*Authors Note: Just so you know, I'm crossing this over with one of my other stories here at FFN, called DragonballZ Meets Ranma ½. I recommend you read that before you read this, if just to understand what's going on, and what will be coming along. Kinda a new idea, figured it would be neat and interesting to try. Hope I don't loose too many of you!
Edit: Corrected some things that I didn't like about this chapter. Works much better now.
Enjoy!
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RBL_M1A2Tanker
A Soldier in Tokyo.
Chapter 5: Crossover, and Discovery
Next morning……
"Damn fine morning man." Tank muttered.
Barsoum nodded, somewhat indifferent as they waited for the Scout to arrive. "Yea…not as fine as she was though." Tank rolled his eyes.
"Oh enough already man!"
"Look, nothing wrong in looking now."
"Heh, I tell myself that every time I go to Ranma's."
"Really? The girls there are hot?"
"Damn fine man. Just watch it ok? Nabiki will con you out of everything
you own if she can swing it. Kasumi is the more…housewife type I guess. Akane…" Tank shook his head.
Barsoum whistled slightly. "Shit…how's a guy going to get some around here then?"
"Simple. You don't."
"Oh fuck that!"
"Hey, you did just fine in the barracks."
"We had leave every so often man!"
"So?"
"So I got to release some steam! That's all I'm saying man." Tank shook his head.
"Look, just don't mess with any of the Scouts or the Tendos. Don't need to mess up their timelines anymore than we have to."
Barsoum rolled his eyes as he replied, "Whatever dude."
"Just tell me you won't ok?"
"Yea yea. I won't. Everyone else is fair game though." He looked at Tank pointedly.
Tank raised his hands in surrender, "Alright, fair enough."
"Awesome!" Barsoum broke out into a grin, then remembered something. "Oh, by-the-way man, did you figure out what that tube thing was?"
"Eh…I think so." Barsoum was referring to a long metal cylinder he'd found in the remains of the tree that had been destroyed by the youma. He didn't take the time to fiddle with it then, so he just locked it up for later. When they got back he showed it to Tank, who seemed to pale at the time.
"Ok, what is it." Barsoum asked, arms crossed.
"I really don't want to get into it now man." He replied, looking at the cylinder that he had attached to his belt, still quesy about it. "How do I tell him it might just be a damn lightsaber?"
"Well did you mess with it? Looks like there's a button or something there…" Tank nearly seemed to snap at him, shocking him slightly.
"Not now dammit! I'll fool with it later, but now is not the time."
"Well shit man, I was just asking. Fucking asshole." Barsoum said, with some heat.
Tank sighed, calming a bit before he replied. "Sorry man. It's just that I'm pretty sure what it is, but I'm not ready to find out for myself just yet. We have time to find out later."
"Alright. Why didn't you say so, you didn't have to bite my head off." Barsoum scowled a bit.
"I said I'm sorry. It was my bad. I'm just a little keyed up, you know. Having you and Ranma meet and all." It sounded good enough to Tank.
Barsoum shrugged his acceptance, saying, "It's cool." as a short girl in a dress approached, effectively ending the conversation.
Tank smiled, and then chuckled slightly before calling out, "Morning Ami."
The shy girl bowed slightly. "Good Morning Sergeant."
"Before we go, do you think you could hook up Barsoum here with the same translator you gave me?" She smiled in response.
"I thought of that, and came ready." She held out the small pill-shaped items.
"Great! Thank you." He took them, greatly appreciative, turning to his buddy.
"Hey man, here's the translator." He held them out to the now ecstatic Egyptian.
"Oh great! Ok, so which is which?" He held the stuff, listening to Tank's instructions before popping the pill and plugging the earpieces in. He tested it a few times and when it was proven that it worked, the three started walking.
After they walked a distance and the novelty of the translator for Barsoum wore off a bit, Amy asked, "So where are we going?"
"Nerima. Going to meet another martial artist for some extra training." Amy looked up at the red-head in some surprise.
"You've been training in the marital arts?"
