* * * * * *
Genma sighed and took in a sight that he=E2=80=99d not seen in over a de=
cade: his=20
home. It looked exactly the same as it had when he=E2=80=99d left it, excep=
t for the=20
flowers out front. Nodoka had maintained a beautifully manicured garden at=20
the time that he=E2=80=99d left, but now it seemed to have been neglected. =20=
He hoped=20
that Nodoka hadn=E2=80=99t taken the long separation too badly. Regardless,=
he=20
walked up the pathway and knocked on the door. He wasn=E2=80=99t sure why h=
e did; it=20
was his house, after all. For some reason, though, it just felt like the=20
right thing to do.
Behind him, the sun peeked its way over the horizon, and Genma silently=20
cursed his lack of foresight. He=E2=80=99d left all his supplies for Ranma.=
Thus,=20
he didn=E2=80=99t even have enough money to buy fare on the subway to make t=
he trip=20
to Juuban. Forced to walk, it had taken him all night to arrive at his=20
house, and he was tired. He knocked again.
"Who is it?" called a voice from inside the house.
"It=E2=80=99s me, Nodoka. It=E2=80=99s Genma," Genma replied, recognizi=
ng his wife=E2=80=99s=20
voice at once.
"Genma? Come in, please," Nodoka called. Heartened by the hope in her=20
voice, Genma entered. The first thing that he noticed about the house was=20
that it was dark. All the lights were off, and all the windows had shades=20
drawn over them. He removed his outdoor shoes while looking around.
"Nodoka? Where are you? I can=E2=80=99t see," he called, stumbling ove=
r a stool=20
in the hallway.
"I=E2=80=99m right here, Husband," Nodoka said, her voice right next to=20=
Genma=E2=80=99s=20
ear. "Follow my voice, and we=E2=80=99ll go to the dining room to talk."
"It=E2=80=99s good to hear you again, Nodoka. I=E2=80=99ve missed you d=
early," Genma=20
said, smiling.
"And you, Husband. Tell me, where is Ranma?" she asked, moving away fro=
m=20
him. Genma immediately followed, biting his lip at the fact that Nodoka had=
=20
come to the hard part so directly.
"I...," he started, following her footsteps. "I don=E2=80=99t know how=20=
to say=20
this, Nodoka," Genma said, shaking his head.
"Oh, no," Nodoka said. Genma could hear the worry in her voice, and it=20
hurt him deeply that he would have to lie to her to save both Ranma=E2=80=
=99s and his=20
own lives.
"I=E2=80=99m so sorry, Nodoka. He died while we were training in China,=
" Genma=20
said his voice catching at the lie. Nodoka didn=E2=80=99t seem to notice, a=
s she was=20
wracked by audible sobs. He moved to embrace her, but she flinched away. =20
Genma stepped back, knowing from experience that it was best to allow her to=
=20
make the next move.
"H-how?" she asked after a minute of crying. Genma, too, at this point,=
=20
was beginning to shed tears. He realized that they had arrived at the dinin=
g=20
room, and found a place at the table to sit. It hadn=E2=80=99t moved an inc=
h since=20
he=E2=80=99d left. He could hear Nodoka moving to take a seat at the other=20=
end of=20
the table.
"We were sparring at an accursed training ground. I had hoped that our=20
skill together would be enough to outweigh the curse, but...," Genma trailed=
=20
off, trying to keep as closely to the truth as he could.
"Did he die as man among men?" Nodoka asked, as if some immensely=20
important piece of her sanity depended upon the answer, one way or another.=20=
=20
Genma thought back to his journeys with his son, and all that had befallen=20
them. He thought of his son, doubly cursed, to be both a robot and a woman,=
=20
and how he=E2=80=99d given up his chance at acceptance for a stranger. He t=
hought of=20
many things, his tears coming harder as he continued.
"In all the ways that matter, he was a man above men. If it weren=E2=
=80=99t for=20
the damned training ground...," Genma finally answered. His declaration sen=
t=20
Nodoka into another series of sobs, but Genma sensed the subtle pride that=20
was interwoven with her grief. <At least your mother will be able to love=20
you, Ranma. I wish that I=E2=80=99d been able to,> he thought.
