Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that i claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:
Chapter 2: The care and feeding of a wild Amazon.
It had been a long three days since Ranma left for Nabiki Tendo. Konatsu had arrived back at the Teahouse the next day, and informed her that they had other 'guests' that night, a few hours after they had been extracted. She was informed they were most rude at first, but eventually gave in to the 'hospitality' of Konatsu.
Shortly after, a strike team was dispatched, and all traces of their unwelcome guests had been swept from their shores. Honestly, if she didn't know and love the members of the Teahouse as she did, she would probably be terrified by what this modern den of shinobi was capable of. They were still going to stay at the Teahouse for at least a week, except for when Nabiki needed to leave to oversee her job.
Her job, something she wouldn't have even thought of before her time with Ranma and the Tanaka. Running a multi-million dollar, not yen, but dollar, company that handled the legal side of the Tanaka's businesses. Handling that much money, that much power was a bit exhilarating, she had to admit. It was probably the most powerful aphrodisiac she had ever known.
It was a shame that Ranma was gone so often.
Now, here she sat next to the still sleeping girl, gently brushing her hand through lavender locks and hoping to see blue eyes opening. Qiang Pu might not be her daughter by flesh and blood, but she was Ranma's, and as far as she was concerned, that made her family. And Tendo's always protected family.
The first indication that Qiang Pu was awake was a groggy statement in horrible Japanese. "Where Father."
"Good morning, Qiang Pu. Ranma went to see what is happening in China. He couldn't reach anyone, and we were not sure when you would wake up." Nabiki said softly, an eyebrow lifted when her hand was pushed away.
"You outsider womans. I want father. No need talk to weak outsider." Qiang Pu stated in her horrible Japanese.
Nabiki takes a breath, then pressed onward. "Can you tell me what happened in China? What happened at your village to make you come here?"
Qiang Pu stared at her for a bit, then sighed. "No know. Bad peoples came, mother say run. Give money and direction to Japan. Say find father. Qiang Pu go."
"I see. Get some more rest, I will get you some food. I imagine you have to be hungry." Nabiki said as she stood up, brushing off her skirt.
"No need help from outsider. Qiang Pu is do what need." Qiang Pu stated defiantly as she tried to get up, then collapsed back onto the bed. "Fine. You go. No need you here." She said and turned her back on Nabiki.
Nabiki clenched her jaw, then did her best to channel her inner Kasumi. More Kasumi, less Akane was needed, perhaps. And maybe see if Konatsu had any books on the Job Ketsuzoku, she had a feeling she was going to need all the information she could muster. And keeping the fact that she spoke Mandarin under wraps until she needed it.
She walked out of the room, finding one of the many young apprentices that seemed to be pretty much everywhere here, she bowed to the young girl and asked for some simple rice and fish stew, something that would be good for someone who hadn't eaten well or at all for days, after sleeping for three days. She was pretty confident that this would not be the first time that they had received a request like this, and the girl bowed smoothly and walked off quickly. Nabiki smiled and shook her head, a bit glad to see at least one person here who didn't just seem to glide along the floor.
When she walked back in, Qiang Pu looked over at her, then away again. "Where food?"
Nabiki smiled and sat back down on the chair next to the bed, pouring a cup of herbal tea from the pot that was there now. She knew for a fact it hadn't been there when she had left the room.
"It will be here soon, just relax for right now if you can." Nabiki responded.
Qiang Pu scoffed. "What good outsider womans if she no can get food for warrior?"
Nabiki closed her eyes for a moment, then tried to speak calmly. "I'm sorry it isn't here already, Qiang Pu. It will be here soon. I would think that you would be more polite to your elders?"
Qiang Pu turned and looked at her. "You no Elder. Is outsider. Is weak, and bow to mens."
Nabiki did her best to hold her tongue, as she shook her head. "It doesn't work like it does back home here, Qiang Pu. Here, men and women are considered equals. We work together to achieve our goals."
"Is how weak outsider do it. Strong warrior take what want. No need ask.". She cast a defiant eye at Nabiki.
Nabiki is saved from having to reply by a young geisha bringing in the food she requested, bowing and leaving the room gracefully.
Qiang Pu ate her food, then rolled over and went back to sleep.
Nabiki, for her part, watched her for a bit before she stepped out of the room. She was hardly surprised to see that Konatsu waited for her outside the room.
"This One notices the look on my most honored guests face, is there something that this One may do to help?" Konatsu asked politely.
"She doesn't respect me, Konatsu. She won't listen to me, and I'm not sure how to make this work.". Nabiki confided.
"This One knows the Joketsuzoku well, Nabiki. They respect strength above all else.". Konatsu said.
Nabiki sighed "I figured as much. I will never be strong like her, or Ranma."
"There is more than one kind of strength, this One thinks. They ignore all others, and it is their weakness. Show her your strength. Let her meet the Ice Queen, and know the power that is yours and yours alone.". Konatsu suggested.
"That...might just work…". She said as she pondered.
