Disclaimer:
Megaman X character designs belong to Capcom. I'm just borrowing 'em, guys. I'll have 'em power washed before I bring 'em back. Yeah, yeah, I'll even hot wax 'em. Ranma characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just borrowing 'em, Rumiko-san. I'll have 'em power washed before I return 'em. Yeah, yeah, I'll even hot wax 'em. There's a character design that I borrowed from the Sonic anime, but that should be it. He'll be waxed and washed too.
Warning: This chapter has a sailor in it. If you can't handle the swearing of a sailor, you probably haven't entered high school yet. If you don't care about sailor speak, then please disregard this warning.
Flashfyre5 Presents
A Flaming Amarant production
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota
The Opening Bet
Chapter Six: The Death of Ranma Saotome, part 1
" " = speech
[ ] = panda board
= thought
/ / = written
* * * * * *
"I must thank thee, goodsir. Verily, I have never felt quite this capable," Tatewaki Kuno said, admiring his new body. It was less smooth than his old one, but it was much more heavily armed. His wings were no longer like a bird's; they were definitively mechanical, angular and sharp-edged. There was a sword jutting from each of his gauntlets, and his right hand was equipped with a beam emitter. His armor was heavier too, but his new wings could handle the load.
"It was nothing, really," Inferno Phoenix said, admiring his work. He felt no particular pride in this one; it was reasonably powerful, but nothing truly special.
"Now, what is the service that your master hath requested of me in return for your diligent work?" Kuno asked, turning to face Inferno.
"Just some easy stuff. First, swallow this," Inferno instructed, handing Kuno a large, purple pill.
"What be this for, I inquire?" Kuno asked, examining it.
"It's a spin-sealed gas that some of your systems need to work at optimum efficiency," Inferno lied smoothly, smiling. Kuno, unquestioning, swallowed the pill and forgot about it.
"What acts of greatness shall we now endeavor upon?" Kuno asked. He had a sick feeling in his gut, but he ignored it.
"I don't know. We'll have to wait until Lord Sigma decides to come tell us," Inferno said, leaning against a wall.
"Very well, then," Kuno agreed, sitting down. The sick feeling was intensifying, but he still said nothing. Time passed at a crawl. Inferno watched Kuno with an unwavering, unblinking stare. Kuno refused to allow the growing feeling of illness affect him, even though it had passed beyond his gut. Finally, he forced himself unsteadily to his feet. "I believe that there may be something wrong..." he choked out before his legs failed him and he fell to the ground in a heap. Inferno walked slowly over and watched Kuno's twitching, convulsing body.
When it stopped twitching, he commanded, "Get up." Slowly, Kuno's body rose from the floor, using its wings to steady itself in a way that no human being could know. When the silver Reploid was finally upright, Inferno sneered," Is this what you call military respect and honor? You're facing a commanding officer!" Kuno's body immediately snapped to attention, losing its unsteadiness. "Better," Inferno granted, looking him over. "What's your designation?"
"I am Sword Angel, Milord. At your service, naturally," Kuno's body said, its voice deeper and more respectful than it had ever been. Inferno Phoenix smiled, finally satisfied.
* * * * * *
The cargo freighter Yuki-o sailed through the choppy waters of the Sea of China. At first look, nothing seemed out of order with the ship. It had a full cargo hold. It was so full, in fact, that there were boxes tied down on the foredeck. No damage was apparent on the freighter, and its tank was quite nearly full of diesel gasoline. However, if one were to examine it more closely, the facts would quickly become alarming. The first thing that became apparent was the smell of the boat. It reeked of spoiled fish, the smell emanating from the cargo hold and the crates on deck. Secondly, all the crates were labeled in Mandarin, and dated for export over a week ago. Finally, the deck itself had traces of blood on it.
Something was not right with this ship.
There were no crew members moving about on the ship. It had, in fact, been recently listed as stolen property by one Hiro Shikata. Further investigation would reveal that he was the owner of the ship, and that there were six murders under investigation in connection with the ship's theft. Hiro himself was laid up in the hospital, having suffered severe lacerations and a collapsed chest cavity caused, the doctors had concluded, by the application of almost 500 kilograms of force.
At the wheel of the ship, though, was the most alarming thing of all. Crammed into the tiny cabin, Ryoga grasped the wheel of the freighter with his single hand. Checking his heading, he nodded. Another four hours would bring him to the shores of China. After that, it was a two-day trek to the Jusendo area, where Phoenix Mountain stood. The whole while, he was muttering to himself, his face twisted into a mask of rage.
"...red devil gonna kill her and Ranma, can't forget Ranma, no, he started this whole thing damn him, own family won't accept me now gotta kill them both...," Ryoga growled as he drove himself into a downward spiral of ever-decreasing sanity.
* * * * * *
Soun looked up as Genma walked out of the basement doorway. His expression was stoic, but Soun knew his best friend well enough that he could tell that the big man was hurting. His jaw was a bit too tightly clenched, his walk a little stiff, his eyes too fixed on something off in the distance.
"What's wrong, old friend?" Soun asked, concerned.
"Nothing that you can help with, Tendo," Genma said softly, closing the basement door. He stood silently for a moment, then said, "Tendo, it has been a true honor to know you, but I'm afraid that I must now leave," Genma finally declared.
"Why, Saotome? Did I do something wrong?" Soun asked, dismayed.
"No, Tendo, you did nothing. In fact, your family has done nothing more than make me feel at home," Genma shook his head, moving away from the door.
"Then why are you leaving?" Soun asked.
"I have disowned Ranma this evening," Genma stated flatly. Soun breathed a gasp of surprise, shocked to his very core. "My son is dead to me, now. It is not the place of the living to see the dead walking."
"I... see," Soun said, once he could gather his wits enough to speak. "Do you want your things?"
"No. I'll leave them as an offering to my son's spirit," Genma decided, slipping into his outdoor shoes. "I'm going to go back to my home, to face my wife. I will tell her that Ranma died at Jusenkyo. Perhaps I'll have a chance to father another son."
"I...," Soun began, not knowing quite what to say. "Good luck, old friend," he finally decided on, bowing deeply to Genma.
"You too, old friend," Genma replied in turn, bowing just as deeply. Without another word, he opened the front door and left the Tendo household.
"Father?" Kasumi's concerned voice intruded upon Soun, shattering the moment. "Are you all right? You haven't moved for the last five minutes."
"I'll be fine, Kasumi. I think I'll just go to bed a little early tonight," Soun replied. Keeping a tight hold on his emotions, he made his way to the stairs. Ignoring Kasumi's concerned look, he ascended them and entered his room, the room that he had once shared with his wife, Kimiko. He slowly, deliberately, closed the door, then leaned against it, finally allowing his tears to flow. Crying softly, he changed out of his gi and into a pair of pajamas. Then, he laid down in his large-enough-for-two bed and cried himself to sleep, mourning the loss of his best, and only, friend.
* * * * * *
"Pop..." Ranma choked out, smashing a fist against the concrete floor, sending a slim crack shooting a few inches forward. "Damn it, Pop. Why'd ya hafta go and do something like that? Why..." From his capsule, Dr. Light looked, speechless, at the pain he'd wrought. After a few painful minutes, he put the capsule on standby, shutting off the sight and sound of the hurting boy.
