An American Batman in Nerima
Chapter 4: Ranko
By Crystal Moon
6/12/2002
e-mail: crystalcollins19@hotmail.com
Batman Beyond belongs to whoever owns him and Ranma belongs to Rumiko. I do not own them so please don't sue me. I'm just a poor little girl who's doing this for fun.
Mary was a little annoyed with her son because she knew he brought along that infernal suit. She was hoping to have him to herself and not have to share him with Batman. It was a good thing in a way though, maybe she'd be able to spar with him while he was using it. Terry had gotten a lot better but she could still easily outmatch him, maybe with the suit the playing ground could even out a little more.
It was a little surprising to see that Nerima hadn't changed a whole lot. Sure their were some of the technological advancements that seemed to appear overnight through the rest of the world but it still looked for the most part the same as it did when she left all that time ago.
"It's beautiful." Max said in awe as she watched out the window of the rental van, "It's not crowded like back home."
"Yeah, I don't see any signs of dregs at all." Terry said looking back from the front passenger seat and seeing Matt sound asleep in the seat behind their mother and smiled. Matt could be a real twip sometimes but Terry still loved his younger brother.
"Still, I want all of you to be careful." Mary said, "Your mother would kill me if something happened to you Maxine."
"Please call me Max, Mrs. McGinnis." Max said.
"Only if you cal me Mary." Mary said.
"Deal." Max laughed. It was good to get away from Gotham for awhile.
"We're here." Mary said as they pulled up in front of a westren style house and they climbed out of the van minus their luggage and walked up to the door. Nervously she knocked on the door and held her breath as it opened several moments later. A red-haired woman answered the door wearing a green sundress which surprised Mary. She never saw her mother wearing anything but a kimono.
"M-Mom?" Mary sqeaked in surprise.
"Ran…Mary?" the woman asked. The two woman hugged each other tightly as tearf freely fell from their eyes. After several moments Mary withdrew and introduced Terry and Matt who the woman hugged each in turn then hugged a startled Max when Mary introduced her.
"Mrs. Saotome…" Max said.
"You can call me grandmother if you like." the woman said, "Or just plain Nodoka if you prefer."
What Max was going to say was forgotten at that, "Thank you grandmother."
"I have tea waiting inside." Nodoka said, leading them inside and into what must have been the dinning room.
"Why's the table so small?" Matt asked in confusion making Mary giggle a little. Terry slapped Max on the back of the head lightly. "Oh!"
"Terry, don't hit your brother like that." Mary said.
The four sat around the table, Mary sitting next to Matt so she could make sure he stayed out of trouble. Nodoka came in carrying a tray with tea and snacks and served evreybody as she sat across from Marry.
"Where's pops?" Mary finally asked.
"He went to visit Soun." Nodoka explained.
"He's not planning anything is he?" Mary asked, not bothering to hide her irritation from her mother.
"I took care of that dear." Nodoka said.
"This rips!" Matt exclaimed eating another cookie.
"What?" Nodoka asked in confusion.
"He means that he likes them." Mary explained trying not to laugh at her mother's confusion, "It's slang in Gotham."
Nodoka nodded though Mary could tell the woman was still confused. "I though that you could stay in your old room while Terry and Matt shared the guest room. I cleaned out the attic for Max while you're here."
Mary nodded in appreciation as she finished her tea. "H-how's Akane?"
Nodoka frowned slightly, "She married that Habiki boy not long after you left. They have a daughter named Ranko."
Mary sighed as she thought about that, she was flattered that they'd name their daughter after her but it was a little hard to believe that Akane married Ryoga. She wondered what else had changed since she left.
***
After they had settled in and Max was working on setting up her comuter Terry decided to take a walk and explore the town. Compared to Gotham this place was kind of quiet which kind of bothered him yet it also comforted him. There wouldn't be any need for Batman here but he couldn't help worrying a little about back home.
Right before leaving he had a major fight with Dana and they broke up, this time for good. It hurt but he knew that it had been coming for awhile now since he kept standing her up unintetionally. It wasn't as if he didn't try to make it, it was just hard to get away to meet her when he was in a middle of a fight or something.
After walking aimlessly for twenty minutes he stumbled into a park where a very cute girl of about his with long black hair tied back with a ribbon and wearing cut-off jean shorts and red blouse was arguing with a boy with short black hair wearing a blue kendo uniform.
"I told you I'm not interested in you!" the girl spat.
"Surely you jest oh beautous Ranko Tendo." the boy said waving a bokken around, "For I am the rising star of the kendo world, the blue thunder of Furinkan High and one as great as I should have no one else but a fierce tigress such as yourself by my side!"
