CHAPTER 02
-"BEWARE THE WHITE ROSE! HERE'S R!"-
Last time:
In the hills of Nerima there's a person, with long white hair- (Inuyasha Style)- watching Nerima, and only one thought in his mind:
Nerima, at last! Be prepared Ranma Saotome, cause when I find you, it will be your end!
The ringing of his cell phone interrupts the stranger. He pulls it out of his pocket and answers the call. "Yeah, what is it?
I'm just checking on you, the voice on the other end of the line says. What's your current location?
"I'm up in the hills, just outside Tokyo city limits. And then, it's on to Nerima!
That's good. Proceed to Tokyo. Once you're in town, stay there and wait for further instructions.
The stranger's annoyed by this. "You KNOW I hate waiting. I'd much rather go in, kill him, and get it over with."
Hmph! You think it'll be THAT easy? There's a reason why we're doing it this way. Take this opportunity to study your target, get to know it inside out. You already know his moves. Learn how he thinks and fights, and you'll have an advantage over him when the time comes. For now, go to Tokyo and wait. If you have to fight anyone while you're there, be careful about using your powers – I don't want you drawing any unwanted attention.
"Yeah, whatever."
Very well. You have your instructions, now carry them out.
"Fine. But what about the "you-know-what"? I should be out looking for that instead of wasting my time on this."
The past is the past, what's done is done. You did the best you could to keep her from getting away. Anyway, don't worry about the Phoenix Stone and the girl – I've got someone else to handle that matter. You stay focused on your current mission.
" …………………………"
I'm counting on you, son. I'm sure you know the consequences for failure.
"Of course, sir. Have I ever failed you yet?"
"Heh, heh, heh, I know you won't. Good luck. I'll be in touch.
"Oh yeah? In the future, don't call me, I'll call you. OK? Geez!" And with that, he hangs up the cell phone. He reaches into his jacket pocket, and pulls out a long-stemmed rose. The stranger takes the innocent-looking flower and tosses it, stem first, like a dart at a nearby rock. The rock explodes on contact! Satisfied, the mysterious stranger gets behind the wheel of his car, a Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) V-Spec. Those of you who've played Gran Turismo 3, you know what this car looks like. You know what it does. Period. The car was painted in a deep red color, much like the color of blood. He revs up the engine and speeds off toward Tokyo.
Meanwhile, at a giant castle hidden somewhere in the mountains of China...
In the darkness of a dimly lit laboratory, we see an old man with wild hair, a big mustache, and a lab coat. It's Dr. Albert W. Wily, mad scientist extraordinaire and archenemy of Megaman. He just got off the phone with the mysterious stranger while working on a new kind of machine; he had been working on it for months, day and night, with almost no rest at all. Hee hee hee!, Wily thought. It won't be long! First, I'll get that Saotome kid for ruining my plans last year. Then I'm going after Megaman with a vengeance! And then the world will be mine! He was about to break out in his usual evil laughter when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" Wily yelled.
Bass entered the lab, Treble with him, "What are you working on now, Doc? Another new lame-o robot? I keep telling you, I'm all you need to destroy that blue idiot! There's no need for you to make any more junk robots."
"Yeah? You've been beaten by Megaman before." Bass sweat dropped at that.
"HEY! I underestimated him last time. But I will conquer him this time!"
"Yeah right. You can battle with Megaman all you want. The robot that I'm making right now will blow the both of you away. And as for Ranma Saotome, I've got a little surprise planned especially for him!"
"What? Don't tell me you're sending "Dog-Boy" to do your dirty work? After that fiasco with that girl and the Phoenix Stone, I didn't think you would let him take on another mission."
"Don't you worry about R. As we speak, he's already on his way to Tokyo. The loss of the Phoenix Stone was only a minor setback. That's where you come in, Bass. As of today, I'm putting you in charge of getting it back."
"What? ME? Why do I have to make up for HIS mistake?", Bass angrily asks.
"Because our friends, the RED CATS, need the Phoenix Stone. And, if we play our cards right, we can get some of its power too!" Wily snaps back.
"And another thing!" Bass continues. "You're always defending him! In your eyes he can do no wrong! What's "Dog-Boy" to you anyway? Is he like your son or something?"
Dr. Wily was about to say something about that remark when a little cat-like man (who eerily resembles Team Rocket's Meowth) wearing red Chinese clothes and a matching red cap enters the room. The little man was a soldier of the RED CAT GANG, a secret society that Dr. Wily had recently joined forces with.
"Um, excuse me, Dr. Wily, but our leader, the Cat Ghost King, wants to see you," the soldier says.