"Ranma..." Akane said, slowly approaching his kneeling form. She had emerged from her hiding place as soon as the door had closed. She wanted to comfort her friend, but wasn't quite sure if he wanted to be comforted.
"I just wanted him to respect me again," Ranma said, to nobody in particular. "He treated me like dirt, but at least he respected me. Is that really so much ta ask?"
"Maybe, for him..." Akane said, kneeling next to Ranma. "You remember how my dad used to treat me when you got here?" she asked.
"Yeah," Ranma said, looking at her.
"It was just too much for him. He couldn't handle it," she said anyway. "Then you came along. You treated me like a person, not a machine. You showed him how to do it too. You even gave me the one thing that would've solved this whole mess."
"Yeah..." Ranma said softly, looking away.
"Ranma, you can't let him beat you. You're better than he is!" Akane said, leaning towards him.
"Yeah, right," Ranma sneered. "He didn't get disowned, despite the fact that he's a thief, a liar, and a deserter."
"So, what? He's a moron. What's his opinion matter?" Akane asked, pulling backwards.
"A whole lot, since he's the head of the clan," Ranma answered, sitting back on his haunches. Akane didn't have a retort to that statement, so she remained silent.
"So," Akane asked uncomfortably. "What now?"
"Now?" Ranma asked, as if he hadn't thought of the future. "What do you mean 'what now'? Your dad'll throw me out now that Pop disowned me. I don't have anywhere else to go. There isn't a 'what now' for me anymore."
"He wouldn't!" Akane exclaimed, defending her father.
"Wouldn't he? You remember how he used to treat you," Ranma said. "He'd just throw me out with all the other trash. 'Sides, I might as well be burakumin, thanks to my Pop. If I stayed, it'd screw over your family reputation majorly."
"But..." Akane trailed off, not knowing what to say in response.
"It's okay, Akane. I'll spend the night down here, then leave in the morning. Just forget I was ever here," Ranma said, pushing himself off the floor. His face had some kind of fragile determination etched on it.
"What are you going to do?" Akane asked as Ranma turned and walked over to Dr. Light's deactivated capsule.
"Something I should've done a long time ago," Ranma replied cryptically.
"Ranma..." Akane said, worried. Ranma slowly sat down in a corner adjacent to Dr. Light's capsule.
"There's this really tall cliff in southern Honshu, near Osaka. Almost three hundred feet tall. It's beautiful, and plunges right into the sea. Always was my favorite place. Pop let me train there for almost a year, when I was eight," Ranma said, almost nostalgically. "It looks like the sea meets the earth meets the sky. It's far from civilization. Nobody ever goes there. 'Least I won't cause anybody any more pain," he finished softly, almost speaking to himself. "G'night, Akane," he said, his eyes drooping closed.
"Ranma..." Akane said again, feeling guilty. She knew that he blamed himself for not being able to help her against Ryoga. It killed her inside to know that she had only added to the pain that Ranma was feeling. "Damn it, Ranma, I just want to be your friend," she finally said, kicking the blue Reploid the leg. At the resounding *Boom* that it made, she cringed, hoping that nobody noticed. When nobody came to investigate, she relaxed and sat down with her back to Dr. Light's capsule /I hope he gets better,/ she thought to herself, then suddenly realized something.
"When did I start to think of Ranma as a guy?" She wondered aloud. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head and activated her own sleep cycle.
* * * * * *
"Jeez, Saotome," Nabiki muttered to herself from her position near the basement door. She'd had to dive for the cover of the nearby furo when Ranma'd come up the stairs, and later, when his father had exited. Shaking her head, she got to her feet, and leg muscles that had been, for the most part, unused all day immediately sent her a very powerfully worded letter of complaint. Summoning her willpower, she ignored them and walked up to her room for the evening. However, as she passed the kitchen, her stomach decided to let her know that it too had been neglected, save for a pitiful offering earlier that day, consisting of a small fudge sundae. Though Nabiki Tendo was rarely a person to be commanded by anything, she decided to let her stomach have it's way this time, and made a detour for the kitchen.
"Why, hello, Nabiki," Kasumi greeted her, startling the younger girl out of her thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, hey Kasumi. What's up?" Nabiki asked, walking over to the refrigerator.
"Did you hear about what Mr. Saotome did?" Kasumi worried, leaning against the stove while rubbing her hands with a towel.
"Yeah. Idiot," Nabiki said, pulling out a couple of onigiri to munch on. "He's got no idea what he just did to Ranma."
"What do you mean, Nabiki?" Kasumi asked, looping her towel through the oven's handle.
"I've been watching Ranma, and from what I can tell, honor and his father have been the only thing that's kept him going.
"I thought that he didn't like his father," Kasumi said, confused.
"He hates the guy. That's the point. Ranma's been running on the idea that he'd be able to find a way to beat his old man at his own game. Now that Genma's disowned him..." Nabiki trailed off, taking a bite out of her first onigiri.
"Oh, my," Kasumi agreed. Suddenly, a resounding *Boom* echoed through the house, and Nabiki shook her head.
"I don't know what Ranma's going to be like now, but I'm not sure that I want to know," Nabiki mused.
"I don't know, Nabiki. Ranma's a very strong person. I think she'll be able to make it through this," Kasumi disagreed. "It's Akane that I'm worried about right now."
"Yeah. She probably blames herself for this whole mess. Thanks, Daddy," Nabiki said sarcastically, biting through the pickled plum at the center of her snack.
"Oh, heavens no!" Kasumi exclaimed, shaking her head. "Akane wouldn't blame herself. Ranma's been so much help to her with that. But... those two have become so close over the past few days. If something were to happen to Ranma, who knows what Akane might do." Nabiki was silent for a moment, considering this new facet.
"You know, Kasumi, you might be right," she agreed. Nabiki finished off her onigiri and picked up a second, chewing thoughtfully. After a few moments, Kasumi picked up a broom and began to sweep the kitchen, a chore that she'd traditionally reserved to be the last thing she did before going to bed. "Now that I think of it..." Nabiki finally said. "I might be able to help them." Her course decided, she picked up her plate of snacks and left for her room.
"Good night, Nabiki," Kasumi called to her as she left the kitchen.
"'Night, Kasumi," Nabiki replied, climbing the stairs. Quietly, so as not to wake her father, whom she assumed was sleeping, she slipped into her room and shut the door behind her. Collapsing onto her bed, she set her plate down next to her phone, which she immediately grabbed. From memory, she punched in a number and waited while the phone rang.
"Hello, Iwata residence," a voice finally sounded from across the line. It sounded slightly out of wind, as if someone had dashed to get the phone in time.
"I catch you at a bad time, Kenji?" Nabiki asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"I was in the shower. What's up, and why couldn't it wait till morning?" Kenji asked. Nabiki heard him sit down and slide something, most likely a pad of paper, across a flat surface.
"I'm pulling you from the rumormongering squad. I need you to find some way that Ranma and Akane can live easily, at least for a little while," Nabiki explained, twirling the phone line around her finger.
"Why? I thought you said that they could handle things," Kenji asked, confused.