"Yup." He said, with some pride. "Going on a few months now."
"A few…months? You're this god after only a few months?" She said, incredulous.
He shrugged. "Ma always said I was a fast learner." His friend snorted.
"No shi…er…kidding." He corrected himself in mid-sentence, still getting used to the translator. Amy had to giggle a bit at him.
"What?" He said, grinning slightly. "I'm not used to being around a chick lately. Give a guy a break." He laughed.
"Hehe, I know man. I was there not long ago." Tank said, smiling slightly in memory.
Amy turned back to the subject at hand. "So why are you training so hard?"
Tank looked at her for the first time since they started walking. "That goes hand-in-hand to your question from last night actually." And he started to explain. The deal he had with Zocite, his conclusions about that night, his wish for his buddy, the granting of that wish, his meeting Ranma and the ongoing training he had with him and Barsoum.
By the time he finished the story, they were coming up on their destination.
"Well, now you know the reason. I didn't want to be involved, but I became involved when that thing hit me last night. I didn't break the deal, they did."
"But…it wasn't aiming for you specifically…" She replied, but Tank interrupted.
"Doesn't matter if it was on purpose or not. It still hit. The deal was that I wouldn't attack them, they wouldn't attack me, and I was hit. Deal off." Tank said sternly, with Barsoum nodding in agreement.
She lowered her eyes, looking over the logic in it, and finding that it did make sense in a way.
She was about to ask something else when he stopped short. The other two looked at him quizzically.
"Yo, what's wrong dude?" Barsoum asked, combat senses alert.
"Well…unless they've been having a frat party, it's not normal for there to be a body in front of the place." He answered, pointing.
Sure enough, there was a body lying on the sidewalk leading to the house. It was a man dressed in a pinkish gi, with brown sparring gloves on his hands, and bare feet. His hair was tied back into a ponytail, and he wore a black shirt under the gi. There was one other feature about him of interest…
He was out cold.
The three quickly walked up to him to see what was wrong, when they came up short again. In the yard was another person, although only his handkerchief covered head was all that poked out of the ground. He was also out like a light.
Barsoum gazed in wonder at his buddy, asking, "Damn dude…what kinda training you been getting here? You should have brought me sooner!"
Tank shook his head. "Sure as hell isn't anything we ever did together man."
He looked at the brown-haired man before them, and turned him over to get a look at his face, on a hunch.
It turned out correct. "Damn." He muttered.
"What?" The other two asked.
"This here is a Street Fighter called Dan Hibiki."
"A Street Fighter?" Amy asked, while Barsoum just got this wary look on his face.
"You don't mean…" Tank cut him off.
"Yup. The game." Was all he said. Barsoum grumbled incoherently, while Amy looked at the two of them in obvious confusion.
Tank stood back up, saying wearily, "Well, doesn't matter now. He's out, and looks like he will be for some time. Let's go meet Ranma. Maybe he can tell us what kinda party he had, heh." He chuckled as he led them into the yard.
"Well just go around the side, they're probably in the back anyways."
"Do you always go into their place this way?" Amy asked.
"Heh, compared to how others come here, this is pretty tame in comparison. Trust me." Both Barsoum and Amy glanced at each other and shrugged, following.
They went around to the right, and were about to turn a corner when they heard a voice cry out loudly, "I am the master of the Kuno family, Champion Kendoist of the Furikan High Kendo Club. I am…" there was a dramatic pause, followed by, "…the Blue Thunder of Furikan High!" A bolt of lighting flashes, even though there isn't a cloud in the sky. Barsoum and Amy start, looking about the sky looking for the source of the lighting. Then they hear…
"Now, knave, answer me! Or fear the might of my wrath."
Barsoum looked at tank, in more puzzlement than anger. "Just what the fuck is going on?"
Tank held up his hands in surrender, "You're asking me? I was with you when we got here!"
Then a younger voice spoke up before anymore questions could be asked.
"I'm Trunks Briefs, son of Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, and Bulma Briefs, President of Capsule Corporation."
