Power and Loss

by Arthur Hansen

DC Comics semicrossover. Chp 1 & 2 are standalone stories until you get to Chp 3.

3. With great powers comes

Power and Loss

They were suddenly interrupted by several tremendous roars. Stalking out of the forest was an immense dragon, its many heads in constant motion above it. It roared at the sight of them. Stuck in its maw was a push broom.

"The Orochi?" they yelled out in surprise.

"That broom! Shinosuke! It woke up again!" Ranma cried out!

"We need to find the horn! I'll cage it up!" Akane cried out, blasting out with her ring, making a stout cage around the horrendous beast.

"Got it! It's in the pool! I'll be right back!" True to his words, he disappeared in a blur, faster than she could follow or even see.

"Huh? How did he get so..."

"I'm back!" With that, Ranma blew on the whistle for a long moment. True to its nature, the many heads of the Orochi drooped down, asleep in a short order. He turned towards the forest. Was that someone walking towards them?

In just a moment, Shinosuke walked out, holding his chest as if he were badly hurt. He blinked at the sight of the Orochi being flown back towards the springs on a glowing platter. His face paled in shock. "Akane? Ranma? But that's impossible!"

Ranma laughed loudly. "That's the least impossible thing I've seen for days! Hey, Shinosuke, it's good to see you!"

"You have feet! You can't be ghosts! But I saw the Orochi eat you!" he screamed out, fear apparent on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Akane asked in consternation.

Ranma's face snapped towards the pool, where the Orochi was being lowered in to slumber. His face turned pale. "He's right! How's that possible?!"

"What are you talking about, Ranma?" Akane said from up above him.

"It... our bodies are in there!"

"Huh? How can you see that?" She tried to crane her neck to see the pool from her vantage.

"Duh, the x-ray vision, remember?" Ranma said theatrically.

"X-ray what?" she queried. She landed lightly next to him.

"Don't you remember? I got these stupid powers a day or two ago."

"No, I don't..."

"Akane! Ranma! You managed to survive!" Ryoga called out from the forests edge.

"That's debatable. I'm not even sure that they are Ranma and Akane." Shinosuke looked over at the other boy, before almost collapsing from the pains on his old wounds.

"Huh? Does he need more water of life?" Ranma asked.

"I guess so!" Akane pointed her fist into the air, a green beam shooting out and returning in just a moment with the water. With a flick of the wrist, she dumped it over the desperately wounded boy.

Shinosuke gasped as the pain vanished instantly. "T-thanks."

"Huh. Well, you sure don't look like ghosts." Ryoga glared at the two imposters.

"I'm not a ghost, piggy," Ranma snapped right back.

Akane nodded thoughtfully. "I think we may be from a different Earth. Both of us, actually. So... he did die, trying to save Nabiki. He's really gone." Her face was incredibly bleak.

Ranma's face took on a momentary pang of remembered agony. "I guess we're pretty much in the same boat. I... I... don't know what to do. I don't know if I could go back. The Elite was starting to kill everyone who stood up to them. They were taking over Tokyo."

"I don't even know if there's anything to go back to. Maybe Jordan destroyed the whole world." A sudden gleam appeared in her eye. "But we could take this Ranma and Akane's place! Here."

"Is that the right thing to do?" Ranma asked.

"What are we supposed to do? Leave three tragedies? Here, at least, they don't have to deal with losing us." Her voice choked suddenly, barely repressing sobs. "But if you really want to, I'm sure the ring can take you home."

"No. There's nothing for me there. I'm game."

"Just one thing. What about me?" Ryoga said, looking at the two strangely. His Ranma and Akane had died. The real ones. But two doppelgangers appeared right then to fill the void.

"We just want to... not break our families hearts, you know. Could you not mention the switch?" Ranma asked.

Ryoga stared at him with venom. The pleading look on Akane's face finally broke through to him. "I guess. But I'll be watching you, Ranma."

"Thanks, buddy. Shall we?" Ranma asked, floating into the air.

"Sure! See you around, Ryoga!" She joined Ranma in the air, arrowing off into the distance.

"Hunh. Akane... the real one, is dead. I don't know what to do."

"What?" asked the other boy as he picked up his rake.

"About Ranma and Akane, you dip!" Ryoga shouted.

"Who?"

-

Ranma and Akane walked out of an ally onto a street only a few blocks from the Tendo's home. Akane had willed herself to wear the same outfit that she'd worn to go to that forest along time ago. Ranma didn't have anything other than the clothes on his back, but he wasn't worried.

"I'll just say the truth. I lost the pack and camping stuff. And the monster almost ate me." Ranma pointed out the remains of his clothes.

"Um hmm." The young woman seemed to be distracted. "Ranma? How did you feel when you found out that I... your Akane had died?"

The pigtailed martial artist stared at the sidewalk as they walked along. "Dead. Lost. I... killed a lot of the people that killed you. Her."

"I think I know what you mean. I tried so hard to get revenge on the man who killed him. He was just too powerful. He was going to remake the universe to fit his wants. Now there are so many things that weren't said."

"Did he ever tell you... you know?"

Akane blushed. "No. Not even at the wedding attempt. I think he said it at Jusendo, but he couldn't say it again."

"Sa funny, but she never did either. But she did seem happy when after Jusendo. At the wedding."

"Oh."

"Um, yeah."

They took sidelong glances at each other. There was an odd sense of detachment. So alike, but yet so different in small ways.

"Ayah! Ranma come get new clothes at Cat Café? Shampoo make sure to fit clothes tightly to Ranma!" chirped the bubbly Amazon as she stopped her bike along the edge of the fence.

"Nah! I've got a new set at home! Thanks!" Ranma held up his hands defensively.

"Too bad. Shampoo have deliveries now. Bai bai!"

"Bimbo," Akane muttered angrily. She blew it off though, as Shampoo hadn't stuck around long.

She wasn't aware of Ranma newly increased senses, which heard that as if she'd yelled it out. Shrugging, Akane turned and continued walking home, Ranma right beside her. Ranma thought that over. He wasn't given to rumination normally, but his world view had been seriously undermined. He'd seen Akane nearly hurt or killed many times, but she'd always survived somehow. Her actual death had shattered his heart.

His eyes traced her jaw. Strangely, just walking next to this strange doppelganger had already healed most of that pain. Was she really that important to him, he asked? Deep within his heart, he knew the answer. It scared him just how important she had become.

He was dragged out of his reverie when Akane opened the gate. He blinked as he saw the ring on her finger disappear. That would be handy, he guessed.

"Hey, it's the two love birds!" Nabiki chimed out loudly from one of the second story windows.

"Ranma! So you succeeded in finding her and bringing her back!" Soun shouted as he ran forwards and hugged his wayward daughter and her backpack.

"Da-ad!" Akane said, trying to act displeased, even as tears threatened to cascade out of her eyes.

"So my ungrateful son finally returns!" Genma pontificated.

Ranma lightly slammed into Genma's face with his bare feet. "Why am I ungrateful?"

Kasumi smiled as another normal day ended at the Tendo household. "Dinner time!"

-

"I wasn't going to let that little terror try to worm her way into my dad's heart," Akane explained to her fiancé as they left the area.

"Yeah, Ms. Hinako was a bit of a pest, wasn't she? You know, I think that ki drain thing of hers might still work on me," Ranma mused.

"Are you still going to get into the magical cheating fight with Mousse?" she inquired, looking up the street to see if anyone they knew was around.

"Not really. I have no idea how I managed to not be embarrassed the last time. I guess it really was childish." Ranma didn't seem to notice his self depreciating comments.

"Um-hmm." So were quite a few of the things that she had done, now that she thought about it.

For some strange reason, they had ended up in this past, of months ago. The only thing that had changed is that they had been eaten by the Orochi in this world. At least locally. There was a different Green Lantern running around, the one that Ranma remembered from his world.

"So what will you do when Mousse shows up?"

"I'll keep tabs on him. As soon as he shows up in Nerima with the glasses, they'll disappear." Ranma shrugged. His old rivals were only nuisances when it came to fighting.

"Isn't that Mousse now?" she asked.

Ranma looked up in surprise. "Huh? How did he get here?"

"He's got the glasses. Isn't he early?"

"I can see that," Ranma said, trembling slightly. Luckily he was still too far away to be affected. Unluckily, his enhanced vision was increasing the range of the seeing glasses power. That wasn't good.

"Hmm?" Akane noted his trembling. She stepped back suddenly.

"What? Ranma Saotome? I was going to use my new, ultimate power against Cologne first, but you're so much better!" Mousse started to cackle, the silly glasses on his face already. He continued walking up.

Unable to shrug off the effects of the magic, Ranma prostrated himself on the ground in front of Mousse. "I'm Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm... sorry!" He couldn't help himself; the magic of the glasses forced him to apologize.

"Wa ha ha ha! It works perfectly! Now to truly defeat him!" Mousse cackled maniacally. All of a sudden, a large medicine ball slammed into his face, shattering the glasses. He shook his head to clear his daze. "Why did you interfere with our fight? How dare you!"

"Like you could ever fight Ranma," Akane razzed Mousse. "Using a magic item like that is cowardly!" She pursed her lips. Let's see if she could follow her own advice. Tensely, she pivoted sideways slightly, raising her fists defensively.