"What? Now? All right, I'm coming. Bass, we'll continue this discussion later." Dr Wily then leaves the lab. The RED CAT soldier, however, remains behind.
"Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be going with the Doc?" Bass asks the soldier.
"Forgive me, Lord Bass," the soldier says while bowing. "But I overheard that Dr. Wily has chosen you to get our Phoenix Stone back."
"Yeah? What about it?"
"Er...well, I was only going to say that he couldn't have chosen a better person for the job, especially since Lord R is busy on his current mission."
"Grrrr…?" Treble growls with concern to Bass.
"Yeah, Treble, I know. Something stinks about this whole thing." Bass then turns to the soldier. "Say, just between you and me, what's the real deal with "Dog-Boy" anyway?"
"Lord Bass! How dare you refer to Lord R that way? He's our best fighter, and Dr. Wily seems to have complete confidence in him. From what I heard, Dr. Wily has taken steps to ensure Lord R's continued loyalty to our unified cause."
You'd better hope the Doc's plans don't backfire on you, Bass thinks.
"Alright, But don't say I told you so." Bass turns and walks out the lab, "Come on, Treble." With those words, Treble walks next to Bass, and the RED CAT soldier follows them out.
Bass couldn't understand why Dr. Wily would want to team up with these RED CAT guys to get rid of Megaman. It was a good idea since they had world domination as a common goal, yes, but Bass would have just preferred to destroy Megaman himself. After all, Bass's grudge was with Megaman anyway, not with Ranma Saotome. Never mind the fact that ever since the pig-tailed martial artist along with other heroes (Megaman included) had foiled Dr. Wily's plans one year ago, the doc became obsessed with trying to destroy Ranma, Megaman, and any other would-be heroes that got in his way. Still, Bass wonders what Wily was going to do with that R guy…
Bass, Treble, and the RED CAT soldier eventually come to a large pair of doors. Bubbleman and another RED CAT soldier are standing at attention on either side of the door. The soldier who accompanied Bass trades places with Bubbleman for guard duty, and Bubbleman joins Bass. Then the soldiers open the doors and allow the three to enter.
They stand in a secret chamber. It's dark inside, with the only light coming from torches giving off strange purple flames. Bass and Bubbleman see Dr. Wily standing in front of a huge golden statue of the Cat Ghost King, shaped like a goofy-looking cat. Apparently, Wily was talking to it before they entered. Then the statue speaks! "Meow! It appears things are not going well, Dr. Wily."
"Merely a minor setback, your majesty. Don't worry; you'll have your Phoenix Stone back," Dr. Wily assures the statue.
"See that you do. Meow!"
"Of course, your highness." Wily bows to the statue; Bass and Bubbleman are shocked, Bass especially – since when did the Doc take orders from anybody?
Bubbleman whispers, "Hey, Bass, why's the doc taking orders from a statue?
Bass whispers back, "Because it talks, you idiot!
The statue's eyes light up. " MEOW! HEY! I'm no statue! I'm the Cat Ghost King! The most rotten villain in the universe! You'd better watch your mouth, bubble boy!
Bubbleman corrects, "Uhh…no you're not. You're a statue. Statues don't talk." Bubbleman notices that the statue's getting angry! Uh oh! "Err..um…well, at least I don't think they do…."
"Oh yeah? Can a statue do THIS?" The statue's eyes glow brightly, dark clouds of energy appear overhead, and they hear the sounds of thunder, then a huge bolt of lightning strikes Bubbleman down!
"ACK!" Electrocuted, Bubbleman falls over!
"Well, I sure showed him!" To Dr. Wily and Bass, the status says, "Now, what was I going to say before our good friend, the late Bubbleman, rudely interrupted me…"
Bubbleman gets up and says, "But I'm not dead!
"What?", the statue says, surprised.
Wily tries to cover up what's happened. "Oh no, it's nothing your highness!
"I'm not dead!"
"Hey, Doc! Bubbleman says he's not dead," Bass says, stating the obvious.
"Of course he is!" Wily insists.
"I'm not!"
"He isn't? Err…well, anyway meow, as I was saying before the near-fatal wounding of Bubbleman…."
"Um, I think I'm getting better!
Bass angrily whispers, "Yo, Bubbles! Shut up or you'll REALLY be dead!"
Dr. Wily nods discreetly to Bass, and the two villains step aside, leaving Bubbleman to await whatever horrible fate the Cat Ghost King has for him….
"As I was about to say ... before Bubbleman, when he seemed about to recover, felt the vengeance of heaven upon him...!" The Cat Ghost King charges up another blast, and zaps poor Bubbleman again!
