My Life's Stranger Than Yours

(A/N: A few minor edits have been made to the last chapter. Reread the ending part to that before coming back to this one)

Team S.A.V.E! Saiyaman And friends' Videl Extrication

In the air above a rocky region, our heroic trio scanned the area for the slightest hint to lead them to their captured comrade's location.

"Yo Gohan are we there yet?" asked Ranma.

"I think so. This does look like the same area Baba showed us in her crystal ball, but so far, nothing seems out of the ordinary." He replied.

"Think you should let us down and we search on the ground while you keep at it from the air?" Akane suggested.

"Not a bad idea but keep on your guard you two."

The pair nodded as Gohan dove down, releasing them before ascending back up above the rocks. As Gohan flew away, Akane darted off in a random direction with Ranma close behind.

"Whoa, slow down Akane!"

"Ranma, you know what's at stake here, right? We don't have time to screw around."

"Duh, but do you even know what we're supposed to be looking for?"

"We're looking for Pantyhose Taro, right? It's kind of hard to miss a 10-foot tall winged freak with tentacles."

"That ain't gonna mean anything if he's in human form," Ranma countered.

Akane skidded to a halt, a contemplative look on her face. "True…but then what do you suggest we do?"

Before Ranma could respond, the sound of loud skittering caught their attention. "What was that?" startled Akane.

The pair searched their surroundings and finally lay eyes on something small, round, and metallic with four-legs. "What's that thing?"

"Some kinda robot?"

The pair approached the drone, Ranma picking it up to examine it. "This ain't some kinda toy, right?"

"Why would there be a toy in the middle of a cavern?"

"Campers?"

BREEEEP! BREEEP!

"Gaagh!"

The pair yelped as the droid's lens flashed red and it let out a shrill beep.

"Ranma, what'd you do!?"

"I…I don't know! I ain't good with machines!"

"What's going on down there!?" Following the sound, Saiyaman returned to the duo to find them standing cautiously before the drone. His eyes narrowed beneath his helmet, Gohan simply stepped on the robot, crushing it beneath his foot.

"While I appreciate you making it quiet again Gohan, did you have to break the thing?"

"Yes," Gohan sternly replied. "I'm kind of just guessing, but I think that was some kind of surveillance drone."

"A serving what?"

"Wait…you mean that robot was spying on us?" Akane asked.

"Most likely, which is good and bad."

"How so?"

"The good news is, this robot looked similar to the ones I had to fight back in Satan City, but smaller. That means we've got to be at the right place," Gohan explained.

"Wait, wait, you fought robots?" asked Ranma.

"Yeah."

"…That sounds pretty cool actually…" Ranma pondered.

"Focus!" Akane snapped. "What's the bad news?"

"We lost the element of surprise. This Taro guy probably knows we're here now."

Ranma nonchalantly threw his arms behind his head. "I wouldn't worry too much. As long as we have our secret weapon, that nylon nutcase won't be a problem."

"Wait a minute…you said you fought more robots like that one back in Satan City, right?" asked Akane.

"Yeah?"

"And when did you find out that Videl got taken?"

"It was shortly after I finished…destroying…the robots…" Realization shone on Gohan's beneath the helmet. Clenching his fist, Gohan pounded a nearby rock, smashing it to pieces with a loud, hearty, "Dammit!"

Ranma and Akane took a cautious step back, giving Gohan the space to blow off the steam. Though they couldn't help but be reminded of Gohan's behavior back at Baba's palace.

"O-okay…am I missing something?" asked Ranma.

"That whole robot riot in town was just a diversion," Gohan explained. "Just a ploy to keep me busy while this Taro guy went to attack her."

"Oh, I get it now."

"To be fair, I think Videl could beat Taro in his human form, so it's nothing to beat yourself up over," Akane beamed, trying to ease Gohan's tension.

"…Maybe, but I still feel like I should've been there to stop it," Gohan replied with a soft exhale.

"You can cry about that later. Right now, let's just focus on finding them already!" Ranma exclaimed.

"Right," Gohan replied with a stern nod. Flicking his cape over his shoulder, he jetted back into the air and…

"Wait!"

…fell face first into the ground.

