[Ranma/Batman][FanFic] The Dark Knight - chapter three
Fiona Lim
by Fiona Lim
fanta...@gurlmail.com
--
Nerima, Japan
Tendo House
"And in the world today, environmental groups and humane
societies are once more protesting outside Wayne Shoes, a
subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises Conglomerate.
This is the eighth protest in three years as groups demand for better
working conditions -"
"Nabiki!" Faintly through the headphones, the vague buzzing
finally became loud enough for her to understand what it was.
Nabiki looked up distractedly from her maths homework, "Yes,
Dad?" She asked finally as she reached over to switch off the
television even as she pulled off her headphones.
"I need to talk to my daughters." Soun Tendo said, smiling
weakly, "Do you know where Akane is?"
"Probably in the dojo." Nabiki said, "What do you want to talk to
us
about, Dad?" She demanded even as she frowned, "Don't tell me
you're going to declare bankruptcy AGAIN." She added angrily.
"No, nothing like that!" Soun said immediately in shock, "I did
what you said Nabiki, HONEST!" He proclaimed, "We're in the purple
-"
"Black, Dad."
"Whatever. We're there, the dojo's doing fine." Soun's face burst
out into smiles, "No, it's much more important than that," Nabiki
arched an eyebrow and snorted incredulously, "Genma, my best
friend is here FINALLY!" he added, "Go get Akane and meet me and
Kasumi in the living room!" he smiled again, tears appearing in his
eyes, "This is a BEAUTIFUL day!" he added as he almost danced out
of the living room.
Nabiki sighed. Sometimes she wondered about the mentality of her
father - *At least it's better than him crying all the time.* she
finally
conceded, *And so long as I keep an eye on the dojo's expenses,
Kasumi feeds him and Akane helps teach the classes, we'll be fine.*
Akane was in the dojo - as usual. Nabiki leaned against the
doorway as she watched her younger sister run through another
series of punches and kicks, her long hair flowing behind her even
as she landed at precisely where she had started.
"You're getting better." Nabiki noted and watched with hidden
amusement as Akane nearly fell over in shock, "Though I would say,
sister dear, that your observation skills are - less than perfect."
She
added with a slight smile.
"What do you want, Nabiki?" Akane asked, picking up a towel and
wiping her face dry.
"Dad wants to talk to all of us."
"It's not the dojo again is it?" Akane asked, a worried look
crossing her face, "We just got five new students -"
"No, something about a friend." Nabiki assured her, "Come on, the
sooner we go through this, the sooner I can get back to my
homework."
"WHAT?!"
All three girls yelped as they stared at their father.
"That's right." Soun said, waving a postcard, "One of you shall be
engaged to Ranma - Genma and Nodoka's only child. You'll carry
on the Anything Goes Martial Arts dojo, and join our two families
FINALLY!" he said happily.
They all reacted in their own way.
*. . . He can't be serious - can he? What about my medical degree? I
mean - I hope this Ranma person isn't traditional - would he object
at a girl becoming a doctor?* Kasumi thought as she said the first
things that came into her mind, "I hope he isn't young. I don't like
young boys. They're so - immature."
*That's it, he's gone cuckoo.* Nabiki thought, *I wonder how long we
can keep it hidden before the authorities take him away. With the
way the dojo is going, this is definitely a bad thing.* "Maybe he's
cute." She said.
*Mad - totally, utter crazy. I wish Mummy were here.* Akane
thought, "You can't expect us to DO that Daddy! It's so - old
fashioned!"
"And what's wrong with old fashion?" Soun thundered, before
smiling weakly again, "I'm sure you girls will LOVE Ranma. Genma
wrote to me and told me how polite, and well mannered he was. And
so handsome - and absolute genius at the Art as well. He's been
training since he was a child."
"But -"
Whatever else Akane would have said was lost to the realm of unsaid
words, as the doorbell rang.
"That must be them now!" Soun said and almost bounced towards
the door, leaving his three daughters seated there in shock.
They turned as one to stare as Soun ushered a man into the room.
As one, they felt their jaws drop. The man before them was -
*Fat. And DIRTY.* Kasumi thought, shuddering.
*He's so - ugh.* Nabiki thought eyeing the dirt stains and unwashed
state of his body, *And poor. Definitely poor. If Dad even TRIES to
engage me to this Ranma, I'll - bankrupt the dojo myself!*
*HE's a martial artist?* Akane thought in shock.
