CHAPTER 34
-"PRELUDE TO TERROR! ENTER GRENADEMAN, THE MAD BOMBER!"-
TENDO DOJO – LATE EVENING:
Ran is in her room trying to sleep. She's having another dream….
-(DREAM SEQUENCE)-
Ran found herself in some sort of laboratory. A shadowy figure stood before her. By now Ran had recognized the figure's ominous voice….
"Go! Kill Ranma Saotome! He is your enemy!" the voice commands.
Ran vehemently objects, "No! I will not kill my best friend!"
"You must! I as your creator command you!"
Ran's upset with whoever this mystery person is. "Just because you created me doesn't mean you control my destiny!"
"Oh, but I do. You'll see. One day you and Ranma will be at each other's throats. I guarantee it!"
"Not if I can help it!" Ran leaped at her creator, intending on tackling him and beating the crap out of him. She didn't even reach her target before she got caught in an electrical field. Pain was coursing though her entire body as she screamed in agony.
-(END DREAM SEQUENCE)-
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!" Ran cries out as she sits straight up in her bed. Scared and now sad, she whispers, "No…not again….," crying softly.
Ran was concerned, though. For a while there, the nightmares had stopped occurring. She thought she'd overcome them. Now what was causing them?
Ran gets out of bed, and leaves her room. She goes downstairs to the kitchen to fix a late night snack. As she sits alone at the table eating a sandwich, she thinks about that dream she just had…
She says to herself, "It's…It's not fair. He's the only boy I've ever really liked! Ranma Saotome... So what? I'm not an assassin. It doesn't matter if Ranma's my enemy or not! We're still friends, no matter what!"
Then, Ran has a brief flashback of something her brother once said…
"Sister...deep inside, anyone with your natural skill would love to battle a true warrior, a warrior like Ranma Saotome. Think of it as an honor."
Then Ran hears the ominous voice of that mysterious person in her head….
"Ha ha ha haaa! You cannot refuse; it is what you were made for! It is your destiny! You will go to Nerima and find Ranma Saotome… and you'll… KILL HIM… KILL RANMA SAOTOME! HA HA HAAAA!"
Ran presses a hand to her chest, close to her heart. Yes, that's right. Somewhere in my heart is the desire to fight Ranma. I've got to keep it down but the feeling is strong. Does it have something to do with those weird dreams I've been having? They keep urging me to fight and kill him, but, but... I don't want to! I want to express my love for him, to tell him how I truly feel about him! What....what do I do?
In the darkness of the kitchen, Ran Hayami, alone, silently weeps.
A HOTEL IN TOKYO, JAPAN – EARLY MORNING:
Darkness. That is all Megaman X can see at the moment. Nothing but darkness, no light anywhere at all. Then, he hears someone yelling "NI!" His mind flashes back to when he and his partner Zero were in the woods and met those weird soldiers who kept saying "NI!" for some odd reason. Then they saw this robot in black and gold armor and a purple wolf-bot. There was a huge battle and they got separated. While Zero had somehow disappeared, X was left alone to face the black robot. They fought and X won. Or so he thought… The robot raised his weapon into the air and fired. Then, beams of light fell from the sky like falling rain. All X could remember was pain, so much pain. Then, the black guy pointed his weapon at him, and…
X then realizes he is actually thinking again. So he wills himself to open his eyes. A blur of light is the first thing he sees. A light that is too painful to look at. He tries to focus his vision, and the intensity of the light decreases; soon, he can make out shapes. He sees that he is no longer in that forest, but in a room.
"Hey, X, you're finally awake. Welcome back."
Megaman X wakes up, comes to. "Ugh…Zero. Where are we?
Zero replies, "At the hotel I told you about last night. I had that fisherman drop us off."
Megaman X groans, "Yeah… I remember now. We were going to head back to the city on foot. And then he showed up. I thought something smelled like the ocean in the back of that truck."
Zero laughs, "Yeah." Then, serious, he continues, "Bass really messed you up good. You'd passed out from all the damage you took. After we made it to the hotel, I used some of our money and got us a room. As for how long you were out... Your auto-repair system finished fixing your body five hours later, and then you slept for the rest of the night. It's now five in the morning."
