AWWWW Do I have to say it again? Everybody already knows I didn't create these people or make no money off of this. Alright,alright. I'll tell them. OH HEH HEH I guess I already did
RANMA UNPLUGGED
Ch. 4: Old Friends and New Lessons
"You certainly seem to be in a good mood right now, Trinity," Ranma remarked as he choked down another spoonful of the concoction in front of him. He was still having a hard time thinking of the stuff as food. At least he had learned not to compare it to Akane's previous attempts at cooking. Of course, he had learned that the hard way.
Trinity looked at him, the grin still held on her face. She just couldn't help it. It was nice enough to have her best friend on board as a new crew member, but the added knowledge that it meant that Akari and Ryoga were going to have a chance at true happiness made it impossible to wear any other expression. She turned to Akane as she spoke in her direction.
"C'mon, Trin. Let the rest of us in on it. After all that training we've been going through, Ranma, Ryoga, and me could use a good laugh."
"Speaking of Ryoga," Ranma stated as he looked around the mess hall, "where is he, anyway? He couldn't have gotten lost. Even if he had that problem in the real world, Morpheus could lead him here."
Neo was the one who answered seeing as how Trinity had just burst into a fit of chuckles that kept her from speaking up. "He should be here any minute now. Morpheus was introducing him to our newest crewmember after we left."
"A new crewmember?" Akane asked. "Who is it?" She didn't noticed Ranma's pale face as the door opened behind her and admitted the person in question.
"It's me," a familiar voice piped up.
At first, Akane thought she must be hearing things. She knew the voice that had just spoken, but it just wasn't possible. This was the real world, not the Matrix. There's no way that she could be here. That's when Akane finally noticed Ranma's expression. The shock and disbelief that she saw on his face slowly began to find its way on her own face. Slowly she turned to face the person behind her.
"AKANE!" Akari yelled with glee as she left Ryoga's side to embrace her friend in a fierce hug. "I just knew you'd be here, too."
"A-Akari?" Akane stammered as she slowly returned the hug. "What… How… I mean when were you…" She just couldn't seem to get any words out.
"Unplugged?" Akari finished for her as she stepped back and look at her friend. Akane nodded slowly. "The truth is I've been out for quite a few years."
"A few years?" Ranma repeated, not quite believing his ears. "But all those times back in Japan. Are you saying you weren't part of the system?"
"That's right. It's kind of a long story."
"Which I think it is time for everyone to hear," Morpheus said as he entered the already cramped room. Seeing as how there were no more seats available, he leaned against the wall next to the door. Akari, meanwhile, had taken a position next to Ryoga who was looking somewhat nervous. It was a look Ranma didn't fail to notice.
"Guess Ryoga still has a problem with his shyness," he thought. "Doesn't seem to be as bad as it was before. I mean back home, he'd be a quivering mess by now."
Akane had also noted Ryoga's expression and had thoughts of her own on the subject.
"I hope Akari can snap him out of it," she said to herself. "They both really do deserve to be happy."
Ryoga, as it turned out, was having a bit of a war inside his mind.
"What do I do now? I really never expected to see her again and I've been trying really hard to forget about her. I mean, Akari really is a nice girl and I like her a lot but I don't know if it's love. Oh what am I going to do?"
"We'll just take it one step at a time, Ryo-chan," Akari told him, smiling sweetly. "I care a lot about you and have waited this long anyway."
"Huh?" was all Ryoga was able to say as he finally realized he had been speaking out loud. His knees began to go weak until he finally succumbed and slumped to the floor. Akari knelt down with him and supported him so that he wouldn't hurt himself. All this time, she couldn't help but keep a small grin on her face.
"I guess you're not too different than you were inside," she whispered. "And for that I am thankful."
Morpheus cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. "I'm afraid we don't have a lot of time before we move on to your final two lessons. That being the case, we will try to explain his as quickly as possible." He motioned to Trinity who picked up the tale.
"I guess it's been about four years now. Back then I was temporarily assigned to another ship for an extraction. I wasn't told why until I got there. The ship turned out to have an all-male crew and since the person they wanted to pull out was a girl, it was decided that a woman with experience in the Matrix was needed. Our ship was the closest one to them and I drew the assignment.
"When I got there I was told about the target. It seemed this girl was living in a very isolated part of Japan on her family's farm. All she knew of life was raising pigs. Even though she didn't know anything else of life outside how she had been raised, somehow she knew that there was something wrong with the world. I guess even she was able to determine that pigs were not supposed to know how to do sumo or that her grandfather always seemed to be near death but just wouldn't pass on."
"So that girl was Akari?" Ryoga asked. He felt her squeeze his hand gently and turned to see her smiling at him.
"That's right," Akari told him. "One day I got a message advertising a sumo pig grand championship. Of course, I was honor-bound to go. That's when I met Trinity and she told me about the Matrix. It wasn't a very easy decision, but there really just wasn't anything to keep me there. So I went with her."
