Dark Titans - Arc 2 - Big Trouble In Little Tokyo

Epilogue

Enjoy if you will, Tolerate if you won't.

Ranma let out a shuddering sigh as she took another sip of the hot chocolate that one of the nice officers had brought her. At the moment, the chocolaty deliciousness of the beverage overrode her desire to just dump the warm liquid over her head. She had no idea why, but she really liked chocolate when she was a girl. Focusing on the soothing liquid also helped to distract her from the very prominent pain in the neck she was experiencing.

She winced as the paramedic used the needle to loop another stitch into the cut on her neck.

The pigtailed girl definitely had to concede that literal pains in the neck were much more annoying than the metaphorical ones. Luckily, it was nothing serious, she didn't even remember getting it, but when it comes to the neck . . . even a centimeter deeper and she likely wouldn't have been there sipping down a steaming mug of hot cocoa.

Ranma let out another sigh, this one more out of frustration than satisfaction. Despite the fact that she was sitting in the back of an ambulance getting stitches, her metaphorical pains in the neck were still living up to their names. Ryu was laying on the stretcher opposite to her, glaring daggers the whole time. The Kumon heir had been restrained for his own safety, or so the paramedics had said, anyway. From what Ranma could see, the guy didn't look too seriously injured.

Hmm, maybe she shouldn't have explained her grand victory in quite such exquisite detail to the bound boy . . . Ahh, who was she kidding? Having a captive audience had only made it all the sweeter!

Her other pain in the neck, affectionately known as her 'uncute fiancée', was pacing the street behind the open back of the ambulance. Luckily, she'd bought Ranma's line that there wasn't any more room in the ambulance for Akane, what with Ryu in there and the paramedic needing to check up on both of them. She knew it was just a matter of time . . . She could see it on her face, Akane was just dying to bug her about that . . . thing she'd said during the fight.

Man! What'd she been thinking? The second that their fathers got wind of what she'd said, and she'd be trussed up in a tuxedo faster than she could switch genders! That left her with two options; face it like a man and marry the girl, or lie her tight, toned ass off and hope that it blew over before every fiancée, rival and fledgling super villain currently spread to the four corners of the world descended on her head like a Perfect Shi Shi Houkodan.

She chuckled evilly to herself. Like that was a hard choice.

Her diabolical plotting was delayed, as a familiar pair of voices approached the back of the ambulance. She cocked her head to see what was going on, only to wince as the paramedic forcefully twisted her head back to where it was, muttering something under his breath about uncooperative patients. A moment later, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Natsume and Kurumi wander into view. Both girls looked like hell and were wearing bulky police blankets, but at least they were conscious and mobile. The older sister wandered up to Akane and bowed weakly, even as the younger one waddled up to wrap her in a large hug.

"Thank goodness you are alright, Akane. We were so worried for your safety," said Natsume, relief in her voice.

Akane giggled weakly, still probably shaken up from the whole experience. "Worried about me? What about the two of you? I just got kidnapped, you guy's had a whole building dropped on you! I can't tell you how relieved I am that you're safe!" Akane then leaned forward and wrapped the reluctant brunette into a hug as well.

The hug ended a solid minute later, when Natsume turned to look in the back of the ambulance. Her head tilted curiously as she looked over the vehicle's occupants. "Ranma, are you well?" she asked curiously.

Ranma just waved off her concern casually. "Course I am! This is me we're talkin' bout here. I mean, I'm not nearly as bad off as poor Ryu here, all tied up and no place to go," she replied cheerfully.

"Saotome!"

Ryu began to struggle against his bindings, when the paramedic tending to Ranma quickly turned and glared at the young man. "Listen here, sir. If you don't stop struggling, I'll have to sedate you, and considering that you just survived having most of a city block dropped on your head, I'd hate to have to jab you with a needle thirty-five times just to make sure it actually worked."

Kumon considered those words for a moment, paling slightly, then quickly ceased his struggles. A moment later, the boy turned to look at the wall beside him, grumbling the whole time. At the same time that that was happening, Natsume quickly stuck her head into the back of the vehicle. Apparently she hadn't noticed the Kumon boy in there before, because as soon as she saw him, a sly smile grew on her face.

"Oh, my, I'm sorry, Ryu. That was terribly rude of me not to notice you there . . . strapped down to a stretcher . . . completely unable to move . . ." Hmm, on second thought, maybe sly wasn't the right word for that smile. If Ranma had to choose, she'd say the smile was positively predatory. A second later, Natsume hopped up into the ambulance and squeezed by her and the paramedic to sit at Ryu's side, smile growing every second.

Ranma chuckled again, at Akane's sudden outburst. "Hey! I thought you said there wasn't anymore room in there?" she barked in annoyance.

The pigtailed girl could only grin cockily, "Heh, well, there ain't now, 'Kane." Hmm, maybe her smirk was a bit much, judging by the stormy look settling over her fiancée's otherwise cute face. It looked like an explosion was imminent, when-

"Excuse me, Mr. Ranma . . .," Kurumi called out shyly. Immediately, all of the overactive emotions died away, as everyone turned to regard the cocooned little girl. The youngest Tendo gazed up at her with those enormous, shimmering eyes of hers, almost making her wince.

". . . Do you know where Mr. Thunder and his brother are? No one here wants to tell me where they are . . . and-and I haven't seen either of them since I woke up. You can tell me where they are, right, Mr. Ranma?" The hopeful tone in the young girl's voice caused everyone around her to suddenly begin investigating their shoes with the utmost care.

Everyone but Ranma, that was.

Akane gently gathered Kurumi up into another tender hug, a look of depression on her face that would have looked much more at home on Ryouga's. "Oh . . . oh, Kurumi. I'm so sorry, but . . . but they didn't make it . . . T-that giant robot . . ."

Though it didn't seem possible, Kurumi's eyes seemed to grow even larger and . . . uh, more shimmery. The young martial artist didn't seem to understand what she was hearing, and turned to face him again. Ranma was pretty sure the girl was just seconds away from bursting into tears. "Mr. Ranma . . . is that true? Are t-they really gone?" she asked in a voice quickly filling with sadness.

Ranma seriously considered the girl's question and how to answer it . . . before finally just shrugging.

"Feh, of course not!"

Akane gasped loudly, "Ranma! How could you say that? We all saw it happen with our own eyes!"

The red haired martial artist just waved a dismissive hand. "What're ya talkin' bout, Akane? All we saw was an energy blast goin' through a cloud. I didn't see nobody get hit by it, did you?" she asked teasingly. At the sudden look of shock spreading over her fiancée's face, she continued happily, "Sure, when I first saw it happen, I was shocked as hell, but after goin' over the whole thing with Ryu here, I put a little more thought into it. Think about it, from the time that Brushogun made the elevator, to the time that EVA fired, nearly twenty-four seconds went by. Do you really think that those two guys wouldn't notice something like an eight story positron rifle getting pointed their way in all that time?"

The hopeful expression returned to Kurumi's face, even as a confused one descended on Akane's. Behind Ranma, Natsume and Ryu were whispering something back and forth, damn, she really wished she could hear what they were saying . . . not that she was nosy or anything . . .

