"Why are we doing this at night?" A man with a gun and night vision goggles asked as he and his partner trekked through the Congo jungle. He spoke with an Australian accent.
"Because our bounty is more active at night and poaching is easier when we can't be seen." The other guy replied, carrying the same gear and speaking with the same accent.
The sun had gone down and with it the nocturnal animals were coming out to roam the jungle. A few roars were heard but that was to be expected, now the dominant sounds were chirping insects, calling birds, and monkeys that may or may not have been horny. No one other than a primatologist would have cared enough to find out if they were there.
"Hey bud, do you get the feeling that we're being watched?" The first poacher asked, glancing around.
"There's animals everywhere, don't be so panicked." The second poacher responded, looking for anything worth aiming at. So far nothing that could be considered big game was visible. A few birds but they would be a waste of ammo.
There was some rustling in the foliage, making them stop and aim their guns forward. "I can't see it, but I think it's big."
"Damn these cheap goggles, this thing is blurrier than a windshield in fog." The second poacher commented, moving the goggles to get a better view despite the lack of night vision.
A head poked out of the bushes, a reptilian head on a long neck, looking at the two with curiosity.
"Whoa, that's a strange lizard." The first poacher noted.
A roar was heard from a distance, making the lizard yelp in panic and jump out. The second poacher saw that this lizard stood on two legs at half his size and ran like a bird before disappearing into the jungle.
"What was that? It almost looked like a dinosaur." He said in disbelief.
"Focus, let's find whatever roared. Could have been a lion or leopard if we're lucky." The first poacher told his partner.
More rustling was heard, sounding like something else was heading their way. Both hunters got ready with the second putting his night vision goggles back on despite the blur. The sounds got closer, but hard to make out what could be making them. Whatever it was, it was coming in fast.
Then something jumped out of the shrubs and poached at the first poacher. A shot was heard but nothing could be seen, then there was a brief scream and the second poacher saw his partner torn in half at the waist.
"Holy shit!" The second poacher yelled, seeing his partner collapse to the ground. He looked around, trying to see what could have done in so short a time, but the creature was already gone into the darkness. Panicking he quickly checked everywhere, cursing his goggles, and fired a few shots as a precaution. The other guy made dying sounds and futile attempts to avoid bleeding to death, but that was like trying to stop a ship from sinking by putting your hand over the hole in the hull.
The rustling sounds returned, making the remaining poacher quiver and gulp, but he fired some more, trying to scare off or kill this unseen threat. Then the worst thing happened, his rifle went empty. He fired several more times in hopes that at least one more bullet remained, but none did.
He reached for his extra ammo when the sound of running was heard again. Not being an idiot, the poacher ran off as fast as he could.
The next thing he knew, his legs were ripped off and he fell to the ground. Then he felt hot air and sharp teeth around his neck, and he knew no more.
"What's taking them so long?" Akane grumbled as she shivered a little. She glared impatiently at both Ranma and the computer as if not sure which one to blame for her current situation.
"Relax, we have no way of knowing if they even got the message. But they will sooner or later and they'll come here." Ranma assured, trying to start a fire inside the ruined lab. He had to be careful that it wouldn't spread or trigger any alarms.
"They better get here soon. I'm getting cold and I'm starving." Akane commented, rubbing her arms and trying to stay warm.
Ranma sighed. "Alright, after I get the fire going I'll see if I can forage for something. Try not to be too picky, foraging may sound easy but it's a lot harder to actually do."
Akane rolled her eyes. "We're in a jungle, how hard could it be to find some bananas or fish?"
"Do you remember seeing any fruit or water when you were out there?" He asked.
Akane rolled her eyes again. "Sorry, I was a little more concerned about being on another continent and being chased by dinosaurs again."
"So that's a no then."
Akane huffed. "Well, that doesn't mean I can't go find something. There are tons of animals out there in the jungle and apparently a lot of them are huge. That means there has to be plenty of food. I can probably throw a rock and find us some dinner. I bet my life on it."
