Another Like Me
I do not own Ranma 1/2 and its associated characters. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not own X-men Evolution or any of it's associated characters. Inspiration for this fic came from 'The Evolution': a Ranma 1/2 / X-men crossover by Dragonlord. (Blah blah blah…….)
Thoughts >
Telepathy >>
Chapter 4: UnstoppableRanma watched as the man calling himself the Juggernaut rose from the ground effortlessly. He wasn't even winded by the kick. Whoever this guy was he was as tough as he was strong, far more so than Ryoga. As the giant man brushed a little concrete dust off of his armour, Ranma's mind (that brilliant tactical machine) analysed the situation in a heartbeat.
No way on Earth I can take a blow like the ones he was dishing out earlier. I figure I can take 2 maybe 3 before I go down. I doubt the 'Katchu Tenshin Amaguriken' will have any effect, that armour's too strong the blows will probably just bounce off. I figure my best bet is to use a chi attack and to be at its most effective I'll need the element of surprise. That means I gotta let him come to me >
He looked at his opponent again and sighed internally.
It's his size that's the problem! I can't afford to take a hit. Now I know how Happosai must feel, facing off against huge opponents all…the…time >
His eyes widened slightly in realisation.
Happosai…Happosai…that's it, he thought It'll be tough and use up alotta energy but if I time it just right…>
Ranma shifted his stance ever so slightly. To the untrained eye he appeared to have barely moved. At the same time the other X-men lying about the street were returning to consciousness. The first to do so was Logan whose ultra-healing factor was hard at work restoring his body to its prime fighting condition. Logan was no stranger to the world of martial arts. Rogue who noticed Logan struggling to his feet ran towards him and helped him to stand just in time to hear him mutter:
"The kid's a fool!"
Rogue nodded in agreement.
"Ah noe, but we can't do anything ta help till you're ready to fight again. Ah knew we shoulda brought Billy and some o the others."
Logan snorted roughly and pushed Rogue away, standing straight. He glared at her from under his mask for a moment and then shook his head before turning his attention back to the fight.
"Didn't you learn anything from my lessons kid?"
Seeing Rogue's bewildered look he explained,
"The boy over there's using a Tai Chi stance. He's rooting his body to the ground through a combination of strong footwork and breathing techniques."
"He's rootin himself ta the ground…but that means…!"
Logan growled slightly and then replied:
"Yeah! The damn fool's gonna try and take the charge."
Turning back to the Rogue he said:
"Here's the plan kid! I'll take the Juggernaut head on. You get in there and grab the boy. Then…get to Scott and absorb his powers. I got the feeling I'm gonna need a little back up, at least until Chuck's ready to try another assault…"
Rogue scream of horror cut him off.
It was too late!
The Juggernaut had charged!
The Juggernaut laughed cruelly as he sped towards at the boy. It was nothing personal but the brat was in between him and Charles. Nothing got between him and his revenge!
As he neared the lad he drew back a fist and bellowed,
"You can't stop me boy! Nothing can stop the Juggernaut! I'M RAW POWER!"
Ranma watched the brown behemoth barreled towards him, calm despite the fact that the Juggernaut's footsteps were creating mini-earthquakes each time they fell.
The guy's actually pretty fast but I'm pretty sure that's all momentum. His actual attack speed is pretty quite slow, a result of his overly muscular build. Almost like a certain psychopathic tomboy, all strength and no skill.>
He shuddered slightly then lifted his arms upward, slightly bent at the elbow, in front of him. Cupping his palms together he called upon the Soul of Ice technique to making his face utterly expressionless and devoid of emotion. It wouldn't do to give the game away after all.
Now for the first stage of the deception>, he thought.
Summoning his confidence he channelled his energy into his hands, allowing only a small portion of it to show in the visible spectrum. The result was the appearance of a tiny ball of energy, hovering between his gloved, outstretched palms. It shone a brilliant icy blue, emitting tiny clouds of mist which coiled around his wrists and caressed them soothingly.
He watched as the Juggernaut drew nearer, laughing at what he perceived to be a pathetic show of strength. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Out of the corner of Ranma's eye he saw two more figures running towards him (luckily they were out of range) and at the same time he heard a high-pitched scream that could only have come from the Goth-girl.
Now the Juggernaut was upon him, bringing his fist down to crush Ranma's skull.
Ranma waited till the last moment, until the fist was a hairsbreadth away and then…
Stage two>
…he raised his palms to meet the Juggernaut's blow.
KABOOMMMMMM!
The Juggernaut stared in shock! The kid had actually taken the blow. That pitiful little spark hanging in between his hands had stopped the full wrath of the Juggernaut dead on. It was like hitting a wall of adamantium. Peering down at the kid he could see that he was in rather bad shape. He was breathing heavily, sweat beaded his forehead and the force of the impact had driven him down on one knee. Still it was impossible! Was he not the UNSTOPPABLE Juggernaut!
Just as he drew back his other fist to smash the insolent brat he froze as a strange sound filled the air. The boy was laughing!
"Big-Big Man in too too much trouble now! Appearances can be too too deceiving no?"