"What's wrong now Akane?" Ranma rolled his eyes.

"I just realized something."

Gohan picked himself up and replied, "What?"

"Where did Taro get the robots from?"

The boys glanced at Akane before bowing their heads in thought. "That's…a good question," said Gohan.

"Yeah…that moron's too stupid to make machines, and he ain't rich enough to buy em' either."

"Akane, you're not suggesting that…!?" Gohan paused before turning his attention to the top of a nearby cliff.

"Gohan?"

"What's…?"

"Look out!"

CHOOM!

Diving towards the betrothed couple, Gohan tackled them both to the ground, just out of the path of a small flash of light that scorched the ground where they once stood.

"Tsk…figures the crossdresser's here too." The male figure reached into his shirt pulling out a radio. "Master, we may have an extra little nuisance to deal with."

[]

"Ow…!" Ranma groaned.

"Sorry about that," he apologized. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah…but what was that?" asked Akane.

"Someone's firing at us," answered Gohan. "It was some kind of ki attack."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Ranma.

"Well you see…"

"Incoming!"

The trio looked up to see another blast heading straight for them. Thankfully, they were all fast enough to easily avoid it.

"Where the heck is that coming from?"

Silently answering the question, Gohan closed his eyes as yet another blast headed their way.

"Dude, get down!" called Ranma.

Ignoring the warning, Gohan merely swayed away from the blast, his eyes flashing open, before narrowing. 'Got it!'

"You two, find some cover and wait here."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I'm going straight for the source." With a clenched fist, Gohan snapped into the air before jetting off in the direction of yet another blast.

"Gohan wait!" called Akane. Her yell would fall on deaf ears as his cape faded from view. "Dang it…! We've got to go after him."

"Race ya there!" With a smirk, Ranma leapt atop a nearby rock formation and onto the next, chasing after Gohan.

"Hey wait up!" yelled a pursuing Akane.

CHOOM!

"Gah-!"

"Kyaaa-!"

Ranma leapt away from yet another yellow blast, bounding off the rock and back down to Akane's level. "Alright where'd THAT come from?" he demanded. "I thought Gohan said it was comin' from ahead of us!"

"That would be me," came a throaty snicker.

The two turned again to a nearby rock formation to see a man with a teched out helmet and some kind of…barrel arm?"

"Who the hell are you?"

The older man placed something in his hand, twisting his wrist before replying, "Sorry kids, but I'm the last man you'll ever see."

Akane instinctively raised her guard at that proclamation. Ranma on the other hand, decided to retort. "What, you're tryin' to kill us? Did that ol' legging loser not have the balls to come face us himse-!"

"Kyaa-!"

"Whoa-!"

Ranma yelped as the pink-clad man seemingly appeared right in front of them and thrust his hand forward, all four fingers pointed outstretched.

'Whoa…didn't even see him move!' Ranma noted. The young fighters each retreated, before standing defiantly against their opponent.

"Impressive reactions children, but for your sake, I hope that's not the best you can do," taunted a raspy voice.

"What the hell are you? A Power Ranger villain?" joked Ranma.

'Kind of fitting given Gohan's costume,' Akane inwardly snickered.

"My name is Tao, and I'm also your executioner," the elder introduced himself.

"Executioner?"

Tao nodded. "You know, our pupil told us to be weary of you boy. Apparently, you've caused him quite the trouble in the past, and he's determined to make sure nothing disrupts his goals today."

'Wait…our pupil?' Akane mentally noted.

"What is he even after? Why'd he take Videl?" Ranma asked.

"Ask your caped friend."

"Ohhh…so it was just to get to Gohan eh? Man, that's cliché…but what beef does Pantyhose have with Gohan anyway?"

Tao remained silent. 'This kid…he keeps saying the name 'Gohan'. Why does that sound so familiar…and why does it…irk me so much?' Determined to keep his concern from showing, he finally replied.

"If you want to know all the details, you'll have to ask our pupil himself. But of course…" Tao hopped over the pair, before landing in their path. "You'll have to get past me first, and I don't intend to let that happen."

"Well I don't intend to letcha stop me!" Ranma countered, also dropping into a defensive stance.

"Ranma!" Akane exclaimed.

