Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own it. If I did I'd have been updating more often! (Ducks from thrown objects)
Ranma-Papa, Shampoo Mama, Chapter 16
"HIMEKO!" Ranma bellowed, driving his fist through the wall he and the girl had been running over so little time before. Konatsu winced in sympathy, for the wall and for the tormented pig-tailed man standing in front of him. "Come on Konatsu, we've got to round up the rest of the crew. Whoever took Ukyo and Himeko is going to have to learn that we don't play in Nerima!" The seething rage was accompanied by a glowing aura of scarlet around the pigtailed boy. Konatsu was left to follow as he took to the rooftops.
Nadoka looked up from the book she was reading, standing when a second series of knocks came through the front door. She set the book aside and opened the door, only to gasp and hold a hand to her mouth in shock.
"Uncle Mike?" She asked, looking at the ebony skinned man in happy surprise, quickly reaching out and hugging the American man whom was chuckling.
"Hello Nadoka. Been a while." Michael Richards responded, hugging the much smaller Asian woman back. "And apparently long enough that I got lost three times looking for your house! And directories don't help much when I forget the name of that guy you married."
"it wouldn't have been so bad, if you'd kept in touch!" Nadoka scolded, leading him into the door, closing it behind him. "Why, we thought you'd fallen of the face of the earth, or would have if it weren't for the Christmas cards Mother shows me each year. Where have you been?"
"Well, since I sold your father my share of the business I fell into real estate back in California. Made a mint if I do say so myself."
"Then what brings you over here now? Not that I'm complaining, it's great to see you again."
Mike sighed. "Honestly, that's more my daughter then me."
"Little Stephanie? Is she here too?"
"Yeah, and still thinks she's a superhero." Mike sighed, sitting down in the offered couch. "She found a little girl in an alley a month or so ago. She'd been beaten up pretty bad, and she brought her back home with her. We called the cops and it seems her father was probably the perpetrator."
Nadoka, who was halfway to the kitchen, easily remembering her favorite "Uncles" favorite snacks, froze. "He was some sort of fighter?"
Mike blinked. "Yes. How'd you..."
"And he was 'Training' her for something."
"We didn't quite sort out what. He showed up at the house, tried to kidnap her back but between Stephanie kicking him out a window and the LAPD shooting him when he refused to surrender, we never found out why. Nadoka, how do you know this?"
"We've seen it, your girl would be three times now." Nadoka sat down across from the American. "Bad as this sounds, you seem to have found the girl in the best shape up till now. Why if Ranma hadn't been there..."
"Ranma? Ranma Saotome?"
Nadoka blinked. "Yes, you've heard of my son?"
"Your son? We thought he was the father of some girl named Himeko!"
"Legally he is, now. Her real father... Horaki I'm ashamed to say... tried to teach her something called the Neko-ken, which probably makes whatever condition the girl you found was in seem like gentle care. If Ranma hadn't been there, she'd probably have severely hurt someone."
"You mean he saved her? This isn't good."
"Why wouldn't that be good?"
"Stephanie thinks he's the one abusing her. We need to go, now!"
"Ranma, we need to come up with a plan, or at least something that resembles one! This isn't a normal fight." Akane was yelling, but for once she was the one calling for reason. Shampoo, standing next to her, reluctantly agreed though the pig tailed boy didn't seem interested in hearing it.
"It took us to long to get everyone. I'll fight whoever is there, while you guys get Himeko and Ucchan."
"Saotome, as much as I wouldn't mind seeing you get beaten by a horde of ninja's," Mouse, who had just recently returned from China, spoke calmly. "We have to take the safety of Ms. Kounji and Himeko into account. If I might suggest, you, Akane Tendo, and myself go in first. We are the best at multiple opponent fighting. Shampoo is more then capable at protecting herself, and as you well know can get into anyplace if she's motivated."
"Mouse have good idea." Shampoo nodded, to angry to realize she was complimenting the blind boy. "Himeko to important to go off half cocked. Spatula girl too." The last part wasn't really as grudgingly said as it sounded, but Ranma still gave her a dirty look.
"Ranma, they're right. And Shampoo can carry them both out if she needs to. It's not much of a plan, but it's better then charge in and destroy."
"Fine, we'll do it your way." Ranma growled, then spun on one heel and strode out of the park they'd finally managed to get him to stop at, towards the building where the kidnappers wanted to meet. The others followed behind, all grim
The building was a burnt out husk, left over from a rave that had gone wrong a few months ago. Ranma vaguely remembered some other college students talking about being there, and seeing a speaker spark and catch fire, but he'd never been that interested. Either way, it didn't effect anything as far as he was concerned. Shampoo split off of the rest of the group, vanishing into shadows like the cat that she sometimes became. They strode into the shattered loading dock door, looking around the darkened cavern of a building, looking for the danger they knew was there.
