Uh... hiya. This is not mine, I'm submitting it for a friend. Enjoy!
Most characters herein are property of Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Kitty
Film and god knows who else. Any non-Ranma characters are property of
Robert Chase, and as such should not be used without permission of the
author. You can C & C Rob at ae997@pgfn.bc.ca
CHANGES
by Robert Chase
"Damn it, I am not picking up a God-damn thing."
Moonlight streamed into the interior of the unmarked, dark-blue van
parked in an alley. From the outside, it looked like any other light cargo
vehicle.
"Jason, be patient. He'll show himself. Greedy little bugger's
here somewhere," Nabiki said from the driver's seat. The glow from her
laptop's backlighting gave her face a greenish tinge.
Jason Spooner turned from the computer screen he was studying in
the back of the surveillance van. He looked like a turn of the century
private detective with his disheveled hair and coffee-stained shirt.
"How would you know, Nabiki?"
"I grew up here remember." Nabiki brushed a loose strand of hair
from her eyes. She was wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt. "Nerima has a
history for weird things happening. We shouldn't have to wait to long." On
the seat next to her was an M82A1A sniper rifle. "Now be quiet. I have to
concentrate."
"On what," Jason said as he grabbed Nabiki's computer. "Come on
Nabiki, you know what the Director said about personal business while working."
"I was just checking the Vancouver Stock Exchange, that's all. You
would think I was embezzling money from the Section or something."
"I think that's what has got them scared."
It had been nearly three years since she left Nerima to study
economics and political science at the University of British Columbia in
Canada. That had been short lived. Halfway through her first semester
Section Nine recruited her as one of their operatives.
Section Nine was a shadowy government agency responsible for the
monitoring and control of paranormal activities around the world. Nabiki
spent more than nine weeks at Paris Island for basic military training,
eight weeks in scout/sniper school, five additional weeks in advanced
scout/sniper school. The next eighteen months were spent studying
demonology. By the end of her training, she was an expert in capturing or
terminating supernatural entities. Nabiki was glad she had paid attention
to her father and learned kempo. While nowhere near Akane's skill level,
she excelled in close-quarters-combat. The reason for her recruitment
however, was her
experience in dealing with the supernatural.
Apparently, Happosai had been one reason for Sections Nine's
creation in the early nineteen forties. Although they had tried to capture
and then terminate the pint-sized freak, they finally decided that the cost
of continually losing agents was too high.
Many within the organization would have loved to tag Happosai with
a tracking device painfully implanted in some out of the way orifice. After
they did a cost analysis, they finally decided that someone would watch him
from a discrete distance.
"The odds that he will show himself are twenty-five to four."
"I hate to take money from someone so willing to give it away,"
Jason said as he dug twenty dollars from the front pocket of his pants.
"Care to put your money where your mouth is," he said as he leaned across
the front seat.
"Don't forget the hundred you owe me for the last time."
"I'm sorry, would you repeat that? I didn't . . ."
Behind them the computer and sensory equipment came to life,
illuminating the interior of the van in pale incandescent light. The
printer next to the rear door began to spit out reams of paper as it printed
preliminary information on the intruder.
"What've you got?" Nabiki asked as she climbed into the back.
"Hold on," Jason said as his fingers flew across his keyboard. He
twisted in his chair to turn a screen on in the panel behind him. A few
taps on the keyboard and the screen came to life to show several small,
moving dots. "We've got several friendlies."
"Anything else?"
"I'm not picking up any heat emanations. Let me check for temporal
distortions," Jason said as he began punching in commands. Withing moments,
the monitor flared and showed a growing light less than a kilometer away.
"Yes. I've got him."
Nabiki leapt into the driver's seat, gunning the ignition. Within
moments, the van was screaming down the deserted streets of Nerima.
* * *
Two piercing eyes sparked incandescent green-yellow in the darkened
alley as the Demon waited patiently. After nearly two thousand years of
hunting and killing it had lots of patience.
