Well, this will be my first real contribution to the ffml so enjoy.  A
great big thank you to those of you who helped by pre-reading, without
your help this would have been crap, well I guess that remains to be
seen, he he.  Any way, on with show.  Disclaimer to follow fic as well
as Author notes.  C&C welcome, nay begged for.  Thanks.



Somewhere in Colorado, USA.

 The light filtered into the spacious personal office from the large
bay window just behind a large walnut desk.  The only other source of
light was a floor lamp in a corner on the opposite wall.  Seated
behind the desk was an older man looking to be in his late forties or
early fifties, the light from behind him highlighting the gray at his
temples in his otherwise dark brown hair.  He moved a few papers about
on his desk, organizing some, discarding others, all the while looking
intently at the young man pacing the room slowly on the other side of
his desk.  The young man faces him, a hint of irritation and
impatience visible in his expression.

"Now, son, I know things have been a little rough on you the last few
weeks but I think it's time for you to move on."  The older man said.
Not receiving a response from his son he continued.  "Which is why
I've taken the liberty of enrolling you in Harvard for the fall
semester.  College is just the thing to help you get over the events
of the past few months, you'll make some new friends, have a lot
of...."

"I'm not going," the younger man said in a soft yet firm tone.

"...fun, and.  I'm sorry what did you say?"  His father asked a tone
of displeasure creeping into his voice.

"I said I'm not going."  He restated with more volume and conviction.

"I thought we discussed this."  His father began, his tone displeased
but still even.  "You're going to Harvard, and when you're done you'll
start training to take over my position in the company.  We've
discussed this a hundred times, it's what you're going to do."

"No, * you've * talked about it a hundred times," Jacob said
accusingly, "and I've had no other choice but to stay around until you
finish. For the last time, * I * will decide what I do with my life
and when," his voice finishing just an octave below yelling.

"Jacob, you will do as I wish and that is the end of it."

"No.  I'm done living that way.  I will make my own way, what you do
about that is your problem."

"Fine then, I didn't want it to come to this but you are intent on
forcing my hand aren't you?  Go to Harvard, or, I will cut you off.
You won't get so much as a crumb from me."

Jacob shook his head as he replied.  "You still don't get it do you, I
don't want your money, or your stuff, or any of that shit!"  He was
practically yelling now.   "I wanted a father damn it!  Keep your *
estate * I'll be fine on my own."  Jacob turned his back on his father
and began to walk towards the door leading into the hallway.

"Jacob, I meant what I said just now.  I'll disown you."

Jacob let his fathers last comment just hang in the air, it was not
until he reached the doorway that he even acknowledged his father had
spoken.  "Do what you want Father, you always have."  Jacob waited for
what felt like an eternity, hoping deep down for a response he knew
from past experience would not come.

"If that's the way you feel Jacob, so be it."  His father's voice was
practically emotionless.

"It was last week you know."  Jacob began.  "Of all the things in my
life that you've missed you'd think you would have made it to
something like that.  But no, once again my father is nowhere to be
seen when I need him."

A heavy, thick silence was the only reply that Jacob received from his
father.

A short while later, Jacob's father stood looking out of the large bay
window in his office as the sound of a motorcycle engine roaring to
life and then fading away into the distance reached his ears.

 "That damn fool," Jacob thought to himself as he drove away, leaving
his home in the dust.  "Can't say that I'm surprised though."  He
checked the small clock on the display panel of his bike.  "Perfect,"
he thought, "just enough time to fit in a workout."


A short while later Jacob pulled into the parking lot of Master Kim's
Tae Kwon Do School, where he had taken martial arts lessons since he
was twelve.  As he entered he nodded a hello to the receptionist and
some of the other students who were already there for the advanced
class.  He quickly made his way to the dressing room and changed into
his casual workout clothes, which consisted of black Tae Kwon Do pants
and a dark blue t-shirt.  He quickly put his street clothes into a
duffel bag and placed the bag in a small locker with his name on it.
Closing the locker he exited the dressing room to see Julie, the
receptionist approaching him.

"Hey Julie, what's up."  Jacob said

"Not much," she replied, "so are you really leaving?"

"Yeah, I talked to my father.  But nothing's different; it was like
talking to a wall.  Actually, it would have been better to talk to a
wall; the wall might have listened a little.

"Sorry it worked out that way."  Julie said sympathetically.  "Oh, by
the way, Master Kim called and wondered if you would take over the
class tonight, he can't make it."

