CHAPTER 17
-"MOVING DAY; AKANE FINALLY LEARNS THE TRUTH!"-
At the RED CAT GANG's secret fortress….
Bass has just gotten off the phone with the RED CAT Soldiers at the new hideout. Then, he walks over to Dr. Wily. "Well, Doc, that was our forces at the new hideout. They've just finished unloading the cargo plane. Everything's ready!"
Dr. Wily is pleased. "Good. We leave for Japan at once! Now, if we could just get the Cat Ghost King on board…"
We can also see another plane, which resembles M. Bison's airship, except it has the RED CATS' insignia on the tail fin. Dr. Wily then looks over to where the Cat Ghost King's statue is. It is being carried by four of Wily's robots: Gutsman, Hardman, Stoneman, and Frostman. As they load it onto the airship, they accidentally bump the statue's head against the top of the airship's loading bay.
BONK!!
"OW! HEY! Watch it, you idiots! MEOW!" the Cat Statue hisses.
Gutsman, Hardman, Stoneman, and Frostman apologize. "Sorry, oh great Cat Ghost King!"
And Dr. Wily, Bass, Treble, Bubbleman, and the rest of Wily's robots board the RED CATS' airship. An hour later, the airship flies out from the secret fortress.
Meanwhile, in High Priest Erick Genryusai's secret lair….
Erick has learned about Dr. Wily's latest attempt to kill Ranma and is NOT pleased. Then, Delia enters and tells him that Wily, the Cat Ghost King, Bass, and the others have left for Japan. She notices how calm Erick is. He seems to be taking the news rather well. "Say, Erick, weren't you going to have a talk with Wily about that incident with Shademan and Turboman?"
Erick is sitting in his throne. "Heh, heh, heh… Don't worry about it, De-chan. I'll deal with Wily after we join him and the Cat Ghost King in Japan." He then yells, "GUARDS!"
Two RED CAT Soldiers enter the room. "Yes, Lord Erick!"
"Prepare our personal transport. We're going to Japan to meet up with the others. But first, we need to make a stop at "Hellfire Island", better known as Gokuentou."
The soldiers gasp at this! "G-Gokuentou? Lord Erick, why would you want to go to a place like THAT for?" the first one asks.
"That's right!" the second says. "Only one person lives there, and he isn't exactly expecting visitors! Those who go to Gokuentou seldom live to tell the tale!"
Erick tells them, "Because the third artifact we need in order to find the Phoenix Stone is there. As for that "one person" you were talking about? Today, he will finally meet his match! Now, GO!"
"We shall obey your orders, sir!" the soldiers respond in unison.
And the soldiers leave to prepare Erick and Delia's private airship.
Later that evening, Wily's airship landed in the woods outside Nerima. He and the RED CAT GANG have come to set up their new hideout in the woods. The airship's doors open, and many RED CAT soldiers come out and form a 2-line division. Bass and Treble step out first, followed by Bubbleman, and then the rest of Wily's robots. The last person to step out was Dr. Wily himself.
Then the Cat Ghost King's statue is brought out, once again carried by Gutsman, Hardman, Stoneman, and Frostman. As they unload it from the airship, they accidentally bump the statue's head again against the top of the airship's loading bay.
BONK!!
"OW! AGAIN! You're doing it on purpose aren't you meow?"
Fearful, the four strong-bots apologize, trying to ward off the Cat Ghost King's wrath. "No, no, no, no!"
"That's TWICE you goons clocked me in my royal head on that doorway meow! WELL?"
"But really, oh great Cat Ghost King! It was an accident!" Gutsman says.
"Yeah! Don't get so upset." Hardman says.
"That's right!" Stoneman adds.
Frostman (who's kinda slow AND stupid, by the way) says, "Duh, it was an accident, oh great one."
Stoneman sweatdrops. "Uhh….kinda late there, eh, Frosty?"
"An accident, huh? OK, then…" The statue's eyes glow brightly as dark clouds of energy appear overhead. We hear the sound of thunder, and then huge bolts of lightning strike all four robots!
"ACK!" All four robots fall over, unconscious, with little dizzy swirls in their eyes.
Dr. Wily says to the Cat Statue, "Ah,ah, your highness. If you keep on zapping the help, you won't have anyone to help you get your precious Phoenix Stone back." He sighs, "Oh, well… I'd better call R and tell him we're here. I haven't seen my boy in a while…"
The day starts off like any other for Ranma Saotome. Ranma spars with Genma, over the pond in the back of the Tendo Dojo. Ranma beats the old man (of course), and heads off to school with Akane and Ran. There, Kuno awaits Ranma so he may slay him – apparently he's still upset about finding out that Ranma and his beloved "Pig-Tailed-Girl" is the same person. Kuno is made unconscious by a kick to the head from Ranma. Then, wouldn't you know it; R decides to attack Ranma again. The day is then pretty much quiet until lunch...
R answers a call on his cell phone."Yeah, what's up?"
Dr. Wily's on the phone. We're here. Your things from your apartment have already been moved. All you have to do move in and get settled. I trust you still have those instructions with the location of your new home, correct?
"Yes, sir."
Good. I'll talk with you later this evening.
"Yes, I'll be there. I might be late, though. I… have something I need to do first."
Ah, I see… Very well, take your time. See you tonight.
"Thank you, sir."
And with that, he hangs up the cell phone. R lets out a long sigh.
It is now the afternoon. After school, R gets behind the wheel of his S2000 and drives into town. He stops by a local florist for a few minutes and then comes out carrying a long black box. He gets back into his car and just sits there for a moment.
