Adversity

By Richard Palmer

Part One: Ben meets Ranko

Ranma was sitting in the dining room watching TV. It'd been a while since Ben had left for the US. He had sent the family some photos from the set, including an autographed picture of James Garner who made a guest appearance in the film Ben was working in, but after a while the letters stopped. Since then things had been pretty dull. All of the sudden there was a knock at the door. When Genma rushed in and grabbed him, Ranma had a feeling he knew who was here.

"Oh, hello Mrs. Saotome," Nabiki said as she answered the door, "we haven't seen you in a while."

"Hello, Auntie Saotome." Ranma said as she and Genma entered the room dripping wet. Genma just grinned and held up a sign reading "Hello, her Aunt Saotome."

The cab pulled up in front of Ben's house. Jennifer got out "I have a few things to do but I'll be right over." She said back into the cab "Be sure to tell them about the benefit."

"Gotcha."

"It's been such a long time Mrs. Saotome, how have things been?" Soun asked. They were all seated around the dinning room table, with Genma off on the side playing with a large ball.

"Why, things have been wonderful since I last visited, Genma and Ranma still haven't shown up have they?"

Suddenly they heard a familiar voice from the front hall, "Yo, Tendos."

"Oh it sounds like you have a visitor." Nodoka said as she turned to face the entrance to the dining room.

"Wassup, people!" Ben said as he entered the room, "Hey Ran..." Ben stopped as he saw everyone seated behind Nodoka waving their hands wildly or drawing their index fingers across their necks. Genma even held a sign up reading 'For Heavens Sake, Shut Up!' "Uh..." Ben paused, "Damn my bad memory, I went and forgot your name again." Ben said looking at Ranma.

"So you're here looking for Ranma?" Ben said later. A look of shock came over everyone's face

"Yes, you sound like you know him, have you seen him lately?"

"Let me check," Ben said looking through a little black address book "Would it be Ranma Yoshida, or maybe Ranma Kataoka?"

"No, his surname would be Saotome."

"Sorry, a guy with my lifestyle meets a lot of people," He looked through his book once again "Nope, no Saotome."

"I'm sorry, the way you talked like you knew him, I thought maybe you two had been friends in junior high or something."

Ben tried hard to keep smiling "Actually that wouldn't be very likely, unless Ranma Saotome is nearly thirty."

"I'm afraid I don't understand?" Nodoka said, puzzled.

"I've got a rare condition, Systemic Hypoplasia, It makes me look about sixteen even though I'm twenty-eight."

Nodoka was about to respond when another voice came from the front door,

"Ben you wouldn't believe who I caught trying to break into the wall safe again." Jennifer walked into the room holding Matsusake up by the Shirt collar,

"Hello Mr. Tendo, Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi, Ran..." "Ranko!" Ben shouted, "Yes we remember Ranko real well don't we. Honey, I have to talk to you about a few minor 'script changes'," Ben said as he got up, then he turned to the Tendo's and said with a big grin, "I'll be right back."

"I don't mean to be rude," Nodoka said "but they're a little odd aren't they?"

"They're from California." Nabiki answered.

Part Two: Deal With It

Later while Jennifer carried on a conversation with Nodoka, Ben pulled Ranma aside "Whoa, Holmes, what a shocker. I didn't expect you to have a mother."

"How could I not?" Ranma muttered.

"You know that's not what I meant." Ben said, "Hey what's with the act anyway?"

Ranma glanced over at Genma with an irritated look on her face, "It's because of some stupid promise pop made. He promised mom he'd make me a 'manly man', frankly that's far from what I'm ever going to be with this curse."

"So what's the problem, she seems an understanding woman." "Well, dad said if he didn't make me a 'man among men' we'd have to commit Seppuku."

"Hold it, Seppuku... Oh yeah, ritual suicide." Ben said, then he realized what he was saying "Ritual suicide? Whoa, now that sucks."

"Yeah, that's pop for ya, one stupid promise after another. You know he once promised to hand me over for two lousy pieces of fish?" Ranma continued.

Ben wasn't listening, he had a plan forming in his mind. Hey, Mrs. Saotome," Ben said later as Nodoka was sitting down at the dinner table alone, "What's this I hear about a martial artist's promise?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I hear thing's here and there," Ben said as he sat down, "so is it true Mr. Saotome made a promise about Ranma's manhood?"

"Yes that's true." Nodoka answered.

"You know that reminds me of somethin' my father used to tell me," Ben said as he sat back, "'Manhood is measured by how you deal with adversity.' Dad always had a saying for whatever we were going through."

