Chapter 7: Lost Secrets
A/N: I'm sorry if I seem critical of some readers' reviews. I'm just a little defensive of my work sometimes. I highly encourage reviewing. I LOVE getting reviews, so keep them coming!
But the DBZ idea? No. DBZ just sucks, I'm sorry. Free country, my opinion.
********
Muu Tsu walked through the doors to the Nekohanten, his gait slow and careful. He said nothing, but immediately went to his room.
Xian Fu watched his retreating form apprehensively, but did not follow. She instead proceeded up the stairs to her own room, contemplating these recent events. She was still an Amazon warrior, and despite outward appearances as of late, she was above mourning and showing pitiful emotions for the deceased.
Yes, that's right, she said, wiping a tear from her eye. Desperate to change the mood and subject, she looked across her room into her body- length mirror.
Myself. This is the outward image people see. My form, my shape, she thought. She raised a hand to her violet tresses, finally taking the time to asses them.
No one I can see has this color, she thought. Among the Amazons, it is a sign of pride, that you do not measure yourself according to everyone else's standards. Here, I just look silly, she thought. Well, that's not entirely right, she corrected herself, aware of the many, many men who were attracted by the purple hair alone; but the longer she thought about it, the less she wanted attention from men like that.
Finding sudden resolution, she rose from the bed and went to her dresser. In the top drawer was a shampoo bottle labelled '88.' She took it and held it up to the light, considering the right time to use it.
Well, in the meantime, I'd better start preparing the formula for use, she thought.
**
Days later, the Nerima ward was slowly going back to business as usual. Ranma and Ryoga still fought, more like friends and rivals then ever. Principal Kuno was still annoying the hell out of the student body, even when graduation was mere days away. His latest game, playing his own Hawaiian rendition of Rammstein's "Engel" over the school's loudspeakers at full blast, didn't go over very well. The usual Kuno-punishing resulted, levelling the Principal's hut-office once and for all, and there was much rejoicing.
As finals came to a close, the students (a certain group in particular) all began to truly grasp what was happening for them. Commencement was approaching, and with it came all the expected changes graduation would bring about for them.
"Muu Tsu, what are you doing after graduation?" asked Akane casually while they all sat down to a rare peaceful lunch.
"Well, I dunno. Up until a few months ago, I wasn't even going to school, so it doesn't really change anything for me. Well, besides the fact I'll now have a diploma from Japan. Maybe I'll turn one of my hobbies into a job; I mean, there's not too much of an overwealming demand for a hidden- weapons martial artist as a career," he answered at length.
"You mean, you're not going back to China?" asked Ukyo. The youth shrugged and thought about it for a moment.
"I really don't have too much waiting for me back there. I mean, I was always part of the tribe, but they really didn't accept me there. Besides being a male, I'm a klutz; I mean...well, you guys know me." he said, grins abounding. "Seriously, though," he continued, "I'm going to apply for Japanese citizenship as soon as I turn eighteen. I have no direct family in China, and I'd rather not live under the People's Republic if I can help it."
"Well, that great," Akane said. "You've really grown on us, you know?"
"Yeah," added Ukyo, "It wouldn't be the same without you, sugar."
"Thanks, guys," said Muu Tsu, honestly touched. "That's really nice to know."
Ranma had been playing with his food all lunch, and he finally figured he found the right time to speak up.
"Uh, hey Muu Tsu," he said suddenly. "Can I talk to you over here for a minute?" Ranma asked, backing up to a nearby oak tree. Muu Tsu already knew what the pigtailed martial artist wanted to talk about, so he went without question.
"I already know what you want, Ranma," the Chinese youth said, echoing his thoughts.
"Good, because this is hard as it is. Believe me, I still want to fight, and belive me, I'm still gonna beat the crap out of you," he said with a friendly smirk. Muu Tsu returned the smirk, the interaction by this time mimiking that of arguing brothers, much the same as Ranma and Ryoga had aquired over the years.
"You'd like to think you would, Saotome," he replied.
"Heh. Anyway, I just want to know if there's been enough...y'know, greivance time...if you're up for this."
"Anytime, anyplace, Saotome," Muu Tsu answered, immediately rebuffed by the Doctor's voice echoing in his mind.
/It proves nothing, Muu Tsu.../
"Wait, wait," he said, unsure of what to do. "I can't."
"What!? Why?" asked Ranma. "If you can't agree to a formal match, I can always bust you out right here and now..."
"One of the last things Dr. Tofu said to me was that he thought the match was irresponsible and I shouldn't do it!" exclaimed Muu Tsu.
