Prices Paid 13. Into the Breach.
Dawn arrived late at the Saotome house, a darkness would linger there for a long time to come. Once again there was police officer posted at the door, but this one was steadfastly refusing to even look at the building let alone investigate the noises from inside.
As it happened the noises were from a far more innocuous source than his frightened mind imagined. Each of the quartet had returned to the house during the previous evening and this morning they were merely going about their morning business as best they could in the damaged house.
Ami was in the room she had turned into the armoury, doing last minute upgrades on their gear. She had been there all night and the source of most of the noises that were currently loosening officer Sato's bowels were the drills, saws and routers that the youngest senshi was putting to use. As she too heard the noises of life her stomach took the time to remind her that she had never actually got around to having that midnight snack and that she would need all the energy she could get. Rumbling away she stood, stretched and headed for the ruined kitchen.
Michuru had returned late last night and all but crept into the house. She had spent most of the evening sat watching her love and that had takenits toll on her worse than most training sessions. Nevertheless she had been unable to sleep and so had found her way to the dojo to take some exercise. She had ended up working herself to exhaustion and falling asleep on the hardwood floor. This morning she was the first one up and by the time Ami emerged from her 'workshop' Michuru had already started on breakfast.
The biggest surprise came a little after Ami started to help her friend. Both of them were more than a little startled to see both Ranma and Setsuna emerge from the same room, holding hands no less. That they then parted with a smile and a whispered conversation did nothing to assuage the conclusions their minds were drawing. Setsuna went to the bathroom and Ranma, with his hair still loose, came into the kitchen and stretched, before greeting the other two senshi in a very sleepy manner.
It took Ranma quite some time to notice that his two youngest students had been frozen in place. A quick scan revealed no invading magical energies, and a fast check for auras revealed only the four of them within the building. He reached out and touched Michuru's chest to see if there was some trace of the holding spell still lingering about the gaping girl.
"Wha'?" Michuru gasped, intelligently as Ranma's prod released her from her mental shutdown. "You. Setsuna. Room. Together" she managed. Ranma responded with a quizzical look and reached past her to taste the miso.
"Mmm, good" he offered, picking up a ladle and pouring out two bowls. Then with one last look at the two crazy girls he went out to see what he could scrounge up in the way of a table.
"Did?" Ami asked.
"uh" Michuru replied.
"I thought I" Ami guessed
"Me too" Michuru agreed.
"But Setsuna?"
"And Ranma?" The two girls shook their heads in tandem, looked at each other and then got their own breakfast at lightening speed.
By the time Ranma had set up a table and found some cutlery the other two senshi were already sat opposite him, staring. He looked back at them, they looked at him, he smiled and shrugged before beginning to eat.
"They did!" announced Michuru, extrapolating her own opinions from the smile. Just then Setsuna re-appeared from the bathroom before wandering over and sitting down next to Ranma. She offered him a smile of thanks, got a warm one in reply and then began eating her own breakfast.
"They must have" Michuru stated.
"Must have what?" Setsuna asked, a picture of innocence.
"You. Ranma. Room" Ami explained, helpfully.
"Oh" Setsuna responded, looking at Ranma, and suppressing a smile. He looked at her, doing his own innocent expression, either that or he had completely missed what was going on.
"Thanks Set-chan" he offered out of the blue as he took another mouthful. "Yesterday was just what I needed" he added, without looking up. Ami's mouthful of miso exploded across the table.
"No problem Ran-chan" Setsuna, "Happy to help."
"Ara?" Michuru whispered, hand poised halfway to her mouth. "You did?" she said suddenly less sure.
"Did what?" Setsuna asked, fighting the giggles.
"You, Ranma. Room" Ami echoed. Setsuna looked at her fellows for a moment and then shook her head.
"Don't be silly" she said, not answering the question at all. "Now Ranma, what do we need to do today?" she asked, neatly changing the subject. Ranma responded by putting down his cutlery and pushing his bowl aside.
"First we are going to need to go over the 'actions on' again, then individual weapon capabilities, then we can get a few drills in before nightfall." He noticed the winces that the comments caused. "Ladies," he explained, "I offered you a day off and you chose to return" he finished. He stood, gathering the now-empty bowls, "we'll start in half an hour, get your warm ups done and I'll meet you in the Dojo."
No sooner had he left than the other girls rounded on Setsuna, gazes set to 'inquisition'. Setsuna couldn't help but smile before standing, wincing a little, and then heading away to change. If she just happened to add an extra bounce to her step it was probably coincidence.
Behind her the other tow girls turned to look at each other and grit their teeth. That woman was just so frustrating!
o
o
Several hours later all four of them were in the Dojo. They were dressed in their training suits and sweating heavily. Ranma had really been putting them theough their paces today and, knowing what would start tonight, they had been giving it their all. Then a call came from the house, a woman's voice ringing clear.
