ATTENTION: THIS STORY IS A SEQUEL TO "OFFICER SAOTOME", A FIC I COMPLETED IN 2010.
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Catharsis
Chapter 6 - Can't You Hear me Knocking
November 18th, 20XX.
Nekohanten Cafe
Nerima, Japan.
2231 Hrs
"Thanks for helping us out, Ranma. Really appreciate it."
Ranma wiped his brow as he finished moving the last box of heavy produce into the cavernous walk-in refrigerator in the restaurant kitchen. "The least I can do, Shampoo."
He placed the boxes in a neat stack inside the corner and then walked out and closed the reefer door shut as the compressors kicked in again with a clunk and a whir. The stainless hinged door secured close with a mechanical click.
Tired from a busy rush of evening service, Shampoo leaned against the stainless metal kitchen counter with her stomach and poured two cups of Jasmine tea for herself and her guest. Ranma walked over, his face illuminating as he was handed a cup of tea. He blew on it first to cool it down before taking a sip.
"Thanks," he said after a long sip. He squeezed her shoulder in thanks. "Tastes great."
She nodded and looked at the face of her once long forgotten fiancee. Ranma looked into her eyes, dark brown with a shade of purple, a hint of a crease along the edge of her lids. Her cheeks were thinner, no longer holding the baby fat from when she was a teenager. Her restaurant attire was an apron with a form fitting Chinese dress, updated from when they were teenagers.
"You moved back to Tokyo then?"
"Not permanently, just a place to stay when needs arise," he replied. "The government pays for all housing, it beats having a hotel all the time."
Shampoo nodded, sipping her cup and setting it down. Her right hand started to cover her left wrist, which had a forearm cover over it.
"Hey it's good to hear this place is doing great. I missed eating here, it's one of the tastes of home. I really wish I'd appreciated the fact that you're a great cook, Shampoo."
She scoffed and turned around, leaning on her back against the counter. "We were dumb kids. Come back and enjoy as much as you want. Thanks to you we can finally keep our good help here."
"Yeah, I gotta hand these to your grandmother before I leave," he reminded himself. He pulled out a small manila envelope that was inside his jacket pocket. "Glad to know you and your grandmother adapted the Amazon to the 21st century. You got an entire student exchange and work program going on for the new generation."
"I'm so over stretching myself thin, working day and night here," Shampoo said exasperated. "I'm gonna go back to school and get my Masters."
Ranma beamed. "Good for you! I didn't even know you were planning to. I'm so happy to hear that for you, Shampoo."
Shampoo closed her eyes, sighed and smiled. "New dreams, Ranma. New dreams."
He nodded. "Well keep it going. You're among the strongest people I've ever met. I'll be rooting for you," he said.
Ranma finished his cup and motioned towards the kitchen door, back into the restaurant. "It's been great seeing you."
Shampoo looked at him for a moment, then shifted herself to slowly embrace him. He allowed her arms to slip under him and he hugged her back tenderly in return.
"Thank you. You don't know how thankful I am. I'm really, really thankful you were there." She stifled a sob as her right hand grabbed her left behind Ranma, rubbing over the wrist wrap.
He noticed what she had been doing and gently pulled her off and grabbed her left wrist with his right. He winced as he felt the stitched scar underneath, even over the covered wrapping. "Hey, you're wonderful. You're beautiful inside and out, Shampoo. Everyone's lucky to have you around. You just keep on aiming for the stars, I promise we'll all be rooting for you. Ok?"
She bitterly squeezed her tears, rubbing her free hand around her stomach. She could still feel the scar from where she had been attacked, an injury and scar that altered her life forever.
"Not my future husband. Not Mousse. I won't ever have my own children to encourage when I grow old-"
Ranma placed his finger on her soft lips and tilted her chin up. "Hey, to hell with Mousse, ok? If he or anyone else won't have you just because he's not willing to adopt, then SCREW him. Alright? Doesn't make you any less of an amazing woman."
Shampoo's eyes watered and she smiled again, hugging him fiercely. "You're the best. You take care now, ok? Hibachan is waiting by the register."
"No problem, kiddo. We'll be in touch," Ranma said, returning her hug tightly.
Just as he turned to reach the door, Shampoo's hand grabbed him by the shoulder to turn him around. She reached up to his neck and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Ranma gently received it, running his hand through her soft blue hair as she released herself slowly. He smiled sadly at her and just nodded, and she smiled back, her eyes saddened.
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Cologne saw a glimpse of her granddaughter as she stood in the doorway of the kitchen as Ranma excited. She noticed him covering his mouth with his hand as he walked towards her, pulling out a manila envelope from a breast pocket. She saw a glimpse of the sad smile that Shampoo had as the door closed behind him.
