The Evolution. A Ranma 1/2 X-Men Evolution crossover. Original idea by Chilord Disclaimer: if you recognize something then it isn't mine. For the rest it would get me killed if I ever tried to make people believe that Ranma or the X-Men are mine Keys: < > thoughts **Cerebro's voice** -- mental communication -- Forewords: To make things clear this is the TV X-Men Evolution world, yet the populace knows about mutants. Even more the US government used the sentinel program like in Ultimate X-Men, yet the X-Men were able to stop the use of the killing machines. Of course I reserve the right to introduce elements from the comic as well. C&C welcome! E-mail: valheru_2003@hotmail.com --------------------------------------- Chapter 2 --------------------------------------- Late hours in some point of Shinjuku. A single figure could be seen under the light of one of the many street lamps. The figure was a young man, not yet in his twenties, clothed from head to toe in black. His hair, black as the wing of a raven, was tied in a short pig-tail. He was sitting, a can of hot tea and some half eaten ramen near at his side but the young man's attention was draw to some pages in his hands as he read under the poor light. Those were contradictions when you were called Ranma, no mater if he was now a ronin. The man he had believed to be his father for the last seventeen years had kicked him out of the Saotome Clan using his position as Head Clan when he discovered that Ranma was a mutant. In Genma's eyes that was something even worst than being burakumin. Genma couldn't deal with that, no more than could Soun or his daughter Akane, so he chose the easy exit. For all purposes Ranma Saotome died. Still that was one of the lesser consequences of caring unfashionable DNA. Now he was on the run from the government of his own country that had started a cleaning of the gene pool of Japan. Ranma was now on the run for being "different" or at least that was the official reason the Diet gave to justify the persecution of mutants like Ranma. Still he knew that something more had to be going on because the Government did sponsor some mutants working for them. That was one of the things Ranma was still pondering about yet it made no sense to him. Well that would have to wait was the stray thought that crossed his mind as he read Nabiki's papers. Even food had passed to a second place. Weird, almost a sign of the end of the world, to anyone that knew Ranma enough. If someone had told him some days before that he would be putting aside food of any kind (all but Akane's) for something to read, he would have laughed out loud. It wasn't that Ranma didn't like to read but in a life where each day is a battle for survival (or mental balance) such mundane pleasure is off limits. A shame he knew, but taking in count how chaotic his life is, it was doubtful that he had time to focus in other things apart from fighting. Be it a wandering martial artist or a power hungry god, there would always be strife and battle in his life, lurking for the right moment to show its ugly head. Genma's legacy, even after he discovered he wasn't his real father, would continue to pursue him. It wasn't hard to believe that, even without any blood link with the fat panda, people would still go after him. Oh well it wasn't the first time that something like that happened. Right now he had other, more pressing things to take care of. He was on the run from his own country. Since his mutant power awakened the number of possible enemies after him had shot trough the roof, leaving the events of the last year and half to shame. Mutants were heated. In points all around the world the fear against mutants and the awesome powers that mutation gave them had lead to an increase of hate in normal people, hate against something that they could understand but couldn't help to fear. And from fear came the desire to destroy. He understood them of course, because he too was frightened by his own power. The ability to somehow change *all* around him into energy that he could use filled him with nervousness. All around him could die if he wasn't careful. Already three times had he done that without any conscious effort, without any kind of control, and that scared him to death. He was frightened but not only by the most apparent aspects of his power but also by the changes it produced in him. Already his martial arts techniques had increased in their power to a point that it was madness. He dreaded to think what would happen if he unleashed a Hiryu Shoten Ha. The move alone was powerful enough, if used in special conditions, to kill an demi-god. What about the amaguriken, or his ki blast? What about the Umi-sen-ken and the Yama-sen-ken? And about the others countless attacks that he could use? His power, by what he could deduce from Cologne's words, allowed him seemingly endless energy supply, an energy that expanded his own ki to incredible levels. But with that increase he had lost most of the control he had upon his body. That was the quid of the problem. The knowledge, and by extension the control he had upon his body, was now obsolete. That was one of the things that made him the martial artist he was; the complete control upon every part of his body, allowing him to do almost everything with it. And now it wasn't enough. He could feel alterations happening in his body and that changed every conceptions he had about his body's full capabilities. For example, his breathing had slowed down but he could feel no hint of discomfort. Air was transformed into energy that the muscles needed, an energy that was consummated in each movement. Since his body's cells were now overflowed with energy it seemed that his body needed less and less air. Ditto with the food. That was another effect that he had discovered recently, something that was starting to piss him off. Half a bowl of bought ramen, some tea and he was already feeling full! That was down right frustrating! Eating, sleeping and fighting were always his favorites in his "to do" list and eating delicious food like Kasumi's or his mother's was definitively the bright spot in his days in Nerima. That had as consequence some slight problems in his physical growth. Nothing too serious of course but it was there if you knew where to look. And now (and he hoped he was wrong) he was gaining height and muscle mass as if his body, with the overflow of that strange mix of ki and pure energy, was correcting all the wrongs in it before switching to enhancing. Already his senses were starting to work weird. His eyesight was better than before even if it was filled with colors (patrons of energy he supposed) that were the most obvious mark of his mutation. His touch, hearing, even sent were starting to be even sharper, increasing to limits beyond his normal martial artist capabilities that were already impressive. All in all he was screwed. He was smart enough to know that he needed help. Being an over stressed ego jerk had to disappear, both for his sake and for the one of the people around him. That was why he was reading the information that Nabiki had given him. He was simply amazed. In the two days or so he had been down after the Sentinel's attack she had gathered the information she considered would help him. He was sure that his mother had told Nabiki all she knew about his father, this "Logan" man, in order for her to be able to help him... But what she had wrote in those few pages was amazing. He browsed attentively trough the pages in his hands. He looked some more. He passed the information about the other members of the X-Men but a single one caught his attention. He continued looking at the pages but there was no information about the base of operation of the X-Men. Nabiki wasn't able to give him the answer he sought. Yet the last two pages gave him hope, and what was more a possibility to find what he needed. "" Well Ranma-kun. I'm sorry but I'm not able to find much about the X-Men. None of my contacts was able to give me too many answers, or information concerning them. The only explication about that is that someone is very efficient to hide any lead to that group of mutants. It may sounds strange to you that I'm not able to find something, or to recognize it to you. As you know, I pride myself in being able to find what I want given the proper motivation. The motivation was more than enough and, believe me, time wasn't the problem. Lacking information about their base of operations we should start by what we know. Better yet let me explain it to you; it could hurt you to think to much. It is a known fact that the X-Men are a group with base in the United States but, of course, that doesn't help us much... Taking in count the size of that country it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. As I have mentioned before it seems that someone or something had taken much interest in erasing any lead that could be found in the usual information channel. As far as I know not even the federal groups in the States (such as the FBI or the NSA) have some useful information beyond the knowledge of their existence. So I wondered, if the direct leads are somehow contaminated, what about the non direct way? The fact that no significant record about the X-Men exists is proof enough that someone with vast means must be responsible of this lack of information. Considering about who and *what* we are speaking about this may be beyond economical, social or political influence. On the other side, some of the information that I am sure is still uncontaminated makes me think that the members of the X-Men (save few particular cases) are between our own age group. If this is right, and we are talking about people between the 15 and 17 age mark, our "friends" can be found in High Schools. With that idea in mind I limited the research to few High Schools with suspicious events that could be originated by the use of one of several mutant powers. In a way it was like searching for High Schools like ours (before you destroyed it) but even so I realized that Furinkan was too strange. Too strange that the authorities not even bothered in trying to hide it. So I searched for things less obvious. As powerful as the one to bury the leads is, it's obvious that he/she must have some kind of limits. Gossip is a good source of information and once those events connected to accidents, it was more easy to close the searching ground. The accidents, the rumors and urban legends, the few sighting of the X-Men, all helped me but even so there are still some diverse possibilities that I will not enumerate here. Suffice to say that in the end I have eliminated all the possible High Schools, to one. Bow to me Ranma-kun! Bayvile High School has the highest level of *weird* events happening in the last months that any other high school in the country. The explosion of part of the stadium while a football match, the disappearance of several cars out of thin air, more explosions, special students brought in the last months even as the X-Men started to appear, unexplainable vandalism acts happening in the city, etc... But what called my attention is the presence near the outskirts of that city of the "Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters." Professor Charles Xavier casually with a fortune which worth can't be calculated. That, without a shadow of a doubt, allowed him to created that school. The questions are the following: Why that school? There is no publicity about it, and the grounds are restricted to outside examination. What does the term "gifted youngsters" means? Why gifted? What does Xavier mean by that? What does he consider as gifted? All of that makes me think that the school may be a decor, a mean to hide something. Now comes the good professor himself. Charles Xavier is graduated with honors by several prestigious universities but he is most known by the fact that he is the world's foremost expert in mutant evolution, along with professor Moira McTaggart in Muir Island. Xavier has a good, solid reputation in the field of human and biologic evolution not only by his knowledge about it, but also by the ideals that he defends, the equal rights between both human and mutants. Xavier firmly believes in the pacific coexistence between mankind and mutants, and had published several interesting articles in some of the most reputed scientific magazines and newspapers that you can thing of. Could Xavier be the man behind the X-Men? It could be, but even so, the most important thing is that he may be able to help you with your own mutation. I can't give you much more but if I were you, I would take the first plane towards the Untied States. Bayville is situated in the state of Massachusetts a few hours from New York. Go there and enroll in the High School, try to find as much information as you can about the Xavier Institute, and from what you learn give the good professor a visit. I wish I could do so much more for you Ranma but for now I can only wish you luck, but knowing you, you will not need it. You make your own luck even as you walk. Just be careful will you? A lot of people would suffer if something happened to you, me among them. Good trip Ranma kun. Take care."" A sigh escaped his lips as he read the last words of Nabiki. Then he picked up the back pack and without any real effort moved started moving, searching for a place to spend the night before heading towards Narita. --------------------------------------- International Airport of Narita Several hours later. No one else would have felt it. No one would have noticed the hidden danger that lurked in the airport. It was deeply hidden behind children's laughs, behind parents calling for their children, behind people rushing towards the corresponding door as they were late to take their plane. Others just stood there awaiting as their airplane trip had been canceled or delayed. Others cursed while awaiting for their turn to purchase their tickets even as boredom caught them as they stood. There were people awaiting for their loved ones, wives expecting for their husbands to return from an overseas trip and such. A mass of people, of life, was moving from side to side all of them going at their business without caring about the others that stood in their ways even as they crossed them, all of them in their own world of desires and needs. No one would have felt it. No one but one of the world's most powerful martial artist. As soon as he stepped in the airport and started walking, signs, well hidden, to anyone but him, started to appear. And it was not good at all. No not good. His muscles were already tensing in preparation to the possible confrontation. Ranma knew he was hunted. He knew it as soon as he faced the Sentinels but he had a hard time in believing that after his display of mass destruction at Furinkan there would be anyone half crazy to try to stop him. But his instincts were screaming that he was stepping into a trap. It was like when he had to face Tarou for the first time. All in him screamed that it was folly to rush into the Jusenkyou cursed fighter's lair. Tarou had time to choose the place in order to use its particularities to help him if he had to use his cursed form while using the one of his rivals against them. This was similar, but more dangerous. The order was kill the mutant; shoot first, ask later. Even so he continued to walk on, all his senses stretched. Like a natural predator his movement turned even more fluid. He refused to use the thief cloak -the invisibility field- to hide form those hunting him. He had been chased from the only home he had knew in his whole life, all seventeen bloody years, and he would be damned to hell before he let anyone chase him from anywhere! He neared the first airline company he saw, even as he could feel eyes digging in his back as he approached the sole man he supposed was in charge of the clients. "Please how much for a ticket to New York?" The man turned from some miscellaneous work he had been doing to focus his attention in Ranma. Nearing the computer, and with a smile, he spoke. "You desire to travel to New York?" Ranma nodded. "That's right. Do you have any place in the next flight?" The man nodded while he started typing in the keyboard of the computer as information appeared in the screen. The eyes of the man roamed the data shortly after turning towards Ranma. "We have a number of seats available in a flight that takes off in ten minutes but it's a long trip as the plane must pass trough other cities before moving on towards the United States. Are you still interested?" Ranma nodded. Sooner as he was out of Japan the better. He was about to reach for his wallet when a cold voice reached Ranma and the man of the air company that was introducing him as a passenger. The man looked up from his screen his face showing confusion while Ranma slowly turned, his gut twisting into knots. Of all moments! "That will not be necessary." Ranma looked at the source of the voice and his companion, his muscles already tensing, preparing himself to the worst. Two tall men in black suits, that couldn't hide the bulk of their muscles while black glasses hide their eyes, yet there was no mistake that they were looking at Ranma. The pig-tailed martial artist even noticed that one of them had a photo in his gloved hand. He had little doubt about who was in that photo. Still that wasn't what bothered him the most. The fact that despite their imposing figure they were unnoticed even to Ranma didn't bode well. Ranma looked at them, eyes narrowing. "What do you want?" The first of the two men advanced, towering over Ranma. "Come with us mutant and you will suffer no harm." At that moment several armed men, in the uniform of the airport security unit, appeared yet nowhere as impressive as the two men in black. "What is going on here?" asked one of the newcomers, the one that seemed in charge of the squad. Already several people around them, sensing the impeding confrontation were moving away from there. That probably saved their lives. "Look I'm not going anywhere but to my plane" said Ranma without taking his eyes from the two tall men that were silent. "I just want a air plane ticket to New York." He turned to the man of the airplane agency, that had lost his smile and was looking ready to feint or to blast in a dead run. "Can you give me one?" The two men in black neared Ranma even more. The agency's man decided, with uncanny wisdom, that he was needed elsewhere. With him went several more people as the tension between Ranma, the two men, and the security group was starting to rise. "You will come with us mutant willing or not." one of the men in black said in a cold voice even as his arm moved to grab the pig-tail youth. Noticing this the security chief advanced, putting a hand over the outstretched one of the advancing tower of muscles. "Listen here, if this boy is a mutant he will come with us, following the Diet's laws concerning mutants. Now move and let us deal with the boy." The black clothed man looked down at the captain the face blank of any emotion. Then all hell broke lose. Faster than a serpent' strike, the man in black's hand blurred, pulling from his coat a gun, quickly putting a bullet on the head of the security chief, blood flying everywhere even as the body was flung backwards by the violence of the impact, even as the bullet drilled its curse trough the corpse's brains. The rest of his unit, first under shock, quickly started pulling their guns and other weapons even as some of them reached for any communicating device, to call for help. Unfortunately a rain of bullets prevented them in doing anything as the second of them emptied his magazine in them. Blood, the deafening cries of panic and fear along with the thunder like sound of the weapons, the suddenly of the attack... All of that made the airport, generally a quiet place into the nearest thing to Pandemonium. In that chaotic plane of hell a normal human would be lost in a frenzy of madness. But Ranma was in his element and with the first dead, with the first weapon draw by those men, all the limitations were off. Protect the weak was the main tenant of Ranma's personality, profoundly anchored in his being. The black suited men, with those pointless deaths had destroyed entire families. And it was his fault. The two men turned their weapons towards Ranma. "By the High Lord you will come with us or die." they said at the same time with dead cold voices. Ranma growled. "You can try pal." As soon as his words were out the bullets were flying towards him. Ranma moved out of the way, the bullets impacting harmlessly against the deserted stand even as Ranma sailed trough the air. With lightning fast moves the two men started to shot at him even as he crossed the empty air, the martial artist twisting to prevent the bullets from connecting with him. He touched the ground lightly before jumping again, turning to face the two killers. Bullets passed by, the air pressure cutting Ranma's skin lightly even as he danced out of the way, some strands of ebony hair and little drops of blood in the air. Suddenly, as if realizing that Ranma was too agile and fast to be touched by the bullets the two men turned their weapons towards the crowd, firing. Ranma's blood ran cold as he saw where the bullets would impact, who they would kill. Swearing under his breath he pulled himself forwards, blasting trough the space as he jumped again, putting as much ki as he could, the energy flowing trough his body in a mad rush. Fading from view Ranma appeared again in front of the crowd, just in time to see the bullets flying, drilling trough the air as they spun in their deadly curse. Right at him. Acting in pure instinct he did the first thing that came to his mind The next thing he was aware, he was moving, his hands blurring in a new level of speed. All the windows in a hundred meters radius shattered by the shock wave. The air filled with crystal shards, as the windows exploded by the force of the blast, Some with such violence that they reached Ranma, the crowd that dispersed even faster and the other two men, covering them with thousand cuts. The young mutant was flung back as one of the bullets touched his shoulder, digging in him, stopping as it collided with his bones. Pain exploded in his sight as the world turned crimson red, before turning into dark dots that swarmed over his vision His hand shot to his wounded shoulder, grimacing as he felt the warm blood flow trough his fingers. In an effort of his will he rolled backwards before getting up, ready to face what could come. Once again he cursed his new body. All had been working just fine at the beginning. In control of his body. Yet when panic rushed in his system his mutant power kicked in, remembering him that he had changed. He was much more faster now with his overloaded body and that had cost him time to adjust. It took him instants, mere fractions of second, to adapt. But even such a minimal portion of time was enough to make him miss a bullet, the one that had impacted in his shoulder. With the following pain he had triggered the full extension of his mutant power and the remaining bullets had lost their cohesion to become an energy that was already rushing trough his body. With that rush his Amaguriken had moved to another level and the usual small sonic booms had turned into a destructive force by itself. The small pause that had followed his use of the amazon move ended as violently as it had started the two men shooting again at Ranma, that was still before the crowd, protecting it as it scattered. The bulled soared towards him but following some unknown call the young martial artist just moved his arm, palm flat towards the bullet. To those few looking at it the bullets seemed to start to glow brightly quickly losing speed until they turned into unmoving dots of light. Some seconds later they blasted again towards Ranma that this time did nothing as the former bullet touched him, his body flaring golden as did the air around him. His mutant power activated, Ranma was able to change in energy anything entering in contact with his own pattern. Those two were but making him more powerful. The two men continued to fire until they run out of bullets, seemingly unaware or unconcerned by the strange manifestation that was happening to their weapons. To Ranma it was a rush, dangerous. The pig tailed martial artist was upon the edge. It wasn't only the bullets but the kinetic energy that he was absorbing. He was fighting several battles at the same time and, due to his lack of experience, it was hard, very hard. Controlling his mutant power. Keeping his own battle aura down to prevent it to explode due to the convergence of his ki and the new energy running wild trough his body. Clearing his mind from the pain and the overload of new sensations that were threatening to wash over him like a tsunami, making him loose his connection with his surroundings, all senses drawn the battle within. Ranma was losing the battle and he knew it, yet in a last ditch effort he used the Soul of Ice, the calmness that allowed him to unleash the Imperial Dragon Blast. Ranma opened his eyes, not having realized that he had closed them in his battle against his own perceptions, pushing back his mutant power and everything else. Amazing enough it had worked. All was clear. Safe for his anger. Even trough the calm of the Soul of Ice his anger was something alive demanding him to strike back. Time to do so. Growling, he rushed forward, moving into speeds that left behind him a myriad of after images. A straight punch to the first of the two men. No simple human being could stop it. A hand caught Ranma's fist, stopping the blow with the palm of a gloved hand, seemingly effortlessly. Ranma's eyes widened when he realized it. It couldn't be. That blow had enough strength to put even Herb out of combat! Just then his head was hit by what seemed a punch coming from Ryoga. A full team of Ryogas to be exact. Ranma was send flying against a wall, crashing trough some stands, into the ground after leaving a fairly accurate shape-shaped dent in the stone wall in the from of his body. He shook his head to clear it. He could hear them nearing him. He could _feel_ them, feel the pattern that was part of the new perception his mutant power gave him... But he could feel no ki in them. He feigned to be unconscious. One of them reached town and took him by his neck, lifting him without any effort. "Proceeding with the orders. His body is to be brought to the High Lord." Then Ranma's eyes opened, the white totally gone replaced by a deep blue that send sparks of power. A corona of power blasted from him bathing the whole area in blue light. His battle aura manifested in a violent corona of power, blue-violet flames cursing from his body, the flames licking the arm of the non living being that was holding him aloft. "Power within objective rising." Ranma barred his teeth as he put his hand in front of the machine holding him up. "You want me? Well then take this!!" The blue light turned violently white as the world seemed to disappear in power. Like with the Sentinels, Ranma's mutant power started to feed from the world around him, from the very enemy that was attacking him. With a roar the world disappeared. "SHIN MOUKO TAKABISHA!!" --------------------------------------- Hours after the events in Narita. In the darkness of a room a man was kneeling. The only light came from a screen and even so it did nothing to ease the feeling of oppression in the room "So the droids that you sent to retrieve me the boy had failed." The man swallowed. "Yes my lord. I don't know how! I... this boy shouldn't be that strong with his power activated since so little time..." "Silence worm!" The man shut up, barely controlling his shaking body. He knew very well what failure, even if indirect, could cost. He had seen it happen to others trough the years and it wasn't a fate he wanted to share. The power of his master was nearly unlimited but his patience in some things was limited. Extremely limited. Those things were few and far in between and it was easy to understand in a being that was there when mankind gave his first steps. The shadowy figure in the screen seemed to consider the issue... Or perhaps the punishment. "Are you sure of the information you gathered about the boy?" The man looked up, relief clear in his face. "Yes master. It wasn't that hard as the young boy seems to have a way to makes enemies. Many enemies. Some of them were eager to help." In his deep voice the High Lord spoke. "You say that he has many enemies, powerful ones yet he is still alive. Only the fittest survive. That is life's truth. For now you will continue gathering information about the boy and his powers. I want to study him, see how his power evolves. Already he has shown uncanny power and he may be the key I seek to dominate this ball of mud. Observe him but you are in no way to harm him. Do it and the consequences would be dire for you." The man nodded looking down. "It is clear that he seeks help..." "Yes master the fact that he asked for a mean to reach New York points to his desire to find help. Once he reaches the United States it will be only a question of time before Charles Xavier or Magneto's group seek him out." The lord nodded. "Indeed. Such power will surely call Magneto's attention. Without a doubt the Lord of Magnetism will see as I do once he realizes the untapped potential of the boy. He will try to use him." "But master shouldn't we do something then?" The lord's eyes gleamed with power. The man looked down again. "There is no fear of that remote possibility. From the data you have gathered about the boy he's particularly stubborn against people manipulating him. The boy has a will too strong to bow down to Magneto and his code will impulse him to protect the weak human race. No, he will not side with Magnus. And Magneto will not leave such power alone, unchecked. He will see the need to control it or to destroy it." He paused. "That will give us the opportunity to study the boy even further. Maybe we will even help Magneto find what he will need to bring the boy down..." "And... And what about Xavier's group my lord? Will he not be tempted to join the X-Men in their crusade?" For a moment the High Lord remained silent. "Of course he will tempted. But that is something that I had already foreseen. This will help us to understand the boy and his abilities. No mater what happens I will win. Time is on my part while both Xavier and Magneto are but mere mortals. Its their ideas what we have to fear." He paused, his red gaze casting angry shadows in the room. "But that's not our main concern right now. Study the boy and the power that he can bring into this world. One way or another the boy will not stand against me." --------------------------------------- Miles away, in the forests out of Tokyo. He was walking and, while his body was still strong, his mind was tired. After some moments more he found what he wanted. It was solitary place with a stream coming from a waterfall. Along the water some boulders were lying near. There was only the sound of the water crashing upon the rocks semi hidden by the falling water. The air was fresh, and humid by the endless water drops that shed the waterfall. It was peaceful and made him remembered Mt Terror. In some way it was like a replica of the place Ryoga learned