Weapon X Japan 06
Standard Disclaimer... I don't own Ranma 1/2, Marvel, Rifts, TSR or any other works of fantasy/fiction or published works that appear in this fanfiction. I do this for no profit and only for the enjoyment of writing and sharing these stories with other fans.
( ) = Thoughts
# # = Telepathy
= Chinese [due to those ever loved Amazons]
= Machine Language [no not binary, machine people, it explains in the fic]
{ } = Demongogian
/" "/ = Recorded or replayed conversation.
[ ] = Authors description/explanation/notes [I like to ramble sometimes]
####
Authors Pre-Amble: I guess that I should've continued on my last chapter a bit more. Especially for those who are thinking that Ranma staying as a girl was a bit weak. Believe me it'll be story lined in [actually it'll be story lined in as soon as I can get it in this chapter] Also I've had some people asking about why the scientist at Weapon X has access to so much technology, that too will be answered. But if you need examples, go and find the old X-Men comics from before X-Men Alpha and Omega. Weapon X in those series (which is where I grab my Weapon X from) has access to technology sometimes as advanced as the Shi-Ar Empire (see professor X's fiancé's race)
Authors second Pre-Amble: Please, e-mail me your requests/pole answers for the match ups in this fanfiction. Don't use the review area. You can reach me at seth at cedarbear.com instead.
On with the fiction
####
At first she was concerned by his further absence. Then she became enraged at his lack of consideration for not telling anyone where he was. Akane was again fuming around the house. It'd been a few days since Ranma returned from his trip, only to vanish again. What was worse was that her sisters wouldn't tell her anything and her father would only bemoan about the houses not being joined. School hadn't been any easier to deal with. What with her friends constantly asking her what had happened to Ranma, and whether or not they were still together. "Like I care about that pervert." Was her most common response, though inside she really did care, it wasn't in a way that anyone thought about.
"Stupid idiot, why'd he have to leave again." Getting up from the couch that was getting too worn with her constantly sitting down on it and pouting on it in last few days, the distraught girl got up to try to find her wayward fiancé again. Not having much luck at the U-Chan's or the Neko- Hauten, Akane decided to raid her savings and pay Nabiki to track him down. After getting her money Akane went and knocked on her sisters door. Waiting a bit without receiving any answer she opened the door a bit to take a look inside. Not seeing anyone there she walked in and saw that the computer was on. "Wonder what sis has been working on." Moving the cursor around a bit only prompted a security screen to come up. "Hmmm... what password would Nabiki be using this month? Money Talks?" Typing a few different words and phrases in produced no results for the girl so she decided to search elsewhere in the room.
"Her closet, she's gotta have something there."
After a few minutes of rummaging around in her sisters closet gained nothing of note. Closing the door to the closet Akane went over to the bed and lifted it up to look underneath. "Nothing under her bed, who has nothing under their bed." Muttering something about clean freaks Akane puts the bed down and leaves the room. "I swear, it's like she knows that I'm looking for something and hides it. Oh well, I'll just ask Uncle Genma for some help."
####
It had been 3 days since Nabiki had spoken with Nodoka. The first day she went about and organized her papers and research into Ranma beyond what she had obtained prior. Not realizing the monumental amount of work that her task required she ended up working all day rather than for the hour or two she had planned.
The second day she sent feelers out and contacted 4 of her information sources as well as started the compiling of her data both for herself and Nodoka Saotome. Interrupted by her sisters attempt to gather information herself when she was out to lunch with an informant. Re-compiling her data she finished up her day.
The third day started the beginnings of results. After getting home from school Nabiki had turned on her computer and checked her e-mail and a few of the forums that she used to get and post information anonymously. Not expecting any results she found a post that demanded her attention, it was an excerpt from a newspaper from several years ago.
"Mishima Heavy Industries research facility robbed.
Earlier this week at an R&D an unknown group physically destroyed the
facility run by corporate head Akiko Natsume. Housed in the facility
was a JSDF research project detailing in cybernetics and combat
enhancement that Mishima was contracted by the Japanese government for
development. When asked about the break in Akiko had no comments.
However local police forces stated that the building wasn't damaged by
normal firearms or explosives, instead seeming to be cut by a form of
blade, or imploded from a sudden vacuum. Authorities state that it is
most likely a case of corporate espionage and not to be concerned by
the lack of information on the culprits responsible."
There was more, but after reading it and remembering the JSDF officer enquiring about Ranma and Genma she decided to check out this lead. Quickly posting a coded message of how to contact her Nabiki left the house to go down to the Public Records building to do some research into Mishima Heavy Industries as well as anything that the JSDF might have had in the works concerning the thefts that Genma was wanted for.
####
Walking down the street in a different garb then he's ever worn before, Ryoga Hibiki is on the lookout for his foe. Gone was the dusty yellow shirt and tied off drawstring pants, gone also was the ever present pack and weighted umbrella. Now dressed in a form concealing dusty brown leather duster over black canvas shirt and pants with dark brown/black motorcycle gloves Ryoga looked very menacing in the noon day light. Thankfully the scientist that had altered him also provided him with some new clothes that allowed him to travel around without announcing to the world what he had become.
Turning a corner onto the main street leading to the Tendo's, Ryoga pulled out a small device from his pocket and held it up to his face. Pressing a button he talked into it "I'm here. Turning off transmitter, I'll be going into find your subject and eliminate him." Letting go of the button he continued, "Now to face your doom Ranma."
####
Malakai was getting worried. He was due to meet up with Nabiki soon to discuss some information he had gathered on Genma Saotome, however he had a JSDF officer sitting in front of him that wouldn't go away. Seeing as how the officer was thinking about the things he has been investigating in the prior days, and how it was ironically enough directly related to his information deal with Nabiki Tendo, Malakai wanted to verify with Nabiki whether or not a meeting with the JSDF officer would be beneficial. Or whether she'd be put in jail as an accessory to the crimes that Genma had committed that the JSDF officer was investigating. Normally he wouldn't have been concerned however for the last few minutes he'd been skimming the surface thoughts of Lt Kojira of the JSDF Intelligence. Again not much to worry about, except that apparently Lt Kojira was also a lot more than he let on. Not quite willing to throw his associate to the wolves quite yet Malakai struggled to figure out what to do about the situation.
After several other customers had entered the bar Malakai started to get a bit busy to wonder about the whereabouts of Nabiki. Settling down to his job and continuing to scan the surface thoughts of the clubs clientele the Zoanoid prepared for a long boring evening.
####
"What luck." Ryoga said to himself watching Nabiki leave the Tendo house. "Now if no one else is there I'll be able to lie in wait for Ranma." Pulling the lapels of the duster slightly to reseat the coat the former lost boy came to the Tendo main wall and knocked to announce himself. Waiting for a moment to see if anyone would answer the door he busied himself with going over his mental checklist of what he would do to Ranma with his newfound abilities.
Cutting Ryoga's mental imagery short the gate opened up to reveal Kasumi holding it open to see who had come calling. "Ryoga, what a surprise. Won't you come in? Ranma's not here at the moment, however I think that Akane is upstairs right now. Would you like me to get her?"
"Yes Kasumi, could I wait in the living room for her?"
"I don't see how that could be a problem. Please come in." Kasumi stated turning around and walked down the path to enter the house. Ryoga followed her and took off his shoes at the entranceway. "I'll just get Akane, please make yourself comfortable." Nodding his head at the older girl Ryoga went into the living room and kneeled on the floor to wait.
####
"Akane?" Kasumi called coming to the top of the stairs.
"In my room Kasumi."
"Ryoga is here to see you."
Opening her door Akane looked at Kasumi with a slightly angered expression on her face. "If only Ranma could be so nice. He's such a jerk, that his best friend would come here and visit but he won't even bother to tell his own fiancé what he's up to."
"Oh I'm sure that he's just spending the night at that nice Ukyo's place again."
"WHAT!!! Well see if I care about the jerk ever again." Now even angrier Akane stomps down the steps. Her temper on slow boil as she enters the living room she spies Ryoga kneeling down towards one side of the room. Calming down slightly upon facing the onetime lost boy her features smooth out and a smile alights to her face for a moment. "Ryoga, how have you been?" She asks lowering herself to a kneel before him.
"I'm doing good. I just got back from a training trip learning a new and powerful technique." He said blushing a little bit at talking to Akane.
"Really? Could you teach me?" Akane asked hopefully.
Rubbing the back of his head with one gloved hand Ryoga answered "Not yet. I need to test it out against someone first. I was wondering if Ranma was around."
"No the coward's probably at Ukyo's now." She replied her temper rising once again.
Seeing an opportunity to get in better with Akane he decides to add a little fuel to the fire. "Are you sure? He might be training with Shampoo or hanging out with Kodachi." Seeing Akane fume even more Ryoga decides to derail her a bit before she went off searching for his foe. "How about we spar a bit to work off some steam? I can show you some good ways to get through Ranma's guard."
Suddenly happy that someone was going to take her seriously for a change Akane nods her head vigorously and jumps up. "Let me go get changed quickly and I'll meet you in the Dojo."
####
Entering the now crowded club Nabiki looked around trying to see if Malakai was working the bar. She saw him standing behind the bar towards the back of the room talking to an auburn haired woman wearing a rust red colored cloak of some sort.
Making her way through the crowd to Malakai she almost jumped out of her skin when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nabiki Tendo?" Turning around slowly so as to regain her breath Nabiki answered.
"Can I help you?" Looking at the person who had grabbed her shoulder she wasn't terribly surprised to see Lt Kojira standing there. "Oh, hello Lt. how are you doing?"
"Just fine, what brings you to this establishment?" He asks waiving his arm wide as if to encompass the room.
"Are you drunk Lt.?"
"No, not yet. I'm just off duty now, not everything I do is research or investigation you know."
"No they are not. Sorry to sound impatient, but as I said earlier, can I help you?" Nabiki asked folding her arms across her chest.
"Only if you're a broker of information. Otherwise just enjoy your time."
Nodding slightly and excusing herself from his company Nabiki continued her way to the bar to talk to Malakai. Seeing him in between waiting on customers she walked up to the bar and sat on the stool right in front of her.
"Hello Malakai. You have what I asked for?" After watching him nod his head in the affirmative she slid a small envelope across the bar to him. He picked it up and put it in his vest and removed another small envelope in the same motion.
"Encryption code is BAK1BAD2. Hope that the data works for you." Malakai turned around and went into a back door behind the bar. Nabiki not wanting to look too out of place in the bar went up to another bar tender and ordered a drink. At first she didn't think anything of sitting down next to a tall bald man that was in front of the same bartender that she had ordered a drink from. That is, untill she noticed that the man was wearing a cloak rather than a duster like she had thought and appeared to be wearing armor underneath. Also he was feeding a tawny colored rodent that was sitting on the bar in front of him.
Moving down a few seats she waived over the bartender. "What's up with him? Circus in town or something?"
The bartender looks over at the tall bald man and then shrugs his shoulders before answering. "Don't really know. He's been sitting there sipping beer and feeding his hamster since before my shift. Pays good money and has left a tip each time, so I'm not asking."
Giving a small sigh, Nabiki made quick work of her drink before getting up and leaving the bar. On her way out she ran into Lt. Kojira again. Wishing him well on his time off Nabiki made her way to her next destination.
####
Holding the phone to his ear Happosai waited for someone to pick up on the other end.
"..."
"Happosai Hikada, is Ranma there?" [A/N anyone know what Happosai's last name is?]
"..."
"I am the Grand Master of his school of Martial Arts."
"..."
"Yes I am aware that he has amnesia. I would like to retrain him in his art."
"..."