"During her training, Akari showed great promise in both computer programming and weapons training. So much so that an exception was made and she was allowed to join a ship's crew when she was just fifteen." Trinity paused to take a drink at which point Morpheus picked up the story.
"By then, her ship had begun receiving reports from inside the Matrix concerning a group of highly skilled martial artists within a prefecture of Japan. This informant passed along the machine's suspicions concerning this group and the Prophecy. He made particular mention of the conflicting love interests that were preventing the finalization of the marriage agreement. While nothing could be done about Ranma's fiancés, a plan was formed to at least provide a possible alternative for one of Akane's love interests."
By now Ryoga's anger was beginning to rise. Moving away from Akari with a speed that surprised even Ranma, he was suddenly in front of Morpheus with an arm across his throat. His fangs were bared so that Morpheus had no doubt as to how sharp they really were. "Are you saying you set me up to fall in love with someone who had no real feelings for me at all?" he growled. "It was all just an act?" He started as he felt a small hand grip his shoulder. Turning his head, he found himself staring into Akari's tear-filled eyes.
"Please, Ryo-chan, let me finish," she choked. Her hand was shaking on his shoulder and her voice trembled as she spoke. Ryoga looked over to Akane and Ranma, who at first had been preparing to jump at the remaining crew members as a means of venting the rage they felt at the pain their friend had been caused. Now, however, as they saw Akari's face filled with sadness, they decided to hear the rest of what she had to say. Akane met Ryoga's eyes and slowly nodded. Reluctantly, Ryoga moved away from Morpheus and joined his friends at the table. Akari moved to join them only to freeze when they all shot her a hostile glare. Akari was barely able to keep her voice under control enough to continue her story.
"At first, that was how I felt. You were just a mission." She flinched as the glares became even more harsh. Lowering her head, she continued. "But as time went by, I began to get to know you and grow closer to you. Then one day I realized that I had done the one thing that I had been told I couldn't let happen." She paused as she lifted her head to look Ryoga in his eyes.
"Ryoga, I really did fall in love with you."
For a while, silence filled the room. Finally, Ryoga stood up and slowly walked to the door. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be returning to the control room for the next training program," he said as he opened the door. He didn't get any farther because Morpheus forcefully pushed the door closed and moved to block his path.
"You, young man, are going to sit down and hear the last of what this girl has to say." Morpheus locked his eyes with Ryoga's in a look that clearly he would tolerate neither argument nor disobedience. Ryoga met his stare, but then slowly returned to his place between Ranma and Akane.
"After Neo was pulled out and revealed to be the One we had all been searching for, the mission was terminated. When my captain told me, I ran off the control deck and locked myself in my room for three days. My only contact with anyone was our operator when he brought me some food and made me eat. His name was Hardline." Akari's words were slow and soft as she released all her emotion when she spoke. "At first, I wouldn't say anything to anyone, but then he started to get me to open up. I told him about how I had fallen in love with you, Ryoga, and how it broke my heart that I couldn't see you again. He could see on my face how I had been crying myself to sleep every night. After a while he came to me with an offer.
"He began scanning the Matrix for Ryoga any chance he got. Whenever you finally found your way near the farm, he would come get me and send me into the system. It was only a few short times, but, for me, just being with my Ryo-chan was worth it. That went on up until two weeks ago." She turned to Ryoga.
"Do you remember what happened the last time we got together? How our date ended?"
Ryoga thought back to the last time he had been with Akari. It took him a few minutes since he was still sorting through the emotional war that was going on inside of him.
"Some guy came up to us when we were walking in the park. He said your grandfather had taken a turn for the worst and he was sent to take you to him right away. You had such a hurt look on your face I didn't argue even when the guy said I couldn't go with you."
Tears were starting anew on Akari's face as she shook her head. "That guy was my captain back in the real world. He had gotten suspicious of all the time I was supposedly spending in the Construct. Finally he was able to get a look at what exactly it was I was really doing. Both Hardline and I were expelled from the crew and sent back to Zion. I didn't know what I was going to do. No other ship would take us. Then the other day, Captain Patch came to me with Trinity's message and invitation to join this crew."
Akari looked at Trinity who was beaming at her despite her own tears over her story. She had known only a little about what had happened to her, but not all the details. Now Trinity found herself wondering if there was anything she could do for Akari's friend, Hardline. She looked to Morpheus who merely shrugged his shoulders.
"You don't know how happy I was to hear that you had been freed, Ryo-chan," Akari cried. "And then to be able to join the same ship you were on, it's like a dream come true for me. Please don't let that dream turn into a nightmare." She looked up to see Ryoga staring at the floor. Finally he got up and slowly walked to the door. When he got there, he stopped and turned towards Akari.
"I need some time to think about all this." With those words, he opened the hatch and left. Morpheus went to the door and called out after him.
