"Ranma 1/2: Mechwarrior Team Jusenkyo"
By: James "Phoenix" Jones
[Planet: Moraine -- Lyran Alliance: April 30, 3057]
< > thoughts
{ } conversations over communicators
The outside air or Moraine poured through the open door or the hanger, creating a very unpleasant temperature. Inside, the team anxiously waited for Yuta to return with the next duel location. As they waited, they talked over the events of the last few days.
Shampoo leaned against Mousse with her head resting on his shoulder. The sight of them together had had an effect on the whole team and it improved the mood somewhat. Beside them, Ukyou and Ryouga talked quietly, Ukyou obviously trying to keep Ryouga from letting his temper break loose. To the side, Kodachi sat idly twirling an old ribbon she carried for good luck.
Perched on the foot of his Phoenix Hawk, Ranma watched quietly. The whole team knew what had happened and, with the exception of Shampoo, none of them had spoken to him today. Finally deciding to break the ice, he asked, "So. . . um. . . where do you guys think the fight'll be this time."
Everyone turned to look at him and he could see a dark conflict of emotions painted on their faces. Immediately he regretted talking. Turning around, he looked at the line of mechs.
The team's six remaining mechs were lined up in single file along the wall. But, somehow, it didn't seem the same without the Shadow Hawk and Hatchetman. The thought made Ranma sigh.
Ukyou continued to watch Ranma for a moment, then turned back to Ryouga. She immidiately noticed that he had begun to twist a small piece of pipe into various shapes.
"Ryouga." she said. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I don't know, Ucchan." he said, his voice hardened by anger. "I'm just so. . . I can't believe Ranma did that!"
"Ryouga, he didn't do it on purpose." Ukyou replied.
"Why are you defending _him_?"
Ukyou looked back at Ranma for a second before answering. "Because he really needs a friend right now." she answered.
"With friends like that, who needs enemies." said Ryouga sarcastically.
"That's not fair, Ryouga." she countered. "I mean, at least he told you the truth."
Ryouga stopped twisting the pipe for a moment and looked at Ukyou. <She's got a point.> he thought. <Yeah! Like that makes everything just peachy!> "I don't care if he did tell the truth!" Ryouga sneered. "I actually counted that guy as a friend and look what happens!"
Ukyou shook her head sullenly. Even though she had known Ranma for a long time, she couldn't defend him like she wanted to. "You can't stay mad at him forever." she finally said.
"Like hell I can't!"
"Ryouga!" said Ukyou through clenched teeth. "He's suffering more from this then you'll ever know! You don't have to forgive him! Just talk to him!"
Ryouga turned to look at Ranma again. <Maybe.> he thought. <Afterall, he has pulled me out of some tight spots before.>
Ukyou caught Ryouga's contemplative look and smiled.
"Hey, you guys."
Everyone turned to look at Ranma again. He was no longer sitting on his mech, but was instead just a few paces away from the others. His face was dark and he quickly searched for the right words.
"Um . . . I know you all know what happened out there during the last duel." he said. "I. . . I asked Yuta to take me off the roster, but he said that was a decision you guys had to make. So, do you want me out there today? I . . . I'll understand if you don't."
The others turned away from him and began to talk quietly to each other. Ranma remained perfectly still as he waited for their answer. <Wonder if this is what being in a trial is like.> he thought.
At length, they turned back to him and Ukyou stood up.
"Ranma." she said. "We've talked it over and. . . well . . . do _you_ want to fly with us?"
"I want to." replied Ranma. "I think I finally got my head screwed on straight."
"You think?" asked Mousse.
"Alright, I know." said Ranma. "Last time, I wanted that kill medal so bad I was willing to do anything and I . . . I didn't think."
"And what of this time, Ranma?" asked Kodachi.
"I don't care about it anymore." he replied. "Yuta was right, it isn't a medal that makes a warrior. Its a warrior that makes a warrior. I want to fight out there today. I . . . I have to try and make things right."
"We vote, yes?" asked Shampoo.
"Yes." said Ukyou. "And I vote to let Ranma fly with us today."
"Shampoo vote yes."
"As do I." said Mousse. "Ranma Saotome has admitted his own guilt and is entiled to a chance for redemption."
"I too shall vote favorably." said Kodachi.
Ranma allowed a smile to cross his face. Yuta was right, his friends still believed in him. He looked at each one of them and smiled. Finally, his gaze settled on Ryouga. "What about you, Ryouga?" he asked.
In answer, Ryouga stood and walked over to stand in front of Ranma. "I vote yes." he said.
Ranma smiled and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"But," Ryouga continued. "This does _not_ mean I forgive you."
"I know." said Ranma.
"Fair warning, Saotome." said Ryouga, his expression cold. "You've got my friendship, I won't take that away after all we've been through together, but you don't have my trust. Until I see you do something to make up for what you did, I'd suggest watching your back."
"I'll watch yours too."
Ryouga nodded and stepped back.
"Thanks, guys." said Ranma. "You won't regret it, I promise."
"Make sure they don't."
Suprised, everyone turned around to see Yuta leaning against the foot of Ukyou's Crusader. "Are you all finished?" he asked. They all nodded.
"Good." said Yuta. "Because I have the duel location."
The team anxiously gathered around Yuta as he removed a small note from his pocket. Clearing his throat he said. "This time the duel takes place at the Shattered Towers. The time is set for exactly three hours from now."
"What Shattered Towers?" asked Shampoo.
"A rocky plain surrouned by rugged mountains about eighteen-hundred kilometers north of here." answered Ranma.
"That's right. At full speed it'll take a little over two hours to get there so listen up." said Yuta. "The area around the towers is extremely rocky, mostly small debris, but there are some patches that are more than enough to hide a mech behind."
"Use the terrain to our advantage right?" asked Ukyou.
"That's right." said Yuta. "Fire from cover whenever possible, but make sure the rock you hide under isn't already being used by somebody else. And remember, its easy to get trapped in there so make sure to keep an eye on the external cameras."
"Is that all?" asked Mousse.
"No." replied Yuta. "I'll have medics stationed about one kilometer from the area just in case. I'll be out there too to monitor the situation. Any questions?"
Silence.
"Alright. Mount up and move out." said Yuta. "Good luck."
The pilots quickly moved to their respective mechs. Each one wanting to win, each one wanting to stay alive long enough to win.
***
As the team reached the Shattered Towers, they took note that it was exactly how Yuta had described it. Boulders of various shapes and sizes littered the area, obscuring much of the terrain. Around the area, high, craggy mountains rose like dark sentinals. The field would have been difficult to fight on, on any occasion, but today, a thick layer of fog added to the difficulty.
Halfway to the coordinates, Yuta's voice sounded over the comm.
{Alright, people.} he said. {The medics and I'll hold up here. Its only about two or three minutes drive time so we'll be there quick if anything happens.}
{You think this is far enough away?} asked Ranma.