Maybe once she was cleared by Michi, Nabiki would take her to work. Show her the modern world. And, just maybe, see how much of Ranma was really in this throwback of a girl.
In the room, a pair of blue eyes stared at the wall, a soft sniffle escaping her lips. "Father…" She whispered in Mandarin before falling asleep.
The next few days are a bit rough, for everyone involved. Qiang Pu continues to look down on the denizens of the Teahouse, with two notable exceptions. Tachi and Konatsu herself, of course. As much as the young girl insists she is fine, it would be two more days until Mich gave her a grudging clean bill of health, with warnings not to test the limits of her stitches for at least a week or two.
On the day when Qiang Pu was able to go out, Nabiki showed up in a neatly pressed suit jacket and pencil skirt, her high heels clicking on the floor as she swept into Qiang Pu's room with a cursory knock on the door. She looked over the freshly bathed and dressed girl with a critical sweep of her eyes, before she turned and bowed to the young geisha who had overseen her young charge that morning. "Thank you for taking care of her, I apologize for any problems she might have caused."
"This One was not bothered by our most interesting guest. Will you be returning to the Teahouse later, Oh Honored Nabiki Tendo?" The young geisha asked as she bowed in turn.
"I have made arrangements to return to my home, with our most honored companion, Tachi, in attendance. We are most grateful for the hospitality that we have been shown." She said and bowed to the geisha, who returned it before she swept out of the room.
"Why talk so much? Is not important. Is servant, outsider servant, no need be so...so…" She struggled to find her words as Nabiki looked on, before she sighed and addressed the young amazon.
"Because it is how things are done here. We are polite to each other, because it is the way of the Japanese. Because we do not want to go back down the bloody path of our past. Because there is a form of power and control in it. Maybe if you watch and listen, you will learn something. We also need to work on your Japanese if you are going to be here for any length of time. You do not sound like a proud, intelligent warrior. You sound like some backwater hick, and I can't allow that for Ranma's daughter." Nabiki informed her, before she reached out to adjust Qiang Pu's clothing subtly. "There, now let's go. I need to get back to my job, and Akane and Ukyo are babysitting Chiko. Honestly, even with Kaya, they are so baby crazy." She said as she walked out of the room, leaving Qiang Pu to hurry to catch up.
"What job?" Qiang Pu asked as she lengthened her stride to catch up.
"You mean 'What is your job.'" Nabiki corrected her, as she glanced back once. "My job is acquisitions and exchange. I buy and sell things, when you get down to it."
"Is sounding like boring outsider job." Qiang Pu commented.
Nabiki laughed, much to the surprise of the younger girl. "I don't find it boring. I handle large sums of money, and make sure they become even larger sums of money. I buy and sell companies, and manage stock portfolios. I will explain it all to you better later, for now we need to get to my offices, I expect I will have some guests today, since they haven't been able to get anywhere with my subordinates."
Leaving that cryptic statement hanging in the air, Nabiki takes the young amazon to her workplace. It's a small office, set in a modest section of the business quarter. The sign reads "Tendo Enterprises Exchange and Investment, Limited." and under that it says "Tendo Nabiki, CEO."
"What C.E.O. mean?" Qiang Pu asked as they walked in, observing how everyone bowed to her host out of respect, and from the look in some of their eyes, fear. She had to wonder what they feared about this soft, weak outsider.
The same soft, weak outsider that her father had chosen over her own mother.
As they approached what seemed to be Nabiki's office, at least according to the nameplate on the door, Nabiki's secretary smiled and bowed deeply to her boss. "Mrs. Tendo? Those quests we talked about should be back presently to...Talk to you." She said hesitantly, while Nabiki just gave an almost regal nod.
"Send them in when they get here, after making them wait for, say, two minutes please. And make sure that you buzz twice when they get here." Nabiki said as she escorted Qiang Pu into the room. The room itself had an almost cold feel to it, from the austere decorations, to the simple, cold colors that compromised the walls and floor. Even her desk was an intimidating slab of stone set on what looked to be glass supports, the black marble a further cold reflection on the room.
Nabiki sat behind her desk, motioning to one of the leather chairs off to the side. "The C.E.O. of a company is the Chief Executive Officer, like the headman or mayor of a village or town. Or, in a larger company the king or queen, the ruling monarch." Nabiki explained, watching the young girl.
Qiang Pu laughed "you is queen? Is what you say?"
Nabiki smiled a cold, calculating smile. "Here, I am. I am the queen here, the mistress of the fates of all that work here. Their lives and livelihoods are in my hands, Qiang Pu. Just like any leader, I can't hesitate, or show weakness." There was a double buzz and Nabiki straightened herself, her features became colder and harsher somehow before she gave Qiang Pu a piercing look. "Don't move or do anything, and definitely leave the knife sheathed. Honestly, I will be having a talk with Tachi after this." She sighed as Qiang Pu looked a bit surprised.
