"Welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Ranma. I have to talk with the professor, have Logan show you the grounds."
"I'll do that Jean. See you in a few." When she was gone he spoke. "What do say we skip the tour and go straight to sparring?"
"Kid, I was about to say the same thing. Let's head around back, we'll give the others a show."
"As long as they give us enough room, I don't want to hurt them."
"Don't worry kid, they know enough to stay away from danger."
Ranma followed Wolverine around to the back of the mansion. There was plenty of space to move around, but one thing worried him, there, in the middle of the lawn, a fountain. "Great," he thought, "just what I needed. Ah well, they were bound to find out sooner or later." He grinned as another thought entered his head, "That just means I have one chance to use it to my advantage."
"Are you ready, kid?"
"Always ready, you?" Ranma replied, grinning from ear to ear.
Wolverine sported the same grin as he said, "Let's go."
The fight began; Wolverine came out swinging. His movements held an animalistic grace, rather than the refined grace Ranma's held. Ranma avoided the first few punches with ease. He snapped out a kick that caught Wolverine in the chin. Wolverine went into the air, twisting into a flip and landing on his feet. Ranma winced when his foot made contact with Wolverine's chin. That was hard.
Before Ranma knew it Wolverine was coming at him, diving as if in a tackle, Ranma leapt high. Wolverine's movement was deceptive, he came down on his hands and flipped in to air, catching Ranma in mid leap with a poweful kick.
Ranma's was thrown towards the wall surrounding the school. Using the wall as a springboard he came flying toward Wolverine with another kick. Wolverine deflected the kick away and tried to tag Ranma with a punch. He was surprised when Ranma's other leg wrapped around his arm and he found himself flying through the air. They stood apart after the first assault.
"You're pretty good kid." Wolverine declared, cocky as ever.
"You're good too, just not good enough I'm afraid. Shall we go again?" If Wolverine was cocky, there is no word to describe Ranma's arrogance.
Without a reply Wolverine came charging at Ranma. He was moving almost twice as fast as before, but Ranma was ready for him. He dropped down and swept Wolverine's legs from under him. Then he went straight up, thirty feet into the air. Wolverine rolled away from where he had fallen, thinking himself safe from assault, he waited.
He looked on in surprise as Ranma disappeared in mid flight. Wolverine's senses flared as he was knocked backward, from an invisible blow. When he stood he found Ranma in the spot he had just occupied.
Wolverine "upped the ante" so to speak, and brought out his claws, intending to scare Ranma. Ranma showed no fear at the sight of Wolverine's claws.
"Nice claws Wolverine. Try mine." Light began pouring out from the ends of Ranma's fingers, forming the shape of long curved claws. "Little thing I picked up called the Neko-ken, never met an opponent I could actually use it on, and I'd rather my father never discover that I had mastered it."
They charged one another, claws met claws and sparks began to fly. Then Ranma seemed to blur in front of Wolverine's eyes. Wolverine shot out with a fist, catching him in the solar plexus, driving him away from his adversary. Wolverine then noticed the state of his clothes. His clothes were barely holding together, strips of cloth dangled from the many rips and tears.
"You're fast kid, I'll give you that."
"Fast? You have not yet seen how fast I can be, shorty!"
That was when Wolverine made his mistake, he got mad.
Wolverine charged in like a madman. His claws had been retracted and his fists and feet were flying. Ranma then began leading Wolverine into a spiral. His temperature dropped as Wolverine's anger raged free. When they met at the center of the spiral Ranma threw a wicked twisting uppercut that completely missed. Before Wolverine could even begin to wonder how Ranma could have missed, he felt the wind.
Before he could react he was rocketed into the air by a massive tornado. Wolverine struggled against the winds, but found no way to fight them. Suddenly something flew past, he grinned. The object came back around and Wolverine kicked off.
He came flying out of the tornado and struck Ranma across the face with a wicked right hook. Ranma went flying, right into the fountain. The water settled, but there was no sign that Ranma had left the water. Wolverine's instincts told him to keep up his guard, something was wrong. But his heart forced him to hurry towards Ranma's position. His heart chose wrong as a red blur flew out of the water and started raining blows down on his person. The punches didn't hurt Wolverine much, but they distracted him from the pressure point strikes that were being used to disable him.
Ranma flipped away, screaming, "I am Saotome Ranma, and I do not lose."
"If I hadn't gotten your scent, I'd have trouble believin' ya, Ranma." Then he tried to move. "How did you... Clever, you hid pressure point strikes in your last flurry of blows." Then he noticed Ranma mouthing words at him. He was confused until the words became clear. Ranma was counting. As she began forming the word zero Wolverine collapsed. Clapping broke out from all around, but it was suddenly silenced as a man in a wheelchair appeared, Jean Grey right behind him.