X looks around at the room they're in. It's a rather nice, Western style hotel room with two beds, a bath, and a shower. There's a half-partition that divides the bedroom from the rest of the room, where there's a couple of chairs, a sofa, a table, and a TV. In one corner of the room there is a small refrigerator and a microwave. "Hmmm…. Nice place."
"Yeah. I'd thought it'd suit our needs while we're here. And, they've got room service too! I'd ordered us some breakfast; it'll be here in an hour. While we wait, check this out."
The two Hunters walk over to the other side of the room. On the table is a laptop PC. They sit down on the sofa, and Zero turns it on. While it boots up…
"While you were resting, I went online and did some research on those guys we fought last night. Ah, here we go…"
Both look at the computer screen.
(=Text on computer screen=)
=RED CAT GANG=
The RED CAT GANG is an occult sect with origins dating back to ancient times that worshipped its leader, the Cat Ghost King, as a god. Its members were the cause of great disaster on Earth… destroying villages, abducting young women, and creating chaos… The Cat Ghost King was responsible for these villainous acts and claimed that all disasters are nothing more than illusions caused by him. His plan was to rule the world using fear.
People were enslaved by the Cat Ghost King and then cast into a living hell.
But legends tell of a man, a great master of martial arts, who appeared. This man, as if he had supernatural powers, fought a mighty battle against the King. The battle was so furious as to cause the ground to shake, but he eventually defeated the demon...
...and the Cat Ghost King's soul was forced down, and securely sealed.
Over the years, the sect has grown into a secret society whose goal is total world domination. To achieve that goal, they would recruit the strongest warriors into their forces. They were also in possession of a mystical artifact called the "Star Crystal", which had the power to grant any wish. The RED CATS intended to use it to revive the Cat Ghost King and begin their reign of terror anew.
Fortunately, their efforts were recently thwarted by a group of martial artists from Nerima, Japan. They fought the Cat Ghost King and defeated him, destroying the "Star Crystal" in the process.
With his defeat, the RED CATS dreams of conquest were shattered, and peace was restored.
NO OTHER DATA AVAILABLE.
(=End text on computer screen=)
"Until now, that is," Zero concludes. "So, whaddya think now, X?"
X takes in what Zero's just said. "First the Cells, and now this. A secret society, mystic artifacts, world domination, and an evil king… it sounds like a plot for an anime. It's just too fantastic to be for real."
"But it is. And the guy we're after is somehow behind it all."
X poses a possibility. "Could this Cat Ghost King and "Deimos" be the same person?"
Zero thinks that over for all of a minute, then says, "Maybe, but I don't think so. Instead, I think our boy is working for this so-called "Cat Ghost King", or like we thought earlier, he's the real leader of these RED CATS. Either way, he's working behind the scenes so he can carry out his evil plans using the Cells. And what better way to do that than by hiding out in the ranks of a super-secret organization?"
"Hmmm…. According to the information you found, the RED CATS were previously beaten by martial artists…"
"Go ahead and say it, X. From the same place we're about to start our investigation – Nerima. Looks like we've got another mission to carry out before we can complete our original objective. We're gonna need to find and contact these Nerima fighters, 'cause when the time comes, we'll probably need their help to beat Deimos.
Then they hear a knock at the door.
"Mr. Zero? Room service!" a bellhop calls out from behind the door.
"Oh! The food's here." Zero realizes. "Just a minute!" he yells out to the door.
He goes to the door, pulls out a 5000-yen bill (About $50 in US money), and slips it under the door to the bellhop waiting outside. "Here. Just leave the cart, and we'll get it. Thanks."
"You're welcome, sir," the bellhop says as he picks up Zero's generous tip.
After the bellhop leaves, Zero opens the door and wheels in the cart.
Megaman X smells the air, taking in the delicious aroma. "Mmmm…. Smells great."
Zero grins as he lifts the lids on the serving trays. "Yep, and it looks the part too. Let's eat and start our investigation right away."