Ranma held up a hand to still his team, then waved his hand out sideways. The girls responded immediately, taking up combat positions in ready stances. Then Ranma recognised the signature of the intruder and relaxed, signalling for the others to follow suit.
"In the Dojo" he called out.
"Okay" responded the voice, now recognisable as Urd's. Soon afterwards the goddess in question appeared around the dojo door. She was wearing a plunging deep blue dress with it's long skirt cut up to just before the point of indecency. On her feet she wore long high boots with lightning patterns on them and in her hands she carried a very ornate box. Her smile was little short of lascivious, she only rarely got to see a man of Ranma's physique looking quite so…impressive.
"Hi" she said throatily, one step from a leer.
"What do you want" Asked Michuru, temper showing.
"Mmmm" Urd replied, looking at Ranma through her long lashes and letting the slightest hint of a tongue lick her lips. "Let me think about that for a moment" she breathed.
"I mean" Michuru corrected, "why are you here?" Urd was silent for a few more heartbeats before shaking her head to clear the oh-so-hentai thoughts that filled it and turning to notice the girls in the room.
"I come bearing presents" she said, sashaying over to Ranma and fixing him with her lascivious gaze once more. She handed him the gold and mahogany box, lingering over finally releasing it and being sure to brush his fingers with hers when she did.
In the background Michuru rolled her eyes and Setsuna smiled one of her secret smiles. Ranma, for his part, raised an eyebrow and then looked down to the box. With care he opened the lid, to find, ribbons.
The ribbons were done in golds silvers and a shifting array of primary colours. Every inch of them was covered in runic writing that he recognised as the script of heaven and they were all but glowing with divine energy.
"Are these?" he asked, raising his hear to look at Urd. She responded with a triumphant smile and a twinkle in her eye.
"New and unbound" she replied, "The very latest in divine defence-wear. Done in this years colours, guaranteed to match any outfit your young ladies wear to the ball" she added with a smile, "although I wouldn't advise you to wear one."
"Huh?" asked Michuru, suddenly leaning over Ranma's shoulder. Ami was busy trying to interpret the readings her eyes were getting and Setsuna was watching the goddess very closely.
"This is very generous of you" Ranma replied, with a wariness in his voice.
"Well as long as you forget exactly where they came from" Urd replied, "then I will find some way for you to repay me later." The last was said with more than a little naked suggestiveness. This of course earned her evil looks from Michuru.
"What do they do exactly?" Setsuna asked.
"Ah" Urd responded, turning to Setsuna in such a way as to make her long hair sway. "I'm glad you asked that. These ribbons are semi-sentient personal polymorphic protective devices. They will bind themselves to a wearer and attune themselves to their emotions. Should you be at ease the floating ribbon will reflect that, should you be in a more violent mood they will assist you." She leaned in a little to Ranma "should you be in a more …'passionate' mood they will help there too" she breathed huskily.
"Help how?" asked Ami.
"Despite their fragile appearance when required the ribbons will take on all the hardness and weight of steel. A strike from one of these is every bit as dangerous as a strike from one of your staves."
Ranma snorted, doubting that even the best constructs could rival the skill of his team. But through the stolen memories of his demon predecessor he had witnessed the effect of the weapons and could not doubt their efficacy. He held out the box to each of his senshi, one after the other.
"They were modelled after a chain weapon worn by Hell's champion" he explained. "Once attuned they will react to your wishes, behaving like a cross between a pet and an impressive weapon." He turned to Urd.
"Thank you" he said earnestly. She smiled and threw a little bow with a flourish before stepping in close and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"For luck" she breathed before laying a very passionate kiss on him. Michuru's fist clenched and Ami's head whipped around to watch Setsuna's reaction. Only to be disappointed, the senshi of Pluto was once more wearing her unreadable smile.
Urd turned and left. Ranma paused for a few moments before turning to the girls. "Now" he began "we have to build the capabilities of these new weapons into our drills" each of the girls sagged just a little at this. "First lets get them attuned" he began and any hopes for a break were quickly dashed.
O
O
As dusk fell the four soldiers were gathered in the Juuban cemetery. They were for the first time dressed in full gear for the mission. Each girl was dressed in the magi-tech camouflaging armour suits that they had gained from the last fortress. Each one had a custom made communicator at their right ear, small antennae rising up above their heads. They all wore combat webbing, its pouches full of things from flash grenades to medical kits. On their backs they wore small backpacks of extra gear, things like ropes and dried food. Setsuna and Michuru flanked their smaller sister, each one carrying their staff weapon at the ready. Around the three of them their new ribbons circled, fluttering and diving in the light night breeze.
Ranma stood facing them, his own dark clothes changed to a more martial aspect with plates guarding vital areas and a heavy cloak of shadow wrapped around him. He, like the others, was stood in silence, a shared moment to harden their resolve.
"Now" he said in a voice of adamantium, "We go."
Behind him the portal opened, andtogther they stepped through. The assault on Hell had begun.