A Ranma by any Other Name

by Night Hunter MGS

For every moment, every action, there are a million "what if's". This explores some of the "what if's" in the life of one Ranma Saotome, the Avatar of Chaos, and the people who are part of his life.

2. Story 2: Soldier's Vow

A Ranma by any Other Name

Disclaimer: Blood is red, bruises are blue, I'm a violent psycho, so you'd better not sue. I don't own Ranma ½ or GI Joe. I do own the story and any original characters.

Key: " " = speaking in English

" "= speaking in Japanese

{ }= music

= sound effect

Story 2: Soldier's Vow

Hawk sighed as he drove through the Japanese countryside. He'd arrived a week ago to participate in a month long training program for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, and already he missed the States, the Pit, and most of all his Joes. Here he was training soldiers who most likely would never see real combat, and while he was doing that his Joes, the men and women that he commanded and often led into battle, would most likely see at least two combat operations. All without him. He should be there, with his people, not here half a world away! Once again, Hawk sighed in resignation as he drove his jeep through the woods. It didn't matter what he wanted, he'd been ordered to be here, and he was a soldier. He'd carry out that order.

Suddenly the general was yanked out of his thoughts by the sounds of distant screaming. Pressing the brakes to the floor and turning off the engine, Hawk listened carefully, and what he heard horrified him.

"Pops, no! Please daddy, stop! It hurts! It hurts! N-n-n-no... ARRGGHHH!"

"Shut up, boy! Stop being such a weak girl! Now get back in there!"

Without hesitation, Hawk flicked on the homing beacon inserted into the jeep and turned on the radio. "This is General Hawk, United States Army on special assignment to the JSDF, calling Okayama law enforcement. Does anyone read me?"

There was a pause, and then the radio cackled to life again. "We read you, General Hawk, this is Lieutenant Okitia, Okyama third preceint. What is the matter?"

"I have come across what appears to be a severe case of child abuse in action. From the sounds of it, the boy might not last much longer if this keeps up. Please send police units right away. My location is grid Alpha-Tango, coordinates ninety-three by fifty. Use the radio transponder in my jeep to guide you to the exact spot. Send medical units. I need to move in now. Get your officers here ASAP. Hawk out."

"General, wait... !"

But Hawk wasn't hearing him anymore. Already, the soldier was running through the woods, letting the screams of agony and drunken shouts of anger lead him. He was a soldier, it was his duty to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. He would not let that boy die! Patting the Smith & Wesson .38 revoler strapped to his side once for reassurance, he stepped into the clearing where the cries were coming from. There in front of him was a fat, balding man in a dirty gi and cheap glasses, stale sake heavy on his breath. Surprised, the man barked at him in Japanese. "Who are you? What are you doing here, filthy gaijin?!"

Ignoring the insults, Hawk walked past the man, his attention focused solely on the covered pit that the incresingly weak cries sounded from. Genma was outraged. How dare this gaijin come to his country, interrupt the training that would turn his son into Genma's personal meal ticket, and then ignore him! If he'd been sober, Genma Saotome would have noticed the pistol at the man's side, and being the coward that he is would have fled into the woods with the intention of stealing his boy back later. But Genma was as far from sober as a human being can possibly get and still be standing. With a cry of rage, Genma launched himself feet first at the American and sent him sprawling across the forest floor.

Hawk didn't remember the last time he'd felt such pain! The blow, while sloppy due to the man's drunkeness, was still powerful and had landed right at the base of his spine. If the man had been sober enough to deliver the kick properly, then he'd be dead or crippled by now. Instinct honed by years of vicious combat took over, and Hawk rolled over onto his back, ignoring the pain lancing through it, and slipped his handgun out of his holster. As the fat man leapt at him again, Hawk pulled the trigger six times. Genma stopped in midair as the force of the bullets forced him to fly back as the carefully aimed shots shattered his ankles, kneecaps, and shoulders. As soon as his enemy fell screaming to the ground, Hawk sprang to his feet and whipped the butt of his pistol over the man's head, sending him spiraling into unconsciousness.

Staggering over to the pit, Hawk used all of his strength to lift the heavy wooden cover off of the opening. What he saw there would give him nightmares for months. At the bottom of the pit was a young child, bloodied and barely moving as hundreds of thin, ragged cats scratched at the few remaining pieces of fish tied to the boy. Desperately, Hawk glanced about the encampment, and spotting a rope quickly tied one end to a tree and the other end around his waist. Then, taking a moment to reload his pistol, Hawk leapt into the pit, spraining his ankles as he landed on the floor more than thirty feet below the surface. Firing into the mass of cats, Hawk caused them to rush away from the loud noise and bright light. Scooping up the boy in one arm, Hawk finished firing off the last of his ammunition into the horde of felines and started scaling his way out of the pit, one hand on the rope and the other cradling the boy protectively as he whispered soothingly into the barely conscious boy's ear. As he neared the top, two sets of gloved hands reached in and helped him out. There in the clearing were four police officers and two paramedics, on of whom was bandaging Genma's wounds.