At the same time, THE MCD (a.k.a Michael Angelus) is in town on his day off from running the REAL BOUT Martial Arts Bar & Grill. As he's walking, he notices a familiar face at the flower shop…. Hey! That's R. Wonder what he's doing at that flower shop. Probably buying some flowers, of course, duh! But for whom? A young lady, perhaps? Nah. R doesn't exactly strike me as someone who can score with the ladies.
THE MCD gets closer, so he can get a good look at R without being seen, and notices the look on R's face. Or rather, the lack thereof. He has a calm, expressionless look, so the casual observer couldn't tell what R was feeling or thinking. But not THE MCD. With his power as Angelus, he is able to sense other people's emotions. But…why is R so sad? Perhaps some girl dumped him. Again, that's not possible, 'cause R's not a chick magnet. No, wait…it's something else. I can sense it… He's feeling great loss, and great pain…. Could it be…?
But before THE MCD can figure it out, R finally starts his car and drives off.
Hey! He's leaving! Alound, he mutters, "Now where's that boy going? Sigh…I'd better follow him and make sure he doesn't get into trouble."
Now, THE MCD COULD transform into Michael Angelus and fly after R. But, choosing to be discreet about using his power out in public, because there were a lot of people (How would YOU react if somebody turned into an angel right before your eyes?), he summons a taxi instead.
"HEY! TAXI! OVER HERE!"
A taxicab pulls up to the curb in front of THE MCD. He gets in, and hands the driver a roll of yen bills. "Here. Follow that car," he says, pointing to R's car, "…but not too close, OK?"
The taxi pulls out following R through the city. They are driving for a good while, maybe about 30 or 45 minutes, until the red S2000 pulls up to the front entrance of a local cemetery. R then gets out of the car, and walks into the graveyard alone. The taxi that THE MCD rode in stops about five cars away from R's.
As he's getting out of the taxi, THE MCD says to the cab driver, "Thank you very much. Please keep the change."
The taxi leaves. Then, THE MCD follows R into the cemetery.
We see R walking through the graveyard, carrying the long black box with him. With all those tombstones and stuff there, it's very spooky, even in the daytime. But it doesn't seem to bother R at all. He stops by a tombstone marked for his parents. The inscription on the grave reads:
"In memory of the parents who I never had the honor and privilege to know."
R takes out the box, and opens it. Inside are two long-stemmed white roses. He then lays one rose on each grave.
R stands in front of the tombstone. He tries to think about all the joyous times he had with his family, but he can't. Why can't he remember his parents? Why can't he remember their names, their faces, or perhaps even their voices? The only person he could even remember was Dr. Wily, who claimed to be a friend of his father. After their deaths, it was Wily who took R in and raised him as his own son. Then he remembers someone, a girl with purple hair and a pigtail. Why does she seem familiar to him? Yet something about her makes him smile. The smile on his face shows for a little while, but it then disappears as soon as it reappears. After a while, R kneels down in front of his parents' grave and finally speaks…
"Hello, mother, father. Please don't worry about me. I…I am fine. Dr. Wily is taking good care of me. I just can't call him Dad or Pop yet, for some reason. I know he's a friend of yours, but still…."
THE MCD has been watching R from afar. He is surprised by what he hears.
"Huh?" Wily? As in Doctor Albert W. Wily, that mad scientist? Uh oh, this can't be good…
Totally unaware he's being watched, R continues. "Anyway, I just came by to see you one more time, before I leave. I… I just want to spend some time with you. When I woke up this morning, there was this feeling in the back of my head that I should be remembering something, or someone. I barely even know you. What does that mean? I don't know. That's why I came to see you. I'm told that it's not those final moments that matter. It's all those other things that you remember about those people that are important. I guess it's not so much that I can't remember your faces, but what that means. When Mr. Director told me that you died, I felt nothing at all. No grief whatsoever. Why is that? But still I wonder. I wonder what you two were like. I wonder about you, father, what kind of man you were, if you really were the great fighter Mr. Director said you were. You are the kind of warrior that I strive to be. I wonder about you too, mother. Why is it that I can't remember anything about you? Your tender scent, your loving heart, your warm embrace, not even your beautiful face! And what about that girl, father? You know, the one with the purple hair and the pigtail? What about her? Is she some relation to me? I don't know. I guess…what I'm trying to say…. what I'm asking you, is…is…"
R is trying to hold back his emotions, his eyes watering.
"Could you…tell me who I am? Because I don't know. All I know how to do is fight. My two fists were the only way for me to survive. All I know is that you're not here and I'm on my own, alone, with no one beside me! All I know is I have to find this guy Ranma Saotome and kill him! But is there another way? Tell me what I'm supposed to do! Oh God! I miss you so much! But how you can leave someone you love I just don't understand! Who was there to wipe my tears away? Huh? Who decided not to show up when I won my first tournament?" R sounds upset, with a hint of anger and bitterness in his voice. "So ya'll tell ME what am I supposed to do!! I…I just need to hear from you…. At this R breaks down, and weeps bitterly.
THE MCD is deeply moved by this scene. He is seeing a side of R that no one else would have seen. This cold, ruthless, young man that THE MCD fought earlier is deep down, a lonely and confused child. And that makes him vulnerable to whatever evil scheme this Dr. Wily might be planning for him. Or even worse, what THE MCD's rival Erick Genryusai and the Cat Ghost King plan to do with him!