"Was your father a martial artist?" Nodoka asked.

"Yeah, I think he studied Kung-fu, or maybe it was Tae Kwon Do, I don't remember much of him fightin', we just tried to stay alive mostly."

"So you two went on training journeys too, just like my husband and son?"

"Nah, dad never took me out of the ghetto," Ben replied "we couldn't afford it. we lived on the street."

"On the street?" Nodoka seemed surprised "Didn't your father have a job?"

"Well, he would take several odd jobs to keep us both fed, but he never found anything that paid enough for a place to live."

"What about your mother?"

"You know what, I never met her." Ben said, his voice was getting quiet, "She handed me over to my dad shortly after she got home from the hospital."

"Your mother gave you up?"

Ben nodded, "She said she wasn't ready for parenthood yet. S'aright though, Dad took good care of me. Hey you know what, I think I even got a photograph." Ben pulled out a laminated piece of newspaper from his wallet. In the yellowed piece of newsprint, you could see a black and white Photo of an oriental man with a full beard and long gray hair hanging loosely over his worn clothes, he was standing in a line at a homeless shelter with a young boy at his side.

"He looks like a nice man." Nodoka said as she handed him the photo back. As Ben put the picture away another photo fell out of his wallet, this one was a small wallet-size photograph. Nodoka picked it up and saw a large Black lady in a white blouse with her hair tied up behind her head. "Who is this?" Nodoka asked.

"Oh, That's my mom."

"That's your mom?"

"Well, my foster mom." Ben smiled, "Yeah, not much family resemblance. She took me in after Dad died."

"What?" Nodoka couldn't believe how easily Ben went over this, like it was a normal day to day thing for mothers to give away their children, or fathers to die on the street.

"Yeah, Dad died from Pneumonia when I was about eight, after a while by myself, My foster mom picked me up. and I lived with her 'till I was about sixteen. I also got three brothers and two sisters."

"What about a foster father?" Nodoka asked as Ben handed her pictures of his adopted brothers and sisters. "He left a few years after I moved in, I kind of chased him out." Ben said placidly. Nodoka looked at him in disbelief. "He was an abusive drunk, kept pickin' on my brothers and sisters, and me too till I fought back. I'd been learning Ninjitsu for a while, and I was able to take him down pretty easy. Course, even I didn't expect him to just pick up and leave." Nodoka nodded in reply, she couldn't believe how well Ben seemed to deal with this.

Off down in another room Matsusake confronted Genma. "So Genma, ol' pal, You and your son seem to be in quite a predicament, Be a shame if some little accident just happened to occur."

Genma held up a sign that read 'Just what are getting at?'.

"Oh, knock it off,' Matsusake said, whacking Genma over the head with his cane, "You know very well I can't read your signs, I'm blind!" He pulled out a water pistol, "But there are other ways to communicate." He sprayed Genma with a quick burst of hot water and Genma's eye's grew wide.

"Just what do you..!" He started to yell, then he caught himself and whispered "Just what do you think you're doing?" "Well, I think you see my point now, what should happen if you or Ranma happen do get caught in between a watergun fight between me and, oh Happosai for example."

"But the master's gone for the day." Genma whispered.

"Well, then let's just call it target practice." Matsusake continued, "The point is you'd be in a real fix, now wouldn't you?"

"So what am I supposed to do?" Genma whispered, terrified his wife would enter at any moment. "Well, let's see, Ben's just come back from a film shoot, and for a movie he's co-staring in no less. I guess that would mean a nice big check from the producers. Now if you could see that that money goes to me instead, not only will you be off scott free, but I'll also personally see to it that all other possible mishaps are avoided. Agreed?" Genma looked at Matsusake

"What if she comes in here while we're talking, did you think of that."

"Give me some credit will you, I'm a master of blind fighting. If she were to walk in here I'd know before..."

Suddenly the door slid open, Matsusake shot his hand into his jacket and pulled out another water pistol. He sprayed Genma as fast as he could in the half second before the person walked into the room. "Dinner's ready, you two." Kasumi said cheerfully, then she looked at Matsusake's water pistols. "Oh, are you two having fun?" "I'll say," Matsusake grinned, "It's been year's since I've had a good game of water tag." He sprayed Genma a few more times with the cold water pistol before Kasumi left. "So are we agreed?" Hesitantly, Genma nodded.

Part Three: It's Raining Half-Men

"You see, even though I'm starting to make it in life, I never forget where I come from. I go back to the ghetto every now and then to help out with community service or to give inspirational speeches to some of the kids." Ben was telling Nodoka. Ranma had walked in and was listening to some of what Ben had to say.