Handing the child to the other paramedic, one of the officers turned back to Hawk. "General, what the hell happened here?!"

Fighting through the pain, Hawk stood up and started pointing at Genma and the pit, speaking in the little bit of Japanese that he'd learned in preparation for his assignment here. "That bastard had his son tied up down there in that pit, smothered in fish with hundreds of straving cats. When I moved towards the pit where the boy's screams were coming from, he attacked me with intent to kill. I had no choice but to shoot him. After he was subdued, I uncovered the pit, tied a rope to the tree, and jumped in to get the boy. And that's what happened."

The police officers and paramedics were Japanese, a people famed for their stoicism, so they gave no indication of how they felt. But Hawk noticed that the paramedic was starting to tie Genma's bandages much more roughly, and that the officers nearly popped the pudgy man's wounded shoulders out of their sockets when they brought his wrists back to handcuff him.

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Two hours later, Hawk was in the hospital along with the boy. He was quickly examined, given pain relievers, and assured that his injuries were nothing that a little bit of time couldn't cure. Walking stiffly out to the waiting room, he saw Lieutenant Okita, who'd been one of the first officers on the scene and had taken Hawk's statement. Seeing the American general enter the room, Okita stood and bowed deeply, holding the bow for several minutes before straightening and speaking to Hawk. "Sir, the people of Japan owe you a great debt. The results of the man's finger prints came through almost immediately. He is listed as one Genma Saotome, fifty charges of assualt, ninety charges of resisting arrest, ten charges of assualt on an officer, five charges of attempted murder, two charges of attempted murder of a police officer, two hundred and sixty-eight charges of petty larceny, five hundred and seventy-nine charges of perjury, thirty-one charges of breach of contract, forty charges of child abuse, twenty-eight charges of slave trading, three accusations of spouse abuse, and now one charge of animal abuse. General, you just caught one of the most dangerous men in Japan! There's no doubt that he'll be breaking rocks in a high security prison for the rest of his life once his case goes through the courts. An arrest like this can make my career for the rest of my life! Thank you my friend. Thank you."

Hawk waved off the other man's thanks. He'd merely been doing his duty. He hadn't been looking for thanks or any reward; for him, the job he did was it's own reward. He could be proud that he did something nescessary, something that few people could do. Turning to the officer, Hawk asked the question that had been plauging him ever since they arrived at the hospital. "What about the boy?"

Instantly Okita's good mood vanished, to be replaced with a sorrowful look. "The surgeons are almost finished patching him up. One of them said that he was amazed the boy was still alive. Another noticed that there were an awful lot of old scars and other injuries as well, including some potential brain damage that they're working on repairing. It's looks like this abuse has been going on for years."

"But he's only six years old! What about his mother?"

"We can't find anything on her, it appears as though the files on her were tampered with, probably by Genma himself. As far as we know, she's dead. I mean come on, she must be dead! What mother would let their only child go to travel alone with a monster like that? There are no other relatives listed for the boy, Ranma. We have no choice, we'll have to put him in an orphanage."

Hawk winced in sympathy. He'd visited an orphanage once, as part of an Army public relations stunt. He hadn't liked what he saw. Oh sure, the kids were clothed, fed well, and had a warm roof over their heads, but he could tell that they were all lacking something; love. No matter how much the orphanage staff might have cared for them, they just couldn't give them the sort of attention and love that young children needed. It just seemed wrong to Hawk, that the child would have to be forced through that sort of hell just because his father was a crook and his mother was nowhere to be found. Suddenly the silence between the two men was broken by an inhuman howl and cries of pain. A doctor came staggering out of the emergency operating room where the boy was, clutching his arm and ignoring the blood that poured into his face from the four parallel slash marks over his left eyebrow. Spotting Hawk and Okita, he lurched towards them before collapsing, the pain of his injuries too much to bear. Still, he managed to cry out to them for aid. "Please, help! There, in the operating room! We don't know what happened! Just help them, please!"

Hawk was already in motion as the man pleaded for help, Okita only a few steps behind him, both with weapons drawn. As one the two of them burst through the doors to see an astonishing sight. There, pacing in an agitated manner much like a cat, was the boy that Hawk had rescued. Huddled in the corner was the medical staff who'd been attending to the child, their injuries fortunately minor but with no intention of aggravating the boy's unusual behavior further. As Hawk entered, the boy turned his eyes towards him. Eyes widening in apparent regocnition, the deranged child yet out an excited meow and then leapt onto the general's feet, rubbing against his legs and purring. A surprised Hawk turned to Okita, who had a big grin on his face and a look that warned Hawk that the police officer had come up with a crazy idea. "Well, well, well. Looks like he's fond of you, general. Tell me, have you ever thought about adoption?"