After a few minutes, R seems to regain his composure. He keeps talking. "But I guess you can't tell me, can you? It's too late now, you say? Very well, then. All I can do for you now is this – to avenge your honor, I will kill Ranma Saotome and seize control of the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts. Only then, can your souls truly rest in peace, and maybe, I can get on with my life. This is my promise to you, my father, and my mother. I swear it on your graves!" He clenches his fists as he ignites a dark purple flame in it. An aura of intense rage surrounds him!
R then gets up and leaves the gravesite. He turns to look at it one more time. "Goodbye, mother. Goodbye, father. I know you might not approve, but this is the path I have chosen to walk. Where I walk, I walk alone. Where I fight, I fight alone. This is the way it has to be. Farewell."
And with that, R leaves the cemetery.
THE MCD watches R leave the graveyard. Now he's REALLY worried about R. Now, more than ever, he is determined to keep R out of the clutches of that terrible trio of the Cat Ghost King, his High Priest Erick Genryusai, and Dr. Wily!
Later, we see R behind the wheel of his S2000. Following the directions Dr. Wily gave him, R drives up to his new home, a large mansion residence in the woods outside Nerima. Few people ever go there, so it's perfect for him. It allows him to concentrate on his efforts to kill Ranma. He pulls up to the gate and rings the remote doorbell. A RED CAT soldier answers through a two-way speaker at the gate. "Yes?"
"It's me," R replies.
"Me who?"
"It's R, you IDIOT!"
"Oh! Wait! Uhh…how do I know it's really you? You could be someone trying to impersonate Lord R. Gotta be careful, you know. Now, if you want to enter, you've got to answer five questions…"
"Wait a minute! I thought it was THREE questions!"
"Oh, right, three questions. Then, I'll open the gate and let you in."
"Ugh….Fine, ask me the stupid questions."
"What…. is your name?"
"It's Lord R, soldier of the RED CAT GANG."
"What…. is your mission?"
"To kill Ranma Saotome and seize control of the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts!
"What…. is your favorite color?"
"Red…" R smiles evilly. "Like the color of my fists once I stain them with your blood!"
The RED CAT Soldier freaks out when he realizes it really IS R. "ACK! Err…right. Off you go then."
"Finally! Geez!" R says exasperatedly.
The gate opens, and R drives through it onto a long driveway. As he's driving, we get to see the mansion. It's huge, and definitely bigger than Kuno's! R parks in front of the main entrance and steps out of the car. Two RED CAT Soldiers arrive and R hands them the valet key so they can park his car in the garage. "Be careful parking my car. You break it, and I break you. Got it?"
Fearfully, the RED CAT Soldiers reply, "Yes, Lord R!"
And they scurry away to obey R's order. Then, the RED CAT Soldier Onekomaru shows up. "Greetings, Lord R! We're so glad you've returned. Lord Wily is expecting you."
"Yeah, well, I've had a hard day, and I'd like to rest up first before I meet with the boss."
"Yes, follow me, sir. I'll give you the grand tour of the place!"
And so R and Onekomaru enter the mansion grounds.
R whistles. "Oh, yeah. That's sweet."
Indeed, it is. The mansion is a large place, with a swimming pool, a big garage where R keeps all the different cars he drives, and in the back of the estate an elaborate and beautiful rose garden where R grows the roses he uses to make his "White Rose Throwing Darts". And up in the mountains behind the mansion is a mysterious shrine…
After showing R around the entire mansion, Onekomaru then takes R to his room. R found it quite comfortable. It is an exact look-alike of the bedroom in R's apartment, except it's much larger. The room is fully furnished, with leather furniture, a table made out of black marble, and a king-sized bed with red silk sheets. R can see that the phone and laptop computer are still there, and even the flat-screen TV, with a PlayStation 2 hooked up to it too!
After Onekomaru leaves, R gets settled in and lies down on the bed for a snooze. While he sleeps, R is haunted by a strange vision….
-(DREAM SEQUENCE)-
R has just received a message from his creator and foster father Dr. Wily. It seems someone just stole the Phoenix Stone from the vault. Even worse, the thief is one of his fellow soldiers! Wily's order to R is simple: Get the Phoenix Stone back, and kill the person responsible for taking it. He puts on his armor, and goes out to find this person…..
Suddenly the vision changes, and now R is running through the woods chasing after this traitor. The person is quick, but R is quicker. He then leaps from treetop to treetop in hot pursuit! Then, R leaps through the air, right over the person's head and lands right in front of the individual! He's got this guy where he wants him….
Only it's not a guy!
It's really a girl! Her hair is purple with pink and she's wearing it in a pigtail. THIS is the person he's after? R gets the feeling he knows this girl. But he draws his sword, which shines in the pale moonlight. An evil aura surrounds him. The girl gets into a fighting stance, ready to fight him. Then he speaks…
"I hate to do this to you, but orders are orders. Surrender, and return the Phoenix Stone, NOW!"
The girl replies, "But, I…I can't! If I do, then you'll be…."
"Then, you will die. We of the RED CAT GANG do not tolerate traitors. You must be dealt with."
Fearful, the girl says, "No, please! Don't do this! You have to let me escape, or you'll be in terrible danger!
"ENOUGH! I have my orders!" R charges toward the girl with frightening speed!
She screams, "BROTHER, NO!!"
The last thing R hears is the sound of a sword cutting something…..
Then the vision changes again. R is still chasing the girl. Eventually, they reach a cliff, and it's just him and her, alone. R sees that the girl is trapped between the cold water below the cliff and the business end of his sword pointed right at her. "OK, this is your final opportunity. Give me that stone."
"I can't! Please…Don't do this!" the girl pleads.
