleaning the grill and putting away stuff with practiced speed.
"When were not at school, you can call me Jeff."
"Sure thing. I'll be right back." She disappears into the back, returning with books and spatulas a moment later. She ushers me out and locks up. She looks at the bicycle and then me.
"You take the bike, I'll meet you there," I say as I begin jogging towards the school.
"Yeah, right," she deadpans before climbing on the bike. I've got my stuff on the cargo rack, so I'm not worried about keeping up. My best time for the mile is 2 minutes 40 seconds. I'm a little tired from the ride here, so I probably couldn't do that right now, but it's not that far to the school. She pedals past me, and I increase my speed to catch up. She shifts up a gear, I match her. She shifts gears again and starts pedaling hard. I let her get away, but keep her in sight until she turns on to the street the school in on.
I'm running at a nice clip when I see Ranko and Akane making their own dash for the school. Ranko is once again wet and dressed in loose clothing. Akane is in her school uniform. Ranma and Ranko are the only students I've seen not in uniform. Even Kuno changes out of his hakama before entering class. I slow down to allow them to catch up to me.
"Running late again?"
"Hai sens- Jeff," Akane puffs out.
"Later". I pick up my speed, which Akane isn't able to match. "I've got longer legs, so I can run faster," I quote to myself. I'm a little late myself because of the extra practice with the baseball bats and stuff this morning. Ukyo has my bike parked at the rack for me when I arrive, I grab my stuff off the back and dash to the coach's shower just in time for the first bell.
I've perfected the art of the 90 second shower and use a repeller field to wipe the excess water off me. I rub my hair with a towel and get dressed in 12 seconds. (An absolute must skill for a super hero.) I'm in the classroom with 30 seconds to spare. Serizawa-sensei isn't happy with me though. His ire takes the form of my taking over History for the day. My return shot should be the American perspective on Pearl Harbor, but I stick with the events leading up to the Meiji restoration as per the lesson plan.
Kuno gives me hostile looks throughout the morning. Knows his stuff when it comes to 19th century Japanese history though. There just may be a brain in there after all. Nabiki still has her poker face up, which to me is an obvious sign she's up to something. Wish she'd let it drop. If she wants to play one upmanship, she's in danger of finding out how far up she can get.
I turn the class back over to Serizawa-sensei, having made only three language mistakes bad enough for the class to laugh at. That's down from my first few days. At my small desk at the back of the room, I work on my lesson plans for English Lit and Math. Looking forward to Saturday when Serizawa-sensei has given me permission to do an hour on recreational mathematics. Maybe I'm taking this student-teacher cover too seriously. Well, if I'm going to do it, I may as well do it to the best of my abilities.
The lunch bell rings and the class files out except for Kuno. I can see the arrogance in his eyes as he strides toward me.
"Excuse me Anderson-sensei, I would have words with thee," Kuno declares in a serious tone.
"How may I help you Kuno-san?"
"Did you, or did you not, cause my beloved Tendo Akane to cry yesterday, hurting her... blah blah blah..." Somehow I can't focus on what he's saying, so I wait for him to stop speaking.
"Yes, " I begin. I don't get to continue 'we were sparring' because Kuno interrupts.
"FIEND! How dare thee injure my beloved! Blah blah blah... I challenge thee to a duel!"
Wait a minute? Duel? I must have shown some surprise on my face, because he starts off on another rant.
"Coward! Defiler of women! BLAH BLAH BLAH! Blah blah blah BLAH!!"
Two or three years ago, I'd might have risen to this sort of bait. I like to think that I've grown up some since. I hold up my hand and wave at him to stop. Like with the punks who tried to mug me last night, I have to give him a chance to back down.
"You really think this is worth fighting a duel over Kuno-san?"
"Yes! It is a manner of honor, you who have none."
"You realize as the challenged party I would have the right to set the terms?"
"That matters not, I, the great 'Blue Thunder' of Furinkan High School, can defeat thee under any conditions."
"You realize you haven't even heard my side of it."
"I know what thou hast done to my beloved Akane blah blah blah..."
"Tendo Nabiki told you about this, right?"
"That matters not."