the breaking point technique. Things were simpler back then. His backpack crashed heavily into the ground with a dull sound. Moments after Ranma was leaning against one of those boulders, all his muscles relaxed as he looked down at his hands, motionless in his lap. "Damn it." After he released his improved Mouko Takabisha he realized what he had done. He cursed himself for being so reckless. When he faced the sentinels he wasn't "charged" by an outsider energy and already his ki reserves had been augmented more than what he even suspected. Back then the damage done to the sentinel had been considerable. But four days had passed since then and his reserves had augmented with an alarming rate... Too fast for even him to realize just how much it had increased. In Narita with him sucking the bullets and then, later, parts of his surroundings his ki wave had been overkill. Final results of him trying to buy a plane ticket? He had destroyed at least half of the windows, blew down several walls, damaged the very structure of the airport and vaporized everything in the wake of the wave, making a crater in the outside of Narita and countless other damages, not counting the recoiling power that had flung him like a rag doll backwards, blasting even more walls. Still that wasn't what bothered him. He looked at his surroundings, at the fading light of the day. Soon it would be night so he forced his body to move. "Well I should prepare the tent..." With moves innumerable times done before Ranma prepared his place for the night and, in less than half an hour, the martial artist was inside of the tent, warming before the fire as he cooked some rice and beans. After he ate Ranma laid down looking at the canvas roof as a cold wind started to blow outside. Behind his blue eyes the events of the morning were unfolding in his mind, as he tried for the hundredth time to find someway to change what happened. He looked up and slowly his hand traveled to his bullet wound. That wasn't there anymore. He yawned. At his side the sound of the fire and its comforting warmth slowly started to pull him in a blissful, empty sleep, with no dreams to chase him. --------------------------------------- Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, Massachusetts, near the city of Bayville. Around the TV set were assembled some of the members of the team of mutants known as the X-Men along with their mentor Charles Xavier. Young men and women they were there to learn to control their gifts, the mutant powers that gave them the single x-gen in their DNA makeup, singling them apart from the rest of humanity, a humanity that feared them for what they were: Children of the Atom. Scott Summers unable to control the powerful optic blasts that were his gift. Ororo Munroe, the storm witch, her white hair shining under the lights of the room, like living silver, contrasting with her dark skin. Kurt Wagner, Nightcrawler, with the uncanny power of teleportation and his demonic looks. Jean Grey a mutant with telepathic and telekinetic abilities, ever growing. Storm's nephew, Evan Daniels better know as Spyke, able to produce spikes and other sharp instruments from his bones. The young woman known as Rogue with the mutant power of absorbing the memories and powers of anyone she touches, forever preventing her to known the simple joy of a human caress. Kitty Pride, Shadowcat, able to phase trough solid mater like if it wasn't there The mysterious man known as Logan. A man with keen senses, a healing factor and a set of indestructible adamantium claws along with his skeleton lined with the same metal alloy. And lastly the man that gathered them all, the professor Charles Xavier, the world's most powerful telepath, the man behind the dream of peaceful coexistence between men and mutant. Other weren't present, mainly those known as the New Mutants, still practicing in the Danger Room the control of their amazing abilities. The Xavier school gave them all a chance to live a life as normal as possible, even if sometimes their activities as the outlaw band known as the X-Men made them face others of their kind that would gladly enslave the human race. That, with the normal struggle of normal life, made them live interesting times. Right now they were all looking to the screen of the TV set, where alarming news were coming from the most easterner country in the world, Japan. The images were alarming in the sheer scale of the destruction. ""Today the national airport of Tokyo was disturbed by a terrorist act of mutant origin. In the attack part of the structure was damaged with a beam of extremely high power, ravaging not only the main structure but also the parking nearby. The damages are calculated to be over the thirty million dollars, just in property damage. The further consequences worldwide are still to be fully seen as the complete air traffic in the easterner part of Asia had been severely touched by the closure of the Japan's first airport and the further closure of other airports in Japan until the danger of further attacks is definitively discarded . In a chain reaction the air traffic in Asia had affected the rest of the world from the flights from the westerner coast of the United States as to the ones in Europe, Russia and Australia. As for the events that led to the closure of Narita, witnesses speak of a young male mutant that had been intercepted by the security units of the airport. In the following confrontation the entire unit was killed and in the wake of it the mutant would have fired several blasts that had resulted in the damage we have seen. This is still to be confirmed as these declarations had been given by witnesses still under shock and are not able to confirm or deny the flow of the events that had led to this senseless destruction. The fact that a mutant is the possible responsible has reinforced the radicals in the Japanese Government that ask for a most radical solution to the mutant problem. The possible confirmation that this mutant may be the same to destroy a high school in one of the Tokyo's wards has given more strength to those promoting the use the Sentinel program in Japan. As an immediate reaction, other governments in the Asian continent have started to consider the possibility to copy the use of Sentinels as is about to do the Japanese government. Several other countries around the world look at it as a dangerous escalate in the anti mutant hysteria to a point that a possible emergency meeting of the Security Council of the UN concerning the mutant issue may happen in the next days, if not hours. Since the United States have decided to stop the use of Sentinels due to the events unfolding in the last months, the attention of the world is centered into the possible declarations of the White House. >From Tokyo, Japan, Trish Tilby."" With a click the screen went dark. "What do you think professor?" asked Storm he worry clear in her voice. The man in the wheelchair remained silent as the others leaned in to look at him. Xavier seemed deep in thought, without a doubt pondering the global situation. Finally he turned towards his students and friends. Really they were his family. In them he saw the future of mankind and as long as any of them defended the ideals that drive him to create the school, never the future would loose its hope. Sighing Xavier shook his head. "Right now there is nothing we can do about this. We will have to have faith in that this hysteria recesses. I'm more concerned about the mutant able to generate such destructive power." "But professor," said Spyke "In the news they said that he killed those men at the airport and that he destroyed that school. Aren't you concerned by that?" Xavier looked at Ethan, smiling slightly. "Of course I'm concerned but I really doubt things happened like the news are showing us. Even if it happened as they news are telling us I'm sure that this mutant didn't want all of that to happen. Maybe he wasn't able to prevent it. Some of you can relate to not having control upon our gift. That could very well be what happened." Some in the room shifted nervously. Scott threw a glance at Rogue. Even if he had it more easy that Rogue both lacked control upon their powers, and while Rogue's was more close and personal his was highly destructive. It could have been him, there in Narita, causing all that damage. The professor continued speaking "We all bear a terrible responsibility, not only towards other but towards ourselves. The powers that we have could easily corrupt those that are pray of the fear and hate. Think about Magneto, about his powers; about all the things he could do if he used them for the common good." He paused, sighing. "Sadly few will see their power as something more than a way for more power." Ororo looked at her mentor her eyes full of concern, admiration and tenderness. Softly she spoke, "Are we going to do something respect this boy professor?" Xavier seemed to consider it. "I would like nothing more but we wouldn't know where to search. Even with Cerebro it may be too difficult, more if he doesn't uses his power again. Also the situation in Japan right now is too much dangerous to attempt a rescue mission with so little information. It would be like searching a drop of water in the ocean. We can only pray that he knows how to take care of himself until we can do something more to help." --------------------------------------- Japan, place unknown. The next morning Ranma got up feeling a bit better. He quickly exited the tent and after taking care of the things he used the previous night, started to dismount the tent and put it back in the pack. After that he took some clean clothes and taking his used ones off, proceeded to use the water of the waterfall as a sort of shower. He freed his hair from the pig tail and slowly entered the water. It was cold, turning him into his cursed body. For a moment he looked at his hands, now feminine, slender and seemingly delicate. Waist deep in the cold water she stood examining the body that Jusenkyou gave him. During a long time he had hated that body that took from him his manhood. Then as the life in Nerima took place he slowly came to accept it as something that was a part of him. Much of his life, of his improvement in the martial arts, may have been due to the curse. He would still cure himself if he had the opportunity but for now... The thought made her smile slightly. She swam until she was under the spray of the waterfall, letting it massage her body with its strength. For a while she remained there. Then he sank swimming under the nape of the water, reaching the deeper part of the lagoon. Once there he let her body float, drifting, relaxing, all the while looking at the sky filled with colors, moving like if alive. It felt good to be in the cold water, relaxing against her skin. She closed her eyes, the sounds coming strangely trough the water. It was like being again in the womb of his mother. Safe. At peace. Slowly Ranma let her consciousness drift trough her senses. She was aware but at the same time not. The cold of the wind upon her cold skin, the slightly less cold water washing over her. Her hair that in her mind's eyes was crimson red, floating in the water like an aureole of blood. Then bit by bit she stretched the sensations, the perceptions of her skin further away. Probing deeper. Always deeper. It was like losing herself within a endless abyss of dead sensations as nothing reached her Then he felt it. At first it was feint but slowly it started to gain force, intensity. It was like feeling the energy flows represented by the colors he saw continuously, the intense power that flowed in them. He felt the power of the energy awaiting to be released in all around her. It was in the water, in the earth and stones lying under the water. It was in the leafs resting upon the water, in the microscopic living beings in the water, in the insects, in the wind. The energy within the air, within the light washing upon her skin. It felt pure, uncorrupted, at peace. Dormant. But somehow ready to come at her call, as if, at the same time, paradoxically, the energy was sentient to all, aware in some way of other energies, of other things... aware of her, ready, eager to come to her call, a key allowing it to burst free from the prison of mater. It was like feeling the beat of the universe in its primal state, the energy that generated it all. It was grand, vast, almost incomprehensible in its greatness. She was... connected to it! Ranma opened her eyes, retracting her expanded awareness to herself. She was shivering, suddenly after that contact with the true nature of his mutant power, after feeling the beat of the very planet, of *creation* the cold wind upon her skin was disturbing. She quickly exited the water, once walking upon the shore of the river and of the little lacuna, she rose a little her battle aura, enough to dry and to change back to his male form. Quickly he put on some boxers, his pants, his usual muscle shirt and slippers before doing back his pig-tail. Once that done he sat on the ground cross legged, pondering his next steps, feeling the need to think, to be drawn into his own mind, the only place free of his power, of the energy. A sanctuary. A sudden image of Narita after his passage there briefly flashed in his mind. He raked his fingers trough his slightly damp hair. He opened his eyes, quickly getting up. Fly. An image had passed trough his mind when that word came to him. Long ago (well not so long ago) he had watched, slightly amused, the Dragon Ball cartoon. Back then he had scoffed at the idea as the series was, in his martial artist mind, totally lacking of any martial arts skill. All was nothing more than ki blasts of greater or lesser power. But still he had wondered about the idea of flying. As they put in the show it was nothing more than a massive use of ki energy expanded. At first he had wondered about it, after all which member of a martial arts school whose specialty was mid air combat could not wish to be able to fly? It was dream that back then he not even dared spend time in. Until not so long ago the use of many ki blasts was too draining to even consider the idea of trying a stun like the art of flying. But as things happened, in his fight with Herb the cursed dragon prince had been able to levitate. That had put his mind to pace, to consider that old dream. Still there was still the same problem, the lack of enough ki to do so... Just pulling Herb' stun was too draining and he suspected that the prince of the musk cold do that only thanks to the dragon blood in his veins. But things had changed. He almost laughed out loud. "I will be the first martial artist to fly! Screw that old man! Now let's try... How can I do it? Let's see... Feel the ki flow of my body... easy enough." He closed his eyes pulling his concentration inside, sensing the ki flows that were running even stronger than ever. He could almost taste it, rushing trough his body, with his respiration, flowing trough his muscles, strengthening his bones, within his very blood, rushing trough his veins with each impulse coming from his heart. "Now take control of it..." He breathed deeply before exercising his will upon his body's inner energies. His brow was covered with perspiration after some minutes of struggle, yet he continued. His will was straining to control the rush of his body's energy. It was hard. Difficult to the extreme as it consisted into changing the patterns of his ki flow trough his body without disrupting it. Another would not have achieved it. Another would have surrendered already. Another would have simply thought it impossible. But he was Ranma. He may not be a Saotome anymore but he would never loose! Not when it was important! His body was pulsing with slight blue-white light, coming from him in waves, the air humming softly as his ki escaped his body even as Ranma's will was forcing it to move outside of its normal flow. Little by little as if his energy was slowly adapting to it, to the idea of its wilder, Ranma started to feel it move as he wanted it to do. And slowly, so slowly, he could feel his feet loose their contact with the ground, until nothing connected him to the ground. He opened his eyes even as his ki was taking him higher and higher. He looked down. He was levitating at least three meters from the ground. He was holding in the air by sheer force of will. His face split into a grin as the realization crashed upon him. He had done it. "I'm... I'm... I'M FLYING!!" He started to drop. "Whoa... Keep concentrating Ranma, keep concentrating!" Slowly he put his body down as he touched the ground. His blood was rushing and his heart pounding against his chest. He still couldn't believe it. He had learned to fly. To fly! He dropped to the ground looking at the skies. Even with his success he knew that it was still too early to shout in victory. He had made the first step to actually fly. The problem continued being the mass of energy he had to use. He didn't knew if even with his body so charged of energy he could pull off a trip of thousands of kilometers. He had to reach almost the other side of the earth. He was up in a jump. "All around me is energy in the form of matter! The stones, the ground, the water even the air... I can absorb it all! I can fuel with the very air and the clouds!" He looked down at his hands, that were shaking. "What am I becoming? What kind of being?" He looked at his backpack that was lying in the ground. It was singled a bit, the leather burned in several places. He found it in the airport after he checked the damages he had done, the destruction that he had brought to the means of living of several hundred people. He had been so scared when he had achieved to dug himself out of the rumble he had caused firing his mouko takabisha. The blast had been so violent that it had torn the arm of the robot holding him even as he was pulled backwards by the recoiling effect of it. When he had finally achieved to escape from the pieces of the wall pinning him down, the sight that assaulted his eyes had been of mindless destruction and incredible damages. The ground was torn apart, walls vaporized, fires all around him. At the distance, thanks to his increased hearing, another "gift" of his mutation, he could hear the cries of fear, the cries of the people he was sensed to protect as they cried in panic, calling to others, the sounds of happiness now gone changed into shouts of terror, a terror that was his fault. He hated it! He had to run. To hide! His eyes traveled trough the place he had destroyed finding his backpack with all his remaining possessions. It was miraculously intact but it was near one of the fires. As a blur he moved towards it catching as he passed, the invisibility cloak already around him as he bolted out of the place, as he fled from his own shame. Ranma snapped out of it. "I didn't wanted that to happen!" He shouted to the skies. "I didn't!! Damn it I didn't!" --------------------------------------- The cold air brushed him as he flew in the open skies, the sensation like nothing else in his life. Not even the first time he used a ki blast or even when he used that strange power for the first time in one of his infamous super laps. Nothing compared to that sensation of freedom as he burst trough the clouds, as he looked down to the blue green sea. The water was at calm and he descended little by little as he lowered the flow of ki, allowing the gravity to pull at him slightly. He was now flying some meters above from the surface of the moving water of the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly an impish grin appeared in his face. In a second his ki was out at full blast, Ranma now surrounded by a blue white aura as he passed from several kilometer hours to a hundred times that speed. The sonic boom would have left Ranma deaf had he be there. But he was already miles away playing. The sea parted like cut in half at his wake and Ranma, with the same grin as before, descended even more to the point that he was between two walls of raging, disturbed water at his sides. His laughter didn't die even as thousand drops of water turned him female. Behind she could see the sea crashing as he passed. It was like a giant mouth trying to swallow her in water but Ranma with a laugh blasted upwards like a rocket, losing herself between the clouds, stopping in the middle of one of them. Her hand moved to one of the sides of the backpack picking a compass from one of the pockets. "Let's see, let's see... The east is... That way." She looked in the way the magnetic needle showed her. Quickly putting the compass away checking at the same time if he had lost something during her flight. She looked down at her long sleeved shirt and pants. They were shredded in several points, almost as if they had been in a storm of vacuum blades. Not that it would have meant something to have them in perfect conditions, not at this height or with the speed she had been going. She would be freezing at such attitude but the ki she was using was at the same time keeping her more or less warm and protecting her from most of the stress of the high speeds she was able to generate. But even if it was protecting her body and keeping his skin intact her clothing was another thing. The leather of the pack seemed to be holding on but the silk of his other clothing was less resistant. Ranma shook her head. He put his pack back to its place, again checking that all held in its place. Her aura blasted around him dispelling the clouds even as he drew some energy from them, filling her reserves for the long trip. "YAHOOOO!! In a flash and a sonic boom she was gone. --------------------------------------- Massachusetts. Xavier school Charles Xavier was reading one of his favorite books when the red light that signaled mutant activity came to life, drawing his attention. As he neared the wall, the secret panel that held hidden Cerebro opened to Xavier. At once several diagrams appeared. The puzzling thing was that if Cerebro's readings, just in its scanner's limits, were right, then the mutant power had been activated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean at a height of six thousand meters. The signal had been so short that Cerebro had been unable to collect any data upon the power. There was a single signal blasting towards the east coast of the Unites States at great speeds, rivaling those of the Black Bird. For a moment he remained looking at the screen, then without taking his sight from the screen typed some orders. At once the screen switched to a point in the pacific to a much more broader map that included Japan and the East Coast. Some mathematical and geographic data could be seen in the screen as Cerebro followed the professor's orders **Possible points of origin of mutant signature: Japan. Tokyo, Osaka.** **Possible point of landing in United States: East Coast. Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles.** **Insufficient data to accurately design zone of landing.** Xavier sighed. Until the mutant used his abilities he would be unable to even track his mental pattern. That disturbed him a little. There were few mutants with the power to do such a flight. Check that, to his knowledge there was none. Maybe Eric... But someone able to bring the destruction he had witnessed in the news from across the ocean could be able to do so. Such power in someone that young... Xavier leaned back in his chair looking at the map of the east coast. The possibilities were endless. In his place he would go to some of the fairly populated cities where he (if it was indeed the mutant of Narita as he suspected) would be relatively safe within the crowds of people. Until he used his power he would be virtually invisible. As much as he lamented the lack of options he would do as he did he would; staying there awaiting until the moment was right. That was the wisest thing to do... But this time he wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. Such power in a the wrong hands could bring even more destruction than he, with his knowledge of the human mutation, could fathom. If only Xavier knew just how many other people with bad intentions were behind this particular mutant.... --------------------------------------- Hours later. "Oh man I need a change." And he wasn't speaking about his gender by the way. Ranma was currently looking at his clothing an annoyed frown in his face. Little remained of his Chinese garbs, now little more than rags, from his shirt to his pants, even his underwear, all was nothing more than shredded tissue. As for his sleepers and socks he had lost them somewhere upon the ocean. He had to descend and reduce his speed in order to avoid the control of the air space of the Unites States. He had already enough problems to call to a confrontation with the air force of the country. So he had been flying down the possible radar until he found a seemingly abandoned spot where he had landed and where he was currently in. He needed more resistant clothes if he wanted to continue flying. He just opened his pack and after searching for a while was unable to find any appropriate clothing. That could be a problem if he wanted to not be noticed. This country, as big as it was, must have more mutants and people searching for them. It is clear that he needed new clothes than his formal Chinese suits which were a sure way to call attention. "Come on... I should have somethin' that I can use..." After some more searching he found a white cotton shirt and some sport pants. He looked at them before nodding. He took his clothing off, or what remained of it, and put it in a plastic bag. Then he put on socks, boxers, pants and shirt. His slippers were the piece of his clothing that would call more attention but he hadn't another option. going bare footed would be even worse even if he was used to it. After closing his pack and putting it again in his back he walked some more in search for the nearest town where he would be able to find some store where he could buy supplies the supplies he needed. What had better perspective was the possibility of being able to ate real food. He could go on and on with the energy as he had done as he crossed the Pacific but right now he carved for real, hot food. To chew something down... Savor it. Then he would rent a room and get some well deserved hours of rest. The exertion of all the ki he had been using had taken its toll in his body and while, maybe stronger than before, he was both tired, hungry and sleepy. Effectively after ten minutes of search he found the road. It was one of those secondary roads that without a doubt crossed this country from one side to the other. After a moment of indecision he choose to follow the left side of the road that took northward. And so he started to walk a step after the other, the only sound apart from the one of the few birds that crossed the sky was the one of his empty stomach. A shame that he had eaten all his remaining food in a little piece of rock between the sea waves of the Pacific were he had reverted to his rightful male body. He patted his rock-hard stomach's muscles as if to comfort it. Really a shame. --------------------------------------- Ranma looked back. There, coming by the road, was an old car, like those that had at least twenty years and were still working because their owners knew how to make them work, generally by some old trick, like kick it three times and curse it four. The car in question, that as it go nearer resulted to be a truck, was as old as it appeared and loaded with hay. As it passed by Ranma it stopped and the door opened. There, making inviting gestures, was an old man, no doubt a farmer, with his red cap, light blue shirt and white beard. He seemed old but his deep blue eyes spark, alive. There was an air of goodness in the man that Ranma could feel himself returning the smile. "Hey lad, what are you doing in the middle of nowhere? Come with me and I will leave you in the next town." Ranma felt a stab of doubt. "Thank you but I think that I will continue walking. The next town can't be too far away." The old man started laughing. "You are miles away from the next town of considerable size, Monterey. It will be night when you finally reach it and I know when a lad like you is too tired to think straight. Blast my old bones laddie but if this old man can recognize something is man dead on his feet and you have all the symptoms. Accept my offer or you will be the responsible of the demise of this old man." "Why?" asked Ranma still smiling. "Because if my Edna ever get winds that I let a laddie in one side of the road without helping him she will have my liver for dinner. Now do me a favor and jump in will ya? Put your stuff with the hay back there and we will go." Ranma hesitated some more before quickly nodding. He did as he was told and in few moments he was in the seat of the car as the old man drove. The farmer presented a free hand for Ranma to shook as he did. He noticed the skin, callused by years of work in the fields but that hadn't lost an inch of strength. "I'm Flaval. Nice to meet you lad." "Ranma Sao, I mean, Ranma Toushin, pleased to meet you Flaval. Thanks for the lift." If Flaval noticed the slip he said nothing. Before them the road unfolded trough a monotonous landscape, but from time to time the sent of the sea reached them. "Well Ranma lad what are you doing alone in this forgotten place? You are not from here that's for sure." Flaval wasn't looking at him, as his attention was drawn to the road. Ranma did the same. "I'm from Japan." he answered truthfully. There was just something in Flaval that made him trust the old man. "Japan? Now that's a place I would like to know!" said the farmer with a good natured laugh. Ranma forced a smile, "I suppose. I never remained in a place too much. Most of it was in the wilds with my father, moving from a place to another." "Ah! a wanderer are you then?" Ranma nodded after some moments, as if tasting the sound of the word. "Maybe." "And what are you doing so far from home?" "I... I wanted to see world." "I understand that lad. I did a lot of traveling myself when I was about your age, but mostly it was in this country. Then I married and my wife took away that wanderlust. But tell me lad surely you have a family, will they not miss you perhaps?" Ranma remained silent. He didn't want to speak about it but Faval's kind voice was sort of inviting. How many time was it since he had met someone that kind with a stranger? Too much. "I don't have a family anymore." Faval remained silent for a moment before sighing. "Alone? That's sad lad I can understand the need to move from your country. Too many painful memories right?" "You can say that..." he yawned. Exhaustion was creeping on him. It was hard to keep the eyes open. "Wanted to see something else... Find my place..." Flaval nodded. He could understand it very well. "You are still young to find it, but I'm sure that a boy like you will do it. You strike me as the stubborn type, lad." He laughed. But when no sound came from his passenger he looked to his side only to see Ranma with his eyes closed, sleeping silently. "Sleep well lad." --------------------------------------- "Ranma laddie wake up!" With a start and a blink Ranma opened his eyes. For some moments he was disoriented, until he saw Flaval leaning near him, shaking his shoulder to awake him. "Flaval? Where are we?" Falval pulled himself out of the truck, gesturing Ranma to do the same. When the young martial artist was out Flaval gestured to the city were they where in. "This Ranma is Monterey. From here you can take a bus to the next great city, San Francisco, and from there a plane if that's your decision. I'm sorry to say but here our roads get different ways. I have to unload this hay stack in the outskirts at the other side of the city and then return to my Edna. It was pleasure to meet you Ranma." He presented a hand that Ranma shook strongly. "Thank ya for all, Flaval." The old man laughed. "It was nothing boy. Thank you for keeping company to this old man and take care. Now grab your pack and you will be free to continue your trip." Ranma nodded making precisely that. Once he had his leather pack in his hands he waved to Flaval that took off towards one of the town's exit. Ranma sighed. Well now he was in the States. But he needed new clothes and a place to ate. He started walking looking at the pretty city where he was in, searching for some shop or restaurant. His stomach sounded loudly. "Well eating goes first!" His eyes moved quickly until he found what he searched. It seemed a small but descent restaurant. After checking the prices he decided that he could perfectly afford it. Once again he mentally thanked his mother and Nabiki. And Cologne. It seemed that his mother had been keeping money for him while his training trip (which covered his time at the Tendo Dojo as well) lasted as she awaited for his return, sort of monthly allowance that trough the years (plus some other impressive sums of money that he had no idea from where it came) had grown to be downright impressive. Apart from that Nabiki had also added some money and it wasn't precisely a little sum. He didn't knew from where had Nabiki pulled so much money and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know. He not even dare to wonder *why* she did such a thing, that would put his mind in an unwanted mess. As for Cologne she had given him the money resulting from the sell of the Nekohanten, other lands in the ward along some other places in Japan that she had purchased when starting the whole son-in-law affair. With that, part of the founds of the amazon tribe that she had used to finance the restaurant was his, along with the result of some deals the amazon elder was in, came to him as well. Between the three of them it was more money that he had seen in his whole life and, without a doubt, than many people had seen. He wouldn't have to think about money in a long time. After eating a real feast he exited the restaurant, walking trough the town as he pondered his next move. He had to find new clothing fit for his lifestyle and once that had been resolved he would have to decide if going to San Francisco and find a means of transport that would leave him in New York or directly using his new flying ability. He was tempted to take the second option. Not only because flying was a dream come true, but also because he didn't knew how advanced were the mutant controls in the country. As far as he knew once he passed the doors of any airport he could be identified as a mutant. He couldn't allow the nightmare of Narita to happen again. That was a big no-no. He could use the bus but it was a long trip trough the country and in such a long time anything could happen, from his curse activation to him turning something into energy and with so many people near it could be dangerous. With so little options the best would be to use his own abilities. "But I need clothes first." he muttered to himself. Without forgetting a good shower and some place to sleep. Just then he spotted a mall. He grinned. Things seemed to look good at last. --------------------------------------- Xavier' school 48 hours after Ranma's arrival to Monterey The screens came alive in a show of red and green lights. **Massive energy source detected!