"Sure, no problem."

Within a few minutes all of the students were ready to go.  Jacob
started by leading them in some basics to warm up.  Getting that out
of the way they moved on to some of the more advanced aerial kicks.
Jacob would demonstrate the kick and then critique and praise the
students as they performed the kick themselves.  During a quick break
one of the students came up to him.

"Sir," the student addressed him with a quick bow, "is it true your
leaving?"

"Yes it is, I'm gonna travel a little, see if I can't find something
that I'm really meant to do."

"Sounds great, just don't forget to send us a postcard."

"I won't.  You ready for sparring?"

"Always."  The student said, a large grin coming to his face.

"Everyone line up for sparring."  Jacob said addressing the class.
His instructions were met with a chorus of 'yes sirs,' as the students
quickly got into position.
The class spared heavily for several minutes, rotating opponents about
every two minutes, till everyone had a chance to spar with everyone
else.  Jacob simply supervised the entire time, choosing to keep out
of the sparring, as there were an odd number of students that evening.
At the end of the last grouping he addressed the class.

"As some of you may have heard this will be my last class for a while.
I'm going to be traveling for a while and don't know when or if I'll
be back." Jacob said.  "So since this is my last night I thought that
we would end it with one last sparring match, all of you against me.
Anyone willing to go?"

 The student he had talked to during a break in the workout quickly
spoke up.
"I will sir!"  He replied enthusiastically, his enthusiasm rubbing off
on the other students who also were quick to rise to the challenge.

"All right then."  Jacob said a smile on his face.  "Julie would you
come in here for a minute.

"Yes sir," she said as her face appeared in the doorway into the
training area they were in.

"Would you do me the honor of starting us?"

"Certainly sir."

Julie took off her shoes and stepped onto the mat and began calling
out instructions for the sparring match.

"Okay, since this is Sah Bom Anderson's last night we'll alter the
rules a little.  This will be full contact till one side concedes or
is unconscious.  Understand?"

"Yes maam."

"Face this way."

The class did so and bowed towards Julie as she returned the bow.
"Face your opponent."  The class again bowed but this time towards
their opponent, or in Jacob's case, opponents. Everyone making eye
contact as they bowed.

"Stance." She called out, and everyone hit a fighting stance.

"Fight!"  At the command the eight opponents spread themselves out and
around Jacob evenly.  Jacob let a small smirk show on his face. 'This
is gonna be fun,' he thought.

The first few seconds were a flurry of action as several students made
feints and set up attacks, feeling out how Jacob would respond.  He
kept his stance defensive and his guard up; moving around and making
sure that all eight of his opponents did not have a clear shot at him.

Jacob quickly assessed his opponents and began methodically attacking
them.  He moved in a sudden burst of speed towards his closest
opponent, catching him off guard.  Jacob landed a light punch to the
chest of his intended target, using it as a distraction; he then
grabbed the uniform of the student, placed his foot in the students
stomach and rolled backwards bringing the student with him. At the
right moment Jacob let go of the student's uniform and pushed with his
foot just enough to send the student colliding into another student
who had been rushing Jacob from behind.  Jacob wasted no time in
getting to his feet as a third student had closed the distance between
them.  The student threw a fast skip-in side kick, that Jacob had just
enough time to sidestep, and then block a turning kick from yet
another student.  As he blocked the kick he stepped into the attackers
body and delivered a solid elbow strike to the chin of the student.
Who then dropped to the floor as his body had decided it would be a
good time to stop participating in this exercise.

Jacob spun around after dropping his latest would be opponent and
assessed the situation. 'Three down and five to go, I'm getting
sloppy.'  He thought.

The circling continued as the remaining five students were determined
not to go down as easily as their classmates had.  One of the students
finally spoke trying to rally his fellow classmates.

"C'mon guys, he's not that tough.  Let's get him."  And then proceeded
to lead a charge of four of the remaining five students.  The one that
spoke was the first one to reach Jacob.  Jacob rewarded him by
blocking the thrown punch and countering with a hip toss that got that
student out of his way.  He then jumped and threw a front kick that
connected on the chin of the student advancing on his left and then
threw a sidekick, before landing, which connected to the chest of the
student on his right.  Each kick removed its target from the match as
they fell to the mat, one unconscious and the other having the wind
knocked out of him and not wishing to continue.  The last student
barely had time to halt his rushed advance, having rethought his
desire to attack, before he too was sent to dreamland courtesy of a
jump-spinning crescent Jacob threw upon landing from his previous
attack.