The Juggernaut watched in dismay as the ball of energy Ranma was holding swelled to gigantic proportions. This was gonna hurt!
"SHIN MOKO TAKABISHA!"
Rogue and Logan stopped in their tracks as they watched the Juggernaut fly backwards before crashing into the side of a nearby shop.
"Woah", said Rogue, "not too shabby!"
"You said it squirt. This kid's packing some serious firepower."
I concur Logan. I find it entirely likely that this Ronin is the very mutant Cerebro detected entering New York City earlier today.>>
By this time the rest of the X-men had recovered and congregated at Logan's position.
"What should we do Professor?" asked Storm, worried for the new boy. He looked dead on his feet, swaying slightly as if he would collapse at any moment. Wolverine had also noticed this. He frowned. Something wasn't right here! Mutant powers as a rule were very tiring to use over long periods of time but a single shot like that shouldn't be enough to drain even a young, untrained mutant to the point of exhaustion.
"So…", Kitty piped up, "Is it, like, over?"
I wouldn't count on it Shadowcat , answered the Professor, As far as we know my half-brother Cain is almost impervious to damage. It will take more than a paltry explosion, no matter how well timed, to render him unconscious. No…the only feasible course of action is the tried and tested method. Attempt to remove his helmet and then I will strike…good luck everyone>>
At this point Scott took charge.
"Jean, Storm… the both of you follow my lead, the aim is to create a distraction attacking from the front. Remember to keep out of his range and give it all you've got! We have to keep him busy at least for a little while. Logan…what you do is up to you. Kitty…Rogue...we're counting on you to try and get that helmet off."
The X-men nodded their agreement. Scott was an excellent tactician as well as a courageous leader, he knew best what to do. Even Ororo and Logan were impressed. Scott may not be the most powerful of the X-men, his need to wear a visor to contain his powers weakened his combat potential seriously, but you could always count on him in a crisis. The two instructors were proud to have taken part in the molding of this man, Scott was the embodiment of the spirit of the Xavier institute, the epitome of what the Professor strove to achieve in all his pupils.
Finally Scott addressed Kurt.
"Nightcrawler, it's your job to get that boy outta here. Teleport him into the Blackbird and leave him in the Professor's care, and then get back here as fast as you can. Rogue and Kitty will definitely need your help!"
Kurt stood to attention sharply, "Jar mein capitan!" he said, in an attempt to lighten the mood of his comrades. No one laughed. The situation was deadly serious. Unfortunately the X-men were the first and only line of defence between their mentor and his crazed relation. They could not afford to lose.
A rumbling sound announced the return of the Juggernaut to the playing field. He burst from the ruins of the Convenience Store, so enraged that Scott was almost certain for a moment there that a bright red glow was enveloping him.
"You stupid kid!" screamed the Juggernaut, "I try to take it easy on you and see how you repay me! This time I'm gonna squash you flat! I'll tear you limb from limb! Say your prayers brat cos this time you're gonna die for sure. It'll be a nice bit of exercise for me before I crush Charles."
The boy who called himself Ronin was now leaning forward heavily, supporting himself with one arm as he panted. The sweat rolled down his face he made a gigantic effort to stand, only just succeeding. Scott could see that he never took his eyes off his opponent as he rose to his feet and watched as on trembling legs the kid took another stance. No doubt about it! This kid was a skilled fighter and would be an asset to the team.
Sighing he thumbed his visor, setting it to maximum frequency. Truth be told he was terrified. He still hadn't forgotten the last encounter with the Juggernaut, on the hydroelectric dam. Even unleashing his full power hadn't so much as scratched that monster. Warmth encompassing his shoulder he turned to see his girlfriend Jean, eyes filled with love and understanding, gazing at him adoringly. We are a team, those eyes said, and together we can do anything!
"Alright guys", he said, "You know what to do! Move out!"
Ranma cursed himself as he stood on shaking legs.
Great strategy 'Ronin', using up all your strength trying out an untested move on an opponent tougher than Saffron, real clever. How in the hell am I gonna get myself outta this one
BAMPH
His senses going haywire, he felt a hand grab the sleeve of his coat from behind. A voice spoke in English, thick with a German accent.
"Come mein friend! Let the Fozzy-dude get you out of here."
BAMPH
They reappeared in the cargo bay of the Blackbird. Kurt spun the boy around and looked on with great amusement at the look on Ranma's face. At first sheer panic was evident on his features (what in the world did "n..n..n..neko!" mean anyway?) but this was soon replaced with a look of interest and then annoyance.
"Why blue-boy make Ronin go bye-bye?" he snarled.
Kurt just rolled his eyes.
"Look mein friend", he replied, "The others need me. I can't stay and talk to you. Go into zhe cockpit that way. Ze Professor vill explain everything I promise."
BAMPH
With that he returned to the battle.
Ranma, who had barely understood Kurt's slurred form of speech had, nevertheless, realized what was expected of him. Staggering along the slightly shaking floor, he made his way to the front of the plane.
Entering the Cockpit the first thing he noticed was how large it was. Were all jets this large and complicated? He was not much of a judge but he didn't think so, this thing was state-of-the-art. Nabiki would kill to get her greedy mitts on a few of these appliances.