"Do you think there was one match between all of us that he _did_ condone? Honestly, Muu Tsu, the man was a pacifist. He was a great human being and all, but that was his real flaw, man," Ranma said, rebuffing the Chinese martial artist and generally doing a great deal to piss him off. Muu Tsu suddenly grabbed Ranma's jacket and slammed him against the tree with enough force to shake a few branches loose.
"Don't you..._Ever_...badmouth that man in my presence again," he warned. Ranma freed himself with a quick maneuver, and went to counterattack. Muu Tsu swept the pigtailed martial artist off his feet with a quick low kick, and pinned him to the ground with one foot.
"You'll have your match, Saotome. We're going to get this over with, and then you're not going to challenge me ever again. Swear it!" he exclaimed. Ranma offered no struggle, or he would have been on his feet by now. He stared daggars into the eyes of the Chinese Amazon, who stared daggars right back.
"I swear, on the honor of the Saotome name," Ranma affirmed. Muu Tsu lifted his foot off the boy's cheast, allowing him to get to his feet.
"Be prepared, Saotome. If I ever hear of you speaking ill of Dr. Tofu again, you will regret it," Muu Tsu said, returning to the lunch table long enough to retrieve his bento box. All those around the table watched him depart back into the building with solemn faces. They all silently agreed to follow him inside, and prepare for the next class. It was time to go back anyway, to the last final of their high school careers.
**
Back at the Tendo compound, another conflict was brewing. In the center of the dojo floor sat a man in pain. Outwardly, there was no physical sign that Genma Saotome was doing anything but meditating...or sleeping. Inside, he was fighting a battle of biblical scale with a demon that had a stranglehold on his soul.
Silence...calm...peace, Genma forced into his mind. The growls and screams he heard echoing through his mind mocked the efforts he was making in the name of his own sanity and the safety of his family.
Genma Saotome had never considered himself evil. An opprotunist, to be sure. A shrewd opponent and a stern father, perhaps. On occasion, perhaps even a little bit of a pervert. Evil? Never.
Now, however, a force so deeply rooted within the inner core of his soul was poisoning his mind and darkening his spirit.
"Genma dear," came a voice from the doorway, "please come in for lunch. It's not like you to be late for a meal, you know."
*/Kill her, Saotome/* She's my wife! I can't! */Oh you can, it's just a matter of getting your HEAD around the idea!/* the voice mocked him, laughing all the while. */You know, you can kill just about anyone once you put your MIND to it!/* Shut up! Get out of my head! Genma cried in desperation.
"Just a moment, Nodoka dear," soothed the man. "I'll be there in a minute."
"Okay," replied the Saotome matron with a smile. She turned to leave.
"Oh, dear?" Genma said, causing her to turn back.
"Yes, Genma?" she asked. The man before her gave a warm smile.
"I love you, Nodoka dear," he said simply. She returned the smile gratefully.
"As I love you, my husband."
*/Wimp.../*
**
The match was to be the very next day, the day before the graduation ceremony. Muu Tsu was too occuplied with more...important matters to give the ordeal much attention. While Ranma was busily pumping himself up for the fight, the Chinese youth was attentively holed up his room.
Before him was a sketchpad, as he worked furiously to develop his new look. Around the room were posted newspaper clippings from the past week, displaying the various American superheroes known to be in action. He looked to each in turn.
Captain America...The red, white, and blue design along with the Adamantium shield characterized his purpose and character clearly.
The X-Men... That was a tricky one. The mutant question wasn't as vocal on this side of the planet as it was over there. In fact, it was hardly a matter at all in this corner of the world, where superpowered human beings seemed to be common occurances. He looked over their latest uniform, a nondescript black jumpsuit with approprite utilities and 'X' crests. Since he was an Army of One, to put it simply, he had no need of a unifying crest or uniform. He did need a symbol, however...
Which brought him to the main issue, as he turned to look at the clipping directly above his head. This world already has one Spider-man, he thought, seeing the red and blue suit of the famous wallcrawler who was by rumor bitten by a radioactive spider. He then thought of the various permutations that had surfaced over the years. Venom, Carnage, Spider- girl, and the others. He came to the conclusion that one more couldn't possibly hurt, and he set to work.
**
"Ramen, order for three, up!" called out the raspy voice from the kitchen. Xian Fu deftly caught the bowls on her tray, and went to serve them up. All eyes were on her, as always, as she crossed from table to table, serving up the steaming bowls of soupy noodles. By this time, XF was used to the STARE, so it didn't really bother her. However, one could almost hear the sound of a dozen or so necks turning in unison to her movement, which could be quite disturbing.
