Well, the votes are tallied and guess who won?
That's right, sorry folks, but looks like Tenchi is going to be in the fic.
Ryoko has won by a fair margin, though Nabiki made a huge leap (I counted 8 votes... which put her at 17) and shot above Rogue, but it still wasn't enough to beat out Ryoko. I don't see many Ranma/Ryoko pairings, Ranma/Nabiki pairings are more common, but Ranma/Rogue pairings are rare.
Surprisingly, I got a lot of requests for multiple wives. Now, I could see Ranma attracting multiple women, hell he did in the manga and anime (watch the episode 'Ranma the Lady-killer' [I think that's the name...] in season 5 if you want to see) but somehow, I don't think the women could agree on 'sharing' Ranma. Well, at least not the fiancées. They seemed to hate each other. Ryoko might be different, and open to multiple spouses. I mean, who knows if polygamy is allowed in alien culture?
Anyway, sorry King of Storms fans, but this was nagging at me and I decided to let all the people waiting for an update on my famous cliffhangers a break. I didn't know it was getting popular until someone else actually did it and coined me for it. =/ I am not sure if this is good or bad, all I know is that I get more reviews. *snickers*
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Ranma silently gazed at his smart mouthed, spandex clad opponent. He understood English, despite his grades in school. Heck he knew it before Kao cam along, the 10 year training journey had given him much knowledge of different languages and customs. As such, Ranma had known what was said and wasn't too pleased with the taunt, but swallowed his pride (much effort was needed, but it was done) and addressed the web-slinger.
"Hey, what are ya doin kickin me like that pal!" Ranma shouted out in accented, but passable English.
Peter was somewhat surprised his opponent knew his language; he was expecting the insult to fall upon deaf ears. So knowing, he replied. "Well, I was taking a nice little stroll through Japan, when I saw this bank being robbed. I know that all the hostages were in the corner, and that no one was stupid enough to enter the bank with all the police outside, so that left the only option... you decided to have a little uprising within the ranks. Nice work by the way, I expected you to kill them, not incapacitate them."
Ranma groaned slightly, the comment about his intelligence for walking in here still stinging a little. His tolerance for the free shots Spider-Man was getting was wearing thin. The compliment about his handiwork cooled him off a bit, but he was still not pleased with the confrontation so far. "Look, I walked into here after all the people were held hostage, I didn't know it was being robbed."
Spider-Man raised a brow and glanced behind him at the throng of police and news crews. "That must be one of the lamest excuses I have ever heard, I mean, look at all the cops and reporters! It's like a circus out there!"
Ranma blinked and looked outside; sighing when he saw what he had walked past without even noticing. 'Gee Kao, you think you coulda warned me? Man, this can't get any worse...'
Of course, Ranma forgot that whenever someone says that, Murphy's Law is instantly applied to anything they are doing.
Eddie had been wandering down the streets of Tokyo, keeping a keen eye for any web-slinging or spandex wearing citizens. His spider sense was on keen alert, always searching for the one that caused his life to end up like it had. He doubted he had the money to return to America, now that he was on the streets. But if he got his revenge, none of that would matter.
Only mildly curious as to what the ruckus was up ahead, Eddie glanced into the crowd of people and into the store they were all looking into. The screen held two figures in the center; one was a young man with a strong build and lithe figure that made women blush just thinking of the ways it could bend. The other was a figure clad in some sort of body suit that was mainly red, but held patches of blue, black and white as well.
Eddie immediately recognized the second figure and his lip curled into a nasty snarl as he watched the confrontation take place. His clothes quivered and pulsated as his rage grew until it exploded into a black mass of liquid, flying up into the air, before it all converged on Eddie and surrounded his figure with the amorphous substance.
Those around the televisions had witnessed this odd transformation (odd meaning that it wasn't like the Sailor Scouts) and ran screaming as Venom let out an inhuman roar of anger. Putrid green saliva steamed with heat as it dripped from the countless fangs that dwelled within his mouth. His white eyes were large and erratic, and one never could tell exactly where he was looking. His muscles had at least doubled from their already impressive size and created a figure that hunched slightly. His fingers now all were more like claws, sharp and deadly at the ends. All in all, a sight that appeared to be out of a man's nightmare.
"Parker..." The beast rumbled, his voice deep and throaty, before he raised a hand and let a black blob of his suit shoot off and attach to a building before he began to swing off in the direction his hearing led him.
Ranma caught the fist directed to his abdomen and returned the favor with a punch of his own at dizzying speeds. Peter was caught off guard, and his spider sense failed to sense the assault on his being. Thus, Spider-Man found himself flying across the bank at high speeds before crashing through a pillar, sending chunks of debris across the floor and around his body.
'Jeez!' Peter thought as he rose to his knees and eyed his opponent with a new respect. 'Is he some kind of mutant? He must be, no one can be that strong....' Rising to his feet, Peter crouched down low, maintaining balance with a low center of gravity. His spider powers made this possible for Peter even if he had not received any training in martial arts.
Ranma smiled as he saw his opponent took a lower stance than before. Apparently, he knew enough about fighting that keeping a low center of gravity is very useful. Even so, Ranma could never expect the next attack.
Peter leapt into the air, spinning so his stomach was facing up and clung to the ceiling of the bank before pushing off and flying like a bullet toward Ranma, cocking a fist back and sending a devastating hook across the face of the pig-tailed martial artist.