** **Massive energy source detected!** At once Xavier and Logan were examining the data provided by the mutant detecting device. "Same energy pattern than before but no mutant ability of any type." said Logan as his eyes moved towards the dot that was moving upon the map of the United States at great speeds generating an energy that couldn't be identified by Cerebro. **Source of the energetic manifestation: unknown** **Kind of energy: unknown. Not registered/identified** "What do you think Logan?" asked Xavier without looking to his friend SNIKT Chuckling he turned to his friend, "That bad?" Logan pointed with his gleaming claws to the moving dot, now upon Nevada and advancing towards Utah. "Trust me Chuck this will be nothing but trouble." Xavier did nothing but look at the moving red point. "Maybe. But if this is the mutant we think about then if he is searching for help we will welcome him here. Such power in the wrong hands could only bring us a major disaster in a near future and I will not forgive myself if it effectively ends so." With barely a passing thought Logan retracted his claws, skin closing, but his muscles continued to be tensed. "That good heart of yours will be your undoing." Xavier smiled. "Should we go in his search? I can have the Blackbird ready in moments." "For now, no. We will only act if the situation presents itself." Logan growled. "That may be even more dangerous Chuck." "I know but I don't want what happened to Rogue to repeat itself, us moving may only drew more unwanted attention." Logan's eyes gleamed dangerously. "Your thinking about Magneto, right Chuck?" Xavier nodded. "Indeed. This is the sort of power that Eric would like to have at his disposition. It was a close call with Alex and Rogue. We can't allow him to have dominion of this mutant." Logan's muscles tensed even more. "Then he will not." --------------------------------------- Hours later Ranma slowly decreased his speed, feeling how the wind lessened the pressure upon him. In a few moments he was hovering still too high to be seen but at the same time low enough for him to see the landscape. In few moments he had spotted the perfect place, not far away from a bus stop, similar to the places he had stopped to eat generally in some lost point of a dusty secondary road. >From that bus stop he would take a bus that would bring him to New York. >Entering in the city itself should be easy and that would allow him to rest >some. Crossing the country from one side to the other was tiring even with >the seemingly endless supply of energy. Be it as it is his body has its limits and in his zeal to reach New York he had burned himself. He needed to recover some... If only it had been the flight trough the country that wouldn't have been so bad, but along that he had to add the transpacific trip. The time he had passed in Monterey had been a needed break. Yet even with those hours of rest it was a close call to add the trip trough the ocean to his other flight from coast to coast. That was enough to tire anybody, be it the world's most powerful martial artist or one of the worlds most dangerous mutant. Even with the seemingly non stopping increasing in all the alterations in his body, what he had been doing was too much to his body and mind. Still he was glad to see that he had some limits... And it brought some funny memories. What the old panda would do sometimes was borderline idiotic. Not a surprise as Genma Saotome is an idiot. Ranma slowly shook his head, yet the small smile remained there as if he couldn't shake it. He sighed, willing the ki flows to lessen, dropping softly, at the same time using the thief cloak technique of the Umi-sen-ken, effectively becoming invisible. Slowly, but with increasing speed, the ground rushed towards, ready to crash with him. In the last moment he expanded his aura, keeping it out of the human's eye spectrum but allowing him to stop the free fall, gently stopping near the ground with a humming sound, small clouds of dust rising, only visible hint of his landing. Still using the shield, Ranma cut the ki input, recalling what he could of his power back inside his body, while checking his clothing and backpack. He had brought only what he needed immediately. Faded blue jeans, a black T-shirt and black short boots also made of leather. Then lastly a biker's black leather jacket that would hold on against the high speeds he used while fling across the country. The leather seemed to hold even if the black leather jacket seemed to be more worn out, like if he had been using it since long years. All in all it had watered well the wind pressure or his flight's speed. The rest of his clothing had held too even if it was because the jacket took most of the wind's onslaught. The money he had used in Monterey in his clothes had been well used. His backpack seemed to still hold on without any problem. With a slight pull Ranma put it on back to its place. He was about to dispel his cloak field when something reached his senses. It was like a sort of echo to his own ki pattern, and it was very near, nearly skin tight. It took some brief moments to realize that what he was feeling was indeed close to his skin. His clothing. And to a similar level his backpack Rising one of his arms he looked at the sleeve of his jacket, peering at it more closely like of it would help. With some slight surprise he was able to feel some of his ki still in the leather. Expanding his senses he noticed that all his clothing, down to his underwear had still some of his life force energy in it but seemed to now be a "part" of it. Ranma looked at his leathery sleeves, the dark fabric shining dully against the sun's rays. He had seen that effect somewhere or some when... Why did he have that feeling? Then he connected it. It was what it seemed, the way the ki "melted" along its structure, almost as if it become a part of it, making it more sterner, more resistant, but to what degree? And why didn't it happen before with his Chinese clothing? Without any conscious thought or strain his battle aura was released, blue white flames, with golden highlights, moving around his body like alive, expanding as Ranma let his power reign free. His concern grew as he noticed that the aura continued to grow without any sign of stopping anywhere soon. His eyes narrowing, he expanded his will upon his won body's inner power, stopping the evolution of the ki flames. Rising his arm again he examined his ki, feeling it with senses beyond physical. He should have expected it. Not only had his reserves grown but also the power of it, the intensity of his ki had also experimented a significant increase, part due to his mutant power balancing with his body's abilities, part due to the exertion he had been put in the last days. His new clothes had been bathed in his ki aura since he had brought them. That and their own resistance had allowed them to bask in his aura long enough to make his ki part of the very fiber that composed his clothing. Slowly shaking his head Ranma drew his aura within before moving towards the bus station that he had spotted before, the thief cloak slowly fading, making him seem like a walking ghost for some moments more. Half an hour later he was sitting in a bus direction to the Big Apple, his mind dozing; the sound of the engines slowly making him even more sleepy until Ranma felt the darkness claim him. --------------------------------------- Someone was shaking him. Ranma blinked furiously, his mind half numb by the sleep didn't helped either. "Nanda? Doko wa..." he answered in Japanese. An irritated voice called him in English, "Hey boy! Get up! Terminus! I have a timetable to keep up so move!" Ranma, already more alert, looked up to the angry face of the bus driver, realizing that he had slipped back into his Japanese. He looked around, beyond the windows to the unfamiliar setting. Music filled the air and people of all skin color walked nearby in a human sea. Families meeting after separations, greetings and laughter reached his ears. Taxi drivers searching for clients, screaming to get attention from the travelers worn out by their trips, some of them rather long. People moving from side to side quickly, as if they were rushed and time was slipping from their fingers making them even more rushed. In two words; New York. Ranma looked up to the driver, which face was now turning violet in his anger. Ranma quickly noticed other people looking at him with angry looks. Quickly Ranma got up from his seat, grabbing his backpack, mumbled some half backed excuse and moved swiftly, entering the moving mass of the people of the world's first city, his eyes marveling at the differences between New York and Tokyo. It was different even if there were similarities... The same feeling that time was money but enhanced by the sheer number of cultures he could see. It was like if each country in the world realized that something of them should be present in New York or it would simply not exist. Ranma moved from the next hours like a vagrant, not really bothering in checking where his feet were bringing him, his eyes moving non stop, drinking in what he could see. The whole effect was even more dramatic as colors whirled in his mutant sight, energy patterns looking even brighter than ever, outlining everything and everyone. Even as marveled by what Ranma saw soon more pressing matters filled his mind. His stomach growled, rather loudly. People looked at him strangely, some even showing smiles, without a doubt due to the... Rather effective way his stomach claimed attention. Ranma blushed, looking embarrassed by the attention. Well he would oblige his... Carvings. --------------------------------------- Luckily for Ranma if there is something in abundance in New York is places to eat. The problem was rather in *what* eating. Ranma had never seen such diversity in restaurants in his life, not that he had money to use before, most being or taken by Nabiki or stolen by Genma... But now money wasn't an issue but the sheer diversity of options was, so Ranma assaulted the first place he found that caught his attention. Having traveled some during his ten years long training trip (but no where to Ryoga's level) Ranma had know most of Asia so the cuisine of that part of the globe wasn't unknown to him. His adventures when learning the Foie-Gras's gourmet technique had made him discover the joys and delights of the European food, so he settled with some Pakistani, something new to him. It was good even if a tad spicy for his taste. Anyway Soon Ranma was again walking trough the streets of the city, patting his stomach contently, even as he considered what to do next. One of the good things of his trip (apart from learning some tricks about his mutation that would come handy) was that he had time to think. He still remembered Nabiki's advice but after giving it some time he had found some points that could be a headache later on. He needed to contact Nabiki. --------------------------------------- A while later... Ranma sat looking at his adversary with the same will to win that had pulled him trough battles that would have broken lesser men forever. It was the same will that in the end made powerful warriors like Herb, Toma or Saffron eat defeat's dust. But this time it was different. Ranma was in a losing ground and he knew it. This could not be overcome with any of his current skills or some blind luck. This would ask him to face the battle in another level all together. Ranma spared a moment to look down before he charged in, trying to gather the confidence he so exulted. "You'll see.... You blasted thing." He pushed some, looked some more, but the result was the same. Nothing For the first time in his life Ranma faced something he knew he couldn't defeat. Even in the neko-ken training there was some slight bit of hope even when the cats' claws shredded his skin in a frenzy of hunger, fear and anger. Ranma looked to the others that were at his sides. They seemed to be able to fulfil their goals without any problem, while he, instead, was as lost as Ryoga trying to get out of a closet. Ranma scratched the base of his pig-tail as if that simple gesture (that many women found cute) would pull in trough this bad moment. "How do I do it? Um..." Ranma looked at the piece of orange paper in his hands before looking up at his adversary main parts. He looked down again, wanting to wail in despair. It was in Japanese (along with a good half dozen idioms) but even so he was disorientated. Hell! Even him knew that Japanese people were good with this stuff, so in all fair logic, he should be good at this! Mumbling under his breath Ranma read again. "Introduce login... Login? I did it before and it didn't work..." Suddenly the screen turned black with a bipping sound. Ranma's face darkened even as he sweat dropped "Kuso! What did I do wrong!?" He controlled the desire to kick the damned machine until next week. Violence, sadly wasn't the issue here. It was a fight of wits and Ranma was losing badly. "Can I help you sir?" asked a kind voice. Ranma looked up to one of the helpers that moved from time to time. He had been tempted to ask for help (a split second of course) but his ego had prevented him to do so. He should have known better. Nabiki did said that he was helpless with a computer one of the few times she had bothered in trying to explain him how it worked. Ranma looked at the young woman. She had to be some years older than him but right now she was looking at him like if he was... Better not to go there. "Um... Yes... It's that I, Uh...I can't make this work." he said sheepishly The young woman, whose badge showed him that was called "Cindy", smiled a little. "First time using internet?" Ranma dumbly nodded. "Ah... yes" She nodded as if she was expecting it. "I must say that I'm surprised that a Japanese don't know how to work a computer..." Ranma was left unsure about how answer that. "Um" he said intelligently. Cindy smiled. "let's see if I can help you." With an expertise that Ranma envied, the young woman tipped some keywords, moved that useless thing called mouse (what a ridicule name!) and in short order gave life to the until now non answering machine. Ranma looked at her with something akin to awe. "There you are. If you need help just rise your hand and I will come." Faster than what Ranma could guess she moved away giggling under her breath. The young martial artist looked at her retreating form with a puzzled frown. Well he wasn't going to discuss his good luck. The damned contraception was working and that was what is important. Once inside he had the knowledge enough to navigate as Nabiki said. >From the pocket of his jacket Ranma drew his wallet. Apart from some of his >money (the rest was safely stocked in Hidden Weapons style) and his forged >documentation there was something else there. Some brief moments later he was >pulling out of it a small piece of paper where several directions were noted. Ranma quickly located the e-mail address he wanted and, using one of the services available after login, send a short mail. >>"Toushin here. I'm in New York. Meet me in Chat a 2."<< Ranma quickly moved towards the "meeting place". Thankfully he was more apt in moving within Internet than even switching on computers. He disliked profoundly those machines (in great part due to the fact that apart Internet he was worthless in anything related to those "useless piece of junk") but with a little help from the computer club (that required lots of time!) he wasn't lost in the always growing world of the net. Quickly he introduced himself there an awaited. Some good five minutes after his efforts were rewarded. --Ice Queen01 to TouGod00- Where have you been jackass!! Ranma backed away a little, nervous sweat creeping trough his spine. It didn't matter that Nabiki was half a world away. _No one_ wanted a pissed Nabiki. --TG00 to IQ01-- Um... sorry? What followed wasn't very flattering to say the least. Still soon it seemed that Nabiki had lost her steam and seemed to cool down. --IQ01 to TG00-- Where the hell are you? Don't you know how sick with worry we were?! --TG00 to IQ01-- Sorry. If it would have been possible I would have answered sooner but I had to get out of Japan as fast as possible. Uh wait a sec... "We"? Who "we"? --IQ01 to TG00-- Who else you jerk? Me, Kasumi, your mother, Ukyou, Miss Hinako, and most of the people at Furinkan. Cologne is gone but she left me her best wishes for you. Most of us were concerned with what happened in Narita. --TG00 to IQ01-- You saw it? --IQ01 to TG00-- It was rather difficult not to. Your stun there plunged half of the world in chaos and the fact that it was caused by a mutant didn't helped to put at ease all that mutant hysteria. Things don't look good. What did happen in the airport? Ranma paused before answering. --TG00 to IQ01-- I was about to get a ticket out of Japan when I was intercepted by a security squad of the airport... --IQ01 to TG00-- And? --TG00 to IQ01-- And two... things, I suppose they were some kind of sentinel, bust in. The fight that followed wasn't pretty. The machines killed all the squad opening fire upon them and those that were in their way. That wasn't the worst. Most of the damage was done by me using my *normal* attacks. I must relearn all my skills if I want to stop the destruction in my path. I really hope this Xavier guy can help me with my mutation. --IQ01 to TG00-- That doesn't sound like you Ranma. --TG00 to IQ01-- I know but what can I do? I have my country after my skin not to speak of all those that hate mutants because of some difference. And then there is some nut guy called High Lord or somethin' like that is after me and that guy is the one that bothers me. --IQ01 to TG00- The High Lord? Doesn't sound like one of those guys that Genma cheated ^_- Ranma smiled. Count in Nabiki in trying to cheer him up some. --TG00 to IQ01-- I wish. No. This guy seems really dangerous. There were kids there Nabiki! Kids! I saw those two... things shoot at them because they knew that I would try to protect them being killed because I was there! They were ready to tear whole families apart, having done nothing but be there! I'm going to rip open the throat of this High Lord bastard once I find him! The reply took some time to reach him. --IQ01 to TG00- Please Ranma calm down! I understand you but anger is not the solution. This High Lord whoever he is, is powerful, maybe more than you. Until you don't learn to control your power and the changes it may have done to your fighting skills promise me you will not seek him out! Promise me Ranma!! >_< Ranma pondered it for a moment. --TG00 to IQ01-- You would accept the promise of a ronin? --IQ01 to TG00-- I would accept yours. You may have done many things but you always keep your promises once you have made them, no matter the cost it meant to you. Promise me Ranma. Your word is as good as gold for me. Ranma doubted a moment more before answering back. He may grow to regret it later but... --TG00 to IQ01-- Very well Nabiki, you have my promise. But if lives are at risk I may be forced to broke it. --IQ01 to TG00-- I suppose that I will have to accept that much. I should have guessed you would say something like that. You can't help but be who you are. You need to help the others if you can, unable to stay aside and not do anything you can to prevent people's suffering. -sigh- Why must you be such a good doer Ranma-kun? Ranma pondered it for a moment. Why indeed? --TG01 to IQ01-- I dunno. I suppose that... Since I was little I was told that a martial artist's duty was to protect those weaker than yourself. Now that duty is the only thing that I can claim as mine. It's the only thing I'm really good at really. --IQ01 to Tg00-- I know some people that would say otherwise. Anyway that is not important right now. What you are telling me explain some things that have happened here. --TG00 to IQ01-- What? --IQ01 to TG00-- Some hours after you moved away from Nerima we had a visit from some people claiming to be from the government with some bullshit story about the Diet ordering an investigation about the Sentinel's attack and the destruction of Furinkan. I had a bad vibe about those guys and later hacked in the main system of the Diet to check up their story. I found nothing concerning what happened in Furinkan. For now no official investigation had been ordered. As far as it is know the official version that the sentinels had to repel a mutant attack that leveled the high school still stands. I learned that others had been asking questions that soon turned to be about you. When that happened most of the people at Furinkan stopped speaking right off. It's clear that they were digging info about *you*. This whole thing stinks. --TG00 to IQ01-- Did they get information? --IQ01 to TG00-- Unfortunately yes. Some of your former classmates did swallow that story about the government so they spoke. And then there was those that wanted to speak about you. Ranma groaned before answering. He had an idea about who would speak. --TG00 to IQ01-- Let me guess. Our dear friend the Blue Blunder? --IQ01 to TG00-- Right on the spot Ranma-kun. Add my loved little sister your ex-panda pet and my own dear father. I, Kasumi and your mother were questioned but we were able to keep quiet most of what we knew about you. Akane wasn't that smart and gave a rather non accurate version of your time here. She now believes that it was because you were a mutant that you were so good at martial arts. Genma couldn't help but brag about how he was a good teacher and you were but a strain and my father, between his water shows, put his own two cents to the story. --TG00 to IQ01-- Damn. --IQ01 to TG00-- It sums it up. And there is more. --TG00 to IQ01-- Why am I *not* surprised? --IQ01 to TG00-- Maybe because you should be used by now? With the kind of life you have... ^_- --TG00 to IQ01-- Ja. Ja. Ja. Very funny Nabs. --IQ01 to TG00-- Then this will be funny too. Someone hacked into my own private files. I had invested a *lot* of money to be sure that it was hacker free but someone by passed all the defense protocols the computer club and some... friends had designed. And it should not be possible. Those protections were even more tough than Ryoga on steroids. It's not good Ranma. In fact it gives me the creeps. Something is not right; so very not right. I think that you have done the good thing putting as much distance between you and Nerima. This place is not safe anymore. Ranma's eyes narrowed. For once he was of the same mind. Something was definitively wrong here. --TG00 to IQ01-- You said that your files had been violated. Do you have any idea how many information this... Hacker got from you? --IQ01 to TG00-- I tell you, this was a professional's job. I wouldn't have noticed it but for a sub program that I had introduced the previous month. As for the information go I'm not sure... We had this of good luck so far; I didn't trust the hard drive of any computer to hold precious information, I put info in there of course but it's way less developed than the true copies that I keep in cd-disks... the details of your techniques and big fights are safe. Still... --TG00 to IQ01-- Still? --IQ01 to TG00- Still that information could have been obtained trough Akane and Genma. The panda because he trained you and as such knows how you fight and Akane had been there in all your fights. She know all your techniques in and out... And she could have busted the whole story in the first fit of anger. Ranma had to restrain himself to not start cursing aloud. --TG00 to IQ01-- Kuso! The tomboy will be my death yet... For now what is done is done so I will have to deal with it when the moment comes. I can't fight all the battles at the same time. That was Nerima's problem; all the troubles in the same place at the same time. Now describe me those men that came asking questions. --IQ01 to TG00-- Those two creeps? Well... Fairly tall and heavily build, like if they had been training lifting weights since they could walk. Dark hair, cut short in some kind of military style. Dark glasses and black business suits all in all like bad rejects of that gaijin movie, Men In Black. Cold voices, no emotional inflection at all. When I talked to them I had the impression that I was talking with a machine. Ranma swore. Nabiki had just described the twins of the two machines he had faced in Narita. If they were others then things were even more dangerous than he first guessed. --TG00 to IQ01-- Crap... Listen well Nabiki and do everything I tell you. Your life and those of your family are at stake here. For a long moment there was no answer then it appeared. --IQ01 to TG00-- I get the idea that it's bad. --TG00 to IQ01-- "Bad" may be the understatement of the year, Nabiki, I leveled Narita in a fight with those guy's twins. For once do as I say. --IQ01 to TG00-- Shoot. --TG00 to IQ01-- You and Kasumi get the hell out of your house as soon as possible. It must be done in a way that it doesn't rise suspicion; all must seem normal. Invent something... Sort of Kasumi needs a vacation, I don't care as long as you leave Nerima. Go to my mom's house in Juuban and stay there. Tell everything to my mom and to Happossai... The old pervert must be around so you should have no trouble finding him. Once you find that pervert ask him about that High Lord, maybe he does know something. --IQ01 to TG00-- Happossai? Are you *sure* ? --TG00 to IQ01-- The pervert can be rotten to the core but even him does have some shred of goodness deep inside. He would never allow something to happen to you or Kasumi, not to my mother either. And if that is not enough tell him that if it happens something to any of you I will personally break each of the bones in his little body. One last thing: destroy all the information you have about me. If need be I would replace it personally but for now those disks are a danger for you. It is not worth your life. --IQ01 to TG00-- Fine I will do as you say... But I want compensation! Do you get it Ranma? C-O-M-P-E-N-S-A-T-I-O-N Ranma had to suppress a smile. --TG00 to IQ01-- Fine. Once all this mess is resolved I promise to take you to any city in the world you wish to know. It would make you some good to have a break. --IQ01 to TG00-- My oh my Ranma-kun... Are you serious? You would take me... Say to Paris? Do you have any idea how much it could cost you if only by the flight ticket alone? I would not accept anything lesser than *first* class. Ranma grinned. Nabiki didn't know about some of his latest... tricks. --TG00 to IQ01-- Who said anything about a flight ticket? --IQ01 to TG00-- Oh? And how would you plan to go then? Swimming? Running? No, let me guess: flying, right? --TG00 to IQ01-- Boy Nabiki how did you guess? For a long moment the screen remained blank. --IQ01 to TG00-- Tell me you are kidding. ... .... You're kidding right? Ranma's grin was feral now. --TG00 to IQ01-- Nope. How do you think that I crossed the Pacific then? I needed to move fast so I improvised a little... --IQ01 to TG00- I don't want to know... but I will hold you to your promise. ... ... Do you have anything else to ask me? Ranma pondered it a little. He did have second thoughts about Nabiki's plans and while crossing the ocean he did have plenty of time to think about it. --TG00 to IQ01-- Now that you say I do have a couple of things left. I think that we overlook the fact that I'm barely seventeen years old. I would need