= = = =
                                   T E N

                            A Ranma  1/2 Fanfic

                                 By  R. E.
                           (ranma_e@hotmail.com)

                           Illustrations by Irka
                            (irka@ciudad.com.ar)
                                  = = = =

                             CHAPTER  EIGHTEEN
                                "Disclosure"
                              = = = = = = = =

Ryoga hobbled across the hard metal floor of the Pillar's tertiary 
laboratory, acutely aware of how inaccurately he was reproducing the 
limping walk that had until a few minutes ago been second nature to him.  
His cheeks burned red as he slowly made his way toward his desk, hoping 
beyond hope that the prickling sensation running up and down his spine was
fuelled by his own paranoia and not the curious stares of the other staff.

He wanted to toss aside the now-useless walking cane that had been his 
constant companion ever since his fateful encounter with Ranma.  He wanted
to break the damn thing over his knee and burn it.  He wanted to jump up
and down, to run to his desk, to do all of the things he was not able to 
do.  But no, he was stuck pretending to limp. 

Pretending badly, he thought.  Gods, I bet they're all staring at me.

After several moments of agonising nervousness, he sank into the safe haven
that was his cubicle.  Shielded from prying eyes, he sat at his desk and
leaned his cane against it.  Finally, he was able to stop worrying about
pretending - for a while, at least.

After a quick glance around to ensure he wasn't being watched - something
that was becoming a habit, a damning testament to the increasingly 
clandestine nature of his operations - he picked up his phone receiver and
dialled Yoiko's extension.

"Hibiki," came his sister's voice.

"Yoiko, it's me," he replied, hoping that his voice was steadier than his
pounding heart.  Its insistent rhythm had not slowed at all since he had
woke.  He was entirely sure that the back of his lab coat was drenched in
sweat, a conviction that only added to his nervousness.

"Ryoga?" she asked.  "What's wrong?  You sound freaked out.  What did the
Colonel have to say?"

"Come to my desk," he said, glancing around once more, and hung up.  The 
paranoia that had dogged him all the way back from the Delta Seven-Five 
labs would not subside or relent. It certainly would not allow him to 
discuss matters over the phone.

Before the receiver was back in its cradle, his other hand was already 
dipping into his top drawer to retrieve the neural interface units he had
hidden beneath a nondescript pile of paper.  To the casual observer they
appeared to be little more than earpieces, and their skin-tone colouration
made them difficult to see from a distance.  They were deceptively simple 
in appearance.

Seven in all, the units were small enough that all seven fit easily into 
the palm of his hand.  Really, he only needed one unit.  However, always 
the cautious individual, he had opted to create several, just in case.  It
was a habit he had developed long ago.

He tipped them all, save one, onto his desk.  The remaining unit he placed
into his left ear.  There was a brief, itching sensation as the unit 
latched onto the edges of his ear canal, but he had come to expect that.  A
moment later, the irritating feeling that his ear was blocked disappeared
and his hearing returned to normal as the unit's auditory compensators
kicked in, emitting a single beep to signal that the transmitter was ready.

He would have preferred not to remove the unit at all, but - as
inconspicuous as it was - the Colonel was a very observant man, and Ryoga
was not one to take unnecessary risks.

-Ukyo?- he thought.  The unit automatically latched onto the neural signal
and established a communications lock with the remote receiver.  -Ukyo?
Can you hear me?-

* * *

Ukyo watched the ocean roll past, the sun's light a thick reflective band 
of yellow amidst the endless turquoise swell.  Since they had left the 
island, the view outside had changed very little.  Similarly, little had
changed inside the chopper.  She wanted to speak to her teammates, and yet
she could not think of the words to say.  Not a word had passed inside the
helicopter for several minutes.  

-My Lady, I have completed my final diagnostics of the Frame components.  
The system is fully repaired, and the initialisation module is fully 
charged.-

-Good,- Ukyo replied, distracted by her thoughts.

-I would, however, recommend against activating the plating at this point.
It would be tactically unwise to do so in such an unpredictable 
environment.-

-Agreed,- Ukyo replied.  -I'll let you know when to activate it.-

-As you wish, My Lady.-

The Frame's reactivation was good news, of course.  She could not stop 
herself from wondering, however, what use biokinetic plating would be 
against the kind of damage Ranma had inflicted.  The Frame could protect 
her body, but it could not shield her mind.  She chewed her lip, trying not
to think too much about it.  

She could not afford to think only of herself - she was not the only one in
danger.  Soldiers, even the most highly trained, were still only human.  No
matter how rigorous their training, eventually a highly tense situation 
will begin to take its toll.

She looked away from the ocean to gaze on the faces of her compatriots.  
All were showing the strain, the mental and physical exhaustion.  None of
them had slept the previous night, she realised, which only made things
worse.  Their eyes still carried that grim determination and resolution but
had taken on a softer edge, the hardness concealed beneath a veil of stress
and sleep deprivation.

She gave them a tired smile, which was the best she could manage.  That 
they trusted her enough to allow Ranma aboard the chopper, to rest their
very lives in her hands, was an immense weight upon her shoulders.  She did
not require sleep as they did, but nevertheless she felt just as drained as
they.

It pained her to dwell on such things, but that pain was infinitely 
preferable to the boiling disgust that churned within her stomach at the 
very thought of what Ranma had done to her.  That horrifying cold, the 
humiliating submission, the terrifying numbness - all were stinging 
reminders of Ranma's attack, and yet all paled in comparison to the blow 
she had dealt herself.

She could not forget that part of her had surrendered.  Part of her had 
given in, offered itself completely to Ranma.  The very notion chilled her
to the core, but she could not ignore it.  That part of her lived on, still
desiring to give itself to Ranma, to lay back and accept Ranma as her 
master.  Keeping that tiny voice quiet was a constant struggle; its endless
chanting was growing increasingly hard to ignore.

Give yourself to her.  You want her.  You belong to her.

No!, she thought, furious.  She wrenched open her eyes, not even realising 
that she had closed them.  Her hands were tightly clutching her knees, and
her four teammates were staring at her.  Sniffing, she realised that tears
were running down her cheeks.

Biting back her tears she gave the others a reassuring nod, trying to 
convince them she was all right.  It was pointless, she knew.  The looks of
uncertainty in their eyes were as plain as day.  They were all in trouble,
and they knew it.  She cursed herself for allowing her mind to return to
that dismal moment.  It would help no-one for her to dwell upon it.

-Ukyo?  Can you hear me?-

-Ryoga?- she asked, startled.  A hot flash of embarrassment burned her 
cheeks.  She continued, feeling very much as though she had been caught 
doing something she should not have been.  -Is that you?-

-Yeah.  I'm glad to hear your voice,- Ryoga replied. -I was worried about
you.  There's something I need to tell you.-

-It's good to hear from you too,- she replied.  Truthfully, she felt an
intense guilt that had burst open inside her like an over ripened fruit the
moment she heard his voice.  The thought that he was concerned about her
while she was submitting to Ranma's lustful advances bit as deeply into her 
as any sword strike ever could.

-Where are you?-

-I'm ... in a chopper, coming back to the Spring.-

* * *

-What?  How?- Ryoga asked, taken aback.  -The search team found you?-   

Yoiko peeked into his cubicle, a half-formed question upon her lips.  He
held up his hand to silence his sister as Ukyo answered.

-Yeah, they did,- came the reply, hesitantly followed by, -and, uh, Ranma
is aboard too.-

-She is?- Ryoga asked, the perplexed expression on his face drawing an 
inquisitive stare from his sister.  He gestured to the communication units
on his desk.  Realisation illuminated Yoiko's face and she quickly placed
one of the units inside her ear, seating herself on the other side of his
desk.  -Have you told the Colonel?-

-Yeah.  I called him about twenty minutes ago.  He said he'd prepare the
launch bay for our arrival.-

-How did you restrain her?- Ryoga asked.  -Did you get the Frame back 
online?