Bubbleman cries out, "ACK! Again!"
Bass says plainly, "Well, now we know – lightning DOES strike twice!"
"…………………..," Bubbleman groans.
Suddenly, the lights in the secret chamber grow dim. "What's going on?" Dr. Wily asks.
"Aw geez, Doc! Did you forget to pay the light bill again?" Bass sarcastically says.
The statue laments, "Oh, I really hate it when this happens meow…. No, boys, my little display of elemental manipulation sapped a lot of my energy. As long as I remain trapped inside this statue, my powers are limited meow.
"Limited? Not from where we stand, Big Cat! I mean, look what you did to Bubbleman!" Bass says, pointing to Bubbleman's twitching form, on the ground.
Bubbleman weakly reports, "Oh…I'm feeling much better now…" Then, he gets zapped again. "ACK!" Bubbleman finally goes down for the count!
Bass snorts, "Three strikes, and he's out!"
Treble barks, "Grrrf! (Yeah!)"
"Now, to more important matters meow," the statue says. "Bass, it will now be your duty to retrieve the Phoenix Stone. Dr. Wily has informed me of this plan and we believe that you will succeed. My loyal followers, the RED CATS, are at your service and will help you carry out this mission."
Bass accepts the statue's order. "Sure thing, Big Cat. And what about the girl?"
Dr. Wily speaks up, "Yes, I want to know also. Granted, she took the Phoenix Stone, but she doesn't know about our master plan. Despite her fighting skills, she poses no real threat.
"We can't take that chance, Doctor. Because of her actions, Lady Ran is a traitor to our unified cause. Therefore, Bass, if you find her, you may do to her whatever you see fit."
"Understood." That'll really mess up Dog-Boy for sure! Bass thinks, as he smiles evilly. He knows certain things about R & Ran. Uh oh.
"Serve me well, Bass, and I'll give you a kingdom to rule when this is over. Meow!"
Bass thinks, Hmm… King Bass. I like the sound of that. Has a nice ring to it. This is getting interesting. Out loud, he says, "Forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn here, Big Cat, but what about… He's about to call R "Dog-Boy" again, but says his name with obvious disgust. " …R? After all, he WAS the one who cost you your precious rock in the first place."
"Bass!" Wily shushes.
"Do not concern yourself with Lord R. He is taking care of a "problem" that we both have. Meow!", the statue says.
Bass knows that their "problem" is Ranma Saotome, someone both the Cat Ghost King and Dr Wily hate. But that still doesn't answer his question about what they plan to do with R. "OK, if you say so." Doc, what did you get us into? Bass thinks. The Big Cat may be a big dope, but he seems to know what he's doing. And why's Dog-Boy so important to them? There's something they're not telling me. For now, let's play along and see what happens. After all, there's a kingdom in it for me!
"You both know what to do. Now..." the statue pauses for dramatic effect, then commands, "Go! Meow!"
"Bass, grab Bubbleman, and let's go back to the lab. We'll fix him later," Dr. Wily tells his second-in-command. "Then, we must prepare…."
"Prepare for what, doc?" Bass asks as picks up the thrice-struck-by-lightning Bubbleman, who's still not dead, by the way…
"The same thing we always prepare for, Bass – to take over the world! HA HA HA HA!"
Bass groans, "Man, I should've seen that one coming…"
Bubbleman does his best "Pinky" impression, "NARF!"
Bass hisses, "Shut up, Bubbles! Unless you want the Big Cat to zap you again!" Needless to say, Bubbleman shuts up!
They leave. The statue's eyes continue to glow, however… "You're doing a good job, Dr. Wily. Once Bass gets my Phoenix Stone back, I'll help you destroy Megaman as promised. But little do they know I have a plan of my own, meow! R has a much higher destiny in store for him! For if I'm right, he may be…!. Heh heh heh! Meow!"
The statue's eyes stop glowing, and the lights go out, leaving the secret chamber in total darkness.
A few hours later, the mysterious white-haired stranger arrives in Tokyo. While driving, he received a message on his cell phone from the man who called him earlier. The message contained directions to an apartment that was reserved in the stranger's name. The stranger was surprised to see where he'd been sent. It was one of those high-class, luxury apartment buildings. Only the best, the stranger thought. He parked his car in the parking garage across the street from the apartment complex and walked over to the building. On his way there, a guy with curly hair, a beard, and glasses, bumps into him, he's dressed like Kyosuke from Rival Schools / Project Justice, wearing a white school uniform and a black T-shirt. He's also wearing a cross necklace.
"Hey, watch where you're going pal!", the stranger growls.
