He only thought he was going for the thrill of a ride
Wasn't in the plan to be gone for long
But he keeps looking back over his shoulder
He knows that something might go wrong
The ride, it ain't smooth that's for sure
Strange mood, what is the cure
He's got that feeling of impending doom
Like being trapped in a casket inside a tomb
"Death Defied by Will" Eagle Eye Cherry
"Ranma?" A voice called from behind me. I smirked and swung around. Batting off the ladies had not been my forte as a teen but it suited me fine now.
"Yo." I said coolly, whizzing around with a sexy grin on my face, turning to complete horror as a short haired, brown eyed girl looked back, "Bu-Akane . . . hi."
I started sweating bullets right about then. Not actual bullets, of course, because they could be used to shoot me out of my misery and that would be positive.
Her eyes batted at me. She was trying to seduce me again in the most mixed up, awkward way imaginable.
The way she flirted only meant one thing; there was another guy. I wasn't the only one clouding her vision and filling her many daydreams anymore. That man, I figured quickly, was Hiroshi.
I had seen her with him already; first at the hospital at er side.
I had not decided what to think just yet.
I waited, anticipating her next word. Simply amazing. Out of all the places to meet her again, to catch her when she was off guard so I'd have the upper hand, she had to be here; shopping for what looked to be carrots.
"Ranma," She repeated, obviously forcing herself to reply. She looked like a deer caught in head lights. I presume when she said my name she didn't expect me to turn around and be me.
And that got me thinking (which is never a good idea if you're a Saotome), right then, if she had seen me before. You know, while I was gone. From the grocery store to her dreams, if I had been there, what had that meant? If I was the man driving too slow on the highway, the one mowing my lawn in my underwear, any man she had stopped and stared at for a second, recognizing for a moment and then forgetting.
Being on her mind made mine wander. Of course, almost daily, the possibilities of what might have been if I had stayed heeled like a well trained dog to my side. We could have had kids by now, running the dojo and bickering like an old couple; showing some things never change.
That was the part that made me leave though; the change, it was too much for me. There were other things that night; a conversation or two that very night, for example, but the truth of the matter was that I was horribly afraid of change. It probably had to do with dealing with a slight change every time I hit cold water, but I couldn't blame everything on a curse I didn't even have anymore.
I had seen her earlier today, wooed and wowed her with a kiss, and enjoyed being with her a lot. Every minute I'm with her, I hurt a little bit more; I miss her, it's obvious and embarrassing, but I didn't realize until I got back just how much she had me. I would've taken a bullet for her, still would to this day, and she had no idea.
Jin says we've been hired, but won't tell me in what way. I'm taking this as a positive thing because if it was a hit he would probably have told me already. So, that meant security or possibly a bounty job; unless, of course, he was hiding something from me. I thought about the idea of the hit being someone I knew, but shook it out of my head. I didn't truly know anybody here anymore.
I guessed she was waiting for a reply.
"Yo." I said.
I found, in life, the simplest answers had turned out to be the best.
She stared at the only thing in her basket, a carrot that I had been staring at, and found the need to explain. "I'm actually on a diet today." She stopped and stared at the thing. "Y'know what; screw it, weight watchers can watch themselves grow poorer without my dollar-a-day."
She laughed and waited for my reaction. She really was wondering about me now.
This is what I missed about her. This needless pressure she put against herself and then dismissal of it in another few seconds. She would sign up for this type of thing and then give up immediately when a big piece of pie was staring her in the eye seductively.
"Ya got no will power." I mused.
She stuck out her tongue and took the carrot out of her basket, staring from side to side since we were in the soup aisle, and stuffed the veggie behind a bunch of instant noodles. She was so horribly not nonchalant that I coughed out a laugh unintentionally. She turned to me and smiled, bobbing her head and then resting it in place afterwards.
Damn, this girl could make any cat swoon.
"So, any leads?" She asked, in full spy mode now.
"Yeah." I relayed. "Don't go out and always lock your doors."
She rolled her eyes. "I learned that in grade one Ranma; I mean things that I'll actually listen to."
Was she crazy? People wanted her dead, and not for a reason either of us knew very much about yet, and I had caught her out and about alone today twice.
"Listen up Babe, you might look hot enough to be a secret agent, but you're not. If I was a bad guy I could'a killed ya twice by now."
She tilted her head down and looked up at me with Bambi eyes. "I thought you were the bad guy."
I shrugged, trying to ignore the urges to grab at her. "I have my redeemin' moments."
"Ah, yes." She murmured, staring at the canned soups.
I could tell her mind had wandered to the "redeeming moment" we had shared earlier today.
Thing was: I liked kissing Akane. There was something else in there, aside from the majesty of a normal kiss there was this other feeling, this thing that I couldn't quite put my finger on yet. It scared me a bit, but don't tell anybody, alright?
I couldn't help asking her for more. "So, what'cha doin' tonight; out stripping for the local chapter of the Boy Scouts?"
She sneered. "They're on a camping trip. No, I'm going to have dinner with a friend."
A friend. She hesitated, only meaning one thing: Hiroshi.
"What time he get off?"
She looked a bit shocked.