"Fine, you won't stop us. Happy now?"

"Not that…I think Gohan's going to have more trouble to deal with than Taro, one of us needs to be there to back him up."

"If you're trying to come up with a plan to get past me, don't bother. I think I've changed my mind, I'll allow one of you to pass," Tao condescendingly raised a finger.

The pair narrowed their eyes, privy to what he was playing at. 'He's probably gonna attack whichever one of us decides to….'

Before Ranma could finish his thoughts, Akane quickly dashed away in a dusty burst. "Hey, Akane!"

Not even bothering to turn back or respond, Akane kept sprinting, determination etched on her face. Ranma's own eyes softened as he gave a firm nod to Akane's retreating form. His gaze then shifted from Akane's to the cybernetic man before him.

"Fear not boy, I you have my word that I won't pursue the girl…that is…not until after I've dealt with you, but don't worry, I'll make it quick and painless. After all, I enjoy the hunt, and I don't intend to let that nice little piece of prey escape."

"Like I said before old timer, I ain't gonna let you!" Ranma took a defensive stance as Tao flashed his young opponent a twisted smirk.

Responding in kind to his young charge, Tao took a defensive stance ad the pair stared each other down. After a short silence, Ranma threw the first blow, leaping in the air and striking with a dive-kick. Tao simply hopped backwards from the attack and swayed away from Ranma's counterattacks, jumping over his sweep kick and swaying away from his high punches.

Bounding a short distance away, Tao shot Ranma a taunting smirk and raised his hand before giving the classic, 'come at me', motion. Not one to disappoint, Ranma resumed his offensive.

[]

On a nearby rock formation, a narrow-eyed Taro grunted at the rapidly approaching Saiyaman. "Guess it's come to this."

In a fierce burst of wind, Satan City's hero appeared right before Taro, his arms crossed and cape flowing.

"So, we finally meet face to face," Taro began.

"I'm not here for pleasantries," Saiyaman shot back. "Where's Videl?"

"Straight to business huh? I heard through the grapevine that you're a showman. Aren't you going to properly introduce yourself?" Taro taunted.

"Where. Is. Videl?" Saiyaman sharply repeated.

With a sigh and a shrug, Taro forwent his attempts at taunting. "Fine, fine, I see how we're doing this. You want to know where that girl is? Unfortunately, I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because even if I did, it won't matter. You won't live long enough to see her again!" raising his hand, Taro pointed at Saiyaman with the familiar yellow glow. "Die! Dodon Ray!"

[]

After leaving Ranma alone with Tao, Akane blazed ahead, desperate to catch up with Gohan who'd similarly left them behind. 'That old guy said Taro was 'Our' pupil, so that probably means Gohan's going to have to fight a two-on-one fight! He won't be able to handle both Taro and whoever else is working with them!'

Akane's thoughts finally ended as she came across the scene of a cross-armed Great Saiyaman faced with a smug-faced Taro.

"There he is! Goha-!"

BMMMM!

"Kyaaa-!"

Akane hopped back as yet another yellow beam was fired at her. "Getting real sick of this…!" she sharply muttered.

"Get used to it girlie. After all, it is our signature technique," came a sinister chuckle.

Akane turned towards the voice and was met with yet another old man, this one wearing a bird shaped hat and sunglasses. "I take it you're a friend of that guy in the helmet?"

"We're brothers actually. My name is Shen, and I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of our pupil's inaugural battle."

Akane's eyes narrowed. 'So Taro found himself a master,' she deduced. "So you're the ones who sent Taro after Videl!"

"Maybe…" shen snickered.

Rushing for the old fighter, Akane raised her fist, poised to attack, but Shen countered her attempt by grabbing her wrist and tossing her over his shoulder. As the young fighter tried to recover, she was struck fiercely in the gut by Shen's diving knee.

"Gaaaaagh-!"

Shen bent over the writhing Akane who clutched her stomach tightly. "Now if you behave yourself, I promise I won't have to get rougher. Though you should consider yourself lucky you'll get a front row seat to watch your friend's ultimate downfall."

Akane rolled over to her front before managing to stand on her knee. Glancing up a nearby rocky ledge, she gasped as Taro swiftly pointed at Gohan and fired the same blast at him, point blank.