R walks toward her menacingly, with his sword still pointed at her. "Look, I don't want to hurt you, OK? Just…give it to me. It'll be okay. We'll go back to Dr. Wily, and tell him what happened…"
"You don't understand! Dr. Wily is…"
Before R can find out what she's about to say, the ground underneath the girl collapses, and she falls off the cliff!!
The girl screams while falling, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!! BROTHER! HELP MEEEEEEEE……….!!"
R screams, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
-(END DREAM SEQUENCE)-
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" R suddenly wakes up! He looks rather annoyed. "Ah, damn it. It's that same dream... again... What could it mean?"
He sits up and contemplates it. THINK, R, THINK! Why am I having these strange dreams? That girl… Something happened to her, and I was the one who did it! Could I have…. No, I couldn't have!
R's body jerks as the vision of that girl falling off that cliff flashes through the forefront of his mind.
"AHHH!! NO!"
R's eyes snap open after the initial shock. He starts breathing heavily to calm himself. Then R hears a knock at the door…
It's Onekomaru. "Lord R? Lord Wily wants to see you right now."
"Uh…yeah. I'm coming." R gets up, gets himself together, and leaves his room. He goes into the spacious living room of his mansion, where Dr. Wily is waiting for him.
Wily walks over to R. "R! It's good to see you again, my boy!" He gives R a hug. "How are you doing?"
R is rather surprised by this show of affection. "Uhh…fine, Doc."
Dr. Wily looks R over and proudly says, "Look at you. You've grown since I last saw you." He pretends to cry, "Oh, if only your dear father could see you now! Boo hoo hoo! He and I were good friends, you know."
"You know, sir, I've been meaning to ask you about that. Just how do you really know my parents…"
"Oh, come now, R! We can reminisce about old times later. Beside, we have work to do. And, there's still the matter of Ranma Saotome…."
"I already thought of that, sir. In fact, I'm working on a new plan right now. Ranma will be defeated and I will be the true master of "Anything-Goes Martial Arts"!"
"Good. See that you do. And R?"
"Yes, sir?"
"I'll expect you to give me results next time," Dr. Wily says seriously.
"Yes, sir," R replies
"Now that's more like it!" Dr. Wily decides to changes the subject. "So, how's school?
"Same ol', same ol'. Only…"
"Only what?"
"Well, sir… you see, I met this girl…"
"Ah! A girl! That's nice. So, what's she like?"
"Well, she's… cute, and uh, she's got purple hair and a pigtail…"
Dr. Wily gets nervous when R describes the girl he met at school. That sounds like Ran!
R continues, "I thought she was kinda annoying at first, but she seemed really nice. I had forgotten to bring my lunch, so she shared hers with me…"
Dr. Wily has heard enough. He interrupts R.
Wily is serious. "R. Listen to me carefully. You must NEVER see that girl again. NEVER, you hear?"
"What? Why?" R objects.
"Because if you do, bad things will happen. Trust me on this, my boy. Anyway, I'd better go now. The old man gets an idea. "Say, R… did she tell you anything?"
"Nothing real important, but she did mention she was staying at the Tendo Dojo. She hangs out with Saotome."
Dr. Wily thinks: The Tendo Dojo, eh? I'd better tell Erick about this! Aloud, he says to R, "Thank you, R. That's all I needed to know."
And so, Dr. Wily tries to leave. R stops him. "Wait! That girl…you seem to know her. Who is she?"
"R, I'm telling you this for your own good. Forget about her, OK? Now, I must go. I'll talk with you later." Dr. Wily leaves.
With Wily gone, R is by himself, alone in his mansion. He wonders why Dr. Wily got so nervous at the mention of Ran. And what was the real reason he didn't want R to see her again? It arouses his curiosity.
But R can't worry about it now. He must get back to work…he must kill Ranma Saotome….
The RED CAT GANG arrives in Japan, and installs itself in a large mansion, where R now lives. In the back of the mansion there was a mountain where a mysterious shrine was located… In that shrine was the statue of the Cat Ghost King, the feline leader of the RED CATS.
They were preparing everything for their 'new secret base', when the Airship of the Red Cats landed. Many RED CAT Soldiers appeare and receive Erick and Delia, along with a 'new' member…Erick was carrying some sort of old box…
Once inside the shrine, the Cat Statue welcomes them. "Greetings Erick! You're back early…did you get the object that you seek?"
"Sure did…here it is." Erick shows the statue the box. "Have the others arrived yet?"
"No, not yet meow."
"I'm sure they'll be back." Delia says.
R was enjoying his new 'home', or mansion…
Happy, R says approvingly, "This new home sure is cool. A guy could get used to this style of living …" His cell phone rings. "…Hello?"
He hears Delia's voice. R, your presence is needed. Come to the shrine immediately.
R's frustrated. "Urgg…I'm on my way…" He puts the phone away. "Wonder what they want now?"
Meanwhile, in the Tendo Dojo, they were having a good conversation with Natsume and Kurumi:
Soun welcomes the two girls. "It's so good to see you two again, girls. How are you doing?"
Natsume bows. "We've been doing fine, thank you for asking."
"It's also good to see you too guys…," Kurumi says looking over to Ranma and Akane.
"Same here." Ranma replies.
Kurumi says, "Say, we've met Ran, but, she says she doesn't remember anything about her past, is that right?"
Akane tells her, "Yeah, Ran doesn't know anything about her origins, It's like she's suffering from amnesia."