{Yeah, I think so.} replied Yuta. {But, I don't want you all to worry about us. Worry about the clansmen!}
{Yuta, you think blinders work in fog?}
{I doubt it, Shampoo.} replied Yuta. {Just remember the plan. Use the terrain to your advantage and don't let up on those bastards. Make me proud.}
{We will.} they said in unison as they moved their mechs off to face the clans.
***
{Greetings, Ranma Saotome.} said Herb.
{And to you, Star Captain Herb.} countered Ranma.
The mechs faced off with each other at about four hundred meters. The Jusenkyo team had spaced themselves out further than usual in order to break for cover more quickly. Looking at the clan mechs, it was obvious they had something similar planned.
{The rules are simple this time, Ranma Saotome.} said Herb. {This battle is to the death. Agreed?}
{Agreed.}
The mechs began to move slowly as they waited for the signal.
{NOW!} screamed both commanders in unison.
Imediately, the individual mechs broke away from each other and headed for cover. The final battle, had begun.
***
Ryouga closed on the Blackhawk. The smaller clan mech had beaten him once and had been beaten by him once. This time, he was determined to finish it off.
As the crosshairs flashed red, he fired. His ER PPC hit home on the mechs left arm, but the lasers went wide. Cursing, he fired again. The Blackhawk, finally noticing him, spun around and fired.
Twelve ruby darts burst from the clan mech's arms and arched toward the Battlemaster.
Rotating his torso, Ryouga took the blast on his arm. Turning back, he fired again. This time, the Blackhawk's arm flew free as the Battlemasters weaponry slammed into it.
Ryouga continued to fire at the Blackhawk. Unfortunately, the smaller mech's speed allowed it to dodge quite easily.
"Warning! Heat Level: Critical!"
<Damn it!> thought Ryouga, realizing he had forgotten to check his heat. Immediately, he stopped firing. It was then he noticed the Blackhawk rocketing toward him.
Before he could react, the clan mech soared upward, catching the Battlemaster's chin with its claw-like toe. Although he fought for control, Ryouga quickly lost his balance and the mech fell to the ground.
<Nuts!> thought Ryouga. <Looks like I'm out. . . I . . . Uh oh!> Seeing the Blackhawk turn, Ryouga quickly tried to raise his fallen mech. He failed.
As the Blackhawk closed on him, Ryouga struggled to undo the straps that held him in the command couch. Finally pulling himself free, he scrambled to the access hatch. Once through it, he jumped.
The minute he hit the ground, Ryouga ran for cover. A moment later, he turned to see the Blackhawks massive claw slam into the Battlemaster's cockpit, crushing it.
***
Kodachi creeped around one of the larger boulders as quietly as possible. The radar indicated that one of the clan mechs was nearby. However, she knew that if she could pick it up, it could pick her up as well. For once, caution seemed like a good plan.
Finally, she saw it. A Dasher was slowly moving toward her and, despite the heavy fog, she could see it clearly. Not waiting for a lock, she leveled her AC/10s and fired.
Unfortunately, both shots went wide and alerted the Dasher to her location. Immediately, the smaller mech picked up speed and moved toward her. Kodachi continued to fire, but the Dasher's speed let it dodge easily.
As she attemped to lock on, the Dasher began to answer her attacks with some of it own. Ruby darts began to pelt the Centurion as the clan mech started to circle her.
Realising her AC ammo was running low, Kodachi switched to her lasers and began firing again. After what seemed like an eternity, she managed to score a hit. The Dasher slowed down as the energy darts hit its leg.
Seizing the opportunity, Kodachi fired her Acs. Only one salvo hit, but it sent much of the mech's right arm flying away. A moment later, the Centurion was rocked back and forth as the Dasher's SRM's slammed into it.
Cursing, Kodachi fired again. This time, the shots flew truly and caught the Dasher in its torso. The mech rocked back and forth slightly, then was still. Kodachi let out a sigh of relief. Looking at her damaged display, she realised the clan mech had stripped nearly all of her torso armor from its constant barrage. Again, she sighed in relief.
Pushing on her controlls, she began to search for her teammates.
***
Mousse's Archer closed on the Vulture. As the lock signal sounded, he fired both salvos of missiles. The shots caught the mech in the left arm, sending armor flying. Turning, the Vulture answered with missiles of its own.
The missiles slammed into the Archer's torso, causing the mech to rock back and forth. Targetting with his lasers, Mousse fired again, catching the Vulture in the head. Return fire from the clan mech caught the Archer's head and Mousse heard some of his computers crackle from the impact.
Remember one of Yuta's lectures on close combat, Mousse crowded the Vulture and began to punch with the Archer's giant metal fists. The Vulture pilot, taking advantage of his mech's slightly greater speed, reversed his direction in attempt to escape. Once out of Range of the Archer's attacks, the Vulture pilot began to fire its lasers with renewed vigor.
The two mechs traded shots for several minutes before the Vulture moved behind one of the larger boulders. Mousse breathed a heavy sigh as he scanned his readouts.
The Archer had severe damage to its torso and several of the blasts had caught him in the head. Reaching to his side, he could feel a tiny rivulet of blood. Looking around, he noticed that much of the cockpit systems had blown out from the damage.
Turning back to the viewport, he was surprised to see the Vulture's missiles flying toward him. Grabbing the controls, Mousse tried to rotate the Archer's torso so the shots would hit his arm. The maneuvor, was about two seconds too late.
The missiles slammed into the Archer, making a trail from its groin to its head as Mousse fought for balance. Finally, a missile impacted just below the cockpit, sending a large chuck of metal into the viewports armored glass. A second later, the viewport shattered.
As the it exploded, pieces of the armored glass flew back at Mousse. Unable to move, he could only watch in grim fasination as it slammed against his visor, shattering it. Mousse screamed in pain as the shards of plastic tore into his eyes.
A moment later, he felt the mech lurch as the Vulture began firing again. He could still see somewhat, but his vision was limited to streams of crimson covering his eyes. Fumbling around the cockpit failed him as well, each time the mech moved, it seemed to pull the controls just out of reach. Sitting back in the command couch, he resigned himself to his fate.
***
Shampoo sircled one of the boulders, moving as fast as the Victor would take her. When she had heard the scream, her heart had nearly stopped. She had known immediately that it was Mousse.
<Please, let him be okay!> she thought.
Rounding the boulder, she saw the Vulture pelting the damaged Archer. {Mousse! Shampoo help you!} screamed Shampoo as she charged the Clan mech.
The Vulture pilot heard the call and, certain the Archer was no longer a threat, turned to face the oncoming Victor.
Wasting not time, Shampoo fired her Blinders at the Vulture. The Flash wasn't as bright as she had hoped, however, the fires that burst from the mech's armor assured her thatthe Vulture would need to cool down soon.
Just as she had hoped, the mech stopped firing after just three volleys. Turning, it began to run away. Locking on as best she could, Shampoo leveled her AC/20 and fired. The ultradense pellets streaded toward the Vulture catching it in its thin rear armor. Spured on, Shampoo continued to fire.
