Subject: Ranma 1/2--Abort, Retry, Escape Pt. 7
From: Paul Herring
Date: 12/15/1997, 9:46 AM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

	Here it is, y'all: that extra-big slab 'o story we
promised. More big chunks coming in subsequent weeks--
we're determined to get this puppy done before the end
of the year. Enjoy.

			--Paul & Kenny


______________________________________________________________


	     BLACKWELL INTERNATIONAL

		  Presents a

	      JUGURTHA PRODUCTION

		    of an

	       ANARCHO-TARDIS FILM:


	  RANMA 1/2--ABORT, RETRY, ESCAPE

	           Part the 7th

         by Paul Herring and Kenny Blackwell



------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranma 1/2 is  &  1997 Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan, Inc. Used
without permission; this fanfic is NOT intended to be resold or
used for profit in any way, shape or form. The Clan Justice, The
Tribunal, The Threat, and The Chronomancers are  &  1997 Kenny
Blackwell. Any other characters are  &  their respective owners.

------------------------------------------------------------------





	"For I see now that I am
	asleep that I dream when
	I a wake."

         --Pedro Caldern de La Varca



     The colisium was huge, and dark. It reminded her of
pictures she had seen of the one in Rome, but it was twisted
somehow; grim and cold. She shivered.
	Ukyou was clad in her blue gi and tights, and armed
with her unique weaponry. Out of caution, she drew her
battle spatula, scanning the area for any possible threats.
Hearing footsteps echoing from her left, Ukyou swiveled about,
holding her spat like a bo staff.

	"Who's there?!" she challenged. "Show yourself!"

	From the shadows stepped. . .a familiar face. Ukyou
breathed a sigh of relief, and relaxed.

	"Ryouga-sweet!" she said. "Do you know where--"

	The boy suddenly became a blur as he dashed towards her,
fist aproaching like a freight train. The okonomiyaki chef
ducked, barely avoiding a blow which would have most
likely killed her.

	"R-Ryouga!!" Ukyou shouted, disbelief in her eyes.
"What the hell are you--"

	Her voice died as she got a good look at his eyes: the
iris' couldn't even be seen, just the whites. She then noticed
someone else stepping from the surrounding darkness. A statuesque
woman, clad absurdly in nothing but a gray strapless bikini,
walked towards Ryouga and wrapped her arms around him. She had
coal black hair and glowing red eyes. At her touch, the young
wanderer froze in place.

	"Who the hell are you?" asked Ukyou in a voice filled with
indignation. "What have you done with my Ryo-chan?"

	"I am Temptation," said the woman, "and Ryouga is mine now.
All mine. My toy." Leaning over, she extended her tongue and
slowly *licked* all the way up the side of Ryouga's face. Instead
of breaking out into nose-bleed city, he remained still, stoic.

	"Get away from him, bitch." Ukyou hefted her weapon.

	"Ooohh. She wants to keep us apart, Ryouga," Temptation tisked.
"Prove your love to me now, sex toy. Kill her."

	Ryouga strode towards Ukyou, fists clenched tightly.

	"Ryouga. Ryouga!" Ukyou tried to get though to her
lover as he approached.  "C'mon, sugar! It's *me!* Your U-chan!!"

	Ryouga didn't respond as his leg swung out at her.
Ukyou easily jumped back.

	"Please! Ryouga!" she pleaded, tears running down her
cheeks. "You don't want to kill *me!*  Ryouga!!"

	Ryouga suddenly had his umbrella. He swung it at Ukyou,
who blocked it with her battle spatula, but the force of
Ryouga's blow knocked her back into the stone wall behind her.
Ryouga intended to capitalize with a punch to Ukyou's chest,
but she quickly rolled out of the way. The ground struck
by Ryouga exploded violently as Ukyou kippuped to her
feet. But before she could move, Ryouga ripped a bandanna
from his head and threw it at her. It tore right across her
abdomen as she jerked back in a futile effort to dodge. Blood
fountained from her injury. As Ukyou collapsed to the ground,
wildly attempting to stuff her intestines back into place,
Temptation just laughed. Ryouga calmly removed his belt and
approached the fallen girl.

	"D-Danmit, Ryouga. . ." Ukyou sputtered as her tears
began to fall, due to both the pain in her abdomen and in her
heart. "This isn't your fault. Please, my love, don't d-don't
do this--please--"

	Ryouga swung the belt down upon Ukyou's head. Instinctively
she held up her battle spatula to try to block it, and almost
wasn't surprised when the belt cleaved her from crown to crotch.

	"Ryouga. . ." Ukyou heard herself whisper as the two halves
of her body peeled away from another--

	Ukyou snapped awake. It took a few seconds before she realized
she was still in her own bed.

	"Yume," she whispered. "A dream. It was only a
dream." She then felt a twinge of pain in her stomach.

	<Ow! Weird,> she thought. <Must've. . .pulled a muscle
while I was sleeping. Yeah, that's it.> Casually, she looked
over at her alarm clock.

	7:45, it read.
	<More than enough time to get ready for school,> she thought.
<Better check on Ryouga.>

	She got up, slipped on a robe and walked towards the living room.
Ryouga was on the couch, sleeping soundly. Ukyou smiled fondly at her
Ryouga-chan.

	<It *was* just a dream,> she thought. "I love Ryouga, and Ryouga
loves me. He would never, ever do anything to hurt me."

	Ukyou knelt down beside his sleeping form to plant a kiss.


	"I'd better get breakfast," she thought.







	"In the following him, I follow but myself."
               -- William Shakespeare



     Cursing, Biko ducked, narrowly avoiding a backhand from Eiko.
In retaliation, she swung a kick at the superhumanly strong redhead,
but Eiko blocked it, grabbing Biko's booted feet and flinging her
straight up in the air. Biko flipped, pointed her fists straight down
at her adversary--

	"Acadaima missiles!!"

	>FWOOOOSSSSHH<

	--and fired several of her deadly gauntlet rockets. Panicking,
Eiko jumped away just as the missiles impacted mere meters away
from her.

	In the distance, Ryouga started at the sound of the blast.

	"Wha--? What was *that*?" he asked.

	Beside him, Ukyou groaned. "Ah, probably Eiko and Biko fighting
again. I swear, you have any idea what this sort of thing does to
property values around the school?"

	"Oh, O.K., that's it!" vowed Ryouga. "Ukyou, I'm going to enroll
at Graviton so that I'll be able to better protect you!"

	As Ryouga ran to a nearby water fountain, Ukyou shook her head.
"I don't know, Ryo-chan. You really sure you wanna do this?"

	"Positive," he replied. "I realize now why I was cursed to
begin with: fate stepped in so that I could find a way to help
the woman I love!!" Ryouga lifted the basin, letting the cold
water splash onto him.

	"Well, I guess it'd be nice to have you around more often,"
said Ukyou slowly. "But I just can't get used to that form!"

