Ranma 1/2 is used without permission

C&C is, as always, welcome and appreciated

Visit Jed's Fanfic page! http://web.infoave.net/~jedediah

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        The streets below were bathed in the garish glow of streetlamps and
neon signs in the windows of the bars and other assorted clubs. Throngs of
bodies filled the street, their noises reaching into the air as a jumbled
mass of confused sounds.
        From his perch above, Ranma scanned the swarm of men and women in
search of his targets. His fists gripped the ledge he crouched on tighter
and tighter, his knuckles whitening as the mortar began to crack. He had
searched for hours on end for them, checking the spots the old man said they
might be.
        Leaping from rooftop to rooftop several stories above the unyielding
pavement for four hours didn't do anything good for his small supply of
patience. His rage at the three grew steadily as the night slowly passed. It
would be dawn soon, and he would have to return to the hospital before Akane
woke up. She couldn't get suspicious, lest she find out the deal he had made
with the old man.
        As Ranma glared at the jabbering mass of flesh below, concealed in
shadow, his mind began to wander. He had gone roughly twenty-four hours
without sleep or a decent meal, and his focus was beginning to waver a
little. He wondered how Akane would react if she learned about the deal.
That he was killing so that she could live.
        //She'd hate you,\\ said a voice in the back of his mind, the same
one that spoke to him the night he killed Echi Goya.
        //That's why she ain't gonna find out,\\ Ranma silently replied.
//Now will you SHUT UP!?\\ He began a series of isometrics exercises to keep
the muscles in his legs limber, twiching them in a rhythmic pattern that his
father had taught him.
        Another hour had passed, and Ranma's patience was completely gone.
He'd seen niether hide nor hair of any of those bastards, and his time was
running out. Much as it galled him, he had to give up the hunt for the night
if he wanted to get back to the hospital before daybreak.

        Rising to his feet, Ranma cast one last look at the entrance to the
pachinko hall he had watched for over an hour before making the short climb
to the rooftop. As he prepared to make the first leap, his eyes fell on a
guy in a white muscle shirt and baggy jeans stepping out of the hall.
        Ranma waited for a moment, thinking that he may have found one of
them. The man's face was obscured as he walked into the crowded streets.
Whether by fate or design, he looked upward...
        Ranma's blood began charging through his veins, the rage that had
been building all night nearly exploding through the surface of Ranma's
control. The same disdainful smirk adorned his face, a cigarette dangling
from his mouth. For an a brief moment, their eyes locked, and the guy went
on his way, turning right at the entrance of the pachinko hall and
maneuvering his way through the sea of bodies. Ranma leapt up to the
rooftop, all the while keeping his eyes on the target. There was no way he
would get away...

        Kenji Sakimoto dodged and weaved through the crowd, his face and
body a study in conceit. Lighting the cigarette, he dook a deep pull,
feeling the nicotine calm his raging nerves.
        He had no idea what had come over him, Aota, and Nakanishi earlier.
When they saw that girl, they couldn't resist the overwhelming urges that
swept them away like a fierce riptide.
        They had never done anything like that before. Sure, they had done
some vandalism, broken some windows and painted slogans on walls, but never
anything serious. The look and attitude was mainly just for show, and to get
babes.
        When they went on that girl, though, it was as if he wasn't in
control of himself. It felt as if some other force was guiding them, making
their will its own and taking their bodies along for the ride. What sickened
him most, though, was that he... enjoyed it...
        All night, he had been looking over his shoulder, wondering when the
cops would come for him. It was a matter of time, really. He had probably
left enough evidence on her to have him sent away for the next ten thousand
years or so. The thought of spending the rest of his life in prison chilled
him to his core, especially when stories of what convicts do to rapists came
to mind.
        Another quick glance revealed a blue and white car rolling rather
slowly down the pavement, a row of blue lights atop it. Panic swelled in
Kenji's chest as he quickly moved to the mouth of a nearby alley, hoping to
lose himself in the shadows.
        He stumbled through the darkness of the alley, hands before him
feeling for any obstacles. His hands connected with a chainlink fence,
stopping his escape cold. Keinji stood there for a moment, gathering his
calm as his grip on the thin wiremesh tightened.
        From behind, he heard a soft thump, as though something had landed.
Quickly, Kenji spun, eyes scanning the darkness desperately for any sign of
what made the sound. The lights from the street beyond the alley's mouth
cast a dim glow half way into the narow space, giving the illusion that the
shadows concealed people instead of trash bins and such.
        Nothing moved for a few seconds, the alley as still as a tomb. Kenji
finally let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, and chuckled
slightly. He was jumping at shadows. It had probably been a cat who...