"No, Gohan!"

[]

Saiyaman made no attempts to avoid Taro's attack and took the Dodon Ray full force, resulting in a small explosion. After a moment of silence, Pantyhose Taro let out a wicked chuckle before blowing the smoke off his finger. "Hmph…that was almost too easy. How disappointing."

"My thoughts exactly, if that's all you've got."

The smoke cleared to reveal Saiyaman looking nigh unscathed, only a hole in the chest area of his costume.

[]

"Not bad," praised Shen.

'Wow…Gohan didn't even flinch!' added Akane.

[]

Taro snickered. "So, you can take a solid hit. Excellent. That'll make the moment I take you down all the more glorious."

"What business do you even have with me?" Saiyaman countered. "It's obvious you took Videl just to lure me here, but why?"

"You'll figure it out in your next life!" With a twisted cackle, Taro rushed to Saiyaman throwing a punch to the face. Saiyaman easily swayed away from the strike as well as his follow up attack. The assault continued with Saiyaman's expression remaining unchanged while Taro slowly but surely grew more and more irritated.

"Would you hold still!?"

Seemingly complying with Taro's wish, Saiyaman ceased movement, standing idly with his arms crossed. Taro growled before rearing his fist back and striking at Saiyaman with a full, straight punch. This time instead of dodging, Saiyaman caught the attack, holding Taro's hand firmly.

Taro instantly tried to free himself, but to no avail. His ire grew with each failed attempt to pull away from the helmeted hero.

"Let go you…!"

In direct opposition to Taro's wish, Saiyaman gripped his hand harder while also pushing him back. Taro was forced to step back as Saiyaman advanced forward. Despite Taro's desperate attempts to retaliate, he was quickly and effortlessly being brought to his knees by Saiyaman's firm grip.

[]

"I don't believe this!" exclaimed Shen. With a sigh, the Crane Hermit shook his head, disappointment etched on his face. "Such a shame, and to think he showed such promise. Especially with how easily he learned our techniques. Oh well, I guess I can throw him a bone this once."

Akane shakily got to her feet as Shen reached into his shirt, revealing a capsule. As he was about to hurl it towards Taro and Gohan, Akane hastily tackled him, throwing off his aim.

"Get off me, child!" Shen shoved Akane back, though this time, she remained firm.

"Lucky shot last time. This time, I'm going to take you down!"

"You're welcome to try girl, though if your skills are comparable to that napping friend of yours, then you don't have a prayer!"

[]

"I'm going to ask you one more time. Where. Is. Videl?"

Taro grabbed Saiyaman's wrist, fruitlessly trying to pry him off his own. As before, his efforts were in vain as he struggled to free himself. "You…let me go!" Taro demanded.

"I will as soon as you tell me what I want to know!"

Bagoon!

The pair turned to the sound to see what appeared to be a glass bottle hurtling towards them.

"What is…?"

"Dodon Ray!"

With Saiyaman distracted, Taro dashed forward and fired at the incoming projectile shattering it and letting its contents rain down over them. Taro let out a wicked snicker as his form began to change, slowly but surely getting bigger. Saiyaman made an aerial retreat as the kidnapper finally unveiled his crazed, chimeric form and let out a deep echoing, "MOOOOOOOOOO!"

[Meanwhile]

Ranma showered Tao with a barrage of blows that the cyber assassin was successful in defending. Every punch Ranma threw would ultimately be parried, but fortunately for Ranma, he left no room for Tao to attempt countering.

'This boy's good,' Tao inwardly praised. 'His speed is truly astounding, but it's nothing I shouldn't be able to handle. I just need to make him back off.'

Ranma's attacks increased in speed, and Tao slowly started getting overwhelmed as Ranma forced him back against a rocky wall. Finally, it seemed Ranma was close to breaking through Tao's guard. Determination plastered on his face, Ranma threw a heavy punch at his metal foe, a stronger but much slower punch, which was just the opening Tao needed.

With a fierce grunt, Ranma attacked and the two would remain still as Tao once again blocked the strike. The one to react first would be Ranma who let out an anguished yell. In the next instance, Tao struck with his elbow in Ranma's midsection before kicking at his head, tossing him to the ground.