Suddenly Genma came in and dragged Ranma out by her shirt collar. He held up a sign reading 'We have to talk.' "What are you doing?" Ranma yelled as she was dragged into the room where Matsusake was in.

"Ranma my boy, I've got a little proposition for you!" Matsusake smiled. "So, living up to Dad's standards, I feel that I've done very well with the hand that life has dealt me." Ben said "But then, that's just my perspective."

"Oh no you don't!" came a voice from the other room, "I ain't givin' in to blackmail!" Ranma chased Matsusake into the dining room. "I don't think you realize the severity of the situation." Matsusake said as he shot a stream of hot water at Ranma. Ranma dodged easily enough and grabbed Matsusake's water pistol out of his hand as he did. "Hah, what are you going to do now?"

"What's going on here?" Ben said.

"It's just a friendly little watergun fight." Matsusake smiled as he pulled out another hot watergun and shot at Ranma. Ranma just managed to duck the stream of water. Matsusake chuckled, until Ranma hurled the first watergun at Matsusake, knocking the new water gun out of his hand. "What do you expect to accomplish here, Don't you realize that I'd be prepared?" Matsusake pulled out two larger pressurized waterguns, and shot at Ranma with two streams of hot water. Ranma rolled out of the way of the blast and ran towards the stairs leading to the second floor. Matsusake followed. "If you'll excuse me for one moment." Ben said as he got up. Matsusake got to the top of the stairs and stopped. He could sense Ranma nearby, but couldn't pinpoint her exact location. Suddenly Ranma dropped down from up above him and with two quick kicks knocked the waterguns out of Matsusake's hands. "Now look here you little 'money grubber'," Ranma said grabbing Matsusake by the collar "I don't give in to threats!" "Would you rather the alternative?" Matsusake said as he pulled out a water balloon. Ranma flipped away just before Matsusake burst the balloon. Then Matsusake chased her into one of the rooms throwing water balloons at her the whole way. Ranma dashed in and then realized that it was her room, and there weren't too many places to hide. Even Genma was cowering over in the corner hoping that he wouldn't be discovered. Matsusake rushed in and grinned. Ranma was cornered. Matsusake pulled out another water balloon.

Outside the room they heard Nodoka's voice coming closer "Mr. Setlin? Are you up here?"

"Last chance my boy, will you help out or not?" Matsusake said.

Suddenly the window slid open and Ben was hanging there upside down. "Hey, Mats," He said as he pulled out a check, "Is this what you're looking for?"

Matsusake leapt at the check, dropping the water balloon which splashed harmlessly on the ground. "Come to poppa!" Matsusake said as he snatched the check. He felt the perforation of the writing as he plummeted toward the ground. It simply read 'Sucker.' "Ben you little cheat!" Matsusake yelled right before he did a face plant into one of the rocks in the back yard.

Nodoka walked into the room where Ben was now flipping into the window. "Oh there you are Mr. Setlin, You dropped this." She handed Ben a piece of paper. It read 'Please join us at Ghetto-aid, the Hollywood urban renewal benefit show.' The flyer also listed several of the comedians and bands that would be there. It also indicated a special live action performance by some of the more well known stuntpeople in Hollywood for the action fans. Ben's name was listed among the stuntmen.

"Yeah," Ben said "You've got to remember your roots."

Later that week as Nodoka was leaving, Ben was there to tell her Good bye. "It was nice meeting you,' He said, "If I ever see Ranma around here, I'll be sure to tell him you're looking for him." "Thank you Mr. Setlin, It was nice to meet you too. I hope the benefit goes well."

"Thanks." Ben said. After everyone had said their good-byes and Nodoka left, Ben turned to Ranma. "You're lucky, you know that?"

"Yeah, thanks for saving me back there." Ranma replied.

"No I don't mean that, you're mother is alive and wants to see you. I went looking for my biological mom a few years after I had gotten out of the Ghetto. She had died from an overdose when I was nearly ten. I never got to meet her."

"Ben, I'm sorry." Ranma said.

"Ah don't worry about it, it was probably for the best. I got a new family now, I'm happy for that." Ben smiled as he watched Nodoka continue down the street. "Yeah," he said "Family's important. Hope thing's turn out okay with yours." Ben continued to smile as he walked down the street back to his house.

The End

____________________________________________________________________________________

The Legal Stuff: Ranma ½ and the characters therein are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and are used without permission.