"What? I'll show you!" Mousse screamed, pulling out two broadswords. He suddenly felt a whirlwind hit him three times. He staggered back and shook his head. "So, you want to fight me now, do you? Well, for your trouble, I'll kill you!"

Ranma was intensely focused on the fight, staying one slash ahead of the Chinese warrior. He couldn't let that hit him or else the charade would be up. He lashed out with his left foot while ducking beneath another cut, barely hitting the blind martial artist.

Mouse staggered back from Ranma's blow. His strength had increased, Mousse could feel that! "I'll be back later, Ranma Saotome! And I will defeat you!"

Ranma stared after the other boy, making sure he really did leave. "Hmm."

"Say, doesn't Cologne have a whole bunch more of these sort of trinkets?" Akane subtly made the dark green medicine ball disappear, tossing it into an alleyway.

"Yeah. So we'd better go make sure that Mousse doesn't get a hold of those." Ranma paused, feeling a slight tingle up his back. Warily, he looked around. There didn't appear to be something there, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.

"Something wrong?" Akane asked curiously. She looked around herself, trying to see what had put him on edge. Now that she thought about it, she could swear she could feel something too.

All of a sudden, the errant feeling disappeared.

"Odd." Ranma had an intense look on his face.

"Come on, We've got to get to the Cat Café!" Akane started to run down the road. Just a moment later, Ranma trotted down the road after her.

A minute later, Genma stepped out from the shadows a tree no farther than five paces from where they had been talking to one another. Light glinted off of his glasses. His eyes were narrowed in thought. That shouldn't have been possible at the boy's level of training. And for Akane to have sensed him was unconscionable! "What changed you on that last trip, boy?"

-

The curtain bells chimed as Ranma and Akane entered the Cat Café. Cologne was sitting behind the counter, stirring up a trundle of food. "Well, if it isn't Son-in-Law. What brings you here?"

"Hiya, Old Ghoul!" Ranma took the rap on the head and pretended to wince while rubbing the 'sore' spot.

"Who's an old ghoul?"

"Hey! I just ran into Mousse. He had some weird glasses that made me grovel and apologize." Ranma paused, unsure how to broach the idea of the other 'cheat' items.

"Ah, cowardly items to be used to protect the weak. Usually the infirm or bullied."

"Ayah! Mousse go too far!"

"Well, I managed to break it, so we don't have to worry about that anymore," Akane said forcibly.

"How weak Kitchen Destroyer do that?"

"I threw a ball at them and broke them, okay!" Akane started to fume. And she did throw it, too!

"Should have used knife! Then maybe Mousse get point."

"Children. It's doubtful that he has anymore items. I'll go and double check to make sure that the Amazon treasures I keep here are safe," Cologne said before hopping off.

"Ranma take Shampoo on date? We leave Pervert Girl here? Is good for husband to take wife out!" Shampoo latched onto Ranma.

"Jeez, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not your husband," Ranma complained.

"Yeah, how many times does he have to tell you?"

Magically, tears appeared in Shampoo's eyes. "Ranma no like Shampoo no more?"

"Did I say that?" he asked rhetorically.

"Ranma, answer her directly!" Akane smacked him lightly across the back of the head for effect. She winced at the pain in her hand afterwards. Ouch. She'd have to remember to put an aura on her hand before she did that.

"Shampoo, I don't mind you none, but I'm not going to marry you! I've told you that hundreds of times!"

Cologne shook her head ruefully from the shadows. Something had set her on edge since the couple entered the room. And how Shampoo would have been surprised to hear her think of them that way. Her bulging eyes narrowed as she tried to sense what was wrong. The two auras in front of her were significantly different, but the same in all important aspects. She could still feel the flavor of their individuality, but it was as if they had become older. Or gone through some drastic event. She frowned at the strength of Ranma's aura.

"Shampoo no believe you! You just trying to trick Shampoo!"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "Whatever!"

"Son-in-Law, the treasures are safe. I'll be sure to watch out for Mousse's tricks. There are many ways to counter such shenanigans."

"Alright! Thanks, Old Bat!" Ranma ducked the swing at his head and bounded outside, quickly followed by his fiancée.

"Hey, wait up!"

"Shampoo."

"Yes, Grandmother?"

"I want you to take over here for a while. I need to go out." With that, she bounded outside; a blur on a stick, moving faster than the eye could follow. Within moments, she was above and in front of the pair. She frowned in thought. Ranma was too stubborn to confront directly. Looking around, she tried to find one of Ranma's numerous rivals.

"Oh how beautiful is the flower in the eve's dim light."

Ah, buffoon at two o'clock. She situated herself on a roof near an ally that would lead Kuno towards Ranma. She focused her will, letting her warrior's aura impinge on Kuno.

"Farsooth, what be this feeling? Come out and face Tatewaki Kuno like a true warrior!" After a moment of staring at the ally, he raised his bokken high and charged down the length. "I will show you to trifle with a Samurai born!"

Ranma was walking along casually when he heard that last bit. "Huh? Kuno?"

"Ha! I accept your challenge, villain!"

"My challenge? You're attacking me!"

And now to set the snare. Cologne extended her aura, subtly changed to mimic a cobra, entrancing her prey to not move, to watch intently.

Akane tapped her foot slowly as she watched Ranma dodge away from Kuno. Why did that sort of thing always happen? She snapped herself out of her stupor. What was she doing? Let's see, if they were headed towards school, she should be able to cut them off by cutting through this empty lot!

"Akane." A blurred streak landed in front of her.

"Cologne? What are you doing here?" Akane blinked in surprise at the ancient Amazon.

"I wish to know what happened to you and Ranma." She pointed her staff threateningly at her.

"That's none of your business!" The young school girl raised her fists up defensively, shifting her stance slightly. Her heart was thrumming.

She didn't deny that something happened. Hmm. "You dare challenge me, girl? I am the repository for three thousand years of Amazon lore! You are nothing to me!" The crone was starting to exude an angry aura.

"I'm not going to let you bully me!" she declared pluckily.

"Then defend yourself!" It would be good to teach this girl a lesson! Besides, it had been a while since she'd actually gotten in a fight.

She snapped her staff at the girl, forcing her to block and dodge. She was startled at how well this girl was defending herself. This girl was as good as many Amazons. Surprising, considering how poorly she typically fared versus her own challengers. "Well, well."

Sweat beaded on Akane's brow minutes later. Cologne must be playing with her! She blocked another three staff strikes, only to receive a punishing knife-hand jab to her sternum, knocking her back. "I won't back down!"

"Yes, you will!" More punches and staff hits worked through the girl's defenses, leaving bruises and welts. "All you are doing is prolonging the pain!"

Ranma must be still tied up with Kuno. The only one who could save her would be herself. Her ring suddenly flashed into existence on her hand, pushing the surprised matriarch back.

Blocks away, Ranma dodged another blow while looking off into the distance. That had sounded like an energy blast.

"An opening!" Kuno crowed; striking thin air as Ranma disappeared into the wind. "Eh? He has fled my justice! The craven coward!"

Cologne narrowed her eyes. A functional Ring of Power! This had taken a very unexpected turn. "Where did you get that ring? And the lantern that comes with it? Those are treasures of the Amazon tribe! Stolen treasures!" Although, Cologne thought that she might have seen the ring back among her items at the café.

"I don't know what ring you are talking about. This one was given to me by a Guardian!" A glowing sheath of emerald fire surrounded her, though she didn't switch her clothes for her uniform.

"I know the weakness of the jade fire, girl! I'll take back those treasures over your body if I have to!" She twirled her staff. It would be a pity to kill her! Her staff snapped out, faster than the eye could follow, only to bounce off the aura covering her flinching face.

"I'm not the Sentinel, Cologne. My ring doesn't have any weakness. Not to wood. Not Yellow." The ring flashed again, covering the entire lot with a clear bubble. That should trap her in here.

Ranma slammed into that bubble unprepared, ricocheting into the sky with a loud thwump.

"Ranma?" Akane turned her head to see Ranma flying off into the air.

"Eagle Air Strike!" Cologne called out, sending out a ki blast slamming into the girl, catching her off guard.

The bubble of energy disappeared, even as Akane shook her head and stood up from where she'd been knocked. Her weakened sheath only muted the next three staccato blows. A staff appeared in her hands, blocking the next two blows, even as her defenses increased back to their previous level.

Cologne's next blow was stopped by a hand grabbing her staff. "That's enough. Stop it."

"Where did you come from?" Cologne asked Ranma. She hadn't even seen him before he grabbed it.

"I was only about ten blocks away. What are you doing?" Ranma asked; his voice cold and hard.

Irritation welled up in her. "This matter doesn't concern you." It was time to remind this whelp just who was the master and who the child was. She snapped ki to change her leverage and fling Ranma high into the sky.

Ranma didn't budge an inch. "If it involves Akane, yes it does." He took the staff from her and snapped it in half.

"I see. You have changed, both of you. I will discover what happened." Cologne turned and bounced off. How had he done that? Something unusual was going on.

"She's going to figure it out soon." Akane had a serious look on her face.

"Yeah. I'm starting to think this idea may not be so good."