Ranma was surprised at the tactic taken and was sent flying bodily like Peter had moments before and smashing into a wall before slumping to the ground.
Peter shook his fist in irritation. "Man! What's this guy made of? Felt like punching Logan all over again..." He muttered, nursing his throbbing fist. The clatter of stone met his ears and Peter gazed at the wall, where Ranma was rubbing his jaw and standing up, muttering about something.
"Damnit! This isn't Ryoga Ranma! Your opponent has spider powers like you, remember? God damnit..." Ranma cursed as he rubbed his jaw. Though he had to admit, he was impressed by Spider-Man's attack. Apparently, he had mastered them into a fighting style, which was something that was currently on Ranma's agenda to do. Anything-Goes combined with these powers would create a devastating style, but Ranma would need time to forge the new style. Time he had not had.
"You're pretty good..." Ranma grudgingly admitted, working his jaw to try and relieve the dull sting.
Spider-Man appeared as if he was about to respond but the heavy thump of something landing on nearby ground turned their heads.
The sight that greeted them was in no way settling.
The black mass of muscle snarled in anger as it caught sight of the man that had ruined his life. He had lost everything because of him... His job, his father, his wife...
And now, it was his turn.
Ranma just watched the two stare at each other, Spider-Man apparently in shock, and the other... well, Ranma didn't know what to make of him.
Until Kao spoke up. [Host Ranma? I believe that I can identify the being before you.]
Ranma made no movements, and continued the chat in his mind. 'Really? What is it?'
[This, Host Ranma, would be my parent. I am the spawn of the symbiote in front of you.]
Ranma froze then, his eyes widening slightly as he took that in. 'T-That thing is your parent!?'
[That thing is my parent and its host, and their chosen appearance.]
Ranma was still, unsure of how to act or what to say at that moment. On one hand, it was Kao's parent, and Ranma was grateful that Kao was alive. He was one of the only friends he had. On the other hand, the beast appeared highly hostile, if it's large and hungry appearance were any incentive. As such, poor Ranma was once again taken by surprise.
"Buzz off twerp!" Venom stated as he rushed forward unexpectedly and gave Ranma a devastating punch across the cheek, which sent him through the air and once again slamming into the stone wall, causing various hunks of rock to cascade to the ground around him.
Venom turned to Peter, his lip curling in disgust as he gazed upon the bane of his being.
"Parker..." He rumbled, flexing and clenching his fists at the very sound of the name.
Peter watched with apprehension, Venom was one of his most dangerous foes, and he was wary of fighting such a monster. Luckily, another voice broke in.
"You know..." An accented voice sounded from the dust cloud that had risen from the fallen stone.
Venom turned in question, before receiving a punch just as devastating, if not more, across his face and sending him flying backwards, impacting into the ground and continuing in his path before grinding to a halt some yards later. A large trench was left in his wake, and he appeared to be a little dizzy from the blow.
"I'm getting sick of flying around and hitting walls..." Ranma stated, absently cracking his knuckles as he gazed at the fallen figure.
Spider-Man just simply gaped at the young man that had just got up after receiving one of Venom's punches. He knew well that Venom was stronger than he was, so it was surprising to see a normal bystander get up and return the punch with what looked like relative ease. Though, Spidey was having doubts about how human the boy was. He had to be a mutant, or super- human or something. That blow he received should have tore his head clean off.
'Better get Xavier to do some research on this guy...' Spider-Man thought as he got into a ready position, preparing to defend or attack if need be.
Venom groggily, rose, swaying unsteadily as he tried to clear the cobwebs from his head. And stop the spots that kept appearing. It took several seconds, but he finally regained enough stability to glare at the boy who had attacked him. "What do you think you're doing twerp!?" He all but shouted, hunching over slightly as he prepared another attack.
Ranma gave a small irritating smirk as he continued to stand there, like he didn't notice Venom's subtle movements as he prepared to attack. "Aw, c'mon. Can't take a hit?"
Venom snarled in a primal rage as he dashed forward and released another earth-shattering punch toward Ranma's face, expecting to cave the fool's face in.
Ranma wanted to sigh as another sloppy attack came at him, but instead of dodging he simply reached up and grasped the outstretched fist with his hand, holding it steady. The resounding smack echoed through the broken bank, the force of the punch felt by nearly everyone present. Ranma appeared fine thought, holding the fist in his hand and the other at his side casually.
Venom's eyes widened at the sight of his punch caught by a boy who appeared half his size. How was it possible?
Spidey too watched in awe as the punch was casually caught, and the guy wasn't even breaking a sweat holding it there!
'Definetely calling Xavier... he'd want to know about a mutant this powerful...' He thought as he began formulating a plan to take both of them out without getting too much involved in their little fight.
Ranma's smirk remained as he raised one leg and pivoted on the one still resting upon the ground, before releasing a flurry of kicks into Venom's gut, repeatedly slamming his foot home into Venom's vulnerable stomach with forces that would kill normal men.
Each meaty thump echoed through the bank as he kept kicking the larger man in the gut, not stopping despite the obvious pain his opponent was going through.
'Sorry Kao...' Ranma thought as he kept up his assault, planning on ending the debacle before it escalated further.