-Uh, she's not exactly restrained,- came Ukyo's response.  There was a
pregnant pause.  -She's holding me hostage.  She's got a sword to my neck 
as we speak.-

-WHAT?- Yoiko exclaimed through their shared communication channel, the 
sheer volume of her mental voice making Ryoga jump in surprise.  He shot
her a stern glare, hoping that Ukyo did not react similarly in her 
situation. 

-Yoiko?- Ukyo asked.  -How did you---

-Never mind that,- Ryoga interrupted.  -What do you mean, Ranma is holding
you hostage?  Why?  Are you okay?-

-She hasn't hurt me.  I'm fine,- Ukyo replied, with a distinct lack of
conviction.  -She's looking for a girl named Akane.  I told her the girl 
was aboard the Spring.  I figured leading her back to the Spring was the
best way to contain her.  I'll reactivate the Frame once we're there and 
take her down.-

-She wasn't supposed to arrive conscious, never mind armed!- Yoiko 
interjected, her interruption quickly stifled by a withering glare from her
brother.

-Gods, she's coming for the other one,- Ryoga observed, his own thoughts
unintentionally spilling into the communications channel.

-The other one?-

-That's what I was going to tell you.  A girl named Akane Tendo was brought
aboard a couple of hours ago.-

* * *

-You mean she's ... actually there?- Ukyo stammered, taken aback.  She had 
used Akane's location as a bluff; to find out she was actually aboard the
sub was a shock.

She quickly decided against a change of plans.  To divert the chopper now
would be dangerous.  It would rouse Ranma's suspicion, and that was one 
thing she did not want to do.  No; it was best to stick to the current 
plan.  They would travel to the Spring and contain her there.  Whether or 
not Akane was aboard was irrelevant.

-Yeah, and that's not all,- Ryoga continued.  -She's a dragon, just like
Ranma.  I've been ordered to install Seraph Wing.-

A moment of stunned silence filled the communication band.  

-There's another dragon?- Yoiko asked, awestruck.

-Apparently so,- her brother replied.  -I saw her with my own eyes.  Gods,
those eyes ....-

Somehow, the thought of another dragon did not fill her with dread, as she
expected it to.  The prospect was not that surprising. The more she mulled
it over, the more it made sense to her.  She had never assumed there was
only one dragon.  In fact, the more she thought about it ....

Tendo.  Where have I heard that name before?

-Why the hell would they install Seraph Wing into a dragon?- Yoiko 
wondered, putting Ukyo's next question into words.  -It's supposed to stop
a dragon, not help one!-

-This is wrong.  Something is very, very wrong,- Ukyo said, feeling the 
blood drain from her face.  She swallowed, the movement of her muscles 
grazing her skin against the edge of Ranma's sword as an unsettling notion
sprung to life in her mind. There were only two possibilities that 
explained why Seraph Wing would be implanted into a dragon.

-Either Phoenix doesn't intend to kill the dragons,- Ryoga conjectured, 
apparently having followed the same line of reasoning, -or Seraph Wing was
created for some purpose other than self-defence.-

-Seraph Wing, what is your mission?- Ukyo asked after a moment's thought,
projecting her voice to Ryoga and Yoiko as well.

-My Lady?- Seraph Wing replied, its voice echoing through Ukyo's mind to be
rebroadcast toward the Hibikis.

-I want to know what your purpose is.  What exactly were you designed to
do?-

-To protect you, My Lady.-

-How, specifically?-

-I consist of a multitude of subsystems.  The Core and Frame work in tandem
to produce the biokinetic plating that protects you in combat.  The Frame
also provides resonant biofeedback to enhance your perception, accelerate
your cognitive processing and reflexes, and multiply your strength.  The 
field it projects is used to gather data for a variety of sensors, which I
can interpret to provide tactical information and advice.-

-Anything else?-

-The Core, in addition to generating the impenetrable plating, has a neural
interface that allows us to communicate, as well as providing access to 
your communications array.  The array allows for easy radio communication.
The Core also houses the self-repair subsystem, which is capable of
repairing damaged components as well as complementing your own innate
regenerative capability.-

-Is that it?-

-Yes, My Lady.-

-Are you sure?-

-Yes, My Lady.-

-That doesn't tell us anything we don't already know,- Ryoga said, sounding
perplexed.  -It doesn't tell us why they would want to equip a dragon with
the Wing.-

-No, no, she has a point,- Yoiko interrupted.  -I see what she's saying.-

-What?- Ryoga asked.

-Seraph Wing gave a complete list of its components,- Yoiko replied.  
-Except it wasn't complete.  There's a secondary communication subsystem, 
the one we're using to communicate right now.  Seraph Wing doesn't know it
exists.  If we can add components without Seraph Wing knowing about 
them ...-

-... then others could do the same,- Ryoga finished.  -Gods, you're 
absolutely right.-

-But why?- Ukyo wondered.

-We've both been over the schematics a thousand times,- Yoiko said.  
-There's nothing in there that we don't know about.-

-It could be hidden.  Embedded inside a processor, who knows.  We have to 
assume that there is something else built into the Core that we don't know
about.  Hell, perhaps Seraph Wing knows and just isn't telling us.-

-Who would do that?- Ukyo asked.  -And how?  Surely you would notice if 
someone changed your design?-

-I didn't design the Core.  I did a lot of the neural interface work, and 
designed a lot of the subsystems, but the Core itself isn't my work.-

-Who, then?  Yoiko?-

-No way, I just wrote software.  The Core was designed by Dr. Ichigawa at
the main Tokyo lab.-

-Dr. Ichigawa?-

-He's the main researcher behind the Seraph Initiative.  He's the one who
came up with the idea for the Seraph Wing system in the first place,- Ryoga
explained.

-If anyone would know what the Wing was designed for, it would be him,- 
Yoiko added.  -Dr. Ichigawa is a genius.  He's probably got the whole 
design memorised.-

-Dr. Ichigawa ... I think I've heard that name before,- Ukyo noted.  -I
wonder if he has---

Ukyo turned her head, distracted mid-sentence by a bright white light on
the horizon.  Narrowing her eyes, she peered more closely at it.

* * * 

Deep within the bowels of the Leviathan Spring, in a small room at the end
of a darkened corridor inside what was officially known as 'Storage 
Section Nine', a delicate medical procedure was underway.  The apparatus 
for this procedure was deceptively simple; little more than a small bag of
clear fluid being fed intravenously into the arm of Akane Tendo. 

To the casual observer - if there was ever such a thing in the Delta 
laboratory - it would be mistaken for a simple saline drip, or perhaps a
sedative.  However, the bag contained the culmination of tens of thousands
of man-hours of research and development.  It was no mere liquid; it was a
concentrated mixture of specially engineered nutrients and stimulants
designed for a single, very specific purpose.  

It was a carefully-measured dosage, computed to the finest precision to 
have a predictable effect in a predictable timespan.  The exact composition
and concentration of the mixture had been calculated and re-calculated over 
the course of almost ten years to the most accurate degree possible.  Every
step in its production had been meticulously supervised, with absolutely no
expense spared.  It was a revolution of modern technology, a triumph of
design and engineering.

As the liquid oozed into Akane's veins, her heart began to beat faster and
faster, circulating the mixture throughout her entire body.  However, it 
was not her body that consumed the nutrients.  Just as the analysts and
researchers had anticipated, the symbiotic lifeform within her body - what 
the Hidari in their religious dogma referred to as Ryujin - hungrily 
devoured the supply.