"Something changed," Nabiki replied flatly.
"That big, huh? Can I ask..." he trailed off.
"No. Back to business. What can you do for Ranma and my sister?" Nabiki asked.
"Don't know. Not much, at least without help from the rest of the team," Kenji answered. Nabiki could almost see him shaking his head. "I could find some place for them to vacation to, but that'd be an obvious and temporary fix. Could run recon on what other nasties might be out there. Can't think of much else that I can do with the kind of money that I've got, Nabiki. My dad's rich as Hell, but I haven't gotten a yen of it since I dyed my hair."
"Was it really that expensive?" Nabiki asked, skeptical.
"Let's just say that I could be driving to school with what my hair dye cost me," Kenji replied. "There's real silver in the dye."
"Jeez...," Nabiki trailed off in awe. "No wonder you dad was pissed."
"He said that I had to work under you to learn just how hard money is to come by. Personally, I don't know what he's talking about. We sure don't have any trouble bringing it in," Kenji joked, eliciting a chuckle from Nabiki.
"Yeah, I guess," Nabiki replied, thinking of just how little extra money her family had after the mortgage payments on the dojo. "Anyways, I guess that running recon is your best option, but keep that vacation idea open, all right?"
"I'll do what I can, Nabiki," Kenji agreed.
"Kenji?" Nabiki said.
"Yeah?"
"Be careful. I don't want anybody getting hurt, you least of all," Nabiki cautioned, sitting up.
"I will," Kenji replied solemnly. "Where would you be without your human lie detector, eh?" Nabiki just smiled and shook her head.
"Good night, Kenji," she said.
"Good night," he replied in turn, hanging up. Nabiki dropped the receiver of the phone in its cradle and picked up her plate of onigiri again, thinking. Finally, after eating the last one, she gave up and undressed, then went to bed.
* * * * * *
Genma sighed and took in a sight that he'd not seen in over a decade: his home. It looked exactly the same as it had when he'd left it, except for the flowers out front. Nodoka had maintained a beautifully manicured garden at the time that he'd left, but now it seemed to have been neglected. He hoped that Nodoka hadn't taken the long separation too badly. Regardless, he walked up the pathway and knocked on the door. He wasn't sure why he did; it was his house, after all. For some reason, though, it just felt like the right thing to do.
Behind him, the sun peeked its way over the horizon, and Genma silently cursed his lack of foresight. He'd left all his supplies for Ranma. Thus, he didn't even have enough money to buy fare on the subway to make the trip to Juuban. Forced to walk, it had taken him all night to arrive at his house, and he was tired. He knocked again.
"Who is it?" called a voice from inside the house.
"It's me, Nodoka. It's Genma," Genma replied, recognizing his wife's voice at once.
"Genma? Come in, please," Nodoka called. Heartened by the hope in her voice, Genma entered. The first thing that he noticed about the house was that it was dark. All the lights were off, and all the windows had shades drawn over them. He removed his outdoor shoes while looking around.
"Nodoka? Where are you? I can't see," he called, stumbling over a stool in the hallway.
"I'm right here, Husband," Nodoka said, her voice right next to Genma's ear. "Follow my voice, and we'll go to the dining room to talk."
"It's good to hear you again, Nodoka. I've missed you dearly," Genma said, smiling.
"And you, Husband. Tell me, where is Ranma?" she asked, moving away from him. Genma immediately followed, biting his lip at the fact that Nodoka had come to the hard part so directly.
"I...," he started, following her footsteps. "I don't know how to say this, Nodoka," Genma said, shaking his head.
"Oh, no," Nodoka said. Genma could hear the worry in her voice, and it hurt him deeply that he would have to lie to her to save both Ranma's and his own lives.
"I'm so sorry, Nodoka. He died while we were training in China," Genma said his voice catching at the lie. Nodoka didn't seem to notice, as she was wracked by audible sobs. He moved to embrace her, but she flinched away. Genma stepped back, knowing from experience that it was best to allow her to make the next move.
"H-how?" she asked after a minute of crying. Genma, too, at this point, was beginning to shed tears. He realized that they had arrived at the dining room, and found a place at the table to sit. It hadn't moved an inch since he'd left. He could hear Nodoka moving to take a seat at the other end of the table.
"We were sparring at an accursed training ground. I had hoped that our skill together would be enough to outweigh the curse, but...," Genma trailed 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 important piece of her sanity depended upon the answer, one way or another. Genma thought back to his journeys with his son, and all that had befallen them. He thought of his son, doubly cursed, to be both a robot and a woman, and how he'd given up his chance at acceptance for a stranger. He thought of many things, his tears coming harder as he continued.
"In all the ways that matter, he was a man above men. If it weren't for the damned training ground...," Genma finally answered. His declaration sent Nodoka into another series of sobs, but Genma sensed the subtle pride that was interwoven with her grief. he thought.
"I... I'm glad," Nodoka finally managed. "It's been so long, Husband. Do you know how hard it's been to keep going these past few years?" she asked rhetorically. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too, No-chan," Genma said honestly.
"I'm glad, Husband. We've been apart for too long," Nodoka stated, and Genma found himself nodding in agreement. "I only wish that our son could have been here with us," she continued, her voice choking with emotion. Genma was just barely able to keep himself from telling her the truth then and there, but something inside of him told him that it was for the best.
"I... I don't know what to say, No-chan," he finally muttered.
"There's nothing that you can say, I suppose," she returned. "A mother and her grief. So stereotypical that it's sickening," Nodoka said aloud, almost to herself.
"No-chan, don't beat yourself up like that," Genma pleaded. Somewhere inside, he was wondering what had happened to the exuberant, proud woman that he'd married, but he ignored that part of himself as best he could. His wife was hurting, and it was his duty as her husband to alleviate it.
"Why shouldn't I?" she almost spat, shocking Genma. "I'm so horrible that my own family deserts be for ten years. Ten whole years! You never once wrote to me, Genma. Not once," Nodoka accused. Genma slumped a bit, hanging his head.
"I wanted to fulfill my side of the contract as best I could. That meant that I had to train myself as well as Ranma. I wanted to write you, to call you, but...," the big man trailed off. "But that was a weakness, and I had to be strong for Ranma's sake. I made you a promise, No-chan, and that's the only promise that really matters to me," he finished in a rush. "You know that I'd take any amount of dishonor and shame for your sake."
"I...," Nodoka tried to start, but had to swallow her own emotions first. "Thank you so much, Genma."
"I'm so sorry, Nodoka. Maybe I was wrong in wanting to train Ranma like I did. Maybe not. Only the Gods know the answer to that," he mused in reply. She rose and walked over to Genma, then kneeled beside him. For a long minute, the two looked at each other sillhouettes. Meanwhile, Genma wondered if his ears weren't going. He could swear that he heard a subsonic whine beginning to build. Finally, as if she could contain herself no longer, Nodoka threw herself into Genma's arms. Immediately, as Genma clasped his arms around her back, he knew that something was very, very wrong. Nodoka's arms around him felt like blocks, and her back was entirely too hard, and full of sharp angles.