"Where's Ranma?" Soun asked in disappointment, "I thought you
were bringing him Genma."
The girls mentally collapsed in relief.
*Though, if this Ranma takes after his father -* Nabiki shuddered
inwardly as she sat down at the table next to Akane.
"There's a - problem, Soun." Genma said.
"A problem?" Soun said, his eyes watering visibly, "Don't tell me
Ranma's dead?!"
"No!" Genma said quickly, "He's alive - but -"
"Yes?"
"He's in America."
"WHAT?!"
"He ran away - that cowardly -" Genma stopped, his hands
gripping the table, it was only Akane who noticed the splinters
Genma was creating, "He's in Gotham City right now."
"Well, then there's no problem then." Soun said, smiling, "We just
have to go get him."
"Um yeah -" Genma trailed off for several seconds before speaking
again, "Only, you see, Ranma already said who'd he prefer for a
fiancee - and I thought, it would be - ROMANTIC - for him to be
brought back by his own fiancee."
As one, the three girls frowned, catching the quick speech of their
father's friend. *I don't trust him.* Akane decided.
"Yes, that would be PERFECT!" Soun said, grinning madly, "So,
who's the lucky girl?" he asked, smiling at his daughters, "Aren't
you so HAPPY, girls? One of you will be ENGAGED soon - oh, happy
day." He said, "My daughter - engaged to be MARRIED!"
"Ranma definitely showed preference to your daughter." Genma
said vaguely, staring off into the distance even as all three girls
stared with narrowed eyes at him, "He talked continuously of
sparring with her and enjoying her cooking -"
"AKANE!" Soun said joyfully, "Did you hear that?! Ranma wants to
marry YOU!"
Akane felt the world spin even as she grabbed reality and shook it,
"Oh." Was all she managed as she pushed down the urge to pick up
the table and smash it on top of the fat, sweating man before her.
[cue opening credits]
One step forward
One step behind.
Never knowing where you are
Failing to see the lines. . .
[Skyehawke Archives]
I have walked the tightrope,
Pretended to be a thousand things.
[scene: Akane fighting boys outside of the school as a promotion for
the Tendo Dojo]
I forget who I am.
[Scene: Nabiki sitting at a reception desk, snapping bubble gum and
pretending to be brainless.
Flash scene: Kasumi leaving university and Doctor Tofu to cook
while her medical text books gather dust.]
I have seen things
Nobody wants to know,
I have known people.
[In conjunction with Fantaghiro Visions]
Society says that I should be this way,
Culture states I should be that.
When do I get to say,
Who I am
Where I go
What I do?
[Proudly Presents]
[guitar solo]
[Scene: funeral of Soun Tendo with crying daughters and smirking
Genma Saotome.
Flash Scene: Doctor Tofu talking to Kasumi, begging her to come
back and Kasumi running away crying.
Flash Scene: Nabiki getting picked on by the executives at her job
but being unable to quit because Genma would starve them all
otherwise.
Flash Scene: Akane dropping out to take up teaching at the Dojo full
time to pay for costs.]
I have followed all the rules
Walked the lines
Bowing and scraping to the strong.
But I ain't gonna be that way
Not when there's no need.
No more.
[The Dark Knight]
Chapter Three
By Fiona Lim
Fanta...@gurlmail.com
-----------
Xian Pu stared out of the huge windows that overlooked the busy
street and park below her apartment block, idylly stroking her cat
Shampu.
The officers at the police station had been no help. They had known
only how to ask questions - useless questions in her opinion.
*Why ask whom the attacker was when I was obviously knocked out?
Would I be attacked by somebody I know and not tell them?* she
demanded in her mind, *And as useless a question is the identity of
my rescuer. Would I not have said immediately if I knew? Would
not somebody I KNEW have stayed with me instead of leaving
immediately?*
Xian Pu shook her head in exasperation and anger as she stood up
abruptly. *Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. These American police -
good for nothing wastrels, the lot of them. Back in my village, the
attacker would have already been captured and punished - for his
crime, he would have been. . . DEFENESTRATED!*
Xian Pu sighed, *But this is not the village. In the village, the
bystanders would not have stood by. And the attacker would never
have caught you. In the village, you would never have entered such
an unsafe position without having your weapons with you.* she
reminded herself.
The weapons still hung in their position of honour above the fake
fireplace that had raised the rent of the apartment by a good hundred
dollars. Xian Pu took the bonbori into her hands reverently, her
hands recognising the long unheld weight, and compensating
immediately.