-

"There was a rumored sighting of a woman that could create green flame. In Japan."

"I thought the super hero known as Fire was already incapacitated?" replied a dark figure to a hardly visible shadow.

"She is. There could be others like her. That would be unseemly and necessitate a change in plans."

A third dark figure stood forward. "I have no plans for a week. Let me ferret out this new fire user."

"Do you feel up to it?"

"They don't know my weakness. And I don't have to show myself at all. She will never even know that I was there."

"Then do it. If she has no allies or connections, kill her. We want no mistakes at all this time."

-

Akane nodded to herself. Ranma had soundly defeated Mousse again. She looked over at Ranma, noting his intense concentration. He was psyching himself... herself up to deal with Ryu Kumon. A man who knew the secret of the Yamisenken, the path of the noisy thief. One half of sealed Saotome forbidden arts. She was worried, as Ranma hadn't told her how he was going to deal with the situation.

There he was, Ranma thought to herself. Huh, who would have expected that Happosai was behind that bear escaping and rampaging into this gathering? That would be another thing that the old creep owed him. Nobody hurt or threatened his mother. No one.

"Ranko! Akane!" Nodoka called out as she walked towards them.

The same bear from last time roared, seemingly insane with anger. People around it ran off in panic as it charged directly towards Ranma's mother. A figure landed in front of it, its yell startling the bear for just a moment as his arms swept the bear's front paws wide apart. A massive kick sent the bear off into slumber land.

"Oh, thank you! I don't know how ever I can repay you!" Nodoka exclaimed loudly.

"It wasn't anything special," the young man said. His green fatigues and black tank top gave him a deadly serious look. He turned to leave.

"Wait! Who are you?" Nodoka asked while trotting a few steps after him.

"I am Ranma Saotome." He turned to leave again.

"Ranma? My dear son, Ranma?" Nodoka started to move towards him to embrace the young man.

Steam gushed out from an open area of the road to their side, the heat scalding even from this distance. Akane barely saw a blur enter the geyser.

"No, he isn't. I'm Ranma Saotome," Ranma declared, his aura burning brightly, his features looking incredibly angry. "I'm the real Ranma."

"Heh? Really?" Ryu asked. "I've been looking for you for a long time. Hyah!" he screamed out as he dropped his bag and tried to kick Ranma as he had the bear.

"That isn't anything special," Ranma countered; dodging the blow by centimeters. He lashed out a flurry of punches, carefully gauged to approximate his old abilities. "Just yelling and distracting your opponent isn't going to win this fight."

Damn, he's good, Ryu thought to himself. Those punches stung! "I'll show you!" With that, he lashed out with a set of powerful kicks and punches, each missing by just a little. It was as if he was taunting him!

Ranma twisted in mid air as he flipped over the surprised Ryu. He snapped two more chops into the unprepared boy, staggering him. A sudden breeze disturbed the fight, leaving only Ryu staggering on the ground.

"What?" Akane and Nodoka cried out.

"Heh, guess he couldn't stick around to finish the fight." Ryu stood back up.

"Akane, is this Ranma?" Nodoka's deep blue eyes stared intently at the young man.

"No." Akane glared at the imposter.

"And who are you to say this?" Ryu asked as he brushed himself off.

"I am Akane Tendo, Ranma's fiancée. That's who, jerk."

Ryu suddenly broke out into a nasty, short laugh. "You got me. I'm not Ranma, but I've been looking for him to repay an old debt. Does he practice the Saotome School of Martial Arts?"

"Of course he does." Akane met his gaze with her glare.

"We aren't finished, creep." Ranma's clothes were torn and shredded, but he appeared prepared to continue to fight. He was at the edge of the crowd.

"You didn't run, eh?" Ryu turned to look at Ranma, seemingly appraising him. "Very well, I challenge you, Ranma Saotome. I challenge you for the Umisenken."

Ranma put his most surprised expression on his face. "The Umisenken?"

"Don't tell me your father didn't teach you about your family's secret techniques? This'll be a piece of cake otherwise."

Genma rubbed his sore jaw. He hadn't thought that Ranma could have stood up against him like he just had. It had been brutal and short. Genma hadn't stood a chance, as each blow he'd landed had felt like he'd struck concrete. Very hard concrete, he had to admit.

"I don't need no secret technique to defeat you!" Ranma declared truthfully. In all actuality, he already knew the Umisenken, the brother school to the Yamisenken that Ryu used.

Ranma seemed very confident about this fight. And showing himself in front of Nodoka. He would let this play out. "Ranma. I forbid you to fight him."

"Whatcha talking about, Pop?" Ranma asked, surprised to see his father show his neck in this confrontation in front of his Mother.

"You have no chance at defeating him without the power of the Umisenken. I have been remiss, my boy, in holding back my teachings of these sealed arts. You are old enough to learn it, so that it may stay a part of the Saotome School of Martial Arts. Come with me."

"Hey! What about my challenge, old man?" Ryu cried out in frustration.

"Ranma will accept your challenge when I say he is ready. Unless you wish to face me, the master of the Yamisenken and the Umisenken?" Genma's eyes glinted coldly, suddenly reminding everyone present that, yes, he was a martial arts master.

Ryu's nose flared for just a second. "Very well. I'll be in the area."

Genma and Ranma turned back to leave, when Ranma was suddenly engulfed in a tight hug. "Ranma, dearest, it really is you!"

Genma nearly froze in fear. "Why, Nodoka! What a pleasant surprise."

Ranma had a strangely flat expression on his face. "Mother. It's... good to see you."

"My handsome young boy is all grown up! I was worried that you were avoiding me." Nodoka was smiling broadly, her whole body suffused with happiness.

Ranma opened his mouth for a second and then finally closed it. "We... were. Kinda. It's hard to explain."

"Why don't we go home first?" Akane interjected. "I don't think this is something we should be discussing in public."

"Of course, Akane! What a good idea!"

-

Soun nearly fainted dead away at the sight of his old friend walking in with his own son and wife in tow. "Nodoka! What a pleasant surprise!" he croaked out, visions of ritual suicide happening inside the dojo dancing through his head.

"Why thank you, Soun. I'm very happy to be here." Nodoka didn't look very happy.

"Mr. Tendo, may I borrow your living room for a family meeting?" Ranma asked seriously.

Soun nodded even as he broke out into tears. Nodoka looked on curiously as Ranma and Genma ushered into the living room.

"Um, Akane... Are you... Uh, are you coming along?" Ranma asked at the doorway.

Akane blinked in surprise as the significance of that request filtered through to her. She smiled shyly and followed the Saotomes into the room.

Nodoka noted that Genma and Ranma were kneeling across from her, while Akane was sitting at Ranma's side facing no one directly. So the matter was a Saotome matter, not a Tendo/Saotome matter.

Cooly, she asked, "What is going on, husband?"

Genma started to sweat visibly. "Here, let me show you-"

"Akane, could you, um, get some water?" Ranma asked quickly, even as he blocked his father's throw.

"Of course." Akane stood up and headed into the kitchen.

Tense minutes passed slowly, until Akane reappeared with a steaming kettle and a pitcher of ice water. Two little cups sat on the tray.

"It's hard to explain, so I guess I'll show you."

His hand was intercepted by Akane's small, soft grip. She filled a cup with cold water and at Ranma's nod, dumped it over his head.

Nodoka's eyes almost bulged out of her head. Her handsome young son had turned into... "Ranko?"

She shook her head in negation, even as Akane dumped more cold water over Genma, triggering his own curse.

"Perhaps you had best explain this?" Ranma's mother asked quietly.

"Well, on our last training trip in China, me and Pop got cursed. Cold water turns us into these forms, hot water turns us back."

"So why 'Ranko'?"

"That was Pop's dumb idea," Ranma explained. "I didn't even know about the seppuku pledge. He decided we should hide until we could figure something out."

"Akane?"

"Yes?"

"Is that the truth?"

"That pretty well sums it up," Akane replied.

"You know Ranma better than I do. Is he 'manly'?" Nodoka looked her eye to eye, trying to see if she was lying or telling the truth.

"Yes, Aunty. He is. Despite his curse, he is manly. He can be rude, crude and a royal pain in the butt, but... he's manly." Akane had a tortured smile on her face, unshed tears in her eyes.

"Hey!"

"Ranma."

"Uh, yes?" Ranma's hands were tightly clenched in front of her.

"I am going to consider your father's pledge to raise you as a man amongst men to be fulfilled. Do not make me regret this decision."

"Um, no, Ma'am. I won't."

"Come here and give your mother a hug. Now I know why 'Ranko' was such a tomboy. That must have been torture for you." She hugged her child to her tightly.

"Yeah, well, they don't call it a curse for nothing."

-

"Okay, old man. What was the deal with that guy?" Ranma demanded hours later, in the dojo. They had just locked Soun and Akane out from the top- secret training. Ranma was trying to stifle the strange feeling of déjà vu.

"First, you've been holding out on me, boy! I could barely hurt you!" Genma shouted.

"Well, I've been fighting people like Ryoga and Cologne! Didn't you expect me to get tougher?"

Genma stared at him flatly for a second. He was holding something back, he could tell. "That is true. Very well, on to the training. I will show you only once!" Genma said, pontificating.