Ranma managed to roll onto his hands, but quickly crumpled to the ground as a sharp pain surged through his right hand. Looking down, he could see a deep gash between his middle and index fingers, streaming blood like a river.

"What…what the hell just happened?"

Tao sneered as he approached the downed Ranma before revealing in his left hand, a straightened blade.

"What the…a sword?"

[Moments ago]

As Tao moved his hand up to block Ranma's punch, his metal hand detached from his wrist and in its place sprang Tao's hidden blade. Not noticing his foe's missing hand, Ranma's fist flew straight into the blade before he let out a pained holler.

[]

"I think it's in your best interest to give up now boy. That is, unless you'd like your limbs sliced apart," taunted Tao.

Ranma merely ripped off his right sleeve and tied it around his hand creating a makeshift bandage before flipping back onto his feet, ready to continue the fight. "It'll take more than a cheap shot to take me down Buckethead!" 'Though I'll give him this, he's better at hiding weapons than Mousse. Who knows what else he's got under all that metal? He could have a freakin' Mega Buster for all I know…'

Ranma's thoughts were interrupted by a loud, low roaring sound. Though it took a moment, he quickly recognized it as Pantyhose Taro's cursed form.

"Dammit…Pantyhose transformed, didn't he? I gotta go help Gohan and Akane quickly!"

Unbeknownst to Ranma, Tao once again flinched at the name Gohan. Shaking off the small shock, Tao rushed at Ranma, swinging his blade horizontally. More than used to being lunged at with a sword, Ranma bent over backwards, flipping and kicking Tao's weapon-hand upwards knocking him off guard. Landing back on his feet, Ranma dashed in and delivered a stern punch to Tao's gut, bringing him to a knee.

"You'd better surrender if you don't want your robo-parts turned into scrap metal!"

[]

Akane and Shen's scuffle was halted by Taro's presence grabbing roar. Looking up, they saw both the costumed hero and the winged, bovine monstrosity floating in midair, staring each other down.

"Oh no!" cried Akane.

"Oh yes!"

"Gohan, get out of there!" Instinctively calling out to her friend, Akane dashed after them but was once again grabbed by Shen and tossed back. Akane rolled into her fall, back onto her feet and swiftly tried to pass Shen by leaping over him. Determined to keep her from escaping, Shen too jumped in the air, poised to launch a kick at the young fighter. Unable to dodge, Akane crossed her arms across her body, blocking the attack, but getting forced back.

"You're a tenacious one, aren't you?" Shen noted.

Akane quickly got back to her feet and dashed back at the old fighter. "You have no idea!" Throwing a swift punch, Akane's attack was easily deflected and she was once again grabbed at the wrist. Instead of tossing her however, the Crane Hermit managed to put her into a hold, forcing her arms behind her back and her head to the ground.

"Let…go of me…!" Akane strained out.

"In due time child. First things first, you get to watch your friend fall to the Crane School's Newest Ultimate Disciple!"

'That's a mouthful!'

[]

Both Saiyaman and Taro stared each other down, hovering in the air. While Gohan looked nonchalant as ever with his arms crossed, though his expression unreadable beneath his mask, Taro had a clearly malicious smirk on his bullheaded face.

"So, this is your cursed form? If you ask me, this seems much more fitting of the title than Ranma or even Shampoo's."

Taro just snorted, dismissing Saiyaman's taunt before raising his massive fist in the air, prepared to strike.

"Bring it on," Gohan challenged.

On ground level, Ranma and Tao continued to trade blows, fully engrossed in their clash while Akane called out for Gohan to look out and Shen called for Taro to crush his foe. As if answering each other's allies, Taro slammed his giant hand down towards the colorful hero, but Gohan made no attempts to avoid the attack. Instead, he casually raised his hand up just as Taro's fist came crashing down.

With a loud boom, everything froze. Ranma and Tao halted their battle, turning towards the source while Akane and Shen could only watch in pure astonishment, the latter's jaw practically hitting the ground. Most shocked of all was Pantyhose Taro himself who, like before found himself stuck in the grip of his now much smaller foe.