"I will come by then this afternoon. Please ask him to be ready and in male form." Hanging up quickly before the person on the other line could ask anything further the old master hung up the phone through the kitchen window he was perched outside of. Taking a quick glance inside to make sure that no one had seen him use their phone he turned around and jumped to the wall of the yard. Overlooking the street he leapt onto a passing bus to hitch a ride to the other side of the district. "I'm glad that you're with your mother now Ranma. Maybe now I can teach you some real skills instead of that flawed school your idiot father insists on using." Sitting on the roof of the bus the old man lit up his pipe and settled in for the duration of the ride.
####
Nodoka looked at the phone for a minute, the expression on her face a mix of horror and curiosity almost as if the phone would jump out and bite her. Putting the phone back in its cradle she turned around and smoothed out her kimono.
Heading out to the yard she called out "Ranma." Not seeing him, she turned down a path from the back of the house to the rock garden that was on the other side of a quarter acre grove of trees that she kept in the yard. "Ranma, are you there?"
"Yes Mom, in the Garden." Came his light baritone voice. Nodoka walked through the trees and stopped on the edge of a large rock garden. In the middle of the garden was her son. Stopping herself from berating him for walking over the carefully combed sand and meticulously placed rocks the older woman noticed that there was no footprints anywhere in the garden. Ranma himself was standing chest bare in the middle of the garden, one toe barely touching a rock underneath him. His form seemed to blink in and out of existence, flickering like a torch in the wind. "Ranma...?" She asks quietly, almost afraid to speak lest her son disappear.
Startled out of his meditation the pig tailed youth stopped flickering and settled onto his foot entirely depressing the stone he was standing on into the sand a bit. "Dang, almost had it."
"What were you doing son?"
Looking up at his mother who was standing on the edge of the rock garden about 40 feet away Ranma started to scratch the back of his head. "Ummm... I guess that I was practicing with my powers a bit Mother. Why?"
"What powers, you looked like a ghost there for a second. What is going on Son?"
Ranma seemed to be abashed for a second while he tried to find a way to tell his mother what had happened to him. "Mom... You know how I have amnesia?" Nodoka nodded in the affirmative. "Well, apparently I had been injured in a fight and Grandmaster Happosai rescued me and took me to a facility to fix me up. But a scientist had decided to erase my memory and alter me somehow. I don't really know what I can do. So I'm doing as Sensei asked and I'm exploring my abilities." His form flickered a second and Ranma jumped forward off the rock. Ranma shot straight to the side of the garden next to where Nodoka was standing, almost like a bullet. With no arc to his jump he appeared to glide quickly along the ground. As soon as he was over the path that was Nodoka was on he stopped flickering and skidded to a stop.
Nodoka, being a martial artist herself, knew that what Ranma had done was impossible. However seeing it with her own eyes belied that information even as she tried to deny that such a thing could be done. "Ranma, do you know that what you just did is considered impossible?"
"Why would anyone think that that's impossible? Especially if they could see me change gender?" He said tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"Never mind, do you know what you can do yet?"
Looking into the distance for a second before talking Ranma replied "Not totally. I think that I can become like a ghost at will. It allows me to ignore things like gravity and solid matter. I also don't seem to get damaged very much when I hit something or get hit. Other than that I'm still learning myself."
"Do you think that Grandmaster Happosai would be able to help you?"
"He says that he could. Also that he owes me an honor debt for things that had happened in the past. He also told me that he'll be keeping my father busy untill I'm ready to either resume my life or move on to a new life. I don't understand, from what I saw of his interaction with the Tendo's he was not liked, and people thought that he was a pervert. However when I was dealing with him away from them he was kind and courteous, as well as respectful. Do you know why?"
Turning towards the house Nodoka motions for Ranma to follow her. "When I was first married to your father Genma he had told me about a terrible master that taught him the school of Martial Arts that he now follows. How he and another student of the Masters had gone through a living hell for many years. And of how he had managed to defeat the Master and win his freedom." The two arrived at the house and entered. "I would guess that Grandmaster Happosai is the dreaded 'Master' that Genma used to talk about." Nodoka then led Ranma into the entrance room to the house and sat down at a low table in the center of the room. "Happosai called a little bit ago and requested to meet with you this afternoon to discuss training. Something about re-training you in his school of martial arts." Seeing his slightly guarded expression she added, "You don't have to if you don't want to though."
"No Mother, I might as well. But at least it is by choice this time."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, according to Happosai my Father Genma had taken me training since I was 6 right?"
"Yes that is when Genma took you."
"He told me that I had no memories of anything else other than training. As well as that I couldn't handle talking to anyone, and that I was completely uneducated. In the last few days I have learned a lot, and am gaining a center. It doesn't bother me to be a guy or a girl, but according to Happosai it bothered me a great deal. Does learning the art mean that I'll go back to what I had been?" Ranma asked in an almost scared voice.
"No Ranma, learning the art shouldn't ever do that to a person. Only mistreatment should. I will have words with your father once I see him again."
Ranma looked at his mother in mild apprehension. "It's alright with you?"
"Yes, as long as I'm involved or get to see some of it. I just want to spend time with you." Nodoka stated as she got up from kneeling on the floor and came to sit behind her son. Holding him close to her she continued. "I don't want to be separated again. If you regain your memory then I want you to remember who you have been with me. If you don't then I want you to go forth as whom you are now, not a shadow or ghost of who you might have been."
####
Onboard the bridge of the Yggdrissel panic reigned.
"Cryx, get a bead for the main cannon on that Crystalline Destroyer." Shouted a small oriental looking girl.
A creature that looked like a humanoid T-Rex with techno body armor turned around from one of the gunner stations. "You sure you want to use a Rift Cannon at this proximity?" Before the girl could answer the room rocked to one side spilling several odd looking creatures from their stations.
{Damn Fringe Eaters} Muttered the Astrogator standing back up at his station. {And point your cannon somewhere else Pimp} The Gurgoyle said to the Dwarf standing underneath him.
"Fine beastie, As soon as ye move so that I may point me 'Hooker' elsewhere." Hollered back the irritated dwarf.
A young girl with cobalt blue gemlike skin and hair steadied the dwarf "Father, you shouldn't taunt Drssil. You know he likes to use you as the ball in his volley ball games with Cryx." Another shudder rocks through the ship.
"Dang it Cypher, we don't have time to argue about the proximity of the enemy. Arm and fire the Cannon." The Asian looking girl said from the command seat.
"Rift Cannon armed Captain, beginning firing sequence." Said the T-Rex named Cryx Cypher.
Pimp managed to get his shoulder cannon unslung and pointed away from the torso of the Gurgoyle astronavigator. "Ya Sapphire, I know. 'I add an element of danger to their game' if only I hadn't gotten-" The ship rocks again spilling Pimp onto the ground with the 14 foot tall Gurgoyle Drssil falling on top of him. Sapphire managed to barely jump to the side bracing herself on the Nav console. "Captain, two other Crystalline Raider battleships have come out of FTL within 12 light minutes of us." She said with a little bit of panic in her voice.
"Cryx Cypher, so help me if you don't have that cannon ready to fire I'll shove a Cerulean Blood Snake up your backside." Turning towards the drive console "Windchild prepare for Dimension shift, bring up Alpha transit shields." Without looking at the tumbled mess of Gurgoyle and Dwarf the woman continued "Sapphire, plot a course under the oncoming ship. Bring us to just outside the event horizon of a full powered Rift. At point 65 the speed of light."
Sapphires eyes widened at the request. Quickly chanting spells and waiving her arms, her hands moving at a blurring rate tracing arcane symbols in mid air the blue skinned girl set about her task.
####
Outside the Yggdrissel was pure chaos. Shimmering opalescent ships vaguely resembling cut diamonds were zipping through space at breakneck speeds. Each one was about the size of a large truck and had no visible drive system or weapons system. However they were shooting off energy beams at the dark iron space ship. A purplish blue field would flicker to life every time one of the crystal raider beams would come within a certain distance of the hull. Ahead and about 20 degrees above the plane of decent of the Yggdrissel was a Crystalline Raider capitol ship. Easily 20 times the size of the Yggdrissel there was no hint of an opening or change to the structure. Behind the ship half again as far as the earth is to the sun were two rapidly approaching vessels. One was 5 times the size of the space sub, while the other might have been the size of a small moon.
The Yggdrissel pointed its nose to only a few degrees off of the raider ship in front of it and sped up. The single thruster at the rear of the ship discharged a plume of blue flame easily twice as long as the sub was. Accelerating faster the Yggdrissel's upward forward section opened up revealing a long rectangular opening about the size of a basketball court. Purple blue lightning was flashing about in the depth of the opening, the intervals between arcs lessening as the large ship came closer to its enemy. When the Yggdrissel was about 5 miles from the other ship a blue circular corona appeared in front of the bow of the craft and was shot through by a raging purple beam that seemed to warp reality as it passed. As the beam came closer to the crystalline ship it curved towards its center, growing in diameter the entire time. When it was about to strike the energy blast shot open into a large tear in the very fabric of space. Reality looked like it had shattered in front of the crystal ship, the tears cris-crossing space for about a mile pulling at the opalescent vessel. The smaller Yggdrissel slid just on the edge of the Tear underneath it's foe, a red corona of hellish energy snapping at the rips in space and time that came close to the space sub. Just as it seemed to be able to break free the Rift tripled in size and swallowed both vessels leaving only a small swarm of crystalline fighters in its absence.
####
Akane and Ryoga were sitting in her room at the Tendo house talking. It had been a few days since Ryoga had returned and he'd been staying in the dojo. He and Akane had sparred a few times in the time they had spent together.
"Wow Ryoga, you've gotten really good."
"I've been practicing a lot lately." Ryoga said rubbing the back of his head bashfully.
"I've been wondering though, why do you wear the gloves all the time?"
"Oh, these..." Ryoga looks bashfully at his hands then as if he had come to a decision he looks back up at Akane. "Akane, on my last training trip something happened."
While Ryoga paused to inhale Akane interrupted him. "You've been disfigured? Is that why you always wear long sleeves and the gloves?" She said looking on expectantly to the other youth.
Shaking his head a little Ryoga continued, "I guess that is one way you could describe it. But it is more of a gift than a disability." Ryoga looked directly into her eyes as he started to pull at the fingers of one of his gloves.
"So was it a burn? Scarring? What. Did you get it while training?" Akane pestered.
Holding up one hand a bit to forestall any further questions Ryoga finished tugging at the glove on his right hand. Holding up the gleaming metallic hand in front of Akane's face he continued. "I was changed, given some new abilities. My hands and feet now look like this, and I can control it with just a thought." As he was stating this his hand started to reform into a long blade, then into a hammer, after that into a vicious set of claws. Reforming it into a normal but metallic looking hand the formerly lost boy looked back at Akane. "This is why I need to test it out on Ranma instead of any others. It's a bit on the lethal side for anyone who's not an accomplished fighter."
While Ryoga was showing the morphing ability of his limb Akane had been staring at his hand in an almost awe. "Wow, so how did this happen to you?"
"I had been wandering around looking for that coward Ranma when a scientist asked for my help on an experiment he was running. Something happened that injured me during it. After I came to he had done this to me to help me out." Ryoga started to put his glove back on when Akane stopped him.
"I want to see all of the change. Please?" She said looking at him with pleading eyes.
"You sure Akane?" At her nod of approval Ryoga took off his other glove and his shoes. Rolling back his sleeves and his pants legs until the chrome metal gave way to normal flesh he showed the change.
"And you can control the shape of all of it?" Akane said with a slight gleam in her eye.
"Yes, to almost any shape I desire. And I can encase my body with the material as well." Ryoga said as the metal on his limbs started to flow up towards the rest of his body. Soon the metal disappeared under his cloths but the youth pulled up his shirt a bit to show it flowing in mercurial smoothness across his torso. Next it flowed up his neck and encased his face and head in the same material until he looked like a chrome manikin. "This is what I look like fully encased Akane." The former lost boy said with an odd metallic echo to his voice.
