CHAPTER 43

-"ERICK'S NEW APPRENTICE! THE RETURN OF KUNO!"-

RED CATS' SECRET BASE:

After delivering B.B. Hood to M. Bison, Erick begins to put into motion one of his plans…To take Bass and train him to be his assistant – (Although, in truth, Erick will just use him for his own purposes)-

Bass is out in the shooting gallery. He's involved in target practice, firing at dummies which, by the way, all look like Megaman:

"Soon Megaman, very soon I'll defeat you for good…!" A frustrated Bass then complains, "But why do I lose to him every time I go up against him? What does that blue boob have that I don't?

"Skills," a man's voice says out of nowhere. Oh come on, go ahead and guess who it is!

Bass is briefly startled. "WHA…!? Who's there? He turns around and sees Erick. "Aw, it's just you, Erick. What do you want now?

Erick notices, "I see that you like to spend your time here, shooting targets to release all that frustration that you have inside, am I right Bass?

"Um…yeah…so what do you want?

Erick gets serious. "Bass, I've come here to talk to you. I have a proposition that I think you'll like."

"A proposition? What kind?

"Bass, how would you like to be my Padawan?

Bass blinks. "Pada-what?

Erick: My Padawan. In other words, my apprentice.

Bass sarcastically says, "OK, this is gonna sound silly, but I'll ask anyway… "Why"?"

Erick counters, "Why not? I could teach you many things. Skills, wisdom, knowledge…. after all, you will need them all once you get your kingdom."

Bass is unsure, exhibiting what those in the sales profession call buyer's reluctance. "Hmmm, I don't know…"

Erick, like any good salesman, throws in an added bonus. "Plus…with my training, you will be able to defeat Megaman!" Hook, line…

Now, this part wins Bass over. He brightens up, burning with determination! "To defeat Megaman…! ALL RIGHT, I'LL DO IT!!"

Ha…and sinker! Aloud, Erick confirms, "A wise choice, Bass. Now come with me so that I can properly tell you everything."

FURINKAN HIGH SCHOOL - 7:00 A.M.:

Ranma, Akane and Ran are reaching their school for their classes, Ran is still haunted by her –'strange feelings' she has for Ranma, the guilt is really making her confused…Ran walks quietly:

Ranma checks on her. "Hey, Ran, why so quiet? Are you sick or something?"

Ran gasps, a little startled. She then briskly says, trying to cover up her melancholy, "Me? Oh no, Ranma! It's just that…I'm still…sleepy. Yeah, that's right! I didn't sleep well last night."

Ranma's unsure that's the case, but says, "Okay…if you say so." Why do I have the feeling that she's lying, and something is really bugging her?

When they enter the school grounds…a swarm of boys run toward Akane and Ran…it was the –"old Hentai Boys"- who Akane used to fight in school before Ranma showed up. Now, they return once again to defeat Akane and go on a date with her:

Hentai Boy 1 cries out, "AKANE! DATE ME!"

Hentai Boy 2 yells over the crowd, "NO! DATE ME!"

A third boy yells, "AKANE, I LOVE YOU! GO OUT WITH ME!"

While a fourth objects, "NO! GO OUT WITH ME!

Needless to say, Akane's not pleased to see them. She groans, "Oh man…not them again!"

Ran's confused. "Why do those boys want to fight you Akane?

Akane explains, "Back before Ranma showed up, Kuno told all the boys that by defeating me in a fight, they'll have the right to date me."

"Say what!? Are you serious about that?"

"Afraid so…," Akane sighs. "I thought that they got the message and understood that it's over."

Ranma flatly says, "Well, looks like that they DIDN'T get the message, and they're back like the old days…Guess I'll just have to refresh their memories…" He cracks his knuckles, ready to dish out some punishment. "…the hard way!

Akane stops him. "Wait, Ranma…let me do it. This is MY problem and I'll remind them that I won't go out with them.

"Okay, Akane, go for it. But if you need any help…"

Akane winks. "Don't worry Ranma, they never had a chance with me in the past. Surely they won't stand a chance against me now!