	Ryouga-chan put the fountain back down. She smiled at Ukyou.

	"Don't worry!" she said. "It'll just be until Biko stops chasing
you. Or until we graduate. Whichever comes first!"

	Ukyou blinked three times.

	"Well, okay. . .I guess," she said. "Just don't expect me to kiss
you while you have breasts, okay?"

	As the two approached the school grounds, Ukyou noticed Shiko
standing off near one of the out buildings, helplessly watching Eiko
and Biko's latest "altercation."

	"Shiko-chaaan!" Ukyou called as she walked towards her. "How are
you?"

	"Okay, I guess," Shiko pouted. "I just wish they'd stop fighting,
is all." She brightened abruptly when she noticed Ryouga. "Hey, I've
never seen HER before!"

	Shiko rushed toward Ryouga and hugged her tightly. "Ohayoo! Watashi
wa Kotobuki Shiiiiiko desu! I'm happy to meet you!"

	"Um, hello," Ryouga said.

	All at once there was a great flash of light. It was there and gone
almost before it could register in their minds. The next thing they noticed
was three individuals standing a few meters away: a blond-haired woman
wearing a red and white costume with a gray leather jacket; a white-haired
man clad in a black and chrome outfit and a woman with long brown hair
wearing a white and black bodysuit, with a gray tank top, cutoff blue jeans
and a black trench coat.

	"Uh-oh," Ukyou said. "Things're about to get weird on us."

	"Weirder, you mean," said Ryouga-chan.

	"Hey, look!" the brown-haired woman said in a growling, metallic
voice. She was pointing at Eiko and Biko. The explosions from the missle
fire and ruptured gas mains boomed and echoed across the schoolyard.

	"A catfight!" she continued. "'Course, it can't be a *true* catfight
without involvin' the Katt!"

	"No, WyldKatt," the white-haired man scolded. "We are not here to
engage in conflict. Sheathe your claws."

	"Rrrrrr, easy for you to say," WyldKatt mumbled. "You don't get
bored."

	"Silver, over there!" the blond was looking at Ukyou. "There she
is!"

	Ukyou backed up a bit as the man named Silver approached her. His
eyes had all the warmth of an iceberg. Immediately Ryouga got between
him and Ukyou.

	"Who are you?" asked Ryouga-chan.

	"Greetings and salutations," he said. "I am Silver, and I mean you
no harm. My compatriots and I require your assistance."

	"What? Why should--"

	"Easy, sugar," Ukyou said to Ryouga. Turning to Silver, she asked,
"What's going on? Why do you need my help?"

	"Something that is, to all intents and purposes, the Apocalypse
is about to occur," Silver explained calmly. "I am looking for
capable fighters who can aid us in preventing this from happening."

	While Ukyou, Ryouga, and Shiko were talking to the three Clansmen,
Eiko was finding herself in a very bad way. She tried desperately to
block Biko's incessant rain of blows, but it was so difficult, and she
was so tired. Todays attack was the worst she had ever experienced--her
violet-haired adversary was fighting like a rabid tiger.
	"Biko!" Eiko shouted through bloodied lips, "s-stop this! You dont
have t--" Her words were cut off when Biko grabbed her by the head.
With a roar of primal rage, Biko swung her opponent around and slammed
her with all her strength into the ground. Biko then backed off a bit,
half expecting Eiko to get up and counterattack.
	But Eiko didn't move: she just lay there, unusually limp.

	Minutes passed.

	"I. . .I did it," whispered Biko at last. "I killed her! I-I KILLED
EIKO!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!" The inhuman sound of her laughter
sent chills up the spines of all who heard it. Except WyldKatt. "Shiko
and Ukyou are mine! MINE!!!"

	"Oh, gods," whispered Ukyou. "She's *mad.*"

	Biko then cast her gaze at Ukyou and Shiko. . .only to notice them
in the company of four people she had never seen before.

	"No!" she screamed. "Y-you can't have them! YOOOOOOOU CAAAAAAN'T
HAAAAAAAVE THEEEEEEEMM!!"

	Foam flecking her lips, Biko flew toward Ryouga and the Clanmen,
her fist impacting hard with WyldKatt's chest. With an >OOOMMPFF< of
expelled breath, the berzerker Clanswoman fell backwards onto her rear.
Biko then missed a kick at Silver, a punch dodged by the blond but
connected with a headbutt against Ryouga's jaw. The blonde Clanswoman,
meanwhile, was aghast.

	"S-She hit WyldKatt," she said, looking as though she were about to
faint.  "Ohh. . .she's *toast.*"

	"Transformer! Take WyldKatt and get out of here!" said Silver. He
turned towards Ukyou. "Ms. Kuonji, will you help us?

	"I'm gonna need to know more about this, but. . ." Ukyou frowned.
"Save the world, huh?" she asked. "Why not? I guess I'm up for it."
<Nothing good on T.V. tonight, anyway,> she thought.

	"I'm coming, too!" Ryouga said. "I won't leave my U-chan alone in
this. She might be killed."

	"That, unfortuneately, is always a strong possibility," Silver
replied. "Very well."

	"Leggo of me!!" WyldKatt shrieked as Transformer held her in a
half-nelson. "I'll kill 'er! I'll rip her to shreds!!"

	"WyldKatt, no!" Transformer said, using her superhuman strength
to keep her crazed teammate at bay. "Don't. . .do it! We need her."

	"Oh, what's wrong?" Biko taunted WyldKatt. "Afraid to lose?  Or
are you just a *coward?*"

	"Biko, please! Shut up!" pleaded Shiko, but it was too late.

	Inflamed, WyldKatt broke free of Transformer's hold, grabbed her
by the neck and threw her through a tree. Then, smiling, WyldKatt
slowly turned towards Biko.

	"Now it's your turn, MEAT!!" she shouted. "You cheap Barberella
rip-off!!"

	"Oh, really?  What can YOU do?  Biko replied, crossing her
arms.

	"Ooooooh, you wanna know? You. . .REALLY wanna know??" WyldKatt
asked, removing her trench coat. "HehEHehEhEHeHeeeeeee."

	Almost on cue, gleaming chrome armor projected from WyldKatt's
body, closing around her and sealing up tight. A three foot
mechanical tail slid from the base of her spine as the visor in
her mask flashed a glowing red hue.

	"Come to me, meat," she giggled, a demonic steel Anna Puma from
the depths of Hell itself. "Come and grant me the taste of your blood!!"

	"I-I'll kill you like I've killed Eiko!" Biko shouted, backpedeling.
"And my name's Biko!!"

	"No. No, not anymore I'm afraid, dearie," said WyldKatt in a voice
which echoed of gore, bedlam and chaos unleashed. "It's Meat! MEAT!!" She
pranced towards her prey. . .

	"Ariel!" Silver said as, half a kilometer away, he and Ryouga
helped Transformer up.  "Ariel, Are you all right?"