A team of analysts carefully monitored the progress of the experiment from 
a secured facility in Tokyo.  Just as they had predicted, Ryujin took what 
was given and consumed it, growing stronger and larger with every passing
moment.  And, as predicted, for a little over two hours the essence of
Ryujin spread, joining with Akane in a manner utterly unique to the
Dragonkin.  Her body spasmed, straining against the thick straps that bound
her to the bed.

Something happened then that the analysts did not predict.  Ryujin's growth
patterns began to accelerate, far exceeding their expectations.  For the 
first few moments this was reason for optimism, but as the seconds ticked 
by, such optimism was quickly replaced with panic.  The growth was 
exponential, far outstripping even the most reckless of estimates.  Growth
that was supposed to have taken months occurred in mere seconds.

Akane's struggles grew more violent.  Her unconscious body, not yet 
completely adapted to the presence of Ryujin, instinctively fought the 
unnaturally-induced invasion.

They had terms for what was occurring - chain reaction, resonant cascade,
equilibrium violation - but nothing else.  They were the nightmare
scenarios, the worst-case eventualities that spelt "utter disaster".
Documented only for the sake of completeness, such scenarios were never
supposed to actually -happen-.  The probability was infinitesimal.

Akane's heart stopped.  Her body fell, lifeless, to the bed.

In Tokyo, klaxons wailed.  Automated emergency systems brought themselves 
online and hastily issued the abort command.  One by one the failsafes 
clicked into place.  However, it was much too late.  The reaction had been
set into motion.  The event horizon had been crossed.  There was no turning
back.  Panic turned to sheer disbelief - this could not be happening.

But happen it did.  

* * *

The JNV-1001 had originally been commissioned as a purely military vessel.
It was, in its initial phase, designed as a superior interdiction vessel, 
armed with a heavy payload and tasked with defending the Home Islands.  It
was part of an entire armada of submarines, envisaged as a major part of 
Japan's self defence during times of instability.  

However, disarmament treaties were signed, peaceful accords were reached,
and the Japanese government had no choice but to abandon its submarine 
weapon platform development program as a show of good faith.  Behind closed
doors, however, the construction of the JNV-1001 continued.  A deal was
brokered by the Phoenix Industrial corporation, a quiet purchase of one
submarine that relieved the government of a small portion of the loss it 
had taken in half-developing the vessel, and granted the Phoenix a viable
base to develop a truly useful mobile facility.

The vessel's design was radically altered; heavy weapons platforms were
stripped bare and replaced with research and development facilities, staff
and crew quarters, barracks and air base, with hydroponic facilities to 
support the population.  The revamped vessel still carried a sizable array
of armaments, but was also capable of airborne troop deployment, as well as
housing an almost self-sufficient microsociety of researchers and
technicians.  At its completion, the vessel was finally given a name: the
Leviathan Spring.

As part of the Phoenix design phase, the vessel's structure was altered to
include a vast array of small, nondescript compartments.  Ostensibly,
according to the design specifications, these areas were power conduits, 
ventilation shafts, storage cabinets, and a variety of other miscellaneous
structures.  No-one was ever assigned cleaning duties in these areas; if
anyone had ever investigated, they would have found them sealed and
impenetrable.  

Housed inside each of the compartments were cryogenic tubes containing 
Hidari clones designed for rapid deployment throughout the sub in emergency
situations.  Their presence was a closely-guarded secret, only known by the 
Captain, Colonel Hunter, and a few select Delta Lab personnel.  Most had
been stored, undisturbed, for over two years.  There were hundreds in all, 
a sleeping army to be called upon in times of need.

* * *

A vicious storm raged all around, violent winds turning and churning the
air, carrying heavy raindrops in a miniature tornado all around.  Thunder
rumbled through the sky, hot lightning burning the air.  The wind 
blustered, the rainfall intensified, the sky itself sank into deepest 
black.  The howling cries of the wind grew, joined by the cacophonous 
percussion of a thousand watery bullets ripping into the ground below.  The 
sound grew louder and louder, threatening to shake the world itself to 
pieces as it reached a fever pitch, and then--

Silence.  

The world around her was gone.  The warm, white pool with its cloak of fog
had been ripped away, leaving her suspended in an endless expanse of white 
nothingness.  She began to fall, to tumble end over end through the 
emptiness.  A gaping black chasm opened far below, its crooked edges 
yawning wide to swallow her whole.

She understood now, what it all meant.  The knowledge had been unlocked in
her mind, a fateful understanding of her own demise.  She was falling from 
the realm of Earth, tumbling toward the Otherworld, the well of dead souls 
that existed alongside her world.  

Akane screamed.

It was coming for her.  She was dying.  She fought.  Struggled.  Tried to 
slow her fall.  Something, anything to stop her descent into the abyss.
Cold air screamed past her as she plummeted toward the chasm.  Faster.  
Faster.  She tried to breathe.  Faster.  Raging wind attacked her lungs.  
Faster.  

HELP ME!

A burst of light from below.  Bright white light.  She closed her eyes, 
blinded by the glare.  The light caught her, surrounded her with its 
diffuse glow.  Her descent slowed, the lashing wind subsided.  She caught
her breath and opened her eyes.  Shadows and mist hung below.  She glanced 
over her shoulder.  The radiant white light burned above.

Akane.

She jolted at the voice.  It surrounded her, filled her senses from all 
directions.  She whirled in place, trying to locate the source but to no 
avail.  

Who are you, she called to the void.  Her mouth did not move and yet the 
sound of her voice echoed through the nothingness.  Why did you save me?

You should not ask what you already know.

Akane's eyes widened.  You're ... Ryujin, aren't you?

No, my Akane, came the reply.  -We- are Ryujin.

* * *

For just a moment there was an equilibrium, a harmonic moment of perfect 
peace.  The two beings existed alongside each other.  However, such 
perfection could not last.

Ryujin's explosive growth quite literally clove Akane's consciousness in 
two.  Her mind, her heart, her very soul were taken, consumed by the 
unstoppable expansion.  The spreading sphere of Ryujin's consciousness 
reached critical mass and detonated, wrenching the Dragonkin Ryujin back to
life for the first time in almost a millennium.

The explosive end was inevitable. The aftershock of the detonation rang 
out through the realms, ripples of the Lady of Life's emergent 
consciousness resonating throughout the shockwave.  

Invisible and silent to most, the wave passed unnoticed to all but those
most sensitive to it.  To those few individuals, it appeared as an 
apocalyptic wave of fire that surged through the realms at blazing speed. 
It ripped effortlessly through sky, sun, earth and sea.  Undeniable. 
Unstoppable.

* * *

Hammer and Anvil, walking the corridors of the Delta laboratory - the 
corridors of ground zero - were knocked off their feet by the force of the
shockwave.  Their bodies were slammed into the wall with force enough to 
buckle the metal.

The cataclysmic blast shot through the Leviathan Spring, ripping the Hidari 
out of their slumber.  Confusion and panic reverberated through the shared
strands of their collective consciousness, an echo that gained strength
with each Hidari mind that awoke.  

Aboard the helicopter Ranma and Ukyo were thrown backwards into the seat
behind them, slamming their eyes shut in unison to hold back the searing
white light as it blasted through them, the helicopter, the sky around it
and the ocean below.

Deep inside Storage Section Nine - only a short distance from Akane - was a 
cloning laboratory filled with an immature batch of the latest Hidari 
generation. They writhed within their tubes, minds that had not been
completely developed struggling to understand what was happening.  Their
fear was primal, a base terror and panic that spread like wildfire through
the Hidari consciousness.