"Thank you for helping out with some of the heavy lifting. I know she can take care of herself without a problem but that was still gentlemanly of you, Muko-dono."
Ranma chuckled and sighed. He learned to take her nicknames and quips in stride, no longer taking it as a personal affront. "You're welcome, granny. I got you guys the papers you need. Everything should be in here," he said, handing the envelope to her.
She puffed her tobacco pipe and gave an affectionate chuckle to Ranma, no longer the young boy who fell for her teasing. She received the envelope and opened up to inspect its contents, looking over the various entry visas that were designated for Chinese nationals.
"This will help our village tremendously, thank you. We can finally get more help to support this booming business."
Cologne shuffled the documents back into the envelope and set them down in a drawer underneath the restaurant cash register. "You can't imagine the irony of how much more helpful you are as you are now than as my in-law."
Ranma smiled, shrugging with his palms raised. "I know you're good for it. You won't be visa-farming a bunch of communist party members or spies, that's really what my work worries about. I vouched for you in your honor. I'm sorry I can't help you more."
Cologne regarded him carefully and squeezed her wooden staff. She inhaled her pipe and let out a slow, exaggerated breath of sweet tobacco smoke. "Honestly, son. You've done more than enough. More than I can ask. Thank you, really."
"Not a problem. My pleasure."
She looked at the kitchen door again for a moment, then looked at some photos taped of Shampoo that she had at the register. One had a photo of everyone when Shampoo had graduated from college. From the Tendos, the Saotomes, even Ukyou and the Kunos. They'd gathered for a celebratory group photo inside the restaurant.
The other was of just her and Shampoo, affectionately hugging her grandma from when she was a teenager.
"That poor girl, robbed of her natural right living in the world," Cologne sighed. "You of all people got revenge for us, did what would've been expected of a true Amazon warrior. Beyond, what was expected."
Ranma looked at her, patiently letting her reminisce in thought. "I'd kill them all over again for her, Cologne. Both you and her."
Cologne gulped and shuddered. She'd lived long enough to see it all, but the ugliness of senseless violence still made her aghast. "If only it didn't have to be that way. But that's why you're alright with me, Saotome. You're alright with me."
Ranma paused before he slowly laid his hand on the counter. Cologne similarly placed her small, wrinkled hand on top of his squeezing. She gave a soft huff through her nostrils, then motioned with her head towards the exit.
"You take care, Ranma."
"I won't be a stranger, grandma. You take care of yourself too."
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November 25th, 20XX.
Garden Villa Mansions
Okayama, Japan.
1604 Hrs
"Alright, Akane. I'll let her know you send her your love," Ranma spoke into his smartphone, cradled against his left shoulder and ear. He balanced his right hand which was filled with too many plastic bags of groceries and jumbling a set of keys with his left as it reached a door knob. "Thanks again for taking care of my place together while I was gone this year, I really appreciate it."
"You're welcome, Ranma. And get her to stop smoking, will you?"
Ranma rolled his eyes as he tumbled the door lock with the key. "Her body, her choice."
He managed to look at his phone and saw Akane stick his tongue out at her on the video call. "Bleeeh"," Akane responded, sticking her tongue out.
"Tell Ryoga I said hello. I'll be in Tokyo again soon enough. Ja ne," Ranma replied, winking. He clicked the red button to end and pocketed the device. His feet slipped off his shoes at the genkan, and he looked up into his spacious apartment. "Hey Nabs! Help me carry this! I got everything you asked for."
"Coming!" a voice rang out from the windowed balcony of the other end of the apartment.
A brunette woman in a plaid tracksuit extinguished her Mebius charcoal filtered cigarette in the crystal ashtray she'd set out on top of the laundry machine, placed outside on the outer balcony. She slipped on her one piece memory foam house slippers and shuffled her way towards the entryway.
"Welcome back! Oh my, my, Ranma-kun!" Nabiki extended herself and grabbed as many bags as she could handle, letting her shoulders slump as she grabbed each sack. "You're better than an Uber!"
Ranma rolled his eyes. "With Kiyone no longer here, and your sister gone, I just want to make sure you're not eating take-out all the time. Granted, it's not junk food. But you still gotta make the effort to eat healthier at home."
"Lemme guess, baby sis asked me to quit smoking again?" Nabiki smirked as she carried everything into the kitchen. She placed everything on a cream colored countertop, adorned with tile splash and crisp stainless appliances. "What are they gonna do, kill me?"
Ranma shook his head, smiling. "Yeah, right? It's not like these things are gonna stab you in your sleep." He walked out and opened the inner patio window doors that led to his covered outdoor balcony.