"Warning! Ammo level: Critical!"
Shampoo ignored the warning aand continued to fire, Finally, the ammo bay emptied and the AC ceased to fire. However, a bright flash off to one side indicated the Vulture was no longer a threat.
{Mousse!? You alright?!}
Over the comm, Shampoo heard what sounded like laughter. {It would appear, Shampoo, that I owe you my life once again.} said Mousse.
***
Ranma watched in satisfaction as the Dasher exploded. The fight had been easier than he expected, thus, he knew something was wrong.
Suddenly, he felt the Phoenix Hawk lurch. Turning, he saw the Masakari bearing down on him. Firing his Hives, Ranma was relieved to see them all break open. Unfortunately, less than half of the missiles hit the oncoming mech and those that did barely seemed to damage it. Leveling his laser, Ranma fired continously at his opponent as he backed his Phoenix Hawk away.
{Time to die, freebirth!}
Ranma heard the taunt and watched as the Masakari leveled its ER PPCs. Pushing hard on his jump pads, Ranma attempted to slide clear.
CRASH!!!
"What the . . . ?!" Ranma screamed.
Looking from side to side, he realized that he'd backed into a box canyon. He watched in horror as the Masakari's arms flared blue.
{No!!!!!!!!!!!}
Turning his head in surprise, Ranma barely had time to see another mech run in front of him. He realized it was Kodachi's Centurion.
The four PPC bolts slammed squarely into the Centurion, easily breaking through the already damaged armor. Even in his own cockpit, Ranma could hear the sound of internals exploding. He watched, helpless as the mech toppled to the ground.
{Kodachi!!!!} he screamed.
{We. . . are. . . even now. . . my. . . my. . .friend.} she said.
Ranma called to her over the comm, but his only answer was static. Turning to face the Masakari, he charged. {Damn you!} he screamed.
He heard the pilot laugh as he again leveled his weapons. The PPCs flared again, but this time Ranma was ready.
Pushing hard on his jump pedals, Ranma soared over the incoming bolts. <If I time this just right. . .> he thought.
As he sailed, he watched the Masakari raise its torso to look at him. Once he was in position, he cut the jump jets. The mech fell like a stone, directly into the Masakari.
Ranma heard the clan pilot scream as the Phoenix Hawk crashed into the Masakari. The Phoenix Hawk shuddered from the impact and fell backwards, hitting the ground hard.
Shaking his head, Ranma carefully raised the mech and surveyed the damage. The Masakari lay on its back, its cockpit crushed.
{That was for Kodachi.} said Ranma coldly.
***
Ukyou fired her lasers at the Blackhawk, intent of finishing the job Ryouga had started. Damage lights flicked on all across her console as the clan mech continued to fire at her. Targetting the mech with her Guass Rifle, she fired.
The Guass shell puched into the smaller mech, sending armor flying. However, the mech stubbornly refused to die. Crowding it, she raised her arms and punched downward onto the Blackhawk's back.
Finally, the mech's legs gave out and it crashed to the ground.
<It's about time.> Ukyou thought. However, the thought was short lived. She felt the mech rock and turned to see Herb's MadCat closing in on her.
Spinning the Crusader, she targeted him with her Hives and fired. Many of the missiles made contact, but the MadCat still moved forward.
Ukyou pushed the mech into reverse as the clan mech fired its missiles. Most of the shots went wide, but several hit her torso. The distance between her and the clansman no longer allowed her to use the Hives, and she began to regret the decision of swapping her LRMs for Akane's Guass Rifle.
Suddenly, she felt the mech stumble and began to tip. She realized to late she must have tripped on one of the boulders.
No amount of control seemed to keep the mech from falling. She shut her eyes tightly as and braced for impact. The Crusader hit the ground hard and came to rest in a sitting position against the side of one of the mountains.
Shaking her head groggily, Ukyou saw the MadCat closing. Quickly cheeking her readouts, she realized that her missiles wouldn't fire it her current position and her lasers were damaged. Her only remaining weapon was the Guass Rifle, but according to the readout, she only had one shot remaining.
Flicking the comm switch, she called for help.
***
Herb watched with a grim smile as the Crusader fell to the ground. Slowing his pace, he waited for his MadCat to enter prime range for his LRM 20s. As the crosshairs turned red, he casually flicked the trigger and watched as the missiles arched toward the downed Crusader.
"Farewell, freebirth." he said smoothly.
{Oh no you don't!}
"What?" scramed Herb as another mech jumped (literally) into his view. He watched, fasinated as it flew into the path of his missiles. He recognized the Phoenix Hawk.
Losing their lock, the LRMs pounded into the newcomer. Every missile hit the Phoenix Hawk squarely at one point or another. Herb laughed coldly as the mech fell to earth with a huge crash.
{You have only delayed the inevitable, Ranma Saotome.} Herb called, laughing. <Of course, it saves me from having to hunt you down, stupid freebirth.> he added to himself.
Pushing forward on the controls, he moved on the downed crusader.
***
{Ranchan!} screamed Ukyou, horrified as she watched the Phoenix Hawk plunge into the mountain side.
<He. . . he saved me.> she said to herself. Forgetting about Herb, she watched the crash sight intently, waiting for the dust to clear. She gasped at what she saw.
The Phoenix Hawk lay in a position similar to her own, its torso completely caved in and its arms hanging by wires. Looking at the cockpit, she realized it had been nearly destroyed.
{Ranchan!} she screamed {Ranma, answer me!}
{Sorry. . . Uk . . . Ukyou.} came the response. {I tried.}
Ukyou felt tears burning her face, she wanted to reply but couldn't. Suddenly, a noise caught her attention and she turned. She gasped in shock as she came face to face with the MadCat's arm weapons.
{Beg, freebirth.} commanded Herb. {Do it well, and I _might_ let you live.}
{I'd rather die.} said Ukyou.
{So be it.}
***
{I'd rather die.}
Ranma could feel his conciousness slipping away, but he could still hear Ukyou's words. Raising he head wearily, he looked himself over.
The cockpit had shattered around him and a piece of metal covered his lower body, cutting off the feeling in his legs. His right arm was twisted at an impossible angle, but his left was free. Blinking, he found that only one eye would open. Reaching up with his good hand, he felt warm blood pouring from a slash just above his eye.
Looking out through the cockpit, he saw the MadCat standing between the Crusader's legs, its arm leveled at the cockpit.
<I . . . failed again.> he thought. <First Akane, then Kodachi and now. . . > his thoughts ended as he coughed hard, blood falling over his lips.
Unable to hold his head up, he let it roll back. His mind swam with images of himself and his friends. Images of times they had shared and hardships they'd endured. He remembered things he thought he'd long forgotten, his training trips, his grandparents, even his first meeting with Akane.
<Akane!> he mind screamed. He could see her, laying in the hospital, fighting to stay alive. Suddenly, his head snapped up. He knew what had to be done.