As the young Hidari slammed their fists into the tubes containing them, the
older Hidari, spurred on by the intense emotions emanating from their 
younger brethren, began to do the same.  Driven by instinct, not intellect,
they sought only one thing:  to get out.  To be free.

* * *

The brilliant flash burned into Ukyo's retinas, the thin flesh of her 
eyelids utterly unable to stop it. Even as she was blinded, her mind was 
filled with images, recalled memories that had lain dormant for centuries.
A thousand snapshots from a millennia of life burst free to be remembered 
again, a tidal wave of sights, sounds and emotions that shot through her 
mind, a searing blast of revelation.  

In a frenzy she tried to hold onto them as they flashed past, but within a 
moment they were gone once more, leaving a only smouldering ember of 
recollection in their wake.

She reeled in shock, dazed and dizzied by the impact.  Stars danced across
her vision as the white light faded from her eyes.  She gasped for breath,
feeling as though she had been punched in the stomach.

-Gods,- she exclaimed, her mental voice heaving.  -I remember ... now I 
remember ... Ryujin ....-

-My Lady?-

"Akane," came Ranma's voice, barely a whisper over Ukyo's shoulder.  
"Akane ...."

-We have to turn this chopper around right now!- Ukyo cried as realisation
struck.  -We can't bring them together!-

-You cannot, My Lady, Ranma will--

-Ryoga!- Ukyo called out, ignoring Seraph Wing.  The AI was right, as 
always.  If she turned the chopper around, Ranma would bring it down and 
kill everyone aboard.  -Ryoga, can you hear me?-

-What is it, Ukyo?-

-You have to get the hell off the Spring!  Now!-

-What?-

-Just do it!  Don't ask any questions.  Don't talk to anyone.  Just get the
hell off that sub right now!-

* * *

In the midst of the chaos, one mind dissented.  A single, young Hidari
clone - unlike his brothers - did not panic or struggle.  He did not scream
or screech or wail.  He simply let out a long, slow sigh of relief.  Unit 
3659 of batch 248, thirty-seventh generation, third revision, opened his
eyes and waited for his cryogenic tube to open.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing?"

Ryoga grunted as he yanked a shelf out of the cupboard under his desk.
Papers went flying everywhere, scattering themselves across the floor.
Scowling at the mess, he dug further into the pile of documents, tossing
them to the floor in clumps.  "Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Yoiko asked in a hushed whisper.  She looked around, 
grimacing with each loud rustling sound her brother made.  Several of the
other researchers were looking in their direction, curious as to the noise.

"I keep a loaded gun in here for emergencies," Ryoga replied, head
half-buried in the cupboard.  A set of manilla folders came flying out to
scatter their contents across his desk.  Moments later, he emerged holding 
a small wooden box, a victorious expression on his face.  "Aha!  I knew I'd
put it in here."

"Are you nuts?" Yoiko asked in a hushed whisper, utterly incredulous.  
"What do you think you're going to do, shoot your way out?  We can't just
-leave-!  We're on a submarine, for crying out loud!"

"You heard her," Ryoga replied, unclasping the latch and opening the box.  
A nine-millimetre gun lay embedded in red felt, immaculately clean.  He
removed the gun from its resting place and tightened his grip upon it, 
admiring it.

"I heard a vague warning, but I don't see how that leads to this!" Yoiko
exclaimed, gesturing to the weapon.  "You've gotta be crazy.  If you get
caught with that, you're going to be in a world of trouble."

"You don't know Ukyo like I do.  She sounded -scared-," Ryoga said, rising
from his desk.  He stood and shucked his lab coat. "We observed her for
months before we brought her aboard.  If there is one thing I learned from
that surveillance, it's that when she gets scared, there is invariably a
very good reason for it."

"Yeah, but--" Yoiko began.  She stopped as Ryoga strode across his cubicle
to hang his coat upon a hook mounted on the far wall.  "Hey, what happened
to your leg?"

"I'll tell you later," Ryoga replied, tucking his gun into the back of his
trousers.  He moved toward her and took her hand.  "Come on.  We're going 
to get out of here."

"Fine," Yoiko said with a sigh.  "I think this is crazy, but I'll go.  
Where are we going?"

"I don't know yet."

* * *

Several day shift crew members were sitting in the Leviathan Spring's
tertiary mess eating breakfast when a brisk chill washed into the room.
Some ignored it and focused on their food, some commented about the sudden
cold to their neighbours, others looked around for the source of the frigid
draught.  However, in the hustle and bustle it was quickly forgotten as the
crew members settled back into their morning routine.

A small, ceiling mounted temperature sensor in the Leviathan Spring's 
tertiary mess registered an abnormally low temperature.  Automated response
systems activated several wall-mounted cameras and signaled an alert to 
the surveillance crew, warning them of the anomaly.  The warning was noted,
and quickly disregarded by the maintenance staff as unimportant.

Several moments later a quiet creaking noise came from one of the walls, 
but it was drowned out by the sounds of a typical breakfast.  After a time
the creaking stopped, only to be replaced by a dull, rhythmic thudding 
sound.  This louder sound was noticed by a few of the crew in the vicinity,
several of them turning to look at the wall, some nudging their neighbours
and pointing.  Hushed questions were passed back and forth along the 
tables.

It was three minutes to the second after the temperature drop that the
first Hidari clone burst from its containment cavity, crashing effortlessly
through the wall, twisting and tearing the steel itself.  Free of its 
bonds, it turned to the mass of humans before it and smiled a feral smile.

* * *

Akane's eyes snapped open.  The room was illuminated a faint blue, a vague
circle of light on the ceiling projecting a soft glow down toward the 
floor.  Beyond that gentle glimmer the room was unlit.  Save for the 
occasional sound of dripping water and the rhythmic electrical hum of a 
lightbulb overhead shorting out, the room was silent.

She was alone, in a strange place, with no idea how she had arrived there.
Part of her felt as though she should feel afraid, but all she could feel
was a quiet, warm calm.  Somehow, the situation was not as threatening as 
her mind told her it should be.  Despite her mind's reservations she found
herself smiling, a strong sense of happiness bubbling up from within her.  

She glanced around the room, blinking as the blue light followed her gaze.
The ceiling, she saw, was covered in a thin sheen of water that was slowly 
dripping to the floor. The walls were similarly soaked.  Slowly, she sat 
up. The sheets covering her fell away from her naked body, cool air sending
a shiver down her spine as it touched her chest.  

A thin wisp of smoke rose and she glanced down to its source - her stomach.
Where the sheets had fallen away, she could see a small kanji burned into 
her skin, just above her navel.  The thin trail of smoke rose for only a 
few moments before dissipating into nothing.

"Ten," she whispered, reading the upside-down kanji.  An image flashed
through her mind; that same kanji tattooed upon Ranma's stomach, so very
long ago.  She swallowed, realising that had been no tattoo; it was a mark,
a mark she now shared.

Ranma.  She had to find Ranma, had to talk to her.  Had to find out what 
was going on.  Trying to move her arms, she quickly discovered they were
strapped to the bed.  A frown briefly crossed her face but was quickly
pushed aside.  She tugged gently at her bonds, but they would not give.
Unable to move, she had no choice but to tug harder and harder, wriggling
her arms back and forth to try and loosen the strap.

However, despite her struggles, she was only met with failure.  The straps
held firmly, refusing to release her.  She looked around, searching for
anything she could use to loosen the straps, but the only thing nearby was
an empty intravenous drip that was connected to her arm.