"Then perhaps we should go ask them," Nodoka whispered, placing her steel lips on her husband's fleshy ones. Meanwhile, the whine had built to a crescendo, and Nodoka performed the last action that she had ever wanted to. With a roar, Nodoka's fusion core overloaded in a fiery holocaust, the blast designed to reduce herself and anything nearby to their component molecules. The shockwave from the explosion leveled the house and caused significant damage to neighboring ones. A small mushroom cloud accompanied the thunderous explosion as it rent the early morning air.
* * * * * *
Ranma jerked forward, breaking his sleep cycle abruptly. He blinked a few times, trying to calm down, even as he got his breathing under control.
"Mom...," he muttered. "Jeez, what a dream."
"'Bout time you woke up," Akane said with a tired half-humor. She had walked around the corner into the alcove where the hot water heater and Dr. Light's capsule were housed while he was recovering from his dream.
"Yeah. A real sleeping beauty, huh?" Ranma asked sardonically. Akane chuckled a bit, a smile alighting on her face.
"I guess," she agreed, shaking her head. "You feel like getting out? 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 eyes, and Akane burst out laughing. The morning light, shining through a small window, struck her from behind, giving her an almost angelic appearance. Ranma was silent for a moment, then saved the image to a backup memory drive. For some reason he couldn't identify, the sight of Akane, standing there with the sun to her back and her helmet underneath her arm struck him like nothing else ever had before.
"All right, all right. It wasn't that funny," Ranma grinned as Akane finally got her giggles under control.
"Yes, it was," Akane argued. "It's just so... you."
"Huh?" Ranma asked, confused.
"You know, how you always try to make everything better," Akane explained. "I'm so worried about Ryoga and you're trying to make it seem less important."
"Whatever," Ranma gave in, pushing himself to his feet. "Let's go."
"All right," Akane agreed, sliding her helmet over her head and pulling her wild ponytail through its slot.
"Ranma, would you wait for a moment?" Dr. Light suddenly called. Ranma turned to face the capsule, surprised that it was active.
"What's up, Doc?" he asked, his left leg on the first step.
"I'm sorry for what I did last night," Dr. Light apologized.
"It's okay," Ranma said, a half-grin springing to his face. "You were just tryin' to help."
"Regardless, I feel that I owe you a favor. Come here; I have plans for 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. There are three other capsules, scattered somewhere around the world, each designed to give you a specific modification. I am the fourth, and I contain an enhancement for your legs. If you step inside, I'll upgrade you, as my way of apologizing," Dr. Light explained. Ranma looked at Akane and shrugged.
"How long will it take?" Akane asked, wanting to investigate the explosion.
"Just a few moments, I promise you," Dr. Light reassured her. Akane looked back at Ranma and returned his shrug. Ranma half-grinned and turned to face Dr. Light.
"Sure, whatever you say, Doc," Ranma said, stepping up onto the base of the cylinder. Once he was inside, the glass wall of the capsule smoothly rose up to encase him. It closed with a hiss, and the pad beneath Ranma's feet began to glow brightly. Four lenses moved down along the sides of the capsule, stopping when they were level with Ranma's feet. Then, they began to spin around him, as the pulsating lights sped up. The base of the pod shone even more brightly, and issued forth three large black metal bars and one smaller golden one. Each bar came out of the floor in front of one of the lenses, each of which immediately released a beam of incandescent energy. The metal slowly shattered apart, but remained floating in the lower area of the capsule. Once the bars were completely dissolved, the lenses ceased the firing of their beams and began to spin at increasing speeds until one could not be told from another. Then, they each fired a beam of snowy white, these beams striking Ranma. Where these beams struck, the black and gold metal particles immediately moved to affix themselves, molding and re-molding themselves to form a new skin of armor atop the old. The lenses slowly moved up his legs, stopping at his knees. There, the beams dissipated, the lenses stopped, and the lights fell dead. Slowly, almost jerkily, the glass of the cylinder lowered itself, and Ranma stepped out, admiring his new 'boots.'
"Whoa," Ranma breathed, twisting and contorting so that he could get a 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 manufacture to Akane's," Dr. Light cut in, his hologram flickering to life. "In addition, you should be able to use them to maintain a hovering position for a short time. Naturally, they also serve as increased protection for your lower body," he continued. Suddenly, his hologram dissolved into static, then slowly re-formed itself. "I'm afraid that I've drained my power reserves, Ranma. I've only a few moments left. Thank you for allowing me the chance to meet you both, and I wish you and Akane a happy and long life," Dr. Light said, his hologram flickering into static. One by one, the few lights still lit within the capsule flickered and died, until even the critical power reading displays had too little energy to remain lit. Ranma and Akane stared at the capsule in stunned silence. Finally, Ranma stepped forward and placed his right hand on the capsule wall.
"Goodbye, Doc," he said quietly. "And thanks for everything." Ranma took a teep breath, let it out slowly, then turned and walked towards the basement stairwell purposefully. After a moment, Akane turned and followed him. On her left cheek, defying whatever conventions that her blueprints had dictated, a somewhat grainy drop of liquid was slipping away from her eye. It splashed to the ground, allowing the iron suspended within the teardrop to settle to the concrete floor, unnoticed by anyone.
***Author's Notes***
Whoo! Have I taken my time with this one! All suspicions aside, the delays associated with this chapter were due entirely to the fact that I transferred to a new high school this fall, and it's MUCH more rigorous than my last one. Thus, it takes up a lot more time. That means that I have to set my fanfic writing, which I love dearly, on the back burner. Regardless, I'll be able to pick up on my writing come summer.
Some of you may notice that this chapter is shorter than my usual offerings. You're right; it is. A full page and a half shorter than my average, in fact. It was either this or give you all a much longer chapter, something that I would have liked to do, but would have taken me ages at the rate that I'm writing. Besides, I didn't like how things were looking between pages 9 and 15, which is what I'd roughed out. Had I finished expanding, it would probably have been 20+ pages long and released sometime in March. Thank you, all, but from the mail that I've been getting, whoever's out there that still reads this thing is I-T-C-H-I-N-G for the next chapter. You know who you are, and this release is for you, my man. Proof that input from you guys really does affect how and what I do with the story. Just don't tell me where to go with this; that's been finalized for months.
Finally, I'm considering a name change for the series. My main pre-reader complained to me once that "The Opening Bet" is somewhat of a bland title. I find myself agreeing with him, even if I have gotten rather attached to the original name. Thus, I'm going to leave it up to you, my readers! Shall we stick with the tried-and-true "The Opening Bet?" Shall we experiment with the new, dangerous "Iron Tears?" Tell me, along with your opinions on the chapter! I am, as always, chilling as [email protected]. Drop me a line, or two if you please. I guarantee that if your e-mail has two sentences in it (something more for me to respond to than "This chap roolz duuude!" or "Your story sucks it like *fill in your own blank*.) I just like to chat with you guys. You're smart, and I love to see what other people think is going to happen, and how cryptic (or otherwise) I'm being in setting up my next chapters. See you all in a few months with the next chapter!
~Flash
P.S. Allan (sp?) I owe you a great debt of gratitude. Thanks for playing catcher on my beta version; you saved me from another chapter 5 disaster!
