[Eva/Ranma][FanFic] For the Sake of the Children - Chapters 5-6

[Anand Rao]

For the Sake of the Children
----------------------------------

Chapter 5: Not Without a Fight

Neon Genesis Evangelion is owned by Gainax

Ranma 1/2 is owned by Rumiko Takahashi

--------------------

Ranko's stomach growled as the smell of frying bacon wafted into her
bedroom. (I wonder what Otosan is doing up so early on a Sunday,) she
thought as she yawned. She considered staying in bed, wrapped up in her
warm blanket as her stomach rumbled once again. Her usual weekend
breakfast consisted of toast and cold cereal. (A nice hot breakfast
would be a treat,) she thought hungrily. Throwing off her blanket, she
stumbled out of bed and walked to the bathroom. After quickly brushing
her teeth and splashing cold water on her face, she felt slightly more
awake.

Ranko eagerly walked into the kitchen, hoping that breakfast would be
just about ready. She saw her father by the stove and stared at him,
wide-eyed, her hunger forgotten. "O-otosan! What are you wearing?"
Ranko asked. Ranma glanced at his daughter and smiled sheepishly.

"Good morning sleepyhead! Ready for breakfast?" he asked.

"Never mind breakfast! Tell me about the uniform!" Ranko demanded.
Ranma was wearing a blue shirt with a button-downed collar and matching
blue slacks. If not for the NERV emblem on the shoulder of the shirt,
Ranko would have mistaken it for a high school uniform.

Ranma grimaced as he deftly flipped the omelet he had been cooking.
"Misato brought it over last night. She said I need ta wear it around
Headquarters. Something to do with a security protocol. Besides, I'm
gonna meet the Boss today and Misato figured it would be best if I was
in uniform," Ranma replied.

"I don't believe it! Aunt Ukyo said that you -never- wore a uniform in
school. She said that you -hated- them," Ranko said, shaking her head
in disbelief.

"I -do- hate them! But I guess it's not a big deal. After all, it's
only while I'm at Headquarters and I don't plan on spending much time
there!" Ranma replied.

"Wow! You're actually willing to compromise! I guess you're growing up
Otosan," Ranko said with a smirk.

"Thanks," Ranma replied dryly, depositing the omelet onto a plate.

"Well, I think it looks cute on you," Ranko said, giggling as she kissed
Ranma on the cheek. Ranma shook his head in resignation as he placed
two strips of bacon on the plate.

"Are ya ready to eat?" he asked, handing her the plate of food.

"Yeah!" Ranko exclaimed, grabbing the plate. She sat down at the dining
table and quickly began to eat.

"Hey! Slow down! Ya don't need to inhale it," Ranma said, placing a
glass of milk on the table in front of Ranko.

"Thanks. So you're headin' over to NERV today?" Ranko asked between
bites.

"Yeah. Actually, I'd better get going," Ranma replied, looking at his
watch.

"Are you guys gonna be training again today?" Ranko asked.

"Later this evening. Misato is gonna bring the kids over. I think Kaji
will be dropping by too," Ranma said.

"Misato's nice, isn't she?" Ranko asked suddenly.

"Uh, I guess. . ," Ranma replied, unsure as to what had prompted the
question.

"Ya know. . . you really should ask her out some time, go out to a movie
or an amusement park or something," Ranko commented.

Ranma groaned as he put his face in his hands. "I get enough of this
from your grandparents, I -don't- need you to start in on this too!"
Ranma said.

"What's the big deal? She likes you and you like her, right?" Ranko
asked.

"Where did you come up with -that- idea? Look, please. -Please- don't
try playin' matchmaker for me, okay?" Ranma asked.

"I just think the two of you would be good together. Besides, I don't
want you to get lonely in your old age," Ranko replied defensively.

"Old age?" Ranma asked in surprise.

"Well, you -are- getting up there," Ranko pointed out.

Ranma just shook his head. (I don't know whether to laugh or cry,) he
thought silently. "I'm gonna be late! We'll talk about this later,
okay? And whatever ya do, -don't- talk to Misato about this!" Ranma
said, walking to the front door.

"Okay Otosan. Just. . . keep an open mind on the subject," Ranko
replied, smiling sweetly.

******************************

"Woah! He is -so- cool!" Asuka gushed.

"How do you suppose he did that?" Shinji asked.

"Don't you know anything? He's using an advance martial arts
technique!" Asuka replied haughtily. The two children were sitting in
front of the television set, their eyes glued to the screen. Misato had
requisitioned a copy of the video of Ranko's rescue and Asuka was eager
to watch it.