some kind of legal guardian, if not it would draw attention to me once I reach that high school. I doubt that here they have an idea of what is a ronin so I would need you to forge me some documents. --IQ01 to TG00-- Something else? --TG00 to IQ01-- The high school. I don't have any idea about how it works here so... --IQ01 to TG00-- Got it. I will contact some of your friends from Furinkan, between us all we should come to something. Ranma paused reading it. --TG00 to IQ01-- Do... I mean, did I had that many friends in Furinkan? Pause --IQ01 to TG00-- More than you could guess, believe me all of us are with *you*. In fact I was as surprised as, I guess, you are now of just how many people are trusting you to overcome this. Don't worry about it though, we all know that Ranma *never* looses. Anyway as soon as I have what you asked ready I will contact you. Will you keep the e-mail direction that comes with this site? If so I will contact you trough it. Ranma's eyes stung, still he paid it no heed rubbing them before answering back. --TG00 to IQ01-- I will do that. Now you got to reach my mother's place... I suppose that Ukyou is still in Nerima. If that's so then take her with you and Konatsu too. Between your brains, Happossai, Ukyou and Konatsu you should be able to face whatever they throw at your way. It would be good if you track down Ryoga too. He may be at Akari's pig farm if that helps you. Don't doubt in calling for some Chinese help if you have to, still I hope that it never reaches that point. Now go! --IQ01 to TG00- I'm on the move. Take care of yourself Ranma. ****IceQueen 01 is no longer on this chat**** Ranma looked at the screen, without really looking at it. He had made two promises and while one was easy too keep the other meant several things. He pushed himself from the desk, the wheels of the seat screeching against the ground even as Ranma looked up to the ceiling. Would he ever step back in Nerima? Would he make it up to Nabiki? He shook his head slowly. With that thought Ranma closed the computer's program logging off from the station before exiting and loosing himself within the mass of New Yorkers. He had a bus to take. --------------------------------------- Bayville in the morning. Said bus came to a halt at Bayville's bus center, the doors opening with a slight hiss, allowing the passengers that have reached their destination to get down of it. Those passengers quickly moved towards the lateral part of the bus as another hiss could be heard and the door of the compartment where the travelers' belongings were stocked opened allowing them to pick their luggage. Ranma silently awaited to the others passengers to get their things before he moved to reclaim his. As the others he had descended from the bus, filling his lungs with the crisp fresh air of the morning, even as he shook of the effects of the short sleep he had while on the bus. Some hours of well deserved rest as the bus led him from New York to Bayville, a trip that while not long did take several hours to cover the distance separating both cities. Ranma spotted his backpack and taking hold of it, pulling it with ease and putting it upon his shoulders as he had done so many times, not even bothering to acknowledge the stares that the people around him gave at this effortless display of strength. Ranma looked around him to the place that would hold him for some time until he reached that Xavier guy... The good professor could not be able to tell him where his father was but if he was half as good with this mutation stuff as Nabiki told him then the trip wouldn't be a loss of time Not knowing what to do he started moving taking on the sights of Bayville. It was a city, even a big city but not comparable to New York at all. The feeling Ranma got was of a quiet place, cleaner than the Big Apple, not suffering of the same rush that seemed to be ever present in the City That Never Sleeps. Not even ten minutes after leaving the center of the city where the Bus Stop as well as most of the financial heart of the city was he was in a pleasant neighborhood, with trees lined in the streets and the sound of the birds filling the air. People went to their business but there and there Ranma could see children playing, their laughter filling the air in another sort of song. All in all a good place to rise a family... Calm and relaxing. It lacked the chaos of Nerima that's for sure. Ranma continued walking not having anything else to do with his time, not until Nabiki was able to send him the documents he asked her and that, even considering Nabiki's contacts, would take time at least a week. Ranma sighed. His options were limited. He couldn't practice his mutant power. Until someone told him otherwise he was in the enemy's territory, using his mutation's abilities would be too risky. How could he know if his mutation or his abilities couldn't be tracked down? Martial arts would call attention as his mutation would, if not more. He wasn't in Nerima anymore; he wasn't in the so-called capital of the super powered martial artists. Here he would be too much of a spectacle if he ever used his true level. Only if he trained all out would he know were rested his current limits Problem is, he doubted that the citizens of Bayville would appreciate him leveling down some blocks of their city. What else could he do? Eating... Not very appealing. He had yet to have his breakfast and he didn't wanted to! It was like he only had to ate if he had done some major output of energy or he didn't use his mutant power to refill his reserves. No, food was out of the program for now. Right them he spotted what he looked for. A newspaper's box. Quickly digging the amount of money needed he reclaimed a issue of the newspaper. Folding it he searched for a place to start reading it and spotted a nearby park. It was a little too far but he would be able to reach it shortly. Yet... Ranma looked around him, trying to see if there was someone near. Finding no one with his sight he expanded his ki senses finding that there were people near but they were within dead constructions, that preventing them to see. He grinned and with a jump crossed the space between him and the park with a gigantic leap. The sheer pleasure to do so was so familiar. He landed without a sound, quickly checking that no one noticed his display. No one shouted and no one was near allowing Ranma to relax. He quickly found a spot in the ground, the green making of a sort of natural cushion, Ranma crossing his legs under him, unfolding the newspaper. He was about to open it and check the possible places to stay when the main news called powerfully his attention. Quickly he started to read, the head new in bold letters, calling his eyes to it. He started reading. ***************************** ***************************** Bayville's new crime fighting group of superheroes strikes again!! Our readers would surely remember the alarming increase in the crime rate in our city. It had reached such a level, even with the valiant efforts of our police department to stop this growing wave of crime, that the citizens of our city had started to literally fear to go out in the dark, where probably a thief was awaiting to rob them. All sorts of criminal acts assaulted our city breaking the peace and tranquility by which Bayvile is known. The denounces of car robbing, house breaking, vandalism and destruction of public property were practically drowning the phones of the social services; firemen, police and many others social services couldn't cover all the fronts of this deluge of criminal acts. This had reached such a level that the major, in common decision with the members of this city's council was ready to call for the FBI's help to stop those acts. Now a week after that decision things had changed. A few days ago a mysterious group started what could be considered a war against that plague of criminal acts. Their identities hidden, they have in few days reduced the crime rate in more than a half and once again our citizens feel safe to go out at night. Still the police department looks at this new group, the so called Bayville Sirens, with mistrust. As it is know the so-called "vigilant" movements are as far as the police goes dangerous as they could easily vindicate any act the group said in their own crusade against crime. Be as it is the citizens are looking up to this new group, all female (hence the "sirens" motto) to protect them. But strange as it sounds this group seems something more than a simple group of concerned citizens. Some of the witnesses of their actions affirm that the Sirens have special powers, like throwing blasts of fire or moving things without touching them. "I saw it" tell us one of those rescued by some of the Sirens. "I was in the street going to shopping for food when a man tried to grab my purse. I was able to keep my hand on it but the other man keep pulling. I was losing my grip when suddenly the man started levitating before being thrown in a wall six meters away! I will never forget his face. he looked so surprised it was almost funny!" Another of the witnesses of the Siren's action is Duncan Mathews, the Quarterback of Bayville's High Football team. "You bet I saw it! all of them are babes! There was this chick that came and touched one of those guys; I mean she barely touched him, and zas! He was down K.O.! And there was this one that could use fire. That was so cool!" We could add other interviews with many other witnesses of the Bayville Sirens actions against crime but... ***************************** ***************************** The rest of the article was similar with assumptions and other declarations but Ranma passed of it. What interested the pig tailed boy was the fact that those "Sirens" seemed to have some kind of powers. From the descriptions he could assume that it wasn't some sort of esoteric martial art (after all he had seen a good number of them) so that left but one option. Mutants. And very confident if they decided to pose as vigilantes against crime. With a sigh he opened the newspaper searching the business section. "Let's see, let's see... Things to rent... Flats... Um this can take its time..." --------------------------------------- Later in the afternoon. "This is the place." Ranma stepped in, giving the flat a good look. It wasn't very big and at the same time not very small. It was just in between and, as far as Ranma was concerned, it was perfect. Among many things space enough for him to practice his katas both in the ground and in the air; the roof just of the right hight to allow him to jump, even if it would have to be very controlled. It had a little kitchen with all he would need, an oven, a microwave, a small fridge, a bed, a desk, a closet and few other things like ample windows open to the street. The bedroom had an occidental bed, spacious enough to be comfortable. Also there was the bathroom which had a shower, something that Ranma wasn't used to but that would be faster than the conventional Japanese furo. He turned towards the manager; an over weighted old man in his mid forties with thinning hair that seemed to be nice enough, no where near Kasumi levels (if that was possible) but nice enough. What was even best was the price he asked that was, as far as Ranma's knowledge about those things went, fair enough. While he wasn't to be bothered by the money issue for the next year and more one of the first things he would be doing in the next days, while he awaited for Nabiki's answer, was to search a job. It would allow him to do something while he waited and working had a nice ring to it right now. Once more Ranma looked at the flat checking if, looking at its several parts, making a show to consider it before turning towards the manager. "It's fine. I will take it." The man smiled relieved. "Good! Good! Once you have put your things away we can decide the paying means and the time you will be staying here. I'll let you put your things away. Once you are ready come and see me. Remember that while you are here if you need something you can call me. It's part of my job to help people in the building." And without giving Ranma the chance of asking anything she was out. "Now that was nice." he muttered still looking at the closed door. Suddenly the door opened and the manager's head popped from the door. He smiled as if to excuse himself. "Almost forgot. Here." And with a flicker he send something shinny towards Ranma. Barely in an afterthought Ranma's hand moved catching the tinny item. He glanced to it and realized that it was the flat's key, along with the one of the main door. "Here you have. Now remember that if you need something you only have to call me." Ranma nodded. "Right." "Good!" said the manager pleased before disappearing as fast as he appeared, the door closing with a bang. Ranma shrugged putting the manager, who went with the name of Ben, in the back of his mind. Turning he took off his backpack, slip it off his dark leather jacket leaving it near the bed and moved towards the windows in the room. The sunlight purred from it, filling the room. He opened it and leaned outside, looking at the main street where some cars were passing while several people were going at their lives. The wind blew with foreign fragrances, playing softly with the bangs of black hair. It had taken him a good part of the day to find this place. It would have taken less time if he had been as free as he was in Nerima, being able to roof jump without calling attention, but here he was almost surrounded by people. Only when he had been in the park the human ki signatures had dropped to almost nothing. On the plus side, having to do this as any normal human allowed him to see more of the city. Its slower pace (compared to NY) made him see more clearly the differences between Japan and the United States. He turned from the window taking off his jacket hanging it carelessly in the sole chair in the habitation. Then he moved towards his backpack opening it before starting to empty it. His few remaining Chinese clothes, a couple of gis, along with the other clothes he had purchased in Monterey went to the closet. With them went his futon and some other miscellaneous items that he had gathered trough his stay in Nerima. Upon the closet he put his camping gear and the very backpack. That done Ranma picked up his wallet and put it in one of his jeans' rear pockets and exiting the room went to see if he could find the manager. After finding him at the entrance Ranma hit the streets, thankful to be out of the small building. It was a nice place that covered his most immediate necessities. Ben had been helpful with the formalities, accepting the fact that Ranma had no bank account for the moment, accepting his money, officially giving the young ronin the flat for the next couple of months. Its significance wasn't lost to the martial artist. For the first time in his life he had a place of his own. A place to call his, no more being a wanderer or a freeloader as he had been with Genma, thing that had shamed him even as he kept it secret. That's why he allowed Nabiki to suck him dry of his money or to take photos out of his girl side when the middle Tendo daughter believed him to be asleep. As if he wasn't able to feel someone sneaking on him! Ranma snorted at the bittersweet memory. Anyway it was his shame that pushed him to try to put things right when the lack of money had been more palpable, few months after his arrival at the Tendo Dojo. He had been trying to promote the dojo using his own fame as a martial artist as well as Akane's. At the end, as always in Nerima, the whole situation ended being so ridiculous that it was borderline sheer madness. And as always they all managed to pull out of that mess with Kodachi, her crazy ideas about the future of the Tendo Dojo and the whole lot. As if he would ever allow a dojo to be demolished only to be switched by some... "gym". Father. Logan. That was another mess that Ranma wasn't looking forward to. He wanted to met his real father, more after the violent break up with his former life but it filled him with weariness. He wasn't afraid. No. Ranma saot... Forget that. *He* wasn't afraid of nuthin'! Well as long as it wasn't one of those blasted c-c-ca-ca-c... Drat! One of those feline beasts! Ranma suppressed a shudder. With that decision he walked towards the high school after checking that he was moving in the good direction. --------------------------------------- A while later The night had descended upon Bayville and Ranma was walking near the center of the city. The High School seemed fine if only it left Furinkan's size to shame. It was way bigger and separated in several buildings. Ranma had seen it all, feeling a little out of his place. Schools don't agreed with him. All those times he had been in one it ended in one sort or another of disaster. And when it wasn't like that it was because he had troubles following the classes. He supposed... No. He knew that it was because he had never been allowed to go regularly to school and, in truth, Furinkan was the place where he stayed the longest. Even so the quality of the teaching wasn't very high considering that back there studies were second to the battles that he had to go trough each day. Of course he had picked up skills beyond martial arts during his ten years long training trip that would help him in his new life, like when he had to learn English in that military base in Hokaido, the only reason why he was able to blend to the point he had since reaching the United States. Still he had the impression that those skills would be very hard pressed. Honestly he wasn't prepared. One thing was facing a battle to death (more or less) and another very different was to be put in a normal school with normal teachers expecting normal students with normal lives that allowed them to learn as it was requested. And he was everything but normal with a life that was all but normal. Definitely it wouldn't be fun. Even physical education wouldn't be fun taking in count that he would have to hold back a lot. Much more than he had at Furinkan, more taking in count that all his physical abilities had been powered up by his mutation. No. Not fun at all. After looking at Bayville High School Ranma had moved out of that zone, quickly reaching the center of the city as he looked for some thing to do. At the end he had but browsed trough the different shops there. Strangely he found no place like those little, dark and weird feeling shops that were so common in Nerima, places like the one where Ryoga picked up the love fishing rod. Maybe they were only proper of Japan? Anyway he hadn't seen anything that caught his eye. All he had needed to purchase he had picked it up in Montreal and he didn't like too much to buy. During ten years he had grown used to have few earthly possessions and that was an habit that he didn't want to break. So in the end he finished eating something in a little restaurant, nothing too fancy and even when eating he wished to be able to eat one of Ukyou's Okonomiyaki... Which pushed him to decide to shop for groceries as soon as possible, if only to be able to make his own food. That stole a smile from him as he remembered that, even if he disliked it, he was a very competent cook. Or at least that was what his mom said back when she didn't know that her manly son was hiding under the guise of Akane's cousin Ranko Tendo. "You will make a wonderful wife, Ranko dear!" That was so like his mother! At the end Ranma paid the bill and started walking, his mind lost in random thoughts and here he was. Then suddenly Ranma's ears picked a faint sound coming from a nearby alley. Now normally Ranma would follow his instincts and check what it was and see if someone was in danger, but now that desire was tampered by the knowledge that he had to be careful and not call attention. It was for the best he knew, and he would just do that... Then a muffled sound reached him. A female sound. Ranma swore under his breath. "Damn..." Looking around him he assured that no one was looking at him before ducking in the deeper shadows of the street, before cloaking himself in the Umi-sen-ken. That done he moved towards the source of sound, moving as silent as a ghost, fully within the mindset of the arts of the silent thief. Still he moved like a gale of wind, faster than most humans could. There. Ranma's hands clenched into a fist. Two guys where holding a young woman, one of them pressing a knife to her neck even as his hand was upon her mouth, rudely pushing her into his body while his friend tried to force the opening of a nearby car with a sort of steel bar flattened in one extreme; the one the thief was introducing in the car's door. The sounds that had reached his extra sensible sense came from muffled cries of help of the woman and the protesting mechanisms of the car coupled with the swearing words of the two men once their easy move was shot trough hell. "You bitch! If you hadn't lost the freaking keys!" snarled the one that was trying to force the car even as he shot the young woman a dark look that promised retribution once he had finished. His "associate" looked nervously around him, almost as if he feared something. "Hurry up will ya! Those siren bitches could be nearby! They have already..." "Shut the fuck up! Those chicks will not be a problem if they appear I tell you! Once we have the car he blast the way out of here." "And what about tits here?" The man shot the other man a look. *The* look that you are an idiot. "You deal with her. This car is more stubborn that I expected, but once I'm trough it we're out of here." "That' s going to be a problem." a voice said coming from nowhere. Both men's eyes widened in surprise, the one forcing the car jumping backwards even as he grabbed his steel bar as a stick and the other looked around, his face panicked even as he moved the knife neared to the woman's neck. The same bodiless voice reached them, steel barely hidden behind his words. "Release her. Or else." The one with the metal bar looked around him, before a dark grin crossed his face. With a rude movement he grabbed one of the arms of the woman and yanked her free from the other man. The woman could but shout before she was back slapped by the man sending her crashing into the ground were she slumped, unconscious. "And now what?!" shouted the man with glee before pulling a gun from his jacket. "What are you going to do!" "This." And before he had time to do anything else a hand appeared as if it coming from thin air, closing upon the hand that held the gun. Faster than what both thieves could believe the hand crushed hand and gun, mangling the fingers along with the steel of the gun in a concert of breaking and popping sounds The man could only look in fear, the shock preventing the pain to reach him. For a couple of seconds. Then he started screaming even as the rest of his attacker appeared. Trough the haze of pain the man could only see a youthful face that looked at him with shinning hard eyes. "That... Pissed... Me!" said the young man before slamming a kick in the man's solar plexus sending him flying against a wall with twin sickening sounds, broken bones from the kick and broken bones from the impact. The man crashed in the ground leaving behind him the shape of his body against the wall. Ranma turned towards the other man that was shaking like a leaf, his face chalk white and holding the knife before him as if his life depended on it. Ranma moved towards him like a stalking beast, all movements lethal fluidity, all steel-like muscles tensed even as he closed the space between them. The man lunged clumsily with his weapon before a well placed kick shattered his wrist and a punch doubled him. He sank to his knees groaning in pain before Ranma touched a pressure point that put him to sleep, sprawling himself against the ground like a boneless mass of flesh. Without glancing twice to the conscious-less bodies he rushed towards the woman, kneeling near her and turning her over, making her to moan slightly. A nasty looking bruise was already forming on part of her face and Ranma wondered if the man had broken or bruised her jawbone. With a slight hesitation, mostly based on his fear to activate his mutant power, Ranma touched her with his fingers probing carefully her face, cheek and jaw. He considered it for a moment more, before taking her in his arms, once again pausing to see if his mutant power activates itself. After some moments more (in which he dipped himself in the Soul of Ice) he deemed that it wouldn't pose a problem. Now anyone know that saying, even if mentally, those word is to invite disaster. In Ranma's case, Disaster is always lurking around him. The point is that disaster has many friends, such a Chaos, Mayhem, Confusion, and Problems. This time Disaster came in the form of a fire blast that recoiled around Ranma that looked at it with wide eyes. Well that wasn't new still it was unwanted. Ranma muttered under his breath, a single question that sounded like the vilest curse, a question that many heroes in many worlds have asked themselves without ever finding the answer "Why me?" --------------------------------------- It was like a rush. What had started with a slightly clear idea that the boys found that they were better than the girls, Jean, Amarra, Kitty, Rogue and Tabitha had soon found a way to prove otherwise, and that way was almost addictive. It was a way to be what they wanted, to be allowed to act as they wished beyond the limits of the X-Men or even the Brotherhood and using their powers without having to be concerned with what the others thought was a rush. No fear to be discovered crossed their minds and they could feel contempt towards the criminals that they helped to put in jail. Mutant powers gave them the needed edge to do so, to feel powerful. Even so they did it to help the city to clean the trash that infected its streets and, in the few days since the Siren's first apparition, they had already done more than the police department in a time span way greater. The group moved like if they owned the streets and in some sort of way it was so. Still as that particular night went they had found little if no criminal activity to stop and that was already enough to put the ever so energetic Tabitha crawling upon the walls. Boom Boom indeed. "Aaaargh!!! I want something to happen! What's with all the criminals in this city?" "Maybe they are afraid?" asked Kitty, in a somewhat naive fashion. "Ya bet." said Rogue even as she looked around, trying not to show her boredom but unable to hide her sarcasm. "Girls..." said Jean even as she continued looking around them. The night could be boring but for now the Sirens had been something different from her everyday life. Even in the X-Men she was ever responsible Jean, role model, perfect student, the kind every girl want to be, popular; one of the "inn" people. Still she couldn't help but feel mad sometimes with some of the "things" in her life. Well the "thing" in her almost perfect life had a name and a face. Scott Summers. Sometimes she couldn't stand him and couldn't care less if he blasted half school... And sometimes she just couldn't let him be like with his sort of relationship with her ex-best friend Taryn. And once she picked his smug *supposed* superiority between boys and girls she couldn't stop until she found a way to show him! Thus were the Sirens born. It wasn't her idea but soon she was all in favor with the other girls helping. Still Jean didn't fool herself. Xavier knew what was going on. She knew better than to think that the world's more powerful mind could not learn of a group of crime fighters with special powers, mutant powers, were roaming in the streets at night, less in his own city. The slight smile he gave her this morning was enough. As far as she was concerned the professor knew what was going on and gave his approval trusting her judgement. It was the others she was concerned about, the ones that knew that she and the others had powers, powers similar to the Sirens. Jean stopped short, her mutant power once again showing her what could not be seen. "Jean what is it?" asked Amarra, seeing that the older girl had stopped, calling the attention of the whole group to their (not nominated) leader. Jean shook her head as she pushed the emotions back, thanks to her mental training. Differently from her teammates she was able to feel emotions and read thoughts what gave her an edge when searching for what the naked eyes couldn't see. Quite literally she could feel things happening. Still it seemed a tranquil night... Until she picked a wave of pure fear coming from somewhere nearby, fear with a good dose of anger and frustration. What made her shiver was the sensation of lethal intent she picked for a moment. Then once again that emotion, maybe greater than before: fear, unadulterated fear, borderline panic. She looked at her friends. "Let's go. Someone need us." As one they rushed, Jean leading the way as she moved as fast as she could. They arrived fairly fast and what they saw wasn't pleasant. Two men where in the ground, one of the like dead in the ground, not moving. The other was some feet away, his right hand crushed with the remaining of what seemed a gun. And then was the supposed aggressor, standing near a car with his back to them, a metal bar at his feet and holding an unconscious woman in his arms. Not good. Even as those thought crossed her mind Amarra acted firing a blast of her magma to surround the aggressor. This one turned a surprised expression in his face, as if he hadn't been expecting this which was strange. Jean looked at him and was surprised herself to see a sense of... regret? --------------------------------------- Ranma looked around, getting a first impression of the so called Sirens group. They were five, all of them girls (obviously) and to his sight their aura burst with strength. It was different than looking at a regular human. With that it was easy to deduce that he had met the so called Bayville Sirens Anyway now that he thought about it the situation looked rather bad. Ranma had enough experience with confusions and people jumping into the wrong impression to know how the whole deal would look to the newcomers. Bad for him, knowing his luck. So far his danger sense wasn't tingling. Yet he knew nothing of their powers but for the few lines in the article he had read previously. Some of them could do something with a touch and he had to guess that one of them was able to move things without physical contact. Damn it! why couldn't he have done just as he had decided? Stay low until Nabiki contacts you. Easy to do. Why did he continued to put himself in those ridiculous situations? The answer was in his arms. Ranma sighed, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again. He looked at the girls in front of him, the flames still raging around him in a circle of heat. One of the girls, the one with the darkest skin seemed to be the source of it. It was an awesome power and to anyone that could think straight a source of pain... But when you have survived Saffron's flames any kind of fire related power gets tame and even insignificant in comparison. After all he doubted that fire girl had enough firepower to obliterate a mountain with a single blast. A idea popped in Ranma's mind. It was a difficult shot but after all he wasn't in Nerima