"What sort of training is that, you idiot!" An old thought percolated through his mind. "You don't remember the whole thing, do you?"

"I'm ashamed that you would think-"

"I was right! You don't remember it all, do you? I can't believe that! What sort of master are you?" Ranma screamed at him.

"It's been almost a decade, son! I do remember the important parts! Watch!" With that, Genma took a very soft looking preying mantis stance, his eyes glazing over. Even while still watching, Ranma's eyes just slid off of his father's form.

Ranma barely felt the wind disturb him as a flurry of punches struck up his back. Ranma pretended to grunt in pain, tumbling to his face.

Outside, Akane and Soun seemed to be watching carefully. Soun was internally astounded by Genma's skill at smothering his aura. Akane was fascinated by what she could see. She had willed the ring to allow her to see what was going on and it had granted her x-ray-like vision.

She smiled wistfully. Would Ranma ever even think to teach her these sort of techniques? Probably not.

Genma stepped out of his invisibility and helped Ranma to his feet. "So, what did you see?"

Ranma answered truthfully, "Well, you did something to your aura and then hit me up my spine. Hey! What happened to my clothes?"

"That is one of the most important tenants of the style. It is based on thievery and trickery. It is designed to help you steal your opponent's strength and use it against him."

"So what is the Yamisenken?" Ranma asked.

"Ah... well, that's not important."

"Pop."

Genma sighed. "It too is based on thievery, but only as a noisy thief would rob you. Violently and loudly. It uses many techniques of distraction and opening your opponent's defenses. Quite the opposite of the Umisenken. I'll leave you to practice all of the techniques I've shown you."

-

The next few days were spent in doing exactly that, practicing the moves and concepts that he'd been shown. It happened almost exactly as Akane and Ranma both remembered. He stole the floorboards out from under the whole house. He rearranged everyone's clothing drawers. Almost nothing seemed to be sacred.

In Akane's darkened room the next night, she finally felt his presence again. He was getting better at hiding his aura, much better than before. But the one good thing about his constant practice, it allowed her to practice sensing him.

"Ranma."

Ranma didn't appear for a second. When he did, he was crouched over in the soft stance of the Umisenken. "Yes?" he asked curiously, but cautiously. He vaguely remembered this from last time. Akane had literally kicked him out of the room.

"You... don't have to sneak into my room." Akane stared at the ceiling, not even looking up at her 'fiancé.'

Ranma's voice quavered. "What?"

"It's... life is so hectic, so crazy again." Akane raised her hand to send out a beam that covered the wall, the floor and the floor with a very dark, green coating. Ranma actually felt himself get lifted off the ground. "We never have any time. Or privacy, really. What about us?"

Ranma sighed as he relaxed into a forward kneeling position. "I... I don't even know if there is 'us'. I almost feel like I'm betraying her."

"I know... how you feel... sometimes. It's... just so... lonely." Akane sniffled loudly, tears streaming down from her eyes. She curled up as she rolled to her side.

Long minutes later, she realized that she was being gently rocked by Ranma, who was making soothing noises to her. He had picked her up so gently she hadn't even realized it.

"Thanks, Ranma. I... really needed that."

He could hear her heartbeat speed up, but did nothing to stop her slow advance. In almost agonizing slowness, their lips finally touched. The kissed turned from tender to fierce, until Akane broke the kiss with a gasp.

"W-wow."

Akane smiled at his comment. "Yeah. Wow." Her lips dipped closer in again kiss him.

-

Ranma stood at ease the next morning, strangely calm for the first time in his life. They were at an open field near his mother's place.

Across from him stood Ryu Kumon, ready and primed. "If you lose, you will give me the Umisenken, Ranma Saotome. With that, I can rebuild my father's dojo and set his spirit at ease."

Ranma stared at him impassively. "I won't lose. You will seal up your knowledge of the Yamisenken and promise to never use it again when you lose."

Ryu shrugged. "I've focused my whole life on this art; I won't let you take it away from me!"

Soun sat near, with Genma, Nodoka and Akane watching intently. "Very well. Begin." He dropped his hand to signal the start of the fight.

"You should be prepared to lose, Saotome!" Ryu crowed as he advanced. He blinked as Ranma seemed to seep into a loose, mantis-like stance, seemingly unfocused on the combat.

Between one eye blink and another, he lost track of the slightly smaller boy. He felt a wind and a stabbing pain up his back. He rolled forward and twisted around, seemingly ready to attack anyone. He swore under his breath.

Where was he? How could he use any of the moves of the Yamisenken if he couldn't even see his opponent? "Where are you, coward-?"

His rant was cut off as more blows that are painful rained up his bare back.

Genma ha-hummed a bit to himself. Ranma wasn't even letting this Ryu boy even fight him. He'd rarely seen Ranma this focused in a battle.

Ryu staggered to his feet. He crossed his arms in front of him, focusing on his breathing. "Demon God Assault Bomb!" He threw the ki-charged vacuum blades randomly, hoping beyond hope that he could actually hit his foe.

To him and the people watching the fight, the barest hint of a blur appeared to catch many of the blades, especially the ones that were headed towards the three bystanders.

'Has he really mastered the technique that well?' Genma thought to himself. 'I theorized that you could use it to capture your enemy's ki, but I never succeeded myself.'

"You shouldn't have done that," Ranma stated loudly, his voice cold even to his own ears. His rage almost mastered him, as it had just after his Akane had been killed.

"You fool!" Genma shouted, distracting Ranma for just a moment.

"I have you!" Ryu shouted, swooping Ranma up in a tight bear hug.

Ranma pretended to grunt in exertion, even as he head butted his opponent out of the hold. Ryu held his nose for a second and then wiped the blood away. "Ha, the technique isn't perfect! This fight is far from over."

"No, it's over now." Ranma disappeared again, his only presence was known by the blows that started to strike Ryu from all around him.

Only Akane noticed that debris from the fight was also starting to disappear. Watching as closely as possible, she saw the tiny puffs of dust from his fists striking the ground, loosening the dirt.

Ryu again tried to strike at Ranma with his vacuum blades, to no avail; they just disappeared like everything else.

Ranma reappeared on top of the temple's roof, a gigantic bag slung over his shoulder. Without a word, he charged. Ryu fell into the trap, throwing an even bigger ki attack at Ranma. The ground suddenly exploded under him.

When the dust settled, Ryu was buried up to his neck and trapped. Ranma stood on top of the pile. "It's over."

Ryu snarled in anger, but finally bowed his head. "Y-yes. As agreed, I'll seal the Yamisenken." In almost an eye blink, he was unburied.

Ranma dusted his hands on his pant legs. "Good." A strange look appeared on his face. "You wouldn't mind some help in rebuilding your dojo, would you?"

"How can I, when I don't have a style to teach?" Ryu demanded.

"I could teach you Anything Goes. All the normal stuff." Ranma slowly held out his hand, for a western handshake.

Ryu looked at the hand like it was a viper that was about to strike. "You would do that?"

"Sure. I don't got no grudge against you." Ranma accepted the return of the handshake.

"My manly son!" Nodoka cried out in happiness, just before hugging the startled boy. "Only a true man among men would be so gracious to a defeated foe!"

"Uh, sure, Mom." Ranma awkwardly patted her on the back.

"Well, we should be off! We still have to go back and pick up your things from the Tendo's." Nodoka didn't miss the glance and pained expression.

"Huh?"

"Ahem. Now that you've finished your training for this fight, your mother and I have decided that it is time for you to go home." Genma gestured towards Nerima, where his house lay.

"But what about..." Ranma didn't want to leave Akane. But how was he going to say that without being forced to marry her today?

"I'm sure that you'll have to spend some time over there for training. You don't think Soun will mind if Ranma keeps a change of clothing and the guest room ready, would you?" Nodoka asked Akane as they walked towards the dojo.

Akane broke into a smile. "No, I'm sure he won't mind at all."

"Hey, Ranma! I'll see you tomorrow, at that high school of yours."

"Sure, Ryu!"

-

Ranma was lost in thought as he walked along the fence. Happosai had harassed Akane for the tears he'd needed for his rejuvenation potion, not him this time. She had fared all right, but he really didn't like being home already, away from her. That was not a change he liked. Luckily, with his speed, he was easily able to zip over to her house to walk her to and from school.

Without any warning that he heard, a bicycle crashed on top of him.

"Ranma-husband! We have problem!" Shampoo said unhappily, of which she was the rider of said bike that perched on top of him.

"Whatcha want, Shampoo?" Ranma asked from where he was sprawled on the top of the fence. Rink and Pink already?

Akane's thoughts mirrored Ranma's thought. "Yeah, what do you want?"

"Come to give warning to Ranma! Old enemy may show up to attack you!"

"Which old enemy?" Ranma asked, feigning ignorance.

"Article about Shampoo and Ranma appear in village paper from home!" Shampoo pulled out an article written in Chinese.

"I can't read Chinese!" Ranma complained loudly.

"Ranma no worry about! Shampoo explain! Article say that Shampoo and her airen are happily married and run Cat Café! That the problem! Enemy now know where Shampoo live!" Shampoo normally would have gone into more detail, but Ranma had been going out of his way to avoid her. And her Grandmother was acting odd about the whole situation too.