Megaman X character designs belong to Capcom. I'm just borrowing 'em, guys. I'll have 'em power washed before I bring 'em back. Yeah, yeah, I'll even hot wax 'em. Ranma characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just borrowing 'em, Rumiko-san. I'll have 'em power washed before I return 'em. Yeah, yeah, I'll even hot wax 'em. There's a character design that I borrowed from the Sonic anime, but that should be it. He'll be waxed and washed too.
Warning: This chapter has a sailor in it. If you can't handle the swearing of a sailor, you probably haven't entered high school yet. If you don't care about sailor speak, then please disregard this warning.
Flashfyre5 Presents
A Flaming Amarant production
In association with Digital Wizardry Studios, Minnesota
The Opening Bet
Chapter Six: The Death of Ranma Saotome, part 1
" " = speech
[ ] = panda board
= thought
/ / = written
* * * * * *
"I must thank thee, goodsir. Verily, I have never felt quite this capable," Tatewaki Kuno said, admiring his new body. It was less smooth than his old one, but it was much more heavily armed. His wings were no longer like a bird's; they were definitively mechanical, angular and sharp-edged. There was a sword jutting from each of his gauntlets, and his right hand was equipped with a beam emitter. His armor was heavier too, but his new wings could handle the load.
"It was nothing, really," Inferno Phoenix said, admiring his work. He felt no particular pride in this one; it was reasonably powerful, but nothing truly special.
"Now, what is the service that your master hath requested of me in return for your diligent work?" Kuno asked, turning to face Inferno.
"Just some easy stuff. First, swallow this," Inferno instructed, handing Kuno a large, purple pill.
"What be this for, I inquire?" Kuno asked, examining it.
"It's a spin-sealed gas that some of your systems need to work at optimum efficiency," Inferno lied smoothly, smiling. Kuno, unquestioning, swallowed the pill and forgot about it.
"What acts of greatness shall we now endeavor upon?" Kuno asked. He had a sick feeling in his gut, but he ignored it.
"I don't know. We'll have to wait until Lord Sigma decides to come tell us," Inferno said, leaning against a wall.
"Very well, then," Kuno agreed, sitting down. The sick feeling was intensifying, but he still said nothing. Time passed at a crawl. Inferno watched Kuno with an unwavering, unblinking stare. Kuno refused to allow the growing feeling of illness affect him, even though it had passed beyond his gut. Finally, he forced himself unsteadily to his feet. "I believe that there may be something wrong..." he choked out before his legs failed him and he fell to the ground in a heap. Inferno walked slowly over and watched Kuno's twitching, convulsing body.
When it stopped twitching, he commanded, "Get up." Slowly, Kuno's body rose from the floor, using its wings to steady itself in a way that no human being could know. When the silver Reploid was finally upright, Inferno sneered," Is this what you call military respect and honor? You're facing a commanding officer!" Kuno's body immediately snapped to attention, losing its unsteadiness. "Better," Inferno granted, looking him over. "What's your designation?"
"I am Sword Angel, Milord. At your service, naturally," Kuno's body said, its voice deeper and more respectful than it had ever been. Inferno Phoenix smiled, finally satisfied.
* * * * * *
The cargo freighter Yuki-o sailed through the choppy waters of the Sea of China. At first look, nothing seemed out of order with the ship. It had a full cargo hold. It was so full, in fact, that there were boxes tied down on the foredeck. No damage was apparent on the freighter, and its tank was quite nearly full of diesel gasoline. However, if one were to examine it more closely, the facts would quickly become alarming. The first thing that became apparent was the smell of the boat. It reeked of spoiled fish, the smell emanating from the cargo hold and the crates on deck. Secondly, all the crates were labeled in Mandarin, and dated for export over a week ago. Finally, the deck itself had traces of blood on it.
Something was not right with this ship.
There were no crew members moving about on the ship. It had, in fact, been recently listed as stolen property by one Hiro Shikata. Further investigation would reveal that he was the owner of the ship, and that there were six murders under investigation in connection with the ship's theft. Hiro himself was laid up in the hospital, having suffered severe lacerations and a collapsed chest cavity caused, the doctors had concluded, by the application of almost 500 kilograms of force.
At the wheel of the ship, though, was the most alarming thing of all. Crammed into the tiny cabin, Ryoga grasped the wheel of the freighter with his single hand. Checking his heading, he nodded. Another four hours would bring him to the shores of China. After that, it was a two-day trek to the Jusendo area, where Phoenix Mountain stood. The whole while, he was muttering to himself, his face twisted into a mask of rage.
"...red devil gonna kill her and Ranma, can't forget Ranma, no, he started this whole thing damn him, own family won't accept me now gotta kill them both...," Ryoga growled as he drove himself into a downward spiral of ever-decreasing sanity.
* * * * * *
Soun looked up as Genma walked out of the basement doorway. His expression was stoic, but Soun knew his best friend well enough that he could tell that the big man was hurting. His jaw was a bit too tightly clenched, his walk a little stiff, his eyes too fixed on something off in the distance.
"What's wrong, old friend?" Soun asked, concerned.
"Nothing that you can help with, Tendo," Genma said softly, closing the basement door. He stood silently for a moment, then said, "Tendo, it has been a true honor to know you, but I'm afraid that I must now leave," Genma finally declared.
"Why, Saotome? Did I do something wrong?" Soun asked, dismayed.
"No, Tendo, you did nothing. In fact, your family has done nothing more than make me feel at home," Genma shook his head, moving away from the door.
"Then why are you leaving?" Soun asked.
"I have disowned Ranma this evening," Genma stated flatly. Soun breathed a gasp of surprise, shocked to his very core. "My son is dead to me, now. It is not the place of the living to see the dead walking."
"I... see," Soun said, once he could gather his wits enough to speak. "Do you want your things?"
"No. I'll leave them as an offering to my son's spirit," Genma decided, slipping into his outdoor shoes. "I'm going to go back to my home, to face my wife. I will tell her that Ranma died at Jusenkyo. Perhaps I'll have a chance to father another son."
"I...," Soun began, not knowing quite what to say. "Good luck, old friend," he finally decided on, bowing deeply to Genma.
"You too, old friend," Genma replied in turn, bowing just as deeply. Without another word, he opened the front door and left the Tendo household.
"Father?" Kasumi's concerned voice intruded upon Soun, shattering the moment. "Are you all right? You haven't moved for the last five minutes."
"I'll be fine, Kasumi. I think I'll just go to bed a little early tonight," Soun replied. Keeping a tight hold on his emotions, he made his way to the stairs. Ignoring Kasumi's concerned look, he ascended them and entered his room, the room that he had once shared with his wife, Kimiko. He slowly, deliberately, closed the door, then leaned against it, finally allowing his tears to flow. Crying softly, he changed out of his gi and into a pair of pajamas. Then, he laid down in his large-enough-for-two bed and cried himself to sleep, mourning the loss of his best, and only, friend.
* * * * * *
"Pop..." Ranma choked out, smashing a fist against the concrete floor, sending a slim crack shooting a few inches forward. "Damn it, Pop. Why'd ya hafta go and do something like that? Why..." From his capsule, Dr. Light looked, speechless, at the pain he'd wrought. After a few painful minutes, he put the capsule on standby, shutting off the sight and sound of the hurting boy.