"What's this?" she wondered aloud, staring at the needle stuck into her 
arm.  Without thinking, she reached over with her right hand to remove the
needle.  Her arm met slight resistance from the strap, then pushed through.
Only as her hand removed the needle did she realise what had just happened.

Her right wrist was translucent, and glowing a faint blue beneath her gaze.
Her hand appeared normal, as did her elbow; small ripples passed along what 
was once her forearm for a moment, before her flesh resolidified.  Stunned, 
she looked over at the strap that had until a moment ago held her arm
securely.  It was lying upon the mattress, still fastened, and drenched in
water.

She stared at the strap for a long time.

* * *

"This is stupid," Yoiko groused. "I'm not sure what you're planning to do. 
I mean, at sea our options are pretty limited.  There's only the air launch
bay, and that's assuming we're actually surfaced right now.  Even if we 
are, it's a hell of a swim to the shore."

"There has to be a way," Ryoga replied, sounding determined.  He led her 
toward the main laboratory exit.  Fortunately for them, there was no guard
posted.  That, at least, made their lives easier.  He did wonder for a 
moment -why- there was no guard posted, but decided he had more important
things to worry about.

"Well, there's always the submersible bay, but last I checked we weren't
carrying a submersible.  Let me check, though.  Maybe I've got a scuba tank 
in my pocket."

"Look, I really don't need any sarcasm right now, okay?"

Yoiko rolled her eyes and allowed herself to be tugged along by her 
brother.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement.  One of the other
researchers was heading toward them.  "Hey, hey.  Heads up, Ryoga."

"Ryoga!" called the man, waving toward them as he drew nearer.

"Oh, damn it," Ryoga hissed as he stopped, turning to look at the man.  
"It's Iwamura.  We don't have time for this."

"Hey, Ryoga!" called Iwamura.  "Can I have a word?"

"I'm a little busy right now, Heiichi," Ryoga replied, giving him a 
courteous smile.  "Could it wait, please?"

"I was just hoping to go over some of these Seraph Wing diagnostics I've 
been studying," Iwamura replied, returning the smile and nodding to Yoiko
as well.  "I'm hoping to refine the biokinetic plating's harmonics.  You
know how it is, always room for improvement."

"Sure do," Ryoga replied with a forced laugh, playing along.  "I'd love to,
but we've got an ... important meeting to go to right now.  How about later 
today?"

"You sure?  It'll only take a minute," Iwamura said.

"Yeah, uh, this meeting is pretty urgent.  You know how it is," Ryoga
replied, hoping his increasing irritation was not showing.  "Later today."

"Sure thing, if that's how it is," Iwamura replied, arching an eyebrow.
Obviously, he was a little put out.  "I'll drop by your desk this
afternoon, if you're not too busy."

"See you then," Ryoga replied.  He turned away and, with a sharp pull on
Yoiko's hand, resumed his brisk walk towards the exit.

"Nicely done," Yoiko commented sourly.  "Very smooth."

"Give me a break," Ryoga snapped.  "I'm not very good with people."

"I noticed."

Ryoga scowled and Yoiko fell silent as she felt his grip on her hand 
tighten to an almost uncomfortable level.  Best not to antagonise him too
much, she decided.

"Hey, Ryoga!" called Iwamura.  "What happened to your cane?"

Ryoga froze.  In their rush, he had completely forgotten it; he had also 
forgotten that he was supposed to be feigning a limp.  He turned awkwardly
in place and gave Iwamura a dumbfounded stare, his efforts to formulate an
excuse utterly unsuccessful.

"I, uh ..."

A loud crash filled the air, making all three of them jump.  Ryoga looked
past Iwamura, who turned to see what the noise was.  A high-pitched scream 
rang out.

"What is THAT?" Iwamura asked.  The scream was cut short, and a deathly
silence filled the lab.

Ryoga reached for his gun, tugging Yoiko with his other hand.  "Get behind
me."

Suddenly, the wall near Iwamura detonated.  Shards of metal flew 
everywhere, several striking him in the leg.  He cried out in pain and fell
to the ground, clutching at his wounded limb.  Blood spurted from his body,
his howls of agony echoing through the cavernous laboratory.

"Heiichi!" Ryoga yelled.  His eyes widened as a black shape darted out of 
the newly-created hole.  It was a person.  No, he realised, not just any 
person.

Ranma.

Ranma dived toward Iwamura, a flurry of fists and fanglike teeth.  
Iwamura's feeble attempts to resist were easily crushed.  Ranma fell upon
him and slashed wildly at his body, howling and biting like a wild animal.

Ryoga didn't have time to think.  His body reacted.  He shoved Yoiko back,
away from the danger, raised his gun, pulled back the slide.  He couldn't
aim; no time.  He squeezed the trigger.  Bang.  His arm shook with the
recoil.  He fired again.  Bang.  

Ranma screamed in pain and toppled from Iwamura's body.  It was too late
for Heiichi.  Ryoga could tell the moment he saw the blood-drenched body.
No-one could survive that attack.

Ryoga exhaled.

How did Ranma get here, he asked himself as his brain finally caught up
with the rest of his senses.  It's not possible.  She's on the chopper.

He stared at the bloody mess through the stream of smoke rising from the
barrel of his gun.  A dizzying realisation struck him - that was not Ranma.
The person he had just shot, while identical to Ranma in almost every way,
was male.

"What the hell ...." he whispered.

He took a step forward, keeping his gun firmly trained upon the fallen 
body.  Another crash filled his ears.  Another scream.  He looked up and 
saw cubicle walls falling like dominoes, heard the panicked yells of his 
fellow researchers.

"Yoiko," he called over his shoulder, gingerly stepping backwards.  "We 
have to get out of here."

Another Ranma burst through the hole by Iwamura.  This one ignored his 
bloodied remains and turned instead toward Ryoga.  

Ryoga quickly turned his gun upon it and pulled the trigger.  Bang.  A
splatter of blood burst from the Ranma's forehead. It screeched in agony 
and tumbled backwards, arms flailing all the way.

Ryoga spun on his heel and grabbed Yoiko's arm, pulling his dazed sister to 
her feet.  

"Run!"

* * *

Colonel Hunter closely examined the layout diagram of the launch bay, 
looking for any weak points in the perimeter he had set up.  He cursed to
himself, wishing for more time.  Time, however, was one luxury he did not 
have - Ukyo had reported in several minutes ago, and according to that 
communication, the helicopter was already a couple of minutes overdue.

There were several loading gantries near the bay's ceiling, and all had 
been allocated snipers to cover the bay floor.  The mezzanine observation 
deck had also been hastily fortified, and a loose ring of soldiers had been
stationed around the perimeter of the bay floor.  That, he hoped, would  
provide adequate cover.

The soldiers could not take down Ryukyu, he knew.  They were a 
psychological tactic more than anything else.  Ukyo was the only real hope
any of them had.  If she failed, he had no backup.  It disturbed him 
greatly to not have a contingency plan in place, but he simply had no
alternatives to fall back upon.

Once Ukyo took the dragon down - IF Ukyo took the dragon down - they could
then transfer it to a secure holding facility.  They had special 
containment rooms set aside for just such a purpose, sealed with the same
kinetic shielding that was the basis of Seraph Wing's biokinetic plating.
Even Ryukyu would not be able to escape from such a cell.  Getting her
there would be the problem.

The hiss and clunk of his office door closing was the first indication he
had that he was not alone.  His concentration broken, he frowned as he 
looked toward the door.  Frustration quickly gave way to puzzlement as he
saw just who had interrupted his ruminations.  "What the hell are you two
doing up here?  The crew thinks you're missing on the helicopter!"

"Never mind that. Have a seat, Colonel," said Anvil.