It slid open with a very satisfying roller-bearing glide, quality in motion. It was nice to have nice things paid for by work, Ranma thought. He grabbed one of Nabiki's cigarettes on top of his washing machine and lit one in his mouth with the flick of a disposable lighter that was placed along the outer window sill.
"They just taste so good. God… I can cut down the drinking, but these are just so sinfully nice," Ranma said, exhaling a large drag.
"How were your accommodations in Tokyo?" Nabiki started organizing and shoving in different groceries into the refrigerator and Tetris'ing them into efficient spaces. "They making good on that government expense account?"
Ranma inhaled another drag between his fingers. "Not as nice as this place," he said exhaling. "It's close to Ginza, though nearby our office, and has easy access to the airport. My partner took the housing allowance instead, and bought a new motorcycle with it."
"Sergeant Tsujimoto?" Natsumi looked upwards for a second. She resumed restocking the fridge. "How is she getting along? You're not exactly new to this, not completely anyway. How's she liking it?"
"Enthusiastic about it all. She's in town with me and staying at a hotel and going back tomorrow," he replied. "She ain't a Sergeant anymore. She's the agency's de-facto National Police liaison now. Bumped her up to Keishi-sei. An Assistant Commissioner!"
Nabiki whistled and raised her eyebrows, genuinely impressed.
"She's living with that old partner of hers. Sergeant Kobayakawa. Must be fun knowing one of your best buds can pull rank and get you out of trouble in just one phone call or text."
"Eh, kinda like you and me." Nabiki pulled out a can of Sapporo beer. "Want one?"
Ranma pursed his lips. He smiled and shook his head. "I'm good, thanks."
Nabiki simply nodded and popped the can and took a swig as it fizzed. "Oooh! Hits the spot every time!"
She walked over to a display mantle next to the large living room TV set. Photo collages and frames of photos adorned the wall and shelves. Nabiki drank her beer as she looked at a collage of her, Ranma and Kiyone celebrating in different photos.
One showed the three of them at a restaurant with sticks of yakitori in their mouth and peace signs aimed at the camera. Another showed Akane visiting along with Kasumi and Soun. It had been her birthday, and they had traveled all the way to Okayama to spend the weekend. Ryouga was absent in all of them.
Another showed Kiyone, her teal hair dominating most of the frame as she kissed the side of Ranma's face, her cheeks flushed red from a night of drinking.
"That's a good one," Ranma reminisced, smiling. He exhaled a plume of fresh smoke through his nostrils. "Remember Kiyone threw up on your favorite shirt, and cried in your lap? I got that on video," he cackled.
Nabiki shook her head at him smiling, showing disapproving eyes. "Don't you be teasing her with that, you jerk. My dear Kiyone can do no wrong."
Her favorite was a recent one, taken just a few weeks ago. Kiyone was in her Galaxy Police dress uniform, stopping by just for a recent visit but enough to spend the night at home. Unlike the other photos, this one didn't have any bottles of alcohol littered in the background. The three of them were dressed up and framed evenly in the photo, everyone sober. A couple of other faces peeked in the background, and Nabiki had come to know them well.
She regarded the photo. "How's Washu, Ayeka, Sasami, and Tenchi? Well, I hope?"
Ranma nearly finished his cigarette. "Beats me, last time I saw them was with you last month." He saw her looking over that very photo. "When I finished my training course and was home around the same time Kiyone was able to visit. I'm sure Tenchi is having a blast in college." He rubbed and extinguished his cigarette on the crystal ashtray and stepped inside, closing the balcony sliding window behind him.
She looked wistfully at Kiyone. "And Kiyone? How's she?"
Ranma noticed her forlorn look, and smiled sadly. "She's doing great. Just got a little bit more time to go, and she thinks her tour is over."
"I miss her terribly, Ranma." Nabiki said, tracing her finger over one of the photos of Kiyone's laughing face.
"I managed to talk to her as I was driving here. She joked that she's gonna jump in the spring of drowned man and marry you and leave me." Ranma chuckled. "I told her if a lifelong aversion to hot and cold water is up your alley, then go for it!"
Nabiki laughed as she rolled her eyes, plopping herself on the couch.
"Ne," Nabiki started. "She's so proud of you, you know? I talked to her last week. We talked about how I'm always gonna be your next door neighbor even after you guys get married."
Ranma raised his eyebrows. "You guys talked about that?" He paused and looked at his feet before looking back up. "She's open to the idea?"
"Why not?" Nabiki took another drink and suppressed a burp with her fist to her mouth. "I ain't letting my best friend marry anyone less than the best guy I know."
