She leapt from the rooftop towards the street, just like Ranma had done. Behind her, Akane gave a strangled yelp, and dived after, managing to catch her, the two landing in a clumsy pile on the street, the Tendo family naganita landing nearby, point-first in the pavement.
"What are you doing?" Akane asked, holding Hotaru to her so she couldn't run after Ranma. "He's going to be just fine, I'm sure."
"I still want to help!"
"Well," Akane said slowly, an idea forming in the back of her mind. "There is one thing we can do."
***
After depositing Akane and Hotaru on the rooftop of a nearby building and making sure Akane had a weapon -- in case something went really wrong -- he turned his attention back to Tarou. Back atop the deck above the main structure, the Chinese martial artist was sitting cross-legged, his arms crossed over his chest.
Ranma paused to collect his shirt before dropping his guise. "Alright," he said, prompting Tarou to rise, and face him. "I'm about ready to finish this--"
"I don't want to fight you," Tarou said, shaking his head.
"Well, shoulda thought about that before you busted in and snagged my daughter," he growled. "What the hell makes you think I should listen to you?"
"Hey, I just needed to get your help," Tarou growled defensively. "I couldn't let the old pervert see me being nice to you."
"Whatever," Ranma sighed. "This is about your name, right? Again?"
"Yeah," Tarou said, nodding. "I want--"
"Good for you," Ranma overrode him. "I ain't helping."
"Excuse me?" Tarou asked, blinking. "After I went through all the trouble to set this up--"
"Oh, come off it," Ranma snarled. "You're just a petty self-absorbed.... Did you even think that you could write a letter? Or maybe give a phone call? It's not like the Tendo dojo doesn't have a door on it you can knock on. Two, really -- one for chat, and then beat-down. One for formal beat-down. You come over the wall and mess with my family? You proceed directly to beat-down and do not pass formality or conversation."
"Well," Tarou said after a moment. "If that's true, why aren't we fighting right now?" he asked.
"I want to make sure I can grind you into paste without killing you," Ranma growled. "I'm gonna be nice. There's about a billion news crews out there, all of them with their cameras pointed at us. Now, if you go and apologize, real loud, for hurtin' Akane and Hotaru, and then promise to make sure you don't bring your stupid fights with the ol' pervert around them, I'll let you go."
Tarou blinked, looking somewhat less than convinced. "Why would I apologize?" he asked. "They weren't hurt."
"You're a f.... Freakin' moron," Ranma spat. "I figured this out when I fought Ryuu over the Umisen-ken. You're the kinda guy who can only destroy. You can't create or learn nothing."
"Oh, but I have," Tarou said, grinning. "I'm ready to take you on, Ranma. You beat Saffu-Long. You beat Haabu. But you've never beaten me one-on-one without some trick, and now, I've got a trick of my own. You think this place was chosen by coincidence? It's a long way down ... and unlike you, if push comes to shove, I can fly."
Ranma cracked his knuckles. "Good," he said. "I was hoping for a challenge."
The two charged at one-another, Tarou entirely on the defense from the get-go. "Let's be reasonable," Tarou said, smirking as he swayed away from one punch, and then raised his crossed arms to deflect an axe-kick. "We can talk this out -- the two of us together can take the old pervert down easy, and beat my name-change out of him!"
"Is that all you can think of?" Ranma asked. "Why don't you ever quit whining about your name, Panty-fiend Tarou?"
Tarou growled, and launched a punch at Ranma, which he deflected narrowly, Tarou's thumbnail nicking his ear and splashing blood across the deck behind him. "I hate it!" he roared, then throwing a flurry of punishing but inaccurate blows. Ranma dodged them all, though he couldn't afford to counter until Tarou's intensity began to flag. Then he landed a flash-kick to the inside of Tarou's thigh, and the two bounced apart to gauge one another.
In Ranma's opinion, Tarou was not actually that skilled as a martial artist, merely very strong. He could use a small number of moves very well, and had a lot of power. It was a reflection of his ability, Ranma felt, that Tarou's cursed form never did more than brawl. If Tarou didn't use his curse, Ranma could defeat him easily. He was still waiting for Tarou's trick to see if it was worth learning himself.... He hadn't seen anything new on Tarou's monstrous form since he had arrived, so whatever it was, it probably wasn't related to Jusenkyou.
Ranma charged again, but instead of going back into his defensive stance, Tarou charged as well. This time, Ranma swayed to one side, allowing Tarou to run past him, and dropped a crushing heel-kick on the spot on Tarou's spine just between his shoulder blades.
The boy's eyes widened in surprise as he was slammed through the deck, and vanished into the restaurant below. Frowning, Ranma produced his ID card from one pocket, and pressed the seal, concentrating on remaining male. If Tarou found cold water, he might be in for an unpleasant surprise, Ranma decided, vanishing into the Umisen-ken, and vaulting upwards to hang from a girder, waiting for Tarou to reappear.