Noticing the bald man he had seen earlier in the driver's seat, Ranma moved purposefully towards him, intending to get some answers.
Suddenly a voice echoed in his mind.
Not now young one, have patience please! The fight is finally going our way thanks to your timely intervention. Sit down beside me and wait please. I have a feeling that the time for me to act is close at hand.>>
Taking the proffered seat Ranma scowled:
"Why you take Ronin from fight with Big-Big Man? Ronin strong! Good fighter! Ronin is too too powerful! Why you dishonour Ronin so?"
The man the Demon-Boy had called the Professor chuckled slightly before answering…
Please do not take offense Ronin! You have to understand one thing about the 'Big-Big Man, or the Juggernaut as we call him, is that no amount of physical prowess or energy weapon will ever cause him much harm. No more than a minutes pain at most.
His powers make him almost invulnerable to assault and energy attacks just tend to glance off the forcefields he subconsciously creates around himself. You were lucky to catch him off guard. No…the Juggernaut only has one weakness. His mind. Unfortunately the helmet he wears blocks such tactics. Remove his helmet however and then I will exercise my telepathic powers to render him unconscious! Thanks to your valiant efforts my pupils have been able to regroup and have been able to undo three of its four clasps by this time. Hopefully in a minute this will all be over. Do you understand 'Ronin' >>
Ranma nodded dumbly, stunned by this man's air of authority. Ranma had only known him for the space of a few minutes but already he felt like more of a father to him than Genma ever had.
"Ahh", said the professor aloud for the first time, "It appears the time to act has come! Kurt has removed the final clasp and Jean has deprived my half-brother of his helmet."
He raised a hand to his brow.
The Juggernaut screamed in rage as his helmet was once again taken from him. Charles was going to win again!
In a last ditch effort to thwart the X-men's plans he slammed both his fists into the ground with such force that a powerful seismic wave travelled along the ground to the Blackbird, blasting through Jeans hastily erected protective shield and causing the Blackbird to overturn violently.
The Juggernaut cried out in triumph when no mental attack commenced. Charles was out of commission. Grinning nastily he turned back to the shell-shocked X-men.
Scott, Ororo, Logan, Kitty, Rogue, Jean and Kurt simply stared on in horror as their plans were shattered. No help would be coming for them now.
Ranma sat there slightly bruised and battered checking over the Professor's still form. Although on the outside he appeared calm, inside a furious battle was raging. Would it work> , he asked himself over and over again.
He knew that the mutant team outside were in deep trouble. This guy had been an integral component of their battle strategy and without him they had very little chance of survival. When he had first activated his mutant abilities, touching Akane and Nabiki, his powers had caused him to absorb some of their unique characteristics. Touching Akane had transferred to him her Ki-mallet technique and her overpowering temper. Touching Nabiki had given him access to her powerful intellect and vast stores of information.
Happosai had said….
FLASHBACK
"You have the ability to absorb the memories, abilities, even the very life force of others at a simple touch. Never again will you be able to even lay a finger upon another living thing without endangering their life. The longer the contact is maintained the more of a person's life-force you will absorb."
END FLASHBACK
Taking off his glove Ranma hesitated one last time and then steeled himself. People's lives were at stake here. If needs be he would apologise to the Professor later for stealing his powers without permission and do penance for his crime.
He placed his hand gently upon the Professor's forehead and then jerked slightly as the memories flooded through him.
The Juggernaut held the pathetic wolf-man in an iron grip, slowly crushing him and ignoring all other attempts by those pathetic X-men to free his captive.
Then he felt a searing pain in between his eyes as his world exploded!
"CHARLES!" he screamed.
The X-men watched in amazement as the Juggernaut reeled as if from unseen blows again and again and again before crumpling into a motionless heap in the middle of the street.
The Professor had pulled through!
They cheered wildly; giddy with adrenaline and pent up fear. Jean and Scott kissed passionately before recovering their composure, lighting up the now darkening sky with their blushing faces.
That is until they heard a rough, teenage voice ring in their heads:
Look I know you're happy and all, but can you come and give us a hand. I have a feeling your Prof. is gonna need some medical attention. By the way did I mention that being stuck in an over-turned plane REALLY SUCKS! >>
As they entered the Blackbird's cockpit, the first thing they saw was the form of a crouching, tired Ronin and beneath him the downed Professor.
What caught Rogue's interest however was neither the boy nor the Professor's state of health. What really caught her notice was the way he was slipping his glove back on to his hand, almost as if he were ashamed.
If he were already a telepath> , she asked herself why would he not speak in that manner earlier? There's no logical explanation unless…>
Ororo caught her as she slumped forward in a daze. The last thing she saw before she blacked out was a pair of grey-blue eyes, gazing at her with concern.
"Another like me?" she whispered.
END OF CHAPTER 4
(Thanks for the great reviews. Thanks to your support I managed to knuckle down and get this chapter finished quicker than I thought I would. You have to forgive me, as unfortunately exams are coming up soon and I can't spend too much time working on these little projects. Keep those reviews coming - daval18)