        Looking up again, he saw a shadow standing in the pale glow that
halfheartedly illuminated the alley. He couldn't make out much detail, but
it was obviously human, wearing a hooded cloak and standing in his only
escape route. The shadow stood there, unmoving, and Kenji almost felt it's
gaze searing into his own eyes. The shadow took a step forwward, arms
appearing from beneath the cloak. Five points on the knuckles gleamed dully
in the pale light, small metal discs that Kenji was certain weren't for
decoration.
        The shadow took a few more steps forward, closing the distance
between them. It said nothing, just approached menacaingly. In desperation,
Kenji raised his fists, thinking to catch the guy off guard with a quick strike.
        Kenji's head rocked back, connecting with the fence as bursts of
color danced in his field of vision. The impact came with insane speed and
power, connecting before he could even attempt a punch. As he struggled to
regain his equilibrium, several more blows rained on him, hitting faster and
faster until suddenly it felt like a solid wall of fists was colliding with
him over and over again.
        Ribs cracked and shattered as the punches came at speeds that simply
weren't humanly possible. The pain nearly caused him to black out, but the
fear-induced adrenaline rush kept him conscious. An uppercut came from out
of nowhere, connecting with Kenji's nose. The cartilage was shoved deep into
his brain, and Kenji Sakimoto was no more.

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

        The large emerald sat on the scarred table, glowing faintly in the
darkness of the filthy room. The old man sat on the only clean spot on the
concrete floor, glaring at the emerald with mounting frustration. What the
hell was taking him so long? He should have found the little shits by now.
        A low, anguished moan slithered through the cieling above, another
faint green glow appearing in the darkness. The old man let out a
consternated sigh. It was about bloody time!
        The pale green light snaked down to the floor, curving toward the
emerald. The moan had turned into a full-on wail as the beam circled the
emerald. The old man's face twisted into an exhilarated rictus as the beam
disappeared into the emerald. He had FELT the rage, the hate the boy had for
this man when the soul entered the room. It was magnificent. His eyes glowed
a bright jade, as the glow from within the emerald increased, casting a
little more of its pale light into the space. It wouldn't be much longer, now.

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

        Dawn broke over the Tokyo skyline, the shadows of the night
vanishing as the day approached. The streetlamps clicked off, as did the
neon signs at the coming of the sun. Their garish glow would never compare
to the brightness of the star around which the Earth revolved.
        Nabiki awoke to find most of the others still asleep, save Akane who
cast her gaze about wiht a slightly annoyed look on her face. As Nabiki
stretched her muscles, she noticed that Ranma was nowhere to be found.
        Yawning in a most fetching manner, Nabiki relished the feeling of
stretching her stiff muscles. There was NOTHING like a good stretch in the
morning, especially when sleeping on such uncomfortable furniture.
        "Where's Ranma?" Nabiki asked after her stretch.
        "I don't know," Akane replied with a hint of irritation, "he was
gone when I woke up."
        "Wonder where he went," Nabiki muttered as she rose to her feet. She
walked into the hallway, trying to get the blood flowing to her legs
properly again. She turned right, then left, and saw him. "Ranma!" she
called, getting Akane's attention.
        Akane was out in the hall in less than a second, a slight scowl on
her face. "Where have you been?" She asked. Her voice carried a mix of
annoyance and worry.
        "I couldn't sleep," Ranma said tiredly. Dark circles were beginning
to form under his bloodshot eyes from an obvious lack of sleep. His posture
was stooped a little, his movements considerably slower than normal. "Been
walkin' all night,"
        "You had me worried when I found you were gone," Akane said,
embracing him.
        "Yeah, sorry 'bout that," Ranma yawned as he returned the gesture.
While his voice was tired, his arms were strong as ever as they wrapped
around her. They held each other for a few moments before someone behind
them cleared his throat.
        The three turned to see a waif of a man wearing a lab coat and
wire-rimmed glasses looking down nervously.
        "I'm...uh...sorry to interrupt," he began, "but if you want to see
Ms. Tendo, you can now. She's out of any immediate danger." They all gave a
collective sigh of relief as Nabiki went to wake Genma and Soun. Once the
two had been roused, the small intern led them to the ICU where Kasumi rested.

