Assassin Drones: The original saga
Silent Invasion Arc. De Arimasu!
By Alex Young
Fuyuki's room, 10:00 am. June 10, 2002
Fuyuki was in his room happy that his night out to dinner went rather smoothly despite the fact that Pink and Link unleashed a womanhood flower bomb on the place. This was because the most important aspect about his dinner party was that they all enjoyed themselves. Fuyuki had invited Momoka over to stay with his family for a while, and thus patiently awaited her arrival.
As far as the dress code is concerned, he need not worry because he only needed to really dress up just for yesterday, as well as the three days afterward, including today. This was the case even when he doesn't plan on going out with her, the conditions being that he wear any dress shirt (including his black dress shirt) with a white tie and white dress pants. Only during the fourth day onward, do such stipulations get lifted.
As tempted as he was to wear a white tie and white dress pants again, he basically opted for a royal blue tie on his gray dress pants, as well as a white pair of sneakers. On the roof of the Hinata household, Pink and Link were cursing last night's failure. "Man, that Tsubasa more persistent than Pin Ke thought, over?" "Since Ranma escape again, we teach boss lesson about double crossing us, over!" Pink and Link conversed not forgetting about their private arrangement they made yesterday, after which the two herbalists immediately bounded off to exact their own brand of revenge on Tagu.
The Tendo residence, 4:00 pm
"Those two have got some nerve wreckin our family night out." Ranma grumbled to Akane as he sat on the porch sulking about what had transpired. "It doesn't matter Ranma, Because the only thing important is that we had fun back there." She reassured in reply. "Yeah, but that's not what I'm mad about. What I am mad about is that why does everyone who ever fought me, nay, heard of me think that I need to suffer through the worst of what they have to dish out?" Ranma ranted in defense.
"Oh yeah, now that you mention it, I have my rivals, too." "Don't tell me, Kodachi, Ukyo, and Shampoo?" "Yes, not to mention Kuno." "Definitely! Oh well. Might as well take it as it comes." Ranma and Akane conversed as the tone metamorphosed from angst into light humor. "I see you have some company under the floorboards, Ranma." Jirara chided as he slashed into the floor to reveal Gosunkugi as he made a break for it.
"JUST YOU WAIT! I'M GONNA GET YOU FOR THIS, RANMA SAOTOME!" Gosunkugi cried as he scrambled right over the dojo wall. "I tell ya Akane, that guy's nuttier than squirrel piss!" Ranma spat in a far milder contempt than usual. "Aside from that guy's botched hijinks, I'd like for you to meet one of our more loyal clients; Xieng Tzu Lin." Jirara announced as he introduced Tzu Lin to Ranma, his newest recruit.
"Pleased to meet you, Ranma. I've heard so much about you, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you're capable of." Tzu Lin offered. "What's the catch?" Ranma replied eager to learn something new from his newborn career as an assassin. "Catch? Aside from the fact that you have to wear the outfit that I'm providing for you, not really." Tzu Lin reassured. As soon as Ranma got dressed in a jet black hooded sweater with a dragon stitched in red, a pair of jet black pants, fingerless leather gloves, and black sneakers, he began to depart for the Tendo residence foyer.
"I have arranged a private jet that will take you to the Hong Kong international airport. Once you get to the designated safehouse, an informant of mine will detail your mission objectives, good luck out there by the way!" Tzu Lin debriefed as Ranma, along with the rest of the X1 assassin corps, joined her as they entered the waiting custom range rover. "Ranma! Be careful out there!" Akane cried as the SUV embarked on its quest for the airport.
The Hinata residence foyer, 6:00 pm
"It was kinda nice to have you over for an early dinner, Momoka." Fuyuki complimented. "Thank you, bye bye!" Momoka replied as she departed for her limo. {I want to keep wearing a shirt and tie every time I see her, though I won't have to in a few days time. I also want to keep the promise I made on new years, thought I doubt I'll be able to do it without getting in trouble.} Fuyuki mused in a slightly worried dilemma over his promise.
"Oh screw it, I'll just tell them anyways." He spat under his breath as he moved forward to talk to his family about his promise. "Mom, can I talk with you for a moment?" He requested. "Sure, ask me anything." Aki replied. "It's about a promise I made back in New years, and it concerns making out with her." He confessed. "Hmm, how do I put this? Ah! Although you're a little young for any funny business, legally anyways, whether or not you want to press forward and make good on your promise is entirely up to you." Aki answered as curtly as can be.