Well, I got the admission I was looking for. Glad Nabiki didn't sic Ranma on me, that would have been dangerous. I need a way to teach her a lesson. This might work, but I think it'll still be lost on her. "As you wish Kuno-san. Send your second to me so we can make arrangements. Now excuse me, I'm late for lunch."
The rumor mill works fast here. Before I reach the cafeteria, I hear whispers about the upcoming fight.
"Him and Kuno-sempai..." "A duel..." "Did you hear..." "Big fight..." "I wonder what the odds will be..." I turn my head at that one.
"Excuse me?" I turn to face a couple of boys standing together. I think I remember seeing them in the crowd after the fight with Ryoga, but I'm not sure.
"Hai sensei." They both answer.
"What's this about odds?"
They look reluctant to answer me, so I just stare at them until the one on the left starts talking. "Well... Tendo Nabiki-sempai takes bets on all the fights around here."
Somehow, I'm not surprised. If Nabiki had a middle name it would be "Anything for a buck". Well, this gives me an opportunity to beat her on two fronts. Not only will I get to earn some money off her, I get to beat her appointed champion. Maybe appointed catspaw would be a better choice of words. From the way he carried on, I'm certain Kuno was set up by her.
I smile at the two boys. "How would you like to earn a little money then?" I ask. I can hear the cash registers ring in their heads. "The terms of the duel haven't been set yet. Would you like to sell Nabiki some advanced info?"
"Hai Sensei!" Their enthusiasm draws attention from the rest of the student body. I'm tempted to tell them to bet the farm on me, but I don't want to be contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
I motion them over and tell them in a quiet voice. "Athletic fields, half an hour after school, baseball bats. Until one of us surrenders or is unable to continue. Now go straight to Nabiki with this and don't let anyone else know.
I work my way through the cafeteria line and sit at the end of one of the tables where I can easily be contacted by Kuno's second. I don't have to wait long before he arrives. A small, bucktoothed man wearing black from head to toe drops down from the ceiling and lands lightly besides me. I spotted him when he slipped in through a window a couple of minutes ago. Not too much reaction from the student body. They must have seen him before.
"Jeffery Anderson?" he inquires.
"Yes. I take it you are Kuno-san's second for the upcoming duel?"
He nods amiably. "I am Sasuke, Master Kuno's humble servant."
"The place: The Furinkan High School athletic fields. The time: one half hour after school today. The weapons: Baseball bats. The terms: Surrender, or until one of us is unable to continue. Are these terms acceptable?"
"I will confer with Master Kuno."
"Make it quick, lunch is almost over."
He nods, and in a series of quick leaps, is out the same window he entered. While I'm waiting, I finish my meal. I notice Nabiki drift through the room, exchanging brief conversations with people. She stops at one table for a bit to chat with a group of young men from the Kendo Club. Scouting me out eh? I laugh to myself and almost miss the little man in black's return through the window. He scuttles across the ceiling beams and drops down besides me again.
"Master Kuno states that your conditions are acceptable."
I nod. "Thank you. I shall see you and your master at the time of the duel."
The little man nods, again leaving the cafeteria in a series of leaps and bounds. My business here over, I return to the classroom. The afternoon passes quietly, Kuno and myself ignoring each other as proper dueling etiquette requires for opponents who can't avoid one another. Nabiki's concentration is split between the class, Kuno and myself. She's as much a part of this duel as Kuno or I, so I try to ignore her as well.
Many notes are being passed around the room, much to the anger of Serizawa-sensei. A total of six people wind up in the hall carrying buckets before the flow of notes dries up. Eventually, the bell rings, releasing the students. I gather the English Lit quizzes that I'll be grading tonight and file them in my briefcase. I head downstairs to the gym and get changed for the fight. I was expecting trouble, so I packed accordingly. A pair of dark gray sweats, and an oversized brown t-shirt with a picture of "Schoolhouse Rocky" on the front and the engineer from "Conjunction Junction" on the back. A pair of sweat socks and my tennies complete the outfit.
I take the baseball bats from my gym bag and examine them carefully for any signs of tampering. Always check your weapons when possible before going into battle. Always. There's no such thing as paranoia when they really are out to get you. The bats are all right and ready for use. Since I'm as prepared for the fight as I'm going to get, it's time to find Nabiki.
