Ranma/Hannibal; Mind Games
The young boy walked listlessly out into the street, seeming in a daze. Several morning pedestrians spotted him, and fretted over such a young child walking in the middle of the street, despite barely any traffic ever passing on it.
A lady on her way to work took the initiative, and walked out to the boy, "Young man, where are your parents? You shouldn't be walking out in the middle of the street!"
As soon as she approached the boy, he seemed to only then notice her. With a shrill scream of panic, he dropped to the ground, covering his face with his arms in a screaming wail.
The woman abruptly stopped, wide-eyed at the scene.
________________________________
"Tokyo?"
Cologne nodded, "There has been several rather, exorbant killings as of late, proposed by a single person."
"What makes the so sure of that?" Ryoga spat in his usual constant anger, "it could be a whole group of guys! Why should we even believe it's Ranma?"
"Is there a reason not to?" Mousse replied in a collected, unemotional voice. He kept his back turned towards the elder and his current partner, staring at the campfire.
"YES!" Ryoga shouted, "If it isn't Ranma, we would have wasted our time with some bastard out to make a name for himself! Ranma's the one we need to be concerned about!"
"And we have no leads as to where Ranma currently is at the moment," Cologne interjected, "As far as we are in things, we have no other ideas. If this does indeed turn into a farce..."
"Then Ranma will know that we're here!" Ryoga snapped.
Cologne stared at Ryoga, barely witholding her anger, "You will be silent when I speak, and you will follow my directions. Do you not recall the pledge you made in order to regain your vengence on him?"
Ryoga's eyes narrowed, "I am not about to waste time on a wild goose chase for some idiot with a knife fettish. Ranma's far more dangerous than any-"
"Ryoga."
"What do you want, Mousse?"
The Amazon male turned towards the two, allowing his crystal blue eyes, a side effect of his advance soul of ice training, to be seen by them, "The news reports stated that there was an amazing amount of precision done to the bodies... as they were fleeing, not when they were dead."
Ryoga's face firmed in comprehension, "So, you believe it was done by a martial artist?"
"Whoever it is was called 'the Surgical killer' by the media for his precision in his kills. Many have even gone as far as to say that there wasn't a blade that would be long enough to cut someone in half that could remain sharp enough to make cuts so clean. We all know that a martial artist of high calibur would be able to weild a sword with enough ability to make a cut perfectly clean, like a surgeon's scapel. Mousse explained, his voice remaining even, uncaring, through out.
"So, boy, do you choose to still argue against our next course of action?" Cologne enquired with a voice that dared the bandanna clad boy to say 'no'.
Ryoga snarled, "I guess this is our best bet, at the moment..."
________________________________
"[-cent string of murders by the publically dubbed 'surgical killer' has yet to show any signs of...]"
Akane and Ranma came downstairs, finding both their parents staring sternly at the television. Genma and Soun turned towards their children with grim expressions.
"Akane, I would like you to go get your sisters for a family meeting."
Not questioning the serious, concerned expression her father wore, Akane complied. Within moments, both Kasumi and Nabiki were joined Ranma and Akane across from their fathers.
Soun was halfway through his cigerette, and quickly attempting to finish it. The girls noticed that he still had his pack of carthenoginics out in the open, as if he were ready to recieve another one; whatever he had to say, wasn't going to be good.
"Girls, and Ranma," Soun began, before taking another puff, "There has been a recent outbreak of serial killings in Tokyo, as well as young children being kidnapped during the night, and returned the next day, traumitized."
The girls all looked at each other, nervously, as Ranma nodded solumnly to both parents. "You're want'n us to start being careful, right Mr. Tendou, Pops?"
"Indeed," Soun replied, "Nabiki, Kasumi, I request that the two of you are not to leave the house, unless it's within the company of me, Genma, Ranma, or your Sister Akane."
"I... I understand, father," Kasumi replied. Nabiki showed her distate for the idea, but said nothing, for she saw the prudence in it.