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When he'd woken up, he'd been surrounded by bright lights and men and women in white clothes poking him with sharp metal objects. His reaction was natural and completely guided by instinct; he attacked the threat. Once the strange men and women weren't a threat anymore, he'd began pacing about the odd, white room, looking for Mean Idiot Man, so that he could tear the fool apart. Just as he was about to burst out of the room, two men rushed in. Turning to them, he was surprised to realize that he knew one of them. It was Warm Arm, Gentle Voice Man, the one who got him out of the pit! Bounding over, he purred as he rubbed against his savior's legs, then lay down at his feet and fell into a deep slumber. For the first time that he could remember, he felt safe.

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Two weeks later, Ranma was resting in a recovery room at the hospital. His wounds were healed, but the hospital staff had insisted that he stay to be treated for his previous injuries and the malnutrition he suffered due to his father's greedy habits concerning food. When he'd first heard that his father had been arrested and was now in jail, Ranma had been scared. But slowly, thanks to a lot of people who came and talked to him, he realized that his father had been doing bad things and that it was only right that he was stopped from doing them anymore. There was a knock on the door, and Ranma smiled as he saw his favorite visitor, the man who made him fully realize that his father really had been wrong all along. The doctors all called him Abernathy-san or General Abernathy, but the black haired man had told Ranma to call him Hawk. The young boy thought it was a cool name, and told the general so. Hawk had just smiled, and said that maybe one day Ranma could have one just like it if he wanted to. Sitting up a little straighter in his bed, Ranma threw Hawk a crisp salute, holding it until it was returned, and then held his arms out to embrace the older man in a joyful hug. It was strange, but in the two weeks that he'd known him, Ranma had grown to feel happier and safer in Hawk's presence, much more so than he'd ever felt around his father. With a smile, Ranma held a book up to Hawk. "Hawk-san, I finished the book you loaned to me, can I have another?"

Needless to say, Hawk was a little surprised, although he was getting used to Ranma excelling beyond all expectations. "What, already? You read Sun-Tzu's Art of War in only three days?"

"Yes sir! I did like you told me, and treated learning like a kata, like practicing martial arts. Once I start, it's hard to stop!"

Hawk grinned and affectionately ruffled Ranma's hair. "Good boy, you make me proud with how hard you try."

Pausing, Hawk thought for a long moment about what he had to say to the boy. Quickly, he switched to English, which he'd been teaching to Ranma lately. "Hey kid, I've got something to tell you."

"Yes, sir?"

"Well, my tour here is over soon. In a week, I'll be returning to the States."

The boy's reaction was immediate and emotional. Throwing himself at Hawk, Ranma wrapped his small arms around the man in a crushing bear hug, sobbing into the general's chest as he screamed out denials in rapid fire Japanese. "No! You can't leave! You can't! I don't want to be alone! Please don't leave me!"

On instinct, the man took the child in his arms and rocked him back and forth gently, whispering for him to be calm. Once Ranma had calmed down enough, Hawk told him what he had planned. "Don't worry kid, I won't leave you. When we first brought you here, Officer Okita suggested that I should adopt you, and I think he's right. The only question now is, do you want to come with me? Do you want to live with me in America?"

His answer was the boy looking up at him with wide eyes before a large grin split Ranma's face, rage and sorrow replaced with tears of joy.

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Genma Saotome cursed loudly as the sledgehammer he wielded skidded off of the rock in front of him and hit his foot. For over thirteen years, he'd been stuck in this hellhole. Damn that judge! He obviously didn't understand the sacrifices nescessary in the name of the Art! But he'd show him! He'd show all of them! For years, he'd been slowly tunneling out rock and dirt using the Saotome School Forbidden Techniques, until he was outside of the walls and near the tree line. In two more days, he'd be free to find the boy, beat him back into submission, and drag him over to the Tendo's to marry one of Soun's girls so that he could retire and live off of the boy's hard work! Genma was wrenched from his fantasies by a deceptively sweet, sing-song voice.

"Yoo-hoo! Gen-chan, where are you?"

A chill went down Genma's spine, and he quickly hid behind the nearest inmate. What were the odds of finding a six foot eight inch tall, two-hundred and eighty pound body builder named Bubba in a Japanese penitentary?

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Hawk frowned as he put down the phone. This was not good news. He'd thought that the past was just that, the past. But no, it had come to haunt him again. Picking up the phone, he quickly dialed in a number that he knew by heart. The person he was looking for would most likely be in the GI Joe dojo. Before the phone even finished ringing the first time, the reciever was picked up. For several seconds, Hawk listened to to the sweet and rare sound of silence, before he spoke. "Hello, Snake Eyes. Is Swandive there? I need to speak with him."

There was a pause and the sound of the phone being passed to someone else before a perky, femenine voice spoke up. "Yo Hawk, this is Jinx. Sorry, Swandive left twenty minutes ago with Wild Bill and Ripcord. Those two maniacs should be on the ground shortly."