"I'll tell you what, I will work to ensure that any conduct unbecoming between you and Momoka stays between family and friends, so don't tell anyone else about it, understand?" She proposed in a mild, yet stern tone. "Gotcha, this conversation never happened." Fuyuki declared as he went into his room not nearly as uneasy about it all as he once was. This was all knowing that his secret is safe with family and friends, or so he thought, because Kululu was in his computer room eavesdropping on both mother and son for the entirety of their little conversation. "Ku, ku, kuuuuuuu! Don't go thinking that your secret promise with Momoka will stay secret for long just yet, Fuyuki." Kululu sneered as an ominous "Kuuuukukukuuuu!" repeated itself over and over into the depths of the A.R.M.P.I.T. base.
The mean streets of Hong Kong, 12:49 am. June 11, 2002
Ranma was up and about searching for Tzu Lin's aforementioned contact as he stepped into a vaguely familiar back alley; the alley he rushed in to after Happosai some four months back. He motioned for his bungee cable grappling hook, and swung it at some clothes lines. It was then that he launched himself upward onto a balcony, and stepped inside through the window.
The apartment building Ranma stepped into was at best unkempt, and he could feel an almost clammy atmosphere surrounding what is supposed to be his safehouse. "Hello there." A rather inviting voice called to Ranma, and the ceiling light suddenly flicked itself on. "Say, who are you, anyways?" Ranma queried on full alert. "No need to fear, I so happen to know Tzu Lin personally. Please, call me Zest, leader of the rogue amazon gang." Zest cordially introduced to Ranma.
Zest wore your typical Chinese boys outfit, a male ox horn hair cut, and a cunning smirk. "Oh, and that is Salsa, my child brother, and right hand man." Zest announced as Salsa dropped in from the ceiling. Salsa wore black tinted goggles along with a crew cut, but other than that, his outfit was more or less the same as that of Zest.
"One thing is for sure; Tagu is going to die for what he did to her." Zest sneered citing the fact that he remembered Tagu and Tzu Lin having an argument over payments, on which she stormed out furious over her mistreatment. Since then, Zest stayed with Tagu, but remained loyal to Tzu Lin, a fact that would prove critical to the mission's preparation, and to settling Ranma's debt. "Alright, you got your kill." Ranma replied coldly as Zest's cellphone began to ring, which the rogue amazon immediately answered.
\Zest, meet me at the third drydock in the eastern shipping port within 4 days or earlier for a serious discussion about your loyalties! You had better go there alone!/ Tagu snarled through the cellphone as he hung up abruptly. "4 days, eh?" Zest mused. "More than enough time to plan the attack if you ask me." Ranma replied as Zest adjourned the meeting.
Ranma then pulled out a short sword, and quickly thrust it into a closet door. Ouch! Now that the spy leaning against the other side did not see coming. In fact, Ranma had enhanced the short sword with the power of assassin magic. As soon as Ranma removed the short sword and opened the closet door, he realized that the spy died standing up right then and there.
"Whoa! Didn't know I had it in me." Ranma retched slightly disgusted at the fact that he killed someone for the first time. "Death is but a natural part of your time as an assassin, Ranma." Jirara lectured upon entering the window, as it was only the first truly harsh lesson that Ranma had to learn quickly if he was to grow up, and become a man among men.
A playground near Kissho Junior high, 10:00 am. Four days since graduation
Fuyuki had just gone out knowing that he was no longer required to abide by his dating dress code, because the observation thereof is strictly defacto. Ergo, he decided it best to wear a black, short sleeve dress shirt with a pair of heather gray chinos, and a purple tank top underneath. This was for a more smart casual appearance he's been sporting as of lately.
"Hey there, Gosmeister. What's going on?" Fuyuki greeted casually to Gosunkugi, who had organized a meeting on the playground. He also went by the email address of Gosmeister. "Well, you see. Since you're so interested in the paranormal and the occult, I've gathered all my ritual/occult related paraphernalia for you to admire." Gosunkugi proposed as he handed Fuyuki a crystal ball complete with its own stand.
"Holy smokes! Did you know that doctor John Dee was a British mathematician who frequently used crystal balls in his divination research for Queen Elizabeth I." Fuyuki elucidated as he held the crystal ball. "Y-yeah. Think of it as a token of our friendship, ok?" Gosunkugi offered. "Sure, I'll take it." Fuyuki replied as he was about to take his leave. "You know something, you're the first friend I've had in the longest time." Gosunkugi stated.
"That makes our moment here a little more special, then. Bye" Fuyuki returned as he took his leave, crystal ball in hand. "I trust that you did as I told you, right?" Nabiki groused emerging from a shadow near the swing set. "Y-Yes, I outfitted the stand with your microphone as requested." Gosunkugi reported. "Good, you're free to go until further notice." Nabiki behooved of Gosunkugi as he retired back to his home.