"Akane, Ranma, you two best be on your guard at all times, and remember the code of the martial artist."
"You can count on me, Dad," Akane answered.
"Always," Ranma added with a confident smirk, before his expression turned serious, "I promise, on my word as a martial artist, that I won't let any harm fall on your daughters."
"Thank you, my boy," the Tendou Patriarch replied, gratefully, before continuing, "This is only until these incidents are resolved, so do not fret, my daughters."
"Yes, Father," All three girls replied in unison.
"Boy, you better uphold the Saotome honor in this," Genma commanded his son in a strict and stern voice.
"Don't worry, Pops, i'll protect whatever honor you haven't already destroyed," Ranma returned, iliciting puzzled looks from the Tendous.
"You may go, girls, and remember to practice extreme caution." The three girls nodded, before standing, and leaving. Ranma had gotten up to follow them, before his father's voice stopped him.
"Ranma, where have you been going in the middle of the night?"
The pigtailed girl stopped, and looked back at the two, "Out to think about things. You know I do that when I can't sleep, Pops."
"Just as well," Soun continued for the elder Saotome, "It would be best if you remained within grounds of the household on your... nightly excursions."
"And why's that?" Ranma equired, not liking the idea.
"You may be an elite martial artist, but it doesn't pay to take chances in these matters," Soun answered, arguing the prudence of his and Genma's decision.
"So, you're tell'n me that you're afraid some sick jerk's gonna be able to get the drop on me?" Ranma challenged, internally holding her amusement in, while externally feigning outrage.
"This is for your own good, boy, listen to your elders," Genma ordered, changing Ranma's internal mirth to a great deal of irritance.
"Whatever," the pigtailed girl responded, getting up, and leaving the room.
Ranma walked out into the yard, and stood on the porch, staring ahead, "You can come out now, Nabiki-chan. I know you were listening in."
"Don't call me that," Nabiki commanded, coming out from her hiding place, "Just what have you been doing during your nights, Saotome?"
Ranma chuckled at her demands, "A boy's gotta have his privacy, Nabiki-chan."
"Damn it! I'm older than you... Ranma-chan!" Nabiki responded with no little bile.
"Oh, now that we're so cavalierly using such intimate names for each other, I guess we know one another rather well!" Ranma replied in a jovial tone, "So what have you found out about me, now that would bring out this change in our interpersonal relationship?"
Nabiki seethed, finding Ranma's goading almost unbearable, "Mark my words, Ranma, I will expose you, and whatever secrets your holding from us to the rest of the family, then we'll see if you're worthy to be our fiance`.
"Please do," Ranma replied in a conversational tone, "I mean, I loathe the idea of three such lovely women being forced into a marraige with someone they hardly knew."
Nabiki stood, staring after Ranma, as she chuckled, and walked away.
________________________________
Akane sat in her room, contemplating her previous match with Ranma. he was truly far above her in skill, but she didn't lord it over her as she expected most would do at any time since.
'Hopefully you never have to go the same route I did, Akane.'
"Did he really have to suffer a lot to get as good as he was?" Akane thought out loud to herself, now finding herself balancing out the fairness of Ranma's ability compared to hers, with whatever unexplained hells Ranma had to contend to get where he was.
Akane realized it. Ranma had gone out of his way to be friendly to her, and every time she had resolved to do the same, she would back out of her word at almost any slight, real or imagined.
"I'm such a hypocrite," Akane said to herself, deciding if she was really going to make it up to Ranma, she would stand by him, and no longer question his integrity, especially with the two of them charged with protecting her sisters.
After all, it was obvious. Unlike most boys, all Ranma wanted from her was a friend, and it was clear that he would never intentionally harm her.
________________________________
Nabiki stared at the ceiling, as she lay in bed. She hadn't removed her clothes for the night, mainly because she didn't expect much sleep this evening.
Across from her room, she heard the guest room door slide open, and footsteps descend down the stairway. That's what Nabiki had been waiting for.
