Chapter 42: Terror of Taro

Nabiki groaned as she regained consciousness. It took a moment for her to recover her barings and realise she was currently tied to a streetlight by what seemed to be silk pantyhose. Looking down she saw she was a good two to two and a half metres off the ground.

"Great, even if I figure out how to get out of this that fall is going to hurt," she muttered.

She had to work something out quickly though. Akane was in trouble and time was everything with kidnappings. She also wanted to know why she hadn't been taken along with her sister. Surely two girls were worth a higher ransom than just one?

The boys' gym class was being sent to run laps around the school ground once again. This time, however, Ranma was surprised to see Ukyo keeping up with him and Shui.

"Figured out a new breathin' technique or something, Ucchan?" Ranma asked as they jogged a good 50m ahead of the next fastest runners.

"No, no. I hadn't had a chance to mention it since we've not had a chance to chat without evesdroppers, but I've used some Jusenkyo powder yesterday, and got Shampoo to Cat's Tongue me until I've regained your trust, Ranchan. Since it worked for her, we figured it's worth a try," the chef replied.

Ranma gave a nervous glance to Shui, who gave a curt nod of confirmation.

"It is honestly nice to be able to breathe easier like this," Ukyo continued.

"I haven't tried wrapping like you, but I can say I that joggin' is certainly less of hassle in guy form," Ranma replied. "Sports bras only do so much."

"One good thing about this curse," Shui added as the trio rounded a corner of the school.

That was where they stumbled to a stop as a sprinting Hibari slammed into Shui, causing a domino effect that ended with a pile of teens.

"Ow," Ranma grumbled from the bottom of the pile up. "What the heck's goin' on?"

"Emergency phone call from home," Hibari replied, having somehow wiggled herself to have her lips in position to quickly kiss Ranma on the cheek. "Nabiki showed up, and apparently some weirdo kidnapped Akane. Wants us to stage a rescue."

"A rescue? After she said those mean things to tongzhi?" Shui asked.

"Nabiki says she was on her way to apologise, had some sort of revelation about life and gender and things. Tsugumi thinks she might be in a little bit of shock, not used to getting beaten up," Hibari explained.

"Can we untangle ourselves before continuing this conversation?" Ukyo asked, trying to wiggle out.

"Oh, yeah," Hibari mumbled, before yelping. "Oy, Spatula, watch the elbows. That was my boob."

"Sorry, sorry," Ukyo stammered while managing to slip free.

Ranma found himself being pulled up by Shui and Hibari, and blushed a bit when both found an opportunity to get a bit handsy in doing so.

"C-can we go focus on the rescue?" a thoroughly flustered Ranma asked.

"Right, yep," Hibari replied innocently.

Suzume and her friends hurriedded out the front gate of their school. They all wanted to get home quickly to watch their favourite after-school cartoons before having to focus on homework.

That focus fizzled however when a massive shadow passed over the trio of young girls. The three young girls looked up, curious to see if it was a plane, or maybe a blimp.

Instead they were greeted by the sight of what seemed to be a flying gorilla. The mysterious beast turned around and began heading in their directions, swooping down towards the ground.

As it landed heavily Suzume's friends screamed and fled. The youngest Oozora however stood rooted to the spot, her gut filled with a mixture of wonder and dread.

She could see now that the creature had the head of a cow, and cows were friendly creatures, weren't they? She hoped that would mean this thing was friendly too, because her curiosity had left her in place too long to run now.

The giant beast loomed over her, and she saw its eyes did not look kind. A hand reached out and grabbed her by the shirt, lifting her a couple metres from the ground, resulting in a panicked shriek form the 9 year old Oozora.

Tears began to run down the young girl's face as she found her life potential in danger. "P-please, gorilla-bull-san, d-don't hurt me."

The creature huffed before it's massive wings unfurled and the pair were airborne faster that Suzume would have thought possible if any rational part of her brain were still working.

A bruised and battered Nabiki was surrounded as Ranma, Ukyo, Hibari, and Shui tried to get any clues they could out of her to figure out who this unknown kidnapper might be.

"You said he sounds Chinese, but what type of accent? More Beijing? Hong Kong? Interior?" Shui asked.

Nabiki gave the cursed girl a slight glare from under the ice pack she held to her forehead. "I'm not a linguist, okay? I just know he sounded Chinese."

"Fair... accent is probably as affected by who he learned Japanese from as it is which dialect he started with," Shui admitted.

"What style did he seem like he was using?" Ranma asked.