"Has this helped you in the art?" Akane asked, an almost desperate note in the undertone of her voice.
"Immensely, now I'm no longer limited to melee and don't have to rely on Ki draining attacks like Ranma does. Since I no longer need the Shi Shi Hokoudan I'm not depressed all the time. I'll now be able to defeat that coward without any trouble."
"I'd like to meet this scientist." Akane stated, adding "To thank him" almost as an afterthought.
####
Nabiki was in her room going over the file that she received from Malakai. Her eyes widened in shock at seeing some of the names on the files. Quickly closing the window down of the files she re-encrypted them on her hard drive then shut down the computer and removed the cord from the back just in case. She put a sign on the saying "Broken, don't use" on it in Kasumi's handwriting chuckling while she was doing so. Taking a look around her room suspiciously she pulled a loose floorboard up and dropped a disc from her other disc drive into the gap that was made. Putting the board back in place she dusted off her hands on her trouser pants and left the room.
Shortly after Nabiki left the room Genma appeared out of thin air standing next to her closet on the side where she wouldn't touch him if she opened the closet door. Looking around he gets a slight evil grin on his face and pulled up the floorboard. Genma removed the disc and put it in his gi then put the board carefully back in place making sure to include the small strip of string in the same place that Nabiki had put it when she put the board in place. Waving a cloth in front of his form Genma returned to invisibility.
####
The market place was very cool in the evening time. Hawkers were calling out their wares while people shopped. Three people moved down one of the corridors of the market. None of the three were very tall, however one stuck out above the other two. He was a little taller than average, and stood a few inches above the other two. He wore a tan and gray long coat with no sleeves buttoned down to his waist. Underneath the long coat was a sky blue silk shirt and a sapphire blue silk drawstring pants. His bracers that encased his forearms looked to be of a very old hand beaten bronze with black and dark crimson runes inscribed around the edges and a whorled scenery etched into the main area of the metal.
The second person stood a little shorter than the first. He appeared to be an average man, wearing an average suit, with an average complexion, and an average face. That is at first glance. As the trio moved from one section of the market, where more than a few business men were into an area that had several people dressed in their daily household clothes or in attirement that wasn't for corporate Japan, he changed. If one had blinked they would've missed it. Even if one hadn't blinked they would have dismissed the change due to deja'vu or maybe they weren't watching him properly. Now dressed in an ordinary set of jeans and an average t-shirt he blended into the background once again. Not to be noticed except as an afterthought or as a distant and fuzzy memory.
The third was the attention getter of the group; seemingly as big around as he was tall this massive wall of muscle belonged on an American muscle- building magazine rather than on the streets of Nerima. Toting around the muscles on muscles look he was dressed in a tight black gray t-shirt that perhaps would be an extra large on a smaller man but was almost a baby t on him. His expression was piggish, almost as if he was constipated. The frown lines on his face were almost deep crevasses and his brow ridge was maybe a few sizes to pronounced, as such the word "Neanderthal" came very easy to mind when he walked around.
Turning around the corner of the street the terrible trio ran into a startled man.
####
Soun was walking to the market with his eldest daughter Kasumi this day. They had run out of several key-cooking ingredients and she wasn't strong enough to carry them by herself so she asked her father for help. Kasumi was dressed in her normal frumpy housedress that understated her beauty and her fit form. Soun was dressed in a jeans and t-shirt combo that he only really wore when going out into town rather than his traditional dogi. They had just completed one of their last purchases when Soun rounded a corner and ran into what he thought was a brick wall that was put in place since the last time he was here. Dropping the large bag of rice by accident the Tendo patriarch looked at perhaps the most muscular man he had ever seen in his life. About to mutter an apology he noticed that the man was licking his lips in a rather lecherous fashion and staring at his eldest daughter. Soun stepped into the large man's plane of sight so as to disrupt his staring at Kasumi and bowed slightly to him. "I apologize for any affront that I have made to you sir."
The man stepped forward and raised his arm as if to brush Soun to the side like a blade of grass or a limb on a tree, he was stopped by the man wearing bracers who placed a bracered hand on the over-muscled brute. A feeling of power swept the crowd of people, akin to the energy rush from before a lightning blast, and the wall of muscle stopped moving forward in an attempt to brush the Tendo patriarch from his path and backed down from the challenge. Looking at Soun the large over-muscled man asked in a low resonating though cultured voice, "What relation are you to the young woman you shield."
Startled by his well dictioned speech, Soun took a moment to respond. "I am her father. Can I ask what business you would like with her?"
"Yes, I am known as San. I find her to be very appealing. I would request her company at my estate later this week. You will give her the time from home to be entertained this Saturday?"
Though formed as a question Soun knew in his heart that this was no request. As well the Tendo patriarch knew that it might be wise to at least go along the larger mans demand initially. So to forestall him Soun added a request of his own. "I will be delighted to make the time for her, if she would be inclined to go. But she is an unwed maiden and must be chaperoned by a gentleman of my choosing. If that is agreeable then she will be ready for you this Saturday." Bowing in submission Sound backed up slightly.
Kasumi meanwhile was fuming inside (How dare you Father. First you dump your worthless friends son on our family, and then just when we manage to get rid of the idiot jock you are about to saddle me with another?) However on the outside she just kept a vapid grin on her face as if everything were all right with the world. Later Kasumi would think the matter over and perhaps the near to be nightmare of entertaining the muscle bound Neanderthal to be just a passing bad memory. After all she and her father had left without giving them directions to their house, or even their family name.
####
San looked at the man playing human chameleon beside him. "Ni, follow them. I want to know where they live, and if possible find out if she's interested in anyone."
Just as Ni was about to leave the first man in the long coat and blue silk clothes turned towards him. "Don't" the bracered man said then turned towards San "That was unwise. We do not have the time to be following your every whimsy. Shai-Halud is waiting for us. You can find a new bed mate some other time."
"Wise or not. I will not be deterred in anything. Satu go on. I will take all responsibility for your absence from our meeting. But find out all you can about her family. I will be waiting." He turned away from the disappearing ordinary man to the other member of their group. "Ichi, this is just a routine meeting. Why would Shai-Halud ask for anything beyond a normal report." A wistful expression passed over his face for a moment. "Besides, there is a quality in her that I haven't seen in anyone in a long time. I yearn for better company than those that currently reside within my domicile."
"In other words you are tired of your current harem." Ichi stated The bracers made a resounding clank as he crossed his forearms over his chest. "Never mind, let's get going. Standing here will earn us no points in our favor."
In the background there was a commotion. Ichi and San turned to watch the disturbance. They catch glimpses of a diminutive old man bounding through the crowd. He carried a small bundle on his back, and made large leaps over the heads of the people that were in his way. Once the old man had passed where they were at a slim young woman with pink and white hair shot like a bullet by them while she chassed the old man. She was dressed in a high quality white and brown business dress and was wearing a blue white and gold bracelet that was perhaps a bit oversized. Once she was out of sight Ichi turned towards San, "Ok, that was defiantly a four on my weirdness scale. Maybe we should go."
"Yes let us retire from this market. We have much to do."
####
Nabiki returned to her room with a large stack of papers and books in her arms. She put them on her bed as she turned and closed the door to her room. She then took a can of aerosol out of her backpack next to her bed and proceeded to spray it around the room while holding a cloth to her nose. Confidant that whatever reason she had sprayed the fine clear mist around her domicile she then opened the window long enough to put a box fan that was retrieved from the closet in the opening and switched it on. After the fan was on and cycling in the window frame, Nabiki went over and turned on the computer. While the machine was booting up the young woman went over to her hiding spot in the floor and pried the board loose. "Why Genma, you were in my room after all." She said under her breath after seeing the spot empty. "I'll just have to keep better tabs on my information then."
Nabiki watched her computer finish booting up then started opening files on the screen while the fan buzzed gently in the background. After the Tendo girl had passed several different encryption codes she went on to reviewing data. Several minutes later Nabiki stopped reading what was on her screen and went over to some of the paper on her bed.
"Hmm..." She muttered out loud. "June 1984, break in yadda yadda... several key materials stolen. Some sort of bio suit design." She sat up in her seat. "Bio suit? What's a bio suit." Nabiki shook her head then went back to her research. "Culprit considered armed and deadly, if any information received or materials found contact Ozward Risker at Chronos Corporation. Helpful they even left a number." Nabiki put the sheet down and started typing in the computer. "Too bad that it happened about 10 years ago."
Nabiki typed some more information then picked up another paper and starts to mutter out loud again. "Genom agent storms the EDF's Science Garrison... mass damage... fight between unknown assailant and EDF security force headed by Chohiciroh Hikari. Security forcer overwhelmed, assailant disappeared without a trace. Genom denies all involvement." Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Genma, what have you been doing. This'll be more involved than I thought."
She closed the small folder of paper scraps and opened another. "WWWA spokeswomen Kei and Yuri announced today a bounty on an unknown assailant that had stolen a small fortunes worth of experimental weaponry." Nabiki put that article to the side and pulled out another. "Chinese government officials had nothing to declare after a terrorist attack on the American Embassy in Beijing. An as yet unknown strike force had destroyed the building with small crew mounted weapons of undetermined make. Analysts have yet to determine how a small detachment of terrorists without vehicles were able to fend off US Marines small arms fire while devastating the surrounding structures in such a small amount of time."
####
A few hours later Nabiki had finished compiling all the notes she had found at the library that had correlated to the information that she had obtained from Malakai. Once done she encrypted it again and e-mailed it to a floating internet storage service that she had obtained a year ago. Afterwards she took a dummy disk with false data and put it into her storage spot in the floor and shut off the fan in the window putting it back in the closet where she got it from then she went to sleep.
Almost the instant that her head hit the pillow Genma materialized outside of her window a miscreant grin on his face. He opened the window and entered quickly and quietly. Looking around the room he saw the folder that Nabiki had been using earlier. Genma ignored that one in preferance of the hidden area in her floor that she used to hide things in. Opening it up he fished the disc out that Nabiki had just place inside. In a clean leap from where he stood on the floor the aging martial artists sailed through the open window, not a portion of his cloths touching the frame in his silent passage. Nabiki opened her eyes as the wind rushed from Genma's exit. A small mischievous grin was on her face as she got up and closed her window. After closing the window she went to her backpack and pulled out her cell phone. She waited for the other end to pick up then said. "Lt. Kojira, this is Nabiki."
"..."
"Yes, he has it."
"..."
"You are on your own now. I won't risk my family on that man."
"..."
"Ok, well anyway go ahead and get him. And good luck, he's a better martial artist than you give him credit for."
"..."
"No not just by the way he trained Ranma. Look I ought to warn you, he has some form of cloaking technique. It will be difficult to track him if he uses it. Send your best, and I'm not talking Special Forces."
"..."
"No they'd be slaughtered."
"..."
"Yes, well then leave it with Malakai."
"..."
"Yes, goodnight to you too." Nabiki closed up her phone and then locked her window. She climbed back into bed and closed her eyes for slumber. While she laid on her back a calm almost peaceful expression came to her face. "Genma Saotome, you will regret bringing danger to this house." Nabiki opened her eyes and looked at the floorboard that was still uncovered. "And you will regret what you have attempted to do to me. Goodbye, and may your soul rest as your life has not."
####
She was high. Higher than a kite, or so she felt. The raven haired girl rode an emotional kick that swept through her soul setting her nerves on fire with electric pulses that rivaled the strongest charged blast of lightning ever to hit the earth. As she rode the pleasureful and painful tide of her recreation her mind was blank. Not a thought could form in the infinite moment of her current existence.