"Well Kulu-san, the meeting was a rousing success." Nabiki reported on her cellphone. "Mind you, Nibiru-san that the crystal ball and stand given to Fuyuki is actually a device designed to measure the energy potential threshold, as well as current physical capabilities." Kululu explained, as the yellow devil it seemed, had good intentions behind this one, as well as the yandere parasite incident a couple of months back. This is because he wanted to test Fuyuki's reactionary speed and resolve, as well as that of his girlfriend as soon as she came into the picture.
The third drydock in the eastern shipping port, 5:53 pm
Zest had walked up to the very center of the empty drydock where he could see Tagu with a less-than-pleasant expression on his face. It isn't because Zest's streamlined body is more attractive than Tagu's rotund body. It isn't because Zest has a full head of hair with a single ox horn in the back and that Tagu is bald save for a long, braided scorpion tail set high on his head. There's something much more important going on than mere appearances and respectability.
"I thought I told you to go alone!" Tagu growled authoritatively. "Speak for yourself, Tagu. You rarely ever go alone." Zest replied casually brushing his shoulder blades. "THAT IS BECAUSE UNLIKE YOU, MY LOYAL SOLDIERS WOULD NEVER BETRAY ME!" Tagu roared back. "Oh no? Then how do you explain the fact that your soldiers on the outside are acting like housewives right about now? Look behind you and find out." Zest countered pointing behind Tagu, and there the reserve group was, acting like housewives to Tagu's apparent distaste.
"WHAT IN THE!? WHAT IN THE LIVING FUCK DID YOU JUST DO TO MY MEN!?" Tagu screeched panicking over what Zest had in store for him. "Really, now. I'd have thought you had the common courtesy to reserve such a question for them." Zest reproached as Tagu's former hired guns, Pink and Link dropped in to make good on their promise. "Hello, boss, over." "Remember us, over?" Pink and Link chided respectively.
"YOU FUCKING TRAITORS! WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON, huuuu shit!" Tagu panicked as his men inside the drydock scrambled to divulge the identity of the presence within. "JISHAKU! KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH IN THE CEILING!" Tagu barked as he made a beeline for the nearest exit. Jishaku was Tagu's personal bodyguard, similar in build to Tagu, except a little taller, a little slimmer, and a heck of a lot nastier. "HAVE AT YOU, PEKOPONIAN!" Jirara snarled as he along with the rest of X1 dove in from the ceiling to meet the Gatling shotgun toting Jishaku in mortal combat.
Zest called out four of his best warriors. Along with Salsa, he summoned Jet Racer, Sapphire Saber, and Charcoal blaster to the battle. The three action girls were Japanese, Korean, and Indonesian amazons respectively. Tagu could be seen escaping the potential bloodbath, when Ranma emerged from the ceiling and dealt him a death blow from above.
"Hey Tagu! It's me, Ranma! I owed you a debt that I had incurred some 8 years ago in Brazil. I should be running scared by now, except I've got you right where I wanted you. Assassin super magic: Meteor's shadow blade." Ranma spat as Tagu uttered his final insult. "F-F-Fuck. Yyyooooouuuuuuu." A bloodstained Tagu frothed ripping out a spasm as he died a quick, painless death, and collapsed at Ranma's feet.
"No. Don't kill him, I need to talk." Another figure ordered as he strolled up towards the assassination scene. "I must admit that you had some serious balls to just straight up kill the boss like that." The figure known as Tagu Kurain's son and heir to the Kurain crime syndicate, Shintagu commended. "I would have had to eliminate his closer associates first, not that I am less than a little well prepared to defend my position as heir to the syndicate, but for killing the boss, I hereby absolve you of any and all debts you may have incurred with us, Ranma." Shintagu declared.
"Thanks, one less problem on my hands. Now, a moment alone, if you will." Ranma requested, to which Shintagu respectfully bowed and moved his men away from the carnage while taking off and casting aside their kenzan hair fixtures. Ranma broke out his cellphone to photograph the corpse of the fallen mobster and email it to Tzu Lin. Ranma, along wit both sides of the battle, fled the scene just before the local cops had arrived.
An hour later would see Ranma dashing along the rooftops with the X1 in toe. \Well done, Ranma. You performed just as well as I had hoped, which means you are very deserving of all the hype you've been getting in my book. I suspect that the Kurain crime syndicate will begin to collapse from the inside out with Tagu dead and gone./ Tzu Lin reported to Ranma shortly after hanging up.
Ranma took a moment to stop and reflect upon the lesson that he learned; He will have to do what needs to be done to protect the future of anything goes martial arts, even if it meant murder. This was the case, although some are definitely more deserving to die than others. That being said, Kuno, Ryoga, Mousse, Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi, Genma, Soun, and Happosai are decidedly not among those who deserve to die, as bad as they are. He takes another moment to relish in the fact that Shintagu, along with the rest of the Syndicate, decided it best to let him live to die another day.