For years, he'd struggled to master a technique he grandfather had tried to teach him. Supposedly, it would allow him to channel his chi into an attack about equal to a PPC. Of course, no matter what he did, the technique never worked right and he'd usually hurt himself more than anything else. Now though, he had nothing left to loose. <I hope grandpa knew what he was talking about.> he said to himself as he began to concentrate.
Trying hard to control his breathing, Ranma stared hard at the MadCat. As he watched, he could feel the air around him crackle with energy. The feeling was increadible and he knew the technique would work. Gritting against the pain, he pulled his good arm back and made ready to attack.
"Akane!!!!" he screamed, punching forward. Waves of pure energy travelled along his arm to fly away from his fist. As the last of his strength failed him, Ranma watched the bolt slam into Herb's back. Despite the pain, he smiled.
***
Ukyou stared sadistically at the MadCat's arm, determined to face death head on. Suddenly, she saw the mech tip forward. A moment later, its torso rotated away from her.
Her heart lept, this was what she'd prayed for. She wasn't sure what had happened, but wile the MadCat was turned away, she raised the Crusader's arm and positioned the Guass rifle to were she guessed the clan mech's cockpit would be.
{It would seem, freebirth, that you friend is not completely dead.} said Herb. Still facing away. {I shall have to deal with him after I rid the galaxy of you.}
Ukyou laughed into the comm. {You won't get the chance.}
Herb returned the laugh and began to rotate his torso back to Ukyou. {You joke well freebirth, none of you inferiors could ever . . .} He stopped abruptly as he found the Guass Rifle pointed at his face.
Without waiting, Ukyou pulled the trigger.
The Guass shell flew from the barrel into the cockpit of the MadCat. Ukyou watched in dark
amazement as the armored canopy exploded outward, taking the MadCat's head with it. Over the comm, she heard Herb, scream.
{Guess what, trashborn.} said Ukyou. {One of use "inferiors" just beat you.}
***
Yuta looked frantically between the monitors of the mobile HQ. Only Shampoo's camera remained operation. No amount of effort would bring the other's camera's back on line.
<What the hell is going on?> Yuta asked himself.
Turning in her chair, Nabiki faced Yuta. Her hand held a headset she was frantically trying to operate. "Yuta." she said. "I can't raise them!"
Facing her, Yuta held out his hand. "Give me the comm." he said.
Removing the headset, Nabiki handed it to Yuta, who immediately put it on.
{Any Jusenkyo pilot, that can hear me.} he said. {What's going on out there? We can't see anything!}
No reply came.
{Lost Boy! Mousse! Shampoo! Black Rose! White Bow! Wild Horse!} as he called the names, he felt long buried fear creeping up on him. {Somebody! Answer me!}
{Yuta.}
Yuta's heart jumped. Reaching his hand to the head set, he tapped the send button and said {Ukyou, is that you!?}
{Yeah. . . its me.} she answered, her voice grave.
{What's going on!?} asked Yuta. {The monitors are all gone, we can't see a thing!}
{You. . . you'd better get some medics up here.} she said.
{Medics?}
{Better . . . hurry.}
Tearing the headset off, Yuta ran to the door and, throwing it open yelled for the medics. As the other vehicles moved out, he jumped into the driver's seat and followed.
***
Hours later, the remaining members of the Jusenkyo team gathered in the Nermia hospitol. No one knew what was going on and the wait was beggining to take its tole.
Genma sat against one of the walls in silence. His face was a mask of anger and concern; he looked like he was ready to tear the hospital apart if he didn't get some news soon. Beside him Nodoka, sat cradling Ranko in her arms, trying to calm down her daughters crying. Of course, it wasn't doing much good when she herself was also crying.
Ryouga paced back and forth, mumbling to himself and occassionally bumping into something. When he neared one of the others, they could just make out what he was saying. It seemed to be along the lines of "I'm sorry, Ranma."
Ukyou, sat to one side sharpening a small, oddly shaped knife to keep herself busy. Occassionally, she would look up toward the others. Each time, she saw her own feelings reflected in their eyes.
Yuta leaned against one wall, lost in his own thoughts. They had won the battle, but the cost had been far higher than he thought it might be. In the back of his mind, he kept comparing the battle to the last one he had, personally, fought. So many things seemed to be the same, Kodachi saving Ranma and Ranma in turn saving Ukyou. <It was exactly like what had happened to Mana.> he thought, choking back a tear.
After what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Tofu entered the waiting room. Eagerly, the team gathered around him, berating him with questions.
"How's my son?"
"Will Ranma live?"
"What about Mousse? Is he okay?"
"How's Kodachi?"
The teammates screamed the questions in unison and the young doctor was hard pressed to answer them. Only Yuta remained silent. After dealing with doctors for going on forty years now, he knew the look that signified bad news.
"Please!" Tofu finally yelled. "One at a time?"
Immediately the talking stopped.
"Thank you." he said.
"How's my son, Dr. Tofu?"
"Everyone sit down." said Tofu. "I'll tell you in just a moment."
Slowly, everyone did as instructed. As they did so, it was obvious that Tofu was trying to collect his thoughts. Once seated, the team looked at him expectantly.
"I've got some good news and some bad news." began Tofu. "First of all, Mousse is going to be allright. He's got some pretty bad cuts on and around his eyes and he'll lose about half, too two-thirds of his sight, but other than that, he'll be just fine. Shampoo's with him right now."
"Kodachi is going to be okay as well." he continued. "However, when the bolts hit, a piece of metal shattered her left leg and I had to amputate it. She'll be out for another few hours, but she doesn't have anything else that's worse than a couple of bruises.
"What about my son?" asked Genma.
"Mr. Saotome, I. . . I don't really know where to begin."
"Then just spill it, Dr. Tofu." said Yuta before Genma could speak.
Dr. Tofu opened and closed his mouth several times, not wanting to say what he had to say.
"Ranma's not. . . not going to make it. Is he?" asked Ukyou.
"I'm afraid . . . your probably right, Ukyou." answered Tofu. "The odds are very bad. A piece of metal was lodged above his right eye and has severed the optical nerve. I can't do anything to save his vision in that eye. There is, however, no decernable brain damage. His right arm is broken in four places and his shoulder was completely dislocated. I set them both as best I could, but I don't know if it will heal properly."
Tofu paused to breath and noted that Genma was on the verge of exploding. He also noticed that both Yuta and Ryouga had taken up postions on either side of him.
"He has a slipped disk in his lower back that is partially cutting off the nerve impulses to his legs, but that is easily repaired. He also has seven cracked ribs and. . . some internal damage that was a real challenge to repair. The. . . the next twenty-four hours are going to be absolutely critical. I'm. . . I'm sorry."
Hearing the words, Genma's hold on his anger broke. He shot forward at the young doctor, but stopped short as Yuta and Ryouga locked onto his arms with death grips.
"Let me go!!!" shouted Genma. "Ranma's going to be fine! He's stronger than this! I'll be damned if I let him just die!"
The stream of curses continued and Ryouga felt his hold beginning to break. "Dr. Tofu! Do something!" he yelled.