"So how DID you meet her?" Natsume aski
"It happened like this…" So Ranma explains to Natsume and Kurumi all about how they met Ran, at the end:
Natsumi's sorry. "Geez, and we though we had it hard! At least we have our memories of our past and know who we are. You can't even remember your own."
Kurumi nods, "Yeah. Not knowing anything about your past, to think if it's real or not, that must be hard on you, Ran."
Ran says, "It is…but, I'm with Ranma, and the Tendos and Saotomes, especially Mrs. Saotome. She treats me like a daughter."
Natsumi cheers. "Well, any friends of Ranma and our family, is a friend of ours…right, Kurumi?"
Kurumi's happy. "Yeah, you'll be like our sister! What do you say, Ran?"
Ran's crying happily. "Oh thank you guys, I don't know what to say…but that I'm very happy. I may not know my past, but I love the present…and you guys too."
Ranma aw-shucks at Ran's gratitude. "Come on, Ran, you're making us blush!"
Kasumi says to everyone gathered, "Now, how about a big dinner for this occasion?"
"YEAAAAAAAA!" they all cheer.
In the New Secret Base of the RED CATS, Erick was having a 'serious' talk with Dr. Wily. He found out all about Dr. Wily's scheme to eliminate Ranma behind his back, without his permission, also that he called him stupid. Erick was holding the old scientist by his neck, and lifted him up with one hand like he was nothing, then he addresses to him:
Dr. Wily implores, "Please, Erick! I only did it to help you guys by getting rid of that cursed Ranma!"
Erick shakes his head, calmly saying, "Wily, Wily, Wily…you sure are one stubborn and stupid man…and, you didn't do it for us, no way. You did it out of vengeance. Not only did your robots fail, but you also failed…But that's not the reason for this…"
Dr. Wily gulps. "It isn't?"
"Nope…it's because of this…"
Then Delia plays a tape, and the voice of Dr. Wily saying…-" I'm tired of waiting to eliminate that cursed Ranma, I don't care what that stupid High Jerk Erick says…go and kill Ranma!"-… When the tape ends, Wily's now sweating like a pig:
Dr. Wily, scared, laughs, "He he heeee…I was only joking, Erick! I didn't mean it! Can't you take a joke? He he heee!"
Erick is serious, DEADLY serious. "I'm not much into comedy, Dr. Wily…"Stupid" you call me, eh? When the greatest of them all "YOU", disobeys his orders, breaks the rules, AND insults me!"
Bass whispers to R, "Guess the old man is screwed this time."
R whispers back, "Guess it is…never did like him anyway."
Erick continues, "So, Dr. Wily…listen good, OK? Ancient Chinese proverb…-" Insult me once, shame on you…Insult me twice,…" His eyes are glowing red like hellfire! "…I'll skin you alive and burn you up!!"-… Is that clear…Doctor?"
Dr. Wily screams in fear, "YES, YES, I UNDERSTAND…!! CLEAR AS WATER!!"
Erick returns to normal. "Good."
Erick releases Wily…then, Onekomaru comes in. "Excuse me, Lord Erick."
"What is it, Onekomaru?"
"I'm here to inform you that the party groups have arrived."
"They're back? Very well, then we must go and see the treasures they obtained."
"Thank you, Onekomaru." Delia says to the loyal RED CAT Soldier.
Onekomaru bows. "Always a pleasure, Delia."
Then they go to the Secret Shrine, where the Cat Ghost King's Statue resides. Then, the groups that went to hunt for the items return. Erick greets them. "Gentlemen, welcome back, I hope that you managed to find the items and brought them here."
M. Bison takes out a precious, golden sword and Sagat hands over some old scrolls:
Erick's pleased. "Good, you've all done well…I hope that there wasn't any 'problems' obtaining them…Sagat, did those Amazons gave you a fight for it?"
Sagat, the Emperor of Muay Thai, proudly sneers, "Ha! No problems whatsoever. It was easy."
Adon laughs, "Yeah, piece of cake!"
Ha, those miserable women didn't stand a chance against us!" Gutsman says.
None whatsoever." Metalman says.
Erick turns to Bison's group. "And you, M. Bison…did you have trouble dealing with those Phoenix People?"
Bison laughs, "Ha ha haaa…those puny bird people didn't stand a chance against me, and that Saffron person? Ha, I was very disappointed!"
Erick lifting an eyebrow. "Oh! How come, Bison?"
Bison seems frustrated. "I was hoping to fight the great God Saffron that Ranma fought, and all I found was a little kid."
Erick tells the High Lord of Shadowloo (after the fact!), "Well, Saffron did revert to an infant after his defeat at Ranma Saotome's hands… so what did you do, Bison?"
Bison laughs evilly, "Well, let's just say that Saffron kid will not reach puberty. Ha ha ha haaaa!"
"So you killed him," Delia says with no emotion whatsoever.
"Along with all those who dared to stand in my way!"
Elecman boats, "We sure lit up their lives didn't we? Hahaha!"
Sparkman agrees, "It was a very "Shocking" experience for them to mess with us Hahahaha!"
Erick then tells everyone assembled, "Okay people…now that we have the 3 items…the next phase of the plans will be up… Oh, "one more thing"…I've met this fighter that could really come in handy for this mission."
"Who?" M. Bison wonders aloud.
Erick gestures to his beloved assistant. "Delia, if you please."
Delia calls him and a man emerges from the shadows. When everyone sees him, they gasp…the person is dressed in a black, sleeveless Shotokan uniform, with the sign of Ten on his back, his hair was red and sticking up in the air, and had eyes as red as blood…for it is…
M. Bison recognizes the man immediately. "AKUMA! What's HE doing here?"
Erick casually tells him, "Oh, Akuma is here 'cause he's our new member."