"I... I=E2=80=99m glad," Nodoka finally managed. "It=E2=80=99s been so=20=
long, Husband. =20
Do you know how hard it=E2=80=99s been to keep going these past few years?"=20=
she asked=20
rhetorically. "I=E2=80=99ve missed you so much."
"I=E2=80=99ve missed you too, No-chan," Genma said honestly.
"I=E2=80=99m glad, Husband. We=E2=80=99ve been apart for too long," Nod=
oka stated, and=20
Genma found himself nodding in agreement. "I only wish that our son could=20
have been here with us," she continued, her voice choking with emotion. =20
Genma was just barely able to keep himself from telling her the truth then=20
and there, but something inside of him told him that it was for the best.
"I... I don=E2=80=99t know what to say, No-chan," he finally muttered.
"There=E2=80=99s nothing that you can say, I suppose," she returned. "A=
mother=20
and her grief. So stereotypical that it=E2=80=99s sickening," Nodoka said a=
loud,=20
almost to herself.
"No-chan, don=E2=80=99t beat yourself up like that," Genma pleaded. Som=
ewhere=20
inside, he was wondering what had happened to the exuberant, proud woman tha=
t=20
he=E2=80=99d married, but he ignored that part of himself as best he could.=20=
His wife=20
was hurting, and it was his duty as her husband to alleviate it.
"Why shouldn=E2=80=99t I?" she almost spat, shocking Genma. "I=E2=80=
=99m so horrible=20
that my own family deserts be for ten years. Ten whole years! You never=20
once wrote to me, Genma. Not once," Nodoka accused. Genma slumped a bit,=20
hanging his head.
"I wanted to fulfill my side of the contract as best I could. That mean=
t=20
that I had to train myself as well as Ranma. I wanted to write you, to call=
=20
you, but...," the big man trailed off. "But that was a weakness, and I had=20
to be strong for Ranma=E2=80=99s sake. I made you a promise, No-chan, and t=
hat=E2=80=99s=20
the only promise that really matters to me," he finished in a rush. "You=20
know that I=E2=80=99d take any amount of dishonor and shame for your sake."
"I...," Nodoka tried to start, but had to swallow her own emotions first=
.=20
"Thank you so much, Genma."
"I=E2=80=99m so sorry, Nodoka. Maybe I was wrong in wanting to train Ra=
nma like=20
I did. Maybe not. Only the Gods know the answer to that," he mused in=20
reply. She rose and walked over to Genma, then kneeled beside him. For a=20
long minute, the two looked at each other sillhouettes. Meanwhile, Genma=20
wondered if his ears weren=E2=80=99t going. He could swear that he heard a=20=
subsonic=20
whine beginning to build. Finally, as if she could contain herself no=20
longer, Nodoka threw herself into Genma=E2=80=99s arms. Immediately, as Gen=
ma=20
clasped his arms around her back, he knew that something was very, very=20
wrong. Nodoka=E2=80=99s arms around him felt like blocks, and her back was=20=
entirely=20
too hard, and full of sharp angles.
"Then perhaps we should go ask them," Nodoka whispered, placing her stee=
l=20
lips on her husband=E2=80=99s fleshy ones. Meanwhile, the whine had built t=
o a=20
crescendo, and Nodoka performed the last action that she had ever wanted to.=
=20
With a roar, Nodoka=E2=80=99s fusion core overloaded in a fiery holocaust, t=
he blast=20
designed to reduce herself and anything nearby to their component molecules.=
=20
The shockwave from the explosion leveled the house and caused significant=20
damage to neighboring ones. A shockwave accompanied the thunderous explosio=
n=20
as it rent the early morning air, setting off car alarms and shattering=20
windows for blocks around.
* * * * * *
Ranma jerked forward, breaking his sleep cycle abruptly. He blinked a=20
few times, trying to calm down, even as he got his breathing under control.
"Mom...," he muttered. "Jeez, what a dream."
"=E2=80=99Bout time you woke up," Akane said with a tired half-humor. S=
he had=20
walked around the corner into the alcove where the hot water heater and Dr.=20
Light=E2=80=99s capsule were housed while he was recovering from his dream.