	"I. . .I'm fine."  Transformer had a nasty gash on her forehead
and a bad cut across her right cheek: the color of her blood shocked
Ukyou, Ryouga, and Shiko.

	"Her. . .blood!. . ." Ryouga exclaimed.

	"It's black!!" gasped Ukyou.

	Shiko just stood there wide-eyed, as if she couldn't decide whether
to scream or faint.

	'I'll live. . .just give me a moment." Wiping the oil-like blood
from her wounds, she willed her injuries to heal, transforming her
cuts closed.

	"Remarkable! Ukyou whispered.

	Silver looked toward Shiko, and then back toward WyldKatt and Biko,
locked in mortal combat.

	"Transformer, take her away from this," he said, pointing to
Shiko. "I do not want her to experience a WyldKatt battle up close."
<This is bound to get *tres ugly,*> he thought, <even if we can
somehow save Biko.>

	"Right." Transformer went up to Shiko, who was still staring
at the pretty android. "C'mon, little one. It's time to go."

	"Hm?  Wait! W-What about Eiko?!"  Shiko pointed at the prone
red-haired girl. "She. . .she's not dead, is she?"

	Transformer looked towards Eiko. A visor assembled from the
back of her head, technoforming around her eyes.

	"She's still alive,"  Transformer told Shiko after a quick
scan. "We'll take her with us." The two went over to the
unconscious Eiko as Transformer tapped her comm-symbol.

	"System, teleport by three, homeward bound." Seconds later,
Transformer, Shiko and Eiko all vanished in flashes of light.

	Biko swung a punch at WyldKatt, who ducked the attack and
tried for a clawed uppercut which would have ripped the other
girls face off quite nicely. Biko side-stepped, grabbing the
Katt's arm and tossing the cyborg away. But near apogee, WyldKatt's
tail suddenly telescoped out to wrap around Biko and draw her
close.

	"Sit back 'n enjoy the ride, Meat!" WyldKatt said as the
two women crashed into the school.

	"Oh, no," Ukyou moaned.

	"What was that you said about property values, U-chan?"
cracked Ryouga.

	"We have GOT to put a stop to this," Silver stated to Ryouga
and Ukyou. "let's go." But they were so far away, he realized, and
WyldKatt. . .WyldKatt was in full berzerker mode.

	They rushed as fast as they could towards the scene of the
carnage.

	"Akigiyama missiles!" Biko shouted as several mini-rockets
erupted from her gauntlets. WyldKatt hit the ground, seemingly
avoiding the deadly projectiles entirely. As they passed, she
flipped up onto her feet.

	"HA!" WyldKatt gloated, "Missed! Can't you do--" She was suddenly
knocked forward by several huge explosions.

	"Hmph," Biko said. "My special HEAT-SEEKING Akigiyama missiles.
Do they meet with your approval?"

	On her hands and knees, back smoking from the explosions,
WyldKatt giggled dementedly.

	"Ohh, you're just tiiiiiired of breathin' *today,* aren't you?"
she asked. "Fine. Just damn fine, my dear! I can easily oblige.
RRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAA--"
	With a sudden, inhuman snarl, WyldKatt pounced on Biko, driving
her through the wall into the yard outside. Biko back-rolled, threw
WyldKatt over her head, leapt to her feet, pointed her fists at the
airborne cyborg--

	"Akigiyama missiles!!"

	--and a click sounded, followed by a warning beep.

	Grinning broadly, sunlight flashing off of her metal fangs,
WyldKatt shot out her fingers, razor wires in between the didgets.

	"No!" Biko managed to shout as the wires wrapped around her.
WyldKatt landed on the ground, and with a snap, her fingers
retracted, re-attaching to her hands.

	Biko was frozen in place, eyes wide with disbelief.
Everything seemed to be spinning; it was as if her mind was
swimming in molassas. Pain--

	<Wh-Wh--*>

	"All outta missiles, huh? Aw, toooooo bad!" WyldKatt cooed
just as Silver, Ukyou and Ryouga arrived on the scene. "You're not
going to. . .fall apart on me, are you?"

	"--Ah--!"  Biko blinked once.

	Suddenly, blood sprayed from circular incisions around Biko's
neck, arms, chest, stomach, and legs. Seconds later, she collapsed
into several gory pieces.

	"Guess so!" WyldKatt quipped. "BWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAA!!!"
She raised her hands in the air, triumphant.

	"WyldKatt wins--" her armor opened and retracted into her
body.  "--FATALITY! BWAHAHAHAHAHAAAHohoHoHEHEhEHehEhAhAHaHAAAAAA!!"

	"Ooooooh, my God." Ukyou looked as though she were going to
vomit. The shit-stink of death, of rent flesh and released bowels,
made her cover her nose with her hands. "I-I never liked Biko, but
*damn.* The bitch didn't deserve this! I think I'm going to be sick."

	"WyldKatt!" Silver scolded as he approached his colleague.
"*BAD* kitty! You did not need to kill her."

	"Hey, I TOLD you I was bored, didn't I?" WyldKatt pouted.
"I HAD to have a little fun!"

	"'B-bad kitty?!?'" exclaimed Ryouga, incredulous. "This b--"

	--WyldKatt shot him a glance--

	"--er, person just *iced* somebody, and all you give her is 'bad
kitty?!'"

	"She is my teammate, and my responsability," said Silver. "She has
served us well in the past, so we allow her the occasional. . .
peccadillo." He locked eyes with the psychotic superbeing. "Rest
assured, though, she will be punished for her misdeed."

	WyldKatt put on a face of mock-lust. "Do you promise to. . .use
the whip this time?" she asked. "After all, I've been *so* naughty
today."

	"H-How *could* you?. . ." Ukyou turned toward WyldKatt, wiping
away tears. "How could you kill another human being and show
absolutely no remorse?!"

	"Easy, Spatula Girl!" Chrome armored gantlets projected
and closed around WyldKatt's forearms, claws telescoping
about her fingers. "I used the razor wire housed in my hands.
Shot 'em out, wrapped 'em around Biko, pulled 'em back,
and POOF! Biko bits for everyone! Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo
HEHEHEBWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!" WyldKatt laughed uproarously
as the gauntlets retracted back into her forearms. "Finished
here, greeting Death, she's yours to take away!"

	<Nut ball,> thought Silver in annoyance. Then he sighed. "We
have no time to deal with the authorities here. We must go now!" He
tapped his comm-symbol. "System, teleport by four homeward bound."

	In an instant, Ukyou, Ryouga, Silver and WyldKatt vanished in
flashes of light.







			"Praise the Lord and
			Pass the ammunition!"
                        --Howell Maurice Foray



     Soun and his army of martial artists were cruising across
the ocean via a large yacht owned by the Kuno brothers.
Their destination: Mount Phoenix, China, home of Saffron and
his bird people. Soun watched from the observation tower as the
endless ocean passed beneath them. He had been spending a lot of
time up there recently. It was soothing, to watch the sea and
sky; it served to remind him that no matter the transience of
human life, some things were eternal.