Spider-man, who was now crawling on the ceiling above his two opponents, winced at each kick, imagining the pain Venom must be going through. Hey, he may not like the guy, but that didn't mean he couldn't sympathize.
Seeing that the Japanese man showed no sign of slowing, Spider-Man got into position and waited until the foot of the man returned and was about to extend again, before leaping down and giving him a good double footed kick in the back of the head, gravity assisting him as he toppled the man over, his head slamming into the cement with a loud crack, and Venom toppled backwards as well, clutching his stomach which was burning in pain.
Peter sighed in relief that his plan worked, as he stood again, watching for any movements from both Venom and the new guy, and when he saw none, he approached Venom to make sure that he was truly knocked out and ready to be taken to jail.
The police, seeing that the super-powered fighters were through with their fight, entered then and began checking the hostages and Venom, keeping a close eye on Spider-Man.
Peter was about to get out of there, knowing the police would want to know who he was, and glanced back to make sure that both Venom and the other guy where still there. Venom thankfully was, and Peter nodded in confirmation, before checking the other spot and finding the other man missing.
He froze, looking about quickly for any sign of him, and cursed loudly when he realized that one had escaped, right under his nose no less.
Shooting a thick stream of webbing just as an officer was approaching; Peter swung away, intent on getting back to the hotel before Mary Jane got back from her little shopping spree.
As he entered the room via the windowsill, the sight of an angry Mary Jane standing and waiting there told him that he was too little too late. The TV being on also didn't look good. Peter groaned and prepared for an assault of epic proportions. A lecture from his wife.
Ranma thanked the gods for the umisenken as he snuck away from the scene, holding his head which was dribbling blood out at a constant rate, staining his dirty hand red.
[I would suggest medical attention for that gash, Host Ranma. I fear for your health.]
Ranma winced as his head throbbed even more. "Yeah Yeah..." He muttered as he entered his apartment, closing the door with nary a sound before going to the bathroom and wetting a washcloth.
Glancing up at the mirror and wincing as he applied the washcloth, Ranma wondered why these sort of misunderstandings always happen to him.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~The Next Day-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Ranma woke the next morning with only a minor headache, and after glancing in the mirror on his way out, the wound he had received perfectly healed, not a sign of the cut anywhere. Ranma narrowed his eyes and looked hard for any evidence, but none could be found.
"Hey... Kao?" Ranma spoke, knowing they were alone.
[Yes, Host Ranma?]
"Did you... augment my healing skills at all?"
[... No Host Ranma, I am unable to do such until I receive a template for a healing gene that surpasses yours. You healing rate is currently several times more than that of a standard human. Is there more you wish to know?]
Ranma frowned and shook his head in response, as if Kao could see him. He glanced at his hands, and noticed them trembling slightly. 'What am I becoming...?' He thought, looking at his rough hands. Hands that had taken chestnuts from a fire without being burned. Hands that had created tornadoes. Hands that had shot ki blasts. Hands that had created vacuum blades. Hands that had killed a demi-god.
Ranma walked down the street in silence, watching his feet carry him to his next stop in life. He had thought a lot this morning, and his growth was starting to disturb him. Should any human have this much power? Was he human?
Answers failed to come. Ranma didn't know if answers would ever come. He wasn't sure if he truly wanted them to come either. It made him uneasy, the feats he could pull of, the power he held. It was growing surreal, as if it was all a dream, and these were things he could only do in his dreams. But here he was, sure of his existence with enough power to wipe out the existence of so many with little effort.
He slowed to a stop as he looked up at the name of the establishment, and quickly seeing the 'help wanted' sign still resting in the window. He took a deep breath and nodded to himself, before walking in, preparing himself for his next task in life. Getting a job.
"Do you have any bartending experience?" The man with a cigarette asked, giving Ranma a critical eye.
Ranma nodded. "A little..." This was true. On the road with his father had taught him a lot about alcohol. Mostly sake, but his father had the occasional mixed drink, and guess who was expected to make it for him?
The man nodded, before scribbling something down on a pad of paper he was holding. "Okay... and how is your hand-eye coordination?"
Ranma smiled and chuckled. He wanted to say 'better than you could imagine,' but that wouldn't be very polite, so he said "It is very good sir."
The man raised an eyebrow before handing Ranma a bottle of liquor from behind the counter. "Oh yea? Show me what you can do. Flip it around or something, I don't care."
Ranma glanced at the bottle, then at the man, as if asking if he really wanted him to do this. The man kept watching him expectantly, so Ranma shrugged, grabbed the bottle and stood. 'Just flip it around eh?' He thought as he devised a little routine that was similar to handling a pair of nunchaku.
The man with the cigarette just watched as Ranma went about flipping twirling and catching the bottle around his body, never missing a beat nor letting a drop fall from the bottle. He finished when he tossed the bottle in the air and caught it with one finger, balancing it perfectly.
"That good enough?" Ranma meekly asked, not exactly sure what the man was looking for.
The cigarette fell from the man's mouth.
Ranma walked outside, bathed in sunlight once more. He winced and squinted, the sudden change of light causing his eyes to sting a little before he grew used to the light. He headed back to the apartment, a book under his arm. Ranma smiled as he gazed at the book that the man gave to him after hiring him. It was a book of various mixed drinks that Ranma had to memorize for the job, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem with Kao.