Slowly, ever so slowly she started to come back to herself. The first thing she noticed was that her throat hurt. Hurt badly, like she had been screaming for hours. Unable to talk she focused on other senses, first her touch. Everything felt weird to her, from the table underneath her to the air flowing across her bare torso. She tensed quickly when a small brush of air blew across her bare pubic area, cooling the fires on her skin and sending an icy chill up her spine as the moisture on her flesh became cool.
Awareness flooded back into her mind in a near soul shattering blast. The naked girl cried out from her damaged throat a cry of grief that could shatter cold-hearted mercenaries or battlefield surgeons to the core. A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders to hold her down while she thrashed.
"AKANE!" Came a male voice, concern evident to the girl even as she bucked on the table. "AKANE! IT'S ALL RIGHT. YOU'RE FINE." She felt the same strong hands slide along her torso and wrap around her, the strong arms held her close to the male body. She opened her eyes; the room she was in was barren nothing really in it other than the table she was on and the arms wrapped around her from behind. Muttering in her horse voice she responded. "Ryoga..?"
"I'm here Akane, are you alright?" The distraught girl nodded her head slowly, memories of the last day returned.
Memories of herself following Ryoga.
Memories of meeting a strange doctor.
Memories of agreeing to gain power, abilities beyond others.
Memories of pain.
"Ryoga... did it work? Am I enhanced like you?" Akane said as she turned to face the other youth. She noticed that he was dressed in a dark maroon shirt with the ties on the side and black pseudo leather pants like a biker would wear. His arms and hands were bare, the metal of his forearms and hands gleaming in the florescent light.
"I don't know if you are enhanced like me. Your limbs look the same." He said as he nodded to Akane's arms. As she followed his gaze down Akane noticed her state of dress. She blushed quickly before pulling her arms close in to her body covering her breasts with her hands. Just as quickly Akane jerked her hands away from her chest looking in shock at her palms. Ryoga saw her reaction and pulled her hands down a little so that he could see what she saw on her palms to cause her to react in such a way.
On each of her palms about 1 or 2 inches up from the base of the wrist was a small triangular metal plate, perhaps an eighth of an inch in width.
"Are you alright Akane?" The formerly lost boy said.
Akane hesitated a little bit before she answered. "Yes, but that was very weird."
"How so?"
She looked directly in his eyes before she replied. "I could feel through them."
####
A sleek dagger like shape of an aircraft skimmed along the surface of the Pacific Ocean at a gentle 600 mph. The craft had a forward swept wing design as well as a widely spaced engines design that was rare to an aircraft of this size. The shape and lines of the surface of this aircraft spoke of lethal speed and maneuverability. Matte black in color with its running lights turned off, the plane was practically invisible to the human eye.
####
Lt. Yuseke Kojira was not a happy man. If one looked at his attire they might have a small clue as to why. The left sleeve of his suit was gone. Part of the lapel of the right side of his suit was hanging by a strip of cloth torn from the top down. His shirt was shredded under the jacket and Yuseke's slacks were a shredded dirty mess. Some bruises showed from underneath the remains of his clothes and his right eye was swollen in promise of a nice shiner in the days to come.
"Damn him!" The frustrated Lt. Kojira cursed getting out of the dust and debris that was all that was left of the wall that he had been slammed into. A beep sounded from his around his waist got him to look down. Lt. Kojira saw a small arc of blue electricity go from a smooth black box attached to the inside of his belt to his belt buckle. He reached down and pulled at a catch on the inner side of the box and part of it slid up to reveal a small touch pad. After pushing a couple of buttons on the pad the incessant beeping noise from his belt stopped.
"Shit, now I have to replace that e-clip. I don't have time for this." He grumbled angrily.
"Don't have time for what?" Came a man's voice from his right. Kojira spun around to face the voice while he whipped his right arm up with the hand formed into a fist angled down sharply. A small red dot formed on the wall above the head of a diminutive dwarf of a man who stood only a couple of feet tall. The small form of Happosai looked back along the beam of the laser at the disheveled man before him.
"You planning on using a laser pointer to scare me off?" The aged master said with a hint of boredom. Kojira lowered his arm and pressed something through his sleeve with his left hand, a small bleep sounded and then the laser beam shut off.
"What do you want old man." The Lt. said in a drained voice.
Happosai pulled out his pipe and lit it with a small Ki burst from his finger. "Just seeing who had foolishly taken on Genma Saotome. You survived, so you must be better than you look."
Kojira shrugged his shoulders as he went over to a wall opposite the crushed one he just pulled himself out of. "Just better equipped. I won't make that mistake again." He bent at the waist and picked up a damaged black cylinder that seemed to have been broken in half from the ground on the other side of the alley. "Who knew that a normal human could be so tough."
Happosai chuckled a little upon hearing that statement. "A creature like you is complaining about a 'Normal Human'?" Happosai snuffed out the embers of his pipe and put it away. "And who's to say he's 'Normal'?"
"What do you know old man." Kojira said looking at the smaller man.
"Only that when one trains with Ki for as long as Genma that remarkable things can happen. Even things beyond the natural." Happosai chuckled again at some hidden joke then turned away from the JSDF Officer. "Be ready, next time firing plasma bolts at him will probably only piss him off. You were lucky this time; he underestimated you like you did for him. He now knows that you are also more than you seem." The old master then jumped up 30 feet to the rooftop above the alley. "You can find him at the Tendo Dojo. If he asks tell him Happosai told you." After he said that Happosai faded from view without moving. Only an echoing voice remained behind. "Perhaps some help for one not of this world would be in order. Find it to deal with my old student."
Kojira looked a little bit dumbfounded at that statement. "Student? Why would he turn him in then." After he picked up some more odds and ends from the damaged alleyway in downtown Tokyo the Lt. turned to the street to hail a cab out of the area.
####
"Where are we." Came the young voice of the young looking captain out of the darkened room. Some sparks flew from the forward area briefly lighting the room in a small flash of light, before the after images had a chance to become set in the eyes of the occupants a chanting started from one side of the room. A swaying globe reminiscent of a small star appeared above the broken astrogation console to spill light on the shattered interior of the Yggdrissel's bridge. Drssil was extricating himself from the wall next to the console cursing something in Demongogian as Sapphire finished her casting.
"Captain, no technology or magic present on the sensors." Came a voice from the front of the room.
Captain Naomi sat up in her damaged seat. "Drssil, you alive over there?"
After he grumbled a bit more Pimp answered up for the pissed off Gurgoyle "Aye captain, he lives as yet. Stubborn beastie that he is."
Naomi sighed a bit in relief before replying. "Pimp, stop agitating him and help him out of the wall. Sapphire, can you get a read on where we are?"
"Yes Captain." The cobalt skinned girl said in a chipper voice before she started an arcane chant above her broken station. An explosion from the other side of the room broke her spell concentration as several creatures started to curse and scramble around the room while making an attempt to bring fire retarding spells and equipment to bear.
{Hold on Sapphire, let's cast this together. The console won't focus your power damaged as it is} Drssil managed to say after getting helped out of the wall by Pimp. Meanwhile the dwarf was grinning ear to ear as if from hearing some great joke.
The fires from across the room were almost under control as Cryx addressed his captain. "Naomi, Fire control's shot. I'll need one of the Techno Mages to help on the repairs. I don't think that the Rift Cannon will be operable for at least a few cycles."
From the front of the room a female voice sounded out. "Captain?" Naomi turned to face the direction from her control seat. "Yes Windchild?"
"Drive works, controls don't. It'll be like controlling a Kreegor stock barge right now. One way, and hope it's the right direction."
Naomi pulled a small wand from her hip and held it in front of her. She swung her arm in a circle in front of her, a trail of sparkles were left in its wake completing a ovoid circle in front of the small Asian girl. After the two lines touched the air in between shimmered for a second before becoming solid to show an image from behind. Through the image a darkened room was visible, as Naomi watched a bolt of blue and purple energy crawled along the far wall from her vantage of her viewing portal. Voices could be heard from the image as a pair of oddly dressed humanoids rushed towards the image from a side passage as they headed where the bolt of power came from. Naomi took a quick breath before she called out. "Engineering, REPORT!" She hollered into the image.
One of the two rushing men stopped in front of the image. "Captain" He began, slightly out of breath. "Secondary S.E.E.D.S. energy crystal shielding system failed Ma'am. We're trying to hold off an internal Rift storm. Could you send some mages down? I'm down to myself and 3 other Techno Wizards." The Captain turned from the image towards her right. Sapphire, Pimp, Drssil, go. Get down to engineering." She then turned to the left. "Cryx, go find your Anti-Monster friend. We'll need his expertise to get the Yggdrissel running again." Naomi faced to the front again. "Windchild, sorry no help for you, keep your eyes on the sensors and if needs be go find John to help steer the ship."
Windchild grinned and rubbed her hands together once she heard the last. Naomi sighed seeing her expression. "Yes you get to use my grav pack. Just go." Naomi put her face in her hand in exasperation. "Freaking Hyperion Juicer Cyborg. Just had to hire on an adrenaline junky, no couldn't have gotten a normal pilot." After she steeled herself from her annoyance the captain started to bark orders around the remaining bridge crew.
####
Authors Notes
Well, another chapter done. Sorry for taking so long. Life happened and such. I also didn't want to leave my readers with only half a chapter, so I brainstormed and wheedled and finally inspiration found me typing on my computer doing some new labels for my company while strung out on just way too much caffeine and listening to bad techno.
So here we are at the end of chapter six. Also here are the results from my pole on who should end up with who (I'm listing the ones that are either interesting or have merit)
Nodoka / Van Helsing
Believe it or not this is one of the most requested. Good match up if you ask me, just not quite sure how I'll do it. At least I've watched the movie now.
Ranma / Buffy / One other
I don't think I'll do this one yet, it'd be nice, but I want to keep Ranma in Nerima. I don't really see Buffy going there right now.
Genma / Soun
Hmmm... The Ambiguously Gay Duo? Who'll wear the Gi and who'll cook in this relationship. Kind of an evil one requested by a few readers. Spring of drowned girl anyone? "Now the Houses will be joined. Right old buddy?"
Nodoka / Soun
I might do this one if I can't figure out how to get Van Helsing into the story. Has merit.
Nabiki / Kuno
Been done
Akane / Ryoga I think that everyone sees that hook up starting now.
Kasumi / Tofu
Not sure, it's done, and done, and done, and done. But maybe I can put a new twist on it. Any suggestions?
Ranma / Wolverine
Believe it or not this has been requested. I decided not to, however it is interesting. Only problem, Wolverines way too much of a father figure or a mentor. Plus I don't want to have to rewrite Ranma's core personality too much, it's bad enough giving the poor lad total amnesia.
Ranma / Rogue / One other
I like this one. Just which version of Rogue to use? I think I'll take the one from shortly before Ultimate X-Men came out, I've got a really good pic of the version I want to use if anyone wants it e-mail me at seth at cedarbear.com and I'll send it to you.
Ranma / Kasumi / Akane
I have not personally seen this hook up yet. I've seen Ranma / Nabiki / Kasumi and Ranma / Akane / Nabiki several times but not this one. Since I don't want to see Ranma with Akane yet I'll leave this one behind.
If anyone has any other good suggestions, please e-mail me at seth at cedarbear.com and I'll either post the suggestions, or if they're really good I'll write them in in one form or another.
Also I'm starting another side item. Anyone able to sight all the cameos? I've got several original characters here, but also have many cameos. Anyone able to guess them all? E-mail me if you sight it and think you know where it came from, I'll be posting congrats and the actual source of characters and cameo's in my Authors Notes of future chapters.