"How was that martial arts?" Shinji asked, referring to the ki blast
Ranma had fired at the Angel.

"He's using his ki; or is it chi? I haven't figured that part out yet,"
Asuka replied thoughtfully.

"When did you learn about all this stuff?" Shinji asked.

"Well, since we're learning martial arts, I went to the library
yesterday and did some research. Some of the books I read mentioned ki
attacks like that blast Ranma-san performed," Asuka replied.

"Do you think he could teach us how to do that?" Shinji asked excitedly.

"Baka! Of course not! It takes years to master a technique like that!"
Asuka replied scornfully.

"Oh, I see. Ranma-san must be very good then," Shinji said.

"I'm sure he's the best there is! I can't wait till we train again
today!"

**********************************************

"So, do I knock or what?" Ranma murmured as he stood in front of the
door leading to Gendou Ikari's office. A member of the security detail
had escorted him from the front gate all the way here. The guard had
seemed somewhat nervous as they reached Ikari's office and he had left
Ranma standing in front of the unopened door. (Guess the commander
freaks some of these guys out,) Ranma thought as he knocked on the door.

"Enter," a voice commanded quietly from the room.

Ranma, sighing at the thought of another authority figure entering his
life after so many years, opened the door. He entered a large spartan
office. There was a single desk placed in the room, with a man, who
Ranma assumed was the Commander, sitting behind it. The room didn't
even have any chairs for guests or visitors. (That's fine, I can
stand,) Ranma thought as he approached Commander Ikari.

"Mr. Saotome," Gendou said in greeting.

"Commander. It's nice ta meet ya," Ranma replied, nodding his head.

"How is the training going?" Gendou asked without any preamble.

"Well, we've only had one class, but it's going fine. The kids are in
pretty good shape, they just need to build up their stamina a bit,"
Ranma replied.

"You are currently training the pilots at your home. Starting today,
you will start training them here."

"Why?" Ranma asked, confused by the requirement.

"We need to be able to monitor their progress," Gendou replied evenly.

"Monitor? Okay, I guess I understand that, but my daughter helps me
with the training, so I'd have to bring her along," Ranma replied.

"Your daughter is no longer a member of this organization. I can not
allow a potential security risk to be a part of this project," Gendou
said coldly.

"Security risk? What the hell are you talkin' about? She's just a
fourteen year old girl!" Ranma protested angrily.

Gendou leaned forward in his chair and steepled his hands in front of
his face. "Mr. Saotome, if your daughter was one of our pilots, she
would be allowed to participate in the training," he offered.

"Wait a minute here! Misato said that you didn't need any more pilots,"
Ranma protested yet again.

"We might lose a pilot. A backup would be useful," Gendou replied
bluntly.

"Listen up, Commander! You are not gonna-" Ranma started to reply as
the lights in the room suddenly died and the room shook. "What was
that, an earthquake?" Ranma asked as the dull red emergency lights
activated. Ignoring Ranma, Gendou quietly picked up his phone and dial
a three-digit extension.

"Report," he commanded into the phone. A few seconds later he hung up
the phone, stood up and exited his office, Ranma following close behind.

"What's going on?" Ranma asked.

"An Angel attack," Gendou replied.

"Oh just perfect," Ranma groaned. The two men walked into the control
room, which was already bustling with activity. Gendou sat in his usual
seat on the upper deck while Ranma stood between Misato and Ritsuko.
"What a freak," Ranma commented, looking at the image of the angel in
the view screen.

"This time, you get to see -us- in action," Misato whispered to him
confidently. "Units 01 and 02 have already been deployed," she
continued aloud, turning back towards Commander Ikari.

"I can't believe that it's already in the Geofront!" One of the techs
sitting to Ranma's right exclaimed.

"Seventeen layers of armor in one shot! Incredible!" Another tech
agreed.

"It's coming here, to Central Dogma. Shinji, Asuka, are you in
position?" Misato asked.

"Central what?" Ranma asked, staring at the view screen in confusion.

"We're ready," Asuka and Shinji replied simultaneously.

"Eliminate the target!" Misato commanded.

Ranma clenched his hands tightly as he watched Unit 01 and Unit 02
attack the Angel. The two Evas were each carrying a large
semi-automatic rifle-like cannon. Using a flanking maneuver, and
keeping their distance, they repeatedly fired shots at the Angel.
"They're not neutralizing the AT field," Ritsuko observed.

