Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi
Jet Moto belongs to Sony and 989 Studios
============================================================================
Black clouds began to roll across the sky, darkening the ground
below. The shadows of the ruined buildings deepened, stretching
across the pavement to form a blanket of darkness. With those
shadows, came some of the less savory citizens of Nerima.
They looked as though they came from a cyberpunk's nightmare.
Many of them sported dull metal appendages of various shapes and
uses. Some had mechanical eyepieces over one or both of their eyes.
The one who led the five out of the alleys was large, by even western
standards. He was almost two meters tall, packed with muscle and
cybernetic enhancements. The right side of his bald head was polished
metal, with a red cyber-eye where his natural one once was. His left
arm was artificial, as polished as the side of his head. A leather
vest was stretched across his barrel chest, camouflage pants and
boots completing the image.
He was in much better condition that the rest of his gang. The
light from the rapidly vanishing sun glinted dully on the exposed
steel and plastic buried in their corrupted flesh. The muffled whine
of servo-motors sounded through the leather and denim as they moved
toward the bike, hard clusters of metal and silicon beneath their
clothes where there should have been bone and sinew.
They carried the sickly smell of mottled and rotting flesh.
Many of their implants were low-budget black market jobs, attached
by back street hacks instead of trained medical personell. The parts
were by no means guaranteed, once they quit, that was it. No
guarantees were made on how long these home-grown cyborgs would live
after conversion, either. It was as the old adage said, you get what
you pay for.
The leader walked over to the wreck of the motorcycle,
smashed against the carcass of the truck. Kneeling, he began to
inspect the engine. Finding it undamaged, he waved his hand, calling
over the others.
Two of them, in full death-rocker regalia, began to pick apart
the motorcycle. Giggling like junkies on a groovy fix, they pulled
at the parts of the ruined machine.
"Heeyyyy..." one of them said, "who that?" The big one looked
over at the unconscious form lying across the street.
"Mebbe owner," he said in a voice like a rockslide. He drew a
thumb across his throat in a quick slicing motion, then pointed
at him. The smaller punk nodded, a sadistic leer splitting his face.
Leaving the other four to scavenge the bike, the grinning punk and
another left the leader and the other four, and started toward the
unconscious Ranma Saotome.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryoga looked at the darkening sky through the windshield
of the jet black Mercedes as it rocketed through Nerima. As they
progressed deeper into the heart of the once-clean place, the damage
and ruin grew worse and worse. It was in the center of the ward where
the gangs dwelled. It was also where the signal from Ranma's
motorcycle was coming from.
"Putting a homing-signal on Ranma's bike," Ryoga said. "I'm not
gonna ask, but I'm glad Nabiki did it." He remembered her saying
something about "protecting an investment" as she activated the
signal back at the complex. An image of her came unbidden to his
mind, which he pushed away with a little reluctance.
"So, Ranko was his sister," Akane said. Ryoga had just finished
giving a scaled-down version of the story to Akane and Kasumi. He
kept certain key details to himself, telling them only what they
needed to know.
"We'll reach the signal in a moment," Mikado said from the
driver's seat. He looked as though he wanted to be anyplace else as
he guided the Swedish car through the streets and increasing
obstacles. Ryoga stared at the glowing dot on the display, as though
that would enable them to reach it sooner. It wasn't moving, which
was both a relief and concern to him. At least he'd be easier to
find, but when thoughts of all that his sister had been through,
as well as her sudden - and to Ryoga, rather suspicious - death,
he hardly ever stopped moving until he calmed down. Ryoga almost
did a double take when the red dot disappeared.
"What the hell?!" Akane and Kasumi leaned forward to see what
Ryoga was talking about.
"Hey, where's the signal?" asked Akane.
"I don't know," Ryoga answered, worried. "Mikado!"
"Just a few more seconds," he said as the car bounced off a curb
while he turned to the right. Soon after, the headlights fell on six
people, two holding up another.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ranma vaguely noticed a pair of arms wrapping around him in a
half-nelson from behind. He knew he had wrecked his bike, and that
he was hurt, but for some reason it didn't seem all that important.
His mind felt as though it were wrapped in a warm, cozy blanket.
Everything seemed muffled and distant, no concern of his. The warning
that something was very wrong was as muffled as everything else, and
he paid it no mind. Nothing could bother him...
A blast of pain shredded through the mental fog, as did another
soon after. And another, and another... Finally, a blinding light
filled his eyes...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh, shit!" Ryoga was out of the car before it had come to a
full stop. He took in the situation before him, six cyberpunks,
four scavenging Ranma's bike, and two holding him up. One of the two
was brandishing a tazer.
They were surprised by the sudden appearance of the car. Using
that to his advantage, Ryoga rushed over to the two holding his
friend and rival. He reached into the brown bomber jacket he wore,
feeling the shaft of the weapon in his hand. Before the one holding
the tazer could bring it to bear, Ryoga had the stun-baton in his
hand and ready.