Standard Disclaimer... I don't own Ranma 1/2, Marvel, Rifts, TSR or any other works of fantasy/fiction or published works that appear in this fanfiction. I do this for no profit and only for the enjoyment of writing and sharing these stories with other fans.
( ) = Thoughts
# # = Telepathy
= Chinese [due to those ever loved Amazons]
= Machine Language [no not binary, machine people, it explains in the fic]
{ } = Demongogian
/" "/ = Recorded or replayed conversation.
[ ] = Authors description/explanation/notes [I like to ramble sometimes]
####
Authors Pre-Amble: I guess that I should've continued on my last chapter a bit more. Especially for those who are thinking that Ranma staying as a girl was a bit weak. Believe me it'll be story lined in [actually it'll be story lined in as soon as I can get it in this chapter] Also I've had some people asking about why the scientist at Weapon X has access to so much technology, that too will be answered. But if you need examples, go and find the old X-Men comics from before X-Men Alpha and Omega. Weapon X in those series (which is where I grab my Weapon X from) has access to technology sometimes as advanced as the Shi-Ar Empire (see professor X's fiancé's race)
Authors second Pre-Amble: Please, e-mail me your requests/pole answers for the match ups in this fanfiction. Don't use the review area. You can reach me at seth at cedarbear.com instead.
On with the fiction
####
At first she was concerned by his further absence. Then she became enraged at his lack of consideration for not telling anyone where he was. Akane was again fuming around the house. It'd been a few days since Ranma returned from his trip, only to vanish again. What was worse was that her sisters wouldn't tell her anything and her father would only bemoan about the houses not being joined. School hadn't been any easier to deal with. What with her friends constantly asking her what had happened to Ranma, and whether or not they were still together. "Like I care about that pervert." Was her most common response, though inside she really did care, it wasn't in a way that anyone thought about.
"Stupid idiot, why'd he have to leave again." Getting up from the couch that was getting too worn with her constantly sitting down on it and pouting on it in last few days, the distraught girl got up to try to find her wayward fiancé again. Not having much luck at the U-Chan's or the Neko- Hauten, Akane decided to raid her savings and pay Nabiki to track him down. After getting her money Akane went and knocked on her sisters door. Waiting a bit without receiving any answer she opened the door a bit to take a look inside. Not seeing anyone there she walked in and saw that the computer was on. "Wonder what sis has been working on." Moving the cursor around a bit only prompted a security screen to come up. "Hmmm... what password would Nabiki be using this month? Money Talks?" Typing a few different words and phrases in produced no results for the girl so she decided to search elsewhere in the room.
"Her closet, she's gotta have something there."
After a few minutes of rummaging around in her sisters closet gained nothing of note. Closing the door to the closet Akane went over to the bed and lifted it up to look underneath. "Nothing under her bed, who has nothing under their bed." Muttering something about clean freaks Akane puts the bed down and leaves the room. "I swear, it's like she knows that I'm looking for something and hides it. Oh well, I'll just ask Uncle Genma for some help."
####
It had been 3 days since Nabiki had spoken with Nodoka. The first day she went about and organized her papers and research into Ranma beyond what she had obtained prior. Not realizing the monumental amount of work that her task required she ended up working all day rather than for the hour or two she had planned.
The second day she sent feelers out and contacted 4 of her information sources as well as started the compiling of her data both for herself and Nodoka Saotome. Interrupted by her sisters attempt to gather information herself when she was out to lunch with an informant. Re-compiling her data she finished up her day.
The third day started the beginnings of results. After getting home from school Nabiki had turned on her computer and checked her e-mail and a few of the forums that she used to get and post information anonymously. Not expecting any results she found a post that demanded her attention, it was an excerpt from a newspaper from several years ago.
"Mishima Heavy Industries research facility robbed.
Earlier this week at an R&D an unknown group physically destroyed the
facility run by corporate head Akiko Natsume. Housed in the facility
was a JSDF research project detailing in cybernetics and combat
enhancement that Mishima was contracted by the Japanese government for
development. When asked about the break in Akiko had no comments.
However local police forces stated that the building wasn't damaged by
normal firearms or explosives, instead seeming to be cut by a form of
blade, or imploded from a sudden vacuum. Authorities state that it is
most likely a case of corporate espionage and not to be concerned by
the lack of information on the culprits responsible."
There was more, but after reading it and remembering the JSDF officer enquiring about Ranma and Genma she decided to check out this lead. Quickly posting a coded message of how to contact her Nabiki left the house to go down to the Public Records building to do some research into Mishima Heavy Industries as well as anything that the JSDF might have had in the works concerning the thefts that Genma was wanted for.
####
Walking down the street in a different garb then he's ever worn before, Ryoga Hibiki is on the lookout for his foe. Gone was the dusty yellow shirt and tied off drawstring pants, gone also was the ever present pack and weighted umbrella. Now dressed in a form concealing dusty brown leather duster over black canvas shirt and pants with dark brown/black motorcycle gloves Ryoga looked very menacing in the noon day light. Thankfully the scientist that had altered him also provided him with some new clothes that allowed him to travel around without announcing to the world what he had become.
Turning a corner onto the main street leading to the Tendo's, Ryoga pulled out a small device from his pocket and held it up to his face. Pressing a button he talked into it "I'm here. Turning off transmitter, I'll be going into find your subject and eliminate him." Letting go of the button he continued, "Now to face your doom Ranma."
####
Malakai was getting worried. He was due to meet up with Nabiki soon to discuss some information he had gathered on Genma Saotome, however he had a JSDF officer sitting in front of him that wouldn't go away. Seeing as how the officer was thinking about the things he has been investigating in the prior days, and how it was ironically enough directly related to his information deal with Nabiki Tendo, Malakai wanted to verify with Nabiki whether or not a meeting with the JSDF officer would be beneficial. Or whether she'd be put in jail as an accessory to the crimes that Genma had committed that the JSDF officer was investigating. Normally he wouldn't have been concerned however for the last few minutes he'd been skimming the surface thoughts of Lt Kojira of the JSDF Intelligence. Again not much to worry about, except that apparently Lt Kojira was also a lot more than he let on. Not quite willing to throw his associate to the wolves quite yet Malakai struggled to figure out what to do about the situation.
After several other customers had entered the bar Malakai started to get a bit busy to wonder about the whereabouts of Nabiki. Settling down to his job and continuing to scan the surface thoughts of the clubs clientele the Zoanoid prepared for a long boring evening.
####
"What luck." Ryoga said to himself watching Nabiki leave the Tendo house. "Now if no one else is there I'll be able to lie in wait for Ranma." Pulling the lapels of the duster slightly to reseat the coat the former lost boy came to the Tendo main wall and knocked to announce himself. Waiting for a moment to see if anyone would answer the door he busied himself with going over his mental checklist of what he would do to Ranma with his newfound abilities.
Cutting Ryoga's mental imagery short the gate opened up to reveal Kasumi holding it open to see who had come calling. "Ryoga, what a surprise. Won't you come in? Ranma's not here at the moment, however I think that Akane is upstairs right now. Would you like me to get her?"
"Yes Kasumi, could I wait in the living room for her?"
"I don't see how that could be a problem. Please come in." Kasumi stated turning around and walked down the path to enter the house. Ryoga followed her and took off his shoes at the entranceway. "I'll just get Akane, please make yourself comfortable." Nodding his head at the older girl Ryoga went into the living room and kneeled on the floor to wait.
####
"Akane?" Kasumi called coming to the top of the stairs.
"In my room Kasumi."
"Ryoga is here to see you."
Opening her door Akane looked at Kasumi with a slightly angered expression on her face. "If only Ranma could be so nice. He's such a jerk, that his best friend would come here and visit but he won't even bother to tell his own fiancé what he's up to."
"Oh I'm sure that he's just spending the night at that nice Ukyo's place again."
"WHAT!!! Well see if I care about the jerk ever again." Now even angrier Akane stomps down the steps. Her temper on slow boil as she enters the living room she spies Ryoga kneeling down towards one side of the room. Calming down slightly upon facing the onetime lost boy her features smooth out and a smile alights to her face for a moment. "Ryoga, how have you been?" She asks lowering herself to a kneel before him.
"I'm doing good. I just got back from a training trip learning a new and powerful technique." He said blushing a little bit at talking to Akane.
"Really? Could you teach me?" Akane asked hopefully.
Rubbing the back of his head with one gloved hand Ryoga answered "Not yet. I need to test it out against someone first. I was wondering if Ranma was around."
"No the coward's probably at Ukyo's now." She replied her temper rising once again.
Seeing an opportunity to get in better with Akane he decides to add a little fuel to the fire. "Are you sure? He might be training with Shampoo or hanging out with Kodachi." Seeing Akane fume even more Ryoga decides to derail her a bit before she went off searching for his foe. "How about we spar a bit to work off some steam? I can show you some good ways to get through Ranma's guard."
Suddenly happy that someone was going to take her seriously for a change Akane nods her head vigorously and jumps up. "Let me go get changed quickly and I'll meet you in the Dojo."
####
Entering the now crowded club Nabiki looked around trying to see if Malakai was working the bar. She saw him standing behind the bar towards the back of the room talking to an auburn haired woman wearing a rust red colored cloak of some sort.
Making her way through the crowd to Malakai she almost jumped out of her skin when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. "Nabiki Tendo?" Turning around slowly so as to regain her breath Nabiki answered.
"Can I help you?" Looking at the person who had grabbed her shoulder she wasn't terribly surprised to see Lt Kojira standing there. "Oh, hello Lt. how are you doing?"
"Just fine, what brings you to this establishment?" He asks waiving his arm wide as if to encompass the room.
"Are you drunk Lt.?"
"No, not yet. I'm just off duty now, not everything I do is research or investigation you know."
"No they are not. Sorry to sound impatient, but as I said earlier, can I help you?" Nabiki asked folding her arms across her chest.
"Only if you're a broker of information. Otherwise just enjoy your time."
Nodding slightly and excusing herself from his company Nabiki continued her way to the bar to talk to Malakai. Seeing him in between waiting on customers she walked up to the bar and sat on the stool right in front of her.
"Hello Malakai. You have what I asked for?" After watching him nod his head in the affirmative she slid a small envelope across the bar to him. He picked it up and put it in his vest and removed another small envelope in the same motion.
"Encryption code is BAK1BAD2. Hope that the data works for you." Malakai turned around and went into a back door behind the bar. Nabiki not wanting to look too out of place in the bar went up to another bar tender and ordered a drink. At first she didn't think anything of sitting down next to a tall bald man that was in front of the same bartender that she had ordered a drink from. That is, untill she noticed that the man was wearing a cloak rather than a duster like she had thought and appeared to be wearing armor underneath. Also he was feeding a tawny colored rodent that was sitting on the bar in front of him.
Moving down a few seats she waived over the bartender. "What's up with him? Circus in town or something?"
The bartender looks over at the tall bald man and then shrugs his shoulders before answering. "Don't really know. He's been sitting there sipping beer and feeding his hamster since before my shift. Pays good money and has left a tip each time, so I'm not asking."
Giving a small sigh, Nabiki made quick work of her drink before getting up and leaving the bar. On her way out she ran into Lt. Kojira again. Wishing him well on his time off Nabiki made her way to her next destination.
####
Holding the phone to his ear Happosai waited for someone to pick up on the other end.
"..."
"Happosai Hikada, is Ranma there?" [A/N anyone know what Happosai's last name is?]
"..."
"I am the Grand Master of his school of Martial Arts."
"..."
"Yes I am aware that he has amnesia. I would like to retrain him in his art."
"..."
