Eric McGinnis wrote:

Eric McGinnis wrote:

 I'm posting this for a friend of mine.?

 This take place after Mt. Phoenix for Ranma.

                 quote key *inward thought*
                           ((Telepathy))
                           //Empathy//
 The Hand Your Dealt.  by Ferris Anderson aka. Loiosh
 Part 1: The Hanged Man                          Chapter 1: Shuffle

         It was late summer in Japan, and the it was a beutiful clear
day at the
 Tendou Dojo, a calm permeating the warm summer air. Ranma and Akane
were
 sparring in the yard with P-chan watching from the porch.  Soun an
Genma
 were busily cheating eachother in a game of shogi.  Nabiki was busy
 checking her records on a laptop checking on overdue payments from her
 client.  When Kasumi came from the kichten with her ever present smile.
 "You know, it would be a great day in the park.  It's such a nice day
 out after-all, it would be shame to waste it.  Would the park be okay
 with every body?"

         After, only a moment the group agreed after-all it was Kasumi's
idea.

         The Kuno Mansion

         Tatewaki Kuno sat in meditation with a hyperinflated photo of
Akane to
 his left, and a similair photo of the pigtailed girl to his right.  his
 two true loves meditating before their pictures to relieve hisstress
and
 help decide which of his two loves he wanted most.  becoming more and
 more agitated as he continued in his meditation.  While his sister was
 busy in the kitchen cooking food preparing druggs and being generally
 bored with her dailly routine.  Tatewaki, strode into the kitchen
 determination in his eye's.  "Dear sister, I find myself in need of a
 diversion,  perhapes on this day we should picnic in the park."

         Spinning in a graceful piorette Kodachi turn to her brother,
grinning.
 "A marvelouse idea, brother, ot will give the peasants the gift of out
 presence."

 "SASUKE!!"

 2 hours later.

         The Tendou and Saotome families walked into the park, with
Ranm, Genma,
 and Soun carring the picnic hampers, and Akane carrying P-chan.  When
 they were spotted by the Kuno's who were coming from the oppisit
 direction,  Kuno carrying his boken, Kodachi with her trade mark
ribbon,
 and Sasuke struggling behind them with a large picnic lunch.

         Spying Ranma, Kodachi cried out, "Ranma my love I have found
you. At
 last we can be together." and wrapped him with her ribbon and then her
 arms.

         Bohold," bellowed Kuno,"'tis the most beatious Akane Tendo.
Surely the
 Gods have recognized our overpowering love, and bound our fates
 together." and attached himself just as firmly to her, trapping P-Chan
 between them.

         The others, notivated by self preservation, stepped back. That
timely
 action likely saved them fron what happened then.

         A black aura began to take shape around them, growing,
intensifying,
 until it covered them, concealing them from sight. Soun began weeping
 uncontrollably.  The black sphere faded, vanished, and Ranma, Akane,
and
 the Kunos were gone. Genma suddenly fell weeping to his knees. Kasumi
 put her hand on his back, "Don't worry, Uncle Genma, we'll get them
 back."
         "Yes, yes. But what about the picnic basket?"

                 Elsewhere

         Jube Benson; 5 foot, no inches, 367 pounds of blue-black
blubber.

         He had been selling papers in joker town for years. Hed seen
just about
 everything.

         But, every once in a while, just when you thought nothing could
 surprise you anymore, something really weird happens. Like today, for
 example.

         A black sphere appearing and depositing four unconcious
Japanese
 teenagers in the middle of the sidewalk on a rainy day. A cute little
 redhead, a couple of brunettes, and some guy with a stick. One of the
 girls had a pig. Weird huh? I mean, a pig in New York?

 The Hand Youre Dealt

 Part 1: The Hanged Man                          Chapter 2: Ante

         Ranma woke slowly, a slight pain in her head. Felt like a bruise. She detected no other injuries, so she slowly opened her eyes. there was a light in her eyes. She blinked. Her eyes adjusted. She was in a hospital.
         She looked to her right. There was a man by her bed-side. He was mediun tall, slight built, with a shock of metallic-red hair. He wore chartreusse pants and waist coat with an orange shirt. White, so Ranma used her limited english. "Who hell are you?"

         The oddly dressed man answered. "I am Dr. Tachyon. Do you rememder youre name, my dear?

         "Of course. Am Sautome Ranma." She answered.

         "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Ranma."

         (That's right, I forgot. Whites do it backwards.) "Sorry." Ranma corrected, speaking slowly "family name is Sautome. Please call me Ranma."

         The doctor smiled. "Thank you. Do you know where you are?"

         "No, where am I?"

         "This is the Blythe van Renselear Clinic in ... Jokertown.

         The doctor odviously thought that she should recognize the name so Ranma searched her mind . Nothing.  She drew a compleate blank.

        "Why am I here?"

        "You collapesed in the street with three other people."

        It all came flooding back the darkness, the pain, the fear, the Kuno's, and then nothing."Akane!, where is she??" she asked the doctor.

	"Is Akane one of the people you were with?"

 	"Yes. She has short hair."

	"She...is in the Isolation Ward."

	"Isolation Ward?" A thousand possibilities, each more horrible than the
one before ran rampant through Ranma's mind.

	The doctor looked a little sad as he spoke. "I an afraid that she and
your two other friends have been infected by the Wild Card Virus. 

	Dr. Tachyons 40 years of experience with humans and the virus had
prepared him for any conceivable reaction; rage, denial, horror, even
occasional grim acceptance. but not since the 1940s had he been faced
with the outright ignoranceof this attractive young red-head, "What is
the Wild Card Virus?"

	*Poor girl, she probably has amnesia*

	"Will Akane be O.K.?"

	"Perhaps there will be a better time to discuss this later." Dr.Tachyon
suggested.

	"Tell me now." she commanded, her voice a cold threat.

	Tachyon attempted to reach into her mind to put her back to sleep, but
Ranmas concentration and focus created a diamond hard shield against
him. Moving faster than a human eye could see, Ranma reached out and
grabbed Tachyon by the lapels and, still on her back, lifted him
straight into the air. With no noticable effort, she held him aloft
while she sat up. Ranma's eyes glowed with a vibrant blue, "You will
talk now!" she demanded.

	Sending a telepathic callfor assistance to his chief of security,
Tachyon stared at Ranma cooly. "Young lady, I insist that you put me
down immediately."

	A deep, somewhat bored voice sounded from the doorway. "I'd listen to
the man if I were you."

	Ranma turned. In the doorway stood a 9-foot tall monster with green
skin and a blue uniform leaning against the jam. The stainless steel
plank bent sideways under his bulk. 

	Ranma released the doctor, tossing him negligently against the wall.
She stood and faced the creature. "You, monster, will tell me where the
Isolation Ward is. Now!"

	"The name's Troll. I'm Security Chief for this hospital. The Isolation
Ward is for hospital personnel only. You're not gettin' in, so do
yourself a favor and just calm down."

	With a feral growl, Ranma leaped forward "Tachu Tenshin Amiguriken."
nearly 1000 punches stroke Troll in the stomach at nearly the speed of
sound, knocking Troll back two steps into the hall.