"But, Ranma . . . then why did the storm stop right after?" Akane asked, sounding confused.

"Because, we waited until the absolute last moment to move," answered a deep, rumbling voice.

Everyone turned in shock, except Ranma whose head was twisted back to where it was by an irate paramedic. She glared at the older man, only to receive a look which seemed to say 'that sedative offer is still open, buddy.' Needless to say, she calmed down quite quickly.

Everyone that wasn't being manhandled or strapped down to a stretcher, spun around to gaze in wonder at the speaker. Standing several yards away was Thunder, the large elemental wore heavy bandages over his right shoulder, most of his arm and across at least half of his chest. The dark skinned hero was also leaning heavily onto his significantly smaller brother for support. Lightning wore a broad smile on his narrow face.

"Indeed! Were it not for our magnificent storm, Saotome would have been swatted like a gnat!-"

"Hey!"

"So, we bravely continued our assault as long as possible, for we knew that once we stopped, that mechanical abomination would not have given us another chance to start the storm anew. In that way, Thunder and Lightning are truly the heroes of the day!" boasted the pale skinned youth.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Ranma leaned out the back of the ambulance and glared at the arrogant elemental. "Um, yeah, cept the robot blew up right after it shot at ya! You coulda dodged outta the way and kept the rain goin for the rest of the fight if ya did that. All you guys ended up doin was softenin him up for me, I still did all the real work!"

Thunder scratched his chin, looking a tad embarrassed. ". . . Yes, well, had we known that the robot would destroy itself . . . then, perhaps, we . . . could have done that . . . yes . . ."

Ranma smirked at her victory, only to have the sweetness of it stolen by Kurumi suddenly breaking out of whatever trance she had been in, and running forward to wrap her arms tightly around both brothers. Thunder winced mightily at the contact, and Lightning just started looking around uncomfortably, searching for an escape. Then, Kurumi suddenly took a step back and punched the larger boy in the (unburnt) shoulder!

"If you guys were fine this whole time, why didn't you come back before now? Do you have any idea how worried I was?" she demanded in a defiant, yet cute manner. Her adorable lecture brought color to both boys' cheeks, even the alabaster skinned Lightning. Whether out of embarrassment over getting chewed out by the cutest little girl in the world, or over the fact that someone had actually been concerned for them, Ranma had no idea. Eventually, Lightning just shrugged.

"Actually . . . we've been in the ambulance right beside this one the whole time. We came down here right after the attack, before any of you even awoke. We only just came out now, because we heard your conversation come to encompass us . . .," explained the pale elemental.

Ranma winced, ouch, that was gonna cost them. For some reason, girls didn't like getting all worried over nothing, no matter how good the reason-

Luckily, any further tongue-lashing was delayed, as another familiar face appeared around the corner of the ambulance. Lieutenant Daizo seemed to give everyone present a quick once over, before he finally began speaking.

"So, all you kids all right?" asked the fedora-wearing officer.

Various nods and quick affirmatives answered the old man-

"I'm strapped to a stretcher, old man! Someone get me out of this thing!"

Daizo considered the responses, then shrugged absently.

"Meh, close enough. Look, here, kids . . . you all did real good out there, real good. Every single one of you made this victory possible, and as far as I'm concerned, you're all heroes." The Lieutenant quickly turned to Akane and pointed an accusing finger at her, "Except you, little missie! The next time that I tell you to get to safety, you better listen, eh?"

The wide-eyed look of shock on the dark haired girl's face was beyond description. It looked to Ranma, that she was a second away from exploding in anger, or bursting into tears, when-

Lieutenant Uehara slapped his knee, chuckling obnoxiously. "Nah! I'm just messing with you, Miss Tendo. You got some real guts, I'll give you that. Of course, maybe next time, you won't act so damn amazed that an old man like me was the one to save the day, heh heh heh."

Everyone present winced, as Lieutenant Uehara Daizo was finally, and indisputably inducted into the Nerima family by Akane's mallet. Luckily, it was a small one, and Akane was struggling hard to maintain her look of indignant anger, even as a disbelieving smile was worming its way onto her lips.

A moment later, Daizo was back on his feet and pushing the large dent out of his favorite hat. He muttered to himself darkly, something about 'mallets', 'crazy girls' and 'the martial artists they liked'. After dusting himself off a bit, and glaring a bit more at the official Tendo girl, the officer let out another gruff chuckle of his own.

"Heh, guess I was asking for that one. Anyway, I'm not the only one that thinks you kids are heroes. The mayor wants to do a big PR thing in front of the station later tonight to honor us, or something ridiculous like that."

The whole lot of them gasped. A little surprised, though she wasn't sure why, Ranma leaned forward excitedly, "They wanna honor us? With a big ceremony?" she asked in disbelief.

The various confused and excited stares from everyone else surrounding her seemed to mirror her sentiments. Daizo just looked at them like they were all crazy.

"Um, yeah. You kids just saved the city, hell, probably all of Japan. Why on earth wouldn't they want to give you an award or something?" asked the incredulous cop.

Hmm, Ranma thought about that, looking to Akane for a moment. The dark haired girl returned her mystified glance with a mystified shrug. It seemed like a good thing to do, so Ranma shrugged too.

"Hmm, I dunno, no one's ever actually been happy about us tearin' up the city before. I figured just not havin to clean up the mess would be reward enough, really," she muttered quietly.

The Lieutenant rolled his eyes, probably not sure that wasn't enough of a reward. "Look, all I know is that the Mayor wants everyone looking nice for the photo-op, so if you kids are finished bleeding all over the place, why don't I get you guys a ride home so you can get cleaned up and changed?" he asked cordially.

Ahhh, at that moment, the thought of a hot bath was quite possibly the most wonderful thing she could ever have imagined . . . even if she would have to share it with Ryu.

"Hey! Unless you guys have all forgotten, I'm not going anywhere while I'm stuck in this metal torture device!" barked the irate Yamasen-ken master.

Natsume nodded agreeably, odd smile still on her lips. "That is correct, this is quite a predicament."

Suddenly, the unarguable master of the Female School of Indiscriminate Grappling turned to the paramedic that was just now finishing up the stitches on Ranma's neck. The smile on her lips took on a look that could only be described as impish.

"Could you possibly let us borrow this stretcher for the night?"

Akane let out a long sigh of contentment as she leaned lazily against her fiancé's perfectly toned arm. She noticed the pigtailed boy's body temperature rose a bit as she did, but the extra warmth was just that much more cozy. After everything she'd been through over the past week, not even the relaxing bath she'd shared with Natsume and Kurumi had been enough warmth for her, so she greedily stole the larger boy's heat for herself.

All around the table, the rest of her companion's sat. Most everyone's numerous bandages and bindings had been judiciously hidden beneath their clothing and, asides from a few band-aids covering a few cheeks, looked relatively healthy. It was pretty surprising, considering just how close everyone had come to dying.