"Damn it Kuno!" Ranko spat, "I can't stand you, you make me sick! Why can't you get that through your thick head you jerk!"
"Hey dreg!" Terry snapped walking up to the two, "Didn't you hear what the girl said?"
"I can take care of myself you jerk!" Ranko snapped.
"What gaijin dare challenge me?" Kuno demanded. Before he had a chance for an answer Terry pounded his face into the ground. When he turned to face the girl he noticed the shocked look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Terry asked.
"Wh-where did you learn how to fight?" Ranko asked.
"My mom taught me how to do that." Terry explained.
"Bull! That was anything goes style and only two family's know it since Happosai died. There's no way that your mother would know it!" Ranko fumed.
"Yeah it's anything goes style," Terry explained, "It's my family's style."
"BULL! There's no way a gaijin family would know it!" Ranko snapped.
Terry wasn't in the mood to argue with this girl so he started to turn away before realizing something. "Do you know a Nodoka Saotome?" The socked look on the girl's face was all he needed, "She's my grandmother."
"No way!" Ranko exclaimed. "That would mean your mother is…Ranma?"
"My mom's name is…"
"Mary, Mary McGinnis dear." Mary said startling the two of them, "Ranma died along time ago."
"Mom?" Terry asked noticing his mother's eyes misting slightly.
"I was wondering where you'd gotten off to." Mary said poking the unconcious boy with her foot, "Sorta looks like Kuno."
"That is Kuno." Ranko said finally snapping out of the shock of this woman sneaking up on them.
"Can't be, he like what fifteen maybe sixteen. Tatawaki should be older than me." Mary said.
"He's the blowhards son." Ranko said. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My names Ranko Tendo, daughter of Akane and Ryoga Tendo."
"I just came by to see if Terry was going to come with us to get something to eat." Mary said, "You're free to come along if you like."
"No thanks." Ranko said turning to leave.
"Say hi to P-Chan for me!" Mary said and almost giggled when the girl froze for a moment before walking off.
"Who's P-Chan?" Matt asked from behind Terry.
Terry almost jumped from shock, that was twice in five minutes that someone had been able to sneak up on him. He could believe his mother doing it after seeing her skill first hand but how could the twip do it? He sighed as he glanced back at the form of the retreating girl, she was cute.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Chapter 4: Ranko
By Crystal Moon
6/12/2002
e-mail: crystalcollins19@hotmail.com
Batman Beyond belongs to whoever owns him and Ranma belongs to Rumiko. I do not own them so please don't sue me. I'm just a poor little girl who's doing this for fun.
Mary was a little annoyed with her son because she knew he brought along that infernal suit. She was hoping to have him to herself and not have to share him with Batman. It was a good thing in a way though, maybe she'd be able to spar with him while he was using it. Terry had gotten a lot better but she could still easily outmatch him, maybe with the suit the playing ground could even out a little more.
It was a little surprising to see that Nerima hadn't changed a whole lot. Sure their were some of the technological advancements that seemed to appear overnight through the rest of the world but it still looked for the most part the same as it did when she left all that time ago.
"It's beautiful." Max said in awe as she watched out the window of the rental van, "It's not crowded like back home."
"Yeah, I don't see any signs of dregs at all." Terry said looking back from the front passenger seat and seeing Matt sound asleep in the seat behind their mother and smiled. Matt could be a real twip sometimes but Terry still loved his younger brother.
"Still, I want all of you to be careful." Mary said, "Your mother would kill me if something happened to you Maxine."
"Please call me Max, Mrs. McGinnis." Max said.
"Only if you cal me Mary." Mary said.
"Deal." Max laughed. It was good to get away from Gotham for awhile.
"We're here." Mary said as they pulled up in front of a westren style house and they climbed out of the van minus their luggage and walked up to the door. Nervously she knocked on the door and held her breath as it opened several moments later. A red-haired woman answered the door wearing a green sundress which surprised Mary. She never saw her mother wearing anything but a kimono.
"M-Mom?" Mary sqeaked in surprise.
"Ran…Mary?" the woman asked. The two woman hugged each other tightly as tearf freely fell from their eyes. After several moments Mary withdrew and introduced Terry and Matt who the woman hugged each in turn then hugged a startled Max when Mary introduced her.
"Mrs. Saotome…" Max said.
"You can call me grandmother if you like." the woman said, "Or just plain Nodoka if you prefer."
What Max was going to say was forgotten at that, "Thank you grandmother."
"I have tea waiting inside." Nodoka said, leading them inside and into what must have been the dinning room.