The leader of GI Joe, the world's most skilled fighting force, sighed in resignation, thanked the female ninja, and hung up. Just his luck that his adopted son turned out to be crazy enough to be a paratrooper.

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He could feel the wind rushing past him, whipping across his skin, sending his clothing flapping around his body. At this high of an altitude, there was little air, savage winds, and cold temperatures. But most important to him was the temporary escape from gravity, the fleeting independence from the ground. And of course, there was the adrenaline rush from plummeting towards the earth at sixty miles per hour from over three thousand feet in the air. This was freedom, this was really living. Snapping his clear blue eyes open, he grinned at the small patch of tan that was the Nevadan desert. He couldn't see the landing zone, or even the Pit itself from up here, but he knew that his fellow Joes were watching him from down there, their eyes aided by the most sophisticated technology on the planet. Well, since he most likely had an audience, he'd better give them a show. Reaching up to his collar, he clicked on the radio situated next to his throat. "This is Swandiove, strap yourselves in boys and girls, 'cause I'm gonna Rock n' Roll!"

His grin just got even wider as he heard the heavy cursing on the other end of the connection. Obviously, the blonde, bearded heavy machine gunner was in attendance among whatever crowd waited for him below, and didn't take kindly to the almost careless use of his codename by the younger man. Well, tough. These old timers needed somebody to spice things up around here! Reaching to his side, his fingers found the controls to the CD player firmly strapped to his belt, the earphones already in place on his head and with a feed piping whatever music he decided to play over the radio. Hitting the button he knew to be play, the paratrooper listened contentedly to the song that he'd taken his codename from.

{Oh, I climb, hand over hand, closing my eyes...}

Listening to the song, he closed his eyes and let the music wash over him, the gentle tones infusing his body with a slow, steady build up of energy.

{ Too scared to look down...}

In brief defiance of the lyrics, his eyes snapped open and a mad grin spread over his features again as he gazed at the approaching landscape.

{ I climb, hand over hand, putting distance between I and I and the ground...}

Sadly, although he was still quite some distance from the ground he'd eventually land. After all, all good things must come to an end.As the tempo increased, the adrenaline started pumping ever faster through his veins, preparing him for the aerial acrobatics he was about to perform.

{ I get to the top! I sit on the edge! I look to the sky! And say all my prayers!}

As the chorous began, his manical grin widened even further, almost to the point of causing him pain. Jerking his arms and legs out, he snapped himself back as he decelerated, spinning about in a mad corckscrew as he sung along to the lyrics.

{ WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! I DON'T KNOW, NOTHING CAN BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT!}

As the intensity of the chourous drove into him, he pulled off a dizzying array of aerial stunts, including flips, rolls, and spins, levelling off as the rhythm mellowed out again.

{ You should ask somebody, 'cause I've got nothing to lose tonight. Misplaced my life tonight. Chased all my friends away tonight. I don't say the right things, I don't look the right way, but that's just not me. I listen to my music too loud and watch too much damn tv. I get to the top! I sit on the edge! I look to the sky! And say all my prayers!}

At the second onset of the chorous, the diver went into another, fiercer display of mid-air prowess, awing the people watching below.

{ WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! I DON'T KNOW, NOTHING CAN BE BETTER THAN A... SWANDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A... SWANDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! I DON'T KNOW, NOTHING CAN BE BETTER THAN A... SWANDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT!}

As the song moved to a part where the singer spoke aloud, he tucked in for a fast dive, speaking the lines as he screamed into the rushing wind in place of the singer and letting the CD echo him.

"Tell me, who can control the flood? No one! Where're the angels? Nowhere! Where's the honesty? Nowhere! Huh! Where's the compassion? Nowhere! WHO KNOWS THE TRUTH?!"

{NO ONE.}

"WHO WILL BELIEVE IN ME?!"

{ NO ONE.}

"WELL WHO WILL STAND BY ME?!"

{ NO ONE.}

"WELL WHO WILL FLY WITH ME?!"

{ NO ONE.}

At the end of the speaking segment, the young man furled his limbs out again, snapping back into the air in yet another wild spin.

{ I climb, hand over hand, closing my eyes... too scared to look down. I climb, hand over hand, putting distance between I and I and the ground. I get to the top. I stand on the edge. I look to the sky...}

Guitar chords ripping through his ear drums, he did a flip and dived down again, faster than ever before.

{ WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT! I DON'T KNOW, NOTHING CAN BE BETTER THAN A... SAWNDIVE, INTO THE ASPHALT!}

Falling ever faster towards the ground, he screamed in tandem with the CD, leaving all of the rage and anguish he felt flapping behind him in the sky. Seeing the glint of metal that was the Pit, he shouted one last time as he ripped the cord leading to the parachute on his back, releasing the silken sail and jerking him up into the sky one last time before he began drifting gently down to the desert surface below, the last chords of the song gently flowing from his lips. "Oh yeah, what could be better than a sawndive, into the asphalt. Heh, thank you HED and PE for great tunes. Hope you enjoyed the show, ladies."