anymore. Maybe this time if he tried to explain hell wouldn't get lose upon the world. It was worth a shot. "Um... Ah can you stop with the fire? I need to take this woman..." "Yeah right creep!" shouted a blonde girl with one of the weirdest hairstyle he had ever seen. "As if we would buy that! You're going down after what you did to those two men and the lady you are accosting!" Ranma blinked. "Listen there I..." The flames roared higher and the heat increased significantly. Ranma scowled but said nothing. If he was starting to feel the heat then the woman in his arms would too. In fact she was starting to move restlessly in his arms, thankfully without reaching consciousness. Magma looked at Jean even as she kept her flames in tight control. She was awaiting an order from the red head. One order and her flames would rise and torch that bastard. She had seen the two men and if it indicated something this guy was dangerous. Jean bite slightly her lower lip as she found herself unable to decide how to act. She had tried to read the man's mind but that revealed to be, to her surprise, impossible. She had tried every trick the professor had taught her and even so she wasn't able to go trough some sort of mental shield he seemed to have. She had found something like that in only one being and that was Logan. The older man had a set of natural shields that prevent any mind reading. And now she founds another mind as impenetrable as Logans' or the professor's. And if that wasn't enough the man had a hostage in his arms. Still there was something strange going on here. Ranma scowled even more, quickly getting fed up by their attitude. "Look if you want to stay and play the superheroes, fine. Go for it. But I'm going to the nearest hospital like it or not." That said Ranma shifted the woman putting her upon his shoulders in a move so fast that its almost impossible to track, immediately dropping to one knee and digging a finger in the stony ground muttering two words. "Backusai Tenketsu" The effect was immediate and with greater strength than even Ranma had calculated The ground of half the street exploded in a shower of dust and stone pieces that Jean deflected with barely a passant thought, just as a loud BOOOOM sound filled the alley, pushing the dust and more stones further and stronger than before, leaving the Sirens covered in dust from head to toe, coughing furiously. Shortly after Jean dispelled the dust, moving it away, allowing them to see the street. Or what remained of it. A *huge* crater is where the young man was standing previously, filling half the street, almost as if a bomb had detonated, but of him nothing remained. "Where did he go?" asked Kitty saying aloud the question all were sharing while her voice held some awe in it. Tabitha humpfed, crossing her arms upon her chest in a "I'm so pissed/don't cross me!" fashion. "I don't know and I don't care! The next time I find this guy I'll strangle him even if I must force the boys in doing so!" she shouted. Jean looked at the crater then at the men that were starting to regain consciousness even if with evident suffering. How had he done that? And who was him really? --------------------------------------- Later in the evening. Ranma was seating leg crossed upon his bed, the window open and the lights off. He was stripped down to his boxers to allow the cold wind to brush more of his exposed skin. He was looking at the semi illuminated darkness on the street, the lamp posts giving their weak light even as his ear picked the sounds of the night, the wind upon the leaves of the trees and many others sounds that the common mortals are unaware, limited by their own perceptions. He was looking to the darkness that even at that late hour shone with a strange light, the energy that moved in the air and in the darkness, the mark of his own mutation. It was a soothing thing to see, beautiful, the proof that everything is connected. But even as Ranma's senses were lulled by the shifting masses of energy, his mind was returning to the events in that street when once again he had followed his code. And chaos had followed. He had been able to get that woman to the nearest hospital, but doing so he had gained a new set of potential problems, problems that he could not afford to have. The last thing he needed right now was to get at odds with the mutant populace of Bayville. He wasn't fool enough to not guess that those five girls had friends. Also was the fact that he had to flee, leaving behind a confrontation. He wasn't used to that but what else could he have done? He had no experience in fighting mutants and with that woman in his arms he was limited in his actions. It all revolved around a single thing. A small smile tugged the corner of his mouth. In an almost lazy gesture Ranma lied down upon the bed, looking at the ceiling. And with that last word Ranma drifted in a well deserved dream. --------------------------------------- Somewhere else... Mystique moved to pick up the phone, not really wanting to answer but knowing better than to do otherwise. So far Magneto had let her act as she wanted, as long as she completed the missions Magnus send her. So far most of them had been a clear success, like taking a hold on the files of Xavier's new students. Such information was clearly priceless and even if Xavier had guessed that his protocols had been violated, Mystique knew that this time the X-Men's mentor didn't know who could have done it. That was one of the perks of being with a new identity, the total freedom that came from the simple fact that no one knew that Risty was Mystique. She picked up the phone. "What do you want?" her voice was harsh, cold. She still feared Magneto but the days when she would be his lap dog had finished with the events at Magneto's base. They would be associates but never again would she be his slave. For now though they had shared goals, that was enough. "Someone special is going to be at the school in a short time. I want you to keep an eye upon him." That was enough to rise Mystique's interest. "Special?" "You heard me Mystique. This young man must be surveyed at all costs." "And what about Rogue?" "That can wait. If what I suspect about this boy is right we could very well don't need that swamp rat." Mystique's eyes narrowed. "What is so special about this mutant to make you leave Rogue aside? More than once you have drilled me upon how important she is." "And she still is. But this boy could be the key to far more power than your little friend could provide us. I don't ask you to leave your current mission with the X-Men Rogue but to keep an eye upon this boy and if possible to befriend him." "What power does he have?" Pause. "I still don't know." Mystique blinked. That was unexpected. "Excuse me?" "I don't know." Magneto's voice while still commanding couldn't hide a sense of wonder. "Destiny is unable to come with a plausible description of his mutant abilities. She is not even able to cast a prediction upon him." Mystique licked her dry lips. She knew Destiny since many years and this was a first. "She was able to conclude that her lack of vision wasn't related to the boy's mutant power. Something in him prevents her to do so." Mystique sat upon the edge of her table, her brow crossed in thought. "If that's so, how is it that you know he is powerful?" Magneto's voice was cold, menacing. "Because I may not know him but I know what he had done." "Care to explain yourself?" "Not really but I will do so for the... sake of our alliance." "So. Speak already." "Very well. What do you remember of the events that have happened in Japan in the last week?" "You mean that accident in Narita?" asked Mystique, her interest picked. She had seen the images of the place and it had remembered her of the damages the Juggernaut could inflict. If that was indeed the doings of one single mutant she understood Magneto's desire to have him in his group. "The same. But there is more." "Oh?" trough the earphone Mystique was able to pick up the sound of Magnetos' hand closing in a fist. "Yes. Some days previous the incident at Narita a high school was destroyed by a mutant. My contacts were able to tell me that the whole place had been ravaged in a battle between this mutant and a squad of Sentinels. The boy in question whipped the Sentinels, the high school and a block area around it from existence. I want that boy with us Mystique but I will not risk a confrontation with him until I'm sure he is ready to be a part of the Brotherhood." Mystique smiled. She knew that Magneto wasn't telling her everything but that was to be expected. She would have done likewise. "And why do you think this boy, from Japan will be here of all places? He must still be in Japan anyway or somewhere in Asia." "I have my ways. This boy will be at Bayville High soon, maybe in the next week or so. Keep an eyes open and you may find him." "Very well. But what do you want me to do once he appears?" "I want you to..." Ten minutes later Mystique hung the phone while her mind was in turmoil, pondering the possible chain of events what Magneto told her to do could unleash. For sure it would put to risk her work of the last months, another proof of how much Magneto respected her work. Still she may have stumbled on the weapon she needed to become the dominant side in their relationship. It may risk her work but the prize would more than cover her losses. Now she had but find a way to twist a little Magneto's plans to make the results be in her favor and keep her relationship with Rogue intact. She had taken a liking to Rogue in the time she had been with the Brotherhood, but even so she had liked the younger woman even before she joined the group opposing Xavier's team. Rogue had been put at Destiny's care months before her mutant power awoke and during that time she had grown to look after the young woman in a more than what could be considered professional fashion. Indeed she felt like if Rogue was like a daughter for her, a daughter with a hard time with a power that dominated her. And those last weeks posing as Risty had made her appreciate Rogue even more. Being Risty allowed her to break a little the shell that Rogue had put around her, the barrier she erected to keep others at bay, for her own sake and for the one of her friends. A plan started to grown in her mind, a plan that if it worked could give her all and leave Magneto in the mud. She would have Rogue, her revenge and unimaginable power. Smiling Mystique turned off the lights before exiting the room. --------------------------------------- Three weeks later. The young woman know as Jubilee cursed under her breath as she ran as fast as she could while seriously considering killing her teammate Jamie Madrox. She knew that other would believe that it was Kurt that had played that prank on them all but she knew better. All had that distinct sensation that only Jamie could put on his comebacks against them, and while Kurt could move from one point to the other without concern thanks to his power, what had been done could only have been made by someone working at the same time. It didn't matter that Jamie had been seen with them most of the night, any of his multiples could have posed in that role while he switched all the clock's alarms in the School. Result? All the alarms had started later making them *all* late. All but Jamie that was no where to be seen, already gone. Problem? By some strange circumstance not all vehicles were available. Meaning? Some of them got lucky and could go in the cars that worked while others had to go on foot. Amongst them herself. In the rush somehow she remembered that she had forgotten some of her books so she had to turn back to get them, losing precious time. The amused looks of the professor, Logan and Ororo didn't help at all. She had tried, as a last minute gamble, to get Logan to take her in his motorbike to the school but one look of his dark eyes was enough to make her realize that it was a bad idea. She supposed that he found the whole thing funny. She cursed even more. Increasing her speed she turned a corned before rushing straight towards the school, crossing several streets. Jubilee was so focused in her mad dash that she didn't notice that the next street was not as dry as the others that she had crossed. She ran and not bothering to look at her sides started to cross the street. The last thing she was aware before the world spun out of control was a wet sound. With a cry she slipped and felt hard upon her stomach. Groaning she started to rise, all too conscious of the pain she was in, as well as the moisture in her chest ultimate responsible of her fall. Slowly she put the pain aside and started to rise. She was on her knees when she realized just where she was, unmoving. Her head whipped, all thoughts of her pain gone, as she heard the sound of wheels against the asphalt. A car was speeding towards her, and it seemed that the drivers hadn't see her. Jubilee was smart enough to know that at that speed she would die upon impact yet she wasn't able to move, all thought having fled form her brain even as panic sized her. She could only brace herself as she closed her eyes, awaiting for the imminent pain. Her last thought as she closed her eyes was a sarcastic sentence. But things didn't happen like that. On moment she was kneeling there, still smarting from her fall, about to be run over by a speeding car. The next she was moving. Well *she* wasn't moving, rather *something* holding her was moving, and fast. She had felt her being swooped by something steel hard but, at the same time, gentle even if the loss of contact with the ground was disturbing. Still it was comfortable a part of her mind whispered Jubilee was still unsure of what just happened, so she open her eyes marginally, cautiously, fearing the worst. What greeted her wasn't what she was expecting. She gazed in the pair of bluest eyes she had ever seen, set in a slightly smiling Asian face. "You okay?" he asked, concern in his voice that was softly accented with what she supposed was his tongue. Then he straightened making Jubilee realize where she was being held, right in his arms before he carefully released her. With shaking legs she gazed up to him, a hand still gripping his arm, the hard muscles shifting under her touch. She gave him a good look. He was tall, dressed in faded blue jeans and black short sleeved T-shirt. His raven black hair was tied in a short pig-tail and his masculine, attractive face still showed some concern. All in all Jubilee couldn't help but notice his lean but well formed frame. Even standing there, not moving, the young mutant could feel the muscles shifting under his skin... ready to move with unsuspected power. A hunk if she had ever seen one. Still something in him reminded her of someone, but she wasn't able to remember who it was about... there was something there... "Are you alright miss?" he asked bowing if ever so slightly to look at her in the eye. Jubilee blinked and backed off slightly "Ah... yes I'm fine. Thanks for the saving. I just tripped and, well you have seen it all I suppose." The young man nodded flashing her a smile. "I was walking not to far away when I saw you fall." He paused. "Excuse me to say this but you don't strike me as a clumsy girl, so what happened?" Jubilee blushed slightly. "Well it's just a rotten day, you know?" a stray thought passed by and Jubilee paused looking at Ranma with a dubious look "Ah... I don't think we have been introduced." Ranma grinned slightly, nodding. "Yeah I know that kind of day. I'm rather used to them... I'm Ranma and you?" he asked bowing. Jubilee looked at him strangely before recalling that some Asian folk used to bow when introducing themselves. Bowing, and hoping not to do it too badly, Jubilee answered. "I'm Jubilation Lee but everybody call me Jubilee. Nice to meet you... and again thank you for the saving. I wouldn't be telling it if it wasn't for you." Ranma waved in an off hand manner. "That was nothing, now I have an appointment, so if you excuse me I must hurry." Ranma turned to go when Jubilee took his hand. Jubilee looked rather startled by Ranma's reaction. For one moment panic had appeared in his face, making her to release his hand. "Is something wrong?" she asked, unsure. Ranma blinked before answering. "Ah, no. No. Nothing. Sorry 'bout that." he grinned sheepishly. Jubilee shrugged off the feeling she had. "I-I was wondering where you were going..." Ranma looked at her for a moment noticing her book bag. "Uh I have an meeting with, um, Mr. Kelly I think it was." "The high school headmaster?" "Um... yes. I'm starting at Bayville and I have to meet him to discuss some stuff." he paused as if considering something "Say, are you a student there?" Jubilee smiled sweetly. "Yes I am. Why?" Ranma fidgeted nervously. "I don't really know where the headmaster's office is..." "And you want someone to show you the way?" she asked still smiling. "Ah... yes, so could you..." Jubilee nodded happily "Of course, it's the last thing I could do after you saved my life." "Right. Well not that I don't appreciate your help but we are going to be late if we don't hurry." He said as a matter of fact. Jubilee gasped, quickly checking her watch. "Dang!" she shouted starting running. Ranma looked at her strangely before starting to run himself, reaching her without any difficulty. But even as they ran Ranma couldn't help but shoot some nervous glances to Jubilee... he was starting to believed that he had another curse as no matter what he did everybody he met was mutant. --------------------------------------- Some time later. Jubilee had made it barely to her classroom but not before she pointed the direction of the headmaster to Ranma as she did she would do. With the halls empty and Jubilee's indications he had no trouble in finding the headmaster's office. Once he reached it he introduced himself to who he supposed was the headmaster's secretary. After checking that he had indeed an appointment with Mr. Kelly she let Ranma in, asking him to wait for the headmaster's arrival in his office, Ranma following her lead agreed and sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. "You will have to wait a little, Mr Kelly will soon return. He is dealing with some problems that have appeared latterly but he will be soon back. So please wait here." Ranma looked at the secretary, nodding. "Right. Wait." The woman smiled slightly. "That's it. Now if you excuse me I have some files that I have to update. Have a good day Mr Toushin." And with that she closed the door leaving Ranma alone. Ranma looked around to the unfamiliar setting, wondering how the headmaster would turn to be. After all if your last headmaster was a crazed guy that believed to be some sort of Big Kahuna with a fetish for short hair and pineapples you tended to be al little weary when trust in a similar situation. Still the minutes on the clock ticked by the headmaster was nowhere to be seen. Ranma yawned, his eyes roaming trough the room, noticing who clean it all was. Kasumi would be proud of how clean all was in the room; no doubt about it. From the bookshelf, to the windows passing by the numerous titles hanging on the walls all was practically gleaming, as if new. Suddenly the door opened and Ranma rose from the seat to great the man that was entering, but that had still his back to him. He was giving what seemed orders to who Ranma supposed was the secretary. "...yes miss Fergusson I will deal with it as soon as I can. Call the school board to set a meeting as soon as possible. If they ask you about it tell them it revolves around the last meeting's decisions. There are some budget matter that must be dealt with." The middle aged man turned, facing Ranma with a smile. "Hello young man. I'm sorry you had to wait so long but lately I had my hands full with some problems that demanded my complete attention. This is a great high school and as such problems rise from time to time. Still this must not concern you." The headmaster sat in his chair gesturing Ranma do to likewise. Ranma sat facing the older man, awaiting for him to start. The man adjusted his glasses as he looked at Ranma as if sizing him, but never losing his smile. "Well young man as you have guessed I'm Bayville High's headmaster, Edward Kelly. Now I expect you to call me headmaster or simply Mr. Kelly. As long as you respect me and the High School that I represent I will treat you with equal respect. Is that understood." Ranma nodded. He could live with it. So far this seemed better than in Furinkan "Yes sir, I think I can do that much." Kelly smile broadened. "Good, good!" he looked down opening a case file, flipping trough the different folders within, before extracting one where Ranma could see his name labeled. Kelly put it upon his desk, opening it and reading quickly, passing the pages one after the other before looking up at Ranma. Kelly paused a little folding his hands. "Well I have just checked your dossier and while it is not the brightest I have ever seen it's far from being the worst. I see that you have been skipping several years of your basic education. Even your last year is not complete. I know the reputation of my colleagues in Japan and the rigors of the Japanese educational system maybe even better than you do, and the obvious answer for your... in and out, so to speak, is that you are a troublesome student." Ranma tried to say something but he was prevented by Kelly. "I have said that it was the obvious answer. But I don't think its the right one with you... No. I recognize that when I first saw the petition of transfer to this school and I checked your file I was reticent to accept the petition. But I checked your last months at... where was it again?" He looked down switching trough the pages searching for the right information. "Ah here it is, yes, Azabu Juuban. I noticed that your grades weren't that bad, passable. But taking in count that you have been missing years and years of education those grades could only mean that you have potential young man, and I think that it would be a shame to let that potential go wasted." Ranma sighed in relief, feeling somewhat surprised and pleased by the headmaster's praises. That must have been one of the first times that someone praised him outside of anything martial arts related. This was turning to be better than what he thought. Kelly alternated between looking at him and to the pages, flipping them now and then. "I see that you are also supposed to be very good at sports and martial arts. Top marks. Now I wouldn't want to pressure you but if you are that good I would like you to consider joining some of our sport clubs and maybe even get to be a part of some of our sport teams. Would you be interested? Ranma looked at the headmaster before answering. "I... I will think about that." he said hesitantly, what could he say? "I'm not sure if I'm... good enough." Kelly waved the notion off, laughing. "Nonsense. I'm sure that you are more than good enough!" Ranma smiled uncomfortably. "Excuse me sir but I really think that it would be uh... a bad idea to do so." Kelly shook his head, sensing that Ranma was too reticent right now. "Well I will not force you but if you change your mind... Anyway I see here that you have some sort of phobia to... water?" Kelly looked up at Ranma unsure that he had it right. Ranma nodded, even as he started telling the headmaster the history he and Nabiki had created. Nothing too complicated. "Ah yeah I had an accident while I was younger concerning water. Since them I'm afraid of it. Terrified even. Sort of silly... I just felt in a pond of water when I was little and almost drowned there. Since then I'm afraid of the water." Kelly smiled understandingly "It's all right. No need to elaborated further as far as it goes your... problem is your own business as long as it doesn't disturb the life of your classmates." Kelly looked down a little more at Ranma's file. For some minutes more silence reigned in the room. Finally the headmaster closed the folder and replaced it in his archives. Yet he opened a new one and drew a couple of pages even as he faced Ranma. "I see nothing more to discuss right now. Your documents are in order as is the documents that certify that you are legally on your own. This will be relevant if you ever start trouble and are send to see me, still I expect a good behavior from you. As long as you do so your staying here at Bayville High for an unlimited time shouldn't pose any problem." He handed Ranma the pages he had taken before. "Here you have the school's rules as well as your time table with the classes you have. The room number is indicated along with the class you had. Today as it is your first day you are dispensed of classes, but tomorrow I expect you to resume them." He paused as if to let the information sank in. "For now just find your way to each of them and introduce yourself to your teacher. They will signal you the material you need and how far they are in their program. As for your locker in a few days you will be given your number and combination. All the details you would want to know are there within the High School's rules." Kelly got up and Ranma did the same. The headmaster then followed Ranma towards the door, offering his hand. Ranma took it and shook it being careful with his mutant power. "Any problem you have you can report it to your teachers or, if its important, to myself. If I'm not here you can leave a word to miss Fergusson. Have a good day Ranma." Ranma nodded and smiled a little. "Same to you sir." That said Ranma moved away from the headmaster that returned within his room when he heard the phone ring. Exiting the headmaster's office Ranma looked down at the papers Kelly gave him. In them figured his classes as well as the material he would need for them. Checking on them his eyes widened. If this was the surprise Nabiki was speaking about she could very well keep it! The classes she had put him were nothing like those he had at Furinkan. Ranma scowled refraining himself to curse aloud. Well there was nothing he could do about it, so he better face the music, so to speak... Sighing and looking back to the pages he checked his timetable and the class he had in the next period. Even if he hadn't to take it he had to present himself to the teacher. He looked at the number of the class and moved trough the different papers expecting to see some map of the place. After all finding the headmaster office was already difficult, not taking in count that he had been lucky to have met Jubilee, so how difficult could it be to find a single class in this place? At least it wouldn't be like when Kuno's nutty father had arrived with his new rules and his stupid game of chasing after the coconut. Sighing once again Ranma started to move by one of the corridors nearby. Steps sound reached him and he looked up. A girl was walking on the deserted corridor soon reaching him She was slender even if it was easy to see the curves of her body with that sort of red sleeveless jacket, all while her black pants enhanced the shape of her legs. Her dark hair was cut short and her eyes were cold even as the several cross-like pendant and earrings gleamed. Her face was blank but her eyes seemed to bore in everything around her. She barely looked at him and Ranma did likewise, quickly moving his eyes back to his papers, hoping that she didn't take offence for him looking at her like that. He had seen enough. Enough to know that she brought problems with her; as much as a new fiancée back in Nerima. A mutant, he could tell that much by the projections of her aura but he did see more than that. Her emotions were running high, moving wildly. Anger and a sort of hunting feeling swirled in the colors of her aura... all promising a temper to reckon with, a temper that could easily evolve into a lack of control. And as if to corroborate it his danger sense had reacted to her, strongly. In Ranma's mind that could only mean one thing: That girl meant trouble. Big trouble. --------------------------------------- Wanda tried not to look at the boy walking towards her. In fact she did all that was possible to give him the cold shudder. All while she couldn't help but feel interested. It wasn't something to do with his more than noticeable exotic good looks, even if she was interested, thing that she wasn't. With the problems in her life, with the necessity of dealing with the new twist in her life, boy trouble was the last thing that she wanted right now. Still she couldn't help but notice him. It. Wanda's mutant power allowed her, between other things, to channel chaos-magic to fit her needs, like altering the probabilities around her in a hex-spheres, making unlikely phenomena occur, disturbing the molecular-level probability fields through sheer psionic force. Also that old bat that Mystique had found, Agatha Harkness, seemed to think that she could grew to use true magic. She may not like her but she was smart enough to know that the old woman was able to help her in ways Xavier, for instance, couldn't. Already she had given her enough control upon her mutant powers to allow her to defeat the X-Men, and if what she was telling her was true that was but a sample of her true potential. Still, as part of her training, Wanda had to learn to recognize chaos based energy emanations; chaos-magic, being it at the core of her mutant abilities. She hide it well but it was a surprise to "see" that the boy walking towards her was literally glowing in an aura of pure chaos. From what she knew, although the boy could very well be considered an avatar of chaos itself, it lacked the power to really be felt in the normal world. At least compared to her own abilities One thing was sure. His live must have been... interesting. She remembered, sort of, Agatha speaking about the powers that ruled creation, and that Chaos was a living, sentient, entity that sometimes wizards could tap unto to draw power. The old witch had skipped trough that as she was positive that Wanda, already a difficult student, wouldn't be interested in that sort of thing, moving on the more practical lesson. Damn right! Moving as if she hadn't noticed his presence she passed by him, feeling the chaos emanating from him like a physical thing, her eyes passing upon him on their own volition. His eyes had looked at her before quickly returning to a set of papers in his hands before he continued in his way trough the deserted hall. Wanda reached the headmaster office, just where Mystique told her it would be. The secretary seemed to be expecting her, allowing the entrance to the office as soon as she checked her identity. The headmaster seemed to be quite busy speaking through the phone, barely glancing at her, suiting her mood completely. As far as she was concerned this was a waste of time. Yet after ten minutes hearing the headmaster speaking about food for the school and other school related topics Wanda was bored out of her mind. Calling upon her mutant power, Wanda hexed the phone, awaiting to see what happened. Suddenly Kelly moved the phone out of his hear, a drilling sound coming from it. Kelly slammed the phone quickly before rubbing his ear. He kept looking at the phone before reaching towards it to pick it up. He just lifted the earphone a tinny bit that the same drilling sound appeared, hurting his ears. The headmaster slammed the phone