"No need to get steamed, man. I'm kinda new in this town, and I just wanna ask for directions." the new guy asks.
"Yeah? Well look into a phonebook and get outta my way!"
"Sheesh, thanks a lot, Mr. Grumpy!"
Once he's entered the complex and inside the lobby, the clerk running the front desk recognizes him and calls his name… "Mr. Shirobara? Mr. Shirobara?" That got the stranger's attention. It was the assumed name Dr. Wily gave him to use in order to hide his true identity.
"Yeah, that's me.' He goes over to the front desk. "I understand you have a room reserved for me?"
"Yes, sir, and it's already been paid for." The clerk gives him the key to the apartment. "It's on the top floor, one of our best rooms. You lucky guy, you."
The stranger takes the key, "Uhh…thanks."
"Now, don't do anything I wouldn't do now, you hear?", the clerk says with a knowing wink. The stranger is annoyed with the clerk's comment. What does he think I'm going to do, invite some girls and have a wild party? What a pervert! I oughta kick his butt for that, he thought. But he politely says to the clerk… "Sorry. I'm here for business. Not pleasure."
"Oh, yeah, suuure. Anyway, enjoy your stay, Mr. Shirobara."
"Yeah, whatever." Jerk.
The mysterious stranger takes the elevator to the top floor, then makes his way to his room. He finds the one he's looking for – it has his name on the door, engraved on a golden nameplate, R. SHIROBARA. How appropriate, the stranger thought, that the assumed name Dr. Wily gave me is the same as my nickname, Shirobara – the "White Rose". He opens the door and goes inside.
"Sweet," He whistles. Indeed, it is. The apartment is fully furnished, with leather furniture and a table made out of black marble in the main room. There's a kitchen, a large bath with a hot tub, and a king-sized bedroom. The apartment is equipped with a phone and a laptop computer. There's even a flat-screen TV, with a PlayStation 2 hooked up to it! And thanks to the large panoramic window, the stranger gets a great view of the city. I gotta hand it to Dr. Wily. This is one nice apartment. A bit much, though. He must really want me to stay put. I'd better get this mission over with quickly.
And as the stranger is about to settle in, the telephone rings. Oh great, now what? He answers the phone. "Hello?"
It's me again. Good, you're at the apartment I checked out for you. I trust everything's to your liking?
"Heh. Nice place you got me in, sir."
Yeah, well don't get too comfortable, my boy. This place is only temporary. We'll be joining you in a few days. Then you'll move into the mansion, which will serve as our base of operations.
"Hmph."
"I know how you hate to wait, but it's all part of the plan. Stay put and don't do anything until you hear from Bass or me. And remember what I said about using your powers."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Good. I'll be calling you again soon. Dr. Wily hangs up. The mysterious stranger puts down the phone and takes another look around the apartment. Man, it's nice, he thinks, but I don't wanna hang around here all night. Wait a minute! Mr. Director only said to stay put. He didn't say "where"! He then looks out the huge window of his room. Out loud, he says, "Hmm…it's a nice night outside. I think I'll go see some sights, and get into a few fights. Can't let my skills get rusty.
And so the mysterious stranger "R. Shirobara" changes his clothes, putting on a red suit, a white shirt, and a black vest. He then leaves his apartment to go for a walk out on the town. As he's walking, he notices a crowd of people gathered at a local dojo. Some of them are wearing pink karate gi. The stranger looks up and reads the sign. "Saikyo-ryu Dojo? Saikyo-ryu? Never heard of it. Let's check it out." The stranger walks up to someone in the crowd and asks, "What's going on?"
"You haven't heard? The owner of this dojo is coming to sign copies of his new book. His fan club is throwing a big party to celebrate the dojo's anniversary."
"A fan club? Sounds like the owner's pretty popular."
"Well, you COULD say that…. oh, they're about to start."
We see a young man in his 20's who wears his brown hair in a 'cool' hairstyle and is dressed in a pink karate gi like his, erm… idol. It is Morimoto, the president of the "Official Dan Hibiki Fan Club" (Is there really such a thing?). He gets up on stage, grabs a mike, and speaks to the crowd. "And now ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've been waiting for! Let's give it up for the founder of Saikyo-ryu, "The Man" himself, Daaaaaaaaan Hibiki!"
Then, the guest of honor makes a spectacular entrance by falling from out of nowhere onto the ground in an explosion (like in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter)! "HWAAAAAAH!" Dan hits the ground; then the explosion. "OOF! OW! I've got to work on that landing!"
