"Dr Kuno" Nabiki called out. She was just returned from the new underwater X-Com facility nicknamed "Atlantis." As she was heading to her office she ran into the elusive doctor. Dr. Kodachi Kuno was one of the strangest recruits X-Com ever got. She had been found in mental asylum, placed there by court order after an "incident" at her university. She was, to put it simply, brilliant, and less politely crazy as a march hare. Her first speciality was pharmaceuticals her second was psychology. She also frequently combined the two.
"Tendo-san" the doctor purred, "I am happy to finally see you." The way she looked at Nabiki was an odd cross between condescending and leering. "I had not expected you to call on me, you always struck me as more…dominant." Nabiki couldn't help but feel that she had lost the thread of the conversation. As the black-clad doctor moved towards her Nabiki stood her ground. Then Kodachi was in her personal space, only just not touching. Nabiki could feel the warmth of her body radiating through the satin dress, could feel the doctor's breath on her face moving down to her neck, disturbing her hair. She could smell the odd rose scented perfume that the woman wore, it seemed to ignite a fire in her veins.
However Kodachi was right, Nabiki was not the submissive type. She fought the woman's fire with her own ice. Nabiki smirked, "I can see how you caught Major Saotome." She placed one hand against the well-developed chest of Dr Kuno and exerted a tiny bit of pressure. Dr Kuno stepped away, pouting slightly but with humour in his eyes. "And for the record, the right person…" Nabiki left the thought unfinished and walked off, perhaps adding a little extra sway to her shapely hips.
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"How's it going sub-side?" Jack asked Nabiki as she walked into his office, as usual having failed to knock first. He noticed she seemed unusually happy with herself. Nabiki turned to look at him as he talked, her hair flipping as she did.
"Ask Kodachi" Nabiki said, and then left.
"Huh? What the hell does that mean?" Jack said to her retreating back, "And when did my office become a corridor? For that matter does nobody say Sir anymore?"
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Ten minutes later Nabiki stopped. She was sat at her desk and had come across a report, that in itself was hardly odd, she dealt with hundreds. What was odd was that this one was about a specific drug. What seemed like am age ago she had found a bottle of it in Ranma's kit bag. It had been the first clue that Ranma had been into something really big. And here in front of her was a report on the same drug and its countermeasures.
"Subjects show distinct resistance to adverse effects.Query: Advanced metabolisms of agents make them resistant to side-effects.
Query: Alien regenerative techniques combat cellular collapse?
Finding: In all test subjects cellular collapse has been significantly retarded by Dr. Kuno's retroviral agent. Life expectancy significantly increased.
Nabiki was up and running, the dates of the study were early enough, perhaps….
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Nabiki pushed her way into Dr Kuno's lab flushed from the run. The Black clad maniac whirled around, something vaguely resembling a whip in her hand, her eyes flared.
"OhohohohohohOhoho" She laughed "Very well Tendo perhaps I will change-"
"Hush" Nabiki interrupted suppressing a shiver. Nabiki walked over to a desk, ignoring the pulsating specimen jars and steaming retorts. "I just got this" she said laying out the report. Kodachi's indignance warred with her curiosity, in the end playing with her new toy won. She walked over to Nabiki, leant up against her and covered the Ice-queen's hand with one of her own.
"Yes" she purred "one of my many successes. What of it?" Nabiki in turn suppressed a totally different type of shiver, whatever that perfume was it was no less potent this time. She turned to meet Kodachi's gaze, inches from her own.
"Operation Starhammer, did they get the antigen?" Nabiki asked, her voice hiding her own reaction to this predator.
"What is it worth?" Kodachi said, raising the hand to her lips, and releasing a slow breath across Nabiki's palm. Nabiki just raised an eyebrow. Kodachi kissed the other girl's fingers, "What will you surrender to me?" Nabiki withdrew her hand, stroked her nails down the other girl's face and breathily whispered her reply.
"You tell me first, and perhaps we'll 'talk'" Kodachi pouted again and leant back against the desk, stretching her lithe body out for inspection.
"Ranma darling will not die because of me" Kodachi answered. " he was always an avid participant in my 'trials'" Nabiki attempted to conceal her relief but knew immediately she had been unsuccessful. She gathered herself to leave, but as she reached the door Kodachi spoke once more, "Meet me for dinner tonight and perhaps I will satisfy your other questions"
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Nabiki returned to her office at a far more sedate pace, deep in thought, absent-mindedly chewing a pencil. As she arrived Jack was leaving his office.