Two figures walked down the darkened streets of Nerima. They were
involved in a conversation about life and growing up and changing, for the
better or for worse.
"I'm sorry about Ranma, Kuno. I thought he would have behaved
himself," Akane said as she folded her hands in front of herself. Her shoes
clicked against the pavement.
*I can't believe I'm talking to Kuno. And he is behaving himself.
I wish Ranma would act his age.*
"Be patient. All things change. It is the way of the world," Kuno
said, his slippered feet noiselessly brushed against the sidewalk as they
continued toward the Tendo household. Without realizing it, the pair had
walked half way across Nerima. Now as night began to fall, they hurried
their way back home.
The entire gang had been having dinner at Ukyo's restaurant, when
the fight broke out. Ranma had been flirting with Shampoo and Ukyo for most
of the night, completely ignoring Akane. When she tried to say something to
Ranma, he started to berate her about be jealous of Shampoo and Ukyo. The
lively debate that followed left Akane feeling totally humiliated.
Kuno had insisted that he escort her home when she stood to leave.
He just stated the fact and that was it. No poetry. No drooling. No
loss of control.
"I'm glad you walked me home, Kuno."
"It is my pleasure, Akane Tendo."
"What happened? Why did you leave? Everyone was worried. You
just vanished. Sasuke wouldn't say a word and Kodachi . . . Well, Kodachi
flipped her wig, as usually."
"There comes a time in a man's life when he must face what he has
become and be judged, either by himself or by others." Kuno stopped and
turned to face Akan, failing to realize the alley or the glowing lights
within. "I acted the fool and I apologize." Keno said as he bowed.
"What?"
Kuno waited silently, almost waiting for something.
"I apologize for how I treated you in high-school. I behaved most
dishonorably."
"That OK, Kuno. We're older now."
"YES!"
"Did you say something?" A puzzled look crossed Akane's face.
"No," Kuno said as he straightened and froze. "Akane, do exactly
as I tell you and get behind me." The power in his voice startled her,
compelling her to obey without question. Had he behaved this way while in
high school, things between them might have been different.
As she got behind him, she noticed the glowing incandescent
green-yellow. They hovered almost three meters in the darkened alley.
"AT LAST, YOU COME TO ME AS THE OTHERS."
"Face me, Ogre, or are you a coward like the rest of your foul and
vile brethren?" Kuno screamed.
The demon stepped out of the shadows to reveal a vaguely humanoid
creature with an upper body larger than its lower portion. It had short,
stumpy muscular legs and long sinewy arms that terminated in a three clawed
hand with an opposing thumb. It's head was mostly mandible and orifices.
Over a dozen eyes opened to join the two that were already watching the
friends. Lumpy sprouts of hairlike bristles covered the things entire body.
The odor made Akane want to vomit.
"Run, Akane," Kuno said as he leaped at the demon.
"NOW YOU WILL DIE!"
* * *
"How far?" Nabiki screamed as she threw the van into a corner that
lifted one side of the van off the road.
"Two hundred and fifty meters and closing." Jason switched the
unit's communication system on and began making a report. "Control. This
is Unit Five. We have established contact with an unknown entity and are
on-route to investigate. I'm sending preliminary data now." Jason typed in
the commands on his computer.
"Data received Unit Five. We will be expecting live video feed.
Control out."
"Nabiki, we should be within visual . . ."
"OH MY GOD," Nabiki said as the van rounded a corner. "Akane."
"What?" Jason leapt into the front seat as Nabiki brought the van
to a screeching halt across the street from the alley.
From what he could see, it appeared as if some lunatic in
traditional Japanese clothing was engaging the unknown target. From the
looks of it, he was handling himself all right. The young woman, probably
his girlfriend looked familiar though. A tugging sensation on his butt
interrupted his train of thought.
"Get off my gun," Nabiki said as she rolled down her window. Her
sniper rifle was ready to fire within seconds. She was about to pull the
trigger when the entire van shook with the impact of something heavy hitting it.