	"Soun?" A voice spoke behind him. He turned, and smiled into
Nodoka's ebony eyes.

	"May I join you?" she asked. She approached only when he gave
a barely perceptible nod.

	"You've been up here alot lately," she said after a few moments
of silent contemplation.

	"It's very peaceful," he replied in a voice like ricepaper.
"You know. . .it's strange, but I often feel closest to Akane when
I'm alone. Even at her gravesite, I don't get the feeling that
she's there watching over me like I do when I'm in solitude."
A pause. "Her, and Rumiko-chan." His long-dead wife.

	"She would have been proud of you," said Nodoka. Soun nodded.

	"I think we're going to win this one," he said. "With all these
dedicated warriors, and the spirits of our honored dead watching over
us, we cannot lose."

	"Before this is over, we will see Saffron barking in Hell,"
agreed Nodaka. "I just hope we survive sending him there."

	"By the way," asked Soun, "what did your husband say about you
and your daughters coming with us?"

	Nodaka smiled. "He. . .doesn't know. I sent him to Hawaii a few
days ago. He'll probably stay for several months, knowing him." Her
face made a frown of distaste.

	Soun smiled. "Ingenious, Nodaka. Simply ingenious." <How the
hell did she ever end up with the likes of him?> he wondered. True,
the Principal was rich, but Nodoka didn't seem like the kind of
person who would marry for money.
	<She is beautiful,> he thought, and then quickly turned away.
<Hmm. Maybe I *should* have remarried, after all.> Ah, well.

	"Beautiful day today," Kurotaisho remarked to her sister
Shitori. The two of them were standing on the foredeck, taking in
breeze and the salt sea-spray . "You almost wouldn't know we were
going to war."

	The White Rose nodded grimly. "Tomorrow, Red Rose. Tomorrow
we shall engage the enemy. Whether or not we survive is determined
by fate."

	"I'm scared. . ." Taimatsu said, approaching her two sisters.

	"Don't worry oneechan," Kurotaisho replied, patting the Pink
Rose's head. "We're all scared. Myself, Shitori, Mother, all of
us."

	"Even Kodachi?" asked Taimatsu.

	"Yes. . .yes. In her own way, of course," Shitori said.
"She's only human."

	"You're SURE about that?" Kurotaisho joked.

	"OH, ho ho ho, talking behind my back again, I see!" The
voice came from above. Kurotaisho looked up to see a figure
spinning overhead. Suddenly Kodachi was in front of her surprised
siblings, standing on the bowspear. "What ARE you three babbling
about, pray tell?"

	"Life. Death. Being afraid," Taimatsu admitted. She locked eyes
with her sibling. "Are you afraid, Kodachi?"

	The Black Rose's eyes narrowed as she stared back at the Pink
Rose: Taimatsu was afraid she had said something wrong, but did not
drop her gaze.

	". . .I'm only scared when I have a reason to be scared,"
Kodachi said at last. "We've fought Saffron before. And we defeated
him. I have no doubts we can beat him again."

	"Either you're overly confident, or overly stupid!" Kinako spoke,
meeting her sisters. "I mean, sure, we whipped Saffron's ass around
his ears--last time. But that was then. He knows we're coming now, and
he may have something planned for us. Something *very* unpleasant."

	"Well, file *that* observation under 'Duh,'" replied Kodachi.
"I don't expect him to greet us with open arms. I'm just saying that
whatever he's got ready, we can handle it."

	"For once, I hope you're right," Kurotaisho said. "But whatever
happens, win or lose, we'll go down fighting!"

	"Right!" Kinako agreed.

	"I'll be ready," Taimatsu vowed.

	Shitori bowed her head approvingly. She then extended her
hand, palm down. "White Rose!"

	One by one, the Kuno sisters drew forth their hands over
Shitori's, speaking out their nom de guerres.

	"Pink Rose!"

	"Red Rose!"

	"Yellow Rose!"

	". . .Black Rose."

	"We are The Beatles!"

	"WHAT?!" asked Kodachi.

	"Roses! Roses!" Shitori amended with a blush. "Sorry. Ahem: We are
The Roses! May our thorns pierce the flesh of our enemies!"

	With feline grace, Tendo Kasumi yawned and stretched luxuriously
as she stepped from her cabin, a smile--among other substances--plastered
all over her face.
	<That was one of the best workouts I've ever had,> she thought.
<The TRAINING wasn't too bad, either!>

	Adjusting her costume, Kasumi walked towards the rear deck.
Leaning on the railing, she looked up at the sky, admiring
the formation of the clouds and the way they seemed to hug the
afternoon sun.

	<Sorry, Akane. . .> she thought, <I can't change the way I am.
But I WILL avenge your death, I promise you. After that. . .>

	Kasumi bowed her head to the ocean, observing the ship's wake
below. <. . .the Yakuza will most likely kill me. Well, if that's
the case, I'll take as many of them with me as possible before I
join the Kami.>

	Kasumi smiled to herself.

	<And I just know you'll be watching over me all the way, my
little onee-chan. . .>







			"Love sought is good, but
			given unsought is better."
               		--William Shakespeare



     Shampoo paced impatiently outside the HoloRoom doors,
clothed in a lively yellow dress. System stood before
the entrance, arms folded across her chest.

	"How much longer?" Shampoo asked. "Shampoo getting
impatient!"

	"Please Shampoo. You must continue to wait. It won't
take--"  System paused, then looked upward towards the
ceiling.
	"I see, I'll tell her," she said after a moment. System
looked back at Shampoo. "Enjoy your date."

	System disappeared from Shampoo's sight as the HoloRoom
doors slid open.

	The Chinese Amazon let out a long gasp as she saw the
vista spread out before her: there was an entire CITY in there!
Not just ANY city, either: Shampoo saw the Eiffel Tower in
the background. The sounds, the smell. . .it was so *real.*

	As Shampoo entered the HoloRoom, Silver, Ukyou, and Ryouga
turned the corner, heading towards the east staircase.

	"I don't see why we didn't take the WEST staircase,
Ryo-chan," Ukyou said.

	"Sorry, Ryouga said, scratching the back of her head.
"I guess we got lost."

	"There's a news flash for ya." The three passed the
HoloRoom doors just as they closed: Shampoo never saw the
'woman' she was sworn to kill.

	Shampoo turned around just in time to watch the HoloRoom
doors vanish, immersing her in a virtual reality.

	"Incredible!" she exclaimed, looking all around.

	"I was hoping you'd like it."

	"Michael?" Shampoo turned towards a large oak tree.
"Michael, you there?"

	From behind the tree stepped Arsenal, clad in a red
tank top, blue jeans, black cowboy boots, and a leather jacket
with the kanji symbol of "warrior" in red on the shoulder.
Around his head was a red bandanna.

	"Nihao, Shampoo," he said. "Welcome to Paris, France."