Akane was not the reason she was holding back what she had written in!

"Married?" Akane screamed, surprising herself by the little acting that it required to pull off her anger.

"Shampoo! You heard me last week, didn't you?" Ranma asked of her hotly.

"Ranma just being silly and poor husband. Shampoo be more than happy to teach you to be good husband though." Shampoo suddenly smiled. "Shampoo have to leave now. Many deliveries to do!" With that, she cycled off at top speed.

"Ears that can hear a pin drop over a mile away, huh?" Akane said snidely.

Ranma glared at her from where he lay on top of the fence. "What's it to you? I had something on my mind!"

"Fine, be that way! I'll see you tomorrow!" Akane flounced off down the road in a huff.

"I'll never understand her," Ranma said to himself. He shrugged to himself as he stood up and started walking away. Let's see, if things continue on like they did last time, Rink should be showing up just about... now.

Ranma suddenly flung himself away from some weird blast that hit the fence he was walking on. Landing gracefully, he shouted out, "Who's there?"

The fully cloaked up woman near where he had been standing on the fence spoke ominously, "Wind direction, okay!"

"Hmm."

"You Shampoo's husband? Over," she asked, ending her statement oddly.

"Yeah, over my... dead body?" Ranma finished as he watched the seeds floating in the air to him. "You know, you don't really look that threatening." Ranma smirked to himself. He had nothing to worry from this young woman. He bounced up to the fence top to stand in front of her.

Just like he remembered, it started to drizzle. "Weather, okay!" With a quick dash, she ran off even as Ranma shook his head. "Just drop by to say hello! Bai bai!"

"What a nutcase!" Ranma said to herself as her curse activated. Just as she had remembered, the seeds sprouted into the poisonous plants that incapacitated her last time. Ranma smiled and started to laugh as she started to pick off the man-shaped roots. At the tingling feeling, she gasped in surprise. "Oh, damn!"

-

"I... really didn't give him much of a chance, did I?" Akane ruminated to herself. She trotted off in the direction that Ranma would be walking off. She wanted to see how he handled the situation this time. In moments, she surprisingly saw a familiar figure lying on the ground. "Ranma!"

She leaned over Ranma, seeing a very disconcerting scene. Ranma seemed to have been just as badly affected by the poison as she remembered.

"Aiieah! Someone has poisoned this poor innocent girl with a Mandragora root! Very poisonous root that-"

"Yeah, yeah! Can you do anything for her?" Akane yelled out as young woman started to jam plugs in Ranma's ears.

"Plug ears!" the strange girl said, even as she started to throw screaming roots off the boy turned girl. Moments later she started to concoct a weird mixture from jars of odd things. She forced a large bowl of the stuff down the red head's throat. "Antidote! Over!" As Ranma recovered, she exclaimed, "You are very lucky! You could have died!"

"Considering you poisoned me!" Ranma screamed out into her face, scaring the girl.

"Why... you act like this! I just try to help!" She ran off in reaction to the threatening transsexual.

"You... dummy! You knew that she wasn't the one who poisoned you!" Akane snapped out a moment later, smacking him on the back of the head; her ring flashing for just a second to protect her from Ranma's tougher than iron skin.

"What? Oh, yeah. Damn." Ranma shook her head, trying to clear up the after affects of the poison.

"I suppose you'll want to head on over to the Cat Café now, don't you?"

"Er, yeah."

-

"Well, that sucked," Ranma said to himself as they walked into the front of the house.

"I can't believe you tried to stick that thing in my hair!" Akane fumed.

"Ah, don't be sore about it. It was just a joke. I don't really think that, you know."

"So, are they here already?" Akane asked. She blinked for a second. Duh, she could do that herself. Her eyes glowed green for just a second. Simultaneously with Ranma, she replied, "Yup. There they are."

Ranma looked at her in puzzlement. Why'd she ask if she could check herself? "You know that Kasumi is going to..."

"Akane. Ranma! Welcome home! Ranma, would you mind taking a bath before supper?" Kasumi called out, leaving into the living room from the kitchen.

"Sure Kasumi." He'd let this play out. No way was he going to let those two get the better of him.

Minutes later, Shampoo had been kidnapped again, the bathing room had been trashed and Ranma and Akane were trotting over to Cat Café to ask Cologne for some advice. Just like clockwork, she gave Ranma the silly sword and shield that were supposed to help him versus the poisonous duo.

Akane watched Ranma as he climbed up the gigantic vine that had suddenly sprouted up on the high school's ground. Now she had to wait until dark again. It wouldn't be much longer.

"Akane."

"Yes, Cologne?" Akane asked warily.

"I tracked down where the battery ended up that I accused you of stealing. It is in the hands of an American super hero who was known as the Green Lantern."

Akane tensed at that and then nodded slowly. "Yes, I know of him. He goes by the name of Sentinel now."

"I also learned that there used to be many Green Lanterns, from beyond the stars. They all had their own batteries too. But they were supposedly killed by another American Green Lantern."

"Yes," Akane said tersely. She did not want to talk about Hal Jordan.

"So your ring is one of those?" Just like the newest American Green Lantern.

Akane nodded, blinking back tears. Gods, when would it stop hurting?

Interesting reaction. Something traumatic happened when she was given her ring. "So what do you plan to do now?"

Akane let the ring appear on her finger. She looked at it for a long time. "I was going to be a hero. Now... I'm not sure."

"You could easily defeat Ranma with such a powerful magic ring, of course."

Akane smiled wistfully. "Maybe, Ranma's never easy to defeat." She sat down and sighed. "I really do want to help. I've just been afraid that someone might figure out who my family is..." ...again.

"Your family has a rich heritage of warriors." Cologne looked her over gravely.

"That is true, isn't it? I'll think about it."

Cologne looked up at the gigantic flower. "Ranma should have been back by now. Something has happened to him."

"Probably got himself paralyzed." Akane stood up.

"Luckily, I came prepared. These three items will-"

"I already have the only 'magic item' I'll need," Akane said as the ring started to pulsate with a blinding light. Without a thought, she flew off towards the flower far up above.

"Hmm." Cologne tamped her pipe. She was getting closer to the secret of that ring.

Inhuman eyes noted the emerald meteor flying up into the sky. "Ah, the green fire I see."

"This is not good!" Pink said to her sister.

"Good it is not, over!" Rink replied. She held her smarting fist, which had bruised knuckles.

"Over is right, you two. Release Ranma and Shampoo!" Akane demanded, a luminous aura covering her.

Shampoo could not believe her eyes. Where had Akane come from, how had she come by this power?

"Why you interfere! We only care about Shampoo and Ranma! Leave, before we hurt you!" Rink shouted out.

"Over!" Pink nodded in confirmation.

"Ranma is my fiancé, not Shampoo's," Akane snarled. The ring blasted out with two beams, slamming the two Chinese herbalists.

"Ouch!" they cried in unison. They started cowering; this was not what they expected.

"Cure them!"

"We can't stand up to her," Rink exclaimed. She turned to Pink who was already fixing an antidote. In moments, they were forcing the anti- paralyzing potion down their throats.

"So, a second Green Lantern. Good." Blinding scarlet beams of energy slammed into the unprepared girl's back, sending her flying.

"Akane!" Ranma screamed out as he became capable of moving again. Miles away, he saw her standing up groggily. He spun on the woman who was floating in the air just a dozen or so feet away. "You bitch, why did you do that?"

"She's an impediment to our grand plan," the normally dressed woman said. She heard from the others telepathically that the attack was going on already. "So she has to die."

"Over my dead body-urk!" Ranma exclaimed as he was hit with twin scarlet beams from her eyes. Much to everyone's surprise, he wasn't knocked flying or disintegrated like they expected.

"Who are you?" the mysterious woman exclaimed.

"I'm Ranma Saotome. And no one threatens Akane. No one." With that, Ranma threw himself at her, smashing her with a powerful blow that actually staggered her.

The two figures floated in the air, drifting with the wind. The strange woman rubbed her jaw at the point where Ranma had punched her. "That wasn't a very strong punch. Although, I am interested in how you are flying."

"Who are you? Are you with Kaji and his Japanese Elite?" Ranma demanded.

"I am Ter'kel, one of the new masters of humanity. I am a white Martian." With those words, her form melted and shifted, turning into an inhuman bipedal humanoid. It was androgynous and fearful looking. It was all claws, teeth and had an inhumanly toothed maw in its pale-skinned stomach.

"Whoa!" Ranma ducked a massive punch at his head. Somehow, he didn't think he needed to hold back this time. His leg lashed out, smashing into its jaw. The blow was so powerful that it rocketed the alien into the stratosphere. Without pause, he flew off into the night after it.

"I no think we want to anger him," Pink said sagely.

"I think you think right! Over!" Rink replied.

"Ahem."

"Uh, oh," they cried out together even as they looked over their shoulder in unison.

"Shampoo think you two need go home so Shampoo can deal with Airien. Shampoo be more than happy to make it a body cast and slow boat to China." Shampoo was tapping her open palm with her bonbori.

"This is going to hurt."

"Over."