once again, muttering something; no doubt a curse. For a moment the he remained silent before his eyes moved towards Wanda. The young mutant looked back at the headmaster, feeling quite smug about her prank. "Um... ah yes. Another new student... Miss Maximoff right?" "Yeah." she said, her voice bare of all emotions. Yet something Kelly said drew her attention. "Sir?" "Yes?" he answered while searching for Wanda's file. "Excuse me but you said that there was another new student?" Kelly looked up her file in his hand even as he pushed up the bridge of his glasses. "So?" asked the older man. "Oh I was just wondering, I guess that because I'm new here I couldn't help but notice a boy with some papers so I assumed that he was new too." Kelly nodded, smiling slightly as if he found something funny. "I understand miss Maximoff. Yes, young Ranma is a transfer student from Japan. I expect his presence to be, to say the least, interesting both to us and to him... It's quite rare that a student from Japan appears at this stage of the year but even so it's a chance we all have." Wanda nodded quickly turning off whatever Kelly told her, her mind turning back towards this "Ranma". Soon enough she and the principal had finished with her classes and other lesser matters concerning her introduction to Bayville High School. Without further ado Wanda moved out of the office even as Kelly smiled at her, wishing her luck. Wanda not even looked back too happy to be out. Kelly closed the door, the comforting, harmless smile fading away even as his eyes turned blood red. --------------------------------------- Meanwhile Sometimes life isn't fair thought Todd Tolensky, better known as Toad of the Brotherhood. Here he was minding his own business when, from nowhere, Duncan Mathews and his goons appeared, in bully mode, ready to "play" with him once again. Generally they had a more or less good reason but this time Toad had done nothing. Nothing but be the weird guy of the school. Life, even trough his mutation gave him his special powers, hadn't been very generous or kind with him. His powers were rather harmless compared to some of his comrades' in the Brotherhood. People like Pietro or Blob don't have to wonder if today their faces would be used to be flush down the toilet only because he "smelt rotten". And Toad knew that this was one of those days... "Well, well, well... See what we have here guys..." said Duncan to his buddies, all of them still in their football gear. They had seen Toad alone while going to the showers and, after telling the coach they had something to do before hitting the hot water, they had moved like a pack of sharks upon their prey. The coach had grunted but had let his boys do as they wished. Duncan was the school quarterback and his friends were essential parts of the football team between several other teams. It was easy to turn your back in those conditions. Living Toad all alone with Duncan and his three friends. Toad looked up to the football players and to Duncan and his three friends, all of them pumped up from the exercise, adrenaline cursing trough their bodies. Just by that Toad knew very well that begging would do no good. They wanted their "fun". The young mutant swallowed hard, faking a smile. "Please guys... I was doing nothin' I swear!" The four boys closed upon him with unfriendly smiles. Toad gasped, mentally preparing himself for the upcoming pain. At least he had tried... Duncan slammed him against the lockers, making them to shudder. Toad grunted in pain blinking furiously, all thoughts in using his powers gone. They couldn't help him here. He was on his own. "Ah... hehehe now guys you had your fun but..." "Shut up Tolensky!" said Duncan even as he slammed Toad again, before he turned the smaller guy around, pinning him painfully trough a violent grip on the mutant's wrist. Toad moaned in pain. His arm and shoulder seemingly in fire, the cold metal of the lockers digging in his skin. Duncan exchanged a smile with his friends that grinned with him. Most of the time Tolensky hung with his buddies and after seeing some of them Duncan wasn't bold enough to go after his favorite victim. Yet this time the geek was alone, unprotected. "Well Tolansky you are to get re-acquainted to your old friend the toilet flush." With a nod two of his team mates gripped Toad by his shoulders, their fingers digging painfully trough the fabric of Toad's clothes. "No! No please I did nothing wrong!" Duncan snickered even as he snapped his fingers. "Let's go boys!" Toad struggled but those guys not only outnumbered him and anyway were stronger than him. "Let me go! It ain't funny guys! Come on!" "No chance buddy," said one of Duncan cronies as he pushed the struggling youngster, marching towards the restroom. That was it, thought Toad. But even so he wouldn't surrender, if only for his friends' sake. Toad had gave up on hope but continued trying to make it difficult to his tormentors. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! He wasn't going down without a fight! Yet as much as he boosted he knew that he was lost unless someone came to the rescue. That was rather improbable if not impossible. There was still ten minutes to the next period and all his team mates where in their classes. Right now he would accept even the help of Pietro's spooky sister if it meant being free of Duncan Mathews. was the last he thought before preparing himself for the dunk in the school's toilets. So he was surprised, and unprepared, when an unknown voice reached his ears. "Leave him alone." Words with a foreign accent, oriental, one thing in them going beyond mere words. Anger. Toad's eyes snapped open even as he felt the guys holding him, frozen by the same surprise he was feeling. Who would risk his neck for him? He was newcomer, that was clear if only because no one messed up with the school's football team's star when he had fun. Few people had the gals to do so. Scott summers was one of them but he had the vantage that he was a special student and his legal keeper, Xavier, had many contacts in the school meeting board. Toad looked at his impromptu saver. He was tall with his raven black hair tied in a short pig-tail. He seemed Japanese or something like that even if Toad was sure that blue eyes was rather rare in oriental folk. He seemed fit, with muscles clearly outlined even with his clothing that marked his body's forms yet he was one against four, what is more, football players. Still something within Toad was screaming danger within him. He may not have the others' powers but, having something animal within is genetic make-up, he was able to pick things others didn't... And right now his gut instinct was screaming at him to run. It was like being in the presence of Sabertooth or the X-Men Wolverine. The only thing that kept him from using his mutant powers to get the hell out of there was the fact this guys seemed pissed *at* Duncan. Still the school's first jock and his friends had nothing nearly alike to animal instinct. To them this was a newcomer that, while seemingly fit, couldn't hope to get past them all. And he was overstepping the bounds any freshman had. Duncan neared the newcomer, a sneer under his helmet. Just what they needed. Some new smart ass that didn't know his place. "Listen pal you better blast off now that you can. I never have seen you before so I'm being fair and letting you go. Now while I'm in a good mood" Ranma looked at the guy in front of him, dislike wheeling in him. If he hated one thing it was bullies. Not even Akane's food was as foul as those picking on the weaker. It was something that stood against what composed Ranma's inner core. He would have liked nothing more than show this jerk one thing or two about being the one in the receiver end for once. Introduce him to a new relationship with the stone floor maybe...But he wasn't in Nerima and as much as he would have liked to instill the Fear of God (tm) into this guy, he had to stay down. Ranma eyes gleamed as an idea popped in his mind. Stay down... Or be very silent. "Well aren't you goin' to move away?" asked Mathew's with a voice that said clearly that he was pissed. Ranma grinned, the ever present smirk that drove wild Ryoga, Mousse, Happosai, Genma and dozens of the world's more powerful martial artists. Against that a jock like Duncan Mathews stood as much chance as a snowball in hell. "Oh I would but I don't give a damn about what a stupid coward bully like you wants." Duncan's indignant yell was all he needed before trying to punch Ranma. His fist was about to connect when, somehow, Ranma moved out of the way. The next thing Duncan knew he was on the ground sprawled after something hit the back of his knees. Quickly he rose and turning rushed towards Ranma in a football move. Ranma's grin widened. Once again and before he had any clear idea about what had happened Duncan was sailing once again, ending in the ground sprawled, butt in the air as if he wanted someone to kick it. Toad couldn't help himself and exploded in laughter. He knew this guy could have torn Duncan apart and yet he was humiliating the schools' brightest sportsman, the captain of the football team, one of the school most popular guy and he was making it seem so effortless. If only he could take pictures! Duncan could feel the heat rush to his cheeks, not only because he was being played like a fool in front of his team mates but also in presence of the guy he wanted to humiliate. This time Duncan composed himself before attacking. This guy was fast, maybe faster than him but if he used his brains along with his brawl then this smart ass was a goner. Duncan neared Ranma that was standing there in his basic stance meaning hands behind his back, head slightly tilted to one side as he awaited, a grin upon his lips. Duncan lashed out with a right hook. Before feinting and lashing out with his left hand, closed in a fist. Once again the new guy evaded his attack, leaning back in an angle of 45º in a way that seemed to defy gravity. Following his move, Ranma spun dropping, his leg flashing, sweeping Duncan off the ground and making the older guy to fall on his back while Ranma finished his move. It had been so fast that it all seemed one move, fluid and incredibly controlled and it was enough to leave Toad and the others with their mouths open in astonishment. Toad more so than the other three guys. He shouldn't feel like that... He had seen Pietro move before, way faster... Still the sense of danger had but increased after looking him do what was almost physically impossible. This guy had to be a mutant, there was no other explication. But what the black haired boy had done... Toad would have sworn that he hadn't used any mutant power. Duncan grunted, his protections had reduced the pain so in no time he was up, anger powering him now, making him rush towards the Asian guy a couple of four hit combination, fast and packed. Still the Asian guy evaded it all, even yawning as if it was boring... Which, of course, made Duncan even madder, cursing under his breath, and pressing the attack even more as Ranma continued dodging everything the jock send in his way. He was so, so, *soooo* slow! Akane was amaguriken-fast in comparison. Ranma continued playing with the guy for a while more, calmly moving in and out of Duncan's sloppy attacks. The pig-tailed martial artist could see the jock's face red and sweaty under the helmet and decided to finish it. "You know? Cover your leg work better buddy." he said in a friendly voice... Before lashing out with a well aimed kick. Duncan eyes widened at Ranma's words as the pig tailed youth moved quickly towards his legs. The football captain smirked. Sure that guy would send a kick toward him but he would be hitting one of his protections, causing no damage at all. That would leave him open to a counter move and then he would make him ate his shit. The kick connected and Duncan smile grew. For a second and half. That's was when surprise overwhelmed him as he actually felt pain coming from his leg, from where he had been kicked, from where he had been protected. The surprise faded to leave place to the pain and the pain passed to be pure shock as Duncan felt all the muscles in his leg lock, sending him crashing into the ground. His hands moved quickly to his locked leg, feeling it. Ranma looked from the fallen form of Duncan to his cronies that were still holding Toad. His face had lost all friendly expression and Toad and the other football players would have sworn that the blue eyes gleamed with some kind of light. "Who's next?" his voice was cold and even the air seemed to turn cooler as if suddenly the temperature had dropped noticeably. Duncan's friends swallowed hard before looking at each other and blasting out of the place leaving Toad and Ranma along the downed figure of Duncan Mathews. The pig tailed youth turned to look down at his "opponent". He sighed before reaching for the collar of Duncan's uniform and pulling the jock up before slamming him against the lockers as he had done before with Toad. Duncan eyes blinked full of fear as Ranma bored him with his own steel like gaze. "Listen here jerk. I don't know what's your deal but you should stop being such an idiot. Bullies are to be despised , got that? And I dislike bullies. Picking on those weaker than yourself is proper of cowards. Now I suppose that you will leave this... Past time of yours. Right?" Duncan nodded. "Good." And with that he dropped the stunned football player, that looked up unsure. "Wh-what about my leg?" Ranma snickered. "Don't be a sisi. Your leg's muscles will unlock by themselves in some minutes. Give it time." Duncan looked at his leg, relief evident in his face. "One last thing." The quarterback looked up, wincing. The voice had none of its owner former anger but it was cold and once again Toad and him noticed the dropping of temperature. "Y-yeah man?" Ranma kneeled to be at Duncan's level pointing at Toad with his thump. "You excuse yourself to him." Toad looked startled, his eyes moving from his savior to his former aggressor. Duncan swallowed. If there was something that the young man understood was orders. He got them continuously from his coach. Yet this one packed more power than the ones form his trainer. "S-sure. I'm sorry Tolensky." Toad dumbly nodded still not believing what was happening. "One last thing." Duncan looked back at Ranma, his voice ad been almost kind but when he opened it again and spoke there was steel in them. "For your own sake, hope I'll never ear that you have been a bully again. Got it?" Duncan started to nod vigorously, his eyes wide. There was no mistake in those words, in the not so hidden threat. Ranma glanced at Duncan's leg. Straightening, he pulled the older boy with him, lifting him without any effort what so ever. "Your leg should be fine by now. Go take a shower as you should be doing. Now go!" Duncan just tested his leg and, noticing that it was once again normal, blasted off the corridor following his mates. Ranma turned towards toad only to find that he was long gone. He blinked some. "Man that's fast! Oh well " Sighing he repressed a stray thought to check his surroundings with his senses. Now that he cooled down he wondered if busting through this would bring him problems. The guy that had been bullied was a mutant and that was bad enough taking in count his own situation, with a mutant power that he could barely control. Picking his folded papers from one of the rear pockets of his jeans Ranma looked at them in frustration. "And I that wanted to ask where was classroom 1-b..." Muttering under his breath Ranma moved away from the zone he was in. This was starting to get serious. --------------------------------------- Jean Grey started mind absently to the black chalk board even as her mind was miles away from the issues of her class. She wasn't even concerned by the remote possibility that the professor caught her day-dreaming. After all she was Jean Grey, all around straight A student, perfect student, member of the cheerleader group, going out with the school's quarterback. Not likely. No teacher would ask her if she was daydreaming because no one of them expected her to be doing so. Her *spotless* reputation took care of that. And she loathed it. Sometimes she saw her life as a big lie. Mutant; living a life that would never be normal. Successful student, popular between her peers, loving parents... Living a doll's life, seemingly perfect. Until yesterday all was more or less easy. Sure they face the Brotherhood and other lesser dangers weekly but there was always the feeling that they were almost playing against other mutants. There had been moments of fear of course, like when she had been kidnapped by the Blob but even there she somehow knew that they would win. It was fun. It was a rush that she could handle together with her normal life as Xavier always wanted for his wards, the distinct possibility of being able to be a part of the world, despite their powers that put them beyond the normal rules of the humans' world; of their world. And all changed with a speed that still make her mind reel. This time she had tasted something that she wouldn't have guessed she would ever live. Defeat. Total defeat. Wanda; Quicksilver's sister changed it all. Never had she felt so powerless, not even when facing Desmero. The difference being that Wanda defeated them all with her strange ability to bent the possibilities, switching their powers to the point that they weren't able to confide in their control upon them, in a part of themselves they had trusted until now, that brought them victory time and time again. She still could feel Scott's numbness when he started walking slowly being followed by the other members of the team. It would take time for them to recuperate from the feeling of defeat Wanda instilled in themselves. She pulled a strand of her crimson hair, even as she exited of her reverie. She glanced at the teacher that droned upon them something about some obscure point in the history of America. She could care less. The return to the mansion hadn't been too good either. The gloom that hung upon them all followed them until they were all back in their home. The dinner had been a quiet issue, all deep in their thoughts wondering what went wrong, if it was them or if Wanda was too powerful. The New Mutants seemed to notice that something had been wrong but they hadn't pressed the issue even if some of them, maybe only one of them, had decided to play a prank upon them to lift their spirits. But apart from angry yells and nearly universal cursing the same feeling of defeat clung to them even if they seemed to be shaking it bit by bit. In her case it was difficult due to her own mind powers, making her responsive of the feelings of her friends, forcing her to fortify her mental shields to keep the dark feelings out of her own perturbed mind. The adults had tried to be supportive even if it was in tow different ways. Ororo had been like always, supporting them in a more open fashion than Logan, giving them words of hope and concerned about everyone of them, even if she had been more preoccupied by Ethan as his over present confidence had taken a huge blow. Logan had remained silent but his dark eyes seemed to burn everybody that locked gazes with him. He seemed to be radiating anger and fighting spirit in massive quantities. His eyes seemed to tell them that one way or another Logan wouldn't let them surrender to their own depression, even if he had to kick them unto purging that feeling from their systems. Jean sighed as the gong that signaled the end of the class filled the room. She quickly gathered her things and notes and exited. The meeting with a young man in an alley in her rebel days as a Bayville Siren long forgotten, lost in a maze of stray thoughts. --------------------------------------- Not so far away. He looked left. He looked right. He looked down at the sheets of papers the headmaster gave him. Gibberish. Useless to boot. He looked up, pulled a deep breath. It was useless. Then asked, aloud: "Where am I?" Then as soon as he closed his mouth the bell sounded and at once all the classes opened leaving a flow of humanity in the until now empty corridors. It didn't help, yet it shed a light of hope. At first he took that as a chance to ask someone the way to some of his classes or to the mess hall, but everyone seemed in their world and no one paid him attention. Maybe the fact that he asked (or tried to) ask it only to guys had something to do with that. He tried to ask a girl he saw passing near but the cold look as well as the Goth looks prevented him in doing so. Still he saw for a moment something in those green eyes... There was a plead in those deep green depths but at the same time a sort of warning message, as if she had to keep the distance, willing or not. Normally Ranma would have ignored something as vague as that but as soon as he tried to near her his danger sense started tingling. It was a warning way more real that the impression he got from those green eyes so he turned... Only to crash against another girl. She stumbled backwards, but at the last moment was able to regain her equilibrium as her books went flying. She even moved her arms in a try to get them before falling into the ground but she wasn't fast enough. But Ranma was. In a flash, acting by sheer instinct, his hands flew to take the books as he had done so long ago with the bowls of Chinese food when he worked at the Nekohanten. Before the young woman had time to blink Ranma was handing her the books. "Sorry 'bout that. Are you alright?" he asked concerned The young woman with red hair and green eyes smiled as she took the books. "Yes I'm fine. I should have looked..." "No! I mean, I should be the one to have looked. It was my fault. I'm Ranma... Toushin by the way." The red head took her books under one harm as she shook Ranma's outstretched hand, not having picked up Ranma's hesitance when presenting himself. "Jean Grey, pleased to met you Ranma." She looked at him strangely for a moment, taking on his looks. He was not the kind of man a girl would forget, that was for sure. This was the first time she saw him at school so he must be a freshman but something in him called her attention. She was sure to have met him before, but where? Figuring that remaining like that, looking at him, could be taken wrongly she pressed her issue. "Say Ranma I never saw you here before, you are new here aren't you?" Ranma nodded taking a good look to the young woman in front of him. She was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, with long red hair and green eyes where intelligence shone. She had an air of elegance that seemed natural, giving the impression of belonging to another class of being altogether. But why did he had the impression that he had seen her before. Following his instinct he opened his sense to his ki perception and what he saw let him feeling uncomfortable. On one side, she was a mutant. And on the other side, she was one of those girls he had had met previously; those so called Bayville Sirens... And they hadn't parted in the best way with him blowing up half a street and leaving them covered in dust. No, not a good way to start a relationship. Yet she was the first being here that looked at him with a friendly face. Putting on his best smile and tuning on his infamous charm he answered. "Yeah my first day. Problem is, I don't know the place and I'm kind a lost I was searching for..." That's when his hears picked a sound he knew very well: a girl crying against someone. Meaning someone was in trouble. And that meant that he had to do what a martial artist had to do. He turned. "Sorry. Have to go!" He called over his shoulder as he moved into action, passing trough the crowd of people leaving a somewhat surprised Jean behind. "Strange guy," called a voice with a southerner accent. Jean turned to see Rogue, her fellow teammate, look at the spot where Ranma was moments before with barely hidden interest. "You can say that." Yet there had been something. She hadn't been very concentrated to use her power but she had been able to pick a good number of feelings from him before he dashed away and some of them made no sense. First; panic when she had ran on him... And man it was like running into one of the Danger Room's steel panel. What was this "Ranma" made of? Then something akin to... Hope? Relief? Whatever it was, it was when she had been friendly with him. Then following that, something strange... Weariness like if he had found something not pleasant about her. But that was ridicule. The only way he could have found something "wrong" in her would be if he had mental powers similar to hers and even in that case she would have sensed his probing. And he would have to be a mutant to do so, and that was most unlikely. So what? Following that some mild hope soon to be washed away by urgency. Something he had "sensed" had put him in a rush. Urgency let place to some resignation and regret before he had been too far away from her to allow her to pick something. Strange. What would have be the cause of all of it? And why did she had the feeling that she had met him before? Why? She looked around as if clearing her mind, focusing it, searching for something... and noticing something else. "Where is Kitty?" --------------------------------------- Few moments before It wasn't a good day for Kitty Pride, she reflected as she exited her classroom and moved towards her locker. First Kurt (or was it Jamie? She didn't know and didn't care as far as she killed the one responsible) had pulled a joke on almost everybody making almost all the X-Men and New Mutants late, forcing some of them to go on foot while the others used the cars available to reach school. She had been almost late. In fact she *did* arrive late just as the door of her class was closing. She had been tempted to use her mutant power to phase through the door but that would have been a bad idea. So she had to call at the door, even as some of her classmates laughed, and her teacher scowled. Then she realized that she had forgotten her homework. She had been too tired, physically and emotionally, after the battle with the Brotherhood and that girl, to really care about putting her work in her book bag. Meaning that when she awoke late she totally forgot to put it with her things in the panic that ensued. Of course the teacher called her asking for it. It wasn't too pleasant but her good grades gave her some breathing room yet it added on the humiliation she had been gathering. And the next classe had been even worst! As had been the following one. And now that she checked she had not enough money to buy lunch. She sighed as she closed her locker. She would have to ask Scott or Jean for money. The day couldn't get worst. "Well, well, well... What do we have here? A lost kitten?" asked Lance, the mutant known as Avalanche. "And she is not with any of her x-geek friends right, Maximoff?" The speed demon grinned even as he pushed a silvery strand of hair back. "Right. And that's such a pity." Now she realized that she was very wrong. The day could get worst! It was rotten to the core! She looked around her and the two members of the Brotherhood. Too many people to phase trough the ground or inside of the lockers without calling unwanted attention. After their defeat she should have expected something like that... Still as she looked at Lance something didn't seem right. Something in his eyes told her that he was ready to give her trouble... but not really wanting to. Anyway it had no sense! It was since long that the Brotherhood had caused them problems so why? She snapped out of it. It wasn't the right moment to start wondering why they were after her. She had to get out of their reach... And no one to help her, not Scott, not Jean and not even Kurt! No. It couldn't go worse. "Now girly you'll come with us." said Pietro even as he moved towards the young girl. She backed away until she was touching her locker. She would have to phase trough it but if they called to the Blob or even worst yet Pietro's crazy sister... "Don't make it harder for you girl. Now you're coming with us!" said Quicksilver smugly. "Get lost jerk!" she called back even as she backed a step more. Lance took her by her arm, hurting her. "Move!" "Let me go you idiot!" she shouted. "Shut up!" said Pietro. "Why don't you two leave her alone?" Lance, Kitty and Pietro turned none of them recognizing the voice. It wasn't one of the teachers or even Kitty's friends. It was a young Asian male, more or less of their age, with raven hair tied back into a pig-tail of all things. And he wasn't looking very happy. "She told you boys to leave her alone. Are you two deaf or simply stupid?" Kitty nodded as relief washed over her, then concern. She had never seen him before so he had to be new here. No one in the High School would dare to face Pietro's group. It wasn't too long until the other students noticed that something wasn't normal with them and that it was bad business to do so. Both Pietro and Lance looked at each others not liking being called stupid. "Why don't you let her go? Feeling good going two against one? Really great. What's with this school and bullies? Che! You're all a bunch of losers." Kitty giggled. The corridors were now emptying as no one wanted to be on the way. Kitty soon found herself free, Pietro and Lance's attention focused in the new guy, having forgotten about her. She saw Quicksilver tense but before she had time to shout the silver haired mutant was moving, too fast to be seen. Pietro Maximoff, better known as the Speed Demon, raced against the idiot that dared to bust in their fun. Now she would surely phase trough the ground or something like that. That was the most difficult thing about Shadowgirl: if she saw you coming she had the possibility to escape but as she was the weakest of the group she was the most inviting prey. His fist arched towards the face of the black haired guy, invisible. His fist was about to connect when Pietro had the surprise of his life, making him halt so great was his shock. A shock mirrored in Kitty's and Lance's faces as they saw the other boy's arm move with a speed as great as Quicksilver's, catching his wrist. --------------------------------------- Ranma's blood was boiling. He knew that this was against what Nabiki had advised him but it was his duty to protect the weak and right now, the sight of those two jerks pestering that young girl was making him feel angry. He just couldn't support bullies. Even so he was puzzled. Was it because he was out of Japan that suddenly he found not one but three bullies? It couldn't be that. of course, some pesky part of his brain told him, in Nerima no one was mad enough to be a bully. They all knew too well what Ranma thought about bullies; his dislike of the mighty picking on the weakest. Those that believed that they could make it slide, trying hard not to make their activities know by the pig-tailed martial artist soon found, to their greatest dislike that Ranma just knew about those things. And it was generally painful. Ranma's attention returned to the scene unfolding before him. The girl, she had to be at more two years younger than him, was looking like if trying to appear strong but Ranma could sense her hidden fear. From what he could get of the feelings going on between the three