Jacob then turned to see the student he had thrown behind him rise
from the mat, take a look at the results of his failed rush and then
bow out of the match.  Jacob acknowledged him with a slight nod, not
taking his full attention off the last remaining opponent.  Jacob
looked at his last opponent and gave a small headshake in disbelief.

"You might want to reconsider getting the other students into
situations they can't handle."  He said.

His last opponent was the same student who had been the first to
enthusiastically agree to the sparring match.  His name was Adam, he
and Jacob had been friends almost since the first day they had both
taken lessons from Master Kim, and they took every opportunity to
outdo the other whenever the opportunity supplied itself.  Especially
when it came to their training.

"Yeah, but you'd think they would have seen through the set up."  Adam
responded.

"Just don't get them killed while I'm gone okay."

"Of course, of course.  Now, are you done holding back or do I have to
make you give me everything you got?"

"Anytime your ready."

"Alright then, Anything goes?"

"Anything goes."  Jacob responded.  "Ready, go."  And with that Jacob
launched himself at Adam, Adam easily evaded the head on attack
springing to the side with surprising speed.

This went on for several minutes, neither opponent landing a solid
hit, as the other would either block or already be out of the way.
The students who weren't unconscious looked on with slack jaws and bug
eyes, not believing the speed and skill that the two fighters were
displaying.  Some of the students who came to during the first moments
of the match passed right back out when confronted with something that
defied belief.

Adam was the first to step up the intensity even more.  Upon
rebounding away from a blocked attack he landed and sprung at Jacob
with intense speed.  Jacob saw the attack coming but was unable to
move out of the way in time and stood his ground to absorb the attack.
Adam, however, was able to slip a punch past his defense into Jacob's
ribs receiving a grunt from Jacob for his effort.  Jacob took the
blow, moving with it to lessen it's effect on him and then grabbed
onto to Adam's arm and executed a shoulder throw, aiming Adam for the
wall behind him.  Jacob didn't even wait for Adam to hit before
releasing a special attack he had developed recently.

"Bamboo storm!!"  Jacob yelled, throwing dozens of six-inch long
bamboo food skewers in Adams direction.  The skewers found only wall
however as Adam oriented himself in mid-air and used the wall to
spring in a direction away from the attack.

"Not bad," Adam said.  "Tongs of Pain!"  Adam yelled rushing towards
Jacob from a new angle; as he closed in he produced a pair of tongs
one would expect to see in a typical full-service restaurant.   Jacob
was not surprised by the attack and drew his own special weapons in
response, managing to block Adams tong strikes with a pair of
stainless steel spatulas.  To the onlookers who were still conscious,
all they were able to see was the blur of the two fighters arms and
the occasional flash of light reflected off the surface of the
weapons, the noise of metal against metal filling the air of the
school.

The weapons in questions were not quite typical kitchen utensils.
Adams tongs could not only serve their function but also came to a
point on each end and were both strong enough and sharp enough to
pierce through a car door.  Jacob's spatulas were shaped like the kind
you would use to scrap the last bit of sauce out of a jar, only these
were made of stainless steel and the spatula part was a short
sharpened blade that was razor sharp and surprisingly strong.

The fight had lasted several minutes after the two had gone to using
their respective weapons when they disengaged for a few seconds, each
catching a quick breath.

"C'mon, I thought you weren't going to hold back."  Adam said taking
deep breaths.

"Gotta make the fight look good," Jacob responded, "don't worry, when
I want to end it I'll stop holding back."

Adam clenched his teeth; "I hate it when you do that.  Take this.
Hiiyaaaa!!"  Adam yelled launching himself at Jacob.

"Gotcha," Jacob said smugly.

"Huh,"

"Blender Blizzard!"  Jacob yelled and began to spin at an unbelievably
fast rate of speed, creating a small wind vortex within the room.
Adam was too caught off guard to halt his progress towards Jacob and
his momentum carried him right into the path of Jacob's attack.  Adam
was sucked into the vortex of wind that Jacob had created with his
spinning body.  Adam felt his body being pummeled with blow after blow
before the spinning came to an abrupt end sending him flying into a
nearby wall. After that everything went black.

"Hey man, you okay?"  A voice asked.

"Huh, where's Toto?"  Adam responded, everything still dark.

"Open your eyes dude."