	"Wuodo ailen!" Shampoo rushed up and hugged Arsenal.
"This all amazing!"

	"Yeah, well. . .I had System whip this up," Arsenal
explained. "They say Paris is the most romantic city on
Earth, so I figured having our first date here would be
appropriate."

	Shampoo gazed longingly into his eyes. "This mean
. . .you truly love me?"

	"I can't get you outta my mind, Shampoo," he replied sheepishly.
"Ever since we met, I've thought long and hard about this. . .and
there's just one thing to do--and say." Arsenal looked upward.

	"Now, System."

	A managerie of butterflies appeared from behind Shampoo
swirling around her and Arsenal.

	"Ohhhhh!. . ." Shampoo clasped her hands together as she
gazed upon the butterflies with delight. "So beautiful!"

	"Wuo ai ni, wuodo ailen, Arsenal said to Shampoo.

	Shampoo looked up at Arsenal, "Michael! You DO
love me!"

	"Yes," he said taking her hand in his. "I do."


	". . .Oh. . .Michael!. . ."

	Arsenal smiled warmly at Shampoo.

	"C'mon, I know this wonderful place where we can
eat."

	Arsenal and Shampoo walked hand-in-hand into the
city of Paris.







	"But I say unto thee, love thy enemies
	and pray for those who persecute thee,
	that ye may be sons of thy Father in
	Heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the
	evil and the good, and sends rain upon the
	righteous and the unrighteous."

               --Jesus of Nazareth,
			     Gospel of Matthew 5:44



     "Biko is *dead?*"

	Eiko was in the infirmary, with Shiko at her side.
Ukyou was the one who gave her the tragic news, as
Ryouga and Silver watched.

	"I'm. . .sorry to be the one to tell you this," Ukyou
responded. "I mean--Biko wasn't exactly our friend and
all, but still. . ."

	"P-Poor Biko. . ."  Shiko sniffled.  "I--I'll miss her.
WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!" She covered her face with her hands.

	"I can't believe it."  Eiko meekly said. "Geez. I mean,
all that mecha, that ridiculous battle suit. . .but I never
thought it'd come to this, ya know? I never wanted her to be
my enemy, Ukyou,. . .I. . .I nuh-never. . ." As Eiko broke
down, Ukyou took her in her arms.

	"Silver," Ryouga asked. "You said that you were going to
punish that maniac?"

	"Yes," Silver answered. "Daitokuji Biko could have been
helpful in this venture. And it is obvious that she will be
missed by her enemies, as well as her friends. In the meantime,
as soon as the time is deemed right, I will ask, Magami Eiko if
she would like to accompany us."

	"Whatever you like. But could I ask you something?"

	"Yes."

	"Could you. . .um, show me where bathroom is?  I need
some hot water."






	   "Paris Love's Lovers"
	         --Cole Porter


	"So, learned anything important about me?" asked
Arsenal, as she and Shampoo sat at a table in an outdoor
restaurant.

	After sipping her tea, Shampoo answered, "Oh, yes! Shampoo
learn a lot from your friends. You know. . .friends you have
very odd." A pause. "Shampoo learn that you no like your family
very much."

	Arsenal bowed his head.  "That's. . .not exactly something
I like to bring up. My parents have done some pretty bad
things--and one of these days, they'll pay. I am proud of Alison,
though."

	"Your twin Sister."

	"Yeah, Alison's in the street fighter circuit, following
in my footsteps.  She's even learning Senshikitsu, too, so
I--"

	"Senshi. . .jitsu?. . ."  Shampoo looked confused.

	"It's a martial art I've invented that takes the best
from every other fighting style and united it to create something
new," he replied. "I even thought up several other moves to
go along with it, too." Arsenal scratched the back of his
head sheepishly. "You, ah, felt some of those moves when we fought.
The Speed spin kick, the Power Piston Punch, the Warrior Fireball,
oh, and the Missile Kick, too."

	". . .You invented moves that beat Shampoo?"

	". . .Um, sure! If you're willing to work hard--"

	Shampoo placed her hand on Arsenal's, looking at him with
heart-felt love.

	"Shampoo willing," she said softly.

	"Um. . .maybe we should order something," Arsenal suggested.
"You hungry?"

	"Oh. . .yes. I suppose Shampoo is hungry."

	"How does Veal cutlets Milanese sound?"

	"Sounds okay to Shampoo!"

	"Service!"  Arsenal called a waitress to their table.
The waitress was an attractive woman in her own right. She had
long green hair with two small horns protruding out. Part
of her waitress' uniform had tiger stripe imprints on
the cloth.

	"Oni, monsieur," the waitress said.







		"A cat may look at a King."
               		 --Proverb


     "I can't believe it!" thought Ryouga as she wandered
about the Foresti Towers.
	"I've found a criminology lab, an engine room, an indoor
swimming pool, and a library, but no restrooms of any kind!
How do these superheroes live WITHOUT bathrooms??"

	"Hello," a girl's voice said from behind him. "Are you
lost?"

	Ryouga turned. . .and jumped backwards in shock. Behind
her stood a felenoid. The being was covered with dark gray fur,
and wearing an XXL Kiss T-Shirt. Her cat-like green eyes
blinked twice as she smiled peacefully at Ryouga. The way her
body was built, it looked like she was in her mid-teens.

	"What--who are you?. . ."  Ryouga stammered.

	The cat-girl cocked her head, a wry smile on her feline
face. "I'm a Kaetari. My name's Tayja. Pleased to meet you."
The cat-girl held out her hand toward Ryouga.

	Hesitantly, Ryouga eventually took it, wincing a little at
the surprisingly firm grip.


	"Are you a part of this 'Clan Justice' too?" Ryouga
asked.

	"Oh, no," Tayja shook her head, "not yet, anyways. I'm kind
of like a super-hero in training, you know? I don't have a costume
or even a codename picked out yet. But I hope I'll be just as good as
Arsenal, or Roar, or even one of those Amazons I've been seeing around
here."

	Ryouga went cold. "Wait a second," she asked. "*What* Amazons? There
are Amazons here?"

	"Yes."

	"Chinese Amazon WOMAN??"

	Tayja blinked. *piku*piku*. "Um, they wouldn't be called Amazons if
they weren't women, I think."

	"Tayja, this is very important," Ryouga said, grasping the Kartari's
shoulders. "Did you see a woman with long purple hair and brown eyes?
She answers to the name 'Shampoo.'"

	"Hmmm. . .well, I can't really remember for sure, but I think I've
seen someone looking like that."

	Ryouga was very much worried.

	<This. . .is bad,> she decided. <If Shampoo sees me as a woman,
she'll use me for target practice! And if she kills me. . .poor
Ukyou's heart will be shattered!>

	In his mind's eye, she saw Ukyou, draped in black, standing over
Ryouga's grave, sobbing.

