Ranma 1/2

Disclaimer: I don’t own Ranma, Rumiko Takahashi does. I just borrowed some of the characters. Rated: NC-17

Shades of Home

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

During the debriefing, which was handled just like any mission debriefing, Mr. Perkins convinced Ranma that it wasn't his fault, complimented Ryouga and Kuno on their combat skills and Shuba on his mission coordination. He also managed to convince Danny that he was no more guilty of failure than Ranma. The two girls were still in bed sleeping due to the sedatives, but Maa Yao had been filled in the night before and told everyone their side.

"I'll send a report to the Chief of Police. I don't see any reason the girls should have any more to do with this mess. Our legal department will handle it."

"Forget it! Just learn a lesson. Don't get separated. Always stay together; at least three by three, understand? Ok. Get out of here, go blow off some steam. No school today."

Mr. Perkins shooed the teens out of the debriefing room and called Steven.

"Yeah, Steven, they handled it like a perfect strike team with years of experience. I heard from Kuno that Ranma distracted that punk; begged like a trooper and faked him out. He got close enough to prevent him from doing more than pricking her in the neck. I've cut myself worse shaving. But he's one of those guys that take responsibility for everything whether he's guilty or not. We'll have to watch that. All in all I think they're ready for some real action. If only they weren't so young. Yeah, I know we were young once too, but that was a hundred years ago. Bye"

Ranma had gone for a run into the hills; he needed time to consider what Mr. Perkins had said to him. A nice long run helped clear his head. He realized that Perkins was right. It wasn't his fault. They should have been safe in the club. He decided to do as he'd been told; put the attack on the girls behind him and take a lesson from it. Keep an eye on your team mates.

"Damnit, I'm too late for lunch. The kitchen is closed. I'll go to the main mess instead. No one said we couldn't."

Ranma entered the main mess hall, the one the fifty or so ‘grunts' ate in. Most of the grunts were older and Ranma had no problems with them, but some twenty of them were young, older than the Brat Pack, but still in their mid to late twenties.

They had joined up for ‘adventure' some of them had visions of being dragon slayers or some such romantic idiocy. Ranma had no patience with that foolishness and didn't bother hiding his dislike of their inexperienced fantasizing. So the soldiers didn't like him and he had no patience to try to woo them to his side.

Ranma joined a line of men shuffling through the serving stations. The food looked good and there was plenty of it. Ranma pointed to the pans of things that looked interesting and the servers dished it up with out comment. Except for the last station where a mess sergeant looked at Ranmas' tray and then told Ranma, "I hope your eyes aren't bigger than your stomach. The rule here is take all you want, eat all you take."

"Ok. I'm on a pretty heavy exercise load so I really eat a lot. Thanks for the warning though." Ranma smiled at the ‘old fart'. "Un. Excuse me. Do you know John? I don't know his last name but he works in the supply depot . . . had an accident a coupla' weeks ago; hurt his knee. I'd like to know how he is."

"Hey! Yeah, John Drago! That last injury to his knee took him out of action. He's retired and dandling grandchildren on the other knee. Lucky jerk!"

Ranma smiled and said it was good for him.

Heading to a table he had another run in with some of the ‘pita brigade'. Skipping over the feet stuck out in the aisle in an attempt to trip him, he settled at a table in a corner, with his back to a wall. He wasn't sure why, but it was the only table he felt comfortable at.

Ranma started eating. He was hungry and hot and tired; he wanted to eat and then take a shower, check on Sunny and Leela; then spend some time goofing off for once. But it was not to be.

"Hey, Sissy Boy! You don't belong here! This is our mess. Eat in your own."

Ranma didn't even look up. He just wanted to finish his meal and leave with as little trouble as possible.

His tormentor looked around at his buddies, sneering. "Sissy! I'm talking to you. Little beggar. I heard about you. Beggin' like a girl. Why don't you beg me for your food?"

Reaching across the table, the man started to snatch Ranma's tray. That was such a monumental mistake that it almost got him killed. Ranma reacted like a starving junk yard dog, or an ex-slave. He grabbed the man by the wrist and jerked, pulling the man into a punch that, fortunately, never connected. A shout from the Mess Sergeant stopped him just in time.

The Sergeant jumped over a table and pushed his way through the crowd of men.

"Hey! No fighting in the mess. What the hell is going on here."

Ranma, still half out of it, slapped the man he was holding across the face, splitting his lip.