* * *
Kuno had managed to land a few well-placed blows before being hit.
One of the last things he saw was Akane pulling her mallet out of void space
and engaging the monster. Then dark blue. Black.
* * *
Akane leapt at the monster as Kuno went flying past her. She had
seen him take similar blows before and hoped that he would be all right.
It was a lucky blow and Akane knew it. Her mallet landed on what
should have been the bridge of its nose. On any human, it would have been a
killing blow, but this thing shrugged it off like water. The demon grabbed
her by the wrist and lifted her into the air.
*Ugh. Its breath is worse than its B.O.*
Several thunderous blasts resonated in Akane's ears as the monster
before her exploded in a spray of red. The viselike grip on her wrist gave
way and she fell heavily to the pavement.
"Akane. Get in the van," said a familiar voice. "Akane!"
A pair of hands grabbed Akane, hoisting her to her feet as a figure
charged out of the shadows. A series of gunshots rang out, driving the
screaming demon back into the alley.
"I'll need a hand." The voice belonged to a gaijin male who was
lifting Kuno off the ground. Akane stumbled over to help as the man was
loading Kuno into the back of the van. The attack left the front of his
montsuki shredded and covered in blood.
"We need to get this man to a hospital. He looks really bad," the
gaijin said as he closed the back doors. When the doors shut, the van took
off with a squeal of tires.
"We need to get them to a safe place."
*I know that voice.*
For some reason she could not place the voice, no matter how hard
she tried. All the blinking and flashing light from the van's surveillance
equipment didn't help her concentration very much.
"This is your hometown Nabiki. Where to now?"
*Nabiki?*
"Home."
* * *
"Ranma," Soun Tendo said as he entered the kitchen. "Have you seen
Akane?"
"Why would I want to see that tomboy for?" Ranma said, his voice
muffled by the walls of the fridge. He straightened and shut the fridge
door with his foot as his arms were loaded with assorted food stuffs.
"She isn't home yet." Tears began to well up in Soun's eyes. "As
her future husband, Ranma, it is your duty to ensure her safety."
"Ya right. Besides KUNO can protect her," Ranma said as he
unloaded the food onto the counter.
"What?! You left her in the hands of that poetry spouting . . ."
The sound of tires screeching outside interrupted Soun's train of thought.
"I'll get it." Kasumi said from somewhere inside the house. "Oh
my, Akane. We were worried about you."
"Akane," Soun ran out of the kitchen. "Oh, Akane."
"Kasumi, where's the first aid kit, never-mind, I remember," Akane
said as she ran upstairs to the bathroom. "Kuno's been hurt."
"I'll get some clean towels," Kasumi said as she followed her
youngest sister upstairs.
"Kuno? Here?" Ranma said as he joined the Tendos and his father by
the front door. "That bushido butt. What did ya bring him here for?"
"Shut up, boy," Genma said.
"Hello daddy," Nabiki said as she walked through the front door.
Behind her, Jason entered the house supporting Kuno.
Soun had been about to say something to Ranma until his jaw dropped
and he got a starry-eyed look. "Nabiki? My Nabiki has come home," Soun
cried as tears of joy began to flow.
"Calm down daddy. I'm glad to see you, too. Hello, Mr. Saotome.
Ranma."
"Where do you want him?" Jason grunted. "He's getting heavy."
"We can put him in my old room upstairs," Nabiki said as Soun and
Genma gently picked the still unconscious Kuno up. "I'll call Dr. Tofu."
Nabiki picked up the telephone and began to dial.
"I'll report in," Jason said as he left for the van.
"Hello, Dr. Tofu? It's Nabiki Tendo . . . I'm fine, thank-you.
Can you come to my house? There has been an accident. No, Ranma's fine and
so is Akane. All right. Thank-you."
"Nabiki?" Akane had come down the stairs while her sister was on
the phone. "What's going on?"