Immediately, Dr. Tofu walked up to Genma and jabbed a nerve in the man's throat. Less than a moment later, Genam stopped struggling and fell to the floor unconcious as Yuta and Ryouga released their holds.
"Can. . . can we see him?" asked Ukyou, tears lining her face.
"I'm afraid not." said Tofu. "Right now, I've got him hooked up to so much machinary I can't take the chance of having non-medical personnel around him. If he survives the next twenty-four hours, we'll see."
As the words sunk in, everyone's face darkened. Ranko began crying again and Nodoka picked her up to comfort her. Ryouga, seeing tears in Ukyou's eyes, did likewise. Not knowing what else to do, Yuta and Dr. Tofu picked up Genma and placed him on one of the couches.
As Tofu began to walk away, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.
"What are his chances, Dr. Tofu?"
Tofu turned to face Yuta and said, "Less than ten percent at present."
Yuta didn't respond, instead, he lead the young docter into an adjoining hall. Once there, he asked, "Isn't there anything that you can do?"
"Given Ranma's _exceptional_ healing time, I'll wager he'll live for a few more days at least. After that, I don't know." said Tofu. "Truth to tell, all that I've probably done is prolong the families grief. Although, I hope I'm wrong."
"There has to be something!" said Yuta.
"I wish there was, Yuta." said Tofu. "But right now, the best thing we can do, is pray for a miracle."
Yuta shook his head and breathed out heavily. "I know, Dr. Tofu." he said. "To bad miracles are in short supply these days.
[Planet: Moraine -- Lyran Alliance: May 10, 3057]
Shampoo held Mousse's hand tightly as Dr. Tofu cut off the bandages that covered the young clansman's eyes.
"Allright, Mousse." he said. "Once I get the last of these off, I want you to open your eyes _slowly_."
"As you say, Tofu-sensei." replied Mousse.
"Allright, go ahead."
As instructed, Mousse opened his eyes _very_ slowly, allowing the light to penetrate them. For an instant, he felt an intense burst of pain and clapped them shut again.
"I cannot." he said.
"Mousse, can do it."
Hearing Shampoo's words, Mousse felt the pain lesson and slowly opened his eyes again. The pain, though not as intense, was still present. However, this time it was tolerable. The world came back to him, but he could not make out anything distinctive.
"Well?" said Tofu. "Can you see anything?"
"I am not sure." said Mousse. "Everything appears to be. . . blurry."
Tofu removed a penlight and shined it into Mousse's eyes, causing them to water. "That's to be expected." said Tofu. "According to the tests, you've lost at least half your capacity for distance sight. However, you should still be able to see up close."
"But, I hear you, Tofu-sensei." countered Mousse. "However, I can not _see_ you. Not definately at any rate."
"Give it time." said Tofu. "Your eyes will be able to focus a little better after a couple more days."
"Will I be able to pilot a battlemech again?"
"Give it time."
"But. . ." Mousse began, however, the words were interrupted as Kasumi called Dr. Tofu out into the hall.
Once alone, Mousse squeezed Shampoo's hand tightly. "What will happen to me, Shampoo?" he asked.
"What, Mousse mean?"
"Piloting a mech is all I know." he said. "What will I do if I am no longer able to do so?"
In answer, Shampoo moved to sit next to him and put her arm around him. "Whatever, happen Mousse, Shampoo be there help. Shampoo always help, Mousse."
"Why?" he asked.
Shampoo "humphed" and said, "Shampoo already so why once!"
"Tell me again." said Mousse.
Sighing, Shampoo said, "Shampoo, love Mousse, that why she help."
Mousse smiled and turned to face her voice. "Thank you, Shampoo." he said. "What would I do without you."
In answer, Shampoo leaned forward and kissed him. This time, he did not back away.
***
Elseware in the hospitol, Akane slowly sat up. Her body ached and she felt groggy.
<Where am I?> she asked herself. <I remember taking out that Masakari but, what happened after that?>
Looking around through blurry eyes, she found she was lying on a small bed in a white, sterile looking room. Looking down at herself, she saw bandages covering most of her chest down to her waist. As she moved, her entire body ached.
"Akane! You're alright!"
Looking up, Akane saw Kasumi standing in the doorway staring at her. "K. . .Kasumi? Where am I?" she asked.
"Back in a minute." Kasumi answered, leaving Akane in stunned silence. A moment later, she returned with Dr. Tofu in tow.
"Well, I'll be!" he said. "Looks like sleeping beauty finally woke up."
Akane blushed at the comment and repeated the question she had asked Kasumi.
Dr. Tofu answered her and began to do a quick (albeit thorough) examination of his newly awakened patient.
After several minutes, Dr. Tofu seemed satisfied that she was okay and told Kasumi to stay with her while he informed Soun.
Kasumi took a seat next to her younger sister and began to tell her about the events of the past week. In the back of her mind, she wanted to tell her about Ranma, but thought better of it.
For her part, Akane sat silently and listened. She realized that she had a lot to catch up on.
[Planet: Moraine -- Lyran Alliance: May 15, 3057]
Soun stood in the hanger impatiently. Around him, the Jusenkyo battlemechs stood silently as they awaited repairs. Each had been severly damaged, and the repairs were going at a snail's pace.
Turning his head, he looked through the open bay door at the four transport trucks outside. Each was loaded with a clan omnimech. The prizes of the team's "victory."
"Soun."
Turning back, he saw Yuta approaching him. "Morning." replied Soun.
"Give me the report." said Yuta in a flat monotone.
Quickly, Soun gave his commander the update on the mechs. It hadn't changed much in the past week and a half, but the routine gave everyone something to think about other than its injured commrade.
"What about the omnimech's?" asked Soun.
"Hmm. . . what was that?"
"The omni's!" repeated Soun. "What do you want me to do about them?"
"We can't keep them." Yuta answered, looking sadistically at the downed titans.
"What!?" screamed Soun. "After what happened! How can you just. . . ?"
Yuta's cold stare cut him off in mid sentence. "You and I both know we don't have the resources or the finances to afford the upkeep on one omnimech." said Yuta. "Do you think we can afford the upkeep on _four_?"
"No." Soun replied flatly.
"Strip whatever we can use." Yuta continued, after he calmed down. "The rest goes to Gosonkugi. He'll have a field day with those damn things."
"If you say so, Yuta." replied Soun. "By the way, any word from Tofu today?"
Yuta shook his head sullenly. "According to Dr. Tofu, Ranma's chances are steadily increasing and are up to about twenty percent. He's gonna take him off the respiratory in another day or two. I guess well see then."
"I gues so." said Soun.
"Have you told Akane yet?"
This time it was Soun's turn to shake his head. "I almost lost her a few days ago. I don't think I have the heart to tell her."
Yuta nodded.
"Do _you_ think Ranma will live, Yuta?"
Yuta considered himself for a moment before answering. "I make it a policy not to take bets when it comes to people's lives." he said. "But, at least if Ranma dies, he'll die like he wanted to."
