Once upon a time, there was a fanfic author. He READ a lot more stories than he actually WROTE, though. So, instead of geting a little work ethic, he got lazy and decided to take the easy way out, and rag on others works instead. So he recruited a couple of fictional charchters, snagged a movie theatre, and grabbed some munchies. And thus was born....... LST1/2K: Lunatic Science Theatre 500. Starring, in no particular order: Mercutio: Bane of Tybalt, Lord of..... well, of nothing at the moment. Just try and use your imaginations. Hikaru Gosunkugi: Voodoo boy, obligatory Ranma cast member, yadda. You know how it works. Oh, and don’t mention the candles, he hates that. Mackie Stingray: Hailing from the BGC universe, our token nod to the hentais out there. Yes, he’s annoying. Deal. > -------------------------------------------------- > ^_- I L L M E T B Y S T A R L I G H T ^_- > -------------------------------------------------- > by Susan Doenime and Mike Loader Mercutio: Woo-hoo! Yah! Go Mike! Go Susan! > Based on characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi, and used > without knowledge or permission. > We ask that you obtain permission from us before printing, posting, or > storing this story in any form. > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Previous Chapters archived at: http://www.humbug.org.au/~wendigo/imbs.html > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Chapter 13 - The End of the Matter Hikaru: We’re coming down to the end, now. What a long, strange trip it’s been. > "Can't we sit down, have a beer, talk this over?" > "No." > "Okay then, Plan B. Let's just kill each other." > - Troy & Archer, FaceOff Mercutio: Wow. An actual quote form pop culture. I’m surprised. > When the deal calls for a sacrifice > And you know you cannot die > For the edge, the best ones live on > For it all. > - Cats Laughing Mackie: I think Mike has FAR too many CD’s on hand. Hikaru: Agreed. Mercutio: However, this DOES give us the oppurtunity to unveil a brand-new fetaure of our MST crowd..... the Counter-Quotes! Behold! “Do you have a plan?” “You’re kidding, right?” “Do. You. Have. A. Plan?” “It involves HITTING. Good ENOUGH?” -Max Crandall and Bart Allen, Impulse #23 o// A simple prop, to occupy my time,o// o// This one goes out to the one I love.o// -R.E.M Mercutio: You can interpret any bearing these have on the Chapter (or the Authors) for yourself. > Ukyou awoke to darkness and dripping water. > > Wincing, she raised a hand to rub the side of her head. > She had woken up in the cave, and then Mariko and Shan Pu had > been there, threatening, and then... > > Her memory was unclear on what had happened. There > was a vivid image of a shriek of pain and a spurt of crimson, > but from who, or what... her mind was swimming, fogged. > > Why was it so dark? Ah, her eyes were still closed. Mackie: That WOULD explain it there, yes. > With an effort, she forced herself to sit up and look > around. The sight that greeted her was less than encouraging. > > She was in a pit of some sort, with only a flickering > illumination at the top providing light. The walls were hewn of > rock, as was the distant ceiling, and an odd blackish dust > covered everything. Including the floor, which seemed to be > made of some sort of metal. Water dripped slowly from a > calcium formation on the cave roof, beating a steady rhythm. > In the distance, she could make out a low humming and > clanking. Mercutio: Ah, standard Island Prison of Doom and Death #147-A. How I’ve missed you. Mackie: Hey, wasn’t this scene in Final Fantasy? Hikaru: Which one? Mackie: Take your pick. > Where the hell was she? > > "Hello?" she called out, suddenly desperate for someone > to answer her. Even the presence of her captors would be > preferable to having been abandoned in a hole somewhere > beneath the earth, with no food and no light... > > The light at the top of the pit moved closer, and a face > peered down over the edge. "Oh, good. You're awake." > > Mariko. "Get me out of this hole, Hibiki. Now!" Mercutio: Oh, yeah, like THAT’S going to work. > The other girl grinned, wagging a finger down at her. > "You're in no position to be making demands, Kuonji. No > position at all." > > Ukyou's heart sank. "Look, what have I ever done to you?" Mackie: Oh, THIS should be good. > "You? You're on Ranma's side." The eyes staring down at > her turned hard in the lamplight. "I _warned_ you, girl, that > first day we met. Don't hang around unless you want to fight. > Well, you hung around, and in doing so caused more than one > attack to be canceled, and due to that Nabiki died. So you've > indirectly caused the death of someone who I liked a great > deal. I've done almost nothing to you, by comparison. Count > your blessings." > > "Yeah, you've only struck me on the head and tossed me in > a hole," Ukyou spat sourly. "You've been real kind." > > "I'm afraid you didn't have a choice in the matter," Mariko > observed mildly. "And you still don't. So you might as well just > relax and wait; we'll turn you loose once Ranma's dead." > > "I hope I'm here for a long time, then," > > "You might very well be," Mariko told her. "Personally, I > think Ranma would leave you to rot. But not in front of Akane; > not with the... means... we used to punctuate our little > message. No, he'll come, and then that's it. No more retreats, > no more running away. He dies or we die." Hikaru: Uh-huh. And this is what, the fifth or sixth time she’s declaimed that ultimatum from on high? Mercutio: Well, considering this is the final Chapter and all..... > A cold feeling swept through Ukyou as she looked into > the eyes above her and saw that the other girl meant what she > said. After all the work, all the attempts at compromise... > > "Let me speak to Tsen," she begged. "If I can just get him > to listen..." Mackie: Yes, use your feminine wiles. Woo-hoo! “Oh Tsen, if you’ll just help me out of this dank dark hole, I can make you it VERY worth your while. Rooowr!” Hikaru: That was a disturbingly surreal picture you painted, Mackie. Mercutio: No kidding. Maybe we’re carrying the mocking of the fic noir just a tad to far? (The three ponder for a brief time.) Mercutio: Mackie: NAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gos: > Mariko laughed. "I don't think you want to talk to Tsen > right now. I really don't." > > "He'll listen to me..." > > Mariko gave her a somewhat sad, level stare. "Our friend > Tsen is somewhat upset at the moment. He didn't tell me why, > but I'm guessing that the fact that I found you with your legs > spread and your pants down around your ankles has something > to do with it. Especially since what I saw down there didn't > exactly match the rest of you." Mackie: So Ukyo’s a drag king. Big deal. She’s still hot. > Ukyou felt her cheeks redden. "You perverted little..." Mackie: Why, thank you, Miss Kuonji. You’re very kind. > Mariko raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I wasn't the one > displaying her privates to anyone who happened to walk in. Nor > am I the one who misled people into thinking I was a boy." Her > expression darkened. "No, I wouldn't suggest talking to Tsen > right now. You don't know the half of it, and I really don't feel > like trying to explain it to you." > > Ukyou looked away. She hadn't meant to... certainly she > had never thought what had happened would happen, it had all > been on the spur of the moment... Mackie: Ah, casual sex. Gotta love it. Mercutio: Shyeah, like you’d know. Mackie: Shut up! This has been a relatively non-hentai fic so far! Let me have my moment in the sun! > "He... what we did really upset him?" she asked, a bit of > regret creeping into her voice. > > "Yeah. It did. If it'd been me in his position..." Mariko > shuddered, her gaze flicking over Ukyou. "Geh. I still don't like > him much, but I feel for the poor guy. That's not the sort of > thing I'd wish on anyone." Mackie: You have no imagination, then. > "What?" Ukyou snapped, feeling guilty and insulted at the > same time. "Look, I know I'm not exactly a great beauty, but..." > > "You're straight, right?" > > "Yes," she stiffly responded. "Just because I wear men's > clothes doesn't..." > > "Sleep with me, and I'll let you go." Mackie: (sitting bolt upright) Hell-OH, Nurse!!!!! > Ukyou's mind locked up. "Wha... ex... excuse me?" she > choked. > > "Well, how bout it? I've got some really neat toys we > could use..." Hikaru: (sweatdropping) Sweet fancy Moses! > "I don't think