Quickly, she opened her door; not making a sound as she ensured the hinges were well oiled, and quietly descended the stairs, while making careful steps to avoid the creaky spots she was aware of.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard the front door open, then close gently, and waited several seconds before following. In the darkness of the grounds, she could barely make out Ranma striding for the front gates. It wasn't until he easily opened them that his silouette could be made out properly, before he closed the gates behind him.
Instead of opening the gates, Nabiki walked to the front wall, near one of the corners, and climbed a ladder she had placed there earlier.
Stealthily, she jumped from the wall, wincing slightly at the impact. "I need to start practicing a bit more again, I guess," She mused to herself, before looking ahead, and finding Ranma strolling away under the streetlight, oblivious to the world around him.
She continued to trail him, keeping to the shadows and behind walls, and maintaining a good distance between them. Eventually, Ranma made it to his destination, the bridge overpass for the canal. Nabiki watched him descend the stairs, before following, herself.
Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, on the sideway by the canal, and looked both ways, no longer finding Ranma around. Surprised, she looked down one way once more, before turning to run the other way. She stopped under the bridge, and scowled slightly.
"Where the hell did he go?" she thought to herself, not hearing the body stealthily drop from the bridge, and land soundlessly behind her.
With a sudden shock, Nabiki found her mouth covered, causing her to scream into it, while a masculine chest pressed into her back, and a second arm wrapped around her waist, pinning her to her assailent.
"I'm glad you decided to join me on this evening stroll," Ranma commented, as he held Nabiki in his grasp. She attempted to scream again, and frowned, "Ah, ah, it wouldn't do to draw attention to ourselves, would it? What would everyone think about our little nightly rendevous?"
Nabiki couldn't see it, but she could *feel* his expression change into a dangerous smirk. "You are determined to find out so much about me," Ranma continued, adjusting his hold as she tried to shake herself out of his grasp. He was then forced to lift her off the ground to keep her from gaining any leverage, "I have went through the trouble of setting things up so that you may understand some of my... experiences."
Before Nabiki could even contemplate on what he meant by that, she felt conciousness leave her.
The young boy walked listlessly out into the street, seeming in a daze. Several morning pedestrians spotted him, and fretted over such a young child walking in the middle of the street, despite barely any traffic ever passing on it.
A lady on her way to work took the initiative, and walked out to the boy, "Young man, where are your parents? You shouldn't be walking out in the middle of the street!"
As soon as she approached the boy, he seemed to only then notice her. With a shrill scream of panic, he dropped to the ground, covering his face with his arms in a screaming wail.
The woman abruptly stopped, wide-eyed at the scene.
________________________________
"Tokyo?"
Cologne nodded, "There has been several rather, exorbant killings as of late, proposed by a single person."
"What makes the so sure of that?" Ryoga spat in his usual constant anger, "it could be a whole group of guys! Why should we even believe it's Ranma?"
"Is there a reason not to?" Mousse replied in a collected, unemotional voice. He kept his back turned towards the elder and his current partner, staring at the campfire.
"YES!" Ryoga shouted, "If it isn't Ranma, we would have wasted our time with some bastard out to make a name for himself! Ranma's the one we need to be concerned about!"
"And we have no leads as to where Ranma currently is at the moment," Cologne interjected, "As far as we are in things, we have no other ideas. If this does indeed turn into a farce..."
"Then Ranma will know that we're here!" Ryoga snapped.
Cologne stared at Ryoga, barely witholding her anger, "You will be silent when I speak, and you will follow my directions. Do you not recall the pledge you made in order to regain your vengence on him?"
Ryoga's eyes narrowed, "I am not about to waste time on a wild goose chase for some idiot with a knife fettish. Ranma's far more dangerous than any-"
"Ryoga."
"What do you want, Mousse?"
The Amazon male turned towards the two, allowing his crystal blue eyes, a side effect of his advance soul of ice training, to be seen by them, "The news reports stated that there was an amazing amount of precision done to the bodies... as they were fleeing, not when they were dead."
Ryoga's face firmed in comprehension, "So, you believe it was done by a martial artist?"