His answer came over the radio in the form of several enthusiastic hollers, before there was a rustling on the other end of the radio and he heard the familiar voice of one of his instructors in the way of ninjitsu, Jinx. "Nice show, kid. Listen up Swandive, Hawk wants to talk to you, so as soon as you touch down stow your gear and get to his office."

The woman in the red ninja suit couldn't help but chuckle as she heard her protoge let loose a bout of swearing that would make Shipwreck, GI Joe's resident sailor proud. "Damnnit, what did I do now?!"

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"Sir, Specialist First Class Ranma Abernathy reporting as ordered, sir."

Hawk looked up from the papers on his desk and smiled at the younger soldier, taking a moment to look at Ranma's outfit. It was a matte black, skintight body suit, similar to Snake-Eye's uniform, but with some differences. For instance, the fabric felt like silk and allowed for full freedom of movement, but was waterproof, fire and tear resistant, and had a thin layer of kevlar woven in so that it offered some protection from bullets. Over it was a thin bullet-proof vest, holding dozens of pouches and pockets for a variety of gear, including a miniature underwater breathing device, nightvision goggles, plastic explosives, throwing knives, a silenced pistol, and more. And finally came the most impressive part of his uniform, the patches, proudly displayed on his shoulders: the airborne division badge, the ranger badge, the sharpshooter badge, the engineer badge, the special forces badge, and the symbol of the Ashikage ninja clan. In the two years since he joined the Army, Ranma had excelled at everything he did, and he'd done many things, training with some of the most elite units in the world. It was only natural therefore that after he'd been in the service for just over a year that he was recruited for GI Joe. Hawk was proud of his son, he'd turned out to be a fine soldier. Returning the crisp salute, Hawk motioned to the chair across the desk from him, and Ranma gracefully seated himself. Steepling his fingers, Hawk looked at Ranma for a long moment before speaking.

"Son, you've done me proud. As soon as I brought you here as my adopted child, you immediately started learning everything that you could about being a soldier. You got Low Light to teach you marksmanship, Tripwire to teach you about demolitions and explosives, Wetsuit to teach you about being a SEAL, Jinx and the other martial artists to teach you unarmed combat, and more. So before I say anything else, I just want you to know that I'm proud of you, I love you, and I'll support you."

Sighing, Hawk leaned back and rubbed the bridge of his nose, the words he was about to say weighing heavily upon him. "Ranma, I received a telephone call from the Japanese government, specifically the department of corrections, about an hour ago. Yesterday morning, at midnight Japan time, Genma Saotome escaped from the maximum security prison that he was incarcerated in."

Ranma's face blanched, turning whiter than a bedsheet. Leaning forward, Hawk clasped his son's shoulder, lending him his strength for a moment. "Don't worry son, you're a United States citizen now, and more importantly you're a Joe. He can't do anything to you without bringing all of us down on top of him. Now, since I have a personal interest in this case, I've volunteered our services to the Japanese police to capture this fugitive. You, Law, and I will go to Japan within twenty-four hours. The Youngbloods will also be accompanying us as back-up. Now, I want you to think Ranma. Is there anyplace that Genma's likely to go?"

The young soldier visibly relaxed when he heard that Law, the GI Joe MP, and the Youngbloods, the new unit of rookie Joes that he belonged to would be supporting them. Closing his eyes, Ranma meditated just as Jinx, Snake-Eyes, and others had taught him to do, allowing his mind to clear and the memories he wanted to surface. Probing every memory he had of his biological father with careful scrutiny, he finally found a clue buried within his own brain. Eyes snapping open, he looked to his father, his real father in every way that counted, and relayed what he'd remembered. "Sir, Genma always talked about his training partner, Soun Tendo. I think he mentioned that Mr. Tendo owns a dojo in the Nerima district of Tokyo. My... father... didn't have any other friends, or at least none that he mentioned. From my father's stories, he and Soun Tendo were closer than brothers, and Soun would believe anything Genma told him. I think our best bet is to start there, the Tendo Dojo."

Nodding in affirmation, Hawk removed his hand from his son's shoulder and pressed the intercom to the GI Joe communications center. "Mainframe, Dial Tone, I want you to get me everything you can find about Soun Tendo, the Tendo Dojo in Tokyo, Tokyo's Nerima district, and any close relatives or friends that Tendo might have. Also, tell Lift Ticket and Wild Bill to fire up one of the cargo planes, and tell Law and the Youngbloods to assemble at the main hanger with full gear in thirty minutes. We're going on a little trip."