"Ok. That's it! I'm calling Perkins. He'll sort this out."

Mr. Perkins arrived in less the five minutes. He sorted the whole crew out with a glare. Getting the low down from several men that he had worked with, men he trusted to be frank and fair, he made a decision.

"Ok, Ranma; you know the rules just as well as I do; if not better. I'm sorry, but you're in for it this time. You can't go around assaulting ‘civilians'; by that I mean people who aren't like you. Head for my office, or do I need help to get you there."

"No. You don't need any help. But I'd like t' ask ya for a favor. If ya will."

Ranma knew he was going to get a beating. And he knew he deserved it. These men couldn't hope to survive a punch from his fist; he'd smashed every bone in that guy's face last night. And he'd pulled his punch.

"If I can, I certainly will, but you aren't getting out of your punishment, so don't ask."

"No, I know I'm gonna' git it, but I'd like a few witnesses if you don't mind." Ranma turned and pointed to his tormentor and three of his cronies. "Him, him, him, and that one. Who's your commandin' officer? I want him too."

Ranma walked after Mr. Perkins with the chosen men trailing after them.

Ranma stood in front of Steven's desk, it felt strange to see Mr. Perkins behind it instead of Steven.

Perkins gave Ranma the ‘we are special and we have great responsibilities' lecture. Ranma wished he'd get on with it.

"I would like you to read this aloud so we all will remember it. Start right here with ‘undisciplined"

Ranma read the rule out without even blinking. "Undisciplined fighters are a danger to all non-combat personnel and cannot be allowed to continue in dangerous behaviors, i.e., attacking any civilian personnel for any reason other than direct attack upon their own person. Any such behavior will be punished by 10 lashes upon the buttocks via cane or strap."

Ranma put the book down turned to the standing men and said, "You're considered support personnel; that's ‘civilians' or noncombat in our book. You're here because you lack discipline. I can't discipline you, but you get to have the pleasure of seeing the consequences of your actions in provoking me. Enjoy."

All five men; all Americans, looked like they couldn't believe what was going to happen.

"Hey! You can't hit that kid."

"Yeah, he can. This is Japan and this compound doesn't even follow Japanese law. We make our own and you'll go by them or get out. You wanted to humiliate me, so shut up and stand there."

Mr. Perkins finally stepped in and put and end to what looked to be an endless wrangle between opposing forces.

"Gentlemen, you signed up to be support personnel for one of the most covert operations in the world, but it seems to me that you have an exaggerated opinion of your own abilities. You are here to make sure that Ranma and his team get where they are supposed to be, when they are supposed to be there. Not get yourselves killed by one of the strongest fighters of this century. I'll have you at attention, if you please."

All five men braced hard, they hadn't quite gotten it through their heads that Perkins was really going to beat Ranma. That just wasn't the way things were done. But they were all about to have a rude awakening.

"The man that moves out of at ease is gone. You'll be given one hour to collect your things and go home in disgrace. I ought to send you home now but I'm not sure which one's of you are the offenders and which just bystanders."

"Remember this lesson. We don't pamper our fighters, we expect the strictest discipline from them and we enforce it rigorously; corporal punishments are rarely handed out, but under certain circumstances they are mandatory. This is one of them."

"Ranma, if you would please?"

Ranma leaned over the desk. He was wearing sweats, for which he was thankful. If he'd been wearing jeans, Perkins would have made him drop his pants. Perkins got the cane from behind the cupboard. One of the men gasped "Damnit" then flushed.

Ranma looked over his shoulder.

"You! Yeah, you know who I'm talking to. Come here where I can see you."

The man glanced at his commander then moved to the other side of the desk. Ranma ran his eyes over the group, making sure that every man got a good view.

"I'm ready Mr. Perkins. Let's get this shit over with." Ranma set himself

"If you look away, I'll get you in the night so help me.", Ranma whispered to the idiot who had started this mess.

Each blow landed with crisp efficiency. Ranma never took his eyes off the man in front of him; never blinked, never grimaced; just looked at him with cold, distant eyes as if he wasn't quite there. He never shed a tear; not even tears of pain.

When Perkins was done, he put the cane away.

"Let that be a lesson to all of you. Your actions have consequences for you, or others. Make sure you know the consequences of your actions."

Perkins left the office, shutting the door firmly. He didn't know what Ranma had in mind and didn't want to know. Believable deniability.