Unit 02's rifle ran out of ammunition and was forced to change weapons.
Fortunately, dozens of weapons had been strategically placed across the
battlefield. Unit 02 dropped the rifle it was holding and picked a pair
of rocket launchers. Asuka, frustrated and angry, fired away at the
angel to no effect. Eventually, Unit 01 dropped its rifle as well.
"Asuka! Stop firing, it's no good!" Shinji yelled.

Growling ferally, Asuka ignored Shinji and continued her attack. (I
have to beat that thing! I -will- kill it! I will!) she thought
angrily. Unconcerned, the Angel slowly elongated it's paper-thin arms
and suddenly shot them out at Unit 02 like a whip. The angel's arms
amputated both of Unit 02's arms at the shoulders. Feeling the pain of
the neural feedback, frustrated and humiliated beyond reason, Asuka
charged headfirst towards the Angel. "Asuka, no!" Misato screamed.
"Cut her synch rate to zero! Now!" She commanded.

"Asuka!" Ranma choked as he watched the Angel decapitate Unit 02.

"She's alive! We disconnected her in time," Maya exclaimed. Both Ranma
and Misato sagged in relief.

"Send Rei out in Unit 00," Gendou commanded.

"Rei, get ready. You're going out," Misato said.

"Okay," Rei replied over the loud speaker.

Ranma looked out at the hanger and watched as Rei's entry plug was being
injected into Unit 00. He frowned when he noticed the condition of the
Eva. "That thing only has one arm," Ranma commented to Misato.

"We didn't have time to finish repairs. The Angels don't attack on a
schedule," Ritsuko replied dryly.

"You're gonna send her out in a damaged Unit?" Ranma demanded, glaring
at Ritsuko.

"We don't have a choice Ranma. The Angel -must- be destroyed at all
cost," Misato explained.

"But you can't just-" Ranma started to protest when Ritsuko interrupted.

"Look, we know how to do our job. Now stand back and let us get to
work!" she snapped impatiently.

Ranma continued to glare at Ritsuko then slowly turned back towards Unit
00. With a decisive nod of his head, he left the control room and ran
to the hanger.

"Ranma! Don't-" Misato called out before Gendou interrupted her.

"Let him go," he said quietly.

Misato nodded reluctantly as she watched Ranma approach Unit 00. He
easily jumped off the catwalk adjacent to the Eva and landed on its left
shoulder. The Eva's head turned slightly towards him and he could
almost feel Rei's questioning look. "Just thought that you could use an
extra hand," Ranma said nonchalantly. The Eva's head nodded slightly
then turned back to the front.

"Evangelion Unit 00, prepared to launch?" Misato asked over the
loudspeaker.

"Ready," Rei replied as Ranma simply nodded.

"Hang on tight Ranma, this is going to be a rough ride. Unit 00,
launch!" Misato commanded.

Ranma gripped the side of Unit 00'a head as the launch catapult
propelled them upward. Within a few seconds they reached the
battleground and stopped. They had been placed behind the Angel and
Unit 00 quickly picked up one of the rifles that littered the ground.

During the time it took to launch Unit 00, Unit 01 had attacked the
Angel by hand. Rei and Ranma had arrived in time to see Unit 01
straddle the Angel and beat on its torso with both fists. The Angel,
lying on the ground, quickly sliced off Unit 01's right arm with one of
its paper-thin arms. Ranma stared in horror as blood exploded from the
Eva's wound. "What the hell is that thing?" he wondered aloud.

Disoriented from the pain in his own right arm, Shinji jerked Unit 01
back off the Angel's chest. Unit 00 just stood there, watching
helplessly, unable to get a clear shot. The Angel elongated its arm and
wrapped it around Unit 01's torso. Recovered from the pain, Shinji
pulled back Unit 01's left arm and slammed its fist into the Angels
face. Seemingly unharmed, the Angel wrapped its other arm around Unit
01 and slowly lifted the Eva into the air. Unit 01 struggled in the
Angel's grasp, but was unable to free itself. Elongating its arms
further, the Angel lifted Unit 01 higher into the air, and finally threw
the Eva several hundred yards. Unit 01 landed in a heap in a small
forest nearby.

Unit 00 immediately started firing its rifle as Unit 01 was thrown clear
from the area. The Angel slowly stood up and stared impassively at Unit
00. Although the attack was having no effect, Rei stood her ground and
continued to fire. (The girl has a backbone,) Ranma thought approvingly
as the Angel moved forward. Ranma's eyes narrowed as he watched the
Angel's arms start to move is subtle wave-like motion.

