Ranma and Jet Moto are used without permission.
============================================================================
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 western 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 rapidly vanishing 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 grinning 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.
"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 Swedish 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
ninety 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 a weapon more substantial than a pipe.
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!" Mikado shouted,
pulling out a pistol. It was obvious that he'd never had to use it from
the way it shook in his hand. 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...
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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 his pipe.
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. It
was obvious that she had been 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...
======================================
Questions? COmments? Love to hear 'em!
Jed
============================================================================
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.