I head outside and there is a sizable crowd gathered to watch the impending struggle. Ranma stands near Akane. Nabiki is taking money from various students. No sign of Ukyo, she's probably at her restaurant. I'll go see her after this is over with. Well, I'll go eat her cooking anyway. Ranma and his cousin have both fought Kuno, so I walk over to ask him a question.
"Saotome-san, any advice?"
"Well, if ya were using bokken, I'd say watch out for his speed. I don't know how he'll use a baseball bat," he says seriously.
"What odds did Nabiki put on this?"
Ranma laughs. "Well, once she found out how ya did against the Kendo Club, she set the odds at one ta two in your favor."
"How's the betting?"
"The Kendo Club is bettin' against ya, but the rest of it seems pretty well split. Not that I've been payin' attention or nuthin'."
Ranma likes to play dumb, but I'm sure there's a brain in there someplace. "So, how much did you bet?" I ask offhandedly.
"Nuthin'. I already owe Nabiki money, I didn't have nuthin' ta bet," he tells me. "If I did, I'd bet on you. I'd never bet on Kuno, he's an idiot."
I thank Ranma and head over to Nabiki. I get there and pull out my wallet from my pants leg.
"One to two?" I ask, but it's not really a question.
"Hai Anderson-sensei, as long as you bet on yourself."
I empty my wallet and pockets. 36,558 yen. "I'll be back for my winnings after the fight." Was that a little surprise break she had while she handed me my betting slip? As I walk off, Nabiki is swamped with people making new bets after seeing my confidence.
I take my place on the field, and do a few stretches and strikes. Nothing too fancy or too fast. I've got a bat in each hand. I did say baseball bats, plural, when I set the terms for this little farce. Since I don't actually intend on fighting fair, I don't know why I put on the show.
Kuno shows a few minutes before the appointed time, his second by his side. In place of his traditional bokken, he carries a wooden Louisville Slugger. Upon seeing my armament, Kuno pauses and says something to the little man, who then scurries over to me.
"Master Kuno wishes to know why you are not agreeing to your own terms," Sasuke inquires.
"Inform your master that I said 'baseball bats', I did not say how many or what type. If he wishes to surrender now, he may. If he wants to get another bat, he has until the appointed time." I nod and the little man turns to go. I get an idea. "Wait," I say. "If your master insists that the weapons be equal, he may choose either of my bats for his own weapon." The little man nods at me and scurries back to Kuno. They talk for a bit.
The audience is eating it up. I admit that I'm playing to the crowd, but mostly, I'm playing to Nabiki. She instigated this, and I plan to make her pay for it. Sasuke scuttles back to me and asks to see my weapons. He looks them over for a few seconds and chooses the one in my right hand. He returns to Kuno, bowing and presenting the bat. He exchanges his wooden one for it and takes a few practice swings.
"Anytime, Kuno-san," I say in a raised voice so that everyone can hear. I've got my repeller field up, and mentally reach for a lock on Kuno. I don't have it when he charges me, bat held high in a two-hand grip. His swing comes in an arc directed toward my skull. I reach up and catch the bat, first in the repeller field, then in my left hand. Now that I have tactile feedback from the bat, it isn't going anywhere.
I allow Kuno to struggle against almost a ton of natural strength and telekinesis combined. His face rapidly becomes red as he strains to pull his weapon free. I bring my left arm down while raising my own bat in my right hand. The crowd is silent.
"Do you surrender, or do I actually have to hit you?" I ask Kuno.
"Thou will never defeat the 'Blue Thunder' of Furinkan High School with thy foul sorcery!" Well, I'm not using magic, but I do understand why he might think so. By this time his face is bright red and he could hurt himself if he doesn't slack off. I wrench the bat free from his hands.
"There, you can no longer continue with the duel, you have no weapon and it would not be honorable of me to attack an unarmed man."
My hopes that this will end it are dashed when he calmly steps back and says, "Sasuke, bat." His second bows and hands him the Louisville Slugger he had given up earlier. As soon as he sets his grip, he launches another attack.