"I'm not really all that great at identifying that stuff. I... wait, no, he seemed to go for long strikes. I think that's more northern China, right?"

Shui and Ranma nodded.

"Generally," Shui replied.

"Couldn't tell you who it is," Genma said as he walked into the room. The man's face was serious and his tone fatherly. "I was on the phone with your father, Nabiki. Neither of us are sure who would identify themself as our school's nemesis. Oozora said he'd send his men out to comb for witnesses."

Before anyone could say anything more the sound of the telephone ringing reached the room. Everyone dashed towards the phone, however Tsugumi had been nearest and picked it up. The others wondered who was phoning now when suddenly the eldest Oozora girl's face turned pale. The normally calm girl seemed on the edge of shock as she hung up the phone.

"S-Suzume... sh-she was taken by some sort of flying creature," Tsugumi muttered, staring out the window. "A half dozen children walking the same directions as her and a few residents of the area all reported roughly the same thing."

All eyes turned to Shui.

"Is there a cursed spring for that?" Ukyo asked.

"Maybe," Shui replied. "I need to go back to the restaurant. Great grandmother would know."

"I'll go get Soun and Kasumi," Genma said. "It would be safer for them to be here with Oozora's men if there's some sort of monster on the prowl."

"I think it'd be best if nobody's travellin' alone. From what Nabiki's said, this guy's a serious threat in human form. Don't even wanna know what he can do in beast form," Ranma said. "Ukyo, you wanna go with Shampoo while Hibari and I go with pops?"

The chef looked ready to argue for a moment, but sighed and nodded. "Alright, sure thing Ran-chan."

The Japanese part timers were proving better that Cologne had expected. It only took two of them to equal Shampoo's serving abilities. Still, her great grandchild was a bit late for her return from school, and the dinner rush was likely to start up soon. The sound of the back door opening brought a smile to the old woman's face, the child was right on cue. The footsteps were heavier, which meant the teen was in cursed form.

"I think it will be a waiter night then, child," Cologne said while focusing on dicing a potato.

«Great grandmother, we have an emergency,» Shui announced, her Mandarin rapid and worried. Ukyo followed right behind her, watching their rear.

Realising Shui was panicking, Cologne did not chide her for slacking on Japanese practice. «What is wrong, child?»

«The youngest Tendo and Oozora girls were both kidnapped by someone who said they were a nemesis of the school of my fiancées. The kidnapper may have a Jusenkyo curse. There was a human kidnapper and a giant winged beast, which seem likely to be the same person?» Shui explained rapidly, pacing a bit.

«Hm, it could be the spring of the drowned yeti-riding-a-water-buffalo-carrying-a-crane-and-an-eel...» Cologne replied after a moment's contemplation.

Shui blinked, which didn't surprise Cologne. That spring's name was such a mouthful. She'd only remembered the name because it was so bizarre.

«The Jusenkyo visitor's records were also stolen recently... it would make sense that someone tied to the springs is up to a plot of some sort.»

"What are you all chatting about?" Mousse asked as he wandered into the kitchen, a few dirty plates in hand.

Ukyo gave him a confused shrug.

«Important things, not idle masculine gossip like you no doubt hope,» Shui grumbled.

"And yet you're participating," Mousse replied with a smirk as he glanced down to Shui's body.

Shui grew flush while glaring at the short haired waiter. «Even in this form I'm a woman, you idiot.»

"One moment, part-timer," Cologne said, switching to Japanese as she realised how confused Ukyo was looking. "I remember you crawled in here with a smile and a black eye a few nights ago. You wouldn't happen to have met a winged beast of a man looking for vengeance on the martial arts school of my future in laws would you?"

"I... no. Definitely not. Do you really think I have so little dignity as to aid someone who beat me up simply because I share a common enemy with them?" Mousse declared.

"You have not had an ounce of dignity since we were seven years old and you ate that toad," Shui replied flatly. "Tell me who we're dealing with. Now."

"Why should I?" Mousse fumed. "He's Saotome and Oozora's problem, not yours."

"He has kidnapped two people. Including a child," Ukyo shot back.

"W-wait... what? He didn't say anything about planning to kidnap anyone! He just said he was after the creepy little slime who taught Saotome's dad," Mousse stammered. "I... I don't actually know what he's after, or where he went though. But I refuse to be the accessory to a kidnapping. Let me help out."

Shui glared at the bespectacled teen for a moment. "...Fine. Make up for your idiocy."