"Oh yeah," Adam said, realizing that his eyes were still closed.  He
opened them and slowly the fuzzy colored objects around him came into
focus.  He looked up into the slightly concerned face of his friend
Jacob, realization slowly dawning on him as to how he had ended up in
this current state.

"I hate it when you do that."  Adam said.

"What?"

"Win."

"Can't help you there my friend, but let's get you up off the floor."
Jacob said extending a hand.

"Well, at least I got you this time."

"You did not!"

"Actually sir, he did."  Julie said, speaking up.  "Look at your
neck."

"Huh?"  Jacob said confused.

"In the mirror sir."  Julie said.  Jacob looked into one of the many
mirrors in the training area and noticed for the first time a welt on
his neck with the clear imprint of Adams tongs.  Turning himself
around to try and get a better view of the evidence of the landed blow
Jacob instead found evidence of two other blows that Adam had landed.

"I guess you have improved you lucky bastard."

"Luck?"  Adam questioned, raising an eyebrow.  "I think not."

"Alright, you got me.  But you still lost."

"Can't argue that.  Wanna go again?"

"Sorry, too much to do before I leave."  Then turning to the rest of
the class,  "That's all for today guys; you're dismissed."  The
students gave a quick bow in response and then made their way towards
the dressing rooms.

"C'mon you goof, get up off the floor already."  Jacob said turning
back to Adam who was still on the floor.

"Yeah, yeah.  Hold your horses, I'm coming."  Adam said, groaning a
bit from the bruises he had suffered as he picked himself up off the
floor.

A few minutes later Adam and Jacob were finishing changing back into
street clothes in the dressing room, the two of them the only ones
left in the room.

"You know, I haven't said it yet," Adam began, "but I'm gonna miss
your sorry ass around here."

"Thanks Adam, I appreciate that."

"Know where you're heading yet?"

"Not too specifically, somewhere overseas is about all I know.
Haven't decided if I want to see several countries or just one."
Jacob said.

"Cool, cool.  Just do me one favor okay."  Adam said.

"What's that?"

"If your gonna be in one spot for a while let me know, I'll come visit
in a heartbeat."

"Not a problem, you'll be the first to know.  I promise."  Jacob said
with a smile.

"You know man, if there's anything I can do for you after what hap..."

"No. I'll be fine."  Jacob said quickly, cutting Adam off a bit.

"Okay dude, just don't forget what I said."

"I won't, and thanks for being there Adam."

"Just take care yourself, I'll see you around okay?"  Adam said making
the last part of his statement a little bit of a question.

"Sure thing, see you around."

That said, Adam crossed the distance between them and gave Jacob a hug
before he exited the dressing room.


Once Adam left the room Jacob let out a long sigh as he sat back down
on the bench that also had his duffel bag on it.  He rummaged through
the bag for a second before withdrawing a slightly worn and opened
envelope that still had the letter in it.  He examined the envelope
for a long moment with a slightly sad expression on his face, looking
at the doodles on the envelope that resembled pizza pies or at least
something similar.  The return address indicated it was from an Ukyou
Kuonji in Nerima, Japan.
"Guess I'll start with Japan and go from there."  Jacob said aloud in
the empty room.  He quickly finished getting dressed and placed his
things back in his duffel bag, placing the envelope on top of
everything else and zipped the bag closed.  Picking up his cell phone
he started to make a call as he exited the locker room.



Author notes
"Sah Bom" is a Korean term for instructor.  In a traditional Tae Kwon
Do class, a black belt is addressed by this term followed by his/her
last name, i.e. Sah Bom Anderson. Just a side note, even higher ranked
instructors would be addressed as Sah Bom Nim,  (most honorable
instructor).

'Anderson' is Jacob's last name.  Didn't have a good way to work it
in, other than the title in the class, and I didn't want to use a
first, middle, last name address in the argument with his father.

Standard disclaimer time, all Ranma 1/2 characters, places, references
property of the ever-fabulous Rumiko Takahashi and other various
companies that have licensing and merchandising rights that I do not.
Jacob Anderson, Adam, Master Kim, Julie and forthcoming possible new
characters are created by yours truly, and are fictional.  Any
resemblance to real people or places is most likely coincidental.
C&C is welcome; flames will earn you some piping hot wrath, and
remember this is my first fic, so be gentle. Questions may be emailed
to me at rsaotome@swbell.net.  Arigato.

 P.S. piping hot wrath will be served with a side of over salty,
overdone fries, and nobody wants that. :)

Pimping anime since 1995.



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