Akane's ready to face the Hordes of Hentai. They were about to reach Akane, when suddenly two huge waves of air come from behind Akane and friends at top speed and strike the Hentai Hoards of Boys sending them all into the sky. Akane and Ranma are confused by this, and then they turn around and see someone walking through the front gates, wearing a black and blue kendo outfit, with a Japanese straw hat covering his head…

Ranma points at the newcomer. "Hey guys, check it out! Is that who I think it is?"

Akane agrees, "Yeah, Ranma, I think it's…

Then when the stranger approaches them, he lifts his straw hat and reveals himself to be:

Kuno (!), who cheerfully says, "Greetings, my friends!"

Ranma happily says. "Hey, it's Kuno!

"It is!" Akane says.

"Hey, how's it going?" Ran asks.

Kuno replies, "I'm doing fine. It's good to see you all again.

Ranma starts up a conversation with his former rival turned friend. "So Kuno, how did your training trip go?

"Perhaps it would be wise if we talk more about this later after class."

"Guess you're right. Let's go!"

RED CAT SECRET BASE – ERICK'S DARK CHAMBER:

We see Bass with Erick and Delia in a weird, dark library. "Hey, Erick, why are we here?"

"To start your training Bass," Erick tells him.

"But…why all these books?"

"Why…to teach you many things for you to learn."

"Oh, come on! I don't need to learn all this junk! What I want to learn is how to fight! That's what I want!"

Erick gets serious. "Bass, you must learn that knowledge is more powerful that brute strength."

Bass is confused. "Huh!? I don't get it."

Erick says through clenched teeth. "I rest my case…" Then, calmly, he says, "First, I'll have to teach you manners, followed by history, grammar, swordsmanship and martial arts."

"Swordsmanship, Martial Arts….why would I want to learn that? Weapons and fists are useless; they don't stand a chance against my Buster!"

"Don't be a naïve fool Bass. A true warrior must master any and all types of weapons and fighting skills."

Bass snorts at the idea, "Bah! That's just for weaklings!

"Is that so Bass…? Well…how about a little bet?"

"A bet!? What kind of bet?"

"It's simple. We'll put your theory to the test. Let's see if you can defeat an Armed Warrior and a Martial Artist with only your weapons. If you win, I'll give you the necessary things for you to find the Phoenix Stone so that you can be rewarded by the Cat Ghost King."

Bass is interested now. "REALLY!?"

"Yes, really. However, should you lose, you'll obey every instruction I give you, understand? So, are you up to it Bass?"

Without hesitation, Bass says, "Okay…I'm in. Bring 'em on Erick. I'll show you AND them!"

"Very well then…Let's begin…GOGANDANTESS, AKUMA, COME FORTH NOW!!"

Then, from the shadows, two persons jump out and land in front of Erick and Bass… The first one is a man, with pale white skin (except for his jaw, which looks like it's been painted in red) and split-in-half hairdo, dressed in black samurai armor and wears a black cape (Special Note: Gogandantess is the demon samurai who appears in the game –"Onimusha 2: Samurai Destiny"- for the PlayStation 2). The second one is dressed in a Dark, Sleeveless Karate Gi with the crimson mark of "Ten" on his back, has red hair done in a small pig tail, and red eyes.

Gogandantess bows before Erick. "I'm here, my lord."

Akuma likewise bows. "You called?"

Erick smiles. "Nice to see you guys… Gogandantess, Akuma, this is Bass. Bass, this is Gogandantess, a demon swordsman from Hell."

Gogandantess pleasantly (well, for a demon, that is) says, "Nice to meet you Bass…I am Gogandantess…" He does some poses as he declares himself, "….The greatest swordsman of them all!"

Erick then points to Akuma, "And this warrior is Akuma…Deadly Martial Artist of the Shotokan Karate and wielder of the dreadful art of –"Shun Goku Satsu"- or "Raging Demon""

Akuma just bows to Bass. "………………."