"Right!"
They get plates and silverware from the shelf beneath and proceed to chow down on that delicious breakfast.
Meanwhile…
RED CAT GANG'S SECRET BASE - TOP SECRET RESEARCH DEPARTMENT:
High Priest Erick Genryusai enters the research lab where Brightman and the RED CAT techs are waiting for him.
Brightman addresses Erick. "Greetings, Lord Erick. Did you receive my message?"
Erick nods. "I did. I trust you have good news for me?"
"Indeed. We've analyzed the blood on that sword, and it does contain DNA data. I couldn't believe it; personally, I was under the impression that only humans, animals, and plants possessed that kind of thing."
"Well, now you can add the term "other" to your list of things that have DNA. At any rate, there ARE some things that cannot be explained by science alone, Brightman."
"Perhaps. Nevertheless, this Zero is quite fascinating. I should like to conduct more research on his DNA. Dr. Wily will surely want to know more about this."
Erick politely stops him. "Not yet. Besides, Wily will find out anyway at our next meeting when I show him the video of X and Zero's fight with our soldiers. By the way, have you begun work on my new "project" yet?"
"Yes. My team and I have already developed a prototype. Here, I'll show it to you."
They walk over to an object covered by a sheet. Brightman pulls it off, revealing a robot wearing strange gray-colored armor and a long silver ponytail. It looks a LOT like Zero, except for one MAJOR difference. Where this robot's face would be was a single red camera-lens-like eye.
Brightman explains, "Not knowing how to create such an advanced robot from scratch, we conducted an experiment of our own and simply injected a "cocktail" made of Zero's DNA into one of our Sniper Joes, altering its appearance. " He points to the robot. "As you can see, this is the result."
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sniper Joes, if you didn't know, are those green robots that carry shields and fight using a Buster gun and grenades. They've been in most of the Megaman games, most recently in Megaman 7, Megaman 8, and Megaman & Bass.]
"We've equipped this prototype with a high-speed computer. Anything it observes will be sent directly to you via satellite. In addition, it also wields a beam sword similar to the original Zero's."
Standing back so he can get a good look at the robot, Erick smiles, pleased with Brightman's work.
Splendid, absolutely splendid. Superb even. Ha ha…yes! This robot will be perfect! Aloud, Erick gives Brightman his approval. "Good job, Brightman! I'll see to it that Dr. Wily and the Cat Ghost King reward you handsomely for your efforts."
Brightman is surprised. "OH! Well, uh… thank you, Lord Erick. I must inform you, though, that it IS only a prototype. We haven't installed the combat data from Zero into it yet."
"Not a problem. Now, I want you to deliver the prototype to my chamber. I will personally install the data, and begin mass production at once."
Brightman sputters, "Wh-what? So soon?"
"Don't look so surprised, Brightman! After all, risks are part of laboratory science."
"Yes, I know that, but… we've just finished the prototype! We haven't even tested its capabilities yet! If you'll just give us more time..."
"No. Any further delays will hinder us from finding the Phoenix Stone. I want these robots on every street and every corner of Japan to search for it. Only I have the resources to create hundreds, even thousands of them in a short amount of time. Certainly you have no objections to this?"
Brightman thinks Erick's crazy. How can this guy make thousands of robots in just one day? Now was not the time to debate the issue. He wisely decides not to argue with him, and let this strange priest have his way.
Brightman sighs, complying with Erick request. "No, sir. I will send it to you at once."
"Good. I'll be waiting." With that, Erick exits the research lab, leaving Brightman to wonder…
What could that man be planning now?
SOMEWHERE IN JAPAN:
Miles away from Tokyo, even Nerima for that matter, is an old temple. It is an elaborate structure made during the 16th century. It has a painting or scroll here and there, some holy symbols scattered about, a few ornate chairs, and a large cross hanging from a wall. This temple is the private sanctuary of Michael Angelus and home to his Jusenkyo-cursed alter ego, THE MCD.
Inside, we see Angelus deep in meditation, kneeling with his sword in his hands, like a knight during a prayer vigil. Suddenly, as if receiving a divine revelation, he opens his eyes.