"What is the meaning of this?" Professor Xavier nearly screamed, peeved about the damage done to the yard. He'd just gotten the last mess fixed.
"Ranma! I leave you alone for a few minutes and you just have to get yourself into trouble. Now explain yourself." Jean demanded, treating Ranma like a child. Ranma looked at her feet as she scuffed them across the grass, she had no explanation, no excuse.
"Jean, you know this girl?" queried the professor, incredulous.
"This is Ranma Saotome." Saying it as if it explained everything.
"You told me that he was a boy. I find it hard to believe that..."
Jean interrupted. She knew the professor's well-meaning words would sound like an insult to Ranma. "He is professor, thought it is not my place to explain."
"Very well. Though that still doesn't explain the yard." He turned hard eyes to Ranma. "My name is Charles Xavier. Jean has told me a lot about you. Now, would you care to explain what happened here?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Xavier. Me and Wolverine was sparrin', I guess we got carried away."
Wolverine had been picking himself up off the ground as Ranma responded to the professor. "He's right Chuck. We both took the fight more seriously than we should have. Hard to believe that the kid's completely human, ain't it?"
Everyone's jaws dropped at that proclamation. What they saw was beyond belief. They had seen the boy disappear like the invisible woman, saw him leap impossibly high, create claws out of light, summon a tornado like Storm, then move faster than they could follow. Now they're being told that the kid is human. Not impossible, but shocking nonetheless. Perhaps it was gamma-rays or some other scientific explanation. It was nice to think that they could rationalize it, but the truth... Maybe they couldn't handle the truth.
"Be that as it may, Logan, I expect the both of you to clean this place up."
"Just give me an hour, I'll have this done in no time." Ranma had created the mess using the Hiryuu Shoten Ha, it was his responsibility to clean it up.
"Very well, but Wolverine will be available to help. And when you are done I would like for you to join me in my study."
"Will do, Sensei."
After hearing Ranma respond he turned his chair around and disappeared into the house.
"Welcome Ranma, please, take a seat." The professor was frustrated with the boy he saw before him. He'd been trying to get into his head as he watched him fix up the yard, but each probe was effortlessly deflected.
"Thank you Sensei, I..."
The professor cut straight to the point. His frustration was making him testy. "I was always wary of Jean meeting with you, for all I know it could have been a trap. There had been no reason for the two of you to make contact. Now explain."
"I'm not going to explain anything until you stop giving me that evil eye. I left Japan to get away from people who'll judge me before they even try to get to know me. I hate it when people decide I'm nothing more that a nuisance. For once in my life... Forget it. I'm wasting my words, I'll speak to Jean and then I'll get out of your hair. No offense." Ranma turned to leave.
"Ranma wait, I..."
"It's too late for that professor." As Ranma walked through the doors he paused. Without turning back he said one last thing to the professor. "One more thing professor. Stay out of my head."
Professor Xavier shook himself out of the daze Ranma left him in. He grabbed a communicator. "Rouge, follow the boy, don't get too close. Xavier out." He'd have his answers.
"Not your brightest move, prof. Yer not gonna want that boy as yer enemy. The boy's got a good heart, but you treated him like humans treat us. Ya might wanna think 'bout that." Wolverine turned and left without so much as a farewell.
As the professor pondered over Wolverines words he realized he'd made a grievous error. He had judged someone, unkindly and unfairly. He had let hid pride get in the way. He retired to bed, his order to Rouge forgotten.
Jean had been waiting for Ranma as he spoke to the professor. Ranma had left his mind open to her and she, for the first time in her life, felt disgusted at the professor's actions. She saw Ranma stop at the doors before he spoke to the professor one last time. Ranma had cut the link, so she had no idea what had been said.
She approached Ranma, laying a comforting hand upon his shoulder. Ranma sighed as he grabbed Jean's hand. "Don't worry about it Jean. I'm okay, I'm used to that kind of reaction by now."
"But you shouldn't have to be used to it. I don't know what's come over the professor, he's not like that."
"But he was like that to me. That's all that matters. He was angry Jean, but that gave him no right to try and interrogate me. I was invited; even if it wasn't by him he should still respect the fact that I am a guest, your guest Jean. The way he treated me, is the same as if he did the same to you. You don't deserve that Jean. I better leave. If I stay the professor is likely to blame you."
"But where will you go?"
"I hear England is nice this time of year. I might decide to swim out there. Tonight thought, I don't know. I'm sure something will turn up."
"You don't have to leave Ranma..."
"I have to Jean. I'll be in touch." Ranma disappeared before her eyes. The link between herself and Ranma was still being suppressed.
As tears fell from Jean's eyes she remembered back to how they had met.