"Ranma..." Akane said, slowly approaching his kneeling form. She had emerged from her hiding place as soon as the door had closed. She wanted to comfort her friend, but wasn't quite sure if he wanted to be comforted.
"I just wanted him to respect me again," Ranma said, to nobody in particular. "He treated me like dirt, but at least he respected me. Is that really so much ta ask?"
"Maybe, for him..." Akane said, kneeling next to Ranma. "You remember how my dad used to treat me when you got here?" she asked.
"Yeah," Ranma said, looking at her.
"It was just too much for him. He couldn't handle it," she said anyway. "Then you came along. You treated me like a person, not a machine. You showed him how to do it too. You even gave me the one thing that would've solved this whole mess."
"Yeah..." Ranma said softly, looking away.
"Ranma, you can't let him beat you. You're better than he is!" Akane said, leaning towards him.
"Yeah, right," Ranma sneered. "He didn't get disowned, despite the fact that he's a thief, a liar, and a deserter."
"So, what? He's a moron. What's his opinion matter?" Akane asked, pulling backwards.
"A whole lot, since he's the head of the clan," Ranma answered, sitting back on his haunches. Akane didn't have a retort to that statement, so she remained silent.
"So," Akane asked uncomfortably. "What now?"
"Now?" Ranma asked, as if he hadn't thought of the future. "What do you mean 'what now'? Your dad'll throw me out now that Pop disowned me. I don't have anywhere else to go. There isn't a 'what now' for me anymore."
"He wouldn't!" Akane exclaimed, defending her father.
"Wouldn't he? You remember how he used to treat you," Ranma said. "He'd just throw me out with all the other trash. 'Sides, I might as well be burakumin, thanks to my Pop. If I stayed, it'd screw over your family reputation majorly."
"But..." Akane trailed off, not knowing what to say in response.
"It's okay, Akane. I'll spend the night down here, then leave in the morning. Just forget I was ever here," Ranma said, pushing himself off the floor. His face had some kind of fragile determination etched on it.
"What are you going to do?" Akane asked as Ranma turned and walked over to Dr. Light's deactivated capsule.
"Something I should've done a long time ago," Ranma replied cryptically.
"Ranma..." Akane said, worried. Ranma slowly sat down in a corner adjacent to Dr. Light's capsule.
"There's this really tall cliff in southern Honshu, near Osaka. Almost three hundred feet tall. It's beautiful, and plunges right into the sea. Always was my favorite place. Pop let me train there for almost a year, when I was eight," Ranma said, almost nostalgically. "It looks like the sea meets the earth meets the sky. It's far from civilization. Nobody ever goes there. 'Least I won't cause anybody any more pain," he finished softly, almost speaking to himself. "G'night, Akane," he said, his eyes drooping closed.
"Ranma..." Akane said again, feeling guilty. She knew that he blamed himself for not being able to help her against Ryoga. It killed her inside to know that she had only added to the pain that Ranma was feeling. "Damn it, Ranma, I just want to be your friend," she finally said, kicking the blue Reploid the leg. At the resounding *Boom* that it made, she cringed, hoping that nobody noticed. When nobody came to investigate, she relaxed and sat down with her back to Dr. Light's capsule /I hope he gets better,/ she thought to herself, then suddenly realized something.
"When did I start to think of Ranma as a guy?" She wondered aloud. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head and activated her own sleep cycle.
* * * * * *
"Jeez, Saotome," Nabiki muttered to herself from her position near the basement door. She'd had to dive for the cover of the nearby furo when Ranma'd come up the stairs, and later, when his father had exited. Shaking her head, she got to her feet, and leg muscles that had been, for the most part, unused all day immediately sent her a very powerfully worded letter of complaint. Summoning her willpower, she ignored them and walked up to her room for the evening. However, as she passed the kitchen, her stomach decided to let her know that it too had been neglected, save for a pitiful offering earlier that day, consisting of a small fudge sundae. Though Nabiki Tendo was rarely a person to be commanded by anything, she decided to let her stomach have it's way this time, and made a detour for the kitchen.
"Why, hello, Nabiki," Kasumi greeted her, startling the younger girl out of her thoughts.
"Huh? Oh, hey Kasumi. What's up?" Nabiki asked, walking over to the refrigerator.
"Did you hear about what Mr. Saotome did?" Kasumi worried, leaning against the stove while rubbing her hands with a towel.
"Yeah. Idiot," Nabiki said, pulling out a couple of onigiri to munch on. "He's got no idea what he just did to Ranma."
"What do you mean, Nabiki?" Kasumi asked, looping her towel through the oven's handle.
"I've been watching Ranma, and from what I can tell, honor and his father have been the only thing that's kept him going.
"I thought that he didn't like his father," Kasumi said, confused.
"He hates the guy. That's the point. Ranma's been running on the idea that he'd be able to find a way to beat his old man at his own game. Now that Genma's disowned him..." Nabiki trailed off, taking a bite out of her first onigiri.
"Oh, my," Kasumi agreed. Suddenly, a resounding *Boom* echoed through the house, and Nabiki shook her head.
"I don't know what Ranma's going to be like now, but I'm not sure that I want to know," Nabiki mused.
"I don't know, Nabiki. Ranma's a very strong person. I think she'll be able to make it through this," Kasumi disagreed. "It's Akane that I'm worried about right now."
"Yeah. She probably blames herself for this whole mess. Thanks, Daddy," Nabiki said sarcastically, biting through the pickled plum at the center of her snack.
"Oh, heavens no!" Kasumi exclaimed, shaking her head. "Akane wouldn't blame herself. Ranma's been so much help to her with that. But... those two have become so close over the past few days. If something were to happen to Ranma, who knows what Akane might do." Nabiki was silent for a moment, considering this new facet.
"You know, Kasumi, you might be right," she agreed. Nabiki finished off her onigiri and picked up a second, chewing thoughtfully. After a few moments, Kasumi picked up a broom and began to sweep the kitchen, a chore that she'd traditionally reserved to be the last thing she did before going to bed. "Now that I think of it..." Nabiki finally said. "I might be able to help them." Her course decided, she picked up her plate of snacks and left for her room.
"Good night, Nabiki," Kasumi called to her as she left the kitchen.
"'Night, Kasumi," Nabiki replied, climbing the stairs. Quietly, so as not to wake her father, whom she assumed was sleeping, she slipped into her room and shut the door behind her. Collapsing onto her bed, she set her plate down next to her phone, which she immediately grabbed. From memory, she punched in a number and waited while the phone rang.
"Hello, Iwata residence," a voice finally sounded from across the line. It sounded slightly out of wind, as if someone had dashed to get the phone in time.
"I catch you at a bad time, Kenji?" Nabiki asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"I was in the shower. What's up, and why couldn't it wait till morning?" Kenji asked. Nabiki heard him sit down and slide something, most likely a pad of paper, across a flat surface.
"I'm pulling you from the rumormongering squad. I need you to find some way that Ranma and Akane can live easily, at least for a little while," Nabiki explained, twirling the phone line around her finger.