"Ah!" Angelus smiles, thinking of the girl Ran Hayami. Hm hm hm. It appears I won't have to search for that other person anymore. I have a feeling she and I will be meeting soon.
Then, he sees an image of Ranma Saotome in his mind.
And, in the process, I'll get to meet him. Yes, the one who defeated my hated arch nemesis, the Cat Ghost King. That boy… will he be the trump card I can play when that time comes? "Hm?"
Angelus gets up and, going through the front door of the temple, walks outside. He had heard the wind picking up and went out to investigate. He looks out and sees dark clouds forming above the general area of Tokyo and it's really windy outside.
Hmm… an ominous wind blows. THAT usually means trouble. And my "Angel Sense" tells me that it's going to involve that girl and my former friend Erick. I'd better be prepared.
Then, we hear Angelus's watch beeping the tune of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy".
Angelus realizes it's his alarm. "ACK! ON NO! I've (or rather, THE MCD's) got to open the restaurant! No time to drive down there! Gotta fly!"
With a flap of his wings, Angelus quickly soars off in the direction of Tokyo.
R's MANSION / RED CAT GANG'S SECRET BASE:
Meanwhile, at the RED CATS's hideout, High Priest Erick Genryusai has called an emergency meeting at the Cat Ghost King's shrine. Everyone was there – Delia, Bass, Treble, Bubbleman, Dr. Wily, and a large group of RED CAT soldiers and Wily's robots.
Erick addresses everyone. "Ah, good evening. I'm glad you all came to this special meeting…" To Dr. Wily, he asks, "Say, Dr. Wily, where is R?"
"He's still on his current, ah…. "mission","Dr. Wily says, referring to R's dating Kodachi Kuno in order to learn her secret techniques.
"Oh, yes, that. Well, we'll start the meeting without him. Anyway, now that we have the three Phoenix treasures, we can continue our quest for the Phoenix Stone. But first, I think a little "entertainment" is in order. We'll need a professional on this one. Wily, do you have any robots that specialize in explosives?"
"Why, yes. Let's see…there's Bombman, Clashman, Napalmman, Drillman, and Burstman. Any of those robots will do the job, Erick."
Bass speaks up. "Uhh…Doc, aren't you forgetting somebody?"
Bubbleman, scared, objects, "Bass, NO! Not him! Anybody but HIM!"
"Who's Bubbleman talking about, Bass?" Erick asks.
Bass grins and tells him, "The one robot that the Doc didn't tell you about…I think he'll be perfect for this little "show" you're planning, Erick."
Dr. Wily remembers, "Oh, yes, that's right! I forgot about him! He's just what we need! Let's send Grenademan!"
Everybody else except Bass, Treble, Delia, the Cat Ghost King, Dr. Wily, and Erick yells, "OH NO! NOT GRENADEMAN!!"
Erick sweatdrops. "Why are you all so frightened?"
Bass explains, "Well, you see Erick, the reason why these idiots are freaking out is because Grenademan, well…he really loves his job. Yep, that's the best way I can describe him."
Dr. Wily disagrees, "Oh, come now! True, I admit Grenademan is a little odd…"
Bubbleman futher objects, "Odd? The guy's NUTS!"
"Duh…He's crazy too!" Frostman says.
Stoneman sighs, "Late again, as usual Frosty."
Bubbleman pleads, "Dr. Wily, please! Don't send him!"
Erick, however, says, "Well, what are we waiting for? Call him, Wily."
Then, there's an explosion! The blast blows a hole in the wall. Then Grenademan enters! "GYA HA HA HA! Grenademan's the name! Demolition's my game! OH YEAH!"
The Cat Statue glows angrily. "MEOW! HEY! What's the big idea blowing up my shrine meow!"
Bass mutters, "Geez, there he goes again…" Then, to Grenademan, he says, "You know, Grenademan, most people use what's called a "door" to enter a room."
"Yeah, well I'm NOT "most people", Bass! OH YEAH!" Grenademan calms down, then asks, "So, uh, what's the job?