Akane and Ranma were sitting comfortably at the head of the table. Kurumi, Natsume and Ryu were seated on the left side, while Thunder, Lightning and Mr. Saotome were lined up on the other side. At the other end of the table, her daddy was sitting, beaming with pride and relief. After hearing about the celebration that was planned, her father had been overjoyed and had nearly torn apart the house in search of something for his daughter's saviors to wear.

Kurumi was wearing one of Akane's dresses from a few years ago, a cute saffron sundress that she'd used to wear all the time. She had to admit, it looked really good on the younger martial artist. Natsume was wearing a rather fetching blouse and skirt combination borrowed from Nabiki's closet, Akane was almost a little jealous over how well the woman filled out the ensemble. Sitting moodily beside the reserved brunette, Ryu was wearing one of her father's sweaters, and a sharp pair of slacks. Beside her, Ranma was wearing his white, sleeveless mandarin shirt; it always looked so good on him that she wondered why he didn't wear it more often.

Thunder and Lightning still wore their usual outfits, but had somehow managed to clean and repair them . . . odd, that.

Despite the fact that everyone was freshly bathed and nicely dressed, the mood of the room was one of shell-shocked silence. Though their fathers looked ready to burst out in congratulations at the drop of a hat, even they seemed to pick up on the vacant gazes and somber silence as almost everyone at the table stared aimlessly into space.

She could hardly blame all of her friends, old and new. Sure, they had won, but it had been a close thing. Each and everyone one of them had faced their own mortality that day. Oddly, she was the only one not seriously affected by the fight, probably because she'd spent the entire week facing her mortality and coming to terms with the very real possibility that she could die at any moment. It was a most humbling experience . . . and the people that surrounded the table before her were not so easily humbled.

It was almost getting annoying, this heavy silence that engulfed them all. She was about to break it, when-

Suddenly her father leaned forward, a plaintiff expression on his face.

"Everyone! Please, why are you all so sullen? You've accomplished a momentous feat this day, defeating a powerful demon the likes of which we have never fought before. Now is a time for celebration! Allow me to express my gratitude for all that you have done in protecting the city and rescuing my precious Akane." Her father smiled widely and made sure to match gazes with every single warrior that sat around the table.

Before he could continue, Thunder raised a hand up to stop him. Shaking his head in humble amusement, the large teen spoke quietly. "There is no need to thank us, Mr. Tendo. We did only what was necessary. Your generosity as our host for this past week is more reward than we could possibly ask."

Ryu crossed his arms tightly across his chest tightly and nodded to himself. The young man then looked up, smirking wickedly. "Feh, as if I care about any of this reward or celebration stuff. I already got what I wanted out of all of this. So, as soon as they finish parading us around and having us kiss babies or whatever crap they want us to do, I'm out of here."

Akane gasped in shock at the boy's words. "What do you mean by that?" she asked in disbelief. Hadn't he been just as dedicated to beating Brushogun as everyone else had? And why was Natsume looking at the boy so oddly now?

The Kumon Heir just shrugged. "My Art has been restored, that's all I ever wanted out of you people. I've dedicated most of my life to the Yamasen-ken, did you really think I would give up on it that easily? I mean, did you even question what the odds were that I would just happen to wander into your neck of the woods just as a huge situation was developing?"

She saw a gamut of emotions run across Ranma's face as he considered Ryu's words, then a look of understanding suddenly bloomed. The pigtailed boy snapped his fingers loudly. "Saico-Tek! You saw the first fight on TV!"

The Yamasen-ken master nodded, looking particularly smug. "Exactly. That fight caught my attention, though just enough to make me change direction. It was the fights that followed it that really put the idea into my head. Every fight I saw, as I made my way back to Tokyo, was pushing you harder than the last. Couple that with the fact that the only back up you got was from an aging police officer with a laser pointer . . . and I knew that you'd jump at the chance to get some help. Of course, I had no idea that I'd get attacked by that catgirl, but really, it just made my plan work out even better."

Natsume raised a hand, looking as if she was half reaching towards the bandanna clad boy, the look on her face becoming even more unfamiliar to Akane.

". . . Ryu, is all of that true?" Natsume asked in an uncharacteristically weak voice.

The silent question seemed to catch Ryu off-guard, as if he had forgotten that the girl was sitting right beside him this whole time. Just like Ranma, a moment earlier, Ryu's face was besieged by conflicting emotions. It passed so quickly that Akane wondered if it had happened at all, but then Ryu let out a loud snort, before looking away and staring at the far sliding door.

"Hmmph. That's right. Know that I'd do anything to rebuild my family's dojo. I would lie, cheat or steal to get what I want . . . Is it that surprising to find out that I'd even sink so low as to help protect the innocent and save a girl I hardly knew from a powerful demon as well?" he asked somewhat sardonically.

That seemed to bring everyone's racing minds screeching to a stop. That was precisely what he had done . . . wasn't it? He'd actually done the right thing for his own reasons, as opposed to just out of the goodness of his heart, like so many other heroes that she knew. C-could she possibly fault him for that?

"Ryu . . .," Natsume whispered quietly, staring at the young man with wide eyes.

Whatever she was going to say was interrupted by a gale of laughter from the other side of the table.

"Ha! Truly a maneuver worthy of the master of the Yamasen-ken!" bellowed Uncle Saotome uproariously. "No, not just that. Boy, I believe you've actually transcended the simplistic nature of the Noisy thief. Without even stating your demands, you've actually managed steal what you want without stealing at all! By using your knowledge of my son and the information offered to you by the news reports, you came up with a plan that convinced Ranma to give you what you wanted without even having to ask for it. Ingenious!"

It was Ranma's turn to grunt in annoyance. The pigtailed boy crossed his arms over his chest and looked to the side as well, a somewhat petulant look on his face. "Hmph, wasn't that ingenious . . ."

She quickly stifled the giggle that threatened to escape her lips. Uncle Saotome could be so strange at times; only he would consider exchanging fair service for something you wanted to be some kind of theft.

Again, her father silenced everyone, this time with a loud clearing of his throat.

"Very well then. Whatever your intentions were for doing so, I am still eternally grateful to all three of you young men for saving my daughter. That you are so noble as to desire no reward . . . only humbles an old man like myself!" Akane rolled her eyes as her father dramatically draped his arm over his eyes and openly wept with pride. Then, in a move so swift that anyone that wasn't his daughter would have been flabbergasted, her father suddenly switched gears and was all smiles again.

"However!" he cheered excitedly. "I have an important announcement to tell you all. Though none of you know this: while the lot of you were training so diligently, Saotome and I have been out to speak to our family's lawyer about a subject very near and dear to my heart . . ."

Ranma snorted loudly, lazily crossing his arms behind the back of his head. "You two got so desperate to join the schools, yer gettin married yourselves?"

Akane quickly covered her mouth in a feeble attempt to hold in the laugh that threatened to burst out. All around the table, snickers, giggles and full blown laughter was met by indignant sputtering before her father finally calmed everyone down again.

Glaring weakly at the pigtailed boy, her daddy took a long breath, before continuing. "As I was saying: Saotome and I spoke to my lawyer on this topic and, much to my joy, he told us, provided they agree to it . . . that he would begin the paperwork to adopt Natsume and Kurumi into the Tendo clan immediately!"