As the door opened Akane struggled with her restraints that held her to a wooden pillar in this old building (the restraints, being that they were silk stockings, were surprisingly strong). She wanted to teach this creep a lesson. The pantyhose held however, which may have been a good thing as a terrifying winged best lumbered in, carrying a terrified young girl in its arms. In the low light it took Akane a moment to recognize the little blue haired girl.

The beast grunted and tossed Suzume in Akane's direction, the young girl landing in a sprawled position a metre or so from the other hostage.

"What the heck are you?" Akane shouted at it. "That's no way to treat a child!"

The beast snorted, turned away, and left the room (closing the door behind it). All Akane could do was glare at the door for a moment before turning to the younger girl.

"Are you okay? I hope you're not hurt too bad?" Akane asked in her best attempt at a calm and reassuring tone.

"I-I scraped my knee and hand when I fell," Suzume replied, trying to keep calm. "I th-think I'm all out of my tears for the day, but I still want to cry."

Akane nodded. "I hate to have to ask this, but are you any good with knots? If you can untie me I can try to take a better look at your scrapes."

"Y-yep. I'll see if I can figure it out," the young girl said, wincing only a little as she pulled herself to her feet.

"If you can feel a bit of pain then that's a good sign," Akane said as the girl came her way. "It means you're almost certainly not in shock. Which keeps things easier."

"Tsugumi told me all about shock," Suzume said as she walked around and began fussing with the knots. "Since daddy has a bad heart, and sometimes the men who work for daddy get hurt, Tsugumi is really good with first aid and other things. Sabu and Seiji are both really good too. And... oh, that was the wrong way. Um... This is a fancy knot. How did that big creature tie it?"

"It was a guy who captured me. I don't know if he's, like, a werewolf or something, but his eyes were just like that beast's. Pure evil," Akane replied.

"Maybe he has a curse," Suzume offered. "Like uncle Genma, turning into a big creature."

"Wait, uncle Genma does what?" Akane asked.

Ibari sat in the room he generally considered his 'war room' in moments of crisis as Sabu and Seiji manned the phone lines, getting information from the men sent out to hunt for clues. While the guy who kidnapped Akane was subtle enough to leave few witnesses the giant winged beast (that all were sure was connected, if not the same person... the Saotomes had really turned his sense of normal upside down) left many witnesses all across the ward. Reports were even coming in from elsewhere in Tokyo, though some where wildly contradictory in timing vs location.

A frustrated Ibari took a sip of saké as he tried to map out the reports, hoping there'd be a trend of some sort. It seemed like maybe the creature was set up somewhere in the more mountainous western parts of Tokyo, but it wasn't a clear enough majority of the sightings for Ibari to feel confident.

"It's a kidnapping, then they'll surely make their demands known at some point," Nabiki muttered (mostly to herself) as she sat in a corner.

"I hope so," Ibari replied, taking another swig of saké.

It was then that the doorbell rang. Ibari and a small army of yakuza thugs swarmed to the door. The men were armed with a wide array ofweapons, almost all highly illegal. As they got into place behind the door a junior thug nervously slid the door open.

"Oh, quite the greeting," the evil eyed teen outside said.

"Are you one of the kidnappers?" Ibari seethed.

"The only one," the boy replied.

"Get him!" Ibari shouted, as the thugs and martial artists swarmed forward to tackle the lad.

The teen made no effort to struggle and let himself be tied up and dragged out to the dojo. Nabiki was called in to confirm his identity, which she did before leaving to lie down again.

"I doubt he'd be dumb enough to get captured if he's really working alone," Ibari said, now that the boy's identity was confirmed. "Men, get out and guard the compound. Who knows what friends he might have."

The thugs saluted and rushed off in their various directions. Ibari remained in the dojo with Seiji and Sabu.

"Alright, pal. What are you after?" Ibari hissed.

"That's easy. I want the founder of Anything Goes style. Alive, though sedated might make my life easier," the teen replied.

"The little pervert?" Ibari asked, disdain no doubt evident in his voice. He hated that little slime and the idea of any of his children having to be in the same city as the creep.

"I have a bone to pick with him. And very little patience for anyone who respects him."

"I hate the man, but I have no idea where he is. He beat up too many of the men I had keeping an eye on him, and now he's left town. I'd be happy to help you find him... once you return my daughter, as well as Tendo's girl," Ibari replied flatly.

The prisoner gave Ibari a lidded stare. "I'm not handing over the hostages until you give him up."

"Then we'll do this the hard way... well, hard for you," Ibari said, a slightly evil smile. He didn't usually go for the darker side of things, but this was for Suzume. "Seiji, go get Kim and Shinoda. Tell them to bring the special equipment."