"But why him?" Balrog asks.
Delia explais, "Akuma is an extraordinary fighter, and very sharp."
Vega doesn't buy this one bit. "But Akuma? Come on! The guy is a total assassin, a cold-hearted fighter who doesn't give a rat's ass who his opponents are! This guy kills his rivals, and doesn't care about dying and…"
Erick interrupts him. "Those are the qualities that we need here. That's why I recruited him, for he has all those qualities."
Vega tries to convince Erick that this is a VERY BAD idea. "But, he doesn't even obey anyone! He only cares for himself and the fight! He'll turn on us and you!"
Erick assures him, "Not to worry, Vega. I made a deal with him."
Bison is curious. What could Erick possibly offer the "Master of the Fist"? "A deal, with HIM? What kind of a deal?"
"I promised him that I could give him a match that would be very pleasing for him…a match against anyone he desired, whether human…or monster."
"And… he agreed?"
"Yes…well, that and… thanks to a spell, he's under MY control."
And lo, did M. Bison smile. "You don't say…Interesting, ha!"
"Very well, gentlemen…let's take a little break for now. Go and relax, we'll call you for the next phase of the plans…okay?"
Ryoga was walking toward the Tendo Dojo (for once!). He was still angry with Ranma for 'stealing' his love Akane:
A pissed-off Ryoga mutters, "Wait till I get that Ranma, I'll kill him! I'll make him suffer the same way I did! Just you wait Ranma!"
Then, he arrives at last, when he enters the house and sees Ranma, Akane, Ran, Natsumi and Kurumi playing a game of "Twister"-…then, without warning Ryoga launches himself toward Ranma screaming…-"RANMA, PREPARE TO DIEEEE!"-…
Ranma senses someone, turns around to see Ryoga coming toward him, and evades his attack:
NOW, Ranma's mad. "You again, Ryoga? What are you doing here?"
Ryoga roars, "I'VE COME HERE TO KILL YOU, YOU MISERABLE BASTARD, FOR STEALING AKANE AWAY FROM ME!"
"You are one big stubborn moron, you know that!?"
"SHUT UP AND DIE!"
Then, Akane sees Ryoga and she stands in front of Ranma(!) with a mean look. Ryoga notices this, and so taunts his eternal rival. "NOW ARE YOU GONNA HIDE BEHIND AKANE, LIKE THE COWARD YOU ARE?"
Akane says in a mean voice (usually, before she'd bash Ranma with Mallet-sama back in the day), "Ryoga, you have the nerve to show yourself here after what you've done!
Ryoga blinks. "What… I did?"
"I heard that you were about to kill some innocent little children with your attack! I don't know why you did it, but THAT is very dishonorable."
Ryoga protests, "No, you've got it all wrong Akane!"
"Oh! Do I?"
Ryoga accuses, "It was all Ranma's fault! He's the reason for it!"
"His fault…HIS FAULT…? EXACTLY HOW WAS IT HIS FAULT?"
"He stole you from me, Akane! I was defending your love, because I really love you. Ranma doesn't deserve you!"
Akane's annoyed. "Ryoga, how many times I must tell you…I don't love you, I love Ranma, can't you just accept it?"
Ryoga STILL doesn't get it. "NO, YOU'RE JUST CONFUSED, AKANE! WHY CAN'T YOU OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THAT I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT TRULY LOVES YOU!? THAT BAKA RANMA DOESN'T! HE IS A LIAR, CHEATER, A PERSON WHO DESTROYS EVERYONE'S LIVES, AND…"
SMACK!
Ryoga is shut up by a hard slap from Akane. Ryoga's shocked:
"A…Akane…? Why?" Ryoga says while rubbing his cheek.
Akane's mad. "Listen Ryoga, I will not let you insult Ranma. He has proven that he is indeed an honorable fighter to my family and to me. He's always been loyal to me and helped me every time that I needed him, so you better watch your mouth."
Ran adds, "And besides, you say that Ranma is a liar and dishonorable man…right, Ryoga?"
Ryoga answers angrily, "DAMN RIGHT HE IS!"
Ran questions him further, "And you say that you 'truly' love Akane?"
Ryoga, with all the honesty and sincerity he can summon, declares, "With all my heart and soul!"
Ran poses another question. "And…that you were always honest with Akane?"
"Yes…I have ALWAYS been honest with her…unlike that stupid Ranma!"
Ran delivers the decisive blow, the make-or-break question. "If so, Ryoga…does Akane know your 'little secret'?"
"Secret? What secret?" Akane wanted to know.
Ran, with a knowing gleam in her eyes, tells Akane, "Oh! It just so happens that Ryoga has a little secret…a little one…isn't that right Ryoga?"
Ryoga begins to panic, for he KNOWS what Ran is talking about:
The Eternal Lost Boy starts sweating. "Um…I…what secret?"
Akane's intrigued. "What secret is Ran talking about Ryoga?"
Ryoga stammers, "I…I…don't know what she's talking about!"
Ran says plainly, "Really, Ryoga…Everyone who knows you knows your secret…except Akane…Why don't you tell her, Ryoga, IF you claim that you love her."
Ranma faces his longtime rival, looking him dead in the eye. THIS moment has been a LONG time in coming. "Yeah, Ryoga…its time we put our cards on the table."
Ran nudges Ryoga:" Come on, Ryoga…it's like an old saying…-"An honest man has nothing to fear", so come on, you wouldn't keep any secrets from Akane would you? Tell her."