Dead silence hung in the air . . .

Every pair of eyes in the room was suddenly focused upon a gawking pair of speechless young ladies. Even they were staring at each other, eyes wide with incomprehension. Much to Akane's surprise, no one shouted out an alarmed interrogative, or even a gasp of surprise. It almost felt like the entire world had ground to a halt, just waiting to see what came next.

Predictably, Natsume was the first to regain her composure. Wide, shimmering eyes cooled to the crisp perfection of a mountain lake, whose stillness belied the true depths of her thoughts. The pony tailed warrior took a long breath before replying.

"Your offer is a generous one, Mr. Tendo . . . however-"

Natsume was cut off, as Akane's father leaned forward, passion in his eyes.

"Please, don't be so rash, Natsume! At the very least, stay with us for a time before you make your decision," pleaded her father passionately.

The young woman being questioned took a moment to look to her younger sister, before turning back to the longhaired martial artist, a slightly suspicious look in her eyes. What followed was the single word that was on the mind of every person present.

"Why?"

It was delivered with an undercurrent that ran far deeper than simple curiosity . . . perhaps even bitterness. Her father obviously caught the sharpness of her question and looked down in shame.

"These past months have been . . . hard for me. So many terrible things have befallen my beloved daughters . . . I've watched my two eldest abducted from right before my eyes, even as I lay helpless to stop it. Then my youngest daughter bravely ran into the very heart of danger, just to save them. To know that I came within a hair's breath of losing each of my daughters again and again lately . . . It has forced me to remember just how truly precious and tenuous family can be.

"I know, just as well as you, that I am not your true father, but since you have reappeared under my roof, I have thought continuously of our last meeting. It forced me to remember the pain of losing my dear wife, to relive the heartache of losing someone so very, very precious to me . . . It was then, that I realized just how much the two of you must have suffered. Living without a family almost your entire lives? Your only desire to find your father, purely out of love? What I have experienced lately has been only a pale reflection of what the two of you have lived through for most of your lives. And yet . . . and yet, as soon as it was convenient, I sent you on your way into an uncaring world . . ."

Everyone watched in silence as the aging martial artist drew the sleeve of his dark brown gi across his eyes, dashing his tears.

"And yet, even after I turned you away, the two of you were still compassionate enough to come to the aid of my dear Akane . . . Such noble girls you are! So please . . . please, after all you have been through, after all you have done for me, please consider my offer more carefully. A home and a loving family are the least you deserve, and the Tendo clan would be all the greater for having you."

Again, all eyes slid back to gaze on Akane's would-be – no, on her could-be sisters. Natsume actually bit her knuckle as she stared anxiously at her sister. For her part, Kurumi gazed back with huge, glistening eyes that bespoke of a kind of hope that even a girl her age really didn't have any right to possess anymore.

Slowly, Natsume looked up, ". . . I . . . I don't k-"

Only to be cut off by Kurumi. The young brunette glared at her sister heatedly and raised a threatening fist. "Big Sister! You'd better say yes, or so help me, I'll punch you soooo hard!"

The Eldest of the quasi-Tendo sisters looked at Kurumi's upraised fist and adorable glower for several incomprehensible seconds . . . Akane was starting to wonder just what the ponytail wearing girl was going to do . . .

When Natsume suddenly laughed, and laughed again! Soon, the normally cool and composed young woman was completely subsumed in a tidal wave of laughter that, were it any other girl, Akane would have called a giggle fit. It didn't last long, just enough to infect everyone else at the table with the sudden release of the palpable tension. When she finally recovered, Natsume wiped an errant tear from her eye, before sitting back up again, tiny smile hanging on her lips.

"Well, then. I suppose, for Kurumi's sake, and for the sake of my own well being, we shall . . . consider your offer further. At least for a few more days," stated the aloof woman in an amused tone.

"Hurray!"

Kurumi's exuberant cheer seemed to remind the rest of the people at the table that this wasn't just some soap opera they were watching through a television screen. Within moments, the room filled with chattering of congratulations and exclamations of happiness. Akane herself was more than overjoyed and shared her opinion quite freely with her soon to be sisters.

A moment later, while Natsume and Kurumi were distracted by Ryu and the other boys, Ranma leaned towards her and gently nudged her in the ribs. Slightly more curious than annoyed, Akane leaned over, noticing the wide smile on the pigtailed boy's face. When she turned to regard him, the cocky smirk just grew, and he raised a hand to the side of his mouth, as if preparing to share a great secret.

"Heh, ya know, Akane . . . I totally saw this coming."

Akane rolled her eyes in bemusement before whispering back. "Oh, please, Ranma. As if anyone was surprised by that."

Her fiancé's superior smirk slipped a bit. "And how the heck would you figure that out? You've been kidnapped this entire time, ya dumb Tomboy!"

"Excuuse me? I'll have you kn-"

Their budding argument was derailed by a knocking at the front door. Before anyone even had the chance to go answer it, the sound of the door opening was heard. A moment later, the familiar form of Lieutenant Uehara rounded the corner, looking rather handsome in his full dress uniform. The police officer smiled wryly as he surveyed the circus that the living room had become in the past few minutes.

"Heh, well look at all of you. I got to admit, you kids actually clean up good, some of you actually look halfway respectable now. No, not you, Saotome, but pretty much everyone else."

Akane giggled at Ranma's indignant outburst. The Lieutenant's cutting wit was much more entertaining when it wasn't aimed in her direction. Before her human comforter had the chance to jump up and argue the point, Daizo gestured for them all to get up with a wide swing of his arm.

"Okay, okay, enough of that. If all you kids are good to go, then let's get this media circus over with. I just want to get this done with as soon as possible so I can head straight into early retirement," ordered the only halfway respectable authority figure present in the house.

With a few groans of protest mixed with excited chattering, all of the martial artist's around Akane slowly made their way to their feet. Then, in a mass exodus the likes of which she hadn't seen since the last time she waited for the bus.

As the Lieutenant started to shepherd the lot of them down the hallway and out the front door, the phone started to ring, but she left it for her father to get; after all, she had much more important things to worry about now. Just as she passed the Lieutenant Uehara, he shook his head in amusement at the situation.

"Ahh . . . Thank the gods this is all over. If I ever had to deal with another monster like that, I'd lose my mind."

Daizo waved politely to the adoring masses as he finally exited stage left. The cheers of the milling multitudes that literally flooded the streets rang through his ears as he quickly ducked behind the curtain of the massive stage that had been set up especially for this event. He almost couldn't believe how many people had come out, it had almost been like standing on an island amidst a churning sea of humanity.

As the aging police officer made his way to the stairs, he slowly removed his hat and let out a beleaguered sigh. It had been a harrowing experience, being put on display for the people of Tokyo, along with his young compatriots. He'd put on a good show of it, waving and smiling, and all of that other stuff that he usually hated to do. The kids had had an amusing array of reactions to the crowd, from smug disinterest to exuberant exhilaration.