"It's not real. It's some kind a' trick. No one treats a kid that way; not in this day and age. Damnit, it's the 21st century."

The commanding officer wanted to believe it so badly he could taste it.

"Yeah, they do. Especially if one of us nearly kills someone."

"Ya don't know me; so I'll explain. Ya don't mess with my food or sneak up on me; even for a joke. I'm different from all ya. I don't know what your malfunction is, but I know this. Ya want my job but ya can't even carry your own weight. Ya have some glamorous fantasy about what we are. Reach over and hand me that."

Ranma pointed to a piece of rebar that Steven had been using to hang a map. It was an inch in diameter and about five feet long. He bent it into a circle and handed it to one of the men

"Hand that around. Anyone a' ya that can straighten it out is on my level; anyone else'll just get in the way. That'll get someone killed and I won't tolerate that. As for this being a trick of some sort."

Ranma turned his back and lowered his sweats just enough to show the top few welts.

"I wish it was. But I know I'm strong enough t' smash your face in or break every bone in your body; so I deserve t' be punished. You're delicate, fragile compared t' me and my crew and we're supposed t' be responsible enough t' keep from hurting ya even if ya deserve it.

"As for me beggin' for Sunny's life; one, it was a ruse t' get me close enough t' get the knife. And two; she's my comrade. I'd do anything for her or any a' my team mates. I'm proud t' beg for her life. I wouldn't want t' work with anyone who wouldn't do whatever they had t' for a team mate. Now get out before I get pissed."

The men all crowded out as fast as they could.

Later; in the mess the commanding officer of the grunts dressed them all down.

"I don't know what you young idiots think is going on, but get any idea of being more than support out of your heads now. We don't have the strength to be St. George or anything like him. That kid Ranma, and those other two, Ryouga and Kuno, is it and we aren't. We got that kid punished. It's my fault more that anyone's, because I let rivalry develop where it can't be. Get over it and get on with business."

~ * ~

Vignette

"Yeah. But you know that kid, Ranma. He made me stand where he could see me. He looked at me like I was dirt or something. Really creeped me out. He never even blinked; not a sound, not a tear. Like he'd had worse and couldn't have cared less. And I saw the marks. The old bastard really laid it on him. Kinda made me sick. I'm walking a wide path around all those kids from now on."

~ * ~

Ranma lay on the couch in the commons with Sunny sitting on the floor beside him. He hurt but not too bad; Perkins hadn't cut him, just given him welts. He'd had worse from his Pop just for failing to duck.

Sunny put her head on Ranma's back.

"I really want to thank you for what you did. I know it had to hurt you to beg like that. It hurt me."

Ranma told her the same thing he had told the others.

"Sunny I'd beg for your life again in a minute. I'd give my life for you without a moment's hesitation. I wasn't ashamed to get on my knees. It doesn't matter what those fools think of me; only what you and the others think. Besides every time I knelt down I got that much closer to him. I hope I permanently rearranged his face."

"Ranma, you're so smart. I saw what you were doing and it never occurred to me that you'd get so close so quick and Kuno and Ryouga were wonderful too."

"Where's Ryouga? and Leela? Danny and Shuba are in some research mode in Shuba's room. Kuno, go find them will ya?"

Ranma didn't like the idea of not knowing where his team mates were. He was a little protective just now.

Kuno just rolled over on the floor, he was watching some old samurai movie.

"Ryouga and Leela are on the roof star gazing. Leave them alone."

Ranma snorted, "Yeah, star gazing my ass. Sucking face is more like it and what is Danny gonna say?"

Ranma rolled against the couch back. "Sunny, I know you want to help, but what use is a punishment if it's healed away. You'll just get yourself in trouble with Perkins."

It was Sunny's hundredth attempt to heal Ranma. She couldn't get him to let her because he was stubborn and afraid she would get in trouble.

"Ranma, I can't stand to see you in pain. Please . . . "

Steven walked into the room interrupting Sunny's hundredth plea for Ranma to let her heal him.

"Ranma, there you are. I just got back and I'm steaming mad. I promised you that you would never get more than four lashes damnit. I leave for a few days and this has to happen. I'm sorry."

Ranma stood up when Steven came in the door. Sunny crept up on him slowly.

"Oi! Steven, it wasn't your fault. It was mine. It's not as if I didn't know the rules. I just can't stand having anyone mess with my food. You know how it is. So I nearly killed the idiot; which I knew better than, and I got my ass beat. It won't kill me and it wasn't you who did it so give . . . Sunny do you know that you are stroking my ass?"