so!" Ukyou snapped, her face as red as a > beet. "And if you even think of laying one sick finger on me, > I'll..." > > "Relax," Mariko said, chuckling. "I like guys myself. Just > proving a point. If you wouldn't sleep with a girl to gain your > freedom, how d'ya think Tsen feels? He very definitely prefers > men. Much, much more so than you know." Mackie: Oh, c’mon, loosen up! Cast away your inhibitions! It’s freedom, baby, yeah!! Mercutio: Okay, that’s enough perversity for now. Someone fast-forward this thing! > ^_- > > Akane watched as Hikaru left, then slowly moved to sit > on a nearby bench. The brown package felt heavy in her hands. > > With a sad smile, she tore open the end and shook it, > sending two objects tumbling down out of the wrappings and > into her lap. A sealed letter, with 'Read this First' scrawled > across it in a size impossible to miss. And a miniature tape > recorder, with a cassette still inside. Mackie: Damn. My money was on video will. Oh well. > It probably had Nabiki's voice on it, she realized, throat > tightening a bit. Hesitantly, she opened the envelope, removing > a sheet of Nabiki's stationary. > > //Akane, > I've asked Hikaru to give this to you in the event of > my death, so I'll assume that this is the circumstance > under which you're reading this. The tape is a private > message from myself to my little sister, between you > and me. That means you're to play it when you are alone, > and not in front of Kasumi, father, Ranma, or anyone else. > In fact, don't even let them know it exists. This isn't for > them. > Play it as soon as you have a moment alone. > Your Sister, Nabiki. // > > It wasn't a will after all, then. Mackie: A will would have been nice, though. Like, who gets her collection of soft-core pornography photos? Inquiring minds want to know! > Damn it, she thought, fighting to keep from crying. How > many times was she going to have to say goodbye to her > sister? Would she ever? So easy to tell Nabiki to go away and > die, and so hard to accept it when it happened... > > Her finger touched the Play button of the minirecorder, > pushed slightly downward, and then eased and withdrew. A > park bench in the middle of the street was no place to have her > last talk with Nabiki. Hikaru: Well, of course not. The plot device is completely USELESS now. Later, OTOH... > She'd go home, make herself some tea, > and then lock herself in her room and listen. > > Standing, she began to make her way home, suddenly > mindful of the quiet that filled the air. Before, it had seemed > only fitting; a new, clean slate to mark the new stage of her > life she had suddenly entered. Now... now it seemed somehow > ominous. As if the world were holding its breath over how that > new stage would end. Mercutio: It would appear that the weather machines provided by DramaMetaphor, Inc, are working excatly as planned. > And then she was home. > > Remembering the letter's instructions, she tucked the > tape recorder into her jacket pocket. Not that she was likely to > be interrupted before she reached her room, but... Mercutio: But there’s always the possibility Ranma will be there to spirit her away to the denoument. > Akane opened the door, saw Ranma, and then saw the > expression on his face. > > "What happened?" she asked, her heart sinking. > > He wordlessly handed her a sheet of writing paper. > > // Saotome, > We have Kuonji and Shan. If you want them back, > come alone to Gunkanjima. If you don't, you'll get them > back anyway. Over time. > Please accept these gifts as a token of our esteem > and resolve. > -Your Friends. // > > "You're going to try to get them back." > > Turning, he studied the note once again, frowning > slightly. "What's this 'Gunkanjima'?" > > She frowned. "It's an island just outside the harbor. It > used to have a factory or something on it, but it's abandoned > now." > > "Is there somewhere we can get a boat?" > > "The fishermen will have a couple craft moored down by > the docks," she said after a moment's thought. "We could > probably 'borrow' one of them." > > He chuckled. "Theft? I'm afraid I've led you into evil > ways, Tendo Akane." Mercutio: Cueeeeeeeeee the irony!!!!! > "After seducing me, once a poor, demure, innocent girl," > she said in mock dismay. > > The chuckle became an actual laugh. "You? Demure?" > > She punched him lightly in the side. "Are you saying I'm > not demure? I should break your face for that." Hikaru: THERE’S the Akane we all know and stalk in an obsessive manner! Mackie: “We?” Mercutio: Is there a frog in your pocket? > He punched back, not so lightly, and she yelped. "I'd like > to see you try." > > She growled and launched a highkick, which he vaulted > back to avoid. "If you insist..." > > His foot swept at her legs and she leapt upwards to avoid > it, twisting in midair as she did to strike at him. He > backpedaled, avoiding her attack, and then closed in as she > landed. Mackie: I’d make the obvious foreplay joke, but...... oh wait, I just did! > She sent a foot swinging into his torso and then he leapt > at her in a body tackle, bearing her to the floor beneath him. > > For a short while she tried to flail at him, and then she > felt his hand pulling away her jogging pants. > > "We should probably leave soon," she whispered, trying to > free her arm for another punch. > > "Soon enough," he said quietly, forcing her legs apart. > "Soon enough." Mackie: Ah, a quickie just before they go off to face death. Mercutio: Ummmmm........ yeah. Somebody snip the coming plot exposition about Gunknjima! > ^_- > > Mariko strolled up the rampart, the sea wind blowing her > trenchcoat in billowing folds around her. Smiling slightly, she > approached the two figures who sat on a heap of broken > stonework, scanning the horizon. "Anything?" > > Koji nodded. "There's a small boat pulling close." He > pointed, and Mariko squinted where he indicated. Sure enough, a > small fisher craft was angling and tacking towards the rock of > Gunkanjima. And no legitimate fisherman had any reason to > head for the island. Mercutio: Of course, theres all those illegitamate fisherman and the drug smugglers, but that’s beside the point. > She nodded, satisfied. "Good. I was worried that they > might not show." Mercutio: But then there wouldn’t be a story, now would there? > "Is the furnace ready?" Koji asked, idly tapping his > umbrella against the parapet. "It would make things a lot > easier if that works." Mercutio: Ah, the heavily foreshadowed dethtrap. Gotta love it. > ^_- > > The tiny fishing vessel slipped quietly up to the decaying > concrete pier that thrust out from the island. On board, Akane > stared up at the walls with an uneasy feeling. > > She was almost certain that they had been watched. And > now they were almost there, and soon they'd be fighting for > their lives in a place that looked like a cross between an > abandoned factory, Alcatraz, and Dracula's castle. Mercutio: That’s the whole POINT. What, you think they’re going to hold the final battle in a nice resort somewhere, huh? > With a bump, the boat slid against the dock. Ranma, in > the bow, grabbed a rope and nimbly hopped ashore, quickly > tying the vessel to a metal stanchion. > > She climbed onto the dock, and glanced at him. "Ready?" > > He nodded, expressionless. "Let's get Ukyou and get out of > here." > > The dock led to a gate carved in the seawalls, which in > turn led to a winding, twisting staircase rising through the > heart of one of the towers. Warily, Ranma taking the lead, they > inched up it, expecting at any moment an attack or dropped > missile. > > None came, and eventually they emerged into a street. At > least, Akane thought, it resembled a street. It was really just > a narrow corridor between the hulking dormitories, the sky > almost blocked out by the crumbling buildings. > > One of the closer walls bore a message scrawled in > spraypaint, and she peered at it, trying to make it out. > > How many decades could have passed > Since Hashima was left to rot; > Left to spoil, rot, disintegrate? > Life will never return to this island. Hikaru: Apparently, one of the uneducated, lowbrow workers had a poetic bent. > She shivered. Life had returned, but unwillingly and > briefly. > > They came to the end of the narrow avenue and entered a > square of sorts. In the center stood a chipped stone pedestal, a > corroded statue of a miner standing headless on it at an > unnatural angle. Taped to its chest was a piece of paper. > > Ranma