Ranma 1/2
Easy Target 2; Dirty Shot
Part 12




Ranma opened the service door to the top rooftop of the hospital. Dan's condition was deteriorating rapidly, but Ranma knew that if there was an iota of a chance of him pulling through, his would be killer would be making another pass at him, hopefully tonight.

The ponytailed man held a huff, considering the changes that have been made in his life. When he had finally resided himself to being alone in the world, with only his name and what little he traveled with, Dan just happened by and offered him an opportunity to do something other than wander. The bodyguarding gig was good, and payed well, but it wasn't really something worth his abilities. After he further proved himself, Ranma found himself as an apprentice of sorts to Dan, as the Irish national had been the closest knowing him. The hitman job at its start, severely came to blows with his own honor and morality. But soon he became to understand the nessesity of the job; they weren't the 'bad guys', and they did tasks that even the local law enforcement would solicit of them. Sure, the killing part did its fair share of trauma to Ranma, but the ponytailed man did what he always did best in the face of adversity; adapt.

Now, Ranma was a well payed, but still lonely hitman. Truthfully, as much as he griped about it, Ranma enjoyed the attention he, or 'she' got at strip clubs; it really wasn't *all* the work of hormones, actually. Dan was the only one he got any sort of affection from, even if it was simple comaradery, other than the girls in skimpy outfits tailor made to be easily removed. A few days ago, by happenstance, he met Kim, but was unfortunately forced to keep his facade about him so that in case his curse was activated, too many questions wouldn't be impossible to answer. The woman seemed as lonely and put out as he had been, and possibly still was, and as usual for Ranma, he put her hardship before his, and made a friend in the process.

Just when Ranma thought he could progress with his life, his own partner's had come back to haunt both of them. The ponytailed boy's face grew grim at that; not that he was one to judge from his own jaded past, he had felt a certain amount of betrayal when Rugar's history was revealed to him. Ranma came to the conclusion that it probably had something to do with the fact that he did indeed look up to Dan as a mentor. He certainly treated him better than his own father had, and trusted Ranma impeccably with his back. Plus, he wasn't out to kill him or marry him in either of his forms, and took his curse in stride (though sometimes as a tool for amusement and Ranma's own embarrasment, 'lil sister' indeed...). He thought of Rugar as unflappable, the closest to the 'perfect' man to ascribe to. Suddenly, Ranma was presented with the fact that Dan was just human, after all.

Ranma frowned to himself at that, he really did make an ass of himself, by passing judgement on Rugar. Guess that was probably the reason he was currently standing on the roof of the hospital, disobeying Richter's orders, and attempting to prove himself. He wanted to redeem Dan somehow, put his own honor at stake, and most importantly, because Dan never left a job unfinished.

Ranma took a deep breath, now all he had to do was...

::CLICK::

Hold his breath, and stay still, as the barrel of a rifle was pressed against the back of his head. That was just plain sloppy of Ranma; getting caught up in self-reverie, and allowing a homicidal elite assassin to get the drop on him. Dan woulda never let him live this down.

"Ah, hi..." Ranma responded lamely.

"So, you're plann'n on avenging Rugar's death?" Northrop asked, removing his mask with his free hand.

Ranma's eyes narrowed into a glare, despite the fact that Northrop couldn't see his face, "I have a job to do."

Northrop's eyes lit in mirth, "Oh? Is that so? Nothing else?"

Ranma slowly turned his head towards the assassin, "Does there need to be?"

Northrop smiled, backed away, and lowered the rifle, "Good, 'cause I'm not letting you do me in as a favor to that bastard. He deserves nothing from this."

Ranma turned around to face his soon to be opponent, while Northrop threw his gun down, and unsheathed his sword. He held it down at an angle away from him, and smirked "So, kid, are we gonna do this or what?"

Ranma's hands flexed in front of him, and then he quickly reached behind him, unholstered Dan's Dagger guns. Northrop didn't even bat an eye when the guns were brought to bare, and two shots were fired. He effortlessly parried the bullets, and then parried Ranma's right stab towards his chest with an upward guard. Ranma hadn't sacrificed much in the feint to the chest, and quickly spun to his right, using his left forearm to parry Northrop's right arm all the way over, leaving his side open. Ranma continued to spin, and swung the right dagger gun in a back-handed horizontal arc for Northrop's head, spinning it like a buzzsaw by the trigger ring. The assassin barely managed to duck it, but ended up with a few hairs on the top of his head shorter. Northrop spun away from Ranma, and swung his sword in a figure eight pattern around him, forcing Ranma to jump back.