The stun-baton was actually a rod that retracted into the handle
when not in use. It gave off a bright red glow, delivering a whopping
ninety thousand volts with every hit. It wasn't particularly
lethal, but in the hands of a skilled fighter, it was more than
enough to make most punks, junkies, and freaks think twice. Ryoga's
intended target was dressed in baggy purple pants, and jacket to
match. His multi-colored hair stuck up in all directions, his pale
and pock-marked face a study in what excessive amounts of bad dope
can do to one's brain. Grinning, he brought the tazer around,
intending to fry Ryoga.
He never had the chance. Ryoga brought his weapon down on the
junkie's head in a downward slicing motion. Before he could hit the
ground, Ryoga brought the weapon across, catching him in the side.
The junkie spun around once, then landed on the pavement, face-down.
Quickly, he turned his attention to the one holding Ranma in the
half-nelson.
Ryoga took a moment to study his friend. He hung there like a
limp doll, softly moaning. Ryoga couldn't tell much about how serious
Ranma's condition was, but he was thankful that Kasumi had come along
with a medkit. The freak was holding Ranma up like a shield,
obviously afraid. Ryoga took a menacing step forward, while he took
a clumsy one back.
"Kiya!" The battle cry startled Ryoga as Akane rushed up from
behind the one holding Ranma. He saw her swing a rather large piece
of rusted pipe, connecting with the back of the guy's skull. He fell
to the ground in a boneless heap. Ryoga reached forward, catching
Ranma before he also hit the pavement.
Gently, he set Ranma on the ground. Kasumi was over him in
seconds, opening the medkit. A noise from behind caused him to turn
around. He saw the remaining four cyberpunks standing before him,
each brandishing a weapon of some sort, save for the giant in the
middle.
Four on three, Ryoga thought as he cast glances at Akane and
Mikado, who were on his left and right respectively. I've seen worse
odds. He passed his weapon to Akane, who took it silently. He was
pretty good with his fists, and she didn't seem too bad, either.
However, he wanted her to have a weapon more substantial than a pipe.
The giant in the center of the gang's ranks began to laugh,
a deep rumbling sound that bounced off the walls of the buildings
around them. The sky continued to darken, lightning flashing in the
distance. The thunder rumbled a second later, matching the laughter
of the enormous man before them.
"Time to play," he said, leering at Akane. On that signal,
the two with him charged. Ryoga and Akane tensed, preparing to meet
their opponents.
One of them, a rail-thin man with wild eyes and metal arms,
charged Akane, obscenities spewing from his mouth. Having some
training in self-defense, she assumed a stance that would allow her
to come in under her opponent's attack.
She made the mistake of underestimating him, though, as a metal
fist clipped her jaw. Rolling with the punch, she brought the baton
around as she did, catching him in the back. Shrieking, he staggered
forward with his arms flailing. Akane rushed forward, baton at the
ready to end the fight.
Without warning, he tucked into a roll, coming back to his feet
and beginning a spin. Akane realized that his cyberware, while
probably not entirely reliable, boosted his reflexes considerably.
She brought the baton around, catching his metal fist coming the
other way.
The baton hit with the sound of a massive electrical jolt.
Screaming, he grabbed his arm, which had begiun to smoke at the elbow
joint. He soon began to convulse, as the malfunction in his arm
spread. Akane turned to find another opponent, knowing that he was
finished.
Mikado had fallen back, guarding Kasumi and the still
unconcsious Ranma. A thug, mostly human, charged, pipe at the ready.
"I'll never let harm fall on such a beautiful woman!" Mikado
shouted, pulling out a pistol. It was obvious that he'd never had to
use it from the way it shook in his hand. Bringing it to bear, he had
forgotten that the safety was still on.
The pipe connected solidly with Mikado's shoulder, spinning
him around. It then connected quickly with his back, sending him
sprawling toward the Mercedes. The punk then cast his drug-fueled
gaze on Kasumi, who just stared up at him. Raising the pipe, he took
a step toward her...
Akane saw Ryoga and the leader circling each other. The large
cyber-punk looked to be well-equipped, probably a match for just
about anyone who came into his turf. All in all, Ryoga looked
out-gunned. She almost went to him, but on checking Kasumi, her heart
caught in her throat. A thug loomed over her, pipe raised.
Screaming, Akane charged, knowing even as she did that she'd
be too late. Kasumi wasn't a fighter, and wouldn't be able to defend
herself against the onslaught. Her sister covered her head as the
pipe began its rapid descent.
In desperation, Akane threw the baton. The glowing weapon spun
toward his head, looking somewhat like a will O' wisp. When it hit,
the pipe clanged to the pavement harmelssly, with him following
soon after. She slid to a stop next to Kasumi, kneeling to check her
condition. Kasumi nodded once, and trotted over to Mikado, who was
struggling to his feet. Akane checked Ranma's vitals, seeing that he
was still alive and stable, she turned her gaze to Ryoga again.