carefully walked forward, read it, and then tore it > away. "It says that I'm supposed to follow the directions on > here, and that they'll meet me at the end of it. And that if you > come along, they'll start cutting bits off Ucchan." Mercutio: Oh, THAT’S an original threat. > She nodded. "What do we do?" > > He frowned, glancing around, his gaze briefly resting on > where the miner's rusting head leered up at them from a > gutter. "Look... this is some sorta trap. I'm gonna go where the > directions say, but I'm gonna keep my eyes open. You scout the > rest of this place out, see if you can find were they really > stashed Ucchan. This place is huge, but they've probably picked > a fairly significant building to hide her in; people are like > that." He studied the paper once more, and then handed it to > her. "If you find her, or if you give up, or if you see something I > should know about, come find me. Carefully. Like I said, this > whole thing reeks of a trap." > > "And you're just going to walk into it?" she said, uneasy. > He smirked. > > "Not just walk into it, no. Reverse it. If I can." Mackie: Bum-bum-BUM. > ^_- > > Mariko watched as Akane started up a set of stairs, and > smiled. Good. They were splitting up. > > Whistling, she tied a piece of red cloth to a strut hanging > out over the street, waved at a distant window, and jogged off. > Akane was heading for the old temple; she would meet her > there. Mackie: Ah, the undercard matches prefacing the final bout. DAMN this is cool. > ^_- > > He went down, passing through the burned-out ruins of > the old factory. A set of charred stairs, broad enough to > accomidate several people at once, led him into the bones of > Gunkanjima. > > The stairs were carved roughly out of the rock, and some > fanciful artist had painted leaping flames on the ceiling and > walls. They were now marred by burn marks. > > Down further, and the stairs ended in a tiny room. A > metal door, similar to that of a bank vault or submarine's > airlock, gaped open, leading into blackness. > > Ranma ripped the door away, with some effort. It would > not be closed behind him to lock him in. > > Warily, he stepped through the ruined portal. Mercutio: The Portal of DEATH!!!!! (Hikaru and Mackie stare) Mercutio: Hey, it had to be said. > ^_- > > High above, in a mine shaft slightly above Jigoku-Kado, > Koji watched as a shadow passed the bottom of the air shaft > he had been watching. Someone was down there. > > He turned to Tsen, and grinned. > > Slowly, savoring the moment, he walked into the next > room over. There was a shaft there, a narrow, deep, scorched > chasm of red-black brick. > > He struck a match. Picking up a bundle of oil-soaked > rags, he ignited it, and then dropped it down the shaft, > watched it plummet burning into the depths like a meteor. Hikaru: That has GOT to be the world’s most impressive pilot light. > "Goodbye, Saotome," he said quietly, tossing the match > after it. "Burn in Hell." > > ^_- > > The tunnel shook. He stopped. > > A distant roar... > > Heat... > > He ran. Hikaru: Like the wind. > ^_- > > Coal dust and coal burst into flame at the heart of > Jigoku-Kado. Gases ignited. Flame poured down shafts, > furnaces belched tongues of fire. > > Gears began to turn. > > The vast and deadly machine of Jigoku-Kado was coming > back to fiery life after decades of cold slumber. And coming > back with a vengeance. > > ^_- > > Koji stumbled as the building shook, grabbing at a > protruding piece of iron to keep his footing. "What the hell..?" Mackie: In this situation, I believe a little music is called for. o// That’s great, it starts with an earthquake o// o// Birds and snakes and aeroplanes o// o// Lenny Bruce is not afraid. o// o//Eye of a hurricane o// o// Listen to yourself churn o// (At this point, Mercutio reaches over and switches off the CD player before the guitar solo is reached.) Mercutio: Mackie, we’ve warned you about playing R.E.M during the fics. Mackie: But It’s The End of the World as We Know It!!! Hikaru: And I for one do NOT feel fine. > "Stupid, stupid!" Tsen hissed. "You just have to light > biggest, evilest machine I ever see, don't you? Stupid!" He > watched in fascinated horror as a chain began to move, an > ancient pulley system creaking into life. "You start up whole > damn island!" > > A low rumbling built, began to peak. Koji stared at the > shaft, blinked, and then turned pale. > > "Run!" he screamed, dashing for the exit. Tsen blinked, > shrugged, and hastily followed. > > They cleared the room only seconds before a ball of > superheated flame burst from the shaft, incinerating most of > it. > > A low rumble spread through the rocks. Jigoku-Kado was > waking up, and, as the former masters of the island had found, > served no-one in safety. Mercutio: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: this is SO Final Fantasy. > ^_- > > He ran. Mercutio: Yes, we’ve established this. > A tongue of fire burst from a protruding pipe, flooding > the tunnel with a blazing shower of sparks. Not breaking his > stride, he dashed through them, covering his face with his > hands. > > A roar, and he vaulted into a side passage just as a rush > of flame turned the tunnel into an inferno. Coming up in a > stumbling run, he frantically began to climb a service ladder, > going ever higher. > > Light, up ahead. He doubled his efforts, and then a low > roar and rush of hot air from below caused him to triple them. > > He could feel it coming up after him. Not enough time to > climb the rest of the way... Hikaru: Flame on!!! > Ranma jumped straight up, all his strength going into > propelling him into the air. The rush of hot air gave him a > boost, and he caught the top of the shaft, pulled, and hauled > himself over the edge in a frantic roll. > > Scorched, blackened, but very much alive, Ranma stalked > slowly across the ruined factory floor. > > ^_- > > Koji slowly began to swear. Around him, chains and gears > turned, machinery designed for some arcane purpose coming > back to life after decades of rust and silence. "I don't believe > it. I don't fucking believe it. No-one could have lived through > that." Mercutio: Except perhaps an extremely competent martial artist with years and years of experience. > Tsen gave a laconic shrug. "I told you so." > > "Yeah, yeah. Okay, plan B. He still doesn't know where > Ukyou is, so we just shadow him until Mariko gets done taking > care of Akane. Then we..." > > A horrible thought suddenly occured to Koji. > > "No, no, no..." he groaned, slamming his fist into the wall. > "Oh shit..." > > Tsen glanced at him in alarm. "What? What wrong?" > > "We put Kuonji in that stalled ore elevator, right?" Mackie: Oopsie. > ^_- > > Ukyou blinked. The metal floor was moving. > > Moving upwards. > > Towards the top of the pit. > > Standing, she waited and watched. She had no idea why > her prison was about to become a lot less imprisoning, but she > wasn't about to let a chance to escape pass. Hanging around a > dirty pit wasn't her idea of a good time. > > And damned if she was going to be bait for anyone. Mercutio: Yes, we all know that’s AKANE’S job. > ^_- > > Akane felt the rumbling, and fought down a surge of > worry. Was there an earthquake? Was some sort of volcano > getting ready to erupt? > > Pushing the fear aside, she stalked warily into the > temple. If some horrible natural disaster was going to happen, > it would happen whether she cowered in fear or not. > > It had been beautiful once, she immediately guessed. The > benches, the altar, the statue of the Buddha, the high, arching > windows... Mercutio: The imminent death waiting in the shadows.... > Giving a polite bow to the wounded Buddha, she turned to > leave. And froze. > > "Hello again, Akane," Mariko drawled, strolling in through > the broken doors, twirling her umbrella absently. "Welcome to > Club Med." Mackie: Well, somebody has to say it..... ROUND ONE!!!!! FIGHT!!!!!! > Akane nodded, resigned. "Hello, Mariko. Where's Ukyou?" > > "Ukyou? She's on the island, safe. Don't worry about it." > > "She?" Akane said, puzzled. What sort of game was the > Hibiki girl playing? > > Mariko looked slightly embarrassed. "He, I mean. Slip of > the tongue. We'll let him go when this is all over, so don't > worry about that, either." > > "Minus a finger or two, of course." > > The other girl tsked and waggled a finger at her. "Now > Akane, I'm hurt, I truly am. That finger was Shan's, and the > person who hacked it off