"Whoever it is was called 'the Surgical killer' by the media for his precision in his kills. Many have even gone as far as to say that there wasn't a blade that would be long enough to cut someone in half that could remain sharp enough to make cuts so clean. We all know that a martial artist of high calibur would be able to weild a sword with enough ability to make a cut perfectly clean, like a surgeon's scapel. Mousse explained, his voice remaining even, uncaring, through out.
"So, boy, do you choose to still argue against our next course of action?" Cologne enquired with a voice that dared the bandanna clad boy to say 'no'.
Ryoga snarled, "I guess this is our best bet, at the moment..."
________________________________
"[-cent string of murders by the publically dubbed 'surgical killer' has yet to show any signs of...]"
Akane and Ranma came downstairs, finding both their parents staring sternly at the television. Genma and Soun turned towards their children with grim expressions.
"Akane, I would like you to go get your sisters for a family meeting."
Not questioning the serious, concerned expression her father wore, Akane complied. Within moments, both Kasumi and Nabiki were joined Ranma and Akane across from their fathers.
Soun was halfway through his cigerette, and quickly attempting to finish it. The girls noticed that he still had his pack of carthenoginics out in the open, as if he were ready to recieve another one; whatever he had to say, wasn't going to be good.
"Girls, and Ranma," Soun began, before taking another puff, "There has been a recent outbreak of serial killings in Tokyo, as well as young children being kidnapped during the night, and returned the next day, traumitized."
The girls all looked at each other, nervously, as Ranma nodded solumnly to both parents. "You're want'n us to start being careful, right Mr. Tendou, Pops?"
"Indeed," Soun replied, "Nabiki, Kasumi, I request that the two of you are not to leave the house, unless it's within the company of me, Genma, Ranma, or your Sister Akane."
"I... I understand, father," Kasumi replied. Nabiki showed her distate for the idea, but said nothing, for she saw the prudence in it.
"Akane, Ranma, you two best be on your guard at all times, and remember the code of the martial artist."
"You can count on me, Dad," Akane answered.
"Always," Ranma added with a confident smirk, before his expression turned serious, "I promise, on my word as a martial artist, that I won't let any harm fall on your daughters."
"Thank you, my boy," the Tendou Patriarch replied, gratefully, before continuing, "This is only until these incidents are resolved, so do not fret, my daughters."
"Yes, Father," All three girls replied in unison.
"Boy, you better uphold the Saotome honor in this," Genma commanded his son in a strict and stern voice.
"Don't worry, Pops, i'll protect whatever honor you haven't already destroyed," Ranma returned, iliciting puzzled looks from the Tendous.
"You may go, girls, and remember to practice extreme caution." The three girls nodded, before standing, and leaving. Ranma had gotten up to follow them, before his father's voice stopped him.
"Ranma, where have you been going in the middle of the night?"
The pigtailed girl stopped, and looked back at the two, "Out to think about things. You know I do that when I can't sleep, Pops."
"Just as well," Soun continued for the elder Saotome, "It would be best if you remained within grounds of the household on your... nightly excursions."
"And why's that?" Ranma equired, not liking the idea.
"You may be an elite martial artist, but it doesn't pay to take chances in these matters," Soun answered, arguing the prudence of his and Genma's decision.
"So, you're tell'n me that you're afraid some sick jerk's gonna be able to get the drop on me?" Ranma challenged, internally holding her amusement in, while externally feigning outrage.
"This is for your own good, boy, listen to your elders," Genma ordered, changing Ranma's internal mirth to a great deal of irritance.
"Whatever," the pigtailed girl responded, getting up, and leaving the room.
Ranma walked out into the yard, and stood on the porch, staring ahead, "You can come out now, Nabiki-chan. I know you were listening in."
"Don't call me that," Nabiki commanded, coming out from her hiding place, "Just what have you been doing during your nights, Saotome?"
Ranma chuckled at her demands, "A boy's gotta have his privacy, Nabiki-chan."