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"Oh, Saotome, such tragedy! That you'd be falsely accused of child abuse by some foreigner ignorant of the ways of the martial artist, and to be treated like a common criminal, having Ranma torn away from your care and sent away who knows where while you were wrongfully sent to jail until you were just released! Oh, the perils of a martial artist are neverending!"

"Indeed, Tendo, indeed. Oh, to have my poor son taken from my loving arms and sent to live with some gaijin! Surely the heavens themselves weep!"

"Dear God, spare me."

Sitting in a black van parked across the street, Crosswire turned to Ranma, also known as Swandive, and shook his head as he listened to the conversation taking place in the Tendo residence courtesy of a directional microphone. "No offense Swany, but your old man's the worst actor I've ever heard."

Swandive nodded in agreement with Jonas Silvers, the technology expert known as Crosswire, who was one of his fellow Youngbloods. Over the radio, a feminine voice with a light Russian accent could be heard. "Da, comrade Crosswire, I can see the fat fool move his lips, but nothing worthwhile is coming out of them. Swandive, darling, want me to put a thirteen millimeter armor piercing shell through the idiot's thick skull?"

Ranma chuckled at the young woman's wit. "Much as I appreciate the offer Anya, if you do I'll have to show that tape of you dressed as Nastashia and going 'kill moose and squirrel' to the entire base. Now stay on target, Sure Shot."

The young Russian snorted once before falling silent. The Youngblood's best sniper, Anya Kutshinko, aka Sure Shot for her unerring accuracy, was the only daughter of a Spetznaz officer assigned to Afghanistan. Since her mother died in childbirth and she had no other relatives, Anya was forced to grow up with her father in a country torn by conflict and guerilla warfare. Even children were targets, and she'd had to learn how to defend herself. When the Iron Curtain fell, the teenaged Anya fled to America, where she later joined the military. Turning from the radio, Ranma looked at the rest of the Youngblood team. Sharkbait was a small, slender native of Hawaii, an expert diver and surfing enthusist who got his nickname when he freaked out after he was approached by a harmless nurse shark during one of his dives. Up in the driver's seat of the van was Nitro, both an expert in operating any sort of military vehicle and a decent demolitions man, with a passion both for high speeds and big explosions. And finally was Birdie, a petite pilot and acrobat, who happened to be Lady Jaye and Flint's daughter, and Ranma's friend since childhood since the two of them were the only kids on a secret military base in the middle of the desert. Nodding to his comrades in arms, they quickly did one last check of their weapons and equipment. The mission was simple; bust in, capture Genma Saotome, and hand him over to the police. Of course, with someone as tricky as Genma involved they'd have to make it so that his guard would be down. They needed a distraction, a distraction that was coming up the street right now. With a wave of his hand, Ranma's team scattered away from the van and got into position, all under the watchful eye of Sure Shot who was situated on a nearby roof.

As Ranma watched, a miltary limo was driven up to the Tendo house by Law, who got out and opened the door for Hawk, who was in his best dress uniform and had all of his medals pinned to his chest, including a Purple Heart, three Silver Stars, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the most valued testament to courage and duty in the United States armed forces, the Medal of Honor. Walking up beside his father, Ranma smoothed out his own dress uniform before nodding to Law, who pulled out a sub-machine gun and plastered himself across the outer wall of the Tendo household, ready to leap into the coming fray when he got the signal to do so. With a last nod to each other to affirm their courage and commitment, father and son bravely strode through the gates into what could be considered enemy territory.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Kasumi Tendo was not having a good day. Oh, everything was going normally, and then some dirty vagrant comes to the door demanding to speak with her father. Kasumi was a kind and understanding soul, who could always see the best in people and ignore their bad qualities. But this friend of her father's, this Genma Saotome, didn't seem to have any good qualities that she could see. He was filthy, smelly, a glutton as proven by the twelve bowls of rice that he'd eaten since arriving here an hour ago, and something about him quite frankly scared her, as if she were in the presence of a dangerous, desperate man. So when someone knocked on the front door, she ignored Genma's obvious wince and stood up to answer it, glad to get away from the pudgy martial artist.

Plastering her trademark smile on her face, she opened the door and bowed lowly. "Hello, welcome to the Tendo house, may I help you... oh my!"

Standing before her were a pair of men, their chiselled bodies and faces combining with the immaculate dress uniforms to present an imposing picture. The older, American soldier bowed deeply while the younger of the two, his features undeniably Japanese, just stood silently and without a hint of emotion. Rising from his bow, the older man presented her with a quick salute before speaking in somewhat rusty, but passable Japanese. "Excuse us ma'am, but is this the Tendo house?"

"Why, yes it is."

"Excellent, my name is General Clayton Abernathy, of the United States Army Special Forces. I believe that I and my subordinate here have business with your father. Is he at home?"

"Well, yes, he is. He's visiting with an old friend of his right now, but I'm sure that he'll gladly see you. Please, follow me."

"Thank you."

