1.2 Summon

Akane got me to a nearby hospital quicker than a car ride would. She wasn't just strong enough to break a locker with her bare hands, she could also jump really fast, really high. I always heard about how capes would 'roof-hop', but I never thought it would be so… exhilarating.

I didn't know how, but I would study my power. And I would wield it to become a superhero. But that would have to be after I got myself out of the hospital.

I closed my eyes and let myself sleep, now that I was safe.

When my dad came rushing into my room, I woke up feeling like I had barely closed my eyes. Akane was still by my side, looking like she wanted to be somewhere else but wouldn't leave me by myself.

"Taylor!" my dad exclaimed, not really looking in Akane's general direction.

"Hey dad!" I said, still feeling out of it. I guess the doctors gave me something for the pain.

"What happened? I got a call and-" He turned, for the first time realizing that there was someone else in the room with us.

"Hello." Akane said, waving innocently.

"Dad, this is Akane, she's the one that brought me to the hospital." I said, doing my best to motion my hand Akane's way. Somehow my arm barely raised from the bed.

My dad adjusted his glasses before examining Akane, "thank you."

"It's no problem, I was there." She said, standing up. "Anyway, I have to get back to my friends now, they're probably worried sick about me suddenly ditching them."

"Oh." I just said. For some reason I was thinking Akane would hang around for a bit more. But I guess a cape as capable as she is probably affiliated to an important team or something. "Where are you going?"

"Well, first I'm going to call home, since I don't really have any way to contact my friends in China, I'm hoping they will call the Dojo so my dad will let them know I'm on my way back to Nerima."

I blinked. "Nerima?"

"Tokyo, Japan." She explained.

My dad looked my way, a question in his eyes he didn't dare voice. I looked back at him, and finally back to Akane. "Tokyo? You're japanese?"

She frowned. "Yes, I was in China because some jerks decided to kidnap me, and then I hung around to help my friends kick said jerks' collective asses." She looked down at her feet, "but I think even when I helped Ranma beat their leader I- huh," she swallowed. "They probably think I am dead, I have to let them know I'm fine."

My dad reacted faster than I did, "if you can wait, I can help you make the call to your home. Long distance calls are not easy these days, especially all the way to Japan."

Akane nodded, but kept her frown, "I will wait outside then." She looked me over, and nodded my way before leaving the room.

When she closed the door leaving my dad alone with me he glared my way. "She's ABB, isn't she?"

"What gave you that impression?"

"Red shirt. Green pants. Is Asian."

I blinked. I hadn't realized Akane's new pants were green. Now that would be a fun story to tell at parties. I shook my head. "No, she's a cape dad. I was bullied at school, you know? And they- they stuffed me in my own locker and filled it with all kinds of disgusting crap. Akane was the only one that helped me out."

He nodded. "And I'm thankful for that, but tell me Taylor, what was she doing there anyway? It was at night, right? Why would a regular student be-"

"I don't think she's a regular student." I interrupted him.

"And why is that?"

"I think- I think I am a cape too."

He tilted his head to the right, surprised. "You- you what?"

I gulped. "Just before she helped me, there was no one nearby. Then, I felt utterly desperate and feltsomething within me."

He looked back at the now closed door to the hospital room. "Are you telling me you did something to her?"

"I think- I think I summoned her."

"Summoned her." He said, almost tasting my words. "Like a wizard."

I shook my head. "I don't know what to tell you. I needed help. My- My power brought her to help."

"All the way from China."

"She said she had been fighting some cape with her friends. That she thought she had died."

He frowned. "And she shows up here, unscratched."

I started coughing again. "I, *cough*, I think we should *cough* help her."

"Ok, we will." He assured me, but looked me over, "and who will help us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Taylor, I talked with the doctor before coming in, he says you almost died in there. You're going to stay a while on observation."

I looked down. "Oh."

"You could've died Taylor, and what's this about being bullied?" He looked like he wanted to go to school and kill someone, "Who did this?"

"I huh- I didn't see who pushed me."

"You didn't see who pushed you." He repeated. He didn't believe me. "And what about Emma? Why didn't she help you?"