"Xian Fu, would you take over back here for a moment, I must attend to something," Ko Lon told her Great-granddaughter, taking a moment to go around the resteraunt once to collect orders, then pogo-ing up the stairs to the living quarters. Xian Fu ducked into the kitchen, preparing more orders of the various types of Ramen they served. It was quite a long time afterward when the next order came in, and she began to prepare the ingredients. After putting another pot on the boil, she looked over the orders Ko Lon took before going upstairs, recognising a few of them instantly. Ducking her head out of the serving window, she confimed the presence of a few firmiliar faces.
"Hi-ya! Welcome to Nekohanten, Ranma!" she called out to the pigtailed martial artist, who had brought along the whole Tendo and Saotome clans to dinner. Well, that is to say, he was with them; the day Ranma could afford to take them all out to dinner was the day he fell ass-backwards over a cache of buried treasure. Back to the present, the combined families had served to fill nearly half the resteraunt, and soon a few friends filtered in as well. "Hi-ya, is lot of people," she commented. "What special occasion?" she asked.
"Why Xian Fu," Soun answered her, "you're all going to graduate in two days. I thought it would be nice for everyone to go out for a nice dinner...you know...all of us...like...a...family..." he said, bursting forth into streams of tears. Kasumi went to comfort her father.
"You know, father went over the house today and felt each and every repaired panel and boarded up hole," she said. "As much as it's cost him over the years, I think he actually got nostalgic."
"Ha, ha...Cheer up Tendo, it's not like anybody's going anywhere!" affirmed Genma. */Not geographically, anyway. Where exactly is hell, you think?/* Shut up!
"S-Saotome...all my friends..." replied the emotional martial artist, grabbing onto the nearest person and hugging for all he was worth.
"Uh, Mr. Tendo..." Ryoga said cautiously. "I appreciate it and all, but could you stop that, please?"
"Oh, sorry."
"Thanks."
"Well, I no keep you waiting!" announced Xian Fu. "I make up Ramen extra super quick!" she said, getting to work.
"Xian Fu, dear, there's one in the order for you, too!" called Nodoka from the table. "We've reserved the resteraunt with your Great-grandmother, so you can take a break and join us when you're done."
That's so nice of them... Thought the Amazon girl. I guess I'm not as hated as I thought, she concluded, getting about her task. She prepared each order carefully, taking care to spice each one to that person's preferrence. Years of serving Ramen to these same people had given her a keen sense of what they wanted in their noodles. When an order left her short of seasoning oil, Xian Fu went on a search of the kitchen. Finding no extra bottles packed away, she was put in a bind. She really wanted that oil. Catching sight of one of Muu Tsu's robes hanging on the hook in the back alongside her aprons, Xian Fu decided to do a quick search in the hopes of finding what she needed. Why not? He keeps damn near everything else in there, she mused.
**
Muu Tsu was working in a fever. All around him were crumpled rejects to his attempts at catching what he needed. The Agent had recognised him instantly from his robes and hair. Those were no-goes. He had to have some kind of form in which to hide his usual assortment of gear, of course. There was no need to have those skills go to waste. The hair was not only going to be hidden, he made a silent note to himself to take a little of the length off. Not a whole lot, but make any ponytail he would tie back in the neighborhood of three feet long instead of six.
A few more adjustments, and he was done. He looked proudly at the finished sketch, unsure as to how he was going to actually complete the costume. The color scheme was close to the origional costume he had concocted, with a black mask, black gloves and sleeves, and black pants. There was a middle area, though, where all resemblence diverged. A closer-fit version of his robes, all white with no trimming, came barely past his shoulders and flared out below the belt. A silvery web pattern followed the black portions of his body, and a black spider was emblazoned on the cheast of the robe. The way the robe reached between his waist and elbow, it closely resembled the wing-gliding system he had seen in a 'Nightwing' comic book he had picked up.
He looked closely at the sketch, and tried to think of a good name for himself, should the situation ever call for it. After a moment of thought, for lack of a better name, he wrote out the words, "White Spider?" beneath the sketch, and stowed it away in his robe for safekeeping. As he rummaged around inside, he felt for one thing in particular, and panicked when he didn't find it.
**
Muu Tsu burst out of his room, to the immediate welcome of the populace of the resteraunt. The Chinese youth stopped dead for a moment, like a deer caught in headlights. Everyone he knew was sitting down and eating Ramen together, and appearing humane to each other by the look of it. He was just wating for Ralph Edwards to speak up, announcing "Muu Tsu Jiang! This is your life!" Hearing nothing, Muu Tsu looked around for a second, wondering if he could see Rod Serling if he tried hard enough.