A green star flashed past them, headed into the air after the two combatants. Moments later, Akane saw the two figures duking it out at the edge of space. Heat vision flared between them as they traded punches in a blur.

"Wow! That thing sure is ugly, whatever it is. Take this!" Akane shouted, blasting out with her ring at full force. The green beam rocketed the alien far off, spinning it around.

Ter'kel spun through the air, her red eyes narrowing in anger. Beams of scarlet energy slammed into a green wall that materialized in front of her. "Cursed, human."

Akane grinned. "No, that's only Ranma! Eat this!" With a burst of will, she blasted the alien with a huge green crème pie.

"Hey!" Ranma cried out in outrage.

"Humans, you are going to die!" Ter'kel shouted in annoyance. She moved at superhuman speeds to appear behind the ring-wielding human.

"Akane!" Ranma yelled out as he blurred to keep up.

Ter'kel smashed both of her clawed fists into her back, causing Akane to scream in pain. Ranma slammed into the alien at full force, even as he saw his fiancée fall. Two pairs of eyes flashed red, beams of intense heat clawing at each other. Without blinking, the martial artist kicked the Martian in the stomach.

Ranma flew forward in a blur, attempting to catch the alien and punish it for what she had done. Much to his surprise, he passed right through her. Before he could spin around, a punishing punch caught him in his back. Ranma reacted instantly, his fist managing to catch the alien by surprise.

Ter'kel frowned in annoyance. None of the others were having anywhere near this problem with their 'super-humans' that they had to deal with. Her eyes narrowed, as she turned intangible again while sending a tendril of her consciousness down into his mind.

"Damn! Fight me!" Ranma cried out, taking a moment to glance to check on the falling girl. She appeared to be flying back up, unsteadily. That momentary lapse of concentration cost him as painful mental barbs pierced his mind.

The White Martian's smile turned nasty as it felt a deep, over-riding fear deep within the human's mind. "Why? You'll defeat yourself easily."

"What are you-" Ranma's question was cut off as overwhelming fear invaded his psyche. "Aaaaah! Keep away! Keep away!" He curled up almost instantly into a ball, falling like a lead weight.

Even as the Martian flew down to finish him off, he felt the mind undergo a startling change. Conscious thought patterns turned into highly optimized fighting instincts. "The Kada'ch Tuor?" Ter'kel hadn't heard of anyone successfully going into such a battle trance in centuries. Suddenly cautious, she held back even as a green glow encompassed the boy.

"Oh, drat. Why did you pick now to go cat?" Akane groused. Abruptly, it occurred to her that the Martian might have done this to him. She quickly erected a bubble of intense force to protect them both. Her concentration was almost broken when Ranma rubbed head up against her calf. "No, you idiot! I'm busy!"

"Ah, you've finally arrived," Ter'kel said to the air as she floated into view.

Goosebumps ran up Akane's back in a cold marathon. Around her appeared more and more of the aliens. "Oh... crap."

"Surrender to us, and we won't kill you," said the lead alien.

"You have to catch us first," Akane yelled out bravely, even as Ranma hissed at them. Bravery wasn't what she was feeling though. With a burst of intense will, she rocketed upwards to the surprise of the aliens.

Three of the aliens chased after them gamely. In moments they were far above Earth, heading away at insane speed. The White Martian couldn't catch up to the girl, as her mind flung her far faster than the speed of light into the dark void.

-

"Shush now Ranma," Akane said soothingly.

The catlike Ranma looked around curiously. Seeing nothing but green and stars he relaxed. Akane's voice snapped his attention back to her. "Meoooow!" he cried happily as he bounded into her; knocking her down to lie in her lap. "Meow."

"You didn't have to knock me down, you know?" Akane asked rhetorically. With a sigh, she started scratch him at the nape of his neck. Minutes passed by quietly.

"W-what happened?" Ranma finally said groggily.

"The alien triggered your Cat-fist." She kept scratching the nape of his neck, seemingly lost in thought.

Ranma let himself be petted for just moment before moving to stand back up. He still wasn't sure about this change in his relationship with this Akane, so worked to keep his distance. Although that kissing they'd shared that night... tempted him. "So what do we do now?" he groused as he stood up.

"We be heroes. And we work as a team," Akane said intently. Her ring flashed, shifting her dress's molecules into a Green Lantern's uniform; tailored to her taste. A short-sleeved gi now clad her form, her inner layer now taking a vague oriental cast to it. She only had short white gloves and slippers and her costume no longer had a mask.

"What? Are you nuts? We just got our asses kicked!" Ranma yelled out.

Akane looked away. "I can't not do it anymore Ranma. I was given this ring for a purpose." She took a deep breath and looked him squarely in the eyes. "I'd be making his... their deaths... meaningless. And I will never do that. Ever."

Ranma opened his mouth to continue to argue, but the intensity of her look stopped him. "All right. I don't think this is smart, but I'm damn sure not going to let you do it by yourself." He suddenly looked around. "Say, where are we?" That whitish sun sure made him feel tingly.

"Alpha Centauri. These aliens might be powerful, but they aren't more powerful than my ring," Akane declared proudly.

"You can get us home, right?"

"What are you insinuating?"

"Uh, nothing!"

-

The first sign that the White Martians' invasion was not proceeding as smoothly was when an almost transparent green mist appeared over the entire island of Japan. Previously invisible Martians became suddenly haloed in a glowing nimbus of green energy.

That's when the three Martians in charge of subduing eastern Asian disappeared off of their communal telepathic link. Four more were stopped and defeated when they entered the nimbus; barely able to give a warning of the new Green Lantern and her male companion attacking them.

The next force was more significant, almost a dozen strong. As they flew into the green mist, a bubble of force cut their war party in half, a scant moment before they were attacked.

An incongruously short and wiry figure appeared behind one of them, unleashing a blindingly fast flurry of punches into his back, blasting the Martian into unconsciousness. A second was hit by a monstrous blast of green energy that struck with the force of a nuclear bomb.

"Uhn! The others are attacking my force-field!" Akane called out even as sweat started to pour from her brow.

"I know! Just hold them off a second!" Ranma called out. A sphere of sunlight appeared within his cupped hands, only to be unleashed on the startled Martian that didn't duck fast enough.

Another Martian slammed into Ranma, clawing and punching at him at blurred speeds. Speeds that Ranma more than matched with his new innate abilities and years of training.

"Where is the last one?" Akane suddenly cried out, looking around wildly. Her gigantic shield started to collapse; one of the Martians' hands breaking through. It took but a moment to reinforce it, but she was frozen in a battle against the strength of supermen.

"Akane, he's waking up the unconscious Martians!" Ranma screamed out, even as managed to get in a few blows, stunning his target.

She used that warning just in the nick of time to protect herself from a superhuman missile. Even so, she was still blasted thru the Tokyo Tower from almost a mile in the air. She rolled to her feet as she ignored her screaming back and twisted foot. As she floated into the air, she saw another missile strike the ground across the city.

Dozens of beams of scarlet fire rained down on the ground, striking again and again at the fallen target. With a cold shock of certainty, Akane knew that was Ranma, fighting for his life. Hardly even realizing it, the ring moved her there instantly.

The sudden cessation of the intense heat vision caused Ranma to gasp from the effort. "Akane?"

"I'm here! There are too many of them! They're too strong!" Akane cried out in fear.

"We'll figure it out, we always do!" Ranma said. He gasped in pain from his bruised and battered body.

"We're wounded and in no... shape to fight. That's it!" Sweat seemed to roll off of her brow as a green glow covered their bodies. "That's... really... tough to do at the same time." She was almost swooning by the time she was done.

Ranma blinked in surprise as his pains washed away in the green glow.

Suddenly, all of the Martians quit attacking the bubble that enclosed them, looking up and off to the horizon. With a snarl, they flashed off into the air, disappearing in a moment.

"What's happened?" Akane said as she took great heaving breaths.

"It's the JLA, they're calling the aliens out to fight them."

"Give me just a second to catch my breath and we'll go help them." Akane sat down for a minute as rivulets of sweat covered her skin. She had never pushed herself that hard before. She felt strangely tingly.

"No way!" Ranma suddenly cried out in alarm.

"What?" Akane asked with a little more strength.

"They're moving the Moon! Dragging it closer to the Earth!"

"Let's go!" Akane commanded, shooting off into the air. She was followed a scant moment later by her fiancé.

Seconds later, Superman was startled when he felt something aiding him in pulling the super-tough chain that was wrapped to the moon; he was using said chain to drag the Moon behind him. A glance over his shoulder showed a young teenaged oriental boy pulling on the chain with all of his might.

Wonder Woman caught Superman's attention, pointing out a second slowing green rocket that had started to pull on the Moon.

"Superman?" the American Green Lantern exclaimed. That shouldn't be possible!

"Keep pulling! Don't stop!" Superman commanded.

Behind them, the edge of the moon was skimming the Earth's atmosphere, air burning incandescently where they touched. At that point, Martian was confronting his fellow Martians with the fate of the world at stake.

"Pull up! Pull up now!" Batman commanded as the White Martians succumbed.

With a tremendous effort of five of the most powerful people on Earth, the Moon pulled up and towards its normal orbit.