Erick is surprised at first, but continues, "Well, Grenademan, we would like you to go out and provide us with some "entertainment"."
"WHAT? A show? Aw phooey! I'm an explosives expert, dammit, not an entertainer!" Grenademan smiles. "But if you want comedy, then…." He then takes out one of his Flash Bombs and tosses it at Bubbleman. "Here, Bubbles! Catch!"
The Flash Bomb lands in front of Bubbleman! "OH NO!"
KA-BOOM!
"ACK!" Bubbleman says as he's blown up. Then, as he's lying on the ground, roasted from the blast, he groans, "Ugh…."
Grenademan laughs, "Now THAT's funny! HA HA HA! OH YEAH!"
Erick sweatdrops. "Err…. right." Bass actually made a good choice! I like this one! "Anyway, as I was saying, we want you to go out and put on a little "show" for the people…. by doing what you do best."
Grenademan's confused. "Huh?"
Bass translates, "He means…. he wants you to go out and blow up stuff!"
"OH YEAH! HA HA HA HA! Anything I get to blow up in particular?"
Erick smiles. "No. Feel free to destroy to your heart's content."
"Really? ALL RIGHT! MWA HA HA HA HA!!"
"However, be on the lookout for a girl named Ran Hayami…." Erick waves his hand and a holographic image of Ran appears.
"Hmph! Just one puny human girl!"
"Don't be so sure. Your friends Slashman and Cutman thought the same thing…. and they were defeated by her. Now, if you see Lady Ran, capture her and find out if she has the Phoenix Stone. Then, bring it to us."
Grenademan considers it. "A kidnapping, huh? Oh, fine, I'll do it. But I'd better get to blow up SOMETHING along the way! OH YEAH!"
Dr. Wily adds, "Also, watch out for that meddling Megaman! Quickman and Geminiman had a run in with him recently."
"Kidnapping AND a chance to blast Megaman into scrap metal? This must be my lucky day! OH YEAH!"
"You have your orders, now GO!" Erick commands.
Grenademan leaves the shrine by jumping through the hole he blew open earlier and runs off laughing madly! "MWA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAA!! OH YEAH!"
Everybody else sweatdrops as they watch him go. Bubbleman fearfully remarks, "Grenademan's on the loose. No good can come from this…."
Erick blinks. "Uhh…is this guy for real, Bass?"
Bass admits, "He might have a few screws loose, but when it comes to explosives, Grenademan's the best there is. For once, the Doc actually made a robot that doesn't suck!"
Dr. Wily is pleased that Bass is complimenting him… until he realizes he'd just been insulted. "Why thank you, Bass, and… HEY!"
"OK meow, that's great and all, but… who's going to fix my shrine meow!" the Cat Statue complains.
Later that night, we see Grenademan's already at work, setting up and detonating his bombs in random areas of the city. He's obviously enjoying his work, singing a little song he composed himself.
"The itsy-bitsy spider went up the waterspout! Down came Grenademan and…TOOK THE SPIDER OUT!"
Grenademan pulls out a remote control and presses a button. Three blocks away, a building blows up!
"OH YEAH!" Grenademan, happy, gets all teary-eyed. "OH! To blow up things is my joy! I'm so happy, I…I could…EXPLODE!! OH YEAH!!"
He presses another button on his remote. Five consecutive explosions go off in the park!
"Hee hee! Oh, the chaos, the destruction, the property damage! I LOVE IT! MWA HA HA HA HA HA! OH YEAH! Let's blow up some more stuff!"
Grenademan continues on throughout the night, blowing up stuff and laughing like a crazed maniac. Will anyone please stand up and kick his loony butt?
NERIMA, JAPAN - TENDO DOJO:
The next day, the whole city's in a clamor about the explosions. Television sends the word all over.
In the living room, Soun and Genma are watching the news on TV while Ranma was reading manga.
The news reporter on TV says, "Authorities still have no leads as to who's behind the explosions that occurred last night. But the police and the government are taking the threat seriously. Spokesmen for the department announced today that special assault teams made up of local officers and members of the Self-Defense Force would be stationed throughout the city tonight."
