Greetings, kind folks! Sorry about the confusion, but my recent Jet Moto
post was actually chapter three. This is chapter four.

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it!

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        Ranma 1/2 and Jet Moto do not belong to me, and are used without
permission.

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	Black clouds began to roll across the sky, darkening the ground below. The
shadows of the ruined buildings deepened, stretching across the pavement to
form a blanket of darkness. With those shadows, came some of the less savory
citizens of Nerima.

	They looked as though they came from a cyberpunk's nightmare. Many of them
sported dull metal appendages of various shapes and uses. Some had
mechanical eyepieces over one or both of their eyes. 

	The one who led the five out of the alleys was large, by even American
standards. He was almost two meters tall, packed with muscle and cybernetic
enhancements. The right side of his bald head was polished metal, with a red
cyber-eye where his natural one once was. His left arm was artificial, as
polished as the side of his head. A leather vest was stretched across his
barrel chest, camouflage pants and boots completing the image.

	He was in much better condition that the rest of his gang. The light from
the sun glinted dully on the exposed steel and plastic buried in their
corrupted flesh. The muffled whine of servo-motors sounded through the
leather and denim as they moved toward the bike, hard clusters of metal and
silicon beneath their clothes where there should have been bone and sinew.

	They carried the sickly smell of mottled and rotting flesh. Many of their
implants were low-budget black market jobs, attached by back street hacks
instead of trained medical personell. The parts were by no means guaranteed,
once they quit, that was it. No guarantees were made on how long these
home-grown cyborgs would live after conversion, either. It was as the old
addage said, you get what you pay for.

	The leader walked over to the wreck of the motorcycle, smashed against the
carcass of the truck. Kneeling, he began to inspect the engine. Finding it
undamaged, he waved his hand, calling over the others.

	Two of them, in full death-rocker regalia, began to pick apart the
motorcycle. Giggling like junkies on a groovy fix, they pulled at the parts
of the ruined machine.

	"Heeyyyy..." one of them said, "who that?" The big one looked over at the
unconscious form lying across the street. 

	"Mebbe owner," he said in a voice like a rockslide. He drew a thumb across
his throat in a quick slicing motion, then pointed at him. The smaller punk
nodded, a sadistic leer splitting his face. Leaving the other four to
scavenge the bike, the leering punk and another left the leader and the
other four, and started toward the unconscious Ranma Saotome.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Ryoga looked at the darkening sky through the windshield of the jet black
Mercedes as it rocketed through Nerima. As they progressed deeper into the
heart of the once-clean place, the damage and ruin grew worse and worse. It
was in the center of the ward where the gangs dwelled. It was also where the
signal from Ranma's motorcycle was coming from.

	"Putting a homing-signal on Ranma's bike," Ryoga said. "I'm not gonna ask,
but I'm glad Nabiki did it." He remembered her saying something about
"protecting an investment" as she activated the signal back at the complex.
An image of her came unbidden to his mind, which he pushed away with a
little reluctance.

	"So, Ranko was his sister," Akane said. Ryoga had
just finished giving a scaled-down version of the story to Akane and Kasumi.
He kept certain key details to himself, telling them only what they needed
to know.

	There was a lot that they didn't need to know...

	"We'll reach the signal in a moment," Mikado said from the driver's seat.
He looked as though he wanted to be anyplace else as he guided the German
car through the streets and increasing obstacles. Ryoga stared at the
glowing dot on the display, as though that would enable them to reach it
sooner. It wasn't moving, which was both a relief and concern to him. At
least he'd be easier to find, but when thoughts of all that his sister had
been through-as well as her sudden (and to Ryoga, rather suspicious)
death-he hardly ever stopped moving until he calmed down. Ryoga almost did a
double take when the red dot disappeared.

	"What the hell?!" Akane and Kasumi leaned forward to see what Ryoga was
talking about.

	"Hey, where's the signal?" asked Akane.

	"I don't know," Ryoga answered, worried. "Mikado!"

	"Just a few more seconds," he said as the car bounced off a curb while he
turned to the right. Soon after, the headlights fell on six people, two
holding up another.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Ranma vaguely noticed a pair of arms wrapping around him in a half-nelson
from behind. He knew he had wrecked his bike, and that he was hurt, but for
some reason it didn't seem all that important.

	His mind felt as though it were wrapped in a warm, cozy blanket. Everything
seemed muffled and distant, no concern of his. The warning that something
was very wrong was as muffled as everything else, and he paid it no mind.
Nothing could bother him...

	A blast of pain shredded through the mental fog, as did another soon after.
And another, and another... Finally, a blinding light filled his eyes...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Oh, shit." Ryoga was out of the car before it had come to a full stop. He
took in the situation before him, five cyberpunks, four scavenging Ranma's
bike, and two holding him up. One of the two was brandishing a tazer.

	They were surprised by the sudden appearance of the car. Using that to his
advantage, Ryoga rushed over to the two holding his friend and rival. He
reached into the brown bomber jacket he wore, feeling the shaft of the
weapon in his hand. Before the one holding the tazer could bring it to bear,
Ryoga had the stun-baton in his hand and ready.