"Yeah. A real sleeping beauty, huh?" Ranma asked sardonically. Akane=20
chuckled a bit, a smile alighting on her face.
"I guess," she agreed, shaking her head. "You feel like getting out? =20
There was an explosion down by Juuban. I want to check it out."
"You think that Ryoga might be back?" Ranma asked
"Uh huh," Akane nodded, a worried look on her face. Ranma rolled his=20
eyes, and Akane burst out laughing. The morning light, shining through a=20
small window, struck her from behind, giving her an almost angelic=20
appearance. Ranma was silent for a moment, then saved the image to a backup=
=20
memory drive. For some reason he couldn=E2=80=99t identify, the sight of Ak=
ane,=20
standing there with the sun to her back and her helmet underneath her arm=20
struck him like nothing else ever had before.
"All right, all right. It wasn=E2=80=98t that funny," Ranma grinned as=20=
Akane=20
finally got her giggles under control.
"Yes, it was," Akane argued. "It=E2=80=99s just so... you."
"Huh?" Ranma asked, confused.
"You know, how you always try to make everything better," Akane=20
explained. "I=E2=80=99m so worried about Ryoga and you=E2=80=99re trying to=
make it seem=20
less important."
"Whatever," Ranma gave in, pushing himself to his feet. "Let=E2=80=99s=20=
go."
"All right," Akane agreed, sliding her helmet over her head and pulling=20
her wild ponytail through its slot.
"Ranma, would you wait for a moment?" Dr. Light suddenly called. Ranma=20
turned to face the capsule, surprised that it was active.
"What=E2=80=99s up, Doc?" he asked, his left leg on the first step.
"I=E2=80=99m sorry for what I did last night," Dr. Light apologized.
"It=E2=80=99s okay," Ranma said, a half-grin springing to his face. "Yo=
u were=20
just tryin=E2=80=99 to help."
"Regardless, I feel that I owe you a favor. Come here; I have plans for=
=20
an upgrade," Dr. Light commanded.
"Huh?" Ranma said, turning around and approaching the capsule.
"I was constructed to give you enhancements, should you need them. Ther=
e=20
are three other capsules, scattered somewhere around the world, each designe=
d=20
to give you a specific modification. I am the fourth, and I contain an=20
enhancement for your legs. If you step inside, I=E2=80=99ll upgrade you, as=
my way=20
of apologizing," Dr. Light explained. Ranma looked at Akane and shrugged.
"How long will it take?" Akane asked, wanting to investigate the=20
explosion.
"Just a few moments, I promise you," Dr. Light reassured her. Akane=20
looked back at Ranma and returned his shrug. Ranma half-grinned and turned=20
to face Dr. Light.
"Sure, whatever you say, Doc," Ranma said, stepping up onto the base of=20
the cylinder. Once he was inside, the glass wall of the capsule smoothly=20
rose up to encase him. It closed with a hiss, and the pad beneath Ranma=E2=
=80=99s=20
feet began to glow brightly. Four lenses moved down along the sides of the=20
capsule, stopping when they were level with Ranma=E2=80=99s feet. Then, the=
y began=20
to spin around him, as the pulsating lights sped up. The base of the pod=20
shone even more brightly, and issued forth three large black metal bars and=20
one smaller golden one. Each bar came out of the floor in front of one of=20
the lenses, each of which immediately released a beam of incandescent energy=
.=20
The metal slowly shattered apart, but remained floating in the lower area o=
f=20
the capsule. Once the bars were completely dissolved, the lenses ceased the=
=20
firing of their beams and began to spin at increasing speeds until one could=
=20
not be told from another. Then, they each fired a beam of snowy white, thes=
e=20
beams striking Ranma. Where these beams struck, the black and gold metal=20
particles immediately moved to affix themselves, molding and re-molding=20
themselves to form a new skin of armor atop the old. The lenses slowly move=
d=20
up his legs, stopping at his knees. There, the beams dissipated, the lenses=
=20
stopped, and the lights fell dead. Slowly, almost jerkily, the glass of the=
=20
cylinder lowered itself, and Ranma stepped out, admiring his new =E2=80=98bo=
ots.=E2=80=99
"Whoa," Ranma breathed, twisting and contorting so that he could get a=20
better view of his modified legs. "Akane, did you see that?"