Soun says, "A mad bomber? Here? This is a decent town! To think that a lunatic like that…."
"We cannot allow this to go on!" Genma says.
"Right, Saotome! It's the duty of a martial artist to fight evil! We'll bring this culprit to justice!"
Soun and Genma laugh together, as Kasumi enters the room with some tea. Then suddenly….
KA-BOOM!
Startled by the explosion, Kasumi says, "Oh my! What was that?"
Soun guesses, "It must be that evil mad bomber!"
Genma agrees, "Yeah, Tendo. It sounds like that blast came from just miles away from our town." He then turns to Ranma. "Ranma, as heir to the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts, it's your duty to defeat this mad bomber!"
Ranma's like, "Aren't YOU comin', Pops?"
He turns around and sees Genma (now in panda form) sitting in a corner playing with a beach ball. [Don't mind me. I'm just a cuddly little panda…]
"Why you…! C'mon!" Ranma grabs the cowardly panda by the scruff of his neck, and then drags him out the door.
Genma-panda wriggles around frantically, while holding up a sign [But…but I don't wanna! I'm…uh, too young to get blown up now! Yeah, that's it!]
ON THE STREETS OF NERIMA:
We see Soun, Genma, and Ranma walking down the street. They are on their way to the place where they heard that last explosion. They get all sorts of strange looks from the townspeople, most of them directed at Soun and Genma. Soun is decked out in full samurai armor while Genma (who's still in panda form, by the way) carries a basket of assorted weapons on his back.
One man asks, "What's up with those two?"
"Don't look at them," a woman says.
Ranma sweatdrops. "Maybe I should have gone by myself."
He glances around to check on his father and father-in-law. The two silly old men are talking with each other.
Soun expresses a concern. "Saotome, I'm beginning to have second thoughts. What chance do we really have against a mad bomber?"
Genma-panda holds up a sign. [I know what you mean, Tendo. Nevertheless, as martial artists, it's our duty to fight evil.] He flips the sign over. [Besides, if we can defeat this guy, it'll make our dojo look good and we'll be heroes! We'll be famous!]
Soun brightens up. "Really? Well then, bring on that mad bomber! We'll defeat him! Yes! For the honor of our dojo!" Deeply moved, he says, "Ah, Saotome, my friend! No matter what happens, live or die, we shall fight together!"
[Agreed, Tendo. Even if it costs us our lives!]
Overcome with emotion and a sense of duty, honor, and justice (or maybe they're just really scared, perhaps?), Soun and Genma start crying. Oh, I feel REALLY safe knowing those two are gonna protect us, don't you?
Ranma sweatdrops, groaning, "Geez…"
Just then, Ranma notices something (or someone!) He calls on the two blubbering old fools. "Hey! If you two are done getting yourselves psyched up, come here. I think we found our guy!" He points to a construction site.
The three quickly head over to the site, being extremely careful not to attract attention. Hiding behind a pile of steel drums, they take a peek at the only person hanging around the area. This "person" looked like a huge hand grenade with arms and legs. It's Grenademan! Ranma notices that he's walking around the site, putting something on the ground around each corner of the foundation. GASP! It's a bomb!
[Who's THAT guy?], Genma-panda points at Grenademan.
Ranma replies, "Looks like another one of those robots me and Ran seem to be running into lately. I just saw him put something on the ground; could be a bomb."
[A bomb? OK, I'm outta here!] Genma tries to run away!
Ranma grabs him by the scruff of his neck. "Where do you think you're going, Pop!"
Now while all this is happening, don't you think it's strange that Grenademan hasn't noticed our heroes yet? There's a good reason for that. For while he's laying out explosives, Grenademan has a pair of headphones on, listening to music on his Walkman MD (Mini-Disc) player. Apparently, he's listening to that old rap song "Mama Said Knock You Out". He's bopping his head to the beat and rapping along, only he's adding his own words!
"I'm gonna blow you up! Mama said blow you up! OH YEAH!"