Suddenly, the Angel's arms snapped forward towards Unit 00, but Ranma
was ready for it. He quickly crossed his arms in front of his chest,
then snapped them forward and to the side, letting out a loud 'kiya' as
he finished the movement. Within the blink of an eye, the Angel's arms
fell lifelessly to the ground, cut cleanly from the Angel's body by
Ranma's vacuum-slash attack. "Not this time, freak," Ranma gloated as
the Angel screamed in pain. "Rei! Do it now!" Ranma yelled

Unit 00 raised its rifle and fired several rounds into the Angel's
torso. The Angel staggered back with each hit, blood spurting from its
wounds. Unit 00 steadily walked forward as it continued its attack on
the Angel. Suddenly, the rifle jammed, and Unit 00 was forced to
discard it. Unit 00 quickly bent down to pick up and other weapon.
Ranma was forced to hold on to the Eva's head again to keep from falling
off. As Unit 00 raised it's new rifle, one of the Angel's eyes started
to glow with a bright white light.

"This is gonna hurt," Ranma observed as a white burst of light and heat
shot from the Angel's eye. The force of the blast knocked Ranma off of
his perch on Unit 00's shoulder. The searing heat on his arms and face
was the last thing he remembered before he blacked out.

***********************
End of Chapter 5
***********************

Several people have been bugging me to write in an Angel fight and here
it is. (At least 3/4 of it) At any rate, things will be changing
rather drastically from the Eva story line. What was, in my opinion,
the climax to the series, just doesn't happen here. Those of you
familiar with the entire series will understand what I mean when chapter
6 is released. So, if you're a die-hard Eva fan, and just 'kinda' like
Ranma, you might get annoyed with the next chapter. Just a polite
warning. ^_^

Thanks to TJ for role playing Gendou for me. Writing a dialogue for him
and Ranma is going to be hell! But I assure you, the two of them will
be meeting again. ^_^

Namaste,

Anand

Ana...@earthlink.net
http://www.deranged-otaku.com/

For the Sake of the Children
---------------------------------------

Chapter 6: Victory and Respite
------------------------------------------

Misato grinned as the Angel staggered back. Somehow, Ranma had broken
through the AT Field again. It -was- like magic; he had moved his arms,
and suddenly, the Angel's arms had been cut off. She had to admit, it
was more exciting seeing his techniques live than it was seeing them on
tape. (That's it Rei, cut the bastard down!) Misato thought as Unit 00
started its attack.

"He didn't glow this time," Ritsuko observed.

"What was that?" Misato asked, distracted by the battle.

"Ranma. He didn't glow like last time," Ritsuko explained, her voice
full of speculation.

"He's not a lab rat, Ritsuko. Just -ask- him about it!" Misato
suggested, rolling her eyes.

"The rifle jammed!" Maya exclaimed.

Misato whirled her face back to the view screen and cursed as Unit 00
dropped its weapon. As Unit 00 bent down to pick up another rifle,
Misato saw the Angel's eye start to glow. "Rei! Ranma! Watch out!"
Misato yelled, just as the Angel attacked. Misato covered her eyes as
the glare from the blast reached the Control Room.

"Unit 00 is down!" Maya reported.

"The Angel is regenerating itself!" one of the techs observed.

"Rei!" Gendou yelled in concern.

"The pilot's alive! Life signs are stable," Ritsuko said.

"What about Ranma?" Misato asked worriedly.

"We can't worry about him right now!" Ritsuko replied.

"Send a recovery team to Unit 00," Misato ordered, trying tom regain her
composure. (Damn you, Ranma, be alive!)

"Already on it," Maya replied.

"What's the status of Unit 01?" Gendou asked.

"Unit 01 should be operational, but is currently on battery power. It
only has less than a minute of power left," Maya reported.

"Shinji! Are you okay?" Misato asked.

"Yeah, I think so," he hesitantly replied.

"Unit 00 is down, you have to stop the Angel!" Misato said.

"Right!" Shinji replied.

(This is our last chance,) Misato thought as she watched Unit 01 stand
and run after the Angel.

********************************************

Shinji was already moving Unit 01 towards the Angel when he heard
Misato's command. He had seen the Angel attack Unit 00 and had been
sure that Rei has died. With tears in his eyes and a cold rage starting
to build in his heart, he was relieved to hear that she was alive. He
suddenly remembered seeing Ranma perched on Unit 00's shoulder.
"Misato-san, what about Ranma-san?" Shinji asked nervously.

