Chapter 3: Agreements.

Tendo Nabiki was not having a good week. She didn't look any different, didn't act any different, but she was just a few steps short of ripping her hair out. She had a veritable gold mine in front of her, and she couldn't exploit it!! It was Thursday, and all week Nabiki had been trying to find Genryu's older brother. She could just feel the yen that was waiting. The fact that several students had come to Nabiki asking for photos or information about this Saotome Ranma helped with the illusion. There was only one problem.

Saotome Ranma had vanished. Nabiki had her flunkies scoring the city for him, but not one came back with a favorable report. There wasn't one rumor of a young man with a pigtail dressed in black.

As Nabiki turned the corner and her house came into view, she tried her best to shove the feelings of frustration to the back of her mind. She still had other business to conduct, and the water and electricity bills were due in three days. Nabiki knew that they didn't have enough to pay, not without dipping once again into her private account, so she had a lot of hope riding on the fight tomorrow. If Ranma didn't show, or he lost like Genryu was claiming Ranma would, then Nabiki was in trouble.

Nabiki sighed as she reached the gate to her home, and slid it open. As her home came into view, Nabiki saw that Kasumi was, predictably, cleaning, sweeping the walkway. Nabiki walked passed her older sister with a nod, and was about to open the door to the house when Kasumi called to her.

"Oh, Nabiki, you have a visitor. He said he'd wait for you in your room."

Nabiki nodded to her sister and entered the house, slipping her shoes off. As she placed them in their usual place she saw something that made her heart skip a beat. A pair of shoes, those of her visitor, sat in one corner of the entryway. The shoes were black boots. Nabiki spun around to look at the coat rack, and felt her heart skip another beat when she saw a familiar black cloak hanging from a peg. (It can't be...He couldn't simply vanish then suddenly show up...)

Nabiki ran to her room, taking the stairs two at a time, and practically screeching to a stop in front of her door, composing herself. After taking a deep breath, she opened the door to her room, and instantly spotted her visitor.

Saotome Ranma sat in the chair in front of her desk, facing the door, grinning at her. "Yo."

Nabiki walked into her room, hanging her book bag on a peg near the door, and walked over to her bed, the only other place to sit. Once she made herself comfortable, she studied Ranma.

He sat relaxed in the chair, his right leg resting on his left knee, his arms resting on the arms of the chair. He was dressed totally in black, with a v-neck tank top with netting across the v, a black sash with silver kanji sown into it, and black pants. He slouched slightly in the chair, looking her straight in the eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, Nabiki noticed a manila envelope resting on her desk.

Nabiki spoke first, her eyes and voice calculating. "I assume this isn't a social call."

Ranma nodded while he reached behind himself and grabbed the manila envelope. "Afraid not, as much as I would like a good conversation. This is a business meeting." He tossed the envelope to her. "A peace offering and a point."

Nabiki opened the envelope and pulled out the contents and felt her eyes widen of their own accord. Pictures. Of Ranma. For the most part, the pictures were of him simply standing still, or walking down the street. But they were all good. However, two in particular caught her eye. One picture was of Ranma sitting cross-legged underneath a tree. There was a slight breeze as his hair was being blown about slightly, and he was without his cloak, revealing the clothes underneath, the same ones he was wearing now. His arms were placed very casually in his lap, revealed by the tank top, and the picture hinted at just how lean and muscular Ranma was. He was looking at something off camera, an unusual expression on his face that Nabiki couldn't identify. But she was sure that the picture would sell for a lot.

The next picture, though, took her breath away. This one would sell for a small fortune. It was again of Ranma, but where the previous picture merely hinted, this picture fully displayed. Ranma was crouched down in a combat stance, apparently training, shirtless and shoeless, and he had a look of intense concentration on his face. His right arm was held out before him, bent at the elbow, while his left was held at his side, giving a full view of his upper body. A light layer of sweat covered him, throwing his body into a higher level of detail. Nabiki felt her mouth water slightly as she took in the whole picture.