Barsoum nearly shouted as he said, "I knew it! I knew this would end up being the tootie fruitie, pepperoni and fettchini show!"
"Quiet!" Tank barked, as he snuck around to see and confirm their suspicions. The voice continued…
"I am a lot stronger than you, and if you stick that thing in my face again, I'll prove it."
"So, you challenge the Blue Thunder? Very well, I shall set aside my duel with the demon Saotome, and accept your challenge. En Gaurde!"
At that moment Tank walked around the last corner of the house, and saw the most astonishing sight he'd ever seen, which was quite impressive considering what he'd gone through and seen of late.
Standing before him was the just proclaimed Blue Thunder, facing off with a young lad of maybe just a little over ten, maybe twelve with lavender hair and dressed in pants and a black T-shirt, with a sword strapped to his back. Near the pond stood a groaning Akane (who looked a little different, but Tank couldn't place it at the moment), and Ranma. And next to him was…
"Holy shit!" He exclaimed in English. His mind was boggled. "How the fuck is this possible? How can DragonBall Z characters be here?" He stood dumbstruck as a very familier looking man about his height with black hair shocks pointing everywhere, dressed in an orange gi with blue undershirt on sat on his rear, looking for the source of lighting.
Barsoum and Amy walked up to him, and Barsoum nearly did a double take himself. "Holy fuck!" He swore a few times in Arabic for good measure, not believing the situation either.
At the moment the new arrivals went unnoticed as Kuno and Trunks faced off. Kuno held his bokken in a ready position before him, while Trunks merely had his arms crossed, a superior smirk on his face.
"Come now. You have been challenged. Do you not draw your blade in preparation for battle?" Kuno taunted.
His smirk a little wider, Trunks replied, "Oh I'll draw it soon enough you overblown windbag."
"You dare to insult the great Takewaki Kuno? You shall feel my vengence fully for this!" With that Kuno charged, his wooden blade seeming to he a hundred at once, blurring at the high speed he swung.
From the side Barsoum let out a whistle. "Damn…he's good." Tank shushed him, enthralled.
The sound of wood on metal reverberated throughout the dojo as Trunks deftly pulled his sword and blocked with the flat of his blade. With one hand on the hilt and the other on the opposite flat side Trunks deflected the bokken away to the side.
As suddenly as he attacked, he pulled back, nodding in silent admiration. "I must say I'm impressed. No one has withstood my prowess with a blade before." Ranma and Akane both rose eyebrows at this, while Trunks just smirked, holding the blade flat side out.
"And you used the flat of your blade too. Your skill is indeed admirable. But mine shall triumph! Yatayatayata!" Again Kuno attacked, hundreds of blades again, all blocked again. The smirk on Trunks face never faded the whole time.
"Fight me knave! I shall vanquish you for the honor of Akane Tendo!"
Tank rolled his eyes as he mumbled, "Oh please. This guy is such an idiot."
Barsoum nodded, saying wrying, "No shit." Amy just looked on in awestruck silence.
Apparently, Trunks had the same idea. "You just don't get it do you?"
Kuno pulled back, bokken at the ready as he said dumbly, "Eh? What's that? You speak in riddles?" Most everyone in the area slapped a hand to their face in frustration while Trunks responded.
"You idiot! I'm blocking everything you throw at me, how much more proof that you need that you can't beat me?" He held the sword in the same postion as before, although held high in response to the last slice before Kuno backed away. From the side Ranma muttered under his breath, "A lot more than that I'm afraid."
"You cower in fear of my prowess! That is why you cannot strike!" He laughed loudly, his eyes seeming to take on an insane look as Trunks looked at him dumbly.
"You're such a fool Kuno." Tank shook his head. "Well, was nice knowing you." He figured that maybe if Trunks killed him, maybe the world would be saved of his stupidity. One can hope anyways.
Once again, Trunks seemed to be following the same track as the red-head. "You are so stupid! What do I have to do? Kill you before you get the picture?" Kuno shook his head mightly.
