MASTER OF NERIMA
A Fanfic done by Arkanghel. All Ranma ½ characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 4:
As if in slow motion, Shampoo watched in horrible fascination as Mousse drew weapons out from his robe. Chains flew through the air right for her, but Shampoo stood rooted where she stood. He was unlike any Mousse she'd ever seen before.
Then a mace grazed her cheek and that woke her up. With a cry, she quickly jumped out of harm's way. Mousse followed after her doggedly.
"Stupid Mousse! Shampoo no want to hurt you!" Shampoo said angrily. Mousse didn't bother to speak at all. He just let a couple of shurikkens fly towards her. Shampoo picked a chair and blocked it, then threw it at him. Across the room, Akane stood watching gravely.
"Stupid Tomboy- girl! What you do to Mousse!!!" Shampoo yelled at her. She dashed for her bonbori and threw it at Akane's direction. A chain whipped out of Mousse's sleeve and slapped the bonbori from the air.
"You will not hurt Akane!" he said angrily, and rushed at her. Shampoo was taken off guard, and she went flying across the room.
Akane watched silently. This was just the second time she had to use her most powerful technique. That proves that Shampoo is really a very superb warrior. She was still very young when she used this technique the first time, and it ended very badly. She had to do it to defend herself. Now, she wondered why she did it now.
She guessed that maybe she just wanted to show-off. A very lousy reason.
Akane suddenly felt her stomach lurch and then she felt nauseous. She had to lean against the wall to steady herself.
***"What a pretty little girl you are," a man said, leaning over her.
He held a lollipop to her but she was afraid to take it. He was nicely dressed, and he was quite handsome, but still, there was something wrong with his eyes. She shook her head timidly.
"Why, don't you like candy?" he asked. "Oh, I know what you'll like – Ice cream!" he said.
Her eyes grew big. Ice cream? That was her favorite!
"With chocolate hot fudge and almonds?" she asked eagerly.
The man's smile grew bigger. "Of course, all that you want," he said.
"YEY!" she yelled happily, and took his hand. His hand was so clammy and cold.
He led her away from the park. They walked a long time. She looked around, and couldn't see anything familiar anymore.
"Blue babyyy… My blue baby…" the man mumbled, his hand gripping hers painfully.
"Mister, you're hurting me," she whimpered. "I wanna go home!"
"Blue baby…" he continued to mumble, then he suddenly pulled her into a dark alley.
"You're mine…" his voice chilled her like nothing ever could.***
-o-0-O-0-o-
Shampoo glared at Mousse darkly as she picked herself. If he wanted a fight, she'll oblige him. She'll trounce him into a pulp for attempting something like this! With an amazon cry, she launched an attack.
Mousse parried every kick and punch she threw his way. A sneer on his face enraged Shampoo more and her kicks got deadlier, but nothing got through his defenses. Then she suddenly changed tactics, and hopped away. Picking a mace lying on the ground, she threw it at him. Mousse sidestepped it, and it only grazed his shoulder and then he threw a chain at her. It wrapped around her leg when she tried to vault out of the way.
"Aiya!!!" Shampoo cried. She came crashing ungracefully to the ground. Then she was up in the air again as Mousse pulled the chain back. Shampoo twisted, and turned her momentum into an attack. This time, she was successful, a vicious kick landed square on Mousse's face. He lost his balance, and tumbled down, Shampoo on top of him.
Making use of the opening in Mousse's defense, a lot of Shampoo's jabs struck home before Mousse could recover. Then she nimbly hopped away before he could retaliate. Mousse weaved through the air, obviously still dazed. Unfortunately, Shampoo forgot about the chain still bound to her leg, but he didn't. With a powerful pull, Shampoo went flying against a wall.
It was the end of the fight.
Shampoo fell unconscious to the floor, and Mousse strode purposefully towards her, a vicious- looking dagger glinting in his hand.
-o-0-O-0-o-
Akane awoke feeling sick from her stupor. She drunkenly grabbed anything that could steady her. Her eyes quickly scanned the place to reorient herself when she saw Mousse bending over Shampoo.
"NO!" she cried. "Not again! Stop Mousse!!!" She stumbled forward, and then regained her feet. Her right hand weaved across the air as she concentrated.
"Enough!" she said raggedly. Then she finally retched.
-o-0-O-0-o-
Mousse felt like he'd just awoken. Slowly, he regained his senses and his awareness. Why was he holding a dagger in his hand? Why did he feel so sore all over? Why was he standing over an unconscious Shampoo?
"Aiya!!! What have I done?!?" he cried. He threw the dagger as if it was a snake and cradled Shampoo's prone body in his arms.
"What have I done!?"
At the other side of the room, Akane stood up unsteadily and watched Mousse hold Shampoo. Then she slowly left the Nekohanten, feeling like the most awful person in the whole world.
-o-0-O-0-o-
"For tonight's hard-hitting news… A stay-in Patient of the Mito Mental Ward had escaped earlier today and is currently running free around Nerima. Everybody is advised to practice more caution until this man is recaptured…"
Nabiki's attention was temporarily taken away from the TV when Akane entered. She looked ready to keel over.
"What happened to you?" she asked.
"Nothing," Akane replied vaguely. Nabiki noticed a slight wobble in Akane's gait.
"Ara! Akane, you look sick!" Kasumi appeared at the door with some tea and promptly dropped it on the table and rushed to Akane's side.
"I'm just tired, that's all. I just fought with Shampoo today," she faintly explained. "I just need to rest in my room."
Akane disengaged herself from Kasumi and continued on out of the room. Her two older sisters stared at her back with some concern. Then Nabiki shrugged noncommittally, and went back to watching the news.
"… about 5'8" tall, lean build, and longish light colored hair. He has been in the ward for 8 years. Anyone who has seen this man may call this hotline…"
A picture was flashed on air, and Nabiki saw a vaguely familiar looking man. She couldn't place where she'd seen him before, but a shiver ran through her spine as she stared at his eyes. She'd seen eyes like that before... eight years ago.
Maybe she'll check some things in her laptop before she went to bed.
-o-0-O-0-o-