"Or do you want ME to tell her, Ryoga…Your choice." Ranma says seriously.
Ryoga is in a tight situation; all the people are watching him, Akane was waiting for an explanation…then, he decides to run away, yelling…-"DAMN YOU RANMA, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" And he'd almost made it to the door, when Natsume stops him with her ribbon. When he was stopped, he looks up to face Akane
Akane has her arms folded across her chest; she's waiting for a explainatiuon. "Okay, Ryoga, tell me what is this secret Ran's talking about."
Ryoga tries to explain things to her, but the words just won't come out of his mouth. "I…It…it's like this…I…"
"Last chance, Ryoga," Ranma says. "Are you gonna tell her…or do I?"
Ryoga yells, "SHUT UP, RANMA!"
Then by accident, Kasumi walks in with the water bucket and tosses it outside, splashing Ryoga with it. Ryoga changes into a little black pig in front of everyone (no surprise there), and especially…in front of Akane… (oooh yeah, BIG, BIG surprise there!!).
Akane sees that Ryoga disappeared and in his place (or in this case, at her feet) is her lovable pet piglet P-Chan.
Akane is shocked beyond belief. "Ryo…Ryo…Ryoga…Ryoga changed, into a pig…! Into P-chan!"
Ranma finally confesses. "That's right, Akane. Ryoga here has a Jusenkyo Curse, and his curse is that he changes into a little pig."
Akane, still shocked, sees her little pig that she considers her mascot…and found out that it was Ryoga. She begins to get VERY angry…after they pour hot water, Ryoga changes back into a man…but NOW he has lots of explaining to do…especially to Akane:
Akane's getting steamed, and we're talking bash-you-over-the-head-or-boot-you-to-the-sky here! Her raging battle aura is on at full blast! "RYOGA…CARE TO EXPLAIN ABOUT THIS…!?"
Ryoga's sweating big time. "It's true…A..a…Akane, but it was all Ranma's fault!"
"HIS FAULT?" Akane yells.
"YEAH, HE PUSHED ME INTO THAT CURSED SPRING! IT'S BECAUSE OF HIM THAT I HAVE THIS CURSE! HE MADE MY LIFE A LIVING HELL!!"
"That doesn't explain this!" She turns to Ranma. "You knew, Ranma, and didn't tell me?"
Ranma hangs his head, ashamed. "It's true, Akane, but because it was MY fault that he got cursed, I made a promise to Ryoga in keeping his secret…I thought that he would tell you."
"I see…" Akane says calmly. THEN glaring at Ryoga with an impending urge to mallet him into the ground, she asks, "So why didn't you tell me Ryoga?"
Nervous, Ryoga replies, "Look, Akane…I…I know I can explain…but it's like this…I needed to be close to you to protect you, to look after you. I was always there for you."
Akane's angry now. "YOU STILL HAVENT ANSWERED MY QUESTION RYOGA! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT YOU WERE P-CHAN?"
Ryoga looks down. "Because…" his voice trails to a whisper. "I was afraid that you would be mad at me."
Akane snarls, "So instead of telling me the truth you decided to be quiet…AND YOU CALLED RANMA A DISHONORABLE JERK! HE, WHO KEPT HIS PROMISE TO YOU WHILE YOU USED THAT PROMISE FOR YOUR OWN ADVANTAGE…!"
Then, something came to Akane's mind…she began to have images of her with P-chan sharing the bed together and all the times that she had P-chan with her, Akane's eyes went wide in shock:
Akane's wide-eyed, shocked at this EXTREMELY LONG-OVERDUE revelation. Her voice wavers, her lips trembling, " …and you saw me naked, slept with me, and you didn't do anything but kept feeling me…!" She starts to cry, "How could you Ryoga?"
Ryoga apologizes. "I didn't mean that Akane, really, I'm sorry!"
Akane can't believe this. Ryoga has ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what he's done to her all these years. And she'd thought of him as a friend! But him…and P-Chan…! And all he can say is "I'm sorry"!? " You're sorry…YOU'RE SORRY…?"
Ryoga braves taking a step toward her. "Please Akane, let's talk about it!"
Akane backs away. "No…there is nothing to talk about." She points her finger toward Ryoga. "…You, Ryoga, betrayed my trust, betrayed our friendship…and most of all…you betrayed ME!"
Ryoga pleads, "No, Akane, that's not true!"
Akane whirls on him angrily. "IT IS SO…! YOU ARE A COWARD RYOGA…AND YOU HAD THE COURAGE TO INSULT RANMA…! RANMA HERE FACES HIS PROBLEMS, WHILE YOU RUN AWAY FROM THEM…! HE WAS ALWAYS HONEST WITH ME, YOU'D BEEN LYING TO ME, AND HE ACCEPTS HIS PROBLEMS! YOU SHIFT YOUR PROBLEMS ONTO RANMA!"
Every word that Akane's saying to Ryoga was like a knife twisting into his heart. It was as if Akane, sweet, lovely, gorgeous, beautiful, sexy(!) Akane, the girl he'd loved with every ounce of his being, the girl he would have died, gone to hell, up to heaven and back for, had taken the mallet she'd use to bash Ranma over the head with and instead used it on his fragile heart of glass … smashing it into pieces, over and over violently, until there's nothing left but fine powder to be ground into the dirt or blown away into the wind. When it's all said and done, at the end Akane is furious with Ryoga.
She's beyond angry. "Ryoga…I don't ever want to see you here. You're not welcome here ever again! I despise you…I HATE YOU!"