"Damn it! I'm older than you... Ranma-chan!" Nabiki responded with no little bile.
"Oh, now that we're so cavalierly using such intimate names for each other, I guess we know one another rather well!" Ranma replied in a jovial tone, "So what have you found out about me, now that would bring out this change in our interpersonal relationship?"
Nabiki seethed, finding Ranma's goading almost unbearable, "Mark my words, Ranma, I will expose you, and whatever secrets your holding from us to the rest of the family, then we'll see if you're worthy to be our fiance`.
"Please do," Ranma replied in a conversational tone, "I mean, I loathe the idea of three such lovely women being forced into a marraige with someone they hardly knew."
Nabiki stood, staring after Ranma, as she chuckled, and walked away.
________________________________
Akane sat in her room, contemplating her previous match with Ranma. he was truly far above her in skill, but she didn't lord it over her as she expected most would do at any time since.
'Hopefully you never have to go the same route I did, Akane.'
"Did he really have to suffer a lot to get as good as he was?" Akane thought out loud to herself, now finding herself balancing out the fairness of Ranma's ability compared to hers, with whatever unexplained hells Ranma had to contend to get where he was.
Akane realized it. Ranma had gone out of his way to be friendly to her, and every time she had resolved to do the same, she would back out of her word at almost any slight, real or imagined.
"I'm such a hypocrite," Akane said to herself, deciding if she was really going to make it up to Ranma, she would stand by him, and no longer question his integrity, especially with the two of them charged with protecting her sisters.
After all, it was obvious. Unlike most boys, all Ranma wanted from her was a friend, and it was clear that he would never intentionally harm her.
________________________________
Nabiki stared at the ceiling, as she lay in bed. She hadn't removed her clothes for the night, mainly because she didn't expect much sleep this evening.
Across from her room, she heard the guest room door slide open, and footsteps descend down the stairway. That's what Nabiki had been waiting for.
Quickly, she opened her door; not making a sound as she ensured the hinges were well oiled, and quietly descended the stairs, while making careful steps to avoid the creaky spots she was aware of.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard the front door open, then close gently, and waited several seconds before following. In the darkness of the grounds, she could barely make out Ranma striding for the front gates. It wasn't until he easily opened them that his silouette could be made out properly, before he closed the gates behind him.
Instead of opening the gates, Nabiki walked to the front wall, near one of the corners, and climbed a ladder she had placed there earlier.
Stealthily, she jumped from the wall, wincing slightly at the impact. "I need to start practicing a bit more again, I guess," She mused to herself, before looking ahead, and finding Ranma strolling away under the streetlight, oblivious to the world around him.
She continued to trail him, keeping to the shadows and behind walls, and maintaining a good distance between them. Eventually, Ranma made it to his destination, the bridge overpass for the canal. Nabiki watched him descend the stairs, before following, herself.
Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, on the sideway by the canal, and looked both ways, no longer finding Ranma around. Surprised, she looked down one way once more, before turning to run the other way. She stopped under the bridge, and scowled slightly.
"Where the hell did he go?" she thought to herself, not hearing the body stealthily drop from the bridge, and land soundlessly behind her.
With a sudden shock, Nabiki found her mouth covered, causing her to scream into it, while a masculine chest pressed into her back, and a second arm wrapped around her waist, pinning her to her assailent.
"I'm glad you decided to join me on this evening stroll," Ranma commented, as he held Nabiki in his grasp. She attempted to scream again, and frowned, "Ah, ah, it wouldn't do to draw attention to ourselves, would it? What would everyone think about our little nightly rendevous?"
Nabiki couldn't see it, but she could *feel* his expression change into a dangerous smirk. "You are determined to find out so much about me," Ranma continued, adjusting his hold as she tried to shake herself out of his grasp. He was then forced to lift her off the ground to keep her from gaining any leverage, "I have went through the trouble of setting things up so that you may understand some of my... experiences."
Before Nabiki could even contemplate on what he meant by that, she felt conciousness leave her.