"Be in the control room in thirty minutes. We still have two more training programs to run before we make preparations to take you to see the Oracle." All he got for a response from Ryoga was hand wave in his direction. Morpheus sighed as he turned back to the mess hall.
Akari was sitting in the middle of the floor with her face in her hands, still sobbing despite the fact that she had no more tears to shed. Trinity moved to her side in order to offer her friend some comfort when Morpheus spoke to her.
"Trinity, I need you and Neo to help me prepare for the next training program." Neo moved to Trinity's side and took her hand.
"What about Akari, Morpheus?" Trinity asked. Understandably, she was most reluctant to leave her friend in such a state.
"I'll be alright, Trin," Akari whispered. Trinity knelt down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you sure?"
"I think so. Besides I'd like to talk to Akane and Ranma for a little bit." Akari lifted her head and looked at the young couple with red eyes. She felt some hope when she saw that Akane's eyes were also wet with tears. Maybe they wouldn't hate her, after all.
Trinity looked and saw the looks as well. Finally, she rose and followed Neo and Morpheus out of the mess hall. Just before she disappeared down the hall, she turned back to them. "Just remember to have them in the control room in half an hour." She left when she saw Akari nod in acknowledgement.
As she walked down the passageways towards the control room, Trinity whispered a prayer for her friend. When she finally caught up to the others, she was surprised to see that Ryoga was already plugged in.
"What's he doing in there, Link?" she asked.
"Making gravel out of a lot of boulders," Link replied. "He came in here about ten minutes ago and jumped in a chair, demanding to be put in a mountain setting. When I asked him why, he said something about preferring to tear apart something virtual rather than something on the ship that might be important." They all watched on the screen as Ryoga yelled and thrust his finger into yet another boulder, sending shrapnel flying in every direction. After watching for another ten minutes, Trinity decided that she had had enough. Before anyone could say anything, she climbed into another chair. Morpheus moved to stand beside her.
"Just what do you think you are doing?" he asked.
"I'm going in there to try and talk some sense into him. Akari is my friend and I'm not going to let her go through this heartache again. Especially when he's actually here and it IS possible for them to be together."
"Ryoga has a very valid reason for feeling the way he does. No matter what the end result ultimately turned out to be, we had no right to play with his emotions like that."
"Damn it, Morpheus. He's not the only one who got hurt in this. Akari gave up everything she worked for because she fell in love with him. When she was sent back to Zion, she was ready to give up on everything. I'll burn in hell before I see that happen again." She lay back in the chair, but when nobody plugged her in she sat up again. "Are you going to load me up or what?"
Morpheus sighed as he set up the terminal. Finally, he turned to Trinity and jacked her in.
Back in the mess hall, Akari finally stopped crying and picked herself up off of the floor. Numbly, she turned to face Ranma and Akane, the fear evident on her face. She was sure she had already lost the love of the one who held her heart. The last thing she needed was to lose her friends as well.
"I guess you hate me, too," she said though it was difficult to hear her. Her voice was trembling that much. When she didn't get a response, Akari lowered her head and turned toward the door. She made it halfway when she was stopped by a hand being placed on her shoulder. Slowly, she turned until she found herself looking into Akane's eyes.
"Akari, we don't hate you, but you have to understand that Ryoga is our friend and, no matter how you really feel about him now, what you did wasn't right. It wasn't fair to him to have his emotions played with like that. What would have happened if you hadn't fallen in love with him and simply left when your mission was over? Did you ever really think of that?"
Akari sighed and closed her eyes. "At first, I was too excited about my first mission to really think about it. Later on it troubled me a little, but then I started to get to know him and really care about him. When I realized that I had actually fallen in love with him, I didn't know what I was going to do. I knew that sooner or later I was going to have to leave. I even thought about making plans to pull him out myself, but I didn't have enough time."
Akari paused and wiped the tears that had returned to her eyes. Suddenly she collapsed as her legs weakened. Akane was momentarily surprised but recovered quickly enough to catch her in a hug and gently ease her to her knees. That's when the sobs came back full force.
"Oh, Akane, I really do love him," Akari cried. "I love him with all my heart and soul."
Akane let Akari cry on her shoulder for a while as Ranma came to sit down beside her and place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Finally, after Akari had settled down slightly, Akane eased her back so that she could look into her friend's eyes. She raised her hand and gently wiped away some of the streaks on Akari's face.
"We're not the ones you need to be telling this to, you know. If you really feel this way, you have to let Ryoga know. Otherwise, all you will do is cause more pain and suffering for the both of you. Trust me, I know this from experience." As Akane said this, she felt Ranma's hand softly caress the back of her head.
"But Ryo-chan won't even listen to me now," Akari cried. "He hates me for what I've done."
This time it was Ranma who spoke to her. "Ryoga is angry about what happened, that's true, but I'm sure he doesn't hate you. I don't think he's got it in him to hate anyone. He is going to need some time, though."