Northrop spun back to his right to face Ranma, swinging his sword in a horizontal arc at the waist. Ranma faded back from the slash, and stepped back closer to the Englishman. Northrop suddenly reversed the grip on his sword in his right hand so it was folded against his arm, and brought his right foot up for a side snap kick to Ranma's left thigh. The ponytailed man quickly sheathed his left weapon, and swung his left arm down to parry the kick with the palm. Northrop didn't drop the leg, and brought it up for a snap kick towards Ranma's head. The ponytailed martial artist swung his left hand up and parried it with the back of his hand, then followed up with a slash towards Northrop's neck. The assassin pulled his head away in time for it to graze him, barely leaving a sliver of red that seemed to heal as fast as the cut was made.

Northrop hopped away with his leg still raised, and then stomped it down, as he changed the grip on his sword, and brought it down to up left in a diagonal, twisting his body with the swing. Ranma stepped into the outside of Northrop's right leg with his left, and rammed his left elbow into his opponent's forearm, stopping the swing and stunning the muscle with the strike. Ranma then quickly swung his left arm down at the elbow, and locked his middle finger just behind Northrop's elbow. He then brought his right weapon over in a reverse grip, and sliced the assassin's arm just before the shoulder in the back, intending to sever the tendon from the joint. Ranma was successful in making the cut to the bone.

They both hopped away from each other, Northrop grinning at Ranma, while the hitman stared grimly at his target, with the knife still in the reverse grip and dripping blood. The assassin grabbed the back of his arm with his right hand, "Not bad, first blood's yours." He then flexed his right arm, finding it in working order.

Ranma's eyes went wide, "Wha... what are you?"

The Englishman lost a bit of his smirk, "let's just say Rugar isn't the only one who sold his soul for gain." With that, he leapt towards Ranma with a downwards double handed strike down the middle.

Ranma quickly brought the dagger guns up to guard, and was forced to match power with the assassin, "WHAT? You mean you made a deal with a demon or something?"

Northrop collapsed into a shoulder charge, ramming Ranma forward into the rooftop, "Don't be so literal, kid..."

As the Englishman approached, he slashed down at the prone hitman. Ranma quickly went into a back spin, using his legs to parry the sword. As the sword was moved off-target, Ranma kicked himself up into a backflip, and landed kneeling. From his low position, Ranma spun away to his right on his planted right knee, slashing at the side tendon of Northrop's right knee. The cut made true, forcing the assassin to stagger back.

"Kay kid, you're just getting annoying now."

Ranma slowly rose from kneeling, "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"I bet ya do," Northrop made a suicide charge into Ranma, taking the shallow stab into the abs and to this right ribs. Ranma managed to maintan standing, but was staggering backwards towards the edge of the roof. Northrop ran at him, and leapt into the air in a tight two spins that ended with a hard roundhouse to the face that overpowered Ranma's guard. The ponytailed man was felled to the ground, and was forced to quickly pull out his left dagger gun, and parry hard and wild swings of a sword, ment to hack him to bits. Ranma turned onto his right side, and swung his left leg in a sweep, catching Northrop's leading leg and forcing him to stagger back. The Englishman quickly regained his footing, just as Ranma did his, and started forward again. Ranma twisted to his right and stepped past the Englishman; slicing deeply with a spinning blade into Northrop's gut, delivering a debilitating cut with the left weapon, and spun around, stabbing back into Northrop's side, probably puncturing a kidney.

The assassin was playing a gambit, and took the blows on purpose for the opportunity to get close to Ranma. With the ponytailed fighter's back turned, Northop grabbed Ranma in a sleeper hold, and then adjusted it by bringing his sword to Ranma's throat, fully intending to use it.

"Sorry kid, but you were starting to make this too personal," Northrop said seriously. Just then, the clouds above them erupted.

"What... the Hell?" Northrop exclaimed, finding a redheaded woman in his grip. Ranma-chan took the advantage of the loosened grip and the slick of the rain to worm out of the hold. And with all her might, she leapt up, and used both feet to drop kick the assassin off the roof. Northrop had let go of his sword, and plummeted five stories. He landed on the concrete roof of the parking garage, leaving a spiderweb indenture. His spine was pretty much shattered, but already knitting itself back together. Northrop was suddenly forced to expell all the air in his lungs, as a redhead landed, kneeling on his stomach, jamming his own sword into his chest, going all the way deep into the concrete under him.

Northrop wheezed to recover some air, and gave a weak chuckle, "N-not bad... got to... tell you that, no antidote... jussss wanted to watch... die..." With his last wheeze, the light faded from Northrop's eyes. Ranma stood up slowly, and staggered backwards. After a few steps, her legs could no longer support her, and she fell back onto her backside. With a tired sigh, she brought her forearms onto her knees, and leaned her head forward.