of them there was a long story behind this bullying. Still she seemed to know that if they had achieved to take her with them she would be passing a bad time. All kinds of scenarios passed trough his mind and none of them looked good. Still as he looked at them the young mutant martial artist couldn't help but groan. Could it be that this school had only mutants?! And why was he running unto them time and time again? Anyway the one with the strange silver like hair attacked after he had called their attention and Ranma's eyes widened by the speed he was picking. It was down right impressive. His body was almost too fast to be seen it but even so Ranma was able to see it coming. To feel it coming. He could almost taste the energy he generated, the energy in the air he moved with his extremely fast move. It was like having three sets of senses. His ki ones, his usual six senses and his new energy-mutant one. A new dimension on perception. Ranma suppressed a grin as his mind analyzed the threat with a speed that could shame Quicksilver's. The fist was now instants away from his face. His own hand flashed with speeds rivaling Pietro's, catching his wrist. Then with his finger he pressed a nervous cluster, making the silver haired mutant to fall to his knees even as Ranma continued holding his wrist. Lance tried to do something, to use his mutant power but if this guy was as fast as Pietro he had no chance against him. Better to find help. Anyway he didn't want to be here in the first place. With that thought he started running away, not looking away towards his fallen comrade but yes at Kitty, but for a short moment. Ranma sighed as he looked the other bully run away. Mutant or human, all were the same kind of trash. He looked down at the young man that was whimpering in pain, too proud to shout even as Ranma's finger's dug in, sending waves of pain trough his arm. Ranma released him, knowing the pain would fade in a little while. "Be careful if I ever see you again doing something like that." he gestured towards the empty corridor. "Out of here. Go with your... friend." Pietro holding his hand to his chest in pain, shoot him an anger filled gaze that left very clear his intentions. Ranma met his gaze with one of his own, calm and unconcerned. Magneto's son with a last look turned and fled. Ranma sighed. "That's not what I wanted..." Then he turned towards the young girl. She had brown hair put in a ponytail as two long bangs framed her cute face. He smiled his best smile as he neared her. "Hey are you all right? Those two losers did nothing to ya, right?" Kitty looked up to her savior. He was a little more taller than Scott, with a pair of deep blue eyes set in an attractive face, eyes that shone with concern for her. She looked at him at his well defined body and his friendly smile, before she smiled herself. "Yes thank you very much to help me!" He seemed taken aback with her enthusiasm. Idly he scratched the back of his head. "Ah that's nothing." he said embarrassed while looking at her face. For a moment she seemed to smile but the her features soon turned concerned. "But now those two will go after you..." "So?" "Well I mean they are dangerous... They have... You saw how Pietro moved that fast..." Ranma looked where both young mutants escaped before looking back at her. Looking at her beyond the layers of flesh, he once again noticed the strength of her aura, of her life force that denounced her as a mutant herself. With a slight pause Ranma checked her as he had with Jean and as he suspected she was one of those Sirens. Ranma shook his head before speaking, more for her sake than for his. "If you mean that they are mutants then don't worry. Those jerks, with powers or not, are losers." Kitty looked at Ranma strangely. What he said could be taken as if he knew that they were mutants but if so, then how? And if he knew that Pietro and Lance were mutants then there was a distinct and disturbing possibility that he knew that she was one too. Was he also a mutant? If so what were his powers? Kitty tilted her head and looked at her "savior" intensely. Suddenly she was stroke by the fact that she seemed to have met Ranma before. He was familiar and yet she wasn't able to pin-point where she had met him before. And what was more he seemed to call her mind upon Logan. But that was ridiculous! Suddenly she noticed that she had been staring at Ranma longer that it was proper, quickly averting here eyes from his, blushing what made Ranma rather nervous. Ranma was indeed feeling nervous. Why if she had recognized him? And that way to look at him? In a mind rush his brain tried to come with a witty remark or something like that... Unfortunately his brain, as ever with a situation concerning a girl (being it romantic or not), sucked. So he come up with the best next thing along his brain. His stomach. "Do you know where I can buy food here? I'm new and I don't know the place. Can you show me the way?" he said, relived to be able to say something coherently. This seemed to fit well as Kitty smiled, obviously feeling relived to be out of the uncomfortable situation they were both in. "Sure!" The she realized why her day sucked, or at least one of the reasons why. "But I don't have any money with me." she gave a sour face. She looked downward, somewhat ashamed. Ranma looked at her, some of his anger back, but he controlled his temper. This was not the right moment. Pausing to chose his words he spoke slowly, trying to but some friendliness in them "So those two bullies took your money?" She looked up at him, somewhat embarrassed "Its not that... but I had a bad awakening, so I kind of forgot my money. I was going to ask my friends but then those two jumped on me." Ranma nodded. "Bad day uh?" Kitty nodded, reluctantly. His voice softened noticeably. "I can relate. Not too long ago it was strange to not have a bad day, but I don't let it pull me down. So you don't have money to buy you lunch... Well then let me invite you." Kitty seemed embarrassed by that unknown young man. Not only he saved her from Pietro and Lance but also showed such kindness... He calmed her own fears even if now he had enemies and on top if everything else now was inviting her to lunch. That could be the understatement of the year, the boy in front of her was absolutely drop dead gorgeous, but even so... Ranma as if feeling her reluctance spoke, fighting to find the correct words. "Look, if it makes you feel better, you can take this as a way to thank you for showing me the way. I'm new here and I don't have friends. So it will be a pleasure if a cute girl like you helped me." Kitty could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks She swallowed. "Ah... well... in that case yeah it will be a pleasure." Ranma smiled, a smile that could rise the heartbeat in anything female. "Lead the way." then as if realizing something, asked. "I just noticed that I don't know your name." Kitty looked at him. That was right. "Kitty Pride. And you?" "Ranma Toushin. Nice too meet ya Kitty." he offered his hand. Kitty took it, noticing the gentle strength behind it, the warmth of his skin, as she shook it. "Nice to meet you too Ranma." --------------------------------------- As they both took their place in the line of students awaiting for their turn at the helpings, Ranma noticed a large group of people looking at him, more correctly at him and Kitty. He recognized Jean Grey and the strange girl with the Goth looks which his danger sense had reacted, as well as Jubilee. The other girls he had still to met like the boys, two of them drawing his attention, specially the one with blue-black hair. He seemed pretty normal if not for... His eyes narrowed in concentration... a sort of light field around him? Opening his senses he discovered what he already suspected, he knew the truth for several of them but even so better safe than sorry. Bingo. They were *all* mutants, shinning strongly in contrast to other students, normal human beings. As he probed further (without looking at the group) the aura of one of the girls, the youngest in fact, called his attention. It gave him a feral feeling, less human than her friends. Still he was surprised to see such a "group" together. Turning to Kitty that was in front of him he asked with a gesturing of his head. "Hey Kitty are those your friends?" She turned her head and holding the empty tray with one hand waved at them smiling. Some in the group gestured back, but most remained oblivious to her. She seemed to feel that and it seemed to damper her mood. It was like their behavior made her remember something unpleasant that most of the group shared. Then she looked at Ranma, making a visible effort not to show him her depression. She smiled but even that was strained. "Yeah those are my friends, I'm sure you'll like them." Ranma paused for a moment. He may be slow on the emotional stuff but even he realized that it wasn't the best of the moments to intrude in a group made entirely of mutants, more when they are feeling depressed and some of them could have a reason to be pissed at him. But how to say it without hurting Kitty? For once luck seemed to smile at the young warrior when his brain seemed to have an epiphany. Here it goes... "Better not. I was kind of rude to your friend Jean back when I heard you wrestling with those two jerks. Please ask her to forgive my behavior. Anyway I feel it would too uncomfortable...". "No way! After you saved me from Pietro and Lance? They better welcome you with open hands if not..." Ranma cut her, smiling slightly at her antics. "Kitty." "Yes?" she asked her anger still clear, shining trough her depression. "It's your turn." he said pointing a finger to the lady that was looking at them with a sour face "Upps..." she smiled at the non smiling old woman in charge "I would like..." she started. After Ranma had paid for their meals she again pressed him to accept meeting with her friends. To her greatest frustration it would be easier to break one of Logan's bones than to break Ranma out of his decision. Internally she snorted, cursing men in general and stubborn men in particular. "Look Kitty... I'm sure that your friends are very nice and all but I don't think that right now is the best moment to met them." She wouldn't surrender without a fight. "But it's your first day here! You should be with people, find your place. I mean my friends will be glad that you protected me from those two..." "Not today" he said as he put his tray in a lonely place in the nearest table to them. He looked at her, trying to make her desist. "Maybe tomorrow; after you have talked to them and if all agree that it would be fine for me to enter your circle. But today it wouldn't be wise believe me." Kitty seemed to consider it before nodding. "Very well. But tomorrow you must promise me that you will seat with us. Promise me." Ranma sighed. It was like talking to a younger sister. "Okay Kitty. But tomorrow! Now go and ate before the time runs out." "Yay! See you then!" that said she turned towards the table with her friends. Ranma with a smile sat and started to ate. He could see and feel people pointing at him, some speaking in whispers not bothering to hide that he was the topic of their exchanges. Also he noticed several girls, in fact lots of them, looking at him with what could only be classified as hungry looks. He started to ate oblivious of them all. --------------------------------------- Kitty put her tray upon that table as she sat with a huge smile. "His just so handsome!" she sighed. "Handsome?!" asked in chorus some of the guys like Kurt, Ethan, Mario or Rick. Kurt went even further. "What do you see in a mannen like that when you have someone like Ach around?" he said as he pulled his hair back in a show of pseudo vanity. Kitty looked at him as if he had suddenly become idiot. She snorted. "Well the fact that he bought me lunch, is extremely well build, gorgeous, kind, attentive, doesn't make some dumb jokes as *someone* I know and that he is able to stop a punch from Quicksilver and make Lance ran away all in one? Oh, well apart that I don't know." "You got that right," said Jubilee with a smile as she nodded in direction of her teammate. "You know him?" asked Kitty puzzled. "How? It's his first day." Jubilee looked at her friends, enjoying somewhat to have some attention. "Well this morning as I was on my way here when I crossed one of the nearby streets. Anyway I slipped and felt just in the middle of it. A car was coming straight towards me..." She paused to take a slip of her drink. "And? What happened?" asked Rahne, her green eyes looking at her pack-mates with wonder before looking at Ranma that was eating seemingly oblivious to the attention he was getting, not only of their group but from many of the students gathered there. "I was about to be passed over when he appeared from nowhere picking me up and putting me out of harm's way. He was walking somewhere behind me when he saw me fall down and reacted when he realized that the car was about to run me over. He was somewhat pressed and as I was too so I didn't ask him too much, only his name. He looked at Kitty, her smile bigger. "But you're right. He's a hunk." Kitty nodded sharing her own smile with the younger mutant. Ethan had watched the display between his friends before busting in. "Turn back in time Kitty-cat. I must be mental but did I heard right? He was able to stop a punch from Pietro? He wasn't using his mutant speed then, right?" he asked. His rivalry with Pietro knew no bounds and after the debacle of the other night he hung on that to go on. Kitty looked at him, dead serious, her smile gone. "He stopped it with Pietro using his power. You should have seen it! They had me cornered and were about to take me with them when Ranma appeared. He insulted them and then Pietro attacked him. Then the next thing I know Pietro is in the ground kneeling, doubled by the pain. And he did as if it was nothing." "He had Pietro in the ground?" asked Jean in disbelief Kitty nodded. "He was holding his wrist and Pietro was on his knees. When he released him Pietro was nursing his arm like it hurt a lot." She started eating when she remembered something else. She stopped chewing and swallowed before looking at Jean. "Ah and he asked me to tell you he was sorry by his rude behavior. He said that he heard me in troubles." she paused to consider. "That's strange I remember that I shouted to Lance to leave me alone but it wasn't that loud." Jean leaned upon the table exchanging looks between Kitty and Ranma some tables away. "That can't be right. Where were you?" Kitty looked at her. "The home economic class. Why?" Jean looked at Ranma, then at Rogue that seemed a little more pale even with the Goth make up. "It's that, I was too far to even feel it. And he was able to hear you? That's amazing." "Do you think that he is a mutant too?" Asked Jubilee to her friends. Jean looked at Ranma in wonder. "Maybe, but what power can he have apart from being able to sense Kitty in trouble too far away for any of us to even ear her? And then if he was able to stop a punch from Maximoff... it doesn't strike me as a mutant power." Scott looked at Ranma, his brow upon his ruby quarts glasses drown in concentration. "If the professor is right our abilities are but side effects of a main mutant power. Keen senses and high speed don't have much in common." Amarra looked at Ranma for the first time, something in him called her attention, nagging at her mind. "Say, is it me or this Ranma is familiar looking?" Jean looked at her friend. "You too have that impression?" asked Kitty in wonder, her face showing her surprise. Jean was feeling likewise. That was too much to be a single coincidence "You too?" she asked even as she looked once again at Ranma trying to find just what was so familiar in him Kitty and Amarra looked at Jean. Rogue chose that moment to speak. "I have that impression too." she confirmed. Jean turned to the guys that had remained silent. Scott in particular seemed in deep thought even as he looked at the pig-tailed youth intensely. "Scott?" Cyclops turned to his friend "Sorry but I don't find him familiar... still when he moved he recalled me Logan." The whole group looked back at Ranma that seemed to have a bad time with his food somehow. He was looking at it strangely, chewing very slowly each small bite. Scott looked at Kitty that was looking at him. "Somehow I had that impression too. Seeing him I can't help but think a little about Logan. But I don't believe that's why I find him familiar" said Kitty turning back to look at Ranma. Jean's mind was racing trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle Ranma was. He was so disturbingly familiar to her, Kitty, Amarra and Rogue. The boys and Jubilee didn't feel like that but something in him remained them of Logan. In other words she and some of the girls had met him before but weren't able to fully grasp when. Reaching with her mind she called upon the only being that could help her. --Professor?-- For a second only silence greeted her but suddenly she could feel Xavier's overwhelming but comfortable presence with her. --Yes Jean? Why did you call me for?-- Xavier's gentle voice resounded in the halls of her mind. --I wanted to ask you if there had been any non recorded mutant activity here in the High School in the last hour or so-- Xavier's surprise answered her --Not that I am aware of. There hadn't been any use of mutant power as far as Cerebro tells me. Why do you ask Jean?-- some curiosity could be felt in Xavier's mental projection. --Nothing to worry about professor... Only that there is a new student that has us intrigued. We think that there is something strange with him but we aren't sure that he is a mutant.-- Xavier seemed to consider Jean's news. The red head could still feel his overwhelming presence near her so she awaited patiently. --I see. I will check if I can find some information about any new student Jean. Can you give me his name?-- Jean mentally nodded --He's name is Ranma Toushin-- --That's a Japanese name... Curious...-- Jean's eyes narrowed. She could feel her mentor's interest picked up after she said his name --Professor, what is curious? Is there something wrong?-- Xavier's mental voice was cautious, but jean failed to feel any worry so she relaxed considerably. --No, nothing. It's only that Japanese names have a meaning and the name "Toushin" can be a sort of warning. It could be of no consequence, of course, nothing more than a curious detail but... Try to avoid any physical confrontation with this new student if possible-- Unfortunately Jean's own curiosity had been aroused by Xavier's words. --What does that name mean?-- Now Jean could almost feel Xavier's mood change. Not easy when the man you are dealing with can read you as easily as an open book. --I will tell you once I have more information, just remember what I said. I see you later Jean-- And with that he was gone, his presence vanishing as fast as it had appeared. Jean sighed her attention returning to the topic. All her friends were looking at her, knowing very well that she had been speaking with the professor. She shook her head. "The professor says that there had been no mutant activity in the last hours." That seemed to increase the confusion that had settled in their table. "Okay; a dumb question." said Ethan. "What moves like a mutant but is not a mutant?" Silence. "Rogue!" Everybody turned to see Risty Wilde moving towards them, or more precisely towards Rogue, smiling. Rogue smiled looking at her friend coming with her own tray of food, yet the young southerner noticed that the food was barely touched as was hers, with all that talk about this Ranma guy. Rusty let her tray near her friend's before pointing to Ranma. "Have you seen this new cutie?" Rogue blinked, casting a quick glance towards her fellow X-Men teammates. "Well yeah, but..." Rogue's exuberant friend not even let her finish. "Notice something? He is sitting there alone, no doubt feeling as lost as I was when I first came here! Now a boy like that, with a body like his, all alone and no girl near him? That's a crime! I'm sure two cute girls like us could cheer him up! Come!" And without leaving to the white stripped girl time to say something, she garbed one of Rogue's arms and started pulling her, making Rogue yelp even as she was pulled pout of her chair, her eyes moving desperately to her friends that were looking at the duo with surprised faces, not really sure about what was going on. Everybody blinked. "Um... what just happened?" asked Kurt. Jubilee and Kitty exchanged a glance before nodding, rising up and picking their trays with them, followed Rusty and Rogue towards Ranma. Rahne looked somewhat doubtful, looking at her moving friends then to Jean that was looking at Ranma with keen eyes, all thew while exchanging concerned glances with Scott. Amarra was also looking at the red head as if awaiting some kind of order from the older girl. Scott nodded and Jean smiled at Rahne and at Amarra. "Well girls why don't we go and give the new by a welcome?" The two younger girls smiled before rising up, picking up their food. Rahne seemed to consider it for a moment and picked up Rogue's one. Jean did the same with Rusty before the three of them moved towards the other girls and one unsuspecting martial artist. --------------------------------------- The boys, now deserted by the female gender in its totality, looked at each other some not really picking up what had just happened. Kurt didn't seem too happy by that fact, looking at Ranma with dark looks that the before mentioned martial artist ignored because he wasn't even aware of them, even if in truth he would have done likewise had he known. In fact, and unknown by Kurt, Ranma would have preferred another bout with, say Saffron, before facing the full attention of seven girls. Ethan by his side was looking somewhat amused and some measure of respect was shining in his eyes towards Ranma. "Man I wish I had been as welcome as this guy is going to be when I arrived here!" Of course, he also did not know Ranma too much. Scott was looking at the whole deal silently, as if calculating what was going on and how it would affect the X-Men. What had happened with Wanda couldn't repeat itself so he had left this in Jean's hands. His eyes, kept hidden behind the ruby quartz, were fixated in Ranma, wondering and considering all that had been known about this new guy... Even if bothered by the lack of information, something told the young X-Men leader, maybe some gut instinct, that Ranma wasn't a danger to them. He hoped not to be wrong but Logan had told him more than once to follow those instincts. As for the male new mutants remaining; Berzerk, Iceman, Sunspot and Multiple, not really liking to hang with the older boys of Xavier's school and not too concerned about the new guy decided to move out of the mess hall, leaving the senior members of the team by themselves Suddenly Ethan pointed with his thumb towards another point in the hall. "Well maybe he is not a mutant or maybe yes but we are not the only one to be interested in him. Look who is looking at him in that corner." Scott and Kurt followed Ethan's indications, looking to the place where Spike pointed. There, in a distant table were Pietro, Lance, Tabitha and the Blob none of them with friendly looks as they looked at Ranma and the growing group around him. A shiver crossed the spine of the three X-Men when they saw the Scarlet Witch with her teammates, but a closer look told them that Wanda was not really bothering with anything, and even if she was looking at the new student too it was with a bored look. Meanwhile Toad seemed to be very nervous as he looked at his fellow members of the Brotherhood and at the target of all their looks be it bored, angry or simply indifferent. "Do you think we should keep an eye upon Ranma? Keep him out of trouble?" Ethan asked Scott, the eagerness to act, to fight, to get some measure of revenge from what happened clear in his voice which concerned Scott. He didn't like it. Still The young mutant know as Cyclops was silent as he considered it. It would draw too much attention if they looked after Ranma in the open, maybe from afar... Kurt looked at Ranma, that was oblivious to all the attention he was getting from the members of the brotherhood. It didn't look good, not at all. "Even I wouldn't want him to face that alone. What can we do mein captain?" he asked Scott his voice thick with his German. Scott seemed to consider it for a while more before speaking. "For now we'll watch and hope that our... friends don't do anything harsh. If they do we will have to deal with it but being careful. We can't let the fact that we have powers be discovered. Until then Ranma will have to get care of himself but if I'm right I don't believe he will need our help." He paused a smile appearing. "Maybe its the brotherhood that will need some help..." --------------------------------------- Speaking of which... Pietro Maximoff still massaged his wrist even if the pain, physical it is, was since long gone. But the pain his bruised ego still supported... well that was another matter and to Pietro, otherwise known as Quicksilver, that was the pain that hurt the most. The knowledge that he had been bested. Humiliated. As if things weren't bad enough with the surprising return of his long lost sister, another thing that he had to thanks his father for. Just bloody perfect. The ice of the cake was Mystique's return, not only because she brought a Wanda he had trouble to deal with, even recognize as his long lost sister, but because it meant that the time of relative freedom from his father was done, gone. For one thing he had to start making life impossible to the X-Men, use their first defeat as a way to bury them even deeper in depression; weaken them was what Mystique had told them to do. Not that he cared too much about those X-losers, and to know that they were still smarting after their defeat was something exhilarating... to know that for once the X-Men had to recover from it. It was pleasant even if it was mostly his sister's work, better yet of her weird powers. But a victory was a victory and seeing Summers, Pride, Grey and all their little band depressed made him feel good. Yeah pretty good, good enough to make Lance help him (unwillingly even if the other boy refused to recognize it) trap that little stray X-cat... Unfortunately that cat had some new friend. A friend that in less than five minutes was enough to remember him all the bad things that had happened in the last days. Under his breath Pietro cursed... just as lance elbowed him in the ribs, making the silver haired mutant grunt, shooting him a warning glance. Lance gestured and Pietro, following the direction his teammate indicated, realized what lance had seen. It was *him*. He saw the new boy sat, after seemingly discuss something with kitty that joined her friends with a disappointed look. Soon they were all chatting, from time to time throwing a look to the new Asian boy that seemed to be oblivious to the interest he was rising. Pietro looked around and he could see that the x-geeks weren't the only ones looking at this newcomer with interest. Several girls and some boys were giving him new looks, clear interest from the girls while curiosity predominated in the boys. He wasn't sure of he liked that... He looked at his table, trying to see of the others had some sort of reaction. Fred was eating with is usual gusto, meaning like a pig, stuffing all the food he could with his enormous hands. Lance while looking at the new guy soon lose interest, even if Pietro had the impression that something flickered in his eyes when he saw Shadowcat look at her "savior". Still what called his attention was how Toad and his sister were looking at the new guy. Wanda did nothing to hide her interest, her eyes never leaving him. Yet her face was cold... only her dark eyes seemed to show some emotion at all, as if he was a puzzle that she wanted to resolve even as mechanically she was eating the food in her tray, her full attention on the pig tailed youth. Toad was the one that impressed him. Generally he wouldn't have minded him too much... no one minded toad to much. But this time there was some knowledge in those bleak eyes that called Pietro's interest. "Hey Toad!" The other boy snapped out of whatever he was thinking about and looked at Pietro, not really knowing what the older boy would want. "Yeah?" Pietro pointed Ranma with his thumb. "You know this guy?" Toad snapped towards were Ranma was sitting before looking at magneto's son. "No, no I don't know him... how would I know him? Me? Please! Hehehe..." "You're lying." The four boys turned towards Wanda that was smiling slightly. "Wha... what do you mean? I don't know this guy! Honest!" said Toad, looking imploringly at the young witch. Wanda smiled, yet there was no warmth in that smile. "I know when someone lies." And with that she resumed examining Ranma. By his part Toad turned towards his team mates, smiling weekly, trying to rest strength out of Wanda's affirmation. "Come on guys! Yeah I did cross this guy, but noting happened! think about it! why would a new guy like that speak to a reject like I?" "He's right dude," said Fred as he stopped stuffing himself to hear Toad's plea Pietro nodded before turning to observe the new guy once again, still his thoughts were interrupted by a new arrival. "Hey boys!" Tabitha Smith, better know as Boom-Boom had arrived. Immediately Fred stopped eating, a silly grin spreading across his features. "oh hi Tabitha..." he said before he offered her his tray "Want some?" Tabitha smiled before she advanced slightly her own tray. "thanks but I already have my food." Fred looked down embarrassed. "Oh..." "But it was really sweet Fred!" Blob blushed, without looking up. "it... it was nothing." Tabitha nodded knowing that she wouldn't get a better answer from the bigger guy, so she turned her attention towards the others, completely ignoring Wanda which suited the other girl perfectly. "What are you guys speaking about?" she asked as she dug in her hamburger Pietro didn't answer while lance rolled his eyes. "Our fearless leader here is pissed at the new guy." "How so?" she asked with interest even as Pietro blushed slightly. "Well he was about to play with some kitten when this guy appears out of nowhere and beats him in his own speed game." he almost snickered in the end "Really? And where is this guy that can best the speed demon?" Lance smirked. "Just follow all the girls gazes, this guy seems to attract them likes bees to honey." Tabitha looked at him. Just for a moment she had believed to feel something... Shrugging the blonde mutant turned to see this new guy. It was fairly easy to find him. has lance has said he was the hot spot in the mess hall. Well she could understand why. Lean, powerful muscles that tensed and relaxed like steel cords, raven black hair tied up in a short pig-tail... Hot stuff. Then as she looked at him the feeling that she had seen him before, somehow assaulted her. She narrowed her eyes, while she screwed her mind to find where she had seen him before... She continued looking at him yet her face must have hinted that it was something beyond simple interest about a new guy in the school because the boys exchanged puzzled looks. Then suddenly Tabitha's