The stranger notices that only the people wearing the pink karate gi are clapping and cheering. Then a group of cheerleaders (also wearing pink uniforms) appear and do a special cheer. The lead cheerleader calls, ":Ready!" The other cheerleaders respond, "OK! Dan! Dan! He's our man! If he can't do it, no one can! GOOOOOOO DAN! YAY!"
"Thanks, girls!" Dan then addresses the crowd. "Evening folks! I 'm so glad that all of you came out to this celebration. You know, a lot of people said I wouldn't make it, that I was just a joke. Well, WHO'S LAUGHING NOW? Saikyo-ryu's still going strong, baby! YAHOO!"
The fan club claps and cheers. The cheerleaders do another cheer. "Dan! Dan! He's the best! Dan! Dan! He'll beat the rest! YAY!"
R sweatdrops. He turns to the guy he spoke to earlier and asks, "Uhh…is this guy for real?"
The person in the crowd sighs, "I'm afraid so."
"And so, I dedicate this special evening to you, my loyal fans! Thanks for believing in me, in spite of all the obstacles, opposition, and jokes I faced!" Dan looks up to the sky. "And Dad, if you're watching, this one's for you!" He gets all teary-eyed as he does his famous win pose. "YATTA ZE, OYAJIIIII!!" (Cries some more)
Dan's cheerleaders start up yet another cheer. "Oh Dan he's so fine! He's so fine he blows our mind! Hey Danny!"
Watching Dan's theatrics, R concludes, "Geez, this guy's a nut!"
Dan continues, "Now, I could revel you with tales of my fights, but…I'm not going to. You can read all about it in my new book!" He pulls out a copy of his book, titled "From ZERO to HERO: The Dan Hibiki Story". "Today, we celebrate the Saikyo-ryu dojo's past and present, and drink a toast to its future! YAHOO!"
Dan's fan club responds with a loud "YAHOO!!"
And so, the celebration begins. Dan is signing copies of his book, while the "Official Dan Hibiki Fan Club" tries to recruit new members for the club (and for Dan's dojo – he's been looking for new students to teach his style to!). While everyone else is laughing and enjoying themselves, the mysterious stranger "R. Shirobara" picks up a copy of Dan's book and flips through it. At first "ZERO to HERO" read like one of those stories where the nobody became a somebody, how through hard work, persistence, and determination the hero finally gets recognition for his efforts. But R's passing interest soon turns to disgust as he reads more of the book…
"Crap …." R flips through a chapter. "Crap…." He flips through some more chapters. "Double-crap…." More page turning. "Mega-crap….WHOA! CRAP AND A HALF!" He closes the book shut and thinks, Does he actually expect people to believe this hogwash! OK, that's it! I can't take it anymore! He's got to be stopped!
And R goes over to the booth where Dan's book signing is taking place, pushing people out of the way. Two members of Dan's fan club try to stop him, but they're no match for his strength and are knocked down. He makes his way to the front of the booth and confronts Dan. Dan is surprised. "Wow! It's Inuyasha!"
R facefaults. "ACK! You idiot! I'm not Inuyasha!"
"Well, you sure do look like him, I mean, with the hair, the attitude, and all. Judging by the way you came in, cutting in front of everybody, you must REALLY want my autograph! Where do you want me to sign?"
R stops him, "Don't flatter yourself, pal. I'm here to talk about this "book" of yours." He grabs the microphone from the club president. "OK, you had me when you told your life story. But in later chapters, when you talk about your battles…. Tell me, what REALLY happened when you fought Sagat, hm?"
Dan: You read the book, didn't you? You know what happened – I defeated Sagat and avenged my father's death!
R: I'm not saying you didn't beat him. It's just that in your book, you describe him as a pushover. Recently, I've fought the guy while I was vacationing in Thailand, and he's definitely no pushover!
Dan, nervous, says, "Um…you've met Sagat? Oh dear… Oh, umm… So, how's the old Cyclops doin' these days?"
R replies, "Oh fine, fine. You know, I don't know why people make him out to be such a bad guy. Sure, the man's got issues, especially with that guy who scarred his chest with the Shoryuken. But he's an honorable man, and a good fighter. I don't think he'd appreciate you dragging his reputation through the dirt like that. He probably felt sorry for you and let you beat him just to get you off your revenge kick."
The fan club is shocked. Sagat? Honorable? No way!
Dan stands up, angry. "HEY! He killed my father! He had it coming! And I gave him what he deserved!" He gets nervous again. "Umm… he didn't say anything about me at all to you, did he?"
R chuckles, "Only that you're still a loser, he's got a Tiger Cannon with your name on it, oh, and, uh, for you to watch your back!"