He sighed again as he made his way down the stairs. The weight of the oversized piece of metal hanging from his neck felt more millstone than medal at that moment. Everything had been going so well too. Him and his little posse of quasi-vigilante's had gone up, waved for the nice people, and were quickly ushered off the stage . . .

Except for him.

Not far from the bottom of the stairs, waiting in the wings if you will, were his young companions. The overly wide smiles adorning their faces and the looks of laughter just barely restrained made him decide to pistol whip the first person that so much as made a peep!

Apparently the youths saw the stormy look on his face, and valiantly kept their comments to themselves for as long as was humanly possible for the-

"Congratulations, Mr. Commander!" cheered the overly adorable Kurumi.

Damn! Grumbling darkly to himself, Daizo discretely placed his pistol back in its holster. And with the silence broken, the laughter and cheers came in gales. Now thoroughly annoyed, Daizo flung out his arm and pointed an accusing finger at his true nemesis.

"Damnit, Saotome, this is all your fault!"

For some reason, his angry bark didn't have the effect he had hoped, in fact, it only made the pigtailed martial artist laugh all the harder. Now using his fiancée for support, Saotome struggled to form words around the wheezing laughter.

"W-what's wrong, heh heh heh, Commander Uehara? I mean, it's not every day that you get made the Head Honcho of Tokyo's brand spankin' new Super-Normal Defense Force!"

The Commander groaned at the violently unnecessary reminder of his esteemed new position. He'd wanted nothing more than to get out of this insanity, and now he was mired in deeper than he imagined was even possible. Hell, he didn't even know why they had picked him, he'd just fluked his way through the entire mess. The only reason that he had even gotten saddled with the case was because he just happened to be the last cop standing when Saotome had made his not so grand entrance onto the scene of that first battle.

Still, duty was duty, you couldn't exactly say 'no' to the Mayor of Tokyo. Of course, as they say: misery loves company.

"And it's not every day that you're made my second in command, Saotome. You got me into this mess, so there's no way in hell that I'm letting you leave me holding the bag," Daizo barked back in the least angry tone he could manage.

The pigtailed boy's eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

"Me?" he asked in shock.

"Him?" Ryu asked, even more shocked.

The Commander smirked and shrugged. "Meh, it's union rules, Saotome showed up first, so he's got seniority." He then turned back to face the shocked Saotome. "So, what do you say, Special Agent Saotome? Do you think you've got what it takes?"

Everyone turned to regard the amusing sight of Ranma being put on the spot like that. The young man hemmed and hawed for a moment, "Um, I dunno, I mean, I am still in school and stuff, ain't that gonna be a problem?"

Daizo shook his head, his smirk growing into a smile. "Well, of course you'll all still be going to school. You can't become a police officer, even a special agent, without a good education. However, that's no reason that you can't get on the job training after school and on the weekends. And, did I mention the fact that the Tokyo Police Force provides excellent scholarships for people that save the city?"

Natsume perked up noticeably at that fact, she quickly took a step forward, dragging her younger sister with her. "You – you mean that you would provide the money for Kurumi to get a proper education?" she asked hopefully.

He nodded, quite happy with himself. Sure, there wasn't actually a police scholarship program for people that saved the city, but he'd damned well make sure that there would be. While Saotome and his fiancée were both currently enrolled in school, Daizo was well aware that both of the not-quite-Tendo girls, and Kumon for that matter, had almost no access to a formal education due to being on their own their whole lives. After all they had done for the city, providing them with that basic necessity was the least that the city of Tokyo owed them.

"That's right, from basic tutoring all the way up to university if you want. And that goes for you two as well," he stated, indicating Natsume and then Ryu.

Even as the pony tailed young woman looked ready to start shedding tears of joy, Ryu looked taken aback at the notion.

"Me? Why on earth would I want to go back to school? And what makes you think I want to join this foolish defense force of yours anyway?" asked the slightly irate bandanna wearing martial artist.

"What? After that fuss you put up about Saotome being second in command? I figured you'd jump at the chance to join up."

Kumon shrugged, even as he turned his back to the gathering. "What do I care about that? I've got the Yamasen-ken back. Now I can finally restore the Kumon family dojo."

"Kind of hard to build a dojo with no money, isn't it?" The Commander asked leadingly. He nearly chuckled as the young man suddenly turned back, an appraising look in his eyes. The interrogative look on the Kumon boy's face was all the prompting he needed to continue.

"Now, I'm not saying that rebuilding your family dojo isn't important, but wouldn't it be easier to do if you actually had a steady income? And wouldn't a good education help you attract students when you finally did reopen your dojo? After all, what's the rush? You're still young, I bet there's still a lot more that you'd like to learn and do before you settled down and finally started teaching others, isn't there?"

Ryu seemed to consider this very intently. Slowly, almost infinitesimally, a small smile started to worm its way onto the young man's face. ". . . You do have a point. I wouldn't exactly say these past few weeks have been fun, but they have shown me both how much I can still improve, as well as how much I still need to . . ." The bandanna clad boy's gaze discretely slid over to encompass certain nearby martial artist and the smile quickly doubled in size. "I suppose it wouldn't kill me to stick around the area for a time and . . . see how things develop."

A certain nearby martial artist blushed a very pale pink, but definitely didn't seem to mind the idea. On the other hand, another, shorter martial artist turned green at the very idea and started making gagging sounds behind the other martial artist's back.

The Commander smiled smugly to himself. Well, with a little guilt tripping and outright bribery, it appeared that he now had a solid core to build his new Super-Normal Defense Force around. Of course, this was just the beginning. Their victory had been far too close of a thing to relax over; when the only thing that tipped the balance in their favor had been an old man with a firehose, it was abundantly clear that relying completely on a small group of martial artists just wouldn't cut it in the future. No, it was a good start, a very good start, but he had a grand vision forming in his mind already.

And now that he had his core of Japanese citizens accounted for, he finally turned to the two elementals, whom had been watching with interest this whole time. "Heh, I don't suppose you two have visas to work in this country, do you?" he asked jokingly. It'd be a lot of paperwork, but if it could be done, these two boys would be an invaluable resource. Though Thunder and Lightning lacked the skill and talent of Saotome and his team, their raw power outstripped all of the martial artists combined. Add to that their ability to fly unaided . . . yes, valuable indeed.

If they were interested, anyway.

Thunder shook his head apologetically. "I am afraid not, though we rarely ever worry about such . . . mundane facts, we have only Vietnamese and American citizenship. And we don't carry any of the paperwork that would be required to get a . . . a . . . what did you call that again?"

Daizo waved off the question, chuckling wryly. "Don't worry about it. But, you know, I-"

"It matters not!" Lightning burst into the conversation with stark suddenness, not terribly unlike his namesake. "Now that we have accomplished our goal here, saving you all from the demon Brushogun, it is time for us to depart!"

The large, dark skinned elemental nodded. "It is true, after defeating the demon, it has become obvious that his was not the terrible power which we have been tracking. We must keep trying to find out what is the source of this great . . . unrest, which seems to be blanketing the natural world."

A loud sniff from Kurumi garnered the attention of the group. "You mean – you mean that you're leaving now?" she asked sadly.