Bass laughs, thinking, What a bunch of jerks! Looks like this is gonna be an easy fight for me! Aloud, he says, "Nice to meet you."

Erick turns in the direction of the two warriors he's summoned. "Gogandantess, Akuma, your task here will be to defend yourself against Bass's fire power, because Bass says that Weapons and Fists are for weaklings."

Gogandantess gasps, insulted. "He said that? Surely he must be ignorant!"

Akuma snarls, "So he did…what an idiot."

Erick explains, "That's why you're here. You're going to prove him wrong, so, are you up to it Gogandantess, Akuma?"

"Yes my lord, " Gogandantess then chuckles, "The question more likely is…," pointing at Bass, "…is HE ready?"

Bass counters, "HA! I'm more then ready Samurai-Boy, Devil Boy, you don't scare me!

Erick says, "In that case, take your positions. Gogandantess will go first, then Akuma. If that's clear, then let's begin…Ready…Set…FIGHT!"

Bass immediate fires his Buster at Gogandantess, but Gogandantess evade all the shots with no problem. Bass gasps at this, but it doesn't stop him; he began to unload lots and lots of fire-blasts, but none of them manage to hit Gogandantess. Bass is getting frustrated. What the heck, I can't even hit him, this is getting on my nerves!

Gogandantess taunts, "Come on Mister Bass, don't tell me that you're quitting, are you?"

"NO WAY! I'M JUST GETTING WARMED UP! TAKE THIS….. LIGHTNING BOLT!!"

Using Dynamoman's weapon, Bass points straight up into the air and four lightning bolts rain down from the sky and strike the ground, but Gogandantess quickly moves out of the way and none of the Bolts hit him:

Bass gasps – he can't believe this. "WHAT THE…! OH, THAT'S IT! NOW YOU'VE MADE ME MAD!!"

Gogandantess taunts, daring Bass to strike. "A little word of advice Bass; The Warrior who loses his calm, loses the match!"

"OH YEAH, WELL YOU'RE GONNA LOSE YOUR HEAD! PREPARE YOURSELF…HYPER BUSTER SHOT!!"

Bass charges up his Bass-Buster, then locks on onto Gogandantess, and fires a rain of purple fire shots. What Gogandantess does next shocks Bass big time…Using only his sword, Gogandantess blocks every one of Bass's shots very fast, just like a Jedi Master out of Star Wars. Bass can't believe what he was seeing. "NO WAY, THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULDN'T HAVE STOPPED MY BLAST…HOW'D YOU DO THAT?"

Gogandantess laughs, "Hahaha…What's the matter, not so confident in your theory? As you can see, a true warrior relies only on his skills, not on his weapons.

"SHUT UP!! I AM THE BEST, AND I'LL SHOW IT TO YOU, CHUMP, 'CAUSE I'M PACKIN' HEAVY FIRE POWER!!

Once again Bass cuts loose with lots and lots of Buster Shots, but as before, Gogandantess blocks them all with his sword.

Bass angrily curses, "DAMN IT!! STAND STILL, YOU SAMURAI FREAK!!"

Gogandantess regards his opponent; Bass's offensive power is passable yet his defense is sorely lacking. "How foolish you are Bass. Weapons don't make a warrior strong, but his skills. Your vanity makes you weak!

"SHADDUUUUUUUUUUP!!"

"Now that you've had your chance, it's MY turn now to show you my skills, so get ready Bass, cause here comes Gogandantess!" Gogandantess charges up his sword, which begins to glow with a bluish-black aura, then…

Bass blinks. "What the…!? What the heck is he doing?"

"DARK SERPENT WAVE OF HELL!!" Gogandantess release a blue-black wave of fire toward Bass, similar to Kyo Kusanagi's Orochi-Nagi SDM from KOF, only more powerful and with a very long range.

Scared by the power of this unexpected attack, Bass's eyes go wide. "WHAT IN THE WORLD…!?"

Bass tries to deflect it, firing at the rushing flame to stop it, but to no avail, and then he's blasted away by the mighty dark flames of Gogandantess. He lands on the floor hard. Bass is all bruised up and charbroiled:

Bass moans weakly, "Ohh… What…in the…world was…that?"