	The stun-baton was actually a rod that retracted into the handle when not
in use. It gave off a bright red glow, delivering a whopping four thousand
volts with every hit. It wasn't particularly lethal, but in the hands of a
skilled fighter, it was more than enough to make most punks, junkies, and
freaks think twice. Ryoga's intended target was dressed in baggy purple
pants, and jacket to match. His multi-colored hair stuck up in all
directions, his pale and pock-marked face a study in what excessive amounts
of bad dope can do to one's brain. Grinning, he brought the tazer around,
intending to fry Ryoga.

	He never had the chance. Ryoga brought his weapon down on the junkie's head
in a downward slicing motion. Before he could hit the ground, Ryoga brought
the weapon across, catching him in the side. The junkie spun around once,
then landed on the pavement, face-down. Quickly, he turned his attention to
the one holding Ranma in the half-nelson.

	Ryoga took a moment to study his friend. He hung there like a limp doll,
softly moaning. Ryoga couldn't tell much about how serious Ranma's condition
was, but he was thankful that Kasumi had come along with a medkit. The freak
was holding Ranma up like a shield, obviously afraid. Ryoga took a menacing
step forward, while he took a clumsy one back.

	"Kiya!" The battle cry startled Ryoga as Akane rushed up from behind the
one holding Ranma. He saw her swing a rather large piece of rusted pipe,
connecting with the back of the guy's skull. He fell to the ground in a
boneless heap. Ryoga reached forward, catching Ranma before he also hit the
pavement. 

	Gently, he set Ranma on the ground. Kasumi was over him in seconds, opening
the medkit. A noise from behind caused him to turn around. He saw the
remaining four cyberpunks standing before him, each brandishing a weapon of
some sort, save for the giant in the middle.

	//Four on three,\\ Ryoga thought as he cast glances at Akane and Mikado,
who were on his left and right respectively. //I've seen worse odds.\\ He
passed his weapon to Akane, who took it silently. He was pretty good with
his fists, and she didn't seem too bad, either. However, he wanted her to
have some sort of weapon.

	The giant in the center of the gang's ranks began to laugh, a deep rumbling
sound that bounced off the walls of the buildings around them. The sky
continued to darken, lightning flashing in the distance. The thunder rumbled
a second later, matching the laughter of the enormous man before them.

	"Time to play," he said, leering at Akane. On that signal, the two with him
charged. Ryoga and Akane tensed, preparing to meet their opponents. 

	One of them, a rail-thin man with wild eyes and metal arms, charged Akane,
obscenities spewing from his mouth. Having some training in self-defense,
she assumed a stance that would allow her to come in under her opponent's
attack. 

	She made the mistake of underestimating him, though, as a metal fist
clipped her jaw. Rolling with the punch, she brought the baton around as she
did, catching him in the back. Shrieking, he staggered forward with his arms
flailing. Akane rushed forward, baton at the ready to end the fight.

	Without warning, he tucked into a roll, coming back to his feet and
beginning a spin. Akane realized that his cyberware, while probably not
entirely reliable, boosted his reflexes considerably. She brought the baton
around, catching his metal fist coming the other way. 

	The baton hit with the sound of a massive electrical jolt. Screaming, he
grabbed his arm, which had begiun to smoke at the elbow joint. He soon began
to convulse, as the malfunction in his arm spread. Akane  turned to find
another opponent, knowing that he was finished.

	Mikado had fallen back, guarding Kasumi and the still unconcsious Ranma. A
thug, mostly human, charged, pipe at the ready.

	"I'll never let harm fall on such a beautiful woman!" he shouted, pulling
out a pistol. It was obvious that he'd never had to use it. Bringing it to
bear, he had forgotten that the safety was still on. 

	The pipe connected solidly with Mikado's shoulder, spinning him around. It
then connected quickly with his back, sending him sprawling toward the
Mercedes. The punk then cast his drug-fueled gaze on Kasumi, who just stared
up at him. Raising the pipe, he took a step toward her...

	Akane saw Ryoga and the leader circling each other. The large cyber-punk
looked to be well-equipped, probably a match for just about anyone who came
into his turf. All in all, Ryoga looked out-gunned. She almost went to him,
but on checking Kasumi, her heart caught in her throat. A thug loomed over
her, pipe raised.

	Screaming, Akane charged, knowing even as she did that she'd be too late.
Kasumi wasn't a fighter, and wouldn't be able to defend herself against the
onslaught. Her sister covered her head as the pipe began its rapid descent.

	In desperation, Akane threw the baton. The glowing weapon spun toward his
head, looking somewhat like a Will O' Wisp. When it hit, the pipe clanged to
the pavement harmelssly, with him following soon after. She slid to a stop
next to Kasumi, kneeling to check her condition. Kasumi nodded once, and
trotted over to Mikado, who was struggling to his feet. Akane checked
Ranma's vitals, seeing that he was still alive and stable, she turned her
gaze to Ryoga again.