Lightning quickly looked up and away, feigning disinterest as his brother stepped forward and dropped to a knee, opening his arms wide to envelope the comparatively tiny girl. A moment later, he pushed her to arm's length and gifted her with a gentle smile. "Worry not, Miss Kurumi. I doubt our search will take too great a length of time. And if we come across the Titans once more in our search, then we shall get communicators of our own, so that we may keep in touch with you through Ranma's."

Kurumi sniffed again, before nodding sadly. "Okay, as long as you promise that you won't be away too long. And you better call." The young woman then playfully punched the larger boy in the arm.

Ranma chuckled loudly. "Heh, well, at least come back to the dojo and hang out some before you take off. I don't think Mr. Tendo would ever forgive you if you guys just took off without say goodbye. Heck, I'm surprised he didn't try to adopt you guys too, just to get a complete set."

Everyone laughed for a few moments, before calm descended on the group once more. It was Akane's turn to break it this time. "Well, why don't we all head home now, then? I think the celebration will go fine without us here now, don't you?" she asked teasingly.

As one, the entire group began to move again, heading back to the waiting police wagon that had brought them all over. Damn mayor couldn't skimp for a limo, apparently. As they walked, Daizo found himself beside a proudly smiling Saotome. The pigtailed youth turned to face him.

"Ya know, I think this police thing might actually work out . . . Of course, I do have one condition concerning the Teen Titans . . ."

The Commander just waved off the concern. "We'll worry about details later, now it's time to relax, preferably at a place where there aren't ten thousand people screaming their hearts out."

Ranma nodded, before stepping up into the back of the van. Daizo was just about to join him . . . when he stopped for a moment, turning back to the massive stage behind them. You know, now that he thought about it . . .

All that cheering really did feel kind of nice . . .

Genma smiled with pride as he watched his only son go through an agonizingly slow, yet beautifully perfect kata in the darkened interior of the dojo. The sun had long since set and the lights were off, leaving the boy to practice in near complete darkness . . . but the blackness didn't hinder his son in the slightest! How proud the boy made him, practicing so diligently, even after all of the other children had long since gone to bed for the night.

All of Tendo girls had been exhausted after the long day and the emotional departure of the two young storm gods, and had gone to sleep relatively early. The Kumon boy had lasted a little longer, sparring some with Ranma, but he'd quickly lost interest as well, possibly still bothered by his injuries. But here, now, his son, his Ranma, continued to train, continued to better himself. Even though his boy had fought longer and harder than any of the others, had very nearly defeated the demon with his bare hands, he still had the energy and drive to keep going.

Genma had never been prouder.

Silently, he turned to the man at his side, to his lifelong friend, and nodded once. Soun nodded back, a proud, yet serious expression on his face. As one, they pushed off from the wall and approached the pigtailed prodigy just as his kata was coming to a close. As soon as the boy finished, the serene look that had been painted onto his features dissolved away, revealing the cocky and carefree smirk that was so very much at home on his son's face.

"You two are up pretty late, aren't ya? And still sober, no less. Are you guys sure yer alright?" asked Ranma jokingly.

Ranma's laughing manner died away as he noticed the serious looks on his and Soun's faces.

"We need to speak to you, boy," Genma stated solemnly.

Soun nodded, running his fingers down the length of his chin. "Indeed, Ranma. It is a matter of grave importance, and it concerns you and Akane directly."

The boy shrugged easily. "So what is it? If it's another crazy match-up scheme, then forget it. I ain't in no mood for that kinda junk right now, old man."

Genma took a half step back, allowing Soun to take the spotlight. The longhaired martial artist simply shook his head, before replying.

"No, Ranma, nothing like that. There is . . . no easy way to work up to it, so I'll simply come out and say it. Ranma . . . I intend to name Natsume and Kurumi as the heirs to the Tendo Dojo."

"Wha-mph!"

The bespectacled martial artist quickly clamped his hand over the boy's mouth to silence his startled outburst. He held it there for a moment, until the look in his son's eyes told him that he was done trying to wake the entire household. A heated look still lingered in Ranma's eyes, which was directed solely at the Tendo patriarch.

"What the heck are you talking about, Mr. Tendo? What about me an- um, what about Akane? Does that mean you ain't joinin' the schools no more?"

"No, no, boy. None of that is changing. The schools shall still be combined, and you and Akane will still have an inheritance. However, I believe that Natsume and Kurumi are both disciplined and talented enough that the Tendo Dojo would surely flourish beneath their expert teaching," Soun explained briefly.

Ranma cocked an eyebrow, an expression that Genma had never really seen his son use before his trip to the United States . . . it didn't seem very manly the way his boy did it. "Hmph, so what's the catch then. If you two are still so set on me marryin' Akane, then where are we supposed to teach?"

Genma smiled broadly and clapped a hearty hand against his son's shoulder. Not quite speaking loud enough to wake the whole house, he exuberantly exclaimed, "Ha! Why, you'll be inheriting the Saotome Dojo, boy."

His excited declaration was met with an equally deadpan stare. "Pop, there ain't no Saotome Dojo."

He waved off the boy's concerns, still smiling widely. "Don't be silly, boy. Of course there isn't a Saotome Dojo . . . yet! That's why we have to build one. At least in this case, your dogged stubbornness actually helps us, since it means we likely have some time to design and build a truly proper dojo."

"Are you crazy, old man? Where the heck are ya gonna get the money to do something like that? I don't think sweeping up after Dr. Tofu is gonna pay for something like that," barked the boy incredulously.

It was Tendo's turn to step in, smiling widely now as they unveiled their plot. "Well, that is true. However, your father was recently offered a new and much more prestigious job. Perhaps you remember the phone ringing just as you left for the ceremony earlier today?"

Ranma nodded uncertainly, even as Genma's chest swelled with pride.

"That phone call was from the Chief of Police. On behalf of the formation of the new Super-Normal Defense Force, he asked Saotome and myself to become combat instructors for the new task force. Since you and your friends would either be in school, or on duty, they wanted people that could provide training in a full time capacity. Unfortunately, my current obligations didn't allow me to take the offer, but Saotome was more than eager to."

The Elder Saotome nodded, beaming widely. "Indeed, boy. You're looking at the official martial arts instructor for the Super-Normal Defense Force. Between our three incomes, we'll be able to put up a dojo in no time!"

That brought the boy up short. "Huh? . . . Three incomes? What the heck are ya talking about? Is Mr. Tendo gonna help out too?"

Soun shook his head in amusement. "No, Son. He was referring to his income as an instructor, your income as an officer . . . and the funds which Nabiki has been secretly sending to you to help provide for our family," he explained with a knowing smirk.

Immediately, Ranma started to sweat nervously, everything about the boy's body language screamed that he was about to start lying through his teeth. "W-w-what? I – I don't know what yer talking about, Mr. Tendo . . . Heh . . . I mean, what makes you think I've been talkin' to Nabiki, and why the heck would she be sendin' me money?"

Both of the much more experienced men shook their heads at the pathetic sight of Ranma nervously rubbing his hand through the hair at the back of his head while chuckling nervously. Soun clucked his tongue several times.