As they followed the girl, who couldn't be more than twenty-two, Hawk cursed the fact that he wasn't three decades younger. Such a pretty, polite girl, the perfect makings of an Army wife. As it was, he noticed that his son seemed a little more interested in the mission than he had been previously. When they entered the living room, Hawk had to fight to keep away the smile he felt at Genma's look of terror. Good, he remembered him, and remembered what Hawk had done to him. Under such circumstances, Genma would most likely make a break for it when things came to a head, something that they were counting on for their plan to go without a hitch. But until that time came to pass, they'd have to pretend that they didn't know who he was. Soun rose solemnly and greeted them. "Welcome, gentlemen. I'm Soun Tendo, you've met my daughter Kasumi, these are her sisters Nabiki and Akane, and this is my dear old friend, Gen-"

In a flash Genma interrupted. "Gendo. Gendo... Saitama."

Hiding his puzzlement, Soun continued, covering as always for his friend. "Er, yes, my friend Gendo Saitama. Now, how might I help you?"

Assuming a grim expression, Hawk sat down, beginning to speak after everyone had followed his lead and settled down around the table. "Mr. Tendo, sir, as I told your daughter, My name is General Abernathy, of the United States Army. I need to ask you something, do you remember a Genma Saotome?"

Hawk once again had to hide a grin when thick beads of sweat started running down Genma's face. "I beg your pardon, Mr. Saitama, but are you alright? You're fidgeting and sweaty. If I didn't know better, I'd say that you're nervous."

Genma rapidly shook his head before making a big show out of caughing into his fist. "Oh, it's nothing. Just coming down with something, I suppose."

Becoming a little concerned about why these people wanted to know about his old friend, and why Genma was pretending to be somebody else, Soun responded to his visitor's question. "Yes, I know Genma very well. We trained tirelessly together in the ways of the martial artist, under the great and fearful Master Happousai. Through our common goals and suffering, we forged an enduring friendship more pure and unbreakable than tempered steel. Why do you want to know?"

"Are you aware that Genma had a son, Ranma?"

"Well of course I am!"

"I meant no offense, sir. Now, to the real business at hand, do you remember an agreement made between you and Genma concerning your children?"

"Yes, Genma and I made a solemn promise that one day our two schools would be joined by our children coming together in marriage."

It was obvious from the shocked looks on the girl's faces that this was news to them. Before they could raise their voices in surprise or protest, Hawk carried on with his act. "Sir, it's my sad duty to inform you that Genma Saotome is currently in a maximum security prison, serving out a life sentence without parole for numerous counts of different felonies, including theft, child abuse, and attempted murder. His son Ranma was taken out of his care and adopted."

Kasumi was becoming increasingly frightened. Mr. Saotome hadn't said anything about charges other than the flase ones of child abuse, and he'd said that his sentence had been served and that he'd been let out of prison. But now it was sounding like he was something far worse than just a simple child abuser, and that he was an escaped criminal on the run from the law. What would happen if he felt cornered? And these two didn't seem aware that Genma was out, and they certainly didn't seem to recognize him. They couldn't possibly be prepared to deal with a desperate fugitive, and her father hadn't trained in the Art for years. How would they defend themselves if Genma attacked them?

As the eldest Tendo sister sat there in fear, her father barely managed to put on a convincing act of surprise. "What?! I never knew! Oh, the tragedy! I'm sure that my dear friend was falsely accused! What became of his son?"

"Sir, while I comend your loyalty to and belief in your friend, he has over a thousand various charges against him, and all fo them are with eyewitnesses. Now, as to what happened to his boy, why, he's sitting right next to me."

As one, every eye in the room turned to the young Japnese-looking soldier, who bowed lowly before speaking. "My name is Ranma Abernathy, but my birth name is Ranma Saotome."

Silence reigned as Soun stood in shock with his younger two daughters, Kasumi looked curiuosly at the young man, and Genma glared at the boy he hadn't seen in thirteen years. Breaking the silence, Ranma continued. "I was very young when my father was arrested. It was just after he'd attempted to train me in a dangerous and foolish martial arts technique; fortunately, due to intense training under my martial arts senseis, I've managed to control the techniques side effects. I was in the hospitial, I had no relatives, and my father had always led me to believe that my mother was dead. Then, the American general who had helped the police arrest my father at the risk of his own life, General Abernathy here, started to visit me in my hospitial room every day. He'd spend hours talking to me and comforting me. In a few short weeks, he'd become more like a father to me than my real dad ever was. When it was time for him to return to America, I begged him not to leave me alone. He adopted me, and he's raised me as his own. And that's why we came here, once we learned of the arrangement between you and Genma. Legally, I'm no longer a Saotome, and so I have no obligation to marry one of your daughters. We just came here to let you know that, so that you could let them move on with their lives."

Genma couldn't take it anymore, he leaped to his feet and screamed into Ranma's face. "Insolent, worthless boy! You would dare stain the honor of our family name by breaking the pact with the Tendos?!"