"There's been a change of plan," added Hammer.

* * *

Ukyo watched the sleek black shape of the Leviathan Spring grow ever 
larger, her sense of trepidation likewise increasing.  The flash had
illuminated parts of her mind that had long been shrouded in darkness.  She
did not remember many specifics, but she remembered enough: to allow Ryukyu
and Ryujin to reunite was to invite disaster.

"Once this chopper lands, we're getting off," she said, giving the other
members of her team a hard stare.  "This is between me and Ranma.  I want
the rest of you back in the air and the hell away from the Spring."

Scar opened his mouth to object, but Ukyo silenced him with a tiny shake of 
her head.  This was not the time for a military hierarchy.  Please.  No
arguments.

* * *

Akane stumbled as she lowered herself from the bed, her movements sloshing
the ankle-deep water around.  Leaning against a wall to steady herself, she 
closed her eyes and took deep breaths to try and clear the fog clouding her
mind.  It had taken a great deal of effort to stand, and it took an even
greater effort to remain standing.  Her body wanted to fall over and sleep.
It was only through conscious effort on her part that it did not.

After several deep breaths, she convinced herself that she would not topple
face-first to the floor.  Slowly, she removed her hand from the wall and 
opened her eyes.  Too late she realised her overconfidence.  The dizziness
returned with a vengeance - she stumbled forward into the darkness and fell
heavily to her knees, warm water splashing all around.  Planting one hand 
to steady herself, she managed to halt her fall.  

Her sudden proximity to the water revealed to her things that had until 
moments before been hidden by the room's pervasive darkness.  Swallowing
hard, she looked down at her own reflection.  She was completely naked, her
skin was as white and smooth as porcelain, and her hair was entirely blue.
Her eyes glowed a radiant blue, appearing as if a liquid.  Where once she 
had irises and pupils, now only the luminescent water remained.  She peered
into her own eyes, seeing within them an endless, limitless depth.  She
shivered, suddenly afraid.  

As if in response to the chill that touched her body, a thin sheen of water
rose from the floor to embrace her, snaking up her legs, over her hips and
torso.  In a mere moment it had encased her arms and, before she even had
time to panic, stopped its advance at her neck.  As she watched, the water
solidified into a flowing, silken white robe.  It billowed around her,
bringing with it a soothing warmth.

With the warmth came calm, stillness and peace.  The haze of dizziness 
lifted from her. The fear slipped away. Slowly, Akane-Ryujin rose to her
feet.

* * *

"The new Seraph Wing installation has been cancelled.  As you can see,
Colonel, we have more pressing matters to attend to.  The Hidari are quite
out of control - skirmishes are breaking out throughout the vessel.  The
entire submarine is in chaos."
	
"My God," Hunter muttered, watching in horror as Anvil flicked between the
video feeds of several surveillance cameras.  'Skirmish' was not the word; 
'slaughter' seemed more accurate.  Hidari were rampaging through the 
vessel, killing everything they came across.  A few of the crew - mainly
those on guard duty - managed to put up something of a fight with their
sidearms, but that was little more than token resistance.  "We have to do
something!"

"A countermeasure is already being implemented, Colonel," Hammer replied.  
His grip tightened upon the Colonel's shoulder, holding him firmly in his
thick leather chair.  "We have a team of Ghosts standing by to resolve this 
situation."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ryujin has awoken much faster than expected.  I'm sad to say this has 
caught us unprepared.  However, it is not beyond control.  Unfortunately, 
the awakening has had an unavoidable side-effect: the Hidari are reacting 
to Ryujin's sudden presence, as you can plainly see.  Your crew are no 
match for them.  However, our Ghosts will be able to clean up the mess."

"You call that a side-effect?!" Hunter blustered.  "Those things are 
killing my men!"

"Yes, yes," Hammer said with a dismissive wave of his hand.  "The Hidari
are very sensitive to the Great Balance.  Ryujin's sudden growth spurt has
thrown them into disarray.  It is quite understandable that their behaviour
has become erratic."

"'Erratic'?!" Hunter bellowed.  He leapt out of his seat, but was quickly 
shoved back down by Hammer.  "-You- brought that dragon aboard!  -You- 
started this!  You have to stop it!"

"It will be stopped in time," Hammer replied.  "For now, though, it must 
continue.  The Hidari are not the only ones affected by the disruption in 
the Balance.  Ryukyu has felt it as well, and no doubt is heading this way
as we speak.  The Hidari will prove useful once he arrives."

"A helicopter has entered the launch bay," Anvil observed from his position
near the monitor.  

"Ah!  Quicker than I had expected," Hammer said with a nod of his head.  
"Ryukyu has come to find Ryujin.  I had hoped to install Seraph Wing within
Ryujin before he arrived, but with her growth spurt that will not be
necessary."

"You're ... you're not going to stop Ranma?"

"What?  Of course not," Hammer replied with a chuckle.  "How would I do 
that?  We cannot stop Ryukyu.  We never could.  All of the technology in 
the world will not help us against him."

"But ... Ukyo was ...."

"She is -nothing-," Hammer spat.  "Ukyo never had a chance of stopping 
Ryukyu.  She was a diversion, nothing more."

"You bastards!  You used us!" Hunter cried, his body shaking in anger.  
"What are you going to do?"

The proto-Hidari smiled.  "It's quite simple.  We are going to let Ryujin
destroy Ryukyu for us."

* * *

Ukyo watched in silence as the helicopter rose slowly upwards, the 
blustering wind of its rotors fading as it climbed into the sky beyond the
launch bay doors.  

Go, she thought.  Get the hell away from here.  

She did not need to look around to know there were a dozen snipers with 
rifles trained upon both her and Ranma.  She could feel their anxious,
sweating presence even without Seraph Wing's help.  A tense silence filled
the hangar, and she wondered for a moment why they had not begun firing.

"Akane," Ranma whispered.  "Akane ...."

Ranma's grip upon her tightened, and she felt herself being forced forward.
She took an awkward step; the guns of the soldiers moved with her, tracking
the pair's every movement.  They were waiting for the order to fire, she 
assumed.

-Shall I activate the Frame, My Lady?-

A loud creaking sound echoed through the hangar, coming from the far wall.
Ukyo stared, and saw several of the soldiers turn to look at the wall.  Her
eyes widened.

-My Lady?-

-Wait.  I can feel ... I can feel ... something coming....-

* * *

Akane-Ryujin watched in amazement as the mechanical door hissed open at her 
approach.  Peering closely at the doorframe into which the thick metal door
had vanished, Akane reached out with her hand to touch the smooth metallic
surface.  Ryujin's innate curiosity guided her movements, eyes and a mind
that had not experienced the world in nine hundred years demanding an 
explanation for such mechanical magic.

The part of her that was still Akane smiled in bemused fascination, 
offering up a simple explanation behind the technology used to sense her
presence and open the door.  Such internal dialogue was second nature to 
her, despite her lack of experience.  The moment Ryujin had awoken, she had
realised her dual nature.  Communicating with her other half was the 
obvious next step, and had followed on in a mere matter of seconds.

In the few minutes she had spent in the room with Ryujin, they had already
developed a strong bond.  She was a part of Ryujin as much as Ryujin was a
part of her.  It felt -good- to be joined to such a creature, despite
Ryujin's many idiosyncrasies.  She felt an overpowering sense of calm and
happiness radiating from the creature she now shared her body with.

With Ryujin's curiosity regarding the door at last satisfied her hand 
returned to her side, to be once more enshrined within the silken white 
threads of her robe.  She stepped through the doorway and into the 
corridor; her robe glided smoothly behind her, leaving a streaked trail of
water across the floor.