Ranma grimaced. "There are cryptosaurs out there. Trust me, you go out there and you will be betting your life on it."
The youngest Tendo admitted to herself that he was right, but she was hungry and right now had to take that chance. She looked around to see if anything in this shelter could be used as a weapon. There had been a fight there, so several things were damaged. The most prominent options were what she assumed was a tranquilizer gun and an African spear.
Being a martial artist, she felt more comfortable taking the spear. "Think this will help."
"Not the best choice but I doubt it was here just for decoration." Ranma remarked, finally getting a fire going. "Alright, now we can go foraging. Do not get far away from me."
Akane nodded, and after Ranma went out to grab a branch and make it into a torch they went out into the jungle looking for food.
Akane could admit that the jungle was certainly a scary place at night. With all the tree cover it was practically pitch black, the only light coming from the torch. She could still hear a lot of animals out there, but not as much as she assumed. Thanks to movies she thought that jungles would constantly have the sounds of birds and monkeys and other creatures going on all night, to the point you'd wonder how anything ever slept. What she was experiencing right now was quiet, and frankly that made her even more scared.
"Is this normal?" She asked quietly, afraid that making noise would attract trouble.
"It's similar to the Amazon, so I want to say yes. But jungles aren't places I go to often. So stay alert." He warned.
Akane rolled her eyes. 'Oh how helpful.'
Ranma immediately tensed and put his hand before her. "Stop!"
Akane stopped, but she wasn't paying attention to his words. Her eyes widened and her face turned red, because in his haste Ranma's hand ended up clamping down on her left breast right then. And he had yet to notice.
"YOU PERVERT!" She screamed, throwing a fist into his head that sent him flying into a tree. He collided hard and slumped to the ground, unconscious. Akane huffed and glared at him while covering her chest, feeling better and at the same time not.
HREEEEEEEEEE
Akane tensed, the hairs on the back of her neck standing, and she took a defensive stance. That sound, it was... the best comparison she had was the kind heard in that alien movie her friend Sayuri had her watch last year. The one with the creature that turned invisible and only saw body heat. Whatever was out there couldn't be an alien, but it sure sounded like it was hunting her.
The sound stopped, but that didn't make her feel better. Then she got a feeling of intense danger and just seconds before there was a sudden rush, she stepped to her side. The timing was almost perfect, as she felt a cut across her thigh.
"AHHH!" Akane yelled in pain, immediately trying to cover the wound. Her quick thinking and clothing helped but whatever attacked her did more than just cut the skin and draw blood. If she had been even a little slower, she might have been cut down to the bone.
'This thing, it's really trying to kill me.' Akane thought, getting afraid and starting to panic. She glanced to Ranma, who looked like he was just barely starting to regain consciousness. 'Wake up faster you idiot! I'm not dying out-!'
Her danger sense went off again and while ignoring the pain in her leg she spun around as fast as she could swinging the spear. She couldn't see anything, but she felt an impact against the spearhead along with the sound of something being hurt and getting away.
'I got it, but I don't think it's dead. It's going to come back, and I may not get lucky again. What do I do?'
Akane kept moving around, checking for any and all sounds while trying to stand guard over Ranma. She panted, her heart was racing, this was much worse than how the Hentai Horde made her feel when the whole thing started. When she moved, the spearhead scratched against a rock creating sparks, then there was a wail from the darkness.
"What was that?" Akane asked herself, hearing some shuffling. Confused, she scratched the rock again and got more sparks, and again there was that wail and rustling. "Ah, so you're afraid of a little fire are you?"
Feeling confident, Akane used the spear until a patch of grass caught fire. Acting quickly she grabbed a stick and used it to create a torch, holding that along with the spear.
"Ha! Come and get me now you monster!"
She heard some rustling behind her and turned around, seeing something in the dark jumping at her. Acting swiftly she swung her spear and hit it, drawing blood and knocking it away. It scurried away, limping a little, and while she still couldn't see it this time she got a glimpse.
'This thing is small, probably comes up to my knee at most. I think it's on two legs, and it must have something sharp like claws or fangs if it can cut me like it did.'