"Tell you what," Akane told her. "If you want, we'll talk to him first and calm him down."
"But what can I say to him so that he will believe me?" Akari asked them.
"The truth. Just the whole, bitter truth," Ranma told her as he helped Akari to her feet.
Akari looked at both of them and finally let a smile creep onto her face. She suddenly leaped forward and held both of them in a fierce hug. "Thank you so much. You guys are the best."
After she finally let go, Ranma looked at both the ladies. "C'mon. It's about time for us to get back to the control room."
When the three friends arrived in the control room, the first thing they noted was the troubled look on Morpheus' and Neo's face. The second thing they realized was that both Trinity and Ryoga were plugged into the Construct. As Akari moved to the screen the two veteran crew members were watching, she felt a ball of ice form in the pit of her stomach. Without having seen what was going on, she knew two things: it wasn't good and her story had caused it. Worriedly, she peered between Neo and Morpheus at the screen. What she saw did nothing to alleviate her fears.
A rugged mountain scene was the backdrop for the program being run. At least that's what it had started as. Now it seemed more like a rock quarry was all that remained. Within this setting, two figures were squaring off amidst the rubble. All of the assembled crew watched as both combatants circles each other, breathing heavily. Once in a while, either Ryoga or Trinity would begin shouting only to have the other respond in kind before launching another attack. No one could tell what was being said as there was no sound coming from the display.
"Why can't we hear what they're saying?" Akari asked, nervously.
"Are you kidding?" Link asked, astonished. "Between the arguments, Ryoga's battlecries, and the ensuing destruction of the attacks, they were threatening to blow out all of the speakers."
"Don't you have sound dampeners you can turn on or something?" Akane asked.
"That IS with the sound dampeners turned on," Morpheus answered.
Akari continued to watch with a growing look of concern on her face. She knew that Trinity felt she was acting in her best interest, but she didn't want things to be any worse than they already were between her and Ryoga. It was going to be hard enough as it was to prove to him how she really felt about him.
"How long have they been at this?" Ranma asked, bring Akari out of her thoughts.
"About twenty minutes. That's not counting the ten minutes before Trinity went in when your friend turned the American Rocky Mountains into rubble."
"Should we go in and stop them?" Akane wondered.
"Do you have a death wish?" Neo asked
"So what are we going to do?"
Morpheus smiled. "Don't worry. Knowing Trinity, this won't be going on much longer."
Everybody turned back toward the screen as Ryoga launched another ki blast.
Trinity quickly dove to her right as the ball of energy rushed past where she had been standing. She was beginning to wonder if there was any way to get through the rage that Ryoga was venting and make him hear her out. She quickly regained her footing and turned to face the young man who was literally tearing apart the landscape.
"Why can't you just calm down and listen to me?" she yelled at him. Ryoga merely came flying at her with his finger extended, causing Trinity to once more dodge out of his path. It didn't stop her from getting hit by the debris that was sent flying from the point of impact, however. Bits of rock cut into her face and arms as she tried to shield herself.
"Why should I listen to you?" Ryoga demanded. He pivoted to face her once again as he fell back into another fighting stance. "You knew what she did to me. You knew how much she meant to me."
Trinity was thinking fast. She knew she was at the end of her limits. She also knew that if she didn't get to hear her out, then Akari would have no chance of restoring the love she had shared with him. Looking across at Ryoga, Trinity saw in his eyes the desperation and fear of loneliness that he was hiding behind his anger. For a brief moment, she thought to use this to her advantage before she discarded the notion. It would just give him more fuel for his Shi Shi Hokodan blast. Knowing she had to stall him, she charged blindly in an attempt to throw him off guard.
Ryoga watched as Trinity came rushing towards him. Instead of trying to dodge or block the blow he knew was coming, he simply stood there and prepared to absorb it. He was more than confident that he could take anything she threw his way. Of course, he was expecting to be hit in his chest or face. Unfortunately for him, Trinity's aim was focused at a slightly lower level.
Everybody watching the screen winced noticeably as Trinity delivered her kick. Akari's hand immediately covered her mouth as her face reddened. She was definitely not pleased at the target point.
"I don't think even Ryoga will be able to shrug that one off," Ranma muttered. He was proven correct when Ryoga immediately dropped to his knees and rolled to his side.
"I trust that I have your attention now," Trinity remarked as she took a seat on the last intact boulder that was around. She smirked as she watched Ryoga roll around, both of his hands clasped between his legs. He was still struggling to catch his breath.
"You know, somehow, I don't think Akari would appreciate what you just did." Ryoga's voice was still strained for the obvious reason.
"I thought you didn't care about how she felt anymore."
Ryoga had managed to recover enough by now to rise to his knees. "That's right. Why would I care about her? She betrayed my trust." Ryoga raised his head as he said this only to be surprised to find Trinity a mere inch away, a glare boring into his eyes.
"You mean like you did to Akane as P-chan?"