"Oh no." he said "what ever it is I am gone. Talk to someone else"
"Jack," she said, "Not your problem." And then she shut the door behind her
"Dismissed" he replied ironically.
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Nabiki was working late in her office that evening when the door opened. A large hamper with legs walked in. Nabiki raised an eyebrow. The hamper was put down revealing what appeared to be a short weasely ninja. Who proceeded to ignor her as he carefully tidied her desk to one side, erected a table and began to lay out crockery for two. Nabiki sat back. "Am I in your way?" she asked slight sarcasm showing.
"No mistress" replied the ninja, starting to lay out candles. Nabiki was amused by the sheer amount of stuff that was coming out of the hamper. "Not that I object but do I know you?"
"No mistress" replied the Ninja "You have never seen me before." HE finished by pulling out a wine stand, complete with bucket and chardonnay. It was duly placed to the right of the other setting. Then he bowed and struck a gong, which had suddenly appeared from his sleeve. In walked Kodachi, complete with sable rose detailed black slinky dress and long black gloves.
"I forgive you" said Kodachi in a way that made it clear that she did not. When Nabiki started to talk Kodachi interrupted. "No, no need for excuses, you may make it up to me later." The doctor then seated herself at the other place and proceeded to pull off her gloves. "Sasuke" she called to the ninja "you may pour the wine." The ninja scrambled to obey, all speed and little elegance.
"Nevertheless Kuno-sensei a little more warning might have allowed me to change." Said Nabiki with a wave at her uniform. Kodachi looked her over, lingering at the revealed cleavage.
"Sasuke, the dress" Kodachi ordered, clapping her hands. The diminutive ninja suddenly revealed a silken ice-blue dress, cut anything but conservatively. Nabiki raised her eyebrow and slid her chair out.
"If you wish some privacy I can turn my back" leered Kodachi.
"A girl must have some secrets" replied Nabiki. Kodachi immediately swivelled on her seat, Sasuke turning his own back as well, but only after he endured a few seconds of Nabiki's questioning glare.
Figuring that one or the other would probably have some way to watch Nabiki milked the change for everything it was worth. Seconds later the choking sounds from Sasuke and reddening of Kodachi's neck confirmed her guess.
"Thank-you Kuno-sensei," said Nabiki "I must compliment you on your taste." The Tendo daughter stood there in the long dress, smoothing out the hips. She was quite simply stunning, the dress hugged all the right curves and split high enough at the leg to tease but not reveal. It even had a diamond cut from the front, perfectly positioned to make use of the girl's ample bosom.
As the two 'guests' turned Nabiki could swear that she heard Kodachi's heart leap into her throat, and Sasuke's stop altogether. Nabiki's smile was all victory.
The two shared a very civilised meal, with some light flirting and some excellent wine. Poor Sasuke's blood pressure was constantly in danger levels, many times he promised himself a cold shower and a lie down the moment he was released for the night.
As the table was cleared away conversation turned to more direct matters.
"You seem quite concerned about Major Saotome, am I to understand that you are involved with our pig-tailed hero?" asked Kodachi.
"We became involved while he was on leave" replied Nabiki.
"Yes he was ordered to take some time off before he left, I had forgotten." Said Kodachi, even though it was clear she hadn't. "That can't have given you much time together"
"Long enough," replied Nabiki, stating her claim.
"Of course, forgive me, I did not mean to diminish what you had together. I was merely wondering how well you actually knew him" replied Kodachi, claws barely concealed behind her words.
"What Ranma and I HAVE together does not seem to require that many words." Replied Nabiki, with only a trace of anger.
"Once more it seems I have touched a nerve, I trust you will forgive me again." added Kodachi
"Of course Kuno-sensei." Nabiki replied, seemingly sincere. "Since we seem to have the time to spare, perhaps you could share some more of what you know about him"
Kodachi seemed thoughtful for a moment.
"Yes, I think I might enjoy that. But what to tell, what to tell." She was enjoying keeping Nabiki waiting, finding the power quite a thrill. "You have already seen his combat record I presume?" when Nabiki indicated not she continued "of of course, its sealed how could I forget. Something else perhaps, a little history.
"You must be aware by now that Ranma as a soldier goes well beyond exceptional, but do you know why." This time Kodachi made Nabiki ask
"No Kuno-sensei I do not, perhaps you could tell me?" Nabiki's voice showed none of her annoyance, but inside she quietly swore to make the strange doctor pay. Kodachi smiledher own little gloat and spoke with growing relish.