Arriving at the apartment, Ranma took a seat on his futon and opened the book, gazing at each page for a second before turning to the next. Ranma himself was not memorizing the drinks, but instead Kao was taking a picture, if you will, of each page, so whatever a customer asked for, Ranma would have the recipe right in his head, whenever he needed it. 'Heh...' Ranma thought smugly, the idea being his, 'It's the perfect plan.'
After flipping through the book, Ranma yawned and lay back, preparing to catch up on some much needed sleep.
"Wake me before it's time to go to work..." Ranma stated, knowing that he started his first shift later that evening.
Kao did not sound to amused with Ranma, but responded nonetheless. [Yes, Host Ranma...]
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[Host Ranma! Wake up! You first shift begins in one half of an hour!]
The last part was what really woke Ranma up. "Wh-what!? A half-hour! Oh man!" Cursing like a sailor, Ranma stood and rushed into the bathroom, dragging a comb through his unkempt hair and ensuring that the pigtail was in place.
'Kao! Can you make these clothes?' Ranma thought as he brushed his teeth, thick suds spilling down his face and chin.
Kao wanted to snort, the outfit was child's play to one of his skills, but he reminded himself that while his host may not be the brightest, he was pure of heart and soul. Quickly changing from the standard red shirt, he shifted into a similar Chinese-styled shirt, though this one was white and sleeveless.
'Thanks Kao!' Ranma thought as he finally made it out the door and rushed down the stairs to the bottom floor to make it to work on time.
~_~_~_~_~ 31 minutes later...~_~_~_~_~
Ranma burst into the door of the bar, only mildly out of breath. "I-I'm here!" He called out, hoping to attract the attention of the owner.
The man with the cigarette appeared and smiled. "Ah! You're that new kid... Ram... Ra..."
"Ranma..." Ranma reminded him, finding himself thinking if his employer was doing drugs.
"Right! Ranma... odd name ya know? Hard to forget... Anyway, I'm Takeshi. You'll work behind the bar tonight. Shouldn't be too big of a crowd, it being the middle of the week and all. No one wants a hangover on a workday... You memorize those drinks?"
Ranma smirked. "Heh, no problem. I'll get right on it!" So saying, he leapt behind the counter, which was quite impressive, seeing as the bar was some feet away from Ranma where he had stood.
"Man kid, you ever gonna stop surprising me?" Takeshi chuckled, taking a long drag of his cigarette and puffing the smoke out into the room and causing Ranma to cough several seconds later.
Ranma looked about, seeing few people already enjoying their drinks, so he took a look around the bar. The place was a wreck, that much was obvious. Crusty bits of who knows what left on the counter, what looked like 100 year old liquors stocked behind the bar, moldy lemons and limes ready to be juiced weeks ago.
Ranma winced, realizing that this wasn't going to be the walk in the park he thought it would be. Sighing and hanging his head, Ranma began to clean the area up and try to get it into some kind of working order.
The night had gone smoothly so far, and Ranma had made good progress cleaning the bar. He had the counter top shining and showing the grain of the wood again, fresh lemons and limes ready to be served or juiced as needed. Old liquors replaced by not so new ones, but passable ones.
Currently, he was wiping a glass clean of leftover grime from whatever previous customer had left in it. Several were already finished and now clear and shining once more.
That was when she walked in.
He normally wouldn't have noticed her, and just labeled her as another customer, but there was something about her that caught his attention...
He didn't know if it was her spiky cyan hair, or odd shaped ears. Or perhaps it was the twin tracks of tears that ran down her cheeks, and her puffy red eyes that indicated a significant amount of crying.
Ranma winced as she collapsed into a seat and hung her head miserably.
Still wiping the glass clean, Ranma approached her and spoke softly. "What can I get for ya?"
She glanced up at him briefly, giving him a withering look before speaking in a manner that just did not seem like her. "Sake."
Ranma nodded and set the glass down before walking off and getting a small bottle of sake and a dish for her to drink out of. Returning several moments later, he set them both down and watched as she popped open the bottle and drank straight out of it. She began to reach to her wallet to pay for the drink but Ranma interrupted her.
"Forget it, it's on me." He stated as he watched her closely, trying to discern what had been the cause of the pain that was so evident in her eyes.
She raised a brow, before her eyes narrowed.
"What's your name?"
"Ranma." He replied, giving her a warm smile in hopes to cheer her up.
Any hope was extinguished when she reached across the bar and put her hand around his neck. "You hitting on me, Ranma" She asked in a falsely happy tone, her eyes glinting dangerously.
"Er... no." Ranma stammered, scared of the wrath of women that had been invoked many times on his account. "I just don't like seeing women sad... I wanted to cheer you up."
She narrowed her eyes in warning before shoving Ranma away and returning to her drink.
Rubbing his neck, Ranma stood his ground, but decided not to give her anything else. "So, what's your name? Can I get that at least?"
The woman gave him a disparaging glance before sighing, as if resigning to some fate. "Ryoko." She muttered, before taking another long swig of sake.
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Okay, this should tide you people over while I try and get another chapter of King of Storms out. I would have had this out sooner, if not for the fact that I rewrote the entire second half of this story. More like the last two-thirds actually...
Anyway, Ryoko has won, and the topic of Multiple wives and Jurian ancestry is still up in the air. I have almost decided whether or not to make him Jurian, but I still want to know what you all think.
Read and Review please! Flamers piss off!
Ja! Gundraw.