Ryoga blanched at Trinity's words as he opened his mouth to retort. However, nothing came out except sputtering. Finally, he hung his head and sighed. Trinity lifted his head up and looked into his eyes once more.
"Akane was able to forgive you. Can't you at least be willing to hear Akari out? I think you might be surprised to find out exactly what she went through for you."
"I'll hear what she has to say. Beyond that I can't promise anything else."
Trinity stood up and offered a hand to Ryoga. The once eternal Lost Boy accepted it and rose to his feet, albeit slightly slower than normal.
"That's good enough. C'mon, it's time to get back so they can prepare the next training program."
Ryoga opened his eyes and sat up in the chair. He didn't get too far before the pain between his legs forced him to lie down again. Morpheus came up beside him and grimaced in sympathy. Ryoga merely groaned.
"I know, I know. Your mind makes it real," he said as he turned his head. Ranma and Akane were climbing into their chairs as Trinity and Neo prepared the next program. His attention was grabbed a moment later when he felt a small hand gently take his own. Turning towards the gesture, Ryoga found himself staring into Akari's eyes. She moved her hand up to touch his cheek, but shuddered when Ryoga intercepted it. She stared at him as her eyes watered.
Ryoga sighed as he brought Akari's hand down. Though he was still hurt, he couldn't bear to see the tears he knew was coming. Finally he spoke to her.
"Akari, I'm still hurting right now, but I promised Trinity that I would hear you out." Ryoga's mood lightened somewhat as he saw the small smile appear on her face. "It's going to take some time, though."
"That will have to come later, though," Morpheus said as he walked over to Ryoga's chair. "For now, why don't you take one of the remaining chairs, Akari?"
Akari let go of Ryoga's hand in shock. "I don't understand. I've already been through all the training."
"I didn't say you needed any training. I just thought you might wish to help with the final two programs," Morpheus said with a wink.
For a moment, Akari looked confused, but slowly it dawned on her what Morpheus had planned. She giggled at the thought of not only Ryoga's but Ranma's reaction as well at what they were about to see. With a leap in her step, she left behind a confused Ryoga as she climbed into one of the last chairs.
Ryoga looked at Morpheus with a wary look on his face he watched him get into the final chair. Morpheus, for his part, merely gave Ryoga a wicked grin as he rested his head against the rest. His mind was brought back into focus as Trinity came up behind him and jacked him in.
Ryoga opened his eyes and looked around him. He found himself and the others atop the roof of a large building in the middle of a sprawling city. As he took stock of his surroundings, he found that not only had Akane opted for her new look in clothing but Ranma had also chosen new attire. He now sported a black, sleeveless silk shirt that was similar to the red Chinese shirt he had always worn back in Nerima. Embroidered on the left front side of the shirt in gold thread was the head of a great dragon. From the look of it, the neck traversed over Ranma's left shoulder to join its body on his back. His black pants were made of stiff cotton that, while tight fitting to provide little chance of obstruction, was loose enough to allow freedom of movement. Ranma hid his eyes behind two small rectangular lenses supported across the tops by a simple wire framing. A pair of simple kung fu shoes completed his outfit.
Ranma stood next to Akane who had added a long flowing trench coat to her ensemble to better hide her sidearms. At the moment she was inspecting each one of the desert eagles, making sure that they functioned correctly and were in fact fully loaded. Akari came up to her and giggled at her actions.
"There's really no reason to do that, you know," she told Akane. "I mean they're virtual. No matter how many times you use them, whenever you enter the Matrix, they'll always work and be loaded."
Akane smiled as she reholstered her weapons. "One of things that my dad taught me as a martial artist is that you can never take anything for granted. Just because something is there one day, that doesn't mean it will be there the next."
"A good philosophy, indeed," Morpheus stated from behind them, causing the entire group to jump.
"You know, that is really getting annoying, Morpheus," Ryoga growled as his heart rate came back down to a normal level.
"Think of it as a way to teach you to be more alert to your surroundings." Morpheus smiled as he looked over Ryoga's appearance. "I am curious as to why you have not yet chosen a new style for yourself as your friends have. Even Akari has adopted a new look for herself."
Ryoga turned to Akari and appraised her as he noticed her choice of clothing for the first time. She was sporting a tight fitting sweater that hugged her curves in a way that left no doubt in Ryoga's mind that she was not a cute girl but a beautiful woman. This was further accented by the tight black leather miniskirt she wore. It fell to just above mid thigh in a way that drew the casual observer's eye straight to her smooth and delicate legs. The only thing that told of the innocence she once projected was a pair of black knee-high stockings and patent-leather schoolgirl shoes. All-in-all, it was an outfit that put out the image of a delicate flower, but one full of a hidden potential.
