I finally got some things down during my 'little', month long, sojourn for
work...
If ya guys wanna blame something for my delays...Blame Work and Real Life!!
<LOL>
Anyhow, since I haven't mentioned it in previous parts here my prereaders
that helped out SO much in this endevour: David Johnston (Excellent in
catching my mistakes in Grammar! THANK YOU SO MUCH!! ^_^), James Merrit, Jr
(Where ya go man?? I get little to nothing in responses from ya! ^_-;;) and
Drake AKA Pat Hope (Yet another that I don't hear from much; What happened
to ya guys?! But none the less, they all helped in prodding me along with
the Klingon Pain-Sticks...^_^;)
**********
Knight_Hawke
E-mail: knight_hawke22@yahoo.com
ICQ UIN: 9124852
'Live Life, Don't Let Life Live You.' - Words to Live By
'If Violence is not solving your problems...
You're just not using enough of it.'
-- Misato Kitsuragi, NGE
'No Excuses, No Mercy, No Remorse, No Regrets.' - Words to ponder
**********
Anyhow, here is Part Two of 'Project Rift Asunder'!!
(Hopefully there won't be a problem with the formatting....I *did* set my
Mail Client for ASCII)
Any input, congrats (etc...) and/or C&C is GREATLY appriciated!! ^_^
**********
Sitting in a rather plush office amongst many in the tallest high-rise of
Tokyo, clad in a wrinkled, but expensive looking suit, Terry spun around in
his chair to gaze wildly out the window, �No-No-NO!! She can�t be here!!�
As if the skies were answering him, dark, thundering clouds rolled in from
the horizon, covering the noonday sun.
Standing up and walking toward massive expanse of glass, �So the war begins
anew.� Terry said softly and then rubbed the bridge of his nose, �I just
hope this world can survive it.
�And all that myself and mankind has built.�
**********
�Will you slow down, Baka-Oyaji? There�s no hurry.�
The massive panda slowed to a stop to glare and growl at the red-head, the
pulled a sign out, �Will you stop calling me that?� Flip, �Did Ranma put you
up to that?�
Shaking her head, �No, he didn�t, I just found the name appropriate...� The
girl said with demure cheerfulness, �So, where are we going?�
<As if we didn�t already know.> A male mental snort came from the back of
her mind, but it was so fast, the red-head completely missed it.
Swish, �The Tendo Dojo.� Flip, �We have...business to finish there.�
Blinking in confusion, her sky-blue eyes widened after assimilating all the
information, �What do we have to do there?� She asked.
The panda stopped in his tracks, not mindful of the crowds that are forming
to watch a bear that is walking bipedal, �I can feel the pain already.� The
panda-man thought to himself as he trundled over to the girl...
...And whapped her upside the head with a road-sign.
**********
Shuffling through papers, �They are back in Japan, eh.� Terry said to
no-one in particular. Putting the papers down onto his desk, attempting to
keep his composure from what he felt earlier, �You also found where the
Saotome residence is?�
The private-eye nodded, �I did.� The man grinned for a moment, �With the
money you have been throwing around, it made things rather easy.�
Giving the man a critical eye, �I suggest that you keep such comments to
yourself, �City Hunter.�� Terry grumbled, �Just count yourself lucky that I
*do* like you and the way that the both of you work.� He said, giving
City-Hunter�s standing partner a lazy eye that left no misunderstanding to
the woman as to what ran through his mind.
�You�re excused.�
Turning in his chair toward the window after hearing the door click shut,
�I have to be ready before she �storms the castle� and destroys everything.�
He thought, steeling his hands in front of himself.
�I must find the �Lady of Wind�, the Aspect and the Purity!
I know that they are here. In Japan of all places, but where?�
As soon as they got down the hall, past the teams of secretaries, �Did you
see the look he gave me?!� The tall redhead hissed into Ryo�s ear.
�Mokori!!� Ryo�s tongue hung out of his head as he panted at the sight of
all the lovely office-ladies.