"Yeah," confirmed an equally surprised Akane.
"Ranma, you are now equipped with dash jets similar in design and=20
manufacture to Akane=E2=80=98s," Dr. Light cut in, his hologram flickering t=
o life. =20
"In addition, you should be able to use them to maintain a hovering position=
=20
for a short time. Naturally, they also serve as increased protection for=20
your lower body," he continued. Suddenly, his hologram dissolved into=20
static, then slowly re-formed itself. "I=E2=80=98m afraid that I=E2=80=98ve=
drained my=20
power reserves, Ranma. I=E2=80=98ve only a few moments left. Thank you for=
allowing=20
me the chance to meet you both, and I wish you and Akane a happy and long=20
life," Dr. Light said, his hologram flickering into static. One by one, the=
=20
few lights still lit within the capsule flickered and died, until even the=20
critical power reading displays had too little energy to remain lit. Ranma=20
and Akane stared at the capsule in stunned silence. Finally, Ranma stepped=20
forward and placed his right hand on the capsule wall.
"Goodbye, Doc," he said quietly. "And thanks for everything." Ranma=20
took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then turned and walked towards the=20
basement stairwell purposefully. After a moment, Akane turned and followed=20
him. On her left cheek, defying whatever conventions that her blueprints ha=
d=20
dictated, a somewhat grainy drop of liquid was slipping away from her eye. =20
It splashed to the ground, allowing the iron suspended within the teardrop t=
o=20
settle to the concrete floor, unnoticed by anyone.
***Author=E2=80=99s Notes***
Whoo! Have I taken my time with this one! All suspicions aside, the=20
delays associated with this chapter were due entirely to the fact that I=20
transferred to a new high school this fall, and it=E2=80=99s MUCH more rigor=
ous than=20
my last one. Thus, it takes up a lot more time. That means that I have to=20
set my fanfic writing, which I love dearly, on the back burner. Regardless,=
=20
I=E2=80=99ll be able to pick up on my writing come summer.
Some of you may notice that this chapter is shorter than my usual=20
offerings. You=E2=80=99re right; it is. A full page and a half shorter tha=
n my=20
average, in fact. It was either this or give you all a much longer chapter,=
=20
something that I would have liked to do, but would have taken me ages at the=
=20
rate that I=E2=80=99m writing. Besides, I didn=E2=80=99t like how things we=
re looking=20
between pages 9 and 15, which is what I=E2=80=99d roughed out. Had I finish=
ed=20
expanding, it would probably have been 20+ pages long and released sometime=20
in March. Thank you, all, but from the mail that I=E2=80=99ve been getting,=
=20
whoever=E2=80=99s out there that still reads this thing is I-T-C-H-I-N-G for=
the next=20
chapter. You know who you are, and this release is for you, my man. Proof=20
that input from you guys really does affect how and what I do with the story=
.=20
Just don=E2=80=99t tell me where to go with this; that=E2=80=99s been final=
ized for months.
Finally, I=E2=80=99m considering a name change for the series. My main=20
pre-reader complained to me once that "The Opening Bet" is somewhat of a=20
bland title. I find myself agreeing with him, even if I have gotten rather=20
attached to the original name. Thus, I=E2=80=99m going to leave it up to yo=
u, my=20
readers! Shall we stick with the tried-and-true "The Opening Bet?" Shall w=
e=20
experiment with the new, dangerous "Iron Tears?" Tell me, along with your=20
opinions on the chapter! I am, as always, chilling as flashfyre5@aol.com. =20
Drop me a line, or two if you please. I guarantee that if your e-mail has=20
two sentences in it (something more for me to respond to than "This chap=20
roolz duuude!" or "Your story sucks it like *fill in your own blank*.) I=20
just like to chat with you guys. You=E2=80=99re smart, and I love to see wh=
at other=20
people think is going to happen, and how cryptic (or otherwise) I=E2=80=99m=20=
being in=20
setting up my next chapters. See you all in a few months with the next=20
chapter!
~Flash
P.S. Allan (sp?) I owe you a great debt of gratitude. Thanks for=20
playing catcher on my beta version; you saved me from another chapter 5=20
disaster!
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