Finally, Ryoga shrugged and closed his eyes. Concentrating on what he felt would be comfortable to him, he felt a tingle all over his body. When it subsided he opened his eyes and looked down. His fangs poked out as he grinned at the final product. Gone were his usual yellow shirt and green workout pants. Now he wore a tight black muscle shirt that fit its name perfectly. A comfortable pair of black denim jeans covered his lower body and on hi feet he wore a simple pair of steel-toed boots. He finished his new look with a leather motorcycle jacket and ray-ban sunglasses.
"How's this?" He asked the group in front of him as he tightened the knot on his trademark bandana. Looking around at the reactions he got merely made him broaden his grin, especially with the way the two ladies were looking at him. Akane's mouth was hanging open, and, if Ryoga wasn't mistaken, a small amount of drool was slowly forming down her chin. Ryoga noticed that Ranma had a slight glare on his face as he saw Akane's reaction. He laughed and gave Ranma a quick wink as he turned to take in Akari's opinion of his new wardrobe.
To say that Akari was speechless was to say that Genma was never more than just slightly hungry. Her eyes were wide as she digested the image that was in front of her. She had always known that Ryoga kept himself in ideal shape through his martial arts, but she had never known just how toned his body was. On the few occasions, she and Ryoga had been together on their dates, he had always been too shy to really do anything intimate. Looking at him now only served to deepen the attraction she felt towards him.
"I take it you approve?" Ryoga asked her. Akari could only bring herself to nod slowly.
"Now that that is out of the way, it is time to continue to our next lesson," Morpheus said as he drew their attention back to the task at hand. All followed him as he walked to the edge of the roof and peered down. Everyone save for Akari followed his gaze and gasped as they realized for the first time just how high up they were.
"We must be twenty stories up," Akane cried.
Morpheus smiled. "Actually, it's twenty-five," he replied as he took a several steps away from the edge. "I told you earlier that the hardest part about making the transition from the Matrix to the real world is letting go. That means more than just letting go of your past. You must also learn to allow your mind to let go of all the rules that you lived with. Rules like gravity, for instance." With those word said, he surprised them all by charging towards the end of the roof and leaping into the air. Instead of falling to the street below, as was to be expected, he landed gracefully on the rooftop of another building three blocks away.
Pulling himself to his feet, Morpheus turned to yell at the others to join him. Before he could say anything, however, he found himself face to face with both Ranma and Ryoga, each with a sly look on his face. Morpheus looked at both of them and grinned.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised after seeing what you were capable of during your sparring matches. Now it's time for the ladies to join us."
Ranma looked at Ryoga and then nervously turned back to Morpheus. "There's no way that they can make that jump. I mean Akane's been trained in the Art, but she never progressed to roof jumping like me and Ryoga have."
Ryoga nodded. "And if Akane can't do it then I don't see how Akari could. She's not even a martial artist."
Morpheus grinned. "What did I tell you about letting go with your mind? Martial arts has nothing to do with it." Turning back towards the other building, he waved his arm high in the air.
On the roof of the first building, Akari caught Morpheus' signal and turned towards Akane. "That's our cue, girl."
Akane just turned to her in shock. "You can't be serious. I'm a martial artist and I can't even make that jump. If I can't then I don't see how you possibly could."
"It's simple. I know I can make it because I believe I can. See you on the other side."
Before Akane could respond, Akari turned and dashed off the roof. Pushing off the edge, she soared high into the air, coming down on the opposite building much to the disbelief of Ranma and especially Ryoga. Standing up, she dusted herself off and moved to stand beside the man she loved.
"Impressed?" she asked Ryoga. This time it was Ryoga's turn to nod numbly. He was brought out of his stupor when he heard Ranma's voice.
"Looks like Akane's getting ready to go for it. I hope she knows what she's doing."
"If not," Morpheus replied, "it's a long way down."
All four watched as Akane's face grew stern with concentration as she focused her thoughts on the challenge in front of her. Finally she made a mad dash and pushed off, soaring into the sky. For a while it seemed like she was going to make it.
Akane was overcome with joy as she watched the buildings pass below her. "I'm doing it," she thought to herself. "I'm actually doing it. This is great. I just can't believe it." No sooner had those words entered her mind did she find that her forward momentum had slowed. She cried out in alarm when she finally realized she was going to fall short of her goal. Her scream got louder as she fell to the street below.
Hearing Akane's scream, Ranma prepared to dive after her. Just when he was about to leap off the roof, he felt himself being pulled back by the shoulder. Turning to the source of this, he came face to face with Morpheus. His temper flared as he tried to break away, but Morpheus' grip stayed firm.
"Let me go, Morpheus. I have to save her."
"I can't allow to you do that, Ranma"
"But why?"
Morpheus' looks softened. "Because sooner or later, she has to realize that you won't always be there to rescue her. Believe me, it's better that she learns now instead of in the Matrix where she could really be hurt."
"What do you mean? If she hits the ground, she's going to be killed."
"Do you really believe we would let that happen in a training simulation?"
"Huh?"