was Ukyou. I mean, jeez, I don't go > around cutting off people's digits for kicks." > > "But you do break them for kicks," Akane replied evenly. > "I thought you might be moving on to new heights of sadism." Mackie: Boy, if she’d been around during Marikos’ little ‘proposition’.... > "What do you want, Mariko? If you're just here to talk, > I'm afraid I don't have the time for it." > > An object was tossed at her, and she reflexively caught > it. It was a cel phone. > > Puzzled, she glanced at the other girl. "What's this for?" > > "That's to call someone to come pick you up off this rock. > When you wake up." Mariko smiled unpleasantly, and hefted her > umbrella. "Sorry about this, Akane." Mercutio: Now there’s a waste of a perfectly good cel phone. > "Mariko, please." As she spoke, Akane slipped into a > fighting stance, gauging the other girl's likely route of attack. > "Don't do this." > > "This is for your own good, Akane dear. Inasmuch as > getting knocked out for several hours is good, anyway. I'd lock > you in somewhere, but Tsen tells me that wouldn't be very > effective. So we do this the hard way." Her umbrella came up > into a fencer's stance, and she slowly advanced. "I wish it > were different, Akane, I really do. Maybe we could have been > friends." Mackie: “Perhaps.... in... another life..... we.... could have been.... friends.” Mercutio: Knock it off, Shatner-boy. > Akane sighed, and began to circle, arms moving up into a > defensive pattern. "I think we are friends. Despite all this." > > Mariko chuckled. "Maybe so. But we're going to kill > Ranma, and that'll be the end of friendship." She lunged, > suddenly, sending Akane backpedaling in a flurry of thrusts. > "He's very likely dead already, if that rumbling was what I > think it was." > > Fear shot through her. "What was it?" Akane snapped, > launching a spinning kick at the other girl. Mariko ducked under > it, only to be met by Akane's descending fist. Grunting, she > slammed upward with her umbrella, knocking Akane back > across the room. > > "That was Koji flooding half the tunnels with fire," > Mariko panted, straightening. "With Ranma in them. He's very > probably just a heap of ash right now." Mercutio: Ah, but probable isn’t the same as likely. > "You're lying!" Akane snarled, jumping forward. But the > other girl's expression coupled with the fist that was seeming > to tighten around her heart told her that no, Mariko wasn't. > > "DAMN YOU!" she shrieked, fury flooding through her, > breaking away the last of her calm resolve. "BAKUSAI TEN- > KETSU!" > > Her finger hit the breaking point just at Mariko's feet, > and the temple floor exploded in a blizzard of rock shrapnel. > And then both of them were falling, weightless, and then > crashing into a rocky surface. Mackie: That’s GOTTA hurt!!!! > Snarling, Akane lunged, grabbing the other girl and > throwing her against a wall. Mariko hit hard, winced, and > aimed an overhand slash at her foe, catching Akane in the left > shoulder. Akane staggered back, and Mariko slammed her > umbrella forward, sending it directly into Akane's stomach. > > Akane leapt. > > The umbrella caught her in her side, and then she was > crashing into Mariko with savage force, kicking and punching in > a flurry of savage, delibarate blows. The Hibiki girl reeled > backwards, her umbrella moving in a desperate attempt to > block. > > Finally Mariko stumbled back, her umbrella jabbing and > thrusting to cover her withdrawal. The two girls slowly began > to circle each other, their movements no longer quite as fluid > as they had been. Mercutio: Being mercilessly pummeled will do that to you. > "Now, why the hell aren't you lying on the ground in a > whimpering heap, Akane?" Mariko said conversationally, > feinting a lunge. "I'm sure that hit to your stomach musta hurt. > Been eating your wheaties lately?" Hikaru: Wheaties, Bakusai training... such a fine line. > "You get to be the one to fall down today," Akane replied. > "Then, if Ranma isn't okay, I'm going to come back and break > your neck." > > Mariko grinned at her raggedly. "I don't think so. You're > not the sort." Without warning she jumped, her umbrella > moving almost faster than the eye could track. "Too nice for > your own good, Akane, nice and blind! Now," the umbrella broke > through Akane's guard, slamming into her head, "STAY DOWN!" > > Instead, Akane wavered, cried out in pain, and grabbed > Mariko with one hand. Then she turned, and threw the other girl > towards a boarded-up section of wall with almost inhuman > force. Mackie: FINISH HER!!!! > With a crash, Mariko hit the boards head-on, breaking > them apart in a shower of splintering wood. And revealing the > gaping shaft behind them. > > The umbrella plummeted into it as Mariko frantically > grabbed for the wall, teetering on the edge. Akane blinked in > alarm, sucked in her breath, and jumped towards the other girl, > hand extended to pull her back. > > Mariko's hand closed around a protruding fragment of > broken board, and she began to turn. > > The board snapped. > > As if in slow motion, Akane watched Mariko's eyes widen > in terror, her mouth opening in the beginnings of a scream. And > then she vanished over the edge. > > There was a long shriek, a bumping and clattering, and > then both faded into the distance. And then, far below, a > muffled, final thud. Mackie: Gah. Mercutio: Our score so far: Team Ranma: 1 Team Hibiki: 0 > Akane stared at the hole in horror, and slowly, > reluctantly approached the edge. It was very deep, and she > could not see the bottom. > > She backed stumblingly away, numb. She hadn't meant > to... she hadn't known the shaft was behind the boards, she > hadn't meant for... > > She hadn't meant to, but she had just killed someone, > hadn't she? Just killed her friend? Mercutio: Let the guilt trip BEGIN!!!! > ^_- > > Koji followed the trail, muttering under his breath. Damn > Tsen for running off like that. How was he supposed to keep an > eye on Saotome when he had trouble even finding his own way > around this labyrinth? Mercutio: Two words: homing device. > Damn it all... > > He was in a commercial section of the abandoned city; > one located just under the surface. To be more specific, he was > cutting through the ruins of a barbershop, sparing an > occasional glance to the rusting shears and '70s-vintage movie > posters that still adorned the walls. Glass from a shattered > mirror crunched underfoot. Mercutio: And if you look to the left, you can see a poster advertising the original relaese of “The Seven Samurai.” > Staying alert, he strode out into the 'street', actually > just a corridor carved from the living rock. It must have been > like living in a cave, he thought absently, or a molehill. > > A low, ghostly chuckle drew his attention, and he quickly > moved towards the sound of it, keeping his movements quiet > and rapid. It was coming from the crude facade of the old > bank... > > Umbrella at the ready, he ducked inside. Hikaru: Sure, walk INTO the trap. Oh, wait..... never mind. > The bank had been done in polished wood; the mainland > substance being an uncommon luxury for the treeless island. > Pillars of carved rock, the Mitsubishi logo etched into them, > held up a slightly vaulted ceiling. This had been the center of > the community's commercial life, and the owners had taken > care to show the power and grandeur of the corporation. > > The wood was broken and rotten now, boards peeling > away from the walls like rotting skin. The teller's counter, > fake marble finish glinting, was pitted and scarred. Mackie: Five minutes after publication of this story, Mitsubishi filed a slander lawsuit. > More noise, from down a rear hall. > > He crept down the corridor, adrenaline coursing through > him, senses straining. He didn't want to take on Ranma by > himself, but it would be even worse to lose him completely. > Hopefully Tsen would get back soon, or Mariko.. if they could > even find him... > > He reached the end of the corridor, and stepped through a > huge, gaping, open door of some heavy material. Inside was an > enormous room, concrete walls devoid of ornamentation or > marks. > > His gaze swept around it, taking in every shadowed > corner. No exits. Where the hell had Ranma... Hikaru: Don’t look now, but HE’S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!!! > He spun, a sinking feeling stabbing through him, just in > time to see the huge bank vault door slam shut. > > There was a metallic