That's right, sorry folks, but looks like Tenchi is going to be in the fic.
Ryoko has won by a fair margin, though Nabiki made a huge leap (I counted 8 votes... which put her at 17) and shot above Rogue, but it still wasn't enough to beat out Ryoko. I don't see many Ranma/Ryoko pairings, Ranma/Nabiki pairings are more common, but Ranma/Rogue pairings are rare.
Surprisingly, I got a lot of requests for multiple wives. Now, I could see Ranma attracting multiple women, hell he did in the manga and anime (watch the episode 'Ranma the Lady-killer' [I think that's the name...] in season 5 if you want to see) but somehow, I don't think the women could agree on 'sharing' Ranma. Well, at least not the fiancées. They seemed to hate each other. Ryoko might be different, and open to multiple spouses. I mean, who knows if polygamy is allowed in alien culture?
Anyway, sorry King of Storms fans, but this was nagging at me and I decided to let all the people waiting for an update on my famous cliffhangers a break. I didn't know it was getting popular until someone else actually did it and coined me for it. =/ I am not sure if this is good or bad, all I know is that I get more reviews. *snickers*
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Ranma silently gazed at his smart mouthed, spandex clad opponent. He understood English, despite his grades in school. Heck he knew it before Kao cam along, the 10 year training journey had given him much knowledge of different languages and customs. As such, Ranma had known what was said and wasn't too pleased with the taunt, but swallowed his pride (much effort was needed, but it was done) and addressed the web-slinger.
"Hey, what are ya doin kickin me like that pal!" Ranma shouted out in accented, but passable English.
Peter was somewhat surprised his opponent knew his language; he was expecting the insult to fall upon deaf ears. So knowing, he replied. "Well, I was taking a nice little stroll through Japan, when I saw this bank being robbed. I know that all the hostages were in the corner, and that no one was stupid enough to enter the bank with all the police outside, so that left the only option... you decided to have a little uprising within the ranks. Nice work by the way, I expected you to kill them, not incapacitate them."
Ranma groaned slightly, the comment about his intelligence for walking in here still stinging a little. His tolerance for the free shots Spider-Man was getting was wearing thin. The compliment about his handiwork cooled him off a bit, but he was still not pleased with the confrontation so far. "Look, I walked into here after all the people were held hostage, I didn't know it was being robbed."
Spider-Man raised a brow and glanced behind him at the throng of police and news crews. "That must be one of the lamest excuses I have ever heard, I mean, look at all the cops and reporters! It's like a circus out there!"
Ranma blinked and looked outside; sighing when he saw what he had walked past without even noticing. 'Gee Kao, you think you coulda warned me? Man, this can't get any worse...'
Of course, Ranma forgot that whenever someone says that, Murphy's Law is instantly applied to anything they are doing.
Eddie had been wandering down the streets of Tokyo, keeping a keen eye for any web-slinging or spandex wearing citizens. His spider sense was on keen alert, always searching for the one that caused his life to end up like it had. He doubted he had the money to return to America, now that he was on the streets. But if he got his revenge, none of that would matter.
Only mildly curious as to what the ruckus was up ahead, Eddie glanced into the crowd of people and into the store they were all looking into. The screen held two figures in the center; one was a young man with a strong build and lithe figure that made women blush just thinking of the ways it could bend. The other was a figure clad in some sort of body suit that was mainly red, but held patches of blue, black and white as well.
Eddie immediately recognized the second figure and his lip curled into a nasty snarl as he watched the confrontation take place. His clothes quivered and pulsated as his rage grew until it exploded into a black mass of liquid, flying up into the air, before it all converged on Eddie and surrounded his figure with the amorphous substance.
Those around the televisions had witnessed this odd transformation (odd meaning that it wasn't like the Sailor Scouts) and ran screaming as Venom let out an inhuman roar of anger. Putrid green saliva steamed with heat as it dripped from the countless fangs that dwelled within his mouth. His white eyes were large and erratic, and one never could tell exactly where he was looking. His muscles had at least doubled from their already impressive size and created a figure that hunched slightly. His fingers now all were more like claws, sharp and deadly at the ends. All in all, a sight that appeared to be out of a man's nightmare.
"Parker..." The beast rumbled, his voice deep and throaty, before he raised a hand and let a black blob of his suit shoot off and attach to a building before he began to swing off in the direction his hearing led him.
Ranma caught the fist directed to his abdomen and returned the favor with a punch of his own at dizzying speeds. Peter was caught off guard, and his spider sense failed to sense the assault on his being. Thus, Spider-Man found himself flying across the bank at high speeds before crashing through a pillar, sending chunks of debris across the floor and around his body.
'Jeez!' Peter thought as he rose to his knees and eyed his opponent with a new respect. 'Is he some kind of mutant? He must be, no one can be that strong....' Rising to his feet, Peter crouched down low, maintaining balance with a low center of gravity. His spider powers made this possible for Peter even if he had not received any training in martial arts.
Ranma smiled as he saw his opponent took a lower stance than before. Apparently, he knew enough about fighting that keeping a low center of gravity is very useful. Even so, Ranma could never expect the next attack.
Peter leapt into the air, spinning so his stomach was facing up and clung to the ceiling of the bank before pushing off and flying like a bullet toward Ranma, cocking a fist back and sending a devastating hook across the face of the pig-tailed martial artist.
