Ranma vs. The World part 9: The ninja strikes.

	Ranma and Ryoga wandered into a bar and sat at the counter. "Hey
where can we find some information on someone named Ryu?" said Ranma as
he held up a large bill to the bar tender.
	The man took it and nodded over to a corner where a man sat
alone. He was well built, had a large wide brimmed hat on his head that
hid his eyes and tied around his neck was a bandanna. Ranma and Ryoga
walked over to him. "Wada ya want?" snorted the man as they neared him.
	"Were looking for someone." answered Ryoga as he eyed him
carefully. There was something about this man that disturbed him
slightly. Ranma looked relaxed and calm.
	"Well I'd say you found someone eh?" answered the man with a
small chuckle. He stood and pulled a bat from under the table. He rested
it on his shoulder and grinned at the pair with an unfriendly stare.
	"Look we just want a little information, were not out for
trouble." said Ranma carefully.
	The man swung the bat and Ranma ducked, Ryoga simply caught it in
his palm. The man frowned and stepped back into a fighting stance. "I'm
sick of them sending you young punks to me. I left Italy to get away from
you little bastards and they still send you. I'll teach you the same way
I taught the others." snarled the man as he back handed Ryoga in the face
and sent him into the bar. Ranma jumped towards him and punched the man
in the face easily avoiding his swings. 
	"Ranma no, I want this one." said Ryoga as he stood and shook his
head. He didn't know what that bat was made of but it hit just as hard as
his umbrella did. He pulled it off his back and stood ready for the man's
attack. The man charged and Ryoga blocked the bat with his weapon. He
punched the man in the stomach and received a hard uppercut for his
efforts. Both men staggered back. Ryoga growled and charged in, the man
swung up with the bat and took Ryoga dead in the jaw. Ryoga was sent over
several tables and crashed to the ground between several patrons. 
	"Home run!" said the man as he turned back to his table. Ryoga
stood and snarled the man turned and smiled as he realized that he had
more fight left in him. "Go back to your mom weakling." he said
cheerfully.
	"I'll show you weak! Hado ken!" cried Ryoga as he shot a chi
blast at the man.
	He simply smiled and readied himself like a baseball player. With
a grunt he swung and slammed his bat into the fireball and sent it
directly into Ryoga's chest. The lost boy was thrown into the wall from
his own attack and slumped to the ground. 
	"Pathetic." snorted the man as he walked back to his table and
lifted his drink to his mouth.
	"Its not over yet, not by a long shot." said a voice from behind
him. The man turned to see Ryoga standing with a large grin on his face.
"Lets finish this."
	"Kid I'm gonna make you sorry you were ever born. No one gets
between a man and his beer." snarled the man as he stared Ryoga down.
Ryoga just stared right back, no fear, just determination. 
	"That's his job." said Ryoga jerking his thumb towards Ranma.
	"Hey!" cried Ranma defensively.
	The man simply charged and swung at Ryoga who stopped the bat
easily with his hand. The man tried to follow up with a punch but Ryoga
ducked under the bat and elbowed him in the gut. The man bent forward and
Ryoga kneed his chest sending him to the floor. 
	"Little bastard!" cried the man in anger as he swung the bat full
force Ryoga dodged and parried with his umbrella for several minutes
while the man destroyed the bar in his rage. He swung at Ryoga and the
lost boy stopped his bat with a single finger. "Impossible!" he cried
angrily.
	"Lets see how well you do without your bat." sneered Ryoga as the
bat cracked and then shattered. 
	The man yelled in his rage and charged Ryoga who sidestepped and
brought his umbrella down hard on the back of his head. The man fell to
the floor unconscious.
	"What happened? You were getting the crap beat out of you." said
Ranma with a bewildered stare. "How'd you get so much better all of a
sudden?"
	"Easy I fought him like I have to fight you." snorted Ryoga.
	"What do you mean?" asked Ranma.
	"Usually I can just overpower my opponents, but when I meet
someone stronger or faster than me I have to fight with skill instead of
strength." answered Ryoga.
	"Why don't you just fight like that all the time?" asked Ranma
dumbly.
	"Because it isn't really necessary with most opponents. It takes
less energy for me to take a hit than to dodge it. The breaking point
training made it so only someone really strong could hurt me, you know
that." said Ryoga with an annoyed glare.
	"I'd rather just not get hit." replied Ranma.
	"That's because your weak." snorted Ryoga.
	"I'm strong enough to kick your butt!" retorted Ranma angrily.
	"We'll see about that!" cried Ryoga as he swung.