Steven who had been watching Sunny sneak up behind Ranma and touch him; nearly choked on his tongue. Kuno had both hands pressed firmly to his mouth to keep from howling

"Yes, Ranma I know. There, all better."

Sunny gave Ranma a little pat of satisfaction. She wasn't going to let Ranma be in pain, no matter what.

Ranma just let his head hang for a minute, then he laughed softly.

"Oh hell! Sunny, I give up. It didn't hurt that much. But if you're happy, who am I to complain. And what the hell are you two idiots laughing at."

Which only caused the two ‘idiots' to laugh even harder.

After getting himself under control, Steven sent Kuno to gather the rest of the Brat Pack.

"I have had it with all the trouble we've been having with the young recruits. I've noticed the older men don't care but the younger ones all seem to think they're being robbed of the chance to be St George or something."

"Danny and Shuba don't have trouble and of course the girls don't, but it seems that you, Ryouga and Kuno are putting up with an awful lot of grief. So I have a suggestion. It's completely up to you, but I think you ought to let anyone who wants train with you."

Ryouga sneered, "Yeah, right, they couldn't keep up with us."

Ranma thought, pulling on his pigtail, while Kuno just looked at the ceiling with a small, slightly twisted smile.

"That's the idea. They have no idea how strong you kids are, how good. All they see are three little boys. Most of them have brothers your age. They resent you. They think all they have to do is train. You need to show them differently. What do you say?"

Three Ok's left him with nothing to do but issue the challenge

Steven had contacted the Lieutenant in charge of the "Support Personnel Division" read grunts. He told him that he was tired of the recruits thinking that they were ever going to be more than ‘eyes behind'; support personnel who handled transport, camp security and reconnaissance.

The Lieutenant, who was a contemporary of Stevens', had replied that the only way to stop the problem was to prove that only Ranma's team was ‘Georges'

"Yeah, get your people to the Quad at 6:30 a.m.. They can train with Ran-chan and his crew. Tell them if they can keep up, they're in."

Ranma looked the group over, then poked Ryouga in the ribs.

"Where's Shuba? I'm not talking to this bunch of weaklings and losers. There isn't a promising guy in the bunch."

Shuba addressed the group of men.

"All right. Here's the deal. The girls, Danny and I don't train with Ranma, Ryouga and Kuno. We're not Georges; we have our own specialties.

"Anyone who doesn't want to be run into the ground then spread out to dry can follow us on our workout. Any of you people who are gluttons for punishment, go over there."

Shuba pointed to the far end of the quad. Most of the younger men headed that way. Some of the older men obviously just there as observers, snickered.

Ranma nodded to the other two boys, "Let's go. No holding back. If they can't keep up, they get left behind." All three headed for the road up to the high meadow behind the school at a dead run.

On the way up Ranma cut back twice, just to check on the grunts. On the second pass he was glad to see that none of the older men were running, they were ‘chasing', following on ATV's. They were picking the dropouts up and taking them to a truck which was following close behind. Ranma hadn't thought Steven would leave anyone stranded on the road and he was right but he'd had to check. As much as he disliked most of these men he didn't want to see them stuck for a ride.

Of the fifteen or so men who started out running, only five actually made it to the meadow under their own steam. The rest came up on the truck.

The men who made it on their own didn't have anything left. Ranma just shook his head.

"And you guys want to fight daemons and stuff. You're pitiful. Well, I thought you might train with us, but looks like I was wrong."

Turning to Ryouga he said, "Here put this on." Ranma handed Ryouga the handcuff they'd used before. "I don't want to lose you. Kuno; you can sit out for now. I'll get to you later."

Kuno groaned dramatically, "That's what I'm afraid of."

Ryouga snapped the cold steel around his wrist, Ranma waited until he was done and then all hell broke lose.

Ryouga ‘called' his attack "Shi Shi Hokodan", a ball of power the size of a golf ball materialized in his hand. He threw it at Ranma who blocked it with a double forearm, crossing his arms in front of his face. The force of the attack threw him back several feet dragging Ryouga with him. The chain between them was only fifteen feet long and the force of the Shi Shi Hokodan put him at the end of it .

"Mouko Takabisha"

Ranma retaliated with his own attack.