Ranma walked into the kitchen letting out a sigh filled with playful relief. "Oh, mah-Gawd." He shook his head. "As I live and breathe, I still have trouble believing sometimes that we're happy roommates."
"Came a long way from California," Nabiki said, sipping her beer gently this time. Her eyes stared at the TV screen as she turned it on, flipping through a streaming service with endless programming choices.
"We all did, Nabs," Ranma replied. He grabbed a clear bottle of lemon-lime Mitsuwa Cider from the fridge. It hissed as he twisted the plastic bottle cap. "Now we can't stop smoking."
Nabiki curled a smile without looking his way and just raised a middle finger in his general direction.
"So we have one bad vice we share together," she said. "Big deal. No one else would've done what you did for me."
"Nabs, come on-"
"NO one," she emphasized. "I still have a life. A happy life. Your girlfriend accepted me staying here with you when no one else could bear the sight of me. I owe you my life." She looked at Kiyone's photo again, wistfully smiling. "I owe both of you my life."
Ranma shook his head, her ever so slight guilt tripping liked to come back into their conversations every once in a while. Only this time, he wouldn't dip into a bottle to drag himself into a stupor as he did it.
"What you owe me is a progress report instead," Ranma spoke across the kitchen. "How's my money doing anyway?"
Nabiki always had her black notebook nearby. She made a cute little straining nose as she reached across the coffee table and opened up her ledger. "Grade A, if I say so myself. Your real estate rentals are coming along at a steady 27% net profit after expenses and my management fee. Your stock investments are hovering at 16%. Akane and Kasumi's investments are doing similarly well too."
Ranma whistled. He honestly was impressed, each time and every time. "And the only ones who get access to Tendo Nabiki's financial genius are lucky us."
Nabiki shrugged and smirked. "The government lost out, big time, shutting me out." She winced and then smiled again. "Then again… I deserved that."
No one's perfect, Ranma thought to himself. "Their loss. Screw 'em."
"Divine punishment." She paused the TV and looked at him. "So what's gonna be the deal with you in Tokyo? They want you moving back and forth? Long term, short term?"
"We're all so brand new, nothing seems to be set in stone."
"SSB got that CIA money. I know what kinda money that CIA money brings in," Nabiki replied, eyes narrowed.
Her own past dealings with the top levels of government still inspired some awe in Ranma. If some things had been different, who knew how far she could've gone. "I want to have a life here in Okayama. I've grown to love it here. But I have time until Kiyone gets back, until then I work with Natsumi, Jackson, Rika, Raiden, along with Chris and Master Chief. We're still too small to be scattered from the heart of Japan."
"Shame what the world's come to," Nabiki said as she shook her head. "My only comfort is knowing they have a good guy like you doing this type of Gestapo work."
He frowned at that reference. He had been guilty of such behavior himself. "I'm gonna do it right this time, Nabs."
Nabiki raised her can of beer to him, nodding. "I trust you will, Ranma. I know you will."
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December 1st, 20XX.
Rigoletto Rotisserie and Wine
Sumida City, Tokyo, Japan.
1838 Hrs
"Oh, this looks good, Natsumi. Let's order this one too."
"You got it, Miyuki. And how about this carpaccio, and this garlic shrimp." Natsumi tapped her nose as she browsed the laminated menu. "Oh, Shoji! Do you like paella?"
"Like it?" he asked. He shook his head and then smiled, sighing with his eyes closed. "I absolutely love it."
Natsumi chirped with delight. "Oh goody, we'll get that too."
The waitress nodded and repeated out their generous selection of orders, almost twice the amount needed for three people dining in.
"Will that be all?" the waitress asked, politely.
Natsumi raised a finger. "And a bottle of your finest white wine. I'll order another if we *really* like it."
"Certainly! We'll have it right out." The waitress took all of their menus.
Miyuki looked at her old partner with pride. "Natsumi! This place sounds really good! I can't wait to try the food."
"First time in my life I get an expense account, I'm gonna use it!" Natsumi beamed.
Shoji Tokairin, Inspector grade police officer, and mountain rescue specialist, smiled at his long-time girlfriend.
"It's been too long, Natsumi. How's your new work life been, Tsujimoto-san? I'm still in disbelief that you're practically our boss if we're being completely serious." Tokairin had his hand on the side of his face, eyeing his girlfriend's maroon colored sweater and the silver necklace he'd gotten for her last birthday. "I can't believe you're an Assistant Commissioner liaison for the JNSA. It's like you're flying above us in the clouds"
Natsumi smiled at both then looked at the center of her clean, empty plate on the round dinner table. She rubbed the tips of her fingers, thumbs brushing over the newly manicured nails she'd treated with Miyuki.