"I have to get some stuff out of the van," Nabiki said as she
walked to the front door. "I could use a hand."
"OK."
The back doors to the van were open. Jason had unloaded several
cases that were laying on the ground. From the far side of the van Akane
could hear the man speaking in English. Nabiki and Akane walked around the
van to see what was wrong.
"Hey Nabiki, I think we'd better check your friend for internal
bleeding."
Indented in the side of the van was the shape of a man. Blood was
splattered everywhere.
"He's one tough son-of-a bitch. I'll give him that. Never seen
anyone engage a demon in hand to hand combat before. Control received our
live video feed. They identified our 'entity' was an Infernal. We're lucky
we got away."
"Infernal?" Akane asked.
"A demon sent by the Yama Kings," Jason said.
"A demon? There is no such thing. Beside the Yama Kings are just
legends. Stories."
"Don't bet any money on it Akane," Nabiki said as she began to
unload more equipment from the van. "Take these into the house." Nabiki
handed Akane two heavy metal cases.
Kasumi met Akane at the front door. Blood covered her frilly
lace-trimmed apron.
"We got the bleeding to stop, but I'm afraid he's going to need
stitches. I hope Dr. Tofu gets here soon. Will Nabiki and her friend be
staying?"
"Ask them," Akane said as she dropped the cases to the floor. "I'm
going upstairs to check on Kuno."
* * *
Nabiki was closing the front door of the van after retrieving her
rifle as Dr. Tofu ran past. He paused at the van for a moment. Shook his
head then sprinted into the house.
"Have we got everything?" She asked Jason as he closed and locked
the back doors.
"That's about it. I can set up a sensor web around the perimeter
of the house. Control wants us to wait here until they can figure out
what's going on."
* * *
"How's Kuno doing?" Ranma asked as he sat down next to his father.
"Kuno will be fine," Dr. Tofu said as he entered the room. "He
regained consciousness while I was examining him. What happened to him
anyways? His chest was torn up pretty bad, and not for the first time either."
"What?" Genma and Ranma asked.
"He has a set of scars on his chest and left shoulder. If I didn't
know better, I'd say that some wild animal made them. An animal similar to
what attacked him tonight. Akane faired much better. I'm glad to say. "
* * *
Akane held the glass as Kuno sipped the water.
"Thank you," Kuno said as he trying to sit up.
"What happened tonight?"
"Something I wish you never saw." Kuno winced in pain and lay back
down. "You handled yourself admirably, Akane."
"No I didn't."
Kuno opened his eyes and looked at Akane without saying anything.
"I hit . . . that thing with my mallet . . . but it was even hurt.
It just gabbed my wrist . . . and . . ." Akane shuddered. "If it wasn't
for Nabiki and her friend, it would have killed me."
"It's all right Akane." Kuno winced, forcing himself to sit up.
"How was it killed?"
"They shot it." Akane lowered her head.
"Then it is still alive. Where is your phone? I need to make a
call." Kuno struggled to stand.
"How can an animal still be alive after being shot multiple times?"
"It wasn't an animal."
* * *
The phone rang twice, filling the
empty Kuno family home. A figure clothed completely in black stepped out of
the shadows and picked up the receiver.
"Kuno residence. Master Kuno, sir. Yes, sir."
Sasuke hung up the phone and made his way through the darkened
house. He stopped at, then opened a nondescript sliding door and stepped
into Tatewaki Kuno's private quarters. Resting against the far wall was a
small, simple altar. In front of the altar were two long silken bags, each
tied off with a silken cord. The bags felt warm to the touch as Sasuke
gently lifted them off their stand.
Sasuke left the room, closing the door behind him. He walked to
the nearest window, leapt out and disappeared into the night.
* * *
Everyone was sitting at the dinning room table eating a late night
snack. They made introductions as Kasumi brought the food out and placed it
on the table.
Kuno and Akane surprised everyone by joining them at the table.