"We- we're looking for him Shinji. You just worry about that Angel!
We'll find Ranma," Misato replied.

"Okay," Shinji replied uncertainly. He looked at the timer for Unit
01's battery. (Only fifty seconds left,) he thought, starting to pick
up the pace.

The Angel, meanwhile, had not moved since its attack on Unit 00. Shinji
watched as the wounds in the Angel's torso started to heal. The large,
gaping holes caused by Rei's attack were closing and knitting together.
"Got to make it in time, got to make it in time, got to make it in
time," Shinji repeated, as Unit 01 finally reached the Angel.

The Angel slowly turned towards Unit 01, it's eye glowing brightly.
Unit 01 crouched down in front of the Angel, then suddenly shot up,
grazing the its chest and face with a left uppercut. The Angel
staggered and fell on its back, just as the glowing white light shot out
from its eye. The attack barely missed hitting the top of Unit 01's
head and impacted with the ceiling of the Geo Front.

Shinji took a moment to once again look at the battery timer. "Thirty
seconds left!" He exclaimed. He quickly maneuvered Unit 01 to take hold
of its Prog. Knife. The blade activated with a bright blue glow and
rhythmic hum. Unit 01 pounced on top of the Angel, its blade held high.
Once again, the familiar white glow grew from the Angel's eye. With a
sickening crunch, Unit 01 stabbed the Angel in its eye, and slowly
dragged the knife down the Angel's face, stopping as it reached the top
of the torso. The Angel's head exploded in a burst of white light,
painting Unit 01 with its blood.

Breathing heavily, Shinji watched as the timer counted down the
remaining twenty seconds of power left. As the entry plug darkened,
Shinji closed his eyes and sighed. (Why do I have to keep doing this?)
He thought. As the recovery team arrived to pick him up, Shinji tried
to recall a time when he felt completely safe.

******************************************

"That was -too- close," Ritsuko commented as Unit 01 fell silent.

"Recovery units, status report," Misato commanded.

"The pilots of Unit 00 and 02 have been recovered. Neither one requires
any medical attention. The pilot of Unit 01 will be recovered shortly;
ETA five minutes," a member of the recovery team reported.

"And- and what about Ranma Saotome?" Misato asked hesitantly.

"I'm okay Misato," Ranma's voice answered wearily over the loud speaker.

"Ranma? Where are you?" Misato asked, her voice full of relief.

"Recovery team number two picked him up, maam," Maya reported.

"Recovery team two, report on Mr. Saotome's status," Misato requested.

"Hey! I told ya that I'm fine," Ranma protested.

"He suffered severe burns on his arms and hands, we're transporting him
to the sickbay now," a medic replied.

"You know, he's lucky to be alive," Ritsuko commented.

"Yeah. Maybe he'll think twice about trying to attack an Angel next
time," Misato hoped.

"How -does- he create those attacks?" Ritsuko asked rhetorically,
sighing in frustration.

"You haven't figured it out yet? You must be slipping, Dr. Akagi,"
Misato said teasingly.

"All we've figured out so far is that he generates some type of
electromagnetic pulse. What I can't figure out is how or why he has
this ability. All our tests show that he is a perfectly normal, if
disgustingly healthy, human being. No sighs of mutation, radiation, or
miscellaneous anomalies in his body anywhere!" Ritsuko replied.

"You must admit, he does employ an interesting technique," Futsyuki
commented to Gendou as he listened to Ritsuko's analysis.

"Indeed," Gendou replied.

"SEELE will find out about him eventually," Futsyuki observed.

"It's of no consequence. His skills have nothing to do with our plans,
or with Human Complementation."

"I hope you're right, Ikari," Futsyuki replied dubiously.

****************************************

Ranma sat impatiently in his hospital bed, absently rapping his fingers
on top of his legs. His arms, from elbow to knucks, were wrapped in
gauze. His forehead and cheeks, which looked flushed, were actually
slightly burnt. (I always did hate hospitals! Why are they keepin' me
in here for anway?) Ranma thought irritably. The doctor who had looked
at his wounds had just left him a few minutes earlier, but Ranma was
already eager to leave.

The door to his room slowly opened and Rei walked inside. She stood
quietly by Ranma's bedside and stared at him. Ranma tried to match her
gaze, but became unnerved by the passive intensity of her red eyes.
After a few moments, he glanced away, embarrassed at his own discomfort.
(Get a grip, Ranma. She's just a kid!) He berated himself silently.