"Your skill is great, yet in the face of campion such as I. Nay, you cannot possibly kill me!"
"Wanna bet?" With that Trunks changed his grip on the blade from being pointed with the point down and flat side out, to the point up and the flat in. He came made a small jump, covering the distance between the two fighters, blades whirling quickly. A sheen of sweat could be seen on the kendoists face as he discovered that he'd vastly underestimated his opponent, barely able to parry the strikes in time.
"I see you were holding out on me. Fear not my tigress! I shall defeat this fool!" The words sounded hollow though as he continued to step back, slowly backing up nearby where Tank and his companions stood. It was then that the others noticed them, but they didn't say anything, since it seemed Trunks had everything under control.
"Tank? What's he doing…oh yea!" Ranma reminded himself that he had training to do with the red-headed out-of-place soldier, and a match with his partner. He berated himself mentally for forgetting that today was the day they'd planned on it when Trunks spoke up, breaking up his thoughts.
"Heh, that's what you think. I'm still holding out on you. And now, it's time to end this." With that, Trunks slipped his blade into his scabbard, and side-kicked Kuno the rest of the way to the concrete wall, leaving a Kuno-sized imprint in it. He brushed his hands off, saying, "Well, that's that." He started to walk away, when he heard a weak voice.
"Nay…you…have not…bested me!" He turned around, and saw that the man had managed to pull himself out of the wall and take up a stance again. Kuno charged, going to power where skill and technique had failed, slicing hard at the point where Trunks' neck and head joined. Trunks ducked, and the blade missed easily.
For his troubles, he was punched this time back into the wall. Trunks shook his head, and turned away, only to hear….
"Face me you coward! You cannot defeat…the mighty Blue Thunder!" A crash of thunder fills the air, causing Goku to launch himself into the sky and see if he could figure out where the source of thunder was coming from. Trunks turned back once again, this time incredulous.
"Man! What does it take to get through your head?" The young lad charged his opponent, sending him to the wall a third, and he hoped, final time. He waited a couple minutes as Kuno seemed to stare back blankly.
"Sheesh. He's hard-headed." Trunks muttered, then turned away and started to take a step when he heard….
"Nay…the Blue…Thunder," Yet another crash of thunder, "…is…not…beaten!" Goku landed, scratching his head madly, having been unable to find the source of the strange thunder. Kuno was battered and bruised, holding the bokken almost limply, yet once again out of the wall and standing…sorta tall. He gazed almost blankly at his opponent. Or was it opponents now? "Do my eyes deceive me? There are three of them now! Surely he believes that numbers will finish me where skill did not!" Kuno analyized, quite incorrectly.
"This shall finish all three of you!" He cried, although he really couldn't see his target anymore, even as he brought back the blade and swung with all his might.
Would have been one hell of a blow too, if it had hit. However, his aim was so far off, he didn't notice that Trunks was a good five feet further away than his blade could reach. However, Tank and his companions weren't.
"Down!" He yelled, diving for the dirt while his friend tackled the girl. The blade just barely missed, and Kuno spun around once before he got his footing back, wobbling slightly.
Tank was angry now. He stood up, yelling tersly, "You stupid ass! You nearly hit three non-combatants! What kind of honorable fighter do you believe yourself to be?"
The slightly out of it Kuno turned in the direction of the voice, not recognizing it off the bat, and retorted, "This is none of your concern. Now be gone with you, I shall deal with you after I have finished my opponent. My prowess cannot go unchallenged!"
Furious, Tank stomped towards the fool, fists clenching and unclenching, muttering rapidly, "I'm going to kill him. I'm really going to kill him. This man must die. He mustn't be allowed to taint the gene pool in anyway shape or form." He muttered many other things, many of them that would curl the hair of a grizzled sailor as he closed in on the man who now was possibly as good as dead. He could hear some other voices from outside his vision, but he was locked on Kuno.