I cross block his swing, trapping his bat between my own, twist and snap a kick to his chest, knocking him down. He holds on to his bat, gets back up and comes at me again. I block with my left and shove my right bat into his gut. Not full force of course, just enough to get his attention. I give him a 10 for effort. He may be great with a sword, but the balance difference of a bat is giving him problems. The crowd is making noise again.
He recovers faster than I thought possible and grazes the side of my head. If I hadn't had my repeller field up, or dodged when I did, it might have been a knockout blow. I roll with it a bit, mostly for show. I've underestimated his ability to adapt his sword styles. I jump back to gain some room. He attempts to follow up on his momentary advantage, which is what I want. He swings, and I counter swing. Wood meets aluminum and aluminum wins. His bat shatters into a thousand pieces. I've disarmed him twice, and I don't think he has any more bats.
"Sasuke, bokken." The little man hands Kuno his trademark weapon. "Prepare to meet thy end sorcerer." From a clear sky, the sound of thunder rolls across the field.
"You so much as point that thing at me, and I'll stop scr-" Once more, Kuno interrupts me with an attack. It's the same flurry of blows he used the other day against Ranma. The repeller field protects me from serious damage, but I can still feel the hits. I jump up a bit and let the force of Kuno's strikes push me out of the way of any additional hits. He charges me again, bokken in a striking posture. Block with the right and swing with the left. Again, another light strike to the midsection, as I don't want to really hurt him.
"Is that feeble blow thy best attempt?" Kuno scoffs, preparing an assault.
Fine, he can have it his way. I drop the repeller field around me and reset it to full force directly between us while I strike with both bats. It's like being shoved by an angry gorilla. It's enough to knock him end over end, but as he lands on his front, he still hangs to his weapon. Gotta give him credit for that. I go for a mental lock on Kuno again. This time I feel it click in. He might be able to thrash around a bit, but he's not going anywhere I don't want him to.
I drop my bats, slap an arm bar on him and twist his wrist, forcing him to release his bokken. A flick of my foot knocks it out of reach.
"You are _disarmed_. Now before I _break_ your arm... DO... YOU... YIELD?"
"NEVER!!!" Kuno screams defiantly, as he struggles futilely against my TK.
Tendo Nabiki, you caused this. You and your $&#**^% arrogance. Kuno is resisting to the best of his ability. By this time, Ranma has come over to observe how I've got Kuno pinned. I can't let him look too closely. He may notice that what I'm doing shouldn't be this effective, so regrettably, I dislocate Kuno's right shoulder. Between that and a kick to the head, Kuno's pain system finally overloads enough to render him unconscious.
I march over to Nabiki, present my bet slip and demand, "54,837 yen, pay up." There is a trace of fear in her eyes as she counts out the money. There damn well should be considering the look I'm giving her. I take the money and look over to where Kuno lies. Sasuke is attending to him and it looks as if he has already popped the shoulder back in. I turn back to Nabiki and start speaking in English.
"Kuno-san told me that you told him about Akane crying. Just wind him up and let him go huh? That beating he took was totally unnecessary. I didn't enjoy giving it, and I'm damn sure he didn't enjoy getting it." I don't know how much of this the rest of the crowd is getting, but they are getting the gist of it. "This was all because you just HAVE to get the last word. You HAVE to be right. You HAVE to come out on top. And to HELL with anyone else. We are all just money bearing playthings to you. Nobody else's feelings are real. No one matters excepts you."
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!!" she screams at me.
"Tell Kuno-san that when he wakes up." I turn and go back to the field for my baseball bats. As I get close to Kuno, Sasuke jumps in front of him and reaches into his sleeve for something. By reflex, I reset the repeller field.
"Wait," I tell him, holding my hands up, "I just want to talk. When he wakes up, apologize to him for me. He was tricked into this fight by Tendo Nabiki. He probably won't believe that, but it's true."
"I will offer Master Kuno your apologies once he awakens," Sasuke tells me.
I nod and he scoops Kuno up in a fireman's carry, sagging heavily against the weight. Pretty strong fellow considering his size. Feeling more like a loser than a winner, I trudge back into the school, shower again and change into my riding gear. Ranma is waiting for me by the bike rack. Great. Probably pissed at me for yelling at his fiancee's sister. The crowd from earlier is long gone.