"I'm not really friends with Emma anymore dad, besides I don't think she could've done anything." because it was probably her idea to begin with.

He didn't look like he completely understood me, but he looked beyond frustrated. "Ok Taylor, I have to move fast if we don't want to be financially ruined thanks to those bullies of yours."

I blinked. "Financially ruined?"

"The Hospital visit isn't free, Taylor." He said and started pacing. "I will have a word with that hack, Blackwell about this whole thing. And I also have to give a ride to your new friend so she can call her home in Japan."

I grimaced. That call wouldn't be cheap. And dad thought my hospital stay could ruin us? "What are we going to do?"

He massaged his temples. "The school will have to pay for all of this, don't worry, I have dealt with people much harder than that principal of yours." He paused and asked me, "they never stopped the bullies, right? The school staff, I mean."

I shook my head, "sometimes they would even look the other way."

His face darkened at that. "And they let you inside that locker for who knows how many hours." It looked like he was ready to punch someone.

He sighed, and forced himself to smile my way, "I will deal with them now Taylor, you don't have to worry. Please, just go to sleep. The doctor said you needed it."

I numbly nodded, and closed my eyes. I vaguely heard him leave my room before my strength left me and I was back to sleep.

Something strange happened then. I knew I was asleep. I could even hear myself lightly snoring.

But I was at the same time wide awake, pacing by the waiting room.

I tried to turn my head when I heard my dad coming my way, but I had no control over my body. It was like I was just riding shotgun.

My lips started moving and I said, "Mr Hebert?"

He barely stopped to look my way, "Oh, Akay neh, was it?"

I gritted my teeth at that. "Akane."

He nodded, "right, sorry." He said and motioned me to follow him.

I was in Akane's mind. Or rather, I could see, hear, and feel what she could. I don't think I could really read her mind or anything like that.

My dad started saying something, but I wasn't really paying him attention. I was focusing on how good Akane's eyesight was. I mean, with my glasses I can see as well as possible, but I'm pretty sure Akane is beyond 20/20, everything just looked like it was so full of color. Maybe she's more than super-strong? Wait, no, that's not the word they use in PHO, isn't it? What was it? Bulk? Hulk? Troll? No, Brute.

Right. Akane was some sort of Brute. But looking at how good her senses are, I guess she's also some kind of Thinker? I think that falls in that category.

And what category do I fall in? I can bring people over from far away, that's a Mover I guess, and some sort of Thinker since I bring over someone that can help me. But now I'm piggy-backing over Akane's senses, I guess I may be some sort of Master?

I tried to move Akane's head again. Commanding it to move.

It didn't.

Not a Master then. Or rather, not full mind-control Master at least.

"What did you mean back there?" Akane suddenly says, bringing to my attention their conversation.

My dad looked puzzled, "I don't think I follow?"

"About Japan. You said 'Long distance calls are not easy, especially to Japan'. What do you mean by 'especially to Japan'"

Wait. What? Why would Akane ask such a question?

"I meant that with the Endbringer attack, and how it affected Japan, I'm surprised you even have family back home, to tell you the truth. And services back there are not really up-to speed, I don't know if it's even possible to call all the way to Tokyo."

All the color drained from Akane's face. "Endbringer? What's that?"

My dad looked at Akane like she had grown a second head. "You- you don't know?"

Akane shook her head. "Sorry, no. When did this happen?"

"Back in 1998, no wait- 1999, it destroyed a southern Island and flooded the whole country. Japan has been in ruins since." My dad looked Akane's way with a worried expression, "there have been countless of refugees coming to America, we have a bunch here in Brockton Bay."

Akane was on the verge of tears. "1999!? What year is it?"

"What year?"

"Yes!"

I could feel that Akane was agitated. I wonder what's going on.

"2011." He simply said.

Akane was trembling. "And you're saying we are in…"

"Brockton Bay. It's in New Hampshire, America." He all but stopped walking, just to look at her face. "Akane, what's going on?"

She was crying now. "I- huh, I was in 1992. Ranma was fighting Saffron in Jusendo, China. He was going to die to the fire, so I helped him. I saved him. I gave him a fighting chance. And he killed Saffron, he saved, he-" Akane massaged her eyes. "I almost died there. And then I was at that school with Taylor."