"Um, be right with you," he mumbled, ducking into the kitchen. Spotting the robe he had hung on the far wall the previous week, he began frantically searching. Oh shit, he thought, his mind working a mile a minute. There is no way I could have lost that thing.
A tingling worked its way up his spine, and he turned to see the small vial on the kitchen counter, open.
And empty.
There were only three remaining bowls of Ramen left on the counter, but as Muu Tsu looked on in terror, a slim hand reached in through the serving window, and snatched them up before he could say anything. Rushing out of the kitchen, Muu Tsu looked on in horror as he saw each and every person hungrily eating their bowls of noodles, oblivious to him or what could possibly happen should the wrong person ingest that serum...
"Muu Tsu! You come out of hiding," observed Xian Fu as he drifted past her table in a dreamlike state. "We have graduation celebration. Sit down, I make dinner for even you," she said, motioning to the open seat across from her with a bowl of Ramen and a pair of chopsticks waiting. He sat down at the circular table uneasily, the details of each person eating echoing painfully clear to his heightened senses. The sluping and munching began to make him sick as he caught snippets of each person in turn eating their dinner.
Ryoga. Well, that's not so bad, I think. I can almost see him doing allright, he thought. He's pretty harmless on the vindictive scale, and the serum only works through positive emotions.
Kasumi. If having an inner light was a problem for anyone else, she would become the most powerful being on earth. She could easily become a goddess with that serum.
Genma. I don't want to even think of that one with superpowers.
Kodachi. Sweet Jesus in heaven, who invited her?! he thought, blood pressure skyrocketing. His mind was immediately plauged by horrid visions of an all-powerful Kodachi sowing the earth with the seeds of black roses and raining down tranquilizer gas on all those who opposed her. He then looked across, at the face of someone who was wondering what was the matter.
"What wrong with Ramen, crazy duck-boy?" Xian Fu asked him, already half- finished with her meal, and the Amazon boy hadn't even touched his yet. The term 'duck-boy' came off as a term of endearment.
Xian Fu. Now that's tough, he thought. I don't know what to think about that other then I'd have to be a minor God to be able give her the challenge of marriage, he mused, shuddering inwardly at the thought. Outwardly, he merely smiled and dug into the dish before him.
Why does my life have to keep getting more and more complicated? he asked himself as he finished the bowl quickly and returned to his room, eager to begin work. Xian Fu watched him go, starting to become concerned at his odd behavior.
I think I'll go ahead and do it tonight, she thought, amused at what Muu Tsu might think of her. I can barely remember my own hair color; I've had this Amazon coloring since I was at least four years old. I wonder if _he_ does?
**
"I see. What does the committee suggest?" asked the large man who now possessed a visor-like device with which to see. On the other side of the table, the balding man with the unbelievably long nose spoke up.
"Well, it goes without saying that whoever it was on the other end of that phone must be sought out and eliminated. If he was capable of taking out that many agents at once, then he must be classified as a threat. At this stage, we cannot afford to have any threats to the timetable," he stated. A third man spoke up from across the table, a man with squared glasses who spoke with a slightly English accent.
"We were unable to secure any information from the van, and there were no survivors to report on what happened. The only other thing we know is that it followed the last agent and dissected that van itself. It's quite possible that what the good Doctor was working on recieved life and at the right moment to preserve itself. The question is: who recieved the formula?"
"The voice belonged to a younger man," stated the youngest member of the congregated group. "It is quite possible that it was the Doctor's assistant, Muu Tsu Jiang."
"Good then, Ikari, we leave it in your capable hands to see the boy dead," stated the first man. "That is all you are needed here for," he finished, the committee dissappearing from the room. A door opened on the far side of the blackness, and a voice called out to the last remaining visible person.
"Gendo, are you finished in here?" asked the woman.
"Yes, my dear," he replied. "What is it?"
"Dr. Akagi would like for you to look at something," she said, stopping for a moment to hold her swollen midsection.
"Is he kicking again?" the man asked. The woman nodded.
"He's strong, like his father," she said, kissing her husband on the lips and leading him from the room.
No...nobody will ever hurt you, my dear sweet Yui, Gendo affirmed, shutting the door behind him.
********
A/N: If you guys didn't catch it, I was indeed listening to Rammstein earlier when I wrote this. I had a moment of writer's block, so I listened until it came to me. It also inspired the sentence of 'Ayanami' inner dialouge when Shampoo looked at herself in the mirror. I kill me.
Keep voting on your favorite haircolor for Shampoo!
Next chapter: Okay you two, let's get it on!