"Please, Ranma, give us some credit. I know that my daughters' disappearance has weighed heavily on me lately, and that, perhaps, I have been neglecting my responsibilities as the head of this house, but my mind has not completely abandoned me. Despite the fact that Nabiki had selflessly taken on all of the responsibility of maintaining the house's finances and the paying of the bills, it was still my bank account that the money came from to pay those bills.

"It took me some time, but did you think that I wouldn't notice that no money has been leaving my account, and yet the lights are still on and the water is still running? Since no one else in this house brings in nearly enough to pay for all of those utilities without me, it was obvious that the money was coming from somewhere else."

Soun broke off suddenly, using his sleeve to dash tears which threatened to form in his eyes.

"To think, even though my beloved Nabiki has abandoned her family to a life of crime, that she still endeavors to meet her responsibilities. It fills my heart with great happiness to know that even though she has left us in body, she is still with us here in spirit."

Ranma rolled his eyes, muttering very quietly to himself. "Sheesh, ain't like she's dead or nuthin'. . ."

Genma clapped the boy on the shoulder again, still smiling. "So, as you can see, us 'old men' are still too clever for the likes of you, boy. Maybe someday, far in the future, you'll gain even a fraction of our accumulated wisdom, Ha!"

"Yeah, just can't wait for that to happen," the boy muttered darkly. Ranma then raised his hands into the air, as if waving off the entire discussion. "Like I care, Old Man. None of this junk is my concern, since I ain't marryin' the Tomboy anyway. Only thing that I know, is that I sure as heck ain't gonna be the one that tells Akane about this plan of yours. In fact, let me know when you're gonna, so I can make sure I'm visitin Ryouga over in America that week."

The expression of stark panic that descended on Soun's face at the boy's declaration was quite a sight to see, but Genma knew that it would all work out in the end. After all, it was obvious that his boy was going to end up marrying the girl. All of the boy's other fiancée's had vanished, and the Ranma didn't even talk to any other girl in Japan. As long as Soun and Genma stayed the course, their plan would succeed by default!

"Yes, yes, boy, you keep telling yourself that." Genma then laid a companionable arm over the shoulder of his distressed friend and began to turn them back towards the dojo door. "Well, we'll let you get back to your training. You make your father proud with this tenacious dedication to the art!"

Ranma made a quick double-take.

"Huh? Training?" Ranma mused openly. "What're ya talkin' bout? I'm just killin time."

The pigtailed martial artist pulled a small, amazingly thin cell phone out of his pocket without warning. The boy looked at the LCD screen on the small device before nodding silently to himself. Ranma then looked up at them, smirking arrogantly. "In fact, it's about that time right now. Sorry, Pops, but I gotta go. I'm expectin a call from someone actually worth talkin' too, heh."

With that, the widely smiling boy strutted proudly out of the dojo . . .

Leaving a very confused pair of men staring after him.

"-nd then, after I've done that, I'm gonna stomp on 'em!"

Ranma smiled widely as the miniature face of Raven winced harshly at his rather vivid description.

"Don't you think that's just a little excessive? I mean, it's not even like you were the one to actually open the gift . . . That, and I doubt you could actually be that cruel to your best friend, or Beast Boy and Cyborg for that matter," she replied with a knowing smile on her inviting lips.

He rolled his eyes and grumbled in annoyance. "Sheesh, Rae, how many times do I gotta tell ya? Me an Ryouga ain't best friends, we ain't even friends. We're rivals! That means we get to beat the tar outta each other whenever we feel like it."

Raven's eyes twinkled mischievously as she gazed back at him via the communicator. In a very familiar fashion, the corner of the young woman's mouth quirked up into an annoying smirk. "You just keep telling yourself that, Ranma. And, please, for the last time: Don't Call Me Rae."

"Heh, yer on the other side of the planet, Rae, whatcha gonna do about it?" he taunted teasingly.

The young hero's eyes narrowed, "I could hang up on you."

A bark of laughter actually escaped from his throat and Ranma stared around frantically, expecting a horde of angry fiancées to descend on him any second. When it became apparent that his minor outburst hadn't awoken the rest of the house, he returned his attention back to the communicator.

"Yeah, right, Rae. You know ya love talkin' to me, you ain't gonna hang up."

A stubborn expression formed on the violet haired girl's tiny face for a moment, as if she was contemplating doing just that . . . but then it dissolved into a resigned smile.

"No, no I suppose I 'ain't' going to hang up on you. Though, I do wish you would work on your English, your pronunciation is just atrocious."

"Hey!" he barked indignantly. "I talk English just as good as I talk Japanese after all that crammin' that Cologne forced us ta do. Not ta mention all the classes and stuff that me an' 'Kane have been takin' since we got back!"

For some reason, his virtual companion groaned weakly. She rubbed her tiny temples for a moment before taking a deep breath and continuing. "Anyway . . . don't you think that kind of violence is a bit much for a silly prank?"

Ranma replied with the flattest stare that he could possibly produce. "Raven, those three jerks got me a freakin' mechanical kitten! I swear, those guys are monsters! What I said I was gonna do would just be for starters."

Raven just stared back, a little on the nonplussed side, so he soldiered forward.

"Heh, still, I totally called it when you guys sent all that stuff to us. As soon as I heard it was from the three stooges over there, I knew it was gonna be something gadgety, something fuzzy, or something that was gonna hurt me. I still feel terrible for getting Kurumi to open it for me, God only knows how freaked out she musta been when that mechanical abomination jumped out at her!" he exclaimed.

Again, Raven rolled her eyes. "Yes, Ranma, I'm sure she was positively traumatized by the harmless T-Kitten 2000."

Hmm, if it weren't for the fact that the young woman's words were so completely factual, Ranma would have sworn she was being sarcastic. He couldn't imagine the horror of opening a package to find one of . . . one of t-t-those inside . . .

He shook his entire body to rid himself of the horrid mental image.

"Well, I guess I'll have to let Cyborg off the hook. Hey, when did you say he was comin' over again?" he asked, glad for a change in topic.

Raven tapped a delicate finger to her bottom lip for a moment, trying to recall it herself. "Oh, yes. He said it would take him at least three days to get together all of the equipment to install a suitable security and defense system in the Tendo Household. He told me to assure you that it would be . . . ugh, that it would be 'so totally technologically tremendous, that it would completely blow your mind' . . ."

The pigtailed boy sniggered at her feeble imitation of her cybernetic friend. "No doubt, no doubt. Course, I ain't up on that technology stuff, so it's not like it'd take much. Still, it's pretty awesome of you guys to help me out like this again. I mean, I ain't got no chance of keepin' my identity secret after that last fight."

And, not that he would tell even Raven, though she was pretty much the only person he trusted to talk about anything to, Nabiki had already left a quick message earlier in the night saying that Gizmo was going to covertly drop some countermeasures around his mother's house as well, on the off chance that someone found out about her after they'd tampered with her records. He had to admit, Nabiki was at least as key to his crime fighting success as the Titans were, it was the least he could do to keep that fact on the down low for the mercenary woman.