"There's so much I can't talk about, at the same time too much I can share and not enough time." Natsumi sighed. "At the time I thought time was standing still, now I can't believe we're just around the corner from the end of the year."
Miyuki took a sip of a cocktail she ordered, her eyes avoiding contact with everyone. Only the side of her lips smiled. "Wild year, wasn't it?
"Sure was," Natsumi replied. "How is the new transfer, Miyuki? Never would've dreamed they'd hand pick you for the Special Investigation Team."
"That's outstanding, Kobayakawa-san," Tokairin chimed in. "I've known veteran Tokyo PD guys who've tried multiple times and failed, let alone been invited into SIT."
Miyuki shyly fingered the side of her pants, her off-duty pistol in a concealed, waistband belt holster just above her right hip. "I was devastated leaving selection during hell-week and leaving you alone. But those guys at the cadre are a solid group. They personally wrote in and let everyone know how valuable I was still in the grand scheme of things."
Natsumi nodded vigorously. "I love Master Chief. He really is my own personal Ken Watanabe," she swooned.
Tokairin nearly spat his own cocktail and chuckled. "Karma's gonna get you if you mess with a married man, Natsumi-san," he chided. It was a well known joke to everyone that she had a thing for tough, older guys. He let her indulge her playful fantasy crush.
Natsumi slapped his shoulder. "Oh, I know, Shoji. I met his wife and kids. They're such a lovely family." She took a sip of her own drink, relishing the Italian fruit cocktail she'd ordered. "Imagine the poor bastard who tries to mess with him. A guy who can kill you a 100 different ways with anything and everything."
Miyuki shivered. Command Master Chief Ken Kimura was an unrelenting lion of a man when she saw him in charge. "Amen to that. I'd never cross him, no way. No, sir."
Tokairin eyed them both. He didn't like violence, but nevertheless it made him curious. "Do you ladies mind if I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why not?"
"What do they let you carry," Tokairin asked. "It's so rare to meet a cop that gets to carry a gun full-time, let alone off-duty. What do they issue you?"
Natsumi blinked, genuinely surprised. "Wow, you usually hate these things and you're actually curious?'
Miyuki nodded. She'd known Tokairin for years as well. He was someone who resorted to peaceful measures at all costs, making him ideal as a rescue officer.
His cheeks reddened and his eyes darted to his drink momentarily. "I don't really talk to, meet, or hang out with any of the tactical elements of our work. And here are two of you. Rare birds sitting at the same table. I can't help but be curious."
"I love machines, I don't like violence either, Tokairin-san." Miyuki carefully looked around and discreetly peeked her jacket open to show a small pistol strapped into a leather holster. "I have a Glock 19. Fits my hands nicely."
Natsumi raised her brows and nodded appreciatively. She didn't show her piece physically, but leaned over to Shoji to quietly whisper. "I got a Staccato C. Very American and obscure as hell here. Trained the heck out of it with my hands." She showed him some specific calluses on her right palm and her index finger.
Miyuki blinked, looking at Natsumi's calluses as well. "How many times did you shoot to get those?"
Natsumi scoffed and sipped on her drink, annoyed at the memory. "Shooting is cool until you do it until it hurts. I'd say like 3,000 rounds a week, minimum."
Both Miyuki and Shoji's eyes bugged out.
"That's with both pistol and rifle. I like my rifle better honestly, it doesn't hurt as much." Natsumi sipped her drink. "But I can't complain about running and gunning. Or jumping out of an airplane or helicopter or gunning. But standing still and shooting at still targets? Bleh."
She pulled out something from her side. It was a small, black cylinder that wrapped around Natsumi's hand. It resembled an empty cardboard roll of toilet paper in size. "See this? It's a suppressor. Or silencer, if that's easier. Screws onto the threads of my carry pistol. Neat, huh?"
Miyuki chittered at the sight of it. "Sugoi! Invite me to go shooting with you. They don't restrict you on ammo, right?"
Natsumi blew one of her bangs away. "Sheesh. I wish." She nodded towards Miyuki and also looked at Shoji. "I'll bring you with me next time. You too, Shoji."
They both enthusiastically smiled and nodded at the invitation.
"Thank you for waiting!" the waitress chimed in as she brought a large tray of appetizers and entrees. "Your food is ready!"
"Let's dig in," Natsumi said. "Itadakimasu!"
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December 1st, 20XX.
Garden Villa Mansions
Okayama, Japan.
2219 Hrs
*Buzzzzzzz*
"Hrmm?"
*Buzzzzzz*
"What the-" Ranma grabbed his phone off the bed dresser to his left and looked at his phone. An urgent call from work.