Dan smacks himself, "D'OH!" The crowd begins to wonder about Dan; R continues. "And the time you fought M. Bison and Shadowloo? You just got lucky, that's all."
Dan doesn't like where this is going. "Lucky? HEY! Stop putting down my victories! I really did beat Bison!"
R's like, "Oh yeah? How? Oh, never mind, I'll just tell you – dumb luck, plain and simple. And didn't you have help from that girl Sakura and that beast guy Blanka? You didn't even mention them at all in your story."
Dan defends his story. "They're in there! I just, um, forgot to write them in, that's all."
"Forgot? Oh my, that'll never do. Oh….one more thing, in the chapters about the MILLENNIUM FIGHT 2000 and MILLIONAIRE FIGHTING 2001 tournaments, when did you EVER get to touch Mai Shiranui's….Oh, I'd better stop right there. I've embarrassed you enough already."
Now, Dan's sweating bullets. His fan club looks at him funny. A few people in the crowd call him a pervert.
At this point, R's got the audience's attention. "So what we have here, folks, is a guy who thinks he's the world's greatest martial artist, but through dumb luck, got to where he is today. Oh, did I mention he's really a pervert, too? His book? A best-seller? No, more like best-smeller!" He holds his nose! "'Cause, man, it stinks! P.U.! Now for the final blow…" He takes a deep breath and says, "Ladies and gentlemen, this man is a fraud!"
Everybody's reaction was unanimous, "WHAT?"
"HEY!" Dan objects.
Club President Morimoto comes to his hero's aid. "Say it ain't so, Dan! Say you're not a fraud!"
Another club member, Yanagisawa - a skinny kid with pale skin and red eyes (think Rei Ayanami or Kaworu Nagisa from Evangelion) and long dark-gray hair who also wears a pink gi like Dan's - is stunned by this revelation. "I can't believe it! The founder of the Saikyo-ryu Dojo a pervert!"
"He's worse than that old pervert from Nerima!", the random person in the crowd R was talking to earlier says.:
The lead cheerleader fumes, "Why you…! I can't believe I almost went on a date with you! OOOH!" She slaps Dan, then, motioning to the other cheerleaders "C'mon girls, let's dump this loser!" The cheerleaders leave.
Dan rubs his swollen cheek, "OW! Hey, wait, come back! I'm not a pervert! Really! D'OH!"
Soon, everybody, including Dan's fan club leave his dojo, leaving only Dan and R.
Dan stands there in the center of the dojo, crying Soun-like tears. "Boo hoo hoo! I was THIS close to getting that cheerleader's phone number!" Pointing to R, he accuses, "Whoever you are, this is all your fault!"
R shrugs off Dan's accusation. "My fault? Aw, you're just mad 'cause I exposed you for the pervert you really are. And what's up with that outfit? No self-respecting warrior would ever wear THAT shade of pink in a battle!"
"OK, that does it! You can ruin my fan club, trash my book, ruin my chances at dating, and call me a fraud and a pervert, but nobody, and I mean NOBODY makes fun of my outfit! Buddy, I'm gonna lay the smackdown on you!"
R laughs, "YOU? Hurt ME? HAH! Don't make me laugh! Beating you up would be a waste of my time. I'm outta here. Later, pervert!"
And R leaves. Dan, however, is just getting warmed up. He starts taunting his opponent, something his Saikyo-ryu is famous for! "Yeah, that's right! You'd better run, you coward!"
Ladies and gentlemen, Dan has just made the biggest mistake of his life! Then something streaks through the air, nearly clipping off his ear, and pins him to the wall by his gi. It's a white rose, R's trademark. R still has his back turned to Dan.
R calmly says, "All right, I accept your challenge."
A lot of people (including Dan's fan club) gather around to see what's going on.
Dan pulls out the rose. "Oh, so now you're Tuxedo Mask? Bring it on, rose-boy! I'd sure hate to ruin your nice suit, though. You might get some blood on it!"
R turns to face Dan and says, "The only blood spilled will be yours, pervert! Don't blame me if you end up dead!"
"Oh yeah! Here I come! GADOUKEN!" Dan tosses a fireball at R. It doesn't go anywhere.
R blinks. "Um…. what was that supposed to do?"
"Shoot! I missed! OK! I'll try another one! GADOUKEN!" Dan tosses another fireball at R. This one doesn't go anywhere, either.
R, bored, yawns, "Again with that lame attack. Is that all you got?"
Dan does his Backward Rolling Taunt to put some distance between him and R. He then does his Forward Rolling Taunt, then his Jumping Taunt, all the while yelling "YAHOO!" R and the crowd collectively sweat-drop.