*In the village, you would never have been in danger.*
Sometimes, she wondered why she had ever left China and the
village to come here, where men whistled at her, and made
comments she barely understood, and shaved-headed boys barely
four or five years younger than her, sneered and made remarks that
needed no translation.
*When you come to your senses, grand daughter, you will realise
that fame and fortune does not matter as much as you would hope.*
The words of her grandmother returned to her. Xian Pu closed her
eyes, pushing them away.
*I wanted to prove that I could be something. The village was too
small. I didn't want to marry - didn't want to end up like Mother.*
her own words returned to her - surrounded in the past tense, *And
I became like this. A helpless woman - forgetting my training, I
SCREAMED for help. I was HELPLESS today.*
That was the worse part of what had happened. She had been unable
to do anything while that man had shoved her into that alleyway.
Been unable to do more than tremble and finally, to scream. *If HE
had not appeared, I would have -* Xian Pu shuddered, refusing to
even THINK the words.
*It is not worth it.* she thought, staring around her at the designer
furniture, the expensive views from the large windows, the state of
the art entertainment centre that she rarely used. *None of this is
worth what I lost in the past years.*
Her self-respect. The training every one of her ancestors had
learned and passed on to her.
*What have I gained? Money? I can make the equivalent in the
village. Friendships? If I lost all my money, I would loose these
'friends'. Health? I am weaker than I have ever been in my life.*
But to leave was to admit defeat - *And I will NOT do that!*
*Then how? Or why? Why stay?*
*For revenge. What else?* Xian Pu's eyes slitted as she stared at the
bonbori in her hands, then at the leather bound whip that still hung,
neatly coiled, above the fireplace in its glass case.
"Mrow?" Shampu asked as he slid between Xian Pu's legs,
"Mrrrrrrrrreow!"
"Easy, little one." Xian Pu kneeled, scratching him underneath
his chin, "I will feed you soon."
"Mrow." Shampu replied, purring underneath her fingertips.
"Sometimes, I think you understand me more than anybody else
in this entire city, Shampu." Xian Pu said, "Who needs humans,
huh, little brother? Cats are much smarter." her fingers stilled in
their idle stroking suddenly. And her eyes returned to the whip and
the bonbori that now lay on the ground, "Yes. Perhaps that is the
way of it." Xian Pu murmured as she stood up, Shampu in her
hands, "A cat." She nodded decisively, "And certainly the BEST
dressed cat in this entire city." She added with a dry laugh, "Why
else be a worthless expensive fashion designer than to look good?"
***
Wayne Manor
"Good morning, Master Ran." Alfred said as he walked into the room
and pressed the button for the blinds to open.
Ranma blinked as bright sunlight flooded through the room, "I can
barely remember the last time somebody called me that, Alfred." He
said as he stretched and sat up.
"Called you what, Master Ran?" Alfred asked.
"Ran." Ranma said as he got up, "How's my English by the way? Is
the accent still strong?"
"Your parents used to call you Ran, as did I when you were a child,
Master Ran. But if you prefer, I shall call you Master Ranma
instead." Alfred said, "And your accent has faded though you still
have a slight English accent."
"No, it's all right. I prefer it that way. And good." Ranma said as
he
pulled on a dressing gown.
Alfred paused, "What?" he said finally, his face breaking into a half
smile, "I'm afraid I'm not sure precisely what you meant, sir." He
said.
Ranma smiled back as well, "No, it's all right. Keep calling me Ran, I
prefer that name - not so many bad memories. And I'm glad my
accent's going. It tends to intimidate people if you sound different,
at least an English accent is going in the right
direction." He said.
"Ah." Alfred said, "Breakfast is waiting on the table, Master Ran,
as
is the newspaper. And I have your appointments." He said.
"Good. What time am I suppose to meet with the Board of Directors
of Wayne Enterprises Conglomerate today?" Ranma asked.
Alfred was silent as he stared at the young master. It was surprising
how quickly things had become almost a habit. For so many years,
he had acted as a glorified caretaker, watching Wayne Manor petrify
in the silence. Most of his time had been spent writing the endless
letters to the young Master and paying the courier services highly to
make sure that they reached him wherever he was at. Then, six
months ago, Ranma had appeared at his doorstep, tired, dressed in
what amounted to rags, and looking far more bitter than a child
supposedly reared in the lap of luxury (judging by the credit card
bills that were rung up on his name every month) should. The
young Master hadn't spoken about the couple who had cared for him
for almost a decade, and instead, decided to take up the reigns of
Wayne Enterprises - despite the fact that he was still technically a
year too young to do such things, and his methods were definitely
nothing taught at the highly prestigious boarding schools and
universities he should have been enrolled in.