Watching Grenademan, Soun gets an idea. "Hmm… Fortunately for us, he's distracted. We should use this opportunity. Using the element of surprise, we'll sneak up on him and take him out!"
Ranma approves, "Great idea, Mr. Tendo. In fact, I've got a plan."
Genma-panda grunts, holding up a sign, [Brilliant. He's got a plan.]
"Yep, and you're gonna lead us, Pop."
[Yeah!] Then, Genma realizes, [Huh? ME?]
"That's right."
[Um… You want me to ambush that Grenade guy?]
"Yeah!"
Genma-panda sighs, summoning up his courage. [All right, I'll do it.] He holds up another sign. [For the honor of the School of Anything-Goes Martial Arts!] Then, he flips the first sign over. [Mad bomber or no mad bomber! I'll defeat him with my bare hands!] "Growf!" [There's just one thing I want you guys to do…]
Ranma & Soun both ask, "What's that?"
[Talk me out of it!] And with that, Genma tries to run away again!
"Oh no you don't!", Ranma says, grabbing Genma by his arm.
"Come along, Saotome." Soun grabs the other arm.
Genma-panda sweatdrops. [Aww…!]
Soun and Ranma, dragging the "Cowardly Panda", quietly approach Grenademan.
Meanwhile, Grenademan has just finished setting the last of the bombs.
"Whew! That's the last one, but now I'm all out of bombs. I'll have to go back to the base and make some more. But, I'll have some fun and blow this up first! OH YEAH!"
He pulls out his remote control and is about to push the button when…
"GROWF!" Genma-panda then holds up a sign that says [Hey! Hold it right there, you!]
"WHAT? Who dares interrupt my fun!?" Grenademan angrily wants to know. Turning around, he sees… "A panda? These idiots send a panda after me? The police must have finally lost it!" He then notices Soun and Ranma. "And, it seems you've brought company. Weeell, the more the merrier! HA HA! OH YEAH!"
Ranma steps forward and confronts Grenademan. "You... You're another one of those crazy robots aren't you!"
"Gehehehe, that's right kid! They call me the "Blast King", "Emperor of Explosives", "Duke of Demolitions", or just plain stark-raving MAD! But you can call me…" He then strikes a pose. "GRENADEMAN! MWA HA HA HA HA!! OH YEAH!"
"All right, Pop, you've got him now! Show 'em your fists of justice!" Ranma says as he pushes Genma forward.
[B-but…I don't wanna!]
"Hiyah." Ranma picks up and tosses the dumb ol' panda at Grenademan!
"Eat this! FLASH BOMB!" Grenademan whips out one of his Flash Bombs and tosses it at Genma!
KA-BOOM!
The next thing we see is poor Genma flying high in the sky after getting blasted by Grenademan…
"Hmph. Fool."
…and coming down hard! The impact leaves a small crater in the ground.
Soun cries out, "Saotome!"
"Pop!" Ranma shouts, actually worried for his old man.
They run over to the crater where Genma lies at the bottom.
[Don't worry about me… I'm…I'm okay!] Genma faints, with little dizzy swirls in his eyes, like this…._
Grenademan laughs triumphantly, "MWA HA HA HA HA!! OH YEAH! Who's next!?"
Soun declares, "I shall stop you, villain! HYAAH!" He draws his spear and charges at Grenademan with a powerful forward thrust, hoping to take out the fiend in one quick strike.
KLANG!
"Yes! I got him!" Then, "Huh?"
Unfortunately, Soun DIDN'T get him. The tip of the spear merely bounced off Grenademan's body, without even so much as a scratch!
"Was that attack supposed to hurt me? Pathetic!" Grenademan tosses another Flash Bomb at Soun.
BA-BOOM!
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" wails Soun as he's blown away. He comes crashing down on top of Genma! "OOOF! Ugh!"
Genma-panda grumbles, "Grrf…" while holding up a sign, [Nice of you to drop in, Tendo.]
Grenademan laughs, "OH YEAH! Now, it's just you and me, Ranma Saotome!"
Ranma's surprised. "Huh!?"