"Why did you do that?" Rei finally asked.

"Do what?" Ranma countered, confused by her question.

"You risked your life. You attacked the Angel," Rei stated.

"You were at a disadvantage, the Eva having only one arm and all. . . I
figured you could use the help," Ranma replied, a small grin growing on
his face.

"You did it. . . for me?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, I did," Ranma replied seriously.

"You shouldn't have done that," Rei replied without a hint of reproach
in her voice.

"Why? It wasn't such a big deal, was it?" Ranma asked.

"If I die, I can be easily replaced," Rei explained.

Ranma gaped at this young girl's seemingly cavalier attitude regarding
her own death. Rei turned back towards the door and walked away from
the bed. Just as she reached out from the door handle, Ranma finally
recovered enough sense to speak. "Rei! Wait a minute!" He blurted out.
Her hand lightly on the top of the doorknob, Rei turned back towards
Ranma. "Look, you may not understand this, but I'm kinda your teacher
now. As your teacher, I have a certain responsibility to you. If I can
help it, I'm not gonna let -any- of you hurt," he said firmly.

"I understand," Rei replied quietly. She opened the door and walked out
of the hospital room. Ranma was able to hear her foot falls as she
walked down the hallway and exited the ward. He sighed, wondering what
had happened that would make this girl care so little about her own
life.

******************************************

"I'm home!" Ranma called out as he entered the house.

"Otosan!" Ranko yelled in relief as she ran to him. "I was so worried
about you," she said, grabbing him in an embrace.

"Hey, ya know that nothin' can stop -me-," Ranma chided gently, as he
carefully put his bandaged arms around Ranko. Ranko giggled as she
looked up at her father's face.

"I was at Aunt Ukyou's when the Angel attacked. We had ta go to the
shelter. I figured you were still stuck at NERV and couldn't reach
you," she said.

"Oh I was stuck there all right! Those NERV guys are more annoying than
any of the doctors I've ever met!" Ranma replied, exasperated.

"Doctor? Why did you- Oh! You hurt your hands again!" Ranko exclaimed,
noticing the bandages.

"Yeah, they got burnt a little. No big deal," Ranma shrugged.

"Are- are we still gonna train today?" Ranko asked.

"Of course! Misato should be here any minute with the kids, so why
don't you go get changed?" Ranma suggested.

"Okay! Oh, by the way, Aunt Ukyou said that she wanted to talk to you.
She said to come see her tomorrow," Ranko said as she walked to her
room.

"I wonder what she wants," Ranma mumbled as he absently rubbed an itch
on his arm. Ranma had to admit, his relationship with Ukyou was a
strange one. Feeling betrayed and hurt after his marriage to Akane,
Ukyou left Nerima; refusing to even speak to him. He remembered the
overwhelming sense of guilt he had felt during the first year of his
marriage. His thoughts turned to Ukyou often, and he prayed daily for
her wellbeing.

Ranma grinned ruefully as he recalled the strain that was placed on his
marriage because of his thoughts concerning Ukyou. Even after marriage,
Akane never really got over her insecurities. (As if I'd have chosen
anyone besides that tomboy,) Ranma thought. His musings were
interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Is anyone home?" Misato's voice drifted from outside.

Ranma smiled as he opened the door, allowing Misato, Kaji, and the
children to enter. "Perfect timing. Ranko should be ready soon, then
we can get started," Ranma said.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Ranma?" Misato asked dubiously as she
glanced at his bandaged arms.

"It's not gonna be a problem," Ranma assured her.

"Don't worry Misato, his wife used to smack him around all the time!
And I'd bet that Akane was stronger than any Angel I've ever seen," Kaji
said cheerfully.

"Uh. . . right," Misato replied.

"Was your wife a really good martial artist?" Shinji asked.

"Not really. She just had a lot of brute strength," Ranma replied, a
small smile growing on his face. At this point, Ranko walked out of her
room, donning her yellow gi.

"Hi guys! Glad ya could make it! Ready for a good workout?" Ranko said
in greeting.

"Actually, I can't stay today," Misato said.

"Yeah, me either. We, uh. . ," Kaji floundered.

"We have an important meeting to go to," Misato finished.

"A meeting, eh?" Ranma said skeptically.

"Yeah, a tactical briefing. We need to discuss frontal assaults,
flanking maneuvers, that sort of thing," Kaji replied with a straight
face.