"Alfred?" Ranma asked.
"Just remembering, Master Ran." Alfred said, "You are scheduled
to meet the Board of Executives at WEC at eleven this morning."
Alfred said as he walked down the grand staircase, "If I might give
my advice?"
"Of course!" Ranma said immediately.
"Don't trust the Board of Directors. Wayne Enterprises have lost
many of the men loyal to your Father. Those there now, have been
skimming the profits for many years, not enough to be seen, but
enough to prove where their loyalty lies. Whatever they ask, tell
them to wait until you can talk to somebody else - an impartial
expert if you would." Alfred advised, "And if they demand an
answer, tell them that you own Wayne Enterprises lock, stock and
barrel - regardless of your age. Then walk out."
"As my aged teacher advises." Ranma said with a rare grin on his
face, "You sound as if you speak from experience, Alfred."
"Your father use to tell me of his trials when he first took over
Wayne Enterprises." Alfred replied stiffly, "I regard it as merely
passing on your legacy." He added, "I am sorry if I was too forward,
Master Ranma."
Ranma stopped him on the first landing of the staircase, "Never
assume that, Alfred." He said firmly, "You're family - and that's what
family's here for. To tell you in straight language how to do stuff."
He said softly, "If you hadn't written those letters, Alfred, I don't
know what I would have done - or known." He added.
"It was a pleasure, Master Ran." Alfred said finally, "Now, do
hurry,
or your breakfast we'll grow cold. A growing boy needs to eat a
hearty breakfast to become strong and sure." Ranma laughed then,
far more cheerfully than he had since he had come home, "I'm a man
now, Alfred."
"As you wish, Master Ran, but do hurry up. Whether you are a man
or a boy, your breakfast will still cool just as fast." Alfred
replied, but
he smiled to see Ranma laughing and cheerful - more like the
teenager he should have been then the man he seemed to have
become.
***
"Akane." Nabiki whispered urgently as she shook her younger
sister, "Akane - come on, wake up!"
"Mmmph." Akane mumbled, "Another five minutes and I'll wake
up, promise, 'sumi." She said as she made to turn over.
"Genma's going to walk in here in five seconds, and you're
naked." Nabiki sighed before whispering into Akane's ear and then
clasped her hand tightly over Akane's mouth as her sister shot
straight up.
"Hey, I'm not naked!" Akane mumbled past Nabiki's hand as she
stared with shocked eyes at her sister, "What's going on Nabiki? Why
are you here?"
"Kasumi's ready, and Doctor Tofu's waiting downstairs with a car.
We're leaving Akane." Nabiki said, Akane nodded as she stood up
and made to walk towards her closet only to be stopped by her sister,
"Don't take anything. We don't want to chance waking Genma up.
The sleeping herb Kasumi sneaked into his tea should work, but if it
doesn't -" the older girl shrugged painfully, "I've got all of Papa's
credit cards that aren't already maxed out, and I put a freeze on all
his accounts so Genma can't take any more. Doctor Tofu's got our
tickets, we can buy everything else."
Silently Akane nodded as she followed Nabiki out of the room. *I
can't believe it's come down to this.* she thought sadly as she
walked softly down the staircase, *Oh Papa - * she clamped tightly
over the wave of sorrow that followed her thought, *I'll make you
proud, I promise. The School won't die. And I promise, all the
Saotomes will pay for what they did to us.* she added, clenching her
fist tightly.
***
Wayne Manor
Gotham City
Ranma stared at the whiskey glass in his hand, turning it around
and around as he replayed the scene in his mind. . .
It had been late afternoon when he had left the Wayne Enterprises
headquarters in Gotham City. Streamers of sunlight had managed to
creep between the oppressively high sky scrapers, and everywhere
Ranma had looked, the gray cloaked people had stalked past, far too
fast for casual chatter. The scene had been silent other than the roar
of traffic.