	"Oh, Ryouga my honey! It's not fair!" she cried. "It should
have been me!" Ukyou collapsed to her knees, covering her
face with her hands. "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MEEEE!!"

	<No!!> he vowed. <I can't let that happen!>

	"Tayja!" Ryouga said startling the girl. "Where's the nearest
restroom? One with hot running water?"

	"Downstairs, in the lobby," Tayja answered.  "There's
a women's restroom near the East staircase."

	"Arigatou, Tayja! I will never forget this!" called Ryouga as she
took off in the opposite direction.

	"Hey! Wait! Y-you're going the wrong way!"  Tayja called
out. But Ryouga didn't respond as she raced up the WEST staircase.


	"What a strange human," Tayja remarked.








	"Two souls with but a single thought,
	Two hearts that beat as one."
	          --Maria Lovell


	"IF ya want my bod-y AND ya think I'm sex-y
	COME on shuga let me know."
			  --Rod Stewart



	Arsenal and Shampoo were on top of the Eiffe Tower,
overlooking the night-enshrouded city of Paris. Shampoo
stared out onto beautiful city lights, enraptured. <It so
beautiful tonight,> she thought. She then began shivering,
crossing her arms over her.

	Noticing her freezing, Arsenal slipped off his jacket,
placing it over Shampoo's shoulders.

	"S-shei shei," she said. "But you be cold now, too."
	"That's O.K.," said Arsenal. "As long as you're happy."

	"Oh, Shampoo am happy!" she gushed. "Shampoo happiest girl
alive, because this most greatest date I ever have. And that
mean a lot, because this FIRST date!"

	Arsenal placed an arm around Shampoo's shoulders.
Responding, Shampoo rested her head on Arsenal's chest,
wrapping an arm around his waist.

	"Wuo ai ni. . ." Shampoo purred.

	"I love you too," Arsenal returned.

	"One thing more make this date complete."

	"Yeah?"

	"Give Shampoo. . .kiss?" She closed her eyes, clasping
her hands together and puckering up her lips.

	Arsenal hesitated. Then suddenly, Shampoo heard Michael's
advice echoing through her mind:
	<"Give him time to thaw out, and in time, he'll probably
be amenable.">

	"Oh. . .sorry," Shampoo apologized. "I-I move too fast, I--"

	Arsenal reached over, gently touching Shampoo's cheek.

	Both Arsenal and Shampoo stared into each other's
eyes in what felt like the first time they ever saw
each other's souls. Slowly they leaned towards each other,
anticipating the moment they had been waiting for.
	They gently locked lips: nothing passionate. . .just a
simple kiss.

	Then they kissed again, this time slightly opening
their mouths. Another kiss. Then another. And another,
another. Both Shampoo and Arsenal embraced one another,
their tongue's entwined. Instinctively Shampoo began to
tug at Arsenal's tank top.

	"Whoa," Arsenal stopped himself.

	"I--I no going too fast again, am I?" Shampoo asked, a
bit worried.

	"I don't think we should do this. . .here," he said.
We'll go to my room."

	Shampoo smiled, nodding her head.

	"System, teleport by two to my chambers, and
don't disturb us for the rest of the night."

	"Acknowledged," System's voice spoke. "Have fun,
you two."

	Just as Arsenal and Shampoo vanished in two flashes
of light and the Paris program morphed into the gleaming
antiseptic white surface, Ryouga entered the HoloRoom, missing
the pair by mere seconds.

	"Oh, hell!"  she complained. "This isn't the Bathroom
*either!*"






		"O! The more angel she, and you
		the blacker devil."
               --William Shakespeare



     The Darklord dropped from the clouds like the Hiroshima
bomb, his impact upon the ground causing the earth to tremble.
He rose from a squatting position, his glowing red eyes focusing
on Epoch, who hovered a few meters in the air cross-legged, her
head thrown back, eyes closed and a smile stretched out upon her
lips.

	<She's in a Visioning,> he thought. <She's watching something--
but what? Both the past and the future are bleak, so it must be
the present. But what in all the vast garden of creation could she
be seeing?>

	Epoch was watching events unfolding in the Forseti Tower: more
specifically, in Arsenal's room. She saw him and Shampoo frantically
kissing and caressing one another, slowly making their way towards
the bed as they left behind a trail of clothes.

	<Oh joy, rapture!> Epoch enthused. <I was hoping and praying
this would happen. Thank the stars and all the myriad Heavens!> In
Arsenel's room, she noticed Shampoo assuming the 'doggy-style'
position on the bed. Epoch blushed from head to toe. <Well. I'll just
leave those two to their privacy, before things get too, er, steamy.>

	Epoch opened her eyes, quickly sensing her visitor. "Hello,
Darklord," she said.

	"Epoch." The Darklord noticed her fading blush. "What were you
witnessing just a few moments ago?"

	Epoch stood up. "Please don't pry, Darklord. I was just. . .
observing our enemies. You DO know that the Clan Justice is here,
don't you?

	A shrug. "Of course," he replied. "They won't be able to stop me,
will they?"

	Epoch closed her eyes, gazing into the future.

	"I see--"  --Epoch grinned-- "--good things happening."

	The Darklord smiled deviously. "EX-cellent. Then our plans are
proceeding apace." He rubbed his hands together in unholy glee. "Soon
we will be victorious, and this pathetic Rebel Alliance will be naught
but a bad memory."

	Epoch stared at him. "Exqueese me?" she asked.

	"Heavens, girl--am I not allowed to have a sense of humor?" He
laughed, and turned his gaze towards the monolith growing in the distance.
It was a gargantuan archway resting in front of Mt. Phoenix's north face.
They were kilometers away from it, yet even at that remoteness it was
enormous.

	"So--Is this the transportal to Hell II?" he asked.

	"Yes," Epoch confirmed. "It'll be completed tomorrow at noon, so I
hope your brethren will be ready."

	"We've been ready for sixteen hundred years," The Darklord said. "As
soon as the Gateway Of Doom is opened, this multiverse will be ours again!
And no one--NO ONE--will stop us!!"

	"Mmmm," Epoch mumbled. <How melodramatic of you,> she thought.


	In the bushes nearby, Kijima shuddered. He'd been following Epoch
and spying on her for over an hour, and had  now overheard everything
they'd said.

	<Saffron was right in not trusting Epoch!> she thought. <I *knew* there
was more to this then she was letting on--she's in league with some sort of
heavy hitter with his own agenda--and whatever it is, it obviously doesn't
involve our survival!> Part of her wanted to leap forth and strike the two
of them down now, so she could carry their heads back to her master in truimph;
she squelched that thought almost as soon as it was born.
	<I won't be able to defeat them both,> she knew. <I better go and tell
Saffron-->

	Kijima's thoughts were abruptly cut short as darkness
surrounded her. Before she could move, wet excruciating pain
piericed her abdomen--

	Both Epoch and the Darklord heard a wet chomping sound.

	"What's that?" Epoch asked.