"Yeah, a tactical briefing," Misato agreed weakly, a blush climbing up
her neck and face.

"Sounds. . . interesting," Ranma replied, stifling a laugh.

"Yeah, well. Anyway, do you think you could take the children home
tonight?" Misato asked.

"Sure, if ya want, but I have a better idea. How would all of you like
to stay here tonight? We could have a little party in honor of your
victory today," Ranma suggested.

"You mean it? We can spend the night here?" Asuka asked eagerly.

"Yeah. Sure," Ranma replied.

Misato smiled at Asuka's obvious excitement. (Maybe this will cheer her
up,) Misato though. Asuka had been depressed and extremely irritable
after her poor performance against the Angel. She snapped and yelled at
anyone who approached her. The fact that Shinji was the one who ended
up defeating the Angel did not help matters. This was the first smile
she had shown all day.

"You guys go ahead to the dojo and I'll see Misato and Kaji out," Ranma
continued.

"Right. Come on guys, we can start our warm ups before Otosan gets
back," Ranko said. As the children left, Ranma walked Kaji and Misato
out the front door.

"Enjoy your 'meeting'," Ranma smirked.

"Oh, I'm sure it will be -quite- educational," Kaji replied.

"Shut up you idiot!" Misato growled quietly, trying to keep from
blushing again.

"Well, have a good time," Ranma said, unable to keep from laughing.

"You too, and don't let the kids work you over too hard," Kaji replied.

"And thanks for taking them tonight," Misato added.

"No problem, hope your meeting goes well," Ranma replied blandly.

****************************************

The Committee sat in their darkened conference room, once again
questioning the actions and motives of Gendou Ikari. His actions, time
and time again, seemed to suggest that he had some hidden agenda; some
plan that was not of SEELE's making. If not for the fact that he was
making sufficient progress Human Complementation Program, they would
have removed him long ago. As it was, they discussed the results of the
Angel attacks and Gendou's actions with growing trepidation.

"This time, Ikari has gone too far," one of the committee members
stated.

"I agree that he should have told us about Saotome, but I doubt Ikari
knows of our plans," another member replied.

"Oh? And do you think that the presence of a ki master is a
coincidence? At this stage?" the first member retorted.

"What's done is done. Regardless of -what- Ikari may or may not know,
it is time to move up the time table," yet another member said.

"Agreed. It is time to activate Project Nova."

**************************************

"Okay, that's enough for now. I think you guys are warmed up," Ranma
said cheerily as his students gratefully collapsed on the dojo floor.

"Wa- warmed. . . up?" Shinji asked, breathing heavily.

"Yeah! Otosan is gonna teach you how to hit today!!" Ranko exclaimed
excitedly. She was the only student who was still standing. She had
long since grown accustomed to Ranma's calisthenics exercises.

"Hitting, eh? We're going to need to pair up then, huh?" Asuka asked as
she slowly stood up.

"That's right. Shinji, you'll be partnering with Ranko, and Asuka-"

"I'll practice with you, okay Ranma-san?" Asuka asked eagerly.

"Actually, I want ya to work with Rei. I need to watch all of ya ta
make sure you perform the techniques correctly. Besides, Rei's more
your size anyway," Ranma replied.

"Right," Asuka replied sadly, "Come on Wonder Girl, let's get ready,"
she continued with a sigh. Rei stood up from where she had been sitting
on the floor and moved towards Asuka.

"Okay, now I want you to face your partner, standing a couple of feet
away from each other. You're going to be practicing a very simple
attack, kinda like a jab coming off the right arm. I'll show you how
it's done," Ranma said. He stood, placing his feet shoulder width
apart, and his knees slightly bent. He held both his fists in front of
his face and executed a right-handed jab with exaggerated slowness.
After his arm was extended, he slowly drew it back to his face. "Okay,
now you guys give it a try, but do it -slow- I don't want ya guys
hittin' each other yet! Shinji, Ranko, you two first," Ranma said,
relaxing his stance.

"You can go ahead and go first, Shinji. I already know how ta do this,"
Ranko offered.

"Um, okay," Shinji replied reluctantly. He brought his fists up to his
face in an imitation of Ranma. He slowly extended his right fist
towards Ranko's face, trying to recall how Ranma had looked when he
executed the jab. Ranko nodded her head and smiled reassuringly.
Shinji blushed in response and brought his fist back to its starting
position.

