Chapter 5
"And Stay AWAY!" roared the tall blond woman. She had just stepped in to save the young lady on the ground from what might easily have been a fate worse than death. In a dark alley between two office blocks two representatives of Tokyo's underclass had been intent on taking what they wanted from the young secretary, when out of no where the blond gaijin had appeared. The violence that followed had been hidden by the secretary's own tears but one thing was undeniable, she had been saved and in the nick of time.
"Thank you" she offered with gratitude pouring from her soul while attempting to stand on unsteady legs. "You really are an angel!" However such heartfelt praise had a very odd effect on the female saviour; all of a sudden the blond woman began checking her reflection in a mirror that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Oh!" she said, after a few moments of nervous examination, as if a light had suddenly come on in her head, "You mean figuratively?"
"Er yes? Ventured the secretary.
"Cool, didn't want to be spotted this soon into my newest assignment" asserted the blond. "Thought for a moment that I had left my wings out…" by now the secretary had moved from gratitude to confusion and was steadily progressing towards fear.
"Er you had better forget I said that" the 'angel' offered. "Just another slightly nutty Tokyo dwelling mortal that's me!"
"Whatever you say" the other girl agreed, slowly backing away. Only to be suddenly stopped, by a long, scarlet, clawed arm.
"Don't go yet my preeetie" rasped a voice from the darkness. "We are only just getting started."
"Who are you?" asked the angel, with more than a tremor of fear in her voice.
"All in good time precious…" the voice answered in a drawn out rasp, casually twisting the secretary's neck through an impossible angle as if to punctuate the words. "Now might be a good time to start screaming little Angelica" the demon offered.
"How do you know my…" Angelica, angel trainee, asked only to be cut off as the demon stepped out of the shadows. Demonic recognition was a required course for all trainee angels but the creature that confronted her was like nothing she had ever heard of. Sheer terror tore through her body, robbing it of all conscious thought. Then the young lady failed for the very first time in her existence: her lips trembled, her bowels emptied and finally sweet unconsciousness claimed her.
"Don't think that's gonna stop me wench" the demon rasped, more than a little angry to be denied his sport, "just so happens I like 'em dirty." He finished before leaning over her and beginning his depravity.
O
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"Can I top you up?" the waitress asked. Ranma was sat in a quiet downtown coffee shop nursing a single cup and thinking. He had arrived a little after the shop had opened, and almost immediately retreated into his own mind, more disturbed than he cared to admit by the events of the previous night. To kill a man was one thing but to want to hurt him as badly as Ranma had wanted to hurt that rapist last night was a different story entirely.
"Excuse me," the waitress ventured again, more than a little unnerved by this brooding figure that had come to occupy the diner's corner booth, "I said can I-
"No thank you Sakura" Ranma replied, interrupting, waving a hand absentmindedly. In reply the woman retreated quickly back the way she had come. Ranma for his part began to sink back into his reverie.
Then all of a sudden he was hit by a feeling of unease. Time seemed to slow, then stop. Even as Ranma's head whipped around he recognised the source; standing in the doorway was a creature he had honestly hoped never to see again. That the demon was wearing human form was little comfort indeed.
"Barrabas!" Ranma spat, even as the demon seemed to skip the space between the door and the demon-touched man. The last time he had seen the jumped up imp had been during one of the nastiest parts of his torture in hell.
"Can't fool you eh?" the creature responded, pulling out a seat.
"What are you-
"doing here?" the beast in man form finished, "what makes you think I'm not here for the coffee?" Ranma just glared in response, fists tightening. "Fine" Barrabas responded, "maybe I am here to see you."
"Barrabas" Ranma began, hate and contempt warring in his voice, "In about three seconds I am going to tear your limbs off and stuff them down your throat!"
"Whoa there matey" the demon replied, "Do that and you'll never know what I came here to say."
"What makes you think that I give a damn what you have to say?" Ranma replied in a growl, staring to rise.
"Even if it concerns that pretty little goddess you've got your eye on?" Barrabas replied in a rush.
"Three!" Ranma offered.
"they are going to kill her" the demon blurted.
"Two"
"they already stole her angel"
"one"
"Gorkadas has got her!" Barrabas yelped, falling backwards off his seat, arms raised wardingly.
"Gorkadas?" Ranma replied, still growling, "where?"