Ranma was surprised at the tactic taken and was sent flying bodily like Peter had moments before and smashing into a wall before slumping to the ground.
Peter shook his fist in irritation. "Man! What's this guy made of? Felt like punching Logan all over again..." He muttered, nursing his throbbing fist. The clatter of stone met his ears and Peter gazed at the wall, where Ranma was rubbing his jaw and standing up, muttering about something.
"Damnit! This isn't Ryoga Ranma! Your opponent has spider powers like you, remember? God damnit..." Ranma cursed as he rubbed his jaw. Though he had to admit, he was impressed by Spider-Man's attack. Apparently, he had mastered them into a fighting style, which was something that was currently on Ranma's agenda to do. Anything-Goes combined with these powers would create a devastating style, but Ranma would need time to forge the new style. Time he had not had.
"You're pretty good..." Ranma grudgingly admitted, working his jaw to try and relieve the dull sting.
Spider-Man appeared as if he was about to respond but the heavy thump of something landing on nearby ground turned their heads.
The sight that greeted them was in no way settling.
The black mass of muscle snarled in anger as it caught sight of the man that had ruined his life. He had lost everything because of him... His job, his father, his wife...
And now, it was his turn.
Ranma just watched the two stare at each other, Spider-Man apparently in shock, and the other... well, Ranma didn't know what to make of him.
Until Kao spoke up. [Host Ranma? I believe that I can identify the being before you.]
Ranma made no movements, and continued the chat in his mind. 'Really? What is it?'
[This, Host Ranma, would be my parent. I am the spawn of the symbiote in front of you.]
Ranma froze then, his eyes widening slightly as he took that in. 'T-That thing is your parent!?'
[That thing is my parent and its host, and their chosen appearance.]
Ranma was still, unsure of how to act or what to say at that moment. On one hand, it was Kao's parent, and Ranma was grateful that Kao was alive. He was one of the only friends he had. On the other hand, the beast appeared highly hostile, if it's large and hungry appearance were any incentive. As such, poor Ranma was once again taken by surprise.
"Buzz off twerp!" Venom stated as he rushed forward unexpectedly and gave Ranma a devastating punch across the cheek, which sent him through the air and once again slamming into the stone wall, causing various hunks of rock to cascade to the ground around him.
Venom turned to Peter, his lip curling in disgust as he gazed upon the bane of his being.
"Parker..." He rumbled, flexing and clenching his fists at the very sound of the name.
Peter watched with apprehension, Venom was one of his most dangerous foes, and he was wary of fighting such a monster. Luckily, another voice broke in.
"You know..." An accented voice sounded from the dust cloud that had risen from the fallen stone.
Venom turned in question, before receiving a punch just as devastating, if not more, across his face and sending him flying backwards, impacting into the ground and continuing in his path before grinding to a halt some yards later. A large trench was left in his wake, and he appeared to be a little dizzy from the blow.
"I'm getting sick of flying around and hitting walls..." Ranma stated, absently cracking his knuckles as he gazed at the fallen figure.
Spider-Man just simply gaped at the young man that had just got up after receiving one of Venom's punches. He knew well that Venom was stronger than he was, so it was surprising to see a normal bystander get up and return the punch with what looked like relative ease. Though, Spidey was having doubts about how human the boy was. He had to be a mutant, or super- human or something. That blow he received should have tore his head clean off.
'Better get Xavier to do some research on this guy...' Spider-Man thought as he got into a ready position, preparing to defend or attack if need be.
Venom groggily, rose, swaying unsteadily as he tried to clear the cobwebs from his head. And stop the spots that kept appearing. It took several seconds, but he finally regained enough stability to glare at the boy who had attacked him. "What do you think you're doing twerp!?" He all but shouted, hunching over slightly as he prepared another attack.
Ranma gave a small irritating smirk as he continued to stand there, like he didn't notice Venom's subtle movements as he prepared to attack. "Aw, c'mon. Can't take a hit?"
Venom snarled in a primal rage as he dashed forward and released another earth-shattering punch toward Ranma's face, expecting to cave the fool's face in.
Ranma wanted to sigh as another sloppy attack came at him, but instead of dodging he simply reached up and grasped the outstretched fist with his hand, holding it steady. The resounding smack echoed through the broken bank, the force of the punch felt by nearly everyone present. Ranma appeared fine thought, holding the fist in his hand and the other at his side casually.
Venom's eyes widened at the sight of his punch caught by a boy who appeared half his size. How was it possible?
Spidey too watched in awe as the punch was casually caught, and the guy wasn't even breaking a sweat holding it there!
'Definetely calling Xavier... he'd want to know about a mutant this powerful...' He thought as he began formulating a plan to take both of them out without getting too much involved in their little fight.
Ranma's smirk remained as he raised one leg and pivoted on the one still resting upon the ground, before releasing a flurry of kicks into Venom's gut, repeatedly slamming his foot home into Venom's vulnerable stomach with forces that would kill normal men.
Each meaty thump echoed through the bank as he kept kicking the larger man in the gut, not stopping despite the obvious pain his opponent was going through.
'Sorry Kao...' Ranma thought as he kept up his assault, planning on ending the debacle before it escalated further.
Spider-man, who was now crawling on the ceiling above his two opponents, winced at each kick, imagining the pain Venom must be going through. Hey, he may not like the guy, but that didn't mean he couldn't sympathize.
