Disclaimers:

- Ranma belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

- The Universe of the Incal is based in the works: Incal of Jodorowsky and Moebious, Metabarons of Jodorowsky, Moebious and Gimenez, and Techno Priests of Jodorowsky, Zoran Janjetov and Fred Beltrand.

- This story is made for fun and is meant for the enjoyment of the fans.

- I have to thank Logray Vadisi for preread this chapter. Thank you very much.

- I thank all kinds of comments and suggestions, as well as illustrations based on the history.

- Please C&C.

- If anybody wants be a pre reader and help me you only have to e-mail me. I would be happy to accept. Thanks.

---------------------------------Chapter 3: The First Lesson.

The metallic room of the bathroom slid to the side, allowing that a hot air wave invaded the room.

Akane appeared clean between the steam and, more important, she had recovered part of her dignity.

Her short black hair was curled and wet. Lonely drops of water hung from her naked skin. A wet towel, tied around her waist, was the only cloth that protected her modesty. However only a robot was in the Spartan room of metallic walls where she had awoke, who considered modesty as an incomprehensible human emotion.

"If you has finished to clean your body, follow me. The master is waiting you." The robot said with a clear voice, without the metallic accent of an artificial being.

Akane started trembling of fear when the robot mentioned its master. Thoughtlessly her right hand slid down to her belly, where she caressed her fresh scar. It was the proof that she wasn't already a whole woman.

"Wait!" Akane shouted, trying to postpone the unavoidable. "I need clothes! I can't go out naked to…"

Akane didn't know how continue. She really didn't know what she was going to find out of the door of her room, but she wasn't going to go out wearing only a towel.

"The temperature inside the metabunker is adjusted at 25º, therefore you don't need clothes to keep you warm."

"You don't understand!" Akane shouted desperate by the indifference of the robot. "I need clothes!"

"Then I suggest that use the clothes that I left over the bed."

The words of protest died in Akane's mouth, while she turned towards the bed.

A long white dress rested over the new clean sheets. The shame dyed Akane's cheeks red.

Five minutes later Akane followed Bobo through long corridors.

All of them were built with a strange metal that Akane never had seen. and were lit by invisible sources of light.

The thin dress, that stuck to the outline of her wet skin, had returned the courage to Akane to try to run away. Therefore, while she advanced slowly, she searched any way towards the freedom. Bobo destroyed this false hope with its neutral tone.

"I recommend that you don't try to run away. The metabunker is a real maze."

Without an opportunity of escape, Akane followed Bobo meekly, as a sheep conducted to the slaughter house.

After long minutes they arrived to a two leaf metallic door.

Bobo opened the door and moved away.

"The master is waiting you." The robot announced unnecessarily.

Akane advanced slowly without say a word, passed Bobo and went across the door.

The room was enormous. Its walls, metallic and without ornaments, rose more than 25 meters. All the room was lighted by spheres that floated at different levels. But Akane didn't note those details. Her attention set in her kidnapper, whose imposing figure waited her in the center of the room.

A shiver crossed her body. Akane could feel all her body shouting desperately that run away, but the door closed before her legs could turn around.

For a few minutes Steelhead observed her quietly. The impossibility of distinguish his eyes made the scrutiny more disturbing. Akane didn't dare to move. The only sound that could be heard was the beat of her heart.

"So this is that I have to train." Steelhead finally commented with scorn.

Without think Akane answered back proudly.

"I am a martial artist and I don't need any lessons from a kidnapper."

After pronounce the last word Akane realized what had said. She covered her mouth with her hand, and looked to her kidnapper afraid of his reaction; but his metallic face didn't change.

"Artist?" His tone of voice showed a light surprise. "What has this to do with art? It is you or the enemy in the battlefield, or you kill it, or it kills you. Nothing more! Your flaws will kill you in a real battle."

"My flaws? What are my flaws?" Akane couldn't avoid to ask surprised.

Steelhead didn't answer with words. She didn't see him move but she felt how her dress tore against her skin and fell to the floor. Her instinctive reaction was look downwards at the same time that her arms covered her breasts and crotch. Before that she could protest a fist hit her stomach. The impact emptied her lungs and knocked her over.

For a moment Akane remained doubled with the mouth open completely, breathing large puffs to fill her battered lungs; while her skin started covering with a thin sweat layer.

She continued still in the floor when she heard Steelhead's voice.

"Your modesty and shame are some of your flaws."

Akane turned her aching body towards him.

"I hate you."

Akane's voice exuded pure venom, but Steelhead continued looking at her indifferently. Slowly, theatrically he raised his right leg. Akane saw the attack in a moment, but she wasn't able to move her body to avoid it. Steelhead's kick launched her. Her body bounced against the wall with an awful crack and she fell inert to the polished floor.

Akane's mind regained the consciousness slowly.

"Where? Furinkan...no...went with Ranma... and Cologne...is dead. no!"

The image of her kidnapping and later torture, passed by her mind before opened her eyes and returned to the cruel reality.

Immediately after awake Akane felt an acute pain that pierced her left chest and prevented her from breath. She tried to inhaled slowly but she only achieved to cough blood. Akane tried to stand up to not drown; but she discovered with horror, that she didn't feel anything below her waist. Her legs hung from her body as two useless appendices. Finally Akane managed to turn around with the help of her hands. And her blood start to stained the immaculate floor.

Steelhead walked slowly towards her.

"You haven't to hate or admire your enemy. Any feeling can dazzle and be used against you." He instructed her. "Analyse your enemy, find and take advantage of its flaws while neutralize its advantages. And, mainly, never forget your real objective in a fight."

Steelhead stopped in front of Akane, grasped her neck and raised her on the same level where he would have his eyes. He watched her for a minutes but Akane didn't look away in spite of the undergone punishment. Her force of will was the only thing that kept her conscious.

"Perhaps your training be a lost of time." Steelhead commented with indifference.

Akane raised her metallic arm with her last strength and held the wrist that tightened her neck. She dyingly obtained that a few puff of air went through her strangulated throat.

"I...will...kill...you..."

"Good! That is your objective."

Steelhead released Akane and her body fell to the floor.

Slowly Akane sank again in the unconsciousness on exhausting her forces, both physical and psychic, in this last confrontation; but she managed to hear a last words before surrounding to the darkness completely.

"Heal her Bobo. I want that she is ready to start her training as soon as possible."

---------------------------------------------- About Reviews:

Jerry Unipeg: Thanks. I hope that you like this chapter too.

Spanner: Thanks for your comments. I only want add that the violence isn't gratuitous. The Incal universe is a lot of more violent than Ranmaverse.

The Major & Nth: As I said to Spanner, the Incal Universe is more violent. And I am only showing it. I know that the chapters are short, but I will try to make it longer. I am rewriting the first chapters to show more of the plot. But I think that it is going to be clear around the five chapter.

Steve: I am working in my grammar and a prereader is helping me now too. The other things that you mentioned are the reasons that I am rewriting the first chapters. Perhaps you want give this story a new oportunity after I rewrote the first chapters.