Minutes later, the Moon was back in orbit where it should be. They relaxed their efforts, just drifting in space for a second. Superman waved for everyone to follow them back the JLA base of operations. In moments, they were cycled through the airlock.

"Okay! Who are you and how do you have a power ring?" the other Green Lantern demanded. His posture was threatening even as his ring glowed ominously. Even though he looked wounded with his arm being broken, he was more than ready to fight.

"Whoa! Wait just a second! I'll explain to you privately, if you don't mind!" Akane cried out as she held up her palms defensively.

Kyle, the man behind the mask of the Green Lantern, slowly relaxed. "Sure. Come with me."

Wonder Woman looked over the young man with curiosity. "So, if you don't mind, how did you develop super powers?"

Ranma laughed nervously as he took a quick glance at Superman. "Uh, some sort of genetic-manipulation thingy. I'm not really sure of the details."

Superman frowned while looking over him much closer. "Interesting."

Ranma was left by himself a few minutes later. He stared out into the sun- blasted landscape. He must be getting jaded, Ranma thought to himself. He was on the Moon and it didn't even seem to matter.

"Ranma?"

He turned to the speaker. "Yeah, Akane?"

"It's time to go home." The girl looked subdued and withdrawn.

On the trip back to Japan, Ranma snuck glances at her worriedly. The trip was quite short. In minutes, they set down just a few blocks away from the Tendo's residence.

"So, um, what's up?" Ranma finally asked as they walked towards home.

"I had to tell him where I came from."

"Oh."

Akane took a deep breath. "He's not sure what to make of it. He's going to watch me."

She was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Oh, there you are! I've been looking everywhere for you two." Nabiki waved to the couple from across the street. "Did you take care of those two pests?"

Ranma and Akane stared at her blankly for a second. "Oh, yeah! No problem!" Ranma responded none too glibly.

"I just had to rescue him again, that's all," Akane said with a smile.

"Hey!"

-

Akane flopped into her bed. It had been a long day and she was ready to go to bed. With a sigh, she sat up and reached for the invisible lantern on the stand next to her bed.

Her fingers failed to latch onto anything. Her eyes scrunched downward in frustration. Had Kasumi moved it accidentally? Her ring suddenly glowed as she willed for it to make the invisible lantern appear.

She stared at the empty spot on her dresser in shock. She glanced around frantically. There was no lantern. With a quick, small burst of will, she checked how much of a charge she had left. Not a lot, but not in danger of running out unless she got into a big fight.

Glowing panels appeared around her head, about three feet out. On each screen, different views appeared. "Bet you that Nabiki... Shampoo?"

Eyes wide with shock, Akane watched Shampoo smirk and create a gigantic panther out of green flames. With a power ring.

A candle of anger fanned itself into a bonfire within her breast. She blasted out her window, a gigantic emerald aura enveloping her as she streaked north towards the Amazon.

Ranma started awake from the guest room. Genma and he had stayed the night to put in a big day of practice in the morning. He had just fallen asleep when he something startled him awake. A quick glance around the house saw everyone in their beds except for Akane. He closed his eyes, almost back to sleep instantly.

Except for Akane? He looked around again, seeing through the walls as easily as most people did windows. Nabiki was getting out of bed, but Akane was just gone.

Nabiki was just opening her door when a wind blasted by her. "Eeek!"

"Akane!" Ranma cried out looking around for clues to her whereabouts from her room. Her window was shattered, shards of glass littered across the lawn.

"Ranma! Hold it down!" a terribly short old man cried out from the neighboring roof.

"Look, old man! Something's happened to Akane!"

"Really? I wonder if it had anything to do with that beam of green light that went north?" Happosai asked. Now he'd get a clue as to what was going on.

"North?" Ranma asked stupidly. He spun around to look north, forgetting for a second that he was inside.

Suddenly, much to even Happosai's surprised perception, Ranma disappeared in a blur out the door past Nabiki.

"What the heck is going on?" Nabiki cried out as Happosai bounced in through the window.

"I don't know." But he would really like to know.

-

"Shampoo." There are many ways to say someone's name. Kindly, happily and even cordially. None of these terms applied to the shear anger and hatred that emanated from Akane Tendo.

"The Perverted Girl? You showed up a lot faster than I thought you would," Shampoo said tersely as she drifted backwards on the wind.

"Who are you calling perverted?" she replied hotly. She was once again clad in her modified GL uniform.

She wasn't sure why Akane was speaking perfect Chinese, but this was an opportunity to really lay into the girl. "Only a perverted girl hurts someone they love. But then, you don't love Ranma like I do! He's just that annoying boy that stays at your place, isn't he?"

The Japanese girl blushed in embarrassment. "I... I only chastise him when he's really being a jerk. If I didn't, he'd just get worse."

"See? It is just obviously perverted to hurt someone that you pretend to care about!"

"Like you haven't laid into Ranma when he was ignoring you or hurting your feelings!"

Shampoo acknowledged that barbed truth with a frown. "That doesn't really matter. Now that I too have a ring of power, I'm again your superior in combat! This will prove to Ranma that I'm the best." Shampoo suddenly smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Not like a flat-chested, unlady-like husband beater like you who can't even cook!"

Akane was shaking by the time Shampoo finished her insults. "I'll make you regret your words!"

Shampoo just smirked, ducking the easily seen blast of energy coming from the shorter girl. Anger would cloud the other girl's mind, making it weak. A stream of flame shot out to engulf her shorter haired antagonist.

A sudden blur of motion interposed itself in between Shampoo and her target.

"Stop!" Ranma shouted. "What is going on?"

"Ranma?" Shampoo queried, looking on morbidly at the flames licking over her love. That heat was intense enough to melt rock! That was easy to see, as Ranma was standing in a puddle of molten rock.

"Ranma... Why are you interfering in our fight?" Akane asked. She was singed, but really was unhurt in any great way.

"Hey! You two shouldn't be fighting!" he protested.

"She... She stole my lantern. I don't know where she got that ring, but she doesn't deserve to be a Green Lantern!" Akane's face contorted into an expression of pained anger.

"Deserve-?" Shampoo shook her head. "I am the best warrior of the greatest tribe of mighty Amazons in the history of the world. My wayward husband is not going to stop me from extracting my vengeance on this pampered and spoiled brat who dares interfere with her betters."

And with that pronouncement, green fire erupted from her ring, bringing forth dozens of cats that herded off the suddenly terrified martial artist. He was quickly cornered up against the wall of a shed.

"And now, Akane Tendo, we finish this fight. Woman to woman." Her lips twisted into a very nasty looking smile.

"You've got that right," Akane bluffed. Her ring was almost empty, almost drained. She hadn't thought that a battle between ring wielders would be so taxing. But wait, something about that fire was familiar.

Then she had it.

Shampoo unleashed a torrent of emerald flames at her target. The Japanese school girl erected a shield that almost buckled under the tremendous pressure.

'I've got to finish this quickly!' she thought to herself. 'But with my ring being so drained, I'm going to lose. Only one chance!' She leaped away, her shields crumbling under the onslaught. Her body hid an emerald figure streaking off into the sky.

"You are finished, Akane Tendo!" the Chinese girl crowed. She blasted the ground right out from under her foe, sending her sprawling. Suddenly, from behind her, a glowing mini-Ranma streaked by, snagging the lantern from her hand and sending it hurtling towards the waiting hand of her antagonist. "No!"

As if guided by fate, the lantern was grabbed by a firm and confident grip. Incandescent light flowed from the lantern into the waiting ring. "Yes! How about you pick on someone whose ring isn't almost drained?"

"What do you mean?" Shampoo stuttered. The aura surrounding the girl had become astounding.

"It means, you're going to get that fight you wanted, just not the way you expected it!" Her ring blasted Shampoo with shocking power, sending the Amazon hurtling into the air miles away.

"How is that possible?" she murmured to herself, shaking the dizziness out of her head. She ducked out of the way as a figure slammed into the ground where she had been, a staff of wood whistling past her nose.

"I am... not... going to let you take away my Ranma!" Green Lantern shouted. "Ever!"

Her nemesis snarled even as she formed a staff from the green flame of her ring. She shifted the staff to block the next blow to her head expertly. Unfortunately, she didn't even get the chance to see the staff pass right thru it without encountering any resistance, stunning her as it slammed into her forehead.

"How-?" she managed to utter in disbelief. If she hadn't been staggered from the first hit, she may have been able to duck the second attack, but it was too late. With the dull sound of wood on her skull, the Chinese girl succumbed to unconsciousness.

"You should have remembered that ring had a weakness to wood. I'm sure that Cologne knew."

"Hey! Akane! Is the fight over?" Ranma asked as he landed lightly next to her. Akane won?

"Yeah." With a wave of her hand, the ring flew from Shampoo's finger. She almost crushed it, but suddenly changed her mind. She concentrated for a long moment, forming a physical duplicate that wouldn't fade once she lost concentration. "I'm keeping the real ring. She'll never know that she doesn't have it and it's safer that way."

Ranma pursed his lips. "That works. Come on, let's take her home and go get some sleep."

And that's what they did. A shame that there was more in store for them.