	//I don't believe it...\\

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Ryoga and the huge cyber-punk circled each other, each looking for a
weakness in the other's defense. Ryoga had seen Akane fry one of them with
his stun-baton, the freak still convulsing on the pavement.

	The leader of the gang grinned, a sight not for the faint of heart. His
teeth were black and jagged, his gums not much better. Ryoga forced himself
not to gag at the sight. As he came around, he heard Akane scream in a
mixture of fear and rage. Averting his eyes, he saw his stun baton smack
another thug in the side of his head, dropping both him and the pipe he had
raised above his head.

	Ryoga barely had time to dodge the leader's first swing. He stepped back as
a fist the size of a ham sailed past his head, missing by just centimeters.
He wasn't fast enough, however, to dodge the cyber-arm that caught him in
the stomach. Doubling over, he flew backward, coming to a stop almost a
meter away.

	Grimacing, he rose to his feet. The leer on the face of the leader faded
when Ryoga bared his fangs, a low growl escaping his lips.

	"That's it, freak," he said. "Now. I'm. PISSED!" Ryoga hurled himself
toward the large cyborg. Grinning, the cyber-thug launched his artificial
fist at Ryoga's head, meaning to shatter it like an overripe melon.

	Ryoga caught the three-fingered fist in one hand, and stopped it cold. The
look of manic glee on the leader's face changed to surprise. He tried to
jerk his fist free, but Ryoga's grip was inescapable. With a savage twist,
Ryoga bent the cybernetic limb backward. Several veins popped out on his
neck as he strained his muscles. He twisted again, and the sound of tearing
metal filled the air. The leader screamed as the arm was torn apart. In a
blinding instant, a fist caught him in the face, sending him flying.

	Ryoga turned to find Akane and Kasumi staring at him open-mouthed. He
realized that he was still clutching the part of the cyber-thug's arm that
he'd torn off. Abashed, he dropped the ruined metal appendage.

	"C'mon, let's get these two in the car," he said, trying to bring his
temper down. In moments, they had Mikado and Ranma loaded in the back of the
Mercedes.

	"I'll drive," Kasumi cheerfully volunteered.

===========================================================================

	"I feel like crap." Ranma slowly rose in the bed, his muscles throbbing. He
felt somewhat light-headed, and reached up to touch the white gauze bandage
wrapped around his head.

	"You're lucky, you know that?" Ranma looked over to see Ryoga sitting in a
chair next to his bed. The bomber jacket was hung over the back of the
simple wooden chair.

	"That ain't the first time I've wrecked a bike," Ranma said, some of his
old confidence returning.

	"It was damn near the last, though," Ryoga countered. "Damnit, Ranma, when
are you gonna stop letting Ranko's death get to you?"

	"When are you?" 

	"That's not fair, Saotome."

	"I know how you felt about her, Ryoga."

	"She was like a sister to me," Ryoga said, a little too quickly.

	Ranma rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever you say. Remember 'Yoiko'?" Ryoga
blushed in embarrasment. As a practical joke, Ranko disguised herself as
Ryoga's long lost sister, Yoiko, even though Ryoga had no siblings. "You
were gullible enough to fall for it, too. How long were you mad at her, man?
A week?"

	Ryoga had to agree with Ranma there. Even after that, he couldn't stay mad
at her. Also, she had been so nice to him afterward. She was obviously
trying to make up for it.

	"Besides, you know what I think about what happened," Ryoga said, trying to
change the subject.

	"You're reachin'," Ranma said. "Pop was scum, but he wouldn't have done that."

	"After everything else he's done, I think he would." Ryoga snarled.

	"Look, let's just drop this, all right?" Ranma's temper was beginning to
flare up. He knew the last thing he needed right then was a fight.

	"Yeah," Ryoga sighed. "Listen, you better get some sleep. That hard head of
yours is healing nicely, but you got a lot of juice shot through you out
there. Just take it easy for a while." Ryoga rose, grabbed his coat, and
exited the room. Ranma lay there in the dim light, trying to stem the tide
of memories. He and Genma would meet again one day, and they'd settle some
old scores.

	Once and for all...

============================================================================

	Nabiki sat in her office, mulling over the events of the day. Ranma had
gotten himself on the injured list, but would be back in racing condition in
merely a day or two, still plenty of time before the team's next scheduled
race. She had to admit, he was a pretty quick healer, if Kasumi was any judge. 

	She recalled the story about "Ranko" that Akane had just passed on to her.
The story had many holes in it, though she suspected that wasn't Akane's
doing. Her little sister was a terrible liar, and Nabiki would have known
the second she even stretched the truth.

	Ryoga obviously held back on the details. One thing Nabiki hated was not
having the whole picture. From all that had happened today, it appeared that
Ranma had some serious issues in his past, and she needed to find out what
they were.

	Activating her terminal, she began the search.

============================================================================

	Now for the soundtrack:

	The scene where the gang of cyberpunks find Ranma was written to the song
"I'm Your Boogieman" by White Zombie. The song can be found on the
soundtrack to "The Crow: City of Angels."

	The scene in Ranma's room was written to the song "Planet Caravan" by Black
Sabbath. The song is on the Paranoid album