Raven waved off his gratitude with a graceful wave of her hand. "Again, it's the least we can do. We are indirectly responsible for your current problems, so helping you protect your family is just common sense. I'd like to say that hopefully he won't go overboard . . . but this is Cyborg that we're talking about. I wouldn't be surprised if your dojo had laser cannons popping out of its walls by the end of the week."

Hmmmmm . . . that was an interesting though. Having the dojo filled with lasers and deathtraps, it'd be like his very own personal . . . um, personal room of dangers! If he could get Cyborg to set that up for him, man, he'd be back on top in no time! Of course, the idea of a house full of security measures programmed to protect him also brought another errant thought to mind.

"Heh, I'm probably gonna need all those security measures over the next few weeks. Akane's been hounding me all night, tryin to get me to fess up to sayin that I loved her durin' that big fight. She can be pretty cute when she tries, but trust me, Rae, if she doesn't get her way, she's gonna start goin on the warpath, you can bet on that," he explained morosely.

Still, an Akane on the warpath was something he could deal with. An Akane that was aware of his real feelings . . . that was an unknown. He had no real idea if she felt the same way, if she would return his feelings. And that didn't even count the hell that their fathers would cause if they caught wind of it . . . No, it was just easier this way.

His eyes traveled back down to gaze at the exotic looking beauty speaking to him from half a world away. The impish smile on her lips, all the more intriguing for its rarity, made him smile a bit himself, despite the trouble he was literally dumping into his own lap.

"Does that mean that you did say that you loved her during the fight?" asked the violet eyed lady.

". . . Um, well, it's complicated, ya know? It was a real hectic fight, and a whole lotta stuff was goin on. What with the demon and Goku and all of that other stuff, really, what I may or may not have said durin' all that craziness ain't really here nor there . . . is it?" he asked/stated tenuously.

For a moment, it looked like Raven was going to go in for the kill after his weak deflection, but then her expression softened and she obviously took pity on him. "I'll grudgingly admit that it was a very pitched battle. I suppose that if you're not ready to admit certain things to certain people, who am I to question? I just want you to know that I'm very proud of you. You handled the entire situation, from start to finish, like a true Titan. I honestly don't know if even I could have done as well, despite the fact that I'm soo much more powerful than you."

He knew she was just baiting him, since she knew how much he hated it when she mentioned that fact, but, as usual, he tore into the bait like a shark. "Yeah, right. Why don't you just come over with Cyborg and we can put that little delusion of yours to rest, but good."

"I'd love to. Unfortunately, the T-Ship is going to be filled to capacity with equipment, so I'll have to pass." Raven's cocky smirk (which Starfire told him was almost unheard of before he dropped by) dissolved into a softer, warming smile. "Still, whether you admit it or not . . . Akane is lucky to have someone as courageous as you."

"Heh, heh, yeah, we'll see if she thinks that over the next week, or whether she punts me over to America first."

Raven actually giggled, though it was quick and quiet. She then shook her head, her silky hair swaying alluringly from side to side. "You know, Ranma, no matter how many times we speak, I just can't figure you out. You have the woman of your dreams sleeping in the very next room, the life of whom you've just saved this very day. I'm no expert on these things, but in all the novels I've read, damsels recently delivered from distress tend to be extremely grateful . . . and yet here you are, whiling away the night speaking to some dreary girl half a world away . . . why is that?"

That brought the pigtailed boy up short. It was such a simple question, but his mind drew a complete blank when he tried to answer it. Really, he'd 'delivered Akane from distress' plenty of times, and she'd never seemed extremely grateful before. Maybe Raven just read trashy romance novels? Still . . . even before everyone else had gone to sleep, he'd already been thinking about, no, looking forward to Raven's call. It hadn't even occurred to him to do anything but spend the wee hours of the morning speaking to the girl.

A vaguely confused and uncharacteristically serious expression settled on his features as he looked back at the violet-eyed beauty.

"I . . . I really don't know . . ."

A vaguely confused and uncharacteristically serious expression settled on the pigtailed boy's features as he looked down at the small, circular device in his hand. Several long moments passed, before the boy shook his head, as if dismissing some errant thought. Then, without missing a beat, the young martial artist began talking animatedly to the person on the other end of the communication, smiling and gesticulating energetically . . .

A line of static rolled down the screen, causing the image to flicker for a moment.

The scene presented on the monitor then switched to a different scene, this one of the pigtailed warrior's earlier battle with the demon, Brushogun.

The figure shifted his attention away from that particular monitor, scanning across the massive bank of screens that were scattered across the arching wall before him. Video feeds from around the world were currently being displayed for him. He gazed at each monitor in turn, trying to cull as much information about each of the people as he could. Their current locations, their current endeavors, their personalities, dispositions and capabilities . . .

In another monitor, a young man, looking very similar to the Saotome boy save for a checkered bandanna, knelt before an achingly familiar statue. A look of intense concentration was carved into the boy's features, much like the stone that he studied so furiously.

Another screen displayed a lithe, female figure leaping gracefully from one rooftop to the next. Her movements were a poetry of motion as she flowed forward with careless abandon. Though it meant less than nothing to him, another figure followed her, struggling desperately to match her effortless pace while wearing a sleek, though obviously cumbersome pack on his back.

The screen next to that one showed almost a complete reversal of the last scene. In this one, it was the lithe, young female that was following the male figure. This male also carried a sack, though this one was by no means sleek, literally overflowing with . . . questionable content. The pink haired girl was doing her very best to keep pace with the ancient master . . . and stay one step ahead of the mob of women that chased after them.

Several monitors below that one, a young woman wearing her brunette hair in a short, yet stylish cut was standing in front of a table, speaking to a group of people that were off screen. The Japanese girl was wearing a dark green bodysuit and appeared to be explaining a large diagram to the people off screen.

Another video feed revealed an aerial view of a vast forest. Though it was hard to distinguish through the dense canopy, the camera was clearly following the progress of a lone male. From this distance, it was impossible to make out any fine detail, only one thing made itself obvious . . . the strangely shimmering vest they young man wore.

Yet another monitor displayed an underwater scene. This one, too, was from an obvious distance, but the details were much easier to make out. It showed a young man, wearing a spandex uniform of blue and black. The youth's flowing black hair floated in the current behind the young man, almost like a living entity.

The final screen that drew the figure's attention didn't present anyone at all. It was a very pleasant presentation of some foreign countryside. The only notable landmark was a lone, towering mountain far in the distance . . .

The figure let out a long, tired sigh. His exhaled breath filtered through the small slits of his mask, or, at least it should have . . . He found that he was having trouble breathing lately . . .

He dismissed the unproductive thought. Again, he began to scan the vast bank of screens. Studying, analyzing . . . searching for what he needed. There was so very much that he needed to do, so very many things that were crucial to his plans. And that didn't include those very certain tasks that he had to complete for . . . others, but he still had time before those came to pass. Unfortunately, his time was quickly running out.

The figure let out another weary, empty sigh.

"Promises to keep . . . promises to keep . . ."

"And miles to go, before I sleep . . ."