I laughed. "Of work, what time does he get off work?"
She had such a dirty mind, and I loved her for it, in a slack, "I love cheese" sort of way. You can say you love things like cameras and hotels, but you don't wanna marry them.
She smiled a bit, trying to hide it. "Five, and he's gonna bring take out. Wait; wait a minute, why did you think it was a guy?"
She huffed a bit and I smirked.
"Because I know ya, Babe." I told her.
I did and she knew it.
She rolled her eyes.
"So, where are you going tonight, out to steal the hearts of young girls everywhere?"
I looked back, smiling. "Actually, I'm goin' home."
Her eyebrows rose.
"Not yours, dummy, I'm gonna say hi to Pops and Mom."
". . . are you now?" She asked quietly, after a short pause. Her eyes flickered to the floor, she looked slightly guilty.
I couldn't help wondering why, but let it wash over me.
There was a pause and I knew it was my time to leave.
I grabbed the carrot, pointed it at her, and tsked. "That's bad for ya, Babe."
Walking past her, I slipped the carrot back into her basket.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Stay healthy." I winked.
Then I was gone.
Ignoring the fact that I had a job to do, which I actually did not know about yet, I decided to try and dig up some leads on Akane's stalker.
She was getting groceries, leading me to believe she was going to work late today, so I thought a friendly visit to the morgue would be beneficial.
I waltzed into the place and immediately froze, the door swinging shut behind me causing a slight jump forward to ensure all my parts were kept in mint condition, not a single bruise or sign of abashment by the huge wooden planks.
There was light, although in only slight amounts. I looked up to where the blue hue originated and found tiny windows down each side of the hall, like tiny compartments for birds to watch our funny ceremonies.
It was because of those peeping windows, and the light shining out as much as it could, that I saw the shadows ahead of me.
It was too Godfather to comment on so I merely smiled just the slightest bit.
Light shone dimly on the man's face, for a split second showing a slimy grin, invoking him to step forward into the full light of the window.
He stood a little shorter than I was; everyone always came up short next to me in some way or another. He was thin, sinewy, and had a small moustache that threatened to turn into a handlebar moustache if given free range. In contrast, the hair atop his head was, for the most part and aside from each fringe above his ears, was missing in action, but yet still black in hue.
He bowed curtly. "Ranma Saotome, I presume."
He did not ask me, it was a statement meant to strike the slightest fear in my heart.
It only made me want to get to know him better.
When people confronted me, tried to push me around, they ended up with tags tied to their toes; something told me he knew that. Or, like most people, didn't know the half of it.
I nodded. "Marv."
He smiled an oily, Grinch-like grin. "My reputation precedes me, then?"
I stared back into his beady little eyes. Yeah, I could take him easily.
"That ain't always a good thing, buddy."
He nodded courteously. "Shall I turn the lights on, then? I didn't expect anyone of importance to come in for a while."
I looked up from where my gaze had faulted the picture of himself on the wall.
"You were expectin' that Tendo chick, weren't ya?"
He nodded again, turning his back to me. "So, the lights, then?"
"No, keep 'em off." I instructed.
He was out of the light now, but I could tell he wasn't hovering anywhere near the light switch.
"Like it in the dark, eh?"
Oh, double entendres.
I smirked at his try at a friendly joke. "Yeah, the mystery and all that junk suits me fine."
"Oh?" He replied, trying his best to act lightly shocked. "I thought you like the chance to hide in the dark. See, anything can happen to someone when they don't see it coming."
Was that a threat?
"Lucky I got eyes on the back of my head then."
"Oh, yes." He agreed, smiling that oily smile.
". . . with night vision." I added, or more spat in his direction.
I would never actually spit unless the person really deserved it because I was a man among men, not a camel among thieves.
"So, why do I have the pleasure of your acquaintance."
I replied curtly. "You remember Sayuri Okana."
He did.
"Oh, that poor girl that drowned a few years back? Yes, I think she was in the green room. Sad really, I heard she was going to be a grand reporter."
My voice was acidic. "Was."
He shrugged, I saw his shoulders momentarily come into the light and then vanish again. "She was needed for a higher purpose I suppose."
I bit back, even though it was what he had wanted. It took all my self control not to stomp him right this moment. "Or maybe there was a little divine swindling going on and she found out."
"Now Ranma, my boy, you must understand that in my business, to survive, I must look at each death with a positive aspect. If I didn't, well, I'd be living on the streets right now."
"Sure, whatever's best for moral, eh?" I said.
"Well, what was it about her you wanted to know?" He was getting edged by my questioning, shifting his weight and sighing.
"Nothing, just wanted to let ya know that if anything like that happens again," Now I stepped forward, "and I mean to anyone, you're gonna be the guy to blame."
He now stepped into the light, the oily grin stripped from his face to bare his grueling, smug mustached face.
"Ooh, is that your impression of the big bad wolf, Ranma?" He hissed.
I stepped even closer, poking him in the chest. "Just a warning, watch your house, it ain't made of bricks."
And then I turned and left. Man, I really needed to blow some steam.
I got to the address I had pulled out of the phone book at eleven thirty, hung around outside for about ten minutes, and then made myself ring the bell.