"Hi Ranma." Unlock bike from rack.
"Yo, sensei." A normal tone, so far so good. "Nice fight there against Kuno. Liked how ya caught that first swing."
"Ranma, that fight wasn't against Kuno, it was against Nabiki."
"Huh?"
"Nabiki set the whole thing up. She told Kuno something that made him mad enough to challenge me."
"Oh."
"It was revenge for breaking her camera." Pull bike from rack.
"Didn't ya replace it?"
"Must have been her favorite camera."
"No, she keeps that one at home."
I ponder that for a bit. "I'm heading to Ucchan's for some food. Want to join me? I'll buy."
"Sure thing sensei." Ranma definitely thinks with his stomach.
We leave the school grounds, and I walk the bike along side of me. As we go along, Ranma leaps up on to a fence and continues walking like it's nothing special.
When I give him a questioning look, Ranma tells me, "It's balance training. Pops says you can make almost anything into martial arts practice."
"Hmm... Ranma, what is it about your dad? He's been sizing me up ever since he laid eyes on me." Good a time as any to find out.
"Just checkin' out what he _thinks_ is competition. Normally when someone shows up in Nerima, it's either ta challenge me or marry me, or marry Akane or sumthin' like that."
"I assure you, I don't want to marry you or Akane," I say laughing.
"Who'd wanna marry that uncute macho tomboy anyway?"
"I don't know... she's got a great smile." Me thinks he doth protest too much. "Besides, I'm already married."
"What?!?"
He misses his step, loses his balance and falls into the canal that we've been walking beside. There is a big splash and all of a sudden I'm looking at a dripping wet Ranko.
"WHAT!!" I shout, not at the top of my lungs, but loud enough to be heard for quite a distance. Then a series of images run past my mind's eye. Click. Ranko wearing the same clothes as Ranma, only looser. Click. Never seeing Ranma with his cousin. Click. P-Chan's bandana. Click. The kids with the water pistols. Click. RYOGA! Hell, Cheshire Cat got turned into a talking cat once. I should have figured this out by now! AARRGGHHH!!!
"i'm gonna kill him," is what I say first. I do it so quietly, I barely hear myself. "I'm gonna kill him." This repetition is in my normal voice. Before I work my way up to shouting, my brain turns back on. Wait. Get the facts first. Running off half cocked is why Kuno got his arm dislocated.
By this time, Ranma has pulled him... her... self out of the water.
"Well, now ya know."
"Ukyo know about this?" I ask.
"Yeah."
"She know Ryoga is P-Chan?"
"I'm not sure. Hey! How did ya figure that out?"
"After seeing you change, it was obvious. Does Akane know about Ryoga?"
"No, and I'm sworn on my honor as a martial artist not to tell her. I've dropped enough hints, but she just don't get it."
Well, I'm not a martial artist. So I'm off _that_ hook. "We'll discuss this at Ucchan's." I've got some thinking to do.
"Yeah, well, I need hot water to change back anyway."
He steps under a bridge to wring out his clothes the best he... she... can. I'd offer hi- her some clothes if I had any clean stuff left in my bag. I doubt they would fit, as the female Ranma is a fairly petite thing. We walk on in silence. Hot water to change _back_, so probably colder water to change. Ranma turns into a girl version of himself. Ryoga turns into a pig. Must make rainy days interesting. Wonder who they crossed to get this way? Considering how good a fighter Ranma is, if he could fight someone to get changed back, he'd have done it by now. Wonder if there are more of them? I've got a lot more questions than answers by the time we get to Ucchan's. I lock my bike to a nearby lamp post and we go in.
Ukyo takes one look at the two of us and uses her big spatula to flip a tea kettle at Ranma. She snatches it out of the air with practiced ease and gingerly pours some on her head. I watch as her hair shifts from red to black, she gains several inches and her breasts disappear while the rest of her musculature fills out leaving Ranma looking as male as he did earlier.
"Ya get full marks. Most people freak when they see me change the first time."
"How did it happen?" I ask, sitting down near the end of the counter.