"DAN!" Morimoto yells. "Are you just going to taunt him all night long? Do something, or he'll beat you up for sure!"
"Nope! I'm just getting started! DANKU-KYAKU!" Dan leaps forward with a twisting kick, kicking three times while soaring across the room. But R just dodges the attack – and Dan soars right over him.
Angry that he missed his opponent again, Dan says, "HEY! Stand still so that I can hit you!"
R sarcastically wonders aloud, "Now why would I want to do that? Sighing, he says, "I knew I should have left this dump, instead of picking a fight with a lame-o pervert wanna-be fighter like you!"
"Now you insult my dojo? Grr…! THAT DOES IT! IT'S TIME TO SHOW YOU THE TRUE POWER OF SAIKYO-RYU!" Dan gathers his energy, and prepares to use one of his super moves! "SHINKUU GADOUKEN!!" Dan tosses yet another fireball at R, only this time it goes far enough to actually hit R. It doesn't knock him down, though. "HUH? It didn't even faze him!"
The crowd is surprised. Dan's fan club, their faith in their hero restored, starts cheering for him again.
R smirks. "Hey, you actually managed to hit me! Finally, you're starting to fight for real! C'mon, hit me again! I dare you!"
Dan does his Shinkuu Gadouken again, only this time he's in for a surprise! R stretches out his hand, and dark green energy begins to form around it, then he yells…-"DARK EMERALD PEARL!"-… Then he creates a green glowing spiral shield in front of him that reflects Dan's super projectile right back at him! The force of the impact knocks Dan down!
Dan is shocked. "How? How'd you do that?"
R gloats, "How did you like my Dark Emerald Pearl? It takes your attack and sends it right back at you! It's one of my favorite moves!"
Wounded by R's attack, Dan gets up, and thinks, NO! I can't lose! But what do I do now? I can't use my Gadouken, Kouryuken, or Dankukyaku; he'd probably put up that shield again! The Koryurekka? Nope, that's no good. Hisshou Buraiken? Maybe…D'OH! Wait! I've got one technique he hasn't seen yet! It's risky, but if I can pull it off, I'll beat him for sure! That'll show him! And then, I'll use my super taunt "Chohatsu Densetsu" to rub it in his face! A spectacular finish worthy of the Saikyo-ryu Dojo!
"Well, I'm waiting. What's next?" R says as he awaits his opponent's next attack.
Dan declares, "Stranger! You've left me no choice but to use…..my ultimate technique!"
Everybody except R gasps!
Morimoto exclaims, "OH NO! Saikyo-ryu's Ultimate Technique! Will Dan actually use it?"
Calm, cool, and confident, R's ready for whatever Dan may dish out. "Hmm… All right, let's see this "Ultimate Technique" of yours!"
The background blurs and does that flying background / speed line effect... you know, like in Marvel Super Heroes VS. Street Fighter as Dan prepares to unleash his ultimate technique. " SAIKYOU-RYUU MARTIAL ARTS ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE! OTOKO MICHI!!"
"The Path of Man"? R groans. "Oh boy, sounds like another one of those lame moves of yours…."
Then Dan charges with pure rage against R, grabs and explodes him using all his strength! Everyone ducks for cover from the blast! When the smoke clears, we see Dan standing victorious over his defeated foe, his pink karate gi ripped and torn from the awesome power of his ultimate technique. Unfortunately…
"YAHOO! I did it! That'll teach him not to mess with my Saikyo-ryu!" a triumphant Dan rejoices. Then he realizes something. "D'OH! I forgot that using the "Ultimate Technique" drains so much of my strength that I can only do it once! ACK! Ugh!" He falls backward on the floor. The "Official Dan Hibiki Fan Club" facefaults. R, on the other hand, is still standing, although he has a few bruises. He's REALLY angry now! Not because Dan's Otoko Michi managed to actually hurt him, but because…
NO! R thinks while noticing the burn marks that are all over his nice clean suit. That was my favorite suit! And that stupid "Ultimate Technique" of his ruined it! He'll pay for that! Time to put an end to this! Out loud, he says to his soon-to-be-defeated opponent,"Are you done? GOOD! It's my turn now! MIDNIGHT PEARL!!" R runs up to Dan, grabs then slams him into the floor, and explodes him with a blast of purple flame, finishing him off! Everyone is frightened by R's display of power.
R then turns to the "Official Dan Hibiki Fan Club", waving his hand at them in a "bring it on!" gesture. "Does anybody else want to try me? C'mon, I'll take you all on!"