"Why? I thought you said that they could handle things," Kenji asked, confused.
"Something changed," Nabiki replied flatly.
"That big, huh? Can I ask..." he trailed off.
"No. Back to business. What can you do for Ranma and my sister?" Nabiki asked.
"Don't know. Not much, at least without help from the rest of the team," Kenji answered. Nabiki could almost see him shaking his head. "I could find some place for them to vacation to, but that'd be an obvious and temporary fix. Could run recon on what other nasties might be out there. Can't think of much else that I can do with the kind of money that I've got, Nabiki. My dad's rich as Hell, but I haven't gotten a yen of it since I dyed my hair."
"Was it really that expensive?" Nabiki asked, skeptical.
"Let's just say that I could be driving to school with what my hair dye cost me," Kenji replied. "There's real silver in the dye."
"Jeez...," Nabiki trailed off in awe. "No wonder you dad was pissed."
"He said that I had to work under you to learn just how hard money is to come by. Personally, I don't know what he's talking about. We sure don't have any trouble bringing it in," Kenji joked, eliciting a chuckle from Nabiki.
"Yeah, I guess," Nabiki replied, thinking of just how little extra money her family had after the mortgage payments on the dojo. "Anyways, I guess that running recon is your best option, but keep that vacation idea open, all right?"
"I'll do what I can, Nabiki," Kenji agreed.
"Kenji?" Nabiki said.
"Yeah?"
"Be careful. I don't want anybody getting hurt, you least of all," Nabiki cautioned, sitting up.
"I will," Kenji replied solemnly. "Where would you be without your human lie detector, eh?" Nabiki just smiled and shook her head.
"Good night, Kenji," she said.
"Good night," he replied in turn, hanging up. Nabiki dropped the receiver of the phone in its cradle and picked up her plate of onigiri again, thinking. Finally, after eating the last one, she gave up and undressed, then went to bed.
* * * * * *
Genma sighed and took in a sight that he'd not seen in over a decade: his home. It looked exactly the same as it had when he'd left it, except for the flowers out front. Nodoka had maintained a beautifully manicured garden at the time that he'd left, but now it seemed to have been neglected. He hoped that Nodoka hadn't taken the long separation too badly. Regardless, he walked up the pathway and knocked on the door. He wasn't sure why he did; it was his house, after all. For some reason, though, it just felt like the right thing to do.
Behind him, the sun peeked its way over the horizon, and Genma silently cursed his lack of foresight. He'd left all his supplies for Ranma. Thus, he didn't even have enough money to buy fare on the subway to make the trip to Juuban. Forced to walk, it had taken him all night to arrive at his house, and he was tired. He knocked again.
"Who is it?" called a voice from inside the house.
"It's me, Nodoka. It's Genma," Genma replied, recognizing his wife's voice at once.
"Genma? Come in, please," Nodoka called. Heartened by the hope in her voice, Genma entered. The first thing that he noticed about the house was that it was dark. All the lights were off, and all the windows had shades drawn over them. He removed his outdoor shoes while looking around.
"Nodoka? Where are you? I can't see," he called, stumbling over a stool in the hallway.
"I'm right here, Husband," Nodoka said, her voice right next to Genma's ear. "Follow my voice, and we'll go to the dining room to talk."
"It's good to hear you again, Nodoka. I've missed you dearly," Genma said, smiling.
"And you, Husband. Tell me, where is Ranma?" she asked, moving away from him. Genma immediately followed, biting his lip at the fact that Nodoka had come to the hard part so directly.
"I...," he started, following her footsteps. "I don't know how to say this, Nodoka," Genma said, shaking his head.
"Oh, no," Nodoka said. Genma could hear the worry in her voice, and it hurt him deeply that he would have to lie to her to save both Ranma's and his own lives.
"I'm so sorry, Nodoka. He died while we were training in China," Genma said his voice catching at the lie. Nodoka didn't seem to notice, as she was wracked by audible sobs. He moved to embrace her, but she flinched away. Genma stepped back, knowing from experience that it was best to allow her to make the next move.
"H-how?" she asked after a minute of crying. Genma, too, at this point, was beginning to shed tears. He realized that they had arrived at the dining room, and found a place at the table to sit. It hadn't moved an inch since he'd left. He could hear Nodoka moving to take a seat at the other end of the table.
"We were sparring at an accursed training ground. I had hoped that our skill together would be enough to outweigh the curse, but...," Genma trailed 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 important piece of her sanity depended upon the answer, one way or another. Genma thought back to his journeys with his son, and all that had befallen them. He thought of his son, doubly cursed, to be both a robot and a woman, and how he'd given up his chance at acceptance for a stranger. He thought of many things, his tears coming harder as he continued.
"In all the ways that matter, he was a man above men. If it weren't for the damned training ground...," Genma finally answered. His declaration sent Nodoka into another series of sobs, but Genma sensed the subtle pride that was interwoven with her grief. he thought.
"I... I'm glad," Nodoka finally managed. "It's been so long, Husband. Do you know how hard it's been to keep going these past few years?" she asked rhetorically. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too, No-chan," Genma said honestly.
"I'm glad, Husband. We've been apart for too long," Nodoka stated, and Genma found himself nodding in agreement. "I only wish that our son could have been here with us," she continued, her voice choking with emotion. Genma was just barely able to keep himself from telling her the truth then and there, but something inside of him told him that it was for the best.
"I... I don't know what to say, No-chan," he finally muttered.
"There's nothing that you can say, I suppose," she returned. "A mother and her grief. So stereotypical that it's sickening," Nodoka said aloud, almost to herself.
"No-chan, don't beat yourself up like that," Genma pleaded. Somewhere inside, he was wondering what had happened to the exuberant, proud woman that he'd married, but he ignored that part of himself as best he could. His wife was hurting, and it was his duty as her husband to alleviate it.
"Why shouldn't I?" she almost spat, shocking Genma. "I'm so horrible that my own family deserts be for ten years. Ten whole years! You never once wrote to me, Genma. Not once," Nodoka accused. Genma slumped a bit, hanging his head.
"I wanted to fulfill my side of the contract as best I could. That meant that I had to train myself as well as Ranma. I wanted to write you, to call you, but...," the big man trailed off. "But that was a weakness, and I had to be strong for Ranma's sake. I made you a promise, No-chan, and that's the only promise that really matters to me," he finished in a rush. "You know that I'd take any amount of dishonor and shame for your sake."
"I...," Nodoka tried to start, but had to swallow her own emotions first. "Thank you so much, Genma."
"I'm so sorry, Nodoka. Maybe I was wrong in wanting to train Ranma like I did. Maybe not. Only the Gods know the answer to that," he mused in reply. She rose and walked over to Genma, then kneeled beside him. For a long minute, the two looked at each other sillhouettes. Meanwhile, Genma wondered if his ears weren't going. He could swear that he heard a subsonic whine beginning to build. Finally, as if she could contain herself no longer, Nodoka threw herself into Genma's arms. Immediately, as Genma clasped his arms around her back, he knew that something was very, very wrong. Nodoka's arms around him felt like blocks, and her back was entirely too hard, and full of sharp angles.