"1992?" He repeated, and blinked. "You really remember dying in 1992?" He almost whispered the last part, looking around to make sure no one was listening in.

"I remember almost dying in 1992." Akane corrected, rather weakly.

My dad grabbed Akane by the arm and resumed his pace. "Come on, we will continue talking when we're in the car. Anyone could listen in."

It felt like Akane was about to refuse, but she ended up just nodding and following my dad to his car.

But by the car were four men wearing jackets that read 'EEE'. It looked like they had been drinking beer and smoking. My dad tried to around them but they noticed Akane.

"Hey there! Look at this bitch, you're far away from your third-world country, you chink!" One of the Empire grunts said.

The second one squashed the beer can he had been drinking. "And look at this, hey you, old guy, yes, you asshole!" He said, pointing at my dad. "What the hell are you doing, banging a chink whore from the ABB? Don't you have any respect for your race?"

"Yeah!" the youngest of the bunch said, and spit at my dad. "I hate blood traitors like you, why don't you-"

My dad cleaned the spit with his sleeve, and talked over the young guy, "we're not in empire territory."

"Not in empire territory he says," the biggest man said, he had a crooked nose, like a boxer. He glared at my dad. "Don't you know the whole city is empire territory?"

Akane took a step forward. "I don't know who you are, but you better scram, or else-"

"Or else what, bitch?"

Akane narrowed her eyes. "Or else I show you what the heir of the Tendo School of Anything goes Martial Arts can do."

Crooked-nose laughed heartily at that, "She thinks we're scared of some karate!"

Akane took a stance, but continued talking with my dad, "Mr. Hebert, stay behind. Who are these people?"

"They're members of the Empire Eighty Eight, a local gang of neo-nazis."

"Neo-nazi? Like, Hitler?"

"That would be Old-Nazi, but yes." My dad said, with the strangest smile drawn in his face. What was he thinking?

Akane smiled, "Ok, who goes first?" She asked the Empire grunts. They all looked at each other and just jumped her all at the same time.

Akane side-stepped a punch to to stomach and lightly tapped the neck of Crooked-nose. Then jumped over a crowbar from the youngest grunt and kicked him straight in the jaw. When the two others tried to hit her at the same time, she just threw one punch to her right, and one to her left.

They all fell to the floor. Unconscious.

My dad widened his eyes. "You're really strong.

Akane smiled his way, "thanks." She said as she walked to the car.

My dad took the driver's seat and opened the passenger's door for her. "Come on, I don't want to be around when they call for help."

"So. 1992. China." Dad said, once they were safe, blocks away from the Empire grunts.

Akane's lips twitched. "I don't know what to tell you. Is it really 2011?"

"Yes. And we're really in America. " He said.

"How?"

He sighed. "Taylor told me she thinks she's a cape. That her power brought you to her."

"But… all the way to 2011?" That was an interesting question. I thought I had some sort of Mover power. But I didn't just pull her from China to Brockton Bay. I pulled her from 1992 to 2011.

My dad nodded. "I was thinking… you said you died?"

"I said I think I was dying. I didn't die. Ranma saved me. Or else I would still be the size of a Barbie."

My dad eyed Akane quizzingly. "A Barbie?"

"Magic fire." She explained, shrugging her shoulders. "There was a magic water that reversed the effect. Ranma got me to it in time. I think he did."

"Maybe he didn't."

I could feel… anger? bubbling within Akane. "I remember him holding me. I remember him putting his shirt on me because I was naked. I remember him telling me that he loved me. That he wished he-" Akane stopped talking and looked down.

My dad remained silent.

"He didn't save me. Didn't he?" Akane asked.

"I- I don't know. It's over my pay grade." He replied.

Akane was crying again. "And it's been… what, 19 years? He probably married one of those sluts in the meantime." She made a face. "He's almost as old as my dad by now."

My dad remained silent. But I could see it in his face. What he was thinking. He was wondering if this 'Ranma' was even alive at this point. Leviathan probably killed him in 1999, like he did to pretty much all of Japan's heroes.

I just hope Akane can get past this. I think I can help her cope, if she'll let me.