	The Darklord smiled. "My insurance. Come forth, Masticator."

	From the bushes stirred a handsome man dressed in a three-piece
Italian suit with blond hair. Sticking out of his horrendously disdended
mouth was Kijima, from the waist down. Taking hold of her legs, The
Masticator engulfed her hips. Kijima's life sprayed out in a red fan.

	"NO!!" shouted Epoch. "H-he didn't have to kill her!"

	"Oh, come now," the Darklord retorted. "She would've compromised
everything we were striving for--your need for revenge, my brother's and
sister's freedom--all of that would've come crashing down if she had lived
to tell Saffron." Both Epoch and the Darklord looked on as the Masticator
finished his meal. Already he had taken in Kijima's knees.

	"Trust me, Epoch," the Darklord soothed. "It's easier this way."

	Epoch helplessly watched as Kijima's calves entered
the Demon of Hunger's mouth. Then finally, her feet. Epoch
closed her eyes, queasy, turning away in sick horror.

	"Hmmm-MM!" the Masticator said. "Tastes like chicken!"

	<Forgive me, Kijima,>  Epoch thought. <Please forgive me.>






			"My near'st and dearest enemy."
                   --William Shakespeare



     Shampoo slowly awoke, stretching herself out in Arsenal's
bed. For a second, she was disoriented, unable to place where
she was. Then memory returned and she purred, reflecting back
upon the bliss she had experienced mere hours ago.

	Last night, Shampoo and Arsenal made love. . .a moment
Shampoo had been waiting for ever since she met the Clansman.
And it was well worth the wait: the. . .acrobatics lasted for over
two and a half hours. Shampoo read somewhere that sex normally lasts
from three to five minutes--It must've been due to Arsenal's powers;
his  chi energies, his strength, speed, concentration. . .and
stamina.

	Shampoo sighed. The Love-making went on for so long, the
pleasure was so intense, that at one point she was sure she had died
and gone to heaven. She rolled toward Arsenal's side of the bed,
finding no one to cuddle up with.

	"Michael?" Shampoo sat up, clutching the white bed sheets
to her. She then saw a note on Arsenal's pillow. Taking it, she
unfolded the piece of paper.

	It was written in Chinese, she recognized. <Good, I can't
read English all that well. Yet.>

	"Good morning, Shampoo," the note read. "If you're wondering
where I am, I am at my Soushijitsu working out. If you still
want to learn Soushijitsu, come on down, and I'll teach you.

	"Wuo ai ni, Michael." The note ended.

	"Ohhhh, Michael. . ." Shampoo praised as she pressed the
note to her chest.  "This could be greatest thing ever to
happen to me!" Slipping out of bed, Shampoo went into Arsenal's
closet, looking for something to wear, and finding one of his
spare costumes.

	"Hmm. I wonder how this would look on me?" she wondered.
Curious, Shampoo tried it on, donning the bodysuit first.
Looking in the mirror, Shampoo didn't exactly like how it fit.

	<Of course, it would fit too loosely,> Shampoo thought.
<It was cut to fit Michael, not me.>

	<Oh, well, I suppose I could wear his spare gi. That
with my underwear, SHOULD cover me up. . .but not TOO much
for my Michael.>

	Slipping on her undergarments and the spare gi, Shampoo
exited Arsenal's room, turned a corner and stood agape with
shock.

	Before her stood Ryouga, STILL looking for a restroom, and
she was just as shocked to see Shampoo.

	"Y-YOOOOOOOOOOU!!" Shampoo shrieked in a voice that sounded
surprisingly like Ren Hoeck. "Shampoo thought you dead! Eaten by
pigs!"

	"I--uh--um--hi!"  Ryouga cautiously waved at Shampoo.

	"Nihao." Shampoo calmly walked toward Ryouga, while
Ryouga stood her ground, not giving in to the Chinese woman.

	"Shampoo don't know how you survive Ryouga," Shampoo
said calmly. "But I no care. Shampoo have one thing to say,"
She bowed her head for a moment.

	"Ryouga--" --Shampoo looked up at her-- "--YOU I KILL!!"

	Shampoo attacked first, dashing towards Ryouga with a
nerve strike. Ryouga ducked the attack, but Shampoo quickly
capitalized by grabbing her opponent and slamming her head
against the metallic floor, stunning her.

	She continued the assault, lifting Ryouga up by her head
and punching her in the stomach. Ryouga attempted to retaliate,
kicking Shampoo in the gut and forcing the Amazon to release
her.  Ryouga then swung a kick into Shampoo's chest, knocking
the wind out of her and bringing her down on her knees.

	"Shampoo, listen!" Ryouga pleaded, "You're making a terrible
mistake. I really am a man!"

	Shampoo grabbed Ryouga's feet, pulling them from under her,
then leapt on top of her, grabbing her neck.

	"Do not insult Shampoo's intelligence by lying!" she hissed.
"No matter what you say, I--KILLYOOOOOUU!!"

	"NO!" With her unusual strength, Ryouga pushed Shampoo
off of her, flinging her against the ceiling. As the Chinese
Amazon hit the floor, Ryouga readied herself.

	"I won't die by your or any other's hands!" she vowed.
"I will not leave my Ukyou alone like that!!"

	In a flash, System abruptly appeared in between the two
combatants. "WHAT is going on here?!" she demanded.

	"You stay out of this, System!" Shampoo shouted at the
hologram. "This Amazon business!"

	"I will *not* permit violet activities occurring in *my*
hallways," System said calmly. "We are superheroes, not the
World Wrestling Federation. You will crease these hostilities
immediately."

	"That's telling her!" Ryouga commented.

	"I no stop," Shampoo said. "And you no stop me!" Shampoo
threw a punch at System, but the anthropomorphic computer easily
caught the Amazon's fist.

	"Wha--?!"  Shampoo was shocked.  "I--I thought you only
hologram!"

	"I am," System explained. "But I'm one of those holograms
that has a physicality to them. Don't you watch 'Star Trek:
Voyager?'" System released Shampoo's fist as her glowing yellow
eyes narrowed.

	"You WILL discontinue this," she continued.

	"NEVER!!" Shampoo threw a roundhouse kick that connected
across System's face, but System hardly reacted to the blow.
What's more, Shampoo felt a numbing pain in her right foot:
it was as if she had kicked a 10 inch slab of titanium steel.

	"You're only going to end up hurting yourself," System said.
"And I hardly think Michael would want that." Silently, she sent
a signal.





	"Silver?" System spoke from his study.

	"What is it?" Silver asked.

	"There is an incident occurring near Arsenal's room.
Shampoo and Hikibi Ryouga are embroiled in a conflict. I am
doing the best I can in keeping them apart, but I fear
it won't be enough."

	"Why are you not activating the security systems?"

	"I cannot. Several of my operations were taken off-line,
due to the lack of processor space I had in examining the
Threat situation. One of those operations happens to be
security."