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

        The ICU room was cramped due to the amount of equipment inside it.
Various monitors and other machines beeped in differing tones, some
displaying numbers and ever-changing lines.
        Kasumi rested in a bed in the center of the room. Most of her body
was covered with a thin blanket, her arms, shoulders and head all that was
visible. Gauze bandages covered several spots on her arms, while one was
wrapped diagonally over nearly half of her head, covering her left eye and
ear. Countless tubes ran from bags on racks to her wrists all the way to her
elbows, fluids of many colors dripping into them.
        She lay unnaturally still, her chest rising and falling slowly.
Akane, tears flowing at the sight of her dear sister, knelt at the side of
the bed and took one of Kasumi's bandaged hands into her own. A sob escaped
her chest as she brought the hand to her face. Ranma knelt beside her,
draping an arm around her shoulders. Nabiki, Soun, and Genma took positions
beside the two, tears welling in their eyes as well.

        Any doubts Ranma may have ever had about taking that bastard's life
vanished at the sight of Kasumi lying amidst all that machinery designed to
keep her alive. After what he had done, he needed to die.
        Nevermind that Kasumi's honor demanded no less than they be punished
severely, or that his own demanded that he do it. Kasumi had been the big
sister he never had. Of all the people he had known in Nerima, she never
once hit him, used him, or tried to marry/date/kill him. Truthfully, she had
been the closest he'd had to a mother in ten years. He couldn't imagine how
anyone could ever want to harm a blameless soul such as her.
        Justice would be served, and if that old goat got whatever the hell
he wanted out of it, it was of no concern to Ranma. Making Kasumi's
attackers pay was the important thing now.

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

        //My, this place feels empty,\\ Nodoka thought as she walked through
the halls of the Tendo Dojo. She was used to empty houses, though, having
lived in one for over a decade.
        Genma had thought to call and tell her the situation, asking her to
stop by the dojo to collect some clothes for everyone. She was used to his
thoughtlessness, though for the life of her she couldn't remember why she
married him in the first place. She loved him once, and perhaps could again,
though it was something they'd both have to work at. And Genma was never
much on hard work.
        Sighing, she opened the door to the room her son and husband shared.
This would be the last stop before she boarded the train for the hospital.
Walking into the room, she placed the large bag on the floor as she moved to
the closet.
        Opening it, she found a startlingly sparse wardrobe. It seemed that
all her husband wore were dingy white gi's. Her son, on the other hand,
seemed to only own red, white, and blue chinese blouses and tanktops with
black satin pants. Stowed in a corner, she found a blue and white one piece
bathing suit with the word BOY written across the breasts. Shaking her head,
she gathered up the pile of dirty clothes on the floor of her closet. Those
two could be SUCH slobs...
        Nodoka stopped when a green vial hit the floor with a loud thunk.
Curious, she put the pile down on the floor as she knelt to examine it. The
vial looked as though it would hold roughly a pint of liquid, and if she
wasn't mistaken, it was pure emerald, or at least a very good imitation.
        The light in the ceiling reflected off the sharp angles of the vial,
giving it a beautiful appearance. Could it have been a gift? But how could
her son have gotten his hands on something like this?
        Removing the stopper, she brought the vial to her eye to see what
was inside. On the bottom of the vial was a small amount of a dark red
liquid. Wondering what kind of perfume this was, she brought it to her nose.
        The odor practically leapt up her nostrils, stealing her breath.
Gagging, she pulled the vial away, gasping for breath as she tried to forget
the intense smell. It didn't necessarily stink, it was just extremely
overpowering. Whatever this was, it wasn't perfume.
        Replacing the stopper, she placed the vial in her kimono. Gathering
up the clothes, she turned off the lights and locked up before leaving. She
would have to ask Ranma what this was when she arrived.

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        Well, that's chapter four! Maybe this will break the writer's block
I've been suffering with Preying Angels.

        Hope y'all like it!

Jed