Taro's eyes nearly popped from his skull as he tried to pull his arm away from Saiyaman but, like their earlier tussle, found himself being forced back as Saiyaman floated forward. Despite the mighty gust of his wing flaps, Taro could not advance against Saiyaman's nor could he break his firm grip. With his free hand, Taro pointed at Saiyaman with two fingers.

'Why does that look like…?'

Before Gohan could finish his thought, he found himself getting sprayed with an inky black liquid. Seizing the opportunity, Taro once again pulled his arm away, but once again failed to break the grip.

"I see, so you were hoping that I'd let you go on instinct to wipe my face," proclaimed Saiyaman. I'll admit, that probably would've worked if I were wearing my bandana and shades, but since I have my helmet today…" Saiyaman knocked on his helmet, emphasizing his point. "That's barely more than a messy drizzle."

From two fingers to one, Taro fired another Dodonpa at Saiyaman who easily deflected the blast, making the chimeric fiend shudder. Snorting steam, the raging Taro curled his hand into a fist and swung it at Saiyaman and once again met the same fate; his arm caught in the Hero's unbreakable grip.

[]

"What is that fool doing!?" boomed Shen.

"Yeah, that seems about right for him," sighed Akane.

[]

"I fail to see how you thought that'd work," Gohan taunted.

Realizing his mistake, Taro froze. Fruitlessly, he tried to pull away from Saiyaman, but the helmeted hero just smirked at the chimeric kidnapper's misfortune. Saiyaman once again advanced on Taro, forcing him backwards against a rock formation.

[]

Shen and Akane both stared at the resulting scene in disbelief.

"What on Earth is going on!? How is Taro being overpowered like this!?"

"I wish I could gloat and tell you, but I'm just as shocked as you," Akane replied. 'How is Gohan that strong? Is it the costume or is he actually just that powerful?'

"Taro! Stop fooling around and crush him already! End him! Kill him!"

His focus on his failing protégé, Akane seized the opportunity to free herself from the Martial Master's grasp, launching him off her with her impressive strength before darting off.

"You…! Get back here!" Shen took off after the escaping Akane, raising his finger up. "Dodon Ray!"

"Whaaa-!" Akane rolled ahead to avoid the blast, but never slowed down. 'After that, I'm trusting Gohan can handle Taro himself. Meanwhile, I have to go save Videl!'

"I won't let you escape!" tapping off the ground, Shen ascended into the air, hovering before launching yet another Dodonpa at the retreating girl.

"I'm getting real SICK OF THAT MOVE!"

[]

Pantyhose Taro was now sweating bullets as he was pushed further and further to a rocky wall, uselessly forcing back against his smaller foe. Despite his incredible strength, it was all for naught. Beyond desperate, Taro lashed his tentacles around Saiyaman and once again attempted to pry him free. Still unable to remove his arms, the ropelike appendages wrapped tightly around the hybrid's lower body and squeezed intensely.

A single yelp from Saiyaman was the hidden signal Taro needed to hear. With all his might, Taro yanked Gohan away with his tentacles while tugging his arms away, and to both their surprises, he managed to free himself. Not bothering to question his massive stroke of luck, Taro swung his tentacles in a circular motion before tossing Gohan away. Not willing to miss his chance, Taro soared after the limp form of Saiyaman.

[]

Ranma yelped as he narrowly avoided yet another slash from Tao's bladed hand, strands of his hair falling to the ground. Over the course of their fight, Ranma got in his share of hits, but he looked to be the one who took the most damage, judging by the various cuts in his outfit and a gash on his arm.

"You've got some very impressive speed my boy," Tao praised. "Killing you is almost a shame. With the proper guidance, you could be a glorious assassin."

"I ain't no saint, but I ain't a murderer either ya freak. Though I will say, if you weren't tryin' ta kill me, I wouldn't mind taking a lesson or two from ya."

"Is that a fact?" Tao sneered. "In that case, I'll give you your first and final lesson." Raising his un-bladed hand, the mechanical limb fell off unveiling a metal arm cannon.

"I was joking before! He really does have a Mega Buster?"

"This is no game whelp, this is the end of your life!" sunlight gleaming off the barrel of Tao's gun, the mad killer aimed at Ranma.