	"Remind me to give you an upgrade after this venture,"
Silver said as he exited his study. "Contact Firestrike and
Miracle and tell them to meet me near Arsenal's room.
Where is Arsenal anyway?"

	"In his dojo, training. I tried contacting him, but he
usually doesn't answer right away, due to his deep
meditative state."

	"Also. . .can you locate Knonji Ukyou?" asked Silver

	"Oh, yes. She is heading towards the conflict, as well."

	Silver shook his head as he started up the stairs. "I
find this disturbing. Very disturbing, indeed."





	"Ah, HA! There you are!" Ukyou rushed to Ryouga from
behind, clad in her blue gi and tights, with her battle spatula
on her back. She was carrying a pail full of hot water.
	"You know how hard it was to find you--" Ukyou suddenly noticed
the purple-haired woman clad in a red and black gi, attacking a
woman in a white and black bodysuit and gray cloak: the blows
weren't fazing the costumed woman much, and each blow the
violet-maned woman was throwing seemed to be hurting her instead.

	". . .am I missing something, here?" Ukyou asked Ryouga.

	"That's Shampoo!" Ryouga pointed at the Amazon. "She's
the one I told you about!"

	"I see. And she doesn't know you're really a guy, right?
Well, let's change that!" Placing the bucket of water down on
the floor, Ukyou cupped her hands about her mouth.

	"HEY! BIMBETTE!!"

	Shampoo ceased her ineffective assault on System. "Huh?
Who you?"

	"I'm Kuonji Ukyou, you half-wit! And I happen to be
Ryouga's lover!"

	Shampoo eyes grew huge as she looked at Ukyou. Then at
Ryouga. Ukyou. Ryouga. Ukyou.

	"Ryouga. . .you, um, lesbian?" Shampoo asked.

	"AAK! No!  No, I'm not a lesbian!" Ryouga shouted.
"I. AM. A. MAN!!!"  Grabbing the pail of water Ryouga dumped
it over her head. . .

	. . .and realized just how EXTREMELY hot the water was.

	Screaming in agony, Ryouga writhed about, then ran
straight into the ungiving stone wall, knocking himself out.

	"What?" Shampoo noticed the differance right away: the
change in hair color, the lack of breasts, the overall
masculine shape Ryouga now possessed. "What this mean??"

	"Ryouga told me all about it," Ukyou explained. "He fell
into the Spring of Drowned Girl back at Jusenkyo! It was an
accident. Wandering into your village--defeating you--
you giving him the kiss of death--and all that time, you
never knew he was really a man!"

	"No. . ."
	<If this is true,> Shampoo thought, <Does this mean I must
marry Ryouga instead of Michael? No. NO! I love Michael! Only
Michael! He's strong and smart and handsome, and has the biggest
schlong I've ever seen! But I still must avenge my loss. And I
think I know how.>

	Passing System, Shampoo walked towards Ukyou and took
hold of her face. Ukyou tried to pull away, but Shampoo held fast,
leaning towards her and kissing her cheek.

	"Since Ryouga is man, Shampoo transfer kiss of death to
closest female friend--namely, you," Shampoo said. "Now I kill you
instead!"

	"HAH! You're welcome to try, you jackass!" Ukyou jumped
backward, pulling out her battle spatula. "I guarantee you'll lose,
though!"

	"I highly advise against this," System said.

	"SHUT UP!!" Ukyou and Shampoo shouted in unison. Seeing
an opening, Ukyou swung her battle spatula at Shampoo,
intending to decapitate her. But abruptly, her attack was
halted.

	Silver had appeared on the scene, catching the battle
spatula by the razor-sharp edge, as it was a split second
away from cleaving Shampoo's head from her shoulders. The
Chinese Amazon, seeing the bladed edge imbedded into Silver's
palm, quickly backed away from the potentially fatal blow. Ukyou
stood affixed, staring at Silver's hand: there was absolutely no
blood coming from the injury. None at all.

	Silver looked at Ukyou with a gaze even more stone cold than
normal, if possible.

	"Kindly remove your weapon from my hand," he said.

	Quickly, Ukyou complied, pulling her battle spatula out of
the shattered limb. Almost instantly, the gash closed up, but Ukyou
glimpsed a hint of liquid chrome in his wound as it healed.

	"What are you?" she found herself asking.

	"Someone who does not appreciate potential bloodshed within
the confines of this Foresti Tower," Silver condemned both
Ukyou and Shampoo. "If the two of you possess a grudge
that must be settled, settle it within the HoloRoom.  At
least there, you can kill one another and live to tell of it."

	Miracle and Firestrike arrived and the two Clansmen
quickly acted: Firestrike joined Silver's side while Miracle
knelt down by Ryouga, spread out her wings and threw back
her head in a prayer-like fashion as she placed her hands
on Ryouga's chest, projecting silverish energy from her hands
and into Ryouga.

	"Hey!" Ukyou looked on towards Miracle with concern. "What's
she doing to Ryouga?"

	"Healing him," Silver simply answered.

	"What the matter?" Shampoo said to Ukyou. "Afraid she
steal your boyfriend?"

	"Oh, that's it, you hussy!"  Ukyou threatened Shampoo. "I'm
turning you into filet mignon!"

	Ukyou rushed towards Shampoo to attack her, but a wall of
fire suddenly erupted in between the two women.

	"Silver told you two to stop fighting." Firestrike said as
his eyes glowed red and yellow. "Better do what he says."

	"Ow. . ." Ryouga began to come to, thanks to Miracle's pearl
energy powers. Seeing Miracle's angelic appearance he asked,
"What. . .what happened? Are you an angel? Did--did Shampoo
kill me?"

	"No," Miracle kindly said. "You're still alive, and I'm
not an angel. But thanks for the compliment!"

	"Well, then?"  Silver asked Ukyou and Shampoo. "What will
it be?"

	"'HoloRoom', Huh?" Ukyou said.

	"Shampoo can attest, it amazing place!" said Shampoo.
"Shampoo game if you are."

	"All right! Let's go!"

	Ukyou departed the west hand staircase, while Shampoo
went to the east hand staircase.

	As Firestrike extinguished the flame wall, he said, "Man,
THERE'S a Mortal Kombat Fatality waiting to happen!"

	"System, keep an eye on those two," Silver said. "I do not
want them killing one another."

	"Acknowledged."

	Silver walked toward Ryouga, then helped him up.

	"Well, I see you have been to Jusenkyo Springs," he commented.

	"Uhm--yes. . ." Ryouga scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.

___________________________________________________________________

	Next up: Shampoo, Ukyou & Ryouga get a gander at some of
WyldKatt's favorite HoloRoom programs, and Eiko meets a charming
gentleman by the name of Armageddon. Can't you just *feel* the
love in the air? ^_-

			--Paul & Kenny






Paul Herring
Warrior Monk, Church Of The Black Rose
Keeper Of The Sacred Flame Of Phoenix
Artist Supreme, Clan Justice