Eventually Nabiki turned to the next picture, as there were five left, and felt a bit of confusion flow into her. It was a picture of...her? She was at school, and surrounded by her flunkies. She remembered the event as being when they had first reported no sightings of Ranma. Nabiki felt a slight touch of ironic humor. (Please don't tell me he took this. That's so sad, we've been searching for him all week and he was less than five feet away from us and we didn't know.) Then as Nabiki flipped through the next three pictures, seeing that they were also of her, she began to frown. All of the pictures were taken pretty close, at moments when Nabiki could distinctly remember there being no one around, and no places for them to hide. Which meant that Ranma had gotten close to her without her even knowing.

Then she flipped to the last picture and gasped, feeling blood rush to her face. For a moment, she simply stared at the picture, shocked. Then she looked at Ranma, who wasn't grinning anymore, and she gestured with the picture in her hand, her voice angry. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"That, and the other four pictures of you, is the point, Tendo Nabiki."

Nabiki looked once again at the picture in her hand. It was once again of her, taken yesterday right after she had gotten home, as she remembered the event taking place in the picture quite well.

Yesterday had been the day Nabiki had gotten the bills from the electric and water company, and she knew that it would be a struggle to make ends meet. She had gone to school that day determined to make quite a bit of money so that she could feel more secure about the bills. But school had been a very unfulfilling day financially, and Nabiki had gone home with only a few extra yen and feeling as if her entire body was locking up from the stress. So, she had decided to...relax. She had searched the house top to bottom to make sure that no one was home. Kasumi was out getting groceries, Genryu and Akane were off somewhere, and Soun and Genma were out, probably drinking. So, Nabiki had gone up to her room, locked the door, and relieved some stress.

Nabiki felt her eyebrow twitch as she once again looked at the picture. In it, she was laying on her bed, still in her school uniform. Somewhat. The blouse was open, and her bra was shoved up above her breasts, while her skirt was hiked up high as well, and her panties on the floor somewhere. Nabiki had her left hand on her breast, while her right was reaching somewhat lower, in between her legs, which were spread to allow easier access. The picture was taken from the foot of the bed, giving whoever looked at it a very clear view of...well, everything. And from the look of things in the picture, she was in mid-moan.

Nabiki looked back at Ranma as he started speaking.

"You have three choices, Miss Tendo. 1: You can work with me in a mutually advantageous business relationship. 2: You can leave me completely alone. No pictures aside from those I've just handed you, no information, nothing. I will be totally exempt from any of your business dealings. Or 3: You can go behind my back and run your business as you usually do, getting pictures through secrecy, and completely ignoring what I want."

Nabiki remained silent, waiting for Ranma to continue.

"I, however, will not sit by idly and let you do that, like my younger brother. If you go with choice number three, I'll crush you so fast you won't be able to blink. I now have proof of several of your illegal practices, including, but not exclusive to, blackmail. There are several people on the police force that would love to see you vanish. I also have not just a picture of yesterday, but an entire video tape, including audio, of you searching your house and then coming into this room. I'm sure all of Japan would just love to know about your tattoo."

Nabiki blushed slightly and glared at him. Ranma merely grinned slightly at her as he continued.

"Now then, I'll explain what choice number one entails in more detail. I'll provide you with pictures and information about myself. In return, you give me some information that I want, and you only sell what I give you. I'll have control over what the public knows about me."

After hearing that, Nabiki didn't even have to think about the choices. "I'll take choice number one please."

Ranma nodded, then reached into the pocket of his pants and withdrew two plastic black cylinders. "Here are two rolls of film of nothing but me. One of them holds the pictures that you already have. The other holds other pictures, giving you a variety to sell. If you hurry, you can have a lot to sell tomorrow before the fight."

He placed the two cylinders on her desk and continued.

"And that brings me to the next order of business, an inside scoop on the fight."

Nabiki nodded, waiting.

"Genryu will lose. No matter what he does, how hard he trains for how long, he'll never be able to beat me. Not now. If you place the stakes right, you can rake in the cash."

Nabiki once again nodded, planning how to make the biggest profit tomorrow.

"And now to the last thing I wish to discuss with you today."