"Who-zza, what-the…. Hello?"
"Sorry for the late night call, Major Saotome," the person on the phone responded.
"Nah," Ranma yawned as he looked at the time displayed on his iPhone. "I went to bed not too long ago." He rubbed his eyes. "Raiden? What the hell's going on?"
"Special Agent Tsujimoto, sir. She's been in an Officer Involved Shooting in Sumida City, Tokyo."
Ranma blinked and his eyes widened. He scrambled out of bed and smacked the light switch on. "What the-what?"
"Primary responders on the scene are taking care of the immediate after-action. I'm enroute to the scene with Master Chief and Big Bird. We had Tokyo MPD seal off the area. Sounds like the suspects are deceased, with other casualties. Sergeant Jackson is enroute now sir, he instructed me to let you know."
"I uh," Ranma tripped as he tried to respond. "I'm in Okayama, so-"
"We can have a plane chartered for you, Ranma. Rika is going to arrange a helicopter to pick you up at Haneda Airport. "
"Roger that."
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December 2nd, 20XX.
Roof Helipad, Bokuto-sho Police Headquarters
Tokyo , Japan.
0219 Hrs
"Thanks again, Yuzuko."
"Thanks for the ride, Warrant Officer Mawatari."
The short haired girl in the pilot seat of the JGSDF Bell 412 Helicopter raised her helmet visor and nodded as she gave a thumbs up.
Ranma shielded his eyes as the jet-powered helicopter throttled back up into a hover with a roar and left him and Rika Minami behind.
"I have your kit ready for you in the car, Ranma. We'll get briefed on the way there," Rika said.
He nodded at the tall purple woman who had directly escorted him from the airport. She had a black load-bearing equipment vest with National Police insignia on it over her casual clothing, a white blouse shirt and blue jeans with gray tennis shoes. The shoulder cords of her vest held the Keishi rank, three stars over a silver cord, emphasizing her new high rank with the police due to her placement with the SSB.
Her hips carried a thick nylon waist belt strapped with multiple handgun magazine carriers and handcuffs. A custom, black finish Sig Sauer M18X holstered in a Safariland duty holster prominently hung off the belt on her right hip, the noticeably square and blocky pistol-mounted optic mounted on the top of the firearm.
"She's one of the new gals going through our OTC, next pipeline?" Ranma asked.
"She's one of the Chief's favorite new recruits. A separate cadre passed her in the second selection program just last month. She's a first rate rotary pilot. I've gotten acquainted with her while we wait to process her through the Operator Training Course." Rika tilted her head towards Ranma. "I hear from others she's a heck of a fighter. Used to be a champion MMA athlete."
Ranma headed towards the building exit, rain started dripping down triggering the curse. "I'll still kick her ass. Let's get going."
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An unmarked silver Toyota Land Cruiser Prado drove through the narrow street, flashing its emergency red and blue lights that were hidden in the front grill of the vehicle and blipping the siren in quick squelches as several Tokyo MPD uniformed officers moved the barricade to let it through. Ranma finished chugging her canned coffee as she observed the scene.
Scattered among the crowd were black and white police cars, their red lights flashing in alternating sequence and illuminating the adjacent buildings. Plain clothed men in business suits, note pads in hand along with digital cameras were cataloging every part of the scene. Everyone looked to be moving as fast as possible as they held umbrellas to cover themselves against the rain. Drapes of damp white cloth covered several parts of the asphalt, imprinted with the shapes of prone bodies.
"Three dead?" Ranma asked
"Looks like it," Rika said grimly. "Glad it's not one of ours."
Ranma clicked her tongue. Her pigtailed swayed as she continued to scan the area. Sighing, she asked, "And Natsumi's friend's?"
"Her boyfriend took one to the leg, upper thigh. Nothing critical. Her other friend just has some scrapes and bruises. She's still with Natsumi giving a statement to Jackson and Commander Takayama."
Ranma took a worried expression. "Why'd Big Bird come here in person? What's going on here?"
Rika matched her concern. "All I was told was that foreign nationals were involved. He's dealing with the Russian Embassy so I don't think he's here anymore." She scanned the scene and pointed to a black Mercedes E320 sedan. "Look over there, Saotome. That Benz has diplomat plates."
"Shit." Ranma's eyes turned to dinner plates.
The car stopped on a curb that had space to park amidst the crowded crime scene. Ranma took care as she exited as she noticed circular chalk marks dissolving from the light rain, many of them surrounding emptied shell casings from a firearm.
Jackson and Master Chief Kimura approached them both, their jackets full damp from standing in the rain.