"Then perhaps we should go ask them," Nodoka whispered, placing her steel lips on her husband's fleshy ones. Meanwhile, the whine had built to a crescendo, and Nodoka performed the last action that she had ever wanted to. With a roar, Nodoka's fusion core overloaded in a fiery holocaust, the blast designed to reduce herself and anything nearby to their component molecules. The shockwave from the explosion leveled the house and caused significant damage to neighboring ones. A small mushroom cloud accompanied the thunderous explosion as it rent the early morning air.
* * * * * *
Ranma jerked forward, breaking his sleep cycle abruptly. He blinked a few times, trying to calm down, even as he got his breathing under control.
"Mom...," he muttered. "Jeez, what a dream."
"'Bout time you woke up," Akane said with a tired half-humor. She had walked around the corner into the alcove where the hot water heater and Dr. Light's capsule were housed while he was recovering from his dream.
"Yeah. A real sleeping beauty, huh?" Ranma asked sardonically. Akane chuckled a bit, a smile alighting on her face.
"I guess," she agreed, shaking her head. "You feel like getting out? 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 eyes, and Akane burst out laughing. The morning light, shining through a small window, struck her from behind, giving her an almost angelic appearance. Ranma was silent for a moment, then saved the image to a backup memory drive. For some reason he couldn't identify, the sight of Akane, standing there with the sun to her back and her helmet underneath her arm struck him like nothing else ever had before.
"All right, all right. It wasn't that funny," Ranma grinned as Akane finally got her giggles under control.
"Yes, it was," Akane argued. "It's just so... you."
"Huh?" Ranma asked, confused.
"You know, how you always try to make everything better," Akane explained. "I'm so worried about Ryoga and you're trying to make it seem less important."
"Whatever," Ranma gave in, pushing himself to his feet. "Let's go."
"All right," Akane agreed, sliding her helmet over her head and pulling her wild ponytail through its slot.
"Ranma, would you wait for a moment?" Dr. Light suddenly called. Ranma turned to face the capsule, surprised that it was active.
"What's up, Doc?" he asked, his left leg on the first step.
"I'm sorry for what I did last night," Dr. Light apologized.
"It's okay," Ranma said, a half-grin springing to his face. "You were just tryin' to help."
"Regardless, I feel that I owe you a favor. Come here; I have plans for 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. There are three other capsules, scattered somewhere around the world, each designed to give you a specific modification. I am the fourth, and I contain an enhancement for your legs. If you step inside, I'll upgrade you, as my way of apologizing," Dr. Light explained. Ranma looked at Akane and shrugged.
"How long will it take?" Akane asked, wanting to investigate the explosion.
"Just a few moments, I promise you," Dr. Light reassured her. Akane looked back at Ranma and returned his shrug. Ranma half-grinned and turned to face Dr. Light.
"Sure, whatever you say, Doc," Ranma said, stepping up onto the base of the cylinder. Once he was inside, the glass wall of the capsule smoothly rose up to encase him. It closed with a hiss, and the pad beneath Ranma's feet began to glow brightly. Four lenses moved down along the sides of the capsule, stopping when they were level with Ranma's feet. Then, they began to spin around him, as the pulsating lights sped up. The base of the pod shone even more brightly, and issued forth three large black metal bars and one smaller golden one. Each bar came out of the floor in front of one of the lenses, each of which immediately released a beam of incandescent energy. The metal slowly shattered apart, but remained floating in the lower area of the capsule. Once the bars were completely dissolved, the lenses ceased the firing of their beams and began to spin at increasing speeds until one could not be told from another. Then, they each fired a beam of snowy white, these beams striking Ranma. Where these beams struck, the black and gold metal particles immediately moved to affix themselves, molding and re-molding themselves to form a new skin of armor atop the old. The lenses slowly moved up his legs, stopping at his knees. There, the beams dissipated, the lenses stopped, and the lights fell dead. Slowly, almost jerkily, the glass of the cylinder lowered itself, and Ranma stepped out, admiring his new 'boots.'
"Whoa," Ranma breathed, twisting and contorting so that he could get a 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 manufacture to Akane's," Dr. Light cut in, his hologram flickering to life. "In addition, you should be able to use them to maintain a hovering position for a short time. Naturally, they also serve as increased protection for your lower body," he continued. Suddenly, his hologram dissolved into static, then slowly re-formed itself. "I'm afraid that I've drained my power reserves, Ranma. I've only a few moments left. Thank you for allowing me the chance to meet you both, and I wish you and Akane a happy and long life," Dr. Light said, his hologram flickering into static. One by one, the few lights still lit within the capsule flickered and died, until even the critical power reading displays had too little energy to remain lit. Ranma and Akane stared at the capsule in stunned silence. Finally, Ranma stepped forward and placed his right hand on the capsule wall.
"Goodbye, Doc," he said quietly. "And thanks for everything." Ranma took a teep breath, let it out slowly, then turned and walked towards the basement stairwell purposefully. After a moment, Akane turned and followed him. On her left cheek, defying whatever conventions that her blueprints had dictated, a somewhat grainy drop of liquid was slipping away from her eye. It splashed to the ground, allowing the iron suspended within the teardrop to settle to the concrete floor, unnoticed by anyone.
***Author's Notes***
Whoo! Have I taken my time with this one! All suspicions aside, the delays associated with this chapter were due entirely to the fact that I transferred to a new high school this fall, and it's MUCH more rigorous than my last one. Thus, it takes up a lot more time. That means that I have to set my fanfic writing, which I love dearly, on the back burner. Regardless, I'll be able to pick up on my writing come summer.
Some of you may notice that this chapter is shorter than my usual offerings. You're right; it is. A full page and a half shorter than my average, in fact. It was either this or give you all a much longer chapter, something that I would have liked to do, but would have taken me ages at the rate that I'm writing. Besides, I didn't like how things were looking between pages 9 and 15, which is what I'd roughed out. Had I finished expanding, it would probably have been 20+ pages long and released sometime in March. Thank you, all, but from the mail that I've been getting, whoever's out there that still reads this thing is I-T-C-H-I-N-G for the next chapter. You know who you are, and this release is for you, my man. Proof that input from you guys really does affect how and what I do with the story. Just don't tell me where to go with this; that's been finalized for months.
Finally, I'm considering a name change for the series. My main pre-reader complained to me once that "The Opening Bet" is somewhat of a bland title. I find myself agreeing with him, even if I have gotten rather attached to the original name. Thus, I'm going to leave it up to you, my readers! Shall we stick with the tried-and-true "The Opening Bet?" Shall we experiment with the new, dangerous "Iron Tears?" Tell me, along with your opinions on the chapter! I am, as always, chilling as [email protected]. Drop me a line, or two if you please. I guarantee that if your e-mail has two sentences in it (something more for me to respond to than "This chap roolz duuude!" or "Your story sucks it like *fill in your own blank*.) I just like to chat with you guys. You're smart, and I love to see what other people think is going to happen, and how cryptic (or otherwise) I'm being in setting up my next chapters. See you all in a few months with the next chapter!
~Flash
P.S. Allan (sp?) I owe you a great debt of gratitude. Thanks for playing catcher on my beta version; you saved me from another chapter 5 disaster!