It was only when he saw the triumphant smirk on his son's face that Genma understood his error. Feeling his danger sense tingle, he dived down behind the table, allowing the rubber sniper bullet to pass harmlessly above him. With a quick motion, he had Kasumi in his grasp, his hand around her throat. Her scream snapped the other Tendos out of their shock, and brought the Joes running into the room, weapons pointed at Genma. Soun Tendo felt the last shreds of his grasp on reality slipping as he watched his dear friend threaten the life of Soun's eldest daughter, and darkness claimed him as he fainted, Nabiki and Akane huddled in the corner crying with fear. Ranma cursed to himself, this was not how it was supposed to happen! Genma was supposed to make a run for it, where he'd be taken down by a rubber bullet from Sure Shot's sniper rifle and subdued by the others. Instead, he'd stood his ground and taken a hostage; obviously, he was a lot more desperate than they'd thought. Ducking behind Law to mask his actions, Ranma spoke quietly into his radio. "Anya, forget about taking him alive, civilian lives are in danger, take him down now."

"I can't Ranma! I don't have a clear shot! If I fire, I'll kill the girl!"

Swearing to himself again, he motioned to Law, Nitro, and Sharkbait, who slowly backed off, carefully grabbed the other Tendos, and took them to safety. With another wave of his hand, Hawk, Birdie, and Crosswire also lowered their weapons and stepped back, although they stayed in the room. Stepping forward, Ranma stood across from his natural father, gazing into the man's frantic, darting eyes. "What do you hope to accomplish, Genma? Breaking out of prison, threatening a young girl, it's only going to get you the death penalty."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Stupid, foolish, idiotic boy! This is all your fault! Yours and that damn American's! I had everything planned out, I would have turned you into an unstoppable fighting machine, and you would have married one of Tendo's daughters, making a tidy profit as you worked in the dojo and allowing me to live in luxury! But no, you were too weak, too stupid, too womanly to amount to anything! Now because of that American's influence, you're as weak as he is, and there's nothing you can do to stop me from wringing this pathetic girl's neck if I wanted to!"

Kasumi felt tears welling up in her eyes, the first tears that she'd ever felt since her mother passed away more than fifteen years ago. Then she looked into Ranma's eyes, and suddenly she felt at peace. Those blue eyes of his held determination, confidence, conviction, and a promise that he would get her out of this alive and safe no matter what. Shaking his arms slightly, Ranma held them out on either side of himself in a gesture of peace and calm. "Now calm down, let's talk about this."

"Hah! The time for talking is- YYYYAAARRRGGGHHH!"

In a move that none of them could see, Ranma's hands blurred, and suddenly embedded in Genma's hand and shoulder were a pair of throwing knives. Reflexively letting Kasumi go was Genma's second and last mistake, because the second his hand was away from the woman's throat Ranma was surging forward, knocking Genma to the ground with a quick punch. Ranma was all over his father, punching and screaming for all that he was worth as blood splattered across his knuckles and clothing from Genma's face. Hawk looked on sadly, but not yet interfering. He knew that Ranma needed to do this, to let all of his hatred and anger for the man lying helpless beneath him out into this one moment of release. But when he ordered Ranma to stop, he was horrified to see that his son apparently couldn't hear him. It was Kasumi's shaking, fearful voice that finally broke through the haze of anger and violence surrounding him. "Y-you... you can stop. I... I... I'm safe now, he can't hurt me, and... he, he can't hurt you either. That's what happened... isn't it? Seeing me there, reminded you of all the times he hurt you, and you were powerless to stop him. It.. it's ok now, you stopped him, yopu finally stopped him, you're free now."

Looking to the eldest Tendo sister, Ranma barely noticed Law come in to handcuff Genma and drag him outside to a waiting police van. Closing his eyes, he allowed a single tear to break loose. She was right, after all this time he was free, free of the fear, the memories, the nightmares that still woke him up screaming in the middle of the night. Ranma opened his eyes just in time to see Kasumi begin to collapse, and rushed over to catch her. Crying in terror and relief, Kasumi clung desperately to the slightly younger man, finding comfort and safety in his arms as he rocked her back and forth and stroked her hair soothingly. Watching the tender moment, Hawk wondered if maybe they shouldn't reconsider that engagement between Ranma and one of the Tendo girls. Birdie also watched the scene, glancing at Anya as the Russian sniper walked into the room and also took in the tearful, romantic scene. As the two female soldiers, both of whom had been close to Ranma for a long time, looked into each others eyes, they shared a single thought; great, more competition for Ranma.

End

Author Notes: Wow, this was either really good or really bad, I'm not sure which yet. Better leave it up to the public to decide. If you'd like to see more stories featuring my unique GI Joe unit, the Youngbloods, just let me know and I'll get right on it. Ja ne!