	In the shadows two figures watched from separate corners of the
room. "That one had grace and beauty. He is almost as handsome as I.
Perhaps we were destined for one another? I shall meet him, we shall
fight and it should be a glorious battle. Only handsome fighters win true
combat. But what if both are fair?" said one to himself as he sipped his
wine and watched the exchange coolly. Ranma stood and pushed Ryoga to the
floor with his foot as Ryoga shoved his head back with his hand and
struggled to rise. "To find such strength in one so fair arouses me." he
said as he glared obsessively.
	Ranma stopped and looked around. "What are you doing were
fighting dammit!" cried Ryoga angrily.
	"I think we should leave." said Ranma finally.
	"What? Why?" said Ryoga.
	"I just got a weird feeling. Kinda like what I felt before I met
Kodachi or when Ukyo and Shampoo arrived in Nerima. I just think we
should go." said Ranma as he looked around warily. The bartender simply
stood and cleaned glasses and most of the customers had fled the chaos.
The only ones who remained were a few die hards at the bar and a few
people sitting in booths.
	"That's redicu..." Ryoga stopped as he felt a familiar presence.
"For once I think your right Saotome. We won't find anything out here."

	"Hmph, They are still not ready." snorted the other figure in the
shadows as an aura glowed around him. "But perhaps the other one
watching..."

	Ranma and Ryoga sat in their hotel room later that night and
collapsed on the beds. "Ranma this is getting expensive, we have to find
this guy." said Ryoga.
	"Duh braniac, you think I didn't know that?" snorted Ranma as he
buried his head in the pillow. Ryoga was too tired to argue with him.
	Late that night Ranma snapped awake and sat up. He turned and
looked around the room warily. "Who's in here?" he cried. Ryoga groaned
in his sleep and tossed his pillow at the noise unconsciously sending
Ranma to the floor. "Dammit Ryoga." he muttered as he picked himself up.
He turned to the table and reached for the lamp. His fingers brushed
against something and he grabbed it and turned the light on. "A letter?"
he muttered as he looked at the envelope in his hand. He turned to see
the window was still open. He growled and opened the note carefully.

	Dear sir,
	Information on the man who you seek has come into the hands of
our honored host. We ask that you come to his home and negotiate terms
for the information. You will be received tomorrow evening at nine
o'clock. Please go to the address on the card enclosed. We eagerly await
your arrival.

	The next morning Ranma sat with Ryoga at a small cafe just
outside the hotel. "So what do we do?" asked Ryoga.
	"We go, we can't find any information on our own. All we know is
he was here. What else could we do?" answered Ranma.
	"It could be a trap, remember China?" said Ryoga warningly.
	"We don't have much choice, besides when has that ever stopped
us?" said Ranma cheerfully.
	"Maybe it should." said Ryoga with a small grin.
	
	That night Ranma and Ryoga stood at the door of a large mansion.
It opened after a moment and they were greeted by a stuffy looking
butler. 
	"Yes?" he said.
	"We received this last night." said Ranma as he held out the
invitation.
	"This way." said the man as he led them through the elaborate
home. They were taken to a small stairway and led into a dark room with a
large fenced in arena. On a stage a band played and women danced
excitedly, as guest drank and laughed around the cage. The pair were
taken to a table and sat near the entrance to the cage.
	"At least we got good seats." snorted Ryoga. A man entered and
the lights dimmed the crowd cheered and he waved. He had long brown hair
that was braided to the small of his back and a long snake tattoo that
went around his torso from his waist to his chest. He was wearing a
porcelain mask and had a long set of claws on his right hand. 
	"Vega!" cried the crowed excitedly. Ranma frowned and stood. 
	"Ah my handsome friend you have arrived. I am called Vega, I have
something you want." said the man as he climbed into the cage.
	Ranma felt very uncomfortable under his gaze. "You have
information on Ryu?" he asked.
	"That I do, If you want it I'm afraid you'll have to defeat me."
said the man as he bowed dramatically.
	Ranma smiled and cracked his knuckles. "I've got no problem with
that." he said as he jumped over the fence and into the ring with Vega.
	Ryoga frowned and looked at the wall behind him. Hanging there
were hundreds of scalps. "I've got a feeling you may have gotten in over
your head Saotome." He said to himself as he turned towards the ring.
	Ranma bowed to his opponent and Vega saluted him by bringing his
claw up to his chest. "Well lets see which of us is truly the more fair."
said Vega with a confident air about him.
	"What?" said Ranma with a cold glare.
	"Truly you must understand, that only those who hold such beauty
as us may win a battle. It is the way of things." said Vega.
	"I know a guy allot like you back home, he is just as arrogant
and air headed." snorted Ranma calmly.
	"Your words sting me my love surely we shall make the ultimate
love as we dance in combat to the death. Surely one with beauty such as
yours can appreciate such a glorious battle." said Vega as he finally
stood ready.
	"This guy is nuts!" thought Ranma as he prepared himself.
	Vega yelled and charged towards Ranma with his claw raised...
TBC....

Bwahahahahahahahahaaa! Lets see ya not comment on that one! What a cliff
hanger! I have truly mastered the art! We'll see how Ranma fairs against
an opponent as fast and agile as he is. We all remember what happened
when he fought Chun li. [Don't we? Even if he was injured...] The battle
with Vega should be one of the best so far. Until next time Ja-ne!
Catbert25

Send C&C to Catbert25@aol.com

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