Akane then hugs Ranma, crying on his shoulder. Ryoga's world and dreams are now –finally, one would say! - shattered in front of him…the love that he hoped to have faded away forever…he tries to beg Akane for forgiveness:
Ryoga makes one last plea. "Please Akane…would you listen to me…"
Akane does not even look at him. Won't look at him. Not after what he's done, the pain he's caused her. So without looking at him, still crying and holding Ranma, she sobs angrily. "MAKE HIM GO AWAY, RANMA! HE MAKES ME SICK…! GET HIM OUT OF HERE!!"
Ryoga Hibiki is FINALLY defeated, folks. He doesn't even yell his usual -"Damn you Ranma, this is your fault, prepare to die"- routine…cause he was so UTTERLY destroyed on the inside that he didn't have the strength to do it. Instead, he just walks away from the Tendo Dojo, and from his lost love. Ranma feels sorry for him; he didn't deserve that. Ryoga, now more lost than ever, walks away without knowing where he was going.
Meanwhile, a hidden camera watched the tragic scene.
In the 'new' Secret Base of the Red Cat Gang…Erick, Delia, and Onekomaru watch the scene of poor Ryoga and see him walking away…
Erick thoughtfully says, "My, my…what a tragic scene, wouldn't you agree Delia-chan?"
Delia nods. "Yes…poor boy…I feel sorry for him."
"To lose it all because of pride, lust, and selfishness…hahahaha…truly for the Soap Operas."
Onekomaru laughs, "They oughta make it into a movie…that jerk would win an Oscar!"
Delia chuckles "Quite so."
Erick muses, "Poor boy indeed…his soul is shattered, his heart crushed, his hopes and dreams gone for eternity, he is a living dead man… right now he's living a life worse then hell."
"I see…you're right." Delia says.
Then Erick gets an idea. A really EVIL idea. "Hmmm…perhaps M. Bison would make good use for that Hibiki boy."
"How so, Erick my sweet?"
"You'll see Delia-chan…hahahaha…. you'll see."
MEANWHILE…
A plane landed at the Shin Tokyo Kokusai Kuko (New Tokyo International Airport, or Narita Airport). Colonel William Guile, Interpol Agent Chun-Li, Cammy White, and 1st Lieutenant Charlie Nash were aboard. Upon landing, they head for their hotel to rest…in the hotel, Guile chats briefly with Charlie:
"Tomorrow we must investigate about that incident where Vega was seen."
Charlie nods. "Yep…we must go to the place called…" He reads the paper. "…Hinata Inn and try to find information on Vega…maybe it could lead us to Bison."
"You got that right…I know I will find Bison…and once I do…" Guile clenches his fists.
"Easy, buddy, don't get too excited. First things first, okay?
"You're right…let's get some sleep.
In Chun-Li and Cammy's room, the women were dressed in their pajamas. They're chatting like roommates in a women's dorm; so much so that no one would recognize them as the top agents of their respective organizations; Chun-Li, of Interpol, and Cammy of MI6's (British Intelligence) anti-terrorist unit Delta Red.
Chun-Li says, "I sure hope that we can find any leads that could lead us to Bison. I don't want to make this trip for nothing."
Cammy lightly says, "Don't worry, if we don't, then we enjoy Japan… Hey, I heard that in Japan there were powerful Martial Artists, in a place called Nerima."
Chun-Li blinks. "Really?"
"Oh yeah, although I don't remember the names, these persons are some of the best fighters. Intelligence says they're so powerful that they could rival Ryu, and even Bison!"
"NO WAY! Really?"
"We'll just have to find out…right Chun-Li?" Cammy says, winking.
Chun-Li agrees with Cammy. "You bet…I might even ask them if they would like to join Interpol."
Cammy yawns, "But for now…let's go to bed okay…we'll talk tomorrow."
At the same time, another plane landed…from it emerges Dr. Light, Megaman, Roll and Protoman…Dr. Light is dressed in a black shirt, brown pants, and blue shoes. Megaman is without his helmet and dressed in Blue Levis, Red shirt and white tennis shoes. Roll was dressed in an orange shirt and a white jacket with a colorful mini skirt. Protoman's in black pants, black sweater, green shoes; he had black glasses that cover his eyes.
They check into the hotel and prepare to sleep. Dr. Light tells his family, "Well, we're here in Japan."
Megaman nods, "Yeah, now to try to find any clues that could lead us to Dr. Wily."
"And to Bass," Protoman adds.
"Hey guys, you think we could tour around Japan?" Roll asks her brothers. "I mean, there are so many cool places that I would like to see…can we?"
Dr. Light's unsure. "I don't know…"
"Roll's right, Dr. Light," Megaman says. "I mean, we could do that while we search for Wily.
Protoman nods in agreement with his brother, "They're right…we could always make time for a little fun; after all, we're here already."
Dr. Light agrees. "…Sure, I don't see why not."
Megaman, Roll, & Protoman cheer "YEAAAA!"
Dr. Light yawns, "Now that's settled, I'm gonna go to sleep…wake me up early, okay?"
"Will do, Doctor." Roll says.
"Well…good night."
Once Dr. Light goes to sleep:
"I can't wait to find Dr. Wily…he's caused nothing but trouble for us!" Megaman says in anticipation, ready to fight Wily and Bass again.
Protoman puts a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Easy there, bro. Don't get too excited; save those energies for when we find him."
Roll says excitedly, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna go and see the pretty sights of Japan…and to visit those awesome shopping malls!"
TO BE CONTINUED…