I don't believe it...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryoga and the huge cyber-punk circled each other, each looking
for a weakness in the other's defense. Ryoga had seen Akane fry one
of them with his stun-baton, the freak still convulsing on the
pavement. The leader of the gang grinned, a sight not for the faint
of heart.
His teeth were black and jagged, his gums not much better.
Ryoga forced himself not to gag at the sight. As he came around,
he heard Akane scream in a mixture of fear and rage. Averting his
eyes, he saw his stun baton smack another thug in the side of his
head, dropping both him and his pipe.
Ryoga barely had time to dodge the leader's first swing. He
stepped back as a fist the size of a ham sailed past his head,
missing by just centimeters. He wasn't fast enough, however, to dodge
the cyber-arm that caught him in the stomach. Doubling over, he flew
backward, coming to a stop almost a meter away.
Grimacing, he rose to his feet. The leer on the face of the
leader faded when Ryoga bared his fangs, a low growl escaping his
lips.
"That's it, freak," he said. "Now. I'm. PISSED!" Ryoga hurled
himself toward the large cyborg. Grinning, the cyber-thug launched
his artificial fist at Ryoga's head, meaning to shatter it like an
overripe melon.
Ryoga caught the three-fingered fist in one hand, and stopped
it cold. The look of manic glee on the leader's face changed to
surprise. He tried to jerk his fist free, but Ryoga's grip was
inescapable. With a savage twist, Ryoga bent the cybernetic limb
backward. Several veins popped out on his neck as he strained his
muscles. He twisted again, and the sound of tearing metal filled
the air. The leader screamed as the arm was torn apart. In a blinding
instant, a fist caught him in the face, sending him flying.
Ryoga turned to find Akane and Kasumi staring at him
open-mouthed. He realized that he was still clutching the part of the
cyber-thug's arm that he'd torn off. Abashed, he dropped the ruined
metal appendage.
"C'mon, let's get these two in the car," he said, trying to
bring his temper down. In moments, they had Mikado and Ranma loaded
in the back of the Mercedes.
"I'll drive," Kasumi cheerfully volunteered.
===========================================================================
"I feel like crap." Ranma slowly rose in the bed, his muscles
throbbing. He felt somewhat light-headed, and reached up to touch
the white gauze bandage wrapped around his head.
"You're lucky, you know that?" Ranma looked over to see Ryoga
sitting in a chair next to his bed. The bomber jacket was hung over
the back of the simple wooden chair.
"That ain't the first time I've wrecked a bike," Ranma said,
some of his old confidence returning.
"It was damn near the last, though," Ryoga countered. "Damnit,
Ranma, when are you gonna stop letting Ranko's death get to you?"
"When are you?"
"That's not fair, Saotome."
"I know how you felt about her, Ryoga."
"She was like a sister to me," Ryoga said, a little too quickly.
Ranma rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, whatever you say. Remember 'Yoiko'?" Ryoga blushed in
embarrasment. As a practical joke, Ranko disguised herself as Ryoga's
long lost sister, Yoiko, even though Ryoga had no siblings. "You were
gullible enough to fall for it, too. How long were you mad at her,
man? A week?"
Ryoga had to agree with Ranma there. Even after that, he
couldn't stay mad at her. Also, she had been so nice to him
afterward. It was obvious that she had been trying to make up for it.
"Besides, you know what I think about what happened," Ryoga
said, trying to change the subject.
"You're reachin'," Ranma said. "Pop was scum, but he wouldn't
have done that."
"After everything else he's done, I think he would." Ryoga
snarled.
"Look, let's just drop this, all right?" Ranma's temper was
beginning to flare up. He knew the last thing he needed right then
was a fight.
"Yeah," Ryoga sighed. "Listen, you better get some sleep. That
hard head of yours is healing nicely, but you got a lot of juice shot
through you out there. Just take it easy for a while." Ryoga rose,
grabbed his coat, and exited the room. Ranma lay there in the dim
light, trying to stem the tide of memories. He and Genma would meet
again one day, and they'd settle some old scores.
Once and for all...
============================================================================
Nabiki sat in her office, mulling over the events of the day.
Ranma had gotten himself on the injured list, but would be back in
racing condition in merely a day or two, still plenty of time before
the team's next scheduled race. She had to admit, he was a pretty
quick healer, if Kasumi was any judge.
She recalled the story about "Ranko" that Akane had just passed
on to her. The story had many holes in it, though she suspected
that wasn't Akane's doing. Her little sister was a terrible liar,
and Nabiki would have known the second she even stretched the truth.
Ryoga obviously held back on the details. One thing Nabiki hated
was not having the whole picture. From all that had happened today,
it appeared that Ranma had some serious issues in his past, and she
needed to find out what they were.
Activating her terminal, she began the search.