"I will come by then this afternoon. Please ask him to be ready and in male form." Hanging up quickly before the person on the other line could ask anything further the old master hung up the phone through the kitchen window he was perched outside of. Taking a quick glance inside to make sure that no one had seen him use their phone he turned around and jumped to the wall of the yard. Overlooking the street he leapt onto a passing bus to hitch a ride to the other side of the district. "I'm glad that you're with your mother now Ranma. Maybe now I can teach you some real skills instead of that flawed school your idiot father insists on using." Sitting on the roof of the bus the old man lit up his pipe and settled in for the duration of the ride.
####
Nodoka looked at the phone for a minute, the expression on her face a mix of horror and curiosity almost as if the phone would jump out and bite her. Putting the phone back in its cradle she turned around and smoothed out her kimono.
Heading out to the yard she called out "Ranma." Not seeing him, she turned down a path from the back of the house to the rock garden that was on the other side of a quarter acre grove of trees that she kept in the yard. "Ranma, are you there?"
"Yes Mom, in the Garden." Came his light baritone voice. Nodoka walked through the trees and stopped on the edge of a large rock garden. In the middle of the garden was her son. Stopping herself from berating him for walking over the carefully combed sand and meticulously placed rocks the older woman noticed that there was no footprints anywhere in the garden. Ranma himself was standing chest bare in the middle of the garden, one toe barely touching a rock underneath him. His form seemed to blink in and out of existence, flickering like a torch in the wind. "Ranma...?" She asks quietly, almost afraid to speak lest her son disappear.
Startled out of his meditation the pig tailed youth stopped flickering and settled onto his foot entirely depressing the stone he was standing on into the sand a bit. "Dang, almost had it."
"What were you doing son?"
Looking up at his mother who was standing on the edge of the rock garden about 40 feet away Ranma started to scratch the back of his head. "Ummm... I guess that I was practicing with my powers a bit Mother. Why?"
"What powers, you looked like a ghost there for a second. What is going on Son?"
Ranma seemed to be abashed for a second while he tried to find a way to tell his mother what had happened to him. "Mom... You know how I have amnesia?" Nodoka nodded in the affirmative. "Well, apparently I had been injured in a fight and Grandmaster Happosai rescued me and took me to a facility to fix me up. But a scientist had decided to erase my memory and alter me somehow. I don't really know what I can do. So I'm doing as Sensei asked and I'm exploring my abilities." His form flickered a second and Ranma jumped forward off the rock. Ranma shot straight to the side of the garden next to where Nodoka was standing, almost like a bullet. With no arc to his jump he appeared to glide quickly along the ground. As soon as he was over the path that was Nodoka was on he stopped flickering and skidded to a stop.
Nodoka, being a martial artist herself, knew that what Ranma had done was impossible. However seeing it with her own eyes belied that information even as she tried to deny that such a thing could be done. "Ranma, do you know that what you just did is considered impossible?"
"Why would anyone think that that's impossible? Especially if they could see me change gender?" He said tilting his head to the side in confusion.
"Never mind, do you know what you can do yet?"
Looking into the distance for a second before talking Ranma replied "Not totally. I think that I can become like a ghost at will. It allows me to ignore things like gravity and solid matter. I also don't seem to get damaged very much when I hit something or get hit. Other than that I'm still learning myself."
"Do you think that Grandmaster Happosai would be able to help you?"
"He says that he could. Also that he owes me an honor debt for things that had happened in the past. He also told me that he'll be keeping my father busy untill I'm ready to either resume my life or move on to a new life. I don't understand, from what I saw of his interaction with the Tendo's he was not liked, and people thought that he was a pervert. However when I was dealing with him away from them he was kind and courteous, as well as respectful. Do you know why?"
Turning towards the house Nodoka motions for Ranma to follow her. "When I was first married to your father Genma he had told me about a terrible master that taught him the school of Martial Arts that he now follows. How he and another student of the Masters had gone through a living hell for many years. And of how he had managed to defeat the Master and win his freedom." The two arrived at the house and entered. "I would guess that Grandmaster Happosai is the dreaded 'Master' that Genma used to talk about." Nodoka then led Ranma into the entrance room to the house and sat down at a low table in the center of the room. "Happosai called a little bit ago and requested to meet with you this afternoon to discuss training. Something about re-training you in his school of martial arts." Seeing his slightly guarded expression she added, "You don't have to if you don't want to though."
"No Mother, I might as well. But at least it is by choice this time."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, according to Happosai my Father Genma had taken me training since I was 6 right?"
"Yes that is when Genma took you."
"He told me that I had no memories of anything else other than training. As well as that I couldn't handle talking to anyone, and that I was completely uneducated. In the last few days I have learned a lot, and am gaining a center. It doesn't bother me to be a guy or a girl, but according to Happosai it bothered me a great deal. Does learning the art mean that I'll go back to what I had been?" Ranma asked in an almost scared voice.
"No Ranma, learning the art shouldn't ever do that to a person. Only mistreatment should. I will have words with your father once I see him again."
Ranma looked at his mother in mild apprehension. "It's alright with you?"
"Yes, as long as I'm involved or get to see some of it. I just want to spend time with you." Nodoka stated as she got up from kneeling on the floor and came to sit behind her son. Holding him close to her she continued. "I don't want to be separated again. If you regain your memory then I want you to remember who you have been with me. If you don't then I want you to go forth as whom you are now, not a shadow or ghost of who you might have been."
####
Onboard the bridge of the Yggdrissel panic reigned.
"Cryx, get a bead for the main cannon on that Crystalline Destroyer." Shouted a small oriental looking girl.
A creature that looked like a humanoid T-Rex with techno body armor turned around from one of the gunner stations. "You sure you want to use a Rift Cannon at this proximity?" Before the girl could answer the room rocked to one side spilling several odd looking creatures from their stations.
{Damn Fringe Eaters} Muttered the Astrogator standing back up at his station. {And point your cannon somewhere else Pimp} The Gurgoyle said to the Dwarf standing underneath him.
"Fine beastie, As soon as ye move so that I may point me 'Hooker' elsewhere." Hollered back the irritated dwarf.
A young girl with cobalt blue gemlike skin and hair steadied the dwarf "Father, you shouldn't taunt Drssil. You know he likes to use you as the ball in his volley ball games with Cryx." Another shudder rocks through the ship.
"Dang it Cypher, we don't have time to argue about the proximity of the enemy. Arm and fire the Cannon." The Asian looking girl said from the command seat.
"Rift Cannon armed Captain, beginning firing sequence." Said the T-Rex named Cryx Cypher.
Pimp managed to get his shoulder cannon unslung and pointed away from the torso of the Gurgoyle astronavigator. "Ya Sapphire, I know. 'I add an element of danger to their game' if only I hadn't gotten-" The ship rocks again spilling Pimp onto the ground with the 14 foot tall Gurgoyle Drssil falling on top of him. Sapphire managed to barely jump to the side bracing herself on the Nav console. "Captain, two other Crystalline Raider battleships have come out of FTL within 12 light minutes of us." She said with a little bit of panic in her voice.
"Cryx Cypher, so help me if you don't have that cannon ready to fire I'll shove a Cerulean Blood Snake up your backside." Turning towards the drive console "Windchild prepare for Dimension shift, bring up Alpha transit shields." Without looking at the tumbled mess of Gurgoyle and Dwarf the woman continued "Sapphire, plot a course under the oncoming ship. Bring us to just outside the event horizon of a full powered Rift. At point 65 the speed of light."
Sapphires eyes widened at the request. Quickly chanting spells and waiving her arms, her hands moving at a blurring rate tracing arcane symbols in mid air the blue skinned girl set about her task.
####
Outside the Yggdrissel was pure chaos. Shimmering opalescent ships vaguely resembling cut diamonds were zipping through space at breakneck speeds. Each one was about the size of a large truck and had no visible drive system or weapons system. However they were shooting off energy beams at the dark iron space ship. A purplish blue field would flicker to life every time one of the crystal raider beams would come within a certain distance of the hull. Ahead and about 20 degrees above the plane of decent of the Yggdrissel was a Crystalline Raider capitol ship. Easily 20 times the size of the Yggdrissel there was no hint of an opening or change to the structure. Behind the ship half again as far as the earth is to the sun were two rapidly approaching vessels. One was 5 times the size of the space sub, while the other might have been the size of a small moon.
The Yggdrissel pointed its nose to only a few degrees off of the raider ship in front of it and sped up. The single thruster at the rear of the ship discharged a plume of blue flame easily twice as long as the sub was. Accelerating faster the Yggdrissel's upward forward section opened up revealing a long rectangular opening about the size of a basketball court. Purple blue lightning was flashing about in the depth of the opening, the intervals between arcs lessening as the large ship came closer to its enemy. When the Yggdrissel was about 5 miles from the other ship a blue circular corona appeared in front of the bow of the craft and was shot through by a raging purple beam that seemed to warp reality as it passed. As the beam came closer to the crystalline ship it curved towards its center, growing in diameter the entire time. When it was about to strike the energy blast shot open into a large tear in the very fabric of space. Reality looked like it had shattered in front of the crystal ship, the tears cris-crossing space for about a mile pulling at the opalescent vessel. The smaller Yggdrissel slid just on the edge of the Tear underneath it's foe, a red corona of hellish energy snapping at the rips in space and time that came close to the space sub. Just as it seemed to be able to break free the Rift tripled in size and swallowed both vessels leaving only a small swarm of crystalline fighters in its absence.
####
Akane and Ryoga were sitting in her room at the Tendo house talking. It had been a few days since Ryoga had returned and he'd been staying in the dojo. He and Akane had sparred a few times in the time they had spent together.
"Wow Ryoga, you've gotten really good."
"I've been practicing a lot lately." Ryoga said rubbing the back of his head bashfully.
"I've been wondering though, why do you wear the gloves all the time?"
"Oh, these..." Ryoga looks bashfully at his hands then as if he had come to a decision he looks back up at Akane. "Akane, on my last training trip something happened."
While Ryoga paused to inhale Akane interrupted him. "You've been disfigured? Is that why you always wear long sleeves and the gloves?" She said looking on expectantly to the other youth.
Shaking his head a little Ryoga continued, "I guess that is one way you could describe it. But it is more of a gift than a disability." Ryoga looked directly into her eyes as he started to pull at the fingers of one of his gloves.
"So was it a burn? Scarring? What. Did you get it while training?" Akane pestered.
Holding up one hand a bit to forestall any further questions Ryoga finished tugging at the glove on his right hand. Holding up the gleaming metallic hand in front of Akane's face he continued. "I was changed, given some new abilities. My hands and feet now look like this, and I can control it with just a thought." As he was stating this his hand started to reform into a long blade, then into a hammer, after that into a vicious set of claws. Reforming it into a normal but metallic looking hand the formerly lost boy looked back at Akane. "This is why I need to test it out on Ranma instead of any others. It's a bit on the lethal side for anyone who's not an accomplished fighter."
While Ryoga was showing the morphing ability of his limb Akane had been staring at his hand in an almost awe. "Wow, so how did this happen to you?"
"I had been wandering around looking for that coward Ranma when a scientist asked for my help on an experiment he was running. Something happened that injured me during it. After I came to he had done this to me to help me out." Ryoga started to put his glove back on when Akane stopped him.
"I want to see all of the change. Please?" She said looking at him with pleading eyes.
"You sure Akane?" At her nod of approval Ryoga took off his other glove and his shoes. Rolling back his sleeves and his pants legs until the chrome metal gave way to normal flesh he showed the change.
"And you can control the shape of all of it?" Akane said with a slight gleam in her eye.