I stuffed my hands in my pockets, closed my eyes and counted back from ten while sighing heavily.
I was at six when the door swung open.
A ten year old kid answered.
He had short black hair, splayed ever which way, and big grey eyes, nothing near my majesty, but still quite nice.
He looked at me, standing a few feet shorter and nearly growled. "Whaddya want?"
I smirked, this kid was familiar.
"Ya know where Genma Saotome is , partner?"
He puffed his chest and I rested my hand on my hip, taking off my gorgeous new black glasses that made me look so damn hot.
"Why do you wanna know?" He asked offensively.
"Slow down tiger, I ain't here to fight ya." I looked him up and down. "That'd be over in seconds."
"Yeah right, I'm in training to be the best martial artist in the world!" He shot back.
If I was a girl I'd think his ego was cute, it was bordering on annoying now.
It didn't take much to figure out this kid was in training with my father. I guessed the old man had finally got off his ass and started teaching again.
Plus, I was the best martial artist ever, and there really couldn't be two.
"Listen kid, just get me Genma, savvy? You don't wanna see me angry."
That sounded so incredibly Hulk that I smiled.
The kid wavered. "How do I know yer not here just to steal the dojo and junk?"
I rolled my eyes. I hated showing off . . . most of the time.
I noted the vase in the hallway where he stood, on the same table, with a few slight dents in one side, was a leash; a bowl near it on the floor, after inspection, with the name "Ramen" on it. There was a coat rack hanging close by with a few strands of pearls hanging out of the pocket.
I flicked my glasses, harsh enough to get some real speed on it but not to break glass and the vase tipped over as a light "ting" was heard. The vase's contents splashed down over the side into the bowl. Almost immediately, paws were heard scratching the hard wood and in a few seconds a dog was in sight. The dog jumped at the water, sliding too far and banging its head into the table, flinging the sunglasses up at the coat rack, looping the pearls in the process, hitting off the wooden post and flinging back into Ranma's hands.
"These Mrs. Saotome's pearls, kid?" I asked.
Man was that complicated and cool.
He nodded, confused at what had happened in the last few seconds. The dog stayed back, busy slurping up the water.
I stepped in. "I'll give 'em back personally."
The door closed behind me and I walked into the next room, searching for the kitchen, the sounds of pots and pans clanging excitedly approaching. The smile on my face grew just as fast.
Suddenly, right outside the door to the kitchen, something clamped onto my leg and held itself there.
"Hey!" I yelled, dragging my leg with me into the next room. "What the hell's yer problem ya nut job?"
What was wrong with this kid? At the moment he was biting my leg, which did hurt a little when the bastard's tiny pincers attacking my kneecap.
I was about to fling him off when I heard a pot clash to the ground.
Me and the runt stopped and stared at the woman in front of us. She had some grey hair now, lots of it actually, and a few more wrinkles. She looked young though, fit and healthy.
She was breathless. "Ranma?"
I smiled. "Hiya Mom."
The kid let go of my leg and fell to the ground with an astonished look on his face.
My Mom walked up to me, cupped my face in her hands, stared deep into my eyes, and took a step back.
"Where in the hell have you been?" She asked me.
Then she represented her feelings in a totally different way.
She slapped me across the face with more force than many people gave her credit for.
I stood there, stunned, watching the tears in her eyes and feeling the burn on my cheek.
We stood like that, staring each other in the eyes for a long moment.
The silence was broken with the boy speaking. "What'd ya do that for, Ma?"
I swiveled around. "Ma?"
A/N: Sorry for taking so long but work and school have collided into an evil spiral of time-consuming darkness. So yes, next chapter shall be out faster. Thanks for all the reviews guys, you rock. Any questions or comments are welcome!
Jace3: Cool, thanks for the review. Tell me, how did you think it would go?
Yasha's-Gurl: Ranma is one sexy beast, eh?
Vaniah: Oh I know, and now it's getting hotter so more people want cold stuff and I have to make even more ice cream! I complain, but it gets me money and everyone there is awesome. So yes, on the story front, I'd love to hear more theories. Although, I'm not commenting on them because really, you don't want to know if you're right or wrong yet, do you?
Bubbly Minx: Yes, I love writing for both the men in her life, but I don't know if they'll meet for another couple chapters since I've got other things lined up, but look for it soon! Love hearing theories, but can't deny or agree: I'm like a politician.
Livvy22: Car explosion are really fun, but I don't think that's inventive enough for Akane's life, eh? And yes, I get a lot of inspiration from Janet Evanovich. I love her work. Her new book comes out June 21st, I'm so excited!
Ikerana: Glad to cheer you up. Well, I love writing saucy scenes, so there shall be more to come!
Innortal: If you think about it, Akane must of racked up a lot of stalkers over her lifetime, and Ranma is so one of them, eh?
Starwind: Thanks, I hope you continue reading!
Angela Jewell: Cool, what'd you think of it? I like black humor so it really worked for me. I love action-romance-comedies.
WhiteTigriss666: Who do you think wants to kill Akane; I'd love to hear more theories!
Please read and review; I'll always get back to you.