Alarmed, Ranma started to charge forward to stop him when he saw Tanks male companion shake his head emphatically. He almost looked afraid. Or maybe it was more anticipation for what was going to happen? Beside him Goku saw the look as well, but was going to put a stop to it anyways, when Kuno, still a bit punch drunk, saw the looming presence approach and swung at it. Trunks saw the swing starting and had just stepped off into his leap when Tank responded.
No one, that is, no one but the Siayans, were quite certain afterwards just what happened next. They didn't tell either as they were watching what happened.
Things seemed to slow down at that moment in time. In a smooth, fluid motion, Tank ducked below the rushing blade, feeling the breeze pass just over him as the blade barely clipped his hair. As deftly and as naturally as if he'd been doing it all his life, he pulled the cylinder off his belt and pressed the small plate on it, and a blue-white blade ignited from the tip with a snap-hiss, slicing the bokken neatly in half before Kuno had finished his swing.
Tank, still lowered, pushed off the ground, leapt over the Kendoist, and did a spinning roundhouse kick into his kidneys, sending him into the wall yet again. Kuno hit so hard that he actually bounced off, allowing Trunks to have a cushiony airbag when he arrived a moment later, sending Kuno back into the wall a final time.
The rest of the wooden blade finally fell the ground.
Time sped back up, as Tank glared at the highly imbedded and quite out cold Blue Thunder, breathing deeply, trying to cool down. His muscles in his back and arms were knots of steel, and refused to yield at first, and then slowly they finally uncoiled, as his temper started to abate. The lightsaber in his hands hummed away, forgotten for the moment.
Ranma, Ryoga and Akane were surprised. "How…he…wha…" That was all their minds could process at the moment. They'd trained with the older man before, but he'd never done anything like that. Tank was a relative newcomer to the martial arts world, and while he was catching on quickly in skill and ability, what he'd done was a lot more than was expected of him. "That was almost as quick as me." Ranma thought to himself, wondering how the older man had improved so much in only a couple days.
Nabiki, camera clicking away, was smiling deviously. "I'm making a killing today!" Was her thought…well, besides the obvious Yen signs and how many of them she'd get off of the sound thrashing Kuno had received today.
Kasumi numbly said, "Oh…my." And she went back inside.
Cologne, Goku, Trunks and Goten just looked at the redhead, whose eyes were still flashing slightly as he cooled off.
Cologne looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Hmmm, such skill in one so obviously new to the Arts is rare. And that weapon…in all my long years I have never seen such a thing." She came to a conclusion. "I must be watchful of him. I should have been paying more attention as he and Son-in-Law trained, but it's too late for that now. He could be a threat."
"Wow…that was neat!" Goten thought excitedly. "I've never seen a light sword before. I wonder if he'll let me try it?" He looked at the man for a moment, but then sighed heavily, "No, not right now. He doesn't seem too happy. Maybe later." He brightened up a bit at that.
Tank finally seemed to notice their stares, and gazed back. Some of them turned away, so intense was his gaze. He waited a couple moments till he trusted his ability to speak, shutting down the saber as he waited. "Sorry everyone. I just can't stand a arrogance, or stupid stuff." Some of the others thought a moment, then decided to go along with it.
"Excuse me buddy…but I have to cool off a sec. I'll be right back." Tank tossed to his friend, and then jumped up and over the wall to… 'cool-off'.
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A good distance away from the place, Tank finally felt collected enough to be around others. But he didn't go back just yet. He wanted to let things cool down there a moment before he went further. Plus…
He pulled the cylinder from his belt, almost looking at it sadly. "Now I know what you are. Dammit…why does my life have to be so suck so badly. I don't need this shit."
The cylinder…no…lightsaber didn't give an answer. Frustrated, he put it back on his belt, heading back for the Tendo Dojo.
Hidden not far away, a pair of sad, green eyes watched him go. "In time, you'll have answers." The feminine sounding voice murmured.
To Be continued……..
Hmmm….wonder who that might be? Should I tell? **thinks a sec** Naaaah…can't tell what I don't know now can I?
Tee Hee! ^_^
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RBL_M1A2Tanker