***
Shampoo had been a bit upset when Nodoka had appeared, announced that Ranma was a father, and not allowed to marry anyone. She was certain that if her Great-Grandmother had been in town (instead of back at the village, discussing Ranma's recent victory over Saffron), she would have talked to Nodoka, and explained that Shampoo was already married to Ranma. Until then, she tried to remain patient.
Of course, she got to avoid the customers when her grandmother was away; her father worked in the kitchen, and she assisted, since Cologne was missing. While she was occasionally required to wait tables, delivery had defaulted to Mousse. And that meant that when her wayward husband returned, she would be there to see it!
She glanced to the phone, which Mousse was listening to, though she could only hear his half of the conversation. "I'm sorry, we don't deliver to Tokyo Tower," he grumbled.
"Oh?" he asked quietly. "Well, I hope the bastard gets what's coming to-- GURK!"
This last had been in reply to Shampoo grabbing his windpipe, and throwing him across the kitchen towards the rear exit. "You go make deliveries!" she commanded, catching the discarded phone before it hit the floor. "Nihao!" she said cheerily into the phone. "Is about Airen, yes?"
"Um ... yes. Tarou is fighting Ranma -- he tried to kidnap me and Hotaru."
"Hotaru," Shampoo said slowly, recognizing Akane's voice. "Ah! Airen's daughter? Tarou gave Shampoo much humiliation. Will see you for revenge!" She hung up the phone, and yelled, "Mousse!"
He poked his head in from the alley. "Yes?" he asked.
"I go make delivery. You help in kitchen!"
***
Ukyou hummed to herself absently, cleaning the grill while Konatsu dusted. Her customers had yet to adjust to her extended hours due to the school vacation, so the okonomiyaki-ya was deserted. When the phone rang, she glanced up curiously, but let Konatsu catch it.
"Hello?" the effeminate ninja asked, answering. "This is Ucchan's--"
He was silent, listening for a moment, and then looked puzzled. "I'll tell her, Tendo-san. Is there-- Hello? Hello?"
"Who was that?" Ukyou asked, frowning. The last time she had spoken with anyone involving the Tendo family, it had been when Nodoka announced that Ranma couldn't be married until he finished raising his daughter. Ukyou hadn't been happy to hear that, but it would give her some time to make sure that her Ranchan saw her as the cute fiancee he would eventually choose, instead of being forced into a painful marriage with Akane.
"It was Akane-san," Konatsu explained.
Ukyou rolled her eyes. Of course. Akane.
"Apparently, Ranma-sama is fighting a monster atop Tokyo tower."
Her battle spatula was in hand, and she was out the door before Konatsu could finish speaking.
***
"Well, he decided to run off and play with his friends," Nabiki drawled. "Sorry, Nodoka, but he's not here right now."
"Would you like to join us for lunch?" Kasumi asked cheerfully. "I'm sure he'll be done soon!"
Soun absently turned the television on, and then everyone paused to listen. "...scene here at Tokyo tower. According to the J.S.D.F. forces, they've sent in a special agent, someone named 'Special Operative Saotome' to deal with the threat...." The camera showed a helicopter's view of the tower, someone leaning out over the edge with a zooming lens to capture an image of what was undoubtedly Ranma, squaring off against what appeared to be Tarou. The Chinese boy looked oddly sinister in contrast to Ranma.
The beach-towel Ranma had draped across his shoulders billowed behind him like a cape, and Nodoka murmured, "Oh my."
Then the screen cut to a shot of Akane, holding the Tendo family naganita in one hand, Hotaru standing impatiently at her side and restrained by her other hand.
A reporter asked, "Can you tell us what happened up there?"
"Well," she said uncertainly, nervous in front of the camera, "uh, Ranma ... rescued me and Hotaru-chan, and brought us down here, where we'd be safe."
Another camera shot, this one to a scene of Hotaru and Akane, trussed up with pantyhose, though this was much blurrier, and hard to make out. Then ... something happened, a shadow crossing the screen. Tarou whirled and punched a thrown steel girder wrapped in a shirt, and the shadow engulfed Hotaru and Akane before vanishing over the edge of the tower. The camera tried to track it, but it disappeared into the crowd below.
The camera then cut back to Akane as the reporter shoved a microphone closer to her face and asked, "What is the relationship between you and Special Operative Saotome?"
"Er...." Akane blushed and stared at her feet. Hotaru pulled her close and whispered something in her ear, and then Akane giggled, straightening up.
At the same time, Hotaru and Akane said, "He's our hero!"
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(Posted Tue, 19 Jul 2005 19:15)
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