A/N: I'm sorry if I seem critical of some readers' reviews. I'm just a little defensive of my work sometimes. I highly encourage reviewing. I LOVE getting reviews, so keep them coming!
But the DBZ idea? No. DBZ just sucks, I'm sorry. Free country, my opinion.
********
Muu Tsu walked through the doors to the Nekohanten, his gait slow and careful. He said nothing, but immediately went to his room.
Xian Fu watched his retreating form apprehensively, but did not follow. She instead proceeded up the stairs to her own room, contemplating these recent events. She was still an Amazon warrior, and despite outward appearances as of late, she was above mourning and showing pitiful emotions for the deceased.
Yes, that's right, she said, wiping a tear from her eye. Desperate to change the mood and subject, she looked across her room into her body- length mirror.
Myself. This is the outward image people see. My form, my shape, she thought. She raised a hand to her violet tresses, finally taking the time to asses them.
No one I can see has this color, she thought. Among the Amazons, it is a sign of pride, that you do not measure yourself according to everyone else's standards. Here, I just look silly, she thought. Well, that's not entirely right, she corrected herself, aware of the many, many men who were attracted by the purple hair alone; but the longer she thought about it, the less she wanted attention from men like that.
Finding sudden resolution, she rose from the bed and went to her dresser. In the top drawer was a shampoo bottle labelled '88.' She took it and held it up to the light, considering the right time to use it.
Well, in the meantime, I'd better start preparing the formula for use, she thought.
**
Days later, the Nerima ward was slowly going back to business as usual. Ranma and Ryoga still fought, more like friends and rivals then ever. Principal Kuno was still annoying the hell out of the student body, even when graduation was mere days away. His latest game, playing his own Hawaiian rendition of Rammstein's "Engel" over the school's loudspeakers at full blast, didn't go over very well. The usual Kuno-punishing resulted, levelling the Principal's hut-office once and for all, and there was much rejoicing.
As finals came to a close, the students (a certain group in particular) all began to truly grasp what was happening for them. Commencement was approaching, and with it came all the expected changes graduation would bring about for them.
"Muu Tsu, what are you doing after graduation?" asked Akane casually while they all sat down to a rare peaceful lunch.
"Well, I dunno. Up until a few months ago, I wasn't even going to school, so it doesn't really change anything for me. Well, besides the fact I'll now have a diploma from Japan. Maybe I'll turn one of my hobbies into a job; I mean, there's not too much of an overwealming demand for a hidden- weapons martial artist as a career," he answered at length.
"You mean, you're not going back to China?" asked Ukyo. The youth shrugged and thought about it for a moment.
"I really don't have too much waiting for me back there. I mean, I was always part of the tribe, but they really didn't accept me there. Besides being a male, I'm a klutz; I mean...well, you guys know me." he said, grins abounding. "Seriously, though," he continued, "I'm going to apply for Japanese citizenship as soon as I turn eighteen. I have no direct family in China, and I'd rather not live under the People's Republic if I can help it."
"Well, that great," Akane said. "You've really grown on us, you know?"
"Yeah," added Ukyo, "It wouldn't be the same without you, sugar."
"Thanks, guys," said Muu Tsu, honestly touched. "That's really nice to know."
Ranma had been playing with his food all lunch, and he finally figured he found the right time to speak up.
"Uh, hey Muu Tsu," he said suddenly. "Can I talk to you over here for a minute?" Ranma asked, backing up to a nearby oak tree. Muu Tsu already knew what the pigtailed martial artist wanted to talk about, so he went without question.
"I already know what you want, Ranma," the Chinese youth said, echoing his thoughts.
"Good, because this is hard as it is. Believe me, I still want to fight, and belive me, I'm still gonna beat the crap out of you," he said with a friendly smirk. Muu Tsu returned the smirk, the interaction by this time mimiking that of arguing brothers, much the same as Ranma and Ryoga had aquired over the years.
"You'd like to think you would, Saotome," he replied.
"Heh. Anyway, I just want to know if there's been enough...y'know, greivance time...if you're up for this."
"Anytime, anyplace, Saotome," Muu Tsu answered, immediately rebuffed by the Doctor's voice echoing in his mind.
/It proves nothing, Muu Tsu.../
"Wait, wait," he said, unsure of what to do. "I can't."
"What!? Why?" asked Ranma. "If you can't agree to a formal match, I can always bust you out right here and now..."
"One of the last things Dr. Tofu said to me was that he thought the match was irresponsible and I shouldn't do it!" exclaimed Muu Tsu.