After exactly two minutes, the door was pushed roughly open and a pair of large men dressed in cheap suits walked in, the edge of a Yakuza tattoo showing from one of their right cuffs briefly.
Nabiki ignored them for a moment, then looked up. Her eyes were cold and distant, her expression dismissive. "Welcome to Tendo Enterprises, and to what reason do I owe the pleasure of this meeting, gentlemen?"
One of them walked forwards and slammed his hands on the desk, leaning over the smaller woman before him. "We are here to collect, Tendo. You're either going to pay up, or sell out."
Nabiki ignored him, sliding a set of folders onto her desk as she cast a warning look at Qiang Pu. "And why would I want to do that, hrm?"
"Because otherwise we can't guarantee that you and yours won't get hurt." He threatened.
"Is that all you have to say? Honestly, the quality of the thugs they are hiring has gone down. I will not be paying, I will not be selling, and you will regret this act of unwanted aggression, believe me." She said coldly as he backed off slightly, pinned by her unwavering gaze.
"We will be back, Tendo, and when we do, you will sell to us, or we might have to play with that cute little piece there." He nodded towards Qiang Pu, who barely restrained herself from acting before she had that powerful, cold gaze turned on her.
"You will leave my family out of this, or I will take this affront personally." Nabiki said in a cold tone, her unwavering gaze seeming to transfix the two thugs.
They cast a nervous glance at each other, obviously unnerved by her cold, calculating demeanor. "We will be back, and when we do, we will continue this little talk, you cold bitch." The one that flashed his tattoo said as his fellow reached for the door.
Nabiki said nothing as they departed, before she turned her look to Qiang Pu, the gaze softening. "I'm sorry you had to see that, dear. Some people have no manners."
"What happened? Why they come, why you get all scary?" Qiang Pu asked, unsure what to think about her supposedly weak outsider host.
"What happened was they attempted an invasion of my territory, with the intent of raiding or conquering it." She said calmly, as she watched Qiang Pu tense and reach for her hidden blade. She fixed the young amazon with a look, before opening the three folders in front of her. "Tell me, Qiang Pu, if someone attempted to raid or conquer the Joketsuzoku, what would happen to them?"
"We would kills them. We would take their lands, their lives. We teach not just them, but all why leave Joketsuzoku alone." She said proudly.
Nabiki nodded as she looked at the folders. "And if I said I did those things already, even before they came to threaten me?" She fixed the young amazon with her steely gaze.
Qiang Pu scoffed and shook her head. "You is weak outsider woman, you no do such thing. And when you do it? You no leave for conquest."
Nabiki chuckled as she motioned the young girl over, pointing to the folders. "But I already did. Remember, think of each company as either a village, a town, or a nation. Money is the food, it feeds and sustains the company. Power and influence in water, it not only keeps you alive, but allows you to do what you need to do. Lastly, you have the property itself, in this case the physical assets of the company, the building or buildings it occupies and the name and association that goes with it. Before those idiots came here to threaten me and mine, I had already conquered their lands without them knowing it."
Qiang Pu gave her an unsure, questioning look. "But, how? Why?"
"But how did I do it? Why did I do it?" She corrected, at which Qiang Pu waves a dismissive hand.
"Is what said! But...How did you do it? Why did you do it?" She said in something more closely resembling proper Japanese, earning a nod from Nabiki.
"Better. I did it by coverly buying up their stock, and then buying more, and more, until they no longer owned their company. I do. And why did I do it? That's simple. This company was founded to create legitimate, legal capital for what is otherwise a criminal organization. We have no ties to the organization, except to the head of that family. Everything we do here is legal, and the money that funds it is all on the books. Now, they, on the other hand, are attempting to do what I did, but the dirty way. They have deep ties to the family that is fronting them, they are freely passing money back and forth, and they are attempting the same strong arm tactics that made them criminals in the first place." She looked at Qiang Pu, seeing how she had clearly lost the girl.
With a sigh, she tried again. "They are merchants who work with bandits. The bandits steal the goods from the people, then they try to sell them back to the people they were stolen from. Is that easier to understand?"
Qiang Pu gave a hard nod, her eyes narrowing as she reached for the dagger once more, only to be stopped by Nabiki laying a hand on hers.
"Stop. There are better ways to do this, Qiang Pu. Here, we don't stab them with a knife or shoot them with a bow. We destroy them utterly." She said with a soft, warm smile that doesn't make it to her cold eyes.
Qiang Pu shuddered, realizing that this is no docile, weak outsider.
No, what she is faced with is a cold, calculating warrior who has chosen THIS as her battlefield, and has honed her weapons to a razor edge.
Now, she understood why Ranma found Nabiki Tendo worthy.
She was just as terrifying as her mother in her own way.
*A/N*
Whew!
A bit longer of an update than expected, but I love watching the Ice Queen at her job. Expect to see the fallout of threatening the Ice Queen next chapter.
Did I mention Nabiki is scary when she is pissed?
Once again, thank you all for your support on this project! I appreciate your reviews, and will happily answer any I can!
Stay Frosty!