thunk, as if a bolt had just been > slid into place. And then a low chuckle. > > Koji ran to the door and pounded, pulled, frantically tried > to rip it free. It didn't budge. > > ^_- > > Her fingers closed around the rim of the pit. Wheezing, > scrabbling for a firmer handhold, Ukyou pulled herself out. > > After taking a second to catch her breath, she surveyed > the room. A tiny little rock-hewn chamber, with a flickering > lamp sitting atop a crate... and look, there was her spatula and > bandoleer, lying discarded in a corner. How convenient. Mercutio: A little bit TOO convenient. > She quickly tossed the bandoleer over her shoulder, > listening as she did to the rumbling and clanking noises coming > from the open doorway to her left. Some sort of machinery, she > guessed... was she in a factory? A functioning mine? Near > Tokyo? > > Ukyou shook her head irritably. There would be enough > time for speculation later. The business at hand was for her to > get out of wherever this was. Mackie: Or to fight to the death. Whichever. > Moving at a low trot, she cautiously entered the next > chamber. It was like a giant alarm clock, she thought in mild > amazement, peering about. Enormous gears were rhythmically > turning in the very center of the room, propelled by shafts of > iron emerging from the walls. Metal boxes of some odd > function stood here and there, meshing with the gears in a > tangle of pipes and struts and flywheels. The entire assembly > creaked ominously, relentlessly turning and groaning away at > its mysterious task. Mercutio: What’s so ‘mysterious’ about it? It’s an ore processing facility, fr’gosh sakes. > She strode through the jumble, carefully keeping a good > distance from the turning and moving parts. This entire place > made her nervous... > > "That far enough." > > Shan, her hair dripping as if from a recent dousing, > slowly moved into her line of vision. Snarling, Ukyou's hand > tightened on her weapon. > > "Get of of my way, lady," she hissed, raising her spatula > menacingly. "I still owe you for that wakeup you gave me." Mercutio: Ouch. BIG mistake, gel. > Shan's eyes went wide with fury, and she stalked > forward, bonbori swinging in a slow, methodical pattern. "You > owe Shan, eh? You owe Shan? Yes, you do owe Shan, lying > Japanese bitch. I ki-" With a visible effort, the Amazon's face > moved into an impassive mask. "You drop weapon, and Shan tie > you up. Now." > > "I don't think so," Ukyou said evenly, anger bubbling > inside her. "I think you're going to get out of my way, right > now, before I beat your hide black and blue. That's what I > think." > > Shan's face contorted. "You think very stupidly, then. You > no go easy, then you go hard." The bonbori began to move faster > in their graceful dance, and Shan advanced... Mackie: ROUND TWO!!!! FIGHT!!!!!!! Mercutio: Mackie, that’s getting old REAL fast. > "TRAITOR!" Ukyou shouted, leaping forward, her spatula > scything down in a silver arc. A bonbori leapt up to meet and > parry it, and then Ukyou dodged as a backswing whistled by > her. "Liar! You promised to help him, you bitch!" > > "You call me liar!" shrieked the Amazon, fires burning > under her eyes. "Whore! Liar shit whore! You LIE TO ME!" The > bonbori rose, slammed down, rose again, and Ukyou stumbled > back. Her spatula swung and cut, driven by rage and > desperation, parrying and slicing with all of her skill and > instinct. > > For a long span of seconds they dueled, weapons rising > and falling, cutting and hacking at each other in a blind, red, > crazed fury. Shan came on, an almost berserk light in her eyes, > and Ukyou was slowly driven backwards. Not working, she > frantically thought, a sick, enraged feeling flowing through her > veins. Not working, Shan was going to wear her down unless > she did something fast... Mercutio: Like resorting to childish name-calling? > "Honorless traitor!" she finally howled, suddenly leaping > at Shan with her spatula raised high, aiming a cut directly at > her stomach. "Oathbreaker!" > > "YOU DIE!" screamed Shan, and then a bonbori smashed > into her chest with incredible force. Ukyou stumbled back, the > pain in her side telling her that she had probably fractured a > rib or something... > > Her leg caught on something, a white-hot jet of agony > shot up her leg, and she tripped. Mackie: Ah, the convenient ‘something.’ Bane of fighters everywhere. Oh, and FINISH HER!!!!!!!! > Pain, pain, pain and she screamed and screamed and > screamed and an ashenfaced Shan raised her bonbori crying > pain make it stop she screamed and the bonbori swung down Mercutio: Current score: Team Ranma: 1 Team Hibiki: 1 > ^_^ Mackie: Uh-oh. We’ve moved from winks to smiles. That is NEVER good. > She tossed the bonbori away, and walked slowly out. > > Mercy. She had shown mercy. Mercutio: “The quality of mercy is not strained.....” Hikaru: You just HAD to quote Shakespeare eventually, didn’t you? > Machines. Humming and whirring machines, spinning and > clanking and grinning, quivering with malevolent, inhuman > power. Leering at her. > > Pace quickening, forcing her legs not to shake, Shan > strode down the corridor to the place where she had left the > thermos. Picking it up, she doused herself with cold water. > > Mercy, Tsen thought silently. > > Ranma would be waiting, somewhere out there. He had to > kill Ranma. That was all that was left. Kill Ranma and go home. > Maybe life would someday be even close to what it had been. > Maybe it would even be worth living again. > > Machines, damn city, damn nation of machines! Mackie: Hey, quit knocking the machines! Mercutio: Shut up, tech-boy. > ^_- > > "Mariko? Tsen? Let me out of here! Hurry!" > > Akane stared at the vault door, shuddering and vibrating > under the hail of blows from inside, and hastily left the bank. > The last thing she wanted to do was free the remaining Hibiki > sibling. > > You should, a voice whispered. You should tell him what > you did. You should pay the price for it. Mercutio: And then of course there’s the fact that he’ll suffocate in a little while. > A slight whimper escaping her lips, she forced her mind > back towards following the trail. It was Ranma, it had to be > Ranma, who else would have locked Koji in... > > The path led her along a long, dark way, through several > corridors with little or no light. She groped her way blindly > through these, idly wondering if her next step would be over an > open shaft, over one that would send her plummeting, > screaming into the bottomless depths just like Mariko... Mackie: Welcome to Traumaville, baby. > Don't think about that, don't think about that, just find > Ranma... > > She emerged into more brightly-lit tunnels, illumination > provided by vents in the ceilings and walls, and again turned > her attention to the trail. It led downward, through the mines, > past crumbling shafts and holes, past gaping chasms boarded > up with only a few rotting planks of wood, past abandoned > picks and shovels and hammers. Some of the shafts glowed, the > flames of Jigoku-Kado flickering in their depths, burning away > for the first time in years. A thin haze of smoke wafted up, > and the hysterical thought flashed through her mind that this > was the crawlspace in the roof of Hell. And, of course, down > she was going, down into the bowels of the inferno. Mercutio: You don’t suppose Mike was channeling Dante during this part, do you? > She emerged into a room, the interior of some great > engine of turning, moving parts, and drew to a stop. > > Bending, she picked up the throwing spatula that lay at > her feet. Mercutio: Oo. THIS won’t be fun. > It was bent, twisted, slightly flattened in odd places. It > had an oddly greasy feel to it, and she raised the hand that > gripped it up to the dim light that flickered from a downwards > shaft. The spatula fell to the floor, and she stared at the > streaks of crimson that it had left on her hand. > > Slowly, fearfully, she cast her gaze about the room, and > noticed the splotch of red on one of the massive, turning > cogwheels. Akane walked towards it, her pace becoming faster > and faster, and circled around it. > > A choking shriek burst out, echoing over the hum of the > machinery despite her attempt to stifle it. Gagging, repulsed, > she turned violently away and vomited, doubling over as bile > spattered against the metal and stone. Mackie: Gee, now I feel kinda bad about the ‘Traumaville’ comment. > Ukyou must have fallen into the gears, she