"Do you think there was one match between all of us that he _did_ condone? Honestly, Muu Tsu, the man was a pacifist. He was a great human being and all, but that was his real flaw, man," Ranma said, rebuffing the Chinese martial artist and generally doing a great deal to piss him off. Muu Tsu suddenly grabbed Ranma's jacket and slammed him against the tree with enough force to shake a few branches loose.
"Don't you..._Ever_...badmouth that man in my presence again," he warned. Ranma freed himself with a quick maneuver, and went to counterattack. Muu Tsu swept the pigtailed martial artist off his feet with a quick low kick, and pinned him to the ground with one foot.
"You'll have your match, Saotome. We're going to get this over with, and then you're not going to challenge me ever again. Swear it!" he exclaimed. Ranma offered no struggle, or he would have been on his feet by now. He stared daggars into the eyes of the Chinese Amazon, who stared daggars right back.
"I swear, on the honor of the Saotome name," Ranma affirmed. Muu Tsu lifted his foot off the boy's cheast, allowing him to get to his feet.
"Be prepared, Saotome. If I ever hear of you speaking ill of Dr. Tofu again, you will regret it," Muu Tsu said, returning to the lunch table long enough to retrieve his bento box. All those around the table watched him depart back into the building with solemn faces. They all silently agreed to follow him inside, and prepare for the next class. It was time to go back anyway, to the last final of their high school careers.
**
Back at the Tendo compound, another conflict was brewing. In the center of the dojo floor sat a man in pain. Outwardly, there was no physical sign that Genma Saotome was doing anything but meditating...or sleeping. Inside, he was fighting a battle of biblical scale with a demon that had a stranglehold on his soul.
Silence...calm...peace, Genma forced into his mind. The growls and screams he heard echoing through his mind mocked the efforts he was making in the name of his own sanity and the safety of his family.
Genma Saotome had never considered himself evil. An opprotunist, to be sure. A shrewd opponent and a stern father, perhaps. On occasion, perhaps even a little bit of a pervert. Evil? Never.
Now, however, a force so deeply rooted within the inner core of his soul was poisoning his mind and darkening his spirit.
"Genma dear," came a voice from the doorway, "please come in for lunch. It's not like you to be late for a meal, you know."
*/Kill her, Saotome/* She's my wife! I can't! */Oh you can, it's just a matter of getting your HEAD around the idea!/* the voice mocked him, laughing all the while. */You know, you can kill just about anyone once you put your MIND to it!/* Shut up! Get out of my head! Genma cried in desperation.
"Just a moment, Nodoka dear," soothed the man. "I'll be there in a minute."
"Okay," replied the Saotome matron with a smile. She turned to leave.
"Oh, dear?" Genma said, causing her to turn back.
"Yes, Genma?" she asked. The man before her gave a warm smile.
"I love you, Nodoka dear," he said simply. She returned the smile gratefully.
"As I love you, my husband."
*/Wimp.../*
**
The match was to be the very next day, the day before the graduation ceremony. Muu Tsu was too occuplied with more...important matters to give the ordeal much attention. While Ranma was busily pumping himself up for the fight, the Chinese youth was attentively holed up his room.
Before him was a sketchpad, as he worked furiously to develop his new look. Around the room were posted newspaper clippings from the past week, displaying the various American superheroes known to be in action. He looked to each in turn.
Captain America...The red, white, and blue design along with the Adamantium shield characterized his purpose and character clearly.
The X-Men... That was a tricky one. The mutant question wasn't as vocal on this side of the planet as it was over there. In fact, it was hardly a matter at all in this corner of the world, where superpowered human beings seemed to be common occurances. He looked over their latest uniform, a nondescript black jumpsuit with approprite utilities and 'X' crests. Since he was an Army of One, to put it simply, he had no need of a unifying crest or uniform. He did need a symbol, however...
Which brought him to the main issue, as he turned to look at the clipping directly above his head. This world already has one Spider-man, he thought, seeing the red and blue suit of the famous wallcrawler who was by rumor bitten by a radioactive spider. He then thought of the various permutations that had surfaced over the years. Venom, Carnage, Spider- girl, and the others. He came to the conclusion that one more couldn't possibly hurt, and he set to work.
**
"Ramen, order for three, up!" called out the raspy voice from the kitchen. Xian Fu deftly caught the bowls on her tray, and went to serve them up. All eyes were on her, as always, as she crossed from table to table, serving up the steaming bowls of soupy noodles. By this time, XF was used to the STARE, so it didn't really bother her. However, one could almost hear the sound of a dozen or so necks turning in unison to her movement, which could be quite disturbing.