"How's that?" asked Soun, genuinely confused.
"He'll die a Mechwarrior." Yuta replied. "A Mechwarrior who's friends found it in their hearts to forgive him."
"You're right, Yuta." said Soun, his voice somewhat angry. "I know what happened, but he saved Ukyou and. . . I think he really did know what he was doing there at the end."
Yuta didn't reply. Instead, he patted Soun on the shoulder, and slowly walked away.
[Planet: Moraine Lyran Alliance: May 20, 3057]
Akane sat on her bed, fidgeting impatiently. It had already been ten days and she was anxious to start moving around again. Dr. Tofu had told her her legs would be rather weak and she was to wait on Kasumi before she tried to stand up. Unfortunately, Kasumi was in the middle of helping another patient and Akane had to stay in bed a little longer.
Uncrossing her arms, she scratched at her cast and exhaled in disgust. <I can't say I'll be sorry to say goodbye to this place> she thought. <For once, those barricks look _really_ inviting for some reason.> She laughed slightly at her own joke, remembering how she complained about how drab her room at the hanger looked. For once, she was looking forward to going back to that room.
Desperate for something to do, she began to look through small treasure trove of items that were her get well gifts. It was a week after she had regained conciousness that she was finally allowed to have visitors and she vividly remembered all her teammates trying to fit into the small room to talk to her. They all had seemed to be in good spirits, but Akane could sense something wrong. Still, she was glad to see them.
Kuno had given her a bouquet of roses and a long (very bad) poem which he would have read if Kodachi hadn't stopped him. Thinking back, Akane realized that had been the first time she was glad to see Kodachi, although it still seemed strange to see her trying to manage moving around on only one leg.
Ryouga had brought her a small wooden pig figurine decorated with one of his bandannas and Ukyou had brought her some "real" food. Mousse and Shampoo, being clansman weren't much on gifts, but they had both brought her a bouquet of flowers. Even little Ranko had brought her something.
Looking to one side, Akane saw the model of her Shadow Hawk that Ranko had made for her. The mech's arms were put on at odd angles and the paint job was sloppy at best. Ranko had tried to apologize for her lack of model building skill, but Akane had assured her that she really loved the gift.
Akane smiled as she looked at the gifts, she was glad to have so many friends. However, the smile faded as her gaze fell on a small vase of violets. The card attached to the vase read:
"To: Akane Tendo
Get well soon.
-Ranma"
Of course, Akane knew that the gift was from someone else because the card wasn't in Ranma's handwriting. <That jerk.> she thought.
Of all the members of the team, Ranma was the only one who hadn't come to see her. It made her furious to think about it. She'd asked various people several times about Ranma, but the person had quickly changed the subject each time. In her mind, Akane told herself he was just trying to avoid her for some reason, but in her heart, she felt something was wrong.
<Were is he?> she asked herself. <Guess I'll ask Kasumi again.>
Almost in response to the thought, Kasumi walked through the door. "Are you ready, Akane?" she asked.
Akane smiled. "Kasumi, I've been ready for the past two days!" she said.
Kasumi smiled back and moved to help Akane stand. "One." she said.
Akane slowly swung herself around and drangled her legs over the side of the bed.
"Two."
Slowly, Akane put her broken arm around Kasumi's shoulders and let her feet touch the floor.
"Three."
Pushing away with her good arm, Akane brought herself to a standing position. Immediately, the world began to go gray and she start to fall back. Shaking her head in determination, she straightened up and began to move forward.
The pace was painfully slow and she had to lean on Kasumi for the first few minutes, but it wasn't long before her legs began to regain some strength. "Okay, Kasumi." she said. "I think I've got it now."
Relucantly, Kasumi released Akane and stepped back. Once free, Akane slowly began to walk around the room, carefully putting one foot in front of the other while keeping very close to the wall.
"Oh my! Akane." said Kasumi. "I always knew you were tough, but you're doing much better than I thought you would."
Turning her head, Akane smiled at Kasumi and continued to walk. After about twenty minutes, she could easily hold herself up again. Beside her, Kasumi clapped her hands in a mock cheer.
<Guess now's as good a time as any.> Akane thought. "Kasumi, have you seen Ranma today?"
Immediately, Kasumi stopped clapping. Akane watched, horrified, as her sisters expression fell from joy to despair. It was the first time Akane could ever remember seeing a look like that on her older sister and it terrified her.
"What. . . what's wrong?" asked Akane.
Kasumi stayed silent.
"Kasumi!" Akane screamed. "Answer me!"
"A. . . Akane." Kasumi started. "Would you please sit back down?"
Akane looked at her questioningly, but reluctantly sat down on the bed again.
Taking a deep breath, Kasumi told Akane everything. All Akane could do was listen in stunned silence.
"That. . . that can't be right!" Akane screamed. "Ranma can't be. . . it's just. . . what. . ."
She paused. What Kasumi had told her had shocked her so much she could even think straight. Wearily, she leaned against the back of the bed and cupped her face in her good hand.
Kasumi immediately realized Akane was crying. Moving to the bed, she sat and hugged her sister.
"W. . . why . . . didn't. . . you . . . you tell me sooner?" Akane asked between sobbs.
"I. . . I wanted too." said Kasumi, her voice warm, yet cold. "But, I . . . I needed you to be stronger. I didn't want to take a chance at loosing you again."
Akane held Kasumi tightly, crying.
Kasumi also held Akane tightly, letting her cry on her shoulder.
"Can. . . can I. . . I see him?" Akane asked at length, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Y. . . yes." said Kasumi.
Leaning heavily on her sister for support, Akane allowed Kasumi to lead her out of the room toward an unfamiliar part of the hospital.
***
As they entered Ranma's room, they found Dr. Tofu busily copying down some information from one of the numerous machines that filled the room. Turning around, he smiled the best smile he could manage under the circumstances.
"Good morning." he said, somewhat sarcastically.
Akane, unable to return the greating, asked, "Is Ranma going to be okay?"
Dr. Tofu's smile faded as he looked back at the cart in his hand. "We were finally able to take him off of the respirator a couple of days ago." said Dr. Tofu. "Also, his chances are improving, but they're improving _very_ slowly. Right now, it's. . . . it's all a matter of time."
Akane managed a weak smile as Kasumi helped her into a chair beside Ranma's bed. Afterward, both she and Dr. Tofu left quickly, leaving Akane alone. After they were gone, Akane took her first good look at Ranma's injuries.
Bandages wound their way around most of his body and a metal patch covered his right eys. His right arm lay at his side enclosed in a metal brace. IV tubes and monitoring cables where attached to his torso at various locations. Off to one side, laid a recently removed respirator tube.
Akane knew that her own injuries had been bad, but compared to what she was seeing, they didn't seem to be more than scratches.
"Ranma." she said. "Ranma, can you hear me."
Ranma made no response.
"Stupid." she said, her tears beginning to flow again. "I'm not impressed. You didn't have to go and nearly get yourself killed you know."