Seeing that the Japanese man showed no sign of slowing, Spider-Man got into position and waited until the foot of the man returned and was about to extend again, before leaping down and giving him a good double footed kick in the back of the head, gravity assisting him as he toppled the man over, his head slamming into the cement with a loud crack, and Venom toppled backwards as well, clutching his stomach which was burning in pain.
Peter sighed in relief that his plan worked, as he stood again, watching for any movements from both Venom and the new guy, and when he saw none, he approached Venom to make sure that he was truly knocked out and ready to be taken to jail.
The police, seeing that the super-powered fighters were through with their fight, entered then and began checking the hostages and Venom, keeping a close eye on Spider-Man.
Peter was about to get out of there, knowing the police would want to know who he was, and glanced back to make sure that both Venom and the other guy where still there. Venom thankfully was, and Peter nodded in confirmation, before checking the other spot and finding the other man missing.
He froze, looking about quickly for any sign of him, and cursed loudly when he realized that one had escaped, right under his nose no less.
Shooting a thick stream of webbing just as an officer was approaching; Peter swung away, intent on getting back to the hotel before Mary Jane got back from her little shopping spree.
As he entered the room via the windowsill, the sight of an angry Mary Jane standing and waiting there told him that he was too little too late. The TV being on also didn't look good. Peter groaned and prepared for an assault of epic proportions. A lecture from his wife.
Ranma thanked the gods for the umisenken as he snuck away from the scene, holding his head which was dribbling blood out at a constant rate, staining his dirty hand red.
[I would suggest medical attention for that gash, Host Ranma. I fear for your health.]
Ranma winced as his head throbbed even more. "Yeah Yeah..." He muttered as he entered his apartment, closing the door with nary a sound before going to the bathroom and wetting a washcloth.
Glancing up at the mirror and wincing as he applied the washcloth, Ranma wondered why these sort of misunderstandings always happen to him.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~The Next Day-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Ranma woke the next morning with only a minor headache, and after glancing in the mirror on his way out, the wound he had received perfectly healed, not a sign of the cut anywhere. Ranma narrowed his eyes and looked hard for any evidence, but none could be found.
"Hey... Kao?" Ranma spoke, knowing they were alone.
[Yes, Host Ranma?]
"Did you... augment my healing skills at all?"
[... No Host Ranma, I am unable to do such until I receive a template for a healing gene that surpasses yours. You healing rate is currently several times more than that of a standard human. Is there more you wish to know?]
Ranma frowned and shook his head in response, as if Kao could see him. He glanced at his hands, and noticed them trembling slightly. 'What am I becoming...?' He thought, looking at his rough hands. Hands that had taken chestnuts from a fire without being burned. Hands that had created tornadoes. Hands that had shot ki blasts. Hands that had created vacuum blades. Hands that had killed a demi-god.
Ranma walked down the street in silence, watching his feet carry him to his next stop in life. He had thought a lot this morning, and his growth was starting to disturb him. Should any human have this much power? Was he human?
Answers failed to come. Ranma didn't know if answers would ever come. He wasn't sure if he truly wanted them to come either. It made him uneasy, the feats he could pull of, the power he held. It was growing surreal, as if it was all a dream, and these were things he could only do in his dreams. But here he was, sure of his existence with enough power to wipe out the existence of so many with little effort.
He slowed to a stop as he looked up at the name of the establishment, and quickly seeing the 'help wanted' sign still resting in the window. He took a deep breath and nodded to himself, before walking in, preparing himself for his next task in life. Getting a job.
"Do you have any bartending experience?" The man with a cigarette asked, giving Ranma a critical eye.
Ranma nodded. "A little..." This was true. On the road with his father had taught him a lot about alcohol. Mostly sake, but his father had the occasional mixed drink, and guess who was expected to make it for him?
The man nodded, before scribbling something down on a pad of paper he was holding. "Okay... and how is your hand-eye coordination?"
Ranma smiled and chuckled. He wanted to say 'better than you could imagine,' but that wouldn't be very polite, so he said "It is very good sir."
The man raised an eyebrow before handing Ranma a bottle of liquor from behind the counter. "Oh yea? Show me what you can do. Flip it around or something, I don't care."
Ranma glanced at the bottle, then at the man, as if asking if he really wanted him to do this. The man kept watching him expectantly, so Ranma shrugged, grabbed the bottle and stood. 'Just flip it around eh?' He thought as he devised a little routine that was similar to handling a pair of nunchaku.
The man with the cigarette just watched as Ranma went about flipping twirling and catching the bottle around his body, never missing a beat nor letting a drop fall from the bottle. He finished when he tossed the bottle in the air and caught it with one finger, balancing it perfectly.
"That good enough?" Ranma meekly asked, not exactly sure what the man was looking for.
The cigarette fell from the man's mouth.
Ranma walked outside, bathed in sunlight once more. He winced and squinted, the sudden change of light causing his eyes to sting a little before he grew used to the light. He headed back to the apartment, a book under his arm. Ranma smiled as he gazed at the book that the man gave to him after hiring him. It was a book of various mixed drinks that Ranma had to memorize for the job, but that wouldn't be too much of a problem with Kao.