thought > numbly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she retched. > Fallen in and been crushed, oh god oh god oh god it wasn't fair... Mercutio: This entire FIC isn’t fair. > Akane spun, suddenly realizing what she had been looking > at while vomiting. A discarded bonbori, the sphere stained > with blood and hair and bits of skull, lying in a corner. > > Tsen. Or Shan. Mackie: Or both. > Fury washed over her, and she howled, blindly punching > the nearest wall in a torrent of rage and grief. Of all the > people to die like that, of all of them... he had just been trying > to help a friend, he hadn't wanted anything except to help his > friend get better, it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair... damn them, > damn them, he hadn't done ANYTHING! Hikaru: I feel like I should say something significant here, but I can’t think of a damn thing. > ^_- > > He emerged onto the catwalk, studied the factory floor > below. > > Frowning, he knelt, studying the trail. > > With a soundless yell, Tsen sprang at him from above, a > long knife glittering in one hand. Mackie: ROUND THREE!!!!!! FIGHT!!!! Mercutio: Do that again, and I’LL show you fight. > The serrated blade slashed across his side, opening a > long, shallow cut along his ribs. He lashed out, striking the > Chinese boy in the chest, and took a solid blow to his bad > shoulder in return. > > Wincing slightly, he inched back, appraising the Amazon > as he did so. "Hello again, Joketsuzoku. You seem to keep losing > bits of yourself. Bad habit." Mercutio: Ah. Trademarked “Villains witty banter.” yeah. > Tsen snarled, and threw the knife, hand reaching inside > his shirt as he did. Ranma darted to one side, easily avoiding > it, and allowed something to drop into his hand from his > sleeve. A rubber-sheathed bottle. Mackie: Oo-oh. Mysterious bottles are NEVER good in Ranma stories. > Tsen's hand emerged from his garment, and a trio of > throwing stars spun towards Ranma as the Chinese boy leaped > forward in a kick. > > Twisting, Ranma flung his hand out, popping free the > stopper of the bottle and letting the contents splash outward > in a halo of steam. Mercutio: Looks like Shan’s cover is blown. > A bladed star sliced into his left arm, and then Shan > crashed into him, dripping from the shower of warm water. His > hand clamped around her right wrist, and he smiled. > > ^_- > > "I suspected this was the case." > > From the blackness of a doorway, Akane emerged onto > the catwalk as Ranma casually pushed Shan against a wall. Mackie: Well, SHE lost her fight pretty damn quickly, didn’t she? > "I suspected, but I wasn't sure. Not until you were > 'kidnapped'. I really think you'd rather die than be taken alive, > and I doubted 'Tsen' would actually hold you. No, you had to be > the exact same person." > > She watched as he picked up a long, cylinder-shaped > piece of machinery from the floor. "That makes it a lot easier, > really. I know exactly who to blame for Ukyou's death." > > "She.. she fall in, I put her out of her..." Mercutio: Well, THIS makes the whole mercy bit a lot more sinister. > The metal object lashed out, pinning the Amazon's left > hand to the wall. His finger tightened around part of it... > > There was a noise like a holepunch piercing construction > paper, and Shan screamed. > > "I'll be. This riveter still works. Good craftsmanship, I > guess." Mercutio: Damn that incredibly efficient Japanese industrial complex!!! > Whistling, he walked across the floor, picked up a metal > spike, and pushed it into the appropriate slot. He strolled back, > grabbed Shan's other hand, stretched it out... > > Akane opened her mouth. No noise came out. She wanted > to say something, to yell down to him, but nothing emerged. > She stood, helpless, vocal chords frozen. Mercutio: Well well well. Looks like Akane will FINALLY get to see psycho nut-job Ranma in action. > Shan screamed again, and Ranma stepped back, as if > admiring his work. Her arms stretched out on either side, > hands above her shoulders, making her look for all the world > like a steel-mill version of the crucifixion. Mackie: Gee, no imagery THERE. > "I have to admit, you sure kept the letter of your > promise. I mean, about not attacking me, not while female. > Handy, that." > > "Bastard," the Amazon choked, "Just kill... just kill and > get it over with..." Mercutio: But what fun would THAT be? > "Oh, but Shan Pu, we've got so much to talk about! Like > how you took the last clean thing I had and crushed it into a > mangled, bloody pulp. Like how you murdered my friend." A > slight chuckle rose, and he rammed another rivet into the gun. > "Poor Ucchan. Should have stayed in my mind, back by the side > of the road when everything was good and happy. Shouldn't have > come into the pit. Now there's nothing left, nothing but what I > found afterwards..." Mackie: Ah, ominous ranting. Gotta love THAT. > The rivet gun pushed into Shan's stomach, and a wet, > muffled thump echoed through the chamber, followed by > gurgling, choking shrieks of agony. > > "Really, Shan, such carrying on." > > Akane watched, transfixed. Hikaru: It’s a lot like a car wreck; you don’t WANNA watch, but you can’t help it. > Another rivet slid into the gun, and it slipped down > below the bloody hole in her belly, down to where her legs > began. Almost teasingly, he lifted her dress slightly, squinting. > The bubbling screams lifted higher, raw terror filling them. > > "This will probably hurt. Hope you've got a tampon or two > handy." Hikaru Oh, God. I feel SO horrible for laughing at that. Mercutio: We all do. Don’t sweat it. > Another thump, and the trickle of blood spattering > against the floor became a steady stream. > > Akane stared down, unable to think, unable to feel, and > then her eyes locked with Shan's. > > "no.... work.... on... humans..." Hikaru: And now her training is complete. > The sentence fell apart into the horrible, bubbling cries, > but the eyes stayed fixed on hers. > > "Hmm? No, don't bother explaining. Playtime over, bitch." Mackie: FINISH H...... no, no. Not even I’M that crass. > Shan's eyes stared into her own, bored into her, screamed > at her even as Ranma pushed the riveter into Shan's mouth. > They met Akane's gaze right up until his finger clenched and > the wall behind her was splattered with streams of red and > white and sticky grey. Mercutio: Our...*ulp* final score... Team Ranma: 2 Team Hibiki: 1 > As if sensing something, Ranma turned around, glanced > up. His eyes widened in surprise. > > She looked at him. > > Then he shrugged, the crooked smile seeming to say well, > what did you expect? > > Akane turned and fled. A low chuckle followed her, > drifting in the distance as she ran away into black tunnels. Mercutio: Well, fineFREAKINGaly. Maybe NOW she gets it. > ^_^ > > She ran, shrieking inside her head, ran and ran until > finally her feet stumbled and sent her crashing to the stone > floor. For a long time she simply lay there, a slight whimper > rising into the air from time to time. > > He killed Shan. She replayed it over and over again, and > each time saw the same thing, saw the back of her head > explode in a shower of crimson and grey matter... Mercutio: Uggh. We didn’t need to see that again. > But it wasn't that he had killed her. > > No, it wasn't even that. > > It was the look on his face. > He'd enjoyed it. > > He'd enjoyed every second of it. Mackie: Ding-ding! We HAVE comprehension, ladies and gents!!! > Which led to the question, what sort of person enjoyed > something like that? How could she fit that hard, unpleasant > fact into the person she'd fallen in love with? > > Kuno's broken leg. Ryouga. Nabiki. A hundred hundred > things, and maybe he felt sorry about them, and maybe he > didn't, but that hard, stark fact still remained. That he'd > enjoyed it. Had he smiled like that as they made love? Had he > enjoyed the injuries he caused in their sparring, enjoyed them > as much as the lovemaking afterwards? Enjoyed them more? Hikaru: It’s called sadism. Look it up. > God, god, how right had Nabiki been about him? > > Nabiki... > > Her hand slowly fished into her jacket pocket, withdrew > a somewhat battered minirecorder. Mackie: Ah yes, the amazing minirecorder. Still intact AND in perfect working order after having been hit with an umbrella, taking several serious falls, and being landed on. That is one durable piece of equipment. Mercutio: Obviously made by DeusExMachina Enterprises. Nothing of theirs EVER breaks, even under incredible stress. > Akane hesitated for a few seconds, and then pressed the > button. She had a feeling that her life was a thing now to be > measured in minutes, and she wanted to hear her sister again. > > "Hi, Akane." It was Nabiki's voice, somewhat scratchy > from the recorder but definitely her. It hurt to hear. > > "I'm going to assume that I'm dead, and that you're alone > as you play this. If one of these isn't the case, turn the tape > off now." > > A short period of silence followed, broken only by the > thud of her heartbeat. > > "Okay. Look, Akane, I'm not going to coddle you. I know > you're probably a bit out of it right now... well, maybe that's > just me being a bit egotistical." A soft chuckle drifted up from > the tape. "No, okay, I'll be honest. I know you don't like me > sometimes, but I also know that you love me." Mercutio: Mackie: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww........ Hikaru: > There was a short, embarrassed sound, and Akane smiled > slightly, tears trickling down her cheeks. She had known. That > was important, somehow. > > "Anyway, I know you're probably upset. Lord only knows > what Daddy and Kasumi are like. I'll tell you exactly what > Ranma's like, though. Comforting, sad, maybe blaming himself > for what happened. For the accident." Mercutio: Wow. Now THAT’S eerie. > Akane stared at the tape, the blood draining from her > cheeks. > > "Yes, I know how I died. A car, perhaps, or a fall, or > drowning... something stupid, something accidental. It wasn't, > Akane. I'm making this tape, scared," and the calm voice of her > sister shook, here, "scared to death because I know how I'm > going to be murdered." Mackie: This is a LOT like a Hitchcock movie. > A deep breath, almost like a sigh, drifted out of the > recorder. > > "But Ranma does something by killing me, as he will if he > gets the whim and opportunity to. He removes any ulterior > motives I might have. I'm dead, Akane. Shit, it sounds weird to > say this... I'm dead. There will be no more deals, no more > scams. I have nothing to gain. I have no reason to lie. All that's > left is the fact that I'm your sister, and I love you." > > Nabiki, she thought, crying silently. Oh Nabiki... Hikaru: Now I feel kinda bad about the ‘ding-dong the witch is dead’ comment. > "I worked with the Hibikis, Akane. They're really not bad > people. I made them promise to leave you and the rest of the > family alone, and in return I fed them information. Remember > 'Azusa', at the Ichishi Building? That was me, in a padded suit > and wig. I drafted them into getting you out, although they > didn't need much persuading. As I said, they're basically good > people." > > She had killed Mariko, killed her, no, don't think about > that... Mackie: And we all LIKED Mariko, too. > "Since I'm dead," a nervous chuckle, "it probably means > that he found out about that. I'm sorry, Akane, but I had to do > it. I know you're in love with him, but he's killed me and he's > going to kill you, if you let him." > > The tape was silent for a few seconds. > > "Go to the Hibikis. See if you can get their protection; I'm > sure they'd give it in a heartbeat. Or take the cash you'll find in > the yellow tin in my dresser, and get as far away from Tokyo > as you can. Either way, you can't go on like you have. It's too > dangerous." Mercutio: If this isn’t the quintessential “too little info, FAR too late” thing, I don’t know WHAT is. > A teardrop splashed against the ashes covering the floor, > the liquid mixing with the grey char. > > "I'm sorry, Akane. About all of this. And about what I've > done over the last few years, because maybe you'd have > believed me if I'd been someone worth believing in. We may > have words before you play this - I've felt a fight coming on > for weeks, now - and whatever gets said... I love you. This isn't > your fault, okay? None of it. You didn't kill me." Mercutio: Unless you bring up the whle “Sins by Omission” thing. Hikaru: Which we won’t. > A small sigh came from the tape. "Enough. Hopefully, > you'll never play this. Goodbye, Akane. Watch your back." > > And then there was nothing. > > Akane quietly turned off the recorder, and stared at the > walls. She didn't want to believe her sister. She didn't want to, > but she had no choice. Nabiki had no reason to lie, had been too > painfully honest... and Shan was dead, tortured to death by a > boy with a crooked smile. > > Ranma had killed Nabiki. > > She didn't know it for a fact. But she now believed him > capable of it. Mercutio: At last, at LONG last, Akane finally gets a clue. Hikaru: Welcome to the climax, follks. Mackie: It just doesn’t get any darker than this. > ^_- > > The tower stairs were long and winding, and the only > way down to the concrete pier. He casually strolled into the > room at their top, and began to circle around towards the > stairwell. > > He stopped as another figure stepped from a window > ledge, hands clasped before her. > > "Ranma." > > "Akane." Mercutio: And so it begins. > They looked at each other for a long time, the shadows > and sunbeams dancing back and forth across the room from the > holes in the ceilings. > > He shrugged, finally. "I'm leaving Nerima. You can still > come with me, if you like." Mackie: Sure. She’s going to go be the psychotic killers sex toy. Yeah. Right. > She slowly shook her head. A strange, almost pained > expression flickered across his face, and then he flashed her > the crooked smile. > > "Ah well. Goodbye, then, Akane." > > Again, she shook her head. > > He frowned. Slowly, she opened her hand, revealing the > cel phone Mariko had tossed her. It fell to the ground, and she > brought her foot down on it, hard, shattering it. > > He studied her, a hard look coming into his eyes. "You've > called someone." > > Akane nodded. "The police will be here in a few minutes." Mercutio: Well, I’ll be damned. I was starting to think that this version of Nerima didn’t actually HAVE any cops. > "Well. I'd better leave, then. Again, goodbye." > > He took a few steps forward. Akane did not move from > her position in his path, and he slowly came to a halt. > > "You're going to try to stop me." Mackie: Well DUUUUUHHHHH!!!!!!!! > She nodded. "You're not well, Ranma. You need this." > > An incredulous laugh. "I need to go to prison?" > > "Not prison," she said quietly. "A hospital." > > His face paled, and he swallowed. "No. I won't. Never." > > "You need to," she said, her eyes meeting his. "Ranma, you > have to." > > "No," he replied, smiling tightly. "I can leave now. And I > will." > > He took a step forward, and she slid into a fighting > stance. Ranma laughed, puzzled and incredulous. Hikaru: He wouldn’t be, if he knew what she could do with that mallet. Mercutio: There IS no mallet in IMBS, remember? Hikaru: Uh-oh. That ain’t good. > "What the hell do you think you're doing, Akane? I taught > you pretty well, but you couldn't beat me on my worst day. And > this is not my worst day." > > "I know," she replied evenly. "But I can slow you down. I > can keep you from leaving until the police arrive." > > He stared at her. She returned it, unblinking. > > "I can end this quickly, you know." A Chinese knife > slipped into his hand. "There are other ways to end a fight > besides knocking you senseless." Mercutio: Death n’ Dismemberment, the psychotics best friends. > "I know." > > "Get out of my way, Akane. Now." > > "No." > > He leapt. > > She met his attack, arms thrusting out in a flurry of > strikes and parries, one foot pivoting as she launched into a > spinkick. The knife sliced a long cut along one arm, and then it > went flying as she landed a chop on his wrist. Ignoring a blow > to her stomach, she awkwardly seized him and shoved him > back. > > He began to circle, arms slowly moving, watching as the > blood trickled down her sleeve. "I will kill you, Akane. If you > think I won't, you're wrong." > > "I know you can kill me." Mackie: Would yet another ‘Duh’ be redundant at this point? > A blinding series of strikes, and she felt his foot come > within inches of snapping her neck. Summoning all the skill > and ability at her command, she pushed off the attack, broke > free. She had never reached such heights. > > Ranma stared at her. "Shan taught you something. You > should have fallen down by now." Mercutio: Thank you, Bakusai Ten-Ketsu. > "Yes." > > He shrugged. "It figures that you'd be harder to kill than > Nabiki. You did know I killed