Ryouga jumped into the air, but the ball of energy hit him in the belly before he could get above it. As the air whooshed out of his lungs he managed to flip backwards and buy himself some time. The chain dragged Ranma off balance, which gave them both a quick breather; a second was all either one needed.

Both boys went into the air with a bound. The watchers found themselves watching blurs and flashes of light as the boys fought with an intensity that was terrifying. They looked like they were trying to kill each other.

Ranma finally grabbed Ryouga by the ankle, jerking him from the air and slamming him to the ground. He landed on his back with a crash. Ranma landed beside him a split second later. Everyone started to rush to their sides but Ryouga bounded to his feet using one of these flickering shoulder rolls that look so easy and aren't.

"Son of a bitch Ryouga, you've got a kick like fucking mule. I half expect you to start eating hay any minute."

Ranma unlocked the cuff from around his bleeding wrist and Ryouga accepted the key to do the same. Sometime during the fight the chain had broken.

"Ok, Kuno; it's your turn now. Ryu get a drink and cool off. After I'm done with Kuno we'll do kata and then go home."

Kuno undraped himself from the front rack of the ATV Steven was sitting on.

"Why don't you give the guys who are eligible a chance? You said if anyone got up here under their own power you'd let them train."

"Yeah. So I did. Ok, who want's to be first?"

A hard faced man of about twenty-five approached Ranma.

"No! Pax! Not a chance! I've been elected on accounta I'm what ya call a snake eater. I apologize for the whole buncha' us. We see what ya mean. There's no way we can keep up with you. Ya mean there's actually somethin' out there we need people like you to fight? That's scary and I don't scare easily. So, sorry; don't kill us; and all that ok?"

Ranma looked at the man and wondered what he meant by snake eater. He'd eaten plenty of snakes. It wasn't that big a deal. He decided to ask Steven about it later.

"Ok, I don't hold a grudge, but I got a lot a' training and school and stuff. So spread the word. We're not puttin' up with any more shit. I've personally had enough. Ya mess with me, now ya see how things are, and I'll fight ya; just like Ryouga will and Kuno too. Spread the word. If ya can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch, and I'm the biggest dog around."

Ranma smiled to take part of the sting out of his words. He was learning; mainly because Shuba and Ryouga had nagged at him all night. He didn't see any reason to coddle their feelings, but if it would help prevent trouble, he'd go along.

"School? You've got school?" The man looked amazed.

"That's one a' the reasons we don't have time for this shit. We've got t' train in the morning, get cleaned up, have breakfast; then we have classes, lunch, spec-ops training, more martial arts training, homework, dinner and if we have time then we can watch a movie or something. Well, we better get back t' training; we still have an hour a' kata after I whip Kuno's butt."

Everyone within hearing was either stunned into silence or groaned loudly.

"What? Ya think this comes easy? I been training since I was six."

"Kuno, I want ya t' work on punching so no sky hopping; stay on the ground. I know you're good with a sword but what happens if ya lose it?"

Kuno just nodded and set himself. He was going to impress Ranma if it killed him. He was just beginning to understand how dedicated Ranma was. His intensity was incredible and his skill as a teacher unequaled even by older teachers. Even if he was somewhat impatient; which he saw Ranma curbing with some effort.

"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken" Ranma jumped Kuno suddenly.

Kuno just absorbed the punches; he wasn't unused to this particular attack. He dropped, squatting and sweeping Ranma's feet from under him with a squat spin kick that landed Ranma flat on his back.

Ranma rolled and pushed off with just his arms, planting both feet in Kuno's face, except Kuno managed a cross arm block that rattled Ranma's teeth with the force of his own blow. Ranma flipped backwards, twisting in the air to put him facing Kuno. He launched another attack; this time nothing fancy, just a simple straight forward from the shoulder punch that rang Kuno's bell and put him down.

"Don't always expect some high level attack. Even the simplest of attacks can get to you. Here!" Ranma gave Kuno his hand, pulling him up and slapping the dust out of his back. "That's enough for you. I don't wanna hurt ya. We'll work up to a full work out."

"Damnit, I thought sure I had you. You still owe me a rematch; swords may turn out to be the weapon of choice, you know."

"Yeah, I'll match ya when Steven says it's ok Let's head back now" All three boys took off running back down the road.

"Damnit, they're running back to base. Don't those kids ever give up." The Lieutenant just shook his head

"No. In this case giving up isn't an option." Steven headed back down the mountain after the three.