"We just finished LIDARing the whole area, the police here are going to wrap things up and clean everything away," Jackson announced. His tall, six-foot plus figure towered over everyone.
"We have Tsujimoto over there in that empty diner," Kimura said, pointing to a lit business with red lanterns on the front. "Raiden's with her and they're still debriefing the local police commander."
Ranma nodded her head. "Gimme a moment. Let me case the scene real quick."
"Yes, Major," Kimura replied, nodding back. "That's right, you were a homicide detective before, right?"
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"I don't know why they reacted so extremely, Superintendent." Natsumi added more notes to the electronic tablet she was handed. She kept tapping the face of an individual who was on the corner of the screen. "All we can say for sure is this guy did not expect a firefight back, here in the middle of Tokyo of all places. His friends freaked out and joined the chaos. After that what you saw outside was the result. All hell broke loose."
Superintendent Takao Arizuka adjusted his glasses and carefully glanced over his own notes. He swallowed before addressing the young lady in front of him who was now an untouchable superior. "The Russian embassy has asked to cooperate with them and my own bosses are requesting I work with them, Commissioner."
Nabiki lifted her hands in a defeated shrug. "Out of my hands, sir." She was careful to give him the respect he deserved, considering their shared professional relationship in the past. "My own boss said not to do a thing without his say so."
"That's right, Superintendent," a female voice from behind replied. "Any and all decisions will go through us first."
Arizuka turned to see a short red headed woman with damp hair walk alongside a taller purple haired girl. Both were wearing black tactical vests loaded down with various tools and equipment. He recognized the National Police markings on the purple haired officer.
The other man in the room with them seated next to Natsumi stood up at attention. "Superintendent Arizuka, this is Major Saotome and Superintendent Minami. Our colleagues."
"Thanks, Raiden." Ranma returned a salute that was presented to him by Arizuka. "Thank you, Keishi-Arizuka. I hope you don't mind, sir. We need a moment alone with Tsujimoto."
He shook his head and reached his hand out to shake hands with the young redhead in front of him. "Not at all, Major. She's been cooperative. Good to see you, Tsujimoto-san. Tokyo MPD is ready to assist."
Natsumi smiled weakly. She would've been more appreciative if it weren't for the intense circumstances of the night. "I'm sorry for the trouble, sir."
Ranma, Rika, and Raiden shared a look as they glanced at Arizuka leaving through the restaurant entrance. The room was empty, but the tables were left with unfinished plates of food and fallen chairs from patrons scrambling out previously.
"This is a nightmare-" Natsumi started.
Ranma raised her hands and halted her immediately. "That's alright. What's happened has happened. Tell me in 60 seconds or less from your own words. What the hell happened here?
Natsumi rubbed her eyes and sat back down on a wooden stool. "Miyuki, Shoji, and I were walking off the drinks we had for dinner before driving back home. We caught two men assaulting a third and I intervened. Nothing serious, but they were shoving and grabbing each other. It was a Caucasian suspect along with a Japanese male assaulting a well dressed street thug, I assume Yakuza."
"Tell him about the gun," Raiden added.
"Right," Natsumi responded, blinking hard. "I approached them, told them to cut it out. At that point I was surprisingly told by the third suspect who was being assaulted to stay out of the way, and the other Japanese male said the same. I refused, announced myself as law enforcement. That's when the Caucasian-"
"The Russian male, I presume?" Rika asked.
"Yes, I guess that's what he is. Or was, right?" Natsumi shook her head. "He brandished a pistol. I could tell it was real. It wasn't a toy."
Ranma nodded. She saw the shell casings outside, recognized which were theirs and which weren't. "What happened next?"
"He shoved it in my face, point blank. I backed off half a step then shoved it away, the way we were trained. I push-kicked him and he shot off a round that ricocheted and struck Tokairin." Natsumi sighed, anger clouding her features. "The other two also brandished firearms. I saw them start to draw, and I drew faster."
"Three versus one. You got 'em good," Ranma said in sympathy.
"I initiated a hip fire draw at close range for the immediate suspect in front of me. Mozambique'd them both. Two to the body, one to the head. The Russian was knocked down and started aiming while on the ground."
"And you drilled two through his face." Ranma whistled. He checked the three bodies real quick and examined the gunshot wounds. The viscera of their grotesque wounds hadn't been pretty. It was exactly as she said.
Natsumi clasped her hands to the back of her head and stared at the ceiling before squeezing her eyes shut. "I shot and killed those drug dealers in Brazil. Didn't think it'd happen again so soon."
Rika and Raiden both looked at her and gently grabbed in support.
"That cross training with BOPE saved your life, that experience wasn't wasted," Raiden told her.