"Yes, I know who you are." Grenademan gets excited. "Wait till the other guys find out that I, the mighty Grenademan, fought and defeated Ranma Saotome! I'll score MAJOR bonus points with Dr. Wily! Nothing personal, kid, but I'm gonna destroy you! OH YEAH!"
"Yeah? C'mon! I'm no pushover like those two old geezers!"
A hurt Soun objects, "HEY!"
Genma-panda, insulted, holds up a sign, [We're right here, y'know!]
Ranma puts down Grenademan's abilities. "Hiding behind your bombs like that! You coward!"
Grenademan remarks, "You punk kid! It takes a lot of courage to call ME a coward! Strike me from any side!"
"You asked for it, jerk! KATCHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!!" Ranma attacks Grenademan with his signature rapid-fire punching attack, landing blow after blow on him, but…
"HA HA HA! My extra-thick armor protects me from your blows. Your technique will have no effect on this body. In other words, I'm INVINCIBLE! OH YEAH!"
Ranma keeps on striking with his Amaguriken, but it's no use. Man! This guy's tough! I gotta take him out, but how?
Meanwhile, someone else was watching the fight…
Protoman thinks, If he keeps this up, he's going to lose.
"Aw! What's the matter? Are you finished already? Those punches couldn't kill a fly! And now… FLASH BOMB!" Grenademan lobs one at Ranma!
The Flash Bomb hits Ranma, knocking him away from Grenademan.
"Argh!"
"Heh heh heh! And now to finish you off!" Grenademan leaps into the air, tossing a ring of bombs that spread out and land around Ranma! "Your life ends, not with a whimper, but with a BANG! CRAZY DESTROYER!!" While in mid-air, he detonates the bombs!
BA-BOOM!
"OH NO! RANMA!" Genma & Soun both cry out.
As he lands, Grenademan snorts, "Feh! That was too easy! For a moment there, I thought you'd be tough. NOT! HA HA HA! OH YEAH!"
Hidden out of sight, Protoman thinks, smiling, I wouldn't boast so soon if I were you, Grenademan.
"HEY! Up here!"
"HUH?" Grenademan turns around and sees… "NO! IMPOSSIBLE! Nobody has ever escaped my "Crazy Destroyer" attack! NO ONE! You…you're no ordinary human!"
Soun points, "Saotome, look!"
Genma-panda growls happily, sign in paw [He's alive! What a relief!]
Yes folks, it's indeed Ranma! His clothes are a little burnt and he has a few burn marks on his body from Grenademan's attack, but he's alive and still ready to fight! Standing two stories above Grenademan in the construction site, Ranma looks down at his opponent. "Grenademan! Why do you keep relying on your bombs? Why can't you fight me yourself?"
Grenademan sneers, "What does it matter how I fight? All that matters is victory!"
"You see? You just keep on proving my point! You're too scared to face me one-on-one, so rather than fight, you resort to using your weapons and cheap tricks!"
"Grr…. why you! Come down here and say that!"
"No. You come up here, that is, unless you're chicken!"
"WHAT!?"
"You heard me!" Ranma starts taunting him, yelling insults. "Dummy! Stupid! Nutjob! Fruitcake!"
Like gasoline to an already burning fire, Ranma's taunts unfortunately make Grenademan even angrier!
"FRUITCAKE!? Grrr….THAT TEARS IT!"
"HA HA! You big scaredy-cat!" Ranma sticks his tongue out, "Nyaah!", just as he hears something angrily land behind him! "Uh oh…"
It looks like you've gone a little bit too far, Ranma. He turns around and sees an extremely pissed-off Grenademan!
"BOY! Get ready, 'cause when I'm done pounding your sorry carcass, there won't be enough of you left to bury! OH YEAH!"
MEANWHILE AT THE TENDO DOJO:
Akane and Ran are on their way out to go shopping. As they're leaving, Ran senses something that almost makes her stop in her tracks. Something just doesn't feel quite right today. Akane turns around to check on Ran. "Ran, are you all right?"
Ran replies, "I don't know. I just got a sudden chill." Oh, Ranma… I hope he's all right.
TO BE CONTINUED…