"Yes, to almost any shape I desire. And I can encase my body with the material as well." Ryoga said as the metal on his limbs started to flow up towards the rest of his body. Soon the metal disappeared under his cloths but the youth pulled up his shirt a bit to show it flowing in mercurial smoothness across his torso. Next it flowed up his neck and encased his face and head in the same material until he looked like a chrome manikin. "This is what I look like fully encased Akane." The former lost boy said with an odd metallic echo to his voice.
"Has this helped you in the art?" Akane asked, an almost desperate note in the undertone of her voice.
"Immensely, now I'm no longer limited to melee and don't have to rely on Ki draining attacks like Ranma does. Since I no longer need the Shi Shi Hokoudan I'm not depressed all the time. I'll now be able to defeat that coward without any trouble."
"I'd like to meet this scientist." Akane stated, adding "To thank him" almost as an afterthought.
####
Nabiki was in her room going over the file that she received from Malakai. Her eyes widened in shock at seeing some of the names on the files. Quickly closing the window down of the files she re-encrypted them on her hard drive then shut down the computer and removed the cord from the back just in case. She put a sign on the saying "Broken, don't use" on it in Kasumi's handwriting chuckling while she was doing so. Taking a look around her room suspiciously she pulled a loose floorboard up and dropped a disc from her other disc drive into the gap that was made. Putting the board back in place she dusted off her hands on her trouser pants and left the room.
Shortly after Nabiki left the room Genma appeared out of thin air standing next to her closet on the side where she wouldn't touch him if she opened the closet door. Looking around he gets a slight evil grin on his face and pulled up the floorboard. Genma removed the disc and put it in his gi then put the board carefully back in place making sure to include the small strip of string in the same place that Nabiki had put it when she put the board in place. Waving a cloth in front of his form Genma returned to invisibility.
####
The market place was very cool in the evening time. Hawkers were calling out their wares while people shopped. Three people moved down one of the corridors of the market. None of the three were very tall, however one stuck out above the other two. He was a little taller than average, and stood a few inches above the other two. He wore a tan and gray long coat with no sleeves buttoned down to his waist. Underneath the long coat was a sky blue silk shirt and a sapphire blue silk drawstring pants. His bracers that encased his forearms looked to be of a very old hand beaten bronze with black and dark crimson runes inscribed around the edges and a whorled scenery etched into the main area of the metal.
The second person stood a little shorter than the first. He appeared to be an average man, wearing an average suit, with an average complexion, and an average face. That is at first glance. As the trio moved from one section of the market, where more than a few business men were into an area that had several people dressed in their daily household clothes or in attirement that wasn't for corporate Japan, he changed. If one had blinked they would've missed it. Even if one hadn't blinked they would have dismissed the change due to deja'vu or maybe they weren't watching him properly. Now dressed in an ordinary set of jeans and an average t-shirt he blended into the background once again. Not to be noticed except as an afterthought or as a distant and fuzzy memory.
The third was the attention getter of the group; seemingly as big around as he was tall this massive wall of muscle belonged on an American muscle- building magazine rather than on the streets of Nerima. Toting around the muscles on muscles look he was dressed in a tight black gray t-shirt that perhaps would be an extra large on a smaller man but was almost a baby t on him. His expression was piggish, almost as if he was constipated. The frown lines on his face were almost deep crevasses and his brow ridge was maybe a few sizes to pronounced, as such the word "Neanderthal" came very easy to mind when he walked around.
Turning around the corner of the street the terrible trio ran into a startled man.
####
Soun was walking to the market with his eldest daughter Kasumi this day. They had run out of several key-cooking ingredients and she wasn't strong enough to carry them by herself so she asked her father for help. Kasumi was dressed in her normal frumpy housedress that understated her beauty and her fit form. Soun was dressed in a jeans and t-shirt combo that he only really wore when going out into town rather than his traditional dogi. They had just completed one of their last purchases when Soun rounded a corner and ran into what he thought was a brick wall that was put in place since the last time he was here. Dropping the large bag of rice by accident the Tendo patriarch looked at perhaps the most muscular man he had ever seen in his life. About to mutter an apology he noticed that the man was licking his lips in a rather lecherous fashion and staring at his eldest daughter. Soun stepped into the large man's plane of sight so as to disrupt his staring at Kasumi and bowed slightly to him. "I apologize for any affront that I have made to you sir."
The man stepped forward and raised his arm as if to brush Soun to the side like a blade of grass or a limb on a tree, he was stopped by the man wearing bracers who placed a bracered hand on the over-muscled brute. A feeling of power swept the crowd of people, akin to the energy rush from before a lightning blast, and the wall of muscle stopped moving forward in an attempt to brush the Tendo patriarch from his path and backed down from the challenge. Looking at Soun the large over-muscled man asked in a low resonating though cultured voice, "What relation are you to the young woman you shield."
Startled by his well dictioned speech, Soun took a moment to respond. "I am her father. Can I ask what business you would like with her?"
"Yes, I am known as San. I find her to be very appealing. I would request her company at my estate later this week. You will give her the time from home to be entertained this Saturday?"
Though formed as a question Soun knew in his heart that this was no request. As well the Tendo patriarch knew that it might be wise to at least go along the larger mans demand initially. So to forestall him Soun added a request of his own. "I will be delighted to make the time for her, if she would be inclined to go. But she is an unwed maiden and must be chaperoned by a gentleman of my choosing. If that is agreeable then she will be ready for you this Saturday." Bowing in submission Sound backed up slightly.
Kasumi meanwhile was fuming inside (How dare you Father. First you dump your worthless friends son on our family, and then just when we manage to get rid of the idiot jock you are about to saddle me with another?) However on the outside she just kept a vapid grin on her face as if everything were all right with the world. Later Kasumi would think the matter over and perhaps the near to be nightmare of entertaining the muscle bound Neanderthal to be just a passing bad memory. After all she and her father had left without giving them directions to their house, or even their family name.
####
San looked at the man playing human chameleon beside him. "Ni, follow them. I want to know where they live, and if possible find out if she's interested in anyone."
Just as Ni was about to leave the first man in the long coat and blue silk clothes turned towards him. "Don't" the bracered man said then turned towards San "That was unwise. We do not have the time to be following your every whimsy. Shai-Halud is waiting for us. You can find a new bed mate some other time."
"Wise or not. I will not be deterred in anything. Satu go on. I will take all responsibility for your absence from our meeting. But find out all you can about her family. I will be waiting." He turned away from the disappearing ordinary man to the other member of their group. "Ichi, this is just a routine meeting. Why would Shai-Halud ask for anything beyond a normal report." A wistful expression passed over his face for a moment. "Besides, there is a quality in her that I haven't seen in anyone in a long time. I yearn for better company than those that currently reside within my domicile."
"In other words you are tired of your current harem." Ichi stated The bracers made a resounding clank as he crossed his forearms over his chest. "Never mind, let's get going. Standing here will earn us no points in our favor."
In the background there was a commotion. Ichi and San turned to watch the disturbance. They catch glimpses of a diminutive old man bounding through the crowd. He carried a small bundle on his back, and made large leaps over the heads of the people that were in his way. Once the old man had passed where they were at a slim young woman with pink and white hair shot like a bullet by them while she chassed the old man. She was dressed in a high quality white and brown business dress and was wearing a blue white and gold bracelet that was perhaps a bit oversized. Once she was out of sight Ichi turned towards San, "Ok, that was defiantly a four on my weirdness scale. Maybe we should go."
"Yes let us retire from this market. We have much to do."
####
Nabiki returned to her room with a large stack of papers and books in her arms. She put them on her bed as she turned and closed the door to her room. She then took a can of aerosol out of her backpack next to her bed and proceeded to spray it around the room while holding a cloth to her nose. Confidant that whatever reason she had sprayed the fine clear mist around her domicile she then opened the window long enough to put a box fan that was retrieved from the closet in the opening and switched it on. After the fan was on and cycling in the window frame, Nabiki went over and turned on the computer. While the machine was booting up the young woman went over to her hiding spot in the floor and pried the board loose. "Why Genma, you were in my room after all." She said under her breath after seeing the spot empty. "I'll just have to keep better tabs on my information then."
Nabiki watched her computer finish booting up then started opening files on the screen while the fan buzzed gently in the background. After the Tendo girl had passed several different encryption codes she went on to reviewing data. Several minutes later Nabiki stopped reading what was on her screen and went over to some of the paper on her bed.
"Hmm..." She muttered out loud. "June 1984, break in yadda yadda... several key materials stolen. Some sort of bio suit design." She sat up in her seat. "Bio suit? What's a bio suit." Nabiki shook her head then went back to her research. "Culprit considered armed and deadly, if any information received or materials found contact Ozward Risker at Chronos Corporation. Helpful they even left a number." Nabiki put the sheet down and started typing in the computer. "Too bad that it happened about 10 years ago."
Nabiki typed some more information then picked up another paper and starts to mutter out loud again. "Genom agent storms the EDF's Science Garrison... mass damage... fight between unknown assailant and EDF security force headed by Chohiciroh Hikari. Security forcer overwhelmed, assailant disappeared without a trace. Genom denies all involvement." Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Genma, what have you been doing. This'll be more involved than I thought."
She closed the small folder of paper scraps and opened another. "WWWA spokeswomen Kei and Yuri announced today a bounty on an unknown assailant that had stolen a small fortunes worth of experimental weaponry." Nabiki put that article to the side and pulled out another. "Chinese government officials had nothing to declare after a terrorist attack on the American Embassy in Beijing. An as yet unknown strike force had destroyed the building with small crew mounted weapons of undetermined make. Analysts have yet to determine how a small detachment of terrorists without vehicles were able to fend off US Marines small arms fire while devastating the surrounding structures in such a small amount of time."
####
A few hours later Nabiki had finished compiling all the notes she had found at the library that had correlated to the information that she had obtained from Malakai. Once done she encrypted it again and e-mailed it to a floating internet storage service that she had obtained a year ago. Afterwards she took a dummy disk with false data and put it into her storage spot in the floor and shut off the fan in the window putting it back in the closet where she got it from then she went to sleep.
Almost the instant that her head hit the pillow Genma materialized outside of her window a miscreant grin on his face. He opened the window and entered quickly and quietly. Looking around the room he saw the folder that Nabiki had been using earlier. Genma ignored that one in preferance of the hidden area in her floor that she used to hide things in. Opening it up he fished the disc out that Nabiki had just place inside. In a clean leap from where he stood on the floor the aging martial artists sailed through the open window, not a portion of his cloths touching the frame in his silent passage. Nabiki opened her eyes as the wind rushed from Genma's exit. A small mischievous grin was on her face as she got up and closed her window. After closing the window she went to her backpack and pulled out her cell phone. She waited for the other end to pick up then said. "Lt. Kojira, this is Nabiki."
"..."
"Yes, he has it."
"..."
"You are on your own now. I won't risk my family on that man."
"..."
"Ok, well anyway go ahead and get him. And good luck, he's a better martial artist than you give him credit for."
"..."
"No not just by the way he trained Ranma. Look I ought to warn you, he has some form of cloaking technique. It will be difficult to track him if he uses it. Send your best, and I'm not talking Special Forces."
"..."
"No they'd be slaughtered."
"..."
"Yes, well then leave it with Malakai."
"..."
"Yes, goodnight to you too." Nabiki closed up her phone and then locked her window. She climbed back into bed and closed her eyes for slumber. While she laid on her back a calm almost peaceful expression came to her face. "Genma Saotome, you will regret bringing danger to this house." Nabiki opened her eyes and looked at the floorboard that was still uncovered. "And you will regret what you have attempted to do to me. Goodbye, and may your soul rest as your life has not."
####
She was high. Higher than a kite, or so she felt. The raven haired girl rode an emotional kick that swept through her soul setting her nerves on fire with electric pulses that rivaled the strongest charged blast of lightning ever to hit the earth. As she rode the pleasureful and painful tide of her recreation her mind was blank. Not a thought could form in the infinite moment of her current existence.
