Okay, we're on chapter 2 already, but first, I'd like to address something.
Recently, I spamed the list with the idea of some member of the Ranma cast
getting spiderman style superpowers. Several people responded that this has
already been done, though there is nothing wrong with me doing it again.
Unfortunutly, I've reached my limit for the number of fics I'm writing at the
moment so the R.5/Spiderman idea is going into the idea box with "Ranma vs
The Predator", "Sailor Moon vs The Predator", "Akane Builds a Robot", "Lum
meets the Men In Black", "P-Chan the Pig goes Qauntity Surveying", and "Mr.
Saotome combs his hair".
C&C, public, or private on this, or any other of my works is always
appreciated.
and that's it for me, I'm going back to bed.
Agreeable Komodo
He who bought it, supplied it.
Just say yes to prophylactics.
*********************
The next day after school, Akane dragged her weary body into Doctor Tofu's
office. Over tea, she explained the events of the previous day and then
demonstrated what the ring did, though she had to admit that transforming her
clothes wasn't much of a feat and said as much. Tofu was silent for a while
before speaking.
"That may be Akane," he said when he finally spoke. But if I'm right, then
there's more to it then just changing your clothes."
"Like what?"
"Just a moment," Tofu replied as he went to his bookcase. "Now where did I. .
.Ah ha!" Triumphantly, he pulled a large binder from the rows of books and
took them back to the desk. "This has been a hobby of mine for some time, he
said. "I was fascinated by him and a colleague of mine has been kind enough
to send these when he finds them," he said as he opened the binder. "These
pictures date back to nineteen eighty-six," Inside were various newspaper
clippings and one of them made her gasp.
"That's him!" She cried, jabbing her finger at the page.
"That's who?"
"The one in my dream! The one who burst into flames and destroyed all those
people in that city!" She paused, frowning. "Only, he's younger in this
picture."
"Hmmm. . ." Tofu said and turned to a page towards the back of the binder.
"These are more recent pictures, taken in Los Angeles about six or seven
years ago."
"Oh my God!" Akane gasped upon seeing the picture of a young man flying
straight at the camera. "That's the one. The guy who came out of those
ashes!" She frowned. "But he was wearing a different costume.
"Very interesting," Tofu said and laid aside the binder. "Akane, it would
seem that you are a Green Lantern."
"A what?" Akane asked incredulously as Tofu reached for the binder again.
"A Green Lantern. It's a Corps of some kind." Turning to a page near the
front, he showed her one of the clippings. "This is an interview from
nineteen eighty-nine. In it, the man you saw burst into flames in your dream,
mentioned that he was a sort of interstellar policeman, and one of many
across the galaxy, and while he didn't actually say it, he did hint that
Corps members were chosen by a third party."
"So, I've been chosen?"
"Looks like it."
"But what if I don't want to be chosen? What if I don't want to be a. . .a
space cop?"
Tofu could only shrug.
*********************
By the time Akane got home, it was after dark. She did not eat dinner, but
instead went straight to her room where she stayed up until nearly two in the
morning going through Tofu's scrapbook, page by page with the proverbial fine
tooth comb. When she was done, she sat back in her chair with a sigh. Neither
Green Lantern seemed very inclined to talk to reporters, so almost all the
articles were about what they had done.
Still, there seemed to be one person who might be able to help. In New York,
there was a man named Guy Gardner, who ran a bar and was a former Green
Lantern. He might be able to help her, If she could get to him. 'And how am I
supposed to get to America?' She asked herself acidly. 'Borrow money from
Nabiki?'
Laughing to herself, she got up and prepared for bed. If anyone could get her
on a plane, it would be Nabiki. But Akane was pretty sure that even Nabiki
didn't have the thousands of yen it would take to buy even the most basic
plane ticket, and Akane knew she didn't have what it would take to buy her
elder sister's silence. "I don't suppose you know where I can find a teacher
do you?" Akane asked the ring and then mentally gave herself a slap across
the face. 'Kami, I'm talking to a ring, I need sleep.' with that, she set the
ring down on her nightstand, crawled into bed, and went to sleep.
*********************
He floated in a strange cloud.
"Where am I? What's going on?"
"You are needed," said a voice from in front of him.
"Who's there?" he demanded, his hand automatically clenching into a fist
before he remembered that there was no longer a ring there.
"I'm. . .a friend. Kyle's ring has somehow been split. You must go to the
Nerima Ward of Tokyo, Japan, and wait to be contacted by the ring's new
wielder."
"But how will I know her?" he asked, and then a split second later wondered
why he had said "her".
"She will know you," the voice replied and then he was lying in his bed,
staring at the ceiling, his breath coming in short gasps.
"Is something wrong love?" came the sleep fogged voice from the woman beside
him.
"N-no hon, everything's fine," he said quietly. "Everythings fine." But even
as he tried to find sleep, his mind was already compiling a list of things to
do before leaving for Japan.
*********************
Two days later. . .
Ukyo Kunjoni, mistress of Uuchan's, hummed to herself as she worked the
grill. The resturant was almost full, and Konsatu was a blur as he moved from
table to table to the register, keeping glasses filled, and she could hear
the ching of the register as yen filled the till, a sound which brought a
smile to her face. Bisnuess had been good lately and she was starting to
consider hiring a second employee.
Had the resturant been anymore full, she might not have noticed him, but
somehow she doubted that as she watched the newcomer enter. He was a Gaijin,
and American, tall, powerfully built, dressed in a western style suit minus
the tie and graying hair. He moved easily, but with the alertness of someone
who had been in many fights. Then Konsatu handed her another order, and the
memory of the Gaijin was pushed to the back of her mind and forgotten as she
lost herself in the ritual of batter pouring, the sound of the sizzle of the
grill, and the smell of spices.
*********************
Akane listened with half an ear as her two friends chatted endlessly about
boys, clothes and the latest idol singers. Uuchans was full and rivals they
may have been, but even Akane would be hard pressed to admit there was a
better okonomiyaki cook in all of Tokyo.
Akane's thoughts, however, were not on okonomiyaki, but on the scrapbook.
Dates, cities, and names churned around and around in her brain. So
distracted was she that she almost didn't see the Gaijin enter. But when she
got a look at his face, the world froze and one page from the scrapbook leapt
to the forefront of her mind.
It was an article from 1987 and the Gaijin had been in a small inset photo.
Even without the mask, she recognized him and even as she made the decision,
she was already getting up and crossing the resturant to where he sat, her
fingers curling around the ring in her pocket.
"So you're the one," he said in accented Japanese when she reached his table.
"What's your name?"
"Akane," she said, sitting down across from him without quite knowing why.
"Akane Tendo."
"My name is Alan," he replied with a friendly smile as he held out his hand.
"Alan Scott."