-

A black shape drifted into the Tendo's home later that same night. Whoever it was, was one with the shadows. His form slipped silently but quickly thru the house. In moments he was noiselessly sliding the door open to the upstairs guest room. Lens-covered eyes took in the two figures laying on the futon.

The bandana wearing old man was known as a disreputable thief in many locales, but was somewhat of a pillar of this community along with the owner of the house.

The boy was an enigma. He appeared out of the blue and managed, with a Green Lantern's aid, to nearly fight the white Martians to a standstill.

Two versus dozens and they were only faring as badly as the JLA itself did. It was teamwork, he was sure. Ranma and Akane had melded the strengths of their powers into a cohesive ability that had almost defeated a dozen Martians at one time.

Batman frowned in thought. The JLA's Green Lantern, Kyle to his close associates, had been quite tight-lipped about where this girl had gotten her ring and how she had learned to use it so effectively. Putting the matter of the girl out of his mind for a moment, he pulled out an incredibly advanced sensor package out of his belt.

Steel had claimed it could do should work as a genetic analyzer, linked the massive computers up in the JLA Tower on the Moon. It was a lot slower than the full lab, but infinitely more portable. He held the little device over the sleeping boy.

A light started blinking, signaling that it had a preliminary analysis ready. His eyes opened in shock at the shocking truth.

Ranma Saotome was much closer to Kryptonian than he was to being a human. That required he test something. Another two belt pouches disgorged a small spray bottle and a dull gray box. He spritzed Genma's face twice with a light mist. Stepping back, he opened the box, revealing a glowing green rock the size of a small marble on a ring.

Ranma instantly started to twitch and quiver. With a start, he opened his eyes to see a glowing green rock that seemed to be floating in the air. "Ugh! What's going on?" He struggled to sit up.

The light suddenly disappeared. "As I thought."

"Batman!" Ranma said crossly, trying to recover as he breathed like he'd run a marathon while fighting those white Martians again. "What are you doing here?"

"Testing a theory. If you wish to learn more about why I was here, you will need to talk to Superman. This matter concerns him," Batman said as he drifted into the shadows. He was gone almost instantly.

Ten seconds later, Ranma managed to stagger to his feet. His x-ray vision scanned the whole block, looking the vigilante who had just used him as a guinea pig. He blinked, as he realized he couldn't find him.

"Yo, Pop! I'm leaving! I'll be back in a couple of hours!" Ranma said, shaking his father's form.

All that managed to get as a response was a snore. Grumbling to himself, Ranma threw on his clothes.

"Damn it!" Ranma trotted down the hall and quietly knocked on a door with a duck-nameplate. "Akane!" he whispered loudly.

"What, Ranma?" Akane replied groggily.

"I leaving for a couple of hours. It's, uh, super stuff."

Akane suddenly opened the door on him, narrowing her eyes in anger. Anger that was surprisingly controlled and curtailed. "Is it important?"

"Um, yeah. Batman just showed up and did something to me. Made me feel as weak as a baby."

"Then I'm going with you."

Ranma opened his mouth to argue, but really couldn't think of a good reason to keep her away. With a shrug, he turned and walked off. The two teenagers crept down the hall and out the front door in short order.

Unseen to them, Happosai watched them leave. But by the time he had reached the ground floor, they were already far gone. "What is going on?" Happosai shouted.

-

Metropolis. Long stated as the City of the Future, this astounding city had been reborn recently with the super technology of Brainiac 13. Spires of glass and steal rose high into the air, with flying taxis traveling around.

"So, how are we supposed to find Superman?" Ranma asked, yawning slightly as he stretched.

"I don't know. Hey! A Superman souvenir shop?" Akane took a moment to read the signs. Suddenly, she grinned. "I've got just the thing for you!"

The super-powered martial artist got a creeping feeling at the nape of his neck. "Uh, what?"

"A Superman T-shirt!"

Ranma looked quite confused. "Why?"

"Duh, Ranma! It's because of your powers! It's perfect! Super-Ranma!" Akane paid for the T-shirt with her Yen. She was somewhat surprised that they took it, but it appeared that all of the money tills accepted just about any Earthly denomination.

Ranma had little choice as the shirt was shoved into hands. "I'm not so sure about this."

"Put it on! Please!"

Her fiancé shrugged and blurred for less than a tenth of a second, his outfit changing. "Happy now?"

"Yes! It's perfect! Just like I said!" Akane paused for a second, looking around. "Let's fly around some more. Superman isn't likely to notice us on the ground."

The pedestrians waved cheerfully at the young couple as they flew into the air. For the next hour, they leisurely floated around town, trying to attract the attention of the world's foremost hero, to little avail.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Ranma pointed out to the young woman flying next to him.

"Do you have a better idea?" she replied.

A red and blue garbed figure zoomed past them to float in front of them.

"Superman! Wait. You're not Superman!" Akane called out.

"No, I'm Superboy! And you, kid, are stepping in my turf. You have to earn that shield before you can wear it!" The young man that floated in the air looked very angry indeed.

"What the heck are you talking about?" the aqua-transsexual asked with a bewildered tone.

"There's only room for one Superboy, and I'm him!" he shouted out as he launched himself at the other boy.

"Hey!" Ranma parried the blows expertly. The other boy had some potential. He just wasn't in his league. "Back off!" With that warning, he kicked him squarely in the stomach at his full speed.

Kon-El, more publicly known as Superboy, managed to stop his flight hundreds of feet away. He could do little except hold his stomach. "Good grief! That felt like one of the Imperiex Drones!" His face's expression hardened. Even if he was out-classed, he wouldn't back down. "You got your one shot in, now it's my turn!" He moved at his full speed, a mere blur to most people.

Ranma, on the other, was not most people. Just as the other boy was about to strike out at him, he lashed out with a flurry of punches. Only a few connected before Superboy disappeared in a blur of blue and red.

"Superman! Finally!" Akane called out.

Indeed it was Superman, floating majestically while holding his heir- apparent with one hand on his upper arm. "Are you two finished fighting?" he asked gravely.

"As long as he doesn't start back up!" Ranma shouted out angrily.

"Hey! I could handle you easy!" Kon-El snapped back.

"Kon, please." He waited for the young man to subside. "Ranma Saotome, this is Kon-El. Kon, apologize for picking the fight."

"But..." Superboy withered under the harsh glare. "I thought he was stealing my name. Like Match did, you know?" His mentor's gaze hadn't wavered. "I'm, uh, sorry about that. I guess I did go off half cocked there."

Ranma was left in an odd position. It wasn't very often that someone actually expressed regret for attacking him. "Um, sure."

"You aren't thinking about calling yourself Superboy, are you?" the owner of the name asked.

"Nah. This shirt was Akane's idea. She thought it was too 'perfect' to let pass up." Ranma jerked his thumb at the girl he was referring to.

"Sorry about that. I didn't think that was going to cause any problems." She shrugged her shoulders and held up her arms in frustration.

"I think we can safely say that is the end of that." Superman turned towards Ranma, seemingly unconcerned by the fact that they were hundreds of feet in the air. "I have some things to go over with you in private, if you don't mind. It has to do with your powers."

"Really? You don't mind Akane coming along, do you?" he asked.

"It's up to you." The Man of Steel pursed his lips thoughtfully. "As a matter of fact, you should come too, now that I think of it, Kon."

"Me? Why? Sure, I suppose."

With that, the quartet of super-powered individuals took off, not stopping until they had found a private mountain hundreds of miles away. It was lightly covered in trees, with just a little snow left on the mountain in the shadows on the north face.

Superman landed lightly, followed by the rest. He turned back towards Ranma. "I'm sorry that Batman invaded your privacy like that. I don't follow the same path he does. I tend to look for the best in people, where he expects the worst."

"It's not a big deal. It wasn't like he was planning to hurt me or nothing." Ranma jammed his hands in his pocket.

"His findings were quite surprising. I had to check with Project Cadimus to double check something with what he had learned with what I knew of Superboy's genetic makeup."

Superboy cocked his head in response to that. "He's not another clone is he?"

"No. It does appear that someone managed to splice into his genes a large selection of Kryptonian-analogue genes. He's about as Kryptonian as you are, Kon."

"So? I'm made from human DNA."

Ranma and Akane looked slightly confused, but tried to keep up.

"Modified human DNA, Kon. It's amazingly similar to my own genes. Both of your genes, actually. Ranma's is a little more off than yours, but that could be attributed to those things that make him uniquely him. According to what I checked into, you're both about seventy-five percent Kryptonian."

"I'm not even human?" Ranma cried out in shock. Akane mirrored his expression.

"Whoa, heavy info!"

"Humans and Kryptonians are genetically similar in many ways. Kryptonian genes are extraordinarily more complex of course, with extra chromosomes to boot." Superman took a deep breath. "So in effect, you are also related to the legacy of Krypton too."

"So what does that make us?" Superboy asked.

"Friends and comrades I hope. And now because of this, cousins by science."

"That's neat, Ranma!" the young woman said excitedly.

"But I'm still Ranma, right?" he asked, ignoring his exuberant significant other for a moment.

"Of course. I would like to get to know you better, at some point," Superman said.

"Sure. I don't think anyone would mind if you showed up at the Dojo at some point. What do you think, Akane?" Ranma looked over his shoulder at her.

"Sure!"