Crossing her arms, �I might as well leave you for him!� Kaori pouted, �That
should get his attention.� She thought with a mental grin.
Still panting, and not even sparing her a glance, �Fine-Fine.� Then Ryo
went off into the crowd for �bigger� game.
Stamping her foot, �MOU!� Kaori steamed a bit before marching down the
aisle-ways after her erstwhile partner.
A few feminine yelps of surprise was heard and then, �RYO NO BAKA!!�
Followed by bodily slam and a few cheers from the same women.
Dragging the now unconscious body of Ryo Saeba, AKA City-Hunter out of the
lofty office space, �I swear, if he didn�t say that there is a woman that he
is looking for... � Kaori began exasperatedly, glancing at the prone man in
the elevator, �...You wouldn�t have taken this job.�
**********
Off in some countryside within Thailand, a mountain of a man, short in
stature, but very wide and muscular stopped in his wanderings and then
turned around to look at the blackening skies off to his side.
�I feel something strange.� The man commented to himself, �A higher
calling...A higher power...�
Fingering the red strip of cloth on his forehead with a lighthearted smile
to himself, �Ken, I will fight you again soon.� In his mind�s eye, he
pictured an enormous man, clad in a red Germanic motif and with a maniacal
grin that never seemed to leave his face, �I *will* destroy you, Maxim
Bison.�
With the priorities in mind, the white clad man walked toward the east and
to the brewing storms.
�Perhaps I will find her again.�
**********
Gazing at the letter again, �It seems so far out of character for Genma.�
Soun thought, gazing at his three girls, all of whom sat in a row at the
other side of the table, �What happened to him that would make him lose the
great pride that I have long known him for?�
�Do you know who he is and what he looks like, daddy?�
�Mustn�t let them know that something is possibly wrong.� The Tendo
patriarch put on a smile for his girls, �I never met him, Nabiki.�
He almost shuddered when he saw her face to an icy mask. Even more so with
the look of confusion from his eldest, Kasumi and the absolute outrage from
his youngest, Akane.
�WHAT!?� Akane snapped at him, �You expect one of us to spend the rest of
our lives with someone that we never met!?�
�We live in the twentieth century, daddy. This isn�t the feudal era
anymore.�
All argument stopped when they heard an assertive pounding at the front
gate.
�Oh, dear...�
**********
Pushing a button on his desk, �Mariko?�
�Yes, Sir?�
�Have the boys downstairs prepare IT for a ride into town.�
�Yes, Sir!�
Stepping over to the walk-in closet, Terry hummed to himself; trying in
vain to forget the stresses of the day�s findings.
Opening the door as he shrugged off his business suit, he reached in a
grabbed a full-body, black and red, leather biker�s suit. He smiled in
remembrance of his last �excursion� across the Mirror-Wall, �I still
remember helping the �Sabers take down that gothic mega-corp, slipping
Imperia into the economy of that world.�
�...And barely saved that universe from HER.� He took a deep breath,
remembering his last acquaintance there, whom also was the last victim of
the Darkness, �Sylvie...�
Shaking his head violently as he dressed up in the padded and armored biker
gear, �Need to be here in the present to save the future.�
**********
Rushing to the door, the Tendo family crowded the large main-gate when the
eldest daughter pushed open the massive door.
�Hello! You must be the Saotomes.� Kasumi cut in before the others could
say anything.
The easily two-meter tall young man, looking sullen and resigned when the
door opened, brightened considerably when Kasumi spoke.
Snapping straight and then bowing, �Sorry for disturbing the sanctity of
your home.� He spoke honestly; straightening up to his full height, easily
towering over the nineteen year old woman, �I�m Ranma Saotome.� His features
scrunched into distaste as he turned to the unconscious fat-man prone on the
ground, �That, is my father, Genma.�
Padding up to the large lump of man, �Saotome?� Soun inquired as he kneeled
down to his long time friend and patted a cheek. He continued calling out
and smacking.