"So this is Ranma Saotome." The accented voice of a woman came from all around them, echoing off the walls. "And he brought friends. A coward are you?"
Ranma growled. "This from someone who kidnaps children! Come out where I can see you!"
"Oh, how funny." The voice stated not the least amused sounding. "Someone who abuses his or her daughter is insulted by my kidnapping her? Rich."
"What the hell are you talking about!" Ranma demanded. "I never...ooff." His cries were spoiled by the sudden appearance of a woman, an appearance that coincided with a sharp pain in his back and a long fall down, into what was apparently a cellar of the warehouse. He barely managed to roll with the impact, and then only because she left his spine before they hit the floor.
"Ranma!" Akane yelled from above, but the shadows had swallowed the combatants, leaving Ranma and his attacker in shadows.
For a few moments, at least. Ranma let his anger filter into his aura, manifesting a blue aura that lit the space around him. The light revealed a black woman, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, ten feet away. Her short hair was died purple, and she was standing in a stance Ranma didn't recognize. That surprised him.
"Who the heck are you, anyway?" Ranma demanded, carefully circling. His normal instincts, to not hit women, were overwhelmed by her unusual stance and the kidnapping. He was trying to read her style, but it seemed so very basic. Her attack and landing spoke of skill, however, so he knew better.
"Stephanie Miller and I'm not letting you turn that sweet girl into another abused fighting machine."
Ranma was so shocked by that accusation, one he himself and considered throwing at Himeko's father if he ever saw him, that he actually dropped his guard. "Wait, do you think.."
He was interrupted as Stephanie was suddenly on him, delivering a quick combo of two jabs and an uppercut. Again the movements were very simple, almost beginners stuff, but the execution was that of an expert. Ranma's instincts held out and he rolled away from her, avoiding the stomp kick she had aimed for where his head should have landed.
He countered quickly, spinning on his back. She jumped over the foot sweep, but gave him the fraction of an instant he needed to gain his feet. "Kachu tenchin Ameriguiken!" He cried out as he threw dozens of punches at the unusual girl, not holding back for fear of what Himeko might be going through if he waited.
Stephanie gasped and grunted, surrendering to momentum and falling back, rolling backwards over her shoulder as she let the punches push her away from the pig-tailed warrior. He stopped throwing punches, ready to follow, but that's just what the girl wanted. While still 'recovering' her feet, she dove forward. Landing on one knee and driving one fist down into the shorter man's groin.
Ranma winced, barely spinning out of the direct line of the assault. For once thankful for the rougher parts of Genma's training he didn't pause to think. He jumped up, a short hop landing on the girl's head and a big jump, pushing her face into the concrete while launching him into the rafters. His feet had no sooner hit the girder then he'd spun around preparing to launch him self straight down into the stunned woman.
"Wait, Ranma, Stephanie, stop this now!" His mother's voice froze him in place.
"What the..." The black woman demanded, only to be interrupted by another, masculine, cry.
"Stephanie, stop now! This isn't what you think!"
Both fighters paused and looked at the entrance, finding their parents standing there, and not looking happy.
"This can't be good." Both muttered, in different languages, but the same basic intention.
Ukyo shook her head, groggily coming out of the stunned state. She tried to move, but her arms were trapped, held wide away from her sides. She didn't now why, or where she was, but she knew she was in trouble.
"What, who... Where am I?"
"You are in my laboratory Ms. Kounji. You have... Volunteered for an experiment."
"I never volunteered for anything!" She yelled, looking up at the European looking man. "Wait, you sent those ninjas!"
"Yes, I did." He nodded, calmly filling a syringe with a violently yellow liquid. "My name, by the way, is Troika."
"What's that." She demanded, to focused on the needle to hear his name.
"A mixture of amphetamines and the extract of a certain mushroom known for its hullucengenetic effects. Fear in a bottle if you will. You see, your friend Himeko has undergone a bit of a transformation since she "learned" the Neko Ken. A bit of research has shown that these changes came from the deaths of the cats and her fear making her Aura a pure, almost blank canvas for the ki of the deaths to add to. Your aura, which I'm afraid shows the signs of having reached it's maximum potential, is a wonderful tool to experiment with."
"You're going to put me through the Neko Ken!"
"Not yet. First I need to test and see how much terror is needed before your aura becomes elastic enough." Troika ignored her futile struggles, injecting the concoction into one of her bound arms. "You should feel the effects almost instantly"
Ukyo growled, even as cold spikes of unreasoning fear began running through her spine. She refused to give him the satisfaction of screaming.
Her resolve lasted for half of the first day.
AN: My wasn't that dark.
Oh, and I'm back, and am staying this time. Anyone happy?