eyes snapped, wide. She just remembered where and when she had seen him... And how he had humiliated her and her friends, not forgetting the three hours she had to spend cleaning her clothes, hair, eyes and lungs of all the dust he had released doing his little Hudini trick. Oh she would have his hide for that no matter he was the golden boy in prospects of the high school. The boys around her, feeling her temper rising, backed off... they knew that gleam in her eyes and when it appeared things tended to go "boom" quickly... nothing good of you wanted to live a long and painless life. She turned and to the boys' surprise (while Wanda smile grew a little) she was harboring a million watts smile. "Guys?" she started sweetly and that made the boys cringe in dread. "Wh-what?" asked Fred while Lance, Toad and Pietro swallowed. "I gather that some of you don't like the new boy right?" still that sugar tipped voice... making the boys edge even more than before if it was possible. Yet it did bring the attention of two of them. "Could you do me a favor?" still that same smile that screamed fake a mile away. Fred nodded, eager to please her. "Sure! Anything! Right guys?" his voice held some slight warning; do as she says or else! Lance and the others nodded. As soon as they said it she lost all her sweet behavior. It was like steel tarp that had closed its sharp jaws upon its victims; mainly the male section of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants "See the new guy? They nodded. "Good. Then I want you to trash him for me." The boys looked at each others, while Toad directly paled Lance glanced to his comrades before asking. "excuse me but why do you want us to trash him? "That's my business. Now are you going to do it or am I to do something that you will regret but I won't. She turned towards Pietro. Did you have a count to settle down with him too? Them do something about it. or are you too much of a coward to do so. Pietro shoot her a warning glance. "Better watch what you say, got it? I will deal with this guy. I don't need you to come all bossy with your crap." Tabitha nodded. "Good to see that you have guts along with steam, oh fearless leader." "Oh shut up!" he said looking down. Toad looked at his friends not really wanting to take part in anything concerning the new guy, yet he didn't want his friends to thing he was scared, which, of course, he was. He had seen him move. "Um guys?" Amazing enough they all turned to look at him. he could even feel Wanda's cold gaze burning in his back. "I... isn't it, I mean it could be dangerous. Why don't we... ah forget it?" "Toad, my friend, I'm starting to get that something is not right with you. Now care to tell us what is your problem?" asked Lance as he looked at the smaller boy. Toad swallowed, not really wanting to speak... "No problem man... it's that... I just have a bad feeling about this guy." He was thinking fast "I mean he is no normal man. Do you know someone able to stop one of Pietro's moves? Uh? Do you?" He released the breath he wasn't aware of holding. Luckily that had set them thing it over. From what lance told him before their contact with the new guy had been short. Only he had been when he had seen him deal with Duncan Mathews. Only he had felt the danger the new guy had instilled in him. Still... Toad looked at his friends. Lance seemed to be thinking about it, Fred was oblivious; too busy trying to get Tabitha's attention and Pietro... well looking at the face of magneto's son he realized that it had been a mistake pulling his defeat as an issue to prevent doing it. He had achieved the opposite; instead of making Pietro think about it, it only served to increase his anger... not a wise move with someone with as little patience as Pietro Maximoff. It wasn't smart when he mocked them before but how could he know that the one that busted their party with the shadow girl was the same that dealt with mathews? If he could erase those words... but it was too late and he knew that Pietro was thinking about them as he was doing himself... "You guys are pathetic," he had said, enjoying for once to be able to make fun of them "a single newcomer kick your buts right in front of that x-pest and you can do nothing but run, tail between your legs!" "Shut up! That is no normal guy! Mutant or not no one can catch me once I'm running. He's dangerous and I don't think that a filthy coward like you would have done better!" "Okey, okey!" he had answered at the angry speed demon, that was still holding his wrist. "But I know that your poppa the living magneto would not be too pleased if he knew that his son fears another man." Oh if he could erased them... But that, of course, is impossible. Warily Toad looked back at Ranma, the young martial artist lost in his own battle, ducking (or trying to) the questions of a group of young girls... all mutants. --------------------------------------- Disgusting. Ranma frowned at the food at the end of his fork, not really knowing if he had to feel angry with the food, himself or his changing body. He had chosen his food without really looking at it, not to bothered about it. food was food, unless Akane cooked it of course but normally he had no problem with what he ate as long as it was edible. And now... He looked down at his pate, noticing the pasta bolognesse he had asked for as well as the bread and the water that along with a pear was all he asked for. The bread was untouched, the glass of water half empty, most of the pasta untouched as well and the pear standing upright was intact. He wanted to shout against it all! Two weeks ago he would have devoured it in the typical Saotome fashion; like if there was no tomorrow and the food being devoured was his last. And now while he could ate he lacked the desire to do so! His eyes turned back to his food knowing very well what he would see, what he saw now permanently, even in the most utter darkness. Energy. Free energy and... trapped one, like the food in the end of his fork. It shimmered with colors, all of it down to the smallest piece of it. He could ate it, he knew that... but he lacked the will to put it in his mouth and *chew* it down. And why? Because his body was overloaded with energy, his ki augmented by the alien source of power his mutant power gave him to a point were he had to make a mental effort not to show it in the visible spectrum. His body not needing further energy, his appetite had suffered from it. The ever present energy in his being made all other bodily needs like iron, sugar, fat, etc virtually needless. He sighed, not really wanting to think about it and the other changes his body had undergone in the last week and half. It gave him headache to think about it. Yet they were there if one knew where to look and, in the time he had crossing half the world, Ranma had the time to notice those things as increasing the still unstable control upon his powers along with some new "tricks". With a groan the former Saotome let the fork back in the plate before picking up the pear. At least he would have the fruit and maybe he would drink the water but the rest was going to the trash can, to his utter disappointment. Just when he was about to pick up the green fruit he noticed something that left him feeling even more distinctively uncomfortable. He had noticed the looks most of the room had given him, specially the girls approving glances but this... "Is this place taken?" The girl with dark purple hair sat in front of him not even leaving him time to answer. With her came the girl with the Goth looks that he had seen briefly before that sat next to her. "Hi! New here?" Ranma nodded. "Yeah..." he said but realizing that it may sound rude and his mother wouldn't like to have a rude son, more if it was with girls. He could almost see her reach for the bundle where her sword was... a sword she didn't know how to use properly he added with an inner smile. He put the pear down. "Sorry... I'm Ranma. Uh, nice to meet you..." he shot an asking glance to the smiling girl in front of him while her friend looked at him. "Rusty. And this is Rogue." she said gesturing towards her friend. "Hi." said the southerner, her voice flat. Ranma looked at the so called Rogue, reading her aura as he couldn't read her voice or her blank face. What he saw surprised her and gave thanks to the kamis above that not everybody could project his ki as he or some cursed wandering martial artist could. Rogue's aura was full of browns and greens, hinting to all the sadness and depression the young woman was going on. the question was why. Ryoga wasn't the most balanced person that Ranma knew so why would a young girl like Rogue (what kind of name was it by the way?) have such depressing feelings? Still there were other positive feelings that somehow balanced with the her darkness. "Nice to met you two, but, um, not to sound rude or nothin but..." once again Rusty cut him. "Why we are here?" "Yeah that." Rusty smiled "Well I was too a new student at the beginning of the term so I know what you are passing by. So here Rogue mentioned that she could show you the school but she is such a shy girl..." "What!?" screamed Rogue as she looked at her friend that was grinning like Cheshire cat. The young mutant could feel her cheeks flush and hoped her make up could hide it. Her green eyes darted towards Ranma, looking as shocked as she was. Rusty looked at her, clearly enjoying herself. "What? It was what you told me, remember? Turning towards Ranma she spoke again " "Don't mind Rogue Ranma. She can be awfully shy sometimes, more when it concerns as good looking guys such as you. Unfortunately for Ranma, he didn't have the profit of a thick make up, his crimson cheeks clearly. "Ah... thanks. I guess." he looked down in embarrassment, not really sure how he was to react to Rusty's blatant display. "Can we sit here?" Ranma eyes snapped up, greeting two girls he had met previously. He blinked. "Thanks!" they both said without really awaiting for him to tell them so. Rusty, Jubilee and Kitty exchanged a quick glance while rogue looked at everywhere but at Ranma. This one was starting to feel uncomfortable. Swallowing he addressed Kitty, making all three girls to look openly at him. Rogue did too but simulated to not really care about it. she was too busy cooling down after her friends little bomb. "Kitty?" The young girl looked at him with her big brown eyes, all in her shouting innocence. "Yes?" she asked smiling. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I said tomorrow?" "Ah... yes. But you see, here..." she paused as if searching for a good answer. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "you said that you would come but that didn't meant that I couldn't... and rogue here is my friend too!" she finished proudly. Jubilee nodded. "And I wanted to thank you properly." Ranma looked at her, not really understanding her. "You saved my life this morning." Ranma blinked. That. Right. He was so used to such things that he hadn't gave it much thought. Obviously the young girl did think. "It was nothing." Rusty looked at him. "You saved her life?" Ranma shrugged, feeling uncomfortable to be under the spotlight. "As I said it was noting... anybody would have done the same." Rusty looked at Jubilee that nodded, then she looked back at the pig tailed youth. "You're joking right? You save her life and you say that it was nothing? You could have died there." Now all the girls were looking at him, making him to slightly blush. "I usually don't care too much about that. I just saw that someone was in trouble and helped. Anybody would have done the same in my place" "Uh-uh. Right." said Kitty her voice dripping sarcasm. Maybe from where you are... she paused and looked at Ranma. You didn't tell me much about you before." He laughed weakly, not really wanting to speak about him yet he knew when he was trapped. Kitty's statement was like the spark of a common look in the four girls near him, now all looking at him like Nabiki did when she wanted to know something. His laughter died as he noticed that it wasn't having much effect. Panic was creeping on him, not unlike the feeling he always had when some sort of animal was crawling around him. "Can we join you?" All looked up to Jean Grey, Amarra and Rahne, the younger girls holding Rogue and Rusty's trays. Before Ranma had even time to answer the other girls, as if reacting to an unknown signal moved to leave place to the red head and her two friends. Ranma looked at that, his eyes narrowing even as his panic was forgotten as some insight, something very rare for the young martial artist, came to him. There was something in Jean Grey, something that set her apart from her friends, as if she was of higher rank, even between mutants... some sort of respect that Ranma wondered about. Smiling the red head looked at Ranma, that now was in front of her, and then at her friends. "What were you talking about?" she asked. Kitty smiled even as mischief danced in her eyes when she gazed upon Ranma. "We were asking Ranma about him but he seems really shy about it." Most of the girls laughed while Ranma could feel his cheeks flush. Jean's eyes gleamed even as she smiled at Ranma... like of she was teasing him. "Is that so?" she asked. Ranma tried to shook off the flush even as he tried to find a way to prevent talking too much about him or his life. he knew how that worked. Questions would lead to other questions and he had to hide most of his life. "No, I mean I'm not shy but it's... it's boring. Yeah that's it; boring. Nothing really interesting." he tried to say off hand, like if it had no real importance. Problem is Ranma was never very skilled in making people believe him, Nerima proved that time and time again. And by the looks he was taking he just knew that once again he had just sucked. Jean smile grew slightly. "Oh I'm sure that you're too modest. Personally I'm interested in the Japanese culture." She paused as if considering "You're Japanese, right?" Ranma nodded, not really sure about the seeming change in the matter of the conversation. "Yeah, but..." Her smile grew even more. "A friend of mine told me that names in Japan have a meaning is that right?" she asked as if it was a minor interest of her but in Ranma's mind alarm bells started ringing "Could you explain it to us?" she asked her smile charming. "I'm sure that we can... speak about somethin' else..." "Well I would know if that's true." said Rogue, Ranma's noticing that she was looking at him with those green eyes of hers like if those twin emeralds wanted to strip him bare of all his secrets. Soon the girls in group insisted that he told them about it, so Ranma had to recognize defeat and search for a way to explain it... "Well, that is, I mean yes Japanese names are like that. It's... something that has to do about how we write. Our kanji are representations of ideas and stuff like that, so a name has to mean something depending how it's written, generally its nothing too important but in some families its important." "But names in Japanese are said inverted right? Your family name goes first if I'm not wrong." asked once again the red head. Ranma eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right here... and he had no damn idea what it could be. "You seem to know a lot about Japanese culture..." he said his voice suddenly cold, yet Jean's smile didn't falter the slightest. As I said I'm interested in Japan. I find it particular, even fascinating, but its the first time I can speak with a Japanese..." Ranma nodded still the feeling of... being lead to a trap still present. "So how would you present yourself in Japan?" asked shyly Rahne, before looking down. Ranma looked at her blinking. Jean looked at her young friend too, suddenly realizing that Ranma didn't know Rahne or Amarra. "Ranma, I want you to meet Rahne and Amarra. They too are a long way from home." Ranma's face softened before the younger girls that until now had been silently looking at him. "It's that true? where are you from?" Rahne looked at him, at his blue-gray eyes before speaking. She decided that she liked Ranma, liked how he smelled even if it was strange, mixing several things that the young mutant wasn't able to identify. "I'm from Scotland." she said, not being able to hold his gaze. "I'm from one of the pacific islands." said Amarra trying to put all her confidence that streamed from her place as a princess. Ranma smiled. "Nice to met ya. I know how difficult it can be to be far from home... if you have some problem and I can help well I'm here." Both girls nodded, feeling strangely comforted by that simple declaration. Yet before they could answer Rogue's voice cut once again, her interest clear even trough her flat voice. "so how would do you present yourself in Japan?" Ranma looked at her, not really sure about how he should treat her, all while he felt slightly annoyed by her. he had just a perfect opportunity to leave the dangerous stuff about him and she had to bring them all back to the heart of the discussion; himself. "With another Japanese I would present myself as Toushin Ranma." "So Toushin is your family name? And what does it mean?" asked Jean. Ranma looked at her, not being able to keep his own anger and pain that jean had disclosed... it was like opening the proverbial can of worms. The pain was still too raw, Genma's decision still too near in time even if it had been forgotten, eclipsed by the events of the last week. But suddenly all was back, freed from their bounds by some seemingly harmless words. His voice was cold. "Toushin is not my family name." That seemed to surprise some of them, even Jean's smile had disappeared, but before she had time to speak Ranma spoke to her. "You say that you are interested in Japan? Fine, if so do you know what is a ronin?" He was tired to have to do something that he wasn't good at. They wanted to know about him, well then he would oblige them. Jean slowly nodded. "Before the Meiji era a Ronin was a samurai that had lost his lord or had been exiled from his clan. To the former samurai that was a fate worse than death." Ranma gravelly nodded. "Right. More or less. I was chased from my family, from my clan. And you are right it's a fate worse than death." For a moment the girls looked at him wearily, not really knowing how to deal with this last statement. Jean spoke slowly, knowing all too well Ranma's pain and anger. It was one of those things that a mutant like her couldn't ignore. "Then why do you call yourself "Toushin"?" Ranma lips twitched, its corners rising in an half smile. "A friend of mine gave me it. to my friends I could have been banned from my clan, made Ronin... but none of them deserted me. I see it as a token of their friendship, of their loyalty." He paused, his eyes not breaking from Jean's green ones. "And it suits me perfectly." Jean was about to speak when the bell sounded, signaling the end of the period reserved to eating. With a grace and an ability that they generally only saw counted times in Logan (and in one case in a mutant called Saberthoot) Ranma rose, turning his back to them. Yet Jean's hand flashed, taking his wrist in her slender fingers. Ranma turned to look at her, even as all the eyes were looking at him. "Tell me what does it mean." her green eyes seemed to bore in him. Ranma shrugged, before speaking in a clear voice that Jean, Rogue, Kitty, Jubilee, Rahne, Amarra and Rusty could hear perfectly even if it only reached them. "God of War." And with that he slipped his wrist from Jean's clasp, leaving the red head behind, thins one not really knowing what to do, how to act even as Ranma started to lose himself trough the student's crowd. Still someone did react, Rogue moving swiftly, passing by Jean before she chased after Ranma, a thought directed to her fellow X-Men, telling her clearly to leave that matter in her hands. --------------------------------------- "We'll get him after school." No mistake there it wasn't a request it was an order. Lance and Fred nodded, while Toad sighed in defeat... well at least he had tried, not his fault his they ended with their asses kicked. Pietro looked at Tabitha who smiled slightly as she crossed her arms. "Don't think that is for your benefit. I have something to settle with this new boy." Boom Boom snorted "As long as you give him a lesson I'll be happy. Anyway we all achieve something." Yeah right, said lance sarcastically. "I wonder what he did to set you off goldylocks..." Tabitha's eyes narrowed. "Nothing that concerns you... yet I expected you to want this as much as we do." "And why is that?" The blonde smirked. "Well I guess that you would want to show up your Kitty's new toy boy. You only have to look in her eyes to see that she is... interested." Lance's eyes moved, picking up Kitty with her friends at Ranma's table. And he didn't like it. But that didn't mean that someone had to know it. "Yeah right. I'll do it but it has nothing to do with that X-kid, got it? I don't like guys like him." Tabitha nodded "What you say Lance." She face Pietro "So speedster how do you want it?" For a moment Pietro was silent as he considered it, considered what he would do to this newcomer... very painful things done very, very slowly. Quicksilver looked back to the place where Ranma was speaking with, oh surprise, all the female components of the X-Men and New Mutants, and from what he could see the new guy was not enjoying what other guys would; their complete attention. With a smug smile he could see his new rival grow angry to something that Grey had asked him, helped by her friends. Suddenly he rose from his chair and moved away from the table, a clear sign that for him the conversation was close. Surprising enough the red head moved to try to stop him, quickly asking something that Pietro could guess wasn't pleasant to the new guy that said something before freeing himself from her hold on him. Then he moved out of the room even as the bell sounded, making all the students to move, his pray quickly integrating them. Jean and the others remained unmoving, exchanging nervous glances between each other before Rogue moved, obviously to follow him. Pietro turned to his frineds. "We make our move at the end of the day, out of the school's grounds. Got it?" this last thing with a warning glance at toad that nodded swallowing. He looked to his sister that was already moving to integrate the flow of students towards their classes. "Want to join us sis?" Wanda slowly turned, her cold dark eyes gleaming. "Be careful "bro" with this guy... You may be biting more than you can chew." And with that last words she disappeared among the crowd. Pietro looked at his friends, his eyes hard, not leaving them the option to say anything. "After school." --------------------------------------- Ranma moved trough his now fellow students, not really looking at them, all while in his mind he was screaming at himself, berating his stupidity; or in better terms his "foot in the mouth disease". How could he tell them that?! Nabiki would have a field day of she ever learned about his "little" slip. In five minutes, only because he couldn't control his temper; couldn't control the anger that derived from his ronin status, he had eradicated any work he could have realized to prevent people finding just how un-normal he was. And he was as lost as before! Just great. Grumbling he picked the folded pages he had in one of his rear pockets of his jeans, not really bothering how crumpled they were. It was still gibberish. Why didn't they include a map of this blasted place? He was so engrossed trying to find his way (but not desiring to ask someone) that he failed to notice someone creeping on him. A gloved hand touched his shoulder and Ranma spun, fast, ready to face anything, his body almost committed to repel the intrusion in his space. Ready for anything. Well almost. A pair of deep green eyes, different from Jean's clear ones, greeted him. For a moment he had sensed surprise in Rogue's eyes but it was soon hidden, so fast that Ranma almost thought that he had imagined it. "What do you want?" he asked, straining to keep his bad mood at check. She seemed to sense that and for a moment he expected her to turn and never again speak to him. "What class do you have now?" she simply asked, yet her tone was tense like if she angry, but not knowing towards whom, if towards her to be there or to him for being so pigheaded. Without leaving Ranma time to answer, she grabbed the pages he had in his hands here eyes quickly scanning them. Then she looked up at Ranma, her face still empty, handing him his timetable. "We have literature. It's this way." And without further ado she moved. Ranma blinked even as he reached towards Rogue's hand, easily making her turn to face him. She looked at his, he supposed, offending hand and slowly released her. twin green orbs bored in him, questioning, expecting. Ranma swallowed soundly, one again cursing his poor social skills. "Why are you helping me?" There simple enough. Still not good enough. "Not your business. Now hurry or we'll be late." Ranma sighed as he followed the shorter girl. Those last words let clear that she would have him as the culprit if they did get late to their class. As some girl with short dark hair did long time ago. Without any other option Ranma followed the young woman, not really sure if it was a good idea to do so. --------------------------------------- Hours later. Ranma exited the building deep in his thoughts even as all around him students ran, laughed and joined with their friends. His thoughts were interrupted as he sensed raw hostility towards him. He almost smiled, his mind thrown back to his time in Nerima. That feeling was something that he was starting to miss. He looked around him and it was easy enough to find the source of the hostility towards him. Well he should have expected it. Pietro, Toad, Lance and the Blob where all there as if nothing, but their eyes were all glued to Ranma, sending the pig tailed martial artist a clear message. Ranma nodded and quickening his pace exited the school grounds. The other students as if picking up the growing tension started to move, faster, their expectation growing. Once Ranma was out of the grounds Pietro walked boldly towards him even as the other students surrounded them, more quickly arriving. Pietro noticed it and his smile grew. He thrived for attention and this was just the kind he liked. He stopped just in front of Ranma until they were face to face, all expecting sparks to fly between the two teenagers. With a smirk he started poking a finger in Ranma's chest. "You and I have something to finish. You were lucky to take me off guard but I'm the best and I'm going to prove it." Ranma snickered not concerned at all by the young mutant in front of him but more by the attending public. You would only need someone picking bets to be in Furinkan once again. "You're the best? And the "best" likes to pick on little girls like a prick? And the best need the help of his little friends?" he said gesturing to the other three. Pietro's face flushed crimson. "That was none of your damn business! And they here only to see how you kiss the ground." Ranma smile widened into his trademark grin. "So you want a fight? Why should I lose my time with someone as pathetic as you. As you here say; you suck." Laughter sounded around them. It wasn't often when someone get to insult Pietro Maximoff. Needless to say that didn't sit well in the young mutant. Pietro's eyes gleamed dangerously as he picked an handfist of Ranma's shirt, pulling Ranma near him. He was about to speak when another voice sounded. "Leave him alone Maximoff!" Both Ranma and Pietro looked towards the source of the voice. A young man of their age approximately, with red glasses came near. Pietro's face showed annoyance and Ranma merely curiosity. He didn't need help but even so he was intrigued. That was one of Kitty's mutant friend and an aura of power came from him but strangely it was centered totally in his eyes hidden by the thick red crystal of the glasses. "Leave us Summers this has nothing to do with you!" shouted Pietro, his eyes gleaming in warning. He wouldn't allow any interference form that good doer. Scott balled his hands into fists even as his glasses glowed red. Ranma could feel the power coming from under them and while not too concerned knew when to respect. Someone holding that kind of power and not using it could earn his respect. "Anything you and your friends do concerns me Maximoff! He did Kitty a favor when he dealt with you and Lance. That makes him one of us. No let him go.! Ranma turned to look at Scott, ignoring completely Pietro. "Look... Not that I'm ingrate and all, but I don't need any help with this idiot loser. Thank you the same." Before Scott had any time to say something, Pietro reacted with his usual unnatural speed as he pulled Ranma nearer to his crimson face. "What did you call me?!" he shouted. "Idiot. And loser. And I should say untrained to boot." Faster than what Pietro was able to be in such close quarter Ranma rammed his knee in Pietro's gut, before head butting him, making the young Maximoff to shout in pain even as Ranma competed his move, gripping one Pietro's wrists before executing a basic Aikido move that ended with Pietro pinned to the ground at his mercy. Scott and all looking at the exchange between Ranma and Pietro were astonished. Not by the speed he used, that was nothing spectacular, but by the fluidity of it. It had been like looking a gale of wind move swiftly, efficiently, bringing down the other youth. Even as he twisted his lock upon Pietro's wrist and shoulder he was speaking at him. "No matter how fast you are if you close too much to your adversary you lose your vantage. And your anger, man you remember me the tomboy!" Lance and the other two were looking as surprised as the others yet recovered faster from their shock as Pietro screamed in pain as ranma forced more the resistance of Pietro's joints. As one they attacked. Toad was the first to move and with a jump was flying upon Ranma. Even if he knew that it wouldn't mean nothing. The pig tailed martial artist, looked up, looked at the other two and sprang into action. He slammed a finger into Pietro's back, pressing some nerve points that would lock some of his muscles, pinning him like some butterfly. His hand caught Toad's legs just as he moved out of harm's way and with a spun used him against Lance, slamming the Toad against the Avalanche. Both crashed into the ground, not moving. Left was the Blob that was advancing towards him without even considering the well being of his comrades of the Brotherhood. "I am the strongest! You can stop the mole!" he send a fist against Ranma as soon as his meaty arms were in range. Needless to say Ranma dodged it. And the next, and then the next and the next. The Blob, his frustration growing even tried to use kicks but everything he used was too *slow* against a martial artist of Ranma's level. Said martial artist was by now was yawning making some of the people in the crowd to laugh, thing that enraged the Blob, making Fred's anger to grow. He couldn't stand people laughing at him. "Man you are slow! Way too slow!" He dodged until he started to fell bored by it all. By the time the massive mutant was starting to breath hard and to seat profusely, not used to fight against someone as Ranma.