* * *
Shampoo awoke to the sound of her bedroom window opening. Although
her eyes were accustomed to the dark, she was unable to see, unable even to
feel the intruder. She remained quiet and motionless under the safety of
her bed sheets.
*I know you here.*
"Little pretties," a barely audible voice said.
Shampoo heard her closest slide open slowly.
"I will free you all, my little pretties."
"AI-YA." Shampoo leapt off the bed, slamming her hand against the
room's light switch.
Rummaging through her closet was the height impaired master of the
Founding School of Anything Goes Martial Arts. He was dressed completely in
black with his favorite, matching accessory, a large panty filled sack.
"Ah, good evening, my dear," Happosai said innocently as he turned
to face Shampoo, a pair of her panties in one hand and a bra in the other.
His expression changed to a picture of pure unadulterated lust. A drop of
drool fell from the corner of his mouth as he attempted to glomp onto her chest.
* * *
Cologne awoke to the sounds of mortal combat taking place in her
great-grand daughter's bed room. Slowly she rose and reached for the staff
resting against the wall next to her bed.
"Happosai."
Cologne opened her door and slowly walked to the bedroom next door.
"SHAMPOO!" Mousse charged out of his bedroom. "I will save you,
Shampoo!" Mousse charged down the hall and past Cologne.
"I hoped it would never come to this," Cologne said to herself as
she opened Shampoo's bedroom door. Inside Happosai was bouncing off the
walls, floor and ceiling as Shampoo tried to flatten him with her bonbori.
Cologne brought the highly distracted midget down with one well-placed blow
of her staff.
"Shampoo, leave us alone."
"Yes, great-grand mother." Shampoo grabbed her undergarments from
the recovering Happosai and ran from her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
"Shampoo, are you all right?" Mousse asked as he put his
glasses on. He was wearing only a pair of boxer shorts.
"I'm fine. I worried about great-grand mother."
* * *
"Why did you hit me?" Happosai whined. "That wasn't very nice."
Cologne ignored him as she sat on Shampoo's bed. She tapped the
space beside her and Happosai jumped up next to her.
"I will not have you molesting Shampoo."
"I didn't mean any harm," Happosai said as leapt off the bed and
retrieved his sack. "But you can't be with her all the time."
"I don't have to."
"What?"
"Think back to the time you spent in China, with me."
"Ah, yes. Young love. You were quiet an attractive young woman
back then," Happosai said, his eyes swelled. "So?"
"What else do you remember?" Cologne lowered head and closed her
eyes. This was something she had been dreading for hundreds of years.
"We were madly in love," Happosai's childlike expression returned.
"Our feeling blossomed into true love one evening as we watched the sun set
over your village, if I remember. It's been a while. You ran me out of
town shortly after."
* * *
"I worried Mousse. It awfully quiet in there."
"Do you think she killed him?" Mousse asked hopefully.
Before she could answer, the door opened and Happosai and Cologne
walked out. Happosai stood in front of Shampoo and looked at her for a
moment before a smile broke out on his face. Shampoo's immediate response
was to drop into her fighting stance as she pulled her bonbori out of void
space. Mousse backed away from the pair as he had no desire to get caught
in the engagement zone.
"Shampoo . . . I'm sorry," Happosai said quietly as he bowed. He
reached into his jacket and produced a selection of women's undergarments,
which he handed to Shampoo. "These belong to you."
Shampoo turned to Cologne.
"Great-grand Mother?"
"It would seem . . . Shampoo . . . That long ago your
great-grand mother and I had a brief love affair."
"You slept with the old ghoul? I have more respect for you today
than I ever dreamed possible," Mousse said as he bowed deeply to the elderly
gentleman before him. "Hey Shampoo. Do you realize that he could be your
great-grand father?"
"Ai-ya. That not funny Mousse," Shampoo said as drove one of her
bonburi into Mousse's head.
"But true."
"WHAT?!"
End of Part One.