Arriving at the apartment, Ranma took a seat on his futon and opened the book, gazing at each page for a second before turning to the next. Ranma himself was not memorizing the drinks, but instead Kao was taking a picture, if you will, of each page, so whatever a customer asked for, Ranma would have the recipe right in his head, whenever he needed it. 'Heh...' Ranma thought smugly, the idea being his, 'It's the perfect plan.'
After flipping through the book, Ranma yawned and lay back, preparing to catch up on some much needed sleep.
"Wake me before it's time to go to work..." Ranma stated, knowing that he started his first shift later that evening.
Kao did not sound to amused with Ranma, but responded nonetheless. [Yes, Host Ranma...]
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
[Host Ranma! Wake up! You first shift begins in one half of an hour!]
The last part was what really woke Ranma up. "Wh-what!? A half-hour! Oh man!" Cursing like a sailor, Ranma stood and rushed into the bathroom, dragging a comb through his unkempt hair and ensuring that the pigtail was in place.
'Kao! Can you make these clothes?' Ranma thought as he brushed his teeth, thick suds spilling down his face and chin.
Kao wanted to snort, the outfit was child's play to one of his skills, but he reminded himself that while his host may not be the brightest, he was pure of heart and soul. Quickly changing from the standard red shirt, he shifted into a similar Chinese-styled shirt, though this one was white and sleeveless.
'Thanks Kao!' Ranma thought as he finally made it out the door and rushed down the stairs to the bottom floor to make it to work on time.
~_~_~_~_~ 31 minutes later...~_~_~_~_~
Ranma burst into the door of the bar, only mildly out of breath. "I-I'm here!" He called out, hoping to attract the attention of the owner.
The man with the cigarette appeared and smiled. "Ah! You're that new kid... Ram... Ra..."
"Ranma..." Ranma reminded him, finding himself thinking if his employer was doing drugs.
"Right! Ranma... odd name ya know? Hard to forget... Anyway, I'm Takeshi. You'll work behind the bar tonight. Shouldn't be too big of a crowd, it being the middle of the week and all. No one wants a hangover on a workday... You memorize those drinks?"
Ranma smirked. "Heh, no problem. I'll get right on it!" So saying, he leapt behind the counter, which was quite impressive, seeing as the bar was some feet away from Ranma where he had stood.
"Man kid, you ever gonna stop surprising me?" Takeshi chuckled, taking a long drag of his cigarette and puffing the smoke out into the room and causing Ranma to cough several seconds later.
Ranma looked about, seeing few people already enjoying their drinks, so he took a look around the bar. The place was a wreck, that much was obvious. Crusty bits of who knows what left on the counter, what looked like 100 year old liquors stocked behind the bar, moldy lemons and limes ready to be juiced weeks ago.
Ranma winced, realizing that this wasn't going to be the walk in the park he thought it would be. Sighing and hanging his head, Ranma began to clean the area up and try to get it into some kind of working order.
The night had gone smoothly so far, and Ranma had made good progress cleaning the bar. He had the counter top shining and showing the grain of the wood again, fresh lemons and limes ready to be served or juiced as needed. Old liquors replaced by not so new ones, but passable ones.
Currently, he was wiping a glass clean of leftover grime from whatever previous customer had left in it. Several were already finished and now clear and shining once more.
That was when she walked in.
He normally wouldn't have noticed her, and just labeled her as another customer, but there was something about her that caught his attention...
He didn't know if it was her spiky cyan hair, or odd shaped ears. Or perhaps it was the twin tracks of tears that ran down her cheeks, and her puffy red eyes that indicated a significant amount of crying.
Ranma winced as she collapsed into a seat and hung her head miserably.
Still wiping the glass clean, Ranma approached her and spoke softly. "What can I get for ya?"
She glanced up at him briefly, giving him a withering look before speaking in a manner that just did not seem like her. "Sake."
Ranma nodded and set the glass down before walking off and getting a small bottle of sake and a dish for her to drink out of. Returning several moments later, he set them both down and watched as she popped open the bottle and drank straight out of it. She began to reach to her wallet to pay for the drink but Ranma interrupted her.
"Forget it, it's on me." He stated as he watched her closely, trying to discern what had been the cause of the pain that was so evident in her eyes.
She raised a brow, before her eyes narrowed.
"What's your name?"
"Ranma." He replied, giving her a warm smile in hopes to cheer her up.
Any hope was extinguished when she reached across the bar and put her hand around his neck. "You hitting on me, Ranma" She asked in a falsely happy tone, her eyes glinting dangerously.
"Er... no." Ranma stammered, scared of the wrath of women that had been invoked many times on his account. "I just don't like seeing women sad... I wanted to cheer you up."
She narrowed her eyes in warning before shoving Ranma away and returning to her drink.
Rubbing his neck, Ranma stood his ground, but decided not to give her anything else. "So, what's your name? Can I get that at least?"
The woman gave him a disparaging glance before sighing, as if resigning to some fate. "Ryoko." She muttered, before taking another long swig of sake.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Okay, this should tide you people over while I try and get another chapter of King of Storms out. I would have had this out sooner, if not for the fact that I rewrote the entire second half of this story. More like the last two-thirds actually...
Anyway, Ryoko has won, and the topic of Multiple wives and Jurian ancestry is still up in the air. I have almost decided whether or not to make him Jurian, but I still want to know what you all think.
Read and Review please! Flamers piss off!
Ja! Gundraw.