The corridor was empty and featureless; long black walls and polished black
floors that stretched off into the distance.  Unmarked doors, like the one
she had passed through, lined both walls of the corridor.  Small metal
pipes ran along the ceiling, bright fluorescent lights between them
drowning the corridor in sterile white light.

She tried, as best she could, to explain the concept of artificial lighting
to Ryujin, to stave off the impulsive curiosity that was washing through 
her mind.  However, try as she might to provide answers, she could not keep
up with the barrage of wordless questions.  She laughed, out of what once
might have been frustration but was now mild amusement.

The sound of running footsteps echoed down the corridor; apparently, 
someone had heard her laughter.  The flow of emotion from Ryujin stopped in
a heartbeat, draining away to leave cold, uninhibited reason behind.  She
could feel, somewhere deep inside, the presence of the individual - no, 
there was more than one - running toward her.

Abomination.  Hidari, coming for her.

* * *

"You must understand, this is a very delicate situation," Hammer said, 
leaning on Hunter's desk as he watched the security camera display on the
monitor.  "Handling Ryukyu and Ryujin requires the utmost care."

"The symbiotes must be fully developed for them to become vulnerable.  If 
they have not reached full maturity, they will simply move to a new host
when the current host is killed," Anvil added.

"It has taken almost nine hundred years, but finally the process is nearing 
completion.  Now that Ryujin has emerged, all that remains is for Ryukyu to
awaken and then we can proceed."

"I ... don't understand," Hunter murmured, transfixed by the display on the 
monitor.  

"As I said, it is a delicate situation," Hammer explained.  "Ryukyu and 
Ryujin are poised at opposite ends of the Great Balance.  If one dies and 
the other does not, the Balance itself will crumble.  They must both die 
together, or the Earth realm itself may be destroyed."

"Now that Ryujin has awoken, the Balance must be restored.  Concordantly, 
Ryukyu will awaken - it is the Balance's way of healing itself," Anvil
added.

"Once they both fully emerge, they will be both strong enough to kill each
other and yet vulnerable enough to be killed.  Each must kill the other.
This is the only way to maintain the Balance after they are dead," Hammer
continued.

"But ... but why involve us?" Hunter asked, watching the monitor with 
growing repulsion.  "You could have done this without us.  Why did you have
to bring us into this?"

"Believe me, we'd really rather not have involved you," Hammer replied. 
"Unfortunately, humans have an annoying habit of becoming involved whether 
or not their presence is requested or required.  This way, we could at 
least ensure you did not interfere with anything important."

"Interfered?!" Hunter fumed.

"Even now, your soldiers are preparing to fire upon Ryukyu.  They will all
die, but Ryukyu will not be stopped.  Interference, Colonel."

* * *

The creaking stopped, and an uneasy moment passed.  A few soldiers looked
back and forth between themselves, wondering just what to make of the 
sudden silence.  Ukyo swallowed hard.  Mental alerts flared, Seraph Wing
helpfully informing her of her skyrocketing heart rate.   

A gunshot rang out, her peripheral vision registering a muzzle flash high
above the hangar floor.  The world slowed, her perception accelerating as 
Seraph Wing's sensors locked on to the projectile and calculated its
velocity and trajectory. The course of the bullet was plotted precisely in 
her mind, marked down to the nanometre as it hurtled toward her.

The AI warned her of the bullet's impending impact, its alert registering
as little more than a panicked surge of adrenaline that rushed through her
body.  The bullet, she realised, was poorly aimed; it was going to hit her.

The impenetrable field of her biokinetic plating crackled into life around
her. The bullet thudded uselessly against the field, flattening as it was
repelled.  An eclectic hiss filled the air as the plating expanded, its
presence pushing Ranma backwards.  Ukyo let out a deep breath, finally free
of Ranma's frozen grip.  Less than half a second had passed since the
gunshot.

The flattened bullet clattered to the ground, the sound echoing into the
distant corners of the hangar.  She stared at the crumpled lump of metal
for a moment, unsure of how to react.  

That decision was taken from her moments later when a hail of gunfire 
exploded across the hangar.  Hundreds of trajectories scorched across her
senses, a swarm of fiery trails ripping through the air behind her.  Ukyo
spun around to watch the bullets scream through toward Ranma.  One by one 
they thudded into her, falling into her cloak like stones into a pond.  
Ripples spread across the fabric, concentric circles washing through.  

Ranma did not move.  Ukyo's thoughts turned to the pistols strapped to her 
hips.  No; they would do her no good here.  

A moment later the bullets burst from Ranma's back, one by one embedding 
themselves into the wall and floor behind her as their trajectories carried
them to the inevitable end of their journey.  

Silence once more filled the hangar, a tense moment as the collected 
soldiers waited and hoped for their enemy to fall.  But, she did not fall.
She did not die.  She could not die.  Slowly, Ranma raised her sword as her
cloak dripped from her body to pool on the floor at her feet.

"Akane ...."

* * *

"Amazing, isn't it?" Hammer pondered as the three watched the events 
unfolding on the monitor.  Ranma stood motionless on the screen, unfazed by
the volley of gunfire.  "They don't have a chance.  Not even ten thousand
bullets will stop him.  A true immortal, in all his terrible glory."  

"My God, what a monstrosity," Hunter murmured, his throat hoarse as he
stared in startled horror.  He had been coordinating the search for Ranma
for over three years, and yet to actually bear witness to the awful truth
of Ranma's nature - to see it with his own eyes - frightened him immensely.
How could he have ever hoped to stop her?

"You don't know the half of it," Hammer replied, a distinct note of 
amusement in his voice.  "Once Ryukyu awakens, then you will understand 
what his power truly is."

"Look," called Anvil.  "The walls!"

"Ah, at last, it begins," Hammer said.  "Watch very closely, Colonel."

* * *

It happened in just over eight seconds.

In the first second, dozens of storage compartments dotted around the
circumference of the hangar were blasted open.  Almost a hundred 
newly-awoken Hidari clones burst from their containment tubes and crashed 
through the walls, flooding the launch bay en masse.

The snipers perched upon the loading gantries did not have a chance.  Many
were skewered by shards of flying metal, and those that were not could not
even blink before Hidari were upon them.  

It took another three seconds for their bodies to tip from the gantries and
begin the fall to the launch bay floor, where a similar slaughter was
already taking place.  Mindless Hidari swept through the ranks, ripping the
hapless soldiers to shreds.  

Two more seconds passed.  One soldier with a particularly itchy trigger 
finger jumped in surprise at the intrusion and managed to unload a volley 
of gunfire into the frenzied crowd, killing three Hidari and two of his 
fellow soldiers before he too was taken by the mob.

By the seventh second, the majority of the soldiers were dead, leaving only
a crowd of blood-drenched Hidari standing among the corpses.  The falling 
bodies of several snipers impacted upon the metal floor, others falling 
upon the broken bodies of their comrades.

The eighth second passed, and Seraph Wing completed its tactical analysis 
of the situation.  Eighty-nine unidentified assailants remained.  All were
unarmed; but nevertheless they had torn to pieces a contingent of forty
heavily armed soldiers in eight seconds.  Activating its emergency response
mode, Seraph Wing flooded Ukyo's body with stimulants and adrenaline.

Ukyo, for her part, stared in slack-jawed amazement.  Ranmas.  Eighty-nine 
new Ranmas.  -What ... the ... HELL are those things?- 

* * *

Akane tilted her head slightly, watching the two Hidari clones charge 
toward her.  Their movements were slow, easy to track - or perhaps her own
movements were swift; she could not tell.  She could see more than their
mere physical forms.  Ryujin's eyes showed her the dark void burning within
them, a gaping hole where their souls belonged.  