"If I had 10 yen for every time I heard that, I'd be richer than Videl's old man," Ranma muttered. Cupping his hands together, Ranma prepared to counter the incoming attack with his own signature blast.

"Dodonpa!"

"Moko Takabisha!"

The combatants fired their attacks leading to a massive clash in the rocky field, dust scattering in the winds as the two blasts collided with each other. The foes poured more strength into each of their respective attacks until finally, the beam dissipated in a large, dusty explosion. With their vision cleared, both Ranma and Tao leapt high into the air, attempting to scout each other out.

Determination still evident on both of their faces, the fighters maneuvered themselves in midair and positioned to strike each other with a pair of flying kicks. Their imminent clash however, would be denied by the timely arrival of a green projectile descending right between them, hitting the ground with a loud crash.

Their momentum gone, Ranma and Tao both landed before glancing at the nearby crater. "What the hell was that?" asked Ranma.

His answer came in the form of a woozy Saiyaman stepping out of the man sized crater he crash landed in.

"So, the hero of our story joins the main attraction," laughed Tao.

"Dude, are you okay!?" called Ranma.

"I'm fine…just kind of confused."

"Well I wouldn't worry too much if I were you." Tao could be seen putting his mechanical hands back in place. "In just a few short moments, you won't have anything else to think about when I send you two to the next world."

Ranma dropped back into a defensive stance while Gohan could only stare at Tao in surprise. "Hey wait a minute, I know you!" he declared.

"What's that now?"

His question would be put on hold, as the sound of heavy snorting filled the air. Turning back to the sky, the three spotted the incoming form of an enraged, cursed, Pantyhose Taro.

"Great, that Legging Loser's back," groaned Ranma.

"The only losers here will be you two." Tao taunted

As Taro landed, Gohan took the few moments they had to piece things together. 'I remember now…I fought this guy the week before we fought Cell. I guess that explains where all the Dodon Rays are coming from. That also might explain why he took Videl. This guy's a hired hand, so someone must've hired him to do it, but who? And why? Also…why did my strength just fade away back then?'

"Uhh Gohan?"

Jarred from his musings, Gohan turned to see Tao and Taro standing side by side, the latter with his wings and tentacles brandished for battle. Set to continue their bouts, the villainous duo approached.

"I told you what would happen if you tried to fight Taro by yourself," gloated Ranma.

[Meanwhile]

On a random rocky plateau, a sternly built young man clad in yellow looked intently at a large parchment before asking aloud, "Where am I now?"

(A/N: This was difficult to write, but also super exciting. The exciting part: Having three different encounters at once. The difficult part: Gohan's entire existence. It's no secret that Gohan could stop this whole charade in a matter of moments if he had the chance. How do you make conflict out of that? Simple, don't give him the chance. Gohan's not the type to use force to get information out of anyone…at least, not unless it was pure do or die, but I feel like he'd have no problems with intimidation tactics, hence why he only showed off a taste of his real strength to show Taro how outmatched he was. I don't follow the series, but I feel like I kind of pulled a One-Punch Man here…or if not, then at least a Superman, especially considering Gohan's sudden weakness spell. Speaking of, I'll give you three guesses as to what caused it in the first place. The answer may shock you…or it may make no sense whatsoever. We'll see in due time but heads up there's also another player being added to this crazy game. Someone we haven't seen for a good while that you probably already figured it out. But I guess you all haven't figured out who orchestrated this whole mess. Stay tuned to find out.)

PS: For those of you out of the loop, the title is a reference to the chapter in the Ranma manga where Akane gets kidnapped by Pantyhose Taro. It was called "S.W.A.T: Save Widdle Akane Team." I got EXTREMELY lucky there was a synonym for rescue that started with 'E'

I've started collecting the Ranma Manga volumes recently (Only 4 short of a full set) so I have a LOT of stuff to refer back to now. I've for the most part been going off of memory with only a few refreshers here and there. While that got me plenty far on the Dragon Ball side (we see the same story every year or so in video game form, so remembering stuff is easy), but for Ranma which I hadn't read to completion in forever, it's quite astounding that so much material just stuck with me as well as it did.