Ranma tells me a long story of training journeys, cursed springs, Chinese Amazons, rivalries, multiple engagements and enough weird stuff to make my life look almost normal. I try to ask as few questions as possible, only when I can't understand a particular word or phrase. I avoid questioning the specifics. Ukyo serves us okonomiyaki while we talk, occasionally joining in when she has time between customers.
I let him wind down before I go for the recap. "You turn into a girl, your father turns into a panda, Shampoo turns into a cat," Ranma shudders at the word 'cat', "and Mousse turns into a duck." By unspoken agreement, I don't mention Ryoga.
"Yeah," Ranma says around a mouthful of food.
"Cold water activates the curse, hot water changes you back. And as far as you know, there is no cure."
"Nuthin' that's worked so far."
Damn, it's magic and there's nothing I can do to help him with it. Every time I seriously mix with magic, bad things happen. Like the demon that got loose in Central Park. Golem X possessing Walt. The entire Emerald Shard of Emalia affair.
"Sorry, magic is a little bit out of my line of work. Don't know how I could help."
"You're takin' this pretty well. I can tell ya believe me, but ya don't seem... surprised."
You want a disgusting transformation, go watch Fester change shape. Ranma's change is quick and clean by comparison. "I've seen some weird stuff in my day. Jusenkyo is weird, but not too weird."
Ranma makes a noise halfway between a grunt and a laugh. "What do ya consider too weird?"
I'm tempted to tell him, but truthfully I don't remember much of it. Emalia was definitely too weird. I fall back on my habit of changing the topic. "Long story, maybe later." I look over and Ukyo is greeting a batch of new customers. I lower my voice. "We need to talk about Ryoga."
He pauses in mid bite and sets his chopsticks down. "I've done every thing I could and more ta get Akane ta figure it out."
"I figured it out."
"Yeah, but you're some kinda genius. Your Japanese is better now then when I first met ya. You're learning it as fast as I learn new techniques." Knew Ranma had a brain in there. "Well, maybe not _that_ fast," he says under his breath.
"Could Akane already know, but not care?"
This stuns Ranma for a few seconds before he shakes his head. "Doubt it. If she knew, she'd be friendlier to Ryoga."
"I could tell her if you can't."
I can hear the mental gears turning inside Ranma's head while he thinks on my offer. After a couple of minutes while I eat quietly and finish my water, Ranma looks up toward Ukyo. Making sure she's busy at the grill, he quietly tells me, "no, that would be... bad."
I ask the obvious question, "How bad?"
Very quietly he answers, "multiple murders bad. akane'd kill me and ryoga for sure."
Maybe he's overreacting, maybe he's not. Akane does seem to have a bit of berserker about her. Since this affects him, he gets the benefit of a doubt for being the guy at ground zero. "All right, I won't blab to Akane. But if I get Ryoga or P-Chan alone, his ass is mine."
"Whose ass is yours?" asks Ukyo, having brought a pitcher to refill my glass. Damn, didn't notice her walk up.
Think fast Jeff. "Kuno-san's if he tries anything tomorrow." It's not the answer to her question, but it's true none the less.
"I dunno, he's stupid and persistent," Ranma says, apparently agreeing to keep Ryoga's name out of it.
"I can stop him easily enough. I just don't want to seriously hurt him. Nabiki instigated the fight, it doesn't seem fair to keep beating on Kuno-san because of it."
"Too late for that," Ranma comments.
"If you want, I can talk to Nabiki," Ukyo informs me.
"You think it'll help?" I ask.
"Probably not." "Maybe." come from Ranma and Ukyo respectively.
It's almost dark by now, and I have papers to grade, so I pay Ukyo for the food, rounding it up to an even 5000 yen. I'm feeling generous with Nabiki's money. Before Ukyo can offer change, I'm unlocking my bike and riding off into the fading light. Ranma can sure pack it away, it's not _that_ big a tip.
As I grade the papers, I find Nabiki has one of four perfect quizzes. That doesn't surprise me. I check with Monster for progress on hacking the Mishima network. Nothing. That doesn't surprise me either. I go to bed and dream of being home with my family. That surprises me least of all.
END PART 4
In Part 5: Getting used to Nerima.