Rika sighed gently, looking at Natsumi with softened eyes. "It's either them, or you. I'll kill everyone I can get my hands on before I let them lay a finger on you, sis."
At that moment Chief Kimura and Jackson walked in from outside. Jackson wiped his Eurasian, half Japanese and half French face with his hand to wipe off the rainwater.
"We got partial PID on our dead suspects," Jackson announced.
"Positive identification on the two dead Japanese nationals, both are associates of the Washimine Crime syndicate," Kimura added. "The third one isn't a Russian diplomat. Russian but he came in a car license plated with the Russian consulate. He's got star tattoos on his knees and shoulders. We can assume he's Vory v Zakone."
Ranma blanched. "Russian mob? Here, in Tokyo?"
"Oh it gets better," Jackson commented. "Our two locals had junk Tokarev pistols with them. The Russian had a SR-1 Vector, a Russian 9mm. Not even common in Russia. Along with 10 kilos of processed methamphetamine crystal packaged and sealed in a courier bag in the trunk of his Mercedes."
Raiden quipped. "What do you mean, it's not common even in Russia?"
Kimura raised his hand to interrupt Jackson before he could answer. He looked at each of them, his features stone and then a small frown came out before he answered.
"It's used almost exclusively by Russian Special Forces. Spetsnaz." Jackson blew his breath. "Tsujimoto-san you chose one hell of a night to engage one heck of a person of all the people you could've ever encountered tonight."
"I…" Natsumi shut her lips and took a deep breath. "I just stepped into some big trouble, didn't I?"
Kimura shook his head. The others concurred.
"Not your fault, trooper. We're all in this together," Kimura said, crossing his arms.
Ranma gulped. This winter was going to be cold. Really cold.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma, Tenchi, You're Under Arrest, Full Metal Panic, and any other anime/manga characters here who are mentioned by name. Just having fun writing.
So in this chapter we get to delve back into the lives of our characters in this crossover. I scrapped a lot of exposition and a full chapter talking about the skills that Ranma and Natsumi learned from the past year, after their grueling selection. After investing 3 whole chapters into proving their worth, I was over it and really thought: Who cares? Why go into detail about tactical tactics and gung-ho Call of Duty circle jerking when it really adds so little to their characters and stories? I'd rather have them talk about it and move on with their daily social lives. Their experiences and training as operators will be told in necessary, brief flashbacks instead of long, drawn exposition. Their abilities will be displayed as a natural part of telling the story.
Our story advances here as we setup the conflict arc of this series. Funny enough, this conflict is my setup to establish what our heroes are capable of as a team, as a unit, and as a working family. I have a sequel to Catharsis already setup in my head with intricate outlines waiting to be fleshed out, but alas Catharsis must serve as an effective base for that to flourish. I also slipped in another new character who won't be a major one until the future, most likely not in this story. Anyone here a fan of the manga Teppu? Yuzuko was by far my favorite character and fascinated me to no end.
Have you guys paid attention to some of the details that arose at the end of the chapter? I name dropped just enough to maybe give you an idea of where the story's conflict will crossover with. It's nothing new to this particular fic-universe, however. If anything, we're gonna see a return of a couple of bandits that were featured ever so briefly in Officer Saotome.
As for some of the other details with a focus back on Ranma… what did you think? There were some lingering relationship subplots that I wanted to explore to really illustrate how our favorite martial artist has grown up to help those around him. Nabiki was arguably a central villain in Officer Saotome, being the genesis of all the trouble that occurred in that storyline. Here, I wanted to portray how someone on the brink of having their life taken away would react if given an earnest, empathetic second chance. Nabiki is one of the most interesting and fun characters in the Ranmaverse because she's capable of so much. I can't wait to see how capable she will be when put towards a strong, righteous motivation.
The other, maybe even disruptive subplot I have here is Shampoo. A flashback from a previous chapter kind of set the stage of her tragedy, one that I hope doesn't have to be spelled out or spoonfed. All the girls in the Ranma universe are honestly wonderfully interesting characters (Kodachi included, as I've gotten older I've grown to love her and I still periodically enjoy Richard Lawson's Roses of Shadow because it's such a masterpiece, but she won't be featured in this story, this is just rambling thought) and seeing how they'd react when things don't go their way is what makes writing and reading fics worthwhile.
Thank you to anyone who gives even the slightest bit of attention to fics in general, let alone what I write. I still check ff net from time to time, and actually read reviews and take the criticism constructively and seriously. Any feedback you had for me is not only greatly welcomed, but honored and appreciated. I hope you have all been living blessed lives, especially when things don't go our way or get tough.
Completed May 29, 2024.