Nabiki refocused her attention on Ranma in surprise. He was looking back at her with a neutral expression on his face.

"I suggest you give up all of your illegal operations as soon as possible. Destroy all of the evidence."

Nabiki made a sound not unlike that a mouse makes when it's trod on in the back of her throat. She opened her mouth to protest, and Ranma held up his hand to stop her.

"This suggestion is made for your own good. I, personally, don't care if you have several operations that are completely illegal. Even the blackmailing and underground porn operations you have don't matter to me. You use the money you gain from them to keep your family afloat, a very honorable thing. And while I do realize that the operations form a large percentage of your total income, and it could possibly be financially fatal to suddenly close up shop on them, think of what would happen if you were suddenly brought to trial for them."

Nabiki closed her mouth, and looked down at the carpet, feeling a chill pass through her. She constantly thought about what could happen if she were ever found out.

"You are the only source of income for you family. If you were to suddenly disappear, your family would instantly nose dive into the red, and keep on going. And you would be put away for a very long time."

Ranma stood up from the chair, turning toward the door.

"It was just a suggestion Nabiki, but I hope you'll take it. You're a smart, pretty girl. You'll think of something."

As he headed for the door, Nabiki called out to him, asking one last question. "Wait. Will I ever get the original film of yesterday?"

Ranma stopped at looked back at her over his shoulder. "No. If you stop all of your illegal operations, the only real weapon I have that isn't life threatening is the video." Then he grinned. "Besides, I'd have to be dead to not like watching someone so pretty doing something like that."

Nabiki felt blood rush to her face as Ranma opened the door and walked out, letting it close behind him with a click. She picked up the picture of Ranma training, looking over its surface as she felt heat rise in other places of her body. (Well, well, this is going to be interesting...)

One Saotome Genma arrived home, after working at Tofu's clinic, just in time to see a strange young man walk out of the Tendo home. He was dressed from head to toe in black, and was wearing a black cloak. As he passed Kasumi, who was still sweeping, he inclined his head to her. She smiled in return, asking a question that carried across the entryway to Genma.

"Oh, Ranma, I hope you were able to finish your business with Nabiki."

Genma stopped. Ranma? It can't be...no, it must be a coincidence. Genma's eldest child had gone missing over ten years ago. Genma shook his head and was about to head toward the house when he saw the young man pass him. The young man didn't stop, didn't hesitate, as he passed Genma.

But as Ranma passed him, something rather odd happened to Genma. He suddenly felt every muscle in his body seize up, and an incredible chill go down the wet noodle he called a spine. And for the briefest moment, he could've sworn Ranma glanced at Genma out of the corner of his eye. The moment Ranma did so, Genma felt a sharp pain in his gut, along with a deadly chill, as if someone had just run him through with an ice cold sword. And although no words were spoken, Genma also heard two words echo in the air, sending cold chills throughout his entire body.

Then the moment passed and Ranma walked out the gate, letting it shut behind him. Genma stood, shivering, almost totally paralyzed. He felt sweat drip down his brow as he drew in a ragged breath, his throat raw, as if he had been screaming for an hour. Genma slowly ran a hand over his fat belly, checking to see if he had been run through somehow. The relief that ran through him was short lived as the words he had heard once again ran through his mind. Genma all but ran into the house in search of a sake bottle, the words echoing constantly in his head.

"Hello father."

:A bus stop near the outskirts of Nerima:

The bus pulled in and rolled gently to a stop, the doors opening to allow the passengers off. The group that climbed off the bus stop wasn't that unusual with only two exceptions. They were the last off of the bus, and people blinked in surprise before going on their way.

Mascara looked around, nodding in satisfaction, while Lotion merely waited for her grandaunt to lead the way to this 'Cat Cafe' that the Matriarch Cologne had set up. Without a word, Mascara set out, Lotion following. They had to get settled, using the Cat Cafe as their headquarters, and then they would go out searching for the young man.

:Author's Notes:

Well, another chapter done. I hope you all liked it, and I hope you all will review for it. And for those of you who have already reviewed, all of your questions will be answered in the story. What's been happening to Ranma, who he is and all that.