"The fight is over, Gogandantess is the winner…" Erick approaches Bass and picks him up. "Looks like you lost against Gogandantess, Bass. A pity."

Bass protests, "HEY! I didn't think he could do that!"

"So you see that Weapons are not useless, right Bass? Now, are you ready for Round 2, against Akuma?"

Bass shakes his head, shrugging off the dizziness, then says, "Well, yeah! This time I won't lose! After all, I have my trusty Buster, while he's unarmed!"

Erick warns, "Once again Bass, don't assume anything…Okay…Akuma get ready…FIGHT!"

Switching to his Force Buster, Bass shoots purple energy bursts at Akuma, but Akuma, using his Ashura Senkuu (Ashura Sky Flash), teleports out of firing range:

Bass is shocked! "WHAT THE…!?" He looks everywhere. "WHERE DID HE GO!?"

An ice-cold voice says out of nowhere, "Right here."

Bass turns around, only to be hit in his face by Akuma's fist. Bass goes flying and lands on the ground, he felt like he'd been hit by Gutsman's fist…only with about double the power:

A hurt Bass is rubbing his jaw. "Man, ouch…such power…but how can it be…" He glares at Akuma, "All right buster, you only got lucky! I won't fail again!"

Not one for conversation, Akuma just says, "Luck is only for losers…A true warrior relies on his skills and power."

Bass growls, "Shut up!"

He then charge up his Buster and fires a big purple blast at Akuma. "Try on that for that for size!"

"Gladly… MESSATSU GOU HADOU!!" Akuma fires a big dark purple fireball. Both attacks collide, but Akuma's attack destroys Bass attack and hits him hard… Bass is on the floor, shocked and confused. I don't believe this…this guy has NO weapons, yet those weird attacks he throws at me can actually hurt me! I don't get it…but I won't lose to this guy! Getting up, he says, "Heh… You're pretty tough, for a human, but I'm the supreme robot! I WILL win, so get ready!"

Akuma grins evilly. "Is that right…then come!"

Bass continue to fire more Buster Shots at Akuma, but Akuma dodges them all by teleporting away. Bass is getting desperate; he's trying anything he can to defeat the Master of the Fist. Then Akuma teleports in front of Bass and yells…-" GOU SHORYUU KEN"-…and strikes Bass with a heavy uppercut that send Bass flying high into the air…

But Akuma's not through yet. He jumps up and is inches away from Bass…

"TENMA! GOU ZANKUU!!"

…and releases a big fireball, sending Bass down to the ground like a falling meteor…Bass was weak from that beating he's taken, but unfortunately for him, Akuma isn't finished. Bass gets up and sees Akuma coming toward him…then…Akuma unleashes one of his most powerful Arts upon him…

"KONGOU KOKURETSU ZAN!!"

Akuma slams the ground with his fist, creating a huge geyser of purple-white energy around him. Bass is hit hard by that Art and is sent back into the air and lands hard on the ground.

Bass is lying on the ground…all burnt up, bruised up… defeated…

Erick claps his hands, delighted. "Well done Akuma, you've won this round."

Then some RED CAT Soldiers arrive and pick up the unconscious Bass. Erick orders them, "Take Bass to Brightman and have him fixed; I'll be there later on. Go."

The soldiers salute, "At once, Lord Erick!" Then they carry Bass away.

Erick complements his two associates, "Well done Gogandantess and Akuma. You sure proved Bass wrong about his ideas of weapons and fists being for weaklings."

Gogandatess bows, pleased, "Thank you, my lord."

Akuma snorts, "Hmph…that stupid machine has much to learn about the power of the fist."

"Now, you may go until I need you again, okay?" Erick says.

Gogandantess obediently says, "Very well my lord."

"Until its…wait, wait wait, I have a better idea!"

"What is it my lord?"

"Gogandantess, I want you to go and deliver a little message to an old friend of mine."

Gogandantess blinks. "A message? For whom, my lord?"