Nabiki, didn't you? Shoved her out > into the middle of the street. Wham. She looked real funny, > flopping around like that." > > "I believe you." Her voice was steady. "And why did you > jump after her?" > > His smile slipped slightly, and then reappeared. "Alibi. > Had to look above suspicion, you know?" Hikaru: And then there’s that little grain of doubt the author’s needed to inject into your charachters hideousness, y’know? > "You could have just not told anyone you were there. Or > said that one of the Hibikis or Tsen pushed her. There were > much better ways than nearly killing yourself and hurting your > fighting potential at a point when so many people were trying > to kill you." > > He chuckled. "Akane, are you trying to talk yourself into > believing I won't hurt you? Let me spell things out. I really > don't care one way or the other. It might be kinda fun to kill > you. The only thing you have that I wanted was that tight little > hole between your legs, and I've already had that." Mackie: Dammit! Now the entire lemon section is tainted by evil perversions of love and trust... wait a second. I love that stuff. Never mind. > He launched a spinning kick at her, and sent her > staggering with a downwards punch when she dodged. > > "Don't get me wrong, you're a reasonably good fuck. > Squirming and writhing around like that, thinking that it > actually meant something... not bad for a whore." Mackie: Actualy, the word he’s looking for is ‘slut.’ A whore demands payment. Mercutio: Now THAT was uncalled for. > A hail of punches ripped through her defenses, a hand > clamped around her arm, twisting, spinning... > > There was an obscene snapping sound and she crashed > into the wall, screaming in agony. She felt her nose break, and > could tell that something was seriously wrong with her left > arm as she fell to the floor. In the spinning room, she could > barely make out the unnatural angle of it, could see a small > splinter of white bone that had broken through the skin. > Another cry of pain ripped from her lips. > > He turned away to leave, and then Akane did the hardest > thing she had ever done in her life. She stood up. > > Slowly, her arm hanging limp and useless at her side, > blood running down her face, she moved into a fighting stance. > > He stared at her in disbelief. "Are you a masochist or > something?" Mercutio: We could answer that, but when it involves Akane, we’d need ten minutes, a slide projector, and some charts. > "Ranma... you... need help." Blood trickled unheeded down > her cheeks over her mouth. "You need to..." > > "What the fuck do you care what I need?" > > "I love you." Mercutio: I guess this is the part where the virtuos maidens love causes the maniac to break down and agree to seek beneficial help, > He stared at her. "Haven't you heard a word I've been > saying? You're less than garbage to me, Akane. I'm going to kill > you. Get out of my way!" Mercutio: Then again...... > She shook her head, blood spattering her shirt. "Ranma, > let me help you. Please. I'll go with you to the hospital, I'll > help you, just go with them..." > > "I CAN'T!" he screamed at her. "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I > CAN'T! I CAN'T! I'VE TRIED, AND I CAN'T! GET OUT OF THE WAY! > DAMN YOU, DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS!" > > "You don't have to." > > "I don't have a choice," he grated, staring at her with a > desperate, barely-contained look. "Last warning, Akane. Get out > of my way or I'll kill you. It's your choice." > > "No, Ranma. It's your choice. It's always been your > choice." Mercutio: “I tire of waiting. MAKE YOUR CHOICE!!!” Hikaru: You are NOT the Phantom of the Opera. > He looked at her. > > She nodded, felt the blood drip from her nose and arm, > and waited to die. > > For a few seconds he stared at her, and then Saotome > Ranma made his decision. > > The control fell away. The carefully made ropes and > shackles fell loose, and a deep, feral, enraged fire lit in his > eyes. Mercutio: Hello, Cat-Fist!!!! > He leapt for her, screaming, madness and fury and > bloodlust ripping across his face, teeth bared in an animal > snarl. He leapt, intent on killing, just a mindless creature of > hate and fear and desire to murder. > > ^_^ Mackie: AGAIN with the smiley.... > It was a leap without the slightest amount of skill, > without the tiniest bit of Art. It was an animal's leap, a > crazed, wounded, maddened one. > > Akane drew back her good hand and struck him as hard as > she could on the side of the head. > > He landed, tearing at her with hands and teeth, and she > hit him again and again at the base of his skull, sending him > howling to his knees. It was almost painfully easy. His skill > had evaporated, the control he had built through the Art > deliberately released for the first time in years. Mercutio: That’s quite the mental picture. Way different from the other portrayals of the Neko-Ken shown over the years. Hikaru: We stil don’t even know that it IS the Neko-Ken which drove him mad. Mercutio: Uh-huh. And what other alternatives do YOU have to offer? Hikaru: Touche. > Slowly, still clawing at her, he sank to the ground in a > boneless heap. > > She understood, at the last, what he had done. He could no > more have let himself be captured and treated than a fish > could try to leave the water. In the end, there was just a > choice between killing her and escaping... or releasing his > control over his madness. And with it, his fighting ability. For > martial arts was, above all else, control. And Ranma had surely > known that better than anyone. > > "Thank you," she said quietly. She didn't know if he could > be helped. She would try. > > And the sound of a shotgun being pumped suddenly echoed > through the tower room. Mercutio: Oh, DAMN!!!!! Mackie: I thought for SURE she was dead. Hikaru: I think we can safely say nobody saw THAT coming. > Akane slowly looked up. "Should I be relieved or afraid?" > > "You can get out of my line of fire," Mariko said, holding > the umbrella in her one good arm. The other hung limp at her > side, combining with the bruises, lumps, and gashes to give her > the impression of being more dead than alive. "So I can kill > him. Or you can stay where you are, and I can kill both of you. > It's been a really bad day." Mercutio: No KIDDING. > "It's over. The cops will be here any minute, and he's > going to go somewhere where he won't hurt anyone again. I saw > what Nabiki tried to tell me, Mariko. I know now." > > The Hibiki girl smiled slightly. "Fine. So get out of the > way." > > "No. Like I said, it's over. He's going to a hospital, so they > can try to make him better. I think he's going to be there for a > very long time. He won't be allowed to hurt anyone ever again, > and you have about five minutes until the police show up. Kill > him, and I'll tell them you murdered him in cold blood. Unless > you murder me too, of course. Well, _friend_?" > > Mariko raised the umbrella, carefully aimed it. Then > lowered it in disgust. Hikaru: Now that was easier than we would’ve thought. > "Oh, hell. Okay. But they'd damn well better hold onto him. > If he breaks out... feh, I'll decide later. I should just kill you > two right now, but jail doesn't really appeal to me. And I like > you too much." > > Akane managed a weak chuckle. "Thanks. I think. Your > brother is down in the old bank vault, locked in; go get him out, > and I won't tell the police that you two were here. Hide in the > tunnels, and then after they leave you can sneak out." Mackie: You think she means the fire-filled, impassable, impossible-to-hide-in-without-being-torched tunnels? > Mariko nodded, eying her speculatively. "You really found > out, huh?" > > "He killed Nabiki, I think." Mercutio: You THINK? > The other girl nodded. "I'll see you again, Akane. Count on > that." > > With a twirl of her umbrella, she turned and vanished > down the tunnel. Akane looked down at the boy in the red shirt > sprawled before her, ran a hand gently along his forehead, and > waited as the sounds of boats and sirens grew nearer and > nearer. > > -< End of Chapter 13 >- Mercutio: Wow. I say it again: WOW. Mackie: Now THAT, my friends, is how one does a darkfic. I think Bitter End has a little competition here. Hikaru: There was a lot less death than I expected. Mercutio: True. And we still dont know the final fate of Nabiki. Hikaru: Guess we’ll just have to read the previews. Mercutio: Yep. Guess so. -End LST1/2K-