Ranma vs the world part 10. The iron cage and the dragon fist.

	Ranma rolled to the side as Vega's claw came down and struck the
ground where he had been only moments before. He jumped back and shot a
few jabs towards the man. Vega moved fluidly out of the way of all his
strikes and slashed at him again with the claw. Ranma moved aside, but
not before Vega shaved the bottom of his pigtail slightly. He ducked with
blinding speed and tried for the ninja's feet with a low sweep only to
have Vega jab at his leg forcing him to back off. 
	"Damn I gotta get that claw away from him." thought Ranma in a
panic. 
	Vega laughed and stood arrogantly a few yards away from him.
"Come now fool, surely you can do better. I was expecting a challenge
from one as fair as you." 
	Ranma growled and glared at him evenly. "I'll give you a
challenge." he roared as he charged Vega sending a volley of amaguriken
speed punches at the man. Vega reeled back as he was struck dead on and
slammed into the fence. Ranma charged and kicked at him while he was
leaning against it. Vega grabbed the fence and lifted himself into the
air with his legs over his head. Ranma's kick hit the fence at the same
moment as Vega let go and tackled him. Ranma screamed in pain as the
claws were jammed into his shoulder hard. Vega smiled as he felt the
tendons snap and then the solidity of the concrete floor as the blades
impaled the boy's arm completely. He twisted his hand before pulling back
and raising his hand for another strike. 
	Ranma's arm screamed in pain as Vega pulled the blades out.  The
man had made a fatal mistake however, when he left the boy's legs free.
Ranma kicked up and grabbed the sides of Vega's head with his feet. He
smiled darkly as he saw the surprise register in the man's face as he
lifted him into the air and slammed his head down into the concrete as
hard as he could. Vega rolled with the blow and Ranma cursed as he stood
shakily. Vega stood across the arena and shook his head to clear the
daze. 
	Ranma grit his teeth and closed his fist as he gathered the ki
from the air around him. "Bastard. Eat this Hado ken!" he lifted his good
arm and shot a large blast of energy at Vega. Unfortunately the blast
knocked him back into the fence and caused him to jam his injured
shoulder. He growled and grit his teeth as the pain blacked his vision
out for a moment. 
	Vega saw the blast coming and back flipped twice as it neared
him, just as it was about to catch him he flipped onto the side of the
fence and kicked off it over the fireball. He hit the ground rolling and
stopped dead in front of the still dazed Ranma stabbing his right upper
thigh this time.
	Ranma screamed again and swung at the ninja forcing him to back
off for a moment. He kicked Vega in the chest and turned into a vicious
elbow at his neck. Vega staggered but recovered quickly and rolled
between Ranma's wide stance slashing his right leg again as he passed. He
then turned and swept the boy's legs from under him. 
	Ranma hit the floor hard and his head cracked the floor as it
hit. He quickly rolled to the side as Vega's claw came down where his
head was.
	Ranma stood quickly and wavered for a moment on his good leg. 
	"I knew you were worthy of me. No one has given me this much
trouble for some time my friend." said the man as he removed this mask.
Ranma smiled and tapped a fragment of the cracked floor up with a light
tap of his shoe. Vega's eyes went wide as Ranma then quickly kicked it
and sent it into his face. Vega screamed as if he had just had his face
ripped off. He clutched his face and glared at Ranma through his fingers
with wild eyes. A small cut had formed on his face and was bleeding
slightly.
	"I will kill you." said Vega with a now deadly calm.
	"Just try it." sneered Ranma as he put his hands up. 
	Vega Charged forward and replaced his mask. Ranma tried to kick
him back and Vega simply swiped his arm to the side.
	Ranma's eyes went wide at what he saw. His ankle had three blades
sticking from it, he fell to the ground and yelled as he clutched it.
Vega simply stood over him and watched as the blood ran down his claws.
	
	Ryoga frowned and glared into the cage. He realized what was
going on. Ranma was trying to set up the heaven blast but his plan
backfired in his face. "Ranma, don't you dare lose." he yelled.
	As he lay on the ground a plan formed in Ranma's mind. "It might
work...if I can stand and last long enough to do it." 
	Ranma stood shakily and watched Vega carefully. The man simply
stood and did nothing but stare at him unmoving. He realized that if he
attacked now he would probably be killed. So he waited.
	He didn't wait long however as Vega charged silently and slashed
at the mostly immobile Ranma's arm. Ranma ignored the pain and
concentrated as the ninja moved in from behind him and took a shot at his
back. Ranma managed to dodge it but was caught by the back swing in the
chest. He fell to one knee and almost collapsed. Vega hopped higher and
higher along the edge of the cage until he was almost to the top. Ranma
grit his teeth and tried to focus the chi around him. 
	Then Vega dove straight for him. "No! Too soon!" was all Ranma
could think as he punched upwards reflexively. He felt an almost
overwhelming power surge through him and he felt almost like he should be
in the air but didn't quite make it. The next thing he knew Vega was
flying up into the air away from him. The ninja landed roughly and stayed
down.
	"What the hell was?" thought Ranma as he felt some one take his
arm. He looked to see a sullen looking man in a Tuxedo holding his arm up
silently.
	He shook him off and walked over to where Vega lay and knelt down
beside him. He lifted the mask and frowned as he saw Vega glaring at him
with hate filled eyes. A single trickle of blood ran from his mouth. "I
won where is Ryu?" asked Ranma simply.
	"I will never concede defeat." said Vega as he tried to raise his
claw and failed.
	Ranma frowned and punched him dead in the face. Vega ceased to
move.
	"Our sources report that he was last sighted in England." said
one of the servants just outside the cage. The crowd began to cheer
loudly as Ranma exited the cage staggering and hopping on his one good
leg.
	Ryoga was the first to meet him. "Was that?" he said looking at
Ranma with a serious gaze.
	"It wasn't Sho ryu ken...but it was close." replied Ranma to the
unfinished question.
	
	In the shadows a dark figure sneered at the spectacle. "It seems
I was mistaken about the ninja, he'll be of little challenge. The boy
however is coming close." it said as it watched.

	Three days later the pair was on a plane bound for London. "Ranma
maybe we should wait." said Ryoga. "Your in no condition to travel and
you'll slow us down."
	"No, if we don't go now we may never find him." said Ranma
sharply as he hobbled over to his seat with his crutches.
	Ryoga frowned and accepted it. "Ranma what was that thing you did
in the ring?" he asked as he sat down next to him.
	"I don't really know. I was trying to do a stationary Hiryu
shouten ha. I was focusing the ki in the air and trying to move it in a
spiral when Vega attacked. I hadn't had time to charge it properly so I
just let go with what I had. The next thing I knew I had won." said Ranma
as he gazed out the window and watched the baggage load.
	"A stationary Hiryu shouten ha?" said Ryoga in surprise. "I
didn't think you could." 
	"Well I wouldn't know till I try will I? It would have worked if
he had come a few seconds later." snorted Ranma.
	"Instead you got a sort of 'Ryu Ken'." said Ryoga thoughtfully.
	"Yea, I was charging the cold energy in my fist when he attacked
me." said Ranma looking contemplative.
	"Cold energy?" said Ryoga skeptically.
	"Basically I was making sure there was no chi in my arm so it
would get cool. That's what causes body heat, chi." said Ranma absently
as he glared out the window.
	Ryoga smiled as the plane lifted off. He had allot to think about
on the way to England. How ever unintentionally Ranma had just taught him
how to do the Hiryu shouten ha and maybe he had even given him the secret
of the Shoryuken. 
	TBC...
Next: A gentlemen�s game.
C&C to Catbert25@juno.com

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