She couldn't hear anything, but then she felt something impact her from behind and knock her to the ground. Something sharp was digging into her back, like a large bird perching on her with no concern for her comfort. Akane twisted her arm to jab at her attacker with the burning stick, resulting in a hiss and the creature getting off her. Aching, she rolled over and got to her knees, looking at the creature that stood there staring her down.
This animal, Akane wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but this was not it. It looked like a tyrannosaurus rex, except pint-sized and colored a dull orange. Like mustard gone bad or something. There were no spikes or anything and its forearms were abysmal, but its fangs were sharp. Honestly it looked like a chibi dinosaur more than the real thing.
'This is what's been trying to kill me?'
The small rex wailed and tried to intimidate her. Akane waved the burning stick to keep it away, but she saw it was past the halfway point and getting dangerously close to her hand. She could already feel the heat and it was not comfortable. And the grass fire she has started earlier had already burned out rather than spread out.
'Crap, I don't have much longer. Once the fire's gone this thing will be back to attacking me in the dark, and it will win sooner or later. I've got to get rid of it and fast, my life depends on it.'
The small rex paced, then it remembered that there was already a downed piece of prey laying there, barely moving. Ranma was grunting and regaining the ability to move, but he looked like how Nabiki felt after a long night of studying and finding no coffee in the kitchen the next morning. The small rex turned away from Akane and jumped on Ranma's chest, making him gasp and jostle more awake.
"Oh no you don't!" Akane shouted, charging at the dinosaur with her spear, dropping the dying torch in the process. The dinosaur got ready to bite down on the pigtailed boy, intending to take at least some meat before it escaped the spear wielder. Pushing herself as fast as she could, Akane dug the spear into the small rex's hip, making it wail. Ranma struggled like anyone in his position would and managed to get it off him. The small rex fumbled to the ground but got up and ran off into the woods. Judging from the sounds, this time it wasn't circling for another attack.
"C'mon, let's get back to the shelter." Akane recommended, sticking out a hand which Ranma accepted.
Sleep came surprisingly easy for the teens in the shelter despite the danger, but the lack of adrenaline likely made up for the fear. They probably could have slept for twice as long as they already did, but someone else had other ideas.
"Hey, wake up!"
Forced to open their eyes, Ranma and Akane saw Genma and Nodoka standing over them.
"Boy, I told you that this area is above your skill level." Genma chided.
Annoyed, Ranma threw a coffee mug on the floor at his father. "Oh like I had a choice! We were nearly eaten by a kasai rex! I had to get rid of it!"
"A kasai?" Nodoka gasped, then shook her head. "The important thing is you're both safe. Now let's get you both back to Japan."
"What about the problem we got away from in the first place?" Akane asked.
Genma groaned. "Argost got away, but the cryptosaurs have been contained and will be transported to safety. After we get you two home."
Ranma got up and stretched. "Mom, Pop, my powers don't seem to work on cryptosaurs."
Genma and Nodoka shared a look before looking back at your son. "Then you're definitely never coming back here."
"I can live with that." Akane commented.
The Tendo family was very grateful to see the safe return of their youngest member. They doted on her and made sure she was healthy and unharmed, and at her request given uninterrupted sleep. The school was given a generic sick day excuse to explain her absence, which turned out to be unneeded as Furinkan High was briefly closed for fumigation in order to relocate the fire rats to a more suitable environment.
When Akane woke up feeling better and back to normal, she noticed something odd during breakfast. "Where's Ranma?"
"Oh, the Saotomes are away for a little bit. Something about dealing with all the new animals they've become responsible for." Soun explained.
"No way in hell they're bringing more here." Nabiki remarked. "To be honest we're better off without them coming back either."
"Nabiki!" Soun chided, looking disappointed in his daughter. "They're good people who just happen to have an unorthodox job."
"That job got Akane in danger and sent halfway across the planet. Besides, it's not like that jerk actually wants to be here. Why not let him stay with his mother?" Nabiki remarked. "Ranma just lacks people skills, he's not a bad boy. Him staying her is good for you and him to bond properly." Soun explained.