Scared out of his wits, Club President Morimoto says, "NO WAY! I herby declare the "Official Dan Hibiki Fan Club" null and void! We never liked him anyway!" To the other club members, he yells, "Everyone! Let's get outta here!"
The club members flee in terror! "ACK! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! "
R walks over to the unconscious Dan and picks him up by the neck angrily. "How dare you claim to be a fighter? You're not even good enough to be my opponent!" He tosses Dan away as he was a piece of garbage. "The name's R. Remember it in hell!"
And so, R leaves the Saikyo-ryu Dojo. Hours later, he returns to his apartment to take a bath and relax. While he's in the tub, he begins making plans…. R thinks, Tomorrow, I'll head out to Nerima. Then watch out Saotome! The Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts will be MINE! But how will I find him? Hmm… I'll need a plan.
After getting out of the bath and putting on a red silk robe, R finds a large envelope on the table. He's about to pick it up when the telephone rings…
To lighten the mood, R answers, "Wazzuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup!"
Dr Wily's on the phone again. Very funny. Where have you been? I've been calling you all evening!
"I went out. You REALLY didn't think I was just going to stay in my room all night, did you?"
Sigh… fine. Did you get it?
"Yeah, I got it." He holds up the envelope. "Let's open it!" Sarcastically, he says, "What's this? A folder? Ooh, aah, and look at me – I'm so surprised! NOT!" He opens the folder, and sees… "HUH? This…this is….!"
I took the liberty of getting you more information on your target, as well as the one closest to him. You'll find it useful while you're in Nerima.
R looks at the contents of the folder and spreads them out on the table. He picks up a picture of his target, along with a file attached to it. He reads it aloud. "Name. Ranma Saotome. Birthplace. Japan. Birthday. July 5th. Hair. Black / Red. Eye color. Blue. Height. 1.79 m (5'9") / 1.69 m (5'5"). Weight. 69 kg (150 lbs) / 59 kg (128 lbs). Blood type. A. Hobbies. Martial arts, training, and eating. Favorite food. Okonomiyaki. Favorite sport. All. Most important person to him. Akane... Hm hm hm hm... Well now... This IS of real interest indeed, sir! But wait a minute, why are there two entries each for Saotome's hair color, height, and weight?"
There's a reason for that, my boy. You'll find out for yourself when you're in Nerima. Move on to the next one. R picks up the next picture in the file, that of Akane's. Each item in the folder is arranged in a certain order, so Dr. Wily can explain things to R over the phone. That's Akane Tendo, the fiancée of your target.
R looks at the contents, particularly at Akane's picture. Unimpressed, he says, "What an uncute tomboy! On the other hand, she is kinda cute… in a non-attractive sort of way."
Now, R, the next thing you'll see is a map of Nerima. I have certain locations marked on it, "places of interest", if you will…
Of course, the locations are the Tendo Dojo, Dr. Tofu's clinic, the Nekohanten, Ucchan's, Kuno Mansion, and Furinkan High School. These must be where he hangs out… OK! Great! Now all I need is a way to get close to him…Hmm…R's attention is drawn to Furinkan. Ah! He gets an idea. "Say, would you happen to know where Saotome goes to school, by any chance?"
According to my sources, Saotome is a student at Furinkan High School.
"Good, I just wanted to be sure. I've got a plan, but I'll need a few things…"
Such as?
"One, I need to switch cars. Have a couple of men pick up my GT-R and bring me the S2000. Two, how soon can you get me into Saotome's school?
I can get you registered and taking classes in three days.
Great! With my smarts, I'll pass my classes easily, leaving me free to plot Saotome's demise! "And three, can you have my favorite suit dry-cleaned?"
After hearing this, Dr Wily facefaults over the phone.
Dry cleaning? This isn't room service, you know! Oh, all right, I'll send someone to get your suit cleaned. Now… He speaks in a low voice…do you understand your instructions, my boy?
As if he's in a trance R replies, "Yes, sir. I'm to go to Nerima, find Ranma Saotome, and then kill him."
Good, good. I must go now. Continue as you normally would.
Then Dr Wily hangs up. R snaps out of his dazed state. "Huh? Oh, whoa, must have fallen asleep on Dr Wily back there. Oh well, whatever he said probably wasn't important anyway." R goes over to the kitchen and pours himself a glass of white wine. He goes back into the main room and sits back down on the couch. As he casually sips from the glass, he thinks…. Saotome…your time will soon come! Prepare to meet ME! Then we'll see who is the true heir to the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts! He laughs out loud, "Hm hm hm hm, heh heh heh heh, HA HA HA HA HAAAAA!!"
TO BE CONTINUED…