A shiver ran along her spine as the pair approached her at what must have
seemed to them a breakneck speed.  Their very presence was unnatural, a 
glaring, gaping vacuum in the world that she abhorred.  Her lip curled, not 
in disgust, but in pity.  She could feel the pain of these mindless 
creatures even as they dived toward her, fists and nails and snarling 
mouths, driven by an uncontrollable bloodlust - little more than wild
animals.

Her arms raised.  She struggled for only a moment before relenting and
allowing Ryujin to guide her hands.  The cloud of emotion that had descended
over her mind was swept away, leaving behind a complete calm and clarity of
vision.  She would help these creatures to escape their bodies and return 
to the waters from whence they had been ripped.

The Hidari flew through the air toward her, drawing ever closer, and she
held out open palms toward them.  In the moment before they impacted, she
smiled.  A small cloud of feathers shimmering in purest white burst into
existence behind her and began to drift toward the floor.

* * *

Ukyo grabbed the pistols holstered at her hips and drew them, pointing one 
at Ranma, the other at the mass of duplicates.  The copies seemed to be 
ignoring her, as did Ranma; instead, their attentions were focused solely
upon each other.  Ranma stared firmly at the copies, and the copies stared
back.

She squeezed the grips of her pistols, expecting the many Ranmas to turn on
her at any moment.  However, the only movement in the hangar was the
dripping of blood and the jackhammer rhythm of her heart.  

-I recommend a tactical retreat, My Lady.  You cannot win this fight.-

Thick beads of sweat trickled down her face as she stared at the scene
before her.  Moments ago, she was facing a single Ranma.  Now she was
facing ninety, and everyone else in the hangar was dead.

She took a step backwards and holstered her pistols.  -I agree.-

* * *

"Akane."

Ranma looked longingly at the distant hangar door that separated her from
Akane.  Between her and the door lay dozens of Hidari clones; little more
than a small obstacle for Garyoutensei.  And yet, despite her confidence, a
turbulent whirlwind of emotion raged inside her - anger fought with
compassion, the need to protect Akane was pitted against her unending 
desire for revenge.

"... akane-akane-akane-akane-akane-akane-akane ..." she chanted to herself,
closing her eyes as she tried to keep her focus.  She could feel the anger
welling inside her, the compulsion to spill the blood of her doppelgangers.

Squeezing her eyes tightly closed, she tried to concentrate upon her goal.  
She knew that now, with Akane in danger, was no time to seek revenge or 
retribution.  To surrender to such selfish desires was to condemn Akane to
whatever torture the Phoenix had prepared for her.  That was unacceptable.
She would save Akane.  She would save Akane.  

She ... would ... save ... Akane.

Something happened then that she did not expect.  Garyoutensei, her 
faithful companion for nine hundred years, suddenly abandoned her.  The
sword's blade evaporated, evanescing in moments to leave behind a useless
hilt.  The hilt dropped from numb fingers and clattered helplessly to the
ground.

Ranma stared at it for a moment, as did the Hidari.  The moment passed, and
the collected Hidari leapt for her as one.

* * *

"Your time has come, Ryukyu," Hammer said quietly, addressing the screen.
"You don't need the tooth any more.  Show yourself, don't be afraid."

* * *

Ranma snarled as her fist connected with the bloodied face of a Hidari;
such was the force behind the punch that his neck snapped, sending a 
lifeless body tumbling backwards to the ground.  Another Hidari grabbed 
her shoulder - that was the last action his hand would ever take, as 
Ranma's brutal punch to his armpit ripped the limb from its socket, 
destroying the nerve connections and leaving a limp, useless limb behind.

The clone did not have long to ponder his misfortune, as Ranma whirled in
place and smashed her elbow into his nose, thrusting the bone upwards into
his brain.  He too slumped lifelessly to the floor, to join the growing 
pile of his brethren.

A flurry of punches and kicks screamed toward her but she flowed between
them like water, deflecting many of the blows and absorbing the others.  
Each attack was met with a brutal counterattack, and in mere seconds the
number of dead Hidari upon the floor tripled.

The anger grew inside Ranma, a fury that would not, could not be quenched.
These bastard creations were keeping her from Akane, and for that they 
would pay dearly.

The next attack was a punch directed at her face. She snatched the fist in
midair and crushed it with her own hand, the crunching sound of shattering 
bones filling her ears.  Her burning eyes stared into those of her attacker
and she threw a sharp punch at his chest.

Her fist, however, did not impact against the clone's ribcage.  Instead it
passed through the flesh; the Hidari burst into flames, screaming obscenely
as the messy clump of life energy that would in a human being be called a
soul was penetrated by Ranma's hand.  

Ranma's eyes widened in surprise.  As quickly as the flames had appeared, 
they vanished, sucked back into the body of the Hidari.  The body of her
opponent exploded, a flood of hot water splashing her and the surrounding
Hidari.  The attacks of her enemies stopped, as they joined her in staring
at the watery remains.

Slowly, Ranma uncurled her drenched fist and stared at her palm.  A small 
puddle of water remained in her hand, but it quickly soaked into her skin.  
There was no steam, no charred remains.  She could feel its energy flowing
into her hand, spreading along her arm.  The Hidari was gone, but not 
destroyed.

* * *

"At last, Ryukyu sees his true purpose once more," Hammer commented,
flashing Hunter a victorious smile. 

Hunter watched, aghast, as the collected Hidari resumed their attack.  This
time, however, it was different.  They did not punch or kick, they simply
threw themselves at her en masse.  One by one, they were struck down as the
first had been, each bursting like a water balloon at Ranma's touch.

"They're ... they're just killing themselves," he stammered.  "Why?  I 
don't understand!"

"Such is their purpose.  Each one Ryukyu consumes will only make him 
stronger."

"My God," Hunter whispered, eyes widening in a sudden realisation.  "That's
what this is about.  They're not fighting her.  They're -feeding- her!"

* * *

Ranma thrust both fists into two Hidari, no longer closing her eyes as the
burst of water washed over her.  She could feel their life energy escaping
their bodies to be snatched into her hands and taken.  It was a glorious
feeling, an empowering and invigorating flow of energy, a delicious feast
to be consumed.

Her eyes burned bright red, coursing with the energy that filled and 
fuelled her.  Her hair grew redder, redder and redder still until, at last,
it burst into flame.  Her cherry-red locks disappeared, consumed within a
burning swath of fire atop her head.

"Akane," she called, feeling the undeniable strength growing inside her.
They could not hope to stop her now.  Nothing could hold her back.  She
would find Akane, and there was nothing they could do about it.

* * *

"It's ironic, really," observed Hammer.  "He has resisted nine hundred
years of pain and suffering, endured every torture imaginable, but in the
end, all it took to unlock the power of death inside him was a single
emotion.  The mighty, unstoppable Ryukyu will be undone by an emotion he
does not even understand."

"An ... emotion?" Hunter asked, barely able to tear his eyes from the 
screen.

Hammer watched Ranma dispatch the last of the Hidari, a smile spreading
across his face.  Leaning over Hunter's desk, he brought his head close to
the Colonel's ear and whispered:

"Love, Colonel.  Love."

* * *

The water sloshed around her feet, stained pink by the blood of forty 
soldiers.  She looked down and saw her own face illuminated by the crimson
glow of her eyes, the burning threads of her hair.  Her bloodstained teeth
glimmered dangerously in the bright light of the hangar.  

She knew now she was unstoppable.  Not even the gods themselves could keep
her from her goal.  Clenching her fists, Ranma-Ryukyu let out a howling,
heaving scream.

"AKANE!"

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