"Many years before he joined X-Com, when Ranma was still just a child his father had put him through a terrible training regime. One form was especially interesting, the Neko-Ken. Designed to create the ultimate martial arts form it had been long outlawed for the cruelty of its methods. Genma took the six year old child, wrapped him in fish sausage, tied him hand and foot and threw him into a pit of starving cats. The idea of course was to get the child to learn to imitate the skills and abilities of an angry cat, using chi to make up for his non-feline deficiencies. Of course nobody told Ranma this so he could not learn the technique with his usual alacrity. It took several attempts before Ranma finally snapped, and in his insanity he unlocked the secret. Not only could he assume the advantages of a cat but the simplistic mind that came with it. In his deranged state Ranma believed himself to be kin with his tormentors. Ranma had become acutely afraid of anything feline, should he be unable to escape them by normal means then he would escape into his own mind.
When Ranma joined X-Com we quickly became aware of his problem, fortunately for everyone concerned his doctor was somewhat more enlightened than usual. After consulting not only top psychologists but also eminent martial artists I developed an inspired treatment programme. Instead of slow acclimatisation I aimed to complete the training. The old masters explained the main concept of Zen fighting, absence of self. The idea is that ordinarily when you receive stimulus your brain translates the information, the brain filters and makes the necessary decisions and action follows, a Zen fighter on the other hand seamlessly blends thought and action. No translation occurs, thus no information is lost. A Zen fighter achieves unity with his surroundings through the absence of self. The Cat-fist is a shortcut to Zen emptiness. What I did was seal the options, when Ranma couldn't escape his tormentors he went cat. When he still couldn't escape he was forced to adapt again. Over the weeks of treatment he continued to find new ways, and I continued to block them up. Along the way Ranma learnt and adapted, gradually clawing higher levels of thought back for his madness, he achieved an amazing level of self-awareness. And eventually Ranma learnt the Zen-Shin, or no-mind, technique, and by now he is a master. Due to excess-stimulus he still has problems remembering everything while "under" but now all his skills, abilities and adaptive training are available to him. Simply put in that state he is capable of perceiving more information than humanly possible, and reacting to it as faster than it occurs.
I think you will agree that between the two of us we achieved something quite remarkable." Kodachi seemed momentarily lost in her own self-satisfaction. Nabiki on the other hand was appalled by what amounted to sanctioned torture.
"He let you do this to him?" she asked the crazy woman
"Oh I doubt he has much idea of just how we made such breakthroughs, the drugs I had him on will have made most of it seem dreamlike and fuzzy" replied Kodachi regretfully.
"Are you sure?" asked Nabiki
"No, somehow it didn't seem significant." Responded the doctor, coming back to the ordinary world.
"And you did this to someone who you had a relationship with?" asked Nabiki incredulously.
"Oh-hohoHOOHOHOOHOHOHOH" Laughed the madwoman, grating her nails down the metaphorical blackboard. "No we had our relationship well after that" Kodachi leered the word. "He didn't come to me till his little world fell apart."
"Go on" said Nabiki icily
"He was injured in a particularly vicious mission, leaving his gaijin whore to look after herself on the one that followed. Needless to say the little bimbo couldn't manage and got her violent little ass waxed. She lasted just long enough to reach the emergency bay and die in his arms.
"Afterwards the poor little lamb was completely lost, heartbroken and adrift. I took him in and ran his life for him. Sure I had some fun along the way but he was hardly objecting. Not that he could with what I was dosing him with." Kodachi was smiling through her remembrance. Nabiki on the other hand felt a cold chill, no matter how loopy this woman appeared it seemed the truth was worse.
Nabiki left soon afterwards, any hint that she was fleeing the nutbar would be overstated.
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The next day found her in her office, once again sorting through miles of requisition forms and reports. All of a sudden the Low Earth Orbit Alarm blared. This was very bad news, it had not gone off since operation Starhammer succeeded. For it to sound meant that an unidentified vessel was entering Earth's atmosphere from space. Suddenly Nabiki was fighting the urge to cry, "All that pain all those good people lost and now this! Damn it just wasn't fair!" she avoided even thinking his name.
She sat there clutching her pen and holding back the tears.
Suddenly her door was being opened, it was Jack. Instead of saying anything he just beckoned. Nabiki drew down her mask and answered with just an eyebrow.
"Come on" Jack ordered, "you want to see this" When Nabiki didn't move he grabbed her hand and pulled her along to the command centre. "There" he said
On the wall was a screen
On the screen was an alien Battleship
On the Battleship was a logo
A large red Alpha with a rearing horse superimposed.
Ranma was coming home.