Nabiki shrugged apathetically. "The engagement is just a technicality on paper, neither one of us are taking it even a little seriously Dad. You want me to? Then he better give me something that makes it worth it on my end."
Knowing what his daughter had in mind, Soun turned to Akane. "So Akane, did your little adventure make you bond with Ranma some?"
The tomboyish Tendo looked bothered by the implication. "No Dad, but I'll admit I understand him a little more after that. With what he has to handle, I can see why he's a little... standoffish. He's still a jerk, but at least he has a reason for it."
Soun just silently nodded, but mentally he was wondering if perhaps Akane was a better fiancee for Ranma than Nabiki was. He could just insist on the engagement being switched over, but a part of him warned him that was not a good idea right now. Better to wait it out and see if Akane's sympathy for the pigtailed boy grew on its own or not. After all, it wasn't like a Saotome and a Tendo had to be married by a deadline or anything.
A few days later the school reopened, but the Saotomes had yet to return to the Tendo household. Akane wasn't willing to admit it, but she was concerned. Had the issue with the cryptids been that bad? Or his inability to take control over the dinosaurs? At least there had been no news reports of dinosaurs escaping into the streets, so that was a win. But what was taking him so long to get back?
It wasn't like she missed him, no it was definitely not that. She was just confused, and Akane did not like not having answers. It was the main reason she had a habit of jumping to conclusions after all, better to give yourself answers than to not have any at all.
Annoyed, Akane walked on to Furinkan, and of course the Hentai Horde was there waiting for her. Upon seeing her they ran at her declaring romantic or sexual interest and challenging her to fight. Nothing out of the ordinary, except one thing.
Akane was not reacting to it this time.
The youngest Tendo just stood there at the gate staring at the hormonal boys coming at her looking bored or indifferent to the whole thing. It was so unexpected and odd that all the boys ended up stopping and looking at her in confusion.
"Uhh... is something wrong?" One of them, a boy dressed as a boxer, asked.
"Yeah, isn't this the part where you start fighting back?" Another boy, one dressed as a basketball player, added.
Akane sighed. "You guys are so... dull. You're not a threat or a challenge, you're not even fun to fight, you're all just... an inconvenience. Do you boys think I enjoy what you do every morning? No, I never did, but at least I got some exercise out of it. But after what I've been through, you all aren't even worth the sweat anymore."
All members of the Hentai Horde looked at each other, not knowing how to react to this. Except one who could react to anything.
"It appears that Akane Tendo has realized the futility of your efforts and is declaring me as the natural winner of her heart." Kuno declared, strolling to the front of the crowd like he was on his way to accept an award.
Akane huffed. "Not even close Kuno. I'm 'declaring' that I refuse to participate in this stupid morning ritual anymore."
"What are you going to do? Stop coming to school?" One of the boys, just wearing a uniform, challenged.
Akane surprisingly smirked in a knowing way. "You all want a fight that bad? I happen to know someone who could kick your asses too. But it's not going to be me anymore."
"And what if we don't give you a choice?" One of the boys, dressed like a gangster, threatened.
Akane just ignored him and walked towards the school, the crowd parting for her since they didn't know what else to do. Even Kuno was uncharacteristically thrown for a loop. Akane never turned down a chance to fight someone, wasn't the motto of Anything Goes based on never refusing challenges? What could she have experienced in the last few days that made her indifferent to the Hentai Horde?
Well she didn't care what they thought, but she knew that she had to talk to Nabiki today just to be safe about the more threatening boys in the horde in case they got ideas. And it would be nice if she could contact Ranma, just to get him to make a show of course.
"Good show."
Startled, Akane turned around to see who snuck up on her and then gasped. "Ranma? What are you doing here? Are those rats still here?"
"No, we got them out. But apparently Mom and Pop want me to be a student, so I guess we're classmates now."
"Just keep the cryptids at home."
Ranma grinned. "You said the word right. I guess you can learn."
Akane huffed and walked off, feeling both relieved and annoyed.