Still no reponse.
Akane slammed her good hand against the bed side. "Damn it, Ranma!" she screamed. "I know I heard you talking to me when I was unconcious so I know you can hear me! Stop trying to give me a heart attack and say something!"
Again, Ranma made no response.
"Please." she said. "I. . . I . . . just answer me okay."
Slowly, Akane reached out and took Ranma's uninjured hand in her own. She squeezed it, hoping for some sort of answering preasure. There wasn't any.
"I. . . I know what happened, Ranma." she said. "K. . .Kasumi t. . .told me. But . . . I want you to know that. . . that I. . . I don't blame you. I know you didn't do it on purpose and I. . . I forgive you." As she finished, Akane didn't notice the heart monitor jump. Instead, she lifted his hand and pressed it against her cheek. "Ranma." she said. "You wouldn't let me go. So I'll be damned if I let _you_ go like this!"
Pressing his hand harder against her cheek, she marvaled at how rough, yet smooth and warm it seemed to be. She knew Ranma's chances were still slim, but both Kasumi and Dr. Tofu had told her they were slowly increasing. In the back of her mind, Akane resolved to stay with Ranma until the chances hit one-hundred percent.
<Damn you, Ranma.> she thought. <Making me worry like this. When you wake up, I'm going to give you a piece of my mind. . . but _good_!>
As she thought about it, she let her mind drift. Thoughts of beating the tar out of Ranma mixed with images of happier times began to move within her mind. Unconciously, she smiled.
[Planet: Moraine -- Lyran Alliance: May 30, 3057]
"Well. . . what do you think?"
"Hmm. . . I'll take three cards."
"Here you go."
"Thanks."
The team sat quietly in the mess hall of the hanger, playing cards. It had already been a month since the battle with the clans, but there hadn't been any action since then. The endless waiting was beginning to takes it toll.
"Have you heard anything about Ranma yet, Yuta?" asked Ukyou.
Yuta looked up from his hand and shook his head. "No." he said. "But, Akane promised to let us know if there are any changes."
"She's been spending an awful lot of time at the hospital don't you think?"
Everyone turned toward Ryouga.
"What mean?" asked Shampoo.
Looking up again, Ryouga said, "Don't you think Akane's been spending an awful lot of time at the hospital lately?"
"Hmm. . . you are correct, Ryouga Hi. . . Ryouga." said Mousse. "However, I must envy her loyalty."
"True." countered Kuno. "Although the cursed Saotome is like a bane upon my life, he did in turn save the fair Ukyou. Thus, I must admit I do not wish to see him perish (yet)."
The others nodded in agreement. However, it _was_ true that Akane had only been back to the hanger twice since she was released and those visits had been nothing more than a trip for clean clothes.
They had each been in and out to see Ranma and Akane the past few days, but Akane always refused to leave. Everyone was convinced Ranma would be allright, his chances had gone up well past fifty fifty by this time, but there was still lingering doubt. Thus, no one argued when Akane announced that she would stay close by him.
"Okay," said Ukyou. "Everybody show their hands."
"One pair." said Ryouga.
"Two pair." countered Kuno
"Three of a kind." said Yuta.
"I four kind." replied Shampoo.
"I have nothing useful." said Mousse.
"Two pair." said Kodachi.
Finished, they all turned toward Ukyou, waiting for her hand. Looking at them, she smiled. "Full house."
Amongst various protests and curses, Ukyou raked in her winnings and smiled.
"That's eight hands in a row, Ukyou." said Ryouga. "You sure these cards _aren't_ marked."
Ukyou looked at him and frowned, pretending to be upset. "Of course they're _not_! Are you saying I cheat?"
"Well, actually. . ." Ryouga began.
"Uh. . . I don't think you need to answer that, Ryouga." said Yuta. "But, just to be safe, let me deal this time."
Ukyou sighed and handed over the cards, all the time giving Ryouga the evil eye. "Okay." said Yuta. "Five card draw, duces and . . ."
"Mr. Saotome!"
The team spun around toward the door and saw a (very) out of breath Nabiki leaning against the frame.
"Nabiki, what's . . . ?"
"Have any of you seen Mr. or Mrs. Saotome?!" Nabiki yelled, fighting for breath.
"Yeah, he's in the mech bay." said Ryouga. "But why do you. . . ?" The question was left hanging as Nabiki bolted out the door.
Turning back to the table, the team members stared at each other in surprise.
Shampoo began to say something, but stopped suddenly, her eyes wide.
"Ranma!"
The team came to the conclusion in almost perfect synch. Immediately, they stood, knocking over their chairs as they moved toward the door.
***
"Get the emergency units in here, STAT!" screamed Dr. Tofu as he pulled the sheets away from Ranma's body.
"We can't fit anything else in here, Doctor!"
"I don't care, get the damn equipment!"
Reluctanly, the young nurse ran to comply with the Dr. Tofu's request. As she did so, Dr. Tofu quickly checked Ranma's vitals. <Damn it!> he thought. <I knew something like this was bound to happen eventually!>
To one side, Akane clung tightly to Kasumi as she watched the proceedings.
<No!> she thought. <Oh god, please don't let him die.>
Kasumi, feeling Akane's cry for help, hugged her sister tightly. "It'll be allright, Akane, you'll see." she said.
Akane looked up at Kasumi. She wanted to believe her sister, but the look in Kasumi's eyes wouldn't let her. Turning, Akane locked her eyes on Ranma and lost herself in thought. Up until today, things had been going much better than expected. Ranma was slowly recovering and his chances were improving every day. Everything but the most grievious injuries had already healed and most of his bandages had been removed. Akane had felt _very_ relieved by that news. But now, the fear and heartache had returned.
She had only stepped out of the room for a moment to stretch her legs and get something to drink. The brief walk had felt good, but her spirits died when she returned to the room. As she walked in, she had heard a high pitched siren, it was then she noticed that Ranma's heart monitor had stopped moving. Immediately, she had called in Dr. Tofu, but now, now she didn't know what to do.
***
The team stormed into the waiting room of the hospital, but were immediately stopped by well over a dozen armed security guards.
"What's going on here?" asked Yuta.
"Are you Colonel Mariner?" asked one of the guards.
"I am."
"I'm sorry, sir, but Dr. Tofu figured you'd all be here and he doesn't want anyone interfering."
"The hell you say!" shouted Ryouga, as he moved into a combat stance.
"I'm sorry, but the only way your going in there is through us." reponded the guard, readying a stun baton.
Various calls of anger and outrage rose from the team as they moved to comply with the guards ultimatum. A fight would have ensued had Yuta not intervened.
"I don't want anybody else in this hospital anytime soon." he said, his voice cold. "You all sit down."
"Yuta." said Shampoo. "We want. . ."
"I said 'sit _down_.'"
Reluctantly, the team obeyed him.
Once they were seated, Yuta turned his eyes back to the guard. "You won't have any trouble with them." he said. "But _I'm_ going in there _now_ and as soon as they get here, Mr. and Mrs. Saotome are going in too, you understand me?"