"Why's the table so small?" Matt asked in confusion making Mary giggle a little. Terry slapped Max on the back of the head lightly. "Oh!"
"Terry, don't hit your brother like that." Mary said.
The four sat around the table, Mary sitting next to Matt so she could make sure he stayed out of trouble. Nodoka came in carrying a tray with tea and snacks and served evreybody as she sat across from Marry.
"Where's pops?" Mary finally asked.
"He went to visit Soun." Nodoka explained.
"He's not planning anything is he?" Mary asked, not bothering to hide her irritation from her mother.
"I took care of that dear." Nodoka said.
"This rips!" Matt exclaimed eating another cookie.
"What?" Nodoka asked in confusion.
"He means that he likes them." Mary explained trying not to laugh at her mother's confusion, "It's slang in Gotham."
Nodoka nodded though Mary could tell the woman was still confused. "I though that you could stay in your old room while Terry and Matt shared the guest room. I cleaned out the attic for Max while you're here."
Mary nodded in appreciation as she finished her tea. "H-how's Akane?"
Nodoka frowned slightly, "She married that Habiki boy not long after you left. They have a daughter named Ranko."
Mary sighed as she thought about that, she was flattered that they'd name their daughter after her but it was a little hard to believe that Akane married Ryoga. She wondered what else had changed since she left.
***
After they had settled in and Max was working on setting up her comuter Terry decided to take a walk and explore the town. Compared to Gotham this place was kind of quiet which kind of bothered him yet it also comforted him. There wouldn't be any need for Batman here but he couldn't help worrying a little about back home.
Right before leaving he had a major fight with Dana and they broke up, this time for good. It hurt but he knew that it had been coming for awhile now since he kept standing her up unintetionally. It wasn't as if he didn't try to make it, it was just hard to get away to meet her when he was in a middle of a fight or something.
After walking aimlessly for twenty minutes he stumbled into a park where a very cute girl of about his with long black hair tied back with a ribbon and wearing cut-off jean shorts and red blouse was arguing with a boy with short black hair wearing a blue kendo uniform.
"I told you I'm not interested in you!" the girl spat.
"Surely you jest oh beautous Ranko Tendo." the boy said waving a bokken around, "For I am the rising star of the kendo world, the blue thunder of Furinkan High and one as great as I should have no one else but a fierce tigress such as yourself by my side!"
"Damn it Kuno!" Ranko spat, "I can't stand you, you make me sick! Why can't you get that through your thick head you jerk!"
"Hey dreg!" Terry snapped walking up to the two, "Didn't you hear what the girl said?"
"I can take care of myself you jerk!" Ranko snapped.
"What gaijin dare challenge me?" Kuno demanded. Before he had a chance for an answer Terry pounded his face into the ground. When he turned to face the girl he noticed the shocked look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Terry asked.
"Wh-where did you learn how to fight?" Ranko asked.
"My mom taught me how to do that." Terry explained.
"Bull! That was anything goes style and only two family's know it since Happosai died. There's no way that your mother would know it!" Ranko fumed.
"Yeah it's anything goes style," Terry explained, "It's my family's style."
"BULL! There's no way a gaijin family would know it!" Ranko snapped.
Terry wasn't in the mood to argue with this girl so he started to turn away before realizing something. "Do you know a Nodoka Saotome?" The socked look on the girl's face was all he needed, "She's my grandmother."
"No way!" Ranko exclaimed. "That would mean your mother is…Ranma?"
"My mom's name is…"
"Mary, Mary McGinnis dear." Mary said startling the two of them, "Ranma died along time ago."
"Mom?" Terry asked noticing his mother's eyes misting slightly.
"I was wondering where you'd gotten off to." Mary said poking the unconcious boy with her foot, "Sorta looks like Kuno."
"That is Kuno." Ranko said finally snapping out of the shock of this woman sneaking up on them.
"Can't be, he like what fifteen maybe sixteen. Tatawaki should be older than me." Mary said.
"He's the blowhards son." Ranko said. "I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. My names Ranko Tendo, daughter of Akane and Ryoga Tendo."
"I just came by to see if Terry was going to come with us to get something to eat." Mary said, "You're free to come along if you like."
"No thanks." Ranko said turning to leave.
"Say hi to P-Chan for me!" Mary said and almost giggled when the girl froze for a moment before walking off.
"Who's P-Chan?" Matt asked from behind Terry.
Terry almost jumped from shock, that was twice in five minutes that someone had been able to sneak up on him. He could believe his mother doing it after seeing her skill first hand but how could the twip do it? He sighed as he glanced back at the form of the retreating girl, she was cute.
TO BE CONTINUED…