"Good Shinji, just a couple of points. First of all, relax!" Ranma
said, patting Shinj's shoulder. "This isn't a war or nothin'. I just
want ya guys to get a feel for things, practice on some coordination
before I move on to the katas," he explained.

"Relax. . . Okay," Shinji replied.

"Good. Second, don't extend your arm too far when makin' that jab. You
don't wanna pull a muscle -or- give your opponent too much of an
opening, okay?" Ranma continued.

"Right," Shinji replied, looking inquiringly at Ranko.

"Go ahead," she replied, answering his unasked question.

Shinji nodded, then attempted the jab once more; with better results.
Ranma moved on with the lesson, having Rei and Asuka in turn practice
the punch while Ranko made sure that Shinji did not commit any mistakes.
Over the course of the next hour, the children practiced an assortment
of punches and kicks.

(At least they seem to be having a good time,) Ranma thought
satisfactorily. All three children were able to handle the basic moves
Ranma taught them. What surprised him, however, were Rei's abilities.
Each punch or kick was performed with precision and speed. She copied
his moves exactly, not needing to be corrected even once. (Gonna have
ta talk to her about it later,) Ranma promised himself. "Okay, that's
enough for today. Let's get cleaned up then eat dinner," Ranma said
aloud, grinning at the relieved sighs from Shinji and Asuka.

******************************************

"How's the curry comin' along, Shinji?" Ranma asked.

"It's still a little bland," Shinji replied after tasting the curry he
was preparing.

"Don't add in too much more red pepper, the taste of spices will come
out as it settles," Ranma warned.

"Right," Shinji agreed. After the training session had ended and
everyone had gotten cleaned up, Ranma had decided to start preparing
dinner. Asuka and Ranko had immediately gotten into a deep conversation
that involved a great deal of giggling. Asuka hoped to make an ally of
Ranko in her quest to become closer to Ranma. Ranko was simply glad to
make a new friend; even one as obnoxious as Asuka. Rei had opted for
sitting in the back yard, staring pensively at the fish in the koi pond.
Shinji had felt distinctly uncomfortable being alone with the girls, so
he readily offered to help Ranma prepare dinner.

"Thanks for tellin' me that Rei was a vegetarian," Ranma said. He had
been preparing Halibut steaks for dinner and was ill prepared to handle
Rei's eating habits. It was Shinji who had suggested the vegetable with
coconut curry.

"You're welcome," Shinji replied, smiling as he carefully sprinkled
crushed red pepper into the curry.

Loud female laughter floated into the kitchen from the dining room.
Ranma smiled ruefully and shook his head. "Ya know Shinji, back when I
was your age, it was the -men- who'd be sittin' around wastin' time
while the women did all the cooking," he explained.

A small grin grew on Shinji's face and he glanced at Ranma. "I don't
think Asuka even knows -how- to cook. At least, I've never seen her,"
he said.

"Well Ranko -tries-. And she'd be more than willing to give us a hand,
but confidential, her cookin' is pretty toxic. She'd probably kill us
all," Ranma whispered.

"I heard that Otosan!" Ranko yelled menacingly from the dining room.

Ranma winced and shook his head again. "I'm gonna pay for that later,"
he predicted.

****************************************

"You wanted to see me Commander?" Ritsuko queried from the doorway of
Gendou's office.

"Yes. The committee knows about Saotome," Gendou replied. He was
sitting at his desk, skimming through a dossier.

"What. . . did they do?" Ritsuko asked.

"They were upset, of course, that I did not inform them of his
abilities."

"I should think so, after all, it's not every day that you meet someone
who could break through the AT Field," Ritsuko pointed out.

"Indeed. They seemed to have recovered from their shock rather quickly,
however," Gendou said dryly, proffering the dossier to Ritsuko.

"What's this?" she asked, taking the dossier from Gendou's hand.

"Apparently, SEELE is sending an instructor for the pilots. Another
. . . physical trainer," he replied.

Ritsuko open the dossier and skimmed its contents. "I see. Do think
this person is like Ranma?" she asked.

"I'm sure of it."

"We'll have to be careful then, if he works for SEELE," Ritsuko
commented.

"Of course. Perhaps. . . Saotome can be persuaded to keep an eye on
this. . . Ryoga Hibiki," Gendou thought aloud.

Ritsuko took another look at the dossier and repressed a shudder. (If
this Ryoga is anywhere near as good as Ranma, the war with the Angels
isn't going to be the only thing we'll have to worry about,) she thought
grimly.

***************************
The End
Chapter 6
***************************