The guard swallowed hard. "Um. . ., sir. . . Dr. Tofu said no one was to be admitted so. . ."
The guard trailed off as Yuta walked past him. "If anybody asks, I knocked you out." he said coldly.
***
"Come on, Ranma!" shouted Dr. Tofu. "Come on, don't do this to me."
ZZZZ!
Ranma's body rose involuntarily as the cardiac stimulators released the charge. The heart monitor remained unchanged.
As the doctor removed the stimulators, the nurse put the respirator back over Ranma's mouth and began pumping it again.
"No reaction."
Dr. Tofu looked at the charger. "Clear." he yelled. Pressing the pads back against Ranma's torso, he shocked him again. Still, no reaction.
The nurse repeated her actions as Dr. Tofu waited for the charging to finish. They repeated the cycle seven more times, but the result stayed the same. Finally, Dr. Tofu sat down the machine, nodding his head in sorrw.
"No!" screamed Akane. "Damn you, Ranma don't leave me!"
"He can't hear you." said Kasumi. "He's gone."
"No he isn't." said Akane, her voice filled with anger. "Dr. Tofu?"
"Yes."
"Hit him again."
"What?"
"Try it again."
"It won't. . ."
"Please?"
Dr. Tofu looked at her for a few seconds and said, "Alright."
Taking the machine again, he and the nurse began the procedure, this time, with renewed vigor.
After ten more tries, the result hadn't changed.
"Akane," said Dr. Tofu. "I'm sorry, but. . ."
"One more try."
"But. . ."
"One more try!"
Reluctantly, Dr. Tofu carefully placed the pads on Ranma's torso. "Charging." he said.
<Come back to use, Ranma.> Akane thought.
"Charging."
<You can do it, I know you can.>
"Charging."
<Please.>
"Clear!"
Everyone backed away.
ZZZZ!
Again, Ranma's body jerked upwards. Everyone watched the heart monitor anxiously.
PING! PING! PING!
"I don't believe it." said Dr. Tofu. "We've got a rhythm."
A sudden coughing sound drew their attention suddenly. Looking down, they saw Ranma moving his head groggily, his left eye swiftly opening and closing.
"Correction." said the nurse. "We've got a live patient."
Akane realeased a breath she hadn't know she was holding and let go of Kasumi. Slowly, she made her way to the bed and took Ranma's hand.
"Well." said Kasumi. "I guess I'd better go inform the team."
Dr. Tofu looked at her to protest, but he caught the look in her eyes and nodded. After checking the vitals, he followed.
[Planet: Moraine -- Lyran Alliance: May 31, 3057]
Akane woke up as she felt a hand stroking the back of her head. Looking up, she saw Ranma looking back at her.
"Morning, Tomboy." he said, giving her a lopsided smile.
"You jerk." she said. "Worrying me like that!"
"Sorry."
Akane smiled back at him. She was amazed that he was already awake (afterall he was dead for at least five minutes yesterday!), but his lack of an answering insult told her he was still weak.
"Don't worry about it."
Ranma smiled again and he touched the side of her face. "Thank you." he said.
"For what."
"You're the one that brought me back." he said. "I heard you calling me."
Akane's smile broadened. "I love you." she said.
Ranma looked at her, his eyes wide.
After a moment, Akane's mind caught up with her mouth. <I said it!> she thought. <I actually said it!>
<I . . . I don't believe it.> thought Ranma. "I love you too." he answered.
"You. . . you do?"
Ranma nodded weakly. "I have for a long time." he said. "Guess I didn't tell you cause I wasn't sure if you loved me back."
Unsure of what to say, Akane could only smile. All the while, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"You dummy." she said. "Of course I did."
"Stay that way." Ranma said.
"Huh."
"You're smiling." he said. "I like you that way."
Without answering, Akane did the only thing she could think of. She kissed him.
After a moment, they broke the kiss and stared at each other. Neither one spoke. Neither one needed to.
***
Outside, Yuta and Dr. Tofu watched the exchange silently.
"Guess we were both wrong, Dr. Tofu." said Yuta.
"How so?" asked the doctor. "Although I admit, I'm glad I was."
"Well, you said he probably wouldn't live more than a couple of days." said Yuta.
"I know I was wrong about that. Thank god." Tofu answered. "What were you wrong about?"
"Miricles."
"Huh."
"Miricles, Dr. Tofu." said Yuta. "They still happen."
Dr. Tofu said nothing.
"Do you think he's strong enough to put up with visitors?"
"Well," said Tofu. "If he can fall in love with Akane after being clinically dead for five minutes, I think he can put up with the team."
"Good."
***
Ranma and Akane continued to stare at each other for several minutes before Akane finally broke the silence.
"Promise me something." she said.
"What?"
"Promise me you won't leave me."
"Only if you promise me the same."
"I promise." they said in unison. They moved toward each other, fully intending to kiss again. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.
A moment later, the team burst through the door. Talking, cheering and yelling "get wells" at Ranma.
Akane leaned back and groaned. Ranma did likewise. <This always happens!> they thought.
Shaking his head Ranma smiled at Akane, who smiled back. Turning, they looked into the faces of their firends. Their family. Soon after, they were eagerly talking with each other, all thoughts of despair forgotten.
*********************************The End.
And thus concludes Mechwarrior Team Jusenkyo. This is a revised version. The version I posted to the ML in mid-August was a rough Alpha that I wanted to get posted before I left for school. Sorry about that.
Disclaimer: All Ranma 1/2 charcters as well as the characters Yuta and Mana are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and the company that publishes them. Battletech and all associated equipment, mechs, planets, weapons (with the exception of the Webs, Blinders and Hive missiles) are regestered trademarks of the FASA corporation.
I changed a lot of things in this chapter and added about six pages worth of extra to the end. I hope you enjoyed it. Personally, I liked this ending a _lot_ better. The major changes were:
1) I changed the fight between Ranma and Ryouga to occur in part 3
2) Akane's love isn't the only thing that revives Ranma (although it helped). After reading over some C&C and the Alpha version a few times, I realized the ending was, to be polite, cheesy at best, so I tried to liven it up a little. I think I did pretty good.
Some people may think that Ranma recovered a little too quickly after having been clinically dead, but. . . well . . . this is Ranma after all and he _is_ know for quick recoveries (that's the story and I'm sticking to it!). I debated on whether or not Ranma should die or not, but I finally decided against it. Don't ask why, I just did.
My sincerest thanks to all who have read and C&C'd this fic. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. (However, now that it's finally finished, I've got time to work on a few other fic ideas ^_^).
As always, C&C is requested, but please limit it to your feelings on the story and story content. _Please_ ignore any grammer and/or spelling errors. All flames will be read, thought over, laughed at and promptly discarded.^_^
Also, please send any C&C to me directly. Thanks in advance.
Thanks again! Hope you enjoyed it.
James "Phoenix" Jones jace@utkux.utcc.utk.edu