"Xian Fu, would you take over back here for a moment, I must attend to something," Ko Lon told her Great-granddaughter, taking a moment to go around the resteraunt once to collect orders, then pogo-ing up the stairs to the living quarters. Xian Fu ducked into the kitchen, preparing more orders of the various types of Ramen they served. It was quite a long time afterward when the next order came in, and she began to prepare the ingredients. After putting another pot on the boil, she looked over the orders Ko Lon took before going upstairs, recognising a few of them instantly. Ducking her head out of the serving window, she confimed the presence of a few firmiliar faces.
"Hi-ya! Welcome to Nekohanten, Ranma!" she called out to the pigtailed martial artist, who had brought along the whole Tendo and Saotome clans to dinner. Well, that is to say, he was with them; the day Ranma could afford to take them all out to dinner was the day he fell ass-backwards over a cache of buried treasure. Back to the present, the combined families had served to fill nearly half the resteraunt, and soon a few friends filtered in as well. "Hi-ya, is lot of people," she commented. "What special occasion?" she asked.
"Why Xian Fu," Soun answered her, "you're all going to graduate in two days. I thought it would be nice for everyone to go out for a nice dinner...you know...all of us...like...a...family..." he said, bursting forth into streams of tears. Kasumi went to comfort her father.
"You know, father went over the house today and felt each and every repaired panel and boarded up hole," she said. "As much as it's cost him over the years, I think he actually got nostalgic."
"Ha, ha...Cheer up Tendo, it's not like anybody's going anywhere!" affirmed Genma. */Not geographically, anyway. Where exactly is hell, you think?/* Shut up!
"S-Saotome...all my friends..." replied the emotional martial artist, grabbing onto the nearest person and hugging for all he was worth.
"Uh, Mr. Tendo..." Ryoga said cautiously. "I appreciate it and all, but could you stop that, please?"
"Oh, sorry."
"Thanks."
"Well, I no keep you waiting!" announced Xian Fu. "I make up Ramen extra super quick!" she said, getting to work.
"Xian Fu, dear, there's one in the order for you, too!" called Nodoka from the table. "We've reserved the resteraunt with your Great-grandmother, so you can take a break and join us when you're done."
That's so nice of them... Thought the Amazon girl. I guess I'm not as hated as I thought, she concluded, getting about her task. She prepared each order carefully, taking care to spice each one to that person's preferrence. Years of serving Ramen to these same people had given her a keen sense of what they wanted in their noodles. When an order left her short of seasoning oil, Xian Fu went on a search of the kitchen. Finding no extra bottles packed away, she was put in a bind. She really wanted that oil. Catching sight of one of Muu Tsu's robes hanging on the hook in the back alongside her aprons, Xian Fu decided to do a quick search in the hopes of finding what she needed. Why not? He keeps damn near everything else in there, she mused.
**
Muu Tsu was working in a fever. All around him were crumpled rejects to his attempts at catching what he needed. The Agent had recognised him instantly from his robes and hair. Those were no-goes. He had to have some kind of form in which to hide his usual assortment of gear, of course. There was no need to have those skills go to waste. The hair was not only going to be hidden, he made a silent note to himself to take a little of the length off. Not a whole lot, but make any ponytail he would tie back in the neighborhood of three feet long instead of six.
A few more adjustments, and he was done. He looked proudly at the finished sketch, unsure as to how he was going to actually complete the costume. The color scheme was close to the origional costume he had concocted, with a black mask, black gloves and sleeves, and black pants. There was a middle area, though, where all resemblence diverged. A closer-fit version of his robes, all white with no trimming, came barely past his shoulders and flared out below the belt. A silvery web pattern followed the black portions of his body, and a black spider was emblazoned on the cheast of the robe. The way the robe reached between his waist and elbow, it closely resembled the wing-gliding system he had seen in a 'Nightwing' comic book he had picked up.
He looked closely at the sketch, and tried to think of a good name for himself, should the situation ever call for it. After a moment of thought, for lack of a better name, he wrote out the words, "White Spider?" beneath the sketch, and stowed it away in his robe for safekeeping. As he rummaged around inside, he felt for one thing in particular, and panicked when he didn't find it.
**
Muu Tsu burst out of his room, to the immediate welcome of the populace of the resteraunt. The Chinese youth stopped dead for a moment, like a deer caught in headlights. Everyone he knew was sitting down and eating Ramen together, and appearing humane to each other by the look of it. He was just wating for Ralph Edwards to speak up, announcing "Muu Tsu Jiang! This is your life!" Hearing nothing, Muu Tsu looked around for a second, wondering if he could see Rod Serling if he tried hard enough.