"Woah, hey. There's no need for torture. I'll cooperate a bit if you could just bring me something to drink. I'm rather parched," the boy replied, perhaps just a touch too amicably.

Ibari blinked. He hadn't expected such a quick change of tune off the kid. "Sure, alright. Change of plans, Seiji. Tell Tsugumi to bring some juice for our guest."

Soun had been an emotional wreck when they made it to the Tendo home. Genma had dug out something from Soun's bedroom that Ranma couldn't quite identify, but certainly smelled stronger than saké, and had the Tendo father drink it. Whatever it was had left the man coughing, but determined.

What Ranma didn't like, however, was the looks Soun began giving him. While Nabiki had claimed Akane was planning an apology it seemed Soun wasn't quite in the same forgiving headspace. It had been starting to take all the pigtailed boy had not to snap at the mustachioed dojo owner when Ranma felt Hibari take his hand.

"We'll deal with him later," she whispered into Ranma's ear. "Saving Akane will hopefully do the convincing for us."

Ranma nodded, before pulling Hibari closer into a hug as they walked. "Thanks for worryin' about me, but I don't want ya ta feel like ya have to watch me while also worryin' about Suzume."

"She's a tough little firecracker. And she's got Akane to help protect her. Even if that girl's a bit confused, I think she'd keep Suzume safe. We know... we know she can fight, at least," Hibari replied, fear creeping into her normally unflappable tone.

"We'll find a lead soon, I'm sure of it," Ranma said, leaning down and kissing the red haired girl on the forehead.

Hibari smiled softly and the pair continued their walk in silence, sticking a bit behind the other three. Ranma could feel that she was holding him in a way that showed more a craving for reassurance than her usual energetic grasp. What he didn't realise was the way his own grasp was just as desperate. He'd come to care for Suzume more than he'd realised. The Oozora girls were going to officially be family in the relatively near future, and Suzume was already practically his own little sister in his heart by now.

The five of them caught a bus for the bulk of the trip to the Oozora home, and apparently the gentle rumbling of the bus was enough to put the inebriated Soun to sleep. Hibari and Kasumi both did their best not to giggle as the Tendo father slumped over onto Genma, but their bests were worn down by the stress of the day and ended in a pair of giggle fits.

Genma being unable to wake Soun, who kept snoring away, and Genma having to carry the man led to more distraction for the worry filling everyone's hearts. Ranma was glad to have a bit of comedy to take his mind of it as they made it the short distance from the bus stop to the Oozora compound.

"Hey, we've got good news," a thug watching the door said as the group approached. "One of the kidnappers showed up, we've got him out in the dojo."

"Really? He just walked up?" Hibari asked as they crossed the threshold into the compound.

"Yeah, was like he wanted ta get captured or sometin'," the thug replied. "Getting interrogated right no—"

The thug's sentence was cut off by the sound of a roof shattering. Realising it was almost certainly the dojo, Ranma, Hibari, and Genma (who let Soun slump into Kasumi's arms) rushed across the compound. They made it just in time to watch as a winged beast took off into the sky, heading to the south.

A few thugs not completely stunned by the appearance of this furry winged demon had begun opening fire, but there was no sign that any hit it.

"Somebody follow him!" Hibari shouted at the men. "Get the cars, or a bike, or something! See where he's going!"

Ranma, on the other hand, chose to rush in towards the dojo, to make sure everyone was alright. He found Sabu slumped against a wall, looking battered and with a (probably) broken leg, but still conscious and mumbling in pain. Seiji was in the middle of the room, a number of timbers from the roof liking on his back as he shielded Ibari under himself. The Yakuza boss was unconscious, and Ranma couldn't tell how hurt he was due to Seiji's position.

"Pops! I'm going to need some help!" Ranma shouted towards the door.

His father appeared a moment later and the pair worked to remove the planks from Seiji. It also took a bit of effort to pull the gorilla of a man off from Ibari, checking both for major injuries.

Tsugumi, Kasumi, and a few of the men with better first aid knowledge soon joined them. Hibari was close behind, though keeping a bit of distance due to first aid not being her specialty.

"I think we'll need a proper doctor," Tsugumi said as she examined her father's arm. "Broken bones are a bit above my specialty, and I think Seiji has some cracked ribs."

"Alright, I'll give both the doctors we know a call," Hibari replied. "I hope we find out where this jerk is hiding soon. I want to give him a piece of my mind."