Slowly, ever so slowly she started to come back to herself. The first thing she noticed was that her throat hurt. Hurt badly, like she had been screaming for hours. Unable to talk she focused on other senses, first her touch. Everything felt weird to her, from the table underneath her to the air flowing across her bare torso. She tensed quickly when a small brush of air blew across her bare pubic area, cooling the fires on her skin and sending an icy chill up her spine as the moisture on her flesh became cool.
Awareness flooded back into her mind in a near soul shattering blast. The naked girl cried out from her damaged throat a cry of grief that could shatter cold-hearted mercenaries or battlefield surgeons to the core. A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders to hold her down while she thrashed.
"AKANE!" Came a male voice, concern evident to the girl even as she bucked on the table. "AKANE! IT'S ALL RIGHT. YOU'RE FINE." She felt the same strong hands slide along her torso and wrap around her, the strong arms held her close to the male body. She opened her eyes; the room she was in was barren nothing really in it other than the table she was on and the arms wrapped around her from behind. Muttering in her horse voice she responded. "Ryoga..?"
"I'm here Akane, are you alright?" The distraught girl nodded her head slowly, memories of the last day returned.
Memories of herself following Ryoga.
Memories of meeting a strange doctor.
Memories of agreeing to gain power, abilities beyond others.
Memories of pain.
"Ryoga... did it work? Am I enhanced like you?" Akane said as she turned to face the other youth. She noticed that he was dressed in a dark maroon shirt with the ties on the side and black pseudo leather pants like a biker would wear. His arms and hands were bare, the metal of his forearms and hands gleaming in the florescent light.
"I don't know if you are enhanced like me. Your limbs look the same." He said as he nodded to Akane's arms. As she followed his gaze down Akane noticed her state of dress. She blushed quickly before pulling her arms close in to her body covering her breasts with her hands. Just as quickly Akane jerked her hands away from her chest looking in shock at her palms. Ryoga saw her reaction and pulled her hands down a little so that he could see what she saw on her palms to cause her to react in such a way.
On each of her palms about 1 or 2 inches up from the base of the wrist was a small triangular metal plate, perhaps an eighth of an inch in width.
"Are you alright Akane?" The formerly lost boy said.
Akane hesitated a little bit before she answered. "Yes, but that was very weird."
"How so?"
She looked directly in his eyes before she replied. "I could feel through them."
####
A sleek dagger like shape of an aircraft skimmed along the surface of the Pacific Ocean at a gentle 600 mph. The craft had a forward swept wing design as well as a widely spaced engines design that was rare to an aircraft of this size. The shape and lines of the surface of this aircraft spoke of lethal speed and maneuverability. Matte black in color with its running lights turned off, the plane was practically invisible to the human eye.
####
Lt. Yuseke Kojira was not a happy man. If one looked at his attire they might have a small clue as to why. The left sleeve of his suit was gone. Part of the lapel of the right side of his suit was hanging by a strip of cloth torn from the top down. His shirt was shredded under the jacket and Yuseke's slacks were a shredded dirty mess. Some bruises showed from underneath the remains of his clothes and his right eye was swollen in promise of a nice shiner in the days to come.
"Damn him!" The frustrated Lt. Kojira cursed getting out of the dust and debris that was all that was left of the wall that he had been slammed into. A beep sounded from his around his waist got him to look down. Lt. Kojira saw a small arc of blue electricity go from a smooth black box attached to the inside of his belt to his belt buckle. He reached down and pulled at a catch on the inner side of the box and part of it slid up to reveal a small touch pad. After pushing a couple of buttons on the pad the incessant beeping noise from his belt stopped.
"Shit, now I have to replace that e-clip. I don't have time for this." He grumbled angrily.
"Don't have time for what?" Came a man's voice from his right. Kojira spun around to face the voice while he whipped his right arm up with the hand formed into a fist angled down sharply. A small red dot formed on the wall above the head of a diminutive dwarf of a man who stood only a couple of feet tall. The small form of Happosai looked back along the beam of the laser at the disheveled man before him.
"You planning on using a laser pointer to scare me off?" The aged master said with a hint of boredom. Kojira lowered his arm and pressed something through his sleeve with his left hand, a small bleep sounded and then the laser beam shut off.
"What do you want old man." The Lt. said in a drained voice.
Happosai pulled out his pipe and lit it with a small Ki burst from his finger. "Just seeing who had foolishly taken on Genma Saotome. You survived, so you must be better than you look."
Kojira shrugged his shoulders as he went over to a wall opposite the crushed one he just pulled himself out of. "Just better equipped. I won't make that mistake again." He bent at the waist and picked up a damaged black cylinder that seemed to have been broken in half from the ground on the other side of the alley. "Who knew that a normal human could be so tough."
Happosai chuckled a little upon hearing that statement. "A creature like you is complaining about a 'Normal Human'?" Happosai snuffed out the embers of his pipe and put it away. "And who's to say he's 'Normal'?"
"What do you know old man." Kojira said looking at the smaller man.
"Only that when one trains with Ki for as long as Genma that remarkable things can happen. Even things beyond the natural." Happosai chuckled again at some hidden joke then turned away from the JSDF Officer. "Be ready, next time firing plasma bolts at him will probably only piss him off. You were lucky this time; he underestimated you like you did for him. He now knows that you are also more than you seem." The old master then jumped up 30 feet to the rooftop above the alley. "You can find him at the Tendo Dojo. If he asks tell him Happosai told you." After he said that Happosai faded from view without moving. Only an echoing voice remained behind. "Perhaps some help for one not of this world would be in order. Find it to deal with my old student."
Kojira looked a little bit dumbfounded at that statement. "Student? Why would he turn him in then." After he picked up some more odds and ends from the damaged alleyway in downtown Tokyo the Lt. turned to the street to hail a cab out of the area.
####
"Where are we." Came the young voice of the young looking captain out of the darkened room. Some sparks flew from the forward area briefly lighting the room in a small flash of light, before the after images had a chance to become set in the eyes of the occupants a chanting started from one side of the room. A swaying globe reminiscent of a small star appeared above the broken astrogation console to spill light on the shattered interior of the Yggdrissel's bridge. Drssil was extricating himself from the wall next to the console cursing something in Demongogian as Sapphire finished her casting.
"Captain, no technology or magic present on the sensors." Came a voice from the front of the room.
Captain Naomi sat up in her damaged seat. "Drssil, you alive over there?"
After he grumbled a bit more Pimp answered up for the pissed off Gurgoyle "Aye captain, he lives as yet. Stubborn beastie that he is."
Naomi sighed a bit in relief before replying. "Pimp, stop agitating him and help him out of the wall. Sapphire, can you get a read on where we are?"
"Yes Captain." The cobalt skinned girl said in a chipper voice before she started an arcane chant above her broken station. An explosion from the other side of the room broke her spell concentration as several creatures started to curse and scramble around the room while making an attempt to bring fire retarding spells and equipment to bear.
{Hold on Sapphire, let's cast this together. The console won't focus your power damaged as it is} Drssil managed to say after getting helped out of the wall by Pimp. Meanwhile the dwarf was grinning ear to ear as if from hearing some great joke.
The fires from across the room were almost under control as Cryx addressed his captain. "Naomi, Fire control's shot. I'll need one of the Techno Mages to help on the repairs. I don't think that the Rift Cannon will be operable for at least a few cycles."
From the front of the room a female voice sounded out. "Captain?" Naomi turned to face the direction from her control seat. "Yes Windchild?"
"Drive works, controls don't. It'll be like controlling a Kreegor stock barge right now. One way, and hope it's the right direction."
Naomi pulled a small wand from her hip and held it in front of her. She swung her arm in a circle in front of her, a trail of sparkles were left in its wake completing a ovoid circle in front of the small Asian girl. After the two lines touched the air in between shimmered for a second before becoming solid to show an image from behind. Through the image a darkened room was visible, as Naomi watched a bolt of blue and purple energy crawled along the far wall from her vantage of her viewing portal. Voices could be heard from the image as a pair of oddly dressed humanoids rushed towards the image from a side passage as they headed where the bolt of power came from. Naomi took a quick breath before she called out. "Engineering, REPORT!" She hollered into the image.
One of the two rushing men stopped in front of the image. "Captain" He began, slightly out of breath. "Secondary S.E.E.D.S. energy crystal shielding system failed Ma'am. We're trying to hold off an internal Rift storm. Could you send some mages down? I'm down to myself and 3 other Techno Wizards." The Captain turned from the image towards her right. Sapphire, Pimp, Drssil, go. Get down to engineering." She then turned to the left. "Cryx, go find your Anti-Monster friend. We'll need his expertise to get the Yggdrissel running again." Naomi faced to the front again. "Windchild, sorry no help for you, keep your eyes on the sensors and if needs be go find John to help steer the ship."
Windchild grinned and rubbed her hands together once she heard the last. Naomi sighed seeing her expression. "Yes you get to use my grav pack. Just go." Naomi put her face in her hand in exasperation. "Freaking Hyperion Juicer Cyborg. Just had to hire on an adrenaline junky, no couldn't have gotten a normal pilot." After she steeled herself from her annoyance the captain started to bark orders around the remaining bridge crew.
####
Authors Notes
Well, another chapter done. Sorry for taking so long. Life happened and such. I also didn't want to leave my readers with only half a chapter, so I brainstormed and wheedled and finally inspiration found me typing on my computer doing some new labels for my company while strung out on just way too much caffeine and listening to bad techno.
So here we are at the end of chapter six. Also here are the results from my pole on who should end up with who (I'm listing the ones that are either interesting or have merit)
Nodoka / Van Helsing
Believe it or not this is one of the most requested. Good match up if you ask me, just not quite sure how I'll do it. At least I've watched the movie now.
Ranma / Buffy / One other
I don't think I'll do this one yet, it'd be nice, but I want to keep Ranma in Nerima. I don't really see Buffy going there right now.
Genma / Soun
Hmmm... The Ambiguously Gay Duo? Who'll wear the Gi and who'll cook in this relationship. Kind of an evil one requested by a few readers. Spring of drowned girl anyone? "Now the Houses will be joined. Right old buddy?"
Nodoka / Soun
I might do this one if I can't figure out how to get Van Helsing into the story. Has merit.
Nabiki / Kuno
Been done
Akane / Ryoga I think that everyone sees that hook up starting now.
Kasumi / Tofu
Not sure, it's done, and done, and done, and done. But maybe I can put a new twist on it. Any suggestions?
Ranma / Wolverine
Believe it or not this has been requested. I decided not to, however it is interesting. Only problem, Wolverines way too much of a father figure or a mentor. Plus I don't want to have to rewrite Ranma's core personality too much, it's bad enough giving the poor lad total amnesia.
Ranma / Rogue / One other
I like this one. Just which version of Rogue to use? I think I'll take the one from shortly before Ultimate X-Men came out, I've got a really good pic of the version I want to use if anyone wants it e-mail me at seth at cedarbear.com and I'll send it to you.
Ranma / Kasumi / Akane
I have not personally seen this hook up yet. I've seen Ranma / Nabiki / Kasumi and Ranma / Akane / Nabiki several times but not this one. Since I don't want to see Ranma with Akane yet I'll leave this one behind.
If anyone has any other good suggestions, please e-mail me at seth at cedarbear.com and I'll either post the suggestions, or if they're really good I'll write them in in one form or another.
Also I'm starting another side item. Anyone able to sight all the cameos? I've got several original characters here, but also have many cameos. Anyone able to guess them all? E-mail me if you sight it and think you know where it came from, I'll be posting congrats and the actual source of characters and cameo's in my Authors Notes of future chapters.