"Just watch."
Morpheus released Ranma and they joined Akari and Ryoga in looking over the edge. Ranma gasped at the sight. Surprising Akane was picking herself up off the ground, albeit very slowly. As she began dusting herself off, she suddenly felt her legs go week and she fell back to the ground.
"What exactly just happened, Ryoga?" Ranma asked.
Ryoga looked at him and shrugged. "I'm just as surprised as you are. It looked like when she hit, the ground gave way then shot her back up a few feet before she fell back again."
"Wow, I guess she really is built like a brick."
"HEY, I HEARD THAT!" Akane called from the ground below.
"Eep." Ranma cringed.
"Is she okay?" Morpheus asked.
"Hold on. I'll ask her." Ranma leaned over the edge of the roof and yelled. "HEY, AKANE, YOU ALRIGHT?"
"I JUST FELL OFF A BUILDING, YOU JERK. OF COURSE I'M NOT ALRIGHT!"
Ranma turned back to Morpheus again and chuckled. "She seems perfectly normal to me."
Morpheus smiled. "In that case, it is time to move on to our final program."
Morpheus was soon leading Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga through a busy metropolitan street. The crowds of people reminded them of downtown Tokyo. Akari followed behind the three Nerimans as they were jostled by the mob moving against them. Morpheus began speaking as they waded through the sea of workers, students, and other pedestrians.
"Look around. What do you see? Businessmen, secretaries, policemen, and soldiers. They are all plugged into the Matrix and as such they are a part of the system we fight against. As long as this is the case, they are our enemies and will not hesitate to attempt to capture or kill you."
"I don't understand. What would make them want to just kill us if we don't do anything to them?" Ryoga asked.
"Why don't you ask Akari?"
All three youths turned back to where Akari had been following them only to come face to face with three guns aimed at their head. Each one ducked and prepared to fall into a defensive stance when they heard a cry from behind them.
"FREEZE IT!" Akari yelled out.
Suddenly the whole world around them came to a halt. Ranma, Ryoga, and Akane straightened up and stared at the three figures in front of them. They were men, each one wearing a simple black suit and tie with dark sunglasses. They closely resembled the security detail that the American president always had around him, right down to the little plastic coils coming out of their ears. Their faces held an expression neutral enough to put Nabiki's "Ice Queen" mask to shame. The three men seemed to have no qualms whatsoever to being about to kill three people.
"What are they?" Ranma asked as he looked over the one in front of him.
"We call them Agents," Akari answered. "They're sentinel programs inside the Matrix itself. They can become anyone who is still plugged in to the system. This means they can be next to you in an instant ready to destroy you."
"Can they be killed?"
"It is possible to destroy the body that they take over," Morpheus replied, "but then they will just become someone else. It is also very difficult to kill them. They are extremely fast, enough so that you can empty an entire magazine at them and hit nothing but air. In all our history, only one person has successfully engaged and beaten an Agent."
"Neo," Akane stated with great certainty.
"Exactly, everyone else who has fought an agent has died."
Akane cringed at this. If these were their enemies, then surviving in the Matrix seemed to be a near impossible feat. Morpheus seemed to read her fears.
"It is possible to escape from them. Many have successfully done this, myself included. I also believe that you three may have the ability to defeat them in combat as well judging from your matches earlier."
Akane still wasn't sure, but Ranma and Ryoga seemed to lighten in their expressions. They still had some fears about the whole thing, but they also had confidence in their abilities as fighters. What scared Ranma most of all were Morpheus' words on the rooftop about him not always being there to rescue Akane.
"This was the final lesson. Now we must return to the ship and prepare for your trip to see the Oracle tomorrow."
Once they were all unplugged, Morpheus had Akari take Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga down to the messhall to get something to eat. When they left, he moved over to Link, leaving Trinity and Neo to begin the prep work for entering the Matrix. As he stood beside his operator, Link handed him the headset.
"We're patched through to the Argos. Patch is standing by," he told Morpheus.
Morpheus nodded as he put the headset in place. "Good evening, Captain."
"Same to you, Morpheus. I guess you're finally going to tell us what this is all about."
"You are aware that I spoke to the Oracle a few days ago."
"Yeah, Link says she called you directly. I've never known that to happen before. She must have had something pretty important to do that."
"To say the least. She told me it was time for my newest recruits to meet her."
"Well, that is a little rushed, but I don't see what that has to do with me or my ship."
Morpheus grinned on his end of the connection. "Captain, how would you feel about another fishing trip?" Morpheus could almost see the shocked expression on Patch's face in his mind. As it was, the momentary silence that followed his question spoke volumes.
"Are you kidding me, Morpheus?" Patch asked when he finally regained his composure. "Have you forgotten what happened the last time? My medic is still recovering from the broken arm."
"I regret what happened before, but I'm afraid I don't have much of a choice. The oracle has made it quite clear that we need to be ready to do another multiple extraction."