"Um, be right with you," he mumbled, ducking into the kitchen. Spotting the robe he had hung on the far wall the previous week, he began frantically searching. Oh shit, he thought, his mind working a mile a minute. There is no way I could have lost that thing.
A tingling worked its way up his spine, and he turned to see the small vial on the kitchen counter, open.
And empty.
There were only three remaining bowls of Ramen left on the counter, but as Muu Tsu looked on in terror, a slim hand reached in through the serving window, and snatched them up before he could say anything. Rushing out of the kitchen, Muu Tsu looked on in horror as he saw each and every person hungrily eating their bowls of noodles, oblivious to him or what could possibly happen should the wrong person ingest that serum...
"Muu Tsu! You come out of hiding," observed Xian Fu as he drifted past her table in a dreamlike state. "We have graduation celebration. Sit down, I make dinner for even you," she said, motioning to the open seat across from her with a bowl of Ramen and a pair of chopsticks waiting. He sat down at the circular table uneasily, the details of each person eating echoing painfully clear to his heightened senses. The sluping and munching began to make him sick as he caught snippets of each person in turn eating their dinner.
Ryoga. Well, that's not so bad, I think. I can almost see him doing allright, he thought. He's pretty harmless on the vindictive scale, and the serum only works through positive emotions.
Kasumi. If having an inner light was a problem for anyone else, she would become the most powerful being on earth. She could easily become a goddess with that serum.
Genma. I don't want to even think of that one with superpowers.
Kodachi. Sweet Jesus in heaven, who invited her?! he thought, blood pressure skyrocketing. His mind was immediately plauged by horrid visions of an all-powerful Kodachi sowing the earth with the seeds of black roses and raining down tranquilizer gas on all those who opposed her. He then looked across, at the face of someone who was wondering what was the matter.
"What wrong with Ramen, crazy duck-boy?" Xian Fu asked him, already half- finished with her meal, and the Amazon boy hadn't even touched his yet. The term 'duck-boy' came off as a term of endearment.
Xian Fu. Now that's tough, he thought. I don't know what to think about that other then I'd have to be a minor God to be able give her the challenge of marriage, he mused, shuddering inwardly at the thought. Outwardly, he merely smiled and dug into the dish before him.
Why does my life have to keep getting more and more complicated? he asked himself as he finished the bowl quickly and returned to his room, eager to begin work. Xian Fu watched him go, starting to become concerned at his odd behavior.
I think I'll go ahead and do it tonight, she thought, amused at what Muu Tsu might think of her. I can barely remember my own hair color; I've had this Amazon coloring since I was at least four years old. I wonder if _he_ does?
**
"I see. What does the committee suggest?" asked the large man who now possessed a visor-like device with which to see. On the other side of the table, the balding man with the unbelievably long nose spoke up.
"Well, it goes without saying that whoever it was on the other end of that phone must be sought out and eliminated. If he was capable of taking out that many agents at once, then he must be classified as a threat. At this stage, we cannot afford to have any threats to the timetable," he stated. A third man spoke up from across the table, a man with squared glasses who spoke with a slightly English accent.
"We were unable to secure any information from the van, and there were no survivors to report on what happened. The only other thing we know is that it followed the last agent and dissected that van itself. It's quite possible that what the good Doctor was working on recieved life and at the right moment to preserve itself. The question is: who recieved the formula?"
"The voice belonged to a younger man," stated the youngest member of the congregated group. "It is quite possible that it was the Doctor's assistant, Muu Tsu Jiang."
"Good then, Ikari, we leave it in your capable hands to see the boy dead," stated the first man. "That is all you are needed here for," he finished, the committee dissappearing from the room. A door opened on the far side of the blackness, and a voice called out to the last remaining visible person.
"Gendo, are you finished in here?" asked the woman.
"Yes, my dear," he replied. "What is it?"
"Dr. Akagi would like for you to look at something," she said, stopping for a moment to hold her swollen midsection.
"Is he kicking again?" the man asked. The woman nodded.
"He's strong, like his father," she said, kissing her husband on the lips and leading him from the room.
No...nobody will ever hurt you, my dear sweet Yui, Gendo affirmed, shutting the door behind him.
********
A/N: If you guys didn't catch it, I was indeed listening to Rammstein earlier when I wrote this. I had a moment of writer's block, so I listened until it came to me. It also inspired the sentence of 'Ayanami' inner dialouge when Shampoo looked at herself in the mirror. I kill me.
Keep voting on your favorite haircolor for Shampoo!
Next chapter: Okay you two, let's get it on!