Smile reaching her eyes, �What a nice young man!� The the young woman,
dressed plainly, thought, �...And such elegant manners too!�
A faint blush highlighted her cheeks as he eyes traveled from his oceanic
blue eyes on down.
Arching a delicate brow, �Certainly not what I was expecting.� Nabiki
thought to herself. Her eye caught a glimpse of something deep red at Ranma�
s throat, �*Definitely* not what I was expecting if he can afford a trinket
like that...ruby and gold?...choker.� Recalling the greeting he made, �A
certainly no slouch in the brains and looks department.�
A smile crept up onto her face, �I can get to like this!�
Crossing her arms indignantly, �Feh.� �A boy. He *better* not choose me!�
She arched her brow at him through her glare, �So what if he is handsome and
muscular? Kuno�s the same way! Perverts! All of them!�
Even then, she couldn�t take her eyes off the way he moved; the underlying
confidence�the way that shirt clung to every muscle in his chest.
She mentally declared to herself, �I�m *not* a pervert!�
�Gee...As if I have to wonder what Pop has got planned for me now?� Ranma
thought, a frown ALMOST coming to his face.
Shaking her head mentally, <I don�t want to be married to a GIRL!> A female
voice cried in his head; he could almost feel the tears forming on her
mental image.
�Don�t worry, Sana. Pops won�t get away with it if I can help it.� Growled
Ranma.
Sniffing, <Arigato, Oniichan.>
In somewhere else with his mind, he silently wished he could figure out a
way to separate himself and Sana, just so that he can live up to the title
she has given him. That, and he wished he could comfort her like any �Big
Brother� should with their �Little Sister�, instead of just the mental
reassurances he had been giving for the past year.
A flash passed through both their minds and Ranma heard Sana sigh at the
memory, but chose to ignore it, since he didn�t know what that meant from
her, �Uncle...� they chorused.
�When are you going to take us away from here, like you promised?�
**********
Stepping out of the private elevator from his office, Terry pulled on his
fingerless biker-gloves on as he stepped over to the massive motorbike.
Flipping a switch to turn on the lights behind the bike, he grinned a bit
at the masterpiece of engineering, �Never regretted constructing this
monster.� He thought with a tinge of happiness.
The bike, over two and a half meters long, built to look like a combination
giant highway-cruiser and sleek crotch-rocket. Low slung, forkless and
hub-less design with enormous wheels and tires, along with a sextuplet of
four inch muffled exhaust pipes peaking out from the underside of the
rear-side storage compartments.
All in all, *not* made for the Isle of Man racing competition, this monster
is made for flat outrun and out-accelerate literally anything on the road,
no matter where it is running; all thanks to the simplified fusion-turbine,
hybrid super-conductive and non electric rotors within the wheels
themselves.
Punching another switch to open the underground garage doors, Terry grinned
again, �Never did find out how fast the Highway-Star II can really go...�
Snorting, �Not likely. Not without 20 miles of clear and straight freeway in
front of me, I�ll never be able to get this girl above six-hundred
kilometers an hour.� He said to himself as he climbed onto the seat.
Seeing the light from the door opening in the distance, he swung his eyes
to the other two vehicles in the garage, both of them cars of the American
variety; sleek and extremely fast and powerful looking.
Sighing to himself, Terry pushed a central control lever a third of the way
forward, �Atomic batteries to power.� He smirked, then pushed a button with
his thumb on the handlebars and a massive sucking vacuum began, �Turbines to
speed.�
Terry chortled a bit and shook his head as a muffled howl filled the air.
Settling himself into the seat, he pushed the bike off its stand and kicked
it up.
**********
And that is it for now!!
What will happen when the Tendo Family find out about this Ranma's 'Curse'?
How will the girls react, especially Nabiki, when Terry tracks the Cursed
Martial Artist to the Tendo Dojo?
Find out in Two to Three Weeks time in Project Rift Asunder Chapter One,
Part Three!
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