"How many?"
"She didn't say. Only that it would be necessary to have a second ship standing by."
Silence prevailed as Patch thought over the situation. Like Morpheus, he had come to believe in the Oracle and the Prophesy. There weren't many who did. The Oracle knew this and the fact that she was asking this of a ship captained by a believer gave the situation the seriousness it deserved. It only took Patch a few minutes to agree. He did have a condition, however.
"All right, Morpheus, we're in," he said, "but in order to avoid a repeat of the last time I want one of your crewmembers here for when our potential comes to. That way there's a friendly face to calm him or her down."
"I'll do better than that; I'll send two. You'll get Akari and Ryoga."
"Ryoga?" Patch exclaimed. "Isn't he the one we picked up the last time?"
Yes, that's true," Morpheus replied. "He's been wanting to apologize to you for that, anyway."
"Fine, fine. I'm still not putting any of my crew in, though. Just your people. When the time comes, we'll coordinate so that we use the same insertion and exit points. No one gets split up that way."
"Agreed. We will meet at 0700 tomorrow morning to transfer the crew. I'll have worked out all the details by then."
"See you then."
The next morning came faster than anyone felt possible. After an early breakfast, Morpheus briefed everybody as to the events of the day. Shortly thereafter, they rendezvoused with the Argos at which time Akari and Ryoga joined the other crew. Half an hour later, the ship was making its way to a broadcast point while all those going in prepared themselves in their own way.
Morpheus was in the cockpit piloting the ship to their destination. Down in the control room, Link was setting up the monitors and control panel so that he would be able to monitor the others once they were inside. Behind him, Neo and Trinity were preparing the chairs and medical monitors with Akane watching closely and learning the procedures. Ranma, meanwhile, had taken a meditative posture against a far wall, focusing his mind on the task to come.
Morpheus finally brought the ship down and joined the others in the control room. Getting affirmative nods from Link, Trinity, and Neo, he approached Ranma, who opened his eyes just as Morpheus reached. Morpheus regarded him and spoke a single phrase. "It's time."
With that, everyone took their places in the chairs. Ranma and Akane turned to face each other and shared a confident smile as they began their first trip back into the Matrix.
In a split second, Ranma found himself with the others inside an empty room not unlike the one he had found himself in when he had been extracted. True to her word, Akane was inspecting her weapons for proper function and load. In another instant they were joined by Akari and Ryoga, who looked over to him and gave him a brief nod.
It was then that Ranma noticed the ringing telephone that sat on the desk in the middle of the room. He looked over to Morpheus and saw him nod in his direction as he was the closest one to the phone. Ranma walked over and placed the receiver against his ear. Somehow he knew it was the ship and, being Ranma, said the first thing that came to mind.
"We're in."
END CHAPTER 4
Whew. Ok I know this chapter was a long time in coming, but then I did warn you. After all, a couple nights of partying in Hong Kong was bound to take it's toll. It took a lot of effort to figure out exactly how I wanted to go with Akari and Ryoga. For those of you who were expecting a happy ever after, sorry not right now. I guess you will just have to wait and see what happens.
If you look back at all my previous chapters plus this one, think about this. I originally wanted what composes ch 1-4 to all be in one chapter. The more I wrote and the more I thought about it made me realize tquickly that it would have been a bad idea. It would have been too long in my opinion to really hold anyone's attention. I hope you all agree with me on that.
I have decided to treat this series like a TV show in a sense. This current work is essentially a pilot episode. Depending on reviews and feedback, there will be more episodes written. Each episode will be a separate adventure that our heroes embark on as they enter the world of the Matrix. Each episode will be made up of several chapters. Right now I am on track to give the "pilot" ten chapters or so. With each new episode old characters will be resolved and new friends will be made. Between the end of one episode and the beginning of the next, there will be a time break while I consider and work on other projects.
Speaking of other projects, in order to keep my brain from going into overdrive on this storyline, I am in the process of writing another Ranma crossover. This one will be with Love Hina. Now before you start with the flames I promise this will be a fic that mainly concentrates on Ranma and one other character from his world as the main parties. First three people who can guess who the other is in their reviews I will use as prereaders(Yes I'm that desparate for them). The story will take place in the Hinata apartments and will involve the characters from that series as well as the Ranma series. Like I said though, it will mostly focus on Ranma and our mystery hero(or heroine). I hope to have that up in a few days.
Because of the other project and the fact that I decided to make a few changes to the Ranma Unplugged storyline, CH 5 will be somewhat delayed. It will probably be anothertwo weeksor so before I even really get started writing it. In case you haven't guess, more friends are coming to join the cause. Since I need a new prereader for this story as well, the first person to guess the next extractions in their reviews will be invited to be a prereader for the remainder of this series. You have to get exactly the right people. That's might only hint. It will be more than one person.
Well until next time, I hope you enjoyed CH 4. See ya through the looking glass.