"Here on Midgard" Barrabas croaked out from the floor, "in the dark church on twelfth street." By now the fear was rolling off the demon turned man in waves.
"If you are trying to trick me…." Ranma threatened, eyes burning.
"As hell is my witness" the creature swore. Ranma nodded once and stepped over the hellspawn, heading for the door.
"So I guess there's no chance of another turn with the red-head" Barrabas inquired mockingly, just as Ranma was going to step through the door.
Ranma turned, pulled a sign off the wall, empowered it, and threw it discus style at the half risen demon. It embedded deep in the creature's neck, wedging into its spine.
"Urk" gurgled the demon as it fell to the floor, gargling on its own vital fluids. "Barsthtard."
O
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O
"Ow, sheesh, my head hurts something rotten!" Urd swore. Despite the fact that midday had come and gone she was just out of bed and seriously regretting her over-indulgence the night before. Even after the dramas of the evening people had managed to make a night of it and Urd had been, as usual, right at the centre of things. She stumbled her way into the shrine's kitchen, to find her sister hard at work. "Next time someone suggests treble Tequila suicide knock me down!"
"The way I remember it," Bell replied, only grinning a little, "that someone was you."
"Yadda yadda" Urd replied dismissively, "details. Now what is that gorgeous smell?"
"I am making something a little special to welcome Angelica" Belldandy replied.
"Angelica?" Urd asked, "oh the Angel cadet," she answered for herself. "Is that today already?"
"Yes Urd" Bell replied, "and we would all appreciate it if you would…" she continued only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.
"I'll get it" came the voice of their little sister-come techno nut, shortly followed by the scampering of feet.
"Oh its You!" came the same voice, this time laden with distaste, "what do you want?" the reply was muffled but the voice oddly familiar.
"I'll see if she wants to talk to you!" Skuld said, before sounding as if she was headed towards the other two goddesses.
"That is hardly the way to treat a guest" Bell admonished as Skuld stepped into the kitchen.
"Even if he's a demon" the pre-teen-goddess answered back only slightly less rudely.
"If he was a demon even…" Bell started, "Oh its Ranma," she concluded.
"Ranma" Urd interrupted suddenly interested, "wonder what he wants?" Before Skuld could even offer her sarcastic reply the eldest sister was already off towards the door.
Standing there was indeed none other than Saotome Ranma, tainted soul and all. In this case he was wearing what Urd considered a very fetching silk suit, plainly designed for flexibility rather than fashion but still form fitting enough to display some of that toned body the goddess was becoming fond of. Because that same goddess was so busy checking out the recent arrival she completely missed the look on his face.
"Bout time" Ranma said, somewhat hurriedly. "Its not like the girly's got all day. Gorkadas ain't exactly the patient type."
"Wha?" Urd replied sensibly. "Girly? Gorkias?"
"Gorkadas" Ranma corrected, "you know, filth demon, greenish, about this high?" Ranma answered, waving his hand above his head, "the one who's got your angel…"
"Oh 'Porky-Ass'" Urd connected. "What makes you think he's got my guardian?"
"Does it matter?" Ranma replied, "WE gotta GO!" he insisted, reaching for her arm.
"Whoa buster" Urd replied, pulling back on the same arm, "my angel is safe and sound. Whoever you've been talking to is obviously mistaken. I'd know if she was in trouble."
"Yeah I guess-" Ranma started, only to be interrupted by a high pitched, child-like scream.
"Skuld!" Urd swore, turning and running.
"Dumb ass imp" Ranma muttered, "can't get anything right, even to save his scrawny hide." Scant seconds later Urd was returning, both her sisters in tow.
"Tell us what you know" she demanded.
"Who and where" Ranma explained, "and that if the girl's gonna stand a hope in heck then we have to go now!"
"You lead!" Urd commanded.
"I've got a better idea" he said, before suddenly flaring his power. Suddenly the earth went cold, as if caught in an instant eclipse. Shadows gathered and the four of them started to rise into the air.
As the sleepy suburb dwindled below them the goddesses could make out the sinister silhouette cast by the tainted man's dark wings, if the touch of his taint had not been bad enough the shape of the shadow chilled all three of them to the core.
"I thought they were all killed in Thor's time" Urd exclaimed.
"They were" Ranma replied in an oddly throaty growl, "but their dark dreams remain for those brave enough to touch them."
"Dragon" Skuld muttered in terrified awe.