Erick smiles knowingly. "Oh but you know him…It's our old friend…The MCD, or better yet…Michael Angelus."

Gogandantess is surprised to hear that name. "Michael Angelus! HIM!? Here?"

"That's right."

"I AM surprised…What message does my lord want me to deliver to him?"

"You tell him this…" Erick tells Gogandantess the message, and then Gogandantess vanishes into the shadows:

Erick turns to face Akuma. "Akuma, are you ready to take him on later on?"

Akuma nods, "Yes…he will be easy to defeat."

Erick grins, "I know."

MEANWHILE, AT FURINKAN HIGH SCHOOL:

Ranma, Akane and Ran are with Kuno in the cafeteria, talking about Kuno's quest. "So Kuno, tell us - how did it go?"

Ran's eager to hear Kuno's story. "How was your training trip man, was it cool?"

Kuno begins, "It was marvelous my friends. I've learned many new skills and even met a fellow samurai warrior, who by the way was a great warrior of the Art."

Akane says, "Is that right…so what things did you see Kuno?"

Kuno goes on, "I've been to many places. This training trip really helped me to improve myself and my abilities."

Ranma, listening to what Kuno's said, says, "Cool. Say, we ought to have a friendly match later on Kuno."

Kuno smiles, "It would be an honor, Saotome. I would show you all the Special Techniques I've learned."

Akane cheerfully says, "Well, it's good to have you back Kuno."

Ran likewise says, "Yeah, welcome back Kuno."

Kuno's pleased. "Thank you Akane, Ran…well, I must meet with the Kendo Club and start training my fellow companions."

"Okay, see you later Kuno." Ranma says.

"Take care!" Akane says as she waves goodbye.

After Kuno leaves, Ranma comments, "Wow, Kuno sure has changed. That training trip really helped him a lot."

Akane agrees, "I know, who wouldn't have thought THAT could happen?"

RED CATS' SECRET BASE:

Bass slowly woke up, and see that he was in a table on a Laboratory, and sees Brightman and some robots:

Brightman notices Bass is awake. "Oh Bass, you're awake."

"What am I doing here anyway?"

"Oh that…I fixed you up. You were in a terrible shape when they brought you here, and smelling like burnt plastic."

"But why? Wait a minute, I remember now…" Remembering what happened, Bass gets mad. "I lost to that weird Samurai and that weird warrior!"

"Right you are Bass."

Then Bass turns around and sees Erick with his beloved Delia, and behind them is Gogandantess:

Erick has a self-satisfied grin on his face as says, "I see that you're up and good as new Bass. Nice work Brightman."

Pleased, Brightman says, "Thank you, sir."

"As I was saying…it appears that you lost Bass, right?"

Bass, still sore over his defeat earlier, grumbles, "Yeah, yeah…"

"Now you've seen first hand, and I might say felt, the power of a true Warrior with a weapon and a fist from your defeat at the hands of Gogandantess and Akuma."

"Look, you don't have to rub it in my face okay!"

"I never intended it that way Bass, just to show you that you must never claim things without evidence to back it up. You thought that Weapons and Fists are for the weak, however, Gogandantess and Akuma proved it to you otherwise, am I right Bass?"

Bass sighs, "I guess so."

"Okay, now Bass, you know the deal, now you'll learn from me and Gogandantess and Akuma all our teachings."

Bass points at Gogandantess and Akuma. "But why them?"

Erick explains, "Simple…I will teach the Knowledge, and Gogandantess will teach you about fighting with weapons, while Akuma will teach you about Hand-to hand combat. Isn't that right, Gogandantess?"

Gogandantess proudly says, "Yes, my lord. I will teach Bass how to be a great warrior with any weapon."

Bass thinks it over, "Hmm… I don't know."

Erick assures, "You'll like it a lot Bass. Think about it, with our teachings, you'll be able to defeat Megaman or anyone you want with ease."

"In that case…" Now eager, Bass asks, "When do I start?

"Tomorrow…for tomorrow your life will change."

TO BE CONTINUED…