His mind had been on something else. He hadn't even made it into
the executive floor of the building. He should have expected that,
dressed as he was in casual slacks, shirt and a jacket. Despite the
fact that it was relatively better than he had dressed in quite a
while,
no business secretary would have allowed somebody like that to
meet the Board of Directors - even if he claimed to be the owner of
the company. What had shocked him - what had made him see red
though, was listening to the secretaries on that floor talking about
how much precisely each of their 'bosses' were taking 'on the side' in
the multi-million businesses they controlled. The Directors had
been as corrupted as Alfred had advised him on.
*What else did you expect?* the dry voice at the back of his head
said, *The question that you should be asking now, is WHAT will you
do?*
And he had no answer. The Directors had been corrupt, but they
knew how to keep his family's business empire working. *If I fire
them, Wayne Enterprises will collapse - sooner or later, no matter
how much money we have, everything will disintegrate. It'll be like
cutting the chicken's head off. The body might continue running -*
It was then the screams had shocked him out of his reverie.
The girl couldn't have been older than him. Sixteen, seventeen at
the oldest. It was her eyes that had shocked Ranma the most. They
had been large and filled with a sort of helpless fear - as if she KNEW
that nobody would answer to her screams for help. And she had
been right. The street had been filled with the gray inhabitants of
Gotham City - but none but him had run when they had heard the
screams.
"Gonna play hero, tough boy?" the man had said as he tossed the
girl against the wall.
She had crumpled as her head hit the wall with an audible 'thump'.
Ranma had fallen into the familiar fighting stance - one of the few
things Genma had ever taught him - and kept his mouth shut.
*Warriors yelled battle cries to frighten their opponents. You only
waste your breath talking to one stronger than you. He will not be
scared. Safe your breath and plan your moves.* the voice of one of
his sensei repeated over and over in his head as he stared silently at
the man.
"Martial arts huh?" the man said, laughing softly as his knife
appeared in his hand with a 'snick', "Let's see how you fight, pretty
boy 'gainst my knife here."
*Strike while they talk.*
Ranma whirled as he jumped, aiming for the hand with the knife.
*Take out their weapon first. Aim to disable or aim to kill - but aim
fast.*
"WHAT THE -!"
The knife landed next to the girl, the blade sliding back into its
sheath.
*Bring them down, never kill unless you HAVE to.*
He could smell the man's fear on his breath as he lashed out with his
fists. See the man's terror as he fell to the ground.
"No, I'm not going to play." Ranma whispered as he stepped back
from the man.
Without looking, he picked up the girl.
*I learned another lesson that day.*
*Never turn your back on an enemy who is still conscious.*
Ranma stared at his hand, the blood glimmered against the whiskey
glass. He'd emptied half a glass of the expensive alcohol into the
stab on his shoulder. The pain had been intense - but there was
only an ache now. He leaned against the chair, uncaring of the
blood that had soaked into the leather surface.
*Mum. Dad.* Ranma closed his eyes.
The fight had brought back memories he wished he could forget - of
another time when he had been unable to fight.
And two people had died.
*I want to fight.*
*I want to defeat people like that man.*
And he had the power. The only reason he had stayed with Genma
through the years of abuse. For all of Genma's habits, he had taught
enough for Ranma to adapt and learn.
*I can fight - I have the talent.*
He was rich - he had more money than he would ever be able to
spend, even if Wayne Enterprises filed bankruptcy.
*But how?*
Ranma stared at the ceiling, dancing with the shadows of the trees
outside the library.
*How?*
The bat appeared out of nowhere.
Crashing through the glass with a screech louder than the emptiness
in his soul.
Perhaps it had been unable to see the clear glass - but it didn't seem
to care, scattering shards of glass as it barred its fangs.
The world became nothing -
He was young again - six years old. Crying for mistakes he could
not fix and could not apologise for. Sick as the world whirled
around him.
And the bat was there - as it always had been. Older than time, and
appearing out of the darkness.
Brave, ancient - wise.
Ranma blinked, staring at the library. It was silent once more. He
blinked as the world whirled. Blood coated his fingers and clutched
his clothes thickly. But the glass on the floor at his feet told him
that
it had not been a dream.
Like the mist, the bat had returned to him when he needed it most.
*And like the bat, I shall be there when I am needed most.* Ranma
promised as he stood unsteadily, grasping the wound close as he
pulled the old fashion bell-pull that would wake Alfred. *And like
the bat, I will vanish when the need has ended.*
-----
Copyright 1998 Fiona Lim and any other name she may use.
Batman belongs to assorted creators and artists.
Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi